NOVEMBER 2, 2013 MirTHErARoMENr IAN -Spe ctator Volume LXXXIV, NO. 16, Issue 4310 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 School No. 44 in Nishan Atinizian Yerevan Named for Receives Anania Armenian ‘Orphan Rug’ Is in White House Hrant Dink Shiragatsi Medal from Storage, as Unseen as Genocide Is Neglected YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan attended the solemn ceremony WASHINGTON (Washington Post) — The of naming the capital’s school No. 44 after President of Armenia rug was woven by orphans in the 1920s and By Philip Kennicott prominent Armenian journalist and intellectual formally presented to the White House in YEREVAN — Every year, during from Istanbul Hrant Dink this week. The 1925. A photograph shows President Calvin Armenia’s independence celebrations, the Information and Public Relations Department of Coolidge standing on the carpet, which is no mere juvenile effort, but a president of the republic hands out awards the Yerevan Municipality reported that aside complicated, richly detailed work that would hold its own even in the largest to individuals in Armenia and the diaspora from the mayor, Dink’s widow Rackel Dink, par - and most ceremonial who are outstanding in their fields and PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARMENIAN CULTURAL FOUNDATION ticipating in unveiling a commemorative plaque rooms. have contributed to the betterment of dedicated to Hrant Dink. If you can read a Armenia. Hrant Dink was assassinated in Istanbul in carpet’s cues, the This year, among the honorees singled January 2007, by Ogün Samast, a 17-year old plants and animals out by President Serge Sargisian was Turkish nationalist. This was shortly after the depicted on the rug Nishan Atinizian, co-owner of Armenia premiere of the documentary “Screamers,” in may represent the Marriott hotel, who was awarded the which he is interviewed about Turkish denial of Garden of Eden, Anania Shiragatsi medal during the cele - the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and the case which is about as far bration of the fifth anniversary of the against him under Article 301. removed as possible establishment of the Ministry of Diaspora. While Samast has since been taken into cus - from the rug’s origins Upon his arrival in the US from Turkey tody, it has since been revealed that a deep chain in the horrific events in the early 1980s, Atinizian immersed him - going high up in the government was involved in of 1915, when the self in the Armenian community in Boston the decision to assassinate Dink. and served as a link to his own culture. He fracturing and senes - has been recognized in the community as a cent Ottoman Empire leader and has received several awards for began a murderous Morocco’s Ambassador see AWARD, page 9 campaign against its Armenian population. Presents Credentials to Between 1 million and 1.5 million people Armenian President were killed or died of YEREVAN (Public Radio of Armenia) — On starvation, and others Tuesday, the newly appointed Ambassador of were uprooted from Morocco to Armenia, Mina Tounsi, presented her their homes in what credentials to President Serge Sargisian, the has been termed the president’s press office reported. first modern and sys - Sargisian congratulated Tounsi on her tematic genocide. appointment and expressed hope that during her Many were left tenure in office, she would make every effort to orphans, including Cover for invigorate bilateral relations between Armenia President Calvin Coolidge and the see RUG, page 12 and Morocco. President Serge Sargisian gives Nishan Armenian Orphan Rug Atinizian the medal. Sargisian noted that Armenia attaches great import to the deepening of her relations with the Arab world and underscored that the country actively cooperates with many Arab states in dif - Wife of Boston Mayoral Candidate Connolly Annual Najarian ferent areas. In that context, the President of Armenia stressed the importance of developing Hopes to Bring Armenian Flavor to City Hall Human Rights Lecture interstate cooperation with Morocco. Sheds Light on Human Tounsi assured Sargisian that she concurred spending time with her paternal grand - and wanted closer ties with Armenia. By Gabriella Gage mother, Mary Kassakian (maiden name Trafficking Epidemic Mirror-Spectator Staff Kondrajian,) who instilled in her an appreci - Sargisian Congratulates ation for her Armenian heritage and for the gift of family. By Alin K. Gregorian Gul on Turkey’s BOSTON — Meg Kassakian Connolly, is The Kondrajians arrived at Ellis Island Mirror-Spectator Staff more than just the wife of Boston mayoral from Sivas in 1910, narrowly missing the Republic Day hopeful, John R. Connolly; she is a clinical Genocide, amid the escalating climate of YEREVAN (Armenpress) — President Serge BOSTON — Tea, hand-woven rugs and fear — a blessing that her Sargisian of Armenia sent a message congratu - prostitutes, on the surface, seem to have grandmother did not fail to lating his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul, on very little in common. However, accord - appreciate. October 28, on the occasion of Turkey’s National ing to speakers at