ARPA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SHOWS WARMONGERING AND BIASED FILM ON SYRIA
BY STAFF
– POSTED ON OCTOBER 6, 2013POSTED IN: APPO JABARIAN
By Appo Jabarian
Executive Publisher / Managing Editor
USA Armenian Life Magazine
October 7, 2013
This year’s Arpa For Film Music and Arts (AFFMA) annual festival would
have been another success had the communitywide anger not been ignited
because of an 11thhour showing of a misleading and warmongering film
on Syria.
Early last week dozens of community activists were shocked and alarmed
by the fact that a one-sided film was going to be shown. Literally,
they took it to the internet and inundated various social media
outlets and personal inboxes expressing their categorical opposition
to showing the politically misleading film.
In order to be better informed I watched it online and I understood
why several independent activists were deeply troubled.
To unsuspecting viewers, the film may seem an innocent-looking
documentary depicting the ordeal of the Syrian people supposedly
“suffering under the yoke of” current Syrian regime. But well-informed
viewers may be insulted knowing full well that the current inhumane
state of affairs in Syria is the result of invasion by thousands of
well-armed Muslim extremist terrorists entering Syria illegally by
way of Turkey and other countries, and spreading death and destruction.
These terrorist elements quickly populated the ranks of the Syrian
rebels. At one point, when Syrian rebels themselves realized that
foreign-born Al-Qaeda-backed Muslim allies resorted to countless
systematic massacres and other atrocities against defenseless innocent
civilians, they began rejoining all-volunteer Syrian nationalist
forces defending their country against foreign intrusion.
Arpa realizing its grave mistake in deciding to show a misguiding
documentary on the Syria Crisis initially promised to cancel its
showing; and to rescind the Armin T. Wagner Award that was initially
planned to be presented to filmmaker Mr. Mathew Van Dyke.
However for some reasons, breaking their earlier written promise not
to show, ARPA officials reinstated the showing of the film in the
eleventh hour.
On the day of the showing, I chose to join the protesters outside.
Arpa had initially promised to cancel the film screening but within
24-36 hours it turned around and showed it.
Had the organizers know in advance of Arpa’s eventual decision to
show the film they could have secured even a much bigger turnout.
Regardless, the protesters condemning the film held rallies both
on Saturday and Sunday. On the first day of the protest they faced
off with “opposition” sympathizers also holding a rally supporting
the film.
The “opposition” sympathizers were yelling “Down with Al-Assad.” While
the protesters responded: “Down with Al-Qaeda; Shame on Al-Qaeda for
killing innocent Christians, moderate Muslims and Christian Armenians;
Shame on Arpa for showing a one-sided, warmongering film” indirectly
supportive of Al-Qaeda in Syria.
The next day, “opposition” sympathizers failed to show up. The
anti-war protesters condemned Arpa for presenting Mr. Van Dyke with
the “Silver Lens” award for his propaganda film.
I wonder, as Americans, how we would have responded if a documentary
film is shown in a foreign film festival in a third country propagating
widespread death and destruction in America under the pretext of
supporting a struggle for the legalization of illicit drugs.
Interestingly, at the same time as Arpa was showing the warmongering
film, Turkey was getting ready to propose a resolution in the
Turkish Parliament calling for Turkish armed invasion of Syria for
an 11-month-long military operation.
According to an Oct. 2 news article in Hurriyet, a Turkish daily,”the
need for the motion was described as arising from the use of chemical
weapons by the Syrian regime on its people, referring to an attack
conducted by the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Aug. 21
in Damascus that killed more than 1,400 Syrian citizens.”
According to a Sep 24 news account by Press TV, “Al-Qaeda-linked
militants in Syria have destroyed several Jewish mausoleums in the
historical town of Tadouf in the northern city of Aleppo. Militants
reportedly demolished a number of the most ancient Jewish mausoleums
in the town. Foreign-backed militants have so far destroyed many
religious sites in Syria since the unrest began in 2011. Earlier this
month, members of the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front attacked the
historical Christian village of Ma’loula near the capital, Damascus,
and destroyed parts of it, before Syrian security forces arrived to
repel them.”
