A lady living in Switzerland sent me an interesting message. She wrote that while watching the series "The Cleaning Lady" on the Netflix platform, she encountered a scene that caught her attention. The episode depicts the Armenian mafia operating in the USA. According to her note, in the third episode of the first season, around the 26th minute, the mafia boss announces at his daughter's wedding that he will send his son to Armenia. Why? Well, the reason is quite interesting. He says that his son will go to reclaim "Armenian lands held by Azerbaijan."
I watched the film and researched it. Indeed, this content is present in the scene and is stated clearly enough that it does not go unnoticed. This could be accepted as just a film line if it were not supported by a broader ideological background.
At the wedding party, the mafia boss clearly says: “Today, we celebrate not only the union of my precious Isabel and Ben, but we also celebrate our history, our culture, as we join two Armenian families. Our people have suffered so much heartbreak and loss. Our homeland has been torn apart by war. But no matter who we are, no matter where we go in the world, Armenia will remain our home. Which is why I am proud to announce that I will be sending my son Tarik to join the Armenian military, to help reclaim our land from Azerbaijan. I am sure he will make us all proud.”
The translation is as follows: “Today we are celebrating not only the union of dear Isabel and Ben but also our history and culture with the joining of two Armenian families. Our nation has experienced much pain and loss. Our homeland has been torn apart by war. But regardless of who we are and where in the world we live, Armenia will remain our home. For this reason, I proudly announce that I will send my son Tarik to the Armenian army to help reclaim our lands currently held by Azerbaijan. I am confident that he will make us all proud.”
This is a message carrying a specific political content that openly expresses a revanchist mindset.
Yes, this is said not by a government official but by the mafia. But that's precisely the point. The idea expressed through the voice of a criminal character is not accidental. It is a direct expression of an ideology that has been formed over years and preserved especially within the diaspora environment. The name Karabakh is not mentioned, but it is not difficult to understand which lands are being discussed.
Today's reality is completely different. The current government of Armenia, under the leadership of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, clearly states that living with past claims will lead to new disasters. His message is simple: accept reality, or there will be war again. This is not an emotional choice but a forced one.
However, the diaspora does not accept this language. Radical circles living abroad and far from reality still think with old maps and live by old slogans. They have no policy; they only have memory and emotion. And the name of this emotion is revanchism.
That very scene in "The Cleaning Lady" actually exposes this truth. On one side, there is the state trying to come to terms with reality after defeat; on the other side, a mindset that does not accept losing and wants to forcibly change it.
The problem is that wars often start exactly because of such thoughts.
Reality has changed. But in some minds, the old atmosphere still remains.
Elbeyi HASANLI, ZURICH