Abie Alexander’s NYC Book Debut a Big Success

ANC of New York, St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, and other Co-sponsoring Organizations Host Indian-American Author NEW YORK—On Fri., Nov. 6, the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of New York and St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, together with partner organizations the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society of New York, the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) New York “Mayr” Chapter, and the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the United Nations, hosted a book presentation for Indian-American author Abie Alexander’s latest novel, For the Love of Armine. The premiere of the book in New York took place at the Armenian Center in Woodside. More than 100 attendees enjoyed the presentation by the author, as well as readings of book excerpts in English and Armenian by members of the community, accompanied by a violin performance by Diana Vasilyan. The program concluded with the wine-blessing (kinedzon) of the book by H.G. Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, the vicar of the Eastern Prelacy, and a reception immediately after. In his opening remarks, Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, the pastor of St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, welcomed the guests for attending the event and described Abie Alexander as a good friend of the Armenian community, a person of strong moral conviction who has not remained silent about the Armenian Genocide and other similar crimes against humanity. Artur Martirosyan, the community outreach and communications director of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Eastern Region, talked about the three main values of the book: its artistic beauty as a fiction novel; breadth of research and references to unique segments throughout the Armenian history; and awareness-raising for the Armenian Genocide. He added, “We, through decades of hard work, have already reached a point where the fact of the Armenian Genocide is no longer a disputed issue by academics and historians alike, yet we should continue the efforts of educating, motivating, and activating ordinary citizens about this still-unpunished international crime, which For the Love of Armine does so beautifully.” Mikael Sarukhanyan of the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the U.N. welcomed the initiative and stressed the centuries-old friendship between the Armenian and Indian nations. He further elaborated on the dynamic developing political and economic relations between the two states within the framework of the U.N. and beyond. In his presentation, Alexander talked about the motives and story behind writing his fifth book, which happened to be on the topic of the Armenian Genocide. “Every right-thinking human being must stand up against injustice to another human being. The injustice does not have to be only against oneself, one’s family, or one’s community. As human beings, we must raise our voices against oppression, cruelty, and intolerance anywhere in the world. A crime against one human being is a crime against humanity,” he said. “If we are passive and do not protest against the injustice to another, we are, in effect, tacitly condoning the crime. We are on the side of the oppressors. The genocide was much more than mere injustice or oppression—it was an officially sanctioned, organized attempt to exterminate the Armenian people. The atrocities perpetrated by the Turks cannot be described in words. Yet, that country continues to deny that the genocide ever happened. And there are other nations that shy away from acknowledging it.” In his closing remarks, Bishop Anoushavan congratulated the organizers and, on behalf of the Armenian community, expressed gratitude to Alexander for his invaluable input in the Armenian Genocide Centennial commemoration. Alexander donated all proceeds from the sales of the English, Russian, and Armenian copies of the book to the upcoming 9th Annual ANCA-ER Banquet in support of the organization’s mission and ongoing projects. To make a donation, visit www.ancaef.org/banquet. The ANCA Eastern Region Endowment Fund is a 501(c)(3) charitable and educational organization that supports the ANCA Eastern Region in outreach to Armenian-American communities.

Abie Alexander’s NYC Book Debut a Big Success

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