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Regarding The Syrian Armenian Crisis

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  • Regarding The Syrian Armenian Crisis

    REGARDING THE SYRIAN ARMENIAN CRISIS

    http://asbarez.com/118852/regarding-the-syrian-armenian-crisis/
    Monday, January 27th, 2014

    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.

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