A kind of domestic violence

 “On April 12, Armenia’s National Assembly made history by approving a comprehensive set of amendments to the law on Prevention of Domestic Violence, Protection of Persons”, wrote Ani Jilozian in the Armenian Weekly. It is known that stress, and the response to stressful situations, are factors that trigger domestic violence.

Well, Armenia as a whole is undergoing a kind of domestic violence such as the verbal abuse the Prime Minister’s wife Anna Hagobyan was subjected to at the eternal flame for the commemoration of the Armenian genocide. 

The reason of Armenia’s domestic violence is political. Regretfully, instead of helping rationalize the factors, both secular and the religious leaders, especially the leaders of the Armenian Apostolic Church, whose eminence in the life of country is enshrined in Armenia’s constitution, are failing by their inaction, which may be by commission and as well as by omission.

Let me state some of the factors that are being made to inflame  the Armenian public further, instead of helping it to overcome the stresses.

“Historical Armenia vs Real Armenia”.

 Of course, I am referring to the verbiage the PM resorted to convey what the presidents of Armenia resorted to since Armenia regained its independence on September 21, 1991. Levon Ter Petrosyan, first as the president of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenia, and subsequentl as the first nationally elected president of Armenia, followed by presidents Robert Kochariyan, and Serzh Sargsyan repeatedly stated that Armenia has no territorial claim from Turkey. We know as well as they knew, that the territory that constitutes Turkey is partly historical Armenia. But the presidents factored it not to be in the best interest of Armenia, which is the "real Armenia", thus chose to ignore it. Surely not to forget it. Chosing to forget is an impossibility. The issue is how to address a memmory.  The presidents, who presently lead the opposition,  did what they had to do and is expected to know better than to stir emotions but to temper emotions.

“No pre-condition”. 

Much like under the governance of Civil Contract party led by the PM, Nikol Pashinyan, the presidents and their parties that governed Armenia during the previous three decades made “no pre-condition” their policy to normalize Armenia’s relations with Turkey, which meant for the Turks not to ask about Armenian genocide related questions when Armenia politically does not have a genocide issue to tell, in a sort "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that will continue be Armenia's as it was.

“List of victims of the Armenian Genocide”.

On September 27, 2024, Andranik Kocharyan, a high placed Civil Contract coalition official anda member of the National Assembly created controversy with his comment regarding the creation of a list of the Armenian genocide victims, which, he calimed can be more of less than 1.5 millions.

My namesake friend Vahe B. let me know that surely Mr. Kocharian knows that legal genocide entails the intent of the perpetrator to commit the genocide, and the numbers by themselves do not constitute genocide. The MP most likely wanted to send a signal to Turkey that Armenia may be willing to join what was envisioned in the Zurich protocols, a Joint Historical Commission. Interestingly, the FM of Turkey expressed its reservation to the PM Nikol Pashinyan's genocide address and called on “all parties to support our proposal to create a Joint Historical Commission, as well as the ongoing settlement process with Armenia.”

Readers may recall the  Zurich Protocols, which entailed  bilateral protocols president Serzh Sargyan's FM Edward Nalbandian signed in 2009 with his Turk counterpart. The Protocols envisioned  the establishment of formal diplomatic relations and the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border (which has been closed since 1993), and the establishment of a joint historical commission on the Armenian genocide issue. The protocols did not take a life of their own as they were not ratified. The Turkish parliament did not ratify it.

When it comes to state bilateral relations with Turkey Armenia will do what it has to do to assure that Armenia stays a viable state where the citizens of Armenia and their children can have a peaceful and a prosperous life.

The same considerations drove the first republic of Armenia interior minister Aram Manoukian and Catholicos Kevork V to host the Turkish visiting dignitaries, while Avedis Aharonian visited Istanbul seeking improved relations between the two countries.  The two republics established a state level formal relations.

It behooves the leadership of Armenia, especially the opposition leaders and the Armenian Apostolic Church,  to deal wisely with the  political stresses and help educate especially the young and the impressionable to learn deal with political stress.