1996_11 The Daily Collegian November 1996

              Hye Sharzhoom
November 1996
Topics in Modern Armenian History
What:   Fall  1996 Armenian
Studies Lecture Series
Who:
Houri Berberian
The Armenian Revolutionary
Federation and the Iranian Constitu¬
tional Revolution (1905-1911)
September 26
Dr.   Isabel  Kaprelian
Armenians in America
"October 3
Stephen H.   Astourian
Ethnic Conflict in the Late Ottoman
Empire: The Armeno-Turkish Case
October  10
Staff Article
Speaking to an audience
of community memhers and stu¬
dents. Houri Berberian presented
her topic in the Alice Peters Audi¬
torium. Berberian received her
Bachelor degree in History at Uni¬
versity of California, Berkeley and
completed her Master degree at
UCLA. She is currently working
towards her doctorate at UCLA.
Her lecture came out ol her doctor¬
ate thesis. She has been published
several limes including an article
in the Armenian Review.
The emphasis <>i her in¬
terest is to highlight the involve¬
ment oi ihe Armenians in ihe con¬
stitutional movement of the early
19(X)'s in Iran. An Armenian po¬
litical party, the Tashnaks. look a
leading and vital part in Iran's revo¬
lution to become a constitutional
nation from 1905-1911. The revo¬
lution eventually tailed under the
oppression of the Shaw, but the
involvement and prominence of the
Armenians historically remains.
Berberian presented a
brief history of the Tashnaks and
their rise up until its involvement in
the revolution. Established in Ti His
in 1890. the Tashnak party saw it's
greatest achievement, in this pe¬
riod, after the turn oi the century.
Through policies of organizing na-
' tional self defense, the Tashnaks at
one point enjoyed a fifty-five out of
sixty member majority in the Ar¬
menian congress. At their peak
Berberian" observed die member¬
ship was 30*1 women. Though not
Houri Berberian
involved in the fighting forces,
women participated in support and
community awareness.
Iran was of importance to
the Armenians for several reasons.
Berberian asserted the relationship
between the Tashnaks and the Ira¬
nian Constitutionalists was espe¬
cially important. In addition to Iran
as a base for Tashnak Turkish-Ar¬
menian operations. Berberian pro¬
posed five reasons for involvement.
Among those five was the political
hope that success in Iran would
further assist neighboring regions
both Ottoman and Russian to also
acquire constitutional reform. Ot¬
toman Sultan Abdul Hamid also
oppressed the Iranians. The Irani¬
ans did not have the money, force,
or diplomatic influence to prevent
against the onslaught oi the Otto¬
man-Turks and it therefore befell
the Tashnaks to assist as a blow
against the Turks and to protect
their own interests.
The culmination of
Berberian's focus leads up until
1911. Thedisappoinimeni and frus¬
tration of the Tashnaks concerning
the dissolution oi the Iranian con¬
stitutional movement came at a
period.of change of the party's
agenda. Attention had already be¬
gun to turn to developments inTurk-
lsh Armenia and Russian Armenia,
the end of the constitutional move¬
ment emphasized the closure of
Armenian involvement in the Ira¬
nian political structure.
"Presented by one of Dr.
Kouymjian"s trademark generous
introductions, listing her many ac¬
complishments.
Isabel Kaprielian
spoke about Arme¬
nians in America in
the early part of this
century. Dr.
Kaprielian is a na¬
tive ofCanada who
received both her
MA and Ph.D. at
the University oi
Toronto. She has a
double interest in
history and phi-
I o s o p h y .
Kaprielian recent
focus has been in
immigratibn his¬
tory studies with a special interest
in the Armenian Diaspora both in
America and Canada. She has co-
authored two books with her hus¬
band: most recently Pulse of the
World: Refugees in Our Schools
was published in 1994 and Facing
Pluralism, published earlier. Cur¬
rently Kaprielian is lecturing in the
History Department at Fresno State
teaching a course in immigration
history. She also teaches an Arme¬
nian Studies 10 course.
Her lecture for the evening
focused on the Armenians coming
from Europe settling and moving
through Canada to America. The
topic is comparably so recent that
many of the families and connec¬
tions still hold reference to people
living in Fresno today. Her lecture
covered all facets of community
life including religion, language,
culture, and politics. She spoke of
the accomplishments of theseearly
immigrants and the freedom they
enjoyed. According to Kaprielian
the strength of the communities
was within the organizations and
Dr. Isabel Kaprielian
benevolent societies the Arme¬
nians formed to preserve traditions
and reach back to Armenia.
The feature other lecture
was a video presentation of her
own family history. Highlighting
her grandmother Rose, the remem¬
brance was an accomplishment of
emotion and storytelling skill.
Funded by grant money the presen¬
tation transcended its slim budget
and allowed the viewer to empa¬
thize with Rose and her struggles
and sacrifices. The video was a
montage of antique photos joined
togetherto tell a story. Krepnelian's
daughter provided the narrative that
told Rose's story It was a heartfelt
tribute to both onc\ woman and en¬
tire people.
The third lecturer in die
series was a native of France. Edu¬
cated through France's strict edu¬
cation system. Stephan Astourian
is now in America earning his doc¬
torate ai UCLA. Currently he is
lecturer .it California Stale Univer¬
sity. Long Beach. He has pub¬
lished several articles most recently
an article about the Nagorno
Karabagh in the Mediterranean
Quarterly. Astourian also took me
opportunity to speak to classes in¬
dividually the following day.
Using the example of the
city of Zeitoun in Ottoman Arme¬
nia as a correlation to the subject.
Astourian gave a chronological
account of the growing conflicts
that led up to the 1915 Genocide.
Stephan H. Astourian
Zeitoun was the
last of the medieval
vestiges of Arme¬
nian autonomy. As
the Ottoman em¬
pire pressed lor de¬
struction of Cilicia
in the late 185()'s.
Zeitoun soon
found itself also
part qf the Ottoman
aggression.
Refugees
oi the Cilician de¬
feat found them¬
selves in and
around Zeitoun. At
one point Napo¬
leon oi France in¬
tervened on bchali of the city to
prevent the Ottomans from attack¬
ing and massacring die people of
Zeitoun as well. The Turkish op¬
pression came in the form of subju¬
gating the governor and heavy taxa¬
tion. By 1884 the Zeitoun autonomy
was terminated.
The Armenians attempted
to lobby for relief in Istanbul, they
were compensated with further
atrocities. The 1870's found the
Armenian Congress in Istanbul pro¬
viding reports of incidents of ag¬
gression from the Turks. The Otto¬
man government did nothing and
allowing the racial tension to rise.
The Armenian peasants suffered
the greatest discriminations and
hardship. Taxes were severely lev¬
ied as well as crops taken in the
name of revenue. Men were forced
into yearly compulsory military
service. And during die winter
months Kurdish troops forcibly
quartered in peasant homes.
The Fall Semester Lec¬
ture Series was an excellent oppor¬
tunity for exposure to scholars cur¬
rently in the field. The mosi re¬
markable observation about the se¬
ries is that is it able to exist at all.
Without charging cover or enroll¬
ment students and community
members can enjoy these fascinat¬
ing speakers. What an educational
experience it would be if every
department and program on cam¬
pus followed the example oi the
Armenian Studies Program and pro¬
vided these kinds of occasions for
Fresno Slate and the community
His Holiness Aram I Visits Fresno State
Left to Right: The Very Rev. Fr. Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of
the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church; His Holiness
Aram I, CathoUcos of the Holy See of Cilicia; Barlow Der Mugrdechian
of the Armenian Studies Program, who interviewed His Holiness on
the Armenian Studies Program TV show "Hye Talk."
His Holiness Aram I.
Catholicosol the Holy See ofCilicia
was a guest of the Western Prelacy
oi ihe Armenian Church June 30
through July 3.1996. As pan of his
visit loCalifornia he paid a pastoral
visit to Fresno, where he celebrated
ihe Divine Liturgy (in Sunday. June
30 at Holy Trinity Armenian
Church. He was accompanied by
ihe Very Rev. Fr. Moushegh
Mardirossian. Prelate of the West¬
ern Prelacy and by Very Rev. Fr.
Muron Aznikian. Dean of the Holy
Trinity Armenian Church. Later
thai evening His Holiness was a
guesi of honor at a banquet held in
the Holiday Inn Centre Plaza.
On Monday. Jury 1 His Holi¬
ness was a guest on the Armenian
Studies Program television show.
"Hye Talk",hosied by Barlow Der
Mugrdechian During the hall-hour
interview. His Holiness expressed
his views on issues concerning the
mission nt the Armenian Church
and his views on the mosi impor¬
tant issues facing the Armenian
Church today.
■ On Monday. His Holiness also
visited St. Paul Armenian Church
in Fresno where he was welcomed
by His Eminence 'Archbishop
Vatchc Hovsepian. Primaie ol the
Western Diocese of the Armenian
Church and by the pastor, the Very
Rev. Fr. Sasoon Zumrookhdian.