Akhtamar ChurchIncreases Tourism in

Van ProvinceISTANBUL (Armenpress) — The Holy CrossArmenian Church on Akhtamar Island on Lake Vanhas greatly contributed to an increase in the num-ber of tourists there, according to a report in Agosnewspaper. The renovation of the church startedon May 20, 2005, and concluded on July 21, 2006.On March 29, 2007, it was officially opened as a cul-tural museum.According to the Department of Culture and

Tourism of Van, if before 2006 the visitors of theArmenian Church of the Holy Cross Church on theisland of Aghtamar constituted a few hundreds, in2009 their number was 34,000, and in 2013 thenumber of the visitors reached 71,000.

Spielberg LaunchesCenter for Research on

GenocideLOS ANGELES (Jewish Journal) — FilmmakerSteven Spielberg announced earlier this month theestablishment of a Center for Advanced GenocideResearch at the University of Southern California(USC). The center’s primary goals will be to inves-tigate the conditions leading to genocides and howto intervene in time to prevent such mass violenceand slaughter.Specifically, the center will focus on three

aspects of genocides, said Spielberg, who estab-lished USC Shoah Foundation 20 years ago, fol-lowing the release of “Schindler’s List.” He wasjoined by USC President C.L. Max Nikias for thepress conference on campus.The three announced research areas are resis-

tance to genocide and mass violence; violence, emo-tion and behavioral change and digital genocidestudies.“The USC Shoah Foundation has made tremen-

dous progress during its first 20 years, but its workis far from finished,” Spielberg said. “The institutehas collected and indexed nearly 52,000 testi-monies and established educational programs, suchas iWitness and Teaching with Testimony thatbring people who experienced history into class-rooms around the world. “Now comes the next sig-nificant chapter, one that establishes the instituteas one of the leading academic centers of excel-lence for the study of the Holocaust and genocides.The potential is there for groundbreakingresearch.”The trove of 52,000 testimonies deal primarily

with the Holocaust, but also contains eyewitnessaccounts of the 1994 Rwandan Tutsi genocide andthe 1937 Nanjing massacre.Material on the Armenian and Cambodian geno-

cides will be added to the archives next year.USC history professor Wolf Gruner will serve as

director of the new center.

INDEXArts and Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Armenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Community News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Mirror- SpectatorMirror- SpectatorTHE ARMENIAN

Volume LXXXIV, NO. 42, Issue 4336

MAY 10 , 2014

$ 2.00

INSIDE

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

Ani’sTeam

Page 4

Ground Consecrated for Pasadena MemorialPASADENA, Calif. — More than 700 people attended a ground blessing at the site

for the Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial Sunday, April 27, during a publicceremony at Memorial Park.The presentation of colors was conducted by HMEM Azadamard Chapter. Retired

US District Court Judge Dickran M. Tevrizian served as master of ceremonies andconsecration of the ground was performed by Archbishop Hovnan Derderian,Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and ArchbishopMoushegh Mardirossian of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

see MONUMENT, page 16

The two archbishops, Hovnan Derderian and Moushegh Mardirossian, consecratedthe grounds of the Pasadena Genocde memorial.

NEW YORK — At the DiocesanAssembly held this past week-end in New York, ArchbishopKhajag Barsamian was reelect-ed as Primate of the Diocese ofthe Armenian Church of America(Eastern). A full story willappear in a subsequent issue.

California AssemblyPanel Votes toRecognize ArtsakhSACRAMENTO — With a 9 to 1 vote and,

1 abstention, the California State AssemblyRules Committee, on Monday, May 5, passedAssembly Joint Resolution 32 calling for theUnited States to recognize the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic as a sovereign state andpromoting the right of “self-determinationand democratic independence.”AJR 32, introduced by Assembly Member

Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles), makesCalifornia the most populous governmentalentity to call for Nagorno-Karabagh’s recog-nition or to recognize it outright.“It has been my privilege to work with

the leaders of the local Armenian Americancommunity and their outstanding represen-tatives on this Resolution and I am proudthat it has passed in the Rules Committeeand is on its way to the Assembly floor fora full vote,” said Gatto.Providing testimony were Sevak

Khatchadorian, chair of the ArmenianCouncil of America, and Alina Nalbantyan,who hails from the Shahoumian region ofArtsakh, and Nora Hovsepian from theArmenian National Committee of America.Along with Gatto, Assembly Member

Katcho Achadjian (R-San Luis Obispo)addressed the Assembly Rules Committee,stressing the importance of the CaliforniaState legislature to pass AJR 32, and sup-port a people who strive to create a peace-ful and democratic nation.Co-author of the Resolution, Assembly

Member Cheryl R. Brown (D-SanBernardino) who visited Armenia andNagorno-Karabagh last September reiterat-ed her support. “I’m supporting thisResolution because I believe people shouldhave an independent nation and should befree to vote however they want to vote,”said Brown. “People in Karabagh are warm,welcoming, happy and have a strong desirefor self-determination. I do understand sec-ond class treatment and my heart goes outto everyone in this room.”Correcting the Azeri lobby, Assembly

Member Adrin Nazarian (D-Sherman Oaks),stated that Shushi is historically Armenian,and his grandparents were natives ofShushi prior to being forced to relocate dueto Azeri aggression.The full California Assembly was sched-

uled to vote on the measure on May 8.

WASHINGTON (Glendale News Press) —After a joint letter from more than 30 mem-bers of Congress, a letter from localArmenian leaders, years of community pres-sure and a petition drive on a website, theWhite House has agreedto exhibit in the nearfuture, likely this fall, a rugmade by Armenianorphans more than 90years ago, Rep. AdamSchiff (D-Burbank) said onWednesday.The rug, woven by

orphans of the ArmenianGenocide in 1920, was pre-sented to President CalvinCoolidge in 1925 as a sym-bol of gratitude forAmerican aid and generos-ity for US assistance dur-ing the genocide.“It’s an incredibly impor-

tant historical artifact lit-erally produced by thehands of the survivors ofthe genocide,” Schiff saidby phone Wednesday,adding that he waspleased by the develop-ment. “It’s a tangible pieceof evidence that speaksvolumes about Americancontributions at the time.”Measuring 11 feet, 7 inches by 18 feet, 5

inches, the Armenian orphan rug has morethan 4 million hand-tied knots and took theArmenian girls in the Ghazir Orphanage ofthe Near East Relief Society 10 months toweave. It is set to be displayed in an areaaccessible to the public, Schiff said.At the time, Coolidge noted that, “The

rug has a place of honor in the WhiteHouse where it will be a daily symbol ofgoodwill on earth.”

The rug — which has been in storage atthe White House for decades — was sup-posed to be released in December for exhi-bition in a Smithsonian event for thelaunch of Hagop Martin Deranian’s new

book, President Calvin Coolidge and theArmenian Orphan Rug.However, the rug was not displayed at

that time, raising concerns among theArmenian community and some lawmakers.The rug not only can teach White House

visitors about the genocide, but it also canshed light on the American philanthropicwork to support survivors, Schiff said.Schiff, along with 32 other Congressional

see RUG, page 16

White House Says Orphan RugTo Be Displayed in Near Future

ACF Releases Second Edition ofArmenian Orphan Rug BookARLINGTON, Mass.

— On April 29, theArmenian CulturalFoundation (ACF)announced the releaseof the second edition ofthe President CalvinCoolidge and theArmenian Orphan Rugby Dr. Hagop MartinDeranian.The result of more

than three decades ofresearch and investiga-tion, Deranian’s work traces the history of the rugand the Armenian orphans: their transportation fromUrfa to safety to the present day Lebanon by the greatSwiss humanitarian and physician Jakob Künzler,known as the “Father of the Armenian orphans.” Hedetails its journey to the United States, presentationto President Calvin Coolidge in the White House,

see BOOK, page 16

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News From Armenia

S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R2

ARMENIA

YEREVAN — The manuscripts ofGeneral Andranik Ozanian, theArmenian national hero who died in1927, have found their permanenthome in Armenia.The manuscript — 65 pages long — is

the only known memoir of GeneralAndranik written by him. The generalhad sent them in 1921 to HovhannesBoghossian, editor of the journal Abakain Paris to be published. Abaka wasthen an organ of the ArmenianDemocratic Liberal Party (Ramgavar) inFrance.In the 1960s, Boghossian handed

these over to HampartsoumKouyoumjian (Koumrouyan), a formereditor of the Zartonk daily and a for-mer member of the Central Committeeof the Ramgavar Party and theTekeyan Cultural Association inBeirut, so that would be handed overto the relevant authorities in Armeniaat an opportune moment. This wasalso the explicit wish of HampartsoumKouyoumjian.Hampartsoum Kouyoumjian handed

these over to his son, Dr. HratchKouyoumjian, in 1988, three yearsbefore his death, with this express wish.He feared for the documents’ safety

during the civil war in Lebanon whenhis house was damaged by bombs. Themanuscript has survived since 1921after travelling from the UK to France,to Lebanon, to Greece and finally toEngland.“By handing the manuscript to the

National History Museum in Yerevanthrough Culture Minister Hasmig

Boghossian, I am finally fulfilling thewishes of many who wanted these man-uscripts to be housed in their rightfulplace. We are approaching the 150thanniversary of General Antranig’s birthand the centennial of the ArmenianGenocide; this will be one small contri-bution to these commemorations,”Hratch Kouyoumjian said.

Andranik Papers Find Home in Armenia

Dr. Hratch Kouyoumjian with the Director of the National History Museum Dr.Anelka Grigoryan where the manuscripts are to be kept

PHILADELPHIA — When it comes toArmenia’s current day challenges, manywould agree that environmental protec-tion ranks high amongst the priorities.At the forefront of that campaign arethree young, dynamic professionals,Armine Sargsyan, Lena Tashjian andAreg Maghakian, all of whom got a thor-ough introduction to Armenia’s needswhile serving as Birthright Armenia vol-unteers. All three were able to envision arole for themselves by engaging in workon the ground to address these needs,and now serve as effective leaders ofenvironmental organizations in Armenia,namely Armenian EnvironmentalNetwork (AEN), Go Green Armenia andArmenia Tree Project. AEN is a relatively new organization

focusing on connecting Armenians andothers in the worldwide conservationcommunity to facilitate environmentally-sustainable development in Armenia.Armine Sargsyan’s AEN involvementdates back to 2010 while based inNorthern California. She was aBirthright Armenia volunteer in 2011,and when the offer for a Yerevan-basedposition with AEN was tabled in the find-ing environmentally valid ways of dealingwith solid waste, Sargsyan knew theposition was a perfect match. This wasan area that deeply interested her, so shemoved to Armenia in 2013 to lead thecharge as AEN’s Armenia office director.Sargsyan explains the importance of

size and power in numbers, “Armenia isa small country, so any environmentaldysfunction will affect her entire territo-ry. We need to be aware and vigilant, andwe need to connect all those who arealready involved in the sector as a force.Pooling worldwide and local resources iscritical, and Armenia is small enoughwhereby the right solutions can beimplemented throughout the country.There are proven international modelsthat work well on a small scale, so weneed to connect the dots of local gov-ernment, resources, and technology toarrive at a winning solution in areas ofArmenia that currently have no compre-hensive waste management solutions.” Areg Maghakian, originally from

Southern California, volunteered withBirthright Armenia in 2007. After sever-al months of volunteering, “It was simplya matter of the stars aligning,” as he

knew very early on during his volunteerservice that he’d be based in Armenia forthe long term. His prior involvement with the

Armenia Tree Project (ATP) dates backover ten years, when he was a supporterof the Watertown and Yerevan basednon-profit organization that workstowards reforestation, sustainable devel-opment and environmental education inArmenia. Fast forwarding to 2010,Maghakian was appointed as deputydirector and two and a half years later hewas promoted to Armenia operationsdirector for ATP. He explains, “We workon both the macro and micro scale, part-nering with the smallest remote schoolsto planting large swaths of the country-side. Deforestation is a major challengein Armenia, and dates back to whentrees served as a substitute for heatingfuel during the energy crisis in the early1990s. Our goal is to assist the Armenianpeople in using trees to improve theirstandard of living and protect the globalenvironment.” Currently Maghakian oversees a staff

of several dozen employees, runningnurseries and education programs inmany regions. “The future of Armeniadepends on the health of her environ-ment. Our success will largely depend onhaving local communities understandthe value of preservation and thinkinggreen. I’m heartened by many that wantto partner with us, and care about theirenvironment. Despite our progress, thereis still a long road ahead, with muchwork to do and a lot of ground to cover.” Maghakian has been in Armenia since

2007 with his wife, Nyree Abrahamian,also a Birthright Armenia alum, andtheir 18-month-old son, Arame.Canadian-born Lena Tashjian volun-

teered with Birthright Armenia at GreenLane NGO in 2011, and extended her ini-tial three-month stay to continue work-ing with their fresh produce market pro-ject. She enjoyed listing the non-tradi-tional items farmers were growing andbegan creating nutritional profiles onthem in order to help market them. Thenutritional information was received real-ly well, and she was a natural fit to bedoing this kind of work. Since becomingvegetarian and then vegan while living inCanada, she was researching all the foodshe was eating to make sure she was get-

ting all the nutrients she needed.Realizing she had a strong interest innutrition, Tashjian went to school tobecome a certified nutritionist. “During my volunteer work with

Birthright, I began to focus on farmerprofiles, interviews, taking their pictures,listing what they grow on our item list,and again, that was well received. Itencouraged me to continue creatinglinks between the food we eat and thefarmers who are producing the goods,”she explains. So as the Green Lane mar-ket project ended in June 2013, Lenaclearly saw its potential and the benefitsof having it thrive. She received permis-sion to extend the project, but was told itneeded to be separate from Green Lane,alas the impetus for a new entity to becreated. “Carolin Baghoomian from Boston

and I co-founded Go Green Armenia inlate July 2013, with the primary goal ofsupporting Armenian farmers by selling,marketing and delivering their produceto people in Yerevan. We focus on chem-ical-free agriculture and also supportfarmers who grow non-traditional itemslike kale. In addition to focusing on thesale of food items, we also sell other nat-ural products as well, for example, awoman’s handmade, herb-based soapswith plants straight from her backyard.When we find interesting items like thisthat fit our general mandate, we makesure to include them in our item list tospread the word about these interestingprojects and help them garner support.” She and her partner also want to have

an aspect of the business dedicated toagro-tourism. “Our vision for the futureincludes focusing more on events, includ-ing organizing farmers’ markets outsideof the city center, monthly vegetablepicking events for seasonal fruits or veg-etables, and also events where peoplecan come and watch how the naturalsoaps are made. We think it is wiser tofocus on events and introduce peopledirectly to those producing or makingthe food products or items, all the whilekeeping a market aspect to our busi-ness,” explained Tashjian.Sargsyan, Maghakian and Tashjian are

just three of 60 Birthright Armeniaalums who live in Armenia currently. Tolearn more about Birthright Armeniaplease visit www.birthrightarmenia.org

On the Forefront of Environmental Engagement inArmenia with Birthright Alumni

BUENOS AIRES (Agencia PrensaArmenia) — A public recognition washeld on Tuesday April 29 in theArgentinian National Congress, underNational Law 26.199, which has estab-lished every April 24 as the “ActionDay for Tolerance and Respectbetween People” in commemoration ofthe Armenian Genocide.The event, organized by the

Armenian National Committee (CNA)of South America, was attended byDeputy Cristina Ziebart, Deputy CarlosRaimundi, Senator Ruben Giustinianiand Deputy Secretary for EducationalEquity and Quality of the EducationMinistry, Gabriel Brener, along withDirector of the National InstituteAgainst Discrimination, Xenophobiaand Racism Pedro Mouratian, editorand human rights activist RagipZarakolu and Armenian Ambassador inArgentina Vahagn Melikian.Dr. Hugo Kuyumdjian, representing

the CNA, opened the event saying thatLaw 26.199 “is the result of successive

parliamentary statements and resolu-tions at national and provincial level,along with the public recognition in1987 of President Raul Alfonsin.”However, he warned that “all these

advances that we assume that are con-solidated, encounter daily attempts ofTurkish lobby, and more recently thepresence of Azerbaijani lobby, twocountries that are operating together,”to “keep alive the idea of ethnic cleans-ing towards the Armenians, consider-ing not only the struggle for recogni-tion of the Armenian genocide, but theexistence of Armenia an obstacle totheir interests,” something that “trans-lates into everyday attempts to influ-ence in academics, educational, politi-cal and media spheres, presenting afalse version of history.”Then, he referred to the statement of

the Prime Minister Recep TayyipErdogan of Turkey, issued the daybefore the commemoration of the 99thanniversary of the Armenian Genocide,explaining that “although some media

that raised the news described it as his-toric, the Turkish government hasalways denied that the massacresoccurred and often blamed theArmenians themselves to be responsi-ble for their own genocide.”“The proposal to establish a joint

committee composed of Turkish andArmenian historians to study what hap-pened, is an idea used for years byTurkey to deny genocide, attempting topresent two opposing views on the sub-ject, something that we know fromArgentina as the ‘theory of the twodemons,’ where there are two opposingsides and not a victim and a victimiz-er,” added Kuyumdjian, referring to thelast military dictatorship of Argentina.Raimundi said that in international

relations you “must look out for differ-ent interests,” but “there are some keypoints that can not be subjected topressure or any kind of consideration.”Referring to Law 26.199, he highlight-ed the example and the plurality of theparties that approved it and said:“when a historical event that affectedthe human condition is at stake, thereis no possible negotiation,” in relationto Turkish pressures.Giustiniani recalled and repudiated

the 1915-1923 events, mentioning that“each genocide anniversary should bean occasion to think about how muchprogress has been made and what stillremains to memory and justice.”“The memory of the people and

their historical consciousness are theroots for a future of peace,” he added.Brener stressed the importance of

education as “construction of other-ness” and that “we live in timesmarked by the figure of the other as athreat, and that is also the prelude tothe negation of the other”. Similarly,he noted that the processes of silenceand denial are another form of vio-lence.Finally, Ziebart spoke about the

“commitment to remember what hap-pened in the past,” to “learn from theexperiences and not repeat past mis-takes.”“This is not only to commemorate

the genocide, we must also make acommitment to continuously reviewthe indicators of all forms of intoler-ance,” she said.

S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R 3

INTERNATIONAL

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eerrss aanndd aaccttiivviissttss,, lliitt ccaannddlleess aanndd hheelldd ppiiccttuurreess oofftthhoossee wwhhoo lloosstt tthheeiirr lliivveess iinn aann eevveenntt tthhaatt wwaassssttaaggeedd ffoorr tthhee ffiirrsstt ttiimmee iinn IIssttaannbbuull iinn 22001100..RRaakkeell DDiinnkk,, tthhee wwiiffee ooff tthhee mmuurrddeerreedd TTuurrkkiisshh--

AArrmmeenniiaann jjoouurrnnaalliisstt HHrraanntt DDiinnkk,, aanndd tthhee ppaarreennttss ooffSSeevvaagg SSaahhiinn BBaalliikkççii,, aa yyoouunngg AArrmmeenniiaann kkiilllleedd wwhhiilleeppeerrffoorrmmiinngg hhiiss mmiilliittaarryy dduuttyy oonn AApprriill 2244,, 22001111,, aallssooaatttteennddeedd tthhiiss yyeeaarr’’ss ccoommmmeemmoorraattiioonn..TThhee nnaammeess ooff pprroommiinneenntt AArrmmeenniiaann ppuubblliicc ffiigguurreess

aanndd ccoommmmuunniittyy lleeaaddeerrss wwhhoo ppeerriisshheedd iinn 11991155 wweerreeaallssoo rreeaadd oouutt dduurriinngg tthhee eevveenntt..

HHuummaann RRiigghhttss GGrroouuppDDeessccrriibbeess EErrddooggaannMMeessssaaggee aass DDeenniiaall

IISSTTAANNBBUULL ((AArrmmeennpprreessss)) —— TThhee IIssttaannbbuull bbrraanncchh oofftthhee HHuummaann RRiigghhttss OOffffiiccee ddeessccrriibbeedd tthhee ccoonnddoolleenncceemmeessssaaggee ooff tthhee PPrriimmee MMiinniisstteerr EErrddooggaann aaddddrreesssseeddttoo tthhee AArrmmeenniiaannss oonn AApprriill 2233,, aass aa ddeenniiaall ooff tthheeGGeennoocciiddee.. LLaawwyyeerr aanndd hhuummaann rriigghhttss aaccttiivviisstt EErreenn KKeesskkiinn aatt

aann oorrggaanniizzeedd pprreessss ccoonnffeerreennccee hheerree ssaaiidd,, ““WWhhaatthhaappppeenneedd ttoo tthhee AArrmmeenniiaannss iinn 11991155 iinn tthhee OOttttoommaannEEmmppiirree wwaass aa ggeennoocciiddee..””““AAlltthhoouugghh tthhiiss ttiimmee tthhee llaanngguuaaggee hhaass cchhaannggeedd,,

tthhee tteexxtt iiss ssttiillll aa tteexxtt ooff ddeenniiaall,,”” ssaaiidd KKeesskkiinn..

TTeehhrraann AArrmmeenniiaannssCCoommmmeemmoorraattee GGeennoocciiddeeTTEEHHRRAANN ((PPaannoorraammaa..aamm)) —— AA mmoorrnniinngg rreeqquuiieemm sseerr--vviiccee wwaass hheelldd oonn AApprriill 2244 hheerree ffoorr tthhee ssoouullss ooff tthheeAArrmmeenniiaann GGeennoocciiddee vviiccttiimmss aatt SStt.. SSaarrggiiss CChhuurrcchh..AAfftteerrwwaarrddss,, tthhee ppaarrttiicciippaannttss ooff tthhee lliittuurrggyy mmaarrcchheeddttoo tthhee TTuurrkkiisshh eemmbbaassssyy..KKaarreenn KKhhaannllaarryyaann,, aann IIrraanniiaann mmeemmbbeerr ooff ppaarrlliiaa--

mmeenntt wwhhoo iiss ooff AArrmmeenniiaann oorriiggiinn,, ttoouucchheedd uuppoonntthhee ssttaatteemmeenntt ooff tthhee TTuurrkkiisshh PPrriimmee MMiinniisstteerr.. HHeessaaiidd,, ““TThhee ssttaatteemmeenntt ooff EErrddooggaann ccaann bbee ccoonnssiiddeerreeddaass aa ‘‘ppoossiittiivvee’’ cchhaannggee,, hhoowweevveerr,, tthhaatt ssttaatteemmeenntt ddooeessnnoott ssaattiissffyy tthhee ddeemmaannddss ooff tthhee AArrmmeenniiaann nnaattiioonn..””TThhee rraallllyy wwaass aatttteennddeedd bbyy AArrcchhbbiisshhoopp SSeebbuuhh

SSaarrggssiiaann,, tthhee lleeaaddeerr ooff AArrmmeenniiaann PPrreellaaccyy ooffTTeehhrraann,, wwhhoo aallssoo ssppookkee..

IIttaalliiaann TTrraannssllaattiioonn ooffBBooookk ooff WWhhiissppeerrss

PPrreesseenntteedd aatt tthhee VVaattiiccaannRROOMMEE ((AArrmmeennpprreessss)) —— TThhee EEmmbbaassssyy ooff tthheeRReeppuubblliicc ooff AArrmmeenniiaa ttoo tthhee HHoollyy SSeeee oorrggaanniizzeedd tthheepprreesseennttaattiioonn ooff tthhee IIttaalliiaann ttrraannssllaattiioonn ooff TThhee BBooookkooff WWhhiissppeerrss bbyy tthhee RRoommaanniiaann--AArrmmeenniiaann wwrriitteerr,,SSeenn.. VVaarruuzzhhaann VVoossggaanniiaann aatt tthhee VVaattiiccaann’’ss CCeennttrrooRRuussssiiaa EEccuummeenniiccaa ccuullttuurraall cceenntteerr oonn AApprriill 2288..IInn hhiiss ssppeeeecchh tthhee AAmmbbaassssaaddoorr ooff AArrmmeenniiaa ttoo tthhee

HHoollyy SSeeee MMiikkaayyeell MMiinnaassiiaann uunnddeerrssccoorreedd tthhee ssiiggnniiff--iiccaannccee ttoo vvooiiccee aarroouunndd tthhee wwhhoollee wwoorrlldd tthhee aawwffuulleevveennttss tthhaatt tthhee ffuuttuurree ggeenneerraattiioonn ooff tthhee GGeennoocciiddeessuurrvviivvoorrss ssaaww..TThhee BBooookk ooff WWhhiissppeerrss iiss aabboouutt tthhee AArrmmeenniiaann

GGeennoocciiddee aanndd tthhee ootthheerr hhoorrrroorrss ooff tthhee 2200tthh cceennttuu--rryy.. IItt wwaass ppuubblliisshheedd iinn 22000099 iinn BBuucchhaarreesstt aanndd wwoonnsseevveerraall aawwaarrddss aanndd rraavvee rreevviieewwss.. JJuusstt tthhrreeee mmoonntthhssaafftteerr tthhee ppuubblliiccaattiioonn ooff tthhee nnoovveell,, tthhee SSppaanniisshh PPrree--TTeexxttooss ppuubblliisshhiinngg hhoouussee aaccqquuiirreedd tthhee rriigghhtt ttoo ppuubb--lliisshh iitt iinn SSppaanniisshh..TThhee SSppaanniisshh vveerrssiioonn wwaass ppuubblliisshheedd iinn tthhee eeaarrllyy

22001111,, bbyy JJooaaqquuíínn GGaarrrriiggóóss’’ ttrraannssllaattiioonn aanndd iinnAAuugguusstt ooff tthhee ssaammee yyeeaarr,, iitt wwaass rreelleeaasseedd iinnAArrggeennttiinnaa bbyy tthhee pprreesseennccee ooff tthhee aauutthhoorr aanndd ttrraannss--llaattoorr..TThhee TTuurrkkiisshh EEmmbbaassssyy ttoo RRoommaanniiaa sseenntt aa nnoottee ooff

ccoommppllaaiinntt ttoo tthhee RRoommaanniiaann aauutthhoorriittiieess,, wwhheenn aammeeeettiinngg ddeeddiiccaatteedd ttoo tthhee bbooookk aanndd iittss aauutthhoorr wwaassoorrggaanniizzeedd iinn oonnee ooff tthhee ccoouunnttrryy’’ss mmuusseeuummss..

International News

Catholicos of All Armenians with then Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, nowPope Francis

Catholicos Travels to RomeTo Meet with Pope

ECHMIADZIN (Public Radio of Armenia) — Karekin II, SupremePatriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, left for the Vatican on May7, where he is scheduled to have a meeting with Pope Francis.On May 9 Karekin II is schedule to leave for the United States to

meet with benefactors of the Mother See to discuss different pro-grams implemented by Holy Echmiadzin.

Genocide Commemorated in Argentinian National Congress

AMSTERDAM, Holland — Anancient Amsterdam bridge, which wasa frequent passageway for Armenianmerchants in the 17th century, hasbeen renamed the Armenian Bridge,”thanks to the efforts of 60-year-oldNikolai Romashuk.The Jerusalem-

born Romashuk,whose mother isArmenian, immigrat-ed to Holland in 1976and settled in thenorthern city ofAssen. Since then, hehas been an activemember of the Dutch-Armenian communi-ty. He said that hespent years research-ing the history ofJulfa Armenians,whose merchantstraveled the world, atthe Dutch NationalArchives at theUniversity of Amsterdam. It took seveal more years to con-

vince the Amsterdam municipalitythat naming the old bridge after theArmenian merchants was a worth-while idea. To help get the green light from city

hall, Romashuk also pointed out thathe had discovered the graves of anumber of Armenian priests and mer-chants in the Old Church in the heartof Amsterdam. One such grave bears the number

444. To further buttress his case of the

old Armenian-Dutch relations, headded that Soviet Armenian soldiers,veterans of World War II, are buriedin the Dutch city of Leusden.This is not the first time Romashuk

has raised the Armenian profile in hisadopted country. Some years ago,Romashuk, the founder and chairmanof the Armenian Social and CulturalFoundation, helped bring to Assen ahuge khachkar (Stone Cross) from

Armenia. Now every year, on April 24,Assen Armenians commemorate, infront of the khachkar, the genocide ofthe Armenians by Turkey in 1915. There are 300 to 400 Armenians in

the city, mostly from Armenia, Iraq,Iran, and Turkey.

Views of the Armenian Bridge in Amsterdam

Ancient Passageway Named ‘Armenian Bridge’ in Amsterdam

4 S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 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

Celtics Legend JoJo WhiteOffers Inspiring Message

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — On Sunday, April 27, through the sponsorship of theACYOA Seniors and Parish Council of Holy Trinity Armenian Church of GreaterBoston, parishioners enjoyed an intimate luncheon with retired Boston Celticstwo-time NBA champion, JoJo White. With his engaging, honest and gentle nature,White captured the hearts of those in attendance, sharing stories from his days asa professional ball player, chronicled in his biography, Make It Count: The Life andTimes of Basketball Great JoJo White.

Also in attendance was author of Make It Count, Mark C. Bodanza, who togeth-er with White, shared poignant, inspiring and captivating stories about White’schildhood, family life, and especially, his exciting NBA days during a time of greatracial tension in America.

That afternoon, fans of all ages witnessed White’s steadfast Christian faith andmarveled at his unwavering example of living out his faith in the secular world ofprofessional sports. White’s message was especially inspiring to the many youthand young adults in attendance, reminding them that their greatness comes fromGod, that there is no “I” in TEAM, and that life is about “passing it on.” Whetheryou had watched White play at The Garden back in the 1970s, or had just met himfor the first time, all those present walked away as lifelong fans of White, a man ofgreat Christian faith, whose impact will not soon be forgotten in the Holy Trinitycommunity.

“Everything I am I got from God. Everything I know I learned from someoneelse. That’s why I pass it on. We all have to pass it on,” he said.

White was an All-Star for seven straight years from 1971 through 1977, finish-ing in the top 10 in the league in assists from 1973-77. In 1974 and 1976, Whitehelped lead the Celtics to the NBA championship and was named the most valu-able player of the 1976 NBA Finals. White continues to be involved in basketballand is currently the Boston Celtics’ director of special projects and communityrelations.

JoJo White

Rhode IslandCommemoratesGenocide,Celebrates Culture

PROVIDENCE — On Sunday, April 27, underdark clouds and the threat of rain, theArmenian Martyrs’ Memorial Committeeof Rhode Island commemorated the 99thanniversary of the 1915 Armenian Genocide atthe Armenian Martyrs’ Memorial Monument atthe entrance to North Burial Ground. The pro-gram opened with the presentation of the flagsby the Homenetmen Scouts and with placing ofwreaths by the ARS “Arax” Chapter, ARF, AYF,Homentmen, ACYOA and the Daughters ofVartan in front of the monument.

Archpriest Rev. Gomidas Baghsarianfrom Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Church was illand was not present this year. Rev. ShnorikSouin, Sts. Sahag and Mesrob ArmenianChurch, Rev. Dr. Ara Heghinian and Rev. HagopManjelikian of the Armenian EvangelicalChurch performed a requiem service in memo-ry of the 1.5 million martyrs. The combinedchoirs from the Armenian churches sanghymns. Elected officials present were stateRep. Katherine Kazarian, Secretary of StateRalph Mollis, Attorney General Peter Kilmartin,General Treasurer Gina Raimondo andWarwick Mayor Scott Avedisian.

Rep. David Cicilline addressed the audienceand remarked about his visit to Armenia fromwhich he had just returned. While in Armenia,his congressional group had met withCatholicos Karekin II and he was present at theTsitsernakabert Genocide Memorial on April 24.Former lawmaker and supporter of Armeniancauses, Aram Garabedian, spoke and made clearhis wishes for a large gathering in Washingtonnext April. Nearly 400 Armenians were presentto pay homage to martyrs and survivors.

