Vahe H Apelian
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| A snap shot of my Egyptian stamps collection. |
June 5, 1967 was a Monday and on that Monday morning I was in the Jafet Library of the American University of Beirut, studying for my final examinations when a crowd of students rushed in shouting that the war with Israel has started. All those in the library left and rushed to the regular student hang out, in front of the West Hall where speakers were already set and were broadcasting the war.
Wikipedia notes the following about that war: “The Six-Day War or June War (War of 1967), also known as the 1967 Arab-Israeli War or the Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and June 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt [known then as the United Arab Republic (UAR)], Jordan, and Syria. The war began with a large-scale surprise air strike by Israel on Egypt. The outcome was a swift and decisive Israeli victory. Israel took effective control of the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria”.
On June 9, as negotiations for cease fire were ongoing, president Nasser resigned naming Vice-President Zakaria Mohieddin as his successor. June 9 was a Friday and I happened to be in the inn – Hotel Lux – my father ran. The lady who cleaned was so distraught that she could not carry her job confiding her predicamant to my mother. She was utterly distraught that president Nasser had resigned. To placate her my mother told her not to worry for the Egyptians would not let him resign. Lo and behold, my mother’s words of comfort turned out to be prophetic. Massive popular demonstrations broke in Egypt as in Lebanon and in fact in the entire Arab world, refusing to accept president Nasser’s resignation.
Simply said, the Arab pride could not and would not put up with further humiliation and accept the further humiliation of their leader defeated by Israel. I have no recollection of having read any Egyptian and Lebanese of Armenian speaking in favor of the resignation of Nasser. Were they faking? I do not think so. Did they dismiss Nasser’s resignation on the pretext that it does not pertain to them as ethnic Armenian citizens of Egypt and Lebanon? I do not think so. And when Nasser died in 1970, his funeral drew millions of Egyptians and his death was mourned across the Arab world.
Armenia lost the second Artsakh war and signed the cessation of the war with Azeris brokered by Russia on November 9/10, 2020. Two days later, Levon Sharoyan reported what was being said on the Turkish media about the war Armenia lost (see below). Among them was the claim that the post war government of Armenia that will replace Nikol Pashinyan led government should be acceptable by Turkey. The actual wording in translation is: “The new Armenian government must be a government "sponsored" by Turkey". But fortunately, that did not happen. But a ceaseless verbal assault on the PM accusing him being traitor came about and continues to this day in Diaspora, where I am born, raised and live, having willfully not exercised my birthright of returning to Armenia and continue the remainder of my life there as a citizen of Armenia.
An individual calling a government official traitor, in case of Nikol Pashinyan the citizens of Armenia elected, is one thing. But calling the PM of Armenia a traitor on behalf of global organization is altogether a different matter. The former may claim that it is his or her opinion and right to voice opinion as a matter of free speech. But a global organization does not have that luxury. It is a matter of the policy of that organization. For all practical purposes any organization extra judicially accusing someone of treason, and label the person a traitor, is a tacit call to its members and supporters to take matters into their own hands. We all can surmise what that may entail.
Note: Post November 10, 2020: what does the Turkish media say?
http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2020/11/post-november-10-2020-what-does-turkish.html
