1 - Arab World Finally Exposes Erdogan’s
Hypocrisy as ‘Defender’ of Palestinians
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Almost $1.4 Million Raised during HyeAid Lebanon Telethon
3 - Armenian Government Moves to Lift Coronavirus State of Emergency
4- Commentary: Ensuring Education Equity in Armenia
5- Rep. Ilhan Omar joins Congressional Armenian Caucus
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1 - Arab World Finally Exposes Erdogan’s
Hypocrisy as ‘Defender’ of Palestinians
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
I have written in the past pointing out Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s hypocrisy on proclaiming himself as the ‘defender’ of
Palestinians, while maintaining a military, diplomatic and economic
alliance with Israel.
Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem who
is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at Gatestone Institute, published a
lengthy article on August 25, 2020 on Gatestone Institute’s website,
titled: “Arabs and Muslims to Turkey’s Erdogan: ‘Why Don’t You Protest
Against Yourself?’”
Erdogan inherited from Ottoman Sultans the skill of walking a
diplomatic tightrope. For centuries, the Ottoman Empire perfected the
political art of seeming to be on both sides of conflicting powers.
The Sultans sided with France and England against Germany and with
Germany against France and England. The same policy is being pursued
now by Erdogan, appearing to be on the Palestinian side, while
maintaining multi-faceted relations with Israel. Similarly, Turkey is
a NATO member, while purchasing advanced missiles from Russia which
violates NATO policies. Amazingly, Erdogan is simultaneously the good
friend of both Trump and Putin!
This contradictory and dishonest Turkish behavior finally was exposed
in the Arab and Islamic world on the occasion of Israel and United
Arab Emirates (UAE) normalizing their relations. Erdogan threatened
UAE on August 14, 2020, to cut off diplomatic relations and recall
Turkey’s Ambassador from the UAE, while Turkey itself maintains normal
relations with Israel, where it has an Embassy, and Israel has an
Embassy in Ankara!
Many Arabs are now reminding Erdogan that “Turkey was the first
Muslim-majority country to recognize the State of Israel. They also
remind him of his official visit to Israel in 2005 and the decades of
military, strategic and diplomatic cooperation between Turkey and
Israel,” Abu Toameh wrote.
Here are several statements that Abu Toameh quoted from Arab and
Muslim sources exposing Erdogan’s hypocritical position.
Erdogan is “the official sponsor of terrorist groups in the region. He
uses these groups to destabilize the Arab countries, including Syria,
Iraq, Libya, and Egypt…. It seems that Erdogan is suffering from
schizophrenia that surprises and confuses even his supporters,” wrote
Egyptian journalist Adel al-Sanhoury, in youm7.com, on August 21,
2020.
Jordanian writer Noura al-Moteari asked: “Does Erdogan have a mental
illness and a dual personality, or does he know for sure that his
followers from the oppressed Turkish people and the Muslim Brotherhood
follow him with blind loyalty and do not see beyond the end of their
noses? How does Erdogan threaten to withdraw his ambassador from Abu
Dhabi because of the historic peace agreement with Israel, while the
Israeli embassy in Turkey is active?”
Saudi political activist Munther al-Sheikh Mubarak wrote: “I am sure
Erdogan needs a psychiatrist. It has been reported that Turkey will
serve Israel by transporting Israelis to the UAE at a time when
Erdogan is objecting to normalization [with Israel]. There is no cure
for stupidity.”
Saudi political activist Abdullah al-Bander said in a video he posted
on social media that Erdogan is known for his words more than his
actions. “What’s funny is that Erdogan was also the first Muslim
leader to visit the grave of [Zionism founder Theodor] Herzl in Israel
and meet with [then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon. Erdogan is
trading in the Palestinian cause. Turkey has had relations with Israel
for more than 70 years, but it has done nothing good for the
Palestinians all these years.”
Saudi writer Rawaf al-Soain also posted a video on social media
platforms in which he asked: “Why don’t you [Erdogan] withdraw your
ambassador from Tel Aviv and expel the Israeli ambassador in Turkey so
that we can call you a hero and supporter of the Palestinian cause? By
accusing the United Arab Emirates, Erdogan is being silly and
despicable.”
The Saudi newspaper Okaz wrote in an editorial: “Erdogan’s regime does
not miss an opportunity to trade in the Palestinian issue and deceive
everyone. Despite Erdogan’s hypocrisy, which has become exposed to
Arab and Islamic public opinion, his regime continues to play on the
feelings of Muslims. The Turkish president appears to be applying
double standards by ignoring the presence of his ambassador in Tel
Aviv.”
