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California Courier Online, January 11, 2007
1 - Commentary
L.A. Times Article on Amb. Evans'
Dismissal Raises Important Issues
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
2 - Turkish Scholar to Speak at CSU,
Fresno About Armenian Genocide
3 - ANCA-WR Establishes Haroutioun
Kasparian Endowment Fund
4 - Glendale Invites Nominations
For Art Achievement Awards
5 - Ara Najarian Named
To Metrolink Board
By Supervisor Molina
6 - Armen Keuilian is Appreciated
By Students at Anaheim Hills
7 - 'The Case of Misak Torlakian' to be
Discussed at Glendale Library, Jan. 17
*********************************************** *******************
1 - Commentary
L.A. Times Article on Amb. Evans'
Dismissal Raises Important Issues
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
The Los Angeles Times, in its last Sunday's edition, provided major coverage
to a news story of special importance to the Armenian-American community: the
callous dismissal by the Bush administration of John Evans, the US Ambassador
to Armenia, simply for having uttered the words Armenian Genocide, in public!
Readers may recall that the Times also published two powerful editorials, on
March 22, 2006 and July 16, 2006, condemning the firing of Amb. Evans.
Maura Reynolds' January 7, 2007 insightful article titled, "Genocide question
hits home," covered extensively the various twists and turns of this shameful
episode, ending with the "hold" placed by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) on
the nomination of Ambassador-designate Richard Hoagland.
Reynolds' lengthy article raises several significant issues:
She writes that unnamed U.S. "policymakers" have called Amb. Evans' statement
on the Armenian Genocide "a misjudgment that could fuel anti-Western
sentiment in Turkey." This is utter nonsense as the overwhelming majority of the
Turkish public harbors nothing but contempt for the United States and considers
this country as one of Turkey's main enemies, according to several recent opinion
polls. Such a negative sentiment has no relationship whatsoever with anything
Amb. Evans may have said. Furthermore, why should Amb. Evans' words generate
"anti-Western sentiment in Turkey," when already the U.S. House of
Representatives has adopted two resolutions in 1975 and 1981 recognizing the Armenian
Genocide and Pres. Reagan has issued a presidential proclamation in 1981
explicitly mentioning the Armenian Genocide.
In keeping with her newspaper's policy on the proper qualification of the
Armenian Genocide, Reynolds confirms that "historians have long used the term
'genocide' to describe the murderous campaign against the Armenians in Turkey.
Nearly the entire population of Armenians was executed, starved or forced into
exile on the orders of the ruling Young Turk Party. Outside Turkey, there is
little debate over the facts of the use of the word 'genocide.'"
She goes on to report that because the Turkish government disputes the use of
that term, "American officials have used all sorts of others - 'mass
killing,' 'massacres,' 'atrocities,' 'annihilation,' - but have stopped short of
'genocide.'" This U.S. position is inconsistent. Sudan also denies that genocide is
being committed in Darfur. Yet, that did not stop the U.S. government from
qualifying it as genocide!
Reynolds quotes an unnamed "senior State Department official" as saying: "We
have never said it wasn't genocide. We just haven't used that word." This
statement makes it clear once again that the United States government does not
deny the facts of the Armenian Genocide. It simply, and cowardly, shies away from
using that term due to political considerations. The U.S. official goes on to
say that Turkey should accept the genocide through internal debate, not
outside pressure. This is yet another meaningless statement. If the United States,
which had no part in the commission of the genocide, is reluctant to call it
by its proper name, how can anyone expect the country that committed that crime
to do so?
Interestingly, the Associated Press, in a story it carried on Dec. 26, 2006,
quoted from a letter by Under Secretary of State Nick Burns to Sen. Menendez,
as saying: "Despite some claims to the contrary, neither Ambassador-designate
Hoagland nor the administration has ever minimized or denied the fact or the
extent of the annihilation and forced exile of as many as 1.5 million ethnic
Armenians in the final years of the Ottoman Empire." The comments made by Nick
Burns to the AP are very similar to the statement made to the L.A. Times byan
unnamed "senior State Department official." This raises two questions: 1) if
the unnamed official is indeed Nick Burns, why did he choose to be off the
record for the LA. Times, after signing his name to the letter to Sen. Menendez?
and 2) if what the official said is the policy of the U.S. government on this
issue, why is it off the record?
Reynolds then relates her brief conversation with Amb. Evans. He candidly
tells her that his direct reference to the Armenian Genocide "was not a slip of
the tongue. I knew it was not the policy of the United States" to use that
term. "Ninety years is a long time. At some point you have to call a spade a
spade." Amb. Evans is then quoted as saying that by July 2005 "it was absolutely
crystal clear" that he would be forced out of his job.
