TOTAL CAPITAL OF ARMENIA’S BANKING SYSTEM WILL GREW BY 25% BY 2005
YEREVAN, AUGUST 9. ARMINFO. Total capital of Armenia’s banking system
will grew by 25% or by 12.2 bln drams in the current and will reach
61.1 bln drams by 2005. Such is the forecast of commercial banks based
on their strategic plans of development. In particular, a 60.2% growth
of the total capital will be secured due to the expected increase in
the undistributed profits to 14.4 bln drams, which totals 23.5% of the
capital, and 25% due to the raising of the authorized capital, which
will total 39.1 bln drams by 2005. Thus, according to forecasts,
investments by non-residents into the authorized capital will make up
2.4 bln drams within 2004, as a result the share of foreign capital in
the authorized fund will increase by 2.4 per cent reaching 45.7%. The
tendency towards growth of foreign capital in the authorized one will
continue till 2007, reaching 49.2%. Alongside with this, a 33.6%
growth in the undistributed profits is expected, which will reach 21.2
bln drams by 2007.
By 2007, the total capital of Armenia’s banking system will reach 89.6
bln drams, in particular, as compared to the beginning of 2004, the
growth of this indicator will total 83.4%, 34% of which will be the
share of the authorized capital, 57.5% that of the undistributed
profits. In the given period of time, total capital of six commercial
banks will exceed $10 mln, that of the two banks $8-10 mln, the
capital of four banks will total $6-8 mln, that of the remaining 6
banks – $5 mln.
Capital-aggregate assets ratio will reach 18.1% by 2005 and 21.5% by
2007, meanwhile, this indicator was 17.1% at the beginning of 2004.

ARMINFO NEWS AGENCY
August 10, 2004
MEASURES ARE TAKEN TO RELEASE SOLDIER TAKEN PRISONER BY ARMENIANS
BAKU, AUGUST 9. ARMINFOI-TURAN. The State Commission for prisoners of
war, hostages and missed persons is making efforts to release soldier
Anar Misha oglu Samedov. He was taken prisoner by Armenians on Terter
section of frontline last Saturday.
The state commission’s press release reads that Armenia informed the
International Committee of the Red Cross about capture of Samedov.
Measures are taken to release Azeri soldier.
Anar Samedov, born 1983, was drafted to the Army in January of this
year.–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
Aug 10 2004
US Supports Azerbaijan
Baku Today 10/08/2004 18:48
On August 9, Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan received an
American delegation led by Senator Ted Stevens, AzerTag reported on
Tuesday.
The parties discussed bilateral relations in political, economic and
military fields.
`The USA has an important role in the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict as a co-chair of OSCE’s Minsk group,’ Aliyev said.
Stevens focused at Azerbaijan’s involvement in anti-terrorist
coalition in Iraq. He stressed the importance of cooperation between
the USA and Azerbaijan to develop the power resources in the region.
While Deputy Spokesperson at the US State Department, Adam Ereli,
stated that the US doesn’t recognize Nagorno Karabakh as an
independent country, Azertag reported on Tuesday.
`The future status of Nagorno-Karabakh depends on the ongoing
negotiations led by the OSCE’s Minsk group,’ said Ereli. `We are
supporting territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and we don’t believe
that the August 8, elections held in Nagorno Karabakh will have an
impact on the negotiations.’
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway
The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief
===============================================Monday 9 August 2004
TURKMENISTAN: WHY REGISTER WHEN PERSECUTION CONTINUES?
Despite gaining state registration under the much-trumpeted
“liberalisation” of the religion law, secret police raids and
threats against a Baptist congregation in Turkmenistan have not stopped,
Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Last Wednesday (4 August), NSM secret
police raided a meeting for prayer and bible study, arrested participants
for three hours, confiscated bibles and hymn books, and threatened a
“big problem” if meetings continued. Another state registered
community, the Hare Krsihnas, have been told by state officials that they
do not know whether the community should be allowed to operate. A wide
range of religious communities have either been unsuccessful with
registration applications, or do not want to apply because of the harsh
controls they would be subjected to. Asked about making a registration
application, one Jehovah’s Witness said to Forum 18 “Why should we
when persecution continues?”
TURKMENISTAN: WHY REGISTER WHEN PERSECUTION CONTINUES?
By Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service
State registration as a religious community has not halted secret police
raids on and threats against a Baptist congregation. On the evening of 4
August, six National Security Ministry (NSM) secret police officers raided
a private flat in the town of Abadan (formerly Bezmein), near the capital
Ashgabad, where a small group of Baptists were meeting to pray and read the
Bible, reliable Protestant sources have told Forum 18 News Service. After
holding them for three hours and confiscating their Bibles and hymnbooks,
the secret police threatened that any attempt to meet again in Abadan would
cause a “big problem” for Pastor Vasili Korobov and other local
Baptists.
The meeting, led by Pastor Korobov from Ashgabad, had only just begun at 9
pm when six NSM secret policemen raided the apartment owned by Irina
Nazarova. The Baptists reported that they were initially “very
aggressive”, ordering Pastor Korobov and the group not to undertake
any religious activities in the town. Pastor Korobov pointed out that the
Baptists have received state registration from the Justice Ministry
(certificate number 0012, date of registration 25 June 2004), and told the
secret police that he could show them the registration documents the
following day. However, contradicting public official statements, secret
police officers Saparov and Ishanov (first names unknown) both said that,
even if religious communities have registration, they still need 500
members to be able to meet.

The secret police officers held the whole group until just after midnight
and confiscated all Bibles and hymnbooks. The Baptists reported that Pastor
Korobov told one secret police officer that he should not confiscate the
books, to no effect.
Abadan is a particular religious freedom blackspot, with local police in
June repeatedly warning Svetlana Gurkina, a member of a different Baptist
church in the town, that she would be imprisoned and her flat confiscated
if she continued to host religious meetings (see F18News 1 July 2004
). She was also told by
the town’s deputy police chief that “in Turkmenistan only two faiths
are allowed, Islam and Orthodoxy, while the rest are banned.” A group
of non-denominational Christians were fined there in June 2003, chief mufti
Kakageldy Vepaev taking part in at least four secret police raids (see
F18News 3 June and 6 June
2003 ).
Under the much-trumpeted “liberalisation” of the harsh law on
religion earlier this year, which reduced the theoretical threshold for
religious communities to gain registration from 500 adult citizens to five,
only the Baptists, Hare Krishna community and Adventists have been able to
gain registration (see F18News 3 June 2004
). Registration fees are
high by Turkmen standards: the Hare Krishna community had to pay 2,500,000
manats (roughly 100 US dollars [679 Norwegian Kroner, or 82 Euros] at the
black market exchange rate). Average salaries are roughly 1/3rd of this
amount. Contrary to international human rights agreements, unregistered
religious activity remains illegal and punishable by fines.
A wide range of religious communities would like state registration, in
order to try to function legally in the eyes of the government –
including the Catholics, Lutherans, Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Armenian
Apostolic Church, Pentecostals, New Apostolic Church and Shia Muslims. But
all have either been unsuccessful with their registration applications, or
have declined to apply as they are unhappy with the harsh controls they
would be subjected to. (See F18News 28 June
and 13 May 2004
=320).
A Jehovah’s Witness elder from Ashgabad, asked by Forum 18 on 2 August
about his community applying for registration, said “Why should we
when persecution continues? They asked for lists of all our members –
they’ll just summon them one by one. Why should we register and go through
all this persecution? We’re not criminals.” He said that Jehovah’s
Witness congregations cannot meet, as “the police have warned those
who were fined earlier for hosting meetings not to allow more than three
believers to meet together.”
Although fines for religious activity seem to have eased in recent months,
life for religious communities is still difficult. “Our church is in a
desperate situation,” one Protestant pastor who preferred not to be
named told Forum 18 from the Caspian port of Turkmenbashi
[Türkmenbashy] (formerly Krasnovodsk) on 14 July. “The
authorities have more than once and very brutally resisted our earnest
desire to meet and preach the Gospel among the population. Our brothers and
sisters have repeatedly been interrogated and threatened by the secret
police, while many brothers and sisters have been kicked out of their jobs
for their faith.”
Other religious communities, as well as the Baptists, who have been able to
gain registration have also suffered difficulties. One Hare Krishna told
Forum 18 that although the community now has state registration, state
officials do not know whether the community should be allowed to operate.
The Hare Krishna’s have not yet been able to hold open, public religious
meetings, and are still being forced to meet privately in homes.
There also seems to be no change in the government’s strongly expressed
hostility to any form of religious freedom. The exiled Turkmenistan
Helsinki Initiative reported on 5 August that, last week, officials of the
government’s Gengeshi (Council) for Religious Affairs visited the
administrations in all the velayats (regions) of the country to meet
state-approved religious activists, heads of ideological organisations, and
elders to warn them of the threat to Islam posed by officially registered
“non-traditional” religious movements. In particular, Gangeshi
officials singled out the Jehovah’s Witnesses, even though they do not have
official registration.
According to a participant at the meeting held in the hyakimlik (town
administration) of the Mary velayat, in eastern Turkmenistan,
Turkmenistan’s central Gengeshi deputy chairman, Murad Karriyev from the
capital Ashgabad, said that representatives of other religions are far more
active in public activities than followers of Islam. Karriyev complained of
what he described as the greed of many imams, citing the case of an unnamed
prominent imam who was visited one night by a young man who had just stolen
a girl, asking the imam to conduct a religious wedding ceremony for them.
The imam tried to refuse stating that it was late, but when the young man
offered him money, the imam allegedly agreed. According to Karriyev, imams
do not regard working with the people as a priority, unlike the leaders of
the Jehovah’s Witness, Baha’i and Adventist communities who regard
“ideological and agitational activities” among the people as very
important.
In Karriyev’s emphatically expressed view, the worst aspect of this is that
many Muslims are being converted to other religions, and become such devout
followers of the religions they convert to that little can alter their
views. In one case cited at the meeting, a previously devout Muslim became
a Jehovah’s Witness and is now successfully recruiting Muslims. Officials
complained at the meeting that the ability of leaders of non-traditional
religions to convince others is hard to surpass; they successfully did that
“from the underground”. With official registration, they will now
be even more active, which therefore means more successful. Karriyev called
on imams to be more active, and to be aware of other religions which will
operate legally with state registration.
Meanwhile, intermittent protests have continued against the enforced
imposition of President Saparmurat Niyazov’s “spiritual
writings”, the Ruhnama (Book of the Soul), on mosques. Vitali
Ponomarev of the Moscow-based Memorial human rights group reported on 14
July that anonymous anti-government leaflets circulating in Ashgabad in
early July contained calls for Muslims not to go to mosques where the
Ruhnama is cited together with the Koran. Both imams and Russian Orthodox
priests are compelled to make approving references to this book in sermons,
and a mosque has been closed down by the NSM secret police for not putting
the Ruhnama on the same reading stand as the Koran (see F18News 19 November
2003 ).
For more background, see Forum 18’s Turkmenistan religious freedom survey
at

A printer-friendly map of Turkmenistan is available at
tml?Parent=asia&Rootmap=turkme
(END)
© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved.
You may reproduce or quote this article provided that credit is given to
F18News
Past and current Forum 18 information can be found at

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
THE PAN-DIASPORA CONFERENCE IN ANTELIAS CONCLUDES ITS WORK
ANTELIAS, LEBANON – Initiated by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and
organized by the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia an International
Conference on Armenian education was held in the Armenian Theological
Seminary, in Bikfaya, Lebanon from 5-7 August 2004. The theme of the
Conference was “The Armenian Education in the Diaspora”. About one
hundred people from different parts of the world, from communities
living in different political, cultural and religious contexts came
together to focus their attention on issues pertaining to the
Armenian-Christian formation today in a new world setting.
In his opening address His Holiness Aram I identified the concerns and
challenges facing the Armenian Christian education in the context of
pluralistic societies. He addressed a number of critical issues, and then
posed two questions. What does it mean to be Armenian Christian? How should
we form the Armenian Christian for tomorrow? His Holiness underscored the
crucial importance of re-evaluating and renewing our educational
methodologies, strategies and programs by making them more relevant and
reliable. At the end of his address His Holiness proposed that Armenia and
Diaspora together engage in a process of developing a Pan-Armenian
educational policy with particular emphasis on the worldwide Armenian
Diaspora.
The agenda of the conference included the following topics: The actual state
of education in different continents where Armenian communities live; the
implications of globalization to education; the role of the church in
Armenian Christian formation; the family as an important educational
instrument; the impact of pluralistic societies on Armenian Education; the
use and misuse of technology in education; the role of the textbooks and the
extra curricula activities; human resources: formation and training; the
contribution of the Saturday schools, Sunday schools and children’s camps to
education; the importance of new community schools for the Armenian
communities established in the West.
The conference addressed these and a number of related matters through
papers, panel discussions and hearings. The active participation of young
educators and women provided new perspectives and dynamism to the
discussion. They challenged the traditional views and approaches and
constantly reminded that in a new world context a renewed perception and
vision of education are imperative. They echoed the challenge of His
Holiness that in the present world of globalization and communication and in
a context of new societies, our education must become more responsive and
attractive.
His Holiness personally attended all the sessions and at the end of each
session he highlighted the emerging concerns and views.
The conference, which was an unprecedented event in the contemporary
Armenian history, summarized its findings in a declaration where a
particular emphasis was laid on the importance of translating the
Conference’s reflection into action.
In his closing remarks His Holiness Aram I identified three words which
should occupy a central place in our educational work: “relevance, coherence
and integrity”. He said “We are living in different contexts. We must,
therefore, develop different educational procedures and strategies. We are
citizens of different countries, yet we are Armenians and part of the
globalized world. We have our own convictions, values and norms, but we are
living in a new environment. Hence, it is vitally important that we develop
the kind of educational policy that provides integrity, relevance and
coherence to our educational work, at the same time preserving our distinct
Armenian Christian identity. This is a great challenge before us and we must
take it seriously and responsibly”, said His Holiness.
##
View printable pictures here:
***********
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

Glendale News Press
August 9, 2004
‘I felt so awful being there’
Marine Sgt. Baleny Minas talks about her five months at war and how
they have shaped her political beliefs.
By Josh Kleinbaum, News-Press
NORTHEAST GLENDALE – The welcome back sign stretched across the stairway
just inside the front door, and a rainbow of colored balloons littered
the floor. Just outside the door, a balcony overlooked the Chevy Chase
Canyon, Glendale’s bastion of fiscal conservatives and protectors of the
hillsides.
The neighborhood is one of wealth and influence. The Chevy Chase Canyon
is not a hot spot for the Army or Marine recruiters, and the war in Iraq
seems far removed.
Sitting on the back porch of her parents’ house, with the Jacuzzi in
front of her and the garden behind her, Marine Sgt. Baleny Minas seemed
a bit out of place talking about her five months in Iraq. She admitted
that she lives like a princess, quite different from most of the
soldiers with whom she serves. For nearly an hour, Minas talked about
her experiences in Iraq – she returned Aug. 2 and how they shaped her
political beliefs. She vented some frustration, but also toned down her
words, concerned about retribution when her weeklong leave from the
Marines is over.
“I felt so awful being there,” said Minas, who managed test gear for
attack helicopters at a Marine base near Fallouja. “The reasons for the
war have yet to be justified by the administration, and here I am
oppressing a people, much like my people have been oppressed. I’m
Armenian American. We’ve been oppressed. I felt like I don’t belong
there.”
Politics are a strong part of Minas’ life. The daughter of a fiscal
conservative, she always considered herself a Republican, just like her
father. In 2000, she voted for George W. Bush.
Right about that time, she enlisted in the Marine reserves.
“In 2000, [Bill] Clinton was president and the country seemed to be in
the best state,” Minas said. “We were friends with everybody in the
world. I was 20 years old, between junior college and UCLA. I decided
that it’s an opportune time, I’ll go into the reserves.”
In between her one weekend per month and two weeks per year, she started
studying politics. In 2002, she graduated from UCLA with a degree in
political science. She was working toward a master’s degree in public
policy at USC when the Marines activated her reserve unit in January.
She is determined to pursue a career in politics – not necessarily an
elected office – but her political mind-set is quite different from four
years ago. The girl who grew up a Republican now talks like a woman with
liberal ideals.
“I live for politics,” Minas said. “I talk about it all the time. I live
for it all day, I might as well get paid for it.”
Minas held back her criticism of Bush – as Commander in Chief, he is her
boss. Instead, she let her stories tell the tale.
– Tired, overworked troops in her squadron could not sleep because the
generators that powered the air-conditioning units kept breaking.
– The squadron participated in exercises in “nation-building,” when
Iraqis came onto the Marine camp and filled sandbags with the muzzles of
American machine guns trained on them.
– The mortar attacks on the base were part of the job. Sometimes there
were 10 in a day, sometimes a month went by between attacks.
