Category
Oral - Textual or Investigative
Description
The Armenian genocide was detrimental to Armenian society; permanently altering Armenian faith, language, and culture. The history and relationship between the Ottoman Turks and the Christian Armenians is a long, drawn-out, tumultuous history that came to a boiling point during the Great War. The Anatolian Peninsula was forever changed due to the implementation of Turkification by the Ottoman government and the individual Turkish citizens' hatred towards the Armenian people. Through violent and traumatic actions, the Ottomans attempted to eradicate the Armenians along with any trace of their culture. Following the elimination of the male Armenian population, the responsibility for the continuation of the Armenian way of life fell on the female population. The perseverance of Armenian women through extreme violence and hardship and their commitment to teaching their children ensured the survival of the Armenian culture, language, and faith. Armenian women became the backbone of Armenian society, language, and culture, as well as the efforts to continue Armenian heritage. Continuously overlooked in the historical narrative, these women, and by extension, their children were the torchbearers of Armenian Christianity. Due to the efforts of these women, the Ottomans were not completely successful in the eradication of Armenian ideas. The Armenian culture has persevered through countless hardships and abuse. While the Turkish government today still denies the horrors they committed during the Armenian Genocide, the children of the slain, remember and have continued to tell the stories of those lost, the abuse endured, and carry on the legacy that the women in their lives instilled in them. As Christians we are called to protect the weak, our elders, women, and children, clothe the naked and heal the sick. When I came across this aspect of the Armenian Genocide, that effected so many women and caused so much pain for survivors, I was heartbroken. Later when I found out, not only how little this has been studied, but I also realized how important it is for Christians to be a part of the historiography. As Christians, this should disturb us. These women are Gods children, and their stories are important and valuable. During the late 1910’s and 1920’s the Ottoman Turks traumatized women in their efforts of Turkification and within the historical community of today few are talking about it. In listening to the stories of these children, you can truly hear the importance their faith played in the preservation of their society as well as their physical lives. These women are God’s children, and they were manipulated, beaten, assaulted, and in many cases, killed for their religious beliefs. As Christians it is important for us to recognize the pain and suffering those women and children went through. It is important for Christians to be apart of this research to better understand, from a religious perspective, the importance of faith in these women’s lives. When we inform and educate the world about their pain and trauma, we can understand the resilience of the Armenian people and what it means to be God fearing Christians and faith warriors.
Devastation through Assimilation: The Struggle for Cultural Preservation in the Armenian Genocide
Oral - Textual or Investigative
The Armenian genocide was detrimental to Armenian society; permanently altering Armenian faith, language, and culture. The history and relationship between the Ottoman Turks and the Christian Armenians is a long, drawn-out, tumultuous history that came to a boiling point during the Great War. The Anatolian Peninsula was forever changed due to the implementation of Turkification by the Ottoman government and the individual Turkish citizens' hatred towards the Armenian people. Through violent and traumatic actions, the Ottomans attempted to eradicate the Armenians along with any trace of their culture. Following the elimination of the male Armenian population, the responsibility for the continuation of the Armenian way of life fell on the female population. The perseverance of Armenian women through extreme violence and hardship and their commitment to teaching their children ensured the survival of the Armenian culture, language, and faith. Armenian women became the backbone of Armenian society, language, and culture, as well as the efforts to continue Armenian heritage. Continuously overlooked in the historical narrative, these women, and by extension, their children were the torchbearers of Armenian Christianity. Due to the efforts of these women, the Ottomans were not completely successful in the eradication of Armenian ideas. The Armenian culture has persevered through countless hardships and abuse. While the Turkish government today still denies the horrors they committed during the Armenian Genocide, the children of the slain, remember and have continued to tell the stories of those lost, the abuse endured, and carry on the legacy that the women in their lives instilled in them. As Christians we are called to protect the weak, our elders, women, and children, clothe the naked and heal the sick. When I came across this aspect of the Armenian Genocide, that effected so many women and caused so much pain for survivors, I was heartbroken. Later when I found out, not only how little this has been studied, but I also realized how important it is for Christians to be a part of the historiography. As Christians, this should disturb us. These women are Gods children, and their stories are important and valuable. During the late 1910’s and 1920’s the Ottoman Turks traumatized women in their efforts of Turkification and within the historical community of today few are talking about it. In listening to the stories of these children, you can truly hear the importance their faith played in the preservation of their society as well as their physical lives. These women are God’s children, and they were manipulated, beaten, assaulted, and in many cases, killed for their religious beliefs. As Christians it is important for us to recognize the pain and suffering those women and children went through. It is important for Christians to be apart of this research to better understand, from a religious perspective, the importance of faith in these women’s lives. When we inform and educate the world about their pain and trauma, we can understand the resilience of the Armenian people and what it means to be God fearing Christians and faith warriors.
Comments
Graduate