Kessab: The three fateful days in March 2014

 Kessab: The three fateful days in March 2014 and their aftermath.

Vaհe H Apelian

March 20, 21, 22, 2014 will remained etched forever in the memories of those who lived through those three days. Those three days in turn and their aftermath  will go down in the history of Kessab, the only Armenian speaking enclave from historical Cilician (Western) Armenia.

The three days presented here are personal accounts from the ground zero, as the events were unfolding, on those very same days. The unfolding of each day was posted separately. I summarized in this blog those three fateful days of Kessab, and their aftermath as a continuum 

March 20, 2014, an ordinary day, the day before the exodus. 

The Teachers' Day in Syria, is typically celebrated on the third Thursday in March. As teachers’ Day goes, it is meant to honor the dedication of educators to building the nation's future. It is not a public holiday, but schools and communities celebrate with special events. In that fateful month, the Teachers’ Day in Syria was on March 20, 2014.

But in 2014, the Kessabtsis celebrated the Teachers’ Day a few days earlier on March 16. Ani Apelian had been the principal of the Armenian Evangelical School for many years. The celebration had happened in their house and Stepan J Apelian had taken that historic picture posted above.

My Facebook records indicate that I had been chatting with Stepan on March 20, 2014, at 3:40 pm, local U.S. Eastern Daylight time. I was in Cincinnati, OH. My cousin Stepan J Apelian, was in Keorkune, Kessab, Syria. The local time there was 10:40 p.m. It was an ordinary evening. We seem to be chatting about my friend Hratch Bedoyan who had passed away in 1992 due to a heart attack. Hratch and I had had visited Keorkune and had spent a few days at our family’s ancestral home, with my paternal uncle and his family.

I do not know when we ended our conversation, but it sure was later in the afternoon local U.S. time and late into the night in Syria.  

March 21, 2014, The day of the exodus,. 

Late in the night of the same day of March 20, 2014,, I received a message from Sevan Apelian from Anjar, that her brother had left Keurkune in haste, because Kessab was under attack.

It turned out that a few hours after Stepan and I ended our chat, on the wee hours of the early morning on Friday March 21, 2014, the first day of spring, hell had broken loose over Kessab

Heavily armed extremists had attacked Kessab from Turkey accompanied by artillery fire. In a matter of hours, the overwhelming majority of some 2,000 or so Armenian inhabitants of the greater Kessab, along with those who had taken refuge there from the civil war raging in Syria, had fled for their safety to the coastal city of Latakia, some 35 miles away. 

So had Stepan, Ani with their son Hovag, who was in his early teens, and Stepan’s mother, my aunt Asdghig. They had hopped into their car, carrying with them their essential personal documents, fand had fled Kessab, with the rest of  the Kessabtsis, to Lattakia.

Kessab borders Turkey. This onslaught of extremists on Kessab from Turkey, surely happened with the assistance and the permission of the Turkish government. Many, if not most, of the extremists who attacked Kessab were later reported not to have been Syrian nationals but were mercenaries recruited from elsewhere. The attack on Kessab was termed the “Anfal” campaign. I quote, “Anfal, which is Arabic for the spoils of war, is the name of the eighth sura, or chapter, of the QurÂ’an. It tells a tale in which followers of Mohammed pillage the lands of nonbelievers. “Basically, the attackers were sanctioned to loot Kessab and looting they did. They also killed the few able-bodied young Kessabtsis who stayed behind to support their elderly family members who could not leave during the mayhem. The attack as recorded by Rev. Sevag Trashian.

March 22, 2014, the day after the exodus. 

Kessabtsis had become refugees in their own country. Some of them found shelter with family members, relatives, and friends they had in Lattakia. Stepan had the family settled in an apartment, he had his Lattakia based business lawyer, whom he had befriended over the years, rent for them. Not all had these connections and had to stay in the church compound. The Kessabtsis organized a relief committee to oversee the fair distribution of aid. 

Stepan posteտ the following on his Facebook page.

Stepan’s comment. 

"To all our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora and mainland Armenia.

