‘Kulna Suriyyin’ ? The Armenian community and the State in contemporary Syria
Through a brief overview of the Armenian experience in Syria since the 1920s (post-genocide mass resettlement), the article shows that the emergence of centralising, authoritarian regimes in the 1950s and 1960s has substantially restricted the communal autonomy of the Armenians, with the result of d...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Université de Provence
2006-12-01
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| Series: | Revue des Mondes Musulmans et de la Méditerranée |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/remmm/3020 |
| Summary: | Through a brief overview of the Armenian experience in Syria since the 1920s (post-genocide mass resettlement), the article shows that the emergence of centralising, authoritarian regimes in the 1950s and 1960s has substantially restricted the communal autonomy of the Armenians, with the result of damaging their strategy of cultural self-preservation. The article critically suggests, however, that since President Hafiz Al-Asad seized power in 1970, the position of the Armenian community has partially recovered. While officially denying their relevance, the Syrian regime has continued to use ethnic and sub-ethnic allegiances as channels to connect with components of the Syrian society. This context has created for the Armenians some protected spaces where the community could continue to preserve – within certain limits, and among increasing economic difficulties - its diversity. |
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| ISSN: | 0997-1327 2105-2271 |