The Armenian Mirror-Spectator January 30. 2010

Armenia to Send AidTo Haiti

YEREVAN (Radiolur) — The Armenian governmentannounced it will allocate $100,000 in humanitari-an aid to Haiti.“Armenia was ready to extend a helping hand

just a few hours after the earthquake,” PrimeMinister Tigran Sargisian stated.Fifty rescuers were ready to leave and help the

casualties of the earthquake. However, the volun-teers did not depart for Haiti because of a numberof technical reasons. Instead, the Armenian gov-ernment decided to help Haiti financially.

Four Athletes toRepresent Armenia atVancouver Olympics

YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow) — The InternationalOlympic Committee has confirmed the participa-tion of four skiers to represent Armenia in theupcoming Winter Olympics to be held inVancouver, Canada, February 12-March 1.Sergey Mikaelyan from Ashotsk and Kristine

Khachatryan of Gumri, will compete in sprint andcross country events. American-Armenian Ani-Matilda Serebrakian of California and ArsenNersisyan of Tsakhkadzor will compete in thealpine skiing slalom events.Armenian figure skaters, who represented

Armenia in the 2006 Winter Games, failed to qual-ify this year.The Vancouver Games will be the fifth for Team

Armenia in the Winter Olympics. Since 1994Armenia has fielded a small team, but has failed toproduce any medal winners.At the last winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, in

2006, Armenia was represented by five athletes,none of whom had unsuccessful performances,especially the cross-country skiers.Armenia had its largest delegation — nine — at

the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.More updates on Team Armenia’s preparations

for the Winter Olympics will be available on theNOCA’s official website www.armnoc.am.

Moscow Mayor to VisitYerevan

YEREVAN (Arminfo) — On January 29-30, a dele-gation headed by Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov willofficially visit Yerevan. The delegation was invitedby Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan, his press ser-vice reported.During the visit, the parties will discuss coopera-

tion programs for 2010-2011, the agreement oncooperation between the government of Moscowand the mayor’s office of Yerevan in trade, scientif-ic-technical and humanitarian spheres.

INDEXArmenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,3Arts and Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Community News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,5

Mirror- SpectatorMirror- SpectatorTHE ARMENIAN

Volume LXXX, NO. 29, Issue 4123

J A N U A R Y 3 0 , 2 0 1 0

$ 2.00

Who Is aGiant?

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INSIDE

The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States

NEWS IN BRIEF

Ambassador Garen Nazarian and Military Attaché Lt. Col.Mesrob Nazarian are surrounded by members of the TCA NewYork/New Jersey Chapter Executive committee. (Missing fromphoto is Vartan Ilandjian) See story and photos pages 11-13.

Armenian Community WelcomesNew Armenian Ambassador to the UN

YEREVAN (Reuters) — Armenia accusedTurkey on Friday of trying to block a dealto establish diplomatic ties and open theirborder and warned their bid to overcome acentury of hostility could collapse.The comments by Armenian Foreign

Minister Eduard Nalbandian cast freshdoubt on thefuture of the rap-prochement, afterTurkey accusedA r m e n i a ’ sConst i tut ionalCourt of trying tore-write the text ofthe deal with acourt ruling lastweek.Faced with a

backlash fromTurkish ally Azerbaijan, the rhetoric inboth countries has grown increasingly bit-ter since they inked accords in Octoberdesigned to overcome the legacy of the

World War I mass killing of Armenians byOttoman Turks.The deal stands to burnish Turkey’s cre-

dentials as a potential EU entry state andboost its clout in the Caucasus. It wouldbring big economic benefits to poor, land-locked Armenia.But asked on Friday if the process was in

danger of collapsing, Nalbandian said:“If Turkey is not ready to ratify the pro-

tocols, if it continues to speak in the lan-guage of preconditions and to block theprocess, then I don’t exclude it.”But he added: “I hope Turkey will ratify

the documents.”The two protocols require parliamentary

ratification in both countries before theyenter into force.Turkey, stung by the backlash from oil-

producing Azerbaijan, says it first wantsChristian Armenia to make concessions inthe festering conflict with MuslimAzerbaijan over the mainly Armenianbreakaway region of Nagorno-Karabagh.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in1993 in solidarity with Azerbaijan duringthe war.Armenia rejects any link between the two

issues, but diplomats say internationalmediators have stepped up efforts tosqueeze at least some sign of progress outof negotiations on Nagorno-Karabagh —which resume on Monday in Russia.Turkey is anxious to keep Azerbaijan on

see PROTOCOLS, page 2

Peace Deal under Threat

Armenian ForeignMinister EduardNalbandian

Sochi Meeting:Russian Leader HostsSargisian-Aliyev TalksSOCHI, Russia (Itar Tass) — The presi-

dents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, SergeSargisian and Ilham Aliyev, have held theirfirst meeting this year in southern Russiainitiated and hosted by Russian PresidentDmitry Medvedev.The meeting on Monday early afternoon

in the Krasnaya Polyana ski resort nearSochi reportedly focused on prospects ofthe Karabagh settlement.The Sochi meeting was the fifth between

Sargisian and Aliyev hosted by the Russianleader. After the first one in November2008, Moscow, Yerevan and Baku signed ajoint declaration that reiterated supportand approval of the peace efforts conducted

see SOCHI, page 4

From left, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia andPresident Serge Sargisian of Armenia, met in Sochi on Monday.

Armenia,Karabagh‘Ready’ forAnother WarBy Sargis Harutyunyan

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — DefenseMinister Seyran Ohanian warnedAzerbaijan on Monday against attempt-ing to win back Nagorno Karabagh byforce, saying that Armenian troops havesignificantly beefed up defense fortifica-tions around the territory and are pre-pared for another war.“As defense minister, I’m always getting

ready for that,” Ohanian said when askedabout chances of renewed fighting forKarabagh at a meeting with students andthe faculty of Yerevan State University.“Both the entire army personnel and all

of our veteran guys, mobilization resourcesknow that the army command, includingthe defense minister, would be personallyengaged in all hot and tough spots thatmight, God forbid, emerge on the bordersof our republic and Artsakh (Karabagh) inorder to defend our people,” he told them.Ohanian says the Karabagh Armenian

army backed by Armenia proper has inrecent years further fortified its positionseast and north of the territory in a way thatprecludes the success of any Azerbaijanioffensive. “The Defense Army of the

see WAR, page 3

STRASBOURG, France (RFE/RL) —The Council of Europe ParliamentaryAssembly (PACE) on Tuesday effectivelyvalidated the controversial removal ofan outspoken opposition parliamentari-an from the Armenian delegation in theStrasbourg-based body.Zaruhi Postanjian of the opposition

Zharangutyun (Heritage) party has rep-resented Armenia in the PACE alongwith three other lawmakers affiliatedwith the ruling Republican andProsperous Armenia parties as well asthe Armenian Revolutionary Federation(Dashnaktsutyun).Parliament speaker Hovik

Abrahamian decided earlier this monthto replace Postanjian by a pro-govern-ment deputy on the grounds thatDashnaktsutyun left the country’s gov-erning coalition in April and is now inopposition to President Serge Sargisian.Abrahamian argued that the presence oftwo opposition deputies in the delega-tion does not reflect the balance offorces in the National Assembly.Postanjian rejected the explanation,

saying that the authorities are simplykeen to prevent more criticism of theirpolicies in the Council of Europe. Sheclaimed that Dashnaktsutyun mainlydisagrees with the Sarkisian administra-tion’s foreign policy and is therefore nota genuine opposition force.Despite being excluded from the dele-

gation, Postanjian traveled toStrasbourg to attend the PACE’s wintersession that began its work on Monday.Her allegations of serious proceduralviolations in the change of the delega-tion make-up were swiftly picked up bythe European People’s Party (EPP), oneof the largest PACE factions.“On behalf of the EPP group, I wish

to challenge the credentials of theArmenian delegation,” ChristosPourgourides, a PACE member fromCyprus, declared at the start of the ses-sion. “We have received informationthat the Armenian parliament manipu-lated the internal rules in order toexclude a member from our group.”In accordance with the PACE

statutes, the matter was immediatelyreferred to the assembly’s Committee onRules of Procedure, Immunities andInstitutional Affairs. The committee dis-cussed it and found no violations on thepart of the Armenian parliament leader-ship on Tuesday. According to DavidHarutiunian, head of the Armenian del-egation, the decision amounted to anautomatic confirmation of the delega-tion’s credentials by the PACE.Speaking to RFE/RL by phone,

Harutiunian blamed the controversy onthe PACE Monitoring Committee’s fail-ure to hold a planned discussion ofArmenia’s compliance with PACE reso-lutions on the lingering fallout from theMarch 2008 unrest in Yerevan.The delay appears to have further

reduced chances of its inclusion on theagenda of the weeklong PACE session.Pro-government members of theArmenian delegation see no need forsuch a debate, saying that the Armenianauthorities have mostly complied withthe resolutions urging an independentinquiry into the delay unrest and therelease of opposition members arrestedon “seemingly artificial or politicallymotivated charges.”The main opposition Armenian

National Congress (HAK) claimed the

opposite in a 7-page note sent to theMonitoring Committee. It said theauthorities are still holding 15 “politicalprisoners” and failed to conduct an“impartial and credible” investigationinto the post-election violence that leftten people dead. The HAK cited the dis-solution of a bipartisan body formed forthat purpose in late 2008.“We think that the events of March 1

[2008] have still not been solved,”Levon Zurabian, a leading member ofthe opposition alliance, said on Tuesday.

PROTOCOLS, from page 1side, with the former Soviet republiccourted by the West and Russia for itsenergy reserves in the Caspian Sea andas a potential supplier for Europe’splanned Nabucco gas pipeline.Turkey said the Armenian court rul-

ing, which endorsed the protocols, couldderail the process by reaffirming thestate’s obligation to pursue internationalrecognition of theWorld War I killings asgenocide, a term Turkey vehementlyrejects.Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet

Davutoglu said on Friday it was “contradic-tory to the letter and spirit of the proto-cols,” but added that talks would continue.

Nalbandian played down hope of animminent breakthrough on Nagorno-Karabagh, which broke away fromAzerbaijan with Armenian backing in theearly 1990s in a war that killed 30,000people.The presidents of Armenia and

Azerbaijan hold the latest round of talkson Monday in Russia’s Black Sea city ofSochi.“If the Azeri side takes a more con-

structive approach, there might be move-ment,” Nalbandian said. “But that theremight be some kind of breakthrough inthe near future, I can’t say that.”(Additional reporting by Thomas

Grove in Istanbul; writing by MattRobinson in Tbilisi; editing by CharlesDick.)

S A T U R D A Y, J A N U A R Y 3 0 , 2 0 1 0 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R2

ARMENIA

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News From Armenia

Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian

Peace Deal under Threat

By Emil Danielyan

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — The UnitedStates welcomed a ruling by Armenia’sConstitutional Court late on Friday,effectively dismissing Turkey’s claimsthat it runs counter to the Turkish-Armenian fence-mending agreements.“We view the court decision as a pos-

itive step forward in the ratificationprocess of the normalization protocolsbetween Turkey and Armenia,”

Assistant Secretary of State PhilipGordon said in written comments sentto RFE/RL. “The court decision per-mits the protocols, as they were negoti-ated and signed, to move forwardtowards parliamentary ratification, anddoes not appear to limit or qualify themin any way.”“We are confident that both Turkey

and Armenia take their commitment tothe protocols seriously, and we urgetimely ratification of the protocols byboth countries,” added Gordon.The comments followed a reported

phone conversation between US

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton andTurkish Foreign Minister AhmetDavutoglu. The Anatolia news agencyquoted an unnamed Turkish ForeignMinistry official as saying that Davutoglureiterated Ankara’s claims that theArmenian court’s interpretation of theprotocols’ implications contradicts their“essence and substance.” Davutoglu saidearlier on Friday that he will urge his USand Swiss counterparts to put pressureon the Armenian leadership.Washington’s reaction to the Turkish

claims represents a significant boost to

Yerevan’s position in the row, which hasraised more questions about the successof the US-backed normalization process.US officials have repeatedly urgedArmenia and Turkey to implement thelandmark agreements without precondi-tions and within a “reasonable” periodof time.“Our position remains the same,” said

Gordon. “We support the normalizationprocess, which we believe contributes topeace and stability in the Caucasus.What is critical is to keep the partiesfocused on the vital importance of mov-ing ahead.”

Philip Gordon

US Praises ArmenianCourt Ruling on Turkey

PACE Approves Change in Armenian Delegation

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Armenia’s economicrecession eased further last month, resulting a full-year Gross Domestic Production fall of 14.4 per-cent, according to official statistics released onMonday.The rate of economic contraction reported by the

National Statistical Service (NSS) is significantlydown from the peak decline of 18.5 percent regis-tered during the first seven months of 2009. Itessentially matches government forecasts made inrecent months.The country’s macroeconomic performance

began slowly improving in September, with GDPdecreasing by 16 percent year on year in January-November. This has been due, in large measure, tothe fact that the Armenian economy was alreadyadversely affected by the global financial crisis inthe fourth quarter of 2008 after nine months ofdouble-digit expansion.The Armenian government says economic

growth will get back into positive territory but willmake up a modest 1.2 percent this year. TheInternational Monetary Fund and the World Bank

have made similar forecasts. According to IMF pro-jections, Armenian growth will accelerate to 3 per-cent in 2011 and gradually reach 4.5 percent in2014. The Armenian economy expanded by an aver-age of 12 percent from 2002 through 2007.The GDP fall in 2009 was primarily attributable

to a nearly 37-percent slump in construction regis-tered by the NSS. The once-booming constructionsector, which accounted for about one fifth of GDP,has been hit hardest by the recession and the result-ing reduction in external cash inflows to Armenia.A more than 8-percent fall in industrial output

also significantly contributed to the decline. By con-trast, the NSS recorded a 1 percent increase in retailtrade and other services. Armenia’s agricultural out-put, another major source of GDP, was flat in 2009mainly because of the decreased production ofmeat and dairy products.Despite the recession, the Armenian authorities

have failed to keep inflation below a maximum tar-get rate of 5.5 percent. Consumer prices in thecountry rose by 2 percent in December alone, push-ing up the annual inflation rate to 6.5 percent.

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

ARMENIA

WAR, from page 1Nagorno-Karabagh Republic has created such a sys-tem of fortifications which the enemy can notattack and overcome in a classical style,” he said.Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev regularly

states that Baku will “liberate” Karabagh andArmenian-controlled territories surrounding itif the long-running peace talks with Armeniaend in failure. International mediators disap-prove of such threats, saying that the Karabaghconflict can not be resolved by military means.Armenian leaders have repeatedly denounced

the war rhetoric. “Such statements show that

Azerbaijan is not prepared for mutual conces-sions in 2010 as well,” Foreign Minister EduardNalbandian said on January 17. He said theyalso “can not make any impact on or intimidateArmenia or Artsakh.”Ohanian, who was a senior Karabagh

Armenian commander and lost a leg during the1991-1994 war, likewise insisted that theAzerbaijani leadership would fail to solve theconflict “unilaterally.” He also said Yerevan willnever accept a settlement that would placeKarabagh back under Azerbaijani rule and stripit of a “common border” with Armenia.

