LOUSSAPATZ_The Dawn 2013-970-2-9

ԹԻՒ 970 ՇԱԲԱԹ, 9 ՓԵՏՐՈՒԱՐ 2013

Notice

To subscribe /unsubscribe & all communications Email to: loussapatz@gmail.com

VARTAN MAMIGONIAN

1

ՄԵԾԱՐՈՒՄ՝ ՀԱՅ ԵԿԵՂԵՑՒՈՅ ՍՊԱՍԱՒՈՐՆԵՐՈՒՆ Մեթր Պարգեւ Դաւիթեան

Թորոնթոյի հայութիւնը բախտաւորուած ըլլալ կը թուի իր եկեղեցիներուն մէջ սպասարկող կղերականներով, որոնք արժանացած ըլլալ կը թուին մեր եկեղեցասէր հաւատացեալ հատուածին անվերապահ սիրոյն եւ յարգանքին։ Վերջերս, մեծարանքի հանդիսութիւններու շարք մը արժանաւորապէս նշեց Տէր Զարեհ Աւագ Քհնյ. Զարգարեանի (Ս. Երրորդութիւն Հայց. Առաքելական Եկեղեցի) եւ Հայր Եղիա Ծ. Վրդ. Գիրէջեանի (Ս. Գրիգոր Լուսաւորիչ Հայ Կաթողիկէ Եկեղեցի) եկեղեցական կոչումին եւ ծառայութեան քանի մը տասնամեակները։

Երկուքին ալ մեծարանքը եղած է բծախնդիր եւ արտակարգ հանդիսաւորութեամբ, որ անկասկած արտայայտութինն է այն յարգանքին եւ սիրոյ զգացումներուն զոր կը տածեն այդ երկու եկեղեցիներու շրջանակի անդամները իրենց հովիւներուն նկատմամբ։ Յիշեալ հովիւները մօտէն ճանչցողները անկասկած պիտի վկայեն որ այդ մեծարանքի հանդիսութիւններու ընթացքին եղած ամէն տեսակի չափազանցութիւն կամ անձի պաշտամունքի համազօր նկատուող արտայայտութիւն, անպայման որ ձեւով մը անհանգստացուցած է համեստաբարոյ մեծարեալները...։

Նախապէս, Հայ Աւետարանական համայնքի նախկին հովիւ Վեր. Եսայի Սարմազեան, որ իր աստուածաշունչ եւ հայաշունչ քարոզներով ու բազմամեայ հովուական աշխատանքով սիրուած էր բոլորին կողմէ, ինք ալ արժանացած էր պատշաճ մեծարանքի իր համայնքին կողմէ, իսկ Հայր Մեղրիկ Ծ. Վրդ. Բարիքեան (հովիւ՝ Ս. Աստուածածին Հայց. Առաք. Եկեղեցիի), որ կը շարունակէ հիացնել իր հաւատացեալները հայ եկեղեցականի անձնուէր եւ օրինակելի աշխատանքով, վստահաբար ինք ալ մեծարանքի պիտի արժանանայ ապագային՝ իր եկեղեցւոյ շրջանակին կողմէ։

Վերջին մեծարանքի հանդիսութիւններուն հետ զուգահեռ յիշատակի արժանի է Հայ Եկեղեցւոյ հաւատաւոր եւ երկարամեայ սպասաւորներէն մէկը՝ Արժ. Տէր Սարգիս Քհնյ. Կիւլեանը, որ գրեթէ վաթսուն տարի Պոլսոյ եւ Թորոնթոյի մէջ անձայն եւ անաղմուկ ծառայած է հայ առաքելական եկեղեցիներուն, եւ սակայն դժբախտաբար անձայն ու անաղմուկ ձեւով ալ հանգստեան կոչեցուած է։ Տէր Սարգիսը այն «Տէր Պապա»-ներէն է, որ իր պարզութեամբ, բարի եւ ազնիւ նկարագրով լաւագոյնս կը ներկայացնէ մեր մանկութեան օրերուն մեզ մկրտող եւ մեզի հաղորդութիւն տուող քահանաները, որոնք թէեւ շատ ուսեալ չէին` սակայն իրենց եկեղեցասէր ապրելաձեւով յարգանք եւ սէր կը պարտադրէին։

Տէր Սարգիսը որ, ինչպէս միշտ, անձայն եւ անաղմուկ փոխադրուեցաւ ատենօք գործող Վարագայ Ս. Խաչ Եկեղեցւոյ իր հովուական պաշտօնէն եւ դրուեցաւ որպէս օգնական քահանայ Ս. Երրորդութիւն Եկեղեցւոյ տրամադրութեան տակ..., կ՚ուզէինք զինք ալ տեսնել մեծարուած` հանգստեան կոչող հրաժեշտի հանդիսութեամբ մը, իր վաթսունէ (60) աւելի տարիներու եկեղեցական ծառայութեան համար։

Եւ որովհետեւ, բանաստեղծի խօսքերով, «լեզուն տրուած է քեզ, որ սրտիդ մէջ ինչքան ազնիւ խոհեր ունես՝ ասես անվախ ու անվարան ... ոչ թէ սրտիդ մէջ ամբարես ... ու շիրմաքար դարձնես լեզուդ», այս վերջին մեծարանքի հանդիսութիւնները գրգռեցին մեր մէջ յիշել անիրաւութիւն մը՝ որ պատահեցաւ Տէր Սարգիսի նկատմամբ ...։

2

15

Armenian Presidential Elections Will be Held as Planned on February 18

YEREV AN -- Presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikian announced on Tuesday that he will not seek to delay Armenia’s upcoming presidential election because of an apparent assassination attempt, meaning that it will be held as planned on February 18.

“I have come to only show that I am present. Let every Armenian know that terrorism must not divert the Armenian political life from its natural course,” Hayrikian declared after unexpectedly joining a news conference held by his lawyer, Levon Baghdasarian, and a member of his campaign team, Karo Yeghnukian.

Hayrikian arrived there from a Y erevan hospital where he was taken immediately after being shot and wounded by unknown assailants last Thursday. Escorted by police officers, he returned

to the hospital following his brief remarks. The Armenian constitution allows a postponement if one of the presidential candidates is faced

with “insurmountable obstacles” to their election campaign. “Clearly, the criminal’s goal was to eliminate Paruyr Hayrikian and the consequence would

naturally be new elections. Considering their agenda, we want to prevent them from achieving their goal,” stated Yeghnukian, adding that they also want to hear the other candidates’ position regarding the possible postponement.

Hayrikian representative insisted that he did not make his decision under pressure from or at the urging of President Serzh Sarkisian. Hayrikian, for his part, denounced some of the other opposition candidates for suggesting that he cut a secret deal with the government.

Paruyr Hayrikian was shot at the entrance to an apartment block in the city center where he lives with his family. According to his relatives, the veteran politician was returning home from the offices of his National Self-Determination Union (AIM) party. They said he had never heard of any death or violence threats addressed to Hayrikian.

The Armenian police chief, Vladimir Gasparian said that an unknown gunman apparently fired two gunshots and one of them hit Hayrikian in the shoulder. He said the police will conduct a “meticulous” investigation to identify the shooter and his motives.

We Apologize to Armenians – Kurdish MP

President Serzh Sarkisian visiting with Paruyr Hayrikian in the hospital

Kurdish MP Ahmet Turk

ISTANBUL -- A Kurdish independent MP has extended apologies to the Armenian nation on behalf of his ancestors who took part in the 1915 anti-Armenian massacres in the Ottoman Empire.

“We - as their sons, children and grandchildren - ask for forgiveness,” Agos quoted Ahmet Turk, an MP elected from the Mardin Province, as saying

He reportedly called upon the Turkish state to follow suit and apologize to the Armenians, Assyrians and Yezidis.

Noting that the Armenians suffered a big grief in 1915, Turk said his nation was used as a tool for committing the massacre against the ethnic minorities residing in the Ottoman Empire.

“The Armenians saw much grief in 1915. And the Kurds too, have their share [of guilt] in that. Our grandfathers and fathers were used for[fighting] against both the Armenians, and Assyrians, as well as the Yezidis. We today – as their children and grandchildren – apologize to them. Receiving apologies is important to my mind. If those events

happened before our republic came into existence, what obstacles are there?” he said.

16

New Secretary of State Kerry Vows

‘Strong Support’ for Turkish-Armenian Normalization

New U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry

WASHINGTON, DC (RFE/RL) -- John Kerry, a veteran pro- Armenian senator who will take over as the new U.S. Secretary of State on Friday, has reaffirmed Washington’s strong support for an unconditional normalization of Turkey’s relations with Armenia.

Kerry did that in his written answers to questions that were filed by other legislators last week during confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate on his candidacy for the top U.S. diplomatic post.

“The United States is encouraging Turkey at the highest levels to engage productively with Armenia on the [2009] normalization protocols, to open the border, to reinstitute transportation, communication, and utility links between the two countries, and to re-establish diplomatic relations,” he said.

“If confirmed, I will continue to strongly support all efforts to normalize bilateral relations between Armenia and Turkey so that together, they can forge a relationship that is peaceful, productive, and prosperous,” the Massachusetts Democrat wrote

to Robert Menendez, the staunchly pro-Armenian incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Kerry referred to the U.S.-brokered agreements that were signed by Armenia and Turkey in 2009. The two protocols envisaged the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two neighboring states and opening of their border.

The Turkish government has made their parliamentary ratification contingent on a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict acceptable to Azerbaijan, a precondition rejected by Yerevan.

The administration of President Barack Obama likewise says that the protocols must be implemented without any preconditions. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton repeated that “the ball remains in Turkey’s court” when she visited Yerevan last June.

Risking criticism from Armenian-American groups that have long supported him, Kerry also stopped short of referring to the 1915 mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey as genocide. He spoke instead of “one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century.”

