NOVEMBER 10, 2012 THE ARMENIAN Mirror -Spe ctaItn Ouor Mirror -Spe ctatror 80th Year Volume LXXXIII, NO. 17, Issue 4262 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 School in Istanbul Returned to Armenians New Bishop Takes Charge of ISTANBUL (Armenpress) — The Armenian school in the Sisli district has been returned to Armenians 33 years after it was seized by the government. The decision to return the 200-year-old school to Catholic Armenian Flock in US Armenians was made by the 13th Court of Istanbul. The court decided to return the school to its of the Armenian Catholic Church, St. owners, St. Ghazar Armenian Church and its By Alin K. Gregorian Ann’s, was being sold. While Mouradian school fund. “Our efforts weren’t in vain. Now I believe that good things are happening in our days” Mirror-Spectator Staff said the Catholic Church offered the Armenians the chance to have access to declared the chairman of the fund, Rita Nournur. another church in the city, he and the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan BOSTON — Bishop Mikael Mouradian, other church leaders decided that due to signed a decree agreeing to return all property the new head of the Armenian Catholic the decline in the numbers of the faithful belonging to minorities which had been seized by Eparchy of the US, is a well-traveled man. in New York and its growth on the West the government. Born and raised in Beirut, he has Coast, the church should relocate. served the Armenian Catholic Church in He said that the eparchy in New York AGBU YP Boston Holds Lebanon, Syria, Armenia and now the in the 1980s, had 800 families, the major - US. ity of whom were immigrants from the Fundraising Dinner for One of the first changes he has made Middle East. Now, there are only about to the Armenian Catholic Church of the 60 to 80 families there, whereas Los Syrian-Armenian Aid US and Canada, the name of which is Angeles has 2,500-3,000 Catholic WATERTOWN — The Armenian General officially Our Lady of Nareg, was to move Armenian families. Benevolent Union (AGBU) Young Professionals it from New York City to Los Angeles, to Mouradian was born to Armenian (YP) are going to hold a fundraising dinner for the Sourp Grigor Lousavorich (St. Catholic parents and attended the AGBU’s Syrian-Armenian Relief Fund on Tuesday, Gregory the Illuminator) Armenian Armenian Sisters’ School in Zahlé. In November 13, at 7 p.m., at the Armenian American Catholic Church in Glendale. The move 1973, the age of 12, he first realized that Social Club (Agoump), 76 Bigelow Ave. was not entirely voluntary, as the New he wanted to be a priest. Upon graduating Bishop Mikael Mouradian Tickets are $25. The dinner includes chicken York church, which had been the home see BISHOP, page 7 kebab, pilaf, salad, vegetable and hummus. Tickets must be purchased in advance from http://agbuypboston.webs.com/. Mirror-Spectator Questions Roil Genocide Ambassador Banned Welcomes New From Visiting Jugha Assistant Editor Compensation Fund Armenian Cemetery WASHINGTON (Armenpress) — US State WATERTOWN — The Armenian The lawsuit stems from allegations made Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said Mirror-Spectator welcomes new assis - By Mark Kellam by Glendale-based attorney Vartkes this week that her office was not aware that tant editor, Gabriella Gage. Yeghiayan that there were accounting dis - Azerbaijani authorities had banned US A native of Somerville, Mass., Gage crepancies in the fund set up by the French Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar attended Harvard University as an LOS ANGELES (Los Angeles Times) — insurer. He has requested an audit of all from visiting the Armenian cemetery in Jugha, undergraduate and received her mas - More than $1.6 million has been paid out 3,000 claims. Nakhichevan, which is now under Azeri rule. from a compensation fund for descendents The accounting firm of Holthouse, Carlin Morningstar had released a statement this week, of victims of the Armenian Genocide, and Van Tright has been handling the pay - saying in part, “During my visit to Nakhichevan, I according to a status report filed in a ment of about $2.1 million to 159 held discussions with the local authorities on the lengthy lawsuit in US District Court. claimants. About 75 percent of the funding destruction of the ancient Armenian Cemetery in However, four of the 32 claimants who has been paid out so far, according to the Jugha. I regret that the authorities did not allow me haven’t been paid have died and attorneys status report. to visit the place, citing security reasons. The pro - are seeking direction from US District However, 28 of the 32 remaining claimants tection of the region’s heritage is essential to future Judge Christina Snyder about whether have not responded to multiple attempts by peace.” their families — who have verified their lin - the accounting firm to contact them. The Armenian Cemetery in Jugha dates back to eage to the descendants — should