Month: February 2015

AZERBAIJAN UPSET WITH THE ARMENIA & ISSUES A WARNING!

OikoTimes, Greece
Feb 13 2015

APA.AZ REPORTS – Azerbaijan’s Public Television and Radio Broadcasting
Company (ITV) has issued a statement on the song named “Don’t Deny”
the Armenian representatives would sing in the 2015 Eurovision Song
Contest.

The TV channel reacting to song named “Don’t Deny” that the Armenian
representatives dedicated to the “genocide” said that Eurovision is
a song contest:

“This contest can’t be a victim of any country’s political ambitions
and converted into a political arena. The Public Television and Radio
Broadcasting Company state that if the news is confirmed, we will
also take appropriate steps in the contest,” said the statement.

The reports disseminated on February 12 said that the Armenian singer,
who lived in Armenia and 5 continents, would sing a song named “Don’t
Deny”, that is about the “genocide”.

BUT WHERE ARE THE GOLDEN PLATES?

Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)
February 12, 2015 Thursday

Daniel Peterson For the Deseret News

Editor’s note: Portions of this column were previously published at
maxwell institute.byu.edu.

Some argue that since we lack the original plates from which the
Book of Mormon was translated, it should be read as a 19th-century
English-language text rather than as an ancient one.

But scholars routinely test the claims to historicity of translated
documents for which no early original-language manuscripts exist
and then, if satisfied of their authenticity, regularly use them as
valuable scholarly resources for understanding the ancient world. I
offer a few illustrations:

“Slavonic Enoch” (2 Enoch) is probably the classic example. Coptic
fragments of this work, commonly dated to the first century, have
been found only recently. Although generally regarded as having been
written in Greek, or perhaps even originally in Hebrew or Aramaic,
the entire book survives only in Old Church Slavonic, in manuscripts
dating from the 14th to 18th centuries.

Similarly, 1 Enoch – “Ethiopic Enoch” or simply “the Book of Enoch” –
was probably written somewhere between 300 B.C. and the time of Jesus
Christ, in Aramaic or Hebrew or some combination of the two. Fragments
survive in Aramaic, Greek and Latin, but the entire text is preserved
today only in the Ge’ez language of Ethiopia, via manuscripts from
the 15th to 18th centuries.

The pseudepigraphic “Apocalypse of Abraham” was likely composed in
Hebrew, in roughly A.D. 70-150. It exists today, however, only in
medieval Slavonic – perhaps translated directly from the original or,
alternatively, from a Greek translation of the Hebrew. Some suggest
that the Book of Mormon, Book of Abraham and Book of Moses cannot
legitimately be read as ancient documents because we have them only
in purported 19th-century translations. But the Apocalypse of Abraham
is crucial to understanding the earliest roots of Jewish mysticism;
nobody argues that it’s only valid evidence for the Slavic Middle Ages.

The Gospel of Thomas exists in a corrupt fourth-century Coptic
manuscript. Only a tiny fragment of it survives in its (likely)
original Greek. Scholars debate whether it’s a first- or second-century
text, but nobody claims that it illuminates only fourth-century
Coptic Christianity.

The “Discourse of the Abbaton” exists solely in Coptic. While it
claims to be a translation of an original kept in Jerusalem, nobody
knows whether that’s true.

The kabbalistic “Book of Secrets” was found in Cairo but was pieced
together and recognized at Oxford University in the mid-20th century.

It exists in Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic fragments, as well as a
13th-century Latin translation. The original text almost certainly
dates to the late third or early fourth century.

Mesopotamia’s Gilgamesh and Atrahasis epics are known from Akkadian
versions, but they derive from earlier lost Sumerian originals.

The biblical book of Daniel contains large portions in Aramaic that
were probably composed in Hebrew.

The (still unpublished) “Book of the Temple” was first discovered
in a Greek manuscript, but now there are copies in Demotic, hieratic
and hieroglyphs, and it’s known to be genuinely Egyptian.

Several of the apocrypha (such as Ben Sirach) were once known only
from the Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible. Still,
even before Hebrew manuscripts of them had been found, scholars argued
that they were originally composed in Hebrew.

Origen’s “On First Principles” is known essentially only from the
Latin translation of Rufinus, done roughly 150 years later.

Only one of Irenaeus’ works (“Against the Heresies”) survives in his
original Latin.

Several works of the important early Greek-speaking Christian historian
Eusebius are known only through Armenian translations.

Likewise, approximately a quarter of the writings from the prolific
Greek-speaking Jewish thinker Philo of Alexandria come to us only
through Armenian versions from the late sixth century. Nobody imagines
that they have nothing to tell us about Philo (d. A.D. 50).

The third-century-B.C. Egyptian historian Manetho is known only from
later quotations, some in Armenian and Latin and only a few in his
original Greek.

Many scholars believe that the gospel of Matthew was originally
written not in the Greek form that we have today, but in either Hebrew
or Aramaic. Statements to this effect go back as early as the second
century. Yet nobody has seen the Semitic original, if it ever existed,
for many centuries.

The position that the Book of Mormon, the Book of Moses and the
Book of Abraham can legitimately be studied only in the context
of 19th-century America because they claim to be translations of
unavailable ancient texts is unreasonable. If a similar principle
were applied to Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Jewish and Christian history,
scholarship in those fields would be crippled.

Daniel Peterson teaches Arabic studies, founded BYU’s Middle
Eastern Texts Initiative, directs MormonScholarsTestify .org, chairs
mormoninterpreter.com, blogs daily at patheos.com/blogs/dan peterson,
and speaks only for himself.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PAUL ROY MALCOLM RELEASES NEW BOOK, TRAJECTORY

Broadway World
Feb 13 2015

February 13
9:14 2015

BRISBANE, Australia, Feb. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ Author, Paul Roy
Malcolm and BookPal Australia are pleased to announce the publication
of the author’s new book, “Trajectory” and subtitled, Bombay to
Australia & the Rocket Range.

Paul Roy Malcolm gives the reader detailed information about living
in Bombay during its turbulent struggle for independence from the
British Raj. Even as a young man, Paul recognises that the world
he had known was changing. He joins the Merchant Navy to travel the
world and becomes a marine engineer. In 1947, he finally settles in
Australia, seeing it as a land of immense opportunity. By the 1960’s
he had worked all over Australia and become a fully qualified engineer.

His vast engineering background led him into the exciting world of
rockets for science and he became a member of a group of scientists,
engineers and technicians drawn from around the world who would
conduct the Skylark rocket trials from Woomera. These trials made
very important contributions to the scientific exploration of the
upper atmosphere and beyond. With this experience under his belt,
he was the obvious choice when the Department of Defence needed an
experienced engineer to plan and run sea trials for a secret submarine
detection system. These trials eventually led to the Barra Sonobuoy
System, which is currently used by the Royal Australian Air Force.

The author comments, “Now at 90 years of age, the trajectory of
my life continues with an active lifestyle that includes staying
abreast of scientific developments in today’s world. I hope my book
will provide inspiration for others to go out and make their own way
in this new digital age.”

About the Author Paul Roy Malcolm grew up in India with Armenian
parents and an English education. He first visited Australia in
1944 as a Merchant Navy seaman, and settled in Fremantle in 1947. He
joined the Weapons Research Establishment (WRE) in Salisbury, South
Australia and spent many years on a British scientific project, firing
Skylark rockets from Woomera to explore the upper atmosphere. He is a
widower with two adult children and enjoys walking, dancing, Tai Chi,
and lawn bowls.

Media Contact: Maria Linsley [email protected] Tel: +61-7-3107 1608
BookPal Tel: 1300 769 998

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE RENAISSANCE OF AN OTTOMAN ARMENIAN FEMINIST

Hurriyet Daily news, Turkey
Feb 12 2015

William Armstrong – [email protected]

‘The Gardens of Silihdar’ by Zabel Yessayan (AIWA Press, 163 pages)

The late 19th century witnessed an extraordinary flourishing of
Ottoman Armenian culture that has since been described as an “Armenian
renaissance.” The rapid growth of schools, social organizations,
periodicals and European trends led to a transformation in the
language and intellectual landscape of the Ottoman Armenian community –
similar to elsewhere in the empire.

Along with this cultural ferment was a new emphasis on the advancement
of women in Armenian society, and a number of women intellectuals
reached positions of prominence previously unheard of in a rigidly
hierarchical community. Although her name was almost forgotten in the
decades after her death in the 1940s, Zabel Yessayan is currently
experiencing something of a mini-renaissance of her own thanks to
a couple of new translations of her work by Jennifer Manoukian,
commissioned by the Armenian International Women’s Association.

Yessayan’s pioneering proto-feminism and her descriptions of the
social details of a fascinating period make “The Gardens of Silihdar,”
her memoir of growing up in late 19th century Ottoman Istanbul,
a fascinating artefact.

Born in the Silihdar neighborhood of Uskudar, on the Asian side of
Istanbul, Yessayan provides a vivid portrait of an introverted, deeply
conservative Armenian community and its characters. What starts as a
fairly unremarkable memoir develops into a more sophisticated portrait
of the artist as a young woman, describing her coming of age from a
restless and tempestuous child to a melancholy, talented young woman.

French and American schools were proliferating at the time, and new
fashions and ideas were shaking traditional life in metropolitan areas
across the Ottoman Empire. Yessayan’s father was himself influenced,
keen not to create obstacles for his daughter, open-minded and
encouraging Zabel to develop her interests and get a sound education.

Her portrait of him is as sympathetic as anyone in the book (there
aren’t many sympathetic portraits), although his spendthriftiness
meant that the household was wracked by financial instability. “The
days my father needed to repay his debts did not just arrive; they
exploded like bombs,” Yessayan writes.

As for communal relations, she draws a familiar picture of a guarded
tolerance being gradually, inexorably overtaken by political tension.

At one point her family temporarily moves to a Turkish village a few
miles away for her mother’s health, and she reflects: “A few years
later, it would have been impossible for an Armenian family to live
safely in an entirely Turkish village, but in those days there were
still no traces of ethnic tension between Armenians and Turks, and the
two peoples treated each other with a calm sense of shared humanity.”

Yessayan was born in 1878, and came of age at a troubled time. A
cultural renaissance may have been going on, but it was also
an era of accelerating social turmoil, and there are plenty of
references in this book to the plight of suffering Armenians in
Anatolia. Her growing up was simultaneously a process of awakening
and disillusionment. Reflecting on her time at one of the Armenian
high schools, she gloomily describes it as “just a miniature version
of the adult world that I would come to know, complete with its dirty
dealings, narcissism, hypocrisy, lies and selfishness.” It was, she
writes, “as if there were a courtroom in my mind where the people
I encountered and the things I experienced were subject to harsh,
endless judgment.”

Yessayan’s developing feminism was sharpened by the stultifying
conservatism of the community. “Those young women could not leave the
house by themselves,” she writes angrily, “some were even forced to
marry men they despised. They were not free to dress as they pleased
or behave as they saw fit. Essentially, they were deprived of their
most basic freedoms and feared that, sooner or later, they would be
constrained by motherhood – a fate they wished to escape in order to
create the lives they had envisioned for themselves.” Dismissive of
these tendencies, she had no time as a writer for the “sentimental
romanticism” that was the literary fashion of the day, and her own
memoir formally remains quite straightforward and undemonstrative.

Years after the events described in “The Gardens of Silihdar,”
Yessayan was included as the only woman on the list of Istanbul
Armenian intellectuals targeted for arrest and deportation by the
Young Turk regime on April 24, 1915. She managed to flee the empire
and almost two decades later ended up in Soviet Armenia, where this
book was published in 1935. Despite Yessayan’s prominence in late
Ottoman Istanbul, her work was essentially ignored after her death in a
Siberian labor camp, as a victim of Stalin’s Great Purge. Hopefully it
is now beginning to attract the attention that it deserves once again.

February/12/2015

ATATURK REPLACED BY OTTOMANS AT ICONIC ISTANBUL HIGH SCHOOL

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Feb 13 2015

ISTANBUL

The new principal of a renowned girls’ high school in Istanbul has come
under fire from parents who have slammed her for replacing photos of
the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, as well
as ballerina murals, with pictures of Ottoman sultans.

Saadet Berna Ocakcıoglu became the principal of the Erenköy Girls’
Anatolian High School in December 2014.

According to photographs shared on social media, Ocakcıoglu renewed
the decorations of the school building after the semester holiday
break that began on Jan. 23, 2015, covering ballerina murals painted
on the walls and removing photos of Ataturk, replacing them with
pictures of Ottoman sultans.

Some parents claimed that the new decorations were against the “spirit
of the school,” which they described as one of the centers of “women’s
enlightenment” in the early republican era.

Muammer Yıldız, the National Education Director of Istanbul province,
confirmed that Ocakcıoglu renewed the internal decorations, but
denied the decision was made with any “ulterior motive.”

“The corridors were unusable. Now they have been repainted and
cleaned,” Yıldız said, adding that while Ottoman figures have been
added, the Ataturk photos have also been rehung.

“The school principal told me that she covered the ballerina mural
because it looked old and was not of a quality to inspire students. It
was not covered just because it showed ballerinas,” he added.

Officials deny that there is any reason to launch an investigation
into the incident, stressing that the school principal had not violated
any rules.

February/13/2015

TURKEY’s MINORITIES LAUD EFFORTS TO MEND DECADES-OLD TROUBLES

Daily Sabah, Turkey
Feb 13 2015

AYÃ…~^E Ã…~^AHIN
ISTANBUL

Meeting with PM Davutoglu at a dinner, representatives of non-Muslim
minority communities thanked the government for its efforts in
meeting their demands, including return of 1,014 properties to
minority foundations

Minorities in Turkey have suffered from decades of apathy from the
state, but now their case has been taken up by the ruling party,
which has assured minorities that they will be treated as a primary
component of Turkey instead of “visitors” or “foreigners.” Prime
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that the rights of minorities will be
given back not as a “favor,” but as part of the government’s duty.

Davutoglu met with representatives from minority groups and
nongovernmental organizations on a special occasion held in the
Ankara Palace Hotel on Wednesday. During the meeting, discussions
were held concerning the problems that minorities experience and
possible solutions. Davutoglu addressed the participants saying that
the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government has shaken
off the discriminatory attitude toward minorities by putting into
practice policies like the returning of confiscated properties, the
assigning of bureaucrats of Armenian origin and bringing life back
to their places of worship.

The government has opened a new page into dealing with minorities
residing in the country in a bid to invigorate democracy. The
government has been exerting major efforts to normalize the conditions
for minorities by giving back their rights and doing away with the
discrimination which they have long faced. As a first step, Turkey
adopted the policy of returning properties to minorities. Within the
context of reforms toward different faith groups in Turkey, 1,014
confiscated foundation properties have been returned and more have
been promised. During the meeting, almost every one of the properties
waiting to be returned to the minorities was discussed individually.

Davutoglu reportedly took notes of their concerns as the discussions
were held.

Speaking to Daily Sabah, Armenian journalist Markar Esayan said:
“There is a shift of mentality toward non-Muslims in Turkey,” noting
that opinion leaders and representatives of minorities have welcomed
the change in mindset.

Minorities in Turkey who have lived in the country since its beginning,
have previously faced difficulties securing their most basic needs
of security, having a place to live and freedom to practice their
religion. Now the needs and problems of these groups that have
long-suffered from isolation in the place they call home, are finally
being addressed.