Responding to Senator Barbara Boxer, Kerry made clear he will stick to the Obama administration’s policy on the sensitive issue. “As the President has emphasized in his April 24 Remembrance Day statements, the achievement of a full, frank, and just acknowledgement of the facts of what occurred in 1915 is in all our interests,” he said. “He also has said that the best way to advance that goal is for the Armenian and Turkish people to address the facts of the past as a part of their efforts to move forward.”

As senator, Kerry has backed numerous draft resolutions calling for an official U.S. recognition of the genocide. In 2005, he joined 30 senators in urging then President George W. Bush to reaffirm “the United States record on the Armenian Genocide.”

Kerry also criticized the Bush administration in 2006 for recalling U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans for publicly using the word “genocide” with respect to the events of 1915. He accused the administration of bowing to pressure from Turkey.

17

OSCE Chairperson Calls on Conflicting Parties to Bring Peace to Region

VIENNA -- The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara, speaking at the OSCE Permanent Council, Vienna

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara, met with the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Jacques Faure of France, and Ian Kelly of the United States as well as the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk to discuss the progress towards settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, OSCE said in a news release.

The talks focused on the Co-Chairs’ meeting last week in Paris, France, with the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, where they discussed a proposal to advance the peace process they had submitted to the sides late last year and views on possible confidence building measures.

Minister Kozhara expressed full support to the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs aimed at strengthening the ceasefire and helping the sides negotiate a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “It is a priority of Ukraine’s OSCE Chairmanship to work with the parties to advance this process to the extent possible, and I urge the sides to show the commitment and political will needed to finally bring peace to this region,” said the OSCE Chairperson, according to the organization’ s official website.

Report: Insufficient Progress in Armenia Media Freedom

A new report by the Investigative Journalists’ NGO says Armenia is making insufficient progress in preserving media freedom. The organisation is a member of the Association of European Journalists.

The study ‘Violence, intimidation and legal cases against journalists and the media in Armenia 2012’ pays particular attention to incidents of violence against reporters in the country, as well as lawsuits against media on charges of slander and insult.

The report, financially supported by the OSCE Office in Yerevan, is a compilation of media freedom violations in Armenia between January and October 2012 and legal analysis of two renowned experts, the attorneys Ara Ghazaryan and Ashot Vareljyan.

After carefully examining various aspects regarding the freedom of news outlets, including legislative regulation, news accessibility, physical violence and slander/insult court cases, the study concluded that "overall judicial process is developing in the right direction".

This means that defamation cases brought to the courts have decreased dramatically, as well as a significant drop in the amounts of compensatory damages awarded has become established judicial practice.

However, the judicial practice of defamation and libel lawsuits was found to be "the only area where steady positive developments continue".

In contrast, when it comes to exposing incidents of violence committed against journalists, the report concluded that "the situation hasn’t improved." More precisely, police investigations of the cases reported in 2012 "have been more for ‘show’ than anything else and thus unproductive".

Liana Sayadyan, deputy editor of the NGO-run online newspaper Hetq where the report appeared, told New Europe that journalists in Armenia faced various problems, including lack of access to information, violence and inefficient police investigations. However, in her opinion, the biggest weakness of the current media freedom environment in Armenia was the financial dependence of media outlets on politics, government or other institutions.

According to the press freedom index for 2013 recently released by Reporters without Borders (RWB), Armenia ranks 74th, marking a progress of three positions ahead compared to last year. Nevertheless, RWB emphasised that the country, together with Moldova and Georgia, 'still faces important challenges concerning media independence and the working environment of journalists.'

18

Olympic Boxing Champion

Vladimir Yengibaryan Passed Away

Vladimir Yengibaryan

LOS ANGELES -- Vladimir Yengibaryan, the second Olympic champion in the history of Soviet boxing, passed away at age 80 in Los Angeles, California.

Yengibaryan, a proud Armenian and the native of its capital Yerevan, started his career as a bantamweight. His first of three European championship wins came in the 1953 competition, where he captured the Gold as a lightweight. Yengibaryan would repeat honors in 1957 and 1959 - both in the light welterweight division - and also captured Bronze in the 1955 Games.

His crowning achievement as an amateur came in the 1956 Summer Games in Melbourne, scoring four consecutive decisions to capture Olympic Gold in the welterweight division. Yengibaryan was one of three Soviet boxers to win Gold that year, marking the beginning of its dominance in Olympic competition.

An attempt to repeat honors fell short when he was eliminated in the quarterfinal round of the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics.

“I have never been knocked down throughout my entire career”, recalled Yengibaryan, who also founded the Children and Youth Sport School in Yerevan shortly after retiring from boxing. “I was the Pretty Boy, had no scars and no swellings, but my hands were crushed by boxing because of so many hits I have delivered to my opponents”.

Yengibaryan moved from Armenia to Los Angeles in 1992. He will be sorely missed not only by the Armenian boxing community but also by all those, who were lucky enough to witness his fights from the ringside position.

