The Armenian Islamic Tribe–Part II

Kevork George Apelian

Translated and abridged by Vahe H. Apelian

- Akh George, you did not ask me about my wife’, reminds me Mohammad Mahmood. She is also an Armenian daughter. (https://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-armenian-islamic-tribe-part-i.html)

In Kurdish attire and manners, Emena extends unexpected welcoming warmth to us. She is a Muslim woman, wearing scarf. She sits next to me and allows herself the liberty to speak freely, to narrate and to laugh. I instinctively rest my arm over her shoulder while being pictured. She does not object neither does she distance herself from me. Aren’t we long lost bosom relatives?

-‘Emena, who was your father?’ I ask

-‘My father is there’, she says, and points to picture hanging on the wall. ‘My father was also Moushetsi, Yeghia Sessoyan. Later his name became Mohammad Issa Mahamed. He was two years old during the massacres.’

At that moment Emena’s brother enters. He is a lawyer and his name is Abdel Rahan Mohammad Essa Mahamed. He is a middle-aged man. Sister and brother tell us about their father who passed away in 2008. The Sessoyan family numbered forty members. Yeghia or Mohammad Mahamed settled in a village named Bsis that is 30 Km from Ras al Ein. In 1948 he married an Arab woman named Abta. They have 2 boys and 5 girls. Yeghia married another woman as well. They have seven daughters and one son. Yeghia’s wives are alive and live in the same village. Emena also has relatives from his father’s side who speak Kurdish or Turkish. Some of her relatives do not like to tell their family stories. Emena also tells that her father Yeghia had a sister named Sosse who threw herself into river least she be taken as the wife of Turk or a Kurd. Emena repeatedly tells that she likes to associate with Armenians and that our meeting has made her very happy.

-‘Mehran (Mohammad)’ I ask, ‘how is that your father was Kurdified while your nephew Dr. Garo has remained Armenian?’

-‘His father remained within the Armenian community. However, he speaks only Kurdish. Garo studied in Armenia’, explains Mohammad.

-‘How is that you found each other?’ I inquire.

-‘In 1972 I used to work for a sheikh’, says Mohammad. ‘One day, while in the city, I came across a store whose sign bore the name Antranig Hekimian. I suspected that we are relatives, but I wanted to assure myself before meeting him. I inquired with the church in Ras al Ein and was able to ascertain that we are related after which I approached the owner. He was hesitant at the beginning at the site of a Kurd claiming family relation, but later he warmed towards me and became emotional. I invited him and his family to our house. We slaughtered lambs to celebrate the occasion. It was my dream to find out my father’s relatives. My dream has now become a reality.’

-‘How do you get along with your newly found relations?’ I inquire 

-‘Very well’, responds Mohamad. ‘I am a Kurd and a Muslim. They are Armenians and Christians. However, it’s the same blood that flows through our veins. You can tell that Garo feels very comfortable in our house.’

At that moment I saw Dr. Garo in the kitchen preparing a hookah for his leisurely smoking.

-‘Do you have a community?’ I inquire

-‘Of course we do’, responds Mohammad. ‘We have our own tribe, ashiret. Let me show you our member list’. He produces a document and I read page after page Kurdish names with their official registration numbers, their addresses and the signatures of the family’s patriarchs. There are 10 to 11 such records on each page.

-‘Our ashiret has its bylaws’, elaborates Mohammad. ‘We are especially attentive that the members of our tribe do not marry outside the tribe. If one wants to marry outside the tribe, then he or she has to take permission from the sheikh of our tribe, Elie Hovagimian. All able bodied males between the ages of 15 to 70 pay membership dues. From this coffer the tribe attends to the needs of the members, such as if one has an accident or kills someone, the compensation comes from the tribe’s coffer.’

-‘Why have you organized this tribe?’ I ask.

-‘Very simple, explains Mohammad. In this part of the world the prevailing social order is the system of tribes-ashiret. Every one has the support of a tribe. If you do not belong to a tribe, you are no one. You cannot protect your rights.’

-‘When was your tribe organized?’ I inquire

-‘Our tribe was organized in 1998’, explains Mohammad. ‘We conducted a census and we organized the tribe. We have 25,000 members. Our tribe is known as the ARMENIAN ISLAMIC TRIBE. We are Muslims but we are Armenians. Not all Islamized Armenians in the region are members of our tribe. There is a big number of them who are not members.’ 

At this point Mohammad’s brother-in-law intercepts and says that the lawyers of the tribe have their own organization and present themselves as Muslim Armenians.

On this May afternoon I remain dumbfounded. Here, the sons and daughters of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide not only honor and perpetuate the memory of their parents or grandparents but also have organized themselves into a distinct community of which we had not known before in spite of modern communication. They are Muslims, and they are Armenians!

Mehran arranges for his sons to take us for a sightseeing trip. We head towards Khabour River, the main tributary of the Euphrates River. There was a time when many Armenians on forced marches were drowned in the raging water of this river. We approach the river but remain standstill and astonished. The river is completely dry. The dams in Turkey threaten to starve Syria and Iraq of water. ‘Khabour River’ I say to myself, ‘is it the curse of those who drowned in your waters that has brought you to this state?’ 

We enter an abandoned mansion. The canal next to the mansion runs dry. There are abandoned water pumps rusting along the riverbank. We are told that there was a time when water from here flew hundreds of kilometers for irrigation

There is a sadness that permeates all around, rusting water pumps, an abandoned mansion and the memory of the many who walked by the riverbank or were drowned in it. We leave the area and head to Mreykez to meet the rest of Mohammad Mahmood’s family in their parental house.

We arrive the village by dusk. We meet Mohammad’s four brothers and one sister. All are very happy that we have paid them a visit. Momentarily Mohammad takes leave of us and enters a room to pay his respects to his mother, Hovhannes Hekimian’s widow, who is on her deathbed. In the courtyard I meet two other Armenians. It is noteworthy that most of the lands of the village and its surrounding belong to five Armenian families. The chieftain of the village is named Garabed. This meeting in the twilight of the dusk in this remote area, far from the rest of the world but otherwise in an Armenian enclave of sorts fills me up with emotion……

Just prior to our departing, Mehran wears his kafiyeh and igal and teasingly asks me if I will put a copy of his picture in Bedouin attire on the cover of my upcoming book much like I did for Salmon Drbo.

Salman Drbo, was not even in his early teens when he was forcefully separated from his mother. Over the decades he had assumed that his mother had died along with the rest of the Armenians. However, serendipitously, he discovered that his mother was alive along many of his compatriots. Mother and son met for the very first time when both had entered different phases of their lives. Young Aram Keklikian had grown up to become Salman Dro, the chief of his tribe. His mother had remarried and raised another family and had her first grandson named after her first husband who was taken away and she never saw him again . Upon meeting they had a picture taken together sitting next to each other. That picture graces the cover of my first book.

I did not answer Mohammad but I wondered instead, ‘how many book covers will we need to place the pictures of such Islamized Armenians?’

 

Note: We met Mehran Hekimian or Mohammad Mahamed through his nephew Dr. Garo in Mohammad’s house in Ras al Ein on May 20, 2009

Originally posted in Keghart.com.

 

The Armenian Islamic Tribe – Part I

By Kevork George Apelian

Translated and abridged by Vahe H. Apelian 

 

 

We depart from Qamishli to visit our companion’s, Dr. Garo Hekimian’s, Kurdified nephew, Mehran Hekimian. The road is long but is straight and makes for a smooth ride. The road going from Qamishli to Ras al Ein runs parallel to the Syrian-Turkish boarder. At times it approaches the border so much that the facial expressions of the Turkish soldiers standing on guard on the towers become visible. A barbwire separates the two countries. Once in a while, along the road, we see young girls who are walking in the barren vast expense.

-‘Don’t they go to school, asks Annie?’ Annie is my niece. We are travelling in her husband’s- Tom’s – car. My wife also is accompanying me.

-‘Of course they go. However, after school they work in the fields to pull the plants and collect the lentil and the beans’, replies the doctor.

The comfort in the car contrasts sharply with the scorching desert of this inhospitable terrain. Through these vast expanses almost a century ago my compatriots walked. Hungry, thirsty, bare-footed and emaciated, how did they manage to walk? Those who were massacred in Ras al Ein were done for, the survivors were herded to out far to Der Zor for their final reckoning. How fortunate are the girls we see outside every now and then gathering lentil or bean. They at least have shoes and are not starving and are not emaciated.

