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Ambassador Says Senator Chris Van Hollen: ‘You Know A Good Ambassa- US Rejects Use of dor When You See One’ By Haykaram Nahapetyan Force in Border Mirror-Spectator Video Correspondent POTOMAC, MD — On Wednesday, July Delimitation 21, 2021 Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) YEREVAN (Arka) — U.S. Ambassador wrapped up his working meetings early to Armenia Lynne Tracy visited on July 26 in order to go to community activist and the Gegharkunik province, which has ex- Armenian Assembly of America’s board tended border with Azerbaijan, Armenian member Annie Simonian-Totah’s beautiful Defense ministry reported. It said the Am- residence for a farewell party for Varuzhan bassador was accompanied by representa- Nersesyan, the ambassador of Armenia to tives of the ministry. the United States. Finishing his tenure in The commander of a military unit, Major Washington, D.C., Nersesyan is ready to General Arayik Harutyunyan informed the depart to London to his new assignment as Ambassador about the situation on the Ar- the next ambassador of the Republic of Ar- menian-Azerbaijani border, after which the menia to the United Kingdom. ambassador and the accompanying persons see FAREWELL, page 10 visited a border section near Verin Shorzha village.

On the Path to Integration: The First Armenian Mural in Burbank Unveils Armenian-American Identities. Story on page 12

The ambassador cuts his farewell cake together with his wife and daughter, US Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Aliyev Rules Out Talks with Annie Totah, at right, applauding Tracy at the Gegharkunik border region Azadian’s Newly Published Tracy reiterated the United States’ con- On Karabakh Settlement Anthology of Baikar cern over incidents on the Armenian-Azer- MOSCOW (RFE/RL) — Azerbai- must not be allowed,” he said. baijani border, stressing that the United jani President Ilham Aliyev has again In a joint statement released in April, Editorials Feted in States rejects the use of force in the delimi- claimed that Azerbaijan resolved the U.S., Russian and French media- Yerevan’s Tekeyan Center tation of the border. the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh tors co-heading the Organization for YEREVAN – Edmond Y. Azadi- Tracy also stressed that the United during last year’s war and will not hold Security and Cooperation in Europe an’s new Armenian-language book, States, as a co-chair of the Organization talks with Armenia on the ter- Azkayin-kaghakagan hortzanudi for Security and Cooperation in Europe ritory’s status. mech [In the National Political Vor- (OSCE) Minsk Group, remains committed Aliyev said on Thursday, tex] was presented on July 6 in Ye- to working with all parties to achieve a last- July 22, Yerevan should rec- revan’s Tekeyan Center, hosted by ing political solution to the Nagorno-Kara- ognize instead Azerbaijani the Tekeyan Cultural Association bakh conflict. sovereignty over Karabakh of Armenia. This first volume of a At the same time, according to Tracy, the through a “peace treaty” pro- two-part series is an anthology of United States urges the parties to return to- posed by Baku. editorials from the weekly newspa- negotiations as soon as possible under the “The Azerbaijani people are per Baikar, of which he is one of the auspices of the Minsk Group co-chairs. rightly unhappy to see state- founders and principal editors. The On May 12-14, Azerbaijani troops ments … made in France and prolific Azadian previously had pub- crossed several sections of the border America to the effect that the lished nine volumes of his collected and advanced a few kilometers into Ge- conflict must be resolved,” he Armenia - French Ambassador Jonathan writings in English and Armenian. gharkunik and Syunik provinces. Yerevan told Azerbaijani state televi- Lacote arrives for a news conference in see ANTHOLOGY, page 20 has repeatedly demanded their uncondi- sion. “I am again telling them Yerevan, Dec. 12, 2017. tional withdrawal. Baku maintains that that I, the president of Azer- they did not cross into Armenian border. baijan, have already resolved that is- (OSCE) Minsk Group called on Ar- Armenia officially asked the Collective sue, period. There is no Nagorno-Kara- menia and Azerbaijan to resume nego- Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to bakh, no status.” tiations on a “comprehensive and sus- take action against Azerbaijani incursions Speaking one day after meeting with tainable” resolution of the Karabakh into its territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin in conflict based on their pre-war peace On May 25, an Armenian contract ser- Moscow, Aliyev claimed that Moscow proposals. They expressed readiness viceman, V. Khurshudyan, was fatally agrees with his stance. “Russia and to facilitate such talks, including with wounded in a shootout that began after Azerbaijan believe that the war is over renewed visits to the conflict zone. see BORDER, page 3 and revanchist tendencies in Armenia see SETTLEMENT, page 4

ARMENIA NEW YORK FRANCE Armenia to Build ACYOA Leads Young Cecile Zarokian Its Biggest Solar Adults on a Virtual Creates Perfume to Power Plant Tour of Armenia Evoke Ani

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ARMENIA NEWS from ARMENIA Azerbaijani Forces Continue Attacks on Yeraskh Armenia’s Gevorg Avanesyan Wins Silver in By Raffi Elliott on Armenia’s North-South highway, part pro quo dynamic: if Armenia “renounc- Special to the Mirror-Spectator of which lies exposed to Azerbaijani fire. es” Karabakh, Azerbaijan will ‘renounce’ Int’l Biology Olympiad Once a hub for regional rail and freight Zangezur [Syunik],” writes academic and YEREVAN (PanARMENIAN. YERASKH –– Sporadic armed clashes transport, the glory days of the Soviet rails Caucasus specialist Laurence Broers. Net) — Armenia student Gevorg have reportedly taken place throughout the service may seem long gone for the vil- According to Broers, Baku’s attempted Avanesyan has won a silver medal week between Armenian and Azeri forces lagers, with its now-abandoned rail yard “coercive bargaining” serves to maximize in the 32nd International Biology both on Armenia’s eastern border with oc- repurposed as a checkpoint for Russian pressure on Armenia, remind Russia of Olympiad (IBO) 2021, the Minis- cupied Karvajar and along the Azeri-con- border guards facing the Turkish border. its obligations, keep Azerbaijan mobilized try of Education, Science, Culture trolled exclave of Nakhichevan. According But if one clause in last November’s Rus- around the axis of the conflict and keep the and Sport reported on July 27. to the Armenian Ministry of Defense, one Organized and hosted by Portu- Armenian serviceman died of his wounds gal, the Olympiad was held online following a firefight near the strategic bor- from July 18 to July 23. More than der village of Yeraskh in south-western Ar- 304 students from 76 countries menia on July 14, while the local mayor and participated in the event. Arman several Azeri soldiers were also wounded. Hayrapetyan, Vahe Gabrielyan and According to the MOD, the situation Astghik Harutyunyan, also repre- on the Armenia-Nakhichevan border re- senting Armenia, participated in mained strained throughout the week. The the competition. exchange of fire has mostly been limited to small arms though grenade launchers Karabakh Continues were also deployed. Armenian air defense units reportedly downing an Azeri UAV Search for Those Missing in on July 24 in the vicinity of Yeraskh. That War same day, Azeri state media announced STEPANAKERT (PanARME- that an Azeri soldier was fatally shot by NIAN.Net) — The Nagorno-Kara- an Armenian sniper across the country in bakh rescue teams have been de- Gegharkunik, where Armenian and Azeri Russian and Armenian flags near Yeraskh with Azeri-controlled Nakhichevan in ployed in Mataghis to continue forces have been engaged in a tense stand- the background (Photo: Raffi Elliott) looking for the remains of the vic- off since May. The Azeri military vowed tims of the 44-day war, Karabakh retaliation. Three Armenian soldiers were sian-brokered ceasefire between Azerbai- focus off discourses of self-determination. authorities reported on July 27. slightly injured in the ensuing firefight. jan and Russia gets realized, the town’s Still, so far, Armenia has refused to be in- Additional information about the The town of Yeraskh remained quiet role as a rail hub may very well be revived. timidated by Azerbaijan’s repeated provo- results of the search mission will when this reporter visited on June 22, how- That specific clause in the agreement –– cations. On Tuesday, July 27, the Armenian be provided later, the State Service ever. Villagers there confirmed that gunfire Article 9, which calls for the reopening of Foreign Ministry released a statement ac- For Emergency Situations of Art- could be heard throughout the week, but all border and transport links between the cusing Baku of stalling the peace process sakh (Karabakh) said. none of it had been aimed at the village two countries –– has been interpreted quite through its aggressive actions. “The com- Since November 13, the rescue itself. One worker from the Yeraskh Wine differently in Yerevan and Baku. Azerbai- plete implementation of the process of teams have found the bodies and Factory, a small wine manufacturer whose jani officials have repeatedly insisted that repatriation of prisoners of war, hostages remains of 1,615 people, including facilities literally lean onto one of the Ar- it gives them a right to a sovereign “Zange- and other detainees held in Azerbaijan may dozens of civilians, who had failed menian defense perimeter’s dirt barriers, zur corridor” connecting the Nakhichevan create a constructive environment for the to leave their homes when their set- insisted that the company continued its exclave to the rest of the country along the implementation of the November 9 State- tlements went under Azerbaijan’s work undisturbed throughout the shootout. Iranian border, while Armenia insists that ment.” control. “None of us missed our shipping quo- all it does is allow for freight traffic to trav- This latest series of military engagements tas throughout the firing,” he proudly an- el between the two countries, much like US –– the most serious violation of the stren- nounced. trucking between Alaska and the Lower 48 uous ceasefire since the end of the Second US State Department Urges Other villagers expressed confusion at going through Canada. Karabakh War last November –– coincided Citizens to Reconsider local news reports from Yerevan depicting Armenia, along with Russia has been with the resignation of Armenia’s interim Travel to Armenia as Covid their village as having either been overrun keen to see the reconnecting of Soviet-era Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutiunyan. Rates Rise by Azerbaijani forces, or that residents had rail lines which would give Armenian However, this anticipated move appears to have been planned as part of an upcoming YEREVAN (Panorama.am) — cabinet reshuffle as Prime Minister Nikol The U.S. Department of State calls Pashinyan’s new government is expected on its citizens to reconsider trav- to officially take office in early August. The el to Armenia due to COVID-19. appointment of another general, Pashin- “The Centers for Disease Control yan’s former security adviser, Arshak Kar- and Prevention (CDC) has issued apetyan, to the position of Deputy Defense a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for Minister a week earlier fueled speculation Armenia due to COVID-19, indi- that he may be pegged as Harutiunyan’s re- cating a high level of COVID-19 in placement. the country,” the department said Karapetyan, a career Army Intelligence in its updated travel advisory on officer had been fired by former President July 26, stating: “Your risk of con- Serzh Sargsyan in the wake of the short tracting COVID-19 and developing 2016 April War, for allegedly failing to pre- severe symptoms may be lower if dict the Azerbaijani attack in a move that you are fully vaccinated with an was seen by many at the time as an attempt FDA authorized vaccine. Before to scapegoat him. Karapetyan is also one planning any international travel, of the few army officers not to have joined please review the CDC’s specific Segment of Armenian protective barrier in Yeraskh (photo: Raffi Elliott) prominent generals in calling for the Prime recommendations for fully vacci- Minister’s resignation back in February. nated and unvaccinated travelers.” been kidnapped. “None of this is true,” de- freight more options in the form of routes to However, analysts point out that while The State Department also warns clared Hayk, a local, “these reporters are Russia as well as Iran. Armenia has repeat- Karapetyan remains nebulous –– notorious US citizens against traveling to the looking for sensational stories, and this is edly explored the possibility of building a for always refusing media interviews –– he Nagorno-Karabakh region “due to hurting our town much more than the Aze- new rail line to Tehran –– and from there, does have close relations with the Russian armed conflict.” ris could ever dream of.” linking to ports on the Persian Gulf –– di- intelligence community and security appa- Armenia has confirmed 180 Despite the town’s and adjoining high- rectly through Syunik, but the mountainous ratus at a critical time when Armenia renew cases of coronavirus in 24 way’s proximity to the Nakhichevan fron- terrain has rendered the prospects of such a builds its armed forces. hours, bringing the national tally to tier, no extraordinary security measures project prohibitively expensive. Still these Another major shakeup came in the form 229,090 as of 11 a.m., July 27, the seem to have been implemented. Long- new possibilities hinge on an anticipated of the appointment of Armen Grigoryan, Ministry of Health reports. In addi- haul traffic flowed unimpeded while Arme- peace deal between the two countries. previously serving as Chief of the Securi- tion, 112 more patients have recov- nian soldiers and Russians border guards However, analysts suggest that this re- ty Council, to the post of Deputy Foreign ered from the disease with the total sipped tea in the village’s café. According cent series of incidents form part of an Minister –– a move which many see as a number of recoveries now standing to the military, the front line has remained attempt by Baku to keep the pressure on formality before an eventual promotion to at 219,280. The COVID-19 death unchanged throughout the incident. Yerevan in an effort to solve the conflict in top office at the ministry. The post of for- toll has increased by 7 to 4,597. Located at the crossroads of Armenia, Azerbaijan’s favor while Armenia is still re- eign minister has remained vacant since it’s The figure does not include the Nakhichevan, Iran and Turkey, the ham- covering from the war. “The logic seems to incumbent, Ara Ayvazyan, controversially deaths of 1,116 people carrying the let of Yeraskh has gained a new level of be “two can play at that game” and aims at resigned a mere two weeks before the elec- virus who died of other diseases. strategic importance in the region. The establishing parity between Karabakh and tion, along with most of his deputy minis- town remains an important stopping point Zangezur as contested spaces and a quid ters and spokeswoman. SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR 3 ARMENIA Armenia to Build its Biggest Solar Power Plant By Karine Ghazaryan

YEREVAN (Eurasianet.org) — The Ar- menian government is looking to expand the country’s renewable energy capacity with an ambitious plan to build two new solar power plants. This month, the government finalized a deal with United Arab Emirates-based renewable energy company Masdar to build the first plant by 2025. The 200-megawatt plant, to be known as Ayg-1, will become the country’s largest solar power plant and will have nearly half of the current capacity of Armenia’s main energy generator, the Metsamor nuclear power plant․ According to the government, Masdar was “the initiator of the investment project.” Following Masdar’s offer, the government announced an international tender for a large-scale solar power plant in 2019. Masdar was given the opportunity to beat the lowest tariff proposed by any other company. Masdar’s original bid of $0.0299 per kilowatt-hour, however, was turned down by the government for being too high. Masdar then lowered the price, offering to build the 200-megawatt plant for $0.0290 per kilowatt hour. Ayg-1 is planned to be built in central Armenia’s Aragatsotn province in an area of over 500 hectares. State-run Armenian National Interest Fund (ANIF) will hold 15 percent of the plant; the remaining 85 per-

