Thousands Mark GenocideAnniversary atTimes SquareProgram

By Taleen Babayan

NEW YORK — Thousands gathered forthe Armenian Genocide Commemorationin Times Square on Sunday, April 28, as the104th anniversary of the massacres wasmemorialized in a monumental event spon-sored by the Knights and Daughters ofVartan.

Calls for recognition were made through-out the afternoon as speakers, guests andthe general public paid homage to the holymartyrs of the Armenian Genocide. Over acentury later, the vigor of the Armenianpeople was on full display as the programculminated in a symbolic circle danceinspired by the powerful singing of ElieBerberian as he performed the popularpatriotic song Kedashen amid the back-drop of the city’s skyscrapers and thebuzzing motion of Times Square, one ofthe busiest and iconic districts in the world.

While Armenian songs, dances and voic-es echoed throughout New York and intothe world, top US elected officials stoodtheir ground in their unwavering supportof Armenian Genocide recognition. SenateMinority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.),who appears at the commemoration yearafter year without fail, conveyed his fond-

ness for the “wonderful and compassionateArmenian people” and appreciated theirpresence in the country, stating that “themore Armenians we have in America, thebetter America will be.”

Following a moment of silence for the vic-tims of 1915 and their descendants,Schumer urged the public to “call out evil.”

“A genocide that is not properly definedand remembered will certainly lead toanother,” said Senator Schumer, whotouched upon the Holocaust that succeed-ed the Armenian Genocide. “We have amoral obligation to always remember oneof the most evil undertakings in the histo-ry of mankind, and that is the horribleMedz Yeghern.”

Turning to legislation in the US,Schumer expressed his disappointmentthat the leaders in the White House, bothRepublicans and Democrats, have not

stepped up to officially acknowledge theArmenian Genocide. He said he refuses toaccept the excuse of politics and empha-sized that in the face of denial, peopleshould “stand together and remember thegenocide, the 1.5 million victims and whatthe Armenians went through.”

He made the point that the Turkish gov-ernment did not succeed in its plans toexterminate the Armenian people, noting

see COMMEMORATION, page 10

Erdogan SaysDeporting ArmeniansWas ‘Appropriate’

ISTANBUL (Bloomberg) — Turkish PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdogan said the deportation ofArmenians by the Ottoman Empire in the early20th century was “reasonable” at the time.

Erdogan made the comment on April 24 at asymposium where he slammed France for markingthe Ottoman campaign against the Armenians as agenocide.

“The relocation of the Armenian gangs and theirsupporters, who massacred the Muslim people,including women and children, in eastern Anatolia,was the most reasonable action that could be takenin such a period,” Erdogan said in a Twitter post inEnglish.

“The relocation of the Armenian gangs and theirsupporters, who massacred the Muslim people,including women and children, in eastern Anatolia,was the most reasonable action that could be takenin such a period. The doors of our archives are wideopen to all seeking the truth.”

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyanlabeled Erdogan’s speech “a new high in denialism”of the Armenian Genocide, and a “justification ofnation murder.”

“Calling the victims of the Armenian Genocide,Ottoman Empire’s entire Armenian population,which was sent to death marches, as ‘Armeniangangs & their supporters,’ killing 1.5 million [peo-ple] & justifying it by ‘most reasonable action’ isnot just a new high in denialism, but justification ofnation murder,” Pashinyan tweeted.

“Above all, doing this on April 24 is an ultimateinsult to the Armenian people,” Pashinyan added.

Paylan Asks Turkey toOpen Archives

ISTANBUL (Armenpress) — Turkish-ArmenianMember of Parliament Garo Paylan has made aninquiry to vice president of Turkey Fuat Oktay overdocuments on the Armenian Genocide kept atTurkey’s State Archive.

In his letter he said that in the April 24 speechof President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he said that“The doors of our archives are open before allthose who aim to discover the truth. We have nosecrets.”

Paylan wrote, “Hence, we inquire about the fateof the records of the Turkish court-martial thatoperated from 1919-1922 aimed at bringing to jus-tice the perpetrators who committed crimesagainst the Armenian people. The researchersinform that those records are not available forthem.

“Aren’t the records of the court-martial kept inthe state archive? Where and in which archive’s cat-alogue were the data” for the genocide, he wrote.

INSIDE

NEWS IN BRIEF

Genocide andArt

Page 12

INDEXArts and Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Armenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,3Community News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Mirror- SpectatorMirror- SpectatorTHE ARMENIAN

Volume LXXXIX, NO. 41, Issue 4585

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

Improper Bostonian’s Closing‘Was a family decision’

BOSTON (Boston Globe) — For nearly three decades, the Improper Bostonianhas showcased smiling faces: stars from near and far, athletes, and the city’s bright

young things.“I’d look at it and think, ‘Oh, this is what

young people are doing. They’re lookingcute and going out at night,’ ” says MonicaCollins, a former Boston Herald TV critic

and self-described media junkie. “I really liked it. I’d walk my dog in a certain direc-tion every other week just to get a copy, and then I’d dive into it.”

Now thousands of faithful Improper readers will have to look elsewhere for pho-tos of well-scrubbed men and women at sparkly affairs and the magazine’s signa-ture mix of buzzy restaurant reviews, celebrity interviews, fashion spreads, lifestylefeatures, and event listings. To the surprise of its own staff, the magazineannounced Thursday, April 25, it is closing.

see CLOSING, page 20

The first (left) and last covers of the Improper Bostonian

By Mark Shanahan

TALEEN BABAYAN PHOTO

Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.)

April 24 GatheringAt Heritage ParkHas Global Flavor

By Alin K. Gregorian Mirror-Spectator Staff

BOSTON — About 150 people gatheredon Wednesday, April 24, at the ArmenianHeritage Park to commemorate the104th anniversary of the ArmenianGenocide, braving an unseasonably coldand blustery evening.

Speakers Stephen Kurkjian, Dr. PamelaSteiner and Ekhlas Ahmed addressed thecrowd.

Kurkjian, a retired reporter who wonthree Pulitzers at the Boston Globe,spoke from the heart, as a descendent ofa survivor of the Genocide. He tied histo-ry to the present, presenting it in a brightlight. He said that from the loss of morethan a million people, to the dispersion ofmany others, and their uprooting fromlands “they had occupied since theBronze Age,” their descendants are aliveand well, halfway around the world, in apark named for them.

see BOSTON, page 11

Stephen Kurkjian with members of theHomenetmen Scouts behind him

DAVID MEDZORIAN PHOTO

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ARMENIA

Ambassador Participatesin UN Diplomacy forPeace on April 24

YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Armenia’s PermanentRepresentative to the UN participated in the PlenaryMeeting of the General Assembly on InternationalDay of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace onApril 24.Permanent Representative Mher Margaryan, refer-

ring to the importance of multilateralism and diplo-macy in advancing the agenda of peace, mentionedthe special meaning that April 24 carries for theArmenian people in Armenia and around the world,as they commemorate and pay tribute to the memo-ry of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Notingthat it marks “one of the darkest pages in the histo-ry of mankind in the 20th century, when 104 yearsago the Armenian people faced the ultimate crime,the crime of genocide”, he went on saying that theArmenian Genocide is a stark reminder to whatextent humanity can degrade to in the absence ofstrong multilateral institutions and crisis of theinternational order.The Permanent Representative of Armenia noted

that “today, Armenia bears special duty of advancingthe human rights agenda, in particular, prevention ofcrimes against humanity and mass atrocities”. Hestressed that Armenia is resolute to contribute toefforts aimed at strengthening multilateral institu-tions to prevent exclusion, hatred and radicalism andprotect human rights and human dignity worldwide.

‘We Should Never ForgetVictims of ArmenianGenocide’ CzechLawmaker Says

YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The delegation led byMarek Benda, Chairman of the Committee onConstitutional and Legal Affairs of the Chamber ofDeputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic,Head of the Czech Republic-Armenia FriendshipGroup, on April 30 visited the TsitsernakaberdArmenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan.The delegation members were accompanied by

head of the Armenia-Czech Republic FriendshipGroup Gayane Abrahamyan.The Czech lawmakers laid a wreath at the Genocide

Memorial and flowers at the Eternal Flame by payinga tribute to the memory of the 1915 ArmenianGenocide victims with a moment of silence.Thereafter, the Czech delegation visited the

Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute where theygot acquainted with the exhibits.Marek Benda left a note in the Honorary Guest

Book which runs as follows: “The evil of humanityagainst humanity. We should never forget the victimsof the Armenian Genocide.”

Kazakh President VisitsTUMO Center

YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Prime Minister ofKazakhstan Askar Mamin, who was in Armenia on aworking visit to participate in the session ofEurasian Intergovernmental Council visited theTUMO center for creative technologies on April 30,accompanied by Minister of Transport,Communication and Information Technologies ofArmenia Hakob Arshakyan.The director of TUMO, Marie Lou Papazian, pre-

sented to the guests the four-fold plan of TUMO: dig-ital media, creation of games, animation and devel-opment of websites. It was mentioned that youngpeople aged 12-18 study hear and develop theirskills, creating their own projects.The guests toured the center and talked to the stu-

dents.Mamin got acquainted also with the robotics group

activities. The achievements of the group were pre-sented to the high ranking official. It was mentionedthat there were international bronze-medalistsamong the students.Papazian told the group that there are four TUMO

centers in Armenia. Similar centers have beenopened in Paris and Moscow.

News From Armenia

YEREVAN — The Aurora Prize forAwakening Humanity’s SelectionCommittee has named three outstand-ing 2019 Aurora Humanitarians, recog-nized for performing acts of exception-al courage and their commitment tosaving human life. The 2019 AuroraPrize Laureate will be announced at aceremony in Armenia on October 20,2019. With a $1 million award theLaureate will get an opportunity to con-tinue the cycle of giving and supportthe organizations that have inspiredtheir work.

The 2019 Aurora Humanitarians are:* Dr. Mirza Dinnayi, Co-Founder and

Director of Luftbrücke Irak (AirbridgeIraq), a humanitarian organization thatflies Yezidi victims from Iraq toGermany for medical treatment.Dinnayi has helped several hundredwomen escape from the territories con-trolled by ISIS, personally taking partin missions to bring them back to safe-ty, and delivered food and water to theYazidis in isolated areas. Driven by hispassion to save lives, he has found away to overcome numerous bureaucrat-ic and logistic obstacles to help themost vulnerable. Dinnayi has nominat-ed three organizations that provideeducational opportunities to under-served students and disaster relief: AirBridge Iraq, SEED Foundation andShai Fund.

* Zannah Bukar Mustapha, lawyer,director and founder of Future ProwessIslamic Foundation – a school that pro-vides education to some of the mostdeprived children in Maiduguri, Nigeria.In October 2016, he secretly traveled tomeet with Boko Haram rebels in theirSambisa forest hideout during a mediablackout and left with 21 children.Thirteen months later, supported byICRC, the Swiss government and theNigerian authorities, he negotiated theadditional release of 82 girls. BukarMustapha has nominated three organi-zations that aim to reduce conflictthrough strong community effort andgood governance: Future ProwessIslamic Foundation, Adab Community

Renewal Foundation and HerwaCommunity Development Initiative.

* Huda al-Sarari, lawyer and activist.Al-Sarari is a brave and inspiringYemeni human rights activist, who sin-glehandedly investigates, exposes andchallenges a clandestine network ofsecret prisons run by foreign govern-ments in Yemen, where thousands ofmen and boys have faced arbitrarydetention. She has amassed incontro-vertible evidence of the abuse thattakes place within the prisons and suc-ceeded in convincing AmnestyInternational and Human Rights Watchto take up the cause. She has nominat-ed an international organization thatdefends victims of extreme humanrights abuse and two organizations thatcombat discrimination and promoteequality: Reprieve, Equal Rights Trustand Wethaq Foundation for CivilOrientation.

“These are awe-inspiring humanitari-ans, fighting the good fight for ourcommon humanity. The Aurora Prizeacknowledges the immense humanitari-an impact that can be made by the per-sistence and commitment of single indi-viduals and deserves the world’s grati-tude for the way in which it highlightstheir achievement and maximizes theircapacity. This Prize, like no other, givesthese heroes the recognition theydeserve and empowers them to contin-ue their work,” noted Gareth Evans,Aurora Prize Selection Committeemember and President Emeritus of theInternational Crisis Group.

The Selection Committee had chosenthe three Aurora Humanitarians from719 nominations for 523 unique candi-dates submitted from 72 countries.

Dr. Tom Catena, Inaugural Chair ofthe Aurora Humanitarian Initiative andthe 2017 Prize Laureate said, “Thethree heroes chosen by the AuroraPrize Selection Committee are extraor-dinary individuals who have worked tobetter people’s lives at huge personalrisk and cost. As an Aurora PrizeLaureate, I have first-hand experienceof the impact the Aurora Prize has

made on the lives of local actors pursu-ing humanitarian causes in placesaround the world that are often over-looked. Perhaps most importantly, thecycle of giving supported by the Prize –the opportunity to divide the awardbetween other humanitarian organiza-tions – is a true demonstration of grat-itude in action.”

The 2018 Aurora Prize was awardedto Kyaw Hla Aung, a lawyer andRohingya Muslim leader who, despitebeing imprisoned for a collective 12years for peaceful protests against sys-tematic discrimination and violence,uses his legal expertise to fight forequality, improvements in educationand human rights for his community.Hla Aung has decided to support inter-national organizations that providemedical aid and assistance to refugeesin Myanmar.

The 2019 Aurora Prize ceremony willtake place during the first AuroraForum, an ambitious and sweepingweek of activities, which will be held onOctober 14-21, in Yerevan, Armenia,highlighting the best of the world’ssocial, scientific, educational andhumanitarian practices.

Founded on behalf of the survivors ofthe Armenian Genocide and in grati-tude to their saviors, the AuroraHumanitarian Initiative seeks toempower modern-day saviors to offerlife and hope to those in urgent need ofbasic humanitarian aid anywhere in theworld and thus continue the cycle ofgiving internationally. The AuroraHumanitarian Initiative is Gratitude inAction. It is an eight-year commitment(2015 to 2023, in remembrance of theeight years of the Armenian Genocide1915-1923) to support people and pro-mote global projects that tackle theneeds of the most helpless and desti-tute, and do so at great risk. This isachieved through the Initiative’s vari-ous programs: The Aurora Prize forAwakening Humanity, the AuroraDialogues, the Aurora HumanitarianIndex, the Gratitude Projects and the100 LIVES Initiative.

2019 Aurora HumanitariansAnnounced in Yerevan

DILIJAN, Armenia — On April 26and 27, United World College (UWC)Dilijan students presented a playdevoted to the victims of ArmenianGenocide. The directors of the playare UWCD Theatre and Dramateacher Jason Lasky and UWCDilijan student Boghos Boghossian.

The play, “A Journey of Angels,” wasperformed by UWC Dilijan studentsand staff from all over the world.

“The majority of our cast andcrew is not Armenian by birth, and Ithink that’s a powerful statementabout how good theatre transcendssocio-political and cultural bound-aries,-said Jason Lasky, UWC Dilijantheatre and drama teacher, directorof the play and added working withstudents on this project is a joybecause my hope is that they gohome to their countries and work toensure that past mistakes will not berepeated.”

“Directing this theatrical piece hasbeen a highly rewarding experienceon many different levels. I believethat the sole act of recounting the

events of such a tragic historical real-ity, does a great service to theattempts of bringing recognition tothe Armenian Genocide, and the factthat we are doing it in the most

peaceful and artistic of ways makesme really grateful to participate inthe act of diminishing denial and for-getfulness from this case,” saidUWCD Student Bogossian

A scene from the play

UWC Dilijan Students and Staff inCommemoration of Armenian Genocide

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ARMENIA

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — The owner ofArmenia’s largest food exporting companyaccused of tax evasion warned through his lawyerof “severe consequences” for the domestic econo-my after the Court of Appeals refused to releasehim from custody on Tuesday, April 30.

The businessman, Davit Ghazarian, wasarrested three weeks ago after the StateRevenue Committee (SRC) charged that hisSpayka company evaded over 7 billion drams($14.4 million) in taxes in 2015 and early 2016.

The accusations stem from large quantities offoodstuffs which were imported to Armenia byanother company, Greenproduct. The SRC saysthat Greenproduct is controlled by Spayka andthat the latter rigged its customs documents topay lower taxes from those imports.

Ghazaryan has strongly denied any owner-ship links to Greenproduct. He said on April 5that the SRC moved to arrest him after herefused to pay the alleged back taxes.

The Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’sApril 8 decision to allow investigators to holdGhazaryan in pre-trial detention. It also reject-ed a separate petition to free him on bail.

The tycoon’s lawyer, Arsen Sardaryan,denounced the ruling as baseless. He claimedby that keeping his client in custody the author-ities want to “extort” large amounts of moneyfrom Spayka.

“His detention could lead to severe conse-quences,” said Sardaryan. “That is, the compa-

ny could fail to continue its operations.”Spayka is Armenia’s leading producer and

exporter of agricultural products grown at its owngreenhouses or purchased from farmers in about80 communities across the country. The companyemploying about 2,000 people also owns hundredsof heavy trucks transporting those fruits and veg-etables abroad and Russia in particular.

In a series of statements issued earlier thismonth, Spayka claimed that because ofGhazarian’s arrest its mainly foreign creditorsare withholding further funding for the compa-ny. It said it may therefore not be able to buylarge quantities of agricultural produce fromArmenian farmers this year.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan dismissedthose warnings on April 9. He said he is confidentthat the food giant will carry on with the whole-sale purchases.

The SRC chief, Davit Ananian, said after-wards that the tax collection agency is nowscrutinizing Spayka’s operations in 2016-2018and will likely impose even heavier tax penaltieson the company.

Echoing Spayka’s statements, Sardaryaninsisted that the charges are based on an arbi-trary “expert evaluation” cited by the SRC. Thelawyer said Ghazaryan will be ready to pay up ifthe alleged tax evasion is proved by a more thor-ough audit involving “specialists trusted by him.”

Spayka was already fined about 2.5 billiondrams ($5 million) for profit tax evasion in July

last year. Ghazaryan said before his arrest thathe agreed to pay the “unfounded” fine in orderto have the company’s bank accounts unfrozen.

The arrest came just two weeks after thetycoon inaugurated a new cheese factory inYerevan built by Spayka. Pashinyan was presentat the opening ceremony.

Spayka also planned to expand its green-houses under a $100 million project that was

due to be mostly financed by the Kazakhstan-based Eurasian Development Bank (EDB).Andrey Belyaninov, the EDB chairman, said onApril 25 that the disbursement of its $67 mil-lion loan to Spayka has been put on holdbecause of Ghazarian’s arrest.

“We can’t take such a risk if we are talkingabout [Spayka’s] potential bankruptcy,”Belyaninov was reported to say.

Davit Ghazarian, the official owner of the Spayka company, talks to reporters moments after beingarrested in a courtroom in Yerevan, April 8, 2019.

Armenian Tycoon to Remain Under Arrest

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Tens of thousands ofpeople marched to the Tsitsernakabert memo-rial in Yerevan and laid flowers there onWednesday as Armenia marked the 104thanniversary of the 1915 genocide ofArmenians in Ottoman Turkey.

As always, the annual procession began witha prayer service held by Catholicos Karekin II,the supreme head of the Armenian ApostolicChurch, by the eternal fire of the hilltop memo-rial overlooking the city center. The ceremonywas attended by President Armen Sarkissian,Prime Minister Nikol Pashinhan and othersenior state officials.

“It is the day to recall once again the tragedyof our compatriots who had suffered ferocitiesand had been expelled from the land of theirancestors … to tell the world once again aboutthe Genocide — the most hideous crime againsthumanity — and to call for soberness and afight against denial,” Sarkissian said in a writ-ten statement issued on the occasion.

