Below is a statement endorsed by the Society for Armenian Studies and the International Association for Armenian Studies, and released on Aug. 13. It is preceded be a brief introduction from the initiators of the signature campaign.
The following statement was endorsed several weeks ago by the Society for Armenian Studies and the International Association for Armenian Studies in response to misleading and slanderous pronouncements on Armenian television and the internet by individuals in Glendale, Calif. Despite the provocation, it seemed preferable at the time not to distribute this statement to the media in the hope that the smear campaign would run its course and disappear. That indeed seemed to be happening until July 28, when an Armenian newspaper received and unsuspectingly printed a report from the Yerevan news agency Armenpress regarding alleged statements ascribed to the Director of the Armenian Studies and Humanities Division of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences Dr. V. Barkhudaryan critical of certain Armenian studies scholars abroad. Although it soon became apparent that the Armenpress report had been fabricated and that Dr. Barkhudaryan had made no such statements, the Glendale group again went on television to proclaim that the leadership of Armenia had handed a crushing defeat to the “falsifiers of Armenian history” and even went so far as to liken its significance to the “Battle of Avarayr.” Academician Barkhudaryan has refuted the report, stating that he has given no such interview with Armenpress or any other organ, labeling such ascriptions as “fabricated intrigue” (shintsu sadrank). In view of these recent developments, we feel compelled to circulate our statement to the media and to call on the public to join the 250 scholars in Armenia and abroad as well as the 30 Armenian studies programs and cultural/educational organizations that have signed the declaration in support of the freedom of academic inquiry and against totalitarian-style censorship.
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We, the undersigned scholars and supportive cultural-educational organizations, deplore the recent activities and statements of certain individuals and groups that aim at discrediting the reputation and work of Armenian studies scholars and scholarship, especially in the United States.
In recent months, we have witnessed an intensification of their anti-intellectual activities. When taking note of the slanderous videos placed on YouTube beginning in January 2009, the recently-emerged so-called “Armenian Progressive Students Union” and the “Armenian Nationalists’ Union,” the fabrications and manipulations of a Glendale-based Armenian television commentator, and various petitions addressed to authorities in Armenia, it is apparent that the campaign has become larger in scope than initially thought.
The current attacks are based on gross distortions and intellectual dishonesty. One does not have to agree with the conclusions or views of particular scholars on any given subject to insist that (a) statements by scholars should not be taken out of context or even turned around to give a directly opposite meaning from what is actually written; (b) dissent or responses should be based on research and be articulated with civility; and (c) differences should not be turned into campaigns that border on intellectual terrorism. It is obvious that this movement now goes far beyond the realm of criticism and accepted norms of discussion and dissent.
Scholars in Armenian studies, including those who are currently being maligned, have produced research that has secured Armenian history and culture their legitimate places in academia and the wider world community. They have been a most effective voice in international forums and media regarding issues critical to understanding of past and present Armenian history.
Whatever the motivations behind the attacks, they can have only negative consequences for all concerned. Equally important, this offensive seems to be promoting a monolithic reading of Armenian history under a single authority, creating a situation in which any deviation from that imposed interpretation might be labeled as treachery. Such an approach is objectionable because (a) it runs counter to the concept of research and research-based analyses of history; (b) it closes the opportunity to look at the past in all its complexities and as yet unexplored dimensions; (c) it makes historical and cultural studies irrelevant to the understanding of the present and to the choices regarding the future.
It is clear that this is no longer a problem of the specific scholars under attack or even of Armenian studies, generally. This is a problem for Armenian culture in the widest sense of the word. In view of this ideologically bankrupt assault to discredit scholars and impose uniformity of interpretations so detrimental to Armenian studies, as well as to the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people,
We, the undersigned,
(1) Insist on the freedom of grounded research, opinion, and interpretation;
(2) Call on those in positions of authority both in Armenia and in the Diaspora—civic and governmental officials, scholars, media, academic institutions and their leaders, and cultural-educational organizations—to join us in rejecting attempts to dictate monolithic views in Armenian studies and in supporting the right to inquiry, intellectual freedom, and cultural tolerance.
Subscribed to by:
Society for Armenian Studies (SAS), and
Association Internationale des Etudes Arméniennes (AIEA)
And the Armenian Studies Programs of:
Boston University
California State University, Fresno
California State University, Northridge
Clark University
Columbia University
Harvard University
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
University of Chicago
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Tufts University
And the civic and educational-cultural associations:
Analysis, Research and Planning for Armenia (ARPA)
Armenian Bar Association (ABA)
Armenian Center, Columbia University
Armenian Cultural Foundation (ACF), Arlington, Massachusetts
Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance
Armenian Educational Foundation (AEF)
Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America (AESA)
Armenian Librarians and Libraries Information Committee (ALLIC)
Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA), Watertown, Mass.
Armenian Research Center, University of Michigan-Dearborn
Center for Armenian Remembrance, Los Angeles
Institute of Armenian Studies, University of Southern California
Moscow Armenian Student Association
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR)
Nor Serount Cultural Association, California
Oesterreichisch-armenische Studiengesellschaft, Vienna
Tekeyan Cultural Association, Los Angeles Chapter
Youth Society of Intellectual Interaction (SIVAM), Moscow
And individual scholars and graduate students:
Dr. Ramela A. Abbamontian,
Department of Art History,
Pierce Community College,
Woodland Hills, Calif.