Solar panels on the roof of National Agrarian University in Yerevan (photo: Arthur Grigoryan/Wikimedia) Ambassador Says US Rejects Use of Force in cent will be owned by Masdar. Azerbaijan. less to sell the excess energy to the national Masdar is expected to invest $174 mil- In July, Armenia announced a deal with grid. Businesses also were offered tax cuts Border Delimitation lion in the project. It is by far the “largest another UAE-based company, Air Arabia, if they used solar power. single foreign investment in green energy to establish a national airline, which the Solar energy production in the coun- BORDER, from page 1 in the region and the second largest foreign country hasn’t had for years. try grew from 0.4 million kilowatt-hours Azerbaijani troops fired shots at an direct investment in the history of modern With no fossil fuel reserves of its own, in 2017 to 56.5 million kilowatt-hours in Armenian military post near Verin Armenia,” said ANIF CEO David Papa- Armenia relies heavily on natural gas and 2020, according to official statistics. Shorzha village. zian. Papazian also said that the electricity nuclear fuel imports from Russia. In the In March 2021, funding was secured for On May 27, Azerbaijani troops produced at the plant will be cheaper than 2010s, given Armenia’s significant solar another solar power plant, the 55-megawatt advanced 800 meters into the Ar- that of the Metsamor nuclear power plant․ energy potential and the dropping prices of Masrik-1. The project is being implement- menian territory surrounded and Masdar is a subsidiary of the UAE’s sov- solar energy generation, the country started ed by the Spanish firm Fotowatio Renew- captured 6 Armenian servicemen ereign wealth fund, the Mubadala Invest- viewing solar as a possible means of di- able Ventures, a subsidiary of the Saudi who were carrying out engineering ment Company. Ayg-1 is not the compa- versifying and balancing its energy diet. In Arabian holding company Abdul Latif Ja- work to beef up the protection of ny’s only large-scale project in the region: 2016, amendments to legislation on renew- meel. Masrik-1 is planned to be built in Ge- the border in Gegharkunik province. Last year Masdar signed a contract to build able energy allowed private households gharkunik province and will be Armenia’s On the same day Armenia’s acting a 200-megawatt solar plant in southern with solar panels of 150 kilowatt-hours or second-biggest plant after Ayg-1. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan suggested that international observers from Russia or other Minsk Group countries be deployed at Sotk-Khoznavar section on Arme- Armenian Foreign Ministry to Azerbaijan: Your Country Has Only a Century-Old History nia’s border with Azerbaijan. YEREVAN (Arka) — The Armenian of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, it is diffi- Co-Chairmanship can create prerequisites Speaking at a Security Council Foreign Ministry on July 19 responded to a cult for us to comprehend Azerbaijan’s cri- for lasting peace in the region.’ meeting later in the day Pashinyan statement made by the representative of the teria on defining anything “historical”. On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijani said his proposal was prompted by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, which con- We have to remind once again that histo- armed forces, backed by Turkey and foreign tension that has reached an explosive tains territorial and historical claims against ry can never be the strong side of a country mercenaries and terrorists, attacked Na- point in that section of the border. Armenia. whose geographical and political name has gorno-Karabakh along the entire front line He said his proposal is addressed to ‘By making false territorial and histor- only a century-old history, and the name of using rocket and artillery weapons, heavy the international community and the ical claims against Armenia, on one hand Azerbaijani is even more recent. armored vehicles, military aircraft and pro- government of Azerbaijan- Azerbai- the Azerbaijani side is trying to remove the The efforts of the Azerbaijani leadership hibited types of weapons such as cluster jan and Armenia must agree to pull Nagorno-Karabakh conflict from the inter- to disseminate and maintain lasting enmity bombs and phosphorus weapons. back their troops from the border to national agenda, and on the other hand, it between the Armenian and Azerbaijani peo- After 44 days of the war, on November 9, their permanent deployment places, aims at creating new threats for regional se- ples are a constant threat towards regional the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Arme- so that international observers from curity and stability,’ the Armenian Foreign peace and security. Before accusing Arme- nia signed a statement on the cessation of all Russia or other OSCE Minsk Group Ministry said. nia of revanchism, Azerbaijan should ex- hostilities. According to the document, the co-chairing county (France or the ‘In an attempt to justify such a false agen- plain to the international community what town of Shushi, the districts of Agdam, Kel- United States) be deployed along the da, the Azerbaijani side does not shy away the purpose of Baku’s “war trophies park” bajar and Lachin were handed over to Azer- entire section of the border. from attributing overt falsifications to the is, which is nothing but a shameful “monu- baijan, with the exception of a 5-kilometer The Armenian village of Yeraskh, November 9 trilateral statement. If we fol- ment” of revanchism and hatred. corridor connecting Karabakh with Armenia. located on the border with Azerbai- low the logic of the Azerbaijani interpreta- Armenia will continue to act consistent- A Russian peacekeeping contingent was de- jani exclave Nakhichevan, has been tion of the above-mentioned document re- ly in supporting the realization of the right ployed along the contact line in Karabakh under the fire of the Azerbaijani lated to the return of the displaced people, to self-determination of the people of Art- and along the Lachin corridor. troops since July 14. (See story on then the Armenian refugees should return sakh, the de-occupation of the territories of On January 11, 2021, the Presidents of Page 2.) The M2 highway connecting to Nakhichevan, Gandzak, Baku, Sumgait, Artsakh subjected to ethnic cleansing, and Russia and Azerbaijan Vladimir Putin and the north of Armenia with the south, and other territories of the present-day Azer- the return of the Armenian population to Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nagorno-Karabakh and Iran runs baijan ethnically cleansed of their Armenian those territories in line with the November Nikol Pashinyan, following four-hour talks through Yeraskh. To the west is the population. 9 trilateral statement. Only the resumption in Moscow, signed a joint statement aimed Armenian-Turkish border. As for the historical claims made to Ar- of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process un- at developing the region and unblocking menia by the spokesperson of the Ministry der the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group transport communications. 4 SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR

INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL NEWS Armenian Law Aliyev Rules Out Talks On Enforcement Helps in Seizure of Huge Stash of Heroin in Ukraine KYIV, Ukraine (PanARME- Karabakh Settlement NIAN.Net) — An eight-month international operation with the in- SETTLEMENT, from page 1 baijan did not join other Baku-based diplo- The Russian-brokered agreement that volvement of Armenian, Georgian, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan cited mats in visiting the Azerbaijani-controlled stopped the Armenian-Azerbaijani war last and Ukrainian law enforcement this statement last week when he disput- Karabakh town of Shushiw (Shusha) ear- November calls for a number of such mea- resulted in the seizure of 368 kilo- ed Aliyev’s claim that Azerbaijan’s victo- lier this month because Karabakh’s status sures, notably the restoration of transport grams of heroin worth $24 million ry in the six-week war put an end to the remains unresolved. links between Armenia and Azerbaijan. on the territory of Ukraine in, the long-standing dispute. Pashinyan made The U.S. and Russian ambassadors in Lacote acknowledged Russia’s role in Georgian Interior Ministry report- clear that Yerevan will continue to pursue Baku also steered clear of the trip orga- halting the war and maintaining the cease- ed on July 27. “the realization of the Karabakh people’s nized by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. fire in and around Karabakh. Drug traffickers attempted right to self-determination.” As recently as on June 9, Russian For- “The current reality is that Russia is en- to transport heroin from Iran to France’s ambassador to Armenia, Jona- eign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that that suring the security of the Karabakh Arme- Ukraine via Georgia and Armenia than Lacote, called on Friday, July 23, for “the question of Nagorno-Karabakh’s sta- nians,” he said. “If it hadn’t been for Rus- to later sell it in central Europe. The renewed peace talks mediated by the three tus remains unresolved” and “it must even- sian [peacekeeping] forces, there would drugs were hidden in transit cargo. world powers. tually be settled with the participation of have been no Armenians in Karabakh Two members of the organized “The reality is that the status of Na- the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.” now.” group, who are Turkish nationals, gorno-Karabakh should be determined Still, Lavrov said the mediators should The French diplomat said at the same were arrested in Ukraine on July through negotiations within the framework not rush to try to broker an Armenian-Azer- that the truce accord brokered by Putin “did 22, said the ministry. The crime is of the OSCE Minsk Group,” Lacote told baijani agreement on the status at this not solve all issues,” including Karabakh’s punishable by 12 years in prison in RFE/RL’s Armenian Service in an inter- stage. They should focus instead on confi- status, and needs to be complemented by an Ukraine. view. dence-building measures in the Karabakh Armenian-Azerbaijani “political process” He said the French ambassador to Azer- conflict zone, he told reporters in Moscow. mediated by the Minsk Group co-chairs. PACE Rapporteur Travels To Azerbaijan after Armenia Trip YEREVAN (PanARMENIAN. Israel Sides against Turkey in Cyprus Dispute Net) — Paul Gavan visited Azer- baijan on behalf of the Commit- By Rina Bassist second reason for this Jerusalem policy of Jerusalem’s decision to put its close rela- tee on Migration, Refugees and keeping quiet was the hope that the interna- tions with Cyprus and Greece on display Population of the Parliamentary JERUSALEM (Al-Monitor) — Israeli tional community would not draw any par- could be perceived by Ankara as deliber- Assembly of the Council of Eu- Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met July 27 allels between Turkish occupation in that ate provocation. This close relationship rope (PACE) from July 26 to 28, in Jerusalem with Cypriot Foreign Minister region and Israeli occupation of the West extends now to several strategic, security to gather information for his report Nikos Christodoulides, who was in Israel Bank. and economic domains, such as the East- on “The humanitarian consequenc- for a two-day-visit. During the past decade, Turkish Pres- Med undersea pipeline project, joint tour- es of the conflict between Armenia The Cypriot minister met July 26 with ident Recep Tayyip Erdogan supported ism ventures and cooperation in the fight and Azerbaijan,” PACE announced Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and later with the Palestinian cause and criticized Israel, against the coronavirus. More so, Jerusa- in a statement. He already visit- President Isaac Herzog. According to the with controversial remarks that bordered lem now aligns itself out in the open with ed Armenia in the context of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Lapid expressed at times on anti-Semitism. Still, in the past the European Union. This is a significant preparation of this report in May in the meeting “deep concern regarding the few months, Ankara made clear efforts at change from former Prime Minister Ben- 2021. provocative Turkish actions in Cyprus.” reconciliation with Jerusalem, including jamin Netanyahu’s Euro-sceptic approach. He will hold meetings with par- The ministry stated that the two foreign positive statements by associates of Er- His government had rarely sided with EU liamentarians, including the Speak- ministers also discussed bilateral coopera- dogan and even by Erdogan himself. This diplomatic policies. er of the National Assembly (Milli tion, including trade, water and energy. The process of rapprochement reached a climax All this could indicate that Jerusalem Mejlis), and with representatives office of Herzog noted the strong bilateral July 13, when Erdogan spoke on the phone now considers its strategic alliance with of different ministries dealing with ties between the two countries, stating that with Herzog. It was a first such high-lev- Greece and Cyprus more important and the humanitarian consequences of the two men discussed these ties, “as well el conversation between leaders of the two more valuable than the possible restoration the conflict. He will also have an as regional and international issues of com- countries in many years. They agreed to of ties with Turkey. Or at least, it indicates opportunity to hear from displaced mon interest.” work jointly to improve and deepen bilat- that Jerusalem estimates restoration of ties persons, and will meet with the Lapid was reacting to the July 20 an- eral relations. with Turkey could take a while, instead of Commissioner for Human Rights nouncement by the authorities in the On the backdrop of these developments, happening overnight. of Azerbaijan and civil society rep- self-declared Turkish Republic of North- resentatives. ern Cyprus on a partial reopening of the The visit will also allow him abandoned town of Varosha for potential to understand better the role and resettlement. The decision by Turkey and More than 3,500 Diasporans in Europe Take contribution of international orga- Turkish Cypriot leaders was slammed by nizations working on this issue in Greece, Cyprus and by several other world Part in the Armenian Diaspora Survey Azerbaijan, including the Interna- leaders, including Secretary of State Ant- LONDON — The fieldwork for the Armenian Diaspora Survey (ADS), a research tional Committee of the Red Cross ony Blinken. On July 23, the United Na- project studying public opinion in diaspora communities, concluded successfully in (ICRC) and the United Nations tions Security Council demanded the im- over two dozen cities in Belgium, Britain, Paris/Île-de-France and Rostov-on-Don. High Commissioner for Refugees mediate reversal of the unilateral decision. ADS is initiated and funded by the Armenian Communities Department of the (UNHCR). Gavan plans to contin- The head-of-state reception offered by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and is carried out under the auspices of the Arme- ue his work over the summer and Jerusalem to the Cypriot foreign minister, nian Institute in London. aims to complete his report in Sep- combined with the statements delivered at More than 3500 Armenians took part in this innovative research project. tember. the meetings in Jerusalem, were certainly “We thank each and every Armenian who took part in this round of the survey,” not banal. They sent a clear signal to An- said ADS director Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian of Oxford University. “We are grateful Austria Opposes Turkey’s kara, that Jerusalem is taking side with Cy- to them for expressing their views, opinions and thoughts on critical themes in di- Bid to Join EU Military prus and with Greece in the dispute over asporic life.” Project northern Cyprus. Following the three-months fieldwork, currently “our team is busy processing the Much like the vast majority of the in- large data that has been collected,” said Tchilingirian, adding “more than 60 people VIENNA (PanARMENIAN. ternational community, Israel has not rec- were involved in the research in various capacities and at different stages of the Net) — Vienna has objected to ognized the Turkish-backed government fieldwork.” In addition to a core of academics and experts who lead the research, Turkey’s formal request in May to in northern Cyprus. Still, over the years, “we had local advisory and research teams in each country and engaged with a wide participate in one of the EU’s flag- Israel was cautious on this topic, limiting range of local community organizations. This is truly a teamwork,” he explained. ship defense and security policies, its diplomatic comments for two reasons. ADS aims to provide a snapshot of the contemporary Diaspora. The project fills known as the Permanent Structured The first reason was continuous efforts a critical gap in the knowledge of the Diaspora and provides evidence-based under- Cooperation Framework (PESCO), by Jerusalem to rehabilitate ties with An- standing of the multilayered and diverse aspects of diasporic life. pointing to the country’s deteriorat- kara. Bilateral relations had deteriorated The results and full data of the survey conducted in Belgium, Britain, Paris/Île- ing democratic values and relations significantly in the last decade, ever since de-France and Rostov-on-Don will be available to the general public, scholars and with the EU, Euractive reports. the Mavi Marmara flotilla in 2010, where institutions sometime in early 2022. It will be published on the ADS website. Turkish activists were killed by Israel De- The full results of previous years’ surveys, conducted in 2018 and 2019, are avail- fense Forces fire off the coast of the Gaza able on the ADS website and could be downloaded for free. Strip. Israel has been trying over the years to restore ties, at least to some extent. The SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR 5

INTERNATIONAL Graduation Ceremonies at Beirut’s Vahan Tekeyan School Dedicated To the Memory of ADL Leader Garabed Babahekian

BEIRUT — The 2020-21 school year was made difficult due to the combination of the novel coronavirus and the socioeconomic crisis in Lebanon. All schools in Leb- anon, including the Vahan Tekeyan School, had to switch to long-distance learning from home for students to as- sure the health of both students and staff. The August 4 explosion in the port of Beirut made life even more difficult. However, the school year ends with hopes of starting in the fall with peace in the country and renovated class- rooms and improved health conditions. Graduation ceremonies took place at the Tekeyan School on Saturday, July 3. Diplomas were distributed in the presence of the trustees of the school and their chairman Dr. Hovig Vartanian, the daughters of the recently deceased Armenian Democratic Liberal Party leader Garabed Babahekian — Jenny Babahekian and Sosi Babahekian Kalinjian — Chairman Hagop Kasarjian and board members of the Tekeyan Cultural Association

