Minsk Group, State Department Comments Fall Short of Assigning Blame to Azerbaijan

Special for the Armenian Weekly

STEPANAKERT (A.W.)—A day after Azerbaijan downed an Artsakh Mi-24 helicopter near the line of contact and declared Artsakh’s airspace a no-fly zone, Armenia’s President Serge Sarkisian arrived aboard a helicopter that landed at Stepanakert’s airport. Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan greeted Sarkisian—both clad in military fatigues—and, together with high ranking military officials, visited military sites to assess troop readiness. The President’s arrival came after a tense night marked by unyielding gunfire from the Azeri side that prevented rescue personnel from reaching the downed aircraft. So far, the reaction in Artsakh has been measured, Artak Beglaryan, spokesperson for NKR Prime Minister Ara Harutyunyan told the Armenian Weekly. “There is no panic within society. We are assessing the situation realistically.”

Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan greets Armenia’s President Serge Sarkisian at Stepanakert’s airport on Nov. 13. (Photo courtesy of President.am)

Artsakh’s Defense Ministry press service has reported that the ceasefire was breached by Azerbaijan around 250 times during the night of Nov. 12, with over 3,000 shots fired.

As a result, Armenian troops have been unable to approach the downed helicopter. The three crew members have been identified as Maj. Sergey Sahakyan, Sr. Lt. Sargis Nazaryan, and Lt. Azat Sahakyan. According to some sources, one of the three pilots aboard the helicopter may still be alive.

“An NKR Defense Ministry representative said one of the pilots may be alive, but the Azeri side hasn’t stopped the intensive shooting around the territory of the incident. At this moment, there is no update, and the situation remains the same,” Beglaryan told the Weekly at around 1 a.m. on Nov. 14 (NKR time).

A video—shot from the point of view of Azeri troops—shows the moment the helicopter was hit by a missile.

“It is apparent that Azerbaijan not only broke the ceasefire regime with a serious provocation, but continues to violate humanitarian laws by preventing the Armenian side from approaching the downed helicopter and potentially saving the life of the pilot. The International Red Cross Mission [ICRC] has already confirmed that it received a request from NKR. Hopefully they will react promptly to save the life of our pilot,” said Beglaryan.

The Artsakh State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons appealed to the ICRC on Nov. 13, informing them of the continued gunfire that prevented the Armenian side from reaching the flight crew.

Video footage counters official Azeri narrative

A video—shot from the point of view of Azeri troops—shows the moment the helicopter was hit by a missile. Azeri servicemen are heard cheering in jubilation. An explosion is seen upon impact on the ground. Another helicopter, which was flying just ahead of the downed aircraft, escapes unharmed.

An infographic prepared by Armenia’s Ministry of Defense analyses claims surrounding the attack

The video clearly demonstrates that the downed helicopter was not engaged in an offensive against Azeri positions, and that the attack was not a self-defense maneuver as claimed by Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry, said Armenia’s Defense Ministry Spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisian in a statement.

“Senseless are the assertions of the Azerbaijani side that the Armenian helicopters attacked their positions. The investigation of the debris of the helicopter will prove it was not armed,” Hovhannisian was quoted as saying. He also warned Azerbaijan of “painful consequences.”

Minsk Group criticized for inadequate response

In a Nov. 13 statement, NKR’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the attack “an unprecedented violation of the ceasefire fraught with serious escalation of tension.”

“This criminal and adventurous provocation by Azerbaijan… demonstrated its total disregard towards the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries and the international community as a whole,” read the statement, which also underlined the need for the adoption of measures to “de-escalate the tension,” to investigate the ceasefire violations, and to identify “the true perpetrator” of those violations. The statement further noted that “untargeted” calls for adherence to the ceasefire further embolden Azerbaijan with “a false sense of permissiveness and impunity.”

Beglaryan, spokesperson for NKR’s Prime Minister, said Artsakh citizens believe a strong statement condemning the attack is due. “[They] think that an adequate response should be provided for moral and rational reasons, and to prevent such actions in the future,” he told the Weekly.

To note, following the downing of the helicopter, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs released a statement on Nov. 12, expressing “serious concern” over the attack, and appealed to both sides to adhere to the ceasefire. The Co-Chairs fell short of unequivocally condemning the attack as an act of aggression by Azerbaijan, instead opting to address both countries.

Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director Aram Hamparian criticized the Minsk Group statement. “…The OSCE’s public response once again falls back into the deeply flawed pattern of placing equal blame on both sides for hostility that all the world knows is being directed by one man, Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan,” he said.

State Department spokesperson: ‘there are views by both sides’

During a daily press briefing on Nov. 13, State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki said the State Department “regret[s] the loss of life,” and expressed condolences to the families of those killed or injured. “This event is yet another reminder of the need to redouble efforts on a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict, including reducing tension and respecting the ceasefire,” she said.

State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki on whether Azerbaijan is to blame for the ceasefire violation: ‘We understand there are views by both sides, but I don’t have any comment from the U.S. Government on it.’

Psaki reiterated that the State Department was committed to helping both sides to increase efforts for a peaceful negotiation. “And naturally, retaliation, further violence, escalating tensions certainly does not help the effort,” she said.

When asked whether the State Department acknowledged that “it was Azerbaijan which violated the ceasefire [on Nov. 12], and also violated one of the main principles of peaceful settlement of the conflict, which is no use of force,” Psaki responded, “I don’t have any analysis of the exact events on the ground. We’ve seen the same reports. There are obviously comments and claims from both sides, but I don’t have any analysis beyond that.”

When the questioner persisted by adding “Azerbaijan shooting an Armenian vessel, then it’s pretty clear which party is violating the ceasefire,” Psaki responded, “We understand there are views by both sides, but I don’t have any comment from the U.S. Government on it.”

In the Diaspora, there have been statements of support for Artsakh from various organizations and communities on the one hand, and condemnations of the attack on the other.

When asked about the role of the Diaspora and whether he wished to convey a message to Armenian communities worldwide, Beglaryan first reassured that the situation is under control, and that the people of Artsakh are not in a panic. “As for what they should do? Support the Artsakh cause by raising the truth about the conflict and the latest incidents. In that context, Azerbaijan’s distortions and provocations in foreign countries should be targeted in an appropriate way,” he said, and added, “The diaspora is our huge potential in the field of information war, and that should be realized.”

Azerbaijan’s national heroes

The attack was not all that shocking, according to Beglaryan, as Azerbaijan’s track record has shown a willingness to escalate tensions and reward violence. “Certainly, Artsakh society is not surprised by the Azerbaijani actions, because a state that makes a hero out of a citizen that axes a sleeping Armenian officer could do anything against Armenians,” said Beglaryan, referring to the brutal murder of Armenian Lt. Gurgen Margaryan at the hands of Ramil Safarov at a NATO-sponsored Partnership for Peace program. Safarov was promoted from the rank of Lieutenant to Major upon his controversial extradition to Azerbaijan from Hungary, where he served a short prison term for his crime.

A protester holds the picture of Lt. Gurgen Margaryan on the 9th anniversary of his brutal murder. (Photo: Yerkir Media)

Incidentally, the Azeri Defense Ministry has already honored an officer with “a third degree medal For Distinguished Military Service” for shooting down the Mi-24 helicopter, reported Azeri sources.

Beglaryan said he feels confident in the NKR army. “[The army] demonstrated its preparedness on the front line only three months ago, and then during the latest military drill,” he told the Weekly. “I’m sure that it is completely ready to protect the security of the Artsakh Republic.”

Ceasefire violations, threats of war

The downed helicopter was on a training flight as part of joint Armenia-Artsakh military drills in the area. The “Unity 2014” exercises involved over 30,000 troops, 3,000 armored vehicles, artillery, and air defense units, according to the NKR Defense Ministry website.

An online campaign initiated by the ANCA after the escalation of violence and violent rhetoric by Aliyev’s administration this summer.

This year has seen an increase in violence on the contact line. In July and August, around half a dozen attacks were staged by Azerbaijan’s military, which left five Armenian and 13 Azeri servicemen dead.  At the height of tensions, Artsakh Prime Minister Ara Harutyunyan spent two nights on the front lines with soldiers, while hundreds came forward to volunteer. The attacks drew condemnation from U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf, which also gave way to criticisms accusing the Co-Chairs of maintaining an environment of impunity by failing to clearly blame one side, namely Azerbaijan. About a week after the attacks, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev took to Twitter, where he threatened violence and declared war against the Republic of Nagorno Karabagh.

President Sarkisian and President Aliyev met in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, shortly after the eruption of violence in August.

President Aliyev habitually releases statements claiming that the state of Armenia was founded on Azerbaijani lands, and vows to “go back” to them through any means necessary.

The post Artsakh, Armenia React to Downed Helicopter appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

Special for the Armenian Weekly

The continuous state-sponsored terrorism campaign of the Republic of Azerbaijan against the Republics of Artsakh and Armenia recently culminated in a shooting of an unarmed helicopter belonging to the Air Force of the Republic of Artsakh. The helicopter was conducting a training flight within its sovereign air space. It is intellectually naive to attribute such aggressive behavior to one factor. Rather, there is a host of major drivers of Azerbaijan’s adventurism, which this article will address. They are namely heavy petrol-reliance, increasing domestic illegitimacy of the governing regime, loss of international reputation, the ongoing Ukrainian Crisis, the false parity of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, and the projected perpetual decline of Azerbaijan’s relative regional power and role.

Major current events have the tendency to be analyzed in isolation from history and overall trends with an added component of emotions that further distorts the real picture. Keeping this in mind, Azerbaijan’s petro-aggression, as defined by Jeff Colgan, should be viewed within the wider historical and political economy contexts.

Azerbaijan’s economy has been heavily reliant on oil exports, which peaked in the 2010s and has been steadily decreasing by each passing year ever since. The decline in world oil prices combined with reduction in oil output have put greater pressure on the state and further exacerbated its Dutch Disease—the inability to develop other export industries in the economy due to high exchange rates caused by heavy reliance on oil. The natural gas sector is much less profitable than oil, implying that the “golden age” of Azerbaijan may be well behind us, if no new major oil fields are found.

The Aliyevs’ almost-uninterrupted dictatorial reign of Azerbaijan for over four decades is showing signs of crippling. With the forces of globalization providing citizens with easier access to alternative information, paralleled by the intensifying levels of repression within the country, the governing regime finds itself ostracized both by its citizens as well as the international community. The government denies fundamental rights to its national minorities, such as Lezgins, Avars and Talysh; jails human rights advocates as well as journalists; and keeps the general population economically worse-off due to systemic rent-seeking and increasing income inequality. The tally of political prisoners currently stands at over 100 individuals and increasing, further cornering Azerbaijan on the international stage.

The international criticism of Azerbaijan’s worsening domestic situation has also been intense. Organizations such as the Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Journalists without Borders, and many others have repeatedly condemned the government’s actions and even called for international sanctions.

The ongoing crisis in Ukraine and Russia and the West’s swerved attention provide a window of opportunity for Azerbaijan to maneuver. Armenia’s strategic partner Russia serves as one of the major deterrent forces against Azerbaijani aggression. Certainly, the armed forces of Armenia and the defense army of Artsakh are the primary and best guarantors of security, yet Armenia’s membership in the CSTO alliance provides an extra layer of security. Aliyev is taking his bets by testing the resoluteness of the CSTO as well as the Russian-Armenian bilateral pact.

Graph produced by the author, with data from the Correlates of War Project.

By looking at the graph above, it is clear that Russia has historically maintained disproportionately more power than Turkey and Iran combined. This is obviously an analysis looking at the three states as a subsystem of their own, isolated from the rest of the world, and discounting for the effect of alliances. Nevertheless, it is helpful to visualize the stark power discrepancy among the three major South Caucasus players in order to appreciate the deterrent feature of Russian involvement. It also has additional advantage over the Western powers due to its geographic proximity, cultural affinity, and immediate national security concerns.

The August meeting in Sochi of the presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia after the Azerbaijani provocations on the border and the immediate cease of violence by Azerbaijan following the meeting is an indication of Russia’s strong influence in the region. Armenia should also appeal to its Western partners for support in an effort to end Azerbaijan’s petro-aggression, and aid Baku in establishing democratic oversight institutions that would allow for more predictable negotiations in the future, insuring against Aliyev’s unilateral warmongering attempts.

Given all these constraints and opportunities, the Azerbaijani junta seeks maximum benefits especially knowing that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs will continue a policy of false parity. Such an appeasement strategy may well have been justified for the Minsk Group Co-Chairs in the past, but the circumstances have changed drastically since 1994, making such a policy today not only ineffective but also counterproductive, further exacerbating the impunity of the Aliyev regime.

By instigating provocations on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border as well as Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact, the Aliyev regime is pursuing at minimum two objectives: first, trying to send a signal to the international community that it is opposed to the status quo (this becomes especially clear when looking at the timing of Azerbaijani sabotage activities), and second, silencing its own disgruntled domestic population, which has witnessed an extraordinary increase in income inequality and intensifying repressive crackdowns. As much as international developments may have an effect on a state’s foreign policy conduct, it is unwise to dismiss the domestic considerations that play into power calculations. Rather, there exists a mutual reinforcement of international and internal factors that result in rational decisions of governments, including in the case of Azerbaijan.

It is important to keep in mind though that rationality is a type of subjective thought-process that is not guaranteed to lead to optimal outcomes for actors. More often than not, bounded rationality is also coupled with non-rational elements further increasing the level of uncertainty. Therefore, even if there are no questions about the premeditated nature of Azerbaijan’s provocations, there always exists a margin of error that, if large enough, may prove to be detrimental to the state’s national security interests.

The authorities in Yerevan and Stepanakert need to be vigilant and level-headed when making their decisions on retaliation. Further intensification of violence is exactly what Azerbaijan would want in order to try to move up the spiral of violence in an attempt to eventually reap significant concessions in exchange for de-escalation. The question is not about the “if,” but rather about the “when” and “how” of planning an operation. This incident may be a good opportunity to open the airport in Stepanakert for commercial flights, to convince the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs into admitting the fallacy of their outdated policy, and to further isolate Azerbaijan from the international community given its bad reputation for dictatorship, gross human rights violations, and organizing state-sponsored terrorism campaigns against a democratic and free people. Now is the time for the international community to stop the Aliyev regime from future attempts to destabilize the region.

The post Causes and Consequences of the Helicopter Attack, and Baku’s Motives for Escalation appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

ANCA Rallies Grassroots Protest of Azerbaijani Military Escalation 

AYF Leads #ArtsakhStrong Social Media Campaign in Support of Karabagh Freedom

WASHINGTON—Members of Congress continue condemning Azerbaijan’s latest escalation of anti-Armenian aggression, in the form of its introduction of surface-to-air missiles in a fatal attack this week on an unarmed helicopter flying over Nagorno-Karabagh, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

U.S. elected officials condemning Azerbaijani shoot down of Karabagh helicopter

“The downing of an Armenian helicopter today is an indefensible aggressive action that threatens to undermine the fragile ceasefire and plunge the region back into violence,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) announced, just hours after the Nov. 12 Azerbaijani attack.  “Azerbaijan must immediately cease all such attacks and provocations and commit to concrete progress in the Minsk Group talks.”

Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) noted that he was “outraged and saddened” and called for immediate U.S. action to hold Azerbaijan accountable for their action.  “I encourage President Obama to formally condemn this deadly attack,” said Rep. Pallone. “I am also calling for the cessation of any military assistance to Azerbaijan and the strengthening of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, which restricts aid to Azerbaijan based on its aggression toward Nagorno-Karabagh and Armenia.”

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) noted that “The apparent shoot down of an unarmed helicopter over the territory of the NKR, demonstrates Azerbaijan’s callous disregard for human life and its willingness to engage in provocative acts of violence to distract from its domestic problems. This horrendous conduct threatens to destabilize the entire region.”

In a statement issued earlier today, Rep, Judy Chu explained “I am deeply troubled by the latest evidence of Azerbaijan’s continued aggression with their attack on an apparently unarmed helicopter. The people in Nagorno-Karabagh deserve and desire peace, but Azerbaijan’s disregard for the 1994 cease fire threatens both sides with conflict.”

Armenian Youth Federation Infographic call to action

“Azerbaijan should be held accountable for engaging in violence and not in peaceful negotiations,” commented San Fernando Valley (Calif.) Congressman Brad Sherman, tweeting in solidarity with the Armenian Youth Federation #ArtsakhStrong social media campaign raising awareness about Karabagh freedom and opposing Azerbaijan’s increasing aggression.

In less than two hours, the AYF Western U.S., Eastern U.S. and Canada-led effort generated over 2,500 unique tweets viewed over 500,000 times on Twitter.  Facebook and Instagram participation was robust as well.  Participants were creative with their messaging, focusing on Artsakh history and the escalating campaign of Azerbaijani aggression.  An AYF infographic on the helicopter attack called on the “international community to pursue sanctions on Azerbaijan.”

Support for the targeted online awareness campaign continues with a growing number of activists contacting their Members of Congress to condemn the attack by visiting the ANCA’s action center – www.anca.org/stopaliyev

California State Legislators Speak out Against the Attack

Just months after the California legislature adopted legislation in support of Karabagh self-determination, state-level elected officials issued strong statements against Azerbaijan’s most recent attacks.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of Major Sergey Sahakyan, and the two members of the Artsakh Air Force who perished today,” said Assemblyperson Adrin Nazarian.  “It is unconscionable that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces would shoot down an unarmed helicopter, during a routine exercise, in an unprovoked attack against Artsakh. In order to regain peace in the region, Azerbaijan needs to prove themselves as an equal partner of peace and immediately cease all aggregation against the people of Nagorno-Karabagh.”

California Board of Equalization Member and Controller Elect Betty Yee shared her concerns regarding the most recent attack.  “When life is threatened anywhere and citizens are left in fear, the possibility of peace becomes less hopeful.  I join my elected colleagues around the world in denouncing this act of violence against Armenia.  May peace reign within the borders, and may violence against any people and nation be condemned.”

Assemblymember Marc Levine tweeted, “If shown to be true, this unprovoked attack has the potential to destabilize an already unstable situation.”

ANCA Video Call to Action:

Immediately after news of the Azerbaijani helicopter attack, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian issued a video call to action to secure strong, bi-partisan Congressional condemnation of Azerbaijan’s escalation in violence.

The video can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/user/ANCAgrassroots

Hamparian was forceful in his responses to weak Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and State Department responses to the helicopter shooting:

“The OSCE’s public response once again falls back into the deeply flawed pattern of placing equal blame on both sides for hostility that all the world knows is being directed by one man—Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan.”

The post Chairman Royce, Members of Congress Condemn Azerbaijan Shoot Down of Karabagh Helicopter appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

NEW YORK—On Sat., Oct. 11, the 6^th annual Direct Help for the Armenian People (DHAP) concert, which was dedicated to the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, took place at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, featuring the Armenian Youth Talent finalists.

The Armstring Ensemble

Opening the much-awaited occasion, concert host Harut Minasian related the importance of next year’s solemn commemoration, saying, “Today, we are living proof of our strength and will to survive.”

Then it was time for the 31 young gifted musicians, ages 10-18, to light up the stage and shine. Starting the recital were the eight young violinists of the Armstring Ensemble, comprised of Zovinar Aghavian, Aren Arakelian, Arpie Bakchian, Anthony Degoyan, Nicolas Degoyan, Griifyn Kang, Lilit Kldjian, and Nicole Mark. They offered a poignant rendition of Komitas’s beloved “Keler Tsoler.” Later in the program, they played a rousing and well-synchronized “Asturias” by Albeniz.

Tinkling the ivories with impressive technique and expression were Nareg Balian, Alin Khrimian, Nicole Khrimian, Arianna Mesrobian, Kalina Mesrobian, Dimitri Shaposhnikov, Sophie Shchuchinov, Ani Tchorbadjian, Haroutyun Tiratsuyan, and Andrew Zeroogian Wu.

Dr. Svetlana Amirkhanian, founder and director of the DHAP

Khachaturyan was center stage as many of these gifted pianists presented some of his more demanding and well-known compositions, including “Toccata,” “Folk Dance,” “Sonatina,” “Dance of the Rose Maidens,” and the melodically beautiful “Adagio” from “Spartacus.”

Komitas and Khachaturyan were again the choices of several singers, who also tackled with ease compositions by Berberian, Haroutunian, Offenbach, and Spendiarov, displaying their excellent phrasing, and musicality. The performers included Zovinar Aghavian, Anja Avsharian, Nicholas Bompart, Finella Hesin, Sonya Hesin, Daniel Manucharian, Anna Mehrabyan, Julia Naldjian, and Serena Tchorbadjian.

Laura Navasardian, who confidently strode on stage carrying her cello, which was bigger than her, delighted the audience with “Etude Concentranto” by Ayvazyan. Flutists Arya and Sareen Balian showed their musical fluency in compositions by Khachaturyan and Djerbashyan. And Andrew Eurdolian displayed his technical expertise and lyrical intonation in Mozart’s lengthy and demanding “Allegro Aperto.”

Following the presentations of these young talents, which were met with a standing ovation by the audience, each young performer received a certificate, as well as a monetary gift from the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) in recognition of their special contribution.

The judges of the 2014 DHAP auditions included St. Vartan Cathedral Choir Director Khoren Mekanejian, baritone soloist Vagharshag Ohanian, composer and pianist Karen Hakobyan, pianists Lucine Badalyan and Karine Poghosyan, and violinist Diana Vasilyan.

In the program brochure, messages of congratulations came from Armenian Diocesan Primate Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Armenia’s Ambassador to the United Nations Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, the AGBU, Tekeyan Cultural Association, Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society, and Metropolitan Opera Diva Lucine Amara, as well as renowned pianist and composer Sahan Arzruni.

No oil, but plenty of talent

In her inspirational message, Dr. Svetlana Amirkhanian, the dedicated and tireless president and founder of the DHAP, related, “Especially this year, part of our heart is crying for our lost Armenians, and part is joyous for our talented youth. We Armenians don’t have oil, but we have wonderful talent as you have seen tonight.”

Amirkhanian paid tribute to the “great help and contribution” of Marina Bagdasarova, and introduced Ambassador Mnatsakanian.

The Armenian diplomat said he was “moved to see the young talent demonstrated through the power of music, which has always kept and continues to keep our spirit and integrity high.” He then presented the Naregatsi Medallion and a Certificate for Outstanding Contribution to Armenian Culture to well-known baritone soloist Vagharshag Ohanian, who has been instrumental in forming and conducting adult and children’s choral groups, as well as a young instrumental ensemble. Ohanian has performed on several international stages, including Avery Fisher Hall and Carnegie Hall, and received a degree of professor from the International Academy of Education in Yerevan’s Haybusak University.

In his message, Vagharshag Ohanian expressed his deep appreciation, and noted that the award “will make me work harder.” Then with obvious emotion, he said, “This medal belongs to my parents and teachers.”

Among the major philanthropists who supported this year’s Direct Help for the Armenian People concert were Artemis Nazarian, the AGBU, an anonymous donor “in honor of talented children who support and love the Armenian culture,” and Edward and Carmen Gulbenkian “for the talented young musicians, some of whom have had grandparents or great grandparents perish during the genocide, and who performed in their eternal memory, preserving the endurance of the Armenian nation and culture.”

The post 6th Annual Youth Talents Concert Held at Carnegie Hall appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

Special for the Armenian Weekly

I dedicate this article to nine Armenians. Without their assistance, my odyssey would not have occurred. Their names are Sooren S. Apkarian, Arra Avakian, Nazeli Bagdasarian, Ara Baliozian, Avedis Kaprelian, Robert Khachadourian, Percy Sarkisian, John Tembeckian, and Jirair Yessayan.

Mary’s paternal grandmother, paternal half-brother (baby), and family (April 2, 1940)

Judith Movsisian was born on Sept. 23, 1945, in Washington D.C., at Old Providence Hospital, then placed in the Charity Ward. No contact with Mother was allowed. I was 25 months old when my adoption was finalized at the Montgomery Circuit Court in Rockville, Md. My original birth certificate was sealed permanently. My identity was now Mary Louise Letts, daughter of Lieutenant Commander David D. Letts, U.S. Navy, Washington, D.C., and his wife, Eathel G. McCallum Letts. In 1983, Mom Letts hired a private source to get information about my birth mother.

My determination to seek Mother’s exact location became a daily practice of logging every trail, writing or calling public agencies, my congressman, doctors, ministers of churches in the greater D.C. area, private investigators, genealogists, a U.S. District Court of Washington, D.C., judge, and search organizations. I included a photo of my class from Central Elementary School and myself, plus my home and school phone numbers. I had sent more than 800 penned letters at the conclusion of my odyssey.

Everyone wanted to help me, Mary L. Foess, from a rural, farming community in Vassar, Mich. Children at the three-story brick school knew what their teacher, the sleuthhound, was up to! Some parents of my students, teachers, even our principal, Tom Matuszewski, pitched in.

A package to my newly found brother broke the 41-year-old code of silence: He had an older sister! My Armenian genesis had jump-started. The secrecy vanished. How I found my Armenian uncle, Korean, required persistence. My primal instinct took over; I was unstoppable. I didn’t know then that I was exactly like Mother and Father: fiercely independent. Even the private source that Mom Letts had hired to locate my family told me to slow down. I was euphoric. Uncle was still alive! Dynamite had blasted through all the pretense. Like a cat at a mouse hole, I patiently waited to pounce, to seek what I had wanted badly. Soon this dear man, a lawyer who had pled two cases for the U.S. Supreme Court, would see me.

Mary in Tacoma Park, Md., (June of 1946)

Though my methods were always honest, this process included a touch of charm. The results bore fruit for the next eight years. Our link to each other was an unbreakable DNA-chain that reached back to ancient history: the Euphrates River Valley, possibly 5,000 years! I was Grandmother’s only female descendant who followed Mother. The mitochondrial DNA was already passed on to my three daughters, and soon to be part of three granddaughters, ad infinitum. I wasted no time weaseling a way to get Uncle’s address and phone number. I was about to crash into his “known” family tree like a catapult hurling missiles. I enabled his phone to ring! His attachment to me was just around the corner. I was 32 years younger than he. We located his home in greater Chicago, Ill., on March 30, 1986. My husband, John, and son, Tim, were a part of this adventure.

Uncle had not seen a photo of me and yet recognized me instantly. We were both on uncharted territory. Uncle and I had a similar appearance and demeanor. Clever, smart Uncle was now mine to claim. He knew who I was the moment our huge, dark, brown eyes met in unison. A brief but intense stare ensued for 15 seconds. He said, “Please come in.”

Our assessment of each other could not be avoided. Through his kitchen door we had bonded, within a micro-second. His guests would soon be John, Mary, and Tim. Nervous, I said something to him. He then piped, “That’s what I say in court!” His kitchen countertop Formica was the identical color and pattern as ours, his living room had the same tongue-and-groove wooden ceiling, and his car was the same year, make, and color as ours at home was, but was a sedan, instead of a station wagon.

Uncle got out a box of photos. Gazing at our son, his eyes sparkled, his smile was infectious, and his facial manifestation of rapture filled the entire room. Uncle went over to his living room window to sit across from Tim, his grand-nephew. Bragging about his very first car, my uncle showed our son the picture. Uncle loved our teenager!

Walking back to Uncle’s kitchen door to leave with my husband and Tim, I saw Uncle’s eyes close up. Sadly, he looked directly into my eyes to speak these words, “There’s nothing I can do!” He was referring to my seeing Mother. I looked at him with implied forgiveness.

Mary teaching kindergartners, Flint, Mich. (Spring of 1967)

My determination grew as the calendar kept moving ahead to the next month. My sense was focused on, still, the need to just keep anticipating another move in the making. No one could advise me. Uncle had hinted in an aggressive tone during our second visit that I had a brother. He joked with me, then out of his mouth came a first name in a sentence about his nephew. His move created a stage for me to untangle the web, then discover something hidden. He was leveling the playing field for me! For six months I pursued locating my brother. A lone wolf searcher, I relied on public records. It paid off! Lastly, I contacted a secretary of a large school system who had access to all high school yearbooks. By then, I realized Brother’s full name, finally, after chasing every lead to contact people! A photo—his—came to our mailbox 21 days after The Armenian Weekly, July 3, 1986 edition Letter-to-the-Editor, penned by yours truly, was published. Insane with joy, my body became one with my spirit. I bonded with my handsome Brother, just by seeing his senior photo. I rushed to our telephone to call every friend and adoptive relative I had. By 10 p.m., I called Mom Letts to tell her. Without her, none of this reunification would have happened.

On Dec. 11, 1986, our telephone rang. It was Brother! Six days earlier I had sent a large box full of photos and documents to his residence. My persistent, stubborn refusal to give up had yielded results. The next few months were chocked full of our making calls to each other. I became attached to his children and made three visits to California to see them. In June 1988, I formed an organization, Bonding by Blood, Unlimited, a non-profit that helps people find their biological families. A local television news reporter came to our Central Elementary School in Vassar, Mich., to interview me while my class was working at their desks. My third graders loved every single minute. In 1990, I met my father’s three younger brothers at a nation-wide reunion in Culpeper, Va.

One day while looking at my “based-on-my-book” website, www.ArmenianAncestryBook.com, a man claiming to be my relative e-mailed me on the site’s address! My relative, Aram Mahtesian, 83, had found me! Stumbling onto my site, he had recognized the people in my photos! His miraculous message shook me to the core.

The post How I Found My Brother appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

New York—In honor of United States’ heroic humanitarian efforts to assist survivors of the Armenian Genocide, Near East Foundation Chairman Shant Mardirossian will be presenting the Freedom Award to Mr. Robert Morgenthau and the Morgenthau family, at the 8th Annual ANCA Eastern Region (ANCA-ER) Banquet. The banquet will be held on Sun., Dec. 7, at the Ritz-Carlton Battery Park Hotel in New York City.

Shant Mardirossian will present the Freedom Award to Robert Morgenthau at this year’s ANCA-ER banquet in New York City on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014.

“As we approach the Armenian Genocide centennial, Mardirossian’s participation in honoring the efforts of the Morgenthau family is a tribute to the unprecedented U.S. humanitarian assistance campaign which saved at least one million men, women and children from certain perish,” said ANCA-ER Board Member James Sahagian. “Under Mardirossian’s and the Near East Foundation Board of Directors’ capable leadership, their mission to build more sustainable, prosperous, and inclusive communities in the Middle East and Africa continues to this day.”

Mr. Mardirossian has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Near East Foundation since 2002 and its Chair since 2007. He is a Partner and the Chief Operating Officer of Kohlberg & Company, a middle-market private-equity firm, and serves on the board of directors for several companies controlled by Kohlberg & Co. Mr. Mardirossian was born in Lebanon and immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1969. He received a B.B.A. and an M.B.A. from the Lubin School of Business at Pace University.

At its Annual Gala on Nov. 2, the ANCA Western Region (ANCA-WR) recognized the humanitarian spirit of Near East Foundation leaders Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, Cleveland H. Dodge, and Jackie Coogan, who embarked on one of the greatest international humanitarian efforts launched in the history of the American people. Mardirossian, along with other NEF representatives, joined the ANCA-WR leadership on stage to accept the award with an overflow audience of over 1,000 greeting them with a standing ovation.

“For most, the story of the Near East Relief is largely unknown, but thanks to the ANCA, and the many dedicated individuals and historians around the world, that is about to change,” said Mardirossian in his acceptance speech on behalf of the Near East Foundation.

The ANCA-ER Banquet will begin with an elegant cocktail reception and silent auction at 4 p.m., followed by dinner and awards ceremony at 6 p.m. To purchase tickets or to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit http://www.anca.org/erbanquet. For more information, please email erbanquet@anca.org or call (917) 428-1918.

The ANCA-ER Endowment Fund is a 501(c)(3) charitable and educational organization that supports the ANCA-ER in outreach to Armenian American communities.

The post Near East Foundation’s Mardirossian to Present ANCA Freedom Award to Morgenthau appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

Two years have already passed since the somber days that forever deprived the Armenian-American community from the cherished presence of a remarkable couple, Takouhi and Albert Bagian, whose impact on our Philadelphia community, and particularly on the Armenian Relief Society (ARS), will be long evoked with feelings of nostalgia and a deep sense of gratitude and loss.

Albert Begian at ARS Convention, receiving Agnouni Award recipient

A devoted member of the ARS “Artemis” Chapter for over six decades, Takouhi—or Queenie to all who knew and loved her—along with her equally dedicated spouse, Albert left behind a legacy of devoted care, concern, and empathy for all things Armenian, of protecting and promoting the time-tested values that preserve and enhance our ancient yet unique traditions and culture.

Some will remember Queenie as a loyal HOM-ouhi with a meticulous and perfectionist nature, who pledged her time and resources to serve the ARS (or HOM, in Armenian) and the efficient implementation of its vast local, regional, and global humanitarian programs. Others—neighbors, acquaintances, and friends, both Armenian and odar—will recall the smiling, beautiful face of this petite, gregarious brunette, who had a kind and attentive word for everyone.

Ungerouhi Queenie and Unger Al belonged to that first generation of American-born Armenians who had their roots in Western Armenia via their parents—who, leaving Turkish atrocities behind, had found refuge in the United States. They were part of a generation whose hard-earned yet steady and generous contributions helped build and maintain local and overseas Armenian communities still struggling to shake the nightmarish trauma of the very first genocide of the 20th century and to rebuild their shattered lives under friendlier skies.

One of three siblings, Takouhi grew up in Philadelphia with her brother and sister in a working class family, and experienced the hard times of the Great Depression that came soon after World War I. Like most of the children in the community, she attended Saturday School, where she learned to read and write Armenian.

