Armenian deputy minister warns against Nazi ideology among Armenians
By Vafa İsmayilova
Armenia’s Deputy Culture Minister Zhanna Andreasyan has warned about the danger of Nazi accomplice Garegin Nzhdeh's ultranationalist ideology for the Armenian nation and society.
Andreasyan, who is the first high-ranking Armenian official openly speaking against Nzhdeh's inherently fascist ideology, made the remarks in an interview with an Armenian TV channel.
"The ideology of Nzhdeh is, in fact, a fascist ideology. By itself, it is very dangerous for us as a society of the 21st century, since this ideology is built on the basis of aggression against the world, sidelining oneself from the whole world and demonstrating its advantage over all societies. If you exclude all beautiful words from his teaching, then only this very dangerous basis will remain," she said.
Andreasyan believes that the Armenian people need another concept.
"You can't exist like that, that is, treat everyone arrogantly and at the same time expect others to treat us well. It doesn't work that way. We cannot try to keep everyone under our control, believing that everyone around us is just dumb. It is impossible to live like that. We need other concepts of the Armenian people, which we could proclaim," she added.
The deputy minister criticized the existence of only nationalist rhetoric in Armenian society.
"At the moment we have only a monologue of nationalists in Armenian society. But any monologue in society is very dangerous. The modern world is based on speed and diversity, and if we do not correspond to these trends, do not correspond to the trends of social development, then we must understand that in this situation, we find ourselves outside the world community's life," Andreasyan said.
Nazi collaborator Nzhdeh's monuments exist in the Armenian cities of Yerevan, Gyumri, Kapan, and seventeen other locations. Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city, honours Nzhdeh with a street and a prominent statue. Kapan also has a Nzhdeh street and a memorial erected in 2003.
Addressing a high-level meeting to mark the UN's 75th anniversary on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session held in September 2020, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said: "The glorification of Nazism is the state policy in Armenia. Notorious Nazi general Garegin Nzhdeh has been turned into 'national hero'... Hatred against Azerbaijani people is instilled in the young generation."
After Azerbaijan’s victory in the 44-day war, Aliyev repeatedly stated that by defeating the Armenian army, Azerbaijan "broke the back of Armenian fascism", saving the region from great troubles and tragedies.
It is believed that in light of Azerbaijan's and other regional countries' efforts to achieve lasting peace in the South Caucasus, the propaganda of fascism and terrorism, intolerance towards other nations threatens regional security.
Armenia and Azerbaijan fought the second war over Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region on September 27. Six weeks of fighting ended with the signing of a Russia-brokered peace agreement on November 10. The peace agreement stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Armenian-occupied Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions. Before the signing of the deal, the Azerbaijani army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, city centres and historic Shusha city. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s.
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