Armenia, Karabagh ‘Ready’ for Another War

YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow) — Finding some-one to prepare an Armenian ethnic dishcalled “piti” for this column proved harderthan expected, as those approached mostoften said they knew how to prepare the dish,but insisted that it could only be made in astone oven.When others fail, turn to mama.“Of course I can do that, I invite you to our

house to eat ‘piti’ tomorrow,” said my 60-year-old mother, Anahit Harutyunyan.“Piti” (from the Armenian word for

“crock”) is a traditional Armenian dish madeof chickpeas and mutton, dried plums andokra and is cooked in a pot for some threehours until all ingredients mix — a sort ofArmenian chili, maybe.We arrive at my mom’s house early to fol-

low the cooking process and find all neces-sary ingredients on the kitchen table: mutton,peas, onion, potato, okra (sometimes referredto as “gumbo”), butter, plums, tomato paste,cayenne and black paper, salt.The cooked peas and mutton (browned,

with bones removed) are already on the tablein the kitchen.Mother chops onion into small pieces, then

fries in butter, adds two tablespoons tomatopaste, cayenne and black pepper. In a few min-utes she adds the broth, the peas, and themutton. (Peas should be soaked at least twohours prior to cooking.)“After cooking the meat, it is necessary to

remove the bones before adding it to thebroth. It is very important for the pea to beproperly cooked, almost melted. During mychildhood, when we used to live in our village(Geghard), I remember how my mother waspreparing ‘piti’ in a clay pot. The whole mass

was put into a clay pot and hung it in a tonir(an oven prepared in a hole in the ground,usually used for baking bread). ‘Piti’ wascooked in stone ovens in many provinces ofArmenia. Restaurants still use this (stoneoven) method,” she says. “Now housewivescan use either electric ovens or cook it on agas stove.”Mom says that, of course, the “piti” cooked

in a tonir tastes differently. But she alsoagrees with the adage that any dish will bedelicious if the cook puts her soul into it.In 15 minutes she adds potato, sliced into

small cubes, to the boiling mixture, and whenthey (cubes) are cooked, she adds dried plumsand two cloves of garlic.“In a few minutes we add okra. Dried

plumps are cooked longer than okra that iswhy we add it later, and then we add somechopped parsley, and wait for about 10 min-utes,” she says.My mother’s spices are resting in one cor-

ner of the kitchen. It seems that the secret ofher delicious dishes lies here. And while “piti”is being cooked, she says, “Smell it — it smellsnice, doesn’t it? This spice is especially forpotato, this one — for fish, this one I use onlywhile cooking chicken, and we will add thismixture of seven types of spices (common car-away, cayenne pepper, black pepper, corian-der seed, garlic powder, cinnamon, ground all-spice) to our ‘piti.’”The smell of “piti” wafts in the whole

house. And while she lays the table, mom saysthat “piti” has also come to mean “everythingmixed with each other.”And with “everything mixed together” the

“piti” is ready. The yellow pea and green okramake a colorful display together in the pot;

black dried plums are shining in the back-ground.My mother fills plates with “piti” and says,

“‘Piti’ has special fans. It is necessary to lovethis dish in order to be able to eat it. So, tryit, and I wish you good appetite.”

The following ingredients are necessary forcooking “piti:”1 kg of mutton½ kg chickpeas2 medium-sized onions2 cloves garlic2 medium-sized potatoes200 grams okra200 grams butter5-6 dried black plums2 tablespoons tomato pasteCayenne and black pepper to taste

How to cook “piti:”1. Cook 1kg mutton and ½ kg peas addingsalt (soak peas before cooking)2. Chop two onions into small pieces andfry in butter3. Add two tablespoons tomato paste,cayenne and black pepper4. Add the broth and mutton (previouslyremoving the bones) and peas5. Cook for 15 minutes, add potatoes (cutinto cubes)6. Add plums.7. In 15 minutes, add two cloves of garlic,parsley and okra8. Cook until all ingredients are well mixed

Total process should take two to threehours. It is preferable to cook “piti” in earth-enware pots.

Piti as it should be

Restoring ‘Piti’ among Delicacies By Nazik Armenakyan and Gayane Mkrtchyan

Construction workers in Armenia

Economic Recovery Seen to Be Accelerating

Armenia to Spend $120M on North-South HighwayYEREVAN (Arka) — Armenia is planning to spend $120 million in 2010 for construction

of North-South highway, Armenian Economy Minister Nerses Yeritsyan said on Thursday.At its Thursday meeting, the cabinet ministers approved the investment program of North-

South highway construction and the preliminary agreement between Armenia and AsianDevelopment Bank on a $500-million loan.Yeritsyan said that the investment program will be implemented over the period between

2010 and 2017.On August 6, 2009, the Armenian government approved the decision to construct North-

South highway.The highway will give Armenia a chance to mitigate the consequences of the long-years

blockade by Azerbaijan and Turkey in the future.

ISTANBUL (PanArmenian.Net) — A newdocument that may deepen the investiga-tion into the Hrant Dink assassination hasbeen submitted to court by Trabzon’s for-mer police chief and current head of intel-ligence for the Police Department, theTurkish newspaper, Radikal, reported.The document, sent by Ramazan

Akyurek, features an intelligence report onassassination suspect Ogun Samast, that

shows he was under surveillance when hearrived in Istanbul. The document reads:“His friends greeted Ogun Samast whenhe came to Istanbul.” If the document is genuine, it proves that

Samast’s presence in Istanbul was knowntwo days prior to the murder.The existence of the document was

revealed to the public by Bahri Belen, oneof the Dink family’s lawyers, on CNN

Turk’s show, “Tarafsiz Bolge” (NeutralZone), Tuesday night. Another guest of theshow was Nedim Sener, author of the bookHrant Dink Cinayeti ve Istihbarat Yalanlar(The Hrant Dink Murder and IntelligenceLies). Sener reminded that in the report,Akyurek was blamed by the PrimeMinistry’s investigation committee forneglecting his duty, and responded to newquestions on this recent development.

Sener said security forces were confess-ing their guilt and continued, “If they knewhe met with his friends, which branch ofthe intelligence was following [him]? Whattype of data does Ramazan Akyurek haveto be able to know this?”

Journalist Oral Calislar, another guest ofthe show, said this was an important docu-ment and added, “If you knew when theman who would commit the murderarrived in Istanbul, met with his friends,you actually knew about the murder. If agovernment knew of a murder [before] themurder was committed, then how can youput this to words?”

Dink was best known for advocatingTurkish-Armenian reconciliation andhuman and minority rights in Turkey.Charged under the notorious article 301 ofthe Turkish Criminal Code, Dink stood atrial for insulting Turkishness. After numer-ous death threats, Hrant Dink was assassi-nated in Istanbul in January 2007, bySamast, a 17-year-old Turkish ultranation-alist.

MOSCOW (PanArmenian.Net) —Russian President Dmitry Medvedevheld a meeting with Catholicos of AllArmenians, Karekin II and Patriarch ofMoscow and All Russia Kirill, prior tothe awarding ceremony of theInternational Foundation for the Unityof Orthodox Christian Nations.Russian-Armenian ties and inter-con-

fessional relations were in focus, RIANovosti reported.Karekin II was born in 1951 in the vil-

lage of Voskehat, near Echmiadzin, andbaptized Ktrij Nersissian.He entered the seminary of Holy

Echmiadzin in 1965, graduating withhonors in 1971. For a year after gradu-ation, he taught at the seminary.He was ordained as a deacon in 1970

and a monk (celibate priest) in 1972, atwhich time he received the priestlyname Karekin. Shortly thereafter,Vasken I (Catholicos of All Armenians,1956-1994) sent the new priest toVienna to study theology. In 1975,Nersissian moved to Germany, where hestudied and graduated from BonnUniversity while serving as pastor to thelocal Armenian community. Following abrief return to Armenia, he enrolled inpostgraduate studies at the RussianOrthodox Academy in Zagorsk, Russia,from which he graduated in 1979.In March 1980, he entered the ser-

vice of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese,the Armenian Church’s most populousdiocesan jurisdiction, which incorpo-rates the capital, Yerevan, and the vicin-

ity of the Mother See of HolyEchmiadzin. Appointed head of thatdiocese in June 1983, he was elevatedto the rank of bishop on October 23 ofthat year, by the hand of Vasken I.Catholicos Vasken granted him the titleof Archbishop in November 1992.During the past decade, Nersissian

has been a prominent figure inArmenia’s religious, social and cultur-al life. The charitable missions he haslaunched have helped his flock intheir struggle to build a free anddecent society from the physical ruinsof the 1988 earth quake, and fromthe spiritual debris of Armenia’sSoviet period. He has been notablefor using technology, especially televi-sion broadcasts, as a tool of evange-lism and outreach. Following thedeath of Catholicos Vasken I,Nersissian was a candidate for thepontifical throne during the NationalEcclesiastical Assembly of April 1995,but conceded victory to KarekinSarkissian, who thereafter becameCatholicos Karekin I (Catholicos ofAll Armenians, 1995-1999). The lat-ter, being treated for cancer in NewYork, appointed Nersissian as thevicar general of Holy Echmiadzin inNovember 1998, in which capacityNersissian served until the latecatholicos’ death in June 1999.He was elected the Supreme

Patriarch and Catholicos of AllArmenians on October 27, 1999, whenmore than 450 delegates fromArmenian Church jurisdictions aroundthe world met in a NationalEcclesiastical Assembly at HolyEchmiadzin, the Church’s Mother See,located in the Republic of Armenia. Hisconsecration and enthronement fol-lowed on November 4. As the 132nd ina continuous line of Catholicoi datingback to the fourth century, CatholicosKarekin II presides over the SupremeSpiritual Council (the ArmenianChurch’s governing college of bishops),and is the chief shepherd of the world’s7 million Armenian ApostolicChristians.


INTERNATIONAL

OOlleegg YYeessaayyaann AAppppooiinntteeddAAmmbbaassssaaddoorr ttoo RRuussssiiaa

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FFrraannccee ffoorr rreejjeeccttiinngg tthhee AArrmmeenniiaann GGeennoocciiddee..

International News

SOCHI, from page 1as part of the OSCE Minsk Groupprocess and called for abstaining fromthe use of force in settling the protract-ed Nagorno-Karabagh process. (The sec-ond, third and fourth Medvedev-Sargisian-Aliyev meetings were heldduring 2009 in St. Petersburg (on thesidelines of an international economicforum), Moscow (on the sidelines ofhorse racing events) and Chisinau (aspart of the CIS summit), with no docu-ments issued after those talks.)The document signed and released in

2008 in Meindorf, near Moscow, didnot, however, prevent Aliyev fromrepeatedly making war threats againstNagorno-Karabagh. The latest state-ment implying that Azerbaijan was notruling out any option, including a mili-tary one, to regain Nagorno-Karabaghwas issued by one of Aliyev’s senioraides only hours before the Sochi meet-ing. (Armenia routinely discards thiswar rhetoric as populism directed fordomestic consumption and has repeat-edly downplayed Azerbaijan’s militarycapability to win back Karabagh orareas surrounding it now controlled by

Armenian troops).The parties meeting in Sochi did not

publish any document after their dis-cussions. According to media reports,instead the foreign ministers ofArmenia and Azerbaijan were expectedto come up with statements. After meet-ing with Medvedev, later during theday, the leaders of Armenia andAzerbaijan were expected to meet withthe Minsk Group cochairmen.After the negotiations that lasted for

two hours and were held behind closeddoors, Russian Foreign Minister SergeyLavrov told journalists that the partiesconsidered the concrete proposals thathad been submitted by the MinskGroup cochairmen. “There is a general understanding on

the preamble to this document. Allagreed that it is useful that such a doc-ument exists, because it makes it possi-ble to talk not abstractly, but in linkageto concrete formulations,” he said. “Themain result today is the arrangementthat while there are parts on which thesides disagree, they are preparing theirconcrete ideas and formulations thatwill be introduced into this text.”

Russian Leader Hosts Sargisian-Aliyev Talks

Russian President Meets Catholicos of All Armenians

BERLIN (PanArmenian.Net) —The140th anniversary of Komitas’ birthwas marked in Kaiser-Wilhelm Churchin Berlin last week. The event startedwith a service offered by ArchbishopYeghishe, the spiritual leader of theArmenian community of Berlin.“Such events are important for

preservation of national identity. Theyhelp the young generation know theirculture,” chairman of the ArmenianChurch and cultural community ofBerlin Petros Tikichian said in his open-ing remarks.Community member Sona Aiber-

Chukaszyan gave a report on Komitas’ life.On April 24, 1915, Komitas was

arrested and put on a train the next daytogether with 180 other Armeniannotables and sent to the city of Cank innorthern Central Anatolia, at a distance

of some 300 miles. His good friend,Turkish nationalist poet Mehmet EminYurdakul, the authoress Halide Edip,and the US ambassador HenryMorgenthau intervened with the gov-ernment and, by special orders fromTalat Pasha, Komitas was dispatchedback to the capital alongside eightother Armenians who had been deport-ed. As of autumn 1916, he was taken toa Turkish military hospital and hemoved to Paris in 1919 where he diedin a psychiatric clinic Villejuif in 1935.Next year his ashes were transferred

to Yerevan and buried in the Pantheon.The Armenian community of

Germany was founded by Armenian stu-dents, who arrived in Leipzig in 1885and formed a Union there. Presently, 40,000-42,000 Armenians

are reported to live in Germany.

140th Anniversary of Komitas Marked in Berlin

Ogun Samast’s Presence in Istanbul WasKnown Two Days Prior to Dink Murder


INTERNATIONAL

LONDON — Hrant Dink Day wasmarked in London with a solemn gather-ing outside the Turkish Embassy at 1p.m. and a three-hour sequence of well-attended meetings in The House ofCommons and the House of Lords, where“Friends of Belge” was launched.Sponsors of the events were Nia Griffith,MP, Dr. Bob Spink MP and BaronessFinlay of Llandaff. Speakers included theIstanbul publisher Ragip Zarakolu, thegenocide scholar DesmondFernandes, Ruth Barnett from theHolocaust Educational Trust, Prof.Khatchatur I. Pilikian, historian VardanTadevossian, Kasim Agpak from theKurdish Federation of the UK (FEDBIR),Haçi Ozdemir from the InternationalCommittee Against Disappearances(British Section) and Saad Tokatly fromIraqi Christians in the UK.Zarokulu spoke about Dink: “We had

dreams together for a different Turkey,we had dreams together for a differentworld.” He went on to describe the phi-losophy underpinning the Turkish ‘deepstate,’ in which the ‘minorities’ areviewed as interior enemies and a perma-nent threat to national security. This ideais described in the National SecurityDocument, referred to as the “RedBook,” which goes on to state that it isthe army’s responsibility to fight againstthis “threat.” This concept of the minori-ties being interior enemies has deeproots in Turkey going back to 1915.Zarakolu emphasized the manner inwhich “the Turkish State has a doublestructure, the open structure of the stateapparatus and the ‘deep structure,’which is hidden. The ‘deep’ part in 1915comprised the special committees whoorganized the mass killings during theGenocide. Hrant was open about the real-ity of the Genocide, and encouragedArmenians in Turkey, for the first timesince the founding of the Republic, tospeak openly about their Armenian iden-tity. He wanted to show Armenian identi-

ty to Turkish society as a base for peace-ful co-existence. [But] even though theTurkish State well knew that Hrant’s lifebecame endangered from the time that”he was placed “on a ‘black-list,’ theymade no effort to prevent his murder. Bykilling Hrant, they were killing them-selves. Nothing can be the same againafter Hrant’s murder. Turkey has tochange or face ending in a much worsesituation.”Barnett presented a moving account

of “The shared Jewish andArmenian experience.” Fernandes observed the manner in

which “it is clear that there is a crisis inTurkey as far as human rights are con-cerned — human rights, here, in an indi-vidual and collective sense as faras ‘Others,’ ‘Armenians,’ ‘Kurds,’‘Assyrians,’ ‘Greeks,’ ‘Roma,’ ‘Turkish orKurdish Alevi,’ ‘Christian Others,’‘human rights campaigners,’ ‘peoplefrom the targeted left,’ ‘trade unionistand student/others asking for collectivebargaining rights,’ ‘publishers and jour-nalists working on topics relating to thedeep state and/or the plight andacknowledged identity of the Other inTurkey” — are concerned. One can,unfortunately, observe that the specter —and the reality — of genocide remains, asdefined by Raphael Lemkin, the UNGenocide Convention and by several dis-tinguished genocide scholars.” He also detailed specific genocidal con-

cerns that had been raised by AbdullahOçalan, Theoharis Kekis and KCKExecutive Council members Bozan Tekinand Cemil Bayik.Disturbingly, he noted that several

state initiatives seem to have beendesigned to politically derail any lastingor meaningful peace processes with theKCK(Koma Civaken Kurdistan) or PKK(which had initiated a cease-fire andpeace process), or with the DemocraticSociety Party (DTP), the mass based pro-Kurdish party which was constitutionally

closed down in December 2009, withcriminal proceedings initiated against itssitting members of parliament. Peopleeven from the newly formed but massbased pro-Kurdish BDP (Peace andDemocracy Party), as well as sitting andformer Kurdish mayors and humanrights campaigners were being targeted.Kasim Agpak spoke about the nature

of state terror in Turkey and the murderand significance of Hrant Dink’s assassi-nation. Vardan Tadevossian’s presenta-tion emphasized the nature of the ongo-ing genocide of Armenians and theextent of destruction of Armenia’s her-itage. Saad Tokatly examinedthe “Consequences of the Genocide forAssyrians in Turkey and Iraq” and “Thecurrent problems of Assyrians and otherMiddle East Christians.”With the launch of ‘Friends of