“Impunity that followed the ArmenianGenocide had opened the doors for other gravecrimes against humanity and genocides:remember the Holocaust, the tragedies inCambodia and Rwanda,” he said.

A separate statement released byPashinyan noted not only the slaughter ofsome 1.5 million Armenians but also thedestruction of Armenian cultural heritage in

the Ottoman Empire.“We were consistently deprived of the land

on which Armenian culture and Armenianidentity were formed and developed over thou-sands of years,” read the statement. “The cul-tural heritage that constitutes the Armenianidentity — thousands of schools, churches andmonasteries — was erased from the face of theearth.”

Pashinyan also recalled the World War One-era massacres of hundreds of thousands ofGreeks and Assyrians perpetrated by theOttoman Turks. Armenia officially recognizedthem as genocide in 2015.

Both the president and the prime ministermade clear that Yerevan will continue to seekgreater international recognition of theArmenian genocide.

“The historical record on the ArmenianGenocide is unambiguous and documented byoverwhelming evidence,” the InternationalAssociation of Genocide Scholars said in 2007.

Pope Francis and his predecessor John PaulII prayed at Tsitsernakabert when they visitedArmenia in 2016 and 2001 respectively. Theyboth officially recognized the genocide, as didmore than two dozen nations, includingFrance, Germany and Russia.

Anna Hakobyan, left, and her husband, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the April 24 commemora-tion in Yerevan

Solemn Ceremonies Mark April 24 Anniversary

Dignitaries, including the prime minister and many members of his cabinet and the head of the Armenian Church, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin IIat the Tsitsernakabert memorial

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INTERNATIONAL

S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 4 , 2 0 1 9

Jerusalem PatriarchMeets Israeli PresidentJERUSALEM (Panorama.am) — On April 30,

Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, the ArmenianPatriarch of Jerusalem, met with the President ofIsrael Reuven Rivlin, Chancellor of the ArmenianPatriarchate of Jerusalem Hovnan Baghdasaryanwrote on his Facebook page.They discussed the issue of the Armenian proper-

ty of the Jordan River and other matters.

Artsakh DelegationMeets with Argentina

Armenian Organizations BUENOS AIRES (Armenpress) — The delegation

of the Republic of Artsakh headed by ForeignMinister Masis Mayilian met with representatives ofa number of Armenian organizations operating inArgentina. Representative of the Artsakh CentralCommittee of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun, member ofthe National Assembly of Artsakh David Ishkhanyanand Permanent Representative of the Republic ofArtsakh to the USA Robert Avetisyan are in the del-egation.The first meeting was held with members of the

Argentine branch of the Hayastan All-ArmenianFund. Later, the members of the delegation held sub-sequent meetings with the leader of the Argentineanand Chilean Diocese of the Armenian ApostolicChurch Archbishop Gisak Muradian, the leadershipof the Armenian Organizations of the ArgentineRepublic’(IARA), the senior staff members of theSouth American Central Committee of the ARFDashnaktsutyun, the Armenian General BenevolentUnion (AGBU) and the Armenian General AthleticUnion (Homenetmen).During the meetings, issues of national signifi-

cance, in particular, the current stage and theprospects of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict peace-ful settlement, the strengthening of the security ofthe Republic of Artsakh and its people, and furtherexpansion of the Homeland-Diaspora relations werediscussed.A range of meetings of the delegation with the

political and academic circles of the ArgentineRepublic is scheduled for the coming days.

Runaway Saudi SistersSeek Asylum in GeorgiaTBILISI (RFE/RL) — Two Saudi sisters, who say

they fled their own country because of “oppression,”have applied for asylum in Georgia but still fearedthey could be reached by their family and forcedback to Saudi Arabia.The sisters, Wafa al-Subaie, 25, and Maha al-

Subaie, 28, were offered assistance and protection bythe Georgian government on April 18 after theyplead for help via Twitter. They are currently beingheld in a shelter in a secret location, Georgianauthorities say.However, the sisters told the Thomson Reuters

Foundation on April 19 that they would rather moveto another country where Saudi citizens cannotenter without a visa.The sisters told RFE/RL on April 18 that they

chose to come Georgia only because Saudis don’tneed entry visas to go to the country.“We don’t know anybody in Georgia, we just decid-

ed to come here because there is a visa-freeregime...we didn’t have any other option,” the sisterssaid, adding that they arrived in Georgia fromTurkey.The sisters had made their case for international

help on Twitter under the account @GeorgiaSisters,posting video appeals and messages seeking “protec-tion” from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.One of the women said: “We fled oppression from

our family.” She claims that her “father and broth-ers arrived in Georgia and they are looking for us.”This is the latest case of Saudi women fleeing the

ultraconservative Islamic kingdom, where womenneed the permission of their male guardian if theywant to work, marry, or travel.In January, a Saudi teen holed up in a Thai airport

hotel to escape her family and won asylum inCanada.

International News

By Muriel Mirak-Weissbach

Special to the Mirror-Spectator

BERLIN — The date was, as always,April 24, and the venue had notchanged: the French Cathedral inGendarmenmarkt, Berlin. But the orga-nizers were many, the Embassy of theRepublic of Armenia, the Diocese of theArmenian Church in Germany and theCentral Council of Armenians inGermany, in cooperation with theArmenian Church and CulturalCommunity as well as the ArmenianCommunity, both of Berlin; andKammerton, a music initiative. The pro-gram presented one commemorativespeech, delivered by Dr. Elke Hartmann,followed by a magnificent concert fea-turing four very talented young musi-cians from Armenia. The new Primas ofthe Armenian Church in GermanyArchimandrite Serovbe Isakhanyanclosed with prayers.

Dr. Hartmann, who is teaching as aguest professor at the Hamburg univer-sity this semester, is on the faculty ofthe Ludwig Maximilian University inMunich, in the department of Russianand Asian studies. In her addressHartmann spoke as a third generationArmenian, whose maternal grandpar-ents transmitted Armenian culture toher, through language, music, cuisineand love. As that generation is taking its

final leave, the descendants continue tofight for recognition of the genocide,especially on the part of the Turkishauthorities today. Hartmann was directand uncompromising in her demandsfor full recognition and her principledrejection of political exploitationthrough pseudo-acknowledgements andrhetorical lip-service to the suffering ofthe victims.

As a German, she emphasized the rolethat Germany must play, especially inthe wake of the resolution passed in2016 by the Bundestag (Parliament)officially recognizing the genocide. Inthat document, specific provisions aredefined for implementation, amongthem the inclusion of study of theArmenian Genocide in history classes inthe upper schools. Matters pertaining toschool curricula are the responsibility ofthe federal state governments inGermany, and it is they who must trans-form the written commitments intofacts. But, as she stressed, to do thisinvolves more than a bureaucratic deci-sion; for teachers to prepare classes andpresent the subject in a scientificallyresponsible manner, they need researchtools and classroom materials. Thisrequires adequate research, which inturn calls for the establishment of cen-ters, institutes, associations within uni-versities that are devoted to Armenianstudies. Without such chairs establishedfor Armenian studies it would be impos-sible to fulfill the challenges and promis-

es of the genocide resolution.Reiterating the special place that

music plays in Armenian life, Hartmannconcluded her warmly received remarkswith the invitation to the musicians tocome on stage. If anyone in the capaci-ty audience expected a few pieces bysome world-class professional ensembleor vocalists, that person must be happi-ly disappointed. The first to appear was

Aida Avanisyan, age 12, who took herplace at the concert grand piano anddelivered Arno Babajanyan’s Elegy.Further on in the program, she wouldperform Johann Sebastian Bach’sPartita No. 2 in C minor and FranzSchubert’s Impromptu in A flat, Opus90, No. 4. Her contemporary, GurSargsyan, also born in 2006, gave anenergetic and convincing performanceof Sergei Rachmaninov’s Prelude in G

minor, Opus 23, No. 5, which is a tech-nically challenging piece. He was equal-ly competent later in presentingShushiki by Komitas, and Widmung(Dedication, A love song) by RobertSchumann in an arrangement by FranzLiszt.

The other twomusicians wereconsiderably older:pianist ZhoraSargsyan is 25 andviolinist AniBadeyan has justturned 16. As asoloist Sargsyanplayed Ballade No.4 in F minor, Opus52 by FredericChopin, thePhantasy in Dminor by WolfgangAmadeus Mozartand Spring byKomitas. In a duettogether with AniBadeyan, he per-formed Krunk byKomitas and theRomance fromH e n r i kWieniawski’s ViolinConcerto No. 2,Opus 22. The pro-gram offeredKomitas and otherArmenian com-

posers alternating with works from theclassical European repertoire, a reflec-tion of the range of musical culture theyoung instrumentalists are mastering.

After listening to one prodigious per-formance after the other, we were notsurprised to read in the program notesthat all four have won numerousprizes, both on the national stage andabroad. The two youngest pianists Gur

Sargsyan and Aida Avanisyan, haveboth performed Bach piano concertostogether with the State ChamberOrchestra of Armenia. With the excep-tion of Zhora Sargsyan, who has beena student at the Berlin University ofthe Arts since 2014, the musicianscame from Armenia for the event, andheartfelt thanks were in order to theEmbassy for having facilitated theirtravel and to the KAMMERTONProject for the Promotion ofInternational Musical Young Talents.This Berlin-based initiative supportsthe education of classical music tal-ents, children and youth, and promotesinternational exchange. Before offeringsolemn prayers, ArchimandriteIsakhanyan expressed his deep grati-tude to the outstanding performers.

Hartmann had mentioned in heropening remarks that music has servedArmenians throughout the ages as ameans of affirmation of their continuingexistence and development; thethoughtfully crafted program for thisyear’s commemoration, brilliantly exe-cuted by the young musicians, commu-nicated this not only through their skillsbut also the pure joy they find in mak-ing music. It was a dignified commemo-ration of those who perished in thegenocide and at the same time a cele-bration of the will to generate culturalexcellence into the future.

Young Talents Honor the Memory ofGenocide Victims in Berlin

Dr. Elke Hartmann

Ani Badeyan, Gur Sargsyan, Aida Avanisyan and Zhora Sargsyan (left to Right)

Zhora Sargsyan and Ani Badeyan

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Community NewsS A T U R D A Y, M A Y 4 , 2 0 1 9 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

Colorado SenateRecognizes Artsakh,CommemoratesArmenian Genocide

DENVER, Colo. — Colorado’s State Senateunanimously voted on April 24 to designate theday as “Colorado Day of the Remembrance ofthe Armenian Genocide” through a strongly-worded resolution that also recognized theRepublic of Artsakh and the recent culturalgenocide in Nakhichevan.

“We are grateful for Colorado’s ongoingremembrance of the Armenian Genocide andwe are so proud of this year’s courageous reso-lution that recognizes the ongoing genocidalrepercussions faced by the Armenian home-land,” remarked the Armenian NationalCommittee of America Western Region (ANCAWR) chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq. “The resolu-tion is particularly commendable for referenc-ing and effectively recognizing the Republic ofArtsakh,” continued Hovsepian. “This success,which builds upon the Sardarapat Highway andthe Capitol Khachkar Memorial, is another tes-tament to the effectiveness of the determinedand persistent activism pursued by Colorado’svibrant Armenian American grassroots.”

Championed by Democratic Sen. DominickMoreno and Republican Sen. Jack Tate, SenateResolution 19-012 recounts the historical back-ground of the Armenian Genocide, recallsColorado’s WWI-era efforts in support of theArmenian Nation, and references the ongoingconsequences of the Armenian Genocide thatimpact the Armenian homeland on a dailybasis. In particular, the resolution states that“The ongoing consequences of the ArmenianGenocide and its impunity include the Turkish-Azerbaijani blockade of the already-landlockedsister states of the Armenian homeland, theRepublic of Armenia and the Republic ofArtsakh.” This recognition increases the num-ber of American states that have recognizedArtsakh to nine.

SR 19-012 also cites the recently-exposed cul-tural genocide in Nakhichevan as an outcomeof the impunity for the Armenian Genocide:“Turkey’s unpunished denial of the ArmenianGenocide and ongoing desecration of Armeniansacred sites without accountability has inspiredand enabled the recent execution of an unpar-alleled cultural genocide of the entire indige-nous Christian Armenian heritage in theAzerbaijani exclave of Nakhichevan, wherebetween the years of 1997 and 2006 theAzerbaijan Government eradicated every traceof the region’s ancient Armenian past of an esti-mated 90 churches and 6,000 intricately-carvedcross-stones, including the celebrated Julfakhachkars, one of which was replicated in 2015for the Colorado State Capitol ArmenianGenocide Memorial Garden.”

First introduced in 2002, Colorado’s annualArmenian Genocide resolution, as it has donepreviously, concludes by expressing supportfor “constructive and durable relationsbetween the country of Armenia, the home-land for the Armenian people, and its neigh-bors, based upon acknowledgment of the factsand ongoing consequences of the Armeniangenocide, and a fair, just, and comprehensiveinternational resolution of this unpunishedcrime against humanity.”

SR 19-012 was voted on in the morning ofApril 24 in the presence of ANCA activists andArmenian American community leaders. Theintroduction and vote was broadcast live onANCA-WR’s Facebook page and aired on TheColorado Channel. Due to time consideration,only parts of the resolution were read on thefloor.

In addition to SR 19-012, the ArmenianGenocide has been commemorated this yearthrough a gubernatorial proclamation.Colorado Governor Jared Polis recently pro-claimed April as “Genocide Awareness Month,”stating that “Coloradans find it important to

see COLORADO, page 6

Salpi GhazarianSpeaks at GenocideCommemoration inConnecticut

HARTFORD, Conn. — The historicConnecticut House of Representative Chamberswas filled to overflow as the 104th commemora-tion of the Armenian Genocide took place onSaturday April 27.

John Geragosian, Connecticut auditor, servedas Master of Ceremonies and Susan Shabazianled the audience in the singing of the Americanand Armenian national anthems.

Warm welcoming remarks were given by Rep.Edwin Vargas Jr., state representative from theSixth District who has long served as theCommittee’s sponsor and who enjoys wide sup-port from the Armenian community.

Keynote speaker Salpi Ghazarian, director ofthe University of Southern California Institute ofArmenian Studies was introduced by ProfessorArmen Marsoobian, chairperson of thePhilosophy Department of SouthernConnecticut State University. Ghazarian gave afirst-hand account of the recent changes in theRepublic of Armenian which has been hailedworldwide as a “velvet revolution.” SheIdentified challenges facing the three million res-idents of Armenia and six million throughoutthe diaspora. She structured a scenario of hopeand future continued progress for the Republicby synergistic efforts by those in Armenia andthroughout the world.

The solemn commemoration took on colorfuland meaningful overtones as young children intraditional Armenian garb distributed programbooklets to the attendees and a skillful group of

dancers, including Emma Lopez, AngelZohrabian, Veronica Sardaryan and HasmikOhanyan from St George Armenian Church inHartford presented a thoughtful and stirringmemorial Dance to music by Komitas selectedand choreographed by Sarkis Kaltakhtchian.

The committee honored the late Nancy A.Humphreys, former Dean of the UConn schoolof social work, for her groundbreaking work inestablishing social work as a profession inArmenia and a legislative citation and recogni-tion was presented to her family. KristinAsadourian gave a poignant presentation on herinteractions with Dean Humphreys and whatshe learned about herself, her background andher profession from being one of DeanHumphery’s students.

Committee chair Melanie Kevorkian Brownrecognized the committee and gave warm appre-ciation to retiring committee chair JackKrikorian who was also honored with a legisla-tive citation. Brown also recognized RitaSoovajian, committee secretary, and DianaDagavarian Colpitts, treasurer, for their tirelessefforts. Other committee members acknowl-edged were : Rev. Untzag Nalbandian, Rev.Archpriest Aram Stepanian Rev. Kapriel

see CONNECTICUT, page 7

New York Students Win StateAccolades for History Project thatHighlights Armenian Genocide

TestimonyNEW YORK — Two students in New York state have risen through the ranks

of the National History Day Competition with a project that highlights one tes-timony from the University of Southern California (USC) Shoah Foundation’sVisual History Archive.

After being selected as finalists from their high school early this year, fresh-men Lily Jebejian and Alice Vranka of Bronxville High School north of NewYork City placed second in the Lower Hudson Regional Competition in March.They’ll go on to compete in the New York State Competition in late April, afterfine-tuning their display commemorating one segment of the American responseto the Armenian Genocide.

“As we dug deeper into the Armenian Genocide, we found a hidden triumphin the story of Near East Relief and the many unsung heroes of the genocide,”Jebejian and Vranka said in a statement to USC Shoah Foundation.

Addressing this year’s National History Day theme of “triumph and tragedyin history,” the girls looked into the work of American charity Near East Relief,which sent humanitarian aid and raised millions of dollars to help those affect-ed by the Armenian Genocide. The organization set up refugee camps, clinicsand hospitals to attend to those displaced by the genocide, and is credited withhaving cared for 132,000 Armenian orphans from Yerevan, Constantinople,Beirut, Damascus and Jerusalem, among other places in the Near East, a regionthat includes western Asia, Turkey and Egypt.

“We felt that the triumph of the work of Near East Relief during the horrifictragedy needed to be shared in this year’s contest,” the girls said.

Part of their project, which displays a sample of the typical meal eaten by anorphan in a Near East Relief orphanage, features a clip of testimony from ArpineTerlemezian, who worked as the director of an orphanage in Kirovakan (nowVanadzor) shortly after Armenia was established in 1918. Terlemezian’s story ispreserved in USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive.

“Arpine Terlemezian’s testimony offered a story of personal triumph andtragedy for our project,” the girls said. “While she witnessed the horrors of thegenocide in her work at an Near East Relief orphanage, she helped the orphanslearn skills that would benefit them for their entire lives.”

They add that she also found love while working at the orphanage. DajadTerlemezian was a young war hero and fellow employee of Near East Relief.

“Dajad came to the orphanage every day,” she said in her testimony, whichwas recorded by the late documentary filmmaker J. Michael Hagopian in theearly 1980s. (Hagopian entrusted all of his 300-plus Armenian Genocide inter-views to USC Shoah Foundation in 2013.) “He captivated me. So, we got mar-ried.”

The girls first heard of the Visual History Archive during an interview withthe Chairman Emeritus of the Near East Foundation, Shant Mardirossian. Theyimmediately started scouring the archive for a story to set their project apart.

see STUDENTS, page 6

Lily Jebejian and Alice Vranka of Bronxville High School north of New York Citywith the first phase of their school project.

Keynote speaker Salpi Ghazarian

By Dr. Alan Haroian

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — For two weeks,beginning on April 10, Scottsdale CommunityCollege in Arizona hosted a series of lectures,films, and ceremonies as part of its annualGenocide Awareness Week. Armenians wereamong the groups represented during this pro-gram of events, all of which were dedicated togenocides and how to prevent them.

St. Apkar Armenian Apostolic Church pro-vided funding to obtain the services of interna-tionally renowned speakers Dr. Taner Akçamand Professor Barlow Der Mugrdechian. Dr.Akçam’s presentation focused on the Turkishdenial of the Armenian Genocide. His extensiveresearch included Ottoman archival documentsclearly showing evidence of the Turkish cover-up. He is often referred to as the SherlockHolmes of finding evidence to prove the pre-meditation and planning of the 1915 geno-cide. Much of this material is discussed in hislatest book Killing Orders.

Professor Der Mugrdechian’s lecture title wasGenocide in the 21st Century: Turkey andArmenia. Both scholars’ talks were delivered onMonday, April 15 and were very well attended,with many students asking thought-provokingquestions.

