[Discussion] Open Letter to Hurriyat

[Paksoy, Hb]

H-ASIA 
Author's Subject: H-ASIA: Central Asian Studies, 
An Open Letter from H. B. Paksoy 
Date Written: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 20:33:10 -0800 
Date Posted: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 20:33:10 -0800 
                                H-ASIA 
                           February 17, 2000 

An Open Letter 
************************************************************************* 

2 February 2000 

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE EDITORIAL BOARD 
HURRIYAT (Mustakil Gazeta) 
Tashkent 
Ozbek Republic 

Ladies and Gentlemen: 

I am in possession of two single pages from your esteemed 
newspaper. The first contains an article written by Professor 
Hayrulla Ismatulla (published in the 22-28 December 1999 issue) of 
Indiana University-Bloomington, and the second, as commentary on 
the first, by Professor Tura Mirzaev (5-11 January 2000 issue), who 
holds several official, distinguished academic and administrative 
titles in Tashkent.  Please consider this note as a rejoinder to 
the foregoing. 

I am most grateful to both colleagues for framing their comments 
around my work ALPAMYSH: CENTRAL ASIAN IDENTITY UNDER RUSSIAN RULE 
(Hartford, Conn.: AACAR, 1989).  Some colleagues observed that 
ALPAMYSH... attained out-of-print status by 1991 (unusual for an 
academic volume) rather speedily.  After a hiatus, when it proved 
impractical to undertake a new printing, the said book was placed 
on various world-wide-web pages.  In that new format ALPAMYSH... 
has been available on several such internet locations since 1995 
and continuously accessed and read by hundreds of individuals every 
month from around the world.  Some of those web-pages contain 
comments by a number of scholars. 

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting both colleagues. As 
Professor Ismatulla very kindly recounts the occasion in his above 
referenced article, he and I became acquainted during early last 
decade at an International Conference on Central Asia held at the 
University of Wisconsin Madison, shortly after he arrived from 
Ozbekistan in the USA.  The only other occasion when I saw him was 
about three years ago when I attended one of his lectures at 
Indiana University --when I was visiting Bloomington for a day or 
two to see old friends on the faculty there.  It was my very good 
fortune to make the personal acquaintance of Professor Tura Mirzaev 
at another international conference, that time on "Turk 
Destanlari," held at Turk Dil Kurumu at Ankara in 1997, and hosted 
by another set of colleagues: Professors Fikret Turkmen (Director, 
Turkish World Institute, Ege University) and Ahmet Ercilasun 
(Director, Turkish Language Institute).  Certainly, even before he 
and I enthusiastically shook hands, Professor Mirzaev and I already 
"knew" each other from our respective publications and had 
exchanged greetings via mutual colleagues and friends. 

The debate between Professors Ismatulla and Mirzaev appear to 
revolve around the "study" of ALPAMYSH, that magnificent Central 
Asian dastan, and the sequence, for example, when and by whom those 
studies were produced and published.  Although my ALPAMYSH... was 
published in 1989, the preparatory work naturally precedes that 
date by quite a few years.  That the published book carries more 
than one copyright date (ten years apart) is another marker 
attesting to that particular verity.  Given the difficulty of 
obtaining books and papers published in the former Soviet Union, 
especially in the 1970s and the 1980s, even though I spent a number 
of years (apart from the writing phase) personally searching for 
any and all matter on the subject, in various countries on three 
continents, some of the very valuable work done on ALPAMYSH by 
colleagues in Ozbekistan, in Central Asia, and elsewhere, may not 
have reached me.  After all, the "trial" of ALPAMYSH in the 1950s, 
and its documented aftermath, ensured that the subject remain 
rather sensitive and anyone wishing to undertake work on the topic, 
to say the least, weary  ---As recounted in my ALPAMYSH...; along 
with the documentation on various other aspects, such as why I 
chose the Divay version among fifty-five printings.  That very 
condition of "convening a court" for the purpose of "trying" this 
historical literature undoubtedly not only impeded the distribution 
by means of publication of already undertaken studies on ALPAMYSH 
but, additionally, further scholarly and popular approaches to the 
dastan.  I am certain that the now available wealth of material on 
ALPAMYSH cannot but benefit Ozbekistan, Central Asia and the world 
of letters.  After all, the dastan ALPAMYSH, first and last, 
belongs to the people; and not only to one group, country or 
region. 

