How has the Armenian nation survived centuries of subordination, dislocation and dispossession? It’s a simple question with a complicated answer. A contributing factor to the answer has been the ability of each succeeding generation to shoulder its responsibility of cultural sustainability. Some generations operated in a period of relative calm within the homeland allowing the responsibility to b
Or, subscribe now for unlimited access
By submitting your email address you agree for Hairenik Association, Inc. to send you communication by email.
Already a subscriber?Log in here
This story is FREE for you...
Create a free account to access this and four more articles, and get more sent to you with our e-newsletter.By submitting your email address you agree for Hairenik Association, Inc. to send you communication by email.
Thank you for your thoughtful and informative article. Sometimes it is so easy to latch onto hatred without thinking it through. I grew up with that mindset.
Writing from Irvine, in Southern California.
It is important that there is a distinction between “the formal recognition of the genocide” by Turkey and our relation with the Turkish nation. I was brought up in an environment that included a Turkish community. Most of them were decent human beings with values arguably more refined then ours due to their religion.
“Most of them were decent human beings with values arguably more refined then ours due to their religion”? You mean the same religion that was used as a tool to help expedite the premeditated and state-sponsored mass extermination and genocide of our defenseless people? You mean the same religion around which their Imams would gather the religious zealots and denigrate the “infidel” Armenians with hateful racist speeches and hurl them to the streets to hunt down and kill Armenians? The same religion that would use the Friday Prayers as a launching ground to send racist Turkish gangs to butcher the Armenians? Do you people even know what you are saying? Read the memories of some of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and let’s see if you still believe what you said.
Another masterpiece of reflection and thought provoking analysis by Piligian. Bless and thank you again. If and when we are lucky enough to have an international commetee of Pan-Armenian intellectuals tasked with the sacred responsibility of formulating a common approach to our national problems and issues I would love to see Piligian included in that group. It is very true we can not afford to be so blinded with hatred that we can not approach our problems rationally and pragmatically. The result will most certainly be less than perfect if we are lead with hatred alone. History is full of such failures where leaders
have acted in anger and hatred and lost their battles and wars. We do need to nurture the hatred in our hearts to fuel our drive for justice and restitution otherwise we become too complacent in our ways and loose momentum and desire to do anything but we must be guided by sound judgement and realism if we are to succeed. The world media is always full of such anti this or anti that rhetorics to get the public emotions going against old enemies and so called new friends in today’s world, yet national governments’ decisions are always made based on sound judgement and on what is beneficial for each nation. We need both, hatered and a cool approach. What we need to do now is set up our Pan Armenian Commetee ASAP.