The following week on Wednesday, April 24,a memorial prayer service was held at theArmenian Genocide Monument, which is locat-ed in the courtyard at Scottsdale CommunityCollege. Impassioned addresses were given by

US Rep. David Schweikert and ScottsdaleMayor Jim Lane. Solo musical selections wereperformed by flutist Diana Tovmosyan and vio-linist Levon Zarasian. Father ZachariaSaribekyan, pastor of St. Apkar Armenian

Apostolic Church of Arizona, spoke of never for-getting the events of 1915.

The ceremony ended on a somber note asattendees lined up to place red roses on theGenocide Monument.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

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New York Students Win StateAccolades for History ProjectThat Highlights ArmenianGenocide TestimonySTUDENTS, from page 5

USC Shoah Foundation Education andOutreach Specialist Sedda Antekelian says she’sproud that Jebejian and Vranka have chosen toinclude testimony from the Archive.

“Testimony is a primary source,” Antekeliansaid. “It provides value to the historical recordand humanizes the experience of tragedy andresilience.”

Antekelian also credited the students forsharing the voice of Terlemezian, who is “agreat example of an Armenian survivor whoactively worked for the survival of thousands ofArmenian orphans.”

Both girls say they are excited to presenttheir project in the next stage of the competi-tion. They say their family connection to thegenocide has motivated all of their work. Infact, both are currently in Armenia, visitingNear East Relief orphanages like the St.Arsenije Church in the Kazachi Post in Gyumri,Armenia.

“Luckily, our ancestors escaped the persecu-tion of the Ottoman Empire and were able tothrive in America,” they said. “We are so pas-sionate about researching this topic because ofour personal connections, and we have discov-ered so much about our family history throughthe research process. We hope to share thestory of the Armenian Genocide and Near EastRelief with as many people as possible, so thatour history will not be lost.”

Colorado Senate RecognizesArtsakh, CommemoratesArmenian GenocideCOLORADO, from page 5remember and commemorate the 20th-centurygenocides perpetrated against Armenians, Jews,Cambodians, Bosnians, and Rwandans, amongothers, as well as the 21st-century genocideagainst Darfuris in Sudan, the ongoing brutali-ties against the Rohingya minority in Myanmar,and the crimes against the indigenousChristians and Yezidis in the Middle East.”Notably, the proclamation issued by Gov. Polisat the request of the Coalition Against GlobalGenocide condemned genocide denial andother genocidal policies, as well as underlinedthe importance of teaching Colorado school-children about genocides and crimes againsthumanity.

Genocide Awareness Week at Scottsdale Community College

From left, Andreh Janian, Eleni Smiaris, John Liffiton, Fr. Zacharia Saribekyan, Dr. Taner Akçam, Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Vatche Megerdichianand Dr. Alan Haroian.

Fr. Zacharia Saribekian addressing the attendees Attendees laying roses on the Armenian Genocide Monument

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COMMUNITY NEWS

ASA’s Sixth Annual JournalismInternship Program Set for 2017

At its recent meeting the Board of Trustees of the Armenian Students’ Association ofAmerica, Inc. (ASA Inc.) announced it is again sponsoring two internships in journalism inpartnership with the Armenian Weekly and the Armenian Mirror-Spectator.

Interns will work under the supervision of either the editorial staff of the ArmenianWeekly or the Armenian Mirror-Spectator.“The ASA, Inc. Journalism Internships coupled with its Annual Scholarship Grant

Program which awarded $102,000 in grants for 2016 continues its mission of providingfinancial assistance and professional level opportunities to qualified students of Armenianheritage. The ASA, Inc founded in 1910 is the oldest Armenian student organization in theUnited States,” said Brian Assadourian, Chairman of the ASA Inc. Board of Trustees in mak-ing the announcement.Participants in the six-week internship program will receive a weekly stipend of $150.

Interns will work under the supervision of either the editorial staff of The Armenian Weeklyor The Armenian Mirror-Spectator.“The Internship provides a valuable opportunity for students of Armenian heritage to

have hands-on experience as a member of the editorial staff of the respective publications”noted Dr. Michael G. Mensoian, a member of the ASA Inc. Board of Trustees who over-sees the program.The Armenian Weekly and the Armenian Mirror-Spectator are two of the lead-

ing English-language newspapers in the United States and Canada keeping our commu-nity informed of developments locally as well as in Armenia and the Diaspora through theirprint and online editions. The offices of both papers are located Watertown,Massachusetts.Applications for the ASA Inc. Journalism Internship are now available and may be

downloaded by accessing http://www.asainc.org. Applications must be submitted nolater than Friday May 30, 2019. Candidates must have completed at least their sophomoreyear of college by May 2017. Currently enrolled graduate students are also eligible.Since its establishment 106 years ago the Armenian Students’ Association of America,

Inc. has encouraged the educational pursuits of Armenians in the United States by provid-ing financial assistance in the form of scholarship grants, professional opportunitiesthrough internships, and fellowship through social and professional activities.

CONNECTICUT, from page 5Mouradjian, Rev. Dr. Vahan Kouyoumdjian,Rev. Arman Galstyan, John Abrahamian,Richard Arzoomanian, John Avedesian, Dr;Svetlana Babajanyan, Evelyn Mukjian Daly,Prof. Mari Firkatian, John Geragosian, SoniaGulbank, Kit Kaolian, Richard Hamasian,Professor Armen Marsoobian, Attorney HarryMazadoorian, Attorney Gregory Norsigian,David Paparian and Christopher Wright.

Also in attendance and offering prayers werethe Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair, S.T.D.,Archbishop of the Catholic Diocese of Hartfordand Rev. Pouls Namrood of St Thomas Assyrian

Church of New Britain.Committee member Attorney Harry

Mazadoorian read a number of legislative cita-tions introduced by Representatives RichardLopes and Edwin Vargas Jr. which were present-ed to the Keynote Speaker and honored guestsand Committee member Attorney GregoryNorsigian led the audience in a solemn momentof silence with Diana Dagavarian Colpitts.

The Commemoration was followed by areception featuring sumptuous Armenian foods.

The flag of the Republic of Armenia flew overthe Connecticut State Capitol from April 21through April 27.

Salpi Ghazarian Speaks at GenocideCommemoration in Connecticut

Children in traditional Armenian costumes at the State Capitol

NEW YORK — This past Palm Sunday—April14, 2019—the Eastern Diocese marked ACYOADay. The annual observance highlights theChristian youth group of the Armenian Church.

Members of the ACYOA Central Councilspread out across the Diocese to speak inlocal parishes about the importance ofACYOA and its ongoing effort of ministry andoutreach. Nora Knadjian visited St. SarkisChurch, in Charlotte, NC; Sona Dagley visit-ed St. Hagop Church, Pinellas Park, FL;Ronnie Malconian visited the Church of OurSaviour, Worcester, MA; Mallory Maslar visit-ed the Armenian Church of Jacksonville, FL;Melissa Mardoian visited St. John the BaptistChurch, Greenfield, WI; Arsen Yelegen visitedSt. Mary Church, Washington, DC; and NickTashjian visited St. George Church, Hartford,CT.

ACYOA Central Council chair Nora Knadjiansaid: “In my visit to Charlotte, I met with localACYOA members on Saturday to lead a ChapterConnections workshop. It was beautiful toreunite with them on Sunday to celebrateJesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Duringthe Divine Liturgy, Fr. Samuel Rith-Najariancalled the children of the church to gather atthe chancel, to be part of the ‘Opening of theDoors’ ceremony. The local ACYOA membersare entering into a new, exciting era. They havegreat ideas and are looking forward to the restof the year.”

“I enjoyed visiting the Jacksonville commu-nity on Palm Sunday,” said Mallory Maslar. “Iwas welcomed with open arms by the entirecommunity. I was able to share my camp expe-rience and share stories about my ACYOAadventures. I loved seeing the community sup-port this chapter. They are small, but they aremighty. The boys all shared their ACYOA expe-rience over the years. I really enjoyed hearingthat one of them is planning to attend the St.Nersess Deacon’s Training seminar this sum-mer.”

Nick Tashjian said: “The St. George Parish isa great community with Armenian families from

different parts of the diaspora. They were allwilling to introduce themselves and welcomethe central council to their parish. I spoke tothe parish about the ACYOA; it was very infor-mal, to the point where I ditched my writtenspeech and just spoke to the parish. There wasgreat interest in a senior’s chapter and severalparents approached me about their kids in col-

lege. I spoke to the Juniors and Seniors oncethe lunch was over. I look forward to being incommunication with St. George.”

“I loved being able to visit the Church ofOur Saviour in Worcester, MA,” said RonnieMalconian. “I saw that there were youngadults on the altar as well as in the choir. I washappy to see that most of them also took partin the luncheon after church, showing a real

connection to their church community. I wantto thank the Church of Our Saviour for havingme!”

For Arsen Yelegen, visiting the St. Mary inWashington, DC, gave him “the opportunity toserve on the altar, and it was wonderful to seeall of the young faces also serving. After thebadarak, the ACYOA Juniors prepared and

served a luncheon accompanied by a musicalperformance by a few of the members of theJuniors. It was heartwarming to see the St.Mary community come together and celebratethe youth of the church.”

Melissa Mardoian “had the pleasure of visit-ing St. John Church in Greenfield, WI. I waswelcomed by many old friends of my parentsfrom their time in the ACYOA. The young

adults that were present served on the altarduring the service and made a point to engagewith their church. They have something specialat their church: a familial mindset that makesthem a strong community.”

Finally, at the St. Hagop parish in PinellasPark, FL, Sona Dagley noted that “the SundaySchool did a wonderful job hosting the lun-

cheon under the supervision of the ACYOASeniors. I am excited to watch the youth in thisarea continue to grow and prosper in celebrat-ing their faith and fellowship.”

Jennifer Morris of the Department of Youthand Young Adult Ministries coordinated theACYOA Day parish visits and continues to workwith the ACYOA Central Council on all of theirprogramming and initiatives.

ACYOA members serving food

Youth Leaders Visit Parish on ACYOA Day

By Gary D’Amato

SOUTH MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WisconsinGolf) — In the early 1970s, decades before the24/7 news cycle, smartphones and social mediaconspired to ruin the myth-building of our sportsheroes, Archie Dadian might as well have beenArnold Palmer to a bunch of teens learning toplay golf at Grant Park in South Milwaukee.

We knew of Dadian’s exploits only throughnewspaper stories and word of mouth and imag-ined him to be a giant who could pummel a golfball out of sight, knock down flagsticks with hisirons and dare birdie putts not to fall. We knewhe lived nearby and frequented Grant Park.

But over two long summers we never saw him,which only made the very idea of an ArchieDadian seem more romantic.

Then, one day, after getting kicked off thecourse at dusk by a vigilant maintenance workerwho knew from experience that we’d sneaked on,we were headed back to the parking lot whensomething made us stop dead in our tracks.There, in the setting sun, was a solitary figure hit-ting balls in the little practice area across thestreet from the first hole.

His swing was short and quick, like the crackof a whip, and the ball came off the club face witha sound unlike anything we’d ever heard. Everyshot traced the same perfect parabola in the sky,the balls landing softly and within feet of eachother, 120 yards away.

Nobody had to tell us.We knew who we were watching.Archie Dadian is 85 and hasn’t played compet-

itive golf since 2012. He’s had his left hip replacedthree times, his right hip once. Arthritis in hisindex finger, a remnant of the metacarpal he shat-tered when he hit a rock in the fairway at the1965 Azalea Open Invitational, prevents him fromcompletely closing his hand. He says he hasn’tplayed more than a dozen rounds over the lastfive or six years.

But he’s thinking about entering a tournamentor two this summer.

What a treat that would be. Not for Dadian, butfor Wisconsin golf.

He’s a connection to a glorious past in our

state, a connection to names such as Dick Sucher,Steve Caravello, Bobby Brue, Walter Atwood andButch Schlicht. He’s a connection to a time whenpublic links players were looked down upon asinferior, a time when only a handful could enterthe State Amateur.

His father, an Armenian immigrant, owned atavern in blue-collar South Milwaukee. Like someof the men against whom he competed, Dadianworked in insurance. But they were salesmen,many with their own successful businesses. Hewas an examiner.

As a Saturday morning dew-sweeper whoplunked down his green fees at MilwaukeeCounty courses with the rest of the working stiffs,Dadian, his dark complexion turned mahoganyfrom hours in the sun beating balls, couldn’tenter the locker room at some private clubs, evenduring tournaments he would win. In the 1950sand ‘60s, he often changed into his spikes in theparking lot.

You don’t think that put a chip on his shoul-der?

Once, in the Milwaukee District Match PlayChampionship, Dadian was standing over abunker shot when he heard a woman in thegallery say, “I sure hope the public links playerloses.” He backed off, instructed his caddie to pullthe flagstick and defiantly holed the shot.Take that, he thought.

When he briefly played on the PGA Tour in1964 and 1965, he was paired with the great JackNicklaus and two-time major champion DougFord at a tournament in Indianapolis.

“Jack hits his tee shot on the first hole andFord hits his tee shot and now I’m getting readyto hit and all of a sudden I hear a voice in thegallery: ‘Who the hell is that guy?’” Dadian says.“I back off and I say, ‘I’ll show you who I am.’ Ibelted it and it had to be close to 70 yards pastFord’s ball and maybe 20 yards past Nicklaus’ball.”

By his own count, Dadian won more than 100tournaments, including one-round qualifiers. Hewon the State Amateur twice, in 1963 at matchplay and in 1974 at stroke play. He won the inau-gural Wisconsin State Golf Association MatchPlay Championship in 1975 and repeated in ’76.

There was some nice symmetry to his career:He won the Wisconsin Public Links Association’sRay Fischer 72-Hole Amateur Championship, theWPLA 36-hole Championship, the MilwaukeeDistrict and the old Milwaukee Sentinel andMilwaukee Journal tournaments five times each.

“Five seems to be my number,” Dadian says.Unless it’s 10. That’s how many times he won

the WPLA Billy Sixty Best-ball title (with three dif-ferent partners). He also was a 10-time WSGASenior Player of the Year, taking the honor everyyear from 1989 to 1998 (sharing it with Sucher in1992).

Dadian was the first public links player to winthe State Amateur and the first to win theMilwaukee District title. He was named thenational public links player of the decade for the1970s, after finishing runner-up to Eddie Mudd inthe 1976 U.S. Amateur Public LinksChampionship and reaching the semifinals onthree other occasions.

At South Milwaukee High School, he won theold Suburban Conference title in 1951. Sixty-oneyears later, at age 79, he tied for 18th in theWSGA Senior Amateur. How’s that for longevity?

He did it all with a home-made swing, short andquick in the takeaway, fast and violent in thedownswing. Often, both feet came off the groundat impact.

“I went once to Manuel de la Torre,” Dadiansays of the late Milwaukee Country Club profes-sional, a nationally known teacher. “He looked atmy swing and said, ‘Archie, you’ve got the worstgolf swing I’ve ever seen.’ But he said, ‘I wouldn’tchange a thing about it.’ I said, ‘Why?’ He said,‘Because you’re able to repeat everything you do,all the time.’”

He was blessed with great natural strength; hisgrandfather was the Turkish heavyweightwrestling champion and went by the nickname“No Neck.” “I could lift 100 pounds just like this,”Dadian says, raising one arm. “Up until about fiveyears ago, I could still do one-arm push-ups.”

He also had superior hand-eye coordination,another genetic gift. He was a multiple-time

South Milwaukee city marbles champion, backwhen every kid shot marbles, and once ran 121consecutive balls in straight pool. His brothersexcelled at racket sports and his niece was a U.S.table tennis champion. He’s a charter member ofthe Wisconsin Dartball Hall of Fame.

Dadian discovered golf by accident in the ninthgrade, when a friend dragged him to Grant Park,less than a mile from his boyhood home.

He guessed his first score was around 150. “Ithought it was a terrible game,” he says. But a sec-ond trip to the course yielded some solid shotsand a much better score, and he quickly becamehooked. Within months, he was shooting in the80s with a $6 set of mismatched, wood-shaftedclubs.

Because his home course was Grant Park, ashort layout with par-4s mostly in the 280- to 350-yard range, Dadian never learned how to hit longirons. He didn’t need them because he could drivethe green on all but a handful of holes. And Granthad no bunkers, so he never developed soundtechnique in the sand.

“My strength was 5-iron and in,” he says. “I wasalmost automatic. If I would have had someoneteach me how to hit a longer iron and a bunkershot, nobody would have beat me. I had those twomajor defects.”

After high school, Dadian enlisted in the Navyand after two years was transferred to the MarineCorps, where he befriended Tony Lema, whowould go on to win the 1964 British Open. Lemaand Dadian were the top players on a talented all-Marine Corps golf team.

“But we could never beat San Diego NavalBase,” Dadian says. “They had (Billy) Casper and(Gene) Littler.”

Dadian won the Wisconsin State Amateur in1963 and the next year shot a course-record 59 atGrant Park.

“On the third hole, I had a three-foot birdie puttand I missed it,” Dadian says. “The ball was on theother side of the cup and I reached over andjabbed it and it bounced over the hole. So, I three-putted and bogeyed the hole. Otherwise, it couldhave been 57.”

Dadian turned pro in 1964, joined the PGATour and won a car for making a hole-in-one atthe Buick Open. In what turned out to be a briefcareer, he got paired with some of the game’sgreats, including Nicklaus. In his first round withthe Golden Bear, a nervous Dadian developed acase of the shanks.

“I must have shanked the ball four times,” hesays. “Nicklaus comes over to me and puts hisarm around me. He says, ‘Hey, Arch, I knowyou’re nervous, but you see all these people fol-lowing us? If any of them were better than youare, they’d be playing and you’d be a spectator.’”

Whether Dadian would have had a successfulcareer is a matter of conjecture. It ended when hehit that rock in the fairway in Wilmington, NorthCarolina. By the time he got to the green, hishand had swelled to twice its normal size and hewas forced to withdraw.

The broken bone eventually required surgeryand Dadian applied for amateur reinstatement. Inthe first State Amateur he entered after regainingamateur status, he lost to a young Andy North inthe finals in 1969. The championship switched tostroke play in 1971 and Dadian won his secondtitle in ’74.

How many more would he have won if he had-n’t turned pro, broken his hand and basicallymissed five years in his competitive prime?

“In my mind,” he says, “there’s no question Iwould have won it more times.”

He remained a dominant player until develop-ing a case of the putting yips. It all started, hesays, when he missed a short putt on the 36thhole of the championship match in the 1976 U.S.Amateur Public Links. He then lost on the firstextra hole to Mudd.

“I thought about that putt all winter,” he says.By the end of the next summer, every short

putt, even a tap-in, was an adventure.“Ask Dave Miley how I lost the (Milwaukee)

District,” he says. “I was 2-up with three holes togo. I never had more than a 5-foot putt for birdieand I lost every hole. On the 17th hole, I double-hit a putt. Then I did it again on 18.

“It got so I literally could not take the putterback. If somebody would have bet me a milliondollars that I couldn’t make a one-foot putt, Iwould have lost. There was no way I could havemade the putt. Absolutely none.”

see GOLF, page 9

8 S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 4 , 2 0 1 9 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

COMMUNITY NEWS

Public Links Legend Archie Dadian Isn’t Quite Ready to Call it Quits

Archie Dadian

(GARY D’AMATO PHOTO)

Tekeyan Cultural Association Boston and Armenian

General Benevolent Union New England District

Present

AGBU Building

247 Mount Auburn Street Watertown MA

Free admission, reception to follow

Books will be on sale

For more information, email

tcadirector@aol.com or call 617 924-4455

May 15 7:30 pm

Literary Evening withCalifornia novelist

Aris Janigianand

Susan Barba poet, author and editor

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Since the arrival ofRev. Gomidas Zohrabian to the St. DavidArmenian Church in Boca Raton, FL, he has ini-tiated many projects and programs includingthe great success of the Lenten lectures serieswhich were organized by Sonig Kradjian andMarieta Agopian.

