One of my interests, stemming from my childhood in Baghdad in the 1950s, is the subject of incomers. The ultimate incomers in terms of historic Iraq were the Jews, of whom I have already posted because the story is so interesting but ultimately sad as far as the modern Iraqi Jews were concerned. The Scribe give stats on Jews in Baghdad in the early 20th. century. And of course if you want to read all about individuals and their lives you will find many stories there.

There have been successive waves of different people who had come and stayed in Iraq, playing their part. One of these has been the Armenians. I don't really k ow what the indininous people thought of them. I would be interested to have anything along these lines.

In the years since returning to the UK, I have read about this people, who themselves have a diaspora which retain a strong identity. I even came across a site a few weeks ago with all the famous Armenians including Cher and Charles Asnavour, and many more. I'll link to it when I come across it again. But in the meantime I am putting this compilation of Amenian genocide articles up so that it is possible to do a bit of stuying from there.
Turkey wants to join the EU, but it seems wrong that they will be allowed to do so with the legacy of the genocide hanging over them.

I have written a little story with an Armenian connection based on a miniscular moment in my life, but have found it difficult to write it to best effect, so probably present it as a working script because I see it as a series of images. Hope writing this declarion of intent will encourage me to discpline myself enough to make a final draft! It sometime works.



  ¶ Tuesday, February 22, 2005