Branding the steps that the government is taking as “leaps,” Esayan
said there has been massive progress over the last 13 years regarding
minorities’ quality of life, institutional problems and personal
rights and freedoms.

“What really counts is the message delivered by Prime Minister
Davutoglu. It revealed how a mentality that once saw some sections
as a threat to the state and in this way, they became the ‘other,’
has changed.”

He underscored that the mindset that sees minorities as part of the
entire nation instead of treating them as “visitors” means a lot
to them.

“There are no ‘others’ any more, you are not visitors, you are not
foreigners, you are part of a 5,000-year-old Anatolian culture, we
grant your rights not as a favor, but as part of our duty, is what
they wish to hear,” Esayan said.

Touching also upon the article by Fethullah Gulen published in The
New York Times, which was highly critical of the government, claiming
that minorities in Turkey were facing a crackdown, Esayan said:
“What he says in his article is a blatant and operational lie. It is
an apparent attempt by the Gulen Movement to engender an image that
Turkey is going through a democracy crisis.”

Underlining that Wednesday’s meeting was attended by roughly 50
representatives and opinion leaders, which he said constitute almost
the entire community, Esayan said they all expressed appreciation for
the government for its efforts in easing their lives and giving back
their rights.

Citing Davutoglu, Esayan also said Davutoglu did not even want to
use the term “minority,” and rather wanted to see the whole nation
as part of the same culture, which they mold together.

Davutoglu touched upon the 1915 incidents saying that they have adopted
a new, more humane and just perspective while analyzing the events,
Esayan said. He continued that Davutoglu deemed President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s message of condolence to Armenians a remarkable move.

Erdogan made attempts to thaw tensions between the two countries by
issuing a message ahead of the 99th year commemoration of the 1915
incidents last year. In an unprecedented move, then Prime Minister
Erdogan extended condolences to the grandchildren of Armenians who
lost their lives in the 1915 events.

Ara Kocunyan also underlined the significance of Davutoglu opening up
the concerns of minorities to discussion and an exchange of thoughts.

Kocunyan said: “I have been quite satisfied by the talks we had during
dinner. The new Turkey renews itself. There is always a way to go
after each blessing and maturity. The new breath to be brought to
minorities means a lot as part of our efforts for progress. We will
continue to see the manifestations of this positive movement.”

Tatyos Bebek, an Armenian representative of a nongovernmental
organization, also elaborated on what the discussions covered. He
said they had been told that minorities would be under the assurance
of the government from now on and that they would be considered a
primary component of Turkey.

An Armenian lawyer, Simon Cekem, also said compared to previous
governments, the AK Party has progressed much in the sphere of
improving minorities’ lives and removing discrimination against them.

AZERBAIJAN AT BOTTOM OF INDEX OF FREEDOM

Turan Information Agency, Azerbaijan
February 12, 2015 Thursday

The organization Reporters without Borders published its annual index
level of press freedom in the world.

“In the Caucasus, Azerbaijan (162nd, down 2) suffered an unprecedented
crackdown on critics and registered the biggest fall in score among
the index’s 25 lowest-ranking countries. With media freedom already
limited by one-sided regulation and control of the advertising market,
the few remaining independent publications were either collapsing
under the impact of astronomic damages awards or were simply closed
by the police. The number of journalists and bloggers who were jailed
turned Azerbaijan into Europe’s biggest prison for news providers,
“the report says.

It should be noted that Azerbaijan is adjacent to the list of Rwanda,
Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Cuba, North Korea and the
biggest violator of freedom, Eritrea.

It is noteworthy that countries such as Iraq, Pakistan, Libya,
Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Cambodia are ahead of Azerbaijan.

Neighbors of Azerbaijan in the region, Armenia and Georgia took places
78 and 69 respectively.