Archbishop Aykazian to Lead

Christian Churches Together

Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, the Diocese’s Ecumenical Director, was elected president of Christian Churches Together in the U.S.A.- a nationwide ecumenical association of church leaders- on Wednesday, January 30, during the organization’s annual meeting in Austin, Texas.

“Christian Churches Together has become one of the most important Christian organizations in the United States,” Archbishop Aykazian said. “In the coming years, I look forward to working together with fellow church leaders to promote the common good for our society.”

Participants in the annual meeting, from January 28 to February 1, focused on immigration reform, and heard from immigrants and advocates, including representatives of the Hispanic Christian community and Catholic Relief Services of

Archbishop Vicken Aykazian the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. In a statement released after the meeting, Christian

Churches Together calls on “people of faith, people of good will, elected officials in Congress and the President of the United States to work together to enact just and humane immigration reform legislation in 2013.”

(BoxingScene.com)

19

“The 11 million individuals now in the U.S. without authorization should be given an opportunity to earn citizenship, if the individual chooses,” the statement reads. The organization also calls for family reunification options, just enforcement measures, and special protection for refugees and asylum seekers.

Some 100 church leaders attended the annual meeting in Austin. Also representing the Armenian Church were the Very Rev. Fr. Aren Jebejian and seminarian Eric Vozzy.

Archbishop Aykazian will serve a four-year term as the head of Christian Churches Together. He previously served as President of the National Council of Churches, from 2007 to 2009. He is also a member of the Central Committee and the Executive Council of the World Council of Churches.

Established in 2001, Christian Churches Together is comprised of more than 40 churches and organizations, including Evangelical, Pentecostal, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, historic Protestant, Racial and African American churches. Archbishop Aykazian was among the founding members of the organization. He is also the first to serve as president of both the National Council of Churches and Christian Churches Together.

COVER PAGE

Mamigonian Dynasty Mamigonian (Armenian: Մամիկոնեան) was a noble family which dominated Armenian politics between the 4th

and 8th century. They ruled the Armenian regions of Taron, Sasun, Bagrevand and others. Their patron saint was Saint Hovhannes Karapet (John the Baptist) whose monastery of the same name (also known as Glak) they fiercely defended against the Sassanid invaders.

Origin

The origin of the Mamikonians is shrouded in the mists of antiquity. Moses of Chorene in hisHistory of Armenia (5th century) claims that three centuries earlier two Chinese noblemen, Mamik and Konak, rose against their half-brother, Chenbakur, the Emperor of Chenk, or China. They were defeated and fled to the king of Parthia*1 who, braving the Emperor's demands to extradite the culprits, sent them to live in Armenia, where Mamik became the progenitor of the Mamikonians.

Another 5th-century Armenian historian, Pavstos Buzand,*2 seconded the story. In his History of Armenia, he twice mentions that the Mamikonians descended from the Han Dynasty of China and as such were not inferior to the Arshakid rulers of Armenia. This genealogical legend may have been part of the Mamikonians' political agenda, as it served to add prestige to their name. Although it echoes the Bagratids' claim of Davidic descent and the Artsruni's claim of the royal Assyrian ancestry, some Armenian historians tended to interpret it as something more than a piece of genealogical mythology. A theory from the 1920s postulated that the Chenk mentioned in the Armenian sources were not the Chinese but probably from a different ethnic group fromTransoxania,*3 such as the Tocharians.*4 Edward Gibbon*5 The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire also believed that the founder of Mamikonian clan was not Chinese but merely from the territory of the Chinese Empire and ascribes a Scythian*6 origin to Mamigon stating that at the time the borders of the Chinese Empire reached as far West as Sogdiana.*7

Other sources identify the Chen or the Tchen as the indigenous inhabitants of the Pontos*8 Another reconstruction, similar to the previous ones but without references whatsoever to distant China, has that the family originally immigrated from Bactriana (present northern Afghanistan) under the reign of Tiridates II of

Armenia, ( Armenian: Տրդատ Բ,) likely coinciding with the accession of the Sassanids in Iran.*9

*1 Parthia (Persian: also less commonly called Parthyaea in context to the Hellenistic period, is a region of north-eastern Iran)

*2 Armenian: Փավստոս Բուզանդ, was an Armenian historian of the 5th century. He wrote a six volume history)

*3 Transoxiana (also spelled Transoxania) is the ancient name used for the portion of Central Asia corresponding approximately with modern-day Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, southern Kyrgyzstan and southwest Kazakhstan)

*4 Tocharians were a Mleccha tribe, with their kingdom located in the north west of India) *5 An English historianin)

20

*6 An Iranian nomadic people

*7 Was the ancient civilization of an Iranian people) *8 Pontus is a historical Greek designation for a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea, located in

modern-day northeastern Turkey) region on the Black Sea - ancestors of the modern Laz people.(Laz are a sub- ethnic group of Kartvelians, native to the Black Sea coastal regions of Turkey and Georgia. One of the chief tribes of ancient kingdom of Colchis, the Laz were initially early adopters of Christianity, and most of them subsequently converted to Sunni Islam during Ottoman rule of Caucasus in the 16th century).

