Mirror-Spe RMENIAN ctator · 2016-03-03 · European Championship RIGA, Latvia (Armenpress) —...

MP Garo PaylanDemands Freedom ofWorship for Minorities

ISTANBUL (Armenpress) — Turkish-Armenian GaroPaylan, a member of the Turkish Parliament as arepresentative of the People’s Democratic Party,defended the right to freedom of worship for reli-gious minorities in the country during the regularsession of parliament.

Demokrathaber.net reported that Paylan lastweek accused the Turkish authorities of infringingupon the rights to worship of Christians and otherminorities.

“We all, including me, pay taxes, Christians,Muslims, Alevis, everybody professing some reli-gion pay taxes. But the Directorate for ReligiousAffairs serves only one religion and one sect of it,”he said.

He referred also to the comments of PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdogan, who has said previouslythat “he wishes for a religious society.” Paylaninquired why, in that case, are religious schools notopened.

“This means Christians have no right to be reli-gious? Why? Why should the religious school ofthe Armenian Patriarchate be closed?” he asked.

Battle for ArmenianPatriarchate Rages on

ISTANBUL (Daily Sabah) — A Turkish court’s deci-sion to appoint the mother of ailing ArmenianPatriarch Mesrob II Mutafyan as his custodian, hasrevived the long-standing debate over his potentialsuccessor. While the Patriarchate in Turkey, head-ed by acting-Patriarch Aram Atesyan, insists onkeeping Mutafyan as its leader, some prominentmembers of the Armenian community have calledfor the election of a new patriarch.

Patriarch Mutafyan has been in a vegetativestate since 2008. Several plaintiffs have filed alawsuit for the appointment of a custodian forthe patriarch in his absence, while Tatyos Bebek,a prominent figure in the Armenian communityhas sought a court order to that effect so that anew patriarch can be elected when the court offi-cially recognizes the patriarch cannot fulfill hisduties. An Istanbul court on March 9 appointedthe patriarch’s 78-year-old mother, MariMutafyan, as his custodian.

Turkish law bans the election of a new patriarchwhile his predecessor is alive. A patriarchal electionis required to be held by the synod, and the synodhas to apply to the Interior Ministry after approv-ing the election.

Atesyan, who had reportedly pledged that anelection would be held in 2014 though the councilof bishops, sought a rejection of the lawsuit by thecourt.

The patriarch acts both as a religious leader anda leader of Turkey’s Armenian community and alsoruns several non-profit organizations.

INDEXArts and Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Armenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Community News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,4

Mirror- SpectatorMirror- SpectatorTHE ARMENIAN

Volume LXXXVI, NO. 35, Issue 4429

MARCH 19 , 2 016

$ 2.00

INSIDE

The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932NEWS IN BRIEF

ChefsParty

Page 7

Ben H. Bagdikian,Reporter of BroadRange and Conscience,Dies at 96

By Robert D. McFadden

BERKELEY, Calif. — Ben H. Bagdikian, ajournalist and news media critic who became acelebrated voice of conscience for his profes-sion, calling for tougher standards of integrityand public service in an era of changing tastesand technology, died on Friday at his home inBerkeley, Calif. He was 96.

His wife, Marlene Griffith Bagdikian, con-firmed his death.

see BAGDIKIAN, page 16

Ben Bagdikian in 1976. His topics included civilrights and prisons to the Pentagon Papers.

RICHARD BARNES PHOTO

ConfidentialDocumentTargeting HrantDink in 1990sExposed

ISTANBUL (Armenpress) — Proceduralinstruments of Hrant Dink’s case revealstriking details on the participation of thestate, particularly the police and intelli-gence services, in the murder of the

Istanbul-Armenian journalist. The investigation of the case exposed a

document which made clear why HrantDink was not given a passport for years,Agos reported.

For nearly 25 years Dink applied to theRegional Security Office in Istanbul toreceive a passport, but his applicationswere always sent back. In the sidelines ofthe investigation of the journalist’s murder,a document dating to 1997 labeled “confi-dential” was found. In addition to Dink’sname, the name of the then-vicar of theArmenian Patriarchate of Constantinopleand the current Patriarch MesrobMutafyan was mentioned in the document.

see DOCUMENT, page 4

By Heide Rieck-WotkeSpecial to the Mirror-Spectator

BOCHUM, Germany — What do we knowabout the footprints left since the MiddleAges in Armenia, footprints made byGerman emperors, bishops, researchers,artists, farmers and mountain climbers?This is the question that Armenian histori-an Azat Ordukhanyan delved into during adiscussion with German author HeideRieck on March 12 at Bochum University.Ordukhanyan, who is the president of theArmenian Academic Assocation 1860, hasbeen collaborating with author Rieck onArmenian cultural events over the past sev-eral years in this city in Germany’s Ruhrregion. Illustrations projected onto a screenbrought the lecture to life for the capacitycrowd.

The history of Germans in Armenia fol-lows two main historical routes: the first, inthe wake of the Crusades, leads throughCilicia (in today’s Turkey), the second goesfrom Ulm, along the Danube to the Black

Sea and then via Odessa overland towardsthe Caucasus into the region of today’sRepublic of Armenia.

As a typical example of the many Germanaristocrats and church leaders who crossedthe Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (1080-1375) on their way to Jerusalem in theCrusades, Ordukhanyan presented thestory of the end of the life of German-Roman Emperor Frederick I, known asBarbarossa. In 1190, on his crusade toJerusalem, Barbarossa carried with him acrown, which he planned to place on thehead of the Armenian Prince Levon II, mak-ing him King of Cilicia. On the eveningbefore the festive ceremony, the Germanemperor wanted to refresh himself in thewaters of the briskly flowing Calycadnusriver. But he was never to return to thehome of his host. Who can imagine intowhat a mood Levon II fell when he learnedthat his high-ranking guest from Germanyhad drowned? Now there was no joyouscoronation celebration. A funeral instead.

The heart of Friedrick I was embalmedand buried in the Armenian Cathedral of

see GERMANY, page 4

Hrant Dink

WATERTOWN— Armenianwomen in theSoviet Unionwere trained as

professional gymnasts, but after the indepen-dence of the Republic of Armenia, only malegymnasts prepared for the Olympics. Now thereis an Armenian American, Houry Gebeshian,who is very close to qualifying as the firstArmenian female gymnast for the upcomingsummer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Shehas had to overcome obstacles to do so, but herdesire to serve as a positive role model foryoung Armenian women has given her extra willpower.

Gebeshian was born in Auburndale, Mass. in 1989, but obtained Armeniancitizenship in 2010 to be eligible to compete in Armenia’s name. She livesin Cleveland, Ohio but was visiting the Boston area recently to participatein the Starlight Invitational competition at the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology, sponsored by her old hometown gym.

see HOURY, page 3

Houry Gebeshian at the European championships in France, April 2015

Striving toBe the FirstFemaleGymnast toRepresentArmenia inthe Olympics

‘Hooting for Houry’ By Aram Arkun Mirror-Spectator Staff

Traces of Germany in ArmenianHistory and Culture

Amnesty InternationalDemands Release of

Azeri ActivistsBAKU (Armenpress) — Amnesty International this weeklaunched a campaign demanding the release ofAzerbaijani spouses Arif and Leyla Yunus for treatment. Azerbaijani authorities interfere with the depar-

ture abroad for emergency medical treatment of theYunuses — known human rights defenders and pris-oners of conscience. After the insistent demands ofthe international community the couple has beenfinally provisionally released, but criminal chargeesagainst them has not been lifted. They are still con-sidered convicted, the report said. Amnesty International urged everyone to support the

couple and to e-mail the Azerbaijani President andAttorney General with a call to remove from the spous-es’ charges and release the couple for treatment abroad,as their treatment in Azerbaijan is not possible. The head of the Institute of Peace and Democracy,

Leyla Yunus was detained on July 30, 2014 andcharged with serious crimes, including treason. InAugust 2015 she was sentenced to 8.5 years ofimprisonment. In December of the same year, thisterm was replaced by a suspended sentence.

More than 200 StudentsTo Study at Russian

Universities YEREVAN (Armenpress) — More than 200 Armenianstudents will study at universities in Russia for free,director of the Russian Centre of Science and Culturein Yerevan Mark Kalinin said this week.According to Kalinin, the session of the working

group on the organization of admission to Russianuniversities will be held at the end of March, in whichrepresentatives of the Russian Embassy in Armenia,the Ministry of Culture, Science and Education ofArmenia, organizations of Russian compatriots inArmenia, as well as representatives of the leadingRussian universities are included. Currently 389applicants have submitted applications. According toKalinin, Armenian entrants are very interested ingetting a free education in Russia. Every year, 150 entrants from Armenia enter the

best technical universities in Russia.

Love Wave EurovisionSong Gets More than

1 Million ViewsYEREVAN (Armenpress) — The music video byArmenian singer Iveta Mukuchyan for her song LoveWave has already been viewed more than 1 millionviews on YouTube. The song is Armenia’s entry forthe Eurovision competition.The music video appeared on the Internet on

March 2. The co-authors of the song, presented bythe Public Television of Armenia, are LevonNavasardyan and Lilit Navasardyan, authors of thelyrics are Iveta Mukuchyan and StephanieCrutchfield, who tried to build the whole song on thesinger’s emotions, doubts and feelings. Just like earthquakes, the wave of love is alarming,

sobering, it can change a person’s life in just a sec-ond, as the first wave of an earthquake. The musicvideo of the competition song is co-production of thePublic Television of Armenia and the GermanBlacksheep Communications. Mukuchyan collaborated with the Kivera Naynomis

(chief designer Arevik Simonyan) fashion house forthe music video.

Artur Aleksanyan WinsSilver Medal in

European ChampionshipRIGA, Latvia (Armenpress) — GrecoRoman wrestlerArtur Aleksanyan won the silver medal att theEuropean Wrestling Championship. In the final round, he competed against and lost to

Nikita Melnikov from Russia.

News From Armenia

S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 9 , 2 0 1 6 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R2

ARMENIA

NEW YORK and YEREVAN — OnTuesday, March 15, the Aurora PrizeSelection Committee announced thenames of the four Aurora Prize final-ists: Marguerite Barankitse, fromMaison Shalom and REMA Hospital inBurundi; Dr. Tom Catena, from Motherof Mercy Hospital in the NubaMountains of Sudan; Syeda GhulamFatima, the General Secretary of theBonded Labor Liberation Front inPakistan; and Father Bernard Kinvi, aCatholic priest inBossemptele in theCentral AfricanRepublic.

The Aurora Prizefor AwakeningHumanity is a newglobal award that willbe given annually toindividuals who putthemselves at risk toenable others to sur-vive. Recipients will berecognized for theexceptional impacttheir actions havemade on preservinghuman life and advancing humanitariancauses, having overcome significantchallenges along the way. One of thefour finalists, the ultimate Aurora PrizeLaureate, will receive a grant ofUS$100,000 and the chance to contin-ue the cycle of giving by nominatingorganizations that inspired his or herwork for a US$1 million award.

The Aurora Prize was created by theco-founders of 100 Lives, a global ini-tiative seeking to express gratitude tothose who put themselves at risk tosave Armenians from the Genocide acentury ago. On behalf of the survivorsof the Armenian Genocide, the annualAurora Prize aims to raise public con-sciousness about atrocities occurringaround the world and reward thoseworking to address those issues in areal and substantial manner.

“All four finalists are being recog-nized because they have found thecourage to fight against injustice andviolence inflicted upon those most vul-nerable in their societies,” said 100Lives co-founder and Aurora PrizeSelection Committee Member VartanGregorian. “We created the AuroraPrize not just to honor, but to supportthe unsung heroes who reclaim human-ity and stand up to such oppression andinjustice. One hundred years ago,strangers stood up against persecutionon behalf of our ancestors, and todaywe thank them by recognizing thosewho act in the same spirit in the face ofmodern atrocities.”

Marguerite Barankitse, from MaisonShalom and REMA Hospital inBurundi, saved thousands of lives andcared for orphans and refugees duringthe years of civil war in Burundi. When

war broke out, Barankitse, a Tutsi, triedto hide 72 of her closest Hutu neigh-bors to keep them safe from persecu-tion. They were discovered and execut-ed, whilst Barankitse was forced towatch. Following this gruesome inci-dent, she started her work saving andcaring for children and refugees. Shehas saved roughly 30,000 children andin 2008, she opened a hospital whichhas treated more than 80,000 patientsto date.

Dr. Tom Catena is the sole doctor atMother of Mercy Hospital in the NubaMountains in Sudan. An American,Catena is the only doctor permanentlybased near the country’s border withSouth Sudan, and is therefore respon-sible for serving more than 500,000people in the region. Despite severalbombings by the Sudanese govern-ment, Catena resides on the hospitalgrounds so that he may be on call at alltimes. His selfless acts have beenbrought to light by a number of mediaand aid organizations, and he wasnamed one of Time’s 100 MostInfluential People in 2015.

Syeda Ghulam Fatima has workedtirelessly to eradicate bonded labor, oneof the last remaining forms of modernslavery. Fatima is the general secretaryof the Bonded Labour Liberation FrontPakistan (BLLF), which has liberatedthousands of Pakistani workers, includ-ing approximately 21,000 children, whowere forced to work for brick kiln own-ers in order to repay debts. The interestrates are too high for workers to payoff, trapping the workers in forced laborand poor — often brutal — conditions.Fatima has survived attempts on herlife and repeated beatings during thecourse of her activism.

Father Bernard Kinvi became a priestat age 19, after losing his father andfour sisters to prolonged violence andillness. Father Kinvi left his home coun-try of Lome, Togo to Bossemptele, asmall town just inside the border of theCentral African Republic, to head aCatholic mission which consisted of aschool, church and the Pope John PaulII Hospital. In 2012, civil war broke outin the Central African Republic

between Muslim Seleka rebels and theanti-balaka (anti-machete) Christianmilitia. Amidst the violence, Kinvi’s mis-sion provided refuge and health ser-vices to those on both sides of the con-flict, saving hundreds of people frompersecution and death.

From July to October 2015, nomina-tions were received from around theworld through a public portal onwww.auroraprize.com. Candidates werenominated for their selfless work, from

battling bonded labor to harboringrefugees, to delivering frontline care inconflict zones.

One of the four finalists will beannounced as the inaugural AuroraPrize Laureate during a ceremony inYerevan, Armenia on April 24.Selection Committee Co-Chair GeorgeClooney will present the award. TheAurora Prize finalists will be celebratedas part of a weekend of events bringingtogether leading voices in the humani-tarian field, including the InternationalCenter for Journalists, InternationalRescue Committee and Not On OurWatch to discuss some of the mostpressing humanitarian issues the worldis facing today, and acknowledge thoseconfronting them.

Recipients will be recognized for theexceptional impact their actions havemade on preserving human life andadvancing humanitarian causes. Onbehalf of the survivors of the ArmenianGenocide and in

The Aurora Prize SelectionCommittee includes Nobel LaureatesElie Wiesel, Oscar Arias, Shirin Ebadiand Leymah Gbowee; former Presidentof Ireland Mary Robinson; humanrights activist Hina Jilani; formerAustralian Foreign Minister andPresident Emeritus of the InternationalCrisis Group Gareth Evans; President ofthe Carnegie Corporation of New YorkVartan Gregorian; and Academy Award-winning actor and humanitarianGeorge Clooney.

The Aurora Prize will be awardedannually on April 24 in Yerevan,Armenia.

Further information is available atwww.auroraprize.com.

From left, Dr. Tom Catena, Father Bernard Kinvi, Marguerite Barankitse and Syeda Ghulam Fatima

Four Finalists for Aurora Prize Named by 100 Lives

YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow) — Animalrights activists are sounding an alarmthat Unigraph-X, an organization incharge of dealing with stray animals,fails to do its work properly.

The Dingo Team NGO, which hasbeen dealing with stray animals since2011, says that about 40 dogs recentlyset free by Unigraph-X are not sterilizedand are in poor health.

Yerevan’s Mayor Taron Margaryanalso referred to the concerns, instruct-ing the organization to tighten controlsand provide the public with a detailedaccount of its activities.

Ovsanna Hovsepyan, the founder ofthe Dingo Team, said: “After our

protests Unigraph-X began to createthe impression that it does steriliza-tion. However, we managed to catch,with difficulty, seven of the first 40dogs that were set free. We held apublic medical inspection in the pres-ence of journalists that showed thatthe animals actually were not steril-ized: moreover one of them was preg-nant,” she says.

“The bellies of the dogs were sewnwith non-absorbable sutures that wouldcause problems later. All wounds werein festering condition. On puppies,there were very tight collars, whichwould begin to choke them in one ortwo months.”

Before 2015, the organization annu-ally got about $500,000 from the statebudget for sterilization of dogs. Thisyear, about $250,000 were allocatedfrom the city budget to Unigraph-X,which has been dealing with the issuesof stray animals since 2009.

“I want to state that the sole respon-sibility of possible problems that theremay occur connected with stray ani-mals, like aggression, or dog packs inthe streets, is on Unigraph-X, becausethey are working in a very wrong way,”Hovsepyan said.

Repeated telephone calls to theUnigraph-X office for comments werenot answered.

Activists Raise Concern on Firm Neutering StrayPuppies in Yerevan

HOURY, from page 1Gebeshian said she has self-funded

almost all of her training expenses untilnow through her fulltime job as a physi-cian’s assistant in the labor and deliveryfloor at the Cleveland Clinic. Consequently,she cannot devote as much time as shewould like to preparation. She said, “I onlypractice 16 to 20 hours a week, comparedto other Olympians who do 30 to 40 hoursa week.”

She also does not have access to thecoaches and special gyms that othershave. Instead, she said, “I coach myself. Iam in the gym every single day. I createall of my training plans, and diet plansand conditioning plans. I create 6months of routines and then follow it.”

Armenia does provide her with a coachwho will go to competitions with herwhen she represents the country. He is amen’s coach, since Armenia does nothave a women’s program, and everythingHoury does must be coordinatedthrough the men’s program.

Theoretically, Gebeshian has anotherdisadvantage, as she is, at 26 years old,around 10 years older than most of hercompetitors. She explained, “This is notlike any other sport. There is a lot ofpounding of the body, which eventuallybreaks down. You spend 5 hours or so aday in the gym and it is a lot on the jointsand bones. I would be lying if I said mybody doesn’t hurt every day.”

However, she does have the advantageof experience, and there are a handful ofother women who compete at theOlympic level at ages more advancedthan hers.

Gebeshian, like many others, begangymnastics very young. She said, “Mymom loves to tell this story. When I wasa kid, I used to wiggle myself out of mycar seat and somehow get into the frontseat. My mother would yell in surprise,‘what happened?’ I was very active, andalways moving, so she took me to thelocal YMCA.” There they recognized thatshe had some potential, and said sheshould go to a gymnastics gym. Hourystarted at Massachusetts GymnasticsCenter in Waltham, and loved it eversince.

As a child, she practiced one or twodays a week, and then built up to fivedays a week, four hours a day. Again, incollege at the University of Iowa, she wasonly allowed 20 hours a week, accordingto the National Collegiate Athletic

Association (NCAA) rules. She competedfor the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2008, and in2010 was the Big Ten balance beamchampion as a junior. In 2011, sheadvanced to the NCAA Women’sGymnastics Championship as an individ-ual all-rounder.

It was while she was in college that theopportunity to compete for the Republicof Armenia for the Olympics arose. Herfamily was very Armenian in spirit.Houry exclaimed, “I was immersed inArmenian patriotism!” Her father wasborn in Anjar, Lebanon and her motherin Damascus, Syria, but both came to theUS for higher education.

Said Gebeshian, “I was born and raisedin an Armenian household. Armenianwas my first language.”

“When I was much younger,” shenoted, “my mom said you should do it,but I said I am not good enough.” In2009, her father’s friend, Paul Varadian,who was serving as a liaison to theArmenian Olympic program, said thatArmenia was looking for more femalerepresentation, and suggested Houryshould try to qualify for the 2012Olympics. Her family financially support-ed her attempt in 2011, but, in part dueto a stress fracture in her heel, she onlymade it to third reserve.

After this disappointment, she took athree-year break from gymnastics to goto graduate school in Wake ForestUniversity in North Carolina and get amedical master’s degree. She restartedtraining about a year and a half ago dur-ing the summer of 2014. She said thatthough she had her career as a physi-

cian’s assistant, she decided, “I havegoals, and the best way to achieve themis by example.”

Houry is not only trying to representArmenia in the Olympics. She hopesthat if she qualifies, this will encouragepeople to devote more funding andresources to develop an Armenianwomen’s team in gymnastics, as well asto improve support for the men’s team,which is very successful but poorlyfunded.

She explained that it takes many yearsto train new gymnasts from childhood,and unlike in the Soviet period, indepen-dent Armenia only has a recreation pro-gram for girls. Initially, she said, a goodapproach for Armenia would be toattract girls in countries like the US whoare naturally talented and are alreadybeing trained. “Now, everywhere I go,”Houry said, “I am trying to recruit otherpeople, trying to get other people out,showing it is possible to do all this. It isnot impossible, whatever your dream is.You just have to do it. Everywhere I tryto spread my story and inspire the youth— and the adults, and recruit as much asI can. I think I am getting a bit of a fol-lowing.”

She has succeeded in finding otherArmenian Americans interested in doingwhat she is doing. They are of varyingages and backgrounds, scattered in dif-ferent parts of the US. Eventually Hourywould like to be a mentor or head of thenational Armenian women’s team. Shesaid, “I would try to get programs start-ed and building up in Armenia.”

Houry has a GoFundMe page(www.Gofundme.com-hootingforhoury)which is already raising funding and get-ting equipment for the Armenian gym-nastic team. She is supporting the exist-ing men’s team as well as workingtowards creating a women’s one. Hourydeclared that the members of the men’steam “are such great athletes. It is amaz-ing to see how much they can do withthe limited resources they have.”

She has already accomplished a lotover the past year or so. It was difficult toget back into shape. She said, “I wouldsay it took me at last 6 or 7 months toreally start the process of reteachingmyself all the things I knew how to do. Itwas harder because I was teachingmyself. I had no coach.” She competesevery six months or so in big competi-tions for Armenia, like the European onein April 2015. Otherwise, she goes tomeets in the US for fun and practice. Shealso uses the local opportunities forrecruiting for the Armenian team.

The first weekend of this March, forexample, she went to a large sports festi-val hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger inColumbus, Ohio which had a gymnasticscompetition. She did a lot of networkingand set up a booth to tell her story. Shealso met Schwarzenegger briefly.

The main qualifying event for the sum-mer Olympics in Rio is coming up inApril. Houry was admitted to this finalqualifier due to a strong performance atthe first round in the 2015 WorldChampionships at Glasgow last October.

There are 35 Olympic spots for indi-viduals representing countries likeArmenia which do not have a team. Allbig countries can field teams with fiveathletes, but only 12 teams in all cancompete in the Olympics. In addition tothe team competitions, there is an indi-vidual all-around Olympic competition,and also a competition for event special-ists, in which Houry theoretically couldparticipate.

There are only 36 individuals whoqualified to compete for the 35 spots atGlasgow. Thanks to her determinationand talent, Houry has an extremely goodchance of making it, and making historyfor Armenia.

S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 9 , 2 0 1 6 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R 3

INTERNATIONAL

Russia, Iran in Talks onLaying Power Line via

ArmeniaMOSCOW (Public Radio of Armenia) — Russia’senergy ministry is in discussion with Iran on layingan electricity power line between the two countriesvia Azerbaijan and Armenia, Energy MinisterAlexander Novak was quoted by RIA news agency assaying on Monday.Speaking to reporters after a meeting with his

Iranian counterpart, Hamid Chitchian, in Tehran,Novak said Iran and Russia can have constantexchange of electricity.“We are seeking to lay an electricity power line

between the two countries via Azerbaijan, Armenia,and Georgia,” he said, adding that multilateral nego-tiations are underway to that end.Chitchian told reporters that a joint meeting of

officials from these countries is planned to be held inTbilisi, Georgia, within the next few weeks to discussand make a final decision on linking the power grids.

Lille Honors Memory ofGenocide Victims

LILLE, France (Armenpress) —On March 12, munic-ipal authorities from the French city of Lille paidtribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide vic-tims by renaming a town square the ArmenianGenocide Martyrs’ Square. The mayor of Lille and French-Armenian Ani orga-

nization spearheaded the event, which was attendedby Armenia’s ambassador to France VigenChitechyan and the President of the French NationalAssembly Claude Bartolone, who is a resident ofLille. The two delivered addresses during the ceremony. Chitechyan expressed his gratitude to the mayor of

Lille for inaugurating the square commemorating theArmenian victims and thanked Bartolone for his sup-port and attendance.He highlighted the importance of conveying the

memory of the Armenian Genocide in the context ofcurrent geopolitical realities, emphasizing Turkishauthorities’ inability to face up to the past after 100years and the ongoing negative consequences of thementioned above in the form of prosecutions againstgroups of people. After the speeches, wreaths were placed near the

memorial stone of the square on behalf of Armenia,France and Lille city. The ceremony was followed by a reception.

Sargisian Meets withCommunity in Greece

ATHENS (Public Radio of Armenia) — PresidentSerge Sargisian, who was in Greece on an officialvisit, met with the representatives of Armenian orga-nizations in Greece. Sargisian stated that the centuries-long Armenian-

Greek warm relations have not only been preserved,but have entered the stage of interstate and politicalties. “I am living blissful moments each time whenour Greek partners speak about the input of theArmenian community to the development of theGreek state, when they speak with special warmthabout the diligence, dedication and organized natureof the Armenians,” said Sargisian.

Along with the Armenian-Greek relations, thepresident spoke about the issues on the internal andexternal agenda of the country which this year cele-brates the 25th anniversary of independence. “Greece is among the countries which was not only

among the first to recognize the Armenian Genocide(in 1996) and proclaim April 24 the official day forcommemoration of the victims of the Genocide, butalso in 2014 criminalized the denial of the genocidesof the Pontic Greeks and Armenians. We will neverforget the invaluable assistance of Greece and theGreek people extended to the Armenians during theMetz Eghern and in consequent years, when boatsloaded with the Armenian refugees anchored at theseaport of Piraeus. With the help of Greeks,Armenians settled in Athens, Salonika, Thessaly, onthe vast plains of Macedonia and Thrace and else-where and received unconditional support and assis-tance of the Greek authorities.”

International News

ADL Chairman in Greece Meets withPresident Sargisian

ATHENS — Sarkis Khachadourian (at left), chairman of the ArmenianDemocratic Liberal Party in Greece, met with President Serge Sargisian ofArmenia on March 15. Sargisian on the last day of his visit to Greece metwith the representatives of three Armenian political parties in Greece, theSocial Democratic Hnchakian Party, the Armenian RevolutionaryFederation and the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party. The president andhis delegation left Greece for Cyprus later that day.

‘Hooting for Houry’: Striving to Be the First FemaleGymnast to Represent Armenia in the Olympics

Houry Gebeshian


INTERNATIONAL

GERMANY, from page 1St. Sophia of Tarsus, his mortal remains weresent on to Jerusalem, but must have been takento Tyre (in modern-day Lebanon) due to ongo-ing conflict. The Armenian cathedral is nolonger Armenian however. It was turned into aTurkish mosque. There one can read on aplaque:

“NOT FAR FROM THIS PLACE ON JUNE 10,1190 THE ROMAN GERMAN EMPERORFREDERICK I BARBAROSSA DROWNED INGÖKSU AT THE HEAD OF HIS ARMY ONTHEIR WAY TO PALESTINE AFTER HE HADARRANGED WITH THE SELJUK SULTANKILIÇ ARSLAN II TO MARCH PEACEFULLYACROSS HIS TERRITORY.”

Barbarossa’s son Henry VI made good on hisfather’s promise eight years later when he senta representative to the Armenian Kingdom. In1198 the Cardinal of Mainz, Conrad ofWittelsbach, as Papal legate and representativeof the German Emperor Henry VI, crowned theArmenian Prince Levon II, making him KingLevon I of Cilicia (1187-1219 also known as LeoI) in the cathedral of St. Sophia. He was also

called “the lion from the mountains.” The holyunction was performed by the ArmenianCatholicos Grigor Abirad.

In their book titled, The Swabians on theBlack Sea Coast and in the Caucasus, AlexanderYaskorski and his son Rudolf Yaskorski docu-mented the departure of the Brotherhood of theChildren of Christ from Swabia, Hessen,Luxemburg and Bavaria. Two hundred yearsago this Christian community of well over 8,000men and women, young and old, had a goal thatwas far away, and yet in a sense, so near, becauseit was obvious: that goal was the holy mountainof Ararat. At the beginning of the 19th century,these pious Christians believed that a secondflood was about to overwhelm the earth. On topof Mount Ararat they would be saved and wouldbe able to survive by trusting God; since it hadbeen prophesied to them that in 1836 Jesuswould come back to earth. For this reason, theysent a letter to the Russian Czar Alexander Irequesting permission to traverse part of theczarist territory. The request was granted with-out difficulty, because the mother of the czarwas a German, Sophia Dorothea Augusta vonWürttemberg (in Russian: Maria Fyöderovna).Thus in the summer of 1816, 40 families with-

bags and baggage started out from Ulm on theirjourney — along the Danube and across theBlack Sea. In Odessa they paused to rest. InFebruary 1817 the General of the Russian-Caucasian army Yermolov gave them permissionto settle 35 kilometers from Tiflis, and alreadyby September 1817 the village named“Marienfeld“ was so well built for habitation thatin Spring 1818 they could send numerous let-ters back home, with the message, “You cancome.” Immediately 1,500 families with 5,000

children and youngsters made their way via theDanube to the East – in 14 columns, about8,000 people, among them the aged and thesick. Three thousand of them perished along theway and many were so exhausted that theycould not continue, and stayed in Odessa. Only500 members of the Brotherhood of theChildren of Christ remained true to their mis-sion and continued on to Mount Ararat.

In Tiflis, Georgia, the settlers heard fromRussian officials and soldiers that it would be toodangerous to go farther – because of the wildKurds, Turks and Tartars. (This was the region oftoday’s Azerbaijan.) As a result the “Swabian vil-lages” — Katharinenfeld, Marienfeld, Elisabethtal,Aleksandersdorf, Petersdorf, Freudenthal andAlexanderhilf — grew up about 35 kilometersfrom Tiflis. The settlements Neudorf, Lindau andGnadenberg were established in Abkhazia.German was the language they spoke. In this wayother German communities came into being (likeOld Katharinenfeld, Annenfeld, Helenendorf,Alexejevka, Grünfeld, Eichenfeld and other placesin the East, like Arzach Province, Koxt District, inthe czarist period: Yelisavetpol Province, todaythe Republic of Azerbaijan). Around 1900 therewere about 25,000 Germans in the Caucasus.Following the arrival of German troops in theSoviet Union in 1941 all Germans were relocatedto Siberia and Central Asia.

There were some settlers, however, who trav-eled farther and in 1891 founded three Germanvillages between Kars and Gumri (Petrovka,Estonka and Vladikars). They specialized inwine growing, forestry and hunting. Almostevery village had its own school and church.Soon some Swiss also moved to this region, setup two milk and cheese factories and later sentSwiss cheese to all the lands of the Czaristempire. Each German family owned 50-70 cows.In 1914 the Russian czarist army deportedmany of these villagers to the YelisavetpolProvince, beyond the Ottoman Empire.

In 1921 a treaty was signed between two rev-olutionary movements, namely the Bolsheviks(Lenin and Stalin) and the Atatürk movement:on March 16 the Moscow Treaty and on October13, 1921 the Treaty of Kars. In the process, theholy Mount Ararat was wrested from theArmenians.

In 1971 a grandson of German emigrants pho-tographed a home in Petrovka near Kars, whereMuslims were living. Above the door frame herecognized a wooden beam with an inscriptioncarved in German: “Commit thy way unto theLORD; trust also in him” (Psalm 37:5).

Only half the 8,000 Swabians, Bavarians,

Hessians and Luxemburgers who had set out forMount Ararat ever saw it. Was there a flood inthe 19th century? — that is the question thisauthor raised, and added: In the 20th century aflood enveloped mankind in such a horrendousmanner that even a holy mountain could notsave it.... Since 1921, Ararat no longer lies onArmenian territory.

In 1946 Stalin gave the order to German pris-oners of war to blow up one of the two Germanchurches in Tiflis. Following protests, however it

was not blown up, but rather torn down, dis-mantled stone by stone and the stones wereused for other purposes. German prisoners ofwar were forced by the dictator also to build afantastic bridge in Yerevan, which, to mockthem, was named the “Victory bridge.”

German Scientists in Armenia

In 1829 the German geologist and geograph-er Prof. Friedrich Parrot from the GermanUniversity Dorpat in Estonia received permis-sion from the Russian czar to explore Ararat.From time immemorial it had been strictly for-bidden to climb the holy mountain. Parrotappealed for assistance to the Catholicos of theArmenians and in this way the young writer,researcher, pedagogue and translatorKhatchatur Abovyan became his fellow-traveler.To climb the mountain, they took Russian sol-diers and Armenian mountain guides from thesurrounding villages with them. On September27, 1829 at 3:15 p.m. the group reached thepeak Massis (greater Ararat). They danced withjoy on the ice and Abovyan placed a cross, whichhe had brought from Echmiadzin, on the peak.On November 8, they climbed up the “Sis”(smaller Ararat). The press throughout Europereacted with indignation, anger and hatred tothis sacrilege. Did it not even come to a trial?But with foresight the explorers had cleverlybrought glacier chunks from the summit backwith them. Never had the soles of their feettouched the holy mountain. Snow and ice hadprotected it from contact. In1845 Abovyanmade the climb again, this time with theGerman geologist and mineralogist Prof. OttoWilhelm Hermann von Abich (1806 – 1886) athis side. (There is a mineral named after theGerman researcher, called Arbichit.)