A scene from the 2021 Beirut Vahan Tekeyan School graduation dedicated to the memory of Garabed Babahekian

and study have fundamental roles to play. She thanked in particular those who helped the school Young students then performed a dance with the young flourish, including the TCA Founders Body and the Cen- Lidushig of Armenia singing. Students presented roses to tral Board of the TCA of the United States and Canada. their parents, and then speeches of farewell were given by She stated in particular that the latter’s generous donation other students. Patil Papa- zian of the sixth grade gave a speech in English, while Mariam Hazh Ali spoke on behalf of the third grade of the middle school in Arme- nian. Principal Galina She- memian Najarian spoke about the humble and faithful family man and Armenian public figure Principal Galina Shememian Najarian that Garabed Babaheki- (TCA) Founders Body, teachers, and parents of the grad- an was as well as his role uating students. The ceremony was broadcast live on the as former chairman of the school’s Facebook page. TCA Founders Body. For After the performance of the anthems of Lebanon, Ar- many years he served the menia and the school, a moment of silence was observed school selflessly as a mem- for those connected to the school who passed away due ber of its board of trustees. to the coronavirus, including one of the founders of the His status as an intellectu- Vahan Tekeyan Middle School of Beirut, Garabed Baba- al leader of the Armenians gave this support added hekian, member of the school board Dr. Vazken Zhamgo- From left, Principal Galina Shememian Najarian, Hagop Kasarjian, Jenny Baba- value, and he continues to chian, and longtime teacher Mrs. Siroun Shalvarjian. hekian, Knar Kupelian, Dr. Hovig Vartanian Armenology teacher Avedis Diban greeted all present serve as a worthy exam- in the name of the staff and spoke about the tribulations of ple for the new generation the country and the people, in the midst of which the staff of school graduates to follow in service to the Armenian and limitless care helped the school endure the recent eco- worked to keep the educational mission of the school go- people and homeland, the principal concluded. nomic crisis. She similarly thanked Mr. and Mrs. Sam and ing primarily via the Internet. He remarked that the school After speaking about the difficulties students faced due Sylva Simonian for their unstinting philanthropy. has prepared a rich harvest imbued with Armenian nation- to the coronavirus, the principal positively evaluated the The principal uttered words of encouragement to the al values who will serve the cause of the preservation of role the school has played in the Lebanese-Armenian new graduates and good wishes to the beloved secretary Armenian identity throughout the diaspora. Furthermore, community over the last 70 years and called for all to con- Knar Kupelian, who was moving with her family to Ar- in the development of the Armenian homeland, education tinue to support it in its mission in the forthcoming years. menia after 19 years of working at the school. She expressed similar wishes for teacher Shake Domburian and chief guard Hagop Sakabedoyan, who in a few months will leave Lebanon. At the end of her talk, Shememian Najarian sadly noted that after 19 years working at the school, including the last 10 years as principal, this would be her final farewell, as she and her family were emigrating from Lebanon due to the difficult conditions there in recent years. She promised nonetheless to remain ready to help her beloved school. Ani Lachinian-Magarian spoke afterwards as secretary of the TCA Founders Body and praised the efforts of the entire staff, especially that of the departing principal, on whom she bestowed a special plaque from the Found- ers Body together with Chairman Hagop Kasarjian and school board chair Dr. Vartanian. After this ceremony, Lachinian-Magarian introduced the new principal, the young and dedicated teacher Seva- na Semerjian-Darakjian. The various dignitaries present then joined in the handing out of diplomas and the distribution of awards. Bouquets of flowers were given to the departing Mrs. Ku- pelian, Mrs. Domburian and Mr. Sakabedoyan in recognition of their years of service. Young children dance at the graduation 6 SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR Community News Artsakh Rep to US Foreign Relations Robert Avetisyan Chairman Menendez Raises Artsakh War Discusses Situation During U.S. Policy on Of Country Turkey Hearing WASHINGTON — Robert Aveti- WASHINGTON — Senator Bob syan, Permanent Representative of Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Senate Foreign Relations Committee, (NKR) to the United States, deliv- referred to the Artsakh war and Tur- ered insightful remarks and relevant key’s counterproductive role in the updates about current realities in South Caucasus region during a full Artsakh on Thursday, July 15, as the committee hearing on July 22 on U.S. featured speaker of the Armenian As- Policy on Turkey with Victoria Nu- sembly of America’s Summer Speak- land, Under Secretary of State for Po- er Series. litical Affairs, reported the Armenian As the point of contact between Assembly of America (Assembly). Stepanakert and Washington, D.C., In his opening remarks, Menendez Avetisyan helps maintain strong ties cited the “pattern of Turkish aggres- with Armenian Americans and serves sion that has become the norm.” as the conduit between the American He stated: “Last summer, Erdogan diasporan community and Artsakh provided military support to Azerbai- Armenians. He also expressed his jani strikes against ethnic Armenians appreciation to the Assembly for its in Nagorno-Karabakh. He also facil- important work over the decades. itated the passage of militants from Syria to fight on the side of- Azer baijan. Yet these actions solicited no penalty from the Trump Administra- tion. No concrete reaction from the Artsakh State University Rector Dr. Armen Sargsyan, left, with Prof. Barlow Der international community. No sanc- Mugrdechian tion. This is unacceptable.” Menendez said he “expects more” from the Biden Administration and Der Mugrdechian Donates looks forward to “understanding how the State Department views Turkey’s role in last year’s war and what mea- Computer Lab to Artsakh State sures can be taken in response.” During an exchange with Under University in Stepanakert Secretary Nuland, Chairman Me- Robert Avetisyan nendez asked her if she is familiar FRESNO — Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian has donated a computer lab to Artsakh with Turkey “facilitating the trans- Regarding developments in Art- State University (ArSU) in Stepanakert, Artsakh. The lab, comprising eleven com- fer of fighters from Syria to -Azer sakh, Avetisyan said the Republic puters and monitors, will give students access to the internet and will give them the baijan during the 2020 war in Na- of Artsakh has launched a “compre- ability to conduct research in various fields. gorno-Karabakh.” hensive restoration” in the political, Artsakh State University Rector Dr. Armen Sargsyan expressed his appreciation Under Secretary Nuland respond- economic and humanitarian spheres on behalf of the university for the donation. ArSU is opening its doors this year to ed by requesting to “discuss that last since the September 2020 war when students at no cost by the decision of the government of Artsakh and will begin its point in a separate session” and “in Azerbaijan, with the full and open Fall semester soon. another setting.” support of Turkey and international Prof. Der Mugrdechian, Ber- Chairman Menendez pressed on terrorists, once again attacked Art- berian Coordinator of Arme- that he would be “looking forward to sakh on an “unprecedented” level, nian Studies at Fresno State, hearing from the Department” and including by way of the “scale and visited Artsakh State Univer- whether there was an investigation scope of the weaponry and offensive sity in September of 2019 and of the “Turkish drones used by Azer- power used against Artsakh, Turkey was given a tour of the campus baijan in the war last summer that in- being at the forefront and in control by Dr. Sargsyan. “It is an honor cluded U.S. produced parts, which I of ground and air forces,” and the par- to be able to assist ArSU in its find totally unacceptable.” ticipation of Syrian mercenaries. mission to educate the future In Nuland’s written testimony, she Avetisyan remarked that he expects leaders of Artsakh,” stated Der referred to Nagorno-Karabakh and negotiations to resume and to “final- Mugrdechian. “It is my hope how “we also press Turkey to avoid ize a general vision of settlement be- that the computer lab will en- entanglements in regional conflicts cause the conflict is not solved.” Goods donated to Artsakh State University able students to engage in the that threaten long-term stability. The “The Karabakh-Azerbaijan conflict latest research. There are still many more ways to assist ArSU in its mission and I role played by third parties, includ- is not resolved since the core issue of hope that my contribution encourages other to also donate.” ing Turkey, in last year’s fighting the conflict — the sovereign status of Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) President Prof. Bedross Der Matossian stated, in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Artsakh — has not been international- “Prof. Der Mugrdechian has been in the forefront of advancing Armenian educational exacerbated regional tensions. We ly solidified,” said Avetisyan. “We ex- institutions in Armenia and Artsakh. His decades of work in strengthening Diaspo- have pressed Turkey to urge Baku pect that the OSCE Minsk Group will ra-Armenia/Artsakh academic relations have been very significant. His latest dona- to release all detainees immediately, resume active efforts to improve the tion to Artsakh State University will help a war-torn generation to have access to the to support the ceasefire between Ar- situation on the ground and come up latest computer technology. I hope that other educational entrepreneurs follow in Der menia and Azerbaijan, and to help with a corresponding formula which Mugrdechian’s footsteps to support academic institutions in Artsakh that are in dire the sides work towards a sustainable, would establish long-term stability for need of help.” long-term political solution to the Artsakh and the entire region.” Fresno State and Artsakh State University have had a memorandum of agreement conflict.” Avetisyan also said that the govern- since 2015, whereby the universities endeavor to engage in cooperative programs of Also during the hearing, Senator ment is focused on “restoring lives education and research, and to promote exchange among faculty and students of the Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) criticized and infrastructure” and efforts are be- two universities. Turkey’s “malign actions” against ing made to provide everyone affect- Artsakh State University, based in Stepanakert, was established in 1969 and com- Armenians. ed with basic needs, such as housing. prises five faculties (colleges): Natural Sciences, Philology, History and Law, Ped- “We commend Chairman Menen- “The government is doing every- agogy and Sports and Economy. There are 174 permanent and 106 non-permanent dez and Senator Van Hollen for high- thing possible to build homes to make lecturing faculty and more than 2,600 students are enrolled at the university. They lighting these critically important is- sure people who have been forced out have recently completed work towards international accreditation. The university is sues and what steps the U.S. can take of their homes stay in Artsakh and the premiere public university in the Republic of Artsakh and most of top officials in given Turkey’s hostile actions against connect their future with the Republic the legislative, executive and judicial bodies, as well as professional teachers, aca- the Armenian people,” stated Assem- of Artsakh.” demics, military officials, businessmen, politicians, lawyers, engineers, and athletes bly Congressional Relations Director see ARTSAKH, page 7 are graduates of the university. Mariam Khaloyan. SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR 7 COMMUNITY NEWS

TCA Holds Family Night at Its Beshgeturian Center in Altadena ALTADENA, Calif. – Tekeyan Cultural Association’s Beshgeturian Center and introduced the members of the new Social Committee who had worked Social Committee organized a Family Night for all members and friends on hard for the success of this gathering. She announced that such family nights Saturday, July 17. Attendees were happy to reconnect with friends. will be held monthly and everyone, along with TCA members, was welcome to Yvette Baibourtian, the wife of Ambassador Armen Baibourtian, Consul join. It was very nice to see that there were guests from different age groups General of the Republic of Armenia in Los Angeles was present, along with enjoying themselves. A lavish buffet was served. many leaders of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party and the Tekeyan Two brothers, Aram and Elio Malkhassian, and Paul Ishkanian, presented Cultural Association (TCA), and representatives of various other organiza- a musical program, joined by Harout Soghomonian and Tavit Samuelian, who tions who attended with their families. performed several songs. There was also a raffle offering two gifts. Mayda Kuredjian, executive secretary of TCA West Coast, welcomed all It was a fun night for all family members.

TCA West Coast Executive Secretary Mayda Kuredjian, at left, addresses the Family Night attendees

Robert Avetisyan Discusses Situation In Artsakh ARTSKAH, from page 6 The most pressing humanitarian issue is the unlawful detainment of Armenian prisoners of war held by Azerbaijan, according to Avetisyan, who noted that Baku has acted in “complete disregard of humanitarian and international law,” though he remains hopeful that the “international community will continue paying serious attention to this problem until all our compatriots return to their families.” Avetisyan also stressed the importance of urgent international actions for preservation of the Armenian Christian heritage from destruction in the territories under Azeri occupation. During the question and answer session, Avetisyan emphasized that the Artsakh issue is part of the “pan-Armenian agenda” and welcomed open lines of communication as well as interest from the diaspora, particularly the younger generation, to get involved and reach out. Avetisyan also touched upon the security currently maintained by Russian peacekeepers due to the “fragile situation” and continued aggression by Azerbaijan to cause instability in the region. He noted that more people are visiting Artsakh, which is a positive way to show support. “The more people who come to Artsakh, the more our adversaries will see that Art- sakh continues to remain in the hearts and minds of our compatriots around the globe, while also supporting the post-war economy,” said Avetisyan. “There is always hope but we have to reinforce hope with action.” “In Artsakh we suffered a lot, but we survived as a state and government, though at a very high price,” said Avetisyan. “We are doing what we can to eradicate the consequences of this aggression and come out as a strong state and society.” The Terjenian-Thomas Assembly In- ternship Program, which is taking place virtually this summer, provides college students of Armenian descent an opportunity to gain exposure to the policymaking process in our nation’s capital for eight weeks each summer. 8 SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR

COMMUNITY NEWS / OBITUARY

Educator Alenoush Hagopian Honored with Susan B. Wilson Civic Education Merit Awards Jury Prize PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The League of Wom- uators and officers and members of the League to underscore how we can foster their commit- en Voters of South County recently announced of Women Voters. Angélica Infante-Greene, ment to making their voices heard and to tack- this year’s recipients of the 14th annual Susan Rhode Island commissioner of education, was ling the issues they see in their communities.” B. Wilson Civic Education Merit Awards. the keynote speaker for this event. The League inaugurated this award to honor Alenoush Hagopian of Highlander Charter “Rhode Island is founded in a tradition of teachers who have enriched their students’ un- School in Providence, a resident of Cranston, civic engagement, and the Department of Edu- derstanding of civic rights and responsibilities; has earned the Jury Prize. cation works hard to both connect our students have encouraged their students’ civic participa- Natalie O’Brien of North Smithfield High with that history and to help them continue it,” tion; and have brought context and relevance to School, North Smithfield, has earned the Grand Infante-Green said. “The past year especially crucial events affecting the United States on a Prize, and the team of Amy Goldblatt and Sar- has highlighted how critical civic education national, regional, statewide, or local level. ah Craft of The Compass School, Kingston, has is to our youths; amidst all of the challeng- Further information about this award, as earned Honorable Mention. es we have faced, well as a brief biography of Susan B. Wilson, In recognition of their achievements, an our stu dents a founding member of the League of Wom- awards ceremony was held via Zoom on Thurs- demonstrated a passion for activism and en- en Voters of South Kingstown/Narragansett, day, June 10. Recipients, their families and col- gagement. I’m honored to participate in the Su- is available online at my.lwv.org/rhode-is- leagues were present, as well as the award eval- san B. Wilson Civic Education Merit Awards land/14th-annual-susan-b-wilson-awards. Alenoush Hagopian

OBITUARY Rev. Dr. John J. Markarian Siranush Kirakosyan Founding President of Haigazian University Noted OBGYN Surgeon PARAMUS, N.J. — Rev. Dr. John J. and earned a Doctor of Philosophy Degree BELMONT, Mass. — Siranush Kirako- HighlanderCHarter 7-31 Markarian, the Founding President of in Theology from Drew University. The syan passed away peacefully at home sur- CN Haigazian University of Beirut, Lebanon, Rev. Dr. Markarian was the founding pres- rounded by her family on July 21, 2021, at died on June 29, 2021. ident of Haigazian University in Beirut, the age of 81. Caption: Hagopian He celebrated his 104th birthday on June Lebanon. An account of his years there is She was born on March 20, 1940, in 7. relayed in his memoir, “The Thirsty Ene- Aygabats, Armenia to the late Alexander my.” He and his wife, Inge, later moved to and Viktoria (Harutunian) Kirakosyan. California and eventually to West Pittston Siranush was as an accomplished where they resided for the last 34 years. OBGYN surgeon in Armenia for more than He leaves his wife, Inge, of 47 years; his 55 years, leaving behind many loving pa- daughter, Joanne Kubler, of Los Angeles; tients and colleagues. his grandson, Michael Kubler and his wife She spent much time in the United States Kathryn, and his great-grandchildren, Ga- before moving to the US permanently in briel and Ari, of Sydney, Australia. 2018 to be close to her family. “Although Dr. Markarian has physical- She was the wife of the late Henrik ly imparted from this earth, he remains a Khachatrian. shining star in the field of higher education She is survived by her devoted children, Ashot Kirakosyan of Armenia, Gagik Kira- and the history of the Armenian Mission- Grant Khatchatryan and his wife Hasmik kosyan of London and Hayk Kirakosyan of ary Association of America. As thousands and Fenia Mardirossian and her husband Russia. She is also survived by many lov- of Haigazian University students mourn Dickran, all of Belmont. She was the ing nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends. his loss, we praise God for generations of grandmother of Henry and Siranush Khat- She was dearly loved by all who knew her, Haigazian graduates who have illuminated chatryan and Louisa, Alexandra and Harry and she will be missed greatly. the skies of humanity and brilliantly served Mardirossian. She was the dear sister of Funeral arrangements were private. He was born in Windham, N.Y., a son of their respective communities around the late Jacob and Dora (Euth) Markarian. the globe,” said Zaven Khanjian, Arme- He was a graduate of Lafayette College nian Missionary Association of America and Princeton Divinity School. He later (AMAA) executive director. served on the faculty at Lafayette College. A celebration of Rev. Dr. Markarian’s He was an ordained Presbyterian minister life will be held at a later date. Anna Araxy Yeshilian Volunteer for Armenian Museum, Lover of Classical Music WATERTOWN — Anna Araxy Yeshil- ian passed away on July 11 at age 97. She was born in Chelsea, MA. Beloved daughter of the late Siranoush Helene Mecani- sian and Hovsep Yeshilian. She lived most of her life in Watertown, MA. Anna was predeceased by her siblings: Eugene Swa- jian, Martin Yeshilian, Michael Yeshilian, and Victoria Mesropian. She was also predeceased by nieces and nephews; Elaine Swajian Garabedi- an, Armand Swajian, Helene Yeshilian Freedman, Karen Mesropian Donoghue, and Robert Mesropian. She is survived by nieces and nephews: Robert Swajian, Su- san Yeshilian Manaras, Michael Yeshilian, Joseph Yeshilian, and Jeanne Yeshilian Lawson. After a career as an administrative assis- tant, Anna devoted many years to volunteer work at the Armenian Library and Muse- um in Watertown; she was also a member of the Mount Auburn Hospital Auxiliary, Cambridge, MA. Anna was a life-long playing the organ at the chapels of Mount lover of classical music and opera. She Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge and other studied piano and organ, playing the pia- local churches. no and teaching Sunday School at the St. Per her wishes, Anna was buried private- James Armenian Church in Watertown and ly at Mount Auburn Cemetery. SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR 9

