MAHWAH, N.J. — Aram Arkun, a scholar and writer, will speak at Ramapo College on April 17 under the auspices of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Armenian National Committee of New Jersey.
Because of its lofty location, as well as the independent nature of its residents, the predominantly Armenian town of Zeytun in Cilicia was often called the “Eagles’ Nest.” This lecture will explore Armeno-Turkish relations there from the second half of the 19th century. It will examine the events leading up to the first deportations of what became the Armenian Genocide, why there was no major rebellion, the significance of these early deportations and the fate of the people of Zeytun. The talk will be accompanied with illustrations.
Arkun is a historian specializing in modern Armenian history. For many years he was assistant director and then co-director of the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center of the Diocese of the Armenian Church (Eastern); he also taught courses in a number of universities such as New York University and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He edited the quarterly magazine Ararat from the end of 2003 until 2008, periodically worked as a translator, and has held leadership positions in a number of other organizations, including the Armenian Center at Colombia University, the Anthropology Museums of the People of New York, and several awards committees of the Armenian Students Association. He has degrees from Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). His most recent article is titled “Zeytun and the Commencement of the Armenian Genocide.” It will be published by Oxford University Press in a volume edited by Ron Suny and Muge Goçek. At present, Arkun is writing and working as a consultant.
The lecture, “Zeytun and the Start of the Armenian Genocide,” will be presented Wednesday, April 17, at 7:30 p.m. in Friends Hall (SC 219) in the Robert A. Scott Student Center on the campus of Ramapo College.