When one considers the careers of scholars and literati of note 
from various origins, one can detect a particularly discernible 
pattern.  Those who take-up prolonged residence in countries other 
than their place of birth, whatever the reason, seem to appreciate 
their roots and traditions in a much different light.  Even a 
statesman (and distinguished multi-talent) such as Thomas Jefferson 
was susceptible to this condition.  This is not unusual, since, 
living in the surroundings where one was born, one does not have to 
necessarily give a second thought to what is there.  After all, 
everything is as it was.  And living in different surroundings 
whose inhabitants that may or may not necessarily understand that 
literati's home traditions, tend to awaken in that person's mind a 
longing to be understood in the full.  For a Central Asian, what 
better vehicle to serve that need than a dastan?  I do not know 
what prompted Professor Ismatulla to choose my ALPAMYSH... as a 
representative work, he will know the reasons better.  Nonetheless, 
I am grateful to him, as I am grateful to Professor Mirzaev for 
taking-up the issue.  Possibly because Central Asia in general and 
Ozbek Republic in particular, Professor Ismatulla might have 
noticed since his arrival in the USA, was being recognized in the 
daily media, but not with all of the pertinent intellectual wealth 
so well known to anyone who is from Central Asia.  Perhaps (and, I 
am speculating; as I did not discuss this with him) Professor 
Ismatulla chose my ALPAMYSH... to comment on, because that volume 
had recently been released, once again, on yet another web-site, in 
addition to some of those already in existence, and he has noticed 
that release. 

But, it is no surprise that Professor Ismatulla settled on ALPAMYSH 
as a vehicle, a representative to ally and record his thoughts. 
After all, ALPAMYSH is the premier dastan of Central Asia, a 
repository of all relevant culture from that sunny land.  And, 
like-minded individuals and responsible persons in Central Asia 
apparently agreed.  Last year, when I was informed by colleagues 
that an international conference of ALPAMYSH was planned to take 
place in Tashkent, I was naturally very happy for Ozbekistan and 
Central Asia.  After-all, were not other Central Asian dastans, 
such as MANAS and DEDE KORKUT accorded similar honors?  Both of 
those latter dastans have even been paid homage by large and 
prominent international organizations and entire calendar-years 
have been officially dedicated to their study and celebration. 
Now, I thought, ALPAMYSH would finally receive the same well 
deserved recognition.  However, I later was disappointed to 
discover that the proposed conference did not materialize for 
reason or reasons not articulated. 

Given the foregoing, it seems to me, that the contention should be 
among the scholars and literati to see who can best serve these 
dastan treasures.  It must never be forgotten that the emphasis is 
both on "serve the dastans" and also the celebration of their 
creator-owner populations as well.  The discussion of who have done 
what and when, as a matter of establishing a "hierarchy" can go 
only so far.  Professor Mirzaev certainly is in that hierarchy, 
following in the footsteps of a long list of luminaries as 
attentively as possible recorded in my ALPAMYSH... 

What is even more important is whether and how those treasures are 
known, understood and appreciated around the world.  In this, a 
literary treasure needs the services of individuals such as 
Professors Ismatulla and Mirzaev and a much greater number of 
individuals to participate in the endeavor, unceasingly.  It is not 
productive to keep those treasures to one's self.  Incarcerating 
those works is not only shameful, but also a detriment to the 
interests of their legitimate owners.  The dastans must be known 
universally, if they are to be appreciated.  Otherwise, to quote 
(and adapt) Balasagunlu Yusuf from his well known KUTADGU BILIG 
     "...pearls [the dastans--HBP], in order to have value, 
     must be brought to the surface; otherwise, they might as 
     well be pebbles at the bottom of the sea, and remain 
     unknown..." 

As for my personal offering to Central Asia, I would like to recall 
the aforementioned 1997 Ankara conference where I had the pleasant 
occasion and circumstances to make the personal acquaintance of 
Professor Mirzaev.  At the opening ceremonies of that conference, 
all those invited to be there for the purpose of reading scholarly 
papers on "Turk dastans," were asked to briefly introduce 
themselves to those assembled.  When my turn came, I obliged with 
the following: 
     "My name is Paksoy.  I am the (first) Ambassador 
     Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary from ALPAMYSH to the 
     United Kingdom and the United States of America." 

I always insisted that such treasures as ALPAMYSH (not to mention 
CHORA BATIR; DEDE KORKUT and others) should also be made available 
for appreciation by all on a world-wide basis, much like the 
younger counterparts of ALPAMYSH from other countries (for example 
BEOWULF, and others), as they exist in their natural state; as 
opposed to confining them within artificial boundaries; and took 
the necessary initiatives to secure those ends at personal and 
private costs.  I look forward to surrendering  --hopefully in the 
near future-- my "ambassadorial office" to those who demonstrate 
they have done better work than I managed to produce on the 
international stage so far.  Let us hope, for the good of humanity, 
that this office of Ambassadorship from ALPAMYSH, and indeed one 
from Central Asian dastans, prove to grow into a long and 
productive chain, with an undisputed, distinguished lineage. 
Until such time, I remain, respectfully, 

H. B. Paksoy, D. Phil.