The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western United States Central Committee expresses its solidarity with our community in Beirut and all of Lebanon and offers its sincere condolences to the families of the victims. The massive explosion that rocked Beirut on August 4 naturally has impacted the large Armenian community in the city as well as the entire country. The blast also has had its ripple effects here in the Western United States, where many American Armenians have family and relatives residing in Lebanon.
The toll that this tragedy has taken on the lives of individual Lebanese Armenians who have been injured, have lost family members or have seen their homes and businesses turn into rubble in a matter of seconds, as well as the unforeseen health consequences of the spread of dust and chemicals from the blast.
Reports indicate that many of our community centers and institutions have sustained damage, specifically the Shaghzoyan Center in Bourdj Hammoud, which houses the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau and Central Committee offices, editorial offices of the Aztag Daily Newspaper, and the Armenian National Committee of Middle East. Also impacted by the blast was the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia and many other religious, cultural and educational institutions.
The explosion in Beirut comes as our community in Lebanon has been enduring months hardship from the unparalleled financial collapse of Lebanon’s economy, coupled with the difficulties posed by the global coronavirus pandemic.
We have been in contact with our counterparts in Lebanon from the first moments of the crisis and have pledged our unconditional support to assist in any way possible in efforts to aid and assist the community and rebuild the critical structures. As has been the case in the past, the ARF Western U.S. Central Committee will spare no effort to mobilize its rank and file, our affiliate organizations and institutions, as well as the American community at large to help our fellow Armenians living in Lebanon in their time of need.
I am 80 years old and I never forgot when the Bolsheviks of Armen offered our first republic to Lenin who was negotiating with attaturk on our backs, our Armenian intellectuals, Tachnags, were deportes, executed with the help of these same Bolshevik Armenian traitors and some were able to escape and it was this great multi-faith LIBAN that welcomed them, among other Muslim countries. Immediately these intellectuals understood that our survis was linked to culture, they began to create numerous educational centers, school, university, sports, artistic and others. Finally Lebanon helped us with the cultural reconstruction of the Armenian nation, editing many journals dispersed to the diaspora. My father subscribed to ALL these publications and was drowning in these cultural and political broadcasts to pass on this faith in the future to their children. Mr. Shavarch Missakian was one of those intellectuals who published his daily journal HARATCH. My father started his day with our mailbox and if by misfortune his reviews or his daily life did not arrive it was the “war” with the prepose at the post office. This Lebanon, not to mention Syria, Iran, Iraq, has given life to thousands of young intellectuals fed by their Masters in University of international rank as well as during the unfortunate civil conflicts in the various countries of the Middle East, our communities were imposed on positive neutrality, so many of these young people and their families came to France where this diaspora was free of educational framework, except family, lost the sense of its national and political culture, succeeded in reviving national and even cult activities with the Catholicossat of Cilicia, the first forms in Antelias/Beyrouth. Thanks to these Lebanese of Armenian origins our communities have experienced a national, political renaissance, such that it can be said that from generation to generation an irreversible cultural and political force has taken root and yes all thanks to LIBAN, our adoptive family that has promoted, Deputies, Ministers … I had the great privilege of serving in the international institutions of these Armenians of LIBAN who, as a result, have graduated from the great European and American universities, at such a level that in 1985, after years of diplomatic, political, intellectual work, the United Nations, its human rights division in Geneve, we obtained the resolution regarding the recognition of Genocide, among these workers, Varoujan Attarian, Hrair Balian and our Sassounian Harut, Lebanese and Syro-Lebanese. Then this recognition led to that of Europe in 1987. In conclusion, we were able to reborn from our ashes thanks to our brother lebanese rulers, Muslims, Druze, Christians and others who granted us in their families. I am sad again, emu, but, in hope, I see an international solidarity.