Mirror-SpectatorAnnual Summer BreakWATERTOWN — The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

will close for two weeks in July as part of its annu-al summer break.

The last issue published before the vacation willbe that of June 29, and the first edition back wouldbe that of July 20.

The office will be closed July 1 through 12.

Morocco AmbassadorVisits Armenia

YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The new ambassadorof Morocco to Armenia, Faouz El Achchabi (resi-dence in Kiev, Ukraine), presented her credentialsto President Armen Sarkissian, the PresidentialOffice announced, on June 6.

At the meeting the Armenian president congrat-ulated the Ambassador on assuming office andexpressed hope that El Achchabi’s long experiencewill serve for the development and deepening ofrelations between the two countries.

The president said Armenia and Morocco arecountries with millennia history and have a greatcooperation potential which is not utilized andneeds to be revealed.

Talking about the bilateral mutually beneficialpartnership, Sarkissian considered technology,information management and artificial intelligenceas prospective areas. The sides also highlighted thefield of tourism in terms of developing the bilater-al relations and raising mutual awareness.

Armenia FacilitatesTies between EEU and

Iran, FM SaysYEREVAN (Armenpress) — Thanks to Armenia

the development of Eurasian Economic Union’s(EEU) foreign economic component gained anadditional boost, Minister of Foreign Affairs ZohrabMnatsakanyan said during parliamentary hearingstitled “Year of Armenian Presidency at EEU:Challenges and Opportunities” on June 10.

“Armenia’s political and economic ties with Irancreated conditions for the union to enter theMiddle East, as a result of which the interim agree-ment aimed at the creation of a Free Trade Zone(FTZ) between the EEU countries and Iran wassigned on May 17, 2018 in Astana,” he said.

The three-year deal reduces or abolishes importcustoms duties for a broad range of products.

Mnatsakanyan said the implementation of agree-ments with Iran and China, as well as completionof negotiations with Singapore, Serbia, Egypt,Israel and India, can be an additional boost for theEEU’s integration into the global economy.

The EEU-Iran FTZ deal has been ratified by allmembers of the Union.

INSIDE

NEWS IN BRIEF

Yerevan’s Syrian Food Scene

Page 14

INDEXArts and Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Armenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,3Community News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,5

Mirror- SpectatorMirror- SpectatorTHE ARMENIAN

Volume LXXXIX, NO. 47, Issue 4591

J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 9

$ 2.00

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

WATERTOWN — The Armenian Museumof America is one of 100 local nonprofits toreceive grants of $100,000 each throughCummings Foundation’s “$100K for 100”program. The Watertown-based organizationwas selected from a total of 574 applicationsduring a competitive review process.

Representing the Armenian Museum,Stuart Green and Berj Chekijian joined theapproximately 300 other guests at a receptionat the TradeCenter 128 in Woburn to cele-brate the $10 million infusion into GreaterBoston’s nonprofit sector. With the conclusionof this grant cycle, Cummings Foundation hasnow awarded more than $260 million toGreater Boston’s nonprofits alone.

“The Armenian Genocide is an essentialstory for our Museum to tell. Our collectionobjects tell the tragedy of the Genocide,while often also serving as objects of sur-

vival and witness. We are extremely gratefulto the Cummings Foundation and Bill andJoyce Cummings for their generosity andvision that will allow us to continue ourmission to share the art, culture and histo-ry of a proud and enduring people,” saidArmenian Museum Board of TrusteesPresident Michele Kolligian.

The funding will be used to strengthenthe museum’s visitor experience, particu-larly as it relates to exhibitions exploringthe Armenian Genocide and resultant dias-pora community. Dispersed over a four-yearperiod, the grant award will allow theMuseum to expand its current display thatfocuses on the Armenian Genocide. Byshowcasing unique family histories entrust-ed to the Museum’s care, renewed interpre-tation and exhibition design will articulate

see GRANT, page 16

Zareh Sinanyan Leaves City CouncilTo Work for Armenian Government

GLENDALE (Glendale News-Press) — GlendaleCity Council member Zareh Sinanyan is steppingdown from his municipal post to accept a positionwith the Armenian government.

Sinanyan, first elected to the local council in 2013, announced his resignationon Friday, June 7, according to a city statement.

“Zareh has had a very positive impact on City Council,” Glendale Mayor AraNajarian said. “He’s very analytical. He reads the material and understandsthe issues.”

Sinanyan will be in charge of Armenia’s diaspora affairs, reporting to the coun-try’s prime minister, according to Armenian news outlets.

see SINANYAN, page 9

Glendale City Council member Zareh Sinanyan

(RUTH SOWBY RANDS / GLENDALE NEWS-PRESS)

By Lila Seidman

ArmenianJusticeMinisterResigns

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Armenia’sJustice Minister Artak Zeynalian tenderedhis resignation on Friday, June 7, after justover a year in office.

Zeynalian gave no reason for his decisionwhich he announced on Facebook. Instead,he thanked Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyanfor appointing him as justice minister fol-

lowing lastyear’s VelvetRevolution. Healso thankedJustice Ministryemployees forthe “interesting,fruitful andresponsible jointwork.”

“I’m sure thateverything willbe fine … But if

it won’t be fine, it will be very fine,” wroteZeynalian.

A spokesperson for the Justice Ministryrefused to comment on his resignation.

Zeynalian, 49, is a prominent politicianand former civil rights campaigner affiliat-ed with the pro-Western Hanrapetutyun(Republic) party. He retained his post evenafter the party challenged Pashinyan’s MyStep alliance in the December 2018 parlia-mentary elections.

My Step’s parliamentary leader, LilitMakunts, suggested that his resignation isconnected with sweeping judicial reformsplanned by the Armenian authorities.Makunts said some My Step lawmakers areunhappy with the reform-related work ofthe Justice Ministry and Zeynalian in par-ticular.

Makunts told reporters that they voicedtheir “concerns” after government support-ers blocked the court buildings across thecountry at Pashinyan’s urging on May 20.She insisted, however, that none of themcalled for Zeynalian’s resignation.

Speaking to journalists on May 21,Zeynalian pointedly declined to comment

see RESIGNATION, page 2

Artak Zeynalian

Armenian Museum Receives $100,000 from Cummings Foundation

Armenian Museum Board of TrusteesPresident Michele Kolligian, right, withrecent guest Dr. Helen Evans of theMetropolitan Museum of Art in New York

By Muriel Mirak-WeissbachSpecial to the Mirror-Spectator

FRANKFURT, Germany — Many journal-ists, too many, have been arrested andjailed in Turkey and for political reasons.The numbers run into the hundreds. DenizYücel is one of them; he was “not the firstto be arrested illegally, but was the first tobe freed illegally.”

This is how he summed up his specialcase during a meeting held on June 5 at theLiteraturhaus in Frankfurt am Main,Germany. Titled, “Freedom is somethingthat one does,” the event was organized bythe Friedrich Naumann Foundation. The

moderator was Martin Wiesman, andYücel’s dialogue partner was Doris Akrap,journalist and editor of the Tageszeitung(TAZ) newspaper.

see ARREST, page 5

Deniz Yücel

Journalist Deniz Yücel SpeaksOut on Arrest in Turkey

(DEUTSCHE-WELLE PHOTO)

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ARMENIA

Pianists Vie for Title atAram Khachaturian

CompetitionYEREVAN (Panorama.am) — The semi-final round of

the 15th Khachaturian International Competition isunderway on June 10 at Yerevan specialized secondarymusic school named after Tchaikovsky. According tothe Aram Khachaturian Competition CulturalFoundation, 13 participants have passed to the semi-final round for the main award and the prizes.The final round of the competition will take place

on June 12. The finalists will perform with the StateSymphony Orchestra of Armenia which is the offi-cial symphony of the competition.The Khachaturian International Competition is

held in Yerevan from June 6 to June 14 every yearstarting from 2003. For the first time it was imple-mented within the framework of events, dedicated tothe 100th anniversary of great composer. In 2013 the Khachaturian competition was elected

as a member of the World Federation of InternationalMusic Competitions becoming the only Armenian com-petition ever honored with such a privilege.

Sevan Road to BeRenovated

YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The Government ofArmenia has approved an upcoming renovation ofthe road leading to the Sevan Peninsula.Deputy Minister of Transportation, Communication

and IT Bagrat Badalyan said on May 31 at the Cabinetmeeting that the asphalt layer is worn out in the areaand given the fact that soon the tourism season willbegin they want to reconstruct it.The Sevan Peninsula is a major tourism attraction

for visitors of Lake Sevan.The restoration works will be completed within

one month.

Defense Minister BriefsJames Jones on NK Line

of ContactYEREVAN (Panorama.am) — Armenian Defense

Minister Davit Tonoyan received on Friday, June 6,Atlantic Council Executive Chairman Emeritus RetiredGen. James L. Jones Jr. As the defense ministryreported in a press statement, Tonoyan presented thesituation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border andat the Line of Contact between Artsakh andAzerbaijan, reflected on Armenian-American andArmenia-NATO cooperation in the defense sector.The two sides exchanged thoughts on number of

issues of regional and International security issues.Jones is a retired United States Marine Corps gen-

eral and a former United States National SecurityAdvisor. During his military career, he served as the32nd Commandant of the Marine Corps from July1999 to January 2003, and Commander, UnitedStates European Command and Supreme AlliedCommander Europe from 2003 to 2006. Jonesretired from the Marine Corps on February 1, 2007,after 40 years of service.

Armenia among MostPopular Destinations for

Russians in 2019YEREVAN (PanARMENIAN.Net) — Armenia is among

the top 20 countries preferred for travel by Russiantourists for 2019, analytical agency TurStat reveals.The agency has unveiled a rating of countries pop-

ular among Russians in the first quarter of 2019.Accordingly, tourist trips to Armenia have

increased by 19 percent to 94,000 in the first threemonths of 2019 against the same period last year.The remaining 19 popular destinations are

Abkhazia, Finland, Kazakhstan, Thailand, China,Estonia, Ukraine, Turkey, United Arab Emirates,Germany, Italy, Poland, Georgia, Vietnam, Spain,Azerbaijan, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and France.TurStat reported earlier that Armenia is among

the five best CIS destinations suitable for sightsee-ing holidays.

News From Armenia

Armenian Justice MinisterResignsRESIGNATION, from page 1on the court blockade denounced by the Armenian opposition.

Artur Sakunts, a human rights activist, likewise linked the minister’sresignation with the judicial crisis. Sakunts said that the JusticeMinistry did not initiate “drastic changes” within the judiciary underZeynalian.

Also resigning on Friday was Gevorg Danielyan, the acting head ofthe Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), a state body overseeing Armenia’scourts. In a statement, Danielyan said the SJC needs to have a differ-ent composition in order to “really inspire trust” and be able to imple-ment judicial reforms.

The SJC’s previous chairman, Gagik Harutyunyan, stepped down onMay 24. Harutyunyan attributed the move to “ongoing developmentsrelating to the judicial authority” and his “concerns expressed in thatregard.”

YEREVAN — On June 5, on the heelsof an official visit to Artsakh in supportof the AGBU Fund for Artsakh, AGBUPresident Berge Setrakian met withPrime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at thegovernment building. Along with AGBUArmenia’s President Vasken Yacoubianand Executive Director Talar Kazanjian,Setrakian briefed the prime ministerand key staffers on the Artsakh visit,presented the organization’s strategyfor accelerating socio-economic develop-ment in the war-torn republic, andupdated them on the progress of otherAGBU initiatives throughout Armeniasince the first official meeting with then-interim PM Pashinyan shortly after theVelvet Revolution.

Now, a year later, with the NewArmenia Agenda under way, areas ofmutual interest could be explored withgreater substance and specificity withan understanding that the work ofAGBU in Armenia is driven by a convic-tion that a strong, vibrant, democraticArmenia is the key to preserving andenhancing the global Armenian identityin the 21st century.

Pashinyan expressed the Armeniangovernment’s appreciation of AGBU’sgrowing presence in the country andits ability to address pressing needs ofthe people on multiple fronts, assur-ing AGBU leadership of its desire tocooperate and assist, where appropri-ate, in meeting the organization’sstrategic goals and programmaticneeds.

After the one-hour meeting,

Setrakian noted that there are manyareas of mutual alignment, citing suchexamples as the AGBU Women’sEntrepreneurs program (W.E.),designed to uplift the status of womenin Armenia through financial indepen-dence, and its efforts to build capacity

among civil society organizations inArmenia through its Bridge for CSOsprogram, which can help promote anopen and trusting relationshipbetween citizens and their government.Both programs involve diaspora partic-ipation which adds another importantdimension to the much-needed reset in

Armenia-Diaspora relations. “Anything that AGBU can do to help

the people of Armenia succeed in theirpersonal lives and as citizens of a coun-try with so much human potential willhelp keep the entire Armenian Nationmoving in a positive direction,”

Setrakian observed. “In these times,what happens in Armenia, does not stayin Armenia. Its trials and triumphs, itsplace in the world, and its image as adistinctive living culture, has, to onedegree or another, tangibly or psycho-logically, an impact on Armenians every-where.”

Seated Left, Front to Back: AGBU Armenia President Vasken Yacoubian; AGBU President Berge Setrakian; AGBU ArmeniaExecutive Director Talar Kazanjian. Seated Righr Front to Back: Assistant to PM Hratch Tashchyan, PM Nikol Pashinyan; PMSpokesperson Vladimir Karapetyan. (Photo courtesy of the Press office of the Government of Armenia – www.gov.am)

AGBU Leadership Briefs Armenia’s PrimeMinister on Current Strategic Goals

Prime Minister Pashinyan greets AGBU President Berge Setrakian at the Armeniangovernment building. (Photo courtesy of the Press office of the Government ofArmenia – www.gov.am)

ArmenianPresident VisitsItalian Embassy

YEREVAN (Panorama.am) — PresidentArmen Sarkissian of Armenia and his wifeNouneh Sarkissian visited on June 2 theEmbassy of Italy in Yerevan on the country’snational holiday, Republic Day.

The Armenian leader congratulatedAmbassador of Italy Vincenzo Del Monaco,the entire embassy staff, and in their personthe friendly people of Italy on the nationalholiday, the presidential press service report-ed.

The parties spoke about the Armenian-Italian cultural and historical ties and in thiscontext stressed in particular the activities ofthe Mekhitarist Congregation in Italy.

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ARMENIA

STEPANAKERT, Artsakh — ArmenianGeneral Benevolent Union (AGBU) announcedon June 4 a major push behind its AGBU Fundfor Artsakh, a four-way strategy for sustainablesocio-economic growth in Artsakh centeredaround programs in education, culture, human-itarian relief, and socio-economic development.

AGBU President Berge Setrakian believesthat a sustainable growth economy for Artsakhis as indispensable to its survival as negotiatinga just peace and defending the right to self-determination, stating that, “Along with provid-ing a better life for the people, a strong econo-my also means a stronger military and eventu-ally a safer homeland.”

Building on the organization’s decades ofsupport for humanitarian and socio-economicinitiatives in the war-stricken enclave, AGBUFund for Artsakh was officially launched in2018 as an umbrella entity that better reflectsthe interdependence among programs toachieve optimal national renewal — from pro-viding emergency medical support in responseto the April 2016 four-day war, educating thenext generation of innovators through its col-laboration with the TUMO Center for CreativeTechnologies, helping advance deserving stu-dents with university scholarships, and sup-porting Military Officer Education for both onand off the battlefield. On the cultural front, theFund continues to support the ArtsakhChamber Orchestra that it helped found in2004. The orchestra has since toured the world,paving the way for a new music school inArtsakh, thanks to its global success.

Two new agriculture-based initiatives wereadded to the Fund in 2018 — AGBU Fields ofHope and AGBU Olive Tree Orchards. Both aredesigned to empower farmers, including Syrian-Armenian refugee settlers, to transformArtsakh into a cornucopia of produce to sustainthe populace and open new markets for region-al trade.

In concert with announcing acceleratedefforts behind the Fund, AGBU introduced twonew ambitious programs aimed at stimulatingeconomic activity and reducing poverty: AGBUWomen Entrepreneurs (W.E.); and AGBU Learnto Earn Artsakh Program (LEAP).

AGBU LEAP is a professional development

initiative that helps locals with different educa-tional backgrounds and skill sets to create moresustainable and remunerative sources ofincome through self-employment and enhancedemployability. The program also aims to sup-port public servants in their professional devel-opment, as well as to cultivate a more support-ive environment for small and medium-sizeenterprises in Artsakh.

Selected entrepreneurs will enroll for acourse in Business Administration from theAmerican University of Armenia Extension

Program. Upon completion, they will have theopportunity to compete for mini-grants andbenefit from year-long handholding fromexperts in relevant fields.

Other beneficiaries will also receive English-language training and a non-degree certificatein Tourism and Hospitality Management uponcompletion of at least five of AUA Extension’s12-course program.

AGBU Learn to Earn Artsakh Program alsocommits to strengthen capabilities among offi-cers employed in the public sector through pro-fessional development courses and exchangevisits with Armenian counterparts. The pro-gram will help the Artsakh government developaction plans to resolve policy gaps and improvethe business climate for small and mediumenterprises.

AGBU Women Entrepreneurs (W.E.) in

Artsakh is implemented together with FruitfulArmenia Charity Foundation to boost the entre-preneurial skills of women in Stepanakert andthe regions and help them succeed in the worldof business. The project is part of the AGBUWomen Empowerment Program which beganin Armenia in 2017 to help promote humanrights and equal opportunity for women inArmenia.

“The establishment of enterprises, the cre-ation of new jobs, and the promotion of exportare all key to economic development. This is

why we are joining AGBU in supporting womenentrepreneurs in Artsakh by helping themexpand their knowledge of finance and entre-preneurship and to be more effectively involvedin the development of the country’s economy,”noted Jorge Del Aguila-Eurnekian, BoardMember of Fruitful Armenia Foundation andConverse Bank.

The Armenian General Benevolent Union(AGBU) is the world’s largest non-profit organi-zation devoted to upholding the Armenian her-itage through educational, cultural and human-itarian programs. Each year, AGBU is commit-ted to making a difference in the lives of500,000 people across Armenia, Artsakh andthe Armenian diaspora. Since 1906, AGBU hasremained true to one overarching goal: to cre-ate a foundation for the prosperity of allArmenians. To learn more visit www.agbu.org.

AGBU Redoubles Efforts to Revitalize Economy, People of Artsakh

AGBU Fields of Hope

Speakers at the AGBU Fund for Artsakh press conference. From left: AGBU Armenia ExecutiveDirector Talar Kazanjian; AGBU Armenia President Vasken Yacoubian; AGBU President BergeSetrakian; and State Minister of Artsakh Grigory Martirosyan.

Artsakh Chamber Orchestra

AGBU Women Entrepreneurs (W.E.)

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INTERNATIONAL

S A T U R D A Y, J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 9

Prague Court toExtradite Narek

Sargsyan to ArmeniaPRAGUE (PanARMENIAN.Net) — The Czech

Republic may extradite the nephew of Armenia’sthird President, Serzh Sargsyan, Narek Sargsyan, toArmenia. The Prague City Court on June 4 reachedthe decision. Armenian officials accused Narek Sargsyan of ille-

gally keeping weapons and drugs in his apartment inthe center of Yerevan in the summer of 2018.Moreover, this is not the full list of the chargesagainst Sargsyan. The Armenian police also statedthat when discovered, he provided a fake passport ofGuatemala with the personal details of a personnamed Franklin Gonzales.A criminal case has been instituted against

Sargsyan for the purpose of acquiring, selling, keep-ing, transporting or carrying illegal weapons, ammu-nition or explosives as well as for selling, marketingillegal drugs or substances.

Dutch Parliament SlamsErdogan’s Comments on

Armenian GenocideTHE HAGUE (PanARMENIAN.Net) — The Dutch

House of Representatives on Tuesday, June 11 adopt-ed a resolution condemning Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan’s April 24 comments concerning thevictims of the Armenian Genocide, lawmaker AlenSimonyan said in a Facebook post.Erdogan said back then that the deportation of

Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in the early 20thcentury was “appropriate at the time.”The “deportation of Armenian gangs who were

massacring Muslims including women, children andelderly people in the Eastern Anatolia region was themost appropriate act at that time,” Erdogan said.“No group or state has been able to prove theirclaims on the Armenian issue with archive docu-ments.”The document adopted by the parliament of the

Netherlands obliges the government to inform theTurkish authorities on the lawmakers stance.

Armenian amongInjured in Tourist Bus

Collision SOCHI (Panarmenia.net) — One Armenian citizen

was among the injured in Sochi tourist buses colli-sion on Sunday, June 9, the spokesperson forArmenian MFA Anna Naghdalyan said referring toArmenian consulate in Sochi.As reported earlier, a total of 26 people have been

injured as a result of a collision of two buses inRussian Sochi, RIA Novosti reported.

Two Female ArmenianSoldiers Join UN Forces

In LebanonYEREVAN (PanARMENIAN.Net) — Two female

Armenian soldiers have for the first time beenrecruited in the United Nations Interim Force inLebanon (UNIFIL).The Brigadier General of International

Peacekeeping Forces in Lebanon, Bruno Pisciotta,and Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon VahagnAtabekyan, met to discuss the issue.Atabekyan was attending a ceremony of awarding

Armenian peacekeepers at the headquarters ofInternational Peacekeeping Forces in Lebanon.The ambassador thanked the Armenian peacekeep-

ers for implementing the mission with great respon-sibility.Pisciotta also hailed the Armenian servicemen.

International News

LONDON — The Armenian DiasporaSurvey (ADS) published the results of afirst ever survey, which provides a snap-shot of the issues, attitudes and trendsshaping the Armenian world in the 21stcentury.

The 150-page Armenian DiasporaOpinion, Pilot Project 2018 includes sixthematic chapters—on identity, lan-guage and culture, religion, community,politics and relations with Armenia—andthe full results of the pilot survey con-ducted in May and June 2018 in Boston,Cairo, Marseille and Pasadena. Thereare sections on research methodology,profiles of the communities in the fourcities and the entire questionnaire.Published by the Armenian Institute inLondon, the report is available to thepublic.

“The primary aim of this research pro-ject, which is led by a team of acade-mics, researchers and experts, is to pro-vide evidence-based understanding ofthe multilayered and diverse aspects ofArmenian diasporic life,” said Dr. HratchTchilingirian, a scholar at University ofOxford, who directs the project.

“The knowledge gained and the fullsurvey responses presented in this newpublication could be useful to institu-tional and community leaders in theDiaspora and policy-makers inArmenia,” explained Tchilingirian,“especially, when they are taking deci-sions about priorities, projects and ser-vices in the communities.”

The Armenian Diaspora Survey(ADS) is funded by the ArmenianCommunities Department of theCalouste Gulbenkian Foundation andcarried out under the auspices of theArmenian Institute in London.

“We are pleased to see the publica-tion of this report on the multi-countrysystematic survey of the Diaspora,” saidDr. Razmik Panossian, Director ofGulbenkian Foundation’s ArmenianCommunities Department. “The needfor evidence-based understanding ofArmenians around the world,” he con-tinued, “is essential not only to compre-hend current realities, but also to planfor the future.”

Over 1000 Armenians in four cities inthe Diaspora took part in this first eversurvey, which was led by a team of aca-demics, researchers and experts. Thesecities were chosen to provide variety forthe initial phase, as well as for theircommunity history and characteristics.

The ResearchThe overwhelming majority of the

respondents consider the continuation ofthe Armenian diaspora as important andmeaningful space—94 percent marked as“fairly” to “very” important. Along theselines, 84 percent of respondents felt itwas important to help diaspora commu-nities in the Middle East. This is signifi-cant as traditionally the Genocide andthe Republic of Armenia have been thefocus of funding, study or discourse inthe Diaspora. The respondents showed

interest in all of these, but considered thediaspora equally important. Armenia is“fairly” and “very” important to 90 per-cent of respondents and 75 percent havevisited the country at least once, while 93percent intend to visit.

Respondents said that Armenian lan-guage, history and religion were impor-tant to themselves and to Armenianidentity generally — but variationsappeared between the cities and furtherquestions revealed broad variations inpractice.

Even as ADS respondents in the fourcities seem to be more active than per-haps a broader population ofArmenians, 73 percent claimed noactive affiliation with any Armenianpolitical organization. However a major-ity said they were active in otherArmenian organizations such as theAGBU, Hamazkain and others.

Predictably, Christianity is consideredan important part of Armenian identity—for Apostolic, Evangelical and Catholicrespondents across the four communi-ties. While only 14-16 percent attendedchurch weekly or monthly, 70 percent feltit is important to be married in anArmenian church. Some 43 percent ofrespondents felt that women should beordained in Armenian churches, while 30percent had no opinion on the matter.

The full report is available on theADS website and could be downloadedfor free: https://www.armeniandiaspo-rasurvey.com/2018

Armenian Diaspora Opinion Survey Results Published

By Ani Mejlumyan

YEREVAN (Eurasianet) — Armeniahas for the first time not voted against aGeorgian resolution at the UnitedNations about the right of return of dis-placed people, an apparent gesture onYerevan’s part toward better relationswith Tbilisi.

On June 4, the United NationsGeneral Assembly passeda non-binding resolutionreaffirming the rights ofGeorgians displaced fromSouth Ossetia andAbkhazia to return totheir homes. The two ter-ritories are consideredGeorgian by most of theworld but have been con-trolled by Russia-backedself-declared republicssince the early 1990s.

Georgia has sponsoredsimilar resolutions everyyear since 2008, and untilthis year Armenia votedagainst: the situation isanalogous to that ofNagorno-Karabakh, inter-nationally recognized aspart of Azerbaijan butcontrolled by Armenianforces since 1994.

This year, however,Armenia didn’t vote. It didn’t explain itsreasoning but Johnny Melikiyan, an ana-lyst of Armenia-Georgia relations at theArmenian government think tankOrbeli Center, told Eurasianet that thetwo countries appear to have reachedan informal agreement that “we don’tvote against each other.” He said votingfor the resolution would be impossible,though: Armenia “has the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, and voting for the reso-lution would be against Armenia’s inter-ests.”

While in the past Georgia has votedfor what Melikiyan described as “anti-

Armenian” UN resolutions, such asthose affirming the territorial integrityof Azerbaijan, Yerevan wanted to takethe first step toward better cooperation.“By abstaining we [Armenia] showedthat we want to build a better founda-tion with our neighbor,” he toldEurasianet. “We also spoiledAzerbaijan’s propaganda againstArmenia in Georgia, as this is one of themain topics they use to criticizeArmenia.”

When Georgian President SalomeZourabichvili visited Yerevan in March,Pashinyan said that there was “a his-toric opportunity to upgrade the rela-tions between our countries.”Nevertheless, the government has triedas well to balance relations with Russia,its traditional ally and Georgia’s prima-ry foe. Just days before the UN vote,Pashinyan told an interviewer inKazakhstan that Armenia hoped torestore railway communicationsbetween Armenia and Russia viaGeorgia and Abkhazia, a project thatGeorgia regards with suspicion.

Richard Giragosian, director of theYerevan think tank Regional StudiesCenter, said Armenia’s UN vote sug-gests a more “careful” diplomaticapproach by the new government,which took power last spring. ForArmenia, “despite expectations and per-haps pressure from Russia, the absten-tion may have been a compromise,aimed at no longer angering its impor-tant neighbor Georgia, while seekingmore flexibility from the Moscow line in

UN votes,” Giragosian told Eurasianet.Russia voted against the resolution,

and most of the others who joined itwere aligned with Russia.

Arsen Kharatayan, a Tbilisi-based for-mer foreign policy advisor to ArmenianPrime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, wroteon his Facebook page that the vote wasa crucial step in restoring faith betweenthe two countries: “Armenian-Georgianrelations should be beyond the influ-ence of any third party,” he said,expressing hope that Georgia will take asimilar approach in the future whenArmenia-related votes come up.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili and Armenian Prime Minister in March in Yerevan.

In Nod to Georgia, Armenia Changes UN Vote forFirst Time about Right of Georgians to Return

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Armenpress) —Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyanannounced that Armenia is ready to contributeto the development of relations between Russiaand the European Union (EU), during his speechat St. Petersburg International Economic Forumon June 7.

To the question of the facilitator of the sessionif Armenia can in the future abandon theEurasian Economic Union if the shift towardsthe EU continues, Pashiyan answered that thereis no shift towards any direction.

“There is no shift towards the EuropeanUnion, because Armenia remains in the place itis now. This is very important to emphasize,because we cooperate with the EU over issues ofour domestic reforms. The EU is very interestedin improving relations with Russia. I often con-tact with European leaders and I want to say thatall of them support Armenia in developing rela-tions with the Russian Federation. And this isvery important. We are very transparent with ourRussian partners in our relations with the EU,and we are transparent with our European part-ners in our relations with the RF. Of course, rul-ing out some security-linked nuances”,Pashinyan said.

The Armenian premier said that Armenia doesnot plan to participate in geopolitical games. “Iwant to say that really many European leadersare interested in normalizing relations withRussia. I think the presence of the two Europeanleaders here also speaks about that. I think manyhave understood in the world that geopolitical

games do not lead to any good thing, and thisparticularly refers to the countries and peopleswhich become a platform for such geopoliticalgames. For that reason Armenia’s position isvery clear – we do not plan to become part ofgeopolitical games. We have to establish normalrelations with the European Union and theRussian Federation. We are an EEU memberstate, holding the chairmanship of this year.

Recently I paid a visit to the People’s Republic ofChina, where I mentioned in my speech that I amvery glad we have a positive dynamics of rela-tions with China. I think China, the EU andRussia are all interested in universal stability andI think that our main priority in these relationsis stability and security. Of course, we, as an EEUmember state, understand our role and will con-tribute to the improvement of relations betweenour colleagues, not to worsening,” the Armenian

prime minister said. Pashinyan urges international partners to

invest in Armenia.“The value added tax increase in the first half

of this year was 7.1 percent in Armenia, whileeconomic activity index amounted to 9.2 percentin April, so I invite the international business tomake investments in Armenia. We even have aslogan for potential investors: We invite them to

Armenia to become richer and make our countryricher,” Pashinyan said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who is in theRussian Federation on a working visit, partici-pated in the 23rd plenary session of the St.Petersburg International Economic Forum, titled“Forming a Sustainable Development Agenda.”

President of the People’s Republic of China XiJinping, President of the Republic of BulgariaRomen Radiev, Prime Minister of the SlovakRepublic Peter Pelegrine and UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres attended the plenarysession.

One day before, Pashinyan met with Putin inthe Konstantinovsky Palace.

Welcoming Pashinyan, Putin hailed relationsbetween the two countries as special.

“I have no doubt that you will find it interest-ing and, hopefully, useful to take part in discus-sions at the St Petersburg InternationalEconomic Forum,” he said.

“It offers you a good format in which to meetyour colleagues, talk with them and discuss cur-rent issues on the economic agenda, as well as totalk about political issues, so I would call it a use-ful and important event.

“There is no need to characterize our bilateralrelations as we do this regularly: we met quiterecently and discussed many issues and had theopportunity to talk about everything on the side-lines of the EEU summit in Kazakhstan.

“Let me remind you that Russia is Armenia’sleading trade and economic partner, whichaccounts for 26 percent of Armenia’s foreigntrade, plus direct investment worth $2 billionand many other things that show that we main-tain special relations of two allies. I am glad tohave the opportunity to meet with you today anddiscuss the entire range of issues.”

Pashinyan said bilateral relations are develop-ing harmoniously.

“As you mentioned, our counties are bound bystrategic relations of allied partnership. And this

concerns not only bilateral relations: we areactively cooperating in the frame of the EurasianEconomic Union, the CIS [Commonwealth ofIndependent States], and the CSTO [CollectiveSecurity Treaty Organization]. And I believe thatall these areas are of strategic importance to ourcountries,” he said.

During the meeting, the interlocutors dis-cussed a broad range of issues on the Armenian-Russian cooperation agenda. In particular, theytouched upon the activities of the intergovern-mental commission.

The parties stressed the importance of contin-ued high-level contacts and expressed readinessto discuss ways of ensuring progress in this area.The need for continued discussions in the frame-work of working groups was noted on both sides.

(PanArmenian.net contributed to this report.)

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INTERNATIONAL

ARREST, from page 1Indeed, the case was in many ways unique.

Yücel is a German citizen of Turkish descentand was working as a correspondent for theGerman paper Die Welt when he was arrestedin February 2017. He was kept in prison for oneyear, 290 days of those in solitary confinement;he was released on February 16, 2018. Thestate attorney had just presented formalcharges, accusing him of spreading propagandafor a terrorist organization (the Kurdish PKK)and of incitement to hatred. If convicted, hecould be sentenced to 4-18 years. A date for thetrial was set for June, but there was no condi-tion set that he must stay in Turkey. He imme-diately left for Germany. He would not returnfor the trial.

In this sense, he was the first to be releasedillegally. His freedom came not as a result of anorderly trial and acquittal, but in response to aninternational campaign, #FreeDeniz, launchedby Akrap, who grew up with Yücel nearFrankfurt. The campaign organized demonstra-tions, car rallies, concerts, readings in local

bookstores, petitions and open letters. AsAkrap noted, the moment was propitious, sinceTurkey was at the center of attention, and thecase was a lead item in major press for weekson end.

