Tert.am reports about posters in Yerevan by ‘opposition’ turned ‘former’ ruling coalition member nationalist ARF Dashnaktsutyun party. They say that these posters have nothing to do with the upcoming mayoral elections in Yerevan, but rather a reflection of party’s position in relation to Armenia - Turkey rapprochement, with typical Dashnak-style slogans.
That’s not the bizarre bit. Dashnak posters are illustrated by famous Armenian faces from the field of arts, literature, sport etc. Guess who they posted there?
If some choices, like the actor Sos Sargsyan, raise no doubts, photos of the composer Tigran Mansuryan and chess player Levon Aronyan are misleading. Mansuryan never been known to be fan of Dashnaks, and chess player Levon Aronyan, when contacted by Tert.am, expressed his displeasure of using his photo without his permission or prior knowledge. Tert.am tried to find out – unsuccessfully! - from the party itself, whether they obtained the consent of the people depicted on the posters, or whether those very people support(ed) Dashnaktsutyun ideology?
The most hilarious examples are not the above ones. Among others on Dashnak posters are… Parajanov, Charents, Hrant Dink… (!!)
Parajanov who belongs not only to Armenian culture, but also Georgian, Ukrainian, and reflected Azerbaijani culture in his works too. Not quite the nationalist figure Dashnaks would like to portrait. In fact, as far from it, as one can get...
Charents who was in a complete opposite to Dashnaks camp, and who infamously wrote anti-Dashnak poems…
Hrant Dink who was a champion of Armenia-Turkey reconciliation…
Is this the way Dashnaks trying to re-assert their newly declared ‘opposition party’ credentials? Based on lies? As Tert.am rightly points out, this is a totally failed attempt by the party, to put it mildly.
*poster - via Tert.am
That’s not the bizarre bit. Dashnak posters are illustrated by famous Armenian faces from the field of arts, literature, sport etc. Guess who they posted there?
If some choices, like the actor Sos Sargsyan, raise no doubts, photos of the composer Tigran Mansuryan and chess player Levon Aronyan are misleading. Mansuryan never been known to be fan of Dashnaks, and chess player Levon Aronyan, when contacted by Tert.am, expressed his displeasure of using his photo without his permission or prior knowledge. Tert.am tried to find out – unsuccessfully! - from the party itself, whether they obtained the consent of the people depicted on the posters, or whether those very people support(ed) Dashnaktsutyun ideology?
The most hilarious examples are not the above ones. Among others on Dashnak posters are… Parajanov, Charents, Hrant Dink… (!!)
Parajanov who belongs not only to Armenian culture, but also Georgian, Ukrainian, and reflected Azerbaijani culture in his works too. Not quite the nationalist figure Dashnaks would like to portrait. In fact, as far from it, as one can get...
Charents who was in a complete opposite to Dashnaks camp, and who infamously wrote anti-Dashnak poems…
Hrant Dink who was a champion of Armenia-Turkey reconciliation…
Is this the way Dashnaks trying to re-assert their newly declared ‘opposition party’ credentials? Based on lies? As Tert.am rightly points out, this is a totally failed attempt by the party, to put it mildly.
*poster - via Tert.am
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9 comments:
Funny you made this post today. Was just out in my neighborhood and saw the posters (so I guess they're relatively new) and thought the same thing.
While Dink was alive, they were openly critical (and not always in the nicest way) of him, but now they use him as their martyr.
Thanks for posting this. All of it is typical MO for the ARF.
BTW: Notice how the photos are arranged in a blocky triangle shape? Um, like a certain unrecognized republic, actually.
Probably another coincidence, I'm sure. Well, I was actually thinking they were trying to campaign until I saw this on the walls near my apartment. Oh well.
The photo blocks also bear a distinct resemblance to a photo montage that the ANC is using for its supporters and members, as well as another depicting the political prisoners. I still think that my depiction is more representative of the Dashnak's true interests, and since the largest element on their poster is identical, I guess they agree as well: http://twitpic.com/5jytm
It looks like a bunch of haphzardly generated slogans poorly slapped together with a montage of jpg files they could find on Google.
But it may work on the audience they are targeting.
when dashanktsutyun sheds blood for Armenia, organizes fund raisers, works night and day for hay dat, they do so for all Armenians and all of Armenia. That includes gays, half armeians, quarter armenians, wannabe armenians, and everyone else who lives in Armenia or is a member of the Armenian diaspora.
One of the slogans on the ARF posters reads, Hayastane ver e amen inchits! -- Armenia is above everything! that's what you get when you mix nationalism with socialism
our honest and principled dashnak patriots should have provided a German translation. Armenien uber alles sounds more inspiring
Apren dashnaknere!!!
Tigran
"when dashanktsutyun sheds blood for Armenia, organizes fund raisers, works night and day for hay dat, they do so for all Armenians and all of Armenia"
True. I'm still waiting for the day for any of the above to happen.
They shed little to no blood during the war.
They organize fundraisers for themselves.
They identify "hay dat" as a reigning principle, to the exclusion of others and the detriment of the Armenian Nation.
A tally of Diasporan Armenians who fought in the war was barely at 12 or 14 by 1994 or so.
And during the war, money that was raised in the name of the war and freedom and independence, went to the pockets of a few individuals.
NK soldiers were told, swear to the ARF, and you will get you supplies. Those who did not swear allegiance had their frozen feet wrapped in rags while the ARF-supported fighters in the same regiment were given supplies.
So, dear Anonymous, I am waiting for the day that the ARF fights a fight for Armenia, and not for itself.
They should have worked one statement less toward "hay dat" and one statement more for Armenia and Armenians in March, 2008. One statement condemning the actions of a brutal government, responsible the deaths of its own citizens. But they joined it instead.
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