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Iraqâs 20,000 Armenians Maintain Language, Deal With Problems
From Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.... Nareg Ishkhanian is a pastor at the church [Armenian Apostolic Church in Baghdad]. He tells RFE/RL that the Armenian community in Iraq is small and spread across the country. "We are more than 20,000 Armenians, starting from Zakhu [a town on the border between Turkey and Iraq] to Al-Basrah. Zakhu, Mosul, Baghdad, Al-Basrah, and Kirkuk -- in each place, we have a priest. Most of the Armenians are living in Baghdad -- about 10,000 to 12,000 Armenians [are] living in Baghdad." ... Now, many ethnic Armenians in Iraq work as -- among other professions -- merchants, doctors, engineers, goldsmiths, and photographers. The tiny Christian community is not involved in Iraqi politics. Says Ishkhanian: "We, as a small community, agree with everything, and we say to everybody, âSalam Alaikumâ (Peace be upon you)." ... Ishkhanian says the Armenians in Baghdad have four cultural and sport clubs. But he says such activities as singing folk songs and dancing or theater performances have temporarily stopped because of security concerns. Other activities -- such as teaching the Armenian language -- have never stopped. Ishkhanian says every Armenian in Iraq learns the native language from early childhood. ... Ishkhanian says the main achievement of the ethnic Armenian community in Iraq is that it has managed to keep its language alive and maintain strong solidarity. He says the community never leaves its members in trouble. Gladys Boghossian is the president of the Armenian Womenâs Association for the Relief of the Poor in Iraq, an organization that works closely with the Armenian Apostolic Church. ... Boghossian says the numbers of those in need in Iraq is greater now than ever before: "Now, we have too much [work] to do because of this war. We started to give them food and medical treatment." She says the association is taking care of some 300 families -- almost 1,000 people. Among the benefits, Boghossian notes that every poor Armenian can get free medicine in pharmacies serving the community. ... On the surface, life in the ethnic Armenian community in postwar Iraq seems fairly comfortable. However, some members of the community -- speaking on condition of anonymity -- say it is only a facade that hides deep divisions. They say some Armenians cooperated with the former regime and lost trust among the people but remain in leading positions. Armenians in Iraq also bitterly accuse their leaders of corruption, especially in dealing with financial help coming from abroad. Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-07-07 |
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