The German government intervened, in theperson of then-Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel,and when in summer 2017 Berlin threatened toblock Hermes export credits, the potential eco-nomic danger convinced Ankara to let him out.Eager to maintain access to the EuropeanUnion (and even join one day), Turkey couldn’trisk such a conflict with Germany, Yücel said.

On the personal level, he stressed theimportance of the solidarity campaign, whichgave him the moral support to resist (evenwhen tortured) and to smuggle articles out ofjail. Although, he reported, some colleaguesfeared that publication would do more dam-age than good, he reasoned, “The reason I’mhere is that I am a journalist, because of myarticles. If their aim is to silence me, then allthe more important to break the silence andpublish.”

What will emerge from the electionsErdogan has decided to repeat? The real ques-tion, in Yücel’s view, is: how much willErdogan take with him when he goes under?In 2005, when Erdogan was on a reformcourse, he understood from GermanChancellor Angela Merkel and others inEurope that Turkey would not be let into theEU. Then in 2015 after the refugee crisis,Merkel made a deal with Erdogan. The posi-tion the EU takes, Yücel said, will depend onwhat happens in Turkey after Erdogan. TheAKP ideology was initially Islamist but, sincethe failed coup attempt, it has turned increas-ingly nationalist. Erdogan and his clique (whoare hated, he said), will seek allies anywhere,as long as this keeps them in power.

Yücel’s new book, which tells the wholestory, is titled, Terrorist Agent: How I Causeda Serious Diplomatic Crisis and Why BeingConcerned Is not Enough (Agentterrorist:Wie ich eine schwere diplomatische Kriseausgelöst habe und warum es nicht reicht,besorgt zu sein).

Journalist Deniz Yücel Speaks Out on Arrest in Turkey

Karabakh SecurityChief Sacked AfterRow With Yerevan

STEPANAKERT (RFE/RL) — VitalyBalasanyan, one of Nagorno-Karabakh’stop security officials, was relieved of hisduties on Tuesday, June 11, one monthafter criticizing Armenian Prime MinisterNikol Pashinyan and bitterly arguing withhis press secretary.

Bako Sahakyan, the Karabakh presi-dent, dismissed Balasanyan as secretary ofhis national security council in a series ofdecrees that also named another retiredarmy general, Levon Mnatsakanyan, aschief of the Karabakh police.

Mnatsakanyan is the former commanderof Karabakh’s Armenian-backed army. Hewas sacked in December after Pashinyanaccused Karabakh leaders of “meddling” inArmenian parlia-mentary elections.

S a h a k y a n ’ sspokesman, DavitBabayan, insistedthat Balasanyanhimself decidedto resign becausehe wants to be“involved” in apresidential elec-tion which is dueto be held in Karabakh next year. “Hedecided to enter the political scene andmore actively participate in that electoralprocess,” Babayan told RFE/RL’sArmenian service.

Balasanyan is expected to be one of themain candidates in that election. He hadalready been Sahakyan’s main challengerin a presidential ballot held in 2012.

Earlier this month, Balasanyan publiclyscoffed at Pashinyan’s confidence-buildingunderstandings reached with AzerbaijaniPresident Ilham Aliyev. He also criticizedArmenian authorities for not heeding thecurrent and former Karabakh leaders’ callsfor the release of Armenia’s indicted formerPresident Robert Kocharyan from prison.

Those remarks sparked a war of wordsbetween Balasanyan and Pashinyan’spress secretary, Vladimir Karapetyan. AnArmenian newspaper report claimed onMonday that Pashinyan has since beenpressing Sahakyan to sack his securitychief.

The Armenian prime minister last weekaccused unnamed Karabakh leaders ofspreading false claims about significantterritorial concessions to Azerbaijanplanned by his government.

Babayan denied, however, any connec-tion between Pashinyan’s statements andBalasanyan’s dismissal. “Please do not link[the two things,] do not look for anintrigue,” said the Karabakh official.

Balasanyan, 60, is a retired army gener-al who had played a major role during the1991-1994 war with Azerbaijan. Heannounced on May 30 that he has set upa “pan-Armenian” political movementcalled For Artsakh.

Vitaly Balasanyan

Pashinyan Speaks about Building Bridges at Russian Economic Conference

From left, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Chinese President Xi Jinping and RussianPresident Vladimir Putin

Prime Minister Pashinyan is interviewed by a Chinese television reporter.

6

Stewart Goff AppointedNew CEO of ArmenianWomen’s WelfareAssociation, ArmenianNursing andRehabilitation Center

BOSTON — The Board of Directors of theArmenian Women’s Welfare Association(AWWA) and the Armenian Nursing andRehabilitation Center (ANRC) is pleased toannounce the appointment of Stewart R.Goff, RN, MS as the new CEO of AWWA andANRC. He assumed this position on May 8.

Goff brings his significant administrativeexperience and clinical background to lead-ership of these important non-profit institu-tions. Trained as a registered nurse and nurs-ing home administrator, for the past 14 yearsGoff worked with Covenant Health as execu-tive director of the 231-bed Mary ImmaculateNursing/Restorative Center in Lawrence andas administrator of Campion Health &Wellness, a 70-bed skilled nursing facility andrest home for infirm and senior members ofthe Society of Jesus. Both sites provide ser-vices across multiple levels of care.Previously he served as executive director ofGoddard House in Jamaica Plain from 1999-2004.

Goff said, “I am so honored to be part of anorganization with such history of service to acommunity which has come to mean so muchto me on a personal level. I look forward toapplying my many years of experience to theprovision of eldercare services in theArmenian tradition.” Goff is at home with the

Armenian community as his wife is ofArmenian descent; her grandmother appearsin a 1948 photo of AWWA members.

“The Board of Directors welcomes theexemplary skills and experience that Stewartbrings to our projects. We are excited to havehis leadership as we look forward to expand-ing our services,” says ANRC/AWWA BoardPresident Susan Deranian.

Founded in 1915, the AWWA supports theANRC, the Elderly Project of the HanganakClinic, an NGO in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh, and other initiatives that benefitthe Armenian community in the greaterBoston area and beyond. The ANRC is an 83-bed non-profit skilled nursing facility thatoffers the highest quality long-term care forelderly Armenian and non-Armenian resi-dents as well as outstanding short-term carefor residents of all ages and backgroundswho require rehabilitation before returningto their homes.

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

USC Institute of ArmenianStudies Appoints Dr.Shushan Karapetian asDeputy Director

LOS ANGELES — The University of SouthernCalifornia (USC) Institute of Armenian Studiesannounced this spring that Dr. ShushanKarapetian is the new deputy director. The 15-year-old institute has grown to become one ofUSC’s most visible and active academic centers.

The position of deputy director has beenmade possible by the Turpanjian FamilyFoundation, whose support to USC generallyand Armenian Studies at USC in particular hasbeen at the core of the Institute’s growth.

Karapetian’s interdisciplinary research andacademic accomplishments will propel andexpand the depth and scope of the Institute’sresearch and academic programs.

“With Dr. Shushan Karapetian’s joining theInstitute, we will now be entering a new phase.She shares our commitment to do the work nec-essary to shape and positively impact global dis-course on Armenia and the Diaspora. And shebrings knowledge and experience that is solidlygrounded in academia even as she puts greatimportance on the process of making academic

research and scholarship available and accessi-ble,” said Salpi Ghazarian, director of the USCInstitute of Armenian Studies.

In her previous position at the University ofCalifornia, Los Angeles, where she completedboth her undergraduate and graduate educa-tion, Dr. Karapetian held a dual position asAssociate Director of the National HeritageLanguage Resource Center and Lecturer ofArmenian Studies in the Department of NearEastern Languages and Cultures.

Karapetian’s research focuses on the role ofArmenian as a pluricentric heritage language,particularly on the juncture of language andidentity in the transnational context of theArmenian people. Her dissertation, “‘How Do ITeach My Kids My Broken Armenian?’: A Studyof Eastern Armenian Heritage LanguageSpeakers in Los Angeles,” was awarded theDistinguished Dissertation Award by the Societyfor Armenian Studies in 2015.

Her postdoctoral research shifts to the situa-tion of Western Armenian and its sole existenceas a stateless diasporic language by examiningthe development of language ideologies that pro-ject its status as both threatened and valued.Her corresponding studies on Eastern andWestern Armenian in their diasporic expressiondemonstrate how linguistic and (trans)nationalboundaries are constantly stretched, blurred,and tested, bringing to light disruptive spaces ofcontact and how those map on to constructs ofbelonging in the Armenian experience.

Most recently, she was the recipient of theRuss Campbell Young Scholar Award inHeritage Language Education at the ThirdInternational Heritage/Community LanguagesConference hosted by the National HeritageLanguage Resource Center at UCLA.

see APPOINTMENT, page 8

Hundreds Gather in Oakland toHonor Lifelong AthleticVisionary and Leader, Richard Demirjian

OAKLAND, Calif. — On Sunday, June 2, at St. Vartan Armenian Church, hun-dreds of former and current athletes gathered from near and far to honor RichardDemirjian for his decades of service. With Richard in attendance, the tribute lun-

cheon was a great opportunity for for-mer teammates and friends to reminisceabout their fond memories all under theleadership and guidance of Demirjian.

For nearly six decades, Demirjianwas the catalyst for participation throughout California by Armenian youth inathletic competition, including track and field, men’s and women’s basketballand volleyball, softball, tennis and soccer. The gathering provided an opportu-nity to show Richard how much he personally meant to everyone in the roomand beyond.

In 1969, Demirjian, along with Ben Morjig, spearheaded the WesternArmenian Athletic Association (WAAA) Games, which was first held in the SanFrancisco Bay Area and then in Fresno. The games ran for 46 years with thou-sands of talented Armenian athlete participants. Dermirjian was also instru-

mental in the St.Vartan ArmenianChurch athletic team’sparticipation in varioustournaments through-out the WesternDiocese.

The luncheon beganwith a surprise — 85-year-old Ed Baker raninto the church hall asa torch bearer. Olympic-themed music played inthe background asBaker ran a lap aroundall the guest tables

replicating the Opening Ceremonies during the WAAA Games. Baker ran forSt. Vartan Armenian Church for more than three decades, and in 1979 set therecord for the Master’s Mile, which still stands today.

Throughout the afternoon, many former athletes spoke with deep gratitudeand appreciation for what Richard meant to them. Steven Donikian served asevent emcee and provided great commentary as a former athlete himself.

The first speaker was Jack Papazian, who, along with his brother George,were instrumental in encouraging Demirjian to start a basketball program andcompetition back in the 1960’s. Jack paid tribute to Richard and expressed howmuch of an impact he made on his life.

Other speakers included Judy Rejebian, who held the world record for the pen-tathlon at age 13; David Madajian spoke about his year’s running track and reflect-ing on fond memories spending holidays with the Dermirjians; Van DerMugrdechian, who traveled from Fresno with lots of photos and memorabilia in towfrom past competitions; and Brian Babayans from Los Angeles, who let Richardknow how much he impacted the lives of him and his brother, and how Richardwas instrumental in getting them both involved in the Armenian community. KenThompson, a sharp-shooter on the basketball court, reminisced about his years ofplaying under Demirjian and lifelong friendships he created through competition.

A special video tribute was played from St. Vartan’s own, Matt Vasgersian,who offered well wishes to Dermirjian. Matt is currently a commentator with

see DEMIRJIAN, page 7

Richard and Dottie Demirjian

Jack Papazian speaks with master of ceremoniesSteve Donikian looking on.

Stewart Goff

Dr. Shushan Karapetian

By Kim Bardakian

DEMIRJIAN, from page 6ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball and the MLBNetwork and was a neighbor to Demirjian as achild.

Janet Demirjian Schmid, Richard’s daughter,presented a poignant tribute to both her par-ents and provided heartwarming anecdotesabout growing up in a household surroundedby Armenian athletics.

Richard, along with his wife Dottie, took in allthe accolades happily and gracefully. The after-noon ended with remarks from Richard

Demirjian, who held back tears as he lookedinto the room and was filled with much pride,joy and gratitude.

Before the program concluded, Father HovelOhanyan, Parish Priest at St. Vartan ArmenianChurch, and Nazar Jindoian, Parish CouncilChairman, presented Richard with a certificateannouncing the newly established, RichardDemirjian Athletic Fund. All donations will gotoward the athletic program at St. VartanChurch to ensure his legacy continues.

The members of the organizing committeeincluded Kim Bardakian, Yeghia Apkarian,Janet Demirjian Schmid, Annette BoydKevranian, Steven Donikian and HagopHakimian. The St. Vartan Ladies Society pre-pared lunch for the guests.

Dermijian’s vision to bring Armenian athletestogether to compete was successful. However,he accomplished so much more. He connectedArmenians from the Bay Area and beyond, cul-tivating lifelong friendships and memories thatwill last for generations, as witnessed in theoverflowing hall on June 2 in Oakland.

Donations can be made out to St. VartanArmenian Church with the memo: “RichardDemirjian Athletic Fund,” and can be mailed toSt. Vartan Church, 650 Spruce Street, Oakland,CA 94610.

Richard Demirjian was born on a farm out-side Byron, Mich. to Sarkis and Kaden

Demirjian, along with his two brothers and sis-ter. He served in the U.S. Army and was head-quartered in Paris, France. After his time in theArmy, he attended Wayne State University inDetroit, graduating in 1951 with a degree inBusiness Administration.

Upon graduation, he worked at his brother’sshop, learning the precision, hard-chrome plat-ing trade, which he eventually brought toCalifornia, where he opened a similar businessin Oakland.

He had always known Dottie Vahratian fromthe Detroit Armenian community, where shewas also a stand-out track star at CommerceHigh School. They married in 1952 and latermoved to Oakland in 1960. Richard’s love ofsports has always been deeply embedded inhim. He was a freestyle swimmer in high schooland college and also ran the mile in track.

To see more photos of the event, visithttps://eagarciaphotography.pixieset.com/richarddemirjiantribute/

7S A T U R D A Y, J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 9 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

SPONSOR A TEACHER IN ARMENIA AND ARTSAKH

Since its inception in 2001, the TCA Sponsor A Teacher Program has raised $709,500 and reached out to 6,427 teachers and school staff

in Armenia and Artsakh.

$200 $400 $600 $Other______

91TH

Hundreds Gather to Honor Lifelong Athletic Visionary and Leader, Richard Demirjian

Former St Vartan Church Men’s Basketball team members pose with the Demirjians.

Judy Rejebian, a former athlete

Movses Abelian Named UNUnder-Secretary-General

NEW YORK — United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres this week announcedthe appointment of Movses Abelian of Armenia(as well as a national of Georgia), as the nextUnder-Secretary-General for General Assemblyand Conference Management.

He will succeed Catherine Pollard of Guyanawho has been appointed as the Under-Secretary-General for Management Strategy,Policy and Compliance.

Abelian is currently assistant secretary-gener-al for GeneralAssembly andC o n f e r e n c eManagement. Priorto assuming thisposition in 2016, hewas director of theSecurity CouncilAffairs Division inthe Department ofPolitical Affairs.

He brings to theposition over 25years of experiencein conference and

management affairs, coupled with experience inpeace and security issues, conflict resolution aswell as extensive expertise leading, supportingand managing complex portfolios and intergov-ernmental processes in the United Nations sys-tem. Abelian also has extensive experience inmanagement, including program planning andbudget, having previously worked as Secretaryof the Administrative and BudgetaryCommittee of the General Assembly (FifthCommittee) and the Committee on Programand Coordination at the United Nations.

Prior to joining the United Nations, Abelianwas the Ambassador and PermanentRepresentative of Armenia to the UnitedNations (1998-2003) and Deputy PermanentRepresentative (1996 to 1998). Prior to joiningthe Foreign Service of Armenia in 1992,Abelian worked in academia as an AssociateProfessor at Yerevan State University.

Abelian was educated in Armenia, theRussian Federation and the United States. Heis married and has two children.

Ambassador MovsesAbelian

By Neil Genzlinger

NEW HOPE, Penn. (New York Times) — LeonRedbone, who burst onto the pop-music scenein the mid-1970s with a startlingly throwbacksinging style and a look to go with it, favoringsongs from bygone eras drolly delivered, diedon Thursday, May 30 in Bucks County, Pa. Hewas 69.

His family announced the death on his web-site. A specific cause of death was not given, butRedbone had retired from performing in 2015because of ill health.

Toting an acoustic guitar, his face generallyhalf-hidden by a Panama hat and dark glasses,Redbone channeled performers and songwrit-

ers from ragtime, Delta blues, Tin Pan Alley andmore, material not generally heard by the rockgeneration. His music defied easy categoriza-tion; he was sometimes described as a jazzsinger, other times as a folk or pop or bluesartist. He sang in a deep, gravelly voice thatcombined singing and mumbling, but he alsodeployed a falsetto of sorts on occasion.

