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REGARDING THE SYRIAN ARMENIAN CRISIS
Conflict in Syria has severely impacted the Christian community there,
among them the Armenian community
BY BEDROS KOJIAN, M.D.
There is great disparity between the establishment of a charitable
private foundation in Armenia, successful fund raising activities
and donations to NON-VITAL, but important, Armenian causes, and the
GLARING absence of funds and/or donations to the Syrian Armenian
CRISIS, eloquently described in Mr. Zaven Khanjian's article, "Will
You Be the First to Answer."
It is unconscionable that most of us Armenians, like the rest of the
world, are acting as if we are unaware that the entire vibrant and
prosperous Syrian Armenian community is in a catastrophic state. To
survive, most of these Armenians have been forced to leave their
destroyed and looted homes, businesses and belongings that took
them a century to build or acquire, hoping that in a "short period,
the nightmare will be over," and that they will return, reclaim and
rebuild. But unfortunately, as the conflict lingers on, it is becoming
more and more clear that this is a delusion rather than a reality.
As an American Armenian, and the son of genocide survivors, I, among
others feel their pain and suffering. It reminds me of my parents'
stories of survival during the Armenian Genocide. At that time they
were unfortunate in that no one actually helped them except their
skills, hard work and the determination to survive.
Now times have changed, thanks to the United States of America and
other nations, we not only have a roof on our head and food on our
table, we also have enough to spare to help others, especially our
own Syrian Armenians that are destitute and in critical need.
Fridtjof Nansen, the Norwegian, scientist, explorer, statesman,
humanitarian, and Nobel Prize Laureate, after World War 1, was
commissioned by the League of Nations to settle refugees and
prisoners. He successfully helped settle hundreds of thousands
of Germans, Austrians, Greeks, Turks, Russians and Armenians. In
1925 he was able to settle about seven thousand Armenians in soviet
Armenia, ten thousand in Lebanon, and 40 thousand in Syria. The task
was enormous and he needed additional funds, but his request to the
League of Nations and his affluent friends for additional funds fell
to deaf ears.
Demoralized he returned to his desk and noticed an envelope made
of cheap paper addressed to him. Curiously he opened the envelope
and found a dime and a note that said, "We are poor, and all we can
afford is a dime, but we feel the pain and suffering of the Armenian
refugees." That gesture gave Nansen the motivation to continue to
reach out to as many people as possible, eventually raising, through
small donations, hundreds of thousands of dollars to help settle many
more refugees.
Now with this troubling state of the Syrian Armenian community, it
is our turn to become Fridtjof Nansens. Through Facebook, emails,
texting and tweeting, within seconds we can spread the word to
our family, friends and others. And if we each contribute $5.00 or
$10.00 or $1,000.00 or whatever else me, you and others can afford -
ANYTHING EXCEPT NOTHING - we will raise substantial amounts of money,
and hopefully enough to save our Syrian brothers and sisters.
Please write your checks to SARF (Syrian Armenian Relief Fund) and
mail to:
Syrian Armenian Relief Fund P.O. Box 1948 Glendale, CA 91209-1948
All donations are tax-deductable.
http://asbarez.com/118852/regarding-the-syrian-armenian-crisis/
Conflict in Syria has severely impacted the Christian community there,
among them the Armenian community
BY BEDROS KOJIAN, M.D.
There is great disparity between the establishment of a charitable
private foundation in Armenia, successful fund raising activities
and donations to NON-VITAL, but important, Armenian causes, and the
GLARING absence of funds and/or donations to the Syrian Armenian
CRISIS, eloquently described in Mr. Zaven Khanjian's article, "Will
You Be the First to Answer."
It is unconscionable that most of us Armenians, like the rest of the
world, are acting as if we are unaware that the entire vibrant and
prosperous Syrian Armenian community is in a catastrophic state. To
survive, most of these Armenians have been forced to leave their
destroyed and looted homes, businesses and belongings that took
them a century to build or acquire, hoping that in a "short period,
the nightmare will be over," and that they will return, reclaim and
rebuild. But unfortunately, as the conflict lingers on, it is becoming
more and more clear that this is a delusion rather than a reality.
As an American Armenian, and the son of genocide survivors, I, among
others feel their pain and suffering. It reminds me of my parents'
stories of survival during the Armenian Genocide. At that time they
were unfortunate in that no one actually helped them except their
skills, hard work and the determination to survive.
Now times have changed, thanks to the United States of America and
other nations, we not only have a roof on our head and food on our
table, we also have enough to spare to help others, especially our
own Syrian Armenians that are destitute and in critical need.
Fridtjof Nansen, the Norwegian, scientist, explorer, statesman,
humanitarian, and Nobel Prize Laureate, after World War 1, was
commissioned by the League of Nations to settle refugees and
prisoners. He successfully helped settle hundreds of thousands
of Germans, Austrians, Greeks, Turks, Russians and Armenians. In
1925 he was able to settle about seven thousand Armenians in soviet
Armenia, ten thousand in Lebanon, and 40 thousand in Syria. The task
was enormous and he needed additional funds, but his request to the
League of Nations and his affluent friends for additional funds fell
to deaf ears.
Demoralized he returned to his desk and noticed an envelope made
of cheap paper addressed to him. Curiously he opened the envelope
and found a dime and a note that said, "We are poor, and all we can
afford is a dime, but we feel the pain and suffering of the Armenian
refugees." That gesture gave Nansen the motivation to continue to
reach out to as many people as possible, eventually raising, through
small donations, hundreds of thousands of dollars to help settle many
more refugees.
Now with this troubling state of the Syrian Armenian community, it
is our turn to become Fridtjof Nansens. Through Facebook, emails,
texting and tweeting, within seconds we can spread the word to
our family, friends and others. And if we each contribute $5.00 or
$10.00 or $1,000.00 or whatever else me, you and others can afford -
ANYTHING EXCEPT NOTHING - we will raise substantial amounts of money,
and hopefully enough to save our Syrian brothers and sisters.
Please write your checks to SARF (Syrian Armenian Relief Fund) and
mail to:
Syrian Armenian Relief Fund P.O. Box 1948 Glendale, CA 91209-1948
All donations are tax-deductable.
http://asbarez.com/118852/regarding-the-syrian-armenian-crisis/