It is a very sad day for Kessab. 

The first day of spring - 2014, March 21 - the barbaric enemy with the full support of Turkey as government; logistically, militarily, and even participated in military action and attacked Kesssab early morning at 4 a.m. The attack started with a heavy shelling of the peaceful village, with mortars and grads, creating a chaotic state. 

The civilians fled to Lattakia, but no one can assure safety in Lattakia too. 

This aggression of Turkey is not justified in any way. The extremists are hopeless and frustrated. They could not sustain their existence in many parts of Syria, so they poured their venom on a peaceful, farming, and touristic area – Kessab – and its peaceful people who had no inclination to politics and power, whatsoever.  All through the 3 years of dirty (civil) war, we stayed very peaceful, created no friction with any party, showed military activities against no one. All were busy supporting their families and gave a safe haven to more than 1000 displaced families from all over Syria, of all denominations and faiths without any discrimination. These people are now being penalized for such a peaceful stand. 

The super powers of West are making humanitarian and human rights declarations as the safeguards of all values. But in fact, are blindfolded and deaf to all such act s that they secretly support as well. President Obama in his presidency oath clearly declared that the U.S.A. will return back to its ancestors’ and founding fathers’ values. Wonder if he really did fulfill his promise. 

We ask all living world of conscience to raise their voice against all aggressions at peaceful and life loving civilians.”

March 2014, and beyond.

Most Kessabtsis remained in Latakia during the ordeal. On June 15, word reached them that the extremists had left and that regular Syrian soldiers had entered the Kessab. Following the news Stepan and many other  Kessabtsi men started returning to check on their houses, businesses, orchards. The found the Missakiian Cultural Center in the the center of Kessab still smoldering.

They found their homes, businesses, churches, community centers looted and mostly torched.  They found cemeteries desecrated. Some started rebuilding their shattered lives. But some left for overseas. Most of the latter group claimed their departure oversees was temporary and that they will when law and order prevail in the region to secure their and their families’ safety.

Stepan J Apelian inspecting his sacked and looted house and soap factory

For Stepan, Ani, Hovag and Stepan’s mother Asdghig, that, would be it. They would not return to Keurkune again, let alone resume their lives anew in Keurkune, Kessab.

Stepan returned to Keurkune visiting their ransacked house and businesses and made arrangements for essential repairs to save their home and businesses from the elements of nature.

 Ani, Hovag and Stepan’s mother Asdghig, went to UAE to be with their daughter and her family and from there onto the United States. The family settled in Corona, California. Stepan and Ani continue to live there.

 Hovag graduated from college with distinction into a fine young man.

My paternal aunt Asdghig, Stepan’ mother was born in Keurkune on May 5, 1931. She married my uncle Joseph in Keurkune, where he too was born and lived all his life. They raised their family in Keurkune and buried their elders there. My uncle Joseph had passed away in May 1988, in Keurkune. My aunt Asghgig passed away on May 29, 2025, in Corona, CA. 

The Muslim extremists wiped a century long hard work by the Kessabtsi Medz Yeghern survivors and their descendants. The blow the Muslim extremists had inflicted on Kessab was existential. Kessab has not fully recovered but it and Kessabtsis endure.

Celebrating Hovag's engaement

 

Badarak Reading Course, translating the Holy Greeting -Voghjuyn

Vaհe H Apelian

Badarak Reading Course (II), translating the Holy Greeting passage - voghjuyn.

After attending the first session of Dr. Jesse Siragan Arlen led translation of the Badarak, the Armenian Apostolic Church mass, from the classical Armenian, I am continuing with the second session that started a few weeks ago and is offered on Monday afternoons from 2 pm to 4 pm. 

It is a group translation effort that leads to lively discussion, especially the last two sessions that included translating what I consider the high point of the Badarak, when the choir sings Christ is revealed in us - Քրիստոս ի մէջ մեր յայտնեցաւ. The passage is also known as the Holy Greeting passage – Ողջոյն. The passage appears at 13:4 minutes into the Badarak, and ends at 15:4 minutes, on the 51 minutes long Badarak sung by Armen Guirag. Many consider Armen Guirag’s recording the best recording of Badarak.

Those two minutes long recording start with the Deason saying “Greet one another with a kiss of holiness, and those of you who cannot share in the divine counsel, step out and pray.” ("Ողջոյն տուք միմիանց ի համբոյր սրբութեան, եւ որք ոչ էք կարողք հաղորդիլ Աստուածային խորհրդոյս, առ դրունս ելէք եւ աղօթեցէք:”)

 Until recently I thought that the Deacon is saying - artoun yeghek yev aghotesekt - be awake and pray. But upon reading the Badarak for translating, I learned that the Deacon is saying to the attendees– ar trouns yeghek yev aghotesekt – that is to say, those who will not be in communion with God, are asked to step out of the door and pray, because the faithful are going to be in communion with the message of the Badarak.

After the Deacon’s alert, the choir starts singing what may be considered the high point of the Badarak conveying its profound message; of God being revealed and seated among us, the voice of peace being heard, of the church and faithful being united onto one, of enmity being erased and love being spread. The passage may be translated starting as follows:

Christ has revealed himself in us, that God Himself has dwelt here.

A voice of peace has sounded; the command for holy greeting is given.

At that point, the celebrant priest who is on the alter gives the holy greeting command to a sub-deacon, who in turn conveys the greeting to someone from the congregation who approaches him to receive the holy greeting – the vogjuyn. The person in turn passes to a congregant, who does the same by whispering the holy greeting onto the two ears of another. The choir continues singing the rest of the passage. (see the note for the full text.)

The voghjuyn, the holy greeting - Քրիստոս ի մէջ մեր յայտնեցաւ – Christ has revealed himself in us - does not change, unlike the different greetings we exchange at two major holidays, Christmas and Easter,

Why whisper in the two ears.? 

 I have read that the holy greeting is whispered onto the two ears to make sure that the person received the holy greeting. Others have told me that the recipient of the holy greeting in turn responds to the greeter whispering - blessed is the revelation of Christ.

A group from different parts of the country and from abroad, possessing different levels of command of the Armenian language, some well versed, others learning the language; some knowledgeable of the Badarak, more than others, take part in this course, which is offered free of charge by  the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center  of Eastern Diocese and is ably being led by its director Dr Jesse Siragan Arlen. The course will continue on with its once-a-week session until the end of May.

 

Note:

Սարկաւագ.

"Ողջոյն տուք միմիանց ի համբոյր սրբութեան, եւ որք ոչ էք կարողք հաղորդիլ Աստուածային խորհրդոյս, առ դրունս ելէք եւ աղօթեցէք:

 

Քրիստոս ի մէջ մեր յայտնեցաւ, որ Էնն Աստուած աստ բազմեցաւ:

Խաղաղութեան ձայն հնչեցաւ, սուրբ ողջունիս հրաման տուաւ:

Եկեղեցիս մի անձն եղաւ, համբոյրս յօդ լրման տուաւ:

Թշնամութիւնն հեռացաւ, սէրն ընդհանուրս սփռեցաւ:

Արդ պաշտօնեայք բարձեալ զձայն, տուք օրհնութիւն ի մի բերան,

միասնական Աստուածութեանն որում սրովբէքն են սրբաբան.

Google translation

Deacon

"Greet one another with a kiss of holiness, and those of you who cannot share in the divine counsel, step out of the door and pray.

Choir

Christ has revealed himself in us, that God Himself has dwelt here.

A voice of peace has sounded; Holy Greeting command is given.

The Church has become one, the air has been filled with communion.

Enmity has gone away; love has spread throughout the whole.

Now, the ministers, raising their voices, give blessing with one mouth, to the one God in whom the saints are sanctified.