Pauline Getzoyan and Esther Kalajian, whorepresent the Genocide Education Project,Rhode Island Branch, announced the 2014Genocide Educator of the Year. She is LisaDerManouelian, a teacher at St. Peter’s Schoolin Warwick. This award includes a $500stipend, made possible through the donationsof the Armenian Martyrs’ Memorial Committeeof Rhode Island and the Armenian NationalCommittee of Rhode Island.

This year the Martyrs’ Committee sponsoreda statewide essay contest on the legacy of theperpetration and denial of the ArmenianGenocide. First-place winner was Lori Simonianan eighth-grade student at North AttleboroughMiddle School, winning a cash prize of $200.The second-place winner was Alexander Azar, a10th grade student at Providence Country DaySchool, winning $100.

A rendition of Groong was played on theduduk by David Gevorkian.

The guest speaker this year was Sheriff PeterJ. Koutoujian of Middlesex County,Massachusetts. He has served as a representa-tive in the Massachusetts State Legislature andwas a lead sponsor of the annual ArmenianGenocide commemoration at the State House.He was actively involved with getting approvalfor the Armenian Heritage Park in Boston andhas received the Ellis Island Medal of Honorand the Mkhitar Gosh Medal.

Koutoujian spoke of his Armenian heritageand told the story of his grandparents who suf-fered through the Genocide and how they finallycame to America and raised their family. Hespoke of the importance of keeping ourArmenian language and culture, and at the sametime getting a good education and encouragingyoung people to think about public service. Hewas a dynamic speaker and received a standingovation at the close of his remarks.

The Honor Guards included the ArmenianMasonic Degree Team, the Knights of Vartanand the Homenetmen Scouts.

see PROVIDENCE, page 6

HandlingObstacles withGrace, AniAyanyan LeadsBy Example

By Tom Vartabedian

CRANSTON, R.I. — Ani Ayanyan, 10,blew out the candles on her birthday cakeon March 7, but not before making a wish.

Forget the American Girl doll or a newbike. A trip to Disney World would benice but not a priority. Neither is thedream of becoming an actress or a starathlete.

All Ani wanted for her birthday was thegift of life.

After battling cancer the past year,which led to the removal of a grapefruit-sized tumor in her brain, the ordeal hasleft her weakened, but not discouraged.Six weeks of radiation and chemotherapyproduced the best news ever.

She is now tumor free, making herbirthday wish a reality.

“What a great way to celebrate,” saidher mom, Deanna. “Not one complaintand always with a smile on her face thatgoes with the flow. A follow-up visit toMGH [Massachusetts General Hospital]showed wonderful results. Her bloodwork looked great. Ani continues toamaze us all. By her last treatment in July,we’re optimistic that she will be on herway to becoming fully cured.”

The family gathered around her moreas a celebration than a birthday bash.That was one party. Two others followedat other venues, thrown by a restaurantowner who endeared herself to the girl,and cousins embracing a sports theme.

A Boston Bruins jersey cake with thenumber “10” was perfect.

Over the past several weeks, she hasreturned to school and conquering theMotocross world on her dirt bike. Sheeven tried out for a local hockey leagueand made the team.

She was paired up with a runner in theBoston Marathon in its Patient-Partnerprogram at MGH. She took part in a din-ner the day before.

On the day of the marathon, she andher mother went to the home of a doctorliving at Mile 20 along the route to cheeron the runners.

Kids around the playground where shelives call her “Sporty Spice” because sheis so athletic. She plays ice hockey, soccer,basketball, baseball and tennis, and inaddition bowls and swims. She was about-to joing the flag football teamwhen thebrain tumor was discovered.

“Through the combined efforts of theMGH hospital staff, our family andfriends, community, church, school, evenstrangers, it has made an unbearable partof our lives somewhat tolerable,” said hermother. “The positive energy that wasexpressed and the many prayers, allworked their blessing.”

It was a vigilant fight that involved 31treatments over the six weeks, brightenedby visits from Bruins and Celtics players.People from Rhode Island to Bostonbrought food and gifts during Christmasweek.

“It was painful watching my daughtergo through all that,” revealed Deanna.

see ANI, page 6

JoJo White with some of the young attendees

LOS ANGELES — On the eve of theArmenian Genocide Centennial, the 44thAnnual Scholars’ Conference (ASC) on theHolocaust and the Churches featured the firstgenocide of the 20th century, adopting thetheme, Remembering for the Future: Armenia,Auschwitz and Beyond. Rev. Dr. Henry Knight(Professor, Keene State University), President ofthe Annual Scholars’ Conference commented,“Our theme for this year’s ASC invited us toexamine the Genocide of the Armenian peoplewhile continuing to sustain our four decades ofexamining questions and issues raised by theHolocaust. By having more than an occasional

session devoted to their distinctive traumas,each of the communities represented at thisyear’s gathering grew in their grasp of theissues uniquely at stake in their respective his-tories.”

The historic event, hosted by the AmericanJewish University, Los Angeles, on March 8-11,brought together scholars of the ArmenianGenocide and Jewish Holocaust in an interdis-ciplinary, international, interfaith and intergen-erational conference. It provided a uniqueforum for scholars to highlight the events of theGenocide and Holocaust, and to discuss the

implications of these tragedies, the impact onsubsequent generations, and the necessity ofgenocide and holocaust education and preven-tion.

Dr. Marcia Sachs Littell (professor, StocktonCollege), vice president of the Annual Scholars’Conference, and wife of the late Rev. Dr.Franklin Littell (co-founder of the conference),emphasized the historical significance of theArmenian Genocide in relation to the

Holocaust. “The Armenian Genocide, the firstGenocide of the 20th century, sent a message toAdolf Hitler, that he could do anything he want-ed and the world would not protest.”

The opening plenary session, “A Century ofGenocide: What Have We Learned?” allowed fora conversation among clergy and scholars fromdiverse backgrounds. The panelists, represent-ing different denominations and ethnic groups,Rev. Dr. John Pawlikowski (professor, CatholicTheological Union), Dr. Richard Hovannisian(Professor Emeritus, UCLA), Rev. Dr. HenryKnight, and Rabbi Dr. Michael Berenbaum (pro-

fessor, American Jewish University) providedunique perspectives to the question posed. Dr.Pawlikowski explained that while a new sensi-tivity to and awareness of many issues withinthe Christian community has developed, therehas yet to be a movement from awareness togenocide prevention. Hovannisian shared thatincreased knowledge and awareness has not ledto prevention since governments have not foundit in their self-perceived national interest toimplement punishment for genocide. Knightadded that the world has become complex andthe tools for detecting signals of genocide havealso become complex. He underscored the needto spot genocide signposts early in order to effec-tively prevent killings. Berenbaum explainedthat governmental inaction to prevent genocideis not related to matters of conscience but to alack of political will.

Several papers, presented by Armenian andnon-Armenian scholars, focused on theArmenian Genocide, addressing topics such asreligion, literature, trauma, altruism, denial, rec-onciliation and risk analysis. Armenian scholarsfrom Armenia, Germany, Italy, and various USuniversities and centers participated in the con-ference: Ishkhan Chiftjian (Leipzig University& Hamburg University), Richard Dekmejian(professor, USC), Khachatur Gasparyan(Professor, Yerevan State Medical University),Sona Haroutyunian (professor, Ca’ FoscariUniversity of Venice), Marc Mamigonian (acade-mic affairs director, National Association forArmenian Studies and Research), ArdaMelkonian (Graduate Student, UCLA), DorisMelkonian (Graduate Student, UCLA), GarabetMoumdjian (UCLA), Rubina Peroomian(UCLA), and Vahram Shemmassian (professor,CSUN).

The religious dimension of the ArmenianGenocide was addressed by Ishkhan Chiftjian,Arda Melkonian and Doris Melkonian.Chiftjian’s paper, “A Theological Approach tothe Armenian Genocide,” asserted that sur-vivors experienced faith as one of the reasonsand the instruments of the crime. He discussedseveral examples of religious repression ofArmenians; plundering and desecration ofchurches, monasteries and holy objects; andbrutal attacks on clergymen. As victims experi-enced the Genocide, their faith was challenged,leading them to formulate their own responsesto the question of theodicy. Many invoked thesuffering of Christ on the cross, convinced that

they suffer with Him and for Him. Their suffer-ing does not call into question the nature ofGod, but instead leads them on a search for aGod who has been absent during the Genocide.

Doris Melkonian, in her presentation, “CrisisWithin: Faith and the Armenian Genocide”used survivor testimonies from the UCLAArmenian Oral History Collection to examineresponses of Genocide survivors as theyattempted to reconcile the catastrophic occur-rence with their faith and belief in God. Thisinward reflection, often involving a re-examina-tion of their faith in God, has resulted in vari-ous types of religious responses. For some sur-vivors, this catastrophe led them to questionthe existence of a loving, omnipotent God.

Some lost their faith entirely, rejecting a Godwho chose to forsake them. While for others,their genocidal experiences drew them closer toGod, reinforcing their belief in Him.

On another panel, Arda Melkonian presented“Armenian Evangelical Clergy Responses to theGenocide.” She explained that the Genocide hasradically altered Armenian Christianity, chang-ing Armenians’ understanding of God and theirfaith in Him. However, Armenian theologianshave failed to acknowledge the damage causedby this tragic event and have yet to grapple withthe profound religious impact it has had on thefaith of the Armenian community. Her paperpresented pastoral responses to this tragedy,and underscored the need to develop anArmenian theology that can make sense of thesuffering and death of innocent Armenian vic-tims. She explained that Armenian clergy mustfind a way to respond to those who are alienat-ed from God and are asking, “How is it possibleto believe in God after the Genocide?” Theymust speak about God to those who are strug-gling to understand His absence during theGenocide.

Presentations by Shemmassian andHaroutyunian examined literature about theArmenian Genocide. Shemmassian presented apaper, “The Musa Dagh Resistance to theArmenian Genocide, Franz Werfel’s novel TheForty Days of Musa Dagh, and Their Impact onthe Present” showcasing the heroic resistanceof Armenians living on Musa Dagh (Mountainof Moses), and addressing the issue of interna-tional press coverage and world readership reac-tion to the resistance. Shemmassian spokeabout the impact of The Forty Days of MusaDagh on the world, and Turkish reaction to theMGM movie project. He posed the question:“What is the relevance of Musa Dagh today inour collective memory on the 80th anniversaryof the novel’s publication (1933-2013)?”

Sona Haroutyunian’s paper, “Translation andRepresentation of the Armenian Genocide inLiterature and Film,” analyzed the limitationsof each medium (literature, translation, cinema)and the effect of each on reader and audienceexperiences. Focusing on renowned Italian-Armenian novelist, Antonia Arslan’s Genocidenarrative, Skylark Farm, she discussed thepower of translation as a means of cultural, his-torical and linguistic interaction.

Peroomian, in her paper, “The SymbioticRelationship between Turks and Armenians: A100-year-old Obstacle against Healing andReconciliation,” explained that the relationshipbetween Turks and Armenians has been shapedby governmental policies, societal behaviors

and stereotyping of each other, with Turksviewing Armenians as gavours, unbelievers, and“rejects of the sword,” with Armenians viewingTurks as evildoers, perpetrators and deniers ofthe Armenian Genocide. She concluded that aslong as this grim symbiosis between Turks andArmenians exists, artificial interventions andjoint events will be ineffective in altering theattitudes of the masses. She added, “Healingand reconciliation, if ever possible after aninflicted catastrophe of that magnitude, areplausible only if Turks face their own history,confront and acknowledge the past.”

In “Academic Denial of the ArmenianGenocide in American Scholarship: Denialism

see CONFERENCE, page 7

5S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 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

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Dr. Richard Hovannisian, center, with Dr. Stephen Smith (Executive Director of the USC ShoahFoundation) and Dr. Michael Berenbaum

S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R6

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ANI, from page 4“Imagine what it must have been like for her.She persevered through it.”

Deanna lost her mom to a rare form of stom-ach cancer nine years ago. Theside effects from treatment con-tinue to remain vivid in her mind,especially now that the diseasehas tormented her own daughter.

“To see an innocent girl so fullof energy going through suchtrauma makes you wonder,” shesaid. “Both my children have beenvery positive through this.”

Deanna has a younger son,Hagop, who was being cared forby friends while she remained byher daughter’s side throughoutthe duration of the treatment.

On the last day of her protontreatment, applause rang out astears of joy were being shedthroughout the room. Ani wasgiven a bell to ring three times,along with balloons, gifts, evensparkling cider or “kids’ cham-pagne” as she calls it. The belltolling remains a symbol of victory.

“The staff was amazed at how she appeareddaily with a smile on her face and joked withthem, talking about the latest sports news withsuch a nonchalant demeanor,” said Deanna.“She even mentored a 7-year-old boy who washaving a hard time. They soon became friendsand eventually helped to mentor another child.”

A cancer benefit called Ani’s Angels took

place at PJ’s Pub in Johnston. The family isclosely associated with St. Vartanantz Church.The Rhode Island Armenian community stoodbehind the family every step of the way.

“I believe my Mom has been her guardianangel and will continue looking down fromheaven and always keep her safe,” Deanna said.“With love, positivity and the power of prayer,all things are possible, including a cure for can-cer. When I see people complain about thepetty things in life, I give them my daughter’sbattle as an example. I tell them not to sweatthe small stuff.”

Ani Ayanyan celebrates her 10th birthday with her favoritesports motif.

Handling Obstacles with Grace, AniAyanyan Leads By Example

Standing from left, Terrance Martiesian, Kenneth Kalajian, guest speaker Sheriff Peter Koutoujian; infront Alexander Azar, second place, essay winner, Joyce Yeremian, Mayor Vincent Cianci, LoriSimonian, 1st place essay winner, and Steven Zaroogian

PROVIDENCE, from page 4The Armenian Martyrs’ Committee also spon-

sored its 17th Annual Armenian Youth Day onApril 22, at Egavian Cultural Center duringschool vacation week. The day was filled withinformation from the Genocide Education com-mittee, power point presentations about trips toArmenia and Javakhk, cooking and crafts class-

es, a hands-on demonstration of drumming andArmenian drumming and finally an Armeniandance class. Lunch was also provided. Thanksgo to the Ararat Association for their donationin help funding this program.

— Joyce Yeremian,Armenian Martyrs’ Memorial Committee of

RI

Rhode Island CommemoratesGenocide, Celebrates Culture

Coalition of Armenian Women’sOrganizations Formed in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES — On the initiative of AGBU Hye Geen, 13 women organizations were invit-ed to partner and work together to commemorate the Centennial Anniversary of theArmenian Genocide as well as to celebrate the triumph of the Armenians who have beenstruggling for survival since the Vartanants War of 451 AD.

It was truly an exceptionally historical day when the delegates of each organization sataround the table and faced each other. Immediately a common bond was created in memo-ry of all those who perished at the hands of the Turkish murderers — a proud day, March 24,when the women set to work together to honor their ancestors. Armenian women havealways been the caretakers of the their heritage by selectively prolonging and enriching thebest in all of us.

The following Committee delegates were present:Armenian Democratic Liberals, Armenian Educational Benevolent Union, Arpa

Foundation for Film, Music & Art, AGBU/ Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Center Ladies,Armenian International Women’s Association, Armenian Missionary Association of America,Armenian Relief Society, Armenian Society of Los Angeles, Catholic Church Ladies,Organization of Istanbul Armenians, Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church,Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Ladies and AGBU Hye Geen.

The ladies of St. Gregory Armenian Catholic Church in Glendale host the monthly meet-ings.

The first event of the coalition is scheduled in January 2015.— Sona Yacoubian

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — This year three speak-ers were featured in a multi-media presentationwhich took place at St. John Armenian Churchon Saturday, March 29. Dr. Vigen Guroian, Rev.Garabed Kochakian and Deacon Rubik Mailianeach spoke on their area of expertise.Kochakian, the pastor of St. John’s, welcomedthe guests speaker and participants by sayingthat everything in life has its own rhythm andso does the Resurrection story of Christ.

The retreat focused on our Lord’s death, hisdescent into Hades and how we as faithful cele-brate this feast of feasts in word, art and music.