In 1914, together with the German theolo-gian Dr. Johannes Lepsius, the Armenian writerAvetik Isakyan founded the German-ArmenianSociety in Berlin. Avetik Isakyan is the name ofthe library at Republic Square in Yerevan. Thebuilding was constructed in 1896 by theGerman master builder Nikolaus von der Nonne,who also built many residences that he rentedout in Yerevan. For a time von der Nonne wasalso the mayor of Baku.

Many more such stories could have been toldthat evening in Bochum, had time allowed; butat the conclusion of the delightful presentation,now and again interrupted by questions fromHeide Rieck-Wotke, listeners rushed to add theircomments and queries.

Translated from German by Muriel Mirak-Weissbach

Traces of Germany in Armenian History and Culture

President Sargisian Pays Visit toMoscow for Talks with CounterpartMOSCOW — President Serge Sargisian on March 11 visited Moscow for official talks

with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The leaders of the two strategic partner-states discussed a wide range of issues on the

agenda of the Armenian-Russian bilateral relations. They also spoke about the integrationprocesses in the Eurasian area, exchanged views on the current international and region-al issues and challenges. The two also discussed issues pertinent to the present stage ofthe Nagorno Karabagh (Artsakh) peace process and possibilities to move the process for-ward.

According to the Armenian president’s website, Putin said, in part, “There is no needto describe our bilateral interstate relations: they are really of a strategic nature. I am verypleased to state that fact and note that our relations develop and develop successfully.There are certainly some problems of the objective nature, and I mean first of all our eco-nomic cooperation, though here too we understand that over all we can be content withthe foundation we laid for our relations. I have no doubt that based on our mutual deci-sions of previous years we will advance on that direction too.”

Putin then referred to Armenia this year chairing the Collective Security TreatyOrganization (CSTO).

Sargisian thanked Putin for the welcome, adding, “I agree with you hundred percentthat our relations develop very well. In general, this is a good tradition — to meet at thebeginning of the year, to recap on the results of the last year’s work and set guidelinesfor the current year. In political, economic, military and technical, as well as humanitari-an areas we have complete understanding and relations develop very well. I would like tothank you for the implementation of all those agreements which we have reached duringour previous meetings.”

He added he supported the Russian position regarding Syria and the Russian-US activ-ities aimed at arriving at a ceasefire in Syria.

Sargisian also thanked Russia for its efforts for the resolution of the Karabagh conflict.“I would like to thank you personally for the efforts which Russia exercises for the reso-lution of the NK conflict. We continue to adhere to a peaceful settlement of the conflict.”

Later, Sargisian, who is also the chairman of Armenia’s Chess Federation, attended theofficial opening ceremony of the Candidates Chess Tournament.

Isahakyan Library

DOCUMENT, from page 1“An individual named Firat Dink is among our

targets due to his pro-Armenian activities. He isthe editor-in-chief of Agos periodical, published inIstanbul by Armenians, and is in close ties withthe vicar of the Armenian Patriarchate MesrobArchbishop Mutafyan, famous for his Armeniannationalist inclinations,” reads the document.

The court demanded this document within theframework of investigating the complicity of for-mer officials in Dink’s case.

Another document exposes that the state hadbeen interested in the ethnic background of themurderer of Hrant Dink, Ogün Samast, and theperson who put him up to the murder, YasinHayal’i.

It is mentioned in a justification sent by theIntelligence Department of General Directorateof Security that Yasin Hayal’i’s background hasbeen explored until 1904 year. The observationshowed that there are no non-Muslims amongthe members of his family. The same has beenrevealed for Ogün Samast.

Hrant Dink was born on September 15, 1954.

He founded the only bilingual (Armenian andTurkish) newspaper in the Armenian communi-ty – Agos. By that he aimed to introduce theissues of both the community and the minori-ties of Turkey. He thought that the people inTurkey were prejudiced against the Armeniansas they were not well familiar with theArmenians. So he used to say that theArmenians of Istanbul led � very isolated lifeand that if those in Turkey knew the Armeniansbetter, all the prejudices would vanish.

Dink was killed on January 19, 2007 as aresult of armed attack in front of the editorial.The man who organized the assassination,Yasin Hayal, was sentenced to life imprisonmentand the perpetrator Ogyun Samast was sen-tenced to imprisonment for 22 years by thedecision of the court on January 17. 2012.

In October 2014, Istanbul’s 5th HighCriminal Court decided to start the trial for themurder of Hrant Dink from zero. ProsecutorGökalp Kökçü has filed a lawsuit against 26 for-mer and current officials who are believed tohave played a role in the assassination.

Document Targeting Hrant Dink in 1990s Exposed

5S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 9 , 2 0 1 6 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

Community News

ATP Scales Up EnvironmentalEducation with NewCoalition of Partners

YEREVAN — “There are mounting environmental challenges facing Armeniathat affect the welfare of entire communities, and infringe on a student’s right toattain the highest standard of health. Therefore environmental education is a path-way to future social and economic stability,” explains ATP Country DirectorLucineh Kassarjian.

Moving beyond tree planting alone, Armenia Tree Project has made environ-mental education one of its core programs since 2005. The idea has been put intopractice through active collaboration with NGO’s, government ministries andinternational organizations to develop new education approaches to accommodatethe needs of schoolchildren.’

Last month, ATP organized and participated in three public events gearedtoward environmental education and the potential for its expansion in schools atthe national level.

“Many organizations are operating in this field, but there was a lack of coopera-tion,” notes Environmental Education Program Manager Alla Sahakyan. It was thisrealization that led to the strengthening of the Environmental Education Network(EEN) in 2014. ATP has led this two-year project aimed at strengthening the capac-ity of civil society organizations to implement environmental education programs.

The “Empowering Environmental Education Network for StrengtheningEnvironmental Governance in Armenia” project was funded by the EU’sStrengthening Environmental Governance by Building the Capacity of NGO’sProject, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)and delivered by the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP). EEN now involvesmore than 30 civil society, education and international organizations operating inArmenia.

The conference held on February 17 as part of the abovementioned project wasfocused on making recommendations for improved environmental education poli-cies and cooperation between stakeholders. The presentations and discussion wereintended promote participatory decision-making and to inform the government onways to incorporate environmental issues into policies and strategies such as theState Program of Education Development for 2016-2025.

see ATP, page 7

A workshop organized with partners in the Environmental Education Networkdeveloped the Network’s future strategy: “An environmentally conscious genera-tion for a green and sustainable planet”

EyeCare ProjectAnnounces AppointmentOf Rostom Sarkissian asDirector of Development

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — RostomSarkissian has been appointed as the ArmenianEyeCare Project (AECP) director of develop-ment.

Sarkissian is a Los Angeles-based public pol-icy professional with more than 10 years ofexperience in campaigns, project management,non-profit development and government andmedia relations. Sarkissian holds a Master’sdegree in Public Policy from HarvardUniversity’s Kennedy School of Governmentand a B.A. in Diplomacy and World Affairs fromOccidental College. He served as a Coro Fellowin Pittsburgh, PA, and is a two-time RichterScholar who hasconducted researchabout Armenia andJavakhk. Sarkissianis fluent in Englishand Armenian andalso speaks Spanish.

“I am very excitedto join theArmenian EyeCareProject as we workto fulfill our missionof eliminating pre-ventable blindnessin Armenia,” saidSarkissian. “I look forward to our 25thAnniversary in 2017, and working with friendsof the EyeCare Project throughout the UnitedStates and in Armenia to achieve our ‘Five forFive’ capital campaign goal to develop fiveRegional Eye Clinics across Armenia’s Marzesin five years.”

The Regional Eye Clinics (REC) in Armeniawill provide access to quality eye care in theregions of Armenia including medical treat-ment, eye surgery and laser treatment to allincome groups. As the Project implements theRegional Eye Care System throughoutArmenia, it will have the distinct advantage ofa 24-year history working in Armenia and near-ly 15 years of experience providing eye care inthe remote regions of Armenia with the MobileEye Hospital. The Project’s ability to leverageits long-time experience and relationships withthe Ministry of Health, private physicians at theMalayan Eye Hospital and 8th Clinic Hospitaland USAID will be an enormous advantage asthe five Eye Clinics are established.

Over the next five years the Project willdevelop five Regional Eye Clinics throughoutArmenia, located in Ijevan in Tavush, Spitak inLori, Kapan in Syunik, Yeghegnadzor in VayotsDzor and Gumri in Shirak. The locations ofthese Eye Clinics will enable rural Armeniansto have access to quality eye care and surgerywithin a reasonable distance. They will nolonger have to travel to Yerevan for eye care orcataract surgery or have to wait for two yearsfor the Mobile Eye Hospital to visit their town.

“We welcome Rostom to our team,” saidRoger Ohanesian, Founder and Chairman ofthe EyeCare Project. “Rostom’s active involve-ment in the Armenian community in LosAngeles and throughout the United Statesmakes him a welcome addition to our team aswe continue to expand our programs and devel-op our five Regional Eye Clinics in Armenia.

Bringing accessible, quality eye care to thepeople of Tavush, the Armenian EyeCareProject opened its first Regional Eye Clinic, theHaig John Boyadjian AECP Regional EyeClinic, located in Ijevan, Tavush, last July in cel-ebration of Haig’s life and with his brother,Peter Boyadjian, Florida, and many dignitariesin attendance. A second clinic, the John andHasmik Mgrdichian AECP Regional Eye Clinic,located in Spitak, Lori, will open this year, inJuly. The extraordinary support of these donorsis testimony of their confidence in the work ofthe Project and its eye care programs, which

see APPOINTMENT, page 7

28th Anniversary ofSumgait PogromsCommemorated

By Florence Avakian

NEW YORK — The 28th anniversary of theSumgait pogroms was remembered and com-memorated on February 28 at St. VartanCathedral. It was sponsored and organized byMarina Bagdasarova of the Brooklyn ArmenianMission Parish, and Dr. Svetlana Amirkhanian,president and founder of Direct Help forArmenian People (DHAP).

Following a solemn requiem service after theHoly Badarak service at St. Vartan Cathedral,more than 100 people, many former residents ofAzerbaijan, congregated at Kavookjian Hall, fora special commemorative program of poignantremarks, poetry and music.

Starting off with a minute of silence for thehundreds of Armenian victims who were brutal-ly massacred in Sumgait on February 27 to 29,1988, Bagdasarova related that in addition tothe actual murders, another 18,000 fled toArmenia, many of whom were killed in theDecember 7, 1988 earthquake in Armenia.

Sumgait was not alone, related Bagdasarova.The violence continued until 1992 in Kirovabad,Baku and Maragha by Azeris using axes, knives,crowbars, clubs and hammers, cuttingArmenian victims to pieces, raping, torturing,and throwing men, women and children off bal-conies. These acts of such perverse cruelty werereminiscent of the 1915 Genocide of theArmenians by Ottoman Turkey.

“We will never forget. We will never forgive,”declared Bagdasarova. Genocide and massacres

must not be for-gotten. We mustattempt to achieverecognition, jus-tice, and punish-ment of the perpe-trators. Our hopeand legacy for thefuture is to stopviolence for futuregenerations,” shesaid.

Dr. SvetlanaA m i r k h a n i a nnoted that thoughshe has neverbeen to Sumgaitor Baku, she felt“very close to

them.” The massacres in Azerbaijan broughtanother wave of immigrants to the US, she said,and was instrumental in organizing anArmenian school in Brooklyn for the Armeniannewcomers. “The preservation of our Armenianschool is very important so that our history, cul-ture, language will never be forgotten or lost.We’re few but we are strong, and we will sur-vive,” she said with great emphasis.

Michael Abagyan, born in Azerbaijan,stressed the importance of informing membersof the U.S. Congress of the crucial issues. Agroup of Armenian National Committee ofAmerica (ANCA) members did just that inDecember. “We went to members of the Houseof Representatives and the Senate, and askedfor help with our issues,” he reported.

Representing ANCA, Dr. Artur Martirosyanpointed out that dozens of ANCA membersdemonstrated in front of the AzerbaijaniMission to the United Nations on Friday,February 26. “We must work together forArtsakh’s independence. We should be moreproactive,” he declared.

Yuriy Tsaturyan revealed that Artsakh beingso small “has more intellectuals than any otherpiece of territory.” And Vitaliy Atamalyan, spokeof coming to the US and working to get theArmenian refugees together in order to“advance our history and culture among the

see SUMGAIT, page 6

ATP organized a roundtable discussion on the role of environmental education andawareness raising in Armenia following the global climate change agreementreached Paris

Eugenia Sarian recites apoem.

Rostom Sarkissian

LOS ANGELES — On February 24, 2016, 60Armenians gathered in support of StateAssemblyman Katcho Achadjian’s bid to repre-sent the 24th District of California in theUnited States House of Representatives. Theevent raised more than $75,000 for the cam-paign.

Judge Dikran Tevrizian, Walter Karabian,Frank Melkonian, Charles Ghailian, BerjBoyajian, Vahe Yacoubian, and HarryNadjarian, who had joined efforts in support ofAchadjian’s Congressional bid, hosted theevent.

Vatche Fermanian, Antranik Sinanian,Nicholas Nadjarian, John Simonian, HaigTacorian, Albert Boyajian, Haig Kelegian, BerjKarapetian and Yervant Demirjian were co-hosts.

“As active members of the Armenian com-munity and seasoned professionals in law, busi-ness, philanthropy and more, these individuals— Democrats and Republicans alike — havetaken careful note of Assemblyman Achadjian’ssignificant contributions to the Armenian com-munity worldwide and concluded that hedeserves the support of all Armenians in hisquest to represent them in Washington DC,”said one of the young professionals attendingthe fundraiser.

“It is both humbling and energizing to have

the support of Armenians across the politicalspectrum. Their generosity and support is over-whelming,” said Achadjian.

In 2013, Achadjian helped lead a delega-tion of California State officials, includingthe Speaker of the Assembly, on a week-longmission to Armenia, drawing the attention ofthe State’s decision makers to Armenia’s cul-ture, history and political conditions. Thiswas the first such visit by a Speaker of theAssembly in the history of California, while inoffice.

“I have had the pleasure of knowing Katchofor many years. His accomplishments are asource of pride for Armenians everywhere,especially when one notes his success with anon-Armenian electorate. He has come very farand now it’s our duty and pleasure to help raiseone of our own to the next level.” said HarryNadjarian.

“Katcho has all the skills of an effectiveleader and will achieve success on a nationallevel. Therefore, we must unite in our efforts toget him elected” continued Nadjarian.

Assemblyman Achadjian faces a tough racefor Congress with eight opponents. Armeniansmake up less than 1 percent of the congres-sional district for which he is running (San LuisObispo, Santa Barbara and part of VenturaCounties).

“With an impressive lead in two recent polls,our support will go a long way in helpingKatcho get his message to every corner of thecongressional district. We urge everyone to joinus in this effort” stated retired Judge DikranTevrizian, one of the hosts of the event.

As a three-term Assemblyman has helpedpass critical legislation benefiting the Armeniancommunity, including:

•AB1915 - the Armenian GenocideEducation Act : ensuring Armenian Genocide istaught in all California schools, AB41: com-mended the extraordinary service delivered bythe Near East Relief to the survivors of theArmenian Genocide and Assyrian Genocide

•AB167: marked August 31, 2014 as WilliamSaroyan Day

•AB126: directed Department ofTransportation to erect informational sign on aState Highway, marking the Western Prelacy ofthe Armenian Apostolic Church in LA

•AB32: a measure to encourage and supportNagorno-Karabakh Republic’s efforts to devel-op as a free and independent nation

•Co-Authored the Armenian GenocideRemembrance Resolution every year in office

•Helped establish the California ArmenianLegislative Caucus, which strives to ensure thatCalifornia Armenian Americans’ voice is heardand given a platform.

6 S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 9 , 2 0 1 6 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

COMMUNITY NEWS

SUMGAIT, from page 5young.” Both speakers were former residents

of Azerbaijan. With great pathos and emotion,Eugenia Sarian performed Sayat Nova’s TamamAshkhar. And 16-year old Zovinar Aghavian, asoloist of the St. Vartan Cathedral Choir, sangKomitas’ Groong with poignant feeling.

The seven young members of theArminstring Ensemble, under the musical direc-tion of Diana Vasilyan offered heartfelt perfor-mances of compositions by Khachaturian,Tchaikovsky, and E. Hovhannisyan’s YerevanErebuni.

And the 15 youngsters of the AstghignerMusic Ensemble, from ages seven to teenageyears, offered several heartwarming selectionsunder the baton of their musical directorMaria Sahakyan. These children hail from the

Brooklyn Armenian parish made up of mostlyimmigrants from Azerbaijan. Their renditionof the soul-searing and mournful song AdanyiVoghb brought tears to many in the audience.The song was accompanied by two of the oldergirls, dressed in black and red doing a slowtribute dance dedicated to the martyrs ofAdana.

