Baku International Centre of Multiculturalism has held a roundtable dedicated to the 26th anniversary of Khojali genocide.

First, to commemorate the victims of Khojali genocide a one-minute silence was observed, then a video clip dedicated to Khojali tragedy was displayed.

Speaking at the roundtable the Acting Executive Director Ravan Hasanov stated that over the night  from 25th February to 26th February 1992 a bloody incident broke out in the history of Azerbaijan. The Armenian criminals committed ruthlessly and brutally an act of genocide against the barehanded population. Khojali tragedy is not a massacre committed only against the Azerbaijani people but a crime committed against mankind. As a result of this tragedy 613 people lost their lives, 8 families completely ceased to exist, 1275 people were taken hostage, tens of families lost their bread-winners. As a result of the successful policy pursued by the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev the number of the states recognizing Khojali genocide is increasing year by year.

The Head of the Department of Interethnic Relations, Multiculturalism and Religious Issues of the Presidential Administration Etibar Najafov pointed out Khojali genocide as one of the bloody pages of Azerbaijani history. He said that Khojali genocide was a targeted massacre carried out by the Armenian fascists against the Azerbaijanis. Taking the opportunity of the collapse of the USSR, the Armenians opposed Azerbaijan with territorial claims. Consequently, the conflict of Nagorni Garabagh started. Khojali genocide is one of the bloodiest pages of this conflict. Khojali genocide is written in Azerbaijani history in blood which we’ll never forget. The present President of Armenia Serzh Sarkisyan, the ex-Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan, the former President Robert Kocharyan were very active in carrying out Khojali genocide.

The Head of the Department noted that since May 2008 an international campaign “Justice  for Khojali!” has been held by the initiative of Leyla Aliyeva, the Vice-President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation. The main goal of the campaign is to present the realities of Azerbaijan to the international campaign. Great work has been done in this field. The Parliaments of a number of countries, over 20 states of the USA have recognized the massacre in Khojali as a genocide. In a word, this campaign facilitates greatly the presentation of the just voice of Azerbaijan to the world.

The Counsellor of Baku International Centre of Multiculturalism Aytan Gahramanova said that Khojali genocide is the terrible page of our history. The National Leader Heydar Aliyev stated in his address to the Azerbaijani people in connection with the 10th anniversary of Khojali genocide, “This relentless and cruel act of genocide entered the history of mankind as one of the most awesome mass terroristic acts”.

A.Gahramanova stated that  for over 100 years our nation has been continuously exposed to ethnic cleansing and policy of genocide by the Armenian chauvinists. The Azerbaijani people has been ousted from its historical territories, turned into refugees and IDPs, and all this has been accompanied by mass destructions on the part of the Armenians. The years 1905-1906 saw massacres in the governorates of Zangazur, Shusha, Ganja, and Jabrayil. Thousands of people were killed, ten thousands of people became refugees, their houses were arsoned. All this was carried out according to a plan aimed at ethnic cleansing. In the occupied Azerbaijani territories the Armenians have destructed pieces of culture, historical, religious monuments, cemeteries which is a great crime not only against the Azerbaijani people, but the entire universal culture.

The Chair of Religious Community of the Azerbaijani Mountain Jews Milikh Yevdayev spoke of the relentless murder of 613 Azerbaijanis including children, women and old people as a result of Khojali genocide. The murder of peaceful people was associated with their being Azerbaijanis, Moslems. The Armenian fascists will have to answer for these brutalities. The martyrs’ blood will not remain unavenged.

The Chair of the Alban-Udi Religious Community Robert Mobili called Khojali genocide the tragedy of all the nationalities, religions living in Azerbaijan. The Chair of the Religious Community, who emphasized the necessity of the international political-legal appraisal of this tragedy, also pointed out that for over hundred years the Armenians have committed genocide in the Azerbaijani territories and destroyed the historical monuments of the Caucasian Albans. He underlined that Khojali genocide will never be forgotten and soon our occupied territories will be returned.

The Chair of “Ronahi” Kurdish Cultural Centre Fakhraddin Pashayev, the inhabitants of Khojali Khalil Valiyev, Murvat Mammadov, Surkhay Guliyev also spoke of the inhuman actions, relentless tortures committed by the Armenain invaders. They said that this tragedy will never be forgotten.

The speakers pointed out the great merit of the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev in the presentation of the information on Khojali massacre to the general public at large. They also emphasized the significance of the actions taken by the international campaign “Justice for Khojali” in the dissemination of the realities of Khojali to the world. They underlined that Khojali tragedy is the inherited memory of our nation. Years will pass, generations will replace one another, however, the memory of the dear sons and daughters of the Motherland will live in the hearts forever. We’ll return to our native lands, the hearths of our ancesters soon. Our territories under enemy’s heels will be freed soon under the leadership of President, Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev.

Запись The Roundtable Dedicated to the 26th Anniversary of Khojali Genocide Was Held at Baku International Centre of Multiculturalism впервые появилась Baku International Multiculturalism Centre.