Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ASBAREZ ONLINE [06-04-2004]

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • ASBAREZ ONLINE [06-04-2004]

    ASBAREZ ONLINE
    TOP STORIES
    06/04/2004
    TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
    WEBSITE AT <http://www.asbarez.com/>HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ.COM

    1) OSCE Special Envoy Lenmarker Meets with Officials, Leaves for Karabagh
    2) Yerevan Students Receive ARS Scholarships
    3) May 28 Celebration in Fresno
    4) A Joint ARF, Socialist Party of France statement
    5) Hamidian Massacre Survivor Vartan Anooshian, Dies at 110

    1) OSCE Special Envoy Lenmarker Meets with Officials, Leaves for Karabagh

    YEREVAN (Armenpress)--OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Chairman's special
    representative on the Mountainous Karabagh conflict Goran Lenmarker, on his
    second visit to Yerevan, met with government officials to discuss the current
    situation and explore ways of regulating the conflict.
    In meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Vartan Oskanian, Lenmarker was
    informed of the present dynamics of the settlement process. After exchanging
    their views on prospects of a resolution to the long-standing conflict,
    Lenmarker said he intends to pay a fact-finding visit to Karabagh to become
    familiarized with the situation first-hand and meet with the residents. He
    noted the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's capability, together with other
    European organizations, of building a favorable climate around the conflict's
    regulation.
    Oskanian in turn stressed the enlargement of European's organizations'
    involvement in the regional issues, with both sides reiterating OSCE's vital
    role in ensuring regional security and cooperation.
    Lenmarker also visited the Armenian Parliament to meet with Speaker Arthur
    Baghdasarian, and outline the role of parliaments in establishing peace and
    cooperation. During the meeting, Baghdasarian stressed the necessity to
    include
    Karabagh in the negotiation process, as well as discussed European integration
    of the entire region and the importance of establishing close ties between
    regional countries.
    Lenmarker also met with the head of Armenian delegation in the OSCE National
    Assembly Vice Speaker Vahan Hovhannisian. The deputy speaker stated that
    Armenia adheres to a peaceful regulation of the conflict, adding that
    Turkey's
    role in the conflict must be unbiased and objective, as objectivity is one of
    the requirements in joining the European family. Lenmarker said his mission is
    to provide support to the efforts of OSCE Minsk group directed towards the
    regulation of the conflict in Karabagh. He articulated that the South
    Caucasian
    countries must be also included in the "Wider Europe: New Neighborhood"
    program.
    After the meeting, Lenmarker and Hovhannisian left for Karabagh.


    2) Yerevan Students Receive ARS Scholarships

    YEREVAN (Yerkir)--The Armenian Relief Society (ARS) awarded eighty students
    from various schools in Yerevan, $100 scholarships based on academic
    achievement and need.
    The awards ceremony took place on Friday at the Writers House, where National
    Assembly Vice Speaker Vahan Hovhannisian congratulated the students, as
    well as
    the philanthropic organization for its valuable undertakings in the country
    and
    throughout the world.
    ARS Central Executive member and National Assembly representative Alvart
    Petrossian noted the scholarship program strives to promote and strengthen a
    love toward education in Armenia's student circles.
    ARS United States Western Region chairwoman Nova Hindoyan was also on hand to
    congratulate the students. The region allocated $2000 to the scholarship
    program, enabling 20 additional students to benefit.