The L.A. Times reporter also describes how the American Foreign Service
Association granted him its "constructive dissent" award, and then rescinded it
under pressure from the State Department!
Reynolds then explains the "hold" placed by Senator Menendez on the
nomination of Ambassador-designate Richard Hoagland. With the start of a new session of
Congress, Pres. Bush's nomination of Hoagland has expired. Rather than
renominating him, the President is likely to submit to the Senate the name of a new
nominee, which is what Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen.
Menendez requested last month in a joint letter to the Bush administration.The
new nominee may not face the same level of opposition assuming that he or she
does not engage in genocide denial when answering the Senators questions.
The objection to Hoagland was made for three reasons: 1) to send an
unequivocal message to the Bush administration that its position on the Armenian
Genocide is unacceptable; 2) to indicate the displeasure of the Armenian American
community at the dismissal of Amb. Evans, without making the slightest effort to
explain to the community the administration's reasons for such a harsh
measure; and 3) to let the State Dept. know that Amb. Hoagland could not serve in
Armenia, since some of his replies to the Senators' questions bordered on
genocide denial.
Those who are either opposed to the Armenian community's efforts to bring
about the recognition of the Genocide or are too weak-willed to take on theState
Department's unacceptable policy, use two groundless reasons for continuing
to support Hoagland's nomination: 1) that the Senate should approve Hoagland's
nomination so Armenia can have an American Ambassador. My answer is that
Armenia had a perfectly fine U.S. Ambassador (John Evans). If having a U.S.
Ambassador in Yerevan was so important, the Bush Administration should not have
dismissed him so unjustly; 2) that the Armenian government has already given its
consent to accepting Amb. Hoagland, after Senate approval. My answer is that the
Armenian government is in no position to reject an American Ambassador.
Armenian officials already expressed discreetly their displeasure at the forcing
out of Amb. Evans by delaying for several weeks their preliminary acceptance of
Amb. Hoagland and by awarding Amb. Evans an unprecedented presidential medal.
Armenian-Americans, as citizens of this great country, have both the right and
obligation to inform the elected officials of their views on any issue.
On a more positive note, Amb. Evans is being honored by the USC Institute of
Armenian Studies at a gala banquet in Los Angeles, on March 4. There shouldbe
a large turnout at this event in order to express the appreciation of the
Armenian community for a high-ranking diplomat who sacrificed his career by
defending the truth on the Armenian Genocide, and to send a message to Washington
that the community will stand by its true friends and oppose those who go
against its interests.
************************************** ************************************
2 - Turkish Scholar to Speak at CSU,
Fresno About Armenian Genocide
FRESNO - Dr. Taner Akçam, often described as the first Turkish scholar to
call the 1915 massacres of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks a genocide, will speak
at California State University, Fresno at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21.
Akcam, a visiting professor at the University of Minnesota, will speak about
his new book, "A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of
Turkish Responsibility" in the Leon S. and Pete P. Peters Educational Center, which
is in the Student Recreation Center (at Shaw and Woodrow avenues). The
lecture is free and open to the public. Free parking is available in Lot V.
Akçam made use of Turkish, European and American records to tell the full
story of what the Ottoman Turks actually planned, intended and did to their
Armenian population.
One of the very few Turkish historians to acknowledge the genocide, he
follows the chain of events that led to the killings and reconstructs their
systematic orchestration by government officials, civil servants, party loyalists,
state-run local militias and the army.
A sociologist and historian, Akçam was born in the province of Ardahan,
Turkey in 1953. He became interested in Turkish politics at an early age. As the
editor-in-chief of a student political journal, he was arrested in 1976 and
sentenced to 10 years in prison. Amnesty International adopted him as one of its
first prisoners of conscience, and a year later he escaped to Germany, where he
received political asylum.
In 1988, Akçam began work as a research scientist at the Hamburg Institute
for Social Research. While researching the late Ottoman Empire and early
Republic, especially the history of political violence and torture in Turkey, he
became interested in the Armenian Genocide. In 1996 he received his doctorate from
the University of Hanover with a dissertation entitled "The Turkish National
Movement and the Armenian Genocide Against the Background of the Military
Tribunals between 1919 and
1922." He has been a visiting associate professor of history at the
University of Minnesota since 2002.
Akçam is the author of 10 books and numerous articles in Turkish, German,
English and other languages. Copies of "A Shameful Act" will be on sale at the
lecture.
For more information contact the Armenian Studies Program at 559.278.2669.
************************************************** ***********************
3 - ANCA-WR Establishes Haroutioun Kasparian Endowment Fund
GLENDALE - The establishment of the Haroutioun Kasparian
Endowment Fund was announced by the Armenian National Committee of America - Western
Region (ANCA-WR) last week. The endowment fund will be used to educate Armenian
American youth on issues related to the Armenian Cause. The endowment fund
will amount to $50,000 when it is fully funded.
Los Angeles resident Kasparian, a lifelong supporter of the
ANCA-WR, passed away on June 23, 2006. Among his memoirs, Kasparian wrote the
following: "I would like to convey, after my passing, that you [the Armenian people]
must love the Armenian Church because it is the Armenian Nation. And the
nation has an obligation to work for Hai-Tahd [the Armenian Cause] which isboth
our national pride and obligation."
"Haroutioun Kasparian was an Armenian American patriot,"
remarked ANCA-WR Chairman Raffi Hamparian. "He and his family have in the past and
will remain model ANC activists, always ready to lend a hand to advance the
Armenian Cause and participate in the miracle of American democracy. I will
forever miss Haroutioun and know that his endowment fund will make sure that a new
generation of Armenian Americans picks up the torch he held high for decades."
Haroutioun Kasparian was born on April 23, 1930 in Athens,
Greece. Born of parents who had survived the Armenian Genocide, Kasparian lost his
father at a young age and began working to support his family at the ripe age
of eleven. In 1946 his family moved to Soviet Armenia, where he lived for 22
years. During his time in Armenia he continued his education and fell in love
with and married Elizabeth Papazian. The couple had two children, a daughter
Arsho and a son, Vram. Due to the hardships of living in Soviet Armenia,
Kasparian fled the country in 1968 after a decade of attempting to immigrate to the
United States.
Arriving in America, Kasparian quickly found employment and began a
remarkably successful career in business.
Kasparian was an active member of the Armenian Church, a fervent
supporter of Homenetmen and a staunch patron of the Alex Pilibos School in
Hollywood. He was a deacon and among the first contributors to St. Garabed
Armenian Church in Hollywood. His wife Elizabeth has been a strong supporter of the
Armenian Relief Society "Mayr" Chapter. His son Vram was among the first
Homenetmen scouts in the Los Angeles area and his daughter Arsho has been a
consistent supporter of Alex Pilibos.
In all ways, Haroutioun Kasparian was proud of his Armenian heritage and was
especially proud of young Armenian Americans who supported the work of the
ANCA and other worthwhile Armenian causes. The ANCA-WR Haroutioun Kasparian
Endowment will forever honor this special Armenian American.
************************************************** ************************
4 - Glendale Calls for Nominations
For Art Achievement Awards
GLENDALE - The Cultural Affairs Section of the City of Glendale's Parks,
Recreation and Community Services Department and Arts and Culture Commission
invites the public to submit nominations for the Glendale Diamond Awards
for Achievement in the Arts.
The Diamond Awards, in its second year, will recognize those artists,
arts organizations, community members and
businesses who have contributed substantially to the cultural life of the
community. Anyone can make a nomination by the deadline on February 7, 2007.
Recipients of the Diamond Awards will be publicly recognized at an event onMay
3.
Nomination forms and guidelines can be received by calling (818) 548-2780
or (818) 548-2781 or downloaded from the City's website at
www.ci.glendale.ca.us/parks/arts_culture.asp
The Diamond Awards will be given annually in the following award
categories:
1. Emerging artist (12 - 18) - performing, visual, media or literary
arts.
2. Artist (19 and over) - performing, visual, media or literary arts.
3. Lifetime Achievement.
4. Arts organization, either non-profit or profit.
5. Community Partner - business or individual
All nominations will be reviewed by a committee of community representatives
and arts professionals; recommendations will be reviewed by the Arts and
Culture Commission. Not every category will be awarded each year.
Winners the first year included the following: David Vartanyan,
Young Artist; Mikayel Avetisyan, Artist; Lark Musical Society, Arts
Organization; Ted Osborn, Special Recognition; Edwin & Hilda Navasartian, Arts Partners -
Individual Jane Friend, Lifetime Achievement
To receive a copy of the guidelines and nomination form, call (818) 548-2780
or (818) 548-2781 or visit the City's website.
********'***************************************** ************************
5 - Ara Najarian Named
To Metrolink Board
By Supervisor Molina
LOS ANGELES-City of Glendale Councilmember Ara Najarian was named to the
Metrolink Board of Directors by L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina, who also
serves as the Chair of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation
Authority.