Belge’ [Please refer to the launch appeal- below], Ragip Zarakolu explained thecontext in which publishers like Belge —together with writers and journalists -were still being subject to criminalisa-tion, targeting and intimidation. Inanswering questions from the floor, itbecame all too evident that Article 301was - and is - still being used to curb free-dom of expression, despite denials by cer-tain Turkish officials in this matter. HaciOzdemir from the InternationalCommittee Against Disappearances(British Section) detailed the extensivemanner in which ongoing Turkish stateterror and criminalization of writers,journalists and publishers is evident. Healso explained the relevance of holdingthe International Committee AgainstDisappearances’ international conferencein London in May this year.Pilikian’s moving presentation

(“Problems with the terms fromHolocaust to Genocide”) and conclu-sion provided much food for thought:“Poor old Raphael Lemkin! Latter-day

sophists are trying to ‘by-pass’ him, par-ticularly now that concepts such

as Democracy, Socialism, Freedom,Human Rights, and what not, are madeto lose their essential meanings, nay evenare made to ‘act’ as their antinomies inreal life through their post-modernist,neo-con and neo-liberal abuse. Yes, evenlanguage is experiencing a collateraldamage indeed. To top it all, the recentand most popular President of the USsince J.F. Kennedy, Barak Obama, choseto use the Armenian term MedzYeghern=Big Crime in his April 24, 2009commemorative speech in remembranceof the Genocide of the Armenians, with-out ever mentioning theword ‘Genocide,’ let alone its modernand precise equivalent inArmenian: Tseghsbanoutyoun.“When addressing the American-

Armenian voters during his presidentialcampaigns, the word the distinguishedSen. Barack Obama always used,was Genocide. Naturally, he got most ofthe American Armenian votes. [But] asPresident of US, Barack Obama chose to‘balkanize’ Lemkin’s coinage of theword, singling out one of its national cul-ture dictated pre-Lemkinian usage, as ifunwittingly emulating Prof. HaimBresheeth’s advice, ... thus avoiding theword Genocide. The question remains:Why President Obama’s archaic choice?“Although the answer is not hard to

decipher from the history of the last cen-tury, our turbulent times too will soonteach us new lessons, granted we are will-ing to learn and act upon it. As thePreamble of the Verdict of the presti-gious Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal ofApril 16, 1984 concludes: “Indeed,acknowledging genocide itself is a funda-mental means of struggling against geno-cide. The acknowledgement is itself anaffirmation of the right of a people underinternational law to a safeguarded exis-tence”. Let’s pray to God to let this graceof acknowledgement befall our brethrenand sisters of denial, including thoseamong our own UK Parliamentarians.”

Hrant Dink Day in the UK Parliament

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — On November27, 2009, the AGBU Young Professionals ofBuenos Aires (YP Buenos Aires) closed out theyear by hosting their final in a series of fourhighly successful talks titled “What Did I DoFor Armenia?” All events were organized as aforum for young Armenians to speak about —and discuss as a group — their experiences vol-unteering in Armenia. The four-part lecture and discussion series start-

ed in May, and during each event different volun-teers gathered to share stories and discuss topics of

relevance to young Armenians. While three of theevents were set up as more formal panel discus-sions, one of the events was organized more infor-mally as a social gathering, where young profes-sionals came together to share stories, play games,

and get to know one another. The lectures and gatherings were appealing

because they were directly related to the expe-riences that young professionals had inArmenia. Besides gaining personal and profes-sional growth, individuals learned a great dealabout Armenia’s current status, its people andits culture. Many young professionals wereeager to volunteer their time and get involvedin the lecture series to share their experiencesand thoughts. Interaction between the audi-ence and the speakers was informal, seamless,

and very interactive.Moreover, there was anoverall incentive forthe young peopleattending each of thediscussions to go outand do something sim-ilar to their peers. The November 27

event included a panelof volunteers, AnabelaAvedisian, GeraldineGuner Eretzian, DalilaEujanian and JuanBaptist Karagueuzian,all of whom participat-ed in the BirthrightArmenia program.Avedisian traveled toYerevan in October2008 for two months

to work as a volunteer English teacher in thelocal schools. She discussed the vastly differentteaching model used in Armenia in comparisonto the model used in Argentina and elsewherearound the world. Despite differences and some

disadvantages to the system applied in theYerevan schools, Avedisian emphasized theremarkable capacity and willingness to learn bythe children at the local schools.Industrial engineer Geraldine Eretzian, who

stayed in Gumri for two months, spoke abouthis experience working with local Armenians atKevork & Vahagn Textile Factory and ShirakCompetitiveness Center, as well as offering spe-cialized classes in graphic design. Eretzianspent an extra month in Yeravan, settling in atthe Arti Garassi Furniture Factory, and initiat-ing a management quality project.The third speaker was Dalila Eujanian, who

volunteered in Armenia in 2008. She worked inthe phonoaudiology departments at thePediatric Rehabilitation Clinic and ErebuniHospital, both located in Yerevan. She spoke at

great length about patient care in the hospitalsand the patient-doctor relationship.The fourth and final speaker was Juan

Baptist Karagueuzian, a graduate student inhistory. In the summer of 2009, he volunteeredfor Birthright Armenia and the ArmenianVolunteers Corps. He spent his time at theChildren’s Home in Gumri. During his presen-tation, he discussed the needs of the children inArmenia and the great impact that volunteeringhas on the lives of individuals in places likeArmenia.The series, organized by YP Buenos Aires,

was well received by Argentine-Armenian youngprofessionals. All the featured panelists commu-nicated their enthusiasm for volunteerism andexpressed a deep gratitude for having theopportunity to spend time in Armenia.

AGBU YP Buenos Aires Chair Ignacio Balassanian introduces the panelfor the final “What Did I Do For Armenia?” lecture series.

AGBU YP of Buenos Aires Conclude ‘What Did I Do For Armenia?’ Lecture Series

On November 27, 2009, four Argentine-Armenian volunteers speak at a YP Buenos Aires eventdesigned to educate local Armenians about the experience of working and living in Armenia.

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

Community News

Tribute Paid toHrant Dink byFriends Group

WATERTOWN, Mass. — On Sunday, January 24, the Friends of Hrant Dink orga-nization marked the third anniversary of the assassination of Dink, the Turkish-Armenian editor of Agos newspaper in Istanbul, Turkey, with a memorial luncheonafter church services in which prayers were offered for him at St. James ArmenianChurch.After the Requiem service, the Association hosted a fellowship Hour at the

church hall, during which, Dr. Taner Akçam, director of the Armenian Studies pro-gram at Clark University and a friend of Hrant Dink, said the following: “Duringone of my meetings with Hrant, I told him that he should be appointed theHonorary Ambassador of Turkey in Armenia, when the border opens. He repliedby saying that he is really doing the ambassador’s job by introducing the ArmenianGenocide to the Turkish people and convincing Armenians to have relations withthe Turks.”Akçam then said when and if the borders of Armenia and Turkey are opened,

the gate of the first crossing should be named Hrant Dink Gate.At the end spoke the president of the Association, Harry Parsekian, who was

present in Istanbul in front of the Agos newspaper building on January 19, duringthe third anniversary rally that took place that day and the son of Hrant, AradDink spoke from the balcony to the crowd.

Dr. Taner Akçam

EdwardCostikyan:A 5’3” Giant

By Frank Nahigian

NEW YORK — On December 28 Iinterviewed a delight of a man, 85-year-old Edward N. Costikyan, here, his for-mer home and kingdom. He exuded ide-alism, honesty, integrity and candor.How could you not like it?I interviewed him because I’m on a

personal mission owing to the belief thatthe world and our beloved country inparticular are going to Hell in a Hurry(capitalized because everything in thepress is exaggerated these days, proba-bly for the sake of selling the printedword). He had been a prominent attor-ney for over 40 years at the firm of Paul,Weiss, Rifkind et. al., an author andpolitical authority, and so active in poli-tics that he became the countyDemocratic Party Leader (aka Boss ofTammany Hall) from 1962-64. He wasappointed to the position with a man-date to reorganize Tammany andcleanse it of what had become tradition-al corruption (my words, not his). I want-ed to learn and disseminate what theman thought of the world today andwhat advices he would give his childrenfor their future welfare and prosperity,

so this isn’t a bioof the man, it’s astatus report froma maven who’s nolonger an authori-ty figure except tothose who knowwho he was andwhat he did, andthose who lovehim.In the interest

of journalisticintegrity I’m

reporting his opinions about virtuallyeverything I asked of him, even thoughI disagree with some of it in spite of thefact that, he’s the expert. He was opti-mistic about the future of the economyand country, and thought very favorablyof President Obama and the policies he’simplementing to raise the economy.The single common thread through-

out the interview was the importance ofevery voter being involved in the gov-erning process by being active andinvolved. He opined that his greatestaccomplishment was surviving theschisms and tensions in the operationand leadership of Tammany and bring-ing the party back together again, buthe eventually resigned because effectiverepresentation of the average voter wasno longer operative. “The old systemwhereby the voters have a direct rela-tionship with the party leaders is gone.They don’t do it any more because it’shard work.” Do you think the party lead-ers (at the ward/district level) are out oftouch, isolate themselves from the vot-ers? “Yes, that was one reason Iresigned; you couldn’t get anythingdone.”What did he think caused the

American economy to deteriorate soabysmally? “Greed. The business com-munity and the banks did all kinds ofcockeyed things.”

see COSTIKYAN, page 9

High SchoolDedicatesScience Wing toHaig Varadian

By Tom Vartabedian

CRANSTON, R.I. — Throughout his 41 yearsin education, Haig Varadian never wasted anopportunity to assist a student.Over that time, he served as a teacher, guid-

ance counselor, coach, secondary school admin-istrator and principal before death interceded in2007.It was only fitting that Cranston High School

East dedicate its newly-constructed sciencewing to the “Mr. Chips” of the Armenian com-munity, as he was so aptly known.Family and friends turned out for a dedica-

tion recently during which an appropriateplaque was placed at the site to memorializeand honor the man who brought so muchattention and leadership to the schoolchildrenof Cranston.“Dad dedicated his life to family, education,

sports and community service,” said his daugh-ter Diana Varadian. “He never ran for politicaloffice nor did he come from any financialmeans but in his own modest and quiet way, hetouched the lives of many and left behind alegacy that will never be forgotten. Many of hisformer students are thankful for the guidancethey received from my father.”Two years before his death, Varadian was

inducted into the Rhode Island InterscholasticLeague High School Hall of Fame.Referred to by many as “the father of Rhode

Island wrestling,” he devoted more than 50years to the sport in addition to his fourdecades on the Council of the New EnglandSecondary Schools Principals’ Association, thelast 25 as its executive director.In that supreme role, he governed all New

England High School athletic tournaments aswell as regional drama festivals, programs ondrug prevention, computer leagues and otherregional high school activities through 2004.At one time, he helped initiate a special pro-

gram through the Providence Rotary Club forhandicapped children to attend summer camp.Whether it was academics or athletics,

Varadian never relented in his capacity to pro-mote a better environment for its constituents.The word “student-athlete” placed prioritieswhere they should stand, especially with hisown family.A graduate of Cranston High School in 1944,

Varadian was an All-State wrestler for two yearsand also participated in track. He was inductedinto the US Army, serving as a staff sergeant inthe Third Division Combat Infantry Unit duringWorld War II.He was the recipient of the Combat

Infantryman’s Medal with two battle stars andother awards for valor, including the BronzeStar.While at Brown University graduating in

1950, Varadian participated on its wrestlingteam. He coached the sport from 1950-1961at Cranston High School, winning many statetitles. He was named Rhode Island WrestlingCoach of the Year five times, producing ahost of state and New England champions,many of whom distinguished themselves onhigher levels.He was chosen by the US Olympics Wrestling

Committee as an alternate official for the 1960Olympic Games held in Japan.His professional career in the Cranston

School System found him as a secondaryschool principal at Cranston High School Eastand West and as principal of Park View JuniorHigh School until his retirement in 1990. Thetrack at Park View is also named in his behalf.

see VARADIAN, page 10

Members of the Friends of Hrant Dink Association

Ed Costikyan

7S A T U R D A Y, J A N U A R Y 3 0 , 2 0 1 0 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

COMMUNITY NEWS

RADNOR, Penn. — ExploringLaw Careers at the DelawareCounty Courthouse in Media, thegirls of the Junior Girl Scout Troop#35421 of the Armenian SistersAcademy in Radnor, enjoyed a first-hand account of the legal profes-sion, compliments of Judge Ann A.Osborne. In a personal conversa-tion with Osborne, the girls werenot shy in inquiring how theycould follow in her career foot-steps: “What’s on the bar exam?”they asked curiously, and “How doyou become a judge?”Earlier, Deputy Sheriff Debbie

O’Berg walked the girls through amock trial, allowing them to takeseats on the jury and witnessstands, as Assistant DistrictAttorney Sharon McKennadescribed how she prosecutes.Finally, Treatment CourtCoordinator Linda Barbera andProbation Officer KatherineLinehan spoke about their workhelping drug abusers and theimportance of saying “no” todrugs. Girls Scout mother andDelaware County attorney AnnaMarie Murphy arranged the memo-rable afternoon in December,which was captured in pho-tographs by courthouse VideoTechnical Coordinator DonnaGarchinsky.

Judge Ann A. Asborne explains the finer points of the law to the ASA Junior Girl Scouts.

Armenian Sisters Academy Junior Girl ScoutsGet First-Hand Look at Careers in Law

LOS ANGELES — The basketball team of theTCA Arshag Dickranian School won third placein Division 6A of the Californian InterscholasticFederation (CIF) Tournament on January 2,2010.The Dickranian Lions have been training for

two years in order to participate in the CIFTournament. Their hard work and perseverancepaid off as they took the other teams by stormgaining praise and due recognition from theofficials of the federation.“I am very happy and proud of our basket-

ball team,” said Rudolph Rameh, the athletic

director of the school, “Our students have beentraining real hard and I am glad their hard workpaid off by participating and winning thirdplace in the tournament of their division.”The Dickranian Lions joined the CIF

Tournament during the 2009-2010 scholasticyear. Their achievement deserves special praisebecause the team won its standing by compet-ing against high schools with student bodiesmore than tenfold that of Arshag DickranianSchool.For more information about the school, visit

www.dickranianschool.org.

The Dickranian Lions with Coach Rudolph Rameh

The Dickranian Lions Win Third Place inCIF Tournament Division 6A

By Willie Howard

LAKE WORTH, Fla. (Palm Beach Post) —John Giragos took a big risk when he closed his

dry cleaning business inDetroit and moved toSouth Florida looking fora warmer, safer place forhis wife and five children.The year was 1972.