All the lectures were given by physiciansemphasizing different aspects of health.

The lectures started with Dr. Richard Berjian,author, musician and physician. He spoke aboutrisks in today’s medical system. Obviously inthe richest country in the world our health caresystem needs improvement. During the ques-tion and answer a very wise person in the audi-ence observed that here in United States ofAmerica, we have an excellent sick care system,but a mediocre health care system.

This was followed by Dr. Thomas Varbedian,well known philanthropist, and ophthalmolo-gist, who gave an excellent lecture which made

a very complicated subject clearly understoodin simple terms, and he certainly got the audi-ence involved in his very amicable presentation.

The next topic “You and your kidneys,” waspresented by Dr. Armen Margaryan fromArmenia, who was eloquent, competent andvery up to date with his audio visual presenta-tion..

Dr. Wisam Zakko who comes from a greatfamily of Armenian doctors, graduated fromBaghdad, Iraq medical school and then hadextensive training both at the Brigham andWomen’s Hospital and Massachusetts

General Hospital. He has the American Boardof Internal Medicine and the Board of gas-troenterology. He has a very successful practicein Ft. Lauderdale in gastroenterology and heexplained the careful diet to protect againstcolon cancer.

Dr. Gregory Boyajian, born in Aleppo, immi-grated to West Virginia and trained in den-

tistry and prosthodontics,excelled in both fields andestablished a very high classand successful practice inWest Palm Beach. In addi-tion to his expertise in allfields of dentistry, he is aman for all seasons withsolid expertise in history,ancient and Middle EastHistory, photography, artand on and on. His lectureon “Blood” was a well cali-brated mixture of the histol-ogy of blood, with clinicalsignificance of the variousblood components spicedwith humor that kept theaudience attentive and mes-merized.

The last lecture was by Dr.Ernest M. Barsamian on the“Human Heart.” During hisalmost five score years, Dr.Barsamian has received innu-merable honors and awardsincluding the Ellis IslandMedal of Honor, the Plaque ofValor from the CongressionalMedal of Honor Society andthe Mekhitar Heratsu Medalfrom the President ofArmenia. For the past 30years, the best surgeon of the year at the VAMedical Center outside Boston receives theErnest M. Barsamian Award. He built one of thefirst heart-lung machines at MIT, was a pioneerheart surgeon and Professor Emeritus ofSurgery and Faculty Dean at Harvard.

The lecture ended via a telephone call facili-

tated by Dr. Gregory Boyajian, to introduce tothe Armenian audience British Armenian sur-geon, Professor Alexander Seifalian, of London,who has already built an artificial trachea withNano stem cell technology and is currentlyworking on an artificial heart, with the sametechnology.

9S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 4 , 2 0 1 9 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

COMMUNITY NEWS

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GOLF, from page 8He tried everything — left-hand low, claw

grip, putting with his eyes closed, puttingwith his driver. He finally went to the longputter, which turned out to be his salvation.The broomstick at least allowed him to becompetitive, but he never again was the sameon the greens.

“Not even close,” he says.Asked what he considers his greatest

accomplishment in golf, Dadian doesn’t men-tion any of the dozens of tournaments hewon.

“Probably just the people I’ve met,” he says.“I’ve made a lot of acquaintances, a lot offriends through golf. And it’s nice to be con-sidered one of the better players in the state,you know? Most of the good players comefrom private courses. It’s that simple.

“Had my folks been wealthy enough whereI could have been a member of a privatecourse and learn how to hit a long iron andsand shots, I think my career would havebeen a whole lot better.

“As to how much, who knows?”In May 2017, I arrived at Blue Mound Golf

& Country Club well before my tee time andwhen I pulled into the parking lot, I saw a soli-tary figure on the range. It was Dadian, warm-ing up for the round we’d play with retiredWSGA executive director Gene Haas.

I’d written many stories about Archie overthe years but had never played golf with him.Before we teed off, he warned us not toexpect much, explaining that it was his firstround of the year and that he’d played onlytwice in 2016.

He double-bogeyed the first hole andbogeyed Nos. 2 and 3. I distinctly rememberthinking, “Poor Arch, he’s lost his game.”

Then … boom, a 225-yard drive down themiddle. Par. Boom, a 230-yard drive. Birdie. Astring of pars followed. By the end of theround, he was hitting his driver 235-plus. Heplayed the last 15 holes in 6-over par. He was83 years old.

Nobody had to tell me. I knew who I waswatching.

Public Links Legend Archie DadianIsn’t Quite Ready to Call it Quits

WATERTOWN — Setrak Iskandarian ofWatertown passed away on April 26. He was 86years old. He was the husband of Sonia(Khalarian) Iskandarian.

He had been born in Tripoli, Lebanon in1933.

He was the father of Vera Iskandarian andher husband Dan Sandler of Belmont and SetaIskandarian and her husband RobertNalbandov of Watertown and grandfather ofJames and Garen Sandler and Gabriel andPatrick Nalbandian. He was the brother of thelate Nishan Iskandarian, Elizabeth Iskandarianand Nazareth Iskandarian. He also leaves twogenerations of loving nieces and nephews.

He had been a member of Knights of VartanArarat Lodge Number 1 since 1997.

Funeral services were held at St. JamesArmenian Church, 465 Mt. Auburn St.Watertown on Tuesday, April 30. Interment wasat Highland Meadow Cemetery in Belmont.

Setrak Iskandarian Member of Knights of Vartan

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Biatris Bogossian ofFramingham died peacefully on April 23. Shewas 81 years old. She was born in Bucharest,Romania.

She was the wife of the late Levon Bogossian.She leaves her children Armen Bogossian andhis wife Piruza of Burlington and SatenikKotsiopoulos and her husband Victor ofFramingham; grandchildren Deanna and DavidBogossian and Ariana Kotsiopoulos. She wasthe sister of the late Haigouhi Ohanian andMkritch Demirchian and sister-in-law of MariDemirchian of Saugus and the late MakruhiBogossian. She was also survived by two gen-erations of nieces and nephews.

Services were held at St. Stephen’s ArmenianChurch, 38 Elton Avenue, Watertown onMonday, April 29. Interment followed at ForestHill Cemetery, Lynnfield.

Biatris BogossianBorn in Romania

Dr. Thomas Varbedian, Rev Fr. Gomidas Zohrabian and SonigKradjian

Healthy Mind and Spirit Energized by New Spiritual Leadership

10 S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 4 , 2 0 1 9 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

COMMUNITY NEWS

COMMEMORATION, from page 1that now 1.5 million people of Armenian ances-try live in America.

“The Armenian nation has not just endured,but it has prevailed,” said Schumer, who is a co-sponsor of Senate Resolution 150 that calls forthe US to commemorate the ArmenianGenocide through official recognition andremembrance. “The three pashas are gone, theOttoman Empire is gone, but the Armenianpeople live on and continue to inspire theworld.”

A tireless advocate for the Armenians, Sen.Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), who earlier thismonth admonished US Ambassador to Turkeynominee David M. Satterfield for failing to referto the 1915 atrocities as Genocide, stated thateveryone has “come together in remembrance,in reflection and in solidarity.”

The Ranking Member of the Senate ForeignRelations Committee, who along with Sen. TedCruz (R-T.X.) recently sponsored SenateResolution 150, is ensuring that the foreign pol-icy of the US “reflects appropriate understand-ing and sensitivity concerning the ArmenianGenocide.”

Menendez stated that the Turkish authoritiesbegan a systematic campaign to exterminatethe Armenian population through “killings,starvation, forced deportation and untold bru-tality” and remarked that “such intentional hor-rific violence targeted towards one people has aname and one name only and that name is

genocide.”He acknowledged the 1.5 million victims who

perished and also appreciated their contribu-tions to Armenian history and culture that“lives on today and there can be no denyingthem.”

Taking a stand “in support of the unshakabletruth,” Menendez outlined how the Turkishgovernment has spent “countless millions ofdollars on lobbyists willing to trumpet lies andmake excuses for the atrocities that its prede-cessors committed.”

“Portraying the extermination of 1.5 millionArmenians as nothing more than a conse-quence of World War I is a distortion of historyat best and at worst a contrived excuse for anunthinkable crime against humanity,” he con-

tinued. He spoke of the suppressive Turkish govern-

ment that has “undermined the fundamentalright of freedom of speech” and how the coun-try’s leaders have initiated prosecutions, smearcampaigns and even resorted to violence

against historians and journalists who havestudied the Turkish treatment of the Armeniancommunity, remarking that “such actions arereprehensible and speak volumes both aboutthe crime and the cover up.”

Recalling the words of Ambassador HenryMorgenthau, US Ambassador to the OttomanEmpire during the Armenian Genocide, whodescribed the Turkish authorities of deportingArmenians as a ‘death warrant’ to a whole race,Menendez asserted that today’s diplomatsshould “not be any less frank when engagingwith the Turkish government.”

“We refuse to see the truth suppressed, thefacts denied andhistory revised,”said Menendez.“We will not restuntil it becomesthe official policyof the US govern-ment to recognizethe ArmenianGenocide hereand any place elsein the world.”

CongressionalArmenian CaucusCo-Chair FrankPallone (D-N.J.),pledged that hewill continue topush for recogni-

tion of the Armenian Genocide and reaffirmedthat there has been “tremendous progress”around the world as 30 countries now officiallyrecognize the Armenian Genocide, along with49 out of 50 US states.

“We will continue our efforts and demandthat the Turkish government recognize theArmenian Genocide and pay reparations,” saidPallone, who also called for ongoing support ofthe Republic of Armenia as well as Artsakh. Alongtime supporter, he has made trips to bothArmenia and Artsakh, where he has advocatedfor the people’s right to self-determination.

He urged the public to persist in their fightand hold rallies such as the annual commemo-ration in Times Square in order to achieve offi-cial recognition.

“Please understand how important it is foryou to be here today and how important it is forall of you to continue to support your Armenianadvocates and Armenian organizations like theKnights and Daughters of Vartan, because with-

out your help, we wouldn’t be able to makeprogress on the issues you care so muchabout,” concluded Pallone.

New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), amember of the Congressional Caucus onArmenian Issues, remarked that the US should“join the chorus of voices across the globe” andrecognize the genocide and the “calculatingelimination of an entire population.”

“We mourn the 1.5 million Armenians mur-dered by the government that was supposed toprotect them,” said Maloney. “We must honortheir memory and we must come to the daythat Turkey’s President Erdogan recognizes thegenocide instead of denying it.”

She said she is proud to support resolutionsthat recognize the “systematic plan to extin-guish the ancient, dignified and accomplishedArmenian people” and the lessons that must belearned in order to prevent future tragediesfrom occurring again.

“We must teach ourselves and our childrenthe abuse of state power that allows thesecrimes to go unpunished,” said Maloney. “Onthis solemn day of remembrance our messageremains united and clear: the US and Turkishgovernments must formally acknowledge theterrible genocide that occurred 104 years and Iam with you as we keep fighting and pushingfor recognition.”

Headlining the event with a special culturalperformance, Berberian curated an artistic con-cert that included a rendition of Ils SontTombes (They Fell), by Charles Aznavour, thepoetry of the Hovhannes Shiraz set to musicIntz Guh Moranam (I Forget Myself) and DleYaman by Komitas.

“Even though many years have passed sincethe Armenian Genocide, it does not stop mefrom remembering it and instead it gives memore drive,” said Berberian. “We are payingtribute to the ultimate cause that concernsevery Armenian in his or her heart.”

Grand Commander and Matron of theKnights and Daughters of Vartan, Dr. GaryZamanigian and Diana Tookmanian, elaboratedon the significance of commemorating theArmenian Genocide. The Knights andDaughters of Vartan have sponsored the TimesSquare Armenian Genocide Commemorationsince 1985. This year the event was co-chairedby Tigran Sahakyan and Ari Minnetyan, underthe guidance of Chairman Emeritus HirantGulian.

Armen McOmber, Esq. and Prof. NvairBeylerian compellingly led the program.McOmber was recognized for his decade of ser-vice to the Times Square Armenian GenocideCommemoration and was presented with a spe-cial certificate of recognition and a Knights ofVartan medal.

The results of the 2019 Knights andDaughters of Vartan International ArmenianGenocide Essay Contest were announced: first-place, Andrew Panosian of La Crescenta, CA,who is a freshman at Glendale CommunityCollege; second-place, Garine Kamajian ofIndian Shores, Fla., who is a junior at Universityof South Florida-Tampa; third-place LilitArsenyan of Yerevan, Armenia, who is a fresh-

man at YerevanBrusov StateUniversity ofLanguages andSocial Sciences.

The AstghiknerJunior Ensembleof St. Gregory theI l l u m i n a t o rMission Parish inBrooklyn sangthe Armenian andA m e r i c a nanthems andHayr Mer, underthe leadership ofMaria Sahakyan,as the students ofthe Holy MartyrsArmenian Day

School of Bayside, NY and the HovnanianArmenian Day School of New Milfold, NJ sanga medley of Armenian patriotic songs, underthe guidance of their principals, Seta TavitianMegherian and Shakeh Tashjian, respectively.The Yerevan Dance Ensemble of St. Gregorythe Illuminator Mission Parish made a specialappearance.

The opening remarks and prayer were deliv-ered by Zaven Khanjian, executive director ofthe Armenian Missionary Association ofAmerica (AMAA). The invocation was made byArchbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Prelate ofthe Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Church ofAmerica, and the closing prayer by Very Rev.Mamigon Kiledjian, representing Very Rev.Daniel Findikyan, Primate of the EasternDiocese of the Armenian Church of America.Other clergy in attendance included representa-tives of the Roman Catholic Armenian Eparchyof America and Canada.

Thousands Mark Genocide AnniversaryAt Times Square Program

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ)

Singer Elie Berberian

A child lays a carnation at a model of the Armenian Genocide memorial Tsisernakapert

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)

Co-MC Armen McOmber, Esq. honored for hisdecade of service to the Annual ArmenianGenocide Commemoration in Times Square

TALEEN BABAYAN PHOTO

TALEEN BABAYAN PHOTO

TALEEN BABAYAN PHOTOTALEEN BABAYAN PHOTO

TALEEN BABAYAN PHOTO

S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 4 , 2 0 1 9 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R 11

COMMUNITY NEWS

BOSTON, from page 1He then spoke about visiting his ancestral

homeland, Keghi, with his father, a quarter-cen-tury earlier. Once, he said, the Kurkjians wereamong the 3,000 families living there. Hisfather, Anooshavan, survived the 300-mile trekto safety as a 3-year-old.

Kurkjian wrote about this trauma in a coverstory for the Boston Globe Magazine, titled“Roots of Sorrow.”

In spite of the many plaudits and awards thathe has received for his great body of workexposing wrongdoing, he said that BostonGlobe article is his favorite. “That was the most

important, inspiring article I wrote,” he said. Headded, however, that he has since realized thatthe headline needs to be expanded to includethe positive changes that have happened.

“We need to continue to insist on anddemand recognition,” he said, adding, “the arcof the universe bends slowly but it does bendtoward justice.” Standing on the spot called theArmenian Heritage Park in Boston was a rea-son for optimism.

He also touched on the city of Boston and itshistory of immigrants, from the Italian and Irishto the Haitians, Cambodians and Brazilianswho make up so much of the more recent immi-grant population.

“It is the immigrant experience that makesour city richer and more diverse,” he said.

In addition to speaking about immigration,he stressed the importance of the free press,noting that the administration of President

Woodrow Wilson had ignored the cables fromUS Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire RobertMorgenthau spelling out the government treat-ment of the Armenians, and it was not until afrustrated Morgenthau shared those cableswith the New York Times that the story explod-ed.

“A free press is a predicate for a functioningdemocracy,” he said, before reciting the mottoof the Washington Post, “Democracy dies in thedark.”

Next, he praised the Velvet Revolution inArmenia, citing that it was won by a reporter,Nikol Pashinyan, and his wife, Anna Hakobyan,also a reporter.

He urged those present to help Armenia.“Bring your energy and idealism to Armenia.”

Since leaving the Boston Globe, he has alsowritten the book Master Thieves: The BostonGangsters Who Pulled Off the World’s GreatestArt Heist, about the perplexing robbery of theIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in

1990, during which 13 priceless works werestolen, never to surface again.

The next speaker was Dr. Pamela Steiner, aSenior Fellow with the FXB Center for Healthand Human Rights at the Harvard School ofPublic Health, as well as a therapist in privatepractice in Massachusetts. She is also the great-granddaughter of Ambassador Morgenthau.

Steiner spent the duration ofher talk comparing and con-trasting two books which havenot been part of recent discus-sions, Deep Mountain, Acrossthe Turkish-Armenian Divide(2010), by Ece Temelkuran andThere Was and There Was Not:A Journey Through Hate andPossibility in Turkey, Armenia,and Beyond (2014) by MelineToumani.

Both books made a lot ofnoise when they were pub-lished. In both cases, the writ-ers were journalists trying to

present their understandings of history. Neitherbook received much support in its native group.

Temelkuran, a veteran journalist, wanted toexplore why Armenians hated Turks and howthe Turks could be so ignorant of their plightand impassive toward them.

Toumani, a reporter for the New York Times,left her job and moved to Turkey for two years,fed up with the anti-Turkish sentiments of hercommunity. She wanted to see for herself whatthe Turks were like and how they would reactto her, knowing she was Armenian.

Steiner praised the efforts of the two jour-nalists for engaging in a dialogue with theother group, helping her on her journey ofunderstanding.

In addition, both were written in anticipationof the centennial of the Armenian Genocideand both knew the assassinated Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, she added.

“Each traveled outside their country to theother,” she said, adding that both writers foundbeing Armenian or Turkish full-time exhausting.

She also noted that only Toumani went onher journey with the acknowledgement of theArmenian Genocide while Temelkuran did not.

While “Each book is flawed, and in someregards, painfully so,” Steiner said, each writertried to “free herself from preconceivednotions,” she said.

Steiner was an early proponent of the

Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commissionof 2001, supported by the State Department,which ostensibly sought to bring togetherArmenians and Turks to start a dialogue. Theeffort received a lot of negative feedback as thegroup started off with the premise that animpartial organization needed to analyze andreach a verdict on the events of 1915. The com-mission found that a genocide had been com-mitted and the Turkish government quicklypulled away.

During her talks she praised David L.Phillips, now a senior fellow at the AtlanticCouncil, who chaired the commission, alsoknown by its acronym, TARC.

“He was excoriated for bringing Armenians

and Turks together. They [the Turkish govern-ment] particularly failed the fact test andrespect test,” she said.

The third speaker was Ekhlas Ahmed, a sur-vivor of the Darfur Genocide, who lived as arefugee in Egypt before her family was able tomove to Portland, Maine. From the 12-year-oldSudanese refugee who could not speak English,

she went on to graduate high school with hon-ors and has since received her master’s degreein education from the University of SouthernMaine, and even found herself on the “Ellen”show.

Ahmed was particularly moving, reciting apoem titled “Sounds of Gunshots,” which cap-tured her hometown in the wake of the geno-cide.

“I wrote the poem to tell the story of mymotherland,” she said. “I love my homeland. Ineeded to protect my family and my stories.”

She thanked the organizers and theArmenian community for reaching out to her,noting that what the two genocides have incommon is that neither is really spoken aboutin the mainstream media.

“I am bringing the voice of the voiceless tothe young children. Our voices are the bestweapons we have. We need stories of justiceand peace. We must not forget our history andour roots and peaceful ways,” she said.