Abu Toameh concluded: “The strong reactions of many Arabs to Erdogan’s
threat is a sign that they understand that he is a conniving
opportunist playing the Arab and Muslim card in an attempt to revive
an Islamic caliphate under his rule. Judging from the broader Arab
response to Erdogan’s threat, the Turkish leader, rather than being
perceived as any kind of Caliph, is perceived as a demented demagogue
and a sponsor of terrorism.”
In addition, Turkish journalist Burak Bekdil provided the historical
background of Turkey’s double-faced approach to diplomacy in an
article published by the BESA Center on August 27, 2020.
Bekdil wrote: “Turkey remained neutral during the Arab-Israeli war of
1948. At its conclusion, the then young Turkish republic became the
first Muslim country to recognize the infant state of Israel on March
28, 1949. In January 1950, Ankara sent a career diplomat, Seyfullah
Esin, to Tel Aviv as the first Turkish chargé d’affaires in Israel. In
1951, Turkey joined the Western bloc of countries that protested
Cairo’s decision to deny Israeli ships passage through the Suez Canal.
The Mossad [Israel’s Intelligence Agency] opened a station on Turkish
soil in the early 1950s. In 1954, Turkish PM Adnan Menderes, while on
a visit to the US, called on Arab states to recognize Israel.”
Probably worse than Turkish hypocrisy is the gullibility of Western
and Arab nations that have been fooled by Turkish deceits to think
that Turkey is their friend and ally.
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2- Almost $1.4 Million Raised during HyeAid Lebanon Telethon
The HyeAid Lebanon Telethon raised $1,375,555 on Sunday, August 30 to
provide much-needed and immediate assistance to the Armenian community
of Lebanon, which has been reeling since a massive explosion at the
Beirut port on August 4 that devastated the city and rippled through
the entire country.
Soon after the explosion, the Pan-Armenian Council of Western United
States launched HyeAid Lebanon, a community-wide fundraising effort
with the participation of all Armenian religious denominations and the
leading community organizations. The ongoing fundraising effort, which
began almost immediately after the tragedy, got a boost during a
three-and-a-half hour telethon, broadcast on ARTN, USArmenia and
Horizon Armenian television channels and was live-streamed on the
Asbarez, Horizon and HyeAid Facebook pages.
To date, about $6 million in aid has been provided to
Lebanese-Armenian families affected by the August 4 bombing in Beirut.
Significant contributions have been made by: Armenian Relief Society
Central Executive ($600,000); Pan Armenian Council of Western USA
($1,375,000); Armenian General Benevolent Union ($2,000,000);
Benefactor Alecco Bezikian ($1,000,000); Businessman Samvel Karapetyan
($320,000); Hayastan All-Armenian Fund ($285,000); Tsarukyan
Charitable Foundation ($200,000); The Republic of Artsakh ($50,000);
Patriotic Union of Anjar ($150,000).
In addition to financial assistance, three flights were carried out
from Armenia to Lebanon, transporting humanitarian aid.
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3 - Armenian Government Moves to Lift Coronavirus State of Emergency
The Armenian government signaled on Thursday, August 27, plans to lift
a state of emergency which it declared more than five months ago to
fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
The government approved a bill that would allow it to keep in place
safety and hygiene rules and even impose, if necessary, nationwide or
local lockdowns without again extending the state of emergency, which
is due to expire on September 11.
Under the bill involving amendments to several Armenian laws,
authorities will also be able to seal off local communities hit by
serious coronavirus outbreaks, quarantine infected people and continue
requiring all citizens to wear masks in public spaces.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting in Yerevan, Justice Minister Rustam
Badasian confirmed that the government will not again extend the state
of emergency if the bill is passed by the Armenian parliament by
September 11.
Badasian insisted that the new legal regime will involve fewer
restrictions on people’s freedom of movements and civil rights.
In particular, he said, the authorities will stop accessing personal
data from mobile phones to identify individuals who have had physical
contact with COVID-19 patients and completely banning any type of
business activity.
The government already lifted earlier this month a coronavirus-related
ban on rallies strongly criticized by the Armenian opposition.
But it set strict physical distancing requirements for organizers and
participants of public gatherings.
The government approved the bill even though Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinyan strongly criticized its authors, the Armenian ministries of
justice and health, for not consulting with the Ministry of Defense
beforehand. He also deplored the fact that the bill was sent to the
office of the state human rights ombudsman only two days before the
latest cabinet meeting.
