Mirror-Spectator NowOffers E-Subscriptions

WATERTOWN, Mass. — Starting March 15, theArmenian Mirror-Spectator newspaper will be avail-able to be e-mailed every Thursday, in color PDFformat.The annual rate for the e-subscription is $50.To subscribe, please fill out the ad in this issue,

as well as a check for $50, to the Armenian Mirror-Spectator, 755 Mt. Auburn Street, Watertown, MA02472.The e-mail address info will not be shared.

Sargisian ExtendsCondolences to Gul

YEREVAN (Panorama.am) — Armenian PresidentSerge Sargisian sent a letter of condolence thisweek to Turkis President Abdullah Gul after theearthquake in Turkey last week, the Armenian pres-ident’s press office reported.On behalf of the Armenian people and himself,

Sargisian extended sincere condolence to thePresident of Turkey and the relatives of the victims.

Polish AmbassadorPresents Credentials

YEREVAN — The newly appointed Ambassador ofPoland to Armenia Zdislav Rachinski presented hiscredentials to President Serge Sargisian.Congratulating the diplomat on new office,

Sargisian said Armenia was interested in deepeningcooperation with Poland in bilateral format andwithin international organizations.Noting that the cooperation with the European

Union is one of Armenia’s foreign policy priorities,Sargisian said he anticipates active work in thatdirection. Rachinski promised to do his best to rein-force cooperation in different spheres.

Gul Nominated ForChatham House Prize

2010LONDON (PanArmenian.Net) — Chatham House,the Royal Institute of International Affairs, hasannounced its nominees for its Prize 2010. Theaward ceremony will take place in the autumn.Voting will close on March 15, 2010. The nomineesare Abdullah Gul, president of Turkey, ChristineLagarde, finance minister of France and StjepanMesic, president of Croatia.As cited in the nominee’s details, “Abdullah Gul

has been a significant figure for reconciliation andmoderation within Turkey and internationally, anda driving force behind many of the positive stepsthat Turkey has taken in recent years.”

INDEXArmenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Arts and Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Community News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,4

Mirror- SpectatorMirror- SpectatorTHE ARMENIAN

Volume LXXX, NO. 35, Issue 4129

MARCH 13 , 2010

$ 2.00

TimesSquare

Page 5

INSIDE

The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States

NEWS IN BRIEF

Turkey Recalls Ambassador to US

WASHINGTON (Combined Sources) —While on Thursday, March 4, the HouseForeign Affairs Committee voted 23-22 toapprove the sending of House Resolution252 on the Armenian Genocide to the floorof the full House, forces outside the House,including the White House and the StateDepartment, pressured by the military con-tractors and the government of Turkey,agreed to press their colleagues in theHouse to not bring the bill to the floor at all.“The Affirmation of the US Record on

the Armenian Genocide” resolution calls onthe president to “ensure that the foreignpolicy of the United States reflects appro-priate understanding” of the “ArmenianGenocide” and to “accurately characterizethe systematic and deliberate annihilationof 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide.”

The bipartisan measure cur-rently has 137 cosponsors in theHouse.Armenian-American communi-

ty leaders were elated by thevote, though cautious about itsfuture.“The truth prevailed today,

and the cause of Genocide affir-mation and prevention has beenfurthered. The United Statesrecord on the ArmenianGenocide is clear, voluminousand unambiguous, a matter rec-ognized by President RonaldReagan and by President Obamain a number of campaign state-ments. We commend the leader-ship of Chairman HowardBerman and all those who sup-ported the bill’s passage, whichwas introduced by Representa-tives Adam Schiff (D-CA), GeorgeRadanovich (R-CA), FrankPallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL),”stated Armenian Assembly of AmericaExecutive Director Bryan Ardouny.

“I also want to acknowledge Representa-tives Brad Sherman, Anna Eshoo (D-CA),

see RESOLUTION, page 5

House Foreign Affairs CommitteePasses Genocide Resolution

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Mass. AppealsCourt HearsGenocide Ed.Argument

By Thomas C . NashSpecial to the Mirror-Spectator

BOSTON — Nearly five years afterthe Assembly of Turkish AmericanAssociations (ATAA) first filed a law-suit challenging the teaching of theArmenian Genocide in Massachusettsclassrooms, well-known FirstAmendment attorney HarveySilverglate argued before an appealscourt last week that not includingmaterial denying it occurred violatedthe students’ rights.The appeal follows US District

Court Chief Judge Mark L. Wolf’s dis-

missal of the case last June. Wolf’sruling largely focused on the argu-ment that curricula represent pro-tected government speech.Silverglate, who filed an appeal

shortly after Wolf’s ruling, arguedMarch 2 before the US First CircuitCourt of Appeals that the reasoningbehind the dismissal ignored the factthat other dark areas of history includ-ed in the guide, such as the IrishPotato Famine, included multiple

see APPEAL, page 5

Chief Judge Mark L. Wolf

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Armenia has offi-cially responded to international mediators’recently modified plan to end the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict, an aide to PresidentSerge Sargisian said on Thursday.The American, French and Russian co-

chairs of the Organization for Security andCooperation in Europe (OSCE) MinskGroup announced in January that they havedeveloped an “updated version” of the basicprinciples of a Karabagh settlement. Thehave still not disclosed changes made in adocument that was formally submitted tothe parties in Madrid in late 2007.The Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents

are understood to have discussed theupdated Madrid document at their January25 talks in Russia hosted by PresidentDmitry Medvedev. Russian ForeignMinister Sergei Lavrov, Serge Sargisian andIlham Aliyev agreed to “prepare their ownconcrete ideas and formulations” on theirremaining disagreements.According to Garnik Isagulian,

Sargisian’s representative to the Armenianparliament and former national securityadviser, the Armenian side has already sentrelevant proposals to the mediators. But hesaid he is unaware of their content.

“Armenia has submitted its concrete pro-posals, whereas the president of Azerbaijan,according to our information, has still notmade any proposals,” Isagulian told a newsconference. Azerbaijani Foreign MinisterElmar Mammadyarov said on Wednesdaythat Baku has already accepted the MinskGroup’s modified peace proposals “withsome exceptions.” “We want to find out theArmenian side’s opinion about the amend-ed document, and for that purpose I willmeet the Minsk Group co-chairs [in Paris]on March 5,” he said, according toAzerbaijani media.In a recent interview with the Euronews

TV channel, Aliyev again claimed that themediators’ peace proposals are “based onrestoration of the territorial integrity ofAzerbaijan.” “Azerbaijan will never agree toindependence of Nagorno Karabagh, or toany kind of mechanisms or procedureswhich will eventually lead to secession,” hesaid.Armenian leaders insist that the pro-

posed agreement does include such a mech-anism. They say one of the basic principlesupholds the Karabagh Armenians’ right toformalize the disputed region’s secessionfrom Azerbaijan in a future referendum.

Armenia Responds to ‘Updated’Karabagh Peace Plan

Eleven-year-old Spends$44 million on Dubai Homes

By Andrew Higgins

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates(Washington Post) — Even by the standardsof a city that celebrates extravagance, it wasa spectacular shopping spree: In just two

weeks early last year, an 11-year-old boyfrom Azerbaijan became the owner of ninewaterfront mansions.The total price tag: about $44 million —

or roughly 10,000 years’ worth of salary forthe average citizen of Azerbaijan. But thepreteen who owns a big chunk of some ofDubai’s priciest real estate seems to be any-thing but average.His name, according to Dubai Land

see CORRUPTION, page 3

Pricey Real Estate Deals Raise QuestionsRegarding Azeri Corruption

YEREVAN (PanArmenian.Net) —Yerevan celebrated the 130th birthdayof Armenian painter Martiros Saryan.To mark the jubilee, the MartirosSaryan Museum launched an exhibitionof Saryan’s work and his contempo-raries’ photos.An exhibition of Saryan’s works

opened at the State Tretyakov GalleryFriday, January 26.Saryan (1880-1972), was born in Nor

Nakhijevan (now part of Rostov-on-Don,Russia).He first visited Armenia, then part of

the Russian Empire, in 1901, visitingLori, Shirak, Echmiadzin, Haghpat,Sanahin, Yerevan and Sevan. He com-posed his first landscapes depictingArmenia: “Makravank,” 1902; “Aragats,”1902; “Buffalo. Sevan,” 1903; “Eveningin the Garden,” 1903; and “In the

Armenian village,” which were praised inthe Moscow press.From 1910 to 1913 he traveled exten-

sively inTurkey,Egypt and Iran. In1915hewent to Echmiadzin to help refugees whohad fled from the Armenian Genocide inthe Ottoman Empire. In 1916 he traveledto Tiflis (now Tbilisi) where he marriedLusik Agayan. It was there that he helpedorganize the Society of Armenian Artists.After the Bolshevik seizure of power

in 1917 he went with his family to livein Russia. In 1921 they moved toArmenia. While most of his workreflected the Armenian landscape, healso designed the coat of arms for theArmenian Soviet Socialist Republic anddesigned the curtain for the firstArmenian state theatre.From 1926-1928, he lived and

worked in Paris, but most of his works

from this period were destroyed in a fireon board the boat on which he returnedto the Soviet Union.In the difficult years of the 1930s, he

mainly devoted himself again to land-scape painting, as well as portraits. Healso was chosen as a deputy to theUSSR’s Supreme Soviet and was thriceawarded the Order of Lenin.Saryan died in Yerevan on May 5,

1972. His former home in Yerevan isnow a museum dedicated to his workwith hundreds of items on display. Hewas buried in Yerevan at the Pantheonnext to Komitas Vardapet.

S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 3 , 2 0 1 0 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

2222nndd AAnnnniivveerrssaarryy ooffSSuummggaaiitt MMaarrkkeedd iinn NNKKRRSSTTEEPPAANNAAKKEERRTT ((AArrmmiinnffoo)) —— EEvveennttss ddeeddiiccaatteedd ttoo tthhee2222nndd aannnniivveerrssaarryy ooff tthhee SSuummggaaiitt mmaassssaaccrree wweerree hheellddiinn tthhee NNaaggoorrnnoo KKaarraabbaagghh RReeppuubblliicc..AAss aa ccoorrrreessppoonnddeenntt iinn SStteeppaannaakkeerrtt rreeppoorrtteedd,, tthhee

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tthhee mmeeeettiinngg SSaarrggiissiiaann ssaaiidd hhee wwaass pplleeaasseedd ttoo wweellccoommeeKKuussttuurriiccaa ttoo tthhee AArrmmeenniiaann llaanndd.. ““TThhee hhiissttoorriiccaall ddeess--ttiinniieess ooff oouurr nnaattiioonnss aarree vveerryy mmuucchh ssiimmiillaarr.. YYoouurrmmuussiicc aanndd aarrtt aarree vveerryy cclloossee ttoo uuss,,”” SSaarrggiissiiaann ssaaiidd.. FFoorrhhiiss ppaarrtt,, KKuussttuurriiccaa ccoonnffeesssseedd hhee aaddmmiirreess tthhee bbeeaauuttyyooff AArrmmeenniiaa.. HHee ssaaiidd hhee iiss hhaappppyy vviissiittiinngg AArrmmeenniiaa,, aassiitt wwiillll ggiivvee hhiimm aann ooppppoorrttuunniittyy nnoott oonnllyy eexxpprreessss hhiissffrriieennddllyy ffeeeelliinnggss bbuutt aallssoo ttoo eennhhaannccee ffrriieennddllyy rreellaattiioonnssbbeettwweeeenn tthhee ttwwoo nnaattiioonnss ooff AArrmmeenniiaa aanndd BBoossnniiaa--HHeerrzzeeggoovviinnaa.. HHee ttoolldd tthhee pprreessiiddeenntt aabboouutt hhiiss ppllaannssaanndd eexxpprreesssseedd hhiiss rreeaaddiinneessss ttoo ttaakkee aallll tthhee eeffffoorrttss nneecc--eessssaarryy ttoo hheellpp ssuuppppoorrtt tthhee GGoollddeenn AApprriiccoottIInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall FFiillmm FFeessttiivvaall..

PPaasshhiinnyyaann ttoo SSppeennddTThhrreeee YYeeaarrss iinn PPrriissoonn

YYEERREEVVAANN ((PPaannAArrmmeenniiaann..NNeett)) —— TThhee AArrmmeenniiaann CCoouurrttooff AAppppeeaall uupphheelldd tthhee vveerrddiicctt ooff tthhee ffiirrsstt ccoouurrtt rruulliinnggttoo HHaayykkaakkaann ZZhhaammaannaakk eeddiittoorr--iinn--cchhiieeff NNiikkoollPPaasshhiinnyyaann bbuutt aapppplliieedd aammnneessttyy aanndd hhaallvveedd hhiiss jjaaiill sseenn--tteennccee..TThhuuss,, PPaasshhiinnyyaann wwiillll ssppeenndd tthhrreeee yyeeaarrss iinn pprriissoonn,,

iinnsstteeaadd ooff sseevveenn.. HHiiss llaawwyyeerr LLuussiinnee SSaahhaakkyyaann llaabbeelleeddtthhee ccoouurrtt rruulliinngg aass ““sshhaammeeffuull aanndd iilllleeggaall..””EEaarrlliieerr iinn tthhee yyeeaarr,, tthhee ffiirrsstt ccoouurrtt rruulliinngg iinn YYeerreevvaann

cciittyy ccoouurrtt ffoouunndd PPaasshhiinnyyaann gguuiillttyy ooff oorrggaanniizzaattiioonn ooffppuubblliicc ddiissoorrddeerr aanndd uunnddeerr AArrttiiccllee 222255..11 ooff tthhee RRAACCrriimmiinnaall CCooddee sseenntteenncceedd hhiimm ttoo sseevveenn yyeeaarrss iinn pprriissoonn..AAtt tthhee ttrriiaall,, jjuuddggee MMnnaattssaakkaann MMaarrttiirroossyyaann aaccqquuiitttteeddPPaasshhiinnyyaann oonn cchhaarrggeess bbrroouugghhtt ffoorrtthh aaggaaiinnsstt hhiimm ffoorrvviioolleennccee aaggaaiinnsstt aa ppuubblliicc ooffffiicciiaall ((AArrttiiccllee 331166..11))..PPaasshhiinnyyaann hhaass bbeeeenn tthhee eeddiittoorr--iinn--cchhiieeff ooff HHaayykkaakkaann

ZZhhaammaannaakk ssiinnccee 11999999.. AAfftteerr tthhee MMaarrcchh 11--22,, 22000088rriioottss,, hhee wwaass cchhaarrggeedd aanndd ccoonnssiiddeerreedd aa ccrriimmiinnaall bbyy tthheeppoolliiccee.. OOnn JJuullyy 11,, 22000099 hhee ggaavvee hhiimmsseellff uupp ttoo aauutthhoorr--iittiieess aanndd wwaass ddeettaaiinneedd.. OOnn JJaannuuaarryy 1100,, hhee rraann ffoorr ppaarr--lliiaammeenntt ttoo rreepprreesseenntt tthhee 1100tthh ddiissttrriicctt ooff YYeerreevvaann bbuuttlloosstt..

News From ArmeniaBy Emil Danielyan

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — PresidentSerge Sargisian asserted Armenia’sEuropean vocation on Wednesday at ameeting with the visiting head of analliance of Europe’s leading conserva-tive parties.Sargisian and Wilfried Martens, a for-

mer Belgian prime minister leading theEuropean People’s Party (EPP), met inYerevan to discuss the country’s grow-ing links with the European Union.“We consider ourselves to be

Europeans,” Sargisian was quoted byhis press office as telling Martens. “Weare seeking to live by the rules of that[European] family, the value systemespoused by it, and in this regard, ourorientation is very obvious.”According to a statement by the pres-

idential office, Martens agreed thatArmenia is “a European country,”pointing to its membership in theCouncil of Europe and inclusion in theEU’s Eastern Partnership program.Sargisian assured him that his adminis-tration regards the scheme as a “win-dow of opportunity” to bring Armeniacloser to Europe and implement “large-scale reforms in various areas” in theprocess.The Armenian leader’s stated com-

mitment to “European values” is boundto be challenged by his domestic politi-cal opponents. They have long accusedhim of rigging elections and illegallyenriching himself. They will also cite

the deadly suppression of oppositionprotests and mass arrests of oppositionmembers that followed Sargisian’s hotlydisputed victory in the February 2008presidential election.Unlike the Council of Europe, the EU

has avoided explicitly criticizing thecrackdown on the Armenian opposi-tion, however. EU diplomats said in2008 that it has had little impact onYerevan’s relationship with the 27-nation bloc.The EPP currently comprises over 50

center-right parties from virtually allEU member states. Their leaders serveas heads of state or government in morethan a dozen of those countries, includ-

ing France, Germany and Italy.The EPP also boasts the largest fac-

tion in the European Parliament. Inaddition, it has two dozen associate orobserver members from other coun-tries, including Turkey, seeking to jointhe EU.In Martens’s words, Sargisian’s

Republican Party of Armenia (HHK)and the two other parties representedin the Armenian government haveapplied for membership in the EPP.Sargisian’s office quoted him as sayingthat an EPP mission will soon visitYerevan to “examine their membershipbids and launch an accession proce-dure.”

President Serge Sargisian, left, met with Wilfried Martens, leader of the EuropeanPeople’s Party.

Armenia Belongs in Europe, Says Sargisian

Armina DarbinyanAppointed ArmenianAssembly Regional

DirectorYEREVAN (ArmInfo) — Armina

Darbinyan has been appointedthe new regional director of theArmenian Assembly of Americaoffice in Armenia and Karabagh.She replaces Arpi Vardanian.Darbinyan was a former advisorto the director of Hayastan AllArmenian Fund. She started hernew position on March 1.

Yerevan Celebrates 130th Birthday of Painter Martiros Saryan

By Irina Hovannisian

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Two men willgo on trial soon for their alleged role inan attack on young opposition activiststhat campaigned for the opposition can-didate in a recent parliamentary bi-elec-tion held in Yerevan.More than a dozen young members of

the opposition Armenian NationalCongress (HAK) were beaten up by alarger group of men on December 27 asthey urged residents of a central Yerevanconstituency to vote for Nikol Pashinian,a jailed opposition leader, in the January10 ballot. Five of them suffered seriousinjuries and required hospitalization.The HAK blamed the attack on

Pashinian’s main government rival, AraSimonian, and the local chapter of theruling Republican Party of Armenia(HHK). Both Simonian and the HHKdenied any involvement.The Armenian police said on Thursday

that they have charged two local resi-

dents, Vahan Nadaghian and DavidSimonian, with provoking the incidentand will send the criminal case to courtin the coming days. A police spokesmantold RFE/RL that the two governmentloyalists have been charged underCriminal Code articles that carry finesand up to two months’ imprisonment.HAK representatives shrugged off the

indictments, saying that Nadaghian andSimonian should have been facing moreserious accusations and that the policehave failed to identify other attackers.According to Armen Khachatrian, the

HAK’s top legal counsel, the lawyers ofthe injured opposition youths will there-fore demand that the police launch a newand “full-fledged” investigation into theincident. Khachatrian also claimed thatthe indicted men coordinated the allegedvote rigging and intimidation of opposi-tion proxies in two polling stations on theelection day.Official vote results gave victory to the

pro-government candidate. Pashinian andthe HAK refused to concede defeat, alleg-ing widespread fraud.

Two Indicted over Assault on Oppositionists

S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 3 , 2 0 1 0 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

CCaattaalloonniiaa RReeccooggnniizzeessAArrmmeenniiaann GGeennoocciiddee

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AArrmmeenniiaann GGeennoocciiddee wwaass tthhee sseeccoonndd ggeennoocciiddee ooff tthheemmooddeerrnn ttiimmeess aafftteerr tthhee aannnniihhiillaattiioonn ooff tthhee HHeerreerrooppeeooppllee iinn NNaammiibbiiaa..IItt aallssoo ssaayyss tthhaatt ffrroomm 11991155 ttoo 11992211,, tthhee AArrmmeenniiaann

nnaattiioonn ssuuffffeerreedd ffrroomm mmaassssaaccrreess aanndd ddeeppoorrttaattiioonn ffrroommtthhee tteerrrriittoorryy ooff pprreesseenntt--ddaayy TTuurrkkeeyy,, eessppeecciiaallllyy uunnddeerrtthhee rruullee ooff tthhee YYoouunngg TTuurrkkss,, wwhhoo,, tthhoouugghh ffiirrsstt ppllaann--nniinngg ttoo ddeemmooccrraattiizzee tthhee OOttttoommaann EEmmppiirree,, ccoonnttiinnuueeddaarrrreessttss,, ddeeppoorrttaattiioonn aanndd aannnniihhiillaattiioonn pprraaccttiicceess wwiitthhrreessppeecctt ttoo AArrmmeenniiaannss.. AAllmmoosstt 880000,,000000 AArrmmeenniiaannssrreeaacchheedd tthhee SSyyrriiaann ddeeppoorrttaattiioonn cceenntteerrss,, 330000,,000000 iinnEEaasstteerrnn AArrmmeenniiaa,, wwhhiillee 11,,550000,,000000 AArrmmeenniiaannss wweerreekkiilllleedd.. TThhuuss,, tthhee bbiillll ssuuggggeesstteedd,, tthhee ppaarrlliiaammeenntt ooffCCaattaalloonniiaa rreeccooggnniizzeess tthhaatt tthhee aaccttiioonnss ccoommmmiitttteeddaaggaaiinnsstt tthhee AArrmmeenniiaann ppeeooppllee iinn 11991155--11992211 wwaass aaggeennoocciiddee..TThhee CCaattaallaann mmeemmbbeerrss ooff ppaarrlliiaammeenntt ccaalllleedd ffoorr hheellpp--

iinngg tthhee AArrmmeenniiaannss iinn tthheeiirr eeffffoorrttss ttoo ddeemmooccrraattiizzeetthheeiirr ccoouunnttrryy aanndd ffoorr ssuuppppoorrttiinngg tthhee sstteeppss ooff AArrmmeenniiaaaanndd TTuurrkkeeyy aanndd tthhee ddiipplloommaattiicc eennddeeaavvoorrss ooff tthhee WWeessttttoo nnoorrmmaalliizzee AArrmmeenniiaann--TTuurrkkiisshh rreellaattiioonnss..

AArrmmeenniiaann OOllyymmppiiccAAtthhlleetteess FFeetteedd iinn

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HHaayyaassttaann AAllll--AArrmmeenniiaannFFuunndd’’ss TTeerrzziiaann aanndd

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ooff tthhee ffuunndd’’ss BBooaarrdd ooff TTrruusstteeeess ssiinnccee iittss ffoouunnddiinngg..

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wwaass cclloosseedd iinn 22000066 aafftteerr tthhee aarrrreesstt ooff RRuussssiiaann ooffffiicceerrssiinn TTbbiilliissii oonn cchhaarrggeess ooff eessppiioonnaaggee..

International News

KIGALI, Rwanda (BBC) — FrenchPresident Nicolas Sarkozy has acknowl-edged that France and the internation-al community made “mistakes,” duringthe 1994 Rwandan genocide.But he stopped short of offering a full

apology, saying he hoped those respon-sible would be punished. He made hiscomments during the first French pres-idential visit to Rwanda since the masskillings recently. The visit was intendedto symbolize a commitment by bothcountries to move on after years of acri-mony.Rwanda accuses France of training

and arming the Hutu extremists whokilled some 800,000 ethnic Tutsis andmoderate Hutus — a charge denied byParis.Sarkozy visited a memorial for the vic-

tims of the genocide. Later at a press con-ference with his Rwandan counterpartPaul Kagame, Sarkozy spoke of hisregrets about the sequence of eventsthat culminated in the genocide.“What happened here is unaccept-

able, but what happened here compelsthe international community, includingFrance, to reflect on the mistakes thatstopped it from preventing and haltingthis abominable crime,” he said. Asked by a French journalist if France

would offer an apology, as other Westernnations have, he said France did acknowl-edge “serious errors of judgment” butstopped short of saying sorry. He described: “a sort of blindness”

preventing the country seeing “thegenocidal aspect of the government ofthe president who was assassinated.”He acknowledged too there had also

been mistakes in France’s eventual UN-mandated intervention in the country,known as Operation Turquoise, whichhe said was “too late and, probably, toolittle.”The two countries broke off diplo-

matic relations in 2006 over accusa-tions by a French judge that Kagamewas involved in the shooting down ofthe plane carrying former RwandanPresident Juvenal Habyarimana — the

incident that triggered the genocide.Kagame led the Tutsi rebels who

took power and ended the genocide.He says the plane was shot down by

Hutu extremists in order to justify thekillings. Ties between France andRwanda were restored last November,although BBC East Africa correspon-dent Will Ross says that beneath thesurface, the rift is likely to continue.He says it is difficult to patch up such

a deep breakdown in relations, whichprompted all French institutions inRwanda to be shut down, includingschools and cultural organizations.Some of these are now being

reopened, but Rwanda’s official lan-guage has even been switched fromFrench to English.Late last year Rwanda joined the

Commonwealth — a group almost exclu-sively made up of former Britishcolonies. Sarkozy was in the Rwandan capital

for a few hours during a tour of French-speaking African countries.

France Admits Genocide ‘Mistakes’

By Anush Melkonian

LONDON — David Miller, formerBritish ambassador to Armenia, wasone of the speakers at the LondonSchool of Economics screening onMarch 5 of “The Blue Book,” a Britishdocumentary about the ongoingTurkish denial of the ArmenianGenocide. The film and discussion drewan audience of over 100 students andstaff.Miller was clearly disturbed by the

documentary by Gagik Karageuzianand the levels at which denial still runsdeep in modern day Turkey. Heengaged the Blue Book issue (a 1916British parliamentary publicationwhich the Turkish government falselycalls a forgery) and summarizedTurkish tactics on Armenian-relatedissues, including the Turkish stance onthe recently signed Protocols betweenYerevan and Ankara, as bullying.Miller went on to state that he did not

think the British Foreign Office wouldrecognize the Armenian Genocide onits own initiative. This was not due to alack of evidence because, as he sug-gested, the Foreign Office knew verywell about the Armenian Genocide fromits own archives. He saw the British

non-recognition as part of the sad factthat Great Britain had a record ofappeasing dictatorships and powerfulstates in its national interests.Miller then gave an example of

what he meant. In 1940 more than20,000 Polish prisoners of war andcivilians were murdered in cold bloodat Katyn forest by Soviet troops onthe orders of Joseph Stalin. TheSoviets hid these killings, and thenblamed the Germans who discoveredthe corpses in 1943. The British (andAmericans), who knew the truthabout the Katyn massacre as early as

1940, remained silent about it. It was not until 1990, when the

Russian government itself recognizedthese mass executions by Soviet troopsthat the British Foreign Office alsospoke up. So, when did the speaker think the

Foreign Office might recognize theArmenian Genocide? Only “whenTurkey recognizes it” was the bluntresponse.The screening of “The Blue Book” at

the London School of Economics wasorganized by the LSE SU SocietyArmenian Society.

Polish victims of the Katyn Massacre, 1940

British Foreign Policy, the Katyn Massacre(1940) and the Armenian Genocide (1915)

CORRUPTION, from page 1Department records, is Heydar Aliyev,which just happens to be the samename as that of the son of Azerbaijan’spresident, Ilham Aliyev. The owner’sdate of birth, listed in property records,is also the same as that of the presi-dent’s son.Officials in Baku declined to com-

ment on how the president’s son — or atleast an Azerbaijani schoolboy with thesame birth date and the same name asthe son’s — came to own mansions onPalm Jumeirah, a luxury real estatedevelopment popular with multimillion-aire British soccer stars and others withcash to burn. Ilham Aliyev’s annualsalary as president is the equivalent of$228,000.Azer Gasimov, the president’s

spokesman, declined to discuss theDubai real estate purchases. Azerbaijan has long had a reputation

for corruption. But the Dubai purchas-es, which have not been reportedbefore, could provide a rare concreteexample of just how much money thecountry’s governing elite has amassedand of the ways in which at least part ofthis wealth has been stashed overseas.The transactions sharpen a dilemma

that has shadowed Washington’s rela-tions with Azerbaijan: how to reconcileUS security and energy interests withwhat the State Department describedas the “pervasive corruption” of itsincreasingly authoritarian regime.Azerbaijan has sent troops to

Afghanistan and Iraq but at home hasretreated steadily from democratic prac-tices, according to diplomats andexperts on the region. TransparencyInternational, in a 2009 survey of glob-al corruption, ranked Azerbaijan amongthe worst at 143 out of 180 nations.In addition to recording nine proper-

ties owned by Heydar Aliyev, Dubai’sLand Department also has files in thenames of Leyla and Arzu Aliyeva.President Aliyev has two daughterswith the same names and ages. In all, Azerbaijanis with the same

names as the president’s three childrenown real estate in Dubai worth about$75 million, property data indicate. The rush to move assets overseas,

often with scant regard for returns, is acommon feature of many oil-producingnations, where corrupt elites seek toensure that their wealth is safe just incase political winds at home change.When Dick B. Cheney visited Baku asvice president in 2008, he not only heldtalks with Aliyev on energy but also metwith executives of BP and the US oilcompany Chevron, both of which haveoperations in Azerbaijan, as do Exxonand other foreign oil companies.Azerbaijan and the United States,

Pricey Real Estate Deals Raise Questions Regarding Azeri Corruption

Cheney said, “have many interests in common.”

S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 3 , 2 0 1 0 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R4

INTERNATIONAL

TORONTO — On January 17, the AGBUYoung Professionals (YP) of Toronto hosted abusiness etiquette seminar as they kicked offthe new year. The Business EtiquetteWorkshop was led by Natalie Jikerjian, aCambridge University-certified business eti-quette expert. More than 60 young profes-sionals attended the event, which consisted ofa cocktail reception followed by a 90-minuteseminar. The lecture covered business eti-quette and protocol in various areas of thecorporate and professional world. Attendeestook advantage of the cocktail reception as anopportunity to do some professional net-working, as they represented youngArmenian professionals across a variety offields. Jikerjian, a warm and engaging speaker,

started the presentation by letting her audi-ence know that she had been observing theattendees during the reception as they werenaturally demonstrating their networkingskills. Jikerjian signaled out some of the indi-viduals who had unknowingly exhibited

strong business etiquette and acumen. Sheprovided tips on how to make proper businessintroductions, went over guidelines on elec-tronic etiquette and gave lessons on formalbusiness dining. Jikerjian also profiled cross-cultural customs for international businesstravel and meetings. From learning how tomake a good first impression to dressing forsuccess, attendees were guided through aninteractive presentation.The hands-on workshop also covered

national and international gift-giving proto-col, knowing who to introduce first in meet-ings, ways to conduct proper business cardexchange, and tips on entertaining clients.The host made the evening less about a rigidlecture and more about getting the youngprofessionals involved and proactive, addingsome anecdotal humor along the way. Despitea slightly casual and light-hearted approach,Jikerjian stressed the importance of her work-shop. “Etiquette is about presenting yourselfwith the right kind of polished professional-ism that can be taken seriously. It’s important

knowing how to open the door, so that youcan close the deal,” she said.Jikerjian’s knowledge and comfort within

the corporate environment showed her ownhoned manners and level of professionalism.Her skills were also indicative of the largerphenomena at hand these days. A generationago, young professionals were mainly focusedon entry into the corporate world. Today,amidst an ever-growing competitive corporateand educational world, and with the bar of

expectations continuously being raised,young professionals are increasingly moreconcerned about standing out, longevity anda respectable path to success within theirindividual industries. Keenly aware of the cur-rent conditions surrounding them and thefuture ahead, they are constantly trying toupgrade and enhance their skills and to con-tinuously be as marketable as possible.The event was sponsored in part by TD

Bank Financial Group.

More than 60 Canadian-Armenian young professionals attended the seminar on corporate pro-tocol and business etiquette on January 17, at the AGBU Manoogian Center in Toronto.

AGBU YP Toronto Hosts Business Etiquette Event

Natalie Jikerjian and a volunteer, Mihran Egavian, review tips on proper dining etiquette duringthe Business Etiquette event organized by AGBU YP Toronto on January 17.

Czech Culture Minister RefusesTo Participate in Azeri EventLIDICE, Czech Republic (PanArmenian.Net) — Armenia’s Ambassador to the Czech

Republic Ashot Hovakimian visited the Czech village of Lidice, where the AzerbaijaniEmbassy jointly with the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Azer-Czech union are plan-ning “to commemorate the Khojali events.”Accompanied by the Czech Armenians’ spiritual leader, Archimandrite Barsegh

Pilavchian, Armenia Club chairman Tigran Abrahamyan and Orer magazine editor-in-chiefHakob Asatryan, Hovakimian met with the head of Lidice’s village administration and thedirector of the Lidice Memorial.The Armenian Ambassador explained the events that led to the occurrence of what hap-

pened in Khojali and produced photographs to the international community present.The head of the Lidice village administration Joseph Klima was informed that the Czech

Minster of Culture refused to attend the Azeri event and assured the Azerbaijani organiz-ers, who tried to attract the villagers’ attention to the event by promising an abundant din-ner, that making anti-Armenian statements would not be tolerated.The Nazis destroyed the village of Lidice, Czechoslovakia on June 10, 1942, killing every

adult male and 52 women. All the surviving women and children were then deported toconcentration camps, or if found suitable to be “Germanized,” sent to the greater Reich.In 1945 the re-establishment of the village began soon after the liberation ofCzechoslovakia in May 1945. The village was later declared a national cultural memorial. By the beginning of the

1950s, more than 100 houses were built not far from the original site of the village’s mas-sacre. Its Rose Garden became symbolic of the continuity of life and was created with adonation of 29,000 rose bushes from 32 countries.

GENEVA (PanArmenian.Net) — On the 22ndanniversary of the pogroms of Armenians inSumgait, the Switzerland-Armenia Associationissued a statement reminding the public aboutthe ongoing anti-Armenian policies of Baku andthe Azerbaijani government, which resulted in1988 in the mass murder and deportation ofthe Armenian population in Azerbaijan.The association characterized Azerbaijan’s

aggression against Artsakh and its destructionon Armenian cultural heritage in the city ofJulfa as the propagation of hatred towardsArmenia and the Armenian people.The pogroms of Armenians in Sumgait (a

town located a half hour’s drive away fromBaku) took place on February 27-29, 1988. Awave of anti-Armenian statements and ralliesthat swept over Azerbaijan proceeded the mas-sacres’ events. Almost the entire area of thetown with a population of 250,000 became asite of unhindered mass pogroms. Armed with iron rods, stones, axes, knives,

bottles and canisters full of petrol, the perpe-trators broke in Armenian houses. There weredozens of casualties, mostly burnt alive afterassaults and torture. Hundreds of innocent peo-ple were wounded and disabled. The story ofSumgait marked the first entry in a long list ofcrimes against humanity and ethnic cleansingsthat characterized the demise of the SovietUnion at the end of the 20th century.The conflict between Nagorno Karabagh and

Azerbaijan broke out in 1988 as result of theethnic cleansing. The Karabagh War was fought from 1991 to

1994. Since the ceasefire in 1994, sealed byArmenia, Nagorno Karabagh and Azerbaijan,most of Nagorno Karabagh and several regionsof Azerbaijan around it (known as the SecurityZone) remain under the control of the NKR(Nagorno Karabagh Republic) defense army.Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talksmediated by the OSCE Minsk Group that areongoing.

Switzerland-Armenia Association Calls InternationalAttention to Baku’s Anti-Armenian Policy

YEREVAN (A1+) — Relatives of people diag-nosed with aplastic anemia have to find donorsthemselves. They either give blood or buy itfrom Armenia’s Health Ministry’s BloodTransfusion Center, named after Professor R.Yolyan. To date, none of the relatives donatingblood to patients has been compensated.A bag of blood costs 10,000 drams in

Armenia. In cases of emergency a patientreceives blood from the center’s reserves com-piled from volunteer donors.The state budget annually allots 135 million

drams for in-patient treatment of patients withblood illnesses. According to Daghbashyan themoney is spent on medicine.To secure blood stocks, 20 of every 1,000

individuals should voluntarily donate bloodwhile today only one or two individuals do it.Surely, there are people who demand nothingfor their donations but they form 5 percent ofoverall donors. Almost 40 percent of donorsdemand compensation.The number of individuals with blood illnesses

totals 2,200 in Armenia, 480 of them are children.

Few Donate Blood in Armenia

Our Website Is Up And Running

Check us out at www.mirrorspectator.com

RESOLUTION, from page 1Jackie Speier (D-CA), and Ed Royce for the piv-otal role they played throughout this process,”he added Ardouny. “The pan-Armenian commu-nity letter sent a message to Congress thatArmenian-Americans speak with one voicewhen they call on their legislators to affirm thehistoric US record on the Armenian Genocideand to honor the memory of the Americandiplomats and humanitarians that came to therescue of the survivors.”He was not the only one delighted with the

turn of events.“I obviously am very pleased that it passed. I

think Berman was very clear that Turkey hasno say in how the US Congress votes. The deci-sion is up to the House leadership whether toschedule it to vote but I’m sure if it is put to thefloor that the majority will do the right thingwhen they vote,” said Aram Hamparian of theArmenian National Committee of America.

Angered Turkey

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said onSaturday that relations with the US would beseriously affected and recalled its envoy to theUnited States for consultations.“The decision of the Foreign Affairs

Committee will not hurt Turkey, but it willgreatly harm bilateral relations, interests andvision. Turkey will not be the one who loses,”said Erdogan, speaking at a summit of Turkishbusinessmen.The Obama administration made a last-

minute appeal against the resolution and hasvowed to stop the vote, which was broadcastlive on Turkish television, from going further inCongress. A Democratic leadership aide toldReuters Friday there were no plans “at thispoint” to schedule a vote of the full House onthe measure, and a State Department officialsaid this was the administration’s understand-ing as well.Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, facing

questions about the issue while traveling inLatin America, declared Congress should dropthe matter now. “The Obama administrationstrongly opposes the resolution that was passedby only one vote in the House committee andwill work very hard to make sure it does not goto the House floor,” she said in Guatemala City.Turkey has said the resolution could jeopar-

dize a fragile drive by Turkey and Armenia toend a century of hostilities and lead to furtherinstability in the south Caucasus, a region criss-crossed by oil and gas pipelines to Europe.Turkey’s ambassador to the United States toldjournalists upon his return on Saturday it wasunclear when he would head back toWashington following his talks with the presi-dent, prime minister and foreign minister.“I will return when the time is right ... We will

have to wait and see,” Namik Tan said. ForeignMinister Ahmet Davutoglu was quoted in amedia report as saying that the consultationscould last “a long time.”Turkey said on Tuesday it will not send its

ambassador back to Washington until it gets a“clear sign” on the fate of a US resolutionbranding the 1915-era killings of Armenians byTurkish forces as “genocide.”

Berman Delivers on Promise

Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman HowardBerman was moving in his speech to his col-leagues before the measure passed.He said, “Turkey is a vital and, in most

respects, a loyal ally of the United States in avolatile region. We have also been a loyal ally toTurkey, and should continue to be so. Be thatas it may, nothing justifies Turkey’s turning ablind eye to the reality of the ArmenianGenocide. It is regrettable, for example, thatTurkey’s Nobel-Prize-winning novelist, OrhanPamuk, was essentially hounded out of hisnative country for speaking out on this subject.Now I don’t pretend to be a professional histo-rian. I haven’t scoured the archives in Istanbullooking for original documents.“But the vast majority of experts — the vast

majority — academics, authorities in interna-tional law, and others who have looked at thisissue for years, agree that the tragic massacresof the Armenians constitute genocide.”He introduced to the record a letter from the

International Association of Genocide Scholars

which stated that “The historical record on theArmenian Genocide is unambiguous and docu-mented by overwhelming evidence.”He also quoted Prof. Yehuda Bauer of the

Hebrew University of Jerusalem and RaphaelLemkin, both of whom had written at lengthabout the Armenian Genocide.“Nearly two dozen other countries — includ-

ing France, Canada, Russia, Switzerland andChile — have formally recognized the ArmenianGenocide. So has the European Parliament. Asthe world leader in promoting human rights,the United States has a moral responsibility tojoin them,” Berman continued.“At some point, every nation must come to

terms with its own history. And that is all weask of Turkey. Germany has accepted responsi-bility for the Holocaust. South Africa set up aTruth Commission to look at Apartheid. Andhere at home, we continue to grapple with thelegacies of slavery and our horrendous treat-ment of Native Americans. It is now time forTurkey to accept the reality of the ArmenianGenocide,” he said. “I urge my colleagues tosupport this important resolution.”

Armenia Hails Vote

Armenia on Friday hailed a vote by US law-makers to brand the killing of Armenians byOttoman forces during World War I as “geno-cide,” calling it an important step forward forhuman rights.“We highly appreciate the decision,” Foreign

Minister Eduard Nalbandian said in a state-ment. “This is another proof of the devotion ofthe American people to universal human valuesand is an important step toward the preventionof crimes against humanity.”Officials in Yerevan also said Ankara should

not use the vote as a pretext for delaying fledg-ling reconciliation efforts.Armenia insists that a deal signed in October

for the two countries to establish diplomaticties and re-open their border after decades ofhostility should not be linked with the genocideissue.“It is groundless to say that the acceptance of

the resolution... should become an obstacle to

normalizing relations between Armenia andTurkey,” the head of a parliamentary committeestudying the protocols, Armen Rustamian said.“The United States supports the normaliza-

tion of relations between Armenia and Turkeywithout preconditions and the best way for theUnited States to show that these processes arenot related is to recognize the ArmenianGenocide.”

Surprising Defection from Delahunt

The Foreign Affairs Committee’s Rep. WilliamDelahunt (D-Mass.), a veteran member fromMassachusetts, whose delegation traditionallysupports as a whole measures to recognize theArmenian Genocide, chose to not support thebill this time around.Delahunt, who is not going to seek reelection,

said, “The adoption of the Armenian Genocideresolution 252 may hamper Armenian-Turkishnormalization. For this reason, I oppose theadoption of the resolution.”

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) praised the HouseForeign Affairs Committee’s passage of a reso-lution he authored recognizing and commemo-rating the Armenian Genocide. “The facts of history are clear, well docu-

mented, and non-negotiable. One and a half mil-lion Armenians were deliberately murdered inthe first genocide of the 20th century. If we areto avoid this horrific crime in the future, wemust be willing to condemn genocide wheneverand wherever it occurs,” said Schiff. “Today’sCommittee passage clears a major hurdle inmoving this resolution forward. I will be work-ing with my colleagues to ensure floor actionfor this important bill.”The Armenian Genocide has been recognized

by more than 20 nations including Canada,Italy, Sweden, France, Argentina and Russia, aswell as the European Parliament.

(Agence France Presse, PanArmenian.netand Reuters contributed to this report.)

APPEAL, from page 1points of view on how they happened.“[Students] were deprived of two sides of a

controversy ...whereas in all other areas theguide contained multiple points of views,”Silverglate said. “They didn’t even know about[other views] until they heard it from theirteachers.”The suit, filed in October 2005, includes the

ATAA alongside two high school teachers and astudent as plaintiffs. The curriculum guide in question was issued

in 1999, following legislation from state Sen.Steven Tolman, and does not forbid teachersfrom discussing other points of view. A list of“contra-genocide” sources, however, wasremoved after Tolman learned it had beeninserted.The three judges on the panel, which includ-

ed retired US Supreme Court Justice DavidSouter, asked both sides to clarify what rolethey believe the courts should play in debatesover what gets taught in schools. “I thought the teachers don’t have to use

this guide,’’ Souter said during Silverglate’sargument. “So how are the students injured?’’ Silverglate maintained the initial ruling was

an assertion that courts had the right toremove material from libraries, using a 1982book banning case as precedent. Judge MichaelBoudin appeared to not agree with the asser-tion.“When we start policing what goes into the

curriculum,” Boudin told Silverglate, “it’s likeus saying what could go into the library, notwhat gets taken out.”Arguing for the Massachusetts Board of

Education, Assistant Attorney General WilliamW. Porter also refuted Silverglate’s claim thatthe department’s position resembled book ban-ning.“The classrooms are entirely free and open,”

Porter said. “What we have here is the plaintiffsnot persuading the Board of Education toinclude their preferred material.”The Armenian Assembly of America, in its

second amicus brief filed regarding the case,reiterated the argument that the state is enti-tled to promote viewpoints in the classroomdespite the plaintiffs’ claim that FirstAmendment rights are being violated.

“But by this argument any parent whoobjects to the views taught in any course has aninjury sufficient for standing,” the brief states.“Parents who deny the Holocaust would havestanding to object to the teaching of theHolocaust; parents who support the war inAfghanistan could sue teachers who expresscriticism of it.

“No court in the country ever has recog-nized a First Amendment injury from havingcurriculum or a curriculum guide advance aparticular viewpoint (other than based on theEstablishment Clause). Yet that is the onlyinjury asserted by plaintiffs.”Armenian Assembly of America Board of

Trustees President Carolyn Mugar, who attend-ed the hearing, applauded Assistant GeneralAttorney Porter for speaking forcefully indefense of the department of education’s rightsand duties for teaching history accurately andresponsibly. “What could be more importantthan teaching about human rights and thevalue of tolerance?” asked Mugar. “The historicexamples of genocide stand as warnings to allfuture generations about the critical need toconfront the hatreds that threaten to undoefforts at peaceful co-existence. I am particu-larly proud of the record of the state ofMassachusetts for setting and defending stan-dards for the teaching for human rights in pub-lic schools.”Also attending the hearings were Arnold R.

Rosenfeld of K&L Gates LLP, AnthonyBarsamian and Van Z. Krikorian of theArmenian Assembly; Mark Mamigonian of theNational Association for Armenian Studies andResearch and Sonya Nersessian and MarkFleming of the Armenian Bar Association.Rosenfeld, who along with Duke University

School of Law Prof. Erwin Chemerinsky, andKrikorian filed amicus briefs on behalf ofArmenian Genocide survivors, descendants ofsurvivors and the Armenian Assembly, statedafter the oral argument that he “heard no legalor factual arguments presented by the plaintiffsthat would justify the Appeals Court overrulingChief Judge Wolf’s well written opinion that thecase should be dismissed.”A ruling on whether the appeal can go for-

ward is expected in the coming months.

Attorney Harvey Silverglate

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NATIONAL NEWS

Mass. Appeals Court Hears Genocide Case Arguments

Genocide Bill Target of White House, State Department Ire

President Barack Obama

6 S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 3 , 2 0 1 0 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

Land and CultureLaunches 2010Campaign

BRUSSELS, Belgium — On February 6 and 7, the Union International deOrganizations Terre et Culture (UIOTC)/ Land and Culture Organization (LCO)chapters from France, the US, Armenia, United Kingdom and Belgium met for theirannual meeting, at the offices of the European-Armenian Federation. Among themany organizational agenda items, the committee discussed the completion of its2009 projects and plans for the 2010 campaign. Also during the weekend, 200 peo-ple attended a cultural event hosted by the LCO-Belgium chapter in the Haydoon inBrussels, where a presentation of LCO projects throughout the years was made.This summer, LCO volunteers will be restoring the church in the village of

Yeghvart, in the Syunik region, on the Azeri-Armenian border. The project begansee LCO, page 9

LCO volunteers renovating Yeghvart Church

AGMA AnnouncesOpening of ANIResearch LibraryWASHINGTON — The Armenian

Genocide Museum of America (AGMA)announced in advance of the museumopening that the Armenian NationalInstitute (ANI) Research Library will beopened in time for the 95th anniversaryof the Armenian Genocide on April 24.ANI has been part of the AGMA organi-zation since 2003.The support extended to AGMA and

ANI by donors has prompted plans tocreate a research facility that may also beaccessible to researchers studying theArmenian Genocide. The special collec-tions of books on the topic of genocidein general and the Armenian Genocide inparticular that have been gifted to ANIalready constitute a critical componentof the future museum. As a step towardencouraging further research on theArmenian Genocide, AGMA has decidedthat the ANI Research Library should bemade available for public use by qualifiedspecialists.“The thousands of publications that

form the core of the scholarly and docu-mentary record on the ArmenianGenocide are a critical resource that ANIhas been collecting over the years,” saidVan Z. Krikorian, museum trustee andchairman of the museum’s building andoperations committee. “The AGMA plan-ning process has depended on the ser-vices provided by ANI to develop theexhibit concepts and contents. While welook ahead to the time when the entiremuseum facility is open to the public, wewanted to take this initial step in encour-aging more learning and academicresearch on the Armenian Genocide asthat constitutes one of the core missionsof AGMA.”“With ANI already located at the AGMA

site, we will be expanding the Institute’sresearch facility and incorporate theresources that have been gathered andthat continue to arrive,” added Krikorian.“ANI has collected documentation on theArmenian Genocide from around theworld. As these records are processed andorganized, we expect that more and moreof the collected resources will be availablefor study and research.”“With its rapidly growing library of

8,000 volumes, the base for creating acomprehensive collection centered on theArmenian Genocide has been created.With more donors prepared to share theirspecialized collections, and planning for acapacity of 100,000 volumes, the time hadarrived to organize the ANI ResearchLibrary for use by scholars andresearchers seeking access to resources onthe Armenian experience,” Krikorian said.The ANI Research Library will utilize

three floors of the facilities adjacent tothe historic bank building that will beconverted into the museum. “The AGMAbuilding and operations committee,whose members include EdeleHovnanian, Denise Darmanian, RichardPapalian and Zaven Tachdjian, haveworked tirelessly to begin converting themuseum properties into useable spaces,”added Krikorian.ANI was established in 1997 by a spe-

cial grant to the Armenian Assembly ofAmerica. The institute is dedicated to thestudy, research and affirmation of theArmenian Genocide. As part of its pub-lic service, ANI maintains the most exten-sive website on the Armenian Genocideavailable on the Internet at the followingaddress: www.armenian-genocide.org.

Distinguished CommunityLeader Harut SassounianTo Speak at Times SquareCommemorationNEW YORK — Harut Sassounian, publisher

of the California Courier newspaper, willspeak at the 95th commemoration of theArmenian Genocide which will take place onSunday, April 25, from 2 to 4 p.m., at TimesSquare.A seasoned writer whose weekly commen-

taries appear widely in both Armenian andnon-Armenian media, Sassounian also wrotethe book The Armenian Genocide: TheWorld Speaks Out, Documents andDeclarations, 1915-2005, which has beenpublished in English and Arabic.As president of the United Armenian Fund,

the coalition of seven major Armenian-American organizations, Sassounianhas managed the acquisition and delivery of$600 million of humanitarian aid to Armeniaand Artsakh (Nagorno Karabagh) in the past20 years. As senior vice president of theLincy Foundation, Kirk Kerkorian’s charita-ble organization, he has overseen $240 mil-lion of infrastructure projects in Armenia andArtsakh. Sassounian has also served as ahuman rights delegate at the United Nationsfor 10 years and played a leading role in therecognition of the Armenian Genocide by aUN human rights committee in 1985.In the private sector, Sassounian has exten-

sive background as an international market-

ing executive for Procter & Gamble inGeneva, Switzerland.He has earned a master’s degree from

Columbia’s School of International andPublic Affairs and an MBA from PepperdineUniversity. For his humanitarian work,Sassounian has been decorated by the presi-dent and prime minister of the Republic ofArmenia, the heads of the ArmenianApostolic and Catholic churches and is arecipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.The 95th commemoration of the Armenian

Genocide in Times Square will pay tribute tothe 1.5 million Armenians who were annihi-lated by the Young Turk Government of theOttoman Empire (1915-1923). Major politicalfigures will speak as well as civic, humanitar-ian and educational leaders.This event is sponsored by the Knights &

Daughters of Vartan, a national fraternalorganization, and co-sponsored by theArmenian General Benevolent Union,Armenian Assembly of America, ArmenianNational Committee of America, ArmenianDemocratic Liberal Party and the ArmenianCouncil of America. Participating organiza-tions include the Diocese of the ArmenianChurch, Prelacy of the Armenian ApostolicChurch, Armenian Missionary Association ofAmerica, Armenian Evangelical Union,Armenian Catholic Eparchy and severalnational Armenian youth organizations.

Harut Sassounian

Local Shatvan students celebrating with LCO volunteers renovation of their school-house

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COMMUNITY NEWS

WATERTOWN, Mass. — In September 1936,Marion Boyajian of Melrose, Mass. marriedAlbert Sarkis Talanian of Boston. Thus beganthe story of the Talanian Family Tree.Through her mother-in-law, Hripsime

(Tashjian) Talanian, Marion took the oral histo-ry of the Talanian Family. There being no com-puters in those days, she wrote it all down byhand on meat wrapping paper from her hus-band’s grocery store.Years passed and the tree was updated spo-

radically. All the while, Talanian cousins keptasking about a family get together. In 1993, acommittee was formed to plan a reunion.The job of getting family updates of births,

marriages and deaths had to be tackled. Inpreparation for the reunion, the committeeresearched all US phone books, sought EllisIsland records and mailed out questionnairesasking for updated information. Judy TalanianShagoury and her husband, Chuck Shagoury(Marion’s daughter and son-in-law), took on thetask of transferring old and new information toa computer program.The first reunion was held in October 1993

and nearly 150 Talanians and their descendantsfrom Massachusetts, New Hampshire, RhodeIsland, Texas, California, Hawaii and Illinoiscame.

Years passed and still the cousins wantedanother reunion. This one would be difficult

since so many family members who attendedthe first reunion would not be there.

The same committee, consisting of KarenMartin, Gail Talanian O’Reilly, Judy TalanianShagoury, Barbara Talanian, Isabel Talanian,Joyce Talanian, Linda Talanian and NevartTalanian, rose to the occasion again.Another questionnaire was mailed asking for

new information and the family tree was updat-ed once more and now represents nearly 600descendants.The second reunion was held in October

2009 in the Charles and Nevart Talanian Hall ofHoly Trinity Armenian Church and nearly 100family members were present.In February 2010, the committee presented the

ArmenianLibrary andMuseumofAmerica (ALMA)in Watertown, with the material relating to theTalanian Family. This included the original hand-written family tree on meat wrapping paper, thecomputer-generated family trees updates from bothreunions, the program, a family crest and a photo ofthe Talanian men, circa 1900.The crest was designed by the reunion com-

mittee and donated by Made in Armenia Direct.

Front row, from left, Susan Lind-Sinanian, ALMA’s Textile Curator; Isabel Talanian, Gary Lind-Sinanian, Curator, Judy Talanian Shagoury and Chuck Shagoury; back row, from leftJoyce Talanian,Karen Martin, Gail Talanian O’Reilly, Barbara Talanian and Margaret Talanian (Missing from photo-graph: Linda Talanian and Nevart Talanian)

Talanians Donate Family Tree to Armenian Library and Museum

Two Seattle-area MenAccused of BilkingMedicare out of MillionsSEATTLE, Wash. (Seattle Post Intelligence) —

Two Seattle-area men are facing federal chargeson allegations that they attempted to bilk aseniors health program out of millions of dollars.In separate grand jury indictments filed in

US District Court, federal authorities contendboth men followed identical schemes in settingup shell companies designed to defraud theMedicare system.According to the grand jury indictment,

Garnik Karapetyan created one such front —Federal Way Medical Equipments Inc. — in the30800 block of Pacific Highway South duringApril 2007.Through the company, authorities contend,

Karapetyan used stolen identities of actualMedicare recipients to file nearly 1,300 falseclaims in six months. In doing so, Karapetyanallegedly received $1.9 million in paymentsthrough the federal system while deliveringnothing in return.A similar indictment was filed Thursday

against Iacob Razumnii.While prosecutors do not outline a connec-

tion between the two men, the schemes ofwhich each is accused were identical.Razumnii, according to the indictment, set up a

front called American Standard Medical Supply inan Auburn storefront. Through that business, heused stolen identities to fraudulently draw$753,000 in Medicare reimbursements.Both men are accused of attempting larger

thefts. According to the indictment, Karapetyanaimed to receive $3.2 million; Razumnii isaccused of attempting to garner $2 million.Arrest warrants have been issued for both

men. Each is charged with six counts of wirefraud, three counts of health care fraud andfour counts of aggravated identity theft.

