Tarlan Ahmadov, president of the Azerbaijan Society of Maine, publicly questions United States aid to Armenia (Letter to the editor, July 31). He doesn’t mention that on Sept. 27, 2020, during a worldwide pandemic, Azerbaijan launched an unprovoked attack on the civilian Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. Banned white phosphorous, cluster munitions and ISIS mercenaries were utilized. Thus, 100,000 ethnic Armenian refugees fled to the Republic of Armenia.
Armenia is a small, landlocked country of 3 million people. Its borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan are closed. It lacks adequate resources to deal with a sudden influx of 100,000 refugees.
Mr. Ahmadov knows full well that a major reason for United States aid to Armenia is a humanitarian refugee crisis, caused directly by his native country of Azerbaijan.
It is reprehensible that Mr. Ahmadov, Maine state refugee coordinator and an employee of Catholic Charities, has a callous attitude toward the plight of 100,000 refugees. It appears he has fully internalized the virulent, anti-Armenian hatred promulgated by the Azerbaijan government.
Mr. Ahmadov regularly spews anti-Armenian hatred. In February, he manipulated Portland Mayor Kate Snyder into signing a dishonest proclamation, falsely accusing Armenians of committing “genocide” during the first Karabakh war. Upon learning the facts, Mayor Snyder rescinded this document. Mr. Ahmadov doesn’t recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915-23 perpetrated by Ottoman Turkey. This genocide is recognized by both houses of Congress and President Biden.
It is sickening to witness bigoted behavior by a public servant and employee of Catholic Charities.
Gary Zartarian
West Bath
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