12 Arab Tribe Leaders To Arrive In Armenia

[PaperBoy]

12 ARAB TRIBE LEADERS TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA

 

12 Arab tribe leaders from Syria whose fathers mercifully gave shelter to the Armenian Genocide survivors in 1915 arrived in Yerevan yesterday to join the Armenians in marking the 90th anniversary of the Genocide.

 

They came to Armenia at the initiative of the Armenian community of Syria to bow their heads before Armenian martyrs in the memorial of Tsitsernakaberd and to show their protest to Turkey’s policy of negation.

 

The Arab tribe leaders will stay in Armenia till April 3 and will visit the Holy See of Etchmiadzin to meet the Catholicos of All Armenians and will meet high-ranking Armenian officials as well as the professors of Yerevan State University.

 

Today, at midday, the leaders will visit Tsitsernakaberd memorial.

 

By Ruzan Poghosian

[PaperBoy]

Arab Tribal Leaders Arrive in Yerevan

 

YEREVAN (ARF Press Service)--A delegation of 12 Arab tribal leaders from northeastern Syria, arrived in Yerevan on Monday, accompanied by representatives of the Armenian Church's Beria Prelacy.

 

Armenian National Assembly's ARF faction secretary Hrair Karapetian and ARF Bureau's Political Affairs Office director Giro Manoyan greeted the guests at Yerevan's Zvartnotz airport.

 

The influential tribal leaders, some of whom reside in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, and Qatar, are in Armenia to take part in the events commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, to pay tribute to the Genocide victims, and remind the world of the unpunished vicious crime.

 

Their hospitable ancestors gave refuge to the fragments of Armenians who miraculously survived in the Genocide; today, many of those Armenians and their heirs still live side-to-side with the friendly Arab people and enjoy equal rights.

 

The delegation will meet with Catholicos Karekin II, National Assembly's leadership, Armenia's prime minister, government ministers, politicians, and Yerevan State University professors. Their trip is organized by the Armenian community of Aleppo.

 

Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian received the guests on March 28, after which they met with the mayor of Yerevan Yervant Zakharian. Their itinerary includes a visit to the Dzidzernagapert Memorial to Armenian genocide victims and the Madenataran that houses Armenian manuscripts.

 

The delegation is composed of tribal leaders Udey al Ghasi of Al Shumar tribe; Fayez el Ghubein of Al Anaze tribe; Abdel Uahab Isa Suleiman of Bakard el Jabal tribe; Muhammad al Tai bin Abdel Razak of Al Tay tribe's second branch; Hlu el Hlu of Aduan tribe; Hasan Obeid el Khalil of Harp tribe; Abdel Karim Obeid of Harp tribe's second branch; Khalil Abud Zhdghan of Ogeidad tribe and a member of the Syrian parliament; Muhammad Mslad of Chbur tribe and a member of the Syrian parliament

[kumkap]

i'm glad someone brought this up. i feel pretty strongly that we must never ever forget, especially now with all the brainwashing going on in the u.s. media, the kindness that was shown to armenians in the aftermath of the genocide by the (arab) peoples of syria, lebanon, iraq, palestine, egypt, etc. outside of a soviet armenia shut off from the rest of the world, it was in these countries where refugee centers and orphanages were set up and the western armenian language, transplanted from its natural environment in anatolia, survived. arab leaders have by and large always shown kindness and respect towards their armenian populations, allowing cultural organizations and schools to flourish in their countries, and intellectuals have generally been supportive of armenian issues, despite the fact that raising the issue of turkish crimes casts a negative light on the islamic religion.

 

what we have now in the u.s. is a foreign policy establishment controlled by ideologues called neocons that are bent on promoting the idea of a judeo-christian (codeword for "white") "culture" entrenched in eternal conflict against the "tyranny" and "primitiveness" of an islamic horde. fortunately they have little ground to stand on, and as a christian people it is the duty of armenians to counter this destructive and murderous behavior as much as possible. integral to their project is the elevation of israel and turkey above their arab neighbors in the middle east, which they do by spreading the lie that these two countries are the only oases of democracy in a sea of uncivilized totalitarian regimes. however it's a dirty little secret for them that israel, where spitting on armenian clergy seems to have become a sport as of late, and turkey, where the state openly demonizes armenians in the press, the seminaries are closed, and severe restrictions are placed on the teaching of language and history in the christian minority schools, are actually the worst countries for christians to live in in the middle east, while in countries like syria, iraq, and even iran armenians were always left in peace and enjoyed friendly relations with their non-armenian compatriots. in lebanon and egypt, armenians have a tradition of rising to high positions in the government, and i am told that in iraq, including under hussein, jan. 6 (orthodox christmas) was a holiday, basically as a gesture of goodwill by the government toward the christians. in fact, it seems more than a little convenient that the destruction of iraqi, syrian, and iranian society removes key counterexamples to the ideology of those whose agenda it is to show that muslims and christians must be eternal conflict with eachother. (btw if i am wrong with any of my information please correct me, i grew up in the u.s. and therefore am extremely ignorant).

