‘The Ottoman Lieutenant’: Another Denialist ‘Water Diviner’

From the Armenian Weekly 2017 Magazine Dedicated to the 102nd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide

By Vicken Babkenian and Dr. Panayiotis Diamadis

On the eve of the First World War, approximately 170 American missionaries—many of them women—were scattered among the Armenian communities in the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire.[1] By early 1915, the imperial government had imposed strict censorship on correspondence from the eastern provinces. As the deportations and massacres of Armenians began in April 1915, American missionaries were warned by Ottoman authorities against reporting on local conditions.

The theatrical poster of ‘The Ottoman Lieutenant’

In order to bypass the censorship, missionaries began to refer to their reading of literature, and especially the story of “Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie” which, many of them wrote, “seems to be so applicable to the circumstances under which we live here”.[2]

Evangeline is an epic poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, first published in 1847. The poem follows an Acadian girl named Evangeline and her search for her lost love Gabriel, set during the time of the expulsion of the Acadians from Acadia by the British during the Great Upheaval.

It was through dispatches of American diplomats, missionaries, journalists, and businessmen stationed throughout the Ottoman Empire that the United States’ Ambassador to Constantinople, Henry Morgenthau, learned of the deportations and mass killings of the empire’s native Christian Armenian, Hellenic, and Assyrian populations.

Based on these dispatches, Morgenthau informed the State Department on July 10, 1915 that reports from “widely scattered districts” indicated a systematic attempt to uproot peaceful Armenian populations and through arbitrary arrests, terrible tortures, wholesale expulsions, and deportations from one end of the empire to the other accompanied by frequent instances of rape, pillage, and murder, turning into massacre, to bring destruction and destitution on them.[3]

It was not until Americans in the Ottoman Empire began returning home and were able to report freely what actually took place that more detailed facts about the genocide became known. Their testimony can be found scattered in American governmental, institutional, and private archives as well as in many published books. Taken together, these accounts provide detailed evidence that the Ottoman-Turkish government had embarked on a policy of deliberate extermination of its native Christian population. They also provide many instances of American heroism and rescue of the deportees.

This is the geopolitical and geographic setting of “The Ottoman Lieutenant,” a film that attempts to tell a story of an American nurse who falls in love with an Ottoman-Turkish officer. The story it tells stands in stark contrast to documented American testimonies. The film attempts to tell a story that seems to be aligned with an extreme Turkish nationalist narrative, which denies the genocides, portraying Armenians as rebellious, as victims of war, not victims of a wide-scale systematic campaign.

One reviewer, MaryAnn Johanson, rightly condemns “The Ottoman Lieutenant”:

This is a movie that is trying to change the past by erasing it, tweet by enshrining ‘alternative facts’ into cinematic history, and by distracting you from its denial with a nice white lady falling in love with a handsome and honorable soldier. This is a denial of genocide close to a par of that which denies WWII’s Holocaust of the Jews, and everyone involved in this production should be ashamed of themselves for abetting it.[4]

In reality, American women such as Mary Graffam at Sivas, Grace Knapp at Bitlis, Ida Stapleton at Erzerum, Ruth Parmalee at Harput, Elvesta Leslie at Urfa, Clara Richmond at Talas, Harriet Fischer at Adana, Elizabeth Ussher at Van, Emma Cushman at Konia, and others expressed their contempt for the Turkish authorities for their actions against the Armenian population. These women risked their lives to save deported Armenians and to document what they witnessed and heard during their time in Anatolia and neighboring regions.

“The Ottoman Lieutenant” follows in the footsteps of Russell Crowe’s 2014 “The Water Diviner,” an example of erasing the past with the sleight of a cinematic hand. Crowe’s film tells the story of Australian farmer Joshua Connor who travels to Turkey to find his three missing sons, all presumed to have died during the 1915 Gallipoli Campaign. The film presents an anachronistic interpretation of Australian sentiment towards Turkey in the immediate post-war period.

In the film, Connor is assisted by Turkish nationalists to enter the interior of Anatolia, where he eventually finds one of his sons alive and happy in an unoccupied Greek Orthodox church. There is no mention of what happened to the indigenous Hellenes, not even the villagers of Levissi, where the climactic scene was filmed.[5] In the midst of this episode, Joshua Connor helps the Turkish nationalists defend themselves from evil Greek bandits. History records that in a series of deportations ending in massacre between 1914 and 1918, Levissi’s more than 6,500 Greeks were exterminated.[6] Levissi and nearby Makri were the inspiration for the town of Eskibahçe in Louis De Berniere’s novel Birds Without Wings, a prime illustration of how the genocides may be dealt with in a work of fiction. Yet the genocides do not rate a mention in either “The Water Diviner” nor “The Ottoman Lieutenant.”

The film claims to be “inspired by actual events.”[7] The historical record shows that many of the events in the film are misrepresentations and falsehoods. Australian prisoners-of-war had been mistreated in the Ottoman-Turkish Empire during the war, including being sent on death marches. Many were held in former Armenian homes and churches. The Armenian quarter and the Sourp Asdvadzadzin (Holy Mother of God) Armenian Church in Afionkarahissar became the largest Allied POW wartime internment camp. The city’s Armenians had been deported in August 1915 and Australian prisoners witnessed their expulsion.[8]

There is no record of an Australian farmer traveling to the interior of post-war Turkey looking for his sons, aided by Turkish nationalists. There are records, however, of Australians in Anatolia documenting Turkish atrocities against the native Armenians and Hellenes, and providing relief to them as well as investigating Turkish war crimes.

During the First World War and its aftermath, the American and Australian public were well informed of the Armenian, Hellenic, and Assyrian Genocides through continuous harrowing reports published in the major newspapers and journals. Public outrage led to the establishment of a highly-organized international humanitarian relief movement in both countries to rescue survivors. This is the story that Professor Peter Stanley and Vicken Babkenian tell in Armenia, Australia and the Great War (shortlisted for two major Australian literary awards in 2016).

A series of unfortunate events in the post-war period, including resurgent extreme Turkish nationalism under Mustafa Kemal, and the rise of Bolshevism, resulted in the 1920 Treaty of Sèvres never being enforced. Sèvres had stipulated punishment for the Turkish offenders and a national home for the Armenians. Closer economic and political ties began to be forged between the United States, Australia, and Turkey, and the Armenian, Assyrian, and Hellenic tragedies faded from public memory, overtaken by the Great Depression and the rise of Nazism.

As demonstrated by the 1978 television mini-series “Holocaust,” film has assumed a central place in shaping public memory. With the active assistance of the Turkish state, some filmmakers are producing works that whitewash the genocides of the native peoples of Anatolia. This assistance includes funding and permission to film.[9]

The Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism, Omer Çelik, stressed to Russell Crowe that the script of “The Water Diviner,” “…which will be shot in Turkey, was important as it showed the common history between Turkey and Australia”, adding that “the Turkish government…would continue to support such productions.”[10] It is this same ministry that omits reference to Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic heritage in its official publications; perpetuating the genocide.[11]

“The Ottoman Lieutenant” was challenged by the release of another film—“The Promise”. The latter not only provides a more historically accurate depiction of the genocides of Armenians, Hellenes, and Assyrians, but it reflects more truthfully what Americans witnessed and recorded at the time.

Vicken Babkenian is an independent researcher for the Australian Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. He is the co-author (with Peter Stanley) of Armenia, Australia and the Great War (2016), which has been shortlisted in two major Australian literary awards.

Panayiotis Diamadis is an associate lecturer in genocide studies at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, and vice-president of the Australian Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. His research focuses on the genocides of Anatolia’s indigenous Christian peoples, as well as the Shoah.

The Last Brick in the Denialist Wall: Akçam Speaks with the Armenian Weekly on His Latest Discovery

Akçam: ‘My Argument is that Based on the New Documents, it is Now Very Difficult to Deny the Armenian Genocide’

Special for the Armenian Weekly

WATERTOWN, Mass. (A.W.)—As Armenian communities around the world marked the 102^ndanniversary of the Armenian Genocide, a recent revelation by Turkish historian Dr. Taner Akçam has become a central topic of discourse, covered by major news outlets and publications. Akçam—aptly named the “Sherlock Homes of the Armenian Genocide” in a recent New York Times article—has been studying the genocide for years by compiling documents from around the world to combat the Turkish states’ denial.

Akçam addressing the crowd at a 2015 Armenian Genocide commemoration in New York’s Time Square (Photo: Tom Vartabedian)

According to Akçam, his recent discovery—which is he refers to as the “smoking gun” and one of the “last bricks in the denialist wall”—proves the Ottoman government’s awareness of and involvement in the annihilation of the Armenian population. The discovery of these documents was made after they were believed to have vanished following World War I .

The document, acknowledged as authentic by the postwar Ottoman government, helped convict its author, Behaeddin Shakir, one of the founders of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), as one of the masterminds of the Armenian Genocide.

On May 11, the Armenian Museum of America and the National Association of Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) will present “The Story Behind: ‘The Smoking Gun’,” a presentation of these never-before-seen-documents by Akçam. For the first time, this and other documents will be discussed in public.

The Armenian Weekly recently caught up with Dr. Akçam ahead of his Boston-area talk, to discuss his recent discovery and its significance in combating the Turkish denial of the Armenian Genocide.

Below is the interview in its entirety.

***

Dickran Khodanian: You have called the discovery of the telegram “the smoking gun,” one of the “last bricks in the denialist wall.” What makes this piece of evidence more significant than other proofs that were available in the past?

Taner Akçam: This evidence enhances the evidence that has been compiled over the years. One of the most important sources of the Armenian Genocide is the military tribunal records in Istanbul. Historian Vahakn Dadrian has used these tribunals to break through Turkey’s denialist wall and has used them extensively. However, the evidences from the Court were constantly criticized because they were not the originals.

In fact, when Guenter Lewy published his book entitled The Armenian Massacres in Ottoman Turkey: A Disputed Genocide, he discredited court martial materials with the argument that we do not have the originals since they don’t exist.  In the book, he writes, “the most serious problem affecting the probative value of the 1919–20 military court proceedings is the loss of all documentation of these trials. This means that we have none of the original documents, sworn testimony, and depositions on which the courts based their findings and verdicts,” (p. 80).

And now we have the original documents with official letterheads that have been deciphered with a certain coding system. The coding system allows for us to authenticate letters that are either related to the killing or the killing operation. It is a major blow to the denialist argument. I will continue to publish more of these kinds of documents from court martial tribunals because it is a very strong addition to the existing scholarship.

D.K.: You have mentioned that you uncovered the document from the nephew of an Armenian Catholic priest, Krikor Guerguerian. Can you provide some background on this? How were you able to finally secure the document?

T.A.: The document is in the private archive of Armenian Catholic priest Krikor Guerguerian in New York. The original document is in Jerusalem Armenian Patriarch’s archive and Guerguerian had visited this archive in the 1960s and had filmed all the materials.  It is a very well known document and has been published several times in the form of quotations. In the main tribunal of Istanbul in 1919-1921, it was quoted extensively! Dadrian personally visited Jerusalem and was in contact with Guerguerian; he used this specific telegram and made references to Guerguerian and Jerusalem Archive in his footnotes.

More importantly, the Armenian Assembly microfilmed the entire Guerguerian archive in 1983. These archives have been available since 1983, but nobody could look extensively because there was no proper cataloging system. There were maybe hundred of rolls of microfilm and it would have been almost impossible to go through each roll to find this document. The existence of Guerguerian Archive and copies in the Assembly was public knowledge among scholars. When I first came to the United States in 2000, I approached Guerguerian’s nephew and asked for his permission to look at the originals that are held by him in New York. He rejected, since the materials were all microfilmed in Washington. In 2015, I called the nephew again to ask for permission to see the original materials and this time he allowed me.

D.K.: Could there be more materials to discover?

T.A.: There are still a lot of other materials to discover. This will be one of the main issues I will address in my presentation on May 11. We have several original materials from the Istanbul Tribunal that we know ended up in the archives in Jerusalem and Guerguerian’s personal archives.

In the 1940s, while Krikor Guerguerian was doing research on the extermination of the religious clergy during the Armenian Genocide for his Ph.D in Cairo, he met a former Ottoman judge who was a member of the Istanbul military court tribunal following WWI. The judge told Guerguerian when he was the presiding judge of the court martial, the Armenian Patriarchate was the official representative of the Armenians during the trial. They were given legal rights to have access to the court material and as a result he allowed them to take the court material.

The judge also told Guerguerian that in 1922 Zaven [Der Yeghiayan] Patriarch in Istanbul transferred the materials to Europe, first to Marseilles, then to Manchester, Britain, and then eventually ending up in the Jerusalem archives. So in the 1960s, Krikor Guerguerian went there and took pictures everything.

According to Akçam, his recent discovery—which is he refers to as the ‘smoking gun’ and one of the ‘last bricks in the denialist wall’—proves the Ottoman government’s awareness of and involvement in the annihilation of the Armenian population. (Photo courtesy of Taner Akçam)

D.K.: What has made your discovery different? You have mentioned to other publications that you do not believe that this latest discovery will lead to any immediate changes in Turkey’s stance on the issue. Why do you think that is?