He began turning up on the coffeehouse cir-cuit in Toronto in the 1960s and developed acult following. He broke through to a largeraudience in late 1975 with his first album, “Onthe Track,” which included songs like MyWalking Stick, by Irving Berlin, and Lazybones,by Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer. Hissound was unique for the era, as the New YorkTimes noted in a January 1976 article about therecord and its producer, Joel Dorn: “Redbone,who in his nightclub appearances plays the roleof a grinning, almost catatonic folkie, willundoubtedly confound many, but Dorn has cer-tainly given him his due in a completely ungim-micked musical setting.”

The album earned Redbone two appearanceson “Saturday Night Live” in 1976, during theshow’s first season. Fifteen more albums fol-lowed, most recently “Flying By” in 2014.Redbone also sang the theme songs for the tele-vision series “Mr. Belvedere” and “Harry andthe Hendersons,” was heard on various com-mercials, and provided the voice of an animatedsnowman in the 2003 movie “Elf.”

His stage persona remained consistent forhis entire career, as did his determination toreveal little about his personal life or back-ground. The announcement of his death saidhe “crossed the delta for that beautiful shoreat the age of 127.”

He was actually born on August 26, 1949, inCyprus. An authoritative article in the OxfordAmerican this year said his parents had relocat-

ed there from the Armenian Quarter ofJerusalem after the new Israeli governmentseized their property. His father was an orphanrefugee from the Armenian Genocide.Redbone’s birth name, the article said, wasDickran Gobalian, though he always remainedelusive about that and other details of his life.

“When he broke onto the scene in the early’70s, no one knew where the hell he came from,and he liked it that way,” Loudon WainwrightIII, who was paired with him on bills back thenand again more recently, said by email.“Somebody once saw a Canadian passport, Ithink, but Redbone refused to be pinned down.”

By the mid-1960s Redbone was living inToronto, and, self-taught on the guitar, hebegan performing at folk clubs and coffeehous-es. A pivotal moment came in 1972, when BobDylan noticed him at the Mariposa Folk Festivalin Ontario and was so impressed that he talkedof producing his first album. That didn’t hap-pen, but Dylan did commend Redbone toRolling Stone in a 1974 interview.

“Leon interests me,” he said. “I’ve heard he’sanywhere from 25 to 60, I’ve been this close” —Dylan here held his hands a foot and a halfapart — “and I can’t tell. But you gotta see him.He does old Jimmie Rodgers, then turns aroundand does a Robert Johnson.”

Redbone was by that time playing at largerhalls and festivals and was being paired on billswith Tom Rush, John Prine, Wainwright andothers.

“Mr. Redbone does amusing, funky old bluessongs with a sly gentleness that almostamounts to parody,” John Rockwell wrote inthe Times in 1974, reviewing a performance atthe Bottom Line in Manhattan, “but so loving-ly and exactly that he can only invite affection.”

His other albums included “Double Time”(1977), “No Regrets” (1988) and “Up a LazyRiver” (1992).

Redbone, who lived in New Hope, is survivedby his wife, Beryl Handler, who acted as hismanager; two daughters, Blake and Ashley; andthree grandchildren.

In a 1996 interview with the Las Vegas Sun,Redbone spoke of what he was trying toachieve with his performances and his eclecticsong selections.

“It’s painting something, it’s you creating amood,” he said. “You can create a mood any-where you want, with colors, noise, yelling andscreaming. I myself prefer serenity, calm, peaceand quiet.”

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

OBITUARY

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Leon Redbone

Leon Redbone (Dickran Gobalian), Idiosyncratic Throwback Singer, Is Dead at 69

USC Institute of Armenian StudiesAppoints Dr. Shushan Karapetian asDeputy DirectorAPPOINTMENT, from page 6

Karapetian’s achievements extend beyond academic institutions and into communi-ties. In the City of Glendale, she leads a new cutting-edge research partnership withthe city’s school district on their Dual Language Immersion Programs in seven lan-guages. She has developed and delivered workshops for heritage language instructorsin communities across the country.

She is currently serving on multiple committees both in the local Los Angeles andglobal diasporic Armenian communities aimed at reforming Armenian languageinstruction and promoting the use of the Armenian language. This includes collabo-rations with the Armenian Communities Department of the Calouste GulbenkianFoundation on Armenian Language Revitalization initiatives.

“I am thrilled to share in and contribute to the pioneering vision and reach of theUSC Institute of Armenian Studies. I look forward to partnering with the dynamicteam at USC in expanding the Institute’s research and scholarship initiatives, deepen-ing the integration with entities both on and off campus, and initiating programming,all with the goal of understanding the trajectory of the Armenian experience and shap-ing current and future developments,” the new deputy director said.

Karapetian is the newest addition to a growing Institute. Together with SalpiGhazarian, the director, the Institute has two associate directors — Silva Sevlian andSyuzanna Petrosyan, both holding Master’s degrees from USC Annenberg School ofCommunications and Journalism. Gegham Mughnetsyan has also recently beenappointed Chitjian Researcher Archivist. Dr. Lilit Keshishyan and Sareen Habeshianare part time Research Associates. Asik Yekikan is the Institute’s financial officer.Additionally, roughly a dozen undergraduate and graduate students are an integralpart of the institute staff.

By Wes Venteicher

FRESNO (Fresno Bee) — California’s twomajor public pension funds could be prohib-ited from investing in Turkey under a pro-posal the state Assembly passed despiteopposition from the funds.

The legislation would require the funds tohalt new investments and unload existingones if the federal government imposes sanc-tions on the country over the systematickilling of about 1.5 million Armenians start-ing in 1915, known as the ArmenianGenocide.

The $360 billion California PublicEmployees’ Retirement System opposes thebill on grounds that divesting from Turkeycould diminish investment returns.

“Every dollar in investment returns that isforgone, or expended on transaction costsand fees, must be offset by employer andemployee contributions,” fund staff wrote ina memo. “If CalPERS were to divest fromTurkish investment vehicles and the compa-nies performed well, employers and employ-ees would bear the investment loss and trans-action costs to maintain divestment throughincreased contribution rates.”

The fund typically opposes divestment bills,preferring to consult its own policy on sus-tainable investments rather than outsiderestraints.

CalPERS has divested from Sudan, Iran,manufacturers of guns that are illegal inCalifornia, thermal coal and certain compa-nies that don’t meet its environment, socialand governance standards.

Since 2001, the divestments have cost thefund about $2.5 billion, primarily driven bytobacco, although some divestments havesaved the fund money, an analyst told theboard in March.

The $234 billion California State TeachersRetirement System also opposes the mea-sure, in accordance with its policy againstsupporting legislation “that infringes on theinvestment authority of the board.”

The bill passed the Assembly unanimouslyin a May 23 vote, with 17 members not vot-ing, and proceeded to the Senate. Similar leg-islation passed both chambers last year butwas vetoed by former Gov. Jerry Brown.

Adrin Nazarian, D-Los Angeles, authoredthe bill. In a statement, Nazarian said its pas-sage in the Assembly sends a “clear messageto Turkey to stop their deceitful campaign ofgenocide denial.”

California Moves to Divest from Turkey over ArmenianGenocide Despite Pension Fund Objections

9S A T U R D A Y, J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 9 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

Detroit TCA HostsTwo AstronomyTalks

DETROIT — The Detroit Chapter of the Tekeyan CulturalAssociation on May 24 sponsored two talks by local journal-ist Clifford Marko.

Marko spoke in the morning and later in the evening atthe Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) HighSchool library. The morning talk was for students at theschool during which he spoke about the solar system andspace, whereas the evening talk was on black holes.

Marko was born in Detroit, and raised in the Birmingham-Bloomfield area, from Bloomfield Hills Lahser High School.He received his degree in journalism from Arizona StateUniversity, and later earned a law degree from the Universityof Miami. He is a practicing attorney admitted to the bar inMichigan and Washington DC.

He started his career in journalism and covered the USspace program from Project Apollo and on from there. Laterin life, Marko was a docent at the Smithsonian’s National Airand Space Museum where, among other things, he gavetours.

Marko holds a private pilot’s license with an instrumentrating.

Students at the Clifford Marko lecture

Students listen to the lecture by Clifford Marko

Diana Alexanian and Clifford Marko

Diana Alexanian

Clifford Marko

SINANYAN, from page 1In the role, he will be a liaison between

Armenia and its communities around the world,according to Najarian, citing conversations hehad with Sinanyan, who could not be reachedfor comment.

While council members have left their postsfor higher positions in the past, it’s the firsttime Najarian can recall someone leaving towork for a foreign government.

Glendale’s four remaining council memberscan either appoint someone directly toSinanyan’s vacant seat or hold a special elec-tion, as outlined in the city’s charter.

If council members decide to make anappointment, it must happen within 30 days.Otherwise, members must call for a special elec-tion, which will likely be held in November,Najarian said.

“There’s pros and cons to each decision,” saidNajarian, adding that council members have notdecided which route to take.

If someone is appointed, they will serve until

the next election in March 2020.An appointed candidate cannot be barred

from running in the upcoming election,Najarian said.

If an election is held, the winner will serveuntil 2022, or until what would have been theend of Sinanyan’s term.

Sinanyan’s replacement was due to be dis-cussed at the next City Council meeting onJune 11 (after Mirror-Spectator press time) cityspokesman Dan Bell said.

Sinanyan was the second most senior mem-ber on the council, after Najarian. Sinanyan wasreelected to a second term in 2017, and servedas mayor twice during his time on the council.

Currently, Sinanyan is also the president ofthe Hollywood Burbank Airport Authority.

(To read his interview with Aram Arkun ofthe Mirror-Spectator visit https://mirrorspec-

tator.com/2018/08/23/mayor-zareh-sinanyan-working-to-improve-glendale-while-strengthen-

ing-ties-with-armenia/)å

Zareh Sinanyan Leaves City Council ToWork for Armenian government

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10 S A T U R D A Y, J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 9 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

S A T U R D A Y, J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 9 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

COMMUNITY NEWS

TekeyanComedyClub in New Jersey

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS/CRESS-KILLN. J. – For the second year in a row, theTekeyan Cultural Association (TCA)Mher Megerdchian Theatrical Group’sComedy Club presented performanceson May 18 and 19 at the TCA center inEnglewood Cliffs, New Jersey with sevenactors. The subject material touchedupon both daily human circumstancesand woes particular to Armenian life.Harout Chatmajian prepared the comedymaterials and the performance, whileTalar Zokian ran the program. HaroutBarsoumian organized the lights andmusic. Mrs. Marie Zokian was responsi-

ble for preparing the hall and the reception. A third new performance was given on June 2 at Jack’s

Lobster Shack in Cresskill under the title Lobster Night and

Comedy directed by Harout Chatmajian. The owners of therestaurant are Armenians, Jack and Aline

Tabibian, who are supportive of Tekeyan’s activities.

A scene from the comedy night at the Tekeyan center

A scene from the TCA Lobster Night and Comedy at Jack’s Lobster Shack

The seven TCA Mher Megerdchian Theatrical Group comedians at the Tekeyan center

NEW YORK — Dr. Lawrence V. Najarian, a physi-cian and humanitarian, received the 2019 Ellis IslandMedal of Honor this spring. He has been President ofthe Armenian American Health ProfessionalsOrganization (AAHPO) since 2006.

Awarded annually to a group of distinguishedAmerican citizens who exemplify a life dedicated tocommunity service and extraordinary accomplish-ments in their field, the Ellis Island Medal of Honorranks among the nation’s most renowned awards. TheEllis Island Award of Honor recognizes the contribu-tion of Americans of all backgrounds to strengthenthe country and represent the diversity found in theimmigrant experience of Ellis Island. The U.S. Senateand House of Representatives have officially recog-nized the Ellis Island Medals of Honor, and each yearthe recipients are listed in the Congressional Record.

Najarian is not the first member of the AAHPO fam-ily to receive this prestigious award. The followingAAHPO board members, officers and honorees havereceived the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in previousyears for their work on behalf of AAHPO and otherhighly respected organizations: * Harout Mekhjian, MD, (AAHPO Honoree)* Raffy Hovanessian, MD (AAHPO Honoree)* Vicki Shoghag Hovanessian (AAHPO ServiceAward)* John Bilezikian, MD, PhD (AAHPO Honoree)* John Nercessian, MD (AAHPO Founder, FirstPresident)* Annette Choolfaian (deceased, AAHPO Honoree)* Roger Ohanessian (AAHPO Honoree)* Edgar Housepian, MD (deceased, AAHPO Honoree)* Louise Simone (deceased, AAHPO Honoree)

* Nazar Nazarian (AAHPO Honoree)Sponsored by the Ellis Island Honors Society

(EIHS), the organization’s 34th awards ceremonymedal presentation was held May 11, in the historicGreat Hall, the original registry room and the gatewayfor 12 million immigrants to the US, and whereguests celebrated the evening in front of the iconicview of the Statue of Liberty.

“Tonight, we celebrate an extraordinary group ofAmericans. They are educators, healers, scientists,artists, thinkers and leaders of industry - all of whomare free to follow their passions and dreams to bene-fit America and the world,” said Nasser Kazeminy,chairman of the Ellis Island Honors Society.

Najarian accepted the Ellis Island Medal onbehalf of his grandparents who came through EllisIsland in 1921. Like other survivors of theArmenian Diaspora, they were forever grateful forthe opportunity to flourish in a new country andwere honored to become American citizens, a factthat is gratefully acknowledged by every succeed-ing generation.

Commenting on his award, Najarian said, “I amhumbled by this recognition. I am deeply gratefuland accept this award on behalf of so many people.For my grandparents who came to this countrythrough Ellis Island with the hope of opportunitiescreating a new life for their family and community.And, for the many volunteers I am privileged towork with who have committed themselves and usetheir talents to do so much for so many people. Itruly believe when people work together, we canaccomplish so much more than we would accom-plish individually.”

AAHPO President Receives Ellis Island Medal of Honor

Dr. Lawrence V. Najarian with his medal

12 S A T U R D A Y, J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 9 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

WASHINGTON — “At a time when bitternessand disaffection are on the rise, we have tocome together to speak up against intolerance,xenophobia, and racism,” began Jorge Sampaio,former president of Portugal and a distin-guished former trustee of CarnegieCorporation of New York. He was addressingsome 500 guests who gathered on April 30 inWashington, DC, to celebrate the 40th anniver-sary of the Refugees International organiza-tion.

Sampaio and Vartan Gregorian, president ofCarnegie Corporation of New York, were award-ed the organization’s highest honor, the McCall-Pierpaoli Humanitarian Award, for their stead-fast leadership in the international communityand for their work to ensure funding for dis-placed Syrian students and scholars throughthe Global Platform for Syrian Students andthrough Carnegie Corporation of New York’ssupport.

“This year’s awardees have demonstratedincredible willingness to take on the most diffi-cult challenges and push the international com-munity to do better in pursuit of justice andhuman rights,” said Eric Schwartz, president ofRefugees International.

As the founder and chairman of the GlobalPlatform for Syrian Students, PresidentSampaio has managed the impossible task ofgathering an emergency consortium of govern-ments, regional and international organiza-tions, donor agencies, foundations, universities,faith-based organizations, and various ethnicand cultural NGOs, along with the private sec-tor and individuals. President Sampaio’s agendahas been and continues to be the rescue of asmany students as possible, providing them witha home and the opportunity to be educated, sothat they might serve as future resources fortheir societies.

“To stand up with the most vulnerable, withmen, women, and young people around theworld, and join efforts to live up to their aspi-rations for a life of dignity and respect, this iswhat Refugees International has been doing for

the last 40 years,” said Sampaio via a videorecording addressed to guests at the gala. Heconcluded with an appeal: “Let’s all togetherstep up our shared responsibility for fosteringpeaceful, just, and inclusive societies which arefree from fear and violence.”

The audience responded enthusiastically.Sampaio’s remarks were followed by a messagefrom Eileen Shields-West, RefugeesInternational board chair, explaining how shecame to know and be impressed by the GlobalPlatform: “President Sampaio offered how heenvisioned a time when these students, armedand emboldened with their degrees, wouldreturn one day to Syria to become contributingmembers of their society. He practically movedus to tears with his passion for this cause andthe value of scholarship in tearing down bor-ders and building communities of people whovalue learning and scholarship.”

