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04/08/2005
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1) Compromise Not Sign of Weakness, Says Defense Minister
2) Reporters without Borders Calls on Turkey to Stop Legal Hounding Of
Journalists
3) Turks Reject EU Pressure on Armenia
4) Pope Laid to Rest
5) Ardashes Kassakhian Wins Glendale City Clerk Election
6) Krikorian Wins Second Term in Landslide Victory
7) …End Note from ANC Glendale
8) Armenian Moms & Daughters to Join Revlon Walk for Cancer
9) Reunite. Reminisce. Celebrate.
10) David Phillips and the Holy Grail
11) On the Eve of the 90th, Anti-Turkism Should Not Equal Patriotic
Armenianism
1) Compromise Not Sign of Weakness, Says Defense Minister
YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Defense Minister Serge Sarksian provided a briefing on
the state of the country’s army and military hardware, which he said would be
getting upgraded soon.
Sarksian shrugged off Azerbaijan’s repeated war rhetoric, saying “we have
been
hearing Baku threaten to resolve the conflict by force for ten years now, and
will be likely hearing for another ten. The fact is that the combat readiness
of the Armenian army is higher than that of its neighbors in the South
Caucasus.”
He stressed, however, that a compromise solution is not a sign of weakness.
“It is easy to boast. The phrase ‘no compromises’ sounds good, but not
serious.
We have to be clear whether we want to prolong war, which is also an option.
But we have had enough of victims. As defense minister, I will act as the
people ask, and will never be led by two-three people who cannot see beyond
their noses,” Sarksian said.
Sarksian also spoke in favor of normalized relations with Turkey, but said
they should be improved without preconditions, but stressed that this does not
mean Turkey must not recognize the 1915 genocide. “Repentance is the only way
to reach friendly relations,” he said.
2) Reporters without Borders Calls on Turkey to Stop Legal Hounding Of
Journalists
ANKARA (AFP)–Reporters without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontieres), a public
interest group, called on Turkey to stop legal hounding of journalists
satirizing state officials.
Releasing a statement after journalist-writer Fikret Otyam, 79, was sentenced
to pay a fine on April 5 in a defamation case filed by Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Reporters without Borders said that it was at least the
fourth case the prime minister has brought against a journalist since December
2004.
Calling on Turkey to pay respect freedom of expression and of the press, and
fundamental principles of European judicial standards, the organization said,
~STurkish journalists, like their European colleagues, should be allowed make
satirical comments about the official figures without fear of being
systematically dragged before the courts. Otherwise they will be in danger of
operating self-censorship which is very damaging to press freedom.~T
Earlier, Prime Minister Erdogan launched several cases against a satirical
weekly, Penguen, for a cartoon it carried on February 24 captioned, ~SThe world
of Tayyip.~T
Reporters Without Borders is an association officially recognized as serving
the public interest. More than a third of the world’s people live in countries
where there is no press freedom. Reporters Without Borders works constantly to
restore their right to be informed. Today, more than 130 journalists around
the
world are in prison simply for doing their job. Reporters Without Borders
believes imprisoning or killing a journalist is like eliminating a key witness
and threatens everyone’s right to be informed. It has been fighting such
practices for more than 18 years.
3) Turks Reject EU Pressure on Armenia
ANKARA (AFP)–Turkey will not bow to European Union pressure to recognize the
World War I killings of Armenians as genocide as a condition for joining the
EU, Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said.
“We are witnessing efforts to bring many issues not directly related to our
(EU) membership process before us as covert conditions,” among them
allegations
that more than a million Armenians were the victims of genocide under Ottoman
rule, Sezer told a press conference at the military academy.
“It is wrong and unjust for our European friends to press Turkey on these
issues,” he said. “They should know that it is not possible for demands
imposed
on us and devoid of just foundations to be accepted.” Turkey has recently
faced
mounting calls from within the EU, which it hopes to join, to acknowledge the
massacres as genocide, something it systematically rejects.
Some EU politicians have said that the genocide claims will be one of the
issues Turkey must address as it prepares to launch lengthy membership talks
with the EU on October 3.
“These claims (of genocide) upset and hurt the feelings of the Turkish
nation,” Sezer said. “What needs to be done is research, investigate and
discuss history, based on documents and without prejudice.