COMMUNITY NEWS Diocesan Legate Abp. Vicken Aykazian Addresses International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, DC WASHINGTON — “Today, the safety Raphael Lemkin as the coiner of the term bakh question,” Archbishop Aykazian said. To coincide with the International Reli- and integrity of more than a thousand years “genocide,” and referenced the Holocaust “After I delivered my own remarks on gious Freedom Summit, the organization In of Armenian Christian culture are hanging and Armenian Genocide as episodes of in- those topics, a number of national delega- Defense of Christians and the Greek Ortho- by the slimmest of threads,” said Arch- humanity that show the danger of religious tions sought me out personally, to ask what dox Archdiocese of America sponsored an bishop Vicken Aykazian last week, during persecution erupting into genocide. (Click they could do to improve the situation in ecumenical prayer service in Washington’s a major gathering of political, diplomatic, here to watch a recording.) our homeland.” St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, and faith leaders in Washington, DC. According to Aykazian, Smith was not In his speech during a panel on “Legal where Aykazian was a keynote speaker. The International Religious Free- alone in acknowledging the relevance of Structures of Persecution and Religious The solemn event was held to mourn and dom Summit (July 13-15, 2021) brought the Armenian Genocide, as well as the af- Discrimination,” the Diocesan Legate de- protest Turkey’s conversion of Constanti- together global leaders in the political and termath of the Artsakh war, to the theme of tailed the Turkish and Azeri ravaging of nople’s magnificent Hagia Sophia Cathe- religious spheres to discuss the grim reality the summit. Armenian Christian monuments and pop- dral into a mosque—an ominous develop- of increasing religious persecution around “I was amazed that almost every major ulation centers in Anatolia, Nakhichevan, ment that happened one year ago, in the the world. speaker mentioned Armenia and the Kara- and now Artsakh. summer of 2020. The conference addressed concerns in such locales as China, India, the Middle East, and Africa. A persistent theme expressed by the roster of speakers emphasized the persecution of Christians who emarks of rchbishop icken ykazian live as minorities or vulnerable populations R A V A within their home countries. Diocesan Legate and Ecumenical Director Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Diocesan Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America Legate and Ecumenical Director of the Eastern Diocese, was among the featured I want to express my gratitude to Ambassador Brownback for the opportunity to address this important gather- speakers at the summit. Speaking as a vet- ing today. eran of the worldwide ecumenical move- I speak to you in my capacity as a longtime actor in the world ecumenical and interfaith movements, who has had the honor of serving as a past president of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and as a present board member of both the NCC and the World Council of Churches. For Armenian Christians, our most vivid experience of persecution came in the early decades of the 20th century, in the Armenian Genocide. That was surely the greatest expression of crude, physical persecution, with the entire Armenian population of Ottoman Turkey uprooted from its homeland of centuries, marched into deportation, exile, and annihilation, in what would later be termed the first modern genocide. More than one and a-half million Armenians perished, and hundreds of thousands were scattered across the globe. Armenians shared this fate with other Christian minorities — Greek, Syriac, and other Christians — who were systematically targeted for removal by the Ottoman authorities. But it’s important to note that prior to the extreme persecution of genocide, Armenians and other Christians were subjected to laws and regulations in the Ottoman empire, placing special burdens on them, erecting barriers to daily activities like worship and commerce, and forcing them into a subordinate status before the law, whenever they Eastern Diocesan Legate Archbishop were placed in opposition to the Islamic majority. Vicken Aykazian was a featured On the eve of 1915, there were 2,650 Armenian churches and mon- speaker at the International Religious asteries spread out over the breadth of Anatolia. A little over a cen- Freedom Summit, a major gathering tury later, nearly all of these have been destroyed—either actively of political, diplomatic, and faith or by enforced neglect—to the extent that the number of Armenian leaders in Washington, DC, in July. churches left in modern Turkey number only a few dozen. That scale of religious and cultural desecration was the work of a ment, and as a former president of the Na- century. But the same effect can now be achieved on shorter times- tional Council of Church of Christ in the cales, given the resources of the modern world. An example comes U.S.A., Archbishop Aykazian spoke about from the region known as Nakhichevan—historically an Armenian the Ottoman persecution of Armenians and province, but transferred to Azerbaijan in Soviet times. Up until the other Christian minorities that climaxed in 1990s, the landscape of Nakhichevan was dotted with a characteris- the Armenian Genocide—and about how tic Armenian Christian art form: the “khatchkar,” or cross-stone: essentially a standing stone intricately carved similar policies of physical and cultural de- with the cross and other Christian symbols. Some 5,800 such cross-stones proliferated across the region, many of struction erased the Armenian presence in them very ancient, attesting to a centuries-old Armenian Christian presence. But with the fall of the Soviet Union, Nakhichevan, and currently threaten Arme- Azerbaijan began systematically eliminating this treasury of Armenian spiritual art—until by today, there are no nians in Artsakh. “khatchkars” left standing in Nakhichevan. More than 1,000 political and religious Obliterated alongside them were Nakhichevan’s 89 Armenian churches, and more than 22,000 tombstones. leaders, representing some 100 countries, Sadly, what happened in Nakhichevan in the late 20th century is going on right now, two decades into the 21st, in listened to the presentations live in Wash- the region known as Nagorno-Karabagh. That region was historically recognized as the ancient Armenian province ington. The proceedings were also simul- of Artsakh, but it was placed within the borders of Azerbaijan in the 1930s, in one of the many injustices of the cast over the Internet. Soviet period. Karabagh was home to some 4,000 Armenian cultural and religious sites—churches, fortresses, and monuments, many representing exquisite levels of artistry and sophistication. The Urgent Danger of Genocide Tragically, the recent, brutal war in Karabagh during the fall of 2020 has undone much of this work. Under the Sam Brownback, the former Kansas Sen- peace settlement signed by Armenia and Azerbaijan, large areas of Karabagh were ceded to the Azeris—who im- ator and U.S. Ambassador for International mediately stepped up their efforts to eradicate the material culture of Christian Armenia from the territories now Religious freedom, co-chaired the summit under their control. with Katrina Lantos Swett, previously the As a result, the world watched as Armenian inscriptions were sand-blasted away, churches and monasteries were chair of the U.S. Commission on Interna- bulldozed, by the military of Azerbaijan. In an especially sinister political campaign, Azerbaijan—and it must be tional Religious Freedom. said, their allies and clients in the West—have launched an aggressive “disinformation” campaign to cast doubt on Brownback said he hoped the summit the historical presence of Armenians anywhere in the region. That campaign will be all the easier to prosecute with would create a bi-partisan, multi-faith co- the material evidence of the Armenian presence completely eradicated. alition to champion the “cause of religious It has not come to that — yet — thank the Lord. But today the safety and integrity of more than a thousand freedom around the world.” years of Armenian Christian culture are hanging by the slimmest of threads, completely reliant on the protection Remarks delivered in person or via vid- of peacekeepers from Russia. eo were offered by the Greek Orthodox The challenge before us is first and foremost a challenge of awareness. We need to work through every institution Church’s Archbishop Elpidophoros; cur- — national governments, ecumenical and interfaith organizations, the churches themselves, NGO’s, and the United rent and former U.S. Secretaries of State Nations — to make the plight of Christian communities visible and concrete in the eyes of the world. Anthony Blinken and Mike Pompeo; the Our other challenge, of course, is to stand with these faith communities in their time of trial; to speak up on their Dalai Lama; former U.S. Ambassador to behalf; and to act in such a way as to preserve their spiritual, material, and human resources. Thank you. the United Nations Samantha Power; Ro- man Catholic Archbishop of New York Archbishop Aykazian delivered these remarks during the panel on “Legal Structures of Persecution & Religious Dis- Cardinal Timothy Dolan; and a bi-partisan crimination” onJuly 14, 2021. roster of American political figures. —7/19/21 In an impassioned speech, Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) invoked the memory of 10 SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR

COMMUNITY NEWS Chris Van Hollen: ‘You Know A Good Ambassador When You See One’ (PHOTO NESHAN H. NALTCHAYAN) FAREWELL, from page 1 Invitees apart from speakers included Washington Ar- menian community leaders, Armenian Embassy staff, Father Sarkis Aktavoukian, former US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, Permanent Representative of the Artsakh Republic to the US Robert Avetisyan, Arme- nia’s honorary consul Oscar Tatosian and Museum of the Bible board member Matt Marc. After a prayer, guests enjoyed a delicious Armenian dinner and later were invited down to the basement theater hall to continue the farewell event. ACYOA 7-31 “You know a good ambassador when you see one,” CN stated Van Hollen, citing Nersesyan’s hard work in 2020 when the attack on Karabakh took place. The senator not-

PHOTO CAPTION: More than 60 young adults took part in the 2021 Virtual Armenia Service Program (ASP), organized by the ACYOA Central Council of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America. Participants connected with each other, while learning from clergy and lay leaders about Armenia’s faith, culture, and history.

1 Fr. Simeon Odabashian and some of the youth in the ASP program Senator Chris Van Hollen speaking, with, from left, Annie Totah, Ambassador Varuzhan Nersesyan, his wife 2 Fr. Aren Jebejian with Armenian Narine and daughter Mariam, and Mrs. Donna and Amb. John Evans in the front row wine 3 Prof. Rachel Goshgarian makes a point. 4 Making some Armenian food

Annie Totah opening the farewell event

ed Turkey’s participation in that war. Earlier the same day, during the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on US policy on Turkey, Van Hollen spoke on this same topic, criticizing Turkey’s “malign actions” against Armenians. Van Hollen expressed satisfaction that it was during Nersesyan’s tenure that both the US president and Con- gress finally recognized the Armenian Genocide. “The executive branch is always a little behind,” joked the senator, hinting at the chronology of the events: recognition Annie Totah, center, gives Amb. Varuzhan Ners- Dr. Jeff Kloha handing a Museum of the Bible repli- esyan, accompanied by his wife, a model of the US ca to the ambassador Capitol.

Bryan Ardouny, the Executive Director of the Arme- Ramgavar (Armenian Democratic Liberal Party) media nian Assembly of America, recalled that the late and long- throughout the world. time chairman of the Armenian Assembly Hirair Hovna- Armenian National Committee of America Executive nian purchased and donated the building that serves as the Director Aram Hamparian described the outgoing ambas- Armenian Embassy, where the ambassador and his team sador as honest, intelligent and respected, and a real dip- work to strengthen US-Armenia relations. He presented lomat. Washington Museum of the Bible Chief Curatorial also a proclamation by Congressman Frank Pallone (D- Officer Dr. Jeff Kloha described how during a meeting NJ) and co-chair of the Armenian Caucus, who could not with the ambassador, Nersesyan in 10 minutes arranged be present at this event. Armenian Democratic Liberal through Father Hovsep Karapetyan of St. Mary Arme- Party Eastern District Committee chair Kevork Marash- nian Church of Washington for a khachkar [cross stone] lian’s farewell statement was read by Annie Totah, who weighing one ton to be donated to the Museum of the Bi- Peter Rosenblatt presented to the ambassador a copy of all the letters of ble. The khachkar now stands in the main exhibition loca- praise bidding the ambassador farewell published in the tion where the “The Breath of God” [Asdvadzashounch] by both chambers of Congress predates the presidential exhibition will open in March 2022. He then donated to proclamation by nearly two years. the ambassador a replica of the Museum of the Bible and For Ambassador John Evans, calling the events of invited him to the opening event next March. 1915 genocide meant the end of his diplomatic service. Bulgaria’s Ambassador to the United States Tihomir In 2005, while working as an ambassador of the United Stoytchev remarked about the centuries-old friendly rela- States to Armenia, he told the truth about what had hap- tions between the Armenians and Bulgarians. pened to Armenians in World War I, for which the Bush Before the end of the farewell, Victoria Bedrossian, Administration fired the American diplomat from the For- wife of the Armenia’s Consul Arsen Mikayelyan of Wash- eign Service. At the farewell event, Ambassador Evans ington, DC, sang heartfeltly the Armenian songs Groung remarked that a resolution acknowledging the Armenian and Zim Giligia. Victoria was the main singer at St. Mary Genocide has been introduced in the UK’s parliament and Armenian Church’s choir for the Sunday Divine Liturgy’s the tremendous task of achieving the recognition of the during the last three years. Armenian Genocide by the prime minister and even the Annie Totah, the host of the day, had prepared this fare- Queen now falls upon Ambassador Nersesyan. well program in such precise detail, which was an indi- Referring to Armenians as a “new but also very old na- cation to the ambassador, his wife and three children of tion,” the former vice-president of the American Jewish the love and respect that they have gained during the last Committee (AJC) Peter Rosenblatt recalled his trips to two-and-a-half years of service and living among fellow Armenia and Artsakh, “his emotional visit to the Arme- Armenians in Washington DC. Annie at the end gave the nian Genocide memorial” and his trip to earthquake-hit ambassador and his wife gifts and a glass replica of the Gyumri. On behalf of the AJC, Rosenblatt assured of this US Capitol, the building where the Congress of the Unit- organization’s long-lasting relations with the Armenian From left, Mrs. Narine Malkhasyan (the ambassa- ed States of America meets. community and “strong support with President Biden’s dor’s wife), Amb. Varuzhan Nersesyan, Annie Simo- (This article is accompanied by a video report at mir- history-making recognition of the Genocide.” nian Totah and Bryan Ardouny rorspectator.com) SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR 11

COMMUNITY NEWS SOAR Transitional Center Renovations Unveiled in Gyumri GYUMRI — The Society for Orphaned additional strategically located facilities Armenian Relief (SOAR) established a throughout Armenia and Artsakh in the residential Transitional Center in Decem- years to come.” ber 2019, the first of its kind in Gyumri, The SOAR NJ Juniors, led by advi- Armenia, to address an existing gap in care sor Juliet Inan, also funded renovation of Tekeyan Cultural Association, Inc. for older teenage girls who, as they age out the grounds of the Transitional Center, of the orphanage system, are at serious risk transforming it into a thriving outdoor gar- for homelessness, unemployment, and hu- den where the residents plant trees, vegeta- Dr. Nubar man trafficking. bles, and fruit. To address this distinct population, SOAR’s Transitional Center welcomes Berberian 2021 vulnerable young women into a residential setting that prepares them to become accomplished, educated, and self-supporting Annual Awards adults. The Center provides a safe, nurtur- ing environment that facilitates higher ed- Dr. Nubar Berberian, intel- ucation, requires participation in programs to enhance essential life skills, and offers lectual, journalist, activist the opportunity for volunteerism to the and editor of many ADL community. Thanks to funding from the Norman K. daily newspapers for more SOAR TC Basement – Then Miller Charitable Fund, the Harold and Josephine Gulamerian Armenian Orphan than 50 years passed away Fund, and the SOAR New Jersey (NJ) Ju- at the age of 94 in Novem- niors, the basement of SOAR’s Transition- al Center has been transformed into a mod- ber 23, 2016. In his will, Dr. ern Training & Program Hub. The newly Berberian directed his Trust renovated space will be used for vocational training and educational activities for the Fund managers to appro- young women residing at the Center and for disadvantaged youth across the region. priate awards every year to “When we started SOAR in 2005, our college students of Arme- dream was to create our own Center – a facility where we would emphasize for- nian descent worldwide who major in either Interna- mal education and job training and em- SOAR TC Basement – Now tional Law or Political Science. power our residents to recognize their true academic and professional potential,” The Society for Orphaned Armenian says SOAR Executive Board Chairman Relief is the world’s only charitable orga- George S. Yacoubian Jr. “Our vision came nization devoted exclusively to providing ELIGIBILITY AND REQUIREMENTS true with the creation of our Transitional humanitarian relief to orphaned Armenian Center. As we refine our model and expand children. To learn more about SOAR, vis- 1) Eligible recipients are college students of Armenian descent our reach, we look forward to opening it soar-us.org. who major in either International Law or Political Science. 2) Applicant must be enrolled in a full-time graduate program in a fully accredited college or university in the world. ACYOA Leads Young Adults 3) Applicant must provide all of the information requested on the application form. On a Virtual Tour of Armenia 4) Applicant must submit a copy of his or her most recent college transcript. By Andrew Yenicag A roster of engaging presenters shared their time and talent with the young adults 5) Applicant is to include a small head and shoulders self- NEW YORK — More than 60 young of the Eastern Diocese. portrait. adults took part in the 2021 Virtual Arme- Fr. Simeon Odabashian and Dn. Garen nia Service Program (ASP), organized by Megrdichian conducted vespers services. Fr. 6) Application could be received by requesting from the Armenian Church Youth Organization Tadeos and Yn. Gayanne Barseghyan gave [email protected]. of America (ACYOA) Central Council an Interactive lesson in Armenian cooking. of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Garnik Nanagoulian of the Fund for Arme- 7) Applicants should submit applications electronically (via Church of America. nian Relief (FAR), Lenna Ohanessian of email) to: [email protected]. The virtual “tour” of Armenia took the FAR’s Ayo! crowd-sourcing platform, and 8) The deadline of receiving the applications is September 15, 2021. 9) The administrators and managers of the fund will vote the qualified winners in October, 2021 based on the merits of each applicant. 10) The winner or winners will receive their awards in November, 2021 11) Winning applicants are not eligible to apply again. 12) This announcement is published in Armenian, English, French and Spanish.

