From: Mark Lipsits <ml12@cornell.edu>
Subject: Re: Blame the Victim... (from Alex Chaihorsky)
X-Xxdate: Mon, 14 Dec 92 21: 57:34 GMT
Nntp-Posting-User: ml12@cornell.edu
Organization: Cornell University
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1.1d7
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 21:54:09 GMT

Here is a letter which I received from Alex Chaihorsky.
(alex@corte-madera.sds.slb.com)  He asked me to post it, since he himself
can only read the news using gopher.  Here it is:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 16:11:31 -0500
X-Ph: V3.12@router.mail.cornell.edu
From: alex@corte-madera.sds.slb.com (Alex Chaihorsky)
To: ml12@cornell.edu
Subject: Copy of the mail I told you about  


Sir:

I hope that you will not direct your anger against me the same way you
did against Mark Lipsits. But not only I agree with him, but I have also
something to add. I feel deep compassion for my Armenian friends, the
Armenians who I was with in Russian Army, the Armenians who I studied
with in University of Leningrad. Hundreds of thousands of people are
suffering, but they are suffering because of the political shortsightness
of a group of criminal minded nationalists that decided that Armenian
(Pan-Armenian actually) idea had had a chance in the times of USSR
decline. The whole thing was started by small groups of extremists that
started to make life of Azeris in Armenia hard. Then the pressure
continued, and the Azeris started to leave Armenia. Certainly they went
to Baku - the capital of Azerbaijan - to seek help and protection. That
in its turn created that terrible, disgusting and criminal Armenian
pogrom in Sumgait, where many an Armenian lost their lives, property and
hopes. Do not get me wrong - I know from the first hands what actually
happened later in Baku. Azeris, and saying that I take full
responsibilities for my words, are not at all cool, balanced and nice
crowd. These are hot-blooded, taught by Communist ideology to love the
friends and hate the enemy mob, being exited by the truths and legends
about Azeris being beaten and thrown out of their homes in Armenia. This
crowd did kill, mutilate, rape and destroy, AS ANY OTHER MILITANT CROWD
DID. But who needed all that? This is my answer, and I am afgraid you are
not going to like it - Armenian nationalists all over the world by the
mid-1970ies started to realize, that Armenian Republic is not at all what
they are dreamed of. It remainded mostly agrarian, very few industries,
almost no industrial network, despite huge injections of money and ideas
from the Armenians who lived abroad. Armenia did not becaome the center
of the Armenian culture - actually Armenians continued to leave Armenia
and seek better life abroad (Armenians who left Armenia in 1980ies were
very much hated by their brethren in the US, material about it appeared
constantly in Russian-American papers). Armenia did not become the center
of Armenian civilization - most talented Armenian scientists continued to
work for Russians in Russian scientific institutions (and do that untill
now). Armenia did not become the center of gravity for Armenians all over
the world - Armeninas from Lebanon seeked asylum in the US, not in
Armenia. But Russian started to enter its period of decline and some
hot-heads in Armenian Nationalistic establishment apparently decided to
use the situation. Not at all I am trying to compare what happend to the
practicies of Hitlerism, the similarities is only in strategy. Hitler had
to involve the German population in Jew-hunting to cover every decent
German pair of hand in blood, knowing that after that they will do
whatever he want them to. This is a criminal practice of "involving". But
it is not neccesary to do it that way - the involving could be done in a
variety of different ways - in this case it was doen by sacrificing the
lives and the quality of life od Armenians who lived in Azerbaijan.
Armenians in Azerbaijan had had it really good - most of the doctors,
lawers, small business owners, scientists, and all other "higher-class"
jobs had much bigger percentage of Armenians than Azeris. Azeris were
typically oil-industry workers, cotton-industry collective farm workers
and party boys. It was very difficult for Armenian nationalists to argue
with these people - they did not want to leave Azerbaijan, they had lots
of friends among Azeris, and they behaved as all diasporic people who
enjoyed good life in the countries of diaspora - they did not listen, let
alone support financially the Pan-Armenian ideas. All that came to the
end with a very simple plan - through Azeris from Armenia, get Azeris in
Azerbaijan mad, let them kick Armenians out of Azerbaijan and create
enourmous pressure that will hopefully create more Pan-Armenian
solidarity, create more materials to build Armenian state history, drag
more Armenians from diaspora - all that in an attempt to kick-start
Armeian State. Armenian nationalists do not give a damn about an Armenian
in diaspora - theuy want all Armenians in Armenia, statehood is their
goal, not the fate of the people. Now the whole Armenian nation was
INVOLVED - two hundred thpousands of Azerbaijan Armenians were thrown out
of Azerbaijan, hundreds were killed during Baku uprising (or pogrom),
international media get involved, etc. 

I think that it was a tragic mistake. I think that Armenia had had much
better chance to enter 21 century as a strategic ally of the States of
Azerbaijan and Georgia. The Armenians had all the needed resourses to
develop their country once out of the Russian control. Azerbaijan and
Georgia did not have massive population abroad, trained, wealthy, mobile,
dedicated. Armenia could become economical Israel of the Transcaucassin
region. Nowe this chance is lost. Now the life standards in Armenia is
below that of underdeveloped Africa. Epidemies, hunger, frustration. No
friendly neighbours, no support from the West (and there will be no
support from the West - untill all territorial claims by the Karabakh
Armenians will be withdrawn - the West cannot punish Saddam Hussein for
the occupation of the Kuwait and support Armenian occupation of the
Karabakh. How could anybody in the sane state if their minds think
otherwise?)

Again, you might hate me, you might dump all the sarcasm in the world on
me,` call me ignorant slut, whatever. But if the destiny of your youth is
important to you - try to calm down and start thinking again. Thinking
did not do any damage to anyone yet.

A am a descendant of a noble Azeri family. Our family lived on the shores
of lake Sevan, in a turkish villaje Chaihorly. My grandfather was an
educated man, and a very wealthy one, who had to move his family out of
its home because of the Armenian terror. It happened in 1920ies. Our
marble palace was a home for local Party Commitee in the Soviet times.
That did not make any of us Armenian haters. All my life I was told by my
elderly - there was blood between us, we must do whatever we can to bury
it, to be civilized, to be friendly to Armenians, their sufferings are
our sufferings, we must live side by side as good neigyhbours, like
Germans and French, no more violence. Apparently not everybody taught
their youth that way. And apparently many Azeris did not teach their
young that, but Armenians made the hate teachings a policy. You can say
whatever you want, but I was present during all these mass hysteria
gatherings, I've heard toasts to "get Ararat back", etc. Everyone who had
close contact with masses of Armenian knows that nationalism and racism
was a distinctive feature of that group of Soviet population. It is
better to be an Armenian that anybody else, Armenian culture is more
sophisticated, Armenian language is most ancient, Armenian people is most
smart, etc. I think that this is wrong. And that is exactly what Mark
tried to tell you - but you do not listen, you are empowered by hate,
hate, hate, hate.
Nobody but our young will pay for our mistakes. Nobody. The Armenians
lost their position in Baku industries, in Russian science, Armenia is in
the state of distress. I guess it is not enough for Armenian
nationalists. They will prefer the hungry nation that obeys than the
wealthy people that has their own ideas.

Two days ago I sended a mesage to D. Davidian, asking for an address of a
non-military charity organizations where I can send some financial help.
No answer. I guess they do not take US dollars from bloody Turk, eh? Not
only I want to send help, I promised to ask my friends to do the same.
When a request to help Armenians comes from an Azerbaijani, people
usually give more than usual.

I am concerned about innocent lives, children, man and women who were
brain- washed. I am concerned about the future of your people - will
Armenians start building their country or will bury themselvews into
endless terror and vengeance? Will Karabakh become a Belfast of the 21
century? Will it?
It's up to us, gardash.

Alex Chaihorsky. San Francisco, CA.


---------------------

Alex.
Mark Lipsits.  Cornell University Engineering ComSci.  AKA
ml12@cornell.edu 
                                        ***Lynah Faithful***
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet