LOS ANGELES--With
the tour of duty of Armenia's current Consul General to Los Angeles
Armen Liloyan nearing its end, Asbarez has learned from reliable
sources that President Serzh Sarkisian has signed an order
appointing Grigor Hovannisyan to fill the post.
Prior to assuming this post, Havannisyan served as the founding
director of the Shushi Revival Fund, which was established by
Yerevan Mayor Yervand Zakharian.
Hovannisyan will begin his tour on February 1.
The ARF Western US Central Committee is planning a reception in
Liloyan's honor Wednesday evening.
Sudan Turns to Turkey for Help Dodging Genocide Charges
ANKARA (Hurriyet)--Sudan
appealed to Turkey Tuesday for support in a bid to save Sudan's leader
from being arrested by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the
crime of genocide.
The ICC issued a warrant for the arrest of Sudan's president Monday on
charges of genocide and crimes against humanity in the country's Darfur
region. The warrant had been requested by the chief prosecutor of the ICC
in July, 2008.
Sudanese Vice-President Ali Osman Mohammed Taha paid an official visit to
Ankara Tuesday and met Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for
talks on how to avoid the warrant.
During the meeting Taha asked Erdogan to block any possible attempts
against Al-Bashir that might come to the agenda of the United Nations
Security Council. Turkey was elected in October as a non-permanent member
of the Council for two years.
The ICC was established by the Rome Statute signed in 1998 by more than
130 countries, of which 106 have ratified the convention setting up the
court.
The U.N. Security Council in 2005 asked the ICC to investigate the
genocide in Darfur with the support of the United States, China and Russia
-- three of the five U.N. Security Council permanent members with veto
power -- despite their rejection of the court. The other two permanent
members -- France and Britain -- have ratified the convention.
The UN estimates the up to 300,000 people have been killed and 2.7 million
forced to flee their homes as a result of the genocide perpetrated by the
Sudanese Leader.
Sudan says 10,000 people have died and denies charges that its soldiers
and allied militiamen committed war crimes and genocide there.
February 4, 2009
Mel Gibson Not Filming Armenian Genocide Documentary
HOLLYWOOD (Hollyscoop)--There
are several reports and rumors circulating the internet that movie mogul
Mel Gibson is planning on shooting a documentary about the Armenian
Genocide.
The documentary, "The Forty Days of Musa Dagh," was going to address the
genocide that took approximately 1.2 million Armenians lives during WWI.
To this day, the Turkish government has done everything it can to sweep
the facts about the Armenian genocide under the rug. And apparently Mel
was ready to address them on the big screen.
According to the reports, actor Sylvester Stallone was also set to partake
in the movie, but declined the role after he received 3,000 e-mails from
the ASIMED organization.
Hollyscoop contacted Mel Gibson's rep Alan Nierob to get confirmation on
the project, but he assured us there is "No truth to it whatsoever."
So what's next for Mel? He's going to play a homicide detective who
investigates the death of his activist daughter in his next flick, 'The
Edge of Darkness'.
February 4, 2009
Jews Check Armenian Genocide Stance
WASHINGTON (Jerusalem
Post)--An official with a leading American Jewish organization told the
The Jerusalem Post on Monday that a deterioration in Israel-Turkey
relations might prompt his group and others to reconsider Armenian efforts
to win US recognition for the Armenian Genocide.
A bill that would ensure such recognition by the US, which was backed by
Rep. Adam Schiff failed to make it to a Congressional vote in 2007.
However, it sparked a row in the American Jewish community between those
who sided with Turkey in an effort to protect Israel's political
interests, and those who argued that Jews were particularly responsible
for helping other groups block the public denial of genocide.
"No Jew or Israeli in his right mind will insult Turkey," the official
told the Post. "But next time... they might not come to Turkey's aid or
equivocate quite so much on the issue."
The Bush administration opposed the bill out of concern for what it would
do to US-Turkey relations.
The current blowup between Israel and Turkey comes amid expectations that
the Obama administration will name academic and writer Samantha Power, an
expert on genocide, to a key National Security Council post dealing with
multilateral institutions. Power has been outspoken in labeling the
Turkish massacre of Armenians genocide, albeit from outside the
government.
One Washington-based Jewish community leader said Jewish organizations
were unlikely to reorient their views and begin backing legislation to
recognize the Armenian genocide, arguing that this would only make a
delicate situation far worse.
"If organizations aren't backing Armenian genocide resolutions because of
the Turkish-Israeli relationship and their concern about the Turkish
Jewish community, I don't think they would change now," he said. "Those
same concerns remain, and those same pressures remain."
Anti-Defamation League head Abraham Foxman -- whose opposition to the
Armenian genocide legislation in 2007 provoked widespread criticism --
told the Post that as long as Israel maintained its diplomatic ties with
Turkey, he saw no immediate reason to change his position on any future
genocide resolutions.
"This is not a punishment or a reward issue -- we don't change our
position on what's right or wrong based on what people say," Foxman said.
"The interests between Israel and Turkey continue."
Foxman also noted that he knew of Jewish friends who had cancelled trips
to Turkey over Erdogan's comments, but described the Erdogan flap as a
disagreement between "friends."
"There have been some very inappropriate harsh statements by the
leadership, especially by the prime minister, which we think are
inappropriate," he said, "but they have not changed the basic relationship
[with Israel]."
February 4, 2009
UCLA to Host 7th Annual Graduate Student Colloquium in Armenian Studies
LOS ANGELES--The
Armenian Graduate Students Association at UCLA will have its seventh
annual Graduate Student Colloquium in Armenian Studies at UCLA on Friday,
February 20. This day-long academic event is open to the public and will
begin at 9:30 AM and be held in UCLA's famous Royce Hall, room 314.
This year, the organizing committee has set out to continue the fine
tradition that began in 2003 with the launching of the first-ever
international colloquium in Armenian Studies developed specifically for
graduate students by graduate students. It provides an opportunity for
students to actively and significantly contribute to the academic
environment on campus.
UCLA, a premier institution for the growing field of Armenology and a
leader in interdisciplinary studies, is hosting this event to further
foster the development of Armenian Studies, facilitate interaction between
graduate students and faculty from various institutions, provide a medium
for the exchange of ideas, and contribute to the professional and academic
advancement of graduate students.
Studies from multiple fields will be presented, including history,
education, archeology, sociology, musicology, theology, anthropology and
art history. Presenters are graduate students coming from universities and
countries all around the world, including UCLA California State University
Fresno, University of Montana-Missoula, Florida International University,
The University of Chicago, Columbia University, University of Michigan,
New School for Social Research, and multiple institutes within the
Republic of Armenia.
The colloquium is made possible, in part, by the financial contributions
of a number of departments, programs, and centers at UCLA including the
Center for Near-Eastern Studies, the Center for Indo-European Studies, as
well as the Graduate Division of the UCLA administration. The committee
also received financial support from the Campus Programs Committee of the
Program Activities Board.
The event is free of charge and open to the public. The event will begin
at 9:30 with a breakfast. The organizers are also providing lunch and a
closing reception dinner.
Below is a schedule of topics to be
presented at the colloquium:
Session 1
10:15 - 10:35
Hasmik Hovhannisyan -- Archaeology and Ethnography, National Academy of
Sciences (Armenia) "The Currency and Diffusion of Byzantine Anonymous
Folles in Armenia According to Coin Finds"
10:35 - 10:55
Hazel Antaramian-Hofman -- Art and Design, California State University
of Fresno (USA) “The Visual Identification and the Tracing of the
Cultural Provenance of the Textile Motifs found in the Eleventh-Century
Miniature Portrait Painting of King Gagik-Abas and his Family”
10:55 - 11:15
Dianna Mirijanyan -- Archeology and Anthropology, National Academy of
Sciences (Armenian) Armenian Construction Ceramic in Western and Eastern
Building Cultural Context"
11:50 's 12:10
Arda J. Melkonian -- Education & Information Studies, UCLA (USA)
"Code-Switching Practices in an Armenian Private School"
12:10 - 12:30
Doris K. Melkonian -- Education & Information Studies, UCLA (USA) "How
Gender is Played Out in an Armenian Private School"
12:30 - 12:50
Sossi Essajanian -- Anthropology, New School for Social Research (USA)
"Educating the Future Citizens: Considering Nagorno-Karabagh's Education
System"
2:30 - 2:50
Jeremy Johnson -- Anthropology and History, The University of Michigan
“Reading New Woman Aloud: Literacy and Gender(ed) Performances in Early
Soviet Armenia”
2:50 's 3:10
Diana K. Ter-Ghazaryan -- International Relations, Florida International
University (USA) “'For the Benefit of Yerevan's Residents'”: Post-Soviet
Transformations and National Identity in Armenia's Capital"
3:10 - 3:30
Milena Oganesyan -- Anthropology, University of Montana-Missoula (USA)
"St. Norashen Church: A Perspective from Inside"
3:30 - 3:50
Hamlet Melkumyan -- Cultural Anthropology and Cultural Studies, Yerevan
State University (Armenia) "Presenting and Re-shaping Armenian
Traditional Cultures in the Yerevan Vernisage"
4: 20 - 4:40
Melissa Bilal -- The University of Chicago, Ethnomusicology (USA) "Teotig's
Amenun Daretsuyts%u015 and its Kegharvesdagan Pages"
4:40 - 5:00
Tsolin Nalbantian -- Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures,
Columbia University (USA) "Competing Sites in the Development of a
Nation: The Armenian Press in Lebanon (1946-1956) in Armenia's Capital"
DUBAI (ARF
Press Service)--An unprecedented $5 million dollars was raised over the
weekend at a gala benefit for the Armenian Revolutionary Federation's
political activities throughout the world. The benefit gala, held Saturday
at the Festival City Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai was attended by
hundreds of benefactors and presided over by His Holiness Aram I,
Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.
The event's contributions surpassed previous such gatherings held in
Geneva in 2001 and in Paris in 2005.
The global economic crisis did not deter benefactors from stepping forward
this year and recognizing the important work of the ARF's international
political offices in the last four years. The money raised will greatly
elevate the work of Hai Tahd in meeting the challenges facing Armenia's
foreign policy priorities.
Presided over by Catholicos Aram I, a large number of businesspeople and
ARF members and supporters from Europe, Russia, the Middle East and
Armenia came together to reaffirm their commitment to the political
activities of the ARF. More than 250 donors took part in the event.
Members from the ARF's ministerial rank in Armenia, Arsen Hamabrtsoumian,
Aramayis Grigorian and Spartak Seyranian were joined at the event by their
counterpart in Lebanon Andre Tabourian. Members from the ARF's Armenian
parliamentary bloc and the ARF's Lebanon member of parliament, Hagop
Pakradouni were also at the gala. Also present were Armenia's Ambassador
to the United Arab Emirates Vahagn Melikyan, Armenian Relief Society
Central Executive chairwoman Vicky Marashlian, as well as the majority of
the ARF Bureau and directors of Hai Tahd offices in Europe, the Middle
East and Moscow.
Shahe Barsoumian, a Master of Ceremonies and a member of the organizing
committee, welcomed the guest and those who were unable to attend for
their continued support and generosity. He discussed the various the
activities of the ARF's political offices around the world, underscoring
the positive impact of their work on Armenia's standing in the world.
Representing the UAE and Dubai region, Hrair Soghomonian welcomed those
gathered and throughout the evening recognized the donors who had
generously contributed to the event.
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian's message was read by Armenia's
Education Minister Spartak Seyranian.
“New components are continually being added to the concept of %u218Hai
Tahd',” said Sarkisian in his message, adding that international
recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the just resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are being supplemented by new challenges. “We
need to assist in the strengthening of our homeland.”
The second Master of Ceremonies, ARF Bureau member and chairman of the ARF
parliamentary bloc, Vahan Hovannesian, presented the gathered guests with
a list of donors.
With a message to “believe, work and triumph,” ARF Bureau chairman Hrant
Markarian addressed the gathering, expressing gratitude to the generous
benefactors gathered at the event on behalf of the organization.
Markarian said the network of Hai Tahd offices are “effectively second
embassies in Washington, Brussels, Moscow, Beirut and Tbilisi. They
coordinate and marshal the efforts of Armenians and our friends toward
elevating Armenia's political stature internationally, securing economic
assistance to Armenia, defending rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh,
the realization of the international recognition and condemnation of the
Armenian Genocide and to counter Turkish and Azeri anti-Armenian
propaganda.”
Markarian added that defense of the Armenian Cause was, for decades, an
undertaking and priority of the Diaspora. He welcomed that Armenia and its
population have now joined the fight for justice, making Hai Tahd a truly
pan-Armenian reality.
At the conclusion of the event, Catholicos Aram I addressed the gathering
highlighted the pan-Armenian nature of Hai Tahd, commending the current
Armenian leadership for elevating the Armenian Cause within the country's
foreign policy priorities. He called the event not merely a fundraiser but
rather an opportunity to renew the commitment toward the successful
fruition of national aspirations.
Renowned and popular singer Rouben Hakhverdian entertained the guests
during the banquet.
A DVD chronicling the ARF's political activities in Europe, Russia and the
CIS, the Middle, and within international bodies was distributed to the
guests and donors.
February 2, 2009
Major
American-Jewish Organizations May no Longer Back Turkey in Congress
BY HARUT
SASSOUNIAN
There are serious indications that Israel and
American-Jewish organizations are no longer willing to
support Turkey's lobbying efforts to block a congressional
resolution on the Armenian Genocide.
The dispute between the two strategic allies began with
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan harshly denouncing
Israel's incursion into Gaza and accusing the Jewish state
of committing crimes against humanity. He suggested that
Israel be barred from the United Nations as mass
demonstrations were held throughout Turkey with banners that
read: "Gaza will be a grave for Israel" and "Put Israel on
trial for war crimes." Israel's Consul General in Istanbul,
Mordehai Amihai, told Milliyet that the consulate received
hundreds of anti-Semitic e-mails every day during the
fighting in Gaza.
Initially, Israeli officials expressed their displeasure
through diplomatic channels. But as the anti-Israel rhetoric
intensified, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister publicly
warned Turkey that Tel Aviv might retaliate by acknowledging
the Armenian Genocide. Last week, Israel's Prime Minister
Olmert invited the leaders of France, Britain, Germany,
Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic to dinner in Jerusalem
after their summit meeting in nearby Egypt. Significantly,
Turkey's President Abdullah Gul, who also had attended the
summit, was excluded from the dinner.
American-Jewish organizations, which had for years supported
Turkey's denialist agenda on the Armenian Genocide in the
U.S. Congress, were highly incensed by the Turkish
condemnations of Israel. The American Jewish Committee sent
a letter to Erdogan on January 8, to express its "grave
concern over recent official statements" by Turkey's Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister. On January 21, a second
letter was sent to Erdogan, this time signed by five leading
American-Jewish organizations, expressing their "profound
concern over the current wave of anti-Semitic manifestations
in Turkey."
In their joint letter, the American Jewish Committee,
Anti-Defamation League, B'nai B'rith International,
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish
Organizations, and Jewish Institute for National Security
Affairs complained about "gravely distressing" recent
incidents: "Protestors besieging the Israeli Consulate in
Istanbul have expressed their hatred of Jews. Billboards
around Istanbul are full of anti-Jewish propaganda posters.
The door of a Jewish-owned shop near Istanbul University was
covered with a poster that said, 'Do not buy from here,
since this shop is owned by a Jew.' The defacing of an Izmir
synagogue has brought about the temporary closure of all but
one of that city's synagogues." The American-Jewish groups
also stated that the Jewish community in Turkey feels
"besieged and threatened. A connection is clearly perceived
between the inflammatory denunciation of Israel by Turkish
officials and the rise of anti-Semitism."
Ironically, Abraham Foxman, ADL's National Director, who is
now complaining to Prime Minister Erdogan about
anti-Semitism in Turkey, had presented a prestigious award
to him in 2005. Foxman conveniently overlooked the fact that
four days before he gave that award to Erdogan, the Middle
East Media Research Institute, based on a report from
Hurriyet, revealed that Erdogan in 1974 had written,
directed and played the lead role in a play called "Maskomya,"
an acronym for the triple "evils" of Masons, Komunists
(Communists), and Yahudis (Jews).
Having given Erdogan one of ADL's highest awards, Foxman
must have been shocked by the Turkish Prime Minister's
recent criticisms of Israel. Foxman told Milliyet last week:
"Turkey was our friend. We were friends. I still can't
believe it. I am very sad and confused. The Jews in Turkey
are threatened;. They feel encircled;. The Prime Minister
spoke very harshly. We were friends. How did we come to this
situation?" Jacob Isaacson, an official of the American
Jewish Committee, was also unhappy with the Turkish
reaction. "Once you start poisoning the well, you do not
know where it leads," he said. Moreover, an unnamed
American-Jewish leader was quoted as saying: "This time, we
are going to face great difficulty. In the past, we defended
the Turkish position, not only because Turkey was right, but
also because we were friends." Yet another American-Jewish
official, washing his hands from further involvement in
Turkey's lobbying efforts on the Armenian Genocide, told
Milliyet: "Count us completely out of this problem. We don't
believe Congress should deal with it. Let Armenia and Turkey
resolve it between them."
In another indication of diminishing support for Turkey
among Jewish circles, Prof. Benjamin Yafet advised this
writer that he had "very reliable information that all major
American Jewish organizations are now fed up with Turkey and
are ready to support the Armenian Genocide resolution."
It appears that this time around Israel and American-Jewish
organizations will not be as forgiving as they have been in
the past, in the face of persistent and vicious anti-Semitic
attacks emanating from Turkey. After the loss of lobbying
support from American-Jews, Pres. Obama's election, and
Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress, Turkey is
expected to have great difficulty in the coming months to
block a renewed attempt to pass a congressional resolution
on the Armenian Genocide. Faruk Logoglu, Turkey's former
Ambassador to Washington, should know! He told Milliyet:
"The Jewish lobby is the strongest in the United States and
the only one supporting Turkey. Therefore, the letter of
disappointment sent to Erdogan [by 5 Jewish groups] is of
great importance."
Mayor Villaraigosa Remembers Genocide
Survivor Kademian
LOS
ANGELES--In a statement released Tuesday, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa honored the memory of Ghazaros Kademian, one of the oldest
remaining survivors of the Armenian Genocide and a longtime ANCA
supporter.
Kademian passed away on January 24 at his home in Glendale, California.
Born in Zeitoun in 1907, he lived a life full of faith and dedication.
Villaraigosa recalled the remarkable his remarkable life and stressed the
importance of recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
“Ghazaros Kademian's story is one of survival and strength, courage and
conviction, passion and purpose,” the LA Mayor said. “He emerged from one
of the darkest chapters of human history and worked to shed light on the
tragedy of the Armenian genocide.”
“We were all blessed by his spirit, commitment, dedication and service,
Villaraigosa said, adding that he hoped he hoped Kademian's passing would
serve as a reminder “of our collective obligation to honor the memory of
those who perished and recognize the facts of past atrocities.”
During his tenure in the State Assembly and as Los Angeles Mayor,
Villaraigosa has repeatedly demonstrated his steadfast support for the
Armenian community and has been a consistent supporter of Armenian
Genocide recognition resolutions.
"As Ghazaros looks down upon each of us, may his life and legacy inspire
us all to continue exposing
January 27, 2009
Javakhk
Leaders Charged with Spying, 'Militant' Actions
TBILISI, JAVAKHK (A-Info)--A Tbilisi court Saturday charged two Javakhk
Armenian community leaders Grigor Minasyan and Sergei Hagopjanyan with
alleged involvement in organizing "armed groups" and spying. The two are
to remain in custody for two months pending a trial.
Minasyan and Hagopjanyan were arrested last Wednesday, when Georgian
Special Interior Ministery forces, backed up by Tbilisi police, ambushed
the two and remanded them to custody in the capital.
Minasyan, who is the director of Armenian Youth Center, was stopped on the
way from Akhalkalak to Akhaltskha. During the arrest police from Tbilisi,
who had traveled all the way to Akhalkalak handcuffed Minasyan and
videotaped the entire process.
Hagopjanyan, who is the director of the "Charles Aznavour" Benevolent
Organization was attending a funeral at the time of his arrest.
The two have retained counsel and were present in court, along with their
relatives Saturday.