Sampaio launched the Global Platform withjust 100 euros — and within six months the firstgroup of 45 Syrian students arrived in Portugalto resume their studies, which had been dis-rupted by war, under an emergency scholarshipprogram. Since 2015 Carnegie Corporation ofNew York has given three grants totaling $1million dollars to the initiative. In accepting theMcCall-Pierpaoli Award on behalf of Sampaioand himself, Gregorian praised his fellow hon-oree for maintaining the ideals of Europeanhumanism and enlightenment, saying: “For me,President Sampaio embodies the conscience ofEurope. We Americans should be grateful thatthere are still people in Europe who believe inenduring values that transcend cultures andcivilizations, values that unite all of us. Suchmen and women believe that humanity is one;and that every fragment of humanity is God’screation, deserving of respect and care.”

Gregorian made a point of emphasizing thatPresident Sampaio is the real hero. He is thebrainchild behind the Global Platform for whichthe two of them were being honored. “Givingmoney is easy, investing money is hard, and itwas the vision of President Sampaio that led

this humanitarian campaign,” he added.The McCall-Pierpaoli Humanitarian Award

was also given to Louise Arbour, former specialrepresentative of the United Nations secretary-general for international migration, for her life-time of work in the pursuit of justice andhuman rights. At the UN, Arbour led advocacyefforts on international migration, provided pol-icy advice, and coordinated United Nations enti-ties on migration issues. Her work on theGlobal Compact for Migration helped to estab-

lish an important global framework to managethe migration crisis.

Refugees International does not accept anygovernment or United Nations funding, ensur-ing the independence and credibility of thenonprofit’s work and allowing its advocacy tobe both independent and fearless. The annualgala seeks to honor those who have made acommitment to meeting the needs of the dis-placed and, in particular, those who work tofind solutions to the migration and refugeecrises.

Others recognized included Taller Salud, a

humanitarian aid group in Puerto Rico, whichprovided critical services and unwavering sup-port in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and María;U.S. Representative Will Hurd of Texas, for hiscommitment to the resolution of challengingmigration issues through civil discourse basedon facts and not fear; and Mayor Wilmot Collinsof Helena, Montana, for effectively championingthe importance of the U.S. refugee resettlementprogram while reminding the public about theenormous positive contributions of refugees to

our society.Since 1979 Refugees International has advo-

cated for lifesaving assistance and protectionfor displaced people who have been deeplyaffected by conflict, social upheavals, and nat-ural disasters. For many years it has been theleading U.S. advocacy organization committedto voicing the struggles faced by the most vul-nerable populations. In the past year, RefugeesInternational’s work occurred in part on fieldmissions to Bangladesh Colombia, SouthSudan, Ethiopia, Turkey, Central AfricanRepublic, and other focus countries.

Jorge Sampaio and Vartan Gregorian Honored by Refugees International

Carnegie Corporation of New York’s Vartan Gregorian (left) and his chief of staff, Jeanne D’Onofrio(right), with Refugees International board members Marianne Gimon D’Ansembourg and Matt Dillon

FREDERICK MELIKIAN PHOTO

13

Evening ofLaughs Raises$20,000 forArmenianCultural CenterHAVERHILL, Mass. — On Friday, May 10,

the Armenian Apostolic Church at HyePointe hosted a comedy night with national-ly known comedians Lenny Clarke andFriends to support the Family Life andCulture Center at the church.The new church and cultural center are

the result of a merger between two localchurches in the Merrimack Valley, HolyCross Apostolic Church of Lawrence and St.Gregory’s Apostolic Church of Haverhill, cre-ating a new unified church named TheArmenian Apostolic Church at Hye Pointe.Parishioners of both churches represent theunification of two Merrimack Valley churchcommunities who have worked tirelesslyover the past 20+ years to acquire land andconstruct a new Family Life & CulturalCenter and Sanctuary.Many community members had been seek-

ing a non-traditional event that would appealto family and friends who are not part of thecommunity, and the committee thoughtlaughter would be a great start. Over 250people attended this event which was billedas “Just Laugh,” so that people could come,have fun and laugh. Lenny Clarke has also supported other

Armenian organizations like the Knights ofVartan, to support local Armenian projects.His continued support really shows the com-mitment to helping people. All three comedians are from

Massachusetts. The night opened with

Clarke and friends intermingling with pre-show fans! Johnny Pizzi, a comedian and master magi-

cian, was also the master of ceremonies andkicked off the event keeping everyone instiches while also entertaining in betweenthe sets. Kelly MacFarland entertained thecrowd by sharing her life experiences in aunique and playful way. Johnny Pizzi fol-lowed with his comedic charm and magicianskills. Lenny was the headliner and had thecrowd rolling in the aisles! Clarke’s material and his perspective is

very much old-school, while being deliveredin the vain of the modern-day comics. Usinghis ability to relate to the day to day lifewhile creating laughter for everyone! Lenny& his friends were also very respectful of thechurch environment they were speaking in,showing an understanding and respect forvarious cultures.In addition to ticket sales and raffle items

there was a silent auction which showcasedArmenian and non-Armenian auction itemsfor people to bid on!For more information about the Armenian

Apostolic Church at Hye Pointe visithttps://www.hyepointearmenianchurch.org/.

BOOKS

Proverbs and Expressionsby Susan Kadian GopianCaptures DiasporanExperience

By Mitch Kehetian

DETROIT — Susan Kadian Gopian was bornand raised in Delray, a sprawling “neighborhood”of European immigrants with a large Armeniancommunity. It was the new home for Armenianswho survived the Armenian Genocide and theforced marches through Der Zor.When asked what motivated her to dedicat-

ing a lifetime at writing and collecting ananthology of Armenian folklore and culturepublished this year in a 207-page hardcovermasterpiece accurately titled ArmenianProverbs and Expressions smiled and answered,“my love for being an Armenian.”And encouraged with the love of her late hus-

band, Archie Gopigian, who supported her life-time at fulfilling a project that came to life inDelray. Kadian Gopian spent 60 years collecting the

Armenian proverbs starting in her early child-hood and continued as a student at theUniversity of Michigan and Wayne State

University. Many of the proverbs were heard onthe porches of Cottrell, Harrington, Gould andSolvay streets. It was no easy project, butexpressed the folklore history of Armenia and itwas a child’s wish.Why would a Detroit public school teacher

dedicate nearly a lifetime to a project that grewfrom its roots in Delray?Kadian Gopian’s answer needs to be shared

with every Armenian from Delray to earlyArmenian neighborhoods in Fresno, Boston,Chicago, Racine, Granite City, Cleveland,Worcester, Watertown and New York. Whatunfolded in Delray, Kadian Gopian etched intoher gift to future generations in tracing theirfamily history from the ancestral homeland tothe New World.In words which pertain to every living

Armenian across North America, a teary-eyedKadian Gopigian said “I’m haunted by the expe-riences of my family members who livedthrough this and those who perished as victimsof the 1915 genocide. We the children andgrandchildren are their voices that thoughburied in the desert sand of Der Zor Desert. . .It’s as if their soundless voices rise up andremind me never to forget.”Kadian Gopian warmly said that “my love for

Armenian folklore stems from my exposure tothose immigrants.”She also describes how West Jefferson was

the hub of Delray — like Main Street USA. AndArmenians toiled at Ford’s Rouge Plant, GM’sTernstedt-Fleetwood plants, and Solvay Process

see BOOKS, page 15

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, J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 9

Arts & Living

Celebrating Komitas’150th Anniversary In Washington

WASHINGTON — On Saturday, June 1, Dr. Naira Babayan and Vasily Popov pre-sented a concert celebrating the legacy of one the founders of Armenian music,Komitas, at the Mansion at Strathmore. The sold-out event included patrons of theArmenian-American community of the greater Washington, DC area, as well asother music enthusiasts. Babayan, an accomplished concert pianist and professor at the Levine Music

School, was joined by cellist, Popov on stage for a musical program with works byKomitas, Sayat-Nova, and Aram Khachaturian. Following the opening pieces, Elegieand Kemancha by Sayat-Nova, the audience was enlivened by sacred pieces ofKomitas, as well as Aram Khachaturian’s well-known compositions from “Gayane”ballet - Uzundara, Lullaby and Sabre Dance. Active as a soloist, and chamber musician, Babayan has appeared in concert halls

around the world. She has established an international reputation of a magneticand passionate performer. She has performed in venues such a Aram KhachaturianConcert Hall in Yerevan, Armenia, State Conservatory Concert Hall, Ministry ofFriendship and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries and Chamber concerthalls with the State Chamber Orchestra in Yerevan, Armenia. She was a guest per-former of the Union of Armenia in Moscow, and she won the first prize at theMoscow Music Festival in 2005, performing a program by Rachmaninoff andScriabin. Other performances include an invitation from the Concert Committee ofDubai at the Music Theatre Amadeus and Royal Concert Hall of the AmericanUniversity Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates as well as performances at the San-Lazzaro Hall of Mirrors in Venice, Italy, Armenian communities in San Diego andLos Angeles, and others. Naira was awarded a full scholarship to the Tchaikovsky Music School for talent-

ed students in Yerevan, Armenia. She holds her Master’s of Arts Degree in PianoPerformance from the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory, and a second Mastersof Arts from Gnessin Music Academy in Moscow, Russia, where she studied underProfessor Gambaryan. Naira earned her Doctorate degree from the InternationalAcademy of Science and Art in Yerevan, Armenia. Babayan is considered among many composers and musicologists to be the most

famous living interpreter of piano performances of Armenian folkloric and classicalrepertoire. Her mentors were Edward Mirzoyan and Konstantin Orbelian.

see KOMITAS, page 16

Dr. Naira Babayan

Comedian Lenny Clarke, fourth from right, withthe organizers of the Hye Pointe comedy night

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ARTS & LIVING

By Ugur Ümit Üngör

Yerevan: From Culinary Desert toOasis

The first time I visited Yerevan was for thefieldwork for my Ph.D. research in the summerof 2006, when I took the tantalizingly slowSoviet night train from Tbilisi. Back then, thechoice of restaurants was so limited that I dis-tinctly remember going to bed some nights witha bag of soggy Russian crackers. Fortunately,those days are over, and nowadays, Yerevanmust be considered a culinary destination, for itboasts a very wide range of cuisines: Russian,Iranian, Lebanese, French, Georgian,Caucasian, Italian, Iraqi, Mexican, American,Chinese, Japanese, etc. Once, I even spotted atiny Indian mom-and-pop curry house onKomitas Avenue. Indeed, this time around, as Icame to stay in Yerevan for a writing retreat oftwo months, I was ready to let the city surpriseme.Due to the Syrian conflict, the latest addi-

tion to Yerevan cuisine is Syrian food, espe-cially the rich cuisine of Aleppo. The numberof Syrian restaurants has grown so much,that in downtown Yerevan, one is really nevermore than two blocks away from a verydecent plate of hummus and shawarma.Syrian cuisine is not new to Armenia though:

waves of Middle Eastern, including Syrian,Armenians had already arrived from 1946 onas part of the Soviet policy of “repatriation.”Locals mocked their food as akhparakandishes, a little too Arabian for the Sovietpalates. But the food that they brought werefundamentally Western Armenian dishes thatin Aleppo had melted into a unique blend ofAnatolian and Syrian cuisine. Now thathybrid cuisine had come to Yerevan, it waschanging the city for the better. It insertedthe best of Syrian cuisine into Armenia, andthe locals claim that it also brought middle-class affordability and flair to the Yerevanfood scene. At the same time, this last migra-tion wave also offered employment, and whenmy Arabic fell on deaf ears, I realized thatlots of waiting staff in Syrian restaurants are

Hayastantsi.

A Disclaimer

But how good is Syrian food really inArmenia? With all this new gastronomic buzzin town, I decided to spend my time not onlywriting my next book, but also reviewing thenew Syrian restaurants. Now, I need to offer adisclaimer: this is not an exhaustive list of everysingle place that offers Syrian-Armenian dishes.Nor does it properly tackle two distinct cate-gories that are slightly special, but for which theSyrian connoisseur will rightly forgive me:Syrian fast-food snackbars, and the unmistak-ably Lebanese places. For example, Adzoukh,Tumanyan Shaurma, and Abu HagopSandwich are examples of the first category:they offer delicious, folksy snacks in freshArabic bread in a no-frills environment, just likein the streets of Damascus.The second are places that explicitly present

themselves as Lebanese, such as Beirut,Lebanon Tavern, or Chez Hratch. A goodexample is Bourj Hammoud, named after thehistorically Armenian neighbourhood in Beirut.It might have the best kibbeh nayye in the city,lush and velvety, although the lights in theplace are set a little too bright. Or Taboulé,apparently one of the earliest Lebanese restau-rants in Yerevan, which serves simply greatfood, including — unsurprisingly — amazing tab-bouleh. As a carnivore, I never thought that asimple chopped salad could be so tasty.

Another one is Al-Mayass, whose presentationis awesome, service professional, kebabs lovely,and ingredients fresh. But I caught a bit of ahard crust on the ichli kufta, and its allegedly“special” hummus and mutabbal are not morespecial than simply having added pomegranateseeds and molasses on the regular versions.Everything is forgiven with its zaatar, its crustso thin and crispy that you can hold a slice intothe air as and it will stay as straight as a pencil.A special honorable mention must be given

for restaurants that are not strictly Syrian butbroadly speaking Western Armenian, such asAnteb. On a Thursday evening, hungry, wewalk into this simple but professionally-keptplace with low expectations; after all, in the pastyears, I had spent lots of time doing research inthe actual city of Antep, so what could this

place in the South Caucasus offer me that Ihadn’t tasted yet? Well, was I wrong about that!The lahmajoon is hands down the best I haveever tasted in my life: crispy and crunchy, butgenerously topped with well-spiced mincedmeat — there’s a great butcher shop next door,so that might have something to do with it.Another staple of the Aintab region is ichlikufta, which at Antep is cooked very correctly,but without the liberties that Syrians wouldtake by adding allspice or cinnamon to themince. The excellent meat dishes, includingliver and heart kebab, and very reasonableprices make Antep one of Yerevan’s top restau-rants. Oh, and did I mention the unbelievablebaklava?

A Panorama of Syrian Restaurants

But let us now turn to the Syrian scene, andthe below discussion is in alphabetical order forimpartiality.Abu Hagop: let us start with this ambitious

restaurant, established in 1957 by Syrian repa-triate Antranig, better known by Syrian customas Abu Hagop. It has a good varied menu,serves fattoush with cute little serrated piecesof Arabic bread, and creamy chicken liver thatis finger-licking good. The tarator chicken hasgot real pizazz, stringy and smooth, and so isthe well-presented mutabbal, which is thor-oughly pureed. At Abu Hagop, the overall pre-sentation is great, with white tablecloths, andgenerous portions, even if the dishes are a bitoily and a touch underseasoned. I lived nextdoor to this restaurant, and noticed that it waseither totally empty or totally full.Araks is set in a typical Yerevan basement

with generic office lights, a basic but goodmenu, and decent prices. The atmosphere iscozy, and a 50-something with a ponytail isenjoying himself in the corner, elevator musicbubbling away in the background with apanoramic photo of Republic Square on thewall. Araks serves two types of bread (lavashand Arabic), the mutabbal is chunky and heavyon the olive oil, but good. The sujukh is garlickyand roasted well, the fattoush is faultless with

rich pomegranatejuice, even if a bittoo runny. But thekey dish here is thefalafel: it has notonly a grainy tex-ture, but also tasteslike some of thebest I have eaten inYerevan. We areoffered a freesemolina pastryafter the dinner;delicious, but needsa tea to go with it.Derian is a verita-

ble institution inArmenia with tworestaurants inYerevan, both witha wide selection ofdelicious foods ontheir menu. Weorder a very creamyhummus withminced meat, theyalanji is smoothand voluptuous,and the fried kibbeis cone-shaped andcrunchy, tasty, withdistinctly refreshingtones of allspiceand pine nuts. The

muhammara is very solid, and the amazingmutabbal made from eggplants clearly charredon an open fire – illegal in most EU countries.We also try the chi kufta, which gives the rightsmooth sensation, like Turkish delight (can Isay that?), although I did feel some grindingbetween my teeth from the bulghur… Anyway,all praise here is reserved for the well-seasonedkebabs: we dig into a most juicy set of skewers,and it is obvious that Derian grills with thesheep’s tail fat. The shish tawuk was reallysomething else, simply scrumptious alongside atasty home-made tan (yoghurt drink). Critique?Well, they serve lavash bread instead of Arabicbread, but otherwise I can’t consistently excel-lent. When I mentioned Derian to a well-informed friend, he leaned over and whisperedin my ear: “The one on Teryan Street is even

better, because there, it’s ‘mama’ cooking…”Gaidz Lahmajun is another institution in