Dr. Armenuhi Drost-Abgaryan,
Chair of Christian Oriental Studies,
Martin Luther Universität,
Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
Academician (Corresponding) Levon H. Abrahamian,
Head, Department of Contemporary Anthropological Studies,
Institue of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Mr. Steven Abramian,
Executive Board, HASK-Armenian-American Community Center,
Tujunga, Calif.
Mr. Gregory Aftandilian,
Independent Scholar,
Washington, D.C.
Ms. Gia Aivazian,
Librarian for Armenian and Greek,
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Taner Akcam,
Kaloosdian-Mugar Chair in Armenian Genocide
Studies and Modern Armenian History,
Clark University, Worcester, Mass.
Dr. Herman Akdag,
Professor, Université de Reims,
and Université Paris 6
Mr. Edward Alexander,
Diplomatic Service, Retired,
Bethesda, Maryland
Dr. Joseph M. Alexanian,
Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies,
Trinity International University, Illinois
Dr. Margaret Lavinia Anderson,
Professor of History,
University of California, Berkeley
Dr. Tara L Andrews,
Armenian Studies,
University of Oxford
Mr. Richard Antaramian,
Ph.D. Candidate, History,
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Dr. Sima Aprahamian,
Sociology-Anthropology and
Simone de Beauvoir Institute,
Concordia University, Montreal
Ms. Erebouni Arakelian,
Chairwoman, Association of Armenian
Academicians in Sweden
Uppsala, Sweden
Prof. Anna Arakelyan,
Department of Foreign Languages,
Russian-Armenian State University,
Yerevan
Prof. Mary Arakelyan,
Department of Foreign Languages,
Russian-Armenian State University,
Yerevan
Mr. Mikayel Arakelyan,
Matenadaran, Yerevan,
and Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dr. Gregory Areshian,
Cotsen Institute of Archaeology,
University of California, Los Angeles
Mr. Aram Arkun,
Independent Scholar,
New York
Dr. Artin H. Arslanian,
Professor of History and International Relations,
Marist College,
Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Academician (Corresponding) Sergey Arutyunov,
Head of Department of Caucasian Studies,
Institute of Ethnography and Anthropology,
National Academy of Sciences of Russia,
Moscow
Dr. Sebouh Aslanian,
Post-Graduate Fellow,
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Dr. Stephan A. Astourian,
Department of History,
University of California, Berkeley
Ms. Astrig Atamian,
Institut National des Langues et Civilisations
Orientales (INALCO),
Paris
Dr. Levon Avdoyan,
Individual Scholar,
Washington, D.C.
Mr. Vahagn Avedian,
Chief Editor Armenica.org,
and Secretary of Union of Armenian Associations in Sweden
Dr. Pavel Avetisyan,
Director, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Dr. Artak Ayunts,
Conflict and Peace Studies,
Department of Sociology,
Yerevan State University
Ms. Anahid Babayan,
Ph.D. Candidate, Institute of Political Science,
Universität Leipzig,
Germany
Dr. Kathryn Babayan,
Professor of Iranian History and Culture,
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Dr. Talin Babikian,
Post-Doctoral Fellow,
University of California, Los Angeles
Ms. Bianca Bagaturian,
President, Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance,
Los Angeles, Calif.
Dr. Marco Bais,
Associate Professor of Armenian Language,
Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome
Dr. Anny Bakalian,
Associate Director, Middle Eastern Center,
The Graduate Center, City University of New York
Ms. Sarine Balian,
Armenian Artists Network,
Los Angeles, Calif.
Ms. Varvara Basmadjian,
Secretaire, Société des études arméniennes,
Paris
Dr. A. Nurhan Becidyan,
Individual Scholar,
Paramus, New Jersey
Dr. Houri Berberian,
Professor of History and
Director, Middle Eastern Studies,
California State University, Long Beach
Dr. Carel Bertram,
Department of Humanities and Faculty
in Middle East and Islamic Studies,
San Francisco State University
Dr. Thomas E. Bird,
Russian Studies Coordinator,
Queens College,
City University of New York
Dr. Arsen Bobokhyan,
Department of Early Archaeology,
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Dr. Aida Boudjikanian,
Independent Scholar,
Montreal
Dr. Nélida Boulgourdjian,
Chair of Armenian Studies,
Faculty of Philosophy and Literature,
University of Buenos Aires
Dr. George Bournoutian,
Professor of History,
Iona College, New York
Ms. Tamar Boyajian,
Ph.D Candidate, Comparative Literature,
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Marco Brambilla,
Architects Association of Armenia,
Los Angeles Branch
Dr. Valentina Calzolari,
Professeure de langue et littérature arméniennes,
Université de Genève, et Présidente de l’Association
Internationale des Etudes Arméniennes
Dr. Talar Chahinian,
Department of Comparative Literature,
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Levon Chookaszian,
UNESCO Chair of Armenian Art History,
Yerevan State University
Dr. Stacy Churchill,
Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto,
Canada
Prof.-Dr. Bernard Coulie,
Vice Chancellor and Department of Oriental Studies,
Université catholique de Louvain,
Belgium
Prof. Seta B. Dadoyan,
St. Nersess Seminary,
New Rochelle, New York
Dr. Richard Hrair Dekmejian,
Professor of Political Science, and
Director, Institute of Armenian Studies,
University of Southern California, Los Angeles
Dr. Ara Demirkhanyan,
Researcher, Institute of Art,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Dr. Hayk Demoyan,
Director, Armenian Genocide Museum & Institute,
Tsitsernakaberd Memorial,
Yerevan
Ms. Anush Der Baghdasarian,
SAS Member, Los Angeles
Dr. Azad Der Bedrosian,
President, Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America,
Los Angeles
Dr. Juan Carlos Der Dadjadian,
Association Mondial de Psychanalyse,
Paris
Dr. Tork Dalalyan,
President, Association for Near Eastern and Caucasian Studies,
and Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Dr. Khatchik Der Ghougassian,
Universidad de San Andrés,
Buenos Aires
Mr. Haig Der Manuelian, Esq.
Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA),
Watertown, Mass.
Dr. Lucy Der Manuelian,
Professor Emerita of Armenian Art History,
Tufts University,
Medford, Mass.
Dr. Bedross Der Matossian,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Cambridge, Mass.
Dr. Robert Der Merguerian,
Professor Emeritus, Université de Provence,
Aix-en-Provence, France
Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian,
Coordinator, Armenian Studies Program,
California State University, Fresno
Prof.-Dr. Anaid Donabedian,
Chair of Armenian Studies,
Institut National des Langues et
Civilisations Orientales (INALCO),
Paris
Dr. Patrick Donabedian,
Université de Provence,
Aix-en-Provence, France
Dr. Igor Dorfmann-Lazarev,
Senior Teaching Fellow in Armenian History and Civilisation,
School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS),
University of London
Ms. Myrna Douzjian,
Ph.D. Candidate, Comparative Literature,
University of California, Los Angeles
Ms. Lerna Ekmekcioglu,
Ph.D. Candidate, History/Islamic Studies,
New York University
Dr. Roberta R. Ervine,
St. Nersess Seminary,
New Rochelle, New York
Dr. Aldo Ferrari,
Ca’ Foscari University,
Venice
Dr. Mari Firkatian,
Professor of History,
University of Hartford
Dr. Armen Gakavian,
Independent Scholar,
Sydney, Australia
Mr. Rouben Galichian,
Armenian Institute,
London
Mr. Armen Garabedian,
Tadeh-Barth Publications,
Englewood, New Jersey
Dr. Nina Garsoian,
Gevork Avedissian Chair in Armenian Studies Emerita,
Columbia University, New York
Dr. Ohannes Geukjian,
Department of Political Science,
Haigazian University and
American University of Beirut
Academician Hamlet Gevorkian,
Leading Researcher, Institute of Philosophy, Sociology,
and Law, Director of Division of Research,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Mr. Armen Ghazaryan,
Senior Laboratory Assistant,
Department of Sociology,
Yerevan State University
Dr. Vazken Ghougassian,
Executive Director, Eastern Prelacy,
Armenian Apostolic Church of America,
New York
Mr. Jürgen Gispert,
Ph. D. Candidate, Ethnology,
Institut für Ethnologie,
Universität Leipzig, Germany
Prof.-Dr. Hermann Goltz,
Martin Luther Universität, Halle-Wittenberg,
MESROP Centre for Armenian Studies and
LEPSIUS House Potsdam Association,
Germany
Prof. Eric Goodfield,
The American University in Cairo
Dr. Rachel Goshgarian,
Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center,
New York
Dr. Vartan Gregorian,
President, Carnegie Foundation,
New York
Dr. Yervand Grekyan,
Researcher, Department of Ancient Near East,
Institute of Oriental Studies,
RA National Academy of Sciences of Armenia,
Yerevan
Prof. Hagop Gulludjian,
Near Eastern Languages and Cultures,
University of California, Los Angeles
Mr. Wolfgang Gust,
Editor, Official German Documents on the Armenian Genocide,
Germany
Ms. Dalita Roger-Hacyan,
Maître de conférences,
Université Paris 1 (Panthéon-Sorbonne)
Dr. Aleksan Hakobyan,
Head, Department of Christian Orient,
Institute of Oriental Studies,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Dr. Arsen Hakobyan,
Researcher, Department of Contemporary Anthropological Studies,
RA National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan, and
Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Angers, France
Dr. Peter Halfter,
Individual Scholar,
Marbach/Neckar, Germany
Mr. Michael Haratunian,
Chairman, Armenian Center at Columbia University,
New York
Dr. Hripsime Haroutunian,
Lecturer in Armenian Studies,
University of Chicago
Dr. Sona Haroutyunian,
Ca’Foscari University,
Venice
Dr. Angela Harutyunyan,
Art History, University of Manchester,
England
Ms. Anna Harutyunyan,
Ph.D. Candidate, Institut für Ethnologie,
Freie Universität, Berlin
Dr. Bagrat M. Harutyunyan,
Department of Sociology,
Yerevan State University
Academician (Corresponding) Sargis Harutyunyan,
Editor-in-Chief, Patma-banasirakan handes,
and Head, Department of History and Theory of Folklore,
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Dr. Onnik Hayrapetian,
Mashdots College and
Glendale City College
Dr. Robert H. Hewsen,
Professor of History, Emeritus,
Rowan Unviersity, New Jersey
Dr. Suren Hobosyan,
Head, Department of Ethnography,
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Ms. Hazel J. Hofman,
Graduate Student,
California State University, Fresno
Mr. Razmik Hovanessian,
Armenian Educational Foundation,
Glendale, Calif.
Dr. Richard G. Hovannisian,
Professor of History, and
AEF Chair in Modern Armenian History,
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Nubar Hovsepian,
Professor of Political Science and Academic
Director of the MA in International Studies,
Chapman University
Dr. Avetik Isahakyan,
Director, Institute of Literature,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Dr. Armine Ishkanian,
Department of Social Policy, Centre for Civil Society,
London School of Economics
Mr. Alexander Iskandaryan,
Director, Caucasus Institute,
Yerevan
Dr. Michael Job,
Indo-European Linguistics,
Sprachwissenschaftliches Seminar,
Universität Göttingen, Germany
Dr. Lynn Jones,
Department of Art History,
Florida State University
Academician (Corresponding) Aram Kalantaryan,
Leading Researcher, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences
Dr. Dikran M. Kaligian,
Managing Editor, The Armenian Review,
Watertown, Mass.
Dr. Isabel Kaprielian,
Armenian and Immigration History Professor Emerita,
California State University, Fresno
Dr. Meliné Karakashian,
Psychologist and Author,
Morgantown, N.J.
Ms. Shushan Karapetian,
Graduate Student, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures,
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Sossie Kasbarian,
Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,
Geneva
Dr. Sylvia Kasparian,
Professor of Linguistics,
Université de Moncton,
Canada
Dr. Albert ten Kate,
Bergen Op Zoom, Netherlands
Dr. Joseph A. Kéchichian,
Editor, Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies
Prof. Nanor Kenderian,
Armenian Studies,
Columbia University, New York
Dr. Anahid Keshishian,
Near Eastern Languages and Culutres,
University of California, Los Angeles
Prof. Osheen Keshishian,
Glendale Community College
Ms. Lilit Keshishyan,
Ph.D. Candidate, Comparative Literature,
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Erich Kettenhofen,
FB III – Alte Geschichte,
Universität Trier, Germany
Dr. Margarita Khachikyan,
Senior Researcher,
Institute of Oriental Studies,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Dr. Ara Khanjian,
Professor of Economics,
Ventura College
Dr. Albert Kharatyan,
Editor, Lraber hasarakakan gitutyunneri,
Head, Division of History of the Armenian Press,
Institute of History,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Dr. Hranush Kharatyan,
Head of Center for Anthropology
and Intercultural Communications,
Yerevan State Linguistic University,
Yerevan
Dr. Artashes Khurshudyan,
Head of Distance Learning Laboratory,
Department of Sociology,
Yerevan State University
Mr. John Brady Kiesling,
Independent Scholar,
Athens, Greece
Dr. George B. Kooshian, Jr.,
Los Angeles Unified School District
Dr. Asbed Kotchikian,
Global Studies Department,
Bentley University, and editor,
Armenian Review,
Waltham, Mass.
Mr. Balint Kovacs,
Researcher, Human Studies Centre for History and
Culture of Eastern Central Europe (GWZO),
Universität Leipzig, Germany,
and Ph.D. Candidate, Peter Pazmany Catholic University,
Budapest-Piliscsaba, Hungary
Dr. Dickran Kouymjian,
Haig and Isabelle Berberian Chair of Armenian Studies, Emeritus,
California State University, Fresno
Dr. Stefan Kristensen,
Department of Philosophy,
Université de Genève
Dr. Robert Krikorian,
Department of History,
The George Washington University,
Washington, D.C.
Dr. Charles de Lamberterie,
Sorbonne – EPHE, Paris
Dr. Amy Landau,
Wallis Annenberg Curatorial Fellow,
Art of the Middle East,
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Dr. Sergio La Porta,
Armenian Studies Program, Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, and California State University, Fresno
Dr. Jirair Libaridian,
Alex Manoogian Chair in Modern Armenian History,
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Prof.-Dr. Theo M. van Lint,
Calouste Gulbenkian Professor of Armenian Studies,
University of Oxford
Prof. Ann Lousin,
The John Marshall Law School,
Chicago
Dr. Annegret Plontke Lüning,
Institut für Altertumswissenschaften,
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität,
Jena, Germany
Dr. Ina Baghdiantz McCabe,
Professor of History and Darakjian Jafarian Chair
in Armenian History, Tufts University,
Medford, Massa.
Dr. Jonathan McCollum,
Department of Music and Ethnomusicology,
Anne Arundel College, Maryland, and
Research Fellow, Armenian Library and Museum of America
Prof. Hermine Mahseredjian,
Founding Director, Armenian Studies Program, Emerita,
CSU Northridge, and Executive Director, Ararat Charter School
Mr. Marc A. Mamigonian,
Director of Academic Affairs, National Association
for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR),
Belmont, Mass.
Ms. Sylva Natalie Manoogian,
Department of Information Studies,
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Christina Maranci,
Dadian Oztemel Professor of Armenian Art,
Tufts University,
Medford, Mass.
Dr. Levon Marashlian,
Department of History,
Glendale Community College
Dr. Galust Mardirussian,
Department of English/English as Second Language,
Los Angeles City College
Dr. Harutyun Marutyan,
Leading Researcher, Contemporary Anthropological Studies Department,
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Dr. Vartan Matiossian,
Independent Scholar,
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Dr. Tigran Matosyan,
Researcher,
Center for Civilization and Cultural Studies,
Yerevan State University
Prof. Ruben Melikyan,
Faculty of Law,
Yerevan State University
Ms. Arda Melkonian,
Graduate Student, Social Research Methodology,
University of California, Los Angeles
Ms. Doris Melkonian,
Graduate Student, Social Research Methodology,
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Edouard Melkonyan,
Leading Researcher, Institute of History,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Dr. Husik Melkonyan,
Head, Department of Archaeology of the Middle Ages,
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan
Dr. Robert Melson,
Professor of Political Science, Emeritus,
Purdue University, Indiana
Dr. Barbara Merguerian,
Armenian International Women¹s Association,
Wellesley, Mass.
Dr. Sylvie Merian,
Independent Scholar,
New York
Dr. Robert Mirak,
President, Armenian Cultural Foundation,
Arlington, Mass.
Mr. Ared Misirliyan,
ARTURUS Translation Services,
Montreal, Canada
Dr.-Fr. Vincent Mistrih,
Franciscan Oriental Studies,
Cairo, Egypt
Ms. Satenik Mkrtchyan,
Researcher, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences, and
Ph.D. Candidate, Tbilisi State University
Dr. Suzanne Moranian,
Independent Scholar,
Boston
Dr. Moorad Mooradian,
Independent Scholar,
Providence Forge, Virginia
Dr. Claire Mouradian,
President, Société`études arméniennes,
Paris
Mr. Khatchig Mouradian,
Editor, Armenian Weekly,
Watertown, Mass.
Ms. Jean Murachanian,
Ph.D. Candidate, Art History,
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Gohar Muradyan,
Senior Researcher,
Matenadaran, Yerevan
Dr. Claude Mutafian,
Université Paris XIII,
Paris
Dr. Norman M. Naimark,
McDonnell Professor of East European Studies,
Department of History, Stanford University
Dr. Paul Jean Narguizian,
Department of Biological Sciences,
College of Natural and Social Sciences,
California State University, Los Angeles
Dr. Allen G. Odian,
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Emeritus,
Stanford University
Dr. Alessandro Orengo,
Professor of Linguistics and Armenian Studies,
Dipartimento di Linguistica “T. Bolelli”,
Università di Pisa
Mr. Gerald E. Ottenbreit, Jr.,
Armenian Research Center,
University of Michigan-Dearborn
Dr. Bernard Outtier,
Centre national de la recherche scientifique, France
Prof.-Dr. Riccardo Pane,
Facoltà Teologica dell’Emilia Romagna,
Bologna, Italy
Dr. Hagop Panossian,
California State University, Northridge,
and President, ARPA, Los Angeles
Dr. Razmik Panossian,
Independent Scholar,
Montreal
Mr. Arsen Ralph Papakhian,
Indiana University,
Bloomington, Ind.
Dr. Dennis Papazian,
Professor Emeritus, Founding Director,
Armenian Research Center,
University of Michigan-Dearborn
Dr. Susan Pattie,
Senior Research Fellow,
University College London
Prof. Arpi Payaslian,
Quinsigamond Community College,
Worcester, Mass.
Dr. Simon Payaslian,
Charles K. and Elisabeth M. Kenosian Chair
in Armenian History and Literature,
Boston University
Dr. Rubina Peroomian,
Research Associate,
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Levon Petrossian,
Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes and
St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute of Paris
Dr. Armen Petrosyan,
Senior Researcher,
of History and Theory of Folklore,
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Prof.-Dr. Ashot S. Piliposyan,
Ministry of Culture, Republic of Armenia,
and Director, “Erebuni” Historical-Archaeological Museum-Reserve,
Yerevan
Dr. Anne Elizabeth Redgate,
School of Historical Studies,
of Newcastle,
England
Dr. James Russell,
Mashtots Chair in Armenian Studies,
Harvard University
Dr. Artsruni Sahakyan,
Senior Researcher, Matenadaran,
and Lecturer, Department of Armenian Church History,
Yerevan State University
Mr. Vahe Sahakyan,
Manoogian-Simone Fellow,
Near Eastern Studies,
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and Yerevan
Ms. Vartouchka Samuelian,
Linguistique et dialectologie arménienne,
Institut National des Langues et Civilisations
Orientales (INALCO), Paris
Dr. Ara Sanjian,
Associate Professor of Armenian and Middle Eastern History,
and Director, Armenian Research Center,
University of Michigan-Dearborn
Mr, Ara Sarafian,
Gomidas Institute,
London
Dr. Gagik Sargsyan,
Deputy Director, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Dr. Hamlet Sargsyan,
Leading Researcher, Department of Ethnography,
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Mr. Toros Sarian,
Armenocide Project,
Hamburg, Germany
Dr. Ani Sarkissian,
Department of Political Science,
Michigan State University
Dr. Margaret Sarkissian,
Department of Music,
Smith College,
Northampton, Mass.
Dr. Levon Saryan,
Individual Scholar,
Milwaukee, Wisc.
