After Nevada, Virginia Recognizes “Azerbaijan National Day”
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Araz News: The State of Virginia has officially recognized May 28 as “Azerbaijan National Day.” The proclamation was signed today, May 26, by Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe. AZERTAC News Agency quoted the declaration, praising Azerbaijani-American relations and recognizing the sizable Azerbaijani diaspora in the State of Virginia:
“Azerbaijani-Americans comprise an ethnic community with a recognized presence in Virginia, actively contributing to regional diversity, intercultural understanding, peace, and prosperity,” the Certificate of Recognition signed by the Governor of Virginia said.
“The Republic of Azerbaijan was established on May 28, 1918, and became the first democratic republic in the Turkic and Muslim world; and the Republic of Azerbaijan was among the first nation-states to grant suffrage to all citizens, and was recognized by other democratic nations, including the United States of America.”
…“In the promulgation of its founders’ guiding principles and common values of respect for humanity and democracy, the Republic of Azerbaijan is a staunch ally and strategic partner of the United States.”
He described Azerbaijani National Day as “an opportunity to celebrate Virginia’s Azerbaijani-Americans, whose abilities and contributions strengthen Virginia`s economy, enrich Virginia’s diverse culture, and invigorate Virginia`s communities”.
The news comes after a similar proclamation in the State of Nevada for May 28th. These documents commemorate the founding of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918, the Muslim and Turkic worlds’ first democratic state and the first such state to grant equal rights to all of its citizens.
Virginia and Nevada’s decisions follow a long line of symbolic declarations made in state and local legislatures throughout the United States as a result of the increasing efficiency of Azerbaijani-American advocacy organizations. The declarations thus far are celebrated by Azerbaijani-Americans who are eager to see greater ties between the two countries.
Long-standing Azerbaijani-American organizations such as the U.S. Azeris Network (USAN) and the Azerbaijan Society of America (ASA), the oldest in the U.S., were joined by newcomers Azerbaijan American Alliance (AAA) in 2011, and most recently the Assembly of Friends of Azerbaijan (AFAZ) as the leading advocacy organizations promoting ties with Azerbaijan.
These organizations have primarily advocated for the repeal of section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, countering the Armenian-American diaspora’s claims to the de jure Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the recognition of the massacres at the hands of Armenians during the Nagorno-Karabakh War after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The diaspora’s main objective in the latter issue has been justice for the massacre in the city of Khojaly, whereby 613 Azerbaijanis were brutally murdered while fleeing from an invading joint Armenian military force aided by a Russian regiment.
South Azerbaijanis also constitute a growing presence in Azerbaijani-American advocacy networks.
According to the Network of Azerbaijani-Americans from Iran (NAAI), a former Washington D.C.-based diaspora network focused on uniting and representing Azerbaijani-Turks from Iran, South Azerbaijanis number as much as three- to four hundred thousand in the United States. This is a sizeable portion given that the total Iranian-American population rests at roughly one million.
While traditionally, South Azerbaijanis living in the United States, many of them who immigrated in waves following the Islamic Revolution, have enthusiastically supported and involved themselves in Iranian-American diaspora organizations, recent trends among the Azerbaijanis in Iran coupled with an increasing presence of Azerbaijani-American groups have inspired many to join and support their ethnic Azerbaijani kin in their efforts.
Increasing interactions between “North” and “South” Azerbaijanis and partnerships with Turkish-American organizations have in recent years also contributed to greater advocacy successes.
Several Azerbaijani-American organizations and thousands of their supporters recently joined Turkish-American-led counter-protests throughout the United States to buffer Armenian-American diaspora organizations on what they believe were exaggerated claims of “genocide” as the Ottoman Empire was coming to an end. This joint effort included an impressive showing from members of the South Azerbaijani community as well.
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