Armenian Mirror-Spectator 9-26-09

First Memorial toArmenian Genocide to Be

Built in IsraelPETACH TIKVA, Israel (PanArmenian.Net) — TheArarat Union of Armenians of Israel has initiatedbuilding the first memorial to the ArmenianGenocide here. The head of the Union ofArmenians of Israel Ashot Martirosyan said thegroup already has an agreement with the munici-pality of Petach Tikva.

The monument, which will be dedicated to the95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, is“one more step toward restoring the historical jus-tice,” according to Martirosyan’s letter to allArmenians in Israel, in which he asked for theirfinancial support.

New Ambassador toGreece Appointed

YEREVAN (Armenpress) — President SergeSargisian has appointed Gagik Ghalachyan ambas-sador to Greece.

Vahram Kozhoyan has resigned from his positionas ambassador to Greece, Albania, Croatia, Cyprus,Serbia and Slovenia.

ArmSwiss Bank Opens inYerevan

YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The opening ceremonyof the ArmSwissBank took place here onSeptember 17 with the participation of theArmenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargisian andother officials.

Executive Director of the bank GevorgMachanian noted the bank was the result of fouryears of work, while Sargisian expressed hope thatthe bank will increase competition in the bankingsystem.

The owner of ArmSwissBank is VardanSirmakes, who is also the founder of Franc Muller,a Swiss watch company.

Sargisian AwardsBaroness Cox Medal

YEREVAN (Armenpress) — President SergeSargisian recently received Vice Speaker of theGreat Britain’s House of Lords, Baroness CarolineCox.

The presidential press service said Cox has beenawarded the Order of Honor for her contribution tothe development of Armenian-British.

“This award shows the gratitude of the Armenianpeople,” Sargisian said at the meeting.

The two also discussed the Turkey-ArmeniaProtocols and Sargisian’s trip abroad to discussthem with diasporan communities.

INDEXArmenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,3Arts and Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 17Community News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Mirror- SpectatorMirror- SpectatorTHE ARMENIAN

Volume LXXX, NO. 11 Issue 4105

SEPTEMBER 26 , 2009

$ 2.00

ArmenianRobin Hood

See page 12

INSIDE

The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States

NEWS IN BRIEF

President Serge Sargisian

Armenia Celebrates18th Anniversary

YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow) — President Serge Sargisian sought to emphasizethe link between “all generations” and “all Armenians” in the accomplishmentof sovereign Armenia as he addressed the nation on the 18th anniversary ofindependence Monday.

Describing the anniversary of the September 21, 1991 referendum in whichArmenians overwhelmingly pronounced in favor of living as an independentnation as a holiday that “all generations of the Armenian nation coveted andsensed deep in their hearts,” Sargsyan emphasized that all of those genera-tions of Armenians, without exception, were guided by the same vision:“Independent Armenia that epitomizes freedom, human and national dignityand, ultimately, the right and historical ability to create good and beauty.”

see ANNIVERSARY, page 2

Yerevan WarnsAnkara againstLinking TiesWith Karabagh

YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow) — In a rarereaction released by Armenia’s ForeignMinistry late on Friday, Minister EduardNalbandian warned Turkey that linking thecontinuing rapprochement between thetwo countries with progress in a separateArmenian-Azerbaijani conflict over

Nagorno Karabaghcould ruin both.

Nalbandian wasreacting to themost recent state-ment made byTurkish PrimeMinister RecepTayyip Erdoganthat the Armenian-Turkish border willnot be opened untilthe Karabagh con-flict is solved.

“The Turkishside is informed, and we are confident thatthey realize that we exclude the condition-ing of the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations by the steps towards thesettlement of the Nagorno Karabagh con-flict,” Nalbandian said in his reply also post-ed on the Ministry’s official website(www.armeniaforeignministry.com).

“Trying to link those two processescould ruin one and the other. A number ofcountries, including the Minsk Group co-chair countries, have expressed the sameposition. They have repeatedly stated thatthe normalization of the Armenian-Turkishrelations must be without preconditions.”

Nalbandian said that “with this mutualunderstanding we have started and

see WARNING, page 3

Foreign MinisterEduard Nalbandian

ISTANBUL (Today’s Zaman) — Turkishjournalist Alper Gormus and Israeli journal-ist Amira Haas became the first recipients ofthe Hrant Dink International Award thispast week, given in the name of Hrant Dink,a Turkish-Armenian journalist who was mur-dered in 2007 by an ultranationalist youthallegedly for insulting Turkishness.

Ali Bayramoglu, the head of the awardcommittee of the International Hrant DinkFoundation established by the Dink family,said at the ceremony that “what we arelooking for is what Hrant symbolizes,” inreference to his ideals, which were “purifiedout of discrimination,” and people who fol-low those ideals taking risks for a more justworld.

Gormus, a columnist for the Taraf news-paper and a faculty member at Bilgi

University, said after receiving the awardthat he carries a great responsibilitybecause he has fears that he could do some-thing improper to undermine the meaningof the award.

“I saw Hrant Dink right after theSupreme Court of Appeals upheld a lowercourt’s decision to convict him. I had goneto Agos for an interview with him. Duringthe whole interview, he spent all his energyexplaining why it was impossible for him to‘insult Turkishness,’” Gormus said.

The award committee recalled thatGormus, the former editor-in-chief of thenow-defunct Nokta weekly, was acquittedlast year in April of charges of libel for run-ning a story that featured excerpts from adiary, allegedly penned by a former naval

see AWARD, page 4

Journalists Gormus and Haas ReceiveInternational Dink Award

Sargisian ExplainsNegotiations toArmenian Parties

By Irina Hovannisian

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — President SergeSargisian acknowledged that his conciliatorypolicy toward Turkey is fraught with pitfallsfor Armenia on Thursday as he discussed itwith leaders of more than 50 Armenian par-ties mostly loyal to his administration.

The five-hour meeting, held behindclosed doors, was part of “internal politicalconsultations,” which the Armenian andTurkish governments have pledged to holdbefore signing fence-mending agreementsnext month.

“I, too, see risks; I too have concerns,”Sargisian said in his opening remarks pub-licized by the presidential press service. Henonetheless defended Armenia’s dramaticrapprochement with Turkey that beganshortly after he took office in April last year.

“Let us judge together,” continuedSargisian. “Are we sacrificing our convic-tions and our belief in truth with these doc-uments, or are we paving the way for dri-ving them home instead of confining our-selves to secluded purity? Let us under-stand that together.”

see POLICY, page 3

S A T U R D A Y, S E P T E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 0 9 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R2

ARMENIA

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News From ArmeniaANNIVERSARY, from page 1

Sargisian congratulated allArmenians on the Independence Day.

“What does Armenia preach to its off-spring all over the world after havingresurrected from the genocidal hell?Pure and simple concepts: unity, collec-tive will and effort, the state’s determi-nation to pursue and protect the inter-ests and goals of Armenians, filial loveof and dedication to the homeland of allArmenians, and a happy possibility tobuild up the Armenia of our dreams byjoint efforts. And Armenia says them:‘Welcome back to native home,’” saidSargisian.

The address timed to the anniversaryof Armenia’s independence comes at atime when Armenia is seeking to recon-cile with its big neighbor and historicalfoe, Turkey. The majority of today’sworldwide Armenian Diaspora aredescendants of survivors of the 1915-1918 Armenian Genocide in OttomanTurkey.

Sargisian initiated a rapprochementprocess last September by inviting hisTurkish counterpart to Yerevan on theformal occasion of watching a FIFAWorld Cup 2010 qualifier between thetwo countries’ national soccer teams.He is likely to pay a return visit toTurkey next month to attend the returnmatch of the soccer team and likely tosign a document on establishing diplo-matic relations and developing bilateral

relations. Authorities in Yerevan have insisted

that the Swiss-brokered Armenian-Turkish draft protocols unveiled threeweeks ago provide for an unconditionalnormalization of ties. But the localopposition, and notably the Diaspora-linked nationalist party, ArmenianRevolutionary Federation, contend itsseveral key provisions are potentiallydamaging to national interests. Parts ofthe Armenian Diaspora appear to sharethis concern as the main bone of con-tention is Armenia’s perceived compro-mise on the process of internationalrecognition of the Genocide by agreeingto establish “an intergovernmental sub-commission to implement a discussionon the historical dimension.” Anothermajor concern lingers over Armeniareaffirming its current border withTurkey that was drawn by RussianBolsheviks and Turkish Kemalists in theTreaty of Kars in 1921. The treaty iswidely viewed in Armenia and itsDiaspora as treasonous.

Remembering in his Monday addressof the hardships that the nation hasbeen challenged to overcome by joininghands following the all-national referen-dum on independence, the presidentsaid that “the main choice is alreadymade.”

“From now on independence is ourfortune and destiny, our onus andresponsibility, our weapon and instru-

ment, our might and right, from now on,irrevocable and eternal,” Sargisian said.

The Armenian leader further statedthe “pure and simple” concepts thatArmenia preaches “having reemergedon the international political arena”:peace, stability, good neighborly rela-tions, multilateral economic and otherkinds of cooperation in all spheres.”

“We have been sufficiently patientand wise to take that approach eventowards those who for years haveattempted and still attempt to hinderour progress by all kinds of blockadesand Armenophobic propaganda,” saidSargisian.

Also extending congratulations wereUS President Barack Obama, whoissued a special statement and a con-gratulatory message to his Armeniancounterpart.

“The people of the United States jointhe people of Armenia in celebratingArmenia’s day of independence today,”Obama said in a statement posted onthe White House website. “We deeplyvalue the many cultural and historic tiesthat bind our two countries.

“The United States gains strength asa nation from the contributions of somany Americans of Armenian ancestry.We congratulate the people of Armeniaon their national day,” he added.

Russian President Demitry Medvedevalso extended his congratulations.

Armenia Celebrates 18th Anniversary

YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow) —Armenia’s opposition leader haspromised not to run for president ifother political forces help his move-ment topple President Serge Sargisianin what appears to be a veiled attemptto win the backing of political forces(potentially) opposed to both.

Speaking before thousands of sup-porters in downtown Yerevan onSeptember 18, Sargisian’s nemesisLevon Ter-Petrosian reiterated his ear-lier assurances that he consideredhimself “only a tool in the matter ofrestoring the constitutional order inArmenia” and was ready “to performthis role until the end.”

Ter-Petrosian’s similar platform in thewake of the disputed February 2008presidential election failed to present achallenge to Sargisian’s official first-round win, resulting in Armenia’s worststreet violence in its history.

In his nearly hour-long speech at theFriday rally, Ter-Petrosian focused onthe current Armenian-Turkish rap-prochement and the Armenian-Azerbaijani talks over the Karabaghconflict. He harshly criticized the cur-rent administration for failing in bothnegotiations and, in particular, rejectedas pro-Azerbaijani the latest peace planfor Karabagh proposed by the interna-tional mediators that Sargisian and hisAzerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyevappear to agree on in principle followingtheir several meetings this year.

Reiterating his support for normal-ization with Turkey, Ter-Petrosian,however, charged that despite“Sargisian’s sacrifice of the Genocide”Turkey will not agree to open the bor-der and establish diplomatic relationsuntil the Karabagh conflict isresolved.

Sargisian’s opponents have insistedthat several points in the draft proto-cols on establishing diplomatic ties

and developing bilateral relationsunveiled by Yerevan and Ankara onAugust 31 are potentially damaging toArmenian national interests. Amongtheir concerns is the provision aboutsetting up an intergovernmental sub-commission “to implement a discus-sion on the historical dimension” thatcould be construed as agreement todiscuss, i.e. “question” the 1915-1918Armenian Genocide in Turkey.

Ter-Petrosian’s opposition alliancewas among those forces that, despitewelcoming normalization withTurkey, criticized these points of theprotocols. Ter-Petrosian’s ArmenianNational Congress, however, indicatedit was more worried about develop-ments in the Karabagh conflict thathas largely been linked with theArmenian-Turkish process.

“The Congress alone cannot avertthe danger that Karabagh faces today,even through mobilizing all itsefforts,” Ter-Petrosian said. “Somedoubt this bitter truth and sometimesaccuse the Congress of avoiding deci-sive action and, instead, waiting forSerge Sargisian’s failure in theKarabagh issue. The Congress doesnot need power gained at the cost oflosing Karabagh.”

Ter-Petrosian also pledged not torun for president if Sargisian stepsdown.

“If Sargisian resigns from the presi-dent’s office, I will not run for thisoffice, unless [former president]Robert Kocharian is nominated as acandidate,” he said.

Several political forces, includingthe Armenian RevolutionaryFederation (Dashnaktsutyun), opposeboth the current administration andthe movement of Ter-Petrosian, wholed Armenia from 1991-1998.

Despite being both opposed to sev-eral points in the government-backed

protocols with Turkey,Dashnaktsutyun and the Ter-Petrosian camp have not yet recon-ciled their political feud stemmingfrom Ter-Petrosian’s controversialdecision to ban the Diaspora-linkedparty in Armenia in the 1990s. Also,for 10 years Dashnaktsutyun support-ed the government of RobertKocharian, who effectively forced Ter-Petrosian to resign over his perceivedconciliatory stance in the Karabaghsettlement and support for the inter-national mediators’ 1997 peace plan.

Dashnaktsutyun, now as a national-ist force spearheading the protestsagainst the current Armenian-Turkishplan, refuses to call for PresidentSargisian’s resignation, instead hold-ing his Foreign Minister EdwardNalbandian responsible for what itviews as “diplomatic failures.”

On one occasion, however, a seniorDashnak representative acknowledgedthat a possible scenario of Ter-Petrosian’s coming to power was oneof the deterrents that kept the partyfrom demanding that Sargsian stepdown.

“Our problem is that if a leadershipchange implies the coming of severalfigures of the Armenian NationalCongress to power, then we have noguarantee that these forces will notpursue an even more conciliatory poli-cy than the current ones,”Dashnaktsutyun’s chief foreign policyspokesman Giro Manoyan said in Julywhen his party first formally moved toseek Nalbandian’s retirement.

Another addressee of the Ter-Petrosian offer could be the pro-gov-ernment Prosperous Armenia party,known for its firm views on nationalissues but, like Dashnaktsutyun, alsoknown to have been ex-presidentKocharian’s support base in the previ-ous government.

Opposition Leader Levon Ter-Petrosian Vows Not to Run if All AreUnited against President Sargisian

POLICY, from page 1The president referred to two draft protocols

regarding the establishment of diplomatic rela-tions between Armenia and Turkey and thereopening of their border. Local oppositiongroups, notably the Armenian RevolutionaryFederation (Dashnaktsutyun, ARF), stronglyobject to some of their key provisions such asformal recognition of Armenia’s existing border

with Turkey. The ARF was represented at the meeting by

one of its top leaders, Armen Rustamian. Hesaid he reiterated the nationalist party’s con-cerns and pressed Sargisian to clarify whetherthe protocols can be altered before their signingby the two governments.

“It emerged that major changes in themcould be made only during the [parliamentary]

ratification phase,” Rustamian said after themeeting. “This means that if there are reallyimportant and serious views [voiced on the sub-ject,] the negotiating party must take them intoconsideration but will be free to decide whetheror not to back them … This is simply unaccept-able to us.”

Rustamian added that the ARF’s concernswere echoed by other party leaders and seemedto have influenced Sargisian’s thinking. “I thinkthat as a result of the discussions, somechanges occurred in the president’s attitudes,”he said. “Thank God, there were also otherpolitical forces that had the same concerns andexpressed them in one way or another.”

According to Aram Karapetian, the leader ofthe opposition Nor Zhamanakner party whoalso attended the meeting, most participantsagreed that the protocols are “flawed.” He saidthey were also worried that the planned forma-tion of a Turkish-Armenian commission of his-torians would thwart greater internationalrecognition of the Armenian Genocide in theOttoman Empire. “Serge Sargisian looked a dif-ferent person after the meeting,” claimedKarapetian.

“He had the same concerns which the othershad,” said Vazgen Manukian, the veteran leader

of the National Democratic Union, a once-influ-ential party loyal to Armenia’s current leader-ship. But, he said, Sargisian at the same time,made a convincing case for the continuation ofthe Turkish-Armenian dialogue.

“When you lock yourself in a room, you won’thave any concerns,” Manukian said. “But whenyou get out, walk the streets and start talkingto others, there will always be problems. That’swhat makes life interesting.”

Meanwhile, the opposition ArmenianNational Congress (HAK) and Zharangutyunparty defended their decision to boycott whatthey see as a meaningless discussion. HAKspokesman Arman Musinian also said that theopposition alliance led by former PresidentLevon Ter-Petrosian will not cooperate with theauthorities on any issue until the latter releaseall of the opposition members arrested follow-ing the February 2008 presidential election.

For his part, Zharangutyun leader ArmenMartirosian insisted on the party’s demands fora national referendum on the Turkish-Armenianagreements. “Besides, the foreign minister saidin the National Assembly yesterday that noth-ing will be changed in the finalized protocols,”said Martirosian. “So what are we supposed todiscuss?”

S A T U R D A Y, S E P T E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 0 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 3

ARMENIA

WARNING, from page 1conducted negotiations and came to agree-ments reflected in the initialed protocols.”

“If the Turkish authorities have problemswith the signing of documents, they should nottry to solve them by distorting the spirit,essence and goals of the initialed documents.The signing and implementation of agreed doc-uments is a difficult process. Nevertheless,Armenia is ready to respect the agreements andgo forward.”

In his statement Nalbandian also reacted toErdogan’s remarks made during an interviewwith a number of Turkish media editors-in-chiefon September 17 that “Armenia must be freedfrom the influence of its powerful diaspora.”

Nalbandian said: “If the authorities of mod-ern Turkey are not ready today to recognize thefact of the Genocide perpetrated in theOttoman Empire, they are at least obliged torespect the survivors of the Armenian Genocideand their descendants.”

Yerevan Warns Ankara againstLinking Ties With Karabagh

President Explains Turkey Dialogue to Parties

YEREVAN — The Mother See of HolyEchmiadzin served as the site for the first-ever“Global Armenian Library Conference,” whichtook place from August 25-27 in Armenia,attracting heads of the most prestigiousArmenian libraries in the world.

Under the auspices of Karekin II, theSupreme Patriarch and Catholicos of AllArmenians and with the support ofArchbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of theDiocese of the Armenian Church of America(Eastern), Rachel Goshgarian, PhD, director ofthe Krikor and Clara Zohrab InformationCenter and Rev. Asoghik Karapetian, head ofArchives at Holy Echmiadzin, organized anevent that fostered dialogue and discussionabout library organization and cataloguing aswell as book preservation and digitization,among other relevant topics. The conferencewas the first of many cultural programs to takeplace in Armenia as part of the 500th anniver-sary of the establishment of the Armenianprinting press.

The goals of the conference were: to formu-late standardized methods of library organiza-tion and cataloguing, create opportunities fordiscussion of book preservation and digitiza-tion, develop an international book exchangebetween libraries, and establish a universalinternet portal for Armenian collections. Theconference participants adopted a resolutionand established a working group to spearheadthe creation of an Internet website, which willprovide information on Armenian and other-language publications in the field of Armenianstudies in Armenia and diaspora.

The three-day conference was held in the OldTheological Seminary at Holy Echmiadzin.The first day of the conference consisted ofbrief presentations by the gross majority ofparticipants on their specific collections,detailing the history and contents of each col-lection, their current cataloguing system, digi-tization program and acquisitions methods.Formal academic presentations were made onthe second day, and covered topics including:library organization, book distribution, digiti-zation and preservation. Participants traveledto Noravank monastery on the third day wherethey participated in a round-table discussionled by Prof. Kevork Bardakjian.

A final dinner in Yerevan provided anotheropportunity for participants to discuss many ofthe concerns and ideas raised during the ses-sion in a more casual atmosphere. Karekin IIattended the final dinner and praised the par-ticipants and their works. Remembering theimportance of the libraries of his childhood,the catholicos reflected upon the holy natureof books. At the dinner’s conclusion,

Karapetian thanked all participants for attend-ing and sharing their knowledge and experi-ence and spoke enthusiastically about future,concrete collaboration between libraries.

“I think it’s time well spent simply to get usall in one room at one time to meet each otherface to face and talk to each other. That in andof itself was groundbreaking work andextremely worthwhile,” said MichaelGrossman, a library assistant in the MiddleEastern division of the Widener Library atHarvard University.

Hasmik Poghosyan, the minister of culture,and Hranush Hakobyan, the minister of dias-pora, welcomed and participated in the con-ference. Both ministries pledged their supportfor future endeavors. On the evening ofAugust 25, Marie Yovanovitch, US ambassadorto the Republic of Armenia, held a reception inher Yerevan home for participants in the con-ference.

Very Rev. Nareg Louisian of the BzommarArmenian Catholic Clergy Institute inLebanon, concurred that it was unprecedentedto have a conference that attracted heads ofArmenian libraries from around the world.

“This was indeed a historic conference andgreatly useful to all of us. In addition, I amenthusiastic in working with fellow heads ofArmenian libraries around the world,” saidLouisian.

Aside from participants coming together forthe first time to discuss important issues andchallenges they face in their respectivelibraries, the event set the stage for futurecooperation among these organizations.

“After attending this conference, I have agreatly renewed sense of hope of cooperationamong Armenian libraries and of somedayeveryone having access to materials that havebeen for far too long completely inaccessible,”said Edward G. Matthews, representing St.Nersess Armenian Theological Seminary.

In the coming months, both a list-serve forconference participants and a general websitefor Armenian libraries and collections will becreated.

Below are excerpts from an interview withRachel Goshgarian, conference co-organizerand director of the Krikor and Clara ZohrabInformation Center. Taleen Babayan is a pro-gram manager at the center, who also assistedwith preparations for the conference.

TTaalleeeenn BBaabbaayyaann:: Why did you organize theconference?

RRaacchheell GGoosshhggaarriiaann:: When I started as direc-tor of the Zohrab Center a little over two yearsago, I benefited greatly from discussions withmy colleagues who were heading similarlibraries in the United States. Little by little, I

realized that many of the heads of Armenianlibraries and collections were not in contactwith one another although I was sure we couldall benefit greatly from conversations with oneanother. I started asking my colleagues if theythought a conference would be a worthwhileendeavor and everyone agreed that it would.

TTBB:: What were the objectives of the confer-ence?

RRGG:: At the most basic level, the objectivewas to create better links between Armenian-oriented libraries in the diaspora and inArmenia, and to create a forum in which wecan discuss issues of importance to all of us. Atthe conference this first step was realized, andwe began to discuss issues such as bookpreservation, digitization, the exchange ofduplicate books and how to send books fromthe diaspora to Armenia and from Armenia tothe diaspora. The conversation has just begun.Now we must ensure that our links remainstrong and that all of these issues continue tobe discussed in detail.

TTBB:: What were the steps you took in orga-nizing the conference?

RRGG:: When I first proposed the idea toArchbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of theEastern Diocese, he was very enthusiastic.When I suggested the conference take place inArmenia at the Mother See, ArchbishopBarsamian discussed this idea with HisHoliness Karekin II, and he was not only inter-ested, he gave us his blessing to proceed withpreparations. He then appointed the Rev.Asoghig Karapetian, who is the head of thearchives at the Mother See, to organize theconference with me and the two of us beganpreparations.

TTBB: What was the significance of the con-ference?

RRGG:: It was a major first step. One of themost interesting realizations we made was thatmost of the people who head up Armenianlibraries or collections have no training what-soever in library sciences. Most are highly edu-cated individuals with a background in historyor literature, and most of us have learnedabout organizing libraries and preservingbooks etc., either through our own individualresearch or through conversations withtrained librarians.

The Armenian tradition of printing goesback many centuries. Even the smallest of ourlibrary collections has a very impressive rangeof books and publications. All of the heads ofthese libraries and collections care deeply forArmenian heritage and culture, and for thatreason, this meeting was both useful and reas-suring. Oftentimes, it seems that not only inArmenia, but in the diaspora, and amongst

non-Armenians, books and reading have takena second seat to other forms of learning andtechnology. But sitting in a room with otherindividuals who have dedicated their lives tobooks and to making Armenian literature andhistory available was a powerful experience,especially since we were there together at theMother See of Holy Echmiadzin.

TTBB:: Who helped you organize the confer-ence?

RRGG:: Putting together this conference wasthe result of great efforts by many people.First, His Holiness Karekin II offered his enthu-siasm, his blessing and his inspiration for theconference. Archbishop Barsamian champi-oned this idea from the very beginning. I amtruly impressed by our church leadership inthat it continues to recognize the importanceof Armenian learning.

At the Zohrab Center, I was not alone inorganizing the conference. My colleagueTaleen Babayan from the very beginning brain-stormed with me and undertook a lot of theorganizational preparation for the conference.One of the best things about this conferencewas working with the members of the brother-hood of Holy Echmiadzin, and realizing justhow capable this newly-trained generation ofpriests is. Father Karapetian was extremelyorganized and did an excellent job of manag-ing the participation of the Mother See. VeryRev. Mushegh Babayan provided excellent sup-port and enthusiastic direction. This confer-ence truly was a team effort and one that all ofus are proud to have organized together.

The following libraries were represented atthe conference: the Mother See of HolyEchmiadzin, the Catholicate of Cilicia, thePatriarchates of Constantinople andJerusalem, the Mkhitarian Brotherhoods ofVenice and Vienna, Bzommar ArmenianCatholic Clergy Institute, the MesrobMashdots Manuscript Repository, the NationalLibrary of Armenia, the National Archives ofArmenia, the Fundamental Library of theArmenian Academy of Sciences, Yerevan StateUniversity, Harvard University’s WidenerLibrary, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor),the British Library, the BibliothequeNationale de France, the Yeghishe CharentsMuseum of Literature and Art, the AbovianArmenian National Library, the AGBUNubarian Library, American University ofArmenia, the National Children’s Library ofArmenia, the Avedik Isahakyan CentralLibrary, Armenian Library and Museum ofAmerica, National Association of ArmenianStudies and Research, Armenian CulturalFoundation, Armenian Prelacy and many ofthe regional libraries of Armenia.

First International Conference of Armenian Libraries a Success at Mother See


INTERNATIONAL

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International News

AWARD, from page 1commander, revealing plans by somegenerals to stage a military interven-tion. Gormus said that he was not satis-fied with the court’s decision, eventhough he was acquitted of all charges.

Haas, a correspondent for Israel’sHa’aretz newspaper, expressed herregret over Dink’s death and that theaward was named “after a murderedman.” Born in Jerusalem, she is thedaughter of Holocaust survivors.Reporting on the Palestinians since1991 when Ha’aretz sent her to Gaza,she became the first and only Israelijournalist to settle in Ramallah in theWest Bank to live amongPalestinians.

Dink’s murder trial has been continu-

ing, and the Dink family lawyers fre-quently refer to the series of mistakesmade by the police in handling the caseand official attempts to protect thosewho plotted the crime as previouslyreported by the press. Dink was shotdead outside the offices of the Agosnewspaper, of which he was the editor-in-chief.

Dink’s wife, Rakel, said in her emo-tional speech that Dink would havebeen 55 on September 15, if his life hadnot been “usurped.” She said establish-ing the foundation was a result ofefforts from many “friends” and that itwas difficult to heal the wound.

“The wound was deep in 1915; howis it going to be dressed?” she said,referring to the killings of Anatolian

Armenians perpetrated by the OttomanEmpire during World War I, whichArmenians claim constituted genocide.Among the attendees of the award cer-emony were State Minister EgemenBagis, Parliament’s Human RightsCommittee head Zafer Uskul, indepen-dent deputy Ufuk Uras, British ConsulGeneral in Istanbul Jessica Hand, jour-nalists Nadire Mater and Leyla Umar,author Adalet Agaoglu, conductor CemMansur and actress Lale Mansur.

Kardes Turkuler, a well-known folkmusic ensemble praised for its reper-toire of ethnic music from Anatolia, andArto Tuncboyaciyan, an internationally-acclaimed Turkish-Armenian avant-garde folk musician, gave a short con-cert at the ceremony.

Journalists Gormus and Haas Receive International Dink Award

By Karine Ionesyan

TBILISI, Georgia (ArmeniaNow) —The family and supporters of anArmenian activist in Georgia sentencedto a lengthy jail term earlier this yearhave accused the Georgian court andprosecutors of “dragging out” theappeal hearing and called for moreattention to the case from Armenia andthe local sizable Armenian community.

Vahagn Chakhalyan, the leader of theUnited Javakhk Democratic Alliance,was arrested along with his father andunderage brother in July 2008 follow-ing a car bomb blast near the home ofthe chief of police in Akhalkalak, theprovincial center of the Armenian-popu-lated region of Samtskhe-Javakheti insouthern Georgia.

In April, the court found Chakhalyanguilty of several crimes under theCriminal Code of Georgia, including“acquisition and possession of firearmsand ammunition,” “organizing a groupaction which grossly disrupted publicorder” and “hooliganism” and sen-tenced him to 10 years in prison.

Chakhalyan has all along protestedhis innocence and claimed to have beentargeted for his political activities andadvocacy of Armenian minority rightsin Georgia. His lawyers appealed theverdict and the hearing of the appealbegan in July this year.

On Friday, Chakhalyan’s defenselawyer asked the appeals court to post-pone the hearing of his client’s appealto allow experts to conduct a crucialcase examination in relation toweapons. This examination, the defensecounsel argued, should have been com-pleted within the period between thefirst hearing that took place on July 27and the next one which had been sched-uled for September 18, during which itsresults were to have been presented,while materials for other two examina-tions were provided only in September,which left little time for a review.

The explanation for this omissiongiven in court was that they “had failedto find people to transport theweapon.” Prosecutor IraklyBardzimadze, however, promised to“solve this issue within five days.”

“We do not believe in any change. Asalways, everything is being dragged outand the scenario has already been writ-ten. The end will be at the Europeancourt,” Chakhalyan’s mother Gayanesaid. (Chakhalyan’s father and brotherwere fined by the court about $4,250and released.)

Lawyer Stepan Voskanyan insistedthat the charges on which his client was

found guilty and sentenced to 10 yearsin jail were fabricated.

According to him, during the searchin Chakhalyan’s house following the carbomb explosion “task force” police offi-cers themselves planted arms. He alsorejected the other charges as fabricatedand claimed that the authorities decid-ed to hear the case in capital Tbilisi “inorder to keep tension.”

“It is impossible to call these actionsof the Georgian authorities other thanpolitical persecution. This persecutionthat began still in 2000 with attemptedmurders against his [Chakhalyan’s] fam-ily members, has now reached its cli-max,” Voskanyan said.

No protests against the court actioncould be seen either inside or outsidethe court in the Georgian capital.

Special Advisor to the Chamber ofAdvocates of the Republic of Armeniain Charge of European Affairs since

2005 Raffi-Philippe Kalfayan, whointends to lobby the Chakhalyan caseinternationally, through Armenian-Diasporan communities, said he wassurprised that “Armenia and theGeorgian-Armenian community aresilent.”

The hearing of the Chakhalyansappeal in Tbilisi proceeds against thebackdrop of growing tension on theArmenian-Georgian border.

The Chakhalyan case has been wide-ly viewed by advocacy groups inArmenia and Javakhk as a litmus paperfor Tbilisi’s alleged attempts to stifle dis-sent in the restive region.

According to Chakhalyan’s lawyerVoskanyan, if authorities in Tbilisi everdecide to release his client, they willdemand that he stop his political activi-ties.

The next hearing in Chakhalyan’sappeal case is scheduled for October 23.

BEIRUT (Monsters and Critics.com)— Saad Hariri on September 16 accept-ed re-nomination for the post ofLebanese prime minister after gettingbacking from 71 MPs of his majorityparty and two from the oppositionArmenian Tashnag party.

His nomination for the second timesince the June parliamentary electionswas sure to restart the debate betweenopposition groups and the majority overthe planned makeup of the cabinet.

“I have accepted the task of forminga new cabinet,” Hariri said after meet-ing President Michel Suleiman.

“I promise I will commit to the con-stitution, work to secure the participa-tion of all parties in the cabinet andadopt dialogue as the sole means tosolve political disputes,” Hariri said.

He added that his deliberation withthe various parliamentary blocs willstart after post-Ramadan feasting endsat the weekend.

“My decision to step down last weektook the country out of political stale-mate and gave way to a new round ofpolitical dialogue,” Hariri said.

He stepped down September 10 afteraccusing the Hezbollah-led oppositionof hampering his efforts to form anational unity government.

According to the lineup Hariri pre-sented before he stepped down, 15 min-isters would be from the majority, 10from the opposition and five indepen-

dents loyal to President MichelSuleiman, in order to give the presidentthe tipping vote.

But, during deliberations for the pasttwo days between parliamentarians andSuleiman, opposition parties and theirally, Christian leader Michel Aoun, with-held support from Hariri because, theysaid, Hariri “did not commit to form acabinet based on the 15-10-5 formula.”

According to the Lebanese constitu-tion, Hariri has to name a cabinet,which includes all the rival Lebanesefactions and have a balanced represen-tation in accordance with the country’sreligious system.

Since Hariri’s holds a parliamentarymajority, his party has the upper handin naming a premier, usually a SunniMuslim according to the constitution.

On September 13 Hariri said, “whenI get appointed I will start negotiating,and [then] I would assess the level ofcooperation by political parties.”

Hariri’s allies said that it was up tothe new premier-designate to decideupon the continued validity of the 15-10-5 formula, stressing the need toresume deliberations on the cabinetissue from scratch.

“I have kept my hand extended but[the opposition] has always rejected ouropen approach,” he said.

Saad Hariri, is the son of late premierRafik Hariri, who was killed in a carbomb blast in 2005, along with 20 others.

Hariri Accepts Re-NominationFor Lebanese Premiership

Tbilisi Accused of ‘Dragging out’ High-Profile ‘Armenian Activist’ Case

[Editor’s Note: The Armenian Assembly ofAmerica issued the following statement inregard to the Nagorno Karabagh peaceprocess.]

On the occasion of the July 17-18 meetingsof the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijanin Moscow, in regard to the NagornoKarabagh peace process, under the auspicesof the Organization for Security andCooperation in Europe Minsk Group (OSCE),the Assembly reiterates its long-standingposition that any resolution must be accept-able to the people of both Armenia andNagorno Karabagh.

The meetings follow the joint declarationby the presidents of the United States,France and Russia on July 10, at the recentGroup of Eight conference in Italy, in whichthe presidents instructed the “mediators topresent to the Presidents of Armenia andAzerbaijan an updated version of the MadridDocument of November 2007, the co-chairs’last articulation of the Basic Principles,” andurged the parties to “resolve the few remain-ing differences ...”

The issues are complex and will requiretime to reach a solution that is acceptable toall parties, and most specifically to the citi-zens of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic.

Throughout the ongoing negotiation process,and again on July 16, the Armenian govern-ment has stated that no agreement can bereached without the concurrence of the gov-ernment and citizens of Nagorno Karabagh.We fully endorse that policy and urge theMinsk Group co-chairs to ensure that the gov-ernment of Nagorno Karabagh joins thenegotiation process as soon as possible. Wenote that the OSCE co-chairs have repeated-ly, and as recently as July 8, called for theinclusion of Nagorno Karabagh.

We urge the United States, in particular, toensure the fulfillment of President BarackObama’s campaign pledge “to work for a last-ing and durable settlement of the NagornoKarabagh conflict that is agreeable to all par-ties, and based upon America’s foundingcommitment to the principles of democracyand self determination.” The Assembly alsorecalls the leadership of the United StatesSenate and the passage of S.J. Res. 178 in1989, which expressed US support for “thefundamental rights and the aspirations of thepeople of Nagorno Karabagh.”

Moreover, the Assembly strongly supportsthe fundamental rights of the people ofNagorno Karabagh, and its independence

from foreign rule and oppression. To thatend, we support the efforts of the govern-ments of Nagorno Karabagh and Armenia.

For more than two decades the Assemblyhas committed its resources to the pursuit ofthe just cause of the Armenian people ofNagorno Karabagh. We have played aninstrumental role in Congress, from theSenate adoption of S.J. Res. 178, to theenactment of Section 907 of the FreedomSupport Act, which prohibits US assistanceto Azerbaijan until its dual blockades ofArmenia and Nagorno Karabagh are lifted.We will continue to strongly support maxi-mum assistance and aid to NagornoKarabagh to further promote its democraticdevelopment and overcome the consequences

of Azerbaijan’s aggression.Therefore, we call upon the presidents of

the United States, France and Russia, whosenations collectively serve as the OSCE’sMinsk Group co-chairs, to denounceAzerbaijan’s ongoing war rhetoric and itsthreats for a resumption of military action. Anew war will not only undermine the peaceprocess, but will also lead to the destabiliza-tion of the South Caucasus.

The Assembly stands united with allArmenians to protect the freedom and secu-rity of the Nagorno Karabagh people in theface of these most serious external threats.The suffering endured and the sacrificesmade by Armenians since the ArmenianGenocide deserves nothing less.

WASHINGTON — The Armenian Assembly ofAmerica (Assembly) announced this week thatapplication deadline for the 2010 Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program inWashington, DC is December 10. Additionally,applications for the Assembly’s internship pro-gram in Armenia will also be accepted throughFebruary 15, 2010.

The Terjenian-Thomas Assembly InternshipProgram, an eight-week summer program, nowentering its 33rd year, is designed to providecollege students of Armenian descent theopportunity to intern in the nation’s capital,while taking part in a full schedule of educa-tional, social and cultural activities. Studentsaccepted to the Washington program will beplaced in congressional offices, think tanks,media outlets and government agencies basedon their educational background and interests.

Interns will have the opportunity to discussArmenian-American issues during meetingswith Members of Congress and other govern-ment officials and noted academics through the“Capitol Ideas and Lecture Series” programs.Over 900 students have taken part in the pop-ular program since its inception in 1977.

Partial and full housing scholarships for theTerjenian-Thomas Assembly InternshipProgram in Washington, DC are available toqualified students on a competitivebasis. Applications are available on theAssembly’s website at www.aaainc.org.

The Assembly also offers a similar internshipprogram in Yerevan, Armenia. Now entering its10th year, the Yerevan program provides stu-dents the opportunity to live and work in oneof the most historically and culturally rich coun-

tries in the world. Students will work inArmenian government agencies, non-govern-mental organizations (NGOs), medical centers,media outlets and more, as well as meet withArmenia and Nagorno Karabagh officials andtour historical sites in and around the country.

For more information on the internship pro-grams or assistance with the applicationprocess, contact Internship Coordinator JosephPiatt in Washington, DC at [email protected].

The Terjenian-Thomas Assembly InternshipProgram is made possible by memorial fundsestablished by Aram Terjenian, Annie Thomasand Florence Terjenian of Belmont, Mass.


NATIONAL NEWS

For Your Internal News of Armenia

Log on towww.AZG.am In English, Armenian, Russian and Turkish

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Clinton, Sargisian DiscussTurkey in Another Call

YEREVNA (RFE/RL) — US Secretary ofState Hillary Clinton telephoned PresidentSerge Sargisian at the weekend to again discussArmenia’s ongoing rapprochement with Turkeyfacilitated by the United States.

A one-sentence statement issued bySargisian’s office on Sunday said the twotouched upon “issues related to the currentstage of the normalization of Turkish-Armenianrelations. It gave no other details. There was noword on the conversation, the second in amonth, from the US State Department.

Clinton has regularly talked to Armenian andTurkish leaders this year in an effort to push for-ward their fence-mending negotiations. Her pre-vious phone call with Sargisian was reported onSeptember 21, ten days before the publication oftwo draft agreements envisaging the establish-ment of diplomatic relations between Armeniaand Turkey and reopening of their border.

Their latest conversation came the day afterofficial Yerevan accused Turkish Prime MinisterRecep Tayyip Erdogan of acting against “theletter, spirit and aims” of those agreements.Erdogan reportedly stated on Friday thatTurkey would not reopen the Armenian borderas long as the Nagorno-Karabagh conflictremains unresolved.

In a late-night statement, Foreign MinisterEduard Nalbandian warned that Ankara risks“ruining” the Turkish-Armenian dialogue byagain linking it to the Karabagh peace process.

None of the draft protocols unveiled by thetwo governments on August 31 makes any refer-ence to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. TheState Department was quick to welcome thosedocuments and urge Ankara and Yerevan to“proceed expeditiously” in implementing them.

Armenian Assembly Statement on Nagorno Karabagh Developments

Officials Visit Millennium ChallengeSites in Kotayk and Aragatsotn

KOTAYK/ARAGATSOTN, Armenia — On September 16, US and Armenian officials wenton a working visit to the Arzni-Shamiram main canal section rehabilitated under theMillennium Challenge Acount Program (MCA).

The project site represents a test area used to determine engineering and constructionbest practices to be used during subsequent main canal rehabilitation works. More than30 communities and 60,000 people in both provinces will benefit from the improvementsin this canal.

The delegation included US Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, Armenian Deputy PrimeMinister Armen Gevorgyan, Armenian Minister of Agriculture Gerasim Alaverdyan,Aragatsotn provincial leader Sargis Sahakyan and Kotayk provincial leader KovalenkoShahgeldyan.

The Arzni-Shamiram canal is one of six main canals within the main canal network thatwill be rehabilitated under the MCA Irrigated Agriculture Project (IAP). Rehabilitation andconstruction works are contracted to a consortium led by the French company SADE andits Armenian subcontractor SHMSH-23 of Vayots Dzor. Rehabilitation and reconstructionworks focus on canal sections and water-management structures.

The delegation continued their trip to the community of Karbi in Aragatsotn marz for atour of the new agricultural technologies being utilized by a farmer who underwent water-management training. MCA-Armenia funded the installation of the drip irrigation system,which has allowed the farmer to transition to more efficient and cost-effective irrigationpractices.

Assembly Internship Applications Now Being Accepted

6 S A T U R D A Y, S E P T E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 0 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

At the Diocesan Center, Armenia’sNew UN Ambassador Meets

Armenian-American CommunityNEW YORK — On Monday, September 14, a reception was held at the Diocesan

Center to welcome Garen Nazarian, the new representative of Armenia to theUnited Nations (UN).

Organized by the Eastern Diocese and the Fund for Armenian Relief, theevening was attended by some 150 people, who gathered to meet Nazarian and tohear him speak about his delegation’s goals at the UN.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Churchof America (Eastern), called Nazarian “especially well-practiced in the arena ofinternational organizations, having served as Armenia’s UN ambassador inGeneva, Switzerland, and on several influential international bodies.”

Barsamian also noted Nazarian’s “ability to stand on principle, as well as hiseagerness to engage others and seek common ground.”

Acknowledging that he assumes his position at a critical moment in history,Nazarian said the Nagorno Karabagh peace process and Armenia-Turkey relations willbe two central issues forArmenia’s UN mission.

He stressed that thedelegation would treateach matter indepen-dently, and would worktoward both the continu-ation of Nagorno-Karabagh negotiationsand the normalization ofrelations with Turkey.

Nazarian saidArmenia plans to extendits involvement in globalagenda issues andstrengthen its interna-tional presence.

“Protection of peacein our complex region isanother vital issue,” hesaid. “We consider that the key to it is multilateral cooperation among all coun-tries of the region and among the neighbors.”

Also speaking during the evening’s program, Diocesan Council Chairman OscarTatosian reflected on the Diocesan Center’s prominent role in Armenian-Americanlife, as the hub of major community events.

“So many great and influential figures of our generation — Armenian and oth-erwise — have come here, to meet the people, and address our concerns,” he said.

Dr. Movses Abelian, Armenia’s past UN ambassador, said he experienced a warmreception at the Diocese when he first came to New York 17 years ago. He recalledhow Armenia’s diplomats occupied an office at the Diocesan Center even beforeArmenia became a member of the UN in 1992, and thanked ArchbishopBarsamian for his assistance and encouragement.

Abelian — who currently serves as the secretary of the UN General Assembly’sAdministrative and Budgetary Committee and as a member of the Committee onProgramme and Coordination — also thanked Kevork and Sirvart Hovnanian fordonating the brownstone in Midtown Manhattan, where the offices of Armenia’sUN Mission are housed.

see AMBASSADOR, page 8

Armenia’s UN Ambassador Garen Nazarian speaks at the Diocesan Center

ChickenCharlie:Southern California’sDeep-Fry King

By Elina Shatkin

LOS ANGELES (Los Angeles Times) — If theimage of slender, sunblocked yoga moms care-fully selecting organic kale at the local farmersmarket has become a cliché of “California liv-ing,” then the county fair in all its sticky, sug-ary, deep-fried glory is the wildly excessiveopposite.

For 26 years, one man has been doing hisbest to bolster the fortunes of anti-cholesteroldrug makers by tantalizing fair-goers with someof the most imaginative — and most gluttonous— deep-fried concoctions at local fairs.

They call him Chicken Charlie, and at hiseponymous stand he has offered deep-friedpickles, olives, s’mores, peanut butter and jellysandwiches, Twinkies, cheesecake, cupcakes,frog legs, White Castle cheeseburgers andmore. Name it, and Chicken Charlie has proba-bly battered and fried it.

Plenty of vendors offer breaded, oil-soakedconcoctions, but few have so thoroughly dedi-cated themselves to the Way of the Deep Fryer.

“There are many other fried foods at the fair,but I specialize in it. I make it my life,” he says.

An immigrant with a yen to become a policeofficer, he took a slight detour and throughhard work and innovation ended up asSouthern California’s deep-fry king.

Born in Syria to Armenian parents, CharlieBoghosian arrived in the United States at age11 with his family. They eventually settled inSan Diego, where at age 14 he got a summer

job from local vendor Bob Jackson selling char-broiled corn at the San Diego County Fair. “Iworked it that summer, and I really enjoyed it,”says Boghosian, 40. “I enjoyed cooking and sell-ing corn. I enjoyed the people at the fair. Ienjoyed the atmosphere.”

One summer led to another, and 12 summerslater Boghosian had worked his way throughhigh school and college selling fried food. In1996, he and Jackson bought a trailer special-izing in broasted chicken, a method of “pres-sure-frying” chicken. Jackson suggested thename “Chicken Charlie” for its alliterativeappeal, and the seeds of a dynasty were sown.

One day while working a fair in Miami, henoticed a vendor selling deep-fried Twinkies. “Iliked the idea, but I didn’t like the way it tast-ed,” Boghosian says. “It had been dipped in avery thick, wet batter and you could barelytaste the cream inside. I decided to dip it in anegg wash and roll it in dry, sweet flour, creatinga thin crust that was very crispy and crunchy.You could taste how nice and warm theTwinkie was.” The year he debuted it at the LACounty Fair, 2001, he sold 10,000 pieces.

“After that, everyone asked: ‘What will youdo next year?’ That question stayed in my head.When the season was over, I bought someportable fryers for my kitchen at home and

see CHICKEN CHARLIE, page 8

Community RalliesBehind IncarceratedCalifornia Man AccusedOf Molestation

By Mike Rosenberg

BELMONT, Calif. (San Mateo County Times)— Throughout the mid-1990s, Sara Gallowaysaid she and her teenage friends spent plenty oftime alone with Michael Kazarian, the formerBelmont chamber of commerce president facingchild molestation charges.

Kazarian made frequent overnight visitswhile dating Galloway’s mother, when Sara was14- to 16-years-old, and often took care of herwhile her mother worked odd hours.

Kazarian, now 50, never made the slightest ofawkward or sexual comments, Galloway said. Infact, Galloway still relies on Kazarian as a fatherfigure, even though her mother and Kazariansplit up years ago.

“So Michael kind of stepped up to the plateand he was pretty much my second dad,” saidSarah Galloway, now 27 and a speech therapistin Richland, Wash. “Stupid things, like I wenton a date, and he gave me a 20-questions drill.He would never, ever even think about anythingnasty like that. That’s just not Michael.”

Sarah Galloway and her mother, Kim, are justa few of many friends, church members, busi-ness colleagues and community members whoare rallying in support of the incarcerated for-mer chamber head. They recently helped lowerhis bail by $500,000.

But prosecutors are standing their ground,and next month the owner of Beau MondeFlooring in Belmont will stand trial in SanMateo County Superior Court. Prosecutors sayhe repeatedly fondled and spanked in a sexualmanner the daughter of his former girlfriendfrom 1999 to 2002, when the girl was 8- to 10-years-old.

Prosecutors filed 18 child molestation-relatedfelony charges against Kazarian in May and, ifconvicted, he could spend the remainder of hislife behind bars.

Kazarian’s court-appointed attorney, SouthSan Francisco-based Steve Chase, said he had acourtroom packed with well-dressed people intheir 30s to 70s supporting Kazarian during arecent court hearing in which a judge loweredhis bail from $1.5 million to $1 million. Chasehad filed 10 declarations of support from com-munity members and friends.

“I left him there with (Sara) all the time, andit was never a problem,” said Kim Galloway. “IfI had a little child, I would trust Michael 100percent with that child at any time.”

Another likely witness is John Dahlberg, alongtime friend who was on the parish councilwith Kazarian at St. John Armenian Church inSan Francisco. Dahlberg, who spent eight yearsas a part-time officer at the Oakland PoliceDepartment, said Kazarian fits no profiles heknows for molesters.

Dahlberg, Chase, the Galloways and othersinterviewed for this story described Kazarian asa well-liked community and church leader. Heinstalled flooring at the Armenian Church a fewyears ago and refused to charge anythingbeyond material costs.

“It was unthinkable that he would mistreat orhurt anyone, especially a child,” Dahlberg said.“I’ve never heard a negative word aboutMichael Kazarian in 10 years.”

Prosecutors still believe they have a strongcase. In addition to the girl’s claims, San Mateopolice set up two phone calls between her andKazarian to monitor their conversations.

“Many, many people who we prosecute areotherwise in their lives good members of thecommunity,” said Chief Deputy DistrictAttorney Steve Wagstaffe. “The allegations arethat they did something, they acted wrong, notthat they’re bad people.”

His supporters are still hoping his reputationcan be turned around during the trial, slated tostart October 16.

Ambassador Garen Nazarian and Archbishop KhajagBarsamian speak with members of the Armenian-American community during a reception at theDiocesan Center held to welcome the ambassador toNew York.

Chicken Charlie Boghosian

DETROIT — Tuesday, September 8, will beengraved in the Manoogian School’s historyas a memorable day. In the presence of theschool’s current and former board of direc-tors, Greater-Detroit Armenian communitymembers, teachers and students, the openingceremony of the new high school occurred inthe atrium of the building.

A donation from Richard Manoogian andLouise Simone made this building possible.

Elementary and middle school principal,Dyana Kezelian, welcomed the ManoogianSchool family and friends. She announcedthat 40 years ago, no one could have antici-pated that this school, which opened itsdoors with 10 students and two teachers,would have endured to find such a place inthe educational world. Today, however, withthe continuing efforts of its staff, dedicationof the past principals and teachers, as well asthe visionary guidance of the board mem-bers, the school is thriving with its more than400 students and 45 faculty and staff.

Kezelian thanked especially the Manoogianfamily members for their support. “Ourfounders and benefactors, Mr. and Mrs. Alexand Marie Manoogian, are delightedly watch-

ing our ceremony from heaven, being fulfilledon what we have achieved in these past 40years,” she said.

After welcoming the audience, PrincipalDr. Hosep Torossian of the high school,thanked Kezelian for her devotion and sup-port and added, “Today, on this festive occa-sion, the Manoogian spirit soars as we collec-tively celebrate not only the 40th anniversaryof the founding of our school, but the grandopening of this breathtaking building.” Heextended his special gratitude to the greathumanitarian, Alex Manoogian. “AlexManoogian’s passion for giving did not endwith his passing. As torchbearers of their par-ents’ dreams, Richard Manoogian and Louise

Manoogian Simone continue their unwaver-ing support of our school.” Torossian added,“we will uphold the Manoogian name bydelivering excellence in education. We have

begun our journey from good to great.”Torossian concluded his talk by thanking

the Manoogian teachers for their unmatcheddedication to the school.

High school social studies teacher MichaelHuff, on behalf of the faculty, read a letter ofappreciation addressed to benefactorsRichard Manoogian and Louise ManoogianSimone.

Board of Directors President Dr. RichardMarburger congratulated the audience start-ing his remarks by saying, “It’s a great day forus Armenians.” Marburger thanked theManoogian family for their gift and continu-ous support of this school. Enumerating theschool’s past successes, Marburger praisedthe current administration: “Dr. HosepTorossian is an engineer who brings unusualtechnical expertise to his post as principal ofthe high school. Dyana Kezelian is an effec-tive academic leader whose long experienceis of enormous value as she serves as princi-pal of the Elementary and Middle Schools.They work as a team, each realizing that theother’s success enhances the performance ofthe entire school.”

Board of Directors Chairman and ViceChairman Dr. Richard Marburger andEdmond Azadian, respectively, together withboth principals, cut the ceremonial ribbon,reminding school family and friends that thegrand opening ceremony of the high schoolbuilding will take place on October 10.


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Board of Directors Chairman and Vice Chairman Dr. Richard Marburger and Edmond Azadian,respectively, together with both principals, cut the ceremonial ribbon.

AGBU Manoogian School Unveils New State-of-the-Art High School Building

Board of Directors Chairman Dr. RichardMarburger

Family of Valedictorian Student StillFaces Deportation Challenges

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — A valley student facing deportation to Armenia just 15 monthsago, is now getting ready to start his second year of college and embark upon a dental career.

Arthur Mkoyan graduated as valedictorian from Bullard High School in June of 2008.He’d been accepted to the University of California, Davis, his first college choice, but heand his family were facing immediate deportation to Armenia.

Asmik Karabedian, Arthur’s mother said: “We try to do everything right. We did every-thing for our kids to be safe and sound. It just didn’t work out that way.”

Karabedian said she and her husband came to the United States more than a decade agoon tourist visas. They began seeking asylum in this country in 1992. The courts rejectedtheir many appeals and they were scheduled for deportation.

But Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) stepped in and introduced a bill to allow the family to stayin the country until their immigration status is resolved.

Just weeks after that, a generous benefactor from the bay area stepped in to pay forMkoyan’s college education.

“I couldn’t believe it; it’s incredible,” Mkoyan said. “If you asked me that a couple ofmonths before it happened I would have said, ‘no way, there’s no chance of that happen-ing.’”

Mkoyan spent last year studying at UC Davis and interned this summer at a local den-tist’s office; Dr. Robert Garabedian had been taking Armenian language lessons fromMkoyan’s mother when he learned of the family’s plight.

“It’s difficult when you see a great family who’s contributing to our society,” Garabediansaid. “The mom’s going to school, the son’s going to school, the dad’s working, the mom’sworking and we can’t find it in our hearts to give them amnesty?”

Feinstein’s bill could lead to permanent residency for Mkoyan and his family. But there’salways the possibility they will have to go back to Armenia — it’s something Arthur Mkoyanponders every day.

AMAA Children HelpingChildren October 29 atBelmont Country Club

BELMONT, Mass. — The ArmenianMissionary Association of America (AMAA)Orphan and Childcare Committee announcedrecently that the 14th annual Children HelpingChildren luncheon will take place this year onThursday, October 29, at the Belmont CountryClub.

This popular annual event offers an opportu-nity to enjoy an afternoon of fun, and at thesame time, help needy children in Armenia.

In addition to the luncheon, this year’s eventwill feature silent and live auctions, as well as aspecial guest auctioneer. Items to be auctionedinclude box seats to Red Sox and Patriotsgames, a framed Armenian alphabet, a pearlnecklace, an amethyst ring and many otheritems.

Guests will be entertained by a colorful chil-dren’s costume parade featuring child models.All proceeds from the event are donated to theAMAA Orphan and Child Care Fund.

For additional information, visit amaa.org.

By Kevork Keushkerian

GLENDALE, Calif. — Poet Jaque Hagopian’sbook presentation, Tekeyan, In Search of God,took place on Sunday, September 13, at theGlendale Public Library. The event was orga-nized by the Tekeyan Cultural Association’s(TCA) Los Angeles Chapter.

Mistress of Ceremonies Lora Kuyumjian wel-comed the audience and pointed out that thisbook was the 12th publication of TekeyanCultural Association, sponsored by the newly-established Yervant Azadian LiteraryEndowment Fund. She then invited to the podi-um the first speaker of the evening, ParseghKartalian, to introduce Jaque Hagopian, theauthor.

Kartalian had known the author early on,from the days when they were both in Cairo,Egypt. He noted that Jaque Hagopian was bornin Jerusalem in 1917 and once in Cairo, he mas-tered the Arabic Language to be able to beadmitted to the Fouad I University. He gradu-ated from that prestigious institution with adegree in pharmacy.

Kartalian then dwelled upon the close rela-tionship the author had with the prince ofArmenian poetry, Vahan Tekeyan. It was thisintimate acquaintance that eventually gavebirth to the idea of writing this book, he men-tioned.

Kartalian noted that he had also known theauthor’s brother, Yervant Hagopian. Finally,painting a clear picture of the author’s charac-ter, he said that love sticks out as its main fea-ture. Love towards God, love towards theArmenian language, love towards mankind andespecially love towards Vahan Tekeyan, he con-cluded.

Ovsanna Rakoubian, a former student ofJaque Hagopian’s Armenian language class inBeirut, Lebanon, fondly recalled the first day

her teacher had entered the class. She thenread two pieces from his book, one of whichwas about the passing on of Vahan Tekeyan.

Dr. Marzbed Margosian, author, educator anda former scientific researcher at HarvardUniversity in Cambridge, was called upon topresent the book. He said that the book is com-posed of three sections. He then presentedthose sections in detail, analyzing and evaluat-ing them. He pointed out that Hagopian hadstarted writing in French, before he venturedinto writing in Armenian.

The first section of the book deals withVahan Tekeyan. He is a humble, communicativeand humoristic human being, contrary to thegeneral impression that he had been gruff. Thissection also deals with his beliefs on God andhis constant struggle to find Him, as revealedthrough his poetry. A good example would behis famous poem, “The Armenian Church.” Inshort, Margosian noted, it is a research depict-ing his perception of religion.

The second section is a journalistic diary ofevents taking place from 1937 to 1945, whenhe passed away. Jaque Hagopian’s acquain-tance with poet Vahan Tekeyan had started in1938, stated Margosian. This section dealswith Vahan Tekeyan’s agony, pain and misery,especially towards the end of his life when hefell sick. He was a lonely man, no one to goto and no one to open up to, as he was notmarried and had no family members sur-rounding him.

The last section looks like a parade of thewell known in the Armenian literary, political,cultural and religious arenas that have touchedupon the life of Vahan Tekeyan, said Margosian.In a film version of this section, this would havebeen a list of guest appearances that come andgo, well woven in the plot of a true life story ofa giant in the Armenian literary world of the20th century, concluded Margosian.

When the author took to the podium, hementioned that he wanted the publication of

his book to coincide with the 40th anniversaryof the establishment of Tekeyan CulturalAssociation’s Los Angeles Chapter. He firstthanked God for his full and rich life, and thenhe thanked the association for sponsoring thepublication of his book and the various peoplewho had taken part in the program. Finally, hethanked the general audience for being therefor him.

The final speaker of the evening was VeryRev. Dajad Yardemian, vicar general of the

Western Diocese of the Armenian Church ofNorth America. He said that the struggle tobelieve or not to believe in God is not unique toVahan Tekeyan; it is rather universal and everyreasoning individual is engulfed in this dilemmauntil a satisfactory resolution surfaces andgives that inquisitive person a lasting peace ofmind.

A light reception followed the presentationand the members of the audience had a chanceto meet with the author.


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AMBASSADOR, from page 6Addressing Nazarian, Abelian said he was

hopeful that Armenia would continue to buildon its diplomatic ties and overall development.

“I’m sure the coming months and years willshow that it is a time for peace; it is a time forprosperity for Armenia,” he said.

Barsamian spoke about the close relationshipbetween the diaspora and Armenia.

“The existence of the Republic of Armenia isnot merely important to us, as members of thediaspora: it is our other half, as it were. And thesuccess or failure of the Armenian people as awhole depends on the strength and mutual sup-port, the good will and trust, of both the dias-pora and our homeland,” the Primate said.

“With such thoughts in mind, it is a pleasureto be able to look to a man like Ambassador

Nazarian — well-educated, accomplished, expe-rienced in diplomacy — as Armenia’s official rep-resentative here in the United States.”

Nazarian most recently served as Armenia’sambassador to Iran. Prior to that, he acted asthe advisor and chief of the cabinet to the for-eign minister of Armenia; as ambassador to theUnited Nations in Geneva and held a staff posi-tion in Armenia’s embassy in Moscow.

He has also served as a member of the UnitedStates Intergovernmental Commission and as avice president of the World Conference AgainstRacism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, andRelated Intolerance.

Nazarian is a graduate of Yerevan StateUniversity and the Diplomatic Academy ofMoscow. He is married, with a daughter andson.

At the Diocesan Center, Armenia’s New UNAmbassador Meets Armenian-American Community

From right, Randy Sapah-Gulian, chairman of the FAR Board of Directors; Dr. Movses Abelian, secre-tary of the UN General Assembly’s Administrative and Budgetary Committee and member of theCommittee on Programme and Coordination; Garen Nazarian and his wife; Archbishop KhajagBarsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese; Oscar Tatosian, chairman of the Diocesan Council andArto Vorperian, program manager at FAR

Southern California’s Deep-Fry King

Tekeyan, in Search of God

CHICKEN CHARLIE, from page 6started experimenting.”

In 2002, Boghosian introduced deep-friedOreos, which he dips in pancake batter, deep-fries, drizzles with chocolate syrup and dustswith powdered sugar. The next year, he deep-fried avocados using fish-and-chips batter. Theyear after that, he invented his infamous KrispyKreme chicken sandwich: a raspberry jelly-filleddoughnut, sliced in half, stuffed with a seasonedchicken breast and topped with honey sauce.“We have sold tens of thousands of those,” hesays. This year at the Orange County Fair, hedebuted the Zucchini Weenie, a turkey franktucked in a hollowed-out zucchini that’s dippedin corn dog batter and (what else?) fried.

It’s not as easy as it looks, according toBoghosian. “There is an art to frying food.What type of batter to use, whether you’regoing to use it wet or dry, how thick it shouldbe, how much time it spends in the oil. And weget rid of our oil every day. That makes a bigdifference in the flavor.”

He also uses different batters — six to be exact— for the more than 20 items he sells. One forvegetables, one for broasted chicken, one forchicken wings and frog legs, a sweet pancakebatter for some of the desserts, a corn dog bat-ter and a dry batter just for the Twinkies.

These days, Boghosian is looking to expandbeyond county fairs. He hopes to open his firstrestaurant in the San Diego area in 2010 andwants to have a chain of restaurants stretchingfrom San Diego to L.A. within five years. He’salso working on a line of deep-fryers and cook-ing equipment, and he’s halfway through acookbook tentatively titled, Chicken Charlie’sat the Fair: 101 Ways to Blow Your Diet. Noone can accuse him of dishonesty.

But Boghosian, who still loves workingbehind the counter at his booths, won’t be giv-ing up the fair life any time soon, especially theLA County Fair, which runs through October4. It has a special place in his heart, he says. “Ilike it the best, and I started a lot of my inven-tions there. I love people’s reactions when theycome up to the stand and see that we’re fryingsomething like frog legs. They say: ‘Are youcrazy?’ Then they say: ‘Let me try one.’”

St. Peter ArmenianChurch AnniversaryDinner Dance Gala

WATERVLIET, N.Y. — On Saturday,October 24, the Anniversary DinnerDance Gala celebrating the 110th anniver-sary of St. Peter Armenian ApostolicChurch and the 95th anniversary of theWomen’s Guild of St. Peter ArmenianChurch will be held. The event will takeplace at Michael’s Banquet House, 1019New Loudon Road, Latham, from 7 p.m.to midnight, featuring The Philly KefBand. Dinner dance ticket prices includecocktail hour, salad and choice of threedinner entrees, dessert and coffee.Children’s dinner dance tickets are avail-able also. Dance only tickets are availablewith admission beginning after 9:30 p.m.A 50/50 raffle drawing will be held; asponsorship booklet is also available.

For more information, contact thechurch office.


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WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, N.Y. — On Sunday,September 13, Holy Cross Church of Armeniamarked the 80th anniversary of its establishmentin the uptown Washington Heights neighbor-hood of New York City. The celebration coincid-ed with the parish name-day, the Feast of theExaltation of the Holy Cross.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of theDiocese of the Armenian Church of America(Eastern), celebrated the Divine Liturgy, withassistance from St. Nersess seminarians, theirdean, the Very Rev. Daniel Findikyan, and theGomidas and Zvartnotz choirs.

“Over the centuries, we have borne Christ’scross with faith, hope and love. What was oncean instrument of torture and death, has becomefor us the symbol of salvation, and victory overdeath,” the Primate said.

Barsamian added that Holy Cross Church hasexpressed the message of the cross throughoutits history.

“In profound ways, the Holy Cross Churchsymbolizes the entire story of our people inAmerica,” he said. “This sanctuary has been aplace of deep sorrow, but also great rejoicing. Ithas known hardship, but has also become a gen-uine place of pilgrimage for our people.”

Archbishop Yeghishe Gizirian read the pontifi-cal encyclical issued to the church on the occa-sion of its anniversary.

“For eight decades this holy shrine has had itsdoors open to our faithful, nourishing them withGod’s word,” Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarchand Catholicos of All Armenians, wrote in the

encyclical. “Its 80 years of history attest to thestrong faith and commitment of those who havegathered in this house of worship for so manyyears.”

A luncheon followed services. Program high-

lights included a musical performance by AniKalayjian and Sophya Melikyan, and remarks byFindikyan, who spoke about the church’s richheritage and the warm welcome it has extendedto many deacons and young priests over theyears.

“May God inspire many more young people tocome forward to serve our Holy Cross Church aspriests, as deacons, as choir members, as leadersin every way,” Findikyan said.

The parish also presented the Mabel FennerScholarships to five students and eight St.Nersess seminarians.

Haik Hovnanian and family donated Sunday’smeal.

A Focal Point of the Armenian Community

Holy Cross Church opened its doors onJanuary 6, 1929. The original building — a smalledifice on West 187th St., formerly a Lutheranchurch — served the congregation for 23 years.

In those years, the young parish faced its shareof hardships, including the financial burdens ofthe Great Depression and the aftermath of the1933 murder of then-Primate ArchbishopGhevont Tourian, who was stabbed to death dur-ing a procession to the altar.

But despite setbacks, the community perse-vered, establishing vibrant Armenian and Sunday

Schools, a renowned choir, a Women’s Guild andother organizations.

By the 1950s, the parish had outgrown itsfacilities, and leaders began to make plans forbuilding a new church. That dream was realizedon October 17, 1954, when Archbishop MampreCalfayan, Primate, consecrated the church build-ing still in use today. The community alsoenjoyed a new parish house, complete with achurch office, classrooms and living quarters forthe parish priest.

“Armenians would travel from Long Island,from New Jersey, from upstate New York — all tocome to this parish,” said Leo Manuelian, 80thanniversary committee member and a formerHoly Cross Church parishioner. “It was the focalpoint of the Armenian community in New YorkCity.”

In 1960, Holy Cross Church welcomedCatholicos of AllArmenians Vasken I,who became the firstArmenian catholicos tovisit the United States.The catholicos celebrat-ed the Divine Liturgy atHoly Cross in July ofthat year — making itthe only church inAmerica where he cele-brated badarak duringhis visit.

During that decade,many parishioners atHoly Cross wereinvolved in the buildingof St. Vartan ArmenianCathedral. They alsowelcomed former Primate, Archbishop TiranNersoyan, who moved into the parish house andoffered his guidance and support to the commu-nity.

Through the 1970s, the parish marked a num-ber of milestones, including the 100th birthdayof longtime parishioner and benefactor HaikKavookjian, and the parish’s golden anniversaryin 1979, when the auditorium was dedicated inhonor of Simon and Lusaper Kachajian.

Even as many parishioners moved to the sub-urbs, they continued to visit Holy Cross Churchregularly. In fact, it was their experience at HolyCross Church that gave root to the new parishesestablished in Long Island and Westchester, N.Y.,and New Jersey — parishes which today comprisethe Armenian community of the New York-metroarea. These newly-built churches “benefited fromthe expertise of the parish councils that maturedand developed through” Holy Cross Church,Manuelian said.

In 1986, Archbishop Shnork Kaloustian, then-Patriarch of Constantinople, visited Holy CrossChurch to consecrate the icon of CharkapanSoorp Asdvadzadzin — a reproduction of a 15th-

century icon located in Istanbul, Turkey. Theshrine of Charkapan Soorp Asdvadzadzinremains an important site at Holy Cross Church.

In 1995, thanks to Dolores Zohrab Liebeman,a fund was established for Holy Cross Church.

“Every Sunday, we celebrate the DivineLiturgy, we pray together, and then we cometogether and enjoy fellowship and being part ofone another’s lives,” said Parish Council ChairCharlene Simonian. “That’s a big part of the mis-sion here at Holy Cross Church – to provide thatsense of community for all Armenians.”

Parish Council Chair Charlene Simonian andVirginia Carbone cut the anniversary cake atHoly Cross Church of Armenia. The cake wasdonated by Virginia Carbone.

Holy Cross Church of Armenia in WashingtonHeights Celebrates 80th Anniversary

The “Blessing of the Fields” service at Holy Cross Church of Armenia. The church marked its 80thanniversary on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

The faithful gather for services at the original Holy Cross Church of Armenia sanctuary, which wasestablished in 1929.

Archbishop Yeghishe Gizirian reads the pontifi-cal encyclical issued to Holy Cross Church onthe occasion of its 80th anniversary.

Altar servers raise up the cross during a proces-sion to the altar at Holy Cross Church ofArmenia on Sunday, September 13.

The present-day building of the Holy Cross Church of Armenia.


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NEW YORK — The AGBU Armenian VirtualCollege (AVC) went online earlier this year for asummer trial session that attracted hundreds ofeager students from every corner of the world.They logged on to learn more about this innov-ative Internet-based accredited distance learn-ing program that provides courses in Armenianhistory, language and culture while allowingstudents to choose from six languages ofinstruction: Western and Eastern Armenian,English, Russian, French and Spanish.

The driving force behind this school is AGBUBoard Member and AVC founder, YervantZorian. Zorian is the vice president and chief sci-entist of Virage Logic, an IT company operatingboth in Armenia and the US. He was elected tothe AGBU Central Board of Directors last yearduring the organization’s 85th GeneralAssembly. He serves as a trustee of theAmerican University of Armenia and chairmanof AGBU Silicon Valley, and was recently elect-ed to be a Foreign Member of Armenia’sNational Academy of Sciences.

His passion and vision for AVC has ensuredthat the original idea continues to grow as theschool and students work together to develop asystem that can revolutionize the way Armenianspreserve and promote their cultural heritage.

On September 22, AVC formally launched itsfirst full semester.

AAGGBBUU:: Now that the first trial session ofAGBU’s Armenian Virtual College has conclud-ed, how would you gauge the outcome?

YYZZ:: The first term of AVC successfully attract-ed approximately 150 e-learners through cours-es in Eastern Armenian, Western Armenian,and Armenian History. One of the purposes ofthis term was to evaluate the e-learning methodat the heart of the college.

At its core, the AVC is aimed to become notmerely a library of individual electronic courses,but a full-scale academic institution, with fullyequipped virtual classrooms, effective student-teacher communication, peer-to-peer collabora-tion, and an authentic university environment.The success of our first trial term confirmed notonly the academic quality of the courses’ contentbut also the effectiveness of our overall onlinelearning methodology. In fact, this term helpedus realize the extent to which the two comple-ment each other in order to create the optimallearning experience for Armenian education.

AAGGBBUU:: What has been the response of thestudents involved in this inaugural session?

YYZZ:: Upon the conclusion of the first term,

every student completed three surveys, eachassessing a key component of the AVC: the con-tent and methodology, the technical quality andease of use, and the online instructors. Theoverwhelming majority of students were satis-fied with their learning experience with AVCand plan to continue taking courses throughthe program in the future. Moreover, all surveyrespondents expressed their intent to recom-mend AVC to others. The majority of studentshighly appreciated the opportunity to interactwith one another and found this peer-to-peercollaboration to be beneficial for their learningexperience, especially for those participating inthe Armenian history courses. Students weresatisfied with the technical aspects of the pro-gram and were impressed by the professionallevel of the multimedia components.Furthermore, they appreciated the enthusiasm,approachability, and responsiveness of theonline instructors, who helped create engagingclassroom environments. While the students ineach of the six language groups — EasternArmenian, Western Armenian, Russian,English, French and Spanish — varied greatly intheir background and their style of online inter-action, they all shared an appreciation for themission of the AVC and its role in the globalArmenian community.

AAGGBBUU:: Have there been any unanticipatedsurprises?

YYZZ:: Throughout the first term, we continu-ously adapted the college’s features and ourlearning methodology in order to address theunanticipated challenges and surprises thatarose. Even during the earliest stage of theterm — the registration period — we were sur-prised by the demographics of the studentbody. The number of learners registering foreach course far surpassed our expectations.Moreover, we were amazed by the span of theirages and their backgrounds. We were quitepleased to find that despite this wide range,learners of all ages were eager to communicatewith one another through the discussionforums and peer-to-peer collaboration activities.Moreover, the variety in students’ academicbackground and prior knowledge actuallyenhanced the level of classroom discussion andallowed for a richer experience for all. As theterm progressed, we were impressed by thenumber of hours students spent on the lessonsper week, which surpassed our expectations. Infact, students often viewed the multimedialessons multiple times each week and the level

of online activity on the AVC portal necessitat-ed repeatedly increasing our bandwidth on thehost server throughout the term.

AAGGBBUU:: How do you view AVC fitting intoAGBU’s larger educational mission?

YYZZ:: AGBU’s lifelong dedication to Armenianeducation is a well-known reality. As we allknow, throughout the past century, AGBU hassupported Armenian educational programs pri-marily through traditional schools and univer-sities in Armenia and in the diaspora. Throughthe Armenian Virtual College, its newest teach-ing institute, AGBU, will further its mission topromote education in the globally dispersedArmenian communities, using an entirely inno-vative approach. Through online education, theAVC provides learners around the world theopportunity to receive the same full-fledgedArmenian education, regardless of their age,country of residence, or knowledge level. In thissense, the AVC not only reinforces the educa-tional objectives of AGBU, but also widens theirreach. Though unprecedented in its scope, theAVC neither replaces the traditional Armenianschool system, nor serves as an alternative tothe educational institutions AGBU has support-ed in the past. On the contrary, the new virtuallearning community bridges the gaps in thecurrent system — both bringing Armenian edu-cation to those in the diaspora who do not haveaccess to traditional schools and complement-ing the curriculum of existing Armenianschools through multimedia resources. In fact,several day schools and Saturday schools,including some from the United Arab Emirates(UAE), Argentina and Uruguay, have alreadyexpressed interest in using AVC courses to sup-plement their current curriculum.

AAGGBBUU:: When does the AVC team expectcourse accreditations to begin so that studentscan receive credit from their local colleges anduniversities for their work?

YYZZ:: AVC learners can choose to earn credits foreach course that they complete, ultimately leadingto a diploma from the AGBU Armenian VirtualCollege by completing 24 courses. Alternately, stu-dents can earn a minor in a subject domain bycompleting eight courses from a single depart-ment. Since the courseware has been developedby the higher educational institutes in Armenia,we have already obtained full accreditation fromthe Academic Council of the Yerevan StateUniversity for the course developed so far.

Currently, we are actively pursuing the nextlevel of accreditation from recognized educa-

tional institutions in North America andEurope. Such accreditation will help studentstransfer course credits from AVC to their corre-sponding universities and learning institutionsacross the world or obtain credit as AdvancedPlacement courses in their corresponding highschool programs.

Alternately, AVC learners may also choose toparticipate in the program as an extension orcontinuing education course with less rigorousrequirements and no credits. Based on thedemographics of our recently completed sum-mer term, we have noticed that the number ofthese auditors is typically in the range of a thirdin each of our AVC virtual classrooms.

AAGGBBUU:: What is your dream for AVC? How doyou see it changing in the future?

YYZZ:: While the success of our first academicterm is very promising, there is still much workto be done before the AVC reaches its fullpotential. In order to reach a wider range oflearners in the global village, we will undoubt-edly increase the number of languages in whichour courses are offered. Over the past severalweeks, I have already received requests toexpand our six currently adopted teaching lan-guages, by adding German, Turkish and Polish,among others. By the very nature of the col-lege’s design, the scope of the AVC is unlimited,and we will continue to widen its reach untilArmenian education becomes available to everyArmenian across the globe.

In addition to expanding the community itserves, the AVC will advance in the education itoffers. By widening the range of courses in theAVC curriculum, we can ensure that our e-learn-ers have the chance to obtain the most com-prehensive Armenian education. We are in theprocess of discussing a number of subjectdomains to add to our current curriculum.

Due to the virtual nature of the institute, thepossibilities of advancing the features availableto students are endless. We are fully engaged inthe global community of online learning andare collaborating with world-renowned onlinepedagogues and technology experts. We arewilling to leverage the experiences obtained bythe network of institutions in this community.

As the college thus evolves into a thriving vir-tual learning community, I foresee that it willfoster both the cultural education and socialcommunication otherwise out of the reach ofmost Armenians, and in so doing, will becomethe premier learning institute of the globalArmenian community.

HAK VILLAGE, Nagorno Karabagh — September 17 wasa day of celebration as residents of Nagorno-Karabagh’sremote Hak village joined political dignitaries and membersof the international community to mark the re-opening ofHak’s historic St. Minas Church.

The church blessing was combined with the unveiling ofa new drinking water supply for the village, making the cer-emony a momentous occasion reaffirming Armenians’ com-mitment to restore and protect their ancient heritage in thiswar-torn enclave.

The afternoon began with the blessing of the church byArchbishop Parkev Martirosian, Primate of the ArtsakhDiocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. He emphasizedthe importance of reopening St. Minas and other churches like

it, calling them “a symbol of the continuation of theArmenian Christian faith on these lands.”

Hak village sits in a remote corner of Kashatagh(formerly Lachin), the strategically vital area con-necting Karabagh with Armenia. With a continuousArmenian presence dating back to the 12th century,Hak was ethnically cleansed of Armenians by Azeriforces in 1918, only to be reclaimed in 1992 duringArmenia’s victorious struggle for self-determination.Since then, Azerbaijan has repeatedly claimed theKashatagh region for itself; however, the presence ofArmenian churches, cemeteries and other monu-ments — some dating as far as back as the fourthcentury — refute these claims and reaffirm the casefor Armenian sovereignty over these lands.

The Hak project is the latest initiative of the NewYork-based Tufenkian Foundation. Through a rangeof social and economic projects, the foundation hasfostered the development and resettlement ofKashatagh since the war. In parallel, the foundationis working to restore and preserve the Armenianmonuments found throughout this land. VirginiaDavies of New York City tendered the support that allowedthe foundation to restore St. Minas Church and establishHak’s water supply. Having flown in especially for the cer-emony, Davies spoke boldly and proudly about the project,which she has dedicated in loving memory of her grand-mother, Virgine Mouradian, a survivor of the Genocide.

“This is only the beginning,” Davies said. “After Hak, wewill start projects in the next two villages — Mirig andHochants.” Those projects, like the work in Hak, will con-sist of restoring ancient churches that had been desecrated

by Azerbaijan, alongside development and infrastructureprojects for the current resettlers there. “After these twovillages, there will be another two, and it will go on for theentire area.”

Numerous dignitaries attended the ceremony, includingNKR President Bako Sahakyan, NKR National AssemblyChairman Ashot Ghulyan, Armenia’s former ForeignMinister Raffi Hovannisian, representatives of numerouspolitical parties and NGOs and other former ministersincluding Davit Lokyan and Levon Mkrtchyan.

Archbishop Parkev Martirosian leads a service for the blessingof St. Minas Church.

Tufenkian Foundation Unveils New Kashatagh Initiative

An exterior view of Kashatagh’s St. Minas Church, which has been recent-ly restored and re-consecrated.

Yervant Zorian Discusses Launch of AGBU’s Armenian Virtual College

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Arts & LivingT 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, S E P T E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 0 9

Roudolf KharatianTo Lead NationalBallet of Armenia

WASHINGTON and YEREVAN — RoudolfKharatian, choreographer and ballet teacher, isreturning to his native Armenia where he hasbeen appointed artistic director of the NationalBallet of Armenia. Since 1991, when he wasinvited to join the faculty of the Kirov Academyof Ballet, he has resided in Washington, DC.

Trained at the Armenian National BalletSchool in Yerevan, Kharatian also studied atthe Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg underthe legendary Alexander Pushkin. He began hisprofessional career as principal dancer with theNational Ballet of Armenia, performing thegreat male roles in “Giselle,” “Swan Lake,”“Romeo and Juliet,” “Spartacus” and otherfamous works. Kharatian enjoyed a successfulperforming career spanning 25 years and was afavorite of audiences and critics alike. He alsostarred in films and toured the world with thestars of Soviet Ballet.

A prolific choreographer, in 1979 he foundedthe Chamber Ballet of Armenia, which present-ed contemporary works and allowed for greaterexperimentation and innovation. The companyof 26 dancers was televised regularly and alsotoured widely throughout Europe, the MiddleEast and Asia.

Kharatian has been honored with manyawards and medals in his career as dancer,choreographer and teacher. He also holds a

master’s degree in choreography and stage pro-duction from the Moscow Institute of TheatreArts (GITIS).

Since his arrival in the US, Kharatian hasbeen a respected teacher and coach, producingmany medalists and world-class dancers. He hasbeen on the faculty of the Kirov Academy andthe School of the Washington Ballet. He hasguest taught and lectured throughout NorthAmerica and has taught such companies asAmerican Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet and theKirov Mariinsky Ballet.

His work, the duet “Dialogue,” was one of thefeatured works during the Dance Metro DCAwards Presentation at the Kennedy Center’sTerrace Theatre on Monday, September 14.Kharatian will be the featured guest at theMarch 3, 2010 installment of “Happenings atthe Harman” at the Harman Center for theArts. And a retrospective of Kharatian’s work isplanned for March 7, at the Performing ArtsCenter in Silver Spring, Md., as part of the“Three Dancers” program.

Kharatian will take up the post of artisticdirector of the National Ballet of Armenia at theend of September. Said Kharatian: “TheNational Ballet of Armenia is a high-level com-pany of very well-trained dancers. However theirworld-view has been limited to the Russian andSoviet experience. I hope to broaden their hori-zon by introducing the best works of both pastand present from around the world. More impor-tantly, Armenia has a rich and unique traditionin dance and the arts, which I look forward topresenting to the world.”

Antranig DanceEnsemble to Host40th AnniversaryExtravaganza

NEW YORK — On Saturday, November 28,the AGBU Antranig Dance Ensemble will pre-sent an anniversary performance, which willtake place at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center forthe Performing Arts to mark its 40th anniver-sary.

Gagik Karapetian has choreographed thegroup for the past 20 years, creating six full-length productions.

Karapetian said the anniversary show wouldpull out all the stops, saying it will include full-group pieces with more than 40 dancers to spe-cialty dances for the men or women of theensemble and stories-in-dance for the group’ssoloists.

While focused on Armenian folk and ethno-graphic dance, the Antranig ensemble hasbranched out throughout its history, somethingKarapetian said would also be reflected at theperformance.

Most recently the director of the ArmenianState Dance Ensemble, Karapetian, honed hisskills as a dancer and soloist with the profes-sional troupe for over 20 years. Since then, hehas worked annually with Antranig and hastrained and consulted other Armenian and non-Armenian ensembles internationally.

The Antranig Dance Ensemble is under theartistic directorship of Joyce Tamesian-Shenloogian, who has managed the group since1986 after a long and successful career as dancer,soloist and assistant director with Antranig.

Tickets to the performance are available fromthe AGBU.

Russell Examines ArmenianRoots of Outlaw Figures

BELMONT, Mass. — Harvard University’s Prof. James Russell presented his researchon the Epic of the Blind Man’s Son, its shared Armenian and Turkish heritage and itsinfluence on the world’s thirst for stories of outlaws at the National Association forArmenians Studies and Research (NAASR) last week.

Russell, who has served as the Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies at Harvardsince 1992, has written several books on Armenian literature, including An ArmenianEpic: The Heroes of Kasht and Hovhannes Tlkurantsi and the Medieval ArmenianLyric Tradition, among others.

The September 17 lecture, Russell’s first for an Armenian audience since a presen-tation on Armenian magical scrolls at the Armenian Library and Museum of America(ALMA) late last year, centered around not only an outline of the Epic of the BlindMan’s Son, but also the historical and sociological forces that made it endure.

