Since the upcoming weeks will be the period of beating one’s breast and exposing others’ “dirt,” I assume that political aspirants will address each other with the following question, “What have you done for these people, for this country? I, for instance…” The question and “for instance” imply a condition, in which there is only one way to serve the people and the country, there is one ideal and the best embodiment of that ideal is certainly the one who makes such speeches.
In Armenia there is a center for testing knowledge, the standards of which, by the way, are far from being ideal, also in parties and NGOs there are centers for testing democratic, patriotic and religious values, moreover, there are people who think that they are the sole testing center. Whereas there are a few billions of methods how to carry out all those good things and we don’t have the right to examine anyone else with the tests we have drawn up. Guess, one asks you whether you are standing by the people’s side. God knows what it means. One can be at home, at the office and even in a swimming pool, but at the same time stand by the people’s side and one can stand in the center of Freedom Square and be very far from people. When they say “those who are not standing by the people’s side at this critical moment are…” (choose assessments yourselves), it is more understandable – in this instance the expression “stand by the people’s side” is interpreted as stand by our, our team’s or our clan’s side and in this instance you only have to determine whether a certain clan embodies the people.
Or if they inquire whether you have fought for democracy, that question also seems abstract. Perhaps, I, telling my kid off in the right manner or not showing any prejudicial attitude toward any idea, “fight” – although, the word is certainly not appropriate – for democracy. Again, if the question is asked in a narrower sense whether I have cursed any police officer in the street, knocked his cap off or torn his shoulder straps off, the answer in my case will be absolutely no.
However, this “inquisition,” even if it is deniable, is at least understandable on our political stage. When such a testing is carried out in the field of religion “believe as I do, otherwise you will be our faith’s enemy,” in my opinion, it contradicts the substance of Christianity.
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There are “inquisitors” of different kinds on all lists for proportional representation submitted to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC). That is the very reason why I will not vote for any list.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