*9 Persian Empire, ruled by the Sasanian Dynasty from 224 CE to 651)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamikonian

Will the REAL John Kerry Please Stand Up!

By Harut Sassounian Publisher, The California Courier

Some weeks ago, when Sen. John Kerry’s name was first mentioned as a possible successor to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, I cautioned Armenians not to get overly excited just because “a good friend” of the Armenian community could assume such an influential post.

Unfortunately, it did not take long to discover that my words of caution were fully justified. Despite his 30-year- record of support for Armenian issues, Sen. Kerry proved last week, right before assuming his new position, that even such a close “friend” could reverse his long-held views, disappointing the Armenian-American community.

Regrettably, Sen. Kerry turned out to be no different than Pres. Obama, Vice President Biden, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. As US Senators and presidential candidates, they all made lavish promises in seeking the backing of Armenian-American voters, and completely ignored them after assuming office.

While some may argue that Armenians should only blame themselves for trusting dishonest politicians, I believe all voters have the right to expect elected officials to keep their promises. Otherwise, lying to the public becomes an acceptable practice with no prospect of replacing deceitful officials with honest ones.

Sen. Kerry experienced an overnight transformation last week, when for the first time in his political career, he shied away from using the term “Armenian Genocide.” In the past, Sen. Kerry had strongly criticized Presidents and Secretaries of State for not acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. Ironically, he now refuses to practice what he preached for so many years!

Sen. Kerry proved that he is not the man he used to be, when responding to written questions on Armenian issues submitted by Senators Robert Menendez (Dem.-NJ) and Barbara Boxer (Dem.-CA), after his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

When asked for his views on the Armenian Genocide, Sen. Kerry shamefully repeated the euphemisms used by Pres. Obama in his annual April 24 statements. The nominee for Secretary of State, after using the term “Armenian Genocide” throughout his long Senate career, all of sudden shied away from that term and employed every other word in the English dictionary, except genocide. This is what he stated:

“The U.S. government clearly acknowledges and mourns as historical fact that 1.5 million Armenians were massacred or marched to their deaths in the final days of the Ottoman Empire. These events resulted in one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century, and the United States recognizes that they remain a great source of pain for the people of Armenia and of Armenian descent as they do for all of us who share basic universal values. The President honors the victims every April 24th on Remembrance Day, so that we never forget this dark chapter in history.”

In a follow-up question reminding him of his own sponsorship for legislation to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, Sen. Kerry ducked the issue by insisting that he would “represent the policies of the President and Administration faithfully.”

Sen. Kerry’s response to questions on the Armenian-Turkish Protocols were just as disappointing. He insisted that he would continue to support the failed efforts of Pres. Obama and Secretary of State Clinton, pressuring Armenia and Turkey to ratify the Protocols. Four years ago, in a private meeting, I explained to Sen. Kerry, then chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, why the Armenia-Turkey Protocols were doomed to failure and were contrary to Armenia’s national interests. Back then, the Senator seemed to find my arguments convincing. He has now reverted to supporting the Obama administration’s position on the Protocols which Turkey, under pressure from Azerbaijan, has fortunately refusing to ratify.

21

In response to another written question, Sen. Kerry indicated that he might be willing to meet with the leadership of Armenian-American organizations, something Secretary Clinton and Pres. Obama have refused to do in the last four years. Such a meeting would provide the opportunity to explain to Secretary Kerry why the Obama administration is wasting its time trying to push Turkey to ratify the Protocols. Turkish leaders have made it clear that they would not finalize the Protocols, unless Armenians make territorial concessions to Azerbaijan on Artsakh.

While Armenian-Americans may not be pleased with Sen. Kerry’s sudden change of heart on Armenian issues, regardless of the reasons, they have no choice but to meet and work with the Secretary of State who is in office today. Armenians’ only wish is that periodically they will be able to interact with the REAL John Kerry whom they knew and loved for the past 30 years!

Genocide Scholar Steven L. Jacobs to Speak at NAASR on “Lemkin and the Armenian Genocide”

BELMONT, MA -- Prof. Steven L. Jacobs, Aaron Aronov Chair of Judaic Studies at the University of Alabama, will give a lecture entitled “Raphael Lemkin and the Armenian Genocide,” on Tuesday, February 19, 2013, at 8:00 p.m. at the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), 395 Concord Avenue, Belmont, MA. The lecture is co-sponsored by Temple Isaiah (Lexington, MA) and NAASR.

Steven Leonard Jacobs, one of the foremost authorities on the life and work of Raphael Lemkin, will provide a detailed critical overview and discussion of the importance of the Armenian case in the development of Lemkin’s thinking and conception of the term genocide and its formulation as an

international crime. Lemkin coined the term “genocide” and was the motivating force behind the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Punishment and Prevention of the Crime of Genocide.

