Edgar Tavakalian – Page 12 – Armenian Directory & News

AW: Discovering an Armenian Church in Bangladesh

March 14, 2023March 14, 2023 Edgar Tavakalian

Matthew Karanian History, Photography, Travel, Culture, Special Reports 0

Armen Arslanian, an Armenian from Los Angeles, had been traveling on business to Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, for many years.

On his first visit in 2010, he discovered an Armenian church. This intrigued Arslanian. After all, Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country, and Arslanian knew that the country had no Armenian community.

So why would Dhaka, the capital, have an Armenian church?

Arslanian trekked out to the church, which is located in the Armentola neighborhood of Old Dhaka. At the church, Arslanian encountered an old man named Michael Martin. The encounter would lead to a friendship that would alter the church’s future.

Mr. Martin was born in Burma (now Myanmar) as Mikhael Mardirossian, and then moved to Dhaka, where he, too, made his own “discovery” of Dhaka’s Armenian church.

When Mr. Martin arrived in Dhaka, the Armenian church was derelict and empty. The building and surrounding grounds were the last surviving relics of a centuries-old Armenian community of Bangladesh.

So Mr. Martin assumed control of the church. He took possession of it—literally. And he saved the building from destruction or, equally likely, from seizure by thieves who might want to take title to the valuable property.

Mr. Martin maintained the vacant church. He made repairs, and he stayed on the property, serving as a deterrent to those who might try to take up residence or assert ownership of an otherwise abandoned property.

Each time Arslanian returned to Dhaka on a business trip, he visited the church and reconnected with Mr. Martin.

“Mr. Martin, he was a hero,” Arslanian told me during a phone conversation a few weeks before I made my journey to Bangladesh.

“He could have taken the church and put everything in his name. But he didn’t. He was a true Armenian,” said Arslanian.

During one of his business trips to Dhaka in 2014, Arslanian arrived to discover that the elderly Mr. Martin just had a stroke. Mr. Martin knew that he would need to find someone to take over the upkeep and care of the church.

So Mr. Martin turned to Arslanian.

Mr. Martin liked Arslanian. He trusted him. And there weren’t exactly a lot of others to whom he could turn for help. So, Mr. Martin selected Arslanian to fill that role. Arslanian has been managing the affairs of the church ever since.

I also “discovered” Bangladesh’s Armenian church when I traveled to Dhaka in February. I was in the country to serve as a policy specialist for a water project organized by Robert Kurkjian, a scientist from Pasadena, Calif. Kurkjian is executive director of Environmental Strategies International. For this project, he had partnered with the humanitarian organization Chemists Without Borders.

Kurkjian’s project will save lives. The project tests water for the naturally-occurring arsenic that is present at elevated concentrations in many wells and is developing a water sharing program to ensure that residents of rural areas can have a supply of safe water for drinking and cooking. He developed an outreach plan to help rural residents understand the risks of arsenic poisoning and how they could avoid getting chronically ill.

In other words, Kurkjian and I were in Bangladesh for reasons other than visiting an Armenian church. But we made time to discover the church, just as Arslanian had done, more than a decade earlier.

Yes, we were drawn by our heritage to visit the site. But we also needed to answer the question: why does a country with no Armenians have a functioning Armenian church?

For the answer, we ventured to Armentola, a neighborhood so-named because it was once a thriving Armenian community.

Some of the shops in the Armentola neighborhood are owned by the Armenian church of Dhaka and are leased to shopkeepers. The rent from the shops helps pay for the upkeep of the church.

And just across the street from these shops stood the jarring site that we had come to survey: the Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection.

The site has its share of superlatives. It’s the only Armenian church in Bangladesh, and it’s also one of the oldest Christian sites in the country.

Most jarring of all: the church is empty. Mr. Martin, the last surviving member of Dhaka’s Armenian community, had died a few years before our visit.

History of the Armenian Church of Dhaka

Armenians first settled this region in the early 1700s. By 1781, they had erected the church that now stands in Dhaka, on a parcel of land that had served as Dhaka’s Armenian cemetery. Many of the tombstones from that era have survived and now flank the church.

The oldest of the tombstones marks the grave of an Armenian merchant named Avietes and is dated August 15, 1714. It was in this graveyard that the early Armenians of Dhaka built their first chapel. When the community grew, they razed the chapel and replaced it with the church that stands today.

At its zenith, the Armenian community had a population of about 300. Despite the community’s small size, it played a large role in business life in Dhaka, and it was influential in the city’s affairs.

The community had all but vanished by the 1980s, and eventually only Mr. Martin would remain as the church’s sole caretaker. He was also the last surviving member of the Armenian community. When he died in 2020, the day-to-day care of the church building was passed on to a local Bangladeshi, a 63-year-old man named Shankar Ghosh.

Shankar Ghosh (in striped shirt), the Hindu caretaker of the church, stands at the front gate of the church as local residents walk past. The gate opens to an alley in Old Dhaka. (Photo © 2023 Matthew Karanian)

We met Mr. Ghosh when we visited the church in February. He was warm and effusive and insisted on showing us around. We also happened to meet his adult grandson, who was also at the church that day.

Mr. Ghosh is not Armenian. He is Hindu. His connection to this church dates back to 1985, when Mr. Martin invited him to become a live-in caretaker for the church. He’s lived there ever since.

On the day of our visit, Mr. Ghosh greeted us at the church gate and ushered us onto the grounds. “Sign the book. Sign the book,” he urged us, so that he could have a record of our visit in the guestbook.

Several other visitors were at the church on the day of our visit—an ordinary weekday afternoon. The church is one of Dhaka’s leading tourist spots—not that there are so many tourists in Bangladesh, but still, it’s an achievement.

Each week on Thursdays, the church gets hundreds of local visitors. This is the day when the church sponsors a food distribution program—a soup kitchen of sorts, for the neighborhood’s needy people. “We call it Mr. Martin’s Food Drive. Mothers come with their babies in their arms,” says Arslanian. The babies receive milk. The others receive full meals. Funding comes in part from the rent on the properties that the church owns.

Sometime soon, perhaps in the next few months, the church will receive a resident priest. “It’s a done deal,” says Arslanian. “Echmiadzin [the seat of the Armenian Church] has already agreed.”

The priest will be in residence at the church in Dhaka for most of each month, but will also be available to tend to the needs of the Armenian communities of Singapore and Myanmar. “It’s just a 40-minute flight to Myanmar,” says Arslanian. “And they already have a beautiful [Armenian] church there.”

Bringing in a resident priest will help raise the profile of the church. Arslanian says he would like the church to add an educational program for the children in the neighborhood. Even without a congregation, the resident priest will be busy with community outreach, says Arslanian.

And of course there’s also the matter of maintaining the physical structure of the church building itself.

People from out of town are astounded that there’s a church in Bangladesh and what brilliant condition it’s in.

But for the people of Dhaka, there’s a bit less astonishment. For them, the church is an established part of the community. How established? In 2001, the Bangladesh Post Office commemorated the history of the Armenian church of Dhaka with a postage stamp. (Armenia’s post office released its own stamp 21 years later).

This was the answer to our question. Dhaka has an Armenian church because it’s part of the country’s heritage. Proud Armenians have maintained the church for more than 200 years. And the people of Dhaka have accepted the Armenians.

Robert Kurkjian and Matthew Karanian visited Dhaka’s Armenian church during a humanitarian trip to Bangladesh, where they worked on a project to bring safer water to Bangladesh’s rural communities.

Finding Bangladesh in Armenia

There’s a neighborhood in Yerevan that everyone calls Bangladesh.

It looks nothing like the country of Bangladesh. The people who live there are Armenian. And the architecture is more or less what you’d expect to see in Armenia.

There’s also no community of Bangladeshis who live in Yerevan, certainly not in numbers that would warrant naming a community after them.

So why do Armenians refer to the Malatia-Sebastia district of Yerevan by the nickname Bangladesh?

Ask someone today in Yerevan, and they will be likely to tell you what I was told whenever I asked. The neighborhood is called Bangladesh because it’s far from the center of Yerevan, and getting there is inconvenient.

The nickname gained traction right around the time that Bangladesh became an independent state, some fifty years ago. This has led some to speculate that the nickname was intended to honor the new republic. I’m not aware of any other newly-independent states being so honored in Armenia, so I’ll go with the far, far away theory.

For an Armenian tribute to Bangladesh that’s a bit easier to understand, look to Hay Post, the Armenian post office. They released a postage stamp last year that commemorates the Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The stamp has a face value of 320 dram, which is enough to pay the rate for mailing a letter from Yerevan to the neighborhood (but not the country) of Bangladesh.

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Matthew Karanian practices law in Pasadena, Calif. He is the author of ‘The Armenian Highland: Western Armenia and the First Armenian Republic of 1918’ (Stone Garden Press, 2019). For more information, visit www.historicarmeniabook.com

Sports: Shooting European Championships: Armenia’s Elmira Karapetyan becomes bronze medalist

March 13, 2023March 13, 2023 Edgar Tavakalian

News.am

Armenia –

Armenia's representative Elmira Karapetyan won a bronze medal in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol competition at the 2023

Shooting European Championships being held in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.

In the competition with 60 shots, Karapetyan scored 577 points and placed third among 59 participants.

The Team Armenia is competing at the Shooting European Championships with eight athletes.

Gwynedd (Wales) woman’s heartache for relatives trapped in Armenia’s ‘war of terror’

March 12, 2023March 12, 2023 Edgar Tavakalian

Daily Post, Wales

Bangor scientist Anna Cervi's family are among the 120,000 Armenians caught up in the blockade

Annie OwenSenior reporter

An Armenian scientist who has lived in North Wales for more than 20 years has called on Senedd members to condemn the “war of terror” being waged against her people. Anna Cervi, who lives in Bangor, fears for friends and family caught up in the blockade of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has left 120,000 Armenians in crisis.

Following a six week war in 2020, Azerbaijan was granted control over large tracts of Nagorno-Karabakh as well as adjacent land occupied by Armenians, due to a ceasefire brokered by Russia. Anna's relatives, including her cousin Rima, were among the thousands of ethnic Armenians who were displaced by the conflict and still remain fearful about what the future holds.

Despite a brief respite, fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted again last year and in December a roadblock in Lachin corridor was set up by protesters claiming to be environmental activists. Armenia’s lawyers have said the move, which has led to shortages of food, medicine and life-saving medical supplies, is part of an Azerbaijani campaign of “ethnic cleansing.”

READ MORE: Food giant 2 Sisters confirms Anglesey abattoir will close this month

Anna said: “I have friends and family that are caught up in what is going on and it’s very hard because when you know people it becomes more personal. My heart hurts for my country, for everybody, but then you have people who you know and you constantly worry about them. It’s very difficult.

“My cousin Rima and her family now live in Stepanakert, which is in the area under blockade. They used to live in the town of Shusha. Because Azerbaijan took over control of there they had to move from there during the war.

“They ran away from there because there was bombing day and night. When the war ended they decided to go to Stepanakert. Her son has wounds from this war. He has had one lung removed, a kidney has been damaged, and his spine is damaged too. He has three children.

Anna has lived in North Wales for more than 20 years (Image: Gareth Hughes)

“My cousin told me ‘ you know Anna, it’s not the shortage of food or electricity or supplied. We lived through the first Nagorno-Karabakh war in those conditions. It’s not that. It’s the fear of not knowing what they’re going to do next.'"

