The California Courier Online, October 10, 2019
1 – Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate’s Lawsuit
Advances Through Turkish Courts
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Governor Newsom Signs Turkish Divestment Bonds Act into Law
3 – CSUN Receives $2.1M Anonymous Gift to Support Armenian Studies
4- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Addresses UN General Assembly
5- Sculptor Arto Chakmakjian Passes Away
6- Bob Jones University Honors Prof. Ed Panosian, Commemorates Genocide
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1 – Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate’s Lawsuit
Advances Through Turkish Courts
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
While the lawsuit filed by the Catholicosate of Cilicia based in
Antelias, Lebanon, for the recovery of its former headquarters in Sis,
Turkey, has received wide publicity, another just as important lawsuit
against Turkey, is hardly known by the Armenian and international
community.
This relatively unknown lawsuit was filed by the Armenian Patriarchate
of Jerusalem seven years ago. During the last few years, the only news
published by an Armenian newspaper in Istanbul has been about the
various visits of Jerusalem Patriarch Nourhan Manougian to Turkey
regarding claims filed for the Patriarchate’s properties in that
country. There have been no announcements by the Jerusalem
Patriarchate and no interviews published in any Armenian media on this
important lawsuit.
The first major news was published by the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet
on October 2, 2019, regarding the Jerusalem Patriarchate’s lawsuit in
Turkey. Hurriyet reported that the Constitutional Court (the highest
court in Turkey) ruled on September 12, 2019, that the lower Turkish
court had violated the rights of the Armenian Patriarchate by denying
proper access to the court to pursue its lawsuit (Article 36 of the
Constitution). The Constitutional Court stated that the lower court
had not sufficiently investigated the claims of the Armenian lawsuit.
The Armenian Apostolic See of St. James in Jerusalem had filed a
lawsuit in an Ankara court on August 26, 2016, seeking the recovery of
its properties in Turkey. The Turkish documents refer to the St. James
Congregation of the Jerusalem Patriarchate as Mar Yakoub which is the
Turkish translation of Saint James or Sourp Hagop. The two different
names had caused confusion in the court as to the true identity of the
ownership of these properties.
The Constitutional Court sent the lawsuit back to the Ankara court
demanding that the lower court review the matter by conducting further
investigations. If the lower court reconsiders its earlier rejection,
it would open the door for the pursuit of the lawsuit through the
Turkish court system.
I had the honor of speaking by telephone with Patriarch Nourhan
Manougian last week regarding the status of the lawsuit. To my
knowledge, this was the first interview that his Eminence has granted
to a member of the media on this subject. He informed me that the
Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem owned around 1,200 properties in
Istanbul alone. The Patriarchate also owned dozens of other properties
throughout Turkey which were confiscated by the government during the
period of the Armenian Genocide in 1915. Patriarch Manougian mentioned
that a very large and valuable property owned by the Jerusalem
Patriarchate in Yalova, Turkey, was sold by a Turkish-Armenian in the
1950s to a Turk and then fled to the United States. The Patriarch said
he is interested in filing a lawsuit against the heirs of that
Turkish-Armenian.
On August 7, 1973, the Turkish General Directorate of Foundations
initially included the Jerusalem properties on its list. When the
decision was made to exclude these properties from the General
Directorate of Foundations, the Jerusalem Patriarchate filed a lawsuit
on July, 19, 2012. However, the Turkish court dismissed the lawsuit.
Even though the Patriarchate won the appeal, the court rejected the
decision.
The Constitutional Court stated that at this point there was no need
to examine the right of ownership of the properties claimed by the
Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
The Constitutional Court further ruled that “before the documents and
records, particularly the administrative examinations of the legal
matter are presented to the court, it should have been possible to
clarify if there was a second Foundation or not. Without clarifying
all these issues and without realizing all these necessary
examinations, the rejection of the lawsuit has caused a great
inconvenience to the applicant [the Patriarchate], and the
interference in its right to apply to the court has been
disproportionate. With this rejection, the 36th Article of the
Constitutional Court is violated—defending one’s rights through
trial.”