The incident has left the Javakhk Armenian community stunned. The
community believes that this is a direct effort by Georgian authorities to
destabilize the Armenian community, adding that this was not the first
attempt by Tbilisi to baselessly arrest Armenian community leaders.
The "Virk" political party issued an announcement severely criticizing the
Georgian government for what it called "obviously anti-Armenian" attacks.
The announcement explained that the Georgian authorities were baselessly
targeting those forces in the community who are active politically and did
not refrain from raising issues critical to the Armenians of Georgia and
Javakhk, specifically.
"We call on--and, why not, warn--the Georgian authorities to not pull the
Armenians of Javakhk in their dirty and divisive games," said the
announcement, which went on to demand the immediate release of the two
leaders.
The community has been gathered at the Armenian Youth Center to hear
leaders and come together in the face of this attempt at destabilizing the
community. A special Mass was also said at the church in Akhalkalak.
On Wednesday Tbilisi police raided their residences but found nothing. The
two were moved to a prison facility in Tbilisi. The Council of Armenian
Organizations immediately retained counsel and has reported the incident
to Georgia's Human Rights Defense Committee.
Prior to the arrests the same group of interior ministry forces raided the
Akhalkalak Youth Center, where young children were at dance practice. The
law enforcement agents confiscated cell phones from instructors and
students and placed the center under lockdown. The children were forced to
stay in the center for three hours, during which the Special Forces
confiscated the center's computer hard drives and several books from the
library and took photos of the library and its contents.
January 26, 2009
Genocide
Survivor, ANCA Activist Passes Away
LOS ANGELES--Ghazaros Kademian,
a longtime ANCA supporter and one of the oldest remaining survivors of the
Armenian Genocide passed away on January 24 at his home in Glendale,
California. Kademian, who was born in the historic city of Zeitoun in
1907, lived a life full of faith and dedication.
Over the past several years he had become a regular attendee at community
events organized by the Armenian National Committee, the Armenian Youth
Federation and Homenetmen.
"Sadly, this past weekend our beloved Ghazaros was called home," stated
Armenian National Committee Western Region (ANC-WR) Chairman Vicken
Sonentz-Papazian. "The story of the Armenian nation in the 20th and 21st
century is encapsulated in the tragedy, struggle and rebirth of Ghazaros
Kademian. While we bid farewell to our dear friend and colleague we are
inspired by his indomitable will and remain forever indebted to the
countless sacrifices he made in securing our future," he added.
At the 2007 ANC-WR Annual Banquet Mr. Kademian was saluted by U.S. Senator
Robert Menendez, who hailed him as a symbol of the Armenian will to
survive and persevere. Mr. Kademian attended several Armenian Youth
Federation (AYF) events including the annual protests at the Turkish
Consulate on April 24th as well as a hunger strike "Fast for Remembrance"
in January of 2006.
"The life of Ghazaros Kademian serves as motivation for us to continue our
work towards Genocide recognition," expressed AYF WR Chairman Vache
Thomassian. "As time passes, fewer and fewer survivors of the Armenian
Genocide remain but their memory will inspire future generations to seek
justice for the Armenian Cause," he added.
The very last letter written by Kademian was penned to the Turkish
Government in anticipation of an AYF protest held at the Turkish Consulate
on April 24, 2008. Kademian wrote "I pray that the Lord gives you (Turkish
government) the wisdom to stop killing your own people, to listen to your
own intellectuals, and stop killing them in the middle of your cities.
Hopefully I will not wait long, and your government accepts its unjust
actions and proceeds to remedy its mistakes. Ninety three years. No more
tears."
"Ghazaros Kademian was and will remain an iconic Armenian hero. He
represented our tragic past, our resurrection as a people and our common
journey for justice," stated ANC-WR Board Member Raffi Hamparian. "His
life was touched by genocide, but also by faith and family. His death
reminds us all of the need to continue his support for the Armenian
Cause. As Oliver Wendell Holmes once wrote, 'At the grave of a hero we
end, not with sorrow at the inevitable loss but with contagion of his
courage and with a kind of desperate joy we go back to the fight'," added
Hamparian.
To mark his 100th birthday last year Mr. Kademian insisted on making a
very generous donation to the ANC-WR to support the organization's
education and outreach efforts. Kademian miraculously survived the
Armenian Genocide of 1915 and found a new home in Baghdad, Iraq. While in
this newfound country, he helped the Armenian community by being an
advisor and leader. A strong survivor of the genocide, Ghazaros and his
wife Azadouhi raised three wonderful children; Ohannes Kademian, Asdghig
Kaladjian, and Anahid Kademian.
On May 18, 2005 as a part of the Congressional Record, Congressman Adam
Schiff (D-CA-29) honored Kademian noting that, "The courage of survivors
like Ghazaros Kademian reminds all mankind of the extraordinary strength
and determination of the Armenian people who endured the unspeakable
atrocities perpetrated against them by the Ottoman Empire; ;It is our
sacred obligation to honor the memory of the one and a half million men,
women, and children systematically murdered during the Armenian Genocide;
;The story of Ghazaros Kademian's family is terrible and tragic, but not
uncommon. It is our responsibility to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide
and collectively demand reaffirmation of this crime against humanity."
In lieu of flowers, the Kademian family is encouraging community members
to provide tax-deductible donations to the ANC-WR at 104 North Belmont
Street, Glendale, CA 91206. For more information please call the ANC-WR
offices at (818) 500-1918.
The Armenian National Committee - Western Region is the largest and most
influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the
Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices,
chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and
affiliated organizations around the country, the ANC-WR advances the
concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.
January 26, 2009
Angered by Turkish Criticism over Gaza, Israel May Recognize Armenian
Genocide
BY HARUT
SASSOUNIAN
Enraged by the
abrasive tone of Turkey's condemnation of Israel's attack on Gaza, Israeli
officials and Turkish analysts are now raising the possibility that Tel
Aviv may retaliate either by recognizing the Armenian Genocide or refusing
to help Turkey to lobby against a congressional resolution on the
genocide.
This unexpected turn of events was in response to Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Erdogan's continued harsh criticisms, accusing Israel of
"perpetrating inhuman actions which would bring it to self-destruction.
Allah will sooner or later punish those who transgress the rights of
innocents." Erdogan qualified Israel's attack on Gaza as "savagery" and a
"crime against humanity." He also refused to take calls from Israel's
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and rejected a request by Israeli Foreign
Minister Tzipi Livni to visit Ankara.
Israel initially downplayed the hostile comments emanating from Turkey.
The Jerusalem-based DEBKA file reported that "a deep crisis in
Turkish-Israel relations appears to be the first strategic casualty of
Israel's offensive to suppress Hamas' rocket campaign." An Israeli Foreign
Ministry official told Turkey's ambassador to Israel that such harsh words
were "unacceptable" among friendly nations. Another Israeli official
added: "It would be necessary to evaluate the damage to the relationship
that these [Erdogan's] comments have caused."
In a January 5 editorial, the Jerusalem Post escalated the level of
Israeli displeasure by questioning Turkey's credibility on passing
judgment on other countries: "On balance, we're not convinced that Turkey
has earned the right to lecture Israelis about human rights. While world
attention focuses on Gaza, Turkish jets have bombed Kurdish positions in
northern Iraq. Over the years, tens of thousands of people have been
killed as the radical PKK pursues its campaign for autonomy from Turkey.
Kurdish civilians in Iraq complain regularly that Ankara's air force has
struck civilian areas where there is no PKK activity. The next Israeli
government should weigh whether Israel can accept as a mediator a country
that speaks, albeit elliptically, of our destruction. Meanwhile, if Turkey
persists in its one-sided, anti-Israel rhetoric, the Foreign Ministry
might consider recalling our ambassador in Ankara for consultations."
Finally, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister, Majalli Whbee angrily lashed
back at the Prime Minister of Turkey. Several Turkish media outlets quoted
Whbee as stating: "Erdogan says that genocide is taking place in Gaza. We
[Israel] will then recognize the Armenian related events as genocide."
Whbee, a member of the Israeli Knesset and a close confidante of Prime
Minister Olmert, issued the following warning to Turkey: "We, as Israel,
hope that Prime Minister Erdogan's statements will not damage our
relations. But, if Turkey does not behave fairly, this will have its
consequences."
While it is unlikely that Israel would reverse its long-standing refusal
to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, it may decide not to accommodate
future Turkish requests to have American Jewish organizations to lobby
against a congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide.
Commentator Yigal Schleifer explained in his Eurasia Net article that
Erdogan may "find himself walking a tightrope when it comes to distancing
Turkey from Israel. Ankara has long depended on Israel to act as a conduit
to Washington and to American Jewish organizations who have frequently
acted as a kind of surrogate lobby for Turkey in Washington. In the past,
Jewish organizations have been instrumental in helping Turkey block
efforts to introduce resolutions in Congress recognizing the Armenian
genocide of 1915. 'There is real anger with Erdogan on Capitol Hill and
among people who follow Turkey in Washington,' says a Washington-based
consultant who closely monitors Turkish affairs. 'Nobody is threatening
anything right now, or knows if there are going to be repercussions, but
this is going to have an effect.' Adds the consultant: 'There is a sense
that Erdogan has used up a lot of good will.'"
The Turkish newspaper, Hurriyet, in a January 9 editorial, tried to
downplay the consequences of the Turkish anger at Israel, by stating that
the latter hopes "the Jewish lobby in the United States; will ensure,
through its clout on issues such as preventing Armenian genocide bills,
that Turkey falls in line;. It is suggested that if Turkey does not fall
in line, that same lobby will punish her by refusing to help on this
score, or even by ensuring that such bills pass."
Turkish columnist Barcin Yinanc described in Hurriyet the absurd situation
Turkish leaders will find themselves in a couple of months: "When April
comes, I can imagine the [Turkish] government instructing its Ambassador
to Israel to mobilize the Israeli government to stop the Armenian
initiatives in the U.S. Congress. I can hear some Israelis telling the
Turkish Ambassador to go talk to Hamas to lobby the Congress. Erdogan's
harsh statements against Israel have certainly not gone unnoticed in
Israel;. I am sure the Israeli government as well as the Jewish lobby in
America will not forget these statements."