Anna, research chemist, who has lived in Wales for 24 years, wants the Senedd to back a statement condemning the blockade, which has been put forward by Plaid Cymru MSs Llyr Gruffydd and Heledd Fychan. Their statement calls on the UK Government to provide aid to avert a humanitarian crisis facing 120,000 Armenian people as a result of the blockade of the Lachin corridor.

The blockade has been in place since December 12, 2022 and is the only road connecting the land-locked region to the outside world. The statement also recognises the “horrors of the Armenian genocide” of 1915-23 as well as “the threat of another genocide occurring in 2023”.

Anna said: "In Wales I would like to see Senedd members sign that statement of opinion that has been tabled. So few people have signed it. It’s hurtful.

"We are not asking for too much. They just have to show that they understand our pain. We want acknowledgement, recognition and solidarity. I would like to see the First Minister Mark Drakeford and the Welsh Government speak out on this. I am very disappointed they have not.”

The Armenian-majority territory is at the centre of a deadly dispute with Azerbaijan. The United Nations’ highest court, the International Court of Justice, recently called on Azerbaijan to ensure the roadblock in the region’s Lachin corridor is removed. Despite this ruling, the roadblock has not been removed and Armenians such as Anna's family continue to live their lives in fear.

Speaking at the Senedd, Llyr Gruffydd MS said: “These reports of new attacks by Azerbaijan on Armenian territory are extremely concerning. These unprovoked attacks are not only targeted on the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region but also on provinces within Armenia’s international recognised sovereign boundaries.

“This follows years of attacks on the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, for which the Government of Azerbaijan have never been held to proper account. I would like to convey my sympathy to all victims and their families who have been affected.

“I am calling on Senedd members, including the First Minister Mark Drakeford and his ministers in the Welsh Government to back the statement condemning this war of terror being waged against the Armenian people. I am also calling on the UK Government to condemn the unjustified actions taken by the Government of Azerbaijan; and to join other nations around the world in demanding an immediate end to this unprovoked aggression.”

Tavlian Preschool & Kindergarten Celebrates 30 Years of Academic Excellence and Progress

March 10, 2023March 10, 2023 Edgar Tavakalian

by Contributor

March 9, 2023

in Community, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

Tavlian Preschool & Kindergarten School Board & Director Garine Joukadarian with Tavlian Family cut the anniversary cake

PASADENA – Hundreds of supporters, parents, and community members gathered on March 4 at Noor Banquet Hall in Pasadena to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Levon & Hasmig Tavlian Preschool and Kindergarten.

“The 30th anniversary of Levon & Hasmig Tavlian Preschool and Kindergarten is a testament to the unwavering commitment and dedication of our teachers, staff, parents, and community,” stated Garine Joukadarian, Director of Levon and Hasmig Tavlian Preschool & Kindergarten.

Senator Portantino with School Director Garine Joukadarian Senator Portantino, Mr. & Mrs. Vahe and Nora Tavlian, School Director Garine Joukadarian

“For three decades, our school has been a cornerstone of Armenian culture and identity, instilling a sense of pride, purpose, and belonging in our children. Together, we have created a vibrant and inclusive learning community that celebrates our Armenian heritage and fosters the whole child’s development,” added Joukadarian.

School Director Garine Joukadarian, Red Group Teacher Aida Mardirossian, Kindergarten Teacher Mary Donoyan, Armenian Teacher Sandukth Boyamian, Pre-Kindergarten Teacher Marine Soghomonyan, Senator Portantino, and Purple Group Teacher Lilit Alajajian

Very Rev. Zareh Sarkissian attended the 30th Anniversary Gala on behalf of Western Prelate Bishop Torkom Donoyan and read the Prelate’s message. Rev. Boghos Baltayan, the parish pastor of St. Sarkis Church, also attended and delivered the invocation. The program featured remarks on behalf of the Tavlian School Board and Director Mrs. Garine Joukadarian and included special honorees and a video presentation showcasing the progress and accomplishments of the school.

Rev. Fr. Boghos Baltayan of St. Sarkis Church and his wife, Very Rev. Fr. Zareh Sarkissian, School Director Garine Joukadarian

Rita Hovsepian, Levon & Hasmig Tavlian Preschool and Kindergarten School Board Chairperson, said, “an educational institution is fundamental to our families and communities, especially during a child’s most formative years. Over the past 30 years, Tavlian has created a unique culture that serves its mission and goals to ensure each student receives a high-quality early childhood education. This has been accomplished with the resolve and commitment of our faculty and staff. Our base is strong due to the contributions of so many, including our founders, parents, donors, community organizations, faculty, and staff.”

Tavlian Preschool & Kindergarten Teachers with School Director Garine Joukadarian

The Tavlian family proudly attended the 30th Anniversary celebration and received praise for their vision, unwavering support, and encouragement of the school. Other guests included Arlene Mouradian-Zenian from the Western Prelacy Board of Regents and a representative from Assemblymember Chris Holden’s office. Supervisor Barger provided certificates of recognition to the honorees and sponsored the teacher’s tables at the Gala.

Senator Anthony Portantino was honored for his steadfast support of Tavlian Preschool and Kindergarten. Portantino has been an ardent supporter and a longtime friend of the Armenian American community since being elected to public office. Last year, the Senator secured $250,000 from the state budget for Tavlian Preschool and Kindergarten to help with renovation projects, STEAM enrichment curriculum, and technology upgrades.

Tavlian Preschool & Kindergarten Teachers & Parent Support Committee 30th Anniversary Gala Planning Committee

Teachers who have dedicated more than 25 years of service to the school also received special recognition and gifts of appreciation for their decades of contribution to the school’s success and nurturing generations of students.

Aida Mardirossian, who has been teaching three-year-old students at Tavlian Preschool for 26 years, was recognized for her passion for early childhood education and her ability to create a warm and welcoming environment for her young students. Mrs. Aida is patient, creative, and attentive, and she tailors her teaching approach to meet the unique needs of each child in her class. Through her years of teaching, she has developed a strong bond with her students and their families, and her influence is evident in her students’ growth and development.

Master of Ceremonies Tro Krikorian welcoming the guests

Mary Donoyan, a highly experienced and dedicated Kindergarten teacher for 26 years, was recognized for her expertise in preparing her students for the transition to first grade and for her ability to instill a love of the Armenian language. Donoyan’s teaching approach centers on creating a stimulating, engaging learning environment that promotes academic and social development. Her commitment to advancing the Armenian language and culture is reflected in her teaching methods, which incorporate poetry, literature, and songs. Her impact on the Armenian preschool education system is profound, as she has influenced generations of students and teachers.

Sandoukht Boyamian, a passionate teacher for 28 years, is known for her deep love and appreciation for Armenian culture. Her passion for Armenian culture and dedication to education has made her a beloved figure at Tavlian. Boyamian’s passion for teaching and her love for her students shines through in everything she does, and she is truly an inspiration to those around her.

Marine Sogomonyan, an experienced and passionate Pre-Kindergarten teacher for 28 years, is known for her commitment to hands-on learning and her ability to make learning fun and engaging for her students. Mrs. Marine uses various innovative teaching methods to help her students explore and discover the world around them. She has a natural ability to connect with her students and create a nurturing and supportive learning environment. Mrs. Marine’s love of teaching and her enthusiasm for learning is infectious, and she inspires her students to develop a lifelong love of learning.

Lilit Alajajian is a remarkable individual who has dedicated 30 years of her life to teaching two-year-old students at Tavlian Preschool. Despite the challenges of working with such young children, she is enthusiastic and always strives to provide her students with the best possible learning experience. Over the years, she has developed a wealth of knowledge and experience, and her teaching capabilities are inspiring. She knows how to engage and motivate her young students and can create a warm and nurturing environment that makes them feel safe and comfortable. Her creativity is truly inspiring and makes her an invaluable asset to the school. Alajajian is highly regarded within the Armenian preschool community and is considered a treasure at Tavlian.

Levon and Hasmig Tavlian Preschool and Kindergarten, launched in 1992, was the brainchild of Hasmig Tavlian and was established after her passing by her proud sons Vazken, Vatche, and Vahe. The school held its first semester and class instructions with four students. Since its establishment 30 years ago, nearly 510 students have graduated. The school is licensed by the State of California and accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and offers an all-day developmentally appropriate program for children ages two through five. Currently, it serves 70 students with 16 dedicated faculty and staff.

Since its inception, Tavlian Preschool and Kindergarten has flourished throughout the decades and served generations of Armenian Americans with the highest quality education. The school plays an integral and critical role in safeguarding the Armenian language, culture, history, and traditions – and provides a safe, nurturing environment and stellar early childhood education program.

Armenia Refutes Shooting At Azerbaijani Positions On Border; Russia Calls For Restraint

March 8, 2023March 8, 2023 Edgar Tavakalian

March 6 2023

Written By

Bhagyasree Sengupta

Amid the growing animosities between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Defence Ministry of Azerbaijan said that some positions of its armed forces on its border with Armenia came under fire. On Monday, the ministry released a statement stating that Armenia is continuing with its provocation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The two nations have been sparring over the autonomous oblast since 1988. On March 5, at least 3 police officers died in a shootout between Azerbaijani soldiers and the police of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“As previously stated by Azerbaijan, Armenia did not stop its provocations even after the 44-day Patriotic War, which ended the 30-year occupation of our territories, did not fully withdraw the Armenian armed forces from the territories of Azerbaijan, and carried out the transportation of weapons, ammunition, and transferred and planted 2021-Armenia-produced landmines in Azerbaijan,” the statement read. "From 15:00 on March 5 and to 03:10 on March 6, the Azerbaijani army’s positions were fired on 19 times," it added. The ministry informed that it had to take “retaliatory measures” to counter the Armenian forces.

Armenia, on the other hand, refuted the claims made by its archnemesis. "The statement issued by Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry to the effect that on March 5 and in the early hours of March 6 Armenian forces allegedly opened fire on Azerbaijani positions on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is disinformation," the press service of the Armenian Defense Ministry asserted.

The two neighbouring nations have been struggling to deal with the border conflict for time immemorial. But one major conflict between the two nations surrounds the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous oblast. The crux of the conflict between the two lies in the fact that while Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan, the region is home to 95% ethnically Armenian population. The ethnic Armenian forces allegedly backed by Armenia had controlled the region surrounding territories since 1994. Since then the two nations have had persistent animosities over the issue. In 2020, the two nations agreed to end the war, the whole ruckus left a widening road called Lachin Corridor as the only connection between Armenia and the autonomous region in Azerbaijan. The authorised corridor is a lifeline to the region’s 120,000 people. However, the corridor between the two nations has been blocked since December by protestors. The Armenian bloc believed that the protest was backed by Azerbaijani authorities.

Amidst the growing tension between the two nations, Russia expressed its concern over the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis and urged both sides to maintain restraint. On Monday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asserted that Russia is gravely concerned about the escalating tensions in the region. "We express serious concern about escalating tensions in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Multiple ceasefire violations were taking place over these past few days. An armed incident that took place on March 5 caused loss of life on both the Armenian and the Azerbaijani sides," the diplomat said as per the reports by Tass. "We are strongly urging the sides to exercise restraint and take steps to de-escalate the situation," she added.

If These Bones Could Speak: Early Armenian Pilgrimages to the Killing Fields of Dayr al-Zur

March 8, 2023March 8, 2023 Edgar Tavakalian

March 7 2023

In this presentation, Elyse Semerdjian will outline the earliest Armenian pilgrimages to the killing fields of Dayr al-Zur in the Syrian Desert. It is there that Armenians interacted with the remains of Armenians murdered during the Armenian Genocide (1915-1918) in acts of remembrance. Semerdjian will discuss the origins of the now-destroyed Armenian Genocide Memorial in Dayr al-Zur and the ritual and collection habits of pilgrims that enact what she calls bone memory. Using archival documents alongside recorded testimony of survivors preserved in the Shoah Foundation archives, she will present the genesis of these memory practices that largely halted during the Syrian War.

Elyse Semerdjian is Professor of Islamic World/Middle Eastern History and Chair of the History Department at Whitman College. She teaches a broad range of courses at Whitman on the subject of gender, sexuality, social history, culture, and politics of the Middle East. A specialist in the history of the Ottoman Empire and Syria, she authored " Off the Straight Path": Illicit Sex, Law, and Community in Ottoman Aleppo (Syracuse University Press, 2008), Remnants: Embodied Archives of the Armenian Genocide (forthcoming with Stanford University Press, 2023), and has published several articles on gender, law, violence, and Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. She was awarded a fellowship at Cornell University Society for the Humanities in 2016-2017 to support research for her forthcoming book Remnants. She recently received a German Research Grant with the “Religion and Urbanity” Research Group at University of Erfurt, Germany to write an inclusive pre- and post-war urban history of Aleppo's Muslim and non-Muslim inhabitants.

92 Flights From Israeli Base Reveal Arms Exports to Azerbaijan

March 6, 2023March 6, 2023 Edgar Tavakalian

Ha'aretz, Israel
March 5 2023

92 Flights From Israeli Base Reveal Arms Exports to Azerbaijan

Haaretz investigation reveals dozens of cargo flights from Baku to Israeli airstrip used for export of explosives ■ Israel sells Azerbaijan weaponry worth billions – and, per sources, receives oil and access to Iran ■ Tensions between Azerbaijan and both Iran and Armenia have ratcheted up recently

Avi Scharf

Oded Yaron

An Azerbaijani cargo plane landed last Thursday at the Ovda Israeli air force base north of Eilat. After two hours on the ground, as usual, the old Ilyushin-76 airlifter took off, flew over central Israel, continued north over Turkey and then to the east – returning to its home field in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

An investigation by Haaretz, based on publicly available aviation data, reveals that over the past seven years, 92 cargo flights flown by Azerbaijani Silk Way Airlines have landed at the Ovda airbase, the only airfield in Israel through which explosives may be flown into and out of the country.

Israel has had a strategic alliance with Azerbaijan for the past two decades, and Israel sells the large Shi’ite-majority country weapons worth billions of dollars – and in return, Azerbaijan, per sources, supplies Israel with oil and access to Iran.

According to foreign media reports, Azerbaijan has allowed the Mossad to set up a forward branch to monitor what is happening in Iran, Azerbaijan’s neighbor to the south, and has even prepared an airfield intended to aid Israel in case it decides to attack Iranian nuclear sites. Reports from two years ago stated that the Mossad agents who stole the Iranian nuclear archive smuggled it to Israel via Azerbaijan. According to official reports from Azerbaijan, over the years Israel has sold it the most advanced weapons systems, including ballistic missiles, air defense and electronic warfare systems, kamikaze drones and more.

Silk Way is one of the largest cargo airlines in Asia, and according to official documents it serves as a subcontractor for various defense ministries around the world. The company operates three weekly flights between Baku and Ben-Gurion International Airport with Boeing 747 cargo freighters, and last year it was the third-largest foreign cargo carrier in terms of volume at Ben-Gurion.

But the figures revealed here for the first time show that since 2016, the company’s IL-76 planes have landed at least 92 times at the Ovda airport, an unusual destination for civilian cargo planes. Silk Way is one of the very few airlines that lands at Ovda; over the years only a handful of Eastern European airlines that have carried explosives have landed and taken off from there. Silk Way was even at the center of an investigative report in the Czech media in 2018, which stated that weapons banned for sale to Azerbaijan were flown there in spite of the arms embargo – in a circular deal through Israel.

Israeli aviation law forbids the routine transport of explosives from Ben-Gurion Airport, because it is located in the heart of a densely populated area, said sources in the aviation industry. The only airport from which it is permitted to import and export explosives is the Israel Air Force base in Ovda, the sources said. In October 2013, the head of the Israel Civil Aviation Authority, Giora Romm, signed an exemption permitting Silk Way planes to fly shipments of explosives – “classified as dangerous materials banned to fly” – from Ovda to a military airfield on the outskirts of Baku. This exemption, which was posted at the time on the Civil Aviation Authority’s website, requires strict safety conditions, and includes a list of the Azerbaijani aircraft allowed to transport explosives from Ovda to Azerbaijan.
These Silk Way aircraft (and others) have landed at Ovda almost 100 times since the permit was issued. The data expose an increasing pace of flights to Baku especially in the middle of 2016, in late 2020 and at the end of 2021 – which coincide with periods of fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia have waged war over this disputed region between them many times since the beginning of the 20th century – and all the more so since both countries gained independence after the Soviet Union collapsed.

Some of these flights landed at Ovda with the official call sign of Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry. In 2016, Silk Way was granted another exemption and allowed to continue to land here – even though its planes did not meet the Israeli aviation noise standards – just so they could continue flying to Ovda.

A shared enemy, a strategic alliance

Nagorno-Karabakh is the most famous of a number of enclaves that has led to the troubled relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia throughout their history. The Soviet regime was relatively successful in reducing the tensions between the Christian Armenian population and the Shi’ite Azeris, but in 1988 the parliament of the Nagorno-Karabakh region called a referendum on leaving Azerbaijan and uniting with Armenia. This step led to violence and what became, in practice, massacres of Armenians in Baku and other Azerbaijani cities – and similar acts against the Azeri population.

