“Not hacking Armenian athletes is not pacifism” (video)
Azerbaijan cannot use European Olympic Games of Baku in order to act like a peace-loving figure. Dashnaktsutyun faction Head Armen Rustamyan says, “Being pacifist… It shows that they simply don’t do anything for which the whole world can reprove them, as it organizes Olympiad.” Armen Rustamyan considers that it is right that Armenian athletes have gone to Baku. Now Azerbaijan cannot make itself vulnerable with the attitude towards them. But it doesn’t free Azerbaijan from having black lists and attitude towards Armenians, “Not only the citizens of Armenia, but also people of Armenian descent are exiled from there.” Eduard Sharmazanov doesn’t hesitate that Azerbaijan will fail to deceive the world with its pacifism, there is no freedom of speech and there are pressures on the civil society, “There are two Azerbaijans, one, which is beautifully wrapped in Olympic Games and the second real Azerbaijan, where there are many acts of violence.” NA HHK faction member Artak Zakaryan thinks that it will be very difficult for our athletes to fight for high prizes in Azerbaijan, “They must not only overcome just sports professionalism and their privilege over other athletes in order to succeed, but also they must overcome moral and psychological atmosphere.” Our athletes cannot feel at ease during the competitions. And it explains the fact that our athletes haven’t had serious achievements in Baku. Anyway, Artak Zakaryan thinks that the decision to go to Baku was right, “We are committed to the belief that independent of the negotiations, we must be ready and prepare our people for peace and not for war.” Alas, especially during recent two years Azerbaijan hasn’t participated in the events held in Armenia by refusing all the invitations, but Mr. Zakaryan thinks that we must take part in their events, “We, as a more confident, assertive and constructive party, must make use of all the occasions and participate.” Mr. Zakaryan doesn’t agree that by initiating the Olympiad Azerbaijan shows the world its peace-loving aspirations, they must be shown by reducing tensions at the contact line, by recognizing the right of self-determination and stopping anti-Armenian propaganda, “So receiving athletes and not hacking them doesn’t mean displaying pacifism.”
