Analytical Bulletin of Armenian and Regional Studies

Roam Sweet Home? A Minor Fieldwork Study on the Identity Constructions of Diaspora Armenians

2024-02-29T15:28:07+00:00

The study aims to investigate how migrant identities, positionalities, and sense of belonging are informed in the situational interactions with multiple cultures and the local diaspora community in Sweden. Specifically, this study seeks to scrutinize how the identities of diaspora Armenians living in Sweden, with backgrounds in the Middle East, are constantly shaped and reshaped by interactions with different cultures. The aim of the study is best explained by our motivation to see how identities fluctuate and how identity oscillations can affect one’s sense of place and belonging, as well as to understand how our participants narrate and explain the meaning of ‘home․’ Through the personal stories and experiences of the participants, the study aims to deconstruct primordial assumptions about the fixed nature of identities and belonging and analyze the representation of the meaning of diaspora itself in the eyes of the participants.

Museum Losses Amidst the 44-Day Artsakh War: A Reflection on the Displaced Artifacts and Collections

2024-04-21T09:46:29+00:00

The article discusses the challenges surrounding the safeguarding of Artsakh's rich cultural heritage, with a particular focus on the preservation and protection of museums amidst and following the 44-day Artsakh war. It offers special scrutiny towards museums and collections that fell under Azerbaijani control as a consequence of the conflict.

The museum sector emerged as one of the most severely impacted areas in Artsakh's cultural landscape due to the war. Approximately thirty private and state museums and collections were left in territories occupied by the Azerbaijani armed forces. Those museums that managed to evacuate their collections from the occupied territories encountered significant challenges in the aftermath.

The challenges primarily revolve around the preservation and dissemination of cultural heritage. Questions arise regarding the appropriate locations for housing these values, the principles and contexts guiding their display, and the methods of presenting them to the public. Moreover, the issue of detachment from one's community adds another layer of complexity to the discussion.

Therefore, the article explores three main aspects:

It investigates the war crimes taken against cultural heritage in Artsakh throughout the 44-day Artsakh war by Azerbaijani armed forces.
It examines the international legal mechanisms established to protect this heritage during and after the war.
It scrutinizes the fate of museums forced to evacuate due to wartime dangers, as they, along with the communities they serve, became displaced entities.

The study draws on comprehensive interviews conducted with museum directors, staff members, and officials from relevant departments within the Ministry of Education and Culture of Artsakh. Additionally, it relies on the analysis of videos disseminated by various Azerbaijani users across diverse online platforms such as TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Telegram.

The Role of The Al-Baqir Brigade in The Syrian Crisis. Research on Tribal Engagement

2023-11-29T20:35:31+00:00

As a result of the situation created during the Syrian crisis, the Syrian government has increasingly relied on paramilitary groups to address security challenges. Existing studies suggest that all paramilitary groups in Syria were formed primarily through a top-down process. Focusing on the success of the al-Baqir Brigade in Syria, this study challenges that assumption. The article demonstrates that the emergence of tribal militants is largely a grassroots phenomenon, driven by competition over local resources. It argues that the Syrian state has capitalized on this opportunity by delegating certain security and counterinsurgency responsibilities to the group.

Armen Israelyan, Iran-Azerbaijan Relations in the Twenty-Year Historical Period (2003-2023). Yerevan, Copy Print, 2023. 286 pp.

2024-06-24T10:18:26+00:00

Review of Armen Israelyan, Iran-Azerbaijan Relations in the Twenty-Year Historical Period (2003-2023). Yerevan, Copy Print, 2023. 286 pp.

Doğan Gürpınar, Apparatchiks and Ideologues in Islamist Turkey—The Intellectual Order of Islamism and Populism, Palgrave Macmillan, 2022. 175 pp, (hardcover)

2024-07-24T13:02:31+00:00

Review of Doğan Gürpınar, Apparatchiks and Ideologues in Islamist Turkey—The Intellectual Order of Islamism and Populism, Palgrave Macmillan, 2022. 175 pp, (hardcover)․

Mirjam Kunkler and Devin Stewart (Eds.), Female Religious Authority in Shi’i Islam: Past and Present, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press, 2021, XIV, 402 pp.

2024-05-08T05:37:36+00:00

Review of Mirjam Kunkler and Devin Stewart (Eds.), Female Religious Authority in Shi’i Islam: Past and Present, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press, 2021, XIV, 402 pp.