When the Soviet Union collapsed, the conflict turned into an open and bloody war, which ended in 1994 in a clear victory for Armenia, which took control of large areas surrounding the enclave. Hundreds of thousands of refugees from both sides were expelled or forced to flee for their lives.

The harsh conflict left both sides under sanctions and severe export restrictions in Europe and the United States. President Ilham Aliyev, after inheriting the position from his father Heydar Aliyev, has ruled Azerbaijan with a firm hand – and his regime has a long history of repressing civil rights and arrests of opposition activists. In 2017, the U.S. State Department released a report condemning the state of the LGBT community in the country, which suffers from persecution, discrimination, disappearances and arrests, torture and murder.

The sanctions provided a business and strategic opportunity for an unexpected partner: Israel. The fact that the two countries both see Iran as a direct threat only strengthened the ties. Azerbaijan declared its independence in October 1991, and Israel – which was one of the first countries to recognize the new nation – opened an embassy in Baku in 1993.

“Azerbaijan’s relations with Israel are discreet but close,” wrote Rob Garverick, the head of the political and economic department in the U.S. Embassy in Baku, in a 2009 telegram that was published as part of the Wikileaks documents. “Each country finds it easy to identify with the other’s geopolitical difficulties and both rank Iran as an existential security threat. Israel’s world-class defense industry with its relaxed attitude about its customer base is a perfect match for Azerbaijan’s substantial defense needs that are largely left unmet by the United States, Europe and Russia for various reasons tied to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Aptly described by Azerbaijani President Aliyev as being like an iceberg, nine-tenths of it is below the surface, this relationship is also marked by a pragmatic recognition by Israel of Azerbaijan’s political need to hew publicly and in international forums to the [Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s] general line.”

Azerbaijan’s economy is based primarily on oil and gas, and as part of its strategic alliance it has become Israel’s largest supplier of oil. According to estimates, about half of the oil imported by Israel comes from Azerbaijan.

During their first years of independence, both Armenia and Azerbaijan relied on the Soviet arsenal of weapons, but according to the Stockholm International Peace Institute, since 2016 the situation has changed and Israel is now responsible for almost 70 percent of Azerbaijan’s weapons.

Numerous official reports, statements and videos from Azerbaijan show Israel has exported a very wide range of weapons to the country – starting with Tavor assault rifles all the way to the most sophisticated systems such as radar, air defense, antitank missiles, ballistic missiles, ships and a wide range of drones, both for intelligence and attack purposes. Israeli companies have also supplied advanced spy tech, such as communications monitoring systems from Verint and the Pegasus spyware from the NSO Group – tools that were used against journalists, the LGBT community and human rights activists in Azerbaijan, too.

Israeli weapons played an important role when the fighting against Armenia restarted in the Four-Day War between the two countries in April 2016, and especially during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, as well as in the battles during 2022. “The skillful use by the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan of high technology and high-precision weapons, including those produced in Israel, in particular drones, played an important role in achieving military victory. I am confident that our bilateral ties will be further strengthened and deepened in various fields after the Patriotic War”, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told the Israel Hayom newspaper in an interview in April 2021.

The Stockholm International Peace Institute says Israel’s defense exports to Azerbaijan began in 2005 with the sale of the Lynx multiple launch rocket systems by Israel Military Industries (IMI Systems), which has a range of 150 kilometers (92 miles). IMI, which was acquired by Elbit Systems in 2018, also supplied LAR-160 light artillery rockets with a range of 45 kilometers, which, according to a report from Human Rights Watch, were used by Azerbaijan to fire banned cluster munitions at residential areas in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia also fired cluster munitions manufactured by Russia, and a great deal of unexploded ordnance remained in civilian areas. Israel, the United States, Russia and China are among the opponents of the 2008 international Convention on Cluster Munitions banning the development and use of cluster munitions, which has been signed by 123 countries.

In 2007, Azerbaijan signed a contract to buy four intelligence-gathering drones from Aeronautics Defense Systems. It was the first deal of many. In 2008 it purchased 10 Hermes 450 drones from Elbit Systems and 100 Spike antitank missiles produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and in 2010 it bought another 10 intelligence-gathering drones.

Soltam Systems, owned by Elbit, sold it ATMOS self-propelled guns and 120-millimeter Cardom mortars, and in 2017 Azerbaijan’s arsenal was supplemented with the more advanced Hanit mortars. According to the telegram leaked in Wikileaks, a sale of advanced communications equipment from Tadiran was also signed in 2008.

Open gallery view
Azeri President Aliyev with Israeli Spike missiles and Hanit artilleryCredit: president.az

Israel and Azerbaijan took their relationship up a level in 2011 with a huge $1.6 billion deal that included a battery of Barak missiles for intercepting aircraft and missiles, as well as Searcher and Heron drones from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). It was reported that near the end of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, a Barak battery shot down an Iskander ballistic missile launched by Armenia.

Aeronautics Defense Systems also began cooperating with the local arms industry in Azerbaijan, where some of the 100 Orbiter kamikaze (loitering munitions) drones were produced – drones that Azerbaijan’s defense minister called “a nightmare for the Armenian army.” In 2021, an indictment was filed against Aeronautics Defense Systems for violating the law regulating defense exports in its dealing with one of its most prominent clients. A court-imposed gag order prevents the publication of further details.

A project to modernize the Azerbaijani army’s tanks began in the early 2010s. Elbit Systems upgraded and equipped the old Soviet T-72 models with new protective gear to enhance the tanks’ and their crews’ survivability, as well as fast and precise target acquisition and fire control systems. The upgraded tanks, known as Aslan (Lion), starred in the 2013 military parade.