Also named to the board is Baldwin Park Councilmember, Anthony J. Bejarano.
Councilmember Najarian is a member of the Metro Board of Directors, the
current Vice-Chair of the Glendale Redevelopment Agency, and past chair of the
Glendale Transportation and Parking commission. A graduate of Occidental College
and USC, Najarian has a law practice in Glendale where he makes his home with
his wife and two children. He was elected to the Glendale City Council in
2005.
Metrolink continues to be one of the nation's fastest growing commuter rail
services, operating over seven routes through a six-county 512 route-mile
network.
****************************** ********************************************
6 - Armen Keuilian is Appreciated
By Students at Anaheim Hills
By Diane Reed
The Orange County Register
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Armen Keuilian is no ordinary teacher.
At 60, his middle school pupils adore him as if he were a rock star or a
legendary athlete.
They wave and call to him on the El Rancho Charter School campus in Anaheim
Hills. "I love you, Mr. K. I love you, Mr. K." It happens hundreds of times
each day.
"I can't even take my wife, Jeannie, to the movies around here," he smiled.
"Because someone always stands up and shouts 'I love you, Mr. K.'"
That's how Keuilian's first book got its title.
"I Love You, Mr. K" debuts Dec. 15 at $19 per copy. Although it is
self-published, his pupils - past and present - have vowed to make it a best seller.
"I'm going to get Mr. K on 'Oprah,'" said pupil Bianca Bracero, 13. "I've
already e-mailed her hundreds of times."
Keuilian is a French and Spanish teachers, but pupils say languages are
secondary to the six principles he teacher: respect, honesty, integrity,
compassion, honor, and love.
"The dos and don'ts," former pupil Taylor Moore calls them. "I've learned a
lot of life lessons from him."
Former pupils often come by to tell him how he has changed their lives.
"I measure my success now by their achievements," he said.
His nonfiction book chronicles 10 years as a teacher and the joy of helping
3,000pupils set and attain their goals.
"My book is about love - agape love," he said. It has nothing to do with this
other kind of thing that's going on (between teachers and students) these
days."
It is also about hate - the kind his father suffered after being orphaned by
Turks who massacred hundreds of thousands of Armenian Christians, including
his grandmother. Keuilian's family fled to Jordan, then immigrated to the U.S.
El Rancho Principal John Besta considers Keuilian a rare find.
"I was very fortunate to hire Armen," Besta said. "He was not your average
new teacher."
He answered the call to teach at 50. He was nine credits shy of a college
diploma when he dropped out and went into business with his brothers.
"It took me 27 years to go back and get my degree," he said.
"At his (teaching) interview," Besta said, " what I saw in his eyes was
passion. This man was committed to his work. This was a man that you would want
to teach your child."
************************************* **************************************
7 - 'The Case of Misak Torlakian' to be
Discussed at Glendale Library, Jan. 17
GLENDALE - Attorney Vartkes Yeghiayan's book "The Case of Misak Torlakian,"
will be discussed at a Jan. 17 lecture at the Glendale Public Library, 222 East
Harvard St, Glendale, starting at 7 p.m.
The free event is cosponsored by the Friends of the Glendale Public Library,
the Glendale Bar Assn and the Armenian Bar Assn.
"The defendant is acquitted at the expense of the state treasury. In
accordance with the decision of the jury, the defendant is not guilty of the
punishable act with which he has been charged."
The charge was murder.
The defendant, Misak Torlakian, shot Bibhub Khan Javanshir outside the Per
Palace Hotel in Constantinople (Istanbul) on July 18, 1921, yet he was found not
guilty.
"The Case of Misak Torlakian," a new book by Attorney Vartkes Yeghiayan and
Ara Arabyan, reveals the trial transcript concerning the Armenian Ottoman
subject who was tried and aquitted by a British Military Court on the charge of
murdering the Ex-Minister of the Interior of Azerbaijan.
The book provides an examination of the legal process of a British Military
Court after the Armenian genocide. History, theology, philosophy, physiology,
psychology and politics were used by the attorneys during the trial. As a
result, the landmark legal case became not just a murder trial, but also a study
of the political, social and economic strategies in the Middle East and a
discussion of the rivalries between Armenians, Azeris, Turks, the British and
Bolsheviks for control of oil.
The author, Glendale attorney Vartkes Yeghiayan, recently reached a $20
million settlement between new York Life Insurance and the heirs of Armenian
genocide victims and Armenian charitable organizations.
