Teach genocide!
Teach genocide!Teach genocide! Kurdistan and Hayastan - Hand in Hand: January 2008

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

US election - for Armenian or Kurdish interests ?

The US election could be confusing when the competition is so intensive between the candidates. In one of the corners, the christian Hillary Clinton has interests for the Kurds and on the other side we have the muslim Barack Obama with his interests for the middle eastern christians.

Hillary Clinton said:

"We also have to look to see how the Kurds are being treated, because the Kurds have behaved very well in this," she said. "They took their opportunity for freedom from (former Iraqi leader) Saddam Hussein's tyrannical rule, and they've been building their society in the north of Iraq.

Finally, we will have to protect our interests. We'll have an embassy there. And if the Iraqi government does get its act together, we may have a continuingtraining mission." she added.


Obama at the same time pledges to recognize Armenian genocide if he is elected president.

"As president, I will recognize the Armenian genocide," Obama said in a statement posted on his Web site last weekend after a meeting with leaders of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Obama has also pledged to put an end to "Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades" of Armenia as president.

"As a U.S. senator, I have stood with the Armenian American community in calling for Turkey's acknowledgement of the Armenian genocide." he said.
But meanwhile, Barak is also obviously opposing a Kurdish state and drawing parallel between the Kurds and Talibans.



Other candidates about the Armenian genocide:
  • Rudy Giuliani issued genocide proclamations when he was mayor of New York in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
  • Senator John McCain has consistently opposed genocide resolutions
  • Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney are not known as pro-Armenian politicians.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Kurdish studies department in Armenia


The Armenian Academy of Sciences

In 1969 The Armenian Academy of Sciences founded a Kurdish
Studies Department in 1969 to document and research all aspects
of Kurdish culture but also to study Kurdish-Armenian relations.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Ties between people are tightened by culture

read the full article here and interview with Artsvi Bakhchinyan is a Yerevan, philologist, film researcher, Dr. of Armenian language and literature.


"I have been in Istanbul for two times, but did not feel I was in Turkey. In Diyarbakir I had that feeling that I am in Turkish land, although I met only Kurdish and Zaza people there, says Armenian intellectual Artsvi Bakhchinyan after visiting Turkey."

...

"This was your first visit to Diyarbakir, what was your impression as a foreigner and as an Armenian?

I have been in Istanbul for two times, but did not feel I was in Turkey. In Diyarbakir I had that feeling that I am in Turkish land, although I met only Kurdish and Zaza people there. Their interest and attitude toward the Armenian guest was very warm. For me it was thrilling to see the remnants of the Armenian church. It is a unique architectural monument that can be one of the beautiful sights Diyarbakir. Unfortunately the roof doe snot exist anymore but I have heard it is going to be recovered. The Armenian monuments in Eastern and Southern Turkey have important significance for the world cultural heritage so they need a special treatment from the government.

Which films were shown in Diyarbakir? Can you tell us about the feedbacks?

Only the "Return of the Poet" was screened in Diyarbakir. Before that there was an interactive discussion not only about the cinema but also about Armenian-Kurdish relations generally. I had a project to organize an Armenian-Kurdish film festival in Diyarbakir and not only there. The very first film about the Kurds is made in Armenia in 1926, by the founder of

Armenian cinema Hamo Beknazaryan. By the way, this film, "Zare," is the second feature film production of Soviet Armenia. There are also some other films, both features and documentaries, that have been made about the Kurds in Armenia. I mean particularly Hineer Salem's films, "Vodka Lemon" of which was rather successful in international festival and was screened in Istanbul as well.

You gave some lectures in Istanbul too, on which subjects did you talk? How was the reaction in the conferences and screenings held in Istanbul?

I gave talks about the past and present of the Armenian cinema. Although the Istanbul audience had no problem with English and I also could give my talk in English, I preferred to talk Armenian and my colleague and friend Sevan Ataoğlu translated it into Turkish. I am sure that the neighbour peoples do not need intermediary languages; it is always preferable to speak in our native languages.

As I said already, because the audience of Diyarbekir was consisted of Kurds, their questions were mainly about their own connections with Armenia. Few people came to the meeting at Bilge University, but in Bosporus University the audience was very active and professional. I am especially impressed by the enthusiasm of the director of Mithat Alam Film Centre, Yamac Okur. We both are full of decisiveness to continue our cooperation. He gave me DVD-s of recent Turkish short films, which I would like to suggest including in the program of Golden Apricot 2007. The cultural cooperation is the best way for dialogues between nation, especially between Armenians and Turks, which are, as we always know, are

more than complicated. "

....


Artsvi Bakhchinyan, born 1971, Yerevan, philologist, film researcher, Dr. of Armenian language and literature. Contributed to periodicals of Armenia and abroad with articles on film, culture and various fields of Armenian studies. He is the vice president of Armenian branch of FIPRESCI (International Union of Film Critics and Cinema Journalists). Co-editor of "Armenian Cinema 1924-1999: a complete filmography" catalogue (Yerevan, 2001). Author of books: "Armenians by Origin" (a biographical dictionary of Armenian Diaspora: Yerevan, 1993), "Figures of Armenian Origin" (Yerevan, 2002), "Napoleon Bonaparte and the Armenians" (Yerevan, 2003), "Armenia-Scandinavia: Historical and Cultural Relations" (Yerevan, 2003), "Armenians in World Cinema" (Yerevan, 2004), "Armenia-Sweden" (in English, 2006).

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Kurdistan and Hayastan Celebrating 1 year!

This is from me to you, great people that have been following this blog.



Ezidi Kurd from Russia as they say singing in Armenian