RAFFI the PROPHET

garmag · October 18, 2008

Hoping someday I will find someone to translate it.

To repeat my question. Why do we still call them “yesdi/kurd” etc. instead of just calling them Armenian (citizens) with a slightly different religion. Many of them have much better Armenian sounding family (probably patronymic) names with the “IAN” suffix, Temoyan, the above Sardarian etc. than most of us with furkish surnames.,like gaga-oghlu-IAN.**
** Among them there was young man who told me his name was “Assad”. He thought it was a variation os “azat”, and when I told him that it was an Arabic word to mean “lion” he was exhilarated and roared like a lion, and promised that one day we will ALL view Ararat from the other side..

Barev Arpa Jan ,

Yes unim baregamner voronk gue dirabeden qani me kurd parparneru, e...lla Zaza,ella kermanji...garogh em serants tarqmanutyune kez antsnel, i harge yete dagavin gue papaqis...

Yete yes aysor Islamutyun gam Hinduism/ Bhudism tavanim, gam Zorastrianism... ARTYOK bolort zis turs gue verendeq Hayutyunes?

Te vorqan el uzeq cheq garogh in Haygagan vokin intsnits khlel inch quyni el linem!!!!!!!!

Arpa · September 25, 2009

Prophets and Idiots.

Մարգարէներ եւ Խենթեր

The others’ are “prophets” when our own are “Khent/ԽԵՆԹ/ crazy/insane/idiots”.

If you think that only certain people produce “prophets”, see what their “book” says about it.

“The voice in the wilderness/ Ձայն բարբառոյ անապատի”**

One of those “our own prophets” is Raffi, who to this day is dismissed as “Khent/Խենթ”.

Who is he talking about? Yes, we know, he is talking about turks and kurds.

“Dogs from dogs, the both of them of the same house”.

How many “dogs from dogs/birds of the same feather” do we know?

Some cliches;

“Birds of a feather flock together.

Dog eat dog.

Its bark is sharper than its fangs”

Look what our own “prophet” Raffi said more than a hundred years ago.

«շունը շնից, երկուսն էլ մի տնից»

(Also see what “prophet” means-Prophet/Margar- See post # 4;

http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=17736&hl=margar)

A quote from Raffi’s Khent chapter 8;

Այդ ուղիղ է, — պատասխանեց հայրը տխուր ձայնով. — բայց մեզ դժվար է և շատ դժվար է միանգամով ոչնչացնել այն, ինչ որ մեր պապերը տնօրինեցին մեզ համար: Մենք քաղում ենք նրանց ցանած հիմարությունների դառն պտուղը: Հիմա լսիր, որդի, ես իմանում եմ, որ քո սրտի մեջ եփ է գալիս ատելությունը, ես իմանում եմ, որ ստրկությունը սաստիկ վշտացնում է քեզ. բայց դարձյալ հարցնում եմ, ի՞նչ ճար կա, ի՞նչ կարող ենք անել: Եթե ինչ որ ուզում են, չտանք՝ կթշնամանան մեզ հետ. մեկ էլ տեսար, ոչխարների ամբողջ հոտը սարից հափշտակեցին, տարան: Ո՞ւմը կարող ենք գանգատվել. ո՞վ կլսե մեր ձայնը: Այն մարդիկը, որ նշանակվել են չարությունը բառնալու և արդարությունը պաշտպանելու համար, բոլորը ավազակներ են, սկսյալ վալիից, փաշայից մինչև վերջին մուդիրը և գայմագամը: Մի ավազակ մի ուրիշ ավազակի հետ քույր և եղբայրներ են, և ինչպես ասում են՝ «շունը շնից, երկուսն էլ մի տնից»: Դու ինքդ քո աչքով տեսար, Արզրումի վալին, փոխանակ շղթաներ ուղարկելու, որ մի այսպիսի երևելի ավազակապետին, որպես Ֆաթթահ-բեկն է, տանեն և խեղդեն, փոխանակ այդ անելու, նրա համար մի գեղեցիկ ձի ընծա է ուղարկում, մի եղեռնագործի համար, որ մեր ամբողջ գավառը լցրել է արյունով և արտասուքով: Երբ որ վալին, երկրի նահանգապետը, այսպես է վարվում, էլ ո՞վ է մնում, որ մենք հայտնենք նրան մեր սրտի ցավը, մնում է միայն աստված, բայց աստված էլ մեր ձայնը չի լսում, երևի շատ են մեր մեղքերը…

** Remember that «բարբառ» is the same as "barbar/barbarian" when what others speak sounds like "bar-bar-bar". Also see "barbanj/barbaj/բարբանջ/բարբաջ" under another topic.

Edited September 25, 2009 by Arpa

Arpa · October 9, 2009

Armenian Kurds or Kurdish Armenians?

Armenian Muslims or Muslim Armenians?

Note: We will also post an item to show who Hrant and Rakel Dink are in a proper category.

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http://www.noravank.am/en/?page=analitics&nid=2046

