SNOW STORM OR SNAFU?
AZG DAILY
11-02-2010
Editorial
It is not everyday that the government of the most powerful nation on
earth invites the representatives of one of the smallest minorities for
a 30-minute session to discuss issues of mutual interests. The US State
Department had invited a group of Armenian community representatives
to meet with the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington, DC.
Since Mrs. Clinton has taken personal interest and leadership in the
protocols signed between Armenia and Turkey, it is safe to assume
that she would have addressed that issue primarily. But, that was
the opportunity for the Armenian community to raise other issues
of concern, whether included in the agenda or not – the specter of
war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the dramatically dwindling US
assistance to Armenia, the Bush-era leftover policy change regarding
section 907 of Freedom Support Act banning direct US aid to Azerbaijan,
waived by the previous administration or House Resolution 252 on the
Armenian Genocide, just to cite a few of those crucial issues.
Unfortunately, all these issues – some of them of life-and-death
significance – were sidetracked to give way to petty bickering as to
who should attend the planned meeting. This is a perennial problem,
which will always arise, because our community is fragmented and
because there is no consensus on who can represent the Armenian
community.
If we had mature leadership across the board, perhaps some group
leaders would subdue their selfish showmanship to the importance of
the occasion and allow the community concerns to take center stage
with the hope of success.
Unfortunately, once again community divisions came into play to miss
this very rare opportunity to voice our community concerns to the
State Department in a united Stance.
Negotiations were being conducted behind the scenes to finalize the
list of participant organizations, when the Dashnag party decided to go
public, in a provocative editorial in the Armenian Weekly, triggering
a blaming game, which marginalized the issues of paramount concern.
The Weekly editorial (Confronting the Politics of Exclusion, February
4, 2010) directed its first criticism at the State Department, which
had extended the invitation to the following organizations: the Diocese
of the Armenian Church of America, the Armenian Assembly of America,
the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Knights of Vartan and the
Armenian National Committee of America.
The editorial states that "in response to this move, community protests
came almost immediately." In fact, no one protested except the ANC,
with the presumption that it represents the entire community.
Then comparisons began between the Diocese and the Prelacy, the AGBU
and ARS and so on.
To put the facts straight, the State Department knows, as does
everybody else in the Armenian community, that the ARF is the most
militant group, which as groups unified under its umbrella, walking
at locksteps.
Be they the Prelacy, ARS, Hamazkayin, ARF or any other title, they will
be in line with party leadership. Therefore, it would be ludicrous to
parade those colorful titles uselessly, especially when Mrs. Clinton
was not planning a popularity contest at the State Department.
The Prelacy wants equality with the Diocese of the Armenian Church,
when it represents a dissident group affiliated with a political
party. The fact that the community is tired of infighting over the
church division does not legitimize a dissident group.
Similarly, the AGBU has such a track record and impressive name that
it cannot be put equal to any group.
There are certainly groups which could have been included in the
meeting, but they have not made their participation an issue, because
more important problems are in the balance.
We learn that ANC has even threatened to withdraw its participation
if the parrot groups are excluded.
That would have been a favor the other groups couldn’t turn down,
because otherwise this ugly bickering would have reached the State
Department, which would draw their sad conclusion on the state of
affairs in the Armenian community.
While this turmoil was brewing in the Armenian community, the snowstorm
blanketed Washington, DC and the February 9 meeting was postponed
(or cancelled).
Perhaps this was a providential interference to give time to Mrs.
Clinton to sort out her priorities and also offer an opportunity to
the Armenian community to sober up and seize the opportunity to raise
the real issues afflicting all Armenians in the homeland and in the US.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