Prof. Jacobs’ most recent book, Lemkin on Genocide (2012), provides an annotated commentary on two unpublished manuscripts written by Lemkin. He serves as the International Editor of The Papers of Raphael Lemkin. Jacobs’ other books include Raphael Lemkin’s Thoughts on Nazi Genocide (1992); Contemporary Christian and Contemporary Jewish Religious Responses to the Shoah (1993); Rethinking Jewish Faith: The Child of a Survivor Responds (1994); The Holocaust Now: Contemporary Christian and Jewish Thought (1997); The Encyclopedia of Genocide (1999, Associate Editor); Pioneers of Genocide Studies (2002, Co-editor); Dismantling the Big Lie: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion (2003); and Post-Shoah Dialogues: Re-Thinking Our Texts Together (2004).

This lecture is made possible through NAASR’s Ethel Jafarian Duffett Fund. Mrs. Duffett (1915-2005), a longtime NAASR member and generous benefactor, was the youngest child of Boghos and Nazley Jafarian from Mezireh in the Kharpert region. A survivor of the Armenian Genocide, Mrs. Duffett created a legacy of education about Armenian history and culture, especially memorializing the Armenian Genocide which claimed many of her family members and destroyed the community into which she was born.

More information about Prof. Jacobs’ lecture may be had by calling 617-489-1610, faxing 617-484-1759, e-mailing hq@naasr.org, or writing to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA 02478.

22

New Book by Zoryan Institute:

“La Tragedia di Sumgait”

TORONTO -- The Sumgait Tragedy: Pogroms against Armenians in Soviet Azerbaijan: Eyewitness Accounts is as relevant today as when it was first published by the Zoryan Institute. A new Italian language edition, La Tragedia di Sumgait: 1988, Un Pogrom di armeni nell’Unione Sovietica has just been released. The edition was prepared by Pietro Kuciukian and published by Guerini e Associati of Milan and marks the ninth language in which Zoryan’s work has been published. This edition includes the prefaces both from the English edition by human rights activist Yelena Bonner, and the French edition by human rights activist, French politican, and co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières, Bernard Kouchner. The appearance of this book is very timely, exposing the origins of the current conflict, as Azerbaijan continues to use threatening and warmongering language against Armenia and Artsakh.

For three days in February, 1988, the Azerbaijani city of Sumgait became the arena of pogroms against the Armenians. The Sumgait tragedy was a brutal, organized attempt to block a political solution to the peaceful demands of the Armenians of Mountainous Karabagh, over 1000 km away from Sumgait, which is deeply within Azerbaijan proper. These events marked the

beginning of a premeditated plan to depopulate Azerbaijan of Armenians, and eventually of Russians and Jews.

The book is a compilation of interviews conducted by Armenian journalist Samvel Shahmuratian with Sumgait survivors immediately after events in February 1988, while the memory was fresh. These testimonies give painful answers to critical questions. What happened in Sumgait? Why was the impending slaughter not averted? Why did measures to halt the massacres come too late? Why did the events not receive complete analysis and coverage by the mass media, the government, and judicial bodies? The answers to these questions come from the victims themselves, in halting painful narratives.

In 1988, the Nagorno-Karabagh Autonomous Oblast was a small, 4400 sq. km. (1699 sq. mi.) Soviet enclave with a population of approximately 153,000, of which 80% was Armenian. It is central to Armenian cultural and historical identity. Since its transfer by Stalin to Azerbaijan in 1921, the government of Azerbaijan pursued a policy of economic and social discrimination and political repression, making life intolerable for its citizens in a variety of ways. In the 1960s and 1970s, the government of Nagorno-Karabagh petitioned the central Soviet government several times for relief from these conditions, without success.

The advent of Mikhail Gorbachev and his policies of glasnost and perestroika encouraged the people of Nagorno-Karabagh to call for self-determination within the existing legal framework and within the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan. Starting in 1987, they signed petitions, held vigils, conducted hunger strikes, demonstrations, rallies and general strikes. Massive marches took place in Stepanakert and Yerevan. On February 26, 1988, Gorbachev tried to calm the situation by asking for a moratorium on the demonstrations for one month, after which he would announce a new policy regarding Nagorno-Karabagh. The Armenians agreed to suspend their protests.

A wave of anti-Armenian statements and rallies swept over Azerbaijan. This culminated in three days (February 27-29) of unhindered mass pogroms against the Armenians living in Sumgait, a city of some 250,000 inhabitants, miles away from Nagorno-Karabagh.

The perpetrators who broke into Armenian homes were aided by prepared lists containing the names of residents. They were armed with iron rods, stones, axes, knives, bottles, and canisters full of benzene. According to witnesses, some apartments were raided by groups of 50 to 80 persons. Similar crowds, up to 100 people, stormed the streets.

23

There were dozens of casualties and 53 murders — most of those were burnt alive after being assaulted and tortured. Hundreds of innocent people were wounded and disabled. Many women, including adolescent girls, were raped. Over 200 apartments were raided, dozens of cars burnt, numerous shops and workshops looted. Mobs hurled furniture, refrigerators, TV sets, and beds from balconies and then burnt them. The direct and indirect results of these atrocities were tens of thousands of Armenian refugees.