INSIGHTS FROM A CONVERTED ARMENIAN FAMILY IN DIYARBAKIR1
Background
Diyarbakir (also known as Amed or Amida) is located in the south-eastern part of Turkey. Its population is 1.5 million with Kurdish majority.
Before 1915, the Armenians had a large quarter in the city along with an active market which was burnt to ground on the eve of the Armenian genocide in 1915. The city was famous with St. Kirakos Church known for its high tower bell which was seen from any part of the city. Today, the tower bell no more exists and the church is in ruins.
The Armenians of Diyarbakir called themselves Tigranakertsi in relation to the city of Tigranakert which was built by King Tigran the Great and was once the capital of Armenia.
In 1915, Most of the Armenians in Diyarbakir were deported and later massacred on the road to Deir Zor. Few survived and were able to escape to Syria and Lebanon and start a new life. Many Armenian orphan children were either sold as slaves to Arabs and Kurds or saved by Kurdish families. Their names and identity were changed and their religion became Sunni Muslim. In other cases, families as whole had to change their religion and live secretly for many generations in order to survive the genocide and the continued persecution in the first decades of the Turkish Republic.
Maryam’s Family
This study focuses on a Muslim family in Diyarbakir with Armenian roots.
The family in concern comes originally from the village of Sati outside Diyarbakir. Sati was an Armenian village with a school and a church. The St. Mary Church was recently converted to mosque and called Sati Cami (1940s). The family’s grandmother was called Maryam who was born in 1901 in Sati.
Maryam lost her family during the genocide and was given shelter by a Kurdish family friend in the same village. Her name was changed to Sekine and her religion to Islam. At the early age of 13, she was forced into marriage with the family’s only son Sheikhmus. Over the years, they had 7 children and since marriage at early age was a tradition and sometimes a must, the 7 children formed a family of almost 250 members after 90 years (5 generations).
It is interesting to note that Sheikhmus’s family had also Armenian roots. His grandfather was originally from Sasun who fled to Diyarbakir during the 1860s and converted to Islam to avoid any further persecution from the Ottomans.
Unlike many converted families in Turkey, Sheikhmus’s new family (2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th generations) –– knew that their roots were Armenian. They had heard stories from their grandmother Maryam about her family and her village. Maryam remembered her family and school very well and she also remembered her younger brother Harutyun who was lost in April 1915.
During 1940-50s periods and due to the bad economic situation in the village, the family gradually moved to Diyarbakir City but kept their attachment to the village. Many years passed and although the family lived in the heartland of the Kurds, they were always considered as foreigners.
Interestingly, their Kurdish neighbors know about their past (and about Armenians) more then what they know but the feeling of guilt doesn’t let them speak freely. The elderly Kurds know that their parents also took part in the Armenian genocide and are responsible in a certain way to what happened to those converts.
Family Structure
The elderly of the family were very religious people. Praying 5 times and fasting during Ramadan were holy duties that were observed and respected (2). One of Maryam’s daughters even went to Mecca with her husband for Hajj (3). She earned the title Haji (a person who has gone to Hajj) by the family and friends.
An interesting phenomenon in the family was the role of the woman. The head of family is usually the oldest man and since Mehmet (Sheikhmus’s son) was dead; his wife – Badriye (68) – had become the head of the family. Although a stranger to the family, Badriye was a highly respected lady (4).
In Muslim families (esp. Middle east and Turkey), women are responsible for bringing up children and taking care of the family and house but never have authority or power for decision making. The man is the head of the family and when he dies, his son or his brother will take over not the wife or daughter or even his mother if she is still alive.
Badriye herself was from a family with unknown origins. When asked about her past, she said that her father’s name was “Hayg” a rather weird name for her environment but a purely Armenian name by all means.
One of Sheikmus’s daughters – Melike - had married a young orphan named. Ahmet now was 67 years old and had lost most his memory. The only two things that he remembered were that his family was from a village near Van and his father’s nickname was “Janfida” who was killed during the war. The man had no clue what was the name of the village or what did that nickname mean. “Janfida” is another weird name for that environment; it was an Armenian nickname given to those freedom fighters (Fedayis) who were defending their villages against the Ottoman Army and Kurdish militias (prior to 1915).
The family encourages the youngsters to marry young and have as much children as possible. Each couple has 4-7 children with the 65 year old Hafize breaking the family record with 9 children. In Anatolia, it’s a great privilege for a grandmother to hold her grand child’s grandchild – a privilege that Maryam had before dying in 1985 and a privilege that Badriye hopes to have also.
Most of the family members had married either their cousins or similar converts. When asked about the reason their answer was “to keep the blood pure”. Those members who had left Diyarbakir to Istanbul or Germany had more mixed marriages with other Kurds or Turks or Germans. Since they were away from their environment, their sense of belonging had faded but still they kept attached to the family, the village and the traditions.
Young Generation
Most of young members of the family identify themselves as Kurds but when asked what Ashiret (5) they belong to; they had no answer.
One of the younger members, Ali, was excited for the Kurdish cause and a big fan of Abdallah Ojalan. This was his school’s environment in Yenishehir – an area of Diyarbakir well known to have full loyalty to the Kurdish cause. However, his friends always knew that Ali is different.
The young generation is also highly educated: Mahmoud (29) was a graduate of the Engineering Faculty of Dicle University while his cousin, Feryal (25), was a lawyer and a member of a local leftist group. Another cousin Feyzo (36) was a well known physician in Dicle Hospital.
They are mostly free minded. Alcohol was banned at home but it was a habit to hang out with friends in coffee shops or restaurants serving drink. Some of them drink while in public places while others prefer indoors with close friends.
The family youngsters feel they are different then their neighboring Kurds but the economic and political hardships unifies them against injustice. Not all of them support the Kurdish militias in the Kandil Mountains (6) but they don’t see any other solution as long as the Government continues with its anti-Kurdish policies.
One of their young men, Mahmoud (age 27), invited some friends to have a drink in an open coffee shop at one of the gates of the city. While discussing about everyday life and politics, the issue of Ashiret was discussed. Although all of them were supposedly Kurds, none of them was able to identify his Ashiret. Only Adnan said clearly that his family once was Armenian and they converted during the war. Mahmoud was surprised to know that his life long friend Adnan was originally Armenian. After an hour of discussion, the 10 year old friends realized that they all have gaps in their past.
Apparently, all of them came from unknown roots. In a strange way, they felt more comfortable to hang out together.
Environment
The views towards the central government were almost the same within the youth of Diyarbakir. The education level was much lower then what it is in Istanbul or Ankara. Job opportunities were scarce. Hence, for a young man the only salvation was to move to Istanbul which has become an overly populated city of 15 million people among which almost 5 million are Kurds.
As a result, the youth had extreme anti-governmental feelings. Every now and then, Diyarbakir is the scene of violent clashes between pro-Kurdish parties and the Police or Army. The city itself is overly crowded with Army barracks and Police stations. All these had their deep effect on the youth of the city.
When the locals are asked about the Armenians, the answers become unclear. In schools, they are told the official version of the “so called Armenian Genocide” which denies that a mass murder had occurred and accuses the Armenians of conspiring with the Russians against the Ottoman Empire and killing millions of innocent Muslims but with no clear explanation of where the Armenians are now.
In the mosques, the Imams are all assigned by the government. In their Friday sermons, they sometimes mention Armenians, Greeks and Jews as infidels and enemies of God. The Imams picture the infidels as those people who are far from Mohammed (7) who are not clean (8) and commit sins by selling and drinking Raki (9).
Many people in Diyarbakir consider Armenia (Ermenistan) as the land of infidelity where people drink on the streets and girls wear very light and open clothes - An idea that is very attractive to their young men but strongly appalling to the old generation.
In this environment, the secret life of these Armenian converts is explainable. They have chosen to live in low-profile and have blocked the past as it was full of bad memories. In many cases, they have become more religious then real Muslims in an attempt to prove their loyalty to their environment.
Conclusion
Maryam’s family still lives in Diyarbakir. They don’t identify themselves as Armenians but rather as Muslim Kurds with Armenian origins. They are very close to the Kurds but more then 90 years of coexistence couldn’t assimilate them. They are citizens of the Turkish republic but cannot clearly identify themselves by one of the 40 ethnic groups in Turkey. Their easy way out is to say “I’m a Kurd or I’m a Muslim”
Such families and communities that live in the dark in Turkey are like a big dark hall whose content is still mostly unknown - a “hall” that definitely needs deeper exploration and investigation. While many researchers were able to look through small windows; others had the rare chance to partially explore from the inside making this study a possible work.
Maryam’s family along with many other converts can’t be called Armenians because they lack the awareness of their national identity BUT they cannot be ignored as well since it was not their choice in the first place to become what they are right now…
Remarks
The exact site of the old city of Tigranakert is close to the town of Silvan – 15 min away from current Diyarbakir where the old city walls can still be seen.
Ramadan is the holy month for all Muslims in the world. It’s 30 days of fasting and praying period followed by 3 days of holiday (Eid el Fit). Fasting and praying are religious obligations for every Muslim.
Mecca is located in Saudi Arabia and is considered the holy city for all Muslims. It’s an honor for any Muslim to go for Hajj at least once in his life.
The bride (Gelin in Turkish) is considered a stranger to the family as she comes from different family.
Ashiret is originally an Arabic word and means tribe. Before 1915, the Kurds were identified through their Ashiret (tribe) while Armenians were identified through their city of origin. Till today, the Kurds identify themselves through their Ashirets scattered all over Anatolia, Syria, Iraq and Iran while Armenians in the Diaspora still identify themselves through their cities (Mushetsi, Vanetsi, Dikranagerdtsi, Sasuntsi, Atanatsi…)
Kandil Mountains are located between Iraq and Turkey and they are the main strongholds of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militia – which is fighting the Turkish Army since the 80s.
Mohammed is the Prophet who is the founder of the religion of Islam.
In Islam, children must be circumcised at an early age. This mainly symbolizes health and cleanliness. So for a Muslim, a non-circumcised person is dirty and unhealthy person.
Drinking alcohol is totally forbidden in Islam and it’s considered a great sin.
1 As it has been mentioned for many times the issue of the converted Armenians is one of the least studied subjects in contemporary Armenian studies, thus any step made in that direction is worth mentioning. Guided by this logic “Noravank” Foundation presents the article by Ohan Sasunian from the Diaspora which tells about the family of the converted Armenians from Diarbekir. We find it necessary to mention that the article is based on the studies made right at the spot and personal impressions which make it even more remarkable.
Ohan Sasunyan

Louise · October 14, 2009

Armenian Kurds or Kurdish Armenians?
Armenian Muslims or Muslim Armenians?
Note: We will also post an item to show who Hrant and Rakel Dink are in a proper category.
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http://www.noravank.am/en/?page=analitics&nid=2046

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Dear Arpa I am very glad to be able to reply to you again. The story of this family from diayarbekir is very interesting.They are mixed half armenien-half kurds. Like many Turks.

It is well that they have remembered their ascendence. My father too had been adopted by an Arab, he staid some time in his house, he had a work to do, he learnt all the muslim

prayers, but one day he went away, as he wanted to find his mother, and little brother and sister. He found them in Aleppo. and later on he managed to come to France.

Who told you the story of that family ? May I translate it in French, I will change the names of course.

Best thoughts

Louise/Iskouhi/Sarian

Arpa · October 15, 2009

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Who told you the story of that family ? May I translate it in French, I will change the names of course.
Best thoughts
Louise/Iskouhi/Sarian

Louise, how nice to see you.

Which one do you mean, the one above to which I furnised the URL or the one about Hrant Dink?

The one above is public property so to speak, and I am sure it will be OK for you to translate, perhaps furnish the source. If it is about the Dinks, I will PM you the source.

Once again, good to see you.

Arpa · September 17, 2010

Today, Friday Sept. 17, 2010 we are less than 48 hours away from the “circus” called “Liturgy at Aghtamar”.

This article also belongs under the many topics dealing with that “circus ala turque”.

Note below that the author alludes that the letter may be a forgery, a sham manufactured by either boobjanis or the fascist nationalist furks. To me it is a veiled threat of violence. Where is Dr. Astarjian who is on daily contact with the Kurds, be they in Kirkuk, Iraq or Concord, NH, maybe he can tell us if it is actually by Kurds.

Peshmerga;

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f1/Kurdish_Peshmerga_Iraq.GIF

Peshmerga means "those who stand in front of death."
Also Known As: Kurdish army, Kurdish militia, freedom fighter
Alternate Spellings: peshmerge, pesmerge (Kurdish)

