Continuing the tour of her new book, The Sins of the Fathers: Turkish Denialism and the Armenian Genocide, Dr. Siobhan Nash-Marshall gave presentations on January 31st and February 1st in Glendale and Pasadena, respectively. The presentations were arranged by the Christians In Need Foundation (CINF), the Ararat Foundation, Abril Bookstore, and the Armenian Cilicia Evangelical Church in Pasadena.
The presentation in Glendale welcomed a large audience at Abril Bookstore. Opening remarks were delivered by Arno Yeretzian of Abril Bookstore followed by Armine Zakaryan from the Ararat Foundation. Dr. Nash-Marshall was introduced by Rita Mahdessian, Esq., President of CINF, who gave a brief description of the book and the circumstances of not just its American publication, but also its Italian and Armenian releases, the latter of which was by Artsakh State University where CINF is actively involved. Once she began her lecture, the audience was captivated by Dr. Nash-Marshall. Members described her as exceptionally charismatic and demonstrating a keen understanding of Armenian history and Armenian issues. The lecture was followed by a Q&A and a social hour where the audience was eager to discuss the lecture with the speaker.
The following day, a second presentation was held at the Armenian Cilicia Evangelical Church in Pasadena, again packed full of attendees. Senior Pastor Rev. Serop Megertichian welcomed the crowd by discussing the meaning of the book’s title. This was followed by a beautiful cultural demonstration by the youth of Church. Dr. Nash-Marshall was then again introduced in Armenian by Rita Mahdessian and then in English by Helen Haig from the Ararat Foundation. The audience eagerly engaged in the Q&A following the lecture. Audience members from both nights requested that Dr. Nash-Marshall return to speak again in the near future.
Books sold at both events contributed to CINF’s current work to provide educational programs to Armenian-Christian communities in Armenia and Artsakh. This coming March, CINF will be solidifying plans in tandem with Artsakh Universities to offer a variety of courses over the following summer. Classes will include vocational courses in carpentry, metal working, etc. and courses in liberal arts, including English language and Philosophy. CINF has been active in Armenia and Artsakh since 2015, when it began sending young Americans as volunteer teachers to teach, live and connect with Armenian communities.