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Dear Editor,

I just finished reading Meline Toumani’s book entitled, There Was and There Was Not: A Journey Through Hate and Possibility In Turkey, Armenia and Beyond. I feel obligated and qualified to express my views on the content of this controversial book because I am an American of Armenian descent, raised in a home by parents who were survivors of the Genocide of 1915, and have been actively involved in the Armenian community most of my life.

The premise on which this book is written is that (1) Armenians/The Armenian community is obsessed, consumed and suffocated (the author’s words) by hatred of the Turk, (2) because Armenians continue to seek recognition of the Genocide, they have become conformists and have lost their individuality (author’s words), and (3) Armenian obsession with recognition of the Genocide is the glue that holds the community together, and without it, Armenians will become “nothing” (author’s word).

I state simply and emphatically that this premise is patently false, and not based on fact or reality, but on the narrative of an author who appears to be emotionally and psychologically confused, in doubt and torn about what she believes, who she believes, and with whom she identifies. With all her research, interviews, conversations, life spent in Turkey, the author fails to provide facts, evidence or proof to substantiate and support her outrageous allegations. Sadly, she provides a distorted view of reality, and a gross misunderstanding of what it means to be Armenian. She is on a misguided and troubling journey to seek a truth that is evident, but that she is either incapable or unwilling to accept. The author does not comprehend or appreciate what an enormous task it was, and is, to build a vital and prosperous diaspora. Conformists did not step up to this challenge; individuals did, and continue to do so today.

I would be remiss if I did not note Chapter 3 of this book in which the author goes to the Armenian Home For The Aged in New York to hear eyewitness accounts from the elderly residents who were survivors of the Genocide. The author’s accounting of this visit is evidence of her glaring lack of judgment, empathy, and sensitivity. It raises questions about her honesty and true intent. This is a chapter that I found to be profoundly disturbing, and offensive: an affront to the memory of all survivors.

What is true about the majority of survivors in the diaspora is that they were not “obsessed” with hatred of the Turk, but were “obsessed” with the realities of survival. They were “obsessed” with the desire to work, to successfully raise their families in foreign lands, to adapt to their new environs, and to see their children educated. At the same time, they persevered courageously, and with immense sacrifice to preserve, protect, and defend their Armenian culture, language, and religion. This effort to preserve our Armenian heritage continues today.

What is true is that the Genocide of 1915 motivated and challenged ensuing generations of Armenians to rise above anger, hate, and revenge, and seek a higher, more noble truth and cause for which to strive: one that would result in the official recognition of the Armenian Genocide and its perpetrators; one that would acknowledge the injustices suffered by the martyred victims and provide their descendants with the justice they deserve; one that would seek to prevent such an act of inhumanity to occur again, anywhere at any time; one that would help create a world in which all human life is valued and respected, and all people can enjoy their God given right to be free.

I would respectfully remind the author, that conformists do not dedicate their lives to achieving such worthy goals, but individuals do.

Hazel Barsamian
Scottsdale, Arizona
January 6, 2015

The post Letter: Conformists or Individuals? appeared first on Armenian Weekly.


Dear Editor, I just finished reading Meline Toumani’s book entitled, There Was and There Was Not: A Journey Through Hate and Possibility In Turkey, Armenia and Beyond. I feel obligated and qualified to express my views on the content of this controversial book because I am an American of Armenian descent, raised in a home by parents who were survivors of the Genocide of 1915, and have been actively involved in the Armenian community most of my life. The premise on which this book is written is that (1) Armenians/The Armenian community is obsessed, consumed and suffocated (the author’s words) by hatred of the Turk, (2) because Armenians continue to seek recognition of the Genocide, they have become conformists and have lost their individuality (author’s words), and (3) Armenian obsession with recognition of the Genocide is the glue that holds the community together, and without it, Armenians will become “nothing” (author’s word). I state simply and emphatically that this premise is patently false, and not based on fact or reality, but on the narrative of an author who appears to be emotionally and psychologically confused, in doubt and torn about what she believes, who she believes, and with whom she [...]

The post Letter: Conformists or Individuals? appeared first on Armenian Weekly.


Dear Editor, I just finished reading Meline Toumani’s book entitled, There Was and There Was Not: A Journey Through Hate and Possibility In Turkey, Armenia and Beyond. I feel obligated and qualified to express my views on the content of this controversial book because I am an American of Armenian descent, raised in a home by parents who were survivors of the Genocide of 1915, and have been actively involved in the Armenian community most of my life. The premise on which this book is written is that (1) Armenians/The Armenian community is obsessed, consumed and suffocated (the author’s words) by hatred of the Turk, (2) because Armenians continue to seek recognition of the Genocide, they have become conformists and have lost their individuality (author’s words), and (3) Armenian obsession with recognition of the Genocide is the glue that holds the community together, and without it, Armenians will become “nothing” (author’s word). I state simply and emphatically that this premise is patently false, and not based on fact or reality, but on the narrative of an author who appears to be emotionally and psychologically confused, in doubt and torn about what she believes, who she believes, and with whom she [...]

The post Letter: Conformists or Individuals? appeared first on Armenian Weekly.


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