Wednesday, August 3, 2022
No Result
View All Result
Asbarez.com
NEWSLETTER
ՀԱՅ
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
Asbarez.com
ՀԱՅ
No Result
View All Result

Following the Footprints of Armenians in the UAE

by Catherine Yesayan
August 9, 2021
in Columns, Community Links, Latest, Top Stories
2
Following the Footprints of Armenians in the UAE

Saint Gregory the Illuminator Church in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

BY CATHERINE YESAYAN

Where do I begin to tell you how my travels took me to the fascinating Dubai…

I was in Yerevan when a friend told me that there’s a group trip from Yerevan to Dubai, a major city of the United Arab Emirates. UAE was one of the first destinations that had opened up its borders after the travel restrictions put in place due to COVID-19.

I grabbed the opportunity to visit Dubai, see its futuristic glamour, and also meet the Armenian community and write a report.

My last trip before the pandemic, where I visited an Armenian community and wrote about its history, was Istanbul, which was in October of 2019—  afterwards the world shut down.

Let’s take a look at how Dubai went from a fishing village to a global sensation and a futuristic city.

Dubai is one of the seven states of the AUE—with Abu-Dhabi as its capital. Prior to the discovery of oil reserves in the Emirates, the key industry of the Emirates was pearl diving and fishing.

In the 1950s, before the discovery of oil, if you were to travel to Dubai you would have seen that it was mostly inhabited by Bedouins, who were engaged in cultivation of dates, breeding camels and goats, as well as fishing and pearl diving.

With the discovery of oil and natural gas, both on land and in its waters, the United Arab Emirates moved away from its earlier dependence on pearl trading, fishing, and agriculture, into an economy dominated by natural resources.

  • The exterior of Saint Gregory the Illuminator Church in Sharjah

Eventually the little oil that was discovered in the 1950s went towards building the Dubai we know today. Dubai began shipping its oil in 1969 and gained independence from Great Britain in 1971, becoming one of the UAE’s seven emirates.

The late Sheikh Rashid, who had a great vision and leadership, began transforming Dubai from a small cluster of settlements in the 1950s to a modern port as it became the Port Rashid.

Sheikh Rashid’s vision allowed the UAE to push ahead with ambitious plans for the development  of economy and distribution of wealth for his people. Today, of the nine million living in Dubai only one million are natives. The locals are totally insured for life by the government.

During half a century, Dubai exploded in growth, with wonders of cutting-edge buildings such as the Burj Khalifa, which is the tallest building in the world. 

To learn about Armenians in the Emirates, I contacted the office of the Armenian Church in Sharjah, a city in the Emirates—about an hour away from Dubai. 

I got an appointment to see the prelate of UAE, His Grace, Bishop Mesrob Sarkissian. He explained the arrival of the Armenians in the early 1960s and gave me a book about the history of Armenians in the Emirates. Most of my information about the Armenians is from that book, written by Dr. Shoghig Ashekian.

The arrival of Armenians in Dubai, goes hand in hand with the development of Dubai. With the beginning of oil production in the 1950s, a small number of Armenians from Iran, Syria and Lebanon settled in the Emirates for economic and job opportunities.

Prelate of the UAE and Qatar His Grace Bishop Mesrob Sarkissian

Among the first Armenians — their number was around 20 people — were engineers or craftsmen, such as ironsmiths, car technicians, etc. The main purpose was to mostly give services to the newly established oil companies. Today, the number of Armenians in the whole Emirates has reached 10,000.  

Among the first service businesses that Armenians offered was a mechanic shop that Levon Djougdjougian started. It was called “Garage Boustani,” which still exists. 

The first Armenian barber in Sharjah, was Robert Simonian from Iran. Agheksandr was an Armenian engineer from Tehran. He built single homes for wealthy locals. Haykaz Tahmazian, from Iran, was an ironsmith. He established his own company in 1976 by the name of “Yerevan Steel.”

Another Notable person was Shavarsh Baghdoyan from Damascus, who opened a photography shop in Sharjah in 1971. He became the photographer of the Emirate’s Sheikh and the latter presented him a piece of land as a gift. Baghdoyan built his own home on that parcel. He still lives there.

I should mention that, in those early days, Armenian employees or office worker faced the hardship of the climate. There was the extreme heat, no air-conditioning, and the scarcity of drinking water. All this made life very difficult. The majority of the early Armenians who arrived in UAE were single men who stayed under tents.

In the 1960s there was a Persian restaurant in Dubai, which became a hub for the young Armenians. They met there and got to know one other.

  • A classroom at the Ara Knanoyan Sunday School
  • A classroom wall decorated with photographs of notable Armenian authors

In the early 1970s and 1980s, due to the Lebanese civil war, the Islamic Revolution of Iran, and the Syrian government’s law that allowed exemption of military service — in return for a fee and also on condition of working in Gulf countries — there was an influx of Armenians in the UAE .

Around that time, the Armenian communities of Sharjah and Dubai seriously started to look into ways to preserve their identity by opening a church, a school, and a community center.

At that time, Kuwait, another Gulf nation, had already established an Armenian administrative center and a church. In 1979, UAE went under Kuwait’s pontification.

It is noteworthy to mention two individuals as pillars of the community. First, Dikran Tashjian who is the founder and former director of the bank of Sharjah, as well as Hrayr Soghomonian, an engineer. These two, alongside of a few others, took on the responsibility of creating an Armenian center in Sharjah

Abu-Dhabi is the capital of UAE. The Armenian Church of Holy Martyrs of Abu-Dhabi was consecrated on December 12, 2014. On that same day, the Armenian National Prelacy of Abu-Dhabi was founded. 

