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ARMENIAN WOMEN'S NGO FACING EXPLOSION THREATS OVER GENDER EQUALITY LAW
10:38 27.08.13
The Women's Resource Center of Armenia has been facing explosion
threats since recent debates over the gender equality law that had
raised a big panic in wide circles of the society,
Speaking to Tert.am, the organization's director, Lara Aharonyan,
said there have been increasing threats in the social networks,
with several groups selecting women's NGOs as their specific targets.
Aharonyan attributes such an aggressive behavior to the society's
misunderstanding of their mission. She says most people think or have
been told that the organization is engaged in a gay propaganda, which
actually isn't true. She particularly referred to the Pan-Armenian
Parental Committee as a source of threats, adding that the center has
already turned to the police, unable to ignore the continuing threats.
"Let them explain why they are voicing threats against us. I cannot
do that instead of them," she said, "I guess they are spreading
disinformation in the society to distract popele of important affairs
and important concerns. They are creating a problem which doesn't
exist, as a matter of fact."
Aharaonyan was surprised to note that reports of the kind can be
pread by people who are not absolutely aware of the organization's
work. "Without clarifying how we work in practice and whether have
anything to do with the gender bill or have otherwise ever dealt with
it, they are trying to mix us with that," she said.
In further comments to Tert.am, a coordinator of the Pan-Armenian
Parental Committee, Arman Boshyan, said the Center's accusations
against them were absolutely incredible and unjustified.
"I don't know what comments were posted against the Center on the
Internet and who did that, but if they are attributed to us, why
don't [the authors] send the comments to us, without cutting them
from context so that we could have a look? If it has been a member
of the Parental Committee, we'll call that person to find out why he
or she has written such a thing," he said.
"The one who left the 'comment' is probably someone who has suffered
an insult. I can't say anything for sure because I personally did
not write anything as the committee's coordinator; neither did the
people who are in our team," Boshyan continued. "The Women's Resource
Center say there has been a threat of explosion. Why don't they make
the full 'dialogue' public? There is nothing of the kind, at least on
our website. All the 'comments' are moderated, with those expressing
an insult being deleted."
Boshyan said further that there is a Facebook group called No Gender,
which is not a committee, unlike their organization that has an office
headquarters and a Facebook page with 6,000 members. He explained in
the meantime that not any fan on Facebook can be considered a member
of the committee.
"But we do not want to take any step now until there are specific
measures. As for the Women's Resource Center, if they are that
confident we have made the threats, we can dispute that in court,"
Boshyan added.
Armenian News - Tert.am
10:38 27.08.13
The Women's Resource Center of Armenia has been facing explosion
threats since recent debates over the gender equality law that had
raised a big panic in wide circles of the society,
Speaking to Tert.am, the organization's director, Lara Aharonyan,
said there have been increasing threats in the social networks,
with several groups selecting women's NGOs as their specific targets.
Aharonyan attributes such an aggressive behavior to the society's
misunderstanding of their mission. She says most people think or have
been told that the organization is engaged in a gay propaganda, which
actually isn't true. She particularly referred to the Pan-Armenian
Parental Committee as a source of threats, adding that the center has
already turned to the police, unable to ignore the continuing threats.
"Let them explain why they are voicing threats against us. I cannot
do that instead of them," she said, "I guess they are spreading
disinformation in the society to distract popele of important affairs
and important concerns. They are creating a problem which doesn't
exist, as a matter of fact."
Aharaonyan was surprised to note that reports of the kind can be
pread by people who are not absolutely aware of the organization's
work. "Without clarifying how we work in practice and whether have
anything to do with the gender bill or have otherwise ever dealt with
it, they are trying to mix us with that," she said.
In further comments to Tert.am, a coordinator of the Pan-Armenian
Parental Committee, Arman Boshyan, said the Center's accusations
against them were absolutely incredible and unjustified.
"I don't know what comments were posted against the Center on the
Internet and who did that, but if they are attributed to us, why
don't [the authors] send the comments to us, without cutting them
from context so that we could have a look? If it has been a member
of the Parental Committee, we'll call that person to find out why he
or she has written such a thing," he said.
"The one who left the 'comment' is probably someone who has suffered
an insult. I can't say anything for sure because I personally did
not write anything as the committee's coordinator; neither did the
people who are in our team," Boshyan continued. "The Women's Resource
Center say there has been a threat of explosion. Why don't they make
the full 'dialogue' public? There is nothing of the kind, at least on
our website. All the 'comments' are moderated, with those expressing
an insult being deleted."
Boshyan said further that there is a Facebook group called No Gender,
which is not a committee, unlike their organization that has an office
headquarters and a Facebook page with 6,000 members. He explained in
the meantime that not any fan on Facebook can be considered a member
of the committee.
"But we do not want to take any step now until there are specific
measures. As for the Women's Resource Center, if they are that
confident we have made the threats, we can dispute that in court,"
Boshyan added.
Armenian News - Tert.am