We pass through large and small villages. 

-‘Here in this village there are also Kurdified Armenians’, notes Dr. Garo.

What is there to say or do? What Armenian in these places, isolated from the rest of the world, almost forgotten? I wonder. Their forbearers were forced to abandon their beautiful country and settle here. Of course the Armenian settlers here were fortunate. Others had not the opportunity to remain alive.

-‘This is the Amouda village or city like settlement. There are a number of Armenians here as well’, says Garo.

After driving for a considerable period of time we arrive Ras al Ein. We have been told that there is a noted restaurant here, Restaurant Serop. I had been in touch with the man and I was told that he has interesting stories to tell about his father. The man had not volunteered to tell us. We also had neither the heart nor the time to dine. We headed Dr. Garo’s nephew, Mohammad (Mehran) Mahmoud’s house.

The tall statured Mahmoud invited us in. The foreign car had aroused the interest not only of the neighbors and the lads on the streets, but also of the surrounding at large. The host had assured everyone that we were not harmful people. We stepped in, into a long and large hall with twin divisions. The “eastern” side was furnished with pillows and cushions and the “western” side was furnished with armchairs. Hardly had we stepped in we noted, to our great surprise, a wooden bust of King Trdat, an Armenian tricolor scarf, and few other Armenian pictures. What are these artifacts doing in Kurdified Hovhannes Hekimian’s son - Mahmood’s - guest room? I wonder.

There is a bit of a dismissive smile on Mahmood’s face, at the site of our puzzlement.

-‘Our blood is Armenian blood’, he emphasizes.

He wants to know the purpose of our visit. His nephew, Dr. Garo, had already explained to him. However, he wanted to hear from us. I explain. He shakes his head.

-‘I am glad you came, for no one is interested in us. Not the government of Armenia or the Armenian Church. We are people who live on social margin. The Armenians do not accept us, nor do the Kurds. We applied to the Government of Armenia, but nothing happened. You have come out of interest in us, we are thankful.’       

 I gift him a copy of my book’s, titled “Martyrdom for Life”, Arabic translation.

-‘This is our Salman Derbo!’ – exclaims Mohammd Mahmood.

-‘Do you know him?’ I ask.

-‘Of course. His son lives here’ clarifies Mohammad.

He arranges to call a neighbor’s wife who enters the room and sees the book’s cover and is totally amazed.

-‘This’, she says pointing to the picture on the book’s cover, ‘is my grandfather, Salman Drbo. Each and every home of our extended family has this picture hanging on a wall.’

Her father, Khalaf is away. He is the son of Hadjentsi born Aram Keklikian, turned Bedouin Chief named Salman Drbo who is a cousin of the famed Armenian American orthopedic doctor who treated a young soldier named Robert Dole. I autograph and gift a copy of the book to give to Aram’s, that is to say Salman Drbo’s son, Khalaf, and hand the book to his daughter. She is very happy. She stays with us throughout our visit. It is evident that she is pretty liberal minded. She shakes hand with the men and speaks freely.

-‘Ya Mahmood’ I say, ‘we have come to gather information about people like you. What do you have to tell us about your father?’

-‘Whatever I know, I will tell you, says Mohammad Mahmood. My father, Hovhannes Hekimian, was from Geghetsi village of Moush. He was born in 1908. We were told that he had two brothers, named Anto and Avedis. He had two sisters, Srpouhie and Azniv. My father was forced out of Moush and was brought here where he remained. He was a kid in those days. He was named Ebrahem and settled in Meyrkez where he married a Kurdish woman named Khamsa. They have four daughters and four sons. I am the eldest of them. My brothers live in this area. I will take you to our village Meyrkez. I came and settled in Ras al Ein to educate my sons. There is no school in Meyrkez.

-‘Mahmood, how many children do you have? I ask

-‘I have 5 sons’, replies Mahmood. ‘Thank Allah. The eldest is Ebrahem or Apraham. He left the area and went to Europe and settled in Holland. He converted to Christianity there. The whole family was baptized. The names of his sons, my grandsons, are Sevag and Daron. Hence he cannot come to these areas any more. You know, he became a Christian.’

