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.

My First Job Interview in the U.S.

Vahe H. Apelian

My first job interview in America remains the more memorable among the many first-time experiences I had in the New World, after I landed in the J.F. Kennedy Airport on July 9, 1976, as another immigrant. The Bicentennial Celebration had barely ended. 

The interview was with the American Cynamid Corporation, which has long folded away. According to Wikipedia it was a leading American conglomerate that became one of the nation's top 100 manufacturing companies during the 1970s. Apprehensive as I was to be punctual and yet not too early, I lingered around the building and presented myself to the receptionist just few minutes before the appointment time. I was asked to wait, but the wait was getting longer than I thought it would. An ominous sign I thought to myself. Who, I wandered, would take genuine interest, and offer a job to a newcomer like me who is not a local graduate and has no local work experience? Let alone to the fact that I had no experience in the field I wanted to make a career – pharmaceutics – other than relevant education.

I was immersed in my thoughts when a very distinguished looking gentleman stepped out and met me. He apologized for the delay and escorted me to his office and had me seated on a chair across his desk. He then welcomed me in Arabic to my total surprise. I asked him how is that he has learned Arabic. Adding further excitement to my initial surprise, he told me that he was born and raised in Lebanon and that his father was a longstanding employee of the American University of Beirut (AUB), my alma mater.  We started chatting about Lebanon and AUB to break ice, but I remained distracted at the sight of his nameplate on his desk facing me. It spelled his name, Robert Glockler. The last name appeared very familiar to me, even though it is not a common name one would ordinarily encounter. Looking back, I wander if my natural inclination to wander off had not become all too evident by my distraction to my detriment.

Let me deviate from the interview in the next paragraph.

My late maternal uncle Dr. Antranig Chalabian had collaborated with Dr. Stanley Kerr’s in the publication of his book titled “The Lions of Marash”. The Kerrs resided in Trenton, NJ. It turned out they socialized with the Glocklers. Henry Wilfrid Glockler was an employee of the American University of Beirut and was deported at the onset of the World War I into the interior of the Ottoman Empire because he was a British subject and Great Britain had declared war against Turkey. He thus had become an eyewitness to the atrocities committed against the Armenian subjects of the Empire. He had his eyewitness accounts penned down. The manuscript that was written in 1918 had remained dormant in Henry W. Glockler’s archives. Upon the recommendation of Dr. Stanley Kerr, he had sent his manuscript to Antranig Chalabian who had it edited, found sponsors, and had the memoirs published as a book.

Having made a connection to the name on the nameplate I was facing, I digressed from the conversation and in the spur of the moment blurted out if he was, by any chance, related to Henry Glockler. From the looks of his face, it became apparent that he was caught by surprise. He told me that Henry was his father and wondered how was it that I had heard of his name. Without going into the details, not mentioning that I had accompanied my uncle to the printer’s shop, nor did I mention that I had read the book, I said instead that Antranig Chelebian is my uncle. He responded something to the effect that it was a small world indeed and that he had heard so much about him from his father.

“Interned in Turkey 1914-1918” by Henry Wilfrid Glockler was published in 1969 by Simon Simonian’s Sevan Press in Beirut. It is 154 pages long. The book is “Dedicated To the thousands of innocent Armenian men, women and children of Ourfa, Turkey, who perished amid the horrors of the infamous [Armenian] genocide of 1915-18.”

My interview with Robert Glockler took a new turn. The formalities for the job interview gave way to a new discovered familiarity. He invited me for lunch at the company’s cafeteria and I stayed with him in his office long after that.

Not too long after my interview, I got an invitation to the company’s research facility in Princeton, NJ. When I presented myself there, I found out that all the department heads were lined up to interview me for a job opening commensurate with my education and the level of experience I had. I am sure that Robert Glockler had made that possible for me. I do not know how my interview went. Almost right after the interview I noted to the company that I received a job offer from the Schering-Plough Corporation, that ceased to exist as well. This time around it was thanks to Henry Apelian, a relative, who was the director at the company’s international division. He had recommended and presented me for an interview. I was offered a job that set me in my career path.

