Armenian Archives

USC News A hub of Armenian history makes its mark

December 2, 2014 By administrator

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Institute of Armenian Studies raises awareness of culture and contemporary issues on campus and beyond
Growing up in an Armenian community in Wisconsin, Richard Antaramian began wondering about his family’s history.

The answers he received didn’t adequately address his curiosity.

“It pushed me into more rigorous areas of inquiry, and ultimately I came out with a Ph.D. and a lifelong desire both to teach and research the rich history of the Armenian people,” said Antaramian, assistant professor of history and holder of the Turpanjian Early Career Chair in Contemporary Armenian Studies at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

He currently teaches two undergraduate courses on the Ottomans and World War I. In the spring he’ll teach a class on the Armenian diaspora.

Antaramian’s faculty position was established this year in conjunction with the 10-year anniversary of USC Dornsife’s Institute of Armenian Studies and a commitment from faculty, staff and administrators university-wide to create a preeminent program for Armenian studies at USC.

“We have thousands of students who are not Armenian who also can learn from our scholars’ incredible wealth of knowledge”

“Exploring Armenia in such depth offers a wonderful opportunity for our students,” said Steve Kay, dean of USC Dornsife, at an anniversary gala that raised nearly $2 million to support research, education and outreach. “At any given time, USC has almost 1,000 Armenian students on our campus. But, thinking bigger, we have thousands of students who are not Armenian who also can learn from our scholars’ incredible wealth of knowledge.”

The IAS was established in 2005 as part of a partnership between USC and the Armenian community to structure a multidisciplinary center of learning. The fall gala paid tribute to USC President C. L. Max Nikias, a staunch supporter since the institute’s inception.

“President Nikias advocated for us 10 years ago, and we are grateful that he continues to believe that, in scholarship, there are no insignificant fields,” said Charles Ghailian, chair of the IAS Leadership Council. “Going forward, the institute will be a more visible, active organization that initiates research, collaborates with other global centers of Armenian studies and engages with various areas of study on campus.”
Ambitious aims

Newly appointed IAS Director Salpi Ghazarian ’75 — who earned her bachelor’s from USC Dornsife in history and social science — has ambitious goals for the institute’s growth, including hosting cultural events and lectures, and bringing Armenian political figures to campus for discussions with faculty and students. Ghazarian will build on the foundation laid by Richard Dekmejian, who has directed the institute for the past decade.

She also hopes to foster an environment of expanded research and publication, delving into such issues as the Armenian diaspora and the Armenian Genocide.

“I am so pleased to be able to come back to USC to participate in expanding the field of Armenian studies so that it both contributes to and benefits from this incredibly broad scholarly community,” said Ghazarian, who previously founded and directed The Civilitas Foundation, a civic organization and advocacy group that empowers its employees to make decisions about and raise awareness of Armenian issues through the Internet, research and public programming.

Earlier this year, the Armenian Film Foundation officially gave J. Michael Hagopian’s collection of 400 digitized interviews of Armenian Genocide survivors and witnesses to the Visual History Archive at the USC Shoah Foundation — The Institute for Visual History and Education.

Richard Hovannisian, adjunct professor of history, was appointed to take the lead on advising the USC Shoah Foundation on integrating these testimonies into the archive of 53,000 interviews from the Holocaust and other genocides.

Ghazarian plans to work with the USC Shoah Foundation to develop lesson plans based on these testimonies.

“There is no aspect of our existence that was not impacted by the Armenian Genocide,” Ghazarian said.
As history unfolds

Antaramian’s research focuses on the role of the Armenian Church under Ottoman governance during the 19th century. At USC, he will expand his dissertation, “In Subversive Service of the Sublime State: Tanzimat, Consolidating Jurisdiction and Armenian Reform in the Ottoman Empire, 1844-1896” into a book.

“We are typically told that there was an antagonistic relationship between Armenians and the Ottoman governance — but that’s not the case,” Antaramian said. “My research shows that the Armenian Church itself became a site of politics in the Ottoman Empire.”

Antaramian appreciates having the opportunity to research and teach in Los Angeles, which has a diverse Armenian community from Turkey, Syria, Iran and many other countries of the diaspora.

“To me, diaspora signifies all the communities throughout the world who share common experience and institutional connections,” Antaramian said. “If a student wanted to do oral interviews with someone for a project or paper, he or she could do it right here.”

He also believes that the depth of the Armenian diaspora in Los Angeles will attract graduate students and visiting scholars to USC Dornsife.

Antaramian and Ghazarian will work together to encourage scholarship and raise awareness of Armenian issues — past and present.

“This is a new era of scholarship, a new broad interdisciplinary world of study — generally in the 21st century, certainly at USC, and now with Armenian studies at USC Dornsife,” Ghazarian said. “Going forward, we will make the institute’s presence permeate into many other disciplines, offering a unique opportunity both for students and professors to get a deeper understanding of what it means to be Armenian.”

Armenian Orphan Rug, 15 years of untold story and Unsung American Heroes, missing from History pages (19-Photos)

December 1, 2014 By administrator

By Maurice Missak Kelechian,

My journey with the “Armenian Orphan Rug” started on May, 2005 in Beirut, Lebanon when a friend of mine, Sassoun, brought me an Armenian book and said, “I got this book at the flea market for 25 cents. Here, take it. I know you are into this stuff.” By then, I was deeply involved in my research of the American orphanages established between 1915 and 1930 and their treatment of the orphans.

The book was printed in 1946 celebrating Jacob Kunzler, a Swiss missionary, and his 40 years of dedicated service to humanity saving Armenians all the way from Urfa in Turkey to Syria and Lebanon. Hence, his well-deserved, honorific title “Papa,” the father of the orphans.

As I quickly scanned the pages of the book a headline caught my eyes: “The Rug Factory.” I was mesmerized by the historical details and the human stories involved – stories of destruction, crimes against humanity, philanthropy, survival, and sacrifices made by the Americans that saved a whole generation of Armenian survivors, that is, the majority of the parents and grandparents of the Armenian-Americans.

Little did I know that a 25 cent book from the flea market will take me on a journey to discover a jewel, a love story between a nation on the verge of annihilation and a hero who became an ardent fighter for true democracy.

The story of the “Armenian Orphan Rug” started way before the 25 cent book came to exist.

In September 3, 1915, witnessing firsthand the atrocities against minorities in Anatolia (now Turkey), Henry Morgenthau, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey at that time, sends the following telegram to the U.S. State Department: “Destruction of the Armenian race in Turkey is progressing rapidly. Will you suggest to Cleveland Dodge, Charles Crane, John Mott, [Rabbi] Stephen Wise and others to form a committee to raise funds and provide means to save some of the Armenians.” – Cleveland Hadley Dodge, President of Phelps Dodge; Charles R. Crane, Businessman/Industrialist; John R Mott, Secretary of the International Committee of the Y.M.C.A., Rabbi Stephen Wise, co-founder of NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and President of the American Jewish Congress.

Within two weeks, under the leadership of Cleveland H. Dodge and James L Barton, the “American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief” was founded. The members of the committee were composed mainly of multi-religious, prominent Americans as well as the “American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions” that was already operating in Anatolia.

Funds in aggregate of $60,000 were immediately raised and sent to Ambassador Morgenthau in Turkey to be used as emergency relief to help Armenian survivors of mass deportation, disease and hunger. This was the dawning of the miracle of Near East Relief (NER) and its unique philanthropic operations worldwide strongly supported by all the branches of the U.S. government, its three bold presidents; Wilson, Harding and Coolidge, and the American people.

The U.S. State Department’s call for immediate action to assist the survivors shook the core democratic values of the Americans. Under the leadership of three presidents and the U.S. Congress, helping save the Armenian nation from perishing became a matter of moral duty, constitutional principle, and national integrity.

Presidential Decrees:

On August 31, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed “Saturday, October 21^st and Sunday October 22^nd, as joint days for people of United States to make contributions to rescue Armenian survivors.”

In January of 1923, President Harding appealed to the American people to make contributions “towards the maintenance for these children in commemoration of the Armenian anniversary of Christ’s birth.”

On October 26, 1923, President Coolidge announced “International Golden Rule Sunday Dinner”– which falls between Thanksgiving and Christmas – as the observance day where Americans nationwide eat orphanage-size food instead of their lavish Sunday dinner and donate the difference to raise funds for Near East Relief to assist the Armenian survivors.

The Military Community

On January 19, 1920, U.S. Major-General James G. Harbord, who had just returned from Turkey said, “There are many thousands of children, many of whom have lost both parents and do not even know their own names. The Near East Relief is working with splendid courage and in spite of inadequate funds to save these little children. Their work is worthy of and demands the support of all Americans. Mutilation, violation, torture, and death have left their haunting memories in a hundred beautiful Armenian valleys, and the traveler in that region is seldom free from evidence of this most colossal crime of all the ages…”

The Business Community

On December 27, 1921, Charles M Schwab, president of U.S. Steel Corporation and later of Bethlehem Steel declared, “Schwab for Near East Fund Indorses Plan of Adoption of 5000 Waifs (Armenian orphans).”

Members of the Lions Club of Rochester New York observed Bundle Day for the Near East Relief by donating their clothing to Armenian refugees then marching through main streets of the city in barrels!

The American Community

The American people’s response to a NER campaign to raise 30 million dollars to aid the Armenian victims ended up with raising 117 million dollars ($2.8 billion in today’s US dollars). The compassion and the commitment to make a difference on the part of the American people was overwhelming:

All three first ladies (Wilson, Harding and Coolidge) adopted Armenian children as part of the NER program in support of the movement.

Hollywood celebrities like Jackie Coogan, Aileen Pringle, Charles Ray, Betty Blythe, Dorothy Mackaill, Eve Southern, Hobart Bosworth, John Bowers and many others, got heavily involved to raise funds and promote awareness through ads and “Children’s Crusade” drives.

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Kids sold lemonade, popcorn and cookies to “Earn in America & give in Armenia.” Children with disabilities lined up with their piggy banks to donate for NER. Elderly women made dolls for the Armenian orphans. Collection of tons of clothing was organized by cities and municipalities and sent to the survivors aboard ships, trains, and camels.

“American help began to arrive through the Near East and European Relief Administration under the direction of Herbert Hoover. This committee sent to Armenia 28,660,000 pounds of flour and spent more than 100 million dollars.” Hoover later became the U.S. President between1929 and 1933.

The whole nation was acting in one dynamic rhythm: the rhythm of intolerance for crimes against humanity.

In 1922, NER Headquarters in Constantinople, following Mustafa Kemal’s (a military officer during World War I who became the first President of the Turkish Republic) declaration: “All Christians had been ordered out of Turkey by the end of November,” and his order to start the deportation of all the Christians, the NER organization decided to move over 20,000 Christian orphans to the neighboring countries.

I returned to the little book. The story was about a girls’ orphanage in Ghazir, Lebanon, a few miles from where I lived, that was run by the NER. I was devouring the pages. I couldn’t wait. I was eager to find a picture, an address, a sign that will give me a hint as to its current location.

My odyssey to a world of singular generosity, courage, and commitment began. In November 2005, after days of combing the Ghazir village and searching the streets for a historic building that was, most probably, turned into a residence, commercial office or simply flattened to become a children’s playground, I suddenly caught a glimpse of a building with majestic arches, remnants of the Roman architecture in the local culture. I held my breath and silently kept on walking into a courtyard. There it was, the full sight of the arches and the beautiful water fountain. I knew I had found the NER orphanage.

A few weeks later, I visited the Ghazir orphanage with a small team of CNN cameramen and recorded the story of a magnificent rug, woven by seven young orphan girls, to be sent to President Coolidge as an expression of their gratitude for the unconditional love and support given to them by the U.S. government and its generous people at a time when they felt that gods and humanity had abandoned them.

Sixteen miles from Beirut, perched on a hill, the Msar (Mizar) palace in Ghazir was built during the 19^th century by a Lebanese prince, Emir Chehab II, as a birth gift to his nephew, Abdallah Chehab. In 1975, the Palace was classified as a Lebanese Historical Monument specifically for its classical fountain, stunning arches, and the beauty of its patio overlooking the blue Mediterranean.

Early in 1923, the NER rented the Msar palace and turned it into a girls’ orphanage, the largest in the area. Under the American flag, the orphanage became a safe haven for 1400 Armenian girls who had witnessed the destruction of their world: their country, their families and their entire childhood.

The NER consistently provided a critical lifeline to over 132,000 Armenian orphans inside and outside Turkey. Engraved in NER’s mission was the dedication of its American and foreign workers who not only provided physical and emotional security but also empowered the orphans by providing them with a variety of vocational skills and tools to secure their return to the outside world as productive members of society.

By a rule mandated by the NER, Ghazir orphans had to leave the orphanage as soon as they turned 16. “Papa” Jacob Kunzler, by now the director of the orphanage, and his wife Elizabeth worried about the orphan girls for not having the skills to become self-sufficient or, in the absence of any other employable skills, ending up as house maids once they left the orphanage, collaborated with Ohannes Tachdjian (a rug merchant from Urfa, Turkey) to establish a rug weaving factory at the Msar palace where the girls could develop the art and science of weaving rugs and be able to self-finance their livelihood both inside and outside the orphanage.

Jacob Kunzler needed to finance the rug weaving operation. He asked the General Secretary of NER for 1,000 dollars as seed money and got approval for only 400 dollars for a pilot project fearing that the rug weaving operation might not prove to be a profitable one for the orphanage.

Three years after the Ghazir orphanage was founded and within a period of ten months seven Armenian orphan girls, on behalf of tens of thousands of Armenian orphans around the world, wove their masterpiece: a magnificent 11.7 by 18.5 feet rug, a beautiful artifact that hidden in the delicacy of its warps and threads and the sophistication of its bright colors had the treasure of a four thousand year old culture, the solemn expression of pain and sorrow for everything lost: homeland, loved ones, trust in humanity, tears of joy and gratitude for a newly captured hope, and an unexpected love found in a nation that stood by them until they could exhale again.

On Friday, December 4, 1925, that very rug was officially received by President Calvin Coolidge and Dr. John H. Finley, Vice Chairman of NER and Associate Editor of the New York Times. A label on the back of the carpet reads, in all capital letters: “IN GOLDEN RULE GRATITUDE TO PRESIDENT COOLIDGE.”

While standing on the rug together with President Coolidge, Dr. Finley addressed the President, “What a task it was to be known from the fact that they tied 4,404,260 knots in its making. But it was a labor of love. They have tied into it the gratitude of tens of thousands of children to you and to America. And what they have tied into it will never be untied. It is sent to adorn the dearest of our temples, the White House of our President.” The event, which was publicized by the American newspapers nationwide, raised an additional four million dollars in contributions.

From 1923 to 1930, the orphanage produced 3254 rugs and around 1000 orphan girls certified in the art of rug weaving. These girls made history by introducing the art of rug weaving into the Lebanese culture.

In 1930, when NER operations ended, Ohannes Tachdjian moved the Ghazir factory to Beirut and hired the orphan girls to work for him. Under his leadership, the girls were compensated fairly and were taken good care of until, one by one, they were married and left their nests to become healthy, productive individuals in their communities.

The Ghazir orphanage was a success story because of the commitment of the U.S. government, the NER missionaries, and the American people, to justice for crimes against humanity. Last year, the White House declined a request by the Armenian community to loan that same rug for display at an event held at the Smithsonian stating that a book signing by Dr. Hagop Martin Deranian to accompany the event: “was not considered an appropriate venue.” An Armenian orphan rug, woven by orphan refugees of the Armenian genocide, given to President Calvin Coolidge and received by him as a symbol of great leadership, courage, and struggle for human rights was now too hot politically to be taken out of the White House storage and be displayed.

Not a single Armenian-American to date believes that the book signing, where the subject book is about the story of the rug being displayed itself, was inappropriate and a reason for refusal. This was an insult to the intelligence of the Armenian-American community at large. The community is still wondering whose dust we were “sweeping under the rug” this time.

The highly funded, manipulative tactics of the Turkish lobby in the American Congress is not news to the American public. However, it is unconscionable to live with the reality that some of the members of our own Congress are able to sell the very democratic, constitutional principles for which they stand for empty promises.

While President Obama and the White House are shying away from displaying the orphan rug, U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff has been adamantly persisting in displaying it proudly to the U.S. public at the Capitol: “The rug is not only a symbol of the resilience of the Armenian people through their darkest days, it also serves as a tangible expression of the inherent truth that not only were 1.5 million people killed in the first genocide of the 20^th Century but that the American government was a central player in efforts to call attention to the plight of the Armenian people and provide relief to the survivors.”

We should proudly display the rug at the Capitol. After all, this graceful beauty was funded by the parents and the grandparents of all Americans. They were the ones who made tremendous sacrifices committing themselves to protecting the rights of one of the oldest cultures in the history of mankind, on the verge of being wiped out, announcing to the world that tyranny, suppression, and ethnic cleansing are UNACCEPTABLE.

The refusal of the display of the rug is not an Armenian issue, it is an American issue. The refusal of the display of the rug is the betrayal of President Coolidge’s wish who upon receiving the carpet wrote, “The rug has a place of honor in the White House where it will be a daily symbol of goodwill on earth.”