http://times.am/2010/09/15/is-it-safe-to-visit-aghtamar-island/

Is it safe to visit Aghtamar island?
By Times.am at 15 September, 2010, 4:31 pm
By Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan
Few days ago the editorial board of Voskanapat.info received a statement of “Peshmerge Brotherhood”,
where in a rather rigid form was claim for to the Armenians: come to Western Armenia only as tourists, not as
pilgrims to their own homeland. Although, statement is more about the “Turkish show” on September 19th, which named the liturgy; still the context leaves no doubts: in the opinion of certain peshmerge, Armenians are acceptable for them only as tourists. Without any nostalgic longings.
Personally I am against any travels of the Armenians to captivated homeland, of cause, except, trips with the
scientific purposes, and, nevertheless, the statement of Kurdish partisans seemed offensive to me. Actually, there are no reasons to suspect Kurds in the intention to insult us (there are no other even only potential Kurd’s allies besides Armenians in the region now), that is why Voskanapat analysts decided that this statement is written by ultra-nationalist Turkish organization, or, more likely, invented by Azerbaijani propaganda machine.
In fact: Azerbaijan prevents any rapprochements between Armenia and Turkey that could eventually lead
to theopening of Armenian-Turkish border it seems like reasonable threat of its safety. Even more Baku fears the recognition of Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire, since after that Turkey would be deprived of any chances to assist Azerbaijan in a possible war against Armenian states. Then, Baku with its entire foreign policy built on lie and blackmail could come up with the Kurdish threat to the Armenian pilgrims.
Regarding all above mentioned reasons Voskanapat refrained from publication of peshmerge
statement. Day later it turned out that similar “statement” was sent in editorial boards of other
Armenian (if only Armenian?) publications, one of them (http://www.armtoday.info/default.asp?
Lang=_Ru&NewsID=31345&SectionID=0&RegionID=0&Date=09/14/2010&PagePosition=2)
with the hope on explanations of authoritative Kurdish organizations, published it without any
comments and edits. Answer followed: (http://www.armtoday.info/default.asp?
Lang=_Ru&NewsID=31380&SectionID=0&RegionID=0&Date=09/14/2010&PagePosition=1) from the editorial
board of the Kurdistan.Ru website.
However, the study of “Kurdish reply on anti-Armenian statement of “Peshmerge Brotherhood” tangled the
situation even more, forcing to include in the “list of suspects” Kurds themselves. The editorial department of the site found it possible “to disprove” Kurdish authorship of the statement by unconvincing language exercises (Turkish Kurds don’t use the term “peshmerge” for their partisans) and by phrases like “it seems that part of the Armenian society sees Kurds as the historical enemies”.
In fact, Kurdish rebels in Turkey got used to the term of Che Guevara “guerilla”, it connects to the Marxist
views of Kurdistan Working Party. However, the “guerilla” didn’t replace and coexisted with the indigenous
Kurdish word “Peshmerge”. Note also that in recent years, together with strengthening of Peshmerge authority in practically independent Iraqi Kurdistan, this word increasingly introduced among the Kurdish rebels in Turkey.
Finally, what’s wrong with the fact that new Kurdish organization, if it actually exists, uses its Kurdish title? Is
it hard to assume that this organization thereby indicates its difference from the Kurdistan Working Party? No,
Kurdistan.Ru’s refutations don’t sound convincing.
Strictly speaking, reply of Kurdistan.Ru site leaders doesn’t remove the suspicions of the Kurdish
authorship of the statement on behalf of “Peshmerge Brotherhood”, but in a large extent confirms the claims of the same “Brotherhood”. For example, Kurdistan.Ru accuses Armenia that there is no Armenia consulate in Iraqi Kurdistan, meanwhile “there are consulates from the most distant countries – Canada, Australia, Thailand, South Korea etc.” However, these accusations could be readdressed to Iraqi Kurdistan that has no diplomatic mission in the Artsakh Republic.
Kurdistan.Ru discerned in works of some leading members of Armenia Oriental Studies Institute the common leitmotif: “better Turks than Kurds”. I also read works of our scientists; however, I didn’t notice the
indicated “leitmotif”. Science is apolitical, and scientists have to focus on the event fairly, and I can only regret that references about the “Hamidi” forces or participations of the part of Kurdish tribes in Armenian Genocide of 1894-1923 can cause such undesirable associations in Kurds.
The editorial staff of the Kurdistan.Ru site indicates that the rhetoric of the “Brotherhood”
statement “is directly opposite to the common rhetoric of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) documents and
any connected organizations”. Hard do not agree with it; however, authors hardly could assert that all Kurdish
organizations in Turkey are linked to PKK. Indeed, reply authors indicate that, possibly, notorious “Peshmerge
Brotherhood” “is some kind of independent from it nationalist organization with chauvinistic and Fascist incline?”
We would like to know the answer to this particular question; since security of Armenians, who
would wish to attend the Turkish show on Aghtamar island will depend on it. Must be admitted, that reply
of Kurdistan.Ru editorial board doesn’t add the peace. Finally, “Peshmerge Brotherhood”, if it exists, requires
Armenians to attend Western Armenia only as tourists, and not “as Hajji to their “homeland” (original quotes
- L.M.-Sh.). The editorial staff of Kurdistan.Ru site located in Russia writes: “Kurds always related to the
Armenians as historical neighbors, who shared with Kurds homeland…” Another Kurdish site published thoroughly false article “Real cause of deterioration of the Armenian-Kurdish relations” (http://www.kurdi.ru/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=206&Itemid=17), where was called … the project provision of Armenia’s
recovery on the Western Armenia territory to the Berlin Congress in 1878.
I can’t say that Kurdistan.Ru reply dispelled my suspicions on Azerbaijan-Turkish authorship
of “Peshmerge Brotherhood” statement completely. However, I recognize that editorial board reply affected
confidence in my original version. I don’t hesitate in the mutual benevolent attitude of the overwhelming
majority of Armenian and Kurdish peoples; I consider that Armenians, who gathered at the “liturgy” on
Aghtamar island, should ensure their own safety.
/Times.am/

Edited September 17, 2010 by Arpa

Arpa · October 10, 2010

Kurds, Armenians, Raffi and Jhad

We often talk about books that some people call "holy". Armenians don't have, have not written a book that can be called holy.
Are you sure?
What about Raffi's Khent?
Everything we need to know about what is good for us, or rather what is bad for us is there. Just as most of Raffi's works Khent is not a fictitious novel, it is a docudrama as if it were news reportage. Raffi is a prophet and he should be declared a saint.
No one has written so extensivley and in such depth about Kurds and Armenians as he, and what he said 122 (1881)years ago still rings the truth.

http://www.reporter.am/images/StandardImage/Raffi-(Hakob-Melik-Hakobian.jpg

Look who else is calling him prophet.

http://www.reporter.am/index.cfm?objectid=7A5DF770-D3C9-11DF-9B8F0003FF3452C2

Hike Oganessian reviews newly released "Raffi: The Prophet from Payajuk" by Murad Meneshian.

Murad Meneshian tells story of Raffi, 19th century writer
by Hike Oganessian
Published: Saturday October 09, 2010
Northridge, Calif. - With shots fired and gun in hand, Raffi defends himself, as he watches the intruders run.
With a vision, and pen in hand, Raffi defends his Nation, as he attacks the enemies of enlightenment.
Right from the beginning, the defense of his Nation begins. In his early childhood school days, we begin to understand how the path of Raffi's life unfolds. As his instructor was mercilessly slapping a fellow student, the instructor was shocked as Raffi shouted and tried to stop him.
Why do you interfere, when I'm not beating you?' asked his instructor. Raffi immediately let his instructor know that one day the instructor would beat others as well as Raffi himself.
This I believe is the essence of Raffi's character and his sacred calling.
Murad Menesian's book takes us through Raffi's travels to the three Armenian communities of Persia, the Caucasus and Western Armenia. Although we sense an intertwining connection of the three communities, we also get a window view of each community.
Traveling to Western Armenia, we find out the reason why Raffi traveled as a pilgrim, and what he observed while traveling with a caravan along the lengths of Lake Van and heading for Bitlis. When he took a side trip to Arakelots Monastery near Mush, we learn how he found the obscure gravestones of Movses Khorenastsi and other past leaders.
We get to know why Raffi believed it was urgent to open schools for girls, and how it would play a part in what he thought was the single most important factor for the advancement and political emancipation of his people.
In Persia, a religious decree is issued to kill Raffi. How did the government get involved and save Raffi from the enraged mob, Meneshian's book will reveal this.
In the Caucasus, the Russian government takes action after suspecting Raffi and others of participating in secret Armenian organizations.
History and the development of the cultural and liberation movements are strong companions to this biography. We learn of the many leaders and revolutionary thinkers such as Abovian, Nalbandian and Nazariants; the Mkhitarists of Venice are covered.
Surprisingly, Raffi discovers the forgotten history of the Meliks of Gharabagh. During Raffi's travels to Gharabagh, along the Tartar River, at a home near the Gandzasar Monastery, Raffi finds an old manuscript of the Princedom's Meliks and their negotiations with Russian Tsar Peter The Great, to fight the Persians.
Raffi showed spiritual strength as he stood up against violence, ignorance and evil.
There was the Devil woman' with cigarette in hand, who is suspected of being the cause of the parting between his close companion Grigor Artsuni.
The warnings of Raffi are relevant today.
The wealth that Raffi left behind was the spirit of his truths.
He was a man of the people.
Murad Meneshian's new biography titled 'Raffi The Prophet from Payajuk',
Glenview Il 2010, hard cover, 360 pages, $29.95 and can be ordered from:
Murad Meneshian
1612 Executive Ln
Glenview Il 60026
847 729-9546
Govdoon@yahoo.com

Edited October 10, 2010 by Arpa

Arpa · January 26, 2011

Look who else is calling him Prophet. I wonder if Murad got the idea from you-know-who!!

-------

The California Courier Online Edition, November 4, 2010

Raffi: The Prophet from Payajuk, Introduces One Of Armenia's Greatest Writers to English-Speakers 'Raffi: The Prophet From Payajuk' By Murad A. Meneshian Glenview, Ill., 2010: 360 pp.: $39.95, hardcover Murad Meneshian's new biography, Raffi: The Prophet from Payajuk, introduces one of Armenia's greatest writers to the English-speaking world. Meneshian's diligent research is presented in a simple and accessible language. His discussions often branch out into interesting historical discursions. The information contained in this volume speaks to the extensive and commendable amount of research he has done. Through this book one not only becomes familiar with the life of one of the greatest Armenian literary figures, Raffi, born Hagop Melik-Hagopian (1835-88), but also his contemporaries, and the cultural and political movements sweeping through the area at the time. Here we encounter Khachatur Abovian, Taghiadiants, Mikayel Nalbandian, Shirvanzade, and many others. We come to know of Sara, the girl Raffi-or Hakob, as he is referred throughout the book-had loved in his youth, the girl who had been forced to marry the son of a rich man while Raffi was away pursuing his education, and who had taken poison and died just before her wedding ceremony. This, naturally, deeply affected Raffi, and he wrote the poem "Sara" in her memory. "Years later when Raffi wrote Kaytser, he included in the novel many of the incidents and his ideas described in Sara. Hakob described the village life with its traditions and customs, prejudices and superstitions, persecutions and exploitations, wretchedness and servility, degradation of women, religious intolerance, fraudulent practices, love, illiteracy, ignorance, and backwardness... The poem is a metaphoric compilation of the ugliness that Hakob saw and abhorred, such as the oppressive social customs of forcing a young girl to marry someone she did not love, and the illogically cruel and ruthless religious practice of the Church's refusal to bury a suicide victim in the cemetery. These themes of dehumanizing customs also appeared in the novel khente (The Fool)," writes Meneshian. Soon after Kaytser, its sequel Khachagoghi Hishatakarane was released. These were of an entirely new genre of books in the Armenian literary tradition, ones that focused on corruption and injustice in society. "Raffi remains the first and the only person who undertook this new form," writes Meneshian. Following the publication of Khachagoghi Hishatakarane, Raffi received criticism from community and church leaders, and especially venomous attacks from "conservative and regressive groups." One such "enemy ," Haykuni, wrote "a vitriolic critique of Kaytser... [which] compared the heroes of the novel to the three assassins of Tsar Alexander II. The malicious attack was nothing more than a vicious act to have Raffi arrested by the Russian authorities," writes Meneshian. Raffi was accused of destroying traditional family values and for presenting Armenians as corrupt. Similarly, his work was translated into Farsi and presented to local government and religious authorities. "They accused me of being a political criminal against the government and a blasphemer of the Muslim religion. The religious leader issued a decree to kill me... Atrpatakan Governor Sahab Divan examined the accusations and found them to be the plot of a few Armenians, nothing else," wrote Raffi in an article. After hiding Raffi for a week in his own house, the governor provided him with bodyguards to leave Persia. Attacks, arrests, and investigations didn't seem to break Raffi's spirit. Finding solace in knowing that a similar fate was suffered by literary figures before him, he wrote, "I am an insignificant writer of a small nation, but such persecutions have taken place among the largest nations and against great writers. France at one time exiled Victor Hugo, but now the French worship him. Prison, exile, and persecution were the fate of so many famous writers, and therein lay their glory." Raffi's novels, aside from making a case for the need for social reform, also aimed to spark people's desire to join the struggle for liberation. To achieve this, "Raffi considered it necessary to show the people that Armenians had a nation in not only the past but also just a few decades earlier," writes Meneshian. "He said, 'Search a nation's antiquities and in a single night its dormant soul will awaken.'" And so his historical novels were written with this in mind. Raffi encountered much opposition, hatred, and attacks. His financial situation was so pathetic that it was rumored he did not even possess a clean white shirt to be buried in. After his death, as news of his passing reached the ears of linguist, poet, and friend Rafayel Patkanian (Gamar Katipa) who was in Nakhitchevan, Patkanian wrote: "Oh, ungrateful Armenian community, sons of dogs! Eulogies? Oh, you suckers of dog's milk! Hypocrites! You deprived him of a white shirt when he was alive, and now that he is dead, you prepare to bury him with fanfare and with the high clergy's participation. Oh, you wise brother, this is the fate of Armenian writers and activists-a poor soul with a piece of dry bread and a dirty shirt." The volume includes annotations, an appendix, bibliography, and index. It is comprised of 22 chapters, moving chronologically from Raffi's childhood to his death, with the last chapter, "Raffi Remembered," being a compilation of writings, mentions, and praises of Raffi by such national giants as Hovhannes Toumanian, Simon Vratsian, and Daniel Varoujan.