The Very Rev. Mamigon Kiledjian, Dean ofthe St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral, expressedappreciation to organizers Bagdasarova andAmirkhanian, as well as to the speakers and per-formers. A special thanks was voiced to AraManoukian, director of the ArdzagangArmenian TV for advertisement and promotion.A prayer for the Sumgait martyrs, and thesinging of the Hayr Mer concluded the memo-rable event.

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28th Anniversary of Sumgait Pogroms Commemorated

From left, Frank Melkonian, Vahe Yacoubian, Walter Karabian, California State AssemblymanKatcho Achadjian, Judge Dikran Tevrizian, Berj Boyajian, Harry Nadjarian and Charles Ghailian

Southern California Armenians Unite for Katcho

Berj Boyajian, Esq., Vahe Yacoubian, Esq., and Mr. Harry Nadjarian, who

h

From left, Dr. H. Steven Aharonian, former AMAA Board President, Levon Filian, AMAAWest Coast Executive Director, Ambassador Richard M. Mills, Jr, Zaven Khanjian, AMAAExecutive Director/CEO and Dr. Nazareth Darakjian, AMAA Board President

AMAA Meets with US Ambassador to ArmeniaGLENDALE — On Tuesday, March 8, Armenian Missionary Association of America

(AMAA) representatives attended a meeting with current US Ambassador to Armenia,Richard M. Mills Jr.

Accompanied by Jeffrey Paretchan, USAID Regional Alliance Contact for Europe &Eurasia, the March 8 meeting at the Brand Library and Arts Center was one in a series ofAmbassador Mills’ meetings with various representatives of the Armenian-American com-munity around the country.

AMAA representatives in attendance were: Dr. Nazareth Darakjian, AMAA Board presi-dent; Dr. H. Steven Aharonian, former AMAA Board president; Zaven Khanjian, AMAAexecutive director/CEO and Levon Filian, AMAA West Coast executive director.

The ambassador shared plans and priorities for the advancement of the country. He wasalso interested to learn more about AMAA’s global ministry, especially in Armenia.

Among topics discussed were current events in Armenia, security matters, influx ofArmenians from war torn Syria, freedom of speech and religion, plans for a stronger econ-omy, and expand help to residents of bordering villages of Armenia.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Celebrate withBoston’s top Chefs during the Chefs Partyfor Our Park! to benefit for ArmenianHeritage Park’s Ongoing Care being held onWednesday, May 18, at the Royal SonestaHotel Boston here.

In keeping with a key theme of the park tocelebrate the immigrant experience, this fab-ulous evening showcases our collective culi-nary heritage.

Each chef will present a signature dishinspired by a parent, grandparent or mentorfor guests to taste while they mix, mingle andsupport a great cause.

The star-studded culinary line-up includesChef Owner Alex Crabb with Owner Carol“Shish” Parsigian, Asta; Executive ChefBrian Dandro, ArtBar and Royal SonestaHotel; Chef Owner Brian Poe, Poe’s Kitchenat the Rattlesnake, Tip Tap Room, BukowskiTavern and Cluckit!; Chef Ed Robinson,Nubar; Chef Owner Jeffrey P. Fournier, 51Lincoln and Waban Kitchen; Chef Owner LeoRomero, Casa Romero; Chef MichaelAmiralian, 80 Thoreau; Chef Owner SetaDakessian, Seta’s Café; Chef Owner SteveDiFillippo, Davio’s; Chef Owner Vicki LeeBoyajian, Vicki Lee’s; Pastry Chef NathanKibarian, Bastille Kitchen; and Flour Bakery& Café Pastry Chef Owner Joanne Chang.

Wines are courtesy of Tutunjian EstateVineyards with Teas and Coffee hosted byGilbert Tsang, Owner, MEM Tea Imports andMark E. Mooradian, Founder, MEM Tea andKarnak Farms.

Funds raised will help to fully endow thefund for the Park’s ongoing care to ensurethat the park is impeccably cared for year-round for many years to come.

Of the $2 million goal, $1.7 million or 85percent has been raised with $300,000 or 15percent remaining.

Advanced Reservations are required. Toreceive an e-Invite, email name and emailaddress to [email protected]

for a Reply Form.Those who cannot attend but want to give

a gift, can make a tax-deductible donation atArmenianHeritagePark.org or mail a check,made payable to Armenian HeritageFoundation, to the Foundation, 25 FlandersRoad, Belmont, MA 02478. In the memo, indi-cate for the Chefs Party/Park’s Care. Allsupporters will be acknowledged in theEvening Thank You.

Armenian Heritage Park on the Greenwaywelcomes all in celebration of the immigrantexperience. The Park graces the public spacewith design features to engage all ages.

The Abstract Sculpture, a split dodecahe-dron, commemorates the immigrant experi-ence.

Annually, the Abstract Sculpture is recon-figured, symbolic of all who pulled away fromtheir country of origin and came to theseMassachusetts shores, establishing them-selves in new and different ways. In earlyApril, a crane lifts and pulls apart the twohalves of the split dodecahedron, made ofsteel and aluminum, and reshapes the twohalves into a new and different AbstractSculpture.

“….the Abstract Sculpture shows how pub-lic art becomes a part of the city...an exampleof public art that is both permanent andalive...”, wrote Joanna Weiss in the April 11,2015 the Boston Globe.

The Abstract Sculpture sits atop aReflecting Pool; its waters wash over its sidesand re-emerge as a single jet of water at theLabyrinth’s center. The Sculpture is dedicat-ed to lives lost during the ArmenianGenocide of 1915-1923 and all genocides thathave followed.

The Labyrinth, a circular winding pathpaved in grass and inlaid stone, celebrateslife’s journey. A single jet of water marks itscenter, representing hope and rebirth.

Art, Service, Science and Commerce are

etched around its circle in tribute to contri-butions made to American life and culture.

At the crossroads of resident, business andtourist footpaths, Armenian Heritage Park onthe Greenway is between Faneuil Hall

Marketplace and Christopher ColumbusPark. The Park and its endowed public pro-grams is gift to the City of Boston and theCommonwealth of Massachusetts from ourArmenian-American community.

7

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S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 9 , 2 0 1 6 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

COMMUNITY NEWS

ATP, from page 5“We strongly believe in the power of environ-

mental education. It brings together concernedadults and the young generation,” notedUNICEF’s Armenia Representative TanyaRadocaj at the event. “It brings the energy ofyoung people, of children, upfront.”

This energy has been the driving force forATP’s education programs, beginning with thepublication of the “Plant an Idea, Plant a Tree”teacher’s manual and the opening of two edu-cation centers sponsored by Michael andVirginia Ohanian of Boston. In 2015, for exam-ple, more than 3,500 students visited theOhanian education centers in Karin andMargahovit villages.

As a follow up to the global climate changenegotiations that took place in Paris inDecember, ATP and its partners organized around-table discussion on February 4 that

focused on the role of education and raisingawareness around climate change inArmenia. The Paris talks broke new groundwhen 195 nations reached an agreement onthe need to address climate change and itsimpact. Several experts were on hand to dis-cuss the negotiations and its relevance toArmenia as a developing country that is alsofeeling some of the effects of a changing cli-mate, including long, dry summers andextreme weather events that can wreak havocon roads, topsoil and crops.

The importance of education — which is out-lined in Article 6 of the UN FrameworkConvention on Climate Change — was touchedupon during the discussion. “We shouldexpand the word education beyond schools andengage whole communities, both formally andinformally,” noted Aram Gabrielyan, UNFCCCNational Coordinator, at the roundtable.

Another participant in the discussion, AnahitGasparyan, the senior specialist of the NationalInstitute of Education, noted that when teach-ers have a low level of familiarity with an issuesuch as climate change, they are unable to passit on in an effective way, so improved environ-mental training practices are useful in bridgingthe gap of “scalability.” Diana Haroutyunyan,the UNDP Climate Change ProgramCoordinator, expressed confidence that in theglobal context, it is important to find out howpeople learn so as to adapt methodologiesaccordingly.

The discussion was followed by a series ofworking meetings of the EEN members inTsaghkadzor, where the participants developedEEN’s future strategy of “an environmentallyconscious generation for a green and sustain-able planet.”

“One of the key achievements of the projectimplemented with UNDP/GEF support is theinclusion and support of extracurricular envi-ronmental education as a strategic approach.This was a direct result of the series of round-tables jointly organized with EEN members andpolicymakers,” adds Sahakyan.

“We’re inspired by the level of interest andactivity in the field of environmental educationin Armenia. When we started in 2005 therewere very few working in this area, and nowthrough EEN we have developed working rela-tionships with NGO’s and government who arecommitted to improving the quality and impactof this important field,” concluded Kassarjian.

ATP Scales Up Environmental Educationwith New Coalition of Partners

EyeCare ProjectAnnounces AppointmentOf Rostom Sarkissian asDirector of DevelopmentAPPOINTMENT, from page 5have treated more than 600,000 and restoredthe sight of 50,000 through cataract and othersurgeries.

The Regional Eye Clinics will make an enor-mous difference in the lives of the people ofArmenia — restoring the sight of thousandswho today cannot afford cataract surgery or thetrip to Yerevan for care. Cataract is the leadingcause of blindness in the world and in Armenia.Today 91,000 Armenians or 30 percent of thepopulation, age 65 and over, have cataracts inone or both eyes, causing partial or completeblindness. By 2050, a little more than 30 years,that number will more than double. Becausecataract surgery is so limited in Armenia just 24percent with cataracts have surgery most peo-ple go without care leaving them visually dis-abled. In the United States people acceptcataract surgery as a part of aging and it is acommon procedure. Sadly, in Armenia, manyhave learned to accept blindness as a part ofgrowing older because they have no access tocare or cataract surgery.

starts at 10:30 am12 noon reception in the Great Hall

With a proclamation from the Governor of Massachusetts Prominent keynote speakerMassachusetts officials Joint Senate/House Resolution recipientsAnd musical program

April 22, 2016 Details forthcoming.

Organized by the State House Armenian GenocideCommemoration Committee, Boston

Commemorate the 101st Anniversaryof the Armenian Genocideat the Massachusetts State House

A shot from the 2014 Chefs Party for Our Park!

Chefs Party for Heritage Park


COMMUNITY NEWS

Worcester Public LibraryTo Host Armenian Exhibit,Mouradian Lecture

WORCESTER — An exhibit titled“Historical Documentation Of The ArmenianGenocide” will be held at the WorcesterPublic Library, 3 Salem Square, for themonth of April 1-30, sponsored by theKnights Of Vartan Arshavir Lodge No. 2.

The focus of the exhibit is on governmentdocuments, official reports, communications,photographs, letters, books, magazine andnewspaper articles that were published dur-ing the years of the Genocide from 1915 to1923. These materials accurately documentthe facts and the truth about the firstGenocide of the modern era. The Turkishgovernment, Turkish and other scholars, con-tinue to deny that the Genocide “happened.”

Official records and published proof fromthe era as the Genocide was “happening” dis-prove their claims. Ten display cases in twolocations on the Main Floor of the library willaccommodate the exhibit.

Special Events in the Saxe Room are thefollowing:

On Sunday, April 3 at 3 p.m., there will bean opening ceremony with Mayor JosephPetty; A performance by The GreaterWorcester Armenian Chorale; Local premiereof “The Wind,” a film starring OlympiaDukakis and Shirleyann Kaladjian, directedby Alex Webb: a story of two modernArmenian women faced with an unexpectedencounter from the past and with the unre-solved legacy of theA r m e n i a nGenocide.

On Tuesday,April 5 at 6 p.m.,the local premiereof the film “The1 0 0 - Y e a r - O l dSurvivor,” directedby Peter Musurlianwill take place.

On Wednesday,April 13 at 6 p.m.,Dr. KhatchigMouradian, PhD inArmenian GenocideStudies from ClarkUniversity’s Strassler Center for Holocaust andGenocide Studies, will discuss “ResistingGenocide from World War I to Today.”

The Exhibit and Special Events are free andopen to the general public. For additional infor-mation contact Charles Der Kazarian at [email protected].

Dr. Khatchig Mouradian

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco chap-ter of the Armenian International Women’sAssociation and the three Bay Area ArmenianRelief Society Chapters: Agnouni, Erepouni andGarin hosted a profoundly insightful evening tosupport the Women’s Support Center (WSC).Guests gathered at the beautiful TufenkianShowroom within FloorDesign, San Franciscoto hear WSC Executive Director Maro Matosiandiscuss the status of women in Armenia.

AIWA-SF has been a long time partner andsupporter of the Women’s Support Center.Founded by Matosian in 2010, the WSC active-ly assists and empowers victims of domestic vio-lence as well as advocate for the defense ofwomen’s rights in Armenia. Matosian presentedan illuminating discussion on the status ofwomen in Armenia and how WSC programsaddress challenges facing women in Armeniatoday. She said, “In a society where women areeducated, offered equal opportunity as men,that is a society that advances. Today with themajority of the population in Armenia beingwomen we cannot afford not using women’spotential to advance our country. For this wehave to raise our voices and demand thatwomen are treated with respect and break awayfrom stereotypes that demean and belittle

women for the only reason to reinforce sexismand male dominance.”

Sophia Moradian, AIWA-SF Vice President,was also moved by the presentation: “It was apleasure to meet and hear Maro speak aboutsuch an important topic that is quite difficult todiscuss. It’s easier to not think or talk aboutsuch issues, but if we stay silent then we inher-ently support the perpetrators. This eventhelped to bring the issue of domestic violenceto life and definitely engaged our audience.”

Meghedi Nazarian, author of Hearts ofArmenia remarked, “This was such an impor-tant event for so many reasons and I was hon-ored to be a part of it. Seeing various commu-nity organizations working together for a com-mon cause was so special. And having Marocome all the way from Armenia to shed light ona topic that affects many of our Armenian sis-ters was definitely an eye-opening experience.”Throughout the event, guests were able to pur-chase a signed copy of her book, of which, halfof proceeds are donated to AIWA-SF to supportthe Women’s Support Center. Hearts ofArmenia is a picture book filled with 87 heartscaptured by Nazarian during her stay inArmenia from April to October 2015.

Sadly, domestic violence is widespread glob-

ally, and Armenia is certainly no exception, yetit is a topic that is rarely discussed, it is also anissue that isn’t well funded. The emotionalevening also served as a fundraiser, as such allthe funds raised from the evening will be donat-ed to the Women’s Support Center.

In reflection upon the evening’s events, guestand Knightsbridge Wireless CEO commented,“With great excitement I always endeavor toattend all of AIWA-SF’s organized events. AIWA

is truly a professional organization that con-nects, educates and supports Armenian womenof all ages and backgrounds, and inspires themto give back to their communities through men-torship, networking and volunteerism.Personally, I am highly impressed and veryproud and dedicated fan for being involved withsuch a noble organization.”

All proceeds from the evening went to supportthe Women’s Support Center’s work in Armenia.

The guests at the AIWA-SF discussion

The Knots That Bind UsA Discussion on the Status of Women in Armenia

BOSTON — In April 2014, a team of three der-matology laser specialists from the United States(US) returned to Yerevan, Armenia to further thedevelopment of a state of the art laser dermatol-ogy center for treatment of scars and vascularanomalies. The team of US physicians consistedof Dr. R. Rox Anderson of Massachusetts GeneralHospital and Harvard Medical School, Dr. LilitGaribyan of Massachusetts General Hospital andHarvard Medical School, Dr. NishanGoudsouzian of Massachusetts General Hospitaland Harvard Medical School and Dr. H. RayJalian of UCLA Medical Center, and Dr. Christine

Avakoff, who is in private practice. Building ontheir first mission in 2013, the team’s main goalwas to establish a permanent presence inYerevan, to bring lasers, to train local doctors toallow continuity of care to patients with vascularbirthmarks and scars.

In collaboration with local plastic surgeonsand Arabkir Medical Center and the Armenian

American Wellness Center, the team evaluatedclose to 120 patient and treated over 50patients including several cases under generalanesthesia. Thanks to the generous support ofCandela-Syneron, permanent installations ofthe GentleMax Laser (used to treat vascularbirthmarks) and the AlexTriVantage (used totreat traumatic tattoos and pigmented lesions)donated by Candela-Syneron laser companywere left in Arabkir Medical Center. In addition,a donation by Dr. Christine Avakoff allowed forthe permanent installation of the Pulsed DyeLaser (used to treat vascular birthmark and

scars) at the ArmenianAmerican Wellness Center.With this donation, theteam performed the firstever pulse dye laser treat-ment of a port wine stainin Armenia. This treat-ment, which has beenstandard of care for portwine stains and other vas-cular birthmarks in the USfor more than 10 years,will greatly impact thelives of young childrenwith these potentially dis-figuring lesions.

