The Armenian General Benevolent Union celebrates its centenary this week. Inas Mazhar consults with the institution's Egypt President Berdj Terzian, finding out about history, culture and lifestyle Nora Koloyan, Armenian-Egyptian journalist, sums it up, "Most of us hate it when someone accuses us of not being Egyptian. Egypt is our homeland, after Armenia. Even when we go abroad, whether for tourism or business, we can't stay too long away from Egypt; it's the only home we know." Koloyan's husband, Ara, agrees: "Since Armenia became independent -- 10 years now -- we have been going almost every year. We own a piece of land there and we might even start a business on it. But it has never occurred to us to leave Egypt, because this is our home. It's the same with friends of ours: they might own apartments in Armenia. Still, they just go for visits." And with their own church and social structure, including schools, four cultural and three sporting clubs, and two daily newspapers, EgyptianArmenians, though no more than 10,000 living more or less exclusively in Cairo and Alexandria, are in many ways a country unto themselves. They marry from within the community; their children bear Armenian names. The aforementioned couple, for example, both went to Armenian schools, from whence to Egyptian universities. Their two boys are named Ashod and Mher. This is not to say that they are not assimilated; rather, simply, that they feel perfectly at home. They mingle freely, but they are eager to preserve their cultural identity -- language, heritage, customs. "It is important for us to carry Armenian names," Nora explains, "especially now our numbers are on the decline. Our children will attend Armenian schools and, like us, grow up speaking, first, Armenian, then Arabic." Yet such a stance is not universal, and some Armenians have been sending their children to non- Armenian schools: "It depends on the parents. Sometimes they are looking for a better education or other languages..." If some Armenians are willing to compromise education, few will do the same with marriage. As Nora points out, marriage within the community is generally regarded as the only means to long-term survival: "Nowadays, some Armenians will marry non-Armenians, but it's still rare. It all depends on the presence of a parent who is capable of preserving identity by speaking the language at home, having presumably taught it to their partner..." Garo Varjabedian, heir to Garo Studios, gave up his work as a telecommunications engineer in favour of photography, which he studied in the US and Germany to maintain the time-honoured family business. "It's been over 70 years since my family started this business," he says, "and I see it as part of the Armenian heritage. I would be very offended," he concurs, "if people were to accuse me of not being Egyptian. We are loyal to this country -- I even attend football matches to support the national team. I've only been to Armenia three times in my life. This is my home, and my roots are here. Even those who claimed Armenian nationality and emigrated -- they too look to Egypt as their place of origin..." Varjabedian stressed the importance of preserving language and culture for "a minority", following the wave of emigration following nationalisation in the 1950s: "Those who remained are the ones who managed to maintain their businesses only, and they are relatively few. Many of us live here, however, we are not in isolation. We grew up with Egyptians; they are our neighbours and close friends." Marrying a Palestinian from Jordan met with resistance from the family, but Varjabedian's wife is now learning Armenian and enjoying her time in the community. He intends to give his children Armenian names and send them to Armenian schools: "They're better in every way: fewer pupils, good teachers and Arabic, English and French languages..." For his part Viken Djizmedzian, a dentist, places himself at the end of a successful line of EgyptianArmenians in that profession. Yet he has chosen to enroll his two daughters in a French rather than an Armenian school: "I graduated from a French school myself. I don't believe they'll be missing anything -- we speak Armenian at home and in almost every other context; my younger daughter's poor Arabic bears testimony to this. Maybe they won't have the opportunity to study Armenian history in depth, but I think being around the community makes up for that." An active member of AGBU-Egypt, Djizmedzian feels strongly about preserving Armenian identity: "This is the fourth generation of Armenians in Egypt, so nobody can say we are not pure Egyptians; though of European origins, for example, many Armenians are by now as conservative as Egyptians. I did my compulsory military service just like any Egyptian. Our looks notwithstanding, that's really what we are. Still, for the new generation to sustain the rituals and traditions, thus helping preserve our distinct identity beyond looks, that cannot be a bad thing."
