------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
From: Self
To: CarlsonE@rferl.org
Subject: RFE/RL
Cc: BelinL@rferl.org,
CleaveJ@rferl.org,
GobleP@rferl.org,
MooreP@rferl.org,
PannierB@rferl.org,
ShafirM@rferl.org
Reply-to: seidovv@ceu.hu
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998 12:32:36 MET-1MEST
Ms. Liz Fuller,
Over the last few hours, I have been receiving numerous telephone
calls from my students in Budapest who were outraged with your recent
Newsline report. It is not my responsibility to teach you how to
write the reports, as it is entirely your task for which you must
have been trained.
However, when it comes to the historical issues, I would suggest you
to be more careful and withhold from making controversial statements,
especially as those statements are broadcasted to the entire region.
I believe you have not been trained as professional historian and
have never investigated the history of Nakhichevan in depth.
Moreover, since you make no reference, I assume that the last
sentence of your report represents your opinion, if not the opinion
of the Radio Free Europe // Radio Liberty.
Furthermore, I kindly invite you not to distort the geographical names
and use only the internationally recognized toponyms. There is no
such a place as Djuga (either Old or New) in the Julfa region. If
you are really concerned about the history, I suggest you to use in
your next report about Armenia the initial name of what today is
called Yerevan, i.e. Abbasabad, finish your report with the phrase
that "up to the twentieth century, the city of Erevan had a Muslim
majority", and make a reference to the Armenian scholars
T.Kh.Hakobian and G.A. Bournoutian (T.Kh.Hakobian, Erivani
Patmutiene, 1801-1879, Erevan, 1959, pp.523-525 - referred by George
A. Bournoutian in "The Ethnic Composition and the Socio-Economic
Condition of Eastern Armenia in the First Half of the Nineteenth
Century", in Ronald Suni "Transcaucasia, Nationalism and Social
Change", pp.80). For you information and according to George
Bournoutian, "[a] number of Armenian historians, quoting the
post-1830 figures, have incorrectly estimated the number of Armenians
in Eastern Armenia in Persian times to have been between 30 to 50
percent of the total population. In reality - based on the official
figures of the Russian survey following the conquest - the Armenians
barely formed 20 percent of the population of Eastern Armenia, while
the Muslims exceeded 80 percent. In any case, the Armenian
population at no time prior to the Russian takeover formed a majority
in Eastern Armenia. In fact, although the Kameral'noe Opisanie
indicates the existence of an Armenian majority in a few mahals of
Eastern Armenia, this is only after the emigration of over 35,000
Muslims from the region; thus there is no concrete evidence of there
being an Armenian majority in any of the districts during the Persian
administration." (Ibid, pp.77-79)
It will be also useful for you to know that starting from the 1920s,
more than 400 Turkic toponyms have been changed on the territory of
modern Republic of Armenia. Hundreds of historical Muslim monuments
have been destroyed. The famous Blue Mosque in the Armenian capital,
which prior to the expulsion of the Azeris used to be the place of
worship for the large Azeri community, today is presented as a
masterpiece of the Persian architecture. In Nagorno Qarabagh, the
famous medieval Albanian Monastry of Gandzasar suddenly became
Armenian in the 1980s. Hundreds of Azeri cemeteries and mosques have
disappeared in Zangezur and Goycebasar. The Armenian authorities
have destroyed the grave of the famous Azeri poet Asiq Alesker in
Eastern Goyce (Sevan), where up to 1988 the majority was Azeri,
according to all official censuses. The Armenians very quickly
renamed the occupied villages and towns in Nagorno Qarabagh to the
Armenian version - Lachin to Berdzor, Shusha to Shushi. Is not this
a cultural genocide - the word which is so popular in the Armenians'
vocabulary? I wonder what made you change the name of Julfa to Djuga
and make Nakhichevan in 1922 predominantly Armenian.
In view of inaccuracy of the released report, it would be appropriate
for you to place a correction in your next report, and consult in the
future the historical and geographical sources should you write on the
relevant issues.
Regards,
Vugar Seidov, PhD in History
Central European University
Hungary
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998 22:50:13 -0800 (PST)
From: Adil
To: RFERL Newsline
Cc: CleaveJ@rferl.org,
CorwinJ@rferl.org,
GobleP@rferl.org,
MaksymiukJ@rferl.org,
MooreP@rferl.org,
PannierB@rferl.org,
ShafirM@rferl.org
Subject: RE: More on Newsline report of Armenian allegations to Azerbaijan
ANOTHER OPEN LETTER
TO LIZ FULLER
EDITOR OF RFE/RL NEWSLINE
Ms. Fuller,
I have written before, and repeat it again: your false reporting is in
clear, repeated and overwhelming ignorance and violation of the RFE/RL's
own Code Of Professional Journalism Standards. You can find it online, at
URL:
You reporting still fails to even mention a little bit of information
regarding Azerbaijani stance on the issue, its protests and rejection of
Armenian allegations. It also fails to either offer a retraction and/or
correction of the wrongful December 14 reporting, or back up the report
with proof and stand up by the story (which we all realize you are unable
to do).
Meanwhile, Azerbaijani view, backed up with facts and evidence, can be
heard in regards to continuous destruction and plundering of Azerbaijani
cultural heritage by Armenians.
During the forcible expulsion of the Azerbaijanis, hundreds of
historical relics testifying to the fact that Azerbaijanis had for
centuries belonged on the land in what is today Armenia were
either destroyed or altered to look Armenian. Islamic places of
worship and the graves in Azerbaijani cemeteries were defiled;
mosques and tombs were damaged or broken up for building
materials.
