The Arab Spring and the Armenian Winter
EDITORIAL | AUGUST 29, 2013 11:00 AM
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By Edmond Y. Azadian
The political turmoil artificially created in the Arab and Muslim world has
come to be named euphemistically as the Arab Spring, as if promising a
better future for the citizens of that region. Instead, political
instability, economic collapse and bloodbaths have come to be associated
with that spring.
As one observes carefully, that `spring’ visits certain specific countries,
while others are bypassed. And that selection is based on the political
orientation of the target country.
The avowed promise of the `spring’ is to bring democracy, human rights and
freedom to the nations subjected to the breeze of that gentle season. For
example, that `spring’ never visits a country like Saudi Arabia – a most
reactionary country where people’s limbs are chopped off based on
antiquated medieval laws and women not only rank as second-class citizens
but they are bought and sold much like cattle in marriage. In the same
category are Kuwait and the Emirates where the majority of foreign workers
are treated as slaves, while the ruling class enjoys obscene opulence.
These are the darling allies of the US and enjoy the political epithet of
`moderate,’ truth notwithstanding. But the main reason that the breeze of
that `spring’ does not blow in their direction is because they are never
perceived as a threat to our strategic ally, Israel. Thus, the rest of the
Arab and Muslim countries are entitled to benefit from that `spring.’
The Middle East correspondent of London’s Independent, Robert Fiske, has
pointed out the irony of the Arab Spring, where a medieval despotic kingdom
like Saudi Arabia is engaged in an open war to bring democracy to Syria,
the only Muslim-majority country where political Islam has no place, or at
least did not until hired mercenaries were sent to destabilize that strong,
progressive, and yes, authoritarian country. Saddam Hussein of Iraq was the
first victim of that policy concocted elsewhere in the West and exported to
the most stable countries.
This `democratization’ campaign begins with the docile media, ridiculed by
Mr. Fiske as the tentacles of their respective governments, be it the
demonization of the targeted government or a particular ruler until the
saturation point where poison and lies have convinced the public that that
particular demon deserves to be overthrown.
And then the international law becomes a caricature to justify the lawless
actions of the powerful.
All informed and participating agencies had certified that Iraq did not
possess weapons of mass destruction, yet the Bush-Cheney administration had
decided to topple Saddam Hussein and make the first Arab country to serve
as a political and military base for Israel Iraq (namely, in its current
semi-autonomous Kurdish region). After one million casualties in Iraq, and
4,500 deaths in the US army and 50,000-60,000 permanently injured veterans
to burden the US economy, the carnage is still continuing with the same
intensity in Iraq and the US economy still struggles to recover from
$3-trillion war damage. No one is questioning what happened to the
`democracy’ promised in Iraq. Only Saddam Hussein was sent to the gallows
and the perpetrators of the war are still enjoying life in their bunkers
and the Halliburtons of the world are reaping the booties of the war.
Syria is next on the chopping block. No one had raised a voice to bring
change in Syria – contrary to media fabrications. But the change was
introduced in Syria at the butt of guns by mercenaries who have wreaked
havoc. Despite coordinated aggression by Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and
Jordon, at the behest of the US president, Assad is still in power. The
last chance to destroy that country hinges on the Tomahawk cruise missiles
of the US Navy, amassing at this time in the eastern Mediterranean.
Another country to `benefit’ from the Arab Spring is Egypt, where a
transformation is in the offing as the military tries to tame the violent
Muslim Brotherhood.
All these countries had served as a haven to the survivors of the Armenian
Genocide. Armenian refugees flourished in these countries without
discrimination and built affluent communities.
Saddam Hussein protected the Iraqi-Armenian community. The churches, the
schools, cultural and youth centers thrived through the government’s
generosity. Making such public statements is anathema to the engineers of
war but they are only the truth. Today, those churches, schools and
businesses are the target of the vandals who were supposed to bring
democracy to Iraq.
As of this writing, the remnants of Aleppo’s affluent Armenian community
are under the protection of Assad’s government, who had treated the
Armenians as creative and privileged citizens of Syria. Should that
government fall, Armenians would be the first target of the Jihadists who
have put Aleppo under siege.
Glenn Beck – otherwise the most unsavory of political commentators –
circulated recently a graphic video and stated, `We are supporting
cannibals.’ At this moment those cannibals are at the doorsteps of each
Armenian still stranded in Aleppo.
The Syrian War has already spilled over into Lebanon where another affluent
and well-established Armenian community is affected.
Egypt was one of the safest countries in the Middle East, ironically, safer
than even the US. Not any more. Blood is flowing in the streets and
burglaries, kidnappings and rapes have destroyed the fabric of society.
Many Coptic churches have been burnt down. The attempt to burn St. Gregory
Armenian Church, on one of the main thoroughfares in Cairo, was not
successful, but that does not give comfort to the Armenian community, as
the Christians have become the unwanted minorities in the country, targeted
by the very same seekers of `democracy’ that the West supports. Many of
those freedom seekers, after the dust settles, show themselves to be
intransigent and hard-core fundamentalist Muslims that turn on their
Western sponsors.
The Arab Spring has only brought mayhem to the countries it has visited
thus far. There are no organized Armenian communities in Libya and Tunisia,
but those countries also have been destabilized, threatened with violence
and fragmented.
With the fall of the `Evil Empire,’ the balance of the world power was
destroyed and the Western countries have a free hand to `tame’ the rest of
the small nations by promising democracy and offering bloodbaths.
Thus far, the `Arab Spring’ has turned into the Arab nightmare. In the
process, Armenian communities are destroyed. A century after the Genocide
displaced Armenians once again are forced to join the ranks of the world
refugees, abandoning their ancestral homes and churches, as well as
prosperous businesses and affluent cultural life. The Arab Spring has
created an Armenian winter.
– See more at:
From: A. Papazian
http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2013/08/29/the-arab-spring-and-the-armenian-winter/#sthash.OVo8xkRp.dpuf