The ten freest countries are as follows: Finland, Denmark, the
Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand, Austria, Canada, Jamaica and
Estonia. -02D-

CRIMINAL CASE INITIATED IN AZERBAIJAN AGAINST CAPTURED ARMENIAN SABOTEUR

Trend Daily News (Azerbaijan)
February 12, 2015 Thursday 5:45 PM GMT +4

Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.12
By Ilkin Izzet – Trend:

The Military Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan has initiated a criminal
case on the fact of the crime committed by a sabotage group member
of Armenian armed forces Arsen Bagdasaryan, said a message from
Azerbaijani Military Prosecutor’s Office on Feb.12.

Armenian serviceman Arsen Bagdasaryan was captured by Azerbaijani
servicemen, as he crossed the contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian
armies in the direction of Aghdam district on Dec.26, 2014.

In this connection, Azerbaijani Military Prosecutor’s Office has
initiated a criminal case on the Articles 29,120.2.7; 29,120.2.12
and 29,282.2 of the country’s Criminal Code, according to the message.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in
1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a
result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied
20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently
holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

STRONG BAKU-TEHRAN TIES HELPFUL TO SETTLE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Feb 13 2015

13 February 2015, 10:57 (GMT+04:00)
By Sara Rajabova

Cooperation between Iran and Azerbaijan contributes to the peaceful
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, says Iranian envoy.

Mohsen Pak Ayeen, Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan said on February
11 that the strengthening of bilateral relations between Iran and
Azerbaijan will provide a basis for the settlement of regional
conflicts.

Noting Iran’s commitment to the peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Pak Ayeen said strengthening of relations
between the two brotherly countries contributes to peace, stability
and development in the region.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made
territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the early
1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian armed
forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally
recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent
regions.

Tehran has repeatedly offered to mediate between Armenia and Azerbaijan
to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Earlier, Pak Ayeen said the
peaceful solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is one of the main
goals of Iran’s foreign policy.

Besides, touching upon Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad
Zarif’s visit to Azerbaijan, Pak Ayeen said intensification of
Azerbaijani-Iranian relations will be discussed during the visit of
the minister.

He said the Iranian minister will visit Azerbaijan on February16 at
the invitation of Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

During the visit, the minister will hold several high-level meetings
and discuss the intensification of the bilateral relations.

Pak Ayeen further informed that Ali Abbasov, Azerbaijani Minister of
Communications and High Technologies will visit Tehran on February
22-24 to attend a meeting of Non-Aligned Movement. During the visit
of Azerbaijani minister will hold meetings with Iranian officials,
according to Iranian envoy.

He expressed hope that this visit will contribute to further
strengthening of relations between Iran and Azerbaijan.

Pak Ayeen also added that the trade turnover between the two countries
has recently expanded.

Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee data showed that the trade
turnover between Azerbaijan and Iran on the results of 2014 amounted
to 186.6 million dollars, while 147.2 million of this fall to the
share of imports.

Furthermore, along with the bilateral cooperation, Baku and Tehran
are expanding the collaboration in the multilateral formats.

Pak Ayeen told Trend news agency that Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkey will
discuss strengthening of economic relations as part of the trilateral
meeting of the economy ministers.

He said the meeting will be held in Iran in March. The exact date
and the host city have not been set yet.

“The presidents of all three countries are interested in the
development of trilateral cooperation. We held a trilateral meeting at
the level of foreign ministers. But the meeting will be held at the
level of economy ministers now. The meeting promotes the development
of trilateral economic relations,” said Pak Ayeen.

He also added that a meeting of the bilateral economic commission
will be held in Tehran this summer.

Iran and Azerbaijan have had diplomatic relations since 1918. Iran
recognized Azerbaijan’s independence in 1991, and diplomatic relations
between the two countries were established in 1992.

Tehran has in recent years focused seriously on development of ties
with neighboring countries, including Azerbaijan which enjoys various
commonalties with Iran in religious, historical and cultural fields.