*********************************** ***********************************
************** ************************************************** **********
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******************************* *******************************************
1 - Commentary
L.A. Times Article on Amb. Evans'
Dismissal Raises Important Issues
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
2 - Turkish Scholar to Speak at CSU,
Fresno About Armenian Genocide
3 - ANCA-WR Establishes Haroutioun
Kasparian Endowment Fund
4 - Glendale Invites Nominations
For Art Achievement Awards
5 - Ara Najarian Named
To Metrolink Board
By Supervisor Molina
6 - Armen Keuilian is Appreciated
By Students at Anaheim Hills
7 - 'The Case of Misak Torlakian' to be
Discussed at Glendale Library, Jan. 17
*********************************************** *******************
1 - Commentary
L.A. Times Article on Amb. Evans'
Dismissal Raises Important Issues
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
The Los Angeles Times, in its last Sunday's edition, provided major coverage
to a news story of special importance to the Armenian-American community: the
callous dismissal by the Bush administration of John Evans, the US Ambassador
to Armenia, simply for having uttered the words Armenian Genocide, in public!
Readers may recall that the Times also published two powerful editorials, on
March 22, 2006 and July 16, 2006, condemning the firing of Amb. Evans.
Maura Reynolds' January 7, 2007 insightful article titled, "Genocide question
hits home," covered extensively the various twists and turns of this shameful
episode, ending with the "hold" placed by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) on
the nomination of Ambassador-designate Richard Hoagland.
Reynolds' lengthy article raises several significant issues:
She writes that unnamed U.S. "policymakers" have called Amb. Evans' statement
on the Armenian Genocide "a misjudgment that could fuel anti-Western
sentiment in Turkey." This is utter nonsense as the overwhelming majority of the
Turkish public harbors nothing but contempt for the United States and considers
this country as one of Turkey's main enemies, according to several recent opinion
polls. Such a negative sentiment has no relationship whatsoever with anything
Amb. Evans may have said. Furthermore, why should Amb. Evans' words generate
"anti-Western sentiment in Turkey," when already the U.S. House of
Representatives has adopted two resolutions in 1975 and 1981 recognizing the Armenian
Genocide and Pres. Reagan has issued a presidential proclamation in 1981
explicitly mentioning the Armenian Genocide.
In keeping with her newspaper's policy on the proper qualification of the
Armenian Genocide, Reynolds confirms that "historians have long used the term
'genocide' to describe the murderous campaign against the Armenians in Turkey.
Nearly the entire population of Armenians was executed, starved or forced into
exile on the orders of the ruling Young Turk Party. Outside Turkey, there is
little debate over the facts of the use of the word 'genocide.'"
She goes on to report that because the Turkish government disputes the use of
that term, "American officials have used all sorts of others - 'mass
killing,' 'massacres,' 'atrocities,' 'annihilation,' - but have stopped short of
'genocide.'" This U.S. position is inconsistent. Sudan also denies that genocide is
being committed in Darfur. Yet, that did not stop the U.S. government from
qualifying it as genocide!
Reynolds quotes an unnamed "senior State Department official" as saying: "We
have never said it wasn't genocide. We just haven't used that word." This
statement makes it clear once again that the United States government does not
deny the facts of the Armenian Genocide. It simply, and cowardly, shies away from
using that term due to political considerations. The U.S. official goes on to
say that Turkey should accept the genocide through internal debate, not
outside pressure. This is yet another meaningless statement. If the United States,
which had no part in the commission of the genocide, is reluctant to call it
by its proper name, how can anyone expect the country that committed that crime
to do so?
Interestingly, the Associated Press, in a story it carried on Dec. 26, 2006,
quoted from a letter by Under Secretary of State Nick Burns to Sen. Menendez,
as saying: "Despite some claims to the contrary, neither Ambassador-designate
Hoagland nor the administration has ever minimized or denied the fact or the
extent of the annihilation and forced exile of as many as 1.5 million ethnic
Armenians in the final years of the Ottoman Empire." The comments made by Nick
Burns to the AP are very similar to the statement made to the L.A. Times byan
unnamed "senior State Department official." This raises two questions: 1) if
the unnamed official is indeed Nick Burns, why did he choose to be off the
record for the LA. Times, after signing his name to the letter to Sen. Menendez?
and 2) if what the official said is the policy of the U.S. government on this
issue, why is it off the record?