The crowd, whose members were dazzled byher poem and speech, all recited without con-sulting notes, erupted into a thunderousapplause at the conclusion of her talk.

Also on stage that night were members of theSayat Nova Dance Company, performing twonumbers, “Giligia” and later the high-energy“Nareh-Nareh.”

Marine Kavlakian, a piano teacher, performedtwice, once playing the piano solo, while alsoaccompanying the young students who sangthe Armenian and American anthems.

Master of ceremonies for the program wasSevag Khatchadourian.

Michael Demirchian offered closing remarks,thanking all the young committee membersand urging the community to remember theircanonized martyrs and to celebrate their her-itage.

“Being at the Armenian Heritage Park makesme feel inexplicable gratitude that we are anation that survives,” he said. He urged moreunited programs for the community.

April 24 GatheringAt Heritage Park HasGlobal Flavor

Speaker Stephen Kurkjian

Dr. Pamela Steiner

Homenetmen Scouts march to the Armenian Heritage Park.

Dr. Marina Kavlakian performs.

Members of the audience at the Armenian Heritage Park

Speaker Ekhlas Ahmed

(DAVID MEDZORIAN PHOTO)

(DAVID MEDZORIAN PHOTO)

(DAVID MEDZORIAN PHOTO)

(DAVID MEDZORIAN PHOTO)

(DAVID MEDZORIAN PHOTO)

(DAVID MEDZORIAN PHOTO)

12

Novelist JanigianAnd Poet/EditorBarba Presented byTekeyan and AGBU

WATERTOWN — The Tekeyan CulturalAssociation Boston Chapter and theArmenian General Benevolent Union NewEngland District present a literary eveningon May 15 with California novelist ArisJanigian and Susan Barba, poet and editor,as discussant.

For his first novel, Bloodvine, Aris Janigianwas hailed by the Los Angeles Times as a“strong and welcome new voice,” and in foursubsequent novels he has plumbed theAmerican experience, from the struggle of1920s Armenian immigrants to the fields ofCalifornia to the neuroses and decadence ofcontemporary culture. His 2012 novel, ThisAngelic Land, set during the 1992 LosAngeles Riots — and which featured aLebanese Armenian protagonist — was called“today’s necessary book” by critic D. J.Waldie. Janigian’s Waiting for Lipchitz atChateau Marmont, about a screenwriter whogoes from riches to rags, spent 17 weeks onthe Los Angeles Times bestseller list.

Janigian holds a PhD in psychology fromClaremont Graduate University and was for-merly Senior Professor of Humanities at theSouthern California Institute of Architectureand a contributing writer to West, the LosAngeles Times Sunday magazine. He was afinalist for Stanford University’s WilliamSaroyan Fiction Prize and the recipient ofthe Anahid Literary Award from ColumbiaUniversity. In addition to his five novels,Janigian is co-author, with April Greiman, ofSomething from Nothing. He lives in Fresno,the city of his birth.

Susan Barba is the author of Fair Sun,which was awarded the Anahit Literary Prizeand the Minas and Kohar Tölöyan Prize. Herpoems have appeared in Poetry, The Yale

Review, the New York Review of Books,Raritan and elsewhere, and she has receivedfellowships from the MacDowell Colony andYaddo. She has a doctorate in comparativeliterature from Harvard University, specializ-ing in Armenian, Russian, and English poet-ry, and she works as a senior editor for NewYork Review Books. Her new book, geode, isforthcoming in 2020.

The discussion with Janigian promises totouch upon the Armenian Diaspora;Armenian-American identity; the form(s) ofthe novel; the relationship between memory,art, and trauma; nostalgia and post-memory.“What I am struck by as I read Janigian’swork,” Barba says, “is how he gives shapeand vitality to these terms, probing and trou-bling them, and thereby renewing them.”

The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. at theAGBU Building at 247 Mount Auburn St. inWatertown. Admission is free, with a recep-tion to follow the formal portion of theevening. Books will be on sale. For moreinformation, email tcadirector@aol.com orcall 617 924-4455.

AMAA’s Child and Orphan Care LuncheonAnd Fashion Show RaisesFunds for Children inArmenia, Karabakh

LOS ANGELES — The Crystal Ballroom ofthe Beverly Hills Hotel was the beautiful settingof the Armenia Missionary Association ofAmerica’s (AMAA) Child and Orphan CareLuncheon and Children’s Fashion Show onMarch 23. The theme of “Wish Upon A Star…”signified the important work that is being doneby the AMAA to help dreams come true inArmenia and Karabagh. The Luncheon Co-Chairs, Diane Cabraloff, Gina Felikian andSandra Kalemkiarian worked tirelessly to makeevery aspect of the Luncheon enjoyable for over450 guests and supporters who attended. Theywarmly welcomed the guests and introducedthe dynamic emcee for the day, JacquelineSarkissian, who is the morning news reporterfor “Good Day Austin” on Fox 7. Before lunch,Sara Kalemkiarian Cipolla delivered an inspir-ing devotional and prayer about gratitude.

The Ballroom was decorated by flowers donat-ed by Zareh David Ghoukasian of David ZDesign, who continues to support the eventevery year. This year’s Silent Auction featuredmore than 100 items. Nicole Nishanian andLeslie Shahinian, Silent Auction co-chairs, pro-cured many items, including several designerbags, beautiful jewelry, and much more. Therewere many opportunities to help the children bysponsoring a child, providing meals at the daycare centers, or by purchasing a Bible for themto read. This effort was coordinated by MaroNajarian Yacoubian and Tina Segel who orga-nized the Child Sponsorship table and encour-aged everyone to make a difference in the life ofa child in Armenia. Many children were spon-sored at the luncheon.

Joyce Stein, national co-chair of the Orphanand Child Care Committee, and her daughterTina Segel introduced a video which showedthe continuing need in Armenia and howAMAA’s important ministry has helped dreams

come true for thousands of Armenian childrenand their families.

This year, the committee was thrilled that thetalented Armenian designers of Closh traveledfrom Istanbul, Turkey to provide the fashionsfor our first runway show. The Closh designers,Serli Keçoglu and Selvin Parunakyan Özgül,have deep connections with the ArmenianChurch and surrounding community in Turkeyand have always been dedicated to theArmenian cause. They hand made all of thedresses for the show and donated their time,energy and talent to create a memorable expe-rience for all.

see AMAA, page 14

T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O RS A T U R D A Y, M A Y 4 , 2 0 1 9

Arts & Living

Story of Two WomenThrough Art and History

At Armenian MuseumWATERTOWN — The Armenian Museum of America unveiled a new exhibit on

April 24 called “In the Shadow of Branches.”The exhibit, in the Adele and Haig Der Manuelian galleries, presents the work of

two women, a diplomat and an artist. The diplomat, Diana Agabeg Apcar (1859-1937) helped save the life of the artist, Berjouhi Kailian (1914-2014), when the lat-

ter was a child refugee from the ArmenianGenocide. The aftereffects of genocide continuedto reverberate in Kailian’s life and art for decades.The motto for the Armenian Museum exhibit isthat “individuals who take a stand can impact his-tory exponentially.”

Jennifer Liston Munson, executive director of the museum, provided a press brief-ing during the morning, while the exhibit opened that evening to the public.Michele Kolligian, president of the museum’s board, welcomed guests at the formalevent and Munson spoke about the preparatory work for the exhibit. Questionswere then taken from the audience.

Visitors to the newly refurbished and bright third floor galleries of the museumfirst encounter a display on Apcar, including juxtaposed timelines of events in herlife, Kailian’s life, and major international turning points. A projection on a pedestalof the trailer of “The Stateless Diplomat: Diana Apcar’s Heroic Life,” a film beingprepared by Apcar’s great-granddaughter Mimi Malayan, makes scenes from Apcar’slife come alive (see it at https://dianaapcar.org/).

Apcar, born in Rangoon, Burma, grew up in Calcutta, India and moved toYokohama, Japan in 1891 with her husband, who died unexpectedly in 1906, leav-ing her to run the family trading and shipping business. The museum exhibit show-cases a number of her personal effects on loan from the Armenian CulturalFoundation (ACF) in Arlington, Mass., including her watch, fountain pen, cup, cardbox, letter box, makeup box, and bud vases, as well as a kimono and dress. Her mod-est Edwardian-style dress and a kimono strikingly point to two of the cultures Apcarmanaged to bridge.

Several of her official documents on loan from ACF are framed. They include theJuly 22, 1920 letter from Foreign Minister Hamazasp Ohanjanian appointing Apcarhonorary consul, her diplomatic credentials, diplomatic passport, her draft letter toa Japanese governor, and a copy of her baptismal certificate. There are also somephotographs of Apcar and her family loaned by Project Save Armenian PhotographArchives for this exhibit.

see WOMEN, page 13

Diana Agabeg Apcar in a long gown, about 1915

By Aram Arkun Mirror-Spectator Staff

Aris Janigian, Susan Barba

AMAA Child and Orphan Care NationalCommittee Co-Chair Joyce Philibosian Steinwith her husband Joseph Stein

PHOTO BY FARSARI. PROJECT SAVE ARMENIAN PHOTOGRAPH ARCHIVES. COURTESY OF KATHERINE APCAR BERBERIAN

13S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 4 , 2 0 1 9 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

ARTS & LIVING

WOMEN, from page 12Apcar became a voice for the oppressed

Armenians of the Ottoman Empire and beganto write in various journals. By 1920, she hadpublished nine books, many of which dealt withthe Armenian question politically, including Onthe Cross of Europe’s Imperialism: ArmeniaCrucified (1918), and thanks largely to herefforts, Japan recognized the independence ofthe first Republic of Armenia in 1920. In turn,the new republic appointed her as its honoraryconsul in Japan. She thus became the firstfemale Armenian diplomat (during the sameyear that the US finally gave women the rightto vote), though she lost this post in a few yearswith the Sovietization of Armenia.

Prior to receiving this distinction, Apcarhelped Armenian refugees make their way tosafety, including many who came via Siberia to

Japan in order to emigrate to the United States.She vouched personally for them and helpedthem obtain travel papers. This is where theconnection with Berjouhi Kailian begins, forKailian, born with the last name Siroonian inKghi in the Ottoman Empire, fled the genocideas a child on her mother Alem’s back toYerevan. Her siblings were lost on the way, buther mother then took her via the Trans-Siberian railroad to a refugee camp inVladivostok, Russia. Apcar helped bring thetwo to Yokohama and then arranged for them

to take a ship, the “Mexico Maru,” to Seattle,Washington.

Ultimately, the Kailians traveled to Weymouth,Mass., to join Berj’s mother’s two brothers.Berjouhi graduated from Weymouth HighSchool and then the Vesper George School ofArt in Boston in 1936. After marrying, she livedin Paris with her husband Vahan Kailian andattended the Julien School of Fine Arts. Whenshe returned to the US, she ran an art gallery inHingham, Mass. and after selling her store, wentback to school again at the age of 65 to study artat Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and then TuftsUniversity, where she obtained a Bachelor ofFine Arts degree in 1984. She kept on creatingart throughout her life.

Munson pointed out that Apcar and Kailian’slives only briefly intersected in 1919 and theynever saw one another again. Kailian’s descen-

dants were not even awareof Apcar and her key rolein helping their ancestors.However, Kailian’s paint-ings and prints, many ofwhich were donated to theArmenian Museum byKailian and her family,often deal with the eventsof her early life. Munsonsuggests that the earthtones Kailian uses mighthave some connection withher father’s fate. He wasforced to dig his own graveand was buried alive. A painting with many arch-

es may reflect Kailian’s experi-ence as a child of getting lost

and being found again in St. Sarkis Church inYerevan. Kailian only visited Armenia againmuch later in life, three times.

Munson paired quotes from Kailian’s inter-views with her art works to try to give viewersgreater insight into Kailian’s world view. Insome way, Kailian at one point had implied, herapproach of gouging and scratching might be away for her to get out the pain of her childhood.

Most of her works displayed are mixed mediaon Masonite, and have complex colors, eithervery bright or earth tones. Munson finds they

are similar to other works of AbstractExpressionism of the 1970s. However, manysymbols and shapes are connected to meaningsfor Kailian.

Her son once said that the starbursts in hismother’s work were associated with the genesisof the creation, like thunderbolts of divine spir-itual light. An artist friend of Kailian, on theother hand, said that the starburst was a sym-bol of never forgettingtragedy.

Kailian, Munson said,does not want to overlydescribe her work, her his-tory and her past. Shewants you to look for your-self. Munson said, “Theidea of art work and thecreative impulse whichworks against the destruc-tive impulse is central forher work…the idea that sheneeds to make these thingsin order to make sense ofher own story, her sense ofhistory, and to deal withthe darkness that she has.”

Kailian was an artist-in-residence at the museum inthe 1980s and also volun-teered there. Jackie Abramian interviewedKailian in her book, Conversations withContemporary Armenian Artists (Brattleboro,VT: Amana Books, 1990). She also has beeninterviewed by her on video as part of theArtists at War multimedia project (seehttp://www.artistsatwar.net/berj-kailian.html)

After her experience as a refugee, Kailianwent on to have a family and make many artworks, and lived to 100, and yet, Munson said,was only one of the fruits of Apcar’s work. Hergreat-granddaughter Malayan documented over600 people that Apcar helped get passage tothe United States.

The title of the Armenian Museum’s show,“In the Shadow of Branches,” refers to a quotefrom a letter Apcar wrote to US PresidentWilliam H. Taft in 1910, prior to the ArmenianGenocide, comparing the United States ofAmerica with the sheltering branches of a tree

which she hopes will protect the Armenians.Apcar herself, Munson said, extended thosebranches over many Armenian refugees. Theshow makes clearer the implications of thatshelter for at least one family, the Kailians.

The family was in evidence not only throughBerjouhi’s art works; the artist’s cousin came tothe opening night event and the Kailian familysponsored the reception afterwards.

Story of Two Women through Art and History at Armenian Museum

Some of Diana Apcar’s personal effects and books

Chronology of the exhibit, with Executive Director Jennifer Munson of the Armenian Museum ofAmerica, and Diana Apcar’s kimono in the foreground

Some of Berjouhi Kailian’s works on display

Berj Kailian in her studio

Untitled, Mixed media on Masonite, by BerjKailian, c. 1970, 13 ¼ x 12

JACKIE ABRAMIAN PHOTO

ARAM ARKUN PHOTO

ARAM ARKUN PHOTO

AMAA, from page 12As in previous years, there was a wonderful

Children’s Fashion Show which was introducedand coordinated by Aleen Oruncakciel. TheFashion Show was sponsored and produced byBloomingdale’s Sherman Oaks. TheBloomingdale’s Sherman Oaks team, alongwith the Committee, worked together to makethe Fashion Show a complete success

Sandra Kalemkiarian, who coordinatesfinances and reservations, works tirelessly everyyear to efficiently close out the Auction. “Weare grateful for the very generous donations wereceive each year,” said Sandra, “and especiallyfor all the children who were sponsored.”

The guests left the event with a bag full ofgoodies, including amazing nail care productsdonated by Jessica Vartoughian of JessicaCosmetics, dried fruit from LindaKay Abdulian,cookies from Leslie Kevorkian, devotional

books from Sandra Kalemkiarian and book-marks from Arpi Krikorian. The children eachreceived a gift bag donated by Ani Zakari. The

beautiful bags for the goodies are donated eachyear by Arsine Seraydarian.

In closing, Lori Muncherian and ArsinePhillips, West Coast Child and Orphan Care

Committee Co-Chairs, thanked the Chairs, theentire Committee and all the donors for theircontinued support of this event for the childrenin Armenia and explained that “We are working

T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O RS A T U R D A Y, M A Y 4 , 2 0 1 914

ARTS & LIVING

AMAA’s Child and Orphan Care Fashion Show Raises Funds for Children in Armenia, Karabakh

Turkey’sKilling Fields

By Bruce Clark

Using the word “genocide” to describe anepisode of mass killing has consequences. If thehorrors are unfolding now, it invites other coun-tries to intervene and punish the perpetrators.If the unspeakable events are in the past, theword’s use can affect the way they are dis-cussed, by historians or ordinary people. Oncethe term “genocide” has been established, itcan seem tasteless or morally impossible to talkin much detail about thecontext in which massmurder occurred. Anyspeculation about precisemotives or catalysts cansound like making excus-es.

But one merit of TheThirty-Year Genocide,about the agonies suf-fered by Christian sub-jects of the OttomanEmpire immediately before and after its col-lapse, is that the authors overcome that prob-lem. Their narrative offers a subtle diagnosis ofwhy, at particular moments over a span of threedecades, Ottoman rulers and their successorsunleashed torrents of suffering.

The book examines three episodes: first, themassacre of perhaps 200,000 OttomanArmenians that took place between 1894 and1896; then the much larger deportation andslaughter of Armenians that began in 1915 andhas been widely recognized as genocide; andthird, the destruction or deportation of theremaining Christians (mostly Greeks) duringand after the conflict of 1919-22, which Turkscall their War of Independence. The fate ofAssyrian Christians, of whom 250,000 or moremay have perished, is also examined, in lessdetail.

The authors are distinguished Israeli histori-ans. Benny Morris, a chronicler of the fightingthat attended Israel’s birth, has written bluntlyabout incidents in which Arabs were killed orexpelled. He also argues (contentiously) that itwould have been better if the result had beentotal separation between Jew and Arab. His co-author, Dror Ze’evi, is a fellow professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Each of their chosen episodes occurred at aparticular historical moment. The first unfoldedin an Ottoman Empire that was at once mod-ernizing and crumbling, while in chronic rivalrywith the Russians. The second took place whenthe Turks were at war with three Christian pow-ers (Britain, France and Russia) and were con-cerned about being overrun from west and east.During the third, Greek expeditionary forceshad occupied the port of Izmir, with approvalfrom their Western allies, and then marchedinland.

An impressive chapter explains the buildup tothe 1894-96 massacres. It describes the strain

imposed on rural Anatolia by newcomers flee-ing Russia’s march through the Caucasus, andthe transformation of the Armenians from areligious minority into a political communityfeared by the Ottomans.

This story is told with a feeling for shadingand nuance. Yet there is a paradox about thebook. As diligent historians, Morris and Ze’eviacknowledge many differences between thethree phases of history they recount. (For exam-ple, different regimes were involved: in the firstcase, the old guard of the empire; in the second,a shadowy clique of autocrats; in the third, asecular republic.)

But their self-imposed mission is to empha-size continuity. As they argue, the Armeniandeath marches of 1915-16 are by now well doc-umented, and their status as a genocidal crime,with one million or more victims, well estab-lished. By contrast, they feel, things that hap-

pened at the beginningand end of their chosen30 years need to be bet-ter known, so that all thetravails of the OttomanChristians over that timecan be seen as a singlesequence.

Between 1894 and1924, they write, between1.5 million and 2.5 mil-lion Ottoman Christians

perished; greater accuracy is impossible.Whatever the shifts in regime, all these killingswere instigated by Muslim Turks who drew inother Muslims and invoked Islamic solidarity.As a result the Christian share of Anatolia’spopulation fell from 20 percent to 2 percent.

Well, all those statements are accurate as faras they go, and they reflect one aspect of themultiple tragedies that attended the region’slurch toward modernity. Yet it remains difficultto express the authors’ core case in a singletrue-or-false proposition. Are they suggestingthat Islam is intrinsically violent? No, they rejectthat view. Are they implying that a 30-year planwas formulated and then implemented, albeitby different regimes? At times, they hint atsomething like that. But their skill as historiansholds them back from saying anything so crude.