“The basis of such discussions should be scientific and not political,” he
said.
The Armenian massacres in World War I are one of the most controversial
episodes in Turkish history.
4) Pope Laid to Rest
VATICAN CITY (MSNBC)–Presidents, prime ministers, and kings joined pilgrims
and prelates in St. Peter~Rs Square on Friday to bid an emotional farewell to
Pope John Paul II at a funeral that drew millions to Rome.
Applause rang out in the wind-whipped square as John Paul~Rs plain cypress
coffin, adorned with a cross and an ~SM~T for the Virgin Mary, was brought out
from St. Peter~Rs Basilica and placed on a carpet in front of the altar. The
book of the Gospel was placed on the coffin and the breeze fluttered its
pages.
After the Mass ended, bells tolled and 12 pallbearers with white gloves,
white
ties and tails presented the coffin to the crowd one last time, and then
carried it on their shoulders back inside the basilica for burial.
Chants of ~SSanto! Santo!~T–urging John Paul to be elevated to sainthood
immediately–echoed in the square.
The first non-Italian pope in 455 years was buried at 2:20 p.m. in the grotto
under the basilica, attended by prelates and members of the papal household,
the Vatican said.
5) Ardashes Kassakhian Wins Glendale City Clerk Election
Campaign Scores Decisive Victory by an Overwhelming 2-1 Margin
GLENDALE–Ardashes “Ardy” Kassakhian was elected this week as the next
Glendale City Clerk with 6,244 votes, a decisive 2-1 margin in a field of nine
candidates. Kassakhian is the first city clerk to obtain the office by
election
since 1929. For the previous 75 years, the position has been filled by City
Council appointments because clerks would resign mid-term.
The resignation of the previous city clerk, Doris Twedt, triggered an
election
for the position which attracted nine candidates, including four Armenian
Americans. While several of the Armenian candidates were very visible during
the campaign process, in the end Kassakhian’s closest challengers were George
McCullough with 3,739 votes and Kathryn Van Houten with 3,517 votes. Paulette
Mardikian, who had raised $90,000, more than any of the other candidates, came
in a distant fourth place with 3,115 votes. In the final analysis, Kassakhian
was able to attract Armenian and non-Armenian votes which propelled him to
victory.
“Through their votes, the citizens of Glendale have spoken and I am
honored by
the confidence they have shown in me,” said Ardashes Kassakhian. “As a public
servant and the new Glendale City Clerk, my pledge to all citizens is that I
will be a fair, impartial and proactive clerk, upholding the integrity of the
office through the highest professional standards and conduct that people
expect from their city government. I consider the clerk’s office the gateway
for the public to their city government and that is a serious responsibility
that I am eager to take on.”
Kassakhian ran on a three-pronged platform including creating accessibility
and accountability by ensuring that city information is readily available in a
timely manner and bringing a positive customer service philosophy to the
office. He also promised to improve voter outreach and education with an eye
toward increasing voter participation. Kassakhian was the first candidate to
offer the idea of recruiting high school and college students to work at polls
and to create a community voter outreach committee, comprised of community
groups, to raise voter awareness and participation in all segments of the
Glendale community. His third campaign issue was to look for ways to
incorporate new technologies to make the clerk’s office more effective by
improving the Clerk’s website; utilizing electronic forms; disseminating
electronic newsletters and bulletins; and adopting digital document management
technologies.
“Ardashes was clearly the most qualified Armenian American candidate in the
field and in the end also demonstrated that he had the best ideas and skills
amongst all the candidates,” said Zanku Armenian, senior campaign advisor.
“Ardy is very talented and ran the best campaign which allowed him to reach
more people and all parts of the Glendale community with his innovative ideas
and messages. He is going to make an excellent clerk for all Glendale
citizens.”
Kassakhian was endorsed by many other public officials, which helped confirm
his qualifications among voters. Endorsements included Congressman Adam
Schiff,
Glendale City Councilmember Rafi Manoukian, LA County Sheriff Lee Baca, LA
City
Councilmember and Mayoral candidate Antonio Villaraigosa, LA City
Councilmember
Eric Garcetti, California State Senator Jack Scott, California State Board of
Equalization Chair John Chiang, Glendale Community College Board member Victor
King, Glendale Chapter of the California School Employees Association,
Teamsters Joint Council 42 and many others.