Entertainment Fridaysand Saturdays

RADNOR, Penn. — The 1,500-year-old holidayof Vartanantz has been commemorated everyyear at the Armenian Sisters’ Academy ofRadnor. The first Thursday before PounParegentan, Armenians celebrate VartanantzDay and remember the heroic struggles ofVartan Mamigonian and his troops as theyfought the fire-worshipping Persians. Greatlyoutnumbered, with the Armenian troops num-bering 66,000 to the Persians’ 300,000, the bat-tle was lost but the Armenians won the right tomaintain their Christianity.Montessori students, waving white flags with

red crosses, proudly started the programwithMerHairenik and followed with the poem “Hye YemYes.” They wrapped up their portion of the cele-bration with the Vartanank song. Their angelicvoices would have made their ancestors proud.Intermediate Level students (grades 4-6)

worked together to depict the historic battle of

Avarair of 451 AD. Armenian historianYeghishe, played by fifth grader MatthewSelverian, is said to have documented this his-toric tale. Sixth grader Daron Pogharian playedthe part of General Vartan Mamigonian whodivulged his plan to Ghevont Yeretz, sixth grad-

er Stephen Ajdaharian; Hovsep Catholicos,sixth grader Stepan Cannuscio; YeznigGoghpatsee, sixth grader Derek Dervishian; aswell as other princes and soldiers. KingHazgerd, the Persian ruler hoping to force theArmenians to renounce their Christianity, wasplayed by sixth grader Paze Yeremian. Not to beoutdone, the Intermediate Level girls narratedthe program in Armenian and English and, whoplayed the wives of the soldiers, gave away theirgold and jewels in favor of their Christian mar-tyrs. As the boys lay on the ground to portray adefeated battlefield, all students’ voices joinedtogether to sing Kaylerk Shavarshanee,Vartanantz Song — with a touching solo bysixth grader Meline Avrigian, and lastly,Vartan’s Song.As is tradition at the Academy, individuals

worked together to create a beautiful combinedeffort. Principal Sister V. Louisa Kassarjian

thanked Armenian teachers Tamar Panosianand Ovsanna Sadjonian, along with musicteacher Maroush Paneyan-Nigon, for theirefforts in preparing the students and continu-ing tradition. She praised the students for theirsuperb performance.

8 S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 3 , 2 0 1 0 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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Telephone (617) 924-7400

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576 Mt. Auburn Street, Watertown, MA 02472, TEL: 617-924—0606www.giragosianfuneralhome.com

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www.nardolillo.com

Michael and Kitty Dukakis

Tufts Genocide Commemoration to Feature Lecture by Michael and Kitty DukakisMEDFORD, Mass. — Tufts University, the Darakjian-

Jafarian Chair in Armenian History, the Department ofHistory, and the National Association for Armenian Studiesand Research (NAASR) will sponsor the annualCommemoration of the Armenian Genocide at Tufts onTuesday, April 6, at 7 p.m. The Tufts Day of Remembrancewill feature a talk by former Governor of MassachusettsMichael S. Dukakis, and Kitty Dukakis, titled “Do WeReally Remember the Armenians?”The commemoration and lecture will take place in

Goddard Chapel on Tufts’ campus. A reception will followin the Coolidge Room in nearby Ballou Hall.Michael S. Dukakis, the son of Greek immigrants, studied

law at Harvard University and served in the Massachusetts

House of Representatives from 1963-1970. He was gover-nor from 1975-1979 and from 1983-1991. In 1988 he wasthe Democratic nominee for president. Currently Dukakisis professor of political science at Northeastern Universityand visiting professor in the UCLA School of Public Policyand Social Research.Kitty Dukakis has served on the President’s Commission

on the Holocaust, on the United States HolocaustMemorial Council, on the board of the Refugee PolicyCenter and on the Task Force on Cambodian Children.More information about the lecture is available by e-mail-

ing hq@naasr.org, or writing to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave.,Belmont, MA 02478; or by contacting Professor McCabe atina.mccabe@tufts.edu.

DonationThe Tekeyan Cultural Association Detroit Chapter and ADL Arshag Chobanian Chapter ofDetroit donate $1,000 to the Armenian Mirror-Spectator.

Vartan Mamigonian, priests and princes prepare for the Battle of Avairar.

Vartanantz Marked at Radnor, PAArmenian Sisters’ Academy

Sixth grader Meliné Avrigian, in a solo performance, sings Vartan’s Song.

LISA AJDAHARIAN PHOTO

TCA Arshag DickranianSchool Annual Dinner DanceLOS ANGELES — The 29th Annual Dinner Dance of the TCA Arshag Dickranian School

will be held on Saturday, March 20, at 7:30 p.m., at the school’s Walter and LaurelKarabian Hall.The Dinner Dance has been a traditional annual event of the Parent-Teacher

Organization for the past 29 years, where parents, teachers and students along with alum-ni, friends and guests gather at the school’s banquet hall to enjoy an evening of merri-ment highlighted with dance music and the gourmet dishes catered by the famed MarquisRestaurant.Tickets are $75 for adults and $50 for students. For more information or to purchase

tickets, contact the school office at (323) 461–4377.For more information, visit the school’s website www.dickranianschool.org.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

95th AnniversaryCommemoration

of the

Armenian GenocideFriday, April 23, 2010

10:30 am

House of Representatives’ ChamberMassachusetts State House, Boston to befollowed by a reception in the Great Hall

Buses will be leaving at 9:00 amFrom St. James and St. Stephen’ s Churches

For more information contact:Representative Peter Koutoujian, 617-722-2220

Representative Jon Hecht, 617-722-2140Senator Steven Tolman, 617-722-1280

Tsoleen Sarian, 508-561-3697(Buses generously provided by the Knights of Vartan)

Land and Culture Launches 2010 CampaignLCO, from page 6in 2007 and will continue until its completionin 2010 or 2011. Yeghvart has been subject toseveral invasions, which has resulted in destruc-tion of the village on a number of occasions.Despite the state of the Church, LCO initiatedand organized a number of baptisms with theassistance of priests from Kapan. The remainsof Prince Toros, who was a lieutenant andfriend in arms of David Beg, are found in thecemetery adjoining the church.More than 30 volunteers from Armenia,

Canada, France, the United Kingdom and theUnited States spent this past summer inArmenia and Nagorno Karabagh on communitydevelopment projects. After several years, LCO

volunteers helped in the completion the entirethird floor of the Shushi Central RegionalHospital in Artsakh. The hospital serves themedical needs of the inhabitants of the Shushiregion and since the cease-fire was in a state ofdisrepair. LCO helped to renovate patient, deliv-ery, and surgery rooms to meet the growingmedical needs of the population. This past sum-mer, the Shushi Hospital celebrated its openingand the first surgeries were performed by physi-cians from Armenia and France.Additionally, for the past several years, LCO

volunteers worked in two villages in the Vardenis

region of Armenia, Azad and Shatvan. Locatedsoutheast of Lake Sevan near the road that leadsto Kelbajar, the villages are mainly populated byArmenian refugees from Azerbaijan. LCO-USArepaired the schoolhouses in the villages.“Before, Armenia felt quite distant to me. But liv-ing with ‘native’ Armenians, I found a home, Ifound my people in a village called Azad,” said2009 volunteer Anoosh Gasparian from London.During its campaign in the village, the ruins of a17th century church were discovered in Azad.LCO will start the restoration process of thechurch in 2011.The Armenia Chapter of LCO has conducted

the Faith and Heritage program for the lasteight years. Its mission is to stimulate and

encourage the youth of Armenia to safeguardand preserve, along with their diaspora breth-ern, the heritage left in their care.For over 30 years, LCO has been one of the

earliest volunteer groups in Armenia andKarabagh working to restore, renovate, andrejuvenate the historical monuments and sitesof our nation. It has performed this missionthrough its summer campaigns, by volunteersof every age from the diaspora and Armenia.To help the mission or join in the summer

volunteer program, visit www.lcousa.org andwww.landandculture.co.uk.

Visiting doctors performed surgeries in the renovated Shushi Hospital.

NEW YORK — Armenia Fund is implement-ing a major renovation of the communityschool of Artsni, a village in Armenia’s LoriRegion, with financing provided by the govern-ment of India.The project entails the reconstruction of one

of the two main buildings of the two-storyschool, which was built in 1962. At the conclu-sion of the initiative, the renovated school willaccommodate all of Artsni’s students — who atpresent total 49 children.To date the building’s roof as well as doors

and windows have been replaced, along with anadded boiler room. Currently constructioncrews are preparing to install new hardwoodfloors and paint the walls.Marieta Arustamyan, principal of the school,

conveying her profound gratitude to the Indiangovernment, said that the campus had longbeen in a state of disrepair, adversely affectingthe quality of learning. She went on to expressher confidence that the renovated school willboost student morale and lead to educationalexcellence.“Today our residents are filled with renewed

hope at the sight of construction activity in thevillage, even though many of the issues we face

as a community still need to be addressed,” saidproud Artsni Mayor, Khenko Khachanesyan.“Education has always been a core aspect of

Armenian life in India, ever since the 17th cen-tury, and it is so wonderful to see the Indiangovernment continues to play an instrumentalrole in Armenian education today,” said AraVardanyan, executive director of the HayastanAll-Armenian Fund. “Furthermore, the Indiangovernment’s sponsorship of the importantArtsni-school reconstruction is yet anotherheartwarming step in strengthening the friend-ship of the Indian and Armenian peoples.”

“India’s contribution to the reconstructionof the school of the Lori Region’s Artsni com-munity is part of India’s DevelopmentAssistance Programme for friendly states suchas Armenia, and reflects the desire on the partof India to be a willing and reliable partner intheir developmental efforts, beginning with pro-jects of high priority,” said Achal KumarMalhotra, ambassador of India to Armenia. “Weare confident that, once reconstructed, theschool premises will provide an ideal environ-ment for education,” Malhotra concluded.For more information, visit

www.ArmeniaFundUSA.org.

Armenia Fund Partners with IndianGovernment to Rebuild Artsni School

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Dana Hornbeak DescribesAmazing Work by AmericanAnd Armenian Eye Doctors

LOS ANGELES — What can the rest of uslearn when a top American scholar visits theArmenian EyeCare Project? Plenty! DanaHornbeak is a medical student specializing inophthalmology who volunteered to spend timein Armenia. The attached story describes whatshe saw as an official medical observer. Writtenby Hornbeak, herself, this story details many ofthe dramas and medical miracles she’s been wit-nessing on a daily basis through her work withthe Armenian EyeCare Project.Hornbeak has been working at the side of

Armenian and US physicians while they care forpatients. As an official observer of theArmenian EyeCare Project, she has been watch-ing and learning at all of the AECP’s facilities,which include the Mobile Eye Hospital,Education Center, Diagnostic Center and fivespecialty vision-care clinics.Medical Observers are pre-med students,

medical students or interns who are offeredopportunities to visit Armenia to learn andobserve, to help the people and to see the coun-try at the same time. Medical Observershipsrun two to four weeks or longer in length.Volunteers pay their own expenses for airfare,lodging and food. This program draws the bestand brightest ophthalmology students. Dana

Hornbeak’s report paints a clear picture of theprogram and the people in Armenia who arebenefiting from the EyeCare Project.Hornbeak received a Fulbright Fellowship in

2008-09 from the US State Department for oph-thalmology research and an ambassadorship inSingapore. Now she is focusing on Armenia asa medical observer at the side of Armenian andUS physicians as they care for patients.Medicine is a calling, according to Hornbeak.

She follows her principles by endeavoring togive back to the community through volunteerwork. She says, “A good doctor should havecompassion, a strong work ethic, integrity, level-headedness, humility and a desire to learn.”Founded in 1992 by Dr. Roger Ohanesian,

the AECP’s mission is to eliminate preventableblindness and to provide sight-saving care to thepeople of Armenia. The AECP’s catchment areaextends throughout the country, somethingthat few health-related networks have been ableto accomplish. The Armenian EyeCare Projectworks alongside and completely integrated withlocal physicians, nurses and health leaders.Donor dollars enable the Mobile Eye Hospitalto travel countrywide each year caring for closeto 50,000 Armenians at no cost to them. In2008, and again in 2009, the project providedmore than 40,000 eye examinations; nearly7,500 prescriptions and eyeglasses; and 1,200surgeries. In addition, the staff of the projectsees 60,000 in their five specialty clinics eachyear with ophthalmologists trained in theUnited States under EyeCare ProjectFellowships, do extensive work in medical edu-

cation and training, and have clinics found onlyin Armenia — a Low Vision Clinic, an Eye Bankand a specialty Clinic for Infant Ophthalmology.

Notes from the Field: TheArmenian EyeCare Project

By Dana Hornbeak

Malayan Ophthalmologic Center: Yerevan,Armenia, February 2010. I see Grigor’s cal-loused, weathered hands before his eyes:farmer’s hands, as stoic and tough as he is. Hiseyes are a bewitching clear hazel — a crossbetween Middle Eastern and European — mani-festing the hundreds of years of cultural mixingthat typify this crossroads. I wonder what thoseeyes have seen in the past turbulent decades.Smiling through gapped teeth and wrinkled

dimples, he hands a small white paper to theophthalmologist and sits down for a refractionreading. I glance at the slip: The label“Armenian EyeCare Project” (AECP) stands outamidst the Armenian characters. I learn thatGrigor is from a rural village several hoursnorth of Yerevan, and was seen by one of theAECP’s regional eye screenings. Diagnosedwith a dense cataract, he came to the MalayanOphthalmologic Center (MOC) for surgery — allpaid for by the Armenian EyeCare Project. Henow returns for a post-operative checkup —excellent outcome, no complications — and willreturn to his farm tomorrow. For Grigor, as forcountless other patients, his “Armenian broth-

ers in America” are restor-ing his vision. Restoredvision in turn meansrestored livelihood, as allfarm, factory, and house-hold activities rely on ade-quate eyesight.There are very few safe-

ty nets here. For manypatients, the ArmenianDiaspora in the US andorganizations like theArmenian EyeCare Projectare their primary opportu-nities to receive healthcare. Armenia is a countryof striking socioeconomiccontrasts. The nationalincome has returned towhat it was in Soviet days(still low compared tomost developed nations),but now income is dramat-ically uneven. Wealth isalmost entirely privatelyowned, usually by a selectfew powerful businessmen,or “oligarchs.” Meanwhile,

the vast majority of citizens live day-to-day, thegovernment is poor, water systems are unreli-able, and medical facilities — if available at all —are not up to par with the US or Europe.Even in the capital city of Yerevan, the

wealthiest part of Armenia, wide tree-linedboulevards belie a second reality in the sidestreets: dilapidated Soviet buildings, exposedelectrical wires, rusted metal doorways and bal-conies, pot-holed dirt alleys, and small corru-gated tin-roof shacks. Elite designer clothes andupscale cars juxtapose with the grim prospectsof the working-class clerks handing them theirgroceries. It is a stark and humbling disparity.Due to poverty, isolation of countryside vil-

lages, or both, patients often present to AECPscreenings or to the Malayan OphthalmologicCenter with advanced disease. My first day inthe admitting and triage clinic, for example,included a fulminant case of preseptal cellulitis,a 15-year-old boy with untreated low visionsince a penetrating eye injury at age six, and acataract visible from across the room — themost severe cataract I have ever seen. AsOhanesian says, “In the US there are cataracts,but here there are cataracts.” These patientscome to the Malayan Ophthalmologic Centerbecause it is considered the leader in ophthal-mologic care in the country — a rank largelydue to the partnership with the ArmenianEyeCare Project, including donated equipmentand professional collaboration.In rural regions, it is much more difficult to

obtain eye care. Most families are subsistence

farmers in the countryside or in remote villages,eking out a living by working the land. In ruralfactory and mining towns, unemployment andpoverty have led an entire generation to emi-grate to Yerevan or overseas. These familiesusually do not have access to medical care,much less ophthalmologic care. Even if theyhave money for an eye checkup, there are usu-ally no ophthalmologic specialists in theirregion, and only rudimentary surgical facilities.The AECP’s Mobile Eye Hospital comes here: tothe most remote, under-resourced areas, and tothe individuals who would otherwise have noopportunity to regain their lost eyesight.My month and a half in Yerevan are both clin-

ically and organizationally interesting.Clinically, as a fourth-year Duke medical stu-dent soon to start my ophthalmology residencyat the University of Pennsylvania, it is a fantas-tic educational opportunity: learning from expe-rienced Armenian ophthalmologists, seeingcomplex ocular pathologies, and practicingexamination skills. Organizationally, it has beena case-study of the Armenian EyeCare Project,

drawing on my background of a Master ofPublic Health (MPH) and undergraduateHonors Thesis. For my undergraduate thesis, Ianalyzed the organizational structure of ahealth care-related NGO in the PeruvianAmazon. The result of my two months of fieldresearch – identification of several key factorsfor organizational success – now gives me aframework for evaluating the ArmenianEyeCare Project.Despite the cultural differences and 10,000-

plus miles separating them, many of the mark-ers of the Amazon NGO’s success are visible inthe AECP. These include strong collaborationwith local professionals, a committed core lead-ership group, positive relations with the localcommunity, sustainable education programs,responsiveness to changing health needs andprovision of necessary equipment. To these, theProject has added research, which promoteslong-term academic involvement with the localmedical university.

The project provides immediate eye carethrough year-round rural eye screenings andMobile Eye Hospital surgeries. The project alsobuilds the capacity of the MalayanOphthalmologic Center by supplying much-needed diagnostic and surgical equipment.Indeed, the majority of the center’s equipmenthas been supplied by AECP and bears theAECP label.Focused on “teaching a man to fish” in addi-

tion to providing immediate assistance, the pro-ject invests in the future through patient edu-cation and physician training. Throughout theyear, AECP-funded doctors travel to ruralregions of Armenia for several weeks at a time.There they do eye screenings for children andadults; run educational programs with localophthalmologists and primary care physicians,including giving them a helpful 200-page“Essentials of Ophthalmology” manual; educatepatients with a host of informative brochures;and assist patients in reaching regional surgicalcenters.For complex pathologies that cannot be treat-

ed locally, the Armenian EyeCare Project fundspatients’ surgery at the MalayanOphthalmologic Center. Finally, all patient vis-its are recorded in a database, allowing for valu-able research on ocular disease prevalence andtreatment outcomes.The Armenian EyeCare Project is well-known

and well-liked by the local community, both inYerevan and in rural Armenia. For instance, theUS Embassy in Yerevan uses it as an example ofhow the US Diaspora is giving back to Armenia,currently displaying a photo of the ArmenianEyeCare Project on its front gate. “Even in ruralregions,” notes an MOC ophthalmologist,“every ophthalmologist in Armenia knowsabout the Project.” Unlike many American orEuropean NGOs elsewhere which have engen-dered competition among local partners, theArmenian EyeCare Project works alongside —completely integrated with — local physicians,nurses and health leaders. As a result, its scopeextends throughout the country, somethingthat few health-related networks have been ableto accomplish. It is no surprise, then, that I firstfound out about the US Diaspora from anArmenian in Yerevan. I have lived my entire lifein California, but it wasn’t until coming toYerevan that I understood the significance ofthe Diaspora in California and the US “Oh, youare from California? As in, Glendale? Yes, weknow America: many of our Armenian brothersand sisters are there.”A worldwide Armenian “family” isn’t far from

the truth. If people make a nation, the majorityof “Armenia” actually lives outside its borders:more than eight million, as compared to some3.2 million within Armenia. Organizations likethe Armenian EyeCare Project help to unitethis territorially diverse group, successfullyblurring the lines between Armenian andArmenian-American. Indeed, judging fromGrigor’s smile and newly-restored vision, nation-al boundaries just don’t seem to apply.