In addition to the treat-ment of patients, the teamorganized an educationseminar for local physi-cians hosted by Lumenis,Inc. laser company to pro-

vided information on the laser technologies andhow it can be used to treat a variety of medicalconditions. Lumenis also sponsored the ship-ment and use of a laser for scar treatments.There are plans under way now to obtain a laserfor scar treatment that can permanently behoused in Arabkir hospital. The ultimate goal ofthis mission is to establish a sustainable laser

center in Yerevan.This was the teams second mission trip to

Armenia and now they feel one step closer tothe goal to establishing a medical laser centerin Arabkir Pediatric Hospital where plastic sur-geons, Dr. Hrachya and Alina Arshakyan, weretrained to perform laser procedures for childrenwith vascular anomalies and scars.

“Unfortunately, sometimes the most effectiveand innovative healthcare technologies don’tget to the patients who need them most,” said

Anderson. “We’re determined to change that.” Children with burn injuries or vascular birth-

marks, whether they live in the suburbs of NewYork City or a small village in Armenia – shouldhave access to treatments medical lasers treat-ments.

Donations for paying for the day to day costof this clinic in Armenia is vital for its survival,especially at the beginning stages. To help, con-tact Dr. Lilit Garibyan directly [email protected].


COMMUNITY NEWS

9

LOS ANGELES — Seven years ago, whenMaria, a Yerevan resident, became a bonemarrow stem cell donor with the ArmenianBone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR),she had no clue that someday she wouldactually be able to help save someone’s life.That opportunity presented itself on March9.

After Hadassah Medical Center’s BoneMarrow Transplant Department, inJerusalem, contacted ABMDR for amatched-donor request, Maria, 36, wasidentified as a match for a cancer patient inIsrael. As further tests confirmed Maria asa perfect match, Hadassah requested fromABMDR that her stem cells be harvestedfor a bone marrow transplant that couldsave the life of the Israeli patient.

Maria’s stem cells were harvested atABMDR’s Stem Cell Harvesting Center, inYerevan. Once the painless, non-invasiveharvesting procedure, performed by Dr.Andranik Mshetsyan, was completed, thedonated stem cells were flown to Israelthrough a special courier. Maria has beenan ABMDR bone marrow stem cell donorsince 2009. She is a nurse and the motherof two children: Alex, 15; and Knarik, 18months old.

Present at Maria’s harvesting procedurewere ABMDR Executive Director Dr. SevakAvagyan and Medical Director Dr. MihranNazaretyan, as well as Dr. Bella Kocharian,former First Lady of Armenia. Kocharianbecame ABMDR’s very first registeredbone marrow donor when the organization

was established in 1999, and has served asits honorary chair ever since.

“We Armenians are a Mediterraneanpeople, and, as such, share our genes withpeoples throughout the region, whetherthey be Jews, Greeks, Italians orEthiopians,” Avagyan said. “Today we areabsolutely delighted that the life of apatient in Israel is poised to be savedthrough an Armenian bone marrow donor.Nothing can be more gratifying!”

To date, the registry has recruited over28,000 donors in 28 countries across fourcontinents, identified over 3,500 patients,and facilitated 26 bone marrow trans-plants. For more information, visitabmdr.am.

Dr. Hrachya Arshakyan and Dr. Alina Arshakyan, both plastic sur-geons at Arabkir Pediatric Hospital are standing next to the two lasers(the GentleMax and the AlexTriVantage lasers) donated by Candela-Syneron laser company to Armenia.

Laser Center Closer to Establishment in Armenia

Dr. Lilit Garibyan, Dr. Nishan Goudsouzian, Dr. Rox Anderson and Dr. Ray Jalian in the operatingroom at Arabkir Pediatric Hospital right before starting the treatment cases.

Maria donated stem cells for a life-savingtransplantation in Israel.

Armenian Woman Donates Stem Cells to Save Cancer Patient in Israel

Dr. Bella Kocharian, Dr. Sevak Avagyan, and Maria during the harvesting procedure.

From left: Armine Hyussyan, Dr. Mihran Nazaretyan, Dr. Bella Kocharian, and Dr. SevakAvagyan.

10

Arts & LivingT H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O RS A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 9 , 2 0 1 6

Reclaiming KoniaTells Story ofAncestor

WATERTOWN — On April 7, the ArmenianMuseum of America will be hosting a book pre-sentation and signing with Heather Martin, theauthor of new book, Reclaiming Konia: A Taleof Love, Loss and the Armenian Genocide. Theprogram will be held at 7:30 p.m. on the 3rdfloor of the museum in the Adele & Haig DerManuelian Galleries.

Melkon Jenanyan — an Armenian preacherwho died in 1956 — has come back to tell hisstory according to his great-granddaughterHeather Martin. From Melkon’s wish to sharehis trauma related to the Armenian Genocide,Martin is now the author of the novel based onMelkon’s life story. Reclaiming Konia is nowavailable in print and through Kindle onAmazon.

“My father was really, really clear — Melkon,his grandfather — wanted nothing to do withthe old country,” said Martin. “Melkon’s chil-dren were not taught Armenian or Turkish,even though he wrote his sermons in both lan-guages. He never spoke of any violence heexperienced, vio-lence whichcaused them toleave before the1915 genocidekilled 1.5 millionA r m e n i a n s ,Assyrians andGreeks. It wasn’tuntil I wasinspired to writehis story that he

began to vocalize many pent up regrets andpain. I’m not a psychic — but every writer isinspired by some unknown force, I just hap-pened to know who it was that was influencingmy creative process.”

It is the author’s hope that as more peopleread Reclaiming Konia and other works aboutthe Genocide, that the Armenian generationwill begin to heal their trauma surrounding it.Martin also hopes that it will bring more aware-ness to non-Armenians about the political chal-lenges surrounding the Armenian Genocide.

“Ultimately this novel was about more thanjust the political component,” she said. “I hadthe chance to help my ancestors heal from atrauma that occurred over 100 years agothrough my writing. In the process I haverekindled the family legacy and joyful memo-ries of those who have passed on.”

Along with being a writer, she has an epony-mous consulting firm that helps small and mid-sized companies with their strategy and sales,and also provides career consulting andresume writing services to individuals.

Voice Like a MagnificentViolin: Lucine Amara

Turns 90NEW YORK — On March 2, notable musicians, musicologists and artists from

nearby states gathered to celebrate in splendid setting the 90th birthday of LucineAmara, the sublime Armenian singer, the treasured diva of the Metropolitan Opera.

Lucine Amara appeared on the stage of globally acclaimed Metropolitan Operain 882 productions, depicting 56 roles in choice repertoire of international art ofopera, which have often been broadcasted by radio and television. Amara is theonly singer in the world who has sang at the same opera house for over 40 years,not to count her performances for the television and radio, recordings and partic-ipation in films.

Amara has performed the principal roles in Bizet’s “Carmen,” Puccini’s“Madama Butterfly” and “La Boheme,” Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin,”Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffmann” (Les Contes D’Hoffmann), Mozart’s “DonGiovanni,” Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci,” Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” and “Aida,” to name justa few.

For the past 20 years, she has been the artistic director of the New JerseyAssociation of Verismo, where talented young vocalists develop their art under herimmediate attention and guidance.

Lucine Armaghanian-Amara is the daughter of Adrine and Georg Armaghanian,survivors of Armenian Genocide of 1915. To the question regarding the altering ofher name, L. Amara replied: Lucine is the moon [in Armenian], as you know it,“armaghan” means a gift, but I’ve changed it to Amara, which means bitter, unkindin Italian.

Amara was born on March 1, 1925 in Hartford, Conn. Initially, she studied at theSan Francisco’s Community Music School as a violinist, simultaneously singing atthe choir of a local Armenian church, thus learning the liturgy, classical hymns andcanticles.

Soon, thanks to her naturally beautiful voice, the gifted young singer was trust-ed with solo parts. The appreciation of Armenian parishioners encouraged Lucine.By the definition of her listeners, she possessed an “angelic voice,” and for thatvery reason she was advised to take vocal training lessons instead of continuingher current studies.

Following the advice of relatives and close friends, Lucine began her studies withRichard Bonelli at the Music Academy of the West.

The years 1945-1946 became memorable in Amara’s artistic career, marking herstage debut at the War Memorial Opera House as a chorus member... as a con-tralto! In 1948 she won the first prize at the Atwater Kent competition. In 1949,her teacher, Stella Eisner-Eyn, decided that Lucine should participate in the audi-tions at the Metropolitan Opera and the almighty Fortuna smiled upon our com-patriot. She was given a “young artist” contract. In 1950 her rendition of “Celestial

see AMARA, page 12

Third SociallyRelevant FilmFestival TakesPlace in NY

NEW YORK — Eight Armenian films will bescreened as part of the third SR SociallyRelevant Film Festival, a groundbreaking non-profit film festival that showcases socially rele-vant films with human interest stories. The fes-tival opens on the 14th of March with a panelon “Adapting the Novel to the Screen” withsuch prolific panelists as Pulitzer Prize winningplaywright Robert Schenkkan, and widely pub-lished French novelist Marc Levy.

The films screen through March 19 at TheBow Tie Cinemas Chelsea and the closing nightAwards Ceremony takes place at the TenriJapanese Center on March 20.

The full line-up and program of this year’s SRSocially Relevant Film Festival was announcedat its Press Day, hosted at Bocca East inManhattan, on February 2. Selected films willfocus on the current topics of immigration,female empowerment, human exploitation, gen-der politics disability and more, and will featuredistinguished personalities including ErinBrockovich, Olympia Dukakis, Sally Field, MarcDuret and others.

Two narrative features and six shorts revolv-ing around Armenian themes will have a specialpresence in this year’s film festival, includingthe international premiere of “100 Years Later”(directed by John Lubbock) which follows his-torian Ara Sarafian’s journey through Anatoliaas facts of the 1915 Armenian Genocide areuncovered and dialogue is established withlocal Kurds and Turks.

The second feature, “Who Killed theArmenians?” (directed by Mohamed HanafyNasr), will have its World Premiere at the festi-val and is the first Arabic documentary on theArmenian Genocide, filmed in Egypt, Armeniaand Lebanon. The film reveals rare documents,footage and interviews related to the 1915Armenian Genocide.

The short film, “Eclipse,” (directed by AraYernjakyan) which will have its US premiere,revolves around the children who suffered andthe families that were destroyed during theArmenian Genocide.

“The film is a reminder of the fact that chil-dren are the most vulnerable sector of the soci-ety during any war and conflict,” said AraYernjakyan in an interview with Lilit Movsisyan.“It is children that suffer from the mistakes ofthe adults in the first place.”

Yernjakyan said he wanted to focus on thesocial issue of children in the film, whichscreened at the Golden Apricot Festival inArmenia, with a desire to appeal to bothArmenians and non-Armenian audience.

“I am sure that everyone can be part of myaudience, especially those who are not indiffer-ent to the fate of children,” he said.

“Girl on the Moon,” (directed by ArenMalakyan), filmed in Armenia, focuses on thefirst steps of disabled people and how they tryto change the course of their lives throughdance.

In an interview with Movsisyan, Malakyansaid it was necessary to show through the lan-guage of cinematography the process of staginga dance performance.

“We long studied the psychology of children,interacted closely with them, and becamefriends, so that they could feel at ease in frontof the camera,” said Malakyan. “My goal wasnot to make people pity them through the film,but rather awake more a powerful sense in peo-ple, so that the latter look at them and dreamabout being as strong as those disabled peo-ple.”

The film received the jury’s special prize forthe first time in Almaty (the largest city inKazakhstan) and received accolades at the VEB

see FILMS, page 11

Lucine Amara

Heather Martin

S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 9 , 2 0 1 6 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R 11

ARTS & LIVING

FILMS, from page 10Apricot festival. Malakyan also received a youthaward from President Serge Sargisian for the film.

“The SR Socially Relevant Film Festival isexciting for me because it has a social orienta-tion,” said Malakyan. “The film is intended forpeople regardless of their nationality. In allnations, there are children with such problemswho deserve attention and respect.”

“How to Cross from Jiliz to Jiliz,” directed byMarineh Kocharyan and Sona Kocharyan, isabout a young girl who dreams of being withher grandmother and relatives who live on theother side of the border, only a few metersaway. The film will have its New York premiere.

The film was inspired by Kocharyan’s studiesat the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs, whenshe prepared a report about the Jiliza villageand the border, and decided it would be animportant subject material for a documentary.The film, which has already participated in sev-eral festivals, won the jury’s special prize at theHot Docs Canadian International DocumentaryFestival and the CinéDoc Tbilisi internationaldocumentary film festival and winning of thechief prize of the “Young Documentarians”short film competition, organized by the US

Embassy and Tumo Center for CreativeTechnologies.

“Our film is created for an audience of everytype and taste,” said Kocharyan in an interviewwith Lilit Movsisyan. “Many different audienceshave viewed the film and became interested inthe issue.”

“Now I Know,” directed by Anna Bayatyanfrom Armenia, will have its InternationalPremiere, focusing on the theme of hope. In aninterview with Lilit Movsisyan, Bayatyan saidthe film presents a disagreement between anindividual and society as spiritual pressure isplaced on one person who does not live accord-ing to everyone else’s standards.

“The motto of the SR-Socially Relevant FilmFestival New York matches the message of thefilm,” said Bayatyan. “It’s a great opportunityand best chance to communicate with otherdirectors and producers.”

“Shattered,” directed by David Hovan, focus-es on memories of war and chaos and post-trau-matic stress disorder. It will have its New Yorkpremiere.

“Where is the Euphrates, Son?” Directed byRouben Pashinyan, filmed in Armenia, the filmtells the story of an Armenian grandfather who

arrives in Armenia as a tourist and tries to findthe Euphrates River. It will have its New Yorkpremiere at the festival.

Although centering his film around theArmenian Genocide, filmmaker RubenPashinyan said, “My Son, Where is theEuphrates?” focuses on a brighter future andan optimistic note of awareness.

“The film is not a film production, but a pub-lic outcry which we couldn’t but raise especial-ly on the 100th anniversary of the Genocide,”said Pashinyan of the film.

Founded by award-winning actor, filmmakerand curator Nora Armani, SR aims to satisfy amarket need concentrating on everyday humanstories as an alternative to the proliferation ofgratuitous violence in film making.

In its first two years of the festival’s founding,it has served as a platform for 108 films from33 countries, offered four industry panels andpresented over 12 awards to talented filmmak-ers from all over the world. SR believes thatpositive social change is possible through thepowerful medium of cinema.

To stay updated on the entire slate of movies,dates, and times, or to purchase tickets,visit www.ratedsrfilms.org.

Nora Armani

Third Socially Relevant Film Festival Takes Place in New York

Seta Dadoyan recently published a new booktitled 2015 — The Armenian Condition inHindsight and Foresight — A Discourse. A mod-ified excerpt from the foreword of this 214-pagebook in Western Armenian and English is print-ed below in order to give readers an idea aboutits contents.

This project will be truly critical to the extentthat it contributes to the liberation/emancipa-tion from ideological rationalizations, sedimen-tations, and routine practices on all the levelsof Armenian culture. By increasing the chancesof conscious freedom of thought and action,this is also an attempt to open a new space,away from stagnation, domination and manipu-lation in whatever form they appear and oper-ate.

This study radically differs from most othersin the literature of Armenian humanities andsocial sciences in connection with the “situat-edness” of individuals and communities. Likeall human beings, Armenians are thrown, as itwere, into a history, or a set of stories that theydid not start and cannot finish, but which theymust continue in one way or another. The cen-tenary of the Armenian Genocide is an occasionto reflect not only upon a major cataclysm, buta vast amount of historical and cultural tradi-tions, narratives, ideologies, projections, alsoprejudices or pre-judgments. In order to deter-mine how to act, they must first understandthemselves with respect to the stories in whichthey find themselves, as to who they are andwhere/how they want to go.

The situation is more complicated than itappears, because for many the understandingof the meaning of their peculiar history and tra-ditions is simply inherited and re-projected intothe process of understanding. In sum, standingin a constantly changing temporal/spatial posi-tion, the texts that Armenians need to under-stand, in one way or another, are part of thenarratives in which they already find them-selves. Understanding history is a way of attend-ing to things and reacting to them directly.Even though knowledge is always finite andnever complete and certain, to understand,means to grasp, to agree, to be able to do/act,and be fully and actively part of the historicalprocesses.

Temporality distinguishes this hermeneuticexperience. This is its three-dimensional char-acter (past, present and future). It means thatthe present moment or the Centenary, includesboth the past and the future, and that thesethree dimensions are mutually reciprocal andinter-affective. For Armenians the object of theunderstanding process at this junction is notthe capturing of immutable truths of the pastand epic dreams for the future, but rather in theabsence of traditionally assumed a priori ahis-torical bases, providing fresh interpretations ofArmenian realities. At least theoretically, every-

one is supposed to be involved in a historical liv-ing/learning process, in which the knower andthe known object are part of the same circle ofanalysis. No one and no institution is or shouldclaim to be a disembodied knowledge-machine/source.