– A pilot, well- respected and popular in the squadron, died from a
gunshot wound to the neck while in flight, the squadron’s only casualty.
“There’s something about being in the military, it’s business as usual,”
Minas said. “You get mortared, and then everybody looks around and says,
‘I’m still alive.’ That mentality, it grows on you. Fear is not an
option.”
While Minas served her time, her family worried. Family friends asked
why they didn’t try to use their money and influence to get her out of
the military. Her brother Shant, fresh out of the Army himself, said
they lived by an honor code.
“If they say you go, you go,” said Shant Minas, whose Army unit went to
Iraq just after his release in April 2003. “Our way of dealing with it,
all of us, we kept ourselves deliberately extra busy the whole time.
We’re just really, really glad to have her back. Words can’t describe
the emotions that we feel, the happiness to have her back. We were
nervous people when she was gone.”
On Sunday, Baleny Minas returned to Camp Pendleton, leaving behind the
comforts of Chevy Chase Canyon. She must prepare the camp for the
arrival of the rest of her squadron, who will not return from Iraq until
early September. Their one-year stint on active duty has already been
extended for a second year, and she has already been told to expect
another trip to Iraq in March.
“I’m honored to serve with the people I’ve served with,” Minas said.
“I’m in an outstanding squadron with exceptional Marines. There’s an
incredible amount of discipline. I just wish these kids actually knew
what they were doing, what’s going on in this war. It’s a silence
campaign.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A GRENADE BLOWN-UP AT ONE OF YEREVAN’S INTERNET CLUBS
YEREVAN, AUGUST 9. ARMINFO. A certain Mais Zohrabian blew up a grenade
at an internet-club in 2 Paronian street in Yerevan today.
According to the information of the Police of Armenia, operator of the
internet club, 42 years old Laura Mnatsakanian died as a result of the
explosion. Mais Zohrabian and the Director of the club Araik Arakelian
were taken to hospital with missile wounds. The public prosecutor’s
office is carrying out an investigation concerning the case on the
explosion.

Iraqi priests defy bombers in half-empty churches
By Matthew Green
BAGHDAD, Aug 8 (Reuters) – Priests thundered defiance on Sunday at
attackers who bombed Iraqi churches a week ago, but fears of more
strikes ensured they were preaching to half-empty pews.
Blasts at five churches in Iraq killed 11 people during evening
prayers last Sunday — inspiring dread among some of Iraq’s 800,000
Christians and invigorating the faith of others.
“We have paid the price of love in Iraq with our blood,” Catholic
Archbishop Antoine Atamian said at Baghdad’s Armenian church, where
the scorched wreckage of a car tipped on its side by one of the blasts
still lay in the street.
“We’re not worried about physical death, we fear the death of the
principles of love and compassion that make up the soul of Iraq,” said
Atamian, who represents the Armenian denomination, one of several
Christian communities in Iraq.
Above him, shards of stained glass dangled from a high window
shattered by the explosion — although the solemn figure of an
Armenian saint in the panel had been spared destruction.
Worshippers at the church said about a third of the usual 600 people
attended mass on Sunday, a major break with tradition for Iraqi
Christians who pride themselves on a much stauncher level of devotion
than in many European countries.
Leaving the church, built with solid arches and an imposing bell
tower, locals said nowhere was safe in Baghdad, where the sound of
mortars and rockets starts soon after sundown most days.
“What can you do?” shrugged May Yousif, 46, who designed the stained
glass damaged in the blast. “At home all night we hear bombing, it’s
the same everywhere.”
Dwarfed by a mainly Muslim population of 25 million, Iraq’s Christians
have been gripped by anxiety since last year’s U.S.-led invasion
toppled Saddam Hussein, who had largely left them free to worship as
they pleased.
Last week’s blasts crushed any hope Christians had of avoiding the
kind of attacks on mosques staged in the past year in apparent
attempts to stir sectarian strife among Muslims.
“THEY WANTED TO KILL PEOPLE”
Divided into various close-knit denominations — such as Armenians,
Assyrians and Chaldeans — many members of the various Christian
communities share a growing sense that they might be targeted for
their religion.
At the Syrian Catholic Church, where workmen gathered to repair damage
caused by another car bomb blast, only about 70 of the usual
1,000-strong congregation made it to a makeshift mass held on Sunday
in a nearby hall.