Albert and Queenie Bagian

Early on, Queenie demonstrated a distinct passion for music, fine arts, and the theater; sadly, family circumstances and hard times wouldn’t allow her to pursue formal schooling in the fields that excited her, including advanced Armenian education. However, true to character, Queenie’s native zest and optimism helped her to make the most of whatever life had to offer, ultimately leading her—through her early membership in the Armenian Relief Society—to become an active participant and devoted patron of cultural, academic, and humanitarian endeavors that characterize ARS programs worldwide.

Queenie’s lifelong spouse, Albert Bagian, a staunch Dashnaktsakan and equally dedicated patron of Armenian culture and welfare, was one of five children that included two brothers and two sisters. Brought up in an Armenian-speaking household, Al was fluent in his maternal tongue. He attended Drexel University, studying mechanical engineering at night while running his own business during the day, dealing in machinery for the textile industry.

Within the scope of their multifaceted involvement in Armenian-American community life, the Bagian couple served for many years as active members of the Armenian National Education Committee (ANEC), a joint project of the Armenian Relief Society and the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Eastern United States. Within the same arena of Armenian education on foreign shores, Albert, along with other past benefactors, such as Yervant and Helen Terzian, demonstrated a lifelong dedication to the Armenian Sisters’ Academy in Philadelphia.

Needless to say, the Bagians will always be remembered for their generous moral and financial contributions to the ARS. Queenie’s nearly 70 years of service in the ranks of the ARS “Artemis” Chapter—from 1943 to the day of her passing in 2012—were marked by her active involvement as the chapter’s chairperson and as a member of the Regional and Central Executive Boards. In 1970, Queenie founded the ARS Junior Auxiliary, comprised of young college students who supported the ARS Summer Studies Program (currently the Youth

Connect Program). Alongside her administrative duties, as a full-time volunteer at the Haigazian School of Philadelphia, this remarkable HOM-ouhi organized and promoted theatrical productions, concerts, and other cultural programs, inspired by her lifelong love of Armenian music and poetry.

Before he passed away in 2011, Unger Albert, a lifelong Hai Tahd activist, in addition to being an ARF and ARS member—and serving as liaison to the ARS Regional Board—was also past chair of the Central Committee of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation of Eastern USA.

Over the years, among many other contributions, the Bagians donated $50,000 to the creation of the ARS “Mother & Child” Health and Birthing Center in Akhourian, Armenia, an outstanding gynecological/pediatric establishment that has helped reduce the infant mortality rate in the region with its state-of-the-art technology and modern facilities, and its compassionate, professionally trained staff.

Reminiscing with affection, Angele Manoogian, another longtime ARS Ungerouhi currently serving as a member of the Central Committee of the ARF Eastern Region, referred to the Bagians as, above all, truly committed benefactors: “With the wealth they had,” she said, “they could just as well have enjoyed a much higher standard of living, but they preferred to leave the bulk of their wealth to the Armenian nation. They were truly guardian angels, devoted to the ideals and ongoing mission of the ARS,” she said. While the Bagians donated to all Armenian organizations and causes, Manougian added, their unshakeable trust and deep love for the ARS, in particular, was what set them apart in their six decades of consistent involvement in all aspects of community life.

“Ungerouhi Queenie took care of the ‘Artemis’ Chapter as she would have taken care of her own child,” she continued, “She always made sure young people joined the ARS. The chapter has Ungerouhis who were trained by her, and they’re in their 50s now,” she concluded.

As recognition for their lifelong service to the ARS and its worldwide efforts, the Bagians received the prestigious ARS “Agnouni” Award, named after the organization’s founder.

Caroline Chamavonian, a 30-year member of the “Artemis” Chapter, and presently a member of the ARS Central Executive Board, remembers Queenie as a leader who never ceased to take her under her wing, to teach her “the ARS ropes,” so to speak. “Every time she called me, she related ARS stories at length—conventions, projects, programs.”

“Although her life revolved around the ARS,” Chamavonian noted, Queenie was also part of the Ladies’ Guild and sang in the choir at St. Gregory the Illuminator’s Church in Philadelphia. “She was very talented as the organist of the church, as well,” Chamavonian said. “And both Ungerouhi Queenie and Unger Albert gave of their time to the Armenian Cause, no questions asked.”

Chamavonian remembers Queenie as a perfectionist in everything she set out to do, with no stone left unturned to make an event or program successful. She recalls one particular ARS of Philadelphia chapter anniversary celebration, when they were working in the kitchen, cutting bread and taking it out in baskets to be set on the tables.

Chamavonian had started to take a basket out, when she was abruptly stopped by Queenie and told to take the bread out and face it right-side up. “She had to have it perfect! Everything she did was special. A couple of years ago I was in the kitchen and stopped a young person that did the same thing, and I thought to myself, ‘I’ve turned into Queenie!’” Chamavonian said.

Tom Vartabedian, the popular, longtime Armenian Weekly columnist, in a 2008 article quoted Albert as saying, “I believe in everything this organization does in terms of charity, education, and public service. I’ll be celebrating its Centennial in 2010 with extreme elation…”

Queenie and Al, our beloved Bagian couple, may no longer be with us physically, but their legacy is very much alive in the ARS Eastern Region ranks. Their incredible generosity as benefactors, and genuine humility as devoted workers, remain as pristine models to be emulated by generations to come.

–The Armenian Relief Society of Eastern USA

The post Queenie and Al Bagian’s Enduring Impact on the ARS appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

Description of the rug avoids reference to the Armenian Genocide

WASHINGTON—The Armenian orphan rug went on display at the White House this morning, after months of pressure from legislators and Armenian American community activists.

The Armenian Orphan Rug on display at the White House (Photo by George Aghjayan, The Armenian Weekly)

The exhibit is taking place at the White House Visitor Center from Nov. 18 to 23. The White House Visitor Center is located at 1450 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC and is open to the public from 7:30a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Members of Congress including Reps. Adam Schiff and David Valadao and Armenian-American groups hosted a press conference today at the National Press Club to mark the opening of the White House display of the Armenian Orphan Rug–also known as the Ghazir Rug–a work of art that has been the subject of political controversy since it was woven by orphan survivors of the Armenian Genocide and gifted to U.S. President Calvin Coolidge in 1925 in appreciation for U.S. humanitarian assistance following Turkey’s mass murder of over 1.5 million Armenians and other Christians during World War I.

“Today’s White House display of the Armenian Orphan Rug is a testament to the generous spirit of the American people, whose unprecedented humanitarian assistance efforts saved hundreds of thousands of survivors of the Armenian Genocide—including the Armenian orphans who meticulously crafted this unique artifact of American and Armenian history,” Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director Aram Hamparian said. “Unfortunately, the display’s description—using evasive and euphemistic language—deprives this profoundly important work of art of its moral and historical meaning. It also deprives viewers of the opportunity to learn about the Armenian Genocide and draw lessons from this experience to prevent future atrocities.”

“We thank Congressman Schiff and Valadao and all their colleagues who helped make this display possible, and whose efforts are already sparking national and international attention to this still unpunished crime. We remain troubled that on the eve of the Armenian Genocide Centennial, Turkey’s gag rule is still in force and remain committed to a truthful and just international resolution of this crime,” added Hamparian.

Community activist and Weekly contributor George Aghjayan was among those who flew to DC to view the orphan rug. “Seeing the rug is like looking into the hearts of the orphans who wove it,” he said.

The ANCA joined Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Congressman David Valadao (R-Calif.), Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Congressman David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Congressman Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Congressman James McGovern (D-Mass.), and Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) as well as the Armenian Assembly of America and Armenian Rug Society at a press conference marking the opening of White House display of the Armenian Orphan Rug.

Complete coverage of the press conference will be available later today.

Additional images from the White House display of the Armenian Orphan Rug are available here.

After long decades in storage, and following Congressional pressure and a nationwide Armenian American grassroots campaign to secure its release, the White House has agreed to the display of the Armenian Orphan Rug, woven by orphan survivors of the Armenian Genocide and gifted to U.S. President Calvin Coolidge in 1925 in appreciation for U.S. humanitarian assistance following Turkey’s mass murder of over 1.5 million Armenians and other Christians.

The White House is displaying the Armenian Orphan Rug, also known as the Ghazir Rug, as part of an exhibit at the White House Visitors Center. The exhibit—entitled “Thank you to the United States: Three Gifts to Presidents in Gratitude for American Generosity Abroad”—will showcase the Ghazir rug, as well as the Sèvres vase, given to President Herbert Hoover in appreciation for feeding children in post-World War I France, and the Flowering Branches in Lucite, given to President Barack Obama in recognition of American support of the people of Japan after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2010. These three gifts to American presidents will be on display so visitors to the White House and those wishing to see the artifacts can view them.

The Armenian Orphan Rug measures 11′ 7″ x 18′ 5″ and is comprised of 4,404,206 individual knots. It took Armenian girls in the Ghazir Orphanage of Near East Relief 10 months to weave. The rug was delivered to President Coolidge on Dec. 4, 1925, in time for Christmas, with a label on the back of the rug, which reads “IN GOLDEN RULE GRATITUDE TO PRESIDENT COOLIDGE.”

The controversy surrounding the Armenian orphan rug erupted in October 2013, when the Washington Post and National Public Radio reported the White House’s abrupt and unexplained reversal of its agreement to lend the rug for a Dec. 16, 2013, exhibition at the Smithsonian Institute, organized in cooperation with the Armenian Cultural Foundation and the Armenian Rugs Society. In an interview with Public Radio International (PRI), Washington Post Art Critic Philip Kennicott noted that while the White House has not offered an explanation for the reversal in decision, it is likely due to the U.S. government’s deference to Turkey’s international campaign of genocide denial.

In November 2013, a bipartisan group of over 30 U.S. Representatives, led by Representatives Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and David Valadao (R-Calif.), called on the White House to reverse its decision. Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Representatives Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) and Nikki Tsongas (D-Mass.) also sent personal letters urging the White House to take action.

For the past year, Rep. Schiff has been working with members of the Armenian American community, as well as several of his colleagues, to convince the White House to reverse a 2013 decision to not allow the rug to be displayed. Display of the Armenian Orphan Rug is especially sensitive to the Turkish government, which objects to any official U.S. commemoration, directly or indirectly, of the Armenian Genocide.

The post Armenian Orphan Rug Goes on Display at White House appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

Call for End to Ankara’s Gag-Rule against US Reaffirmation of Armenian Genocide

WASHINGTON—Members of Congress joined with Armenian American organizations today in welcoming the display of the White House’s historic Armenian Orphan Rug and in urging the Administration to reject the gag-rule that Turkey has long enforced against honest American discourse about the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian blesses the Armenian Orphan Rug as Members of Congress and Armenian Community leaders look on.

The Armenian Orphan Rug, woven by child survivors of the Genocide, was gifted to President Coolidge in 1925 in appreciation of U.S. humanitarian assistance.

Representatives Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and David Valadao (R-Calif.) were joined by fellow colleagues Judy Chu (D-Calif.), David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), James McGovern (D-Mass.), and John Sarbanes (D-Md.) at the National Press Club for a kick-off press conference, followed by a special blessing by Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian and viewing of the Armenian Orphan Rug—also known as the Ghazir Rug—at the White House Visitor Center. Author and Armenian Orphan Rug expert, Dr. Martin Deranian; Armenian Rug Society Board of Directors Member Hratch Kozibeyokian; ANCA WR’s “America We Thank You: An Armenian Tribute to Near East Relief” Initiative Member Missak Kelechian; as well as, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian and Armenian Assembly of America Executive Director Bryan Ardouny discussed the significance of the Armenian Orphan Rug in both American and Armenian history.

White House Display “No Substitute” for U.S. Reaffirmation of Armenian Genocide

As Members of Congress celebrated the release of the Armenian Orphan Rug from White House storage, they all referenced the need for formal and unequivocal U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide.

“The Ghazir Rug is not just a carpet; it is a tangible connection to the first genocide of the twentieth century—a silent, beautiful rebuttal to those who deny the murder of 1.5 million men, woman and children in a campaign of mass murder, forced marches, rape and looting that befell the Armenian people from 1915-23,” explained Rep. Adam Schiff, who, over the past year, led the effort to secure White House display of the artifact after over 30 years in storage. “As the world prepares to commemorate the centennial of the genocide, the Ghazir Rug brings to life the shattered families and the mass inhumanity that was visited upon the Armenian people. And I hope that it can serve to educate a new generation of Americans about one of the great tragedies of history and leads to a redoubling of efforts in 2015 to finally and forever, honor the genocide of the Armenians without equivocation.”

Central Valley, California’s Rep. David Valadao told press conference attendees “My Congressional District is home to a very large Armenian population that has a very strong presence in our community. The Armenian Orphan Rug is a shared piece of American and Armenian history that should be available to the public. I am excited my colleagues and I were able to help secure a public display of the rug.”

Representatives Schiff and Valadao were joined by colleagues Chu, Cicilline, Clark, Costa, McGovern and Sarbanes at the National Press Club.

Representatives Schiff and Valadao secured the support of over 30 Members of Congress in November, 2013, culminating in a successful year-long campaign to encourage the White House to display the historic treasure.

“The Armenian Orphan Rug symbolizes the enduring Armenian spirit,” said Representative John Sarbanes. “As the world prepares to mark the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, I hope that the display of the Orphan Rug will spark an honest discussion about one of history’s darkest chapters and lead finally to a formal and official recognition of the genocide.”

“The Armenian Orphan Rug exhibit is an opportunity for Americans to see with their own eyes a moving, physical reminder of the Armenian Genocide,” said Rep. Katherine Clark. “It’s an incredible and important milestone for the White House to display its 4 million knots woven by children whose lives were devastated nearly 100 years ago. It’s long overdue for the U.S. to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide.”

“The Armenian Orphan Rug is a shared piece of American and Armenian history that belongs to the American people,” said Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.). “Today represents progress, but falls short of the full and formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide, that should be a cornerstone of U.S. human rights policy.”

“This great artifact is both a symbol of the strong relationship between Armenia and the U.S., and a stark reminder about the first genocide of the modern era where 1.5 million Armenians perished at the hands of the Ottoman Empire,” Rep. David Cicilline told attendees. “Together with leaders in the American-Armenian community we successfully worked with the White House to make sure the Armenian Orphan Rug and its historical meaning will be shared with the country.”

“For the last 10 years, the Armenian American community has fought to get this rug released and displayed to the public,” said Rep. Judy Chu. “This is only a first step. This story reinforces why Congress must pass a resolution to recognize the Armenian Genocide.”

“Worcester, Massachusetts is home to one of the oldest Armenian communities in America, and I’m very proud to be here today with George Aghjayan from Worcester and my good friend Dr. Martin Deranian from Shrewsbury, who is the author of such an important book on the Armenian Orphan Rug,” said Rep. McGovern. “While we are all proud and pleased that the Armenian Orphan Rug is being displayed at the White House [Visitors Center] this week, it is no substitute for the President recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The U.S. needs to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide now, before the last survivor is gone.”

White House Display Fails to Characterize Moral and Historic Dimensions of Armenian Orphan Rug

ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, Legislative Affairs Director Raffi Karakashian and ANC Central Massachusetts Chairman George Aghjayan were first in line at the White House Visitor Center to view the Armenian Orphan Rug on the morning of the display opening. Magnificent in its presentation, the accompanying plaque described the genocide survivors who wove the rug only as having been “orphaned during World War I,” with no reference—either directly or indirectly—to the crime that precipitated the overwhelming U.S. outpouring of humanitarian support.

Hamparian explained, “Today’s White House display of the Armenian Orphan Rug is a testament to the generous spirit of the American people, whose unprecedented humanitarian assistance efforts saved hundreds of thousands of survivors of the Armenian Genocide – including the Armenian orphans who meticulously crafted this unique artifact of American and Armenian history. Unfortunately, the display’s description – using evasive and euphemistic language – deprives this profoundly important work of art of its moral and historical meaning. It also deprives viewers of the opportunity to learn about the Armenian Genocide and draw lessons from this experience to prevent future atrocities.”

Hamparian went on to “thank Congressman Schiff and Valadao and all their colleagues who helped make this display possible, and whose efforts are already sparking national and international attention to this still unpunished crime. We remain troubled that on the eve of the Armenian Genocide Centennial, Turkey’s gag rule is still in force and remain committed to a truthful and just international resolution of this crime.”

After long decades in storage, and following Congressional pressure and a nationwide Armenian American grassroots campaign to secure its release, the White House has agreed to the display of the Armenian Orphan Rug, woven by orphan survivors of the Armenian Genocide and gifted to U.S. President Calvin Coolidge in 1925 in appreciation for U.S. humanitarian assistance following Turkey’s mass murder of over 1.5 million Armenians and other Christians.

The White House is displaying the Armenian Orphan Rug as part of an exhibit at the White House Visitors Center. The exhibit—entitled “Thank you to the United States: Three Gifts to Presidents in Gratitude for American Generosity Abroad”—will showcase the Ghazir rug, as well as the Sèvres vase, given to President Herbert Hoover in appreciation for feeding children in post-World War I France, and the Flowering Branches in Lucite, given to President Barack Obama in recognition of American support of the people of Japan after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2010. These three gifts to American presidents will be on display so visitors to the White House and those wishing to see the artifacts can view them.”

The exhibit is taking place at the White House Visitor Center from November 18th to 23rd. The White House Visitor Center is located at 1450 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC and is open to the public from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

The Armenian Orphan Rug measures 11′ 7″ x 18′ 5″ and is comprised of 4,404,206 individual knots. It took Armenian girls in the Ghazir Orphanage of Near East Relief 10 months to weave. The rug was delivered to President Coolidge on December 4, 1925, in time for Christmas, with a label on the back of the rug, which reads “IN GOLDEN RULE GRATITUDE TO PRESIDENT COOLIDGE.”

The controversy surrounding the Armenian orphan rug erupted in October 2013, when the Washington Post and National Public Radio reported the White House’s abrupt and unexplained reversal of its agreement to lend the rug for a December 16, 2013, exhibition at the Smithsonian Institute, organized in cooperation with the Armenian Cultural Foundation and the Armenian Rugs Society. In an interview with Public Radio International (PRI), Washington Post Art Critic Philip Kennicott noted that while the White House has not offered an explanation for the reversal in decision, it is likely due to the U.S. government’s deference to Turkey’s international campaign of genocide denial.

The post Members of Congress Welcome White House Display of Orphan Rug appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

STRASBOURG, France (A.W.)—The Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) condemned the use of the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons by Azerbaijan to release and pardon of convicted Azeri axe-murderer Ramil Safarov after his transfer to Azerbaijan from Hungary where he was serving a 30-year sentence.

Safarov

The PACE resolution, based on a report by Christopher Chope (United Kingdom, European Democrat Group) and adopted by the Standing Committee, called the use of the treaty by Azerbaijan “a violation of the principles of good faith in international relations and of the rule of law.”

In April 2006, a Hungarian court had found Safarov guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced him to life in prison, with possibility of parole after 30 years. Safarov had confessed to hacking to death 26-year-old Armenian Lt. Gurgen Markaryan while the latter was asleep in his dormitory room. Safarov and the victim were in Hungary for a NATO-sponsored Partnership for Peace English-language course in 2004. Safarov struck Markaryan 16 times with an axe, almost decapitating him. Following the murder he walked over to another Armenian officer’s room, hoping to commit a second murder, but found his door locked.

The resolution (Res. 2022) further stated that “The Assembly notes with concern that the convention was invoked in order to justify the immediate release, upon transfer to Azerbaijan, of Mr. Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani soldier convicted of murdering a fellow Armenian participant on a ‘Partnership for Peace’ training course in Hungary, sponsored by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Upon his arrival in Azerbaijan, he was welcomed as a national hero and granted an immediate pardon—long before the expiry of the minimum sentence set by the Hungarian court—a retroactive promotion as well as other rewards.”

Azerbaijan’s Justice Ministry had assured officials in Hungary that Safarov would continue to serve out his sentence in Azerbaijan. However, hours after his arrival on an Azerbaijani Airways special flight, Aliyev signed an order to pardon Safarov. The pardon became effective on the day of signing. Meanwhile, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev promoted Safarov from the rank of lieutenant to major a day after the latter was extradited to Azerbaijan from Hungary.

The full text of the resolution is below:

Resolution 2022 (2014) Provisional version

Measures to prevent abusive use of the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons (ETS No. 112)

Author(s): Parliamentary Assembly

Origin – Text adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of the Assembly, on 18 November 2014 (See Doc. 13540, report of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, rapporteur: Mr Christopher Chope). See also Recommendation 2057 (2014)

1. The Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons (ETS No. 112) provides for the transfer of foreign prisoners to their home countries. Its purpose is primarily humanitarian, to improve prospects of rehabilitation and reintegration of prison inmates into society.
2. Since its entry into force in 1985, the convention has enabled, facilitated or accelerated the repatriation of hundreds of prisoners, and the Parliamentary Assembly considers it to be a valuable instrument for international co-operation in penal matters.
3. The Assembly notes with concern that the convention was invoked in order to justify the immediate release, upon transfer to Azerbaijan, of Mr Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani soldier convicted of murdering a fellow Armenian participant on a “Partnership for Peace” training course in Hungary, sponsored by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Upon his arrival in Azerbaijan, he was welcomed as a national hero and granted an immediate pardon – long before the expiry of the minimum sentence set by the Hungarian court –a retroactive promotion as well as other rewards.
4. While recognising that States Parties, by virtue of Article 12 of the convention, have a sovereign right to grant pardons and amnesties to persons sentenced to a term of imprisonment, the Assembly recalls that the principles of good faith in international relations, recognised, inter alia,by the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, and of the rule of law require that treaties be interpreted in line with their objects and purposes.
5. The Assembly therefore:

5.1. condemns the use of Article 12 of the convention by Azerbaijan in the case of Mr Safarov as a violation of the principles of good faith in international relations and of the rule of law;

5.2. confirms its position, expressed in Recommendation 1527 (2001), that the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons is not designed to be used for the immediate release of prisoners upon return to their home country;

5.3. underscores the importance of applying the convention in good faith and, in interpreting its provisions, adhering to the principles of the rule of law, in particular in transfer cases that might have political or diplomatic implications;

5.4. recommends to States Parties to the convention to conclude, where appropriate, ad hoc arrangements between a sentencing and an administering State in the form of an addendum to a transfer agreement under the convention, which would spell out mutual expectations and provide for adequate assurances by the administering State.

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The Bureau of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation issued a statement on Nov. 19, urging Armenians to participate in the Nov. 27 Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Telethon, which will support the construction of the Vardenis-Martakert Highway between Armenia and Artsakh. Below is the statement in full.