While visiting friends inPalm Beach County,Giragos drove to LakeWorth Beach, where a for-lease sign in the OceanView Restaurant caught

his eye.He signed the lease, unplugged the jukebox

and opened for business in December 1973.The family-run restaurant has served break-

fast and lunch seven days a week in that loca-tion at the Lake Worth Casino ever since.Giragos eventually changed the name to John

G’s on the Beach — a name recognized by gen-erations of oceanside diners who often line upoutside the door waiting for a chance to eatbreakfast or lunch in the wood-paneled restau-rant known for simple, well-presented food.Among the offerings: cinnamon nut French toast,Hawaiian omelettes, salads and fish-and-chips.Giragos died Wednesday while surrounded by

his family at JFK Medical Center after sufferinga stroke Saturday. He was 81.Sons Jay and Keith Giragos and daughter

Wendy Yarbrough have worked at John G’ssince they were teenagers. They own the restau-rant now and have no intention of closing it —except on Tuesday for their father’s funeral.“We’re not going anywhere,” Yarbrough said

today as a crowd of lunch customers lined upon the sidewalk outside the entrance. “Lookwhat he’s left us.”The son of Armenian immigrants who landed

at Ellis Island and found their way to Detroit,Giragos grew up working in the dry cleaningbusiness. Cold weather and crime that requiredbars on windows of the Lynn Ferry Cleanerseventually spurred him to move to South Florida

with five children and an Irish setter in tow.Regular customer John Lang said Giragos

always made him feel important — even whenhe was a long-haired surfer coming in from thebeach. “He treated everybody with respect,”Lang said. “He was a true gentleman.”“John was a natural,” John G’s fan Mark

Scheinbaum wrote in a short tribute sent toLake Worth City Hall. “He knew how to con-nect with people and turn good products — bethey dry-cleaned sweaters in gift boxes or a lit-tle restaurant — into great landmark brands.”Lake Worth City Commissioner Suzanne

Mulvehill said she has met people from all overthe world standing in line outside John G’s.(Giragos was known for serving coffee andchocolate-dipped fruit to customers waiting inline on Sunday mornings.)“He created a landmark,” Mulvehill said.

“People have moved to Lake Worth becausethey came to John G’s.”Yarbrough said her father’s careful attention

to customers and food led to his success.“If there wasn’t a lid on that cup of soup, the

waitress was in trouble,” she said. “Those littledetails all add up.”After retiring 16 years ago, Giragos enjoyed

dining out, traveling with his wife and golf —though he rarely missed the opportunity todrop by John G’s to spend a few hours talkingwith customers at the cash register.“He appreciated the customers,” Keith

Giragos said. “He was proud of his family. We allworked for him, and the team came together.”In addition to his three children who run the

restaurant, Giragos is survived by his wife, TessGiragos of Lake Worth; daughters Ann Grippoof Fairlawn, NJ, and Sheila Soileau of MerrittIsland; as well as 10 grandchildren.A funeral mass took place at St. Luke

Catholic Church in Palm Springs.In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that

donations be made in Giragos’ name to Hospiceof Palm Beach County.


COMMUNITY NEWS

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MOSCOW (New York Times) — DavidSarkisyan, a former physiologist and film direc-tor who became famous as the director of theShchusev State Museum of Architecture hereand for his campaigns to preserve architecturalmonuments against rampant post-Soviet devel-opment, died on January 7 in Munich, where hehad been hospitalized. He was 62.The cause was lymphoma, said Joseph

Backstein, the commissioner of the MoscowBiennale of Contemporary Art and a friend ofSarkisyan.Under Sarkisyan the museum, in a pre-rev-

olutionary compound around the cornerfrom the Kremlin, became a center of effortsto halt the destruction of everything fromcenturies-old mansions to modernist master-pieces and even the Central House of Artists,constructed under Leonid Brezhnev in thelate Soviet era, a period that has few archi-tectural defenders.Sarkisyan, who was appointed the museum’s

director in 2000, warned of a “cultural cata-strophe,” saying that Moscow was losing its faceand character. He was highly critical of MayorYuri Luzhkov and his wife, Yelena Baturina, abillionaire real estate magnate.His battles were hard fought but often futile.

Thousands of signatures collected by the muse-um and vocal protests were not enough to saveVoentorg, an early-20th-century departmentstore located directly across the street from themuseum’s main building. It was replaced by anew building that many regarded as a poor imi-tation of the old structure.Moscow developers and city officials often

argue that old or poorly maintained buildingsare too damaged or too costly to save. Sarkisyanhad proof in the courtyard of his museum ofhow such buildings could be put to worthy use.The museum was short of money to restore

one of its wings, so Sarkisyan turned it into a

conceptual exhibition space called the Ruins.The uncovered brick walls and crumbling floorsand ceilings of the unheated space effectivelybecame part of each show.Hundreds of Moscow architects and cultural

figures attended his funeral in the museum’shalls on Friday. Funeral organizers said cityofficials blocked plans to bury Sarkisyan, whowas born in Yerevan, Armenia, at the Armeniancemetery in central Moscow. He was buried ata cemetery on the edge of the city.The work of the museum became

Sarkisyan’s passion and the last of what hecalled his “four lives.”David Sarkisyan was born on September 23,

1947, and had careers as a physiologist; as apharmacologist, who helped develop a drug fortreating Alzheimer’s disease; and as a film andtelevision director.He lived for a time in France, where he

walked with the actress Jeanne Moreau on thered carpet at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.Sarkisyan was assistant director on the film

“Anna Karamazoff,” which was in competitionin 1991 and starred Moreau.He is survived by a sister, Osanna, of Yerevan.Sarkisyan, who could speak eruditely and

passionately on virtually any topic, fielded anendless stream of visitors in his museum office,which, packed from floor to ceiling with books,art, photos, souvenirs, sculptures and toys, wasregarded by artists and critics as a work of artin itself.Grigory Revzin, architecture critic for the

Moscow newspaper Kommersant, wrote lastweek that the office was a magnet for interna-tional celebrities.“And all of these foreigners,” he said, “told

each other that there are several landmarks inMoscow: the Kremlin, the Mausoleum, St.Basil’s Cathedral and David Sarkisyan’s office.”

—Sophia Kishkovsky

David SarkisyanChampion of Moscow Architecture, Dies at 62

DonationsThe following donations to the Armenian Mirror-Spectator were received: Mr. and Mrs.Ohannes Meguerian, $100, Phoenixville, Penn.; Ardo Besnilian, $100, Newtown Square,Penn.; and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sarkisian, $80, Newtown Square, Penn.

John Giragos

John Giragos, Founder of Lake Worth Landmark Restaurant John G’s

Obituary

MINNEAPOLIS — The Journal of Law andPublic Policy at the University of St. Thomasand the International Institute for Genocideand Human Rights Studies (a division of theZoryan Institute) are jointly organizing andsponsoring a conference on the “Treatmentof the Armenian Genocide in National andInternational Law.” The conference will bringtogether legal specialists with a variety ofexpertise in national (Turkey, US, Britain)and international law and genocide.The event will take place on February 5, at

the University of St. Thomas with the partic-ipation of the Cafesjian Family Foundationand the Minneapolis Foundation.

Despite various tribunals to prosecute warcrimes and crimes against humanity sinceWWII, Nuremberg, Rwanda, Yugoslavia,Cambodia and the establishment of theInternational Criminal Court in 2002, littleprogress has been made on the punishmentand prevention of the crime of genocide. Ithas been argued that this relative ineffective-ness has contributed over the years to theemboldening of those who would considerperpetrating genocide. Darfur is one examplethat is still ongoing and there are no guaran-tees that others will not follow.This situation will only worsen with the

tripling of the world’s population since

WWII. The shrinking of the resources to sus-tain life, and the chasm between the few thathave and the many that have not, willincrease the risk of intra-national and inter-national conflict, including genocide.This conference will draw attention to how

one case of genocide — the Armenian case —has been treated in national and internation-al law, and how its manipulation strengthensthe hands of deniers and undermines theinternational legal regime intended to pre-vent genocide.The conference hopes to raise awareness

among policy makers to strengthen the legalframework so that all cases of genocide are

treated with justice and that politics do notobstruct the application of the law nationallyand internationally.

The conference will take place from 9 a.m.to 5:30 p.m. in the Schulze Grand Atrium atthe School of Law at the University of St.Thomas.

The International Institute for Genocideand Human Rights Studies is dedicated tothe study and dissemination of knowledgeregarding the phenomenon of genocide in allof its aspects to create an awareness of it asan ongoing scourge and promote the neces-sity of preventing it.

Conference to Focus on Treatment of Armenian Genocide in National and International Law

COSTIKYAN, from page 6Absent from his resume is any apparent

involvement in the Armenian community, there-fore I asked him about it. His father, three auntsand four uncles all had married non-Armeniansbut his father read the Armenian Mirror-Spectator all his life. Costiyan didn’t attend anArmenian church but always felt very stronglyabout Armenian politics. He once enlisted thesupport of the Diocese in an effort to politic toextract an admission to the Genocide by theTurkish government, but the attempt failed dueto a lack of critical mass for support. “How doyou feel about your Armenian heritage?,” Iasked. “I’m very proud of it.” Spread too thin,he just didn’t have time to allocate to it, and achance remark by his daughter reinforced thatspirit. I asked her how tall her father was, forthe title to this article: “Five feet two or three.”A slight pause and, “We Armenians aren’t par-ticularly known for our tall stature.” I wasimpressed and pleased that this young woman,one of whose grandfathers was Armenian andher father, half, thought of herself as anArmenian American, just as do those of us with

all grandparents and parents of Armeniandescent.There are two pieces of advice he would leave

as a legacy to his children and his children’sgeneration. One is, “I want you to find an occu-pation you enjoy.” Both his son and daughterdid. The second, he would do his best to sellthem on their obligation to participate in thepolitical system. “The government of this coun-try is in their hands and can be a disaster or itcan be a great solution. Politics is an importantpart of American life and if they don’t partici-pate, their interests in the process are going toget lost. That’s what happened eventually withTammany.”I asked if a Republican Armenian and a

Democrat non-Armenian were competing foroffice and he were to vote, would he vote forthe Armenian or the Democrat? “I’d give themboth a good look. The fact that a guy is theDemocratic candidate doesn’t lead me tobelieve he’s the right person. I’d give theArmenian candidate a good look, too. I expectthe Democrat candidate to be good. If he isn’tgood, I don’t need to vote for him.” He gave meexamples of Republicans for whom he did vote,in the past.His closing comment summed up the man: “I

look at government as something that’s every-body’s obligation.”(Frank Nahigian, a resident of

Massachusetts is a new, regular contributorthe Mirror-Spectator.)


COMMUNITY NEWS

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Entertainment Fridaysand Saturdays

Electric Excitement at Sisters AcademyRADNOR, Penn. — Fourth graders at the Armenian Sisters Academy, learned about elec-

tricity, specifically series circuits, by working with it. Their teacher, Michele Ciaramello,explained how electricity flows, the necessity of everything being connected to allow theelectricity to flow, and the attraction between opposite (positive and negative) forces. Shethen paired up the 16 students and each group received a D-cell battery, two rubber-coat-ed copper wires, a miniature light bulb and some pieces of rubber-coated electrical tape.Their mission was simple: to work together in their pairs to light the bulb. They com-

pleted lab sheets, made predictions and drew conclusions about how things should be con-nected. By the end of two class periods, all eight pairs of students had lit bulbs.Next on their list? Parallel circuits.

Fourth graders at the Armenian Sisters Academy, Radnor, Penn.Ed Costikyan: A 5’3” Giant

By Naomi Kuromiya

PROVIDENCE, RI — This year, to mark the95th anniversary of the atrocities, Gallery Zdirector Bérge Ara Zobian will curate a histori-cally and artistically important show: “TheArmenian Genocide — 95 Years Later, InRemembrance.” Carol Scavotto and the exten-sive staff of Gallery Z will assist Zobian in coor-dinating this informative, academic exhibition.Zobian was invited to produce this show in

collaboration with The Urban Arts and CultureProgram of the University of Rhode Island. Theshow will be displayed in Campus Gallery at theURI Feinstein Campus, a prominent locationthat guarantees a large viewing audience. In themonth that it is displayed, from April 1stthrough April 30th, the show is expected tohave over 30,000 visitors, including many whodon’t typically frequent galleries and museums.Both Zobian and URI coordinators have

wanted for some time to celebrate Providence’sArmenian Community by sharing variousaspects of Armenian culture and history: theyare interested in acquiring artwork, artifacts,posters, objects and photographs that illustrate

home life, community life, religious and politicallife in order to provide a comprehensive repre-sentation of the Armenian Genocide.Submissions to this show are open to any and

all artists, from the US or abroad, and all medi-ums, including paintings, sculptures, drawings,photos, and videos, will be accepted. To receivesubmissions forms, artists should contactScavotto at [email protected]. Pieces that reflectthe artist’s impressions and understanding ofthe genocide are important, but the show aimsequally to showcase the survival, achievements,and contributions of the Armenian culture. Theexhibition will commemorate deaths but alsocelebrate life.Due to the enormous production and opera-

tion costs, any and all financial donation andsupport is solicited from the community. Anydonations made can be sent to Zobian at 17Amherst St., Providence, RI, 02909, memo:Genocide Exhibition.As the first genocide of the 20th century, the

Armenian Genocide is a critical event to affirm,and the surviving culture is essential to cele-brate and spread with as large an audience aspossible. This show promises to accomplishboth of these tasks with your submissions andsupport.

The Armenian Genocide through Art

CHICAGO — The newly-formed AGBU YoungProfessionals of Chicago (YP Chicago) held its

inaugural event on November 21, 2009, atNAHA restaurant, owned by the Nahabedian

family. With over 50 people in attendance, thegathering galvanized the city’s Armenian youngprofessional community.During the evening, guests mingled while

enjoying hors d’œuvre prepared by NAHA.Attendees were inspired by AGBU YP liasonKim Yacoubian, who attended the event andoffered an overview of AGBU’s mission andvision for Armenian communities across theglobe. The evening also featured a raffle,which included prizes donated by local busi-nesses, including NAHA, Great BusinessWebsites, Chicago Apartment Seekers, SayatNova, TommyGun Motorsports, EdwardSimonian, Inc. and V & O Style Jewelers. Thecommittee chair, Arina Babajanian,addressed the guests and spoke about thegroup’s plans for 2010.This past July, the biennial AGBU Focus

networking weekend touched down in theWindy City and attracted hundreds of youngArmenian professionals from across theglobe. The excitement surrounding the Focus2009 events encouraged several localChicagoans to come together to form a localchapter of AGBU Young Professionals. The

new YP Chicago committee met for the firsttime last August and began planning for ayear of activities. YP Chicago committeemembers are Arina Babajanian, SusanCholakian, Yuliya Dosova, Talin Hitik, LorenaKurtjian, Harry Madanyan, Danny Mantis,Avo Mavilian, Arpi Paylan, Linda Sultanianand Georganna Yessaian.YP Chicago is part of a growing network of

YP groups and supporters around the worldwho are committed to preserving and pro-moting the Armenian identity and heritagethrough educational, cultural and humanitar-ian programs for Armenians between theages of 22 and 40. For additional informationor to join YP Chicago’s e-mail list, visityp.agbuchicago.org.

Armenian-American CopsAllege Discrimination inGlendaleGLENDALE (KTLA News) — In a city with a

population that’s nearly half Armenian-American, four current law enforcers and oneformer officer with Armenian heritage aresuing the Glendale Police Department for dis-crimination.The suit was filed in federal court last week

by officers John Balian and Robert Parseghian,sergeants Vahak Mardikian and TigranTopadzhikyan, and former officer BennySimonzad, who was once the department’sspokesman.The cops allege that they were subjected to

ethnic epithets, harsher reprimands and closerscrutiny as a result of their heritage.Simonzad was demoted from his position as

spokesman and then fired in 2008. He’s alsosuing to get his job back.City Attorney Scott Howard calls allegations

of discrimination in the Glendale department“utterly false.”The cops’ attorney, Carney Shegerian, noted

that officers of Armenian heritage are under-represented on the force in relation toArmenian-Americans’ population numbers inGlendale.