“They won’t come as they used to before,” said Reverend Raphael
Kutaimi, one of the senior clergy. “They wanted to kill people in the
church, of course this will affect our members.”
Priests have urged Christians to resist the temptation to quit Iraq to
join their brethren in countries such as neighbouring Syria, fearing
an exodus of hundreds of their co-religionists will sap the life force
of their community.
“We will not flee Iraq, our blood was mingled with the blood of Iraq’s
martyrs,” said Peter Haddad, at the church of Mary in Baghdad, where a
good deal of bare wood from pews was visible during his
thinly-attended service.
“We, Muslims and Christians, are united in our efforts and hearts in
this country and over this land,” he said.
For Christians like Leon Terzian, 72, an architect who designed the
Armenian church to echo temples of pre-Christian fire-worshippers, the
attacks simply reinforced his faith.
“After each difficulty, a person goes to God and prays,” he said,
speaking near an altar adorned with vases of red roses. “Christians
never ask for revenge, just for forgiveness.”
(Additional reporting by Omar Anwar and Seif Fuad)
08/08/04 09:11 ET

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian
August 9, 2004
DATEV INSTITUTE: A SCHOOL FOR ARMENIAN CHRISTIAN FORMATION
NEW YORK, NY-“There is something about the evening service that is so
moving. It offers a chance to reflect, a time to meditate. Every day, as
night sets in, I look forward to this special time to communicate with God,”
said Krista Guzelian (a 17-year-old Datev Institute participant from North
Andover, Massachusetts). In the morning around 7:15, groups of teens begin
filing from their dorms towards the chapel, a long driveway away. It is a
sight to behold! This happened every day, every evening and every morning,
for seven days.
Worship framed the communal life of the 76 students from 13 parishes
gathered for the 18th St. Gregory of Datev Institute at St. Mary of
Providence Center in bucolic Elverson, Pennsylvania from June 27 to July 4,
2004, sponsored by the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC) of the
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, under the directorship of
Vicar General Very Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian.
Sandwiched between morning and evening services, the day was packed with
educational events (8:30am-12: 30pm and 7pm-9pm) and recreational activities
(1:30pm-5:30pm). Through interactive presentations, lectures, discussions,
Bible studies, panel discussions the curriculum exposed the participants to
a range of the essentials of Armenian Christianity, from Bible and creeds,
sacraments and chants, feasts and saints, personal and communal prayer,
language and history, to ethics and moral living.
Nora Palandjian, a second year student from Providence, Rhode Island,
captured the spirit of Datev when she said, “Prayer, education and
fellowship-these are the reasons why I come to Datev.” Granted, not everyone
attends Datev with these objectives in mind, or in that order. But they
leave with those three objectives etched in their minds, because they have
been formed and shaped by the prayers and hymns of the Armenian Church, by
the essential elements of the Armenian Apostolic Christianity, and also by
new and renewed friendships. (Visit the Prelacy web site for more
impressions at )
The St. Gregory of Datev Institute is a four-year faith-based, youth program
(one week each year). Those who complete the 4-year program may return for
postgraduate classes. All five levels of study take place concurrently. In
addition, this year the Institute had pre-Datev classes for students ages
10-12. There were 6 pre-datev students, 18 first-year students, 14
second-year students, 11 third-year students, 11 fourth-year students
(graduates), and 16 post-graduates.
The participants enjoyed the presence of the Prelate, His Eminence
Archbishop Oshagan, who took time out of his busy schedule to be with the
Datevatsies, accompanied by Hon. Judge Sarkis and Ardemis Teshoian. Judge
Teshoian delivered the evening lecture telling the students about the
importance of being Armenian in our society and what it means to be an
Armenian American. Utilizing experiences from his own life, he advised the
students to be good citizens and meet the challenges ahead. “Don’t think
that others are better than you, or that you are better than others,” he
said. He told them that participation in both Armenian and American society
is very important. He also stressed the importance of education and the
knowledge of other languages, not only Armenian and English. “In this age of
globalization,” he said, “the one who knows more will be hired and will
advance up the ladder of success. Remember that just as you get happy when
you read about a successful and famous Armenian, someday an Armenian
youngster will read about you and your success and become happy.”
The weeklong program came to a close with the celebration of the Soorp
Badarak at St. Gregory Armenian Church in Philadelphia on Sunday, July 4,
followed by luncheon, graciously provided and served by the Artemis Chapter
of the Armenian Relief Society.