The refusal to display the rug is the denial of one of the most beautiful chapters of the American history: 15 years of testament of our forefathers’ commitment to who we, as a nation, truly are and what real democracy and philanthropy are all about – courage to change the world to make it a better place for all humanity.

The Americans were the unsung heroes for 132,000 Armenian orphans until they found a common language, a medium to express their eternal gratitude for what was given to them. They carefully wove the lyrics of their poetry in the impeccable craftsmanship and intricate design of a jewel promised by President Coolidge to be placed in the White House.

Throughout the 20^th century, our reputation as Americans around the world has been one of dignity, integrity, and justice for peace and self-determination. After World War II, the United States emerged from the armistice as a global spokesperson opposing crimes against humanity. We take pride in our country as a model for democracy and a brave defender of human rights. America is an exceptional nation, generous and compassionate through its government and non-profit organization support. The American people changed the destiny of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide. The American people changed the destiny of the Europeans by supporting the allied forces. Americans helped South Korea become a strong, emerging economy. The American people helped minimize the human and economic losses during the Indian Ocean tsunami and currently, Americans are helping Pakistan to improve its education, economic growth, stabilization, and gender equity.

Rhetoric promises are painful and heavy on the hearts of all of us who worked hard and voted for “change” and who today have been pushed aside to make place for a so-called “strategic partner.” A “strategic partner” who blackmails our government to drive its own agenda in the region, is deeply rooted in corruption, and who controls the very basic freedom of its own citizens: Freedom of speech and press.

It took the Turkish people, in the leadership of Rajip Zarakolu, Orhan Pamuk, Hasan Cemal, Hrant Dink, and the Human Right Association of Turkey, over 95 years and tremendous courage to find out about the missing pages from their history books – the period between 1915 and 1930. Displaying the Armenian Orphan Rug is a unique opportunity to honor the memory of those Americans who sacrificed everything to save a nation. Displaying the Armenian Orphan Rug will serve as a catalyst to return 15 golden pages missing from America’s history books to their bold, undaunted owners and enrich the Americans’ sense of unique place in world history.

(See supporting Photos provided)

Endnotes

1 ‘Zuits’eratsi hayaser Hagop K’iwnts’ler ir hayanpast gortsuneut’ean 40 amyiagin Art’iw’ Beirut-Aleppo “Rotos” publishing 1946
2 US Foreign Relations, 1915, supplement File No.867.4014/117
3 SIXTY-SIXTH CONGRESS. SESS. I. CH. 32. 1919 August 6, 1919 [S. 180.] [Public No. 25] District of Columbia, Near East Relief
incorporated.
4 http://www.genocide-museum.am/eng/17.04.2010.php
5 The New Near East, Jan 1923, p.5.
6 The New Near East, Dec 1923, p.20.
7 Hand Book Near East Relief October 1920, p.10.
8 Military Mission to Armenia By Maj-General Harbord Hand Book Near East Relief October 1920, p.9.
9 New York Tribune Dec 27, 1921, p.9.
10 “The Golden Rule Crusade,” The New Near East, Near East Relief, September 1924, New York, p. 12.
11 The New Near East, June 1921, p.10.
12 The New Near East, June 1922, p.15.
13 A History of Armenia By Vahan M. Kurkjian p.392.
14 The New York Times Nov 17, 1922
15 The New Near East, Jan 1923, p.8.
16 www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyDoZl7bYN8
17 New York Times Dec 5, 1925, p.2.
18 US House of Representatives http://schiff.house.gov/common/popup/popup.cfm?action=item.print&itemID=1437
19 New York Times Dec 5, 1925, p.2.

Robert Fisk published article on Armenian Holocaust in The  Independent

December 1, 2014 By administrator

Do you know the difference between a Holocaust and a holocaust? The Armenians do.

Despite what some sub-editors might think, the genocide of 1.5m Armenian Christians in 1915 was not a holocaust. As reports
“Armenpress”, journalist Robert Fist stated this in his most recent article published in The Independent. As reports “Arrnenpress”, Fisk particularly
stated in his article:

“What‘s in a name? Let’s start with the Persian Gulf. Or the Arabian Gulf. Or just the Arab Gulf. I’m
indebted to reader (and surgeon) Ross Farhadieh for complaining to me last week about my use of “The
Gulf” – bland, dull and historically anaemic – in a column on Iran and its possible return to geopolitical
power in the Middle East. Historically, legally – and in the UN – Ross told me, it should be called the
Persian Gulf. It was Gamal Abdul Nasser‘s nationalism which renamed it the “Arabian Gulf”.