This is a critical lawsuit not only for the Armenian Patriarchate of
Jerusalem but also for the entire Armenian nation. The sheer number of
the 1,200 properties demanded by the lawsuit makes it highly valuable,
particularly given their location in Istanbul, the most prominent
Turkish city.
While it is too early to speculate about the final outcome of this
lawsuit, it is probable that should the Patriarchate regain the
possession of some, if not all, of the 1,200 properties, the Turkish
government may not allow the sale of these properties and the taking
of the income out of Turkey, permitting only the use of the properties
or their lease to others. The generated income could then be used to
support the Armenian schools and churches in Turkey.
However, should the lower court and the Constitutional Court rule
against the Armenian Patriarchate, it can then file a lawsuit in the
European Court of Human Rights.
The Catholicosate of Cilicia is in the process of following the same
scheme, after its lawsuit with the European Court of Human Rights was
rejected because it had gone directly to the Constitutional Court of
Turkey, sidestepping the lower Turkish court. The Catholicosate is now
refiling its lawsuit with the lower court in Turkey.
The decision of the Turkish courts on these two lawsuits, followed by
the European Court of Human Rights, if necessary, will reshape the
agenda of the legal pursuit of the Armenian demands from Turkey,
beyond its simple recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
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2- Governor Newsom Signs Turkish Divestment Bonds Act into Law
SACRAMENTO—Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed the Divestment
from Turkish Bonds Act, into law.
“California stands on the side of justice and remembers the 1.5
million souls lost during the Armenian Genocide,” stated Governor
Gavin Newsom. “Today and every day, let us recommit ourselves to
making certain that we never forget and that we always speak out
against hatred and atrocities anywhere they occur. I am proud to stand
with friends and sign AB 1320 into law.”
“California, the 5th largest economy in the world, just told Turkey to
end its deceitful campaign of genocide denial,” stated Assemblymember
Adrin Nazarian. “I want to thank my colleagues, Governor Newsom, and
all those who have fought with me on this long path to recognizing the
1.5 million Armenian souls lost to genocide.”
“This is a significant victory for the Armenian Cause after a long and
hard-fought battle, but the war is not over by any means. We are
exceedingly grateful to Governor Gavin Newsom for remaining steadfast
in his commitment for justice for the Armenian Cause by keeping his
promise to sign the Divest Turkey bill into law once he assumed office
after publicly voicing his support during his term as Lt. Governor and
after our meeting with him in August,” said Armenian National
Committee of America-Western Region chairperson Nora Hovsepian, Esq.
“The persistence and perseverance of Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian and
the unflinching support of his colleagues in the State Assembly and
State Senate in working with us to advance this agenda have been
immeasurable, and we greatly appreciate the hard work it took to
achieve this result,” added Hovspeian.
“After this movement was initiated by the Armenian Youth Federation
and the All-Armenian Students’ Association on college campuses
throughout California, the ANCA-WR worked hard to bring it to the
legislative floor. This was truly a team effort, and the result speaks
for itself. We will continue to spread the message of Divest Turkey to
other entities, now being able to use this newly-enacted law as an
example of how the State can align its human rights policies with its
fiscal policies.” explained Hovsepian.
California has a long history of divesting from countries that violate
human rights, such as South Africa (apartheid policy), Sudan (Darfur
genocide), and Iran (international terrorism, human rights
violations). Threatening to divest from Turkish bonds over its denial
of the Armenian Genocide would end the continued funding of a campaign
of genocide denial. This bill sends a strong message internationally
that California demands justice for the murder of 1.5 million
Armenians.
AB 1320 prohibits the boards of the California Public Retirement
System (CalPERS) and California State Teachers’ Retirement System
(CalSTRS) from making additional or new investments, or renewing
existing investments issued or owned by the government of Turkey after
federal sanctions are imposed on Turkey.
The boards shall liquidate investments only upon action taken by the
federal government. More specifically, CalPERS and CalSTRS must
liquidate any of the investments described above within eighteen
months of the passage of federal sanctions on Turkey.
