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Raffi Bedrosyan
Raffi Bedrosyan is a civil engineer, writer and a concert pianist, living in Toronto. Proceeds from his concerts and CDs have been donated to the construction of school, highways, and water and gas distribution projects in Armenia and Karabakh—projects in which he has also participated as a voluntary engineer. Bedrosyan was involved in organizing the Surp Giragos Diyarbakir/Dikranagerd Church reconstruction project. His many articles in English, Armenian and Turkish media deal with Turkish-Armenian issues, Islamized hidden Armenians and history of thousands of churches left behind in Turkey. He gave the first piano concert in the Surp Giragos Church since 1915, and again during the 2015 Genocide Centenary Commemoration. He is the founder of Project Rebirth, which helps Islamized Armenians return to their original Armenian roots, language and culture. He is the author of the book "Trauma and Resilience: Armenians in Turkey - hidden, not hidden, no longer hidden."
Latest posts by Raffi Bedrosyan (see all)
- Reactions to Biden in Turkey - May 4, 2021
- What can the Diaspora do now? - January 6, 2021
- Armenians and the Turkish coup d’etat of September 12, 1980 - September 16, 2020
Dear Raffi and Armenian weekly
Do you know that Sami Celik and Rahime Kesici Karakas are still musluman in their id.and and you made news 2 years before. Please research this baptisms if this peopl’ s id are muslim in turkey it is mean that they are muslim.
Regards
Siran,
I would advise you to directly contact Raffi and not publicly use anybody’s name. What is your intention by doing that? I would suggest allowing people the liberty of living their own life.
A brilliant article, well done. It is a shame and a pity that the clergy have this unwanted connection of the Armenians who were forcibly converted to islam and who now want to reunite and establish themselves as Armenians. No clergy should be allowed to refuse “converting” those who desire to once again become Christian Armenians. Shame on those who refuse to allow this. A BIG PITY and a disgrace.
Thank you Mr. Bedrosyan for another well informed and emotionally gripping article.
I was contacted on a few occasions by crypto-Armenians from Turkey seeking help to settle in Canada, but I must admit that I do not have the skills nor the contacts to distinguish “opportunistic pretenders” from the genuine “hidden Armenians”. They would usually tell me that their grand-father’s/mother’s name was xxx, but this is far from fool-proof. Since it is surprisingly easy for you to uncover the “pretenders”, may I suggest you set-up a community referral service in Canada where Canadian-Armenians who seek to confirm the identity of those who contact them, could turn to.
Thank you again for your wisdom and dedication
Couldn’t “DNA” be used as a basis for indentifying lineage? Isn’t that proof positive?
Mr. Raffi Bedrosyan:
Your excellent article is an eye opener to any true Armenian that cares about the aftermath of the 1915 Genocide Survivors. I am a first generation Survivor. My father’s father, mother, brother, first wife and 4 year old son were brutally massacred in Marash in 1916 while he was serving in the Ottoman Army in Palestine. One can not and must not blame any Armenian that converted to Muslim under such circumstances. Any hidden Armenia or Turkish person that wants to return to their roots or want to convert to Armenianism must be encouraged and be accepted by the Armenian Community at large. No need for iron clad proof.
Sebouh V Tashjian
Former State Minister
Republic of Armenia, ’92-96
Hope to have many Armenians as Bedrossian.
are we assuming that Armenians are pure bred, from one couple??? we are a cocktail mix, a beautiful mosaic, present day Armenians don’t even look like their original ancestors, over the years we had to adopt to the ever changing racial identities…our appearance our customs underwent many evolutionary processes… some voluntary some forced and not too long ago, were even subjected to convert to the Christian sect of Judaism…what difference does it make if they are white or dark, tall or short, muslim or Christian…. if someone decides to be and live as an Armenian, that is entirely his/her choice. no one, I repeat no one has the right or the business to meddle… people… we have much more pressing matters to be concerned about, our survival, with these blood thirsty money worshiping anti life satanas at the helm, the whole world is headed into a wide path of destruction, we need to wake up, before it is too late.
may the true creator of heaven and earth have mercy on us and protect us from evil…
“what difference does it make if they are white or dark, tall or short, muslim or Christian….”