Known to most by its Turkish name,Köroglu, the epic comprises roughly 30 parts,or “branches.” Reciters would tackle one part anight for 30 days (for Muslim reciters, duringthe month of Ramadan), accompanying them-selves on instruments. Boiled down, it is the

story of a son, Köroglu, armed with a magical horse and super strength he acquiredfrom drinking foam from a river, seeking revenge on the king who blinded his father.

Köroglu becomes a roving bandit and minstrel in the kingdom, attracting followersalong the way. He is an archetype found in many cultures: “The brave and cheerful ban-dit who rebels against unjust authority and robs from the rich and gives to the poor,”according to Russell.

All of this, Russell points out, begins to take shape five centuries before the story ofRobin Hood begins to be told.

“The historical Robin Hood of the 14th century seems to have inherited in literaturethe ready-made deeds and features of a folk epic narrative perhaps five centuries older.”

Köroglu takes place across Central Asia and is influenced by multiple cultures andlanguages.

“The Soviet Armenians knew [the epic] from a famous opera and from Russian trans-lations,” Russell said. “Few surmised that its roots are in part in their own country andculture, partly because it has been appropriated by Turkey and Azerbaijan as theirnational epic, and partly because its characters are indeed Muslims, with Turkic andPersian names, and most versions of the epic are in Turkic languages ... though thereare also Kurdish, Persian and Armenian variants.”

The shared history, Russell said, may be a large factor as to why the epic is so little-studied today by those interested in Armenian studies.

“The cultural divide ... has become so wide that the idea of a shared literary work ofthis kind has become almost inconceivable,” Russell added.

Quoting German communist scholar Ivan Olbracht, Russell said, “Man has an insa-tiable longing for justice and so he rebels against a social order which denies it to him.Whatever world he lives in, he accuses that social order, or the entire material universe,with injustice.”

“Man is filled with a strange, stubborn urge to remember, to think things out, tochange things. And in addition he has the urge within himself to have what he cannothave — if only in the form of a fairy tale. That is perhaps the basis for the heroic sagasof all ages, all religions, all peoples and all classes.”

Listen to the complete lecture online at www.mirrorspectator.com.

James Russell lecturing at the National Association of Armenian Studies and Research

By Thomas C . NashMirror-Spectator Staff

Ignatieff, PamukJoin TorontoAuthors’ Festival

TORONTO (CBC) — Nobel laureate OrhanPamuk will rub shoulders with crime writerKathy Reichs and graphic artist Seth at thisyear’s International Festival of Authors (IFOA)here.

IFOA, scheduled for October 21-31,announced 44 prominent authors for the 2009festival this week.

Liberal LeaderMichael Ignatieff,who could becaught up in anelection cam-paign by this fall,will be amongthe guests.

His memoir,True PatriotLove: FourGenerations inSearch ofCanada, was published earlier this year.

It tells the story of his mother’s family, theGrants, who over three generations, conducteda spirited argument about what Canada wasand what it should be.

Pamuk, the Turkish writer who has beentried in his native country over his outspokenviews on Turkish history, is to read from hisnewest work, The Museum of Innocence.

Seth is the pen name of Gregory Gallant, theCanadian graphic artist known for comics suchas Palooka-Ville. The festival also has drawnNew Yorker graphic artist R.O. Blechman.

Other guests include Garrison Keillor, cre-ator of “A Prairie Home Companion,” ManBooker nominee Sarah Hall, author of How toPaint a Dead Man and International IMPACDublin Literary Award-winner Michael Thomas,author of Man Gone Down.

Orhan Pamuk

Roudolf Kharatian

GERMAN AVAKIAN PHOTO

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — The 12th annual ArpaInternational Film Festival will present morethan 50 films, post-screening receptions and astar-studded closing night awards ceremony overthree days, Friday, October 23 to Sunday,October 25, at the Egyptian Theatre.

On Friday, October 23, the festival presentsthe North American premiere of Haik Gazarian’s“Venezzia,” starring two Latin American stars,Alfonso Herrera and Ruddy Rodriguez. Gazarianmakes his directorial debut in this epic love storyset on the Venezuelan coast of the Caribbeanduring World War II. Joining Gazarian at the redcarpet premiere, which kicks off at 6:30 p.m., will

be co-stars Herrera, one of Mexico’s most popu-lar actors and former member of the Grammy-nominated pop group RBD, and Rodriguez, a for-mer Miss World Venezuela, whose more thantwo decades in television and film have garneredher a legion of devoted fans in the Spanish-speaking world and beyond. Opening-night pro-ceedings will be emceed by ReelzChannel’s JillSimonian. “Venezzia” screens at 8 p.m. with areception to follow. Tickets to the red carpet pre-miere screening of “Venezzia” and the post-screening reception are available atwww.affma.org.

More than 50 feature films, shorts, documen-taries, music videos and animations will screenduring the festival. “There’s an incredible buzz

around the films we’ve beenable to get this year. Our pro-gramming department trackedthe global film festival scene forthe last year and singled outthe exemplary films relating toArmenians or made byArmenian filmmakers,” saysArpa Festival director AlexKalognomos. “[The year] 2009happens to be a standout yearfor cinema featuring films byArmenian filmmakers — andwe’re so fortunate to be screen-

ing all of them at Arpa.”In the documentary line-

up, this year’s official selec-tion includes “Anjar:Flowers, Goats andHeroes,”a film about the history ofthe people of Musa Dagh byCanadian-Armenian film-maker Noura Kevorkian;“Autumn of the Magician,”an homage to legendaryItalian screenwriter ToninoGuerra and Armenia’s officialselection in the Best ForeignLanguage Film category for the 2010 AcademyAwards; “Komitas Hairig,” which tells the storyof the beloved Komitas Vardapet; “Husher,” afilm which documents the testimony ofArmenian Genocide survivors who settled inItaly and “Whispering Memories,” the story ofa community of Armenians in Turkey whostayed behind during the genocide and silentlyconverted to Islam.

This year’s competitive short film categoryincludes “Hove,” starring Olympia Dukakis.“Hove” is a film about the powerful, unresolvedlegacy of theArmenianGenocide, directed byAlex

Webb. Actor-writer-director Shant Hamassian’s“Spaceman on Earth,” which debuted at this year’sCannes Film Festival, will be featured in a programof shorts by Los Angeles filmmakers.

Screening in the feature film category isacclaimed Turkish filmmaker Ozcan Alper’s

acclaimed “Sonbahar” (“Autumn”), the first fea-ture-length film ever to be shot in Homshetsma,a dialect of Armenian that has been preserved inthe Artvin province of northeastern Turkey for

hundreds of years; and one of the festival’s mostanticipated films. “Chasing Tchaikovsky,” alaugh-out-loud comedy about marriage andmoviemaking directed by Greg Lalazarian and

starring Art Aroustamian and veteran actressAnn Magnuson.

Other films feature the work of such acclaimedfigures as Sting (“Battle of the Xingu”), such

actors as Academy Award-winner Jeremy Irons(“Power of the Powerless”) and “24” star KieferSutherland (“Return to Mexico City”), which alsoincludes interviews with President BarackObama and Tom Brokaw. It tells the story ofOlympic medalists Tommie Smith and JohnCarlos, who return to Mexico City 40 years afterstirring controversy by raising their fists in theair during their medal ceremony and, in the pro-cess, raising awareness of the struggle for civilrights in America and basic human rightsthroughout the world.

This year’s recipient of Arpa’s Armin T. WegnerAward, which each year is awarded to a motion pic-ture that contributes to the fight for social con-science and human rights, is “Voices from Inside:Israelis Speak.” “This feature-length documentaryfilm is based on the stories of 16 Jewish Israeli voic-es of conscience, each representing a different facetof the peace movement inside Israel,” says ZavenKhachaturian, Arpa Film Festival curator,who invited the film to the festival.

Armenian Educational Foundation (AEF) willreceive this year’s Arpa Foundation Award. Overits 60 year history, AEF has been committed toArmenian youth and the pursuit of higher learn-ing. To that end, the organization has built andsupported the establishment of hundredsof Armenian day schools around the world. ASevag Vrej-directed, Christina Shakarian-pro-duced short film documenting AEF’s education-al endeavors in Armenia will be screened duringthe closing night awards ceremony.

This year’s official selection includes filmsfrom over 20 countries including Armenia,Turkey, Brazil, France, Peru, Canada, Malawi,Spain, China, India, Iran and many more. Toreserve all-access passes in advance, visitwww.AFFMA.org.

13S A T U R D A Y, S E P T E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 0 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

WENTWORTH GALLERYPresents

GEVORGThe Armenian Artist Who conquered the

Heart of AmericansSaturday, October 10, 2009

2:00-9:00 PMWoodfield Shopping Center5 Woodfield Shopping Center,

Schaumburg, IL 60173Phone: (847) 995-1190

Additional exhibitions:Phipps Plaza, Atlanta,GA – 10/16/2009Perimeter Mall, Atlanta,GA – 10/17/2009

Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale,FL – 10/23/2009Town Center Mall, Boca Raton,FL – 10/24/2009

“Spaceman On Earth”

ARPA International Film Festival to Be Held October 23-25

“Hove,” starring Olympia Dukakis

The opening-night poster for “Venezzia,” withRuddy Rodriguez and Alfonso Herrera

“Husher” is a Genocide documentary.


ARTS & LIVING

::eekkeeyyaann MM,,aaggoovv;;aa33iinn MMiioovv;;iivvnn �� MMhhyyrr MMggrrdd[[yyaann ::aaddyyrraaqqoovvmmppTekeyan Cultural Association – Mher Megerdchian Theatrical Group

Gu Nyrga3axne Presents

OO||ww SSbbaannnnyyxx AArryyvvyyllyyaann AAddaammnnaappoo33==uuWho Killed The Eastern Dentist?

TTiimmaaggaahhaanntteess BBaarroonnyyaannii 1860aaggaann BBoolliissii MMeezzA Masquerade Party in Baronian�s 1860�s Istanbul

::aaddyyrraaggaann JJaa,,ggyyrroo33;; BBaarraahhaanntteessA Murder Mystery Dinner Theater

Badrasdov;yamp` ##aarroovv;; {{aa;;mmaajjyyaanniiPrepared by Harout Chatmajian

Assyrian Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary 644 Paramus Road, Paramus, New Jersey 07652

<<aappaa;;, HHooggddyymmppyyrr 10, 2009 ++aammuu 8-iinnSaturday, October 10, 2009 at 8:00 PM

Donation: $60 ! BYOB ! Dress Code (Optional): 1860’s Attire & Mask

For Tickets, Call Marie Zokian (201) 745-8850, Noushig Atamian (718) 894-5878 Maro Hajakian (201) 934-3427 or Missak Boghosian (212) 819-0097

NEW YORK — The AGBU New York SpecialEvents Committee (NYSEC) presents the sec-ond AGBU Performing Artists in Concert, show-casing the talents of young Armenian musi-cians, to be held at Weill Recital Hall atCarnegie Hall (154 West 57th St.) on Saturday,October 24, at 8:30 p.m.

Like the inaugural concert held in 2008, thisAGBU NYSEC event will applaud the achieve-ments of talented Armenian youth who havebenefited from AGBU’s scholarship assistancetoward their studies in performing arts, includ-ing piano, strings, wind, percussion and voice.The artists hail from distinguished conservato-ries and universities worldwide, such as theJuilliard School, Manhattan School of Music,Komitas State Conservatory, Yale University,Mannes College of Music, Boston Conservatory,State University of New York at Stony Brookand the Royal College of Music.

Supporting youth studying in the performingarts has always been a priority for AGBU.Twelve performers, under the artistic directionof brothers Hrant and Kevork Parsamian, arecollaborating to prepare a repertoire of musiccelebrating Armenian and classical composers,such as Babajanian, Khachaturian,Schostakovich and Schumann. Of special notewill be the US premiere of 19-year-old GevorkBadalian’s composition based on five folk songsfrom the Armenian Genocide.

The performing artists include three violin-ists: Monika Chamasyan (VA), Nazig Tchakarian(NY), and Viktoria Tchertchian (MA); two cel-lists, Hrant and Kevork Parsamian (NY); two

violists, Alex Nazaryan (NY) and AnoushSimonian (NJ); two pianists, Marina Chamasyan(VA) and Varta Tchakarian (NY); a flautist,Stepan Dadourian (NY); a marimbist, SylvieZakarian (MA) and an opera singer, sopranoNatalie Aroyan (NY via Australia).

For tickets and information, call the AGBU.To purchase tickets directly through theCarnegie Box Office, visitwww.carnegiehall.org.

For decades, AGBU grants have been award-ed to hundreds of talented and qualified stu-dents of Armenian descent studying in the per-forming arts who have demonstrated excellencein their chosen fields. These awards enablerecipients to achieve their potential, laying thefoundation for their future as they celebratetheir heritage and identity. In 2008, the AGBU

NYSEC proudly presented “A Debut Concert”featuring some of the AGBU ScholarshipProgram’s Performing Arts grant recipients.Proceeds from the concert contributed tofuture AGBU’s Performing Arts grants. The2009 concert will showcase the talents of a newselection of grant recipients and will benefit thenewly-established AGBU Performing ArtsFellowship Program.

To sustain and expand our support for futureworthy candidates, AGBU NYSEC invites you tojoin them in raising funds on the occasion ofthis benefit concert for the AGBU PerformingArts Fellowship Program. A generous tax-deductible donation toward this event willmake a dynamic difference in the performingarts aspirations of new and succeeding genera-tions of Armenian youth.

AGBU NYSEC Presents Performing Artists in Concert at Carnegie Hall, October 24

2008 Debut Concert performers on the stage of Carnegie Hall.

BAYSIDE, N.Y. — The Friends of HolyMartyrs Armenian Day School (HMADS) pre-sents a perfor-mance byArmenian come-dian Kev Orkianat New York’sFlushing TownHall, 137-35Northern Blvd.,in Flushing,Queens, onS a t u r d a y ,October 24 at7:30 p.m.

O r k i a n ’ sblend of mod-ern humor andcultural satirehas made him a

crowd favorite and a comedic legend in bothBritish and Armenian circles. This pianistextraordinaire also has a revamped musical-comedy repertoire.

Orkian honed his skills and perfected hiscomedic timing at Brunel University, wherehe studied drama and music and also trainedfor a two-year national diploma in the per-forming arts. He made his West End debut in“Fame” and was in the original production of“Happy Days,” the musical. He has taken hisone-man piano-comedy show to sold-out per-formances around the world, including LosAngeles as host of the Armenian MusicAwards, on the “Hye seas” aboard theArmenian Heritage Cruise, and in Australia.To catch a sneak peak of some of his stand-up routines, visit www.kev-orkian.com.

For reservations, call the school office.— Jennifer Chelebi

HMADS Presents Comedy with Kev Orkian

Comedian Kev Orkian

RIDGEWOOD, N.J. — Margaret Ajemian-Ahnert, noted author of The Knock at theDoor: A Journey through the Darkness of theArmenian Genocide will discuss her book andlater be available for discussion, on Friday,October 2, 7:30 p.m. in Abajian Hall, St. LeonArmenian Church here.

The book is an account of her mother’s har-rowing escape from her birth town of Amasia inOttoman Turkey and the unspeakable crimesshe survives and witnesses during her year-longjourney to the safety of American shores.

Ahnert retells her 98-year-old mother’s talefrom her bedside in the Queens ArmenianHome — and in the process leaves her own

imprint on the story of survival as she simulta-neously weaves the tale of a loving mother-daughter relationship.

Ahnert counts as her friends and supportersformer Gov. Hugh Carey and Manhattan DistrictAttorney, Robert Morgenthau, whose grandfa-ther, Henry Morgenthau, was the US ambassadorto the Ottoman Empire from 1913 to 1916 andone of the first to raise an alarm there.

A limited number of copies of The Knock atthe Door will be available that night for sale;however those interested are urged to contactthe church to reserve a copy in advance.

Refreshments will be served after her presen-tation.

Ahnert to Give Talk at St. Leon Armenian Church

ARLINGTON, Mass. — If every writer’s dreamis to see his/her manuscript receive the atten-tion it deserves from a publisher and more sofrom an audience, Muriel Mirak-Weissbach, theauthor of Through the Wall of Fire: Armenia-Iraq-Palestine: From Wrath to Reconciliation,could not ask for more.

As a Fulbright scholar, educator, politicalactivist and author of numerous articles, Mirak-Weissbach’s work has received praise evenbefore it hit the bookstores. The “daughter oftwo orphans, both victims of the 1915Armenian Genocide,” as she begins the intro-duction of her book, she makes it clear from theoutset that the focus of her work is on the view-point of the children in three very diverse set-tings, Armenia (1915), Iraq (2003) andPalestine (1948), who lived through unspeak-able horrors and the trauma they suffered.

The Armenian Cultural Foundation (ACF), incollaboration with the Armenian InternationalWomen’s Association (AIWA), invites the publicto attend an evening of literary journey onWednesday, October 7, at 7:30 p.m. to meetMirak-Weissbach, who will share her experiencein writing this fascinating and groundbreakingwork. The event is open to the public, free ofcharge with limited seating.

Unlike many volumes of memoirs chroniclingthe horrors of Armenian Genocide, Mirak-Weissbach with the experience of her childhoodas the child of Armenian parents from theArabkir region in the Ottoman Empire orphanedduring the Armenian Genocide, delves into thedeep psychological impact of a catastrophe onthe children. Her book is a comparative study ofchildren from three diverse cultures — Armenia,Iraq and Palestine — in three different periods inhistory and under three different circumstances:genocide, war and deportations. Her work helpsthe reader understand how hatred, wrath, preju-dice and the thirst for revenge become embed-ded in the psyche of generations who underwentthe horrible experiences in the hands of theiroppressors. In turn, she provides hope andbelieves in the power of dialogue and reconcilia-tion. Quoting her favorite poet Dante Alighieriand seeking guidance in the lines of his master-piece, The Divine Comedy, from which the titleof her book is inspired, the author believes thatthe only way to achieve peace and harmony is afundamental shift in the thinking and moral out-look of both sides.

Through the Wall of Fire, composed of threeparts and 15 chapters, addresses three histori-cal and unhealed wounds which continue to fes-ter and contaminate the souls of generations inthree nations: Armenia, Iraq and Palestine. All

three cases continue to be the captives of thegeopolitics of the region within the broaderchessboard of the “Great Game” played byworld powers at the expense of the lives of mil-lions. Despite the direct connection of the threecases to the genocides, wars and ethnic cleans-ing, which has torn apart nations, the author’spurpose by writing this book has been to pro-vide some insights to help achieve the noblegoal of reconciliation, which will set both theoppressor and the oppressed from decades ofemotional bondage.

Among its many readers, Dr. Robert Mirak,author of Torn Between Two Lands,Armenians in America, 1890 to World War I,calls Through the Wall of Fire a “pathbreakinganalysis by first hand on the ground, investiga-tions of the traumas of war inflicted on chil-dren. It is a compelling read and is recom-mended to all interested in current geopoliticsand humanitarian causes.”

Mirak-Weissbach was born and brought up inBoston. She graduated with honors fromWellesley College in 1965, with a thesis inEnglish literature, and studied as a Fulbrightscholar in Italy in 1966. She then earned agraduate degree with honors in English litera-ture at the University of Milan in 1971, andentered a teaching career at that university aswell as the Bocconi University in Milan. Aftermany years of teaching, she began politicalactivity dedicated to establishing a new, justeconomic order based on economic cooperationamong sovereign nations.

Mirak-Weissbach has specialized in political,economic and cultural developments in theArab and Islamic world. She has traveled exten-sively to many countries of the region, and haspresented papers to conferences and seminars,on economic development policy and culturaldialogue, in Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Sudan, Turkey,Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Malaysia, Yemen andthe Islamic Republic of Iran. Following the1991 war against Iraq, she led a humanitarianaid effort (the Committee to Save the Childrenin Iraq), which brought her into contact withleading political figures in Iraq, as well as in theUnited Nations.

She has published hundreds of articles in sev-eral political and cultural journals on topicsrelated to development policy, the dialoguebetween Christianity and Islam, and politicaldevelopments in the Arab and Islamic world.Over the recent years, she has also written onthe Iranian nuclear energy program, based oninterviews with Iranian officials. Since August2007, she has become an independent journal-ist, and publishes regularly in online publica-

tions, like www.globalresearch.ca as well as aGerman publication, Arab Forum.

One particular area of interest for Mirak-Weissbach is the contribution of the Islamicrenaissance to the European renaissance. Shehas recently done work on the impact ofPersian poetry in Germany, especially through

the translations of Friedrich Rueckert. She hasalso written on the decipherment of AncientPersian cuneiform, as well as of ancientEgyptian hieroglyphics. She is married and livesin Germany with her husband, also a journalist.

For more information, contact the ACF dur-ing office hours, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.


BOOKS

BIRMINGHAM, Mich. — Acclaimed schol-ar and author Peter Balakian spoke tothrongs gathered at the BirminghamBorder’s store on the newly-translatedArmenian Golgotha, a dramatic and com-prehensive eyewitness account of theArmenian Genocide, on September 17.

After his discussion and book signing at

Borders, Balakian greeted guests at anAfterglow held at Edgar Hagopian’s show-room in Birmingham. Balakian was in MetroDetroit as part of his book tour forArmenian Golgotha and the revised 10thanniversary edition of The Black Dog ofFate and to kick off a tribute to EdgarHagopian recognizing his contributions tothe Detroit-area community.

