NOVEMBER 26, 2011 MirTHE rARoMENr IAN -Spe ctator Volume LXXXII, NO. 20, Issue 4214 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language in the United States Pallone Decries French FM Wants ’s Being Singled To Establish a Out for Investment ‘Commission’ to Projects in US WASHINGTON, DC — Citing concerns with Turkey’s present and past conduct, Rep. Frank Study Genocide Pallone Jr. last Thursday spoke against a legislative proposal which would give Turkey preferential YEREVAN (News.am) — Speaking dur - treatment in leasing tribal lands in the United ing a press conference last week in States. Pallone co-authored an amendment along Turkey, French Foreign Minister Alain with Rep. John Sarbanes that would preclude Juppe called the period of the Armenian Turkey from being the sole country authorized to Genocide hard for both and engage in economic development opportunities on Turks, and expressed France’s willing - American Indian land. ness to establish a commission to study “This amendment will open up the playing field the . fairly and benefit tribes by having more partners to Juppe’s statement made in Turkey James Kalustian, president, Armenian Heritage Foundation, makes a presentation to work with,” said Pallone at the Natural Resources contradicts an official policy of this Jeffrey Mullan, former Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation, for his support Committee Markup on the legislation. “The country on the Armenian Genocide, over the years. (Tom Vartabedian photo) Republic of Turkey acts increasingly hostile to US Member of Parliament (MP) from interest and has a long history of human rights vio - Prosperous Party Naira lations. Turkey is not a country that should be Zohrabyan said. receiving preferential treatment in any sense and “The fact that the French foreign min - Armenian Heritage Park certainly not explicitly approved by this Congress.” ister makes such a statement is at least Current and past human rights violations that strange, taking into account the state - include failure to recognize the 20th century’s first ment made by President [Nicolas] Hits a Fenway Homer genocide in which 1.5 million Armenians were Sarkozy in Armenia this year. In fact, the killed by Ottoman Turks, Turkey’s illegal occupa - — Throughout the past century, Fenway Park has served as the home tion of Northern Cyprus and Turkey’s aggression of the Boston Red Sox with many an auspicious moment to be celebrated. towards Israeli merchant vessels among other Now it has served as the center of anoth - actions by Turkey were named as reasons to er attraction — the much-anticipated oppose the legislation by Pallone. By Tom Vartabedian Armenian Heritage Park. A crowd of 250 turned out November 17 on the upper deck of the stadium for a Hosts Premiere fundraising reception that raised $100,000 in endowment money. The proceeds inched closer to the $6.2 million goal, which is expected to be met by April 24 when Of Requiem by Tigran a Genocide observance is planned on the site, culminating a near-decade dream. The memorial is currently under construction on the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Mansurian Greenway, within proximity of Boston’s historic Faneuil Hall. It will pay tribute to French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe BERLIN (PanARMENIAN.Net) — On November 19, the the 1.5 million martyrs as well as those immigrants who distinguished themselves German capital hosted the world premiere of a requiem in all phases of the Armenian community while adding to the richness of American by Tigran Mansurian, performed by the Munich and life and culture. see FUNDRAISER, page 7 statement of Foreign Minister Alain Rias Chamber Orchestras, Schott-Music reported. Juppe directly contradicts Sarkozy’s The work is dedicated to the victims of the statements. It is also opposed to Armenian Genocide. France’s position on this issue, the rati - “During its composition, I was confronted by the Military Vows Response to Fresh Combat Deaths fied law on genocide and [the] country’s problem of differing interpretations of the canonical policy on [the] recognition of the YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — The Armenian 19-year-old conscripts, Aren Simonian and texts laid down by the Armenian and Roman-Catholic Armenian Genocide,” said Zohrabyan. military pledged on Monday to respond Mihran Markarian, were shot dead by churches. I hope that the interlinking of ancient sacred Zohrabyan believes the Armenian “disproportionately” to the deaths of two Azerbaijani snipers in separate incidents on and secular with the Latin text has Foreign Ministry should ask for explana - Armenian soldiers in skirmishes with Saturday and Sunday along the border. created something unexpected and even slightly para - tions from the French colleagues. Azerbaijani forces reported in Nagorno- The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry did not dox in my music,” Mansurian said. “I followed the statement of French Karabagh over the weekend. immediately comment on the information. Written in eight parts, the requiem is intended for see COMMISSION, page 4 Karabagh Army’s spokesperson said the see RESPONSE, page 2 soprano, baritone, mixed chorus and string orchestra. Mansurian was born in 1939 in Beirut, Lebanon. In 1947 his family moved to Soviet Armenia, final - ly settling in the capital, Yerevan, in 1956. Mansurian studied at the Yerevan Music Academy Archbishop Pargev Martirossian: The Face of Karabagh and completed his PhD at the State Conservatory where he later taught contemporary Martirossian stopped for an interview Fund Telethon, scheduled to take place on music analysis. Mansurian’s compositions range By Alin K. Gregorian during his short visit to Boston, part of his Thanksgiving Day. from large-scale orchestral works to individual art Mirror-Spectator Staff tour of the US in support of the Armenia see ARCHBISHOP Page 9 songs and film scores between 1968 and 1980.

BOSTON — Stepanakert, the home of Archbishop Pargev Martirossian, the Primate of the Karabagh Diocese, is a INSI DE world away from the US, but for this ambas - sador of this tiny republic and man of God, no distance is too great to spread the word about Karabagh. Books and Martirossian is Karabagh’s first archbishop since the 1930s. The late Catholicos of All Armenians Vazken I appointed him in 1989 More to the post. “Moscow allowed it,” he said, much to the chagrin of Azeri authorities. page 5 Martirossian, who was given the name Gurgen at birth, was born in Sumgait, Azerbaijan, to a family from the northern Karabagh town of Chardakhly. He entered the Gevorkian Seminary in Echmiadzin in INDEX 1980. He was ordained in 1983 and gradu - Arts and Living ...... 12 ated in 1984. In 1985 he was ordained a Armenia ...... 2, 3 celibate priest and given the name Pargev. Community News...... 5 He was made a bishop by Vazken I in 1988 Editorial ...... 18 and was named an archbishop by the late The Atinizian and Mardiros families had dinner with Archbishop Pargev Martirossian during International ...... 4 Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin I in his visit. 1999. 2 S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Sargisian Vows End to Business

1,050th Anniversary of Oligarchy in Armenia Ani as Capital YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — President his Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) 183 economies on 10 aspects of govern - YEREVAN (Armenpress) — An international confer- Serge Sargisian made a case for sepa - are wealthy individuals. Reports in the ment regulation of business, including ence dedicated to the 1,050th anniversary of decla- rating government and business in Armenian press have said that Sargisian taxation and the ease of starting and ration of Ani as capital of Armenia took place Armenia on Wednesday, saying that is intends to bar many of those lawmakers closing businesses and registering prop - November 15-17 at the National Academy of vital for securing the country’s long- from entering the next parliament to be erty. Armenia occupies 55th place in the Sciences. In the opening speech chairman of the term economic development. elected in May 2012. rankings. Republic of Armenia National Academy of Sciences Addressing members of the leading Government critics claim, however, “Armenia is the only country among (NAS) Radik Martirosyan expressed hope that the Armenian business association, that the president will continue to heav - 183 economies that implemented as Armenian people will have more opportunities to Sargisian also said that his government ily rely on them in order to retain con - many as five regulatory and institution - visit Ani. is already succeeding in improving a trol over the National Assembly and win al reforms between June 2010 and May “This conference is another step toward studying flawed business environment widely a second term in office in 2013. The gov - 2011,” according to the report. the rich historic-cultural heritage of Ani, making it regarded as a serious hurdle to faster ernment-linked tycoons will therefore reach the world public,” Martirosyan said. growth. continue to enjoy privileged treatment At the opening ceremony the message of the “Business must be consistently sepa - by the government, critics say. Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargisian was rated from the state system and the But Arsen Ghazarian, chairman of the Governor recited. authority,” he said in a speech at the Union of Industrialists and Questioned over “Ani continues living in our national sub-con- annual congress of the Union of Entrepreneurs, insisted that Sargisian is sciousness as a town of eternal dream where our Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. committed to dismantling the “oli - Assault Claims ways are taking. The town has attracted people “Instead, the state should keep learning garchic system.” He said he and other with its activity, economic attractiveness,” the to fully respect the interests of every cit - senior members of the union arrived at YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Surik prime minister said in his message. izen and entrepreneur.” such a conclusion after a “quite frank” Khachatrian, the controversial Scholars from Russia, France, Italy, the US and This, explained Sargisian, will be part meeting with Sargisian held in early governor of Armenia’s southeast - Austria participateed in the event. of a radical “transformation” of October. ern Syunik region, has been ques - Armenia, which he said will serve as a “Comments made by him lead us to tioned by law-enforcement “long-term guarantee of our further eco - the following conclusion: there is a polit - authorities over allegations that Taron Markarian nomic growth and development.” ical will to … finally start breaking up he assaulted a businesswoman Government connections have long the oligarchic system,” Ghazarian said. after she accused him of business- Becomes Yerevan Mayor been essential for engaging in large- Most of the oligarchs are not affiliated related fraud, it emerged on scale entrepreneurial activity in with or are only nominal members of Friday. YEREVAN (News Armenia) — The Yerevan Council Armenia, resulting in an effective Ghazarian’s organization uniting hun - A law-enforcement source gave of Elders has unanimously elected Taron monopolization of lucrative sectors of dreds of entrepreneurs. no details of the interrogation. Markaryan as the mayor of Yerevan. its economy by wealthy businesspeople “Business needs a favorable business The source said the Special The election process was initiated by the City close to the ruling establishment. environment and we are going to ensure Investigative Service (SIS) has Council of Elders on November 4. Earlier reports Also, many senior Armenian officials that,” Sargisian said in his speech. He still not decided whether to pros - said that the Republican Party of Armenia had are known to have had extensive busi - insisted that government efforts to ecute Khachatrian. introduced Vice Mayor Taron Markarian as candi- ness interests. Throughout his long improve the investment climate are The businesswoman, Silva date for the position on October 31. political career Sargisian himself has “already producing results,” citing the Hambardzumian, claims that Yerevan Mayor Karen Karapetyan resigned in on been dogged by opposition allegations findings of an annual survey conducted Khachatrian hit her in the head in October 28. of sponsoring such “oligarchs” and even by the World Bank. a Yerevan hotel lobby late on Head of the fraction of the Republican Party, making a personal fortune. The bank’s Doing Business 2012 Monday just days after she made Derenik Dumanyan, called Markarian the most suit- Dozens of parliament deputies from report released late last month rated her accusations. Hambardzumian, able candidate for the position. Markaryan himself who has business interests in thanked the party, its chairman, Armenian Syunik, said last week that a min - President Serge Sargisian and said that he has a ing company owned by the gover - good understanding of the job. nor misappropriated mining Armenian Military Vows Response equipment worth more than 100 million drams ($263,000) from Babadjanian Fest Honors To Fresh Combat Deaths another firm belonging to her. Khachatrian, who is notorious 90th Anniversary RESPONSE, from page 1 Armenian and Karabagh forces for reportedly violent conduct, In a written statement, the were already ordered to launch such denied assaulting the entrepre - YEREVAN (Panorama) — A festival dedicated to the Karabagh Defense Army accused retaliatory operations following the neur on Tuesday. Nevertheless, composer Arno Babadjanian began on November Baku of deliberately violating the killing of three Armenian soldiers the SIS decided to open a crimi - 21 and will last until December 19. The festival, ceasefire to torpedo international near Karabagh in May. nal case after receiving a formal being held under the auspices of President Serge efforts to broker a peaceful solution “Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani side complaint from Hambardzumian. Sargisian, is dedicated to the 90th anniversary of to the Karabagh conflict. It said its hasn’t learned lessons from previous The law-enforcement body subor - the late composer. forces will react to such violations adventures as a result of which it suf - dinate to state prosecutors is also Babajanian Fest is organized by the Armenian with “tougher” actions from now on. fered much greater casualties,” said conducting a separate inquiry Ministry of Culture, the Union of Composers and A separate statement issued by Karapetian. “This testifies to their into her fraud claims. Musicians and director of Armenia’s State Youth Armenia’s Defense Ministry said, irresponsible attitude.” Hambardzumian was again Orchestra, Sergey Smbatyan. “since Azerbaijan’s political and mili - Defense Ministry sources in questioned by SIS investigators The Armenian Ministry of Culture said six con- tary leadership does not care about Yerevan claim that 42 Azerbaijani on Friday. She said that she insist - certs will be held in conjunction with the festival. the lives of its own soldiers, we have troops have been killed on the ed on her version of events. to remind Azerbaijan’s population Karabagh frontline and along Hambardzumian also said that that as was the case before, the Armenia’s long border with the chief of the national police, Armenia Votes against Armenian side’s response to the Azerbaijan so far this year. Vladimir Gasparian, has agreed to death of every Armenian soldier will The Azerbaijani military has not yet provide her with police body - UN Resolution on Iran be disproportionate.” released any casualty data for 2011. guards. She asked for police pro - The ministry spokesman, Davit The military authorities in Yerevan tection shortly after the alleged UNITED NATIONS (news.am) — Armenia did not Karapetian, spoke of “punitive and Stepanakert are likewise reluc - incident, saying that she fears for support a resolution approved last week by the UN actions” to be taken against tant to publicize the Armenian com - her security. General Assembly on Iran. Azerbaijani troops. “That is going to bat death toll. Armenian human The assault allegations led to UN member states deplored a disrupted plot to be our natural and legitimate reac - rights groups estimated before the lat - renewed calls for Khachatrian’s sack - assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the tion,” he said. “And if the Azerbaijani est deadly fighting in Karabagh that ing. The Syunik governor has for United States on Friday, calling on Iran to cooper- side suffers casualties as a result of nine Armenian soldiers have died in years been accused by media of ate with any countries trying to bring to justice that, it will be fully responsible for action since December 2010. attacking local business rivals as well those who planned, sponsored or attempted to them.” The skirmishes highlight the linger - as government critics, including a carry out the plot, says a statement on UN website. ing threat of another Armenian- Syunik newspaper editor whose car Member states called on Iran to comply with all Azerbaijani war, which is prompting was set on fire in 2005. international legal obligations, including the growing concern from the world com - Prime Minister Tigran Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of munity. They came less than a month Sargisian said on Wednesday that Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons. Correction after US, Russian and French media - the government’s reaction to the The resolution introduced by Saudi Arabia, tors said the conflicting parties have latest scandal will depend on the A photo in last week’s issue of received 106 votes in favor and nine votes against. agreed in principle to a “draft mecha - outcome of the SIS inquiry. “Any the Mirror-Spectator misspelled Forty countries abstained. nism to investigate incidents along government statement made now the last name of one of the peo - Armenia, Bolivia, Cuba, North Korea, Ecuador, the front lines.” could be regarded as interference ple shown. The photo featured Nicaragua, Venezuela and Zambia voted against the The three co-chairs announced that in its course,” he said. “The gov - Nancy Kolligian and Robert document, Haaretz reported. following yet another visit to Baku, ernment will closely watch the Proodian. Russia was among the countries which abstained. Yerevan and Stepanakert. Armenian investigation without any interfer - We regret the error. and Azerbaijani officials made no ence.” statements to that effect. S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 3 ARMENIA

