From Hovik's Inbox

[Hovik]

Some of you may wish to read the column which just appeared in the September issue of
the American Historical Association's?magazine, PROSPECTIVES, which explains the decision?
last June of the?AHA council to protest to Prime Minister Erdogan the cancellation of the Istanbul Conference.


The piece, in the form of the brief monthly column by the current president, James Sheehan, is set?in terms of a discussion of "Contested Histories." Next to it is the letter the AHA Council wrote to?Prime Minister Erdogan.?

http://www.historians.org/Perspectives/Issues/2005/0509/0509pre1.cfm

It was written in late May-early June, before it was clear that the conference had only been postponed,
not cancelled.
Best,?
Peggy Anderson


[Passage Omitted by Hovik: Mrs. Anderson's contact info]


Margaret Lavinia Anderson
Professor of History
University of California-Berkeley

[Hovik]

Some Disturbing E-mails

I got this e-mail and it's response in my inbox. The e-mail was addressed to some major Armenian Organizations and community members.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Armenian Diaspora!

Your cries of "vicious personal attack" show that you have no stomach for the truth.
My dear Friends, he who lives by the sword, must be prepared to die by the sword.
You haven't seen anything yet. If you think that Prof. Ozan is bad, wait until you
see something really bad. The monster "B?icht" you have created is going to
destroy you one day. The Turks are never half as bad as the terrible imagination
you carry with you in your hearts.

You are all educated and clever people. Don't you know that, to every action, there
is an opposite and equal reaction? In fact, with the Turks, this opposite reaction is
mostly not equal but much much stronger. If you don't believe me, ask your Greek
friends, they can tell you more about it. They have tasted it in Inonu, Sakarya, Izmir
and more recently in Cyprus.

The aim of my letter is really not to scare you, but, to help you get rid of your
deep rooted Turkophobia. I sincerely hope that it will help you break away from
age-old scepticism, propaganda and slander that creates phobia and friction in
your hearts and minds, thus denying Armenians the benefit of friendly relations to
neighbouring countries. Don't forget that, you may be related to the Christian
West by way of your religion, but, you are surrounded by Muslim Turks, who
mean you no harm. Otherwise, there wouldn't be an Armenain Community in
Istanbul, and there wouldn't be 50.000 Armenain Guest-Workers earning a
Living in Turkey. You can choose your frinds but not your brothers and neighbours!
I went to school with Armenian youngsters and never fellt that they were any
different than us Turks. Yes, we treated them as brothers, and, God knows it.

We don't hate you, but, if you continue on the misguided course you are on,
you will need more than friends - God help and bless you.


Yours sincerely

Kufi Seydali
A Friend


**************
RESPONSE by Maral Der Ohanesian
**************

Dear Kufi,

First of all, I want to thank you for your strong statements in the message below. You made it so clear to any neutral reader that the Armenian Genocide of 1915 is a historical fact.

The Turkish character that your countrymen are trying to hide under a civilized exterior was revealed vividly by you to the whole world and to every single human being who will receive this great confessional piece of writing. They will all know "Who the Turks Really Are"! Bragging about the Genocide against the Greeks that you used to threaten the Armenians with is nothing but an evidence that you and your fellow Turks are not only capable of committing the Crime of Crimes ( The Genocide ), but you are ready to commit it all over again, if need be.

I'm sure that your denial of the fact of the Armenian Genocide is out of ignorance, for if you knew the truth you wouldn't have had the nerve to threaten the Armenians again with another Genocide, with the sword and with the Muslim population that surrounds Armenia.

It was interesting for me that you gave Mr. Ozan the title of Prof. I finally realized why you Turks pay for American Profs. to create a fake cover for your propaganda, because if Mahmut Ozan is an example of your Profs. then you are in desperate need to get Americans' help in creating a convincing story free of grammatical and spelling mistakes.

And by the way as you are in Austria, I suggest you pay a visit to the Austrian National Archive, you might find some answers there, about the Fact of the Armenian Genocide. Yes in your war ally's archive !!

Finally, I will have to remind you that the final chapter isn't written yet. And don't you think that we will be intimidated by your threats. Thank God we are not living under your Genocidal Turkish rule anymore !!!



Enjoy Your Denial,

Maral Der Ohanesian



P.S. I will appreciate it, if you email me the address of the "ostrich hole" that you'll hide your head in when Turkey finally recognize the fact of the Armenian Genocide, I would be interested to take a look.