T.A.: The important discovery I made is the coding system as well as revealing that the document has an Ottoman letterhead. The Turkish authorities will not be able to claim that it is not authentic. The coding system on the telegram is irrefutable and shows the authenticity of this document.

Today, in the Ottoman Archives, there are hundreds of documents, mainly in the form of telegrams coming from provinces to Istanbul. These are all coded in Arabic numbers. Four or five digit numbers denote each word or plural endings or suffixes. When these coded telegrams arrived Istanbul, the officials wrote the equivalent words or endings on top of each number groups. This is how we are able to read these documents today. I compared the coding system in Bahaettin Şakir’s telegrams with those in the Ottoman archive and I found a match.

Just to give one example: the term for deportation is coded with “4889” on Shakir’s telegram; if you check the Ottoman materials coming to the central government from the provinces in the same period, which have four digit numbers like Shakir’s telegram, you will see that all have the code “4889” for deportation.

Nobody could claim that this telegram is not authentic. Now, the Turkish government has to find an explanation because this argument of “show the original” is not valid. We have the original. They have cornered themselves with their own argument.

I am sure they will continue to deny the genocide because denialism has nothing to do with academic research; it is a political problem. My argument is that based on the new documents, it is now very difficult to deny the Armenian Genocide. The arguments that they have been bringing up over the years will no longer work. Therefore, they will have to resort to something new.

D.K.: Are historians not allowed to research at the archive in Jerusalem?

T.A.: Yes, scholars do not have access. I was declined over the years several times. I had wanted to check Krikor Guerguerian’s material to see whether he really filmed everything. I couldn’t get access. And they have a standard answer: “We are in the process of cataloging,” I am not sure whether this is true. There is no specific reason to my knowledge for why historians do not have access to the archives in Jerusalem. I don’t want to speculate on this.

D.K.: You will be in Watertown, speaking at the Armenian Museum of America on May 11. Tell us a little about what you will be covering during your talk.

T.A.: My presentation on May 11 will mainly be about the contents of Krikor Guerguerian’s archives that are related to the materials of the Istanbul military tribunal. There are a lot more materials in the archives but I will only focus on the tribunal and the materials that were collected during this time.

***

Taner Akçam is the Robert Aram and Marianne Kaloosdian and Stephen and Marian Mugar Chair in Armenian Genocide Studies at Clark University.

He is the author of The Spirit of the Laws: The Plunder of Wealth in the Armenian Genocide, with Ümit Kurt (Berghahn Books, 2015), The Young Turk’ Crime Against Humanity: The Armenian Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing in the Ottoman Empire (Princeton University Press, 2012), Judgment at Istanbul: The Armenian Genocide Trials with Vahakn Dadrian (Berghahn Books, 2011), A Shameful Act: Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility (Metropolitan Books, 2006), and From Empire to Republic: Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian Genocide (Zed Books, 2004).

He has also authored other works in German and Turkish, including most recently Naim Efendi’nin Hatıratı ve Talat Paşa Telgrafları: Krikor Gergeryan Arşivi [Naim Efendi’s Memoir and the Talat Pasha Telegrams: The Krikor Guerguerian Archive] (İletişim, 2016), forthcoming in English translation.

Akçam will present his talk at the Armenian Museum of America on May 11, at 7 p.m. Click here for further details about the presentation

Washington DC Commemorates Armenian Genocide through Protests, Arts

Holy Martyrs Ferrahian Armenian School eighth grade students from California lend their voices to the calls for justice at the annual protest in front of the Turkish Embassy.

WASHINGTON—Armenian Americans from throughout the Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC area joined with human rights advocates and public policy leaders in marking the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide through a diverse array of political and cultural events honoring the memory of the 1.5 million martyrs and the tenacious resilience of the survivors, all the while demanding justice for a crime still denied by an unrepentant Turkish Government, aided and abetted through US complicity.

Each of the month-long series of activities – from the annual Congressional Observance of the Armenian Genocide to the White House vigil and Turkish Embassy protest, a commemorative concert at the National Gallery of Art to cultural events held at our local churches and community centers – shared a common theme of remembrance, renewal and rededication to the universal campaign to end the cycle of genocide.

Members of Congress #KeepThePromise; Pledge to U.S. End Complicity in Genocide Denial

Commemorative programs began in March with a special Capitol Hill viewing of the Armenian Genocide-era epic “The Promise,” which drew a capacity crowd of Members of Congress, senior Congressional aides, coalition partners, and a broad cross-section of the Washington, DC foreign policy community.  Hosted by Survival Pictures, Open Road Films, the Congressional Armenian Caucus and the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), the event featured introductions by legislators and a question and answer session with Oscar Award winning director Terry George and producer Eric Esrailian.

On April 21st, Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives joined with Armenian American community leaders, genocide-prevention coalition partners, and diplomats representing Armenia and Artsakh in a standing-room-only Capitol Hill remembrance of the Armenian Genocide that featured strong bipartisan calls on the President and Congress to reject the gag-rule that Ankara has long enforced against honest American commemoration of this still-unpunished crime against humanity.  The annual Capitol Hill Armenian Genocide commemoration was sponsored by the Congressional Armenian Caucus, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia, Office of the Artsakh Republic, and Armenian American organizations.

National Gallery of Art’s “Musical Dialogues” Spotlights Armenian Genocide 

The performers and presenters of “Musical Dialogues” at the National Gallery of Art.

The Armenian Genocide-era humanitarian efforts of Norwegian diplomat Fridtjof Nansen and missionary Bodil Catharina Biorn took center stage at a special National Gallery of Art Easter Day concert, titled “Musical Dialogues,” highlighting the important role of music in conflict resolution and healing following political upheaval. Nansen and Biorn’s selfless actions during the Armenian Genocide saved over 300,000 orphans from death and starvation. Nansen’s efforts later inspired the Nansen Dialogue Center, a Norwegian cultural organization established in Bosnia and Herzegovina following the wars in the Western Balkans in the 1990s. 

Acclaimed pianist Mariam Kharatyan performing Aram Khachaturian’s Adagio from the ballet Spartacus at the Musical Dialogues concert held at the National Gallery of Art.

The National Gallery concert featured Armenian and Bosnian classics as well as contemporary Norwegian pieces dedicated to Nansen and Biorn. The concert included performances by: Mariam Kharatyan, piano; Adema Pljevljak-Krehic, soprano; Maja Ackar Zlatarevic, piano; Vincent Kok, flute Adam Gruchot, violin; and presentations by: Randi Margrethe Eidsaa and Jorn E. Schau.

“History is full of political and social triumphs, violent conflicts, and human tragedies,” explained Kharatyan, in her program note accompanying the concert.  “We have developed the concept of this concert to mirror historical turning points, to pay homage to those who dedicated their lives to helping people, and to standing strong together in demanding situation.”  Kharatyan and her musician colleagues chose Armenian folk melodies including “Shushiki” from Komitas’ “Folk Dances,” the instrumentals “It’s Spring” and “Crane” (Groong).  She dazzled audiences with her interpretation of Aram Khachaturian’s Adagio from the ballet “Spartacus,” and several other Khachaturian pieces.

The complete program notes from the concert are attached.  

Demanding Justice and an End to US complicity in Genocide Denial

The AYF Ani Chapter’s Ruben Sahakyan offers remarks at the Armenian Genocide commemorative vigil in front of the White House

The Armenian Youth Federation “Ani” Chapter was joined by Armenian Americans throughout the Greater DC area and as far away as California for an April 22nd candlelight vigil at the White House, commemorating the Armenian Genocide and calling on President Trump to properly commemorate that crime.  The program, moderated by AYF Ani Chapter Treasurer Sevan Yedigarian, included remarks by chapter representative Ruben Sahakyan and ANCA Capital Gateway Program intern Sipan Ohannesian, as well as recitations and songs by AYF Sevan Junior Chapter member Sune Hamparian, the Holy Martyrs Ferrahian Armenian School 8th graders, the Homenetmen of Washington Scouts and a convocation by Soorp Khatch Armenian Church pastor, Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian.

“We are here today to show our respect to our forbears, to those brave souls that made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our survival,” explained a passionate Sahakyan. “And here, in front of the White House, it is about America. An America which sent over $2 billion in assistance to save Armenian, Greek and Assyrian genocide survivors from 1915-1923.  An America which recognized the Armenian Genocide in 1951, in 1975, in 1981 and 1984.  An America which has since fallen prey to Turkey’s threats and become complicit in its Genocide denial,” noted Sahakyan who went on to call on President Trump to follow the lead of Ronald Reagan, America back to the side of truth regarding this fundamental human rights issue.

