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Harout Ekmanian
Harout Ekmanian worked as a journalist with the Arab, Armenian, and Western media for years prior to the beginning of the Syrian conflict. He studied law at the University of Aleppo and was a fellow at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights of Columbia University in 2015. Ekmanian has worked in media and development in Armenia in various capacities at the Civilitas Foundation and Investigative Journalists of Armenia (HETQ). He speaks Armenian, Arabic, English, and Turkish fluently, as well as some French and Spanish. He contributes regularly to the Armenian Weekly.
Latest posts by Harout Ekmanian (see all)
- Ekmanian: Global Resistance Continues 101 Years after Genocide - April 28, 2016
- Houses without Doors: A Journey of a Hundred Years - February 19, 2016
- The Berlin Connection - April 26, 2015
I’ve been following this issue with close interest. It is astonishing to me that nowhere I have read a simple “Thank you” to the Turks by any of the Armenians or Armenian representatives for, firstly, undertaking and secondly, actually financing fully the restoration of the church. Regretfully, this lack of gratefulness shows to me the one-sided and selfish behaviour of the Armenians.
I’m not sure how many times this point needs to be reiterated on this forum in regards to reports on Akhtamar but numerous commentators have made the same point over and over again ad nausea….and thus its my turn to point it out again…
The root word of the term restoration is “restore”. The verb to restore is defined as an act of bringing something back to an original condition (as in restoring stolen funds – thus regaining money that was stolen). The transformation or conversion of our Akhtamar Church into a “museum” requires renovation not restoration. To restore a Church would mean the Church would resume its primary purpose in its original form not an alternate purpose with a different agenda. If the Turkish government actually restored our Church, then there would have been no reason to convert it into a museum!
In conclusion, our Akhtamar Holy Church has unfortunately been TRANSFORMED OR CONVERTED into a “museum” because of intolerant Turkish policies against our will. It has NOT been “RESTORED”.
OSMANIUM: (Not sure why I’m wasting my words responding to your statement) but until Turkey admits to the facts of the Genocide and starts making retributions or at least gives an official “APOLOGY” to the Armenian people NO ARMENIAN CAN THANK TURKEY, ever. No matter how “grandiose” these “gestures” appear.
So, don’t hold your breath.
The Turks achieved their goal of having Armenians waste our time arguing over one church and one day, as if the event were equivalent to the second coming of Christ, which it wasn’t.
It was a propaganda stunt that the naive among us fell for – hook, line, and sinker.
Every time the Turks says jump, these pathetic Armenians say “How high?”
The stupefying comment by brainwashed riffraff like osman on this forum highlight Turkey’s deceitful intent. The Turkish governments financed transformation of our church was intended to royally insult us by converting it into a so called “museum” which was against our peoples will. Is Turkey so intolerant of other religions and their places of worship that they seek to convert Christian Churches into mosques and “museums”? Is that there interpretation of religious tolerance? It goes without saying that had the Church been returned to its rightful owners the Armenians, without any strings attached, we would not have converted it into a “museum”. And what did some misguided Armenians do in response to Turkey’s insult? Hilariously…and quite sadly some embraced the insult and others actually tried to compel the rest of us to reciprocate the so called “goodwill gesture” and “appreciate” their insult! Pathetic loons indeed!
Nobody apologizes for what he did not do. Why would Turkey?
Osmantium, I hear your complaint. But you are wrong! You think that Armenians are not happy to see Turkey preserve the ‘structure’ of our beloved Holy Cross church? It is a good thing that Turkey did, a small step in the right direction, but it is nonetheless painfully flawed. Read Dikranagertzi’s comment above about the meaning of restoration and you will see why many Armenians are not expressing gratitude for this gesture which so misses the mark.
If the ‘restoration’ of Holy Cross church on the Island of Akhtamar is an example of how Turkey says sorry or tries to right a wrong, it is a very weak gesture; it is more hurtful because of its self-serving public relations purposes than it is helpful in bridging our divide. It is also sad that the divide between us is so wide that you cannot understand that the velvet-gloved hand extended to Armenians by Turkey is covered with spikes. We have a long way to go before we can shake that hand and say thank you.
Allow me to share an Armenian point of view. Armenians look to Akhtamar and feel a painful mix of emotions. We want to be hopeful and excited that what we have been waiting 95 years to happen may finally come. But what do we get? A church not restored but converted into a museum. A cross on a platform not on the dome. On the island of Agdamar not Akhtamar. Service once a year in a museum administered by a tourism bureau not the patriarchate of Istanbul who should not have to ask permission to use their church. A PR gesture designed to highlight Turkey’s new tolerance, not a sincere acknowledgement of the wrong Turkey did against the Armenians. Just vague comments regarding WWI era fighting which led to deportations and deaths.