Azerbaijan’s navy was reinforced in 2013 with six patrol ships based on the Israel Navy’s Sa’ar 4.5-class missile boats, produced by Israel Shipyards and carrying the naval version of the Spike missiles, along with six Shaldag MK V patrol boats with Rafael’s Typhoon gun mounts and Spike missile systems. Azerbaijan’s navy also bought 100 Lahat antitank guided missiles.

In 2014, Azerbaijan ordered the first 100 Harop kamikaze drones from IAI, which were a critical tool in later rounds of fighting. Azerbaijan also purchased two advanced radar systems for aerial warning and defense from IAI subsidiary Elta that same year

Open gallery view
Azeri President Aliyev with an Israeli Harop kamikaze droneCredit: president.az

“We have purchased the most modern air defense installations. Our army has the most powerful artillery … The weaponry and ammunition we have acquired in recent years suggest we can accomplish any task … Just as we have beaten the Armenians on the political and economic fronts, we are able to defeat them on the battlefield,” declared Aliyev during a visit to the battlefield – and also on his Twitter account.

Two years later, Azerbaijan bought another 250 SkyStriker kamikaze drones from Elbit Systems. Many videos from the areas of fighting showed Israeli drones attacking Armenian forces.

Azerbaijani strike with Israeli Harop on an Armenian S-300

In 2016, during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Baku, Aliyev revealed that contracts had already been signed between the two countries for the purchase of some $5 billion in “defensive equipment.”

In 2017, Azerbaijan purchased advanced Hermes 900 drones from Elbit Systems and LORA ballistic missiles from IAI, with a range 430 kilometers. In 2018, Aliyev inaugurated the base where the LORA missiles are deployed, at a distance of about 430 kilometers from Yerevan, Armenia’s capital. During the war in 2020, at least one LORA missile was launched, and according to reports it hit a bridge that Armenia used to supply arms and equipment to its forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.

More advanced Spike missiles were sent in 2019 and 2020. Along with the Israeli weapons systems, Turkey – Azerbaijan’s ally and Armenia’s enemy – supplied its Bayraktar TB2 drones, which played a major role in destroying Armenian targets.

An official visit – and an embassy

In October 2022, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited Azerbaijan and met with Aliyev. In an official statement, Gantz said his visit concerned security and policy issues and deepening the cooperation between the two countries. What was not made public at the time was that a month before Gantz’s visit, Yair Kulas, the head of Israel’s defense exports directorate (SIBAT), made his own visit to Azerbaijan and met with the minister in charge of Azerbaijan’s defense industries.

The Azeri ministry said the two discussed expanding business with Israeli defense industries. A short time later Azerbaijan officially announced that it would soon open an embassy in Israel for the first time, calling it a “historic step” and adding that the “sky is the limit for the relations between the two countries and peoples.”

Since the visit, tensions have flared between Azerbaijan and its neighbor Iran. And based on testimony from Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan’s relations with Armenia have reached the boiling point again, and another violent conflict may be looming.

In the meantime, seven more Azeri flights have landed at the Ovda airbase. After two hours on the ground, with their cargo loaded, they departed – back to Baku.

AW: Our Ashot

March 1, 2023March 1, 2023 Edgar Tavakalian

Talar Keoseyan 0

Ashot Tadevosyan

I was introduced to Ashot Tadevosyan through my friend Angela Asatrian via Instagram. Angela has a movie and book out called The Armenian Spirit. She had posted a video of Ashot singing, and it caught my attention. This young man, who is an exceptional singer, also served during the 2020 Artsakh War.

Ashot was born in Armavir in the village of Garagerd and studied at the Armavir Arts School. Two months after he was drafted, the Artsakh War started and changed his life forever. Ashot suffered a great deal and grieved the loss of many friends. He was angry after the war when he learned that so much of Artsakh had been given away. He became very concerned, and his love for his nation and his people grew.

Ashot in the hospital

Injured during the war, he spent months in the hospital. He was unable to walk and used a wheelchair to get around. Fortunately, he has since recovered and is now able to move around freely. Ashot said that he did not allow what happened to him to break him. He used his strength to motivate himself and fully recover.

Ashot was always proud to be Armenian, but he was not as nationalistic until after serving in Armenia’s Armed Forces. “The Armenian spirit in me was not as strong as it is now,” he confessed. He realized just how precious his homeland is. He promised himself that he would always defend Armenia, not just at the borders, but by spreading Armenian culture.

Ashot performing at an event

Ashot is a student, a singer, as well as a music teacher who instills the love and appreciation for Armenian culture within his students. His students learn about Komitas and other great Armenian composers. Learning about our influential and historic leaders and artists lays the groundwork for new artists and leaders to emerge.

Ashot stated that no matter what, he will never lose faith and hope in the homeland. He said that no one has the right to lose faith in Armenia and Artsakh or not to think about how they can be of service. During this challenging time, he says everyone must do whatever is necessary to help. Ashot believes that we have to unite and help our fellow Armenians.

Thank you, Ashot, for being an inspiration to the entire Armenian nation. May you continue your amazing work, and may all of your dreams for the homeland become reality.

Bio
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Talar Keoseyan is a mother, educator and writer. Talar’s book called Mom and Dad, Why Do I Need to Know My Armenian Heritage? is available on Amazon. Tigran’s Song is available at Abril Bookstore. She has been an educator for 25 years and resides in Los Angeles, CA. She can be reached at

https://armenianweekly.com/2023/02/28/our-ashot/?fbclid=IwAR1jbcGU1S6vrrzAUMfhq3vXK84CneTCW2lkkPLZL92EYwiEk9l0U-_xNcc

Fresno woman recalls her surprise phone call from former principal, himself Armenian

February 27, 2023February 27, 2023 Edgar Tavakalian

AOL

Feb 26 2023

Over the years in this space, I have, occasionally, written about people who have touched my life in immeasurable ways – my mother, the grandkids, even foreigners met along life’s wondrous journey. This is another one of those columns.

