Armenian Heritage and Memory Beyond the Borders Armenian Heritage and Memory Beyond the Borders | Page 6

Even nature is protesting by entrusting women with the finest and most
noble role of all: the creation of humanity.
Armenian women, do not fall victim to prejudices that will drag you
into an abyss. Do not scorn poverty, and do not try to hide it. Glorify
your hardship, as the rich glorify their possessions. Doesn’t the brave,
wounded soldier who returns from the battlefield display his glorious
wounds with pride? The poor are also brave soldiers of life. Once you
are not ashamed of your poverty, you will relieve the bitterness of life
with work, improve your position in society, and enter the workforce of
vast freedoms where the human condition is ennobled and elevated
without social distinction.” Women’s Inactivity translated by Jennifer
Manoukian.
Zabel (Sybil) Asadour (1863-1934
İstanbul) was one of the unique and
influential figures for Armenian literature,
prolific writer on ranging from fictional
narratives including story, novel,
playwriting, poem to political essays.
She wrote under the pseudonym for
her some books. She advocated for the
education of girls. She was involved
in opening the schools for the girls in
the Armenian Provinces during the
Ottoman Empire. She was also an
educator and educated about Armenian
language and literature. She especially
made translations between French and
Armenian. Her contribution was so huge
and substantial that a school on translation was established after her.
She wrote an Armenian Language and Literature textbook with her
husband, Hrant Asadour and they created a foundation for Modern
Literary Western Armenian Language, which made Zabel Asadour
be known in the current school textbooks and anthologies. Aras
Yayıncılık published a book called Ermeni Edebiyatı Numuneleri
(The Examples from Armenian Literature) in which there are Zabel
Asadour’s pieces called Serena and Boa in Turkish.