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Vahe Avetian: I Am Honored By "Abi" Title Daily By Turkish Kids Of Neighborhood
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Please Allow Me to Introduce Vahe Avetian (writer, publicist, politician) in this exclusive interview.
I hope you find the interview as captivating and fascinating as I do
Lara Kaplan
Editor
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Vahe, Please tell us about your family and yourself ?
I was born as an Armenian in Yerevan and was thoroughly brainwashed as such by parents, elders, relatives, all kind of local authorities, teachers, statesmen and clergy. I was born again, as a Swede this time, in Stockholm, and was thoroughly brainwashed by the respective authorities and people of my second tribe, Swedes. I died as both in Washington D.C., USA, and since then I am trying to preserve myself as a human being instead, as much as I can. .
How did you decide to move to Sweden and how it has affected your writing and political views/experiences ?
I didn't decide. It was the Soviet intelligence that took the power back in 1992 in Armenia that decided. Sweden was just the country that issued me a visa and a political asylum later. I would call it a coincidence if I would believe in such a concept. I don't. I just have no logical explanation for being in Sweden. It just happened so. "Non logical" explanations that I have are not presentable to a wide public. Being in Sweden changed me a lot of course, especially when I became a Swede. Being full-time Armenian and a Swede at the same time was an extraordinary practice where each of these identities ..
What happened in Glendale when you decided to go to USA and why?
I attended a literary evening organized in honor of the Armenian writer Vahe Oshagan; let him rest in peace, where the ARF establishment gathered from all over the world. I couldn't find a better place among Armenians to declare that there are writers in the motherland who were politically prosecuted and exiled, and that it is the duty of every public organization and gathering to condemn human rights violations. They violently attacked me from all sides and arrested me in the library, where the event was taking place, by American policemen with Armenian surnames (both ARF supporters as I found out later); two other Armenians (also ARF members) brought battery charges against me. This happened with the full cooperation of the attendants, who shut down their ears while their women at the helm of their voice released an endless lu-lu-lu-lu, ....
Why all political and public organizations, figures, journalists, human rights defenders in Armenia and Diaspora keep silence about exiled writers?
Good question.
One need to know the modern post Soviet history of Caucasus and other post Soviet republics as well, to be able to understand why those above-mentioned in Armenia keep silence. The history of the republics, which were not welcome to join the European family, went different from East Germany’s or Baltic republics’ or the countries which collectively are called often “former Warsaw Pact members” or “east – European neighborhood.”
The other 12 former soviet republics were left under the patronage of the newly established Russian Federation which never denounced or reorganized the former security structures of USSR: KGB, GRU, and so....
What can you tell us about the ARF? and How did you get to be a representative of them in Scandinavia?
ARF is a coalition of small and relatively wealthy dealer-wheeler bunch of uneducated and brainwashed dupes as majority and some very sophisticated, well educated agents of KGB.
I was young then and was out there to save the world, which was the motherland and nothing else. Marukhian, the leader of the party then and exiled from Armenia that time, visited Sweden, where we....
What is the agenda of ARF, whether they have any contribution or hinder any positive steps etc. ?
No agenda except growing bellies, buts and thick heads. Shish kebab, Ishli kufta and ghavurma are the agenda of a dashnak....
What are your experiences with Turks in general ?
The first Turk I met in my life was Tahibeh, a wonderful woman, mother of several kids, my neighbor. She knocked on my door the same day I moved to my apartment in Stockholm and offered some new home baked bread. I was very much surprised and told her that I don't need bread. She insisted. I accepted it. The bread was delicious. Her explanation of the move was that it is in her tradition to share bread with neighbors and I enjoyed that tradition of hers for many years until she passed away. May she be blessed and rest in peace. She was my introduction to my personal experiences with Turks. Later I had a couple of dozen pupils with Turkish origin in my studios and got to know their parents. I am honored by the title "abi" daily by the Turkish kids and youngsters of the neighborhood, and believe me, it is not a word with which they honor many. I can definitely tell today that my personal experience with Turks is very different from the "official line" and the brainwashing about Turks by the Armenian state, academicians, Diaspora, parents, grandparents, all kinds of authorities and priesthood....
Do you see any marked differences between present-day Armenians and Turks? If so, how ?
None: Turks probably are more open-minded now, I guess. Turkey is a democracy, weak yet, but a democracy. And not less important: Turkey is an independent state. Armenia is far away from two mentioned concepts yet....