My first job interview in America became a source of comfort for me. My immediate and extended family members were still in Lebanon. I was away from home and by myself, but I felt that I was not all alone.

Decades passed and my career during the following more than three decades spanned in pharmaceutical companies. 

In January 2013, I had an article posted in Keghart.com regarding my first job interview. I had titled the article “Memorable Interview’. A few months after the posting of the article, I received an email. At first glance it did not dawn on me as who could the sender be. The name  did not seem familiar. Reading the email, I was stunned to find out that it was from the very person with whom I had my first interview. The sender of the email was Robert Glocker. In the email, he had noted to me that friends had brought the article to the attention of his brother. His brother in turn had sent him the link. After reading the article he had tracked down my email and contacted me letting me know that he was very pleased to read my article.  

Having thus connected, we continued corresponding with each other. I found out that he had retired and moved to Florida with his wife. 

One thing led to another and in December 2014, we met in Orlando, where we had gone for an end of the year family vacation. It was Robert who drove to meet me. Our paths had crossed once and that was thirty-eight years ago. But we acted as if we were old friends who met with each other to catch up on things that had transpired in their lives during the past many and many years. I thus ended up spending a memorable day with Robert as old friends would.

Quo Vadis U.S. Armenian genocide recognition?

Quo Vadis U.S. Armenian genocide recognition?

Vahe H. Apelian

 

ANCA is supporting the passage of H.Res. 220 and thus endorses its text that claims that the U.S. has recognized the genocide of the Armenians decades ago and over and over again. I was reminded of this article I had written, which I would like to share with readers.  The proposed resolution's text reads as follows: "Whereas the United States is on record as having officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, in the United States Government’s May 28, 1951, written statement to the International Court of Justice regarding the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, through President Ronald Reagan’s April 22, 1981, Proclamation No. 4838, and by House Joint Resolution 148, adopted on April 8, 1975, and House Joint Resolution 247, adopted on September 10, 1984; "Indeed, Quo Vadi the U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide

On April 28, 2017, I read a beautifully written article titled “An Endless March, Stories of the Armenian Genocide and the Quest for Recognition”. The article happened to be the first article that Sara Nazely Guglielmo, a young woman dedicated to raising awareness about the Armenian genocide penned for the Armenian Weekly. The article was well received. Many positively commented on the article including Frank and Clara Guglierlma, most likely Sara’s parents, who movingly commented the following: “Sara, we are so proud of you and all you do for the Armenian cause. Reading your beautifully written article helped us to understand about the Armenian Genocide better. Very inspiring. Love you.” Sara deserved all the accolades she rightly received. 

I was drawn by the last three words of title she chose for her article “Quest for Recognition”. But I read Harut Sassounian’s recent editorial where he noted the following: “Armenians and Turks seem to forget that the United States has not only recognized the Armenian Genocide but has done so repeatedly at the highest levels: The House of Representatives recognized the Armenian Genocide twice in 1975 and 1984. So did President Reagan in his Presidential Proclamation 4838, issued on April 22, 1981. Most importantly, the United States Government officially recognized the Armenian Genocide in a report filed with the International Court of Justice (World Court) in 1951.”

This was not the first time that Harut had made his position clear regarding the U.S. Armenian genocide recognition, which also questions the pursuit for the U.S. Armenian genocide recognition further since the U.S. has already recognized it, not once but three times, Harut claims. To that end he questioned Cong. Adam Schiff’s recent efforts for U.S. Armenian genocide recognition.

I had taken exception to Harut’s assertion in the past and did the same upon reading his editorial. He pointed out to me that it’s not only him but the ANCA and the Armenian Assembly also claim that the U.S. has recognized the Armenian genocide.

I was intrigued. Since I regard the ANCA the facto the grass root organization pursuing just resolutions for Armenian causes, I read its position regarding the U.S. genocide recognition.

