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The Strength of Genocide Memories [April 30, 2007] “The memories of the Armenian Genocide still remain the most important part of the Armenian national identity. It was the memory of the genocide at the beginning of the 20 th century that united the Armenian nation at the end of the 20 th century and resulted in the success of the Artsakh liberation movement, “ said ethnologist and Doctor of Historic Sciences Harutyun Marutyan. “The recognition of the Genocide is not valuable in and of itself if it is not in the context of national culture. If we accept the memory of the Genocide as a part of our national identity and values, then after recognition, what will replace it?” asked Marutyan's colleague, ethnologist Mkhitar Gabrielyan. Harutyun Marutyan studies the role of collective and historic memory in shaping the Armenian national identity. In his view, our collective memory of the Genocide is not solely for recollection, but also serves as an impetus for action which if necessary can direct the life of the nation. “For every nation, the memories of traumatic experience in the past are not baggage to be thrown away as necessary, but a treasure to be used properly. Some important elements of a nation's historic and collective memory may be in a passive, dormant state and then be awakened, under the influence of external or internal factors.” According to the ethnologist, during the Karabakh liberation movement, the topic of genocide expanded beyond the borders of the pain and suffering of the period in which it took place and forced people to take active measures. “One of the effects of the struggle to overcome the crisis was the fact that the symbol of a victim pleading for justice and support was replaced by the symbol of a fighter. This change in Armenian identity resulted in the success of the Artsakh liberation movement, and moreover made it possible to overthrow the totalitarian regime and create an independent state.
Harutyun Marutyan tracked the changes in Armenian identity by studying around 1000 posters printed during the years of the Karabakh Movement 370 of which are about Genocide. He noticed that there were several times as many posters about the Genocide than the seemingly more mainstream posters that called for the reunification of Karabakh with Armenia, featuring slogans such as “Baku 1918, Shushi 1920, Sumgait 1988”; or “Genocide – Baku, Shushi, Nakhijevan, Artsakh, Sumgait, Masis, Khojalu”. The fact that people no longer wanted to view themselves as victims was reflected in the slogan “We need to fight, not to weep.” To avoid future genocides and to deal with the challenges facing the Armenian nation, the foremost solution advanced in Karabakh liberation movement posters was the quote from Yeghishe Charents: “Armenian people, your only salvation is your collective strength.” Harutyun Marutyan believes that historic and collective memory represents a huge potential strength, and is convinced that other nations understand that as well. “It's no coincidence that in the last decade many political figures, in the West as well as among our closest neighbors, have advised Armenians to discard the emotional baggage of the past, to accept the cruel events, and in doing so to move forward.”
Ethnologist Mkhitar Gabrielyan stresses the importance of remembering the Genocide, at the same time sadly noting that the positive changes that emerged during the Karabakh movement years seem to have disappeared. “What happened? After the ceasefire in 1994, Armenians and Karabakhstis (these terms themselves are pathetic) began to view each other as enemies. Today there is a question of banishing the “Karabakh clan” from Armenia. That means that we have depleted this positive, uniting inner strength. If that's how the inner strength is going to function, it would be better if it didn't function at all, because next time it will be impossible to unite the nation in the name of a national idea.” According to Mkhitar Gabrielyan, Armenians who were inspired by the memory of the Genocide and liberated Karabakh are today forced to contemplate the uselessness of the struggle. Shushi, once called the Future Capital of All Armenians, has become a ghost town, with only three or four thousand people living there. Armenians who exist in this reality cannot fathom that the recognition of the Genocide and the return of historic lands will really help them get ahead, or that they should once more make sacrifices in the name of all that, as they once did to liberate Karabakh. He suggests imagining for a moment that Turkey recognized the Armenian Genocide and offered to establish healthy, neighborly relations. “Are Armenian society and the Diaspora ready to accept this offer? If Turkey recognizes the Genocide and offers Turkish citizenship to he descendants of the deported, and resettlement in Van, Sasun, and Mush, will we be prepared to protect our cultural heritage in that county?” the ethnologist asked, adding that we avoid asking the question of why it happened to us. “Only the answer to that question will negate the possibility of another genocide,” he said. Anna Sargsyan |
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