***

On Nov. 27, 2014, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund will host its annual televised fundraising campaign which will continue supporting the Vardenis-Martakert Highway construction project.

Azerbaijan’s overtly hostile activities aiming at a resumption of war, especially in recent months, prove once again the importance and urgency of the Telethon for the security and development of Artsakh.

The construction of this highway—significant strategically and in providing an alternative route—will further guarantee the security of the borders of the liberated homeland. [The Highway] will once again prove to our opponents and friends the unwavering determination and united will of the Armenian people in justly resolving the liberation struggle of Artsakh.

The Republic of Mountainous Karabagh—liberated by the blood of our sons and daughters—will prosper through the realization of such projects.

Thus, the ARF Bureau calls on all Armenians to generously contribute to this pan-Armenian fundraising effort and to volunteer their time for the success of the Telethon.

Only through our collective strength and effort will the struggle for Artsakh culminate in victory.

Armenian Revolutionary Federation

Bureau

Novemeber 19, 2014

The post ARF Issues Statement on Telethon, Artsakh appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

On Nov. 1, the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) of Eastern USA conducted its Regional Educational Seminar at the Hovnanian School in New Milford, N.J. It was hosted jointly by the four New Jersey ARS Chapters—Agnouni, Bergen County, Shakeh, and Spitak.

Participants in the seminar

The day started with a rich spread for breakfast. The ARS anthem was sung by Silva Kouyoumdjian, and joined by all. Talin Daghlian, chairperson of the ARS of Eastern USA, gave her welcoming remarks. She acknowledged the ARS Central Executive Board (CEB) treasurer, Caroline Chamavonian, and the guest speaker Khatchig Mouradian, and welcomed all 13 chapter representatives from 7 states to the fiscal year Regional Seminar.

Daghlian in her remarks stressed the organization’s mission, programs, and projects, and the difficult task our communities are facing with limited financial sources and manpower. She encouraged members to stay actively involved in fulfilling the ARS’s humanitarian projects.

Sevan Kolejian

She thanked the four ARS New Jersey chapters for sponsoring the seminar, and thanked Hovnanian School Board of Trustees administrator Hilda Baronian for reserving the hall for the seminar in a short time.

In his presentation, Mouradian went back in time and gave a comprehensive report about the Armenian Red Cross, which was also known as the ARF Red Cross and later became the Armenian Relief Society. He showed the reports, minutes, and correspondence of the early women’s groups that functioned in Armenian cities and towns within the Ottoman Empire, as well as elsewhere in Georgia (then part of the Russian Empire) and Persia.

The Armenian Red Cross was founded by Agnouni in 1910, during a two-month prolonged visit to the U.S. During its first Convention, on May 30-31, 1915, it made an appeal to U.S. President Wilson.

The ARS, in coordination with the Near East Relief, carried out relief work during and after the Armenian Genocide. During the ARS Convention in Boston in 1926, it adopted the “Meg vorp, meg vosgi” (“One orphan, one gold coin”) program to secure the freedom of Armenian orphans who were taken by Turks and Kurds.

From 1918-21, after World War I and before Ataturk came in power in Turkey, the ARS and other Armenian organizations were active and flourished in areas of the Ottoman Empire under Allied control. During this time, the activities of the ARS expanded throughout the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, and elsewhere where survivors of the genocide had settled. The ARS even reached Shanghai. Interestingly enough, an American missionary from Van went to China and helped the Armenian refugees there. Mouradian is currently researching this subject through a China Fellowship grant from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

Khatchig Mouradian

After a plentiful and delicious Armenian lunch, during which the ungerouhis had a chance to co-mingle and reminisce, the seminar continued with a presentation by Sevan Kolejian on the ARS’s current activities worldwide and especially in Armenia, Artsakh, Javakhk, and Aleppo. Especially dire is the situation in Aleppo, she said, which needs our full dedication and sacrifice.

She handed out forms, and everyone participated and offered suggestions for building and strengthening of the ARS.

The last hour of the seminar was dedicated to a Q&A session and discussion of issues. Everyone left the seminar with positive feelings and high spirits.

The post ARS of Eastern USA Regional Educational Seminar appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

Recognized for its innovative design that both celebrates and commemorates, Armenian Heritage Park—prominently located on Boston’s Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway—is a living legacy for children and grandchildren, and a fitting tribute to parents and grandparents.

Armenian Heritage Park on the Greenway

The realization of the park and its endowed public programs has been made possible thanks to the generosity and commitment of individuals, foundations, and organizations.

Presently, the Campaign for Armenian Heritage Park is completing its final phase to raise funds to build the endowed fund for the park’s ongoing care and maintenance. Annually, the cost of year-round care, landscaping, and maintenance of the park is close to $80,000; the Greenway Conservancy is under contract to care for and maintain the park.

If you have yet to support, this is the perfect time to participate and show your support. You will be joining a distinguished group of philanthropic families and individuals who are supporting Armenian Heritage Park and its endowed programs.

If you are a supporter, please consider adding to your contribution.

If every member of our community—prior supporters and those yet to support—takes this opportunity to support the park’s Endowed Fund for Care and Maintenance, we will reach our goal.

To date, $1.2 million has been raised for the endowed fund’s goal of $2million

Contributions may be made online at www.ArmenianHeritagePark.org or by mail with check (made payable to the Armenian Heritage Foundation) to the Foundation, 25 Flanders Road, Belmont, MA 02478. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent of the law.

All contributions received by June 1, 2015 will be acknowledged in the Commemorative Book. Supporters will be acknowledged in the category of giving that combines all contributions. A Thank You Reception will be held in November 2015 for all supporters.

If you have included Armenian Heritage Park in your estate plans, inform the Armenian Heritage Foundation in writing for an invitation to join the Legacy Society of Giving.

For more information or to arrange a visit, call Jim Kalustian (781-643-7758), Charles Guleserian (617-484-6100), Haig Deranian (617-489-9465), Walter Nahabedian (781-891-7249), Astor Guzelian (781-326-5764), George Elanjian (781-888-2227), or Barbara Tellalian (617-803-8785). For photos of the park and information on programs, visit www.armenianheritagepark.org.

The post A Living Legacy & Tribute: Armenian Heritage Park on the Greenway appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

WATERTOWN, Mass.—The Hairenik Association is proud to announce the release of its 2015 Hairenik Wall Calendar. The bilingual calendar features photographs from recent trips to Western Armenia by contributors George Aghjayan, Nanore Barsoumian, Bared Maronian, Khatchig Mouradian, and Eric Nazarian. The images are of various Armenian religious and cultural sites that have endured decades of destruction and desecration, yet stand today as defiant symbols of Armenian survival.

Hairenik’s 2015 Calendar of Western Armenian Churches Now Available for Purchase

The calendar is available for purchase for $20 both online (by visiting https://hairenik.com/calendar) or through the Hairenik Bookstore (by calling 617-926-3974). Requests for orders can also be mailed to the Hairenik Association, 80 Bigelow Ave, Watertown, MA 02472.

Funds raised from the calendar will help support the Armenian Weekly and Hairenik’s online work, which includes eBook and digital archiving projects, to help ensure that these materials are available for generations to come.

The images featured in the calendar are:

The Holy Cross Church on Aghtamar Island, Lake Van

The Cathedral of Ani

The Monastery of Garmravank near Lake Van

The Armenian Monastery on Gdouts Island, Lake Van

The Church of the Holy Apostles in Kars

One of the five Armenian monasteries of Khdzgonk

The Cathedral of Mren in the Kars region

The Armenian church of Palu

Sourp Thomas Monastery near Lake Van

Sourp Giragos Church in Diyarbakir/Dikranagerd

Saint Bartholomew Monastery in Albayrak

Varaka Vank near Van

The post Hairenik’s 2015 Calendar of Western Armenian Churches Now Available for Purchase appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

WASHINGTON (A.W.)—The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs released a statement expressing “deep concern” over the inaccessibility of the crash site of the Artsakh helicopter that was downed by Azerbaijan on Nov. 12.

The Co-Chairs—Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, James Warlick of the U.S., and Pierre Andrieu of France—“remain deeply concerned that there has been no humanitarian access to the crash site,” began the statement released on Nov. 19. “The wreckage of the helicopter lies in a heavily mined area of neutral territory on the Line of Contact.”

The Co-Chairs called on both sides to stop the gunfire so that the site could be demined and the bodies of the three pilots could be recovered. The statement also noted that the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk and his team are in the region, ready to assist. (Full statement can be found at the end of this article)

Armenian troops have been unable to approach the downed helicopter. The three crew members have been identified as Maj. Sergey Sahakyan, Sr. Lt. Sargis Nazaryan, and Lt. Azat Sahakyan. According to initial reports, one of the three pilots aboard the helicopter may have been alive.

“An NKR Defense Ministry representative said one of the pilots may be alive, but the Azeri side hasn’t stopped the intensive shooting around the territory of the incident. At this moment, there is no update, and the situation remains the same,” Artak Beglaryan, spokesperson for NKR Prime Minister Ara Harutyunyan, told the Armenian Weekly on Nov. 14.

“It is apparent that Azerbaijan not only broke the ceasefire regime with a serious provocation, but continues to violate humanitarian laws by preventing the Armenian side from approaching the downed helicopter and potentially saving the life of the pilot. The International Red Cross Mission [ICRC] has already confirmed that it received a request from NKR. Hopefully they will react promptly to save the life of our pilot,” said Beglaryan.

The Artsakh State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons appealed to the ICRC on Nov. 13, informing them of the continued gunfire that prevented the Armenian side from reaching the flight crew.

To note, following the downing of the helicopter, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs released a statement on Nov. 12, expressing “serious concern” over the attack, and appealed to both sides to adhere to the ceasefire. The Co-Chairs fell short of unequivocally condemning the attack as an act of aggression by Azerbaijan, instead opting to address both countries.

Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director Aram Hamparian criticized the Minsk Group statement. “…The OSCE’s public response once again falls back into the deeply flawed pattern of placing equal blame on both sides for hostility that all the world knows is being directed by one man, Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan,” he said.

In a Nov. 13 statement, NKR’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the attack “an unprecedented violation of the ceasefire fraught with serious escalation of tension.”

“This criminal and adventurous provocation by Azerbaijan… demonstrated its total disregard towards the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries and the international community as a whole,” read the statement, which also underlined the need for the adoption of measures to “de-escalate the tension,” to investigate the ceasefire violations, and to identify “the true perpetrator” of those violations. The statement further noted that “untargeted” calls for adherence to the ceasefire further embolden Azerbaijan with “a false sense of permissiveness and impunity.”

The downed helicopter was on a training flight as part of joint Armenia-Artsakh military drills in the area. The “Unity 2014” exercises involved over 30,000 troops, 3,000 armored vehicles, artillery, and air defense units, according to the NKR Defense Ministry website.

The Azeri Defense Ministry has already honored an officer with “a third degree medal For Distinguished Military Service” for shooting down the Mi-24 helicopter, reported Azeri sources.

***

Below is the Nov. 19 OSCE statement:

Statement by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs

MOSCOW / PARIS / WASHINGTON, 19 November 2014 – The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, James Warlick of the United States of America, and Pierre Andrieu of France) remain deeply concerned that there has been no humanitarian access to the crash site of the military helicopter downed by Azerbaijani forces on November 12.  The wreckage of the helicopter lies in a heavily mined area of neutral territory on the Line of Contact.

