ANCA Shares With Churches Across Ohio News of Local Congressman Backing Azerbaijan’s Genocidal Campaign Against Armenians

November 1, 2020

WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America has shared with church and faith leaders across Ohio’s 1st Congressional District information about their local Congressman’s ties to Azerbaijan and that state’s ongoing campaign to commit a second Armenian Genocide in the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh). Congressman Steve Chabot (R-OH), who represents the southwestern corner of the Buckeye State, is the co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus.

In a letter sent by the ANCA of Ohio Chapter to churches across Chabot’s district, the organization highlighted the war crimes being committed by Azerbaijan across Artsakh and Armenia. The ANCA letter also included a link to groundbreaking reporting by the Christian Broadcasting Network’s Chuck Holton – who is on the ground in Stepanakert, Artsakh.

As part of his CBN report from Artsakh, Holton noted, “If you want to know what a war crime looks like, we found it. CBN News is on-site where an Azeri missile landed on a hospital just today. The wing of the hospital was just about ready to open. It’s not near any military targets. It couldn’t be an accident. It is very clear the Azerbaijan military is targeting civilian infrastructure.” Later on in his report, Holton quotes the religious leader of Artsakh, “They want to occupy our territory and clean this territory from Armenians,” said Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan [the current Primate of the Diocese of Artsakh of the Armenian Apostolic Church].

Last month, the ANCA encouraged voters across Ohio’s 1st Congressional District to vote out Congressman Steve Chabot, who regularly and reliably provides the corrupt, oil-rich Azerbaijani dictatorship with political cover in Washington, even as it commits a second Armenian Genocide against Christian Armenians.

“Steve Chabot’s a water-boy for jihadist killers – ISIS terrorists recruited by Azerbaijan and Turkey to slaughter Armenians across their Biblical-era homeland,” said David Krikorian of the ANC of Ohio chapter. “Christians in Ohio’s 1st Congressional District deserve better than to be represented by an apologist for those who would nail the Armenian nation to a Caspian oil rig.”

Recent polling has shown Congressman Chabot trailing his Democrat opponent Kate Schroder. The well-respected Cook Political Report switched Chabot’s race from Lean-Republican to Toss-Up. Earlier this year, Congressman Chabot offered a hostile, anti-Armenian amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.

Ohio’s 1st Congressional District is located in and around Cincinnati and Hamilton and Warren Counties. Chabot has served in Congress for 24 years and previously served as a Cincinnati City Councilman and Hamilton County Commissioner.

To learn more about Congressman Chabot’s opponent – please visit Kate Schroder campaign, website: https://www.kateforcongress.com/

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October 31, 2020

Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr
100 East 8th Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202

Dear Archbishop Schnurr:

I am writing to share with you deeply troubling and urgent news about at-risk Christians and the role local Congressman Steve Chabot is playing in supporting the radical regime in Azerbaijan that is in the process of ethnically cleansing Armenians from the Republic of Artsakh. To be blunt, Congressman Chabot is facilitating Azerbaijan’s role in committing a second Armenian Genocide.

Congressman Chabot currently serves as the co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus – where he essentially serves as a cheerleader for this petro-dictatorship. According to a recent report filed by the Christian Broadcast Network, Azerbaijan is committing war crimes against Christian Armenians in their native land of Artsakh. These war crimes include, but are not limited to, killing Armenian Pastors, beheading civilians, and bombing a historic monastery in the city of Shushi.

Please find here a link to the CBN’s report on war crimes filed by Chuck Holton: https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2020/october/news-witnesses-war-crimes-azeri-missiles-target-hospital-and-homes-as-armenians-face-another-existential-threat

As you know, the Armenian Genocide (1915 to 1923) committed by Ottoman Turkey and denied by its successor state the Republic of Turkey – resulted in the wanton death of 1.5 million Christian Armenians. At the time of the Armenian Genocide, Ohio was an integral supporter of Near East Relief (NER), the American-led campaign that quickly sparked an international response with its unprecedented humanitarian endeavor, mobilizing all segments of American citizenry including elected officials, celebrities, and laypersons alike, to help rescue victims of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey from 1915-1930. Ohio’s NER efforts were facilitated through its NER state office headquarters located at 1900 Euclid Building in Cleveland.

I urge you, without delay, to speak directly with Congressman Chabot and ask him to end his support for Azerbaijan – which is now in the process of committing a second Armenian Genocide – leading to the death of thousands of Christian Armenians.

Sincerely,

David Krikorian
ANC of Ohio