Since the release of the video of Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan participating in anti-Armenian hate speech, to the Irvine City Council meeting on April 12, Mayor Farrah Khan showed that her response to the Armenian-American community is to admit to nothing and to do even less. Over 42 minutes of comments were made in support of the Armenian community at the April 12 City Council meeting. Speakers condemned Khan’s years-long relationship with Armenian-Genocide deniers as well as the Mayor’s hate speech. The Democrats of Greater Irvine did not support Mayor Khan for endorsement, and has censured her actions.

Importantly, in that video of her meeting with Armenian-Genocide deniers, Mayor Khan pledged to “stand with them no matter what.” Mayor Khan continues to stand with these deniers, not admitting to have appointed not one but two Armenian Genocide deniers to her Mayoral Advisory Committee: Ergun Kirlikovali and Erkan Demiragci. At the April 12 Council meeting, Mayor Khan apologized that she was too busy to arrange a meeting with local Armenian leaders, but she was not too busy to post a tweet that ANCA OC leadership had not responded even when ANCA OC had contacted her multiple times.

The response to the Armenian community has been as reprehensible as the original hate speech, and should be condemned by all who value human rights and an inclusive, diverse, and equitable community. We must call for all elected officials and the Democratic Party of Orange County to rescind their endorsement of Mayor Khan until which point she properly acknowledges the extent of the harm of her actions and takes concrete steps to reconcile with the Armenian community. 

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Southern California Armenian Democrats (SCAD) is the first and the largest regional Armenian-American Democratic Club in Southern California. SCAD’s goals are to represent the collective Armenian-American viewpoint on matters and policies of the Democratic Party, increase and strengthen the number of Armenian-American Democrats, influence and guide California State policy on matters of interest to the Armenian-American community, promote the election of Armenian-American Democrats to political offices, and maintain the viability of our free institutions.

Email armeniandemsinfo@gmail.com or call (866) 818-7223