Vahe H. Apelian
Almost as soon as I put my request to NAASR for a copy of G.J. Libaridian’s new published book titled “A Precarious Armenia”, I read that he will be presenting the book at NAASR. I called NAASR and asked them to hold on shipping the copy I purchased and have it autographed by Libaridian and mail the personalized copy.
I knew Jirair since my days at the Sourp Nshan Armenian School in Beirut. He is older than me by a year. His sister Seta was in my 1962 graduating class. His younger brother was my late brother’s classmate. My mother taught at the same school. The Libaridian family name was well known. His brother Razmig was a star on the Armenian stage in the Hamazkayin Gaspar Ipekian theater group. His elder sister similarly acted on the stage. The family as a whole was known as an activist family.
After graduating from Sourp Nshan Jirair attended the famed Nshan Palandjian Djemaran, which was the natural progression as both Sourp Nshan and Djemaran had French language curriculum, although Sourp Nshan School also taught English as the continued legacy of its former principal Minas Totolyan. When I graduated, my parents decided to enroll me in the Armenian Evangelical College high school, which has an English language curriculum. That may have been the reason that I was held a year and repeated my 9th grade and that may have been the reason that Jirair graduated from Djemaran in 1963 while I graduated from the Armenian Evangelical College in 1965.
When Jirair left for America to study, he made waves. Usually, it was the Armenian Evangelical high school students who left for America after college to further their education. Coming to America to study after high school was a rarity, especially from Djemaran. But Jirair, a graduate of Djemaran, after teaching there for a year, was moving to America to study history and thus was breaking a new ground. The 1963 Djemaran graduating class students were known as activist students. Some of his classmates were members of ARF Zavarian Student Association, so was I, and Jirair was often mentioned in conversation.
In 1976 I moved to the United States and I met him there. I remember one particular situation when I was tasked to pick him up from the Newark airport. He was in NJ to be at an ARF meeting that may have to do with the Zoryan Institute he helped found. Naturally we chat during the ride.
“A Precarious Armenia” is a thick book, comprised of 580 pages. The cover notes that the book is about “The Third Republic, the Karabakh Conflict, and Genocide Politics.” He has dedicated the book “To Movses Khorenatsi, the 5th century Armenian Historian, who understood the value of sovereign statehood and recognized the role of domestic factors and elites in its disappearance.” A review of the book may be read on Amazon.com.
Jirair’s lecture at NAASR took place on September 12, 2023. When I received the personalized copy of the book a few days after his presentation, I wondered if he remembered me. I contacted him through NAASR. Sure enough, he had and we had a chat catching up on things.
Levon Ter Petrosyan, the first nationally elected president in our history has aroused my interest lately. Over the years I have come to conclude that his ouster in 1998 was a blunder of historic proportion that altered the course of our most recent history. Although, I will admit, during those years I was also carried by the Artsakh euphoria and thought that Levon Ter Petrosyan was being too conciliatory. Liberation of Artsakh seemed to have redeemed our history. During this euphoria I too obviously did not comprehend fully that there was still the peace we needed to win and that the fundamental issue “ is not about giving up or not giving Karabakh up Karabakh. It is about keeping Karabakh Armenian. It was inhabited by Armenians for 3000 years and it should be inhabited by Armenians after 3000 years” (LTP – “War or Peace, Time to get Serious”).
Jirair's latest book I purchased, I thought would help me understand better the “the Third Republic, the Karabakh Conflict, and Genocide Politics”, as the cover of the book stated it covered.
I had hardly started reading a select chapter of the book, as the book can be read in increments, when hell broke loose and the Karabakh conflict ended for my generation and was relegated to history. Artsakh is depopulated of its history long native Armenians. And when I read that my Armenian Evangelical high school classmate and friend Vaghenag Tarpinian MD is going to host Jirair Libaridian at St. Leon’s church hall, in NJ, I decided to attend it.
My wife and I drove to NJ on the November 5, Sunday morning and attended Jirair’s presentation in the afternoon. NJ is dear to Marie and I. It is there that our immigrant experiences first took place. Marie’s mother sang in the St. Leon’s choir. We had not been in the state since we moved to MA. It ended up being a memorable trip having met friends who attended the presentation.
Vaghenag had sent me a copy of his introduction of Jirair he read. With his permission I am attaching it here.
““Good evening, ladies
Good evening, gentlemen
My name is Vaghenag Tarpinian
Thank you for attending the introduction of latest book, “Precarious Armenia”, by our speaker Dr. Jirair Libaridian, who is a historian, scholar, educator and a diplomat.
Dr. Libaridian is a luminary in the field of Armenian history and an internationally respected figure as a scholar and diplomat. He truly needs no introduction, never the less let us take a closer look at his remarkable journey.
Dr. Libaridian’s journey in public life began as the editor of “Asbarez” newspaper, where he displayed passion for promoting knowledge and awareness. Later, he edited the “Armenian Review” quarterly, which he transformed from an ideological tool into a scholarly and intellectual forum.
His commitment to understanding Armenian history and politics led him to co-found the Zoryan Institute that addressed, in addition to modern history, contemporary issues in Soviet Armenia and Diaspora, a vital institution in the study of Armenian political thought.
With a profound understanding of history, Dr. Libaridian holds a doctoral in history from the University of California, Los Angeles showcasing his expertise and dedication to his field.
His academic journey saw him teaching at prestigious institutions inclucing University of Pennsylvania, the Universituy of Massachusetts, and the Tufts and Rutgers Universities, where he shared his knowledge and inspired countless students.
Dr. Libaridin made a significant contribution to the foreign and security policies of Armenia, by serving as an adivisor to President Levon Ter Petrossian, as First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Secretary of the National Security Council with the rank of Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Armenia.
After his tenure in Armenia, he returned to academis as Alex Manougian Professor of Modern Armenian history at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. In addition to teaching he oversaw the expansion of the activities of the Armenian Studies Program, and continued to contribute to the scholarly world though his insightful articles and books.
Dr. Libaridian is the author of numerous books and articles published in English, Armenian French, German, Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish, and Russian, that continue to enrich our undunderstanding of history, policies and politics. His latest volume, “A Precarious Armenia,” he will present today, is expected to be translated other other languages as well, including Hindi.
Ladies and genteleman, please join me in extending a warm welcome to Dr. Jirari Libaridian, a visionary scholar, and a leader in the exploration of Armenian history, political thought and identity”
Jirair’s presentation lasted an hour. Afterwards, there followed questions and answer period that also last ed another hour and was followed by a reception and further chat with Jirair. The event was well organized and well attended.
After the late afternoon event was over, the organizing committee met in a restaurant for a late evening social with Jirair. At their invitation, Marie and I also attended the Sunday evening social. All in all, it turned out to be a memorable event.
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