American Medical Student Reports on Eye Care in Armenia

Opportunities to practice her examination anddiagnostic skills have been an important part ofDana Hornbeak’s program. Here she examines ayoung girl with and advanced case of corneal eyedisease.

Because Armenia does not have occupational safety standards — andlandmines that still cover the landscape and attract children — thereare a large number of eye injuries including serious penetrating eyeinjuries (foreign objects wound eye), which if not treated can causepermanent damage and even blindness as in the first case DanaHornbeak observed

Dana Hornbeak examines a patient in Armenia.

MAHWAH, N.J. — Aram Arkun, a scholar andwriter, will speak at Ramapo College on April 17under the auspices of the Center for Holocaust andGenocide Studies and the Armenian NationalCommittee of New Jersey.Because of its lofty location, as well as the

independent nature of its residents, the pre-dominantly Armenian town of Zeytun in Ciliciawas often called the “Eagles’ Nest.” This lecturewill explore Armeno-Turkish relations therefrom the second half of the 19th century. It willexamine the events leading up to the firstdeportations of what became the Armenian

Genocide, why there was no major rebellion,the significance of these early deportations andthe fate of the people of Zeytun. The talk will beaccompanied with illustrations.Arkun is a historian specializing in modern

Armenian history. For many years he was assis-tant director and then co-director of the Krikorand Clara Zohrab Information Center of theDiocese of the Armenian Church (Eastern); healso taught courses in a number of universitiessuch as New York University and the Universityof Michigan, Ann Arbor. He edited the quarter-ly magazine Ararat from the end of 2003 until

2008, periodically worked as a translator, andhas held leadership positions in a number ofother organizations, including the ArmenianCenter at Colombia University, theAnthropology Museums of the People of NewYork, and several awards committees of theArmenian Students Association. He hasdegrees from Princeton, the University ofPennsylvania and the University of California atLos Angeles (UCLA). His most recent article istitled “Zeytun and the Commencement of theArmenian Genocide.” It will be published byOxford University Press in a volume edited byRon Suny and Muge Goçek. At present, Arkunis writing and working as a consultant.The lecture, “Zeytun and the Start of the

Armenian Genocide,” will be presentedWednesday, April 17, at 7:30 p.m. in FriendsHall (SC 219) in the Robert A. Scott StudentCenter on the campus of Ramapo College.

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NewYorkMM EE TT RR OO

The Board of Directors of the Armenian Women’sWelfare Association seeks an energetic andskilled Public Relations/Administrative Assistantwho will assist our organization in effectivelyachieving our mission and goals. For more infor-mation, contact Karen Hovsepian atKHovsepian@gmail.com

Archbishop Barsamian Visits the Armenian NursingAnd Rehabilitation Center in Emerson, NJ

EMERSON, N.J. — Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the ArmenianChurch of America (Eastern), visited the Armenian Nursing and Rehabilitation Center(ANRC) and administered communion to the residents during Armenian Christmas week.Barsamian, along with Rev. Diran Bohajian, pastor of St. Leon Armenian Church, Rev.

Vaskin Karalian of Holy Martyrs Church, Deacon Hacik Sarminasyan, Deacon SebuhOscherician, and Rev. Tiran Petrosyan, the latter from Armenia, conducted the liturgy. Barsamian has regularly set aside time to visit the ANRC during the Armenian Christmas

season. Members of the staff and members of the board greeted Barsamian and hisentourage. The residents of the home were uplifted and pleased to see Barsamian. In turn,Barsamian encouraged the residents on their recovery and said “God always has you inmind. You are not forgotten.” After the proceedings, a reception was held in his honor.

From left, Vahagn Azizyan, Rev. Diran Bohajian, Linda Amerkanian, recording secretary ofFriends of Armenian Home (FAH), Deacon Hacik Sarminasyan, David Rowan, board memberand treasurer of ANRC, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Andy Torigian, president of thehome and chairman of the board, Rev. Vaskin Karalian and Matt Russo, administrator of theANRC.

PHILADELPHIA, Penn. — The HonoraryConsul to Haiti, in a letter dated January 14,thanked the Armenian Missionary Associationof America for mobilizing Armenian EvangelicalChurches worldwide to come to the aid ofHaitians devastated by a tragic earthquake thathit the impoverished island on January 12.“I received a copy of the January 13 commu-

nication from AMAA headquarters to theArmenian Evangelical Churches urging them topray for the victims of the Haitian tragedy andto show their solidarity through their gifts,”wrote Albert Momjian, Esq. who representsHaiti in Philadelphia. “I commend the AMAAfor taking leadership in their efforts.”Upon hearing about the plight of thousands

of victims whose lives were devastated or lost,the AMAA appealed to the ArmenianEvangelical Churches and its members to showtheir Christian solidarity and provide theirmoral and financial support.As a result, over $10,000 was raised in the fol-

lowing few days and was rushed to Haiti

through the Wider Church Ministries of theUnited Church of Christ and Samaritan’s Pursetwo church related organizations heavilyinvolved in Haiti.Most touching was the response by

Evangelical Churches in Armenia. They raised250,000 drams — a significant amount consid-ering their resources. This was indeed athoughtful gesture on behalf of people who hadexperienced a similar tragedy 20 years ago andwho still feel the pain and anguish resultingfrom the earthquake that hit Armenia in 1988.As he presented their gift, Rev. SamuelKiragossian said, “we will never forget how theworld community came to our aid in 1988.”Kiragossian is the president of the Union ofArmenian Evangelical Churches in Armenia.The fundraising effort continues as it will

take many years for Haitians to recover fromthis tragedy and rebuild their lives. Those whowish to participate in the relief efforts can sendtheir gifts to the AMAA Haiti Earthquake Fundor visit amaa.org.

Consul to Haiti Thanks AMAAFor their Relief Efforts

Scholar to Discuss the Start of Armenian Genocide in Zeytun in Lecture at Ramapo College

Aram Arkun

By Arpi Arukian

BAYSIDE, N.Y. — “I thank my parents forjoining me into not only a school but a secondfamily... I treasure all the memories I sharedwith my classmates and teachers and will never

forget the life lessons I learned from my nineyears at HMADS”; “I’m so proud to have grad-uated from such a fine institution.” This is justa sampling of the acclaim Holy MartyrsArmenian Day School (HMADS) receives fromalumni who are still very strongly connected tothe school. HMADS is praised for creating astimulating environment in which childrenthrive academically while developing lifelongfriendships and strong ties to their richArmenian culture and heritage. The success ofHoly Martyrs Armenian Day School can beattributed to the hard work and dedication ofits remarkable staff, along with the unwaveringsupport of parents, board members, benefac-tors, alumni and community members. The Friends of HMADS all-volunteer fundrais-

ing committee, chaired by School BoardTreasurer Hovannes Malikyan, has been themain financial pillar of the school for more than16 years. Comprised of a group of school sup-porters, the mission of the committee is to raisefunds to carry on the school’s economic growth.Year after year, Friends provides HMADS with a

balanced budget and financial stability.Thanks to its efforts, HMADS is able to main-

tain an affordable tuition, thus making it possi-ble for Armenian families to take advantage ofthis exceptional learning institution.The Friends Committee meets twice a month

at the school to create, discuss and plan socialand cultural events that, in addition to raising

funds, will also benefit the Armenian communi-ty as a whole. The most anticipated of theseevents is by far the annual Gala Dinner Danceheld in the spring. This year’s honoree, VahanTanal, is a parent of two former students, inaddition to being a longtime supporter ofHMADS’s efforts. The group is organizing a gala on Saturday,

May 15 at Woodbury Country Club in LongIsland. The evening’s festivities will begin at7:30 p.m. with cocktails and a buffet. Musicalentertainment will be provided by internationalsinger Arthur Apkarian and his band fromCanada.Each person’s Gala Dinner Dance contribu-

tion of $125 will support the efforts of both theFriends committee and HMADS, thus benefit-ing a worthwhile cause — the preservation ofour Armenian culture through future genera-tions. For further information regarding this event,

write to hmads@hmads.org.(Arpi Arukian is a member of the Class of

1992.)

The Friends of HMADS

Friends of HMADS: Upholding ItsDedication to Our Armenian Youth

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Paid for by U.S. Census Bureau.Paid for by U.S. Census Bureau.Paid for by U.S. Census Bureau.

13T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

Arts & LivingAntonia ArslanRecipient of theNarekatsi MedalLOS ANGELES — The Friends of the

UCLA Armenian Language and CultureStudies will be recognizing Dr. AntoniaArslan’s dedication to Armenian cultureand raising Genocide awareness byawarding her the Narekatsi medal. Thepresentation will take place at theireighth annual banquet to be held at theWalter and Laurel Karabian Hall of theTekeyan Cultural Association (TCA)Arshag Dickranian Armenian School(1200 Cahuenga Blvd. in Hollywood) onSunday, March 21, (reception at 6 p.m.,followed by dinner and program).Arslan, an Italian-Armenian writer and

scholar, was born in Padua in 1938.Majoring first in archaeology, she wenton to become a professor of modern andcontemporary Italian literature at theUniversity of Padua and hold the post ofdistinguished visiting professor atFordham University.Over the years she has also conducted

a variety of seminars and lectures at

many other universities in Europe andAmerica. Her publishing career has beenextremely prolific. She has authored andedited more than twenty books in addi-tion to a series of articles, reviews, andtranslations. Her primary concern as a lit-erary critic is the Italian literary canon,an issue she most recently addressed ather Dana Drake Lecture.She has produced several important

monographs on Dino Buzzati and the19th-century popular novel (Dame,Droga e Galline;1977). Her ground-breaking studies have also focused onItalian popular women’s fiction and theoeuvre of Italian women writers of the19th and 20th centuries (e.g. Dame,Galline e Regine; 1998, and Writing toDelight : Italian Short Stories byNineteenth Century Women Writers, ananthology she edited with GabriellaRomani, University of Toronto Press:2006), several of whose novels she hasreprinted with her own introductions.She has researched the characteristics

of literature from the Venice region(Memory and Intelligence: TheLiterature of Venice from 1945 UntilToday: 1988), popular literature (LaLetteratura del Popolo: 1983), and con-temporary prose and poetry by authorsof the fantasy genre.She has also sought to expand the

offerings available in Italian regardingArmenian culture by editing GérardDédéyan’s classic Histoire desArméniens from French and the entryon “Armenian Literature” in the

see ARSLAN, page 15

AIWA’s Women’s History MonthCommemoration Features

Dr. Rita KuyumjianBOSTON — Woman’s History Month in March provides an opportunity to learn

more about the significant roles played by females in society. Armenia, with its longand colorful history, is full of examples of the courage, determination and ability dis-played by women during critical times of the past.With this in mind, the Armenian International Women’s Association (AIWA) has

invited Dr. Rita Soulahian Kuyumjian, professor of psychiatry at McGill Universityin Montreal, to give an illustrated presentation about the achievements of one ofthose heroines of the past, Arshagouhi Teotig.The program, titled “A Woman’s Response to Tragedy: Armenian Writer

Arshagouhi Teotig in Adana, 1909,” will take place on Sunday, March 28, at 3 p.m.at the Armenian Cultural Foundation in Arlington, Mass.The Cilician massacre of 1909, centered in the city of Adana, had claimed the lives

of an estimated 30,000 Armenians and left thousands of others homeless, orphanedor widowed. Responding to the call of the Association of Patriotic ArmenianWomen, Teotig volunteered to go to Adana in the autumn of that year to accom-plish the humanitarian mission of her association, which was to open a school forthe orphaned girls of Adana.Teotig arrived in Adana to find the survivors ravaged by poverty, hunger and dis-

ease. Grief for the dead, fear of recurring violence, anger as to why the massacreshappened, depression and hopelessness were evident everywhere. Somehow, in themidst of this desolation, she managed to accomplish her purpose.Returning to Istanbul, Teotig published a travelogue, A Month in Cilicia, in which

she wrote about the plight of the young, the widowed, the old, and the incarcerat-ed. She described the population’s frantic efforts of self preservation with mass wed-dings. She warned against the dangers of religious fanaticism raging among theMuslims of the region. Thus she brought home to Armenians living in the capitalthe enormity of the human tragedy and the need for immediate humanitarian reliefto help those in dire need to survive the winter and put their lives in order.Kuyumjian is well equipped to tell the story of this remarkable woman. A gradu-

ate of Yerevan State Medical Institute in 1975, Kuyumjian moved to Montreal thenext year to continue her studies in psychiatry at McGill University, where she hasbeen on the faculty for the past 25 years. She also serves as the director of thePsychiatric Outpatient Department of St. Mary’s Hospital in Montreal, and dividesher time between teaching, clinical work and research.In 1992 Kuyumjian established a program at McGill to train Armenian psychia-

trists from Armenia, and in 2001 she was awarded an honorary doctorate from heralma mater, Yerevan Medical University, in recognition of her humanitarian aid toher motherland and her academic achievements.She is the author of two books: Diary Notes of a Journey to Armenia, Memoirs

of a Psychiatrist, which chronicled her experience working with children after the1988 Armenian earthquake; and Archeology of Madness, Komitas, Portrait of anArmenian Icon, a psychobiography of Komitas, beloved Armenian composer whosuccumbed to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder after his arrest and exile on the eveof the Armenian Genocide. Her third publication, Trilogy-April 24, 1915, is a three-volume work dedicated to the Armenian intellectuals who were arrested on April24, 1915. It is scheduled for release in April by the Gomidas Press.

see AIWA, page 15

Dr. Rita Koumjian, professor of psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal, will bethe featured speaker for AIWA’s Women’s History Month program.

ChobanianPremiers FiresOf ZarathustraBEREA, Ohio — Baldwin-Wallace College

Composer-in-Residence Loris OhannesChobanian’s composition Avarayr — Fires ofZarathustra was premiered by the BWSymphonic Wind Ensemble conducted byDwight Oltman, on January 22. A week later,the composition was performed at the OhioMusic Educator’s Conference in Cincinnati.Chobanian’s composition refers to the Battle

of Vartanantz and according to the programnotes: Armenia became the first nation toadopt Christianity in 301 AD. Soon after, theRoman Emperor Constantine adoptedChristianity as the dominant religion for theRoman Empire and in 313 he issued the Edictof Milan legalizing Christian worship.As an aftermath of the Sassanid Persian con-

quests, Armenia was divided between theByzantine and the Persian Empires. In the year451 AD, the Sassanid King Yazdegerd II, anavid adherent of Ahura Mazda and theZoroastrian religion, summoned the Armeniannobles and princes to his palace at Ctesiphonand ordered them to renounce their Christianfaith and demanded that they give homage tothe fires of the Ahura Mazda religion.The Armenian nobles, led by Gen. Vartan

Mamikonian, were made to face an unaccept-able predicament. Considering the limitedoptions they were offered, they decided to feigncompliance with the Persian king’s wishes andproceeded to execute the ceremonial fire wor-shipping ritual.King Yazdegerd II was very pleased. He

rewarded the Armenian nobles and sent themback with the expectation that the Zoroastrianreligion would be re- established in Armenia.However, soon after, he discovered that he hadbeen deceived. The king was furious and sentan army of 300,000 together with a contingent

of trained elephants in order to, once and forall, eradicate Christianity from Armenia. TheArmenian army of 66,000 met the Persians atthe valley of Avarayr on the Mount Araratplateau. Both sides suffered extensive casual-ties, among them Vartan Mamikonian and mostof his fellow warriors. The Persians won the bat-tle but Christianity survived in Armenia.The composition, Avarayr — Fires of

Zarathustra, uses numerous descriptive soundssuch as textures that depict explosive fires andthemes that imply Persian musical motives.They do not, however, represent a succession ofoccurrences or order of events. The composi-tion does not tell a story but it is inspired by theproposition that “Fanaticism in religion andpolitics can be malevolent and can lead to

see CHOBANIAN, page 14

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Prof. Loris Ohannes Chobanian

Antonia Arslan

By Allan Ulrich

SAN FRANCISCO (San FranciscoChronicle) — You couldn’t help stumbling overa masterpiece this past February at the WarMemorial Opera House.For the third subscription program of its

77th season, the San Francisco Ballet devotedthe entire bill to three seminal dances byGeorge Balanchine, all seen here before and allwelcome back in these carefully preparedrevivals. The fare was impeccably chosen. Themusic making (with one exception) was oftenravishing. The dancing ranged from glorious toefficient.Yet, even if a performance here and there

might have been stronger, watching a majorcompany come to grips with ballet’s most chal-lenging and most gratifying choreographeraffords an opportunity to witness the act of re-creation at its most illuminating. Regrettably,this will be the ballet’s only ration ofBalanchine for the year.Still, Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson was

wise to bracket the bracing, angular“Stravinsky Violin Concerto” with two majorTchaikovsky-inspired works. There are similari-ties here. In the opening moments of the 1934“Serenade” (Balanchine’s first American ballet),the 17 women drenched in blue moonlightspread their feet into first position.At the opening of “Theme and Variations,”

the principal couple etches a string of tendus(compromised in this perfromance by the need-less insertion of that blatty orchestral preludeused at American Ballet Theatre), which evolveinto an evocation of the Mariinsky style that fos-tered Balanchine. In both, he seems to tell usthat he is prepared to conjure miracles frombasic classroom vocabulary. Which he does.“Serenade” retains its power to suggest nar-

rative through mundane events, like the dancerwho arrives late and the woman who falls, loos-ening her hair. This performance, staged byElyse Borne, was steeped in poetic allusion anda musically sensitive contribution from thecorps.In the waltz section, a volatile Sarah Van

Patten found an empathetic partner in TiitHelimets. Lorena Feijoo spun her dazzling waythrough the “Tema russo” section. SofianeSylve launched the dark angel’s circular

arabesques with ferocity. David LaMarche drewfrom the Ballet Orchestra a thrillingly lush per-formance of the “Serenade for Strings.”“Theme and Variations” (1947) boasted occa-

sionally stellar dancing from Vanessa Zahorianand Davit Karapetyan in assignments that mer-cilessly expose deficiencies of technique. Nonehere, although this company has, in the past,offered more romantically inflected perfor-mances.Karapetyan has mastered the diabolical vari-

ation made for the legendary Igor Youskevitch,despite a tendency to rupture a line into indi-vidual steps. Zahorian remains a scintillatingexponent of petit allegro footwork. UnderLaMarche, the winds of the Ballet Orchestrawove tendrils of sound around the strings inthe finale of the Suite No. 3.Spotted in the floral patterns of the “Theme”

corps: Frances Chung, recently appointed prin-cipal dancer (and overdue for the ballerinaassignment). Talk about a company’s embar-rassment of riches.The return of “Stravinsky Violin Concerto”

found Anthony Spaulding trying on the PeterMartins assignment in “Aria II,” opposite Yuan

Yuan Tan with fair success inthe tricky partnering. In thefirst pas de deux, Pierre-François Vilanoba tested hisbalances, paired with Sylve,astonishing in her even eleva-tion and her twisting crabwalk.This fascinating souvenir of

New York City Ballet’s epochal1972 Stravinsky Festivalabounds in the off-kilter, turned-in gambits that definedAmericanneoclassicism and Americanurban energy. Thursday, themen’s corps thrilled in its soaringunison quartet. FranklinD’Antonio was the reliable violin-ist. Music Director Martin Westconducted.The Ballet dedicated

Thursday’s performance to thememory of David Bartolotta,former music librarian andOrchestra bassoonist, who died last year.Balanchine’s “Serenade,” “Stravinsky Violin

Concerto,” “Theme and Variations” finished itsrun on February 21.