Osmantium, a mere one hundred years ago there were hundreds of churches and monasteries serving the Armenian faithful of the Van region which had lived there for thousands of years. Thousands! Today those churches are crumbling or gone or turned into mosques, schools and sheepfolds. And where are the Armenian faithful that built and cared for all those churches? Where are the people from whom this architectural marvel was generated as an expression of their Christian faith? Do you think they willingly abandoned their villages and churches and left them to ruin and desecration? It took thousands of years to build the Armenian culture of that region. And it was alive and thriving in 1915, despite the Ottoman oppressive millet system, until your ancestors drove the Armenians to their deaths in the deserts and along the forced deportation marches.
Holy Cross church stands today as a shell of what it once was, where the hollow sound of our prayers bouncing off the walls of that empty sanctuary reminds us of what is still to be restored. We are glad to have it, glad that some benevolent energy emerged in Turkey that allowed this preservation to happen, just sad that Turkey could not prevent this benevolence from being tainted by exaggerated Turkish pride and political machinations.
Now Turkey needs to say “sorry we killed your grandparents and stole your homes and raided your bank accounts. We were desperate in a time of war and the dismantling of the empire to save this country for Turks. We acted selfishly in an effort to preserve a homeland for ourselves. We treated you, Greeks and Assyrians, and the other indigenous peoples of Asia Minor as less valuable than Turks and as if you were in our way. We decided to get rid of you and the problem of your desires for freedom and self-determination by deporting you and we turned a callous eye to the suffering and massacres done in our name that you experienced along the way. We failed to protect you, our citizens, or to prosecute those who harmed you. We are the descendants and heirs of the CUP government that ran Turkey at the end of the Ottoman empire and its transition into the modern republic, and therefore we are responsible today to say sorry and to make restitution to the Armenians. Akhtamar Church is just the first step in a thousand mile journey, and we hope you will help us stay on track along the way.”
For this we could be very grateful.
How nice, Ahmet. Up to 2-2.5 millions of Armenians lived in Armenian vilayets of the Ottoman empire. Now, according to your prime-minister, there is just 60-70,000 living predominantly in Constantinople. Might you know where millions of others have evaporated? Have you ever read documented and archived accounts of those foreign diplomats, consuls, and missionaries who witnessed mass slaughter of Armenians back in 1915? Have you ever read the testimonies of several CUP leaders at courts marshal in Turkey? Have you ever heard Adolf Hitler’s expression on annihilation of Armenians or your own Mustafa Kemal characterizing mass murders of Ottoman Armenians as “shameful act”? Do you know that the term “genocide”, i.e. deliberate extermination of a particular national, ethnic, racial, and religious group, has been coined by a Polish Jew, renowned international lawyer Raphael Lemkin in 1943, based on his study of methodical extermination of Armenians by Ottoman Turks from 1915 to 1923? Go read and enlighten yourself. And don’t forget to share these facts with your friends and neighbors. And never again come back here throwing crap like “Turkey did not do it” to the faces of descendants of millions of slaughtered in cold blood innocent human beings.
Osmanium, I see your frustration… but I do not resent it … because you do not understand us… because you do not know the entire truth.
Yes, we are grateful that the Turkish government took this step to prevent Holy Cross from further deterioration. But for us it is like being given a beautifully wrapped gift that we are required to hold and give back once a year… And the gift itself, is no gift at all because it belonged to our ancestors… So looking at it in pictures with the Turkish flag on it from afar… reading about it… going to pray in it once a year… is painful… it is a incomplete step in Turkey’s effort to be more tolerant. This lone church that was converted to a museum, also reminds us of a famous saying by the Ittihadists regime that “they will keep one Armenian alive and put him in a museum”. In that vast area, void of the thousands of Armenians who used to live there, this lone church is the Armenian in the museum.
