Sassounian: Now that the Lawsuits Are Settled, Let’s Build the Genocide Memorial

On July 15, a Federal Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s 2011 decision, ordering the return to the Cafesjian Family Foundation (CFF) the properties intended for the construction of an Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Here is how Appeals Court Judges Garland, Wilkins, and Ginsburg summarized the series of lawsuits and counter-suits filed by the contending parties in the past seven years:

Armenian Assembly of America officials, including Hirair Hovnanian and Gerard Cafesjian, “secured sizeable funding contributions, and formed a nonprofit corporation, the Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial (AGM&M). They also agreed on and purchased a historic building for the museum’s site, just a few blocks from the White House. But as the years wore on, they were unable to agree on much else. Progress staggered. Tensions mounted. Little true headway was made. Eventually, one of the project’s principal founders and benefactors, the late Gerard Cafesjian, chose to part ways with the group and resigned his post as president of AGM&M. The split was far from amicable. And so began a chain of events culminating in this tangle of litigation. After several years of legal wrangling, the parties’ claims ultimately proceeded to a bench trial before the District Court. Save for a single cause of action, all of the claims were found unproven. Post-trial proceedings ensued on a multitude of issues, and, after many of the District Court’s decisions were appealed on a piecemeal basis, the assorted cases on appeal were consolidated and presented to us for resolution.”

In the last page of their ruling, the Appeals Court Judges voiced their frustration and dismay at the wasteful series of lawsuits. In utter exasperation, they wrote: “This legal saga has been long-lived. What began as a single lawsuit to collect on an unpaid promissory note quickly escalated into a morass of litigation. More than seven years and millions of dollars in legal fees later, much of the parties’ work to achieve their dream of a museum appears to have been for naught, which is regrettable. Whatever happens next, hopefully our decision today can at least serve as the last word on this dispute’s protracted journey through the courts.”

I received scores of e-mails from many readers last week deploring the fact that two prominent Armenian organizations wasted millions of dollars in suing each other instead of settling their dispute out of court and building a Genocide Museum, scheduled for completion long before the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide. Unfortunately, the inauguration of the museum, located just two blocks from the White House, may not take place at all!

It is deeply regrettable that both sides rejected all offers by third parties to mediate their dispute. The millions of dollars spent on litigation would have helped fund the Genocide Museum. This is yet another sorrowful example of Armenians acting against their own interests.

A miracle could still happen! Even though Cafesjian passed away last September, he had repeatedly declared that it was his fervent desire to build a Genocide Museum and Memorial in the nation’s capital. Armenians worldwide ardently wish that Cafesjian’s heirs and CFF trustees honor his commitment to this revered project and bring his undying dream to fruition.

Armenia’s leaders, heads of diaspora organizations, and community members should notify CFF trustees that they are fully ready and prepared to provide all possible support to make Cafesjian’s dream a reality. This museum shall be a lasting tribute to Gerard Cafesjian, who donated tens of millions of dollars for humanitarian projects in Armenia and the United States.

Now that this acrimonious lawsuit is behind us, it is high time for the Armenian-American community, with the consent of CFF trustees, to come together and form a pan-Armenian committee, including the Armenian Assembly, to begin planning the building of this important landmark in Washington, D.C.

The Genocide Museum would be a lasting reminder to millions of visitors not only of the terrible tragedy that befell Armenians in 1915, but more importantly, the story of their indomitable spirit to survive and thrive. The museum, therefore, could more properly be called, “Memorial to Armenian Survival from Genocide.”

Should CFF trustees and the Armenian-American community share this miraculous vision, the groundbreaking ceremony could be held on the future site of the Armenian Memorial on April 24, 2015!

Harut Sassounian

Harut Sassounian

California Courier Editor
Harut Sassounian is the publisher of The California Courier, a weekly newspaper based in Glendale, Calif. He is the president of the Armenia Artsakh Fund, a non-profit organization that has donated to Armenia and Artsakh one billion dollars of humanitarian aid, mostly medicines, since 1989 (including its predecessor, the United Armenian Fund). He has been decorated by the presidents of Armenia and Artsakh and the heads of the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic churches. He is also the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

8 Comments

  1. Shame on both of the families for spending armenian money on courts and attorneys and not on what matters to armenians. As usual, it takes just 2 armenians to disagree on everything that is why Armenia is just a tiny piece of land and not a force to consider. No land and no national idea. Keep up this “good” work.
    Embarrassed Reader

    • Actually, when you say “no land” in regard to the Armenians, that’s false. On the contrary, the Armenian people do indeed have land in the form of Hayastan and Artsakh. And when you say that Armenia is not a force to consider, just take a look at how paranoid and hysterical Azerbaijan happens to be in regard to Hayastan. This explains the reason why President Aliyev spends such an enormous amount of his oil money on acquiring military weapons. And yet, throughout all this time, he still hasn’t ordered his troops to cross the border. This all comes to show that Azerbaijan definitely considers Armenia to be a force, and a big one too.

      In regard to the article, don’t you think you’re being a bit too pessimistic about the Armenian people? The painful fact that two prominent Armenian organizations wasted millions of dollars on litigation instead of resolving their feud out of court which as a result shattered their original objective of constructing an Armenian Genocide Museum, is not the end of the world. The Armenian people have the ability to reverse all of this, by raising money thru donations, such as a nationwide telethon. And once the money is raised, the construction of this important landmark in the nation’s capital, will immediately begin.

  2. I don’t even know what to write or where to begin. I can tell you one thing. The souls of over a million and a half slaughtered Armenians are screaming !!!!!!!!!

  3. Nr. Sassounians comments are appreciated, but leave doubts regarding any ubderstanding that the Cafejian family will finally pursue completion of the Genocide Museum. I have made inquirieas to Mr Kirk Kerkorian, and a nuber of promoinent Atmenian business men about starting a new non=profit foundation. Whuile Mr Kerkorian hasn’t responded,all the others I’ve spoken to are in agreement. If you wish to pursue this venuer,please contact me. We must learn what are the intentions of the Cafesjian famly.

  4. The lawsuit story is very foggy!
    Who was suing who ?
    What is the role of Armenian Assembly in this?
    Doesn’t even mention who’s at fault?
    Overall I get the picture that there was “pride and Ego” played in this more than being patriot!
    Otherwise wasting millions .. That money could have fed Orphans over a decade!

  5. Let me play Devils Advocate.

    Armenia faces an existential threat. Her soldiers are killed with impunity, her sons leave for illegal servitude in Russia, and she is shelled by the enemy.

    Would not the museum funds be better served to keep Armenia alive?

  6. I would be willing to help, if a new committee is formed to construct the genocide museum. I was building committee chairman for our church, and chairman again for our addition. Working with Armenians is not easy, but patience is a virtue.

  7. This is what takes place when someone’s ego and desire to overtake someone else’s property and power, in this case Mr. Cafesjian’s property shades all desire to be a benefactor. All this waste of money just to satisfy an empty ego. Very sad fact that he had to die not knowing the outcome of the law suit. Glad to see the property was reverted to the original owner, hope we can have a decent comitee that will do what’s right for the community and not self.

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