Though the war between Israel and Hamas is garnering most of the public attention right now, thanks in no small part to the potential for regional escalation presented by fighting and possible involvement of Iran and its allies in the region, such as Hezbollah and Syria, another horrible war is taking place right now. That is between the predominantly Christian Armenians and the primarily Muslim Azerbaijanis, who just fought over a disputed border region and now could see Azerbaijan taking over Armenia.
The war is particularly complex because the Armenians are Christians and have a large diaspora community in the United States but are not backed by the West. On the other side, the Azerbaijanis are predominantly Muslim but are backed by the nominally Christian countries composing NATO and the Jewish state of Israel. In fact, Israel has supplied Azerbaijan with the weapons it used in its recent ethnic cleansing of a region of Armenia.
Well, Christian actor Mel Gibson, the famous director behind “Passion of the Christ,” just stepped in to raise awareness of the issue and encourage people to support the Armenians as they battle for their existence despite being hemmed in by enemies.
In a video posted to X (formerly Twitter), Gibson called the current fight a “modern day genocide,” lambasted the mainstream media for its silence on the topic, and discussed the background of the conflict and the present horrors Armenians are facing.
Beginning, he said, “History tragically repeats itself as we witnessed the modern day genocide unfolding. Yet the media silence on this issue is definitely the Armenian people who’ve endured centuries of persecution due to their faith, find themselves once again subjected to a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing.”
Continuing, he added, “In the grip of Azerbaijan and Turkey, countless Armenians are enduring unspeakable horrors, loss of life, forced displacement, starvation and isolation from essential supplies. These are the same Armenians whose roots run deep and the land they’ve called home for generations.”
He then begged world leaders to get involved and defend Armenia, saying, “I implore the international community across all nations to take swift action, extend a helping hand to the Armenian population, offer them the protection they desperately need, and create a humanitarian corridor for their safe passage. Most importantly, let’s engage in immediate diplomatic efforts to ensure that these exiled individuals can return to their rightful homes without delay. They, there are many people who still suffer I say don’t lose heart. God is with you.”
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BREAKING: Mel Gibson calls on the international community to show humanitarian support for the Armenians amid their forced displacement
“To the people of Armenia, God is with you!” pic.twitter.com/On7c6LvzIy
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) October 17, 2023
While Biden’s America has done nothing to help the Armenians, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna recently announced that France would be selling Armenia much-needed weapons. Colonna said, “I would like to publicly state that France has agreed on future contracts with Armenia which will allow the delivery of military equipment to Armenia so that it can ensure its defense. You’ll understand that I can’t go into more detail at the moment.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video