Author: Emma Nadirian

Tufts University, Armenian history Darakjian-Jafarian chair Ina Baghdiantz McCabe, the Armenian Club at Tufts University and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research will sponsor the commemoration of the Armenian genocide 7 p.m. April 6 at Tufts’s Goddard Chapel, 419 Boston Ave., Medford, reports.

The event will feature a lecture by Marc A. Mamigonian, director of academic affairs at NAASR, titled “Scholarship and the Armenian Genocide: The State of the Art and the State of Denial.” The evening will be hosted by McCabe.

A reception will be held after the commemoration in the Coolidge Room at the Tufts Ballou Hall.

The past two decades have witnessed a dramatic increase in the quantity and quality of scholarship on the Armenian genocide, with a significant number of important works of documentation and interpretation. The development of increasingly compelling scholarly works has been paralleled by the evolution of traditional strategies of denial practiced since World War I and advanced during the Cold War era. While scholars have moved beyond simplistic questions of whether or not what the event was a genocide, apologists for the “Turkish position” labor to construct denialism as a legitimate intellectual position within a historical debate through the publication of ostensibly scholarly publications and presentations. Such manufactured controversy is a time-tested and often effective method of means of generating academic credibility.

This lecture will offer an overview of the current state of the art in Armenian genocide scholarship and briefly survey the development of Armenian genocide denial and focus on more recent refinements and the penetration of denial into American academia, with an emphasis on the fundamental challenges of denialism, debate and the quest for intellectual integrity.

Mamigonian has served as NAASR’s director of academic affairs since 2009. An alumnus of the University of New Hampshire and Tufts University, Mamigonian is the editor of the book “The Armenians of New England” and the Journal of Armenian Studies. His most recent publication, “Academic Denial of the Armenian Genocide in American Scholarship: Denialism as Manufactured Controversy,” appeared in the Genocide Studies International in 2015.

‘Historic Armenia After 100 Years,’ the historical guide to Western Armenia by author Matthew Karanian, is a finalist in the INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards for best travel book of 2015. Foreword Reviews, the sponsor of the awards, announced the finalists this week.

‘Historic Armenia’ was published in 2015 and is the first-ever historical guide to the cultural sites of Western Armenia. The book features 125 color photographs and maps, including antique images and maps from one century ago.

The INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards honors independent publishers and university presses. Stone Garden Press, the publisher of ‘Historic Armenia,’ is an independent publisher in Pasadena, Calif.

A panel of more than 100 volunteer librarians and booksellers determined the award finalists in numerous categories of fiction and non-fiction books.

Author Matthew Karanian said he is pleased with this recognition for Historic Armenia. “One of the objectives of publishing ‘Historic Armenia’ was to shine a bright light on the often-forgotten cultural heritage of the Armenians in their ancient homeland [of Western Armenia],” said Karanian. “This honor furthers that objective.”

Foreword Reviews will celebrate the winners during a program at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida in June.

‘Historic Armenia After 100 Years’ is sold at independent bookstores and at Barnes and Noble in the US, and is available for purchase online from the publisher, Stone Garden Press, at 

 

 

 

Iran is set to hold parliamentary elections on February 26. The main rivalry is expected between the conservatives and the reformists. Eight Armenian will be running for two seats in the Iranian Parliament.

Expert of Iranian studies Rudik Yaralyan expects no surprises. According to him, the Armenian community has always been conservative. Besides, the candidates previously represented in Majlis are more influential, he told reporters today.

Some of the candidates enjoy the support of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. However, they fail to follow the ARF policy line. In particular, they could be more active on issues related to Nagorno Karabakh and Armenian Genocide.

“In my opinion, the time has not come for Iran to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Guided by this logic, they [Armenian MPs] refrain from submitting a bill. They see that the Russian-Iranian ‘alliance’ is doing its best to resist Turkey’s growing influence in the region. Therefore, it’s not ruled out that the issue of recognition of the Armenian Genocide may be brought into agenda,” the expert said.

Zhorzhik Abrahamyan and Karen Khanlaryan, both supported by ARF, are the two candidates most likely to be elected.

Speaking exclusively to , Khanlaryan said he is going to deepen and expand the existing political course, if elected. “The Armenia-Iran relations are at the spotlight, especially considering that the lifting of sanctions is opening up new perspectives for cooperation.”

Karen Khanlaryan said they will try to raise the Armenian Genocide issue on higher podiums, and even Majlis, on the eve of April 24.

“Iran has no practice of condemning by law, the declarative approach is more common here,” he said.

It’s worth mentioning that the Armenian community is the only ethnic minority that has been allocated two seats in the Iranian Parliament.

Iran hopes for a political solution to regional problems, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday, IRNA reported.

The Azerbaijani side used weapons of different caliber as it fired more 1,200 shots in the direction of the Armenian positions over the weekend, the NKR Defense Ministry reports.

Front divisions of the NKR Defense Army have mostly refrained from retaliatory actions and have confidently carried out their military duty.

Armenia has been included in the UN Honor Roll for paying the regular budget assessments in full.

In January 2016 the Armenian Government transferred $150,039 to the United Nations Regular Budget as 2016 annual membership fee.

The Honor roll includes the countries that have paid their regular budget assessments in full within the 30 day due period specified in Financial Regulation. Only 27 of the 193 UN states have made to the Honor Roll this year.

Arthur Abraham: As an Armenian, I have two values to fight for – pride and honor

WBO super middleweight champion “King” Arthur Abraham, who will defend his world title against undefeated WBO #1 super middleweight contender and mandatory challenger Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez on April 9 in Las Vegas, wasn’t able to make today’s Los Angeles Pacquiao-Bradley undercard presser. However he did send a statement from his training camp in Germany. The statement reads:

“This fight is a dream come true for me. I fought in Hollywood, Florida vs. Edison Miranda, against Andre Dirrell in Detroit and vs. Andre Ward in Carson, California. But the flair of a big-time event was missing. I was at Manny’s fight vs. Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand in 2011 and the atmosphere captured my imagination. Afterwards, it was my wish to one day step into this very ring and on April 9 I will finally get the chance to share the spotlight with the “Pac-Man.”

I do not take a win that night for granted, as Gilberto Ramirez is a young upcoming boxer from Mexico, one of the greatest fighting countries. He wants to write history by becoming the first Mexican to win a world championship at super middleweight.

But myself being an Armenian, living and fighting out of Germany, I have two values to fight for: pride and honor. I will go into this fight with the following words on my mind: “Mejor morir de pie que vivir arrodillado!” This is going to be my greatest victory. Thank you!”

A deputy foreign minister of Armenia hails the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s (PACE) decision to reject Robert Walter’s anti-Armenian report on Nagorno-Karabakh.

Speaking to , Shavarsh Kocharyan said he believes that an effective solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would be possible only in case of the PACE’s consistent approach to the issue.
The official said he regrets that the same attitude was not shown to the Bosninan delegate’s report regarding Nagorno-Karabak’s Sarsang reservoir.

“The foreign minister has repeatedly stated that any attempt to change the negotiations’ format or move the discussions to another platform could frustrate the process, undermining the peaceful settlement efforts. The same opinion is backed by the countries co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group,” he added.

The Assembly, which is holding its Winter Session in Strasburg from January 25 to 29, rejected Robert Walter’s report, “Escalation of Violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and Other Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan”, with a vote of 66/70 at its plenary session on Tuesday.

Melica Markovic’s report, “Inhabitants of frontier regions of Azerbaijan are deliberately deprived of water”, was accepted with a vote of 98 “for” and 71 “against”.