1986_04 Hye Sharzhoom Newspaper April 1986

              Page 6
Hye Sharzhoom
April, 1986
Remembering
Continued from page 4
the Turks of WW1.
Addressing the other point about
crossing Mt. Ararat, I ask the reader,
what is beyond Mt. Ararat? The answer is
of course Armenia, which at this time is
under the umbrella of Russian Bolshevism
and is fairly safe from a genocide.
However, what if the Russian Empire
falls apart as it did in 1917? This would
leave Transcaucasia (Georgia, Armenian,
and Azerbaijan—a nation of Shi'ite Turks)
off on its own as it was following the
Bolshevik Revolution. What if the Republic
of Turkey seizes this opportunity to invade
Transcaucasia, as it did in 1918? The-
western Turks would inevitably linkup
with Azerbaijan Turks and revive the
Pan-Turkish philosophy which was one of
the main causes of the Genocide. These
two would certainly attack the Armenian
Republic, which we presume would have
declared its independence following the
collapse of the Russian Empire.
Using history as a guidline, if a Pan
Turkish army invaded Armenia, what do
you presume would be the result? Simply,
the Turks would resume their policy of
extermination.
Now, this would all come to pass
assuming the small Armenian nation would
be unable to hold off a massive invasion of
Pan-Turkism. However, the Armenians
would probably be able to hold its own if
it received aid from foreign powers and
hot left off on its own as it was from
1918-1920.
The nations of the world should take
note of such inflamatory rhetoric radiating
out of Constantinople and Ankara. The
General made these statements while on
tour of the former Armenian provinces of
Eastern Turkey, the graveyard of Turkish
Armenians. These provinces are, for all
practical purposes, devoid of any Armenians. Perhaps the good General wants to
create the same situation to the east of
Ararat as well. The Armenian people
must protest, this statement to whoever
will listen. The Armenians must not idly
stand by while a new genocide is being
planned by the unpunished perpetrators
of the last one.
By Lynette Zerounian
I remember when our family celebrated
special days like Thanksgiving, Christmas,
Easter, etc. These were days that most
American families observed throughout
the year. There was, however, one day
which was different from the rest. I
remember it especially well because it was
the day when my grandmother (Anna
Zerounian) told us of life in the old
country and of the atrocities committed
against the Armenians by the Turks. She
told us of how she was sent to an orphanage
after her parents had been senselessly
murdered.
That day was April 24th.
This was the day when orders were
carried out to find and execute the
Armenian intellectuals within the Ottoman
Empire; this was the day when the
massacre of over 1.5 million Armenians
was initiated; this was the day that
preceded the forced deportations of many
Armenians from their homeland of over
2500 years.
This day continues to be a day of
anguish for Armenians. For not only does
it conjure up past injustices, but reminds
us that those injustices have never been
acknowledged by its perpetrators. Not
even our own government, which denies
the Armenian people a national day of
rememberance, acknowledges the 1915
Genocide.
For over 71 years the Armenians have
not been recognized as the victims of the
first genocide of the twentieth century,
nor have they been compensated for the
loss of life, property, and country.
It is callous for a country to deny that
such an event ever took place. Everytime
a resolution is turned down a sensitive
sore inside of me is inflamed with anger
and pain. As an Armenian, I feel an
injustice is being done to our people.
Because of such ignorance and denial,
Armenians have an obligation to remind
AGBU Art Festival
The following poems are winners of the adult and teen poetry division.
David Barsamian
Crestline, CA
1st place, Adult poetry
Incense, Noisemaker, Cave
...forms of circles
and curved lines
mirror seized emotions...
No more a self given
shave or ears swabbed,
but now only a restricted nose and
limping eyes and muscles.
Sans a battle,
but forever a cause,
the witness had not yielded
but rather folded;
neatly, inward...
from colorful village life
where the irony of one's simplicity
is savored and spoke
and danced to
compelling rythems
inherent.
And proud, sure.
However, sans a battle
and hardly a team with
which to huddle and advance,
the trooper could
only fall back and punt.
...no tears,
or illusions of purity...
but only deep, wonderful visions
and screaming wind
rendering topsoil spread
and uncultivable.
Ready.
For the next ethnic group to move in.
Roberta Peters-Shekerjian
Fresno, CA
.2ndplace. Adult poetry
Fall Forest
Oh, Fall forest: behold thy beauty!
Crisp breezes, filtered sun, moist air,
Drying leaves in varied hues
Blown about like maiden's hair.
Dancing light in magic patterns
Igniting colors of decay
Forming brilliant jewels of color
With wind and trees at play.
Nancy Arakelian
Laguna Hills, CA
3rd place, Adult poetry
Untitled
Like flowing water cleansing filth
in tender thoughts on tempered days
I pluck expression to shape a mask
serene in form I musn't change,
for I am fear
the ancient shadow in ever life.
