By Appo Jabarian / Executive Publisher/Managing Editor USA Armenian Life Magazine
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.
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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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