the K. George and “She would always tell Holiday –Republic Day. Carolann S. Najarian MD Lecture on me how lucky I was to There was no word on Gul’s response. know my grandparents,” Human Rights on October 24 at Faneuil said Connolly. “There was Hall, they often involve trafficked per - a great optimism but also a sons. deep sadness that would On the demand side, keynote speaker come across when she Siddharth Kara explained, consumers would talk about it.” want to pay less and less for goods, thus INSI DE Mugerdich Kondrajian, a product made by slave labor, by defin- Mary’s father, worked hard see LECTURE, page 7 toward the “American The Connolly family, from left: Meg Connolly and her hus - Dream” while also taking Lace on band, Boston mayoral candidate John R. Connolly, with chil - time to participate in the dren, Clare, Mary Katherine and Edward building of the new Armenian-American com - Show munity blossoming in the psychologist with a passion for issues of men - Northeast. Kondrajian went on to become Page 10 tal health and immigration. She is a Harvard one of the founding members of the graduate and a soccer champ. She is a moth - Armenian General Benevolent Union’s er of three. She is also an Armenian- (AGBU) New York Chapter. American with a deep appreciation for her Meg Connolly’s paternal grandfather’s INDEX family’s heritage. family, the Kassakians, arrived years before Arts and Living . 10 Connolly grew up in Newton, attending the Kondrajians, and also shared the dual Armenia . 2 public schools, before going on to Harvard appreciation of embracing the culture of Community News. 4 University, where she studied sociology and their new home while remembering their Editorial . 14 captained the soccer team. Armenian heritage. Both the Kassakian International . 3 She has fond memories celebrating holi - and Kondrajian families were involved in Siddharth Kara days with delicious Armenian food and see CONNOLLY, page 8 2 S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 2, 2013 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia AGBU Young Professionals’ ‘Go Green’ Mission Promotes Economic Sustainability in Armenia Defense Minister Meets YEREVAN — In recent years, the Austrian Counterpart AGBU Young Professionals (YP) Network has focused its global initia - YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The Minister of Defense tives in Armenia on environmentally- of Armenia, Seyran Ohanian received Austrian friendly green projects to help promote Ambassador to Armenia Alois Kraut, Austria’s economic sustainability. Implemented Honorary Consul to Armenia Aram Marutyan and this year, the Pan-YP Greenhouse Military Attache of the Embassy of Austria to Project for border village Barekamavan Armenia Helmuth Fellner. During the course of the is the second collective initiative by the meeting held on October 28, Seyran Ohanian, wel- YP Network in Armenia, and builds on comed the guests and congratulated the people of the success of the YPs’ first initiative, Austria on their national holiday — the day of the the construction of a new park in Declaration of Neutrality. Khachik in 2010. During the meeting the sides held a discussion Funded and developed entirely by the on issues related to the bilateral cooperation in the YP Network, two greenhouses were field of defense. Kraut stated that Austria is ready constructed in Barekamavan this year to continue cooperation with the Ministry of to help promote economic self-sufficien - Defense of Armenia. cy and sustainability. The following six - teen YP Groups and YP Partners took Multiple generations come together to learn about farming and crop cultivation. President Hosts IAAF part by pooling their resources in one unified effort: YP Athens, YP Boston, And ABAF Delegations YP Buenos Aires, YP Greater New York, London Coordinator Ara Yeromian. Network embraced the greenhouse ini - YP Lebanon, YP London, YP Los “Thanks to the support of our London tiative in 2013. “It was amazing to see so YEREVAN (Armenpress) —Armenian President Angeles, YP Marseille, YP Montréal, YP community, who donated both online and many young Armenians from all over the Serge Sargisian received welcomed senior officials Northern California, YP Philadelphia, during our fundraising events, we will world come together to help advance from the International Association of Athletics YP Sofia, YP Tehran, YP Toronto, and make a difference in the lives of many fam - Barekamavan,” said YP Yerevan Federations (IAAF) and the Association of the YP Yerevan, as well as AGBU partner, ilies in Barekamavan. This was definitive - Coordinator Anna Aghajanian. Balkan Athletic Federations (ABAF) led by IAAF Deputy President and legendary pole vaulter Overseeing the project in Sergey Bubka. The delegation arrived in Armenia Barekamavan, YP Yerevan con - for its annual IAAF conference. ducted a thorough needs assess - During the meeting, delegation members from ment taking into account a range various countries of the world highlighted the of factors including the families’ importance of young children having opportunities size, readiness, and ability to to interact with professional athletes.