Turkish leaders may wish to remember that the last time they irritated a
prominent Jewish-American congressman, he retaliated by supporting
congressional action on the Armenian Genocide. Cong. Tom Lantos, a
Holocaust survivor and a staunch opponent of the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide, surprised everyone in 2005 when he voted in favor of a
congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide in the House
International Relations Committee. Lantos disclosed that he was backing
the Armenian resolution in order to teach the Turks a lesson for not
supporting the U.S. on the eve of the Iraqi War.
In the coming days, Turkey's relations with Israel may further deteriorate
as Turkish politicians, journalists, and leaders of non-governmental
organizations urge Erdogan to go beyond mere words and expel Israel's
Ambassador from Ankara, recall Turkey's Ambassador from Tel Aviv, cancel
all military and economic agreements with Israel, and ban over flights by
Israeli pilots in Turkish airspace. Erdogan may resort to such punitive
actions in order to appease widespread anti-Israel anger by large segments
of the Turkish public prior to local elections which are critical for his
ruling political party.
January 26, 2009
Israel,
Turkey and the Politics of Genocide
President Obama - I
love saying those words - has momentarily united the world. Almost. Among
the exceptions, though barely noticed by the mainstream media, is the
estrangement of Turkey and Israel, previously staunch allies in the
turbulent Middle East.
At first blush, this alliance may seem counterintuitive, but in fact it
makes good strategic sense for both countries. Israel gets a warm working
relationship with one of the largest Muslim countries in the world, while
enriching Israel's all-important industrial-military complex. Less than
two months ago, for instance, came the news of a deal worth $140-million
to Israeli firms to upgrade Turkey's air force. In the hard-boiled,
realpolitik terms that determine Israel's strategies, it's a no-brainer.
Almost.
In return, Turkey gets military, economic and diplomatic benefits. But it
also gets something less tangible, something that matters deeply for
reasons hard for outsiders to grasp. As part of the Faustian bargain
between the two countries, a succession of Israeli governments of all
stripes has adamantly refused to recognize that in 1915 the Turkish
government was responsible for launching a genocide against its Armenian
minority. Some 1.5-million Armenian women, men and children were
successfully killed.
I should make clear that this Israeli position is not held casually. On
the contrary. Over the years Israelis, with a few notably courageous
exceptions, have actually worked against attempts to safeguard the memory
of the Armenian genocide. (The bible on this issue is the excellent book
by an Israeli, Yair Auron, called The Banality of Denial: Israel and the
Armenian Genocide, 2003.)
For many, this may well be a pretty esoteric sidebar to the world's many
crises. But readers need to understand that every Turkish government for
almost a century now has passionately denied that a genocide took place at
all. Yet the vast majority of disinterested scholars of genocide have
publicly affirmed that it was indeed a genocide, one of the small number
in the 20th century (with the Holocaust and Rwanda) that have
incontestably met the definition set down in the UN's 1948 Genocide
Convention.
For Armenians in the Western world, even after 94 years, nothing is more
important than persuading other governments to recognize this. For Turkish
authorities, even after 94 years, nothing is more important than
preventing that recognition. In that pursuit, Israel has been perhaps
Turkey's most powerful ally. After all, if the keepers of the memory of
the Holocaust don't acknowledge 1915, why should anyone else?
But the Israeli-Turkish bargain goes well beyond Israel. Not only is
Israel, of all the unlikely states in the world, a genocide denier, but
also many established Jewish organizations in other countries, especially
the United States, have followed suit. In the United States, those who
argue that denying the Holocaust is psychologically tantamount to a second
holocaust have taken the lead in pressuring presidents and Congress
against recognizing the reality of 1915. Resolutions calling for
recognition are regularly pushed by American-Armenians and their many
supporters. Jewish groups regularly lead the opposition. Some believe that
members of these groups in fact understand perfectly well the rights and
wrongs of the case. But a mindset that backs any and all Israeli
government initiatives trumps all else. And successfully. Repeated
attempts in Congress to pass this resolution has failed, even though the
list of nations that now recognizes the Armenian genocide has grown
steadily and, thanks to Stephen Harper, now includes Canada.
It is this rather unseemly, if not unholy, Israeli-Turkish deal that has
been among the many victims of the latest Israeli attack on Gaza. Whether
the Israelis anticipated it or not, the Turkish government turned against
its erstwhile ally with a vengeance, pulling few punches. Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Erdogan accused Israel of "perpetrating inhuman actions
which would bring it to self-destruction. Allah will sooner or later
punish those who transgress the rights of innocents." Mr. Erdogan
described Israel's attack on Gaza as "savagery" and a "crime against
humanity."
Israel formally described this language as "unacceptable" and certain
Israeli media outlets have raised the stakes. The Jerusalem Post
editorialized that given Turkey's record of killing tens of thousands of
Kurds in northern Iraq, "we're not convinced that Turkey has earned the
right to lecture Israelis about human rights." Israel's deputy foreign
minister was even more pointed: "Erdogan says that genocide is taking
place in Gaza. We [Israel] will then recognize the Armenian-related events
as genocide." Suddenly, genocide turns into a geopolitical pawn.
It isn't easy to choose a winner in the cynicism stakes here. Here's what
one Turkish columnist, Barcin Yinanc, shrewdly wrote: "When April comes, I
can imagine the [Turkish] government instructing its Ambassador to Israel
to mobilize the Israeli government to stop the Armenian initiatives in the
U.S. Congress. I can hear some Israelis telling the Turkish Ambassador to
go talk to Hamas to lobby the Congress."
I'm guessing some readers work on the naive assumption that an event is
deemed genocidal based on the facts of the case. Silly you. In the real
world, you call it genocide if it bolsters your interests. If it doesn't,
it's not. It's actually the same story as with preventing genocide.
What happens now? Candidate Obama twice pledged that he would recognize
the Armenian claim of genocide. But so had candidate George W. Bush eight
years earlier, until he was elected and faced the Turkish/Jewish lobby.
Armenian-Americans and their backers are already pressing Mr. Obama to
fulfill his pledge. With the Turkish-Israeli alliance deeply strained, the
position of the leading Jewish organizations is very much in question this
time. Whatever the outcome, be sure that politics, not genocide, will be
the decisive factor.
January 26, 2009
Western US
ARF Family Loses Two of Its Own
GLENDALE--The Western
US Armenian Revolutionary Federation lost two of its active leaders when
long-time activist and former Central Committee member Megerdich
Megerdichian passed away Thursday after suffering a heart attack.
On Friday morning, the Western US lost another former Central Committee
member Hrair Der Grigorian who passed away after a long illness.
On behalf of all ARF members, the ARF Western US Central Committee offers
its deepest condolences to the Megerdichian and Der-Grigorian families.
Inauguration
Dispatch: Call for Unity and Promise of Accountability
BY ARA
KHACHATOURIAN
President Barack Obama's message of national unity and participation and
his promise of a more transparent and accountable presidency clearly set
the tone for the way the 44th president will be conducting business with a
pledge to be honest with the American people. A refreshing message at a
time when the country is facing immense challenges both at home and abroad
as a direct result of veiled agendas and shady back room politics.
When he took office under sunny skies over the nation's capital, our 44th
president inherited not only a shattered economy and a world in peril, he
also heads into the White House with pledges he has made on how to
confront these challenges and others that would make the world a more just
place in which to live.
As such began a day of unparalleled enthusiasm and emotional excitement,
as history was made. The long journey, which began almost two years ago,
entered its new phase with a unique sense of accomplishment and myriad
potential.
I, along with a group of Armenian National Committee of America activists,
"Armenians for Obama" campaigners and community members, began our day at
5 a.m. when we left the ANCA headquarters near Dupont Circle and began our
trek--on foot--to Capitol Hill. The brutally cold weather did not deter us
in any way to walk for two hours and wait in line for another three to
enter our designated inauguration areas.
As we approached the Hill, we saw thousands upon thousands of other people
who had made the journey to be a part of history and witness first-hand a
changing of a guard in the traditional seamless manner, yet this time
filled with immense hope, optimism and a renewed sense of national pride.
Looking back from the Hill and on Jumbotrons around the area one could
only see people. A sea of people whose convergence began on the Hill and
stretched along the Mall to the Washington monument, Throngs upon throngs
of people carpeted the vast area and its adjacent streets and when Obama
uttered the final words of his oath: "so help me God," it was as if the
entire city exploded in unison. Coupled with the cannon salute, and the
unstoppable cheers from the crowd, so began the new presidency.
We too look ahead with optimism and should foster Obama's calls for unity,
service and accountability in our everyday lives.
A poignant footnote: Once all was
said and done, an African-American man who was standing in front of me
throughout the inauguration turned around, put his arm around me and said,
"It's a new day." He then walked away. Another cheerful roar from the
crowd directed our attention to the sky, where President George W. Bush
and his family were leaving Washington aboard the presidential helicopter.
YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)--Thousands
in Yerevan marked on Monday the second anniversary of the murder of
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, whose life was cut short on
January 19, 2007 by an ultranationalist gunman working on behalf of a
secret underground circle now under investigation in Turkey.
Armenia's Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobian led procession to the
memorial, held at the Dzidzernagapert Genocide Memorial Monument.
"Today the mankind of the world, including the Armenians of the Diaspora,
mourn over Hrant Dink's martyr. He lived his life as a peculiar symbol, a
symbol of independence, freedom, democracy, tolerance. All this was not
forgiven by extremists," Hakobian told reporters after the funeral."With
his death he helped expand the struggle for democracy and freedom [in
Turkey]."
A march through Yerevan to Dzidzernagapert was also organized to
commemorate the life and murder of the Agos editor.
January 21, 2008
Turkey Again
Warns US Over Genocide Recognition
ANKARA (Combined Sources)--In yet another
attempt to dissuade the United States from issuing an official recognition
of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey's foreign minister has warned Barack
Obama's incoming administration on the eve of his historic inauguration
that any U.S. recognition of the genocide could derail reconciliation
efforts between the two neighbors, reported AFP.
"It would not be very rational for a third country to take a position on
this issue... A wrong step by the United States will harm the process,"
the Anatolia news agency quoted Ali Babacan as saying late Friday.
Turkey has "never been closer" to normalizing ties with Armenia, its
eastern neighbor, and a breakthrough could be secured in 2009, the
minister said.
