BY GAREN YEGPARIAN
That’s what I’m starting to conclude, that Armenian-hating, at least in the political realm, has been sanctioned by some unknown powers. The unfortunate medium, bearer, victim of this obnoxious phenomenon seems to be one of the best public officials ever fielded by our community, LA City Councilmember Paul Krekorian.
I’ll start with the most recent example, and proceed backwards chronologically.
Please take a look at the accompanying picture. It depicts Paul in a Turkish fez. The “artist” is unknown, but the sign has been seen in his council district, and even outside, in Burbank, where this picture was taken. How obnoxious! A symbol of those who committed mass murder against our nation, a symbol so odious that even Kemal Atatutk, who continued the Genocide, felt compelled to expunge from Turkish society, is now being attached to an Armenian! Can you imagine the hue and cry that would ensue if a swastika was attached to a picture of a Jewish elected official? Yet no one seems to mind this.
Let’s move back in time some two years, to when Paul was first running for LA City Council. A political mail piece appeared that depicted LA City Hall surrounded by barbed wire sought to evoke Holocaust era imagery, somehow hoping to attribute this inappropriate intentions to Paul. Fortunately, decent folks in the Jewish community disavowed this. Its basis was so flimsy as to be laughable. Some idiot had posted anti-Semitic comments on the Asbarez blog. This was the “evidence” of reprehensible positions being connected to Paul and the ANCA. Very few objected to this vile manifestation.
Going back another four years, you may recall the essentially anonymous political mailer that attempted to tie Paul and the ANCA to attacks on Turkish diplomats three decades ago. Once again, such a debased tactic caught very little opprobrium. Although in a post-election interview, the candidate that was supposed to benefit from this hit piece contended it cost him the race. And, of course, next to no one condemned this attack.
So you see why I’m starting to believe that somewhere, in some political circle(s), it has become OK to hate Armenians and use that hate to attack candidates and elected officials of Armenian heritage.
It’s time to start making noise about this. Those living in LA and Burbank ought to go to their respective city council meetings and demand that such hate speech not be allowed to appear on the streets of their cities. While this may not be doable because of constitutional free speech protections, it would sure stir up enough attention and response by the community at large to convey to the offenders the message that odious pictures such as this one are unacceptable in this day and age.
Thanks Garen…for catching on. I have lived & worked in the Glendale-Burbank area for nearly a quarter-of-a-century. My activities (jobs & volunteer endeavors) have involved an almost-daily close proximity to the political world. I noticed this “acceptable” assault on Armenians six years ago. And, it has not subsided.
The assault is organized by those in power, not by a few angry, misguided bigots.
For years, I have been drawing the analogy of the way African-Americans were treated in the Deep South in the 1950s. They were viewed as second-class citizens and any tactic to keep them out of polling places and, God forbid, elective office, was acceptable.
I look forward to a future column when you name names and spell out the tactics.
Any thoughts as to the reasons for this hatred or animosity?
Your mis-directed statement should be directed toward the jerkies(turks).
“Your mis-directed statement should be directed toward the jerkies(turks).” …and you guys want me to believe Armenians are victims of racism?
Wow I never saw this. Isn’t this illegal? It does not seem legal to me. If it is “legal”, then the ANCA needs to make a special website and label all the bigots behind this stuff as extremist anti-Armenian neo-Nazis and videotape them and post them all over youtube. Its also time that Asbarez had a special section for these bigots where we can post any new information.
Why would it be “illegal”? In the USA there is something called a 1st amendment. You can’t just come to these lands and enforce your way of living on us sir.
Garen,
What is more troubling is that the US government condones it. Several months ago (or years ago) when the whole “protocol” debacle was at issue, a press release was issued by the federal government that “Armenian” Medicare crimes were being committed. I don’t recall exactly how, but, there was a list of these “criminals” and only a fraction of the names were Armenian. I thought it was odd for this Indian official would be speaking of an Armenian organized crime when the majority of the names were not Armenian……just at about the same time Hillary Clinton was pressuring the Armenian Government to sign the Protocols…..oh well…..but thank you for your good efforts in starting an effort to expose these outrageous anti-Armenian propaganda. Let’s get to the bottom of it.
There is a possibility that this administration will be in washington in 2015. The surveyance, intimidation and repression of Armenians is encouraged and organized, to make it easy the silencing of Armenians. Yes, the Medicare scandal has loudly voiced out selectively the Armenian names – a kind of racism. I have not seen any paper or magazine article about Mr. Madoff that would mention his Jews origin. Or, mentioning that Mr. Emanuele or Mr. Axelrod are Jews, when top officials say that white house was run by psychopaths (in the comments right after the Romney-Obama debate). Another, most recent example showing the true source ofthe repression – Armenia was on the list of the very first few countries where the embassies were put on high alert after the bengazi’s events! Before any other terrorist muslim country was named. So, it is not a single person affair.
This administration leaves US on mercy of Turkey. What should we expect? Our problem is that we express our astonishment on Asbarez website, while Jews would initiate an international legal process (if we want to be paralleled with Jews).
The idea of tracing the car is not new. Do you think your car is not traced already, or your e-mail address is known only to your friends? But don’t panic. Simply speak out about this.
What do you think will happen after this comment is posted? Just wait and see.
All one has to do is go to the DMV and ask for the name of the person who this truck is registered to. Then an official complaint can be filed against the individual who is displaying such a vile sign.
don’t they need to get a permit for the sign? There is a good chance this individual/entity does not have a permit for it.
