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The Policy of Positive Neutrality of the Armenian Political Parties in Lebanon during the Civil War, 1975–90: A Critical Analysis

Geukjian, Ohannes · 2007

Analyzes the policy of 'positive neutrality' adopted in 1975 by the three Armenian political parties in Lebanon (the ARF, the Hunchaks and the Ramkavars) during the Lebanese civil war, and asks whether it succeeded. Geukjian draws on the Armenian party press (notably the ARF daily Aztag), Armenian-language community histories, and interviews with Lebanese-Armenian political figures. He documents the pressures on the neutrality policy, the reprisals against the community, and the individual Armenians who broke ranks to join Phalangist, National Liberal or leftist militias. He evaluates the policy through a conflict-resolution framework rather than a communal-apologetic one.

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Published in
Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 65–73 (Taylor & Francis); DOI 10.1080/00263200601079633
Year
2007
Language
English
DOI
10.1080/00263200601079633

Citation

Geukjian, Ohannes 2007. The Policy of Positive Neutrality of the Armenian Political Parties in Lebanon during the Civil War, 1975–90: A Critical Analysis. Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 65–73 (Taylor & Francis); DOI 10.1080/00263200601079633. https://doi.org/10.1080/00263200601079633

What this offers a reader

For students

How Armenian parties kept a community out of someone else's civil war, and what it cost.

For academics

The best peer-reviewed treatment of the ARF as a diaspora actor inside another state's armed conflict.

For the community

Positive neutrality kept Bourj Hammoud alive. This weighs the price honestly.

For a general reader

How the Armenians of Lebanon stayed out of the civil war around them.

Topics

ARF in Lebanonpositive neutralityLebanese civil wardiaspora party politicsAztagHunchak and Ramkavar

Citation checked against the publisher's record on .