Businessman Jailed on Land and Culture Org. Partners Pedophilia Charges

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — A 70-year-old US businessman of Armenian descent With French Town in Goris was sentenced on Thursday to 15 years in prison on charges of pedophilia which he partly accepted. GORIS, Armenia – This summer, one of the Serop Der-Boghossian, the owner of a campaigns of the Organization Terre et Culture mining firm based in the northern (OTC-Land and Culture Organization’s French Armenian town of Akhtala, was convict - chapter) was in partnership with the sister cities ed of “coercing” local underage boys to of Vienne, France and Goris. have sex with him. On July 25, 20 young French and French- Der-Boghossian, whose Metal Prince Armenian volunteers from Vienne arrived here to company is the small town’s main continue the renovation of the Sourp employer, was arrested in February fol - Astvatzatzin Church built in 1771, near the lowing media reports that accused him pagan-era caves in Old Goris. Local youth and of engaging in homosexual contacts city officials welcomed the group with the with Akhtala teenagers. State prosecu - French and Armenian flags. In the city hall, tors said he seduced them in 2009-2010 Mayor Nelson Voskanyan greeted the volunteers with cash and other “material assis - from France. tance.” During the summer campaign, the French and Der-Boghossian strongly denied the Armenian volunteers were busy cleaning the allegations shortly before the arrest. In interior of the church, clearing the roof and exte - a February 3 statement, he said rior, while archaeologists were on site for exca - unnamed individuals are trying to seize vation work at the church and the nearby caves. Local Goris youth welcome French volunteers. control of Metal Prince company by “I heard about the project from the City of ruining his reputation. Vienne and was interested in participating in this But during his ensuing trial held in program as it is important to work with the City copper factory in the area. encompasses descendants of the Armenian closed session the Iraqi-born business - of Goris in this historical project,” said Vienne This year’s annual meeting of the LCO chap - Genocide who migrated from Marseille to work man said he had had consensual sex firefighter Mehdi Bourahla. Joseph Papazian ters from France, the United States, Armenia, the in the local factories. with both underage and older men. from OCT and the Vienne-Goris Sister City United Kingdom and Belgium was held in Lyon In addition to the Goris project, this summer A court in Vanadzor backed the pros - and Vienne. During the meeting, OTC/LCO also returned to complete the early ecutors’ claims, however, convicting they had the opportunity to meet 18th- century Sourp Astvatzatzin Church in him under an article of the Criminal with officials from Vienne and dis - Yeghvard, Armenia and continued its renovation Code dealing with forcible sex with cuss the sister-city renovation pro - of the seventh-century Tchitchkhanavank minors. ject of Sourp Astvatzatzin. Patrick Monastery in Shirakamut, Armenia. The more Der-Boghossian’s lawyer, Tigran Curtaud, deputy mayor for cul - than 60 volunteers at the three campaign sites Safarian, condemned the verdict as ture, heritage, tourism and inter - gave their hearts, sweat and soul to the mission unfair and said he would appeal it. “If, national relations, is overseeing of preserving Armenian heritage sites. LCO con - according to the prosecution, an indi - the project on behalf of Vienne. ducts all renovation projects in conjunction with vidual had a sexual relationship with This project is in collaboration historical and architectural experts in order to Serop Der-Boghossian for two years, he with the Vienne-Goris Sister City restore and resemble its original legacy. could not have done that against his Association, the City will,” Safarian said. of Vienne, the City of But Hovsep Sargsian, one of the trial Goris and several prosecutors, dismissed this argument. other organizations. He insisted that the defendant exploited Volunteers excavating around church Vienne is located the poverty of Akhtala boys and made about an hour from them “materially dependent” on him. Lyon. It is a quaint Program oversaw the project. “We have to bear in mind that the vic - town built on Roman ruins. Of Joining and supporting the Vienne/OTC vol - tims were underage,” Sargisian said. Vienne’s population of 30,000, the unteers in the project were local Armenian stu - The prosecution identified 10 vic - Armenian community of 3,000 has a dent and youth groups from the Goris University tims. All of them testified during the strong presence. Vienne is home to Student Council, Goris French Language Center, trial. The Vanadzor court was also pre - April 24, 1915 Street (Rue de 24 David Bek’s Pilgrims, high school students as sented with unpublicized video evi - Avril, 1915), an Armenian Cultural well as Goris municipal workers and citizens. dence of Der-Boghossian’s illicit rela - Center and Armenian Genocide Goris and the rest of Syunik Region have had a tionships. Memorial and khachkar (stone Preparing the church’s interior longstanding relationship with the French dating Der-Boghossian was listed as an cross). The community mostly back to the late 1800s when there was a French adviser to Prime Minister Tigran Sargisian on the Armenian govern - ment’s website until January 31. According to the government press PM Sargisian Says He’s Being Blackmailed, Orders Investigation office, the Metal Prince owner stopped working for Sargisian on December 31, YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow) — Prime Minister Ashot Sargisian, general director of the plant of Energy and Natural Resources Armen 2010 for reasons unrelated to the sex Tigran Sargisian has petitioned the prosecu - and at the same time representative of the Movsisyan, and six other people had a hand scandal. tor’s office to open a criminal case against a cit - Interstate Bank Vahan Melkonyan, Minister in the alleged fraud. izen who has accused Sargisian of embezzle - ment. On Monday, Aram Ananyan, spokesman for the prime minister, released a statement saying that Harutyun Arakelyan’s statements sent to Government Curbs Tsarukian Donations to Universities the Ministry of Justice, according to which Sargisian has embezzled $31 million, are false YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Education Minister the permission of the relevant state body,” he gave in late September more indications that accusations and attempts of blackmail. Armen Ashotian on Thursday effectively con - told journalists. “Nobody has made such he would like to return to the political arena. Arakelyan has submitted a letter addressed to firmed reports that he has banned state-run negotiable offers to us.” Earlier this month, Sargisian engineered Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan and universities from accepting scholarship dona - Ashotian added that the Gagik Tsarukian the resignations and sackings of several top National Security Service Director Gorik tions from Gagik Tsarukian, a millionaire Fund and other charities keen to help stu - state officials, including parliament speaker Hakobyan, claiming that in 2006, during the businessman leading Armenia’s second-most dents will now have to apply to the Ministry Hovik Abrahamian. Some observers regard sale and purchase of stocks of Nairit plant, important governing party. of Science and Education. that as an attempt to ward off a potential which are considered to be state property, and Ashotian denied any connection between Reacting to Ashotian’s order, Vahe challenge from his predecessor. during the further exploitation of the plant, $31 the move and reported tensions between Enfiajian, a senior BHK member involved in million has been embezzled. President Serge Sargisian’s Republican Party student funding, said, “Right now we are Tsarukian’s charitable activities have “Rhinoville Property Limited [the company (HHK) and Tsarukian’s Prosperous Armenia dealing with our organizational issues. There sparked controversy before. The BHK leader which bought Nairit in 2006, which is regis - Party (BHK). is a board that will discuss that issue.” began his and party’s political activities tered off-shore and whose owners are not iden - In recent years a charity belonging to Ashotian denied any political considera - ahead of the May 2007 parliamentary elec - tified], levied the 90-percent package of stocks Tsarukian has provided scholarships to uni - tions behind his directive. “The ministry has tions with the distribution of relief aid to tens of Nairit plant presented by the Central Bank of versity students from low-income families many projects and I often appeal to of thousands of impoverished farmers. He Armenia, in the Interstate Bank and got a $70- meeting a number of academic criteria. Those Armenian entrepreneurs and philanthropists also paid for free medical aid and other sup - million loan. Only $39 million of that money students have always been selected by uni - to invest in education,” he said. posedly public services provided to urban res - has entered the State Budget of Armenia, the versity administrations. Tsarukian, who is thought to be close to idents. fate of the remaining $31 million has remained Ashotian, who is a senior member of the former President Robert Kocharian, report - The practice was denounced as wholesale unknown,” Arakelyan’s letter reads. HHK, said the universities will no longer be edly came under renewed pressure from his vote buying by the opposition and some pro- The accuser claims that Sargisian, who was allowed to accept such assistance without his senior coalition partner last month after he HHK figures. The BHK, which has the second chairman of the Central Bank in 2006, his ministry’s approval. “Personal scholarships in pointedly declined to reaffirm support for largest faction in the current parliament, brother and deputy head of Nairit plant, state universities can be introduced only with Sargisian’s reelection in 2013. Kocharian denied any wrongdoing. 4 S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR INTERNATIONAL International News Turkish General Flees to Russia to Avoid Arrest (PanARMENIAN.Net) — whereabouts since then are unknown. ing military officers according to their An Istanbul court issued an arrest war - Bakici, who refused to turn himself in religious or political beliefs, possibly for Turkish Journalists on rant in August as part of a probe regard - to prosecutors, reportedly submitted a future reference. Fourteen officers on ing the establishment of several web - petition to the Land Forces Command active duty, four retired military officers Trial for ‘Anti- sites that allegedly ran propaganda cam - via his wife and requested retirement. and a public servant have been accused Government Plot’ paigns against civilian groups. Although the General Staff’s legal in the indictment. Maj. Gen. Mustafa Bakici, for whom department opposed his retirement on The content of the websites indicates ISTANBUL (BBC) — Two prominent Turkish jour- an Istanbul court issued an arrest war - the grounds that the general should that they were used as part of the nalists have gone on trial accused of involvement in rant in August as part of a probe regard - have been handed over to civilian prose - “Action Plan to Fight Reactionary a plot to topple the government. ing several websites that allegedly ran cutors and that approving his retire - Attitudes,” allegedly drafted by Col. Ahmet Sik and Nedim Sener are accused of being propaganda campaigns against civilian ment would be illegal, his petition for Dursun Ciçek. Ciçek’s suspected plan of part of , allegedly a secret military- groups on behalf of the Turkish Armed retirement was approved in the end and action details a military plan to destroy backed organization. They are among more than a Forces (TSK), has fled to Russia to he retired on September 20. the image of the ruling Justice and dozen defendants. evade arrest, Turkish media reported on After Bakici’s family said they didn’t Development Party (AK Party) and the Their supporters say the trial is based on fabri- Friday, November 18. know where he was, police informed faith-based Gulen movement in the eyes cated evidence and aims to silence government Bakici, who was the commander of border gates and airports of the situa - of the public, play down the Ergenekon opponents. The government insists the pair is not the 23rd Border Division Command, tion and discovered that Bakici had fled investigation and gather support for being prosecuted for their writings, but for alleged was assigned to a desk job at the Land to Russia through northern Iraq. He members of the military arrested as part criminal activity. Forces Command’s Inspection was also discovered to have withdrawn of the investigation into Ergenekon, a Tuesday’s trial was adjourned after four hours to Department during this year’s Supreme all the money from his bank accounts, clandestine organization nested within wait for a ruling by a higher court on whether to Military Council (YAS), due to his sus - which some reports say amounted to the state and bureaucracy accused of replace the presiding judge. pected involvement in the anti-govern - 300,000 liras, before his escape. plotting to overthrow the government, Defense lawyers argue that the judge could not ment website campaign. He was among Bakici is among the key suspects in Today’s Zaman reported. be impartial because he took part in the murder the 14 suspects for whom the Istanbul the investigation, which began in 2010, case of ethnic Armenian journalist . High Criminal Court issued arrest war - based on evidence found in the home of Sener won a press freedom award for a book about rants as part of the investigation on retired Col. Hasan Ataman Yildirim, the murder. August 8 after an indictment prepared another suspect. Later, an anonymous Sourp Magar The court said it would decide whether to release by the prosecutor overseeing the case tipster from inside the military sent an the suspects from jail when it returned on was accepted by the court. email to inform the public and the pros - Monastery December 26. After an appeal he filed against the ecutors that the General Staff had estab - The Turkish government’s human rights record is arrest warrant was rejected, he was hos - lished 42 websites for the sole purpose On Verge of coming under uncomfortable international scrutiny pitalized at the Gulhane Military of disseminating propaganda about the at a time when it is actively promoting democratic Academy of Medicine (GATA) shortly government and religious communities. values in the rest of the Muslim world. after the arrest warrant was issued and There are a total of 22 suspects in the Destruction Outside the court, journalists unfurled a banner had recently been released from GATA. propaganda website case who are being NICOSIA, Cyprus (PanARMENIAN.Net) in support of their colleagues calling for their He began his new position at the Land accused of attempting to overthrow the — Through neglect by the “authori - release. Forces Command but submitted a peti - government and of leading and being a ties” of the Turkish part of Cyprus, the tion for one month of leave that was member of an armed terror organiza - Armenian monastery of Sourp Magar, approved by his superiors. The general’s tion. They are also accused of categoriz - a 1,000-year-old treasure and sacred Chinese Diplomat: Iran pilgrimage site could soon fall into rubble and succumb to nature, van - Entitled to Use Nuclear dals and the swathes of litter and used Prosecutor Seeks up to 28-Year toilet paper that mar the area, Patrick Energy Dewhurst said in his article, titled “A BEIJING (IRNA) — Chinese Ambassador to the Sentence for Diyarbakir Mayor slice of history left to crumble.” United Nations office in Vienna Chen Jingye said Nestled deep in the Plataniotissa on Saturday that it is Iran’s legitimate right to use DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Today’s the PKK in a demonstration held in forest, Sourp Magar it is thought to nuclear energy. Zaman) — Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Diyarbakir to protest the killing of the have been founded by Coptic “Iran as a signatory to the Non-proliferation Baydemir faces up to 28 years in prison seven terrorists by Turkish security Christians in memory of Saint Treaty has the right to use atomic energy for peace- on charges of Makarios, the Hermit of Alexandria, ful purposes,” he said in an International Atomic spreading propa - around 1,000 AD. Energy Agency meeting in Vienna. ganda for a ter - By 1425 it came into the ownership Chen cited negotiations and cooperation as the rorist organiza - of the Armenian Church, becoming a only way to solve Iran’s nuclear issue. tion and commit - popular pilgrimage site and retreat for “China under current circumstances believes that ting a crime on those en route to the Holy Land, and holding negotiations with Iran is an important way behalf of a ter - by the time the Ottomans arrived it to peacefully solve Iran’s nuclear issue,” he added. rorist organiza - had taken on the name Blue He reiterated that imposing more sanctions or tion without Monastery after the color of its wood - exerting more pressure on Iran can not help solve holding member - en shutters. the country’s case. ship. Back then, pilgrims would have The Chinese ambassador said that China is at the An indictment trudged through nearly 8,500 don - same time against the proliferation of nuclear filed against ums of monastery owned olives weapons in any country in the Middle East. Baydemir, a groves from sea level to an altitude of 530 meters. member of Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir Turkey’s pro- Its last use as a working monastery Kurdish Peace is thought to be around 1800, after PEN Joins Calls for and Democracy Party (BDP), by the forces. which it fell into a variety of alternate Zarakolu Release Diyarbakir Public Prosecutor’s Office, Stating that Baydemir most recently uses, including a school, a safe house was accepted by the Diyarbakir 7th attended a protest held to protest the for Armenian refugees fleeing PARIS — PEN International has joined the High Criminal Court on Tuesday, capture of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ottoman massacres in the 1890s, a International Publishers Association in calling for November 15. The indictment says Öcalan in Kenya on February 15, 1999 summer camp for scouts and then, Turkish publisher Ragip Zarakolu to be released Baydemir attended the funeral of seven on its anniversary, the indictment accus - after the 1974 invasion, a mess for from incarceration. terrorists from the outlawed Kurdistan es Baydemir of showing solidarity with invading Turkish officers and refuge The owner of Belge publishing house was arrest- Workers’ Party (PKK) in April in Öcalan and spreading propaganda for for settlers. ed on terrorism charges and imprisoned on Diyarbakir. The indictment accuses the PKK during this demonstration as Were any ancient Armenians to November 4. Baydemir of spreading propaganda for well. make the long hike today, however, PEN International and the IPA have expressed they would be surely be horrified by concern about the effect of the detention on what it has become. Zarakolu’s health. They said the pre-trial detention Asked about funding, Armenian period, which is likely to be a year, is contrary to French FM Wants to Establish a community leader Vartkes Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Mahdessian said: “There is no funding Rights. for Sourp Magar monastery because it The two organizations have also appealed for ‘Commision’ to Study Genocide is outside of our parameters, and in Zarakolu’s son, Deniz, and professor and writer our thinking, the church in Nicosia COMMISSION, from page 1 in the frameworks of a commission of his - Büra Ersanli, to be released immediately. was more of an inter-communal Foreign Minister, he spoke on behalf of torians,” the agency quoted Juppe. The Bjørn Smith-Simonsen, chair of IPA’s Freedom to place.” France. Our Foreign Office should at source states that the French foreign min - Publish Committee (FTPC), said: “By putting this The Armenian community has least require further explanation. isters called the period of the Armenian man behind bars, the authorities clearly want reached out to “authorities” in the Previously we had precedents of misun - Genocide hard both for Armenia and for Ragip Zarakolu’s important work — documenting north in the past, but, as Mahdessian derstanding,” said Zohrabyan. Turkey and expressed readiness of his all freedom to publish violations in Turkey and says, funding was the key issue: “We Earlier, the Turkish Anadolu agency state to organize and host Armenian- making them public — to stop. This is unacceptable. tried but they didn’t have the money. reported that during the joint press con - Turkish discussions on the subject. The recipient of IPA’s 2008 Freedom to Publish There is virtually nothing left there ference in , Juppe stated that all While visiting Armenia last month, Prize should be released immediately.” and the problem we now face is how the major states conduct studies on French President Nicolas Sarkozy called to maintain what is left,” the Cyprus their own history. on Turkey to recognize the Armenian Mail reported. “Such studies may be conducted with - Genocide. S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 5 Community Ne ws

More Than Armenian Assembly Opposes Unbalanced Bill that Favors Books Turkish Enterprises NAASR Brings Community WASHINGTON — Over the objections of Representatives John Sarbanes (D-MD), Together in Quest for Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Nikki Tsongas (D-MA), the House Committee Armenian Studies on Natural Resources this week approved H.R. 2362, the Indian Tribal Trade and Investment Demonstration Project Act of By Aram Arkun 2011, reported the Armenian Assembly of Mirror-Spectator Staff America (Assembly). The legislation, which is designed to facilitate economic BELMONT, Mass. — Many people know the development by Native American Indian National Association for Armenian Studies and Tribes, provides exclusive access to Research (NAASR), based in this suburb of Turkish private enterprises. Boston, as a bookstore specializing in English- “Providing exclusive, monopoly access language works on Armenians and Armenian Fatma Muge Goçek to one entity is not in keeping with studies, but it actually conducts a much broader America’s fair trade principles,” stated range of work in support of Armenian studies. Assembly Executive Director Bryan Founded by Armenian-American academics Ardouny. “We commend Congressman and concerned community leaders in 1955, it Sociologist Traces Roots of Sarbanes for spearheading efforts to raised funds for the first two endowed chairs in amend H.R. 2362.” Armenian studies in the US, at Harvard and the Sarbanes conveyed a series of concerns University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Collective Violence in with the legislation. He cited the ques - during its first decade of life. It continued to tionable practice of singling out one enti - support the expansion of Armenian studies pro - ty to receive benefits, Turkey’s ongoing grams in other universities over the following Turkey against Armenians blockade of Armenia, Turkey’s denial of decades. Unlike other Armenian centers in the the Armenian Genocide, Turkey’s US, it is not a purely academic center affiliated CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — On Wednesday, November 16, Fatma Muge Goçek, asso - decades-long illegal occupation of the with a university, nor does it have a staff of aca - ciate professor of sociology and women’s studies at the University of Michigan, island of Cyprus, human rights issues, as demics, but it does provide advice and direction gave a lecture at Harvard University’s Knafel Hall as part of a series of seminars well as the fact that the bill as drafted to researchers, as well as the use of an extensive on Turkey in the modern world. appears to violate existing trade laws library. It provides grants for Armenological Titled “Deciphering Denial: Modernity, the under the World Trade Organization research, publishes books and a journal and Turkish State and the 1915 Collective (WTO) and other international agree - organizes conferences and extensive lecture By Daphne Abeel Violence against the Armenians, 1789-2009,” ments as highlighted by a recent series throughout the United States. It even Staff the event drew an audience of about 40, Congressional Research Service (CRS) Mirror-Spectator including students, faculty and members of Report. Sarbanes submitted for the the Turkish and Armenian communities. record letters he received in opposition to Following a brief introduction by Cemal Kafadar, professor of Turkish Studies, the bill as follows: The American Hellenic Goçek used a PowerPoint slideshow and a historical chart to illustrate her inves - Council of California (AHC), the tigation of collective violence against . Armenian Assembly of America, the “The violence against Armenians was the first instance of collective violence in American Hellenic Educational Turkish history,” Goçek said. “I’m a sociologist and when I began to explore this Progressive Association (AHEPA), topic, I realized I had entered a political minefield. The nationalists on either side, PSEKA/Cyprus Federation of America, Turks and Armenians, said I couldn’t be a Turk.” the Pancyprian Association and the She continued, “I wanted to explore the contested memoirs of 1915. On the one Armenian National Committee of hand, we have the , which argues that this was the first genocide America. of the 20th century and that it killed between 800,000 and a million-and-a-half peo - In opposing the bill, Armenian Caucus ple. The Turkish state, on the other hand, denies that the events were a genocide, Co-Chair Pallone also expressed ongoing calling them reciprocal massacres and claims there was nothing intentional in them. concerns with respect to Turkey, stating, Turkey sets the number of deaths at 400,000, both military and civilians.” “Turkey is not acting in the interests of She added, “Most scholars agree that the events were a genocide. Then the ques - the United States,” and noted that Turkey tion is, why do the Turkish state and society still deny it? This is not just a signif - blocked an economic project for Cyprus and Israel, while Tsongas associated her - Marc Mamigonian standing next to Prof. Taner icant issue for a sociologist; it is a significant issue in Turkey today.” Akçam of Clark University To explore the historical roots of collective violence, Goçek said it is necessary self with Sarbanes’ remarks and reiterat - to study social pressures. “Even if there is tension in a society, it doesn’t neces - ed the concern that one country was sarily translate to violence.” being singled out for preferential treat - holds classes at its center. Studying government documents, interviews with survivors or descendants of ment. Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI) voiced his NAASR as an independent institution has a survivors and Turkish memoirs can provide evidence of certain patterns. concerns as to whether or not the US constitution and an elective structure. Its annu - “If you look at Ottoman history,” said Goçek, “you can see that violence was Department of State had been consulted al assemblies elect in a staggered fashion each always there, even as far back as 1789, the time of the French Revolution. There and suggested that the House Committee year one-third of a 27-person board of directors were the massacres under Abdul Hamid in 1894 to 1896, and the pattern of vio - on Foreign Affairs also have an opportu - (at present 24 or 25 people) representing vari - lence continued in the Turkish Republic with forced military recruitment in 1941- nity to review the bill. ous regions of the country, which in turn elects 42 and the forcible removal of the Greek population in 1964.” Sarbanes sought to offer an amend - annually from its members a seven-person In reading the memoirs of Turkish Muslims, Goçek said it was possible to dis - ment, which was co-authored by Pallone Executive Committee. Regional or local chap - cover patterns of attitudes and emotions expressed towards Armenians and other and Tsongas, to broaden the bill to ters are formed in various parts of the country. minorities. In one striking account by a Turkish Muslim couple, published in 2004, include all “foreign nations” and also add Various advisory boards, including academic the wife acknowledged seeing Armenians dying and being deported. However, her a strong human rights component. The and financial, help the central administration. husband, who was a participant, asserted, “I would have done it again.” amendment however was ruled out of The NAASR staff carries out day-to-day affairs. Goçek said, “Under the milliyet system, there emerged a divide between order on a technicality and thus members Raffi P. Yeghiayan of Lexington, Mass., a Muslims and non-Muslims that was kept under control by the state or local lead - did not have the opportunity to consider retired engineer (and son of the well-known ers. One can see in these memoirs a social polarization. There were certain its merits. Without the benefit of the writer Puzant Yeghiayan) who is now in his sec - instances used by the state and society to rationalize violence.” amendment, the bill was then adopted by ond year as board chairman, explained that the Goçek sketched the differences between the Western-Armenian communities, a vote of 27 to 15, of which ranking mem - Executive Committee meets monthly and the which traded with and were more affluent, and the Eastern, more rural ber Edward Markey (D-MA) was among board meets quarterly. The board makes policy and provincial communities, where land was the most important possession. When those members who opposed the bill. decisions and the executive carries out tasks. land reform efforts did not ameliorate conditions, in 1830, Armenians in the “It is unfortunate that Congressman Last year a conference call system was institut - Eastern provinces mounted protests against injustices. Sarbanes’ amendment to broaden the ed for distant board members allowing for their Goçek pointed to the attempted takeover of the Ottoman Bank in 1895 by opportunity to all foreign nations while participation without costly journeys. The Armenian revolutionaries as an attempt to get the attention of the rest of the ensuring compliance with democratic Internet and email also allow for quick board world for their suffering. The bank manager actually escorted the revolutionaries principles, safeguarding human rights decisions. to his yacht to take them to France. and respect for religious freedom was Yeghiayan said that the total paid member - “This was the first instance in which the Western powers took any interest in ruled out of order by a parliamentary pro - ship of NAASR at present is somewhere in the what was happening in Armenia,” said Goçek. cedure. We will continue to oppose this 600s, and has dropped a bit from its heyday of see ROOTS, page 16 legislation as currently drafted,” Ardouny more than 1,000. While the membership is concluded. see NAASR, page 10 6 S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR COMMUNITY NEWS Medical Interpreter Guides Tongue in Cheek Patients, Staff