It would be interesting to hire a private investigator to find out who is behind this. This is the work of a sophisticated group but one thing I have to tell you is that most non-Armenians won’t understand the significance of the fez so it’s political value is insigificant but it was meant to attack Armenians. I would not be suprized if this is the work of the Pacifica Foundation which is a Turkish organization. It would be best to publish the findings of this private investigator on Azbarez. If the Turks were willing to go through so much expense to have their Ottoman marching parade come through Hollywood , this certainly makes this a simple job. . Unfortunately some of our Hayastansi compatriots are certainly doing a good job of damaging the reputation of Armenians .
The idea of hiring a private investigator to find out who is behind this is a great idea. It is not good to jump to conclusions but I smell a Turkish rat behind this.
Plant a GPS device on the truck and see where they go. Follow the driver and see what dirt you can find on him. We need to think like Jews and use smart tactics.
The idea of tracing the car is not new. Do you think your car is not traced already, or your e-mail address is known only to your friends? But don’t panic. Simply speak out about this.
What do you think will happen after this comment is posted? Just wait and see.
Whenever a negative comment is made,about Armenians,usually a false nom de plume is used.On past performance,I would say jerkies(turks).The new jerkies use hidden deviant,sneaky practices for character assassination.their mongol ancestors used the sword.Hence the new Genocide.My suggestion would be,the Armenian gangs in L.A,or elseware,concentrate on this issue,rather then civil torts. Cabish….ONE FOR THE GIPPER.!!
No one seems to mind it? I doubt that, I highly doubt it. No one will forget this, now do some real jounalism and find out who’s responsible and put them in the spotlight.
Important facts
1. There is a possibility that this administration will be in washington in 2015. The surveyance, intimidation and repression of Armenians is encouraged and organized, to make it easy the silencing of Armenians.
2. The Medicare scandal has loudly voiced out selectively the Armenian names – a kind of racism. I have not seen any paper or magazine article about Mr. Madoff that would mention his Jews origin. Or, mentioning that Mr. Emanuele or Mr. Axelrod are Jews, when top officials say that white house was run by psychopaths (in the comments right after the Romney-Obama debate).
3. Another, most recent example showing the true source of the repression – Armenia was on the list of the very first few countries where the embassies were put on high alert after the bengazi’s events! Before any other terrorist muslim country was named. So, it is not a single person affair.
4. This administration wants leaves us, Armenians, on mercy of Turkey. As one of Mrs. Clinton’s office guy said “this is an insignificant nation”.
5. What do you think will happen after this comment is posted? Just wait and see.
The guy put this up is Sam Ammari, and worst part is that his wife is Armenian. You can read it on http://studiocity.patch.com/articles/what-s-this-guy-s-beef-with-paul-krekorian#photo-10952080
The guy who put this up is Sam Ammari, and the worst part is that his wife is Armenian.
Unbelievable. That traitor wh**e should be tracked down and exposed and made sure to be prevented from having anything to do with our community.
As somebody said, ‘First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, at the end they accept you”. Armenians in Los Angeles are going through this process, keep pushing our causes and keep asserting our rights and views, we shall conquer; shall be accepted eventually.
I know that guy he has a tanning salon on laurel canyon and riverside, he also has lots of those trucks with advertising. I didn’t know his wife is Armenian, but he has 3 kids I think, lives in Burbank somewhere on the hills. He is scared of me, because of some issue that we had. He is Syrian I think, but could be a secretive Turk. I am sure he was used in this issue either way, because he is a big pussy and very scared of Armenians in the valley, because he know our bad Armo’s would put three in him.
Armenian beys and amiras wore the fez in the Ottoman Empire. What’s the fuss?
This Sam Ammari runs the Oasis Thai Spa which is think is a brothel. Massage parlors do have the reputation of offering illegal services Maybe the vice squad should but him under surveillance.
The fez is erroneously associated with Turks. The Ottoman fez was inspired by the traditional headgears of Greek islanders, and was introduced in Turkey in the early 19th century. The fez is today still used in North Africa where it was manifactured for the Ottomans. The Italian fascists, among others Mussolini, wore their own kinds of fezes.
Sam Ammari and his armenian wife ????? Maybe this Sam amari and his wife ought to be paid a discreet visit by friendly enquirers. It could be that both are psychologically impaired.
The racism against Armenians is because many of us are immigrants. When the Irish, Italians, Greeks, Polish, etc were largely immigrants, there was a lot of racism against them. Now there isn’t.
Look at Fresno, when many Armenians were immigrants there, there was a lot of racism then. Now there isn’t any.
I’ve noticed overt racism against Armenians is accepted, whereas it isn’t against many of the minorities in LA. Why? Armenians are small in #s and power.
I don’t think this guy behind the billboards is racist. He’s married to an Armenian. See link above.
We have to work hard and fight back. Our future is in our hands, no one else’s.
The racism against Armenians is based on fear, jealousy and anger. Armenians come as immigrants and make it faster than the rest including the WASP , this angers the establishment. We have a higher percentage of educated people in our community, doctors,lawyers, social workers ,professors etc . Also as Mr Yegparian spoke about “some unknown power” is very true , there must be a some sort of invisible hand pushing this agenda to the foreground as it is done very brazenly and without any penalties accorded to the doer. we as Armenians must put up a collective fight , and not shy away from our moral rights in this country. We have to come together and forget our petty differences, to defend any issue of this magnitude.