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Armenians of Australia, Past and Present: Looking Forward to Refresh

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  • Armenians of Australia, Past and Present: Looking Forward to Refresh

    Armenians of Australia, Past and Present: Looking Forward to
    Refreshing New Breezes
    20:29, January 1, 2013

    http://hetq.am/eng/news/22000/armenians-of-australia-past-and-present-looking-forward-to-refreshing-new-breezes.html
    By Arthur Hagopian

    Sydney, Jan 1, 2012 - For the Armenians of Australia, the year 2013
    may turn out to be one of the most "interesting" (if not momentous) of
    times in the century-old history of their presence in this lucky
    country.

    Relieved at having survived the global calamity foretold for December
    21, 2012 by the ancient Maya Codex, they stand on the threshold of a
    new era in this hospitable diaspora.

    As they await the arrival of a new spiritual leader, dispatched by the
    mother church following the death of the charismatic former primate,
    Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, they will be looking forward to the future
    with mixed feelings.

    The Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II, has
    designated one of his most outstanding bishops, Haigazoun Najarian,
    as the new Armenian primate of the diocese of the Armenian church of
    Australia and New Zealand, an unknown entity to most.

    His appointment is to take effect from January 1.

    "Bishop Najarian leaves his position as the pontifical Legate of
    Central Europe and Sweden to which he was appointed in 2010. Based in
    Vienna, Austria he tended to the spiritual needs of Armenian
    communities in more than a dozen countries," a church statement says.

    Najarian served in the Eastern Diocese of the United States as Vicar
    General and has been pastor of a number of parishes in both the US and
    the UK.

    A graduate of the Gevorkian theological seminary at the Mother See of
    Etchmiadzin, in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, where he also
    lectured, he completed his studies at St Augustine's College in
    Canterbury, King's College in London and St Andrew's College in
    Scotland, obtaining his Masters in History at Columbia University in
    New York.

    Najarian will arrive in Sydney in time to celebrate Armenian Christmas
    on January 6, in accordance with the church's old "domar" (calendar).
    His takeover is expected to be a smooth process, facilitated by
    Baliozian's savvy administration and firm management that has
    contributed significantly to the enhancement of the church's economic
    standing.

    He will also be following in the footsteps of the region's s first
    primate, Archbishop Karekin Kazanjian (1968), who was later to be
    crowned Patriarch in Turkey, after serving as Grand Sacristan of the
    Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, regarded by Armenians as their
    second most important spiritual fount after Etchmiadzin.

    Will Najarian take the helm of the Armenian church in Australia (and
    New Zealand), wafting on refreshing new breezes that could herald a
    new, dynamic chapter in relations with his fold?

    The situation in Australia today is a far cry from a century before,
    when Armenian pioneers began landing here, spurred by the Kalgoorlie
    gold rush in Western Australia. There were no priests among the
    prospectors and they had to trudge for miles to hear a semblance of
    divine service conducted by laymen.

    (The first Armenian clergyman, Father Asoghig Ghazarian, arrived in
    Australia in 1954, following the founding of the first Church Council
    in Sydney).

    The devastation caused by the First World War spawned another influx
    of displaced Armenians, their number swollen by yet another, more
    desperate wave of migration after the Second World War.

    The wave peaked in the early sixties as more Armenians sought the
    safer haven of the land Down Under, "a land of opportunity and a place
    that valued the rights of democracy."

    Their numbers have broken through the 50,000 mark (minuscule compared
    to the million or so in the US and Canada), concentrated primarily in
    the two capital cities, Sydney and Melbourne, the majority of the
    emigrants tracing their roots back to the troubled, simmering cauldron
    of the Middle East, with Lebanon's contribution accounting for the
    lion's share.

    A generally industrious and loyal community, the Armenians here have
    prospered on the whole -several, like Gladys Berejiklian (New South
    Wales State Transport Minister) and Joe Hockey (Federal Deputy
    Opposition Leader), have risen to political prominence, while others,
    like the Soghomonian and Hovagimian brothers, have created powerhouses
    in the automotive and associated industries.