Reynolds then relates her brief conversation with Amb. Evans. He candidly
tells her that his direct reference to the Armenian Genocide "was not a slip of
the tongue. I knew it was not the policy of the United States" to use that
term. "Ninety years is a long time. At some point you have to call a spade a
spade." Amb. Evans is then quoted as saying that by July 2005 "it was absolutely
crystal clear" that he would be forced out of his job.
The L.A. Times reporter also describes how the American Foreign Service
Association granted him its "constructive dissent" award, and then rescinded it
under pressure from the State Department!
Reynolds then explains the "hold" placed by Senator Menendez on the
nomination of Ambassador-designate Richard Hoagland. With the start of a new session of
Congress, Pres. Bush's nomination of Hoagland has expired. Rather than
renominating him, the President is likely to submit to the Senate the name of a new
nominee, which is what Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen.
Menendez requested last month in a joint letter to the Bush administration.The
new nominee may not face the same level of opposition assuming that he or she
does not engage in genocide denial when answering the Senators questions.
The objection to Hoagland was made for three reasons: 1) to send an
unequivocal message to the Bush administration that its position on the Armenian
Genocide is unacceptable; 2) to indicate the displeasure of the Armenian American
community at the dismissal of Amb. Evans, without making the slightest effort to
explain to the community the administration's reasons for such a harsh
measure; and 3) to let the State Dept. know that Amb. Hoagland could not serve in
Armenia, since some of his replies to the Senators' questions bordered on
genocide denial.
Those who are either opposed to the Armenian community's efforts to bring
about the recognition of the Genocide or are too weak-willed to take on theState
Department's unacceptable policy, use two groundless reasons for continuing
to support Hoagland's nomination: 1) that the Senate should approve Hoagland's
nomination so Armenia can have an American Ambassador. My answer is that
Armenia had a perfectly fine U.S. Ambassador (John Evans). If having a U.S.
Ambassador in Yerevan was so important, the Bush Administration should not have
dismissed him so unjustly; 2) that the Armenian government has already given its
consent to accepting Amb. Hoagland, after Senate approval. My answer is that the
Armenian government is in no position to reject an American Ambassador.
Armenian officials already expressed discreetly their displeasure at the forcing
out of Amb. Evans by delaying for several weeks their preliminary acceptance of
Amb. Hoagland and by awarding Amb. Evans an unprecedented presidential medal.
Armenian-Americans, as citizens of this great country, have both the right and
obligation to inform the elected officials of their views on any issue.
On a more positive note, Amb. Evans is being honored by the USC Institute of
Armenian Studies at a gala banquet in Los Angeles, on March 4. There shouldbe
a large turnout at this event in order to express the appreciation of the
Armenian community for a high-ranking diplomat who sacrificed his career by
defending the truth on the Armenian Genocide, and to send a message to Washington
that the community will stand by its true friends and oppose those who go
against its interests.
************************************** ************************************
2 - Turkish Scholar to Speak at CSU,
Fresno About Armenian Genocide
FRESNO - Dr. Taner Akçam, often described as the first Turkish scholar to
call the 1915 massacres of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks a genocide, will speak
at California State University, Fresno at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21.
Akcam, a visiting professor at the University of Minnesota, will speak about
his new book, "A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of
Turkish Responsibility" in the Leon S. and Pete P. Peters Educational Center, which
is in the Student Recreation Center (at Shaw and Woodrow avenues). The
lecture is free and open to the public. Free parking is available in Lot V.
Akçam made use of Turkish, European and American records to tell the full
story of what the Ottoman Turks actually planned, intended and did to their
Armenian population.
One of the very few Turkish historians to acknowledge the genocide, he
follows the chain of events that led to the killings and reconstructs their
systematic orchestration by government officials, civil servants, party loyalists,
state-run local militias and the army.
A sociologist and historian, Akçam was born in the province of Ardahan,
Turkey in 1953. He became interested in Turkish politics at an early age. As the
editor-in-chief of a student political journal, he was arrested in 1976 and
sentenced to 10 years in prison. Amnesty International adopted him as one of its
first prisoners of conscience, and a year later he escaped to Germany, where he
received political asylum.
In 1988, Akçam began work as a research scientist at the Hamburg Institute
for Social Research. While researching the late Ottoman Empire and early
Republic, especially the history of political violence and torture in Turkey, he
became interested in the Armenian Genocide. In 1996 he received his doctorate from
the University of Hanover with a dissertation entitled "The Turkish National
Movement and the Armenian Genocide Against the Background of the Military
Tribunals between 1919 and
1922." He has been a visiting associate professor of history at the
University of Minnesota since 2002.
