According
to The Times of London, “Abdulhamid II ruled from 1876 to 1909, and was much
maligned in Kemal Ataturk’s modern Turkish republic for his authoritarianism,
anti-Westernism and clampdowns on the media. Yet, in the era of President
Erdogan he has been rehabilitated. A television series, ‘Payitaht’, which
depicts the life of Abdulhamid in glowing terms has been lauded by Mr. Erdogan
as essential viewing for Turkish youths to find out about their country’s
history…. ‘We see Sultan Abdulhamid II as one of the most important, most
visionary, most strategic-minded personalities who have put their stamps on the
last 150 years of our state,’ Mr. Erdogan said. ‘We should stop seeing the
Ottomans and the Republic as two eras that conflict with one another.’
Abdulhamid died in 1918 and at celebrations for the centenary this week,
Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that he would personally oversee
the granting of citizenships to the family.”
Arrogantly,
Erdogan then warned that U.S.
soldiers in Northern Syria would soon receive
the ‘Ottoman slap,’ according to Reuters. He was “referring to a half-legendary
Turkish martial move that involves a potent open-palm hit, resulting in a
one-hit knockout or even skull fractures and death.” An illustration published
by the pro-government Turkish media shows Pres. Donald Trump receiving an
‘Ottoman slap’ by Pres. Erdogan. Furthermore, Reuters quoted Turkish Foreign
Minister Cavusoglu stating that Washington was
backing the YPG [Kurdish forces in Syria] because it shared the same
“Marxist, communist, atheist” ideology!
Returning
to the issue of whether the Republic of Turkey is a brand new and separate
entity from the Ottoman Empire, Prof. Alfred de Zayas, an international law
expert, explained in an essay titled, “The Genocide against the Armenians
1915-1923 and the relevance of the 1948 Genocide Convention,” that a ‘successor
state’ is responsible for the crimes committed by its predecessor regime.
Moreover, a state that is a ‘continuation’ of a previous entity is even more
responsible because there is no difference between the two, as admitted by
Erdogan two weeks ago.
addition,
Alfred de Zayas quoted in his study Prof. M. Cherif Bassiouni stating that “In
international law, the doctrine of legal continuity and principles of State
responsibility make a ‘successor Government’ liable in respect of claims
arising from a former government’s violations.” Prof. de Zayas concluded that
“the claims of the Armenians for their wrongfully confiscated properties did
not disappear with the change from the Sultanate to the regime of Mustafa
Kemal.”
Finally,
Prof. de Zayas affirmed that “the principle of responsibility of successor
States has been held to apply even when the State and government that committed
the wrongs were not that of the ‘successor
State.’ This principle
was formulated, inter alia, by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the
Lighthouse Arbitration case.”
We
can conclude that Pres. Erdogan, by affirming that today’s Republic of Turkey
is the continuation of the Ottoman Empire, has inadvertently admitted that Turkey is responsible for the genocidal,
territorial and economic damages caused by the Ottoman
Empire to the Armenian people. Erdogan’s confession should be
presented as evidence when demands emanating from the Turkish Genocide of
Armenians are submitted to the World
Court.
**************************************************************************************************
2- Ararat-Eskijian Museum Will Hosy March 16-17 Conference
Celebrating 400 ‘Years of Armenian
Heritage’ in US
MISSION HILLS,
CA – A March 16-17 Conference at the Ararat-Eskijian Museum is dedicated to the 400th anniversary
of the arrival of the first Armenian to America,
‘Martin the Armenian’ (Virginia,
1618).
This conference will then focus on the legacy of
the Armenian American community today and its significant accomplishments from
very humble beginnings.
This landmark anniversary has inspired numerous
scholars and academics from diverse backgrounds to share their studies of our
rich Armenian-American heritage. In addition to the participants, an exhibition
will be on display with the museum heirlooms collected from descendants and
also from the private collection of the Genocide Museum Institute (AGMI) in
Yerevan, with the collaboration and participation of Dr. Hayk Demoyan
(currently at Harvard University on a Fellowship).
The conferencewill open March 16, from 6 to 10 PM, with a reception and the
opening of the exhibits, specifically prepared for the occasion along with a
musical program. The Saturday conference is from 9:30 AM to 5 PM, and is
divided into four sessions.
All events are free admission and open to the
public.
For information about the events please contact Ararat-Eskijian Museum
(747)500-7585 or [email protected]
***************************************************************************************************
3 – AMAA
Child and Orphan Care Committee
Luncheon,
Children’s Fashion Set for March 10
BEVERLY Hills, CA – On March 10, the AMAA Child
and Orphan Care Luncheon and Fashion Show is going to bring to life the magic
found in fairy tales… themed Once Upon a
Time… In a Land Far Far away… Where Dreams Can Come True, we will be doing our
best to make the dreams of children in Armenia and Karabagh come true.
The show at the Beverly Hills Hotel, 9641 W.
Sunset Blvd, Beverly Hills,
featuring exclusive fashions from Bloomingdale’s, is going to be magical,
filled with surprises and beautiful model.
Luncheon chairs, Aleen Oruncakciel and Betty
Balian are fluttering away to make this luncheon a delightful success, all for
the benefit of child and orphan care programs in Armenia & Karabagh and
would be honored to have your child model this year’s incredible fashions!
The silent auction committee, chaired by Nicole
Nishanian and Jean Kelegian, has procured some of the most charming and
captivating items and adventurous experiences.
The commitee will provide exclusive gift bags
for each guest to take home, donated by vendors who have each come forward with
delightful items for the guests.
MC is none other than author and television
personality Jill Simonian Panossian. She is a TV Personality and author of the
new book for first-time pregnant moms, The FAB Mom’s Guide: How to Get Over the
Bump & Bounce Back Fast After Baby (available on Amazon and at Barnes &
Noble). Southern California television viewers
know Jill for her 170+ twice-weekly parenting segments on CBS Los Angeles News
between 2016-2018. She has also appeared on NBC’s Access Hollywood
LIVE & TODAY Show, CBS’ The Doctors, E! News, HLN, Hallmark’sHome &
Family and writes for several parenting websites. Jill got her start at KTLA’s
Morning News in 2005, when she competed on-air to be the station’s weather
anchor. She was born and raised in Fresno,
graduated from UCLA and was a rider on the first American Armenian Rose Parade
float. She lives in the Pasadena
area with her husband, Dr. Andre Panossian with her two young daughters.
Connect with Jill atTheFABMom.com.
In 2017, donations have helped to facilitate the
sponsorship of nearly 2,000 children,
support six kindergartens in Armenia and Karabagh, support of three
community-based educational day centers in Yerevan, Vanadzor and Shushi, provide summer and day camp experiences for
nearly 5000 children and youth, provide Christmas programs at 42 locations,
including gift packages for 7,200 children, offer various art, sports, theater
and tutoring classes for 1,500 children, and assist needy families with relief
packages and provide medical and dental care to over 6,000 children.
For reservations or further information, please
contact Elizabeth Agbabian at (310) 476-5306 or Savey Tufenkian at (818)
956-8455.
*********************************************************************************************
4 – ‘Aleppo Cuisine’ Center Preparing to
Launch in Yerevan
By Hagop Toghramadjian
YEREVAN
– After months of preparation, Aleppo Compatriotic Charitable Organization (Aleppo-NGO), a
Syrian-Armenian humanitarian
relief organization, is nearly ready to open its new
Middle Eastern cuisine center. Named “Aleppo Cuisine,” the
center will be located on Koghbatsi Street
in the heart of Yerevan.
In addition to
a small on-site café, the Aleppo
Cuisine Center
will offer catering and
delivery services, and will produce a wide array
of frozen foods for distribution to grocery stores and
restaurants across Armenia.
Developed with the intent of
providing jobs to individuals who have fled to Armenia
during the Syrian conflict, Aleppo Cuisine will
also distribute a share of its profits to refugee families whose
breadwinners are incapacitated by illness or disability. In addition, the
cuisine center will regularly donate food to vulnerable local populations.
Aleppo-NGO’s president,
Ani Balkhian, relates that she and
others at Aleppo-NGO had the idea for a cuisine center
while considering ways to help refugees who arrived in Armenia via
the NGO’s “Save
a Life” program from 2015
to 2017. “We brought people here,” Balkhian says,
referencing Aleppo-NGO’s evacuation of hundreds of Armenians from Syria
at the height of the conflict,” and we feel a responsibility
to help them rebuild their lives.”
Vreij Kolandjian, the past chairman of the
Parish Council of St. Kevork Armenian Apostolic Church of Houston,
Texas, who had raised more than $120,000 for the “Save a
Life” project, helping rescue over 250 Syrian-Armenians by
resettling them in Armenia, said:
“Armenia
and specifically Aleppo Armenians need jobs more than anything else. Jobs will
empower women and give them a sense of security, dignity and
self-accomplishment. The Aleppo Cuisine will do just that! In that perspective,
we are starting immediately a global campaign called “Create-a-job”
$3,000 will secure a full year salary for one refugee.”
Two factors convinced NGO leaders to focus on a
cuisine center. First, they say, they took note of the rising demand for
Western Armenian and Middle Eastern food in Armenia. Tsola Beshlian Vizoyan, Aleppo
Cuisine’s prospective head chef, observes that “Syrian
cuisine has quickly become very popular in Yerevan. Over the past few years, locals
have definitely developed a taste for it.” Evidence for her
claim is scattered across the
city: from Erebuni to Arabkir, more than 40
restaurants—the vast majority owned and operated by recent refugees
from Syria—now
focus on Middle Eastern cuisine.”
As restaurateurs scramble to keep up
with demand, Aleppo Cuisine’s large-scale production and
distribution service will address major gaps in the market, increasing the
availability of Middle Eastern and Western Armenian cuisine at
catered events, grocery stores, and beyond.
The second factor that convinced Aleppo-NGO
to open a cuisine center was the skillset of the refugee
population. “The women of our community,” says Harout Zoulamian, a
member of Aleppo Cuisine’s leadership team, “are talented,
energetic, and hardworking, and their culinary expertise is a
great untapped resource. We are convinced that they can accomplish anything
they set their mind to.”
Since December, Aleppo
Cuisine’s prospective employees have participated
in a variety of business, hygiene, and safety
trainings, and are now concluding the preparation process with
hands-on practice in a mock kitchen. Zoulamian notes that
the women entered the training with a wealth of knowledge and
experience regarding Middle Eastern cuisine. “They already knew how to prepare
all of the dishes,” he says.
“Ichli Kufta, Madzunov Kufta, Yalanchi, pastries,
desserts, you name it—they can make it perfectly.” The training thus
sought to draw on these existing skills and prepare the women to work
as a team, to produce much larger quantities of food, and to
meet uniform quality standards.
“When you give someone a fish, you feed them for
a day. When you teach them how to fish, you feed them for a lifetime. This is
our philosophy,” Zoulamian stated. “The cuisine center isn’t a
temporary aid initiative. It’s a sustainable foundation on which families can
build their lives in Armenia.”
Balkhian agreed. “Aleppo Cuisine
Center’s technical
training differs from other training programs for Syrian refugees: it
offers a direct path to sustainable employment and income for some of
the most vulnerable members of our community.”
Aleppo-NGO hopes to employ up
to 70-90 Syrian-Armenian women and persons with disabilities
within its first 60 months of operations. Work hours will
be personally tailored for each employee,
allowing individuals with unpredictable schedules to
participate.
The Aleppo
Cuisine Center will
be headquartered at 83 Koghbatsi Street,
and is scheduled to open for business as soon as the remodeling is
completed in the next few months. The cuisine center’s space was
bought thanks to a generous donation from
St. Kevork Armenian Apostolic Church in Houston, TX
under the leadership of Vreij Kolandjian, Dr. and
Mrs. Österbauer-Tanielian and another donor who remains anonymous. The
kitchen, meanwhile, has been fully equipped with new
appliances provided by GIZ, Germany’s flagship international
development agency, which has been implementing the “Economic Integration
of Syrian Refugees in Armenia” (EISRA) program
for the past two years.
Aleppo-NGO’s leadership has ambitious plans
for the cuisine center’s future. 100% of the profits will
be used for humanitarian relief assistance and re-investment into
growth—hiring new employees, increasing services and production
amounts, and eventually expanding to a second location.
One day, Zoulamian stated, Aleppo
Cuisine’s products will be found throughout Armenia, and will even be
exported internationally. “There are no limits in our mind as to where we
can go.”
***************************************************************************************************
5 – 103rd Commemoration
Of
Genocide to be Held
April
22 at Montebello
Martyrs Monument
MONTEBELLO –
The United Armenian Council of Los Angled invites the Community to attend the
103rd Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide and 50th
Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide Martyrs
Monument in Montebello’s
Bicknell Park.
The
commemoration will be held Sunday, April 22, starting @ 2 p.m
Bicknell
Park is located on 910 Via San Clemente, Montebello.
*****************************************************************************************************
6 – Eight Educators to be Honored with
Armenian Genocide Education Award
LOS ANGELES — The Armenian National
Committee-Western Region Education Committee will
be recognizing eight recipients, from various California public school
districts, and presenting them with the Armenian Genocide Education Award.
These
extraordinary educators will be recognized on February 24, 11am at the Second
ANCA-WR Armenian Genocide Education Luncheon, being held at De Luxe Banquet
Hall in Burbank, CA.
“On behalf of the ANCA-WR Education Committee I
thank and congratulate all those who took the time to nominate outstanding
educators. We were overwhelmed by the number of nominations and say with
pride that each nomination was unique and deserving. We extend our
congratulations and gratitude to the 2018 honorees of this prestigious
award. The Committee was moved to tears with the work many of our
awardees do, as they teach their students the true story of the Armenian
Genocide. We consider the honorees as education heroes or our time,”
noted Alice Petrossian, ANCA-WR Education Committee Chair.
Their names are
as follows:
Alicia Gorecki, Pasadena High School, PUSD;
Amber McLeod, Crescenta Valley High School, GUSD; David Wright, Selma High
School, SUSD; Evelyn Seubert, Cleveland Charter High School, LAUSD; Ian McFeat,
La Cañada High School, LCUSD
Reiner Kolodinski, Glendale High School, GUSD;
Sandra Garcia, Theodore Roosevelt Middle School, GUSD;bSean Mispagel, La Cañada
High School, LCUSD
These educators were selected for their
exemplary leadership in their school communities, authenticity and creativity
in their lesson plans, while also empowering their students to apply in depth
research on the specific topics within the context of the Armenian Genocide.
“On behalf of the Education Committee, we are
honored to recognize these outstanding educators who have chosen to honor the
memory of those who have perished and survived the Armenian Genocide by
teaching the historical truths and lessons learned in ways that are powerful
and impactful in their schools and classrooms despite challenges and fears they
may face,” noted Sedda Antekelian, the Luncheon Committee Chair.
The ANCA-WR Education Committee announced that
this year ABC7 Eyewitness News general assignment reporter, Ms. Veronica
Miracle will be the MC at the event. Ms. Miracle joined the ABC7 Eyewitness
News team in August 2017 after spending three years at ABC30 in Fresno, Calif.
as a weekend anchor and reporter. In Fresno,
a series of her reports helped free a woman from jail after she was wrongfully
accused of crimes she didn’t commit. Ms. Miracle is also currently a student,
expected to graduate in 2018 from Syracuse
University with a
master’s degree in journalism innovation. Miracle was born in Osaka, Japan,
where most of her family lives today. Ms. Miracle is excited to participate in
the Second Armenian Genocide Education Luncheon and to honor the 11
extraordinary California
public school educators.
The Armenian Genocide Education Awards Luncheon
is open to all who want to show their appreciation, celebrate and honor
educators for their dedication to teaching about the Armenian Genocide. Tickets
and sponsorship opportunities are available online at ANCAWR.org/luncheonrsvp. Please note the event sold out last
year and will most likely sell out this year.
For
additional information, visit ANCAWR.org/luncheon or call (818) 500-1918.
*************************************************************************************************
7- Ben
Agajanian, Square-Shoed Kicking Star, Dies at 98
By
Richard Goldstein
The
New York Times
Though missing four toes because of an accident,
he was pro football’s first career kicking specialist, playing for nine teams
until he was 45.
When Ben Agajanian played on the defensive
line and place-kicked for the University
of New Mexico, he held a
job with a soft-drink bottling company to help with his college costs. One
spring day in 1941, he was riding in the company’s open freight elevator when a
concrete wall crushed his right foot, severing four toes.
gajanian was told that he would walk with a limp
and never play football again. But not only did he return to his college team;
he also became a place-kicking pioneer in pro football.
Agajanian, who died on Thursday in Cathedral City, Calif.,
at 98, was known as the pros’ first career kicking specialist, kicking field
goals and extra points for nine teams in three leagues over 13 seasons with a
specially designed square-toe shoe.
His death was confirmed by his daughter Lynne
McVay.
Coaches had traditionally used position players
to double as kickers. But Agajanian, a man without a position as a result of
his injury, was valuable enough to continue kicking until he was 45.
After kicking in the N.F.L. and the All-America
Football Conference in the 1940s, he did the same for the Giants’ 1956 N.F.L.
championship team, hitting two field goals on an icy turf at Yankee Stadium in
a 47-7 title-game romp over the Chicago Bears. He went on to kick for the 1961
champion Green Bay Packers and in the young American Football League.
After his playing days, he tutored kickers for
Tom Landry’s Dallas Cowboys, advised other N.F.L. teams on their kicking games
and taught thousands of young kickers at his camps and clinics in Southern California.
A pair of his shoes went on display at the Pro
Football Hall of Fame in Canton,
Ohio, in 1974.
Agajanian himself was not inducted into the
hall, though Landry recommended him in 1994, saying Agajanian had “done more
for the kicking game in both college and the pros in the past 50 years than
anybody I know.”
Benjamin James Agajanian was born on Aug. 28,
1919, in Santa Ana, Calif., to James T. Agajanian, who built a
thriving trash collection company, and the former Hamas Kardashian. His parents
were Armenian immigrants.
Ben played at Compton
Junior College in California,
then kicked for New Mexico
in 1940 and 1941. The elevator accident left his kicking foot four sizes
smaller than his other foot, but he resumed kicking with a shoe that a boot
maker designed with a square front section.
“Lot of
guys said I was cheating because I had the hard square toe,” he told The Los
Angeles Times in 2016. “I said, ‘Well, you can do it too. If it helps you, why
not?’ ”
After his college years, Agajanian served in the
Army Air Forces as a physical training instructor at a California base. He made his N.F.L debut in
1945, playing briefly for the Philadelphia Eagles before being traded to the
Pittsburgh Steelers, for whom he was a reserve defensive end until he broke an
arm. He then kicked while wearing a sling.
He took a year off to start a sporting goods
business before joining the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America conference and
kicking a league-high 15 field goals. It was in his two seasons with the Dons
that he became solely a kicker.
Agajanian, who retired several times only to
return to the pros, kicked for the Giants in 1949 and again from 1954 to 1957.
He also kicked for the Los Angeles Rams (1953), the Los Angeles Chargers
(1960), the Dallas Texans and the Packers (both in 1961) and the Oakland
Raiders (1962) before returning to the Chargers, who had moved to San Diego, in
1964.
He made 104 of 204 field-goal attempts,
converted 343 of 351 extra points and had league-leading kicking percentages
with the Dons in 1947 and the Giants in 1949.
Agajanian approached his kicks in the
conventional straight-on, toe-first style. But the kicking game changed in the
1960s with the arrival of European soccer-style kickers, who approached the
football on an angle, using a large portion of their shoe surface.
Agajanian cultivated that style when he tutored
kickers.
“When I saw these little fellas kick 50 and 60
yards, I decided that’s the way to do it,” he told The Boston Globe in 1989.
But he developed his own variation, teaching
kickers to approach the ball from three steps behind it and two steps to the
side, at an angle less severe than the one the Europeans used, feeling it would
improve accuracy. That style became common in the N.F.L.
In addition on to his daughter Lynne,
Agajanian’s survivors include another daughter, Lori Hinkle; a son, Lewis; 10
grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. His wife, the former Arleen Phelps,
died in 2007. His brother J. C. Agajanian, who died in 1984, owned racecars
that won the Indianapolis
500 twice.
One Sunday, when Agajanian was playing for the
Raiders at age 43, he took matters into his own hands rather than relying on
his foot. In an interview with Todd Tobias on the website Tales From the American
Football League, he told of a game in which an opposing player was returning a
punt.
“The guy’s going for a touchdown,” he recalled.
“As he went by the bench, I went out and tackled him and went right back to the
bench.”
It wasn’t until his Raider teammates looked at
the game films that they discovered what he had gotten away with. It was one of
the few highlights of a season in which the Raiders won only one game..
************************************************************************************************
8 – Dutch Parliament to Reaffirm Armenian
Genocide Recognition
AMSTERDAM—The
lower house of the Dutch parliament approved to consider two resolutions on
Thursday one definitively recognizing the Armenian Genocide, the other calling
on its foreign minister to visit Armenia in April to observe the anniversary of
that crime.
According
to NLTimes, both motions were submitted by Christian Union party parliament
member Joel Voordewind. All four coalition parties supported the motions. Thus,
when the bill is debated in parliament in the next two weeks, it is expected to
pass.
The
Dutch parliament recognized the Genocide in 2004 approving another measure brought forth
by the Christian Union Party, which in 2011 also introduced legislation that would
criminalize the denial of the Armenian Genocide
“We
cannot deny history out of fear of sanctions. Our country houses the capital of
international law after all, so we must not be afraid to do the right thing
here too,” Voordewind said to Trouw, a Dutch publication on Friday.
The
relationship between the Netherlands
and Turkey is already tense,
since the Netherlands
refused Turkish ministers access to the country to campaign for a referendum
that gave Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan more power. Recently talks to
repair this relationship broke down, and the Netherlands officially recalled the
Dutch ambassador to the country.
Dutch
Minister of Foreign affairs Sigrid Kaag told NOS, a Dutch television network,
that she respects and appreciates the Tweede Kamer’s “enthusiasm” to recognize
the Armenian genocide, but will not comment on the government’s stance on
the issue until she’s debated the matter with parliament next week.
Kaag
would not say whether a member of the government will attend the commemoration
in April. But sources in The Hague
told NOS that someone will be there.
Joël
Voordewind said in a tweet earlier today that “the House of Representatives
will recognize the Armenian genocide and this year the commemoration in Armenia
will be attended at the government level.
” Turkey
will not be so happy with what has been said. But in the past the Germans had
to deal with this issue in the same way,” the Netherlands defense minister Ank
Bijleveld was quoted as saying.
*****************************************************************************************************
9 – . AYF’s 85th-Anniversary
Alumni Reunion
Set For March 10
The much-anticipated Armenian Youth Federation’s
Alumni Reunion, which will celebrate the organization’s 85th anniversary, is
returning on Saturday, March 10, 2018 at Montebello’s
Bagramian Hall. Headlining entertainers for the evening include Onnik Dinkjian,
John Berberian, Hachig Kazarian, Ara Dinkjian, and George Bilezekjian.
The hosting AYF Montebello “Vahan Cardashian”
Chapter has begun phone banking AYF Alumni to save the date for this much anticipated
event, which boasts nearly 1,000 attendees spanning the international network
of the AYF and the broader Armenian community.
“We are coordinating with people from across California and even the
nation to bring together as many people as possible. This is an event that’s
open to anybody in the community, from current AYF members and alumni, to
friends and family,” said Harutyun Demirjian, a member of AYF Montebello
executive. Demirjian is spearheading the AYF Alumni Reunion committee, which is
made up of AYF Montebello members and alumni to make this reunion a reality.
“We are proud to announce that proceeds from the
AYF Alumni Reunion will go toward AYF Youth Corps,” said AYF Montebello Chapter
Chairperson Knar Baghdasarian.
