Sometimes, people ask me what kind of involvement the Armenian journalists should have in the ongoing information war with Azerbaijan (or Turkey). My answer is, none. No journalist shall be involved in any war. Of course, the journalists can be recruited to serve in the army and in the case of combat actions, he/she is obligated to defend the country as a citizen, but it has nothing to do with the journalism. Or, he might quite the journalism, become a PR-ist, a publisher and with this status be involved in information was between the two economic units, two countries and different political forces within the country. If two different professions are dealing with the words, sentences and the text, this does not mean that it is the same profession.
And since I do not consider myself an information warfighter, I’ll allow myself not to join the estimates of the majority, which are voiced with regard to the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights on Perinçek’s case. I know that now the “national politicians” are going to attack, but I will say my opinion. The Armenian Genocide, indeed, is a historical fact. But denial of this fact can simply be an ignorance, it can also be a part of the same propaganda war. In given case, we are dealing with the second option. However, it is not racism or Nazism. It would be racism saying, yes, there was a genocide, but you Armenians (Jewish, Assyrians, Greek, Yezidi) deserve it. Well, this kind of allegation should be criminally prosecuted. And if any Turk questions the fact of the Genocide or pretends to question for he does not want to confront the historical truth, it is up to him. If any German followed by the same reasons or considerations claims that there was no Holocaust, it is also up to him. If any cleric claims that the sun revolves around the Earth, it cannot become a reason for criminal prosecution.
Naturally, the lawyers representing Armenia to the ECHR should say that they have not received honorariums in vain, and the ECHR’s decision was in favor of Armenia. It was expected that the Turkish side should also express its satisfaction. I’m not surprised that people in Armenia, depending on political views, are lamenting or rejoicing of this decision (or pretend that they lament or rejoice). All of this totally fits into the framework of internal (inside Armenia) and external information war.
By no means, I am of the opinion that such a war should not be waged. Simply, not everybody is committed to taking part in that war.
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Aram ABRAHAMYAN
