We Are a Weak Nation, but…
By Apo Sahagian on January 5, 2015
Special for the Armenian Weekly
Earlier last month, the serving Israeli president, a longtime
supporter of genocide recognition, refused to sign a petition calling
on the Israeli government to recognize the genocide. At the same time,
a renowned Palestinian cultural center in Ramallah flaunted an absurd
excuse and canceled the screening of “The Cut” (a film on the
genocide). Two nations took time off from their conflict to embarrass
the Armenians, in clear favor to Turkey. You realize we are a weak
nation.
President Sarkisian signing documents of accession to the Eurasian
Economic Union (EEU) on Oct. 10, 2014.
When imperialists in the Kremlin chew on your republic’s sovereignty
with the Eurasian Economic Union, and the patronizing bureaucrats in
Brussels don’t even hint of wanting you in their club after you turn
your back on the EU Association Agreement, you realize we are a weak
nation.
When the corpses of three Armenian soldiers are left in a supposed “no
man’s land” for ten days, and Azerbaijan–a country once weaker than
Armenia–makes sure you don’t recover those bodies for ten days, you
realize we are a weak nation.
When a single Tweet from Kim Kardashian is your most effective way to
raise genocide awareness and your best line of defense against the
loaded Turkish lobby, you realize we are a weak nation.
When residents of Gyumri still wait for decent permanent homes to be
built 26 years after the Spitak earthquake, you realize we are a weak
nation.
When residents in Tavush have to wait another six months for the
government to complete a highway away from the vision of Azerbaijani
snipers across the borders (who apparently take pleasure in ruining
the livelihood of the people of Tavush), you realize we are a weak
nation.
When students in some villages have to stay home during winter since
schools there don’t have the adequate facilities for the season, you
realize we are a weak nation.
When declarations from diasporans to return to the homeland turn out
to be empty words and only a means to sustain an existence of eternal
wandering, you realize we are a weak nation.
When folks in Armenia constantly look for an escape from the country,
you realize we are a weak nation.
When the Armenian language becomes distorted with foreign words, you
realize we are a weak nation.
When the Armenian gay community is hounded for their private
lifestyle, and no one takes into consideration that they are
infinitely more patriotic than the straight person chasing them, you
realize we are a weak nation.
When the government in Armenia is hijacked by oligarchs and cannot
serve as a platform for rule of law, you realize we are a weak nation.
When all of our national myths and histories of bravery and courtesy
seem to be so distant and unreachable in our present, you realize we
are a weak nation.
Because we put ourselves on a high pedestal and lied to ourselves that
we are somehow on top of it. But that pedestal is false. We are
somewhere much lower than where we want to be.
We are a weak nation, but we are a stubborn one–and that is our strength.
No matter how many chunks of our sovereignty Russia bites off and how
condescending Europe acts, we hang on to our independence in any and
every way possible. Because it is our republic. Sure, it is not the
best one out there, but it is ours. That is enough to stubbornly fight
for it.
Above: Major Sergey Sahakyan (L), Lieutenant Azat Sahakyan, and Senior
Lieutenant Sargis Nazaryan. Below: A scene from the funeral service of
the three servicemen
Azerbaijan tried to stop us from reaching the three corpses of the
Armenian soldiers for nearly ten days, but stubbornly, a commando unit
recovered the bodies of Major Sergey Sahakyan, Senior Lieutenant
Sargis Nazaryan, and Lieutenant Azat Sahakyan out of respect to their
families and the unity of a nation with values.
Say what you may about Kim Kardashian, but for one day on April 24, we
secretly thank her for that Tweet that conveys to millions the truth
about the genocide. Because while our committees are stubbornly
fighting the good fight against the Turkish lobby, ammo under any name
is welcome. Even if it’s Dan Bilzerian.
Twenty-six years on and residents of Gyumri remain in their city,
despite the failures of the government to take them out of temporary
shelters and put them in permanent homes. Stubbornly, they wait for an
unfulfilled obligation by the state, because “doon degh” is an
eventuality that will happen come hell or high water. No earthquake or
government dysfunction will make them abandon their city.
The people of Tavush, aware of the attacks from Azerbaijani snipers,
aren’t deterred from using their exposed highway. Stubbornly life goes
on, because the strength of a society is more important than the fear
of an enemy.
Despite some village schools not having adequate facilities for
semesters in winter, students stubbornly sacrifice their summer break
to earn their deserved education. Please check out Teach for Armenia
(by visiting ).
Even if the diaspora is not “returning” to the homeland and is fine
with its eternal vagabond existence, at least it is a far more
structured, organized, and stubbornly determined diaspora than the
others I have come across. It will be an organized eternal wander of
vagabonds.
Although there will be those who will leave, for many Armenia is where
they were born and it is where they will stay. They have stayed to
overcome the economic and political hardships. They stubbornly
struggle to achieve their inalienable right to have a government
worthy of the people.
Despite the abundance of grammar mistakes or use of foreign words, we
still speak the language and occasionally impose it on our
non-Armenian friends. Stubbornly, we make sure that the connection of
a people and their language is kept regardless of how thin and twisted
the thread has become.
Insulting the orientation of the gay Armenian community has thankfully
not distanced them from their heritage. Surely, they have been
isolated from particular individuals and circles, but the intensity of
the prejudice practiced against them has not diminished the intensity
of their stubborn love to their nation.
Despite the oligarchs turning rule of law into mockery, somehow the
citizens of the republic have fought to achieve victories for justice
and rule of law, with the latest statistics from Freedom House showing
Armenia to be Free.
Free, stubbornly free. And therein lies our strength.
Under the ruins of our history, faults, lies, denials, corruption,
difficulties, hardships, and losses, there still shines a light
through the cracks. It will shine for many years to come, maybe dimmer
or brighter, but it will shine. And along the road on which the light
shines, we are all persistently there.