Category: 2019

BY ALEEN ARLSANIAN

Anthony Ghanime, a 27-year-old Glendale resident, recently climbed the tallest peak in Africa—Mt. Kilimanjaro. A Chamlian and Rose & Alex Pilibos School alumnus, Anthony traveled to Africa on Tuesday, July 9. The trek to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro took a total 8 days, from July 11 to 18. When he reached the summit, Anthony raised an Armenian flag that kept in his Pilibos fanny pack throughout his climb. He returned to Los Angeles on Saturday, July 20.

Anthony is currently enrolled in an MBA program at the University of California, Irvine. With his program starting in September, he had enough time to plan and prepare for his trek up the mountain. Prior to applying to graduate schools, Anthony spent time working abroad at Intel, as well as at an engineering company called Q-MEP.

Below is an interview with Anthony about his trek:

Aleen Arslanian: When did you first start professionally climbing and why?

Anthony Ghanime: Unfortunately, since I’m not paid to climb, I’m not considered a professional climber. Most individuals that pick up climbing/trekking or a mix of the two do so recreationally. However, my interest in trekking started roughly three years after graduating high school in 2013.

The reason I started was simply a way to continue and maintain a healthy lifestyle picking up hobbies and habits that weren’t too common. This soon manifested into wanting to experience and conquer larger than life obstacles, which led me to climbing Kilimanjaro.

A.A.: What inspired you to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro?

A.G.: I was trekking through Petra in Jordan, and as I looked over the landscape I couldn’t help but feel a sense of wanting to conquer something grand. I actively challenge myself as a way of personal development and after doing some research I set my eyes on climbing Kilimanjaro. Climbing to the highest point in all of Africa seemed off-putting at first, but I quickly felt more comfortable with the idea that if I were to accomplish this it in turn may inspire Armenian youth to push past their own boundaries and accomplish feats, or overcome obstacles in their own life.

A.A.: How much research and planning did this trek require?

A.G.: There’s was more than six full months of research and planning that went into the preparation for this trek. This ranges from actually finding an appropriate guide company to lead you up the mountain, since by Tanzanian law foreigners are not allowed to climb without local supervision, to ensuring proper physical preparation and necessary vaccinations to avoid altitude caused sickness and dangerous diseases that are active within that region.

A.A.: Were there any particular challenges during the climb?

A.G.: It seems that every day that I reflect back to the climb the list of challenges continues to grow. However, the most difficult was the reduced amount of oxygen being taken in. A breath at 13,000 feet brings in 40% less oxygen than normal—less oxygen makes tasks requiring precision, like climbing the Barranco Wall, pretty difficult. Also, spending three days at 13,000 feet and higher with a lack of oxygen made getting more than three hours of sleep difficult.

The route during summit was sub-zero, since we leave camp at 11 p.m. and summit sometime around 8 a.m. A challenge I faced that day was water freezing in my camel-back while drinking it.

Mentally, the most challenging aspect was seeing individuals getting carried to camps or getting medevaced off the mountain. In the back of your mind, you can’t help but think the worst.

A.A.: Why did you feel it was important to raise the Armenian flag at the peak?

A.G.: Growing up in a tight-knit Armenian community in Los Angeles, as well as attending Armenian Schools (Chamlian/Pilibos) from preschool until high school, instilled a sense of Armenian pride in me from a young age. The privilege of being able to call myself an Armenian is something I’ve held dear to my heart my whole life and one I’ll continue to hold the rest of my life. It only seemed fitting for me to raise the Armenian flag on the summit, because of the meaning the flag holds in my heart. Being able to raise that flag was my way of paying homage to my community, family, teachers, schools, and mentors for their effort in not only my development as a proud Armenian but the development of Armenian youth in general. I also hoped that it would be a type of catalyst for Armenian youth to pursue and challenge themselves in accomplishing feats that not only our community can be proud of, but that ones from other communities can also admire.

A.A.: Is Mt. Kilimanjaro the highest peak you’ve reached? What other mountains have you climbed?

A.G.: At 19,341 feet, Mt. Kilimanjaro is by far the highest peak I’ve summited. No other mountain comes close to Mt. Kilimanjaro—other mountains I’ve hiked like Mt. Baldy and Cucamonga are nowhere near the same in terms of duration or difficulty. Therefore, I’m not really considering them as anything other than simple practice mountains.

A.A.: Do you have any plans for future treks?