Kassakhian will be sworn into office on Monday, April 11 at 8:00 p.m. at
Glendale City Hall.
6) Krikorian Wins Second Term in Landslide Victory
GLENDALE–For the second consecutive time, Greg Krikorian finished in first
place, well ahead of all challengers, to earn a second term on the Glendale
Unified School District’s Board of Education. With 12,619 votes, Krikorian
received more votes than any candidate for School Board, City Council or City
Clerk in the recent Glendale Municipal Elections.
“The success of this campaign is due to Greg’s character, his resolve, and
his
commitment to all segments of our community,” stated Campaign Chairman, Armen
Derian. “This was a pure, grassroots campaign that reached out and appealed to
all members of the Glendale and La Crescenta communities.”
The City Clerk~Rs office has completed the task of counting all regular and
absentee ballots. Approximately 1,000 provisional ballots are currently with
the County of Los Angeles for review. Once those ballots are counted,
Krikorian
anticipates breaking a record with over 13,000 votes.
With significantly less money to spend than some of his competitors,
Krikorian
relied on his stellar record of service to the community and an army of
energized friends, students, parents, and community leaders, who spread his
message and got the vote out. “It~Rs hard to believe that the campaign is over.
We~Rre going to miss coming to help Greg everyday. Mr. Krikorian has done so
much for us and our Armenian Clubs at our High Schools,” stated Tanya Terzian,
a Senior at Glendale High School.
“The support from the students at our schools and local colleges was
humbling.
We had an army of support for Greg,” added Argished Parsekian, GCC student and
Campaign Volunteer Chairman. ~SGreg, has united the entire Armenian community
and I couldn~Rt be more proud of what he has done for the students and our
parents,~T stated GCC student and volunteer, Linet Amirichanyan.
Krikorian’s support came not only from local students, but from community
leaders as well. “I~Rm truly honored to help Greg~Ehe is a man of honor and
integrity and most importantly he won on his own accord,” stated Shelly
Harrison, a Glendale resident.
~SI knew Greg would set record amount of votes from the beginning, his
dedication to our community and most importantly his sincerity is priceless,”
said Glendale Community Leader, Tony Tartaglia.
From Glendale to La Crescenta, the support for Krikorian was clear. ~SThe
entire district is honored to have Krikorian leading our school-district for
next four years. We couldn~Rt be more blessed than to have him serving our
community. We love him in Crescenta Valley,~T stated Krista Smiley of the
Crescenta Valley Town Council.
~SSeeing Greg provide leadership to our community and to our Jewel City Little
League for the past four years, I’m confident he will continue to do an
outstanding job on the school board.”
~SI’d hate for the school district to loose him, but I’m hoping he decides to
bring his energy and commitment to service at the County or State level,”
stated Tony Iezza II.
“Greg is a true leader and a man of integrity which is what our city &
country
needs in its elected officials,” stated Michael Cooney.
Krikorian himself is humbled, but confident and energized by the overwhelming
support. ~SI~Rm extremely overjoyed. It just shows the confidence that the
entire community has in me,” said a justifiably proud Krikorian. “We~Rve
accomplished so much over the past four years and I~Rm looking forward to the
next term.~T
Key endorsements came from the Glendale News Press and Crescenta Valley Sun,
who noted,~TKrikorian has been the only school board member to consistently
appear at events in the Crescenta Valley and not let the school board rest and
forget the importance of CV schools.~T Additional endorsements came from LA
County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca,
Congressman Adam Schiff, Senator Jack Scott, Assemblyman Dario Frommer,
Glendale Teachers Association, CA School Employees Association, Glendale
Association of Realtors and numerous community leaders and neighborhood
residents at all levels. Krikorian received endorsements from each of the
Armenian community organization groups.
With the election over, Krikorian looks forward to his future service to the
district and strengthening the Armenian cause with neighboring school
districts. This past year, the Glendale school district was closed for
Armenian
Christmas. With the growing number of Armenian American students in Burbank &
Pasadena, he would like to assist those districts in support the concerns of
our Armenian Youth.
