Tashnag, Armenians, and the Elections

[NExtLeb]

Hi all,

I am not Armenian, so I did not understand the earlier thread in armenian, however, I am concerned about the issue, just because of what I heard from Nayla, Azzi, Zahra.. and read in NOWLebanon, all of them suggest another round of racism and accusations.

Examples:
"Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra assailed on Wednesday the Tashnag Armenian party, claiming that it behaves as a "colony" in Lebanon, not as a "nation of pure origin."

Nayla said yesterday that Armenians betrayed her Michel Murr... while Azzi said that Aoun won in Metn and Keserwan (yes Keserwan) b/c of Armenian vote.

Behsara Charbel wrote severely (as usual for anything/anyone that is against Hariri mafia), suggesting that Armenians should have followed what Patriarch has said. Just as if whatever this Sfeir says it should be abided by, denying people any sense of self judgement and opinion. "يدين قادة الطاشناق باعتذارٍ إلى الأرمن أولاً ثم إلى اللبنانيين عموماً وإلى المسيحيين خصوصاً، إذ بدل ان يعوضوا خطأ التصويت ضد الرئيس الجميل عقب اغتيال نجله بيار قاموا، وبهدف تكرار السيناريو، باستقدام الآلاف المؤلفة من الخارج ضدّ خط البطريرك صفير والبطريرك هزيم ومشروع بناء الدولة الذي تتشارك فيه "14 آذار" مع رئاسة الجمهورية، ولم يفكروا بأنّ سلوكهم هذا يضع أهلهم مجدداً على خصامٍ مع مجتمعٍ له توجه تاريخي ثابت ويلتقي اليوم مع شركاء أساسيين في لبنان ومع الاعتدال العربي والمجتمع الدولي على ضرورة إلغاء "الساحة" وتأمين شروط قيام الدولة. فلا يحقّ بالتالي للأرمن، الذين كانوا دائماً مع هذا الاتجاه المبدئي قبل ان ينضموا الى مسيرة الاصطفاف، إفشال المشروع والتسبب بتغيير وجه لبنان لمجرّد انّ حزب الطاشناق الشمولي يتحكم بإرادة محازبيه ويبني حساباتٍ تتجاوز مصلحة وطنهم المضياف لبنان.
"
Melhem Ryashi as well wrote the same, though less 'eloquently". وإذا كانت قيادة حزب الطاشناق تحتاج الى مرحلة مراجعة طبيعية لخياراتها، علّها توفّق بين المصلحة على اختلافها من جهة، وبين التوجه الاستراتيجي وتداعياته على الطائفة الارمينية المسيحية المستقيمة الرأي، وبالاخص بعد نداء بطريرك المشرق وانطاكية نصرالله صفير عشية الانتخابات، فالاولى كذلك أن يراجع الجميع حساباتهم، لانها المرة الاولى التي ينتصر فيها ميشال المرّ من دون اصوات الارمن- الطاشناق، ويرقّم الى حدود المفاجأة، وبأصوات نظيفة، ولانها المرة الاولى التي يولد فيها زعيم جديد شاب انجبه أبناء المتن الشمالي، وبأصوات نظيفة، بعد مخاض الدم النازف طهارةً وشهادة.


Tashnag made a statement yesterday suggesting (at least how I understood it) a new way? the tone towards electoral breaches was very soft, and no mentioning of elections alliances whatsoever. Only mentioning كتلة النواب الارمن !!!! They did not mention if they will be part of R&C bloc.

وشدد على "ضرورة طي صفحة الانتخابات والخروج من الاصطفاف السياسي المتشنج وفتح صفحة جديدة من العلاقات والمقاربات، تهدف الى تقوية الممارسة الديموقراطية النابعة من خصوصيات النسيج اللبناني والالتفاف حول المؤسسات الشرعية وعلى رأسها رئاسة الجمهورية المتمثلة بفخامة رئيس الجمهورية رمز الوحدة الوطنية والمؤتمن على الدستور".

وختم البيان مؤكدا "أن النائبين أغوب بقرادونيان وارتيور نظريان سيشكلان نواة كتلة النواب الارمن، التي سيلتف حولها المجلس السياسي لكتلة النواب الارمن المؤلف من النواب والوزراء الارمن السابقين والذي سيدعم مواقف كتلة النواب الارمن وسيعمل على الدفاع عن حقوق الطائفة الارمنية وضمان تمثيلها الصحيح، بهدف اعطاء الحياة السياسية الارمنية زخما جديدا".