This study gives great importance to histori-cal knowledge, and knowledge in general.Because knowledge is strictly embedded inserving human interests, in this case the inter-est of the Armenians. It follows that it cannot beconsidered value-neutral and/or objectivelyindependent. Armenians have an interest inknowing their history in dynamic and contem-porary terms,because such interestis attached to thepreservation of theiridentity and persis-tence. To preservetheir identity meansto see their funda-mental interest in theemancipatory force ofunderstanding andknowledge.

The most distin-guishing aspect ofthe history of theArmenians and theircondition is theiru n i q u e n e s s .Therefore, avoidinggeneralizations, com-monly held notionsand sentimentalism,this study starts bythe identification ofthe various aspects ofthis uniqueness at all times and locations. Itthen runs a critical re-evaluation of the histori-cal processes in hindsight into the past, andforesight into the future.

Part One is dedicated to the brief definitionsof the aspects and levels of the uniqueness ofthe Armenian condition historically. In order tobring out or show the contrast/gap betweenthe written record of history on the one hand,and the facts on the ground on the other, fif-teen items are presented in pairs of contradic-tory themes. The first item presents the abstrac-tions and assumptions in the histories and dom-inant belief-systems among Armenians, the sec-ond states the actual occasions or the facts onthe ground at which any radical change orreform must start. Some of these items are ide-ology-realpolitik, homeland-habitat,center/periphery-Metasystem.

Part Two is an analysis of the next Armeniancentury in foresight. Nine possible exits or L-Turns, and reversals or U-Turns are suggestedon the levels of the public, the schools, and theintellectual culture. For example, I suggest the

necessity of neutralizing passive elements andassumptions in the public mindset, and pro-moting a culture and ethics of critical thinkingthrough the knowledge of the culture, arts andhistory. Another exit is adopting deliberate andwell planned multi-lingualism and multi-cultur-alism.

Part Three, the most theoretical, is a phe-nomenological and holistic analysis of threevital themes in hindsight and foresight: identity,the western Armenian language, and historiog-raphy. ‘Piety starts at home’, therefore, thisstudy should be the first to set an example. Inorder to provide schematic historical informa-

tion, I have added aChronology ofArmenian History asAppendix I.Specifically for thisstudy I have alsoadded an Armenian-English and EnglishArmenian more orless academic glos-sary as Appendix II.My initiative to takeon the difficult andcomplicated task ofwriting in Armenianand English is part ofthe objectives of thisopus.

If the so-called nextArmenian century isa ‘to be or not to be’phase, it is time forArmenians to startthinking, talking andwriting in their native

language. Otherwise all activity, under whatev-er banner or slogan it appears, will be paradox-ical, because it will concern a people which hasfailed or not wished to maintain the language,one of its greatest legacies. Unfortunately, eventhose who still speak a mixed West Armenian,have difficulty reading and comprehending aca-demic texts in that language. In this respect,having parallel texts in Western Armenian andEnglish on opposite pages is a useful format forreference and exercise. There is always the prob-lem of the Western Armenian language. Therearen’t many Armenian authors who have adopt-ed contemporary critical theories and write inWestern Armenian. Thus there has not been aneed to find or create appropriate terms fornew concepts. Many terms do not have theirequivalents. Fortunately, being relatively recent,the language is flexible and allows this process.As the reader will notice, for this study I havecreated several terms such as mdatruyt formindset, nakhahayetsutiun for foresight, heda-hayetsutiun for hindsight, mtahertsum forschizophrenia, and so on.

As an interdisciplinary and critical work, thebook is essentially a set of arguments againsttraditional narratives, corresponding mindsets,public discourse and activity. Based on theactual historical experiences of the Armenians,this is a philosophy of ‘things Armenian’ inhindsight and foresight on a more or less pop-ular level. It is time to launch a broad re-evalu-ation of all things Armenian The effort can onlyhave positive results and create serious self-con-sciousness on individual and collective levels. Itdoes not matter at all if this opus inevitablycauses some confusion and reaction. There isno other way to fight modern Armenian dog-matism and/or indifference in order to openthe way before the development of new self-per-ceptions for a new century.

This book was written because a crisis on thenational level is at hand and intellectual work isborn precisely in these circumstances. Theimmediate occasion is the Centenary, which isa bridge between the past and the future. Thepast is no more here except in hindsight. Basedon the Armenian condition both in the past andthe present, foresight is what Armenians shoulddevelop individually and collectively. This is asoul-searching moment and the single mostimportant question is ‘what’s next in the nextcentury?’ On the popular level and from all pul-pits, the calls for justice and reparation inspiredeveryone, even the indifferent toward theirroots and immediate past. However, the way inwhich the occasion was celebrated and treated,the Centenary and all the issues related to theGenocide turned the latter into a mythomoteur,or the constitutive myth of the nation. It wouldhopefully create unity and regeneration in thenation. This is a debatable issue. But therhetoric practically overwhelmed all otherurgencies concerning the possibilities of thepersistence of the people and the revival of thestagnating intellectual culture, language and lit-erature. The sheer emotional weight of theepisode and the ripples of thecelebrations/protests/conferences spreadworldwide. But they also created a dangerouslyclosed and small pond for all things Armenian.Fresh sedimentations accumulated over exist-ing ones and chances for the development of arigorous culture beyond the mere rhetoric seemremote. This is a fact on the ground. There is acrisis.

The persistence of the people and the culturedepend on the dynamic flow of fresh and criti-cal re-evaluations of all things Armenian inhindsight and foresight. For both, the historicalsense and understanding are conditions butthey are not here yet. In this respect, intellectu-al culture is of the essence and the Armenianintellectual must be more self-conscious, self-critical and accountable. This is where thisstudy takes its beginnings, and hopes to bringits contribution.

2015, The Armenian Condition in Critical Perspective: New Book by Seta Dadoyan

T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O RS A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 9 , 2 0 1 612

ARTS & LIVING

AMARA, from page 10Voice” (“Voice From Heaven”) in G. Verdi’s DonCarlos was defined by the critics as an unprece-dented interpretation and an off-stage success.Celebrated violinist Isaac Stern once remarked:Your singing sounds like a magnificent violin.

Thus, in 1950 begins Lucine Amara’s glori-ous artistic career not only within the walls ofthe Metropolitan Opera house, but also onstages of famed opera houses throughout theworld.

Despite her crowded schedule, Amara foundtime to record Verdi’s Requiem andBeethoven’s Symphony No. 9, consequentlyacclaimed as one of the best performances ofthat work. Amara appeared with famous Italiantenor Mario Lanza in “The Great Caruso” filmand recorded Pagliacci with Franco Corelli.

Among others, Amara worked with suchprominent conductors and artistic directors asJames Levine, Dimitri Mitropoulos, EugeneOrmandy, Leonard Bernstein, LeopoldStokowsky and Pierre Monteux. She sharedstage with Franco Corelli, Carlo Bergonzi,Nicolay Gedda, Placido Domingo, LucianoPavarotti, Jan Peerce, Richard Tucker, JonVickers and other virtuosi of the vocal art. Asyou might have noticed, Amara often sang with

Italian singers. For several decades, theMetropolitan Opera had two prominent princi-pal singers of Armenian descent: Lucine Amaraand contralto Lili Chookasian (Chookaszian).

With her powerful talent, Lucine Amara con-quered the best stages. Her preferred roles arein W.A. Mozart, G. Puccini and G. Verdi reper-toire.

It is a commonly known fact that the cradleof the art of opera is Italy, and a still more wide-ly known fact is that only exceptionally talentedperformers succeed in winning the love andappreciation of Italians.

Having thoroughly researched innumerablenuances, comprising the facets of Bel Cantoand having listened to many a singer well-versedin that style, Amara is firmly set as one of thestars in the constellation, symbolizingArmenian singers at the Metropolitan opera inNew York - one of the most esteemed operahouses of the world. Other memorable singersare Armand Tokatyan, Ara Berberian, LiliChookasian. (It is worth mentioning anothercontemporaneous actor-singer and fellowArmenian, Michael Kermoyan (baritone), cele-brated for his stellar performance in The Kingand I.) That brilliant “constellation” ofArmenian stars will shine forever in the history

of Metropolitan Opera, proving that we,Armenians, as one of the ancient nations of theworld, have truly made significant contribu-tions to the universal sphere of arts and cul-ture.

It is a different issue, as to how many moresuch stars we could have in arts, sciences andculture if Turkey had not broken the spine ofour nation by annihilations of intelligentsia.

Amara is not one of the singers for whom itwould suffice to capture the audience solely byher beautiful voice. No, not so at all for her. Theart of opera is a musical drama, a theater, inwhich each participant must display perfect act-ing, as required from actors of dramatic theatre.

While Lucine Amara’s acting is superb, hermajestic voice flows like an abundant river, likehoney — thick and vigorous when appropriate,and at times sorrowful and celestial.

Generally, any singer’s art — especially thestrength of the voice — the capacity and vibra-tions of vocal cords are measured by singinggently, sotto voce. Singing loudly is relativelyeasy, while singing softly is far more difficult.

The ability to sing softly is a special art.Amara concurs with this mentality. She is capa-ble of singing softly with an incredibly masterlycommand. While singing softly, her vocal res-onation, timbre and color are never reduced.Her renditions are inherently refined and typi-cally there are no changes of timbre within hervocal range (diapason).

Sotto voce stems from Bel Canto. Examplesof the former are ample in Armenian canticles,folk songs of peasants, in laments of exiles long-ing for motherland and in heroic song narra-tives (sagas).

Amara’s accomplished renditions in romanticand Verismo styles are highly esteemed andadmired by vast Italian audiences in Italy, thevery cradle of operatic art.

For decades, Amara appeared in principalroles at the season openings of theMetropolitan opera. The Times deftly qualifiedLucine Amara as “... the greatest lyric sopranoof our times.” Time Magazine stated: “Shebrought to the stage the kind of dazzling vocalsplendor that made the Met famous...” “LucineAmara is a superstar by longevity; a phenome-nal vocal and dramatic artist of the highestorder.” In reviews for Mozart’s “The MagicFlute” we read: Mozart’s opera [i.e. The MagicFlute] was revived at the Metropolitan operathanks to Lucine Amara. We also encounter inthe press of the period: “Lucine Amara is thepride of Metropolitan.”

The extraordinarily beautiful voice, flexiblevocal cords, splendid stage presence of Amarahave enraptured her audiences at her concerts.As witnessed by her concert programs, along-side of celebrated arias, vocal works of WesternEuropean composers, Amara always performedsongs and romances by Armenian composers.

Music lovers of our country relished LucineAmara’s live performances twice (1965 and1991) with passionate, reverent emotions. I too

was present at her concert in 1965, with theofficial responsibility of overseeing the liveradio broadcast of the concert of this inimitablesinger. The frenetic ovations of the audiencemade Amara sing encore three additionalsongs. Poet Paruyr Sevak described his impres-

sion of the concert in these words: Amaraturned us into violins and played on the[strings] of our emotions.

After the resonate success of her concert in1991, Amara postponed other scheduled con-certs. Instead, she chose to record a large num-ber of Armenian songs and romances at theState Radio of Armenia. Is there a betterexpression of patriotism than this act of love?

In 1991, at age 66, Amara left the stage ofMetropolitan opera, but remained professional-ly active, singing at concerts, coaching andworking on music-related projects. Currently,Amara and her daughter, Evelyn (also an operasinger, voice teacher and stage director) givemaster classes in the United States, Canada,Australia and Mexico.

Doubtlessly, besides being an American oper-atic artist, Amara is also an Armenian by herheritage, temperament and imagination. Hersurrounding has the breath of Armenianism.Although an American-born, she has neverbeen solely American. Amara speaks Armenianfluently, maintains close ties with the Armeniancommunity and the Armenian Apostolicchurch, honors and practices Armenian tradi-tions and customs.

Occasionally, even at her respectable age of90, she performs cherished Armenian songsand romances at the events within theArmenian and American communities.

Original Armenian article by HenrikAnassian

Translated into English and edited by ArevigCaprielian

Voice Like a Magnificent Violin: Lucine Amara Turns 90

BURBANK, Calif. — Burbank Public libraryAward-winning author Dana Walrath, PhD, willbe speaking on Monday, April 4. The event willbe held at Buena Vista Library, 300 N. BuenaVista St., Burbank.

Walrath’s latest book, Like Water on Stone(Delacorte/Random House, 2014), is a novel inverse about the Armenian genocide of 1915. Thisabsorbing novel tells the story of three siblingswho flee into the mountains, hiding by day andrunning by night when Ottoman pashas imple-ment their plans to eliminate all Armenians.Lyrical language and musical threads wrap thedescription of the Armenian genocide in a noteof magical realism with Ardziv, an eagle, describ-ing the young sibling’s escape.

Walrath will speak about her experiences inArmenia as a Fulbright Scholar, her travels toWestern Armenia in 1984, and how these jour-neys influenced Like Water on Stone and con-tinue to affect her life. Blending an anthropo-logical tool kit with excerpts from this novel,Walrath will explore why stories, especially sto-ries about phenomena surrounded by denial,play a critical role in healing.

Admission is free and open to the public. Dana Walrath

Author Dana Walrath to Discuss Like Water on Stone

Eggplant Walnut Ricotta Rolls WithFresh Greens and Basil Salad INGREDIENTS6 Japanese eggplants, sliced lengthwise in 1/2-inch slicesKosher salt1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese1/2 cup finely ground walnuts, (about 1 cup whole walnuts ground in a food processor)2 cloves garlic, finely grated or chopped2-3 tablespoons olive oil1 teaspoon dried dill1/2 teaspoon sea salt1/2 teaspoon nutmegJuice and zest from 1 lemonCanola oil

FOR THE SALAD8-10 cups tossed mixed salad greens3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar1/4 cup candied walnuts1 large handful fresh basil

PREPARATION:Wash eggplants, cut off and discard stems. On a cutting board, using a mandolin or sharpknife, slice each eggplant lengthwise in long pieces, 1/2-inch thick.Sprinkle eggplant slices with some Kosher salt and place in a large colander to drain for15 to 20 minutes. Discard liquid.In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, walnuts, garlic, olive oil, dill, sea salt, nut-meg, lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix all ingredients until smooth in texture and set aside.(Ricotta filling should be chilled until ready to use.)In a large deep skillet, pour ½-inch canola oil and heat over medium heat until oil is hot.Blot the pieces of eggplant with paper towel to remove any water droplets and fry egg-plant slices in batches until golden brown on both sides, about 90 seconds per side.Remove from pan to drain flat on paper towels.Place slices of eggplant on a tray or dish and spread a tablespoon or two of the ricotta fill-ing across each slice; roll up pinwheel style and repeat until all eggplant slices have beenfilled and rolled.In a medium bowl, toss salad greens with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Arrange salad onfour serving plates and serve with the eggplant walnut ricotta rolls. Toss torn basil leavesover the salad. Garnish salad with candied walnuts.Time: 40 minutesYield: 4 servings

For Christine’s recipe that was originally published in the New York Times, go to:http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017803-eggplant-walnut-ricotta-rolls-with-fresh-greens-and-basil-salad

Christine's recipes have been published in the Fresno Bee, Sunset and Cooking LightMagazines, and at http://www.thearmeniankitchen.com/

For Christine's recipes that have been published in Sunset and Cooking Light Magazines,go to: http://www.myrecipes.com/search/site/Datian

Recipe Corner

by Christine Vartanian Datian

Lucine Amara

13T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O RS A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 9 , 2 0 1 6

ARTS & LIVING

APRIL 15 - DEADLINE. If you are looking to embark on theeducational adventure of a lifetime, then consider theAmerican University of Armenia’s Summer Program2016. The program combines unique academic offeringswith the benefits of a safe, welcoming, and exciting envi-ronment. Participants will also experience the authenticsights, sounds, and flavors of Armenia through theDiscover Armenia Educational Tours. Applyat im.aua.am by April 15.

APRIL 23, 2016 Annual Armenian GenocideCommemoration. Connecticut State Capitol; FlagRaising at 11:00 a.m.; Commemoration in the HouseChambers at 11:30 a.m. Keynote Speaker, ShantMardirossian, Chairman Emeritus, Near East Foundation.