‘My other son is Emir. He has four beautiful daughters. The third is Akram. We call the fourth Ayden. However, he is Vrej. My last son is Arman, that is to say Armen. He serves the Syrian army for his compulsory military service.’

The daughters of his son Emir enter. Indeed, the grandfather has every reason to boast of their beauty. They are well-dressed attractive girls.

-‘Ya brother George, says Mahmood, you do not ask their names. I will tell you. The elder is Nanor, the second is Nairi, the third Armine’, and the fourth if Menar. Beautiful, aren’t they? I mean to say the names.

My companions and I remain speechless at the sight of such beauty and such authentic Armenian names in this part of the world and in such a family. These girls are the granddaughters of Mshetsi Hovhannes Hekimian. They are born and raised in Ras al Ein. They bear the brunt of the consequences of the Genocide perpetrated against their race 94 years ago. In spite of their beautiful names, what will eventually become of them? I wonder.

-‘My daughter is also named Menar’, explains Dr. Garo. ‘It is a name used in Armenia. My Armenia born and raised wife named her.’

-‘I congratulate you Emir’, I say, and add ‘May God guard your daughters. You have given them such beautiful names’.

-‘We are also Armenians’, says Emir. ‘I wanted to learn our Armenian language. I had textbooks brought from Beirut. However, without help I could not learn the language.’

Emir then shows me his cell phone as if to certify that being an Armenian is not an abstract thing for him. There are such Armenian pictures that only a zealous Armenian would carry. They include pictures of the Tricolor, Lisbon 5 and of Armenian emblems.

-‘Akh George, you did not ask me about my wife’, reminds me Mahmood. ‘She is also an Armenian daughter.’

To be continued

Source: originally posted in Keghart.com.

 

 

 

Lest We Forget: Heroes in their own right

 Vahe H. Apelian

Eric Bogosian ends his “Operation Nemesis” book stating that the story that fired his imagination and took seven years of his life to write was his grandfather’s gift to him. In an introspective mood he further notes, “We come into this world with nothing and we leave with nothing. We all know, either implicitly or explicitly, that all we really have is our place in the memories of others. We exist to the degree that we know and remember one another; even the most isolated among us. We share a collective understanding that we are all part of a greater whole”.

I was reminded of Eric Bogosian’s passage while reading Dr. Zaven Messerlian’s book titled “Excerpts Salvaged From the Press” (Մամուլէն Փրկուած Էջեր). The 390-age book is a selection from the many articles Messerlian has written in the Armenian press from 1963 to 2010. Most of the selected articles pertain to Armenian issues and were overwhelmingly posted in the Lebanese-Armenian press. Meticulous record keeping is Dr. Zaven Messerlian’s hallmark.

In addition to the perennial and vital topics such as the Genocide, the "Armenian Question", Diaspora schools, and the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the bilingual (Armenian and English) book contains the eulogies of the late Catholicos of All Armenians of Blessed Memory Vazken I, the acclaimed benefactor Alex Manougian along with many other leading Lebanese-Armenians who are lesser known than these two luminaries but are no less heroes in their own right. The eulogies are replete with biographical information about these Armenians whom the author has known personally. Dr. Messerlian provides vital information about these individuals whose selfless efforts contributed in the budding and blossoming of the post genocide Armenian Diaspora.

Dr. Messerlian has eulogized the following as well: 

Rev. Dikran Kherlopian, 1891-1968. He was an eminent educator, community leader. He founded the Armenological department of the Haigazian University. 

Megerdich Messerlian, his father, 1898-1979. He was a community leader, activist, eminent philanthropist and a noted Lebanese Armenian trader.

Kersam Aharonian, 1916-1981. He was an educator, author and a long-time editor of the Armenian newspaper 'Zartonk' daily. 

Maitre Khosrof Tutunjian, 1894-1982. He was community political leader, editor and an author. 

Ferida Salibian, 1922-1989. She was a long-standing educator. 

Goruyn Keshishian, 1914-1990. He was the longtime director of the Gulbenkian Foundation Armenian Department. Many Armenian students remember reading with trepidation the letter they received from him letting the students know whether they were to receive scholarship from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, Portugal. Generations of Armenian students owe furthering their education to this foundation, including I. 