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (Boston Globe) — At Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and Uzbekistan. By George S. Yacoubian Mount Auburn Hospital, Lilia Karapetyan helps Boston Globe: Do you keep a log of expres - bridge cultural differences for patients. sions and terminology, since new terms arise all Karapetyan’s first experience as a medical inter - the time? PHILADELPHIA — Long dormant, the specter of intemperance appears to have preter came after a massive earthquake in her LK: I have notebooks in my home and office, resurfaced in the Philadelphia-Armenian community. native Armenia in 1988. As foreign aid workers and as I learn new procedures I add them to my But first, a historical perspective. arrived, Karapetyan, who In recent years, three organizations have sponsored New Year celebrations. spoke English, volun - Foremost of the three is the Philadelphia Armenian Nor Daree (PAND), a longstand - teered to translate for ing coalition of dedicated Armenians, representative of five Armenian churches. Their American doctors. commemoration, in reality a sequence of activities, including an Eve of the Eve Dance, “Thousands were dying has proven so successful that its attendance is an envy of the vast number of celebra - and many more injured,” tions, sponsored coast to coast, with guests traversing the Eastern corridor to be in she said. “Interpreters Philadelphia. Even more admirable is that all the proceeds benefit all five churches were needed everywhere. equally, and given PAND’s longevity — three decades and counting — its munificence I hope I helped save lives.” has been spectacular. Nine years later, The other two functions are more compatriotic in nature; they cater to specific Karapetyan immigrated to groups of adherents, friends and extended family members, sympathetic to the mission the United States and set - of the sponsoring organization and their zeal and enthusiasm compares favorably to tled in the Watertown the dedication and devotion that motivates PAND. area, where she was The dilemma with which we are confronted is not inconsistent with the reality of inspired to become a liai - the 21st century. son between the large American-Armenian institutions and organizations are challenged. Fundraising Armenian community and activities such as dances have become anachronistic. In Philadelphia, of distant mem - the medical system. Lilia Karapetyan at work ory are Steak Dinner Dances sponsored by Men’s Clubs; a social sponsored during Today, Karapetyan, 54, Lent by the Ararat Square Club and an annual dance hosted by the Armenian Sisters’ works for Mount Auburn Academy, all of which — at one time — attracted hundreds. Hospital’s Interpreter Services Department, vocabulary. The competition for attendance today is fierce. And success, but even more impor - translating for Armenian and Russian patients. Boston Globe: What’s an example of phrase tant, survival, demands numbers. And this quest, unfortunately, may well risk provoca - “The interpreter is only the voice of the that’s challenging to interpret? tive measures. patient and doctor,” she said. “You can’t add LK: When I first started I didn’t understand One such measure was a communication from PAND advising the churches that if your own personal emotions, feelings or “Can’t keep anything down.” You just have to facilities were rented to an Armenian organization for New Year’s Eve, that church thoughts, otherwise the doctor doesn’t know if know what it means. The exact translation does - would be financially penalized by PAND. it’s the interpreter speaking or the patient.” n’t make too much sense. Of Philadelphia’s five churches, only two were impacted by this directive. To its cred - Boston Globe: How did you learn to speak Boston Globe: How can cultural misunder - it, one of them rejected PAND’s financial incentive, while the other, also to its credit, English? standings lead to complications or problems capitulated and evicted an Armenian organization that had, traditionally, sponsored a Lilia Karapetyan: My mother was an English in treatment? New Year’s Eve Celebration on its premises for many years. teacher in Armenia and my first English teacher LK: Sometimes a patient will refuse a cup of This episode recalls the individual who wanted to live in the biggest home in his as well. water with ice cubes after having surgery. The neighborhood. He had two alternatives. Build the biggest home or demolish all : What sort of patients do you doctors and nurses think they are being diffi - others. He chose the latter. So while he achieved his goal to live in grandeur, he dwelt typically interpret for at Mount Auburn? cult or are confused, but in my culture, if you in isolation. LK: Many of the Armenians moved to this are sick, you drink only room temperature country in their late 60s or 70s to be with chil - water or tea. Another example is when patients dren and grandchildren. Some are uneducated are told they will be seen by a nurse practition - small villagers; others are highly-educated archi - er, they get upset, thinking that a “practicing” tects, dentists and scientists. Some can read nurse, not a real one with a license, is going to English, but have difficulty speaking or under - experiment with their treatment. Sociologist Traces Roots of Collective standing doctors when they talk. I have inter - My job is not only to interpret but to be preted for Armenians from Syria, Turkey and patients’ guide to the American medical cul - Violence in Turkey against Armenians Armenia, of course, as well as Russians from ture.

ROOTS, from page 5 of the perpetrators were declared illegitimate When the took over the and many of them escaped. The Armenian issue Telephone (617) 924-7400 , there was a marked social was considered closed. polarization amongst the Turkish Muslim Said Goçek, “Of all the deputies in the First majority. The reformists wanted to transform Turkish Assembly, 25 percent had been Aram Bedrosian the empire while the traditionalists hoped to involved in the massacres, but many were pro - sustain Ottoman rule. moted to important government positions.” Funeral Home, Inc. With the formation of the Committee for The period of 1975 to 1986 saw retaliatory Union and Progress (CUP), a policy of ethnic efforts by individual Armenians who assassinat - Continuous Service By The Bedrosian Family Since 1945 cleansing ensued, said Goçek, exacerbated by ed Turkish diplomats. These acts introduced MARION BEDROSIAN the Balkan Wars. This was a period of rising Turkish society to its own history, yet 558 MOUNT AUBURN STREET nationalism and fear on the part of Turks about Armenians were defined and labeled as revolu - PAUL BEDROSIAN whether they would have a place to call their tionaries and terrorists. WATERTOWN, MA 02472 LARRY BEDROSIAN own. In order to claim the lands of Anatolia, the While Goçek does not employ the word massacres and deportation took place. “genocide,” she said, “It is important to “This was a period when Turkey felt that the acknowledge the suffering.” She views what Western Europe ignored the plight of the happened to the Armenians, and to other Muslims and led to the idea that the Turk had minority populations such as the Greeks, the no friend but himself,” she added. Assyrians and the Circassians, as part of “the After 1919, said Goçek, the violence before end of a great complicated empire that broke up 1923 was not discussed — the subject was over the period of the 19th century. Outsiders GF UiNrEaRgAoL sHiaOMn E banned from the educational system. The trials were involved in this breakup and the story of the Armenians needs to be put into that James “Jack” Giragosian, CPC nuanced context.” Funeral Counselor OBITUARY Goçek pointed to the fact that the Genocide 576 Mt. Auburn Street, Watertown, MA 02472, TEL: 617-924—0606 has received more discussion since the dissolu - www.giragosianfuneralhome.com Memorial Service for tion of the Soviet Union. For example, she said the Kurds, in the last five to 10 years, have Garabed Haroutunian acknowledged what they did to the Armenians. She added, “When I attended that important Edward D. Jamakordzian, Jr. d/b/a FAIR LAWN, N.J. — A 40th-day memorial ser - conference at Bilgi University in Istanbul in vice (Karasoonk) will be held for Garabed 2005, there were granddaughters there who Haroutunian, 78, on Saturday, December 3, at had discovered from their grandmothers that 11 a.m. at St. Leon’s Armenian Church, 12-61 they were Armenian. And it is often the women Edward D. Jamie, Jr. Saddle River Road. who pass on this knowledge.” A memorial luncheon will follow at Biagio’s The event was sponsored by the Harvard Ristorante, 299 Paramus Road, Paramus. Center of Middle Eastern Studies and the LicensedF inu Nnewe Yrorak la ndC Nhewa Jperseey l The family requests memorial donations be Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. 208-17 Northern Blvd.,Bayside, NY 11361 Service any Hour made to: St. Leon’s Armenian Church, 12-61 The next seminar, scheduled for Wednesday, (718) 224-2390 or toll Saddle River Road, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 or November 30, is titled “Turkey and Its any Distance Naregatsi Art Institute School for Children, Neighborhood Foreign Policy,” to be given by free (888) 224-608 www.naregatsi.org/new/shushi/shushi.php. Prof. Kemal Kirisci of Bogaziçi University. S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 7 COMMUNITY NEWS Armenian Heritage Park Hits a Fenway Homer

TOM VARTABEDIAN PHOTO FUNDRAISER, from page 1 one. He warmed up to the crowd and chatted “It’s people like you that will make it possible with former Emmy Award-winning meteorolo - to create the endowments for programs in this gist Mish Michaels, whose married name is park, including the perpetual care and mainte - Atamian. nance,” George Elanjian, chairman, All Gifts “This has to be the friendliest place I’ve ever Campaign, told the gathering. “When finished, been,” he admitted. “I’m a little overwhelmed this park will be the jewel of the RFK Greenway by all this. The cause is genuine. which will reflect our past, present and future.” “Human rights is something we must The evening wasn’t complete without the spe - embrace throughout our daily lives,” he added. cial recognition of two invited guests: veteran “This memorial is a tribute to the generations sportscaster Bob Lobel and former who endured many hardships to make America Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Jeff the land of their dreams. It fits the project. I Mullan. Both received gifts from Elanjian and can’t wait to see the Labyrinth.” Armenian Heritage Foundation President Despite his ailment, Lobel has a vision. He James Kalustian, who were more than generous wants to walk that labyrinth at Heritage Park, in their praise. which celebrates his “journey of life,” whether “They’ve contributed immensely to the with crutches or not. enhancement of Boston’s development in their “It’s very spiritual,” he added. “For Boston, own special way,” lauded Kalustian. “This memo - it’s another proud moment, a wonderful gift. rial is the result of everybody together in the true Whoever thought of it deserves a lot of credit.” spirit of unity. When people work toward a com - Lobel was moved by a documentary he had mon cause, we can realize our ambitions.” seen on The Armenian Genocide and implores Kalustian further applauded Gov. Deval the United States to officially recognize this Patrick for helping make the project a reality as moment in history. it shifted from one gubernatorial election to “It’s one of those untold stories of horror,” he George Elanjian, chairman, All Gifts Campaign, on the left, makes a presentation to former WBZ-TV another. pointed out. “At what level will people go to sportscaster Bob Lobel during a reception conducted by the Armenian Heritage Park Project Lobel showed up on crutches, the result of a gain power? It continues today. To ignore it November 17 at Boston’s Fenway Park. (Tom Vartabedian Photo) degenerative muscle disorder. He was accompa - would be a travesty.” nied by close friend David Aykanian, president Mullan’s efforts toward the project proved of Precision Fitness Equipment, who supplied invaluable from the inception. Prior to serving it. There was a strong undercurrent. Even this will be among them,” he emphasized. “The services to the iconic TV announcer. as secretary of transportation from 2009-2011, Mayor [Thomas] Menino had some reservations photos you now see set their own stage of devel - Since leaving Channel 4, Lobel is back on the he was executive director of the Massachusetts about the project before finally coming around opment, one step at a time.” air with an all-new television program called Turnpike Authority. He has been involved with to support it. At the end of the day, this became He was joined at the dais by Rachel “Sports Legends New England,” interviewing the project since 2007. a state asset. The Armenian community should Kaprielian, former state representative and now some of New England’s biggest heroes. “It’s the best example of a public-private part - be proud of what’s been accomplished here.” registrar of Motor Vehicles. Together, the two Taking the podium, he wasted no time in cre - nership you can find,” he said. “The Armenian Mullen said the monument will touch all co-hosted many a Genocide commemoration on ating a stir by announcing Middlesex County community generously gave the city of Boston nations who have endured hardship, not just Beacon Hill. Sheriff Peter Koutoujian as the next skipper of a gift.” the Armenians. Kaprielian praised those such as Mullan for the Boston Red Sox. The path was not always smooth and laden “It’ll remain a beacon of peace and harmony their initiative in getting the project off the “Management could do a lot worse,” he joked with crevices. throughout the world,” he noted. “People will ground and running. with a smile. “People who managed the Greenway didn’t be attracted to it because it affects us all. It will “I feel very fortunate to have worked with Lobel felt at home here in more ways than want it,” he confessed. “The Turks didn’t want remind us all that the events surrounding 1915 people like that,” she said. should never be repeated.” Background music was performed by the Koutoujian showed his usual exuberance in John Baboian Ensemble. A buffet line con - opening the program. He continues to remain formed to the surroundings; on the menu were an avid proponent of the endeavor and helped Fenway franks and chili. with legislative issues while still a state repre - Guests toured the park and lingered through - ON sentative. out the evening, rekindling friendships while DECEMBER 13 “There are so many milestones in Boston and supporting an earnest cause. Vote For Five Scouts Receive Eagle Scout Rank, Jon Hecht A Record in Troop 127 History GLENDALE, Calif. — On Friday, November gories such as camping, outdoor activities, 11, at 11:11 a.m., Troop 127 of Boy Scouts of community service, public service and lead - America, Foothill District, the Verdugo Hills ership. Additionally, each one of the scouts Council, celebrated its annual award ceremony, completed an Eagle Project, which included 10-year anniversary and awarded five of their planning, organizing and leading a communi - scouts the highest rank, that of Eagle Scout. ty service project. Representative This is the first time in Troop 127’s history The projects included Ovanesian, securing that five boys simultaneously received the rank the donation of four picnic tables and building Hecht of Eagle Scout during the Rank Advancement two wooden benches for Brand Park and its and Merit Badge ceremony. Under Johnathan trails; Amerian building three wooden kiosks Launches Sagherian’s lead - ership, Troop 127 has produced 20 Campaign Eagle Scouts dur - ing its 10-year for Senate history. Eagle Scouts Seat Christopher Raffi Rep. Jonathan Hecht, a friend Ovanesian, Sasoon Amerian, of the Armenian community of Allan Robert Massachusetts and a sponsor Issai, Shunt Manoel and of the Armenian Genocide The 2nd Suffolk and Middlesex Steven John Commemorations in the State Senate district in Massachusetts Ayoob are chil - includes Watertown, Belmont and dren of first-gen - House, has announced his parts of Cambridge, Allston- eration immi - candidacy for the Senate seat Brighton, the Fenway and the grant Armenian Back Bay. and Lebanese Five Scouts received the Eagle Scout Rank, a record in Troop 127 history. of Sen. Steven Tolman, who Christian fami - For more information contact State has resigned. Representative Jon Hecht at lies. All five scouts are distinguished seniors in the Glendale for Brand Park trails; Issai’s 5,000-piece Unified School District and at Saint Frances Clothing Drive for Focus on Children Charity; where their dedication to scouting is matched Manoel’s stripping of the Glendale YMCA park - [email protected] by their commitment to academic excellence. ing lot and Ayoob repairing a wooden bench To receive the rank of Eagle Scout, the and rebuilding bike trails for Verdugo Peak in 617.320.8905 boys had to earn 21 merit badges in cate - Verdugo Mountains. 8 S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR COMMUNITY NEWS Trinity Christmas Bazaar to Be Held December 2-3

Claus who will be stopping by on Saturday, By Seta A. Buchter December 3, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., to greet children and to pose for pictures. The bazaar would not be complete without CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The Trinity Christmas the Armenian delicacies, prepared by the Bazaar will take place on Friday, December 2, Women’s Guild and the Gourmet Booth and Saturday, December 3, in the Charles and Committee, that will be sold at the various food Nevart Talanian Cultural Hall of Holy Trinity booths. Armenian Church of Greater Boston, 145 Armenian dinners will be served throughout Brattle St. Bazaar hours are Friday, from 3 to 9 the bazaar weekend. Friday night dinner will be p.m., and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. served from 4 to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday dinners Bazaar co-chairmen are Gregory A. Kolligian will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Take- Jr., and Ara Hollisian, both members of Holy out meals and an a la carte menu will also be Trinity’s Parish Council. Along with their com - available. mittees, they have been working over the past On Saturday, December 3, Santa’s Playland several months to ensure that this year’s bazaar will provide an array of activities for children offers something for everyone. Holy Trinity ages 4 to 11, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in Church is in the midst of a yearlong celebration the Peter Adamian Hall. There will be arts and of its 50th anniversary on historic Brattle crafts activities, painting ornaments, decorating Street in Cambridge, with the bazaar actually Christmas tree sugar cookies, face-painting, the celebrating its 51st year. “In this ongoing 50th Mystery Walk and incredible artistic balloon anniversary celebration of our church,” creations by Jo-Jo, back by popular demand for Kolligian states, “we look forward to welcoming the fourth year. There will also be a separate the greater Boston-area community to this playroom for children under 3. Carnival games annual Christmas tradition.” will include basketball, beanbag toss, golf, wash - The bazaar’s traditional favorites will include er toss, Plinko, the balloon pop and the rat race. the bountiful Farmer’s Market with fresh fruits Raffle tickets are available for purchase. First and vegetables; the Country Store with sweets prize is a Dynex 40” LCD Flat Screen TV; sec - and gourmet delights; Christmas Wreaths and ond prize, 3’ x 5’ Oriental Rug and third prize, Plants with decorated wreaths and holiday Microsoft X-Box 360. poinsettias; Sports Silent Auction where one is A limited number of Super Raffle tickets at able to bid on Boston’s favorite team tickets $100 each are still available. Only 150 tickets will and sports Memorabilia; Second Time Around; be sold. First prize is $2,500; second prize, $1,000 The Punch is Right for kids; Books; Jewelry, T- and third and fourth prizes, $500. These tickets Shirts and Aprons; the Sweet Candy Shop; the may be purchased by calling the Holy Trinity Armenian Vendor and other booths. The bazaar church office or emailing [email protected]. is a perfect time to do Christmas shopping. The Bazaar Committee invites the entire Making his annual visit to the bazaar is Santa community to visit.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Actor Mike Connors, of “Mannix,” the eight- year television series, born Krikor Ohanian in Fresno, and Walter Karabian, whose family lived two blocks away from the Ohanians in Little Armenia Town near Emerson School, got together for lunch in Beverly Hills. Karabian said a number of people stopped by and offered their best wishes to Connors, 86, after recognizing him from his long-running television show. Above are, Connors, on the left, and Karabian.

For Your Internal News of Armenia Log on to www.AZG.am In English, Armenian, Russian and Turkish S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 9 COMMUNITY NEWS UPenn Hosts College Sts. Joachim and Anne Church Marks 53 Years Of Health Sciences Seminar on Public PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. — Archbishop Khajag Sunday, November 13, and delivered a sermon and is currently on the parish’s stewardship and Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the on lay ministry — the focus of this year’s membership committees. Gopoian, who divides Armenian Church of America (Eastern), visited Diocesan theme. “Today and in the months to her time between Sts. Joachim and Anne Sts. Joachim and Anne Church last weekend, as come, I ask you to open yourselves up to the Church and St. David Church of Boca Raton, PHILADELPHIA — On October 27, the the parish marked the 53rd anniversary of the call of Christ in your own lives,” he said. “Doing Fla., is a member of the Women’s Guild, and has University of Pennsylvania School of church’s consecration. so, I pray, will illuminate a path of ministry for assisted with other church organizations. Nursing and the Penn Center for Public Barsamian celebrated the Divine Liturgy on you. And I have faith that your families, this Another highlight of the gathering was a Health Initiatives and the University of parish, our musical program prepared by parish children, Pennsylvania MPH Program hosted a sem - Diocese and the who sang Kreesdos ee Mech and a song about inar on “Update on Public Health in Armenian Church the Ten Commandments written by the Rev. Armenia: Myths, Evidence, and overall, will grow Tavit Boyajian, parish pastor. Implications for the Region and the stronger, healthier, The parish extended its congratulations to World.” This seminar featured the filled with greater Barsamian on the occasion of the 40th anniver - research and policy advocacy work of the creativity and sary of his ordination into the holy priesthood American University of Armenia (AUA) inspiration, as we and his 20th anniversary as Primate of the College of Health Sciences (CHS) faculty attend to Christ’s Eastern Diocese. and research staff and celebrated the 20th call to follow Him.” Boyajian said he appreciated the success of anniversary of the American University of Following ser - the event and added that the community was Armenia. vices, some 120 supportive and glad to have the opportunity to The event emerged from a growing part - people gathered in meet with the Primate. nership between AUA and Penn Nursing, the church hall for On Saturday evening, Barsamian engaged in spearheaded by AUA CHS Associate Dean an anniversary din - a discussion with parishioners in the church Varduhi Petrosyan and Penn Nursing Prof. ner. Robert hall. He answered questions on a range of top - Sarah Kagan who is also an AUA visiting Koshkarian and ics, including his personal journey to the priest - professor. The seminar capped a daylong Pearl Gopoian, hood, the ecumenical movement and the tradi - AUA CHS Annual Faculty Workshop, held two longtime tions and practices of the Armenian Church. in Penn Nursing’s Fagin Hall to develop parishioners, were The parish also drew attention to its innova - new directions for growth in CHS’ pro - honored as “Lay tive video ministry — a series of sermon videos grams. CHS faculty from around the world Archbishop Khajag Barsamian distributes Holy Communion at Sts. Joachim Ministers of the and other education clips available online, on gathered to direct new and expand initia - and Anne Church on Sunday, November 13. Year.” Koshkarian the parish website. tives in nutrition, nursing, medical and has served on the To learn more, visit their website public health education. Parish Council www.saintsjoachimandanne.net. Students and faculty from the School of Nursing, Center for Public Health Initiatives and Master’s Program in Public Health and representatives of the Archbishop Pargev Martirossian: The Face of Karabagh Armenian community in Philadelphia and Baltimore attended the public seminar. ARCHBISHOP, from page 1 sons were married and if not, why. The arch - guaranteeing its safety, but that agreement, he CHS Dean Robert Bagramian opened the During his visit, Martirossian attended the bishop said, the farmer had replied, “We work said, is not forthcoming. discussion, outlining the history and cur - Knights of Vartan’s annual program, dedicated with animals and can bathe only once a week. He noted, however, “sooner or later, the rent activities of AUA and CHS. this year to raise funds for Armenia Fund USA How can we bring a young girl here to live Karabagh Question will be solved.” After all, he Associate Dean Varduhi Petrosyan high - and the World Bank program in Armenia. under these circumstances?” said, Kosovo, Abkhazia and Eritrea have all set lighted research in tobacco control that He visited the Armenian Library and The current population of Karabagh is precedents. has resulted in marked changes in public Museum of America, where he spoke at length 150,000, Martirossian said, but noted that it “We are very grateful to the OSCE policy and legislation in Armenia, one of with curator Gary Lind-Sinanian and toured the should have been 300,000 the former Soviet Republics (FSR’s) most new exhibit of photographs by Yousuf Karsh. by this time. Everything, affected by tobacco use. Dr. Byron Crape He also met with Ruth Thomasian, founder and including a larger popula - provided a stimulating synopsis of tuber - executive director of Project SAVE. He visited tion, requires money, he culosis control, offering insights into com - the site of the Armenian Heritage Park in said. parisons with other FSR’s. Finally, Dr. Kim Boston and performed the Divine Liturgy at “To bring people in Hekemian presented an uplifting examina - Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Cambridge. Karabagh, we need to tion of recent advances in health policy for Kevork and Jacqueline Atinizian then hosted spend $70,000 per per - improved maternal child health in him at a private dinner. son,” he said. That money, Armenia, noting that large dividends in The prelate had nothing but praise for he said, is the cost of build - health are returned from relatively small Armenia Fund USA and all the other chapters ing infrastructure and cre - investments in this beautiful country set of Armenia Fund, suggesting that several layers ating a high living stan - in the southern Caucasus Mountains. The of controls ensured that the funds went where dard, including roads, participants responded with questions and they were intended. light, gas, water, schools, posed ideas about future research and This year’s theme for Armenia Fund USA is clubs and sports arenas. public involvement. water. Martirossian said, “It is enormous work. “We need help from the Kagan, CHS visiting professor and Lucy First there was the Road of Life, linking Goris diaspora,” Martirossian Walker Honorary Term professor of [Armenia] and Stepanakert, then the North- said. Gerontological Nursing at University of South Highway, which is the backbone of Martirossian said that Archbishop Pargev Martirossian with Ruth Thomasian of Project SAVE Pennsylvania, noted: “I think we have Karabagh and then many schools and hospi - the one thing that hinders made connections for two and possibly tals.” growth in Karabagh is that three research project collaborations “These heroes who have won and kept our the country is not recognized internationally, [Organization for Security and Cooperation in between AUA and colleagues and students borders, if we don’t give them clean water, and thus is not qualified for many loans and Europe] who are moderating and organizing who attended today. I think AUA faculty shame on us,” he added with emphasis. other assistance programs. Their only source of meetings,” he noted. who attended truly felt the warmth and Water, he said, affects every part of life, clear - help, thus, is Armenia. Martirossian was happy about the change in colleagueship of Penn Nursing and were ly, and its absence hinders the republic’s pro - Martirossian said that the Azeri government the fortunes of Shushi, which had been in ruins happy with the day. And community mem - grams to boost its population. He recalled that “talks with ultimatums” but that it needs to after the war for liberation. The city, he said, bers attending the lecture were excited Prime Minister Araik Haroutunian visited a vil - “recognize that Karabagh can never stay under has two new hotels and life is improving there, about all that they learned and the future lage recently and spoke with a farmer who had Azeri rule.” He added that the republic needs a though he cautioned that improvements were possibilities outlined for them.” three sons and asked the patriarch if any of the tacit agreement from the Azeri government still needed. Martirossian was most proud that 75 percent of the republic has access to gas and electricity and that the Internet and cell phones have become readily available. “Of course, life is easier, but it still is not enough. People want everything quickly,” he said, adding, “Paris, Moscow or New York, none of them became what they are overnight.” He said that Karabagh is looking into attract - ing more tourists with its majestic mountains and monasteries. The region’s old Christian past should also attract religious tourists, he noted. When asked how he was able to cope with all that he has to with all the difficulties that the republic has faced, Martirossian got philosophical: “It’s like a father in a house with his children. The children need to be taken care of no matter what. It is my job. They are my 150,000 children. I am account - able to God. You need to take care of them. That the duty of every cleric.” 10 S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR COMMUNITY NEWS NAASR Brings Community Together in Quest for Armenian Studies

NAASR, from page 5 Armenian. Recently the library was enriched by proud of is that NAASR has managed to main - ther attempts to establish endowment chairs predominantly from New England, there are Ani and George Bournoutian’s personal collec - tain good relationships with all of the [universi - in Armenian studies. The costs of endowments members in all parts of the world, even distant tion of 3,000 volumes. The library also has ty] chairs and everybody working in the field of have increased immensely, while we have an places like Japan. some personal papers of Armenian-Americans. Armenian studies.” ample number of chairs that can produce the NAASR’s bookstore carries the largest num - Mamigonian provides the administrative Mamigonian has become formally involved in necessary scholars in the field. In fact, gradu - ber of English-language book titles on coordination for the NAASR research grant Armenian studies outside of NAASR too. At pre - ates cannot readily find appointments, and we Armenian topics in the world. Catherine series, as well for the Knights of Vartan grants sent, he serves on the executive of the Society might even end up with a glut of specialists. Minassian, the administrative director of administered through NAASR. These grants in for Armenian Studies (SAS), a scholarly associ - NAASR is now more inclined to promote NAASR, is responsible for its management. She the last five years have supported a wide variety ation based in the United States. As comple - Armenian studies in existing programs.” took over this post from Sandra Jurigian, who of work, including that of the Armenian mentary organizations, NAASR cosponsored Another major change, he continued, is that has been with NAASR for many decades and National Committee for Byzantine Studies in now serves as part-time executive assistant. Armenia, the Association Internationale des Minassian revealed that in 2010, NAASR sold Etudes Arméniennes (for its 2009 workshop on about 1,900 books, worth in all roughly ), a researcher traveling to $40,000. Interestingly, a large portion of that, the Mekhitarist library in Vienna to work on approximately one-third, was sold through Ottoman Armenian newspapers and the publi - Amazon.com, which now lists NAASR’s hold - cation of George Bournoutian’s new book, The ings. A great number of books were sold at lec - 1823 Russian Survey of the Karabagh tures and other events or directly in the store. Province (Mazda Press). The rest were sold through telephone, mail or NAASR’s most visible activity, as Yeghiayan the NAASR website. has pointed out, is its lectures and conferences Every year, 40 to 50 new English-language on Armenian topics, which are free and open to titles, including some published outside of the the public. In recent years, NAASR has been US, are acquired by NAASR, which attempts to much more active in this sphere, which again is be comprehensive in its attempt to find new rel - coordinated by Mamigonian. The latter evant publications. It carries around 2,500 dif - explained: “Years ago, during the earlier days of ferent titles of books in all. the organization, it was much more common Historical works and books about political for us to hold events in other parts of the coun - topics have been the best sellers in recent years. try. That practice fell into abeyance for a num - The second most popular category of books ber of years. As we started doing more and would be memoirs and biographies. NAASR more programs here in Belmont, we thought it often manages to locate difficult-to-find books would be good and useful — and people in other on Armenian topics, such as self-published parts of the country who contacted us agreed NAASR board members with Maggie Mangassarian-Goschin of the Ararat-Eskijian Museum and works or even works published abroad. Writers — to do similar programs in other parts of the NAASR’s Southern California committee, from left, Raffi Yeghiayan, Yervant Chekijian, in Europe, Armenia and the Middle East know country. We want to expand the reach of Mangassarian-Goschin, Roxanne Etmekjian, Bertha Mugurdichian, Shushan Teager, Van Aroian and that NAASR is a good outlet for distributing Armenian studies and bring good quality schol - Nancy Kolligian their books in the US. arly programs to a wider range of people than According to Yeghiayan, NAASR has cut back we can if we just have them in our center. Of on its presence at book fairs like that of the course it helps increase interest in this organi - the SAS 35th-anniversary conference at UCLA NAASR works outside of the borders of the Boston Globe , as it does not usually get enough zation, and membership in it too.” two years ago. US, in Armenia and elsewhere. The “N” in sales to justify the staff time required. However, Southern California is one of the most active Mamigonian has also participated in two NAASR does stand for national, meaning US, in-house sales such as for the Christmas season areas in which NAASR organizes events, workshops on the state of Armenian studies but the annual assembly modified this. There are still held. though it does so in many parts of the United organized by Prof. Gerard Libaridian at the is cooperation with Armenian universities, Marc Mamigonian is the fulltime (perhaps States outside of its hometown. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. and many research grants now support stud - more than fulltime) director of academic affairs Local NAASR members have helped arrange Despite some current arguments to the con - ies in Armenia, whether by scholars there or for NAASR. Mamigonian grew up in New from the US. Hampshire, isolated from any organized Young, one of the main founders of NAASR, Armenian community, and while interested in led the organization as chairman for 47 years Armenian history, only began his involvement until Nancy Kolligian succeeded him in 2001. in the Armenian world after starting work at She served in this position for nine years, NAASR in early 1998. He had obtained a mas - until 2010. Yeghiayan, who served many years ter’s degree and was working on his doctorate on the executive as first vice chair, and was a on James Joyce before embarking on this new board member since 1962, said he felt that career. He had come to do genealogical Kolligian had done an excellent job, and he is research at NAASR and interviewed his distant continuing in the same direction. He is trying relative, Manoog Young, who happened to be a in particular to further the work of creating a founder and chairman of NAASR. It turned out stronger financial foundation for the organi - that NAASR was looking for a new employee zation. and Mamigonian was in the right place at the NAASR began a $2-million capital cam - right time. Hired as an assistant to Young, paign on its 50th anniversary, which is still Mamigonian then became in turn director of continuing today, with some $1.4 million hav - publications, director of programs and publica - ing been raised so far. Yeghiayan stressed tions and then director of academic affairs, in that endowed funds today bring very low 2008. Mamigonian added, “I’ve been fortunate returns because of low interest rates. With to have access to a wealth of material, books lower income, NAASR is in a deficit situation. and people here in this building.” Though it has been able to continue without Mamigonian is involved with many aspects of cutting back on operations due to various NAASR’s activities. He is in charge of pro - bequests, this cannot be counted on forever. grams. He spends a lot of time coordinating Yeghiayan has initiated a membership drive activities with academics and helping people to earn more income through membership who contact NAASR with questions pertaining dues. In addition, he is attempting to find to Armenian studies. He responds with advice Cathy Minassian, center, with Raffi Yeghiayan and visiting author Dr. Susan Pattie more donors to sponsor specific lectures and as to what books are available or what acade - programs. Donors have specific interests and micians might be able to assist in the matter. He this satisfies them while allowing funding to has succeeded Dr. Barbara Merguerian as the these lectures, along with colleagues in other trary, Mamigonian takes an optimistic view of continue for events. editor of NAASR’s Journal of Armenian Armenian organizations. Frequently, NAASR Armenian studies: “I don’t see Armenian stud - Mamigonian said that last year, NAASR Studies , publishing six issues, including two cosponsors its events with partner organiza - ies going into decline. You can look at any era organized a social event for area Armenian double issues, and is in charge of NAASR’s pub - tions in order to get larger audiences and share in the history of Armenian studies in this coun - college students as part of its outreach activi - lication series. costs. Some of the events are to promote newly- try, going back at least 55 years, and do it in ties. He declared, “We would like to do more Eight books have been published by published books, and this allows NAASR to sell such a way that it looks like either happy days such things to encourage membership in this NAASR’s Armenian Heritage Press between books and thus cover some of its expenses. are here again or the decline and fall is upon us. organization and to foster a sense of commu - 2003 and 2010 on a variety of Armenian topics, Also, NAASR has been fortunate to find that I think that there is ample reason to pay close nity among the students.” and there are two more books in press at the many speakers who waive their speaking fees or attention and be vigilant to what is going on in With advances in technology, NAASR moment. NAASR arranges the editing, printing only accept very modest honoraria. the field and with all the programs, and make already has placed its library catalogue online and publication of these works. Several were NAASR has hosted evening social events for sure that the universities are honoring their and is continuing to modernize. published in collaboration with other institu - area Armenian scholars doing work on commitments to their endowed chairs and pro - NAASR is also still seeking donations of tions, such as Harvard University’s Department Armenian subjects in order to encourage a grams. However, we have a lot of outstanding Armenian source materials, including in par - of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, or sense of community as well as to make them scholars working in the field right now. ticular the archives of Armenian-American Haigazian University. Some of the volumes feel welcome at NAASR. At the initiative of Excellent work is being done and will continue groups such as the compatriotic unions from received outside funding. Mamigonian has Professors Simon Payaslian and James Russell, to be done. I tend to try to take the long view different parts of . It wants served as editor of the publication series, and over the past year or so, it has held a number of with these programs.” to improve its already extensive collection of specifically of some conference proceedings. roundtable gatherings of area scholars at volumes published by these organizations on Mamigonian oversees the Edward and Helen NAASR or in Russell’s office so that the latter New Directions different towns and villages of the Ottoman Mardigian Reference and Research Library at can meet and discuss work in progress, share Yeghiayan said that there were several Empire and perhaps help in arranging for NAASR, with holdings of over 20,000 books ideas and ask questions of one another. major changes in NAASR’s work in recent translations into English of these invaluable and other items primarily in English and Mamigonian said, “One of things that I am years: “One major change is there are no fur - works. S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 11 COMMUNITY NEWS

Dr. Vartan Matiossian to Christopher P. Mooradian Takes Command Deliver Lecture Hosted by Zohrab Center Of US Coast Guard Tahoma NEW YORK — A presentation titled “The Aryan Myth, Hitler and the Armenians,” will be PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — On June 16, cate was to the Coast Guard Judge given by Dr. Vartan Matiossian on Thursday, Commander Christopher P. Mooradian took Advocate General’s Office of Maritime and December 1, at the Diocesan Complex at 7 p.m. command of United States Coast Guard International Law, where he worked on law During his lecture, Matiossian will explore Cutter (USCGC) Tahoma (WMEC 908) in a of the sea, communications and maritime the definition of the word “Aryan” and how it ceremony here. The change-of-command rit - security and defense issues, from 2002 to has historically related to Armenians. ual took place with the attendance of the 2004. Mooradian then served as first Coast “At the beginning of the 20th century, there assembled company of command, families Guard representative to the Department of was a strong anti-Armenian, racist current in and friends. Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of the Germany, which became evident during the Mouradian was commissioned after com - General Counsel, from 2004 to 2006. While Armenian Genocide and its aftermath,” said pleting Officer Candidate School, in there, he also served as an adjunct instruc - Matiossian. Yorktown, Va., in 1990. His first assignment tor with the Defense Institute for “Hitler, who was aboard USCGS Laurel, in Jacksonville, International Legal Studies, in Newport, RI. was aware of Fla., where he served as a deck-watch officer In 2006, Mooradian returned to shipboard anti-Armenian and navigator. He then served as executive duty on USCGC Jarvis, in Honolulu, Hawaii, writings, first officer of USCGC Adak, from 1992 to 1994, where he served as executive officer until mentioned where he conducted fisheries law enforce - 2008. While serving there, he made fisheries Armenians in ment and search and rescues in the First law enforcement deployments in the Bering 1922, when he Coast Guard District (Northeast United Sea, the North Pacific and the Central Pacific. already spoke States). Following his tour on CGC Adak, he Since July 2008, Mooradian has served as of them as a was assigned to Officer of Military Personnel, the deputy staff judge advocate for the First mixed race Policy and Standards Branch at Coast Guard Coast Guard District, in Boston. and main - Headquarters, from 1994 to 1997. Mooradian received his bachelor’s degree tained such Commander Mouradian with wife, Alicia, views from In July 1997, Mooradian took command of and daughters, Emma and Grace in international studies, with a concentration USCGC Wrangell, in Portland, Maine, where in economics and Latin America, from time to time.” he carried out missions in law enforcement Kenyon College in 1989. He received his law He will also and search and rescue operations through - drug operations in the Caribbean. degree in 2002 from Boston University, touch upon the Dr. Vartan Matiossian out the First Coast Guard District and in the Upon completing his assignment in 1999, where he also served as articles editor on the campaign waged Caribbean. While serving there, Mooradian Mooradian was assigned to duty under Boston University Law Review. against made two deployments to Frontier Shield instruction in the Coast Guard’s law pro - Mooradian and his wife, Alicia, have two Armenians that would have categorized them and Frontier Lance, Coast Guard counter- gram. His first assignment as a judge advo - daughters, Emma and Grace. as Semites, if it were not for a strong Armenian lobby that succeeded in ensuring the recogni - tion of Armenians as Aryans. Matiossian began his research on this topic almost a decade ago after reading about a Levon Avdoyan to Speak at Columbia, Michael Haratunian to Be Honored German-Armenian scholar who had been involved in the lobby for recognition of tion of the printing and conduct a tour of the Armenians as Aryans in Nazi Germany. After By Florence Avakian press by Johannes extensive Armenian collection there. publishing subsequent articles about his find - Gutenberg, Armenian Under Avdoyan’s tenure, which started in ings in Armenian, he found an absence in schol - words were printed 1977 at the Library of Congress, the Armenian arship on the topic in English and continued NEW YORK — The Armenian Center at by movable type. collection has increased from 7,000 items to his research, which has now evolved into a Columbia University is sponsoring a double- Since that time, a approximately 45,000 pieces. He has also book-size manuscript. billed program on Thursday, December 1, featur - unique body of work authored an illustrated guide to the Near East While he investigated the topic thoroughly ing a lecture by Library of Congress’s Dr. Levon and an impressive collection at the library, as well as several articles he came across unexpected information that Avdoyan, titled, “To Know Wisdom and library heritage have on both scholarly and library subjects. fueled his research further. “It was extremely Instruction — 500 years of Armenian Printing.” been developed by The evening will also pay tribute to the many interesting to see how unfavorably Armenians The event will also honor Michael Haratunian, Armenian writers. years of service that Haratunian has rendered to were pictured, particularly in the 1800-1920 period, in the West,” said Matiossian. former chair of the Armenian Center and a board Avdoyan who is the Michael Haratunian the Armenian Center at Columbia. member for many years. Armenian and The center’s chair, Mark Momjian, stated, “On Matiossian is currently the executive director The program, with a reception to follow, will Georgian specialist at behalf of the entire Board of the Armenian of the Armenian National Education take place at the Faculty House, 1207 the Library of Congress since 1992, will focus his Center, we owe Michael Haratunian our deep Committee in New York. He is a native of Amsterdam Ave., between 119th and 120th talk on the 500 years of Armenian printing and gratitude for his remarkable dedication to the Montevideo, Uruguay, and earned his PhD in Streets, at 7 p.m. a history of the Armenian collection at the cause of Armenian Studies at Columbia history from the National Academy of Sciences “To Know Wisdom and Instruction” comes Library of Congress. A world authority on man - University. Michael’s leadership has been inspira - in Armenia. He is the author of five books in from Proverbs in the Bible and are the first uscripts from this region, the scholar will also tional, and we are indebted to him for his incred - Armenian and one in Spanish and has translat - words written in the in 405 relate a forthcoming exhibit at the Library of ible support of public programs showcasing the ed more than a dozen books from Armenian AD. In the year 1512, 72 years after the inven - Congress celebrating the 500th anniversary of field of Armenian Studies.” into Spanish. NKR President Meets with AGBU Leadership at AGBU Central Office