On April 24th, Armenian Americans were joined by the Greek, Assyrian, Yezidi and Kurdish communities in demanding justice and spotlighting Turkey’s ongoing repression at home and aggression abroad at the annual AYF organized protest at the Turkish Embassy.  A small group of pro-Erdogan counter protesters unsuccessfully hoped to drown out calls for peace a justice by blaring loud dance music in an apparent celebration of the murder of over 2.5 million Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians. Those tactics only served to strengthen the resolve of the rallyers for truth.

AYF Washington Ani Chapter Chairman Aram Tramblian offered a powerful message of unity in the face of Turkey’s worldwide campaign of genocide denial. “It’s been 102 years since the Ottoman Empire began its attempts to wipe out all Armenians and all other Christian minorities from their borders. And Turkey failed – because we are still here, here protesting their crimes year after year until we get justice.”

Following the rally, Armenian Americans marched to the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia, led by the Greater Washington DC Homenetmen Scouts and Drum Corps, American and Armenian flags held high. There participants joined in the Embassy of Armenia’s annual Armenian Genocide memorial event at the “Khatchkar” monument dedicated to the eternal memory of that crime. 

Scenes from the Armenian Genocide Commemorative event held at the Armenian Embassy

The prayer service, wreath laying ceremony and program, organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia, featured remarks by His Excellency Grigor Hovhannessian, Ambassador of Armenia to the US, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian and Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Diocesan Legate of the Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Church Eastern US was joined by Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church pastor, Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian and St. Mary’s Armenian Church pastor Hovsep Karapetyan in offering a community prayer for the sainted victims of the Armenian Genocide. Hamasdegh Armenian School teacher and AYF member Galin Tanashian served as Mistress of Ceremonies, with Vivian Chakerian and Emma Soghomonian offering moving renditions of the American, Armenian and Artsakh anthems, respectively. The program concluded with song and poetry recitations by the Hamasdegh Armenian School students and remarks by principal, Hovsep Avakian. 

Greater Washington DC Homenetmen leading the way from the Turkish Embassy protest to a Genocide commemoration at the Armenian Embassy.

At the beginning of the program, Washington, DC Homenetmen Scouts stood at attention, in tribute to the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide and the survivors who helped rebuild the Armenian nation and participated in a special flag-raising ceremony. Following the program, Armenian Americans were invited to a reception by the Armenian Embassy.

Earlier, on Sunday April 23, community members also participated in the “Walk to End Genocide,” organized by the Darfur Interfaith Network and Jewish World Watch, an annual event bringing together genocide survivors and human rights advocates from throughout Greater Washington region, calling attention to the importance of speaking in a unified voice to end the cycle of genocide.

Community Cultural Programs Spotlight Stories of Survival; Lives and Works of Martyred Armenian Writers

Scenes from the Hamasdegh Armenian School commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

Also on April 23, the Hamasdegh Armenian School students presented a moving program of Armenian Genocide commemorative poetry recitations, songs, and readings to a capacity audience of parents, classmates, and community members gathered at the Soorp Khatch Armenian Church Arabian Hall.

Scenes from the Hamasdegh Armenian School commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

The program opened with the singing of U.S. and Armenia national anthems by the school chorus, under the direction of music teacher Tamar Kolejian Penenian. Remarks by Hamasdegh Armenian School principal Hovsep Avakian and Soorp Khatch Armenian Church pastor, Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian.

Avakian gave special thanks to the Hamasdegh school teachers, PTA and parents for their devotion to the Armenian education of our community youth.  He offered heartfelt condolences in memory of Hamasdegh school, Homenetmen and AYF alumna Maral Melkonian Avetisyan, in whose honor Mr. and Mrs. Ara and Haygo Melkonian founded a special fund to assist in the Hamasdegh School’s Armenian educational mission.  Avakian described the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide as a day of victory for the Armenian nation, which had overcome Genocide and its aftermath, and raised a generation of youth singing the praises of an independent Armenia, demanding justice for the Armenian nation, and advancing our culture and heritage through education.

The event continued with songs and recitations – beautifully presented by students of all ages — in memory of the sainted martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.  The program was creatively narrated by the Hamasdegh School 8th graders, who each individually shared stories of their ancestors’ harrowing escape during the Genocide, paying homage and expressing their gratefulness to their heroism.