Akçam is the author of 10 books and numerous articles in Turkish, German,
English and other languages. Copies of "A Shameful Act" will be on sale at the
lecture.
For more information contact the Armenian Studies Program at 559.278.2669.
************************************************** ***********************
3 - ANCA-WR Establishes Haroutioun Kasparian Endowment Fund
GLENDALE - The establishment of the Haroutioun Kasparian
Endowment Fund was announced by the Armenian National Committee of America - Western
Region (ANCA-WR) last week. The endowment fund will be used to educate Armenian
American youth on issues related to the Armenian Cause. The endowment fund
will amount to $50,000 when it is fully funded.
Los Angeles resident Kasparian, a lifelong supporter of the
ANCA-WR, passed away on June 23, 2006. Among his memoirs, Kasparian wrote the
following: "I would like to convey, after my passing, that you [the Armenian people]
must love the Armenian Church because it is the Armenian Nation. And the
nation has an obligation to work for Hai-Tahd [the Armenian Cause] which isboth
our national pride and obligation."
"Haroutioun Kasparian was an Armenian American patriot,"
remarked ANCA-WR Chairman Raffi Hamparian. "He and his family have in the past and
will remain model ANC activists, always ready to lend a hand to advance the
Armenian Cause and participate in the miracle of American democracy. I will
forever miss Haroutioun and know that his endowment fund will make sure that a new
generation of Armenian Americans picks up the torch he held high for decades."
Haroutioun Kasparian was born on April 23, 1930 in Athens,
Greece. Born of parents who had survived the Armenian Genocide, Kasparian lost his
father at a young age and began working to support his family at the ripe age
of eleven. In 1946 his family moved to Soviet Armenia, where he lived for 22
years. During his time in Armenia he continued his education and fell in love
with and married Elizabeth Papazian. The couple had two children, a daughter
Arsho and a son, Vram. Due to the hardships of living in Soviet Armenia,
Kasparian fled the country in 1968 after a decade of attempting to immigrate to the
United States.
Arriving in America, Kasparian quickly found employment and began a
remarkably successful career in business.
Kasparian was an active member of the Armenian Church, a fervent
supporter of Homenetmen and a staunch patron of the Alex Pilibos School in
Hollywood. He was a deacon and among the first contributors to St. Garabed
Armenian Church in Hollywood. His wife Elizabeth has been a strong supporter of the
Armenian Relief Society "Mayr" Chapter. His son Vram was among the first
Homenetmen scouts in the Los Angeles area and his daughter Arsho has been a
consistent supporter of Alex Pilibos.
In all ways, Haroutioun Kasparian was proud of his Armenian heritage and was
especially proud of young Armenian Americans who supported the work of the
ANCA and other worthwhile Armenian causes. The ANCA-WR Haroutioun Kasparian
Endowment will forever honor this special Armenian American.
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4 - Glendale Calls for Nominations
For Art Achievement Awards
GLENDALE - The Cultural Affairs Section of the City of Glendale's Parks,
Recreation and Community Services Department and Arts and Culture Commission
invites the public to submit nominations for the Glendale Diamond Awards
for Achievement in the Arts.
The Diamond Awards, in its second year, will recognize those artists,
arts organizations, community members and
businesses who have contributed substantially to the cultural life of the
community. Anyone can make a nomination by the deadline on February 7, 2007.
Recipients of the Diamond Awards will be publicly recognized at an event onMay
3.
Nomination forms and guidelines can be received by calling (818) 548-2780
or (818) 548-2781 or downloaded from the City's website at
www.ci.glendale.ca.us/parks/arts_culture.asp
The Diamond Awards will be given annually in the following award
categories:
1. Emerging artist (12 - 18) - performing, visual, media or literary
arts.
2. Artist (19 and over) - performing, visual, media or literary arts.
3. Lifetime Achievement.
4. Arts organization, either non-profit or profit.
5. Community Partner - business or individual
All nominations will be reviewed by a committee of community representatives
and arts professionals; recommendations will be reviewed by the Arts and
Culture Commission. Not every category will be awarded each year.
Winners the first year included the following: David Vartanyan,
Young Artist; Mikayel Avetisyan, Artist; Lark Musical Society, Arts
Organization; Ted Osborn, Special Recognition; Edwin & Hilda Navasartian, Arts Partners -
Individual Jane Friend, Lifetime Achievement
To receive a copy of the guidelines and nomination form, call (818) 548-2780
or (818) 548-2781 or visit the City's website.
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5 - Ara Najarian Named
To Metrolink Board
By Supervisor Molina
LOS ANGELES-City of Glendale Councilmember Ara Najarian was named to the
Metrolink Board of Directors by L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina, who also
serves as the Chair of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation
Authority.
Also named to the board is Baldwin Park Councilmember, Anthony J. Bejarano.
Councilmember Najarian is a member of the Metro Board of Directors, the
current Vice-Chair of the Glendale Redevelopment Agency, and past chair of the
Glendale Transportation and Parking commission. A graduate of Occidental College
and USC, Najarian has a law practice in Glendale where he makes his home with
his wife and two children. He was elected to the Glendale City Council in
2005.
Metrolink continues to be one of the nation's fastest growing commuter rail
services, operating over seven routes through a six-county 512 route-mile
network.
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6 - Armen Keuilian is Appreciated
By Students at Anaheim Hills
By Diane Reed
The Orange County Register
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Armen Keuilian is no ordinary teacher.
At 60, his middle school pupils adore him as if he were a rock star or a
legendary athlete.
They wave and call to him on the El Rancho Charter School campus in Anaheim
Hills. "I love you, Mr. K. I love you, Mr. K." It happens hundreds of times
each day.
"I can't even take my wife, Jeannie, to the movies around here," he smiled.
"Because someone always stands up and shouts 'I love you, Mr. K.'"
That's how Keuilian's first book got its title.
"I Love You, Mr. K" debuts Dec. 15 at $19 per copy. Although it is
self-published, his pupils - past and present - have vowed to make it a best seller.
"I'm going to get Mr. K on 'Oprah,'" said pupil Bianca Bracero, 13. "I've
already e-mailed her hundreds of times."
Keuilian is a French and Spanish teachers, but pupils say languages are
secondary to the six principles he teacher: respect, honesty, integrity,
compassion, honor, and love.
"The dos and don'ts," former pupil Taylor Moore calls them. "I've learned a
lot of life lessons from him."
Former pupils often come by to tell him how he has changed their lives.
"I measure my success now by their achievements," he said.
His nonfiction book chronicles 10 years as a teacher and the joy of helping
3,000pupils set and attain their goals.
"My book is about love - agape love," he said. It has nothing to do with this
other kind of thing that's going on (between teachers and students) these
days."
It is also about hate - the kind his father suffered after being orphaned by
Turks who massacred hundreds of thousands of Armenian Christians, including
his grandmother. Keuilian's family fled to Jordan, then immigrated to the U.S.
El Rancho Principal John Besta considers Keuilian a rare find.
"I was very fortunate to hire Armen," Besta said. "He was not your average
new teacher."
He answered the call to teach at 50. He was nine credits shy of a college
diploma when he dropped out and went into business with his brothers.
"It took me 27 years to go back and get my degree," he said.
"At his (teaching) interview," Besta said, " what I saw in his eyes was
passion. This man was committed to his work. This was a man that you would want
to teach your child."
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7 - 'The Case of Misak Torlakian' to be
Discussed at Glendale Library, Jan. 17
GLENDALE - Attorney Vartkes Yeghiayan's book "The Case of Misak Torlakian,"
will be discussed at a Jan. 17 lecture at the Glendale Public Library, 222 East
Harvard St, Glendale, starting at 7 p.m.
The free event is cosponsored by the Friends of the Glendale Public Library,
the Glendale Bar Assn and the Armenian Bar Assn.
"The defendant is acquitted at the expense of the state treasury. In
accordance with the decision of the jury, the defendant is not guilty of the
punishable act with which he has been charged."
The charge was murder.
The defendant, Misak Torlakian, shot Bibhub Khan Javanshir outside the Per
Palace Hotel in Constantinople (Istanbul) on July 18, 1921, yet he was found not
guilty.
"The Case of Misak Torlakian," a new book by Attorney Vartkes Yeghiayan and
Ara Arabyan, reveals the trial transcript concerning the Armenian Ottoman
subject who was tried and aquitted by a British Military Court on the charge of
murdering the Ex-Minister of the Interior of Azerbaijan.
The book provides an examination of the legal process of a British Military
Court after the Armenian genocide. History, theology, philosophy, physiology,
psychology and politics were used by the attorneys during the trial. As a
result, the landmark legal case became not just a murder trial, but also a study
of the political, social and economic strategies in the Middle East and a
discussion of the rivalries between Armenians, Azeris, Turks, the British and
Bolsheviks for control of oil.
The author, Glendale attorney Vartkes Yeghiayan, recently reached a $20
million settlement between new York Life Insurance and the heirs of Armenian
genocide victims and Armenian charitable organizations.
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