For many decades now Turkey and its cronies have been
fast at work to carry out their objectives in exploiting so-called ‘soft’,
‘balanced’ or ‘diplomatic’ Armenians who are inclined to play down Armenian
demands for justice.The ‘soft’, ‘balanced’ or ‘diplomatic’ Armenians also tend
to pander to denialist Turkey; to over-amplify its ‘importance’ and
‘indispensability’ to Armenia’s future at the cost of Armenian capitulation to
Turkey that still occupies Armenian lands; refuses to make amends for the Turkish-perpetrated
Armenian Genocide.
***
One such ‘balanced’ and ‘diplomatic’ Armenian is Richard
Giragosian, Director of Regional Studies Center (RSC) in Armenia.
Ironically, during the month of April (2010), when
millions of Armenians around the world were mourning the annihilation of one
and one half million victims of genocide and the loss of their ancestral
homelands in Western Armenia and Cilicia Mr. Giragosian was actively courting
Turkey.
In an April 18, 2010 article in “Newsweek Turkey,” Mr.
Giragosian said that as an Armenian he was “ashamed and horrified with the
Armenians’ views of their Turkish neighbors. I was horrified … I was an
Armenian nationalist, I was brought up as an active and aggressive Diasporan
Armenian in an atmosphere of hatred and fear against the Turks.”
“On every April 24, I started to organize demonstrations
against the Turkish Embassy in Washington during which we were expressing
slogans against the embassy filled with hatred. Yes, I must confess that the
atmosphere had infected me too; where they were teaching fear and hatred toward
the ‘Turks.’ But later on some
suspicions surfaced. I started having disagreements with hawkish Armenians. …
During that time I worked at the U.S. Congress, and became a professional
analyst. … Essentially I had no longer wanted the nationalism which had the
idea of ‘hating others’ as the foundation of its ideology,” claimed Giragosian.
He also noted: “A comment (on the subject of genocide)
should not influence that deeply on any people – it should neither be the sole
criterion for Armenians nor should it be the greatest insult for the Turks.”
He has grossly mischaracterized a sizable segment of
patriotic Armenians as ‘radicals’ when in fact thousands of Armenian activists
worldwide endeavored to seek justice.
Lest they pursue the recovery of what was stolen from
their people! Giragosian will qualify them as ‘radicals.’ In his new world
view, becoming a ‘balanced’ individual requires renouncing your rights to
restitutions.
Since when demands for justice by victims of any crime,
can make them liable to be branded as ‘extremists’ when in fact they’re merely
asking what’s rightfully owed – Justice?
Playing ‘open-mindedness’ with an unrepentant perpetrator exasperates
any situation.
Mr. Giragosian grossly mislabels genocide victims’
legitimate anger against the Turkish perpetrators and occupiers as ‘hatred of
others.’ As if it’s not enough to be victimized and gravely dispossessed, now
the victims have to deal with the risk of being mischaracterized as ‘hate
mongers.’
It’s preposterous on his part to play ‘diplomat’ when in
fact he could make real contributions to the just resolution of his people’
cause.
At a time when an increasing number of righteous Turks
are risking their freedom and lives to speak out on the importance of justice
for the victims of the genocide, Mr. Giragosian opts to pander to nationalist
and extremist Turks by renouncing justice for his people.
Is Mr. Giragosian aware of the fact that an unprecedented
number of members of the new Turkish generation are becoming knowledgeable and
are recognizing the crime and consequences of the genocide perpetrated by their
grandparents’ generation?
In a revealing segment, he said that “the events that
happened to me have converted me from a militant operative to a collaborator
supporting the normalization process (between Turkey and Armenia) — a balanced
individual.”
In a rare confession he said that his romantic
relationship with a woman from Izmir, Turkey has played an influential role in
changing his attitudes toward Turkey. Are these the ‘events’ that Mr.
Giragosian was referring to which made him renounce his patriotic principals in
exchange for material comfort?
While falling in love with a woman from Turkey may not be
an issue, but an Armenian man’s sudden change of allegiance and adoption of
defeatist position towards Turkey can surely become a source of grave concerns.
It’s ludicrous to see a victim worrying about the truth
of the genocide being a source of ‘insult’ for Turkey. On human level, the
perpetrator should be offering compassion to the victim, and certainly not the
other way around.
How does this development impact his work in Armenia?
“Almost all Armenians (of Armenia) were astonished at my
decision to leave the U.S. and live with them. Some thought that I’m crazy.
Others thought of me as adventurous,” he claimed.
Armenians’ ‘astonishment’ with Giragosian’s
‘repatriation’ turned into a nightmare when they found out that Giragosian is a
strong supporter of the infamous Turkish-imposed anti-Armenian Protocols.
“After my relocation to Yerevan, undoubtedly the biggest
development was football diplomacy between Turkey and Armenia,” he remarked.
In the light of the so-called ‘rapprochement’ between the
two countries, Giragosian acknowledged that the relations between the two
nations had started long ago, mirroring the secret negotiations conducted by
Armenia’s then Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian.
Encouraging defrauding ‘dialog’ with Turkey can be a
major disservice to the Armenian interests as well as detrimental to both
Armenia and its Diaspora. Conversely, fostering a genuine dialog where the
facts of the Armenian genocide; massive Armenian dispossessions; loss of
homelands in western Armenia and Cilicia; illegal confiscation of real and
personal properties from the victims of the genocide are no longer regarded
upon by Turkey as subject for a debate, can be beneficial both for Turkey and
Armenians. No fair-minded Armenian would reject an honest and constructive
dialog with Turkey.
Little did his admirers in Armenia realize that in their
midst they have a “Trojan Horse’ in Giragosian.
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