AZERBAIJAN GIVES NEW REASONS WHY KARABAGH CAN'T BE UNDER
AZERI RULE
23-11-2004 13:55:00 | USA | Articles and Analyses
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
Karabagh Armenians keep telling the world that Azeris
abused them so much and for so long that they can never go back
to living under the yoke of Azerbaijan again. Armenians provide
documented evidence of the trampling of their most basic rights
by Azeri officials during the Soviet years. Most of these
arguments, regrettably, fall on the deaf ears of insensitive
world leaders who care more about Caspian oil than Armenian
blood.
A scandalous incident at the Baku airport last week came to
demonstrate what Karabagh Armenians have been saying all along.
A prominent Bulgarian journalist, Edward Papazian, who is the
sports editor of "24 Hours," the largest daily newspaper in
Bulgaria, had flown to Azerbaijan along with Bulgaria's soccer
team to cover a friendly match between the two countries.
Upon arrival at the Baku airport, the Bulgarian soccer
players and their entourage quickly made it through passport
control and were allowed in the country except for one passenger
- Papazian. His sole guilt was that he had an Armenian last
name. Even though the government of Azerbaijan was notified in
advance of the list of the travelers accompanying the soccer
team, as soon as Azeri border guards saw Papazian's last name in
his Bulgarian passport, they began yelling "Armenian, Armenian!"
They immediately took him in for questioning. They asked him how
long he had been a citizen of Bulgaria. Papazian told them that
he was born in Bulgaria, as were his parents and even
grandparents. He told them that he had traveled around the
world, both in civilized and uncivilized countries, and never
had this kind of trouble. The border guards were angered by
Papazian's implied reference to their country as being
uncivilized. They told him that all Armenians were barred from
entering Azerbaijan, ostensibly because their security could not
be guaranteed! One of the airport officials told Papazian that
he was being harassed because of Karabagh. Despite his vehement
protests, the journalist was forcibly put back on the same plane
that he had just arrived in and unceremoniously deported from
the country.
In the meantime, Bulgarian officials, through their
Ambassador in Baku, had made every effort to secure Papazian's
entry into Azerbaijan. The journalist's deportation was not only
discriminatory, but also offensive to the government of
Bulgaria. This incident had a chilling effect on relations
between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan. The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry
subsequently delivered a diplomatic note of protest to the
Embassy of Azerbaijan in Sofia.
The Bulgarian press widely covered this scandalous event.
"24 Hours" quoted Papazian as saying: "I thought we lived in the
21st century rather than the Middle Ages. I am proud of my
heritage and my family and I am not going to change my name just
because of Azerbaijan."
Rather than apologizing for their shameful and racist
behavior, Azeri officials tried to cover up this incident by
insisting that it never took place and no person named Papazian
had tried to enter Azerbaijan.
This appalling episode leads us to the following
conclusions:
- Azerbaijan has declared an all-out war not only against
Karabagh, but also against all Armenians, regardless of their
country of origin;
- Azeris resort to all possible means to demonstrate their
hatred of Armenians, including lying and covering up not only
historic events but also incidents that occurred just a few days
earlier;
- By barring all Armenians from entering Azerbaijan, the
Azeri authorities are basically confirming that Karabagh
Armenians are no longer considered to be citizens of Azerbaijan,
(which is exactly what the Karabagh Armenians want);
- If the anti-Armenian hostility and hysteria in Azerbaijan
is such that even a third generation Bulgarian of Armenian
ancestry cannot go to Baku to cover a soccer match, how could
more than 150,000 Karabagh Armenians risk their lives believing
that they can live in peace under Azeri rule?
A whole new generation of Armenians have been born and
raised in Karabagh since its separation from Azerbaijan. These
youngsters have only known life under a free and independent
Karabagh! Putting them back under Azeri rule would be as
unnatural and unacceptable as returning the 13 U.S. colonies to
the British, Louisiana to the French, and Alaska to the
Russians!
The Azeri officials, by their hateful action, proved once
again that Armenians couldn't even visit Azerbaijan, let alone
live there. Karabagh Armenians are perfectly happy not to be
associated with such a country!