And Ross is right. And I think I know the background to this slippage in nomenclature. When I worked in
the Middle East forThe Times – long before Murdoch emasculated the paper – we found that whenever we
referr~d to the Persian Gulf, Arab states would refuse to let the paper go on sale in Dubai or Cairo. But
whenever we called it the Arabian Gulf, the paper was not allowed into Iran.

Other Great War events remain contentious, not least what I always refer to as the Armenian Holocaust
(with a capital “H”), the genocide of 1.5m Armenian Christians at the hands of the Turkish Ottoman
government in 1915. It was the first industrialised genocide of the last century – the second being the
Jewish Holocaust – and the two mass acts of slaughter had clear historical connections. The Turks
suffocated thousands of Armenians in caves – by blowing smoke from bonfires into the cavities where they
had imprisoned them in the Syrian desert – and thus created the first primitive gas chambers.

Armenian men were sometimes taken to their execution in railway goods wagons. And junior members of
the German Kaiser‘s army who were training the Turkish army at the time witnessed the genocide; more
importantly, some of the names of these Germans turned up less than a quarter of a century later as
members of Hitler’s Wehrmacht in the Ukraine and Belarus, where they were helping to organise the mass
killing of Jews. There’s no doubt where they learned how to do that.

Many years ago, therefore, I used the phrase “Armenian Holocaust” in The Independent. A sub–editor
immediately changed the capital H to a lower-case h. My phone did not stop ringing. Armenians were
outraged. Why did they not deserve a capital H, they demanded to know? Didn’t the Turks murder enough
Armenians to qualify them for a capital H? I wrote a long memorandum to my then editor; Simon Kelner;
explaining that it was racist–to make a distinction between two genocides; we could not base our definition
on the numerical difference between 1,500,000 and 6,000,000. Besides, Israelis (as opposed to the state
of Israel, which doesn‘t even regard the Armenian catastrophe as a genocide) refer to the Armenian
massacres as the Armenian Shoah – using the Hebrew word for Holocaust. Kelner later published my
memo as an article in The Independent – and it won the DC Watt journalism award.

But we newspaper folk have poor institutional memories. Earlier this month, I again referred to the
Armenian Holocaust – and a sub–editor; unfamiliar with the expression, innocently downgraded the poor
old Armenians again. He changed the capital H into h! My phone trilled once more. The same
unanswerable arguments. Didn‘t the Turks kill enough of us, my Armenian callers asked again? So of
course we sheepishly upgraded the Armenians on the website version of my report and returned to them
their capital H … ”

Turkey’s presidential palace belongs to Armenian family  massacred during Genocide: Turkish media

November 30, 2014 By administrator

YEREVAN, ARMENPRESS. On the threshold of the presidential elections m Turkey, the Turkish bianet.org independent news website introduced the true story of the
Turkish presidential residence to its readers. According to the website, the Cankava palace building of the Turkish presidential residence once belonged to the Kasabian family, which was massacred during the Armenian
Genocide.

As reports “Armenpress“, the Turkish website states that notwithstanding the official version states that the Kasabians “sold” Cankava to the Bulgurluzade family, Edward Chuhaji, the descendant of the family in the third generation, who currently lives in Ottawa, Canada, personal y told the truth, which the Turkish
state kept secret from its own people for 99 years.

Armenian Bread Declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO

November 27, 2014 By administrator

The Moscow Time

The lavash puts Armenia, a small, ancient South Caucasus nation of 3 million, ahead of much of the pack with a total of four entries on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

The UNESCO cultural and scientific organization has decided to include Armenian flatbread on its intangible cultural heritage list, recognizing the importance of the foodstuff to the country’s inhabitants.

Lavash, a staple of Armenian cuisine, is a type of soft and very thin flatbread that can be consumed as a wrap for cheese, meat or vegetables. It is also popular throughout the South Caucasus, and in Iran and Turkey.

According to a note on the UNESCO website, preparation of lavash “requires great effort, coordination, experience and special skills” and “strengthens family, community and social ties.”

Lavash was accepted onto the list on Wednesday, with the UNESCO organization saying on its site that it acknowledged “the preparation, meaning and appearance of [the] traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia.”

The Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, a daring attempt to recognize and preserve immaterial culture, have been compiled since 2008, and entries from 103 countries are currently recognized by UNESCO.

Examples include Argentinian tango, Mongolian calligraphy, Middle Eastern falconry, Vanuatu sand paintings and even the Mediterranean diet.

The lavash puts Armenia, a small, ancient South Caucasus nation of 3 million, ahead of much of the pack with a total of four entries on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

Other Armenian entries recognized by UNESCO include the reed wind instrument duduk, the performance of the medieval epic “David of Sassoon,” and the art of stone cross making.

Russia has only two items on the list: The culture of the Semeiskiye Old Believer sect, and the Yakut heroic epic “Olonkho,” which sees songs comprising up to 36,000 verses performed by singers over the course of several nights.

China is the runaway leader with 38 entries, followed by Japan (22) and Croatia (14). Neither the U.S. nor Britain have a single item of intangible heritage to contribute so far, according to UNESCO.

Armenia and Bulgaria sign military partnership plan for 2015

November 27, 2014 By administrator

YEREVAN. – Bilateral consultations on the military-political and military cooperation between Armenia and Bulgaria were conducted Thursday in the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, Armenian News – NEWS.am reports.

According to the press service of Armenian MOD, representatives of Defense Policy Department of Armenian Defense Ministry and representatives of Defense Policy Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Bulgaria participated in consultations. The delegation of the Ministry of Defense of Bulgaria headed by the Defense Policy Directorate Chief Iveta Dimitrova has also met with the Armenian First Deputy Defense Minister David Tonoyan.

Following the consultations, Iveta Dimitrova and her Armenian counterpart, MOD Defense Policy Department Head Levon Ayvazyan signed the Armenian-Bulgarian bilateral military partnership plan for 2015.

USA Montebello installs Jack Hadjinian as its first Armenian mayor

November 27, 2014 By administrator

By Mike Sprague, Whittier Daily News

MONTEBELLO >> Councilman Jack Hadjinian was elected mayor Tuesday, becoming the first Armenian American to be selected to that position.

Nearly 800 were present at the meeting held in Bagramian Hall at the Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Cathedral.

“Today is a historic day,” said Araksya Karapetyan, a Fox 11 news anchor. “I’m so proud as an Armenian to be standing before you. This is not just a big day. It’s an important day for all Armenians living in America.”

Hadjinian, who was elected to the Montebello City Council in 2011, succeeded Bill Molinari as mayor. Councilman Art Barajas was elected mayor pro tem.

Councilwoman Vivian Romero called the evening special.

“It was truly a historic moment,” Romero said. “Here we are in 2014 and we’ve never had a Armenian mayor,” Romero said. “It also is the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. That makes it even more special.”

Many public officials from Southern California attended the meeting, including Sheriff-elect Jim McDonnell who swore in Hadjinian as mayor, and Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian.

“It’s a great moment for you and your family and a great moment for Armenian-Americans everywhere,” Krekorian said.

Also present was Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, who is prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America. He delivered the invocation at the meeting.

Hadjinian said he was “humbled and grateful” to be named mayor.

“As a native resident of Montebello whose roots go back three generations, my love and commitment to the growth and prosperity of Montebello has grown even deeper,” he said.

“My inspiration comes from my family,” he said. “It was in this city that my grandfather and uncles all purchased their first homes to experience the American dream.”

As mayor, Hadjinian said he wants the council to get along.

“We don’t always agree on the issues, but we can agree that we are passionate about the good will of the city,” he said. “Next year will require some tough decisions to be made. We must work together for benefit of the city.”

The council in the next year is expected to decide on a proposed housing development in the Montebello hills, as well as how to provide relief for blockages caused by trains on four streets in south Montebello.

First Armenian peacekeeping mission arrives in Lebanon

November 27, 2014 By administrator

The Daily Star

BEIRUT: The first Armenian peacekeeping contingent has arrived in Lebanon as part of the UNIFIL mission along the southern region bordering Israel.

The Armenian Embassy in Lebanon told The Daily Star that the 32-strong contingent departed Wednesday night from Armenia and that the unit was the first to serve in Lebanon.

While Armenia has been part of several U.N. peacekeeping forces since 2004, the country has long opposed sending troops to Lebanon, over concerns for the large Armenian community in Lebanon.

The issue was broached during Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s visit to Lebanon in 2012, and Armenia has had an observer in UNIFIL in preparation for the contingent’s arrival.