Dr. Andrea Scala,
Department of Linguistics,
Università di Milano
Dr. Anush Sedrakyan,
Political Analyst,
Yerevan
Prof.-Dr. Werner Seibt,
University of Vienna,
Austrian Academy of Sciences, and
Oesterreichisch-armenische Studiengesellschaft
Dr. Elyse Semerdjian,
Professor of Middle Eastern History,
Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington
Mr. Harout Harry Semerdjian,
Ph.D. Candidate,
University of Oxford
Mr. Ralph Setian,
Independent Scholar,
Pasadena, California
Ms. Gayane Shagoyan,
Researcher, Department of Contemporary Anthropological
Studies, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Dr. Vahram Shemmassian,
Director, Armenian Studies Program,
Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures,
California State University, Northridge
Mr. George Shirinian,
Zoryan Institue, Toronto
Dr. Lorne Shirinian,
Department of English,
Royal Military College of Canada
Mr. Konrad Siekierski,
Institute of Eastern Studies,
Adam Mickiewicz University,
Poznan, Poland, and
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Mr. Hovann Simonian,
Department of Political Science,
University of Southern California
Dr. Thomas A. Sinclair,
University of Cyprus,
Nicosia, Cyprus
Dr. Anna Sirinian,
Department of Paleography and Medieval Studies,
Università di Bologna
Mr. Ara Soghomonian,
Graduate Student, Near Eatern Lanuages and Cultures,
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Michael E. Stone,
Professor Emeritus of Comparative Religion and
Armenian Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dr. Nira Stone,
Armenian Art, Hebrew University of Jerusalem,
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dr. Ronald Suny,
Charles Tilly Collegiate Professor of Social
and Political History,
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Dr. Aghasi Tadevosyan,
Senior Researcher, Department of Ethnography,
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Dr. Harold Takooshian,
Department of Social Psychology,
Fordham University, New York
Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian,
University of Cambridge,
England
Dr. Abraham Terian,
St. Nersess Seminary, Emeritus,
New Rochelle, New York
Dr. Henry C. Theriaut,
Professor of Philosophy, Worcester State College,
and Co-Editor Genocide Studies and Prevention
Mr. Levon Thomassian,
Department of History,
California State University, Northridge
Ms. Nvard Tiratsyan,
Researcher, Department of Early Archaeology,
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Dr. Aram Topchyan,
Senior Researcher,
Matenadaran, Yerevan
Dr. Pablo A. Torijano,
Hebrew and Aramaic Studies Department,
Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
Mr. Apo Torosyan,
Aramai Films, and I.A. Genocide Scholars,
Peabody, Massachusetts
Prof. Svetlana Toumanyan,
Department of Foreign Languages,
Russian-Armenian State University,
Yerevan
Prof. Lilit Tovmassian,
Department of Foreign Languages,
Russian-Armenian State University,
Yerevan
Prof. Nooneh Tovmassian,
Department of Foreign Languages,
Russian-Armenian State University,
Yerevan
Prof.-Dr. Giusto Traina,
University of Rouen and
Centre for Byzantine Studies, Paris
Mr. Ischchan Tschiftdschjan,
Ph. D. Candidate, Philosophy,
Institut für Philosophie,
Universität Leipzig, Germany
Mr. Juan-Carlos Tufeksian,
Memoria del Genocidio armenio,
Buenos Aires
Mr. Viken Tufenkjian,
Ph.D. Candidate,
Université de Montreal
Dr. Gabriella Uluhogian,
Professor Emerita of Armenian Language and Literature,
Università di Bologna
Ms. Liana Vardanyan,
Graduate Student, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures,
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Lilia Vardanyan,
Head, Department of Ethnosociology,
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Dr. Taline Voskeritchian,
College of Communication,
Boston University
Dr. Eric D. Weitz,
Distinguished McKnight University Professor of History, and
Arsham and Charlotte Ohanessian Chair in the College of Liberal Arts,
University of Minnesota
Prof.-Dr. Gabriele Winkler,
Universität Tübingen,
Germany
Mr. Vartkes Yeghiayan, Esq.,
International Lawyer and
Independent Scholar,
Glendale, California
Dr. Azat Yeghiazaryan,
Head, Department of Modern Armenian Literature,
Institute of Literature,
RA National Academy of Sciences,
Yerevan
Mr. Sevan Yousefian,
Ph.D. Candidate, History,
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Lilit Zakaryan,
Senior Researcher, Art Department,
Matenadaran, Yerevan
Mr. Tigran Zakaryan,
Independent Scholar, European History,
Yerevan
Prof.-Dr. Boghos Levon Zekiyan,
Chair of Armenian Studies, Ca’ Foscari, Venice, and
Armenian Church Institutions, Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome
Mr. David Zokhrabyan,
Department of World Politics,
M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University
Mr. Raphael Zokhrabyan,
Ph.D. Candidate, International Law,
M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University
Dr. Mikayel Zolyan,
UNESCO Chair of Human Rights and Democracty,
Yerevan State Linguistic University
While I do not support any YouTube based criticisms, especially when the victim target is non-political science or history, but I cannot be included in these list of scholars that have subscribed to this article’s content. With the same contradictory reason of being dogmatic and single minded in the same way that the YouTube video was. This article’s content contradicts itself, and cannot be assumed to be in favor of “Open Minded Research”, as it claims.
The current Armenian American community including its so called intellectuals is in a deep sleep. Most of these intellectuals (most but not all) are very much dormant and in some cases void of their functionality, even when considered as a good American citizens, let alone of being patriot Armenians. I am saying this because I am a product of UCLA, and after 10 years of my education in this system, I came to the conclusion that this system is more commercial in its nature than I assumed. It is not a mystery why the great Mathematical genius Gregory Perlman, after announcing his solution of Poincare Conjecture, and visiting USA, went back to Russia and into oblivion. I invite the reader’s interest to research and read a few comments that he made about Mathematicians in USA and Europe.
