Armenian church in Arizona to erect monument commemorating 9/11Armenian Genocide victims

On April 22, 2011, St. Apkar Armenian Apostolic Church of Arizona will unveil and dedicate Arizona’s first memorial monument to the victims of the 9-11 tragedy and the Armenian martyrs of April 24, 1915, the church says in a news release.

The monument, by California-based sculptor Kaspar Gharibyan, will stand across the church, where there are plans to create a reflection area.

The unveiling will take place at 7 pm in the presence of state, county, and local dignitaries, ecumenical leaders, and representatives of Arizona State University. St Apkar Armenian Apostolic Church is located at 8849 East Cholla Street, Scottsdale.

The purpose of the monument is to commemorate the innocent lives lost and to make a stand against terrorism. It is the only one of its kind to be erected in Arizona. The monument will later be consecrated on September 9th, 2011.