Keghart…The third and fourth events (Oct. 28 in Toronto; Oct. 30 in Montreal) were the Canadian launch of Dr. Minas Kojayan's "Along the Paths of Anguished Past" (Մորմոքող Անցեալի Արահետներով), an account of the author's trips to Cilicia and Western Armenia in the summers of 2011 and 2012. Dr. Kojayan, author, long-time teacher and journalist, supplemented his account of his trips with a dramatic slide show. Jirair Tutunjian, English-language editor of Keghart, reviewed the book prior to Mr. Kojayan's speech. His description of the physical-artistic qualities of the book intertwined with an analysis of its multi-layered content in a narrative style, easy to grasp, in an original nontraditional fashion was much appreciated by the audience.
00:01- 03:34 Dikran Abrahamian – Introduction
03:55 – 39:48 Jirair Tutunjian – Presenting Dr. Kojayan's Book
39:49 – 1:07:56 Dr. Minas Kojayan's Speech
1:07:57 – 1:57:00 Scenes: W. Armenia & Cilicia (Slides & Video)
…The third and fourth events (Oct. 28 in Toronto; Oct. 30 in Montreal) were the Canadian launch of Dr. Minas Kojayan's "Along the Paths of Anguished Past" (Մորմոքող Անցեալի Արահետներով), an account of the author's trips to Cilicia and Western Armenia in the summers of 2011 and 2012. Dr. Kojayan, author, long-time teacher and journalist, supplemented his account of his trips with a dramatic slide show. Jirair Tutunjian, English-language editor of Keghart, reviewed the book prior to Mr. Kojayan's speech. His description of the physical-artistic qualities of the book intertwined with an analysis of its multi-layered content in a narrative style, easy to grasp, in an original nontraditional fashion was much appreciated by the audience.
00:01- 03:34 Dikran Abrahamian – Introduction
03:55 – 39:48 Jirair Tutunjian – Presenting Dr. Kojayan's Book
39:49 – 1:07:56 Dr. Minas Kojayan's Speech
1:07:57 – 1:57:00 Scenes: W. Armenia & Cilicia (Slides & Video)
In addition to being journalism, a travel and pilgrimage book, "Along the Paths of Anguished Past" is essentially a political document. As such, it is a call to Armenians to assert their past and future ownership of their Western Armenian homeland (nearly 80% of historic Armenia), maintained the author. He strongly advised Armenians to make tangible connections to Western Armenia by visiting their occupied homeland. Seeing the enormity of the loss would strengthen "our resolve to see that the land is returned to us," said Mr. Kojayan.
"When Armenians visit Western Armenia and Cilicia they shouldn't feel as if they are tourists visiting a foreign land. It's their home, their land, their lakes, mountains and rivers that they are seeing", said the author. "I hope the book inspires in readers a desire and resolve for a permanent return to the land where Armenians have lived for at least 4,500 years."
Since Western Armenia is overwhelmingly populated by the Kurds, "we have to enter into talks with the Kurds. We need a new kind of dialogue. We have to build bridges. We should assist them in their struggle of independence, and eventually receive part of Western Armenia through their support," said Mr. Kojayan.
"There are new realities in Turkey. Turkey is like a volcano now. It can erupt any time. We should revise our relations with the various levels of Turkish society in light of Hrant Dink's assassination and the resulting public outcry," pointed out the author and added that for most of the above reasons he plans Turkish and English versions of the book. Proceeds from the sale of the Armenian version would help defray translation and publishing costs.
At both events in Toronto and in Montreal the books were sold out within minutes after Mr. Kojayan's talk and slide show.
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