I totally understand Tashnaq historical views, and the need to stay in the middle. But when seeing the results for them specifcally, (Beirut 1 and Zahle), they are free to rethink their strategy.

However, I think they need to address some other issues in these articles and statements by some racist (unsurprisingly) people. They should reply to these accusations, and reinstate their FREE political choice. I mean all arguments made in these articles are ********, and only suggest that Tashnaq was errenous in alienating Patriarch or President. Tashnaq needs to address those accusations, and state clearly what they were offered by Hariri. The NYTimes article was clear, but not all people do read the NYT, or they may just chose to ignore that, and making false assumptions in people's minds. Yes the Tashnag should be name calling and CLEAR AND DIRECT, for once at least.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, ALL WHAT IS BEING SAID ABOUT ARMENIANS NOW, IS JUST REITERATING SOME STERYOTYPES AND RACIST ATTITUDES: THE EASIEST WAY TO SHAPE PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES FOR PEOPLE (70% OF LEBANESE) WHO ALREADY HAVE FUNDAMENTAL RACIST APPROACH TO ANYTHING DIFFERENT, STARTING FROM OTHER LEBANESE SECTS, AND NOT LIMITED TO OTHER ETHNICITIES.

Regars,

[Sniper®]

in fast reading to the elections results, i wanna say thank you a big thank you for our allies tashnag
brothers and sisters (tashnagers) you would have a bloc of 5 to 6 Mps if you had allied with FM, but you decided to be loyal first to your country Lebanon and to your allies FPM

thank you again

[Diabolo_7]

angry arab Anti-Armenian bigotry in the deformed homeland March 14 has been built on bigotry and racism from its very inception. It should not be surprising: it is an ultra-nationalist, chauvinist ideology which was inaugurated with attacks on poor Syrian workers in Lebanon--and only after the withdrawal of Syrian troops in Lebanon. Now, the March 14 media and politicians are continuing what they unleashed in the last by-election of Matn from last year: when they blamed the Armenians and blatantly (by Amin Gemayyel among others) referred to them with pejorative terms, like "tari'in" (parasites or outsiders or temporaries). This right-wing writer in NowHariri website (which steals material without attribution including from this website), refers to non-Armenian votes as "clean votes." And this right-wing (former militia man) MP of the Lebanese Forces (who used to claim that he has a BA from a university in the US that does not exist--he later amended the claim), Antoine Zahra refers to more than 90% of Armenians in Lebanon (who support Tashnag) as "a colony in Lebanon." Weclome to the Cedar Revolution.

[Auouniyi bi Amerca]

That's ok! we are used to this. everytime after the elections we hear a lot of dirty and racist speaches about the armenians... and few months later they go "metel el toutou" to Burj Hammoud and apologize from the tashnag leaders... so don't worry tamsa7na :)

[kmarthe]

A tribute to every Lebanese Armenian !! You not only have 27 deputies to represent you, but you have the gratitude of our whole community for supporting us against the corrupted politicians, the cheap bishops and the whole world. Hopefully in 2013 we'll manage to make our dream a reality.

[generaltsunami]

A BIG THANK YOU TO TASHNAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for your had work thank you for your trust and mostly..thank you for your support!!!

Together we stand, divided we fall!!

[Placebo]

A big thank you to Tashnag. i have the feeling that we Failed them in Zahle and in Beirut 1! I am really sorry.

[elador]

FPM and Tashnag are the same, they refuse to bargain and to compromise. unlike LF and kataeb who managed to beg for their seats (chouf, Aley, Tripoli) they decided to fight for it w rason marfou3

[dyyyy]

well i respect tachnag's loyalty to the opposition and we couldn't have come here without them, but to be frank i am a little afraid.
everyone knows that 14 M will do anything to marginalise aoun, and tachnag is the key, if we loose our alliance with tachnag, we loose too much,
so i think 14 M will do anything to get tachnag by their camp,
so my question to tachnag, what could be a major reason for you to switch camps?

[Asiatique]

Our brothers and sisters in the Armenian community were trying to regain what was theirs: full representation for what they want as citizens of Lebanon. They worked hard, Tashnag worked hard, and all the opposition worked hard to produce real representation for them. We all failed but again, we tried and it is so much better to try and fail rather not try at all.

At the end, we are all Tashnag!