But according to Armenian Revolutionary Federation Political Director Kiro
Manoyan, the opposite is true. "The recognition of the Genocide by the
U.S. can contribute to the improvement of the Armenian-Turkish relations,
not hurt them," he said, speaking to reporters in Yerevan on Monday.
Despite Babacan's claims that Turkish-Armenian relations are thawing,
Ankara continues to derail grassroots attempts at reconciliation between
the two peoples, maintaining instead a series of preconditions for
establishing diplomatic ties with Yerevan. According to Turkey, relations
can only be established once Armenia agrees to a historical commission on
the Armenian genocide and makes major concessions to Azerbaijan in the
Karabakh peace talks. Both Turkey and Azerbaijan severed ties with Armenia
in 1993, closing borders and imposing an economic blockade on Yerevan in a
bid to force Armenia to drop support for the self-determination of the
people of Karabakh and end its campaign for international recognition of
the Armenian Genocide.
Babacan's remarks are the latest in a string of demands on Washington to
stay quiet on the human rights issue. The warning comes a week after news
broke that a group of Turkish intellectuals may get jail sentences
initiating an online apology for what they called the “Great Catastrophe”
of 1915.
The group under investigation is being charged with Insulting the Turkish
Republic under article 301 of the Turkish penal code. The apology
campaign, which began in early December, garnering over 26,000 signatures
in support of the initiative and sparked a long overdue discussion in
Turkey about the Armenian Genocide, a topic still considered taboo.
Babacan, along with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, slammed the
initiative as baseless, and issued stern warnings that the grassroots
apology to Turkey's neighbors could derail attempts at reconciliation with
Armenia.
Obama, who takes office Tuesday, pledged during his election campaign to
reaffirm the US record on the genocide. Washington has traditionally
condemned the massacres, but has so far refrained from terming them
genocide due to concern about straining relations with Turkey, a NATO
member and ally in the Middle East.
January 20, 2008
Martin Luther King's Dream: An Armenian Dream Too
BY ALLEN
YEKIKAN
In
1963, Bethel Bilezikian marched for civil rights at a rally in Boston,
Mass., led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Later that year, on August 28,
hundreds of thousands of civil rights activists marched from the
Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC to hear King
deliver his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. This unprecedented political
action paved the way for the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the National
Voting Rights Act (1965).
Bilezikian could not help but appreciate the historic moment in which she
lived. African-Americans across the country were standing up for their
rights, marching against centuries of inequality and oppression. Their
struggle for freedom and civil rights was the same struggle Armenians
throughout the Ottoman Empire waged as they marched for their own civil
rights in the streets of Istanbul less than a century earlier.
King had a dream. Armenians share that dream. Almost a century earlier,
ordinary Armenians, no older than today's university graduate, were
inspired by the dreams of the literary titans of their day to spark a
similar movement for civil rights.
Driven to change the bleak reality facing the Armenian people, this
generation struggled for freedom in the Ottoman Empire, organizing mass
demonstrations in the Constantinople to raise awareness of their plight
and demand a better future. In the face of massacres and genocide, they
banded together to defend their freedom and way of life. Against all odds,
they established a democratic republic in 1918 that would provide all
Armenian's an equal opportunity, free from subjugation.
The historic significance of this day should not be lost on Armenians, who
throughout their history have been divided between empires, ravaged by
wars and forced into centuries of subjugation. Today, we continue to
struggle for the equality of our nation among the countries of the world.
In America, we fight in the halls of congress for Armenia's equal right to
survival and the just recognition of Turkey's crime against our people.
While in Armenia, we tirelessly work to establish a democracy worthy of
our people.
We must also be conscious of the plight of others. We may live in comfort
today, but it was not long ago that Armenians were robbed of their
ancestry and marched to their death or treated as second class citizens
barred from owning property in Fresno.
January 20, 2008
Armenian Americans Congratulate Obama On Inauguration
WASHINGTON--Armenian American advocacy, civic, religious, charitable, and
educational organizations joined together Saturday in congratulating
President-Elect Barack Obama on his inauguration and outlining the
community's expectations of the incoming Obama-Biden Administration.
The text of the January 17th letter, delivered Monday to the Presidential
Transition Office, and a listing of the signatories is provided below.
January
17, 2009
The Honorable Barack Obama
The President-elect
Office of the President-elect
Washington, D.C.
Dear Mr. President-Elect:
We are writing, as the collective leadership of Armenian
American advocacy, civic, religious, charitable, and educational
organizations, to congratulate you on your historic election as President
of the United States and to warmly welcome your inauguration to this high
office. On behalf of some two million Americans of Armenian heritage, we
look forward to working with you and your Administration to end the cycle
of genocide, strengthen U.S.-Armenia relations, contribute to Armenia's
economic growth, and work toward a fair and sustainable regional peace.
We have, as a community, long admired your principled commitment to ending
genocide, including, of course, the need for urgent efforts to stop the
ongoing slaughter in Darfur. As a vital part of the growing
genocide-prevention movement, our community looks forward to working with
you from the first day of your Administration to end the Darfur Genocide
and to help bring peace to this troubled land.
As a community, we have been proud that you have stood with us as we have
worked toward Congressional commemoration, Presidential recognition, and
Turkish acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide. As you have stated so
eloquently and repeatedly, the facts of this crime are undeniable. The
Armenian Genocide is not an allegation, as the Turkish government
shamefully contends, but rather a widely documented mass crime supported
by an overwhelming body of evidence. Confronting this denial represents
an obligation for America and the entire international community. Our
nation's commitment to the principles of the Genocide Convention, which
just last year marked its 60th anniversary, is rooted in America's values
and cannot be sincerely upheld in our relations with the rest of the world
without an outright recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Our government must clearly and unequivocally condemn the 1915 crime of
race extermination by Ottoman Turkey that, during the course of eight
years, killed one and a half million Armenians, emptied vast areas of the
Armenian homeland, and inflicted grave material harm to every aspect of
the Armenian people's cultural heritage, depriving it, to this day, of its
right to exist on its native soil. Sadly, the inevitable consequence of
Turkey's refusal to acknowledge this crime has been its inability to adapt
to the changing realities in the region. Rather than being a factor for
peace, Turkey has actively contributed to increased tension in the South
Caucasus. Instead of demonstrating a willingness to honestly confront the
past in the spirit of truth and justice, its leaders have sought to
pressure other governments to underwrite Turkey's historic guilt. The
United States should neither be a hostage to Turkey's fears, nor a victim
of its moral failings. For its part, Armenia, which supports
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide as a core element of
its foreign policy, has called for the normalization of relations with
Turkey without any preconditions.
As you have stated on several occasions, America deserves a leader who
speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds forcefully to
all genocides. The clarity of your promise is particularly welcome in
light of the unfortunate practice of past U.S. Presidents to use, under
Turkey's pressure, evasive and euphemistic terminology rather than
directly acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. The term, Armenian
Genocide, is the only one that can meaningfully be used to characterize
the crime committed by Ottoman Turkey. We look forward, in the coming
weeks, to your firm and principled leadership in clearly and unambiguously
ending the sad chapter of the U.S. Executive Branch's capitulation to
pressure from Turkey.
We are particularly encouraged, in this regard, that you will be joined in
your Administration by supporters of Armenian Genocide recognition, among
them Vice President-elect Joe Biden, a 35-year champion of this human
rights issue, and Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton, who, in
January of last year, so eloquently stated that, "our common morality and
our nation's credibility as a voice for human rights challenge us to
ensure that the Armenian Genocide be recognized and remembered by Congress
and the President of the United States." Others in your Administration,
including incoming Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Labor Secretary Hilda
Solis, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and CIA Director Leon Panetta
have also supported Congressional recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
We are also pleased to see that the Congress will be led by two of the
most longstanding advocates of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, Speaker
of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, both of
whom have repeatedly called for full U.S. recognition of this crime
against humanity. We look forward to your leadership with these officials
and others in Congress, among them Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Chairman, John Kerry, and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman, Howard
Berman, to help bring about Congressional recognition of the Armenian
Genocide.
We look forward to continuing, over the next four years, the active
engagement that we established with you and your leadership team during
your service in the U.S. Senate, and more recently during your campaign
for the Presidency. Among the issues that will, of course, remain as high
priorities on our common agenda will be those that contribute to the
growth of U.S.-Armenia relations, Armenia's economic development, and
Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh's security. We welcome your commitment to
expanding bilateral commercial, political, military, and cultural
relations, and are eager to work with you to increase U.S.-Armenia trade
and investment levels and to expand our development assistance programs,
through the FREEDOM Support Act, the Millennium Challenge Account, and
other avenues. We place, as well, a very high priority on U.S. leadership
in lifting the Turkish and Azerbaijani economic blockades of Armenia and
in ending the exclusion of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabagh from regional
commercial and infrastructure projects.
In terms of ensuring a durable regional peace, we echo your call for a
Nagorno Karabagh settlement that respects democracy and self-determination
and encourage you to ensure that these principles serve as the pillars of
any agreement. As you know, a vital key to peace, in Nagorno Karabagh and
around the world, is direct dialogue. For this reason, we encourage
elimination of all artificial barriers to U.S.-Nagorno Karabagh contacts,
communication, and other means of increasing our level of mutual
understanding. With Azerbaijan's President once again threatening war, as
recently as in his New Year's message, it is more important than ever for
the United States to strengthen the current ceasefire, to work through the
OSCE process to secure the commitment of all parties to the disavowal of
force, and, as a matter of high priority for our government, to take
concrete steps to prevent a renewed war in the South Caucasus. Our
ability to advance these and our nation's many other interests in this
strategically pivotal region would be substantially enhanced by a
concerted effort on the part of our government to expand U.S.-Armenia
relations.
Working with you and your White House, Department of State, and Pentagon
staffs on all of these issues, we will, as you stated in your remarks this
past January 19th, "build, in new and exciting ways, upon the enduring
ties and shared values that have bound together the American and Armenian
peoples for more than a century."
Thank you for your consideration of the priorities we have raised in this
letter and for your years of friendship with the Armenian American
community. The enthusiastic and broad-based support the Obama-Biden
ticket received from Armenian Americans during the campaign, including
endorsements from all our leading civic groups and newspapers, reflects
our community's confidence in your leadership and ardent support for the
real change that you have pledged in how our government acts on all these
issues.
