Armenian Diaspora Research Center

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Browsing Armenian Diaspora Research Center by Author "Hagopjian, Kevork"

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    Սուրիահայութիւնն Ու Յետպատերազմեան Սուրիան
    (2018) Hagopjian, Kevork
    Taking the Syrian’s minorities’ perspectives into consideration, one may argue that neither “Islamism” nor “Arabism” seems likely to unite the diverse communities of Syria. Sectarian tensions among the Muslims; non-Muslim minorities’ and Muslim moderates’ fears of the emergence of an Islamic state; Kurdish (and other ethnic minorities’) concerns about Arabisation are issues that should be taken seriously. Therefore, the adoption of Syrian state citizenship as a unifying factor may lead the diverse multinational and multi-ethnic communities of Syria to reconcile their disagreements. Bearing in mind the integrating role various ethnic and religious minorities played in building modern Syria, Syrian citizenship can serve as a common denominator and ensure equality and the rule of law to all Syrians without any sort of discrimination. In this context, the paper highlights the preoccupations of the Syrian Armenian community concerning the current political instability and Syria’s ambiguous future. The paper notes a number of matters of principle which, arguably, could guarantee minority rights and their sustainability in the Syrian state. These include protection of Armenian identity; equality and non-discrimination; active participation in political social and economic life; respect for human rights provisions; minority group rights vis-à-vis historical or cultural places and transactional considerations; measures against marginalization and exclusion in all walks of Syrian socio-political, cultural and economic life.