As of Monday, August 24, Armenia has recorded a total of 43,781
COVID-19 cases. A total of 37,722 of these patients have since
recovered while 5,180 remain active.
The death toll as a direct result of complications from COVID-19 stands at 879.
The daily number of new confirmed cases has shrunk by more than half
since mid-July despite the virtual absence of lockdown restrictions.
Citing the downward trend, the government decided recently to reopen
all schools and universities in September. The Ministry of Education
went on to put in place detailed safety protocols for all educational
institutions.
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4- Commentary: Ensuring Education Equity in Armenia
DASARAN Educational Program’s CEO Suren Aloyan has lately been
outspoken about his organization’s role in Armenia’s education
modernization, while blaming the Ministry of Education, Science,
Culture and Sport (henceforth “the Ministry”) for allegedly
obstructing DASARAN’s operations.
In The California Courier’s August 20, 2020 issue, Mr. Aloyan’s
article stated that DASARAN allowed for the country’s 350,000+
students’ distance learning.
The uninterrupted education for Armenia’s students amidst a global
pandemic was first and foremost due to the exceptional sense of
dedication and responsibility of the teachers as well as the state
policy pursued by the Ministry. With due respect and appreciation for
all the online educational resources and solutions offered by the
public, private and international sectors—including DASARAN—Armenia’s
success cannot be attributed to any particular organization.
As for Mr. Aloyan’s accusation that “Armenia’s Education Minister is
threatening to dismantle DASARAN – to build their own platform from
bottom-up,” the reality is that the Ministry does prioritize
developing distance learning capabilities, especially while facing a
pandemic and state of emergency.
To that end, the Ministry has developed a comprehensive action plan,
tasking its departments and subsidiaries, such as the National Center
of Educational Technologies (NCET) with its implementation.
The state has a responsibility to uphold the right to education as
well as the principle of continuity of education. As such, the
government should operationalize at least one unified online platform
to safeguard equity in education for everyone. The Ministry, of
course, welcomes other stakeholders’ contributions towards this
mission. Inclusion of many such platforms in the Ministry’s online
portal (heravar.arm.edu.am) in the spring 2020 semester is but one
proof of this.
The Ministry administers statistical studies and maintains registers
prescribed by appropriate legislation with the vision of a unified
information management system in the country across all education
levels. The Ministry has introduced the unified Education Management
Information System (emis.am), with an electronic register developed by
NCET available to educational institutions to centralize data entry
for accurate statistics and to allow for a more efficient distance
learning.
Schools are required by state to maintain certain electronic registers
and personal files. To this end, the Ministry undertakes its duties in
accordance to law, not just a mere service. This is critical for
personal data protection, cybersecurity and system compatibility too.
There are no statutory requirements for the Ministry to employ
DASARAN’s platform and Mr. Aloyan’s accusation that the Ministry is
trying to drive any company out of business is baseless and illogical.
DASARAN has never had mandate to maintain or service educational
registers, and Ministry’s “own platform” does not trample on anyone’s
rights.
The Ministry has always supported worthwhile educational projects as
evidenced by the dozens of successful public-private partnerships in
this realm. Stated simply, state policy cannot derive from any private
entity’s interests.
Additionally, DASARAN’s 2017-2018 state funding has raised reasonable
doubts regarding the funds’ effective use and transparency. Evidence
has already been shared with the appropriate law enforcement agencies,
who are now investigating this as a criminal case.
Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia
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5- Rep. Ilhan Omar joins Congressional Armenian Caucus
(Public Radio of Armenia)—Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has joined the
Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, the Armenian Assembly of
America reports.
Since her “present” vote on the Armenian Genocide resolution
(H.Res.296), which passed in an overwhelming and bipartisan manner on
October 29, 2019, Rep. Omar has dedicated serious time and attention
engaging with her Armenian American constituents in Minnesota’s 5th
congressional district.
Rep. Omar thus joins fellow members of the Minnesota congressional
delegation Reps. Betty McCollum and Collin Peterson, as members of the
Armenian Caucus.
Last October Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar was widely criticized for
abstaining on Armenian Genocide Resolution.
She was one of just two Democrats to vote ‘present’ on a resolution
recognizing the Armenian genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Turks a
century ago.
After casting her vote, Omar said in a statement: “I also believe
accountability for human rights violations—especially ethnic cleansing
and genocide—is paramount. But accountability and recognition of
genocide should not be used as cudgel in a political fight.”
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