Yerevan, but for a different reason. Sure, theichli kufta here is not as good as in otherplaces, they were out of samsak both timeswhen I visited, the mutabbal is very smoky andchunky but a bit runny, the hummus nicelythick but a touch heavy on the cumin. But hey,rule #1 in gastronomy is: when eating some-where, order their speciality. Indeed, we’re real-ly here for the lahmajun, and rightly so. Gaidzserves them as crispy as a potato chip, flourdusting off it like snow, and bursting withflavour. Delicious. Gaidz is on top of the lah-majun game.Jano is one of the few restaurants that is not

situated in Kentron (much like Haleb restau-rant on Komitas Avenue), and perhaps there-fore is spacious, with comfortable tables andhigh ceilings. Jano offers basic grub, with somenice surprises such as the sujukh rolls, an excel-lent smoky, stringy, garlicky mutabbal, andgood muhammara which had pepper paste in it,all in all a deeply sympathetic place with oldphotos of Aleppo on the wall. The waiter waspleasantly surprised to welcome an Arabic-speaking customer, and the UAE embassyseemed to be hosting an iftaar that evening. Allin all, fairly pleasant, but the lahmajun andshish tawouq seems to be cooked in a toaster.Lagonid on Nalbandyan has been in Yerevan

for 20 years now, and offers a very rich menuwith variations on staples like hummus ormutabbal, which, by the way, cannot be pre-pared any better than the absolutely perfect ver-sion I ate here. Then the yalanji, up to par, withhints of sumac coming through the taste ofquality olive oil. The ichli kufta is legit and veryfilling, and the shish tawouq is by the book:charred, well-seasoned, rich, and chewy, withexactly the right garnishes on the side: toastedArabic bread toasted with chopped parsley andonions, sprinkled with sumac. The Lebanesepop music adds to the great experience, so weask for dessert. “We only have kunafa,” thewaitress tells us, to our delight, because it’sexactly what we need now: a hot, sweet plate ofthat oozing goodness with a glass of tea on theside. Therefore, we were the more disappointedwhen we were brought a plate of kadaif. Reallynot the same thing.Maza, located on Pushkin Street, has cosy

ambience, and one of the places where I fre-quently saw Arabs dining. Sofas are set upalong the walls as chairs, so you sink into themwhen you sit, which makes feel like a little boysitting at the grown ups’ dinner table.European sports channels on the muted TVs.The food then: the chicken is delicious and well-spiced, the chi kufta is great: spicy and the bul-gur has been thoroughly kneaded into the tar-tar. The “Lebanese hummus” with parsley isvery creamy, the chicken tarator is smooth withhints of tahini, and the toshka sandwich isexactly what I ate in Damascus in the old days.All in all, the flavors are good, the prices areaffordable, but the dishes are not warm enough.Maza also specializes in sandwiches, includingchicken heart and beef tongue — not easy topull off. A very decent place.Yasmine is a very well-kept, somewhat

upscale place with nicely presented food. Onthe wall is a huge poster of the Aleppo Castle.A busload of elderly Dutch tourists are seatedin the corner and get louder with each glass ofArmenian wine. Yasmine also serves two typesof bread with the starters, lavash and Arabicbread. The ichli kufta is fried to perfection:crunchy on the outside, and heart-warming onthe inside. The chi kufta is very smooth andalmost smearable on bread, difficult to distin-guish in color and texture from the equallyappetizing muhammara. The hummus is truffle-like: a thick, pleasant paste with three cutechickpeas swimming in a mini-bath of olive oil.The eggplant salad gave off the right charredflavour and smell, the batata harra was cubedup a little small, but still excellent, and the shishtawouk was warm, spicy, and chewy in a goodway. I’m not sure why fattoush needs fetacheese in it though. All in all lovely experience,with free clove tea on the house.Zatar is an unassuming place near Republic

Square, with thousands of social media follow-ers, and waiters with impressive tattoos. Thelahmajun here was flavorful but not as crispy aselsewhere because they are folded into two. The

continued on next page

Syrian RestaurantsIn Armenia A Pinch of Home, a Taste of Exile

15S A T U R D A Y, J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 9 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

ARTS & LIVING

Contributed by Akaby Yaylaian

INGREDIENTS3 boxes frozen chopped spinach, drained4 large eggs, well beaten2 large onions, finely minced1 stick melted butter (reserve 2 tablespoons)1/2 teaspoon saltBlack pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

PREPARATIONMelt butter in large frying pan and sauté onions until soft. Add

spinach, salt andPepper, and toss.Cook together for 5-8 minutes, stirring constantly.Remove from heat. Add 1/2 of beaten eggs. Put this into a well

buttered pan (9" round cake pan).Pour remainder of beaten eggs evenly over top. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of reserved melted butter over top. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes until eggs are cooked.Serves 4-6.

http://hguywilliams.net/images/Recipes/EBooks/Adventures%20in%20Armenian%20Cooking.pdf

Recipe Corner by Christine Vartanian Datian

Baked Spinach and Eggs (Havgitov Spanach)

Guest Recipe

Susan Kadian GopianCaptures DiasporanExperienceBOOKS, from page 13and Zug Island in raising their families. In heropening prologue on the Delray community, sheinforms readers that the old Village of Delraywas annexed to Detroit in 1905 after beingnamed Delray. In 1930 the southwest section ofDetroit boasted a population of 23,000 resi-dents according to the federal census. In 2016it was down to 2,763.In addition to the hundreds of Armenian

proverbs and expressions, Kadian Gopianseeped into her masterpiece some folklore andoral Armenian history. It has been said proverbsare part of a people’s social glue.The top quality book also features pictorial

scenes of Delray landmarks from the ArmenianZavarian Hall, Delray Community Center toMcMillan and Cary schools and a host of otherscenes including Southwestern High School.As you walk into Kadian Gopian’s lifetime you

are also taken back to the days Delray was alsohome for newcomers from Poland, Hungary,Slovenia and Germany. She opens theArmenian Community Prologue with an inspir-ing Armenian proverb: “A tree stands tallerwhen it knows its roots.” And followed by hun-dreds of proverbs from genocide survivors fromSepasta, Keghi, Erzeroom, Mush, Van, Bitlis,Kharpet, Malatya and Cilicia.But Detroiters called the southwest portion “Delray

Armenia . . . Like so many other ethnic conclaves. Delray has become forgotten. In a few years,

Delray will get a new chapter in history — the newGordy Howe Detroit -Windsor International Bridge.Hopefully a bronze marker will be attached

to advise that its American side is anchored inold Delray — or as Susan Kadian Gopian saysher Armenian Delray.(Mitch Kehetian is a retired editor of the

Macomb Daily and former board trustee atCentral Michigan University. The book is beingdistributed by Michigan State University Presswith a Special Offer if ordered by December 31.)

from previous pagefattoush was decent, the mutabbal heavy on thetahini, which perfumed through heavily, butdrizzled originally with red pepper flakes friedin butter. The loshik bread was lovely: hot andpuffed up, like you want to slice it open side-ways and take a warm nap in it. The falafel wasa little too thick (almost round), which made itdoughy and not as crispy as it should havebeen. The real tastes here are reserved for thekibbeh, which was with plain meat (no nuts orexotic spices) and had a deep meaty flavor to it– the most surprising dish here.Zeituna is an upscale restaurant frequented a

lot by Bolsohay families and friend groups, andserves a wonderful set of very well-prepareddishes in a street that has more Middle Easternrestaurants than many Middle Eastern cities.Well, where to start, really? I ordered a coupleof dishes, but when the mouth-watering kibbehshowed up first, and I tasted it, I forgot aboutthe rest and ordered another portion. They aretruly delectable, both the large ones and thecute miniature versions. The labneh is as thickas toothpaste, the fattoush a true harmony oftextures, colors, and flavors. The yalanji almostgave me a jaw cramp from the explosion of fla-vors. Zeituna also makes a good effort at diver-sifying its menu with a special version, but theKuftah Zeitunah looks like a flat falafel and isnot that special. Nevertheless, Zeituna deservesits self-attributed motto of “the home of food.”

Food and exile

Displacement, migration, and food are phe-nomena that exercise a deep influence on eachother. Whether it’s Italian restaurants in NewYork, Indian curry houses in London, orCantonese dim sum in Vancouver, it is not mere-ly plates of necessary calories that thesecuisines present. Food is an intensely emotion-al experience. Therefore, I feel that it is theHrabarag Metro area that truly epitomizesSyrian Armenia. This area is truly little Aleppo:its one-room shops offer the same spice mixes,bars of Aleppo soap, and tahinov hats as in thenow defunct Aleppo souq. The old kamanchaplayer fiddling his melancholic tunes, the bar-

ber shop owner sitting on his plastic chair chat-ting away in Arabic (and yes, also Turkish) withfellow Aleppines, and the very, very symbolicsight of a flock of teeny tiny sparrows strug-gling tooth and nail for a piece of bread on theground.Also situated in this area is Spidag, literally a

hole-in-the-wall, snuggled in a corner ofHrabarag metro station, to which I feel com-pelled to give the “most authentic Syrianrestaurant” award. Because few eateries inArmenia symbolize the Syrian experience bet-ter than this kiosk. Spidag specializes in sand-wiches: exactly the right type of buns, filledwith exactly the right toppings, and toasted inexactly the right fashion. There is nothing moresatisfying in this three-dimensional way than abeef sujukh or lamb tongue sandwich with typ-

ically Syrian mukhallal (pickles) stuffed in along, warm, subway bun. The sensation of spicyand sour is mind-blowing and soul-warming atthe same time. Ustaad Vahram prepares hissandwiches with a seriousness and care, full ofmuted passion for this simple but pleasingSyrian-Armenian soul food. I am dead serious instating that Spidag’s sandwiches gave meFOMO (for the non-millennials: ‘Fear Of MissingOut’) while I was eating them. The sujukh sand-wich was definitely one of them: after takingonly my first bite, I already wanted to order mynext one. And I did, again and again.

So, Which One Is ‘the Best’?

Alright, let us do away with the current-dayobsession with having “the best” of everything.What does this type of inflated use of superla-

tives even mean? Instead, I would like to dishout some pointers but also give some compli-ments to all of these restaurants.First, I don’t know who comes up with the

idea of using frozen fries, but it’s wrong onmany levels. Armenia has good potatoes, soshow the earth apple the respect it deserves:peel them or wash them thoroughly, slice themup, and double-fry them in an appropriate oil orduck fat. Some places even had the batataharra microwaved, with potato nuggets shriv-eled like a mushroom in the sun. Another venalsin I encountered here and there wasmicrowaved ichli kufta, bottom burnt and fillingdried. “Ya weelee!” they would exclaim in Syria:woe! To treat such a delicacy in this way is out-right criminal; either put it on your menu andtreat it properly, or don’t serve it at all. Then,the labneh is good in most places, but often atouch on the sour side, which is not exactlyhow it should be. I’m not sure why this happensbut it seems to be a systemic malfunction.Finally: pay your staff better. There are verycredible rumors that the owners pocket thewaiters’ tips, and judging from some of theirfacial expressions, that might well be the case.But there is a lot that all of these restaurants

in Yerevan do a great job at. All of them arevery good in preparing one particular dish, butnone of them succeed in consistently maintain-ing top quality of all dishes, in an overall way.The falafel is best at Araks, kebab is best eatenat Derian and Lagonid, Antep dominates thelahmajun game, for chi kufta definitely hitBourj Hammoud, and Zeituna is kibbeh heaven.However, the Syrian-Armenian restaurantsunabashedly offer two amazing dishes that areborderline illegal in the European Union: chikufta or kibbeh nayyeh with meat, and the char-ring of eggplants on an open fire. The formerwouldn’t pass food security regulations (insteadwe are stuck with the dull and palate-numbingÇigköftem), and the latter would be met with aveto from your friendly local fire department.Try the chi kufta and mutabbal in any Yerevanrestaurant and tell me with a straight face thatyou’re going back to eating the grout in Europeagain. Not me.

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, J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 916

ARTS & LIVING

KOMITAS, from page ?Most recently Babayan has performed at the

Steinway and Sons gallery on the famous VanCliburn piano and she has two CD recordings ofsolo piano by Chopin, Debussy and Armeniancomposers. She has worked as a deputy directorand chair of the Music Department of theSebastian Cultural Center in Yerevan, Armenia.She also taught at the Trinity College of Londonin Dubai, UAE. Babayan is currently a full-timefaculty member of the piano department atLevine Music in Washington. Cellist Vasily Popov maintains an active con-

cert schedule including appearances as a soloist,recitalist and member of chamber ensembles inthe concert halls in Europe, Japan, Russia andU.S.A. His CD’s are produced by Arte NovaRecords, BMR, Excelsior, Intercount Music,

Madacy Records, and Melodia labels. Born in St.Petersburg, Russia into a musical family, Popovstarted playing the cello at the age of seven. Histeachers included cellists Natalia Gutman,Valentin Elin, Konstantin Kucherov, AnatolyNikitin, Walter Nothas and Daniil Shafran. Hisperformance style was influenced by the cham-ber music collaborations and studies withpianists Tamara Fidler and Elisso Virsaladze andflutist Andras Adorjan.Popov serves on the cello and chamber music

faculties at Levine Music in Washington, D.C.where he is also an associate chair of ChamberMusic and Artistic Director and conductor of theLevine Chamber Orchestras. He leads variousworkshops and master classes, adjudicatesnational and international competitions.

–Mariam Khaloyan

Celebrating Komitas’ 150thAnniversary In Washington

Naira Babayan, 4th from the right, with Knights and Daughters of Vartan attending the concert.

GRANT, from page 1these histories through deeply personal objectsthat tell this important historical narrative.The $100k for 100 program supports non-

profits that are based in and primarily serveMiddlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties.Through this place-based initiative, CummingsFoundation aims to give back in the area whereit owns commercial buildings, all of which aremanaged, at no cost to the Foundation, but itsaffiliate Cummings Properties. Founded in1970 by Bill Cummings, the Woburn-basedcommercial real estate firm leases and manages10 million square feet of space, the majority ofwhich exclusively benefits the Foundation.

“By having such a local focus, we aim tomake a meaningful positive difference in com-munities where our colleagues and leasingclients live and work,” said Joel Swets,Cumming Foundation’s executive director. “We

are most grateful for the nonprofit organiza-tions that assist and empower our neighbors,and we are proud to support their efforts.”

This year’s diverse group of grant recipientsrepresent a variety of causes, including home-lessness prevention, affordable housing, educa-tion, violence prevention, and food security. Mostof the grants will be paid for over five years.The complete list of 100 grant winners is

available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.Cummings Foundation announced an addi-

tional $15 million in early May through itsSustaining Grants program. Through theseawards, 50 local nonprofits will receive ongoingfunding of $20,000 - $50,000 for 10 years.The Armenian Museum of America houses

and preserves objects of art and culture col-lected from Armenian families and donors fromaround the world. Visit www.armenianmuse-um.org to find out more about the museum.

Armenian Museum Receives $100,000From Cummings Foundation

Dr. Naira Babayan and Vasily Popov perform.

Project Save Founder Ruth Thomasian Speaks atGenocide Commemorations in San Diego

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives founder and presi-dent Ruth Thomasian visited San Diego to speak at two Armenian GenocideCommemoration events: “Armenians Through the Camera’s Eye” at The Village Church inRancho Santa Fe on Wednesday, April 24, and “Getting to Know Project SAVE” at the JointArmenian Genocide Commemoration at St. John Garabed Armenian Apostolic Church,Sunday, April 28. Both events were very well attended. From Project SAVE’s collections of more than 45,000 photographs, Thomasian shared

rare, vintage photographs dating from 1860 to the 1980’s. These images were of peopleand places in various regions of the homeland and diaspora — along with the special fam-ily stories behind them. And just as importantly, Ruth shared many of the methods andclues that enable her to piece together the history of a photograph when all of the infor-mation is not available, leading the fascinated audiences to a greater understanding of howa social historian and archivist works.During her visit to San Diego, she also met privately with individual families to receive

donations of photos for the archives. (Interested families can contact Project SAVE toarrange donations of orig-inal photos (no digital):617-923-4542 andarchives@projectsave.org.Project SAVE’s staff willwork directly with donorsto gather as much infor-mation about their pho-tos as possible.)Thomasian’s visit to

San Diego was organizedby Ani Zadikian Oney.She received supportfrom the San Diego chap-ters of Triple XFraternity, and Knightsand Daughters of Vartan. To have a look at many

Project SAVE photos,visit www.projectsave.org.

From left, St. John Garabed Parish Council members BergeMinasyan and his wife Terry; past Parish Council member GaryTakesian, Ms. Ruth Thomasian, Guest Speaker; Scout LeaderNishan Gassian, Hayr Pakrad Berjekian, ACYO Chair IsabelMkrdechian, Emcee Vahe Manoushakian, Student Choir DirectorSona Bagdasaryan, Parish Council member Harry Krikorian

Ruth Thomasian at St. John Gararabed Church

17T 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, J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 9

NOVEMBER 2-3 — ARMENIAFest at St. ApkarArmenian Apostolic Church. Weekend food and cul-tural festival featuring traditional Armenian foods, bever-ages, exhibits, music and dance performances. 8849 E.Cholla St., Scottsdale.