be paid In a past status report, concerns were the medieval-era. The tombstones consisted mainly the funds instead. raised about 17 checks totaling more than of khachkars , unique cross-stones. The cemetery Snyder is also being asked to order banks $312,000 that were made payable to com - was undamaged until the late 1990s, when the gov - that handled past transactions from the pensation claimants, but appear to have ernment of Azerbaijan began a systematic cam - Axa SA insurance settlement fund to check been endorsed by Los Angeles attorney paign to raze the monuments. By 2006, most of the various forms to see if any fraudulent trans - Berj Boyajian and deposited into an headstones had been destroyed. actions have occurred. The request follows account called Boyajian and Associates at Nakhichevan was annexed by Azerbaijan some questionable financial activities Union Bank. through a decree by the central Soviet authorities. Gabriella Gage regarding compensation funds in the past. see PAYOUT, page 6 ter’s in history from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. She INSI DE has worked as a research consultant Dr. Noubar Afeyan Joins AGBU Board for several authors and academics, and is a regular contributor to the YEREVAN — On Saturday, October 13, Festekjian, Vahe Somerville Scout magazine. the Armenian General Benevolent Union Gabrache, Arda Home with In college, Gage became interested (AGBU) kicked off its 87th General Nazerian in Armenian history and developed Assembly to discuss the role that the orga - Haratunian, an affinity for Armenian culture nization will play in Armenia and around Sarkis Jebejian, Lepsius through friendships she has forged in the world. Part of the program was the elec - Dr. Levon Boston’s Armenian community. tion of members to the AGBU Central Nazarian, Berge Page 10 “I’m very excited to be working at Board, which has welcomed a new col - Setrakian, Sam the Mirror-Spectator and to have the league, Dr. Noubar Afeyan. Simonian and Dr. opportunity to learn and grow in the During the AGBU General Assembly Yervant Zorian. Armenian community,” Gage said. Session on Saturday, October 20, which Afeyan was Dr. Noubar Afeyan INDEX “Gabriella brings a whole new per - was led by AGBU President Berge unanimously Arts and Living . 10 spective to our staff. She is young, Setrakian and attended by the Prime elected. He Armenia . 2 bright and dynamic and is eager to Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargisian, 10 of brings with him decades of experience in Community News. 4 learn,” said Mirror-Spectator editor AGBU’s Central Board members were for - both the public and private sectors, with a Editorial . 14 Alin K. Gregorian. “I look forward to mally re-elected to their positions. The particular focus on promoting development International . 3 working with her.” other members, who were relected, are Aris in Armenia. He is the founder, managing Atamian, Joseph Basralian, Nazareth see AFEYAN, page 6 2 S ATURDAY , N OVEMBER 10, 2012 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Turkey Renews Demands for ‘Immediate Closure’ of Armenian Nuclear Plant Japanese Film Festival The unprecedented reoperation of to extend its service life for another 10 Held in Armenia By Suren Musayelyan the plant in the mid-1990s returned 24- years, we are ready to assist in its safe hour electricity supply to homes across operation,” said the ambassador, as YEREVAN (Mediamax) — A festival of Japanese Armenia, taking pressure off the strug - quoted by the Arka news agency. films got underway on November 2 at the Moscow YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow) — Turkish gling economy. At present, Armenia is Turkey as well as Azerbaijan have Cinema. The festival was dedicated to the 20th authorities in Ankara have demanded an electricity exporting country and repeatedly raised concerns over the anniversary of establishment of diplomatic rela- an immediate closure of the nuclear sta - potentially could supply electric power safety of the Armenian nuclear power tions between Armenia and Japan. The Japanese tion in Armenia which it claims is a even to economically less developed plant in recent years. They became films were shown in Yerevan on November 2-4 and threat to the entire region after author - eastern provinces of Turkey. more vocal in their calls for its shut - Gumri on November 5-6. ities in Yerevan decided to extend its Still, the construction of a new down in the wake of the March 2011 The festival was sponsored by the Hikari lifetime for another decade. nuclear reactor to replace the aging one earthquake in Japan where a nuclear Armenian-Japanese scientific-educational center, as Turkey’s Minister of Energy and that was built in the 1970s has been a station was damaged by a subsequent well as with the assistance of the Embassy of Japan Natural Resources Taner Yildiz told pressing concern for Armenia in the past tsunami to pose real danger to the envi - in Armenia.