The Hamilton Azerbaijan Society, located in Hamilton, Canada, held a commemoration event on the 33rd anniversary of the Khojaly genocide, a source in the State Committee on Work with Diaspora told reporters.
The event gathered members of the Azerbaijani community, Canadian public figures, students from McMaster University, and representatives from 10 different countries, including Türkiye, the UK, China, Korea, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Mexico, Canada, Serbia, and Ireland.
The event began with the playing of the national anthems of Canada and Azerbaijan, followed by a one-minute silence in memory of the victims of the Khojaly genocide.
The head of the organization, Camila Shepherd, and the moderator of the event, David Shepherd, provided the participants with detailed information about the historical facts of the Khojaly tragedy, the reasons behind the genocide, and its devastating consequences for the Azerbaijani people, emphasizing the importance of passing this tragedy on to future generations.
After the screening of the film "Khojaly: The Grief of a Nation," Korean violinist and maestro Robert, who is based in Canada, performed the songs "Ay Lachin" and "Sen gelmez oldun". On behalf of the Hamilton Azerbaijan Society, maestro Robert was presented with a book titled "The Gems of Azerbaijani Music.".
Guests attending the event had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with books about Azerbaijan and its history. Participants were served tea and coffee in paper cups, each inscribed with the names and ages of the children who were mercilessly killed in Khojaly.
On the night of February 25–26, 1992, the Khojaly genocide—one of the most horrific crimes against humanity in the past century—was carried out by Armenia with extreme brutality against Azerbaijani civilians.
On this solemn anniversary, the Azerbaijani people remember with deep sorrow the 613 victims of this atrocity, including 106 women, 70 elderly people, and 63 children, whose lives were taken in a single night.
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