Arpa · January 26, 2011

- Armenian Weekly - http://www.armenianweekly.com -

Book Review: ‘Raffi: The Prophet from Payjuk’

Reviewed by Rev. Barkev N. Darakjian

Years ago when my friend Murad Meneshian informed me that he planned to write Raffi’s biography, my immediate thought was not to encourage him, realizing his professional responsibilities and the financial requirements to publish a book. When I did not hear from him for a long time, I assumed that he had abandoned his project. I was pleasantly surprised when I received a copy of this great book about Raffi. It seems that the will of a researcher, and especially the intense curiosity and love for Raffi, had driven Meneshian to undertake this very difficult but grateful task. It appears that Meneshian has intended to familiarize the English-speaking generation with Raffi and his timeless messages. Undoubtedly Raffi’s soul rejoices now, realizing that the English-speaking generation will hear his prophetic messages.

Raffi was a true prophet. I don’t know whether Meneshian is aware that two other writers have called Raffi a prophet. Nigol Aghbalian in his Kragan/knnatadagan yerker (1950) wrote: “Raffi has a prophetic talent,” and referred to Kamar Katipa’s (Rafayel Batganian) letter to Raffi wherein Batganian had written: “You are a prophet.”

What and who is a prophet? I want to explain this word in a few lines because to most of us a prophet is someone who has the talent to predict the future. This is only partially true. In the Old Testament we come across prophets who were the people’s spiritual and political leaders. They received messages from God and transmitted them to the people, sometimes peacefully and at other times with holy and just fury. Inspired by God’s spirit, they resolved international issues concerning their people’s present and future. The prophets, in the name of God, scolded kings, religious leaders, and exploitative landlords. They were effective spokesmen for God’s justice, compassion, and love. Thus, it is unlikely for readers of Raffi’s works and biography not to realize that Raffi is a true prophet. After saying all this, I ask for forgiveness if I go further and call Raffi an apostle, in the sense that he was sent to his people with a special mission, someone who felt the weight of his mission and placed his life in danger for implementing his mission, the purpose of which was national enlightenment and liberation.

Meneshian’s book dedicated to Raffi’s life and work contains approximately 350 pages and is presented to us with 28 headings. It has a rich bibliography with nearly 80 works by Armenian and non-Armenian authors and the names of several newspapers, which have provided 500 reference notes. A biography is a genre that has its distinct style. Meneshian comes through as a successful writer in this field. Raffi is presented to us at first as Hakob Melik Hakobian, born in 1835 in Payajuk village of Salmast in Persia. Due to unfortunate financial reasons, Hakob was deprived of a higher education. His innate intelligence and hard work helped him to become an erudite author. Under difficult conditions, Raffi became the foremost Armenian historical novelist. At the same time, he became one of the developers of the Eastern Armenian ashkharhapar (modern) literary language, following Khachadur Abovian’s footsteps.

The reader soon becomes familiar with the political conditions in 19th-century Eastern Armenia, along with the dismal ignorance the wretchedness of the Armenian people and their uncertain future. Raffi became a true advocate for the necessity to embrace European liberation thoughts as also promoted by Grigor Artsruni, Mikayel Nalbandian, Stepanos Nazarian, Shirvanzade, Mesrop Taghiadian, and other contemporary intellectuals, who advocated national enlightenment and liberation. The clergy did not look favorably upon the intelligentsia’s drive for liberation and disparaged them with such epithets as prod (protestant).

Meneshian genuinely and realistically presents a vivid picture of Raffi’s tormented and restless emotional condition. Throughout the book, the reader learns about Raffi’s contentious and impassioned expressions during his encounter swith people. Grigor Artsruni, the publisher and editor of Mshak, invited Raffi to work with him and write new literary works for the paper. It was in this paper that Hakob Melik Hakobian adopted his penname Raffi. Although Raffi appreciated Ardzruni as an exceptionally intelligent and gifted writer, he was unable to work with him. For the next three years, Raffi taught in several schools in Tavriz and Agulis. Because of disagreements with a segment of the community, he was forced to leave his teaching positions. To be fair, Raffi was a kind-hearted and modest person. He did not hesitate to ask for forgiveness from those whom he had hurt unintentionally.

Raffi had more enemies than admirers. Surprisingly, these internal and external tempests and tribulations spurred him to write increasingly interesting and inspiring works, among which is Samvel, considered his masterpiece according to literary figures. Many of Raffi’s works have been translated into Russian and European languages. Raffi’s characters have been teachers through whom he revived the Armenian national, familial, and religious issues of his times.

Meneshian has assigned a chapter on nationality and religion, where Raffi cautions his readers not to confuse one with the other, and that to be Armenian does not necessitate being Christian. Raffi brings the example of pagan Armenia and Armenianism and points out that the people were Armenians despite being pagan. To transfer this issue to the present, Raffi cautions the parishioners of the Mother Church not to label as non-Armenian or lesser Armenians the Catholic and Evangelical Armenians. In Raffi’s words, one can be even a Muslim and still be Armenian. Whereas religion is a matter of conscience and conviction, ethnicity is a matter of national heritage and family background. A person becomes contemptible when he denies his national origin. After that, the individual must decide whether to be a Christian believer or a non-believer. Our nationality must be what unites us and not our religious beliefs. This is an example that shows Raffi’s liberalism and realism. Right or wrong, for him, foremost are the nation and nationality.

In Raffi’s works, we distinguish the true Armenian from the false, circumstantial, or opportunist Armenian. It is impossible to read Raffi’s works without developing stronger Armenian values. It is hard to follow Raffi’s life and works without admiring his talent, patriotism, and moral principles. This year is the 175th anniversary of the birth of this great man, great Armenian, and great writer. He is worthy of our admiration. It is worthwhile to commemorate nationally the anniversary of Raffi’s birth. Raffi passed away on April 25, 1888 at the age of 53 in Tiflis (Georgia) when, in his own words, he was tired, despite his relatively young age. His funeral was pompous and majestic; he was buried at the Armenian Khojivank cemetery.

In the last chapter, Meneshian has included excerpts from the laudatory articles written by many contemporary and most renowned Armenian writers and Raffi’s acquaintances. Besides listing all of Raffi’s works and their publication dates, Meneshian has included a list of all the translated works in Russian, Georgian, German, French, Polish, English, and Spanish. As mentioned above, a great effort has been made to show the appreciation of Raffi’s contemporary writers for this great man, great prophet, great apostle, and great novelist of our nation of all times. Without any doubt, readers of Raffi’s works will remember his name with admiration and gratitude.

Congratulations to Murad Meneshian for his conscientious efforts, which has given us this very interesting and rich biography that once more glorifies, in the pantheon of immortal writers, Raffi—Hakob Melik Hakobian.

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Note; Rev. Darakjian was the pastor at Murad’s church in Chicago before moving to California.

Arpa · January 12, 2012

Thank you Yervant for your kind indulgence and prompt response merging the both topics.

There will be more little known facts about Raffi.

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I thought I was the first to call Raffi a Prophet.

In a way I was. See #1 above., as at time I had not heard anyone else call him so.

That is until I saw the book “RAFFI, the Prophet from Payajuk” by Murad Meneshian., where we see that over a hundred years ago his friends, soul mates and admirers , the likes of Patkanian, Nalbandian, Shirvanzade, even Khrimian Hayrik had already labeled him a “PROPHET”.

Seems like me and Murad have similar points of view and thought. There may be a “method(reason) to the madness“.

A magnificent photo;

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Raffi_%28poet%29.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raffi_(novelist)

Hakob Melik Hakobian (Armenian: Յակոբ Մելիք-Յակոբեան), better known by his pen name Raffi (Armenian: Րաֆֆի), is a renowned Armenian author born in 1835 in Payajouk, an Armenian village situated in the Salmas province (presently in the north of Iran, near Urmia Lake) in Persia. He died in 1888 in Tiflis (present-day Tbilisi). Raffi is a prominent figure of Armenian literature….