Dr. Vigen Guroian, a professor of religiousstudies in Orthodox Christianity at theUniversity of Virginia, began by drawing atten-tion to a most significant time frame afterChrist’s crucifixion with his entering Hell anddestroying death on Saturday, giving the mes-sage of mankind’s bodily resurrection when Hewill come again. He descended into Hadesemerging triumphant, rescuing Adam and Everestoring paradise lost by sin and disobedi-ence.

Guroian showed several Armenian miniaturesto illustrate the connection of the baptism ofChrist with His descent into Hades and thenthe Resurrection in a rhythmical pattern. Hedid this by telling a compelling story of despair,disbelief, hope and faith from his most recentpublication The Melody of Faith; Theology inan Orthodox Key. It was a personal experience,his pastoring a father who had just lost his sonin the devastating 1988 earthquake in Armenia.Biblical references were presented to substanti-ate orthodox theology’s teachings about bodilyresurrection and the immortality of the soul.

Following his presentation, Kochakian tookthe same message of Christian doctrine anddogma into the direction of art. A specialist inArmenian Church art and theology in a uniquerhythm, he began his presentation speakingabout the images of Resurrection story in theArmenian Christian tradition, showing severalexamples. He spoke of Sheol, Hades and theHarrowing (breaking up) Hell and this image asa very old one dating from the third century. Hethen focused on explaining in detail the image ofChrist’s descent into Hades often found inArmenian iconography. He compared this proto-type of the resurrection story in form, color and

various mediums with those of western interpre-tation that we less faithful to the resurrection

story with inclusions of graphic components thatwent beyond what the Holy Scriptures describedin the Gospel. Every inclusion in this traditionalicon of faith was explained with symbolic andscriptural reference.

Bible discussion followed with participantsdiscussing two of the following passages read inour liturgical commemorations of funerals, andthe Easter Sunday celebrations.

To conclude the day’s gathering, St. John’sChoir Master, Deacon Rubik Mailian, spokeabout the music of the Resurrection and itsrhythmical application in worship. He holds abachelor’s and master’s degree in vocal perfor-mance and choral conducting and is the cur-rent chairman of the Sacred Music Council atthe Eastern Diocese. He explained how rhythm,the particular succession of sounds and creat-ing tempo, is likened to the rhythm of ametronome. He said how early musicians usedthe human heartbeat as a medium or base not-ing how the Rhythm of the Resurrection is theheart beat – of eternal life and the rhythm oflife. He played several Armenian hymns dedi-cated to the story of the Resurrection, and afavorite one called Ov Bardeesban (O,Gardener). He pointed out how scripturesserved as the base for all the lyrics of festalhymns, engaging the participants, teachingthem to sing the Easter Introit Krisdos Haryavee Merelotz , yet another dimension of theRhythm of the Easter story as it is experiencedby all Christians.

A concluding panel discussion with partici-pants ensued with various questions regardingeach of the participant’s presentations.

— Charlene Apigian

CONFERENCE, from page 5as Manufactured Controversy” Mamigonianexplained, “Although it is well known thatdenial of the Armenian Genocide began con-currently with the genocide itself, and fordecades Turkey and those who support ithave ignored, minimized, or denied theArmenian Genocide, the growing body of criti-cal scholarship and documentation of theArmenian Genocide has rendered traditionalstrategies of silencing and denial increasinglyuntenable.” He argued that supporters of the“Turkish position” seek to construct denialismas a legitimate intellectual debate. After pre-senting several examples of denialist rhetoric(e.g., the link between smoking and cancer,between carbon emissions and climate change,or the evolution vs. intelligent design “contro-

versy”), and specific cases of “academic denial,”emanating from American universities, he dis-cussed the fundamental challenges of denialismand the quest for intellectual legitimacy.

Dekmejian, in “Utility of Pre-Genocidal RiskAssessment: From the Armenian Genocide andJewish Holocaust to the Present,” discussedrisk assessment of pre-genocidal situations, andthe foresight of political thinkers and activistswho attempted to prevent the ArmenianGenocide and Holocaust. He presented a criticalanalysis of modern-day Early Warning Systems,explaining their ineffectiveness to prevent geno-cide in up to 15 Middle Eastern, African andAsian countries.

In the final session of the conference,Moumdjian presented “Ottoman OfficialResistance to the Armenian Genocide in the

Southern Theater of War.” Moumdjian dis-cussed examples of Ottoman officials whorefused to obey orders from Constantinople toexterminate Armenians. The altruism demon-strated by officials who defied Talaat Pasha’sorders despite the potential risk to theircareers, should be further studied. Moumdjiananalyzed the political, social, and military rea-sons motivating Jemal Pasha and others to res-cue Armenian deportees. He suggested thatJemal’s motivation may have stemmed from hisambitions of creating and ruling an Arab state,populated by Armenian survivors who wouldform its new middle class.

A special guest, Henry B. Morgenthau IV,great-grandson of Ambassador HenryMorgenthau, addressed the gathering as a lun-cheon keynote speaker. He shared with theattendees his great-grandfather’s legacy asambassador to Turkey during the ArmenianGenocide.

The plenary session on “Survival and Self-Actualization – Managing Memory, Identity anSocial Conditions after Genocide hasOccurred,” featured Khachatur Gasparyan, whospoke about “Psychotraumatic Elements ofArmenian Identity: One Hundred Years ofSurviving.” During another plenary session,Rabbi Dr. Richard Rubenstein (former presi-dent, University of Bridgeport), spoke about“The Armenian Genocide as Holy War,” andDavid Patterson (professor, University of Texasat Dallas) presented “From Hitler to JihadistJew Hatred: Influences and Parallels.”

The public lecture, “Armenia, Auschwitz andBeyond” featured Dr. Richard Hovannisian, Dr.Stephen Smith (executive director of the USCShoah Foundation), and Dr. MichaelBerenbaum, who provided suggestions forfuture action. Berenbaum urged the communi-ty to transform the memory of tragedy into awarning system to prevent future genocides.Hovannisian challenged the Armenian commu-nity to “find ways and means to universalizetheir experience and make it part of world his-tory as the Jews have done.” Lastly, Smith alert-ed the audience to the dangers of obfuscation,stressing that the appropriate response must beto inform it. The evening concluded with thepresentation of the Eternal Flame Award toSmith in recognition of his efforts to rememberthe victims of the Holocaust and to build a bet-ter future for all humanity.

Hovannisian remarked, “This conference rein-forced my view that the comparative study ofgenocide is the most useful and effective way ofconfronting the problem. One can be knowl-edgeable about various cases of genocide, theirantecedents, processes, and aftermath withoutlosing sight of the specific factors at play ineach individual case…The conference demon-strated that there is much need for such anapproach.”

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Armenian Genocide Featured at the 44th Annual Scholars’ Conference

Left to right, Dr. Vigen Guroian, Professor of Religious Studies in Orthodox Christianity, University ofVirginia; Rev. Garabed Kochakian; Deacon Rubik Mailian, Director of Sacred Music, St. JohnArmenian Church

St. John’s Holds 19th Lenten Seminar

Two Graduate withPerfect Attendance Awards

By Seta A. Buchter

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Sunday, April 6, was aday of joyous celebration and tremendous pridein the life of Holy Trinity Armenian Church ofGreater Boston. On this day, four Grade 12 stu-dents, having successfully completed therequired course of Christian Education as setforth by the Department of Youth andEducation at the Diocese of the ArmenianChurch of America (Eastern), graduated fromthe Sunday School in a ceremony in church atthe conclusion of the Divine Liturgy.

This year’s graduates were Gregory Dorian,son of David and Liza Dorian of Watertown;Alexander Colvin Ensign, son of Mark andJennifer Davagian Ensign of Sudbury; Ani

Soultanian, daughter of Dean Soultanian andArlene Kasarjian of Westwood; and Haig ZakaryTorosian, son of Kaspar Torosian of Belmontand the late Grace Emily Torosian.

Serving as ushers and participating in theGraduation Ceremony were Grade 11 studentsAndrew and Mark Gregory, Michelle Sahagian,Olivia Thayer and Emily Zeytoonjian.

The Graduation Ceremony, which waspresided over by Fr. Vasken A. Kouzouian, pas-tor of Holy Trinity Church, began with openingremarks by Seta A. Buchter, Sunday SchoolSuperintendent. She stated, “We have watchedour graduates, over the years, grow and devel-op into the wonderful young adults they aretoday. For each of them, their years attendingSunday School has been a journey in discover-ing who they are as Armenian Christians.During this journey, it has been extremely grat-ifying to witness our graduates’ strengtheningof their faith, their greater appreciation andunderstanding of their religion, culture and her-itage, and their growing dedication and com-mitment to the Armenian Church, especiallyHoly Trinity Armenian Church.”

All of them were ordained as acolytes in April2007 by Archbishop Khajag Barsamian,Primate, Diocese of the Armenian Church(Eastern), and three continue to serve on thealtar. They have assisted at Trinity Kids’ Place(the church’s summer program for 3-9 yearolds), attended St. Vartan Camp, and areinvolved in the ACYOA Juniors where they haveserved in leadership positions.

Buchter also congratulated the graduates’parents and families thanking them for theircommitment, encouragement and supportthroughout the years.

The Bagdasar and Elmas Garabedian Award,which recognizes two graduating students ofthe Holy Trinity Sunday School who have main-tained an exemplary record throughout theiryears as a student of the Sunday School, was

awarded to Gregory Dorian and Haig Torosian. Each graduate received his/her Sunday

School diploma from Kouzouian and a gift ofthe book, Armenia: A Journey through History,by Arra Avakian. Each graduate then sharedwith the congregation “What Sunday Schooland/or Church Means to Me.”

For Gregory Dorian, “The Sunday Schooland ACYOA have done so much for me through-out the years and have brought me closer to myChristian faith.” Church has taught AlexanderEnsign “a lot about not only life, but about whoI am as a person and who I aspire to be.” ForAni Soultanian, who served as a kindergartenassistant teacher for her 12th grade service pro-ject this year, “it has been a truly rewardingexperience.” Haig Torosian said he felt that “ifmy parents never pushed me to keep coming tochurch at a young age, especially with my moth-er having been my pre-school teacher, I can’tknow if I would be here today.”

Ensign then presented this year’s class gift toKouzouian, which was eight copies of the Holy

Bible, Armenian Churchedition, for the pews in thechurch sanctuary. Dorianoffered the Bible reading ofthe day from the Book ofProverbs, chapter 1, verses1-5 “. . . to receive theinstruction of wisdom, jus-tice, judgment, and equity .. . ,” while Torosian read theGospel reading from John,chapter 20, verses 19-23.

Two attendance awardswere then presented andthose present bore witnessto history being made with-in our Diocese. Kouzouianspoke about Grace EmilyTorosian, who was anactive member of the HolyTrinity Church and whopassed away in August2013, at the age of 50, aftera lengthy illness. She was awoman of deep-abidingfaith, hope and love and,along with her husband,Kaspar, raised their threesons. They devoted them-selves to their sons’

Christian upbringing. When Haig Torosianstarted Sunday School at the age of 3, shebegan assisting in the pre-school class of theSunday School and did so for many years untilillness made it difficult for her to continue.Kouzouian then announced that the Diocese of

the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) hasestablished an Award in Grace Torosian’s mem-ory — the Grace Emily Torosian Sunday SchoolPerfect Attendance Award — and presented thefirst Award to Haig Torosian for graduatingwith 15 years of consecutive perfect attendance.He follows his two older brothers who graduat-ed with the same distinction, Gregory in May2008 with 12 years of consecutive perfect atten-dance, and Mark, in May 2010, with 14 years ofconsecutive perfect attendance. Haig Torosianis the fourth Sunday School student to achievethis distinction within the Holy Trinity parishand the Diocese of the Armenian Church ofAmerica (Eastern); the first was HeatherSurabian in May 2002 who graduated with 12years of consecutive perfect attendance.

On this day, Gregory Dorian became the sec-ond recipient of the Grace Emily TorosianSunday School Perfect Attendance Award, with

consecutive perfect attendance for the past 10years.

The ceremony concluded with theGraduating Class, in a symbolic gesture, passinga lit candle to the students of Grade 11. Thecandlewas passed from Ani Soultanian to OliviaThayer.

In offering the closing remarks, Kouzouiancongratulated the graduates for their commit-ment to learning about their faith since theywere young children. As Graduation was heldon the last Sunday of Great Lent, called theSunday of Advent, he explained that “it’s a daythat our Church Fathers have set aside for us toconsider how prepared we feel — if Christreturned today. It’s a day to focus on our prepa-ration.”

Following church services, the graduates,their families and invited guests were honoredat a luncheon held in Johnson Hall.

8

Since its inception in 2001, TCA’s ‘Sponsor a Teacher’ program has raised over $563,000and reached out to 4,464 teachers and school workers in Armenia and Karabagh.

� Yes, I want to sponsor teachers in Armenia and Karabagh to continuehelping them to educate the children, our future leaders. I would like to havethe teacher’s name and address.

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Make check payable to: Tekeyan Cultural Association – Memo: Sponsor a Teacher 2014Mail your check with this form to:

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COMMUNITY NEWS

“Grace Emily Torosian Sunday School Perfect Attendance Award”recipients, from left to right, Haig Torosian and Gregory Dorian, withFr. Vasken and Seta Buchter

Holy Trinity Sunday School Graduates Four on April 6

Holy Trinity Sunday School Graduates with Fr. Vasken and Seta Buchter

LOS ANGELES — After participating, forthe first time in the school’s history, in theEarth Day Poster Contest titled “GreenCities”, Tekeyan Cultural Association’s (TCA)Arshag Dickranian School’s fifth-grade stu-dent Julianna Mkrtchyan and ninth-grade stu-dent Ani Sarafian were announced as FirstPlace Winners of the Elementary and HighSchool Categories respectively. The winners

of the contest were declared by AssemblyMember Richard Bloom of California’s 50thAssembly District on Thursday, April 24.

Earth Day is celebrated annually on April22. The Earth Day Poster Contest aimed toencourage children of different ages to takecare of the planet and its environment. Thecontest was open to students ranging from1st through 12th grade levels, attending aschool located in the 50th Assembly District.More than 100 entries were submitted to par-ticipate in the contest by its deadline. Toenter the contest, students were asked to sub-mit an 8 1/2” by 11” poster made of recycledpaper, using various forms of media such asphotos and drawings to illustrate an idea thatreflects awareness of the importance of tak-ing care of planet earth and its environment.

Mkrtchyan’s poster illustrated planetearth’s beauty with the ocean, land and city

life in harmony, whereas Sarafian’s posterdepicted a multi-colored flower with a citypainted in green on the flower. Bloom wasimpressed by the students’ interest and cre-ativity in their artwork that they submitted.

The posters of the winners will be on dis-play at Bloom’s District Office where con-stituents and other visitors will be able to seethem.

The School will soon receive an official con-gratulatory letter and the winners’ certifi-cates, which will be granted to our winner stu-dents, Julianna Mkrtchyan and Ani Sarafian,during a special occasion and ceremony.

The TCA ADS administration and staff, stu-dents, parents and teachers congratulate thethe two students for their achievement.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

True Missionary for ArmeniaHARVARD, Mass. — Once again my friend Joe Dagdigian left for Armenia with a prob-

lem on his hands. How do you visit every village and town from Yerevan to the extremeborders and not help the destitute?

It is a problem Dagdigian has encountered over the past two decades, ever since hebought a home on Bargamian Street and returns each May through August.

There are only so many computers hecan deliver, so many resources to distrib-ute. Only so much good that can be donewithout feeling strapped.

It is what a missionary does — puttingthe cause before the effect. In this case, it is the country before himself. Were it not forhis family and two grandkids, he would stay there permanently.

“You visit some of these places and see the necessities, wondering how you can help,”he said. “Many of these villagers would give you the shirt off their backs if you neededit.”

You may have caught his latest piece for the Armenian papers titled “Angeghakot andits Poet,” about life in a rural district in Southern Armenia with a population of 2,000to 3,000 residents. Figures vary here for obviousreasons. People go elsewhere to find work.

God knows what it took to get there, only dirtroads and detours that would discourage the ordi-nary traveler. Not Dagdigian, especially if it camedown to finding the resting place of VartanMamikonian.

