The announcement of a group of intellectuals of the “Forum of Intellectuals” was published on September 22, and the answers to our question about it Merujan Ter-Gulanian gave only now.
- Were you so adroit and managed to lead a group of intellectuals to a misunderstanding or our intellectuals didn\’t know the value of their words and could sign any document without reading it?
- First of all nobody led anyone to a misunderstanding. But there is another side of the document; Bravo Merujan Ter-Gulanian who are trusted. That means I’m an authority for them. Let them read that announcement, I didn\’t forbid. I even surprised when Sos Sargsian said that I had brought and he had had signed without reading. He didn\’t only read in his working room at the institute but also said that it was written weakly.
- One of the expressions of that announcement «agents who are financed by doubtful sources» looks like the announcements made in 1937. Even one of the intellectuals, actor Vardan Petrosian said that «We aren\’t officials of state security and we have no proof about the financial sources of any company».
- I should stress that Vardan Petrosian didn\’t deny his participation. The formulations could be stronger or weaker. The point isn\’t that. The goal was unique; not to declare Armenia as the center of criminal. As regards 1937 year, nobody could publish such an announcement. We live in a free country, everybody writes whatever he wants. Its veracity is another problem. We got angry at the sentence of the announcement of “Forum of Intellectuals” as if Armenia has become a center of criminal and not at those persons. I deeply respect Rafael Ghazarian; I couldn’t sign against him, I worked with him in the NA for years and know him very well.
- Why do the intellectual keep silence and don\’t initiate announcements about rigged elections or violence used against politicians and journalists?
- Who does say that they keep silence?
I signed a group document first in my life. I was right to sign. I signed against that sentence. The journalists aren\’t judges. There is a type of journalists whose second name doesn\’t tell me anything. They judge innocent people who have great services in this country. I’m one of those people whose judge is in the sky, isn’t here.
- You got angry at that sentence but what must those people do who become witnesses of criminal demonstrations, when common citizens becomes the victims of criminal, when the meetings of thieves in law are held in Armenia?
- Three things can’t be chosen in this world; Homeland, parents and children. What you say is right. It is very bad that journalists are beaten, it is fired on the streets but such things happen in every country. What we must do to reduce it. Let’s speak against criminal, I’ll also speak. Criminal exists in Armenia, and we must fight against it everyday. Sometimes it seems to me that our media has created a virtual state and fights against it. But the real life remains open.
- There are publications in the press why the intellectuals don’t make announcements against awful incidents of the real life but they turned to the “Forum of Intellectuals”. As just this structure’s systemizing council together with “Hayrenik u Pativ” Party has make another announcement. “Serge Sargsian must be deprived of the position of the Defense Minister and secretary of the security council”. It is known that Serge Sargsian assists many of the intellectuals who signed the announcement against he forum.
- I’d like to ask how do you print your newspapers? You call others corrupted very easily. Everybody knows that there are 1-2 newspapers, which can be financed themselves.
There is so many lies in our country. The lie is like a drought. I simply surprised when Serge Sargsian\’s name was pronounced. What connection did S. Sargsian have with this? He has read about that announcement in the article. All these badly smell.
- Doesn\’t it smell badly when the intellectuals make announcements against each other?
- I deeply agree with you. It shames me indeed that the intellectuals sign documents against each other. But the whole problem is that we haven\’t signed against the intellectuals. I don\’t afraid of remaining alone; if there was an opportunity I\’d sign against that sentence once more.