Lena Badeyan
Public Radio of Armenia
The recent events in the Middle East hint that the essence of motives and the geopolitical goals have changed. The situation will inevitably affect the large Armenian communities formed in the Middle East after the Armenian genocide, but all this is not directed against Armenians, editor-in-chief of the Beirut based Aztag daily Shahan Kandaharian and editor of the Los-Angeles-based Asbarez Daily Editor Apo Boghigian told reporters in Yerevan.
The ongoing instability and new developments in Middle Eat countries with large Armenian communities are of strategic importance for Armenians both in Armenia and Diaspora, they said.
According to Shahan Kandaharian, the trend of events has considerably changed and has grown into struggle for resources.
“The Arab Spring has now changed its face, and the radical expressions of Islamism constitute the major threat today both for the region and the world,” he said.
Kandaharian said the situation in Lebanon is relatively calm as compared to the neighboring countries. He believes Lebanon will not engage in this global war. He considers, however, that hard days are awaiting the Armenians in the Middle East. The question refers to the migration of Armenians, who are leaving mostly in two directions – Lebanon or Armenia. Whether they move permanently or temporarily is a different question, he added.
Speaking about the American Armenian Diaspora, editor of Asbarez daily Apo Boghigian said, in part: “We should create a situation, where we can turn the loss into some gain. The US is an environment, where there is an issue of survival. The problems of assimilation and maintenance of the Armenian organizations can no longer remain unsolved. We need to search for new ways, new methods.”
Thus, the new situation is a challenge to Armenia, and particularly the Ministry of Diaspora. The major problems are the preservation of the language and provision of authentic information to avoid unnecessary panic. As an unsuccessful example of media coverage, Apo Boghigian pointed to the Kessab events.