Guests at the AGBU YP Chicago kick-off event on November 21, 2009

VARADIAN, from page 6In 1999, Varadian was inducted into the

prestigious Rhode Island Heritage Hall ofFame.As a former member and athlete of the

Armenian Youth Federation, Varadian is cred-ited with establishing their Governing Bodywhich oversees the Olympic Games eachLabor Day Weekend. The organization hon-ored him with an Olympic King Award asnamed him an honorary member of the localProvidence “Varantian” Chapter.“As a youth, Haig served his country and

never stopped,” said Richard Magarian, assis-tant executive director, Rhode IslandInterscholastic League. “He served youth inhis capacity as a teacher, coach and adminis-trator. All were done with truth and honor.”The science wing bears a bronze plaque with

Varadian’s photo. Underneath the photo lies

the inscription: “Educating the youth to meetthe challenges of the future and become theleaders of tomorrow.” A concise biographicalsketch of the man is also included.“If dad knew this dedication was taking

place, he would have been humbled by it forsure,” said his daughter, Diana. “But he wouldhave approved. My only wish is that studentstake the time to read the plaque and becomeinspired to follow their dreams, contribute tosociety, and make the world a better place.Dad’s life was not about recognition. It wasabout the self-rewarding contributions hemade.”Judge Haiganoush Bedrosian, who was also

Varadian’s student, characterized the man’sArmenian heritage at the ceremony and remi-nisced about the close relationships their fam-ilies shared.She credits his personal advice and guiding

her toward Brown University that ultimatelyled to law school. Currently, Bedrosian is con-sidered a highly-respected judge of the RhodeIsland Family Court.Michael Traficante, School Committee chair-

man and former Cranston mayor, delightedguests with personal anecdotes about his long-time friend and mentor. Both go back to theirwrestling days at Cranston High School.“Coach Varadian led us to many state and

New England titles,” Traficante recalled.Among those steeped in pride by the tribute

were Varadian’s wife, Anahid, son Paul, andanother daughter, Christine, along with grand-children Sonig and Nevart Varadian, and Erik,Andre, Aleksander and Kristian Johnsen.“There aren’t too many Armenians who

have a public building named after them,” saidhis wife. “It memorializes my husband in thebest possible way he could have imagined.”

COMMUNITY NEWS

High School Dedicates Science Wing to Haig Varadian

AGBU Young Professionals in Chicago Holds Kick-off Event

FAIR LAWN, N.J. — Sometimes it feels likesummer is ages away, therefore AGBU CampNubar counselors, campers and alumni wel-comed the New Year with a Camp Reunion atSt. Leon Armenian Church on Saturday,January 9. It was a wintry day filled with fun,friends and food. More than 100 campers andcounselors came from as far away as New

York, New Jersey, Massachusetts,Pennsylvania and Canada to attend the cele-bration and reconnect with friends and col-leagues from Camp Nubar.As part of the day’s activities, reunited

campers took part in two classic Camp Nubaractivities: “Dragon’s Mouth,” during whichtime campers run around a gymnasium try-

ing to avoid being tagged by a chain of peo-ple and “Knock-Out,” a variation of basket-ball.“We receive requests each year for events

that will reunite campers while they anxious-ly await the start of camp. When campers andcounselors greeted one another, you couldsee their excitement and the same spirit they

exhibit during the summer months,” saysJennifer Omartian, director of Camp Nubar.Founded in 1963, AGBU Camp Nubar is a

modern facility that has been highly rankedby the American Camp Association, AmericanRed Cross and American Academy ofPediatrics. For more information about AGBUCamp Nubar, visit www.campnubar.org.

AGBU Camp Nubar Reunites for Mid-Year Celebration

Camp Nubar campers and counselors at the winter reunion Over 100 campers and counselors took part in the Camp Nubar reunion.

CLIFFSIDE PARK, N.J. — With the beautifulManhattan skyline serving as the backdrop, theTekeyan Cultural Association (TCA) hosted a wel-coming reception for Ambassador GarenNazarian, the new ambassador of Armenia to theUnited Nations at the Palisadeum Banquet Hallin on Friday, January 22.The evening also served as a commemoration

for the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia.Present for this special recognition was

Armenia’s Defense Attache in Washington, DCLt. Col. Mesrop Nazarian, and his wife RusannaNazarian.Cultural segments were infused into the pro-

gram throughout the evening, consisting ofsinging by Ani Djirdjirian, Jenny Sarian andDiana Sarian, as well as poetry readings by NoraArmani and Jirayr Papazian. The AkhtamarDance Ensemble of St. Thomas performed theirsignature “flag dance” adorned in red, blue andorange costumes while proudly waving theArmenian flag.“We believe in the Armenian language and

the Armenian culture,” said Master ofCeremonies Hagop Vartivarian. “We try our bestto maintain and preserve it.”Welcoming guests to the dinner reception,

Vartan Ilanjian, a member of TCA NY/NJ chap-

ter, said that during the first days of indepen-dence of Armenia in 1991, the TCA establisheditself there and that many Armenians joined theTCA there. “The TCA continues to strengthenthe Armenian cultural framework,” he said.Guests present at the head table were

Karabagh Representative in Washington RobertAvedisian, Tekeyan Cultural Association CentralCommittee Vice Chairman Edmond Azadian,and benefactor Andreas Roubian with PriyaKatragadda.Other special guests included Dr. Edgar and

Marian Housepian, AGBU Central Board ViceChairman Nazar and Ardemis Nazarian, Edward

and Carmen Gulbenkian,Vahram and LucienneAynilian, Vice Chairmanof Diocesan Council Dr.Raffi and VickiHovanessian, TCACentral Board DirectorPapken and AnahidMegerian, ArmenianAssembly Trustee Vanand Priscilla Krikorian,TCA Central BoardDirector Antoine andRose Bazarbashian,AGBU Central Boardmember Sarkis and MaralJebejian, and Knights ofVartan Commander Dr.Jaques Gulekjian.“The Tekeyan Cultural

Association is a truly cul-tural organization. Morethan any other group, it

preserves the Armenian language. This event isfor all of us,” noted Hagop Vartivarian with obvi-ous pride. “Armenia has 15 provinces in historicArmenia, of which four have been liberated. TheArmenian army during the coming decades willliberate all of them,” he declared with emphasisto lengthy applause.The guest speaker was Andreas Roubian, pres-

ident of FDS International, a software develop-ment company, who has dedicated himself tocauses relating to the betterment Armenia andNagorno-Karabagh. Roubian spoke about theKarabagh Committee formed in the late 1980s,which provided humanitarian aid to Karabagh.

He noted the attendance of other committeemembers at the event that evening, includingHirant Gulian, Paul Shahinian and Sam Azadian.“The Armenian army went hand in hand with

the liberation movement in Artsakh,” saidRoubian. “The lesson we learned is that we

should all stay united: Armenia, Artsakh and thediaspora.”Roubian, in his remarks, recalled that many

Diasporans opposed him for starting the groupat the time. However, the liberation of Kelbajar,

see NAZARIAN, page 12


NewYorkMM EE TT RR OO

Armenian Community Welcomes New Armenian Ambassador to the UN

By Taleen Babayan and Florence Avakian

Ambassador Garen Nazarian

Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Housepian with Edmond Azadian

Edmond Azadian with Ambassador Garen and Nana Nazarian and Hagop VartivarianFrom left, Krikor Salbashian, Nana and Ambassador Garen Nazarian, Hagop Vartivarian and BettySalbashian

Antoine and Rose Bazarbashian, Papken and Anahid Megerian, and Sarkis and Maral Jebejian



NAZARIAN, from page 11a historic Armenian region sandwiched betweenArmenia and Karabagh changed their opposi-tion. “This victory was a phenomenon, becausethe Karabagh army was a group of irregulars,”Roubian said. “As it was transformed into a reg-ular army, it proved that if Armenia, Karabaghand the diaspora are united, we will win. We willalways stay united,” Roubian declared to thun-derous applause.A professional video demonstrating the mili-

tary might of Armenia was shown, emphasizingits enviable position of being the strongest armyin the Caucasus, ready to defend the homelandat all costs.Garen Nazarian, a seasoned diplomat who has

served with distinction in Russia, Geneva, and forthe last six years as Armenia’s Ambassador inIran, was presented with a crystal memento byTCA Central Committee Vice Chairman EdmondY. Azadian who praised him as a “consummatediplomat.”

“Our people have fought many enemies through-out our long history to preserve our freedom,” stat-ed the Vicar General. “In Karabagh, all Armeniansfrom every station in life through their strong spir-it and faith, brought our struggle to successful con-clusion. When we celebrate our military might, itgives us confidence for our future. Wars are notonly fought militarily, but on every level, includingdiplomatically. Now at the United Nations, we arefortunate to have Ambassador Garen Nazarian car-rying on this important struggle, and we wish him

every success.”In his remarks, Nazarian praised the Armed

Forces of the Republic of Armenia, which wasformed 18 years ago. “The Armenian fighters presented shining

examples of valor and lessons of patriotism forthe coming generation,” said AmbassadorNazarian. “Today the Armenian Army is rightful-ly viewed as a victorious and liberating army. Ourwhole nation trusts and believes in our Army. ...Let us congratulate all those brothers ad sistersin the Armenian-American community who havemade their valuable contributions to the estab-lishment and strengthening of the Armenian vic-torious Army and we pay our profound tribute toall those who participated in the army-buildingmission.”Nazarian thanked the TCA for the initiative of

celebrating, for the first time, the ArmenianArmed Forces Day. “May God protect our army, glory to the

Armenian soldiers, to the Armenian homeland,and long live the Armenian Diaspora,” he said.Concluding the program, Very Rev. Haigazoun

Najarian, vicar general of the Diocese of theArmenian Church of America (Eastern), who him-self went to Karabagh as early as 1973, said it is aproud moment to have the unique opportunity tocelebrate Armenia’s Armed Forces Day for the “mil-itary leaders who fought and struggled and had thestrength and faith to build our right.” “We need to protect our borders. We can’t be

beggars or cry-babies,” said Najarian. “We needto join our voices.” Dr. Svetlana Amirkhanian made a symbolic

toast to all mothers whose sons are fighting inArmenia’s army, as well as for those who havebeen killed defending the Armenian homeland.

The Armenian Community Welcomes New Armenian Ambassador to United Nations

From left, Andreas Roubian, Priva Katragadda, Nana Nazarian, Ambassador Garen Nazarian, Vicar General Very Rev. Haigazoun Najarian, Lt. Col.Mesrob Nazarian, Rusanna Nazarian, Robert Avedisian and Edmond Y. Azadian

From left, Sam Azadian, Antoine Bazarbashian, Vicar General of the Armenian Diocese Very Rev. Haigazoun Najarian, Papken Megerian, Very Rev.Oshagan Gulgulian and Rev. Haroutiun Tachejian

From left, Dr. Raffi Hovanesian, Nana and Garen Nazarian, Hagop Vartivarian, Araxi Varjabedianand Vicky Hovanesian

From left, Harout Diratsouian, Nana and Garen Nazarian, Hagop Vartivarian and Olympia andShahe Jebejian

Armenian Military attaché Lieutenant ColonelMesrob Nazarian is interviewed by theArmenian Public TV H1.

The event was represented by leaders of otherArmenian organizations including the ArmenianAssembly, the ADL, the Tekeyan CulturalAssociation, the Armenian Church, theArmenian General Benevolent Union and theKnights of Vartan. Throughout the evening, the rich Armenian

culture was evidenced by several performers, Azadian also paid tribute to Vartivarian.

“Hagop is one of the movers and shakers of theUS Armenian community.” Many left the event feeling energized. “I want-

ed to drop a note and congratulate you on amost successful celebration of honoring ourArmenian Army and welcoming our ambassadorto the US. You were a great host and a greatemcee. The program was also handled properlyand the Tenafly Akhtamar dance group was agreat hit. You know how much we love Andreasand he was just great talking from his heart.Varstket Gadar. Thank you for including us inthis celebration,” wrote Shoghag and RaffyHovhannesian to Vartivarian.Said Edgar Housepian, “My wife and I so

much enjoyed being at the Tekeyan affair honor-ing Garen Nazarian. We met so many goodfriends and the occasion to honor the ArmenianArmed Forces was outstanding. Thank you forinviting us.”The members of the New York/New Jersey

branch of the Tekeyan Cultural Association whoplanned and organized this event includeChairman Hagop Vartivarian, Vice ChairmanHarout Chatmajian, Secretary Betty Salbashian,Treasurer Sirvart Demirjian, Advisors Dr.Svetlana Amirkhanian, Shemavon Atamian,Shoghig Chalian, Lucyn Djerdjerian, VartanIlanjian, Meline Khekoyan and Krikor Markarian.



The Armenian Community Welcomes New Armenian Ambassador to United Nations

Members of the Akhtamar Dance Group performed

From left, Priva Katragadda, Nana and Garen Nazarian, Hagop Vartivarian and Andreas Roubian From left, Nazar Nazarian, Nana and Garen Nazarian, Hagop Vartivarian, and Artemis Nazarian

Silva Der Stepanian, right, with Garen and Nana Nazarian and Hagop VartivarianEdmond Azadian, center, congratulates the ambassador and TCA Chairman Hagop Vartivarian

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

Arts & LivingFlautist MusayelyanLeads ArmenianRepresentation onJazz SceneBOSTON (Blue Music Group) — New original-

minded artists on the international jazz sceneare a necessity for the development of this nowglobal music. Ethnic influences from around theworld have been popular for some time. Some ofthese influences, Latin music in particular, havebecome so common that they have in fact beenincluded to the center of the jazz vocabulary.Armenian flautist Yulia Musayelyan’s debutalbum, “Caminos,” incorporates Latin music suc-cessfully with her native roots. She has teamedup with fellow Armenian pianist, VardanOvsepian, and a top Argentinean rhythm section,bassist Fernando Huergo and drummer FrancoPinna. Musayelyan utilizes the rhythm section inher favor, she directs the band commendably,and grooves as if she were a dual-native, balanc-ing somewhere between Armenia and Argentina.

Musayelyan’s sound has strong classical inflec-tions; she was trained at the MoscowConservatory and New England Conservatory inBoston, but she also possesses a strong sense forharmonic improvisation, although her founda-tion is based on roots other than traditional jazz.This is a subtle but welcome detail. Huergo andPinna are known from the bands of MartaGómez, Julio Santillán and Grupo Nuevo, and —as always — they render sparkling and tight duowork. Musayelyan’s virtuosity is highlighted onHeraclio Fernandez’ El Diablo Suelto.

