ARMENIA AND ISLAM THROUGH THE LENS OF THE LEGITIMACY OF THE ASPIRATIONS OF LOCAL AND UNIVERSAL CIVILIZATIONS / ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆԸ ԵՎ ԻՍԼԱՄԸ ԼՈԿԱԼ ԵՎ ՈՒՆԻՎԵՐՍԱԼ ՔԱՂԱՔԱԿՐԹՈՒԹՅՈՒՆՆԵՐԻ ՁԳՏՈՒՄՆԵՐԻ ՊՐԻԶՄԱՅՈՎ

Abstract

The present article attempts to look at Armenia and the Islamic World through the lens of possible compatibility of their interests as local civilizations. Comparing and contrasting certain seemingly unrelated political and perceptual phenomena, the article poses a challenge to viewing the contemporary world order from the perspective of the “clash of civilizations”. To do so, the article exposes the nature of Armenian-Turkish relations as they started to develop upon Armenia’s independence in 1991 through the examination of documents in the archives of the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Armenia.