NOVEMBER 16 — SOAR (Society for OrphanedArmenian Relief) Annual Golf Tournament. Saturday7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Stonecreek Golf Club, 4435 E. ParadiseVillage Pkway, Phoenix. This is a fundraising event forArmenian orphans. For more information, contact Dr.Alan Haroian, 603-540-1961.

JUNE 15 — Tekeyan Cultural Association of GreaterBoston and the Armenian Cultural Association pre-sent an Armenian book singing. The Tales of Beardo byauthor and poet Sarkis Gavlakian. 6 p.m. ArmenianCultural Foundation, 441 Mystic Street, Arlington. RSVP559-801-3392. The program will be in Armenian.

JUNE 17-AUGUST 16 — Abaka Dance Academy,Summer Program for ages 5-12, with principal/direc-tor Apo Ashjian at 101 Bigelow Ave., Watertown. Artsand crafts, Indoor games, Sports, Music, Dance, Free T-shirts, Friday pizza and more. Weekly sessions at$250/week, begin June 17 - August 16, 8 am - 3 pm.Late stay available. Register at www.abakadanceacade-my.com. For more information, email abakadanceacade-my@gmail.com or call 617-283-2010.

JUNE 17 — Gregory Hintlian Memorial Golf Tournament,sponsored by Holy Trinity Armenian Church of GreaterBoston at the Marlborough Country Club, Marlborough.Monday. 9:30 a.m., registration; 11 a.m., “Shot Gun.” Joinus for a day of golf – two player fee options: $180 (includeshospitality, lunch, dinner, green & cart fees, prizes and gifts),and $200 (also includes $40 worth of raffle tickets) – or justfor dinner and a social evening ($50 per person). Limited to128 players. Tournament and tee sponsorships available.RSVP deadline, June 10. To register or for further informa-tion, call the Holy Trinity Church Office, 617.354.0632, logonto www.htaac.org/calendar/event/653/, or emailoffice@htaac.org.

JUNE 27 — Under a Strawberry Moon. ArmenianHeritage Park on The Greenway, Boston. Thursday at8:30 p.m. Meet & Greet. Moonlit Labyrinth Walk.Luscious Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, hosted by vickilee’s and refreshing Ice Teas, hosted by MEM Tea Importsand the fabulous Berklee Jazz Trio. RSVP appreciatedhello@armenianheritagepark.org

JUNE 22 —Armenian Food Fair, 11 a.m. -7 p.m., St.Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church Ladies Guild.Jaffarian Hall, 158 Main Street, No. Andover. Serving allday. Lamb Shish Kebab, Chicken & Losh Kebab, Kheyma,Vegetarian plates. Pastry, Boregs, Choreg, Khadaif,Paklava, Gift Table, Country Kitchen, White Elephant,50/50 Raffles and much more.... Take out available. Callthe Church @ 978-685-5038 Ann @978-521-2245 orSossy @ 978-256-2538

JUNE 27 — Reading of “Zabel in Exile.” 6 pm receptionfollowed by 7 pm reading in the Armenian Museum ofAmerica Adele & Haig Der Manuelian galleries, 3rd floor.Reading of a new play “Zabel in Exile” based on the lifeand writings of early 20th century Armenian writer andpolitical activist Zabel Yessayan. The play, written by R. N.Sandberg and directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian, willfeature six actors live in the Museum’s newly renovatedAdele & Haig Der Manuelian galleries, 3rd floor. Ticketsare free, email or call to reserve a seat (Email or call toreserve a free seat: info@armenianmuseum.org,617.926.2562 ext. 101). Co-sponsored by the ArmenianMuseum of America, Armenian International Women’sAssociation, and National Association for ArmenianStudies and Research, also supported by Project SAVE.

JUNE 28 – July 10 – St. James Armenian Church 7thPilgrimage to Armenia. Led by Fr. Arakel Aljalian. Join us andDiscover the Land of our Ancestors. All are welcome. Registrationdeposits due March 1; Full Payment due April 1. For full detailsvisit www.stjameswatertown.org/ armenia.

JULY 5 — Armenian Church of Cape Cod presents ThirdAnnual Kef Time - Dinner & Dancing Friday, 6 to 11:30p.m. at The Cape Club, 125 Falmouth Woods Road,North Falmouth. Chicken Kebab & Losh Kebab dinnerLeon Janikian band with special appearance by HarryMinassian and a DJ $65/person, children 7 to 14 $15 Fortickets/tables contact Andrea Barber (617)201-9807

JULY 17 — Tea and Tranquility. Armenian Heritage Parkon The Greenway, Boston. Wednesday from 4:30-6p.m. Meet & Greet. Walk the Labyrinth. Enjoy refreshingice teas, hosted by MEM Tea Imports and dessert.Introduction to walking the labyrinth, mindful and medi-tative walking at 4:45pm. RSVP appreciated hello@arme-nianheritagepark.org

AUGUST 6 — Book presentation by Adrienne G.Alexanian editor of her father’s memoir Forced intoGenocide: Memoirs of an Armenian Soldier In theOttoman Turkish Army, 7 p.m. Falmouth Public Library,Herman Foundation Meeting Room, 300 Main Street,Falmouth. Book sale/signing following the presentation.For information: Sue Henken (508) 457-2555 ext. 7 orwww.falmouthpubliclibrary.org

AUGUST 14 — Tea and Tranquility. Armenian HeritagePark on The Greenway, Boston. Wednesday from4:30-6 p.m. Meet & Greet. Walk the Labyrinth. Enjoyrefreshing Ice Teas, hosted by MEM Tea Imports anddessert. Introduction to walking the labyrinth, mindfuland meditative walking at 4:45pm. RSVP appreciatedhello@armenianheritagepark.org

AUGUST 22 — Under the August Moon. ArmenianHeritage Park on The Greenway, Boston. Thursdayfrom 7:30– 9 p.m. Delightful evening for supporters,partners & friends featuring fabulous signature dishes,hosted by anoush’ella and the Berklee Jazz Trio. RSVPappreciated hello@armenianheritagepark.org

SEPTEMBER 16 — Registration is now open for the 2019-2020 sessions of the Abaka Dance Academy, 101Bigelow Ave., Watertown, MA. Principal/director ApoAshjian. Classes begin September 16 for grades Nursery II -Grade 10 students. Check the schedule and enroll today atwww.abakadanceacademy.com. For more info, emailabakadanceacademy@gmail.com or call 617-283-2010.

SEPTEMBER 18 — Celebrating Contributions of OurNation’s Immigrants – Gala Benefit for the EndowedFund for Care of Armenian Heritage Park on TheGreenway Honoring Dr. Noubar Afeyan, Leader &Philanthropist Recognizing Organizations ServingImmigrants & Refugees InterContinental Hotel Boston.Advance Reservations only. For information,hello@ArmenianHeritagePark.org

SEPTEMBER 22 — Sunday Afternoon for Families andFriends. Armenian Heritage Park on The Greenway,Boston. 2:00pm-4:00pm. Wonderful afternoon with TheHye Guys Ensemble featuring Ron Sahatjian and JoeKouyoumjian. Hoodsies, Face Painting and more RSVPappreciated hello@armenianheritagepark.org

OCTOBER 3 — Cigar Night sponsored by Holy TrinityArmenian Church of Greater Boston, 6 p.m., Charlesand Nevart Talanian Cultural Hall, 145 Brattle St.,Cambridge. Save the date; details to follow. For furtherinformation, contact the Church Office, 617.354.0632.

OCTOBER 19 — The Vosbikians are coming to theMerrimack Valley. The Armenian Friends of Americaproudly present their Annual HYE KEF 5 Dance, featuringThe Vosbikians. The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Andover,MA. Tickets Purchased before 9/13/19 will include theGreat Venue, Outstanding Buffet, The Vosbikian Band and5 Free Raffle Tickets Adults $75.00 & Students 21 & under$65 Specially priced AFA Rooms available through9/17/19. For Tickets and more information, Contact: LuSirmaian 978-683-9121 or Sharke’ Der Apkarian at 978-808-0598 Visit www.Armenia-FriendsofAmerica.org

NOVEMBER 1,2 — NAASR Grand Opening and Gala.Friday, November 1 – Grand Opening & RibbonCutting, NAASR Vartan Gregorian Building, at NAASR’snew world headquarters, 395 Concord Avenue, Belmont,MA. Saturday, November 2 – NAASR 65th AnniversaryGala, at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, Cambridge. 6 pmReception, 7 pm Dinner and Program. Honoree Dr.Vartan Gregorian, president of the Carnegie Corporationof New York; Master of Ceremonies David Ignatius,columnist for the Washington Post and novelist;Featuring renowned soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian, accom-panied by the Borromeo String Quartet, performing aprogram of songs by Komitas. Further details to follow.

NOVEMBER 16 — St. Stephen’s Armenian ElementarySchool 35th Anniversary Celebration. 6:30 PMCocktail Reception, 7:30 PM Dinner and Program. TheWestin Waltham - Boston, MA $150 per person.

DECEMBER 6 and 7 — Friday and Saturday, TrinityChristmas Bazaar, Friday, 12 noon-9 p.m., Saturday,10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Holy Trinity Armenian Church of GreaterBoston, 145 Brattle Street, Cambridge. For further infor-mation, contact the Church Office, 617.354.0632.

DECEMBER 15 — Christmas Holiday Concert – ErevanChoral Society and Orchestra, Church Sanctuary,Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Boston, 145Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA. Save the date; details tofollow. For further information, call the Church Office,617.354.0632, or email office@htaac.org.

NOVEMBER 16 — The Knights of Vartan, Nareg-Shavarshan Lodge #6 and the Daughters of Vartan,Zabelle Otyag #12 will celebrate the 100th anniversary ofthe Knights of Vartan & the 70th anniversary of theDaughters of Vartan. St. Mary’s Cultural Hall. 18100Merriman Rd, Livonia. This is a fundraiser Dinner/KefDance to celebrate Knights and Daughters as well as achance for future members to observe how our commu-nity puts our heritage on display. All proceeds to fundrenovation project of school 106, located in Armenia.

JUNE 23 — Summer Picnic, Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to ??? St.Stepanos Armenian Apostolic Church, 1184 OceanAvenue, Long Branch. Chicken, Lamb Kebab, DolmaDinners. Armenian Cuisine featuring Cheese BeoregPastries, Paklava and more. Armenian Music andChildren’s Games.

OCTOBER 25 — Banquet Honoring Dr. Taner AkcamAbajian Hall St. Leon complex Fair Lawn, NJSponsored by Knights & Daughters of Vartan- Under theAuspices of His Grace Bishop Daniel Findikyan, Primate.For Reservations please call Sona Manuelian 551-427-8763. $125 p.p. early reservations recommended.

JULY 21 — Special viewing of the award-winning “TheStateless Diplomat,” a film about Diana Apcar, a 19thcentury Armenian writer living in Japan who became thede facto ambassador of a lost nation. Historical docu-mentary done by her great-granddaughter MimiMalayan. 2-4.30 p.m., at the Phillips Mill Theater, a mileoutside of New Hope, Penn.

JUNE 23 — The Cultural Committee of Sts. Sahag andMesrob Church (Providence) will present the first in aseries of talks, “Meet with Armenian Doctors,” on Sunday,June 23, at 12 noon, in Hanoian Hall of the church com-plex. ( 70 Jefferson St., Providence, RI ). Dr. Stephen S.Kasparian, obstetrician-gynecologist will speak and takequestions. Admission is free and open to the public.

CC AA L E N D A RL E N D A RMASSACHUSETTSARIZONA

MASSACHUSETTS

MICHIGAN

NEW JERSEY

ARTS & LIVING

RHODE ISLAND

PENNSYLVANIA

The Tekeyan Cultural Association ofGreater Boston and the ArmenianCultural Association will present abook signing of Tales of Beardo byauthor and poet Sarkis Gavlakian,at 6 p.m. at the Armenian CulturalFoundation, 441 Mystic St.,Arlington, Mass. To RSVP, call 559-801-3392. The program will be inArmenian.

18 S A T U R D A Y, J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 9 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

Established 1932

An ADL Publication

EDITOR

Alin K. Gregorian

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Aram ArkunART DIRECTOR

Marc Mgrditchian

SENIOR EDITORIAL COLUMNIST:Edmond Y. Azadian

CONTRIBUTORS:Florence Avakian, Dr. HaroutiunArzoumanian, Philippe Raffi Kalfayan,Philip Ketchian, Kevork Keushkerian,Harut Sassounian, Hagop Vartivarian,Naomi Zeytoonian

CORRESPONDENTS:

Armenia - Hagop AvedikianBoston - Nancy KalajianLos Angeles - Taleen BabayanBerlin - Muriel Mirak-Weissbach

Contributing Photographers:Jirair Hovsepian

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MirrorSpectator

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Pashinyan Faces Traps In and Out of Armenia

COMMENTARY

By Edmond Y. Azadian

Spending a few weeks in Armenia gives one the benefit ofaccess to the ongoing processes that generate the news. Butironically, that news is not always true.In Armenia, one is caught in the jungle of politics where news

outlets chase fake news and where polemicists take over the roleof commentators and one is at a loss to find a sober, impartialvoice which would provide objective information and rationalcommentary.After returning from Armenia, time and distance have filtered

all the facts afforded me to have a better perspective on the pol-itics that have gripped the country.The Velvet Revolution has not run its course yet. It is to every-

one’s advantage to consolidate the gains of that revolution.There is no returning to the past, yet moving forward hasbecome a tremendous challenge for the young administration.Forces in and out of Armenia are trying to push back theachievements of the revolution.Just last week, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s candidate

lost his bid to become mayor of the city of Abovyan. When askedabout this defeat, the prime minister answered: “We brought therevolution to allow people to have a choice. Thus, the revolutionwon.” Of course, some members of the ancient regime wouldhave liked to interpret that single defeat as a sign of dwindlinginfluence of the current administration.It is hard to see how Prime Minister Pashinyan will navigate

through domestic and foreign obstacles to achieve the goals ofthe revolution.At this time, several trends are developing. In the first place,

the solid leadership of the revolution issplintering as it happens in all revolu-tions; the resignation of Artak Zeynalyanas the head of the judiciary was anunpleasant surprise. Similarly, a cloudhanging over the head of another power-ful member, former head of the StateOversight Service of Armenia DavitSanasaryan, is another blow.On the other hand, Pashinyan had

expeditiously assigned to ministerial anddeputy ministerial positions people whohad marched in the streets during therevolution and chanted slogans, withoutany vetting or even background checks.That expediency cost Pashinyan a highpolitical price, especially in one casewhere Deputy Minister of Culture NazenyGharibyan fired celebrated opera directorConstantine Orbelian. The embarrass-ment resulted in mass firings. Pashinyanannounced the resignation of 27 deputyministers, including Gharibyan, who hadrendered the Orbelian case into a causecelebre.To add insult to injury, there is cur-

rently a standoff between Yerevan andStepanakert; Pashinyan has accusedsome unnamed forces in Karabakh ofbeing engaged in treasonous activities.And these accusations are flying backand forth while the enemy is at thegate. The casualty from that falloutseems to be the resignation of a strong-man and presidential candidate VitalyBalasanyan who was serving as the secretary of NationalCouncil in Karabakh. It is purported that Pashinyan hadsought that resignation.Through all these diversion and distractions, the leaders of

the old regime and their dependents are realigning for a come-back; new parties are emerging and new coalitions are beingforged. There is a frenzy of buying media outlets by Kocharyanhimself as well as the son-in-law of Serzh Sargsyan, Mikhail(Mishik) Minasyan, and of course all cannons are directed at theprime minister. What other sensitive subject can the oppositionmedia find other than the Karabakh issue?A sharp-tongued commentator, Levon Shirinyan, noted in a

recent interview: “Who are those people who are blaming theprime minister for contemplating territorial concessions inKarabakh other than people who are vying to return to the past?They are the members of the Republican Party.”Coming out of the domestic quagmire, one has to concentrate

on foreign policy challenges that Armenia faces today. PresidentVladimir Putin is restrained but his docile media is not. In oneof the Putin-backed newspapers, Robert Kocharyan was charac-

terized as the “first political prisoner in the post-Soviet era.”At a recent gathering of Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)

members in Kazakhstan an embarrassing situation was createdfor Pashinyan, who was supposed to be awarded a medal alongthe leaders of the other member countries, but was bypassed.Also, a meeting was expected to take place with President Putin,but it was called off.No matter how hard Pashinyan tries to ingratiate himself to

Putin, the latter stays demonstrably aloof.Pashinyan already paid dearly for his rash decision for calling

for the head of General Yuri Khachaturov, who was serving asthe secretary general of the Collective Security Alliance.As Armenia tries to improve its relations with the West, it is

risking further aloofness from the Kremlin leadership.Armenia is beholden to Russia, which is its largest trading

partner. It does not have too much to sell to the US and theWest, and all that Armenia can expect from the West is someinvestment in its economic infrastructure. The US’s largess isnot moving that fast in order not to indicate to Russia thatArmenia is moving outside of the Kremlin’s zone of influence.Pashinyan was planning to catch up with Putin and mend fencesat the 19th international economic forum which took place inSt. Petersburg last week. Pashinyan made a convincing presen-tation at the forum but his meeting with Putin was curt yetcourteous. Putin immediately reminded Pashinyan that Russiawas the primary business partner of Armenia and had invested$2 billion. Pashinyan, in turn, stated that this year Armenia hada favorable growth figure of 7.1 percent through the year andthat the April figures have been even higher — 9.2 percent.Pashinyan has ascribed this economic success to the processthat Armenia cooperates with Russia through the EurasianEconomic Union (EEU).

