Qatari Armenians get organized

 

Posted: 7th May 2004

 

Archbishop Gorun Babian, Catholicosal Vicar of the Prelacy of Kuwait and Arabian Gulf Countries pays official visit to Armenians of Qatar.

 

Based on previous arrangements, Archbishop Gorun Babian arrived Qatar on 28th April 2004, having in mind the necessity of providing the Qatari Armenians with religious and national structure, since the Armenian Community there has witnessed considerable expansion in the number of Armenians in the recent years.

 

In the airport, Archbishop Babian was welcomed in the VIP lounge by the Lebanese Consul and by Mr. Arsen Hallajian, a prominent Armenian who has been living in the country for the last forty years. Der Aram Deyirmenjian (from UAE) joined the Delegation.

 

On the evening of the first day Archbishop Babian was invited to have dinner in the residence of Mr. & Mrs. Shahen Shahsouvarian, together with many of the Community members. It has to be mentioned here that Archbishop Babian has already visited the Qatari Armenians twice during the last one year, for the purpose of organizing the Armenian Community life there. During those visits he has also met with leaders of the Anglican, Catholic and Coptic Churches.

 

Armenian Holy Mass was conducted on 30th April afternoon in the Coptic Church. This was the second time that an Archbishop of Armenian Church attends Holy Mass in Qatar (Archbishop Yeprem Tabakian visited Doha three years ago and presided Holy Mass ceremony in the same Coptic Church of Doha, on 26 April 2001, as Catholicosal Vicar of the Prelacy of Kuwait and Arabian Gulf Countries).

 

Qatari Armenians have come from many countries including Lebanon, Syria, Iran, France, US and lately Armenia.

 

Taking the opportunity of conducting Badarak in Doha, Qatar, many Armenians asked Archbishop Babian to deliver Hokehankisd for the peace of the souls of their beloved ones.

 

In the evening Qatari Armenians invited the Archbishop and his Delegation to a dinner in “Marriott” Doha Hotel. The opening word was delivered by Mr. Arsen Hallajian. The children of the Community, under the supervision of Mrs. Maggie Kouzoumjian, performed a cultural program. Archbishop Babian delivered his speech to the attendants and mentioned that, based on his information, the number of Armenians in Qatar has increased to about 170 persons (up to only 70 just one year ago). He expressed satisfaction that the majority of them attended the Church and evening gathering. He referred to the desire of the Community to get organized. “For this purpose I have already appointed a National Authority consisted of nine persons”, he said and added that soon the names will be announced to the public. (We should remind the reader that we always advocate democracy and we are not in favor of appointments, a widespread practice in or Armenian reality which is not consistent with the spirit of our National Constitution of 1863 and the subsequent Constitutions adopted by the Cilicia Catholicosate including the last adjustments of 1992. We can regretfully say that the appointment system can be a cause of division in a society, depriving capable members from their right to participate in running the Community affairs. Furthermore, it is not allowed in our Constitution to appoint a laymen body by a religious authority. We need to avoid doing the same mistakes).

 

Archbishop Babian called the present and absent members of the Community to cooperate with the National Authority and to organize the Community life of Qatari Armenians, especially to open a weekly school that will teach the children our mother tongue and will help to preserve our generations in the Diaspora.

 

On 30th April 2004, Archbishop Babian and ten Qatari Armenian, with their spouses, were invited to an official Reception in the residence of the Lebanese Ambassador Mr. Hasan Saad. Ambassador Saad highly praised the contribution of the Lebanese Armenians in Lebanon and wished that they get organized in Qatar and retain relations with Lebanon.

 

Archbishop Babian thanked the Ambassador for caring for all official procedures related to his arrival and movements in Qatar and thanked the Arab Nations who has welcomed the Armenians during the dark years of the Armenian Genocide. Also he thanked the Arab countries for providing shelter to Armenians and for furnishing them with the opportunities to develop and flourish as individuals and as communities.