PSIA Seminar Discusses Religious Dimensions of the Armenian Genocide: Islam

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YEREVAN, Armenia – On March 23, 2015, the American University of Armenia (AUA) Political Science and International Affairs (PSIA) program held a seminar on the “Religious Dimensions of the Armenian Genocide: Islam” with AUA alumna Anush Bezhanyan (PSIA 2007), who presented her research on the topic. The event was held as part of AUA’s 1915 Centennial series, as well as part of a series of PSIA seminars that are held every Monday at 3:30 PM. Dr. Simon Clarke, Chair of the PSIA program, introduced the speaker.

The seminar discussed the historical events, processes, and perceptions during the Ottoman regime and Young Turks government, which provided favorable background for anti-Christian sentiments during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Bezhanyan’s research showed the ways in which Islam was interpreted in order to achieve political goals, and how participation in violent acts toward the Armenians and their symbols was a socially accepted phenomenon.

The speaker concluded that the Ottoman Empire lacked the institutions that would enable long-term peaceful coexistence and prevent Armenians’ eventual victimization, allowing those in power to wield Islam as an effective instrument for mobilizing the masses and justifying Turkish expansionist and exclusionist agenda, resulting in the discontinuation of a multi-ethnic society.

Anush Bezhanyan holds a master’s degree in International Studies from the University of South Carolina and is currently serving as Institutional Research Manager at AUA.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.

 

On March 23, 2015, the American University of Armenia (AUA) Political Science and International Affairs (PSIA) program held a seminar on the “Religious Dimensions of the Armenian Genocide: Islam” with AUA alumna Anush Bezhanyan.

The event was held as part of AUA’s 1915 Centennial series, as well as part of a series of PSIA seminars that are held every Monday at 3:30 PM.