THE EDUCATORS
The instructors of the Institute were: Very Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian,
Very Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Rev. Fr. Mesrob Tashjian, Rev. Fr. Khoren
Habeshian, Rev. Fr. Antranig Baljian, Rev. Fr. Nerses Manoogian, Rev. Fr.
Gomidas Baghsarian, Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian, and Dn. Shant Kazanjian. In
addition, the following postgraduate “datevatsies” taught several classes:
Dn. Nishan Baljian, Dn. Dr. Arsen Mekaelian, Barbara Baljian, Nayiri
Baljian, Martha Mekaelian, Jeanette Nazarian.
This year the Institute was privileged to have three guest lecturers: Very
Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian (Media Relations Officer, Catholicosate of
Cilicia), Hon. Judge Sarkis Teshoian, and Prof. John Barnett of St.
Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, NY).
A WORD OF THANKS
Archbishop Oshagan praised the Datev program and thanked the dedicated
teachers who manage to make the entire Datev experience exhilarating,
enjoyable and educational. “I was so pleased to be able to spend a day with
the Datev students and their teachers. I found the caliber of the
participants to be exceptional. “The atmosphere was joyful and very
respectful,” the Prelate said. “I told the students that they are part of
our family and they have the love of God and our Church in their hearts.”
As Archbishop Oshagan noted, a program of this scope is made possible
through the collaborative efforts between AREC and parishes, parents,
volunteer workers, and a number of organizations and individuals. It is meet
and right to acknowledge and thank them for their support and contributions
to the work of the Institute. In the first place, the Institute wishes to
thank the instructors for their labor of love and the parents for entrusting
their children to the Institute for a week of spiritual formation. The
Institute would like to express its gratitude to the following datevatzies
for their invaluable services as supervisors and counselors: Dn. Nishan
Baljian, Dn. Dr. Arsen Mekaelian, Ms. Barbara Baljian, Ms. Nayiri Baljian,
Mr. Arek Hamalian, Mr. James Haddad, Mr. Harout Khatchadourian, Mrs. Martha
Mekaelian, Mr. Mikhail Mekaelian, Ms. Jeanette Nazarian, and to ANEC
director Gilda Kupelian for conducting the Datev Jeopardy program. Many
thanks to those parishes that subsidized a portion of the expenses by
providing scholarships.
The Institute extends its appreciation to the Pashalian Family Education
Fund for the donation of $2,750. The Institute thanks the following generous
supporters: The Prelacy Ladies Guild (PLG), the National Association of
Ladies’ Guild (NALG), the Artemis Chapter of the Armenian Relief Society,
Mrs. Asdghig Kazanjian, and Mr. and Mrs. Noubar Megerian. Thanks also to the
following donors: Mr. and Mrs. Hrant Jilozian, Mrs. Sirvart Kaloustian, Mr.
and Mrs. Zaven Oranjian.
A photo gallery of the 2004 Datev Institute is on the Prelacy web page,

ARABICNEWS.Com
Iraqi Christians will not leave it
Iraq, Politics, 8/9/2004
The Iraqi churches in Baghdad witnessed a notable decrease in the number of
worshippers who took part in yesterday’s mass, the first Sunday after the
simultaneous attacks which targeted 6 churches in Baghdad and Musil in which
10 persons were killed and more than other 40 were injured.
Seats at ” Virgin Mary” Church were almost empty except for very few number
of worshippers who attended the mass. Under the shock of the attacks of last
Sunday, Iraqi Christians prayed for peace and lit candles.
The audience were also few in the Armenian church where remains of a car
destroyed in last Sunday’s aggressions are there.
Rev Antoine Atamian who chaired the mass in the church where number of
audience receded to one third said that the Christians should not leave Iraq
despite the recent attacks against them. He said:” we have paid in blood the
price for our love to Iraq.” He added ” We are not concerned over physical
death, we are scared of the death of the principles of love and amity and
sympathy which all constitute the spirit of Iraq.”
In the Syriac- Catholic Church in Baghdad, workers gathered to repair
damages inflected by the attack which targeted it. The mass which was held
in a nearby hall was attended by 70 persons out of 1,000 believers used to
attend it. Priest Raphael Qatteimi said:” They want to kill people in the
churches, eventually this will affect our members.”