Marie Nichols and her two paintings about Kessab – Keurkune - 1/2

Vahe H Apelian

 

Courtesy Ara Ghazarian

The attached is the only painting of our village Keurkune, Kessab in Syria. I first came across this painting on Ara Ghazarian’s Facebook page and I posted it on my Facebook page. That was twelve years ago, on December 2014. It elicited a few comments. Among them Garo Knoyalian wrote,  “wow, who has done this oil painting and where is the original?”. Stepan J Apelian commented and said, “this painting was framed and on my office wall next to the new keorkune picture. This, was sent to me by late Khachig Chelebian from Australia, but he did not know who was the painter.”

I gathered the following information about the painting from Ara Ghazarian.  The painting belonged to her aunt Marie Ghazarian-Nichols. He said that she had an Armenian painter from Iran in California paint it for her. She had presented to the painter a picture of Keurkune from a pictorial album about Kessab, the Beirut Kessab Association, Ousoumnasirats, had prepared in 1955. The album was dedicated to the Ovsia Saghdejian, the beloved Dayee of Kessab and it was edited by the later bishop Terenig Poladian. We can then conclude that the oil painting depicts Keurkune in 1955 and it was painted a few years later, sometime in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s.

The painting, in fact, depicts Keurkune of my childhood days. I numbered a few landmarks and posted a few comments. Much can be written about this unique village. 

 No 1, is our paternal grandfather’s house built in late 1800’s. My paternal cousins Stepan and Ara were born and raised in that house. Later on, Stepan and Ani raised their children Tsolag, Shoghag, Hovag in that historic house. It still stands, renovated.

Next to it, No. 10, depicts Manesh nanar’s – grandma’s house – at least that is how I remember it. The two houses next to each other had one common wall. 

No. 2 is Keurkune’s unfinished school whose roof remained unfinished for the following many years.  The room of the left room was finished early in late 1960’s where classed were held. The room on the right-hand side was finished later on.  Stepan, had a vision of rendering it into a soap museum. I let him comment about the building.

No. 3 is Keurkune’s historic church built in 1898. Its mason was Arch. Ardavast Terterian’s grandfather. There is much to write about the church and has been written too.

No.4, at the far end of the village is its cemetery.

No. 5, is where the village’s olive oil press – Nofer’s mangana – was located.

No. 6, is the cluster of homes, including my maternal grandmother’s house.

No. 7, the communal threshing lots for the villagers were located, for threshing the harvested wheat. 

No. 8, was our paternal grandfather’s lot where he planted wheat, chickpeas, and later on it became the apple orchard. 

No. 9, is where Chalaba Nanar’s house. She was my maternal grandfather’s Khatcher Chelebian’s sister Marie, married to Hapel Apelian. 

No. 11, I knew the household there are Karakeuni’s. The cluster of the trees there were prime bird hunting ground.

The rest are Apelian, Bedirian, Kerbabian, Chelebian  households. 

Much has changed and there is little resemblance of the way it was.

Marie Ghazarian-Nichols, Courtesy Armenian Weekly 
(see the link)

This is what her nephew Ara Ghazarin wrote about her aunt Marie-Ghazarian-Nichols (1920-2023). "My aunt passed away January 22 at the age of 102. She was born in Keorkune a village near Kessab Syria she was orphaned at young age and sent to an orphanage in Aleppo , she learned nursing in Altounian establishment, she moved to Beirut where her 4 younger brothers and mother were settled. She worked in AUB maternity ward. She also worked in a British hospital in Khan Younes in Gaza Strip working for United Nations. In 1953 she migrated to Canada and lived in Penticton BC. My deepest condolences to her daughter Johanna her son Albert and her twin grandchildren Sienna and Jera.” 

The painting remains with MarieGhazarian-Nichols family, in Canada.

 

Link: In Memory of Marie Marlene Ghazarian Nichols: https://armenianweekly.com/2023/02/19/in-memory-of-marie-marlene-ghazarian-nichols/

The photograph

Amiras: Lords of Ottoman Armenia

Vahe H. Apelian 

Sometime ago, I ordered "The Amiras: Lords of Ottoman Armenia" book from Amazon.com (but had to cancel my order because of unavailability). Reading about the book before requesting a copy, I came across a comment made by the author of the book Pascal Garmont. He said that most of the Amiras hailed from the city of Agn and he wondered whether the Armenian Agnetsis were inheritors of a special gene pool that put them on top of the fiscal game in the Ottoman Empire.

