The scandalous statements and eccentric ideas emanating from Armenia’s high-ranking officials, most notably the head of government, have long since lost their novelty. However, on the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, these narratives took a particularly jarring turn. On the day designated to honor 1.5 million innocent victims, the individual occupying the prime minister’s chair publicly declared to the international community that the 1915 tragedy occurred because Armenians "got caught up in international schemes." By labeling the rhetoric of a lost homeland a trap that “leads to the loss of statehood,” he urged a narrow focus solely on the current territory of the Republic of Armenia.
In effect, according to Nikol Pashinyan, the culpability for the Genocide lies not with the Ottoman Empire or the Turkish perpetrators, but with the Armenians themselves, who were allegedly involved in "international schemes." This alignment with the Turkish-Azerbaijani narrative is more than just provocative; directed at the "sacred martyrs" of the Genocide, such an accusation is a blasphemous sacrilege. To many, it reflects a mindset tantamount to treason, a calculated effort to appease the notorious duo. By signaling loyalty to Ankara and Baku on the eve of upcoming elections, Pashinyan appears to be leveraging a national tragedy for meager political dividends.
Rather than analyzing the history of the Genocide or delving into historical realities, Pashinyan seeks justifications for the abandonment of national interests. He does so on the very day we honor the memory of one and a half million innocent Armenian victims. This individual, who unfortunately stands at the helm of our state, serves the interests of others, Turks and Azerbaijanis. In this matter, he has no inhibitions; he has already removed the mask and erased the boundaries of decency. He acts openly and freely, without the slightest remorse. Responsible figures in the country openly declare that the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is no longer among the priorities of our foreign policy.
Today we are witnessing a very painful and unbelievable, almost surreal reality, where the leadership of Armenia are trying to justify those who carried out the Armenian Genocide, attempting to equate the victim with the executioner. This is a case where the victim develops sympathy for their executioner. This phenomenon is well known to psychologists and has entered science under the name “Stockholm syndrome.” There are many known examples where hostages begin to sympathize with their captors and, in some situations, even hinder law enforcement actions aimed at their own liberation.
The authorities suffering from Stockholm syndrome, such as ours, strongly condemn torchbearers who, as a sign of protest, burn Turkish or Azerbaijani flags, but remain silent when in Artsakh Azerbaijani scumbags systematically destroy ancient Armenian churches, monasteries, and khachkars (cross-stones)… “Nikol Pashinyan has labeled the burning of the Turkish flag by participants of the torchlight procession in Yerevan on the eve of the Genocide commemoration as clearly provocative and inciting tension,” state the daily media. Yet, the press would do well to ask Pashinyan: “Is the Turkish flag more valuable and important to you than our thousand-year-old spiritual, cultural, and historical heritage?”
Pashinyan himself remains silent about it. Instead, in his message to the people, he urges: “The greatest aspiration of our people has been realized: we have a state and we have peace. The state and peace are the only guarantee that an Armenian Genocide will not happen again. To achieve this historical goal, we must stop searching for a homeland outside the internationally recognized 29,743 square kilometers of our state. This territory is not small… today dozens of our settlements are empty and, in general, our state is underpopulated.”
Perhaps this is where the inquiry should truly begin: why are these settlements being emptied day by day under his watch? If that question were truly answered, many uncomfortable truths would come to light.
“Hayatsk Yerevanits” Journal