There is evidence the famous general of theBattle of Vartanantz is buried in the valley below,which is the very reason for Dagdigian to meanderthose grounds.

Who would ever stop at a place called “Degh?”Just the name alone would strike up some curiosi-ty for this adventurist. Translated, it means simply,“Place.” It is a lot like combing the countryside andseeing a town which reads “Population 98 — withtwo cats and a dog.”

I was with him the day he ordered his driver tohalt on a dime. “Degh? Sounds interesting,” hemused.

So here we were in some desolate village nearGoris in southern Armenia. Upon further investigation, we found a hamlet which wassubjected to armed assaults from the Azeris.

Degh gained some prominence in 2010 for a United Nations photo of a 106-year-oldwoman sitting in front of her home and guarding her property with a rifle.

Mention the Cosmic Ray Division and Dagdigian is all ears — and all voice. He cannotsay enough about the work those scientists are doing on Mount Aragats.

The money from the calendars he sells go toward supporting their world-class workstudying the explosions on the sun’s surface, with some of the photographs he has takenthroughout the land. A portion of his time in Armenia is spent doing CRD work andmeeting with people like the head of the CRD, Prof. Ashot Chilingirian.

A while back, Dagdigian saw a dire need for the Shengavit Historical andArchaeological Cultural Preserve in Armenia. To put it bluntly, the agency was in direstraits. Therefore, he launched a course at the National Association for Armenian Studiesand Research (NAASR) titled “A Visual Journey Through Armenian History” and turneda portion of the proceeds to Shengavit.

If it is a dolma festival in Sardarabat, he is there. Or a water ceremony called “vartavar”and pagan ritual at Garni. The ancient capitals of Artashat and Yervantashat havereceived their share of exposure.

“Sometimes you have to travel off the beaten path to find Armenia is true culture andheritage,” said Dagdigian. “Interacting with these villagers becomes a more genuinesense of history you don’t always find in books and films.”

Each year Dagdigian offers programs on “Unknown Sites of Armenia.” As a formerchairman of the Merrimack Valley Armenian National Committee chapter, Dagdigian cre-ated inroads with legislators and helped mobilize the community he has known hisentire life.

Nothing, however, replaces his love of family with wife Lisa and daughter Shakeh,along with two granddaughters. Lisa Dagdigian is just as much the missionary as herhusband, joining him on many an excursion with an affinity toward ARS work.

For both of them, it is a marriage that has evolved here and extends itself to Haiastan.It is a life they have chosen to share with others from both worlds.

Even during his working days while shifting from one job to another, he made it clearto his employers that Armenia would not take a back seat to his jobsite — unless the com-pany transferred him to Armenia.

Now that he is retired, he can devote even more to his homeland.

Joe Dagdigian

By Tom Vartabedian

Fifth grade student Julianna MkrtchyanABOVE: Artwork of Julianna Mkrtchyan illus-trating earth’s beauty with the ocean, land andcity life in harmony

TCA Arshag Dickranian Students Win in Earth Day Poster Contest

Ninth grade student Ani Sarafian. ABOVE:Artwork of Ani Sarafian depicting a multi-col-ored flower with a city painted in green at theflower’s carpel, reflecting the importance of“Going Green”

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Arts & Living

Finding a Proper HusbandOn the West Coast

‘Where Is Your Groom? Pesad Oor eh’to Make Debut in Pasadena

PASADENA, Calif. — In one particular scene of “Where Is Your Groom? (PesadOor Eh),” the matriarch of the Keshishian family tells her daughter she needs tomarry an Armenian, “for the sake of our humanity!” While the words, layered withsweet guilt, seem dramatic, it’s a familiar phrase that has floated around manyArmenian homes in the Diaspora, prompting parents to ask their daughter — whereis your groom?

The cast of “Where Is Your Groom? (Pesad Oor Eh)” is ready to bring theircomedic spin to this commonly heard question to South Pasadena High School onSunday, May 18.

Throughout this culturally relevant play, the American-born daughter of Armenianparents finds herself set up on dates with everyone ranging from a childhood friendfrom Armenian school to the priest’s relative to someone Medz Mayrig (grandmoth-er) found on Facebook — all in a parents’ vain attempt for their daughter, Lara, tomarry an Armenian, blissfully unaware of their daughter’s thoughts and preferences.

“The characters are archetypes of the overbearing, loving, irrational, complicated,and human Armenians we all know and love,” said Raffi Wartanian, an actor andmusician who is a graduate student at Columbia University’s School ofInternational and Public Affairs.

Written and directed by Taleen Babayan, the play’s storyline has resonated withthousands of audience members who have connected with the endearing characters.

“You have the arrogant hot shot young guy whose cologne use might only bematched by the size of his ego. You have the parents convinced that cultural preser-vation happens primarily through procreation,” said Wartanian, who plays the roleof the parish priest, who is also called upon to find Lara a “pesa.” ”The charactersare true to the universal experience of Armenians in the Diaspora who consciouslyor unconsciously imbibe predetermined roles that reckon with timeless questions ofidentity, preservation, displacement and choreg.”

The 16 cast members, who represent various Diasporan communities, includingAustralia, United States, Turkey, Iraq and Lebanon, have forged new friendshipsduring the year long rehearsals and performances.

“The opportunity to be involved in a comedy around every day Armenian cultur-al dynamics was something that really appealed to me at first,” said Edwin

see GROOM, page 11

Sammy AndonianTo Be FeaturedSoloist with BostonYouth SymphonyOrchestra

By Ara Arakelian

BOSTON — Sammy Andonian has done itagain. Having won the Boston YouthSymphony Orchestra’s concerto competition in2009 as a cellist at the age of 12, the extraordi-narily-talented 10th grader from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School has won theorchestra’s 2013 coveted prize again — thistime as a violinist. As part of the prize, he willappear with the orchestra in a performance ofFelix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in theirconcert on May 18 at 6 p.m., at MIT’s KresgeAuditorium. The concert will be conducted bythe Federico Cortese and will also featureBeethoven’s 8th Symphony.

Andonian began his musical studies playingthe cello at age 4, but soon after, at age 7, tookan interest in studying the violin as well. As ayoung musician, Andonian won the 2013Walden Chamber Players’ Young ArtistsCompetition, the New England Philharmonic’sYoung Artists Competition, the WellesleySymphony Orchestra’s Young SoloistCompetition and Brockton Symphony’sFeinberg Youth Competition. He has been amember of the Boston Youth SymphonyOrchestras since 2008, and is now both a con-certmaster and a principal cellist for the BostonYouth Symphony.

Andonian has also been performing as amember of the Boston Children’s Chorus’

Premier Choir forfour years. His timethere included anannual nationallytelevised perfor-mance in NewE n g l a n dCon s e r v a t o r y ’ sJordan Hall celebrat-ing the legacy ofMartin Luther King,Jr., as well as a con-cert tour of Jordanupon the request ofKing Abdullah II. Hehas been featured asa vocal soloist withthe Cantata Singersand both theDartmouth College

and MIT chorus and orchestra. In fall 2011, heplayed the role of Amahl in MIT’s productionof “Amahl and the Night Visitors.” And thispast fall, Andonian began piano lessons withAngel Ramon Rivera, the artistic director andpiano chair at the Rivers Music School inWeston.

Serving nearly 500 young musicians throughthe New England, the Boston Youth SymphonyOrchestra (BYSO) is a multi-ensemble institu-tion which offers a wide spectrum of orchestraltraining opportunities for K-12 students in var-ious configurations: three full orchestras, twoyoung string training orchestras, six chamberorchestras, a preparatory wind ensemble.

BYSO has been in residence at BostonUniversity’s College of Fine Arts since 1985 andhas also recently formed a partnership with theBoston Symphony Orchestra to jointly developtraining programs to foster the future of classi-cal music. Under the leadership of Cortese,BYSO occasionally dabbles with semi-stagedopera performances also, collaborating withprofessional singers of international renown(The tenor Yeghishe Manucharyan was one ofthe prominent collaborating singers in a recentperformance of Puccini’s “Tosca” at Harvard’sSanders Theatre by BYSO.)

Vahik Pirhamzei PresentsFirst English-LanguagePlay ‘Unusual Heroes’

GLENDALE — Acclaimed playwright anddirector Vahik Pirhamzei is finally bringing hisflair and vision to an English-language playabout an unlikely hero who delights the audi-ence with his spot-on wit and clever observa-tions about the “normal” people around him.

“Unusual Heroes” is a 90-minute, fast-paced,one-act play that incorporates new media intothe traditional theatrical comedy setting. Withon-screen news coverage introducing multiplecharacters to the primary storyline, the audi-ence is taken into a dynamic world of comedicmishaps and mix-ups.

After completing two English-language full-length feature films, “My Uncle Rafael” and“Guardian Angels,”this is Pirhamzei’sfirst English-languageplay which introducesa wider audience tothe often humorousnuances of being amulticultural commu-nity. The comedytakes the audienceinto the misunder-standings and enlight-enment that follow themain character, an underestimated and misun-derstood young man, who finds himself in a sit-uation that seems to be spiraling out of control.Pirhamzei, who plays the title character, takesthe audience on a journey of possibilities as heencounters four beautiful women who are notonly physically trapped in a beauty salon butalso emotionally trapped by their own limitedperception of their lives.

The play stars Pirhamzei, Anahid Avanesian,Narine Avakian, Helen Kalognomos and PaolaKassabian.

The play will take place at Beyond the StarsPalace, 417 1/2 N. Brand Blvd, Glendale.

For tickets visit itsmyseat.com/Vahik.It premiers Saturday May 17 at 8 p.m., with

another show on Sunday May 18 at 7 p.m.

Siroun and her nemesis, Maro, compare choeregs.

Sammy Andonian

Vahik Pirhamzei

A Legacy of ArmenianTreasures RecognizedSOUTHFIELD, Mich. — A Legacy of

Armenian Treasures: Testimony to aPeople, an expanded catalog of the artifactsof the Alex and Marie Manoogian Museum,published in 2013, received the Gold Awardfrom the Detroit Craftsmen’s Gallery ofSuperb Printing.

A review published in Choice, stated:“This richly illustrated book . . . makes asignificant contribution to an under-standing of Armenian culture and history.. . Highly recommended.”

Another review also appeared inLibrary Journal: “This beautiful workprovides an excellent introduction to theart practices of the Armenian people.Artists, historians, and those interested inthe culture of the Caucasus will enjoyreading this coffee table book.”

The book retails for $75 and may beordered from Indiana University Press atwww.iupress.indiana.edu.

Siroun and Medz Mayrig discuss potential suitors for Lara.

S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R 11

ARTS & LIVING

GROOM, from page 10Baghdasaryan, a native of Australia who is aninternational tax accountant withPricewaterhouseCoopers in New York. “Butthroughout this extraordinary journey, wehave had a chance to develop deep friendshipsacross the group.”

The play, following three successful perfor-mances on the East Coast, from its debut atNew York City’s Players Theatre to stops inOradell, NJ and Watertown, was born out ofconversations by the writer with friends aboutthe responsibilities that come with being aDiasporan Armenian and reconciling theinherent desire to continue the Armenian lin-eage, while finding a suitable partner in themelting pot of many Diasporan communities.

“Since birth our parents have instilled in usto have pride in being Armenian and havepassed on that distinct duty to us,” saidBabayan, a journalist. “This is our group’s wayof contributing to our cultural fabric andshowcasing that while we are spread acrossthe globe, within us lies an undeniable fiber ofour heritage.”

That pride translates to the stage, throughthe cast’s portrayal of an important socialissue in the Armenian Diaspora, delivered anin an entertaining and lively manner, appeal-ing to all generations. The group has managedto maintain their independence through thesupport of ticket sales for their performances.

“It is no secret that Armenian arts have suf-fered in their support over the years,” saidWartanian. “It’s my hope that this play and themany projects promulgated by today’sArmenian artists enjoy the financial and moralsupport of audiences near and far of our glob-al village.”

Aside from performing an entertaining andenergetic show for audience members, the castand crew of “Where Is Your Groom? (PesadOor Eh)” believes in social responsibility andhave donated proceeds from each show tonoteworthy organizations benefiting theArmenian people, includ-ing Friends of Warm Hearth, an Armenia-based organization that provides housing andcare for orphans with disabilities, TekeyanCultural Association’s Sponsor a Teacher

Program, which provides salaries for teachersin remote areas of Armenia, and to theArmenians suffering in Syria through theArmenian Relief Society.

“As Diasporan Armenians, we understandthe importance of not only preserving our cul-tural heritage but aiding our homeland aswell,” said Babayan. “Through this play, we areable to do both.”

“This play is raw, funny and truthful,” saidAleen Vartkessian, who plays the role ofMayreni who attempts to set her son up withLara. “I can see everyone from my youngcousin laughing as hard as my grandmother.”

“Where Is Your Groom?” will be performedon Sunday, May 18, at 4 p.m. at the SouthPasadena High School Performing ArtsAuditorium, 1401 Fremont Ave.Visit www.whereisyourgroom.com for moreinformation, photos and video clips.

‘Where Is Your Groom? Pesad Oor eh’ to Make Debut in Pasadena

Matriarch Siroun convinces her son to take a look at the “hars” list she has prepared for him to helphim find a wife.

The “der hayr” is called upon by the Keshishians to help find a suitor for their daughter, Lara

MMAAYY 1100 —— TThhee AArrmmeenniiaann CChhuurrcchheess ooff WWoorrcceesstteerr CCoouunnttyy((HHoollyy TTrriinniittyy AArrmmeenniiaann AAppoossttoolliicc,, AArrmmeenniiaann CChhuurrcchh ooff OOuurrSSaavviioouurr aanndd SSoooorrpp AAssddvvaaddzzaaddiinn)) present the Third annualbenefit dance, 7 p.m. to midnight, Armenian Church of OurSaviour Cultural Center, 34 Boynton St., Worcester. Live musicfeaturing Der Mugrditchian Ensemble with special guest appear-ance by Miss Massachusetts Outstanding Teen Kristina Ayanian.Music, Mezza, cash bar, raffle. Donation $30, students $25. Allproceeds to Mrgashen Village Schoool, Akhourian Mother andChild Clinic and Armenians in Syria. For tickets contact Dr.Robert Babigian (508) 842-7231.

MMAAYY 1100 —— UUnnvveeiilliinngg ooff aa nneeww ggeennoocciiddee mmeemmoorriiaall bbyy LLoowweellllCCiittyy HHaallll,, sponsored by the Armenian Genocide MonumentCommittee of Merrimack Valley; 10 a.m., downtown proces-sion, followed by program at City Hall and reception in St. Ann’sChurch Hall at noon. Musical interlude by soloist SevanDulgarian; Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, MC.

MMAAYY 1166 && 1177 —— ““TThhee GGoollddeenn DDoooorr,,”” a new musical play aboutBoston’s immigrants, past and present, set in an Armenian gro-cery store. By Joyce Van Dyke, produced by In Good Company.7:30 p.m. at the Cambridge YMCA Theater, 820 MassachusettsAve., Central Square, Cambridge. Adults $20, Seniors/students$15, Children $5. Tickets available at http://goldendoor.bpt.me.

MMAAYY 2211 —— CChheeffss PPaarr ttyy ffoorr OOuurr PPaarrkk!! Benefit for the ArmenianHeritage Park’s Ongoing Care., Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., RoyalSonesta Hotel Boston, Cambridge. Celebrate with Boston’s TopChefs presenting signature dishes inspired by parents, grand-parents or mentors for you to taste while you mix, mingle andenjoy. Advanced Reservations required. To receive the einvite,email info@ArmenianHeritagePark.org

MMAAYY 2244 —— 9966tthh aannnniivveerrssaarryy cceelleebbrraattiioonn ooff AArrmmeenniiaannIInnddeeppeennddeennccee sponsored by Lowell “Aharonian” ARF, 6 p.m.,St. Gregory Church, 158 Main St., North Andover; dinner, enter-tainment and speaker, Baku pogrom survivor Anna Turcotte,author, Nowhere, a Story of Exile. $20 adults, $10 students.

