Henrikh Danielyan. “Forgetting May 9 is a denial of our victory and identity”

The Standing Committee on International Relations of the National Assembly rejected the draft statement of the opposition faction “I have the honor” dedicated to the “80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.” The document condemned fascism and neo-Nazism, as well as mentioned the liberation of Shushi as a symbol of national resistance.
The authorities’ failure to support this statement goes beyond political disagreements. This is a systematic attempt to distance themselves from the historical memory of the Armenian people in favor of foreign and domestic political conjuncture. The rulers of Armenia demonstratively avoid recognizing the participation of more than 600 thousand Armenians in the war against fascism and the memory of 300 thousand fallen soldiers.
Moreover, with the tacit consent of the ruling group, anti-Armenian and openly revisionist theses are now increasingly circulating in the public sphere. In particular, there are claims that the victory over fascism had no strategic significance for Armenians and that in the event of the victory of Nazi Germany, Turkey would have fallen and Greater Armenia would have been restored. Such judgments are not only historical nonsense, but also dangerous manipulations that sow an ideological alternative, in fact legitimizing the fascist ideology. Such illiterate and immoral statements pose a threat not only to national memory, but also to the state security of the Republic of Armenia.
The reluctance of this government to celebrate the anniversary of the liberation of Shushi and the deliberate departure from the idea of ​​a triple holiday on May 9 – the unity of the days of victory, the creation of the army and the liberation of Shushi – is a logical continuation of the government’s policy: to abandon the positions of historical law and sovereignty in favor of external dictate. When fascism and neo-Nazism are once again raising their heads in different parts of the world, the unwillingness of the Armenian parliament to express a clear and principled position is not only a serious danger, but also a strategic mistake, the price of which may be very high. The Armenian people, regardless of their political views, are obliged to defend their historical truth, national memory and say “No” to fascism, revisionism and political betrayal.