A high note of the Afterglow included a“blessing” or “Kinetzon” of ArmenianGolgotha performed by the Very Rev. DiranPapazian, with the help of David

Terzibashian, a local Armenian activist.Following the blessing, Balakian, gave heart-felt thanks to Hagopian for his continuingcommitment to culture, education and hisArmenian heritage.

Peter Balakian describes ArmenianGolgotha, the translation of his great uncleRev. Grigoris Balakian’s first-person account

of the Armenian Genocide, as the most com-prehensive memoir of the ArmenianGenocide ever written. The English transla-tion by Balakian and Aris Sevag, publishedin 2009, is the two-volume set originallypublished in the first half of the 20th cen-tury.

Balakian is the recipient of many awardsincluding the PEN/Martha Albrand Award,Raphael Lemkin Prize and a GuggenheimFellowship. He teaches at Colgate Universitywhere he is Donald M and Constance HRebar Professor of the Humanities.

From left, David Terzibashian, Peter Balakian, Very Rev. Diran Papazian and Edgar Hagopian

Peter Balakian Speaks aboutArmenian Golgotha in Michigan

Author to Launch Through theWall of Fire at ACF on October

By Susannah Tarbush

Among the Arab writers who have had nov-els published in the UK in English translationthis year, two names in particular stand out:Bahaa Taher of Egypt and Elias Khoury ofLebanon. Both are major literary figures in theArab world, and thanks to the magic of trans-lation, they are becoming increasingly knownto the English-reading public.

The English version of Taher’s novel SunsetOasis, published by the Hodder & Stoughtonimprint Sceptre, hits UK bookstores this week.The Arabic original was in 2008 the first-everwinner of the $60,000 International Prize forArabic Fiction (IPAF).

Khoury’s novel Yalo was published inEnglish in June by the MacLehose Pressimprint of London publisher Quercus and hasalready garnered some highly favorablereviews.

Like Sunset Oasis, Yalo was translated byHumphrey Davies, one of the most eminenttranslators of Arabic literature. Davies’ transla-tion of an earlier Khoury novel, Gate of theSun, won the inaugural Banipal Prize for

Arabic Literary Translation in 2006.Taher and Khoury were in London recently,

en route to Edinburgh, to participate in a ses-sion of the Edinburgh International BookFestival. They appeared at the Frontline Club,West London, in an event billed as anEdinburgh taster. They discussed their workwith the prominent cultural journalist MayaJaggi of the Guardian newspaper before thefloor was thrown open for questions.

The writers spoke eloquently, and with a gen-erous sprinkling of humor, about their ownwork and on wider issues of Arab literature andpolitics. The subjects ranged from narrativetechniques, to portrayals of victim and victim-izer, women in novels, Arab prison literatureand torture methods and the impact of inva-sion and occupation on fiction writing.

Taher, born in 1935, is the author of six nov-els and five short story collections. SunsetOasis is the fourth of his novels to be translat-ed into English.

The novel is set in late 19th century Egyptunder British colonial rule, and depicts policeofficer Mahmoud Abd El-Zahir, who is sent tothe rebellious Berber-speaking oasis town ofSiwa in the remote west of Egypt as districtcommissioner and tax collector. His posting is

a punishment for his having sympathized withthe Urabi revolt, the failed nationalist uprisingthat led to the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian war and toBritish colonial rule. Mahmoud’s wife insistson accompanying him on the hazardous jour-ney to the oasis. She is determined to try to sal-vage her shaky marriage and to find the tombof Alexander the Great. Things turn out disas-trously.

Khoury, 61, is the author of 12 novels, six ofwhich have appeared in English translation. Heis particularly known for his 1998 novel Gateof the Sun, an epic narrative of the Palestinian1948 naqba (catastrophe). Possessor of a doc-torate from the Sorbonne in Paris, he is editor-in-chief of the cultural supplement of the dailynewspaper An-Nahar and Global DistinguishedProfessor of Middle Eastern and IslamicStudies at New York University.

Yalo is set in the early 1990s in a prison out-side Beirut. The protagonist, Yalo, is repeated-ly tortured, interrogated and forced to writeaccounts of his life. He relates how he joined abarracks during the civil war, deserted to Paris,was picked by a Lebanese arms dealer tobecome a security guard, had an affair with hisboss’s wife and became a robber, voyeur andrapist. He falls in love with one of his victims,

who denounces him and precipitates his arrest.Khoury said that forcing a prisoner to write

his life story “is a bizarre technique, but it is,unfortunately, used in Arab prisons.”

Yalo is of Assyrian background and Khourylinks his story in modern Lebanon with thethread of blood stretching from the massacresof Assyrians, along with Armenians, in Turkeyin 1915.

Taher said the idea of victim and victimizeris also reflected in the themes of Sunset Oasis,whether in relation to Mahmoud, or toAlexander the Great who “while victimizingothers was at the same time defeating himself.”

Taher expressed some caution over experi-mentation. He has read Yalo twice and discov-ered that it has “a form of its own; you cannotcategorize it.”

“I find that in our modern literature thereare some writers who are writing experimentalthings just for the sake of experiment notbecause they have really something new toadd, or because they believe that they shouldmodernize Arabic literature, but just becausethey want to be unusual and do not want to beconventional writers, and in cases where thewriter is not very experienced or very talentedthis could be a very dangerous development,”he concluded.

(This article originally appeared this weekin the Saudi Gazette.)

Two Arab Novelists on the Frontline in English


ARTS & LIVING

SSEEPPTTEEMMBBEERR 2222 –– OOCCTTOOBBEERR 2277 —— MMiicchhaaeell BBoobbeelliiaann,,aauutthhoorr ooff CChhiillddrreenn ooff AArrmmeenniiaa,, published by Simon &Schuster, will participate in a series of readings and booksignings. This groundbreaking book is the first to chroniclethe aftermath of the first genocide of the 20th century,recounting the Armenian struggle for justice in the face ofsilence and denial. For more info., www.childrenarmenia.com.

• September 29 — 7 p.m., at the Glendale Public Library, 222E. Harvard St., Glendale, Calif.

• October 1 — 7 p.m., at the Fresno Public Library (Fig GardenBranch), 3071 West Bullard Ave., Fresno, Calif.

• October 18 — 4 p.m., at the Ararat-Eskijian Museum, 15105Mission Hills Road, Mission Hills, Calif.

• October 27 — 7 p.m. at Chaucer’s Bookstore, 3321 State St.,Santa Barbara, Calif.

NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 77 —— AArrmmeenniiaann PPrrooffeessssiioonnaall SSoocciieettyy HHoonnoorrssDDrr.. VVaarr ttaann GGrreeggoorriiaann as their Professional of the Year.Sheraton Universal, Los Angeles. Tickets: $150.

NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 88 —— SSaayyaatt NNoovvaa DDaannccee CCoommppaannyy ooff BBoossttoonnttrraavveellss ttoo CCaallii ffoorrnniiaa to present its dynamic “Power inRhythm” performance at Glendale High School Auditorium,1440 E. Broadway, Glendale. For tickets, contactwww.itmyseat.com.

FFEEBBRRUUAARRYY 66,, 22001100 —— CCuuppiidd CCaappeerrss FFuunn NNiigghhtt,, presentedby Women’s Guild St. David Church Boca Raton, featuringOnnik Dinkjian, vocals; Ken Boyajian, oud; Mal Barsamian,clarinet; Ara Dinkjian, guitar and Noubar Boyajian, dumbeg.Save the date. Details to follow.

SSEEPPTTEEMMBBEERR 1199--OOCCTTOOBBEERR 1100 —— WWhhiissttlleerr HHoouussee MMuusseeuummcceelleebbrraatteess AArrsshhiillee GGoorrkkyy. 243 Worthern St., Lowell, call(978) 452-7641 or e-mail [email protected] opens on Wednesday, September 16. On Saturday,October 10, at 6 p.m., an original play will be performed byRegina Eliot Ramsey about Willem De Kooning and Gorky.

SSEEPPTTEEMMBBEERR 2288 —— FFiirrsstt AAnnnnuuaall SSttss.. VVaarr ttaannaannttzz GGoollffTToouurrnnaammeenntt and outing, Butter Brook Golf Club, Westford.$150, includes golf, cart, prizes, reception and awards din-ner. 1 p.m., shotgun start. Dinner only, $35. Proceeds tobenefit Sts. Vartanantz Youth Scholarship Fund. Contact Araat (978) 251-4845, Steve at (978) 808-2820 or e-mail:[email protected].

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 22 —— JJaazzzz NNiigghhttss @@ AALLMMAA wwiitthh AArrmmeenn DDoonneelliiaannTTrriioo at Armenian Library and Museum of America,Watertown. Donelian (piano), David Clark (bass) andGeorge Schuller (drums) will perform music from their latestalbum “Oasis.” The concert begins at 8 p.m. in ALMA’sContemporary Art Gallery; museum doors open at 7:30p.m. Tickets $15 (includes one complimentary glass of winefor 21+). ALMA members, students and JazzBoston mem-bers (with proper ID) pay $10. Visit www.almainc.org or call(617) 926-2562 to preorder tickets/make table reservations.

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 33 —— SStt.. SStteepphheenn’’ss AArrmmeenniiaann EElleemmeennttaarryy SScchhoooollpprreesseennttss YYeerraazzAArr tt YYoouunngg MMuussiicciiaannss ffrroomm AArrmmeenniiaa in aconcert sponsored by the Khatchig Babikian Fund. Saturday,4 p.m. at the National Heritage Museum, 33 Marrett Road,Lexington. Admission, $15. For tickets and info., call (617)335-1159 or (857) 991-0297.

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 33 —— BBrraattttllee BBoouuttiiqquuee aanndd SSppaarrkkss SStt.. CCaafféé —— AAFFaallll FFaaiirr featuring specialty gift and food items, sponsoredby the Women’s Guild of Holy Trinity Armenian Church ofGreater Boston, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday. Charles andNevart Talanian Cultural Hall, 145 Brattle St., Cambridge.This new event will feature a variety of specialty vendors sell-ing gifts and gourmet food. There will also be a Children’sCorner with activities and items for children. Admission isfree. For further info., contact the Holy Trinity Church Officeat (617) 354-0632 or e-mail [email protected].

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 33 —— AArrmmeenniiaann AAmmeerriiccaann PPrrooffeessssiioonnaallss GGaallaaBBaannqquueett aanndd DDaannccee Honoring Massachusetts state Rep.Peter Koutoujian of Waltham. 6 p.m., cocktail hour. Dinnerwith music and dancing with DJ Eddie K. Hyatt RegencyHotel, Cambridge. For information and tickets, contact AraDemirjian at (617) 974-8343. Sponsored by the followingassociations: Armenian American Medical Association,Armenian American Dental Society, Armenian AmericanNurses Association, Armenian American Bar Association(Law Society) and hosted by the Armenian AmericanPharmacists’ Association.

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 33 —— SSeeccoonndd SStt.. JJaammeess PPaarriisshh RReeuunniioonn aanndd kkeeff,,hosted by the St. James ACYOA Seniors. Saturday, 8 p.m.-1a.m. at St. James Armenian Church. Charles Mosesian

Cultural and Youth Center, Keljik Hall. 465 Mt. Auburn St.,Watertown. Featuring Bob Raphalian (oud), Leon Janikian(clarinet), Harry Bedrossian (keyboard and vocals), KennyKalajian (guitar) and Leon Manoogian (dumbeg). $25 perperson. Tables of 10 may be reserved with advance pay-ment. For tickets, contact Melanie Khederian at (617) 694-1057 or at [email protected]. All proceeds to benefitthe 2010 ACYOA General Assembly and National SportsWeekend hosted by St. James ACYOA.

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 44 —— PPrreesseerrvvaattiioonn ooff AArrmmeenniiaann MMoonnaasstteerriieess ooffIIrraann:: HHiissttoorryy,, CChhaalllleennggeess aanndd AAccccoommpplliisshhmmeennttss..Presenter: Varoujan Arakelian, architect. Sunday, 3 p.m.Armenian Cultural Foundation, 441 Mystic St., Arlington.Admission is free and open to the public. Co-sponsored bythe Armenian Cultural Foundation, the Armenian Society ofBoston and the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational andCultural Society.

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 44 —— CCeelleebbrraattiioonn ooff AArrmmeenniiaann IInnddeeppeennddeenncceeDDaayy ((NNeeww RReeppuubblliicc)) by the Lowell ARF, 1 p.m., Sts.Vartanantz Armenian Church, 180 Westford Road, NorthChelmsford; complimentary dinner and program; DavidBoyajian will be recognized for his years of dedicated serviceto the No Place for Hate campaign and will offer an update.

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 77 —— AArrmmeenniiaann CCuullttuurraall FFoouunnddaattiioonn,, BBooookkPPrreesseennttaattiioonn, 441 Mystic St., Arlington, 7:30 p.m. Anevening with author, scholar and political activist MurielMirak-Weissbach on her thought-provoking and ground-breaking work, Through the Wall of Fire, Armenia-Iraq-Palestine: From Wrath to Reconciliation, examining the fateof the orphans in the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide,Iraqi and Palestinian children after decades of war anddeportations and search for a path to reconciliation. Theevent is free and open to the public followed by a receptionand book signing. For more info., call ACF at (781) 646-3090.

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 88 —— MMiicchhaaeell BBoobbeelliiaann,, aauutthhoorr ooff CChhiillddrreenn ooffAArrmmeenniiaa, will participate in a reading and book signing. 7p.m. at NAASR Bookstore, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont,Mass. This groundbreaking book is the first to chronicle theaftermath of the first genocide of the 20th century, recount-ing the Armenian struggle for justice in the face of silenceand denial. For more info., www.childrenarmenia.com.

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 1155 —— HHuummaann RRiigghhttss iinn AArrmmeenniiaann HHiissttoorryy,, aa lleecc--ttuurree bbyy PPrrooff.. SSiimmoonn PPaayyaasslliiaann,, at 7 p.m. at the ArmenianLibrary and Museum of America, Watertown. Payaslian,Kenosian Chair in Modern Armenian History and Literature atBoston University, discusses the development of human rightsin Armenia within a long historical perspective and contendshuman rights values and customary practices require centuriesof development. For more info., visit www.alamainc.org. Theevent is free and open to the public.

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 1166--1177 —— SStt.. JJaammeess 6622nndd AAnnnnuuaall BBaazzaaaarr.. FFrriiddaayyaanndd SSaattuurrddaayy,, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Armenian food, shish kebab,chicken kebab, losh kebab, kheyma and eetch. (served from11 a.m.-8 p.m.) Armenian delicacies and pastries. Boereg,manti, yalanchi, porov kufteh, tourshi, choereg, cream andnut khadaif, bourma, baklava and more. Booths and ven-dors including the country store, Armenian items, attic trea-sures, jewelry and spa vendors, candy sale. $100 raffle.(Only 350 sold. Purchase by September 30 to be entered ina $500 special early-bird drawing. Grand prize: $5,000; sec-ond-fourth prizes: $1,000. Fifth-eighth prizes: $500) and $2raffle. Silent auction including art from Armenia andJerusalem, jewelry, gift certificates and sporting events. St.James’ Mosesian Cultural and Youth Center, 465 Mt.Auburn St., Watertown. For info., call (617) 923-8860.

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 2233 && 2255 —— AArrmmeenniiaann FFeessttiivvaall,, AArrmmeenniiaann CChhuurrcchhooff OOuurr SSaavviioouurr,, offering the most delicious shish, losh andchicken kebab on char-broiled grills. Freshly-made kheyma,kids meals available, raffle/prizes, beer and wine. The bestauthentic Armenian baked goods, country store, music andfun for the entire family. Friday, October 23, 5-9 p.m., andSunday, October 25, 12-5 p.m. Cultural Center, 34 BoyntonSt., Worcester. (508) 756-2931.

NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 11 —— AArrmmeenniiaann CChhiillddrreenn’’ss CCoonncceerr tt,, ffeeaattuurriinnggNNoouunnee KKaarraappeettiiaann aanndd TTssaappiikknneerr.. Sunday, 3 p.m. FirstArmenian Church, 380 Concord Ave., Belmont. Kids, bring apillow to sit on. Tickets: $15 in advance; $20 at the door. Topurchase in advance, call Liana (617) 744-0595. Sponsoredby Erebuni Saturday School and Amaras Art Alliance. Formore info., visit www.erebunischool.org orwww.amaras.org.

NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 66 —— WWiinnee TTaassttiinngg,, 77--99 pp..mm.. SSttss.. VVaarr ttaannaannttzzAArrmmeenniiaann CChhuurrcchh, 180 Old Westford Road, Chelmsford.Tickets: $30 per person (before October 24) $35 thereafter.Includes brief wine presentation, appetizers and wine.Contact Carol Hildebrand (978) 618-6982 or e-mail [email protected].

NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 66 —— JJaazzzz NNiigghhttss @@ AALLMMAA wwiitthh SStteevveeTTaasshhjjiiaann’’ss CCllaassssiicc GGrroooovvee at Armenian Library andMuseum of America, Watertown. ClassicGroove returns tothe stage, performing an exciting range of jazz favorites inALMA’s Contemporary Art Gallery. The concert begins at 8p.m.; museum doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets $15(includes one complimentary glass of wine for 21+). ALMAmembers, students and JazzBoston members (with properID) pay $10. Visit www.almainc.org or call (617 926-2562 topreorder your tickets/make table reservations.

NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 66 —— ““TThhee GGoollddeenn VVooiicceess ooff OOppeerraa,,”” featuringYeghishe Manucharyan, Victoria Avetisyan and YelenaDudochkin with Tatyana Dudochkin, piano. Celebrate 2009Armenian Cultural Heritage Program. Sponsored by HolyTrinity Armenian Church and Choir of Greater Boston. Friday,8 p.m. Longy School of Music, Edward M. Pickman ConcertHall, 27 Garden St., Cambridge. Tickets: $25 per person. Theprogram will include favorite arias, duets and romances,including Verdi, Puccini, Rossini, Tigranyan, Abrahamyan,Rimsky-Korsakov and others. For further info., contact theHoly Trinity Church Office at (617) 354-0632 or [email protected].

NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 66--77 —— SStt.. SStteepphheenn’’ss AArrmmeenniiaann AAppoossttoolliiccCChhuurrcchh,, 5533rrdd AArrmmeenniiaann BBaazzaaaarr.. Friday and Saturday, 10a.m.-9:30 p.m. Armenian Cultural and Educational Center,47 Nichols Ave., Watertown. Lamb, losh and chicken kebab,kheyma, kufta and yalanchi. Meals served from 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Takeout available. Armenian pastries, gourmet,soujoukh, arts and crafts, books, tapes, art sale, children’sgames. Auction starts at 7 p.m. Also raffles, sports ticketsand much more.

NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 77 —— FFiillmm SSccrreeeenniinngg ooff ““HHoovvee,,”” pprreesseenntteedd bbyytthhee AArrmmeenniiaann LLiibbrraarryy aanndd MMuusseeuumm ooff AAmmeerriiccaa, 65 MainSt., Watertown, at 2 p.m. Olympia Dukakis stars in this mov-ing tale about two Armenian women whose friendship isdeeply affected by an encounter with the past and the pow-erful, unresolved legacy of the Armenian Genocide. Co-starShirleyann Kaladjian and Director Alex Webb will attend thescreening. Admission is $8. ALMA members pay $5. Visitalmainc.org.

NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 1166 —— CCoonncceerr tt ooff wwoorrkkss bbyy LLeexxiinnggttoonn ccoomm--ppoosseerr HHaayygg BBooyyaaddjjiiaann aanndd sseevveerraall mmeemmbbeerrss ooff tthheeBBoossttoonn SSyymmpphhoonnyy OOrrcchheessttrraa.. Edwin Barker, principal dou-ble bass of the Boston Symphony Orchestra; Doriot AnthonyDwyer, former principal flautist of the Boston SymphonyOrchestra; John McDonald, pianist, former chairman of theMusic Department and present director of Graduate MusicStudies at Tufts University, and Jodi Hitzhusen, soprano. FirstParish Church, 7 Harrington Road, Lexington Center. Formore information, call (781) 862-9395.

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

MASSACHUSETTS

FLORIDA

CALIFORNIA

On October 3, St. Stephen’s ArmenianElementary School presents YerazArtYoung Musicians from Armenia in aconcert sponsored by the KhatchigBabikian Fund on Saturday, 4 p.m. atthe National Heritage Museum, 33Marrett Road, Lexington, Mass. Theyoung artists, pictured above, willperform classical works. For ticketsand info., call (617) 335-1159 or (857)991-0297.


ARTS & LIVING

NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 1199 —— TThhee AArrmmeenniiaa FFuunndd UUSSAA wweellccoommeess tthheePPrriimmee MMiinnsstteerr ooff KKaarraabbaagghh AArraaiikk HHaarruuttuunnyyaann aannddAArrcchhbbiisshhoopp BBaarrkkeevv MMaarrddiirroossssiiaann. Panel to also includethe president of Karabagh’s press attaché, David Babayan.ACEC Hall, 47 Nichols Ave., Watertown. 7-9 p.m. For info.,contact AFUSA (212) 689-5307.

NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 2211 —— SSaayyaatt NNoovvaa DDaannccee CCoommppaannyy ooff BBoossttoonnsponsors the popular and beloved singer Alla Levonyan ofArmenia in a live concert. Save the date. Details to follow.

DDEECCEEMMBBEERR 44 —— JJaazzzz NNiigghhttss @@ AALLMMAA ww iitthh YYuulliiaaMMuussaayyeellyyaann QQuuaarr tteett at Armenian Library and Museum ofAmerica, Watertown. Musayelyan (flute), Fernando Huergo(bass), Franco Pinna (drums) and a pianist conclude the 2009concert series with original compositions and arrangementsthat infuse folk rhythms from Argentina, Armenia and othercultures. The concert begins at 8 p.m. in ALMA’sContemporary Art Gallery; museum doors open at 7: 30p.m. Tickets, $15 (includes one complimentary glass of winefor 21+). ALMA members, students and JazzBoston mem-bers (with proper ID) pay $10. Visit www.almainc.org or call(617) 926-2562 to preorder tickets/make table reservations.

DDEECCEEMMBBEERR 44 aanndd 55 —— TTrriinniittyy CChhrriissttmmaass BBaazzaaaarr,, HHoollyyTTrriinniittyy AArrmmeenniiaann CChhuurrcchh, 145 Brattle St., Cambridge.Friday, 3-9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Save the date.Details to follow. For info., contact Holy Trinity Church Officeat (617) 354-0632 or e-mail [email protected].

DDEECCEEMMBBEERR 55 –– SSeeccoonndd AAnnnnuuaall BBrreeaakkffaasstt wwiitthh SSaannttaa.. 1100aa..mm.. SStt.. JJaammeess AArrmmeenniiaann CChhuurrcchh,, Charles MosesianCultural and Youth Center, Keljik Hall. 465 Mt. Auburn St.,Watertown. Tickets must be purchased in advance, andinclude breakfast, time and photos with Santa, and a specialgift for each child. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for chil-dren, 1-12 years old; $15 for children under 1-year-old.Payment must be received to reserve your space. ContactMark Janian at (617) 875-3671 or [email protected] ore-mail [email protected] for tickets.Tickets will also be available in the St. James church officeand during Fellowship Hour on Sundays. Call Tina Kurkjian at(781) 727-3643 or [email protected] to include a greeting,ad or photo of one’s child in the Christmas Greetings Book.

DDEECCEEMMBBEERR 1122 —— CCoonncceerr tt ffeeaattuurriinngg HHooyy LLaarrii ttoo bbeenneeffiitt tthheeAArrmmeenniiaann CChhiillddrreenn’’ss MMiillkk FFuunndd at First ArmenianMemorial Church, 380 Concord Ave., Belmont.

FFEEBBRRUUAARRYY 2277--2288,, 22001100 —— AArrsseennaall CCeenntteerr ffoorr tthhee AArr ttssssppoonnssoorrss tthhee SSaayyaatt NNoovvaa DDaannccee CCoommppaannyy ooff BBoossttoonn.The production will be performed for two nights at theCharles Mosesian Theater, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown.

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 99,, 22001100 —— 3300tthh AAnnnniivveerrssaarryy cceelleebbrraattiioonn ooff tthheeAArrmmeenniiaann IInnddeeppeennddeenntt RRaaddiioo ooff BBoossttoonn.. Please markyour calendar. Details to follow.

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 1100 —— TThhee AAGGBBUU AAlleexx aanndd MMaarriiee MMaannooooggiiaannSScchhooooll 4400tthh AAnnnniivveerrssaarryy Celebration Dinner Dance, fea-turing the opening of the new High School BuildingExpansion. 22001 Northwestern Highway, Southfield. Horsd’oeuvres and school tours, 7-7:45 p.m. Ribbon-cutting cere-

mony, 8 p.m. Strolling dinner and open bar to follow. Musicprovided by Arthur Apkarian. Donation, $50. Advance tick-ets only. Reservations by September 30: Linda DarianKaribian (248) 932-5282 or school office (248) 569-2988.

NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 1199 —— SSooiirreeéé MMuussiiccaall,, ffeeaattuurriinngg vv iioolliinniissttHHeennrriikk KKaarraappeettiiaann aanndd hhiiss qquuaarr tteett, 7 p.m. BloomfieldTownship Library Hall. Reception to follow.

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 22 —— MMaarrggaarreett AAjjeemmiiaann--AAhhnneerr tt wwiillll ssppeeaakk aabboouutthheerr bbooookk,, The Knock at the Door: A Journey through theDarkness of the Armenian Genocide, at 7:30 p.m., AbajianHall, St. Leon Armenian Church, 576 Highland Ave.,Ridgewood. To reserve a book, send a $25 check to thechurch, attn: Linda Tarzian. Books will be reserved at thetable upon entering. For info., call (201) 445-8167.

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 77 —— MMiicchhaaeell BBoobbeelliiaann,, aauutthhoorr ooff CChhiillddrreenn ooffAArrmmeenniiaa,, published by Simon & Schuster, will participate ina reading and book signing. 7 p.m. at the Books andGreetings Bookstore, 271 Livingston St., Northvale, NJ. Thisgroundbreaking book is the first to chronicle the aftermathof the first genocide of the 20th century, recounting theArmenian struggle for justice in the face of silence anddenial. For more info., www.childrenarmenia.com.

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 1100 —— TTeekkeeyyaann CCuullttuurraall AAssssoocciiaattiioonn —— MMhheerrMMeeggeerrddcchhiiaann TThheeaattrriiccaall GGrroouupp PPrreesseennttss ““WWhhoo KKiilllleeddTThhee EEaasstteerrnn DDeennttiisstt??”” A Masquerade Party in Baronian’s1860s Istanbul. A Murder Mystery Dinner Theater preparedby Harout Chatmajian. Assyrian Orthodox Church of theVirgin Mary, 644 Paramus Road, Paramus. Saturday, at 8p.m. Donation, $60; BYOB; dress code (optional); 1860sattire and mask. For tickets, call Marie Zokian (201) 745-8850, Noushig Atamian (718) 894-5878, Maro Hajakian(201) 934-3427 or Missak Boghosian (212) 819-0097.

NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 1155 —— ““OOnnee NNaattiioonn,, OOnnee CCuullttuurree,,”” aa ccuullttuurraallffeessttiivvaall uunnddeerr tthhee aauussppiicceess ooff DDrr.. HHrraannuusshh HHaakkoobbyyaann,Republic of Armenia Minister of Diaspora, organized byHamazkayin Eastern USA Regional Executive, featuring AllaLevonian from Armenia and Babin Boghosian & Ensemblefrom Los Angeles, with the participation of Antranig DanceEnsemble of AGBU, Akh’tamar Dance Ensemble of St.Thomas Armenian Church, Yeraz Dance Ensemble of St.Sarkis Church, NJ, Hamazkyain Nayiri Dance Group andArekag Children’s Choir and Dohl Group. Sunday, 4 p.m.Felician College, 262 S. Main St., Lodi, NJ. Donation:$75,$50, $35, $25. For more info. or tickets, contact Haazkayinat (201) 945-8992 or [email protected].

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 1155 —— MMiicchhaaeell BBoobbeelliiaann,, aauutthhoorr ooff CChhiillddrreenn ooffAArrmmeenniiaa,, will participate in a reading and book signing. 7p.m. at the Zohrab Center, 630 Second Ave., New York, NY.This groundbreaking book is the first to chronicle the after-math of the first genocide of the 20th century, recountingthe Armenian struggle for justice in the face of silence anddenial. For more info., www.childrenarmenia.com.

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 2244 —— AAGGBBUU NNeeww YYoorrkk SSppeecciiaall EEvveennttss

CCoommmmiitttteeee ((NNYYSSEECC)) presents — AGBU Performing Artists inConcert. A benefit for the AGBU Performing Arts FellowshipProgram, showcasing the talents of 12 Armenian youth,under the artistic direction of Hrant and Kevork Parsamian,all of whom have benefited from AGBU’s scholarship assis-tance toward their studies in performing arts. Curtain time8:30 p.m. Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, 154 West 57thSt., New York City. Tickets, $65. For tickets and info., call(212) 319-6383, ext. 124 or visit www.carnegiehall.org.

JJAANNUUAARRYY 1155,, 22001100 —— OOnn tthhee ooccccaassiioonn ooff iittss 2200tthh aannnniivveerr--ssaarryy,, tthhee FFuunndd ffoorr AArrmmeenniiaann RReelliieeff will honor and thanka lifetime benefactor to the global Armenian community, Dr.Edgar Houspian. Dinner and Program at Cipriani Wall StreetNew York City, 7 p.m. Info. at (212) 889-5150 and [email protected].

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 33 —— TThhee SSoocciieettyy ffoorr OOrrpphhaanneedd AArrmmeenniiaann RReelliieeff((SSOOAARR)),, IInncc.. FFoouurr tthh AAnnnnuuaall CCoommpplliimmeennttaarryy CCoocckkttaaiillRReecceeppttiioonn. The Village Hall, (Spread Village) in Wayne. Acultural evening featuring the Ararat Dance Ensemble; come-dienne Lory Tatoulian, vocalists, artists and rugs. 5-10 p.m.For additional info., contact George S. Yacoubian, Jr. at(610) 213-3452 or [email protected].

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 2255 —— HHuusseenniigg GGrroovvee FFaammiillyy DDaayy aanndd HHaayy rriiddee..Full-course spaghetti dinner at 2 p.m. Hayride at 3 p.m. Allare welcome. Husenig Grove is on Simmons St., Rehobeth.Dinner for adults, $12. Hayride and dinner for children, $6.For more info., call Marc Janigian at (401) 942-3477.

NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 2288 —— PPrroovviiddeennccee AACCYYOOAA hhoossttss tthhee AAnnnnuuaallHHoolliiddaayy KKeeff,, featuring an All-Star Band. Jason Naroian, LeonJanikian, Kenny Kalajian, David Hoplamazian, JoeKouyoumjian and more. For individual or table of 10 reser-vations, call Kevork Vartanian at (401) 419-1052 or AraJanigian at (401) 486-8495 or Sevan Janigian at (401) 533-4147 or contact [email protected].

OOCCTTOOBBEERR 33 —— MMiicchhaaeell BBoobbeelliiaann,, aauutthhoorr ooff CChhiillddrreenn ooffAArrmmeenniiaa,, published by Simon & Schuster, will participate ina reading and book signing. The Armenian Bar Associationmid-year meeting in Toronto, Canada. This groundbreakingbook is the first to chronicle the aftermath of the first geno-cide of the 20th century, recounting the Armenian strugglefor justice in the face of silence and denial. For more info.,www.childrenarmenia.com.

PENNSYLVANIA

NEW YORK

MICHIGAN

NEW JERSEY

The Mirror-Spectator has a new Calendar Policy:The Mirror-Spectator is now accepting all calendaritems for free. All items may be sent to [email protected]. Due to the anticipated shortage ofspace, items may be edited to fit the space.

RHODE ISLAND

CANADA

Armenian Golgotha. By Grigoris Balakian Amemoir of the Armenian Genocide, 1915-1919.Translated by Peter Balakian with Aris Sevag.

509 pp. New York: Knopf. $35

By John A. C . Greppin

This extraordinary narrative of the ArmenianGenocide was written by an eyewitness, a celi-bate Armenian priest, Grigoris Balakian. Thisfirst translation into English is by his great-nephew, Peter Balakian, whose previousbooks, The Burning Tigris: The ArmenianGenocide and America’s Response (2003)and the Black Dog of Fate (1997, reissued2009), were both widely acclaimed. The trans-lation of this moving account is, one suspects,also a labor of ancestral devotion.

The narrative begins as Grigoris Balakian,one of 250 Armenian intellectuals, is deportedunder armed guard from Constantinople inApril 1915, on a hellish trip towards the desertof Der Zor in northern Syria. They are takenfirst by rail, in box cars without food or wateror sanitary provisions, then in open carts, andfinally on foot. These various forced marches ofArmenians, for the most part involving tens ofthousands of peasants, were happening all overTurkey — directed, according to Grigoris

Balakian, by Talaat Pasha, one of the threeYoung Turks who were responsible for theoverthrow of the Ottoman Caliphate and theeventual founding of the modern TurkishRepublic. Initially, Grigoris makes clear, only aminority of Turks supported the forced march-es. Talaat, he alleges, at first operated in nearsecrecy, surreptitiously replac-ing honest Turkish provincialgovernors with men of his ownview, so that the centralArmenian provinces would be cleared brutallyof their inhabitants.

There have been numerous narrativesdescribing the forced Armenian deportation.The best known is that by Ambassador HenryMorgenthau who, in Constantinople, begin-ning in 1915, received reports from Americanconsulates throughout the Ottoman Empire.There are also British and German consularreports, still held in American and Europeanarchives as well as eyewitness narratives writ-ten by scores of survivors. These latter are oflimited use to scholars, as they are largelyrecorded by poorly educated refugees, whocame west after the massacres without a graspof the big picture.

What separates Grigoris Balakian’s accountfrom the others is his great and well-disciplinedintelligence; he attended divinity school inGermany before the First World War and there

acquired good language skills which saved himfrom death on numerous occasions. He spent ayear, from April 15 to April 1916, on his east-wards deportation route. Sometimes he wasable to escape by finding a job with theGerman builders of the Berlin-to-Baghdad rail-way in the Taurus Mountains in southern

Turkey. Here his languageskills helped him immensely,letting him pose as a Germanemployee of the rail construc-

tion company. His German co-workers quicklyrealized he was an Armenian and a Christian,and made great efforts to protect him.

Nevertheless, on many occasions Armenianworkers on the railway were pulled from theiremployment and sent, under guard, on foottowards Der Zor. The German workers knewwhat their arrest meant, but were powerless tointervene. These wretched groups were oftensimply escorted a few miles out of town andthen hacked to death by their guards. GrigorisBalakian, however, also mentions the kind-nesses of many Turks and Kurds towards him,telling how he was protected in Turkish homesand by Turkish officials before they werereplaced by psychopathic appointees of TalaatPasha. The latter often had criminal mentali-ties and were not simply indifferent to theseArmenians’ tragic suffering, but derived per-verse pleasure from it. Grigoris is careful not to

give an image of the average Turk drippingblood from his hands and jaw. It is TalaatPasha, he says, who bears ultimate responsibil-ity; indeed, after the end of the First WorldWar, there were trials in Constantinople atwhich Talaat Pasha was found guilty in absen-tia. He was ultimately assassinated in 1920 byan Armenian survivor of the massacres,Soghoman Tehlirian, in Germany, whitherTalaat had fled after the Armistice. For hispart, having masqueraded as a German officer,and following a long and arduous trek, GrigorisBalakian got back to Constantinople inSeptember 1918. Times had changed, theintensity of the Turks’ hatred had run itscourse, and for a while as the war drew to aclose, life became less dangerous for anArmenian.

This beautifully-translated memoir of thosemassacres, eventually to be called a genocide,brings some restraint to American-Armenianstudies. For the past few decades American-trained scholars of the Armenian Genocidehave lost academic detachment, and their writ-ings, often mediocre, bringing little new to thestudy, have instead found profit in whipping upa frenzy of Turkophobia. This has made diplo-macy impossible. In this presentation of hisforebear’s remarkably controlled text, PeterBalakian has brought back sobriety to thisstudy, without diminishing its horrors. Thisbook will influence Armenian Genocide studiesfor decades.

(This article originally appeared in the Times(London) Literary Supplement, August 7.)

When Violence Was Ceased

Book Review


Established 1932

An ADL Publication

EDITOR

Alin K. GregorianASSISTANT EDITOR

Thomas C. Nash

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Taleen Babayan

ART DIRECTOR

Marc Mgrditchian

PRODUCTION

Dilani Yogaratnam

COPY EDITOR

Rose Muggeridge

CONTRIBUTORS:Elizabeth Aprahamian, Dr. HaroutiuneArzoumanian, Edmond Azadian, Prof.Vahakn N. Dadrian, Diana DerHovanessian, Philip Ketchian, KevorkKeushkerian, Arsen Noubar Mamourian,Moorad Mooradian, Sonia Kailian-Placido, Harut Sassounian, Mary Terzian,Hagop Vartivarian, Naomi Zeytoonian

CORRESPONDENTS:

Armenia - Hagop AvedikianBoston - Nancy KalajianPhiladelphia - Lisa Manookian

Contributing Photographers: Sarkis Bahar,George Bogosian, Jacob Demirdjian, HarryKoundakjian.

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

NTHE ARMENIAN

Mirror-Spectator People both in Armenia and the diaspora are focusing heavily on

the proposed Protocols between Armenia and Turkey, in theirefforts to establish diplomatic ties.

The Protocols, announced on August 31, have been embracedby certain segments of the community, including the ADL EasternDistrict of US and Canada, the Armenian Assembly of America andthe Armenian General Benevolent Union.

Some other segments in the community worry that theArmenian side, in the Protocols, is agreeing to pre-conditions dic-tated by Turkey, in order to establish relations. SuccessiveArmenian governments have stressed the importance of establish-ing relations without preconditions. Those opponents, again bothdomestic and in the diaspora, suggest that the negotiations shouldbe dropped regarding the Protocols and that in no time shouldthey be signed.

The government of Turkey seems to provide some DiasporanArmenians with a chance to achieve what they want, namely, thedissolution of the negotiations on the Protocols on which the gov-ernments of Armenia and Turkey are working, with the help of theSwiss government and the US State Department.

Last week, during an interview, Turkish Prime Minister RecepTayyip Erdogan suggested that the Turkish-Armenian borderwould not open without the resolution of the Karabagh conflictand the status of Karabagh.

This week, the usually mild-mannered and genteel ArmenianForeign Minister Eduard Nalbandian, hit back hard, suggestingthat the status of Nagorno Karabagh is not one of the topics thatis up for discussion between Armenia and Turkey.

In fact, he concluded his remarks by suggesting that “If theauthorities of current Turkey are not ready today to recognize thefact of the Genocide perpetrated in Ottoman Empire, they are atleast obliged to respect the survivors of the Armenian Genocideand their descendants.”

The government of Armenia is trying hard to promote theimportance of signing the Protocols after thorough negotiationshave been carried out, and after the Armenian and DiasporanArmenian communities are well familiar with the protocols.

As part of this effort, the Armenian president, Serge Sargisian,is going to embark on a tour of the Middle East and the US, as

well as Europe, in order to gauge the feelings of the diasporans.He also conducted last week a meeting with all the party leadersin Armenia.

The two issues that are most hotly opposed by members of theopposition, and have led to demonstrations inside and outsideArmenia, are the establishment of an “impartial” commission tolook at the history in a “scientific” manner, and then anotherwhich recognizes the current border between Armenia andTurkey. Armenians, of course, don’t need to study the issue more.The border, established in Soviet times, is unfortunately, for thetime being, one that is used internationally, regardless of how weArmenians feel about it. Perhaps, the same historical commissioncan study the accuracy of the Turkish-Armenian border.

It is clear that the United States and the European Union areredoubling their efforts in order to settle the Turkish-Armenianissues and conflict. Theories proliferate with regard to why somuch pressure at this particular junction. Sadly, the incomingObama administration, so eagerly welcomed by all segments of theArmenian world, has shown just more of the same as the Bushadministration with regard to Armenia. Matthew Bryza, who hasrepresented the United States in the Organization for Security andCooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, tasked with resolv-ing the Karabagh issue, is about to be named US ambassador toAzerbaijan. The group has held many, many meetings and hasoften not chastised the Azeri government for flagrant violations ofthe cease-fire tentatively in place between itself and the NagornoKarabagh Republic.

Opponents of the Protocols are free to disagree with the items;after all, Armenia is a democracy. However, they should not resortto scare tactics, suggesting that the status of Karabagh is going tobe discussed, with the intent of handing it to the Azeris.

It is promising that President Serge Sargisian is listening topeople with whom he disagrees on this issue, both in Armenia,and soon, in the diaspora. He and his administration face a dif-ficult time and a difficult task. He deserves our respect andhonest opinions. Where these Protocols end, it is not clear. Itseems that Turkey seems to be forced into this uncomfortablemarriage by the West and perhaps, they will opt out before theArmenians do.

Protocol Negotiations Ongoing EDITORIAL

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COMMENTARY

By Finlo Rohrer

Chess is a game that rarely draws a massiveamount of attention from the global public,but a rematch between Kasparov and Karpovreminds us that it throws up the occasionalgreat rivalry.

When Garry Kasparov challenged AnatolyKarpov in 1984 for the chess world champi-onship, it was the beginning of a titanic struggle.

The contest lasted five months and featureda series of successive draws of 17 and 15games. It was controversially ended by thechess authorities over fears for the health ofthe players, both of whom had lost weight dur-ing the struggle. Kasparov had been resurgentat the end, although Karpov still held a lead.

“ It was a gigantic metaphor for the collapseof a creaking, unviable, introspective, con-glomerate empire ”

Grandmaster Raymond Keene on theKasparov-Karpov battle

In 1985, Kasparov beat Karpov for the title.They played for it again in 1986 and againKasparov won. In 1987, Kasparov was onedown going into the final game, but recoveredto tie the series and therefore retain his crown.

It was a great chess rivalry, but it was morethan that to the watching public and pundits.

“It was very symbolic of what was happeningto the Soviet Union,” says grandmasterRaymond Keene, chess correspondent for theTimes. “It was obvious the USSR was goingthrough a period of great turmoil.”