Making some Armenian food Watertown, MA, July 15, 2021 shape of five online gatherings, which met Ellen Oganesyan of the Artsakh Relocation for an hour each evening during the week Project, led an informative session on Ar- of June 13-18, 2021. menian non-profit organizations. Open to young adults ages 18 and older, Dr. Rachel Goshgarian gave a riveting closed the week with an interactive wine to Armenia in the summer of 2022, so they the Virtual ASP was an opportunity for par- presentation on the iconic monuments of tasting event. can serve, explore, and appreciate the rich- ticipants to connect with each other, while Armenia and Artsakh. Fr. Garabed Kocha- While lingering concerns over the pan- ness of their homeland in person. learning from clergy and lay leaders about kian and Krikor Paylan taught about the demic caused the ASP trip to go forward as For information on upcoming ACYOA different aspects of Armenia, including its art and meaning of khatchkars. And Chris a virtual event this year, the ACYOA looks programs, contact the ACYOA Central faith, culture, and history. Polodian, sommelier with Storica Wines, forward to sending a group of young adults Council at [email protected]. 12 SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR Arts & Culture

Dr. Maranci Speaks Satellite Monitoring On Endangered Artsakh Churches at Human Documents Cultural Rights of the Conference Heritage at Risk in of European Churches Artsakh Program By Kate Blackwood | LONDON — On July 21st, Dr. ITHACA, N.Y. (Cornell Chroni- Christina Maranci lectured at the 8th cle) — Cornell researchers are using Summer School on Human Rights of high-resolution satellite imagery to the Conference of European Church- monitor and document endangered es on the topic of, “Ensuring Security and damaged cultural heritage in the of Places of Worship.” In her foren- South Caucasus, where an ethnic con- sic presentation, Maranci drew the flict between Armenia and Azerbaijan attention of the participants to the has raged for decades. Religious Communities precarious Lori Khatchadourian, associate pro- situation of the Armenian spiritual fessor of Near Eastern studies in the and cultural heritage of Artsakh, un- College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), der Azerbaijani occupation, and the and Adam T. challenges that threaten the very ex- Smith, Distin- istence of this cultural heritage. She guished Pro- noted how the Azeri Albanification of fessor of Arts Armenian churches and monasteries and Sciences on social media is a perversion, not in Anthropol- only of the historical record, but also ogy (A&S) does violence to the basic tenets of are reporting the Christian faith. their findings At the end of the presentation there through Cau- was a question-and-answer period. casus Heritage Participants asked about the legal sta- Watch (CHW) Professor Lori tus of the Armenian Churches in Art- a project they Khatchadourian sakh, and any future plans to ensure established Artist Pauline Hacopian with her mural the faithful are able to access sacred in 2020 with Ian Lindsay, associate shrines. There were also presenta- pro-fessor of anthropology at Purdue tions from the Church of Cyprus, the University. Church of England and the National “After the first Nagorno-Karabakh Point Contact of Hate Crimes of the War [late 1980s to May 1994], the Holy See (the Vatican). On the Path to government of Azerbaijan erased Through a series of Webinars July virtually all traces of Armenian ex- 20-23, the Summer School aims to istence in the region of Nakhiche- raise awareness on the fundamental van,” including medieval churches, right to Freedom of Religion or Be- Integration sacred cross stones and tombstones, lief, and any security-related chal- Khatchadourian said. She noted that although the destruction has First Armenian Mural in Burbank Unveils been documented by international scholars, it is disputed by the government of Azerbaijan amidst the unre- Armenian-American Identities solved conflict over land and identity, By Ani Duzdabanyan-Manoukian BURBANK, Calif. — Pauline Hacopian, which flared again into a 44-day war last fall. Special to the Mirror-Spectator a hair and makeup artist from Burbank, first decided to depict her new mural project as an Russia brokered a ceasefire -be infinity sign. As she started to add other parts to it, she figured out that well-known tween Armenia and Azerbaijan in monuments from various cities will add more eloquence to her message. The idea of a November 2020, but the postwar situ- mural was developing step-by-step over the period of a month on her Instagram page. ation remains volatile, Smith said. As On July 19, the time came to unveil this first-ever Armenian mural on the physical a result of the terms of the ceasefire, walls of an Armenian business in Burbank, sites of cultural significance – some Nexus Auto Group, right on the corner of up to 1,600 years old – now fall un- Hollywood Way and Burbank Boulevard. der Azerbaijan’s jurisdiction. He said On the mural, Armenian symbols like the many international scholars are con- pomegranate, Mount Ararat, Artsakh, and cerned that new threats to cultural the monument dedicated to the Genocide heritage may now loom for sacred are represented together with the signs and Armenian sites in Azerbaijan. buildings of Los Angeles and Burbank, in- The first report from CHW dicating the integration of two cultures and published July 7. And the CHW proj- identities. “Things like this around the city ect dashboard went live the same day, [of Burbank] will help to raise questions showing the numbers and types of even for those who are not Armenian. If we sites under surveillance at any given get more Armenians to be involved this way, moment, as well as their current findings. Its database includes more Dr. Christina Maranci it will help,” says Hacopian. This art work was chosen through a public than 2,000 sites across an area of lenges that might be faced as a con- art project launched by Burbank For Arme- 12,000 square kilometers, hundreds sequence of this. It will explore how nia. The project invited local artists to submit of which are under active monitoring. to enhance skills and expertise when their mural designs representing Armenian The CHW team is using a satellite reporting hate crime within the Or- roots. constellation called SkySat, operated ganization for Security and Co-op- This newly created organization, Burbank by the company Planet Lab, to collect eration in Europe (OSCE) and Safer For Armenia, was created right after the war imagery of specific locations during and Stronger Communities in Europe in Artsakh in October 2020 when two Arme- the year in order to detect changes to (SASCE) mechanisms. This year’s nian Americans tried to find productive ways heritage sites that might indicate dam- Summer School is held in coopera- to help the homeland and the community in Pauline Hacopian age or destruction. tion with the Evangelical Church in their hometown here in the US. Cofounder As the report documents, Smith Germany (EKD), with its program Lusine Simonyan’s brother was on the list of soldiers waiting for their turn to fight said, “the most at-risk sites are mon- being prepared by the CEC Thematic on the front. This fact was making Lusine incredibly worried and anxious, thousand uments related to the long Armenian Group on Human Rights, in line with miles away. That’s when her boyfriend Romik Hacobian, owner of a media consulting presence in the region, including the SASCE (a CEC project funded by company and an active community member, decided to connect with other likeminded churches, monasteries, cemeteries the European Commission). see MURAL, page 15 see RISK, page 15 SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR 13

ARTS & CULTURE a Conversation with... ities we live amongst – including Armenians – there is a lot of commons that weaving us together in such a wonderful tapestry, some of these common things are shared with most of the different people groups Essam in the region that relates to Armenia and its history that form a bridge of mutual communication and act as a common language between Armenia and other na- Nagy tions, like: music, food and pain that Armenia endured throughout its history, espe- ‘For Me Armenia Is Like cially the 1915 genocide. In that sense, I call my- an Orchard’ self “ABC” — Armenian By Artsvi Bakhchinyan by Choice — acting as an ambassador to other cul- Special to the Mirror-Spectator tures by bringing the com- YEREVAN / CAIRO — My subject is Essam Nagy, a mon things between Arme- 42-year-old Egyptian photographer, journalist and docu- nia and other cultures on the mentary filmmaker, the director of the documentary, “In table, to make them under- the Beginning Was Armenia,” which he made after his stand and appreciate the Ar- trip to Armenia in 2017. menians, their history, their Essam, photojournalism is a very important and land, and its people. hard profession. Some samples of photo journalism Armenia is not a mere became classics, especially many of Magnum Pho- South Caucasian nation, tos. Now it seems all the people who appear in the hot wrote: “We should give the world to the children.” Armenia is a very ancient culture that affected, contrib- parts of the planet have chance to document events They will not make war for sure. Last year together uted to and shaped to a great extent the world we live in and sites with their mobile phones. What do you think with your wife you launched a TV show for children, today. Its culture needs and has to be understood, studied, about photo journalism of 21st century? “Our Story from Home,” to make the routine of iso- cherished and enjoyed. Photojournalism, in its purist form, is documenting real lated children pleasant. What was its impact? Are you Your camera documents the refugees — a painful moments in real time. Mobile devices and tiny sophisti- continuing this project? subject. Unfortunately, after last year war now there cated digital cameras are just mere tools to do what used I produced children shows for 13 years, been to many are again refugees also in Armenia. Just yesterday in to be done with rangefinder and SLR film cameras back devastated and persecuted minorities, served and helped the bus I occasionally acquainted with a schoolboy in the day. their children getting over their traumas, now focusing from Hadrut (Artsakh), who forced to leave his home In the 21st century, these are the legitimate tools to define more on producing and directing documentary films, yet with his family to avoid the war. So I was excited to the moment. Recent revolutions that took place during the still helping whenever needed in that manner. see “I stand with Artsakh” on your Facebook profile last decade in many parts of the world were documented There is a documentary I directed in 2019 about a story photo. in digital format, yet, the understanding of visual docu- I covered several years before that date called “Sequel of I added this logo to my profile picture to express my mentation throughout the transition from physical to digi- Hope” - you can watch it via this link: support to Armenia and the Armenians during the latest tal media was changed, especially nowadays, when video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I5IPv9deKI 44-day war… This project is a living example how children can im- In April-May of this year I paid a recent visit to Ar- pact, and change the world if they are given proper room menia to document the circumstances at the affected ar- to make their voices heard. eas of the Artsakh refugees and their daily lives, it is a I learned a lot by being among those young hearts, they devastated situation. The latest vicious 44-day war waged were/are my mentors. by Azerbaijan against Artsakh and its inhabitants recalls We, Armenians, learned about you after the release back the memory of the 1915 genocide, it is engineered of your documentary, “In the Beginning Was Arme- in the same manner, to wipe out the Armenian population nia” in January of last year. How was the documenta- and uprooting them from their historical lands. ry received in the Arab world? I was there for them, and will be there to stand by them, In the sphere of intelligentsia, the documentary “In the the Armenian indigenous people of Artsakh. Beginning Was Armenia” was very much well received, I had many funny and loveable experiences and memo- but it is an unfortunate general case that in most part of ries in Armenia, the taste of amazing Jingalov hats along the Arabic speaking nations that art work which relates to with local brewed Oghi (vodka), the smiles of young chil- other cultures is not as well received as local related con- dren from Artsakh in a packed afterschool activity room tent, but looking forward for near future works to educate and their eagerness to achieve what the tender and loving Middle Eastern nations more about Hayastan, its history, teacher asked them to do, the determination of grand- people and unparalleled culture. mothers who vowed to regain back their lands from the Do you have the intention to publish your photos enemy, the sound of the eternal duduk singing the ever- from Armenia as an album? lasting love song between the land and the people of the Yes, there is a future plan to make an art photo exhibi- land. tion inspired by my experience in my beloved Armenia, it And, the heavenly kanon, its immortal sighs, proclaim- is to be shown in Armenia and abroad. ing the glory of Hayastan in every strike made by the I am convinced that Armenia needs to be present- blessed hands of its crafted player. ed to the Arab world more often and comprehensive- Some memories are made, and lots yet to be made. ly. Despite the presence of Armenian communities Lastly, I want to share with you a dear article to my in many Arabic countries, there is a lack of transla- heart (“The Bleeding Pomegranate”) that I wrote when is very much challenging the cherishment and the beauty tors and other professionals who might introduce the I watched a pomegranate that was shot by Azeri fire, and of the still captured image. country and culture in respective countries. I am sure dropped on the ground in pieces on TV, during the second We end up with thousands of photos on our phones and non-Armenians like you can have valuable contribu- day of the 44-day war. virtual drives. This — in my opinion — in a way degrades tion in this sense. P.S. - Last year The Armenian Mirror-Spectator pub- or to a great extent supports the feeling of taking visual Generally speaking, the richness of Armenia in art and lished Maydaa Nadar’s article about Essam Nagy’s doc- documentation, including photojournalism, for granted. culture is vastly complex, personal, contagious, speak umentary with references to three parts of your film on The artisan of photo “making” has been replaced by photo truths and magic. And in order to be communicated to YouTube. The links mentioned in that article are moved “taking”, phones and cameras are being treated as shot- other cultures and backgrounds, it has to be understood to another platform, the new links are: guns, rather than the magical dark room that transforms and lived by the researcher/communicator. Part I: the moment into a physical memory held by hands and For me, Armenia is like an orchard, a garden filled of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3YWPZFR- hanged on the wall for generations to enjoy and behold. different kinds of flowers and plants, I count myself as a NOE&list=PLvUhK8kFNq9IdE6d6oOPgfGPkhIKu- My concern is that by time and by more indulgence in bee collecting nectar (artforms, history, cultural elements) VIvA&index=5&t=115s digital consumption, we may lose our visual memory if process them to produce honey (output/products to the Part II: we do not have a physical backup that can endure for the audience/readers) with deep personal understanding of, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWq8dWFh- coming generations to investigate. first, what do these elements represent/mean -to Arme 4Wo&list=PLvUhK8kFNq9IdE6d6oOPgfGPkhIKu- We can still enjoy one and half century old photos and nians and Armenia, secondly, how to engage the distant VIvA&index=6&t=937s glass negatives, I wonder if in the future our present, other - who is coming from a different background - in Part III: which then will be history, can still be seen, I question. being a part of what is being presented to him/her about https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgePND8P- My impression is that children play important roles Armenia. FRg&list=PLvUhK8kFNq9IdE6d6oOPgfGPkhIKu- in your projects. I agree with a Turkish poet, who In the Middle East, and despite the multitude of ethnic- VIvA&index=7&t=132s 14 SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR

ARTS & CULTURE Cecile Zarokian Creates Perfume to Evoke Ani By Isabelle Kapoian Books Special to the Mirror-Spectator

Cecile Zarokian is what is called a “nose,” a perfume artist who can evoke different moods with perfume by mixing various elements to compose a new scent. Her latest scent is Nishane Ani, inspired by the city of Ani. The Paris-based Zarokian graduated from the noted fragrance institute ISIPCA and spent four years at fragrance house Robertet, in Grasse and Paris. She was still a trainee when she created her first fragrance, Amouage Epic Woman. In 2011, Cécile set up her own laboratory and now creates as an independent perfumer for Jovoy Paris, Xerjoff, Jacques Fath, Laboratorio Olfattivo and Masque Fragranze.