We call on the sides to cease firing in the vicinity of the crash site and facilitate the demining of the area surrounding the site.  In the spirit of the Astrakhan statement of October 2010 between the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia, the Co-Chairs urge Azerbaijan to permit the recovery of the bodies of the victims, and Armenia to cooperate fully with all efforts to resolve this humanitarian situation.  We note the presence of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk and his team in the region, and encourage the sides to use his good offices to allow access.

We reaffirm our November 12 statement, reminding the sides of their responsibilities to respect the ceasefire and honor the commitments they made in Sochi, Newport, and Paris to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The post Minsk Group ‘Deeply Concerned’ Over Inaccessibility of Helicopter Crash Site appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

The Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Rhode Island, the only influential Armenian-American grassroots advocacy group in the state, undertook an ambitious—and successful—election program this year. The local ANC chapter interviewed many candidates seeking the endorsement, including Republicans, Democrats, Moderates, and Independents alike. Letters of support, as well as lawn signs, were sent to the communities with endorsed candidates.

US Congressman David Cicilline speaking with Sosi Kaprielian Kelley

On the city, town, and federal levels, the following candidates received the ANC-RI’s endorsement:

Providence: Dan McKiernan, candidate for State Representative District 7; Patrick Butler, candidate for City Council, Ward 5.

North Providence: Incumbents Dino Autiello, John Lynch, and Alice Brady, all for Town Council; Ken Amoriggi and Don Cataldi for School Committee.

Cranston: Speaker of the House, Nicholas Mattiello, State Senator and incumbent Hanna Gallo.

Warwick: Mayor Scott Avedisian.

East Providence: Representative Katherine Kazarian.

Federal delegation: Sen. Jack Reed; Congressman David Cicilline; Congressman James Langevin.

ANC-RI members also attended events for many of the candidates, including Mayor Avedisian, U.S. Senator Reed (annual breakfast), U.S. Congressmen Cicilline and Langevin, along with Representative Kazarian, Speaker Mattiello, Representative Arthur “Doc” Corvese, and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (annual clambake).

(L-R) Attorney General Peter Kilmartin, ANC member Harry Kachadoorian and newly elected Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea

An important part of the 2014 election cycle was the “Meet and Greet the Candidates” program, which took place on three consecutive weeks in the Fermanian Hall of Sts. Vartanantz Church during the fellowship hour. These events provided the community with a chance to meet the candidates in person, and to have one-on-one conversations. Channel 10 news covered the Nov. 2 event.

The following candidates participated: On Oct. 19, Democrats David Cicilline for U.S. Congress; Gina M. Raimondo for governor; Nellie M. Gorbea, secretary of state; Peter F. Kilmartin, attorney general; Seth Magaziner, treasurer; Jorge Elorza, mayor of Providence. On Oct. 26, Independents and Moderates Robert Healey, governor; Ernest Almonte, treasurer. On Nov. 2, Republicans Mark S. Zaccaria, U.S. Senate; Rhue R. Reis, U.S. Congress; Allan W. Fung, governor; Catherine Terry Taylor, lt. governor; John M. Carnevale, Sr., secretary of state; Dawson Tucker Hodgson, attorney general; and Scott Avedisian, mayor of Warwick.

The ANC-RI looks forward to working closely with the newly elected officials as the community heads towards the Centennial commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. The ANC-RI asks readers to consider contributing to the organization so it may continue to fight for the interests of the Armenian community, as well as national programs. and the many events that will make up the Centennial commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

The post ANC-RI Completes Busy 2014 Election Cycle appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

Special for the Armenian Weekly

The first time I came across photojournalist Scout Tufankjian’s work was about six years ago; it was during one  of my aimless bookstore strolls that the Armenian last name caught my eye. The name was printed on the cover of a book with a picture of then-newly elected U.S. president Barack Obama shaking supporters’ hands with the words “Yes We Can” plastered on top in big, block letters. I must say, I was quite proud to see an Armenian photographer covering one of the most memorable U.S. presidential campaigns in recent years. Through her book, Scout had presented a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most talked-about moments of the time, a perspective that the public was rarely given a chance to see.

Kevork in Vakifli (Photo by Scout Tufankjian)

I began following Scout’s work closely in the coming years. From her travels to Eastern Anatolia and Haiti, to her coverage of the revolution in Egypt in 2011 and 2012, her work captured the truest human emotions in a variety of settings and situations.

Born in Boston to an Armenian-American father and Irish-American mother, Scout’s paternal ancestors hail from Musa Dagh, the mountainous region on the Mediterranean coast known for its people’s heroism during the Armenian Genocide. I immediately felt a strong connection to Scout, since my father’s family also came from the same region of Cilician Armenia.

But it wasn’t until earlier this year that Scout and I had the chance to meet and connect on a personal level. She had come to Toronto to photograph the Armenian community as part of her Armenian Diaspora Project, a project that would lead her to Europe, Lebanon, and as far as India to document diasporan communities. Coming off a hectic leg of her journey, which included visits to Armenia, Hong Kong, and France, Scout only had a few days in Toronto, but she managed to catch everything she could. Her demanding schedule and lack of time didn’t deter her from getting the job done and even squeezing in a quick visit in to Montreal to visit the community there.

Scout is truly a renaissance woman. She is doing what so many of us have only dreamt about: traveling to every corner of the world and visiting Armenian communities along the way. I recently had a chance to interview Scout to learn more about her upcoming book, which will present her years of work documenting the Armenian Diaspora.

***

 Rupen Janbazian: For the past four years, you have been documenting Armenian communities around the world as part of the Armenian Diaspora Project. When and how was this project conceived?

Scout Tufankjian: Well, I started working on the project seriously about four years ago, in the wake of two years spent covering Obama’s first campaign, but it was really conceived years ago. When I was a kid, I would often spend weekends with my grandparents, who—for reasons I never figured out—would spend the day house hunting. They never moved or anything like that, but in between looking at houses (and a stop off at the zoo to keep me entertained) we would visit their friends for a cup of tea or soorj. As the grown-ups talked, I would pour over the Armenian magazines and newspapers their friends kept on the coffee table.

A snapshot of Armenian Americans in Montebello, Calif. (Photo by Scout Tufankjian)

I grew up in Whitman and Scituate, which was a little outside of the main community in Watertown and Arlington, so I never went to Armenian school or the clubs. We’d make trips into Watertown to buy braided cheese and lahmajun and to go to the church bazaars, but my main access to the greater Armenian world outside of my family and our friends was through these magazines and newspapers. I would see pictures of AGBU school kids in Aleppo or the Homenetmen agoump in Buenos Aires and wonder about them. What did I have in common with these other kids? What was it like being Armenian in Kolkata or Addis Ababa? What were these communities like? Pre-internet, the only way to really find out the answers to these questions was to go to the library. But as you can probably guess, all I could find there were books about the genocide. Now, obviously genocide narratives are important, but that wasn’t what I was looking for. I was looking for who we are now; where we are; what our lives are like; how 100 years of diaspora has affected us. And I kept waiting for someone to write that book. It sounds a little ridiculous, but eventually, I just got tired of waiting and decided to do it myself.

R.J.: You have visited and documented Armenian communities around the world—from Europe to India. What have been some of the most memorable moments during this journey?

S.T.: Too many to mention: eating manti and laughing with the Atamian/Honsorian family in Kessab; watching the 2010 World Cup in Damascus; dancing to dhol zurna in Anjar; drinking tea with migrant workers in Moscow; attending Easter mass at Sourp Giragos in Diyarbakir; celebrating Vartivar with Istanbul Armenians on Kinaliada the morning after a concert by the Armenian/Turkish/French band “Medz Bazar”; making paper flowers at a pre-wedding feast in Paris; swimming with Syrian-Armenian refugees in Karabagh; listening to Ethiopian jazz sung by the Ethiopian-Armenian musician Vahe Tilbian; watching kingfishers swoop around the Armenian church in Singapore; seeing Charles Aznavour perform in São Paulo; watching adults try (and fail) to control the irrepressible Kevork in Vakifli; marching in the New York Pride Parade with AGALA the day after New York became a marriage equality state; playing tavla everywhere, from the basement of a police station in what was once Hadjin to the club at Sourp Hagop in Montreal; watching an amazing young Australian dance group practice; sharing perfectly silent meals with the monks of San Lazzaro Island in Venice; cheering on the Armenian college students at a Kolkata rugby match, and so, so many more.

A snapshot of Armenian life in Bourj Hammoud, Lebanon (Photo by Scout Tufankjian)

R.J.: Talk about some of the challenges these communities are facing today.

S.T.: It seems to me that this is a particularly important and fragile moment in Armenian history. One hundred years after the genocide, the Ethiopian community is down to a few families. Egyptians worried about post-revolutionary upheavals are immigrating to Los Angeles in droves. In Beirut, the last remaining Armenian refugee camp from the genocide era is being demolished and the families evicted. At the same time, the amazing family that welcomed me into their home in Kessab has been driven from it by the advance of the brutal Syrian Civil War and tens of thousands of refugees, many of whom I first photographed in pre-war Syria, have fled the formerly strong and vibrant communities of Damascus and Aleppo to Armenia, Lebanon, and parts further afield. Even more secure communities like Brazil, France, and the United States are worried that, as the younger generations lose the language and marry non-Armenians, their physical survival and their success in their new homelands is at the cost of their culture. So it really didn’t seem like there was a single community that didn’t face challenges of one sort or another.

R.J.: The diaspora is often viewed as a monolithic entity. Although the theme of exile and genocide runs through all, each community—and often each family—is also burdened and influenced by the cultures and realities of their adoptive cities. What were some of the differences between the communities that came through in your photographs?

Students in Kovsakan, Artsakh (Photo by Scout Tufankjian)

S.T.: Every community has been influenced in one way or another by their adoptive cities, whether it is France’s support for the arts giving rise to a fantastically vibrant community of French-Armenian artists and musicians, or Kolkata’s Armenian rugby players. The fact that the Lebanese-Armenian community is one of the few where Armenian is still the lingua franca is almost certainly connected to the insularity born out of the Lebanese Civil War. LA is a perfect example of this in a way. To outsiders there are “The Armenians”: a monolith. But to us, you have the genocide-era Armenians, the Beirutahai, the Parskahai, the earthquake/war-era Hayastantsis, and the more recent Hayastantsi economic migrants. And while the outsiders aren’t wrong in that we are all Armenians, each of these communities has their own unique spin on Armenian culture and traditions.

R.J.: What do you see as the advantages of telling stories through photographs?

S.T.: I’m definitely not a writer, so the only way I can really tell our story is through photography. But beyond that, there is a universality to images that allows for a greater connection between the subject and the audience. Especially since this is a portrait of a people who live in over 85 different countries and speak umpteen different languages, I wanted it to be able to speak to and for as many people as possible.

Birthright Armenia homestay in Yerevan, Armenia (Photo by Scout Tufankjian)

R.J.: Between 2006 and 2008, you covered then-Senator Barack Obama’s campaign for president, taking over 12,000 photographs and ultimately releasing a book—titled Yes We Can: Barack Obama’s History-Making Presidential Campaign—that featured a selection of the photographs and made it to The New York Times’ Nonfiction Best-seller List. How was the Armenian Diaspora Project different than covering the campaign? What were some of the challenges you encountered?