[Omitted by Hovik: Contact info]

[Tongue]

Oh wow!! Indeed, disturbing email. Mr. Kufi your barbaric nature shows in your email. But you didn't have to write that to prove it to us, we already knew.

I like the response Maral gave him.

[Hovik]

Hovik's Inbox 17-10-05

Dear Group,

I want to respond to Muge¹s call for response about the Armenian Diaspora.
I have traveled across the USA and in Europe and the Middle East in the past
7 years with my books, and my sense of the Armenian Diaspora comes in part
from that experience.

From an intellectual perspective, let me say that it is wrong and misleading
to essentialize any group of people. I always make a point of noting to my
audiences that despite Turkish government denial there are large numbers of
Turkish citizens who do not share their government¹s values.

Let me respond to some of the clichés and stereotypes mentioned by Mr. Oran
and others. The Armenian Diaspora is not predominantly made up of extreme
nationalists who hate all Turkish people. As soon as Turkish citizens come
forward with an ability to accept the realities of 1915, Armenians are for
the most part open, responsive, and grateful. But it is probably true that
most Armenian Diasporans do believe that the moral reality of the Armenian
Genocide is bedrock for opening up human relations with Turkish people.

I have said in print before that I think it is sociologically dishonest and
emotionally immature to characterize the Armenian Diaspora as Turk-hating
fanatics who can only think about the Armenian Genocide. The Armenian
Diaspora is a multi-layered, broad, complex, cosmopolitan community, and a
community whose identity is shaped to some degree by each country it is part
of.

I thought Hrank Dink¹s reflection on the Armenian Diaspora that I read last
spring was completely misinformed. As I am a great supporter of Mr. Dink and
know that he is a good and brave man, I am not attacking him, but responding
to his misunderstanding about the Armenian Diaspora. Mr. Dink claimed in a
talk he gave that the Armenian Diaspora was characterized by ghettoized
insularity, as if Armenians in Diaspora clung to their ethnic way of life
and were cut off from the wider world; and in their ghettos they can only
obsess over the Armenian Genocide.

This is not the case. Armenian Americans, for example, are very much part of
mainstream American life: generally affluent, professional, in many ways
all-American. True, they are a culture group that is still influenced by
certain shared cultural values and rituals and social dynamics, but they are
not all part of ONE THING. They are religious, they are atheists, they are
Democrats, they are Republicans; in addition to being successful in
business, they produce rock Œn roll, jazz, films, write books, teach in
schools and universities; they root for the local team in baseball and
football, they may eat more Chinese food and pizza than Armenian food, etc.
They do not all speak Armenian, or read and write it. They don't march in
ethnic pride parades, etc.

I will say that most Diaspora Armenians find it difficult to understand
that the Turkish government has succeeded in socializing its population as
it has; that the absence of knowledge about the history of the Armenians of
Anatolia is so great, and that the denial of this history is so monolithic.

I don¹t mean to suggest that Armenian Americans are perfect. They are a real
mix of things, as all peoples are a mix of things. But, the diasporan
experience has given them some advantages, most of which they have used
pretty well. Most Diaspora Armenians have grown up in societies where
rigorous historical critique is part of the mainstream school curriculum.
This makes a difference.

It may be worth noting‹as I reflect on this‹that Armenians are often faced
with negative experiences of Turkish people. For example, when Turkish
Americans or Turkish students come out in groups to harass and leaflet
academic lectures on the Armenian Genocide, it leaves a very bad taste in
the mouths of many-- and not just Armenian Americans.

For example. I was harassed all last year by such Turkish groups--at
Princeton, University of Connecticut, Museum of Tolerance in LA, and other
places. Turkish Americans were leafleting, verbally aggressive, full of
denial and anger. Sadly, this becomes for most Armenian Americans the only
encounter they have with Turkish people. To say the least, even if Armenian
Americans understand that these particular people have been socialized this
way, it is still emotionally shocking to be treated like this. After a
serious presentation on the Armenian Genocide, and one in which non-Armenian
scholars have participated, one hopes that the Turkish people in the
audience might pull back a bit, be a little introspective or thoughtful or
at least respectful. When this doesn¹t happen, I fear it fuels bad will. It
reveals that there is no understanding on the part of the Turkish people of
the dynamics of power and meaning of trauma. One thing I keep telling the
Turkish people in my audiences is: listen to your writers and scholars, and
I mention Taner, Muge, Pamuk, Adanir, Berktay, and others. And, I urge them
to embrace the power of cultural and historical critique and
self-evaluation.

This makes one aware of how much education has to happen inside Turkey. And,
so more than ever, I am grateful for the superb work that all of you have
done and are doing on this history.

Sincerely,

Peter [Balakian]

[Hovik]

Uk Prepares Reply For Turkey's Blue Book Letter

UK PREPARES REPLY FOR TURKEY'S BLUE BOOK LETTER

ARMINFO News Agency
October 18, 2005

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 18. ARMINFO. The British House of Lords is preparing
a reply for the letter about the "Blue Book" sent by the Justice and
Development Party (AKP) and Republican People's Party (CHP) to the
British Parliament, reports Zaman (Turkey).

The British answer claims that the "Blue Book", which deals with the
Armenian genocide, is reliable. British Parliament Human Rights Group
Co-Chair Lord Avebury said that the Turkish Parliament was not informed
sufficiently about the issue. Therefore, he offered that British and
Turkish deputies should hold a joint meeting with academicians. The
answer defends that "Blue Book" nourishes from sufficient sources. "One
point, which is not taken into consideration in the letter, is the
fact that documents supporting the book can be easily accessed. On
the contrary to what the letter claims, Arnold Toynbee did not say
that the "Blue Book" is inaccurate," it was told.

The Blue Book was written by the British historian Arnold Toynbee
and was published with the approval of the House of Commons in 1916.

Turkey wants the UK to accept that the book is not telling the truth
and apologize to Ankara.

[Hovik]

Armenian Radio Station - Yerevan Nights Radio

Dear Friends,

We would like to draw your attention to http://www.YerevanNights.com. We are trying to provide the best Armenian Radio Station. We would like to get some information about Yerevan Nights Radio Please email at [email protected]. We would like to know as a listener how I can make the Radio Station better. If there any requests for a particular music please let us know. If you inquire any problems please email [email protected].

http://www.YerevanNights.com

Thank You for all the support

Yerevan Nights Radio Team

[Hovik]

Dear Friends,



Thanks to all of you who are supporters of the scientists, engineers, students and support personnel of the Cosmic Ray Division (CRD) in Armenia at the Mt. Aragats research stations 6,500 ft and 10,500 ft. above sea level. Summer or winter, sunny weather or blizzard, matters not. They work year round to put Armenia among the top 5 countries in the world for Cosmic Ray research, and they do it on a shoe string budget. They make us proud to be Armenian. For more details please visit www.crdfriends.org .



Appreciating the importance of the CRD for Armenia and the world, the best online Armenian gift store has designated the biggest shopping day of the year - Friday after Thanksgiving, November 25, as CRD Day. This means that 15% of the proceeds from ALL the sales on Made In Armenia Direct on that day will be donated to the CRD in Armenia. Please help us out by shopping at WWW.MADEINARMENIADIRECT.COM on November 25 for your Christmas and other gifts.



Attached is also the most recent press release about the CRD which I sent to the papers relating to the Solar Extreme Events Conference in Armenia which drew over 75 scientists from 11 countries and was on NASA's list of important conferences for the space research community.



If you wish to write a note of congratulations or well wishes to Prof. Chilingarian (head of the CRD) or to the CRD staff and students, please visit www.crdfriens.org and click on EMAIL US at the top of the left panel. Prof. Chilingarian has access to this email account. We the friends of CRD would also appreciate your feed back - about the CRD, about Armenian science, or about our website.



As you are thinking about Christmas gifts this year, consider some of the CRD merchandise - a beautiful 2006 calendar with amazing scenery from Armenia, appropriately called "Spectacular Armenia"; or the Armenian miniature gift or wine bags; or any of the other items on our SCACRD MERCHANDISE list accessible from the left panel of the www.crdfriends.org homepage.



I wish you a wonderful holiday season. We truly have a lot to be thankful for. May God bless you and your family.



Best wishes,

Anahid

[Hovik]

Mass. Genocide Case

Dear All,

http://www.here-now.org/shows/2005/12/20051213_2.asp

I forward to you a link from the WBUR radio site for the
program "Here & Now". It contains streaming audio regarding
the Massachusetts lawsuit with interviews by a couple of the
plaintiffs in the case. If you would like to hear how denial can
be subtly rationalized by deniers, this is very instructive.