You are upset that we are not thankful about this renovation… But I ask you, have you been thankful for all the Armenian farms that were left to your ancestors that you feed form today, have you been thankful for all the jewelry, bank accounts, business inventories, rugs, furniture, life insurance, lands that were taken from the Armenians by your ancestors and were used to fund your Republic. Did you ever think to thank us for the 3,000 year old Armenian homeland that they took from us to build your Republic in. Did you ever thank us for the antique rugs, golden artifacts that were abandonned in Holy Cross at a haste all those years ago. Those valuables… where are they… we paid for that renovation indirectly with our ancestors assets, money, treasures, lands, businesses, farm and country many times over…
Think about it…
We thank all those Turks who hid Armenians like my grandmother, and saved them during the Genocide… they are the Turks you should be proud of… I know I am, as a human being.
Ahmet and Osmaniye “Effendis ”
A simple question to you both, what happened to the people who built those 2000+ plus Churches and monasteries in Eastern Anatolia- many of which were built- before even your ancestors got there @ 1072? Did they evaporate as Hrant Dink asked you when he was alive? Show us one building in that region which was build by your ancestors 100+ years ago? Even most of the “old”mosques in that region are all converted Armenian churches. Second, how can you expect me to say “thank you” if you are yet unable to recognize the pain you have inflicted to my people. And sadly have no remorse about it. You can’t even say the simple “I am sorry for what took place in 1915”, and now you are expecting us to say “thank you” , for what ? Reclaiming a millennium old Armenian Church as a museum? The only “thank you” I feel I owe, is the one, to those who are coming out and saying “enough is enough” let’s teach real Turkish history to our people, rather than “Turkish masal” – since they have the courage to question the “status quo” !
David Boyadjian “Aga”,
It is never waste of time for an Armenian to claim ownership for what our ancestors built a millennium ago. It may not serve your ideology to recognize these facts, but every single church which my ancestors built I am happy to claim ownership and talk about it, hours and days if necessary. The fact remains that, only the “engaged” not the “naive” as you claim among us, are able to understand what is really happening here. Don’t insult those of us who can follow the dynamics of the process, unlike you, who is only driven by ideology and maintaining the status quo!
I also applaud all those from who wants to be engaged and wants to do things differently. All those who organized the 2005 Armenian Conference in Istanbul, those who started the “we apologize campaign” in Turkey, and last but not least the editor of this paper “Armenian Weekly” who courageously spoke about April 24 1915, on the first ever public commemoration of April 24 in Istanbul! Bravo!
To Osmanium: Turks destroyed not only the Akhdamar church but all our hisotric Armenian churches, castles and monuments in Anatolia. And YOU want the Armenians to thank Turkey for rebuilding what Turkey destroyed! That is very arrogant on your part!
The least your country Turkey can do is restore them as these are not just important for Armenians but the whole world. These are hisotoric monuments that need to be preserved, regardless of who built. Your nation is very well known for destorying things! Historically we Armenians built and Turks destroyed! It is within the last few years that your nation has finally semi learned to built! Lets hope you keep this new trend!
I ment to send the above comment to Ahmet, and not to Osmanium! Sorry for the mistake!
Turks are making a grave mistake. They think they are able to play on both Christian and Muslim strings. One day, they will get up and realize that they are Christians like Barack Obama, the President of the United States of America.
osmanium,deduct the $1.5M from the rent that Turkey is cashing from the Ceyhan pipeline.
It is passing through our lands.
When somebody talks about 2000 Armenian Churches , do we really think about how many schools , homes and other properties Armenians had on their own soil ? Do turks realize , that the Church or monastery is built for certain number of people in the community ?
What for to “thank” you , guys ? For destroying Armenian presence on their lands , in their own Armenian homeland , where they left the graves of their fathers and mothers and left for deserts with your grandfathers and your grandmothers help ?
Do you , turks , really think that it is normal , to come -wipe out population-get their belongings-rename country-try to become as former owners and be called civilized ?
Then – Thank You from the bottom of my heart ! You did it ! Your forefathers are not murderers anymore , because their grandchildren think they are civilized …
Let’s all start to be realistic. All this noise about Akhtamar seems to ignore the fact that Armenian churches are open all day long in Istanbul, and except for Sunday badarak, a wedding, funeral or holiday, are mostly if not completely empty most of the time. Not even tourists in there, usually just a lonely jamgoch. I’d like to see Giro Manoyan appear in Akhtamar 365 days a year….or any other church. That ain’t happening, trust me. So, when someone extends a hand in friendship or to help or as a sign of conciliation, slapping it is not the proper response. So, let’s stop slapping the hands that are extended in our direction by Turks or the Turkish govt. As Phil Gamaghelyan says, very accurately: using it for anti-Turkish propaganda serves no other purpose but to incite intolerance and hatred. I’m so glad there are those who understand that this is all part of a long, slow process that is moving, albeit painfully, in the right direction. Moving in any other direction is not and should not be an option. As he says, the rest is up to us. The choice is for each of us to make. We are all involved in ensuring that the outcome is positive, not negative. So, let’s do the right thing.