NEW YORK — Shortly after arriving in the After welcoming the guest of United States on Wednesday, November 16, honor, Setrakian said that he was Nagorno Karabagh Republic (NKR) President pleased to have had the opportunity Bako Sahakyan, who was accompanied by of meeting with the Karabagh presi - Primate of the Artsakh Diocese Archbishop dent to discuss the national policies Pargev Martirossian, NKR Permanent and programs of AGBU, its long- Representative to the United States and Canada standing commitment to the safety Robert Avetisyan and press attaché of the NKR and well-being of Armenia and president David Babayan, attended a dinner- Karabagh, the integrity of ancestral meeting hosted by AGBU President Berge territories, as well as the various Setrakian and members of the Central Board at venues through which AGBU could the Armenian General Benevolent Union coordinate and channel assistance Central Office, during which a number of issues to Karabagh by encouraging and related to Karabagh were raised and discussed. organizing investment strategies Also in attendance were Armenia’s Ambassador from the diaspora, toward its socio- to the United States Tatoul Markarian, economic development. He then Armenia’s Representative to UN Garen introduced Central Board member Nazarian and Primate of the Eastern Diocese of Joseph Oughourlian, who has been the Armenian Church of America Archbishop involved actively in developmental Khajag Barsamian. efforts in Karabagh. Oughourlian, in AGBU Central Board member Joseph Oughourlian (far left) discusses his recent developmental efforts in Discussions focused on new and developed turn, expressed his admiration for Karabagh as AGBU President Berge Setrakian, NKR President Bako Sahakyan, Armenia’s Ambassador to the projects implemented in Karabagh. Sahakyan the heroic qualities of the citizens of United States Tatoul Markarian and Armenia’s Permanent Representative to UN Garen Nazarian listen on. stressed AGBU’s important role in the develop - Karabagh and extolled their charac - ment of the republic over the past several years, ter and integrity, which he had come as well as the need for AGBU’s further involve - to appreciate through his personal experiences emphasizing the importance of investing in the Orchestra and chess competitions and has ment. NKR’s leader also called on AGBU to give and business dealings in the country. Setrakian rich natural resources of the country. recently partnered with the Fruitful Armenia a new impetus to the organization’s programs said that Oughourlian will act as the board rep - AGBU continues to sponsor various projects Fund (FAF) to launch the NUR plan, which is and projects throughout the country. resentative on issues related to Karabagh, in Karabagh, including the Artsakh Chamber similar to the One Laptop Per Child project. 12 S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR Arts & Living Composer AMAA Holds Concert to Benefit Echoes in Avedisian School Unexpected In Yerevan LEXINGTON, Mass. — The Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) will Places present singer Grace Kelly in concert on Saturday, January 21, 2012 at the National Heritage Museum. The 19-year-old saxophon - By Larry Rohter ist, singer, composer and arranger has played at Lincoln Center and was voted Best Jazz Act in Boston for the past four years. Her latest NEW YORK (New York Times) — One of the album, “Grace,” marks a new direction for her top executives and producers at Columbia into Gospel Jazz. Records, George Avakian, received a telephone For information on Kelly, visit her website at call from the classical music composer Alan www.gracekellymusic.com. Hovhaness, who told him, “There’s a terrific Cocktails will start at 6:30 p.m. followed by musician from India who is here, and you the concert at 8 p.m. should meet him.” His friend was so adamant, Proceeds from the Concert will benefit the Avakian recalled recently, that a few minutes Avedisian School in Armenia. later Hovhaness was knocking on the door, For more information or how to purchase with Ravi Shankar in tow. tickets and prices, visit www.amaa.org. The consequences of that encounter were many, starting with Shankar, who at that time had no recording contract in the US, making a Janet Khalarian series of American albums, one with liner notes written by Hovhaness. But within a decade Shankar was also giving sitar lessons to George Harrison and playing at the Monterey Pop Festival — events that encouraged an entire gen - 11th Annual Concert by eration of rock and pop musicians and listeners to look eastward for new inspiration. Greater Worcester Armenian This year is the centennial of Hovhaness’s birth, and for the occasion, Delos Records just released a commemorative CD of some of his Chorale Dazzles City most important works, called “American Mystic: Music of Alan Hovhaness.” But as Avakian’s WORCESTER, Mass. — The Greater Worcester Armenian Chorale presented its account suggests, Hovhaness’s most lasting 11th Annual Gala Concert and Dinner on Sunday, September 18, in the Cultural legacy may be not in the realm of symphonic Center of the Armenian Church Of Our Saviour. The chorale is under the direction music but in of the sphere of popular music, of Konstantin Petrossian. particularly jazz and what has come to be Following an Armenian dinner, known as “world music.” By Charles DreKazarian city proclamations from Born near Boston to an Armenian father and Worcester Mayor Joseph C. a Scottish mother, he gravitated from the very O’Brien were presented by City beginning to music outside the European tradi - Councilor Joseph Petty, declaring “Greater Worcester Armenian Chorale Day” in tion. His first contact with Shankar came dur - honor of the occasion to Petrossian, Rev. Aved Terzian of the Armenian Church of Singer/saxophonist Grace Kelly ing a United States tour by the Shankar family Our Saviour and Rev. Dr. Khatachadour Boghossian of Holy Trinity troupe in 1936, but from childhood Apostolic Church. Both churches have been co-sponsors of the event since 2000. Hovhaness had been immersed in the work of The concert was dedicated to the 20th Anniversary of the Republic of Armenia’s Komitas Vartabed, an Armenian priest and independence and many of musicologist who specialized in the medieval the musical selections cele - Protesters Want liturgical and folk music of his homeland. In the brated the glory and beauty world of mainstream American classical music, of Armenia. Featured were Getty to Return however, Hovhaness, who died in 2000, was — the Arevig Children’s and remains — an outlier. At a time when disso - Chorus and Dance Group nance, serialism and other styles were in vogue with choreography by Alin Pages from Sacred and many of his colleagues were writing works Sarkisian and Ani meant to be both modern and specifically Yaghmourian who also per - Armenian Book American, Hovhaness embraced tonality and formed several dances. also showed a fondness for archaic elements Guest soloists included LOS ANGELES (LA Times) — About 30 like the polyphony of Renaissance music and Janet Khalarian, soprano, protesters called on the Getty Museum to the counterpoint of Baroque fugues. and Gohar Manjelikian, return seven ornate pages taken from a “Alan was a composer who was not really mezzo-soprano. Karine The Junior choir sacred medieval Armenian book considered interested in being contemporary and he didn’t see CHORALE, page 14 to be a national treasure. look to Western Europe as his only inspiration,” The protesters gathered outside the gates said Dennis Russell Davies, a conductor who of the museum Saturday, holding signs that has long championed the music of Hovhaness, read “Shame on Getty” and “Our history is first as music director of the American not for sale.” Armenian church officials are Composers Orchestra and the Brooklyn trying to secure the pages, which they say Philharmonic and now at the Bruckner were illegally obtained by the museum nearly Orchestra in Linz, Austria. “He wasn’t con - two decades ago. cerned with trends. He had a vision of what he The Western Prelacy of the Armenian wanted his music to sound like.” Apostolic Church of America filed a $105-mil - As Hovhaness’s initial fascination with lion lawsuit against the J. Paul Getty Trust in Armenian music expanded, his curiosity led him June 2010 alleging that the museum illegally further and further afield, first to India, where bought seven pages ripped from the Zeyt’un he lived in 1959 and 1960, then Indonesia, and Gospels , a sacred manuscript that dates back finally to Japan, China and Korea. Those influ - to the year 1256. ences all worked their way into his music. The Getty bought the pages in 1994 from a “American Mystic” includes a Gamelan in Sosi private collector for $950,000. The church Style recorded by the Shanghai Quartet, and he says the previous owner was the heir of the also wrote pieces he described as ghazals , the man who allegedly stole the pages in 1916 name given to a genre of classical sung poetry when the Turks expelled Armenians from an popular in India and Pakistan. area of the Ottoman Empire that is now part “To me the hundreds of scales and ragas pos - The Arevig Dance Group of Turkey. sible in Eastern musical systems afford both Getty spokeswoman Julie Jaskol said the Getty is confident it holds the title to the see COMPOSER, page 13 work. S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 13 ARTS & LIVING Composer Echoes in Unexpected Places

COMPOSER, from page 12 similar thing” by drawing on medieval liturgical church and destroying many of his scores. But his jazz phase in the late 1970s and early 1980s discipline and stimuli for a great expansion of music and feeling “at home using tonality and he returned after World War II with an even and occasionally working with her, he recorded melodic creations,” Hovhaness once said in an expressing spirituality.” stronger commitment to writing melodic music a version of the second movement of interview. “I am more interested in creating Hovhaness’s career started promisingly and that featured nontraditional scales and instru - Mysterious Mountain for his album “Oneness.” fresh, spontaneous, singing melodic lines than conventionally enough. When the BBC mentation. The jazz bass virtuoso Jaco Pastorius recorded in the factory-made tonal patterns of industrial Symphony Orchestra performed his first sym - An innovative 1945 work, a concerto for and often improvised live on Mysterious civilization or the splotches and GORDON PARKS/TIME LIFE PICTURES - GETTY IMAGES Mountain , and Wynton Marsalis has spots of sound hurled at random recorded Prayer of St. Gregory . But on a canvas of imaginary silence.” among current jazz figures influenced The two most common com - by Hovhaness the best-known is proba - plaints against Hovhaness are that bly Keith Jarrett, who recorded his work is “exotic” and that he was Lousadzak in 1989. simply too prolific. There is some It was in the early 1970s, when basis to both criticisms. He wrote Avakian was managing Jarrett, that the more than 400 pieces, among them pianist seems to have first expressed 67 symphonies of varying quality. interest in Hovhaness’s music. Some compositions, like The Avakian’s wife, the violinist Anahid Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam , includ - Ajemian, who played or recorded many ed on the centennial collection CD Hovhaness works beginning in the with a narration by Michael York, 1940s, gave Jarrett scores and record - or the symphony And God Created ings to study and not long after began Great Whales , can veer toward detecting the results in the early piano kitsch. solo albums that made Jarrett an inter - But his music could also be national star. deeply spiritual, a quality on dis - Davies was the conductor when play in well-known works like his Jarrett recorded Lousadzak , which Symphony No. 2 , called means “dawn of light” in Armenian. He Mysterious Mountain , and his too sees a strong connection. “Both Prayer of St. Gregory , both of Hovhaness and Lou Harrison have which feature soaring trumpet and been very influential in a direct way on meditative string parts. He also Keith,” in part because “they have a complained of “the tyranny of the The composer Alan Hovhaness, working in a studio piled high with scores. melodic and harmonic language that is piano” in classical music, and, to very close to him,” Davies said. “When combat it, wrote pieces featuring Keith was forming his improvised Middle Eastern stringed instruments like the phony, called Exile in recognition of the geno - piano and orchestra called Lousadzak , used ele - music, these two composers had already written oud and kanun , and other compositions mim - cide Armenia had suffered under Turkish rule, ments of aleatory music, with instruments a lot of that, so he felt at home there, that it was icking wind instruments like the Armenian Leslie Howard, the conductor of the ensemble, repeating phrases in random, uncoordinated part of his musical language.” duduk and the oboes and flutes used in described Hovhaness, then still in his 20s, as a fashion. That technique impressed John Cage Eventually Hovhaness settled in Seattle, Japanese gagaku music, one of Hovhaness’s “young genius.” and Lou Harrison, two fellow composers who which seems appropriate in view of his inter - favorite styles. But at Tanglewood one summer in the early became Hovhaness’s friends and supporters; est in the civilizations on the other side of At the time he was experimenting with all of 1940s, Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland the growing individuality of his music may also the Pacific Rim. So the next time that this it may indeed have seemed exotic. But such publicly attacked Hovhaness, with Bernstein help explain his considerable appeal to jazz Norwegian Wood or Paint It, Black comes sources and techniques are now widely used in going to the piano to play chords mocking his musicians over the years. on the radio or a mash-up of bhangra with both popular and classical music. As Davies style, which he derided as “cheap ghetto In 1947 saxophonist Sam Rivers studied hip-hop, house or reggae is played at a club; noted, Arvo Pärt and Giya Kancheli “are two music.” Hovhaness withdrew to regroup, earn - orchestration with Hovhaness, who was then or someone like Michael Brook releases a CD composers who in their own way have done a ing his living as an organist at an Armenian teaching at a conservatory in Boston; he cites collaboration with Djivan Gasparyan, Nusrat Hovhaness as an important early influence. Fateh Ali Khan or U. Srinivas, it might be “In a way you could say Hovhaness was the appropriate to remember that Hovhaness was start of free music,” Rivers said last month, already occupying a similar musical space referring to a style practiced by John before any of those involved were born. Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and others in the “Hovhaness’s own music may have been 1960s. “Jazz didn’t come up in his course, too idiosyncratic for others to copy, but his although Armenian and Asian music did. But embrace of other cultures has been influen - he always talked of trying to go beyond the tial in general,” said Gerard Schwarz, former limits, of following your own path, not the musical director of the Seattle Symphony traditional composers, and challenging the Orchestra, which regularly features the whole structure of music and that had a big Hovhaness repertory. “He opened that world impact on me.” to other composers, the way they were influ - The jazz pianist and harpist Alice Coltrane, enced harmonically by Debussy and rhythmi - who played in the quartet of her husband, John, cally by Stravinsky. Would they have heard it was also known to be an admirer of Hovhaness, anyway? Who knows? But certainly and when the guitarist Carlos Santana was in Hovhaness was there first.”

Hmayil from the Minasian Collection of UCLA Subject of Talk at Fresno State

FRESNO — Kristen St. John from the UCLA than 20-feet long. While some contain only text, Library Conservation Center will present a talk there are also elaborately-illuminated on “The Conservation of Armenian Scrolls: manuscripts that bear the signs of centuries of Hmayil from the Minasian Collection of the heavy use and care. UCLA Library” at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, This talk will focus on the conservation of November 28, in the University Business these scrolls underway at UCLA. The goal of Center, Peters Auditorium, Room 191, on the library conservation is to enable scholarly Fresno State campus. access to information in all formats. These St. John’s presentation is part of the Fall scrolls present many challenges to that goal 2011 Armenian Studies Program Lecture given their size, fragility and condition. Inks Series and is sponsored by the Armenian and pigments used to write and illuminate the Studies Program and Armenian Students scrolls may be unstable. While compact and Organization at Fresno State. portable, the rolled format can impede ready Hmayil are Armenian prayer scrolls that access. Previous mends placed to hold the serve as talismans to protect the bearer against lengths of paper together or repair tears may evil and potential danger. The Minasian result in additional damage. Conservation tech - Collection of the UCLA Library has approxi - niques used to address these problems will be mately 40 scrolls dating from the early 17th to discussed. Particular attention will be paid to the 19th century. The Minasian collection con - the repair of a long, illuminated scroll created in tains Armenian, Persian and Arabic materials Isfahan in 1608. gathered by Dr. Caro Minasian of Isfahan, Iran St. John is collections conservator at the in the mid-20th century. UCLA acquired the col - UCLA Library Conservation Center. She has lection directly from Minasian in the late 1960s. given many classes and workshops on book con - The hmayil in the Minasian Collection range servation and preservation of heritage materials. from modest paper fragments to scrolls more Admission is free to the lecture. 14 S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARTS & LIVING Boyajdian, Local Composers, Featured at December 10 Concert

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Lexington Grammy lullabies written for him by a number of con - College, New York), Patricia Julien (University nominee composer Hayg Boyadjian’s composi - temporary composers; some of the composers of Vermont), Jacob Mashak and Thomas L. tion Cancion de Cuna (Lullaby) for guitar solo will be present for the occasion. Read (University of Vermont). Many of the lul - will have its world premiere at a concert on This concert is Larget-Caplan’s latest New labies will be world premieres. Saturday, December 10, at 8 p.m. Lullaby Project Premiere Concert. Born in Oklahoma and raised in Colorado, The concert will take place at the New School “I thought the project would be finished with Larget-Caplan attended the New England the release of the CD Conservatory and is now on the faculty at the ‘New Lullaby’ (2010),” Boston Conservatory. said founder Larget- A year ago Albany Records issued Caplan, “but it contin - Boyadjian’s solo CD, “Vientos,” which included ues as I keep receiving Caplan’s performance of Boyadjian’s composi - new lullabies.” Caplan tion, Mi Tango , which Fanfare Magazine called has since starting the “stunningly played.” Larget-Caplan has per - lullaby project pre - formed Mi Tango at many concerts, including miered 30 lullabies two recent performances in Provincetown and and his solo CD fea - Texas. tured 14 of them and For tickets and information go to: Cover of “Vientos” was met with rave www.brownpapertickets.com/event/212596. reviews. Composers for the December 10 concert, in addition to 11th Annual Concert by Greater Worcester Boyadjian, will Hayg Boyadjian include: Greater Boston Armenian Chorale Dazzles City composers Michael Veloso, Francine Trester CHORALE, from page 12 appreciated the performances, which were a of Music, 25 Lowell St., Cambridge, near (Berklee), John McDonald (Tufts), Canary Avanesov was the chorale’s piano accompanist tribute to the cultural legacy and spirit of the Harvard Square, and will feature solo classical Burton (Cape Cod) and Martin Schreiner, as with Mark Donabedian on the dumbeg . Armenian people. guitarist Aaron Larget-Caplan. well as Alan Fletcher (Colorado), Thomas In view of the fact that the concert was one The Greater Worcester Armenian Chorale is Classical guitarist Aaron Larget- Schuttenhelm (Hartt School of Music, week after the 10th anniversary of September looking forward to the 12th anniversary con - Caplan will perform an entire program of short Connecticut), Demetrius Spaneas (Five Towns 11, a special performance of America The cert next year and continuing, as stated in Beautiful was sung in memory of the victims of O’Brien’s’ city proclamation, its dedication “…to that tragic day. The finale, Erebuni-Yerevan , the preservation and promotion of the rich was sung jointly by the Chorale, the Children’s musical heritage of the Armenian people.” Chorus and the two soloists and resulted in a For more information, visit the Chorale’s web - 51st Young Concert Artists Series Presents Debut standing ovation from the audience, which site at www.armenianchorale.com. Of Clarinetist Narek Arutyunian at Merkin Hall

NEW YORK — Clarinetist Narek Arutyunian, graduate of the Moscow Conservatory. He has 19, first-prize winner of the 2010 Young appeared as soloist with the Prague Radio Concert Artists International Auditions, makes Symphony, the Kalingrad Philharmonic and the his New York recital debut on Tuesday, Moscow Virtuosi. Accolades include first prize December 13, at Merkin Hall in the Rhoda at 16 in the International Young Musicians Walker Teagle Concert. Competition in Prague and at 15 in the Musical Born in Gumri, Armenia, Arutyunian is a Youth of the Planet Competition in Moscow. Arutyunian attends The Juilliard School and studies with Charles Neidich, the distinguished clarinetist, who calls his protégé “a brilliant artist who plays with virtuosity, warmth and charisma. Narek Arutyunian is one of the most compelling performers today.” He will be accompanied by pianist Steven Beck. He will perform works by Poulenc, Francaix, Weber, Horovitz, Denisov and Schoenfield. To order or purchase tickets, visit www.yca.org/tickets or the Merkin Hall Box The Greater Worcester Armenian Chorale and Arevig Dance Group Office, 129 West 67 St.

Sponsor a Teacher in Armenia and Karabagh 2011 Narek Arutyunian Since its inception in 2001, TCA’s ‘Sponsor a Teacher’ program has raised over $477,750 and reached out to 3,700 teachers and school workers in Armenia and Karabagh.

