KIRAKOS GUYUMJIAN, A PATRIOT WHO REBUFFS AZERBAIJANI AND TURKISH DISINFORMATION IN ARABIC LANGUAGE PRESS
By Sona Mashurian
Noyan Tapan
28.07.2010 | 15:32
Kuwaiti-Armenian businessman Kirakos Guyumjian presents Armenian
views in the press of Kuwait, other Arab countries and international
Arabic language press. In addition to being involved in philanthropic
activities for the good of the homeland, he has undertaken another
important mission too: he has responded to and refuted zerbaijani
and Turkish disinformation on the Armenian Cause and other issues,
including disinformation spread by mbassadors of Turkey and Azerbaijan
in Kuwait. “There is a need for such publications: disinformation,
incorrect xpressions on various occasions, news, rumors, libel remain
unanswered,” K. Guyumjian told NT correspondent.
“The Turkish ambassador made a speech in connection with April 24,
declaring that the 1915 events were not assacres and killings, but
“we just moved Armenians from one area to another, and we aimed
to do good and not arm”. I could not tolerate such a statement and
responded to the ambassador through a newspaper, saying: “You distort
the reality to change international opinion, whereas the reality
is such and such”. I have responded to him many times, he has also
reacted to my articles. I have repeatedly clashed with the Turkish
and Azerbaijani mbassadors in the Kuwaiti press. I realized that no
efforts were made to familiarize the Arab people with our Trial and
our rights. I know that Armenians in California, the UK, and France
carry out activities in their mass media outlets, but there was no
such thing in Arab environment: there were no analysts, no persons to
defend Armenian subjects and it gave me an occasion to set an example,
especially taking into account the fact that the Armenian Genocide
survivors and Arabs who offered shelter to them in various countries
are dying, and the new generation of Arabs knows nothing or almost
nothing about the Genocide”.
K. Guyumjian said that thanks to his publications, many learned that
the Armenian Genocide was committed in the Ottoman Empire, as a result
of which 1.5 million Armenians were killed. He is confident that
others will follow his example, some interest is already evident:
“I believe that at the crucial moment the orientation of Arab and
Islamic states that have voting rights in the UN will affect the vote
on issues related to the Armenians,” K. Guyumjian said, noting that
it will help mitigate, if not neutralize tough positions. Kirakos
Guyumjian, who has recently participated in the pan-Armenian forum of
writers in Armenia, is not only the author of numerous publications
in Arabic language press, but also the sponsor of “Yert” year-book
of Aleppobased Syrian Armenians.
In the words of K. Guyumjian, Kuwait’s Armenian community used to be
much better organized years ago than its now. “The number of community
members has declined a bit for a number of reasons, but I think the
problem will be solved over time because Kuwait’s community was an
active and sincere, amiable and patriotic one among the colonies of
southern countries”.
There are currently about 5,000 Armenians in the community. The
Armenian Apostolic Church has its establishment there, but no
building. ‘We have some problems with the building’s owner and now we
try to rent a new building to move the church there,” K. Guyumjian
noted. In his words, more than 300 pupils attend the local Armenian
school, receiving a good education. Businessman K. Guyumjian runs
Industrial Metal Center Company which makes and sells metal items.
“Making wroughtiron doors, gates and fences is part of our business;
we offer highquality products used in palaces and big hotels,” the
businessman said, explaining that the company has various metals used
in crafts and machine building industry. The company also specializes
in “stainless” copper decorations for pubs and palaces. It employs 200
people, operates mainly In Kuwait, sometimes exporting its products
to Qatar, Lebanon and Syria. There were plans to expand the business
to Armenia as well, but the global economic crisis prevented the
implementation of these plans. Gurgen Melikian, Director of Gurgen
Melikian Foundation of Large Families in Kashatagh, has known K.
Guyumjian, his family, and brothers for almost 20 years; he is
familiar with their devotion to the Homeland. In his words, Guyumjian
is one of those people who strive to do some work in the Homeland and
provide help to those who need it. “A few years ago he applied to me
with the proposal to build a school. We know that villages have no
schools and are in bad condition so people leave their villages.
Thanks to honest motives of Guyumjian, a school (for 30 pupils) and
a sports ground have been constructed in Urekan village of Nagorno
Karabakh’s Kashatagh district. Yet it is insufficient to have a school,
it is also necessary to maintain it, and Mr. Guyumjian supports both
the teachers and pupils through the banking system. The businessman
also helps to repair the damage caused by deforestation in the 1990s. A
maple grove was planted in the liberated Berdzor. It bears the name
of Sosi – the benefactor’s granddaughter. Under the tree program,
the following groves were created: Memory Garden, Monte Melkonian
Grove, Boston National College Pupils Grove, Glendale Students Grove,
Zaven and Narek Yekavanians
Grove – a total of 7,000 trees. Walnut trees have produced crops since
last year. “I think that Mr. Guyumjian is a soldier and patriot, and
such patriots should be loved and respected. Such Armenians should
be protected so as to increase their number,” G. Melikian underlined.
“I don’t put my good deeds on the scales, quite the opposite – I
just feel that I am a person performing my national duty, which is
quite natural,” K. Guyumjian objected to G. Melikian. The most recent
charitable work of the benefactor is related to Surb Grigor Lusavorich
Church in Yerevan. K. Guyumjian recalls: “I noticed that the church
surroundings and its altar were not completed. I went to the Catholicos
of All Armenians Karekin II and offered my contribution. He said that
the money allocated for construction had run out. We immediately took
measurements, made designs and I left for Kuwait where we made iron
items and sent them to Armenia. “I’d like to see bronze rather than
iron on the altar,” the catholicos said, so I made those items in
another place and again came to Yerevan a bit behind time”.
Armenia’s Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobian highly valued the
patriotic activities of K. Guyumjian. eceiving the benefactor in
Yerevan, she thanked him for his charitable work, numerous articles
published in the Arabic language press, and his active national stance.
From: A. Papazian