‘This is an unchartered territory waiting to be discovered.’ – Eduardo Eurnekian
The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation (IRWF) and the Kaloosdian/Mugar Chair at the Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University join forces in a major research effort under the supervision of Prof. Taner Akcam.
Eduardo Eurnekian, the chairman of the IRWF, announced the ambitious research project that aims to identify Turks and Kurds that reached out to the victims of the Armenian Genocide. “The main mission of the IRWF is to unveil untold stories of rescue and solidarity,” he said. “The issue of the Muslim rescuers who went out of their way to save Armenians at the beginning of the 20th century was not properly studied yet. This is an unchartered territory waiting to be discovered.”
“It is a great honor to join forces with Prof. Taner Akcam and his chair at the Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University in an attempt to identify and honor the many Turks and Kurds that lent a hand to their Armenian neighbors in one of the darkest periods of mankind,” he continued. “We do the same concerning the Holocaust. Rather than focusing on the evil, we strive to highlight the spirit of solidarity of the women and men who, like Raoul Wallenberg, oftentimes risked their own lives to save others. This is our duty towards those saviors and, above all, our obligation to the young generations that should be aware of these role models.”
The research project will start in the next weeks, under the professional supervision of Akcam, a world-renowned Turkish historian and sociologist who has devoted his efforts to try and reconcile the narratives of the Armenian and Turks.
The investigation will be conducted by in-depth and painstaking research “on the ground,” in Muslim (Turkish and Kurdish) provinces where most of the killings occurred, and where most of these stories have been passed on verbally from generation to generation.
The project and its funding was approved by the Board of the IRWF and is expected to last one year. Once concluded, the research will be published and the IRWF will pay tribute to the Muslim rescuers by incorporating their stories into its educational programs.
“Recognition of goodness is one of the pillars of our mission, and we are confident that this ambitious research will enable us to add more names to the list of rescuers,” Eurnekian stressed.
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I am uncomfortable with such a program. It reminds me of TARC and the “reconciliation” movement. Turkey is a danger to Armenia still. That is point number 1. Good Turks did not stop the genocide and won’t stop the next one either.
Strongly disagree. Tarc was a political effort, documenting the truth of rescuers simply adds to our knowledge. It neither proves nor disproves Genocide. It proves that there always these humane people who protect the innocent.
I understand Vahe’s discomfort with the topic but we should not paint every individual with the same bloody color. Yes, Turkey is still a danger to Armenia but what does that have to do with the Muslim individuals (Turk, Kurd, or Arab) that saved and protected Armenians during the Genocide? My grandmother was saved and protected by a Muslim. Many Armenians who were driven to Syria were welcomed and protected by Muslim Arabs. We are thankful and grateful to them all. Yes, Turkish government is a danger to Armenia, Armenians (remember Aleppo, Kessab, etc.) and surrounding countries, but good Muslims had a positive impact on Armenians during the Genocide and still have now.
Very well deserved. Excellent for Turks and Moslems as well as victims and descendants. Preserve also the memories of those who rescued Assyrians and Greeks.
Why do we give so much credit to Turks and others (non Armenians). We honor them, give them awards, man/woman of the year etc. How many Armenians are there in Turkey or Turkish study chairs worldwide??? Armenians, wise up, do not rely only on your heart and feelings, use your head and brains for a change.
I agree with Vahe, Righteous Gentile Nations, created after Holocaust recognition by entire civilized nations of the world including Germany, while in Turkey is against of Turkish law, speak about the truth of Armenian Genocide, or Christian Genocide of Ottoman’s Turkey. So far Our Righteous Gentile Nations playing political games and get excited, when “Genocide” card is to be used against Turkey, or Islamic Jihadists. This is why, when Turkish nationals, who run away from a “civlized” country like Turkey, all of sudden become professional deniers of Armenian Genocide!
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/28072014
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/770854/g%C3%BClen-movement-has-spent-15-million-dollars-for-lobbying-against-armenian-genocide-recognition-turkish.html
Taner should be commended for leading such an important study
Why it took you so long, my Grandfather was saved by his Turkish neighbors.
Asbet, there has actually been a great change in Turkey in the last few years, though nowhere near enough. There are Armenians from the diaspora who are invited to teach courses in Turkish universities – Marc Nichanian is at Bogazici University now, for example. The Hrant Dink Foundation and Anadolu Kultur are making strides in Turkey as well on behalf of Armenians.
Great idea, I wish it success. There is a very good, interesting book HUMANITY IN THE MIDST OF INHUMANITY, by Shahkeh Yaylaian Setian, that deals with this subject and that should not be overlooked as it is probably the first of its kind.
Taner Akcam is a wonderful, sincere individual, we need more like him and it might have a stronger position if that person were Armenian, considering if they succeed in bumping him off like Hrant Dink there is a great deal that would be lost, a friend and all he knows.
There are some newspapers in Turkey, where their propaganda machine aimed to brain wash their own population. I wonder why all of sudden Raphael Lemkin Genocide statement become an important subject for denialist Turkish newspaper, where denial of AG become an urgent priority for Mr. Rajab Erdoghan AKP party!
http://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/2014/08/01/the-lemkin-hole-in-the-
swiss-case
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFPch5OILfU
Sorry, above http URL did not copy properly.
http://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/2014/08/01/the-lemkin-hole-in-the-swiss-case
good find GB.
{“When Raphael Lemkin coined the word genocide in 1944 he cited the annihilation of Armenians as a seminal example of genocide.” This is an entirely false statement as Lemkin did not mention Armenians even once} Tal Buenos.
“This is an entirely false statement as Lemkin did not mention Armenians even once”
Obviously Buenos-oglu has never heard of Youtube, even though he lives in Utah, USA.
As to the denialist Turk-oglu Tal: he is an AG denialist Israeli, who is studying in the notorious denialist Turkish den of University of Utah (….of all places), and who is tasked with writing denialist articles. Tal is some kind of a Ph.D. student allegedly studying Genocide (denial) issues there.
The denialist den is run by one Hakan Yavuz, the same Mr. Yavuz who organized the recent denialfest in Tbilisi, and which, unfortunately, a couple of misguided Armenian scholars from Diaspora attended: by contrast, though several scholars from RoA were also invited by Yavuz-oglu, all categorically refused to have anything to do with the denialfest, despite the conference being cleverly misnamed to conceal its denialist theme.
Here is an article by that brave Israeli Dr. Israel Charny, taking denialists Yavuz & Buenos to the cleaners for lying about Dr. Lemkin:
http://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Opinion/A-moral-Israel-must-recognize-the-Armenian-genocide
Avery,
I found another article from “Deep State” Turkey.
http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Turkish-Turan-Association-threatens-Fatih-Akin-and-Agos-weekly_4867-CHMTUxNDg2Ny8xMDA1