As of press time Wednesday, Mr. Alex Kalognomos of AFFMA declined to
grant my email request to present the readers of USA Armenian Life
with a brief response on his behalf as the manager of the festival.
In an email to fellow activists, attorney Angela Barseghian wrote:
“Let me tell you how disappointed I am, and ashamed to discover that
ARPA has NO MORAL DISCRETION to honor, the plea of our countrymen,
who are seeking PEACE in Syria, and a peaceful resolution to the
internal Syrian political issues. Your film glorifies violence and
war and justifies all the barbaric tactics to achieve a political
purpose. All countries have similar or other political issues,
however, it is normal course of business to forbid foreign forces,
paid mercenaries to venture into other people’s countries, destroy
everything in sight, including but not limited to massacre masses
who have lived peacefully and struggled for their rights through
democratic means. This film glorifies barbaric means which is not
a respectable course for any human; ARPA should not glorify trashy,
propaganda films you find worthy of people’s discretion. I will not
be surprised to see a film ARPA glorify, where the a denialist of
Armenian Genocide is presented with awards, where the film depicts
total fallacy and fraud regarding my history….You have done just
that, which is garbage , called a documentary, regarding Syria. Now,
your organization has disclosed the true low class, no morals, no
ethics, no ideals, no vision for what the purpose of your organization
stands for. The people will react to your garbage with rejection. I
reject your organization. I reject what you have demonstrated as
insensitive, degrading, defamatory and deplorable propaganda. If
the truth of the matter you glorify is NOT important to ARPA, I was
hoping that at least, such ideals for ARPA to reject propaganda for
war would be rejected. I am exercising my freedom of speech, unlike
ARPA, to discredit war mongering frauds, and discredit ARPA.”
As a beneficiary of a functioning democracy in these great United
States, I am in favor of encouraging all the countries of the world to
consider adopting democracy. However, we should let each country decide
its destiny. I would not want my government – and for that matter any
government, to interfere militarily in the affairs of other sovereign
states and instigate armed rebellion along with injecting tens of
thousands of Muslim extremist terrorists coming from over 80 countries,
triggering all kinds of atrocities and war crimes including usage of
internationally-banned chemical weapons – all in the name of democracy!
Worst yet- Why destroy a somewhat functioning secular – albeit
undemocratic government in Syria and facilitate its replacement with
a puppet regime that can be subservient to the western oil interests
under the veil of an even more dictatorial extremist Islamic government
similar to the now-dethroned Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt?
To be fair to Arpa For Films Music and Arts (AFFMA), it has done so
many wonderful things in service of the film industry and Armenian
American artists as a whole. Years ago, when I was invited to join
AFFMA as a board member I accepted wholeheartedly. I passionately
believed in its stated mission “to cultivate cultural understanding
and global empathy, creating a dynamic forum for international cinema
with a special focus on the work of filmmakers who explore the issues
of Diaspora, exile and multi-culturalism. A strong emphasis is placed
on ideals of independent thought, artistic vision, cultural diversity
and social understanding.”
Year after year, like many others, I presented the organization with my
modest share of support. However, when the showing of the scandalous
documentary film “Not Anymore: A story of a Revolution” occurred I
could no longer see myself as being a part of such an organization
that has chosen to deviate from its original mission. By showing the
highly biased film, Arpa inseminated the opposite of what it was set
out to accomplish. Instead of “cultivating cultural understanding and
global empathy,” it disseminated so much hatred and misunderstanding
among the diverse Los Angeles communities.
I am appreciative that ARPA showed “Orphans of the Genocide,”
documentary. However, I decline to remain silent on the showing of
a grossly unfair and misleading documentary; and on presenting its
biased filmmaker with an award.
Because of the fact that AFFMA has deviated from its original mission,
and as long as it continues to do so, I cannot continue to associate
myself with the organization. The concerns expressed in this article
serve as ample justification for me to hereby present my resignation
from the Board of Arpa For Films Music and Arts (AFFMA).
Warmongering can be deadly to our global community of nations.
http://www.armenianlife.com/2013/10/06/arpa-international-film-festival-shows-warmongering-and-biased-film-on-syria/