Sometimes the constructive forces trying to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict face resistance from those trying to strangle any human initiatives on a peaceful settlement at birth.
One of “watchful readers” of Yerkramas criticized the representative of the Armenians Union of Russia, Tigran Manasyan: “Tigran Manasyan calls Armenians Caucasians and doesn’t understand the reasons for the conflict between Armenians and Azerbajanis. Interesting, how would Loris-Melikov, Lazarevs, Aram Khachaturyan and other great Armenians of Russia react, if they were called Caucasians?”
It seems that these great Armenians would take it as an offence. However, what is offensive in the term “Caucasian”? According to normal human perception, it is a group of people who were initially united by geography. It can be compared with “the British.”
Of course, we can calmly discuss whether Armenia belongs to the Caucasus or not. Geography is not mathematics. Some people think that the South Caucasus belongs to Europe, while others believe that the southern border of Europe traverses the Great Caucasus Range. This is not the point. Let some people believe that the notion “the Caucasus” has nothing in common with Armenia, even if it is ridiculous. What is important is that the author of the letter bomb calls the Caucasians “an ethnic group, which is not very popular in Moscow and Russia.” And this absurdity is published in a serious resource.
I don’t think the skinheads, who have killed several Armenians during recent years because they had dark hair, did it because they considered them to be representatives of “the Caucasian ethnic group.” And if they knew their victims represented a country and people who have nothing in common with the Caucasus, their reaction would be different.
Only an ignorant and one-sided person can use the term “a Caucasian” as ethnonym. Of course, there is no such ethnic group. However, there is the Caucasus, as well as its history, culture, and traditions, which were born due to the mingling of fates of all Caucasian peoples.
What is the Tigran Manasyan to blame for? He called for peacemaking between Armenia and Azerbaijan in an interview to the Azerbaijani media. It is interesting that Mr. Manasyan didn’t come out in favor of some position or a plan of settlement. The man (the professional historian) only dared to say that Armenians and Azerbaijanis are historic neighbors, and they have much in common in their histories, cultures and traditions. And many Azerbaijanis and Armenians still have friendly relations, which can be a basis for peaceful settlement of the blood conflict. That is all!
We cannot move our countries to the coasts of the Pacific Ocean. We should live together and build a common house for our three neighboring countries. This objective is still real.
Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively to VK.
