Harry Terhanian.com

soudakhosoutioun yehrpehmehn guh haidneh juhshmahrdoutioun
juhshmahrdoutioun misht guh haidneh soudahkhosoutioun

A man who always lied was asked “Does truth exist?” He said, “Yes!”

A man who always told the truth was asked, “Does truth exist?” He said, “Yes!”

The liar was asked, “Do lies exist?” You may qualify your statement for clarity sake. He replied, “Yes,” lies exist for the purpose of masking the truth.”

The truthful man was asked, “Do lies exist?” You may clarify your statement for clarity sake. He replied, “Yes,” lies exist for the purpose of revealing the truth.”

For the liar, lies exist for masking the truth. He lies to hide the truth.
But for a truthful man, lies exist to reveal the truth for when they are spoken eventually someone will come forward to expose the deception.

Therefore, a lie may be spoken to cover the truth, but, in spite of that, the lie may reveal the truth.

But, the truth will always reveal a lie as a lie cannot stand in the face of the truth. It may take some time, but the truth will prevail.

geghdzuh soud guh khoseh vor juhstmahrdoutioun dzahdzgeh. Paiytz juhstmahrdoutioun vehrchahbehss geghdzoutioun guh haiydneh

A man who always lied was asked “Does truth exist?” He said, “Yes!”

A man who always told the truth was asked, “Does truth exist?” He said, “Yes!”

The liar was asked, “Do lies exist?” “You may qualify your statement for clarity sake.”
He replied, “Yes,” “Lies exist for the purpose of hiding the truth.”

The truthful man was asked, “Do lies exist?” “You may clarify your statement for clarity sake.”
He replied, “Yes,” “Lies will eventually reveal the truth.”

Both the liar and the honest man answered yes to both questions. The second question, however, revealed that the liar said yes to the first question to mask the truth rather than tell the truth. The motives of the two were revealed by their qualifying statements to the second question. Although they both answered yes to the second question, they had differing points of view about the outcome of a lie.
The liar sees the lie as a way to hide the truth. The honest man considers that a lie will eventually reveal the truth.

There is proverb in Armenian that says, “The clouds will never completely hide the sun.” The proverb reveals that the truth will eventually come out just as the sun will eventually shine through the clouds.

An sad example of the above is the Turkish government that adamantly refuses to recognize that their predecessors, the Young Turks committed a government organized genocide against the Armenians of Turkey from 1915 to 1918. The present government of Turkey should learn from Turkish proverbs the timeless wisdom that says, “A candle that truth kindles is not extinguished though the whole world tries to blow it out. (Bir sem (mum) ki hak yaka, dunya uflese sonmez)
Rather than attempt to rewrite history by denying the Turkish government sponsored the genocide
of Turkey’s Armenians, the present Turkish elected officials should admit the truth knowing well that “The sun cannot be plastered with clay.” (Gunes balcikla sivanmaz) What is so obvious cannot be hidden; truth will always prevail.

There are many governments of the world that have recognized the Turkish massacre of the Armenians. The government of Turkey reacts by threatening economic and political reprisal to those governments. But Turkish wisdom says “The eyes of a bat are hurt by light.” (rencide olunur dide-i huffas ziyadan)This proverb implies that the guilty and the ignorant dislike the truth.

At their best, proverbs contain pearls of universal truth. Turkish proverbs are no different. More wise men of Turkey must step forward and rely on their own ancient proverbial wisdom to admit the butchery of the Armenian people was instigated and organized by the Turkish government with the goal of eliminating the Armenian from Eastern Turkey. The truth is that up until 1915, there was a slow and relentless genocide of the Armenians in Anatolia. In 1915, the Turkish government decided to finish the job by carefully organizing a genocide to finally rid the interior lands of the Armenians. It is said in Turkish, “The hangman does not know the word “mercy.”" (zalim merhamet bilmez) The Turkish government showed no mercy to the Armenians in 1915.

It should be remembered, “Do not provoke the curse of the oppressed; it will take effect sooner or later.” (alma mazlumum ahini; cikar aheste, aheste)

One of the greatest Muslim philosophers, named El Ghazali, wrote “The Revival of Religious Sciences” (Arabic: احياء علوم الدين‎ Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din or Ihya’ul Ulumuddin). In this book he speaks about a Muslim companion of the Prophet Muhammed named Hudhayfah. He had three qualities which particularly impressed the Prophet Muhammad; his unique intelligence, quick wit, and his ability to keep a secret even under persistent questioning. The Prophet Muhammad was to utilize the special strengths of each companion. A primary problem the Muslims encountered were hypocrites who had superficially accepted Islam while simultaneously plotting against the Muslim community. Because of Hudhayfah’s ability to keep a secret, Muhammad told him the names of the hypocrites, a trust not bestowed upon others. Hudhayfah was commissioned to watch their movements and follow their activities. The hypocrites, because their secrecy and intimate knowledge of the developments and plans of the Muslims, presented a greater threat to the community than external enemies. From this time onwards, Hudhayfah was called The Keeper of the Secret of the Messenger of Allah, remaining faithful to his pledge of secrecy.