The interview with the history teacher will be especially interesting as
he cites people like Guenther Lewy, and Bernard Lewis to support
his position. Also interesting is his reference to German documents
that show the truth of the Holocaust without any mention by him of the
wealth of German documents that show the truth of the Armenian Genocide
- not to mention those of the British, French, US, Turkish, and others.

The fact that the published works of the "scholars" the deniers cite
regarding this issue do not pass muster when examined critically
is not even mentioned by anyone.

Pitting one group of historians against another seems to be
the familiar tack taken by deniers, all the while ignoring the
most important group of scholars whose specialty is genocide.

This shows how little members of the media know of the field of
genocide studies itself. They are wholly ignorant that there is even a
field of genocide studies, an organization of scholars who study
the phenomenon and who have unanimously affirmed the Armenian
Genocide which, I might add, has been reaffirmed over and over
again by every independent deliberative body convened specifically
to review it.

So how many times must the wheel be reinvented?

Another fallacy rears its head continually in such coverage.
The idea of "fairness" used this way does nothing but distort the
concept itself to promote denial and foster further doubt
and confusion where none should exist.

This plays into the hands of deniers and is a sad comment
on the state of education on genocide among history teachers.
Such ignorance plays into the hands of the deniers and does not
bode well for the education of our young.

Also, the assumption by news persons that a state would ever willingly
admit to charges of genocide is naive. I never cease to be amazed
that they always ask the Turkish Government for its "opinion"
on the subject. What answer would they expect? This I find truly
incredible and it continues to play into the hands of the deniers.

Lastly and more importantly, none of this serves the interest of promoting
the democratization of Turkish civil society but merely serves to
retard the process further leading to the entrenchment of denialist
rhetoric that in and of itself is self perpetuating and harmful to the
social and moral growth of the society itself. This, perhaps, is the
most unfortunate consequence of such denial.

Nothing makes this more apparent than the treatment Orhan Pamuk
received during and after his appearance in court or that received
by the members of the EU who were there to observe the trial.

It should therefore be no surprise to anyone if much of Europe
shudders at the thought of Turkey becoming a member.

Democracy is more than a word. It is an idea. And unless this
is really understood by those with entrenched ideas and distorted
concepts of what national pride is and should be, things will never
change for the better in Turkey.


Richard Kloian



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.here-now.org/shows/2005/12/20051213_2.asp

Was it Genocide?

Story aired: Tuesday, December 13, 2005
[http://www.here-now.org/hn_images/1px.gif]
[http://www.here-now.org/hn_images/bt_listen.gif]
[http://www.here-now.org/hn_images/1px.gif]
A federal lawsuit filed against education officials in Massachusetts is sparking a new debate about history and how the controversial events are presented to students. The event in question here is known by most historians as the Armenian genocide, who believe that Muslim Turks methodically killed 1.5 million Christian Armenians beginning in 1915.

Turkey has said that the deaths were the unfortunate offshoot of war as Armenians sided with the invading Russians, bringing on the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The lawsuit seeks to restore the Turkish point of view to curriculum guidelines.

Guests:
[http://www.here-now.org/hn_images/1px.gif]
[http://www.here-now.org/hn_images/1px.gif]
[http://www.here-now.org/hn_images/icon_arrow.gif] Bill Schechter, teacher of American history at Lincoln-Sudbury High School in Massachusetts
[http://www.here-now.org/hn_images/1px.gif]
[http://www.here-now.org/hn_images/icon_arrow.gif] William Keylor, professor of history and international relations at Boston University and director of the International History Institute

http://www.here-now.org/hn_images/1px.gif

[http://www.here-now.org/hn_images/1px.gif]
[http://www.here-now.org/hn_images/icon_arrow.gif] Armenian Genocide Resources for Teachers
[http://www.here-now.org/hn_images/1px.gif]
[http://www.here-now.org/hn_images/icon_arrow.gif] Wikipedia: Armenian Genocide
[http://www.here-now.org/hn_images/1px.gif]
[http://www.here-now.org/hn_images/icon_arrow.gif] BBC News: Timeline: Armenia
[http://www.here-now.org/hn_images/1px.gif]
[http://www.here-now.org/hn_images/icon_arrow.gif] The Middle East Quarterly: Revisiting the Armenian Genocide

[Hovik]

Women among five held for plot to kill Turkish governor

Print
[
Copyright (c) 2005 The Daily Star

Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Women among five held for plot to kill Turkish governor


By Agence France Presse (AFP)




DIYARBAKIR, Turkey: Turkish police detained five people Monday on suspicion of plotting to assassinate the governor of the mainly Kurdish eastern province of Van on New Year's Eve, local security officials said. The operation in Van city was carried out jointly by anti-terror police and intelligence units. The detainees, among them two women, were suspected of plotting to assassinate Van Governor Niyazi Tanilir and other local officials, the sources said.