In one of their best passages, Morris andZe’evi carefully discuss possible interpretationsof the 1915-16 blood bath, and offer compar-isons with debates about Hitler’s Holocaust. Asthey note, historians have disputed how far inadvance the mass annihilation of Jews wasdreamed up. Regarding the Armenians, theysay, there is no doubt that the death marchesthat began in April 1915 were centrally coordi-nated. But there have been reasonable argu-ments over how long in advance they wereplanned, and whether it was always intendedthat most victims would die.

Sifting the evidence, Morris and Ze’evi con-clude that the Ottoman inner circle began plan-ning deadly mass deportations soon after aRussian victory in January 1915. However,Ottoman policy was also shaped and hardenedby the battle of Van, in which Russians andArmenians fought successfully, starting in April1915. These conclusions rest on careful analysis.

But they are less confident about the fate ofthe Greek Orthodox subjects of the Ottoman

see REVIEW, page 16

The Thirty-Year Genocide:Turkey’s Destruction of Its

Christian Minorities, 1894-1924 By Benny Morris and Dror Ze’evi

Illustrated. 656 pp. Harvard University Press. $35.

BOOK REVIEW

LA AMAA Child and Orphan Care event Co-chairs Sandra Kalemkiarian, Diane Cabraloffand Gina Felikian

Members of the organizing committee

The beautiful Closh models

15T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O RS A T U R D A Y, M A Y 4 , 2 0 1 9

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

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

MAY 4 and MAY 5 — 2nd Feminist Armenian StudiesWorkshop: Gendering Resistance and Revolution, atthe University of California, Irvine. Co-sponsored by theNational Association for Armenian Studies and Research(NAASR)/Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Lecture Serieson Contemporary Armenian Topics.

MAY 5 — Mathew Karanian, “The Armenian Highland:Western Armenia and the First Armenian Republic of1918,” 4 p.m.at the Ararat-Eskijian Museum, 15105Mission Hills Road, Mission Hills, CA. Co-sponsored bythe Ararat-Eskijian Museum, Kharpert CulturalAssociation, and the National Association for ArmenianStudies and Research (NAASR).

MAY 19 — The Tekeyan Cultural Association of the UnitedStates and Canada Presents the 2019 North American tourof the VEM Ensemble of the UCLA Herb Albert School ofMusic, Danielle Segen, mezzo-soprano, Ji Eun Hwang, violin 1,Aiko Richter, violin 2, Morgan O’Shaughnessey, viola, JasonPegis, cello. 7:30 p.m. Tekeyan Cultural Association Los AngelesChapter Cosponsored with Abril Bookstore, 415 E. Broadway,Glendale. Introductory remarks by Artistic Director ProfessorMovses Pogossian. Performing a world premiere of Tekeyansongs by the Los Angeles-based composer Artashes Kartalyan,commissioned by the Tekeyan Cultural Association, and master-works by Komitas, Khachaturian, Mirzoyan, Hovhannes, andSchubert. Tekeyan Cultural Association, Pasadena-GlendaleChapter, TCA Beshgeturian Center, 1901 North Allen Ave.,Altadena. For more information, email tcadirector@aol.com.

MAY 4 — Guests and Members, join us at the FirstArmenian Church Nahigian Hall, 380 ConcordAvenue, Belmont, MA, for NAASR’s 65th AnnualAssembly of Members , Luncheon, and Program, onSaturday, 12-3:30 pm. Registration and Check-in at 11:30am. Featured Presentation on NAASR’s new global head-quarters by the architectural, engineering & design teamof Symmes, Maini & McKee Associates – Ara Krafian,CEO. Luncheon: $18 per person. Please register by April26, 2019. To register, visit https://interland3.donorper-fect.net/weblink/ weblink.aspx?name=E332049&id=22

MAY 4 — Celebrate Public Art two-part program dur-ing ARTWEEK BOSTON. Armenian Heritage Park onThe Greenway, Boston. 1 p.m. World Labyrinth Day: Walkas One. Join people in cities and towns in 35 countriesworld-wide walking in peace and harmony includingArgentina, Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada,Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, England, France, Germany,Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands,New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia,Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,Uruguay and USA followed by reception to view the2019 configuration of the abstract sculpture , hosted byEastern Lamejun Bakers and MEM Tea Imports. RSVPappreciated hello@armenianheritagepark.org.

May 5 — NOTE VENUE CHANGE:Back by populardemand! One of Armenia’s most popularstars, ANDRE, will appear in a concert with Sayat NovaDance Company of Boston. Don’t miss out on this ener-getic evening of song and dance. Reserve your seatsnow! To be held at Armenian Cultural and EducationalCenter (ACEC), 47 Nichols Ave., Watertown, MA. Lightrefreshments to be provided.Doors open at 4:30, concertbegins at 5 pm. Donation: $45, $60 and $80. For ticketsplease call Vrej - 339-222-3429, Meghri - 617-932-9237or email SNDC.ANDRE@GMAIL.COM ! Tickets are alsoavailable online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/andre-in-boston-with-sayat-nova-dance-company-tickets-59460537067.

MAY 6 — St. James Men’s Club Dinner Meeting - socialhour and mezza at 6:15 PM and dinner at 7:00 PM, St

James Armenian Church Charles Mosesian Cultural andYouth Center - Keljik Hall, 465 Mt. Auburn Street,Watertown, MA. The speaker will be Dick Flavin, poetlaureate of the Boston Red Sox. He is the senior ambas-sador of the Boston Red Sox and voice of Fenway Park,serving as public address announcer for Red Sox daygames. His television commentaries won seven NewEngland Emmy Awards. He is a nationally known speak-er and is a member of the Massachusetts BroadcastersHall of Fame. Mezza and a Losh Kebab & Kheyma Dinner$17/person. Ladies invited. For additional informationcall the St James Church office at 617-923-8860 or callHapet Berberian at 781-367-6598.

MAY 6 — Irina Ghaplanyan, “Post-Soviet Armenia: TheNew National Elite and the New National Narrative,”at the AGBU Center, 247 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown, 7:30p.m. Sponsored by the NAASR/Calouste GulbenkianFoundation Lecture Series on Contemporary ArmenianIssues. Further details to follow.

MAY 9 — The Armenian Museum of America and theNational Association for Armenian Studies andResearch (NAASR) present an illustrated talk by authorMatthew Karanian, The Armenian Highland: WesternArmenia and the First Republic of 1918. On Thursday,May 9, 2019, 7:30 pm at the Armenian Museum ofAmerica, 65 Main St., Watertown. Copies of TheArmenian Highland will be available for purchase.Reception following program.

MAY 10 — Lenny Clarke & Friends. Fundraiser to ben-efit the Armenian Apostolic Church at Hye PointeBuilding Fund. 8 p.m. The Armenian Apostolic Church atHye Pointe, 1280 Boston Road, Bradford.Mezze/Appetizers are Included & Cash Bar. Call DroKanayan at 978 828 5755 or Stephanie Naroian at 978835 1636 for tickets or tables and packages are available.Tickets will only be sold in advance, not at the door.

MAY 11 — Holy Trinity Armenian Church Presents“Battle of the Bands,” 7 p.m., doors open; 7:45 p.m.,music and dancing, Charles and Nevart Talanian CulturalHall, Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Boston,145 Brattle St., Cambridge. All are welcome to join us fora night filled with vibrant music, great food and dancing.Featuring the musical styles of Classic Groove (R & B,Soul, Motown, Jazz), Hye-Kef-G Band (Armenian) andBlack Sea Salsa (Salsa, Latin American). Saturday.Donation: $40 per person, includes dinner buffet fromeach genre of music. Cash bar available all night. Ticketscan be purchased at the door or by calling the Holy TrinityChurch Office, 617.354.0632, by May 3. Tables of 8 canbe reserved with payment in advance. For further infor-mation, log onto www.htaac.org/calendar/event/694/.

MAY 13 — Trinity Men’s Union 10th Annual TavlooTournament and Dinner, Monday, 6:15 p.m., SocialHour and Dinner, Charles and Nevart Talanian CulturalHall, Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Boston,145 Brattle St., Cambridge. Open to all. Donation forLosh Kebab and Kheyma dinner is $15 per person. RSVPrequested by May 10 to the Holy Trinity Church Office,617.354.0632, or email tmuhtaac@gmail.com. TavlooTournament to follow dinner; entry fee, $5. All levels wel-come. To sign up, please contact David Dorian attmuh-taac@gmail.com or call 617.501.4300. For further infor-mation, log onto www.htaac.org/calendar/event/692/

MAY 15 — The Tekeyan Cultural Association and theArmenian General Benevolent Union will present a liter-ary evening with writer Aris Janigian, author of Waiting forLipchitz at Chateau Marmont, Bloodvine and Riverbig,among others, with discussant author, poet and editorSusan Barba. 7.30 p.m., AGBU Building, 247 Mount AuburnStreet. Free, reception to follow. Books will be on sale.

MAY 19 — Concert at the Armenian Museum. Concert tocelebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of KomitasVardapet and poet Hovhaness Tumanyan. Sunday, 2-4 p.m.

MAY 19 — “International Food Festival – A Taste of theWorld,” presented by the Women of Holy Trinity,Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Boston, 12:30-2:30 p.m., Charles and Nevart Talanian Cultural Hall, 145Brattle Street, Cambridge. Join us to sample authenticcuisine from 9 countries: Armenia, Iran/Persia, Lebanon,Greece, France, Russia, Brazil, China and Italy. Donation:$15 adults; $10 children 12 and under. Tickets on sale atthe door. For further information, contact the Holy TrinityChurch Office, 617.354.0632.

JUNE 1 — Armenian Food Festival, Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to6:30 p.m., Armenian Church at Hye Pointe, 1280 Boston Road,Haverhill. Chicken, Losh Kebab, Kheyma, and Dolma Dinners.Armenian Cuisine featuring Spinach Pie, Lahmajoon, CheeseBeoreg, and more. Pastries Paklava, Kadayif, Cheoreg and

morePlus Activities for the Children, White Elephant Table, GiftBasket Raffles.

JUNE 6 — First Thursdays: Jazz at the ArmenianMuseum of America, Watertown, 6–7 pm: Galleryhours will be extended until 7 pm for guest to explore theMuseum. 7 pm: Reception in the Adele & Haig DerManuelian galleries, 3rd floor. 7:30–9:30 pm: The BlackSea Salsa Band

JUNE 6 — First Thursdays: Jazz at the ArmenianMuseum, Thursday, 8–10 p.m. Armenian Museum ofAmerica, Watertown. Featuring The Black Sea SalsaBand. More details coming soon!

JUNE 12 — Tea and Tranquility. Armenian HeritagePark on The Greenway, Boston. Wednesday from 4:30p.m. -6 p.m. Meet & Greet. Walk the Labyrinth. Enjoyrefreshing Ice Teas, hosted by MEM Tea Imports anddessert. Introduction to walking the labyrinth, mindfuland meditative walking at 4:45pm. RSVP appreciatedhello@armenianheritagepark.org

JUNE 13 — SAVE THE DATE. Film Screening:“Motherland” At the Armenian Museum inWatertown. Cosponsored by the Armenian InternationalWomen’s Association (AIWA). Thursday. More detailscoming soon!

JUNE 17 - AUGUST 16 – Abaka Dance Academy,Summer Program for ages 5-12, with principal/direc-tor Apo Ashjian at 101 Bigelow Ave., Watertown. Artsand Crafts, Indoor games, Sports, Music, Dance, Free T-shirts, Friday pizza and much more. Weekly sessions at$250/week, begin June 17 - August 16, 8 am - 3 pm.Late stay available upon request. Please register atwww.abakadanceacademy.com. For more information orquestions, email abakadanceacademy@gmail.com or call617-283-2010.

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

JUNE 28 – July 10 – St. James Armenian Church 7thPilgrimage to Armenia. Led by Fr. Arakel Aljalian. Joinus and Discover the Land of our Ancestors. All are wel-come. Registration deposits due March 1; Full Paymentdue April 1. For full details visit www.stjameswater-town.org/ armenia.

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

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

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

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

SEPTEMBER 16 — Registration is now open for the2019-2020 sessions of the Abaka Dance Academy,101 Bigelow Ave., Watertown, MA. Principal/directorApo Ashjian. Classes begin September 16 for gradesNursery II - Grade 10 students. Check the schedule andenroll today at www.abakadanceacademy.com. For moreinfo, email abakadanceacademy@gmail.com or call 617-283-2010.

SEPTEMBER 18 – SAVE THE DATE! InterContinentalHotel, Boston. Extraordinary Benefit for ArmenianHeritage Park’s Endowed Fund for Care.

SEPTEMBER 22 — Sunday Afternoon for Families andFriends. Armenian Heritage Park on The Greenway,

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

MASSACHUSETTSCALIFORNIA

MASSACHUSETTS

from previous pageBoston. 2:00pm-4:00pm. Wonderful afternoon with TheHye Guys Ensemble featuring Ron Sahatjian and JoeKouyoumjian. Hoodsies, Face Painting and more RSVPappreciated hello@armenianheritagepark.org

OCTOBER 19 — The Vosbikians are coming to theMerrimack Valley. The Armenian Friends of Americaproudly present their Annual HYE KEF 5 Dance, featuringThe Vosbikians. The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel,Andover, MA. Tickets Purchased before 9/13/19 willinclude the Great Venue, Outstanding Buffet, TheVosbikian Band and 5 Free Raffle Tickets Adults $75.00& Students 21 & under $65 Specially priced AFA Roomsavailable through 9/17/19. For Tickets and more infor-mation, Contact: Lu Sirmaian 978-683-9121 or Sharke’Der Apkarian at 978-808-0598 Visit www.Armenia-FriendsofAmerica.org

NOVEMBER 1,2 — NAASR Grand Opening and Gala.Friday, Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting, NAASRVartan Gregorian Building, at NAASR’s new world head-quarters, 395 Concord Avenue, Belmont, MA. Saturday,NAASR 65th Anniversary Gala, at the Royal SonestaHotel, Cambridge. 6 pm Reception, 7 pm Dinner andProgram. Honoree Dr. Vartan Gregorian, president of theCarnegie Corporation of New York; Master ofCeremonies David Ignatius, columnist for theWashington Post and novelist; Featuring renownedsoprano Isabel Bayrakdarian, accompanied by theBorromeo String Quartet, performing a program ofsongs by Komitas. Further details to follow.

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

MAY 5 — Tekeyan Cultural Association Detroit Chapterpresents My Times and My Contemporaries: LiteraryMemoirs and Philological Studies by Edmond Azadian.Saturday, 7 p.m. AGBU Alex and Marie ManoogianSchool Library, 22001 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield.Program will feature Prof. Kevork Bardakjian speakingabout the book in English, and Monsignor AndonAtamian will discuss the book in Armenian. Musical per-formance by kanon master Narine Ghambaryan.Reception to follow. Free and open to the public.

MAY 18 — St. Nersess Armenian Seminary invites youto Hope & Gratitude, a celebration honoringArchbishop Khajag Barsamian and Bishop-elect V. Rev.Fr. Daniel Findikyan. 6:30pm. Old Tappan Manor, OldTappan, NJ. $150pp. For reservations and booklet dona-tions, please contact Mrs. Lynn Beylerian, event co-chair,at 201-914-0354 orlynnbeylerian@gmail.com. More infoat www.stnersess.edu.

OCTOBER 25 — Honoring Dr. Taner Akçam. AbajianHall St. Leon Armenian Complex, Fair Lawn.

Sponsored by Knights and Daughters of Vartan, Underthe Auspices of Primate Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan.

MAY 4 — Save The Meher Statue Dance/Fundraiser -Saturday, 8 p.m. Sponsored by the PhiladelphiaChapter of the Knights & Daughters of Vartan. SanterianHall - 101 Ashmead Rd, Cheltenhem. Live entertainmentwith Anto Vartanian and the Artsakh Band, Full Mezza,Dessert Table, Cash Bar; For tickets, visit phillykov.com orcall 610-389-4633

MAY 5 — The Cultural Committee of Sts. Sahag andMesrob Church will present the first in a series oftalks, “Meet with Armenian Doctors,” on Sunday, at 1pm., in Hanoian Hall of the church complex. ( 70Jefferson St., Providence, RI ). Dr. Sevak Stepanian, anes-thesiologist will speak and take questions. Admission isfree and open to the public.

Calendar items are free. Entries should not belonger than 5 lines. Listings should include contactinformation. Items will be edited to fit the space, ifneed be. A photo may be sent with the listing no

later than Mondays at noon.

NEW JERSEY

RHODE ISLAND

MICHIGAN

T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O RS A T U R D A Y, M A Y 4 , 2 0 1 916

PENNSYLVANIA

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

ARTS & LIVING

INGREDIENTS6 cups sliced celery, tender leaves included, sliced on an angle2 large avocado, cut into pieces or sliced2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, diced2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced or 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half1 cup canned garbanzo beans, washed, drained1/2 medium red onion, sliced thinly6-8 radishes, chopped or sliced thinly1/2 cup each chopped flat-leaf parsley and mint1/4 cup marinated black olivesOlive oil and fresh lemon juice (or red or balsamic wine vinegar to taste)2 cloves garlic, mincedSalt and black pepper1 teaspoon sumac (or lemon zest)Olive oilCrumbled feta cheese, ricotta cheese or queso frescoToasted pine nuts, pecans or walnuts as garnish

PREPARATIONCombine the celery, avocado and cucumbers with the remaining vegeta-

bles and toss. Add the olives, olive oil and lemon juice, and toss. Season with salt, pepper and sumac, and toss again. Check seasonings, cover, and marinate for one hour in the refrigerator.When ready to serve, transfer salad to a serving plate with a slotted spoon (leaving behind any excess liquid), then garnish with cheese

and more pepper, if desired. Top with toasted nuts. Drizzle with a little olive oil, and serve with fresh lemon or lime wedges.Note: Choice of orange or grapefruit segments, diced apple, dates, pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries, golden raisins, pears, marinated

artichoke hearts or mushrooms, or fresh grapes may be added to this salad. Toss with a citrus poppy seed dressing or other dressing insteadof oil and lemon juice, if desired. Serves 6.

*Christine’s recipes have been published in the Fresno Bee newspaper, Sunset magazine, Cooking Light magazine, and athttps://www.thearmeniankitchen.com/

Recipe Corner by Christine Vartanian DatianCelery, Avocado and CucumberSalad

REVIEW, from page 14Empire from 1919 to 1922. They documentmany horrifying incidents but these do not addup to a fluent story.

Morris and Ze’evi vigorously challenge theTurkish argument that after World War I Greekseparatism in the Black Sea region posed a dan-ger to the emerging Turkish state requiringdeportation. The authors maintain that agita-tion for a state on the Black Sea was never seri-ous, and that Greeks in that region neveroffered much resistance to the Turkish regime.Neither of those statements is completely accu-rate. Greek Orthodox guerrillas held out in theBlack Sea hinterland with tenacity.

What is more, by challenging the Turkish jus-tification for the Black Sea deportations,Morris and Ze’evi almost imply that if there hadbeen a military threat in that region, the march-es and deportations might have been morallyright. This leads to a wider point about thebook as a whole.

The reader is left wondering what theauthors ultimately feel about the treatment ofcivilians in situations of total war. Nothing inthe United Nations conventions implies thatmilitary expediency can justify the removal,whether by ethnic cleansing, killing or both, ofpopulations whose presence is inconvenient.But by weighing up arguments for and againstcertain acts of expulsion, Morris and Ze’eviseem at times to be taking a less purist view.

There is no doubt that during the Ottomancollapse, millions of Christians died or sufferedbecause humanitarian principles were grosslyviolated. But they were not the only victims.Consider the wars that drove most Muslims outof the Balkans, starting in the early 19th cen-tury and arguably culminating in the genocidalacts suffered by some Bosnian Muslims in 1995.Hundreds of thousands of Islam’s followerswere killed and millions displaced, often findingrefuge in Turkey. If the era that gave birth tohomogeneous post-Ottoman states is to be toldas a single narrative, it must surely look on bothsides of the mirror.

