Simply
those representatives must believe sincerely in that compatibility.We call
them /Hindus-A.A./ wild because their habits are different from ours, and we consider
our habits the apex of civilization. They themselves consider their habits the
apex of civilization. I think if we observe traditions of different peoples, we
won’t find such wild peoples where good manners couldn’t be noticed. Just in the
same way we won’t find progressive peoples where rude manners haven’t remained.
These words refer to one of the US founders Benjamin Franklin. It isn’t accidental
that he has founded a powerful country like the US is, which was capable to combine
various cultures and religions. That compatibility is only possible in that case
when you are able to admit that the representatives of your nation and religion
are capable of the same vandalism as those nations and religions, which you consider
"hostile" as a rule. And the opposite they also can reach to those apexes
of civilization to which your culture has reached.Unfortunately, the principles
of tolerance and dissent yield to self-isolation and fanaticism from time to time.
It seems that now is just that time. European newspapers behaved themselves condemnly;
publishing the Prophet Muhammad’s caricatures they offended Muslims’ feeling.
Answering to it the Muslims did ugly firing Embassies of European countries. Cultural
dispute came out to political area and it is difficult to think that the actions
of protest were sincere. The Europeans, being mistaken, see in Muslims retarded
fanatics, and the latter consider the Europeans as crusaders who try to compel
their values to the whole world "by force". By the way, religious fanaticism,
with its self-flagellation demonstrations is also specific for Christians, in
particularly for Catholics.All these problems don’t have any direct connection
with us. Fortunately there aren’t influential religious and national minorities
in Armenia towards which we must be tolerance. But it isn’t fair to say that we
are tolerant. If we go out streets of Yerevan and ask passers who are Turks and
Azerbaijanis the main answer will be that they are backward tribes who aren’t
able to create any culture, and they only rob others. But the main problem is
that if you ask the same question about Armenians in Baqu streets the answer will
be the same. In this situation our officials speak of "ethnic incompatibility"
of Armenians and Azerbaijanis. The Azerbaijani officials always think the same,
but they are smarter and don’t show their prejudices at Europeans. Peace in our
region will be established only in that case when the major part of Armenian and
Azerbaijani societies is sincerely sure that there aren’t incompatible nations
in the world. Russians and Chechens, Georgians and Ossetins, Serbs and Albans
are as compatible as the French and Germans, who have also had a lot of problems
during the history. And each nation must see in the ‘hostile" nation such
a cultural potential which is visible in its own nation. …Lately I read
about an event in "Izvestia"; a young Bolshevik who fights against religion
robbing the church urine on an icon and ask the pope; why don’t your God punish
me? And the pope answers; God has punished you for many times. Aram
Abrahamian