Scenes from the Shnorhali School presentation of “They Were Sanctified and Resurrected … They Left Us A Legacy to Live by Faith…”

Earlier in the day, Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian led a Holy Badarak in honor of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.  Similar services were led by St. Mary Armenian Church pastor, Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan, followed by a musical memorial program entitled “They Were Sanctified and Resurrected … They Left Us A Legacy to Live by Faith…” performed by the Shnorhali School Students under the leadership of Naira Tashjian.

On April 28, the Greater Washington Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Association, capped off the month-long series of commemorative activities, spotlighting the life and works of six titans of Armenian literature — Roupen Zartarian, Taniel Varoujan, Roupen Sevag, Yeroukhan, Yervant Odian, and Siamanto — whose lives were tragically cut short during the Armenian Genocide.

Scenes from Hamazkayin’s Martyred Writers of 1915

Community leader and Armenian literature scholar Garo Armenian offered an overview of the Western Armenian literary scene in the years leading up to the Armenian Genocide and the central role that each of the authors played, followed by presentations of a sampling of works from each author by some of the community’s most powerful orators, including Garbis Muradian, Shoghik Aguilian, Tamar Kolejian Penenian, Galin Tanashian and Garbo Afarian.

Hamazkayin Chairwoman Shooshik DerHakoupian warmly welcomed attendees and thanked all who offered beautiful renditions of the authors’ greatest works.

The Hamazkayin cultural evening as well as the Hamasdegh School commemorative program was live-streamed through the leadership and expertise of Dr. Zareh Soghomonian, and can be viewed online.

The Hamazkayin literary evening as well as the various vigils and protests were held under the auspices of the Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee of Greater Washington, which includes the participation of Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church Der Hayr, Board of Trustees and Ladies’ Guild; Armenian Revolutionary Federation Sebouh Gomideh; Armenian National Committee of Greater Washington; Armenian Relief Society Satenig Chapter; Armenian Youth Federation Ani Senior and Sevan Junior Chapters; Hamasdegh Armenian School; Hamazkayin Cultural and Educational Association; Homenetmen Athletic and Scouting Organization; and Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church Senior Citizens.

Editorial: Shushi’s Liberation Cemented Artsakh’s Victory

The gorge from where Shushi was liberated in 1992 (Photo by Ara Khachatourian)

The battle to liberate Shushi was not only a turning point in the Karabakh Liberation Movement but has been also considered as one of the most unique military operations of modern times. During this battle the Nagorno-Karabakh Self Defense Forces flawlessly enacted a plan that ousted Azerbaijanis from the city, from where they were incessantly and savagely bombing civilian targets in the capital of Stepanakert.

The liberation of Shushi on May 9, 1992 also paved the way for the heroic forces of Artsakh to liberate the strategically important region of Lachin, now known as Berdzor, creating the critically vital corridor between Artsakh and Armenia. It also hastened Artsakh’s victory in the war, which would last another two years until a cease-fire agreement was signed between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan and mediated by Russia and Armenia.

A quarter of a century later, Shushi continues to be the most vital part of the newly-renamed Artsakh Republic and is on its way to reclaim its historic standing as the cultural capital of Armenia with the country’s cultural ministry operating from the perched city, as well as a museum row that encompasses history, geology and art lining the hilltops of the city.

The decisive victory 25 years ago has fueled the drive and commitment of the Armenian Nation to continue to strengthen Artsakh and has emboldened the young men who are standing tall at the front-lines and protecting our borders, fully aware that they are risking their lives for the survival of our homeland.

The victory at Shushi, once again demonstrated the sheer resilience of the Armenian people and sent a clear message to the world that when threatened Armenians will rise up to protect what is rightfully theirs. The fact that the Artsakh Republic today is thriving despite constantly being threatened by Azerbaijan, is proof that the will of our Nation is indestructible. Azerbaijan attempted to challenge this unbreakable determination when in April 2016 its forces launched an aggressive and flagrant attack on all fronts of Artsakh and the instantaneous mobilization of all Armenians around the world caught them off guard. Despite their petro-dollar-financed heavy artillery and weapons, the Azerbaijani attempts were thwarted and their units were forced to retreat.

Today, a new generation of soldiers is protecting our borders. They are fortified by our past victories, but more important, the lessons from the intricate operation that was the Shushi Liberation, inform and guide them on the battlefield and the frontlines.

As we proudly celebrate the Liberation of Shushi, which cemented Artsakh’s victory in the war, let’s bow our heads to all those who have given their lives in Artsakh and pledge to continue to assist in Artsakh’s victory by, first and foremost, supporting our soldiers and devoting our energies in developing our historic Artsakh.

Editor’s Note: On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Shushi’s Liberation, throughout the month of May, Asbarez will publish features and articles that highlight Artsakh’s development and address issues that continue to challenge its residents. These will include a series written by Asbarez English Editor Ara Khachatourian who visited Artsakh last month.

Smoger and Sorkin tackle Armenian Genocide

Smoger and Sorkin tackle Armenian Genocide

 May 03, 2017  Spotlight News  The Spot, Theatre

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ALBANY — “Some People Hear Thunder” is a powerful, uplifting love story involving a young reporter, his true love in America, and Armenians fighting for dignity and survival in the face of brutality.

The world premiere of “Some People Hear Thunder” is brought to Albany by longtime Capital District and Broadway performer Kevin McGuire, who directs and stars.

Thunder is set in two locations, New York City and southern Turkey, at a time just prior to the breakout of World War I. Co-playwrights Gerson Smoger and Jeffrey Sorkin unfold the events of the Armenian Genocide, a topic Smoger first involved himself with while working in Geneva at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

“As a result, Gerson is uniquely invested in this topic and he uses his deep knowledge to make a complex story very clear and remarkably musical,” said McGuire, who has been involved in every aspect of “Some People Hear Thunder,” from an initial San Francisco workshop performance in 2015 to the seven weeks of New York casting leading to this production.

McGuire, who previously starred at the REP in Man of La Mancha, Red, A Christmas Carol, Other Desert Cities and Hamlet (which he also directed), met Smoger — a noted environmental and human rights lawyer — nearly 30 years ago, and their decades-long artistic discussion helped result in the creation of “Thunder.”

“The play speaks to repression, it speaks directly to the global refugee crisis, it speaks to lost peoples looking for a home. It is very pertinent to our time.”

Remarkably, the play also has local roots—some of those fleeing the contested region early in the century arrived in Albany, Troy and the surrounding areas, creating a tightly-knit Armenian community.

McGuire plays Zoravar Der Kaloustian in “Some People Hear Thunder,” while Joan Hess (Broadway—Mamma Mia!, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Kiss Me Kate, Crazy for You—and TV—the “leggy blonde” in HBO’s Flight of the Conchords) plays his wife, Angelique.

Newsies tour star Alex Prakken plays reporter Jason Karras. Albany native Rachel Rhodes-Devey, who recently appeared at Proctors in the national tour of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, is Karras’ love interest, Carole Chapin, who relates the story.

Opening night is Friday, May 5 and runs through to Sunday, May 21.

Tickets range from $25 to $55. Children 17 and under: $15 all shows. For tickets and information, call Tickets By Proctors, (518) 445-SHOW (7469) or visit capitalrep.org.

Albany native Rachel Rhodes-Devey returns home to star in the Capital Repretory Theatre production of “Some People Hear Thunder.” She’s a self-professed, “badass,” with a stage presense critics have learned to adore.

On being a “badass”

“[Laughs.] Oh, no. Oh, gosh. I think I probably put that as my description [on Instagram] many years ago, just trying to be cool. But, you know, as artists and activists in this time, we are badasses. And, I think we are badasses for trying to put on this show.”

“Not a Day Goes By”

“That was one of my favorite roles to do. That was a very interesting role because that is the first time you see my character, Beth, in that show. It’s not until about an hour into the show, and it’s at the divorce court, on the steps where she’s confronting her soon-to-be ex-husband. [I had] to come into the middle of the show, and in an extremely emotionally raw state, and convey some very uncomfortable feelings. That is a big part of what we do. That is what makes us engage emotionally with audiences. So, that was a big role for me to tackle, and definitely one of my favorites, to date.”

Today’s world versus that of  “Thunder”

“To be perfectly honest, like many people, I knew very little of the Armenian Genocide before I got this audition. Once I started researching it, I was really shocked that I never heard of this, that it hadn’t been part of my history education. And, I was able to realize how important this [musical] is to the Armenian people that this is something that is recognized. How much it really does relate to many things that we are dealing with today. Certainly with the way we treat refugees. Certainly with the rise in nationalism, both in our country and in many places that we’re seeing abroad. And, in how we treat people who are different than us. So, I think this is an important subject, because so much has been left unsaid. But, also, it’s a good time for self-reflection for us as a nation, and as a people.