1 walk alone
I travel deep beyond the heart
throughout the soul
within the mind I knock down doors
like a poignant memory,
I insure happiness
or grip the unknown
A secret child stands alone
behind a tree of fallen beauty
this torn decision rips my energy
allowing thought to crumble matter
I am fear!
yet I do see through eyes of untold love
I worry!
like blind young that walk strange ground
look how hearts beat when rythem rests
like peaceful mountains
weathering doesn't age what already is
antiquity,
but instead builds plateaus
of fragmented grace.
The compound  of life is the drug of
hereafter.
A stroke of archaic simplicity aides my
empty shell.
Without cause I vision myself
a friend of life-kind
the surreal king!
This is fear?
yes
not ugly of vague
but as much a part of nature,
as nature is sewn on to my universal skin
a chuckle poishes my wound
. like a medication for endurance.
ha!
I am a joking fist
which never acts,
but only threatens the unity
of punishment,
So aware of natures roo*s
I ware no clothing
how long I have hidden the naked truth
1 am able to open vision
and shut windows of ignorance in the
same moment,
with a cool power showering over the
back of love
only to protect a fallen phrase.
The language of fear?
CONSCIOUSNESS!
while visions of inferiority unbuckle their
belts
I gasp for air
walking carefully
leaping on soft vegitation as if gravity
were a state of mind
realizing fear can establish natures solution
but only man can see past my selfish eye
Armen Devejian
Fresno, CA
1st place, Teen Poetry
Now we can continue.
You came. You saw. You conquered.
You were the first of your kind-the last of
your kind.
You witnessed life, you witnessed death.
You did not understand what it was to be
heros.
Now you do.
The children you left behind.
The tears that won't wash away.
The friends, the comrads, the people.
America cries with you; but it does not
pity.
Now I cry too.
Let it be known that you did not die in
vain.
You died with honor; taking a piece of us
with you.
You died searching; learning; exploring.
You were the almost forgotten pioneers of
the unknown.
Now we remember.
You went where only a few dared to go.
Away from the sheltering hands of mother
earth.
We watched you go up-we watched you
perish.
But your souls live on inside of us forever.
Now we can continue.
** Anyone wishing to participate in next years festival should contact the Fresno AGBU Center
the world of the Genocide. As Armenians,
we deserve a day of rememberance as
other ethnic groups have received (e.g.
Blacks, Jews). In addition, it should be
known throughout the world that the
Armenian people were massacred so that
in the future another genocide will not
take place.
It is important to have people involved
in organizations thr ' 'n commemorate
April 24th. Throufe mcerts, films,
marches, church services, and so forth,
Armenians can work as one body to make
a difference and preserve our heritage.
Although the Turkish government may
keep its silence and continue to deny that
the Genocide occurred, Armenians should
not. Many years may pass before our cry
is heard by a nation to correct the injustices
suffered by our people. But may not a
year pass when our cry is silent.
By Yvonne Sahagian
It's April once again, the tir^^ when
Spring arrives-" and the Eastc. season
reawakens us to life and all that is new.
We rejoice in the departing of ~winterV
gray as the month blossoms into a whole
new sight.
For Armenians, reawakening not only
involves the earth's visual change, but a
flood of memories, anger and tears,
especially in our elders who have experienced the Genocide, who have seen loved
ones taken or killed, and for whom
reawakening continues living through their
whispered prayers and misty far-away
gazes.
As in the past, we Armenians remember
what was never forgotten and voice that
which still falls on many deaf ears—deaf
ears of a U.S. government and a Turkish
nation that continuously denies, or distorts
the murder of 1.5 million Armenians in
this century. But like a path we've always
walked, it is now (in April) when we pickup the pace to reach our goal of seeking
acknowledgment of the Genocide of our
people 71 years ago.
During the week of April 24th, Armenians will display the photos and
historical writings, tell of the accounts,
and join together in lectures, presentations,
and films to commemorate the day we
remember our martyrs.
It is on this day that we must still wear
black bands on our arms to demonstrate a
call for moral justice, while over and over
again the Armenian Question goes unrecognized by our U.S. government which
too often falls prey to propaganda devised
by the Turkish government.   Because of
political expedience, our government has
decided to take sides with Turkey. Turkey
in turn takes advantage of this support
and hides from their moral wrongness and
guilt.
Despite our current situation, we Armenians must look back at the progress
we have made. Our history has neither
ended nor become stagnant. Instead, it
lives strong and is capable of surviving
and promoting change. Armenians have
shown this ability in our survival and
success, and it is because of these characteristics that we must not go through the
motions as we commemorate our martyrs.
Rather, we must work with others,
staying active and persistent in documenting and organizing those factors which
can lead to the outcome of the acknowledgment and recognition of the Genocide,
on a national and worldwide level. In
addition, we must not allow the acts of a
few desperate individuals to hold all Armenians responsible for acts of terrorism,
which has never been our way of functioning as a surviving group of people.
Today there is no significant indication
that we are any closer to our goal; but we
must continue our struggle for all Armenians and any group that is denied
human dignity.