Thursday, June 1 2023 12:15

ArmInfo. The spiritual leaders of America's Armenian Apostolic, Catholic, and Evangelical faithful  have joined forces in a powerful public warning to President Biden that forcing Artsakh under Azerbaijan is a "death sentence for the Armenians of this sacred land, home to 120,000 men, women, and children."

  In a letter sent yesterday to the White House, the Church leaders  wrote: "We, the spiritual leaders of American Christians of Armenian  heritage, call on you to stand firmly against any attempt to force  the Christian Armenians of Artsakh under Azerbaijan, a country that  is openly committed to ethnically cleansing the indigenous population  of this ancient part of the Armenian homeland."

  The signatories to the letter are Archbishop Hovnan Derderian  (Western Diocese Prelate), Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian (Eastern  Prelacy Primate), Very Rev. Mesrop Parsamyan (Eastern Diocese  Primate), Bishop Torkom Donoyan (Western Prelacy Prelate), Bishop  Mikhael Mouradian (Eparch Armenian Catholic Eparchy), Reverend  Hendrik Shanazarian (Interim Minister, Armenian Evangelical Union),  and Zaven Khanjian (Armenian Missionary Association of America  Executive Director).

  The full text of the interdenominational letter is provided below.  

May 30, 2023

  President Joseph R. Biden The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,  N.W.  Washington, DC 20500

  Dear Mr. President:  

We, the spiritual leaders of American Christians of Armenian  heritage, call on you to stand firmly against any attempt to force  the Christian Armenians of Artsakh under Azerbaijan, a country that  is openly committed to ethnically cleansing the indigenous population  of this ancient part of the Armenian homeland.  Any settlement that  subordinates the at-risk citizens of democratic Artsakh to  dictatorial Azerbaijan is a death sentence for the Armenians of this  sacred land, home to 120,000 men, women, and children, and, of  course, countless holy sites.  

We make this urgent appeal in the wake of our longstanding calls for  you to withdraw your waiver of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act  and fully enforce this provision of U.S. law. As we have shared with  you in the past, Armenia, the world's first Christian nation, remains  a landlocked, blockaded, genocide-survivor state, striving to survive  on the frontiers of global freedom. Our great nation must stand with  Armenia in every way, beginning with a suspension of U.S. military  aid to Azerbaijan, a country that would erase our ancient nation from  the map of the world. We must never, as Americans, be complicit in  such genocidal violence.  

We look forward to learning of your renewed leadership in saving  Christian Armenian lives and advancing a truly democratic peace that  respects the right to self-determination of Artsakh, an early cradle  of Christianity.  

We pray that the Almighty Lord bless you abundantly and His wisdom  leads your endeavors with success, spreading peace, justice, and  prosperity to the world.  Sincerely,

  Archbishop Hovnan Derderian Western Diocese Prelate

  Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian Eastern Prelacy Primate

  Very Rev. Mesrop Parsamyan Eastern Diocese Primate,

  Bishop Torkom Donoyan Western Prelacy Prelate,

  Bishop Mikhael Mouradian Eparch Armenian Catholic Eparchy

  Reverend Hendrik Shanazarian Interim Minister, Armenian Evangelical  Union 

Zaven Khanjian Armenian Missionary Association of America Executive  Director