Hairenik (Armenian: Հայրենիք meaning "fatherland") is an Armenian language weekly newspaper published by the Hairenik Association in Watertown, Massachusetts in the United States. The newspaper belongs to the Armenian political party – Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF). Alongside with ARF, it also reflects Armenian diaspora organization – ANCAs (Armenian National Committee of America) views and opinions.[1]
Type | Weekly newspaper |
---|---|
Owner(s) | Hairenik Association |
Founded | May 1, 1899 |
Language | Western Armenian |
City | Watertown, Massachusetts |
Country | United States |
Sister newspapers | Armenian Weekly |
Website | hairenikweekly |
The newspaper, serving the Armenian American community, was established as a weekly in on May 1, 1899, making it one of the longest-running Armenian publications.[2] It moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 1900, then to Watertown in 1986.[citation needed]
In June 1913, it started publishing once every two days, and in December 1915, it became a daily newspaper, with continuous publication as such until 1991, when it was reduced to weekly publication due to declining readership.[citation needed]
It has had the involvement of prominent Armenian national figures as editors such as Arshak Vramian (1900–1907), Siamanto (1909–1911), Simon Vratsian (1911–1914), and Rouben Darbinian (1922–1968).[citation needed]
Hairenik published early stories by William Saroyan, such as "The Broken Wheel" (1933), written under the pen name "Sirak Goryan".[citation needed]
Leon Tourian was an Armenian Archbishop who was stabbed to the death by ARF members.[3][4][5][6] Before the assassination the Hairenik newspaper published threatening messages like:[7]
"Archbishop Tourian will be punished sooner or later. The day of reckoning will come." . . . "He is going to be sorry for it, and very sorry." . . . "He will get his share, I am sure." . . . "Until Tourian is punished ruthlessly, the bones of our martyrs will not rest in their places."
Even it offered $100 reward to someone who will "teach Tourian a lesson". Later on Tourian asked for police protection.[8]
The newspaper has been criticized for having quotes and thoughts which had sympathy to Nazism, Fascism, Antisemitism, Adolf Hitler, and "race worshipping" etc.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]
Hairenik Association Inc. has also published :
Through the 1930's their paper Hayrenik, still published in Boston, praised Adolf Hitler and his racial policies; and the party's "Race Worship Society" marched in Boston.