AUGUST 24, 2019 Mirror-SpeTHE ARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXX, NO. 6, Issue 4599 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 INBRIEF Chief Advisors to Pashinyan PM Dismissed (news.am) — By a decision of Prime Backs Major Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, Arsen Gasparyan was dismissed on August 15 from the Mining Project position of Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister. By another decision of the Prime Minister, Aram Gharibyan will be dismissed from the position of In Armenia Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister starting September 2, 2019. YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Citing the find- ings of an independent environmental audit commissioned by his government, Prime Remains of Dadrian to Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on Be Moved to Armenia Monday, August 19, his intention to allow an Anglo-American company to restart a YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Genocide scholar controversial gold mining project in Prof. Vahakn Dadrian’s remains will be moved from Armenia disrupted a year ago. the United States to Armenia, the Ministry of Pashinyan said that the company, Lydian Environmental activists protest against the Amulsar gold mining project, Yerevan, August 19.. Foreign Affairs said in a statement on August 15. International, will have to stick to “unprece- “Taking into account world famous Professor dentedly high environmental standards that Vahagn Dadrian’s unshakeable fight for justice and have not been applied in Armenia until now.” campaigns against Lydian in an effort to kill started in August 2016 following a lengthy great scientific contribution to the study of Armenian He said that the government will also force the Amulsar project and thus avoid spending licensing process. But it ground to a halt in Genocide, it was decided to move his remains to other mining companies operating in the large sums of money on improving their June 2018 as several dozen protesters Armenia. Works in this direction are already under- country to gradually comply with those stan- notoriously poor environmental records. blocked all roads leading to Amulsar. The way,” the Armenian foreign ministry said. dards. He claimed that some of those com- Work on the massive gold mine located roads have remained closed since then, Dadrian, a renowned sociologist and historian panies have sponsored environmentalists’ in the southeastern with the protesters saying that gold mining and genocide scholar, died on August 2, 2019 at and smelting operations there would pol- the age of 93 in the United States. lute air, soil and water resources. Lydian, which claims to have already US Sanctions Two Armenian Firms invested $400 million in the project, dis- Church misses these concerns, saying that it will Celebrates Feast of WASHINGTON (RFE/RL) – The United which is part of the US Department of use modern and safe technology. States imposed sanctions on two Armenian Commerce. They will now be banned from Early this year, the Armenian government Apparition companies on Wednesday, August 15, say- purchasing US products. hired a Lebanese environmental consultancy, ing that they have acted against US nation- “These 17 entities have been determined ELARD, to conduct an environmental assess- ECHMIADZIN (Panorama.am) — The Armenian al interests. by the US Government to be acting con- ment of what would be one of the biggest for- Apostolic Church celebrated on Saturday, August The Yerevan Telecommunications trary to the national security or foreign pol- eign investment projects ever implemented 17, the Feast of the Apparition (Shoghakat) of Holy Research Institute (YETRI) and the Markel icy interests of the United States,” the BIS in Armenia. Pashinyan and other officials Echmiadzin commemorating the inauguration of company are among 17 Canadian, Russian, said in a statement. indicated that Lydian’s renewed operations the Cathedral of the Mother See, Qahana.am Georgian and other firms blacklisted by the The agency explained that YETRI has will depend on the results of that audit. reports. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), see SANCTIONS, page 3 see MINING, page 2 The fifth-century Greek historian Agathangelos wrote of St. Gregory the Illuminator’s divine vision, wherein Jesus Christ descended from Heaven and struck the ground with His golden hammer. In Aronian Wins St. view of biblical Mount Ararat, in the city of , He identified the site for the foun- Louis Rapid and dation of the new cathedral of the Christian Armenian Nation. The vision of Gregory became Blitz Tournament known as “Shoghakat” as the Saint saw a fiery col- umn descending from the sky. ST. LOUIS, Mi. (Chessbase) — Levon The foundation was laid in 301 AD and the Aronian emerged as the winner of the Saint Cathedral was consecrated in 303 AD on the day of Louis Rapid and Blitz leg of the Grand the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of Chess Tour on August 16, after a tumul- God. Archbishop Malachia Ormanian said that as tuous day of blitz games here at the Saint the Mother Cathedral and nation is dedicated to St. Louis Chess Club. The day almost belonged Mary, the feast of her foundation and inauguration is celebrated in the Armenian Church on the Saturday preceding the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God. For 1,700 years, the Mother See has been the spiritual heart and center of the Armenian Church, and is its most sacred sanctuary.

Girls practice the Qanun during a folkloric festival in Gémenos, a village north of Marseille. (all photos Killian Cogan) In France’s Second City, a Vibrant INSIDE A beaming Levon Aronian at the conclusion Outpost of Armenian Culture of the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament Goethe Medal for MARSEILLE, France (Eurasianet.org) — On a to the wildcard participant from China, Yu By Killian Cogan breezy Sunday morning, families walk hurriedly Yangyi, who excelled and barely missed into Marseille’s Armenian Cathedral. A miniature tying for the title — which would have forced Dogan Akhanli replica of Echmiadzin, the seat of the Armenian an eagerly awaited tiebreak match — as well Apostolic Church, the Church of the Holy Translators on Prado Avenue was built as winning the blitz tournament. The day Page 13 in 1928 to receive refugees fleeing a genocide. Nowadays, the place is teeming with was disappointing for the overnight leader immigrants from the Republic of Armenia. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and for World In France’s second-largest city, Armenian culture is thriving. And though the Champion Magnus Carlsen, as they could metropolis has long hosted a diaspora, recent arrivals have invigorated the com- score only 4 and 4½ points respectively. munity. To keep things in perspective, there was INDEX “Marseille is the cradle of our diaspora,” said Pascal Chamassian, 53, a politician almost no one who managed to score heavily Arts and Living ...... 13 on the last day, with Yu (6 points out of the Armenia ...... 2,3 whose grandparents came from Anatolia. “Everyone who escaped from the geno- Community News...... 6 final nine rounds) the top scorer of the day, fol- cide passed by here.” Numbering about 100,000, people of Armenian descent are Editorial ...... 18 said to make up close to 10 percent of Marseille’s denizens. lowed by Levon Aronian, Ding Liren and International ...... 4,5 see MARSEILLE, page 4 Sergey Karjakin with 5 points each. It under- scores the tough level of this tournament, as well as the great battles seen throughout. 2 S ATURDAY, AUGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia

6% Economic Growth in Second Quarter YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Armenia’s economic growth in the second quarter of 2019 amounted to 6.5 percent, with trade and service mainly con- tributing to the growth, the government announced on August 20. Data published by the Statistical Committee of Armenia, Armenia’s GDP in the second quarter of 2019 amounted to 1.481 trillion drams . Trade and services, industry and construction growth con- tributed to the growth by 4.91, 1.82 and 0.06 per- centage point respectively. Agriculture had a negative impact on the GDP growth by – 1.01 percentage point. Trade and services had the greatest share in the GDP with 55 percent. Economic growth in the first quarter of 2019 Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan meets with local government officials and environmental activists to discuss the Amulsar mining amounted to 7.2 percent compared to the same peri- project, Yerevan, August 19, 2019. od of the previous year. Wounded Heroes Fund Pashinyan Backs Major Mining Project In Armenia Calls for Donations to MINING, from page 1 beginning his government made fic though the street. Several protesters Help Disabled Soldier ELARD was specifically tasked with Lydian’s renewed operations at Amulsar were detained on the spot. looking into the project’s potential primarily conditional on the environ- In his video address, Pashinyan did YEREVAN (Panorama.am) — The Armenian impact on , a famous spa resort mental safety of Jermuk sources and not say whether the authorities are now Wounded Heroes Fund is seeking support for a sol- located around 20 kilometers from Sevan. “We must today honor our own also ready to use force against the peo- dier wounded in the April war, through a six-week Amulsar, and the more remote Lake condition [set for Lydian,]” he said, ple continuing to block Lydian’s access therapy program to walk normally again. Sevan. adding that failure to do so would make to Amulsar. In a statement on Facebook the fund repports that According to ELARD’s final report Armenia look like an “unserious state” The company has repeatedly con- Hayk Sekhliyan was wounded in April 4, 2016 as publicized by an Armenian law-enforce- in the eyes of the outside world. demned the blockade as illegal and crit- part of a small unit of Armenian heroes who fought ment agency last week, underground Pashinyan made the comments hours icized the Armenian government for not against a large number of Azeris and successfully lib- water at Amulsar is not connected with after meeting with parliament deputies lifting it. In March, it openly threatened erated an overrun position in Talish. mineral water sources in Jermuk or representing his My Step alliance. Some international legal action against “He has lived with a severely injured spine and rivers and canals flowing into Sevan. of those lawmakers make no secret of Armenia. can’t walk without a cane. He has already been eval- The 200-page report says that gold their continuing opposition to the The Amulsar project has been sup- uated by a hospital in Germany and will require 6 mining poses greater environmental Amulsar project. ported by the US and British embassies weeks of therapy at a cost of $35,000 to walk nor- risks for other rivers flowing through Earlier on Monday, Pashinyan held a in Yerevan. US diplomats have warned mally again. With your help, we can thank him for Vayots Dzor. But it says they can be separate meeting with local government that continued disruption of Lydian’s this sacrifice and actual liberation of a strategic part minimized if Lydian takes 16 “mitigat- officials from Jermuk and nearby rural operations could scare away other of our homeland,” the statement said. ing measures” recommended by communities as well as local and American investors interested in The fund seeks donations through its Facebook page. ELARD. Lydian has expressed readiness Yerevan-based environmental activists Armenia. to take virtually of all those measures. also hostile to the project. The latter Lydian is registered in a British tax Armenia Again Top In an 80-minute live broadcast aired seemed dissatisfied with Pashinyan’s haven, headquartered in the US state of through Facebook, Pashinyan insisted statements made at the meeting. They Colorado and listed on the Toronto Travel Spot for Russians that the Amulsar project does not carry insisted that gold mining at Amulsar Stock Exchange. Its shareholders YEREVAN (Armenpress) — For the second con- any environmental risks for Jermuk and would wreak havoc on the national include US, Canadian and European secutive summer Armenia has become the most pop- Sevan. ecosystem. investment funds as well as the ular tourist destination for Russians, according to “We will carry out constant monitor- The activists then joined about 200 European Bank for Reconstruction and OneTwoTrip’s survey which was conducted for ing and if we see that Lydian does not protesters that rallied outside the venue Development. TASS. ensure zero emissions of contaminated of the meeting with Pashinyan. They The company planned to produce Almost 9 percent of all sold airline tickets were for water from the mine we will first warn marched to the nearby parliament com- 210,000 ounces of gold, worth over Armenia. and give it 90 days to rectify things,” he pound in Yerevan but were not allowed $315 million at current international Italy and Turkey are also among the top tourist said. “If that is not done [within 90 days] to enter it. prices, annually at Amulsar. It also destinations for Russians. the mine will be closed. The government The crowd responded by trying to pledged to create about 800 permanent Georgia, which was earlier the third top destina- has all the levers to solve this issue.” block an adjacent busy street. Riot jobs and pay about $50 million in annu- tion, is now ranked fifth after direct air communica- Pashinyan argued that right from the police were quick to forcibly restore traf- al taxes. tion with Russia was suspended on July 8. The top-10 popular destinations also include Spain, Uzbekistan, Germany, Tajikistan, France and Kyrgyzstan. RedCross 8-24 Another Judge to Take Over Kocharyan’s Trial OSCE to Monitor Contact YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — A court in Hovannes Khudoyan, said on Tuesday, generals, stem from the 2008 post-elec- Line Again Yerevan formally replaced the judge August 20, Danibekyan will have to first tion violence in Yerevan which left eight presiding over the stalled trial of former and foremost decide whether anti-government protesters and two STEPANAKERT (Armenpress) — On August 21, in President Robert Kocharyan, on August Kocharyan must remain in custody. police servicemen dead. Prosecutors accordance with the arrangement reached with the 20. Khudoyan again authorities of the (Nagorno The trial began on May 13, with claimed that his Karabakh Republic), the Organization for Security Kocharyan facing accusations of client’s detention is and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission will con- bribery and a violent overthrow of the illegal because the duct a planned monitoring of the ceasefire regime on constitutional order strongly denied by trial should have the Line of Contact between the armed forces of him. A few days later, the judge in the resumed immedi- Artsakh and at the Omar pass. high-profile case, Davit Grigorian, ately after the From the positions of the Defense Army of the ordered the ex-president freed from cus- Court of Appeals Republic of Artsakh, the monitoring will be con- tody and suspended the trial, question- ruling. ducted by Personal Representative of the OSCE ing the legality of the charges. Khudoyan and Chairperson-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Prosecutors appealed against both other defense Kasprzyk, Field Assistant to the Personal decisions strongly condemned by Prime lawyers have Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s political repeatedly accused (Ci0) Ghenadie Petrica (Moldova) and Personal allies. Armenia’s Court of Appeals over- the authorities of Assistant to the CiO Personal Representative Simon Former President Robert Kocharyan turned them on June 25, leading deliberately drag- Tiller (Great Britain). Kocharyan’s lawyers to appeal to the ging out the trial to The authorities of the Republic of Artsakh have higher Court of Cassation. Meanwhile, keep the ex-president in jail as long as claim that Kocharyan illegally ordered expressed their readiness to assist in conducting the Grigorian was charged with forgery and possible. The head of Armenia’s Judicial Armenian army units to break up street monitoring and to ensure the security of the OSCE suspended. Department, Karen Poladian, dismissed protests against alleged fraud in a pres- Mission members. The case has now been assigned to those claims last week. Poladian argued idential election. another district court judge, Anna that Kocharyan’s legal team itself sent Kocharyan, who ruled the country Danibekyan, meaning that the trial the case to the Court of Cassation. from 1998-2008, rejects the accusations should resume within two weeks. The coup charges, which have also as politically motivated. The indicted One of the defense lawyers, been leveled against two retired army generals also deny them. S ATURDAY, AUGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 3 ARMENIA

The Russian writer and diplomat who Unseen Armenia helped negotiate the right of return, Aleksander Griboyedov, is credited with helping to restore the Armenian population here. He was subsequently From Avarayr murdered by a Persian mob. He is a hero in Armenia, with his statue stand- ing on Tigran Mets street in Yerevan and with a village named after him. To Getikvank In a nearby village one resident indi- cated that his ancestors came from Persia (). “But”, he insisted, “we’re By Hovsep Daghdigian not Barsgahyes!” (we’re not Persian- ), signifying his ancestors were from this area, forcefully deported Vayots Dzor to Persia, with subsequent generations Traveling south from Yerevan towards Artsakh, after pass- of his family returning to Armenia. ing through , the main highway enters Vayots Retreat from Avarayr Dzor. Shortly thereafter there is the village of , famous Children smiling Pointing to the mountains about 40 for its , and where the world’s oldest shoe was found in km to the Northeast, our village histo- a cave. Nearby is the spectacular Monastery. rian in Getivank indicated that there Vayots Dzor has an abundance of other sites of scenic ments would attend church service on horseback, facing the were graves of Vartan Mamikonian’s soldiers there who sur- beauty and historical significance, such as the 14th c altar from the field in front of the church. They, and their vived the Battle of Avarayr (451 AD) and were withdrawing Spitakavor monastery, near the village of . In weapons, would receive blessings before riding off to battle. towards Artsakh. He indicated that in his youth he hiked 1987, during the Soviet era, the remains of Armenian hero During medieval times this area was under the jurisdiction of there and saw the gravesites. As far as I know, there have and freedom fighter Garegin Njdeh were secretly smuggled the Orbeli dynasty, which produced a number of outstanding been no archaeological investigations of that site. But, onto this site from the soviet prison camp where he died, clergymen, diplomats, military leaders, and scholars. according to a number of medieval histories, survivors from and reinterred in his sacred Armenian soil. From near the Getikvank Avarayr, pursued by Persians, retreated through this area. monastery, the fortress of Boloraberd / Proshaberd is clear- My map of Armenia showed a road ascending the local Stepanos Orbelian (1250-1303), in his History of Sisakan ly visible and accessible to hikers. heights following the course of the river, ending at (excerpt of translation by Robert Bedrosian below) relates This region is also home to , an impressive Getikvank, with a church icon on my map marking the end how Armenian survivors of Avarayr were relentlessly pur- fortress which was considered impregnable, sitting atop a of the road. A poor but passable dirt road brought us to the sued by Persians as the Armenians were seeking safety. The mountain with a spectacular view and command of the sur- destroyed village which, for a long time, remained uninhabit- nearby Tsaghatskar (Tsakhatskar) monastery originally was rounding valleys and villages. A narrow dirt and gravel road, ed. From spring until fall, however, local villagers encamp a memorial built on or near the site of the slaughter of here in this “yayla” with their families, pasturing Avarayr warriors. Historian Stepanos Orbelian states: their livestock on nearby fields. Most of the fam- “[The Persians] advanced farther and killed 300 more ilies are from Shatin, a nearby village with the [Christians] by the waters located between [the villages] scenic Shativank monastery in the hills above called Ostink’ and Artaboynk’. Subsequently the residents of the village, accessible via a poor dirt road. In the the area built a church over this spot. Then the Persians “yayla”, women sitting in the shade of a stone crossed a gorge on the left, overlooking the holy convent wall initially declined to be photographed, until I called Ts’aghats’k’ar, situated on an elevation between the convinced them that I was worse dressed than two villages mentioned above, and there they massacred a they were. Children were playing; a young boy very large number of sepuhs and elite warriors.” posing for me while his older cousin kept an eye Artaboynk village is in a mountainous area which surely on him. A gentleman from Shatin, with an inter- must have been an attractive site from which to present a est in this region’s history, took me to the few military defense. Also our village historian told us of a near- stones that remained from the church’s founda- by monument dedicated to Vartan and his soldiers. It was tion. The church was surrounded by beehives to not clear if this was an ancient monument or a more recent the left, and yeghinj (stinging nettle plants) to one, but we were unable to find it. the right. I chose passage through the nettle; at The Vartanantz War least the nettle would not fly after me to sting me The Vartanantz war with Persia was fought over the right repeatedly! Nearby were some tombstones, of Armenia to remain a Christian nation, with Armenia refus- A man wisely protected from the sun greets a visitor. including those of clergymen. The date and name ing to obey Persian demands to abandon Christianity and of the church is unknown but the village histori- convert to Zoroastrianism. Vartan Mamikonian, the heredi- an indicated that this was probably from the tary commander in chief of Armenian forces, was killed in with the valley below to the right, leads to the fortress. We dawn of Armenian Christianity – perhaps from the 4th c. the Battle of Avarayr and subsequently sainted. The numer- ascended to the fort in a four-wheel drive Niva, but there is Much of this area was emptied of Armenians around 1604 ically smaller Armenian army, however, inflicted dispropor- no room for error here, and no room to turn around if anoth- by Persian Shah Abbas’ decree to forcibly deport the tionally large casualties on the Persian forces but lost the er vehicle approaches from the opposite direction. At the Armenians to Persia; a scorched earth policy intended to battle. Armenians continued to wage a guerilla war for summit of the hill near the entrance to the fort, however, prevent Turkish invaders from living off the land and its decades under the leadership of Kayl Vahan (Wolf Vahan), there is room to turn around. Invading Turks, unable to cap- Armenian population during Turkish – Persian conflicts to the nephew of Vartan. The conflict ended with the Treaty of ture this fort militarily, took the fort by interrupting its dominate this area. Without Armenians, Armenian monu- Nvarsak (484 AD) which guaranteed Armenia religious free- water supply. ments were neglected or vandalized when Turkish tribes dom, the first known treaty to guarantee freedom of reli- There are a number of other interesting sites nearby, acces- moved in. Later, the Treaty of Turkmanchi (1828) between gion. The Mamikonians continued as hereditary comman- sible by car. In the beautiful village of Yeghegis are a number Persia and Russia, allowed Armenians whose families were ders of Armenia’s armed forces, though the Armenia con- of churches, the most unusual being Sp. Zorats Cathedral, forcefully deported to Persia to return home. As Armenians tinued to pay tribute to Persia in the form of taxes and mil- 1303; a unique open air church. Armenian cavalry detach- returned, many Turks and other non-Armenians moved out. itary service.

IMF Reaffirms Support For Yerevan’s Reform Agenda YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — A senior official from the Armenia aimed at “providing insurance against US Sanctions Two Armenian Firms International Monetary Fund reportedly reaffirmed shocks.” An IMF statement said the Armenian gov- on August 20 the IMF’s approval of the Armenian ernment will draw on the three-year “stand-by SANCTIONS, from page 1 all this, we have never gone down that path.” government’s macroeconomic policies and reform arrangement” only in the event of such shocks. been sanctioned because it had obtained Markosian also said that officials from the agenda during a visit to Yerevan. “Armenia has continued to make progress in unspecified sensitive items and re-exported US State Department have regularly visited Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed what recent years in maintaining macroeconomic and them without BIS licenses. “And the person and inspected his companies designing his press office described as an “ambitious” agenda financial stability and in implementing structural who is both Executive Director of YETRI and telecommunication equipment. “They with Jihad Azour, the director of the IMF’s Middle reforms to promote growth,” the statement quoted President of Markel has been engaged in a praised and told us to keep up the good East and Central Asia Department. Mitsuhiro Furusawa, the IMF’s deputy managing business relationship with a sanctioned work,” he claimed. According to a statement issued by the office, director, as saying. “Economic activity has strength- Iranian organization,” its statement added Markosian added that he will therefore Azour expressed the Washington-based fund’s ened, and public debt has started to decline. without elaborating. appeal to the US Embassy in Armenia to readiness to assist Pashinyan’s government in “mak- Inflation is under control, the financial system That person, Mher Markosian, described help lift the sanctions. ing reforms a success.” remains stable, and international reserves are the sanctions as unfair and unfounded. He The Armenian Ministry of Economy said, “Jihad Azour stated that the IMF supports the assessed to be adequate.” insisted that YETRI has never sold any meanwhile, that it is looking into the US Armenian government’s efforts to reform the coun- “Nonetheless, continuing reform efforts are need- equipment to Iranian firms. announcement and will comment later on. try’s economy,” read the statement. ed to support a more balanced and inclusive “As for Markel, it had signed contracts and US National Security Adviser John Another senior IMF official, Hossein Samiei, also growth, by reducing imbalances, improving the busi- done business with Iranian enterprises until Bolton discussed Washington’s renewed voiced support for those efforts at the end of a two- ness climate and strengthening governance, and 2009,” Markosian told RFE/RL’s Armenian sanctions against Iran with Armenian lead- week visit to Yerevan in February. “The new gov- advancing measures to reduce poverty and unem- service. “It hasn’t signed any further con- ers during an October 2018 visit to ernment’s ambitious structural reform agenda ployment,” added Furusawa. tracts since 2009.” Yerevan. Shortly afterwards a team of offi- appropriately focuses on fighting corruption, The IMF’s previous lending program for “Any export operation, especially to Iran, is cials from the US departments of state and improving the business environment, and develop- Armenia, worth roughly $115 million, was launched examined under the microscope,” he went treasury visited the Armenian capital to ing human capital and infrastructure,” he said at in 2014 and completed in 2017. The fund promised on. “If there is even a slight suspicion [of give Armenian government officials and the time. more funding for the country shortly before the wrongdoing] rest assured that the business executives more detailed informa- In May, the IMF’s Executive Board approved the 2018 “Velvet Revolution” that brought Pashinyan [Armenian] state will not permit it. Knowing tion about the sanctions. release of a “precautionary” $248 million loan to to power. 4 S ATURDAY, AUGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR INTERNATIONAL International News Armenian Military Reports ‘Important’

Turkish-Armenian Agreements With Moscow

Lawmaker Addresses MOSCOW (RFE/RL) — Defense ments on the implementation of bilateral tion” were on the agenda of Saturday’s Ministers Sergey Shoygu of Russia and military-political, military and military- talks but did not elaborate. It quoted as Argentine Congress Davit Tonoyan of Armenia agreed on technical programs,” Hovannisyan wrote Shoygu noting “the strategic level of BUENOS AIRES (PanARMENIAN.Net) — Turkish fresh arms deals at their latest talks held on his Facebook page. He did not give relations” between the Russian and Parliamentarians Garo Paylan, who is of Armenian in Moscow, the Armenian Defense any details of those understandings. Armenian militaries. descent, and Ebru Günay of the Peoples’ Democratic Ministry indicated on Sunday, August 18. Hovannisyan said the two ministers The Russian minister also praised Party (HDP) of Turkey delivered strong statements The ministry spokesman, Artsrun also agreed on the importance of con- more than 80 Armenian demining during a conference at the National Congress of Hovannisyan, said they discussed, tinuing joint actions by their armed experts, army medics and other non- Argentina on Wednesday, August 15, reports among other things, Russian-Armenian forces and “reinforcing the combat combat military personnel serving in Agencia Prensa Armenia. “military-technical cooperation,” an offi- readiness” of Russian troops stationed Syria in close coordination with the “The same Genocide against the Armenians 105 Russian military. years ago, could be repeated today against the Russian and Armenian defense offi- Kurds,” said Paylan. “I am very grateful for cials signed unpublicized agreements on Argentina’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide. fresh Russian arms supplies to Armenian Many countries recognized it, but did this stop our at the end of a five-day session of a joint pain? We will achieve justice when the Turkish commission on “military-technical coop- Parliament recognizes the Armenian Genocide,” said eration” held in Yerevan in early June. the Deputy. “Only a truly democratic Turkey will The session began four days after the recognize the genocide against the Armenian peo- head of Russia’s Rosoboronexport state ple.” arms exporter, Alexander Mikheyev, vis- Günay said that the HDP has gender parity and ited Yerevan and met with Tonoyan. The that those accused of gender violence or those who two men also held talks in Moscow in exercise polygamy are not allowed to participate in it. late April. Tonoyan said afterwards that “We are fighting for women in a region where Armenia will continue to acquire patriarchy is very strong,” said Günay. “It is very dif- Russian weapons “very vigorously.” ficult to fight for the rights of different peoples in an In February, Yerevan confirmed the almost fascist environment.” signing of a Russian-Armenian contract Paylan and Günay are touring South America — for the purchase of four Sukhoi Su- Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Brazil. They met with 30SM fighter jets to the Armenian Air Uruguayan Vice President Lucia Topolansky and for- Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu (L) meets with his Armenian counterpart Force. The multirole jets are due to be mer President Jose “Pepe” Mujica on August 13-14. Davit Tonoyan, Moscow, August 17. 2019. delivered by the beginning of 2020. The Armenian Defense Ministry plans to buy more such Russian warplanes in the fol- Artsakh Leaders Meet cial euphemism for arms production in Armenia. lowing years. and supplies. A statement by the Russian Defense Russia has long been the principle With Red Cross Officials “Davit Tonoyan and Sergey Shoygu Ministry likewise said “joint projects of supplier of weapons and other military To Discuss Fate of reached a number of important agree- military and military-technical coopera- equipment to the Armenian army. Soldier STEPANAKERT (Armenpress) — On August 19, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Dublin Philosophy Professor Baghramian Gets Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh Republic) Masis Mayilian received the head of the Stepanakert Office 3-Million Euro Grant to Study Trust in Experts of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) mission Pierre-Emmanuel Ducruet. DUBLIN (Daily Nous) — Public trust She added: “The rapid changes in public and actors with a central role in An exchange of views took place on the fate of ser- in expert opinion will be put to the test technology and methods of communi- the decision-making processes of gover- viceman of Artsakh Republic Defense Army Arayik as a part of a new 3-million euro ($3.3 cation have further highlighted the nance,” said Professor Baghramian. Ghazaryan, who had found himself on the territory million) Horizon 2020 project lead by need to reassess and understand the Beginning in February 2020, of Azerbaijan under still unclear circumstances. In researchers at University College requirements of trustworthiness. At PEriTiA will bring together over 20 this context, the need for parties to the conflict to Dublin. the same time, the rise of populist pol- philosophers, social and natural scien- fulfill their obligations on complying with interna- Dubbed ‘PEriTiA — Policy, Expertise itics with its anti-elitist mantra, has tists, policy experts, ethicists, psychol- tional humanitarian law was emphasized. and Trust in Action’, the three-year brought the trustworthiness of ogists, media specialists and civil soci- During the meeting, the sides also discussed a wide research project, led by Professor Maria experts and their areas of expertise ety organisations to study trust in and range of issues of mutual interest. Baghramian of UCD School of into question. the trustworthiness of policy related The Foreign Minister noted the importance of con- Philosophy, will investigate the role of “Our aim, in this project, is to better expert opinion. ALLEA (All European tinuation of the current cooperation and reiterated science in policy decision making and the readiness of Artsakh Foreign Ministry to do its the conditions under which people utmost to assist to the activities of the Red Cross. should trust and rely on expert opinion that shapes public policy. Armenian President The project is a follow up to the Irish Research Council funded ‘When Meets Manchester City Experts Disagree’, led by Professor Baghramian and Professor Luke Drury Chairman in UK (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies). LONDON (PanARMENIAN.Net) — Armenian It investigates the nature and condi- President Armen Sarkissian met Khaldoon Khalifa tions of public trust and aims to provide Al Mubarak, the chairman of Manchester City foot- a framework that can be used to gauge ball club and the chief executive officer and manag- the trustworthiness of policy related ing director of Mubadala Development Company, in expert opinion. Manchester, on August 20. “Given the central role assigned to The two discussed the prospects of cooperating expert bodies and organizations in with Mubadala and the latter’s possible investments social and political governance, (justi- in Armenia. fied) trust in the information provided The Abu Dhabi-headquartered company mainly by scientific bodies and advisory orga- UCD Professor Maria Baghramian with Baroness Onora O’Neill, who received a operates in the fields of high technologies, telecom- nizations, by both the general public UCD Ulysses Medal in 2017 munications, energy, healthcare, real estate, infra- and policy makers, is a fundamental structure, education and science. condition of good governance,” said understand the nature and conditions Academies) is a major partner of the Mubarak briefed Sarkissian on the activity of the Project Coordinator Professor of trust in the public domain and to dis- project. City Football Group, a holding company whose flag- Baghramian. cover indicators which can be used in Other key partners include Professor ship club is Manchester City F.C. “Conversely, good governance in measuring and establishing the trust- Bobby Duffy of King’s College London, Also, the possibility of implementing projects many areas depends on receiving reli- worthiness of those involved in social Professor Gloria Origgi of CNRS in aimed at the development of football in Armenia able advice from experts; thus, the trust- and political decision making.” Paris, Professor José Van Dijck of were discussed at the meeting in Manchester. worthiness of the experts is essential for Using climate change and climate sci- Utrecht University. Professors Onora Once the meeting was over, Sarkissian toured the the effective running of complex mod- ence as a test case, the investigation will O’Neill, Cass Sunstein, Susan Owens, Manchester City Academy to learn more about train- ern societies. be carried out in three theoretical, and Dan Sperber are among the adviso- ing programs of various age groups. “In democratic societies, trust in the empirical and ameliorative phases. ry group. The Armenian leader also watched the match provenance and rationale of policy mea- “The most ambitious feature of the Research in UCD will be carried out between Manchester City and Tottenham. sures are essential for their implementa- tion. The current unprecedented turbu- current project is the application of its in the UCD Centre for Ethics in Public lent social and political conditions in theoretical and empirical findings to Life and UCD Geary Institute. The Western democracies have thrown into active attempts at establishing trust, group’s work will be supported by Jenny relief the precarity of trust. where warranted, between the general Knell of UCD Research Office. S ATURDAY, AUGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 5 INTERNATIONAL Turkey: 3 Kurdish Mayors Removed from Office

LONDON – The Turkish Interior Ministry’s final conviction. ple, the unlawful detention and Özgökçe Ertan 53 percent. It is the sec- removal of three democratically elected may- Abusive prosecutions and investigations of Selahattin Demirta, former co-chair and ond time that elected mayors in the south- ors in the major municipalities of the Kurdish for overly broad and vague terrorism offenses HDP member of parliament, the court found eastern part of the country have been southeast and eastern regions blatantly vio- are widely used in Turkey to silence and arbi- in 2018 that his detention “pursued the pre- removed from office and replaced with lates the rights of voters and suspends local trarily detain government critics, journalists, dominant ulterior purpose of stifling plural- Ankara appointees. democracy, Human Rights Watch announed In September 2016, the Law on on August 20. Municipalities was changed under a state of The Interior Ministry on August 19, emergency decree to facilitate the removal of removed the mayor of Diyarbakır, Adnan mayors accused of terrorism links and their Selçuk Mızraklı; the mayor of Mardin, Ahmet substitution with provincial governors. Türk; and the mayor of Van, Bedia Özgökçe Ninety-four mayors from the pro-Kurdish Ertan, accusing them of supporting terror- Democratic Regions Party (DBP) were subse- ism. All three mayors are from the Peoples’ quently removed, and many were held in pro- Democratic Party (HDP). The three mayors longed pretrial detention. Turk, a veteran should be allowed to resume their posts Kurdish politician, was previously stripped of immediately. office as elected mayor of the Mardin greater “President Erdogan’s government has municipality under that decree and arrested effectively cancelled the results of the March in November 2016. President Recep Tayyip local elections in the three main cities of the Erdogan made a speech in February, in Kurdish southeast and east by removing vot- advance of the March elections, in which he ers’ chosen mayors, all valid candidates, and stated that mayors found to be linked with taking over these municipalities,” said Hugh terrorism could be removed once again. Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director These moves by Erdogan’s government at Human Rights Watch. “Smearing the may- against democratically elected officials vio- ors by alleging vague links with terrorism to The elected mayors from the main southeastern municipalities removed by Turkey’s interior ministry late Turkey’s obligations under international deprive the of their cho- on August 19, 2019; from left to right: Mardin mayor Ahmet Türk; Diyarbakır mayor Adnan Selçuk and regional human rights law, Human sen representatives endangers everyone in Mızraklı; Van mayor Bedia Özgökçe Ertan. Rights Watch said. The moves violate the Turkey who is committed to democratic elec- right to political participation, the right to tions, human rights, and the rule of law.” free elections, and the right to freedom of The Interior Ministry justified substituting human rights defenders, and opposition ism and limiting freedom of political debate, expression under the International Covenant government-appointed provincial governors politicians, Human Rights Watch said. which is at the very core of the concept of a on Civil and Political Rights and the in each municipality because the mayors face The European Court of Human Rights has democratic society.” European Convention on Human Rights. investigations and legal proceedings under harshly criticized Turkey for its actions in The three mayors won their seats in the terrorism laws for their speeches and non-vio- pursuing baseless terrorism charges against March 31 local election, with Mızraklı win- lent political activities. None have received a elected members of parliament. In one exam- ning 63 percent of the vote, Türk 56 percent, Macron, Putin Masoud Barzani: Kurdish Blood Should not Be Shed by Fellow Kurds Discuss Artsakh MOSCOW (Armenpress) — Dmitry ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The bombardment bardments of the Kurdistan Region’s borders hope ends, everything will end.” Peskov, the press secretary of the of the Kurdistan Region’s borders by neigh- by neighboring Iran and Turkey. Kurds have gone through intense civil wars Russian President, on August 20 pre- boring states should end without resulting in “If excuses are not given to them here from the early 90s until late 1997 with thou- sented the results of a meeting between Kurdish infighting, Masoud Barzani, the [within our borders], there won’t be bom- sands of people killed. Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of the leading Kurdistan Democratic bardments or airstrikes [by Turkey and Since then, Barzani has repeatedly promised French President Emmanuel Macron. Party (KDP), said on Monday. Iran],” Barzani said in a speech to locals in on different occasions that he would not let Peskov noted that the two presidents Barzani’s comment came during a visit to Balakayati, referring to the presence of civil wars take place between the Kurds once discussed regional conflicts, including the Balakayati area in Erbil province to con- Kurdish fighter groups on the borders who again as long as he lives. Nagorno Karabakh conflict during their gratulate the people on the occasion of Eid al- oppose the two neighboring governments of The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) meeting in Brégançon. Adha and commend their historic role in the Ankara and Tehran. maintains a friendly relationship with Iran and According to Peskov, the talks were Kurdish revolution against the former Iraqi “Therefore, this situation should be resolved Turkey, who regularly bombard the constructive and trustworthy. He noted regime. in a way that people in this area no longer pay autonomous Kurdish region’s borders target- that the Presidents referred to regional The KDP leader, who previously served as the price for the conflict,” he continued. ing Kurdish opposition groups present in the conflicts in the Balkans, Nagorno president of the autonomous Kurdistan “We’re working on it. A solution should area. Karabakh, as well as had a rather seri- Region, currently holds no official or govern- ensure Kurdish blood is not shed by the hands The KRG has repeatedly called on the two ous conversation over climate change mental posts but continues to play a vital role of fellow Kurds. But the situation of the countries and the Kurdish opposition groups and the situation in Arctic. in the political situation in the Kurdistan and [Kurdistan] Region should be considered. The to stop their fight or take the battle elsewhere Iraq. Kurdistan Region is the only place that has because local villagers continue to fall victim He expressed his concerns about the bom- become a hope for its people [Kurds]. If this to these conflicts. In Marseille, A vibrant Outpost of Armenian Culture

MARSEILLE, from page 1 later, when Soviet borders were relaxed. more Armenian restaurants are opening. between Marseille and Armenia. The first major influx came in the early “It took them three days to get to Armenia When I was younger, there was one or two at “After the outbreak of the war in Lebanon, 1920s when throngs of refugees from a crum- but 40 years to come back,” quipped Jean most. Now you see many, all with regional the Lebanese-Armenians who came here bling Ottoman Empire disembarked onto Kéhayan sitting in his apartment overlooking specificities: Armenian-Russian, Lebanese- were a lot more militant than we were,” he Marseille’s port. Around 60,000 of them were a Provençal garden abundant with olive and Armenian.” Aynedjian himself came from added. “And whereas the Armenians from settled into squalid camps, causing unease cypress trees. A local intellectual, Kéhayan Beirut in 1976. Turkey [who arrived in the 1950s] were among Marseillais at the time. “The served for a brief stint as an advisor to Levon Yet upon arrival, many of these newcomers regarded as collaborators with the Turkish Armenian is like a plant that grows between Ter-Petrosian, Armenia’s first president fol- received a tepid reception from their estab- enemy for having continued to live there the pavements of a city,” wrote the journalist lowing independence in 1991. lished counterparts. after the genocide, Armenians from Armenia Albert Londres in a 1927 travelogue. Later, in the 1950s and ‘60s, the “It was very difficult when we arrived were rejected as they were seen as having Still, in the following years, these émigrés Marseillais diaspora grew with the arrival of here,” said Lida Badalyan, an accountant betrayed the motherland.” blended into the city and contributed much Armenians escaping anti-Christian pogroms who left Yerevan in 1999 with her parents For Aram, 42, whose wife came from Armenia to its character. A local pizza was even bap- in Turkey and, later still, the civil war in and brothers because of poverty. “We didn’t in 2008, the only barrier with recent immigrants tized l’arménienne in their honor. The son of Lebanon. Since the early 1990s, Marseille know anyone and the historic Armenian com- was the language differences between eastern genocide survivors, filmmaker Henri has attracted a continuous flow of economic munity accused us of having turned our and western dialects. His own parents were Verneuil, born Ashot Malakian, captured the migrants from the Republic of Armenia. backs on the homeland. But it’s not as if they among those who followed Stalin’s exhortations journey in his autobiographical “Mayrig.” “This immigration has enlivened Armenian wanted to live there themselves!” only to return in the 1980s. Despite that, in 1947, in a startling histori- culture in Marseille,” contended Chamassian Such tensions reflect a broader conflict After mass has ended on Prado Avenue, cal twist, a few thousand of these exiles heed- with the distinctive twang of southern between a nationalist diaspora that pushes the street fills up with the clamor of people ed a call from Soviet dictator Josef Stalin France. “It is a new breath that has revived for recognition of the 1915 genocide at all chattering away in Armenian. “In Marseille, who urged the diaspora to help build the our identity. Our cultural centers, churches costs and the citizens of a small Caucasian at times, it feels like we are in Armenia itself,” Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. Around and schools are filled with recent migrants.” republic that are more concerned about beams Irena, who came from Yerevan in 3,000 Armenians decamped from Marseille Péno Aynedjian, the sports director of bread-and-butter issues. 2002. Had it not been for the nearby seeking a cherished motherland. But faced UGA Ardziv, a local Armenian football club, “The Armenian community here was built Mediterranean coast and bougainvillea trees, with dismal living standards and the brutish said he has also witnessed the community’s by successive waves of immigration. But with the scene could have been a village in the reality of Stalinist socialism, many flocked expansion. “There is a great mix of prove- each wave, integration into the local net- Caucasus. back to the Mediterranean metropolis as nances in our club, we have Armenians from works was not easy,” said Kéhayan, who has (Killian Cogan is a freelance journalist soon as they could. That was several decades all horizons,” he maintained. “More and written several books about connections based in Istanbul.) 6 S ATURDAY, A UGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR Community News

California Superintendent Armenian Bar Thurmond Highlights Need to Include Armenian Association Marks Genocide in Model 30th Anniversary Curriculum With Weekend of GLENDALE — The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region Activities (ANCA-WR) welcomed the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony LOS ANGELES — Celebrating the 30th Thurmond’s support for the inclusion of the anniversary of its founding, the Armenian Bar Armenian Genocide in the Instructional Quality Association returned to the place of its prove- Commission’s (IQC) ethnic studies model cur- nance, exhilarated with the energy and excite- riculum. ment of the Los Angeles metropolis, to convene “We welcome comments made by its annual meeting on the weekend of June 28- Superintendent Thurmond at a press confer- 30, 2019. ence on August 15 in regard to the inclusion The conference showcased the association’s of the Armenian experience in the ethnic activism and valuable output in one of its sem- studies model curriculum and thank him for inal dimensions: the protection, respect and being responsive to the specific concerns we importance of the human and civil rights of have voiced,” remarked ANCA-WR Chair Armenians around the world and, in particular, Nora Hovsepian, Esq. “The California history in Armenia and Artsakh. The special guests and social studies framework makes specific from abroad were Arman Tatoyan, Ombudsman reference to the importance of teaching stu- and Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Jean-Marie Atamian flanked by his family at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Armenia, Artak Beglaryan, Ombudsman and dents specifically about the Jewish Holocaust first and second buildings on the school campus that were renovated in the fall Human Rights Defender of the Republic of and the Armenian Genocide. It is our hope of 2017. and expectation that the new Ethnic Studies Artsakh, and Robert Avetisyan, the Permanent curriculum will build upon this framework, Representative of the Republic of Artsakh to and we have offered all resources at our dis- the United States of America. posal to ensure that the topic is appropriate- “We were incredibly honored that Dr. ly covered.” Atamian Family Tatoyan, Mr. Beglaryan and Mr. Avetisyan gra- During a press conference on Wednesday, ciously accepted our invitation to attend and addressing the concerns of the California participate as our keynote speakers for our Legislative Jewish Caucus, Thurmond noted, Announces $100,000 30th annual meeting where our attendees “We’re being contacted by many other groups learned of their outstanding and ground-break- that feel that their story also needs to be told. ing work in the field of human rights. A very I’ll just say, as it relates to the Armenian Investment in Tavush special added bonus was the presence and par- Genocide, for example, we’ve heard from the ticipation throughout the weekend of our leaders in the Armenian community and many Association’s founding father, Raffi K. other communities.” He went on to continue, Hovannisian,” said Chairman Gerard V. Initiative Kassabian. The conference schedule began on Friday, June 28, with a meeting of the 18-member NEW YORK — Jean-Marie and Lori Atamian recently announced their Board of Governors, where the Association’s sixth major gift of $100,000 to the Paros Foundation’s Prosperity on the leadership rolled up their sleeves and examined, Border Initiative. This contribution will be used to rebuild a large two-story with an eye towards improvement and innova- school building in the village of Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur (population 1,380) tion, the work of its robust collection of com- (“NKA”). NKA was the most heavily shelled village on the Tavush border mittees. Following the board meeting, members during the war for the liberation of Artsakh. This third and final wing of and guests were treated to a festive and enter- the secondary school will taining reception at the Sheraton Grand Hotel. house a new science class- In a true reflection of the association’s broad room and laboratory, an and all-embracing appeal, gathered together in exercise and dance studio, the spirit of fun and fellowship were our found- a home economics class- ing members, judges, law professors, law stu- room, a wood and metal dents, friends and family. shop, a library, additional The meeting on Saturday morning began offices and classrooms with a plenary session where the workings of and new bathrooms. the association’s affairs were shared and dis- “The Atamian’s leader- Tony Thurmond cussed. Reports were provided by Student ship on our Prosperity on Affairs Committee Co-Chairs Aleksan the Border Initiative has Giragosian and Zepur Simonian, Scholarship helped us make more than $1 million worth of needed infrastructure eco- “While ethnic studies has a historical frame- Committee member Saro Kerkonian, Armenian nomic development programs in these vital border communities,” said work, the task for us will be to establish Rights Watch Committee and Artsakh Law Peter Abajian, Executive Director of the Paros Foundation. California’s version of what ethnic studies looks Initiative Committee Co-Chair Karnig This investment is the latest infrastructure project underwritten by the like… we have to make sure we create a place Kerkonian, Armenian Genocide Reparations Atamians in NKA. Specifically, since 2013, the Atamians have financed the for all who have experienced oppression to Committee Chairman Armen K. Hovannisian, reconstruction of the village’s medical center, kindergarten, secondary share that.” Pro Bono Committee member Lucy Varpetian. school (three large two-story buildings), emergency services building and In March of this year, ANCA-WR representa- The Nominations Committee then presented water pipeline. The Atamians have also awarded over 20 individual family tives had met with Thurmond to discuss the the slate of recommended members to the agricultural and home renovation grants to improve the standard of living importance of genocide education in public Board of Governors. The nominees, two accom- of numerous households. The impressive economic progress of NKA has schools and its significance in combating plished newcomers and four incumbents, were prompted the Atamians to make additional long-term commitments to denialist efforts that continue today. At this unanimously approved by the membership. ensure the village’s continued growth and prosperity for future genera- meeting, Superintendent Thurmond expressed “We are thrilled that Deputy District tions. his deep understanding of the need for geno- Attorney Hrag Alex Bastian of San Francisco Based on the success of this model village, and the generous support of cide education and his support for the and esteemed civil litigator Souren Israelyan of our expanding base of donors, The Paros Foundation is replicating this Armenian community of California, promising New York City, along with a team of veteran strategic approach to rural development by undertaking these types of life to be a strong advocate for the needs of members, were elected to three-year terms on changing projects in eight additional villages along the Armenia-Azerbaijan Armenian Americans in the sphere of educa- the Board of Governors. They bring the passion border in Armenia’s Tavush Region. tion. and energy to carry forward the positive Construction at the school in NKA was launched last week with the goal Additionally, the ANCA-WR has partnered momentum that the Armenian Bar Association of completing work on one of the two stories prior to the start of the new with the Armenian Assembly of America, has developed in the past several years,” said school year in September. American Hellenic Council, American Jewish Co-Vice Chairwoman Lucy Varpetian. Paros Foundation launched its Prosperity on the Border initiative in Committee — Los Angeles, American Jewish After the business portion of the meeting, 2015. It is currently working in 11 villages throughout the Tavush region, Committee — San Francisco, Hindu American the first signature panel discussion explored but primarily in communities along the Armenia-Azeri border. Thanks to Foundation, Korean American Coalition - Los the plunder of historic Armenia’s native culture the support of Paros founder and chairman, Roger Strauch, underwrites all Angeles, and Faith And Community and civilization and an examined the legal administrative expenses, allowing all donor contributions to be allocated in Empowerment (formerly KCCD) to share the opportunities and challenges in restoring some their entirety to the projects. To support this and other projects of the concerns of the major ethnic and faith commu- of what was wrongfully taken. Moderated by Paros Foundation, visit www.parosfoundation.org. nities in California that have been left out in the Board member Armen K. Hovannisian, the initial draft version of the ethnic studies model panel opened with a riveting visual presentation by curriculum. see ANNIVERSARY, page 7 S ATURDAY, A UGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 7 COMMUNITY NEWS Armenian Bar Association Marks 30th Anniversary with Weekend of Activities ANIVERSARY, from page 6 attorney Matthew Karanian rooted in his mon- umental pictorial and documentary work of crit- ical acclaim, “The Armenian Highland.” Karanian presented a photographic simulation of his travels through Western Armenia docu- menting the evidence of religious sites, cultural artifacts and the remains of the heart-breaking ruins throughout the region. Then, in a most timely and illuminating pre- sentation for the attendees, Thaddeus Stauber of Nixon Peabody, LLP spoke candidly about the often winding and uphill road to recover articles and areas of cultural heritage. His per- spective was thought-provoking, sobering and constructive insofar as Stauber is known to rep- resent successfully the world’s leading cultural institutions and foreign sovereigns in connec- tion with Nazi looted art claims. His candid view from the other side of the litigation divide provided valuable lessons which will go a long way in informing future Armenian Genocide- related restitutions efforts. The morning session was followed by lun- cheon where the guest speaker was Gassia Apkarian, Judge of the Superior Court of Members of the organizing body of the Armenian Bar Association and guests California for the County of Orange. Following a light-hearted, engaging, and endearing intro- duction by Superior Court Judge Maria her personal and professional insights with of the Republic of Armenia and posed con- Republic’s judiciary. Daghlian-Hernandez, Judge Apkarian offered respect to former governmental administrations structive critiques of the current state of the After the luncheon, the nearly one hundred people in attendance listened and engaged with great interest the second signature panel mod- erated by Board member Garo B. Ghazarian. The audience heard of the extraordinary work of the Ombudsmen and Human Rights Defenders of the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh. Tatoyan and Beglaryan each provided a comprehensive overview of the purpose of their offices and how they and their staff mem- bers go about achieving their institutional objectives. Both Ombudsmen emphasized that their positions are non-partisan and that they do not serve at the whim or direction of the government in power, but rather are indepen- dent investigatory and advocacy bodies. They also described how their professional indepen- dence is safeguarded by the fact that they are not subject to recall by any of the branches of government. The weekend ended with a big bang and beautiful tribute. A celebration of the monu- mental lifetime achievements of Judge Dickran Tevrizian took place at the California Club where more than 300 guests came to honor the pioneering work and regal influence of Tevrizian and to mark and revel in the associa- tion’s 30 years of excellence and virtue.

AEF Accepts Applications For Scholarships

GLENDALE — The Armenian Educational Foundation (AEF) has announce that it is accepting applications for the Richard R. Tufenkian Scholarships for the 2019 – 2020 academic year. Three $3,000 scholarships will be awarded to Armenian undergraduate stu- dents at an accredited United States college or university. To qualify for this scholarship, students must be of Armenian descent, have a minimum 3.0 GPA, show financial need, and be actively involved in the Armenian community. Students who meet the above criteria should visit www.aefweb.org for scholarship application and more information. All com- pleted scholarship application packages must be postmarked no later than July 31, 2019, and mailed to the AEF office at 600 West Broadway, Suite 130, Glendale, CA 91204. The Richard R. Tufenkian Scholarship Fund was established by Ralph and Savey Tufenkian in memory of their son. The $230,000 endowed fund has provided over $470,000 in scholarships since 1991. Currently, $17,500 in scholarships is awarded each year, including $2,500 to a student attending the American University of Armenia and six full tuition scholarships for students attending public universities in Armenia. Only students interested in applying for the scholarship should contact the AEF office at email [email protected]. 8 S ATURDAY, A UGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR COMMUNITY NEWS Diocesan Sunday Schools Help Fight Malnutrition in Armenia

NEW YORK — Every Lenten season for served food at parish fellowships, washed more than 50 years, Sunday School students, cars and cleaned houses, memorized Bible staff, and families throughout the Eastern verses, made and sold Easter baskets, and Diocese of the Armenian Church of America simply passed the hat at family gatherings. have joined in an effort to raise money for the Diocesan Christian Education director world’s needy. Elise Antreassian congratulated the students Refugees of war and famine, America’s by echoing the words of the Gospel: “Well poor, children in distress on every continent, done, good and faithful servants!” and dozens of good causes in Armenia Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) Executive (including campaigns devoted to foster care, Director Garnik Nanagulian expressed FAR’s war victims, domestic abuse, and comforting gratitude to the students in a letter extolling the elderly) have all been recipients of these their compassion for their fellow Armenian Lenten collections. children. In 2019, 23 Sunday Schools contributed The sentiment was echoed by Diocesan close to $21,000 to the Fund for Armenian Primate Bishop Daniel. “This is the kind of Relief’s “First Thousand Days” campaign, inspirational effort that goes on in our parish which addresses child malnutrition through communities year in and year out,” he said. healthy food packages, parent and teacher “Our Sunday School students are children, education, and school meal programs. but they contributed something significant, Sunday School students launched a Lenten drive for children in Armenia. Sunday schoolers were ambitious and cre- and important, to help our homeland. They ative in their fundraising. They prepared and are truly doing our Lord’s work.”

OBITUARY Sculptor Soghoyan, Creator of Armenian Monument near White House, Passes Away

classes in order to go out onto the streets to see By Haykaram Nahapetyan how master craftsmen were carving ornaments on stone. As an adult, having grown up to be a Special to the Mirror-Spectator sculptor, he was invited to Moscow by the Academy of Fine Arts of the USSR in 1970. MOSCOW — Sculptor Frid Soghoyan In Moscow and Kiev, Soghoyan was a part of (Sogoyan in Russian) passed away at the end of groups that created famous monuments dedi- July. He was born in 1936 in the town of cated to World War II. Soghoyan received several awards from the Armenian, Russian and Ukranian governments. Works crafted by this prominent sculptor are displayed in the museums of Russia, Germany, United Kingdom, France, United States and cer- tainly Armenia. However, in America he is best known for the monument which stands in front of the American Red Cross’s national headquarters next to the White House. It symbolized the grat- itude of the Armenian people to the Red Cross in particular and to the United States in gener- al for the enormous humanitarian aid to devas- tated Armenia after the 1988 earthquake. “To the American people from grateful Armenian size structure.” inches long. It exists on the Red Cross’s web- people,” the inscription on the monument says. The statue is made out of bronze and is 140 site. Soghoyan reflected on this: “I am from and I did lose 32 close friends in the 1988 earthquake. During my visit to Washington, I realized how important U.S. aid was to the earthquake victims. I had to do something in appreciation for what the American people had done for Armenia.” F UNERAL H OME As prominent Armenian-American journal- Giragosian ist David Zenian reported, “…Soghoyan began James “Jack” Giragosian, CPC work on a large statue depicting a mother with Mark J. Giragosian “Motherland” by Frid Sogoyan, Bronze, 1990, Funeral Counselors Washington D.C. a child in her arms. Through his new American friends and the help of the U.S. Embassy in 576 Mt. Auburn Street, Watertown, MA 02472, TEL: 617-924—0606 www.giragosianfuneralhome.com Gyumri (back then Leninakan). Moscow Soghoyan contacted former Senator As a schoolboy Soghoyan would often miss Bob Dole and the American Red Cross and arrangements were made to transfer the life- Telephone (617) 924-7400 Maik Murkidjanian Aram Bedrosian Worked at Stella’s Pizza Funeral Home, Inc. WATERTOWN — Maik Murkidjanian of Continuous Service By The Bedrosian Family Since 1945 Watertown died on August 14, 2019. He was the husband of the late Virginia (Varteresian) MARION BEDROSIAN Murkidjanian. 558 MOUNT AUBURN STREET PAUL BEDROSIAN He leaves his sons, Paul Murkidjanian , Michael Murkidjanian and his wife Marianne and Lisa Ghazarian and her husband Varej; grandchildren Samira, Marisa, Tanya, Nicole, Sean, Danielle, Michael, Andrew, Gregory, and Tiffany and many loving nieces, nephews, ENNIS M. EVENEY & ONS cousins and friends. D D S He started his career as a chocolatier at Deran’s Confectionary in Cambridge. Upon Cemetery Monuments retiring from Deran’s Confectionary, Maik Specializing in worked alongside his son Michael at Stella’s Pizza in Watertown. Armenian Designs and Lettering Funeral service was at the Aram Bedrosian 701 Moody St. Waltham, MA 02543 Funeral Home, 558 Mount Auburn Street, Watertown on Tuesday, August 20. Interment (781) 891-9876 www.NEMonuments.com at Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge. S ATURDAY, A UGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 9 COMMUNITY NEWS A Gathering of Greek and Oriental Orthodox Bishops

NEW YORK — Bishop Daniel Findikyan, Towards Unity and Communion Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the The longstanding relationship between the Armenian Church of America, joined fellow Greek Church and the Armenian and other bishops of the Oriental Orthodox churches to Oriental Orthodox churches is also vitally congratulate the recently installed leader of the important. During the August 12 meeting, the Greek Orthodox Church in America, bishops discussed the urgent necessity of draw- Archbishop Elpidophoros. ing their respective “families” of churches — the Their visit to the Manhattan headquarters of Eastern and Oriental Orthodox—into greater the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and union with one another. South America took place on Monday, August “Our people are ahead of us clergy in their 12. Bishop Daniel, representing the Eastern insistence that our churches be in full commu- Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, was nion,” said Elpidophoros to his fellow bishops. part of the delegation that included Archbishop To that end, the bishops considered various John Kawak of the Syriac Archdiocese, prospects for bringing their people and clergy Archbishop Titus Yeldho of the Malankara together for prayer, fellowship, and ultimately Archdiocese, Archbishop Silvanos Ayoub of the joint ministry. One concrete result of the meet- Syriac Knanaya Archdiocese, and Bishop David ing was an agreement to jointly hold an evening of the Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese. of sacred music and prayer, for Friday, Bishop David, as president of the Standing December 27. The service, which will incorpo- Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches rate liturgical forms from each of respective (SCOOCH), led the delegation. It was the first Orthodox Christian traditions, will take place in Hierarchs of America’s Oriental Orthodox churches met at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in New York, to congratulate the new leader of the Greek Orthodox Church. Pictured are H.E. Mor Silvanos formal meeting of the Oriental Orthodox bish- the New York metro area, in a location to be Ayoub (of the Syriac Knanaya Archdiocese), H.E. Mor Titus Yeldho (Malankara Archdiocese), H.G. ops with Archbishop Elpidophoros since the lat- determined. Bishop David (Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese), H.E. Archbishop Elpidophoros (Greek Orthodox ter’s enthronement in late June. “We must press ahead toward full Christian Archdiocese), H.E. Mor Dionysios John Kawak (Syriac Archdiocese), and H.G. Bishop Daniel “The Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox unity and sacramental communion among all of (Armenian Church, Eastern Diocese). Church of North and South America holds an the Orthodox churches, Eastern and Oriental,” extremely important and influential position,” said Bishop Daniel, reflecting on the meeting. explained Bishop Daniel, “not only within his “Such communion would celebrate the diversi- every sincere effort toward this end.” In October, Findikyan will be hosting a fol- own church, but also for all the Eastern ty of our liturgical traditions and our distinctive He added: “That goal is central to the mission low-up meeting at the Diocesan Center in New Orthodox churches in America. Among them Christian witnesses, while encouraging us to of the Armenian Church, as it has been since York, which will be a broader meeting of he is essentially considered ‘first among more ardently bring the love of Jesus Christ into our people received the Gospel from the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox bishops in the equals.’” the lives of all people. I will always support Apostles.” New York region.

Journalist Duncan White to Speak at Trinity Men’s Union and St. James Men’s Club Joint Dinner Meeting

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The Trinity Men’s culation. So seriously was literature taken that Union of Holy Trinity Armenian Church of the clandestine intelligence services of America, Greater Boston and the Britain and the Soviet Union all had agents ded- St. James Men’s Club of icated to its exploitation as cultural warfare. St. James Armenian Drawing on archival research, the latest declas- Apostolic Church will sified intelligence files, and a deep understanding present Duncan White as of the lives and works of writers of the period, their guest speaker at Cold Warriors is the first definitive account of its their joint dinner meet- kind. White vividly chronicles how this ferocious ing, hosted by the Trinity intellectual struggle was waged on both sides of Men’s Union, on Monday, the Iron Curtain. That the stakes were high as September 9. the world stood on the brink of nuclear destruc- White, an award-win- tion is well-known; what is less well understood Duncan White ning journalist and acad- is just how important writers were as players in emic is assistant director the game. of studies in history and literature at Harvard Cold Warriors focuses on five major writers – University and a lead book reviewer for the Daily George Orwell, Stephen Spender, Mary Telegraph. His talk will focus on “Writers on the McCarthy, Graham Greene, and Andrei Front Line of the Cold War,” and his newly-pub- Sinyavsky – but the full cast includes a dazzling lished book, Cold Warriors: Writers Who Waged array of literary giants. the Literary Cold War. Some of the many highlights of the book In the Cold War, literature was a battleground include: and books were weapons. Publishing the right •Ernest Hemingway leading a band of guerril- story at the right time could make you a hero; la fighters in the march on Paris during the writing the wrong story in the wrong place could Second World War; get you shot. Novels and poems could win •George Orwell trying to get Animal Farm hearts and minds of those caught between the published in wartime London, little realizing an competing creeds of capitalism and communism, undercover KGB agent was pressuring publish- and vast propaganda operations were initiated to ers to reject the book; ensure the right books got to the right readers •Anna Akhmatova refusing to bow to Stalin as and that the wrong books were kept out of cir- he makes her the scapegoat in his Cold War purge on any writer with connections to the West; •Graham Greene, drawing on his clandestine meetings with revolutionaries in Cuba to write Our Man in Havana, a novel that anticipated the Cuban Missile Crisis; •Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn taking on the Kremlin and the KGB, with the publication of Gulag Archipelago, his explosive history of the Soviet labor camps; and •John le Carré working as an M16 spy in Germany being sent to Berlin as the Wall goes up, and drawing on the experience to write The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. Cold Warriors is a welcome reminder that writ- ers and books can change the world. The dinner meeting will be held in the Charles and Nevart Talanian Cultural Hall of Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Boston, 145 Brattle Street, Cambridge. All are welcome to attend. The social hour begins at 6 p.m., and dinner at 7 p.m. Donation for the losh and kheyma dinner is $15 per person. RSVP is requested by September 6 by emailing David Dorian at tmuh- [email protected], or contacting the Holy Trinity Church Office, [email protected]. 10 S ATURDAY, A UGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR COMMUNITY NEWS Armenians Found Community in This Plymouth Neighborhood on the Beach

By David Kindy

PLYMOUTH, Mass. (Old Colony Memorial Newspaper) — This is a story about summer, baseball and a joyful clash of cultures on the beach. It’s about food, dances, music, sleepovers and a close-knit neighborhood. It’s about kids playing outside well after dark and parents mak- ing sure no one got hurt or crossed too far over the line. This is a story about summer, baseball and a joyful clash of cultures on the beach. It’s about food, dances, music, sleepovers and a close-knit neighborhood. It’s about kids playing outside well after dark and parents making sure no one got hurt or crossed too far over the line. For a time, a four- or five-block section around the Idlewild Inn in Manomet was a glorious mix- ture of ethnicities and eccentricities. This quaint collection of cottages and summer homes was awash in the cultures and customs of a different land that many in other parts of Plymouth would have found unusual, to say the least. From the 1930s through the 1970s, the sounds of curious music echoed from the Idlewild every Saturday night during the sum- mer. Unusual aromas of ethnic food cooked by elderly women who barely spoke English wafted around and through nearby homes, tantalizing- ly teasing neighbors and passersby alike. Yet, no one seemed to mind or care about the differences. In fact, they were celebrated and embraced at neighborhood parties, on sandy beaches, around backyard grills and on the local The Asadoorian family of Worcester and Manomet have placed several benches dedicated to their deceased family members at the top of the bluffs across from the Idlewild Hotel.

million theft of paintings at the Isabella Stewart reverend in Manomet. Gardner Museum. The inn still stands on the bluff above More than 70 years ago, Steve’s family lived in Manomet Beach and offers a stunning vista of Dorchester and started spending summers in the seashore and beyond. To the south lies Cape Manomet. At first, they stayed at the Idlewild Cod. Across the bay is Provincetown, clearly vis- Inn, which had been purchased by an Armenian ible when the humidity is low and the sun is at family in the 1930s. The Sarafians welcomed all your back. To the north, where Manomet Beach guests to their beautiful facility on Manomet curves toward Cape Cod Bay, are Stone Horse Avenue, and many Armenians stayed at the inn Rocks, a rough outcropping that is a favorite for and later bought nearby cottages and homes. local swimmers. How the Sarafians found this cozy coastal “I’ve traveled around the world and to me, this is community is a bit of mystery, though there is a the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen,” Steve says. tantalizing clue at the Second Church of “It’s breathtaking. Not a bad place at all.”

Steve Kurkjian, right, with his extended family in Manomet

baseball field, where the community came together to celebrate the warm weather and relaxed atmosphere that was Manomet in this era. For Steve Kurkjian, summers here as a young boy were heaven on earth. He was part of the new culture that was absorbed into this neigh- borhood. As a first- generation Armenian American, he was proud of both his heritage from the old country and his citizenship in this land. Mostly, he loved baseball and going to the beach. “We played baseball all summer long at Briggs Field,” he says of his time coming of age in Manomet in the 1950s and ’60s. “If we weren’t on the baseball diamond, then we were The Idlewild as it exists today. on the beach chasing girls. It was a glorious time. I have so many memories.” Now 75, Steve once worked for the Boston Plymouth. Records show that in 1897 the The Kurkjians bought a cottage in Manomet Globe on the Spotlight investigative team, church hired a young Armenian minister, Haig in 1948. The father, Anooshavan, was a toddler where he won three Pulitzer Prizes. One was for Adadourian, who led the parish until 1904 and during Armenian Genocide by Turkey in 1915, again from 1916 until 1923. He sponsored when as many as In Manomet home of Anna Kalajian, (seated) his work on uncovering sexual abuse cases relat- with her son Arthur Kalajian who grew up in ed to the Catholic church in Boston. He is also numerous people from the old country and 1.5 million are believed to have died. He came Belmont and is now an engineer in Michigan, the author of the book Master Thieves: The helped them emigrate to America. It is believed to America with his mother, the only surviving and his wife Debra Boston Gangsters Who Pulled Off the World’s some of those newly landed émigrés, including members of their family. He grew up to become Greatest Art Heist, which chronicled the $500- the eventual owners of the Idlewild, visited the a respected commercial artist and portrait S ATURDAY, A UGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 11 COMMUNITY NEWS

