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SCHOLAR BECOMES TARGET OF TURKISH GROUPS
By: Nanore Barsoumian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2011/12/15/watenpaugh/
Thu, Dec 15 2011
University of California, Davis (UC Davis) Professor Keith David
Watenpaugh became the latest victim of a Turkish-American group's
allegations of slander this fall when an article about his paper
that appeared in the American Historical Review-titled "The League of
Nations' Rescue of Armenian Genocide Survivors and the Making of Modern
Humanitarianism, 1920-1927"-was published in the university's magazine.
Keith Watenpaugh The article highlights Wattenpaugh's, a historian of
modern Middle East who teaches in the religious studies program and
director of the UC Davis Human Rights Initiative, research on rescue
efforts by Western entities during the genocide, their perception
of the events unfolding before them, and the transformation of
international humanitarian relief efforts.
Denialist narrative: outright deny or minimalize
The article on Watenpaugh's paper was followed by a letter to the
editor by Gunay Evinch, an alumnus and past president of the Assembly
of Turkish-American Associations (ATTA), and currently an attorney
in D.C., whose clients include the Turkish Embassy. In the letter,
which appeared in the magazine's Fall 2011 issue, Evinch argued
that Western humanitarian aid was strictly directed at the Ottoman
Empire's Christian population, and a more appropriate title for the
article would be "Humanitarianism for Christians Only." He said that
"the world turned its back on Ottoman Muslims and Jews who also died
in frightful numbers and suffered the same privations as the Ottoman
Armenians." Evinch proceeded to parrot the official Turkish denialist
narrative that charges the Armenians of revolting or taking up arms
during the great massacres of the late 19th century and, later,
the Armenian Genocide.
In a disturbing and offensive choice of words, Evinch said the
Van rebellion "provided partial justification" for the Armenian
Genocide-or, as he phrased it, "the May 1915 security relocation
of Armenians from the eastern Anatolian war zones." He concluded
that the West had remained silent on the suffering of Muslims and
Jews of the Empire; that the Western humanitarian efforts were in
collaboration with the Ottoman government; and that humanitarianism
"of a universal sort...was neither born nor sparked."
Watenpaugh replies
In response, Watenpaugh acknowledged that many groups did suffer during
the waning days of the Ottoman Empire, but added, "Only Armenians
were subjected to a state-sponsored attempt to exterminate them as
a people in what became the Republic of Turkey-genocide."
International humanitarian efforts were directed towards the Armenians
"because they were faced with genocide and dispossession, were living
in refugee camps...[and] were being prevented by the Republic of
Turkey from going home. They were stateless, had no legal standing,
and were wholly reliant on international humanitarian assistance
for their survival." On the other hand, Turkish and Muslim refugees
from the Balkans and Russia received citizenship, refuge, and the
properties of murdered Armenians, he wrote. Citing two examples,
Watenpaugh disputed Evinch's claims that Ottoman Muslims and Jews did
not receive international aid, and went on to note that the Jews of
the Ottoman Empire "did not face state persecution or deportation."
In his conclusion-and what became his most controversial
words-Watenpaugh held: "What is most important to understand is that
the Assembly of Turkish American Associations has been at the forefront
of a Turkish government-sponsored effort in the United States to deny
that what happened to the Armenians was genocide. The attack on my
work in Mr. Evinch's letter is part of that project and should be
understood in this light. At UC Davis, we teach our students that
history is more than just a collection of facts, but rather is the
starting point for an ethical relationship with the past."
ATAA demands apology
Not long after, the president of the ATAA, Ergun Kirlikovali, in a
letter to the managing editor of the UC Davis magazine, Kathleen
Holder, and to the head of the university's religious studies
department, Catherine Chin, accused Watenpaugh of making "defamatory"
and "extraordinarily harmful" statements, reported Inside Higher Ed.
The letter highlighted Watenpaugh's final sentence in his response
to Evinch, calling it "Professor Watenpaugh's reckless insinuation
that the ATAA is a foreign agent, funded by and under the direction
and control of Turkey..."
The ATAA proceeded to compare the statement to one made by the Southern
Poverty Law Center against Prof. Guenter Lewy, who had argued against
evidence on genocide. Lewy sued the center, which was then ordered
by the court to print a retraction and an apology.
The ATAA then sent letters to UC Davis officials demanding that
Watenpaugh apologize, reported Inside Higher Ed. So far, the university
has said it will stand behind Watenpaugh. The latter maintains his
words were not "defamatory," as he did not say the ATAA was an agent
of the Turkish state, but an organization who vehemently denies
the Armenian Genocide in the U.S., paralleling the same policy and
propaganda of denial by the Turkish state.
Inside Higher Ed reports that Watenpaugh is set to release a statement
to clarify his previous one.
MESA voices support
On Nov. 16, the president of the Middle East Studies Association of
North America (MESA), Suad Joseph, addressed a letter to Kirlikovali
on behalf of MESA and its Committee on Academic Freedom, in which
she expressed concern over the ATAA's letter to Holder and Chin,
and a separate e-mail from Evinch to Holder. MESA fears the ATAA will
seek legal action, as Kilikovali alleged that Watenpaugh defamed his
organization, while Evinch accused him of libel.
"We are concerned that such allegations may damage Professor
Watenpaugh's standing as a respected historian of the modern Middle
East and undermine his ability to do his work as a scholar and a
teacher. More broadly, we are concerned that your letters' specific
references to legal action initiated in another case involving the
question of what happened to the Armenians of the Ottoman Empire
during the First World War may have a chilling effect on academic
inquiry and discourse about this important historical episode,"
read the MESA letter.
By: Nanore Barsoumian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2011/12/15/watenpaugh/
Thu, Dec 15 2011
University of California, Davis (UC Davis) Professor Keith David
Watenpaugh became the latest victim of a Turkish-American group's
allegations of slander this fall when an article about his paper
that appeared in the American Historical Review-titled "The League of
Nations' Rescue of Armenian Genocide Survivors and the Making of Modern
Humanitarianism, 1920-1927"-was published in the university's magazine.
Keith Watenpaugh The article highlights Wattenpaugh's, a historian of
modern Middle East who teaches in the religious studies program and
director of the UC Davis Human Rights Initiative, research on rescue
efforts by Western entities during the genocide, their perception
of the events unfolding before them, and the transformation of
international humanitarian relief efforts.
Denialist narrative: outright deny or minimalize
The article on Watenpaugh's paper was followed by a letter to the
editor by Gunay Evinch, an alumnus and past president of the Assembly
of Turkish-American Associations (ATTA), and currently an attorney
in D.C., whose clients include the Turkish Embassy. In the letter,
which appeared in the magazine's Fall 2011 issue, Evinch argued
that Western humanitarian aid was strictly directed at the Ottoman
Empire's Christian population, and a more appropriate title for the
article would be "Humanitarianism for Christians Only." He said that
"the world turned its back on Ottoman Muslims and Jews who also died
in frightful numbers and suffered the same privations as the Ottoman
Armenians." Evinch proceeded to parrot the official Turkish denialist
narrative that charges the Armenians of revolting or taking up arms
during the great massacres of the late 19th century and, later,
the Armenian Genocide.
In a disturbing and offensive choice of words, Evinch said the
Van rebellion "provided partial justification" for the Armenian
Genocide-or, as he phrased it, "the May 1915 security relocation
of Armenians from the eastern Anatolian war zones." He concluded
that the West had remained silent on the suffering of Muslims and
Jews of the Empire; that the Western humanitarian efforts were in
collaboration with the Ottoman government; and that humanitarianism
"of a universal sort...was neither born nor sparked."
Watenpaugh replies
In response, Watenpaugh acknowledged that many groups did suffer during
the waning days of the Ottoman Empire, but added, "Only Armenians
were subjected to a state-sponsored attempt to exterminate them as
a people in what became the Republic of Turkey-genocide."
International humanitarian efforts were directed towards the Armenians
"because they were faced with genocide and dispossession, were living
in refugee camps...[and] were being prevented by the Republic of
Turkey from going home. They were stateless, had no legal standing,
and were wholly reliant on international humanitarian assistance
for their survival." On the other hand, Turkish and Muslim refugees
from the Balkans and Russia received citizenship, refuge, and the
properties of murdered Armenians, he wrote. Citing two examples,
Watenpaugh disputed Evinch's claims that Ottoman Muslims and Jews did
not receive international aid, and went on to note that the Jews of
the Ottoman Empire "did not face state persecution or deportation."
In his conclusion-and what became his most controversial
words-Watenpaugh held: "What is most important to understand is that
the Assembly of Turkish American Associations has been at the forefront
of a Turkish government-sponsored effort in the United States to deny
that what happened to the Armenians was genocide. The attack on my
work in Mr. Evinch's letter is part of that project and should be
understood in this light. At UC Davis, we teach our students that
history is more than just a collection of facts, but rather is the
starting point for an ethical relationship with the past."
ATAA demands apology
Not long after, the president of the ATAA, Ergun Kirlikovali, in a
letter to the managing editor of the UC Davis magazine, Kathleen
Holder, and to the head of the university's religious studies
department, Catherine Chin, accused Watenpaugh of making "defamatory"
and "extraordinarily harmful" statements, reported Inside Higher Ed.
The letter highlighted Watenpaugh's final sentence in his response
to Evinch, calling it "Professor Watenpaugh's reckless insinuation
that the ATAA is a foreign agent, funded by and under the direction
and control of Turkey..."
The ATAA proceeded to compare the statement to one made by the Southern
Poverty Law Center against Prof. Guenter Lewy, who had argued against
evidence on genocide. Lewy sued the center, which was then ordered
by the court to print a retraction and an apology.
The ATAA then sent letters to UC Davis officials demanding that
Watenpaugh apologize, reported Inside Higher Ed. So far, the university
has said it will stand behind Watenpaugh. The latter maintains his
words were not "defamatory," as he did not say the ATAA was an agent
of the Turkish state, but an organization who vehemently denies
the Armenian Genocide in the U.S., paralleling the same policy and
propaganda of denial by the Turkish state.
Inside Higher Ed reports that Watenpaugh is set to release a statement
to clarify his previous one.
MESA voices support
On Nov. 16, the president of the Middle East Studies Association of
North America (MESA), Suad Joseph, addressed a letter to Kirlikovali
on behalf of MESA and its Committee on Academic Freedom, in which
she expressed concern over the ATAA's letter to Holder and Chin,
and a separate e-mail from Evinch to Holder. MESA fears the ATAA will
seek legal action, as Kilikovali alleged that Watenpaugh defamed his
organization, while Evinch accused him of libel.
"We are concerned that such allegations may damage Professor
Watenpaugh's standing as a respected historian of the modern Middle
East and undermine his ability to do his work as a scholar and a
teacher. More broadly, we are concerned that your letters' specific
references to legal action initiated in another case involving the
question of what happened to the Armenians of the Ottoman Empire
during the First World War may have a chilling effect on academic
inquiry and discourse about this important historical episode,"
read the MESA letter.