    3) May 28 Celebration in Fresno

    Vartouhi Rose Megerdichian bequeaths $200,000 to Fresno ARF chapter

    FRESNO--Fresno's Armenian community gathered at the Asbarez Armenian
    Center on
    May 22 to celebrate the 86th anniversary of Armenia's first independence.
    Organized by the PR committee of Fresno's Soghomon Tehlirian ARF chapter, the
    event drew not only ARF members and members of affiliate organizations, but
    also a large number of supporters. ARF Central Committee Representative Hovig
    Saliba delivered the Keynote address.
    To highlight the day's celebrations, it was announced that approximately
    $200,000 from the late Vartouhi Rose Megerdichian will would be forwarded to
    the Fresno Soghomon Tehlirian ARF Chapter, and that the main hall of Asbarez
    Center would be named the Vartouhi Rose Megerdichian hall.
    Vartouhi Megerdichian was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1921, and was the middle
    child of Michael and Nouritsa Akelian.
    Growing up in Lebanon, Vartouhi became interested in drama and joins the
    Hamazkayin Kaspar Ipegian Theatre group, in which she plays many a great
    roles.
    In 1960, Vartouhi marries American Armenian Megerdich Megerdichian, and
    relocates to Waukegan, Illinois, where she becomes a member of the Armenian
    Relief Society (ARS). The following year, the couple is blessed with daughter
    Julie Rose.
    Along with her family, Vartouhi moved to Fresno in 1964 and continues her
    work
    in the ARS, along with committed friends Sophia Hagopian, Marta Jamushian, and
    others.
    Last year, Vartouhi and her daughter Julie Rose died in a car accident. The
    news of their tragic death shook the entire Fresno Armenian community.
    The celebrations officially opened with a prayer offered by spiritual leader
    Vahan Gostanian, followed by a brief history of May 28, 1918 by Armenian
    school
    principal Rosine Bedrossian.
    Fresno ARF chapter representative Viken Yepremian, in presenting the message
    of the chapter, also conveyed that four youth had been inducted into the ARF
    ranks only hours before.
    In speaking about the fateful events of May 28, Keynote speaker Saliba said
    "The ARF's strength comes not only from our members, but also from those who
    stand by our side to uphold and protect the rights of the Armenian
    nation--whose life is filled to celebrate the victories of his nation, and
    address its concerns; these individuals are in effect Tashnagtsagans."
    Bedrossian conveyed Vartouhi Rose Megerdichian's biography, and invited
    Yepremian, who detailed the conditions of Vartouhi's will.
    Yepremian revealed that before her death, Vartouhi transferred the sum of
    $200,000 to her friend Adrine Postoian, asking that on her death, the sum be
    donated to the organization of her choice. Postoian decided to allocate the
    sum
    to the Fresno ARF Chapter.
    Taking the stage and holding back tears, Postoian recounts the life and
    achievements of the late Vartouhi Rose Megerdichian.
    Vartouhi's priorities in life, tells Postoian, were her family, Armenian
    education, and knowledge--as a knowledgeable mother, she guided her daughter
    Julie, an active Homenetmen member, as such.
    For more that 36 years, Vartouhi is a member of the Ladies Guild of Fresno's
    Holy Trinity Church--visiting the residents of the Armenian nursing home
    once a
    week with gifts--and traditional Armenian meals, and offering kind words for
    hours on end.
    Vartouhi carried a beautiful heart filled with the endearing qualities of a
    mother and a devout patriot. She gave selflessly to all. The Fresno Armenian
    community will forever remember them with feelings of obligation and love.

    4) A Joint ARF, Socialist Party of France statement

    On the eve of the June 13, 2004 European Parliament elections, the executive
    body of the French Socialist Party, the Central Committee of the Armenian
    Revolutionary Federation Western Europe, and members of the Socialist
    International, reaffirm their deep connection with European democratic values
    and socialist character. During a June 3 meeting, ARF Bureau representative
    Hrant Margarian congratulated France's Socialist Party first secretary
    François
    Hollande for his party's firm stance on Turkey's entry into the European
    Union.
    A joint ARF, Socialist Party of France statement calling for Turkey's
    recognition of the Armenian Genocide was signed by ARF Western Europe Central
    Committee representative Mourad Papazian and Hollande at a joint press
    conference.


