Makari signed a memorandum of understanding with Haigazian University to publish the memoirs of journalist Harutyun Zenyan
The celebration was opened with a speech by the Director of the University Publishing House, Dr. Antranik Daxyan, in which he welcomed Minister Al-Makari and the audience and praised Zinnian’s writings and his rich intellectual and humanitarian career.
Arslanian
Then Arslanyan spoke and said: I love you, Lebanon. These were the words of her grandfather Harutyun every day in the Armenian language. She was thankful to Minister Makari for sponsoring the event, and to Heidostian and the director of the publishing house for their interest and great efforts in publishing the diaries of the journalist Harutyun, who was born in 1890 in the city of Gaziantep in Turkey and died in 1983 in Lebanon. The late journalist, my grandfather, had a great passion for writing and writing, in addition to photography.
I hope to see his articles and writings soon in a unified book that will be published in English and Armenian. And there should be a Minister of Information in the new ministry, like Minister Al-Makari in his love and activity.
Atabekian
Then the Armenian ambassador spoke and said: The celebration is very important to me because it focuses on important memoirs of the life of a great journalist, who documented his diaries and the events that this region went through and the injustice and persecution that the Armenians were subjected to in a past stage. A people who forgets their past has no future. The other thing is that I participate in most of the events of Haigazian University, the only Armenian university outside Armenia, and in all the events it organizes, Minister Makari, a dear friend of the university and the Armenian people, participates. The thing that sparks my love for participating in activities in Lebanon is the richness of this country in diversity and multiplicity of cultures and languages, and Lebanon is built on this richness in diversity and pluralism.
Makari
Then Minister Al-Makari gave a speech in which he said: About six years ago, Sera Arslanian told me that her grandfather had written his memoirs while he was coming to Lebanon, and this idea remained in my mind to find the appropriate opportunity to publish these memoirs. Of course, as an architect, I have no room to engage in work like this. Kind, but I promised her that I would publish these writings to serve Lebanon, Armenia, and the region. Until, as fate would have it, I was appointed Minister of Information, I passed by this ancient university every day, and I always said that I would visit it, and my friend Michel de Chaderfian gave me the opportunity to come here, and I came and talked about the project, and we will undertake this project for several reasons. As fate would have it, your grandfather was a journalist, which made things easier for me so that we, as the Ministry of Information, could be sponsors and partners.
He added: Why today? Because the region is in a state of turmoil and minorities face many challenges. Syria is not fine, nor is Turkey or Iraq, and Lebanon is a refuge for every oppressed and persecuted person, a refuge for every freedom seeker who wants to practice his beliefs, convictions, and cultural and religious rituals. We live together, and this is something we are proud of. Lebanon’s strength is not its oil, trade, or economy. Rather, Lebanon’s strength lies in its diversity, culture, and people. When we celebrated Beirut as the capital of Arab media, I remember that the late Michel Edde used to say that the Lebanese were bilingual and then became trilingual. This idea prompted me to proudly put everything on screens in four languages: Arabic, French, English, and Armenian.
This is a very important topic for me. The Armenian community gave a lot, despite the injustice it was exposed to and the tragedy it experienced. It came and joined in a country it loved, as Lebanon and Armenia are one country.
He concluded by thanking Arslanyan for her precious trust, and announcing the signing of the agreement to publish the articles and writings of journalist Harutyun, in which he documented the lives of a people subjected to migration, murder, and persecution.
Haidostian
Then the President of Haigazian University spoke and said: This intimate event carries with it at least three connotations: the lessons of the past, especially through personal experiences of creativity and resilience, and here lies the importance of encouraging and enabling families to share their heritage and experiences with others. The role of the media in disseminating the facts on the ground honestly, in order to illuminate the lives of people and societies. Higher education, and in this case Haigazian University, as a fundamental pillar of society, and as a permanent source of knowledge available to all.