If you could please take a moment and changing, but usually, the whole main- talk a little bit about your background, stream thing is more focused on the fresh- where you grew up, and what inspired ness, cleanness, citrus floral notes, sweets, you to become a perfumer? and I would say usually in the Middle East I was born in Marseilles, in the south it’s a bit more Oriental, ambery, dense, of France, the same as my whole family, deep. But again, it depends on the brands, fossette, to represent both sides of this bit- but I was really surprised, actually. but I moved to Paris at the age of 6. I first but more or less it’s about that. tersweet love, you know, and also I used studied medicine because my father was a warm woods and the comfortable musks, Was your relationship to this project doctor and I wanted to become a pediatri- Moving to Nishane Ani and your role versus the cold spices that you can have on impacted by your Armenian ancestry? cian, actually. So I was always sensible to in creating the scent, what was the hope top like the ginger or the pink pepper, car- And did you feel like a sense of respon- smells in general, not from the perfumes, for this project? And was there inten- damom, to give this a dual effect. And, yes, sibility? but I didn’t consider it as a future position tionality behind working with you as the then the church came, but the perfume was [The collaboration relationship] was until I met someone who ran the famous French-Armenian perfumer, or was that almost ready. kind of casual, but I mean, I don’t feel a perfume school. So then it was clear for a serendipitous coincidence? So after working together on this proj- responsibility - I mean, I’m no one to take me that I wanted to work in the perfumery We had been discussing a potential col- ect with Mert and Murat, and once the cre- this kind of a huge responsibility; I can just world, and I was lucky enough to do my laboration for a few years with Mert (Gu- ation was done and was validated, we were talk for myself, you know, and talk about apprenticeship, and to be trained by a se- zel) and Murat (Katran), the owners of Nis- very happy with the results of the perfume, our relationship with the founders... What nior perfumer to become one. hane, when they finally asked me to work which seemed to be again, the perfect I can say, is I was happy to be a part of it. on Ani, a project that seemed match to the brief. But to be true, it was for Of course it’s very important for us Ar- meant to be about the ties in re- me, a rather edgy perfume and I expected menian people, Armenian origin people, lationship between Turkish and it to be [a] not so easy to wear perfume; but also, I think and I think my family, my Armenian people. I’m proud of it, but maybe it’s going to be generation, maybe think that at some point edgy and not for everyone, you know, just a we have to move forward, you know... you How did you feel when you few people will enjoy it. So I was very sur- cannot blame the children of the people knew that you would be able prised and very happy to see such enthusi- that [committed genocide]... they are not to create this scent and be one asm about it and that it was really popular, see PERFUME, page 16 of the directives in making this scent a reality? We were discussing for the past few years about working together, so I was super happy that it finally happened. I was quite excited about it.

Did the ancient city of Ani CALENDAR serve as an inspiration for ON-LINE EVENTS & PROGRAMS Can you please give a little description the scent, or did that part of the project about your job as a nose and company - considering Ani as a place and as a his- MASSACHUSETTS owner? tory - come after? So, the thing is, in my job there is no Actually, it came after. So the initial brief The Armenian Heritage Park is hosting a series of events this summer. routine, actually, I mean, really each day is was actually entirely based on the song, August 1 at 2pm LABYRINTH WALKING: A WELLNESS PRACTICE RSVP very different from the day before. I create Sari Gelin, so a popular Anatolian folk [email protected] perfumes as a perfumer does in a fragrance song, and it can have a different name - it’s August 11 at 4pm TEA & TRANQUILITY Meet & Greet RSVP hello@Arme- house. But I have to add to that a lot of dif- more like, Sari Gelin, in Turkish, and, Sari nianHeritagePark.org ferent projects and missions, like being an Aghjik, in Armenian. And so the owners August 22 at 7:30pm UNDER THE BLUE MOON Meet & Greet Enjoy Black in-house perfumer for brands which man- sent various versions for me to listen [to], Sea Salsa Combo RSVP [email protected] ufacture their own perfume. Also some the Turkish way, the Armenian way, Ana- September 9 at 10am CELEBRATING WHAT UNITES US! All About Grains, consultancy projects or conferences world- tolian, and explained to me the meaning virtually with Oldways RSVP [email protected] wide. of its lyrics as well as the meaning of this September 19 at 2pm SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT THE PARK! Meet & Greet I used to travel a lot. I’m still traveling. I song as a symbol. So it’s a true indicator of Enjoy Hye Guys Ensemble RSVP [email protected] mean, in November I was in Brazil, and in cultural interactions and shared emotions AUGUST 19 — Armenian museum Save the date! The sixth Online Concert is January I was in Oman, despite the whole by the people who lived on the same land. coming up on Thursday, featuring, David Harutyunyan (shvi) Lusine Kara- pandemic situation. But, I was used to trav- So two different cultures, the Turkish peo- petyan (piano). The concert will be shown online at 7:30 pm EST (4:30 pm eling a lot and what I really love is to be ple, the Armenian people, but at the end, PST). This concert series is supported by the Dadourian Foundation and is able to have a close relationship with my sharing some common culture through the curated by Maestro Konstantin Petrossian, artistic director, composer, and clients and to help in the development of song, through the lens. So that was what it conductor. It is free, open to the public, and pre-registration is not required. the project from the brief to the launch. was all about. And that’s why it was part AUGUST 21-22 — SAVE THE DATE! The Armenian Apostolic Church at Hye And you know, I can adjust the needs and of the “No Boundaries Collection.” And Pointe will hold its annual picnic on Saturday and Sunday, 12 to 5 p.m. 1280 ambitions of the brand accordingly. so Ani and the City of One Thousand and Boston Road, Haverhill. One Churches came afterwards, but it was NEW JERSEY I was wondering if you could give a lit- completely coherent with everything that I tle insight into what the perfume market just said and that I was just explaining, and NOVEMBER 13 — Save the Date: Saturday. 12 Vocations, Fulfilling the Promise is and how the Middle Eastern perfume [it was] another symbol like that. of St. Nersess Seminary. Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of St. Nersess market might be slightly different than Armenian Seminary and the vocations of the first 12 priests who graduated in the United States. Can you briefly describe the scent for from St. Nersess and St. Vladimir’s Seminaries and were ordained. This is In the Middle East they want it to be very our readers? the first in a series of events to recognize the alumni of St. Nersess, both long lasting, to be very diffusive and pow- So the song is about two lovers who can- ordained and lay, who are in service to the Armenian Church, in any capacity. erful is very important. I mean, it’s import- not be together because of their families The celebratory dinner will be held at the Old Tappan Manor in Old Tappan, ant everywhere, but especially there, it’s and impossible love, so that’s why Ani is N.J. For more info, go to www.stnersess.edu. very heavy and powerful. And compared a dual perfume. So it’s sweet, ambery, va- to the US market, I would say, again it’s nilla, warm and spicy, with a crisp green SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR 15

ARTS & CULTURE First Armenian Mural in Burbank Unveils Armenian-American Identities MURAL, from page 12 people in the community in an organization to raise Armenian awareness. Since then Burbank For Armenia has been supporting Armenians throughout their journeys in different roles in the community and helps organize different events to represent Ar- menian culture. Romik’s family is from Iran. Its members immigrated to the US during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Moving to Burbank from Glendale, over the last eight years, Romik developed a clear vision for a future as an Armenian-American. “Coming here and having this opportunity is great. For me it is very important to keep the board very diverse. Helping people from different background is to help raise their voice and being valued in the community, give more flavor to Burbank. I can’t imagine doing this in any other country,” Romik adds proudly. Armenians make up only 16% of the population in Burbank. It has been a long struggle for the community to integrate into the city’s life. The mayor of Burbank, Bob Frutos, describes this as “growing pains” for the community. The mayor has been living in Burbank for the last 28 years and he is seeing much more integration now. “This mural is a strong example of the in- clusivity and the fabric that is part of the Armenian people in the city of Burbank. And the Armenian people are also part of a fabric of Burbank. I think this is so important to the elders who struggled to find their Cutting the ribbon at the inaugural

position, whether opening up their businesses or being happy housewives and taking care of their children, providing them with education. Now a lot of Armenian young people are successful doctors and lawyers,” says Frutos, sharing his thoughts about the Armenian community.

From left, Vahe Hamzoian of the Nexus Auto Group, Senator Anthony Portanti- no artist Pauline Hacopian, and Mayor of Burbank Bob Frutos Members of Burbank For Armenia Satellite Monitoring Documents Cultural Heritage at Risk in Artsakh RISK, from page 12 Aygek Mosque was destroyed by an Azer- al heritage crises,” Khatchadourian said. of ethnic cleansing,” Khatchadourian said. and other sites from pre-Christian periods baijani road crew, with May 2021 satellite “New technologies make it possible to doc- CHW’s three co-principal investigators through the early 20th century.” images of the area showing a blank space ument damage and destruction almost in hope that by raising international awareness For example, satellite images in the June where a building had been in September real time.” to this particular conflict, they can help pro- report show damage to Ghazanchets’ots Ca- 2018. Archaeologists used satellite imagery tect heritage sites in this region and provide thedral in the town of Shusha (or Shushi), CHW also has highlighted a number of during the Syrian Civil War to monitor loot- a model for addressing similar problems in corroborating eyewitness statements of an sites that are at risk, such as the 7th-century ing and bombing of sites in Syria and Iraq, other regions of conflict. artillery attack on the building in October Vank’asar Church, shown with heavy equip- providing a precedent for CHW, Smith said. Funding for the CHW project comes from 2020. ment parked nearby. A fragile 19th-century Similar techniques have been used to docu- Cornell’s Department of Anthropology and CHW’s report also reveals the de- church is shown in satellite images 50 me- ment cultural loss elsewhere, most recently Department of Near Eastern Studies, Pur- struction of the Mets T’agher/Böyük ters from extensive earth-moving opera- in the Xinjiang region of China. due University, the Aragats Foundation and Tağlar Cemetery, including evidence of tions. “We are contributing to this field by offer- the Armenian General Benevolent Union. bulldozers grading the site, pushing “earth “The proliferation of high-resolution ing another model and new methods that can and funerary materials” into a large berm. satellite imagery has changed the ways in be adopted in regions where the destruction Kate Blackwood is a writer for the Col- The report confirms that the 18th-century which archaeologists respond to cultur- of cultural heritage is part of state strategies lege of Arts and Sciences. 16 SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR ARTS & CULTURE

paragus Roll-Ups, Cabernet Braised Short Ribs, New York Steak, Lobster Bisque, Cracked Wheat and Kale Salad, Tortilla Crusted Salmon, Grandma Bazarian’s Shish Kebab and Pilaf, how to make Lemon Ice Cream with Candied Lemon Zest, Pumpkin Cheesecake, and more. Best of all, his recipes are easy to follow and Recipe written for today’s home cook. q Butternut squash, or winter squash, is harvested in the fall but it keeps well by Christine for several months. It is a good source of fiber, potassium, and several other key nutrients. Vartanian One of Jon’s favorite recipes is this savory butternut soup. “It has a very beau- Corner tiful orange color and smooth texture. And the fried sage is a surprising complement to the sweetness of the squash and tartness of the apples.”

INGREDIENTS: 3 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4” cubes 1 medium yellow onion, minced 1 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4“ cubes 1/4 teaspoon whole dried thyme 5 cups apple juice 1 cup heavy cream Kosher salt and fresh ground white pepper 2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice 4 ounces cubed butter

FRIED SAGE: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter into a sauté pan, add the sage leaves, let them sizzle for a few seconds, turn for another second, then remove to a paper towel to drain.

FOR THE SOUP: After peeling, cut the squash in half, remove the strings and seeds with spoon and discard. In a heavy sauce pan, add the squash, onion, potato, thyme, apple juice. Cook the vegetables until tender. Add the cream and cook another 5 minutes. Chef Jon Koobation’s Butternut Off the heat, blend soup in batches or use an immersion blender and blend until very smooth. At this point, add salt and pepper to taste. Add the diced apples and Squash & Apple Soup with Fried Sage butter, and stir until the butter in incorporated. Ladle soup into warm bowls topped with fried sage. The apples add a nice bit of texture to the soup. This recipe is featured in Cooking With Jon, the engaging cookbook written by Serves 6. award-winning chef Jon Koobation. Jon was the owner and head chef at the ac- claimed Jon’s Bear Club in Reedley, California for several decades before he re- See: https://thebusinessjournal.com/best-valley-restaurant-award-winners-an- tired. Born in Dinuba, a small farming town in the central San Joaquin Valley, nounced-2/ Jon’s history with The Bear Club started many years earlier. He learned his trade on the job, first working as a prep cook and sous chef at major Lake Tahoe-area Jon is the recipient of the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award in the California restaurants before returning to the San Joaquin Valley. He worked at the famed Restaurant Association’s “Best of the Valley” awards. Contact Jon at chefjonkoo- Vallis’ Restaurant in Kingsburg, the Redwood Inn of Sultana, Dinuba Ranch, and [email protected] to order his book and for a personally signed copy. His book is the Swedish Mill, and became The Bear Club’s executive chef in 1973. Through also available for sale at The Market Grocery Store and at Sam’s Deli & Cucina in the 1970s and 1980s, Jon’s Bear Club established itself as a superb steakhouse that Fresno, California. Or order his book directly at Amazon Books at: https://www. featured excellent food and personable customer service. amazon.com/Cooking-JON-Jon-Koobation/dp/0692769315 “Using the freshest seasonal ingredients and attention to detail when creating each menu item was appreciated by Jon’s Bear Club patrons through the years, Also see: and one of the main reasons they chose to return again and again.” https://www.facebook.com/events/d41d8cd9/dinner-with-jon-kooba- Cooking With Jon is a walk down memory lane about Jon’s family, his car rac- tion/379943889501007/ ing history, and his successful career in the restaurant business, interspersed with https://kingsriverlife.com/08/23/interview-with-local-chef-jon-koobatian/ fascinating stories and anecdotes about growing up in Dinuba. Also included are https://www.fresnobee.com/living/food-drink/bethany-clough/article203558989. wonderful photos to complement the recipes. This is a collection of Jon’s signa- html ture recipes created for generations of patrons at Jon’s Bear Club like: Charred As- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oenCEG35hZc

business oriented, you know, and also that right out of the oven, for me, that represents Cecile Zarokian it was something that mattered. And, and Is this the first perfume you created this heritage. hopefully they will share the same vision which references your Armenian heri- And also the stuffed grape leaves, be- Creates Perfume to that I had and, and understand why I did tage and if not, are there any others? cause for me, I have a very precise picture that, and what was the meaning of that. So, yes, it’s the first perfume I created of my grandmother, making them, and the Evoke Ani in reference with my Armenian roots, but spices for me, it’s a trigger. She picked her Do you consider this effort an isolated actually one more might come in the next herbs, cooking and the very specific spices PERFUME, from page 14 relationship between yourself and Nis- future, as well as an artistic project for - I mean, everyone has his own recipe - but responsible for their elders, not everyone, hane or a micro-instance of internation- which I would traveled to Armenia, when- for me, it was mostly about the Jamaican and you cannot put all people in the same al diplomacy? ever it’s possible to travel again. I mean, it pepper that we’re using a lot, I mean, she basket, you know. I think our relationship with the founders was supposed to happen last year, and it’s was using it a lot for the grape leaves, and Because Mert and Murat are very thor- is not the only one and could be - I’m not a very interesting artistic project, I cannot I really, really love them, but takes ages to ough, they are very nice, and they ex- going to speak internationally or of diplo- say that much for now, but it will be very do. plained to me the project, I’m not going to macy - but I think it’s just one example that focused on Armenia, and that’s why I’m There was a time when the women were just say, “Okay, you’re Turkish so I’m not could have many other examples. I mean, going there: to feel the country, to see the not working. So, I love that, but it takes re- gonna talk to you,” you know? I’d like to believe that. flowers, to see what could be interesting to ally hours to do so. I mean, I did them for And what I can say is, I felt the pressure evoke as the scents and smells, and to get the baptism of my two sons, actually, and working on this project to be sure that it I was hoping you could share your the big picture, also. And it involves some, yeah, so, well, one pot, like hundreds of would be correctly understood. Like for thoughts on the ability of perfume to not the government, but some local profes- them, just to roll them, it was four hours... me, it was very important to explain the be a conduit for collective memory or a sionals there, involved in arts. It’s going to so just to roll, for four hours, alone. Wow. meaning of this project and to explain to way to preserve cultural heritage or ref- be, hopefully in the next few months it’s And also it was more cheerful because the Armenian community that it was not erence history? going to be possible again, I mean, it was there were the women together, cooking, something outrageous, or it was not like Tough question. Well, I think again, it’s supposed to be in May last year, so maybe so it’s not the same when I’m cooking. For being a traitor or you know? It [the Arme- one example and one I feel comfortable to, it will be May this year, again. example, for Christmas, with my Armenian nian Genocide] is very huge in our history, because it’s my job. And maybe, let’s say family, that’s different - we can talk while and we have very good reasons for that, it’s something that is light, you know, not Are there any scents that you grew up we are cooking and everything, and that’s you know, but again, we are not our grand- serious or too deep, you know, after all it is with which hold special memories to you a joy, and it’s good to share these kinds of parents, parents, and I think at some point perfumes, and I think it’s a way, [a] light, or remind you of your Armenian heri- moments, but when you just have to cook we need to try to make peace, you know, to not that serious way, to introduce maybe tage? by yourself, it takes a lot of time. live with it… these notions, and to again have an exam- Yeah, so lately, as we’ve been [spending] But the boreg, yes, I think that’s an easy I felt like because it’s also in my name, ple of a collaboration through that. And... much more time at home because of lock one to do that I really love, and really it’s my culture and my heritage, that I I hope it talks to people. And again, it’s an downs and curfews, I had the opportunity meaningful and powerful for me too. wanted you to make sure that people would easy way to express or talk about a very to, more than usually, and this is the divine To see Zarokian in action, understand what I did, and it was not just serious or deeper subject. smell of a freshly cooked boreg coming see https://www.youtube.com/ SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR 17

