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06/04/2004
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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.”
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