 

there has also been a good spirit of friendship over the last decades between armenians and palestinians. during the 1915-23 period large numbers of armenian refugees settled in palestinian cities such as haifa, jaffa, bethlehem and jerusalem (as did european jews, who would later expel their gracious hosts from their own land), numbering, according to the historian of jerusalem-armenians george hintlian, around 15,000 in those cities by 1925. large numbers of homes and businesses were destroyed though in the ethnic cleansing of the palestinians during the 1948 war, and since 1967 the armenian patriarchate of jerusalem in a number of instances has struggled to prevent confiscations of its properties by the israeli government. the fact that during the 2000 camp david accords the jerusalem patriarch torkom manugian (born to genocide survivors in a baqubah, iraq refugee camp by the way) pleaded with arafat, barak, and clinton not to separate the armenian quarter from the rest of the old city and place it under israeli sovereignty, illustrates this point. thus it is mainly due to this hostile environment that the armenian population of the holy land now stands at not more than 2,500, and the xenophobic behavior from orthodox jews extending to all non-jews shows no signs of abating. as should be well-known by now, israel is a denier of the armenian genocide (although several prominent jews have spoken up in support of the armenian cause), jewish lobby groups work tirelessly to advance turkish causes in washington, and markar melkonian has recently revealed in his new book about his brother, that israel supplied the azeris with arms during the karabagh war.

 

in lebanon during the civil war, contrary to what a republican-voting armenian friend of mine assumed, it was the right-wing christian phalange (under the patronage of the israelis) that dragged armenians into the conflict they did their best to stay neutral in - not the shia or any other muslim groups. (my friend's entire understanding of that war was that "muslims were attacking christians". neocons are some of the most ignorant people in the world.) when the armenians began forming militias to protect their neighborhoods from the phalange, they quickly became closely tied to palestinian groups, and fought side by side with them to defend against the israeli invasion of southern lebanon in '82, which resulted in the brutal massacres of palestinians at sabra and shatila by the phalange. monte melkonian was on the front lines throughout all of this. get the new book my brother's road if you haven't already.

 

anyway, my point is that the only reason western armenian still even exists as a language is because of the communities of lebanon, syria, palestine, egypt, etc. otherwise there would be no western armenian culture except maybe istanbul, but armenian is hardly spoken there anymore either. when my mom was growing up in istanbul all her classes were taught in armenian. 15-20 years ago though they passed a law saying armenian could only be taught five hours a week or something. the armenians that settled in the u.s. after the genocide lost their language after one or two generations (there is more pressure to assimilate - and therefore less tolerance of difference apparently - in the u.s. than there is in syria/lebanon/egypt. to see this take a random sample of say 18-25 year old descendents of genocide survivors settling in the u.s., versus those of survivors settling in syria/lebanon, and test the armenian language abilities of each group. it won't even be close). the only reason why armenian is spoken in the u.s. is because of a steady influx of immigrants from armenia and other middle east countries has consistently replenished the ranks of armenian speakers, although it is easy to miss this since assimilation occurs at a rate just slow enough not to notice it. therefore armenians need to remember who their friends are and not allow themselves to be brainwashed by mass media in the u.s.

[Arpa]

Hear Hear!!

 

:clap:

 

Kumkap, kudos to you.

You have said so much better than I ever could.

We must be forever grateful that during those days the region was a not a so-called greater Israel, the homeland of the neocons. Otherwise we would be in dire straits.

[shaunt]

God knows how many Armenians were kidnapped by these tribes. Let's not forget about this.

[gamavor]

God knows how many Armenians were kidnapped by these tribes. Let's not forget about this.

style_images/master/snapback.png

 

That is also true, however lets not forget that many Arabs saved many Armenians.

 

I think we need to give credit when and where it is due and overall I think it is a very important to emphasize that Armenians are not enemies of Islam or Judaism or Protestantism or any other religious cult. It is important to emphasize that our relations with Turks are not based on them being Muslim and us being Christian, whatever that means!