In science there is no such thing as “Open Minded Research”, there is what is called “intuitive interest and respect for attainable truth” and in some cases “Correct or Pure Knowledge”. It does not matter if you decided to become absolutely “open minded” and hence jumped off a cliff, the result that you will find out (and if you find out) could be very late and very painful. In this respect, you should have listened to what Newton said, and never tried to jump “open-minded”-ly off cliffs. In the same way, it is the responsibility of a history scholar to be very sensitive on matters of common knowledge. They should have foreseen such a wave of ultra-patriotic popular movement, when they were working in their comfortable offices and study rooms trying to compete in their criticism of Movses Khorenatzi with a slight stroke of a pen. If with such a “stroke of pen” liberty a Medical doctor performed critical surgery on a patient, it would have been a matter of losing a license and going to jail. In contrast, the history scholars are free and comfortable, but they should not take advantage of their luxurious discipline, and for example use anachronistic hypercriticism. Anachronistic Hypercriticism is beyond the language of history research. If we are allowed to use such, then all recorded history becomes the knowledge of nonsense (and not only Movses Khorenatzi’s). Therefore, anyone indulging herself or himself to such “Open Minded”-ness is either seeking a deliberate alternate goal (such as political) or is ignorant in the method of research.
I for one conclude that the YouTube video is only a wakeup call (Zartong), so that the dormant true intellectuals wake up and be more active in research. It is not the first time in history that criticisms come in a form of dogma (or pain), a lot of people were sent to Siberia for speaking out their innocent minds. Also, in a free speech country as supposedly in USA, anyone can fool anyone via YouTube, this is what you get when people are ignorant and careless about their past and future. The task of the Armenian so call intellectuals should have been to educate the Diaspora with pure Armenian intuition and respect for their cultural attainable truth, and not the destruction of its existing collective memory or knowledge.
What is the crux of the debate? I still do not understand, and neither the petiti0ns nor anything else I have read elucidates this.
If I am correct, certain individuals in Armenia are saying that the date and place of the origin of the Armenian people is different – ie. earlier, at least datewise – than that which most Diasporan Armenian historians claim.
As a diasporan, I wish to say this: I don’t trust our historians. Too many of them can keep their positions and privileges only if they do not speak out strongly for Armenia, do not disagree strongly with the US State Department, and are generally weak politically in terms of presenting pro-Armenians arguments.
Translated, that means that it would not surprise me if there were more than a kernel of truth to what the Armenians in Hayastan are saying. If I were an academician, I would not sign the SAS and IAAS petition. What I would like to see the Armenian American press do is tell us which of the petition signers are strong on Armenian political issues, which of them speak out, and where they get their money and what US government and NGO institutions (eg. Soros etc.) they are affiliated with.
I agree with Bedros as much I understand him.
As to the question about what is the crux between historians of the West and Armenia, the problem is not just an academic issue (we would be glad if it was so). In fact, and unfortunately, it has evolved to become a political agenda. Years ago, we were not politically well educated to find out this organized political agenda, but only in the last 90 years the picture became more and more clear.
Most of the politics of the last 100 years (at the least) is based on historian’s claims or discoveries. A good example of such is the founding of the Israeli state. It was artificially created based on the claims of the Old Testament. In other words, the basis of forming and the legal rights of the European-Jews to that portion of the land was solely based on an old semi-historic book (and nothing else).
This is why a slight change of the dating of the Movese Khorenatzi writing is indeed a big deal, given the political and legal implications that can be derived from such a disastrous assumption.
There are lots of books in Armenian and English that talk about such political agendas, and most of these books are written by true scientist and true Armenians (i.e. scientifically documented, please check the Internet for such books, and don’t believe anything you read without your personal full judgement)
In linguistics, there is also a big revolution that is happening in the last 30 years. More and more scientists are discovering that there is no such thing as Indo-European migration, it is more likely that it was an Aryan-Indian and Aryan-European movements that occurred years ago from Armenian Highlands into two directions, West via Phosphorus, and East via Persia.
So there are lots of bias on the side of the US/Western historians and linguists. Moreover, as I said, these biases are recently being employed for political agendas (e.g. the recent issues about Macedonian state, Kosovo, Karabagh, etc.)
For example, Azerbaijan dwells on the principle of Territorial Integrity, but what is the legal or historical basis of Karabagh being in Azerbaijan in the first place. If we look back in the history, there was no such thing as Azerbaijan as a country, never in the history. In fact, Aderbadagan was a state of Armenia, or in some cases it was occupied by the Persians and it therefore was a state of Persia, but never as a separate country. So “Territorial Integrity” is an absolute nonsense in this case. In fact, if this so called “Territorial Integrity” principle should hold, then the entire Azerbaijan should be handed back to Armenia along with the whole Western Turkey.
This is why claims of historians are indeed a big deal.
My point as a scientist is as follows: When does the conscience of a scientist overrule her/his creative ideas or imagination?
The answer is very simple, it is when the idea or imagination crosses its border from pure thought into misuse or false application in the physical world. For example, when I think about nuclear model ideas, it is good and very helpful. But when I deploy these ideas to create a Nuclear bomb, then I cross the conscience science boundaries and into the realm of anti-science.
I think that academicians from Armenia and the Diaspora should put aside personal recriminations and tell us what they believe the origins of the Armenian people are, and back it up with the best facts available. I think the Armenian American media should ask each side to present its case.