A.G.: Right now I’m just looking to relax a bit and continue graduate school. But I definitely do plan on future climbs, one of which is above 20,000 feet—but this won’t be in the near future. The most important of these climbs is Ararat. I was born and raised in the Los Angeles Armenian community my whole life. I learned about Armenia’s history over the years, at Armenian school, and nothing would satisfy me more than being able to proudly raise the Armenian flag on the summit of Mt. Ararat.

The mountains I plan to climb include: Ararat (a priority for me), Denali (above 20,000 feet, which calls for a lot of preparation—probably not for another couple years), Rainer (technical climb), Longs Peak (preparation climb)

A.A.: Do you have any advice for individuals interested in climbing the mountain?

A.G.: There’s so many things that go into climbing Kilimanjaro, however, don’t let that deter you. Go about things systematically and make a list—there’s lots of resources that can be accessed online that’ll give you a clear point of where you need to start in your preparations. Physically ensure that your body can handle the stress of the climb it’s not easy whatsoever and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Mentally—have a reason to go. Personally, when things were getting tough and fatigue was starting to hit, I just kept thinking of being able to raise the Armenian Flag on top of the highest point in all of Africa. That thought filled me with a sense of pride and purpose and pushed me through the challenges I faced. Ensure that you have something similar to work toward and you’ll get there.

BY LEEZA ARAKELIAN AND MASHA KERYAN

WATERTOWN, Mass., (Armenian Weekly)—Armenia’s National Assembly Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan just wrapped up his three day visit to the Greater Boston area this week. His time spent with the Armenian community in Watertown and Boston was part of a larger working visit to the eastern region with scheduled meetings in Washington, D.C. and New York. Mirzoyan was accompanied by other delegates including Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan.

On Friday, Mirzoyan met with the Chair of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Eastern Region Central Committee George Aghjayan and ARF Eastern Region Central Committee member Ani Tchaghlasian at the Hairenik building, where he was taken on a tour of the archives of the ARF and the First Republic.

Mirzoyan, who has a PhD in history, reflected on his experience at the Hairenik building with members of the community that night during a scheduled town hall at the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center. “I was reminded once more of the history of our people. But most importantly, it was a reminder and a lesson for me so that we can create a better future for our people, for Armenia—a future that we have dreamed about for many years.”

Democracy has been a significant part of that dream, continued Mirzoyan, as well as free and fair elections. He elaborated on this matter in Washington, D.C. during his formal remarks at the House Democracy Partnership Leaders’ Forum to which Armenia was invited for the first time. His speech was entitled, “Reasserting the Independence of the Legislature in the Face of Rising Authoritarianism.” Mirzoyan drew upon American history and the Federalist Papers; he argued that the root of authoritarianism is the inability of democratic leaders to stay connected with their citizens. “In Armenia, we are currently pursuing this through reforming and strengthening the democratic institutions, where reversal of the democratic breakthrough will be unattainable,” said Mirzoyan to a room full of D.C. lawmakers and international leaders.

It wasn’t until 2014 when Mirzoyan started paying closer attention to the disenfranchised. “Armenia’s problems require complex solutions,” he told editors of the Armenian Weekly and the Armenian Mirror Spectator on Saturday afternoon. “It became clear to me that if you want a change, you have to do it yourself, especially if you are against the government.” Mirzoyan has been in his post since last May; the Civil Contract party member has been leading 132 members of the legislative branch—a noticeably young demographic. “It was the youth that was the manpower of the revolution. It’s been mostly the youth fighting for all these years. Why wouldn’t they be in parliament after all that work?” he said.

During that interview, Mirzoyan covered a variety of topics with the Diasporan newspaper editors, including the United States’ newly imposed sanctions on Iran, an issue that Mirzoyan vehemently opposed at the Atlantic Council in Washington the previous week. “We have been neighbors with Iran for centuries,” he explained in Cambridge, Mass. “The Armenian economy has already suffered because of the sanctions. We cannot lose the privilege of getting gas from Iran.”

Closer to home in Artsakh, Mirzoyan spoke about the situation at the border. He says Armenia and Artsakh must continue working towards peaceful negotiations. While death rates at the border have decreased over time, Mirzoyan says that is not enough. “One death at the border is significant for us. We don’t want a single death at the border,” said Mirzoyan before asserting Armenia’s increased efforts in the negotiation process in partnership with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

As for Turkey’s latest controversial purchase from Armenia’s strategic partner—Russia, Mirzoyan says the arrangement might serve as a diplomatic opportunity for Armenia-Turkey relations. “The world is not black and white,” he said. “You can’t rule anything out in politics.”

