Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Andrew Hagopian
Editor
The voices of Armenian students at Fresno State were heard on November 7-8, 2022, in response to a planned presentation “International Coffee Hour (ICH) Celebrates Azerbaijan,” which was scheduled to take place in the University Library.
On Tuesday, November 7, students were alerted to the presentation by an email from the International Office inviting them to take part in a “Coffee Hour” high-lighting Azerbaijan and adding that “Azerbaijan is famed for its epic mountain ranges, mulberry groves, and vineyards that flourish in its valleys.”
Within minutes of receiving this email, representatives from the Armenian Students Organization (ASO) and community leaders responded to the International Office with letters of protest and requests to cancel the event.
Students were concerned that the event would promote Azerbaijan, a country that launched a war against Nagorno-Karabakh in September-November 2020, killing thousands of Armenian soldiers and civilians, and displacing thousands more.
Azerbaijan has continued its aggression by attacking the territory of the Republic of Armenia. President Aliyev of Azerbaijan has continued to threaten the safety of Armenians both in the Republic of Armenia and in Artsakh.
In September of this year, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visited Armenia to help resolve the issue.
The ASO wanted the campus to be aware of the insensitivity of scheduling such an event, while students were still disturbed and saddened by the 2020 war, as well as recent attacks in September of 2022. The ASO was planning a protest on Tuesday, November 8, when they received an email from the International Office announcing that the Coffee Hour had been canceled.
Fresno State President Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval addressed students in a letter to the ASO expressing his shared “concern regarding the presentation intended to promote Azerbaijan at the International Coffee Hour.” President Jiménez-Sandoval followed this statement by expressing his sincere appreciation for Armenian culture and for the Armenian people.
“I deeply appreciate Armenia, its people, culture, and traditions. I am fully aware of the incredible contributions and standing of Armenians in our Central Valley history.
And I am grateful for the positive impact that Armenian students, faculty, and alumni continue to have on our campus; it is immeasurable,” said Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval.
“Our world-renowned Armenian Studies Program showcases your devotion to your culture as well as to our University and region. Many times you’ve heard me say the following: I admire your community because no one comes together and commits to preserving the memory of ancestors like the Armenians of our Valley do.
That is why I acknowledge and empathize with the trauma around the Genocide of 1915 as well as with the anguish and indignity around the recent war in Nagorno-Karabakh.
This recent aggression is a wound that unleashes the pain of the past, and repeats the injustices suffered through history.
I commit to you my full support of a series of history lessons that shed light on the unjustified war of Azerbaijan against Armenia – so that the truth about the conflict may be understood and known, and so that justice be brought to light. I stand with you in solidarity, as I will always remain.”
ASO President Sara Beberian stated “I am so proud of the ASO. Thank you again to our members who were so ready and willing to stand up for Armenia and Artsakh.”