According to Arka News Agency, the Armenian Parliament ratified a technical agreement of cooperation signed by the Italian and Armenian Defense ministries that would allow Armenia to contribute troops to the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, deployed as per U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.

The agency said the Armenian peacekeepers would be deployed in three southern villages, rotated every six months. The contingent would be “ensuring respect for the safety of the U.N. staff,” Arka reported.

There are approximately 100,000 Armenians in Lebanon, concentrated mainly in the capital’s suburbs.

France, Results of the European Armenian Fund Phonethon: More than 1.37 million € obtained in 4 days

November 25, 2014 By administrator

The European Phonethon, humanitarian operation organized by the Armenian Fund of France to Armenia, Karabakh and the affected population in Syria, under the sign of solidarity and sharing and sponsored this year by Adriana Karembeu and Patrick Fiori has closed this Sunday, November 23, 2014.

Through phone calls given by nearly 750 volunteers from Orange platforms (Lyon, Marseille, Paris, Toulouse), plus 1.37 million € were collected in pledges in Europe with 60,000 families and companies contacted during this operation.

For the president of the Armenian Fund of France, Bedros Terzian, “Once again, neither the economic crisis nor the uncertainties of all kinds began the unwavering solidarity of our volunteers and donors with Armenia, Karabakh and distressed populations in Syria. In the year 2014, through their dedication and generosity, France, Germany, Greece, Switzerland and Belgium, as in all countries where the Armenian Fund is established, they send a strong message of hope in the coming soon.

Thousands of poor families will benefit from projects that these gifts will achieve: Agricultural Development in Armenia; rural centers of social action in Karabakh; construction of the Vardenis-Mardakert highway; etc. Over 1.24 million € in pledges from France, Germany € 71,000, € 27,000 from Switzerland, Greece € 21,000, € 6,000 in Belgium, etc. Similar operations are taking place right now in the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina and Lebanon, as well as in Armenia and Karabakh.

The Phonethon continues after 23 November. You can make donations through the website or phone www.fondsarmenien.org: No. Azur (cost of a local call) 0810 24 24 24, until 31 December 2014.

Historic rug woven by Armenian orphans goes on display at White House

November 18, 2014 By administrator

By Matt Hansen

Lawmakers and members of the Armenian American community gathered in Washington on Tuesday to mark the weeklong display of a historic rug linked to the Armenian genocide, calling it significant for a nation that helped support Armenians during some of their darkest chapters.

The Ghazir rug, also known as the Armenian Orphan Rug, went on display at the White House Visitor Center after years of campaigning from Armenian American groups and senators representing Armenian communities throughout the United States, including Southern California and the state’s Central Valley.

“From coast to coast, the community spoke with one voice in asking that the Ghazir rug be displayed,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said at an event celebrating the exhibit. “Without you, we would not be here.”

The rug, which has been stored in the White House collection for decades with few public appearances, was woven by orphans of the Armenian genocide and given to President Coolidge in 1925 as a token of gratitude for American relief efforts. It’s scheduled to appear for one week at the White House Visitor Center alongside other gifts given by countries thanking the United States for disaster assistance.

The White House canceled a planned exhibition of the rug at a book launch at the Smithsonian Institution in 2013. Senior administration officials later told the Los Angeles Times that the delay in displaying the rug was due to protocol governing historic objects, rather than concerns over political ramifications.

Historians believe an estimated 1.2 million Armenians died at the hands of Ottoman Turks during the throes of World War I. Turkey contests that interpretation of the events, saying that Armenians died instead of starvation and disease.

For lawmakers representing Armenian American communities, the display of the Ghazir rug is a step toward eventual official recognition of the genocide by the United States. Past attempts by lawmakers to pass a resolution recognizing the genocide have stalled.
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“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 (D-Pasadena). “This is only a first step. This story reinforces why Congress must pass a resolution to recognize the Armenian genocide.”

Members of the Armenian American community said that the rug is a tribute not only to their community’s resilience but also to the generosity of the American government, which funded major relief efforts as the Ottoman Empire dissolved during World War I.

Armenian-American researcher Missak Kelechian visited the site in Ghazir, Lebanon, where orphaned Armenian girls lived in a American-sponsored orphanage, working for 10 months to create the rug as a tribute to the United States.

“The refusal to display the rug is a denial of one of the most beautiful chapters of American history,” he said.

@mtthnsn