NS Royal Gazette Part I - Volume 222, No. 28 - July 10, 2013
Tuesday 26 11 13, volume # 8, issue # 222
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Transcript of Tuesday 26 11 13, volume # 8, issue # 222
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\ RAG MAMOUL an ADL PUBLICATION
Official Organ of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party
ՊԱՇՏՕՆԱԹԵՐԹ՝ ՌԱՄԿԱՎԱՐ ԱԶԱՏԱԿԱՆ ԿՈՒՍԱԿՑՈՒԹԵԱՆ
Is the White House so Scared of Turkey
That it Won't Even Hang a Rug?
By: J. DANA STUSTER
Tuesday, 26 November 2013 Volume # 8, Issue # 222 Page 1
RAG MAMOUL receives material from around the world and in many languages. Our Liberal principles advocate ‘Freedom of
speech’ as a mainstay of our beliefs; consequently the subjects and ideas presented will not necessarily reflect our point of view.
All published material is reviewed, however, we rely on the kind understanding of our audience when grammatical and spelling
mistakes are missed. And in some rare cases, correction of submitted material is purposely not addressed, if it changes the implied
context of the author.
In 1926, Vartoohi Galezian -- a 15-year-old refugee from the genocide in Armenia -- arrived at the
White House to pay a visit to President Calvin Coolidge. She had come to view the rug she and 1,400
other orphans living in Ghazir -- then part of mandate Syria, now in Lebanon -- had woven as a gift to
the United States in thanks for the humanitarian assistance provided to the refugees of the ethnic
cleansing of Armenians during World War I. In June 1995, the Ghazir rug, a huge, beautiful work
exemplary of the Middle East's legendary weaving traditions, was shown once more to Galezian and
her family, but it's now been more than 17 years since the White House has displayed what has come to
be known as the Armenian orphan rug. Now it is unclear when the rug will ever be shown again.
The rug is now caught in a tug-of-war with historians and Armenian advocates on one side pulling
for the rug to be displayed and the White House on the other, which seems reticent to release the rug
for an exhibit. Many suspect the White House of kowtowing to Turkey, which refuses to describe the
The Ghazir Rug
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deaths of 1.5 million Armenians as a genocide and
objects to the display of Armenian artifacts -- and the
implicit acknowledgement of Turkey's responsibility
in the 20th century's first large-scale ethnic cleansing.
But the rug has powerful supporters, who are now
pushing a White House loathe to antagonise Turkey to
put the rug on display.
As strange as it sounds, the memory of a nearly
century-old genocide is now being litigated over the
future fate of a rug.
For a time, it looked like the rug would be shown
next month at a book launch event for a book about the
rug's history, but the White House declined to exhibit
it. "We regret that it was not possible to loan it out for
this event," Laura Lucas Magnuson, assistant press
secretary for the National Security Council, told
Foreign Policy. "Displaying the rug for only half a day
in connection with a private book launch event, as
proposed, would have been an inappropriate use of
U.S. government property, would have required the
White House to undertake the risk of transporting the
rug for limited public exposure, and was not viewed as
commensurate with the rug's historical significance."
But some suspect the decision was motivated by
political expediency as much as concerns about
finding the right setting for the rug. The rug is a
symbol of the expulsion of the collapsing Ottoman
Empire's Armenian population in 1915, which left 1.5
million dead and hundreds of thousands displaced -- an
event that most historians consider the first genocide
of the modern era. The devastating effects of the
deaths and displacement prompted the first concerted
effort at U.S. international humanitarianism with the
establishment of Near East Relief, an early precursor
to USAID. But Turkey adamantly denies that the
Tuesday, 26 November 2013 Volume # 8, Issue # 222 Page 2
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HEADLINE SUBHEAD. SUBHEAD.
SUBHEAD. SUBHEAD.
Tuesday, 26 November 2013 Volume # 8, Issue # 222 Page 3
ethnic cleansing meets the legal definition of genocide, which
requires that the effort to wipe out a population be "deliberate and
systematic," claiming instead that the Armenians were victims of
widespread upheaval in a country in turmoil. The use of the term
"genocide" -- and anything that draws attention to the deportations,
massacres, and death marches -- is a loaded political issue in
relations with Turkey.
"It is very hard to believe that politics doesn't have anything to do
with the White House's abrupt refusal to loan the carpet to the
Smithsonian" for the book launch, said Keith Watenpaugh, a
professor at the University of California, Davis, who has written
extensively about U.S. humanitarianism among Armenian survivors.
"This explanation strikes me as after the fact -- and not terribly
persuasive. Artifacts from official collections are brought out for
special occasions all the time. It is not unusual for meaningful pieces
of art or special documents to be displayed for short periods."
Watenpaugh has started a petition asking for the White House to
reconsider displaying the rug.
In a separate effort, 31 members of Congress have sent a letter to
the White House urging it to "release this American treasure for
exhibition" but have not received a response. "If the White House
doesn't release the rug to be shown at the Smithsonian, it's my
intention to put together an event on the Hill at which the rug could
be shown," Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat and a co-
author of the letter, told FP by phone Thursday. That event, which
Schiff said could be held as soon as January, would focus on U.S.
humanitarian efforts and the "circumstances that led to the making of
the rug." As to whether he thought the White House's refusal to show
the rug was motivated by concerns over Turkish sensitivities, Schiff
noted that it would be evident if the White House changes its policy
for future events. "We'll see soon enough," he said.
Keith Watenpaugh
Rep. Adam Schiff
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Tuesday, 26 November 2013 Volume # 8, Issue # 222 Page 4
Regardless of the terminology involved, the rug has a fascinating history. It was woven by a girls'
orphanage in the town of Ghazir, about 20 miles north of Beirut, that housed 1,400 girls and was funded
through the sale of woven rugs and contributions from Near East Relief, a U.S. development charity that
provided support to Armenian refugees. The sprawling rug -- 11 by 18 feet -- contains 4,404,206 knots
and is intricately patterned with animals, plants, and arabesques. It was presented to President Coolidge
on December 4, 1925, in advance of a Near East Relief donation drive. The rug stayed in the White
House until Coolidge left office, at which point it went with him to Northampton, Mass. It was passed
down through the family and given back to the White House collection in 1982.
"The Ghazir rug is a reminder of the close relationship between the peoples of Armenia and the
United States," Lucas Magnuson wrote by email. It is also "a symbol of the immense generosity that the
American people once demonstrated to the children of the Middle East," Watenpaugh told FP. "It is a
superb work of art and a poignant reminder of a time when the relationship between America and the
Middle East was much different from today and built around education, humanitarian relief, and
cooperation. Today, as millions more children are suffering because of the war in Syria, we have the
right to remember that history and an obligation to rekindle our tradition of compassion."
But, for now, that history will stay locked away.
Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
www.facebook.com/RAGmamoul
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Armenia Fund will host the 16th International Telethon on, November 28, 2013. Proceeds from the Telethon will benefit the construction of the Vartenis to Martakert Highway – linking the northern regions of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. The highway will help link villages and cities and will promote socio-economic development, boost trade, and cooperation in both countries regions.
BE A PART OF THIS MAJOR PROJECT BY YOUR GENEROUS DONATION
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HEADLINESUB-HEAD
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Hayg Nahabed and other Armenian Legends introduces young readers to the legendary Armenian heroes like: Hayg Nahabed, Vahakn the Dragon Killer, Dork Ankegh, Ara the Handsome, and King Dikran Yervantian. Edited By: Sevag Hagopian Illustrated By: David Bedrossian
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