All-ASA Condemns Campaign Attacking Armenian Studies

Los Angeles, CA - The All-Armenian Students’ Association (All-ASA), a confederation of Armenian American college student organizations, has condemned a recent smear campaign by an undisclosed group alleging a concerted effort to falsify Armenian history within Armenian studies programs across the United States.

Adopted with a unanimous vote on February 22, 2009, the resolution deplored the campaign’s efforts to "spread disinformation" by circulating an online petition alleging Turkish government and CIA influence over Armenian Studies and its professors in the US.

"We, the Armenian Students’ Associations, call upon the public not to be deceived by this campaign and to reject and repudiate the reprehensible attempts to discredit professors and scholars," the resolution said, adding that history should be debated "among recognized historians within an academic setting."

The campaign "Against the Falsification of Armenian History," is not a student initiative, the All-ASA said, "but rather the work of a self-appointed and self-immersed group, does not serve a scholastic purpose."

Simultaneously with the online petition, the group had also produced and uploaded a series of videos on YouTube defaming Armenian Studies professors with arguments "based on inaccurate information, personal attacks and character assassination," the All-ASA said.

"We believe in the benefit of the overall Armenian people and a campaign as such creates conflict with minimal tangible results," the resolution said, adding that the confederation will "firmly stand against this attempt at compromising the work" of Armenian Studies Chairs in the US.
The All-ASA confederation provides a forum for participating independent Armenian American colleges’ student groups through which these organizations may facilitate cooperative initiatives and deliberate on issues faced by the Armenian college student community.

Below is the All-ASA resolution in its entirety:
"In regards to the campaign and the petition being circulated against the Armenian Studies Chairs in the United States:

Whereas, we believe in the benefit of the overall Armenian people and a campaign as such creates conflict with minimal tangible results,

Whereas, a campaign based on inaccurate information, personal attacks and character assassination does not serve a scholastic purpose,

Whereas, we believe this campaign is not a student initiative as claimed, but rather the work of a
self-appointed and self-immersed group,

Whereas, the campaign spreads disinformation to individuals urged to sign an on-line petition alleging Turkish government and CIA influence over Armenian Studies and Armenian Studies’ professors in the United States,

Be it resolved that we, the Armenian Students’ Associations;

1. Firmly stand against this attempt at compromising the work and positions of the Armenian Studies and Armenian Studies’ Chairs.

2. Deplore the current campaign of defamation of professors of Armenian Studies.

3. Encourage debate among recognized historians within an academic setting.

4. Call upon the public not to be deceived by this campaign and to reject and repudiate the
reprehensible attempts to discredit professors and scholars.

Standing in solidarity the Armenian Students’ Association of: Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Northridge, Glendale Community College, Pasadena Community College, Los Angeles Valley College, Shant Students’ Association, Universities of California – Berkeley, Irvine, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and University of California – Los Angeles AGSA, University of Southern California, Woodbury.