The Amiras were bankrollers of the Ottoman Empire. In other words, they were the Rothschilds of the Ottoman Empire. Their prominence was so obvious that the first American missionary Rev. William Goodell to set foot in Constantinople (on on June 9, 1831), on behalf of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mission (ABCFM), noted the following in his memoir "The Armenians were an enterprising people, and the great wealth of the bankers, who were nearly all Armenians, made them very influential throughout the empire, even with the Turkish officials, who were largely dependent upon them for pecuniary advances and assistance."

It was the European powers that put an end to this influential class of Armenian Amiras when they established the Ottoman Bank in 1856. The bank was Ottoman by name only. The European powers and their big bankrollers owned and operated the bank that the Armenians occupied for 14 hours on August 14, 1896, under the leadership of young Papken Sunni who hailed from Agn. 

Wikipedia notes that on September 15, 1896, three weeks after the raid of the Ottoman Bank by members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation as a response to the Hamidian massacres, Turkish authorities organized a new massacre in the city of Ağın. Ottoman troops killed "upwards of 2000 Armenians" including "many women and children" according to a report by the French ambassador. Of the 1500 houses located in the Armenian quarter of Ağın, 980 were pillaged and burned. Ağın was chosen to be the target of the massacre because the leader of the bank raiding party who was killed at the start of the raid, Papken Siuni, was native to the city of Ağın. According to a report by the British Consul at Harput, the pretext used to attack the city's Armenian quarter was that the Armenians of the said city were "set to cause trouble" but it would not surprise me that the real cause was the wealth of the Armenian inhabitants of the city. 

It should be noted here that the financially well-to-do Agnetsis had bought their safety a few years earlier and thus had spared their city from the widespread killing and ransacking during the early Hamidian massacres (1894-1897).

Armenian authors have written a number of books about the Amiras, the great enterprising Armenian bankrollers of the Ottoman Empire who mostly hailed from Agn. I have my own interpretation as to why the cunning sultans bestowed upon these Armenians the special title that distinguished them as a class. Amira is derived from an Arabic word and it means princess. The sultans trusted and valued the services of these enterprising Armenians and yet they would not have wanted to draw the envy of the Turks. Hence the ever-cunning sultans came with the title Amira, princess. No self-respecting Turk would have liked to be titled, princess. The Turks must have envied the special relationship these Armenians had with the prevailing Sultan and yet they would not have wanted to be caught dead with such a "demeaning" title.

As to the Amiras, Dr. Chalabian wrote: "During this time trade in Constantinople was in the hands of Greeks and Armenians. For many years the pulse of Ottoman royalty was in Armenian hands and its distinguished denizens were titled "Amira". The word is Arabic in origin and was bestowed upon the wealthy and influential Armenian subjects of the Ottoman Empire. A disproportionate number of the Amiras, whose number ranged between 80 to 100 individuals, came from modest provincial backgrounds notably good many of them hailed from the small town of Agn (today's Kemaliye) in Anatolia's Erzincan province. They were a remarkable group of enterprising and ambitious Armenians who rose to the forefront of the Ottoman Empire in the 18th, and 19th centuries. At times, the succeeding generations of the same Amira family served the reigning Sultans faithfully and accomplished great things. They also became enormously influential in running the affairs of the Armenian community and became the link between the Sultan's palace and the Armenian Patriarch who had legal jurisdiction over the entire Armenian subjects of the Sultan.

Some of the Amiras were also put in charge of tax collection in the empire. Up to 1856, there was no banking system in the Empire. The Amiras filled in the void and made financial transactions with traders, trading houses, government offices and even with the reigning Sultans at exuberant rates. In 1795, the head of the Dadian family, Arakel Dad Amira, was appointed to oversee the armament factories of the Empire. From that date on for the next 75 years, the descendants inherited the position and ran the Ottoman munitions and artillery along with the production of paper and military uniforms. The members of the family thus exercised enormous influence given the size of the Empire and its armed forces. 

In the first half of the 19th century, one of the Armenian titans in Bolis was Harutyun Amira Bezdjian who was nicknamed "Kazaz Artin". He became a confidant of Sultan Mahmud II and was trusted with handling the personal wealth of the Sultan. His influence on running the affairs of the Empire was so strong that historians would call the era as the "Bezdjian Era". 

Through Harutyun Amira Bezdjian's financial contributions the following institutions were built in Bolis: the new building of the Bolis Patriarchate in 1823; Sourp Prgitch (Saint Savior) Armenian National Hospital in 1832; The women's school of Peria in 1826; the central school of Kumkapi in 1828; Saint Arakelots (Holy Disciples) Armenian school in 1830; Boghossian Boys' School in 1832; Varvarian Women's School in 1832; Bezdjian School in Kumkapi in 1832; Ayoubian Co-Ed School in 1832; a total seven schools and three major institutions. In 1836 he established the first trade – tailoring- school for the Armenian women of Bolis. Along with these monumental charitable contributions, he also undertook the expenses for the publication of many literary works, especially that of Krikor Pashdimaljian, the noted Armenian pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. Harutyun Amira Bezdjian was buried in the Virgin Mary Patriarch Cathedral by the special permission of Mahmud II. 

Limited space does not allow us to elaborate more on the amazing accomplishments of other Amiras such as the Balians, who became court architects and built such masterpieces as the Dolmabahçe Palace, the Yildiz Mosque, and the Imperial College of Medicine, which today houses the famed Galatasaray Lisesi. The Arpiarian Amira family clan, who also hailed from Agn, oversaw the silver mining in the Ottoman Empire. 

For some two hundred years the Amiras served the Sultans faithfully and were accorded privileges no others possessed in the Empire. 

Courtesy Houshamadyan

The Armenian word "ag" means spring and ‘agn" would mean "the spring". The Armenian Wikipedia notes the following about the city of Agn: According to tradition, after the destruction of Ani, part of its population came to the location and finding a cold water spring, next to it, formed a new city naming it Agn. During 1300 to 1311, the Armenians arriving from Ani founded their own neighborhood with Saint Hagop Church".

Agnetsis were not only money smart as great bankrollers.  The Armenian Wikipedia further notes that the Agnetsis have had a number of prominent persons in culture, medicine, education, arts, law and as civic and clerical leaders. Along with young idealist revolutionary Papken Sunni, other prominent Armenians are:

Arpiar Arpiarian (Արփիար ԱրփիարեանՕ (1851-1908), - novelist, publisher, literary critic and editor.  

Missak Medzarents (Միսաք Մեծարենց) (1886-1908) - poet

Krikor Zohrand (Գրիգոր Զոհրապ) (1861-1915) – writer, statesman, lawyer and philanthropist.

Siamanto (Սիամանթո) (1878-1915) - poet

Arshag Chobanian (Արշակ Չոպանյան) (1872-1954) – writer, literary critic, philologist, journalist and civic leader.

Minas Cheraz (Մինաս Չերազ) (1852-1928) – writer, editor, translator, civic leader.

Nikol Kalenderian (Նիկոլ Գալանտերյան) (1881-1944) - compositor

 Yeghia Chelebi Keumurjian (Երեմիա Չելեպի Քյոմուրճյան) – Note: Chelebi was an honorific title given to persons of prominence.

Archbishop Ardavazt Surmelian (Արտավազդ արքեպիսկոպոս Սյուրմելյան) - clergy

Levon Kasparian (Լևոն Գասպարյան) – Medical doctor.

Many regard the great middle-age poet Nahabed Kouchag (Նահապետ Քուչակ) hailing from Agn.

The Armenian Wikipedia further notes: "For almost 200 years, the great dynasties of Amiras in Constantinople and Smyrna hailed from Agn."

