Arman Musheghyan, the head of the World Without Obstacles NGO that is engaged in protecting the rights of people with disabilities, expressed concern today that Armen Elbakyan, a famous actor, had insulted disabled people during a TV show, saying about them “squint-eyed, dumb, crippled”…. Whereas according to Musheghyan, while insulting people unconsciously, one should remember that no one is ensured against disability. Armen Elbakyan said during a conversation with www.aravot.am that he had no intention to insult anyone. “The problem is that one can quote the words out of context and formulate as he wishes. Actually, I was talking about the fact that actors who had a disability of speech appear on television and in theaters, and if it is normal in life, it is not good on the stage. Not everyone has the articulation and the appearance of an actor. For example, Mher Mkrtchyan didn’t stand out for handsomeness, but when he spoke he would become the handsomest
man in the world. I just said that God had created everyone equal, regardless of the criteria of beauty, which are common in our country. I also said that the criteria of beauty are rather changeable. Rubens’s women don’t correspond to the criteria of beauty common these days. It is not about people with physical problems, but about people who have a right to mount the stage and remind of what ought to be an artist’s speech, and if some people want to distort the words or present them inaccurately, it is their problem,” the beloved artist replied.
Gohar HAKOBYAN