This bill also requires the boards of CalPERS and CalSTRS to submit
reports to the Legislature and the Governor, within a year of when the
federal government issues sanctions against Turkey. The report will
detail a list of investments that they have already liquidated and a
list of investments that potentially can be liquidated. CalPERS,
estimated that the exposure to the fund from Turkish investment
vehicles ranges between $77 million up to $350 million as of December
31, 2018.
From its July analysis, CalSTRS estimates the holdings of debt
securities issued by the government of Turkey is approximately $3.2
million. Global equities and currency investments subject to possible
divestment have a potential combined market value of up to $8.3
million.
“I want to thank the Armenian Assembly, the Armenian National
Committee of America – Western Region, Armenian Youth Federation and
Armenian Student Associations throughout the UC and Cal State system
and all the other college campuses for helping advocate for AB 1320,”
stated Assemblymember Nazarian.
California is home to the largest Armenian-American population in the
United States and one of the largest Armenian Diaspora communities in
the world. Annually, the Los Angeles Armenian Diaspora organizes a
march and protest on April 24th, to the Turkish Consulate to condemn
Turkey’s denial of their history of human rights violations and
targeted murder of the Armenian people in 1915. AB 1320 sets precedent
that we will not support Turkey, as it continues to savagely violate
human rights today as it did over a century ago.
Assemblymember Nazarian added: “I am not finished fighting for justice
and reparations. My next fight is federal recognition of the Armenian
Genocide.”
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3 – CSUN Receives $2.1M Anonymous Gift to Support Armenian Studies
California State University, Northridge has received an anonymous $2.1
million gift to support its Armenian Studies Program and special
collection holdings.
The gift establishes an endowed directorship in Armenian Studies in
the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures in
CSUN’s College of Humanities, as well as supports the efforts of the
special collections and archives unit of the Oviatt Library to
maintain the archives and artifacts of the collection accompanying the
generous contribution.
“While the donor chooses to remain anonymous, the impact of a generous
gift like this will not be unnoticed,” said CSUN President Dianne F.
Harrison. “The gift will touch so many lives. CSUN educates more
Armenian students than any other university in the world outside of
Yerevan, Armenia. This gift will strengthen an already strong program
that provides a foundation of knowledge about Armenian culture and the
impact Armenians and Armenian Americans have, not just in California,
but throughout the world.”
Vahram Shemmassian, head of CSUN’s Armenia Studies Program, hailed the
gift “as a true treasure that will enrich young minds and spark
further interest in collective Armenian life, particularly in the last
100 years that have witnessed unimaginable tribulations, as well as
revival like a phoenix rising from the ashes.”
CSUN’s Vice President for Advancement Robert Gunsalus called the
anonymous gift a “generous confirmation of the important role CSUN
plays in the community at large and in the Armenian community
specifically.”
“CSUN students graduate with an education that empowers them to become
change makers, not just in their communities, but in California, the
nation and the world,” he said.
CSUN’s Armenian Studies Program, established in 1983, promotes the
study of the language and culture of Armenia and Armenians, and helps
prepare the next generation of scholars in the field. The program
offers students support, workshops, public lectures and outreach
programs. Through their work, faculty, staff and students in the
program strive to contribute to the scholarly analysis and
understanding of the challenges the Armenian people have faced at
home, in the Near East and the Caucasus, and in the Diaspora.
Additionally, the program has launched, in partnership with the
Liberal Studies Program’s Integrated Teacher Education Program, an
effort to prepare future public and private school educators who have
the skills to teach Armenian culture and language.
Among the holdings of the Oviatt Library’s special collections are
archives of Armenian families that date back to the pre-World War I
Ottoman period, including letters, books, artifacts, clothes, and
jewelry. A number of the archival materials chronicle the Armenian
Genocide and the Armenian immigrant experience in Los Angeles. Once
the archives are processed and ready for viewing, they will be
available to the public.
Shemmassian said the anonymous gift ensures that future generations
will learn about the Armenian Genocide, and the role of Armenian
Americans in Los Angeles and the Southland played in establishing the
second largest Armenian community in the diaspora, after that of
Russia.