    5) Hamidian Massacre Survivor Vartan Anooshian, Dies at 110

    By Ara Anooshian

    Hairig, if you were nothing else but the wonderful father that you have been,
    you are worthy of the paeans I sing of you today. But you have been much more
    than that.
    We, your children, know your inspiring story and would like to share it with
    others, because we know that you are too modest and self-effacing to talk
    about
    yourself. So, with your permission, I shall tell a little of your story.
    I have learned much about your life, both from you and your older brother,
    Karnig, who lived with us for many years. We children called him "Aghbar"
    because that is what you called him. Aghbar was ten years your senior and
    became a grandfather figure for us. He was widely read, as you are. He had an
    encyclopedic knowledge of Armenian history, particularly the history of Haght,
    where both of you were born. Aghbar possessed a phenomenal memory and I
    consider him the finest oral historian I have known. I should note that
    some of
    the history of Haght I learned from you and Aghbar, I have been able to
    confirm
    by my later readings of HBF Lynch's "ArmeniaTravels and Studies" and Drtad
    Drtadian's "Haght Yev Haghetsinere."
    In telling my father's story, I must also talk about his birthplace, its
    history, his family, and the times and society into which he was born. As we
    know, these are the things that shape a person's life.
    By the Grace of God, on February 13, 2004, my father, Vartan Anooshian,
    observed his 110th birthday. It is also by the Grace of God that he did not
    perish before the age of two, for you see, my father is a survivor of the
    Hamidian Massacres of 1895. My father was born on February 13, 1894, in the
    village of Haght. Haght was part of the vilayet of Sebastia and about 25-30
    miles east thereof. He is the youngest of the four children of Ghazar and
    Heghine Anooshian. Their other children were named Karnig, Kaloust and
    Kohar. I
    suspect that had he not been born in the month of February, the month of the
    Vartanantz, he, like his siblings, would have a name starting with the letter
    "K."
    Permit me to digress a moment and tell you something about Haght. Haght, by
    the way, means undefeated or victorious. History tells us that Haght and
    Sebastia regions were settled, under very strange circumstances, in the year
    1021, by the Artzerouni King Senekerim whose kingdom had been in Vasburagan
    (Van). We are told that after more than twenty years of constant war against
    the Seljuk Turks, a war-weary King Senekerim sent his son, David, as his
    envoy,
    to the Byzantine Emperor Vasil II to negotiate an exchange of lands. By the
    terms of the agreement, King Senekerim ceded to Byzantine, his Vasburagan
    kingdom, consisting of some 7 fortresses, 400 villages and 8 towns, in
    exchange
    for lands approximately 400 miles to the west, namely, Haght and Sebastia; the
    exchange was completed by the resettlement by King Senekerim and his 14,000
    subjects. It is thought that Senekerim felt that his kingdom would be
    protected
    from the Seljuks by the Byzantines.
    Shortly after the resettlement, King Senekerim built the renowned Sourp
    Hreshdagabed Vank in Haght. For 900 years, Sourp Hreshdagabed drew
    thousands of
    pilgrims from the Sebastia region on the Feast of Vartavar and the Feast of
    Sourp Hreshdagabed until the 1915 genocide, when it was totally destroyed by
    the Turks.
    The decision King Senekerim made in 1021 to cede his Vasburagan kingdom
    provoked harsh words and deeds almost 900 years later from, none other than,
    Khrimian Hairig. It appears that after King Senekerim died, his remains were
    returned to Vasburagan and interred in Varag Vank, in the vicinity of Van.
    Khrimian Hairig, who had become the Abbot of Varak Vank in the 1850s, ordered
    the removal of the royal canopy covering King Senekerim's tomb because he
    regarded him unworthy of recognition as royalty. Khrimian Hairig believed that
    Senekerim should have kept his kingdom and continued fighting the Seljuk Turks
    to the bitter end.
    Permit me to pick up the thread of my father's story.
    My father was about 1.5 years old when the Hamidian Massacres began in Haght
    in November, 1895. To escape the Turkish, Kurdish, and Circassian mobs incited
    by Sultan Hamid, the Haghtetsis began to flee to the surrounding mountains. My
    father's mother, Heghine, fearing that his crying might reveal the family's
    hiding place further up the mountainside, concealed my father in some
    undergrowth. The initial massacre and plunder lasted 3-4 days. It resumed
    again, more bloody than before, by strange coincidence, on November 5, 1895,
    the date of the Feast of Sourp Hreshdagabed lasting 2 more days. Finally,
    after
    the mob's bloodlust had been sated and it withdrew from Haght, the surviving
    villagers began their slow and fearful return to what remained of their homes.
    Miraculously, Heghine found the infant Vartan where she had concealed him.
    Amazingly, my father survived the 1895 massacres; it was regarded as an Act of
    Providence.
    At the beginning of 1900, the Tashnagtsoutiun was introduced into Haght and
    became the dominant partylargely because of Sepastatsi Mourad, the beloved
    fedayee freedom fighter. Mourad was from the neighboring village of Govdoun.
    Beginning in 1909, he became a regular visitor to Haght. Mourad preached the
    need for Haghtetsis to organize for their self-defense; he argued that the
    Young Turk Constitution of 1908, promising reforms for the Armenian people,