Emil Kazaz CelebratedAt AGBU Reception

PASADENA, Calif. — On Saturday, November 7, 2009, the Armenian communitygathered to attend a tribute event dedicated to world-renowned sculptor andpainter, Emil Kazaz. The event was held at the AGBU’s Alex Manoogian Centerhere. The AGBU Kazaz Tribute, along with a three-day exhibition event that tookplace from November 6-8, 2009, was organized by the AGBU Southern CaliforniaDistrict Committee. More than 1,500 people attended the exhibition and the trib-ute, coming from near and far to view the artist’s work and meet him.The AGBU Kazaz Tribute Committee was headed by Haig Messerlian and was

vice-chaired by Ani Aivazian. Other committee members who worked tirelessly toput the successful tribute together included: Ara Arzumanian, Ara Babayan, SoniaBabayan, Ani Babian, Nairie Balian, Houry Boghossian, Eada Bourian, AniBoyadjian, Benjamin Charchian, Vahe Imasdounian, Maral Ghazarian, Ivan Kesian,Aleen Khanjian, Vartouhy Kojayan, Yeva Manucharyan, Avedis Markarian, MaralMoukhtarian, Nazareth Moukhtarian, Silva Nazaretian, Siran Oknayan, KrikorSatamian, Shaghig Sepetjian, Garine Seuylemezian, Cynthia Simonian, Tamar

Sinanian, Maida Tchaprazian, Shake Toumayan and Aline Yeterian. Cooperation forthe exhibition was provided by Monet Airian, director of the Airian Dome of FineArt, who represents Emil Kazaz worldwide.Many distinguished guests attended Saturday evening’s tribute event, including

see KAZAZ, page 16

A view of the Emil Kazaz exhibition at the AGBU Pasadena Center

A Toast toArmenia

By Jeff Dunn

SAN FRANCISCO (San Francisco ClassicalVoice) — The Armenian proverb “We learnmore from a clever rival than a stupid ally” wasmuch in evidence in the second half of Friday’sOakland East Bay Symphony concert.During that segment, the music of three little-

known Armenian composers proved that deriva-tive music can nevertheless be persuasive. Inwhat might be termed an “affinity” concert,which was themed “Notes From Armenia,”Music Director Michael Morgan preceded thisprogrammatic path with the trodden one ofMozart’s Prague symphony and AramKhachaturian’s Violin Concerto, greatly pleas-ing attendees.Still unrivaled for the crown of greatest clas-

sical Armenian composer, Khachaturian (1903-1978) cannot fail to engage listeners with hismultitude of dance rhythms, lyrical outpour-ings, unexpected harmonies and ferventarabesques. Violin soloist Mikhail Simonyan,born in Siberia to Russian and Armenian par-ents, now resident of New York City (and anavid skydiver), was more than up for the high-flying technical challenges of the music. The 24-year-old impressed most with his confidence,emotional maturity, rapidity and poise, thoughslightly less so with his volume and intonation.Why the non sequitur of a Mozart symphony

began the program is a mystery, especiallywhen there are so many colorful and originalpieces available by the greatest Armenian-American composer, Alan Hovhaness. Nor didthe holding-pattern rendition by Morgan andthe orchestra help matters.Thankfully, however, the orchestra came alive

with a stirring performance after intermissionof the Symphony for Timpani and StringOrchestra, by Edvard Mirzoyan (b. 1921). Overhalf an hour in length and full of tricky contra-puntal writing and precise accents, the 1962symphony could have sent many a less-well-pre-pared band into a muddied tailspin. For me, thiswas one of the Oakland Symphony’s mostimpressive performances of a single work.Mirzoyan’s symphony is abstract and indebt-

ed to Shostakovich in style, but, aside from afew reminiscences of the “whirlwind” move-ment of the Russian master’s Tenth, Mirzoyandoes not suffer by comparison. His music is con-sistently engaging and dramatic. I particularlyenjoyed the several fugal sections, ominousthemes in the cellos and basses, the wry takeon Chopin’s Minute waltz in the second move-ment, and the Rossinian energy of the fourth-movement finale. The only structural flaw wasthe abrupt ending of the first movement, whichput the piece off-balance.If Hovhaness couldn’t have been brought in

to replace Mozart, how about more of GahzarosSaryan (1920-1998)? The two of four move-ments performed from his Armenia:Symphonic Panels, which followed next, werequite lovely. What do the other two sound like?The evening concluded spectacularly with

two short but spirited choral works. Composedby Edgar Hovhannisyan (1930-1998), they werethe anthem Yerevan Erebooni, honoringArmenia’s present and past citadels, and themartial Sardarapat, lauding the battle on May22, 1918, that reversed the Turkish advance onthe Armenian capital in World War I. TheSeemorgh Ensemble and “select singers fromvarious Bay Area choral groups” sang lustily.Morgan whipped out, to great acclaim, an

encore of Khachaturian’s Sabre Dance from his“Gayane” ballet.(Jeff Dunn is a freelance critic. A composer

of piano and vocal music, he is a member of theNational Association of Composers, USA, andserves on the board of New Music Bay Area.)

A view of the audience that attended the special night honoring the work of EmilKazaz on November 7, 2009, at the AGBU Pasadena Center

Yulia Musayelyan’s latest CD, “Caminos”

ADAA’s $10,000Saroyan PlaywritingPrize SubmissionDeadline Is Feb. 15LOS ANGELES — The Armenian Dramatic

Arts Alliance (ADAA) welcomes submissions forits 2010 William Saroyan Prize for Playwriting,made possible by a grant from the WilliamSaroyan Foundation. The deadline is February15, for full-length plays on Armenian themes.The top prize is $10,000, with other prizes

awarded to the top three finalists. Electronicsubmissions should be sent [email protected]. Complete guide-lines are available at armeniandra-ma.org/Saroyan_Award_2010.phpThe Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance’s mis-

sion is to make the Armenian voice heard onthe world stage through the dramatic arts oftheater and film. The organization accomplish-es this mission by supporting playwrights andscreenwriters with production opportunities,annual industry events, networking resources,film festivals and writing awards. Visitwww.armeniandrama.org for more information.Submissions for the prize must be post-

marked or time-stamped by February 15.For questions, contact

[email protected].

MISSION HILLS, Calif. — Dr. Pavel Avetisyan,director of Armenia’s Institute of Archaeologyand Anthropology, and Dr. Gregory Areshian ofthe Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA,presented illustrated lectures on Sunday,December 6, at the Ararat-Eskijian Museum.The event was cosponsored by the museum, theFriends of UCLA Armenian Language andCulture Studies and the National Associationfor Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR).Avetisyan spoke in Armenian, with English

translation provided by Areshian, on the sub-ject “International Academic Cooperation andIts Importance for Studies in Armenian Historyand Civilization.”He explained that a major transformation of

Armenian studies has taken place during thelast two decades since Armenia gained inde-pendence from the Soviet Union. Besides tradi-tional areas such as the study of the Armenianpast based on written historical records andArmenian literature, “younger” areas of inquirymore focused on the Armenian material cultur-al heritage, long-term processes in Armenianhistory, anthropological and sociologicalresearches and others started gaining momen-tum.Stating that “it is not surprising that the

Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology ofthe National Academy of Sciences of theRepublic of Armenia has become the world’sfastest growing institution of Armenian stud-ies,” he elaborated that the institute focuses onpreviously unexplored or poorly understoodareas of Armenian life and civilization: from theappearance of first humans on the ArmenianHighland to the process of formation of valuesand transformation of national identities in thecontemporary Armenian society at the thresh-old of the new millennium.What propels this growth, said Avetisyan, is

the exponential expansion of internationalcooperation. Currently the institute is thesenior partner in two dozen international col-laborative projects, the largest 11 of which are

concerned with the study and documentationof the Ancient and Medieval Armenian materialcultural heritage. In the last six to seven years,these projects have made amazing discoveries,some of which Avetisyan presented.In Avetisyan’s view, the most significant impli-

cations of the international collaboration are:(1) that the most recent advancements in socialtheory developed in the West are applied to thesocial researches in Armenia; (2) the Armeniancultural heritage is brought to the attention ofthe scholarly audiences and the general publicin the US and Europe; (3) new discoveries notonly make major corrections and fill gaps in ourknowledge of Armenian history, but also con-

tribute to a better understanding of significantstages in the development of human civilizationin general; (4) a major improvement in the train-ing of students in Armenia has been achieved;(5) the Armenian society has been enriched bya large number of new sites, monuments, and

finds of outstanding cultural and historicalvalue, all of which are kept in different muse-ums in Armenia; and (6) the scientific dataobtained during those explorations are pro-cessed and studied in the best laboratories ofEurope and North America.Areshian, in a talk in English titled “The

Discovery of a 6,000-Year-Old Cave Civilizationin Armenia,” presented information connectedwith discoveries made during 2007-2009 in theVayots-Dzor Province by the Arpa River Valley

Joint Project of the Institute of Archaeologyand Anthropology of the National Academy ofSciences of Armenia and the Cotsen Institute ofArchaeology at the University of California, LosAngeles.The Arpa River Valley is a little-explored area,

despite having the highest concentration ofkarstic caves in Armenia and such outstandingmonuments of Armenian medieval architectureas Noravank Monastery. The project identifiedmore than three-dozen inhabited caves in thatregion and other important sites dating fromthe Stone Age to the 17th-century AD. In thesummer of 2010, the project will start a sys-tematic survey of the region.However, for Areshian, the most exciting and

sensational discoveries were made at the caveknown as Areni-1, where a small-scale excava-tion started in 2007. The explorations carriedout thus far attest to a very large cave site withcultural remains in three interconnected cavegalleries, each up to 40 meters long, and alsounder the rock shelter in front of the galleriesand on the slope descending toward the river.In the uppermost layer, fragments of a MedievalArmenian manuscript were found. Beneath, acarbonated, hard, natural crust covered morethan 15-feet-thick cultural layers.The crust, together with extreme dryness and

stable temperatures inside, created unique con-ditions that preserved artifacts and variousorganic remains not found in other earlier exca-vations. Non-burnt wooden artifacts, seeds,rope, cloth, straw, grass, reeds and even driedfruits (grapes and prunes) were found in the topthree layers dating back to the Copper Age(Chalcolithic), circa 4000 BC. Various remainsmay indicate the presence of a full cycle of winemaking in the cave.Areshian explained that a human brain found

in a ritually deposited head is the most astound-ing discovery from that period. This is the old-est human brain ever found in the Old World.He stated that the newly-discovered cave societywill prompt a major revision of our knowledgeconcerning the early civilizations of the MiddleEast and Southeastern Europe.

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

ARTS & LIVING

From left, NAASR Board Member Bruce W. Roat, Ararat-Eskijian Museum Director MaggieMangassarian-Goschin, Dr. Pavel Avetisyan, Dr. Gregory Areshian, Effie Eskijian and MuseumChairman Martin Eskijian

Talks at Ararat-Eskjian Museum Highlight Archaeology

PARIS — For first time in the history of the prestigious Classical Music Awards (Victoiresde la Musique classique), an ethnic Armenian of Georgia has been nominated in France inthe category of new lyric artist. The show will be broadcast live in France, on France 3 andRadio France Inter on February 8.To help Kasyan win the Revelation Prize in her category, fans were able to vote on the

website until January 29 (at http://www.lesvictoires.com/classique/).Kasyan, born October 7, 1981 in Tbilisi, is a rising star in the world of lyric opera singing.She has been based in France since 2003.

— Jean Eckian

Anna Kasyan relaxes off stage.

Anna Kasyan Nominated forFrench Classical Music Awards


ARTS & LIVING

KAZAZ, from page 14Primate of the Western Diocese of theArmenian Church of North AmericaArchbishop Hovnan Derderian; CaliforniaState Assembly member Paul Krekorian;nationally-known artist, author, educator andnewly-appointed dean of the Art Departmentat the University of California Irvine, JoeLewis; internationally-known art historian anddirector of the Arshile Gorky Museum inEchmiadzin, Shahen Khachatryan, renownedconcert pianist Vatche Mankerian; operatictenor Bakur Kalantaryan; and representativesfrom the Armenian media and leaders of thecommunity.Messerlian served as the master of cere-

monies. In his opening remarks, he empha-sized the importance of cultural figures suchas Kazaz, who inspire people by enrichingand promoting the culture of our nation forthe entire world. He stated, “While we recog-nize our cultural heroes who are no longerwith us, as we should, we also need to recog-nize and honor our heroes while they arealive and actually weaving the thread of ourculture, taking it to new heights — men andwomen who make our culture a living one,the kind that doesn’t just rely on the laurelsof the past but makes itself grow and flour-ish.” He continued, “And it doesn’t matter inwhat style or language; Aivazovsky paintedseascapes, Saroyan expressed himself inEnglish, Aznavour sings in French, Kazazsculpts and paints in his own unique style.What matters are the quality, universalityand harmonious beauty of the words, themusic, the shapes and the colors.”The event featured remarks by the special

guests. Joe Lewis presented a brief back-ground of the honored guest and an analogyof his work and style. Derderian offered hisremarks, and relayed the blessings of KarekinII, Catholicos of All Armenians, inviting thehonoree to the podium to receive the St.

Sahag and St. Mesrob Medal.Art historian Shahen Khachtryan also

spoke, reflecting on the significance of theevening. “Emil Kazaz has earned the presti-gious Lorenzo Medici Medal in 2003 fromthe Florence Biennale and the GrandeLorenzo Il Magnifico (Medici) Prize in sculp-ture in 2007. His artistic achievement is asource of national pride. I am privileged andpleased to join you this evening and expressa heartfelt thanks to AGBU for organizingthis wonderful event.”

Along with the speeches, the attendeesenjoyed musical entertainment by pianistVatche Mankerian, who performed severalselected musical pieces by Chaconne, Bach,and Busoni, Operatic tenor Kalantarian, whois greatly admired by Kazaz, also performed anumber of songs. On behalf of AGBUPresident Berge Setrakian, Sinan Sinanian, amember of the AGBU Central Board ofDirectors, and Berj Shahbazian, chairman of

the AGBU Southern California DistrictCommittee, provided the highlight of theevening when they presented Kazaz with theAGBU President’s Award, followed by theSCDC Award, honoring his outstanding tal-ent, lifetime cultural and artistic achieve-ments and contribution to Armenian andinternational culture. The exhibit and tributesuccessfully reflected AGBU’s goal of pro-moting and preserving the Armenian her-itage and culture through the arts.With chapters in Glendale, Pasadena,

Orange County, San Diego and SanFernando, AGBU SCDC (www.agbuca.org)oversees a host of cultural, youth and educa-tional programs in Southern California thatinclude the Generation Next Mentorship

Program, the Ardavazt Theater Group,Sardarabad Dance Ensemble, the Hye Geenmovement, Asbeds, Young Professionals(Orange County & Los Angeles), scouts, ath-letic teams and a local Ladies’ Committee.

SCDC carries on AGBU’s mission and main-tains a prominent role in one of the largestand most vibrant Armenian communities inthe world. Southern California is also hometo two of AGBU’s leading day schools, the

Manoogian-Demirdjian School (MDS) inCanoga Park and the AGBU Pasadena HighSchool, which is the first new day school tohave been established in the Armenian dias-pora during the last decade.

AGBU Central Board Member Sinan Sinanian, AGBU Southern California District Committee ChairBerj Shahbazian, and artist Emil Kazaz are surrounded by the members of the AGBU KazazCommittee volunteers, including committee chair Haig Messerlian, and other local AGBU leaders atthe AGBU Pasadena Center during the Emil Kazaz Tribute Event on November 7, 2009.

Emil Kazaz Celebrated at AGBU Reception

A view of the Emil Kazaz exhibition at the AGBU Pasadena Center

Artist Emil Kazaz receives awards for his accomplishments from SCDC Chair Berge Shahbazian (left)and from AGBU Central Board member Sinan Sinanian (right).

NEW YORK — Throughout the fall of 2009,author Michael Bobelian traveled aroundcities in the US and Canada for a series ofbook readings hosted by various AGBU chap-ters. He was on tour promoting his new book,Children of Armenia: A Forgotten Genocideand the Century-Long Struggle for Justice.The book explores the events of 1915 and thesocial and political issues that followed. Theauthor discusses the struggles for justice andwhat he believes has caused the ArmenianGenocide to fade from public consciousnessand often go unrecognized. Michael Bobelianis a lawyer and journalist by training, and isthe grandson of Genocide survivors.Bobelian toured around California, visiting

chapters in Glendale, Pasadena, Fresno andSan Francisco. He also gave book readings inChicago and Toronto. Each of the informativereadings and lectures was followed by a ques-tion-and-answer session, book signing and areception for the author and attendees. Thecrowds at most of the readings were made upof a mixed but mostly older audience, whilethe San Francisco reading attracted a signifi-cantly younger and more diverse group ofattendees.The author has been emphasizing the

importance his younger audience has on theGenocide’s acknowledgement and the futureof Armenia. “For Armenian readers, I wantthem to learn about a history that we’re large-ly ignorant about. Young Armenians, bornafter the 1960s, don’t really know how therecognition movement began and how thiscampaign for justice began. We have inheritednot only the scars of the Genocide but a cam-paign for justice from previous generations.We deserve to know the origins and evolutionof this campaign,” he said in an October inter-view. Bobelian also talked about the impor-tance of non-Armenians starting to take aninterest in this issue. “A lot of people I ran intowhile writing this book would ask me why

Armenians still persist since it’s been almostone hundred years since the genocide tookplace. I want them [non-Armenians] to under-stand and appreciate that it still matters. Eventoday, these issues of denial and impunity res-onate not only for Armenians but for geno-cides across the world.”The book had already generated positive

reviews on its own since its release inSeptember, though the book readings at thevarious chapters greatly helped in gettingmore people interested. The author was hum-bled by not only the successful turnouts ateach book reading but also by the overallenthusiasm for the book. He thanked AGBUand its chapters for working so hard to putthese events together. “I am extremely grate-ful that the AGBU chapters were willing tohost me. People made a big effort to get theword out and to give me a platform to speakand share my work. It’s very challenging toreach a broad audience, and AGBU did anexcellent job of bringing people in, particular-ly with the younger generation.” He added,“It’s very difficult for a young author to getthe word out about a new book, and publish-ers don’t really help with marketing. AGBUand the local organizations really did a superbjob with that.”