The Ara Knanoyan “one-day-school” is connected to the Church. The school opened its doors in May of 2016 and currently has 36 students enrolled. The embassy of Armenia in the UAE is in Abu-Dhabi. The land for the construction of the Armenian Church in Abu-Dhabi was gifted by the Crown Prince of Abu-Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan in 2006. 

Now about the Armenian Church and the school in Sharjah. The parcel on which the church and the school of Sharjah are built was donated by Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasmi in the request of the Catholicos Aram I. The name of the church is Saint Gregory the Illuminator, or Sourb Grigor Lousavorich (in Armenian). 

The school next to the church bears the name “Ohannessian,” who was its benefactor. However, most of the money for the construction of the church and the complex was collected through donations made by local Armenians.

The church was consecrated and ordained in 1998 by Catholicos Aram I, who visited the Emirates for that special occasion. In her book, Dr. Shoghig Ashekian writes, “The celebration of the opening of the church lasted two days during which the Armenian community experienced an unforgettable times…”  

The school, which occupies the whole second floor of the complex next door to the church, operates once a week on Saturday mornings. The enrolled number of students varies from 150 to 180, consisting of Armenian youth between the ages of three to 16-years-old. The school has 13 classrooms. Each classroom bears the name of an Armenian author. The students of each classroom get to learn about that writer’s life and his works during the academic year.

I visited the school, and I was truly impressed by the arrangement of the classrooms and the displays of art. The kids have courses in religion, Armenian language, history, and culture. They are also exposed to Armenian songs and dances. At the complex, there’s a banquet hall which is used for community gatherings, events, and other occasions.

The first Armenian language publication in UAE was a periodical aimed for teenagers, called “Tebi Yerkir.” The paper was initiated by a group of young Armenians. However, today, members of the Armenian community follow the Armenian news online. 

In 1981, the community of Sharjah started a theatre group. They called it “Theatre 81.” The group performed various plays written by Armenian playwrights. Today, there’s no longer a theatre group.  

The three main groups of Armenians in UAE are from Syria, Lebanon, and Iran. There is also a number of Armenians from Jerusalem, Ethiopia and Iraq. As of late, there are even Armenian families from Armenia who have moved to the UAE.

Most Armenians consider the Emirates to be a temporary place to live until they can get a visa to move to other countries, such as America, Canada, or Europe.

A foreigner in the UAE can apply for a residency visa, but not a permanent residency permit. The residency visa must be renewed every two or three years. Foreigners there don’t have the right to apply for citizenship.

I also should mention that, in the UAE, there are around 20 Armenian-owned factories and businesses. The employees of Armenian owned business are Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and a small number Arabs. 

These were the most significant accomplishments made by the Armenian community of the UAE. I hope it was worth your time.

Catherine Yesayan

Catherine Yesayan

Next Post
27 U.S. Representatives Demand Investigation into Turkish Drone Program

27 U.S. Representatives Demand Investigation into Turkish Drone Program

Comments 2

  1. Vahe says:
    12 months ago

    My late father moved to UAE in 1981 as a civil engineer graduate of the University of Tehran. RIP

    Reply
    • Catherine says:
      12 months ago

      Thanks for your comment and sharing your personal relation with UAE?

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Through Use of Force, Azerbaijan is Forcing Concessions from Artsakh, Says Human Rights Defender

Through Use of Force, Azerbaijan is Forcing Concessions from Artsakh, Says Human Rights Defender

3 hours ago
Russia Again Blames Azerbaijan for Ceasefire Violation

Russia Again Blames Azerbaijan for Ceasefire Violation

5 hours ago

Connect with us

  • About
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

© 2021 Asbarez | All Rights Reserved | Powered By MSDN Solutions Inc.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports

© 2021 Asbarez | All Rights Reserved | Powered By MSDN Solutions Inc.

Accessibility

Accessibility modes

Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.

Online Dictionary

    Readable Experience

    Content Scaling
    Default
    Text Magnifier
    Readable Font
    Dyslexia Friendly
    Highlight Titles
    Highlight Links
    Font Sizing
    Default
    Line Height
    Default
    Letter Spacing
    Default
    Left Aligned
    Center Aligned
    Right Aligned

    Visually Pleasing Experience

    Dark Contrast
    Light Contrast
    Monochrome
    High Contrast
    High Saturation
    Low Saturation
    Adjust Text Colors
    Adjust Title Colors
    Adjust Background Colors

    Easy Orientation

    Mute Sounds
    Hide Images
    Virtual Keyboard
    Reading Guide
    Stop Animations
    Reading Mask
    Highlight Hover
    Highlight Focus
    Big Dark Cursor
    Big Light Cursor
    Navigation Keys

    Asbarez.com Accessibility Statement

    Accessibility Statement

    • www.asbarez.com
    • August 3, 2022

    Compliance status

    We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of circumstance and ability.

    To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.

    This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.

    Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML, adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.

    If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email

    Screen-reader and keyboard navigation

    Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements, alongside console screenshots of code examples:

    1. Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. Additionally, the background process scans all of the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on as soon as they enter the website.

      These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.

    2. Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside of it.

      Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

    Disability profiles supported in our website

    • Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
    • Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
    • Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
    • ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
    • Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
    • Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

    Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments

    1. Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
    2. Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over 7 different coloring options.
    3. Animations – epileptic users can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
    4. Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
    5. Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
    6. Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
    7. Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.

    Browser and assistive technology compatibility

    We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers), both for Windows and for MAC users.

    Notes, comments, and feedback

    Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs, there may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to