Attached is my translation of an article Ara Khanjian wrote and posted in Asbarez Daily on March 9, 2023 and linked it to his Facebook page. The article pertains to a speech Unger Sarkis Zeitlian has delivered in 1979. I attempted to translate it as verbatim as I could. My translation of the text was reviewed and approved by Ara Khanjian. The original text in Armenian is linked. Vahe H. Apelian
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| Courtesy Tsolag Hovsepian "Familiar Faces", p. 64 |
In 1979, Unger Sargis Zeitlian delivered a magnificent speech in Bourj Hammoud, Lebanon at the occasion of the 89th anniversary of the ARF, during which he shared many thoughts and commendations every ARF member should be aware of and keep in mind. We should also be grateful to Taniel Madzounian who forty-four years ago had the foresight to record the speech and preserve it in his archives.
The speech is so admirable and relevant that I thought of quoting some of his statements I found insightful, for the benefit of those who may not have the time to listen to the 35 minutes long speech. Surely it is better to hear the speech and be in tune with Sarkis Zeiltian’s oration that renders his thoughts more impressionable and more meaningful. At the end I will also share a personal experience with Unger Zeitlian.
ARF is a “means, a path and not an aim”.
Six minutes into the speech, Unger Zeitlian says ARF is a “means, a path and not an aim”.
This assertion is important because many members and supporters of the ARF forget that the aim is the Armenia and Armenians and not the ARF.
"Woe to the rank and file who has contempt towards the masses of his people"
Approximately 18:12 minutes into the speech, he says: “Without the people ARF is nothing. It is everything with its people. Consequently, everywhere and in every front, we will stand with the people.”
He continues saying that there should be no contempt for our people.
“"Woe to the ARF rank-and-file who has contempt for the masses of his people. Woe to the youth who thinks salvation is only by himself, but ignores the masses. Woe to those ranks, whether ARF or otherwise, who think that by doing five or a thousand deeds of heroism, the entire people are subjugated to their will. The fate of such ranks, such youth, such parties will inevitably lead to bankruptcy."
These lines are very relevant, because sometimes ARF ers scorn, blame, and even disparage the people, when the people do not support them or do not vote for them to their last vote or to the extent, they are expected they should. This behavior, as Unger Zeitlian says, is very harmful and dangerous.
"The Federation’s strength is not in its ranks, but in the organization of the whole Armenians "
At approximately 19:35 into the speech, Unger Zeitlian says: "On the path of service to the Armenian people, giving everything, on the condition of demanding nothing in return, that is the way of the ideological and moral conception of the ARF. To take from the people, but to multiply it, to return it to the same people. Apart from this, the ARF has nothing else to do, nor does it have the right to demand rights or honor. Its honor is in its giving. Its reward is in its moral satisfaction. His success lies in revolutionizing the will, the psychology and mind of the Armenian people. Its strength is not in its ranks, but in the organization of the whole of what constitutes Armenian (hayutyun)."
This opinion is also very important. It is not enough for the ARF to have strong and active ranks, but it is necessary to organize all that constitute Armenian (hayoutyun), which will entail working closely with all the classes of the people, dealing with them and serving them. Without working directly with the people, it is not possible to organize the people.
Unger Zeitlian continues to discuss the importance of organizing the Armenian people. At 27:50 minutes into his speech, he says: "It is not enough to say that we gave a hundred heroes, if the people who are called to serve, are not organized to give tens of thousands instead. It is not enough to say that I have a thousand ideological rank-and-file, if the people are not organized to re-enlist in tens of thousands more for your ideological struggle."
Unger Zeitlian affirms that the purpose of the ARF is not to propose a law or to undertake a task and be proud of it, but to toil and carry on work so that the people or the state adopt and implement them on a large scale.
If the people do not adopt ARF policies and mode of operation, ARF then needs to find ways to convince the people of their usefulness and inspire them. If the people do not follow ARF, it is up to the ARF to explain and inspire the people of its ideology. It is gravely wrong to criticize, despise and disrespect the people from whose bosom the ARF was founded
“The ARF... demanded from its ranks... to keep with time and with the most progressive ideology"
At the 16th minute of the speech, Unger Zeitlian says: "For this reason, the ARF has always demanded from its ranks and from its people to be with its time, to be with the most progressive ideas, to be with the most just revolutionary movements..."
This is also a very relevant because sometimes ARFers equate the national (my note: its brand of national socialistic) ideology with regression, conservatism and dissent. Unger Zeitlian's generation, and especially the founding generation of the ARF, who studied in European universities, were the most progressive among the Armenians and were supportive of the ideologies of that time.
All Armenians in the four corners of the world are part of the Armenian people
I would like to emphasize here that for Unger Zeitlian, Armenian was not only the Armenians of the Middle East that he knew directly, but all the Armenians in the four corners of the world. It is true that the Armenians of each region have their own characteristics and culture, but all of them are part of the Armenians that Unger Zeitlian talks about in his speech.
I remember when I was a student in New York City in the early 1980s, Unger Zeitlian visited the New York Armenian community. At that time, personal computers were a novelty, and we were enthusiastically caught in the new device. We wanted to organize the addresses of the supporters of the ARF in the community in the computer to contact them. When Unger Zeitlian found out that we were only collecting and sorting the addresses of supporters of the ARF, he told us that all Armenians in New York belong to the Armenian people, and we should collect all the addresses and keep everyone informed about our ideology and activities, even if they some were staunchly opposed to ARF. For Unger Zeitlian, no matter where Armenians in the world live, even if they do not sympathize with the ARF and opposes the ARF, they are part of the Armenian people he mentioned in his speech, and worthy of the ARF’s concern for their welfare.
Unger Zeitlian's thoughts should be passed on to the new generation, so that they may correctly perceive the essence of the ARF, its working and its ideology.
Original article: https://asbarez.am/ընկեր-սարգիս-զէյթլեանի-1979ի-ճառէն-կարգ-մ/?fbclid=IwAR3ugpWfM89A1vOz7q3owp_gPEX0qobxq7xqJCH3PM2kCldjrFsfVYnnoBo
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