Armenia continues discrimination policy against ethnic minorities

Ethnic and confessional minorities have long felt outcasts in such a mono-ethnic country as Armenia. “Armenia is for Armenians” – this is the slogan that the country’s government idolizes for many years. In this context, it is no surprise that about 98 percent of population are Armenians in this country.

Armenia became extremely mono-ethnic after its authorities carried out the policy of ethnic cleansing and deportation of Azerbaijanis. Today, the ethnic minorities that still live in Armenia suffer from the contemptuous attitude towards them.

Yazidis and other minorities constantly complain about the lack of tolerance in Armenian society, rampant militant nationalism and aggression. Such a negative attitude is clearly evidenced from the Armenian schools.

For instance, 32 Yazidi children do not attend school in five villages of the Armavir region of Armenia; six other Yazidis do not go to school in Aragatsotn region.

Chairman of the “Sinjar Yezidi National Union” public organization Boris Murazi informed Epress.am about this. The organization received the statistics from the regional administrations.

“The number of children not attending schools may be higher, as there are children who are registered in schools but not attending classes,” Murazi said.

Ten Yazidi children do not go to school in Artashat village, nine in Tandzashat village, six in Nalbandian, Charchakis and Yeghegnut each, and one in Serik.

The head of organization intends to send the statistics to the Education and Science Ministry of Armenia as the evidence of a violation of the compulsory education law, which came into force this September.

The organization has repeatedly raised the issue of implementation of the right to education for Yazidi children, especially for girls. One of its reports says that the inaction of state bodies of Armenia facilitate the violation of the rights of Yazidi women to education.

This is just one of many examples evidencing that the representatives of other nationalities and faiths have to put up with the discrimination policy being implemented in Armenia, including oppression of ethnic and religious minorities.

Many Yazidis are frequently forced to assimilate with Armenian culture. The representatives of this ethnic group constantly appeal to international organizations, complaining of discrimination against them in Armenia. This minority often holds protests in Yerevan and other cities, demanding the restoration of their rights, while the Armenian government maintains its silence. This attitude of the authorities confirm that Nazism remains the main ideology of the Armenian government.