Suzanne Khardalian
Two appalling events took place in Scandinavia last week. It all
started when the Armenian Genocide Museum and Institute in Yerevan
started putting together a small exhibition on Scandinavia and the
Armenian Genocide about two years ago. The exhibit began touring the
Scandinavian capitals this year, and came to the Danish capital,
Copenhagen, about a month ago, where it was set up in a room belonging
to the Royal Library (yet located at the University of Copenhagen). The
surprise came when the director of the Royal Library, Erland Kolding
Nielsen, in his opening speech announced there would be an “alternative”
exhibition arranged by the Turkish Embassy, with the announced title,
“The so-called Armenian genocide.” What to do? Protest, of course.
Indeed, the Royal Library has since garnered heavy criticism from the
media and from historians over its decision. Nielsen, however, has
denied that the institution buckled under pressure from Turkey.
“We have simply given them the opportunity to show their alternative
exhibition,” he said. So, for now, it is business as usual. The
exhibition is still scheduled.