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

ARTS & LIVING

CHOBANIAN, from page 13destructiveness.” The Zoroastrian concept ofone God, heaven and hell must have influencedthe major religions of Judaism, Christianity andIslam. Hymns ascribed to Zarathustra includeinvocations, rituals and spells against demonsthat were used at special occasions.The form of the composition is set as varia-

tion for symphonic wind ensemble. Ritualisticthemes introduced at the beginning, are con-stantly transformed and reappear in new guises.They are accompanied by diverse rhythmic pat-terns that are often used in the Middle East atceremonial presentations. Contrasting themesclash and motives such as those of theArmenian Apostolic Church liturgy are super-imposed at different intervals.As a child the composer had visited the ruins

of Ctesiphon many times. The theme of thecomposition became even more relevant to himwhen he discovered that he had actually been

at the very location of the palace of kingYazdegerd II.At the end of the academic year 2009-2010,

after 40 years of teaching, Chobanian willretire in order to devote more time to com-posing. Several of his compositions are nowon YouTube including Requiem April 24 forChorus, Organ, Timpani and ChamberEnsemble performed at BW Conservatory tocommemorate the Armenian Genocide. TheArmenian text Tad’h Hayoon is from a col-lection of poems by Haigouhi Seropian andthe singers learned the Armenian text pho-netically.Among the many scheduled Chobanian per-

formances during April, the Cleveland VerbBallet will present his Characters You AreLikely To Meet performed by ReginaMushabac, cello and choreographed by mem-bers of the ballet. The Cleveland Orchestratrombonist Massimo La Rosa will premiere

Chobanian’s Celebration for Trombone andPiano. The Cleveland Flute Society will presentNocturne and Vivo for Flute and Guitar.Chobanian will conduct his composition, TheEnchanted Forest for Flute Ensemble andNarration. BW Symphony Orchestra conduct-ed by Dwight Oltman will premiere Chobanian’sConcerto for Piano Tuner and Orchestra withRobert Mayerovitch, piano.Chobanian was instrumental in establishing

the BW Conservatory Guitar and Compositionprograms as well as the BW FocusContemporary Music Festival. He has taught atthe Oberlin Conservatory and the University ofAkron. An expert conductor, he often conductshis own compositions as guest composer withuniversity, high school and professional orches-tras. As a member of the Philosophical Club ofCleveland his most recent presentation was“Creativity and the Composer: Advice to YoungComposers.”

Chobanian Premiers Fires of Zarathustra

WATERTOWN, Mass. — Turkish journalist and historianOsman Köker will present his book, Armenians in Turkey100 Years Ago, at the Armenian Library and Museum ofAmerica (ALMA) on Wednesday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m.The event, which marks Köker’s first public appearance on

the East Coast of the United States, is co-sponsored byALMA, the Friends of Hrant Dink, the National AssociationFor Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) and ProjectSAVE Armenian Photograph Archives. The event is free andopen to the public. A reception will follow.Köker first came to international attention in 2005 when

he organized the unprecedented exhibition “Sireli Yeghpayrs(My Dear Brother),” in Istanbul. Eventually seen by thou-sands of people, it presented photographs of Armenian life inpre-Genocide Ottoman Turkey, drawn from a large collectionof postcards owned by the collector Orlando Calumeno. Inthe five years since then, the exhibition has also been mount-ed in Paris, Munich, Koln, Frankfurt and last year in Yerevan.Köker originally intended to write a book about Armenian

life in the Ottoman Empire, but with the discovery of thepostcard collection the scope of the project changed.Following the exhibition he published the massive and beau-tifully-produced volume 100 Yil Önce Türkiye’de Ermeniler,subsequently published in English as Armenians in Turkey100 Years Ago, featuring hundreds of images showingwhere and how Armenians in the Ottoman Empire lived.Köker was also involved in the creation in 1996 of the

Istanbul Turkish-Armenian daily Agos and Aras PublishingHouse, the only publishing house which publishes books inArmenian and books translated into Turkish from theArmenian.

Köker Presents Armenians in Turkey 100 Years Ago

Cover of Osman Köker’s Armenians in Turkey 100 Years Ago

Dance Review: San Francisco Ballet: Balanchine

Davit Karapetyan and Vanessa Zahoryan

LONDON (Daily Telegraph) — This Marchthe British Film Institute on London’sSouthbank will host a season of Armenianfilmmaker Sergei Paradjanov’s works. The fes-tival will include Paradjanov’s acclaimed fea-tures, short films and documentaries.Elisabetta Fabrizi, curator of the festival,

has long nurtured a passion for the director.Having completed her university dissertationon his works, since 2005 she has beenengaged by the idea of making Paradjanovknown to a wider international audience.Paradjanov’s legacy has shaped the styles of

several British filmmakers, including that ofDerek Jarman, whose works were inspired by“The Colour of Pomegranates.” Other “follow-ers” include the Brothers Quay, whom Fabrizicalls “the real masters of animation.”Although prominent in his influence on

filmmakers of the 20th century, along withfashion designers, musicians and artistsParadjanov is virtually unknown among filmlovers.

To Fabrizi, the director’s ability to bringtogether a variety of cultures and religions,such as Islam and Christianity, in his filmsmakes them topical and modern in today’spolitical and social context.So when Fabrizi met Layla Alexander-

Garret, a London-based Russian art promoterwho was also searching for a venue to host aParadjanov film festival, she knew it was adream come true. Together, the twoParadjanov admirers pooled their contactsand experience, and finally made the longanticipated two-and-a-half-month Paradjanovfestival happen.The festival will be the biggest Paradjanov

celebration ever held in the UK. The mostrecent Paradjanov-themed cultural event inthe UK goes back to 10 years ago, when theLumiere cinema put on an exhibition andscreenings in memory of his craft.The festival will host screenings of

Paradjanov’s and Paradjanov-influenced films,including documentaries by Russian,

Ukrainian, French and German filmmakers.Some screenings will be followed by question-and-answer sessions with Paradjanov’s friendsand collaborators, along with Paradjanovscholars.According to Fabrizi, the festival films will

be introduced by, among others, directorPatrick Cazals and film critic and writer TonyRayns.The March 6 symposium will bring together

a large variety of guests, including the directorof the Armenian-based Paradjanov museumand those who have worked with Paradjanov.Contemporary artist Mat Collishaw has been

commissioned to produce a moving imageinstallation for the festival.The project unites sculpture and the moving

image in an atmospheric work inspired byParadjanov’s craft. According to Fabrizi,Collishaw, whose show runs until May 9, hasmanaged to poetically convey the spirit ofParadjanov’s artistic endeavor.Some events at the festival are being orga-

nized exclusively by Fabrizi’s Russian partnerAlexander-Garret, including the photo exhibi-tion by a Georgian artist Yuri Mechitov, whichcontains rare pictures taken during his long

friendship with Paradjanov, in addition to amemorial concert at the Armenian Church,and a set of events at the Pushkin House,Russian cultural centre in London, and inBristol.And what could be Fabrizi’s next artistic

project? Considering the successful profes-sional collaboration with Alexander-Garret,the curator might opt for a season of Russianfilm classics.

15S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 3 , 2 0 1 0 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

ARTS & LIVING

AIWA’s Women’s HistoryMonth CommemorationFeatures Rita KuyumjianAIWA, from page 13Her paper about Arshagouhi Teotig was first

presented last November, at the Conference on“Adana 1909: History, Memory and Identityfrom a Hundred Year Perspective,” held at theSabanci Museum in Istanbul.The public is invited to attend the March 28

program, which will be followed by a reception.Further information about the program orabout other projects to enhance the visibility ofArmenian women is available by contactingAIWA at 65 Main St., Watertown, Mass.; e-mail:Aiwa Inc@aol.com.

Antonia ArslanRecipient of theNarekatsi MedalARSLAN, from page 13reference work Dizionario Bompiani DelleOpere e Dei Personaggi.To increase awareness of the significance of

the Armenian Genocide, she organized a con-vention in Padua in December 2000 on theissue and elaborated the theme with a series ofactivities over the next year. She also translatedClaude Mutafian’s Metz Yeghern: A BriefHistory of the Armenian Genocide: 1995 (nowin its enlarged fifth edition),as well as VahaknDadrian’s The History of the ArmenianGenocide: 2003, and Donald Miller and LornaTouryan Miller’s Survivors, 2007. Another areaof her concern has been to explore theArmenian experience in Italy, including the lifeof the renowned writer Vittoria Aganoor, andthe struggles of the Genocide refugees who set-tled there (The Armenians in Italy in theTwentieth Century, 1999, and From theCaucasus to Venice: The Armenians in Historyand Memory, 2003).This latter theme is one she develops from a

more personal perspective in her first novel LaMasseria delle Allodole, published in 2004 byRizzoli. Drawing on the history of her ances-tors, it narrates the hardships of an Armenianfamily embroiled in the genocide. The titleSkylark Farm relates to their house in theAnatolian hill country where the men of thefamily were slaughtered in May 1915.The novel was selected as a finalist for the

2004 Premmio Campiello award and was award-ed winner of that year’s Premio Stresa diNarrativa. The following year it won the P.E.N.Prize and Manzoni Prize, and was picked as afinalist for the Los Angeles Times SeidenbaumFirst Fiction Award. It has been translated intoseveral languages, including an English versionby Geoffery Brock was published as SkylarkFarm in 2008 by Knopf and an Armenian ver-sion translated by Dr. Sona Harutyunyan of theArmenian Studies Department of Ca’ FoscariUniversity of Venice. It also inspired the film“La Masseria Delle Allodole” by the illustriousItalian directors Paolo and Vittorio Taviani.This work is conceived as the first of a trilogy,the second volume of which, La Strada diSmirne, was published in 2009 by Rizzoli andis currently being translated for publication inArmenian.The film “Skylark Farm” will be shown in the

evening following the banquet on March 22.

Sergei Paradjanov Season at BFI SouthbankBy Nadia Kidd, Ksenia Galouchko

By Naomi Kuromiya

KINGSTON, R.I. — Over the past few weeks,the elements and details of the commemorativeexhibition, “The Armenian Genocide — 95 YearsLater, in Remembrance,” have been confirmedand finalized. This historically and artisticallyimportant exhibition will mark the 95thanniversary of the atrocities of the ArmenianGenocide and is being curated by Gallery Zdirector Bérge Ara Zobian, an Armenian ofProvidence. Zobian is producing the show incollaboration with The Urban Arts and CultureProgram of the University of Rhode Island. Theexhibit will be on display from April 1 through30 at the URI Feinstein Providence CampusGallery, a prominent location expected to drawthousands of visitors.The show boasts 47 professional artists and

over 100 works of school-age children ages 6-16

years old. Embracing young artists is a crucialaspect of the show that will help give it a voicefor the future. There will be a number ofschools participating, including St. Stephen’sArmenian Elementary School of Watertown,Mass., Moorad Armenian School of Providenceand the Arts Education Program, the Armenianschool and Sunday school of Sts. Sahag and

Mesrob Armenian Church of Providence. Thedisplayed artwork will be from a number of dif-ferent mediums but each piece will answer thequestion: “what does being an Armenian meanto you?”In addition to enthusiastic artistic participa-

tion, a number of organizations will be workingin conjunction with the show: the ArmenianGenocide Museum and Institute located inYerevan, Armenia, and ALMA (ArmenianLibrary Museum of America) located inWatertown, Mass. They will provide artifactsand materials from their Traveling GenocideExhibit. The Naregatsi Art Institute, a non-prof-it organization dedicated to preservingArmenian culture through the arts, will be pro-viding enlightening posters, artwork and films.Finally, the Armenian Historical Association ofRhode Island will lend financial support as wellas heirlooms and historical references.There will be two official events celebrating

the exhibition: a gallery night opening onThursday, April 15 from 5-9 p.m.,and the main event on Saturday,April 17 from 3-5 p.m. The pro-gram for this main event has nowfirmly taken shape and will feature,in addition to a presentation of theRhode Island State Department ofEducation “Genocide Educator ofthe Year Award,” a number of tal-ented musical and dramatic perfor-mances. The emcee for event willbe actor and historical consultantfor the 2002 film Ararat GregChopoorian, who will provide anintroduction and brief overview ofthe program.Performer and singer Arpie

Dadoyan will perform a couple ofsongs from her album, “Sandplay,”and musician David Ayiryan willplay the kamancha, an Armenianinstrument. Finally, establishedRhode Island actor Armen Garowill perform a play, “Hishadag’sReturn: A Contemplation of theJewish Holocaust and theArmenian Genocide,” written byDorothy Abram, a playwright andprofessor at Johnson & WalesUniversity. Following the play,

Abram and Chopoorian will host a question andanswer session geared towards educators.Notably, the media and publicity for this

show has culminated in the launching of theofficial exhibition website, which is now acces-sible at www.armeniangenocide95years.com.The site will include a page with information onrelated Genocide awareness events in Rhode

Island in the upcoming weeks. The show alsohas a Facebook page, “ArmeniangenocideNinetyfiveyears,” that provides basic informa-tion and serves as an easy tool to connect withthe staff and other supporters of the show. Tocontact the staff of the show directly with anycomments or questions, shoot a message to theexhibition’s official email address: armeni-angenocide95years@gmail.com.

While the historical artifacts and materials ofthis exhibition will explore the past and affirmthe atrocities of the Armenian Genocide, much ofthe artwork will also emphasize the present sur-viving Armenian culture and even look towardsthe future. As the dates of the show approach, itis exciting to see the wide scope of participationand support come together to form a great cele-bration of Armenian history and culture.

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

ARTS & LIVING

Genocide Exhibition at URI Providence Campus Gallery Finalized

“Nemrud Dagi”

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“Ask Your Grandfather”

“Silent Duduk”

By Suzanne Muchnic

LOS ANGELES (Los Angeles Times) — Ifyour knowledge of Andreas Gursky’s enormousphotographs is limited to meticulously detailed,vividly colored long shots of offices, factoriesand a 99 Cents Only store, you are in for a sur-prise.And if you think Larry Gagosian’s elegant

Beverly Hills gallery is a showcase with rela-tively little floor space, you’d better look again.The German artist is inaugurating a major

enlargement of the gallery with “Oceans,” anew body of work based on satellite images. Inhis exhibition that opened Thursday night withan invitational preview, six photographs of deepblue water fringed by continents and dottedwith islands hang in the new 3,030-square-footspace. Nine earlier works fill the original maingallery and a smaller room upstairs.“Andreas Gursky is a new relationship for our

gallery,” Gagosian says. “He’s one of the mostoriginal and innovative living artists, and thetiming seemed right with the expansion of ourgallery in Beverly Hills.”For the last 15 years the gallery on Camden

Drive has occupied an airy white space withsoaring ceilings designed by Richard Meier &Partners. The addition, also designed by Meier’sfirm, expands into an adjacent building on thesouth side. The aluminum-and-glass façade ofthe new section has the same clean look, butthe interior brings a new twist in a curved woodceiling. A couple of days before the opening, Gursky

is jet-lagged but intensely engaged in the instal-lation of his first show at Gagosian’s interna-tional empire of galleries. Slightly built and soft-spoken, the artist is a quiet, thoughtful pres-ence in a scene of precise measuring and heavylifting, punctuated by high-pitched warnings ofa mobile scissor lift.

Plans to put the “Oceans” in thenew gallery never changed, Gurskysays, but the rest of the show hasbeen a work in progress. His travel-ing retrospectives haven’t come toLos Angeles, where he has had rel-atively little exposure, so it seemedlike a good idea to back up the newwork with older pieces. But whichones? And how should they be pre-sented?“When we started to do the

installation, the ‘Madonna’ piecewas here, also ‘Pyongyang,’ “ hesays of splashy, high-energy imagesthat have been moved upstairs. Heshot the singer at her post-9/11concert at Staples Center, whereshe traded the kilt worn on hertour for an American flag skirt. Insharp contrast, “Pyongyang I”depicts a perfectly executed perfor-mance of mass calisthenics in aNorth Korean festival.“This is a better solution because it’s more

conceptually based,” he says of the currentarrangement. “The works upstairs show moreactivity. In this space, the photographs are veryempty and melancholy. Someone who doesn’tknow my work might think this group is aseries. For me, it is interesting to combineimages not meant to belong together. Whenyou put them together, it’s about emptiness, it’sabout abstraction.”Born in 1955 in Leipzig, the son and grand-

son of commercial photographers, Gursky grewup in Düsseldorf and still lives there. He is partof a group of well-known German photogra-phers — including Thomas Ruff, Thomas Struthand Candida Höfer — who studied with Berndand Hilla Becher at Düsseldorf’sKunstakademie. “But everything I know about technique, I

learned from my father,” he says. “In a way it

was an advantage; in another way, a disadvan-tage.”A leading figure whose works have brought

up to $3.3 million at auction, Gursky becameknown for merging documentary realism withdigital manipulation. Shooting from high van-tage points, he often unites multiple pictures ina seamless whole. Gursky goes to enormouslengths to make his pictures. In “Kamiokande,”he gained access to an underground neutrinoobservatory in Japan that is usually filled withwater but had been drained for repairs. In“Beelitz,” he photographed Polish workers in aGerman asparagus field from a helicopter. Theresult is a horizontally striped image dottedwith tiny people. “For me, it’s a very metaphorical image. It’s

not important that they harvest asparagus. It’smore about human beings in general. Theselines could be living things,” he says of the bareearth between rows of asparagus. “Sometimes

they are broken or damaged. Sometimes theyare straight.”Gursky maintains a large archive of pictures

gleaned from newspapers, magazines, televisionand the Internet, mining it for ideas that he candevelop. But the “Oceans” were inspired by animage of the Indian Ocean he saw on a monitorwhile flying from Dubai to Australia.“In this case, I used pictures that already

existed, satellite pictures,” he says. But he trans-formed them, manipulating vast stretches ofdarkness to suggest various depths of waterand leaving the intricately detailed land alone.“If I get some information about the land, whyshould I change it?”“The concept,” he says, “was to show the

oceans. If you look at a globe, you see that youdon’t have so many choices.” He wrapped upthe project in six images that more or less mapthe Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. One par-ticularly striking vertical image sweeps throughthe Pacific from Antarctica to Alaska. In anoth-er picture, the tip of Africa hangs between theAtlantic and Indian oceans.“It’s about our planet,” he says of the new

series. “It’s also about the universe becausewe are not looking at the planet from theplanet but from somewhere else. In a way,you can feel that.”