    was
    a sham and that the Young Turks could no more be trusted than the deposed
    Sultan Abdul Hamid.
    Mourad had a premonition that a terrible calamity was about to befall the
    Armenian people, one, far worse than the 1895 Massacres. As we now know,
    history proved him correct.
    My father has often spoken of Mourad's visits to Haght. He would fearlessly
    ride into the village, armed, astride Asdghig, his jet black stallion with the
    small white star-shaped spot in the center of its forehead. Remember, in those
    days, Armenians were forbidden to ride horses or own guns. In Mourad's case
    the
    Turkish authorities looked the other way, because they feared elimination by
    Turkish and Kurdish bandits that preyed on the peasants. He gladly obliged.
    My father's admiration for Mourad is unbounded. My father describes Mourad as
    being largely unschooled, but being extraordinary intelligent, intuitive and
    clairvoyant. He was also a brilliant orator, who spoke plainly so that all
    could understand his message. Mourad's constant message to the peasantry was
    simple, "First, the gun, second, the pen and third, the spade." He invariably
    would tell the Haghtetsis, "The Armenian people must have the means to defend
    themselves, so that this time they sell their lives dearly." I'm sure that you
    would not be surprised if I told you that we had a large framed photograph of
    Mourad, his wife and infant son, hanging in our living room.
    Two additional notes about Mourad may be of interest. Mourad dropped his own
    surname and adopted "Khrimian" because of his admiration for Khrimian Hairig.
    May family has another connection with Mourad; my maternal grandfather,
    Zagid,
    from Gavra, was a member of Mourad's fedayeen band. But, that is a story for
    another time.
    Once again, permit me to pick up thread of my father's story. After the 1895
    massacres, the oppression and repression by the Turkish Government continued
    unabated. My father's parents, fearing for the lives of their sons, repeatedly
    advised their sons, "Leave this dog's country; there is no future for you
    here." Difficult, though it was, my father and his brothers, one by one, left
    Haght for America. It was especially painful for my Uncle Karnig, because he
    had to leave behind his wife and five children. The three brothers intended to
    come to America, earn money to send home, and, eventually, return to Haght
    when
    conditions there improved. So, in 1911, at the age of 17, my father came to
    America and joined his brothers in New York City. There, he found work and
    became a highly skilled silver platter and metal etcher. Alas, the 1915
    Genocide ended all hope the brothers had of returning home to Haght: except
    for
    a few survivors, the Turks massacred their entire family. Tragically, my Uncle
    Karnig never learned the fate of his wife and five children; he died in 1958,
    never knowing if any of them had survived.
    In 1923, my father married my mother, Perouz who was from Gavra, a
    neighboring
    village. She had survived the Genocide of 1915 after suffering unspeakable
    horrors. Her's, too, is a story for another time. My parents had three
    children; I am the oldest, then, my sister, Alice or Azniv, and the youngest,
    Armen.
    Shortly after arriving in America, my father joined the ARF Armen Garo
    Gomideh. The Armen Garo Agoump was located on 3rd Avenue, between 26th and
    27th
    Streets, in Manhattan, a few blocks from St. Illuminator's Cathedral. As a
    young boy, I sometimes accompanied my father to the Agoump. The Agoump
    housed a
    large library that was well frequented by the members.
    My father and Uncle Karnig also had a nice collection of Armenian books. I
    remember some of the titles: Raffi's "Khente," "Samuel," "Gaidzer," etc., as
    well as works by Shant, Zarian, Yessayan, Malkhas, among others. They
    subscribed to the Hairenik Daily and the Hairenik Monthly (Amsakir). They
    prized the Hairenik Monthly so highly that they had saved every issue and
    eventually had them hard-bound.
    My father was very active in a compatriotic organizations, namely, Haght
    Kiughi Verashinats Miutiun, Haght Kiughi Hairenagtsagan Miutiun, and the
    Mourad
    Fund. The Mourad Fund was organized by a number of admirers of Sepastatsi
    Mourad for the purpose of publishing his biography. After funds were raised,
    Michael Vartanian, the noted intellectual, writer, and editor of Hairenik
    Daily, was commissioned to write the biography. I recall that we had hundreds
    of copies of the book my father had volunteered to sell, stored in our
    apartment. The demand for the book proved to be greater than the supply, so
    much so, that he forgot to keep a copy for himself. Incidentally, I don't
    believe any money was made on the venture, but then again, it wasn't
    undertaken
    for that purpose.
    In most of the organizations to which my father belonged, he, invariably, was
    drafted to be Secretary. The other members would say that he had an "aghvor
    krich," meaning that he had legible handwriting. In the 1930s and 1940s, being
    the secretary of any organization was a burdensome undertaking. Obviously, no
    pay was given or expected to be received. My father would have to correspond,
    by mail, with members who lived all over the Eastern Seaboard, because most of
    them did not have a telephone. The only equipment my father had was a good
    fountain pen, a large bottle of ink and lots of patience. All correspondence
    was laboriously written by hand and repetitively recopied, over and over.