still welcomes all guests, but no Armenian “When people asked me why I didn’t know bands play music late into the night on week- more about the attractions of the Cape, I would ends anymore. The nearby summer cottages answer if you knew the enjoyment I gained with were replaced with expansive year-round friends and family from my patch of sand on homes. Manomet Beach, swimming at high tide in the Families moved away seeking better oppor- freezing cold water out to House Rock, or mar- tunities. New people arrived in and made those veling at the Bluffs to the north knowing that houses their own. Nothing bad about that; just the Pilgrims would have taken in the same different. breathtaking vista as the Mayflower sailed from Today, a few Armenians live in the neighbor- Provincetown to America’s Home Town in 1620, hood, which now has a much more diverse pop- you would understand why I was fine just where ulation. People are still friendly and care about I was. their neighbors, but the ambiance has changed. “And at some later point, I began to under- Bigger homes and the increased demands of stand what this same expanse of sand and the 21st century life mean less opportunity to rub neighborhood around the Idlewild Inn had elbows and to connect as a community. meant to that generation of older Armenians Manomet is now Steve Kurkjian’s full-time who had found their way to Manomet when it address. He loves the casual feel of the neigh- was acquired in borhood and cheerfully greets everyone he sees the 1930s, and thrived during the years of my while around – whether he has known them for youth. And as I have grown older, so many dif- 70 years or met them last week at the beach. ferent Armenians whom I have met realize that with neighbors on the beach. The community For him, the place is home. He wrote about it we’re really not strangers but that our families gathered together on the shore to bask in the recently in a reflection of his recollections grow- knew each other from the vacation weeks they sun and enjoy the salt water. Steve still remem- ing up in that friendly corner of Plymouth: had spent in Manomet. But it was the older gen- bers all the Armenian women holding hands “I spent my boyhood summers in Manomet eration, the one that had survived the Armenian and walking tentatively into cold Cape Cod Bay. “The women were always busy cooking and running the home,” he says. “This is where they could rest and bond together. They would walk arm and arm into the water and hold hands in a circle. No one ever swam because it was too cold.” One of those women was Ann Kalajian. She started coming to Manomet in 1947 with her husband Charles and later her three sons, Edward and twins Arthur and Peter. They also stayed at the Idlewild Inn before purchasing a cottage on Vinal Avenue. Ann, 91 and an ethnic Armenian who was born in Syria, lives year- round in the home now. “It was a nice community,” she says. “You could hear the music from the bands at the A painting by Anoosh Kurkjian, the father of Steve Kurkjian, of the cottage that they bought in 1948, Idlewild all over the neighborhood. The inn had and was a summer home until it was destroyed by fire in 1980. good food and service.” For Arthur, summers in Manomet were all about the beach and swimming. His family and though I delighted in growing up in a Genocide of 1915 in Ottoman Turkey and had vibrant Dorchester neighborhood, my favorite had lost their parents, siblings, cousins and even The Sarafians owned the Idlewild Inn from the would head down the stairs in the morning to 1930s through 1968 (courtesy of Project Save) enjoy as much time as possible in the surf, sand memories come from the weeks spent here children to it, that Manomet meant the most to. and sun. between the last day of school and Labor Day. “These mostly older women had gained safety in “We would spend a full day at the beach,” he From making it all the way through the list of America, and though most never had spoken about painter in Boston. Anooshavan and his wife remembers. “It was a lot fun. My mother taught 20-plus flavors of ice cream offered at Gellars to their suffering or what they had lost, you could see Rosella wanted their children Stephen, Karolyn me how to swim. How she learned to swim, I playing hours of baseball with great friends at them drawing comfort and strength in Manomet’s and Elizabeth to enjoy all the fruits this new and exciting country bore. “We didn’t even own a car when we first start- ed coming here,” Steve recalls. “We would get a ride from cousins and friends. We would stay for the summer and my father would come down on weekends and for his vacation. I remember there always people at the house – 25 or so at a time. The women were constantly cooking. I don’t know where all those people slept because the cottages were tiny back then!” Affable and athletic, young Steve made friends easily and played with other children in the neighborhood. Baseball and epic late-night games of tag ranging across the neighborhood filled their summer. One of his younger com- panions was Miriam “Mimi” O’Neal, who still vis- its the family home in Manomet during the warm-weather months. “I always thought I was Armenian,” says Mimi, who is as Irish as the day is long. “All my friends were Armenian. I loved the language and the food. I didn’t know ethnicity as a child. Steve’s father cooked pancakes every Saturday morning for the neighborhood kids. We spent time together and all blended as one.” Like an extended clan, everyone in the com- munity kept an eye on the younger ones. Neighbors dutifully watched out for the children to make sure everyone was safe and would report youthful indiscretions. Once, Anooshaven caught Mimi’s older sister smoking and told her parents about her illicit activity. “She was horrified,” she recalls. “But that’s what happened here. It was very family-oriented.” Mimi also attended the Idlewild dances with Steve’s sister Elizabeth. Well, they didn’t really go into the dance hall since children were pro- Painting by Anoosh Kurkjian of Manomet Beach hibited. Rather, they sat outside in back of the inn and listened to the lively and strangely enjoyable music as it poured forth from doors don’t know. She grew up in Damascus, where Briggs Field to hearing the calliope music summer warmth. I can still see them, small groups and windows left open in a futile attempt to cool there is no water.” announcing the arrival of another two-week of older Armenian women, all dressed in their bil- sweaty bodies from the summer heat. Of course, all things must change. Just as the stint of Colbert’s Fiesta on the empty lot beside lowing black bathing suits, walking together down “Elizabeth never really wanted to go, but I summer winds give way to the cool breezes of St. Bonaventure’s Church, my growth from boy- the long flight of stairs onto the warm sands, then made her,” she says. “I think she was uncom- autumn and the carefree days of childhood drift hood to young adult wended along that stretch wading hand in hand into the water, conversing in fortable because it was the older generation of into the endless demands of adulthood, of Route 3A from Rogers (now Luke’s) and Lisa soft somber tones in their native Armenian, yet her family, but I loved it.” Manomet would begin to evolve again. Jean’s ice cream shop where now Marshland is shouting, almost with laughter, as another cold Manomet’s Armenian enclave also mingled The Sarafians sold the Idlewild Inn in 1968. It located. wave came splashing towards them.” 12 S ATURDAY, A UGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR COMMUNITY NEWS S ATURDAY, A UGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 13 Arts & Living

Four Scholars to Speak on ‘Western Armenian in the Goethe Medal 21st Century: Challenges For Cultural And New Approaches’ FRESNO — Four scholars from the University Exchange of Southern California (USC) and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) will discuss their research on Western Armenian in a panel discussion titled “Western Armenian in the 21st By Muriel Mirak-Weissbach Century: Challenges and New Approaches” at Special to the Mirror-Spectator 7:30 p.m. on Friday, September 6, in the University Business Center, Alice Peters BERLIN — If there is one name that calls to Auditorium, at Fresno State. Armenian Studies mind the conflict-laden relationship between Program Director Prof. Barlow Der Germany and Turkey, it is Dogan Akhanlı. The Mugrdechian will moderate the discussion. Turkish-born German writer has lived in the The presentation is part of the Armenian Federal Republic since 1992, after he fled polit- Studies Program Fall 2019 Lecture Series and ical persecution in his homeland, and received is supported by the Leon S. Peters Foundation. asylum, then citizenship. Since then, several of For the past few years, scholars have dis- his books have been published in German trans- cussed how to best teach Western Armenian lations, and have received literary prizes. and to transmit the language to future genera- Yet, even as a German citizen and acclaimed tions. In November of 2017, the Society for author, he has not escaped harassment from Armenian Studies and the Calouste Gulbenkian the Turkish authorities. In August 2010, when Foundation organized a conference on he flew to Istanbul to visit his dying father, he “Transmitting Western Armenian to the Next was seized at the airport, and jailed on hoked- Generation,” with the participation of six schol- Alin Demirdjian, right, sings with a collaborating artist. up charges of participation in armed robbery ars. The conference was organized based on this and murder. An international mobilization of discussion and from the 2010 report that UNESCO had placed Western Armenian on the list of the world’s endangered language. The scholars at the conference presented the latest Alin Demirdjian Is research in the field of language acquisition, which benefits from theoretical and practical approaches in the field of teaching minority lan- Looking for Songs in guages in a diasporic situation. In 2018, the Press at California State University, Fresno published Western Armenian Provinces Armenian in the 21st Century: Challenges and New Approaches as part of the Armenian Series at Fresno State. The book was edited by YEREVAN/BUENOS AIRES — Alin Demirdjian is an Argentinian-Armenian Bedross Der Matossian and Der Mugrdechian. singer-songwriter. She has two solo albums with her own songs in Spanish, and she Four of the contributors to the volume will pre- has also been part of different Argentinian and Armenian musical projects in sent their conclusions on September 6. Buenos Aires. She is Dr. Shushan Karapetian is deputy director of always curious about the Institute of Armenian Studies at USC. She different artists and received a PhD in Near Eastern Languages and places, and most of the time she is touring around Argentinian provinces, singing and meeting new local Dogan Akhanlı artists. That’s why last year while she was visiting intellectuals and political activists led to his Armenia for the fourth eventual acquittal and release. But in Spring time, she had the idea 2013 an Appeals Court in Ankara reversed the to do the same in ruling, reopened the case and issued an inter- Armenia and Artsakh, Alin Demirdjian and her team of “One Province, One national warrant for his arrest. Akhanlı respond- and she developed a Song” or Mek Marz, Mek Yerk in Armenian ed by refusing to return to Turkey. In 2016 his project called “One book, The Days without Father appeared in province, one song,” German, and told the story of a politically per- Shushan Karapetian which she is implementing this year with the support of Birthright Armenia secuted exile in Germany. www.birthrightarmenia.org In 2017, while on vacation in Grenada, Spain Cultures from UCLA in 2014, where she has see SONGS, page 17 he was hauled out of his hotel room by police taught Armenian Studies courses for the past and transferred to Madrid, on the initiative of nine years. Her dissertation, “‘How Do I Teach Turkish authorities, who hoped to extradite My Kids My Broken Armenian?’: A Study of him. The case escalated into an international Eastern Armenian Heritage Language scandal and brought German-Turkish relations Speakers in Los Angeles,” received the Society to a boiling point (See https://mirrorspecta- for Armenian Studies Distinguished tor.com/wp-content/uploads/ Dissertation Award in 2015. 2017/09/SEPTEMBER-2-2017.pdf) Jesse Siragan Arlen is a PhD Candidate of Again, the writer regained his freedom; and, Armenian Studies in the Near Eastern again, he found refuge in literature. His account Languages & Cultures department at UCLA. of his most recent Kafkaesque experience see SCHOLARS, page 17 appeared in a new book, Arrest in Grenada, or Is Turkey Drifting into Dictatorship? Enhancing Cultural Exchange Considering his political-literary adventures and the strain they have left on relations between Berlin and Ankara, it is not without a touch of irony that Akhanlı is to receive this special award from the Goethe Institute. The Goethe Institute is named after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who, like Friedrich Schiller, is a national poet of Germany. In addi- tion to his own literary works, Goethe was instrumental in building cultural bridges to the Alin Demirdjian, right, sings in Armenia. Islamic world; this year marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of his West- Jesse Arlen Eastern Diwan, a collection of his lyrical works see MEDAL, page 17 14 S ATURDAY, A UGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARTS & LIVING With Passing of Mike Vosbikian, Original Member Of Pioneer Dance Band, An Era Ends

Mgrdichian.) Charlie Mardigian and Peter By Harry A. Kezelian III Endrigian were no longer with the band after the war. The new band, the one which cut the 22 tracks at 78 rpms and which was destined PHILADELPHIA — Eighty years ago, in for fame, featured Albert “Junior” Santerian on 1939, three teenage Armenian-American broth- dumbeg (son of Bedros Vosbikian’s dumbeg ers, Sam, Mike, and Joe Vosbikian, from St. player, Harry), Steve Ajdaharian, a crossover Gregory’s Armenian Church in North from the local ACYOA, playing piano and intro- Philadelphia, started a band with their two ducing numerous new songs, and a switch for friends Charles Mardigian and Peter Endrigian. vocalist Joe Vosbikian from drum set to a spe- The Vosbikian brothers were the children of cial oversized dumbeg custom-made in the Genocide survivors Bedros and Vartanoush Vosbikian manufacturing facility. New brother- Vosbikian, and what they did truly marked a in-law and recent arrival from Baghdad, vocalist rebirth of Armenian culture in the Diaspora. Jirair Hovnanian was the only band member not The “Fabulous” Vosbikian Band was the first born in the US but he too was a post-Genocide Armenian band whose members were born in diasporan child, born to distant relatives that the United States. They were pioneers. They had ended up in Iraq — Philadelphia’s answer to were the instigators of an entire movement. Onnik Dinkjian. By the way, Onnik has stated They were copied by many, but equaled by few. on the record that it was seeing the Vosbikian And in the nativist atmosphere of early-20th Band play for the first time at an engagement century America, what they did was bold. in New York, that inspired him to want to learn Mike Vosbikian, the last living survivor of the to play the oud and sing “that kind of music” – original band, passed away Wednesday, August and we know that his desire to sing, at least, 14, peacefully, at his home in Medford, New was a smashing success. Jersey. His death marked the 80th anniversary On the Vosbikians’ 1957 LP, “Vosbikian of the founding of the Vosbikian Band, and Presents Armenian Folk Dances,” Mike fur- truly the end of an era. thered his musical influence by the band’s It can honestly be said that the history of The original Vosbikian Band of 1939: From left, Charlie Mardigian, Sam Vosbikian, Joe Vosbikian, recording of his own composition, Tepo Jan, an dance music in the Armenian-American com- Mike Vosbikian and Peter Endrigian ode to Jirair Hovnanian’s father, Stepan, and munity would not be the same without the now a Vosbikian band classic. It’s an Armenian- Vosbikians. Unlike other immigrant ethnic American tale of a father berating his American groups in America, who turned their attention “Manny” or “Mike.” His father Bedros today by Armenian music fans. born son to find a suitable bride, only to be told to Big Band Swing in the 1930s, the Vosbikians Vosbikian who arrived in America as a stow- When Mike was drafted in 1942 during that Tepo has already invited a girl over for din- turned to Armenian folk music — jazzed up to away in 1913 and brought his brother Thomas World War II, he served his country with honor, ner, vaghe irigoon. The charm of this simple but their liking and to the enthusiasm of their and his fiancée Vartanoush to America in 1916 as did his brother Joe. Older brother Sam got catchy tune is only increased by being sung young Armenian-American peers. Through out of the clutches of the Young Turks, was an home leave to take care of the family, and he entirely in Malatyatsi-Armenian-American them and through the genre they gave birth to amateur clarinet player, lover of music and kept the band going while he was at it. Sam got dialect. — now known as “kef music” — the survival of dancing, founder of Quickie Manufacturing, a hold of an oud which he learned to play, and Jimmy Vosbikian, as lead vocalist, sang on the Armenian folk dance in a social setting was and pillar of the Armenian community in told his younger cousin Jimmy (son of uncle original recording of Tepo Jan. Mike was never secured in America. Philadelphia. Vartanoush, matriarch of the Thomas Vosbikian, a violinist), who was prac- featured on vocals in the band’s early record- Emulating the earlier immigrant-generation Vosbikian family, was a Genocide survivor and, ticing jazz clarinet with friend Hank Mardigian ings, but he eventually became a solid vocalist bands, such as Bernard Kondourajian’s Arziv like Bedros, was born in Malatya. on saxophone, that the two of them were in the band’s later, post-1970 sessions, with an Orchestra, which played at the picnics, wed- Mike Vosbikian, a saxophone player and Armenians and therefore “should play off-the-cuff bluesy delivery reminiscent of jazz dings, and hantesses of 1930s Philadelphia, the occasionally a vocalist, started the first Armenian music!” The two joined the band and legend Jack Teagarden. Tepo Jan was a favorite, Vosbikians played a combination of folk, popu- Vosbikian Band with his two brothers Sam help keep it alive through the war years until but of all the songs that Mike made popular, the lar, operetta, and both Western and Eastern and Joe, and buddies Charlie and Peter in Mike returned to take over on saxophone duty. most famous was no doubt Dolarjee, a number 1939, at the age of 18. We can presume he was (Jimmy stayed in the band, while Hank which as Steve Vosbikian Jr. has put it, is a fresh out of high school. The line-up was clar- branched off to form the Gomidas Band and “Vosbikian-ized version of Akh Im Anoush Yar.” inet, drum set, dumbeg, banjo/violin, and sax- managed to replicate the Vosbikian Sound How much of the song Mike wrote himself and ophone. “Manny” played the alto saxophone, while discovering oud legend George how much he got from an earlier parody ver- which introduced an American vibe to the band’s traditional Armenian folk songs. As the guitar or keyboard is today, in the 1940s and 1950s the saxophone was considered the key ingredient differentiating Armenian-American music from the actual music of the old coun- try, and made the Vosbikian Band modern for their time. Growing up as typical American kids of the 1930s, the Vosbikian boys were fans of Big Band Swing, and enjoyed the sound of the sax, which was increasingly popularized by the likes of the Benny Goodman Orchestra or the Count Basie Orchestra featuring saxophone player Lester Young. Later, in the 1940s, Charlie Parker would gain popularity as the top sax man in jazz. So why not put that sound into Armenian music? Old timers like Udi Hrant and Kanuni Garbis were probably shaking their heads in disbelief, not to mention the classical The Vosbikian Brothers, from left, Sam, Mike and conductors of the Gomidas school like H. Joe Mehrab and K. Proff-Kalfayan — though one gets the feeling that the iconoclastic archrival of Gomidas (and notorious Communist) Grikor Armenian tunes, with the true Western- Mirzayan Suni, the leading Armenian classical Armenian beat that they learned from their par- musician in Philadelphia, was barely suppress- ents’ generation, born in the town of Malatya in ing a grin. Kharpert Province. They gained popularity in Who else but Mike Vosbikian, would, in 1950, their hometown and made their first out of think of playing an introductory solo to Saro’s town appearance at a 1940 AYF jamboree in aria from “Anoush,” Partzer Sarer, on the sax- Union City, New Jersey. ophone! Few would consider doing something Though elder brother Sam (Sahag) like that even today, but Mike Vosbikian was Vosbikian, who started out on clarinet and later ahead of his time. Is it any wonder that almost switched to oud — both traditional instruments every Armenian-American band of the 1950s in the old country — was the instigator and had to have a saxophone in their lineup? leader, and younger brother Joe (Hovsep) gave Everybody wanted to be like the Fabulous the band its soul with his impassioned, intense Vosbikians. Mike wailed on the sax memorably Armenian vocals, the heart of the band was the on the recording Vosbikian Special II, and man referred to by surviving family as “Uncle soloed on Partzer Sarer, but all of the 22 songs Mike,” who introduced the jazzy sounds of the the band put out in 1949-1951 prominently fea- saxophone to Armenian folk music. tured Mike’s saxophone — except an oud solo Manuel Vosbikian, born May 29, 1921, in by Sam. Mike’s sax was an integral part of the Philadelphia, was known to his friends as either band’s sound and is still remembered as such S ATURDAY, A UGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 15 ARTS & LIVING sion of the classic Armenian folk song (and it had many parody versions), is a question whose answer he took with him (along with the song’s actual lyrics). But essentially, the tune is a warn- ing directed at a wealthy, older Armenian man (the Dollarjee) about the perils of looking for a bride later in life simply on the strength of money. Though the Dollarjee foolishly persists Recipe in looking for a dasnuyen ver, ksanen var, har- suntsoon, Uncle Mike tells him to just take a shot of and “ays yerke ganche boralov!” Many have noted that not only were the Vosbikians a musical inspiration, but that their Corner music crossed all barriers, generational as well as political, in the Armenian community. It didn’t matter how old or young you were, or what church or agoump you went to — every- one loved the Vosbikians. I hesitate to say it, by Christine Vartanian Datian but perhaps they were part of the reason that Philadelphia is known to this day as the most unified large Armenian community in North America. Their popularity inspired not only Armenian Lahmajoun Onnik Dinkjian, but the growth of all the (Recipe and photos contributed by Robyn Kalajian, a retired culinary- other bands in the Armenian-American com- arts instructor, head chef and recipe tester at munity, such as the Nor-Ikes of New York, the thearmeniankitchen.com, a popular Armenian cooking website cre- Ardziv of Detroit, the Artie Barsamian ated by her husband, Douglas Kalajian, who is an author and retired Orchestra of Boston, the Aramites of journalist.) Worcester, the New England Ararats of Providence, the Gomidas Band of INGREDIENTS Philadelphia, the Barrites of Los Angeles, the Hye-Tones of Detroit, and more. Surpassing For the dough: the earlier regional-based Armenian folk music 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour prominent at hayrenagtsagan picnics, the new 1 teaspoon salt pan-Armenian-American style of music origi- 1 teaspoon sugar nated by the Vosbikians helped the youth and 1 package (1/4 ounce or 2 1/4 teaspoons) dry yeast even the older people to come together and 1 cup lukewarm water (105 to 110 F) form one Armenian-American community. The 1/4 cup oil (vegetable or olive) rise of prominent virtuosos like George Mgrdichian, Chick Ganimian, John Berberian, For the topping: Hachig Kazarian, and Richard Hagopian 1 medium onion, finely chopped would not have happened without the “kef music” scene that the Vosbikians helped cre- 1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped ate. 1/2 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped The Vosbikian’s fame was such — and this 1 small bunch of , washed and patted dry, thick stems removed was one of Uncle Mike’s favorite stories to tell 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained —that in 1949 the Vosbikian Band was contact- 1 pound lean ground lamb or beef or a combination of the two. (Note: ground turkey may be substituted) ed by the US State Department for a very 2 tablespoons paste important mission. The government was host- 2 teaspoons dried mint, crushed ing the Shah of Iran, here on a state visit to 2 small cloves , minced meet with President Harry Truman. They were 1 1/2 teaspoons salt throwing a grand reception ball for the Shah at 1 teaspoon sweet the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste Since there were no Persian musicians to be 2 tablespoons flour found to play for His Highness, the State Thinly sliced sweet onion and lemon wedges as garnish Department chose the hottest Armenian band in the land — the Fabulous Vosbikians. As Uncle Mike told it, the Shah had recently divorced his PREPARATION first wife, and women were paraded before him For the dough: in his search for a new queen, as the Vosbikians In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. played from a balcony area, heavily guarded by Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the lukewarm water. Stir well. Add the liquid mixture to the flour and mix well with a wooden Secret Service agents. Incidentally, the Shah spoon or electric hand mixer. You can also use a stand mixer with the dough-hook attachment. Add a little more warm water if met actress Grace Kelly that night, whom he necessary. unsuccessfully began wooing. Can you imagine On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough until smooth and elastic. (Note: If using a stand mixer with a dough hook, Hollywood starlets dancing before Shah this step isn’t necessary.) Mohammed Reza Pahlavi to the 10/8 rhythm Lightly oil a clean large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and lightly oil the surface of the dough. Tightly cover the bowl with of the Armenian Highlands? Mike Vosbikian plastic wrap and cover with a towel large enough to surround the bowl. Place the bowl in a draft-free location and allow dough lived it. to rise for 2 hours. Uncle Mike, with his cool-dude sunglasses, After the dough has risen, pat the dough, then divide it into 12 small, evenly sized balls. Lightly flour the work surface and a saxophone, and still-brown 1950s hairdo, ended rolling pin. Keep additional flour handy for the rolling process. Working with one ball of dough at a time, roll each ball into a his days at age 98 as an icon for younger thin 7-inch disc. Keep the rolled discs covered with plastic wrap while assembling to keep them from drying out. Armenian musicians, especially his son Mike Jr., nephews Sam, Steve, Greg, and John Vosbikian For the topping: and Steve and Peter Hovnanian, grand-nephews If preparing the vegetables by hand, be sure to finely chop the onion, peppers, and parsley. Leave some parsley aside to chop Chris and Steve Vosbikian Jr., and grand-niece for garnish. To save time, cut onion and peppers into chunks, then put them with the parsley and diced tomatoes in a food pro- Karinne Hovnanian Andonian, who are all cessor, using the metal S blade. Do not over process. Vegetables should still be a bit chunky, not pureed. active in music. Predeceased by his beloved wife Using a sieve or strainer, squeeze out any excess liquid. (Note: Too much liquid in the topping will make the dough soggy.) In Viola, his brothers Sam and Joe, and his sisters a large bowl, combine the ground meat, tomato paste, seasonings, flour, and processed vegetables. Mix well. Cover and refriger- Sarah Hovsepian, Elizabeth Hovnanian, and ate until ready to use. Virginia DerHagopian, he was the last remnant Assembly and baking: of the Original Vosbikian Band, and almost the Heat oven to 425° F. Place three rolled discs of dough on a parchment-lined or lightly oiled baking sheet. Make sure the discs last remnant of the entire generation of don’t overlap. Armenian-American musicians active in the Add topping in a thin, even layer, spreading it almost to the edge. (Note: An easy way to spread the topping evenly—and keep 1940s and 1950s. your hands clean—is to place about 1/4 cup of the filling in the center of the rolled dough and spread it with the back of a spoon.) He leaves behind his sons Mike Jr. and Mark, Bake on the lower rack of the oven for about 6 minutes. Move it to the upper rack and bake for another minute or until the their wives, his many grandchildren and great- meat topping has browned and the bottom and edges of the dough are golden. Serve immediately, topped with thin slices of sweet grandchildren, and his vast extended family. onion, chopped parsley, and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Then fold and eat. Though his death marks the true end of an Freezing: era, as Armenian-American musicians we will After baking, cool the lahmajouns completely on wire racks. Once cooled, stack lahmajouns, separating them with plastic wrap always have, “enti temen” (from the other or parchment paper. Place in plastic freezer bags, label, and seal tightly. They should keep nicely for about one month. side), the voice of Uncle Mike “ganchel-ing” Reheating: “ad yerkere” in our ears, with the style that Heat oven to 350° F. (Note: There is no need to defrost the lahmajouns before reheating.) only he possessed. May that voice and that Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully separate lahmajouns and remove any plastic or paper wrapping and stake beloved saxophone, and most importantly, the them in pairs, meat sides facing each other, and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until heated through. spirit he brought to the music, which was the Yields 12. beating heart of the Vosbikian Band, remain with us and inspire us for years to come as we For a short-cut version for this recipe, go to: https://www.thearmeniankitchen.com/2009/07/hungry-for-lahmajoun-take-short- proudly continue what he and his brothers cut.html started 80 years ago. Long live Uncle Mike, and long live the music of the Armenian People! 16 S ATURDAY, A UGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARTS & LIVING CC AA LL EE NN DD AA RR

AN MUSIC! Kebab, Falafel, Imam Bayeldi, and more. Boston, 145 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA. Save the MASSACHUSETTSARIZONA Doors open at 6:15pm. For more information visit date; details to follow. For further information, call the NOVEMBER 2-3 — ARMENIAFest at St. Apkar www.stjameswatertown.org. St. James Armenian Church Office, 617.354.0632, or email [email protected]. Armenian Apostolic Church. Weekend food and cul- Church, 465 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown. tural festival featuring traditional Armenian foods, bever- SEPTEMBER 22 — Sunday Afternoon for Families and MICHIGAN ages, exhibits, music and dance performances. 8849 E. Friends. Armenian Heritage Park on The Greenway, Cholla St., Scottsdale. Boston. 2-4 pm. Wonderful afternoon with The Hye OCTOBER 26 — Kef Time Keghi IV 6:30 p.m. Saturday, NOVEMBER 16 — SOAR (Society for Orphaned GuysEnsemble featuring Ron Sahatjian and Joe at St John Armenian Cultural Hall, Southfield, head- Armenian Relief) Annual Golf Tournament. Saturday Kouyoumjian. Hoodsies, Face Painting and more RSVP lined with Traditional Keghetzi Pagharch feast, full buffet 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Stonecreek Golf Club, 4435 E. Paradise appreciated [email protected] dinner with dancing, music by the Keghi All-Star Village Pkway, Phoenix. This is a fundraising event for SEPTEMBER 29 — Sunday, 6 p.m., the screening of Armenian Band. Reservations call Laura Negosian Armenian orphans. For more information, contact Dr. “The Stateless Diplomat,” a documentary by Mimi Lucassian at 248-376-3794 or email at Alan Haroian, 603-540-1961. Malayan on the heroic life and legacy of Diana A. Apcar [email protected]. Donation: Adults $45, (1859-1937), Armenia’s Honorary Consul to Japan in Children under 17, $20. Cash Bar. Mail checks to Karen 1920 at Mosesian Center for Arts, Watertown. Nigosian , 21919 Michigan Ave, Dearborn. MI 48124 CONNECTICUT Organized by the Armenian Cultural Foundation and co- Checks payable to Nor Keghi Association. Proceeds to sponsored by Amaras Art Alliance, Arlington support continuing renovations at public schools and AUGUST 25 — Armenian Church of Holy Resurrection International Film Festival, co-Armenian International community projects in Nor Keghi, Armenia. Supported by Annual Armenian Festival, 12-5 p.m. Traditional Women’s Association, Armenian Museum of America, parishioners of the four Armenian churches in Greater Armenian and American food and activities. Harry Armenian Women’s Welfare Association, National Detroit. Bedrosian oud band and ensemble. 1910 Stanley St., Association for Armenian Studies and Research, Project NOVEMBER 16 — The Knights of Vartan, Nareg- Route 71, New Britain. SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives, and Tekeyan Shavarshan Lodge #6 and the Daughters of Vartan, Cultural Association. The tickets will be available in the Zabelle Otyag #12 will celebrate their respective 100th MASSACHUSETTS Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts and 70th organization anniversaries. Featuring: Kevork through the following link: Artinian and his All Star Band at St. Mary’s Cultural Hall, AUGUST 25 — Armenian Church at Hye Pointe Picnic. https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pe/10450012 18100 Merriman Rd, Livonia. This is a fundraiser 12 to 5 p.m., to be held at the new Family Life & Cultural OCTOBER 2 —Joint Sts. Vartanantz – Hye Point Golf Dinner/Kef Dance to celebrate Knights and Daughters as Center, 1280 Boston Road (RTE. 125) Haverhill. Music by Outing at the beautiful Butter Brook Golf Club in well as a chance for future members to observe how our the Jason Naroian Ensemble. Menu includes Lamb Shish, Westford. Proceeds to benefit scholarships to Diocesan community puts our heritage on display. All proceeds to Losh, & Chicken Kebab Dinners, Kheyma, Pastries, & youth programs. 10 a.m. Shotgun start. Golfers with all fund renovation of school gymnasium, Knights of Vartan Beverages. Air Conditioned Hall. Bring your lawn chairs skill levels most welcome. Single players will be grouped #106, Elementary School, Yerevan, Armenia. For for sitting outside. For more info visit www.hyepointear- into foursomes. $150 for Golf, lunch, and Dinner. $165 Reservations Contact: Laura Lucassian, (248) 376-3794, menianchurch.org or call (978) 372-9227. Take Rte. 495 will include 25 raffle tickets. Awards dinner to follow golf Cost $75 per person, $40 after 9:30 pm N to exit 48, bear right at the end of the ramp and fol- outing at Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Church, 180 Old low the signs. Additional parking at Osgood Landing Westford Rd., Chelmsford. For registration and sponsor- NEW JERSEY with free shuttle bus to the picnic grounds. ship information, please contact Steve Sarkisian at 978- SEPTEMBER 9 — Trinity Men’s Union and St. James 808-2820, [email protected]. SEPTEMBER 22 – Annual Picnic, Sunday, 12:30 to 6:30 Men’s Club Joint Dinner Meeting, hosted by the OCTOBER 18-19 — St. James 72nd Annual Bazaar, p.m. St. Stepanos Armenian Apostolic Church, 1184 Trinity Men’s Union, Charles and Nevart Talanian Delicious Armenian Food and Pastries. Silent Ocean Avenue, Long Branch. Louleh and Shish Kebab, Cultural Hall, Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Auction, Attic Treasures, Booths and Vendors. Raffles, Dinners. featuring Cheese Boston, 145 Brattle Street, Cambridge, Monday; 6 p.m., Children’s Activities, and more. Friday and Saturday. Boereg, Pastries, and more. Armenian Music and Social Hour, 7 p.m. Dinner. Guest Speaker: Duncan Details to follow. St. James Armenian Church – 465 Mt. Children’s Games. White, “Writers on the Front Line of the Cold War.” All Auburn St., Watertown. For more information contact OCTOBER 25 — Banquet Honoring Dr. Taner Akcam are welcome to attend. Donation for Losh Kebab and 617.923.8860 or [email protected] or visit Abajian Hall St. Leon complex Fair Lawn, NJ Kheyma Dinner is $15; RSVP requested by September 6 www.stjameswatertown.org. Sponsored by Knights & Daughters of Vartan- Under the to David Dorian, [email protected], or the Holy OCTOBER 19 — The Vosbikians are coming to the Auspices of His Grace Bishop Daniel Findikyan, Primate. Trinity Church Office, 617.354.0632, [email protected]. Merrimack Valley. The Armenian Friends of America For Reservations please call Sona Manuelian 551-427- For further information, log onto www.htaac.org/calen- proudly present their Annual HYE KEF 5 Dance, featuring 8763. $125 p.p. early reservations recommended. dar/event/721/. The Vosbikians. The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Andover, SEPTEMBER 15 — Armenian Church of the Holy MA. Tickets Purchased before 9/13/19 will include the NEW YORK Translators will hosts its annual Armenian Food Great Venue, Outstanding Buffet, The Vosbikian Band Festival. Come and enjoy a day filled with traditional and 5 Free Raffle Tickets Adults $75.00 & Students 21 & SEPTEMBER 17 — Book presentation by Adrienne G. Armenian food, music, dancing and fun children’s activi- under $65 Specially priced AFA Rooms available through Alexanian, editor of her father’s memoir Forced into ties. Sunday. Noon to 5 p.m. The Armenian Church of 9/17/19. For Tickets and more information, Contact: Lu Genocide: Memoirs of an Armenian Soldier in the Holy Translators, 38 Franklin St, Framingham. For further Sirmaian 978-683-9121 or Sharke’ Der Apkarian at 978- Ottoman Turkish Army. Luncheon at 12:00 noon ($45) info, contact the church office at 5-8-875-0868. 808-0598 Visit www.Armenia-FriendsofAmerica.org sponsored by the WNRC Foundation located at 3 West SEPTEMBER 15 — Trinity Annual Picnic, 12-5 pm, Holy OCTOBER 20 — Annual Banquet of Holy Trinity 51st. St., New York City. Book sale/signing following the Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Boston, 145 Armenian Church of Greater Boston, Celebrating the presentation. All proceeds to be donated to the founda- Brattle St., Cambridge. Delicious Armenian food – shish, 58th Anniversary of the Consecration of Holy Trinity and tion RSVP: [email protected] or (615) 934 – losh, and chicken kebab - paklava, khadaif, and more honoring Bruce Newell as the “Parishioner of the Year,” 3873 with take-out available. Armenian music for listening and 12:30 p.m., Charles and Nevart Talanian Cultural Hall, dancing, featuring the Greg Krikorian Ensemble with 145 Brattle Street, Cambridge. Save the date; details to RHODE ISLAND Greg Krikorian, oud and vocals, Mark Der Mugrditchian, follow. clarinet, Kevin Magarian, guitar and vocals, Arthur NOVEMBER 1,2 — NAASR Grand Opening and Gala. AUGUST 27 — The Armenian Historical Association of Chingris, dumbeg, and Steve Surabian, tambourine. Friday, November 1 – Grand Opening & Ribbon Rhode Island (AHARI) and the National Association Activities for children including the Moonwalk. Blessing Cutting, NAASR Vartan Gregorian Building, at NAASR’s for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) present of the Madagh at 4 p.m., followed by raffle drawing for new world headquarters, 395 Concord Avenue, Belmont, The Armenian Legionnaires: Sacrifice and Betrayal in cash prizes. For information, www.htaac.org/calen- MA. Saturday, November 2 – NAASR 65th Anniversary World War I, a lecture by Dr. Susan Pattie, honorary dar/event/716/, contact the Holy Trinity Church Gala, at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, Cambridge. 6 pm senior research associate, University College, London. Office,617.354.0632, or email [email protected]. Reception, 7 pm Dinner and Program. Honoree Dr. Tuesday, 7 p.m., 245 Waterman St., 5th floor conference SEPTEMBER 16 — Registration is now open for the Vartan Gregorian, president of the Carnegie Corporation room, Providence. Admission is free. Doors open at 7 2019-2020 sessions of the Abaka Dance Academy, of New York; Master of Ceremonies David Ignatius, p.m. Reception before and after program. Copies of The 101 Bigelow Ave., Watertown, MA. Principal/director columnist for the Washington Post and novelist; Armenian Legionnaires will be available for purchase. Apo Ashjian. Classes begin September 16 for grades Featuring renowned soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian, accom- SEPTEMBER 20 — The Cultural Committee of Sts. Nursery II - Grade 10 students. Check the schedule and panied by the Borromeo String Quartet, performing a Sahag and Mesrob Armenian Church, Providence will enroll today at www.abakadanceacademy.com. For more program of songs by Komitas. Further details to follow. host a book presentation, “The World of Konstantin info, email [email protected] or call 617- NOVEMBER 16 — St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary Petrossian” (English and Armenian), Published by 283-2010. School 35th Anniversary Celebration. 6:30 PM Institute of Arts National Academy of Sciences of the SEPTEMBER 18 — Celebrating Contributions of Our Cocktail Reception, 7:30 PM Dinner and Program. The Republic of Armenia, and Composers Union of Armenia. Nation’s Immigrants – Gala Benefit for the Endowed Westin Waltham - Boston, MA $150 per person. Friday at 7 p.m., Egavian Cultural Center, 70 Jefferson Fund for Care of Armenian Heritage Park on The DECEMBER 6 and 7 — Friday and Saturday, Trinity street, Providence. Details to follow. Greenway Honoring Dr. Noubar Afeyan, Leader & Christmas Bazaar, Friday, 12 noon-9 p.m., Saturday, SEPTEMBER 22 — The Cultural Committee of Sts. Philanthropist Recognizing Organizations Serving 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Sahag and Mesrob Armenian Church, Providence Immigrants & Refugees InterContinental Hotel Boston. Boston, 145 Brattle Street, Cambridge. For further infor- Presents Meet With The Doctors - Questions & Answers. Advance Reservations only. For information, mation, contact the Church Office, 617.354.0632. We invite everyone to avail themselves of this opportuni- [email protected] DECEMBER 15 — Christmas Holiday Concert – Erevan ty and “Meet with our Armenian Doctors” Dr. Martin SEPTEMBER 20 – St. James Hye Café. Friday. Join us for Choral Society and Orchestra, 3:00 p.m., Church Papazian, ear, nose and throat specialist. Steven delicious food and fellowship – with LIVE ARMENI- Sanctuary, Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater continued on next page S ATURDAY, A UGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 17 ARTS & LIVING Four Scholars to Speak On ‘Western Armenian In the 21st Century

SCHOLARS from page 13 He has taught Western Armenian at a Sunday School since 2016, and his creative prose and poetry in Western Armenian has appeared in lit- erary journals such as Inknagir and Pakine. Elizabeth Mkhitarian graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in English and Armenian Studies in 2018. She is a published writer of prose and poetry in English and Armenian. Her first book of poetry in Armenian is forthcoming.

The Rock Marries Girlfriend Lauren Hashian in Hawaii

LOS ANGELES (CNN) — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s new founded by Johnson and his ex-wife, Dany Garcia. movie “Hobbs & Shaw” is in theaters now, but it’s another partner- Johnson, 47, and Hashian, 34, are the parents of two daughters: ship that he’s most excited about. Jasmine, 3, and Tiana, 1. He has an 18-year-old daughter, Simone, The actor announced on Monday that he has married longtime from his marriage to Garcia. Elizabeth Mkhitarian love Lauren Hashian. The international film star reportedly met the singer/songwrit- Johnson posted a picture on his official Instagram account show- er/producer in 2006 and the couple started dating in 2007, follow- ing the pair dressed in wedding finery and arms raised in celebration ing his divorce from Garcia. Dr. Hagop Gulludjian received his PhD with on a rise overlooking the ocean in Hawaii. In July 2018 Johnson told “Entertainment Tonight” that he was in highest distinction from the Jesuit University of “We do. August 18th, 2019. Hawaii. Pmaikai (blessed),” the cap- no rush to wed Hashian. Buenos Aires. He has been teaching modern tion read. “I just refer to her as my wife all the time. So a lot of people are Western Armenian at UCLA for many years. His The star tagged his new wife in the photo as well as his former like, ‘Oh, did you get married?’” he said. “I’m like, ‘No. Easy. Don’t area of research is in poststructural rereading brother-in-law Hiram Garcia, who heads up the production company rush big daddy.’” of medieval mystical poetry and in languages without a country: language vitality programs and their replicability. The lecture is free and open to the public. Free parking is available in Lot P6 or P5 near the University Business Center. Goethe Medal For Cultural Exchange

MEDAL, from page 13 which some official figures in Erdogan’s Turkey individuals, and the Board of Trustees confirms the inspired by the Persian poet Hafez. As may regard as an even more serious crime. His winners. The chair of the Goethe Medal Germany’s cultural representative, the Goethe prize-winning novel, The Judges of the Last Conferment Commission is the cultural scientist Institute is active in almost 100 countries with Judgment, is dedicated to the story of the geno- and Vice President of the Goethe Institute Christina over 150 offices. An official institution, it pro- cide, and his monodrama, “Anne’s Silence,” por- von Braun. motes not only study of the German language trays the personal crisis of a Turkish-German The prestigious award was established in but—in the spirit of its namesake—also girl who discovers her mother was Armenian. 1954, and in 1975 it became the official deco- exchange between different cultures, and sup- In addition, the author has played a leading ration of Germany. The ceremony will take ports a vast array of programs in all the arts role in conferences, seminars, historical tours place on Goethe’s birthday, August 28, in (www.goethe.de/en/index.html). and other civil society activities dedicated to Weimar. Among the 348 individuals who have As a press release announcing this year’s educating people about the Armenian received the honor since 1955 are Daniel recipients explains, the Goethe Medal is award- Genocide and the Shoah. Barenboim, Pierre Bourdieu, David Cornwell ed annually to personalities “who have per- AKA John le Carré, Sir Ernst Gombrich, Lars formed outstanding service for the German lan- A Gathering of Luminaries Gustafsson, Ágnes Heller, Petros Markaris, Sir guage and for international cultural relations.” The selection process leading to the nomination Karl Raimund Popper, Jorge Semprún, Robert Akhanlı’s contribution to “cultural relations” of the candidates for the honor involves members Wilson, Neil MacGregor, Helen Wolff and Irina between his place of birth and Germany is of a of the various Goethe Institutes abroad, “in close Shcherbakova. This year, along with Akhanlı, special kind. Not only was he an opponent of collaboration with Germany’s diplomatic represen- are the publisher, bookseller and political jour- the military regime in Turkey during the 1980s, tation offices.” Prominent representatives from sci- nalist Enkhbat Roozon from Mongolia and Hagop Gulludjian for which he spent three years in prison, but he ence, art and culture make up the Conferment artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat from Iran broke the taboo on the Armenian Genocide, Commission which makes the initial selection of and the US.

Alin Demirdjian Is Looking For Songs in Armenia CC AA LL EE NN DD AA RR SONGS, from page 13 The project is aimed at sharing the current musical scene of Armenia and Artsakh while showing it’s land- scapes and traditions. It consists of exploring every province and searching for a local musician or a band from previous page Congresswoman Jackie Speier, Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, and with whom she can sing a song in Armenian and Zaroogian, Moderator. Sunday, 12:30 p.m., Hanoian Hall, 70 a Congressional Reception celebrating U.S.-Armenia relations. record a music video. Jefferson St., Providence. Special room rates available at The Wharf InterContinental Hotel. Regarding the songs, the goal is to record OCTOBER 20 — The Cultural Committee of Sts. Sahag and Visit www.aimhye.com for tickets, sponsorships, special hotel artists of all ages, styles, -both in traditional and Mesrob Armenian Church, Providence Presents Meet With The room rates, and more information. modern genres. All videos will be filmed on-site Doctors - Questions & Answers. We invite everyone to avail them- and, later on, edited and shared individually (on selves of this opportunity and “Meet with our Armenian YouTube and all social media platforms) as Doctors” Dr. Herman Ayvazyan Internal Medicine. Topic: New episodes. They’ll all be available in Spanish and in Trends in Primary Care Medicine. Ara Boghigian, Moderator. Calendar items are free. Entries should not be longer English subtitles. Sunday, 12:30 p.m., Hanoian Hall, 70 Jefferson St., Providence. than 5 lines. Listings should include contact informa- Alin’s desire is to know more, discover artists and tion. Items will be edited to fit the space, if need be. share songs in each region of Armenia and Artsakh. She expects to create bridges through music and WASHINGTON, DC A photo may be sent with the listing no later than generate musical exchanges in the future! Mondays at noon. SEPTEMBER 16-17 — Armenian Assembly of America’s The trip started on July 30 and end in National Advocacy Conference and Gala will take place. It will December of this year. include the Conference, Gala honoring Armenian American To follow her, go to: IG http://instagram.com/alinmusica, FB http://facebook.com/alinmusica.ok, TW http://twitter.com/alinmusica, YT http://youtube.com/alinmusica 18 S ATURDAY, A UGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR COMMENTARY

COMMENTARY Mirror ‘Abandoned’ Armenian Properties Spectator Around the World Part III

government in the Ottoman government and had control over EstablishedEstablished 1932 1932 By Edmond Y. Azadian Jerusalem. Istanbul has amassed large volumes of documents and statistics. Those documents are of fundamental value any AnAn ADL ADL Publication Publication time a compensation issue is raised. These documents have been Jerusalem is one of the most hotly-contested cities in the transferred and are housed in Jerusalem, along with many world. Consequently, to discuss any issue relating to the manuscripts and documents about the Genocide. Armenian presence in that holy city is equally controversial. The Jerusalem Patriarchate has not been immune to scandals EDITOR However, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem is a badge of and sometimes by members of the clergy who have otherwise Alin K. Gregorian honor before the world thanks to its history as well as its loca- contributed meaningfully to the church and the culture. tion in one of the most important cities in the globe. As Jerusalem was accountable to the Patriarchate in ASSISTANT EDITOR Aram Arkun In addition to its religious, cultural and educational role, Constantinople. Periodically, delegations were sent from Jerusalem plays a significant political one. Constantinople to Jerusalem to settle disputes or dissipate con- ART DIRECTOR Incidentally, during the Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and troversies. In 1914, one such delegation was composed of for- Marc Mgrditchian PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat negotiations in the 1990s to solve mer Patriarch Malachia Ormanian, an intellectual giant whose the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the fate of the monumental contributions to church history could only be became a sticking point, because each side had been insisting on achieved by an entire institution. The other member was poet bringing the quarter under its jurisdiction. Vahan Tekeyan. The Armenian Patriarchate dates back to the 7th century AD, Ormanian was prone to intrigues while Tekeyan was the epit- SENIOR EDITORIAL COLUMNIST: when the first patriarch, Abraham I, served from 638 to 669. ome of integrity. As soon as the delegation arrived in Jerusalem, Edmond Y. Azadian Ever since then, its place in the Christian world has expanded Ormanian joined the corrupt clergy and dissociated himself CONTRIBUTORS: exponentially, along with its real estate portfolio, which has from the other member of the delegation, using the excuse that Florence Avakian, Dr. Haroutiun helped to sustain its existence. lay people have no business in getting involved in settling cler- Arzoumanian, Philippe Raffi Kalfayan, The Patriarchate and its St. James Monastery have survived gy disputes. Philip Ketchian, Kevork Keushkerian, under Arab, Crusader, Ottoman, British, Jordanian and Israeli That excuse is alive even today when corrupt members of the Harut Sassounian, Hagop Vartivarian, rules, thanks to the monks’ ingenuity and political maneuvering. clergy seek refuge in hiding their misdeeds. Naomi Zeytoonian Armenians all around the world have supported the St. James Ormanian’s transgressions paled by comparison to the con- Brotherhood to expand its real estate holdings, which have duct of other members of the clergy in Jerusalem since then. CORRESPONDENTS: reached a size that is fairly unmanageable. A very particular and colorful case was that of Patriarch Armenia - Hagop Avedikian At times, its fortunes have ebbed and the debts of the Yeghishe Derderian, a gifted poet in his own right but corrupt Boston - Nancy Kalajian Los Angeles - Taleen Babayan Patriarchate have endangered its exis- to his very bones. Berlin - Muriel Mirak-Weissbach tence; in those instances, the monas- Before ascending to the Patriarchal tic brotherhood has appealed to the throne, he had served as locum Contributing Photographers: greater Armenian community. tenens, during which he connived Jirair Hovsepian One Patriarch in particular has with Jordanian authorities to expel symbolized the degree of sacrifice the from Jerusalem Archbishop Tiran clergy have endured in order to sal- Nersoyan, a towering figure in the The Armenian Mirror-Spectator is published vage the Patriarchate and the broth- Church and legally-elected patriarch. weekly, except two weeks in July and the first erhood. His name was Krikor VI the Then he elected himself as Patriarch week of the year, by: Chain Bearer (1715-1749) or Krikor in 1960 and served for 30 years. Baikar Association, Inc. VI Shiravantzee, who had decided to Since a relatively small number of wear heavy chains around his neck as 755 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown, MA 02472-1509 Brotherhood members are left, it has Telephone: 617-924-4420 a symbol of the difficulties he was become almost the norm for any willing to endure in his efforts to help FAX: 617-924-2887 member of the clergy to bribe his way the Patriarchate recover from its to the seat of Patriarch. www.mirrorspectator.com debts. Patriarch Yeghishe was a skillful E-Mail: [email protected] Jerusalem also served as a safe diplomat to be able to navigate For advertising: [email protected] haven for the survivors of the through the political jungle of Armenian Genocide, who were Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians housed, protected and fed for a long to preserve the prestige of the time by the Patriarchate. There were Patriarchate. But he ruled the 25,000 Armenians sheltered at the St. Brotherhood as if the Patriarchate James Brotherhood compound at SUBSCRIPTION RATES : were his own personal fiefdom, sur- that period. When the war broke out in 1948 between the Arabs rounding himself with his concubines. and Israelis, there were 8,000 left in the wake of war and today In the early 1970s, 27 Armenian manuscripts emerged on the their numbers hardly reach 800. Perhaps with other cities such U.S.A. $80 a year auction block of Sotheby’s in London. Thanks to historian Dr. as Haifa, Ramallah and Bethlehem, they may total 2,000-2,500. Sirarpie Der Nercessian’s detective work which tracked down Canada $125 a year The St. James Brotherhood has educated many generations of the provenance of the manuscripts. The Patriarch cynically clergy who then served churches in Armenian communities blamed the disappearances of these manuscripts on a saintly Other Countries $190 a year around the world. member of the clergy, namely Patriarch Shnork Kalustian, and For many centuries, different churches and religions have a certain antique dealer of ill repute. Thanks to Alex fought to maintain their turf. Finally, a firman by the Ottoman Manoogian’s involvement and contributions the manuscripts © 2014 The Armenian Mirror-Spectator Sultan defined the delineation of the property in 1757. The doc- were returned to the Patriarchate. Periodical Class Postage Paid at Boston, MA ument is called the Status Quo, which was ratified and finalized The Patriarchate has properties outside Jerusalem, in Israel and additional mailing offices. by Sultan Abdelmecid in 1853 and ever since, the ruling gov- and elsewhere. ernments have respected it. According to the clauses of the Archbishop Derderian ceded two properties to the ISSN 0004-234X Status Quo, the Old City of Jerusalem is divided into four quar- Catholicosate of Cilicia in Lebanon: St. Nishan Cathedral in ters: Muslim, Latin (Catholic), Jewish, and Armenian. The Beirut and the Hovivadoon (Pastor’s residence) in Aleppo, Syria. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Armenians control valuable real estate as well as major religious The current leadership at the Patriarchate is pursuing other Armenian Mirror-Spectator, 755 Mount Auburn sites, to the envy of the other Christian denominations. pieces of property in Turkey, diligently and diplomatically. St., Watertown, MA 02472 The status of Jerusalem has provided full authority to the Archbishop Torkom Manoogian succeeded Derderian and Other than the editorial, views and opinions Armenian Patriarchate to conduct its own affairs. They are not served from 1990 to 2012. He was the quintessential clergyman, expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily overseen by any authority and they are not accountable to any a poet and a musicologist of Armenian divine liturgy. Under his reflect the policies of the publisher. hierarchy, like the Greek Orthodox Church and the Catholic watch, a real estate scandal broke out and a valuable piece of Church are to their leaders. property was sold for a pittance by his underlings in charge of For many centuries, most of the patriarchs and the members real estate. The Patriarch had to confess publicly that “our attor- of the Brotherhood have managed the Patriarchate conscien- neys duped us.” tiously. But sometimes, the baser instincts of human nature Now and then, stories break about the loss or sale of proper- Copying for other than personal use or have taken over the members of the clergy in power who have ties in Jerusalem. It is horrendously difficult for the clergy, most internal reference is prohibited without express permission of the copyright commited outrageous crimes in full view of an impotent world. of whom lack the expertise, to preserve the vast holding in an owner. Address requests for reprints or The Patriarchate owns 4,000 Armenian-language era when President Trump can slice a piece of land, such as the back issues to: manuscripts, second only to the Matenadaran Armenian Golan Heights in Syria, and donate it to Israel. Repository in Yerevan. In October 2018, the Christian Churches were alarmed that a Baikar Association, Inc. The Patriarchate owns invaluable real estate, with some bill was introduced at the Israeli Parliament by Rachel Azaria, of 755 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown, MA 02472- putting the estimated price at billions of dollars. the centrist Kulanu party, which was meant to “solve the problem 1509 For centuries, the Patriarchate in Istanbul played a role of continued on next page S ATURDAY, A UGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 19 COMMENTARY