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4- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan
Addresses UN General Assembly
NEW YORK — Speaking at the UN General Assembly session on September 25
in New York, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed
democratic advancement in Armenia, the Karabakh conflict resolution,
relations with Turkey and regional issues.
PM Pashinyan said Azerbaijan was unwilling to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He said the peaceful settlement of the
conflict is of key importance to the stability and security of the
region.
“From the very first day of my tenure I have been taking steps in this
context. For this purpose, I made a statement that any settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be acceptable to the peoples of
Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan,” Pashinyan said. He said he
was the first Armenian leader to express a similar position.
“I was severely criticized in my country for such a proposal, which
equals the three parties to the conflict. Nevertheless, I believe that
this is the key to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, as it
suggests an opportunity for compromise, mutual respect and balance,”
said Pashinyan.
“To move forward, I expected a similar statement from Azerbaijan.
However, the Azerbaijani authorities adhere to their own position,
striving for such a solution to the Karabakh conflict that would be
acceptable only to the people of Azerbaijan. This means that the
Azerbaijani authorities do not intend to resolve this conflict,” said
Pashinyan.
On Turkey, Pashinyan said it remains a serious threat to Armenia’s
security. “By refusing to establish diplomatic relations and overtly
assisting Azerbaijan against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, Turkey
remains a serious threat to Armenia and the Armenian people, who
experienced the deep tragedy of genocide and continue of the 20th
century and continue to face the denial of truth and justice,” he
said.
Pashinyan said that the various degrees of tension existing in the
relations among Armenia’s neighbors and strategic partners put the
country in a very challenging position.
“Russia is our key strategic partner and ally. Georgia and Iran are
our strategic neighbors. We have a strategically significant agenda
and partnership with the United States, the European Union and its
member states. We observe with concern sets of disagreement among our
friends, strategic partners and allies,” Pashinyan stated.
He noted that “these realities put significant challenges to us,
because we face a persistent risk of not being correctly understood by
some of our friends or, even worse, all of them.”
“We are doing our best to remain a reliable partner and a good friend
for all of them without damaging our relations with any of them
without developing relations with one of them at the expense of
others,” Pashinyan continued.
He pledged that Armenia will spare no efforts to make the region’s
geopolitical environment safer.
Addressing domestic issues, Pashinyan accused Armenia’s former rulers
of trying to obstruct his anti-corruption efforts and spreading “fake
news.”
“Our democratic transformation and zero tolerance policy against
corruption are not without resistance from former corrupted elites,”
Pashinyan said. “Their vast financial resources are directed at
escaping justice. Our government has not pursued a single case of
redistribution of property. At the same time our resolve to press with
reforms and justice is unwavering.”
“Our mass media is completely free from government control or
interference,” he went on. “However, some of them are not free from
meddling and control from the same old circles of former government,
fabricating fake news and spreading mistrust in the public about the
origins and purposes of the Velvet Revolution.”
Pashinyan also said that his government is committed to “advance
democracy and reforms” but needs greater international assistance in
that endeavor.
“We need to have access to international best practices to save time
and resources,” he said. “We need to avoid the mistakes previously
made by other democracies to make our democratic reforms more fruitful
and efficient.”
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5- Sculptor Arto Chakmakjian Passes Away
World-renowned sculptor Arto Chakmakjian passed away on September 30.
From Toronto to Yerevan, Detroit to Paris, his sculptures decorate
city landscapes and museums across the globe. Chakmakjian was born in
Egypt in 1933. His father owned a bookstore and his grandfather was a
sculptor. At the age of 12, he started experimenting with clay, which
would later help define his work. In 1948, the family moved to Soviet
Armenia where he enrolled at the Terlemezian Art Institute to study
sculpting and painting. He went on to become a researcher at the
Academy of Arts and Sciences while consistently creating sculptures
that won international recognition. Chakmakjian was one of the first
Armenian artists to try and break through rigid ideological concepts
of social realism and tried to introduce news styles in sculpting. For
this, he was persecuted by Soviet authorities. In 1975, the sculptor,
heartbroken moved with his family to Montreal, where he spent the rest
of his life. He would occasionally visit Armenia.