In closing, Krikorian stated: “Once again, Christine, my wife, and I are
truly
thankful for all of love & support from friends and the entire community. I
promise to continue to support Hai Tahd, and my devotion to our schools, our
kids, and the community will never waiver.~T
7) …End Note from ANC Glendale
The Armenian National Committee of Glendale would like to congratulate all of
our newly elected officials. We are confident that the incumbents to office,
along with the new members of our city government, will be strong leaders in
our community. We hope that all officials will work hard to represent all
members of our wonderfully diverse city.
Additionally, we would like to extend our gratitude to all candidates who
participated in Glendale’s Municipal Elections. Although there were only a
total of 12 seats open, 43 candidates participated in hopes of bringing fresh
ideas and improvements to our already wonderful city. Among these 43
candidates
18 were Armenian-Americans who committed 3 months of their lives to running
for
public office. This unprecedented number of Armenian-Americans running
demonstrated our desire as a community to work towards the betterment of our
city and participate in the American civic process. We thank these individuals
for the numerous sacrifices they made throughout the last three months. Their
dedication to our city is commendable and admirable.
As citizens, we are grateful for the minimal amount of negative campaigning
that occurred in these elections. Although certain individuals did stoop to
the
level of finger pointing and name calling, most candidates remained focused on
running a productive, positive campaign. Negative campaigning injures our
community, creates unnecessary divides and, most unfortunately, discourages
people from voting.
Finally, we would like to thank the 30,000 citizens who exercised their right
to vote in the 2005 Glendale Municipal Elections, as well as the countless
residents who volunteered their time and participated in our city’s civic
process. The voice of the citizens is the essential foundation for a democracy
and without voter participation, we would not be able to guide and influence
the development of our growing city. We hope that in the future we will be
able
to/there will be an increase civic participation and see a day when voter
turnout in city elections exceeds 50,000. With a unified commitment to our
jewel city, we will be able to ensure that our children have a wonderful
community to grow up in.
8) Armenian Moms & Daughters to Join Revlon Walk for Cancer
–Women, Men, and Kids urged to Register for May 7 Event in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES–Alice Chakrian is walking in memory of her mother-in-law, who
died last year of breast cancer. Lucy Gulvartian for her aunt, another breast
cancer casualty. Tamar Mahshigian for her close friend, Elaine, a breast
cancer
survivor.
Armenian women are being called on to register in large numbers for this
year’s Revlon Run/Walk for Women, on Saturday, May 7, just before Mother’s
Day,
at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Participation cost is a $25 donation.
Individuals can register online at
;eid=293631
“We all have our community work–helping our school, church, organizations.
But this walk to raise money for cancer research is such an important cause,
one that touches every woman, regardless of ethnicity or religious
affiliation.
So we thought that it would be a fantastic idea to join our strength as
Armenian women and walk together for this very emotional cause,” says Eileen
Keusseyan, co-captain of Team 813, Armenian Moms & Daughters. “Ultimately, we
would like to see this become an annual event for Armenian women, growing
larger and stronger.”
This year alone, more than 211,000 women in the US will be diagnosed with
breast cancer, more than 22,200 will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and more
than 57,200 will be diagnosed with other women’s cancers. More than 69,300
will
lose their lives to these deadly diseases.
The Revlon Run/Walk for Women was launched by the Entertainment Industry
Foundation in 1993 and since then has raised an impressive $32 million to help
fund innovative cancer research, counseling, and outreach programs.
Last year, more than 50,000 women, men and children participated in the
3.1-mile run/walk. “The first time I joined I felt the power of unity among
people with the same inner pain that I felt when my mother-in-law, Arshalouse
Chakrian, was diagnosed with breast cancer,” says co-captain Alice Chakrian,
who has registered to walk with her 10-year-old daughter, Rita. “The Revlon
Walk became the beginning of the healing of my pain because I felt I was
making
a difference by contributing to help find a cure.”
“Each year I participate in the Revlon Run/Walk for Cancer research, I am
filled with greater hope and faith that we can make a difference for future
generations,” says Lucy Gulvartian, who will walk with her 10-year-old
daughter, Lar.