£

K Yes, I want to sponsor teachers in Armenia and Karabagh to continue helping them to educate the children, our future leaders. I would like to have the teacher’s name and address. K $160 K $ 320 K $ 480 K other $ ————————— Name Address City State Zip code Tel:

Entertainment Fridays Make check payable to: Tekeyan Cultural Association – Memo: Sponsor a Teacher 2010 and Saturdays Mail your check with this form to: TCA Sponsor a Teacher 5326 Valverde, Houston, TX 77056

Your donation is Tax Deductible. S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 15 ARTS & LIVING Somewhere, Beyond the Sea

The Great Sea: A Human History of the precursing Abulafia to boot), sets out the ly treated the beaten rebels Mediterranean. By David Abulafia, New York: parameters that distinguish his opus from pre - with (relative) kid gloves — he Oxford University Press, 2011 816 pp. vious major works of Mediterranean historiog - needed their maritime sup - raphy, most notably Fernand Braudel’s The port for the invasion of Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World Greece — and demanded of By Benny Morris in the Age of Philip II (1949) and Peregrine the mainland city-states rela - Horden and Nicholas Purcell’s The Corrupting tively cheap tokens of sub - In the Rebel , his treatise against totalitarian - Sea: A Study of Mediterranean History (2000). mission. But when these ism, particularly of the Left, and in some of his Horden and Purcell dealt mainly with commu - were not forthcoming, the earlier essays, Albert Camus hailed the nities and peoples living along the littoral, what Persian army crossed the Mediterranean, which for him embodied life, happened on land, not with what transpired on Aegean and attacked light, beauty (quite probably sex) and a sense of the sea’s surface. Braudel, for his part, argued Euboea and then, in 490, limits. He contrasted what Cambridge don that geography, rather than men’s actions, was landed in Attica, north of David Abulafia calls “the Great Sea” — actually the real determinant of development and Athens. There, at Marathon, a Hebrew designation (hayam change in and around the vast a small, mainly Athenian hagadol) — with the darkness water’s edges. “Braudel showed force roundly defeated the of northern Europe’s cities and Book Review what almost amounted to con - Persians, putting an end to forests, seedbeds as they were tempt for political history,” the first invasion of the of the 20th century’s encompassing murderous writes Abulafia. He could have added military mainland. ideologies, Bolshevism and Nazism. history as well. Sea and wind currents, climate Astonishingly, Abulafia “The Mediterranean sun has something trag - and landscapes ruled the tales of men. Abulafia fails even to mention the ic about it,” Camus wrote in Helen’s Exile prefers to stress “the human hand” as “more campaign and the sur - (1948): important in moulding the history of the rounding circumstances, “Quite different from the tragedy of [north - Mediterranean than Braudel was ever prepared jumping straight from the ern] fogs. Certain evenings at the base of the to admit.” Ionian revolt to the (second seaside mountains, night falls over the flawless Abulafia is profusely informative about com - and larger) Xerxian inva - curve of a little bay, and there rises from the mercial and cultural connections between the sion of 480, and then mov - silent waters a sense of anguished fulfillment. various communities that lived in the sur - ing on to detailed descrip - In such spots one can understand that if the rounding areas (Phoenician fertilization of Italy, tions of post-479 Sparta Greeks knew despair, they always did so the gifts of the Sea Peoples to the Levant) and and Athens as effectively nondemocratic impe - and through beauty...Our time, on the other hand, allows for the importance of geography in peri - rial polities, as if to assert a moral equivalence Armenian middle classes with a new Turkish one. has fed its despair on ugliness and convulsions. odically determining the foci of human activity, with the empire they had just defeated. Abulafia But the testimonies of Western, particularly This is why Europe would be vile, if suffering the sites empires and peoples covet, attack or devotes a long paragraph to describing the tos- German, witnesses at the time all point to religious could ever be so.” abandon (Gibraltar dominating the sea’s west - and-fros of the squadrons at Salamis — but not antagonism as a key motivating factor. He identified the sea with Greece, a place ern throughway, Corfu controlling passage up a word about Marathon, surely a crucial battle Abulafia, reasonably, devotes far more space that revered moderation. the Adriatic). in European history and one which even insert - to the Turkish-Greek episodes (they inhabited “It never carried anything to extremes, nei - But throughout, Abulafia casts an impartial, ed itself into humankind’s vocabulary. the Mediterranean littoral) than to the ther the sacred nor reason, because it negated not to say jaundiced eye on the successive And then there is the question of clashes of Armenians (most lived, and died, in the interior nothing. ... balancing shadow with light. Our struggles for dominance in the various civilizations, another key historical meme that of Asia Minor). And the Greeks — the descen - Europe, on the other hand, off in the pursuit of Mediterranean theaters at different times. Abulafia’s narrative seems to skirt. He certainly dants of the second- and first-millennium-BC totality, is the child of disproportion.” Occasionally, he appears bent on provocation, expends a great many pages on tracing Muslim- Ionians and Black Sea settlers — also served Abulafia’s sweeping survey of the “sea and (inevitably) distortion is the result. Take Christian conflict and contact in the between 1915 and 1923 as fodder for a har - between the lands” and its shoreline peoples- Abulafia’s view of Persia versus Greece in fifth Mediterranean from the seventh through the rowing and today largely forgotten tale. from the Stone Age through the present era of century BC, the struggle, as traditionally taught 20th centuries. And one is struck not merely by The Greeks had been fighting the Turks on global tourism-tells us a different story. It is a in schools, that helped forge who we the quick succession of combat and commercial and off for years. The Turks wanted the Greeks tale in large part characterized by hubris, Westerners are, where civilization battled and and cultural intercourse but by the, on occa - out of Asia Minor (and, if possible, also out of excess and mass murder. Take the Punic Wars overcame invading barbarism. “Whether the sion, simultaneous occurrence of these interac - the Aegean). The outbreak of inter - of the third and second centuries BC, the three Greeks were really fighting for liberty against tions. While crusaders are out to beat back the rupted the low-key 1914 Turkish campaign to bouts of combat between the Phoenician Persian tyranny is questionable,” he writes. Muslims and reclaim Palestine for Christendom, achieve that goal, but it was renewed a year colonies (with their center in Carthage) and Indeed, the Persians generally left alone cities Christians and Muslims nearby are buying and later. Greece then joined the Allies and declared Rome for command of the central and western that offered up the symbolic tribute “of earth selling and making cross-civilizational profits. war on the Ottoman Empire in July 1917. By Mediterranean. It was a war to the finish, end - and water,” he tells us. Still, a good case can be Throughout, Muslim warlords make pacts with 1919, with the Turks out for the count, the ing in the annihilation of Carthage and the sow - made that submission to an Asiatic overlord Christian warlords as their cousins are busy Greek army occupied the port city of Smyrna ing of its ruins with salt, its inhabitants put to meant loss of sovereignty and that political free - killing each other. and part of the Ionian coastline and then the sword or consigned to slavery. Or take the dom was what was really at issue. Take Francis I, King of France (1494-1547), pushed inland, reaching the outskirts of campaigns of the Almohads, sectarians who It all began when the Ionian Greek cities at loggerheads with Charles V, the Holy Roman Ankara. ruled the western Mediterranean lands (Spain, along Asia Minor’s Aegean coast and the Emperor (1500-1558), who was busy fighting Economically and militarily overstretched, Morocco) during the 12th and thirteenth cen - Hellespont failed to help the Persian king Cyrus the Turks. Francis goaded the beys in Tunis to the Greeks proved unable to defeat the new turies with an iron fist, dispensing death and against the Lydians in the mid-sixth century. send corsairs against the Kingdom of Naples nationalist Turkish army or to retain the lands terror in the name of a pristine Islam. Or take The Persian ruler, after victory, forced the and supplied the Muslims with cannons to they had occupied, and they were eventually some of the crusaders, who slaughtered Ionians to give him ships and men with which reduce the Spanish fort in Algiers. In 1543, a driven back. Then came revenge. Muslims (and Jews) in vast numbers in their to subdue other Greek cities and islands. In 509 French ambassador “accompanied [the Muslim] The Turks first destroyed the Greek commu - efforts to reclaim and purify the Holy Land. BC, the Persians conquered Lemnos and mas - Hayrettin’s fleet as it savaged the coasts of nities along the Black Sea (Samsun, Ordu, Abulafia doesn’t really tackle the contempo - sacred many of its inhabitants. Revolt ensued southern Italy, carrying off the daughter of the Bafra) and then, in September 1922, reached rary resurgence and its implications, of Salafist and mainland Greek poleis came to the aid of governor of Reggio.” The king even allowed the the Ionian coast, with the Greek army and Islam around the Mediterranean basin, from the Ionians. According to Abulafia, as the Turks to use Toulon for a winter bivouac; with many Greek civilians from the interior retreat - the Strait of Gibraltar through Bosnia and Ionian revolt “petered out, the Persians were 30,000 Turks dispersed in the town, the cathe - ing helter-skelter before their advance. The Alexandria, which may yet herald a new surprisingly considerate, accepting democratic dral “was [temporarily] transformed into a Greek troops boarded ships and departed for Mediterranean age (in The Great Sea he postu - governments and attempting to remove a .” Meanwhile, the Turks made expedi - Piraeus. The Turks entered Smyrna, by then lates five eras between 22,000 BC and AD source of tension between cities by demanding tions into the countryside to lay hold of young the chief Greek city, and torched the Christian 2010, a periodization that is not completely per - that they make trade agreements with one peasants to sell off as slaves. quarters. suasive). But he does refer to a “new another.” But then, with the accession of Still, Christian and Muslim rulers continu - Thousands were killed (the presence of Allied ” when considering the Gaza flotil - Xerxes to the throne in 486, Persian policy ously fought, with the Mediterranean serving as warships probably prevented a wider massacre). la incident of May 2010 and its aftermath. “shifted from tough accommodation with dissi - a major battlefield. Abulafia rightly pinpoints as Within days, hundreds of thousands of civilians (He could well have added Turkish prime dents to vigorous suppression of Persia’s foes.” crucial the late 16th-century engagements at were evacuated to Greece — though tens of minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent repeat - Xerxes prepared huge armies and fleets to Malta and Lepanto in which the Ottoman thousands were slaughtered (Abulafia says ed threats to send Turkish warships into the invade mainland Greece and then struck. He Empire was decisively contained in its expan - “something like 100,000”) and a similar or per - eastern Mediterranean to assert the “rule of was briefly stalled by the Spartan 300 at sion westward. But when it comes to other haps larger number were deported by the Turks law.”) Thermopylae (the “hot gates”) and then was episodes, Abulafia often pooh-poohs claims that inland, never to be heard from again. Excess seems to be part of the human condi - thoroughly defeated at sea at Salamis (480) and Muslim-Christian clashes were driven by reli - (During World War I and its aftermath, the tion, and while paragons of excess-mass mur - Mycale (479) and on land at Plataea (479). gious motives. Turks managed to perform a linguistic sleight derers, in short-may have flourished at certain Such is Abulafia’s presentation. But it is He may have it right when he asserts, quoting of hand: “deportation” became synonymous times in certain places, there are probably few strangely deficient and incomplete. To crush the historian Frank Lambert, that the American with annihilation, something the Nazis later of the earth’s regions that have demonstrated Greece wasn’t the whim of a particular Persian campaign against the North African Barbary replicated.) complete immunity. emperor; it was consistent long-term imperial pirates in the early 19th century was “primarily The 3,000-year-old Greek communities along What we have in The Great Sea is a history policy. From around 500, if not earlier, the about trade, not theology.” But clearly theology, or the coast of Asia Minor and the Black Sea were that emphasizes politics and warfare: these are Persians intended to extend their rule deep into straightforward religious-national hatreds, trumped thus erased, never to be resurrected. the primary and most significant arenas of Europe, including over Greece. Facilitation of commercial interests a century later when Turks Today, only a small community of Greeks in human agency-and the major vehicles of this was probably the main aim of their abortive slaughtered Armenians during World War I and Istanbul remains. change. In fact, in his introduction, Abulafia, a expedition against the island of Naxos, midway subsequently killed hundreds of thousands of Abulafia blames the United States, Britain man of noble Sephardic Jewish lineage (and in in the Aegean. No wonder, then, that the Ionian Greeks. No doubt, individual covetousness on the and France for Smyrna, saving only “twenty his book one repeatedly encounters the Jewish rebels of 499-493 felt able to ask for, and part of Turkish neighbors played a part, and thousand” by placing them aboard Allied ships. dimension, almost invariably Sephardic, in this receive, help from the mainland. Turkish leaders were interested, for nationalist rea - He charges the Allied naval commanders-and, or that period and land — and the occasional True, then Persian leader Darius subsequent - sons, in dispossessing and then replacing the Greek see REVIEW, page 16 16 S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARTS & LIVING Review: Opera Singer/Pianist Are the Cat’s Meow

experts at managing the crowd. Apart from their from the celebrated baritone aria Largo al facto - command of the audience is total, whether with By Christine Pilgrim outstanding musicality, they looked magnificent tum , followed by Bayrakdarian’s faultless comedic personal stories such as that of her 3-year-old on stage: he in his designer shirts and she in stun - rendition of Una voce poco fa . She remembers son’s response to her Armenian lullaby (he sug - ning gowns, by Atelier Rosemary Umetsu. this aria fondly, as “The Barber of Seville” marked gests the key she should sing it in!) or the VERNON, Canada (Vernon Morning Star) — Another moment of sadness, evoked by the her opera debut. An understudy with the exquisite love songs she added to the program, The first encore, The Cat Duet , performed by death of Shakespeare’s Ophelia, scored originally Canadian Opera, she went on as Rosina on open - “begging our indulgence.” soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian and husband, by Berlioz for a female chorus, was offset by the ing night and hasn’t looked back since. Judging from their response last week, Vernon pianist/composer Serouj Kradjian, delighted the wit and ebullience of Rossini’s “Barber of Seville.” Nor should she. Bayrakdarian is engaged to audiences would “indulge” Bayrakdarian and audience so much that they demanded a second First came Kradjian’s piano solo transcribed her fingertips in everything she sings and her Kradjian any time they wish to return. encore at the North Okanagan Community Concert Association’s Wednesday, November 16 presentation at the Performing Arts Centre. According to Bayrakdarian, this duet, usually No mention is made of the fact that the sung by two sopranos, reflected the ups and Somewhere, Beyond the Sea Palestinian leadership in 1947 rejected the par - downs of touring life for a husband and wife team. tition resolution and launched, albeit ineffi - It was deliciously tongue-in-cheek and perfectly REVIEW, from page 15 turned Jaffa into an almost exclusively Arab ciently, a war to prevent its implementation; no timed as was everything the couple performed, by extension, their governments — with “cal - place, but in April-May 1948 it was conquered mention of the fact that from November 30, whether comic or tragic, solo or duo, with work lousness.” And to be sure, everything bad he by Jewish militiamen and almost all of its popu - 1947, the day after UN General Assembly by Franz Liszt, Hector Berlioz or Kradjian himself says about the American high commissioner lation fled to Gaza, the West Bank and Resolution 181 (partition) was passed, Jaffa’s in a program that ran the gamut from classical to and naval chief, Mark Bristol, and more, is jus - Lebanon. The town was then co-opted by its militiamen daily assailed Tel Aviv with sniper opera to folk songs and dances. tified. But the overall story, as illuminated by larger Jewish neighbor, creating one municipal and, occasionally, mortar fire and that the Jews And The Cat Duet crowned it all. From his the contemporary documentation, is somewhat area designated “Tel Aviv-Jaffa.” While tens of finally attacked and conquered Jaffa after suf - seat at the Steinway, Kradjian not only different. While understandably reluctant to go thousands of Arabs inhabit Jaffa today, Arab fering these depredations for five months. enhanced every perfect note that fell from his to war (again) with Turkey, the Allied naval Jaffa no longer exists. Abulafia writes well and offers up a compre - wife’s lips, but he interjected meows of his own. teams performed in the Smyrna crisis with Abulafia’s cool, evenhanded treatment of this hensive, fair-minded history. For those who can Once, the two even spat (cat like) at each other, courage and humanity, orchestrating the with - microcosmic history leads to serious elisions plow through 650 pages of historiography, this before purring into Bayrakdarian’s final immac - drawal to safety of more than a quarter of a mil - that, to my mind, amount to distortion. He is a good read. And, occasionally, the prose is ulate high note, “Meee...,” which proceeded to lion Ionians, mostly on Greek ships, in one of writes of the second bout of anti-Jewish rioting captivating. cascade down the scale into its “eeeooooooow,” the great maritime evacuations in history. by the Arabs: “Outbreaks of violence between Abulafia has a good eye for quotes. Take bringing everyone to their feet again. And — I can’t restrain myself — one last point Jews and Arabs soured relations from 1921 Pharaoh Merneptah’s (13th-century BC) Vernon is blessed to have guest performers of about Abulafia’s book in connection with the onwards.” And of the 1936-39 inscription at Karnak relating to his conquest this caliber. battle of cultures — and religions. One of its against the British government and its Zionist and pacification of Canaan: Emotional integrity and acting finesse were principal theaters in the 20th century has been wards, he writes: “The port of Jaffa serviced Tel “Men can walk the roads at any pace without balanced by the technical brilliance of these two Palestine, where the Jews, seen by themselves Aviv until the outbreak of a new and even more fear. The fortresses stand open and the wells Canadians of Armenian heritage. and by their Arab neighbors as representatives serious round of violence in 1936.” Similarly, are accessible to all travellers. The walls and the When Kradjian played his composition and embodiments of the West, have repeatedly his succinct reference to the 1948 war also fails battlements sleep peacefully in the sunshine till Homage to Gomidas , which honored the priest, clashed with the country’s Arabs and the sur - to attribute agency to any side — violence sim - their guards wake up. The police lie stretched pianist, choir director and singer who collected rounding Arab world. The conflict is both polit - ply breaks out, no one starts it. out asleep. The desert frontier-guards are some 4,000 Armenian folk songs before he lost ical — over a patch of territory — and over val - As to Jaffa during the 1948 war, no context is among the meadows where they like to be.” his mind as a result of witnessing the atrocities of ues. Abulafia does not put the Palestine conflict provided. Abulafia tells us, simply: Would that this were so today. the 1915-23 Armenian Genocide, his Armenian in these terms, or, indeed, in any others, and “Over a number of weeks in spring 1948, . . . (Benny Morris is a professor of history in the spirit shone through his performance. So did devotes to it only a small amount of space, most - tens of thousands of Jaffan Arabs fled by ship or Middle East Studies Department of Ben-Gurion Bayrakdarian’s when she sang a mother’s ly by zooming in on the history of the seaside overland.... The United Nations had designated University of the Negev. He is the author of farewell to her child who, like countless others, Arab town of Jaffa, on the site of a first-millen - Jaffa as an exclave of the proposed Arab state that One State, Two States: Resolving the died as a result of the Armenians’ forcible eviction nium-BC Philistine city and the emergence of would coexist with a Jewish state in Palestine. Israel/Palestine Conflict , Yale University Press, by Ottoman Imperialists. its Jewish neighbor, Tel Aviv, founded in 1909. Following bombardment by Jewish forces in late 2009. This review originally appeared in the But sadness was short-lived with these two Arab attacks on Jews by the late 1930s had April, the population of Jaffa dwindled.” National Interest .) CC AA LLEENNDDAARR