But the undertone of this courteous encounter was anothertrap by the Kremlin, as we read on lragir.am. “Pashinyan hadannounced that he expects new ammunition from Russia. Notthe Iskandar, because we have a lot of it, but also something notsmaller. He said that they spoke about this during his meetingwith President Vladimir Putin. Apparently, this statement wasthe reason why the spokesperson for the Russian ForeignMinistry Maria Zakharova tried to push past Nikol Pashinyan’sspeech at the forum in St. Petersburg, turning the subject intomockery. Later, of course, Lavrov’s spokesperson corrected themistake but it was impossible to hide the ‘plot.’”Putin is a master politician. Pashinyan cannot win this game

of cat and mouse with Putin.As we can see in all domestic squabbling and international

intrigues Pashinyan’s task is cut out for him.Armenia needs political focus and consolidation of powers

to meet the challenges and place the country on the path torecovery.No one should rejoice over Pashinyan’s failure. Because that

failure will turn out to be Armenia’s failure.

S A T U R D A Y, J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 9 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

19

My TurnBy Harut Sassounian

Institute of Turkish Studies ToClose Down in 2020: GoodRiddanceThe Institute of Turkish Studies (ITS), a non-profit organi-

zation, was founded in 1983 with $3 million donated by theGovernment of Turkey in Washington, D.C. ITS issued a pressrelease on May 31, 2019 announcing that it will cease its oper-ations on September 30, 2020.This was a surprising announcement for two reasons:1) The sum of $3 million is a relatively small amount for the

Turkish government having spent tens of millions of dollarsto hire public relations and lobbying firms in the UnitedStates for many years. Returning the $3 million or whateveris left of it to Turkey will not make a major difference in thecountry’s financial condition. Turkey needs several hundredbillion dollars to recover from its economic collapse.2) Despite the boastful press release by the institute’s lead-

ership about its accomplishments, the withdrawal of thefunds by the Turkish government implies that the Institutehad failed to meet its propaganda goals. The Turkish govern-ment stopped funding ITS in 2015. To make matters worse,the Institute’s leaders acknowledge in their press release that

they have not been successful in raising sufficient funds fromoutside sources to continue the Institute’s operations. Inrecent years, the ITS received partial financial support fromGeorgetown University, Koç Holding, FIBA Holding, and Mr.and Mrs. Muhtar Kent (former Board chairman of the Coca-Cola Company), and other individual donors.The ITS press release claims that its grants since 1983 have

promoted Turkey and Turkish studies “in 45 US states plusthe District of Columbia. Over 130 dissertation writing grantstranslated into 70-plus professorial positions at Americaninstitutions of higher education, and language and researchawards helped prepare at least 235 others who took up teach-ing and research positions in the United States and else-where. Awards to several dozen developing scholars over thelast five years will pay further dividends in the future. Nearly80 US institutions established library/research collectionsrelating to Turkey, or added significantly to existingresources, thanks to ITS funding, and 19 American universi-ties received seed money to support the establishment of new,Turkey-related teaching positions.”In recent years, the ITS was located at the offices of the

Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service on the campusof Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The HonoraryChairman of the Institute was the Turkish Ambassador in theUS, confirming the close supervision of ITS grants by theTurkish government.The Institute of Turkish Studies has been embroiled in a

number of scandals, starting with Heath Lowry who was thefounder and executive director of the Institute from 1983 to1993. Lowry was instrumental in preparing and publishingfull-page ads in the Washington Post, the New York Timesand the Washington Times on May 19, 1985, signed by 69“scholars” who denied the occurrence of the ArmenianGenocide. Lowry subsequently became the Ataturk Professor

of Ottoman & Modern Turkish Studies at PrincetonUniversity, funded by a $750,000 Turkish government grant.I was the first target of a legal confrontation with the

Turkish Institute, after I wrote an editorial in 1985 in theCalifornia Courier listing the names of the US scholars andthe amount of money they had each received from theTurkish Institute. Interestingly, many of these scholars werethe same ones who were given grants by the TurkishInstitute. I received a letter from the attorneys of ITS stat-ing that they will sue me for libel unless I published alengthy retraction which I refused to do. My attorneysinformed the Turkish Institute lawyers that their allegationof libel had no merit and informed them that we will file acounter lawsuit. In response, the ITS dropped its threatenedlawsuit.Then in 1995, an article titled “Professional Ethics and the

Denial of Armenian Genocide,” was published in Holocaustand Genocide Studies exposing a letter sent to Prof. RobertJay Lifton, drafted by ITS Executive Director Heath Lowry in1990 on behalf of the Turkish Ambassador Nuzhet Kandemir,denying the facts of the Armenian Genocide. Lowry’s draftletter in the name Ambassador was inadvertently sent to Prof.Lifton, causing a major academic scandal.In 2006, American Prof. Donald Quataert resigned from

the chairmanship of ITS Board after refusing to obey theTurkish Ambassador’s orders that Turkey would revoke theITS funding unless Professor Quataert retracted a scholarlybook review in which he had written “what happened to theArmenians readily satisfies the U.N. definition of genocide.”Several other ITS Board members resigned shortly in protest.With the announced closing of the Institute of Turkish

Studies, there will be one less outlet for Turkish propagandain the United States distorting the tragic truths of theArmenian Genocide.

By Ece Temelkuran“No, that can’t happen here.”How well I remember Americans saying this three years

ago, when Donald Trump rode down the Trump Tower esca-lator and landed in the midst of US history with a resound-ing thud. I tried to explain to my American friends that whathad happened to us in Turkey was just as possible in their

own country. Conventional political tools, I told them,wouldn’t be enough to stop this new type of political insan-ity.So here we are. Now even highly respected observers are

considering a possibility they had once dismissed: “What ifTrump doesn’t leave the White House even if he loses theelection?” Well, maybe now it’s time to realize that we’re liv-ing in the age of the impossible and that we’re all in thistogether.In the local elections in Turkey in March, the opposition

won in several big cities despite President Recep TayyipErdogan’s infamously oppressive regime. (To have an idea

what Turkey has been through, multiply Trump’s politicalskills by at least 100 and then imagine having him in powerfor almost 17 years. Picture the Post being owned by thefamily of Trump’s son-in-law. Oh, sorry, I forgot — it’s impos-sible.)These painful years started with a movement of real peo-

ple, creating automatic polarization and excluding anyonewho didn’t support the movement by labeling them the cor-

rupt elite. As the political debate grew increasingly confused,Erdogan and his circle became respected political actorsincreasingly more effective in using their political power.What came next was a massive operation to disrupt ratio-

nality and distort language. It took the people of Turkeysome time to realize that it is impossible to speak with pop-ulist spin doctors — not because they have brilliant debatingskills but because they use a certain schizophrenic logic thatparalyzes human reason. While this was going on, we per-fected our political humor skills to calm our anxieties bymaking fun of the leader, just as the Americans have beendoing for the past two and a half years.

Meanwhile the anger and fear generated by the leader’sabsurd statements invaded not only the political sphere butalso our most intimate relations. That’s when the most mad-dening part began: The minions of the leader started to mul-tiply and haunt us in our daily lives. Imagine little Trumpsproliferating in your workplace, saying things such as, “Idon’t believe in climate change,” or “The world is flat” — andthen finding yourself trying to explain why science matterswithout being condescending toward real people.In the course of those 17 years, all the old political and

judicial mechanisms were steadily taken apart by a ruthlessgovernment and party machine, leaving the people of Turkeyto struggle to keep what is left of their democracy. Theentire nation began studying our extremely complicated elec-tion law. Today you can ask any opposition member inTurkey and even the least educated will be able to recite theelection laws by heart. Losing democracy has reminded usall how much blood, sweat and tears are needed to rebuildit. Now we know that no abstract institution, no legal inves-tigation and certainly no call for shame can bring downright-wing populism once it seizes power.It should be clear by now that something that was consid-

ered impossible in the United States or Turkey 17 years agois happening now, and it is happening in the exact same way.It’s time to acknowledge that this is a global political andmoral phenomenon that should also be dealt with on a glob-al basis. If Steve Bannon is smart enough to organize right-wing populist leaders in Europe, and if these leaders are intouch, then the people of the world should be talking toeach other, too, creating a global conversation and a net-work of solidarity. There’s no time for national arrogance —of the kind that has caused three years of Brexit insanity inBritain, or that prompted students in the Netherlands toreport their teachers to a populist-party hotline for their left-ist views.Nor do we have the luxury of feeling appalled, of being

shocked, of becoming paralyzed with anger. We have to seethrough the noisy insanity and figure out how this politicalmalady works — with patterns strikingly similar in eachcountry regardless of the maturity of democracy, thestrength of state institutions or the stamina of conventionalpolitical parties. This is the biggest global crisis of represen-tative democracy in recent memory, and right-wing populismwill exploit the current vacuum until the power opposing itbecomes strong enough to resist.So let’s get to work! We’ve got to come together and start

joining forces before it’s too late.

(Ece Temelkuran isa Turkish journalistand writer. She isthe author, mostrecently, of How toLose a Country:The 7 Steps fromDemocracy toDictatorship. Thiscommentary origi-nally appeared inthe WashingtonPost on June 10.)

Think Autocracy Is‘Impossible’ Here? Look at Turkey

It took the people of Turkey some time torealize that it is impossible to speak withpopulist spin doctors — not because theyhave brilliant debating skills but because

they use a certain schizophrenic logic thatparalyzes human reason.

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

YEREVAN — President Armen Sarkissian participated onJune 11 at the opening of the “Three Armenian Manuscriptsfrom Toscana” exhibition at the Foundation of the MesropMashtots Scientific and Research Institute of AncientManuscripts, also known as the Matenadaran. Three out of the 14 Armenian manuscripts preserved at

the Laurentian Library in Florence, Italy – the 13th centuryPriesthood Book from the Cilician Armenia, the 14thCentury Psalms and the Book of Commons are on displayfor the visitors of the Matenadaran until the end of this year. The interactive format allows viewers to observe the digi-

tal pages of the manuscripts. Present at the opening of the exhibition were also

President of the Italian National Research Council MassimoInguscio, director for Innovations and Technological Issuesat IMB Fabrizio Renzi, and Ambassador of Italy in ArmeniaVincenzo del Monaco. Opening the exhibition, Director of Matenadaran Vahan

Ter-Ghevondyan assessed it as a unique event, as this is thefirst time that the Matenadaran is hosting ancient treasureshoused elsewhere. The President of the Italian National Research Council

Massimo Inguscio underscored that this exhibition was aresult of the reciprocal visits of the Presidents of Armeniaand Italy Armen Sarkissian and Sergio Mattarella and theundertaking to develop the bilateral cultural ties. “We havecome here from Dilijan, from the Summit of Minds where wespoke about the power of artificial intelligence, he said. “Butthis small exhibition, I believe, proves how deep naturalintelligence can be. This exhibition proves that relationsformed in the course of centuries do not wither. We havethese manuscripts thanks to the priests who had reachedItaly by the Silk Road. My message is the following: Italy, the

..Italian culture, and Italian technologies stand ready todevelop the relations between the two countries.”President Armen Sarkissian noted that the three

Armenian manuscripts, which for centuries have beenretained out of Armenia, have come back home. “But notonly Armenia and the Matenadaran are their homes but alsoItaly and the magnificent Medici Library. These ancientmanuscripts prove the friendly relations between Armeniaand Italy have been forming for centuries,” he underscored.Sarkissian hailed the great interest of Mattarella towards

the Armenian culture and asked to convey to him the assur-ances of his highest consideration and readiness to deepenthe cooperation and carry out joint works.Sarkissian thanked del Monaco for his efforts in organiz-

ing the exhibition and expressed hope that other similarevents would come soon. “I am proud to be here today andto open this exhibition. I hope that the next one will not belate and it doesn’t matter whether it will be here or in Romebecause we are linked not only historically but also techno-logically.”

By Lara Seligman

ISTANBUL (Foreign Policy) — The US mil-itary has grounded the Turkish pilots train-ing on the F-35 fighter jet in the UnitedStates and cut off their access to the aircraft’srestricted information in anticipation ofTurkey’s expulsion from the program over itsplans to purchase a contentious Russian mis-sile system.The US Defense Department last week for-

mally gave Turkey a deadline of July 31 toscrap the deal for Russia’s S-400 missile sys-tem before cutting the NATO ally out of theF-35 program altogether. At that point, ifAnkara does not change course, all TurkishAir Force personnel involved in the programmust leave the United States.But for the six Turkish pilots at Luke Air

Force Base in Arizona — two instructors andfour students — their access to the newAmerican-made jet has already been cut off.Last week, Brig. Gen. Todd Canterbury, thewing commander, made the decision to

immediately ground the pilots and restricttheir access to the “vault,” which holds statesecrets and classified materials, according totwo US defense officials.Canterbury’s main concern was that con-

tinuing to allow the Turkish pilots access tothe F-35’s most sensitive data — instructionmanuals, for example — after the July 31deadline was imposed would provide them anopportunity to take classified informationout of the secure space, one official said.Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Mike

Andrews confirmed that the Turkish pilots atLuke Air Force Base are no longer flyingdespite the July 31 deadline.“Without a change in Turkish policy, we

will continue to work closely with ourTurkish ally on winding down their partici-pation in the F-35 program,” he said.The grounding was billed as an “opera-

tional pause” so that if Turkey decides toscrap the S-400 at the last minute, the pilotscould resume their training.But that outcome does not look likely. The

grounding is the latest sign of increasinglystrained ties between Washington and

Ankara amid ongoing tension over US sup-port for the Kurds in the fight in Syria andTurkey’s growing friendship with Russia. TheUS government has signaled the spat overthe S-400 could lead to sanctions, whichexperts say would have a dire effect onTurkey’s already fragile economy andTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’spopularity as he faces the prospect of hisparty losing the Istanbul mayoral election fora second time in a rerun later this month.US officials say the S-400, which is slated

to arrive in the country as soon as thismonth, poses a threat to the F-35 itself, andthe integration of the two systems could pro-vide Moscow insight into closely guarded USmilitary secrets.The decision to begin “unwinding” Turkey

from the F-35 program was prompted in partby the discovery that Turkey had sent per-sonnel to Russia to begin training on the S-400, said Andrew Winternitz, acting deputyassistant secretary of defense for Europe andNATO.The Pentagon is in discussions with

Turkey’s defense ministry over reimbursing

Ankara for the cost of the aircraft it hasalready bought, said Ellen Lord, the under-secretary of defense for acquisition and sus-tainment.Defense Department officials stressed that

they want to keep the F-35 versus S-400 dis-pute separate from broader cooperation on arange of issues with a key NATO ally.Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base is a critical launch-ing point for the US-led campaign against ter-rorism in the Middle East, and it’s home toUS nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Turkey isalso NATO’s southern flank against a threatfrom Russia.However, experts note that Erdogan’s

move to acquire the S-400 despite suchstrong opposition from Washington may sig-nal the country’s broader pivot away fromthe trans-Atlantic alliance — toward Moscow.“This sets Turkey on a dangerous trajec-

tory, and it will make the Turkish militarymore prone to Russian meddling,” saidAykan Erdemir, a former member of theTurkish parliament and a senior fellowwith the Foundation for Defense ofDemocracies.

US Grounds Turkish F-35 Pilots

President Armen Sarkissian at the Matenadaran exhibit.

‘Three Armenian Manuscripts from Toscana’Exhibition Has Opened at Matenadaran

President Armen Sarkissian at the Matenadaran exhibit speaks with President of the Italian National Research Council Massimo Inguscio.