Hundreds of Letters Slam Montebello Councilman Jack Hadjinian for Azerbijani ‘Terrorist’ Post on Facebook

BY BRIAN HEWS • August 14, 2020

A Hews Media Group-Los Cerritos Community News article published yesterday has spawned an angry reaction from over 500 Azerbaijanis who wrote letters to HMG slamming Montebello Councilman Jack Hadjinian for his remarks in a Facebook rant posted yesterday.

In that post, Hadjinian resigned his board of director position on the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Youth Foundation because of what he called L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s “reckless behavior.”

Hadjinian stated, “I can no longer support such a reckless leader as Sheriff Villanueva.”

“He [Villanueva] continues to challenge the [Los Angeles County] Board of Supervisors and now has planned an event with a terrorist group known as the Azerbaijani Community.”

Hadjinian continued, “The Azeris are spreading anti-Armenian propaganda and Sheriff Villanueva is giving them a platform to further extend their lies across the county of Los Angeles. I will never compromise my principles just to carry a badge or an ID card.”

Hadjinian cited several recent examples of aggression by the Azerbaijanis against the Armenian-American community, including the July 24 vandalism at the Krouzian-Zekarian Vasbouragan Armenian School in San Francisco, where the building was spray painted with crude pro-Azerbaijani graffiti.

The incident is still under investigation and no proof has been brought forward proving it was Azerbaijanis.

Hadjinian failed to mention the incident where thousands of Armenian nationalists  just last month stormed the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles and attacked Azerbaijanis who were peacefully protesting Armenia’s recent provocation, which led to border clashes with Azerbaijan.

On their way to the consulate, a furious crowd of Armenians attacked  a handful of peaceful Azerbaijanis who gathered in front of the consulate. Seven Azerbaijanis were injured in the attack and four of them were hospitalized, while a Los Angeles police officer suffered a head injury and cars were vandalized.

The letter stated:

Dear Editor:

With increasing level of racism and hate crimes in America, it is imperative for everyone to condemn, decry and shame individuals who exhibit racist behavior against any members of our society. America has fought for too long to eradicate remnants of intolerance and racism, and although in many parts of our great country racism persists, we as the members of a politically active civil society are consistently battling to suppress it.

It is especially unfortunate and frustrating when this racist behavior against parts of our peaceful society is displayed in actions of our elected officials. One such public official is Jack Hadjinian, Councilmember of the City of Montebello, CA. On August 12, Mr. Hadjinian posted on his public Facebook page a “note of resignation” from the Board of Directors of Sheriff’s Youth Foundation, in which he chastised LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva for planning an online community event with the Azerbaijani American community to discuss issues and concerns for personal safety in the wake of hate crimes against the members of the community.

Apparently, as a courageous professional who serves and protects, Sheriff Villanueva wants to provide updates to the members of Azerbaijani American community about hate crimes and aggravated battery against three members of this community (Please see LAPD statement on hate crime investigation here: https://www.lapdonline.org/home/news_view/66776). One person of interest (allegedly from the Armenian American community) is already wanted and LAPD has publicized his photo in local news. (Please see CBS News report here: https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/08/12/man-wanted-assault-armenian-protest-azerbaijani-consulate/)

This is where Mr. Hadjinian comes in. Irritated by Sheriff Villanueva’s plans to hold an online Q&A session with the Azerbaijani American community, Jack Hadjikian went into a tirade accusing Mr. Villanueva and called the Azerbaijani American community a “terrorist group” which is indicative of ethnic intolerance and can potentially incite violence from the radical elements within the Armenian community against Azerbaijani community members, and even against Sheriff Villanueva himself. 

The full text of Mr. Hadjinian’s message is below:

“Effective immediately, I have tendered my resignation to the Board of Directors of the Sheriff’s Youth Foundation. I can no longer support such a reckless leader as Sheriff Villanueva who continues to challenge the Board of Supervisors, and now has planned an event with a terrorist group known as the Azerbaijani community. The Azeris are spreading anti-Armenian propaganda and Sheriff Villanueva is giving them a platform to further extend their lies across the County of Los Angeles. I will never compromise my principles just to carry a badge or an ID card.”

This isn’t the first time that Mr. Hadjinian made the bad press. Some shady deals in which he was involved were reported by Los Cerritos Community News: https://www.facebook.com/169441400643706/posts/623756351878873/.

Racist and hateful messages calling a community a “terrorist group” have no place in our society, let alone in our government, local and federal alike. My family and I are calling you to decry, condemn and shame Mr. Hadjinian for racism, and calling the DA and Montebello Police Department to investigate this an action inciting violence!

See all Los Cerritos News articles on Hadjinian

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