See also this. Thank you Ashot.

http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showforum=87

As much as Raffi was admired by his peers and adored by his readers, he was also severely persecuted, censored and boycotted by the powers to be of the time, be they religious or secular, so much so that he died in abject poverty at the “ripe old age” of 53. Some of our fiends here are already as old , if not older.** See highlight below.

http://www.armenianweekly.com/2010/10/29/book-of-the-week-%E2%80%98raffi-the-prophet-from-payajuk%E2%80%99/

Raffi encountered much opposition, hatred, and attacks. His financial situation was so pathetic that it was rumored he did not even possess a clean white shirt to be buried in. After his death, as news of his passing reached the ears of linguist, poet, and friend Rafayel Patkanian (Gamar Katipa) who was in Nakhitchevan, Patkanian wrote: “Oh, ungrateful Armenian community, sons of dogs! Eulogies? Oh, you suckers of dog’s milk! Hypocrites! You deprived him of a white shirt when he was alive, and now that he is dead, you prepare to bury him with fanfare and with the high clergy’s participation. Oh, you wise brother, this is the fate of Armenian writers and activists—a poor soul with a piece of dry bread and a dirty shirt.”

Speaking of prophets, see what Jesus said;

Matt.13-[57] … But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
Իսկ Յիսուս նրանց ասաց. «Չկայ անարգուած մարգարէ, բայց ﬕայն՝ իր գաւառում և իր տանը»:
Եւ Յիսուս ասէ ցնոսա. չիք մարգարէ անարդ՝ եթէ ոչ յիւրում գաւառի՝ եւ յիւրում տան:

**See our friend Louise at the youthful age of 87.

Edited January 12, 2012 by Arpa

Arpa · January 12, 2012

We will see more.

Raffi had traveled extensively, both in his native region of Salmast/Payajuk as well faraway, among which Western Armenia, Vaspourakan and Van.Everywhere he went he conversed with the intellects as well as the peasant farmer trying to instill in them the need for awakening and a "revolution", be it against the ignorant ecclesia or the oppressive overlords, turks, Kurds and others.

He wrote about Aghthamar and the Lake Van...

1. The Lake of Van (1)

2. Thou and I

3. The Lake of Van (2)

ՁԱՅՆ ՏՈՒՐ, ՈՎ ԾՈՎԱԿ...

Րաֆֆի

1835-1888

Ամեն տեղ տիրած խորին լռություն.

Կարծես թե մեռած լինի բնություն:

Նստած սգավոր, պանդուխտ միայնակ,

Ո՜հ, քե´զ եմ տեսնում, ով փայլուն լուսնյակ:

Աշխարհի սկզբից դու մինչ ի վախճան,

Երկնակամարով առնում ես շրջան.

Ո՜հ, դու տեսե՞լ ես հայ ազգ բարեփառ,

Արդյոք տեսնում ես նորա ցավ անճար:

Արդյոք դո՞ւ ևս խղճալուս նման,

Տեսած Հայաստան ժանտ ոտքի կոխան,

Թափում ես աչքից աղի կաթիլներ,

Եւ սրտիդ միջում ցցվում են նետեր:

Քա´ր է քո սիրտը, և խիղճըդ մեռած,

Քանի՞ արյուններ, քանի՞ կոտորած

Տեսար, լռեցիր և դարձյալ պայծառ,

Հայ երկրի վերա կապում ես կամար:

__

Ձա´յն տուր, ով ծովակ, ինչո՞ւ լռում ես,

Ողբակից լինել չկամի՞ս դժբախտիս:

Շարժեցե´ք, զեփյուռք, ալիքը վետ-վետ.

Խառնեք արտասուքս այս ջրերիս հետ:

Հայաստանի մեջ անցքերին վկա,

Սկզբից մինչ այժմ, խնդրեմ ինձ ասա´.

Մի՞թե միշտ այսպես կըմնա Հայաստան

Փըշալից անապատ, երբեմն բուրաստան:

Մի՞թե միշտ այդպես ազգը խղճալի,

Կըլինի ծառա օտար իշխանի,

Մի՞թե Աստուծո աթոռի մոտին

Անարժան է հայն և հայի որդին:

Արդյո´ք գալու է մի օր, ժամանակ,

Տեսնել Մասիսի գլխին մի դրոշակ,

Եվ ամեն կողմից պանդուխտ հայ ազգիք,

Դիմել դեպ յուրյանց սիրուն հայրենիք:

Դժվա´ր այդ. միայն, Տեսուչըդ վերին,

կենդանացրու հայության ոգին,

Ծագի´ր նոցա դու քո լույս գիտության,

Որով իբր էակ նոքա բանական,

Կճանչեն մարդուս կյանքի խորհուրդը,

Կըլինեն գործովք տիրոջ փառաբան:

__

Հանկա´րծ ծովակի երեսին մի լույս.

Ջրից դուրս եկավ նազելի մի կույս,

Մի ձեռնում ուներ նա վառած լապտեր,

Իսկ մյուսում՝ քընար փայլուն փըղոսկեր:

Արդյոք հուրի՞ էր, հրեշտակ աննշան,-

Ո՞չ, հայ մուզաների տիպ համանման:

- Հայոց ճակատագիրը կարդա´, ով մուզա,

Ներկա և գալոց գուշակիր, ասա´:

(Ասաց երկնային այն ոգի քաղցրիկ):

- Ավետիք տամ քե´զ, նժդեհ պատանի.

Սրբի´ր աչքերից արտասուքդ աղի:

Կըգան նոր օրեր, օրեր երջանիկ,-

Երբ Տիրոջ կամքը, ազատ ու արդար

Կը թագավորե – կրկին ոսկեդար:

- Հայոց մուզայքը կզարթնուն կրկին.

Հայոց պառնասը կը ծաղկի վերստին,

Եվ Ապողոնյան կառքը լուսարար,

Կըբոլորե Հայոց թուխ երկնակամար:

-Մենք ևս քո պես, - երբ խորին գիշեր

Պատեց Հայաստան, - սգավոր օրեր

Շատ ենք անցուցել. այժմ սիրելի,

Մենք ևս Հաշտության ստացանք ձիթենի:

Սիրեցե´ք քնարի լարերը ժանգոտ.

Ելե´ք Հայաստան երգով եռանդոտ,

Զարթեցրեք Հայոց աշխույժը մեռած,

Լցվեցավ կամքը, հասավ ժամանակ,

Օրը կըբացվի, - ահա´ Արուսյակ

Ձեզ հայտնի նշան, ասում է Աստված:

Կրկին մթնացավ: Չքացավ պատկերը:

Երկար ժամանակ դյութական ձայնը

Լըսվում էր խառն ալիքների հետ,

Օդին տիրել էր բուրումն հոտավետ:

Ախորժելի՜ լուր, ավետիք քաղցրիկ,

Որպեսզի՜ հըրճվանք. մուզայդ գեղեցիկ,

Ասա մեզ, մեկնիր, արդյոք հնարի՞ն

Մի մեռած մարմնի զարթնող վերստին...

---

See translations by Alice Stone Blackwell.**

1. THE LAKE OF VAN (1)

SPEAK, O lake ! why are thy waters silent ?

Wilt thou not lament with luckless me ?

Move, ye zephyrs, move the rippling wavelets

With this lake my tears shall mingled be.

Tell me, lake, — for thou hast been a witness

Of our history from the earliest day, —

Shall Armenia, that was once a garden,

Always be a thorny desert gray ?

Shall our hapless fatherland forever

By a foreign master be down-trod ?

Are the Armenians and their sons unworthy,

Judged before the righteous throne of God ?

Is a glad day coming, when a banner

Shall on Ararat its folds expand,

And from every side Armenian pilgrims

Hasten to their beauteous fatherland ?

2. THOU AND I

WOULD I were the lake, so blue and calm,

And thou, fair maiden, with reluctant pride,

Wouldst see thy picture, delicate and faint,

Thy sacred image, in my depths abide.

Or would that on the shore a willow grew,

And thou mightst lean on it, and the frail tree

Might let thee fall into the lake, and there

Sway with its waters everlastingly !

I would I were the forest, dark and vast,

And that thou there mightst come to muse alone,

And, ere I knew it, I might overhear

What thy lips murmur in an undertone.

Or would that thou mightst sit beneath a tree,

Singing a pure, sweet song; and leaf and bough,

With admiration trembling, would descend

And form a coronal to wreathe thy brow.

I would I were the face of the dark sky,

That so from heaven I might shake down on thee

A multitude of stars, as ’t were my tears;

Ah, do not tread upon them scornfully!

Would I the writer were, and thou the theme !

Would thou affection wert, and I the heart!

I the bouquet, and thou its silken string;

When thou art loosed, the flowers will fall apart.

Oh, would I were a lover of sweet song,

And thou my lyre, angel for whom I pine !

And that thy chords beneath my unskilled hands

Might vibrate till thy heart responds to mine !

3. THE LAKE OF VAN (2)

DEEP silence everywhere—a hush profound!

One might imagine nature to be dead.

Sitting here mournfully, a pilgrim lone,

O brilliant moon, I see thee overhead.

Since the beginning of the world and time,

Moon, thou hast run thy course. Oh, hast thou seen

The poor Armenians, once so fortunate,

And dost thou now behold their sufferings keen?

I wonder if thou too, like me, O moon,

Seeing Armenia ’neath barbarian feet,

Dost shed salt tears of grief and bitterness,

And in thy heart do piercing arrows meet?

Thy heart is like a rock, thy conscience dead.

How many massacres have met thine eye,

How many a carnage! yet thou buildest now

Again a bright arch o’er Armenia’s sky.

Wherefore this silence?

Speak to me, O lake!

Wilt thou not weep with me, whose heart is rent?

O breezes, stir the waves to billows high,

And with these waters let my tears be blent!

From the beginning all things thou hast seen

That in Armenia happened. Tell us, pray,

Whether Armenia, once a garden fair,

Shall always be a thorny desert gray?

Oh, can it be, our nation, full of woe,

Shall ’neath a foreign prince’s sway lie prone?

Oh, can it be, the Armenians and their sons

Are found unworthy before God’s high throne?

Will a day come when from Mt. Ararat

A banner shall be seen, by breezes fanned,

And when Armenian pilgrims everywhere

Shall start for their beloved fatherland?

’Tis hard, O Heavenly Ruler! but inspire

Their souls, and let Thy light of knowledge flame

O’er them, to show them what is human life—

They by their works shall glorify Thy name!

Upon the lake there shone a sudden light;

A graceful maid rose from the waters there;

A lighted lantern in one hand she bore,

In one a shining lyre of ivory fair.

Was she some nymph, some peerless angel? Nay,

A matchless fair Armenian Muse was she.

Muse, read the fate of the Armenians!

The present and the future tell to me!

That sweet celestial spirit spoke: “Good news

I bring to thee, young pilgrim! Dry thine eyes.

New, happy days shall come; when reigns God’s will

Freely, the Golden Age again shall rise.

“Armenia’s Muses will awake again,

And her Parnassus blossom gloriously;

The car of Phoebus, shedding light abroad,

Shall circle round Armenia’s gloomy sky.

“We too, like thee, passed many mournful days,

When a dark night, that seemed it ne’er would cease,

Enwrapped Armenia; and we too, dear youth,

Have now received the olive branch of peace.

“Wipe thy lyre’s rusted strings with joy to-day,

Go to Armenia with an ardent song!

Awake the zeal of the Armenians,

Their zeal benumbed in lethargy so long.

“The time has come, the time so long desired;

Fulfilled is now the old prophetic word;

The day will dawn; behold the morning star,

A sign made visible—thus saith the Lord!”

Then darkness fell, the figure disappeared;

But long was heard the voice of sweetness rare,

Mixed with the murmur of the lapping waves,

And aromatic fragrance filled the air.

O happy news! O tidings glad and sweet!

What joy, fair Muse, for sad and sorrowing men!

Tell us, reveal if it be possible

For a dead corpse to wake and live again!

** Alice Stone Blackwell. Aside of incidental I knew very little about her. Perhaps a whole thread about her.? We can see her in the Hanragitaran vol 2 ,pg 453 as “Բլեքուել”.

Below we see that she collaborated with a certain Ohannes Chatschumian. I have no idea who he is or how his surname was spelled.

http://armenianhouse.org/blackwell/biography-en.html

Edited January 12, 2012 by Arpa

ED · January 14, 2012

Thank you Arpa.......hima kuzem pcher zurnen

Arpa · January 14, 2012

HAKHVERAN

ՀԱԽՎԵՐԱՆ

Where is Nairi Hakhvedi-ian?

Both “hakhveran” and “hakhverdi” are from the Arabic حق pr. HAQ/like hock/huck to mean right, title, justice, which in the Armenian where we don’t have the sound of the Arabic Q it turns to Խ/KH. So in the Arabo-Perso-furkish “hakhveran” would mean “giver of justice” i.e judge and “hakhverdi”- (he) “gave justice”.

I am getting ahead of myself.

We will get back to a certain region known as “Armenistan”.**

In that book by Murad Meneshian we read about his near and far travels .

In the chapter TRAVELS AROUND SALMAST pg 83

He stops at the village Hakhveran and speaks to the farmer “Hasso”? He does not reveal his name (Hasso) until later in a poem.

In the preface of the Book Murad acknowledges his soul mate, lover and wife Knarik, a writer and poet in her own right, as the proof reader and the translator of the poems. I wish I could find the original Armenian version as written by Raffi.

The old farmer sings;

Move plow forward my strong oxen!

Yours is the field , we have not plowed completely.

The rain will fall and the fields turn green.

Get along, too many are my worries.

The Kurd took away my previous harvest

And did not leave any feed, barley, straw, or wheat for me.

It will be fall soon and then the winter, with snow,

And famine will come to unfortunate Hakhveran.

So pull, let us go ahead with the tilling.

The Lord alone is the guardian of my fields.

In the evening , I will release and fed you,

So plow, I am a sacrifice to your legs.

Le, le, le, le lo, lo,lo,lo .

** Armenistan. See # 13 here.

http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=7085&st=0

Let's play a game.
Click on the map below, enlarge the regions labeled Igdir, Kars and Artahan and tell us. Would you name your son Aghri instead of Masis, or your daughter Ojakli instead of Ani since those are the official Turkish names of those sacred landmarks now. Also note that the Turkish name for Hayastan is Ermenistan, shall we sing "Ermenistan yerkir drakhtavayr"! or "Yes im anush Ermenistani arevaham barn em siroum"?

Based on the above Raffi wrote the following poem -

Hasso’s Song.

Behold, the red sun has risen,

Hot and bright is the day,

Pull!! You beautiful oxen,

Move the plow forward!

Let us till the land and make furrows,

Deep furrows in the field,

Let us sow the seeds, so that we will reap,

Then pile the wheat on the threshing ground.

Winter will come- we have no fear,

Our days will be happy,

We have plenty of provisions,

Our stomachs are full and sated.

Let not our neighbors say,

“Hasso’s oxen are lazy”.

Pull!! You beautiful oxen,

Let us hurry and plow the fields.

Did Komitas know the above poems when he composed these?

In the Bakounts novella

ՀԵՐՈՍ ՆՈՔԱՐԸ we see this;

Եվ ոգևորված շարունակում էր.
— Բիլեթը դնեմ ծոցս, գնամ էն Սիմոն բիձի կտրին կանգնեմ, մի բերան ասեմ նաինսաֆ հարամզադա, հախվերան էիր հա՞, մի տես ո՞վ է դեմդ...Էդքանն ասեի, աշխարհքի հարստության վրա չէի թքիլ..

.

Was Hakhveran a person with that name, or is it just a description of a judge?

See #2 here as per Sayat Nova.

http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=25153&pid=281801&st=0entry281801

Վու՞նց դիմանամ էսչափ չարին՝
Աչկեմես կաթում է արին.
Սայաթ-Նովա, նազլու յարին՝
Գընած նոքարի17 նման իս

:

Arpa · January 31, 2012

RAFFI THE HERETIC?

Was Ghazaros Aghayan an heretic as well? See Eddie’s article below.

See Komitas here;

http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=18401&st=0&p=245113&hl=heretic&fromsearch=1entry245113

Note that the word “heretic” begins with the same letters as in “hero/heros”.

-Knock, knok!

-Who’s there?

-Heretikos.

-Hereticos who?

-Raffi!

http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=38917&pid=288272&st=0entry288272

Judging from available portraits one would get the impression was a robust 10 foot tall male giant . Turns out he was rather short and small , regardless a giant in his own right.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Raffi_%28poet%29.jpg

Because of his criticism of the prevailing hierarchical prejudice and the poor state of EDUCATION he was labeled as a “prod” to mean “protestant/catholic”. Just because he tried so hard, against all odds to establishe a school for girls. An anathema? Of course we know what “prot/porot/borot” means as in “borot/leper”.

To see what kind of a “prod” he was.

After long journeys in the north and west, when he came back to his birthplace, he found out that his long time sweetheart Sara/Salpi had, against her vehement protestations been married away., Eventually he became infatuated with one of his students, Anna , the daughter of a certain “missionary” , who some erroneously call Assyrian., he was Armenian We will see what Anna Raffi says about it.

Raffi was an heretic, just as his soul mates listed here by Eddie Aranavoudian. Thank you Eddie.

Aghayan was not alone in the battle that sought to place science, reason and a secular definition of nationality at the centre of modern Armenian development. Here he joined Nazaryants of course, but also Nalpantian, Raffi and Ardzrouni, among others. But in contrast to may of his contemporaries and allies, his own contribution was in addition marked by a broader and emphasised social consideration, by an ambition to transform and improve the conditions of the common people whose plight features in his second novel `Two Sisters'

See the rest here;

http://groong.usc.edu/tcc/tcc-20120123.html

Next we will see the origin of his penname Raffi.

Arpa · January 31, 2012

ՐԱՖՖԻ

The penname.

An anomaly? We know that very few Armenian words and names begin with the soft letter Ր. Would his name be spelled as ՌԱՖՖԻ? Maybe not, since the word is from foreign/Arabic. Just like names like Robert/Րոբերտ. Oddly enough that Gamar Katibas’s name is spelled as Ռափայել with the hard R, since in Latin it is Raphael.

We know that his given name was Hakob Melik Hakobian, yet he has signed many of his works by many pseudonyms among which “melikzadeh/king born”.

Where did his best and only known penname RAFFI come from? From Perso-Arabic?

արաբ. Rafi անունից, որ նշանակում է “վսեմ”, “ականավոր”: Հայ մեծ վիպասանի գրական անունն է, որ դարձել է անձնանուն և տարածվել ժողովրդի մեջ:
RAFFI
From Arabian name Rafi "proud", "outstanding". It was the nickname of great Arm novelist.
In addition to the below “rafi’” also means “reffined/pure/thin” in Arabic.
رفیع high adj (quality) رفيع
Elevated/exalted
رفیق RAFIQ either friend or gentle in Arabic.
Companion/friend/comrade

See the name of the assassinated PM of Lebanon Rafiq Hariri. : رفيق بهاء الدين الحريري‎

And where does the “melik” come from?

Once again, from Arabic “melik/malek/king”

See his docudrama Խամսայի Մելիքութիւնները The Fifth Kingdoms. Referring to Artsakh.

http://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D4%BD%D5%A1%D5%B4%D5%BD%D5%A1%D5%B5%D5%AB_%D5%B4%D5%A5%D5%AC%D5%AB%D6%84%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%A9%D5%B5%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%B6%D5%B6%D5%A5%D6%80

Խամսայի մելիքությունները («Խամսայի երկիր», արաբ.՝ «խամսա» նշանակում է «հնգյակ»). Արցախ-Խաչենի իշխանատոհմերի ստեղծած զինական դաշնակցության անդամ հինգ հայկական իշխանությունների ընդհանուր անվանումն է, որոնց տիրույթները մոտավորապես համընկնում են ներկայիս Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի Հանրապետության տարածքի (ներառյալ Արցախի և Սյունիքի ազատագրված տարածքները) հետ։ Արցախի մելիքական տոհմերը անմիջական ժառանգներն ու հետնորդներն էին ուշ-միջնադարի Արցախի ֆեոդալ արքաների և իշխանների, որոնց օտար տիրապետողները 15-րդ դարամիջում ճանաչել էին որպես մելիքներ, նրանց տիրույթները՝ մելիքություններ։[1] Խամսայի մելիքները հատկապես հզոր էին XVII դ. վերջին և XVIII դ. սկզբին, պատմական այդ շրջանում նրանք գլխավորել են հայ ազգային ազատագրական շարժումը՝

Here we see the opening sentences of the Lord’s Prayer in Arabic where we see “l’ati malakutek/Thy Kingdom come/ Եկեսցէ Արքայութիւն քո” Եկեսցէ մէլիքութիւն քո?

أَبَانَا الذِي فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ،

لِيُقَدَّسَ اسْمُكَ.

لِيَأْتِ مَلَكُوتُكَ،

Edited January 31, 2012 by Arpa

Arpa · October 24, 2013

Who listens to our PROPHETS?

Remember when Raffi said “If we would only build one fortress for every ten churches”?

Below an article from yet another prophet, a voice in the wilderness.

It is curious that the writer’s name is Raffi as well..

When will we ever learn!!!

=====

Some quotes from here

http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=54401

Yervant=If only they would contribute half the amount of the cost of these churches as grants to scientists in the homeland, so that they won't leave the country. Just imagine the amount of new discoveries they would come up with, just imagine!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Armenak=Don't know about Timbuktu but I'm sure they'll construct one in Kamchatka soon enough. I agree, Arpa. I believe the largest Armenian cathedral in the Russian empire was the one in Baku…until it was demolished by the Soviet government, that is. And let's not forget the appropriation of Armenian churches by the Georgian Orthodox Church, which still goes on today. When the shit hits the fan, these structures which are meant to demonstrate wealth and power (are we supposed to believe it's piety?) are rendered meaningless. Yet our people continue to build them, bigger and bigger, from Krasnodar to Krasnoyarsk

====

http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2013-10-23-the-armenian-obsession-with-churches

The Armenian obsession with churches

by Raffi Bedrosyan

Published: Wednesday October 23, 2013

When someone visits Armenia for the first time, the tour itinerary invariably includes a multitude of churches and monasteries. Modern Armenia is the land of churches.

Historic Armenia in Anatolia was also a land of churches, with nearly 4000 churches and monasteries. The Van Lake region alone had over 300 churches. The ancient City of Ani, dubbed the City of 1001 Churches, contained 40 churches.

We are proud of our churches, awed at their architectural beauty and intricate construction techniques, amazed at their settings perched on inaccessible mountaintops.

On the other hand, this obsession with churches, when combined with our tragic history, makes me wonder: ‘I wish we had fewer churches to visit and instead, many more victory monuments like Sardarabad. I wish our Armenian kings, princes, political leaders and wealthy notables in the past had spent less time, talent, resources and money on these churches and instead, more on fortifications and defense of our lands and territories'. When one delves more into the historic reasons why these churches are built, it becomes apparent that they are not necessarily built to meet the religious needs of the population, but rather to bring glory to the benefactor and perhaps to help him ‘ease into heaven'.

Throughout history, our religious leaders have conditioned the benefactors that there is no better way to serve God, Jesus Christ and its Armenian folk than to build another church. Therefore, regardless of political, economic or social realities and upheavals, Armenians have continued building churches in both historic and modern Armenia, as well as in all corners of the world, often times disregarding other needs and priorities. This has been the case in medieval Armenian kingdoms in historic Armenia, continuing in Cilicia and Eastern Anatolia up until 1915, then in Diaspora and now in modern Armenia.

The tradition continues today. When future generations look back into our present history of 22 year-old Armenia and Diaspora Armenians, they will see the challenges of establishing a new country from the ruins of the Soviet Empire, at the same time fighting the deadly Karabagh war, the closed borders and economic blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan, simultaneously dealing with the disastrous 1989 earthquake, and most critically, the continuing depopulation of Armenia due to lack of employment and investment opportunities. And yet, despite these monumental tasks, they will also see examples of vast church building activities both in Armenia and Diaspora.

In 1997, in the midst of urgent needs to reconstruct Armenia ravaged by the earthquake and Karabagh destroyed by war, Armenians did find the money to build the Saint Gregory Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan.

In 2001, Diaspora Armenians in Los Angeles did start the construction of a huge cathedral, while there was and is scarce money to keep Armenian schools open.

In 2011, an oligarch donated all the funds to build the St Hovhannes Cathedral in Abovyan, while the starving local population had almost emptied the town.

Just last month, wealthy Russian Armenians opened a vast new cathedral in Moscow.

The Echmiadzin Catholicosate has become a state within a state, a Vatican-like complex expanding continuously with new buildings.

The combined total expenditure on these large churches, as well as several other smaller church projects, easily exceeds $200 million.

These projects are not funded from revenue-generating sources or regular budgets, but instead, from one-time significant donations of benefactors, mostly from the Diaspora. They will not generate any revenues, either, but will create a continuing need for additional donations for upkeep and maintenance.

One wonders if these donations could be used for more worthwhile projects, such as helping Armenians remain in Armenia, or helping Armenians remain Armenian in the Diaspora. There seems to be a widely accepted belief that neither the government nor the church are in touch with the concerns and needs of the common people. During a recent private audience with the Catholicos, he was asked what the Church can do to keep our youth more interested in the Armenian church and attached closer to their Armenian roots. His curt response was that ‘this should be done at home and at school'.

The much anticipated Bishops Synod, assembled last month for the first time in 600 years, did not produce any tangible resolutions to address concerns of the common Armenian, be it in Armenia or the Diaspora. Most benefactors do not want or trust to invest in Armenia due to the fear that government corruption and bribes will make their investment useless and therefore, will not generate economic benefits for themselves nor help the Armenian population.

Unless the government takes concrete steps to change the valid perception that investments only end up in the hands of the governing oligarchs, there will not be much participation in the desperately needed economic growth of Armenia, which is essential to keep the Armenians from leaving Armenia. In the meantime, the church leaders just continue preaching the tried and true convincing argument that the most beneficial donation a benefactor can make for himself and his family is giving to the church.

Of course, there are truly worthwhile church building and restoration projects, with strategic and significant benefits for all Armenians. One example is the restoration of the Ghazantchetsots Church in Shushi, undertaken immediately after the Karabagh war. During the war, Azeris controlling Shushi had used this historic church as an arms depot and military centre, while continuously bombarding Stepanakert down below in the valley. Their reasoning was that Armenians would never attack and fire on their own church. When Armenian commandos victoriously entered Shushi in May 1992, they found the church in shambles, burnt, desecrated and full of human excrement. Today, it stands as a symbol of victory against all odds.

The other critical restoration project is the total reconstruction of the Diyarbakir/Dikranagerd Surp Giragos Church in Turkey in 2011, the first time an Armenian church was restored as an Armenian church in historic Armenia after being destroyed in 1915. This project is strategically significant for a number of reasons:

First, the restored church became concrete evidence against the denialist state version of history of the government of Turkey, demonstrating that there was a large Armenian presence in Anatolia before 1915.

Secondly, it immediately became a religious and cultural centre helping the Turkish and Kurdish population of Turkey understand the realities of 1915, through media events, conferences and concerts.

Thirdly, the foundation which restored the church started the process to reclaim the properties belonging to the church but confiscated after 1915, with several properties already secured through negotiations and courts, for the first time since 1915.

Fourth, the church became a living genocide memorial, attracting tens of thousands of Armenian visitors from Diaspora and Armenia annually, helping start a dialogue and better relationship with liberated Kurds and Turks who have faced the historical truths of 1915, and now demand their government to do so.

Last but not least, the most significant outcome of the restoration of this church, has been the emergence of the hidden Armenians. Islamicized Armenians have started ‘coming out', visiting and praying in the Church, getting baptized, participating in Armenian language courses, helping build an Armenian museum on the church grounds, contributing to the security and administration of the church, demanding acceptance of their real identity by the government, and so on. The church acts like a magnet for these people, with over one hundred people visiting daily on average, coming from all over Anatolia, not just Diyarbakir, trying to find their Armenian roots.

New initiatives underway to restore and reclaim other destroyed Armenian churches and monasteries in historic Armenia will help accelerate all these outcomes.

In conclusion, it is my sincere hope that future government and church leaders, as well as future benefactors, will decide more wisely on what projects to invest in, giving higher priority to the needs and wants of the Armenian people than their own.

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NB. As is the Armenian frontiers are monitored by Russians , and the biggest military base is Russian. Remember what happened in 1917 when the Russians ran away with tails between their legs, leaving the Armenian population to the “mercy” of the furks?

hagopn · January 29, 2014

Phew, you guys, there's really a lot of research still to be done on Kurdish-Armenian relations... somebody really needs to seriously specialize in it.

Maybe I can write a comprehensive article on it later because Koucharian and Hofmann's article is really insufficient, prejudiced, and very, VERY ahistoric.

Some quick remarks:

1) It is a cardinal sin in history to speak of 'THE Kurds', 'THE Turks' and 'THE Armenians', for 2 reasons:

a ) Eastern Anatolian society was/is strongly tribal and local, thus, as such, one needs to name tribes as actors, and regions as settings, as it is obvious that Bursa or Adapazari Armenians never suffered from Kurdish exactions. So we should be careful in generalizing since it doesn't add to our understanding of what happened.
b ) 'Ethnic thinking' didn't exist among 95% of the Kurdish population, and there were Kurds and there were Kurds. If you were an Armenian peasant, working for Kurdish tribe X in Bitlis, then you could've gotten killed by Kurdish tribe Y from Mush, and vice versa. The chieftain of your tribe X, who decides on life and death, would then take revenge on tribe Y by killing 'its' Armenians.

The pitfalls of such generalized thinking is that people start thinking of millions of people as abstractions, personified in chieftain X or Y. That is typical in modern ethnic nationalism: "Georgians are backstabbers," "Kurds are barbarians," "Turks are racists," "African-Americans are dumb," "Germans are hierarchic," "Arabs are lazy," etc. etc. I cannot underline this enough: this is all nonsense and bears no socio-historical truth whatsoever.