One person who lives with hope and faith is Lucy Hagopian. “Congratulations
dear Eileen and Alice. You have created a venue for the Armenian woman and our
community to merge forces in a vision for a cancer free society. As a woman
who
has survived a first encounter with breast cancer almost 20 years ago, and a
second threat in 1999, I want to speak about hope,” says Hagopian.
“When I was given the statistics, I did not know where I would end up. I felt
that it was no use thinking about all that so I focused on health and thoughts
of well being. I found comfort, a source of strength and hope in The
Scriptures, especially in the healings of Christ and in the Psalms. I asked
the
Lord for healing. Medicine and doctors would do their part, I had to do mine,
and Nature, which is sacred, would take its course. And here I am today.”
Hagopian provides a few tips on staying healthy:
1. Start your mammograms early; don’t wait until you’re 35. “I was only 31
when I was first diagnosed,” says Hagopian. “I have a mammogram once a year.”
2. Make sure to include an array of naturally colorful foods in your diet:
greens, reds, orange, purple, yellow, and everything in between. Remember to
have your greens and grains regularly.
3. Find a form of exercise that you can live with, even if it’s walking
around
your neighborhood three times a week and going somewhere in nature on
weekends.
4. Find a source of spiritual strength. “Reading inspirational material has
been a great help to me,” Hagopian recommends.
For those who would like to join the Armenian Moms & Daughters team,
registration can be done online at
;eid=293631 (click on
the blue box in the upper right corner that says “Register Now!). Donations
can
be made by clicking on a registrant’s name. For registration forms that can be
printed and mailed in, go to
For further information about Team 813 Armenian Moms & Daughters, please
contact Eileen Keusseyan at 818-404-5686 and Alice Chakrian at 818-388-6734.
9) Reunite. Reminisce. Celebrate.
Children have a number of influences that shape their thoughts and actions.
For
a fortunate group of Armenians in Glendale, one such influence has been ARF
Badanegan.
Nearly a quarter of a century after their establishment, the Shant and Simon
Zavarian Badanegan chapters of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation continue
to educate, motivate, and engage kids in all matters Armenian.
Representing the largest Armenian community in America, the chapters
provide a
venue for today~Rs youth to exchange ideas on current affairs and learn about
historical issues and figures–both essential in preserving our political and
cultural philosophies.
The Shant and Simon Zavarian Badanegan chapters also provide badanees
the
opportunity to express their creative side by performing in plays such as Menk
Hayeres, Yes Yerkelov Goozem Mernil, and Sev-Jermag. They have worked together
in local elections, protests, feeding the homeless, and fundraising for
humanitarian causes. Through it all, they have built life-long friendships. As
they grow into professionals, they are equipped with the wisdom and tools to
make a marked difference in Armenian affairs.
In an effort to rekindle the friendships and sentiments instilled in its
members through the years, the Shant and Zavarian chapters will be hosting a
reunion on June 12. To learn more about the reunion, call (818) 516-2013 or
e-mail: [email protected]
10) David Phillips and the Holy Grail
By Doug Geogerian
Is it a coincidence that David Phillips issued his book on TARC only two
months before the worldwide commemorations of the Armenian genocide? Was it
merely happenstance that Ambassador Evans described the Armenian genocide as a
crime without legal consequences, seven weeks before April 24?
Frankly, I have my doubts.
With the continuing success of Armenian efforts to gain genocide recognition
from European states, and with the urgency created by negotiations over
Turkey’s ascension to the Euroepan Union, Turkey can no longer rely on
stonewalling. Apparently, it is relying on its friends in the US government to
find a way to foster a weak acknowledgment of the genocide and then quickly
shove it under the rug. The aim is to make sure that Armenia and some elements
in the Armenian Diaspora first disavow any claims for reparations or return of
territories, in other words truth without justice.
Then Turkey can tell the Europeans to open the doors to the EU without any
pesky genocide issue hanging over their heads and without fear of paying a
price for having murdered a nation.
