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identitynegotiations-blog · 9 years

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Where do you think the U.S. Will stand? I believe, given their benefit from and alliance with Turkey,they will undoubtedly stand with the deniers as they always had...

#armenian #armenia #armenian genocide #genocide #turkey #denial #turkish #politics #culture #history #Armenian genocide denial #year 100

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identitynegotiations-blog · 10 years

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Lets Reggae it up with Reincarnation! and yes I'm BACK :)

#reincarnation #hayfanat #hay #hayren #regge #reggae #Ashkharhums Imn Dun is #armenian #armenian music #culture #armenain culture #music #ARMENIAN PRIDE #armenia #hayasyan

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identitynegotiations-blog · 11 years

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It was April 24th in Turkey, and they commemorated all the people that died in the Taksim square. These people who went there (2000) risked their lives, but they did it nonetheless. It was wonderful even the idea of them being able to do that, but one thing of most pleased me - The fact that Kurdish people accepted their role in the genocide and apologized for it. I appreciate that, and nothing else matters after that point. Even though it is not going to restore the loss and bring back the peaceful days(?), it is a great way to start over. After all we are like brother and sister, two nations grew up in Anatolia, hand in hand. Nothing would make me happier than seeing Turks do the same thing, as we too art brother and sister and we too, grew up in Anatolia, hand in hand.

Itâs April 24, 2013. In Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul. People have gathered in front of the Turkish-Islamic Arts Museum which, in 1915, served as the Central Prison that held Armenian intellectual...

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identitynegotiations-blog · 11 years

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"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" - G. Santayana

This made me cry, please watch!

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identitynegotiations-blog · 11 years

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Easter eggs, just like my grandma used to paint :) Happy easter everyone!

#easter #eggs #onion shell #natural paint #red eggs #easter eggs #armenian #old times #armenia #armenian tradition #happy easter #cross #chrisitan #catholic easter #armenian easter

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identitynegotiations-blog · 11 years

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This is simply beautiful.

#armenian #armenia #armenian music #Armenia #duduk #düdük #kanun #armenian folk #folk music #romance #armenian romance #djivan gasparyan #master of the duduk #armenian culture #music #armenians

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identitynegotiations-blog · 11 years

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Tell your stories

Every Armenian has a story. It is a sad story of survival. In every Armenian family, there is a story of richness and pain, we are the lucky ones, the ones got away, the ones who survived, and we are alive. A lot was lost in history, some lost their children, and some lost their parents. Some lost their siblings; some lost their own identity, their own religion and even their own names. A cultural richness perished in history...

Some lost their minds, some lost their souls…we all lost one thing in common, our land, our country, and our people. But then again, we are the lucky ones; we are the survivors of a horrible crime.

Every Armenian has a story, a story of pain and struggle that will get lost in history if not told. Tell your stories everyone. Be proud of your stories, those are what makes you who you are. Our history is our identity, embrace the sad story in the past, be proud that your grandparents got to survive… You are the lucky ones, lucky ones are alive.

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identitynegotiations-blog · 11 years

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My Cross

When I was a little kid, I wanted a cross so badly. My parents wouldn’t let me wear one, they wouldn’t buy me one, they would say, “ you can’t wear a cross in public just yet, maybe when you are older, or in the summer house where everyone knows we are Christian”

The first time when I came to America (I was about 8), my mother actually gave me a cross, and said, “ Here (in the US), it is ok to be Christian. For them, it is not a bad thing. Everyone is Christian here.” I wore my first cross then and I was so happy-until we came back to Turkey and I had to take it off of course.

For me a cross was a sign of freedom and I guess it made you a target but I didn’t know that back then of course. It was something I couldn’t have and I wanted it so much because all of my cousins had them. They were going to Armenian schools and I wasn’t, perhaps that’s why I was (had to be) more discrete about my Armenian heritage and my religion.

My first proper cross was the one my father gave me for Christmas in 2007. That is not too long ago, only 6 years ago and I am 20 now. So I got to wear a proper cross when I was 14. That is pretty late. But still it meant everything for me. It is still the cross I wear the most; it is a diamond cross (a little one) with a white gold chain. When I first got it, I can’t emphasize enough how much I wore it, I think the chain actually made a mark on my neck after the first year! :)

I remember once, I was walking down the street and there was a political protest and of course I was wearing my cross. It was getting late and there were police around. I had to go through that protesting crown to get to the subway but as I started getting closer to them and as they started getting louder, I started feeling a bit…scared. I put my hand on my cross, tried to hide it for a while and then I took it off just so I can get through them without sticking out to anyone. It was probably not going to be that big of a problem but the way I was raised to perceive thing told me that this country wanted to hurt Christians. A little notion from my childhood whispered me to take my cross off, just until I passed through the crowd. No one should be threatened just because they are wearing a cross (or any religious symbol for that matter) but I was.

I wore my cross so often not because I was religious, and in fact I am not that religious at all. I wore it because it was a sign of freedom for me. I wasn’t allowed to wear it before as if it was “a bad thing” to be Christian, as if it was a sin. Now I could wear it and I did, it was a way of expression. It was my way of embracing my identity despite of all hate against Armenians. It was my way of defying all those who think Christianity was a bad thing. I wore my cross every day and said without words “I am Christian and I am proud, I don’t care what you think of it, it is who I am and you can’t judge me because of it.” It was that simple, and it still is.

I still wear my cross almost every day, still not because of religious reasons. I wear it because I wasn’t allowed before, maybe it is childish to some extent but I think it is brave after all those years of hiding who I am. I think it is brave to show it that boldly whereas when I was younger, I couldn’t even say that I was Christian to people. We didn’t even speak of it. I am proud to wear my cross, I am proud of what it represents. Not everyone gets it but I don’t care, I will still put it on and silently say “I am Christian and I am proud, I don’t care what you think of it, it is who I am and you can’t judge me because of it”

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identitynegotiations-blog · 11 years

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"5 generations of an Armenian family. The rug behing them and the one on the floor appear to be Persian. Ottoman Turkey, 1893"

#Armenian #armenia #armenian women #otttoman #ottoman empire #ottoman Turkey #History #old photographs #generations #old women #women #1915 #armenian culture #armenians #turk #Armenia #armenian

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identitynegotiations-blog · 11 years

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Do you know why Armenians were exiled back then?

There is multiple points of view on that, the two main ones are obviously Turkish and Armenian. The Turkish point of view is that, Armenians were rebelling against the Ottoman Empire and asking for a part of Ottoman Empire land, they were doing so by collaborating with the russians and therefore it was a treason. As a result, the Ottoman Empire decided to deport all the Armenians and they walked them in the direction of the Syrian Desert. The other point of view is the one of Armenians which is that by the end of 1880’s there was a will to create a Muslim Turkey. The other political act of Ottoman Empire didn’t help the decline of it, so they decided to change their political attitude towards creating a religiously homogenous environment There anti-christian and therefore anti-minority acts resulted in a chain of inhumain murders and unspeakable tortures. They deported Armenians from their villages without notification, without anything, killing the men and marching the women and children towards the Desert depriving them from food and water. The main point of difference in these different views is that one defends that it was not planned and purely because of nationalism while the other (the Armenian point of view) defends that it was planned and the nationalism was just the cover of everything and it was out of hatered against christians and other political reasons.

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identitynegotiations-blog · 11 years

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Armenians in Turkey: 100 years ago, ia a book, edited by Osman Köker, dedicated to showing Armenian culture that once existed in Anatolia, through the postcard collection of Orlando Calumeno. ________

"The Calumeno Collection presents an incontrovertible reality, namely that a century and more ago Armenians lived, worked, and created on the soil of Ottoman Turkey. The views illustrate Armenians at work, Armenian churches, factories, shops, homes, schools, public buildings, and mosques created by Armenian architects, Armenian quarters of various towns, and panoramic town views printed by Armenian editors, before their communities were cruelly disrupted by the 1915 genocide and its aftermath."

____ I admire what Osman Köker did with this book. Not only he came to realize that armenians are not enemies, he showed that with this book and he actually overcame many racist prejudice towards Armenians by showing people that Armenians were normal productive citizens who contributed to Ottoman soil, to Turkey today. He show that history is todays lost treasure. I admire him so much as he is not Armenian or part of any minority and he came to realize these facts and embrace the past.

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identitynegotiations-blog · 11 years

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Memories without borders, watch it if you have time. Its a beautiful documentary in Armenian-Azerbaijani language with Turkish subtitles and some English inter titles.

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identitynegotiations-blog · 11 years

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Armenian flags with mosque background by Harout's Lens

Armenians demonstrate against Turkish troops in Lebanon.

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identitynegotiations-blog · 11 years

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Look how many armenians still live in Turkey and many other places in the world. America and Russia seems to be the two most concentrated countries. The diaspora makes me sad, but the fact that there are many armenians everywhere makes me happy.

#Armenian #armenia #armenian diaspora #demographics #armenian demographics #armenians #foreign country #Turkey #USA #america #Russia #Armenian population #armenian heritage #diaspora #armenians by country #history #historical treasure #treasure #armenian culture

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identitynegotiations-blog · 11 years

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"This 1929 photo was taken in New York City, it shows the Male/Female Aid for Education group. The Armenian Relief Society is celebrating its centennial this year."

________

Armenian Relief Society is the oldest existing Armenian women's philanthropic organization in the world.

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identitynegotiations-blog · 11 years

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"The Jewish melodies had appealed to me. I had written them down and worked on them not because I was a Jew, but for the very opposite reason; that is to say, because I wasn’t enough of a Jew."

Joel Engel ---------

In 1898, When russian composer Vladmir Stasov challenged him by saying "Where is your national pride of being a Jew?" He reminded Engel of the history of Jewish music, the beautiful liturgical tradition. He then shouted, "Where is your national pride in the music of your own people?!"

This, changed Engel's life mission and he started studying Jewish music. Two years later, he said these words.

The reason I posted this quote is I guess because it is exactly how I feel. I am learning about armenian culture, not because I am Armenian but because I am not Armenian enough. It is my way of taking pride in my cultural history, finding my heritage and showing my respects to it. I am proud of being Armenian, and I want to become more and more Armenian every day.

#Joel Engel #judahism #jew #pride #nationalism #national pride #jewish pride #jewish #music #identity #identity negotiation #armenian #armenian pride #armenian culture #armenian heritage #respect #cultural respect #armenia #armenians

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identitynegotiations-blog · 11 years

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This is a song I love, I first listened to it from Sezen Aksu as "Sarışınım". I love the dynamic of this song. I never knew that it was composed by Ara Dinkjian. He is a great oud player. Love him love him!

#ara dinkjian #oud #sezen aksu #sarışınım #armenian #anatolia songs #dinkjian #ara #homecoming #oud player #turkish #armenian culture

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