2) What happened in 1915 was an aberration in Kurdish society - and I'm not even mentioning the infinitely complex relation between Muslim Kurds, Jewish Kurds, Yezidi Kurds, and Alevi Kurds. All of a sudden, the government ordered chieftain X or Y to kill its OWN Armenians, a very costly operation for the tribes in question. Many tribes (such as the Narek tribe in Silvan, or the Bezik tribe in Malatya) refused, and urged their Armenians to convert to Islam and reconvert once the Ittihadist wind blew over. It didn't, and the Armenians were excised out of Eastern Anatolia (western historic Armenia, northern Kurdistan, whatever you wanna call it), thus destroying the very fabric of the Kurdish economy. One reason why Turkey can't join the EU is because it doesn't meet the economic criteria: the economy of Eastern Turkey hasn't kept up with the rest, and the reason why Eastern Turkey is poor is because of the genocide.

3) It is true that Kurdish nationalism benefited from the genocide: the entire region north of Lake Van became more than 80% Kurdish (although many of those Kurds were deported in the 1930s, the Armenian farms distributed to ethnic Turks). However, there is a gaping hole in Armenian and Kurdish historiography, i.e. 1915 in the collective memory of the Kurds. Drawing from my preliminary oral history research, we can say most Kurds deplore the genocide, but not too much, since they know certain Kurdish tribes played a role, and they'd like to hear THEY are victims of history - apart from the fact that indeed the Van, Kars, Ararat regions would be lost to Kurdish nationalist aspirations.

However, Kurdish collective memory is packed with fascinating detailed information on the genocide, and Armenians in general. I could name you guys the family names of aristocratic Armenian families from cities like Diyarbakir and Kharpert (Elazig), who converted to Islam and live happy lives in those cities; some Kurdified, and are rabid Kurdish nationalists, some are pious Muslim Turks, one family even leading a prominent Islamic fundamentalist order (Nakshibendi) in Mush. I know these people personally, there're there, tangible evidence of the genocide. Few people know this, but it's real. That is the disadvantage our friends in North America deal with: being far from the reality of the 'Old Country'.

Anyway, I'm getting too carried away again. More research is on its way.

THis Munzur fellow, is he still around?

In the above illumination, he established the generalizations that 1) Kurds are parasites, 2) Kurds are barbaric and uncivilized parasites, 3) Kurds are ambitious, greedy, voracious, and ungrateful parasites.

In other words, ARmenians are producers, builders, progressive, civilized, if left alone, if left alone to choose their natural leadership, while Kurds are, well, parasites.

hagopn · January 29, 2014

The only thing I really didn't like about this book was the last chapter and the fact that he envisions Kurds being assimilated with the Armenians. Perhaps because I was reading it in this modern era where ideas as such are considered extremely racist and "übermensch-ish". I was hoping Raffi would end his book envisioning a peaceful future alongside the Kurds...

Awe, Isn't that just so PC special? "Armenians alongside Kurds." Perhaps after 10000 years of cultural evolution, perhaps. For now, we have established the ARmenians are producers, builders, inventors, creative, civilized IF left to their own to choose their own natural leadership. Kurds, on the other hand, are still the formless parasites they were 100 years ago and beyond.

hagopn · January 29, 2014

I have known and have dealt in the arts, life and business with all the groups concerned, Kurds, Azero/tatars, Turqiye "Republicans", and so on. Quite frankly, I like Armenians the best, objectively and subjectively speaking.

THe Armenians that yielded the least fruit when partnering with them at various capacities were precisely the sort who are "politicall correct" in accordance with the limitations put upon us by the Powers That Be.

THe nationalist sort were the most dedicated and productive. That is my experience.

The repulsively defeatist trash written in this thread are simply disgusting.

Edited January 29, 2014 by hagopn

hagopn · January 29, 2014

And, as a former avid reader, I now have little respect for Raffi as well as the entire entourage of "reovlutionaries" and "modernists" of that era with few exceptions.

If anyone wishes to truly gauge Raffi, then I suggest your read his benefactor's criticisms of Raffi in the Mshak paper, the very paper that gave Raffi his break as a writer, that gave his livelihood. Of course, I speak of a truly great figure in our history, Grigor Artsruni, a natural leader from the Artsruni dynasty, someone with true foresight and understanding of the human psyche and needs. He is well remembered by a relatively more grateful pupil and beneficiary of his charity, Leo the historian. Leo's History of Armenia volume 6 is a must read. In retrospect, I would trade my entire collection of Raffi, Abovian, Krikor Zohrab, etc. for one year of Mshak, perhaps even a few issues.

Khente is not my favorite read for various reasons, but one thing I agree with Raffi on is that Kurds are parasites. The only writing of any real value is the Khamsayi Melikutinnere, and even that turned out to be questionable a source after reading the primary sources he used and didn't cite well. I have no idea what fantasy land he was living in, but he certainly managed to get a lot of it wrong about ARmenians and their character and the geopolitical predicament they were in.

Artsruni, however, knew exactly what he was dealing with and was busy issuing warnings to our people, but the "revolutionary" morons, including Raffi, took us down the path of the "socialist fever" with the obsessive antipathy injected in us of all that was the Baby in the Bathwater, including our classical language!

As to the so-called "Noble character acquired by the Kurds", noble is certainly not a word I would use on them at any point for any reason, no matter how many rape based "genetic improvements" they supposedly achieved, turning Anatolia and the Armenian plateau, once important centers of civilization PRECISELY due to the ARmenia ethnic predominance there in its various colors, from the once civilized landscape it was into the third and fourth class cesspool that it has remained.

I have also met a great number of these "noble kurds," and quite frankly I have no idea what the hell Raffi is talking about.

Edited January 29, 2014 by hagopn

hagopn · January 29, 2014

Also, in Raffi's time we didn't have such profound knowledge of genetics and true heritage.

Recall the phrase "you are what you eat."

It is even more profound than that: "Your children will be the life you live.

You don't believe me? THen read http://www.geodakian.com/en/10_intro_en.htm Vigen Geodakyan, who just happens to be not a Kurd, and for that reason is a leading scientist, perhaps the top geneticist of the era.

What does Dr. Geodakyan say? He says that environmental factors have a profound influence particularly on the male genetic pool, the one more susceptible to renewal and change even within a single generation!

What impact does this have on us? All the impact in the world!

The moral of the story is that if you live as a parasite, no matter how many "good quality women" (which, Kurds, the pedophiles they were mostly abducted children, really, before or barely in puberty) you abduct, rape, and force to reproduce for you, you will still be a Parasite! It still never occurs to these primitives, who are still at it in Syria, abducting and raping, that women are not equipment to be used for reproductive and "genetic improvement" programs.

You are what you live.

FOr this reason, as I mention above, the Armenian Plateau and the rest of Asia Minor were once perhaps the most important centers of civilization, yes rivaling and often surpassing the primarily superstitious Egypt for most of its career, and the usurious Mesopotamia for most its career. Unfortunately for mankind, Babylon's "model" is winning, and for this reason, we have parasites given priority. Usurers, supreme parasites themselves, like to sponsor more primitive and short-sighted parasites against their rivals. THe parasites have yet to make anything of this land that was once controlled by civilization. It is still relatively speaking a cesspool Let's face it, Ankara is simply not Berlin, or Vienna, or Paris, at least what they once were prior to the EU and its predecessor destroyer of this civilization through immigration of these parasitic forms.

Edited January 29, 2014 by hagopn

hagopn · January 29, 2014

Although often semi-reliable only (verify his tragically borderline comical inaccurate version of Hypathia's story with the actual primary sources that talk about it), Carl Sagan once said that the more adventurous and progressive, technically speaking, of the "Greeks" (not really, as we will continue to discover as time passes) were the Ionians. He said that the Ionians were the only "Greeks" who were not afraid to get their hands dirty and experiment, dig the earth, work hard to make dicoveries and improvements in life. Ionian, really, means "those who live in Asia Minor." It doesn't merely mean the coastal cities such as Ephesus and Smyrna. It means the entire Asia Minor, ethnoculturally speaking, since most of the Ionian cities were directly connected with and constantly interacted with, had constant flow of itinerants, from and with the interior of Asia Minor.

Remember that the most influential state that encompassed the entire coastline of what later was known as the Ionian coast, that of Arzawa (Artzva! yes, Eagle!), was thought to have been an extension of the Hatti (Hittite) empire. THat to me says it all. TO most, Monkeys of course, it will mean nothing, but to me it says it all.

Then there is this enigmatic "Pamphyilia" sometimes mentioned in Plato's works, particularly the Republic (Book X, to be precise, my favorite part of the entire series, really the only part I like.) Pamphylia, no matter how the Monkey Academia keeps on slicing, dicing, mincing, mixing, grinding, and grating, refers to Armenia. Yes, Armenia. Plato says that the hellenic wisdom came from there. He doesn't say Egypt. He does not at all say Babylon, or Akkad, or Sumer, or Assyria, or Persian. He doesn't say "Somasabahanastakhatabalata that was Harappa or Mohenjo Daro" or whatever ridiculous concoction in order to avoid simply saying ARmenia, Armenia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_Er

He says that the source of higher wisdom, such as "the secret to immortality" (and resurrection, interestingly enough) was from Er, son of Armenios from Pamphylia. It is a mythical parable, but it says it all for me. What does this mean? I'll choose as a faithful and loyal Armenian to the Armenian identity that my forefathers gave me to mean ARmenia! What the hell else do you expect me to do?

However, all this is now gone. Now Ionia is a cesspool populated and controlled by parasitic culture of majority parasites.

Edited January 29, 2014 by hagopn

onjig · February 1, 2014

Arpa! I have read this: Khent, It, tragedy! I wish I hadn't read it! No, I'm glad. I hate having read it! How many years we suffered that. Why did you post that, without warning?

zagzig · February 6, 2014

Arpa! I have read this: Khent, It, tragedy! I wish I hadn't read it! No, I'm glad. I hate having read it! How many years we suffered that. Why did you post that, without warning?

Which translation is best? I've got the one by Donald Abcarian but it seems a bit lifeless.

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