    "The Armenians of Australia have a lot to be thankful for," as one
    community leader averred, noting that unlike the unsettled political
    discombobulations in the Middle East and the proliferation there of
    totalitarian and police states, "people here enjoy the protection of a
    stable, democratic government, access to health and economic
    security, and the freedom and opportunity to be and do what they
    aspire to."

    They have their own schools, churches and political parties.

    "You can even stand up in the street and criticize anyone, to their
    face, without fear of persecution, harassment, imprisonment, or even
    death, as is the norm in some third world countries," he added.

    What they don't have is unity.

    "It is true that no two Armenians will ever agree on one thing, but
    despite their differences, when they come together, the are family,
    and they know how to have a good time," he said.

    The recent visit to Sydney of veteran crooner Harout Pamboukjian
    solidly buttresses this assertion.

    Pamboukjian sang only half a dozen songs, but his electrifying
    performance at an annual Armenian festival, galvanized his audience.
    In the euphoric spirit of the moment, they had him carried on their
    shoulders, tossing and turning in an ocean of ecstatic Armenian faces,
    swarming all over him.

    They had come from all parts of the city, the young and the old,
    hippies, businessmen, students, children of varying ages, even some
    people in wheelchairs, blue-collar workers, to hear Harout sing
    Armenia, and accord his unforgettable "Asmar Aghchig" tribute to dark
    complexioned girls.

    The nationalistic songs echoed along the venue, Darling Harbor's
    Tumbalong Park, where over 15,000 thousand fans had congregated, in a
    massive, unprecedented and vociferous show of Armenian camaraderie.

    Armenians are fiercely proud of their church, though attendance at
    Sunday mass remains pedestrian.

    "The Armenian Apostolic Church has been more than a center of
    Christian faith and worship. It has been a gathering place for
    Armenians to enrich their Christian faith, connect with their
    ancestral roots, to connect with other Armenians, to forge new
    friendships, new bonds and generally encompass everything Armenian. It
    continues to uphold this function until today," the church says.

    "Akin to the beautiful worship services of the Armenian Apostolic
    Church, is the vibrant community life that reflects not only religious
    teaching but cultural personality. The legacy of 1700+ years of
    Armenian Christianity (from 301 CE, when Armenian became the first to
    accept Christianity as its state religion), continues in this part of
    the world with the loving spirit of perpetuating our beautiful
    heritage through the saving grace of our Christian faith," the church
    says.

    Yet, behind the seemingly contented facade there lingers, in the heart
    of many of these "bantukhds" ("exiles"), particularly those who were
    uprooted when in their youth or middle age, a lingering nostalgia for
    good old days in the home country, where friendship is forever and
    loyalty to the family second only to God.

    "I live in a block of 37 units, and it's like a ghost town. Not a
    single one of my 'odar' (non-Armenian) neighbors has ever knocked on
    my door to say hello, or inquire about me," one matron complains,
    echoing sentiments all too pronounced among migrants from the East.

    "They rarely speak, ignoring each other when passing, totally absorbed
    in themselves."

    "If this were in Bourj Hammoud, Aleppo, or the Old City (of
    Jerusalem), we would all be all over the place, transforming this
    block into an oasis of joy and laughter, card-games and kebabs on
    Sundays. Every one would be welcome at every home. You would not even
    need to know on my door. You would just walk in," she says.

    "And when you walk in the street, a hundred people will know you and
    greet you, and wish you well. Here, no one bothers to look you in the
    face. If your eyes ever meet, all you get is a bland smile that seems
    to say: 'keep off, not interested.'"

    "Back home, we used to kiss our parent's and grandparent's hands, even
    our aunts and uncles, but here, of course, the young today don't know
    what it is to respect the elders."

    Her children were all born in Sydney.

    "They love it here, but I don't think I will ever get adjusted or
    reconciled to this 'odaroutyoun' (exile)," she continues.
    And she has been here for nearly 20 years.

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