From: Baghdasarian

MASSACRI, STUPRI E ODIO IL GENOCIDIO DEGLI ARMENI COSÌ FEROCE E COSI ATTUALE

il Giornale-Italia
08 feb 2015

Nel 1915 iniziò in Turchia una pulizia etnica che anticipò la Shoah
In nome della Guerra santa un intero popolo venne costretto all’esodo

Quando nonno Yerwant raccontava della sua lontana infanzia nell’Armenia
anatolica, ogni cosa acquistava il colore di un quieto idillio
pastorale. C’erano valli ubertose e ruscelli mormoranti, pianure
e villaggi montani, e c’era la Masseria delle Allodole, dove lui,
il figlio maggiore, correva libero per campi e frutteti, e rubava
con l’amico Ovhannes i giganteschi meloni con una carriola.

C’era la sua mamma Iskuhì dalle gote di pesca, così giovane, quasi
bambina, che lo abbracciava stretto e poi giocava con lui. Le storie
del Paese Perduto. Quante volte le ripetevano gli armeni sopravvissuti
al Metz Yeghern (Il Grande Male), il genocidio del 1915, sparsi
dappertutto per il vasto mondo, quanti particolari raccontavano sui
parenti scomparsi nel ferro e nel fuoco, sulle piccole memorie di
piccoli eventi vicini al loro cuore di bambini strappati al nido
e a ogni caldo conforto! E come era irrimediabile la loro profonda
malinconia: sapevano che non c’era rimedio possibile, che per loro non
si sarebbe mai potuto parlare di ritorno, e che lo shock dell’abbandono
e della solitudine non si sarebbe mai cancellato. E sapevano che,
se parlavano, non li ascoltava nessuno…

Un popolo in diaspora, che in quella terribile estate del 1915 venne
scacciato per sempre – attraverso la morte o l’esilio – dalle sue
terre ancestrali: e non a causa di terribili eventi naturali, ma
per la funesta volonta politica del triumvirato che controllava
l’impero Ottomano, e che aveva deciso di farla finita con le
minoranze. Una storia ben nota all’epoca, di cui tutta la stampa
(anche quella italiana!) parlò abbondantemente. Sui giornali del
1915-16 si trovano infatti moltissime notizie sui massacri armeni:
si pubblicavano corrispondenze e rapporti di consoli, mercanti,
viaggiatori che in quel momento si trovavano all’interno dell’impero
e che avevano assistito impotenti agli orrori e potuto misurare
di persona l’estensione e la violenza degli avvenimenti. Giacomo
Gorrini, console italiano a Trebisonda, concesse al Messaggero di
Roma un’intervista lucida e appassionata che resta ancor oggi come
uno dei più documentati rapporti sull’eliminazione degli armeni dal
grande porto sul Mar Nero: le barche cariche di gente fatte colare a
picco, gli uomini e i ragazzi finiti a colpi di accetta; e poi stupri,
rapimenti delle giovani donne, schiavitù dei bambini.

Ma perche la strage degli armeni è considerata il primo genocidio del
Ventesimo secolo? Che cosa lega questa tragedia, avvenuta durante la
Prima guerra mondiale, alla Shoah ebraica durante la Seconda? Quali
sono le somiglianze fra Hitler e i tre massacratori degli armeni,
i ministri Talaat, Enver, Djemal? Il genocidio degli armeni fu
uno dei frutti avvelenati del nazionalismo ottocentesco, attecchito
nell’impero Ottomano (sotto le mentite spoglie di una lotta ai vecchi
costumi e alla corruzione del governo dei Sultani) col colpo di Stato
del 1908, che portò al governo il partito dei Giovani turchi. Una
specie di “primavera ottomana” riscaldò in quel periodo i cuori dei
giovani delle minoranze, ma la ventata democratica durò assai poco,
e gli armeni e i greci che – illusi – avevano marciato insieme ai
Giovani turchi dovettero ben presto riconoscere che il sogno di una
nuova nazione escludeva proprio loro, classificandoli come minoranze
riottose di cui diffidare.