DECEMBER 3-4 — St. Peter Armenian Church Women MASSACHUSETTS Guild present their Holiday Bazaar. Gourmet Pantry and Bakery. St. Peter Armenian Church, 100 Troy Schenectady DECEMBER 2-3 — Trinity Christmas Bazaar, Holy Trinity Road, Watervliet. For info, (518) 274-3673. Armenian Church, 145 Brattle St., Cambridge, Friday, 3-9 DECEMBER 11 — Armenian Church of the Holy Mar tyrs p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Lunch and dinners offered. presents Shnorhali Choir. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Booths include: farmer’s market, country store, candy, Armenia’s independence at 4 p.m., Madison Theater of gourmet, pastries, wreaths and poinsettias, jewelry, second- Molloy College, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. For time around, sports silent auction and more. Santa’s info, (516) 678-5000, ext. 7715. Playland, Saturday 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. MAY 19, 2012 — HMADS Gala Dinner Dance. Details to fol - DECEMBER 11 — Christmas Holiday Concert: Erevan low, June 25. HMADS 30th Commencement Exercise at 8 Choral Society and Orchestra, 3 p.m., church sanctuary, p.m., Kalustyan Hall. Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Boston, 145 Brattle St., Cambridge. Conductor Konstantin Petrossian. For further info, contact the church office at [email protected] or (617) NEW JERSEY 354-0632. JANUARY 21 — The Armenian Missionary Association DECEMBER 2 — Manti Dinner at Hovnanian School spon - presents jazz sensation Grace Kelly in concer t. Proceeds sored by the PTO and Class 2012. Dinner at 7 p.m. BYOB. to benefit the Avedisian School. National Heritage Museum, Adults, $30; 12 and under, $15. For information, call Garine On December 11, the Erevan Choral Lexington. Tickets: $35, $20 with student ID. Cocktails, 6:30 Kahvejian (201) 741-5555. p.m.; concert, 8 p.m. For more information, visit Society and Orchestra will perform their DECEMBER 3 — St. Thomas Armenian Church presents www.gracekellymusic.com or www.amaa.org. Christmas Holiday Concert at Holy Taline Friends and Santa, Saturday, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Trinity Armenian Church of Greater St. Thomas Church, corner of E. Clinton Ave. and Route 9W. NEW YORK Boston, 145 Brattle St., Cambridge, at 3 Tickets, $28. For info, call Martha Saraydarian (201) 568- p.m., in the church sanctuary, under the 5315, Mary Ann Saraydarian (201) 871-9111 and Tara DECEMBER 3 — The AGBU/NYSEC presents the fourth direction of conductor, Konstantin Sarafian (201) 444-2478. annual AGBU Per forming Artists in Concert, at 8 p.m. Petrossian, pictured here. For info, con - DECEMBER 10-11 — Tekeyan Cultural Association, Mher Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. 154 W 57th St., New York tact the church office at [email protected] Megerdichian Theatrical group presents Aldo Nigolski’s City. Tickets, $65. For info, call AGBU at (212) 319-6383, ext. or (617) 354-0632. “To Kill for Love,” a comedy directed by Gagik Karapetian. 124. To purchase tickets directly through the Carnegie Hall Oradell Elementary School, 350 Prospect Ave., Oradell, NJ. Box Office: carnegiehall.org. Carnegie charge: (212) 247- Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m. Call Marie Zokian (201) 7800. Box Office: 57th Street and Seventh Avenue. 745-8850 or Maro Hajakian (201) 934-3427. S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 17 COMMENTARY

T HE A RMENIAN COMMENTARY Mirror- Wanted: Owners of Six Tons of Gold Spectator Left in Historic Armenia father trusted the gold to the Swiss bank believing that the By Edmond Y. Azadian banking system which kept secrecy on Nazi gold would treat his treasures in the same way. But missed the fact that the gold deposited in the Swiss banks did not belong to the Nazis; it Established 1932 Every time a nostalgic Armenian travels to the land of his belonged to the Jews. ancestors, currently occupied Turkey, he or she is surrounded The Nazis, who had exterminated millions of Jews and An ADL Publication by the ubiquitous volunteer guides who offer their services to usurped their property, had a special interest in the gold hunt for hidden treasures. Amrenian Weekly’s Khatchig deposited by their victims in Swiss banks. Mouradian, who had recently visited Diyarbekir, recounts his In the 1990s international scandals broke out about the gold EDITOR experience with those treasure hunters and quotes Hrant Dink deposited in Swiss banks and the government was forced to Alin K. Gregorian who used to say: “You are digging and looking for treasures divulge some secrets to the US and British governments. To underground and you fail to realize that the real treasure was ASSOCIATE EDITOR this day, many organizations related to Holocaust victims have Aram Arkun walking on the ground in these lands and was annihilated.” been chasing those banks. If the 800,000 gold coins were My own mother once visited the house in where she deposited in the Swiss bank imitating the “Nazi gold,” then ART DIRECTOR was born; the occupants of that house, who still did not have suspicions should arise because their source is unknown. Marc Mgrditchian the deed, had inquired from her where the family had hidden Talaat has written in his “secret file” that 70,000 PRODUCTION their treasures, after offering lavish Turkish hospitality. Armenians were deported from Elazig. No Armenians returned Dilani Yogaratnam Many Turks welcome the visits of the Armenians as tourists, to Elazig. The wealthy Armenian families were also deported. but many more to this day look for opportunities to strike gold Almost all the deported families hid their gold in a secret place with the help of those nostalgic tourists. And indeed, when or trusted to their Muslim neighbors, hoping to return one day. Armenians were being deported, it seldom crossed their minds And for years stories were being circulated about hidden CONTRIBUTORS: that they were heading to a “final solution” perpetrated by Armenian treasures. Additionally many Armenians visit their Elizabeth Aprahamian, Daphne Abeel, Dr. Talaat Pasha. They were all led to believe that they were being parent’s native towns to discover their hidden treasures. Haroutiune Arzoumanian, Edmond subjected to some temporary measure, and that they would Azadian, Prof. Vahakn N. Dadrian, Diana Professor Cagri concludes his remarks by the following state - Der Hovanessian, Philip Ketchian, return to their towns and homes at the end of the war. Thus, ment: “2015 is around the corner. Armenians attach great Kevork Keushkerian, Sonia Kailian- they either buried their treasures or left them with their trust - importance to the 100th anniversary of the ‘so called’ Placido , H arut Sassounian, Mary Terzian, ed Muslim friends, like many Armenians and Greeks featured Armenian Genocide. There is no doubt that the Armenian Hagop Vartivarian, Naomi Zeytoonian, in Kemal Yalçin’s books. lobby, which misses no opportunity, has already focused on the Taleen Babayan Recently a story emerged in Switzerland about six tons of gold whose source is ‘unknown.’ The bank Credit Suisse is gold, shipped from historic Armenia to Geneva to be deposited already considering the case ‘scandalous’ and believes ‘there is at the Credit Suisse Bank, which refuses to release the treasure CORRESPONDENTS: some conspiracy behind it.’ Therefore, we see where the case is to a Turkish family who claims ownership. heading and it is not right to involve the prime minister. This Armenia - Hagop Avedikian The news first broke in the Turkish newspaper, Hurriyet , on Boston - Nancy Kalajian may create an embarrassing situation for the entire country.” Philadelphia - Lisa Manookian October 17. A commentary about the case also appeared in the Professor Cagri maybe is referring to the Armenian lawyers Turkiye newspaper by Prof. Cagri Erhan, who, rather than when he mentions lobbyists, who went after the French and Contributing Photographers: questioning the prove - Jacob Demirdjian, Harry Koundakjian, Jirair German banks and Hovsepian nance of the treasure, insurance companies questions the Credit and did a laudable job The Armenian Mirror-Spectator is published Suisse Bank’s motives Recently a story emerged in Switzerland in recovering some of weekly, except two weeks in July, by: for refusing to give the the funds owed to the Association, Inc. gold to a businessman about six tons of gold, shipped from victims of the from Elazig (the his - Genocide. 755 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown, MA 02472-1509 Telephone: 617-924-4420 toric Armenian city of historic Armenia to Geneva to be Fortunately, the good Kharpert) named Sayid professor is not aware FAX: 617-924-2887 Ali Bayraki. that the same lawyers www.mir rorspectator.com The Turkologist deposited at the Credit Suisse Bank, have put aside the E-Mail: editor@mirrorspectator .com Hagop Chakerian has Turks for the moment For advertising: [email protected] translated the article which refuses to release the treasure and are at each for the daily Azg in other’s throats suing Yerevan, spicing it with to a Turkish family who claims each other. his own comments. One cannot dispel SUBSCRIPTION RATES : Most of the informa - the suspicions of con - U.S.A. ownership. 2nd Class $75 a year tion about this devel - spiracy when the 1st Class $120 a year oping story comes lawyers who were going Canada through Mr. Chakerian’s article, published in the November 11, after Turks and Turkey have turned their guns on each other. Air Mail $125 a year 2011 issue of Azg . The Elazig businessman, Sayid Ali Bayraki, By the same token, the generous benefactors who initially All Other Countries has been fighting for many years to receive 800,000 Ottoman contributed princely sums to build a Genocide Museum are Air Mail $190 a year gold coins inherited from his father. The Swiss ambassador in again at each other’s throats, suing each other and jeopardiz - Display advertising r at e: $7 per column inch Turkey, Raymond Kuntz, has traveled to Elazig to discuss the ing the completion of the museum in time for 2015. case of the gold, the origins of which are still shrouded in mys - In the meantime, many victim groups are suing the Turkish tery. Isn’t this an extremely extraordinary story? But how could state and the government is drowned in thousands of lawsuits. © 2010 The Armenian Mirror-Spectator one carry 800,000 Ottoman gold coins, which weigh six metric The European Court of Human Rights is inundated with law - Periodical Class Postage Paid at Boston, MA tons, from Turkey to Switzerland? According to Mr. Bayraki, his suits. Last year, there were 5,000 cases. That figure has jumped and additional mailing offices. father transported the six tons of gold to Switzerland, traveling to 7,000 this year. Turkey is losing almost all the cases. on land and by sea. Today, the 800,000 Ottoman gold coins are ISSN 0004-234X Recently, Foreign Minister Ahmad Davutoglu joined Justice worth $3.5 billion. Minister Sadoulla Erguin to give a press conference about POSTMASTER : Send address changes to The In addition to involving the Swiss ambassador to this case, these court cases. He stated that the flood of lawsuits at the Armenian Mirror-Spectator, P.O. Box 302, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself has intervened European Court, means that here is a sickness in Turkey which Watertown, MA 02471-0302 on behalf of Mr. Bayraki. According to the latter, his father had should be remedied. Other than the editorial, views and opinions shipped six tons of gold right on the eve of the putsch by Gen. “Turkey has to adopt a new strategy to forestall so many law - expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the policies of the publisher. Kenan Evren on September 12, 1980, who established military suits. We need to change our methods of defense since we lose dictatorship in Turkey. It is not difficult to conclude that almost all cases,” he said. He classified the cases in three cate - Bayraki’s father was part of the “deep state,” which has creat - gories: a) cases triggered by Turkey’s foreign policy. Ankara’s ed the reign of terror in Turkey. Today, the web of misdeeds of aggression on and occupation of Cyprus territory has pro - the “deep state” is being entangled by the Ergenekon investi - duced an avalanche of court cases; b) Turkey’s antiquated Copying for other than personal use or gations. domestic laws which trample citizens’ and minority rights have internal reference is prohibited without express permission of the copyright Professor Cagri states: “As far as I know, in the first years of generated 19,000 cases and c) cases generated by the suppres - owner. Address requests for reprints or Republican Turkey no citizen has owned that kind of money. sion of freedom of speech and press (like Article 301 in the back issues to: For example, when the IS bank was founded in 1924 its entire penal code). Baikar Association, Inc. capital was 250,000 Turkish liras. It is a major problem to hide The world is suing Turkey and winning the cases, while 755 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown, MA 02472-1509 that kind of money from the government. According to Armenian lawyers fight each other. Bayraki, his father had earned that money doing business and Six tons of gold are sitting in the Swiss bank. The gold is up he had hidden the gold in a hole dug under the house. Earning for grabs and it can do a lot of good for Armenia. We have to the gold by doing business is questionable because after the rise up to the occasion. Turkish Republic was established, business was no longer con - It is time to leave behind internecine squabbles and go after Check us out at ducted through the Ottoman currency. It looks like Bayraki’s the gold. mirrorspectator.com 18 S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR COMMENTARY

was another. As Koptas, his successor, related, Dink and Cetin were different heroes, but both To Be, or Not To Be, a Turk presented Turks with the existential question: where do I come from? When Dink was killed, many Turks linked his fate to the historical Reflections on the Inner-Turkish Debate on 1915/1916 dilemma. They asked themselves: well, if they killed him, maybe they also killed the Armenians in 1915. What really happened then? after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire and the Turkey,” Prof. Altinay actualized the issue by Dink, he stressed, introduced a new political lan - By Muriel Mirak-Weissbach flight of the leading Young Turks. One could posing very direct, pertinent questions: what guage in Turkey and posed the need to face the write about it, discuss it openly and Turks knew should one say as a Turk to Fetiye Cetin, per - as part of the process of a lot about the Genocide in 1919. But with the haps, “I’m sorry about your grandmother?” democratization: if Turkey wants to become a Why does Turkey have such difficulty in deal - establishment of the Turkish Republic under What should one say if one were to meet that democratic state, then it must deal with 1915, ing with its historical past? Why can the Turkish Mustafa Kemal, that changed radically. He grandmother? She reported on other books he insisted. Koptas also pointed to the case of authorities not acknowledge that in 1915 the arranged for 150 CUP members on trial in that have since appeared, taking up similar Hasan Jemal, grandson of Young Turk triumvi - Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire Malta to be freed and redefined the perpetrators themes. What this indicates is that the “grand - rate Jemal Pasha, who went to Yerevan and paid was the victim of genocide? If the German post- as martyrs. Thus, the policy of ‘forgetting” children generation,” those whose grandparents homage to the Genocide victims at the war political elite was capable of facing up to began with the establishment of the Republic. were victims of the Genocide, has broken the Genocide monument. Hasan too is of the grand - the Holocaust and establishing relations with silence. These are not isolated cases but exam - children’s generation. the Jewish people, in Israel and elsewhere, why The Phases of Denial ples of a sociological phenomenon: here a Turk, cannot the Turkish leadership do as much? The history of the Turkish Republic’s han - there a Turk is discovering he or she had an The Threat to Turkish Identity The question was raised during a seminar in dling of 1915/1916, was summarized by Elke Armenian grandmother. Altinay and Cetin col - To return to the question posed at the onset: Potsdam, Germany on November 5, on “The Hartmann, who stepped in for Prof. Dr. Halil laborated on an exciting project interviewing 25 why is it so difficult for Turkey to deal with its Inner Turkish Discussion of 1915/1916.” Berktay on short notice. In a speech on “1915 people from this generation. In their book, Les historical past? What became clear at least for Other issues discussed were the history of and Scientific Reappraisals since the founding petits enfants (Actes Sud), they present the this writer during the Potsdam conference is Turkish denial and how Turkish publications of the Turkish Republic: Between State drama of Turks in this age group who have that the challenge Turkey faces is not primarily have attempted to deal with this, as well as sub - Guidelines and Freedom of Research,” she begun to explore their family histories, to ask political or economic; it is not solely an issue of jects related to the Genocide itself, the fate of showed how at the time of the events, the per - who their grandmothers were and where they Armenian reparations or territorial claims or the survivors and how Armenians have been petrators knew exactly what they were doing came from. In Dr. Altinay’s terms, these are the like. The issue is Turkish identity. If the struggling with their traumatic past. What and demonstrated it in their memoirs, for exam - Armenians who are “coming out of the closet,” Turkish establishment were to acknowledge made this gathering sponsored by the ple, those of Talaat, which well full of justifica - that is, openly acknowledging their Armenian reality, that 1915/1916 was Genocide, then it Lepsiushaus in Potsdam quite special was the tions for what had occurred. After Turkey’s heritage. would have to acknowledge that the Young list of guest speakers, almost all of them promi - independence war, the policy was one of silence Turk regime of 1915 was responsible. This nent Turkish intellectuals, most of them from and forgetting. Attempts from the outside to ‘Assimilation’ of the Women and would raise questions about the credibility of Turkey. Their task was to present the current address the Genocide, as in the 1934 film on Children the Ataturk regime from 1923 on which reha - status of the discussion process inside the coun - , were blocked, then and again in On the one hand the policy of the Young bilitated the Young Turk leaders. try regarding 1915/1916. 1938, by Turkish political pressure. Turks was to eliminate the Armenians, through As Koptas noted, “Turkishness” was the very The title of the event itself is symptomatic of Although the dramatic revelations of the killings, starvation and deportations, as Dr. foundation of the Republic; the State tried to the problem: instead of referring to the dimensions of the Holocaust after World War II Ugor Ü. Üngör from Utrecht University, force the issue of identity, making Alevites into Armenian Genocide, one had to cite overshadowed discussion of the Armenian reviewed. If the Armenians before 1915 had Sunnis and treating Greeks and Armenians as “1915/1916,” perhaps to protect those Turkish Genocide, in 1965, when Armenians abroad 2,500 churches and 2,000 schools among their special groups whose numbers were to be participants from being subjected to punitive demonstrated to commemorate the 50th 2,900 Armenian settlements, what remained in reduced. measures from state authorities on their return anniversary of their tragedy and began to erect 1918 were 6-7 churches in Istanbul and no clois - When confronted with eyewitness accounts home. In fact, one planned guest speaker, Ragib monuments, the issue was again on the political ters or schools. The Young Turks targeted first of the 1915 massacres, the State would respond Zaragolu, a prominent publisher who has issued agenda. A turning point occurred in 1973, when the intellectuals and civic leaders, then confis - that the Armenians were “traitors” who had to books on the Armenian question, was prevent - the first Turkish diplomat was assassinated by cated Armenian property, then killed through be punished. ed from attending the conference by an arrest an ASALA assailant, which inaugurated the executions and deportations. On the other But a nation erected on the basis of a lie can - on October 28, when he, along with 48 others, wave of revenge killings. This, Hartmann said, hand, they also had a policy of forced “assimila - not have the moral capacity to endure. The were detained on trumped-up charges of mem - led to a policy change in Turkey, in that the tion:” that is, that Armenian women and chil - Turkish Republic of Mustafa Kemal was built on bership in or association with a terrorist-linked Turkish authorities decided to present their dren, especially young girls, should be spared, the lie that the Genocide never occurred and organization. own version of events. As Koptas put it, after forced to convert to Islam and to marry Turks. the corollary lies that the Armenians were Thus, the Potsdam gathering was a special the ASLA assassinations began, Turkey realized Fethiye Cetin’s grandmother comes out of this Russia’s fifth-column, traitors who had to be event, because the themes addressed and the that “they had a 1915 problem.” According to process, as so many others. Figures on how punished. personalities involved constituted a challenge to Hartmann, historians in the West, especially many Armenians were involved are hard to In purely ethnic terms, the proceedings of the the current Turkish establishment, albeit nei - Turkologists in the US, enjoyed Turkish sup - come by and historians’ estimates vary; Vahakn Potsdam conference pose the question: how ther political nor militant, but nonetheless a port for research and access to archives to devel - Dadrian spoke of thousands of young orphans, many Turks are actually ethnic Armenians or at challenge on the intellectual/psychological op a literature of denial. Following the 1980 mil - 10,000 girls who were taken as concubines or least partially so? What, then, does it mean to be level. itary coup, a campaign was launched in Turkish wives; Balakian refers to thousands of forced a Turk? If the actual population of Turkey today The comparison to the German treatment of schools to educate (or better indoctrinate) converts and Serafian, to 20,000 orphans. Who is multiethnic, then where does the Turkish the Holocaust was historically relevant and youth on 1915. This campaign, which unfolded knows how many Armenian women and chil - identity lie? Is it ethnic? Is it religious? How can instructive. In answer to the question, why in parallel with the natural process of dying out dren, especially girls, were taken into Turkish a young Turkish student — perhaps with Turkey has such difficulties in dealing with its of the survivor generation, fixated on so-called homes, converted to Islam and given Turkish Armenian ancestors — go to school in the morn - past, some suggest that they fear demands by “proofs” that the Genocide did not occur. names? Although some figures for the dead are ing and recite an oath exalting his Turkishness? the Republic of Armenia and/or the diaspora Author Marc Nishanian has dubbed Turkish his - given in Turkish records, there are no reports of Interestingly, there has been much discussion for territorial concessions and reparations, the toriography in the 1990s as a “historiographical the survivors, a term, in fact, which is not used. over recent years of a “new Ottomanism,” which latter on the German model. But there is more. perversion,” in that researchers admitted that How many are they? It is almost impossible to is usually presented in regard to Turkey’s for - Elke Hartmann, an Ottoman expert from Berlin, perhaps hundreds of thousands of Armenians determine. But if the number of “assimilated” eign policy thrust towards strengthening rela - explained that Turkey, unlike Germany, was nei - had perished in 1915, but questioned the “sig - after 1915 was tens or hundreds of thousands, tions with its neighbors, many of whom were ther defeated nor occupied. To be sure, the nificance” of this “fact.” Nishanian’s view was then their offspring and grandchildren could subjects of the Ottoman Empire. Without cav - Ottoman Empire lost in World War I, but the that a “fact” without significance is not truth. exceed a million today. ing in to temptations of regional hegemonism, Turkish Republic emerged victorious from its Some Armenian scholars responded with an It is the grandchildren of these forcibly such thinking could perhaps help in facing the struggle for national sovereignty and indepen - attempt to accumulate ever more “facts.” “assimilated” Armenian females who are now national identity crisis, which is quietly explod - dence. In post-war Germany, it was the occupy - openly raising the question of their parentage ing in Turkey. Recognizing multi-ethnicity in ing powers who organized the Nurnberg trials The Grandchildren Speak Out and ethnic identity. They are tugging on a the Turkish population could provide a way of which tried, convicted and executed leading The breach in the wall of denial came with the thread of yarn which threatens to pull the entire liberating it from the implicitly racist constraints Nazis for crimes against humanity. In subse - appearance of Fetiye Cetin’s groundbreaking fabric of denial asunder. of “Turkishness” and assist in the process of quent years, especially in the 1960s, historians book, My Grandmother, in 2004 followed by the The implications of this process are vast and finally dealing with the 1915 Genocide. worked through the Nazi experience and the assassination of Hrant Dink in 2007. Cetin’s profound. Koptas said he was confident that, by follow - broader German public was educated about the autobiographical account of her discovery that For those Turkish citizens who have discov - ing Hrant Dink’s approach of educating the reality of the Nazi regime. her grandmother was an Armenian who had ered an Armenian (or Kurdish) grandmother, Turkish people about their past without wound - In Turkey, immediately after the Ottoman survived the Genocide unleashed a literary-polit - there are two questions that emerge: first, why ing them in the process, they would be able to defeat, trials were also held and leading Young ical-psychological revolution. She may have didn’t I know about my Armenian parentage? “mourn and accept” and sympathize with the Turk officials who had not managed to flee the couched her story in terms of “bitterness” and Then: What happened to the Armenians in Armenian people. Dink’s insistence on grasping country, were put on the dock, convicted and in “pain” instead of using the banned word “geno - 1915? These are the explosive questions that the psychological dimension of the problem was some cases executed. Others, including the lead - cide,” but her moving account opened the are punctuating a widespread sociological dis - crucial: that one must deal with both the trau - ing figures Talaat Pasha and Jemal Pasha, were minds and hearts of thousands of Turks, and, as course in Turkey today. In parallel, as certain ma of the Armenians and the paranoia of the hunted down in their exile and assassinated by both Hartmann and Koptas stressed, made it Armenian churches are being reopened and Turks. This process of social awakening must Armenian assailants. But after the establish - possible for Turks to discuss the matter for the allowed to host services, there are a number of develop from the grass roots level upwards – ment of the Republic in 1923, Mustafa Kemal first time in their lifetimes. (It was a special treat Turkish citizens presenting themselves for bap - and that is what is occurring. As for the State, declared the assassinated Turks to be martyrs, to have the gracious author Fetiya Cetin on tism, albeit anonymously to avoid harassment. Koptas was straightforward: he expressed his and, where possible, had their remains returned hand in Potsdam and to hear extracts from her This was the case at the reopening of St. desire for a Willy Brandt to emerge in Turkey — to Turkey for heroes’ burials. To grasp the book presented in an evening session in Giragos (Surp Giragos) Church in Diyarbakir on referencing the German Social Democratic import of this act, one should reflect on what German translation.) October 22. In short, there is a slow, but steadi - leader who fell to his knees at the Warsaw would have happened had Konrad Adenauer In 2005, as Dr. Ayse Gül Altinay of Sabanci ly expanding process of rediscovery among Ghetto, in recognition of — and apology for — rehabilitated Göring. University in Istanbul reported, Cetin’s book Turkish citizens of Armenian descent of their the crimes of the Nazi regime against the Jews As Rober Kaptas, the new editor in chief of had already become a best-seller and university heritage. Agos, Hrant Dink’s newspaper, explained, the conferences have dealt with the issue. In her The publication of Cetin’s My Grandmother (Muriel Mirak-Weissbach is the author of 1919 trials had been made possible because an speech on “The Survivors from 1915 in the was a watershed of historic dimensions. The Through the Wall of Fire: Armenia, Iraq, opposition government had come into power Testimonies of their Descendants Living in assassination of Hrant Dink in January 2007 Palestine: From Wrath to Reconciliation .) S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 19 COMMENTARY