Karekin/Phil – after mainly the Bolsetis being those present at the ill-fated Holy Cross Church at Aghtamar fiasco – is not it apparent to you that the Armenians fear being identified, even to enter their own churches – since Turks schooling of their youth is to teach via their history lessons that the Armenians are the enemies of the Turks. Eliminating historically that Armenians were ‘eliminated’ as the victims of the Turkish Genocide of the Armenians and, too, ‘eliminated’ in their students education. Instead, students are taught to hate the victims of the Turkish Genocide – hence recent murders of our Hrant Dink and others. Manooshag
Oh, it’s incorrigible Karekin, again. My friend, a Turk by the name “Murat” asked you a question in “Who Won Akhtamar Propaganda War: Armenians or Turks?” to which you never responded. Is it because you fear to infuriate your former masters or you only pop up on these pages to do lecturing solely to Armenians? Armenian churches are open in Istanbul for a reason. Just like the bulk of Istanbul Armenians were left untouched during the genocide. It’s called Turkish smoke-and-mirror for the foreigners. Why don’t you take a look at what they’ve done to the much greater number of churches in the Armenian provinces? Which of these is an indicator of true Turkish motives? Giro Manoyan, just like myself, won’t appear in Akhtamar 365 days a year because a church functions as a Turkish museum with no annotation inside as to who built the church, when, and, most importantly, what happened to the parishioners. I’ll only shake “a hand of friendship” by the Turks when they’ll acknowledge their crime against my nation. But you’re free to travel there 365 days a year and shake hands with unrepentant murderer-state officials.
Karekin you really do amaze me!
Is it your goal to convince Armenians that because Armenians do not frequent Armenian churches in Turkey, (where our numbers were barbarically diminished and where being openly pro-Armenian can be socially ostracizing), this means we have no right to express distress over the dishonorable way that Sourp Khatch has been transformed into a museum/tourist attraction where the faithful cannot light a candle, sing a hymn, openly pray or even be taught the proper history of the ‘museum’?
I know you are all about being ‘realistic’ but are you for real?
Bravo to Katia, Boyajian, Karo, Dikranagertzi, Vtiger, Teylerian Jr and the rest of my true Armenian commentators.. Qefs galisa when i read your comments…
Karekin- STOP please.. you are giving me an ulcer.. please..
Ahmet, Osmanium— I have a plan .. you ready? here we go…
We are going to go around the Turkey and turn your mosques into a museum…would that be something you both can be thankful for? Would YOU extend your thanks? DID NOT THINK SO.. so stop acting like your govt did us a favor.. such crapola… such BS.. you will get thank you when your bloodthirsty govt actually grows balls once and for all and stop hiding behind the money stolen from our ancestors, behind the oil, behind the spineless and bought out politicians and admit the horrible things they have brought upon my people.. When that happens, you will then be showered by many thanks…. Trust me.. we are very thankful and generous people….and we have abundance of that to share…so don’t worry about that..
By the way .. to be fair here..and want to see how Turks would feel about this..for every destroyed church (turned into a museum, animal shelter or anything else), a mosque should face the same fate.. a destroyed church to destroyed mosque.. it is only fair right????.. how can Turkish govt love to destroy that much? only parasites love to destroy their host… hmmm.. such resemblance…
G
Karekin, you think all this is because we need one more church to pray in!!
Boyajian…the point is, the der hayrs who were present did not need a cross on the roof as a pre-requisite to do a badarak, did they? Why is that key fact being ignored here? It would have been nice, but it is irrelevant to the main point – which was the badarak itself. I am still much more comfortable w/ the cross being properly placed on a reinforced 1000 year old dome, which by the way, sits in a major earthquake zone. Moreover, this service has called a lot of attention to Van, to Akhtamar, to the Armenian story and to the entire genocide issue. As they say, any publicity is good publicity, and most of the publicity related to this event focused on Armenians. Yet, some Armenians seem to be the ones attempting to bring a negative spotlight on it. Most of the world does not know and probably does not care that Akhtamar was part of an Armenian kingdom a thousand years ago. While it is important for you, they really just don’t care. It doesn’t concern them. It concerns Turks and Armenians, however. In that regard, the concept of mirroring, which in its most simple form, constitutes a hand extended for a handshake. If you respond in kind, you will likely begin to develop a rapport with that person and be treated better than if you spit on the hand extended towards you, or if you slap it in response. For instance, the namaz service done at Ani has backfired on the Turkish nationalists, because it was the wrong response. As a result, now the Turkish public and the world have seen yet another ancient and magnificent Armenian church in living color. I doubt that was their goal – to bring even more attention to something Armenian, yet they did it anyways…and, Ani – ancient Armenian capital – is all over the news. As Armenians, we couldn’t do that…believe me.