MMAAYY 2299 —— FFrriieennddss ooff HHoollyy TTrriinniittyy 11000000 CClluubb SSpprriinngg DDiinnnneerraanndd DDrraawwiinngg,, 6:30 p.m., Charles and Nevart Talanian CulturalHall, Holy Trinity Armenian Church, 145 Brattle St., Cambridge.Everyone is invited to a losh kebab and pilaf dinner followed bythe monthly drawing at 8 p.m., plus five additional cash prizes.“One-time” numbers will be sold the night of the dinner. Specialoffer: purchase five “One-time” numbers for $20 and save $5.Chance to win a One-Year 1000 Club Membership for thoseattending dinner. Dinner tickets on sale at the door; donation,$7.99. For further information, contact the Church Office at617.354.0632, or email office@htaac.org.JJUUNNEE 66,, 77 —— AArrmmeenniiaann MMeemmoorriiaall CChhuurrcchh AAnnnnuuaall FFaaiirr,, openFriday from 5 to 8 p.m., serving kebab meals, entire fair openSaturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Armenian meals served all day.Armenian delicacies bake sale, silent auction, craft fair, indooryard sale. Armenian Memorial Church, 32 Bigelow Ave.,Watertown, wheelchair accessible. Admission free. For informa-tion, call 617-923-0498.

JJUUNNEE 1122 —— ““FFiinnddiinngg ZZaabbeell YYeessssaayyaann,,”” the documentary thatinspired the translation of two books by groundbreaking OttomanArmenian author, Zabel Yessayan, will be shown at the WatertownPublic Library, 123 Main St., 7 p.m. For more information, contactinfo@aiwainternational.org or call 617-926-0171.

JJUUNNEE 1166 –– TThhee GGrreeggoorryy HHiinnttlliiaann MMeemmoorriiaall GGoollff TToouurrnnaammeennttsponsored by Holy Trinity Armenian Church at MarlboroughCountry Club, Marlborough; 9:30 a.m., registration; 11 a.m.,“Shot Gun.” Join us for a day of golf - player’s fee: $175(includes hospitality, lunch, dinner, green & cart fees, prizes andgifts) or just dinner and a social evening ($50 per person).Limited to 128 players. Tournament and tee sponsorships avail-

able. RSVP deadline, June 9. To register or for further informa-tion, contact the Holy Trinity Church Office, 617.354.0632, oremail office@htaac.org

SSEEPPTTEEMMBBEERR 2266,, 2277 —— AArrmmeenniiaannss aanndd PPrrooggrreessssiivvee PPoolliittiiccssCCoonnffeerreennccee returns to Boston. Keynote speaker will be NoamChomsky. Details to follow.

NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 88 —— AArrmmeenniiaa TTrreeee PPrroojjeecctt’’ss 2200tthh AAnnnniivveerrssaarryyCCeelleebbrraattiioonn.. Reception and dinner at the Grand Atrium of theJohn Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse overlooking theBoston Harbor. Reserve the date, additional details to follow. Forinformation about ATP’s programs, visit www.ArmeniaTree.org

JJUUNNEE 1133 —— 110000 AAnnnniivveerrssaarryy ooff tthhee SSttss.. SSaahhaagg && MMeessrroobbAArrmmeenniiaann CChhuurrcchh,, under the auspices of Archbishop KhajagBarsamian, Primate, Diocese of the Armenian Church of America(Eastern), 7 p.m. Concert in celebration of a century of faith,hope and faith, featuring soloists from Armenia, New York,Massachusetts, Rhode Island, the Amrenian Chorale andOrchestra of Rhode Island, under the direction of MaestroKonstantin Petrossian at the new Saint Mary and Saint MenaCoptic Orthodox Cathedral, 2433 Scituate Ave., Cranston.Spiritual and traditional Armenian music, also, premier of songscomposed especially for this event. Free and open to the public.

12 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O RS A T U R D A Y, M A Y 1 0 , 2 0 1 4

ARTS & LIVING

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

!

Chefs Party for Our Park! Benefit for the Ongoing Care of the Armenian Heritage Park, Greenway BBoossttoonn CChheeffss present signature dishes inspired by parents, mentors grandparents for you to enjoy! AAnnaa SSoorrttuunn, Oleana, Sofra, Sarma AAnnddrreeww HHeebbeerrtt, Trade AAnnddrreeww YYeeoo,, NNaatthhaann KKiibbaarriiaann The Ritz-Carlton BBrriiaann DDaannddrroo, ArtBar,Royal Sonesta BBrriiaann PPooee, Poe's Kitchen, Tip Tap Room, Estelle's DDaannttee ddee MMaaggiissttrriiss, Dante il Casale GGeerraarrdd TTiiccee, Parker’s, Omni Parker JJeeffffrreeyy PP.. FFoouurrnniieerr, 51 Lincoln Waban Kitchen JJooddyy AAddaammss, Rialto, Trade JJuulliiaa BBrraanntt, North 26, Millennium Bostonian SSeettaa DDaakkeessssiiaann, Seta's VViicckkii LLeeee BBooyyaajjiiaann,, JJaassoonn RReeeedd Vicki Lee's WITH MMaarrkk EE.. MMoooorraaddiiaann MEM Tea Imports, Karnak Farms BBoobb LLoobbeell,, Master of Ceremonies WWeeddnneessddaayy,, MMaayy 2211,, 22001144 RRooyyaall SSoonneessttaa HHootteell BBoossttoonn Michael Medeiros, General Manager Jim Anello, Director of Catering RRSSVVPP Advance Reservations required. Online: ArmenianHeritagePark.org

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By mail: For Sponsor Form, email Info@armenianheritagepark.org or call 617 803.8785 Grateful appreciation to the Royal Sonesta Hotel and the Chefs for hosting the Benefit

Armenian Heritage Park on the Greenway Boston. Massachusetts

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RHODE ISLAND

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — On Saturday, April 19,the Hagopian family hosted a book signing forlocal author and attorney Mark Kadian in theirBirmingham showroom. Kadian introduced hisbook, Anahid Played Soorp, the Finding ofAran Prian, a novel about the ArmenianGenocide, based on a short story told to him atage 10 by his grandmother. He explained thatshe was unable to finish the story because shebecame so emotional in trying to relate it thatshe just stopped, telling him “that’s enough”we’ll talk later. They never did, realizing hisgrandmother’s pain, he never asked.

Years later he decided he had to tell her storyfor her so he used the little bit of informationshe was able to give him to him to build hisnovel. He explained that developing and writingthe novel was a labor of love dedicated to his par-ents and grandparents and that the impetusbehind it was to tell a story they could notbecause the memories were too painful — themass murder of 1.5 million Armenians at thehands of the Ottoman Turks, 1915-1923.

Guests were moved by passages read byKadian and by his devotion to the project.

After the reading, he offered the books for sale

with all proceeds to be donated to the ArmenianOrphans Fund.

Lingering to speak to the author, guestsenjoyed a reception.

Kadian graduated from the University ofMichigan and received his law degree from CaseWestern University. He practices law in theDetroit area where he lives with his wife and fourdaughters.

The event was free and open to the public, partof the Hagopian Family educational and cultur-al outreach in the metro Detroit community.

Author Mark Kadian

Local Writer Pays Tribute to Grandmother’s Story on Surviving Genocide

On May 16 and 17, ““TThhee GGoollddeenn DDoooorr,,””aa nneeww mmuussiical play about Boston’s immi-grants, past and present, set in anArmenian grocery store, will be present-ed. The play is written by Joyce VanDyke and produced by In GoodCompany. I t will be performed on bothnights at 7:30 p.m., at the CambridgeYMCA Theater, 820 Massachusetts Ave.,Central Square, Cambridge. Tickets foradults $20, seniors/students $15,Children $5. Tickets are available athttp://goldendoor.bpt.me

13S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 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

LE T T ERS

By Edmond Y. Azadian

Ever since Ahmed Davutoglu moved from academia toserve as Turkey’s foreign minister, he has been repackagingTurkey’s bloody history and has become an apostle ofPrime Minister Erdogan’s denialist policy on the topic ofthe Armenian Genocide.

He is more of a sidekick to Mr. Erdogan in the eyes ofGenocide scholars who have long passed their verdicts onthe facts of the Armenian Genocide.

The excuses enumerated by the Turkish leaders can hard-ly be used for domestic consumption and perhaps only fora short while, because in today’s globalized world, theTurkish society itself is undergoing an intense process ofinstruction, learning the undeniable facts of the ArmenianGenocide. Mr. Erdogan is trying to intercept the process bydeclaring a war against the media.

Less than a year ago, Mr. Erdogan was challengingArmenians to “come up with one single proof that Turkeyhas committed [genocide] against Armenians.”

The Turkish leader’s statements on April 23 were alsomeant to provide a cop out to other politicians who areready to jump on the Turkish bandwagon. No wonder thatour Secretary of State John Kerry was “stunned” intosilence.

But, on the eve of the Genocide centennial, Turkey isanticipating a tsunami of events unmasking long buriedugly truths in Turkey. In anticipation of that tidal wave,Turkey has hired high-powered PR firms to soften the blowor to deflect similar statements recently made by FrenchPresident Francois Hollande. The current goodwill cam-paign is certainly devised by those PR firms.

In a backdoor understanding with the White House,Prime Minister Erdogan undertook the initiative to getPresident Obama off the hook.

In less than a week, Mr. Erdogan offset the goodwill — ifany — generated by offering his condolences to the grand-children of the Armenian martyrs.

He indeed denied that Turkey had perpetrated any geno-cide against the Armenians when he was interviewed byCharlie Rose on PBS.

In the meantime, another interview given to the GermanDer Spiegel surfaced, although this one seems to have beenpublished prior to the April 23 condolences, in which theTurkish leader continued to spout the same “there can beno talk of genocide” line.

With all those contradictory statements, Foreign MinisterDavutoglu published an opinion piece in the Guardian onMay 2, ostensibly with an olive branch in his hand, invitingthe Armenians to “follow Erdogan’s lead.”

After some sugarcoated statements about the contribu-tions of the Armenian musicians and architects to Ottomanhistory, he resorts to the same diversionary tactics thatTurkey has been using to duck the issue. He tries to equatethe suffering of the Genocide victims with those of Turkishmilitary losses during World War I.

“The power of the Ottoman empire declined continuous-ly in the 19th century. The loss of the Balkan provinces wasa striking defeat which resulted in mass atrocities, expul-sion and the deportation of Ottoman Muslims. …Approximately 5 million Ottoman citizens were driven awayfrom their ancestral homes in the Balkans, the Caucasusand Anatolia. While much of western history tells of the suf-

fering of the dispossessed and dead Ottoman Christians,the colossal sufferings of Ottoman Muslims remains largelyunknown outside of Turkey,” Davutoglu writes.

The murderers’ arithmetic is not compatible with the his-toric truth. The historians have taken into account and eval-uated objectively the Ottoman losses, which were the resultof a tyrant losing his grip on his victims and suffering theconsequences. For more than four centuries, Ottoman sul-tans ruled the Balkans with iron and blood. And when theempire began crumbling, those lands claimed their inde-pendence and they sent back their torturers to Anatolia.

Any person in his right mind — let alone historians — willask: what responsibility do the Armenians bear in the col-lapse of the Ottoman rule in the Balkans? After begging forsome sympathy for Ottoman losses, the smart diplomattries to draw parallels with the Armenian victims of theGenocide, hoping to create a fictitious “common pain.”

Yes, indeed, Armenians suffered and died, but also someTurks died, therefore the Armenian martyrs must bearsome responsibility for the Turkish losses and the Diasporahas to use some “just memory” that the Turks also sufferedbecause they could no longer exploit the subject nations inthe Balkans.

The next building block of Mr. Davutoglu’s sympathycampaign is the old story of commissioning a joint commit-tee of historians “to discover” the truth. The same discred-ited proposal was also made by Erdogan in his Der Spiegelinterview. That proposal comes also with a challenge:“Turkey has opened its archives, let Armenia open its ownarchives.”

Serious historians have long established that Turkey hassanitized its archives from any incriminating evidence. Also,the Ottoman archives are not open to serious scholars.They are open only to some hired guns that defend theTurkish government’s official line. Adding insult to injury,Erdogan and Davutoglu have been proposing to bring thosediscredited scholars in the same room with established andrespected scholars who have already “discovered” what theTurkish leaders cannot seem to do.

At the conclusion of his column, Davutoglu ceremonious-ly invites the world to a reconciliation charade: “The state-ment by Prime Minister Erdogan is an unprecedented andcourageous step taken in this direction. I believe now is thetime to invest in this relationship. But we can only succeedif this endeavor is embraced by a wider constituency intenton reconciliation. Turkey stands ready.”

If Turkey is ready, it has to demonstrate its willingness forreconciliation by taking some concrete steps. During thediscussions leading to the signing of the Protocols, Mr.Davutoglu asked Armenians to relinquish three regionsunder Karabagh forces in order to break up the logjam andto create goodwill on the Turkish-Azerbaijani side. Now wewould like to ask the same from Turkey. Let the Turks liftthe blockade, which will benefit both sides. Let Turkeyrepeal Article 301 from its Penal Code punishing anyonewho insults Turkishness. Let Turkey come up with a planto preserve Armenian architectural heritage in historicArmenia. And let the Turks come up with a compensationpackage.

That “Turkey is ready” will sound hollow without anysuch accompanying steps.

Mr. Davutoglu proposes: “Let’s bury the common pain.”But before burying the pain, let us properly bury the 1.5

million victims. That way, history lessons will find theirrightful place.

Established 1932

An ADL Publication

EDITOR

Alin K. Gregorian

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Gabriella Gage

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Aram ArkunART DIRECTOR

Marc Mgrditchian

SENIOREDITORIAL COLUMNIST:Edmond Azadian

CONTRIBUTORS:Florence Avakian, Dr. HaroutiuneArzoumanian, Taleen Babayan, Prof.Vahakn N. Dadrian, Diana DerHovanessian, Philip Ketchian, KevorkKeushkerian, Sonia Kailian-Placido,Harut Sassounian, Mary Terzian, HagopVartivarian, Naomi Zeytoonian

CORRESPONDENTS:

Armenia - Hagop AvedikianBoston - Nancy KalajianPhiladelphia - Lisa ManookianBerlin - Muriel Mirak-Weissbach

Contributing Photographers:Jacob Demirdjian, Harry Koundakjian, JirairHovsepian

The Armenian Mirror-Spectator is publishedweekly, except two weeks in July and the first

week of the year, by:

Baikar Association, Inc.755 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown, MA 02472-1509

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Other than the editorial, views and opinionsexpressed in this newspaper do not necessarilyreflect the policies of the publisher.

MirrorSpectator

History Lessons from Mr. Davutoglu

Copying for other than personal use orinternal reference is prohibited withoutexpress permission of the copyrightowner. Address requests for reprints orback issues to:

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COMMENTARY THE ARMENIAN

Established 1932

An ADL Publication

To The Editor:Is US Sen. Edward Markey of

Massachusetts truly a friend of theArmenian-American community?

Suffolk Law School in Boston has invitedMarkey to speak and receive an award at itscommencement on May 17. The problem isthat Senator Markey will sit alongsideAbraham Foxman, director of the ArmenianGenocide-denying Anti-Defamation League.Foxman will address the law school’s gradu-ates and receive an honorary law degree,even though his statement of August 21,2007 twisted the facts of the ArmenianGenocide so that the latter could not legallyqualify as genocide under the official UnitedNations Genocide law of 1948.

Honoring Foxman makes a mockery of theprinciples for which a law school shouldstand. One wonders if Suffolk has invitedFoxman as revenge against Armenian-Americans and others because theMassachusetts Governor’s Council recentlyrejected attorney Joseph Berman — an ADLnational commissioner — to be a judge.

The National Lawyers Guild student chap-ter at Suffolk University and a thousand oth-ers have demanded that Suffolk PresidentJames McCarthy withdraw his invitation toFoxman. Their reasons include Foxman’santi-Armenian bias and his hypocriticalopposition to the U.S. Congress’s ArmenianGenocide Resolution. Markey’s sharing thestage with Foxman would be an insult to

international law. Then again, Markey hasnever criticized Foxman and the ADL’s geno-cide denials. Markey’s commitment to geno-cide recognition and prevention is in seriousdoubt.

