‘A Shameful Act’ Published in Farsi, Akcam Tours Iran

TEHRAN, Iran (A.W.)—From June 21-28, Prof. Taner Akcam visited Iran for lectures dedicated to the launching of the Farsi translation of his book A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility. The Armenian Prelacy of Tehran and the Commemoration Committee of the 95^th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide organized the visit.

The first event took place in Tehran on June 23 at the Armenian Cultural Society (Hayots Akoomb). The speakers were Robert Beglatian, the parliamentary representative of Armenians in the southern regions of Iran; Dr. Ayda Hovhanissian from the Armenian Prelacy of Tehran; and Akcam.

Iranian Parliamentary members, university professors, students, researchers, authors, Armenian community representatives, and a public of more than 300 attended the event.

The second event took place in Isfahan on June 25, with Beglarian and Akcam speaking.

During his stay, Akcam visited the Armenian Research Center (Hay Dati Handznakhumb), where he had a chance to meet with committee and sub-committee members. They presented the activities of the center, which include introducing the Armenian Genocide and the Armenian Cause to the public. Akcam then visited the offices of the Alik Armenian daily newspaper, where he met with the editorial board and editor.

Akcam also visited the Caucasus Studies Foundation at the University of Tehran, where he met with doctoral students of the center and discussed current events in Turkey and archival documents on the Armenian Genocide available in Iran. Akcam gave interviews to the Farhikhtegan newspaper and Mehrnameh monthly.

A Shameful Act was translated to Farsi by Babak Vahedi and Mohsen Ghaem Maghami.

Taner Akcam is the Robert Aram and Marianne Kaloosdian and Stephen and Marion Mugar Chair in Modern Armenian History and Genocide Studies at Clark University.

Loosineh Markarian contributed to this report.