FRESNO, Calif. — The latest issue of theJournal of the Society for Armenian Studies,Vol. 18, No. 1, has been released and includeseight original essays covering a range of sub-jects as well as a most interesting research notand a commentary article.Robert W. Thomson’s contribution,

“Armenian Biblical Commentaries: The State ofResearch,” which was first delivered at the SAS35th Anniversary Conference at UCLA in

March, is accompanied by a detailed bibliogra-phy that will greatly facilitate additionalresearch on this critical topic. Another paperfirst delivered at the Anniversary Conference isby Tamara Tonoyan on “HIV/AIDS in Armenia:Migration as a Socio-Economic and CulturalComponent of Women’s Risk Settings,” whichincorporates fresh materials seldom available inprint. Both Ohannes Geukjian, with an essaytitled “Armenian Political Parties in Lebanon

After the 1989 Ta’if Accord,” and Kari Neelywith her “Lebanese Literary Reflections ofSoviet Armenian Repatriation,” add to yourknowledge of Armenian political parties inLebanon and how literary reflections of SovietArmenian repatriation were perceived in thatMiddle Eastern state.This issue of the JSAS includes the four remain-

ing papers of the project, “A Century ofArmenians in America: New Social ScienceResearch,” a collection that is the result of AnnyBakalian’s initiative. Previously-published papersin the series by Knarik Avakian, Claudia Der-Martirosian, Margaret Manoogian, Ani Yazedjianand Ben Alexander are now supplemented by crit-ical essays by Ani C. Moughamian, “TalkingAbout our Culture: Understanding Traditions,Identity, Community, and Schooling ThroughArmenian-American Children’s Narratives;Matthew Ari Jendian, “Intermarriage AmongArmenian-Americans: Implications for Armenian-American Communities and Churches;” TalinSesetyan, “Intermarriage Among Armenian-Americans in New York City and Northern NewJersey (1995-2005)” and Tara Yaralian, AghopDer-Karabetian and Tomas Martinez,“Acculturation, Ethnic Identity, andPsychological Functioning Among Armenian-American Young Adults.”Together these contributions shed light on the

state of Armenians in the United States as raiseimportant questions to ponder. The journal alsoincludes a research note by Editor JosephKechichian on the enigmatic figure of TELawrence and his mixed vies of Armenians withseveral excerpts from his extensive writings.This issue of JSAS also inaugurates a com-

mentary section, which includes a think pieceby Bedros Der Matossian titled “LoomingDangers. Turkey and Armenia: Opening Minds,Opening Borders” that will become a trailblaz-er. Such short reflective pieces on issues of cur-rent concern will add value to ongoing academ-ic debates.Starting with this issue of the JSAS, the

Society for Armenian Studies adopts a semian-nual schedule, to further facilitate the dissemi-nation of its work. JSAS 18:2 is scheduled forpublication in the next few weeks. Such a pacewill allow for a more regular publication sched-ule that should further encourage authors toaccelerate their research and see their work inprint in a refereed publication. Edited by Dr.Joseph A. Kechichian, the journal follows astraightforward policy with respect to submit-ted essays, as each is read by three referees; twooutside experts who are not given the author’sname, as well as by the editor.Subscriptions to JSAS may be placed wit the

SAS Secretariat: Barlow Der Mugrdechian, [email protected].


ARTS & LIVING

MMAARRCCHH 55--66 —— AArrmmeenniiaann AAsssseemmbbllyy ooff AAmmeerriiccaa’’ss AAnnnnuuaall MMeemmbbeerrssWWeeeekkeenndd, Quail Ridge country Club, Boynton Beach. March 5:Runway 2010 Fashion Show and luncheon, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; March 6:Annual Members Meeting and book presentation with MichaelBobelian, author of Children of Armenia, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Receptionand banquet dinner with Armenian music, 6-10 p.m. For more info.,including hotel and to RSVP, contact Carol Norigian at [email protected] or (561) 734-0133 by February 19.

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

FFEEBBRRUUAARRYY 88 —— TTrriinniittyy MMeenn’’ss UUnniioonn —— HHoollyy TTrriinniittyy AArrmmeenniiaannCChhuurrcchh,, Cambridge; guest speaker, Philip Dardeno, CPA, “The 2010Tax Season.” Open to the public. 6 p.m.; dinner, $12. RSVP ArmenSkenderian, (978) 337-4892 or [email protected].

OCTOBER 9 — The Armenian Independent Broadcasting of BostonCelebrates its 30th Anniversary, ACEC, 47 Nichols Ave., Watertown.Details to follow.

FFEEBBRRUUAARRYY 44 —— MMuussiicciiaann,, wwrriitteerr aanndd ppooeett AAllaann SSeemmeerrddjjiiaann willpresent his new collection of poems, In the Architecture of Bone, onThursday, at 7 p.m. in G-Hall of the Armenian Diocese, 630 SecondAve. Question-and-answer session and wine-and-cheese reception tofollow. This event is hosted by the Zohrab Center and the ArmenianStudents’ Association. For more information, call (212) 686-0710 ore-mail Taleen Babayan at [email protected].

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

On Monday, February 8, the Trinity Men’s Unionwill host a lecture at the Holy Trinity ArmenianChurch, in Cambridge, Mass., picture above, fea-turing guest speaker, Philip Dardeno, CPA, whowill discuss the “The 2010 Tax Season.” The eventis open to the public. Lecture, 6 p.m.; dinner, $12.For more info., contact Armen Skenderian at [email protected].

NEW YORK

MASSACHUSETTS

CCaalleennddaarr FFeeeessTThhee AArrmmeenniiaann MMiirrrroorr--SSppeeccttaattoorr iiss ggooiinngg ttoo ssttaarrtt cchhaarrggiinngg ffoorr ccaalleennddaarreennttrriieess,, ssttaarrttiinngg wwiitthh tthhee ffiirrsstt iissssuuee ooff tthhee NNeeww YYeeaarr.. TThhee ffeeee wwiillll bbee $$55 ppeerrlliinnee,, wwiitthh ddiissccoouunnttss ffoorr mmuullttiippllee iinnsseerrttiioonnss:: ffoouurr ttiimmeess wwiillll rreecceeiivvee aa 1100 ppeerr--cceenntt ddiissccoouunntt;; ffiivvee ttiimmeess oorr mmoorree,, aa 2200 ppeerrcceenntt ddiissccoouunntt aanndd 1100 oorr mmoorreeeennttrriieess,, aa 4400--ppeerrcceenntt ddiissccoouunntt.. EEnnttrriieess ccaann bbee ee--mmaaiilleedd ttoo mmiirrrroo--rraaddss@@aaooll..ccoomm oorr ttoo eeddiittoorr@@mmiirrrroorrssppeeccttaattoorr..ccoomm..

New Issue of Journal of Society for Armenian Studies

Author Bobelian Promotes Book in a Series of Readings Hosted By AGBU

Michael Bobelian with members of the AGBU Young Professionals of Northern California during thebook reading event in


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By Edmond Y. Azadian

Haiti: 200,000 victims and counting. A devastating humantragedy beyond comprehension. It seems that nature has its wayof hitting the most vulnerable nations. Time magazine (theJanuary 25 issue) defined succinctly the ironic state of affairs inits Haiti earthquake coverage writing: “Tragedy has a way of vis-iting those who can bear it least.”

In recent history, catastrophic earthquakes hit Iran, Mexico,Turkey, Indonesia, Peru, Armenia among other countries. Onlyindustrialized nations like the US and Japan seem to be well-equipped enough to contain the large-scale carnage.

Day in and day out, the horrifying footage of the earthquakedestruction unfolds on our screens to bring home the pain andsuffering experienced by one of the poorest nations on earth.Yet many people watch the footage on their TV sets and go onwith their daily lives, switching to their favorite sports or enter-tainment channels, munching their potato chips and gulpingcold beer.

This brings to mind our own tragedies — be it earthquake orthe Genocide — which many people cannot find relevant in theirdaily lives or able to feel empathy for.

As the mass graves are being dug, humanitarian aid is pour-ing in from many countries, Armenia included, as our peopleempathize most, having suffered the same fate in 1988.

It was reported that dozens of French rappers and pop starsare joining Charles Aznavour and Youssou N’Dour to record asong to raise funds for quake stricken Haiti. The song is titled,A Gesture for Dear Haiti.

Many countries helping Haiti victims have motivations thatgo beyond humanitarian concerns. Of course, all help must bewelcomed and appreciated. But some countries try to scorepolitical gains. Cuba was one of the first countries to send ateam of doctors, yet that was hardly covered in the US newsmedia. On the other hand, there was disproportionate coverageof the Israeli team. And on this occasion, it was very interestingto read about the debate going on in the Israeli press. Most ofthe concern was focused on improving the country’s image afterthe carnage brought about in the Gaza Strip by the IsraeliDefense forces.

The observers believe that devastation has been so over-whelming that the country must not only figure out how torecover but also try to rebuild its sense of self.

Parallels with Armenia seem unavoidable. Haiti was occupiedby US forces from 1915 to 1934 and then it was misruled byFrancois Duvalier and his son, Jean-Claude, Papa Doc and Baby

Doc, respectively. These two repressive dictators plundered thecountry from 1957 to 1986.

Armenia similarly experienced a repressive regime for almost70 years, and at the very moment of emancipation, the SovietUnion collapsed and war broke out with Azerbaijan. The deathtoll in Gumri after the 1988 quake was reported to be 25,000,but the figure is most assuredly higher.

We cannot deny the help received from the internationalcommunity. A city with a population of 175,000 populationwas leveled. Despite all the grumblings, the recoverychanged entirely Gumri’s face. Aznavour’s charity, the LincyFoundation and Armenia’s government spearheaded thereconstruction efforts.

Criticizing the government has become a national sport inArmenia. The government’s reconstruction efforts are seldomappreciated, but it plays a most significant role.

However, there are still 7,000 families in Gumri living in“domics,” the make-shift homes which remain as a gapingwound for all Armenians.

Many Armenians shrug their shoulders at Haiti’s tragedy. Wecan only ask these indifferent people who, if not us, should con-tribute to Haiti. What would we think if people were indifferentto our tragedy?

The world is so interconnected today that every event hasglobal reverberations. In the past, an earthquake in Haiti wouldhardly be reported in Armenia and people would learn about ityears later, feeling no obligation to help. But today, we live in aglobal village and any important and unimportant event isbrought instantly into our living rooms, thereby becoming partof our lives.

The US government is heavily involved in rescue and recoveryefforts, although it is accused by some quarters that it has reoc-cupied Haiti, a country poor in natural resources and devoid ofany strategic value. Helping Haiti could only be motivated byhumanitarian goals.

The outpouring of charity by the American people has beenphenomenal. Governments may or may not entertain a politicalagenda in helping a country in distress, but people, by and large,contribute because they empathize with the victims strickenwith tragedy.

Armenians, at times, are at a loss to see the relevance. Manybelieve that it is someone else’s business to help the needy andthe victim. And then, we are surprised to find out that otherpeople are not aware of the story of our Genocide, nor do theycare to consider it as an issue. Once we are able to place ourtragedy on a universal human level, we have a better chance ofhaving other people care and share our plight.

Today Haiti is our wound; it is the wound of all humanity.

When Earthquake Hits HomeCOMMENTARY

By Robert Fisk

Was I the only one to react with a totallack of surprise to the news that MuslimAfghan soldiers are fighting Muslim Talibanfighters with a coded inscription on theirrifle sights from the Bible’s Book of John?

Could Holman Hunt have imagined thathis Light of the World (Jesus, no less, paint-

ed in 1854)would be guid-ing the path ofAmerican aswell as Afghan

army bullets into the hearts of the MuslimTaliban?

Possibly. So it turns out that anotherbunch of religious nutters, the makers ofTrijicon rifle sights in the US, believe theinscription is “part of our faith and ourbelief in service to our country.”

Not since the Serbs and LebanesePhalangists set off to massacre and rapetheir Muslim enemies over the past threedecades with pictures of the Virgin Maryon their rifle butts has there been any-thing so preposterous. Indeed, ‘twas I whofirst spotted two American M1A1 Abramstanks parked in central Baghdad in 2003with “Crusader 1” and “Crusader 2” paint-ed on their barrels. Don’t tell me no onein the Pentagon (or the Ministry ofDefesen (MoD), which has an order in foranother 400 Trijicon sites) didn’t query

that weird “JN8:12” on the equipment.No wonder then — and here’s a real

tragedy — that Christians are in a state ofperpetual exodus from the Middle East. InEgypt, six Coptic Christians were killed atChristmas, along with a Muslim police-man, when local Muslims attacked them.

The Copts are maybe 10 percent of theircountry’s 80 million people but they areheading in droves for America. One problemthey have is seeking official permission tobuild churches in Egypt — and if they getthis permission, sure enough, up will pop amosque right next door.

Courtesy of that great Bible-readerGeorge W. Bush, the Christians of post-inva-sion Iraq are still fleeing sectarian violencefor the West.

They’ve been murdered and burned outof their homes. Why, even the head of thesuperior Islamic council of Iraq, Ammar al-Hakim, turned up in Beirut this week totell the Maronite Catholic patriarch ofLebanon that he was doing “all he could”for his Iraqi Christian brothers and sisters.Algerian Islamists have just burned aProtestant church in an apartment in TiziOuzou.

There’s not much point, of course, in look-ing for the last known resting place of oneand a half million Christian Armenians,because they were mass-slaughtered by theTurks in 1915 — although neither Bush norhis successor will call it a genocide becausethey are frightened of Muslim Turkey.

But I was heartened to read a fine article

by Jihad Zein in the Lebanese newspaper AnNahar last week. He believes that govern-ments in the Muslim world have beenrepressing societies but — and I hope I havegrasped his complex argument correctly —repressed societies are now repressingminorities.

The Zein thesis is that Middle East rulershave abandoned the idea of cultural author-ity in the interests of safeguarding the secu-rity of their political society.

The Fisk thesis is that minorities don’tcount any more.

But don’t bet on it. Was it not the army ofIsrael which named its 1996 bombardmentof Lebanon “Grapes of Wrath,” an operationwhich included the atrocity at Qana, when106 Lebanese civilians were torn to bits byIsraeli shells? And did not Grapes of Wrathtake its name from chapter 32, verse 25 ofthe Book of Deuteronomy in which it is saidthat “the sword without, and terror within,shall destroy both the young man and thevirgin, the suckling also with the man ofgrey hairs.”

All in all, a good description of the mas-sacre at Qana.

Or of those innocent Afghan villagers tornto bits in NATO’s heroic air strikes. Indeed,I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that DY32:2is inscribed on NATO’s bombs. Work thatone out.

(This article originally appeared in theJanuary 25 issue of the [London]

Independent.)

The Never-Ending Exodus of Christians from Middle East

COMMENTARY


COMMENTARY

The Show is Over… The Protocols are Dead!

The show is finally over! The international community isno longer buying the endless Turkish excuses for refusingto ratify the Protocols. Armenian officials, who naivelybelieved that Turkey would open its border and establishdiplomatic relations with Armenia, are beginning to ques-tion the Turks’ sincerity and contemplating the possibilityof the Protocols’ collapse.

Now the blame game starts. Whose fault is it that theProtocols are not being ratified? In my view, the Turks arethe ones to be blamed for deceiving the international com-munity all along. It was never the intention of the Turkishleaders to carry out their publicly-stated plans to normalizerelations with Armenia. They were simply engaged in a ployto obstruct what they believed to be President Obama’ssolemn pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide, and tofacilitate Turkey’s admission to the European Union (EU),since open borders are one of the key prerequisites for EUmembership.