S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 3 , 2 0 1 0 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R 17

ARTS & LIVING

MMAARRCCHH 2200 —— ““TThhee RRooyyaall AArrmmeenniiaann DDiivvoorrccee,,”” sseeqquueell ttoo ““TThheeRRooyyaall AArrmmeenniiaann WWeeddddiinngg,,”” a two-act comedy written, directedand produced by Ida Boodakian will take place in Mardigian Hallsponsored by St. David Armenian Church Women’s Guild. Tickets$35/person. Reserved tables of eight and 10 must be prepaid. Allother seating is open. For tickets and info., call Connie Alchian, (561)734-6030 or church office (561) 994-2335.

MMAARRCCHH 2277 —— AArrmmeenniiaann SSiisstteerrss’’ AAccaaddeemmyy.. Saturday, 10 a.m.-8p.m., 20 Pelham Road. Delicious kebabs, mante, Armenian cheese,bake shop, bazaar, children’s events and activities from 12-4 p.m.For info., call (781) 861-8303.

AAPPRRIILL 2255 —— SStt.. JJaammeess AAnnnnuuaall GGeennoocciiddee CCoommmmeemmoorraattiioonn.. 4 p.m.Featuring the Antranig Dance Ensemble, renowned cellist AniKalayjian and other performances. Complementary admission.Reception to follow. St. James’ Charles Mosesian Youth and CulturalCenter, 465 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown. Additional details to follow.

AAPPRRIILL 2299 —— HHoollyy TTrriinniittyy AArrmmeenniiaann CChhuurrcchh ooff GGrreeaatteerr BBoossttoonn pprree--sseennttss TThhee DDrr.. MMiicchhaaeell aanndd JJooyyccee KKoollll iiggiiaann DDiissttiinngguuiisshheeddSSppeeaakkeerr SSeerriieess,, MMiiaa FFaarrrrooww,, aaccccllaaiimmeedd aaccttrreessss aanndd hhuummaanniittaarr--iiaann aaccttiivv iisstt,, “With Knowledge Comes Responsibility: The DarfurCrisis,” 7 p.m., Charles and Nevart Talanian Cultural Hall, 145 BrattleSt., Cambridge. Reception and book signing to follow talk. Open andfree to the public.

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 99 —— TThhee AArrmmeenniiaann IInnddeeppeennddeenntt BBrrooaaddccaassttiinngg ooffBBoossttoonn CCeelleebbrraatteess iittss 3300tthh AAnnnniivveerrssaarryy,, ACEC, 47 Nichols Ave.,Watertown. Details to follow.

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

On April 25, St. James Armenian Church will hold itsAnnual Genocide Commemoration, featuring theAntranig Dance Ensemble, renowned cellist AniKalayjian, pictured above, and other performances.The event will be held at St. James’ CharlesMosesian Youth and Cultural Center, at 465 Mt.Auburn St., Watertown, Mass. Admission is free.

MASSACHUSETTS

Lecture Explores theOrigins of ArmenianLanguageANN ARBOR, Mich. — Linguist and

Manoogian-Simone Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellow Hrach Martirosyan,addressed the topic of the origins of theArmenian language in his talk,“Perspectives on the Origin ofArmenian Language and Culture,”which took place at the University ofMichigan on January 25. Martirosyan,who holds a PhD from LeidenUniversity, presented his lecture as partof the University of Michigan’sArmenian Studies Public Lecture series.Martirosyan’s work in comparative lin-

guistics gives him a unique perspective onthe rise and development of Armeniandialects throughout history. His talkemphasized the interrelated nature of theArmenian lexical history and the lexicalhistories of Indo-European languagesfrom what are today Iran and India. Usinga variety of comparative and archeologicalsources, Martirosyan raised questionsabout the role of historical Armenian lin-guistic forms in drawing connectionsbetween languages today.The lecture featured examples from con-

temporary standard forms of Armenian aswell as lesser-known dialects. Challengingthe long held popular belief thatArmenian stone carvings and the EnglishStonehenge are related, he used moderncomparative linguistics to by show the ety-mological specificity of the Armenian ter-minology. Historic studies in Armenianfolklore were employed to draw connec-tions between Armenian language and cul-ture with other Indo-European groups.Video of this lecture is now available onthe Armenian Studies Program website athttp://www.umich.edu/~iinet/asp.The University of Michigan’s Armenian

Studies Program promotes the study ofArmenian history, culture and society. Apart of the University of MichiganInternational Institute, the program orga-nizes educational opportunities for stu-dents, faculty and the community.For more information, visit

www.umich.edu/~iinet/asp/.

Andreas Gursky, left, with Larry Gagosian

German Artist’s Large-Scale Satellite Images MkeUp ‘Oceans’ in Expanded Gagosian Gallery

18 S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 3 , 2 0 1 0 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

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By Edmond Y. Azadian

Armenians around the world were euphoric, when, on March4, the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee voted by a narrowmargin (23-22), to adopt HR 252, a resolution to recognize theArmenian Genocide. Once the euphoria settles down, we need togive an objective assessment of what actually transpired in thesubcommittee and what are its short- and long-term impacts.

It is not the first time that this scenario has played out inWashington. Actually, there were three near-misses in recent his-tory when the panel adopted the Genocide Resolution with evenwider margin, yet the resolution never made it to the Housefloor. Similar resolutions were voted on in the subcommittee inthe years 2000, 2005 and 2007, and in the latter case, the votewas 27-21 in favor of passing the resolution.

The Clinton and Bush II administrations actively pressured thelegislators to table the resolutions.

One may ask why did Armenians vote in mass to electPresident Obama, when they knew full well that the candidateand incumbent presidents would act differently and wouldrenegue on their pre election pledges?

The question may be answered with another answer: what wasthe alternative? Barack Obama’s moral stature, and SamanthaPowers’ convincing arguments swayed many Armenians.

Remembering preceding reversals, Armenians did not have analternative but to go through the process to further mobilize theinactive masses, to keep politicizing the Genocide issue anddemonstrating to Turkey that the Armenian lobby is somethingto be reckoned with.

Not only was the administration’s reversal predictable, but alsothe Turkish government’s reaction. Turkish leaders act, reactand behave similarly in all situations.

When France adopted the Genocide Resolution, Ankararecalled its ambassador, threatened to break a $2-billion militarycontract and announced that the adoption of the Genocide lawwould damage French-Turkish relations. Exactly the same sce-nario is being enacted today. Yet the French government did notbudge and none of the Turkish threats were implemented.France is a relatively smaller power than the US and has less togive to Turkey than the US.

But Ankara’s scare tactics, matched with the lobbying powerof the military industrial complex, are affecting some legislatorsin the US, especially the ones looking for copouts.

The Foreign Affairs Subcommittee’s narrow vote was only thefirst step. There is a long way to go and the subsequent stageswill be even more challenging than this one.

If Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Joe Bidenand President Obama renegged on their pre-election pledges,what assurances have we that the Speaker of the House NancyPelosi will prove to be more principled and less expedient thanher superiors and bring the Resoultion to the floor for a vote?She may try to place the resolution on the House ofRepresentatives’ agenda, only when she is convinced that thereare not enough votes for passage; that will be a face-savingmaneuver for the speaker of the House.

Thus far, we may claim a victory, albeit a small one.What were the factors, which contributed to that victory?• Armenians may claim their lobbying power is making headway

on the Hill. That may be considered a factor, but not a major one.• Hillary Clinton had made the Protocols one of the center-

pieces of her foreign policy in the Middle East and the Caucasus.This vote could force Turkey to ratify them and offer a victoryfor Foggy Bottom.

• Another unspoken factor is the position of Israel and theJewish lobby. Already anonymous sources at Turkish ForeignMinistry are accusing the Jewish lobby that it “did not raise a fin-ger” to defend Turkey.

Indeed, Prime Minister Erdogan had gone too far (at least byIsraeli estimates) by accusing Tel Aviv of committing genocide inits Gaza raids. That policy gained dividends for the prime minis-ter domestically and in the Islamic world, but damaged his posi-tion in the US.

Already voices were being raised in the Israeli press to teach alesson to the Turks by supporting the Armenian Genocide. Andif that lesson is learned quickly, Armenians can no longer counton the Jewish lobby’s neutrality.

When the vote was cast in the Foreign Affairs Committee, thesensational news was covered by all the networks. To this wasadded the panic gripping the Turkish news media and politi-cians. That, perhaps was even more lasting victory than the voteitself, because it sensitized international public opinion aboutthe Armenian Genocide and further educated Turkish people onthe issue.

Unless the majority of the people in Turkey realize that thereis an unresolved problem between the two nations and unlessthe international public opinion is not focused on the issue thecause cannot be promoted through meager means thatArmenians possess worldwide.

Armenians have gone through this process year in and yearout and recognize and anticipate all the hurdles that may comealong the way.

Hillary Clinton has told the reporters that “the Obama admin-istration strongly opposes the resolution that was passed only byone vote in the House Committee, and we will work very hard tomake sure it does not go to the House floor.”

State Department Spokesman PJ Crowley has also told thereporters ahead of the vote that the United States was con-cerned about the impact the vote could potentially have on US-Turkish relations. Turkey, among other things, is considered astrong American ally and is home to a critical US air base.

Hillary Clinton, when asked in a Costa Rica press conferencewhy she had a change of heart and position on the Genocideissue, responded that things have changed.

Of course these are all absurd arguments; when Obama, Bidenand Clinton spoke in favor of Genocide resolution, they knewTurkey was an ally, that there was the Turkish base in Turkey,that war was taking place in Iraq and Afghanistan and that anyword about the Genocide would anger Turkey. In fact, nothinghas changed. The only thing which has changed is the positionof the politicians, which is not surprising at all.

Before the election, the candidates have the habit of promis-ing the sky. After the elections the reality settles in and politicalexpediency becomes the norm.

Every time elections take place, legislators or executive branchstatesmen may change but the bureaucrats remain entrenched tocarry on the same agenda from one administration to the other,justifying that agenda under the guise of “national interest.”

With all his moral rhetoric, President Obama did not makegood on many of his promises; the moral wound thatGuantanomo torture chambers symbolize are still open, waterboarding criminals are absolved, suspected terrorist rendi-tions are hushed, and Blackwater embezzlement cases are nolonger in the public eye. They are all compromised to savemajor agenda items such as national health care and eco-nomic recovery. Among the host of these issues, theArmenian Genocide is a minor issue, which can be traded ortrampled on with impunity.

Turkey is making a lot of fuss so that the resolution would notmove ahead. They are even talking about improving relations fur-ther with Russia.

The Armenian press and the Armenian politicians have moreor less a subdued view of the situation, which is a déjà vu. Theirmain concern is the potential war on the Karabagh front. Turksand Azeris are building arguments that Karabagh and Armenian-Turkish negotiations are at a stalemate to justify war.

The excitement about the HR 252 will die down soon but theexercise is not a futile one. Every year that issue comes up inWashington more Armenians are involved in the lobbying effort;there is more news coverage in the US and worldwide and aboveall the Genocide becomes more and more a domestic agenda forTurkey to ponder. This is the nature of politics.

We must be convinced that persistent drops of water will even-tually pierce the rock and when the major political issues arealigned properly we may expect a breakthrough.

Meanwhile Armenians around the world need not hold theirbreaths on the adoption of HR 252 by the US Congress.

HR252: Armenians, Don’t Hold Your BreathCOMMENTARY

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S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 3 , 2 0 1 0 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R 19

COMMENTARY

Armenian-Americans Should notAllow Obama and Clinton toBury Genocide Bill

It was bad enough that President Obama and Secretaryof State Hillary Clinton had failed to keep their campaignpledge to reaffirm the facts of the Armenian Genocide.They sunk to a new low last week, when Mrs. Clintonannounced that she and the President opposed adoption ofthe Armenian Genocide resolution by the full House, fol-lowing its passage by the Foreign Affairs Committee.

When asked by journalists why she and the Presidenthave reversed course on this issue, Clinton unabashedlyreplied: “Well, I think circumstances have changed in a verysignificant way…. We do not believe that any action by theCongress is appropriate and we oppose it.” She added thatthe administration does not believe the full House “will orshould” vote on the resolution. How can the facts of agenocide that took place 95 years ago change overnight? Inreality, nothing has changed except Secretary Clinton’smoral compass, assuming she had one to begin with.

It is shameful that the Obama administration is caving into threats from a third world country that needs the USmore than the US needs it. As Aram Hamparian, theExecutive Director of the Armenian National Committee ofAmerica said last week: “Turkey does not get a vote or aveto in the US Congress.” Neither does the US Presidentnor the Secretary of State, on a non-binding congressionalresolution.

A White House spokesman announced last week that thepresidents of Turkey and the United States had spoken byphone on the eve of the Committee vote. Soon after, Mrs.Clinton warned Committee Chairman Howard Berman that“further congressional action could impede progress onnormalization of relations” between Turkey and Armenia.Strangely, Mrs. Clinton seems to have appointed herself assupreme arbiter of what’s in Armenia’s best interest, whileArmenian-Americans and Armenia’s leaders have repeated-ly declared that they support the adoption of the genocideresolution. Indeed, Mrs. Clinton has put herself in theridiculous position of knowing better than Armenianswhat’s good for them.

After claiming for months that the Armenia-TurkeyProtocols have no preconditions and not linked to anyother issue, Clinton now asserts that the Protocols pavethe way for a commission that is supposed to study thefacts of the Armenian Genocide. “I do not think it is for anyother country to determine how two countries resolve mat-ters between them,” she stated. This confirms the worstfears of Armenian opponents of the Protocols. Clearly, theSecretary believes that ratification of the Protocols would

prevent consideration of the Armenian Genocide issue bythird parties. This is precisely what the Turkish side hadbeen stating, to the dismay of most Armenians.Interestingly, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglumade a similar announcement last week, expressing his sur-prise that the Armenian Genocide resolution is once againon the agenda of the US Congress. All along, the intent ofTurkish leaders has been to stop third parties from raisingthe Armenian Genocide issue, as they drag out theArmenia-Turkey reconciliation process.

It was no accident that almost all Congressmen, whospoke against the genocide resolution in the ForeignAffairs Committee, used the lame excuse that their opposi-tion to this bill was prompted by a desire not to underminethe Protocols, which ostensibly would bring Armenian-Turkish reconciliation. Despite their sugar-coated rhetoric,those who opposed the resolution and supported theProtocols were in fact acting against Armenia’s best inter-ests on both counts. The Protocols are now dead andburied anyway, thanks to Turkey’s refusal to ratify them,unless Armenia accepted extraneous preconditions.

While Armenian-American voters cannot settle their scorewith President Obama this year, since he is not on the ballotin November, 18 of 22 opponents of the resolution are.Armenian-Americans should do everything in their power toprevent the re-election of all those who voted against thegenocide resolution on March 4: Russ Carnahan (D-MO),Gerald Connolly (D-VA), Michael McMahon (D-NY), MikeRoss (D-AR), Brad Miller (D-NC), David Scott (D-GA), GregoryMeeks (D-NY), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ron Paul (R-TX),Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Mike Pence (R-IN), Joe Wilson (R-SC),Connie Mack (R-FL), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), MichaelMcCaul (R-TX), Ted Poe (R-TX), Bob Inglis (R-SC), and DanBurton (R-IN). Bill Delahunt (D-MA) and John Tanner (D-TN)are retiring from Congress. Gresham Barrett (R-SC) is run-ning for Governor, while John Boozman (R-AR) is a candi-date for the US Senate. The latter two should be opposed intheir new campaigns.

In addition, Armenian-Americans should campaignagainst the re-election of Steve Cohen (D-TN), Ed Whitfield(R-KY) and Kay Granger (R-TX), for sending a joint letter toForeign Affairs Committee members urging them to voteagainst the genocide Harut resolution. All three are mem-bers of the congressional Turkish Caucus.

The next culprits are CEO’s of five major American aero-space and defense companies: Lockheed Martin Corp.,Boeing Co., Raytheon Co., United Technologies Corp., andNorthrop Grumman Corp. They sent a joint letter to theChairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee urginghim to reject the Armenian Genocide resolution, in ordernot to jeopardize their sales to Turkey. These CEO’s havecommitted not only an immoral act by placing a higher pre-mium on profits — blood money — over human rights, butalso ignored the fact that Turkey cannot forego its pur-chases from their firms, because by doing so it would onlyweaken itself. Armenian-Americans should counter thesefirms by staging demonstrations in front of their head-quarters and factories. Those employed by these firmsshould communicate their anger to the CEO’s of thesefirms. Stockholders should go to the next annual meetingof these companies to make their concerns known andseek removal of the CEO’s. Similar protest actions should

be taken against the Aerospace Industries Association,which represents more than 270 member companies. TheAIA sent a separate letter to Congress against theArmenian Genocide resolution.

The Congressmen and companies who opposed the res-olution on March 4 should pay a heavy price for theirimmoral act. Ignoring their negative votes and letterswould encourage them to oppose the resolution again,when it reaches the House floor. If Armenian-Americanscould cause the defeat of just one of these scoundrels inNovember, the rest of them will get the message that vot-ing against genocide recognition can cost them their polit-ical careers. They will then think twice before casting sucha vote.