[ED]

That is also true, however lets not forget that many Arabs saved many Armenians.

 

It is important to emphasize that our relations with Turks are not based on them being Muslim and us being Christian, whatever that means!

style_images/master/snapback.png

 

 

Amen, I always emphasized this; our straggle with turks has nothing to do with faith

 

azg yev davananq tarber haskatsoxutyunner en

[Dave]

Amen, I always emphasized this; our straggle with turks has nothing to do with faith

 

Why not? Weren't the Ottoman Armenians called ''gyavur'' and ''raya'' because of their faith? According to an article I read, Sultan Hamid carried out massacres under the banner of Islam. In Iraq, massacres were carried out by the Muslims (Kurds and Arabs) against the Assyrian Christians, again under the banner of Islam.

 

It's true that when Maronites attacked the Armenian quarter, Hezbullah was on our back and responded properly. Apparently, there were fights between Tashnag and Hinchag Armenians, just as there were fights between different Maronite militia groups (Lebanese Forces, Kateb..)

 

A few months ago, there were new feuds between the Armenians of Bourj Hammoud and the Syrian Kurdish workers of nearby Nabaah...

[ED]

Dave,

one or two isolated incidents does not make it straggle, I was looking true out our history and can not point out long standing and continues conflict based on religious differences, Turks on the hand had have and will continue ( if current trend continues) rape our history by changing our names from even plants and animals, trees, so there is no trace of name Armenian from/in Armenia. Look at Ani, Kars, Ardahan, Van, Sasun, Mush, Turkish contributions to the world and civilization, by turning ancient cities to dams and churches to baths.

[Dave]

Yes. We had more problems with the Byzantine Orthodox Christians than with the Arab Muslims... I think Edited March 30, 2005 by Dave

[PaperBoy]

AS FAR AS THE ARMENIAN NATION HAS THE WILL TO GO ON WITH ITS CLAIMS, IT WILL GAIN ITS RIGHTS’

 

"Our wish is that the Armenian nation regains its former borders, gets back its historic lands and creates free, independent and united Armenia", Muhammad al Fares, head of the Al Tay tribe, said after the 12 Arab tribe leaders prayed at the Memorial of the Armenian Genocide.

 

Delegation of the Syrian tribe leaders accompanied by representatives of the Armenian Revolutionary Party visited Tsitsernakaberd yesterday to pay tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Each of them has something to say as they brought with them memories of their families about the Armenians who escaped massacres and their starving orphans.

 

Sheikh al Fares recalled his grandfather telling that their settlement was dangerous for Armenians and together with his tribesmen he led the Armenians out to a Yezidi at the mount of Snjar until situation settled in his region.

 

"Our Armenian brothers are part of our life. We contribute to Syria’s social, economical development hand in hand. At first, Armenians lived in rural areas, working the soil, breeding cattle, wearing our national dresses and keeping their traditions and customs. They lived their lives beside us, identified with us, showing their courage, hospitality, openness, the best features of their character. Moreover, during arguments, discords and even clashes within our tribes they stepped in displaying the main feature of the Armenian nation – love for peace. We have noticed no evil intentions in Armenians", he said adding that Armenians living in deserts with Arabs even got used to eating with hands.

 

Answering daily Azg’s question as to what he thinks about Turkey’s denialist policy in the Armenian Genocide issue, he said that the existence of today’s Armenia is the greatest answer to the Turks and that it’s not essential whether they recognize the Genocide or not. "As far as the Armenian nation has the will to go on with its claims, I am sure it will gain its rights", he said.

 

Sheikh Nauaf al Bashir from the Bagar tribe told that the Arabs helped Armenians even when their were threatened not to do so. But the Arabs fearlessly hid the Armenians in their homes treating them as friends.

 

"They want to tell those questioning the fact of Armenian Genocide that their fathers were eyewitnesses of the events, that all they told was true", Khachik Majikian from Aleppo said.

 

The tribe leaders said that the elders of their tribes bequeathed to have a place for the Armenians in their hearts. There were newborn orphans among the Armenians of Al Tay tribe who were fed up by Arab women. Half of around 70 thousand Armenians of Syria returned to motherland in 1946, others wedded Arabs.

 

Armen Melkonian, Armenian envoy to Aleppo, was in the Syrian delegation as well. He noted that the tribe leaders voice their personal opinion, as Syria has not defined its state policy in regard to the Armenian Genocide.

