When I see a rude, inappropriate attack on a person (whoever he is) on the Internet, I’m not too fond of it; the dignity of all people should be respected. Excuses like “he deserves it” are unacceptable to me. I find it especially difficult when users in this way “cool the heart” or carry out purposeful propaganda against women.
It’s just as hard for me to understand when women use sexual slurs in virtual interactions. For me, a woman is a mother or a potential mother, and I think that at least we, men, should treat her that way. We, the Armenians, even more so because our great poet and philosopher Narekatsi created the image of God’s Mother several centuries ago, “anticipating” the humanistic rendering of that plot by the European Renaissance.
Armenian women and girls are resilient and robust. I was convinced of this in 1992-94 when they could do all their household chores with one hour of electricity during the day. I saw and still see with what dignity they carry the grief of the losses of “that” and “this” wars. Since the war has not stopped since 1991 and, unfortunately, will not stop in the coming years or even decades, we should treat them with special tenderness; a significant burden is placed on women’s shoulders. And in that sense, let’s remember our sisters living in Artsakh today.
Feminism and its Armenian synonyms evoke contradictory feelings in me. On the one hand, yes, sexual discrimination in business, politics, and education is intolerable. But I would not want “emancipation” to go so far as to consider it a “violation of rights” or sexism when men give a seat or hold a coat…
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ARAM ABRAHAMIAN
