BY ZANKU ARMENIAN
From Glendale News Press
A few weeks ago someone decided to get a sledgehammer and begin destroying a monument outside St. Mary’s Armenian Church. This “monument” is known in Armenian as a “Khachkar,” or stone cross.
The Khachkar has special meaning in the Armenian culture dating back thousands of years during which Armenians shed a lot of blood defending their right to practice Christianity. All over present-day Armenia and historical western Armenia (today’s Turkey and Azerbaijan), one can find thousands of these centuries-old Khachkars that have tremendous historical significance. The carvings on each Khachkar are unique and tell their own story, sometimes to memorialize a death, to celebrate a new church or to honor someone living.
Over the years, as part of Turkey’s campaign of denying the Armenian Genocide, the government has encouraged and organized the destruction of this archeological evidence of Armenians. They have also systematically destroyed Armenian churches that are centuries old with the military using them for target practice.
One of the more recent acts of cultural genocide was committed by Azerbaijan, Armenia’s neighbor to the east. In the Azerbaijani enclave of Nakhchivan, across the border, there was a cemetery with hundreds of historical Khachkars. Azerbaijan’s Army was videotaped as a platoon of soldiers took sledgehammers and destroyed these Khachkars while the rubble was put into dump trucks and hauled away. An entire community’s history was eradicated in an instant.
Despite an international outcry, including by the United Nations, the Azerbaijani government continued to the end.
You can imagine the shock in the Armenian American community when the news broke in Glendale. When I heard about the St. Mary’s incident, it brought back memories of the video I have of the Azerbaijani soldiers committing the same hate crime on a grander scale.
I can’t forget those images, which make me sad and angry. The first time I saw that video it brought tears to my eyes, as it reminded me of my own family’s experience with genocide.
I can’t control what a government like Turkey and Azerbaijan do, but I hope I can have an impact in my city and community. I was disappointed by the silence in our city when this incident happened, including when the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office initially failed to categorize it as a hate crime. They have since changed their position, and I appreciate their effort to look further into this case.
What I fear is that the overall silence is an indication of an undercurrent, albeit I believe a minority one, that wishes Armenians had never come to Glendale and blames Armenians for all the ills. I recently read such a comment on the Glendale News-Press website, and certainly there is no shortage of letters to the editor that hint at such a discriminatory attitude. In Glendale, the target is Armenians; in other cities it is Latinos; in others it is the Chinese, Jews, African Americans, and the list goes on.
If we truly believe in our American values, then the majority must speak up against these types of hate crimes and discriminatory attitudes to send a clear message that we don’t accept this kind of behavior, especially in our city. On this issue we must show our common bond as Americans and speak up loudly against hate crime, regardless of the victim.
Some may ask, if this were not an attack on an Armenian monument, would I have written this column? I think this is a legitimate question and one that I too have been thinking about in the last couple of weeks.
It has caused me to reflect and recommit myself to speak up against such incidents whether they are an attack on a synagogue, an Armenian church or any other act of hate against any group. An assault on any specific group is an assault on our American values, and that is something I’m not willing to accept.
Although I agree with everything in this article, I must admit that the reason why we are criticized so much in the City of Glendale is because of the actions and activity of the few “younger” Armenians (specifically on Glenoaks Blvd. between the hours of 6PM and 2AM, especially on weekends). e.g., the loud music, speeding, cutting people off, and endangering lives. If these actions bother me as an Armenian, then you better bet your bottom dollar that a non-Armenian is sure to criticize it tenfold. I mean, let’s be frank here. We all know what I’m talking about. All the 16 year olds with mommy’s Mercedes. It’s an unfortunate truth that needs to be dealt with. I don’t know how it would need to be dealt with, but it must. Whether we like it or not, the reality is that 1 bad apple can spoil the whole bunch. Question is……what are WE willing to do in order to deal with these bad apples?
As for the khachkar incident, I can’t really compare the happenings in Turkey and Azerbaijan to this isolated incident in Glendale. Clearly, there are different dynamics behind each one…………nevertheless, they are wrong and must be dealt with and stopped with full force.
There was litteraly nothing in the right wing media about this. The same people that go on and on about Christianity under fire never even care enough to look at whats happening to churches in Turkey or Azeri. Thanks to that good little bundist Glenn Beck and that Fox News most Americans think we are Muslim.
I don’t think it was a “hate crime.” I think he is a mental religious fanatic. His Myspace page says “Bible or nothing.”
I think he did it because in his distorted mind that Armenian church views don’t jive with his views.
Regarding Harout Sousani’s post about the issues with the young Armenian drivers, especially on Glenoaks, I can’t agree with Mr. Sousani more. I am appalled at what I experience every time I drive that way and am equally outraged at the parents who hand these kids these cars and don’t care to teach them responsibility and respect for the law, thus endangering everyone in the public. It is time for our community to take some of the responsibility here as well. It can start by the Armenian media covering this story and making a bigger issue of it.
Having said what I did regarding the driving issue on Glenoaks, that has nothing to do with the Khachcar issue and doesn’t give anyone an excuse to commit hate crimes. Two separate issues.
As for Gary’s comment regarding not considering this a hate crime. Gary is entitled to his opinion, however, the district attorney’s office has categorized it as a hate crime based on the evidence submitted by Glendale Police and according to the law. My point, however, in the article is a broader one that goes beyond this single incident.