It’s a rarity for my land-line to ring, but something prompted me that morning to answer what I hoped was not a robocall or scammer. Pleasantly surprised, a husky voice on the other end said, “Hello, is that you, Armen? This is Seth Atamian, your sixth-grade teacher from Winchell Elementary. Do you remember me?” (Let me just say here that my interior voice wanted to scream “Do I remember you? How could I forget you? I idolized you – are you kidding me?”). But before I could get a word in edgewise, he continued. “Can you believe I’m 90 years old?”

Dumbfounded but overcome with delight, I replied, “Well hello, Mr. A. Yes, this is Armen, of course I remember you, and can you believe your sixth-grade student is 70 years old?”

And just like that, an unstoppable series of stories and memories erupted, mini-explosions of Kodak moments, time blurring as we reminisced about his inaugural teaching days and the kind of recollections that stick when you’re a sixth grader: long bouts at the library researching Leonardo da Vinci for an arduous term paper assignment, spontaneous desk checks making sure books and supplies were neatly organized, trying out for his after school tumbling team and winning a spot despite obvious lack of coordination. His charismatic tendencies had landed us on “The Webster Webfoot Show: and for a few, brief moments, a bunch of southeast Fresno kids felt like Olympian superstars.

During our phone chat he told me about the oversized print of our gymnastics team hanging in his home office. A few weeks later, a framed 8 x 10 print arrived at my front door. Still the same thoughtful man, give or take a few decades, he exuded encouragement, deep pride for his students, never once realizing he had been the game changer and lifesaver for many of us.

Years ago, he had taken notice of the chubby little Armenian girl, uncomfortable in her own skin. As we conversed now, I returned to that precise moment nearly 60 years ago, a day he had pulled me aside — suggesting I read William Saroyan’s “My Name is Aram,” promising I would love the Pulitzer Prize-winning author’s storytelling magic, and maybe even see myself in one of his Armenian-bred characters. Saroyan quickly became my literary hero, evidenced today by a library bursting with his books and writings. Little did this giant of a teacher know that his self-conscious sixth grader would someday author her own book titled, “My Name is Armen,” inspired by two bigger-than-life humans: William Saroyan and Seth Atamian.

Great teachers influence their students’ lives — forever.

Seth Atamian grew up in rural poverty during the Depression, but was raised with the values of education and a strong work ethic. A proud graduate of Fresno State, he earned his degree in education, including a master’s in elementary school administration. His career spanned six decades, where he taught sixth grade at Columbia School in west Fresno (1954-58) and Winchell Elementary (1959-64). In 1965, he was promoted to vice principal at Winchell, and in 1967, became the first principal of Armenian descent in the Fresno Unified School District at Lowell Elementary (1967-71). He spent the next two decades as principal at Daily Elementary (1971-77), Wolters Elementary (1977-87), and Homan Elementary (1987-91). After retiring from Fresno Unified in 1996, Atamian was asked to serve as principal for the Armenian Community School of Fresno (now Charlie Keyan Armenian Community School) during a struggling period of limited budget. The six-month assignment turned into six years, and in the process, he revitalized the school and delivered a thriving student body.

There is a moment when one instinctively understands the importance and immediacy of now. Playwright and Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda said it best: “Tell ‘em you love ‘em while they’re here.”

Our phone reunion had sparked the deep connection and sense of gratitude, and was also a reminder of how a single teacher can leave a permanent imprint on one’s life. It was also a nudge to take an action step. So that’s what a small group of us did one afternoon last October, arranging a day to show up, instant replay the past, all the while telling this man what a powerful and profound influence his teachings had played in shaping our futures, sculpting our lives.

A few weeks ago, I received the dreaded call saying my favorite sixth grade teacher had completed his earthly assignments. At his memorial service, he was heralded by many as an exemplary educator, friend, husband, father and grandfather. In everyone’s eyes, he had earned an A+.

What makes a great teacher? Passion for teaching. Love of kids. Patience. Drive. Warmth. Enthusiasm. Caring. Skilled leadership. The ability to create a sense of community and belonging in the classroom. High expectations for all students. A true belief that all children can learn.

Seth Atamian possessed all of these attributes and more. His passing set in motion a communication exchange between Winchell classmates and old friends — one by one each of us sharing how he had pulled us aside at one time or another, insisting we dream big, make our parents proud, and set the world on fire.

Armen Bacon is the author of three books: “Griefland – An Intimate Portrait of Love, Loss, and Unlikely Friendship,” and “My Name is Armen” (Volumes I & II). She and co-author Nancy Miller are currently writing a “Griefland” sequel titled “Daring to Breathe.” Contacts: [email protected] or @ArmenBacon

Moscow helps Yerevan and Baku develop peace treaty parameters — Foreign Ministry

February 23, 2023February 23, 2023 Edgar Tavakalian

TASS

Russia – Feb 23 2023

Russia's efforts founded on high-level tripartite agreements for 2020-2022, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin says

MOSCOW, February 23. /TASS/. The Russian side provides consistent help to Armenia and Azerbaijan in developing the parameters of a peace treaty, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said in an interview with TASS.

"Russia is focusing its efforts on normalizing ties between Baku and Yerevan. They are founded on high-level tripartite agreements for 2020-2022, which include a number of priority measures such as unblocking transportation links between the two countries, the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, and developing contacts through civil society. We consistently help the parties in the development of a peace treaty," he said.

"These measures should contribute to creating conditions for a lasting, sustainable, and just peace in the region, which will be reflected in the peace agreement," he said, adding "The goal of our mediation is to guarantee a constructive and meaningful dialogue in order to find mutually acceptable solutions that take both parties' interests into consideration."