Maine ‘Office of New Americans’ Director Faces Backlash, Calls for Resignation Over Anti-Armenian Social Media Posts

Ahmadov previously attracted criticism in his role as president of the Azerbaijan Society of Maine for drafting a controversial mayoral proclamation for the City of Portland in early 2021 to recognize February 26 at “Khojaly Remembrance Day,” referring to the 1992 killing of hundreds of Azerbaijani civilians by Armenian and Soviet forces, and describing the massacre as a genocide.

That proclamation was later rescinded by then-Portland Mayor Kate Snyder after criticism from the city’s Armenian-American population, who argued the proclamation was inaccurate and part of a propaganda campaign by Azerbaijan and Turkey.

In contrast to his history of vitriolic social media posts about Armenians, Ahmadov said following his appointment as ONA director that he will “foster welcoming communities across the state.”

Ahmadov’s appointment was celebrated at the time by representatives of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, Catholic Charities Maine, the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, the Maine Immigrants Rights Coalition, and a slew of other migrant advocacy nonprofit organizations.

In an email thread on which the Maine Wire was CC’d, Armenian Mainers and representatives of Maine’s migrant community called for Ahmadov to resign or be fired in the wake of his comments.

Husein Sahnun emailed statement to GOPIF Director Hannah Pingree, Deputy Director Sarah Curran, and Communications Director Jackie Farwell:

This week, as new Mainers, we came across a troubling video that led us to examine Tarlan Ahmadov’s X account. Thanks to the Maine Wire please see attached below for evidence, what we found was shocking — Mr. Ahmadov’s posts were filled with hateful rhetoric toward the Armenian community. He has labeled Armenians as “occupiers and aggressors” and even went so far as to call Kim Kardashian’s charitable donation to Armenians an act of “terrorism.”

Armenians have a long and significant history in Maine. They fled persecution, rebuilt their lives here, and have become vital contributors to both our state and nation. Tarlan Ahmadov’s blatant bias and hostility toward members of our communities make it clear that he is unfit for office. His own words speak for themselves.

We call for his immediate resignation. If he remains in office, the credibility of that office within our diverse communities will be irreparably damaged. He does not have our support. Please feel free to share this email with anyone else concerned whose email accounts we could not find on your site.

Ahmudi Aweys email:

I’d like to add this letter to the editor for everyone to see. In that letter, It is shocking that Tarlan Ahmadov had the Portland mayor sign a proclamation accusing Armenians of committing genocide—while completely ignoring the atrocities committed by his own country, Azerbaijan, which has killed many Armenians. This is sickening.

Tarlan is unfit for office and must be held accountable for his hateful words and propaganda. His behavior should be condemned.

Abdi Iftin email:

Truly shocking! The Armenian community deserves respect and recognition for their contribution to the state of Maine. Tarlan expressed the opposite of that.

As of today, I’m withdrawing my support for Tarlan Ahmadov and encouraging others to do the same. His continued time in office will only bring more harm to our community.

The embattled Ahmadov has built an impressive career working with foreign governments, migrant resettlement agencies, and USAID-funded NGOs, while establishing deep ties to the Maine Democratic Party.

Prior to his immigration to the U.S. in 2003, Ahmadov worked in the education field in Baku, Azerbaijan, and later worked as a consultant to the Azeri Consulate in Tehran, Iran, according to a summary of his biographical information shared by the Maine Department of Labor.

Ahmadov worked with various international NGOs, including the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), a USAID and National Endowment for Democracy cutout that has programs in more than 50 countries globally.

Ahmadov’s biography states that he has visited over 45 countries for “business, training, and teaching purposes.”

Rep. Deqa Dhalac, sponsor of the bill to create the ONA, was one of three Maine lawmakers — alongside State Sen. Jill Duson (D-Dumberland) and Rep. Mana Abdi (D-Lewiston) — who took a trip with Ahmadov to Azerbaijan last May.

Gerard Kiladjian, president of the Armenian Cultural Association of Maine, sent a letter to Rep. Dhalac and the other state officials who went on the trip to Azerbaijan, expressing concern that the lawmakers had been “exposed to a grossly distorted and self-serving misrepresentation of the realities of the Armenian-Azeri conflict.”

“Quite frankly, we are shocked and heartbroken that, to our knowledge, at no point during or after your trip did you acknowledge Azerbaijan’s recent ethnic cleansing of Karabakh’s indigenous Armenian population, the last remaining 120,000 of whom were harassed, attacked, starved, and ultimately forced off their ancestral lands and into the neighboring Armenian Republic,” Kiladjian wrote to the state officials.

The Maine Wire has reached out to Kiladjian for comment on Ahmadov’s anti-Armenian social media posts, and whether the Armenian Cultural Association of Maine will call for Ahmadov’s resignation.