Senator Markey should tell the Suffolk’spresident that he will not attend the com-mencement unless the invitation to Foxmanis withdrawn. I suggest readers call Markey’soffice in Boston (617-565-8519) orWashington, DC (202-224-2742) or emailhim athttp://www.markey.senate.gov/contact.Please say that sharing the stage with AbeFoxman is unacceptable.

Berge JololianWatertown, MA

Just Say No, Senator Markey!

By Pierce Nahigyan

Few would expect a survivor of the Holocaustto be the face of genocide denial. Imagine thesurprise of Suffolk Law School’s student bodywhen its administration’s chosen commence-ment speaker turned out to be just that.

Abraham Foxman, the long-time director ofthe Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organi-zation dedicated to eradicating anti-Semitismand bigotry and protecting civil rights, seems afigure beyond reproach. Yet Foxman has invitedcontroversy to Suffolk University for his unwill-ingness to recognize the 1915 ArmenianGenocide and his campaign to defeatCongressional acknowledgement of said geno-cide.

Criticism of Foxman has centered on this dis-connect, that a man who lived through theattempted extermination of an entire race nowdenies that truth of another. Many at Suffolkare unwilling to participate in that hypocrisy.

Shortly after Foxman was announced as their2014 speaker, Suffolk Law students rejectedthe decision. Amy Willis, president of the uni-versity’s National Lawyers Guild chapter, toldthe Boston Globe that “Suffolk claims toembody diversity and be a place for all people,but this clearly is a speaker who does notembody those values.”

This stance was reflected in a petition toremove Foxman as the keynote speaker, as wellas to deny him the honorary Juris Doctorate heis slated to receive. The petition states thatFoxman’s presence “not only insults studentsand their families, but also insults the veryfoundation of Suffolk Law as a safe place ofdiversity and acceptance.” As arguments for hisremoval, the petition enumerates Foxman’srefusal to explicitly label the ArmenianGenocide as a genocide as well as his supportfor racial profiling of Muslim-Americans in theinterest of “national security.”

Raphael Lemkin coined the term “genocide”in 1944 to describe the magnitude of premedi-tated racial extermination, citing what hap-pened to the Armenians as the prime example.After the war, the United Nations approved theConvention on the Prevention and Punishmentof the Crime of Genocide, establishing genocideas an international crime.

In the Convention, genocide is defined as“acts committed with intent to destroy, in wholeor in part, a national, ethnical, racial or reli-gious group,” which includes “killing membersof the group” and “deliberately inflicting on thegroup conditions of life calculated to bringabout its physical destruction in whole or inpart.”

The mention of “intent” is significant in thisdefinition. Foxman’s 2007 statement (describedbelow) would go out of its way to avoid labelingthe Turkish pogrom as intentional, admittingonly that its “consequences” were “tanta-mount” to genocide. To the casual observer, itis perhaps a negligible distinction. From a legalstandpoint, it is strategically evasive.

This definition applies to the systematicslaughter of Armenians by the Turkish govern-ment that began in 1915. To understand howthis genocide came to be, a brief summary ofthe two nations’ history is required.

Existing in various forms for approximately3,000 years of recorded history, Armenia was

the first nation to declare Christianity itsnational religion. It remained Christian underthe several empires that conquered it, includ-ing the Muslim caliphate of the OttomanTurks. From the 15th century onward,Armenians and their fellow “infidels” wereallowed to continue their religious practices,though subjected to higher taxes, fewer rightsand ethnic discrimination. For the Armenians,this culminated in the Hamidian Massacres of1894-1897. This state-sponsored pogrom wasinstituted by Sultan Abdul Hamid II in retalia-tion for Armenians’ attempts to win civilrights.

By the start of World War I, political tensionsbetween Armenians and a new Turkish govern-ment were even more strained. Armenia itselfhad been divided by warring empires, withRussia claiming the east and Turkey claimingthe west. Duty-bound, both sides fought fortheir respective empires.

This dichotomy of loyalty enabled the Turksto concoct a pretext that veiled their ultimategoal of an ethnically and religiously uniformempire. A purge would enable them to “liqui-date” the “Christian element” and seize thewealth and property of suspected insurgents.On April 24, 1915, the Turkish governmentauthorized the arrest and execution of severalhundred Armenian intellectuals. From thatpoint, the executions would continue for eightyears, shrouded under the fog of the Great War.

Turkish soldiers and mercenaries actingunder the general outfit of “SpecialOperations” murdered hundreds of thousandsof Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks, marchingthem through the Anatolian and Syrian desertswithout food, water or clothing. “Infidels” notsentenced to hard labor camps were drowned inrivers, thrown off cliffs, crucified and burnedalive. Property was seized, women were rapedand dispatched to Turkish harems, and manychildren were kidnapped and forcibly convertedto Islam.

The number of survivors is a matter ofdebate, but of a population of 2 million indige-nous Armenians, it is estimated that upwards of1.5 million were slaughtered. Even today,almost a century later, the Euphrates River isfilled with the bones of dead Armenians, asauthor Peter Balakian, writing for the NewYork Times magazine, can attest.

Stark, horrific images exist to document thesavagery of the Armenian massacre. Yet stillTurkey denies its own legacy.

Article 301 of the Turkish penal code makesit illegal to insult Turkey, the Turkish nation orthe Turkish government. To acknowledge an“Armenian Genocide” is the most egregiousinsult possible.

Because Turkey was the first nation in theMiddle East to establish diplomatic relationswith Israel and remains an instrumental ally ofthe West, the United States is unwilling to rockthat political boat. Even when a resolution wasproposed by the 110th Congress to recognizethe Armenian Genocide, then President GeorgeW. Bush publicly opposed the measure. He wasnot the first, and current President BarackObama’s silence on the issue suggests he willnot be the last.

And this has been Foxman’s dilemma. Hispublic opposition to Armenian recognition hasbeen out of loyalty to Israel. “Our focus isIsrael,” he has said. “If helping Turkey helpsIsrael, then that’s what we’re in the business of

doing.” It seems absurd to the point of tragedythat a man who lived under Nazi oppressioncan answer the question of Armenian genocidewith, “It was wartime. Things get messy.”

But in 2007, Foxman tried to pacify his crit-ics. Speaking for himself and the ADL, he stat-ed that, “We have never negated but havealways described the painful events of 1915-1918 perpetrated by the Ottoman Empireagainst Armenians as massacres and atrocities,”ending with decision that “the consequences ofthose actions were indeed tantamount to geno-cide.”

But “tantamount to genocide” without intentis not genocide. This calculated elision of“intent,” its palpable absence, is an insult to theArmenian community. The ADL’s defendersdecry this as splitting hairs, but they overlookthe importance of legacy and how powerfully asingle word can affect it. It was importantenough to prompt a dozen Massachusetts citiesto pull out of the ADL’s “No Place for Hate”anti-bias program. It was important enoughthat when Andrew H. Tarsy, a regional directorfor the ADL, acknowledged the Genocide assuch, he was promptly fired from the organiza-

tion.Unfortunately for Suffolk Law School, and all

those who expect the ADL to uphold its ownmorality, Abraham Foxman represents a willfulblindness — to look the other way on a century-old crime — for the sake of political expediency.

It is the opinion of Suffolk UniversityPresident James McCarthy that Foxman,despite students’ protests, “is well deserving ofrecognition.” Moreover, it is the University’shope that Foxman’s “life of public service willinspire our graduates as they embark on theirprofessional careers.”

This does beg the question of what recogni-tion the Syrian desert’s uncounted deaddeserve, or what their lives may have inspired,but the answers are unlikely to be found inFoxman’s commencement speech.

(Pierce Nahigyan is a freelance journalist liv-ing in Long Beach, Calif. His work has

appeared in several publications, includingNationofChange, the Los Angeles Post-

Examiner and SHK Magazine. A graduate ofNorthwestern University, he holds a BA in

sociology and history.)

14 S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 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

Notice to ContributorsThe Armenian Mirror-Spectatorwelcomes arti-

cles, commentaries and community news fromour readers. In order to assure the accurate andtimely publication of articles submitted, pleasenote the following policies:— All articles submitted should be typed, double(or triple) spaced and printed in a type sizelarge enough to be clearly legible (10 point orlarger). Submissions that do not conform to thesespecifications will be assigned lowest priority.— Articles sent by fax are acceptable, and e-mailsubmissions are encouraged.— All submissions should include the name of acontact person and a daytime telephone num-

ber.— Deadline for submission of all articles andadvertising is 12 noon on Monday of the weekof publication.— Photos will be published without charge at thediscretion of the editors and art director. Photoswill be returned only if a self-addressed andstamped envelope is included.— The M-S will publish only one article about anupcoming organizational event. For major spe-cial events, exceptions may be made only byspecial arrangement with the editors.— Telephone numbers, ticket prices and otherdetails (at the discretion of the editors) will not beincluded in press releases, but should bereserved for calendar listings and advertise-ments.

Markey Urged to BoycottFoxman at Suffolk

(Editor’s Note: The following is an abridged version of a letter that has been sent tothe office of Sen. Edward Markey.)

Dear Senator Markey:I am writing on behalf of the Armenian National Committee of America, Merrimack

Valley.You are a friend of the Armenian-American community, particularly of Massachusetts.

On April 11, for example, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved Resolution410, which you co-sponsored, calling upon Turkey to acknowledge the ArmenianGenocide.

You are also a lawyer and a long-serving public servant who is scheduled to speakand receive a public service award at the Suffolk Law School commencement in Bostonon May 17, 2014.

You deserve this honor and much more.We ask that you tell Suffolk University President James McCarthy that you will not

attend its law school’s commencement unless he first withdraws the invitation to Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham Foxman to speak and receive an hon-orary law degree.

While you deserve the honor that Suffolk Law intends to bestow on you, Mr. Foxmandoes not.

Mr. Foxman is the head of an organization that claims to support the civil and humanrights of all people, regardless of ethnicity or religion. Under Mr. Foxman, however, theADL has not lived up to that ideal in important respects. On the contrary, for decadesthe ADL has denied the reality of the Armenian Genocide.

Moreover, the ADL has long worked directly with the Turkish government, which isa well-known human rights violator, to defeat resolutions brought before the USCongress that recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Indeed, he and the national ADL oppose the very Armenian Genocide resolution thatyou are co-sponsoring.

Denying the horrific murder of 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children from1915-23 as well as the attempt to erase 3,000 years of Armenian civilization from AsiaMinor clearly parallels denial of the Jewish Holocaust.

No person or organization that truly upholds universal human rights would do sucha thing.

On August 21, 2007, Mr. Foxman issued an infamous statement that described theArmenian deaths as “consequences” of wartime action.

As you and other lawyers know, under the 1948 United Nations GenocideConvention, a perpetrator must show specific “intent” in order for an act to be consid-ered genocide. Mr. Foxman’s use of the word “consequences” was clearly meant toensure that the murders could not be described as “intentional.”

It is contradictory for a law school and lawyers to honor a man who sidesteps inter-national law on a proven genocide, Armenian or otherwise.

The Massachusetts Municipal Association and a dozen Massachusetts cities, includ-ing Arlington, Belmont, Medford, Newton, Needham and Somerville, recognized Mr.Foxman’s August 21 statement as an attempt to skirt international law. In 2007–2008,they all severed ties with the ADL’s “No Place for Hate” program.

During Mr. Foxman’s tenure, the ADL has also been widely reported to have engagedin illegal domestic surveillance. In 2007, the police chief of Arlington stated that hecould obtain intelligence information from the ADL that his police department couldnot otherwise obtain legally on its own.

President McCarthy has stated that he is honoring Mr. Foxman for his “body ofwork.” Much of that work, as you can see, is unworthy of being honored by SuffolkLaw.

Again, we respectfully ask that you not attend the Suffolk Law commencement.Ara A. Jeknavorian, Ph.D.

Willful Blindness: Abraham Foxman and the Armenian Genocide

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COMMENTARY

Erdogan Claims it’s not GenocideBecause not All Armenians WereKilled

Within days of releasing a shrewdly-worded statement onApril 23, misleading some into thinking that he wasacknowledging the Armenian Genocide, Turkish PrimeMinister Erdogan reversed course on a major American TVprogram, claiming that the 1915 mass killings ofArmenians was not genocide.

When asked by veteran reporter Charlie Rose if it wouldbe possible for the Turkish Prime Minister to characterizethese killings as genocide, Erdogan became the laughingstock of TV viewers worldwide by declaring: “It would notbe possible, because if such a genocide occurred, wouldthere have been any Armenians living in this country[Turkey]?”

It is greatly embarrassing that the leader of a major coun-try like Turkey is clueless about the universally-accepteddefinition of genocide. Foreign Minister Davutoglu (a for-mer professor) and other learned Turks must have cringedwatching their prime minister expose his ignorance beforemillions of TV viewers.

Article 2 of the Convention on the Prevention and

Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, adopted by theUnited Nations General Assembly on December 9, 1948,defines genocide as “acts committed with the intent todestroy in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial orreligious group, as such.”

One does not have to be a genocide scholar to compre-hend that it is not necessary to wipe out every single mem-ber of a particular group to be accused of committing geno-cide. Did Hitler manage to kill all German Jews? WouldErdogan dare to go on American Television and make asimilarly outrageous remark about the Jewish Holocaust,claiming that it is not genocide because some Jews are liv-ing in Germany today? In a fitting response to Erdogan,Armenia’s Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian urged himto follow Germany’s example of Holocaust acknowledg-ment through “recognition, condemnation, and apology.”Nalbandian should have also added “restitution,” an imper-ative demand, without which the rest are hollow words.

Erdogan should be reminded that only a few days earlierhe had called for a joint commission to study the “histori-cal facts.” What is the point of asking for a study, if he hasalready concluded that there was no genocide? The primeminister cannot be serious and he definitely is not sincere.

At the end of his interview with Charlie Rose, Erdoganmade additional contradictory statements, shifting theblame for the Genocide to the Ottomans: “This is not some-thing that happened during the Republic of Turkey. Thiswas during the Ottoman Empire…. If the documents showthat our ancestors made a mistake…if the historians canshow that, then we would pay whatever consequence ofthat is.”

While no one in Armenia and Diaspora was fooled byErdogan’s deceptive statements, the reaction of someArmenians in Turkey was understandably more accommo-dating. Archbishop Aram Ateshian, vicar general of the

Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul, rushed to Ankara withhis entourage for a “pleasant” chat with the Turkish primeminister and a congenial lunch with Foreign MinisterDavutoglu. Archbishop Ateshian thanked the Turkish lead-ers for their expression of “shared pain” in reference toArmenians and Turks who died during World War I.

Such laudatory words are not surprising, given theArmenians’ status in Turkey as hostages of an authoritar-ian and brutal regime, as journalist Hrant Dink found outby paying with his life for bearing witness to the truth ofthe Genocide. Some Turkish Armenians, however, havelearned to manipulate the country’s oligarchic system fortheir personal gain. They are willing to go along withTurkish genocide denialism to enrich themselves throughcovert business deals with government officials and/orsecure their leadership positions in the local Armeniancommunity. Indeed, several prominent Turkish-Armenianshave suggested that Erdogan be nominated for a NobelPeace Prize for his April 23rd statement. Two Armenianbusinessmen have even placed self-deprecating ads inTurkish newspapers thanking the prime minister andoffering apologies for the Turkish “deaths” during WorldWar I!

At the end of the day, it matters not what Erdogan’sstatement or Davutoglu’s op-ed in The Guardian say ordon’t say about the Armenian Genocide. The more funda-mental question is: are Turkish officials willing to atone forthe crimes committed by their ancestors against theArmenian people? What matters most for Armenians isrestitution and justice, not empty rhetoric. Erdogan’swords are too little and too late. His statement is simply aclever ploy at damage control given the growing senti-ments and calls worldwide to accept responsibility for theArmenian Genocide, and to deflect attention away from thescandals swirling around Turkey and its prime minister.

