AMBASSADOR KIRAKOSSIAN BRINGS NEW FOCUS TO MASSACRES OF 1894-1896

Azg/arm
15 Dec 04

Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church “Nishan and Margrit Atinizian
Hall” was the venue on Sunday, December 5 for a presentation of
Armenian ambassador to the US Dr. Arman Kirakossian’s new book,
published by Wayne University Press and sponsored by Roupen and Nina
Terzians of Tekeyan Cultural Association. The event, sponsored by the
Armenian Cultural Foundation, the Armenian Catholic Church and the
Tekeyan Cultural Association, featured Prof. Simon Payaslianof Clark
University as the main speaker.

The ambassador, while in Boston, also presided over the first annual
Hovhannes Badalian Music Fund banquet on December 4 at the Hellenic
Cultural Center in Watertown.

In addition, the ambassador on December 5 was the honored guest at the
special tribute to renowned opera star, Elvira Ouzounian, on the
occasion of her 40th anniversary in her field.

Kirakossian’s book, “The Armenian Massacres 1894-1896, US Media
Testimony”, with a foreword by former Sen. Robert Dole, focused on the
history and the challenges to the Armenian community in Turkey,
leading up to the massacres carried out by the order of Sultan Abdul
Hamid 1894-1896.

Following an introduction by Mark Mamigonian, director of publications
for the National Armenian Association for Studies and Research
(NAASR), Payaslian turned to the subject of how Kirakossian has
portrayed the impact of the massacres in the US periodicals (not daily
newspapers). Pointing out that the many articles were published in
periodicals such as The Atlantic Monthly, The Nation and The Catholic
World at the time, made it clear that the Western world was quite
aware of what was happening to the Armenians in Turkey.

Payaslian then quoted Germany’s Premier Otto von Bismarck, who in
1883, said, “the so-called reforms are ideal and theoretical. Their
practical significance is doubtful”.

In fact, Payaslian recounted, Turks increased their attacks on six
Armenian vilayets, creating a perilous environment, arousing
chauvinism and paranoia. The killings became significant in 1894,
when as many as 3.000 Armenians were killed in Sassoon.

“No Western country intervened”, said Payaslian. “They were not
interested in the Armenia, they were interested in the commercial and
political gains they could achieve in the region. Hamid felt there was
no real reason to refrain from attacking the Armenians”.

Author Kirakossian talked about his research methods and the materials
he has been able to use. Kirakossian who has a doctorate in history,
amongst other degrees, said, “I try to find time from my daily work to
visit the Library of Congress and other libraries to look for new
materials on the Armenian Question and British and US diplomacy
towards the Armenians”.

Kirakossian said, “I used periodicals, which are more analytical,
rather than newspapers. I wanted to present these materials, because
we have started to forget about the Abdul Hamid period. There has been
a great deal more focuson t he Genocide. But the point is, there was
genocidal policy before the years 1915-1923”.

Kirakossian’s next book will deal with the documentation of the
1894-1896 in the British press.

During the question and answer period, following the two talks,
Kirakossian paid tribute to his father, also an historian and foreign
minister at the time, which, during the Soviet period wrote four
volumes that deal with the Armenian Genocide.

“My father was my teacher. He was the first to write about the
Genocide. He was limited because of working during the Soviet
period. He couldn’t work in foreign archives. When I started to work
in the 1980s, I could go to London, Moscow. I could study diplomatic
correspondence. My father simply did not have the chance to access to
western sources”, said Kirakossian.

Answering a question regarding a recent article in the Azg newspaper
in Yerevan, that the ambassador is planning to stay in US and carry on
his scientific work instead of returning to the Foreign Ministry
service in Yerevan, Kirakossian said, “I am still representing the
Republic of Armenia in the United States, but when the time comes I
will return to Yerevan and continue my diplomatic career, and carry on
my work in the field of Armenian political studies at the same time”.

Payaslian said that Armenian leaders did learn they “had to organize
and form closer ties with the outside world”.

Kirakossian’s work represents important documentation of what occored
in the late 19th century.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress