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George Terterian
Member since May 24, 2014
Recent Comments
Re: “All-Star Cast Celebrates Turkish Group's New Headquarters”
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2008/summer/state-of-denial
Posted by
George Terterian
on 05/24/2014 at 11:32 PM
Re: “All-Star Cast Celebrates Turkish Group's New Headquarters”
I have no issue with Anatolian culture, since that culture was there before there were Turks in Anatolia. (Turks are native to Central Asia, hence the various Turkic republics referenced). Problem with saying Tadjiks, Kirgiz, Uzbeks, etc... are Anatolian is that they simply are not. Azeris have more of a claim to it than the others.
Anatolian peninsula, or Asia Minor, was inhabited for thousands of years by native Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks (Ionian & Pontic) as well as Kurds, well before the first Turks came (Seljuk invasions CA 1050-1100). Any reference to "Anatolian" culture must by definition include the three Christian minorities who were each subjected to genocide by Turkey. It's not just the Ottomans, Sultan Abdul Hamid as well as Mustafa Kemal "Atatürk" were also criminals who wiped out civilian minorities. Again, if this group wants to own their identity, fly the Turkish flag and call yourselves Turks. Own it. Nothing wrong with that. Be proud.
If this group wants to share their food and culture, great. For 800 years we all ate the same food in Asia Minor, but for the occasional, and rare, boar. For example, authentic Western Armenian cuisine is difficult to distinguish from modern Turkish cuisine. I bid your group peace. Celebrate your culture. I just hope you do not dabble in politics of denial. If anything, I'd give this group the benefit of the doubt and ask if they support denial or not. Can't be neutral on a moving train.
Posted by
George Terterian
on 05/24/2014 at 11:23 PM
Re: “At UVM, a Grad Student Masters Poutine”
Cultural appropriation is becoming a bigger issue as we see colonizers claim the food (and culture) of the very people they colonized. This is very evident when you see Jewish companies like Sabra and Tribe appropriate hummus from Arabic people. It seems like a minor thing to Americans who are often confused as to the origins of the food but it is no small matter to Palestinians. The #BDS movement and Jewish Voices for Peace are doing a stellar job of addressing this issue.