S.T.: Well, the great thing about covering a campaign, especially in the later stages, is that everything other than the actual taking of the pictures is handled for you. Once you climb on board the plane or bus, you are basically led around and the only decisions that you have to make involve who, what, where, and when you take the actual images. The campaign staff handles transportation, food, scheduling, access, and anything else you can imagine. With this project, however, all the decisions were mine. Where to go, when to go, what to focus on, who to meet with—all of those decisions were mine. So if I made a wrong call, it was completely my fault, which was a bit terrifying.

But the flip side of that is that this is the most personal project that I have ever worked on (and can ever imagine working on). Covering the two Obama campaigns was an amazing experience that I will always treasure, but this project means so much more to me.

R.J.: The Armenian Diaspora Project was successfully crowd-funded through the Kickstarter platform. Why did you choose the crowdfunding route and what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of this type of fundraising?

Postcards from Tufankjian’s relatives in Syria

S.T.: The project was originally entirely self-funded, using the proceeds from my earlier book. Once those funds ran out, I would save up and go on trips as I could afford to. And I could have continued on that route for the next 30 or so years and eventually have a book ready to go by 2035, or something like that. Maybe. But I really wanted to have something finished by the Centennial of the Genocide, so that we could celebrate our survival and accomplishments at the same time that we were mourning our losses. So after a lot of consideration, I decided to try crowdfunding. Frankly, it was a scary thing to do. I’d been working on this project on my own for so long, that I was really worried that I was the only person it would mean anything to. Maybe I was doing it wrong. Maybe no one would care. So for me, seeing the success of the crowdfunding campaign and how the project resonated for other people was so unbelievably moving. I love how crowdfunding allows other people to really be a part of it and turn it into something that the entire community has some ownership over.

R.J.: In August 2012, you took a photo of Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama hugging each other, and the Obama campaign staff sent this picture out on the official Obama Facebook and Twitter accounts the night of the election, Nov. 6, 2012. This picture became the most liked photo on Facebook and most retweeted Tweet in history. Can you comment on the power of social media and how it has helped you as a photographer?

S.T.: I never could have done this project without social media. Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but it would have been very different. I first started this project before social media became as popular as it is now, and the main way I got in touch with people in the communities was through the organizations. The organizations continued to be a huge and important resource for me, but as you know, there are loads of Armenians who aren’t involved in organizations, and I wanted this project to represent them as well. And I can’t overstate how helpful Facebook was in getting in touch with these people, especially in the last year of the project, once I had set up a Facebook page for it and word had begun to spread.

R.J.: The book’s release date was originally slated for April 2015, the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide. Can we still expect to see the book by then?

S.T.: Yes! If we stay on schedule, it should be out by March 30 (fingers crossed!) and will be titled, There is Only the Earth: Images from The Armenian Diaspora Project. I hope to have the Amazon listing up soon, as well as a dedicated website for the project, but until then, people can get in touch with me at armeniandiasporaproject@gmail.com and I can put them on a mailing list to keep them up to date on the book release!

A snapshot from life in Anjar, Lebanon (Photo by Scout Tufankjian)

The post There is Only the Earth: An Interview with Photojournalist Scout Tufankjian appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

STEPANAKERT—The bodies of the three Artsakh pilots were retrieved from the Mi-24 helicopter crash site in a special military operation late on Nov. 21.

“As a result of the special operation, the remains of the crew were retrieved, as well as specific parts of the helicopter,” read a statement by the Artsakh Defense Ministry, which also noted that two Azeri soldiers were killed during the operation, while there were no casualties on the Armenian side.

The helicopter, which was on a training flight, was shot down by Azerbaijan on Nov. 12. Azeri armed forces continued to fire on the crash site preventing the Armenian side from approaching the downed helicopter. The three crew members were identified as Maj. Sergey Sahakyan, Sr. Lt. Sargis Nazaryan, and Lt. Azat Sahakyan.

According to Armenia’s Defense Ministry Spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisian, Artsakh’s Armed Forces were able to retrieve one of the bodies of the pilots, and the remains of the other two. He also stated that given Azerbaijan’s official statements and the lack of negotiating will, Artsakh’s Defense Army was forced to undertake such an operation to determine the fate of the helicopter crew.

The three crew members were posthumously awarded the Medal of Courage by Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan on Nov. 22, following the successful operation.

In a Nov. 13 statement, NKR’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the attack “an unprecedented violation of the ceasefire fraught with serious escalation of tension.”

The Artsakh State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons appealed to the ICRC on Nov. 13, informing them of the continued gunfire that prevented the Armenian side from reaching the flight crew.

On Nov. 19, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs released a statement expressing “deep concern” over the inaccessibility of the crash site of the helicopter.

To note, following the downing of the helicopter, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs released a statement on Nov. 12, expressing “serious concern” over the attack, and appealed to both sides to adhere to the ceasefire. The Co-Chairs fell short of unequivocally condemning the attack as an act of aggression by Azerbaijan, instead opting to address both countries.

The downed helicopter was on a training flight as part of joint Armenia-Artsakh military drills in the area. The “Unity 2014” exercises involved over 30,000 troops, 3,000 armored vehicles, artillery, and air defense units, according to the NKR Defense Ministry website.

The post Bodies of the Three Artsakh Pilots Retrieved in Special Military Operation appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

System of a Down announced its April 2015 “Wake Up the Souls” tour, in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide centennial.

Band to perform in Yerevan on April 23

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (A.W.)—World-renowned rock band System of a Down announced its April 2015 “Wake Up the Souls” tour, in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide centennial.

The tour begins on April 10 in England, and—after concerts in Germany, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Russia—concludes on Republic Square in Yerevan on April 23.

“For years we have commemorated [the Armenian Genocide] by doing a ‘Souls’ show, so we decided to call this tour the Wake up the Souls tour,” said SOAD’s Serj Tankian. “We’re playing in Armenia for the first time on April 23rd, the day before the commemoration of the 100th anniversary,” he added.

Tankian talked about the importance of justice for the Genocide. He said, “If someone killed my family and burned my house down, and I’m running after them for a hundred years for them to turn around and say, ‘sorry.’ What does that mean?”

Call to Action

System of a Down issued a call to action on its website, asking their fans worldwide to “join us and the good people of conscience in Turkey to take a stand for truth and justice, and ask their President and Parliament to accept the Republic of Turkey’s moral and material responsibility for the Armenian Genocide.”

“With your help, such a historic step taken by the people of Turkey in the spirit of human solidarity, heartfelt compassion and justice will not only heal the wounds of one genocide, but will more broadly represent a truly transformative step toward a new age—an era without genocide,” read the statement.

For more details, go to http://www.systemofadown.com.

Watch the video announcing the #WakeUpTheSouls tour below.

The post System of a Down Announces Tour, Issues Call to Action on Centennial appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

By Hagop Vartivarian

A scene from the event

ENGLEWOOD, N.J.—After Detroit, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Fresno, the Tekeyan Cultural Association (TCA) made New York reverberate with the words of a pair of newly published volumes dedicated to the writings of Vahan Tekeyan—Vahan Tekeyan: Selected Poems, translated into English by Gerald Papasian and his uncle John Papasian, and the Armenian-language Vahan Tekeyan: Panasdeghdzutiunneru hadendir, edited by Edmond Azadian.

The presentation took place on Friday evening, Oct. 31, at the New Jersey TCA Center, where admirers of Tekeyan the poet and public figure filled the hall completely. The program was at a professional level suited to the audience, which itself appeared to have serious literary interests. The director, actor, and translator Gerard Papasian had come from Paris for the occasion, while literary critic Edmond Azadian and artist Nora Ipekian-Azadian came from Detroit.

After words of welcome from the chairman of the New York TCA executive, the artistic portion of the program began with a performance by one of the best interpreters of classical music, soprano Anahit Zakaryan, accompanied on the piano with composer Hampartzoum Berberian’s music of Tekeyan’s poems “G’antzreve, dghas” (“It Is Raining, My Son”) and “Ser me kaghdni” (“A Secret Love”).

Zarmine Boghosian, educator and writer, served as the master of ceremonies. Boghosian was recently given a medal by the Mother See of Etchmiadzin. Thanks to her efforts, the program went smoothly, and she introduced the participating artists with a seriousness worthy of Tekeyan.

While the program had been initiated and organized by the TCA, the Hamazkayin Armenian Education and Cultural Society and the Essayan-Getronagan Alumni Association also participated as fellow cultural organizations. As Vahan Tekeyan had been a student in, and then principal of, Constantinople’s [Armenian] National Central [Getronagan] School, it was particularly appropriate that the chairman of the latter’s alumni association, Arto Khrimian, give a heart-felt talk.

The anthology of poems in English translation was presented by the well-known intellectual and translator Dr. Hrant Markarian. He analyzed on video the difficult work conducted by the Papasians, which reappeared at a late date by chance in John Papasian’s home in Rome, after the latter had passed away in Cairo in 1989. This initial work was continued by Gerald.

The book was published by California State University, Fresno, and edited by Edmond Azadian. The cover illustration, a portrait painting of Vahan Tekeyan, is by Nora Azadian, who personally knew the writer while he was living in Cairo. The Prince of Poets would frequently visit the home of Azadian’s maternal grandfather, Mihran Damadian, the hero of Sasun and an Armenian Democratic Liberal leader.

The poet Vehanoush Tekian presented in the Armenian language the second book, which was published by Armenia’s TCA in Yerevan in 2012. Edmond Azadian both edited this volume and wrote its foreword. The book is comprised of a selection of Tekeyan’s poems in separate chapters, “Presenting Oneself,” “Love and Impossible Loves,” “Armenian Verses,” “Something Terrible Thing There,” and “Beyond Life and Death,” which represent the true measure of the great poet.

Instead of just introducing the book, Tekian also gave information on Tekeyan’s biography and work, which she conscientiously prepared (and which could be presented in a separate literary assembly).

Gerald Papasian first expressed his gratitude to the TCA executive for organizing the event and then reflected on the process of translating the volume. It was laborious and the book was given to the publisher only after a hiatus of many years.

Then the graceful actress Nora Armani and Papasian recited six poems from the English translation of Tekeyan’s verses.

The multitalented Nora Azadian, despite her advanced, age recited with deep feeling two well-known Tekeyan poems—“Bidi esenk Asdudzoy” (“We Shall Say to God”) and “Bidi iynas” (“You Will Fall”), which at the threshold of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide display Tekeyan’s rage even against God as he wrote:

“Let us all swear that when at last we meet

God in his paradise coming to greet

and comfort and make amends for our pain,

we shall refuse his tardy gift, and say:

‘Send us to hell. Send us to hell again.

You made us know it alas, all too well.

Save paradise for the Turks. Send us to hell.’”

The audience responded with a long-standing ovation to Nora Azadian’s interpretation of Tekeyan’s words.

Edmond Azadian then spoke, thanking the organizing committee and specifically mentioning each artist in the program. Azadian himself is one of only a few living intellectuals who knows Tekeyan’s work and life, and transmits to the new diasporan and Armenian literary generation the legacy of Tekeyan’s Armenian national activities and the talent he used for the advancement of Armenian literature.

Azadian has various works dedicated to Tekeyan and other Armenian writers scattered throughout the pages of our national press, and finally is engaged in assembling them in the form of several volumes.

The talented contemporary singer and songwriter Berge Turabian then performed three songs of Tekeyan’s verses that he had set to music. Turabian is one of the best interpreters of Tekeyan, and of Charles Aznavour. He has a compact disc of Tekeyan verses turned to song.

At the conclusion of the event, some in the audience brought copies of the books to be autographed by the authors.

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