    Envelopes were then addressed by hand and postage stamps affixed.
    Of all the organizations he served, I know that he regards as most important,
    his service to the Aramian Varjaran as Trustee in the 1930s and 1940s. Aramian
    Varjaran classes were conducted in a single classroom in Public School 58,
    located at the corner of 176th Street and Washington Avenue, in the Bronx.
    We, students, attended classes there on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,
    between the hours of 3:30 PM, after American school dismissal.
    Although the School's operating expenses were $15 per month for classroom
    rent
    and $25 per month for the lone teacher's salary, money was a constant problem
    for the school. The tuition was 10 cents a week, but needy students did not
    pay
    even that. There never seemed to be enough money to pay the rent or the
    teacher
    on time. Remember, we were living in the midst of the Great Depression, when
    fathers, lucky enough to have work, were earning $10 to $12 per week. In those
    days, a loaf of bread sold for 5 cents and a quart of milk for 7 cents. The
    annual "hantes" sometimes produced a small surplus, but that was meager help.
    The chronic money shortage caused many in the community to question the
    viability of the Armenian School. The Varjaran's meetings were often held in
    our apartment and, as a young boy, I would overhear the heated discussions of
    the school trustees about the Varjaran's future. Some advocated closing the
    school, but my father would vehemently argue for continuing. Gradually,
    some of
    the trustees withdrew from active roles, suggesting that if my father
    wanted to
    continue the financial struggle, he could do so alone. I guess my father
    accepted the challenge and decided to find alternate sources of funds,
    whereupon, he compiled a list of Armenian businesses located in Manhattan, and
    on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons, after work, he made the rounds of
    these businesses, soliciting funds for Aramian Varjaran.
    He rarely received more than $1, and occasionally, he would receive 10 cents.
    Many a businessmen not only refused to make any contribution at all, but also
    called my father a beggar and gratuitously suggested that if parents wanted an
    Armenian education for their children, they should pay for it themselves and
    not trouble others to do so. I can recall the many nights when my father would
    come home from his fundraising attempts, hungry, cold and wet, clutching the
    few dollars that he had collected. No amount of pleading and scolding by my
    mother for him to quit, had any effect on him; he stubbornly and doggedly
    continued. His determination helped enable Aramian Varjaran to survive beyond
    the end of World War II; at that point, the demographics of the Armenian
    community in the Bronx changed and Aramian Varjaran, finally, closed.
    You might wonder what was accomplished by keeping Aramian Varjaran open. For
    one thing, the Varjaran was able to retain the services of its dedicated and
    learned teacher, Deegeen Armenouhi Dicranian Aharonian. Digeen Aharonian came
    from a noted family and was the sister of the talented Armen Dicranian, the
    composer of the opera, "Anoush", and many other compositions. Furthermore, she
    was the wife of the well-known Vartkes Aharonian, son of the legendary Avedis
    Aharonian, President of the first Armenian republic and writer extraordinaire.
    Baron Aharonian had been Prosecutor-General of the first Armenian Republic,
    editor of the Hairenik, and prolific contributor to many Armenian and Russian
    publications. They were a dynamic team.
    Digeen Aharonian taught all the grades with no assistance. She instructed us
    in all the subjects; in addition, she directed us in dramatic and musical
    productions. As we in the upper grade approached graduation, Digeen Aharonian
    decided that we needed additional instruction. Accordingly, she required that
    we attend all day Saturday classes at her Washington Heights apartment. I must
    confess that we were not exactly thrilled to have to spend our Saturdays in
    study. As it turned out, the Saturday sessions became memorable. We soon
    discovered that the Aharonian home was a way station for some of the most
    legendary figures in contemporary Armenian history. It was there that I met
    Simon Vratzian and General Dro; later, I met General Sebouh. These thrilling
    encounters have remained with me to this day.
    I believe that my father's efforts to preserve Aramian Varjaran played an
    important role in its survival, which in turn enabled many children to receive
    Armenian education.
    My father's name, Anooshian, aptly describes his personality. He has always
    been a sweet, kind and gentle man, who never raised his voice to us, never
    scolded or spanked us. He has set an example for us by the way he has lived
    his
    life. He has encouraged us to value education and to pursue life-long
    study. He
    admires people who are learned and who have dedicated themselves to Armenian
    causes. His highest praise for a person is, "An ousial e," or An nvirvadz e."
    Hairig, for all you have done and for all you have been for us, "Mer khorhin
    shnorhagaloutiunnere."


    All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier
    and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and
    subscription requests.
    (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved.

    ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for
    academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through
    mass media outlets.
Working...
X