MARCH 13-MAY 21 — Book Tour Schedule forArmenians of the Merrimack Valley. Authors E. PhilipBrown and Tom Vartabedian are embarking on a presen-tation tour and book signing of their new book. •March 19: Barnes & Noble, Salem, NH, 1-4 p.m.•March 31: Buttonwoods Historical Museum, 7 pm, 240Water St., Haverhill•April 2: Armenian Museum of America (ALMA), 2 pm,65 Main St., Watertown, sponsored by ProjectSAVE•April 7: Avak luncheon, St. Gregory Church, 158 MainSt., North Andover, noon•May 21: Vermette’s Market, 6 Pond St., Amesbury, 10-2, book-signing only

MARCH 20 — Anniversary dinner hosted by theMerrimack Valley “Arax” ARS Chapter, 1 p.m.,Jaffarian Hall, St. Gregory Church, 158 Main St., NorthAndover. Luleh kebab dinner and program, speaker TalinDaghlian. Tickets at the door. MARCH 31 — 8:00 p.m.: “From Musa Dagh to theWarsaw Ghetto: Armenian and Jewish ArmedResistance to Genocide,” with Eric Bogosian, Dr.Deborah Dwork, Dr. Dikran Kaligian, and Dr. James R.Russell. Co-sponsored by the Center for Jewish Studies atHarvard University, the Mashtots Chair in ArmenianStudies at Harvard University, and the NationalAssociation for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR).At Harvard University, Science Center Auditorium D, 1Oxford Street, Cambridge. Contact 617-489-1610 [email protected] for more information.APRIL 2 — Swing into Spring Dinner-Dance. Sts.Vartanantz Armenian Church, Chelmsford, KazanjianBallroom, 180 Old Westford Rd. Chelmsford. Dinner at 6p.m. followed by non-stop Armenian and Middle Eastmusic by the Jason Naroian Ensemble featuring JasonNaroian, dumbeg and vocals; Brian Anisbigian, oud; AraJeknavorian, clarinet; and Dave Anisbigian, guitar. Paid inadvance tickets (received by March 27) are $25 foradults, $10 for children (6-12), and 5 & under, free. At-the-door, $35 for adults and $15 for children. For reser-vations, please contact Maria at [email protected] (617-240-3686).APRIL 2 — Back by popular demand — Sayat NovaDance Company of Boston (SNDC) proudly presentsthe return of renowned entertainer/comedian/pianist Kev Orkian to Boston, with his brand new show“Little Fingers.” Saturday, 8 p.m. (doors open at 7:30) inShaw Auditorium, Watertown High School, 50 ColumbiaSt., Watertown. Reserved seating only. Tickets are avail-able by 617-852-1816. VIP tickets (limited amount avail-able) are $65 and include reserved priority seating andpre-show private reception with Kev. General show tick-ets are $50, includes reserved seating. Visit www.sayat-nova.com for the seating chart and see attached flyer formore details.APRIL 7 — Book Event: Reclaiming Konia: A Tale ofLove, Loss and the Armenian Genocide by HeatherMartin book talk and signing, 7:30 p.m., Adele & HaigDer Manuelian Galleries (3rd Floor). Heather Martin willspeak about the development of the book, reading herfavorite passages, and signing copies. The event is freeand open to the public and light refreshments will beserved at the reception.APRIL 9 — Sayat Nova Dance Company 30th anniver-

sary Alumni Reunion. Saturday, 7:30 p.m. inCambridge. Calling all SNDC Alumni and members for anevening of fun and surprises. Come eat, socialize, remi-nisce.... Please RSVP by March 20, at [email protected] or call 617-923-4455.APRIL 9-10 — Two days of workshops, presentations,community and discovering your Armenian roots.This conference grew out of the Armenian Genealogygroup (Haygagan Dzakumnapanutyun) on Facebook.Watertown. Cosponsored by National Association forArmenian Studies and Research; Project SAVE ArmenianPhotograph Archives, Houshamadyan, ArmenianMuseum of America, Tekeyan Cultural Association, andHamazkayin-Boston. Various times, Watertown area. Toregister, visit http://www.armeniangenealogyconfer-ence.com/registration/APRIL 17 — Erevan Choral Society Spring Concert, “In

Commemoration of Our Sainted Martyrs of 1915.”Sponsored by Holy Trinity Armenian Church, 2:30 p.m.,Church Sanctuary, 145 Brattle Street, Cambridge. The con-cert is under the direction of Composer KonstantinPetrossian, Music Director and Conductor. Guest Soloists areDavid Ayriyan (Kamancha) and Gohar Manjelikian (MezzoSoprano), with Nune Hakobyan on the organ and piano. TheArmenian and non-Armenian community is invited to com-memorate through music the Holy Martyrs of the ArmenianGenocide. The concert is a gift to the community. APRIL 22 — Save the date. The annual commemora-tion of the Armenian Genocide at the MassachusettsState House. Friday, 10.30 a.m., State House Chamber,Catered Reception at 12 noon in the Great Hall. Keynotespeaker will be announced at a later date. APRIL 30 — Armenian / American Dance, Saturday, 7

p.m. – 12 a.m., 1 Market Street, Lawrence,Complimentary Coffee & Dessert, Cash Bar, 50/50 Raffle,Armenian music provided by The Jason NaroianEnsemble, American music provided by DJ Kory Sirmaian.Tickets: $20 in advance; $25 at the door. MelaneeNaroian:(978) 683-0613, Lucy Sirmaian: (978) 683-9121.Sponsored by The Armenian Church at Hye PointeWomen’s Guild.MAY 7 — Experience Public Art! during ArtWeekBoston. Armenian Heritage Park on the Greenway,Boston. At 1 p.m. - World Labyrinth Day: Walk As One At1 Together with people in cities and towns worldwide,walk the labyrinth at 1pm joining this annual internation-al initiative of The Labyrinth Society in collaboration withthe Labyrinth Guild of New England and Friends ofArmenian Heritage Park. For first-time walkers at12:45pm, an Introduction to walking a labyrinth withChiara Megighian Zenati, Certified Labyrinth Facilitator.At 1:30 pm - Reception to View The 2016 Configurationof the Abstract Sculpture Welcome: Nanore Barsoumian,Editor, Armenian Weekly; Public Art: Lucas Cowan, PublicArt Curator, Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy;Personal Perspective: Alin Gregorian, Editor, TheArmenian Mirror Spectator; Tea & Desserts hosted byMEM Tea Imports and Eastern Lamejun Bakers. All areinvited. MAY 12 – Holy Trinity Armenian Church of GreaterBoston Presents the Dr. Michael and Joyce KolligianDistinguished Speaker Series, with John Prendergast,founder of “The Enough Project,” an initiative to endgenocide and crimes against humanity, co-founder “TheSentry,” a new investigative initiative focused on disman-tling the networks financing conflict and atrocities. 7p.m. Thursday at Charles and Nevart Talanian CulturalHall, Holy Trinity, 145 Brattle Street, Cambridge MA Info:617.354.0632MAY 14 — Sayat Nova Dance Company of Boston con-tinues its 30th anniversary celebrations with a night ofsong and dance with beloved singer Arabo Ispiryan, directfrom Armenia. Don’t miss out on this night of pureArmenian entertainment. Come and celebrate with us as wesing and dance all night with Arabo. Generous appetizers(mezze) will be provided. Doors open at7:30 p.m. To beheld at St. James Armenian Church, Charles MosesianCultural and Youth Center, 465 Mt, Auburn Street,Watertown. Tickets are available by calling Apo at 339-222-2410 or Hagop at 617-780-6295. VIP table seating at$100/person (includes 1 free drink/person and a bottle ofchampagne for the table); Premium table seating at$75/person (includes a bottle of champagne for the table);General seating: $65. Please reserve your tickets early.MAY 18 — Chefs Party for Our Park! Benefit for

Armenian Heritage Park’s Ongoing Care Royal SonestaHotel Boston, Cambridge. Celebrate with Boston’s TopChefs, presenting signature dishes inspired by parents,grandparents or mentors for you to taste while you mix,mingle and support a great cause. AdvancedReservations only. To be acknowledged in the EveningThank You, please respond by May 6. To receive an invi-tation, please email your name and email address [email protected] 23 — Procession and flag raising for 101stanniversary of Armenian Genocide at Lowell City Hall,10 a.m., followed by a reception and cultural program byarea schoolchildren at nearby Masonic Center. Sponsoredby the Armenian National Committee of MerrimackValley & Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committeeof Merrimack Valley. For the march, gather at corner ofMerrimack & John Streets at 9:30 a.m.MAY 27 — 65th Annual Armenian Night at the Pops,

Featuring Boston Pops Orchestra, Keith Lockhart,Conductor; presenting Edvard Poghossian, cello.Presented by Friends of Armenian Culture Society.Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave., Boston. For tick-ets and information, visit facsboston.orgSEPTEMBER 10 — Sayat Nova Dance Company ofBoston 30th Anniversary Gala. Details to follow.SEPTEMBER 18 — Sunday Afternoon At The Park For

Families & Friends. Armenian Heritage Park on theGreenway, Boston. 2-4pm. All are invited. SEPTEMBER30 — OCTOBER 2 — 25th Anniversary Celebration,Armenian International Women’s Association. CharlesHotel, Cambridge.NOVEMBER 15 — Thank You Reception For AllSupporters of Armenian Heritage Park. ArmenianCultural and Educational Center, Watertown. 7:30pm.During the evening, supporters will receive the ArmenianHeritage Park Commemorative Book which will acknowl-edge all supporters in the category of giving that com-bines all their contributions since the Campaign’s incep-tion. Deadline for first time supporters and for support-ers to increase their contribution is September 22, 2016.Contributions are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Allsupporters are invited. December 18 — Candlelit Labyrinth Peace Walk.

Armenian Heritage Park on the Greenway, Boston. 5:00-6:30pm. All are invited.

APRIL 18 — Award-winning poet and critic Peter Balakianwill give a Center for Advanced Study (CAS)/MillerCommlecture on “The Armenian Genocide, Poetryof Witness, and Postmemory” at the Spurlock MuseumAuditorium at 4 p.m. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The event is free and open to the public andhosted by The Initiative in Holocaust, Genocide, andMemory Studies. Co-sponsored by: Center for SouthAsian and Middle Eastern Studies, Department of English,Department of French and Italian, Department ofGermanic Languages and Literatures, Department ofHistory, Department of Religion, European Union Center,Program in Comparative and World Literature, Programin Jewish Culture and Society, Spurlock Museum, TheFuture of Trauma and Memory Studies Reading Group.

APRIL 5 – Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) presentsSahan Arzruni in Benefit Concert “Together forArmenia,” Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. An evening of solo pianomusic to benefit the Vanadzor Old Age Home adminis-tered by FAR. Merkin Concert Hall - Kaufman MusicCenter, 129 West 67th Street, New York. Tickets $35, willgo on sale in February 2016. Please contact FAR for moreinfo: [email protected] or 212.889.5150.

APRIL 16 — Saints Sahag and Mesrob ArmenianChurch, Providence, Commemoration of theArmenian Genocide, “Legacy of our Martyrs,”Saturday at 7 p.m. Concert of Armenian Patriotic SongsPerformed by the Armenian Chorale of Rhode Island, 70Jefferson St., Providence. Fellowship- Egavian Hall, fol-lowing concert

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CONTRIBUTORS:Florence Avakian, Dr. HaroutiunArzoumanian, Taleen Babayan, DianaDer Hovanessian, Philip Ketchian,Kevork Keushkerian, Harut Sassounian,Hagop Vartivarian, Naomi Zeytoonian

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1509

By Edmond Y. Azadian

Hrant Dink, the courageous journalist who believed that hecould promote democracy in Turkey by getting the people toface the dark history of that country, was assassinated onJanuary 19, 2007 in front of the editorial offices of Agos, thebilingual weekly which he had founded with the hope of engag-ing Turks and Armenians in a cathartic dialogue.

He used to believe that Armenians in Istanbul lead a very iso-lated life and that if those in Turkey knew the Armenians bet-ter, all prejudices would vanish.

By the same token, by exposing facts about the ArmenianGenocide, he believed that he was not only serving a historictruth, but that he was also promoting human rights to cleanseTurkey of its grisly past, and pave the way for democracy.

In view of his bold statements about Turkey’s human rightsabuses and denial of the Armenian Genocide, people werealways worried about his security. He, however, always comfort-ed them, believing that Turkish society was changing andmaturing. He also believed that he was living like a dove andpeople always protected doves. Unfortunately, he was wrong.

In the process of the investigation of Dink’s murder, a docu-ment dating back to 1997 has surfaced labeled “confidential.” Inaddition to Dink’s name, the name of the then-vicar of theArmenian Patriarchate of Istanbul, Mesrob Mutafyan, was alsoused. The document stated, “an individual named Firant Dink isamong our targets due to his pro-Armenian activities. He is theeditor-in-chief of Agos periodical, published in Istanbul byArmenians and is in close ties with the vicar of the Patriarchate,Mesrob Archbishop Mutafyan, famous for his Armenian nation-alist inclinations.”

It turns out that the “deep state” in Turkey had targetedHrant Dink long ago, as revealed by recent court documents.

Indeed, in October 2014, Istanbul’s 5th High Criminal Courtmade a decision to begin Hrant Dink’s trial from zero.Prosecutor GokalpKokçu filed a lawsuitagainst 26 formerand current officialswho are believed tobe implicated in theassassination.

Contrary to thestatement in theabove documents,Dink and thePatriarch were neverclose and their antag-onism toward eachother was very pub-lic. Only after Dink’sassassination did thePatriarch realize howclose their destinieshad been and hetearfully acknowl-edged that fact in hiseulogy at Dink’sfuneral.

It almost feels likethat moment was the beginning of the end for the Patriarch.

Perhaps it would be impossible to prove medically thatPatriarch Mesrob developing dementia at a relatively young agewas the result of the fear he experienced after so many deaththreats and actual bombs thrown at his headquarters inKumkapu.

At this time, the Patriarch has been reduced to a shell of hisformer shelf. An Istanbul court recently appointed thePatriarch’s 78-year-old mother, Mari Mutafyan, as his custodian.She will be entitled to represent her son by court order.

In the meantime, the Patriarch’s health has put the Armeniancommunity in an impasse. The Turkish authorities cynically donot allow for the election of a new Patriarch as long as theincumbent is alive, never mind that he is in a vegetative state.

In any civilized country, such religious matters would be han-dled by the respective community it is affecting, but not inTurkey.

The fear that pushed the Patriarch over the edge and into hiscurrent state is shared by the entire Armenian community inTurkey and that fear is fanned by the government itself.

In a recent press conference in Armenia, a specialist inTurkish studies, Tiran Lokmagyozyan, stated: “Armenianshave double fear in such cases. The first one is that the secu-rity of the state is under threat. In addition, there are indi-vidual fears for being Armenian . It is a well-known fact thatwhenever such incidents take place in Turkey, minorities,including Armenians, become the first target. We witnessedthat when Turkey took measures against the Kurds, the

name of the Armenians was heard more often, as if the bat-tle was against the Armenians in the first place. The policemade announcements through loudspeakers calling KurdsArmenians to insult them.”

No only do the police use the name of Armenians as an insult,but officials, beginning with the prime minister himself, AhmetDavutoglu, justify also the Genocide, which at last count, theyhad said they did not commit. In a recent speech decrying theKurds, who had opened an office in Moscow, Davutoglu saidthat the Kurds are colluding with Russians as “Armenian gangsdid during World War I.”

Armenians have always lived in fear for a reason. The Turkishgovernment has regularly encouraged the hatred and distrust ofArmenians and from time to time, has terrorized them official-ly, even after the Genocide. In 1942, they instituted the confis-catory “wealth tax” (varlik vergisi) to bankrupt the communityand to send affluent Armenians to the labor camp of Askale,where many perished under harsh conditions.

The pogrom of September 6-7, 1955, was directed against theGreeks, while Armenians would also share their plight.

The pogrom was instigated by a false-flag operation concoct-ed by Ankara to incite the mob. Turkish agents were sent toSalonika to bomb the house where Ataturk had been born. Thatwas enough cause to begin a rampage in Istanbul againstGreeks and Armenians.

The Turks are masters of such intrigues; during the war inSyria, a plot was discovered, whereby the head of the Turkishsecurity services (MIT), Fidan Hakan, was ready to bomb thetomb of the father of Fatih Sultan Muhammed (the conquerorof Byzantium) in Syria to justify an invasion.

Even recent bombings in Ankara are believed to be false-flagoperations to justify the murderous rampage against the Kurdsin the country’s eastern region or Western Armenia. AlthoughPrime Minister Davutoglu said that his government was “almostcertain” that this week’s explosion was the work of theKurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the facts suggest otherwise.Indeed, a news item which was published in Nokta newspaper

on March 13 states:“It appears that theTurgev Foundationestablished byPresident Erdoganand his family hadalready sent a mes-sage to its membersBEFORE the Ankarabombing aroundnoon, warning themto stay away from thebombed area. So thegoverning party hadwarnings about thebomb but shared theinformation with‘his’ people ratherthan all his citizens.”

Turkey hasbecome a dangerousplace. Mr. Erdoganhas unleashed theviolence, with thehope and belief that

he can control it to the very end.After the most recent Ankara bombing, President Obama

repeated his mantra that the US will stand by Turkey, however,no word or concern was expressed about the victims of the gov-ernment onslaught.

Criticism in the western press is getting louder and louder,asking the West to abandon Turkey as a NATO ally. One of thelast such articles was signed by Dough Saunders in Toronto’sGlobe and Mail, with the following conclusion: “Mr. Erdogan hasdestroyed the unified and open Turkey he earlier helped create.And he has done so using the tools not just of an authoritari-anism but now by silencing the media, of totalitarianism. It istime to stop treating Turkey as an ally, but as a country that hasstepped beyond the pale.”

To figure out the irony of the situation, it suffices to referto a news item which reports that Istanbul Governor VasipSahin met with Armenian, Jewish, Greek and Muslim reli-gious leaders and at the conclusion of that meeting he saidto them that Istanbul has been a city where people from dif-ferent religions live and that all the religious communitieshave been living in peace “in the city of harmony and fel-lowship.”

And this, when the eastern region of the country is a warzone, where Kurds cannot rescue even their dead from thestreets and when the minorities are stricken by fear in the entirecountry.

Had Hrant Dink been warned early enough that the doves areno longer safe in Turkey, perhaps he would be alive today.

The Doves Are No Longer Safe in TurkeyCOMMENTARY

14 S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 9 , 2 0 1 6 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R


COMMENTARY

15

US Ambassador to Armenia FacesCriticism at Glendale Appearance

Richard Mills, US Ambassador to Armenia, spoke at theWestern Prelacy in La Crescenta, Calif., on March 10, duringhis tour of Armenian communities throughout the UnitedStates to brief them on his diplomatic work in Armenia.

In his welcoming remarks, Archbishop MousheghMardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of theArmenian Apostolic Church, expressed the hope that “theUnited States, as a champion of justice and human rights,will in due time join the scores of nations that have formallyacknowledged the indisputable truth of the ArmenianGenocide.”

Ambassador Mills spoke about the progress Armenia hasmade in the last two decades and presented the four priori-ties being pursued the US Embassy:

1) deepening business and trade relations betweenArmenia and the United States;2) countering corruption;3) strengthening democracy, human rights, and civil soci-ety;4) creating a better understanding of US foreign policygoals.

The ambassador explained that the United States encour-ages reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey by continu-ing to support the Protocols that were signed in 2009, butnot ratified. Speaking of the Armenian Genocide Centennial,Ambassador Mills remarked that “Armenians were massacredand marched to their deaths by the Ottoman Empire,” care-fully avoiding the term ‘Armenian Genocide.’

At the end of the ambassador’s presentation, I had theprivilege of being called upon to ask the first question. Irespectfully commented:

“I know that ambassadors don’t decide US foreign policy.You are simply the messenger. I would like to go on recordto say that it is deeply offensive to the Armenian communityfor you to come here and not use the word genocide todescribe what happened to Armenians in 1915. I am notblaming you. It is not your fault! You know what happenedand the US government knows what happened. Americanofficials have repeatedly recognized the Armenian Genocidesince 1951. I have written a book that documents US recog-nition of the Armenian Genocide which I will be happy togive you. It is not understandable to Armenians and non-Armenians around the world why the US government is nowreluctant to use a word that describes what it acknowledgeda long time ago. This reluctance puts the United States at adisadvantage when its officials give lectures to Armenians inArmenia about democracy, morality and justice, and yet theyfail to comply with their own principles. The US governmentshould be an example to the rest of the world! I am just usingyou as a messenger. I see that one of your colleagues fromthe State Department is here with you. I hope that youwould transmit my message to your superiors inWashington.”

Ambassador Mills gave the following brief answer: “Myonly response will be to reiterate President Obama’s goal

which he set forth in his statement on April 24th: ‘We wantfull, frank and just acknowledgment of what happened fromthe Turkish government and Turkish people.’”

Regrettably, the US Ambassador was simply followingPresident Obama’s deplorable reluctance to utter the words“Armenian Genocide,” despite his repeated promises to do soas a candidate.

Regardless of whether President Obama and his under-lings use the term genocide, the fact remains that the UnitedStates has repeatedly acknowledged the Armenian Genocideat the Presidential and Congressional levels.

Nevertheless, the Armenian-American community andArmenians worldwide have an obligation to confront andreject every attempt to minimize or distort the proper char-acterization of the Armenian Genocide. Remaining silentupon hearing such reprehensible terminology is an insult tothe memory of the Armenian Martyrs, particularly whenunacceptable euphemisms are uttered in Armenian churchhalls and community centers.

Ambassador Mills was probably surprised by the adversereaction of the audience to his statements not only regardingthe Armenian Genocide, but also his faulty claim that Turkeywas fighting against ISIS!

Unfortunately, we cannot expect every American ambas-sador to sacrifice his/her diplomatic career by telling thetruth to power as did John Evans, the former USAmbassador to Armenia. He boldly acknowledged theArmenian Genocide at a great personal cost, during a similartour of the Armenian communities in the United States.

Ambassador Mills should be commended for his efforts toimprove US-Armenia relations. However, his superiors inWashington should be made aware that his good work isbeing undermined by their shameful word games regardingthe Armenian Genocide!

My TurnBy Harut Sassounian

Armenia Draws Europe’sAttention to its Efforts onSyrian Refugees

YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow) — While Europe is grappling with one of its most seriousrecent migrant crises caused by the influx of refugees and asylum seekers from war-torn

Syria, Armenia says it is also making a contributionto dealing with the situation.

In fact, according to Foreign Minister EduardNalbandian, Armenia is the third largest per capitarecipient of Syrian refugees in Europe.

Speaking at a ministerial meeting of the European People’s Party in Vienna, Austria,on March 13, Nalbandian said: “Armenia has sheltered nearly 20,000 refugees fromSyria, thus making our country the third largest recipient of Syrian refugees in Europeon per capita basis.”

Nalbandian stressed that in order to find solutions to the issues on migration, first ofall it is necessary to track reasons behind it. In this context, the minister attachedimportance to united fight against terrorism, process of political resolution of the crisisin Syria.

Before that, Armenia’s top diplomat addressed the issue at his meeting with FedericaMogherini, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and SecurityPolice and Vice President of the European Commission, who paid a visit to Yerevan onMarch 1.

Director of the Institute of International and Security Affairs Stepan Safaryan seesNalbandian’s statements as an attempt to attract financial means for Armenia. The polit-ical analyst says he was among the first who once criticized the Armenian authoritiesfor not taking part in international discussions on Syria.

“For example, Armenia did not try in any way to become a party in internationaltalks on Syria despite the fact that it has a Diaspora in that country and is, in fact, aMiddle Eastern nation. In this sense, our authorities has, unfortunately, stepped aside,”Safaryan said.

“And now that our authorities see that Turkey is, roughly speaking, managing tobring in money for Syrian refugees, they are trying to show that something is beingdone in Armenia as well and that we need some assistance, too,” the analyst added,describing such steps as belated.

Safaryan believes that the most important thing for Armenia today is to try toencourage Syrian Armenians who fled hostilities in their country to stay on in Armenia.In the recent period quite a few refugee families have reportedly left Armenia, havingencountered difficult social and economic conditions as well as bureaucratic obstaclesin their historical homeland.

According to various estimations, some 18,000-20,000 Syrian refugees, mostly ethnicArmenians or Syrians in mixed marriages, have come to Armenia in the period of 2012-2015. During the same period, an estimated 5,000 of them left Armenia for other coun-tries. At present, the number of Syrian refugees in Armenia is estimated at about13,000-16,000. Most live in the capital.

The Armenian government began to take legal steps to assist ethnic Armenians fromSyria still in the summer of 2012 when first groups of refugees began to arrive in thecountry. For example, documentation procedures were streamlined for SyrianArmenians, Syrian Armenian students were exempted from tuition fees, businesses wereprovided with opportunities to receive preferential loans, etc.

A new wave of Syrian Armenian immigration into Armenia was observed in 2015when fighting intensified in Syria, particularly around Aleppo and other cities andtowns where a majority of Armenians live.

According to Armenia’s Diaspora Ministry, more than 2,000 Syrian Armenians tookrefuge in Armenia in 2015 alone.

By Sara Khojoyan

By Shabtai Gold

November‘s parliamentary elections inTurkey were a vote for stability, PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdogan claimed as his partyswept the polls and formed a single-party gov-ernment.

Since then, the violence in the country hasonly intensified, with Sunday night’s car bomb-ing in Ankara that killed 37 people a brutalreminder that without any political solutionsforthcoming, there is no end in sight.

Turkish authorities are reportedly suspect-ing Kurdish militants for the suicide car bomb-ing. The conflict between the state and mili-tants from the Kurdish minority has beenintensifying in recent months, forcing morethan 350,000 people to flee their homes insouth-eastern districts.

Hundreds have been killed — the exact fig-ure is hard to determine — and entire districtshave seen widespread destruction which, espe-cially in the town of Cizre, recall scenes inneighboring Syria. The state‘s forces areaccused of rights abuses.

Mostly, the conflict has stayed in the largelyKurdish south-east of the country, but analystssay the bombing in Ankara, the second suchattack in the heart of the Turkish capital inless than a month, is an attempt to drag thewar into the west of the country.

“There is a leakage of the poor security sit-uation in the east to the west of Turkey,” saysGareth Jenkins, an Istanbul-based researcher atthe Silk Road Studies Program, an academicinstitution.

Not all Kurds in Turkey support the armedKurdistan Workers‘ Party (PKK). Even thosewho do not, Jenkins says, are feeling that theirplight is being ignored, not only by the gov-ernment but also by Turkish citizens inIstanbul and Ankara.

“There is a sense of massive frustration thatthe west of the country has turned its back onthe east,” he says.

This is helping fuel radicalism. WhileErdogan insisted in his condemnation of theAnkara bombing on the “unity and solidari-ty of our people,” the reality on the groundis that Turkey is becoming more and morepolarized.

“Ethno-politics is becoming the primary con-cern splitting Turkey into two groups,” saysMetin Gurcan, an independent security analystwho writes for al-Monitor website.

Last year, Erdogan dismissed an agreementreached by top ministers with Kurdish officialswhich was meant to help pave the way for afinal peace deal. Soon after, the PKK threat-ened new violence.

An Islamic State attack on a pro-Kurdishrally in Suruc in July then killed three dozenpeople and set in motion the current wave ofviolence between the state and the PKK.

Gurcan says that Syria is clearly part of thedynamics at work here. The emergence ofautonomous Kurdish regions in the neighbor-ing country has sparked hopes and national-ism among the minority group in Turkey.

The fight against Islamic State in both Syriaand Iraq, led on the ground by Kurdish mili-tants with ties to the PKK, has only served toinspire youngsters and instill a sense of righ-teousness into their cause.

Many of the radicalized youth believeTurkey‘s foreign policy, even inadvertently,helped Islamic State establish itself in Syria, inpart because the porous border was the mainhighway for jihadists to join the civil war.

But fighting Turkey, the second largest armyin NATO, is a Sisyphean task. The PKK and itsallies in urban centers are doomed to lose. Asthe state makes gains against their positions inKurdish cities, the more extreme wings of thenationalist movement are spreading the fight.

“They are expanding the front to westernTurkey. It is the reaction of the weaker side,”says Gurcan.

Analysts don’t believe that a military solu-tion can be obtained in Turkey and eventuallythe state and the PKK will have to return tothe negotiating table for a resolution.

However, if the violence worsens — and thereis an expectation that spring will bring evenmore fighting - and the country becomes morepolarized, then there is a danger “they won‘tbe able to find a table,” says Gurcan.

“The longer the return to talks is delayedand the more blood is spilled, the harder it willbe. And Turkey will have to pay a higher pricein concessions,” says Jenkins, noting that theKurds will insist at least on devolution ofpower to their regions.

(Shabtai Gold is a correspondent for dpa)

Turkey’s Violence Spreads from EastTo West with No End in Sight

BAGDIKIAN, from page 1Over five decades, Bagdikian was a national

and foreign correspondent for newspapers andmagazines; a reporter, editor and ombudsmanfor the Washington Post; the author of eightbooks; and for many years a professor and thedean of the Graduate School of Journalism atthe University of California, Berkeley.

Born into an Armenian family that fledfrom genocide in Ottoman Turkey, he grewup in Depression America with a passion forsocial justice that shaped his reporting. Hebecame an undercover inmate to expose inhu-mane prison conditions in Pennsylvania, rodewith an Israeli tank crew to write about the1956 Suez Crisis, and lived with oppressedfamilies in the South to cover the civil rightsstruggle in the 1960s.

He was the Washington Post’s conduit for thePentagon Papers, the secret DefenseDepartment study of decades of Americanduplicity in Indochina that was disclosed by themilitary analyst Daniel Ellsberg and publishedby the Post and the New York Times in 1971 indefiance of the Nixon administration’s attemptsat suppression as the nation debated its deep-ening involvement in the war in Vietnam.

But he was perhaps best known as the authorof The Media Monopoly (1983), which warnedthat freedom of expression and independentjournalism were threatened by the consolida-tion of news and entertainment outlets in a

shrinking circle of corporate owners. A mere 50companies, he wrote, controlled what mostAmericans read in newspapers and books andsaw on television and at the movies.

By 2004, when he published The New MediaMonopoly, the last of seven sequel editions, thenumber of corporate giants controlling much ofthe flow of information and entertainment had

dwindled to five.“This gives each ofthe five corpora-tions and their lead-ers more communi-cations power thanwas exercised byany despot or dicta-torship in history,”Bagdikian wrote.

J o u r n a l i s t s ,scholars, corporateofficials and thepublic still debatethe drawbacks andmerits of limitedmedia ownership.But the Internetand desktop pub-lishing have extend-ed freedom ofspeech to anyonewith a computer.Cable networks and

online news and entertainment choices haveproliferated, and some observers contend thatthe Orwellian perils envisioned by Bagdikianhave receded or become moot.

While Bagdikian was most vociferous againstownership concentrations — calling for limits onthe size of newspaper chains, for example, evenif the limits ran afoul of the First Amendment —

his news media criticism ranged widely. Heexamined conflicts of interest and journalisticintegrity, legal issues affecting the press, themedia’s responsibility to act in the public inter-est, and trends in investigative reporting.

He rebuked newspaper publishers whopressed journalists to promote advertisers’interests, breaching the traditional wallbetween news and business. He was troubledby the wide use of anonymous sources in newsreports, and by the credulity of reporters andeditors who accepted the “official” accounts ofself-serving government spokesmen, especiallywhen facts were being suppressed on nationalsecurity grounds.

He urged tougher standards of public servicefor broadcasters seeking renewal of their licens-es. He advised Americans not to rely on televi-sion networks for news, calling them “one net-work in triplicate” because of their similarities.And he especially deplored the celebrity statusof television network anchors.

“The worst thing that can happen to a jour-nalist is to become a celebrity,” he told TheProgressive in 1997. “The honest job of thejournalist is to observe, to listen, to learn.The job of the celebrity is to be observed, tomake sure others learn about him or her, tobe the object of attention rather than anobserver.”

Ben Haig Bagdikian was born on January 30,1920, in Marash, Turkey, the youngest of fivechildren of Aram Bagdikian, a chemistry teach-er, and the former Daisy Uvezian. The familyfled the massacre of Armenians when Ben wasan infant and made its way to America, settlingin Stoneham, Mass. His mother died when hewas 3, and his father became pastor of anArmenian Congregational church inCambridge.

He graduated from Clark University in1941 and worked briefly as a reporter for theSpringfield Morning Union in Massachusetts.In 1942 he married Elizabeth Ogasapian.They had two sons, Christopher andFrederick, and were divorced in 1972. Hissecond marriage, to Betty Medsger, ended indivorce. In 1983, he married Marlene Griffith.Besides her, he is survived by Frederick.Christopher died in 2015.

After serving as a navigator in World War II,Bagdikian joined the Providence Journal andEvening Bulletin in Rhode Island in 1947. Overthe next 15 years he was a local reporter, amember of a team that won the 1953 PulitzerPrize for deadline coverage of a bank robbery,a foreign correspondent in the Middle East anda Washington correspondent.

From 1963 to 1967 he was a Washington-based contributing editor of the SaturdayEvening Post and wrote freelance articles aboutpolitics, poverty, housing, migration and othersubjects for the New York Times Magazine andother publications. He also covered the civilrights movement, sometimes as a companion ofvictims of intimidation and violence.

His first book, In the Midst of Plenty: ThePoor in America, was published in 1964. Hisother books included The InformationMachines: Their Impact on Men and the Media(1971), The Effete Conspiracy and OtherCrimes by the Press (1972), and a memoir,Double Vision: Reflections on My Heritage, Lifeand Profession (1995).

Frustrated by the “sins and omissions” ofreporters and television crews at news events,he began writing media critiques in the 1960safter formulating a Bagdikian Law ofJournalism: “The accuracy of news reports ofan event is inversely proportional to the num-ber of reporters on the scene.”

Bagdikian studied the news media for theRAND Corporation from 1967 to 1969. Afterjoining the Washington Post in 1970, hebecame an assistant managing editor and theombudsman, representing the newspaper’sreaders. From 1972 to 1974, he wrote for theColumbia Journalism Review. He taught jour-nalism at Berkeley from 1976 until retiring in1990, and was the graduate school’s dean from1985 to 1988.

“Never forget,” he told his students at theoutset, “that your obligation is to the people. Itis not, at heart, to those who pay you, or to youreditor, or to your sources, or to your friends, orto the advancement of your career. It is to thepublic.”


Ben H. Bagdikian, Reporter of Broad Range and Conscience, Dies at 96

Ben Bagdikian

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