Watertown TAB & Press, MA
April 28 2006

Commemoration becomes cultural celebration
By Christopher Loh/ Staff Writer
Friday, April 28, 2006 – Updated: 11:19 AM EST

The message was clear last Sunday afternoon at the St. James Armenian
Apostolic Church – the Armenian culture, 91 years after genocide, has
survived and is thriving.

The performances and speakers at the commemoration ceremonies
were simple yet powerful in their message, and an audience of 800
people helped to ring that message forth.

Lalig Musserian, the master of ceremonies, said the commemoration
was to “underscore the survival” of Armenians.

“It’s an affirmation and a commemoration,” said state Rep. Rachel
Kaprielian, D-Watertown, who attended the event. “An affirmation of
the resilience of the culture.”

A representative of church leadership said the commemoration was
to be a positive celebration of the future and of Armenian survival:
“We’re still here, celebrating our culture.”

The culture was well represented through performances by the
Shushi Dance Ensemble of New York City and Sami and Solange
Merdinian, Armenian siblings from Argentina who performed in voice
and violin.

Musserian said the planning for the fourth annual commemoration
started immediately after last year’s event, especially when she saw
the Shushi dancers perform.

“We wanted them last year, but couldn’t book them,” Musserian
said, adding that she booked the ensemble for this year long in
advance.

The 48 members of the group, composed of children, were all
sponsored, room and board, by the church which raised nearly $5,000
for the entire commemoration.

Musserian said the planning for next year’s commemoration is
already in the preliminary stages as she thinks, “What do we do next
year to top this?” especially as the crowds grow significantly each
year.

“We were delighted with the turnout,” Musserian said.

A highlight of this year’s commemoration was the speech of Henry
Morgenthau III, whose grandfather was the United States ambassador to
Turkey during the 1915 genocide.

Morgenthau’s grandfather spoke out against the Turkish acts,
writing the book “Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story.”

Announcing that his grandfather’s book was recently published in
Turkish, Morgenthau said there is a “small straw in the wind that the
climate is changing” regarding denial themes.

Morgenthau spoke of the recently aired documentary “The Armenian
Genocide” on various PBS affiliates throughout the country.

While a controversy over a panel discussion carrying denial
themes to be aired after the documentary infiltrated the country,
Morgenthau called the panel “quite ridiculous.”

“In my 90th year, I am encouraged to live to see the day when the
Armenian Genocide is fully acknowledged,” Morgenthau said.

“We are here today not because of the path before us, but because
of the path behind us,” Musserian said to the crowd. “The path, once
filled with blood, with hatred and genocide.”

Musserian said the blood of countless Armenians “soils the hands
of the Turkish government. Our blood makes their hands unclean.”

“We live with the pain of our past,” Kaprielian said, “we have
risen from the ashes.”

Christopher Loh can be reached at cloh@cnc.com

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress