1- Patriarch of Istanbul Spreads Falsehoods
About Covid, Under the Guise of Religion
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Letter to the Editor
3- In The Land of Make-Believe:
Mehmet Reveals Erdogan’s New Year’s Resolution
4- Reflecting On The Life Of Humility: Deacon Hrair & Anoush Dekemejians
5- Armenia Continues Fight Against COVID-19
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1- Patriarch of Istanbul Spreads Falsehoods
About Covid, Under the Guise of Religion
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
In October 2021, the Patriarch of Istanbul, Sahag Mashalian, delivered
at the Holy Hovhannes Church in the Kumkape district of Istanbul a
very strange sermon full of conspiracies and fear-mongering
statements. His anti-scientific and irresponsible words were intended
to deter his parishioners from getting vaccinated against the
coronavirus, thus endangering their lives.
In his sermon, the Patriarch quoted from chapter 13, verses 16-18 of
the Book of Revelation in the Bible. I am not a theologian, but I
believe he is misusing verses from the Bible to spread falsehoods and
disinformation. The Book of Revelation, an enigmatic work by Apostle
John, has many interpretations, but linking his writings to a virus
that surfaced two thousand years after his death is senseless and
dangerous, particularly in Turkey which has the sixth highest number
of deaths in the world from the coronavirus.
The Patriarch began his sermon by referring to the following passage
of the Book of Revelation: The beast “forced all people, great and
small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right
hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless
they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its
name…. That number is 666.”
Here are excerpts from the Patriarch’s bizarre sermon which I have
translated into English:
“And whoever will not have this seal [of the beast] will not be able
to do any business, will not be able to travel, [and] will not even be
able to eat bread…. Therefore, placing a technology chip in our body,
on our hand or our forehead, we understand that it is the symbol of
perfect control. This means that wherever you go, they will know where
you are. Whatever information exists about you will be in it [the
chip]: your illnesses, your relationships, your condition, [and] your
bank accounts. It will all be in it. Your health will be in it. And
without it, you will not be able to do anything. And, of course, this
will be presented to us as progress, as a technological advantage. And
sometimes we will willingly take this chip.
“These are no longer theories. In certain European countries, this
system has started. What will we do? What will we be? When the time
comes, they will compel us to have such chips in which it’s written
666 or the name of that son of Satan. What will we do? Christians have
always spoken about this topic as a musing that it will happen in the
future. People in the future should think about it. But it has come
now. It came to our doors. In a few years, at the latest in the year
2030, this development will become a reality.
“What will we Christians do? Our church leaders, the Primates, should
speak about this issue which they do not. But the faithful at the
bottom of the church speak because the prophecy is so explicit, the
word of God is so clear that it is spoken about. And what will happen
when the leaders of the church, the Primates, those with the rank of
Bishop do not talk about it, when the people at the bottom speak about
it, then this will be spoken about in an exaggerated and redundant
manner? The church has a doctrine called eschatology. It is the
knowledge of the last days. In our faith we say that Christ shall
return. This is an integral part of our faith. Therefore, the doctrine
of the church, in a clear manner, should elucidate this topic to the
Christian communities.
“Christian leaders should get together and speak about this issue,
while it is still early. After these things happen, it will be too
late. We should now come together and talk. Church and bishopric
meetings should be held about this topic now, while we are still free
and have the ability. In a few years, we will not have that ability.
As a Patriarch, I call upon my people and church leaders to get
interested in this topic and blow the horn. Because in the Bible, for
us, for Christian leaders, there is a dreadful statement. By the mouth
of prophet Ezekiel God says: I appointed you a watchman over this
people. If you see the sword, the danger, and do not sound the alarm,
and the sword comes, then their blood will reach you. But if you sound
the alarm and say that the sword is coming, take precautions, and if
they do not do that, the sword comes, then you are free of their
blood. Therefore, for Christian leaders, a topic that is redundant or
exaggerated, when Christian leaders come together and speak about a
topic that is considered shameful, can speak about it. I commend those
who listen to us and my people within the reach of my voice: the day
has come! We can no longer postpone the eschatology. We are obligated
to apply the healthy doctrine in our days, spread the faith and
acquire the means to see what we can do….”
To show that the Patriarch’s alarming words about vaccination are not
based on religion, all we have to do is refer to the statement issued
by the Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II, about the vaccine.
According to a recent dispatch by Azatutyun.am, “The Armenian
Apostolic Church dismissed religious reasons given by its believers
refusing to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.” The Church’s
Supreme Spiritual Council stressed that “vaccination does not pose a
spiritual danger.”
The Church also announced that Catholicos Karekin II and many other
clergymen have been vaccinated.
I hope Armenians will listen to the advice of the Catholicos and not
that of the Patriarch of Istanbul regarding the coronavirus vaccine to
save their own lives as well as the lives of those around them.
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2- Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor:
Regarding Harut Sassounian’s Dec. 23, 2021 column about Jesus, Obama,
Muhammad being Turks:
As he mentioned, back in the ‘30s Ataturk made even more bizarre
claims about Turkish accomplishments. One of his claims in the
“Sun-Language Theory” was that Turks are the father of all the nations
while Turkish is the mother of all 7,000 languages. When he makes his
outlandish claims, Erdogan is competing with his nemesis, Ataturk. He
is desperate for Ataturk’s title. Thus, probably, Greek Erdogan is
competing with probably Jewish Mustafa Ataturk for the title of “First
Father of the Turks.”
If I were a Turkish journalist, I would advise Erdogan on how to
upstage Ataturk. Since Ataturk has covered the turf here on earth,
Erdogan should claim Turks created the sun, the moon, Jupiter,
Uranus…the universe. No wonder the first male human’s name was Adam.
It means “man” in the Mother of All Languages.
Jirair Tutunjian
Toronto, Canada
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3- In The Land of Make-Believe:
Mehmet Reveals Erdogan’s New Year’s Resolution
By Jirair Tutunjian
Ahmet and Mehmet are old friends. Although Mehmet works at Ankara’s
Hon. Recep Tayyip Erdogan Historiography Authentication Institute, he
makes semi-annual visits to his remote hometown of Selcuklar in the
Turkish boondocks. During his brief visits, Mehmet makes a point to
see Ahmet at the Ataturk Bistro. Invariably, their wide-ranging and
scintillating conversations revolve around politics, particularly
Turkish.
After the traditional greetings…
Ahmet: Stretch your legs. I ordered coffee and croissant for us.
Mehmet: Tesekkurler, but I can’t have croissant.
Ahmet: Are you on diet?
Mehmet: No Turk should eat croissant. Mr. Erdogan is drafting a new
law forbidding the production of croissants. It’s in his New Year’s
resolution.
Ahmet: What else is Erdogan’s bizarre mind fuming about these days?
Mehmet: Arkhadash, listen before you mock. Back in the 17th century
when our glorious army laid siege to decadent Vienna, the wives of the
infidels paraded on the city wall’s turrets munching cookies which
were in the shape of our flag…our Crescent. They were telling our
soldiers that the Austrian gavoors would eat them alive. Eventually,
the crescent cookies came to be known by their French name…croissant.
Ahmet: Our president is deep.
Mehmet: There’s more in the president’s New Year’s resolution. You
know Yildiz Holdings owns Godiva chocolates. The original Godiva was
an immoral petty queen in England. She rode bare naked her horse
through the streets of the capital. Erdogan says the Turkish
association with the English slut should be terminated. Besides, it’s
sacrilegious to be linked to a woman whose name—Godiva—means Allah in
English.
Ahmet: Subhan Allah.
Mehmet: There’s more. You know “turkey” is a fat fowl which Americans
eat once a year. It’s embarrassing to have our country linked to the
obese bird which has more wattles than Churchill. Governments
preceding Erdogan changed the name of our country to ‘Turkiye’ to
distance us from the ugly bird. But it hasn’t worked. Erdogan will
grab the bull by the horn and remove “turkey” from English
dictionaries.
Ahmet: How will he do that? Is he going to burn millions of
dictionaries in a Nazi-style auto-da-fe?
Mehmet: No. He will host an international symposium for lexicographers
at a five-star Antalya hotel and fly—first-class– Oxford and
Cambridge dons and lexicographers to the week-long junket. A team of
5-star Michelin French chefs will ply international cuisine… Dom
Perignon, Kentucky bourbon and Scottish whisky will flow. The
professors will receive ornate kilims…backgammon sets inlaid with
semi-precious stones… autographed photos of Erdogan, and vouchers for
a week’s complimentary stay at the best Istanbul hotels.
Ahmet: As our economy tanks.
Mehmet: During their stay, the English professors will be persuaded to
expunge ‘turkey’ as the fowl’s name. They will coin a new word to
describe the ugly fowl. “Turkey” will mean our country only.
Ahmet: Efferim Padishah.
Mehmet: There’s more…Erdogan will send $10,000 checks to every
Europe-residing Turkish father who has more than four children.
Ahmet: It’s a great idea but can we afford it when a third of our
people are living below the poverty line?
Mehmet: Erdogan would say that’s thinking small. There’s more: his
last and most important resolution will shake the Muslim world to its
core. I hope you don’t have high blood-pressure.
Ahmet: Let’s hear it. I can’t stand the suspense.
Mehmet: Erdogan’s history advisors have solid proof Prophet Muhammed,
peace be upon him, is buried in Turkey and not in Saudi Arabia.
Ahmet: Cehennem…gunah islemek.
Mehmet: The Prophet (peace be upon him) was a traveling merchant. He
was killed by Nestorian gavoors who buried him in the elongated caves
of Cappadocia… Yes, the Kaabe is not in Saudi Arabia. It’s in Turkey.
Can you imagine the revenues that will be generated through haj?
Ahmed: No, but I can imagine the millions of new enemies Turkey will
give birth to…armies of Islamic terrorists…platoons of Pakistani
suicide bombers…bloody Mujahedeen of Afghanistan…the mad mullahs
of Malaysia, the mad leader of Erdoganomics has brought us to the
precipice. The Mohammed (peace be upon him) fable will push us into
bloody limbo. Waiter…the CHECK!
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4- Reflecting On The Life Of Humility: Deacon Hrair & Anoush Dekemejians
By Fr. Vazken Movsesian
Deacon Hrair Dekmejian has given over 80 years of service to the
Armenian Church. Along with his wife Anoush (nee Hagopian), they have
been an anchor for faith for deacons, priests, bishops, and most
importantly, for the hundreds of people.
I have had the good fortune of knowing the Dekmejian family for the
past 25 years, since assuming the pastorate of the St. Gregory the
Illuminator Armenian Church in Pasadena in 1996, where they served at
the altar and in the choir. We continued to serve together as we
established the St. Peter Armenian Church Youth Ministries Center in
Glendale in 2003.
As a professor of Political Science at the University of Southern
California, Dr. Dekmejian possessed a keen understanding of
geopolitics. He was always called on by the media to give his analysis
of world events. But his love for the Church has always been first and
foremost on his list of priorities. I will never forget when the
second War in Iraq was announced. We were in the Lenten season and
holding Lenten evening vigil. When I dismissed the congregation that
night, we stepped outside the church building to a flood of lights and
cameras! A large CNN truck with antennas hoisted was humming with
reporters and technicians scrambling to find Dr. Dekmejian. Like a
seasoned pro, Dr. Dekmejian approached the reporters and proceeded to
offer his commentary with analysis about the Iraqi war. I turned to
his wife Anoush looking for some answers as to why the church grounds
had been converted to this ad hoc studio. She said, “When CNN called
for an interview, Hrair told them he was going to church that evening.
If they wanted an interview it would have to be after services.” And
so it was. That evening the world received analysis from this humble
deacon on the steps of the St. Peter Armenian Church in Glendale.
Only once did Dr. Dekmejian miss church services because he was
delayed that Sunday morning after breakfast with the King of Bahrain.
He sat with kings, presidents, and ministers.
Hrair Dekmejian began his journey in the church as an altar boy in
Aleppo, Syria in what was identified as the “Aintabtzi” church. In
1950 he came to the United States and began serving at the St. James
Armenian Church in Los Angeles, alongside Bishop Mampre Kalfayan and
Father Asoghig Ghazarian (later the archbishop of Iraq). In 1951 he
was ordained a deacon by Bishop Hrant Khatchadourian. He attended Yale
Divinity School. In 1954, Hrair married Anoush and they were blessed
with three boys: Gregory, Armen, and Haig.
In 1955 Hrair volunteered in the US Army, in intelligence at SHAPE
(Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) in Fountainbleu, France.
During those years, he continued to serve at the Armenian Church, this
time in Parish France, never missing a Sunday service.
Returning to the United States in 1957, he became a full-time student
at the University of Connecticut, conducting deacon services and
training choirs at churches on the East Coast. Archbishop Khoren
(later Catholicos of Cilicia) granted Hrair the title of Arch-deacon
(Avak-sargavak). In 1960 he received an MA from Boston University and
in 1964 he received his Ph.D. From Columbia.
In 1986 he moved to Los Angeles and shortly assumed the position of
the Chairman of the Political Science Department at USC. In 1997 he
invited me to be the Chaplain of the Armenian Student Association of
USC. In 2001 we held a Conference at USC dedicated to the 1700th
anniversary of Christianity. In 2005 he hosted His Holiness Karekin II
on campus where he shared his analysis of the Armenian Church and
charted a course for Armenian Church and youth in Western society.
Through his efforts the Institute of Armenian Studies was founded and
established at USC.
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5- Armenia Continues Fight Against COVID-19
Armenia continues the fight against COVID-19, as the country continues
promoting the vaccination phase.
The U.S. State Department on July 26 warned American citizens to
reconsider travel to Armenia due to the increase in cases of the
Covid-19.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a
Level 3 Travel Health Notice for Armenia due to COVID-19, indicating a
high level of COVID-19 in the country,” said the State Department.
The State Department also urged U.S. citizens not to travel to the
Nagorno-Karabakh region due to armed conflict.
“The U.S. government is unable to provide emergency services to U.S.
citizens in Nagorno-Karabakh as U.S. government employees are
restricted from traveling there,” the State Department added.
WHO, with funding from the European Union, in September supplied X-ray
equipment to 7 COVID-19 frontline hospitals – 1 in the capital Yerevan
and in 6 other cities in Armenia.
A new law came into effect on December 10, by order of the Armenian
Ministry of Health, that would allow employers to fire workers who
refuse to provide proof of vaccination. Armenia has the lowest
vaccination rate in the region and Europe. Armenia began its mass
vaccination campaign in April with authorities planning to inoculate
700,000 of the country’s 2.9 million citizens by the end of the year.
However, only 516,989 citizens had been fully vaccinated by Dec. 6.
620,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine were donated to Armenia by Norway
with the support of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism within the
framework of the Team Europe initiative is already in Armenia.
“The entire infrastructure is ready to carry out a large number of
vaccinations. I add that vaccination does not exclude the disease, but
reduces the risk of contagion”, Armenian Health Minister Anahit
Avanesyan reported during a recent press conference, adding that the
late entry into force of the restrictive measures was a shortcoming of
her department. According to the minister, they are currently
considering the option of requesting certification of negativity from
Covid or vaccination to enter restaurants and attend concerts.
There were 5,749 active cases in Armenia as of December 27. Armenia
has recorded 344,540 coronavirus cases and 7,950 deaths; 330,841 have
recovered.
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