Keghart: How imbecile can a people be?

Vahe H Apelian

Courtesy Keghart.com 

I owe my blogging to Kehart.com (henceforth Keghart). I made my foray in “writing” to keghart and found it cathartic. For a while I was a regular contributor there. From there I transitioned to my blog. I feel much more comfortable being a blogger of my blog than assuming hefty terms such as “writer”, “editor”, ‘analyst”, “activist”, "Publisher:",  etc.. My blog and my blogging remind me of the eminent writers Simon Simonian and Antranig Zarougian who, against all odds, managed to have their own voice through their own journals they published. “Spurk” Weekly in case of Simonian and “Nairi” weekly in case of Zarougian. Technology has enabled me to have my forum at my fingertips, through my blog whose reaches at times surprise my imagination that it can go that far onto this world,

After going through changes, I read that recently an anonymous group, who for reasons of their own apparently do not trust the public to know their names. They prefer to be called “Friends of Keghart” and post in anonymity. These friends have come together and apparently put their financial resources together and assured the financial well-being of the online journal. But in the process have seized the online journal and set it on a deteriorating course. The one who pays, plays the duduke, say a Turkish saying.  But Keghart continues to note that it allegedly continues to be a “non-partisan website devoted to Armenian affairs, human rights and democracy.”

Obviously, the friends of keghart have found that democracy has its own tempo that surely has disturbed the friends of keghart, who have taken upon themselves to present the “blunders” of the Nikol Pashinyan (NP). They began by posting the “thirty-three” blunders of Pashinyan and assured the readers that they remain vigilant counting as others are surely on their way. They depicted Nikol Pashinyan - posted above as a nasty looking man wearing a Turkish fez and a strange and a scary looking coat where “creeping crawlers” have weaved a network of some sort. Surely, the readers need not read the 33 blunders. The sum total of their message is visibly present if they can stand looking friends of keghart’s depiction of the PM of Armenia.

The barrage of the assault does not end with the 33 blunders. It could be that the number of blunders, by design and not by a heavenly providence, add to the same number of years that Jesus lived on this earth as he was crucified. In NP’s case there does not appear a Pontius Pilate among the friends of Keghart, who surely have not washed their hands. They leave the impression that they would feel contend that the thrice democratically elected PM of Armenia is crucified. There is not a single “non-blunder” that the friends of Keghart list, to give some a modicum of the benefit of doubt. 

Obviously, Dikran Abrahamian from Canadas, has given his blessings to see the crucification takes its course and Armenians, even those in Diaspora who did not - as they are not entitled to vote but can vote for Trudeau, in case of the Canadian Armenians to whom Keghart owes, its existence - to elect the PM of Armenia, see that NP take his last breath. Surely, no rupture will happen in the world. But the friends of keghart will surely vie to thrust their spear to see if the body is truly lifeless or not, for they espouse a new vision. 

Their vision is “Wilsonian Armenia PLUS”. Their cartographer, with a few strokes of pen and coloring of the map of the region has invited Armenians to put their act together “to recover Artsakh and Western Armenia”. They even placed President Wilson's face, in an impressive colored montage, without securing permission from the Wilsonian estate, whether the good president would have wanted to look endorsing his ever expanding Wilsonian map. I wonder if Dikran and most of the Keghart's readers have set foot in Artsakh and Western Armenia. I am implying set foot as sight-seeing tourists and not on a mission to recover the lands we lost. 

Courtesy Keghart.com

Surely Keghart’s vision is the liberation of Western Armenia and to annex it to the 29,800 square km Soviet Armenia handout as the present Republic of Armenia, which keghart deems secure and dominant. But Keghart has done away with the Western Armenian orthography, even though it vows to recover its real estate. I do not get the impression Keghart advocates a free Western Armenia, next to an Eastern Armenia. Two of each is very Armenian. 

"Wake up” says its most recent editorial. It says, rightly, the final decision is for the citizens Republic of Armenia to make. It writes, “Արթնացե՛ք՛ վճռական որոշուշումը ՀՀ-ի ժողովրդինն է». But not in the Western Mesrobian Armenian orthography. Simply because the title is not quite spelled like that in Western Armenian. In the accompanying cartoon, there is an Armenian spelled Turkish sounding word. It sounds strange to me. It sounds more Eastern Armenian and does not seem to sound the Turkish word . Does anyone know what “ղարտաշ» (ghardash) mean? At least, I can credit keghart that it acknowledges that there are bulls in the region.

But I remain grateful to Keghart not only for letting me start posting there but also for introducing me to a young journalist named Nikol Pashinyan. I had not heard the young journalist’s name before. I was surprised to find out that at the young age of 24 or so he had become an influential editor.

I quote what keghart posted on November 27, 2010

“27 November 2010

We, Armenians living in the Diaspora and our non-Armenian friends, are deeply concerned in the imprisonment of Nikol Pashinyan, editor-in-chief of Haykakan Zhamanak (“Armenian Time”) daily in Armenia, and his treatment in jail. While Mr. Pashinyan’s voluntary surrender to law enforcement agencies should have been duly noted by the Armenian authorities, the veteran journalist has experienced coercion behind bars. We attest that these reprehensible acts of the authorities–aimed at silencing Mr. Pashinyan and punishing him for his political views–will have the opposite outcome, making the editor’s voice heard more forcefully in Armenia and in the Diaspora. Deeply concerned with the treatment of the journalist, we are following the “judicial process” with vigilance, hoping that he will be released soon. Meanwhile, we demand that the Armenian authorities put an end to the unlawful acts against him and ensure his security.”

The rest is history. 

Surely the friends of keghart do not need to retain similar attitudes towards the journalist. But for God’s sake, are there not a few “non-blunders that the trice elected PM may have contributed to his native land?. Does not the appearance of impartiality dictate so? 

Apparently not for the friends of keghart.  It is all “doom and gloom” the friends of keghart claim, the voters of Armenia have brought upon themselves, not once, not twice but three times. 

Go and figure that out. How imbecile can a people be?

p.s. Edited for typos and spelling errors. VHA