Islamized Armenians in Syria: A Hidden Diaspora Reemerges

Dr. Karena Avedissian, political scientist and researcher, shares insights from her recent visit to the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, also known as Rojava—a trip made possible with the support of the Gulbenkian Foundation. There, she met with Islamized Armenians, descendants of Genocide survivors who were forcibly assimilated during and after 1915. She explains how this hidden diaspora is now reemerging and reclaiming its Armenian identity through community, language, and armed self-defense, all within Rojava’s inclusive, multi-ethnic political system. Avedissian discusses the challenges they face, from rejection by the Armenian Church to the ongoing threat of Turkish aggression, and why their story matters for the broader Armenian world.

0:00- Who are the Armenians of Rojava?
2:27- Why it’s a unique place for Islamized Armenians to reclaim their identity
4:22- What are Islamicized Armenians doing to recover their identity?
7:31- Grassroots nature of the rediscovering movement & personal story
11:04- The community’s hopes and desire for support

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