And the rivalry was perfect in pitching a bril-liant, brooding outsider against the Sovietestablishment’s main man.

“Kasparov was a southerner, half-Jewish,half-Armenian, much younger, in the vanguardof a change, taking on the golden boy of theold Soviet Union,” says Keene.

Keene organised the London matches of the

third series between the players in 1985,which took place both in the UK andLeningrad. He was surprised by the stark dis-parity between the Soviet and the Westernways of organising things.

In London, after the matches, a list of moveswith annotation was faxed all over the worldwithin 15 minutes of the conclusion. InLeningrad, a sheet bearing only the moves wastyped up, a press officer with a minder wastaken to the local party HQ where the onlyphotocopier was to be found, the sheet wascopied and then manually handed only to thejournalists present at the event.

“They were still mired in Soviet bureaucracyand fear of publicity. I thought ‘this place isdoomed’.

“It was a gigantic metaphor for the collapseof a creaking, unviable, introspective, con-glomerate empire.”

There had been other rivalries that neversucceeded in sparking the imagination.Mikhail Tal against Mikhail Botvinnik in theearly 1960s had the same hallmarks of thenon-Russian outsider against the Soviet stal-wart, but failed to develop into a sustainedstruggle. And the earlier battle between VasilySmyslov and Botvinnik is probably one forchess aficionados only.

The other rivalry that spread outside theworld of chess was between Bobby Fischerand Boris Spassky. Their famous 1972 world

championship match became another symbolof the struggle between civilisations.

Fischer was the Western maverick upagainst Spassky, the emblem of the powerfulSoviet machine. And Fischer won.

“It was about Western individualism, depthof analysis, use of the technology available,”says Keene.

And the notion that ideas of a greater strug-gle would be imposed on chess was an inven-tion of the Stalinist era.

The Communist official Nikolai Krylenkotook his board games seriously. He was report-ed to have said: “We must organise shockbrigades of chess players, and begin immediaterealisation of a five-year plan for chess.”

He might have approved of the great rival-ries with an ideological flavour that grew up inthe 1970s and 80s. He would have been lessdelighted that on both occasions the Sovietestablishment’s representative was bested.

Other sports have individual rivalries.Tennis has had some great ones.

But perhaps only boxing, with its system ofchampion and challengers, comes close toreplicating the way that the protagonists haveto study each other’s play and personality,even live in each other’s skin, during the mind-bogglingly detailed preparations for a worldchampionship series.

(This article originally appeared in the BBCNews Magazine on September 23.)

The Great Rivalries of Chess

Anonymous Letters PolicyThe Armenian Mirror-Spectator will from time to time run letters with-out a signature, as long as the writer or writers include their namesand phone numbers for verification purposes, and as long as they pro-vide a reasonable explanation for their request for anonymity. Thepublication of such letters is strictly at the discretion of the editor.


COMMENTARY

Ten Major Concerns RegardingArmenia-Turkey Protocols

In earlier columns, I had described the major negativeaspects of the already-initialed Armenia-Turkey Protocolsmade public on August 31.

The concerns I had expressed dealt with two unacceptablepreconditions— recognizing the territorial integrity of Turkeyand establishing a joint committee of experts to study his-torical archives, a not-so-veiled reference to re-examining theArmenian Genocide.

Below is a more comprehensive evaluation, providing 10reasons why the Armenian government should not have ini-tialed, and should not sign and ratify these Protocols:

1) Armenia’s leaders made the misjudgment of trying toresolve a large number of emotionally-charged Armenian-Turkish issues all at once, through a single agreement.Decades of antagonism cannot be dealt with in such haste.Armenian officials should have proceeded cautiously andgradually, starting with the simple step of establishing diplo-matic relations, followed by the opening of the border. Morecomplicated issues should have been left for a later date.

2) Since the declared purpose of these negotiations is theopening of the border with Armenia — which Turkey shutdown 16 years ago — there was no reason to conduct suchprotracted and complex negotiations, and draft an elaboratedocument that included many unrelated and unacceptableconditions. It may have been wiser to draft a one-sentence

agreement that would have simply stated: “Armenia andTurkey agree to establish diplomatic relations and declaretheir mutual border open on January 1, 2010.” In fact, sucha one-line agreement was adopted by the United States andTurkey in 1927, when establishing diplomatic relations.

3) Armenia did not have to make any concessions in orderto entice Turkey to open its border. Since Turkey has beendesperately trying to join the European Union for severaldecades, it has no choice but to open its border withArmenia. The EU requires that all member states have openborders with neighboring countries.

4) By rushing to shut down the border in 1993, Turkeydeprived itself of an important leverage over Armenia.Should Turkey reopen the border, it would once again repos-sess that leverage, holding the threat of closing the border asa Damoclean Sword over Armenia’s head. This threatbecomes particularly potent, once Armenia’s population isincreasingly dependent on imported, cheap Turkish food-stuffs and goods.

Should Turkey decide to close the border in the futureunder some pretext, Armenia’s leaders would not be able toreverse the damage done to the nation’s interests, even ifthey abrogated the Protocols.

5) Prime Minister Erdogan said once again last week thatTurkey would not open its border with Armenia, unless theKarabagh (Artsakh) conflict is resolved. Armenia’s leadersshould announce that they will not sign these Protocols,since Turkish officials have made it crystal clear that theyhave no intention of keeping their side of the bargain.

6) Retired Turkish Ambassador Yalim Eralp made animportant disclosure during a recent interview. He statedthat the Turkish Parliament, while ratifying the Protocols,could declare them to be valid only after the resolution of theKarabagh conflict. Should the Turks advance such a condi-tion, the Armenian Parliament could retaliate by requiringthat the Protocols go into effect only after Turkey acknowl-edges the Armenian Genocide and Azerbaijan recognizes theRepublic of Artsakh.

7) The Protocols do not include any requirement that theybe signed and ratified by a particular date. The oft-mentionedOctober 12 or 13 signature dates are not mentioned in thetext of the Protocols. The Armenian government should notrush to sign and ratify these Protocols.

Armenia’s leaders may yet be saved from damaging theircountry’s interests by Turkey’s reluctance to ratify theProtocols. Turkey may blink first.

8) Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian admitted last weekthat there is no legal requirement to submit these Protocolsto Parliament for ratification. However, such ratificationwould unnecessarily compound the damage done toArmenia’s national interests.

9) The Armenian government made no attempt during thelengthy negotiations with Turkey to consult with DiasporaArmenians, despite the fact that the Protocols addressedvital pan-Armenian issues. Months ago, when organizationsand individuals expressed serious concerns regarding thepreliminary text of the Protocols, they were simply ignoredby the Armenian authorities. Attempts to hold discussions atthe eleventh hour are futile, since the Armenian foreign min-ister has declared that the Protocols cannot be amended.

10) When the Armenian president met with leaders ofmore than 50 political parties in Yerevan last week, the five-hour-long “consultations” were held behind closed doors.Regrettably, only the president’s remarks were publicized.One would hope that when Sargisian goes on his plannedtrip in early October to Paris, New York, Los Angeles,Moscow and Beirut, his discussions with diaspora leaderswould be more open and transparent, and preferably tele-vised.

The one unintended outcome of this heated controversy isthe coming together of diverse Armenian organizations totake a common stand against these Protocols. It is everyone’searnest hope that the intense intra-Armenian discord wouldnot last long and Armenia’s leaders would find the courageand wisdom to stand down from their decision to sign andratify these Protocols detrimental to the Armenian Cause.

My TurnBy Harut Sassounian

By George Juskalian

When I was a youngster I spent a few summervacations in Worcester, Mass. with my older sister,Nevart, her husband, John Bilzerian, and theirdaughters, Esther and Helen, who were someyears younger than I.

John and Nevart were old enough to be my par-ents. As a matter of fact, strangers meeting themfor the first time invariably made some commentlike, “How nice, two beautiful daughters and ahandsome son to serve as a big brother.”

“Serve as big brother” was a responsibility Ishouldered so-so. Girls and dolls and all thingsnice got tiresome at times. So I made friends witha few of the neighborhood boys and did thingsyoung boys like to do, such as act like older boys.

One of the things we used to do was make-believe smoking. We would wrap aged (brownish)corn silk in cigarette paper and proudly pretendwe were smoking. From a distance, someonemight easily think we were really smoking. Andthat is what actually happened one day. A ladyneighbor, well-known for her gossipy ways, could-n’t wait to tell my sister that she had seen me andsome other boys smoking behind a neighborhoodbuilding.

When I got home, I no sooner had my foot inthe doorway when my sister shouted, “Kirkor, Iheard you’ve been smoking.”

“No, I haven’t. Who told you that?” I squirmed.“Don’t you dare lie to me,” she kept shouting.

“Mrs. Gabby said she saw you and some otherboys smoking behind the building. You just waituntil John comes home.” I tried to explain but sheturned a deaf ear.

All too soon, John got home from his down-town architect’s office. He didn’t even get achance to take off his shoes before Nevartblabbed. I suspect he sensed the truth, but forwhatever reason decided to go along with Nevart.“What kind of cigarettes do you like, Kirkor?” heasked me calmly with nary a touch of anger. I wasspeechless.

When I remained speechless, he again askedme what my favorite cigarette was. All of a sud-den the names of the popular brands — Camel,

Old Gold, Chesterfield and Lucky Stripe — cameswirling through my mind. “Lucky Strike,” Iblurted. Whereupon he handed me a quarter andtold me to get a package of Luckies from the cor-ner drug store.

Because of my age, the clerk at the drugstorewas reluctant to sell me cigarettes, but when I toldhim that my brother-in-law, John Bilzerian, whowas a good, steady customer, had sent me to buythem, he relented.

I walked back to the apartment as slowly as Idared, all the while mulling what was in store. Hehimself was a cigar smoker; what the devil was hegoing to do with the cigarettes? I was soon to findout.

Back in the apartment, I handed him the pack-age of Lucky Strikes. He opened the package,offered me a cigarette, lit it for me, and told me togo ahead and smoke. I did, drawing in a puff andquickly exhaling. Nothing to it, I said to myself.That comfortable routine went on for a minute ortwo when he told me to try inhaling and thenexhaling through my nose. Nothing comfortableabout that routine. I began choking and gaspingfor breath, my eyes watering. Somehow I finishedthat first cigarette, but then he offered me a sec-ond one.

As he did so, my sister screamed, “John, he’sturning green,” then grabbed me by the arm andrushed me into the bathroom where I upchuckeda pail full of bile. My worldly-wise brother-in-lawhad picked the perfect punishment to fit thecrime.

Notes:Kirkor, which was my boyhood Armenian

name, is a version of Krikor (Gregory). How Ifinally ended up with George is a another tale initself.

John Bilzerian was a prominent architect inWorcester, Mass. He designed two of the mostbeautiful Armenian churches in America: theChurch of Our Saviour in Worcester and TheHoly Trinity Church in Cambridge, Mass. He wasalso a distinguished Armenian writer under thepenname, Zaven Baikar, and a dedicated memberof the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party andthe Armenian General Benevolent Union.

(George Juskalian is a resident of Centreville, Va.)

Making the Punishment Fit the CrimeOr, A Treasured Boyhood Memory

Jerusalem Odyssey – Part V JERUSALEM — A gentle breeze has sprung up, cooling the ardor of the morn-

ing sun. Above me the cupola of the Dome of the Rock shimmers like a gloriousbeacon pointing at the sky, the golden tiles reflecting the aspirations and prayersof a thousand genuflecting worshippers.

I am waiting for my guide, Abu Fadi, thoughtfully provided by Dr YusufNatsheh, of the Waqf, the Supreme Islamic Council.

Over a cup of sweet Arabic coffee in his spartan office, Natsheh, who is alsodirector of the Department of Islamic Archaeology, has brought me up to date onthe latest developments affecting the city’s Muslim denizens.

It is not a happy state of affairs because access to the “Haram al Sharif” sanctu-ary, which encompasses the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa mosque, is con-trolled by the Israeli police and not the Waqf, as it had been during the previous

Jordanian administration, and is restrictedfor security reasons. The police do not wanta repetition of the riots that sparked the sec-ond Palestinian “intifada” (uprising) or ofattacks on the sacred Muslim shrines.

Ordinarily, access to the sanctuary is possible via the Dung Gate (BabelMagharbeh), one of twelve entry points, but Abu Fadi has been waiting for me atthe Lion Gate entrance, and I have therefore to run the gauntlet of a laborioussecurity check before I am let in.

Abu Fadi turns out to be an enjoyable companion, knowledgeable and loqua-cious. As he walks me through the paces of a royal tour of the compound thatoccupies one sixth of the area of the Old City, I am overwhelmed by the magnifi-cence around me. With every step I take, I am reliving history.

I read with fascination the golden Qur’anic verses that adorn the Dome of theRock, like a necklace around its neck, in the words of Dr. Mustafa Abu Sway, asso-ciate professor of philosophy and Islamic studies and director of the IslamicResearch Center at Al-Quds

University. I will be meeting with him later, and over a lunch of “lahmajoon”(Armenian meat pie), he conveys to me the special significance in Islam of Al Aqsa,the second holiest shrine for Islam, the fruit of the labors of the two seventh andninth C Umayyad Caliphs, Abd Al-Malik Ibn Marwan and his son Al-Walid.

“The magnificence of the architecture of the Dome of the Rock and the south-ern most building within the parameters of Al-Aqsa is witness to the importance ofthese holy sites in Islam,” Abu Sway says. He points out that it is the religiousduty of Muslims all over the world to maintain Al-Aqsa Mosque both physicallyand spiritually.

“The relationship with Al-Aqsa Mosque is primarily fulfilled through acts of wor-ship, but the physical maintenance of the Mosque is also part of the responsibilityof all Muslims.”

Abu Fadi pauses pause before Saladin’s wooden “minbar” (pulpit) in the Dome ofthe Rock, now enclosed within a protective barrier. It is a replica because the origi-nal had been destroyed in a fire. There’s not a single nail in evidence: the woodenjoints are all masterfully held together without the aid of any metal artifice.

The tour over, I pause under the shade of a tree for a moment. An Arab familyis holding a picnic nearby. I catch their eye and a little girl of 4 or 5 sashays over,perches herself on a rock, and gazes up at me. It’s a moment of pure, ineluctableinnocence and mystery, an ineffable purity, to capture and treasure. I snap a pic-ture — and she vanishes.

I do not know why she chooses to privilege me with her presence and her smile.But I can’t help wondering, what does the future hold for this child? Or for aJewish, Christian, or other child growing in the turbulently ailing maelstrom,Jerusalem, that has been described as the center of the world?

see JERUSALEM, page 20

By Arthur Hagopian

BEIRUT — The two-day international confer-ence titled “the Armenian Genocide andInternational Law” organized by HaigazianUniversity and the Armenian NationalCommittee-Middle East, concluded its sessionson Friday, September 4.

This conference, got underway on Wednesday,September 2, with the inaugural speech of thePresident of the House of Representatives ofCyprus Marios Garoyan, who stated that his pres-ence as the guest speaker of the conference is dri-ven by his country’s “commitment to interna-tional law, peace, security and stability, but alsothe determination to continue to condemn, onevery possible occasion, any infringement ofinternational law by acts of Genocide.”

During the next two days of the conference,a dozen experts in the field of genocide andinternational law, coming from the US, Canada,Switzerland, Ireland, Armenia, Turkey, theUnited Arab Emirates, Egypt and Lebanonjoined the 80 members of the local Lebanesepolitical scientists, activists, sociologists, histo-rians, religious leaders, educators, intellectuals,international correspondents, journalists andstudents, in establishing a solid step in thedirection of addressing the consequences of theArmenian Genocide and promoting a fair per-spective through international law.

The conference covered such topics asGenocide denial and recognition issues, Turkishnationalism and the politics of denial, as well asthe economic aspect of the Genocide and theissues of lands and assets. Within the frame-work of international law, the conference dis-cussed the general topics of genocide and crime

against humanity, retribution, andpreservation of the Armenian cul-tural heritage.

Dr. George Charaf from theLebanese University, lectured on“The Problem of Minorities andMajorities, discussing the case ofthe Ottoman Empire;” Dr. UgurUngor, from the University ofSheffield, talked about demograph-ic engineering in the OttomanEmpire and the ArmenianGenocide; Dr. Mohammad Rifaat,from the University of Alexandria,discussed the Armenian Questionaccording to Arab sources; Dr.William Schabas, from the NationalUniversity of Ireland, discussed theproblems and prospects of theGenocide and International Law, 60years after the Convention; Dr.Alfred De Zayas, from the GenevaSchool of Diplomacy andInternational Relations, elaboratedon the issues of justice and interna-tional law regarding the Armenian Genocide;Khatchig Mouradian, a PhD candidate inGenocide Studies at Clark University, lecturedon the Armenians, Raphael Lemkin and the UNConvention. Dr. Taner Akçam’s paper onTurkish Nationalism and the ArmenianGenocide Issue in Turkey today was read inabsentia.

In addition, Dr. Ragip Zarakolu, vice presi-dent of Human Rights Association of Turkey,tackled the issue of Genocide Denialism andLaw in Turkey. In the same context, Dr. SeyhanBayraktar, from the University of Zurich, cov-ered the evolution of the Armenian Genocidedenial in the Turkish Press.

A PhD candidate, at John Hopkins University,Bilgin Ayata talked about the Kurdish —Armenian relations and the ArmenianGenocide.

Dr. Roger Smith, a professor Emeritus ofgovernment at the College of William andMary in Virginia, lectured on ProfessionalEthics and the Denial of the ArmenianGenocide; Dr. Henry Theriault, from theWorcester State College in Massachusetts,talked about restorative justice and alleviat-ing the consequences of genocide and finally,Dr. Richard Hovannisian, from UCLA, cov-ered the issue of universalizing the legacy ofthe Armenian Genocide.

The discussants and moderators of the ses-

sions, were Dr. Arda Ekmekji, Dr. Naila Kaidbey,Giro Manoyan, Dr. Rania Masri, Dr. JosephBayeh, Dr. Ohannes Geukjian, AntranigDakessian and Dr. Haig Demoyan.

Haigazian University President Rev. Dr. PaulHaidostian said that such conferences willalways keep the Genocide issue alive, giving an

increasingly growing international momentumto it. Moreover, Haidostian said that “theGenocide topic and this conference in particu-lar, will hopefully open the door to further aca-demic studies and research, activating deeperstudy in the economic, social and legal aspectsof inter-state relations.”


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JESUSALEM, from page 19It is a question that haunts not only Natsheh

and Abu Sway, or the other Arabs, Jews orChristians I meet. It is a question that hauntsthe conscience of the whole world, I am told bya Hebrew University lecturer.

The Jerusalem academic world is in fact inthe foreground of efforts to bridge the deepArab-Israeli divide, on both a personal and intel-lectual level. The virtual online library(http://www.jerusalem-library.org) created bythe Hebrew and Al Quds Universities is a livingtestament to the determination of men of good-will to contribute and share, and to acknowl-edge the fact that they are destined to livetogether in this land.

Some of the leading Palestinian intellectualsI encountered (among them Sari Nuseibeh,President of Al-Quds University, anthropologistAli Qleibo, historian Mohamad Al Alami andlibrarian Haifa Al Khalidi), were actually recom-mended to me, and highly spoken of, by

Israelis.One Palestinian scholar, who wishes to

remain anonymous, tells me peace betweenArabs and Israelis can only be achieved whenIsrael has attained acceptance among theArabs.

“It’s the best security they’ll ever have,” heinsists. “Peace is certainly possible between

our two people,” an Israeli thinker adds. “But itwill require difficult compromises from bothsides.”

For Haifa Al Khalidi, a former teacher at StGeorge’s Boys school, peace cannot come toosoon. The library she has inherited at the 13thC Mameluke building at Bab Al Silsilah (theGate of the Chain), houses some of the Islamicworld’s most precious manuscripts, includingseveral Ottoman “firman”s (decrees). The oldestdates back 1000 years.

The Al Khalidis began collecting the works inearnest some three centuries ago, but the pre-sent library was set up only in 1900.

Haifa shows me some of her preciouscharges, and I can only gaze in wonder at theinimitable Arabic calligraphy, and in horror atthe network of tiny tunnels dug over the yearsby the larva of book worm beetles in some ofthe pages.

The forlorn expression on Haifa’s face betraysthe pain and frustration she feels at this sacri-lege, but the underlying steel in her eyes isample evidence that the bug stops here.

(Arthur Hagopian, former press officer of theArmenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem currentlyresiding in Australia, spent two weeks in theOld City recently, after a 15-year absence. Thisis the fifth installment of his report on hissojourn there.)

Jerusalem Odyssey: A Native Returns toThe City after a Long Absence

From left, Dr. Henry Theriault, Dr. Roger Smith, Dr. William Schabas and Dr. Alfred De Zeyas

Haigazian Hosts International Conference: the Armenian GenocideAnd International Law Concludes its Sessions

Ara Babloyan ElectedTo WHO ExecutiveCommittee

COPENAGEN (Armenpress) — A ses-sion of the European regional committeeof the World Health Organization (WHO)took place September 15 here, resultingin the election of representatives ofArmenia and Norway to the organiza-tion’s highest executive committee.

Ara Babloyan , chair of the ArmenianPermanent Commission for Health,Maternity and Children’s Affairs, willserve in the position.

Armenian Mirror-Spectator 9-26-09

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