THE ARMENIAN COMMENTARY Mirror SPECTATOR Editorial Since 1932 Cultural Genocide as a Political Tool The cultural genocide actively being mains under the control of the Artsakh Republic at present but waged by Turkey and Azerbaijan is a com- is no safer than other monuments. An ADL Publication ponent of the physical genocide of the Ar- Yet another jewel of Armenian architecture in danger is menian people, intended to obliterate any Amaras. The First English Language vestiges of their existence on their ancestral More pitiful will prove to be the destruction of Tigranakert, Armenian Weekly in the lands, which they have inhabited for centu- also known as Tigranakert-Artsakh, a ruined Armenian city ries. dating back to Hellenistic period, in Agdam, now under the United States By Edmond Y. According to a report by the Armenian rule of Azerbaijan. It was explored and studied by Armenian Azadian Patriarchate in Istanbul, before World War I, archeologists after 1994. EDITOR there were 2,538 churches and 451 monas- A story in the New York Times, accompanied by beautiful, Alin K. Gregorian teries on historic Armenian lands taken over by the Ottoman haunting and tragic photos, in the July 25 edition of the paper, MANAGING EDITOR Empire. Today, besides the active churches in Istanbul, the attempts, in its own way, to treat both sides of the conflict on Aram Arkun current Republic of Turkey, the successor state of the Otto- the same footing. man Empire, has allowed only one cathedral — to showcase Azerbaijanis are not allowing their people to resettle in the ART DIRECTOR Holy Cross on the island of Akhtamar, on Lake Van — to be newly occupied territories, arguing that minefields may still Mark (Mgrditchian) McKertich opened, where Armenians are allowed to perform religious injure or kill them. But in fact, those refugees who were hos- services once a year. There are also churches in Kayseri and tage to the Azerbaijani policies for almost 30 years, have al- SENIOR EDITORIAL COLUMNIST Vakifli that can hold services periodically, but the grand Ar- ready settled in other cities in Azerbaijan, and their offspring Edmond Y. Azadian menian church at Diyarbekir is back in the control of the Turk- are not eager to move into territories which are not their native STAFF WRITER ish government. land. Harry Kezelian III That “generosity” in Akhtamar benefits the Turkish gov- The Azerbaijani government has allowed a few people to ernment more than the Armenian people, first as a lucrative settle in Shushi to cater to its army. Among them are two busi- CONTRIBUTORS tourist attraction, but above all, as a symbol of tolerance of ness partners who run a bakery, Gazanfar Dadashov and Ifti- Christopher Atamian, Florence Avakian, the Turkish rulers in the Taleen Babayan, Artsvi Bakhchinyan, eyes of the international Raffi Bedrosyan, Christine Vartanian community. Datian, Dr. Arshavir Gundjian, Philippe Nearly all the re- Raffi Kalfayan, Ken Martin, Gerald maining churches and Papasian, Harut Sassounian, Hagop monasteries have been Vartivarian subjected to systematic REGIONAL destruction to bolster CORRESPONDENTS the government’s claim LOS ANGELES: Ani Duzdabanyan- that no Christian nation Manoukian, Kevork Keushkerian, had inhabited those ter- Michelle Mkhlian ritories. YEREVAN: Raffi Elliott As Turkey develops BERLIN: Muriel Mirak-Weissbach and exports its political PARIS: Jean Eckian and military powers to SAN FRANCISCO: Kim Bardakian other regions, the re- CAIRO: Maydaa Nadar covery of the vestiges of Armenian Christian PHOTOGRAPHERS heritage will become Jirair Hovsepian, Ken Martin even more remote.

VIDEO CORRESPONDENT Now, adding insult Haykaram Nahapetyan to injury, Azerbaijan has joined the fray, by destroying or “Albaniz- The Armenian Mirror-Spectator is ing” Armenian church- published weekly, except two weeks in es and monasteries. July and the first week of the year, by: Albanians were indig- Baikar Association, Inc. enous Christian people 755 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown, MA who were assimilated 02472-1509 mostly with the Arme- Telephone: 617-924-4420 nian people over the FAX: 617-924-2887 centuries, but Azerbai- www.mirrorspectator.com janis claim to be their E-Mail: [email protected] ancestors, as a conve- For advertising: [email protected] nient fabrication of history which can serve dual purposes: har Aliev. The writer, Anton Troianovski, adds: “They saw by giving legitimacy to their unfounded claims that they have nothing strange about moving into homes where Armenians their roots in the history of that land and on the other hand, had been living. After all, they said, Armenians did the same SUBSCRIPTION RATES to falsify the identity of the Christian heritage present on that thing in the 1990s after they expelled the Azeris.” U.S.A. $80 one year land by misattributing Armenian religious monument to Cau- This last sentence captures the focus and spirit of the writer. Canada $125 one year casian Albanians. Troianovski also describes Karabakh as “an area mostly Other Countries $200 one year In early July, Dr. Christina Maranci lectured at the 8th Sum- populated by Armenians within the internationally-recog- mer School of Human Rights of the Conference of European nized borders of Azerbaijan.” © 2014 The Armenian Mirror-Spectator Churches, where she noted the process of “Azeri Albanifi- John Lavenburg, in an article published in The Crux (July Periodical Class Postage Paid at Boston, cation of the Armenian Churches and monasteries on social 23, 2021) perpetuates this narrative again, identifying Kara- MA and additional mailing offices. media.” bakh as Azerbaijani territory, thus “Nagorno-Karabakh is in- The Azerbaijanis had already destroyed or misidentified Ar- ternationally recognized as Azerbaijani, though ethnic Arme- ISSN 0004-234X menian monuments in Nakhichevan. As a result of the recent nians had run the region since 1994.” 44-day war waged by the former, they occupied more territory Although well intentioned, the article still adopts the Azer- in Karabakh and thus many more monuments fell under their baijani claims. The writer’s intent is to introduce and cover a Postmaster: Send address control, such as Amaras, a cemetery and the tomb of St. Greg- museum exhibit, writing, “The virtual exhibit as a whole is changes to The Armenian Mirror-Spectator, 755 Mount ory’s grandson, St. Grigoris, Tsitsernavank, an early Christian a precursor to a larger in-person ‘Bible in Armenia’ exhibit Auburn St., basilica, and Dadivank, a landmark and intact mosaic com- the museum is preparing for March of 2022. … Here is a na- Watertown, MA 02472 plex from the 13th century. tion of people which has maintained its Christian identity and Dadivank was hidden by the surrounding forest and was lit- in many ways, struggled because of it and yet sustained that Other than the Editorial, views erally unearthed and restored after the Armenian forces took Christian identity for centuries.” and opinions expressed in this over in 1994. The fact that Karabakh has never been a part of Azerbai- newspaper do not necessarily Gandzasar, a 13th-century cathedral, is where the jan’s territory is overlooked routinely. Karabakh was defined reflect the policies of the Hasan-Jelalyan Armenian dynasty, rulers of Artsakh and by Soviet laws as an autonomous region (oblast) under the publisher. Syunik dating back to the 12th century, are buried. It still re- see GENOCIDE, page 18 18 SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR

COMMENTARY Cultural Genocide as a Turkey’s Fight Against Political Tool Cultural Looting Should GENOCIDE, from page 17 tutelage of the Azerbaijani government. It was named as an “autonomous region” because it belonged to another ethnic group, the Armenians, and Start at Home Karabakh seceded from the Soviet Union, under the same laws that Azer- By Simon Maghakyan baijan used. Azerbaijan’s petrodollars are buying influence and legitimacy, even at the That is why the recent U.S. government publication of restricted cultural property imports level of the Vatican and UNESCO, beneficiaries of the ruling Aliyevs’ lar- originating in Turkey, at the latter’s request, has caused mixed reactions, including outrage. gess. That is why no reaction was forthcoming when an alarm rang about the While illicit trafficking in antiquities is a grave problem, some specialists fear that Turkey destruction of thousands of khachkars in Jugha, in Nakhichevan. might use the new agreement to further marginalize displaced Indigenous communities by Even President Vladimir Putin of Russia claims that Karabakh is Azer- reducing whatever little autonomy they have left over their vanishing heritage. baijani territory, contradicting the other co-chair of the Organization for As a researcher of heritage crime and preservation politics with family roots in the Otto- Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, which insists man Empire’s erased Armenian and Assyrian communities, I am unconvinced that Turkey that Karabakh’s status has yet to be decided through peaceful negotiations, has pursued the U.S.’ import ban in good faith. Because if it genuinely cared for its vast meaning that it is not part of Azerbaijan. cultural patrimony, Turkey would start this protection at home. President Putin’s position reflects a pattern of policy he has applied to Since its 1923 founding as a republic on the Ottoman Empire’s ashes, Turkey has erased South Ossetia and Abkhazia, before taking over those territories. In fact, much of its diverse heritage. The Turkish government has deliberately destroyed, illegally Moscow distributed Russian citizenship to the populations of those regions confiscated, or willfully neglected the sacred sites of Indigenous communities, particularly to have an excuse for protecting them. The same process is being used in Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks. These communities were victims of state-sponsored geno- Karabakh, with the distribution of Russian citizenship. If at the end of five cide and ethnic cleansing during and after WWI, well-documented crimes that Turkey vehe- years of Russian peacekeeping Baku asks for the removal of Russian forces, mently denies. The pre-1914 number of active Ottoman Armenian churches and monasteries the excuse to occupy the enclave is already there. To complement this policy, alone was 2,989; nearly all have since been leveled, damaged, or repurposed. the Karabakh parliament just passed a resolution to give official status to the On June 16, three U.S. agencies published the “Import Restrictions Imposed on Categories Russian language, certainly not without a prodding from the Kremlin. of Archaeological and Ethnological Material of Turkey.” The list was based on a January Nakhichevan’s destiny seems already sealed. The Azerbaijani government 19, 2021, memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the U.S. and Turkey on has executed a systematic policy of destruction by thumbing its nose at the the last full day of Donald Trump‘s presidency. The list includes “archaeological material” world community. One single scholar has crusaded for saving at least the spanning from nearly 1.2 million years to the year 1770, and “ethnological material” ranging records of those destroyed monuments; that was historian and archeologist over the past 1,900 years, up to 1923. The U.S. has two dozen similar bilateral agreements, Argam Ayvazyan (also spelled Ayvazian) in Armenia. He applied for a grant which are renewable every five years. from the Alec Manoogian Cultural Fund in the 1970s to document the Ar- “The January 19 MOU fails to satisfy in full the four requirements stipulated under the menian monuments in his native Nakhichevan. His pitch was that Nakhiche- 1983 Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA),” said Elizabeth Prodro- van will soon emerge as a topic of international dimensions. No one had an mou, an expert on religion and geopolitics in Turkey and a former commissioner on the U.S. inkling at the time that the Soviet Union could collapse one day. Even under Commission on International Religious Freedom. She insisted that the MOU is a violation of the Soviet regime, the Aliyev clan had forbidden Ayvazyan from entering U.S. law. Nakhichevan. Therefore, he had to use the grant money to hire other photog- Most specifically, Prodromou argued that Turkey has failed to take measures consistent raphers of different ethnic backgrounds to carry out his mission. Eventually with international obligations. “Turkey’s arbitrary decision to convert the World Heritage he published a book on the subject, which was later translated into English. sites of the great Byzantine Orthodox Church of the Hagia Sophia and the Chora Church But we learn more from Argam’s activities in an extensive paper by Simon of the Holy Savior to mosques was a violation of the 1970 UNESCO Convention, so the Maghakyan and Sarah Pickman published in Hyperallergic (February 18, Trump administration’s signing of the MOU represents a blatant disregard for international 2019) under the title “A Regime Conceals Its Erasure of Indigenous Arme- agreements and for U.S. law. Consequently, the current MOU makes the U.S. State Depart- nian Culture.” ment into an enforcement tool for the Turkish state’s cultural heritage policies that have The article provides the following bit of information: “From 1964 to 1987, been designed to erase the country’s Indigenous religious and ethnic minority communities,” he collected enough documentation to ultimately publish 200 articles and she said. Prodromou calls on the Biden administration to “abrogate or, at least, suspend and over 40 books. His photographic missions were self-financed (*), under cov- renegotiate the MOU.” er, dangerous and supported by his close companion (and wife) … by the While Turkey projects an international concern over illicit trafficking in antiquities, it does time the Berlin wall fell, Ayvazyan had documented 89 Armenian churches, close to nothing to fight massive domestic looting. One would expect looting to be a clandes- 5,840 ornate khachkars, and 22,000 horizontal tombstones, among other Ar- tine operation, yet thousands of Turkish web pages are devoted to what they endearingly call menian monuments.” “treasure hunting.” In the end, Ayvazyan rightfully lamented, “All that remains of A YouTube looting training channel, which serves as the content marketing page for a met- Nakhichevan’s Armenian churches and cross-stones that survived al detector supplier, trains its 53,000 subscribers on looting ancient Christian sites. In the 31 earthquakes, ca-liphs, Tamerlane and Stalin are my photographs.” minute video, UgurElektronik.com’s owner Uğur Kulaç sketches a church’s interior design Azerbaijan has scoffed at all attempts to verify its acts of cultural to pinpoint “buried treasure” locations. geno-cide. In April 2011, it banned the US ambassador from visiting In 2018, Kulaç was criticized by Turkish archaeologists for forming a government-regis- Jugha, to look for remnants of khachkars. It has even punished its own tered organization called the Anatolia Treasure Hunters Training and Research Association. people who have criticized this policy. A celebrated case is the In a national media appearance, Kulaç claimed that there are 4 million treasure hunters in treatment of a Nobel Prize-nominated Azerbaijani writer, Akram Turkey, criticizing many of them for unskillfulness and “illegal activities.” Aylisli, whose book, Stone Dreams, laments the destruction of The Turkish government issues local looting permits and requires discovered treasures’ Armenian monuments. The Azerbaijani government has burned his books reporting. In addition to Kulaç’s store, an online business search of the keyword “dedektör” and placed him under house arrest for his “unpatriotic” attitude. brings up over 200 shops specializing in looting sales and rentals throughout Turkey, includ- The Turkish government has also been very sensitive to any criticism, ing Malatya city’s insensitively named Asur Dedektör (Assyrian Detector). es-pecially the Armenian Genocide. That sensitivity is not passive; it is Kulaç is a verified Facebook user. He is not the only “treasure hunter” legitimized by a aggres-sive to prevent any individual or government from taking actions tech giant verification badge. Among other popular Turkish social media “treasure hunting” against its genocidal policy. One example of its aggressiveness is accounts are the YouTube verifiedMaceracı Defineci (with 479,000+ subscribers), Arkeolog demonstrated by Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s talking to President Donald (200,000+ subscribers) and Usta Defineci (190,000+ subscribers), with training video titles Trump, on the very last day of his presidency, on January 19. 2021, to like “Armenian Treasure” and “Greek Treasure.” ratify the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) titled “Import “Treasure hunting” in Turkey is a byproduct of genocide. Germany-based social anthropol- Restrictions imposed on Categories of Archeological and Ethnological ogist Alice von Bieberstein, who has conducted field research in formerly-Armenian Mush, Material of Turkey.” now populated by Kurds, argued that while “poverty and global fetishization of underground Turkey claims the heritage of all the ethnic minorities as its own. All resources” are factors, local “treasure hunting” is related to the “foundational state violence” the artifacts of Armenian and Greek origin, which have been saved from and dispossession that was the Armenian genocide. Turkish destruction and preserved in the US, are in jeopardy with this While crowdsourced, this looting is state-sponsored. As the authors of The Spirit of the MOU. Arme-nians have to fight it since there are grounds to overturn it. Laws: The Plunder of Wealth in the Armenian Genocide have shown, despite Turkey’s Civil Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou, an expert on religion and geopolitics in Code requirement for a title deed database, Armenian genocide-related property records Turkey and a former commissioner on the US Commission on remain top secret. The Turkish state regulates “treasure hunts” in churches, graveyards, old International Religious Freedom, insists that the MOU is a violation of US homes and even remote rural caves so methodically that anthropologist and looting research- law. er Önder Çelik described Turkey’s treasure-hunting bureaucracy as “an alternative archive It is ironic and grossly hypocritical for the Turkish government, on the for the study of the Armenian genocide.” one hand, to allow the looting of Armenian monuments by treasure Ironically, the recent U.S. ban on illicit Turkish artifacts leaves out a top-looted item con- hunters, a lucrative business domestically, and feign to act as a protector nected to Armenian history. Conspicuously missing from the import list are the heavily-loot- of those treasures overseas. ed coins of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, dated from the 11th to 14th centuries. While The campaign of the Armenians and Greeks to have Turkey recognize the some bronze Cilician Armenian coins are sold in Western markets for as little as $10 a piece, Genocide must also include cultural genocide. It is not enough that Turkey scarce specimens like bilingual silver coins, which memorialize a short-lived Armenian-Sel- and Azerbaijan have annihilated Armenians but they have also targeted juk alliance before the Mongol conquests, can surpass $1,000 in excellent condition. Ancient their heritage as part and parcel of their genocidal policy. coins are considered “the smoking guns” of archaeological sites. Their looting, especially continued on next page SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR 19 COMMENTARY

