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EVOKING THE "H" WORD
Right Side News
June 10 2013
Published on Monday, 10 June 2013 06:56 Written by Norma Zager
Recent issues between Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders have given
rise to what has now become a familiar process of evoking the "H"
word to demonize those with whom we do not agree.
In a recent complaint to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
(AIPAC), The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has taken
the process even further by enhancing their use of the "H" word
against Azerbaijani Ambassador to the United States Elin Suleymanov,
a noted advocate of his nation's close relationship with both Israel
and the Jewish people.
ANCA's strongly worded complaint, asks AIPAC to "reevaluate the moral
and practical dimensions of your organization's association with
Azerbaijan's war-mongering President, Ilham Aliyev, a dictator who,
echoing the venomous Holocaust-era rants of Adolf Hitler against
Jews, has announced openly that, 'all the Armenians of the world'
are his enemies." Interestingly, Aliyev, of course, never said that
but rather stated that the Armenian lobby is Azerbaijan's enemy. Not
surprisingly, given the leading Armenian-American groups' strongly
negative views on Azerbaijan.
In the game of who can be whose friend, those engaged in world
politics excel. Allies are as important as life to countries that
possess little power or any way to obtain it and must rely on the
superpowers to do their bidding.
What has this to do with Israel, Armenian-American community and
Armenia and evoking the "H" word?
Everything.
No amount of denial or passage of years will diminish the evil of
Hitler. It has taken on the nature of using the word Kleenex for
tissue, as a metaphor for anyone worth attacking.
There can be no greater insult or disparagement than accusing one
of any similarity to the greatest evil of the twentieth century,
perhaps ever in human history.
Because Israel is still a vulnerable nation, much despised and maligned
in the world, branding her allies as Hitler speaks volumes.
Perhaps the Armenian-American community and Armenia might have better
rethought such an accusation against one of Israel's closest and
staunchest allies and a society that is regularly praised for its
inclusiveness and tolerance.
In the case of Armenia and Azerbaijan, both share peaceful
relationships with Israel. While Armenia seeks Israel's support and
brotherhood in their attempt to equate what is termed "Armenian
Genocide" with the Holocaust, Azerbaijan and Israel enjoy close
bi-lateral relations in the arenas of diplomacy, politics, security,
military and business amongst many others.
Azerbaijan's brave support for Israel has created numerous problems
with Iran's leaders, who through threats, pressure and whatever
means available seeks to destroy that alliance for good. Azerbaijan
has established itself as one of Israel's leading allies and trade
partners and is a beacon of hope that a Jewish nation and Muslim
nation can share a peaceful and highly beneficial relationship.
Thus far Iran has been unsuccessful in destroying that hope.
The Armenian battle with the Azerbaijanis has obviously reached a
point of international ally selection. "Are you with us or against us"
seems to be the question at hand, and how better to enlist support
from the Jewish nation and Jewish organizations than to cast the
ultimate aspersion on the Azerbaijanis? However Armenia's allegations
seem insincere when one considers that Jews live quite peacefully and
accepted in Azerbaijani society and always have. Jews are elected and
serve in parliament and hold other high-level governmental positions.
Jews in Azerbaijan are business leaders, academics, scientists and
community leaders.
Azerbaijani society is structured in a way that it really doesn't
matter who one is. Azerbaijan is home to many ethnicities and religions
and has a tradition of pluralism, while Armenia is monolithically
Armenian and Armenian Orthodox.
Is evoking the "H" word a successful tactic to employ against one of
Israel's truest allies?
Can Armenia hope to achieve their goal by throwing the name of Jewish
pain in AIPAC'S, Israel's and the American Jewish community's faces?
While once it may have been the supreme insult to compare anyone to
the horror that was Hitler, strangely this approach has been mitigated
by distaste for those who opt to do so.
Reminding the Jewish people of Hitler, now, has the effect of
marginalizing and victimizing them as a nation.
In some way it is an attempt to use the death of six million to garner
favor in Jewish eyes and the Armenian-American community and Armenia
should be ashamed.
Comparing the Azerbaijani president, who has welcomed Jewish leader
after Jewish leader from around the globe and is accused by the Mullahs
in Iran of being a puppet of Israel, to Hilter tells AIPAC; the only
way one can explain how horrible this man is to open your old wounds.
Does anyone believe Jewish people, or the world for that matter,
is incapable of understanding the nature of evil or alleged misdeeds
without a direct reference to their greatest pain? Do Jewish people
have no ability to grasp the nature of wrongdoing on any other level
aside from the Holocaust?
I believe they do.
Perhaps it is the fact that Israel and Azerbaijan share a close
relationship that the Armenian-American community and Armenia believe
it is necessary to pull no punches in their attempts to cut a wedge
between them.
If this is their strategy, they have seriously overplayed their hand.
It is way past the time we saved the "H" word for those who deserve
the comparison. To use it anytime we wish to malign another minimizes
its effect and therefore the deed.
Mainstreaming it as just another curse word is an insult to both
those who died at the hands of Hitler and fighting his great evil.
The Armenian-American community and Armenia's attacks or supposed
grievances should be measured and relevant to garner an ear from
other nations.
It is way past the time to save the name of Hilter for those who
truly deserve the comparison and, sadly, in today's world there are
far too many who do.
Zager is a freelance journalist and columnist who teaches at California
State University, Los Angeles. In addition to receiving the honors of
Los Angeles Journalist of the Year and Best Investigative Reporter by
the Los Angeles Press Club, the Wall Street Journal and the Columbia
Journalism Review applauded her work on the Brockovich case. Zager
is also the author of numerous books
http://www.rightsidenews.com/2013061032682/editorial/us-opinion-and-editorial/evoking-the-h-word.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Right Side News
June 10 2013
Published on Monday, 10 June 2013 06:56 Written by Norma Zager
Recent issues between Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders have given
rise to what has now become a familiar process of evoking the "H"
word to demonize those with whom we do not agree.