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6- Bob Jones University Honors Prof. Ed Panosian, Commemorates
Genocide Panosian and the Providence of His Story: a one-of-a-kind
multimedia concert experience tells a tale of remembrance, resilience,
and redemption in the lives of two families affected by the Armenian
Genocide (1915–1920).
Dr. Ed Panosian, beloved history professor at Bob Jones Univesrity
(BJU) for over five decades, and singer/songwriter Mariam Matossian
together share an unforgettably heart-warming story of perseverance in
persecution, divine protection, and the fragile but flourishing
culture of a people preserved.
Mariam Matossian will be accompanied by a small band of musicians
playing Armenian folk instruments as well as the BJU Symphony
Orchestra for portions of the concert. Woven between the musical
selections will be video elements and storytelling.
The October 10 concert will also be webcast.
In February, the university hosted a reception debuting the recently
published biography of Panosian “Panosian: A Story of God’s Gracious
Providence” written by BJU alumnus Chris Anderson.
As a BJU student in the ‘90s, Anderson only knew one side of Panosian:
iconic history teacher with a booming voice. Twenty years later,
Anderson met Panosian’s private side: incredible product of
providence. His discovery led to the writing of the stirring
biography. In 2017, Anderson invited Panosian to portray historical
accounts of the Reformation at the church near Atlanta where he serves
as lead pastor. During their drive back to Greenville, Anderson asked
Panosian about his family and the floodgates opened.
“I wish I had had a recorder,” says Anderson.
For the next two hours, Panosian told him of his family’s escape from
the Armenian genocide and their lives in America. By the time they
arrived at their destination, Anderson knew “somebody had to capture
the story while [Panosian was] still living to tell it.” It didn’t
take long for him to ask Panosian if he could capture his journey in a
biography. Panosian agreed, and the yearlong process began.
Anderson is a self-proclaimed “word guy.” He has written beautiful
hymns, a devotional series and a study on John 4. But, according to
Anderson, writing his past projects was “basically like preaching.” He
playfully says he can “turn any sermon into a publication.”
“If it rhymes it will be a hymn,” says Anderson, “if it doesn’t rhyme
it will be a Gospel meditation.”
But this project was quite different. It had a storytelling angle that
both unnerved and intrigued him. Panosian was a challenge, but
Anderson was able to borrow aspects from his sermon writing as a
guide. The gathering of information and presenting it in a logical and
progressive manner were well-known to Anderson.
The foundation of the Panosian family story is built around the
Armenian genocide between 1895 and 1915. Writing and researching the
subject for six months was Anderson’s biggest emotional obstacle. He
says maintaining his all-consuming job as a pastor while reading about
the genocide was “a heavy process.”
Finding a balance in the book between the brutality of the history and
readability was especially hard. Anderson wanted to accurately depict
the pain the Armenians went through without shocking the reader too
much. Thankfully, the providential work of God in the Panosians’ life
helped level the tone of the story.
Because there were some gaps from Panosian’s parents’ past that they
could not fill, Anderson first approached the story with a fictional
spin. But, after revising the first draft, it “became very clear that
this is history.”
“As they read the book, people shouldn’t have to wonder if certain
parts are embellishments,” Anderson said.
After scraping off all fictional aspects, he began a more thorough
research process.
Anderson read several books and articles on World War I and the events
the Armenian people experienced before and during this time.
Throughout the process, he was recommended several pieces, but two
impacted him the most. Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story—a memoir of the
1913–16 American ambassador to Turkey—served as an unbiased
eye-witness account of the Armenian genocide. Peter Balakian’s The
Burning Tigris offered rare documents and narratives of the genocide.
Though the process was difficult, the outcome is great. Anderson is
glad to know that “the book signing and the entire book process
introduces [Panosian] to a generation of students that doesn’t know
him.” It also provided an inside scoop to those who thought they did
already know Dr. Panosian.”
For information, visit
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