FORT LEE, N.J.—The Armenian National Committee of New Jersey and the AYF-YOARF New Jersey “Arsen” Chapter Hai Tahd Committee will host their seventh annual flag raising ceremony on Saturday, April 13 at 1 p.m. at the Fort Lee Borough. Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich will present a proclamation in remembrance of the martyrs of the 1915 Armenian Genocide and the Artsakh genocide.
The event will be held with the participation of various local community organizations: the Armenian Relief Society “Agnouni,” Bergen “Armenouhi” and “Shakeh” chapters, Homenetmen of NJ, Hamazkayin of NJ and the Nareg Armenian Saturday School. The program will feature community members presenting poetry, musical interludes and remarks calling for an end to the cycle of genocide.
The annual Armenian flag raising ceremony is held in commemoration of the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide who perished at the hands of the Ottoman Turks in 1915. The commemoration will also focus on Azerbaijan’s 10-month genocidal blockade and forced removal of 120,000 indigenous Armenians from their 4,000-year-old homeland as a final step in the genocide of the Armenians of Artsakh.
Next week, on Saturday, April 20, at 4 p.m., the ANC of NJ will host its annual Armenian Genocide commemoration event at the Genocide Memorial at Huff Pond in Montvale, New Jersey.
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Since mid-January, an arsonist has targeted the Fresno Ararat Armenian Cemetery. In total, six incidents have resulted in the burning of 19 old-growth trees.
On Friday night, eight trees were torched along the main entrance, reports KMPH Fox 26.
Both Fresno Police and Fire departments have responded to the Belmont and Hughes property, but no arrests have been made.
“This is horribly upsetting to my Board of Directors, the Armenian community, and my staff and me. We are the only Armenian cemetery outside Armenia and the Middle East; our mission is to serve Armenian families with compassion in their time of need, while also keeping alive the memory of all who are buried here. The Board, my staff, and I take this mission very seriously. It would be impossible to overstate how upsetting this is to us,” said Sheri Manning-Cartwright, Executive Director/Administrator of Ararat Armenian Cemetery and Masis Ararat Armenian Cemetery.
The fires have occurred in the oldest part of the cemetery, where gates and an archway clearly identify the property as Armenian.
Reports state that these targeted arsons are especially concerning with Armenian Genocide Commemoration Day approaching on April 24th, and could potentially be a hate crime.
The estimated cost to remove and replace the trees is approximately $25,000. The board of directors is unsure if insurance will cover the cost.
Established in 1885, the cemetery is the final resting place of many prominent figures, including Soghomon Tehlirian, William Saroyan, and Victor Maghakian.
I’m sure there is a Dajik-Israeli-Azerbaijani alliance behind him.