The army arrived in Sumgait on February 29; however, it limited its activities to shielding itself against the ravaging Azerbaijani mob that threw stones at the soldiers and did little to protect Armenians.

As the true story behind Armenian-Azerbaijani relations has become obscured by propaganda, oil lobbyists, and economic interests, this volume serves as a valuable document for Italian readers when considering a resolution to the ongoing Karabagh conflict. This new edition provides an abridged version of the interviews, making it an excellent introductory text for Italian readers interested in learning more about the Sumgait tragedy. This new version also arranges the interviews into thematic chapters, making them easy to navigate and providing those who are new to the subject with more context.

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: January 19, 2013

Contact: Deborah Hay Tel: 416-250-9807

“The Asia Minor Catastrophe and the Ottoman Greek Genocide” A New Book Edited by George Shirinian of the Zoryan Institute

The Asia Minor Catastrophe and the Ottoman Greek Genocide: Essays on Asia

Minor, Pontos, and Eastern Thrace, 1913–1923 edited by George N. Shirinian, Executive Director of the Zoryan Institute, is a compilation of innovative papers given by distinguished scholars at two academic conferences organized by the Asia Minor and Pontos Hellenic Research Center in Chicago.

“...our knowledge of the catastrophic events affecting millions of people caught up in the huge political and social transformation connected with the dissolution of the Ottoman empire and the rise of the Turkish Republic has not received the scholarly attention it deserves. Even the best studied of these tragic events, ‘The Armenian Genocide,’ has been deprived of a certain panoramic contextualization of a tragedy which touched profoundly the lives of several other religious and ethnic groups, such as the Greeks and Assyrians,” observed Theofanis G. Stavrou, Professor of History at the University of Minnesota.

This book and its careful treatment of the Greek experience within the broader genocide of the Christian minorities in the Ottoman Empire aims to fill a gap in the scholarly literature on the Greek Genocide and is one of the first to treat the genocidal experiences of the Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks as an integrated history.

The studies presented in this groundbreaking book are thoroughly documented and include revealing and previously unpublished American diplomatic reports on the destruction of Smyrna. In addition to the historical chapters, essays explore such subjects as the multigenerational effects of the Greek Genocide and the difficulties

24

of Asia Minor refugee identity in Greece, Turkey’s present day obligations under the Treaty of Lausanne, and the challenges of obtaining recognition for the Ottoman genocides. A list of the contents is given below.

Professor Vahakn N. Dadrian, Zoryan’s Director of Genocide Research, writes, “This book makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of the Greek experience of genocide during the early part of the twentieth century and its aftermath. It shows how interrelated were the experiences of the Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks during the end of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the Turkish Republic.”

The contributors to the book are:

• George N. Shirinian: Introduction • Tessa Hofmann : The Genocide against the Christians in the Late Ottoman Period, 1912–1922 • Taner Akçam: The Greek Deportations and Massacres of 1913–1914: A Trial Run for the Armenian Genocide • Matthias Bjørnlund: The Persecution of Greeks and Armenians in Smyrna, 1914–1916: A Special Case in the Course of the Late Ottoman Genocides • Harry J. Psomiades: Greece in Asia Minor: The Greek Naval Bombardment of Samsun [Amisos], June 7, 1922 • Constantine G. Hatzidimitriou: The Destruction of Smyrna in 1922: American Sources and Turkish Responsibility • Alexander Kitroeff: Asia Minor Refugees in Greece: A History of Identity and Memory, 1920s–1980s • Van Coufoudakis: From Lausanne (1923) to Cyprus (2009): Turkey’s Violations of International Law and the Destruction of Historic Hellenic Communities • Robert J. Pranger: U.S. Policy Obstacles in Recognizing the Genocides of Christian Minorities in the Late Ottoman Empire: Challenges and Opportunities

George N. Shirinian, editor of the book, commented, “The contributors to this volume and the Asia Minor and Pontos Hellenic Research Center hope that this wide-ranging collection of studies helps bring a measure of understanding and openness to the discussion of the Greek Genocide. This is a story of great human tragedy and suffering, of great power politics and miscalculation. By promoting awareness of this history, we hope to prevent the recurrence of another, ‘Great Catastrophe.’”

To order a copy for yourself, as a gift, or to help sponsor a book to be placed in university libraries, please contact the Zoryan office, 416-250-9807, zoryan@zoryaninstitute.org. The book’s price is $40.

The Zoryan Institute is the parent organization of the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, which runs an annual, accredited university program on the subject and is co-publisher of Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal in partnership with the International Association of Genocide Scholars and the University of Toronto Press. It is the first non-profit, international center devoted to the research and documentation of contemporary issues with a focus on Genocide, Diaspora and Armenia. For more information please contact the Zoryan Institute by email zoryan@zoryaninstitute.org or telephone 416-250-9807.