ANCA’s genocide position starts with the following paragraph. “The Republic of Turkey continues to enforce a gag-rule against truthful U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, despite the overwhelming evidence documenting this crime.” This statement is in tune with what I also understand to be the case. The U.S. has not truthfully recognized the Armenian genocide in spite of overwhelming historical evidence having succumbed to pressure by the Turkish government. This is also what Robert Fisk has been saying all along. This why, I thought, that Samantha Powers apologized to the Armenians. This is what John M. Evans, as the former U.S. Armenia Ambassador, I believe, wanted to articulate as a matter of principle and paid a hefty price for his principled stand, that the U.S. has a moral obligation to recognize the Armenian holocaust experience as genocide.

But, on the third paragraph of the same, ANCA also notes the following. “Despite formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the U.S. government in 1951 and 1981, successive U.S. Administrations, fearful of offending Turkey, have effectively supported the Turkish government's revisionism by opposing passage of Congressional Armenian Genocide resolutions and objecting to the use of the word "genocide" to describe the systematic destruction of the Armenian people.”

I remained perplexed. Harut Sassounian was right then in pointing out to me that ANCA, much like him, acknowledges that the U.S. has recognized the Armenian genocide. Why is it then we are continuing to press the U.S. Government to recognize the genocide over again?  Would it not amount to a waste of time and resources and in fact be also counterproductive as well?  I doubt that Russian Armenians or German Armenians further pursue the recognition of the Armenian genocide by their respective countries over again.

I wonder. Had Sara Nazely Guglielmo been a niece, what would I tell her regarding her drive in quest of U.S. Armenian genocide recognition? Has the U.S. indeed recognized the genocide of the Armenians? What does U.S. Armenian genocide recognition entail?

Quo Vadis the U.S. Armenian genocide recognition?

 

 

 

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ԳԼԽԱՊՏՈՅՆՏ ՊԱՏՃԱՌՈՂ ԿԱՑՈՒԹԻՒՆ ՄԸ

ԳԼԽԱՊՏՈՅՆՏ ՊԱՏՃԱՌՈՂ ԿԱՑՈՒԹԻՒՆ ՄԸ

Վահէ Յ. Աբէլեան

Առաջին անգամ ըլլալով, մօտաւորապէս երկու տարիներ առաջ, Յարութ Սասունեանէն իմացայ որ Ամերիկայի Միացեալ Նահանգները արդէն ճանչցած է Թուրքերուն գործած Հայոց ցեղասպանութիւնը եւ այդ ալ ըրած է ոչ մէկ անգամ, այլ երէք անգամներ։ Ինծի զարմանք պատճառող հաստատումն էր Յարութ Սասունեանին ըրած ճշդումը։

Այս տարուայ Ապրիլ 24-ի նախօրեականին նոյն հաստատումը կրկին անգամ ըրաւ Անգլերէնով իր մէկ խմբագականին մէջ  գրելով՝ «Հայերը եւ Թուրքերը կարծես կը մոռնան որ Միացեան Նահանգները ոչ թէ միայն ճանցած են Հայոց ցեղասպանութիւնը այլ այդ բազմիցս ըրած են բարձրագոյն մակարդակներու վրայ։ Ներկայացուցչական Տունը ճանցաւ Հայոց ցեղասպանութիւնը երկու անգամներ 1975-ին եւ 1984-ին։ Ինչպէս նաեւ Նախագահ Րէկընը իր թիւ 4838 նախագահական հրովարտակին մէջ, Ապրիլ 22, 1981-ին։ Ամենակառեւորը՝ Միացեալ Նահանգները ճանցաւ Հայոց ցեղասպանութիւնը տեղեկագրութեան մը մէջ որ յղած էր Միջազգային Արդարութեան Ատեանին (Համաշխարհային Դատական Ատեան) 1951-ին։» Կցած եմ Անգլերէն բնագիրը (Armenians and Turks seem to forget that the United States has not only recognized the Armenian Genocide, but has done so repeatedly at the highest levels: The House of Representatives recognized the Armenian Genocide twice in 1975 and 1984. So did President Reagan in his Presidential Proclamation 4838, issued on April 22, 1981. Most importantly, the United States Government officially recognized the Armenian Genocide in a report filed with the International Court of Justice (World Court) in 1951.)

Յետ այս տարուայ Մեծ Եղեռնին յիշատակութեան, Սեդո Պոյաճեանը, համացանցի Հայ Յեղափոխական Դաշնակցութեան Բիւրոյի Պաշտօնական Կայք էջին վրայ կը ճշդէ որ Նախագահ Թրամփը հակաօրինական ընթացքի մէջ գտնուեցաւ երբ չյայտարարեց Հայոց ցեղասպանութիւնը իր պաշտօնական բառերովը քանի որ Ամերիկայ Սահմանադրութիւնը կը պայմանաւորէ Նախագահին վարել երկրին որդեգրած հաստատումները։ Սեդոն կը ճշդէ նաեւ որ այս պարագան քաղաքական չէ այլ օրինական։ Այս պարագային Սեդոն տարբեր մօտեցում կ՚ունենայ Յարութէն, իրաւմամբ ճշդելով որ Ամերիկայի նախագահը երկրին գործադիր մարմինը կը ներկայացնէ եւ հետեւաբար սահմանադրականօրէն պարտադիր է կատարել երկրին օրէնսդիր մարմինին որդեգրումները։ Անկասկած որ պարագան նոյննը պիտի ըլլար նաեւ նախորդ նախագահներուն ալ։

Բայց կրկին անգամ նոյն հարգը կը ծագի՝ Միացեալ Նահանգները իրապէս ճանցա՞ծ են Հայոց ցեղասպանութիւնը, ինչպէս կը ճշդէ Սերո Պոյաճեանը եւս։ Գէթ ես այդ տպաւորութեամբ չեմ մնացած։

Քանի մը օրեր առաջ անցնող Ապրիլ 24-ի շրջանին երբ Սեդո Պոյաճեանը՝ Հ.Յ.Դ Բիւրոյի Պաշտօնական Կայք էջին վրայ իսկ Յարութ Սասունեանը California Courier-է իր խմբագրութեան մէջ պնդեցին որ Ամերիկայի Միացեան Նահանգները ճանցած են Հայոց ցեղասպանութիւնը, հետեւեալները պատահեցան։

Նախագահ Օպամայի վարած կառաւարութեան ընթացքին, Միացեալ Ազգերու Ամերիկայի ներկայացուցիչն էր Սամանթա Բաուրզը որ հեղինակն է ցեղասպանութեան մասին հեղիկանաւոր գիրքի մը՝ «Դժոխքէն Հարց մը՝ Ամերիկան զեաղասպանութեան դարուն մէջ»։ Անցնող քանի մը օրերուն յայտարարեց որ ներողամտութիւն կը խնդրէ որ Նախագահ Օպամայի կառաւարութինը չճանցաւ Հայոց ցեղասպանութիւնը։ Անգլերենով ճշդեմ այս հեղինակին անունը եւ գիրքին վերնագիրը՝ Samantha Powers, «A Problem From Hell; America and the of Genocide”։

Հաւանաբար ոչ մէկ ապրող անձ այնքան սուղ վճառած եղաւ Ամերիկան Հայոց ցեղասպանութիւնը չճանցած ըլլալու հարցով որքան վիճակուեցաւ Ամերիկայի երբեմնի հիւպատոս Ճոն Մարշալ Էվընզին։ Ան ոչ թէ միայն հիւպատոսի իր գործը կորսնցուց այլ նաեւ իր ասպարէցը երբ ճանցաւ Հայոց ցեղասպանութիւնը որպէս պաշտօնախօսը Ամերիկայի կառաւարութեան Հայաստանի մէջ։ Նոյն այդ կառաւարութեան որուն կը վերագրուի որ Ճանցած է Հայոց ցեղասպանութիւնը։ Ան այսօր իր համոզումին վրայ հաստատ կեցած յայտարարութիւն մը ըրած է։ Գործէն արձակուելէն ետք ան գրեց երկու գիրքերը առաջինը՝ «Ճշմարտութիւնը Պատանդի Տակ» իսկ երկրորդը՝ «Հետեւաբար Աստւած Հայ Պէտք է Ըլլայ»։ Անգլերնով ճշդեմ այս հեղինակն ալ եւ իր երկո գիրքերուն վենարգիրերը։ John M. Evan, “Truth Held Hostage”, “Therefore, God Must be Armenian!”

Ամերիկահայ Ազգային խորհուրդին՝ ANCA-ին վարչաթիւնը անկասկած որ տեղեակ է  որ կան ոմանք որոնք մեր երկլեզուանի մամուլին մէջ կը պնդեն որ Ամերիկայի կառաւարութիւնը ճանցած է Հայոց ցեղասպանութիւնը մինչ ANCA-էն բանով եւ գործով կը միտի ապահովել Ամերիկայի կառաւարութեան Հայոց ցեղասպանութեան Ճանաչումը։ 

Գլխապտոյնտ պատճառող կացութիւն մըն է որ երկլեզուանի կը պարզուի հանրութեան առջեւ որ ոչ թէ միայն նպաստաւոր չէ մեր հաւաքական աշխատանքին այլ նոյնիսկ կը սպառնայ խրտչեցնել հանրութիւնը որ շարունակէ իր աջակցութիւնը բերել տարուող աշխատանքներուն։

Malboro Country to Holocaust Country

Vahe H. Apelian, April 26, 2017

It is customary that on April 24 the President of the United States, the POTUS if you will as this acronym is becoming commonplace, issues a carefully worded statement whose wording we, as Armenian Americans, carefully follow as well.

For all I remember it was in 1970’s that the observance of April 24 become the law of the land in the United States whereby the POTUS by law or by custom issues a statement regarding “Man’s Inhumanity to Man”. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the idiom means “the cruel behavior that people show to each other”.

Eighteen U.S. Presidents have come to office since 1915. It was the 43rd president, President George W. Bush who for the very first time used our own term, “Medz Yeghern” in a covert reference to the genocide of the Armenians. Candidate Barak Obama promised to the Armenian American community that should he be elected as the 44th POTUS, he will acknowledge the genocide of the Armenians. In spite of his promise, President Obama did the same. He used the term “Medz Yeghern” through his first four years and upon reelection continued to do the same.

Donald J. Trump will have his proverbial ‘first 100 days” of his presidency marked on April 28, 2017. His statement on April 24, 2017 marked the first occasion for the newly elected POTUS to set the course of his conduct for the next four years.  He too resorted to the customary wording and chose to use the term “Medz Yeghern” again as a covert reference to the genocide of the Armenians. But a new term, “Holocaust Memorial Day”, appears to have come about marking the occasion. Again for all I know this is the first time that the occasion marked on April 24 has  come to be termed as  the “Holocaust Memorial Day”.

I do not think I am wrong in stating that the English word “holocaust” has been hijacked to mean the genocide of the Jews although technically it is the capitalized holocaust that implies the attempted extermination of the Jews. Marion Webster dictionary makes a guarded reference stating the following “often capitalized:  the mass slaughter of European civilians and especially Jews by the Nazis during World War II”. Note the statement, “often capitalized”. What the eminent dictionary is in fact implying that the word holocaust, whether capitalized or not, has come to mean the slaughter of the Jews. Used in a headline, the word holocaust will always be capitalized anyways as in "Holocaust Remembrance Day" for April 24.

In the aftermath of the sacking of Kessab in 1909, Miss Effie Chambers, the beloved missionary of Kessab, stated the following in her report to her Board in U.S. that oversaw and supported her mission: “The houses, my own, the Mission House, Girls' School, church, parsonage, and the market were all a holocaust”.  Surely the word holocaust did not always imply the Jewish experience during the Great War, commonly known as the World War II. It sure does now.

Whenever I come across the word holocaust I am reminded of the famous Marlboro Man ads. There came a time when even the Marlboro brand cigarettes were not displayed with the Marlboro Man or Marlboro Country for the image had become so entrenched, so succesfull that a person seeing the Marlboro Man ad, knew reference is made to the that brand of cigarettes. It appears the word holocaust has attained the same status and now we have made a great leap from the Marlboro Country to Holocaust Country.

Should the Trump’s administration continue referencing the POTUS’ statement on April 24 as coming on the “Holocaust Memorial Day” it sure will take away from the spirit of impartiality the day is made to signify, ‘man’s inhumanity to man’ where the genocide of the Armenians should be no less and as plainly acknowledged as anyone else’s similar experience. And yes, unlike Holocaust, “Medz Yeghern” has not made into the English language lexicon to mean just that, the genocide of the Armenians.

Saroyan and "The Promise"

Saroyan and “The Promise”

Vahe H. Apelian

Yesterday I saw “The Promise”.

I liked the movie a lot. I will see it again. I like seeing the movies I liked over again and in some cases, and again. In fact I find seeing the same movie again an enjoyable experience. Day care centers know that toddlers enjoy watching the same movie over and over again and that is why they often play the same movie for the toddlers. It may be because having overcome the element of suspense of the unkown, seeing the movie over again becomes a much more relaxing experience and heightens the appreciation of the nuances in the movie. I have seen “Fidler on the roof”, “Ghandi”, “Mutiny on the Bounty” and some other movies many times. “The Promise” will join the rank.

There was one thing I took exception. That was the screening at the end of the movie, the quote attributed to William Saroyan. A few years ago I wrote an article about the quote in Keghart.com. I titled the article “Saroyan’s Popular But Nonsensical Quote”. I reproduced the article below for the interested to read.

"I bet most English-speaking Armenians have seen William Saroyan's popular quote depicted above: “I should like to see any power of the world destroy.......... see if they will not create a New Armenia.” Some may have also bought an inscription of the quote on a plaque. I was no exception. In fact, I ordered the larger size and hung it on a wall in our house. Saroyan looms larger than life, especially for Armenians. His image may have helped to bolster the impression. He was a bear of man with an oversized and impressive mustache. That is how he remains etched in my memory.

Obviously, I had found the quote impressionable; otherwise I would not have done what I did. I would read the quote every now and then with some sense of comfort that our growing sons may read it, too, and over time establish some understanding as to who we are and where do we come from. Over time I established a familiarity with it. When novelty gives way to familiarity so do feelings give way to reason of varying degree. It is then that it occurred to me to ask myself: "What is this quote really saying?"

First and foremost I saw a pervasive paranoia in the quote: “I should see any power destroy this race”. “Go ahead, destroy Armenia, etc. etc. etc”. Surely we have had and have our share of enemies but I bet more people on this planet do not know us to ever bother to think of harming us.

Destroy, but who?

Destroy “this small tribe of unimportant people”. Is that what we are? Is this what I want our children to read growing up...that we come from “a tribe of unimportant people”? How would my son’s teacher and friends react, I thought, if my son took the plaque to school for a morning class show-and-tell? I felt aghast.

On further thought, I realized that there is more in the quote that kills the spirit than uplifts it. After all, we are speaking of a people “whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered”. Gosh, imagine trying to explain this to a child you are raising to be proud of his or her heritage.

Granted, that there are affirmative statements in the quote about Armenians coming together, laughing, singing and creating a new Armenia. All that is good and well, but offers little solace after all the paranoia, doom and gloom.

Eventually it occurred to me that the plaque did not cite the source of the quote. Internet search-engines were of no help. I started having doubts whether Saroyan had really said it.

Sometime later I came across a discussion in Armenian media alleging that Saroyan’s quote is a sanitized version of his utterance. The writer said that Saroyan started it with an obscene expression. If I were to use it in an article, more likely than not, editors will censor it. The commentator said that the original quote contains the word ‘mother’ but not as in the “Holy Mother of God” expression. It would not surprise me that Saroyan would use a foul expression. As I said, he loomed larger than life and had his way when it came to words.

I still don't know for sure if a foul expression precedes the quote. However, it makes more sense to me that it does. Saroyan, more likely than not, said what he said in rage. We are not supposed to sound rational when angry. Our rage is an outlet to express our frustration more so than to make sense. Surely what we say in our rage in not meant to be educational.

For all those who would like to display the quote in their homes, I suggest them to have it inscribed in verbatim as in the original  text and indicate the source once they find it. It’s the right thing to do. After all, words, even foul expressions, make sense and may even sound less offensive if they are used in context.  

 Otherwise, one may consider doing what I did with this sanitized version: I tucked it away."

Source Keghart.com, Ohio, 9 January 2014

“We Will Never Forget” Miss Effie Chambers

“We Will Never Forget” Miss Effie Chambers

Vahe H. Apelian

A hundred and eight years ago today, on April 23, 1909, Kessab was sacked completely as the aftermath of the Adana massacre. This historical event appears not to have been adequately studied by historians athough it is well documented in  reports by American missionaries who were serving the Armenian communities in the Ottoman Empire on behalf of American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) .

Among these missionaries was Miss Effie Chambers, the beloved and much remebered missionary in Kessab. It is in her memoirs that she noted that on Friday April 23, 1909, “half an hour before the sunrise” the attack commenced. On Monday April 26, 1909, the NY Times reported the following: “Constantinople, April 25 - Dispatches reaching here from points in Asiatic Turkey bring tidings of Armenian and Turkish conflicts all over the country. Dr.J”M Balph, who is in charge of the missions at Latakia, Syria, telegraphs that the refugees are arriving there from outlying parts of the district who report massacres and the burning of towns. He also reports that there are the gravest apprehensions concerning the conditions at Kessab where Miss Chambers is one of the missionaries”.

Miss Effie Chambers was not in Kessab when the attack occured. She had gone Adana to attend to the survivors of the massacre there which had taken place early that month. In her report to the Board about the attack on Kessab, she reported the following: “our young men, 150, who defended the place and gave the people a chance to get away. The enemy was from 10-20 thousand. Our boys withstood them till noon. Then the enemy being reinforced and the young men’s ammunition all being gone away were forced to retreat and escape fo their lives, but even to the last they covered the retreat of helpless women and children who could not get away with the others, and got them to places of safety.” These young men were either members or affiliates of the Kessab Armenian Revolutionary Federation.

Dr. Albert Apelian, in his book “The Antiochians” writes that the southern neighboring Turkmen village Faku Hassaan (pronounced now as Fakassan), helped the fleeing Kessabtsis to secure a passage to the Mediterranean Sea and have their representatives reach Lattakia to ask the French and British consuls' help to evacuate the survivors reaching the sea. He aslo notes that the sudden change of guard in Constantinople, due to the dethroning of Sultan Abdul Hamid, and his replacement with the more moderate Sultan Reshad came at this opportune time enabling the French and British consuls to send boats to evacuate the escapees, without concern for repercussion from the Sublime Porte.

The Kessabtsis nonetheless paid a hefty price. Miss Effie Chambers acted as the secretary of the relief committee. In a report to the Board, dated July 17, 1909, the gave the following figures about the ensuing sacking of Kessab: villages receiving aid 11, number at present on relief lists 5251, burned Houses 516, burned Shops 62, number killed 153, widdows 79, orphans not over 15 years old 64. These numbers reveal the widespread despair in Kessab. In the same report Miss Effie Chambers noted, “All the wheat in Kessab will not feed the people 15 days if none comes from other sources”.

Miss Effie Chambers’ round the clock work must have exhausted her physically and emotionally. She felt the need to return home to Iowa after having served the Armenians for almost twenty years, the last eight years being among the Kessabtsis. Reports indicate that she was in the United States in May 1912.

Among other personal possessions she brough with her is an embroidery most probably the women of Kessab embroidered for her in gratitude for her dedicated services to the Kessabtsis between 1904 to 1912. The Chambers family safeguards the emroidery to this date. 

What is most noteworhty about the embroidery is the Armenian inscriptirons that reads “In gratitude from the Kessab Armenian Revolutionary Federation” (երախտապարտ Քեսապի Հ.Յ. Դաշնակցութիւնէն).  

Its English inscription on the top read: "To Miss E.M. Chambers in Memory of Gratitude"

The inscription in the middle read: "We Will Never Forget".

Miss Effie Chambers spent her later years with her brother Will in the old family home in Iowa.  She died on October 3, 1947 at the age of 84 and was buried in Chambers cemetery, which her grandfather, Ezekiel Chambers, had given to the community in the year 1857.