November 1, 2010
To the Editor,
As Canada will be hosting the ‘Ottawa Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism’ on November 7-9, 2010, it is with great concern that we inform you about a recent act of desecration of the monument to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust in the capital of Armenia, Yerevan. The memorial, built in 2006, was spray-painted with a swastika along with the words in Armenian “Death to Jews”.
The Assembly of Azerbaijani Canadian Organizations (AACO) believes that this is not an accidental outbreak of hatred against Jews in Armenia. The growing number of anti-semitic incidents in Armenia was reflected in relevant reports of the US Department of State as well as other international organizations. The policy of current and previous governments of Armenia is replete with hatred and racism not only with regard to Jews but also other ethnic groups. On October 19, 2010 AACO expressed its concerns over recent remarks of the president of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, on "supremacy of the Armenian people" over Azerbaijanis and others in the region.
Such acts stem from the policy of annexation and aggression conducted by Armenia’s leadership. It is very regrettable that Armenia has turned into an almost mono-ethnic state where the spirit of tolerance and coexistence is reduced to zero.
We call on international community to condemn the conduct of the government of Armenia and this particular act of vandalism.
Sincerely,
Assembly of Azerbaijani Canadian Organizations (AACO)