Category: Asia and Pacific

 

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My recent journey to Lebanon, the country of eternal Cedars and my birthplace, was highlighted by both personal and community events.
 
My December 31, 2006 trip to Lebanon took place after my older brother Vatché suddenly passed away at the age of 53, because of a heart attack. My July 2008 trip to Lebanon was to celebrate the academic success of Vatché’s daughter, my niece, Rita.
 
Back in mid-2007, when Rita informed me of her anticipated graduation from Haigazian University of Beirut, one of the top ten universities in Middle East, I promised myself to be there and congratulate her in person. Be there, I did!
 
During my six-day stay, I visited – alas – a limited number of colleagues. One of my destinations was a pilgrimage to Bikfaya-based summer Seat of His Holiness Aram I, the Catholicos of The Great House of Cilicia.

I also met with several special individuals, including Honorable Antoine Daher and his family. Mr. Daher is my former teacher at St. Paul College – College de Bzommar in Beirut in early 1970’s. He is now the Presiding Judge of Lebanon’s Northern District. Since my graduation from CDB and on my frequent visits to Lebanon I have made a special point to see him always remembering how much he influenced me during my teen years. It is with gratitude that I remember how he shared with his students his invaluable knowledge of academic and intellectual discipline. During his tenure at CDB, Mr. – now President – Daher used to study law at the St. Joseph University.
 
Next, I visited Shahan Kandaharian, the dynamic Managing Editor of Aztag daily who proposed that I present a report on the Armenian factor in the American media during a town hall meeting to be held on my fourth day in Lebanon. I accepted the invitation. The impromptu mini-conference took place as planned. Below is the news report published in Aztag daily on July 8:
 
The Aztag Daily of Lebanon presented its 14th Town Hall meeting on Monday, July 7, at 7 p.m., at its editorial headquarters. The presentation of the topic “The Armenian Factor in the American Media,” was made by Appo Jabarian, Managing Editor of the Los Angeles-based USA Armenian Life Magazine.

 

This impromptu conference was attended by several editors and journalists representing various political party organs and other community-based organizations. Among the guests was Ms. Satenig Karabaghtsian, the Managing Editor of Armenia-based “Menk Mer Masin” (“Us About Us”) monthly magazine.
 
The opening remark was delivered by Jacques Hagopian, one of Aztag’s Executive Editors. He noted that the topic of the mini-conference was especially important because lately the Armenian American community and the proliferation of Armenian issues in America have become the center of attention throughout the Armenian world.
 
Hagopian said that the main issue constituted the Armenian Cause. He then presented the main speaker’s curriculum vitae.
 
Next, Appo Jabarian delivered his remarks. First, he saluted the spirit of cooperation and solidarity among the various members of the Armenian Lebanese media. The Armenian Lebanese community is primarily served by the official organs of the main Armenian political parties: Zartonk of Ramgavar Armenian Democratic League, Ararat of Social Democratic Hunchakian Party, and Aztag of Dashnaktsutiune-ARF. He underlined that the positive atmosphere and camaraderie in one community influences positively on others in the Diaspora.
 
Jabarian presented the Armenian American print and electronic media listing Asbarez Daily, Nor Or Weekly, Nor Gyank-New Life (co-founded by Jabarian in 1978), The California Courier, Armenian Observer, USA Armenian Life, Hye Kiank Armenian Weekly, The Armenian Reporter, The Armenian Mirror Spectator, The Armenian Weekly, Hayrenik and several monthlies.
 
Jabarian presented the 12 most important political challenges confronted by the Armenian Americans since 2005. Each challenge, presented by the Turkish denialist government, was handily converted to a resounding Armenian political victory. For the audience members, it was interesting to learn about the inner workings of community-wide efforts in the general context of mainstream American life.
 
He said that 2005 proved to be a ground-breaking year because the emerging challenges gave Armenian activists and organizations the unique opportunity to regroup their resources and launch massive campaigns with unprecedented momentum.
 
Reflecting on the issue of Armenian Genocide acknowledgment adversely affecting U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans’s career, Jabarian stated that the subsequent hold on Ambassador Richard Hoagland’s nomination by Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, and the recent postponement by US Senate Foreign Relations Committee of the nomination of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, dealt serious political setbacks to Pres. George Bush’s administration.
 
Speaking of the Anti-Defamation League’s executive director Abraham Foxman’s denialist remarks, Jabarian said that as a result of the Armenian and mainstream American activism initiated on July 6, 2007 by David Boyajian of the Greater Boston Area, 13 Massachusetts municipalities have canceled their “No Place For Hate” partnership with Foxman’s ADL.
 
Jabarian noted that the adoption of the congressional resolution (HR106) on the Armenian Genocide by the Foreign Relations Committee of the House of Representatives is nothing new. But the strong reaction and the anti-Armenian propaganda unleashed by the pro-Turkish neo-conservative machine and the subsequent dissemination of over ten thousand news items on the Armenian Cause in the mainstream American and international media is a far-reaching accomplishment.
 
The speaker also reflected on PBS and the proposed insulting panel discussion giving two Turkish denialists an opportunity to plant the seed of doubt in the mind of American TV viewers on the veracity of the Armenian Genocide. The post-show was slated to be broadcast April 2006 immediately after the dissemination of a documentary on the genocide. He said a worldwide wave of protest erupted as a result of the investigative article written , the Publisher of The California Courier. As a direct result, PBS stations in the largest cities canceled the denialist post-show panel, and the denialist PBS Vice President Jacoba Atlas resigned from her position at PBS.
 
Next, he discussed the Los Angeles Times’ denialist Managing Editor Douglas Franz fiasco. Franz had committed discrimination against a long-established and highly respected journalist Mark Arax. Franz had killed in March 2007 a front-page story on the congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide using Arax’s Armenian background as the basis for an 11th hour decision not to publish it. The community-wide uproar erupted when Sassounian broke the story. Denialism cost Franz his job and irreparably damaged his career in journalism.
 
Jabarian also said that almost all American presidential candidates during the 2008 U.S. Presidential Primary campaign affirmed their acknowledgment of the genocide. He underlined that this latest development is unprecedented. He emphasized that the presidential primary period is a unique opportunity to further the issues that interest the Armenian American community.
 
He informed that the number of Armenian-related news stories appearing in the mainstream American media is on the rise and that fact is the direct result of organized continuous efforts. The speaker said that due to these recent accomplishments, the Armenian Diaspora has amplified the Armenian Factor’s growing importance on the American and the world stage.
 
Then he said that one must benefit from the facilities offered by the worldwide web by way of mass letter-writing for the purpose of defending Armenian interests; and by employing other communication means in order to educate the international community on the Armenian Cause.
 
In his closing remarks, Jabarian said that as Sassounian had clearly outlined in the April 24 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Armenian activists must move from recognition of the genocide to demand for Justice in order to recover what was forcibly taken away from their ancestors by Turkey. Then he answered a series of questions presented by the participants.
 
The discussion also touched upon the Turkish lobby. In this regard, Jabarian said that the Armenian lobby was created in direct response to the existence of long-entrenched Turkey’s cronies in Washington.
 
He outlined the orientation adopted by community-based organizations and their tactics. He stated that the Armenian American organizations pay special attention to the welfare of the Artsakh/Karabagh Republic and the further economic and social development of the 17 year-old independent Republic of Armenia.
 
He concluded by underlining the importance of achieving progress through a “step-by-step” strategy by being vigilant about any and all anti-Armenian activities, and by swiftly countering them whenever or wherever is necessary.
 
The conference was followed by a reception at the editorial headquarters of Aztag in Bourj Hamoud.