Khacher Kaloustian, 1915-1985.  In a comment in Keghart.com, his son noted the following about him: “He spent several years in orphanages and managed to earn his own living and school fees starting from the age of seven. His challenge was to pursue his education and obtained his PhD degree from Temple University, USA, in 1966 in education and pedagogy after his BA degree in 1944 from AUB, Lebanon. His dream was to have his own school, which he achieved in 1974. His concern was to educate teachers to teach youngsters and new generations from early childhood. He was ahead of his time by 50 years in his approach. After his demise a center was established in his name, at the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon, with official recognition by the Ministry and qualified on a University Level, where teachers in Armenian schools are taught the methodology of teaching early-age children.”

Papken Megerdichian, MD, 1911-1985. He was a surgeon and director of the Lebanese Armenian Sanatorium, community advocate. 

Asbed Donabedian, 1923-1993. He was an educator and a noted Armenian numismatist who amassed the largest private collection of ancient Armenian coins. 

Ardashes Der Khachadourian, 1931-1993. He was an educator, an eminent Armenian linguist and an author. He was an expert on the history Armenian journalism and had amassed the largest private collection of Armenian journals, newspapers and periodicals.

Hovsep Yenikomishian MD, 1895-1994. He was a noted physician, Armenian community advocate.

Prof. Levon Babigian, 1917-1996. He was a professor of biology at the American University of Beirut, a scientist and an Armenian community advocate,

Levon Vartan, 1925-1997. He was an educator, author and an editor,

 Esther Shirejian, 1908-1999. She was a veteran educator, and a long-standing librarian, 

Dr. Houseg Donabedian, 1916-2003. He was a pharmacist, lecturer and a community leader. 

Antranig Manougian MD, 1910-2008. He was a psychiatrist, longtime director of the Lebanese national psychiatric hospital and the only Armenian evangelical who represented the evangelical community of Lebanon in the Lebanese Parliament.  

Vazken Tutunjian, 1915-2006. He was an educator, author, and a miniaturist. 

 

In final analysis the existence of these dedicated individuals is affirmed only as long as the succeeding generations remember them and appreciate their contributions. Thanks to Dr. Zaven Messerlian they are now enshrined in a book.

Dr. Zaven Messerlian has authored at least 10 books, mostly in Armenian and at least three of them in English. His contribution to Armenian literature and journalism becomes even more impressive when we bear in mind that he is an educator who has been the principal of the Armenian Evangelical College since 1967. Nowadays the school is named after its benefactors Yeprem and Martha Philibosian. He started his teaching career at the same school in 1960 when he was still a graduate student in history at the American University of Beirut. He was not yet thirty when he was entrusted with the mantle of the school's leadership. He remains steadfast on his calling to educate succeeding generations through the heyday of the school when it boasted almost 800 students in 1974-1975--the year that marked the start of the Lebanese Civil War. Along with his administrative and educational responsibilities, Dr. Zaven Messerlian has also established himself as an authoritative historian. 

The publication of the book has been made possible by the foundation set up by Mimi and Armen Haroutunian to cover the printing expenses of Armenian books. So far the foundation has made possible the publication of 40 books.  Dr. Zaven Messerlian may be contacted at P.O.Box 11-129, Beirut, Lebanon or through the school’s email (A_E_C@cyberia.net.lb).

A Blogger’s Thanks

A Blogger’s Thanks

Vahe H. Apelian

Blog, Blog, Blogging and blogger.

Merriam Webster dictionary defines blog as “a regular feature appearing as part of an online publication that typically relates to a particular topic and consists of articles and personal commentary by one or more authors”. As a verb blog means,” to write a blog”; and thus blogging is the act. The person who blogs is called a “blogger”. 

The word blog is a relative newcomer into the English language lexicon. According to Wikipedia ”The term "weblog" was coined by Jorn Barger on 17 December 1997. The short form, "blog", was coined by Peter Merholz, who jokingly broke the word weblog into the phrase we blog in the sidebar of his blog Peterme.com in April or May 1999.  Shortly thereafter, Evan Williams at Pyra Labs used "blog" as both a noun and verb.”

I became a blogger on March 4, 2017 when I posted my first article in my personal blog site that I initiated on the same date. Little did I know then that my blog site would tell me how many read my posting and from where. Today I found out that my blogs were read in the United States, Canada, Germany, Lebanon, Armenia, Bulgaria, Ireland, United Kingdom, Australia, France, Netherlands, Portugal, Greece, Argentina, Russia, Sweden and Syria.

Not only my blog site tells me how many people read a particular blog but it also tells me what operating systems readers used for reading, such as Macintosh, iPhone, Android, iPad, Windows etc. I also found out that most have come across my blogs through Face book. 
Did you note? I said  “blog” but not “article”. It’s a new brave world out there and I need to keep pace with the times. Honestly speaking, I find being a blogger liberating because I do not need to measure my blogs by a writer’s yardstick.

Thus far I have posted 13 blogs in March, 14 in April and 3 thus far in May. Today I also found out that my blogs have had a cumulative exactly 10,000 reads. Of course I do not mean to say 10,000 readers. The numbers of readers of my blogs have varied from 1115 to 115, my very first blog.

I thank all those who have opted to read my blogs instead of doing something else at that moment. Hopefully you found something there that made the time you devoted worth your while.

Bayard Dodge: A Great Friend to the Armenians

Lest We Forget -- Bayard Dodge (1888-1972)

Translated by Vahe H. Apelian

The late Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian posted this article in Simon Simonian’s "Spurk" weekly (Dec. 31, 1972).  Bayard Dodge hailed from a prominent American family. In 1923 he succeeded his father-in-law, the founding president Howard Bliss, and became the third president of the American University of Beirut that had formerly been known as "The Syrian Protestant College". His great uncle, Reverend David Stuart Dodge had been one of the first professors to teach at the faculty in the 1860s

“The Armenian media kept a strange silence at the death of a great friend of the Armenians, Bayard Dodge. Strange, because he was a towering figure in Lebanon and a great number of people have been beneficiaries of his good deeds. He contributed greatly towards the establishment of the Lebanese Armenian community.

It was my pleasure in the last two years to meet him and relive with him the period when caravans of destitute Armenians would arrive in Lebanon and find shelter in orphanages preparing to face life and end up establishing the vibrant present Armenian community in Lebanon. I feel a debt of gratitude towards him and belatedly pen these lines in his memory. More than others, he deserved to be remembered and eulogized by Armenians.

Bayard Dodge was born in 1888 in a family known for its humanitarian missionary zeal. His name, along with that of his father's Cleveland, great paternal uncle Steward, and father-in-law Daniel Bliss remain forever associated with the American University of Beirut (AUB).

After attending Princeton and other top American universities, Dodge headed to Lebanon. It  would become his adopted country. He set foot in Lebanon in 1913 and immediately assumed a variety of responsibilities. His caring heart and generosity of spirit would reveal themselves when he was appointed director of the Near East Relief Association in 1920 where he rendered incalculable assistance to the Armenian orphans. From 1923 to 1948 he acted as president of the AUB. During his distinguished tenure he made the university a center of learning and knowledge to people in Lebanon, in Asia, Africa and Europe.

After his retirement he returned to the U.S. For the next quarter-of-century he maintained his ties with Lebanon and continued to work for the betterment of the country. Prime Minister Saeb Salam eulogized him saying: “Bayard Dodge exemplified the best in Americans. He understood the people of Lebanon as well as the Arab peoples. He identified himself with them and made their social, educational, and national struggles his own.”

Bayard Dodge was also known as a man of faith. Even though he was a devoted Christian he saw much commonality with Muslims. In a statement that appeared posthumously, he said:  “A good Muslim and a good Christian are alike in many ways. It is a blessing that the American University of Beirut was founded in Lebanon, which is a unique country”.

The AUB’s modest and unpretentious president was also a scholar, and a capable administrator devoted to good causes. He was honored by many universities receiving honorary doctoral degrees. Syrian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Iranian, Polish, French, Greek and British governments decorated him with medals of distinction.  In 1960 he was honored the “Woodrow Wilson" award. Suleiman Franjieh, president of Lebanon, posthumously bestowed upon him the National Order of Cedar First Class.

Bayard Dodge died on May 30, 1972. Memorial services were rendered in Princeton and in Lebanon. Alas, we Armenians could not express our gratitude on these occasions for the services he rendered to us, among them for his decisive role in the acquisition of the [Antilias] property for the seat of the Catholicosate of Cilicia.

The world bestowed upon him all the accolades it could. Surely it is the God’s recognition of him as a devoted servant mattered most to him, for he worked tirelessly to live up to the motto of the university he served: “That they may have life and have it more abundantly”.

The Dodges displayed in their home with affection the attached photo of Bayard Dodge receiving the plaque the Armenian community presented to him in 1948 as a token of its gratitude. Also in the photo, Catholicos Karekin I Hovsepian is sitting next to Mrs. Dodge.”

 

Source: Keghart.com

The Cilician Mount Ararat

The Cilician Mount Ararat

Vahe H. Apelian

              Much like Mount Ararat, Gassios Ler  (Կասիոս Լեռ) has been a silent witness to the lives of the Kessabtsis since the original inhabitants set foot at the mountain slope. The mountain rises from the Mediterranean Sea shore and flanks Kessab in the northwest. It commands a majestic view to the traveler approaching Kessab. Gassios Ler may very well be regarded as the Cilician version of Turkish-occupied Mount Ararat.
 

Ler in Armenian means mountain. The Armenian name of the mountain, Gassios, is thought to have evolved from Cassius. Syria was once a Roman province and several “Cassius”s were governors of Syria. Although the Kessabtsis refer to the mountain as Gassios Ler, its official name in Arabic is Jabal Aqra ("Bare Mountain") because of its sparse vegetation. Its summit is approximately 1,800 metres (5,000 ft) and commands a magnificent view of the Mediterranean, Moussa Ler of the famed Forty Days of Mussa Dagh by Frantz Werfel and parts of the historical Antioch through which Apostle Paul traversed spreading Christianity.

The very first stamps of the new  Republic of Armenia depicted Mount Ararat even though the mountain is in Turkey. Much like Mount Ararat, Gassios Ler is part of Turkey as well. However, the Kessabtsis continue to relate to it as their own. Historically, it was part of Armenian Cilicia. The mountain, along with parts of the region (Sanjak of Alexandretta), including part of the Kessab, was annexed to Turkey in 1937-1939. Present-day Kessab was incorporated into Syria, thanks to the appeals of the local Armenians to the European powers. It is claimed that Cardinal Aghajanian played a decisive role in securing present-day Kessab as a remnant of the historical Cilicia. Kessab retains its Armenian inhabitants to this day, while the rest of Cilicia is depopulated of its once-thriving Armenian population.
 

Up to its annexation to Turkey and once a year, on the Sunday nearest to August 15, Kessabtsis used to go on pilgrimage to the ancient ruins on top of Gassios Ler, to celebrate the Feast of Assumption. Kessabtsis called these ruins Ballum. Some of the historians claim that a temple dedicated to Greek god Apollo stood there once. At one time for the Kessabtsis, the word Ballum and the Feast of Assumption were intertwined if not synonymous.  Both of my parents as youngsters used to accompany their parents to celebrate the Feast of Assumption at Ballum on Gassios Ler.

The Feast Assumption is an important religious celebration to Catholic and Orthodox Christians as the day that Virgin Mary was received into Heaven. However, all the Kessabtsis, irrespective of their denominational affiliations, celebrate the feast. Grapes are brought to the church and are blessed after Divine Liturgy. Kessabtsis would not eat grape until the feast. I remember well my paternal grandmother Sarah forbade me to pick grapes from vines until their blessing. The Feast of the Assumption is a major festivity for the Kessabtis who continue to celebrate it with davul and zurna and feast on harissa. 
 

Gassios Ler, unlike Mount Ararat, has one summit. In the gorge between the snow-capped twin peaks of Mount Ararat our legendary King Ardavast remains chained, accompanied by his faithful dogs that unceasingly lick his chains to free Ardavast to liberate Armenia. No such legendary figure inhabits Gassios Ler. Both mountains however, remain silent witnesses of our turbulent history, stretching from the slopes of Mount Ararat to the slopes of Gassios Ler and its surroundings within the famed historical Armenian Cilicia.

Source: Keghart.com.