No Karekin, the point is that whether or not there is a cross, the priests have to have permission to do Badarak there! This is wrong on many levels.
I am intrigued by the interest of the locals in this, “Armenian opening.” They seem to appreciate the magnitude of this event and seem anxious to see the looks on the Armenian faces. Do they know the history, know the guilt, feel compassion, long for reconciliation?
I have to agree with this one point with Karekin. Whether we want to admit to it or not, the Turks put the spotlight on Western Armenia with the recent stories involving Holy Cross Church and the cathedral at Ani. For this we should be thankful. We would be stupid if we do not take this ball and run with it so to speak. This is the time to go all out in our efforts to shed more light on these Armenian architectural marvels and to the story of Western Armenia. We should also make a point of reaching out to the Turks who admit to the Genocide and promote the work of their proArmenian historians and scholars. In our frustration we should be careful not to overlook the achievement of these courageous scholars as well as many human rights activists, so that we motivate them and encouraga them in spreading tolerance, knowledge and unserstanding amongst the Turks and Armenians.
Karekin — How technically Armenians can bring attention to one individual site that’s been stolen by the Turks and is currently situated on the territory of an enemy-state? By breaching the Armenian-Turkish border and flooding into Ani? Please explain. Also, why is it that you accept that Armenians “can’t bring attention to Ani,” while at the same time bashing us on these pages for our ability to bring world’s attention to our demand for historical justice? Don’t you see that you’re way off the mark here?
Karo jan.. Karekin is way off but he is in denial.. in his own world he thinks he is doing as a favor but all he does is put us down and bring attention to his love and appreciation for the Turkish govt actions and/or deeds…
I am sorry did you say?
Moreover, this service has called a lot of attention to Van, to Akhtamar, to the Armenian story and to the entire genocide issue
Hmmm.. do you mind directing us to which newspaper and radio or tv show actually went into that much detail about the entire genocide issue as you put it.. also, I believe the service did not bring attention to Van or Aghtamar.. the service got attention because majority of those who were suppose to attend this mass cancelled their trip..so technically, the non-attendance brought attention to our mass and not the service itself …but that is my wish..my wish is that one day, our mass, free of restrictions and chain from Turkish govt brings great attention and attendance to every single Armenian church in Turkey….
You say:
Most of the world does not know and probably does not care that Akhtamar was part of an Armenian kingdom a thousand years ago. While it is important for you, they really just don’t care. It doesn’t concern them
Well of course they don’t care..why would they care? if we have you to promote the cause..as I remember correctly, you are against recognizing the history .. you just want to move forward and forget the history.. well Karekin SIR.. that is backward.. you have to teach the world the history FIRST and then teach or show them how you plan to make mends with the enemy state… and that is where your hand shakes, hugs and kisses come in… but until then.. you can’t teach the world that you want to forget the history ,…and the way you do that is by not referencing it EVERY TIME the Turkish state plans to do ANYTHING that relates to Armenians.. Get real please.. without the knowledge of the history, you can’t truly make your case to be known the world.. not in its entirety. without the true understanding of our background, people can’t see as to why we are doing what we are doing and feeling how we are feeling.. our fight, our anger, our sadness, our passion, ect… I condemn all these games and fakeness of the Turkish govt.. but the world would not get that if they did not know the history.. so instead of trying to use this crapola of history does not matter and the world does not care or concerned, why don’t you stop and think for a minute.. are you really doing the Armenians more harm than good by spreading your way of doing things…i just dont’ see your way to be a productive way.. this is not to say that with some odd luck, you do have one or two lines out of many many comments on these pages that may have some truth or promise to it…
Anyway. My two cent for today..
