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ZORYAN ANNOUNCES NEW DONATION, PUBLISHES SPANISH TRANSLATION OF SUMGAIT EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2013-02-08-zoryan-announces-new-donation-publishes-spanish-translation-of-sumgait-eyewitness-accounts
Published: Friday February 08, 2013
Cover of the Spanish edition of the "Tragedy of Sumgait".
TORONTO - Henry Sarkissian, Armenian philanthropist, noted
international businessman, and the president of world-class Contractor
in Industrial and Power Projects, has just made the largest donation
this year to the Zoryan Institute amounting to $100,000.
Sarkissian, based in Beirut, Lebanon, with offices in several countries
of the Gulf, Africa and North America, has been a long-time supporter
of the Institute's mission, which is to serve the cause of scholarship
and public awareness relating to issues of universal human rights,
genocide, and diaspora-homeland relations, through the systematic
and continued efforts of independent scholars.
In response to a letter of gratitude from Zoryan's president, Mr.
Sarkissian simply replied, "The Zoryan Institute deserves our humble
donation." Over the years, he, along with his family, have sponsored
conferences, publications, and other activities of the Institute held
in Europe, Armenia and North America.
George Shirinian, Executive Director of the Zoryan Institute, remarked,
"The Institute has just completed thirty years of service to the
academic community and to our people. We look back with pride on the
acknowledgement we have received from community and government leaders,
scholars, students, and the thousands of supporters, large and small,
who have encouraged us in our work. It is only with their help that
Zoryan has been able to achieve as much as it has. We are excited as
we look forward to what the next thirty years will bring!"
Prof. Roger W. Smith, the chairman of Zoryan's Academic Board,
declared, "We are grateful for the generosity of Mr. Sarkissian. This
kind of "noble" donation not only brings enthusiasm to people at
the Institute, but also reinforces the commitment of its directors,
the staff and the volunteers to work even harder in conducting their
academic work, including research, analysis and publication on issues
related to the forces that shape modern Armenian life, politics,
history and identity in a global context. We are hopeful that others
will follow Mr. Sarkissian's example."
"Tragedy of Sumgait" in Spanish The Sumgait Tragedy: Pogroms against
Armenians in Soviet Azerbaijan: Eyewitness Accounts is as relevant
today as when it was first published by the Zoryan Institute. A new
Italian language edition, La Tragedia di Sumgait: 1988, Un Pogrom di
armeni nell'Unione Sovietica has just been released. The edition was
prepared by Pietro Kuciukian and published by Guerini e Associati
of Milan and marks the ninth language in which Zoryan's work has
been published. This edition includes the prefaces both from the
English edition by human rights activist Yelena Bonner, and the French
edition by human rights activist, French politican, and co-founder of
Medecins Sans Frontières, Bernard Kouchner. The appearance of this
book is very timely, exposing the origins of the current conflict,
as Azerbaijan continues to use threatening and warmongering language
against Armenia and Artsakh.
For three days in February, 1988, the Azerbaijani city of Sumgait
became the arena of pogroms against the Armenians. The Sumgait tragedy
was a brutal, organized attempt to block a political solution to the
peaceful demands of the Armenians of Mountainous Karabagh, over 1000
km away from Sumgait, which is deeply within Azerbaijan proper. These
events marked the beginning of a premeditated plan to depopulate
Azerbaijan of Armenians, and eventually of Russians and Jews.
The book is a compilation of interviews conducted by Armenian
journalist Samvel Shahmuratian with Sumgait survivors immediately
after events in February 1988, while the memory was fresh. These
testimonies give painful answers to critical questions. What happened
in Sumgait? Why was the impending slaughter not averted? Why did
measures to halt the massacres come too late? Why did the events
not receive complete analysis and coverage by the mass media, the
government, and judicial bodies? The answers to these questions come
from the victims themselves, in halting painful narratives.
In 1988, the Nagorno-Karabagh Autonomous Oblast was a small, 4400 sq.
km. (1699 sq. mi.) Soviet enclave with a population of approximately
153,000, of which 80% was Armenian. It is central to Armenian cultural
and historical identity. Since its transfer by Stalin to Azerbaijan
in 1921, the government of Azerbaijan pursued a policy of economic and
social discrimination and political repression, making life intolerable
for its citizens in a variety of ways. In the 1960s and 1970s, the
government of Nagorno-Karabagh petitioned the central Soviet government
several times for relief from these conditions, without success.
The advent of Mikhail Gorbachev and his policies of glasnost and
perestroika encouraged the people of Nagorno-Karabagh to call for
self-determination within the existing legal framework and within the
jurisdiction of Azerbaijan. Starting in 1987, they signed petitions,
held vigils, conducted hunger strikes, demonstrations, rallies
and general strikes. Massive marches took place in Stepanakert and
Yerevan. On February 26, 1988, Gorbachev tried to calm the situation
by asking for a moratorium on the demonstrations for one month, after
which he would announce a new policy regarding Nagorno-Karabagh. The
Armenians agreed to suspend their protests.
A wave of anti-Armenian statements and rallies swept over Azerbaijan.
This culminated in three days (February 27-29) of unhindered mass
pogroms against the Armenians living in Sumgait, a city of some
250,000 inhabitants, miles away from Nagorno-Karabagh.
The perpetrators who broke into Armenian homes were aided by prepared
lists containing the names of residents. They were armed with iron
rods, stones, axes, knives, bottles, and canisters full of benzene.
According to witnesses, some apartments were raided by groups of 50
to 80 persons. Similar crowds, up to 100 people, stormed the streets.
There were dozens of casualties and 53 murders - most of those were
burnt alive after being assaulted and tortured. Hundreds of innocent
people were wounded and disabled. Many women, including adolescent
girls, were raped. Over 200 apartments were raided, dozens of cars
burnt, numerous shops and workshops looted. Mobs hurled furniture,
refrigerators, TV sets, and beds from balconies and then burnt them.
The direct and indirect results of these atrocities were tens of
thousands of Armenian refugees.
The army arrived in Sumgait on February 29; however, it limited its
activities to shielding itself against the ravaging Azerbaijani mob
that threw stones at the soldiers and did little to protect Armenians.
As the true story behind Armenian-Azerbaijani relations has become
obscured by propaganda, oil lobbyists, and economic interests,
this volume serves as a valuable document for Italian readers when
considering a resolution to the ongoing Karabagh conflict.
This new edition provides an abridged version of the interviews, making
it an excellent introductory text for Italian readers interested in
learning more about the Sumgait tragedy. This new version also arranges
the interviews into thematic chapters, making them easy to navigate
and providing those who are new to the subject with more context.
The Zoryan Institute is the parent organization of the International
Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, which runs an annual,
accredited university program on the subject and is co-publisher
of Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal in
partnership with the International Association of Genocide Scholars
and the University of Toronto Press. It is the first non-profit,
international center devoted to the research and documentation of
contemporary issues with a focus on Genocide, Diaspora and Armenia.
For more information please contact the Zoryan Institute by email
[email protected] or telephone 416-250-9807.
From: Baghdasarian
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2013-02-08-zoryan-announces-new-donation-publishes-spanish-translation-of-sumgait-eyewitness-accounts
Published: Friday February 08, 2013
Cover of the Spanish edition of the "Tragedy of Sumgait".
TORONTO - Henry Sarkissian, Armenian philanthropist, noted
international businessman, and the president of world-class Contractor
in Industrial and Power Projects, has just made the largest donation
this year to the Zoryan Institute amounting to $100,000.
Sarkissian, based in Beirut, Lebanon, with offices in several countries
of the Gulf, Africa and North America, has been a long-time supporter
of the Institute's mission, which is to serve the cause of scholarship
and public awareness relating to issues of universal human rights,
genocide, and diaspora-homeland relations, through the systematic
and continued efforts of independent scholars.
In response to a letter of gratitude from Zoryan's president, Mr.
Sarkissian simply replied, "The Zoryan Institute deserves our humble
donation." Over the years, he, along with his family, have sponsored
conferences, publications, and other activities of the Institute held
in Europe, Armenia and North America.
George Shirinian, Executive Director of the Zoryan Institute, remarked,
"The Institute has just completed thirty years of service to the
academic community and to our people. We look back with pride on the
acknowledgement we have received from community and government leaders,
scholars, students, and the thousands of supporters, large and small,
who have encouraged us in our work. It is only with their help that
Zoryan has been able to achieve as much as it has. We are excited as
we look forward to what the next thirty years will bring!"
Prof. Roger W. Smith, the chairman of Zoryan's Academic Board,
declared, "We are grateful for the generosity of Mr. Sarkissian. This
kind of "noble" donation not only brings enthusiasm to people at
the Institute, but also reinforces the commitment of its directors,
the staff and the volunteers to work even harder in conducting their
academic work, including research, analysis and publication on issues
related to the forces that shape modern Armenian life, politics,
history and identity in a global context. We are hopeful that others
will follow Mr. Sarkissian's example."
"Tragedy of Sumgait" in Spanish The Sumgait Tragedy: Pogroms against
Armenians in Soviet Azerbaijan: Eyewitness Accounts is as relevant
today as when it was first published by the Zoryan Institute. A new
Italian language edition, La Tragedia di Sumgait: 1988, Un Pogrom di
armeni nell'Unione Sovietica has just been released. The edition was
prepared by Pietro Kuciukian and published by Guerini e Associati
of Milan and marks the ninth language in which Zoryan's work has
been published. This edition includes the prefaces both from the
English edition by human rights activist Yelena Bonner, and the French
edition by human rights activist, French politican, and co-founder of
Medecins Sans Frontières, Bernard Kouchner. The appearance of this
book is very timely, exposing the origins of the current conflict,
as Azerbaijan continues to use threatening and warmongering language
against Armenia and Artsakh.
For three days in February, 1988, the Azerbaijani city of Sumgait
became the arena of pogroms against the Armenians. The Sumgait tragedy
was a brutal, organized attempt to block a political solution to the
peaceful demands of the Armenians of Mountainous Karabagh, over 1000
km away from Sumgait, which is deeply within Azerbaijan proper. These
events marked the beginning of a premeditated plan to depopulate
Azerbaijan of Armenians, and eventually of Russians and Jews.
The book is a compilation of interviews conducted by Armenian
journalist Samvel Shahmuratian with Sumgait survivors immediately
after events in February 1988, while the memory was fresh. These
testimonies give painful answers to critical questions. What happened
in Sumgait? Why was the impending slaughter not averted? Why did
measures to halt the massacres come too late? Why did the events
not receive complete analysis and coverage by the mass media, the
government, and judicial bodies? The answers to these questions come
from the victims themselves, in halting painful narratives.
In 1988, the Nagorno-Karabagh Autonomous Oblast was a small, 4400 sq.
km. (1699 sq. mi.) Soviet enclave with a population of approximately
153,000, of which 80% was Armenian. It is central to Armenian cultural
and historical identity. Since its transfer by Stalin to Azerbaijan
in 1921, the government of Azerbaijan pursued a policy of economic and
social discrimination and political repression, making life intolerable
for its citizens in a variety of ways. In the 1960s and 1970s, the
government of Nagorno-Karabagh petitioned the central Soviet government
several times for relief from these conditions, without success.
The advent of Mikhail Gorbachev and his policies of glasnost and
perestroika encouraged the people of Nagorno-Karabagh to call for
self-determination within the existing legal framework and within the
jurisdiction of Azerbaijan. Starting in 1987, they signed petitions,
held vigils, conducted hunger strikes, demonstrations, rallies
and general strikes. Massive marches took place in Stepanakert and
Yerevan. On February 26, 1988, Gorbachev tried to calm the situation
by asking for a moratorium on the demonstrations for one month, after
which he would announce a new policy regarding Nagorno-Karabagh. The
Armenians agreed to suspend their protests.
A wave of anti-Armenian statements and rallies swept over Azerbaijan.
This culminated in three days (February 27-29) of unhindered mass
pogroms against the Armenians living in Sumgait, a city of some
250,000 inhabitants, miles away from Nagorno-Karabagh.
The perpetrators who broke into Armenian homes were aided by prepared
lists containing the names of residents. They were armed with iron
rods, stones, axes, knives, bottles, and canisters full of benzene.
According to witnesses, some apartments were raided by groups of 50
to 80 persons. Similar crowds, up to 100 people, stormed the streets.
There were dozens of casualties and 53 murders - most of those were
burnt alive after being assaulted and tortured. Hundreds of innocent
people were wounded and disabled. Many women, including adolescent
girls, were raped. Over 200 apartments were raided, dozens of cars
burnt, numerous shops and workshops looted. Mobs hurled furniture,
refrigerators, TV sets, and beds from balconies and then burnt them.
The direct and indirect results of these atrocities were tens of
thousands of Armenian refugees.
The army arrived in Sumgait on February 29; however, it limited its
activities to shielding itself against the ravaging Azerbaijani mob
that threw stones at the soldiers and did little to protect Armenians.
As the true story behind Armenian-Azerbaijani relations has become
obscured by propaganda, oil lobbyists, and economic interests,
this volume serves as a valuable document for Italian readers when
considering a resolution to the ongoing Karabagh conflict.
This new edition provides an abridged version of the interviews, making
it an excellent introductory text for Italian readers interested in
learning more about the Sumgait tragedy. This new version also arranges
the interviews into thematic chapters, making them easy to navigate
and providing those who are new to the subject with more context.
The Zoryan Institute is the parent organization of the International
Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, which runs an annual,
accredited university program on the subject and is co-publisher
of Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal in
partnership with the International Association of Genocide Scholars
and the University of Toronto Press. It is the first non-profit,
international center devoted to the research and documentation of
contemporary issues with a focus on Genocide, Diaspora and Armenia.
For more information please contact the Zoryan Institute by email
[email protected] or telephone 416-250-9807.
From: Baghdasarian