We join together in warmly welcoming your victory and look forward to
working with your Administration. In this spirit, we stand ready to meet
with you to discuss these issues in greater detail and also to address the
challenges facing our nation both at home and abroad.
Sincerely,
Apostolic Exarchate for Armenian Catholics
Armenian Bar Association
Armenian Evangelical Union of North America
Armenian General Benevolent Union
Armenian International Women's Association
Armenian Missionary Association of America
Armenian National Committee of America
Armenian Relief Society
Armenian Rights Council of America
Armenian Youth Federation
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern U.S.)
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Western U.S.)
Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural & Education Association
Homenetmen Armenian General Athletic Union
Knights of Vartan
Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church (Eastern U.S.)
Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church (Western U.S.)
Tekeyan Cultural Association, Inc.
United Armenian Fund
U.S.-Armenia Public Affairs Committee
January 19, 2008
Thousands Attend
ARF Day Celebration
More than 1500
community members gathered at the Glendale High School Auditorium Sunday
to take part in the Armenian Revolutionary Federation anniversary
celebration, which provided a wide accounting for activities of the party
in the previous year and highlighted upcoming programs.
Among the
attendees were ARF Bureau member Dr. Viken Hovsepian, leader of the
"Heritage" party of Armenia Raffi Hovannisian, Armenia's Consul General to
Los Angeles Armen Liloyan, Western Prelate Arch. Moushegh Mardirossian,
Western Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, the leader of the Armenian
Catholic community Father Antoine Saroyan, reverend Joe Matossian, as well
as representatives of the Armenian Relief Society and Homenetmen Central
and Regional executives, and the representative of the Hamazkayin Regional
Executive.
The Homenetmen
Glendale Ararat Chapter scouts led flag procession and following the
singing of the US and Armenian national anthems, the program, which was
themed "From Generation to Generation" featured video presentations and
speeches. Masters of Ceremonies Sipan Parseghian and Talar Derderian
walked the audience through the multi-faceted program.
Remarks were
presented by ARF Western US Central Committee chairman Avedik Izmirlian,
ARF Shant Student Association representative Armen Aboulian, followed by
keynote speaker the chairman of the ARF Lebanon Central Committee Hovig
Mkhitarian.
The cultural
portion of the program featured performances by singers Anna Armenakian,
Avo Ashjian, Nersig and Arapo Ispirian.
A.R.F. Western US Chairman Avedik
Izmirlian Speaking at this year's A.R.F. Day Celebration in Glendale.
118 years ago, three young
Armenians came together to plan a revolution. This was not merely a
revolution of politics, but also of ideas. Until the late 19th century,
the thought that Armenians could take charge of their own national fate
seemed as distant as the last Armenian kingdom. Working together and
inspired by their times, contemporary political thought, and the notion
that the success of the nation lied not in the hands of one leader, but
the voice of the organized masses, they changed the course of Armenian
history forever.
Over a 1,000 people gathered at Glendale High School's auditorium on
Sunday, January 11th to recall the founding of that revolution, a
political party called the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF).
Over the last century the ARF has grown from its humble roots in both
size and geography over the past century in its effort to earn the
respect of the people and the right to represent them in the service of
the Armenian nation.
Founded in Tbilisi, Georgia in 1890, the ARF was "born from the need of
the Armenian people to revolt against centuries of oppression,”
exclaimed Aram Kaloustian, a member of the ARF's Western US Central
Committee. This oppression came from both within and outside of the
community. It was the harsh rule of the Sulanate or the Tsarist regime
and the antiquated Armenian societal constructs which discouraged the
individual's ambition to take charge of his or her own civic life.
Its founding ideals of self-determination and social justice reflected
the romantic spirit of the European Enlightenment spreading throughout
the Armenian world. While its founders, Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan
Zorian, and Simon Zavarian were part of a generation of youth educated
abroad in a time of national revival, dreaming of a brighter, freer
future.
This generation observed a people divided between empires, ravaged by
wars and plagued by centuries of paralysis and despair. The bleak
reality facing the nation, long ignored by those in the position to
affect change had grown intolerable for them.
The ARF Dashnaktsutyun, Kaloustian explained, was this generations
attempt “to change that which had seemed unchangeable, to consider
something new, something different, something better for the Armenian
people.”
These ordinary people, no older than today's university graduate, were
inspired by the literary titans of their day to became revolutionary
heroes, fighting for the liberation of a people whose history had been
derailed, relegated to the footnotes of dominating powers.
At first the ARF was a confederation of smaller groups and organizations
united by common concerns and principles. It soon became the standard
bearer of the Armenian Cause, at the forefront of the struggle for civil
rights in the Ottoman Empire, organizing self-defense units during the
Armenian Genocide, as well as founding an independent democratic
republic that would provide a distinct homeland to balance and
compliment the Armenian people's worldwide dispersion.
After the genocide and the collapse of the first Armenian Republic in
1921, The ARF turned its attention to national revival. It built an
international infrastructure to support the development of Armenian
communities in exile. As communities matured and evolved, new
generations joined the ARF to serve the Armenian people with a vision to
thrive in their adopted countries, not merely survive.
An Armenian Red Cross
The building blocks for this enormous project had been laid by the ARF
in the early 1900s, in places like the United States, where Armenians
had come at the turn of the century seeking refuge from Turkish
massacres and repression.
The Hamidian Massacres of the mid 1890s had left over a hundred thousand
dead in the Armenian provinces, triggering a mass exodus of Armenian
refugees to America. In 1910, Khachatour Maloumian (Stepan Agnouni), a
member of the ARF's governing Bureau, set out to create a relief society
in New York to help the growing refugee population cope with the
realities of immigrant life in the United States.
As the ARF's Red Cross, the Armenian Relief Society provided the nascent
community with social support. That most of the newcomers were poor and
working as unskilled factory and mill workers made the establishment of
a social safety net for the community all the more essential.
In 1915, the ARS opened its second chapter in Fresno, followed by
another in Hollywood in 1918. After the Genocide, ARS chapters began to
emerge wherever Armenians resettled, establishing orphanages and schools
and providing social services to Armenian refugees in the Middle East,
Iran, the Americas, and other communities where the ARF had an
established presence.
Today, the ARS has 223 chapters throughout the world with over 16,000
members. The Western United States alone has 26 chapters, 16 Saturday
schools, 5 social service offices, 2 after school Armenian academies and
one Psychological Counseling Center.
After Armenia gained independence in 1991, the ARS set up offices
throughout the homeland, running schools and orphanages throughout
Armenia and Karabakh. The primary mission of the ARS now, just as it was
a century ago, is the “preservation of our communal health and social
welfare,” according to Rima Poghosian who serves on the Western ARS's
Central Executive. Through its social services, she explained, the ARS
works to “ensure the needs of the community are met in order to provide
the foundation for a strong and growing diaspora.”
“Elevate Yourself and Others With You”
A similar vision inspired the creation of the Armenian General Athletic
and Scouting Union, better known as Homenetmen in Constantinople. By the
turn of the century the capital city of the Ottoman Empire had become a
politicized hotbed of Armenian activity focused on national unity.
In 1911, Shavarsh Krissian, a prominent coach and member of the ARF in
Constantinople, wrote of the need to promote community unity through the
cooperation of its athletics organizations. Though the Genocide cut
Krissian's life short and halted his plans for unifying Armenian
athletics, his dream lived on. At the end of World War I, a new group of
Armenians set out to continue Krissian's work, establishing Homenetmen
in 1918.
With “strong mind, strong body” as its creed, Homenetmen set out to
inspire the national spirit of a new generation of Armenian youth,
scattered and scarred by the genocide. Since its establishment, it has
played an essential role in shaping the discipline and leadership
capabilities of generations of Armenian youth. Through its scouting,
athletics and principles of sportsmanship, Homenetmen sought to instill
in youth an awareness of national duty, fraternity, and patriotism.
Today, Homenetmen has over 25,000 members internationally, with
approximately 8,000 members in the Western U.S. alone. The organization
“serves our community, serves everybody at every age level, whether
you're seven years old or 90 years old, there's something for you in
Homenetmen,” stressed its Western US Chairman Steve Artinian. “And
everything that we do, all promotes one thing, becoming a better
Armenian.”
Preserving the Soul of a Nation
The essence of a people can be seen in its culture--such as its
literature, art, and music. The Genocide put an abrupt and brutal end to
an era of cultural revival for the Armenian people, while the collapse
of the first Armenian Republic made refugees out of the Armenian people.
In 1928 the ARF in Cairo set out to establish an organization that would
work to undo the damage of the genocide and preserve the cultural
existence of the Armenian people as they sought to reconstitute their
world.
The Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society was established
on May 28 that year to “to preserve and grow the cultural wealth of the
Armenian people in the Diaspora,” according to Anita Hawatian, a member
of the Hamazkayin Regional Executive in the Western US.
In the years that followed, Hamazkayin chapters began to form throughout
the Middle East, Europe, the United States, Canada, South America,
Australia, and after 1991, the Republic of Armenia.
For more than 80 years now the organization has given generations of
Armenians in the Diaspora an opportunity to experience the rich heritage
of Armenian culture. Its schools preserved and developed the Armenian
literary tradition, while local dance groups refined and modernized the
traditional dances of the Armenian villages.
“Today, Hamazkayin has chapters worldwide in Canada, USA, Buenos Aires,
England, France, Greece, Lebanon, Syria, Australia and Armenia,” said
Hawatian. This organization, founded by a generation of refugees, has
over the decades “established schools (Jemarans) in Aleppo, Beirut,
Marseilles, and Australia. It also has a college for Armenian studies
still functioning in Aleppo. The graduates of which are writing our
Armenian books and newspapers and teaching in Armenian schools
throughout the Diaspora.”
In its formative years, Hamazkayin established the Kaspar Ipekian
Theatrical group to perform Armenian theatrical pieces. Thirty years
later it began publishing what is even today an internationally renowned
monthly cultural magazine, called Pakin.
“A generation saw the importance of reorganization and unity in order to
survive in foreign lands with language and culture intact,” she added.