Mirzoyan also visited Armenian Heritage Park in Boston to pay his respects at the Armenian Genocide memorial. In the final leg of their journey to the eastern region, Mirzoyan and his delegates traveled to New York. All in all, Mirzoyan says this was an important trip to the United States. “Every now and then, Armenian government leaders should have meetings with members of the Diaspora to keep the relationship dynamic and maintain open lines of communication.”

BY HOVSEP DAGHDIGIAN

Vayots Dzor:
Traveling south from Yerevan towards Artsakh, after passing through the province of Ararat, the main highway enters Vayots Dzor. Shortly thereafter, there is the village of Areni which is famous for its wine, and where the world’s oldest shoe was found in a cave. Nearby is the spectacular Noravank Monastery.

Vayots Dzor has an abundance of sites of scenic beauty and historical significance, such as the 14th century Spitakavor monastery, near the village of Vernashen. In 1987, during the Soviet era, the remains of Armenian hero and freedom fighter Garegin Njdeh were secretly smuggled onto this site from the soviet prison camp where he died, and reinterred in his sacred Armenian soil. From near the monastery, the fortress of Boloraberd / Proshaberd is clearly visible and accessible to hikers.

This region is also home to Smbataberd, an impressive fortress which was considered impregnable, sitting atop a mountain with a spectacular view and command of the surrounding valleys and villages. A narrow dirt and gravel road, with the valley below to the right, leads to the fortress. We ascended to the fort in a 4WD Niva, but there is no room for error here, and no room to turn around if another vehicle approaches from the opposite direction. At the summit of the hill near the entrance to the fort, however, there is room to turn around. Invading Turks, unable to capture this fort militarily, took the fort by interrupting its water supply.

There are a number of other interesting sites nearby which are accessible by car. In the beautiful village of Yeghegis are a number of churches, the most unusual being St. Zorats Cathedral, 1303; a unique open air church. Armenian cavalry detachments would attend church service on horseback, facing the altar from the field in front of the church. They, and their weapons, would receive blessings before riding off to battle. During medieval times this area was under the jurisdiction of the Orbeli dynasty, which produced a number of outstanding clergymen, diplomats, military leaders, and scholars.

Getikvank:
My map of Armenia showed a road ascending the local heights following the course of the Yeghegis river, ending at Getikvank, with a church icon on my map marking the end of the road. A poor but passable dirt road brought us to the destroyed village which, for a long time, remained uninhabited. From spring until fall, however, local villagers encamp here in this yaylawith their families, pasturing their livestock on nearby fields. Most of the families are from Shatin, a nearby village with the scenic Shativank monastery in the hills above the village, accessible via a poor dirt road.

In the yayla, women sitting in the shade of a stone wall initially declined to be photographed, until I convinced them that I was worse dressed than they were. Children were playing; a young boy posing for me while his older cousin kept an eye on him. A gentleman from Shatin, with an interest in this region’s history, took me to the few stones that remained from the church’s foundation. The church was surrounded by beehives to the left, and yeghinj (stinging nettle plants) to the right. I chose passage through the nettle; at least the nettle would not fly after me to sting me repeatedly! Nearby were some tombstones, including those of clergymen. The date and name of the church is unknown but the village historian indicated that this was probably from the dawn of Armenian Christianity—perhaps from the 4th century.

Around 1604, when Persian Shah Abbas’ forcibly deported the Armenians to Persia, much of this area became void of Armenians; a scorched earth policy intended to prevent Turkish invaders from living off the land and its Armenian population during Turkish–Persian conflicts to dominate this area. Without Armenians, Armenian monuments were neglected or vandalized when Turkish tribes moved in. Later, the Treaty of Turkmanchi (1828) between Persia and Russia, allowed Armenians whose families were forcefully deported to Persia to return home. As Armenians returned, many Turks and other non-Armenians moved out. The Russian writer and diplomat who helped negotiate the right of return, Aleksander Griboyedov, is credited with helping to restore the Armenian population here. He was subsequently murdered by a Persian mob. He is a hero in Armenia, with his statue standing on Tigran Mets Avenue in Yerevan and with a village named after him.

In a nearby village, one resident indicated that his ancestors came from Persia (Iran). “But,” he insisted, “We’re not Barsgahyes!” (Persian-Armenians), signifying his ancestors were from this area, forcefully deported to Persia, with subsequent generations of his family returning to Armenia.