To erase from history the fact that Azerbaijanis had lived in
Armenia, the names of some 2,000 towns and villages that formerly
bore Azerbaijani names have been changed; 465 villages were
renamed between 1935 and 1973, and 97 in April 1991.
(From: UN document A/C.3/51/9, 30/10/96)
It becomes tragi-comedic, if not outright pitiful, to see RFE/RL's
Newsline once prided journalism and reporting standards fall so low in the
hands of its own editor that even Groong's gossip story is being cited in
desperation.
"No program material shall be broadcast that is based on rumor or
unsubstantiated information."
(The RFE/RL Code Of Professional Journalism Standards)
Sincerely,
Adil Baguirov
#RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
#________________________________________________________
#RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol 2, No. 240, Part I, 15 December 1998
#
#DEMOLITION OF ARMENIAN MONUMENTS REPORTEDLY HALTED. The
#destruction and removal of Armenian stone crosses and
#gravestones from a cemetery in the Azerbaijani exclave
#of Nakhichevan has stopped, according to Groong on 14
#December. Armenian observers in Iran had reported the
#demolition earlier this month, eliciting protests from
#Armenian officials (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 14 December
#1998). LF
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1998 23:17:14 +0100
From: Vugar Seidov <"seidovv@ceu.hu"@ceu.hu>
Subject: Further feedback
Ms. Liz Fuller,
This is my second message to you regarding your controversial
Newsline Report of 14 December "Armenians Protest Destruction of
Monuments in Nakhichevan", wherein you argued that "[in] the 1920s,
the population of Nakhichevan was predominantly Armenian, but as a
result of emigration from the region, it is now 95 percent
Azerbaijani." Following that piece, you have released several other
reports on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, you failed to place a
refutation of your previous statement, despite the fact that you were
provided the arguments of the contrary and suggested to make due
corrections. This makes me assume that you are not inclined to take
the constructive criticism into consideration, nor are you concerned
about the damage you have made to the reputation of the Radio Free
Europe by your unprofessional approach to the sensitive issues.
Meanwhile, it might be interesting for you to know how the Armenian
side reacted to your statement. Below are two excerpts from the
Armenian list Hayastan. With regard to the first one, you must have
received many praising messages from thankful Armenians encouraging
you to go ahead and add more Azerbaijani lands to Armenia. Regarding
the second message, it is interesting how your statement resembles
the notorious remark of acad. Aganbegian in late 1987, when he
addressed the members of the Dashnaktsutsiun Party in Paris and
claimed that Nagorno Qarabakh had more economic links with Armenia
than with Azerbaijan (which was not true) and therefore it ought to
be transferred to Armenia. Let me remind you that immediately after
this statement, first 4,000 Azeri refugees were expelled from Qafan
and Masis in December 1987, and it also served as a signal for the
controversial session of the NKAO Oblast' Soviet few months later.
I wonder whether your reluctance to refute publicly your recent
statement will have the same consequences for Nakhichevan as the one
of acad. Aganbegian had for Nagorno Qarabagh.
Regards,
Vugar Seidov
Budapest
Message 1:
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 98 11:41:44 PST
From: Asbed Bedrossian
To: Armenian Issues and Discussions
Subject: Azeris flaming fuller @ rferl
Azeris seem enraged at Liz fuller for her note about Nachichevan in
the RFE/RL.
Below, from their news list. I think we'd do well to show support for
fuller so that she doesn't back off in a void, and take her words
back. I also note that we're all vehement about bad stuff about us,
but quietly ignore good things. I think these need as much addressing
as the bad stuff do: ENCOURAGINGLY.
asbed
--------------------------------------------------------------
Message 2:
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date: Fri, 4 Dec 1998 19:54:05 -0800
From: "Raffi Kojian"
To: "Armenian Issues and Discussions"
Cc: "ANCA-DC" , ,
"Teni Melidonian"
Subject: Re: Nakhichevan Khachkars being removed
Isn't there any committee that can intervene? There was some
international body that had declared the Armenian Monastery in
Turkish occupied Cyprus a world historic landmark or something...
couldn't we get that status? Armenia needs to invade Nakhichevan if
need be.
Argh! What can we do? Ideas please.
n_w$$h
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1998 19:39:09 -0800
From: Raffi Kojian
To: hayastan
Subject: My note to Liz, do not distribute beyond hayastan!
Hello Liz,
I get postings from an Azeri news list and saw two letters addressed to you.
Before I address them I want to thank you for writing about the cemetary
which has more Khatchkars than any other spot on earth. This is a uniquely
Armenian art and most of the intricately carved tombstones have been
destroyed this century (by the Soviet Railroad) after remaining undisturbed
for centuries.
The messages to you address all the wrong things. Neither message mentions
the actual destruction of the Khatchkars. They do not seem to care about
that at all. They instead are enraged by the mere implication that perhaps
these Armenian graves may indicate a preivous Armenian presence. I will
only address the two points they bring up which could possibly be relevant.
One talks about the date 1920 being used for no reason to indicate
population percentages. To the uneducated, that may be a valid point. Why
that year indeed? Well, because that was about when it was incorporated
into Azerbaijan. A simple before and after Azeri rule percentage. The
other "big" arguement is the use of the name Djugha. Well that is what the
Armenians and historians always called it and it was a purely Armenian town.
Then it was abandoned. What else should it be called? Should we start
calling Pompei something entirely different?
Well, I hope you do not take their notes very seriously. This kind of
destruction is hateful and needs to be stopped. The fighting is over thank
goodness and this sort of thing will not help bring peace.
Thank you for your attention,
n_w$$h