Fighting in the Halls of Congress
While the ARF were rallying volunteers to hold off the advancing Turkish
armies intent on completing the genocide of the Armenian people at
Sardarabad, an Armenian lawyer was recruiting American public support
for the Armenian cause, fighting for congressional support for the
independence of Armenia. Working alongside Armenia's ambassador, Armen
Garo, Vahan Cardashian rallied countless prominent American officials
and public figures in support of the American Committee for the
Independence of Armenia. The ACIA's efforts led to an official
recognition of the Armenian Republic by the United States in 1919 and
secured President Woodrow Wilson's support for a viable Armenian state
as outlined in the Treaty of Sevres.
Cardashian dedicated his life to the Armenian Cause. Although he was
ultimately unable to prevent US collaboration with Kemalist Turkey, his
sacrifices paved the way for the future efforts of Armenian advocacy in
the United States.
In the late 1960s, the ARF set out to build on Cardashian's legacy,
establishing the Armenian National Committee of America to harness the
budding influence of the maturing Armenian-American community. As a
vital component of the ARF family, the ANCA relies on grassroots
empowerment “to represent, defend and promote the interests of the
Armenian American community in the United States,” explained Antranig
Kzirian, the Executive Director of the ANCA Western Region.
Relying on the strength of local chapters, he added, the ANCA works
today to “secure justice for the Armenian Genocide, insure the survival
of the Republic of Armenia, protect the right to self-determination for
Artsakh, and ensure that our Diaspora institutions--our schools, our
community centers, our churches--all improve and grow as vital
components of the Armenian nation.”
Today, the ANCA oversees a network of more than 50 chapters throughout
the United States all working, individually and in coordination, to
promote Armenian issues in local, state, and federal government. The ARF
has also fostered the growth of an international network of ANC's
throughout South America, Europe, and the Middle East. Each ANC works to
consolidate the political capital of the diaspora in support of the
small and currently landlocked Republic of Armenia.
Meanwhile, the ARF works on the same goals inside Armenia. Participating
in politics as an active political party to "strengthen Armenian
statehood and establish a socially just and democratic system of
government in the country," said Avedik Izmirlian, the chairman of the
Western US Central Committee, commenting on the importance of being able
to help Armenia from both within and without the country.
A Youth Movement to Drive the Cause
The ARF and the subsequent community organizations it established would
not have come into being if it were not for the dedication of countless
young Armenians determined to serve and work for the community's
wellbeing. The significance of this fact was not lost on the ARF as it
grappled with the looming threat of assimilation in the United States.
Joining the collection of Armenian youth groups that had emerged in
America by the early 1930s, the ARF sought to create a sustainable
movement that could inspire, earn the respect, and recruit the next
generation of its leaders. What was needed was an entity that could
consistently organize young Armenians and educate them regarding the
merits of the ARF ideology.
It was from of this need that the ARF commissioned General Garegin Njdeh
to tour the Armenian communities of the United States and create a
national youth organization, the Armenian Youth Federation. By
consolidating smaller groups and setting up new AYF chapters where none
existed, Garegin Njdeh, ensured that Armenian-American youth would be
able to learn tenants and apply the policies of the ARF throughout the
community “at its forefront, leading it on many levels,” said Vache
Thomassian, the chairman of the Armenian Youth Federation's Western
Region.
Established in 1933, the AYF today boasts 31 chapters throughout the
United States and dozens more spread throughout the world. “It organizes
young people to develop and promote ARF policies through political
activism, working for genocide recognition and restitution, and working
within the channels of our federal, local and state government,”
Thomassian explained.
“There are also many community building activities and programs run
annually by the AYF,” Thomassian said, noting, among others, a
beautification campaign to clean up the streets of Little Armenia, and a
summer camp where over 600 Armenian youth spend the week making life
long friendships.
As an educational organization, it organizes community lectures and
discussions on a wide range of topics aimed at raising the awareness of
not only the ARF and its approach to addressing the Armenian Cause, but
also the greater human cause. It also publishes a quarterly magazine
produced entirely by young Armenians.
The AYF has also been active in Armenia. In the late 1980s and early
1990s, as Armenia fought for independence, the AYF raised money in the
United States to supply much-needed funds to the people in Armenia and
Karabakh. Many of its members even traveled to Karabakh to fight
alongside the heroes of the liberation movement. In 1994, the AYF's
Western Region set out to create a program that would build bridges
between Armenians in the Diaspora and the homeland, sending youth to
Armenia and Karabakh in the summers to help rebuild schools, camps, and
churches, devastated by the war and difficult years after independence.
“Youth Corps has provides a way for Diasporan Armenians to connect with
our homeland, to work and see our country and live as actual residents,”
Thomassian said. In 2008, the Youth Corps established a summer camp in
the Gyumri earthquake recovery zone, where program participants served
as counselors for underprivileged children.
The AYF also works with the ARF Student Associations to promote the ARF
and provide Armenian student groups wherever they exist, with support
through “a continuity of work through its experience, resources and
leadership,” he added.
As the numbers of Armenians in the halls of higher education swelled
with the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and their descendents,
Armenian student groups began organizing throughout the United States.
AYF members helped establish many of the nation's Armenian Student
Associations (ASA). Today, the ARF Shant Student Association works in
close collaboration with the ASAs to advance Armenian issues through
America's university system, where the Turkish government has been
waging a fierce battle to erase the history of the Armenian Genocide and
win over a new generation of American leadership.
“The young men and women, who once held guns to defend their land and
people, are now a generation of educated students whose weapon of choice
is knowledge. That generation is the ARF Shant Student Association (SSA),”
exclaimed Caspar Jivalagian, one of its members. “ The SSA works in
close collaboration with the ASA's to address Armenian issues.“
Organizing leadership seminars, youth rallies, and forums on various
topics, the SSA plays an integral role in equipping new young and
educated generations of Armenians with the ARF perspective and the tools
necessary to become activists for a better future within their campus
communities, local communities, and Armenia.
“23, 24, and 31. Those were the ages of the founders of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation," Thomassian aptly noted.
January 14, 2009
MENENDEZ URGES CLINTON TO REAFFIRM
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Asks Secretary of State-Designate to Continue Record of
Armenian Genocide Recognition
During Confirmation Hearing Viewed by Tens of Millions
WASHINGTON, DC - Speaking today during the nationally televised
Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing for the incoming
Secretary of State, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) praised Hillary Clinton's
long record of support for Armenian Genocide recognition and urged her to
continue her principled stand on this core human rights issue as the
nation's top diplomat, reported the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA).
"We want to thank Bob Menendez for raising the need for U.S. recognition
of the Armenian Genocide today during Sen. Clinton's confirmation hearing,
which was watched intently by tens of millions across the United States
and around the world," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA.
"His comments, which cited both the Secretary of State-Designates
longstanding support for the Armenian Genocide Resolution and President
Obama's pledge to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide as President,
reflect the fact that the incoming Administration includes an
unprecedented number of officials with substantial track records of
fighting for the proper acknowledgement and commemoration of this crime
against humanity."
During Senate Foreign Relations Committee questioning, Sen. Menendez
stated:
"I hope that the support that you gave while you were a Senator to the
question of the Armenian Genocide, that the President-Elect has himself
supported, recognition of that. You know, if we are to say never again,
part of that is ultimately the recognition of what has happened so that we
can move forward. And I hope that you will be an advocate of having us get
off of where we have been and move forward to a recognition of that part
of history that is universally recognized so that we can move forward in
that respect."
"And I also hope in a part of the world that's very important to me, on
the question of reunification of Cyprus, that we have honest brokers at
the State Department, at the end of the day. One that recognizes that if
Greek and Turkish Cypriots could work with each other, they would seek a
bi-zonal, bi-communal federation that could move forward and reunify the
island and end the incredible militarization of the island - the most
militarized part of the world per capita. So, I hope that you will look at
those issues. I know the positions you've taken as a Senator and I applaud
them. I hope that they won't change drastically as you move to Secretary
of State."
Secretary of State Designate Clinton responded:
"Senator, we will be looking very closely at those
and other challenging issues with the eye of moving forward and being
effective in responding to these very legitimate concerns."
President-elect Obama and Vice-President-elect Biden have actively,
repeatedly, and energetically called for U.S. reaffirmation of the
Armenian Genocide during their terms in the Senate. Of President-elect
Obama's cabinet level nominees to date, at least four, including Secretary
of State Designate Hillary Clinton, have championed this human rights
issue.
Excerpts of statements by key Obama Administration officials regarding
Armenian Genocide affirmation are provided below.
** President-elect Barack Obama: "The Armenian Genocide is not an
allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a widely
documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence.
The facts are undeniable... America deserves a leader who speaks
truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds forcefully to all
genocides. I intend to be that President." (1/19/08)
** Vice President-elect Joe Biden: "Recognition by the United
States of the Armenian Genocide is not the final goal. The real goal is
the recognition of Turkey - of the Turkish Government - of the Armenian
Genocide and the establishment of a common Turkish-Armenian understanding
of the events and tragedy that took place," stated Sen. Biden. The real
goal is the recognition of Turkey, of the Turkish Government, of the
Armenian Genocide and the establishment of a common Turkish-Armenian
understanding of the events and tragedy that took place." (7/29/08)
** Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton: "I believe the
horrible events perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against Armenians
constitute a clear case of genocide. I have twice written to President
Bush calling on him to refer to the Armenian Genocide in his annual
commemorative statement and, as President, I will recognize the Armenian
Genocide. Our common morality and our nation's credibility as a voice for
human rights challenge us to ensure that the Armenian Genocide be
recognized and remembered by the Congress and the President of the United
States. (1/24/08)
** CIA Director-designate Leon Panetta: "April 24, 1915, signified
the beginning of a systematic attempt by the Ottoman regime to deport and
exterminate Armenians from the Anatolian Peninsula. Over the next 8 years,
1 1/2 million Armenian people were murdered by minions of the Ottoman
Empire. Those who were spared were driven from their homes. It is for
those victims, and it is for all oppressed peoples today, those who have
died and those who survived, that we take time to reflect on the Armenian
genocide and its implications for all of us today." (4/29/92)
** Interior Secretary-designate Ken Salazar: Cosponsor of Armenian
Genocide Resolution S.Res.106. (4/16/07)
** Labor Secretary-designate Hilda Solis: Cosponsor of Armenian
Genocide Resolution H.Res.106. (1/31/07)
** Transportation Secretary-designate Ray LaHood: Cosponsor of
Armenian Genocide Resolution H.Res.106. (8/27/07)
In addition to Administration officials, the U.S. Congress is today led by
among the most energetic and vocal advocates of American recognition of
the Armenian Genocide:
** Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi: "A grave
injustice was committed and the fact that our nation is not officially
recognizing these crimes as genocide is a disappointment." (12/12/08)
** Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid: "It truly saddens me that
after 93 years, the U.S. has failed to acknowledge the Armenian genocide
for what it was." (4/24/08)
** House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman:
"Genocide is a very powerful word, and should be reserved for only the
most horrific examples of mass killing motivated by a desire to destroy an
entire people. Without a doubt, this term is appropriate to describe the
unimaginable atrocities suffered by the Armenian people from 1915 to
1918." (4/27/06)
** Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry:
"Acknowledging when genocide has occurred is not simply a theoretical or
legal exercise. It is key to preventing genocide from happening again.