Retreat from Avarayr:
Pointing to the mountains about 25 miles to the Northeast, our village historian in Getivank indicated that there were graves of Vartan Mamikonian’s soldiers there who survived the Battle of Avarayr (451 AD) and were withdrawing towards Artsakh. He indicated that, in his youth, he hiked there and saw the gravesites. As far as I know, there have been no archaeological investigations of that site. But, according to a number of medieval histories, survivors from Avarayr, pursued by Persians, retreated through this area.

Stepanos Orbelian (1250 – 1303), in his “History of Sisakan” (excerpt of translation by Robert Bedrosian below) relates how Armenian survivors of Avarayr were relentlessly pursued by Persians as the Armenians were seeking safety. The nearby Tsaghatskar (Tsakhatskar) monastery originally was a memorial built on or near the site of the slaughter of Avarayr warriors. Historian Stepanos Orbelian states:

“[The Persians] advanced farther and killed 300 more [Christians] by the waters located between [the villages] called Ostink’ and Artaboynk’. Subsequently the residents of the area built a church over this spot. Then the Persians crossed a gorge on the left, overlooking the holy convent called Ts’aghats’k’ar, situated on an elevation between the two villages mentioned above, and there they massacred a very large number of sepuhs and elite warriors.”

Artaboynk village is in a mountainous area which surely must have been an attractive site from which to present a military defense. Our village historian also told us of a nearby monument dedicated to Vartan and his soldiers. It was not clear if this was an ancient monument or a more recent one, but we were unable to find it.

The Vartanantz War:
The Vartanantz war with Persia was fought over the right of Armenia to remain a Christian nation, with Armenia refusing to obey Persian demands to abandon Christianity and convert to Zoroastrianism. Vartan Mamikonian, the hereditary commander in chief of Armenian forces, was killed in the Battle of Avarayr and subsequently sainted. The numerically smaller Armenian army, however, inflicted disproportionally large casualties on the Persian forces but lost the battle. Armenians continued to wage a guerilla war for decades under the leadership of Kayl Vahan (Wolf Vahan), the nephew of Vartan. The conflict ended with the Treaty of Nvarsak (484 AD) which guaranteed Armenia religious freedom, the first known treaty to guarantee freedom of religion. The Mamikonians continued as hereditary commanders of Armenia’s armed forces, though the Armenia continued to pay tribute to Persia in the form of taxes and military service.

References:
1. History of Vayots Dzor
2. Armenia and Karabakh: The Stone Garden Travel Guide, by Matthew Karanian and Robert Kurkjian
3. Rediscovering Armenia, Guide: Brady Kiesling, Raffi Kojian
4. History of Syunik, Stepanos Orbelian, translation by Robert Bedrosian

GLENDALE—The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region announced that it will award Kathryn Barger, Los Angeles County Supervisor for the Fifth District, with the “Woman of the Year” Award at the 2019 ANCA-WR Gala on Sunday, October 20 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

“Supervisor Barger has been a staunch supporter of our community in Los Angeles County, demonstrating time and again her long-term commitment to our community’s immediate needs and long-term priorities,” remarked ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq. “As the elected representative of the largest Armenian-American community in the worldwide Diaspora, Supervisor Barger is worthy of this prestigious honor, and we are proud to give our community the opportunity to publicly thank and acknowledge her for her years of dedicated and ongoing service.”

Supervisor Barger has been highly supportive of Armenian-American issues and has worked hard to empower the community through many efforts, most notably through her very generous donation of $1 million to the Armenian-American Museum in Glendale and proclaiming the month of April as the  “Armenian History Month” each year during which the work of numerous community organizations and individual activists is highlighted and publicly honored by the LA County Board of Supervisors. She has cultivated a deep understanding of issues important to the Armenian Cause and has maintained consistent communication with various segments of our community to address our concerns.

In addition, in the year of the Armenian Genocide Centennial, Barger worked closely on the iWitness public art installation by artists Ara Oshagan and Levon Parian and architect Vahagn Thomasian displayed in Grand Park located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, which educated millions of visitors to the iconic site about the Armenian Genocide of 1915. As Chief Deputy to Supervisor Michael Antonovich for the 5th district, Barger ensured that the Supervisor’s office was reflective of the community and hired Armenian-Americans to various positions, including her current Chief Deputy Anna Mouradian who has further facilitated her connection to the Armenian community.

Through her time in office, she has approved financial support for projects such as the Armenian Genocide memorial monument being dedicated in Grand Park as well as the efforts of various Armenian community based organizations. To ensure that Armenian-Americans with language barriers are well informed and able to make their voices heard at the ballot box, Barger has also worked with the L.A. County Registrar Recorder to have voting information also be provided in the Armenian language.

