I don’t share Vartan Oskanian’s ideas. Moreover, when he, in principle, legitimately criticizes the current government for the lack of democracy, I cannot but remember that he worked in an administration, which suppressed democracy and freedom of speech during its tenure more than it is done now. For example, Mr. Oskanian complained in one of his
interviews that some TV channels covered his issue one-sidedly. And can he remember a case when during Kocharyan’s rule, a TV channel would present the opinion of the one who was persecuted by the government and that of his supporters, which many people freely do today.
Besides all this, I was sorry when one of the Republicans called the former Minister of Foreign Affairs a “newcomer.” It seems to me that it is wrong – Vartan Oskanian, Hrant Margaryan, Hakob Avetikyan, Zhirayr Sefilyan and many other known and unknown Diaspora Armenians have been with us for 20 years. We might not like their activities, but one should talk about those activities and not point one’s finger at them and call them “newcomers.” They have deserved at least the right not to be called strangers. Besides that, if we think it over, many of us are newcomers. My parents, for example were not born on the territory of Soviet Armenia. Am I originally a newcomer then?
I often hear disgusting talk about Syrian Armenians in the street nowadays. Where, when has that stupid thinking emerged? On the contrary, one should be happy that our country is attractive for people given certain circumstances and that people not only flee from here, but also come to Armenia. One should meet those people open-heartedly. Because as opposed to material values, love, when shared, does not divide, it multiplies. As far as I can understand, the biblical parable about feeding five thousand people is about that.
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People who have left here for one reason or another (it is not the worst thing – I am not to judge them) and now explain to us who live here how bad the life in Armenia is seem stranger to me personally. In order to justify their absence from the fatherland, they deliberately absorb negative news from Armenia (which, unfortunately, is objectively much) with great pleasure, exaggerate it, make up new things by themselves and don’t even want to listen to positive things (which, however few, are there). However, if those people come back to Armenia, they will never be “newcomers” for me.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