On October 11, 2017, Barkev decided to go to Turkey to The lawsuit further stated that “by such proclamations, and visit Ballum. He submitted his visa application to the Turkish then through a series of legislative, executive, administrative, Embassy in Washington, D.C., indicating that his expected and other official and/or unofficial acts, Defendant estab- entry date would be December, 23, 2017. In the visa applica- lished the Targeted Policy at the very founding of the tion, under the category of “Type of passport,” he checked Republic of Turkey. The core purpose of the Targeted Policy My Turn the box for “Other,” and under “please specify,” he wrote, was to strip native Armenian Christians of their rights and “Armenian minority Christian (Treaty of Lausanne).” Barkev identities by dehumanizing, degrading, expropriating, alienat- By Harut Sassounian also indicated that he was born in Karadouran, Turkey, and ing, disenfranchising, liquidating and otherwise severing was seeking entry “for religious pilgrimage” purposes. He Armenian Christians from their native lands and their native intended “to pass native religious and cultural traditions to customs and religious practices on such lands. This Targeted US Armenians Sue Turkey to Visit his son, Plaintiff Garo, and progeny,” according to the lawsuit. Policy has been pursued, institutionalized, enhanced and Their Native Land Without a Coincidentally, on October 8, 2017, Turkey suspended issu- adhered to by Defendant’s successive governments and ing visas to US citizens in retaliation to a similar ban by the agents.” Passport United States to Turkish citizens until December 28, 2017. The lawsuit accused Turkey and its agents of violating the Barkev did not possess a US passport, but even if he did, following international agreements by their mistreatment of A unique lawsuit, not based on the Armenian Genocide, Turkey would have refused to issue him an entry visa under Barkev: was filed on May 29, 2019, by two Armenian-Americans the ban. The Turkish Embassy received Barkev’s visa applica- — The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights; against the Turkish government in the United States Federal tion 71 days prior to his arrival in Turkey, whereas the — The United Nations Principles for Older Persons; Court, Central District of California. Embassy required that such applications be submitted at least — The Treaty of Lausanne; The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Barkev Ghazarian, 88, 30 days prior to his expected date of departure. Having — The European Convention on Human Rights; and his son Garo Ghazarian claiming “statutory elder abuse, received no response from the Turkish Embassy, Barkev sent — International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural intentional affliction of emotional distress, violation of inter- a reminder on December 6, 2017, inquiring about the status Rights; national law, breach of fiduciary duty, and intentional inter- of his visa application. — Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing; ference with expectation of inheritance,” according to a 44- On December 11, 2017, an employee of the Turkish — The Madrid International Plan on Ageing; page complaint filed by the law firm of Kerkonian Dajani Embassy called the office of Barkev’s son Garo, indicating — United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous LLC. that the Embassy did not know what type of visa Barkev was Peoples. Plaintiff Barkev Ghazarian is a United States citizen born requesting, even though it was clearly marked “short stay” on Unfortunately, Barkev’s health has deteriorated since his in Kaladouran, Turkey on April 20, 1931. He currently resides the visa application. In response, Barkev sent an email to the planned visit to Turkey in 2017 to the extent that he is no in Glendale, California. His son Garo born in Beirut, Lebanon, Embassy on December 18, 2017. Then on December 21, longer able to travel. This was the last chance Barkev had to is also a United States citizen who lives in Glendale. 2017, he sent a reminder to the Embassy by overnight mail. visit his native land and practice his religious rites as a The complaint alleges that the plaintiffs suffered personal On December 22, 2017, on the same day that Barkev was sup- Christian Armenian. The Turkish government deprived injury caused by tortuous acts or omissions of the Turkish posed to fly to Turkey, the Embassy’s Consular Section sent Barkev of that opportunity by not granting him a visa. government’s employees or agents in the United States. an email to Barkev instructing him to reapply to the Turkish On June 10, 2019, the US Federal Court asked the In the 1930s, Kaladouran was a small Armenian village on Consulate in Los Angeles with a passport. The complaint filed Plaintiffs to show cause, in writing no later than June 28, the outskirts of Kessab, Syria. Barkev Ghazarian was bap- by Barkev’s attorneys stated that Turkey’s representatives 2019, as to why the case should not be dismissed for lack of tized as an Armenian Christian “at a sacred ceremonial site in “harassed, agitated, confused and thwarted Barkev, intending subject matter jurisdiction. As requested by the Court, the Ballum, Turkey, in 1931,” according to the lawsuit. Ballum or to devalue his identity as an Armenian Christian born in Plaintiffs filed a 25-page memorandum on June 28, 2019, Barlum is the ancient site of Greco-Roman ruins, located a Turkey.” explaining that Turkey, as a foreign Sovereign, does not have short distance from Kaladouran. For centuries local The lawsuit also quoted Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the the right to violate US and international humanitarian laws, Armenians, including Barkev’s family, went on pilgrimages to founder of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, proclaiming: particularly on American soil. Ballum to perform their religious and cultural rites. “Armenians have no rights at all in this prosperous country. On July 11, 2019, the Federal Court decided that it would In 1939, Kaladouran was divided between Syria and The land is yours, the land belongs to the Turks. In history “defer a determination about its jurisdiction until after Turkey, leaving Barkev’s home on the Syrian side, while his this land was Turkish, therefore it is Turkish and will remain Turkey has been served and had an opportunity to provide its family’s fields and lands remained on the Turkish side. Since Turkish forever. The land has finally been returned to its views on the issue.” Ballum was also left under Turkish control, the Armenians of rightful owners. The Armenians and the others have no rights This lawsuit provides a unique opportunity to affirm the Karadouran could no longer practice their rituals in that here at all. These blessed regions are the native lands of the rights of Armenians to visit their native lands now occupied locality. true Turks.” by the Turkish government without a visa!

‘Abandoned’ Armenian In order to survive, his aunt married a Turkish man. They adopted From John Alabilikian Alabilikian and raised him as a Muslim. Since his step-father’s family Properties around the was well off, they could afford to immigrate to the US in 1922. Alabilikian was able to celebrate his Armenian identity and her- World: Part III To El Paso to Mehmet itage when he arrived in the US. In the Ottoman Empire, it was this very identity and heritage that got his parents killed. from previous page On August 3, a hate-driven heinous mass shooting targeting immi- That tragedy never left him, but he always carried gratitude in his of thousands of Jerusalem residents who grants in El Paso, Texas left 22 people dead and added another chap- heart for what the US gave him. would leave their homes due to the demands ter to the saddest of American stories. John Alabilikan’s story reminded me about a dear friend who also of developers.” The tragedy made me reflect on the lives lost. They came to the came from Turkey to the US. Let’s call him Mehmet. Of Turkish The Armenian and Greek Patriarchates US in search of a better future. descent, Mehmet lived in Western Turkey until he was 15. His fami- wrote a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu, Their deaths reminded me of ly enjoyed a comfortable life in Turkey. Mehmet moved at the age of asking “To block the draft legislation, which By Ismail Akbulut the stories and tragedies of so 18 to pursue his education in the US. was aimed at expropriating their properties.” many who look for the same But the good times didn’t last. The bill was frozen but not rescinded. thing. What started as the American Dream turned into a nightmare for In the meantime, the government stated I came to America over a decade ago with my young family. Both Mehmet and his family on the night of July 15, 2016. that “the government of Israel has no inten- my wife’s and my family had emigrated from Turkey to Germany in On that day, a faction within Turkish military tried unsuccessfully tion to confiscate church lands or cause any the 1970s.The US meant opportunity for us. We were young and ide- to overthrow the government, headed by Turkish President Recep economic damage to the churches. The goal alistic. Tayyip Erdogan. of the government is to protect the rights of The history of the US is well-known. This country has traditional- Much like Hitler’s reaction after the Reichstag fire, Erdogan called the churches, of investors and tenants.” ly been a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge for the persecuted, and for a press conference while the coup attempt was still happening. He There is obviously a struggle for a land grab. a land of hope for people fleeing tragedies that range from discrimi- used the occasion to call this attempted coup “a gift from God” and, If the expropriation of Palestinian lands is nation to famine. with no evidence, readily designated the perpetrators behind the an indication, the Christian churches cannot From 1892 to 1954, Ellis Island was the gateway for about 12 mil- failed coup as Fethullah Gulen and the famed Gulen Movement. expect any better outcome. Particularly if and lion of these people. They all went through a tough vetting process The Gulen Movement (GM) identifies itself as a peace movement when corrupt members of the clergy are that included a myriad of tests and examinations, but about 98 per- that started in the 1960s in Turkey. The group initially supported the involved in the matter. cent of them were allowed in. Erdogan government until he turned into an autocrat and shut down Historically Jerusalem Patriarchate has A few weeks back, my family and I decided to visit Ellis Island as a corruption probe involving him, his family and his government. appealed to the worldwide Armenian communi- part of our first road trip to the East Coast. We are an immigrant fam- Erdogan used the failed coup to target his political opponents. ties for assistance, but they have never felt any ily and we wanted to learn about those who entered the US a cen- He’d already hollowed out much of Turkish civil society, including obligation to present a transparent accounting. tury ago. academia and the news media — incidents that have been thorough- Also, the mindset of the ruling Patriarch We talked about how difficult it must have been back then to leave ly documented by international human rights groups and think determines whether the unity of the the only place you know by ship and travel for weeks under cruel tanks. Now he had the GM in his cross-hairs. Armenian Church will be preserved or not. conditions to a new land, hoping desperately that you’d finally find Like millions of other Turks, Mehmet and his family anxiously fol- The irreverent public diatribe by the current peace, freedom and prosperity upon arrival. lowed the coup attempt on TV and social media. Afterwards, a neigh- Patriarch, Nourhan Manougian, against his Our tour included audio stories from these men and women who bor reported Mehmet’s father as a Gulen follower. This resulted in superior, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin took a chance on America so many years ago. To my delight, I saw him doing five months in a concrete cell. II, is an indication of that status. that one of those stories belonged to a person from Turkey. His name Then his father learned that the Turkish government had a war- The gradual weakening of the clergy and was John Alabilikian. The surname gave away his Armenian back- rant out for him, accused of being part of a terrorist organization the extended legal and illegal assaults leave ground. that had tried to overthrow the Turkish government. He’d get 16.5 the Patriarchate in a vulnerable position. I was instantly curious about why Alabilikian came to the US in years in prison for that. One cannot be assured if the integrity of 1922. Mehmet’s father didn’t give in. He knew that the police were tor- the Genocide and other valuable documents As It turns out, Alabilikian’s story is heart wrenching. He was born turing GM members as well as those accused of being participants or have not yet been compromised. in Yozgat. In 1915, when Alabilikian was 7, most Armenian men in supporters. So he and his family went into hiding in a rural area, The Armenian government nor the Yozgat were rounded up by the Ottoman army and disappeared; eventually becoming farmers. Supreme head of the church in Echmiadzin that’s what happened to Alabilikian’s father. Then the same thing Last October, Mehmet was driving on the highway when his moth- are not legally entitled to ask for any account- happened to his mother and sister. He lost his family because they er called him and asked him to start FaceTime. He felt that somet ability. were Armenian. see AKBULUT, page 20 And so it goes. 20 S ATURDAY, A UGUST 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR

From John Alabilikian to El Paso to Mehmet

Armenian Government Fighting for Ratification AKBULUT, from page 19 hing was wrong but kept his composure. He FaceTimed and smiled. Of Convention on Violence against Women Then, in tears, Mehmet’s mother gave her 22-year-old son the awful news: his father just died in a tractor accident. He was just 56 years old. exception to criticize the convention. His mother found out later that Erdogan’s government now had a warrant out for By Meljumyan “Irrespective of the biological differences cre- her. They used the same baseless accusations. This forced her into perpetual hiding. ated by God, all people enjoy the same care of Mehmet’s older brother and sister finally decided to flee Turkey because warrants God,” the church leadership said in a state- were issued for them as well. YEREVAN (eurasianet.org) — The Armenian ment. The church also claimed that the con- His older siblings and their families fled to Greece by boat. To get there, they swam Church made a rare intervention in politics to vention “defines a third sex apart from female across the Evros River where they almost drowned. From Greece, his siblings man- publicly oppose the convention, and the gov- and male,” which it does not do. “There are aged to travel to Germany and the Netherlands where they filed for political asylum. ernment has appealed to European officials extremely concerning points in the Mehmet prays every day that he’ll be able to rescue his mother and younger broth- for guidance. Convention from the perspective of our er from Erdogan’s tyranny. They’re still hiding from authorities, on the run. The Armenian government’s efforts to ratify national-spiritual identity and security, we Mehmet is the only one in the family who has a decent job. He works as an IT spe- an international convention to prevent vio- urge our authorities to refrain from ratifying cialist by day and drives a Lyft by night in order to provide for all his family members. lence against women are running up against the document,” it concluded. I’m grateful to be in the US. The challenges we face today, including mass violence, opposition from conservatives in the country, The Ministry of Justice subsequently issued makes me think about how we got here. I don’t have all the answers, but I know one including the influential church. a lengthy statement explaining its position thing: as a privileged member of society and a successful immigrat, I am responsible At issue is the Istanbul Convention, a and complained about “manipulative” infor- for welcoming and assisting those who reach our shore in search of a better life. Council of Europe document that requires sig- mation about the convention put forth by They may be our friends. They might even have been our ancestors. We can never natories to implement specific measures to opponents. forget about them. protect women from violence. It also contains “The Justice Ministry wants to assure the (Ismail Akbulut resides in Colorado, where he is President of the Multicultural provisions forbidding discrimination on the public that the Convention in no way contra- Mosaic Foundation.) basis of sexual orientation and specifies that dicts the concept of family or sex enshrined by gender is a social construct rather than a bio- the Constitution, the Convention doesn’t reg- logical fact. ulate family life or the composition of the fam- Armenia signed the convention in January ily, and no state is obliged to change its tradi- LETTERS 2018, under the previous government, but has tional view of the family,” the July 30 state- yet to ratify it. The new authorities, however, ment said. “The Convention in no way endan- have declared their intention to finalize that gers national traditions and values.” Melkoniantsi Expresses Appreciation for Editorial process. On May 8, Minister of Labor and The ministry also announced that it had Social Affairs Zaruhi Batoyan, in a meeting sought guidance from the Venice Commission, To The Editor: with a Council of Europe official, said that a Council of Europe body that advises on legal I was extremely touched by your recent editorial (“Abandoned Armenian Armenia intended to ratify the convention, and constitutional issues, on the “constitu- Properties,” August 17 issue, by Edmond Y. Azadian) on the systematic closure of and eight days later the parliament passed a tional implications” of the ratification of the our sacred Armenian institutions, as it really hit home. five-year government action plan that formally convention. Assuming that the Venice What hits home the most is that I was a product of the Melkonian Educational announced that intention. Commission rules favorably, ratification Institute as an American student in the 1980s. That launched a nationwide debate on the appears inevitable given the fact that the over- In my short time there, this school has produced innumerable accomplished convention, with many conservative voices whelming majority of members of parliament Armenian alumni, many of them finding their fate at the school due to desperation. complaining that attempts to regulate domes- from the ruling “My Step” coalition support it. With too many instances to count, these children would come from war battered or tic violence represent an imposition of foreign Among the opponents of ratifying the Istanbul displaced situations and almost always catapult to very high levels of excellence and values on Armenia’s traditional family model. Convention are members of the Republican success later in life. The debate was heightened by a #metoo-style Party, under whose rule the document was This didn’t happen on its own. It was the result of the extreme nurturing on the movement in which Armenian women for the signed. Eduard Sharmazanov, a Republican educational side but ultimately the formula they used for close to a century proved first time in large numbers shared their expe- spokesman, announced on Facebook that he had its approach in the preservation of Armenian Heritage. riences with sexual violence. Some conserva- signed a petition against the convention, writing: Being an industrialist, I can appreciate the early lessons I learned being on my tives claimed that the movement was a smoke- “No to perversion.” own at 13 in Cyprus. Between the ethics and priceless skills instilled in the students, screen aimed at easing the way for ratification The petition was created by the chairman of as well as the friendships that were formed, these all have played a very important of the Istanbul Convention. Armenia’s Chamber of Advocates, Ara role in my success. On July 26, those voiced were joined by the Zohrabyan, but it was later taken down by the It’s an inexplicable feeling to be anywhere in the world, just to pick up the phone Armenian Apostolic Church, which rarely host, change.org, because it was considered to and immediately find a “Melkoniantsi” as they say ... and poof, just like that we cre- wades into political matters but made an have included hate speech. ate a new Armenia... How can this level of sacredness be monetized? Ara Tcholakian Las Vegas