(Bruce Clark writes on religion and societyfor The Economist. He is the author of Twice

a Stranger, a study of the Turkish-Greek popu-lation exchange. This review originally

appeared in the New York Times on April 23.)

Turkey’s KillingFields

17S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 4 , 2 0 1 9 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

COMMENTARY

Established 1932

An ADL Publication

EDITOR

Alin K. Gregorian

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Aram ArkunART DIRECTOR

Marc Mgrditchian

SENIOR EDITORIAL COLUMNIST:Edmond Y. Azadian

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

CORRESPONDENTS:

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

Contributing Photographers:Jirair Hovsepian

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1509

By Robert H. Tembeckjian

(Editor’s note: The following are the remarks that the author deliv-ered at the Armenian Bar Association Dinner Honoring PublicServants, April 25, 2019, at the Yale Club in New York City, at anevent he was being honored, as was Deputy Attorney General RodRosenstein. He is a frequent critic of President Trump and continu-ous defender of public servants.)

Your Eminences, members of the Armenian Bar Association, my fel-low honoree Rod Rosenstein, ladies and gentlemen:

It is a great pleasure for me to be at an Armenian event, where thenames are pronounced as easily as they are spelled, and where“Rosenstein” is harder for people to get right than “Tembeckjian.”

Thank you, Judge Acosta, my esteemed colleague and friend, foryour kind introduction. Listening to you, I realize just how old I am.I guess this ceremony demonstrates that if you hang around longenough, you will eventually be recognized for something more than apassing resemblance to Mr. Bean.

I am somewhat bemused, given my line of work, that so many judges arehere tonight. Perhaps they think this is a valedictory and they came to cel-ebrate my departure. Sorry. This is not my retirement dinner.

On the other hand, Rod Rosenstein has been leaving his job formonths. I can tell by the absence of Secret Service that the one per-son most anxious to see him leave for the past two years is not here.Perhaps he was intimidated by today’s date. It is, after all, the 25th,and the last person he’d want to hear on the 25th is Rod Rosenstein.

Rod and I have different relationships to the Armenian-Americancommunity. He chose to join it, having the good sense to marry LisaBarsoomian. I had no choice in the matter. Marrying into such a tight-knit community can be challenging. Just ask Kanye West. But grow-ing up Armenian has its own confusions and burdens, from trying tounderstand why people jokingly called us “starving Armenians” whenevery meal at our house looked like Norman Rockwell’sThanksgiving, to the unrelenting sense of responsibility not just tomake the family proud but to perpetuate a five-thousand-year-old civ-ilization that was nearly obliterated by Genocide in 1915.

It seems fitting to make a few observations on the twin themes oftonight’s program, which happen to reflect two arcs of my own life:public service and Armenian ancestry.

Let me express special appreciation to the Armenian BarAssociation for this meaningful personal recognition and, more sig-nificantly, for recognizing the value of public service in a political agepoisoned by cynicism, narcissism and greed.

These are not easy days to be in public service. Our national leader-ship has strayed so far from the idealism embodied in the call of our35th President to ask what we could do for our country. It has nowbecome a daily routine of the 45th President to denigrate the devotedmen and women of our civic institutions: a respected court is deridedas “disgraceful” for disagreeing with him, an honorable public servantis disparaged for directing a “witch hunt,” a dignified United StatesSenator is ridiculed for having become a prisoner of war, ancient cul-tures are denigrated in malicious stereotype, and an entire gender isdevalued and abased. The contempt is all the more frightening for beingso casual, and enabled by those in a position to stand up to it but whoinstead prove Edmund Burke’s point: “All tyranny needs to gain afoothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”

And yet, despite this dark and pessimistic state of affairs, I remainoptimistic about our country and its resilience, for two reasons.

First, I am fortunate every day to see the best of what state gov-ernment can achieve. I am surrounded by dedicated, principled pro-fessionals who do the hard, unheralded work of justice, day in and dayout. It is not and should not be easy to discipline or remove any offi-cer of constitutional government. But if the rule of law means any-thing, we must not shy away from holding a powerful official account-able, when circumstances demand it. This is what my colleagues at theCommission on Judicial Conduct do, and I am honored to be associ-ated with them.

Second, I am Armenian. Let me explain.All of us here are the descendants of immigrants, many of whom

were grimly acquainted with persecution. But there is something inmy family history that is profoundly pertinent to deeply disturbingevents in our troubled country today.

I am the grandson of illegal immigrants to the United States.Imagine the irony. Here at the Yale Club, whose very name signifies

privilege, the grandson of swarthy, non-English-speaking, impover-ished undocumented aliens, is addressing an audience filled with lawenforcement officials, at the very moment a continuing immigrationtragedy is playing out on our southern border.

Now, before any ICE agents get excited: I was born in Brooklyn.And as Ruth Bader Ginsburg would attest, despite our strange sound-ing native accents, Brooklyn is still part of the United States, and the14th Amendment’s guarantee of birthright citizenship has not yetbeen repealed.

Still, I am and always will be the grandson of illegal immigrants. Allof my grandparents were born in Turkey in the 19th Century andmiraculously survived the Genocide that claimed a million and a halfArmenians in 1915. My mother and her brother were born to dis-placed persons. The couple that later adopted them, when their par-

ents died, had also met as refugees. My father was five years old in1915 and had vivid memories of the Genocide all his life. His parentswere stateless for years and tried without success to migrate legallyto the United States. But immigration quotas were small, and youmight say the country was full. So, exiled from their homeland, theygot to Canada on forged papers, took a ferry from Windsor to Detroitin 1926 and never looked back. Within a year, my grandfather wasdead, and my widowed grandmother and two of her children werearrested and detained at Ellis Island for deportation hearings.

But 90 years ago, my grandmother was not separated from her chil-dren. She was not forced back across the border, or held incommuni-cado. She and her children were promptly released on bond, pendingtrial. Although she and the boys were ordered deported, she arguedthat returning to Turkey was a death sentence. For its part, theTurkish government would not take them because it did not acknowl-edge that Armenians had a right to return. So, her expulsion from theUS was postponed for six months, then another six, again and again.She returned to her linen factory job and cared for her family.

In other words, my illegal immigrant grandmother was reprieved bya government that understood it could both uphold the law and post-pone its consequences for humanitarian reasons; a government thattook time to examine and differentiate among the many who soughtits refuge, that did not invoke scripture to promote exclusion at theexpense of decency or justice.

That is the country to which my grandmother was faithfully devot-ed for 60 more years – working hard, paying taxes, raising childrenand eventually becoming a citizen in 1955. It is thenation her three sons grew up and joined the army to defend in WorldWar II, each returning home to build a successful small business –two dry cleaners, one a photo engraver. It is the country in which hergrandchildren serve today – my sister Renée as an Episcopal priest, Ias New York’s chief judicial ethics enforcement officer.

What incalculable multigenerational gifts America gets when it actsjustly and humanely toward people who seem to have nothing butdust in their mouths and dreams in their hearts. How sadly differentfrom the message anyone watching our country would get today.

Separating desperate families, demanding that people be thrownback across the border without due process and threatening to moverefugees like pawns to sanctuary cities as political punishment, deval-ue our national character. They mock a defining promise of ournation as illuminated by the Statute of Liberty. They undermine therule of law imbued by our Constitution. And they deprive us of peo-ple like my grandparents, and very likely many of yours, who infuseour country with renewed purpose and vigor, who remind us by theirmisfortune not to bask in our own material comforts. Not everyoneseeking entry is angelic and should stay, but demonizing everyoneonly makes us the devil in this story.

We are so much better than this. America is full, but not in the waythe president means. It is as full as this room is full of honorable peo-ple who believe in and promote our nation’s founding principles bytheir daily actions, who believe as I do that we are still the admirablecountry my grandparents struggled to reach. I even believe the UnitedStates will someday do right by their memory and actually call theArmenian Genocide they survived by its name; that our governmentwill finally appreciate that words matter; that presidential proclama-tions euphemistically referring to the “terrible events” and “pasttragedy” of 1915 are no more descriptive of Genocide than “starvingArmenians” was funny or about food.

Yure vor k’ayel etsink (Wherever we have walked)Yev vor degh hasank (Whatever we have achieved)Partavor enk, mer hajoghut’unneri, mer nahatakneri yev mer ver-

apratsnerin(We owe our good fortune to our martyrs and our survivors)Mer dznogner-eh yev mer tatigner-eh yev pap-er-eh(Our parents and grandparents)My grandparents were much too modest to appreciate how heroic

they were. Their names may not be on buildings, no marble statues orbronze plaques commemorate their courage. But they made it possi-ble for me to succeed and appreciate just how lucky I am to be anAmerican and how important it is to contribute to my country. Andthey do have monuments. Let me introduce some of them.

My daughter Sarah, a music supervisor; My cousin Anahit, a tradeshow organizer; My nephew James, a lawyer; my sister Renee, anEpiscopal priest; the people my sister and I were so lucky to marry,my brother-in-law Thomas, a psychologist, and my wife Barbara, ajournalist; my cousin Claire, an Assistant US Attorney; my AuntAraksi, a retired dress shop owner; and my Uncle Onnik Dinkjian, wholast year was honored by the Library of Congress and the KennedyCenter for a lifetime of preserving and spreading Armenian folk musicall over the world.

If my grandparents could not have imagined an evening such asthis, they surely could not have imagined their own names would beuttered in such a citadel of privilege and acceptance as the Yale Club.Allow me to resurrect their memory. Garabed and Zora Milliyan.Nishan and Oghida Dinkjian. Hagop and Rose Tembeckjian. And myparents, Edward and Arpine Tembeckjian, whose love endures in thegood hearts of my daughter Sarah and my nephews James andWilliam. I love all of them, and I thank all of you.

(Robert H. Tembeckjian is Administrator and Counsel to the NewYork State Commission on Judicial Conduct.)

In Defense of Illegal ImmigrantsAnd Public Servants

18 S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 4 , 2 0 1 9 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

COMMENTARY

By Philippe Raffi Kalfayan

Facing official commemorations of theArmenian Genocide on April 24, 2019 andnew resolutions or political declarations ofthird-party countries (France, Italy,Portugal), Turkey adopted an aggressive

tone and a denial with tones that were thought to have disap-peared. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has outdone all hispredecessors in denial and lies. He is known for his unparalleledboldness, especially when he argues with an extraordinaryaplomb that the existence of an Armenian diaspora is proof thatthere has been no genocide. The Armenian Diaspora, of course,exists because of the policy of extermination and forced depor-tation perpetrated by Ottoman Empire. The successor state,Turkey, does not ignore it. Hence, this declaration may be inter-preted as the expression of regret that the Young Turks did notexecute their sinister plan “properly.”

The street commemoration that was to take place in Istanbul,as in previous years, was banned this year by the police. One ofthe leaders of the Nor Zartonk movement has even been arrest-ed. Now the attitude is back to a harsh denialist discourse andmeasures aimed at nipping in the bud any hint of public sup-port for the memory of the victims of the genocide or the evo-cation of the latter. The activists who braved the ban on thecommemoration avoided saying the “G” word publicly. Theforced alliance with the MHP, the ultranationalist and racistparty with which Erdogan formed a coalition government, andthe general situation of rights and freedoms in Turkey, couldhave only led to such a result.

The purpose of this article is to present and analyse the con-tent of the official speeches or media reactions, and to drawconclusions not from the point of view of morality, whereArmenians do not have rightly anything to hope for in the cur-rent state of Turkey, but on the politico-legal plane where every-thing is possible and everything remains to be done. It is indeedsuggested that the situation thus created should not lead theArmenian government to remain lax, as it has announced, buton the contrary it offers new opportunities to act. TheArmenian state must not be content with denouncing “hatespeech,” as the Armenian Prime Minister did. The denial andlies discredit the whole of the Turkish Republic in regard of thereality of the genocide of Armenians and the facts of generalknowledge that constitute it, regardless of their legal qualifica-tion.

The Good Armenians

The official declarations and articles speak for themselves.President Erdogan castigates third-party states for recognizingor commemorating genocide. He argues that the archives areopen, invites researchers from around the world to come andwork there, and calls on Armenia to create a joint commissionof historians in the presence of international experts to studythe events of the past. The Turkish human losses during thisperiod would have equalled the Armenian human losses. Hencethis April 24 should commemorate all the sufferings of the past;a wording echoed by President Trump in his April 24 statement:“We welcome the efforts of Armenians and Turks to acknowl-edge and reckon with their painful history.”

In a letter addressed to the Armenian Patriarchate ofConstantinople, with a significantly different tone, Erdoganmentions “the massive humanitarian crises” that occurred dur-ing the last period of the Ottoman Empire.” He implores themercy of God for those who are “dead as a result of epidemicsand migrations.” He recalls the great contribution of theArmenians to the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish Republicand its continuity today. He calls for healing the “wounds of thepast” and to look to the future by strengthening ties. Cynicismreaches its climax when he claims “we will continue to defendyou,” because it specifies immediately after that the Armeniansof Turkey must choose between the good Armenians, thosewho accept this vision, and the bad, those who “seek to createhatred, resentment and hostility by distorting our common his-tory.” The threat is barely veiled: your protection is conditionedby the rejection of these bad Armenians.

Western Archives

The statements of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, inresponse to the French, Italian and US statements, referred tothe “Armenian fiction,” the suffering of the 500,000 slaugh-tered Muslims (adding a religious dimension that Turkey hadcarefully eluded so far) and the proposal of a joint historicalcommission to shed light on all the events that took place 104years ago. Foreign Minister Mehmet Çavusoglu said on April 15:“We are proud of our country because our history has neverhad any genocide.”

In reality, Turkey does not need third parties to undertakethe performance of its obligation to investigate past events. Theseriousness of the violations and the fact that the fate of hun-dreds of thousands of Armenians who were deported in 1915 isstill unknown today creates a legal obligation to investigateaccording to international law.

The liberal newspaper Milliyet published an article by jour-nalist Mert Inan (source: Embassy of France) refuting the the-sis of a “genocide” committed by Turkey in 1915 againstArmenians, and citing several professors in support of his state-ment. Under the headline “Documents contradict the allega-tions of genocide,” the journalist notes that “despite theArmenian theses that are echoed by the West, there are alsotheses of foreign specialists who claim that Turkey is accusedwrongly and that mutual massacres were perpetrated in 1915by the two communities.” He cites Justin McCarthy: “It was awar between two fraternal peoples and the words related togenocide [fall under] the political slogan” and uses extractsfrom Ronald Suny’s 2015 book out of context: “The massacresof thousands of Turks committed by the Armenians between1916 and 1917 and the mutual massacres committed by thetwo populations.” Finally, he quotes the former head of theInstitute of Turkish History, Metin Hulagu: “The allegations ofArmenian genocide are used as a threat against Turkey byWesterners. Our archives are open. On the other hand, those ofArmenians and Europeans are closed. We call on the world tocome and do research and analysis in order to set up a negoti-ation.”

Turkish Archives Are Open?The archives of the Ministry of the Interior of the Ottoman

period are accessible. This fact made possible, among otherthings, finding evidence of orders of deportation, extermina-tion, and numerous statistics on the victims. As for theRepublican period, there are very few documents available. Theaccess to other relevant archives, and in particular for theRepublican period which followed the genocide and which sawthe establishment of official denial policy, are restricted. Forexample, if the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of theOttoman period are open (the documentation is questionable)those of the Republican period are still closed. The records ofthe Department of Justice are not available for either period,making it impossible to access the proceedings and detaileddocuments of the martial courts (1919-1920 CUP trials). GaroPaylan just asked for precisely for this from the Turkish Vice-President, Fuat Oktay. Finally, with regard to the OttomanArmy archives, which are held at General Staff Headquarters,only researchers obtaining a special permit can access them butunder very strict conditions: the archivists select page by pagethe requested documents to make available. One may add tothis list the land and real estate records prior to 1924. They arenot open to foreign natural or legal persons, members of popu-lations that have been listed as “exchanged,” “emigrated,” “fugi-tive,” or “disappeared.” The government circular, issued the firsttime in 1983 and renewed since, requires cadastral services notto respond to requests for information and documents fromthese populations. In other words: it is difficult to claim thatthese archives are open.

Invoking Perinçek Judgment

The national-Kemalist daily Aydınlık quotes an academiclawyer criticizing the Turkish state for “failing to make suffi-cient use of the ECHR’s [European Court of Human Rights]decision in support of Dogu Perinçek’s denial of the Armenianlie.” This judgement is, according to him, strengthening thehand of Turkey.

In sum, the tone is globally aggressive, threatening, and thegoal is clearly to divide the Armenian nation, especiallyArmenians from its diaspora, the good Armenians from the bad.The re-election of the Armenian patriarch of Istanbul is clearlyshaping up to be a stage under threat. The claims are based onhistorical untruths, especially the alleged civil war and equalcasualties.

The landmark book Genocide Denials and the Law byLudovic Hennebel and Thomas Hochmann recalls that “thedenial of Armenian Genocide is government policy in Turkeyand part of the essential duties of its diplomatic missions.Denial occurs in a network of organized political attempts torewrite or un-write the history across international borders”(David Fraser). It adds: “the denial of the Armenian genocide isa proof of a state of denial of its own past. Turkey has tried todeny the burden of guilt that the genocide represents for anemerging nation that is trying to build itself a different past.Here the debate is created by the Turkish state itself: it revolvesaround the definition of genocide and its applicability to thecrimes committed against the Armenians rather than on themassacres ever actually occurred” (Martin Imbleau). And “inthe Turkish successor state to the Ottoman Empire, genocide isnot only tolerated, it is flourishing (Robert Kahn).”

Hochmann argues that state denialism fabricates good-faithdeniers because of educational programs, but that the higherthe intellectual level of these deniers, the more bad faith can beestablished. It is for this reason that the Lausanne Tribunalfound that Perinçek’s remarks about Armenian Genocide weresimilar to qualified denialism: justification of the massacres,reversal of responsibilities, and glorification of the authors.Perinçek was a doctor of law and a historian, and he could notthus ignore the contradictory arguments.

In an article, Güven Gürkan Öztan and Ömer Turan(“Armenian Genocide: Turkish society and state united indenial”), the authors stress that the Turkish Republic’s will towipe the slate clean is accompanied by a number of legal mea-sures aimed at covering up the footsteps of 1915, especially onthe question of “abandoned properties” which is corroboratedby the embargo on the pre-1924 cadastral registers.

They conclude that “The AKP has maintained the denialistpolicy of the Turkish state on many points, whether on thequestion of archives, historical commissions or the use of theirpower in international relations. We have simply gone from acriticism of the Young Turk ideology to one that refuses to con-sider that civilization (Islamic-Ottoman) could have been guiltyof such a crime.”

State Denial and International Law

State denial is an integral component of genocide. Stateresponsibility has no statute of limitations; what matters is theexistence of acts giving rise to such responsibility, namely inter-nationally wrongful acts. It is established that Turkey has com-mitted serious violations of international law. The legal sourcesof these violations are the 1878 Treaty of Berlin, an interna-tional treaty still in force in 1915, which required the OttomanEmpire to protect its Armenian population. Moreover, theOttoman Empire violated the laws and customs of war of theHague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 [the Turkish OttomanState had ratified the 1899 one] which protected civilians intime of war as well as in times of peace, especially through theMartens Clause. Based on this legal basis, France, Great Britainand Russia condemned the Ottoman Empire for “crimes com-mitted against humanity and civilization” on May 24, 1915.

