Keghart
Dear Colleagues,
In a few days a candlelight vigil will be held in Toronto in memory of Vahé Avetyan. Because his death has been widely documented in the Armenian media and on the internet I don't want to repeat the details here.
This tragic event evokes memories of the days twenty-four years ago when we, as Armenians and as physicians, embarked on a mission following the earthquake in Armenia that took away 25,000 lives. Individually and collectively, we rushed to help our compatriots and the motherland, without any partisan considerations. To this end various associations involving physicians and allied health professionals were established in many Diaspora communities.
Dear Colleagues,
In a few days a candlelight vigil will be held in Toronto in memory of Vahé Avetyan. Because his death has been widely documented in the Armenian media and on the internet I don't want to repeat the details here.
This tragic event evokes memories of the days twenty-four years ago when we, as Armenians and as physicians, embarked on a mission following the earthquake in Armenia that took away 25,000 lives. Individually and collectively, we rushed to help our compatriots and the motherland, without any partisan considerations. To this end various associations involving physicians and allied health professionals were established in many Diaspora communities.
Over the past two decades many of us have visited the motherland and witnessed the impact of the various initiatives that we had undertaken. What was achieved filled us with patriotic pride. All along, we not only hoped that the wounds were healed but we rightfully expected that life in the motherland would be worthwhile for all citizens and that they all would benefit from the public services, irrespective of their wealth, standing in society or political belief.
Unfortunately, we were disillusioned and some of us even ceased to make financial contributions. Others forged friendships with progressive forces in Armenia and the Diaspora so as to explore ways to ameliorate the unhealthy, if not lawless, atmosphere in the motherland.
Vahé Avetyan's untimely death was a result of social degeneration. He, too, was a physician professing the cardinal principle that guides us: “Do no harm”. Ironically, he became the victim of brutal and sheer violence, committed by people who most probably thought they were above the law, because they were in the service of a "lawmaker". If for nothing, we should honour Vahé’s memory as a former colleague.
Please attend the candlelight vigil which will be held on the 40th day of Vahé’s death on August 7, 2012.
Respectfully,
Dikran Abrahamian BA, MD
Penetanguishene, Ontario, August 3, 2012
Keghart
Keghart
1 comment
Thank you for your open Letter
The Armenian Nation is like a tree: a trunk diverging into large branches; large branches splitting into smaller branches, and so on. Armenians living in the homeland with many factions, Diasporan Armenians with their own factions.
Corruption is infecting the trunk, and consequently all the branches. We have a tendency to criticize corruption in Armenia. However, all of our Diasporan institutions, including our political parties, our churches, our fundraisers are equally guilty of perpetuating this ugly phenomenon of corruption either by collaborating, or by condoning this behaviour through various activities.
We have witnessed flip-flopping participation in several coalition governments. We have witnessed our Church's position during the terrible March 1 events. We have witnessed large Diasporan donations flowing into personal bank accounts, only to name a few of the innumerable examples of collaboration with those same dark forces.
Vahe Avetyan's death is a consequence of this culture which allows some people to think "they are above the law," to use your words.
Your comment that many have "ceased to make financial contributions" is also a direct consequence of this vile culture. We, the "organized" Armenian Diaspora, have encouraged this culture.
The vigil that's being organized for Vahe Avetyan will not bring justice to his memory if it doesn't protest against the paradoxical positions of our Churches, political parties and the fundraisers. All of them–not just the silent forces in the homeland.
This may sound radical, but you might remember the Arabic saying: "iza ma b'tkbar, ma b'tzghar." Like Avetyan's tragic death, thousands of people have their rights trampled every day in Armenia. We owe it to them, as well as to Vahe, to start recognizing our paradoxes, and perhaps making an effort to correct them.
Thank you for all your good work.
A Friend
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