As far as President Obama and Secretary Clinton are con-cerned, Armenian-Americans should not allow them to dic-tate to the US Congress. Given the fact that mostAmericans are disillusioned with the failed policies andunfulfilled promises of the Obama administration, all elect-ed officials nationwide are seriously worried about their re-election. This is the perfect time to demand action frompoliticians and punish those who do not cooperate.Armenian-Americans should contact their representativesin every congressional district throughout the country,even in remote areas, and tell them that unless they sup-port the genocide resolution, they will not get their vote inNovember. Politicians would rather listen to the voices oftheir constituents than to President Obama who is themain cause for their seats being in jeopardy. Therefore, thefate of the resolution is ultimately in the hands ofArmenian-Americans. If they work hard and get enoughcongressional supporters, Speaker Pelosi would have nochoice but to bring the resolution to the House floor,regardless of what the administration tells her to do.Otherwise, voters who are angry on many other issuescould toss out of office the incumbents, jeopardizing herown speakership.

Armenian-Americans should not forget to express theirprofound gratitude to Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA) and22 other Congressmen who voted for the resolution onMarch 4. They are: Gary Ackerman (D-NY), EniFaleomavaega (D-American Samoa), Donald Payne (D-NJ),Brad Sherman (D-CA), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Diane Watson (D-CA), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Gene Green (D-TX), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), JosephCrowley (D-NY), Jim Costa (D-CA), Keith Ellison (D-MN),Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), Christopher Smith (R-NJ), GusBilirakis (R-FL), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Donald Manzullo(R-IL), and Edward Royce (R-CA), Elton Gallegly (R-CA), andRon Klein (D-FL). The Armenian community should enthu-siastically support their re-election.

Finally, some Turkish circles are consoling themselvessimply because the resolution was adopted by a differenceof one vote. Since House Committee members whoopposed the resolution for unrelated reasons explicitly stat-ed that they did not dispute the facts of the ArmenianGenocide, the vote could have been 45 to 0, not 23-22, interms of genocide acknowledgment — a great victory forthe truth and a major defeat for Turkish denialists andtheir backers. No one should be surprised therefore, if inthe coming days Turkish leaders cancel the multi-milliondollar contracts of their failed lobbying firms.

My TurnBy Harut Sassounian

By Hagop Vartivarian

Despite the fact that the protocols signed byArmenian and Turkey gave rise to quite a bit ofcommotion, particularly in segments of thediaspora with heavy concentrations ofArmenians, the political organizations inArmenia, and particularly the main oppositiongroup led by former President Levon Ter-Petrosian, did not react with total negativity tothis initiative of the Armenian government. Thiswas especially true when Armenian foreign min-ister Eduard Nalbandian and his Turkish coun-terpart Ahmet Davutoglu signed the initialagreements in Switzerland under the watchfuleyes of the world’s major powers: Russia, theUnited States and the European Union.

It is already the beginning of March, andArmenia’s Constitutional Court has declared theProtocols to be valid, not finding anything thereinto be unconstitutional. Now they are beingreviewed in the National Assembly. However, thesame didn’t happen in Turkey’s case. The freeze inrelations between Turkey and Azerbaijan, as well asthe importance of the resolution of the Karabaghconflict to Baku, put Turkey in a difficult position,

inasmuch as those protocols had been signed with-out preconditions.

Once again, Turkey has begun to face aninternal crisis, whereby the military personnel,who have always been the main force to ensurethe country’s political balance, are being calledone by one for questioning by the currentauthorities and judicial bodies. As it is, theProtocols signed on October 10, 2009 havebegun to be questioned. The government thathas been the architect of Turkey’s foreign poli-cy has deviated from the secular political prin-ciples that had been applied for decades andhas begun to develop good relations with neigh-boring Muslim (especially Iran) and Arab coun-tries (Syria). On the one hand, Turkey is ignor-ing its traditionally strong military and eco-nomic ties with Israel and, on the other hand,more alarmingly, its ties with the West, whensuch important military structures exist onTurkish soil. This shift in policy will facilitatenot only the advance of Russia but also thespread of the extremist Islamic movement.

In light of all this, Turkey finds itself at a criticaljuncture in its history: should she continue the pol-icy adopted in recent years, or return to her tradi-tional policy of fostering pro-Western relations?

In all probability, it will be difficult for Turkey

to remove herself from the influence of the mil-itary. In the past too, various Turkish govern-ments were obliged to submit to the military.

All this considered, at this juncture Ankarawill surely not wish to respect the dispositionsof the protocols, especially since the Karabaghconflict and the Armenian Genocide weren’tput down as preconditions. Here lies the diplo-matic success of the Armenian side. Armeniandiplomacy had already envisioned that the ballwould fall on the Turkish side in the event ofthe signing of the protocols, which is the sug-gestion of the international diplomacy.

Fortunately, our patriotic Armenian organi-zations — the Holy See Echmiadzin of theArmenian Apostolic Church, the ArmenianGeneral Benevolent Union, the ArmenianAssembly, the Knights of Vartan, and the tradi-tional Armenian Democratic Liberal Partymembers — stood by the Armenian governmentin their press and public appearances. As men-tioned above, in terms of the political circles ofArmenia, as well as the Diaspora, the majorityof the diasporan Armenians are on the side ofthe governmental authorities in the homeland.As for the undue commotion raised by theArmenian Revolutionary Federation and a fewthinned-out organizations hitched to its wagon,

unfortunately it shows their lack of political far-sightedness to view the clear policy conductedby the Armenian government as regards itsneighboring countries, which has been drawnup particularly in agreement with Armenian’snorthern neighbor, Russia. Foreign MinisterNalbandian is an experienced diplomatic foxfrom the old school, the term applied to notablediplomats of European countries.

Let’s return to our Armenian organizationsand look at cases in which individuals from thetraditional parties questions their politicalactivity, either through public announcementsor communiqués. Let’s being with the AGBU:

From the very first day of its foundation, theAGBU has engaged in politics; its birth was theresult of the tragic sociopolitical situation inhistorical Armenia. During the period of theArmenian Genocide and thereafter, its founderand president, Boghos Nubar Pasha, as head ofthe Armenian National Delegation, pursued therights of the Armenian people with Europeancountries and the Great Powers. He tookcharge of and became a defender of theArmenian Cause till the end of his life.President Arshag Karagheusian did the sameduring the post-World War II repatriation; he

see VICTORY, page 20

The Diplomatic Victory of the Armenian Government

By Robert Fisk

It’s only a small grave, a rectangle of cheap con-crete marking it out, blessed by a flourish of wildyellow lilies. Inside are the powdered bones andskulls and bits of femur of up to 300 children,Armenian orphans of the great 1915 genocide whodied of cholera and starvation as the Turkishauthorities tried to “Turkify” them in a convertedCatholic college high above Beirut. But for once, itis the almost unknown story of the surviving 1,200children — between three and 15 years old — wholived in the crowded dormitory of this ironicallybeautiful cut—stone school that proves that theTurks did indeed commit genocide against theArmenians in 1915.

Barack Obama and his pliant Secretary of StateHillary Clinton — who are now campaigning so piti-fully to prevent the US Congress acknowledgingthat the Ottoman Turkish massacre of 1.5 millionArmenians was a genocide – should come here tothis Lebanese hilltop village and hang their headsin shame. For this is a tragic, appalling tale of bru-tality against small and defenseless children whosefamilies had already been murdered by Turkishforces at the height of the First World War, some ofwhom were to recall how they were forced to grindup and eat the skeletons of their dead fellow childorphans in order to survive starvation.

Jemal Pasha, one of the architects of the 1915genocide, and — alas — Turkey’s first feminist,Halide Edip Adivar, helped to run this orphanageof terror in which Armenian children were system-atically deprived of their Armenian identity andgiven new Turkish names, forced to becomeMuslims and beaten savagely if they were heard tospeak Armenian. The Antoura Lazarist collegepriests have recorded how its original Lazaristteachers were expelled by the Turks and how JemalPasha presented himself at the front door with hisGerman bodyguard after a muezzin began callingfor Muslim prayers once the statue of the VirginMary had been taken from the belfry.

Hitherto, the argument that Armenians suffereda genocide has rested on the deliberate nature ofthe slaughter. But Article II of the 1951 UNConvention on the Prevention and Punishment ofthe Crime of Genocide specifically states that thedefinition of genocide — “to destroy in whole or inpart, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”— includes “forcibly transferring children of thegroup to another group”. This is exactly what theTurks did in Lebanon. Photographs still exist ofhundreds of near—naked Armenian children per-forming physical exercises in the college grounds.One even shows Jemal Pasha standing on the stepsin 1916, next to the young and beautiful HalideAdivar who — after some reluctance – agreed torun the orphanage.

Before he died in 1989, Karnig Panian — whowas six years old when he arrived at Antoura in1916 – recorded in Armenian how his own namewas changed and how he was given a number, 551,as his identity. “At every sunset in the presence ofover 1,000 orphans, when the Turkish flag waslowered, ‘Long Live General Pasha!’ was recited.That was the first part of the ceremony. Then it wastime for punishment for the wrongdoers of the day.They beat us with the falakha [a rod used to beatthe soles of the feet], and the top-rank punishmentwas for speaking Armenian.”

Panian described how, after cruel treatment orthrough physical weakness, many children died.They were buried behind the old college chapel. “Atnight, the jackals and wild dogs would dig them upand throw their bones here and there ... at night,kids would run out to the nearby forest to getapples or any fruits they could find – and their feetwould hit bones. They would take these bones backto their rooms and secretly grind them to makesoup, or mix them with grain so they could eatthem, as there was not enough food at the orphan-age. They were eating the bones of their deadfriends.”

Using college records, Emile Joppin, the headpriest at the Lazarite Antoura college, wrote in theschool’s magazine in 1947 that “the Armenianorphans were Islamized, circumcised and givennew Arab or Turkish names. Their new namesalways kept the initials of the names in which theywere baptized. Thus Haroutioun Nadjarian wasgiven the name Hamed Nazih, Boghos Merdanianbecame Bekir Mohamed, to Sarkis Safarian was

given the name Safouad Sulieman.”Lebanese-born Armenian-American electrical

engineer Missak Kelechian researches Armenianhistory as a hobby and hunted down a privatelyprinted and very rare 1918 report by an AmericanRed Cross officer, Major Stephen Trowbridge, whoarrived at the Antoura college after its liberation byBritish and French troops and who spoke to thesurviving orphans. His much earlier account entire-ly supports that of Father Joppin’s 1949 research.

“Every vestige, and as far as possible every mem-ory, of the children’s Armenian or Kurdish originwas to be done away with. Turkish names wereassigned and the children were compelled to under-go the rites prescribed by Islamic law and tradition... Not a word of Armenian or Kurdish was allowed.The teachers and overseers were carefully trainedto impress Turkish ideas and customs upon thelives of the children and to catechize [sic] them reg-ularly on ... the prestige of the Turkish race.”

Halide Adivar, later to be lauded by The NewYork Times as “the Turkish Joan of Arc” – adescription that Armenians obviously questioned –was born in Constantinople in 1884 and attendedan American college in the Ottoman capital. Shewas twice married and wrote nine novels – evenTrowbridge was to admit that she was “a lady ofremarkable literary ability” – and served as awoman officer in Mustafa Ataturk’s Turkish Armyof Liberation after the First World War. She laterlived in both Britain and France.

And it was Kelechian yet again who foundAdivar’s long-forgotten and self-serving memoirs,published in New York in 1926, in which she recallshow Jemal Pasha, commander of the Turkish 4thArmy in Damascus, toured Antoura orphanagewith her. “I said: ‘You have been as good toArmenians as it is possible to be in these hard days.Why do you allow Armenian children to be calledby Muslim names? It looks like turning theArmenians into Muslims, and history some day willrevenge it on the coming generation of Turks.’ ‘Youare an idealist,’ he answered gravely and like all ide-alists lack a sense of reality ... This is a Muslimorphanage and only Muslim orphans are allowed.’”According to Adivar, Jemal Pasha said that he “can-not bear to see them die in the streets” andpromised they would go “back to their people”after the war.

Adivar says she told the general that: “I willnever have anything to do with such an orphan-

age” but claims that Jemal Pasha replied: “You willif you see them in misery and suffering, you will goto them and not think for a moment about theirnames and religion.” Which is exactly what she did.

Later in the war, however, Adivar spoke to TalaatPasha, the architect of the 20th century’s first holo-caust, and recalled how he almost lost his temperwhen discussing the Armenian “deportations” (asshe put it), saying: “Look here, Halide ... I have aheart as good as yours, and it keeps me awake atnight to think of the human suffering. But that isa personal thing, and I amhere on this earth to thinkof my people and not of mysensibilities ... There was anequal number of Turks andMoslems massacred duringthe [1912] Balkan war, yetthe world kept a criminalsilence. I have the convic-tion that as long as a nationdoes the best for its owninterests, and succeeds, theworld admires it and thinksit moral. I am ready to diefor what I have done, and Iknow that I shall die for it.”

The suffering of whichTalaat Pasha spoke sochillingly was all too evi-dent to Trowbridgewhen he himself met the orphans of Antoura.Many had seen their parents murdered andtheir sisters raped. Levon, who came fromMalgara, was driven from his home with hissisters aged 12 and 14. The girls were takenby Kurds — allied to the Turks — as “concu-bines” and the boy was tortured and starved,Trowbridge records. He was eventually forcedby his captors into the Antoura orphanage.

Ten year old Takhouhi — her name means“queen” in Armenian and she was from a rich back-ground from Rodosto on the Sea of Marmara wasput with her family on a freight train to Konya. Twoof her two brothers died in the truck, both parentscaught typhus — they died in the arms of Takhouhiand her oldest brother in Aleppo – and she waseventually taken from him by a Turkish officer,given the Muslim name of Muzeyyan and ended upin Antoura. When Trowbridge suggested that hewould try to find someone in Rodosto and return

her family’s property to her, he said she replied: “Idon’t want any of those things if I cannot find mybrother again.” Her brother was later reported tohave died in Damascus.

Trowbridge records many other tragedies fromthe children he found at Antoura, commentingacidly that Halide “and Jemal Pasha delighted inhaving their photographs taken on the steps of theorphanage ... posing as the leaders of Ottomanmodernism. Did they realize what the outsideworld would think of those photographs?”According to Trowbridge’s account, only 669 of thechildren finally survived, 456 of them Armenian,184 of them Kurds, along with 29 Syrians. TalaatPasha did indeed die for his sins. He was assassi-

nated by an Armenian in Berlin in 1922. His bodywas later returned to Turkey on the express ordersof Adolf Hitler. Jemal Pasha was murdered in Tiflis(modern-day Tbilisi). Halide Edip Adivar lived inEngland until 1939 when she returned to Turkey,became a professor of English literature, was elect-ed to the Turkish parliament and died in 1964 atthe age of 80.

It was only in 1993 that the bones of the childrenwere discovered, when the Lazarite Fathers dugthe foundations for new classrooms. What was leftof the remains were moved respectfully to the littlecemetery where the college’s priests lie buried andput in a single, deep grave. Kelechian helped meover a 5ft wall to look at this place of sadness, shad-ed by tall trees. Neither nameplate nor headstonemarks their mass grave.

(Robert Fisk is a columnist for theIndependent.)

S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 1 3 , 2 0 1 0 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R20

The unmarked grave at Antoura for the bones that were found there in 1993.

Living Proof of the Armenian GenocideThe US Wants to Deny that Turkey’s Slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915was Genocide. But the Evidence is There, in a Hilltop Orphanage Near Beirut.

VICTORY, from page 19took charge of this tremendous project, ensur-ing the relocation of 100,000 Armenians toSoviet Armenia, whose objective was to ensurethe minimum population required to maintainrepublic status, which was at risk owing to thehuman losses suffered during World War II.

Following the same policy, President AlexManoogian maintained good relations withSoviet Armenia and the Mother See of HolyEchmiadzin during the most dreadful years ofthe Cold War, so that the patriotic and spiritu-al bond between the Armenian Diaspora andthe homeland wouldn’t be severed. By his ownexample, he advocated for DiasporanArmenians to make a connection with Armeniafor noble causes. Louise Simone did the same,by putting all the AGBU’s resources and theArtsakh liberation struggle, as well as the peri-od following Armenia’s independence.

Fortunately, today as well, AGBU’s president,Berge Setrakian, following the course set by hispredecessors, is continuing the clear-cut mis-sion set forth by the organization. There isnothing wrong with that mission going beyondthe realm of benevolence and embracing politi-cal activity for understandable reasons. Whohas given our traditional political parties alongthe right to be active in political life? It is theobligation of each and every Armenian to workfor the accomplishment of the noble goals rep-resented by the Armenian Cause and the recog-nition of the Armenian Genocide. For his part,Setrakian had the foresight to support the

Armenian governmental authorities in connec-tion with the bilateral protocols.

The same is true in the case of the ArmenianChurch. For centuries, especially when we hadlost the independence of our fatherland, thechurch has been our quasi government. Itwould take too long to list all the political activ-ities, which the church and clergy have carriedout, before and after the likes of CatholicosNerses of Ashtarak (mid-19th century).However, just to mention a few: for six cen-turies, the Sublime Porte recognized theArmenian Patriarch of Constantinople as thehead of the political authority of the Armenianpeople. It was Khrimian Hairig who sought topresent the rights of his people at the Congressof Berlin. Our catholicoi sitting on the throneof the See of Echmiadzin were the ones whohad contact with the tsarist Russian govern-ment. Today, as well, our diocesan primatesenjoy political esteem in various diasporan com-munities, much more than our disorganizedpolitical party gomidehs and chapters.

The Armenian Assembly, in turn, plays amajor role in our political life, having engagedin lobbying efforts for the recognition of theArmenian Genocide in the US Congress, as wellas by the Republican or Democratic adminis-trations, over the past 30-plus years. It can alsobe said, especially since the independence ofArmenia, that the Assembly has had the lion’sshare in ensuring that millions of US dollars areallocated to Armenia, something which theArmenian National Committee of America and,

standing behind, it, the ArmenianRevolutionary Federation, are pursuing, theAssembly is carrying out that sacred task forpurely patriotic considerations.

As far as the Knights of Vartan is concerned,they are the ones who have organized the annu-al commemoration of the Armenian Genocidein New York’s Times Square for the past 20-oddyears. One these solemn occasions, they haveinitiated prominent Armenian political figuresto speak about our rights. The Knights ofVartan is doing, with utmost professionalism,that which the political parties were unable todo.

Finally, the traditional Ramgavars remainedfaithful to the political and patriotic platformdrawn up by the founders of their party, andsupported the decision made by the Armeniangovernment in their press and public appear-ances. They could not behave otherwise,because each ADL member grew up havingbeen educated thus.

Soon, when the Turks will not allow their cur-rent leaders to approve the Protocols, PresidentSerge Sargisian and Foreign Minister EduardNalbandian a priori should merit congratula-tions for their diplomatic success. Also deserv-ing congratulations are those holding responsi-ble positions in our diasporan organizations,who had the courage to support the Armeniangovernment, considering the largely negativeatmosphere.

(Hagop Vartivarian of New Jersey if thechairman of the ADL Press Committee.)

The Diplomatic Victory of the Armenian Government