That's why, in my view, we must change U.S. policy to reflect the true
nature of the tragic events that were perpetrated against the Armenians by
calling them what they were: genocide." (6/19/08)
January 13, 2009
Thousands
Attend A.R.F. Day Celebration
GLENDALE--More than
1,500 community members gathered at the Glendale High School Auditorium
Sunday to take part in the Armenian Revolutionary Federation's 118th
anniversary celebration, which provided a wide accounting for activities
of the party in the previous year and highlighted upcoming programs.
Among the attendees were A.R.F. Bureau member Dr. Viken Hovsepian, leader
of the "Heritage" party of Armenia Raffi Hovannisian, Armenia's Consul
General to Los Angeles Armen Liloyan, Western Prelate Arch. Moushegh
Mardirossian, Western Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, the leader of
the Armenian Catholic community Father Antoine Saroyan, as well as
representatives of the Armenian Relief Society and Homenetmen Central and
Regional executives, and the representative of the Hamazkayin Regional
Executive.
The Homenetmen Glendale Ararat Chapter scouts led flag procession and
following the singing of the US and Armenian national anthems, the
program, which was themed "From Generation to Generation" featured video
presentations and speeches. Masters of Ceremonies Sipan Parseghian and
Talar Derderian walked the audience through the multi-faceted program.
Remarks were presented by A.R.F. Western US Central Committee chairman
Avedik Izmirlian, A.R.F. Shant Student Association representative Armen
Aboulian, followed by the keynote speaker, the chairman of the A.R.F.
Lebanon Central Committee Hovig Mkhitarian.
The cultural portion of the program featured performances by singers Anna
Armenakian, Avo Ashjian and Nersig Ispirian.
Turkish Prosecutor Investigates Armenian
Apology Campaign
ISTANBUL (Combined Sources)--A group of
Turkish intellectuals who initiated an online apology for what they called
the “Great Catastrophe” of 1915 may get jail sentences for 'insulting the
Turkish people', Reuters reported.
A Turkish prosecutor has opened an investigation that could lead to
criminal charges against the authors of the online petition. The state
prosecutor in Ankara is probing whether the group of intellectuals who
offered the apology violated Article 301 of the Turkish penal code, which
criminalizes "insulting the Turkish people," Anatolian reported.
The group under investigation set up the online apology in December,
garnering over 26,000 signatures in support of the initiative and sparking
a long overdue discussion in Turkey about the Armenian Genocide, a topic
still considered taboo in Turkey.
Turkey, a European Union applicant, has promised to expand political
freedoms, such as free speech, and improve minority rights to meet the
bloc's human rights criteria for membership. Turkey changed Article 301
last year in response to E.U. criticism and the law requires the Justice
Minister to approve any court case, but conviction still carries a jail
sentence.
The group of writers, academics and other intellectuals set up a petition
at
www.ozurdiliyoruz.com (We Are Sorry) that offered Armenians a personal
apology and called for the Turkish government to acknowledge the killings.
The statement stopped short of referring to the killings as genocide, a
term strongly opposed in Ankara, but the army and Prime Minister Tayyip
Erdogan slammed those involved.
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said last month that the online petition
could undermine efforts to improve relations with neighboring Armenia,
with which Turkey has no diplomatic ties. President Abdullah Gul, in early
January, followed suit, warning the campaign could have a negative effect
on Turkish-Armenian reconciliation. The two sides launched talks last year
on normalizing relations.
Turkey in the past has prosecuted academics and authors, including Nobel
Prize-winning writer Orhan Pamuk, for remarks criticizing the official
stance on the Armenian issue. In January 2007, Turkish-Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink, who had similarly been prosecuted under Article 301, was
gunned down by a nationalist teenager for advocating a more honest
discussion about the genocide.
Turk Gives
Away Family Land as Genocide Reparation
Encouraged by the recent
apology to Armenians by thousands of Turkish intellectuals and dissidents,
a Turkish citizen has done the unprecedented: Berzan Boti (not his real
name) of Siirt is giving all the land he inherited to an Assyrian
organization. Along with Armenians, indigenous Assyrians were also victims
of the WWI genocide at the hands of Ottoman Empire’s government during
WWI:
Boti’s letter to Sabri Atman,
founder and director of the Assyrian Seyfo Center in Europe who will now
be responsible for the returned land (south of the Lake Van), states:
“When I found out that the
properties that I and my brothers inherited from our father wasn’t our
own, but properties taken from the murdered Assyrians in 1915 I felt an
indescribable feeling of guilt and shame. I’ve been thinking long and hard
before I have come to this decision. I tried to put myself in their
position. I have personally apologized to every Assyrian and Armenian I’ve
meet. But this does not get rid of the crime our ancestors committed. Even
if I am personally not responsible for what happened in 1915, I felt as I
had to do more than just to apologize. Finally, I came to the decision to
give back all properties that I inherited from my forefathers to Seyfo
Center, who struggles for a confession of the Seyfo genocide in 1915”.
Thursday December
8, 2009
ANCA Welcomes 111th Congress
WASHINGTON--As
Armenians around the world celebrated Christmas Tuesday, Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA) staff and activists spread good cheer on
Capitol Hill, participating in the Congressional swearing-in ceremony
kicking off the 111th Congress.
“With a new Congress beginning its legislative session, it was a great day
to be on Capitol Hill, to reconnect with seasoned supporters and to meet
with Members of the freshman class,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram
Hamparian. “In the upcoming weeks, we look forward to expanding on these
meetings here in Washington, DC and around the country as we pursue a
proactive agenda in 2009.”
ANCA Legislative Affairs Director Raffi Karakashian, Legislative Team
Member Garo Manjikian and activists from California, Rhode Island,
Michigan, Nevada and New Jersey spoke with a range of Senators and
Representatives on the upcoming legislative agenda--focusing on Armenian
Genocide reaffirmation efforts, self-determination for Nagorno Karabakh
and efforts to strengthen the U.S.-Armenia relationship.
In all, the ANCA team met with elected officials and staff from over 25
Congressional offices including Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick
Durbin (D-IL), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA), Sen.
Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), as well as House
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Democratic Congressional Campaign
Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) and a range of
freshman Representatives including Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Jared Polis
(D-CO), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Paul Tonko (D-NY).
In total, 94% of ANCA endorsed candidates were elected to the 111th
Congress, with 201 of 211 securing decisive wins in the November 2008
elections. Among those winning in tight House races, with Armenian
American support, were Armenian Genocide Resolution supporters Mike McCaul
(R-TX), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), Tim Walz (D-MD) and
Florida Representatives Lincoln Diaz Balart (R-FL), Mario Diaz Balart
(R-FL) and Ron Klein (D-FL). Armenian American Congresswomen Anna Eshoo
(D-CA) and Jackie Speier (D-CA) won their reelection bids overwhelming
with 70% and 75% respectively. ANC OH chairman Dave Krikorian (OH-2)
garnered an impressive 18% in his independent Congressional bid, laying a
solid foundation for future electoral campaigns.
In the Senate, 12 of 15 ANCA endorsed candidates won their election bids,
including Armenian Genocide Resolution lead sponsor Richard Durbin (D-IL),
John Kerry (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Carl Levin
(D-MI) as well as Mark Udall (D-CO) and Tom Udall (D-NM), who moved from
the House to the Senate.
Thursday December 8, 2009
Garen
Yegparian Kicks-off Burbank City Council Campaign
BURBANK, CA--In what
was described by one attendee as, "the largest kick-off in Burbank this
campaign season," over 75 people helped launch Garen Yegparian's Burbank
City Council campaign on Saturday, in anticipation of the February 24,
2009 Burbank Primary Election.
The event was held at the Burbank home of Lynne & David Gerred, where
Assemblyman Paul Krekorian introduced Yegparian as Burbank residents,
elected officials, and appointed Board and Commission members looked on.
"Garen Yegparian is the kind of person who has the background and
experience to ask the right questions as a councilman," Assemblyman Paul
Krekorian said. "And, in these tough economic times, we need that kind of
person representing us on the Burbank City Council."
Krekorian, is a Burbank resident and served on the Burbank School Board
before being elected to serve Burbankians in Sacramento. Two of
Krekorian's former colleagues, were also in attendance, Burbank School
Board Memebers Dave Kemp and Larry Applebaum.
Other notables at the "Garen for Council Kick-Off", included: Former
Burbank City Councilman Tim Murphy, Burbank Police Commissioner Hagop
Hergelian, Burbank Library Board Member Lee Paysinger, Burbank Civic Pride
Committee Member Robert Idavia, Burbank Art-in-Public-Places Committee
Member Alice Asmar, Burbank Child Care Committee Member Armineh Hacobian,
BWP Commissioner Bob Olson, Landlord-Tentant Commissioner Molly Shore,
Burbank Verterns Commemorative Committee Member Mickey DePalo, Sierra Club
leader Delphine Trowbridge, Los Angeles Environmental Affairs Commissioner
Maria Armoudian , Board of Trustees Member Dr. Hagop Der Mgrdichian of St.
Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church, and South Pasadena Councilman Michael A.
Cacciotti.
"We had a great kick-off today! The size and diversity of today's crowd
indicates the broad range of support that I have in my run for City
Council," Yegparian said. "I will have an open-door policy and will listen
to all segments of our City.”
"I look forward to working with and representing all of the people of
Burbank," he added.
The Burbank Election is conducted by all-mail ballots. Every registered
voter in Burbank will receive a ballot the first week of February and must
return it by February 24, the day the votes are counted.
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