Those who hail from Agn may shed further light on this unique city and its famous Armenian inhabitants, the Agnestsis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 1300th Anniversary of the Council of Manazkert

The Eastern Prelacy Diary has been published annually since 1974 without interruption and contains a listing of the following under its jurisdiction:  parishes, outreaches, retired clergy, Sunday Schools, One Day Schools, Day Schools, Youth Ministry, and a few other information relevant to the Armenian community.

Last year the Diary had the 1700^th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea on its cover. This year it has the Council of Manzakert on its cover. I reproduced Arch. Anoushavan Tanielian’s, the Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy, reflection on the Councial of Manazkert. Vaհe H Apelian

The 1300^th Anniversary of the Council of Manazkert

The Armenian Church, an ancient part of the Universal Church, after celebrating last year with the Christian World, the 1700^th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, this year is commemorating the 1300^th anniversary of the council convened with the Syriac Orthodox Church, which took place in Manazkert in 726 AD, under the presidency of Catholicos of All Armenians Hovhannes Ordzetsi (John of Otsun) and Syriac Patriarch Athanasius III, with the participation of 23 Armenian bishops and eight archimandrites (vartabeds), and eight Syriac bishops.

The council is noteworthy for the enduring relevance of its content. Indeed, it addressed significant matters of theology, liturgy, and the Holy Scriptures which even today, in various forms still concern the wider ecumenical Christian family.

We may draw the following practical lesson from the Council of Manazkert.

1.   As it is beyond human understanding, in every age, the mystery of the Incarnation has unfortunately been a cause of conflict for, when viewed solely through a human perspective, it is stripped of its sublimity and divine character. In such circumstances, the essential role belongs to enlightened leaders – such as the Catholicos of the Armenians and the Patriarch of the Syriacs – who by confronting false doctrines, have prevented polarization and paved the way for peace.

2.   While both are members of the family of Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Armenian and the Syriac Churches nevertheless retain significant differences, which is the most persuasive testimony to the spirit of mutual understanding and tolerance.

3.   As in the case of individuals, dialogue is ever more imperative for both ecclesiastical and secular institutions, for it transforms the very stones of dividing walls into the building blocks of connecting bridges.

May the spirit of the Council of Manaskert ever renew Armenian life.

Archbishop Anoushavan

Prelate

Eastern Prelacy.

 

 

Nikol Pashinyan does not protect Armenian interests

Vaհe H Apelian

 

To a degree, I follow Kegham Papazian’s postings. He posts interesting things about a variety of Armenian and non-Armenian issues and subjects, including about the Armenians of Egypt and about Egypt itself. He hails from Alexandria, Egypt. Today, I was alerted to a comment he has made.

I would not have penned this blog had my repeated comment, to the comment Kegham Papazian hատ made, not been repeatedly erased. Kegham Papazian’s comment in Armenian was the following, in Google verbatim translation), “The organized and consistent struggle of the current government of the Republic of Armenia against Armenian values, national identity, historical memory, and the Armenian Apostolic Church continues, aiming to weaken the foundations of our statehood and undermine the natural pillars of our national survival.” 

To make sure that my comment was being posted I took a screen shot from my activity log. Yes, it was being posted and it was being erased. See the attached below, 

Kegham comment seemed to be in affirmation of Hagop Der-Khatchadourian’s comment. It aroused my interest. It turned out that Hagop Der-Khatchadourian in an interview had made the following conclusive statement. “Nikol Pashinyan has become the prime minister who protects everyone's interests, but not Armenian interests.” Borrowing Eastern Armenian usage his comment in Armenian is as follows: “Նիկոլ Փաշինեանը դարձած է այն վարչապետը որ  պաշտպանում է բոլորին շահերը բացի հայկական շահերը։”

Let me now share with the readers of this blog my post on my Facebook page on January 24, 2019 about Hagop Der-Khatchadourian; “NEWLY ELECTED A.R.F. BUREAU REPRESENTATIVE: I knew Hagop Der Khatchadourian when he was a student and member of the Antelias Branch of the A.R.F. Youth Association of Lebanon. Even then he was known as a studious student who excelled in his studies, displayed natural leadership and chaired the local Aantelias branch. I was the Central Committee's representative overseeing the Antelias Branch named "Haiastan", situated in the community center not far from the Catholicosate. His parents were among those who immigrated to Canada early on when he still was in his youth. Over the years he and his Armenian wife have raised their own family, and he has remained true to his youthful calling and has continued to serve the A.R.F. He represents a fresh air of a newer generation raised in the West. I join all those who wish him well in his new endeavor as the A.R.F. Bureau representative”. (see a screen shot of the posting below)

These two gentlemen, much like I remained settled in the Diaspora. And after the independence of Armenia, much like I,  forfeited their Armenia birthright and continued to remain settled in Canada with their families. 

Having forfeited birthright Armenia, it's got to take a certain degree of audacity, maybe not audacity, to hurl such comments – that the PM Nikol Pashinyan and his government are not protecting Armenian interest, are not upholding Armenian values and national identity, are undermining national survival  ! 

But, apparently, Hagop and Kegham seem to have forgotten the rudimentary. It is the citizens of Armenia who elected the PM Nikol Pashinyan and his government, to govern Armenia and Armenian interests with their consent. 

 

Nikol Pashinyan does not protect Armenian interests

Vaհe H Apelian

 

To a degree, I follow Kegham Papazian’s postings. He posts interesting things about a variety of Armenian and non-Armenian issues and subjects, including about the Armenians of Egypt and about Egypt itself. He hails from Alexandria, Egypt. Today, I was alerted to a comment he has made.

I would not have penned this blog had my repeated comment, to the comment Kegham Papazian hատ made, not been repeatedly erased. Kegham Papazian’s comment in Armenian was the following, in Google verbatim translation), “The organized and consistent struggle of the current government of the Republic of Armenia against Armenian values, national identity, historical memory, and the Armenian Apostolic Church continues, aiming to weaken the foundations of our statehood and undermine the natural pillars of our national survival.” 

To make sure that my comment was being posted I took a screen shot from my activity log. Yes, it was being posted and it was being erased. See the attached below,  

Kegham's comment seemed to be in affirmation of Hagop Der-Khatchadourian’s comment. It aroused my interest. It turned out that Hagop Der-Khatchadourian in an interview had made the following conclusive statement. “Nikol Pashinyan has become the prime minister who protects everyone's interests, but not Armenian interests.” Borrowing Eastern Armenian usage his comment in Armenian is as follows: “Նիկոլ Փաշինեանը դարձած է այն վարչապետը որ  պաշտպանում է բոլորին շահերը բացի հայկական շահերը։”

Let me now share with the readers of this blog my post on my Facebook page on January 24, 2019 about Hagop Der-Khatchadourian; “NEWLY ELECTED A.R.F. BUREAU REPRESENTATIVE: I knew Hagop Der Khatchadourian when he was a student and member of the Antelias Branch of the A.R.F. Youth Association of Lebanon. Even then he was known as a studious student who excelled in his studies, displayed natural leadership and chaired the local Aantelias branch. I was the Central Committee's representative overseeing the Antelias Branch named "Haiastan", situated in the community center not far from the Catholicosate. His parents were among those who immigrated to Canada early on when he still was in his youth. Over the years he and his Armenian wife have raised their own family, and he has remained true to his youthful calling and has continued to serve the A.R.F. He represents a fresh air of a newer generation raised in the West. I join all those who wish him well in his new endeavor as the A.R.F. Bureau representative”. (see a screen shot of the posting below)

These two gentlemen, much like I, settled in the Diaspora. And after independence of Armenia, much like I,  forfeited their Armenia birthright and  continued to remain settled in the Diaspora with their families.

Having forfeited birthright Armenia, It’s got to take a certain degree of audacity, maybe not audacity, to hurl such comments – that the PM Nikol Pashinyan and his government are not protecting Armenian interest, are not upholding Armenian values and national identity, are undermining national survival  ! 

But, apparently, they seem to have forgotten the rudimentary. The citizens of Armenia elected the PM Nikol Pashinyan and his government to govern Armenia  and Armenian interests with their consent.