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'ARF has No Phobias,' Says ARF Bureau Member

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  • 'ARF has No Phobias,' Says ARF Bureau Member

    'ARF HAS NO PHOBIAS,' SAYS ARF BUREAU MEMBER

    asbarez
    Friday, May 18th, 2012

    ARF Bureau member Vahan Hovannesian

    YEREVAN-After condemning the fire bomb attack at a local club last
    week, Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau member and chairman
    of the party's parliamentary bloc Vahan Hovannesian said that the
    "ARF has no phobias," referring to the attack, which was motivated
    by homophobia.

    The ARF leader explained that discrimination based on race, religion,
    nationality or sexual orientation has always been a contentious issue.

    "It is the ARF contention curtailing the rights of civilized people
    or using force against them is unacceptable."

    "The ARF has always fought against oppression of free will, because
    oppression of free will or discrimination against any individual
    endangers the civil harmony and opens the door to external enemies,"
    said Hovannesian.

    The ARF leader forcefully condemned efforts to politicize the
    situation, saying that elements that are pointing the blame on the
    party are misguided and are using this incident to further inflame
    the situation.

    ARF Political Affairs Director Giro Manoyan ARF Political Affairs
    Director Giro Manoyan also echoed the strong condemnation of the
    incident and decried efforts to politicize the situation.

    In his blog, Manoyan called on all "national, social, democratic,
    revolutionary and all forces to collectively fight for the Armenian
    nation's political, economic social and cultural interests with the
    aim of resolving the Armenian Cause-Hai Tahd."

    "The perpetrators of this crime must be punished within the letter
    and spirit of Armenian law. If today their target is the LGBT
    society, tomorrow it can be anyone else," said veteran activist
    and Vice-President of Socialist International Maria Titizian on her
    Facebook page.

    "Sadly, there is much intolerance in Armenian society, not only
    toward the homosexual community, but towards anyone or any group who
    deign to hold views that are not widely accepted. I hope that in the
    coming weeks and months this discourse can move away from its obvious
    politicization and manifest itself in an honest, open and candid
    dialogue about the kind of society we want to have, a society where
    there is respect, tolerance and mutual acceptance," explained Titizian.

    Maria Titizian "As a long-standing member of the ARF and Vice President
    of Socialist International, I say with the utmost responsibility that,
    contrary to the media spin, this is NOT the position of the party that
    for 122 years has advocated for freedom, justice and equality. Every
    human being has the inalienable right to live their life as they
    see fit, without fear or recrimination or alienation from society,"
    added Titizian.

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