David Phillips and his long-time boss, Marc Grossman, a top State Department
official, need a pliant Armenian government if they are to push through such
political concessions. In his book, Unsilencing the Past, Phillips frowns upon
Robert Kocharian and Vartan Oskanian for representing the interests of the
Armenian people instead of those of Turkey and the US. For example, both the
State Department and Phillips went out of their way to criticize the
presidential elections in Armenia while largely ignoring the corrupt elections
in Azerbaijan that has resulted in a hereditary ruler being installed. The
hope
is obviously to weaken the Armenian government’s standing internationally.
Specialists of the Caucasus will need to evaluate the book, which does not
seem to arise from a critical assessment of accurate sources. Rather,
Unsilencing the Past sounds more like a tale, which centers around its hero,
David Phillips, and his pursuit of the “holy grail,” which for Phillips is
opening up Armenia to US geopolitical interests.
Using the genre of historical fantasy, Phillips attributes extraordinary
powers to himself, and then claims that the Armenian government acknowledges
these powers. TARC was an example of Phillip’s Track Two method of conflict
mediation. In the book, he “solves” problems with Track Two much as King
Arthur
swung Excalibur in countless battles. Phillips writes, “Though it is hard to
quantify the effect of Track Two, Oskanian acknowledged its important role
promoting rapprochement between the governments of Turkey and Armenia. For
example, Track Two helped create a climate making possible a change in
Turkey’s
stance on Armenia’s membership in the World Trade Organization, which paved
the
way for Armenia’s accession in 2003.”
David Phillips doesn’t mention that the World Trade Organization (WTO)
forbids
any member nation from blockading another. The reader lacking the requisite
amount of naiveté may ask, “On what grounds could Turkey prevent Armenia,
which
the IMF and the World Bank credit with having rapidly liberalized its economy,
from joining the WTO?” Whatever Turkey’s reasons were, Phillips must have
vanquished them. Somewhere in his back pocket, he has a thank you note from
Vartan Oskanian to prove it.
The Armenian people don’t play a big role in this tale. David Phillips
prefers
to write about single individuals, with whom he endows with incredible powers.
Take another monumental figure in the book, Van Krikorian. “Under the
chairmanship of Van Kirkorian, The Armenian Assembly of America made sure that
Armenia benefited handsomely from resources made available to NIS countries
through the Freedom Support Act,” explains the narrator. A million
Armenian-Americans and the US government’s interests are not the reasons for
over a billion dollars of foreign assistance. One vastly powerful lobbyist is.
Such analysis gives Unsilencing the Past a certain comic book quality.
David Phillips’ tale offers not only adventure, but moral lessons as well.
When asked by an Armenian if he believed there was a genocide, Phillips
responds by sticking to his principles, “I could not possibly serve as an
objective facilitator if I was partial to one side or the other. My only
interest was enabling Turks and Armenians to discuss their differences,
acknowledge the past, and move on.” The hero of our story will not let
genocide
prevention become an obstacle to breaking down an inconvenient trade barrier.
In European literature of the Middle Ages, noble figures like Parsifal and
King Arthur searched for the holy grail, which represented the embodiment of
truth and justice, the ultimate spiritual resource for restoring society to
goodness. Those obstructing the pursuit of the holy grail represented the
epitome of evil. In the story of Unsilencing the Past, David Phillips sees
“the
Dashnaks” as his greatest nemesis to a penetrated Armenian border.
Phillips depicts “the vocal-and vicious” nature of his enemy. He says, “First
and foremost, Dashnaks use genocide recognition to solicit money from the
Armenian Diaspora. They believe that Turkey must pay for its crimes by
returning land and confiscated property. . . They also use their campaign to
acquire political and economic power. To Dashnaks, TARC was an insidious
device
undermining their reason for being. If reconciliation occurs, they have no
reason to exist.”
Phillips has the monstrous Dashnaks bringing down TARC. He tries to convince
the reader that his only enemy is one political party, when in reality he’s up
against a politically aware Armenian people. TARC’s unpopularity was rivaled
perhaps by Levon Ter Petrosian’s, who, according to Phillips, “broke ground by
favoring normal relations with Turkey.” “Normal” in this context means
acceding
to Azerbaijan’s control over Karabagh and Armenia not raising the Genocide
issue. “Normal” means accommodating the priorities of the US elite and its
proxies by dismantling Armenia’s best chances for freedom.