Please Allow Me to Introduce Vahe Avetian (writer, publicist, politician) in this exclusive interview.
I hope you find the interview as captivating and fascinating as I do
Lara Kaplan
Editor
---------------------------------------------------------------
Vahe, Please tell us about your family and yourself ?
I was born as an Armenian in Yerevan and was thoroughly brainwashed as such by parents, elders, relatives, all kind of local authorities, teachers, statesmen and clergy. I was born again, as a Swede this time, in Stockholm, and was thoroughly brainwashed by the respective authorities and people of my second tribe, Swedes. I died as both in Washington D.C., USA, and since then I am trying to preserve myself as a human being instead, as much as I can. .
How did you decide to move to Sweden and how it has affected your writing and political views/experiences ?
I didn't decide. It was the Soviet intelligence that took the power back in 1992 in Armenia that decided. Sweden was just the country that issued me a visa and a political asylum later. I would call it a coincidence if I would believe in such a concept. I don't. I just have no logical explanation for being in Sweden. It just happened so. "Non logical" explanations that I have are not presentable to a wide public. Being in Sweden changed me a lot of course, especially when I became a Swede. Being full-time Armenian and a Swede at the same time was an extraordinary practice where each of these identities ..
What happened in Glendale when you decided to go to USA and why?
I attended a literary evening organized in honor of the Armenian writer Vahe Oshagan; let him rest in peace, where the ARF establishment gathered from all over the world. I couldn't find a better place among Armenians to declare that there are writers in the motherland who were politically prosecuted and exiled, and that it is the duty of every public organization and gathering to condemn human rights violations. They violently attacked me from all sides and arrested me in the library, where the event was taking place, by American policemen with Armenian surnames (both ARF supporters as I found out later); two other Armenians (also ARF members) brought battery charges against me. This happened with the full cooperation of the attendants, who shut down their ears while their women at the helm of their voice released an endless lu-lu-lu-lu, ....
Why all political and public organizations, figures, journalists, human rights defenders in Armenia and Diaspora keep silence about exiled writers?
Good question.
One need to know the modern post Soviet history of Caucasus and other post Soviet republics as well, to be able to understand why those above-mentioned in Armenia keep silence. The history of the republics, which were not welcome to join the European family, went different from East Germany’s or Baltic republics’ or the countries which collectively are called often “former Warsaw Pact members” or “east – European neighborhood.”
The other 12 former soviet republics were left under the patronage of the newly established Russian Federation which never denounced or reorganized the former security structures of USSR: KGB, GRU, and so....
What can you tell us about the ARF? and How did you get to be a representative of them in Scandinavia?
ARF is a coalition of small and relatively wealthy dealer-wheeler bunch of uneducated and brainwashed dupes as majority and some very sophisticated, well educated agents of KGB.
I was young then and was out there to save the world, which was the motherland and nothing else. Marukhian, the leader of the party then and exiled from Armenia that time, visited Sweden, where we....
What is the agenda of ARF, whether they have any contribution or hinder any positive steps etc. ?
No agenda except growing bellies, buts and thick heads. Shish kebab, Ishli kufta and ghavurma are the agenda of a dashnak....
What are your experiences with Turks in general ?
The first Turk I met in my life was Tahibeh, a wonderful woman, mother of several kids, my neighbor. She knocked on my door the same day I moved to my apartment in Stockholm and offered some new home baked bread. I was very much surprised and told her that I don't need bread. She insisted. I accepted it. The bread was delicious. Her explanation of the move was that it is in her tradition to share bread with neighbors and I enjoyed that tradition of hers for many years until she passed away. May she be blessed and rest in peace. She was my introduction to my personal experiences with Turks. Later I had a couple of dozen pupils with Turkish origin in my studios and got to know their parents. I am honored by the title "abi" daily by the Turkish kids and youngsters of the neighborhood, and believe me, it is not a word with which they honor many. I can definitely tell today that my personal experience with Turks is very different from the "official line" and the brainwashing about Turks by the Armenian state, academicians, Diaspora, parents, grandparents, all kinds of authorities and priesthood....
Do you see any marked differences between present-day Armenians and Turks? If so, how ?
None: Turks probably are more open-minded now, I guess. Turkey is a democracy, weak yet, but a democracy. And not less important: Turkey is an independent state. Armenia is far away from two mentioned concepts yet....
what you are talking about or giving out the crooked version and partial of the expression
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