So you wouldn’t mind it or simply don’t see the difference of Armenia became a Muslim country. I’m sure if we just replaced all the ethnic Armeniams with black Somalians then Armenia would be exactly the same right. I mean what’s the point of having borders anyway Mr modern armenian- let Turkey just annex Armenia.
I’M NOT CERTAIN IF THE AUTHOR OF THE ABOVE STATEMENT IS AWARE OF WHAT HE/SHE IS SAYING:”THROUGHOUT OUR LONG HISTORY WE HAD ‘VASAGNER’ AND EVEN TO DAY THEY FLOURISH AMONG US” WE MUST SIEVE THOSE WANTING TO CONVERT TO ENSURE THAT THEY IN FACT HAVE ARMENIAN ROOTS-HOWEVER WEAK/DISTANT ROOTS. NO MY FRIENDS, WE DON’T HAVE TO OPEN OUR DOORS FOR MORE ‘VASAGNER’ WHOSE PURPOSE TO “BECOME” ARMENIANS IS TO DESTROY US INTERNALLY- I REFER TO THE ABOVE STATEMENT:”If some one decides to be and live as an Armenian…etc.” This my friend is an illiterate statement…to say the least.
You may disagree
who gave you the authority to decide who can be or not be whatever, you have your opinion…but you have no right to open or close doors except in you own house (that is until the banking mafia or the tax collectors of the country you live in decide to take it away from you), just by the fact that you are using terms as illiterate, I going to go on the limb and guess that you dear hayrenakits live in the U.S.A, and if so you are the perfect candidate to protect the Armenian gene from being corrupted, very literate indeed…
ketses, raffi, sharunake’ veradartsnel mer kortsratz zavakner@ metzn armenio
cheers, raffi continue to return our lost children of greater armenia
As usual, fascinating article from Raffi Bedrosyan. who has the tact and the sensitivity to relate those stories without pathos.
Here is our story : My grand grand father had two brothers who were separated during the genocide. While he and his elder brother made their way in France and US, the younger was adopted by a Kurdish family and remained in our original village in Dersim region, I ll not mention the name of the village for security reasons.
Few years ago, my brother and I visited the region without knowing what we will find. What we find was astonishing : we found the cousins of my grand father and all their children, grandchildren, gathered here during summer holidays.
It turns out that ALL the village is, to this day, Armenian and although none of them was speaking Armenian – except the elders who knew few words – , they were all well aware of their roots. We have been welcomed with tears, we have been shown the secret chapel that was jealously and secretly kept, the cross and the candles were not kept inside for obvious reasons.
We have been told they were several villages with the exact same story in the vicinity, at least 4, and those crypto Armenians from Dersim villages traditionally marry each other. Their roots is well known from their Kurdish Alevis and Zazas neighbors who never betrayed them. To this day, we are in touch with our cousins – most of them leaving in Germany and Istanbul – and we are planning to visit Armenia together soon.
Thank you, Mr.Bedrosyan for another fascinating article.
‘Genohide’ *
So many genetically Armenian folk
Are trapped in Turkish society and culture,
Clothed in Turkic and Islamic habits
Unable to reveal their true identity;
Their ancestors having coercively turned Muslims,
The only other choice being certain death.
Boghos L. Artinian MD
* In parallel to the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians an additional million have
had their genes hidden instead of being wiped out.
There was a considerable ‘genohide’ along with the genocide of Armenians.
The hidden Armenians have had their identity stolen from them. If they rediscover it, and embrace being Armenian, I choose to embrace them into the Armenian family. They have had generations of trauma, while living among those who hurt them and their forebears. I say we welcome them home with open arms!
Turks consider it a curse to have Armenian genes in their genomes. I hope sometime in the future they will be proud of Armenian genes like wearing medals.