Through his tale, Mr. Phillips offers two important lessons: Don’t let
history
get in the way of telling your side of the story and don’t let morality get in
the way of doing what’s right. It will surely become a classic in Turkish
governmental literature.
11) On the Eve of the 90th, Anti-Turkism Should Not Equal Patriotic
Armenianism
By Raffi Arzouhaldjian
Recently a concert by Russian pop singer Filip Kirkorov has been cancelled in
Yerevan after protests by student groups charging that the entertainer is
“pro-Turkish” because he sings Turkish songs, denies his Armenian descent,
wears clothes with the Turkish flag, etc. This Turkophobic phenomenon
exhibited
by Armenian youth in Yerevan today is very similar to the worrisome
anti-Armenian intolerance that is being practiced in both Turkey and
Azerbaijan. These trends cast a dark shadow over regional integration, peace &
security, and play into the hands of regional powers. Additionally, they
play a
disservice to Armenia’s fragile democracy, as true democracies need not
only to
have free and fair elections, but also represent the rule of law and the
protection of basic liberties of speech, assembly, religion, and property.
Over the last century, the Armenian political agenda has been hijacked at
several milestones by ethnic hatred and hollow nationalism. While remaining a
strong advocate of Armenian rights, I would like to invite Armenian youth
today
to contemplate on their actions of intolerance towards Turkish culture. Having
a 93+ % homogeneous Armenian population within the borders of ones country
does
not negate the fact that we are condemned as a nation to live next to 68+
million Turks on the West and 7 million Azeris on the East. Additionally,
it is
very natural–that even in the absence of diplomatic relations–goods,
services
and culture (the new US embassy construction project, for example, is partly
using Turkish contractors) to flow between Turkey and Armenia. Ignoring these
basic facts of geography is purely myopic. And being intolerant of a
neighbor’s
culture is borderline racist, and an unacceptable projection of values on the
future of freedom that we struggled so hard to get in Armenia.
After all, what would have happened if Filip Kirkorov’s–one third previously
sold out- concert–was allowed to go on for his Armenian fans in Yerevan? How
threatening would it have really been and why? Projecting cultural
tolerance by
Armenian youths would have sent a strong message to the artist and others
across the borders that “cosmopolitan” Armenian patriotism is radically
different from its neighbor’s Kemalist narrow brand of intolerant nationalism
that continues to suppress minorities like Kurds and Alevis, and is attempting
to join the EU without changing. Armenian youth movements in Armenia and
around
the world can pursue a struggle for justice, while distinguishing it from
“demonizing” an entire nation and its culture. We should be able to be
tolerant, without feeling diminished.
Ethnic hatred has no place in critical, modern Armenian political thinking.
The civilized platform to resolve our political differences is not to pick on
an artist that has decided to hold a concert in Yerevan and perform some songs
in Turkish: The political arena for the struggle for justice is in world
tribunals, global parliaments and, most importantly, in the court of public
opinion. On the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, more
than
ever, Armenians need to differentiate between the Turkish state policies on
one
hand and Turks and their culture on the other. In this context, an important
paradigm shift for Armenian youth organizations, like the Nigol Aghbalian
youth
Union that boycotted the concert, is to become more aware of the old paradigm
of seeing “Turks and their culture” as an identity threat and move into a new
cultural space in which cultural diversity is accepted, without necessarily
labeling it with ethnic phobic adjectives.
Today, the issue of the Armenian genocide has erupted again in Turkey, as one
of the Republic’s key challenges on its road to further democratization.
Unlike
our grandparents~R generation, who could not help but view Turkey from the
perspective of individual & communal losses after the Genocide, our generation
needs a wider and more sophisticated view of Armenian-Turkish relations. Given
the climate of public discourse that is coming out of Istanbul’s small but
emerging civil society, Armenian youth movements cannot imitate the monolithic
positions of the establishment in Ankara and its Armenophobic policies. Being
anti-Turkish on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide
should
not necessarily be equated with being a patriotic Armenian. We have too
much to
do for Armenia, and no energy to waste on being anti-Turkish.
Raffi Arzouhaldjian is a Graduate candidate, Fletcher School of Law and
Diplomacy
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