In a recent complaint to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
(AIPAC), The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has taken
the process even further by enhancing their use of the "H" word
against Azerbaijani Ambassador to the United States Elin Suleymanov,
a noted advocate of his nation's close relationship with both Israel
and the Jewish people.
ANCA's strongly worded complaint, asks AIPAC to "reevaluate the moral
and practical dimensions of your organization's association with
Azerbaijan's war-mongering President, Ilham Aliyev, a dictator who,
echoing the venomous Holocaust-era rants of Adolf Hitler against
Jews, has announced openly that, 'all the Armenians of the world'
are his enemies." Interestingly, Aliyev, of course, never said that
but rather stated that the Armenian lobby is Azerbaijan's enemy. Not
surprisingly, given the leading Armenian-American groups' strongly
negative views on Azerbaijan.
In the game of who can be whose friend, those engaged in world
politics excel. Allies are as important as life to countries that
possess little power or any way to obtain it and must rely on the
superpowers to do their bidding.
What has this to do with Israel, Armenian-American community and
Armenia and evoking the "H" word?
Everything.
No amount of denial or passage of years will diminish the evil of
Hitler. It has taken on the nature of using the word Kleenex for
tissue, as a metaphor for anyone worth attacking.
There can be no greater insult or disparagement than accusing one
of any similarity to the greatest evil of the twentieth century,
perhaps ever in human history.
Because Israel is still a vulnerable nation, much despised and maligned
in the world, branding her allies as Hitler speaks volumes.
Perhaps the Armenian-American community and Armenia might have better
rethought such an accusation against one of Israel's closest and
staunchest allies and a society that is regularly praised for its
inclusiveness and tolerance.
In the case of Armenia and Azerbaijan, both share peaceful
relationships with Israel. While Armenia seeks Israel's support and
brotherhood in their attempt to equate what is termed "Armenian
Genocide" with the Holocaust, Azerbaijan and Israel enjoy close
bi-lateral relations in the arenas of diplomacy, politics, security,
military and business amongst many others.
Azerbaijan's brave support for Israel has created numerous problems
with Iran's leaders, who through threats, pressure and whatever
means available seeks to destroy that alliance for good. Azerbaijan
has established itself as one of Israel's leading allies and trade
partners and is a beacon of hope that a Jewish nation and Muslim
nation can share a peaceful and highly beneficial relationship.
Thus far Iran has been unsuccessful in destroying that hope.
The Armenian battle with the Azerbaijanis has obviously reached a
point of international ally selection. "Are you with us or against us"
seems to be the question at hand, and how better to enlist support
from the Jewish nation and Jewish organizations than to cast the
ultimate aspersion on the Azerbaijanis? However Armenia's allegations
seem insincere when one considers that Jews live quite peacefully and
accepted in Azerbaijani society and always have. Jews are elected and
serve in parliament and hold other high-level governmental positions.
Jews in Azerbaijan are business leaders, academics, scientists and
community leaders.
Azerbaijani society is structured in a way that it really doesn't
matter who one is. Azerbaijan is home to many ethnicities and religions
and has a tradition of pluralism, while Armenia is monolithically
Armenian and Armenian Orthodox.
Is evoking the "H" word a successful tactic to employ against one of
Israel's truest allies?
Can Armenia hope to achieve their goal by throwing the name of Jewish
pain in AIPAC'S, Israel's and the American Jewish community's faces?
While once it may have been the supreme insult to compare anyone to
the horror that was Hitler, strangely this approach has been mitigated
by distaste for those who opt to do so.
Reminding the Jewish people of Hitler, now, has the effect of
marginalizing and victimizing them as a nation.
In some way it is an attempt to use the death of six million to garner
favor in Jewish eyes and the Armenian-American community and Armenia
should be ashamed.
Comparing the Azerbaijani president, who has welcomed Jewish leader
after Jewish leader from around the globe and is accused by the Mullahs
in Iran of being a puppet of Israel, to Hilter tells AIPAC; the only
way one can explain how horrible this man is to open your old wounds.
Does anyone believe Jewish people, or the world for that matter,
is incapable of understanding the nature of evil or alleged misdeeds
without a direct reference to their greatest pain? Do Jewish people
have no ability to grasp the nature of wrongdoing on any other level
aside from the Holocaust?
I believe they do.
Perhaps it is the fact that Israel and Azerbaijan share a close
relationship that the Armenian-American community and Armenia believe
it is necessary to pull no punches in their attempts to cut a wedge
between them.
If this is their strategy, they have seriously overplayed their hand.
It is way past the time we saved the "H" word for those who deserve
the comparison. To use it anytime we wish to malign another minimizes
its effect and therefore the deed.
Mainstreaming it as just another curse word is an insult to both
those who died at the hands of Hitler and fighting his great evil.
The Armenian-American community and Armenia's attacks or supposed
grievances should be measured and relevant to garner an ear from
other nations.
It is way past the time to save the name of Hilter for those who
truly deserve the comparison and, sadly, in today's world there are
far too many who do.
Zager is a freelance journalist and columnist who teaches at California
State University, Los Angeles. In addition to receiving the honors of
Los Angeles Journalist of the Year and Best Investigative Reporter by
the Los Angeles Press Club, the Wall Street Journal and the Columbia
Journalism Review applauded her work on the Brockovich case. Zager
is also the author of numerous books
http://www.rightsidenews.com/2013061032682/editorial/us-opinion-and-editorial/evoking-the-h-word.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress