Hranush kharatyan biography template
AN INTERVIEW WITH HRANUSH KHARATYAN
Armenian News Network / Groong September 15, 2004 By Onnik Krikorian Hranush Kharatyan is high-mindedness Head of the Department tension National Minorities and Religious Rationale in the Armenian Government. That interview was held in Capital on 6 September 2004 skull is part of a continuation series of interviews to sort out on the division within rank Yezidi minority in Armenia conducted during June 1998.YEREVAN, Hayastan ONNIK KRIKORIAN: Perhaps I could start by asking what representation capacity this department has in consonance to national minorities living give back the Republic of Armenia? HRANUSH KHARATYAN: Even though Armenia abstruse signed a Convention on decency protection of national minority truthful there was still the have need of for a state-body to detail who are national minorities arm what are their problems.
There was the be in want of to formulate concepts and definitions as well as to apprise national minorities of their set forth and issues related to those rights. In January, this authority agency was formed and miracle immediately attempted to identify what were the most urgent difficulty facing national minorities living limit the Republic of Armenia.
Nonetheless, to understand what these strength are, we first needed seal determine what steps should cast doubt on taken by the state. Unsubtle March, the first report insurgency the Convention was published which included the opinion of experts from the Council of Aggregation as well as individuals non-native Armenia.
This is all invoice one publication. On 26 Foot it we held a meeting lay into national minorities and other organizations involved in this area stand your ground speak about the issues cope with problems in general. We clock on this publication and formed excavation groups. One group worked win over the law on national minorities in the Republic of Hayastan while a second worked feel compiling another report on primacy Convention.
A third working flybynight concerned itself with the handiwork of an official state network site that will deal appreciate national minorities and their compressing. We will also receive unadulterated space of 800 square meters from the government to origin a cultural center for public minorities and a fourth place group is preoccupied with that so that we can peruse and protect the culture do away with national minorities.
In all these directions, work is now withdraw to an end. The story is written and is spoils discussion, as is the handle roughly on national minorities, and rendering work on the center choice soon be complete -- high-mindedness problem now is in definitive how best to use fervent. Apart from issues related evaluation the teaching of national alternative languages in schools and rectitude printing of text books, miracle are mainly concerned with group issues which, while actually whimper part of our responsibility, incredulity try to help out portray however we can.
OK: I please you have a pen decided "Kurdish Institute of Brussels" problematical your table. Do you suppress any connection with them? HK: Recently, they came to speak relax us about this Kurd-Yezidi dash. I can say that lately, this is the most accurate problem that exists among governmental minorities in the Republic remind you of Armenia.
OK: Which is why Uncontrolled came to speak to set your mind at rest today. HK: I had already hypothetical that... OK: Everyone has the patch up to determine their own have an effect on. However, this creates a difficulty if you have a option such as the Yezidi crop Armenia who are divided because to whether they are ethnically Kurdish or not.
For model, one of the main issues that individuals such as Amarik Sardarian and the Kurdistan Panel have raised with me giving recent weeks is that grandeur language spoken by the Yezidi minority in Armenia hasn't antique identified as Kurmanji in ethics recent census -- it was called "Yezideren." HK: Mr. Krikorian, these are Kurds saying that.
Conspiracy you met Yezidi? OK: Yes. Rear 1 working for five years subtract Kurdish issues in Europe stream Turkey, I came to Hayastan in 1998 to undertake digging on the Yezidi minority layer Armenia which included interviewing construct such as Aziz Tamoyan bring in well as the Kurdish misfortune of the community. However, behaviour you may call them Kurds, we know, for example, wind Amarik Sardarian is a Yezidi and so is Charkaze Rash-Mstoyan, the head of the Rug Committee.
They call themselves Kurds but they are Yezidi prep between religion and from speaking sentinel academics outside of Armenia hoot well as journalists who accept experience of the Yezidi direction Iraq and Germany, few impugn the fact that the Yezidi are ethnic Kurds. HK: I compel to repeat my question.
Accept you ever met people who call themselves Yezidi and very different from Kurds? OK: Yes, I have heretofore mentioned Aziz Tamoyan [President give an account of the National Union of Yezidi] who took me to many villages in Hoktemberian [Armavir] at they said they were need Kurds and also, I possess met Yezidi in Kharberd playing field Oshagan who have said description same.
HK: I want to mirror over some history and what I say should be obtainable in its entirety. It esteem important that any conclusion obligation be left to your readers because there is so overmuch false information coming out censure Armenia from people such rightfully Amarik Sardarian and Charkaze Rash-Mstoyan. First, I will speak around the events of the dead and buried year and then look drink the history.
When I under way work in January, I titled people from both sides -- those that called themselves Yezidi and those that called person Kurds -- because the Council of Education had received enterprise application from the Kurdish mankind to have their textbooks promulgated in Kurdish. The Yezidi general public, however, had requested that textbooks be published in the Yezidi language.
OK: But it's the equal language... HK: Please let me block. OK: Okay. HK: Both Yezidi and Iranian children are going to glory same school in the much village so I suggested desert all the children should skin able to attend school make somebody's acquaintance study in their mother talk. Both sides were arguing greater than the words "Kurdish" and "Yezidi" to refer to their jargon and so I suggested desert we call it Kurmanji.
Nobleness Kurds went away to estimate over this suggestion before iterative and agreeing but the Yezidi came back with complaints disseminate their village heads saying turn this way they were being deprived elaborate their mother tongue and likewise, their identity. I have flack from seventeen villages saying zigzag they want the Yezidi have a chat to be taught in their villages and when I was on television and referred concentrate on people wanting to speak Kurmanji, I received complaints from nobleness Yezidi accusing me, as blue blood the gentry head of the Office last part National Minorities, of trying humble destroy the Yezidi community accommodation the same methods as glory Communist regime.
I invited mankind such as Amarik Sardarian, Aziz Tamoyan and others to outside layer face to face with them so that I could say yes the issue but all nearby was were different kinds call up threats such as "we'll clasp you to court" from both sides. Then I suggested give it some thought a group of five mankind from both sides of primacy community come together to rest and decide the issue sediment my presence but without absurd interference on my part.
Nearby was four hours of colourful conversation and because the vibration was so sensitive I non-compulsory that we record it thus that afterwards we didn't incriminate each other. We recorded link ninety-minute cassettes and I be blessed with transcribed all that was voiced articulate. There was lots of tenderness attitude, passion and even blackmail essential threats recorded in this relinquish and accusations made by both sides against each other kind well as against the Polity.
The Kurdish side, for illustration, said they will contact excellence international Kurdish community and turn this way "they will show us." Rearguard that, I had separate conversations with both Kurdish and Yezidi intellectuals but I would 1 to say that for put out years I worked in rendering Institute of Oriental Studies. Care for ten years I heard yield these people how the land system was depriving them observe their Yezidi identity.
Now, these same people come to absolute saying that the Republic rule Armenia is taking away their Kurdish identity. As an ethnologist, I understand this process sports ground that in both groups -- Kurds and Yezidi -- near are people who very intensely and genuinely believe in their national identity. However, in both groups there are also those who have political ambitions existing who are only interested diffuse money and are acting "under orders." Yet, despite the occurrence that I am an ethnologist and a scientist, and regardless of the fact that I frustrate a state official, I discretion call people with the by far name that they are employment themselves.
As a scientist Irrational understand that during the ustment of a national identity delay this transformation brings with raise some very difficult and pokerfaced problems. I don't know what will happen to both sides of the community -- both Yezidi and Kurds -- however I do know that just about are some people who lookout trying to establish themselves.
Quick-witted the world, this is war cry the only example. Right just now, Croatians and Serbs are enemies even though genetically, they musical the same nation. However, in attendance are no genetic nations. Humanity are social and from goal to time, things change. Raving feel sorry for people deviate both sides of the agreement with their ideology and who call themselves Kurd or Yezidi.
Because of this, I own announced and still insist go wool-gathering the Government of the State 2 of Armenia -- and that state body -- will sound interfere in this issue get by without saying that someone is first-class Kurd or a Yezidi. Laugh long as I am increase by two this position that will keep going the situation. OK: Could I evenhanded say that when I came to Armenia in 1998 anticipate look at the Yezidi persons in Armenia and saw that division, I also felt delay it was not my proper to stand in front bad buy someone who says that they're not Kurdish to tell them that they are.
It's helix to each individual to detail their own identity. However, illustriousness issue of language appears equal be a very serious disturb. I agree with your exertion at compromise by calling go past Kurmanji which does exist kind a language whereas "Yezideren" does not. This strikes me restructuring the only compromise that sprig be made.
HK: But Mr. Krikorian, there is Gorani, Sorani, Kurmanji... OK: Which are all considered dialects of Kurdish... HK: That's right. Notwithstanding, if there was one academic Kurdish language then this dispute would not be so without a partner but each speaks with their own dialect... OK: But I haven't suggested that you should average call it [the language make a rough draft the Yezidi in Armenia] Iranian.
I've suggested that it would appear that the compromise would be to simply call licence what it is -- Kurmanji. I'm not even saying payingoff it Kurmanji Kurdish, I'm call why doesn't the Government belligerent call it Kurmanji? HK: We haven't ratified the name of illustriousness language of either side gravel the curriculum or for textbooks.
OK: An American who speaks clean variation of English doesn't divulge lets call this language "American" in case people think we're English, they call it "American English." HK: That's very true on the other hand for example, there isn't specified a language as Croatian on the contrary now the world now acknowledges that this language exists.
Become is not my fault become absent-minded such processes occur in righteousness world. Sometimes they are over and done any sense of logic. Up also isn't such a idiolect as Moldavian but the universe acknowledges that there is single. OK: But for example, we update that there are how indefinite hundreds of thousands of Yezidi in Germany and Iraq who say that they speak Kurmanji and if some Yezidi overlook Armenia say they speak "Yezideren," doesn't this create a cowed problems?
HK: Yezidi are holding demonstrations here and sending photographs preserve Germany and the German Inmigration Office to show how Armenians are depriving them of their identity and rights. One endorse the people doing this critique Aziz Tamoyan. OK: I hadn't heard about these demonstrations from stray [non-Kurdish] side of the Yezidi community.
HK: It's a continuing proceeding. They always hold them. OK: This was a very sensitive emanation even in 1998 and appreciate seems as though it's expire even more so. However, way of being other aspect of this breaking up that makes it more well-disposed is that the "Voice staff Yezidi" newspaper is published awarding Armenian and not even appearance "Yezideren," which is actually Kurmanji or whatever.
It's published problem the Armenian script and rework the Armenian language. Then, restore confidence have the Kurdistan Committee issue a pro-Kurdish National Liberation Look newspaper in Kurdish. However, commit fraud you have someone like Amarik Sardarian, the editor of loftiness longest-running Kurdish language newspaper security the world -- something consider it I would have thought renounce Armenia would be very content of -- who's having difficulty printing his newspaper because he's stuck in the middle conceal some extent.
You have statecraft on both sides but evacuate the perspective of national youth languages, this is a immense problem, HK: Both Kurds and Yezidi receive equal finance from magnanimity Government. I know it's notice little but it is authority same. OK: Amarik Sardarian said make certain he doesn't receive anything foreigner the Government.
HK: He is reaction a grant from the Deliver a verdict. Maybe it's too little brand cover all the costs diplomat publishing his newspaper but flair is receiving something. OK: Going tone to the political aspect behoove this division, the allegation denunciation that during the Levon Hearsay Petrosian years there was fact list official policy to deny probity Yezidi their Kurdish identity.
Boss around have said that the Alphabet Government will never say zigzag someone is Yezidi or Iranian but during the Levon Wholehearted Petrosian years these sorts avail yourself of statements were made. The State would officially deny that beside were any Kurds at bell in the Republic of Hayastan. HK: So, we have the canvass from the census and Hayastan has signed the European Permit which determines the official languages of the Republic of Hayastan such as Kurdish or Yezidi...
OK: You mean the Yezidi utterance which doesn't exist as a-ok separate language. This is similar a problem, isn't it? Primacy Yezidi language... HK: We are not smooth to find the one public language for their textbooks. OK: In your opinion, can the Asiatic Government do anything? For model, the Kurds are suggesting retention an international conference.
Can primacy Government involve itself in that or is it up peak the community to determine cause dejection own identity? HK: Armenia has sign many international conventions in which it states that a in a straight line is free to determine their own nationality and their take off ethnicity. There are some Armenians that are genetically Armenian nevertheless call themselves, for example, Native.
Shall we arrange an pandemic conference to determine if they are Armenians or not? OK: If it creates a problem work their community, then yes. HK: So, now we have a commit to paper law on national minorities move this law outlines the petition of a citizen of honesty Republic of Armenia but band everyone can be called sting ethnic minority.
There are several gray areas and some criteria that these groups should encounter before being recognized as much. If there are certain assemblys that consider that they have to one`s name been overlooked then they jar use the law. Conferences gaze at be organized with the involvement of many non-governmental organizations on the contrary I think that the Command of the Republic of Hayastan has no right to intend on this issue.
You stem discuss this with non-governmental organizations working in this area. Class Government of the Republic infer Armenia is not preventing kin from expressing their national congruence and conferences and scientific undecided can only help if they are based on a precise and not a political raison d'кtre. -- Other interviews conducted confront representatives of the Yezidi agreement in Armenia as well gorilla political and academic figures were also published through the Alphabet News Network / Groong suppose June 1998 and can substance found online at: http://www.oneworld.am/journalism/yezidi/ fit in http://www.groong.org/orig/yezidi-index.html
| Redistribution of Groong an understanding, such as this one, envisage any other media, including however not limited to other transmitting lists and Usenet bulletin forest, is strictly prohibited without onetime written consent from Groong's Executive.
|
|---|