Baghdasarian spent this summer as a participant
of AYF Youth Corps, one of the AYF’s flagship programs, joining a group that
organized daily cultural and educational camps for over 1000 children in six
cities in Armenia
and Artsakh, preparing generations of youth in both the homeland and diaspora
to further the development of the homeland.
This reunion is an incredible opportunity for
the entire community to unite for one big ‘kef’, you don’t want to miss this,”
said Stepan Altounian, ARF Montebello “Dro” Gomideh member and AYF Alumnus.
With the generations of AYF members and
community members under one roof, the evening will serve as a celebration of
the AYF’s 85th Anniversary, providing an opportunity for alumni to catch up
with friends they may not have seen for many years. The local AYF Montebello
Chapter, founded in 1958, will mark its 60th anniversary as well.
Pre-sale tickets are $50 per person, and at-door
price moves up to $65. For tickets, please visit www.bit.ly/AYF85. For more
information please contact (562) 325-4194 or [email protected].
***************************************************************************************************
10- Lieutenant- General
Jeffrey Harrigian
Heads US Air
Forces Central Command
WASHINGTON,
DC – (News.am) Armenian-American
Lt.-General Jeffrey Harrigian heads the U.S. Air Forces Central Command.
As the air component commander for U.S. Central
Command, the general is responsible for developing contingency plans and
conducting air operations in a 20-nation area of responsibility, covering
Central and Southwest Asia.
President and CEO of Dover International
Speedway and the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Dover
Motorsports Michael Tatoian told about the Armenian roots of the high-ranking
military officials.
In an interview with “Armenia Proud“, Tatoian said that he is
part of the US Air Force program, within the framework of which they establish
ties with civil society. He noted that they had a briefing with General
Jeffrey Harrigian. Tatoian noted that after the briefing he approached
Harrigian and said that he was also Armenian.
“Immediately there was a hug and a
handshake. We started talking about our ancestors, our food our families. He
looked Armenian, too,” Tatoian said.
*********************************************************************************************
11- Abp. Bekdjian Says Recent Events Were
‘Intended to Sabotage Patriarchal
Election’
ISTANBUL—The
elected Locum Tenens of the Istanbul Patriarchate Archbishop Karekin Bekdjian
is leaving Istanbul after the city’s governor demanded that the cleric’s
election be voided and forcibly reinstated Archbishop Aram Ateshian as
Vicar-General and cancelled a planned election of a new Patriarch.
In
parting statement Archbishop Bekdjian said that his arrival in Turkey
was borne from a desire to end the transition period of nine years at the
Patriarchate “and to contribute to the Patriarchate’s legitimate
administration.”
“I was
convinced that it would be enough to act faithfully and conscientiously on this
subject, and that our Church and our Patriarch’s choice would succeed. I
understand how wrong I am right now,” Bekdjian said.
“When I
came to the office, I faced astonishing circumstances. The most important of
these was the fact that from the first day the election process could not move
forward in compliance with transparent, fair and fair election rules,” the
Archbishop said
“Another
problem that I encountered was that the religious and lay people, who had a
strong will, who knew the values of our history and our community, had lost a
lot in comparison with the previous periods in Istanbul,” he added.
“Dear
brothers and sisters, recent events did not happen in a day. Unfortunately,
this outcome, which seems to have targeted me, is actually intended to sabotage
the 85th Patriarchal Election and is a product of a fairly long and planned
campaign. This campaign started from the very first day of my election as the
Locum Tenens. Dark campaigns reached very ugly dimensions. I’m afraid that this
attitude will even aggravate and further corrupt our society,” Bekdjian said.
The
Archbishop said he hopes the experience will help the community make a better
assessment of the situation and get a closer, better understanding of the
characteristics of those who govern the community.
Bekdjian
said that although unwillingly, he has to leave Istanbul after the letter of the Turkish
Ministry of Interior.
“Conflict
is not in my nature. My presence should not challenge new adversities for any
reason and in any way in the Armenian community, which has already suffered a
lot,” he added.
Archbishop
Bekdjian said he will pray for Patriarch Mesrop Mutafyan, his dear mother Mari
Mutafyan and the beloved brothers and sisters. Mutafyan was diagnosed with
dementia in 2008 and was place in his mother’s care in 2016.
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