My TurnBy Harut Sassounian

A Reply toMr. ErdoganBByy RRaaffffii BBeeddrroossyyaann

N APRIL 23, 2014, Turkish PrimeMinister Erdogan sent a message of con-dolence to the Armenians worldwide, ineight languages, for their forefatherswho lost their lives in 1915. As this wasan unprecedented and unexpected ges-ture by a Turkish statesman, Armeniansin Armenia, Diaspora and within Turkeyreacted with a wide range of emotionsand opinions. Some dismissed it as a cyn-

ical move and a new version of continued denial of the Genocide;some saw it as a smart political move and an effective delay tac-tic to avert the pressures of the upcoming centennial of the geno-cide next year; others optimistically saw it as a change in direc-tion by Turkey in facing its history, hoping for increased dialogueand resolution of issues, and a few sycophants went as far as tak-ing out newspaper ads thanking the prime minister, or suggest-ing that he be made a candidate for Nobel Peace Prize. I wouldlike to share my thoughts about his message, and more impor-tantly try to deal with the question: Where do we go from here?

One can find many faults with Erdogan’s message. One caninterpret it as a message addressed to the “dead” victims of a nat-ural disaster such as an earthquake or flood, or a man-made acci-dent such as a train accident, instead of “murdered” victims of astate-planned annihilation of an entire people that has disap-peared from its four thousand year old historic homeland. Onecan speculate about the reasons for Erdogan to send such a mes-sage — whether cynical, calculated, insincere or even perhapspressured by the US to send it, so that President Obama will notstart using the “g” word. But at the end of the day, no matterwhat the motive, whether genuine or not, one must acknowledgethat this is the first time a Turkish leader has said somethingmildly humane about the Armenian Genocide victims of 1915,instead of complete denial or insults that was the norm for thepast 99 years. More significantly, certain terms used in the mes-sage are really encouraging, welcome and irreversible, such asacknowledging the historic significance of April 24 for all theArmenians around the world, or acknowledging the inhumaneconsequences of the “relocation.” And therefore, the messagemust be recognized as a step in the right direction provided thatit is followed immediately by real, concrete action and further evi-dence of change of direction toward facing history, justice andrestitution. The next 12 months will tell if this is the case or not.

It is not easy for a statesman to suddenly reverse a century-oldcourse of complete denial of the truth, brainwashing of its citi-zens for four generations, threats against anyone or any state

who disagrees with its lies about 1915. But every journey of tenthousand miles starts with a small step. In a previous article Ihad suggested eight steps that can be taken by Turkey within thenext year, immediately and without even acknowledging thegenocide, if indeed there is goodwill toward resolving historicalwrongs, which are the following:

• Open the border with Armenia without any preconditions.Rename the Alican border-crossing the Hrant Dink Gate, inhonor of the heroic advocate for dialogue.

• Grant citizenship to all living descendants of the deportedOttoman-Armenian citizens.

• Clean up the textbooks at all levels of the educational sys-tem by eliminating the falsifications, hatemongering, and dis-crimination against the Armenians, and start teaching the cor-rect facts about 1915.

• Initiate a state program by the Ministry of Culture andTourism to reconstruct or restore more than 2,000 destroyed ordeteriorating Armenian monasteries and churches, and returnthem to their rightful owner, the Armenian Church (IstanbulArmenian Patriarchate).

• Offer a symbolic but meaningful apology to the Armenianpeople for all the crimes of 1915, by returning Mount Ararat andAni to Armenia, perhaps as part of a minor border revision andterritorial exchange based on equivalent land area.

• Open up to the public the archival documents related to thedeportation/liquidation records and the Ottoman propertydeeds related to the deported Armenians.

• Allow the compensation cases by descendants of Ottoman-Armenian citizens to proceed in Turkish and internationalcourts.

• Offer free transit and duty-free port facilities for Armenia ata Black Sea city such as Trabzon and Rize, as partial compen-sation for the economic losses of Ottoman-Armenian citizens.

I am aware that some of these steps are already taken or beingconsidered by the Turkish government officials. Discussionsabout granting of citizenship and restoration of a few of thechurches and monasteries have started– albeit as museums, orwithout even mentioning the Armenian origins of them.Opening the border with Armenia without being held hostage bythird countries would be a win-win for both states. A sure signwhether Erdogan’s message is sincere or not would be eliminat-ing the names of streets, schools, mosques and neighborhoods,named after Ittihad Terakki leaders Talat, Enver or Djemal. Butwe know there are still Turkish “deep state” leaders recentlyreleased from jail by Erdogan, who have formed Talat PashaCommittees, or erected statues of noted murderers such as Topal(Lame) Osman, famous for throwing Armenians overboard fromboats into the Black Sea, or for throwing Pontic Greeks into theboiler rooms of ships through the funnels. Another indicationwhether Erdogan is serious in changing direction would be tostop the ridiculous publications and conferences of the state-financed Turkish Historic Society. Their latest publication hadthe number of Armenians perished during 1915 reduced downto 8,000, who had all “died due to illness.” Their latest confer-ence in Van in April 2014 where 35 so-called professors present-ed papers, was attended by only 7 persons; one of the papers inall seriousness claimed that the 235 intellectuals arrested onApril 24, 1915 were all very well treated, well fed and cared forin Ayas and Cankiri, and all returned to Istanbul within a few

months, “without even a tiny scratch on their bodies.” Finally,Erdogan must understand that there is no need to assemble aninternational historic commission to prove the veracity of the1915 events — this has already been done for him by scholarsworldwide from Ottoman Turkish and international archives. Ifthe Turkish objective of the historic commission is to prove thatArmenians were indeed fomenting rebellion, and thereby to jus-tify the decision of relocation and wholesale massacres, these arealready documented and open in Armenian and internationalarchives. And yes, there have been localized revenge massacresof Moslems by Armenian volunteer troops entering Anatolia withthe Russian army in 1916, but after the 1915 Genocide hadalready taken place. He can assemble a commission withinTurkey, as there are now enough credible and serious Turkishscholars who can overcome the lies spread by the state spon-sored lackeys at the Turkish Historical Society. Instead, he mustunderstand that there are still critical Ottoman Turkish archivesare not open, and authorize opening still hidden 1915 deporta-tion/liquidation records from 33 Ottoman provinces, as well asthe Ottoman property deed records, still banned by the TurkishArmy Chief of Staff. Yes, there is a need for an international com-mission, not to establish the truths of 1915 but to deal with theconsequences of the 1915 truths and restitution of justice.

Of course it is essential for Erdogan and the Turkish state todeal correctly with the trauma and pain of the “murdered” andnot “dead” victims of 1915 as he referred to in his message. Butthe issue is much more than that. There is the bigger issue of amassive plunder, transfer of wealth, land and assets resultingfrom the murder of these victims. If the Turkish or Kurdishgrandfathers in Turkey are guilty of murder, the leaders today,their grandchildren, are guilty of not only the denial of the mur-ders, but more importantly, guilty of enjoying from the proceedsof the crimes, benefitting from the continued possession of thestolen wealth, land and assets. The president of the Turkish Statetoday resides in the home of the Kasapyan family. A well-knownTurkish newspaper editor owns the historic VarakavankMonastery near Van, and the entire village where Armenianslived until 1915. The Turkish state now owns the land and what-ever is left standing on it, belonging to more than 4,000Armenian churches and schools active before 1915. The Turkishand Kurdish notables have seized and still possess hundreds ofthousands of houses, shops, stores, farms, orchards, vineyards,factories, warehouses and mines owned by the Armenians before1915. This massive plunder is not the result of a state invadingand conquering a foreign state during a war, but it is because astate decided to murder its own citizens and take possession ofthese citizens” assets, followed by a series of legislation to legal-ize the robbery. This issue has nothing to do whether the mur-ders are defined as “genocide” or not, and must be addressed bythe Turkish State regardless, through revised legislation andreturn of the assets to the rightful owners and heirs.

While Erdogan and Turkish leaders have a lot of work to doto clean up the past, Armenians cannot afford just to meetamong themselves or expect third-country politicians to take uptheir cause for them. As an advocate of direct dialogue with ouradversaries, I suggest increased contact with Turks, Kurds andthe new emerging reality of hidden Armenians, toward buildingtrust, understanding and a common “body of knowledge.”

see ERDOGAN, page 16

O

BOOK, from page 1several decades in the possession of theCoolidges and its return again to the WhiteHouse in the mid-1980s, where it is stored tothis day.

The first edition, published in 2013, waswarmly welcomed by the SmithsonianInstitution in Washington, where the rug wassupposed to be displayed and where its storywas to be told. Deranian was supposed to bethe keynote speaker at the opening of theone day exhibition, on December 16, 2013.Then, to great surprise and regret, just as thedetails of the exhibition were being finalized,the White House informed the collaboratingorganizations of its decision not to lend outthe rug. This abrupt decision resulted in thecancellation of the exhibit, and spread deepdisappointment and heartbreak among theorganizers; the Armenian American commu-nity at large was outraged.

A comprehensive article then appeared inthe October 21, 2013 issue of theWashington Post by Pulitzer Prize winningjournalist Philip Kennicott, which highlight-ed the history of the rug and explored thereasons behind the curious decision. A bar-rage of critical articles, essays, reports, pressconferences, and discussions as well as tele-vision and radio programs dedicated to thecontroversy, followed in the Armenian andAmerican media. The excuse the WhiteHouse gave for not lending out the rug wasthat it would be “inappropriate” to do so for

an event including a book launch.Appeals by Armenian advocacy groups,

supported by congressional figures sympa-thetic to the Armenian causes, then launcheda campaign of their own, asking the WhiteHouse and President Barak Obama to releasethe rug in honor of the legacy of the NearEast Relief Foundation and the memory ofthe orphans of the Armenian Genocide of1915. This issue is still unresolved.

The importance of the rug was recognizedearly in its history.

“The beautiful rug woven by the[Armenian] children in the [Ghazir] orphan-age in the Lebanon has been received. This,their expression of gratitude for what wehave been able to do in this country for theiraid, is accepted by me as a token of theirgoodwill to the people of the United States.... The rug has a place of honor in the WhiteHouse, where it will be a daily symbol ofgood-will on earth.” These words of PresidentCalvin Coolidge on December 4, 1925, weremade in response to Dr. John H. Finley, Vice-Chairman of the Near East Relief ExecutiveCommittee, who presented the rug for theArmenian orphans who “have tied into it thegratitude of tens of thousands of children toyou and to America. And what they have tiedinto it will never be untied. ... It is sent toadorn the dearest of our temples, the WhiteHouse of our President.”

Born in Worcester, in 1922, the author, Dr.Hagop Martin Deranian was born to

Genocide survivors from the town ofHussenig, Kharpert Province. He was namedHagop in honor of Hagop Bogigian, his moth-er’s uncle, who was a pioneer rug merchantin America and benefactor of education forArmenian young women. His mother, bornVarter Bogigian, who died in 1929, was a sur-vivor of the genocide, having lost six children,her first husband, and parents. His father,Marderos, who died in 1957, arrived inAmerica in 1900 and operated a grocerystore in Worcester. His father raised him fromthe age of 7.

Deranian, a graduate of Clark Universityand the University of Pennsylvania School ofDental Medicine, served as lieutenant (juniorgrade) in the United States Navy (1951-53)and has been engaged in the private practiceof dentistry while at the same time servingon the faculty of the Tufts University Schoolof Dental Medicine.

His translation of his father’s memoir,Hussenig, The Origin, History andDestruction of an Armenian Town, was pub-lished in 1996; an earlier bilingual editionappeared in 1981. His second book,Worcester Is America, the Story ofWorcester’s Armenians, appeared in 1995followed by Miracle Man of the WesternFront: Dr. Varaztad H. Kazanjian, PioneerPlastic Surgeon, which was published in2007.

In light of the great demand and interestinternationally, the Armenian CulturalFoundation has welcomed considered thepublication of President Calvin Coolidgeand the Armenian Orphan Rug in severallanguages, including German, Russian andArmenian. To obtain the copies of the newedition, contact the ACF.

MONUMENT, from page 1There were musical perfor-

mances by choirs from theSahag Mesrob ArmenianChristian School in Altadenaand the Armenian GeneralBenevolent Union HighSchool in Pasadena.

Student speakers includedAlex Berberian, a senior atPasadena High School, andDaniel Mouradian, a freshman atAGBU High School.

Tagoui Arzoumanian recitedthe poem “Menk and theDance” and Eric Chilingazyan,a young child, recited thepoem “My Armenia.”

Federal, state and localelected officials as well as dignitaries from com-munity organizations, churches and schoolsparticipated in the event as well.

The Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial,approved by the Pasadena City Council inSeptember 2013, will be completed and dedi-cated at the north side of Memorial Park inApril 2015 to mark the 100th anniversary of

the killing of 1.5 million Armenians over athree-year period beginning in 1915. It will com-memorate the Armenian Genocide and con-demn all crimes against humanity

For more information about the PasadenaArmenian Genocide Memorial visitwww.PASAGMC.org or PASAGMC onFacebook.

S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R16

The Armenian Mirror-Spectator is offering a special deal thisspring to new readers. The offer, valid now through May 31, 2014,will give new subscribers a chance to get the newspaper for thereduced price of $60 forone year, instead of theregular $80. If a new sub-scriber gets two new sub-scriptions, the price for oneyear will be reduced to$55 for each new subscrip-tion.All payments (by creditcard or check) should bereceived by May 31, 2014.To take advantage of thisoffer, mail payment to:The Armenian Mirror-Spectator755 Mt. Auburn St.Watertown, MA 02472Please put “New SpringSubscriber” in the memo sec-tion of the check.Call (617) 924-4420 or email mirrorads@aol.com for more information.

Special NewSubscriber Offer for the Mirror-Spectator

RUG, from page 1members, sent a letter to President Obama in2013 urging the administration to allow exhibi-tion of the rug.

The Armenian Assembly of America wel-comed the development.

News reports surfaced about Turkish pres-sure on the White House last year and the can-cellation of the event, which led to an outcry byMembers of Congress, including Sen. EdwardMarkey (D-MA), along with RepresentativesSchiff (D-CA) and David Valadao (R-CA) whospearheaded a letter to Obama, signed by morethan 30 Members of Congress, calling on him torelease the rug.

With the Coolidge rug unavailable, the

Assembly launched a campaign to display theArmenian Orphan “Sister Rug.” Since then,that rug has been displayed in Boston andBoca Raton, Fla., and was planned to be dis-played at an event on Capitol Hill with Schiffin March, but was postponed due to a snow-storm.

“I’m extremely touched,” Deranian said uponlearning the news. “I have faith in the Americangovernment, that it will do the right thing in theend,” he said.

“The display of this tangible expression ofgratitude for America’s humanitarian interven-tion to save the survivors of the ArmenianGenocide is a positive development,” statedAssembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.

Other members of the clergy and dignitaries at the ceremony

ACF Releases Second Edition of Orphan Rug Book

Orphan Rug to Go on Display atWhite House in Near Future

A Reply to Mr. ErdoganERDOGAN, from page 15Armenian opinion-makers, media, acade-mia, lawyers, artists, filmmakers, engi-neers and architects, NGOs and organiza-tions must make contact with their coun-terparts in Turkey through conferences,cultural events, media and studentexchanges, reconstruction projects andjointly organized April 24 commemora-tions within Turkey. Thanks to the con-tinuing efforts of a few of these individu-als and initiatives, the number of opinionmakers and democratically open-mindedpeople who have become aware of thetruths of 1915 in Turkey is growing dra-matically. We are all aware that the prob-lem is within Turkey but we should allrealize that the solution will also be with-in Turkey. It is our hope that Erdogan’smessage is a real step in the right direc-tion, to be proven only if immediate deedsas described above follow the words.

(Raffi Bedrosyan is a civil engineer andconcert pianist, living in Toronto, Canada.He has donated concert and CD proceed-ings to infrastructure projects in Armeniaand Karabagh, in which he has also par-ticipated as an engineer. He helped orga-nize the reconstruction of the SurpGiragos Diyarbakir/Dikranagerd Churchand the first Armenian reclaim of churchproperties in Anatolia after 1915. He gavethe first piano concert in the SurpGiragos Church since 1915.)

Ground Consecrated forPasadena Memorial