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It& #39;s not hard for me to mesh my support for #Armenia in the #Nagornokarabakh conflict with being a western-raised and trained #Humanrights lawyer. The short answer is that I wish to stop #EthnicCleansing. The long answer is below. (1/14)
First, I reject that neutrality is the "proper" response. Neutrality is appropriate when one is ignorant. But choosing to remain in ignorance isn& #39;t praiseworthy. It is more intellectually honest to learn and draw a conclusion. (2/14)
This article shows how one can have a thoughtful "both sides" discussion instead of the thoughtless one we typically see from int& #39;l media and orgs. https://anthropology.utk.edu/the-violence-of-dispassionate-objectivity/">https://anthropology.utk.edu/the-viole... (3/14)
Second, I acknowledge that I& #39;m (half) Armenian. That doesn& #39;t mean I& #39;m inherently biased. International courts allow judges to judge their home country because people can be impartial even towards their own in-group. (4/14)
Now my main goal: I am first and foremost an advocate for #NKPeace. I want a Caucasus without violence. I want #Armenians and #Azerbaijanis to live like neighbors as they did for most of their history. This is my #1 goal (5/14)
To achieve #NKPeace, we will need real negotiations with concessions from both sides. Each side will need to acknowledge and atone for the legitimate grievances of the other (e.g. the #Sumgait pogrom or the #Khojaly massacre). (6/14)
As difficult as those peace negotiations will be, we& #39;re not even close to getting there due to inter-ethnic hate. Hate is what makes peaceful co-existence in #Nagornokarabakh currently impossible. (7/14)
And that& #39;s the crux with the current fighting. If peaceful co-existence is currently impossible, what would happen if #Azerbaijan wins the fighting? #Armenians will be forced out, one way or another, including the Armenians who have lived there for 1000s of years. (8/14)
To make my case of hate that makes co-existence impossible, I& #39;m focusing on the hate from #Azerbaijan. Note that I& #39;m _not_ trying to pretend there isn& #39;t hate on the Armenian side. It& #39;s also a deadly serious problem. It& #39;s just not relevant for this discussion. (9/14)
Exhibit A: Statements from officials. #Aliyev said in 2012 " #Armenia as a country is of no value. It is actually a colony, an outpost run from abroad, a territory artificially created on ancient Azerbaijani lands." Likewise, see attached (the high-water mark of hate). (10/14)
Exhibit B: Glorifying a murderer. To summarize: Ramil Safarov murdered a sleeping Armenian in Hungary. He was sentenced to prison but extradited to #Azerbaijan, where he was pardoned, promoted and made into a national hero. #Safarov& #39;s_welcome_in_Azerbaijan">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramil_Safarov #Safarov& #39;s_welcome_in_Azerbaijan">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rami... (11/14)
Exhibit C: Destruction of culture. #Julfa, #Nakhichevan (in #Azerbaijan) had an ancient Armenian graveyard full of over 1000 gravestones. Azeri soldiers pulverized them with hammers and dumped the gravel into the Arax river.
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/mar/01/monumental-loss-azerbaijan-cultural-genocide-khachkars">https://www.theguardian.com/artanddes... (12/14)
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/mar/01/monumental-loss-azerbaijan-cultural-genocide-khachkars">https://www.theguardian.com/artanddes... (12/14)
These examples illustrate an underlying level of hate, which would make life in #Nagornokarabakh/ #Artsakh unlivable for the ethnic Armenians who have lived there for generations. Deprivation and #EthnicCleansing would be exceedingly likely (but, IMO, not #genocide). (13/14)
If you agree, then you see why #Armenia cannot put down arms until #Azerbaijan stops attacking. I encourage you to donate to support #Armenia against two much wealthier nations. Before #NKPeace, we must remove the threat of #EthnicCleansing. https://www.himnadram.org/ ">https://www.himnadram.org/">... (end)