Una teoria ideologica a sostegno della preminenza dei “turchi di
sangue” fu elaborata (come ha riportato alla luce lo storico turco
Taner Akcam); una sistematica opera di de-umanizzazione e di pulizia
etnica fu lanciata, ma per poter operare fino in fondo con successo
(e per coinvolgere la popolazione turca, chiamandola anche alla guerra
di religione contro gli armeni cristiani) ci voleva l’occasione adatta:
fu il conflitto mondiale.

Agosto 1914: tuonano i cannoni d’agosto, come si disse allora.

L’intera Europa si precipita a cuor leggero nell’immensa strage della
Grande guerra. Novembre 1914: l’impero Ottomano entra in guerra
a fianco degli imperi Centrali, Germania e Austria-Ungheria. Il
principale artefice di questa scelta turca fu proprio Enver, modesto
stratega dall’io fuori misura; ma oltre a tentare un’offensiva sul
fronte russo, dove venne ingloriosamente sconfitto, si sentì le mani
libere per affrontare la cosiddetta “questione armena”. Gli armeni
divennero il capro espiatorio ideale, una personale ossessione. E
qui si vedono i motivi per chiamare questa tragedia genocidio. Fu
uno sterminio preparato a freddo, organizzato, totale, che aveva come
bersaglio un popolo intero, senza fare differenze fra uomini, donne,
vecchi, bambini: lo scopo era l’eliminazione di un gruppo etnico dalla
sua patria ancestrale, e fu raggiunto. Circa i tre quarti del popolo
armeno in Turchia scomparve, nei mille modi dell’orrore: gli uomini
subito uccisi, le donne avviate alla morte lenta della deportazione
nel deserto. Furono usati vagoni piombati, primitive camere a gas,
eliminazioni collettive: le tecniche usate per l’annientamento degli
armeni divennero un modello che sara ripetuto nel corso del Novecento,
prima di tutto contro gli ebrei.

L’affinita fra armeni ed ebrei è apparsa sempre più evidente
negli ultimi anni, in documenti e testimonianze uscite da archivi,
biblioteche, corrispondenze private, da cui emergono agghiaccianti
parallelismi nella sistematicita e nella ritualita delle esecuzioni,
e anche nella spietata efficienza dei carnefici. Non c’è davvero
nulla di nuovo sotto il sole. Provocando brividi di orrore, oggi la
televisione esibisce immagini di decapitazioni di ostaggi, che seguono
un preciso percorso rituale. Ma nel Dna degli armeni sono incise
analoghe, terribili foto risalenti a cent’anni fa, e anche di più:
teste tagliate di intellettuali, sgocciolate dal sangue, venivano
esposte davanti al fotografo con garbo e un pizzico di soddisfatto
orgoglio, come monito e segno di disprezzo verso i deboli appartenenti
a un volgo sconfitto. Questa è l’ombra lunga del 1915, la profondita
dell’abisso del male da cui ogni tanto ci illudiamo ingenuamente
di essere usciti: eppure la scelta umile e coraggiosa della vita è
sempre possibile, come la tenace diaspora armena ha dimostrato.

Libri

A marzo esce il nuovo libro di Antonia Arslan Il rumore delle perle
di legno (Rizzoli) che conclude la trilogia iniziata con La masseria
delle allodole (Rizzoli, 2004) e proseguita con La strada di Smirne
(Rizzoli, 2007)

Pro Armenia. Voci ebraiche sul genocidio armeno a cura di Francesco
Berti e Fulvio Cortese (Giuntina)

Cancellare un popolo. Immagini e documenti del genocidio armen o di
Benedetta Guerzoni (Mimesis, 2013)

Convegno

The Armenian Genocid e 1915-2015 , convegno internazionale presso
l’Universita di Padova, 11-12 marzo

From: Baghdasarian