My Turn In the above statement, Oskanian made two points: one correct and one in- Secret State Dept. Cable correct. He is right that it would have been “political suicide” for the Armenian government to oppose the congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide. Reveals Shameful US Pressure However, Oskanian is wrong that the adoption of the Armenian Genocide res- On Armenia’s Leaders olution by the House is a matter of US politics and that Armenia has nothing to do with it! How can an Armenian official make such a false statement? The The US Department of State declassified on March 24, by Harut Sassounian Armenian Genocide is a critical matter for the Armenian government and all 2021 a “secret” government cable, under a Freedom of Armenians worldwide. Clearly, Oskanian was trying to distance Armenia from Information Act (FOIA) request. this resolution to appease the State Dept. In the meantime, Turkey was doing The cable described the extensive efforts made by the Clinton administration everything in its power to defeat the Genocide resolution. Turkish officials nev- in late October 2000 to block the vote in the House of Representatives on a res- er stated that this is a matter of domestic US politics! olution to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Talbott then told Oskanian, according to the cable, that the passage of the As part of its efforts to defeat the resolution, top State Department officials Genocide resolution would disrupt Armenia-Turkey relations and halt “the exerted pressure not only on the leadership of the House of Representative, but whole truth and reconciliation process, which in and of itself was of far greater also, unethically, on Armenia’s top leaders. As if it were not immoral enough value to Armenia than the resolution.” This is another lie by Talbott, designed to deny the occurrence of the Genocide and undermine its recognition, going to fool Armenians into “reconciling” with Turkey without recognition of the much further, the US government tried to enlist leaders of the victimized Arme- Genocide and without holding Turkey responsible for the consequences of the nian nation to support the denial of their own Genocide. Armenian Genocide. Regrettably, this meaningless and fruitless US initiated The “secret” cable dated October 16, 2000, described the conversation of “reconciliation” effort was formalized a few months later, under the name of high-ranking State Department officials with Foreign Minister of Armenia “Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission.” Vartan Oskanian and Armenia’s President Robert Kocharyan, a few days be- The cable then went on to describe the phone call from Stephen Sestanovich fore the House vote. The Clinton administration was extremely concerned with to Pres. Kocharyan on October16, 2000. Sestanovich was ambassador-at-large the passage of that resolution. and special adviser to the Secretary of State for the new independent states of Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (Republican) had personally pledged, the former Soviet Union. during an earlier meeting with Armenian community leaders in Glendale, Cal- According to the cable, Kocharyan told Sestanovich that “the attention and ifornia, to bring the resolution to a vote, at the request of Republican Cong. discussion of the issue [of the Armenian Genocide] evoked in Turkey in many James Rogan who was in a tight race for reelection, in his heavily Arme- circles and the press was a positive development…. Instead of preparing for nian-populated district. retaliation, Ankara should simply regard it as a domestic issue US issue.” Ses- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had sent letters to Speaker Hastert tanovich then tried to scare Pres. Kocharyan by saying that the adoption of the and Democratic Minority Leader Rep. Richard Gephardt objecting to the Genocide Resolution would endanger Armenia and the Armenian community resolution. A similar letter was sent by Secretary of Defense William Cohen. in Turkey. The US official also predicted unrest and terrorist attacks against Meanwhile, Turkish leaders were threatening to disrupt political, economic Americans in the Middle East. and military relations with the United States, should the resolution be adopted. Kocharyan then stated that Armenia was “open to dialog as a tool of rec- The newly-revealed cable described a phone call between Deputy Secretary onciliation” with Turkey. But he said he was not “worried about a backlash of State Strobe Talbott and Oskanian a few days before the scheduled vote in against Armenia and Armenians in Turkey.” Kocharyan correctly noted: “I the House. Here is what the cable stated: “Strobe laid out the essential pitch: don’t think that the US needs Turkey nearly as much as Turkey needs the US, Want to underscore why we think it’s important to postpone or defeat the res- and nations should not think that they can settle issues through blackmail and olution; hope you [Oskanian] will support or at least not hinder our efforts threats.” to work this on the Hill [Congress]. Strobe emphasized the possibility of vio- The cable then mentioned that Kocharyan provided three intriguing exam- lence should the resolution pass and noted all the other negative consequences, ples of possible dialog with Turkey without going into any details: such as: events in the Middle east, dangers of Iraqi miscalculation following 1) “An Armenian-Turkish businessman had recently suggested to him an US-Turkish differences, damage to Nagorno Karabagh process, consequenc- idea for such dialog that could be acceptable.” es for Turkey-Armenia relations and vulnerability of Armenians in Turkey…. The position of the Government of Armenia, Strobe emphasized, would be very 2) “Kocharyan also had considered writing a letter to the President of Tur- important.” key expressing concern, but did not want to act on anything until the situation settled down somewhat.” Everything Talbott told Oskanian was a lie. Two resolutions on the Armenian Genocide, similar to the pending resolution, had already been adopted by the 3) Kocharyan “pointed to Turkish-Armenian business interactions, includ- House in 1975 and 1984. There were no negative consequences as a result of ing the planned privatization of a textile plant in Gyumri to a Turkish investor these earlier resolutions. The Turkish threats were empty bluffs as we saw it (Netex Textile), [as well as] University and NGO exchanges.” after the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Pres. Joe Biden in April 24, The cable also stated that “in the long run, Kocharyan concluded, Armenia 2021. The world did not come to a stop. The more US officials catered to Tur- cannot build normal relations with Turkey without addressing the Genocide.” key’s threats, the bolder the Turkish leaders got with their scare tactics. The vote on the Armenian Genocide resolution in the House was cancelled by In addition, Deputy Secretary of State Talbott shamelessly asked Oskanian Speaker Hastert at the last minute on Oct. 19, 2000, using as an excuse a letter to support the postponement or defeat of the resolution. The is similar to asking from Pres. Bill Clinton urging him “in the strongest terms” not to bring it to a victims to cover up the crimes of their victimizers or asking Israeli leaders for vote. help to defeat a resolution recognizing the Holocaust! Not surprisingly, after retiring from the House, both Hastert and Gephardt In response, Oskanian told Talbott that he had just spoken with Pres. Ko- were hired by Turkey as paid lobbyists in Washington. Subsequently, Hastert charyan. The cable stated that “the two had agreed it would take something was convicted and jailed for bank fraud to cover up his sexual abuse of young tangible in hand from the Turks to be able to stop the ever-increasing momen- boys. He was also accused of receiving bribes and illegal campaign contribu- tum in favor of the resolution. In the absence of that ‘political minimum’ from tions from Turks to prevent the adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution. the Turks, it would be domestic political suicide to stand in the way of con- Clinton was a shameful president who broke his promise to recognize the Ar- gressional passage. The Armenians could, however, agree to simply keep their menian Genocide. In addition to Clinton, Presidents George Bush, George W. mouths shut as we worked this on the Hill, he said. In point of fact, he argued, Bush, and Barack Obama also broke their promises. Even though Pres. Trump the Government of Armenia’s position has always been that this is a matter of had not promised to recognize the Armenian Genocide, he too did not acknowl- US politics and they have nothing really to do with it.” edge it. All of their names should be etched in a public “Wall of Shame.”

from previous page influence on Azerbaijan cannot be overstated: The latter recently formalized the Turkish when unreported, can thwart new discoveries. government’s model of effectively appointing religious minority leaders. Shutting down the destructive “treasure hunting” industrial complex would be a critical Cultural preservation and destruction are political choices. A well-meaning Turkey step for cultural preservation in Turkey and beyond. could choose to return to its Greek, Assyrian and Armenian communities their respective “Turkey’s near-half-century occupation of the northern part of Cyprus has created the confiscated properties. It could encourage pilgrimages to those sites by descendants of permissive conditions for looting of the local Christian heritage sites, so the U.S. govern- displaced communities by eliminating visitation barriers like visa fees. Turkey could ment and heritage community know full well that the presence of the Turkish military in invite specialists from Armenia and Greece to jointly excavate with local archaeologists places like Libya, northern Syria and indirectly in Nagorno-Karabakh places at extreme not only Christian monuments but also archaeological sites like Amida Höyük and Arzan, risk both the movable and immovable heritage of local communities,” noted Prodromou. candidates for the long-lost imperial Hellenistic Armenian capital Tigranocerta. Doing In October, Turkish forces reportedly oversaw its junior ally Azerbaijan’s intense air the latter could serve as a positive model for Azerbaijan, which otherwise denies even the offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh (known to Armenians as Artsakh) that included existence of a similar archaeological site, Tigranakert of Artsakh, in its recently acquired a dual strike on Shushi’s Holy Savior Cathedral. With Turkey’s help, Azerbaijan now territories. controls much of the region, where reports of Armenian monuments’ ongoing erasure, Turkey has already taken positive steps by nominating in recent years the Christian particularly in light of Azerbaijan’s destructive record, have stakeholder communities monumental complexes Aghtamar, Ani and Midyat as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. concerned. Building on that, Turkey should dismantle its looting industrial complex. If it chose to support cultural preservation beyond its borders, Turkey could advise Azerbaijan to treat Armenian monuments not as a source of hatred, but as a key to peace, (Simon Maghakyan is a Tufts University visiting scholar and University of Colorado through actions such as granting Armenian pilgrimage access to ancient sacred sites like Denver lecturer. Research for his writing has been made possible by a grant from the Dadivank, Tsitsernavank and Vankasar, churches featured in a newly-launched Museum Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU). This commentary originally appeared on of the Bible online exhibit that have recently come under Azerbaijan’s control. Turkey’s newsweek.com on July 5.) 20 SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR

Azadian’s Newly Published Anthology of Baikar Editorials Feted in Yerevan’s Tekeyan Center ANTHOLOGY, from page 1 Armenian Mirror-Spectator could fill 10- Literary critic, scholar and writer Yer- 12 volumes, and that many of his pieces vand Ter Khachatryan, who was editor of should be considered of lasting value for the new volume, served as the event’s mas- those interested in the life of the Armenian ter of ceremonies. He spoke in detail about people. the book, followed by Hagop Avedikian, Literary critic and translator Henrik Bakh- chief editor of the newspaper Azg. The chinyan, the former director of the Charents latter noted that Azadian’s editorials from Museum of Literature and Art, in his speech Baikar’s sister English-language weekly remarked that he was familiar with many of the articles from their publication in Azg, and though personally he hat- ed politics, it was not possible to ignore the words of a man knowledgeable in this field. Bakhchinyan was followed by historian Professor Suren Sargsyan, who provided his own positive evaluation of the new anthology. During a break from the speeches, Knarik Abra- From left, Edmond Azadian, Azg journalist Anahit Hovsepyan, and chief editor hamyan read one of Azadi- Hagop Avedikian of Azg an’s editorials in Western Armenian to the audience. Azadian himself spoke. After thanking volume’s preface appropriately quoted the The Nairyan Vocal En- TCA of Armenia President Rouben Mir- French philosopher René Descartes’ words, semble gave lyrical musi- zakhanyan and other organizers, Azadian “I think, therefore I am,” and translated Edmond Azadian speaking at the fete of his newly cal performances as well. stressed that he has never asked himself them into the creative realm as “I write, and published book At the end of the event, why he writes. However, Avedikian in the therefore I exist.” Syunik Governor’s Son Wanted For Attempted Murder YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — A son of the governor of Armenia’s southeastern Syunik province remained on the run on Friday, July 23, more than one week after reportedly shooting and seriously wound- ing another man. According to the Investigative Commit- tee, a group of men led by Karen Pogho- syan tried to kill on July 14 two residents of the provincial town of Goris reportedly related to a former Syunik governor. One of them was hospitalized as a result. Poghosyan went into hiding immediately after the shooting. The deputy head of the Investigative Committee, Artur Melikian, told RFE/ RL’s Armenian Service that the law-enforcement agency has charged him with attempted murder and illegal arms posses- sion and secured an arrest warrant for him issued by an Armenian court. Melikian said investigators have searched 16 homes and 10 cars as part of the ongoing probe of the shooting. He said they have sufficient evidence to assert that Poghosyan fired an assault rifle during the incident. The suspect’s father, Syunik Governor Melikset Poghosyan, has so far declined to comment on the shooting or his son’s whereabouts. It is not clear if he has been or will be questioned by the investigators. The Armenian government appointed Melikset Poghosyan as provincial gover- nor last December as it faced angry protests against controversial Armenian troop withdrawals which many local residents believe put Syunik’s security at serious risk. The government insisted that the withdrawals are part of a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement that stopped the six-week war in Nagorno-Karabakh in November. The anti-government protests were organized by the elected heads of most Syunik towns and villages who publicly demanded Prime Minister Nikol Pashin- yan’s resignation. Four of them, including Goris Mayor Arush Arushanyan, were arrested earlier this month on different charges rejected by them as politically motivated.