Azerbaijani NGOs urge NYC mayor to take balanced view on history

A group of Azerbaijani NGOs has called on New York Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani to adopt a more balanced approach when assessing historical events.

According to domestic media, representatives of Azerbaijani NGOs sent an open letter to Mamdani in connection with his statements on the social network X regarding the events of 1915 and Azerbaijan’s actions to restore its territorial integrity and sovereignty in 2020–2023.

The letter stressed that statements made by such a high-ranking official should not be based on a one-sided interpretation of events and must take into account historical and political realities.

The authors emphasised the need for a more balanced approach when evaluating sensitive historical and regional issues.

“Unfortunately, your statement did not mention the fate of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijani internally displaced persons and their years of suffering. We are convinced that a broader and independent study of information will contribute to an objective understanding of the events in the region and will make it possible to distinguish the occupier from the victim of occupation.

We can provide you with more detailed information on this topic and are also ready to meet with you.

We would very much like New York to be known not only as a city where monuments and memorial plaques dedicated to the so-called Armenian genocide are located. As a mayor who pays special attention to historical tragedies, you could install in New York a monument or memorial plaque dedicated to the Khojaly genocide of 1992, and annually on February 26, organise a flower-laying ceremony at this memorial with the participation of representatives of the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities,” the appeal said.

By Tamilla Hasanova