The above is just a careerist bandwagon for most. I know personally that among those signatories above there are those who agree with the APSU http://apsu11.wordpress.com/ , the ones under attack in this article. This first of all is clear indication of the oppressive and fascistic nature of the “closed club of Academia” in general, which is something widely known within the academic community and scorned by dissidents of this oppressive system of thought control.
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It is ironic to see a blasee plea for “independent thought” in this article, when indeed the harsh manner of exclusion, sliencing, and distancing of those bearing alternative theories has been carried out in such a systematic and institutionalized manner.
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In Richard Hovanissian’s 2 volumes you do not see a single mention of any other theory aside from that which is accepted by American academics. Nothing is mentioned with regards to large amounts of evidence to suggest direct Armeno-Urartuan cultural links, for example.
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Another issue is the de-Armenization of Armenia in toponymic references. Critics of the de-Armenization of Armenia have politically based evidence in hand. The Turkish Historical Society has declared in writing the intention of de-Armenizing the Armenian Plateau. The Turkish Historical Society has been lobbying, apparently successfully, for the “Eastern Anatolization” of Western Armenia, and now it has become commonplace to name this territory as “Eastern Anatolia” by even altering referential material which had clearly named the region as, for example, the “Armenian Plateau.” Here is a short essage illustrating this problem http://www.hayq.org/upload/files/aa-EO4.pdf
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I believe there is a real problem of State Department influence over Armenian Studies. It is of course not provable, but it is palpable.
I agree with Bedros on the open forum idea in the Armenian American media. There is certianly a large volume of evidence to suggest that Armenian existence in Asia Minor dates beyond even the 4th millennium mark.
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A while back I crossed paths with a remarkable individual who used the pseudonym Karapi Lich (Swan Lake), and had acquired the skill of collecting philoligical and archeological data and scientific proposals on such data that clearly shows Armenian existence was accepted as a matter of fact prior to the post-Genocide period.
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There was strong anti-Armenian bias in the German speaking academia shortly before and after the Genocide, which seemed puzzling to some of the students of Armenian ancestry studying in this academic network in the 1910s and 1920s. For example, a certain Nshan Martirosyan, a student of Berich Hrozny, was (in his words) “puzzled as to the adamance with which Prof. Hrozny refuses to acknowledge the link between Hayasa and Hay, Hayk, and Hayastan.” I paraphrase this, but this is the abridgment of his comments. Martirosyan finally was able to lobby for the “possibility of the link,” which is still tentative in the clearly anti-Armenian biased theorem which dominate the field up to now.
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The paradigm shift between what occurred under the leadership of Peter Jensen up to what amounts to dismissal of Armenian existence in total under the tutelage of Hrozny and Tumanov, for example, is well outlined by Hilmar Kaiser in his pamphlet on the paradigm shift that was led by none other than an archeologist named Alphonz Sussnizki. here’s a google books link http://books.google.com/books?id=3FPlXClCxigC&pg=PA39&lpg=PA39&dq=HILMAR+KAISER,+IMPERIALISM,+RACISM,+AND+DEVELOPMENT+THEORIES+-+THE.+CONSTRUCTION+OF+A+DOMINANT+PARADIGM+ON+OTTOMAN+ARMENIANS&source=bl&ots=Ar3UFVmOrG&sig=qaKme50TL95sm_NxMmXNWfLcrfs&hl=en&ei=3OrwSubVGYuXkQWS95yKBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=&f=false
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Thus, this period laid the foundations for an anti-Armenian paradigm which was wholly applied to Armenology in German speaking academia which at the time dominated this field of study. Although the Persophile bias did have its effects in French, English and German academics of the period preceding Sussnizki’s anti-Armenian thrust, this post-1905 period saw much more anti-Armenian rantings passing off as “academicaly sound ruminations.”
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There are professionally written articles which refute the current paradigm. Unfortunately, there is little if any organized effort by professional historians, philologists and archeologists to bring this mass of information into a coherent and intelligible form.
Although, this article is now outdated, but anyways, YES, you are right Hagopn, I personally know some of the signatories that have not even heard about these de-Armenization issue, and probably did not spend 5 minutes to find out what this statement is all about. As soon as they read the title of the statement (i.e. “Intellectual Freedom and Integrity of Research”) they immediately signed it.
As for myself, I have been following this de-Armenization processes for almost 20 years now, ever since my UCLA student days. So, I have a prove about the State Department involvement. Yes, it is very much provable.
Concerning the Armenians in relation to Urartu, we have now a near mathematical prove that Urartian is indeed old Armenian (by the way, it’s not U-RA-R-TU, it never was, it was misread ever since the beginning of 19th century. The true pronunciation is AR-AR-AT. In the same fashion, EREBUNI is also misread, it is EREVANI). The prove was published in a 2 volume book by Sarkis Ayvasyan in 2003, these books are free, here is the link where you can download the PDF form of both volumes:
http://www.noravank.am/am/?page=theme&thid=6&nid=1637
The revolt against the falsifiers intensified because of Sarkis Ayvasyan and Albert Mousheghyan discoveries, besides those of the other’s (ՎԱՆԻ ԹԱԳԱՎՈՐՈՒԹՅԱՆ ՍԵՊԱԳԻՐ ԱՐՁԱՆԱԳՐՈՒԹՅՈՒՆՆԵՐԸ Սարգիս Այվազյան and «Խորենացու դարը» Ալբերտ Մուշեղյան).
Thanks for your comment.
Haro