Hudhayfah said, “at the time of the Prophet Mohammed, there were things which made the man who repeated them a hypocrite as long as he lived. Now, however, I hear these same things repeated ten times a day, and no one seems to mind.” A certain learned man said, the person closest to hypocrisy is he who deems himself free thereof. Hudhayfah also said, hypocrites are more numerous today than they were at the time of the Prophet. At that time they used to conceal their hypocrisy; now they are not ashamed to reveal it. Such hypocrisy militates against the reality of belief as well as against its perfectness. It is something concealed and subtle: the farthest removed from it are those who are constantly afraid of it, while those who deem themselves free of it are they who are nearest to it.”

El-Ghazzali relates a story of a man who told Hudhayfah, “Verily I fear I am a hypocrite.” To which Hudhayfah replied, “Fear not. If you were a hypocrite you would not have feared hypocrisy. Verily hypocrisy does not fear hypocrisy.”

The attempt by the modern Turkish government to deny the massacre of the Armenians of Turkey was a genocide or planned and organized systematic extermination is the example of detestable hypocrisy. There are educated Turks who also find such hypocrisy disgusting. Yet, if they voice their opinion, they will be prosecuted for denigrating the Turkish people and government.

Turkish wisdom says, “The candle of the tricky person is soon burned out.” (hilekarin mumu cok surmez) Yet, the Turkish government has maintained its innocence of genocide for over 90 years. In fact, Turkey accuses the Armenians of treasonous activity that justified Turkey’s “population transfer” of Armenians that results in the murder and forced death of 1.5 million Armenians. It is said in Turkish, “The crooked person who is not caught is more upright than the bey (nobleman).
(tutulmayan ugru (hirsiz) beydan dogru)

Material prosperity, military strength, fear-mongering and other forms of intimidation, false scholarship that attempts to alter the truth of historical record will not make a wrong right or exonerate the responsibility of genocide. The modern Turkish government must recognize and accept its responsibility for the past crimes against the Armenian people who were brutally massacred. The few survivors were forced to leave their ancient homeland of Western Armenia.

The Turkish government should learn the wisdom from the ancient wisdom, “The ship of a liar does not sail or literally, if you descend a well with the rope of a liar, you will remain in the well.” (yalancinin ipi ile kuyuya inen, kuyu dibinde kalir)

Literally, a liar’s feet are very short, they cannot walk a long path.

More poetically, ” a liars feet are very short (small), they cannot carry him for the long haul.”

The following story illustrates this proverb.

One day I returned home very late from my friend’s house.

“Hraiyr, where were you?”, asked my father.

I said that I planted two trees.

The next day, my father came to visit my school. He saw us
in the playground watering newly planted trees.

“Hraiyr, which one of the trees did you plant?”, said my father.
I pointed to two newly planted tree stalks. Then my father stepped close to
one of my female classmates named Baiytzahr. She pointed to the same two newly planted trees and said, “Uncle, how do you like the new trees that I planted?”

My father gave me a quick glance and shook his head in disapproval. I felt ashamed and became red faced. I couldn’t say anything.

When Baiytzahr left, my father said.

“A liars feet are very short (small), they cannot carry him for the long haul.”

sooud gah doun guh kahnteh, sooud gah vor yehgeghuhtzee guh seeneh

Sooud khosheh vor jishtuh hasgehnass

Once a man came to Narredin Hodja and asked,

Hodja, my wife accidentally killed your cow. What is the just remuneration?

You owe me 1000 dinars.

Hodja, is there any doubt about this reimbursement?

You owe me this money as sure as there is only one God.

Hodja I got my facts mixed up. Actually, your wife accidentally killed my cow.

The Hodja frowned and said, “Oh, I forgot to say that this will require a lengthy study of the law books as it is a very complicated legal question with no clear attribution of fault.”

One should always strive to tell the truth even if there is the possibility of personal damage. In this story, the Hodja knew the law and the true application of it, but when he saw it would be detrimental to him, he refused to acknowledge its simple application.

It may be necessary to speak a lie to know the truth when we are dealing with persons who lack the moral uprightness to speak the truth even if it is damaging to themselves. Speaking and living by the truth is always in our best interest. The best policy is never to lie, but sometimes it is necessary to use a thorn to take out a thorn.

Lehzoueen metch touyn ounetzogh megheer chee tuknehr

Such persons always bad mouth others for any
little thing and often unjustly.

Souduh sadanah eh