The Genocide Prevention Resolution adopted by the UNHuman Rights Council notes “with concern that attempts todeny or to justify the crime of genocide, as defined in theConvention and established as such under international law,may risk undermining the fight against impunity, reconciliationand efforts to prevent genocide.” By making the fight againststate denial a means of preventing genocide, this provisionobliges all States to ensure its respect.

In the UN Set of Principles for the Protection and Promotionof Human Rights Through Action Against Combat Impunity,the Principle 3 provides that “A people’s knowledge of the his-tory of its oppression is part of its heritage and, as such, mustbe ensured by appropriate measures in fulfilment of the State’sduty to preserve archives and other evidence concerning viola-tions of human rights and humanitarian law and to facilitateknowledge of those violations. Such measures shall be aimed atpreserving the collective memory from extinction and, in par-ticular, at guarding against the development of revisionist andnegationist arguments.”

It should be noted, however, that international judgmentsclearly condemning individuals for genocide do not preventHolocaust deniers from proliferating. The InternationalCriminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia has established thefacts beyond a reasonable doubt to prevent any denial or revi-sionist enterprise. But the facts were rejected by both partiesas were judgments. Time does not solve this problem, especial-ly because the official thesis is biased and subject to propagan-da. For another example, Japanese society denies vigorously thewrongs committed against “Comfort Women” during WWII bythe Imperial army despite the official apology of Japan in theframework of a bilateral agreement with South Korea.

Mr. Perinçek won his case against Switzerland thanks to acontroversial requalification of the meaning of the words heused. As a consequence, the criminal sanction was considereddisproportionate to the act; a civil proceeding would have not,said the Court.This distinction made, we fully agree withAydinlik’s journalist: let’s exploit the Perinçek case! The judge-ment and Turkish government memoir to the Grand Chamberare in total contradiction to the recent statements from theTurkish Executive.

The ECHR Section judgment (17 December 2013) referred tothe “atrocities” that were committed in 1915 and subsequentyears.” The Court recalls that the Turkish Government consid-ers it essential to recall that the applicant has never denied thatmassacres and deportations took place on the territory of theformer Ottoman Empire in 1915. In the Turkish Government’ssubmission, a significant difference is made between ongoing

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Turkey Is Back to Hard Denial Is It a Deadlock or an Opportunity?

S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 4 , 2 0 1 9 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

COMMENTARY

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My TurnBy Harut Sassounian

Trump: A Coward on theArmenian Genocide Like Obama,Bush Jr., Clinton, and Bush Sr.

President Donald Trump issued last week his third April 24statement “on Armenian Remembrance Day.” And for threeyears in a row he did not muster the courage to use the cor-rect term — genocide — to describe the annihilation of 1.5 mil-lion innocent Armenian men, women, and children by theOttoman Turkish government.

President Trump basically repeated the same words that heused in the past two years, with very minor changes. Againhe used the Armenian term “Meds Yeghern” (Great Crime) toavoid calling the mass killings a genocide. Meds Yeghern issimply a description that Armenians used before the wordgenocide was coined by Raphael Lemkin in the 1940s, where-as genocide is a term of international law and has legal con-sequences. Besides, if President Trump insists on using anArmenian word, he should have said “Tseghasbanoutyoun”(genocide).

Many Armenians had been hoping ever since his electionthat President Trump would rely on his unpredictable impuls-es to describe the Armenian mass killings as genocide, ignor-ing the counsel of his advisors and the position of his prede-cessors. Unfortunately, President Trump knows very littleabout Armenian-Americans and can care less about theirinterests. The only time President Trump will pay attention to

the genocide issue is when Armenian-Americans gain morepolitical clout.

It should not take much courage for President Trump touse the term Armenian Genocide since President RonaldReagan already used it in his Presidential Proclamation onApril 22, 1981. In fact, Armenian-Americans do not needPresident Trump to say anything on April 24, if he cannot callit genocide. The Armenian Genocide has been already recog-nized by the United States several times. In addition toPresident Reagan’s statement, the US House ofRepresentatives adopted two resolutions in 1975 and 1984acknowledging the Armenian Genocide, and the US govern-ment sent an official document to the International Court ofJustice (World Court) in 1951 recognizing the Armenian masskillings as a case of genocide.

Nevertheless, President Trump’s inadequate statement hasa couple of secondary benefits to the Armenian Cause:

1) It irritates the hell out of Turkish leaders who seemto be ashamed and outraged that the President of theUnited States is reminding the world of “one of the worstmass atrocities of the 20th century,” and asserting that“beginning in 1915, one and a half million Armenians weredeported, massacred, or marched to their deaths in thefinal years of the Ottoman Empire.” Both TurkishPresident Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavusoglureacted with indignation and denial to President Trump’sApril 24 statement.

2) The statements of President Trump and his predecessorscause each year a major political reaction around the world,generating mass publicity in the international media which isfurther fueled by the Turkish leaders’ denials.

On April 24, 2019, Armenia’s Prime Minister NikolPashinyan issued an important statement on the 104thanniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Surprisingly, his state-ment did not mention Turkey or the Ottoman Empire as theperpetrator of the Armenian Genocide. This must have beenan unfortunate oversight on the part of the Prime Ministerand his aides. I do not think it was done intentionally, partic-

ularly since the statement does include a strong reference toArmenians losing their homeland in addition to the humanlosses. In the past, Armenia’s leaders have refrained from rais-ing the issue of Armenian territorial demands from Turkey.

Meanwhile, President Erdogan issued a particularly dis-graceful statement on April 24, speaking at a Symposium inAnkara: “The relocation of the Armenian gangs and their sup-porters, who massacred the Muslim people, including womenand children, in eastern Anatolia, was the most reasonableaction that could be taken in such a period.”

Erdogan is shamefully accusing the Armenian victims ofcommitting a mass crime against the victimizing Turks. Thisis an outrageous lie which is the equivalent of accusing Jewsof killing Germans during the Holocaust. Erdogan must besuffering from a serious mental illness.

In a surprising development, Prime Minister Pashinyanresponded forcefully to Erdogan’s pathetic lies. Pashinyandescribed Erdogan’s statement as “hateful” and called on theinternational community to respond: “On the day whenArmenians around the world mourned the innocent victimsof the Ottoman Genocide, Turkey, this country’s presidentRecep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated a statement denying thegreatest crime of the 20th century, calling it only, ‘the depor-tation of Armenians.’ To call the extermination of the entireArmenian population of the Ottoman Empire, as well as themassive forced deportation of Armenians (death caravans)‘Armenian bandits and their accomplices,’ and the massacreof 1.5 million indigenous people, ‘the most logical behavior’is not only a new level of denial of the Armenian Genocide,but also an excuse for the destruction of an entire nation.Such a statement on April 24, on the day of the anniversaryof the Genocide, is a deep insult to the Armenian people andall of humanity, and an expression of extreme hatred person-ally by Erdogan. The world should not be silent.”

We are heartened that Prime Minister Pashinyan raised theissue of the Armenian territorial demand from Turkey, ademand that the Armenian government should pursue offi-cially at the International Court of Justice.

The FortyMartyrs ofSebastia By Zaven Arzoumanian, PhD

The Armenian Church observes the martyrdom of the FortyRoman Soldiers who became among the earliest witnesses ofChrist in their youthful years as the members of the eastern bat-talion of the Roman Empire in 320 AD under co-emperorLicinius. Emperor Constantine the Great of the ByzantineEmpire in Constantinople was in power (306-337), who in hisdeathbed later in 337 converted into Christianity being baptizedby Eusebius of Necomedia. The Armenian Church venerates themartyrs as “Karrasoun Mangounk” (Forty Warriors), “man-gounk” meaning in classical Armenian as “soldiers,” besidesmeaning also “children.” The tragic mistake is that sometimes Iread about them in English publications as “the Forty Children”in reference to the Forty Martyrs, to the extent that an Armenianchurch dedicated to them was recently identified in English as“The Armenian Church of the Forty Children.” It is truly a grossmistake to translate a word without checking its alternate mean-ing, leaving the impression as if children of age ten or below werethrown in the frozen lake in Sebastia. How possibly could havechildren even heard the name of Christ at that age, let alone wit-nessing their faith! In fact, the names of those Forty Soldiers aremiraculously revealed on a stone pillar found in Sebastia, as alsoverified by our 10th century Armenian historian Ukhtanes,Bishop of Sebastia who had read them on stone tablets.

Timing and Persecutions

The date of their martyrdom is as early as 320, only 19 yearsafter Armenia adopted Christianity as its national state religion in301 AD by the edict of King Terdat III of Armenia, and under thepontificate of our first Catholicos of Armenia St. Gregory theIlluminator, both still living at the time and witnessing the mar-tyrdom of the Forty in their homeland. While reading the namesof the Forty Roman soldiers, one can easily identify each one ofthem either as Greeks or Romans, not any one of them to beArmenian as one might anticipate. The connection with Armeniais definitely the location, the region of Sebastia in historic Armeniapresently Sivas in Turkey, as well as the encouragement those sol-diers received from the newly converted Armenia into Christianity.The Roman Empire under Constantine the Great proclaimed theEdict of Milan in 313, declaring religious tolerance for Christianity

in the Empire, not adopting the new religion officially as yet as thestate religion of the Empire until later in the century.

The torturous death of the Forty eulogized by the earliest pan-egyrics of Sts. Basil of Caesarea and Gregory of Nyssa, wasordered by the impious Licinius, following many attempts forthem to apostatize sending back and forth emissaries to deliverthe orders until their eventual death sentences, providing evenat the same time baths of hot water on the banks as incentivesfor temptation. As their Christian faith remained unshaken, theimperial orders were given to execute all those forty soldiers bythrowing them naked in the icy lake, where they died, keepingalive their belief in Christ and receiving the luminous crownsfrom above. One of them, fearing death, had jumped out of thelake to reach the hot baths where he died, and instead a Romanguard believing in Christ threw himself in the frozen lake to com-plete the number. Their ashes were recovered by EmpressPulcheria later in the century.

Historian Ukhtanes Bishop of Sebastia

The 10th century Armenian historian Bishop Ukhtanes ofSebastia was born in Urha, but was known all his life as theBishop of Sebastia quoted by subsequent historians. He wrotehis two-volume book, the first part as an ancient history ofArmenia leading to the Christianization of Armenia, and the sec-ond part a documented history of the schism of the GeorgianOrthodox Church from the subjection to the Armenian Churchin 607 AD. Chapter 61 of his first volume is entirely devoted tothe Forty Martyrs of Sebastia, where he served the rest of his lifeas the Bishop of the Armenian Church in that region. Decadesago I took upon myself to translate Ukhtanes’ two volumes intoEnglish for the first time with additional notes and commentary.Because of the poor and the only original edition in the classicalArmenian, numerous errors of all kinds were left unanswered. Ihad to make those amendments painstakingly, over 400 wordsand names, proper as well as grammatical, all listed on the frontpages in each volume, the errors and the corrections.

The historian Bishop Ukhtanes records the event of the mar-tyrdom of the Forty Warriors, saying: “we herebyrecord about the martyrdom of the Holy Forty [Soldiers] whoperished by the orders of the impious Licinius, who raised per-secutions under his jurisdiction.” He carefully relates the respec-tive districts where the Forty were sent, some places as the loyalmembers of the Roman army, and others to hide for safety,always holding the true faith in Christ, naming distinctly themountains and the fortresses by their geographic sites and theirproper names.

Next, the Bishop adds information about their persecution andthe eventual martyrdom, saying: “many churches were built inSebastia on the site where they perished, called Yegueghetsatsor(Valley of churches), to honor and glorify God by the inhabitantsof our land.” As for the Forty warriors who met their destiny inthe frozen lake, the historian Bishop captures place names verycarefully where the Forty tried to hide, such as on “the bank ofthe river called Halys, where there was a fortress presently calledKach Vahana (the fortress of the Brave Vahan), where still exist

see SEBASTIA, page 20

Turkey Is Back to Hard Denial from pevious pagedebate about the legal aspects of the events of1915 and denial of “clearly established historicalfacts.” The Turkish government submits further:“The position of the [Turkish] Government on thisissue is long-standing. The Government acknowl-edge the strength of feeling about this terribleepisode of history and recognise the massacres of1915-16 as a tragedy.” This position is reiterated bythe Turkish Government before the GrandChamber. In its judgment (October 15, 2015), theGrand Chamber refers that Turkey has also admit-ted that these crimes constituted” a source of deepaffliction for the Armenian people.” The judgementdoes not record any justification or mention ofcommon suffering from the Turkish government.

In addition, the Court saves the possibility fornational courts to consider genocide.

The Perinçek judgment could therefore in manyaspects be positively interpreted as constituting atleast recognition by an international court (theECHR), that, in the light of international law, inter-national crimes were committed in 1915 by thegovernment of the Ottoman Empire.

Should Armenians Engage to Protect TheirDignity?

As noted by the European Court in Perinçek,“these were the rights of Armenians to respect fortheir and their ancestors’ dignity, including theirright to respect for their identity constructedaround the understanding that their communityhas suffered genocide.” Freedom of expressionstops where it harms the “rights of others.” TheCourt retains a construction that makes genocidean element (not questionable, since the Court hasrecognized it) of the identity of the Armenian com-munity worth of protection under Article 8 of theConvention. Such a right presupposes that therehas indeed been genocide. It gives considerablecredit, in any case, to the Armenian claims, in theform of a right opposable at any time and any placeand the breach of which may give rise to repara-tion.

At any rate, all the inconsistencies and contra-dictions of the Turkish authorities’ stance deservedissemination to chancelleries, public authorities,be they national, regional or international.

[Philippe Raffi Kalfayan is a Lawyer, Lecturer inInternational Law and a former Secretary General

of FIDH (International Federation of HumanRights). He is a regular columnist for the Mirror-

Spectator.]

20 S A T U R D A Y, M A Y 4 , 2 0 1 9 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

The FortyMartyrs ofSebastia SEBASTIA, from page 19the sites of the saints and their individ-ual names inscribed on stone tablets.”In addition, he saw the sign of the vic-torious cross engraved on stonecolumns, and “as of today the places oftheir refuge are being venerated bychurch edifices and clerics.”

Western Scholarship

Historians in the West have discov-ered many details about the FortySoldiers as they have written in differ-ent reference sources, especially thenames of the Forty Martyrs individuallyand related matters. They had howeverlittle knowledge what the tenth centuryArmenian historian Bishop Ukhtanes,who was the active religious leader ofSebastia, and whose eye-witnessaccounts are indispensible as I couldsee. Those evidences now available inEnglish should be added to the generalknowledge of those first martyrs ofChristianity, the much later (10th cen-tury) nature of the findings notwith-standing. On the other hand, theArmenians should not mix the title ofthose Roman Soldiers with theArmenian designation of “KarrasounMangounk,” leaving the impression offorty “children” by way of translatingthe word “manoug” as it sounds in thevernacular. Moreover, it implies “thecongregation of believers” when read as“oukhdi mangounk” in classicalArmenian, applied in the prayer booksof the Armenian Church.

CLOSING, from page 1“After nearly 28 years in business, we are

closing The Improper Bostonian effectivetoday,” publisher Wendy Semonian Eppichwrote in statement posted on the magazine’swebsite. “While this news might be surprising,the company has had a great run and we’rehopefully leaving this incredible city better andbrighter since our inception in 1991.”

In an interview later in the day, SemonianEppich said it was a difficult decision to stoppublishing, and even more difficult to deliverthe news to the staff.

“It’s a family business and so it was a familydecision,” she said, before adding that some“very big names in Boston” contacted herThursday expressing interest in resurrectingthe magazine in some form.

“We’ll see what happens,” Semonian Eppichsaid.

Begun by her brother, Mark Semonian, in aloft in Brookline Village, the Improper pub-lished twice a month, reaching an audience ofmore than 350,000 readers annually. Oftenwith a celebrity’s cheerful face on the cover —singer Joelle James graces the final issue — theImproper was available in blue news boxesthroughout the city, at restaurants, hotels, andcolleges, and on the doorsteps of thousands ofresidences from the Back Bay to the NorthEnd.

Editor Matt Martinelli said the magazine hadbeen operating at a loss “for a little while,” andthe Semonian family had made an attempt tosell it. Four years ago, Martinelli said, theImproper’s per-issue circulation was 87,500,but that dropped to 60,000 lately. He said themagazine had about two dozen full-timeemployees, including editorial, sales, and mar-keting staff, and another dozen or so free-lancers.

“We were a lifestyle magazine, but we’dupped our arts coverage a lot in recent years,”said Martinelli. “We’d also tried to be a littlemore heady about things. The city is smarterthan it used to be, more educated.”

The current glossy, ad-heavy incarnation ofThe Improper Bostonian bears little resem-blance to the magazine that first hit the street.Bankrolled by patriarch Leon Semonian, thena broker at Smith Barney, the first issues wereon newsprint, with a lot of tantalizing gossipand attitude. Announcing itself as feisty andfearless, one early Improper included Catherinede Castelbajac’s X-rated notes to her lover, bil-lionaire Bill Koch, who later kicked her out ofhis condo at the Four Seasons.

There was also a revealing interview of then-congressman Joe Kennedy II by former WBZ-AM radio host David Brudnoy, and a provoca-tive piece by Chris Lydon, former host of thelongtime WBUR show “The Connection,” thatpromoted the idea that chef Julia Child was thepreeminent feminist of her time.

“Yes, it’s changed,” says Jonathan Soroff, theImproper’s rococo columnist whose dispatchesfrom the party circuit were a must-read for fansof the magazine. “When we started, we wrotesome very [gutsy] news stories, absolutely. Butour arts-and-entertainment coverage becamesuper strong, and that’s hard to do as a biweek-ly because we were thinking two months out.”

Soroff, who’s been with The Improper fromthe beginning, said there were many tears shedat the magazine’s Back Bay office Thursdaymorning.

“It’s like a death in the family. Everybody’scrushed,” he said. “A lot of companies don’tsurvive 28 weeks, let alone 28 years, and I’mgrateful for every second of it. I got to intervieweveryone from Maya Angelou to the ‘RealHousewives.’ ”

Longtime humor columnist Ezra Dyer fondlyrecalls dancing onstage at a Flaming Lips con-cert in a bunny costume for one of his pieces —a column that led a reader to introduce Dyer toa woman who later became his wife.

John Spooner, the famed financial guru andnationally recognized novelist, has written acolumn for The Improper since 2005. He saidthe magazine’s masthead gave him “the free-dom to express thought and snarkiness,” andhe took full advantage. He said he’s terriblysad, but not surprised that the doors are clos-ing.

“Media is a challenging landscape,” Spoonersaid. “Whether it’s writing or dance or paintingor acting or singing, if you choose the creativelife, you’re doomed. I can’t tell you how much Ihate that The Improper is closing. It’s been awonderful refuge for me and a great thing forthe city.”

Among its competitors, The Improper’s sud-den demise was met with the opposite of glee.

“While it may be good in some sensefor @DigBoston, I am not here to gloat,” tweet-ed Chris Faraone, editor of the alt weekly DigBoston. “With very few exceptions, I don’t liketo see any publications go out of business.”

That sentiment was shared even by folks atBoston magazine, despite the fact that the twopublications had periodically jousted. (To theeditors of Boston magazine, The Improper’sannual “Boston’s Best” issue was just a con-fusing copycat of Boston magazine’s “Best ofBoston” issue.)

“It’s always a sad day to see a publicationclose its doors,” said Boston magazine editorChris Vogel, “especially one that has beenaround for so long.”

Asked what he’ll do now, Soroff sighed.“I don’t know,” he said. “My calendar just

became incredibly empty.”

Improper Bostonian’s Closing‘Was A Family Decision’