Last year’s Gala attracted over 1,000 attendees as it honored a variety of individuals who have served their community and their country. Past honorees have included Baroness Caroline Cox, U.S. Congressman Brad Sherman, California State Senator Anthony Portantino, “Architects of Denial” executive producers and team including David McKenzie, Montel Williams, Dean Cain, Laura McKenzie, and Elizabeth Stanton, musician and activist Serj Tankian, Turkish MP Garo Paylan, Primate of the Diocese of Artsakh, Archbishop Parkev Martirosyan, International and Human Rights Attorneys Geoffrey Robertson and Amal Clooney, and many other distinguished honorees.

Purchase tickets now.

Stay tuned for more information on the announcement of honorees. For more information, visit our Facebook page. For any additional questions, send an email or call 818-500-1918.

Armenia’s Ambassador to the United States Varuzhan Nersesyan on Wednesday met with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western U.S. Central Committee at its headquarters in Glendale.

During the meeting, which lasted more than the an hour, the sides discussed issues of concern to Armenia’s foreign policy priorities, as well as the role the Western U.S. community can play in advancing those concerns.

At the onset of the meeting, Nersesyan expressed his deep gratitude and respect to the ARF and the important role it plays in advancement of Armenia.

Nersesyan shared with the ARF leaders his efforts in Washington to strengthen U.S. Armenia relations and briefed them about the recent visits by Foreign Minister Zorhab Mnatsakanyan and Parliament Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan to Washington. He explained that Mnatsakanyan’s participation in the State Department’s Second Annual Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom was greatly important in strengthening and forging relations with other colleagues. Nersesyan added that during Mirzoyan’s meetings with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell the issue of strengthening U.S.-Armenia relations were discussed.

Nersesyan also applauded community’s role in the recent pro-Armenia and pro-Artsakh legislation that passed the House, among them Congresswoman Jackie Speier’s amendment to include an additional $40 million to Armenia; Rep. Brad Sherman’s measure to block the transfer of U.S. defense articles to Baku that could potentially be used by the Azerbaijani government to act upon its threat to shoot down civilian aircraft operating out of Artsakh’s Stepanakert Airport; and Rep. Judy Chu’s initiative to strengthen the Artsakh Ceasefire by deploying gunfire locators, add observers, and withdraw snipers, heavy arms, and new weaponry from the Artsakh line-of-contact.

The meeting also focused on the recent developments in the Karabakh peace process.

Nersesyan was accompanied by Armenia’s Consul General to Los Angeles Ambassador Armen Baibourtian and Counselor Varazdat Pahlavuni.

ARF Central Committee co-chairs Avedik Izmirlian and Dr. Carmen Ohanian were joined by fellow CC members Levon Kirakosian and Melkon Melkonian, as well as Asbarez English Editor Ara Khachatourian.

The Armenian Genocide-themed documentary “Intent to Destroy” directed by acclaimed director Joe Berlinger was nominated Thursday for a News and Documentary Emmy Award in the Outstanding Historical Documentary category.

“Joe Berlinger’s ‘Intent to Destroy’ is a tour-de-force documentary, powerfully presenting both the facts of the Armenian Genocide and the depths of Turkey’s ongoing international campaign of denial, artfully presented through the window of the making of blockbuster film, ‘The Promise,’”said Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director Aram Hamparian, who introduced the documentary at its Smithsonian Folklife Festival Washington debut in July, 2018.

“It’s well-deserving of today’s Emmy nod and a win in September – not just for its remarkable storytelling but also as a powerful blow against genocide denial,” added Hamparian.

Berlinger embeds with a historic feature film production on the set of Terry George’s “The Promise,” to take an unwavering look at the Armenian Genocide. Historians, scholars, and high-profile filmmakers come together in Berlinger’s cinematic exploration of the tangled web of responsibility that has driven a century of denial by the Turkish government and its strategic allies.

“Intent to Destory” is a timely reckoning with the large-scale suppression of a historical tragedy. Berlinger confronts the fraught task of shedding light on the Armenian Genocide – whose witnesses and descendants are still fighting to be officially acknowledged as such by the international community – how it was carried out during World War I as the reign of the Ottoman Empire drew to a close, and how it laid the groundwork for the genocides that followed.

In an interview with Asbarez Editor Ara Khachatourian in 2017, Berlinger said that the documentary, a companion film to “The Promise,” aimed to highlight for international audiences the effects of denying the truth about the horrific crime of genocide.

The 40th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards will be presented on September 24 at a ceremony at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in New York City.