 

By Ruzan Poghosian

[PaperBoy]

«ՔԱՆԻ ԴԵՌ ՀԱՅ ԺՈՂՈՎՈՒՐԴՆ ՈՒՆԻ ԻՐ ՊԱՀԱՆՋԸ ՇԱՐՈՒՆԱԿԵԼՈՒ ԿԱՄՔ, ԿՀԱՍՆԻ ԻՐ ԻՐԱՎՈՒՆՔՆԵՐԻՆ»

 

http://www.azg.am/IMAGE/200505504.jpg

 

 

ՌՈՒԶԱՆ ՊՈՂՈՍՅԱՆ

 

«Մեր մաղթանքն է, որ հայ ժողովուրդը վերականգնի իր սահմանները, տիրանա իր պատմական հողերին եւ ստեղծի ազատ, անկախ եւ միացյալ Հայաստան», Մեծ եղեռնի զոհերի հիշատակը հավերժացնող անմար կրակի մոտ 12 արաբ ցեղախմբերի աշիրեթապետների աղոթքից հետո բոլորի անունից ասաց ալ թայ ցեղախմբի աշիրեթապետ Մուհամմադ ալ Ֆարեսը:

 

Հյուսիսային Սիրիայի ազդեցիկ աշիրեթապետների պատվիրակությունը ՀՀ Ազգային ժողովի ՀՅԴ խմբակցության եւ ՀՅԴ Հայաստանի գերագույն մարմնի անդամների ուղեկցությամբ երեկ այցելեց Ծիծեռնակաբերդ՝ հարգանքի տուրք մատուցելու Հայոց ցեղասպանության զոհերի հիշատակին: Նրանցից ամեն մեկն ասելիք ուներ, որովհետեւ իր հետ բերել էր սեփական գերդաստանի հիշողությունները թուրքերի ջարդերից մազապուրծ գաղթական հայերի ու նրանց սովալլուկ որբերի մասին:

 

Շեյխ ալ Ֆարեսը հիշեց իր մեծ հոր պատմածը, որ իրենց բնակության շրջանը վտանգավոր է եղել հայերի համար եւ նրանց կյանքն ապահով դարձնելու համար իր ցեղախմբի մարդկանց ուղեկցությամբ հայերին ուղարկել է Սնջար լեռան մոտ բնակվող մի եզդու մոտ, մինչեւ իրենց շրջանում դրությունը փոքր-ինչ կհանդարտվեր:

 

«Սիրիայում ապրող մեր հայ եղբայրները մեր կյանքի մի մասնիկն են, ձեռք ձեռքի տված մասնակցում են Սիրիայի հասարակական, տնտեսական եւ մյուս ոլորտների բարգավաճմանն ու զարգացմանը: Սկզբնական շրջանում հայերը ապրում էին գյուղական վայրերում, արաբների հետ վար ու ցանք անում, զբաղվում անասնապահությամբ, հագնում մեր ազգային տարազը, պահպանում մեր սովորություններն ու բարքերը: Նրանք իրենց կյանքն ապրեցին մեր կողքին, նույնացան մեզ հետ՝ ցույց տալով իրենց քաջությունը, հյուրասիրությունը, անկեղծությունը, իրենց նկարագրի բոլոր լավագույն գծերը: Ավելին, մեր ցեղախմբերի վեճերի, տարակարծությունների, անգամ ընդհարումների ժամանակ նրանք մասնակից էին դառնում՝ դրսեւորելով հայ ժողովրդի ամենագլխավոր հատկանիշը՝ խաղաղասիրությունը: Հայերի մեջ իրենք երբեք չար տրամադրություններ չեն նկատել», ասաց նա: Նա կատակով ավելացրեց, որ արաբների հետ անապատային կյանքով ապրող հայերը նույնիսկ սկսել են նրանց պես ձեռքով ուտել:

 

«Ազգի» հարցին, թե ի՞նչ կարծիք ունի Թուրքիայի ժխտողական քաղաքականության մասին, նա ասաց, որ այսօրվա Հայաստանի գոյության փաստը մեծագույն պատասխանն է թուրքերին, եւ Հայոց ցեղասպանության նրանց ճանաչումը այդքան էական չէ: «Իրավունքը միայն պահանջողինն է, քանի դեռ հայ ժողովուրդն ունի իր պահանջը շարունակելու կամքը, վստահ եմ, որ անպայման կհասնի իր իրավունքներին»:

 

Բագարա ցեղախմբի երկրորդ ճյուղի շեյխ Նաուաֆ ալ Բաշիրը պատմեց, որ արաբներն օժանդակել են հայերին նույնիսկ այն ժամանակ, երբ հրահանգված է եղել չօգնել նրանց, չենթարկվելու դեպքում սպառնացել են մահվան դատապարտել: Սակայն արաբներն առանց վախի իրենց տներում ապաստան են տվել գաղթական հայերին, նրանց վերաբերվելով որպես հարազատների:

 

«Հայոց ցեղասպանության իրողությունը հարցականի տակ դնողներին նրանք կամենում են ասել, որ իրենց հայրերը եղել են դրա անմիջական ականատեսները, հայերին փրկողները, որ նրանց տեսածն ու պատմածը իրականություն է, եւ այդ փաստն այստեղ ներկա է», ասաց Հալեպի առաջնորդարանի անդամ Խաչիկ Մաջիկյանը:

 

Աշիրեթապետների պատմելով, գերդաստանի ավագները սերունդներին ավանդել են իրենց կողքին միշտ տեղ տալ հայերին, նրանց ընդունել հարազատ զավակների պես: Ալ թայ ցեղախմբի երկրորդ ճյուղի աշիրեթապետ Մուհամադ ալ Թահին իր պապից լսել է, որ իրենց գերդաստանում ապաստան գտած հայերի մեջ եղել են նորածին որբուկներ, նրանց կրծքով կերակրել են արաբ կանայք: Մոտ 70 հայերի մի մասը 1946 թ. գաղթել է Հայաստան, մյուս մասը դարձել գերդաստանի անդամ, հարս կամ փեսա՝ արաբների հետ խառը ամուսնությունների հետեւանքով: Նա համոզված է, որ Թուրքիան պետք է ընդունի իր գործած ոճիրը, հատուցի նյութական, բարոյական, հողային վնասները եւ դրանով վերականգնի պատմական արդարությունը:

 

Պատվիրակության կազմում էր նաեւ Հալեպում Հայաստանի գլխավոր հյուպատոս Արմեն Մելքոնյանը: Նա նշեց, որ աշիրեթապետները, որոնցից 3-ը խորհրդարանի պատգամավորներ են, իրավունք ունեն արտահայտելու միայն իրենց անձնական տեսակետները, որովհետեւ Սիրիան Հայոց ցեղասպանության վերաբերյալ պաշտոնական տեսակետ դեռ չի արտահայտել: Նրանց այցը զուտ ճանաչողական է եւ որեւէ կապ չունի Սիրիայի արտաքին քաղաքականության հետ:

[PaperBoy]

GENOCIDE OF ARMENIANS BY OTTOMAN TURKEY IN 1915 IS A BARBAROUS CRIME AND DISPLAY OF RELIGIOUS FANATICISM OF TURKS: SHEIK OF ARAB TRIBE

 

YEREVAN, MARCH 29. ARMINFO. Genocide of Armenians by Ottoman Turkey in 1915 is a barbarous crime and display of religious fanaticism of Turks, Sheik of the second branch of the Bagara tribe Nauaf Al Bashir who arrived in Yerevan as part of the delegation of influential sheiks of 12 tribes of North-Eastern regions of Syria says in his interview to the Armenian TV Channel "Armenia."

 

Sheik states that the delegation arrived to commemorate the victims of the inhuman crime - Genocide. He says that leaders of Ashiret tribes enjoying a great influence in Arab world, provided shelter to Armenians who escaped from the Genocide. The successors of these Armenians live with Arab people and enjoy equal rights. The sheik says that Jordan Monarch sent a manifest to the two most influential Arab emirs in 1917 asking for shelter to the Armenians and to display of a well-disposed attitude to them, as "Armenians are religious and God obedient people." Since then, relations of Arabs and Armenians have become warmer and Armenians were not forced to change their religion when marrying Arabs. Tomorrow the delegation with meet with Armenian Agricultural Minister David Lokyan. They also will meet with His Holiness Garegin II Catholicos of All Armenians and will visit Gyumri. The guests will leave for Syria on April 3.

[gamavor]

Genocide of Armenians by Ottoman Turkey in 1915 is a barbarous crime and display of religious fanaticism of Turks,

 

"Our wish is that the Armenian nation regains its former borders, gets back its historic lands and creates free, independent and united Armenia"

 

Allah Akbar!