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  • We Are a Weak Nation, but...

    We Are a Weak Nation, but...

    By Apo Sahagian on January 5, 2015
    Special for the Armenian Weekly


    Earlier last month, the serving Israeli president, a longtime
    supporter of genocide recognition, refused to sign a petition calling
    on the Israeli government to recognize the genocide. At the same time,
    a renowned Palestinian cultural center in Ramallah flaunted an absurd
    excuse and canceled the screening of "The Cut" (a film on the
    genocide). Two nations took time off from their conflict to embarrass
    the Armenians, in clear favor to Turkey. You realize we are a weak
    nation.

    President Sarkisian signing documents of accession to the Eurasian
    Economic Union (EEU) on Oct. 10, 2014.

    When imperialists in the Kremlin chew on your republic's sovereignty
    with the Eurasian Economic Union, and the patronizing bureaucrats in
    Brussels don't even hint of wanting you in their club after you turn
    your back on the EU Association Agreement, you realize we are a weak
    nation.

    When the corpses of three Armenian soldiers are left in a supposed "no
    man's land" for ten days, and Azerbaijan--a country once weaker than
    Armenia--makes sure you don't recover those bodies for ten days, you
    realize we are a weak nation.

    When a single Tweet from Kim Kardashian is your most effective way to
    raise genocide awareness and your best line of defense against the
    loaded Turkish lobby, you realize we are a weak nation.

    When residents of Gyumri still wait for decent permanent homes to be
    built 26 years after the Spitak earthquake, you realize we are a weak
    nation.

    When residents in Tavush have to wait another six months for the
    government to complete a highway away from the vision of Azerbaijani
    snipers across the borders (who apparently take pleasure in ruining
    the livelihood of the people of Tavush), you realize we are a weak
    nation.

    When students in some villages have to stay home during winter since
    schools there don't have the adequate facilities for the season, you
    realize we are a weak nation.

    When declarations from diasporans to return to the homeland turn out
    to be empty words and only a means to sustain an existence of eternal
    wandering, you realize we are a weak nation.

    When folks in Armenia constantly look for an escape from the country,
    you realize we are a weak nation.

    When the Armenian language becomes distorted with foreign words, you
    realize we are a weak nation.

    When the Armenian gay community is hounded for their private
    lifestyle, and no one takes into consideration that they are
    infinitely more patriotic than the straight person chasing them, you
    realize we are a weak nation.

    When the government in Armenia is hijacked by oligarchs and cannot
    serve as a platform for rule of law, you realize we are a weak nation.

    When all of our national myths and histories of bravery and courtesy
    seem to be so distant and unreachable in our present, you realize we
    are a weak nation.

    Because we put ourselves on a high pedestal and lied to ourselves that
    we are somehow on top of it. But that pedestal is false. We are
    somewhere much lower than where we want to be.

    We are a weak nation, but we are a stubborn one--and that is our strength.

    No matter how many chunks of our sovereignty Russia bites off and how
    condescending Europe acts, we hang on to our independence in any and
    every way possible. Because it is our republic. Sure, it is not the
    best one out there, but it is ours. That is enough to stubbornly fight
    for it.

    Above: Major Sergey Sahakyan (L), Lieutenant Azat Sahakyan, and Senior
    Lieutenant Sargis Nazaryan. Below: A scene from the funeral service of
    the three servicemen

    Azerbaijan tried to stop us from reaching the three corpses of the
    Armenian soldiers for nearly ten days, but stubbornly, a commando unit
    recovered the bodies of Major Sergey Sahakyan, Senior Lieutenant
    Sargis Nazaryan, and Lieutenant Azat Sahakyan out of respect to their
    families and the unity of a nation with values.

    Say what you may about Kim Kardashian, but for one day on April 24, we
    secretly thank her for that Tweet that conveys to millions the truth
    about the genocide. Because while our committees are stubbornly
    fighting the good fight against the Turkish lobby, ammo under any name
    is welcome. Even if it's Dan Bilzerian.

    Twenty-six years on and residents of Gyumri remain in their city,
    despite the failures of the government to take them out of temporary
    shelters and put them in permanent homes. Stubbornly, they wait for an
    unfulfilled obligation by the state, because "doon degh" is an
    eventuality that will happen come hell or high water. No earthquake or
    government dysfunction will make them abandon their city.

    The people of Tavush, aware of the attacks from Azerbaijani snipers,
    aren't deterred from using their exposed highway. Stubbornly life goes
    on, because the strength of a society is more important than the fear
    of an enemy.

    Despite some village schools not having adequate facilities for
    semesters in winter, students stubbornly sacrifice their summer break
    to earn their deserved education. Please check out Teach for Armenia
    (by visiting http://teachforarmenia.org).

    Even if the diaspora is not "returning" to the homeland and is fine
    with its eternal vagabond existence, at least it is a far more
    structured, organized, and stubbornly determined diaspora than the
    others I have come across. It will be an organized eternal wander of
    vagabonds.

    Although there will be those who will leave, for many Armenia is where
    they were born and it is where they will stay. They have stayed to
    overcome the economic and political hardships. They stubbornly
    struggle to achieve their inalienable right to have a government
    worthy of the people.

    Despite the abundance of grammar mistakes or use of foreign words, we
    still speak the language and occasionally impose it on our
    non-Armenian friends. Stubbornly, we make sure that the connection of
    a people and their language is kept regardless of how thin and twisted
    the thread has become.

    Insulting the orientation of the gay Armenian community has thankfully
    not distanced them from their heritage. Surely, they have been
    isolated from particular individuals and circles, but the intensity of
    the prejudice practiced against them has not diminished the intensity
    of their stubborn love to their nation.

    Despite the oligarchs turning rule of law into mockery, somehow the
    citizens of the republic have fought to achieve victories for justice
    and rule of law, with the latest statistics from Freedom House showing
    Armenia to be Free.

    Free, stubbornly free. And therein lies our strength.

    Under the ruins of our history, faults, lies, denials, corruption,
    difficulties, hardships, and losses, there still shines a light
    through the cracks. It will shine for many years to come, maybe dimmer
    or brighter, but it will shine. And along the road on which the light
    shines, we are all persistently there.

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