Hye, Turks do it again… Each time there is another ‘tactic’ used by these Turkish leaders, they do it again and again and again. The world today, again, learns more and more of the Ottoman mentality that is dominant still in their approach to ‘joining the civilized nations of the world’… joining the EU, and more. Turks’ actions/reactions, over and over, PLOYS and more, unending, bring these forth via news for all across the world – still, displaying their inhumanity to humans. First their Genocides, and their Genocide denials, now their base treatments for other religions…
– today, the continued abuse of the Christian Armenians – using ancient Armenian Cathedrals – converted to Turkish museums – an IN YOUR FACE – to Chrsitian religions
– today, the continued abuse by Turks, in their efforts in the USA, in New York city, where their bullying attempts to establish their Muslim site nearest to the Muslim destruction of human lives, and the Twin Towers building – tallest building in USA intently. Too, knowing the pain of the families of those murdered at this site, knowingly too, IN YOUR FACE, Turkish leaders… bullying!
So, these actions from the Turk leaderships (who claim to be the best ally of the USA; reality: it is the USA State Department best ally of Turkish leaders). Why, when Muslims have their mosques in the USA? Are Christian churches now being built in a Turkey? OR those that exist – are these unhampered by Turk government? How many Christian churches in a Turkey, ancient edifices of the advanced culture of the Armenians, has Turk deliberately allowed to fall to ruin? Civilized nations take steps to preserve these antiquities for… posterity, an unknown comprehension in a Turkey – who denies their Genocides – too, denies their own history by OMISSION – as OMITTED in the education of their Turkish youth – except to teach them to hate the Armenian who are the victims of the Turkish Genocide of the Armenian nation.
Aghtamar Cathedral, Turks ‘renovated’ – Turkish style, as a Turkish museum and then the PLOY of PLOYs… act as though this Christian Cathedral shall open its doors for the world, for Armenians, to come to pray unhampered, for the first time in nearly a century. In your dreams, Christians, not in a Turkey… a Turkey for Turkeys ONLY.
Then, the Turk “retaliation” – funny thing, Turks retaliate against the Armenians for the Turks Aghtamar Armenian Cathedral Turkish fiasco (PLOY), and in order to do so, Turk government has Turks come to pray at the Ani Armenian Cathedral… the logic of these actions escapes me.. how do the Turk leaders come up with these PLOYS? OR, are their advisors, former members of the USA Congress inthe employ of Turks’ overpaid lobbyists – are concocting these acts? OR Turks do, in their creation of their own convoluted ‘PLOYS’ – ongoing/unending – still. Manooshag
Every report I’ve seen, including BBC news, reported this as taking place at an ‘Armenian holy site’. Seems pretty clear to me that the stunt backfired on the PR front for them. If you can’t see that and the importance of such reporting, something is seriously wrong with you. You apparently do not realize that they can’t control the world press or the verbiage, so it’s a bust. Katia is right, learn to make the best of these events…because when life gives you lemons, you must make lemonade.
Every report I’ve seen, including BBC news, reported this as taking place at an ‘Armenian holy site’. Seems pretty clear to me that the stunt backfired on the PR front for them. If you can’t see that and the importance of such reporting, something is seriously wrong with you. You apparently do not realize that they can’t control the world press or the verbiage, so it’s a bust for them. Katia is right, learn to make the best of these events…because when life gives you lemons, you must make lemonade.
It is very interesting and encouraging to read comments exchanged in civil and learned language between Armenians and Turks in respect of the renovation and “church” Service conducted at Akhtamar’s Sourp Khach. Let the constructive dialogue continue until justice is done!
May I on this occasion submit a poem which I wrote in September 2007.
Աղթամար
* * *
Ով մեր Հաւատքի Տուն,
Ով Վասպուրականի Մայր Աթոռ,
Դու Մայրաքաղաք Արծրունիներու,
Դու անշէջ Փարոս Հայոց հողերու։
Գիտեմ․․․
Մնացել ես մենակ առանց խաչի,
Լռել է զանգակատունդ վաղեմի,
Վանայ լիճն է միայն քեզ ապաստան,
Ալեկոծ ալիքներով երգում շարական։
Աղթամար, կանգուն մնացիր,
Վաշխարուներու դէմ դու միջնաբերդ,
Թէեւ վիրաւոր, թէեւ անպաշտպան,
Կանգուն մնացիր –
Մինչեւ Հայ ձեռքեր զետեղեն խաչը քո գմբեթի,
Մինչեւ Հայ ձեռքեր վերաշինեն խորանը Ս․ Խաչի։
Աղթամար համբերիր,
Մենք պիտի գանք
Ցամաքով թէ ծովով։
Դուն մերն ես,
Մերը պիտ մնաս․․․
****************
Հայ-Վարդ London 2007
Thank you.