a single country — Turkey! Strangely, majority of the ities and 5) supports Iran in violation of US sanctions. Committee members were willing to go along with this The possible aim of the proponents of Resolution 2362 unusual and illegal request, ignoring strong warnings from is to pass this particular bill before the more inclusive the Congressional Research Service that extending special Resolution 205 is approved, in order to give Turkey a head privileges to only one country would violate provisions of start and undeserved advantage over all other nations. My Turn major US trade agreements — Most Favored Nation (MFN), Turkey could then strike exclusive trade deals with Indian North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and tribes for up to 25 years, renewable for two additional By Harut Sassounian World Trade Organization (WTO). terms of 25 years each, for a total of 75 years. This means Moreover, there was no need whatsoever for Congress to that by the time companies from other countries have a approve a pilot program for any one country, when the chance to sign contracts with Indian tribes, Turkish firms Turkey Seeks to Monopolize same Committee was simultaneously considering a more would have snatched up the most lucrative deals, leaving Investments In American Indian inclusive bill — House Resolution 205 — which would pro - the others empty-handed. vide to all countries an equal opportunity to trade with and Immediately after the Committee’s adoption of Tribal Lands invest in Indian tribal lands. In fact, the Director of the Resolution 2362, Turkish-Americans and the Turkish Bureau of Indian Affairs testified that he had serious reser - Embassy in Washington rushed to celebrate a premature In a few weeks, when high-priced Turkish lobbying firms vations about Resolution 2362. That is why he preferred to victory. The Turkish Coalition of America issued a press file their mandatory reports with the Justice Department, support Resolution 205, which would “foster the same release on November 17, expressing its joy that the res - important revelations will emerge about their behind the goals…on a broader scale.” When Rep. John Sarbanes olution was approved by the committee and would soon scenes role in pushing through Congress a bill which (Dem.-Maryland) tried to introduce an amendment to be adopted by the full House. That same night, the would give Turkish companies a monopoly for investments expand the scope of Resolution 2362 beyond Turkey, it was Turkish Embassy hosted a reception in Washington “to in American Indian tribal lands. ruled out of order due to a technicality. mark American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage These reports would disclose the chain of contacts lead - Before the vote, several Armenian-American and Month and celebrate the successful passage of H.R. ing to the approval of Resolution 2362, the “Indian Tribal Greek-American organizations submitted to the House 2362 out of the House Natural Resources Committee.” Trade and Investment Demonstration Project Act of 2011,” Committee letters in opposition to Resolution 2362, Turkey’s illustrious Ambassador Namik Tan was person - by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Natural pointing out the impropriety and illegality of giving ally tweeting pictures of American Indians in their Resources by a vote of 27 to 15, on November 17. Turkey a monopolistic access to Indian tribal lands. native costumes as the festivities were taking place at One should not be surprised to learn that this innocent These organizations raised five key objections to the embassy. sounding resolution, meant to “facilitate economic devel - Congress extending special privileges to Turkey because The ambassador should be reminded that a victory cele - opment by Indian tribes and encourage investment by that country: 1) remains an unrepentant perpetrator of bration is premature because there are no guarantees that Turkish enterprises,” was gliding through Congress helped genocide against millions of Armenians, Greeks and this defective bill would ever reach the House floor, let by the lavish flow of funds — the mother’s milk of politics Assyrians; 2) continues to blockade Armenia, occupy alone the Senate, since it grossly violates a number of US — to some House members. Cyprus, confront Israel, attack Kurds and undermine US trade agreements. Even if the bill receives Congressional Of course, there is nothing wrong in helping Native regional interests; 3) threatens US commercial interests approval, American civic organizations and many countries Americans to attract foreign investments, except that in the Mediterranean region; 4) is linked to American would file lawsuits to block this discriminatory piece of leg - Congress was being asked to give preferential treatment to Turkish entities suspected of involvement in illegal activ - islation.

Former Turkish LETTERS Ambassador: ‘EU Hovanian Deserves Accolades, Other Assembly Dream Is Dead’ Founders Need to Be Remembered To the Editor: University who had involvement with oral histories of the I join with Nubar Dorian’s sentiments about the great con - Holocaust survivors. After the second or third year, my broth - ISTANBUL (EU Observer) — Turkey’s former ambassador to tributions of Hirair Hovnanian expressed in his tribute to er prepared a draft proposal for funding of an Armenian Oral the EU, Volkan Bozkir, has described it as a spent force in him in the November 18, 2011 issue of the Mirror-Spectator . History Project from the federal government. ALMA provided world affairs amid I observed Hirair’s dedication and commitment for much of the draft proposal to the Assembly and urged it to apply for general acceptance his life and wealth since the early 1970s, when I first met him the grant. The Assembly was selected because it had some By Andrew Rettman EU-Turkey accession when he joined us in the Armenian Assembly. I was awed by good relations with Congressional and other government talks are going him at that first meeting he attended — which — if I remem - leaders. When the Armenian Assembly received a matching nowhere. ber correctly — was in a Detroit motel. grant from the federal government, ALMA provided it with Bozkir told delegates at a business congress in Istanbul last There, while we were intently planning and discussing the various forms and instructions that we had worked out in Friday, November 18: “The EU dream has come to an end for development of a national convocation of Armenian- connection with our own Oral History Project and also pro - the world. There is a paradigm shift. The EU is no longer the American leaders from coast-to-coast, we were talking about vided the Assembly with hundreds of oral history tapes of our same Union that provided comfort, prosperity and wealth to small dollars. Even though this was his first meeting with us, interviews of survivors. its citizens as in the past. It no longer generates visionary he piped up to say, “Forget this penny-ante stuff. I don’t want Over the 70 years or so that I have been active in the ideas such as Schengen [the EU’s passport free zone], or the to be involved if we are talking nickels and dimes. We have Armenian community, I have been amused by later attribu - Common Agricultural Policy.” to do this one, big.” It was his assertion that made a large tions to others incorrectly of who did or originated what. I “Greece, Portugal, Spain — the EU has a hard time support - impact on other wealthy businessmen that got us up to the learned long ago from the late Vartan Hartunian’s maxim: ing these countries in the economic crisis. It is not able any next rungs in the ladder. “Once you do good, forget the good you have done or you more to help its members recover from a crisis.” I was also amazed that he, with his great wealth, along will be enchained by it.” Many of the things I have done Bozkir, who was Turkey’s ambassador to the EU between with Stephen Papken Mugar, also of means, bankrolled our have similarly been mischaracterized to others. However, I 2005 and 2009 and is now chairman of the foreign affairs operation, with some help from others. They enhanced our can forget about those but I do not want to forget about committee in the Turkish parliament, blamed the situation on budgets and at the same time, the two of them actively par - John Hanessian, one of the four founders of the Armenian the EU architecture - fiscal union between unequal economies ticipated fully in all our meetings and treated us with utmost Assembly because of my lasting memory of his unique con - and consensus-based decision-making. respect even though we were much younger and of modest tribution. The other three founders were Dr. Haigaz Using an automotive image for Eurozone economies, he means. They sat incessantly and listened as well as talked and Grigorian, a psychiatrist; Aram Kaloosdian and myself, both said: “You took cars that can only speed up to 60 kilometers expected and received no special treatment by reason of their practicing attorneys in the Boston area. per hour and put them on the road with cars driving at 100 overwhelming wealth. Hirair was a major benefactor of the The most important of the four of us was John Hanessian. kilometers per hour. So of course, these cars crash and are Armenian community generally, not only here in the United He originated the idea of the Armenian Assembly. When the pulled off the road. But when one breaks down, all the others States, but also for so many years a loyal and generous bene - four of us got together to formulate our strategy to establish are affected.” factor in Armenia. What I know about is probably only the such an organization, he was our leader. We lost him all too He added: “In normal democracies, you have a majority- tip of the iceberg of all that he has done for the benefit of soon because he switched to a Turkish airliner in Paris head - based decision mechanism, but never a unanimous mechanism the Armenian people. ed for London and it crashed over France. His name never ... In order to fix the crisis, you need the vote of countries Now, I would like to take this opportunity to correct or seems to get mentioned. As to the other three of us, Haigaz that caused the crisis. But of course, they say ‘No.’” amplify on a couple of statements in Nubar Dorian’s well-writ - Grigorian left the Assembly relatively soon after its founding, He also blamed unanimity for letting Turkey’s historical ten article. The Oral History Project of the Assembly which Aram and I persevered on an Executive Committee. I, for antagonist, Cyprus block the opening of negotiating chapters Nubar mentions came about strictly because of the urging about a decade and the I left to focus back on building in accession talks, putting them on hold since 2009: “That is and assistance of the Armenian Library and Museum of ALMA up. Aram Kaloosdian remained in the leadership for what is causing the political deadlock, so the negotiations are America (ALMA). When ALMA was founded in 1971, almost decades and may still be part of that leadership. not going anywhere.” from the very beginning, we focused for the first years on our Bozkir noted that EU membership is still Turkey’s “strategic Oral History Project, interviewing survivors of the Armenian The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ objective”, but only in the sense that adoption of EU-type stan - Genocide. We recognized that we must do that before the liv - Moves on. Nor all thy Piety nor Wit dards and values is good for Turkey whether it joins or not. ing survivors of the Genocide passed on. The ALMA project Shall lure it back to cancel half a line, was administered by Bethel Bilezikian Charkoudian, then a Nor all thy Tears wash away a word of it. ‘Positive Agenda’ young mother, a graduate of Radcliffe (Harvard’s then-name — Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam (Fitzgerald translation of For their part, two EU commissioners, Stefan Fuele for women attending Harvard). She led the effort. My broth - 1859). (enlargement) and Karl de Gucht (trade), came to the Istanbul er, Vigen Der Manuelian, supervised and contributed greatly event — put on by Turkish business organization Tuskon and to the concept and planning of ALMA’s Oral History Project. –Haig Der Manuelian the Brussels-based think-tank, the EPC — to promote what the He consulted with a scholar or scholars from Brandeis Boston EU is calling a “positive agenda” — a plan to keep going with see EU, page 20 20 S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 26, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR

New England ‘Walks Thru’ the Bible

WORCESTER, Mass. — On Saturday, Superintendents Association (NERSA), “Walk November 12, 124 parishioners of all ages from Thru the Bible Old Testament ” was an effort to parishes throughout the New England region infuse all parishioners with the infectious joy gathered at the Church of Our Saviour here that comes with the knowledge of Scripture and were exuberantly miming, gesticulating and and a love of God. shouting out the key words and phrases that “One of the things all superintendents have outlined the story of the entire Old Testament . come to realize is that unless the entire com - When one of the participants videoed the munity is modeling a powerful and authentic scene to his wife on his iPhone, she replied, faith, then whatever we offer our children and “Wow, that’s the happiest, most participatory young people is futile. They learn from believ - group of Armenians I’ve ever seen in the ing adults who are faith models,” said Elise church!” Antreassian, the Diocese’s Christian Education And indeed, the high spirit in the room was a coordinator. thing to behold. Worcester Sunday School Superintendents Sponsored by the Diocesan Department of Rebecca Kapur and Joan Arakelian were gra - Youth and Education (DYE) in partnership with cious hosts of the day, welcoming participants Seminar participants pose for a group photo. the New England Region Sunday School from every one of the 11 New England region parishes (of the 124 participants, more than three dozen were ele - stage, the audience was mesmerized. Between know or David’s disheartening vices, there was mentary, middle and high school brief explanations of content, he led the audi - always something for the audience to reflect students) who began arriving ence through gestures and mnemonic tech - upon in their own hearts and personal stories. early. They and their committee niques to help participants learn and remember As a result, many people later cited a desire to and helpers (including an the Old Testament story, from Creation grow more trusting, more loyal, more faithful admirable number of youngsters through the prophetic voices that preceded the and more loving in their relationship with Jesus and teens) had prepared a break - coming of Christ. Christ, as well as extend those goals into all fast and lunch buffet and made He would regularly leap onto the stage to their relationships from friendships to mar - everyone feel at home. In the lead the audience in repeatedly reviewing the riages. same spirit, the Rev. Aved cycle of movements and words. It was a good NERSA Chair Laurie Bejoian thanked partic - Terzian, the pastor of the exercise in imagination. At one point he had ipants for “the blessed presence of children and Church of Our Saviour, wel - everyone picture themselves as standing on a young people who made this day a truly family comed the audience. map of the ancient Near East and locate the event.” She drew special attention to the day’s “The Walk Thru the Bible ” great cities, rivers and seas of biblical times. By youngest participant, 1-year-old John Stickler, seminar leader was Rich Leland, day’s end, he had participants eagerly shouting son of Providence Sunday School superinten - a pastor for more than 30 years, for another chance to go through the story dent Debbie Onanian. most recently at the Somerset themselves, from the beginning. Diocesan vicar, the Very Rev. Simeon Street Church on Most moving were the occasional interludes Odabashian, concluded the day with a prayer Children took part in the interactive “Walk Thru the Bible” semi - Island, and an instructor for the when Leland would pause in reflection and and closing remarks expressing his hope that nar at the Church of our Saviour in Worcester, Mass., on Walk Thru the Bible organiza - apply Old Testament lessons to people’s daily “this kind of inspiring program can be replicat - Saturday, November 12. tion for 28 years. From the lives. Whether it was Abraham’s decision to ed in other parishes and brought to our youth moment Pastor Leland took the leave what he knew for what he trusted God to retreats and camps.” US Judge Extends Armenia Genocide Fund Fighting

LOS ANGELES (Glendale News Press) — A claims filed with the fund’s administrators. federal judge on Monday gave attorneys fight - In a motion filed with the court on Friday, ing over accounting discrepancies at a multi - Silberfeld said every claim was underpaid million-dollar compensation fund for the because the multiplier used to determine pay - descendants of Armenian Genocide victims two ment amounts was off by 0.1 percent weeks to hash out an agreement or face an In some instances, separate but identical extensive court-ordered audit. claims filed by siblings were denied, while oth - US District Court Judge Christina Snyder ers were approved, according to Silberfeld’s ordered attorneys Mark Geragos and Roman motion. Silberfeld to come back on December 5 with an Also, some claimants who received multiple update on how they want to address accounting checks only cashed those for smaller amounts, discrepancies in a compensation fund set up even though checks for larger amounts were several years ago by insurance company AXA to supposedly issued at the same time. pay descendents of Armenian Genocide victims. Silberfeld argued that if there were discrep - Geragos requested that he and Silberfeld, ancies with some of the 94 claims studied, it is who is representing Glendale-based attorney reasonable to believe there are problems with Vartkes Yeghiayan, be “locked in a room” the remaining 900 claims. because he believes they can reach an agree - Earlier this year, Geragos and attorney Brian ment. Kabateck sued Yeghiayan, charging that he and Attorneys on both sides and their staffs have his wife, attorney Rita Mahdessian, set up been examining 94 claims that initially bogus charities and misused nearly $1 million appeared to have problems out of about 1,000 during

Former Turkish Ambassador: ‘EU Dream Is Dead’ EU, from page 19 Turkey to Fill Arab Spring ‘Gap’ pro-EU reform talks outside the formal acces - Bozkir said the Arab Spring is transforming sion process. Turkey into a regional power: “We don’t see the Fuele told Turkish TV the “agenda” is “in US [dominant] in the Middle East anymore. No no way” an alternative to enlargement but is one has confidence in the UN. So who is going intended to “inject new blood, energy” into to fill this gap? Turkey. When our prime minis - relations. He admitted the accession talks are ter visits these regions, people really welcome at a “standstill” and warned there is a risk him. They wave Turkish flags in the streets.” Turkish industrialists will lose interest in the Turkish EU Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis EU if they do not have “a process, anything said the question is not what the EU can do for to be part of.” Turkey but vice versa: “The EU was never seen The commissioner said the Turkish economy as economic project by us, but as a peace pro - is tied to the EU: 46 percent of Turkish trade is ject and we are working to turn it into a global with the Union, 80 percent of foreign invest - project.” ment in Turkey comes from EU companies and Its economy minister, Mehmet Caglyan, could Brussels will pay Ankara 1 billion euros in pre- not resist the temptation to take a jab at its accession aid next year. other old enemy across the Aegean: “With But Turkish delegates indicated their coun - Greece, if we became a member [of the EU], try no longer sees itself as a poor neighbor they wouldn’t have to look too far for help,” he seeking favors. said.