25

Kazan Visiting Professor Dr. Sona Haroutyunian to Present Series on “The Theme of the Armenian Genocide in Literature, Translation, and Cinema”

FRESNO -- Dr. Sona Haroutyunian (University of Venice), the 10th Henry K. Khanzadian Kazan Visiting Professor of Armenian Studies at California State University, Fresno, will hold three illustrated public lectures on the theme of the Armenian Genocide in the Spring semester, concentrating on the renowned Italian-Armenian novelist Antonia Arslan’s genocide narrative Skylark Farm.

The first lecture, to be held at 7:30PM on Wednesday, February 27, will focus on the literary genre as an instrument, which brings greater attention to the historical phenomenon of the Armenian Genocide. To what extent are these narratives true to historical events? To what extent can an author use the devices of literary fiction while still remaining authentic in the telling of history? Does reading fiction about this particular historical event alter the way we think about the nature of historical memory? These are some of the questions that will be explored during the first lecture. With the projection of exclusive documents that Prof. Haroutyunian will provide for the lecture, the

audience will have a unique chance to “visit the backstage” of the novel. In the second lecture, to be held at 7:30PM on Thursday, March 14, Dr. Haroutyunian will both

explore and problematize the power of translation related to the Genocide as an instrument of cultural, historical, and linguistic interaction. For example, why has this particular book been chosen for translation into 18 languages? What difference does reading genocide literature in translation make? Is there something about the genocide as an event that calls into crisis the very notion of eventfulness that resists or eludes translation? And finally, in what ways have these translations contributed to the awareness of the genocide in their given countries? Exploring the impacts these translations have had in their given countries, there will also be examine the reader reactions following their respective publications in various languages by presenting exclusive interviews with some of the translators. During the lecture the metaphorical relationship between memory and translation will also be examined.

The third lecture, to be held at 7:30PM on Wednesday, April 10, will focus on the theme of “The Armenian Genocide in Cinema” and will deal with the Italian directors the Taviani brothers and their film “Skylark Farm,” a co-production by Italy, Spain, Belgium, France and the European production company Eurimages.

The aim of the three public lectures will be to analyze the different effects that each medium (literature-translation-cinema) may have on the experience of its readers/audience—what that medium is trying to cultivate, the limitations of each, and how all of them in different ways bring greater attention to the historical phenomenon of the Armenian Genocide.

Dr. Sona Haroutyunian is a graduate of Yerevan State University, where she received her Masters of Arts in pedagogy, philology, and literary translation in 1996, and later her Ph.D. in philology. She received her second Ph.D. in linguistics at the University of Venice, where she has been a professor of Armenian language and literature since 2001.

Along with teaching, Dr. Haroutyunian has also directed her skills towards working as the Cultural Advisor to the Ambassador of Armenia in Italy, and the Italian and Armenian Website Coordinator and Translator for the Armenian Embassy in Italy. Recently, Dr. Haroutyunian completed mapping translations from the Armenian language into Italian, a project she has worked on with UNESCO.

Dr. Sona Haroutyunian is an accomplished scholar who, among her projects, has published many academic articles on Dante in the Armenian world, on translation and in linguistics and is the author of the Armenian translations of Aleramo Hermet’s Armenian Venice and Antonia Arslan’s genocide narratives Skylark Farm and The Road to Smyrna.

Each of the lectures is free and open to the public and will take place in the University Business Center, A. Peters Auditorium, on the Fresno State campus.

For more information on the lecture please contact the Armenian Studies Program at 278-2669.

26

Kiva.org is a non-profit online lending organization. It helps to alleviate poverty in developing world. It allows individuals like YOU to make $25 or more loans directly to low income entrepreneur/farmers, through reliable micro- financing institutions. It has a repayment rate of 98.87%. It operates in more than 60 countries (including Armenia)

For more information, please visit Kiva.org, do your due diligence, and

make $25 or more Loan (s) and join many other Armenians (and many more non- Armenians) to help reduce poverty in Armenia, and help keep Armenians in Armenia.

YOU CAN

For further information you can contact: Seta Ghougassian seta_gu@yahoo.ca (416)694-6142

Èàôê2 ́2ò Þ2 ́2Â2Âoð - LOUSSAPATZ - THE DAWN

Ðð2î2ð2ÎàôÂÆôÜ Üàð êoðàôÜ ̧ ØÞ2ÎàôÂ2ÚÆÜ ØÆàôÂo2Ü - ÂàðàÜÂú

333 DENISON ST. UNIT # 3 MARKHAM, ON CANADA L3R 2Z4 TEL: 905 – 752 – 1206

E-MAIL : loussapatz@gmail.com

Èàôê2 ́2ò Þ2 ́2Â2ÂoðÂÆ ì2ðâ2Î2Ü Î21⁄4Ø

îÜúð3⁄4Ü äoîðàê ØàôÞo2Ü MANAGING EDITOR BEDROS MOUCHIAN îÜîoê2Î2Ü Úàìê3⁄4ö ¶2ܶàôðo2Ü FINANCE HOVSEP KANKOURIAN

227