The police also seized a pistol, explosives and about 200 bullets in the homes of the suspects. There was no immediate word on whether the suspects belonged to any outlawed group.

The separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), blacklisted as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States, is active in the region and has attacked government targets in the past.

In a separate operation, a man suspected of aiding the PKK was detained in the province of Sirnak, on the border with Iraq, local officials said Monday. In the home of the suspect, the police discovered a kilogram of plastic explosives and a mobile telephone devised as a remote-control detonator, thought to have been destined for PKK attacks on the security forces.

Unrest in Turkey's mainly Kurdish eastern and southeastern provinces has markedly increased this year after the PKK called off a five-year unilateral ceasefire in June 2004. The Kurdish conflict in Turkey has claimed some 37,000 lives since the PKK took up arms in 1984. - AFP



Copyright (c) 2005 The Daily Star

[Hovik]

Erdogan Vows To Carry On With Reforms To Create Free Society

ERDOGAN VOWS TO CARRY ON WITH REFORMS TO CREATE FREE SOCIETY

TDN
Thursday, December 29, 2005

The government, embattled by European and domestic criticism of a
deterioration in freedoms, pledged yesterday to press ahead with
reforms as part of Turkey's drive to join the European Union.

"Our main issue is to complete as soon as possible the reforms and
structural transformation, as part of the negotiation process, that
are necessary to achieve a society with free thought and conscience,
something that also constitutes the basis of the EU," Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a meeting here yesterday.

The government made EU membership a top priority after coming to power
in late 2002 and has carried out sweeping political and economic
reforms to bring Turkey closer to EU standards since then. But a
number of legal proceedings launched against authors, scholars and
activists have recently put Turkey under the international spotlight
and raised questions in the EU over the government's commitment to
freedom of expression.

Novelist Orhan Pamuk, an often-mentioned candidate for this year's
Nobel Prize, is the most popular person facing trial for expressing
opinions. Prosecutors say his remarks that "1 million Armenians and
30,000 Kurds were killed in these lands" in February constituted an
offense under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), covering
"insulting Turkishness and state institutions."

Erdogan said Turkey should avoid isolating itself from the world
by confining itself to baseless fears as the world evolves at an
amazingly rapid pace and called on society to take the initiative in
producing information.

"We, as the government, are determined to remove all obstacles
standing in front of freedom of expression and freedom to produce,"
Erdogan said.

Countdown begins for membership:

Turkey opened long-awaited accession talks with the EU on Oct. 3, but
a regular progress report released in November criticized deficiencies
in a number of areas, most notably freedom of expression.

The criticism comes amid public concerns in Europe over Turkey's
eventual entry into the EU. Public discontent and official criticism
has weakened Turkish hopes for accession into the EU. A recently
concluded public opinion poll showed that less Turks believed that
Turkey's future lies in the EU. Some 55 percent said Turkey had a
future in Europe, according to the International Strategic Research
Organization, down from 61 percent last year.

Erdogan dismissed fears that the accession process might not end up
in membership.

"I know many of our citizens have this question of whether they will
let us in the EU. For us, the full membership issue is closed. The
process from now on is a process of accession," he said. "The clock
is ticking down. This (EU membership) will be accomplished sooner
or later."

Intellectual enterprise:

Erdogan also called on civil society actors to take the initiative
to improve the Turkish economy, scientific research and the capacity
for innovation.

The prime minister criticized Turkey's universities for not putting
sufficient effort into winning EU funds available in areas of
science and research, particularly as part of the EU's 6th Framework
agreement, which provides generous funds for scientific projects from
participating countries, including Turkey.

"Universities are complaining that they cannot find sufficient
funds for research. More than 200 million euros were allocated to
finance eligible scientific research projects from Turkey. But our
researchers used only 6 percent of this amount and the rest of the
money was sent back into the EU budget. Am I the person to account
for this?" Erdogan asked.