Without taking a single positive step, Turkey created thefalse impression of reconciling with Armenia, thereby dis-suading President Obama from using the term “Genocide”in his April 24 statement. Turkish leaders also succeeded inexploiting the Protocols to generate favorable worldwidepublicity for their country.

During long and difficult negotiations, Turkey demandedthat in return for opening the border and establishingdiplomatic relations, Armenia withdraw from Karabagh(Artsakh), set up an international commission to study thefacts of the Genocide, and acknowledge the territorial

integrity of Turkey.After Russia, the United States and Europe applied

intense pressure on both sides, Armenia and Turkey madea series of compromises. Armenia reluctantly agreed toestablish an ambiguous “historical commission,” which wasnot explicitly linked to the Genocide. Armenia also had toaccept a reference in the Protocols to prior internationaltreaties that confirmed Armenian territorial concessions toTurkey, but did not specifically mention the capitulatoryTreaty of Kars. Furthermore, the Protocols included aclause that called for non-intervention in the internalaffairs of other states, implying that Armenia could nolonger support Artsakh, because that would be construedas interference in Azerbaijan’s domestic issues.

Since the Protocols signed on October 10 did not fulfillall of Turkey’s demands, its leaders started threatening notto ratify the Protocols or open the border with Armeniauntil the Artsakh conflict is resolved in Azerbaijan’s favor.In other words, Turkey was trying to make up for any defi-ciencies in the Protocols by holding their ratificationhostage to its precondition on Artsakh.

The ratification of the Protocols became even more com-plicated when Azerbaijan began to threaten its “BigBrother” Turkey for considering the opening of the borderwith its archenemy — Armenia. The Azeris wanted theTurkish blockade to continue until Armenia is forced toacknowledge Azerbaijan’s jurisdiction over Artsakh. TheAzeri threat of raising natural gas prices to Turkey andredirecting some of its oil to Russia made Turkish leaderseven more reticent to consummate their agreement withArmenia.

To appease Azerbaijan, Turkey demanded that Russia,Europe and the United States pressure Armenia into mak-ing concessions on Artsakh. This Turkish request, however,fell on deaf ears. The international community realized thatthe attempt to simultaneously resolve two thorny issues —the Artsakh conflict and Armenia-Turkey Protocols —would lead to solving neither one!

Realizing that hardly anyone outside Turkey andAzerbaijan was supporting their demands on Artsakh,Turkish leaders set their sights on another convenientscapegoat: The Constitutional Court of Armenia. Although

the Court decided on January 12 that the obligations stip-ulated in the Protocols complied with the constitution, italso issued several clarifications and limitations thatrestricted the Turkish government’s loose interpretation ofthe Protocols.

Prime Minister Erdogan and Foreign Minister Davutoglubrazenly threatened to abandon the Protocols outright,unless the Armenian Constitutional Court “corrected” itsdecision — an impossible task under Armenian laws! TheState Department quickly sided with Armenia, rejectingthe Turkish claim that the Constitutional Court’s rulingcontradicted the “letter and spirit” of the agreement. Ofcourse, the State Department’s true intent was to forestallthe Armenian Parliament from adding any reservations onthe Protocols at the time of ratification.

Since the Chairman of the Armenian Parliament hadalready announced that he would not take any action untilthe Turkish Parliament ratified the Protocols first, the ballis now in Turkey’s court. The Protocols have been collect-ing dust in Ankara ever since they were submitted to theParliament on October 21, 2009. The Foreign Ministers ofArmenia and Turkey had stated in their joint announce-ment of last August that the Protocols should be ratified“within a reasonable timeframe.” Armenian officials recent-ly reminded Turkey of that loose deadline, adding thatArmenia would be forced to take unspecified counter-actions should Turkey not ratify the Protocols by Februaryor March, at the latest!

At this juncture, neither Armenia nor Turkey is willing toback down from its recalcitrant position. Should Turkey’sleaders remove Artsakh and the Constitutional Court as pre-conditions, they would risk not only losing Azerbaijan as anally, but seriously jeopardize their party’s majority in nextyear’s parliamentary election. Similarly, Armenia’s leaderscan neither give up Artsakh nor “correct” the ruling of theConstitutional Court. No amount of outside pressure cantherefore force the two governments to reverse course. Thatis why I believe the Protocols cannot be resuscitated.

Turkey came very close to deceiving Armenia and therest of the world with these infamous Protocols.Fortunately, they failed before causing lasting damage toArmenia’s national interests.

My TurnBy Harut Sassounian

L E T T E R S

A Big Thank YouTo the Editor:

Prior our permanent departure fromPhiladelphia, we would like to thank all commu-nity organizations, especially the members of theTekeyan Cultural Association, the Knights ofVartan and the Armenian Church for theirunconditional cooperation with us, being mem-bers, active members, or being committee mem-bers of them for more then 30 years.

We will cherish this vibrant community inour hearts and minds when we settle inFlorida for good, and remember everymoment of our good days.

We wish every organization and everyperson successful future and good luck totheir endeavors.

––DDaavviidd aanndd AArrmmeennoouuhhii NNaallbbaannttiiaannNewtown Square, Penn.

The Legacy of Our Late,Beloved Generation;The 70-year-old Fine Tradition

To the Editor: The Philadelphia Tekeyan’s traditional

New Year’s Eve Celebration Banquet — tobenefit the ADL-Tekeyan press — has been arewarding success, thanks to the endlessdevotion of our forever-youthful Ladies’Guild, and thanks to the generous support ofour members and friends.

As in the past, the major part of theprocess is allocated for gift-subscriptions ofthe Armenian Mirror-Spectator and AbakaArmenian weekly (Montreal) to the fourArmenian churches of Philadelphia, theArmenian Sisters Academy, the honorableArmenian Clergy, as well as some selectArmenian cultural activists.

Fourteen gift subscriptions of the Mirror-Spectator and 11 gift subscriptions of Abakawere given.—— TTCCAA PPhhiillaaddeellpphhiiaa EExxeeccuuttiivvee CCoommmmiitttteeee

By David Boyajian

Meeting at the White House with a group ofArmenian Americans, the chief US negotiatorfor the Organization for Security andCooperation in Europe (OSCE) peace talks onArtsakh (Karabagh) announced that the UnitedStates would be satisfied if a peace agreementwere to last for only 10 years.

The official was Joseph A. Presel. It was 1996,and Bill Clinton was president. I happened to beat that meeting.

With Presel were Richard Morningstar, USspecial envoy to the newly independent states ofthe Caucasus, Caspian and Central Asia, NancySoderberg of the National Security Council andothers. A key US objective, Soderberg declared,was to pump the region’s oil and gas resourceswest through US sponsored pipelines.

While commenting on the OSCE negotia-tions, Presel made an astonishing remark,which I paraphrase: “Even if a peace agreementbetween Armenians and Azerbaijan overKarabagh were to last just 10 years, that wouldbe sufficient.”

Did Presel mean that Washington would riska quick fix for Artsakh even if it were likely toresult in a medium-term renewal of violence? Ibelieve so, and the reasons are clear.

The Armenian Corridor

Like Georgia, Armenia sits in a strategic posi-tion between energy-rich Azerbaijan (and theCaspian Sea) and NATO member Turkey.

An Artsakh peace accord would leadAzerbaijan, and probably Turkey, to reopentheir borders with Armenia. That, the US StateDepartment hopes, would eventually result inArmenia’s serving American interests as a land,air and gas and oil pipeline corridor betweenAzerbaijan and Turkey.

None of that will happen without an Artsakhpeace accord. But it need last just long enoughfor the US to gain an economic and politicalfoothold in Armenia. Such a foothold wouldtake several years, which explains Presel’s 10-

year timeframe.Why did Presel, an experienced diplomat who

had served in Turkey and Russia and was soonto be the ambassador to Uzbekistan, make sucha damning disclosure about State Departmentstrategy?

I don’t know. It was early in the morning, andPresel looked very tired. Perhaps fatigue causedhim to let his guard down.

With Presel’s 10-year timeframe in mind, con-sider the OSCE peace plan for Artsakh thatWashington, Paris and Moscow have proposed.

Recipe for Disaster

The plan would, for instance, allow thousandsof Azeris to resettle in Artsakh. Even Armeniahas apparently fallen for this pseudo-humani-tarian proposal.

Azerbaijan will ensure that the resettlersinclude plenty of spies, saboteurs and provoca-teurs. Their job? To sow discord over propertyrights, school curricula, military service, allegeddiscrimination and any other pretext they candream up. The resulting disorder or civil warwould give the OSCE and Azerbaijan an excuseto cancel the referendum that would supposed-ly decide Artsakh’s final legal status.

Claiming that Armenians were brutalizing itskin, Azerbaijan — armed with advancedweapons bought with billions in oil and gas rev-enue — could well launch a massive assault.Azerbaijan has always preferred reconquestover peace.

Even if the resettled Azeris lived peacefully,their higher birth rate would ensure their even-tually outnumbering Armenians.

Under either scenario, Armenians could loseArtsakh permanently.

Major power plays

Would the United States (and Europe) reallybe unconcerned if an Artsakh peace fell apartafter 10 years or so? It depends.

If western-bound pipelines passed throughArmenia, or if a new war jeopardized the exist-ing Azeri pipelines that lie just north ofArtsakh, Washington and Europe would opposea new war by Azerbaijan. It’s unclear, however,

that they would have sufficient leverage overBaku to enforce their will.

Conversely, if their interests were not threat-ened, the U.S. and Europe might not particu-larly care if Azerbaijan reconquered Artsakh.Russia might actually welcome a new war byAzerbaijan if it concluded that an Armeniancounterattack would damage western-boundpipelines.

The major powers could prove to be greaterenemies of Artsakh than is Azerbaijan.

Treachery and Betrayal

Would Armenia ever agree to a deeply flawedpeace plan for Artsakh designed by the US,France, Europe, and Russia, all of whom havehistorically lied to and betrayed Armenians?Probably.

Inexplicably, Armenian governments haverarely, if ever, publicly reminded these countriesof their treachery. Brought up in the denation-alized Soviet educational system, Armenianleaders may be largely unaware of the details ofthat treachery.

Moreover, Armenia’s recent accord withTurkey — the so-called “protocols” which tendto cast aside Armenian historical rights and maymake the factuality of the genocide debatable -demonstrates that its leaders are poor negotia-tors and more concerned with lining their pock-ets than heeding the views of their people.

State Department Doubletalk

Despite Presel’s eye-opening revelation, unin-tentional or otherwise, about a short-term fixfor Artsakh, Armenians should know that healso reflects the State Department’s doubletalkabout the Armenian Genocide.

At the White House, Presel referred directlyto the Armenian Genocide, saying, “I don’tknow why Turkey doesn’t just acknowledge it.”The statement was strangely disingenuous.Presel had, after all, served in Turkey and cer-tainly knew of Ankara’s fear that Genocideacknowledgment could advance long-standingArmenian claims to territory and reparations.

Fast forward to several years ago. Presel wassee COUNTDOWN, page 20

Countdown to the Next War over Artsakh

ISTANBUL (BBC News) — Spectacular fire-works displays and cultural performances willmark the launch of Istanbul’s year as one ofthree European Capitals of Culture.

The prestigious title gives cities the opportu-nity and funding to showcase and enrich theircultural life.

For Turkey, which is struggling to fulfill itslongstanding aim of becoming a member of theEuropean Union, the title has particular signifi-cance.

But Istanbul’s celebration is not without itsproblems.

Istanbul competed fiercely with theUkrainian capital Kiev to win this title, the lasttime it will be offered to a non-EU member.

The two other winners were Pecs, Hungaryand Essen, Germany.

With its rich heritage of Roman, Byzantineand Ottoman history and its pulsating contem-porary urban life, Istanbul is already recognizedas one of the world’s great cultural capitals.

But the title means a great deal in a country,which has for decades aspired to membership ofthe European Union.

The opening celebrations will be marked by aspectacular fireworks display choreographed bythe French pyrotechnician CristopheBerthonneau.

And by a series of cultural performances setagainst the backdrop of some of Istanbul’sgreatest landmarks.

But big questions hang over how effectivethe rest of the year’s program will be.

The organizing committee has been rockedby conflict between NGOs and governmentbureaucrats, with mass resignations last year.

There have been persistent allegations of cor-ruption.

Critics say there has been too much focus onrestoring well-known historical sites, and too lit-tle on contemporary culture.

And very little effort has been devoted to con-fronting the painful 20th century legacy left bythe mass expulsion (and massacre) of the Greekand Armenian communities, whose buildings,many of them derelict, still litter the city.


Countdown to the NextWar over ArtsakhCOUNTDOWN, from page 19on a panel that discussed Armenian-Turkishrelations. He reportedly endorsed Turkey’sdenialist stance that the 1915 killings werenot genocide but rather were caused byArmenian rebellions.

Regardless, Armenians must take Presel’s “10-year” warning seriously. There is no reason tobelieve that the State Department’s policy is anydifferent now than when he said it.

When a “peace” agreement on Artsakh issigned, start counting.

(David Boyajian is a freelance writer. Manyof his articles and interviews are archived on

Armeniapedia.org.)

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Former President ofArmenia Robert Kocharian visited Iran thisweek in a private capacity, even though he wasinvited by the Iranian government, officialYerevan said on Friday.

A spokesman for Kocharian similarly statedthat the two-day trip had a “friendly and unof-ficial” character. Victor Soghomonian said thatthe invitation to Kocharian had been extendedby Iranian Foreign Minister ManouchehrMottaki.

“The former president certainly went there ona private visit but at the invitation of the IslamicRepublic’s leadership,” Foreign Minister EduardNalbandian told reporters earlier in the day.

Nalbandian seemed to downplay the signifi-cance of the trip as well as statements that wereattributed to Kocharian by Iranian media out-lets. They quoted him as telling IranianPresident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Mottakithat Armenia remains committed to deepeningits political and economic ties with Iran.

“I have heard about statements saying thatArmenia is in favor of expanding relations with

Iran,” said Nalbandian. “Was that a secret? Thiswas said when Mr. Kocharian was president ofthe Republic of Armenia and this is being saidtoday. I see nothing extraordinary there.”

“Were any statements contradicting whatArmenia wants now made? No. I think there isno need to create artificial problems,” addedthe minister.

Soghomonian claimed, however, thatKocharian made no political statements inTehran. “In all likelihood, what happened is theresult of a misunderstanding or incorrect trans-lation by media,” he said, referring to theIranian news reports.

According to the official IRNA news agency,Kocharian told Ahmadinejad that the twoneighboring states “enjoy ample untappedcapacities to increase current level of mutualand regional relations and cooperation.”Another Iranian news agency cited the formerArmenian leader as criticizing “foreign powers’prescriptions for resolving crises in theCaucasus region” during the meeting withMottaki.

Yerevan Says Kocharian Visit to Iran ‘Private’

Former Armenian President Robert Kocharian with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Istanbul Named a Culture Capital

YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow) — An Armenian craftsman, master of sculpting Armeniankhachkars (cross stones) was awarded with the “Talent and Title” medal at an internation-al art exhibition in Moscow. More than 100artists and sculptors from 70 countries partici-pated.

Khachkar carver Varazdat Hambardzumyanaims to show Armenian “national values to thewhole world.”

Hambardzumyan, along with TV, cinematogra-phy, theatre, sport, literature and music figureswas awarded the honor at the “World CulturalDialogue through Art” exhibition.

Hambardzumyan, 50, has been a khachkarartist for more than 20 years, and says that“khachkars are God’s stamp on the Armenianland, and it is possible to make them only inArmenia.” The master has four students whoassist in his work.

“We must be able to show our national valuesto the whole world in a more contemporaryway,” Hambardzumyan said at a press conferenceon January 18. Folk craftsman Hambadzumyanis creator of more than 400 Khachkars. Hissculptors are placed throughout Armenia, as wellas in Greece, Switzerland, Russia, the US, Canadaand even in Turkey.

One of the Khachkars by VarazdatHambardzumyan

Hambardzumyan Wins Medal in Russia

The Armenian Mirror-Spectator January 30. 2010

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