Month: October 2005

ASKING FOR HELP

A1+
| 15:45:00 | 10-10-2005 | Social |

Resident of the North Avenue Vachagan Hakobyan has met lately the
Municipality Reconstruction department head Karen Davtyan on behalf
of the residents struggling for their rights.

According to Vachagan Hakobyan, Karen Davtyan said that nothing depends
on him and they can give only about 200 000 USD to the 33 residents.

Yesterday the North Avenue dwellers convened a meeting and decided
to reject that miserable sum. “We will fight till the end”, Vachagan
Hakobyan says.

By the way, the residents have sent an e-mail to the RF President
Vladimir Putin and to the Russian Mass Media. They have received no
answer so far.

WHO ARE THE JUDGES?

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| 15:30:15 | 10-10-2005 | Politics |

Today the Judge’s Union said “Yes” unanimously (according to David
Avetisyan who presided over the session) to the Constitutional
reforms. Today there were 174 members of the Union in the Government
session hall in order to find out the attitude of the judicial branch
of power to the draft constitution.

According to the RA Justice Minister David Haroutyunyan, “It is
high time we revised our approach to the independence of judicial
power”. The Minister expressed disappointment that the draft fails
to refer to several extremely important issues. He did not mentioned
which one exactly he means, but mentioned his liking for another
clause of the draft – that of the sovereignty of the judicial power.

Ombudsman Larissa Alaverdyan mentioned that “It is not possible
to speak about the defense of human rights in Armenia as there
are problems with free and fair court processes”. Nevertheless,
according to her, “the work is mainly positive”. At the end of the
speech Mrs. Alaverdyan greeted the members of the Union as her future
colleagues.

According to the Head of the Court of Appeal Hovhannes Manoukyan,
the issue of constitutional reforms rose because of human rights. He
said that from the judicial point of view the draft constitution is
almost ideal.

And judge of the RA Economic Court Anatoly Matevosyan voiced hope that
the referendum “will be held free, fair and without forgeries”. “I
call everyone to say “Yes” to the draft and to participate actively
in the preaching”, he said.

By the way, today the judges and the members of the Union also
discussed the Judge manners code where there are such lines, “The
Judge has to take measures to enrich his knowledge”.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SCIENTISTS COMPLAIN OF PRIVATIZATION

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| 16:52:58 | 10-10-2005 | Social |

The work of the “General and Inorganic Chemistry Institute” has been
ceased for the last days. The problem is that the municipality has
sold the majority of the land belonging to the Institute. The Institute
staff tried to struggle against the unlawful act, but applying to the
three court instances was no use. Today the Institute staff intends
to organize a sit-down strike opposite the President’s residence.

The General and Inorganic Chemistry Institute had 5 hectares of
land which was a must for the Institute as s sanitary and security
zone. “In the Institute chemical experiments are realized”, said head
of the Institute Sevan Davtyan.

By this decision the Institute was factually deprived of the security
zone and hence of the possibility to realize secure experiments. “This
means the beginning of the end”, noted the head of the Institute
who is a doctor-professor of Chemical sciences. He realizes that if
they start to build luxury mansions in the security zone (some have
already been built), the Institute will be deprived of its building
in the closest future.

The Institute engages in the investigation of the lithosphere and
processes different technologies. Part of the work realized by
the Institute is used in the military field. Some of them are also
important for jeweler’s art which has been recognized as a prior
branch of economy by Robert Kocharyan.

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 10) 517 163
Fax: (374 10) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
October 10, 2005

His Holiness Karekin II Sends Condolences to Pakistan and India

On October 9, 2005, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, sent letters of condolence to the leaders of
Pakistan and India following the great earthquake which struck the region of
Kashmir on Saturday.

Addressing his letters to President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan and Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh of India, the Pontiff of All Armenians expressed his
sorrow and pain for the tragic loss of life, countless casualties and
immense property damage inflicted on their countries.

In the letters, His Holiness extends the consolation and solidarity of the
Armenian Church and people, and expresses his sincere and heartfelt wish
that the tragedy-afflicted peoples of Pakistan and India quickly triumph
over the tribulations and difficulties they are facing. His Holiness also
appeals for Divine solace to comfort the hearts of all those who have
suffered devastating losses from this tragedy.

THE GLOBE AND MAIL
Tuesday, October 4, 2005
Section WORLD A13

Banning things will not change anything¹

Charged with insulting Turkish identity and army, controversial author faces
jail time

By LEVON SEVUNTS, Montreal

When Dora Sakayan first published her grandfather¹s diary in Montreal, she
had no inkling that 10 years later it could land someone a half a world away
in court, facing as much as two years in jail.
But then, she never dreamed that her grandfather¹s diary, an eyewitness
account of the events in which several members of his family perished, along
with 30,000 Greeks and Armenians at the hands of Turkish nationalist forces
in Izmir in 1922, would ever be published in Turkey.
Ragip Zarakolu, a prominent activist and human-rights activist. dared to
translate and publish Mrs. Sakayan¹s book, An Armenian Doctor in Turkey.
Garabed Hatcherian: My Smyrna Ordeal of 1922. Now, he is charged with
insulting the armed forces, Turkish identity and the memory of Kemal
Ataturk, the iconic founder of the Turkish republic.
³I was worried and upset that he is suffering because of me, because of
my book,² Mrs. Sakayan said during an interview over a cup of Turkish coffee
and homemade sweets in her downtown apartment. ³But he calmed me down,
saying that he sees this as his calling, to use the courthouse as a platform
to speak out on human rights, the rights of Turkey¹s ethnic minorities and
as an opportunity to fight historical revisionism.²
Mr. Zarakolu has a track record of defying Turkish authorities. He was
imprisoned for three years for his activism in 1971 by the military junta.
In 1977, Mr. Zarakolu and his now-deceased wife Ayse Nur founded the Belge
(The Document) Publishing House, which has been a target for Turkish
censorship laws ever since. The couple was imprisoned, their books were
impounded and they were forced to pay heavy fines. In 1995, their offices
were firebombed by a right-wing group.
Mr. Zarakolu¹s legal troubles began because Turkey officially denies
that the massacres and deportations of the Armenian population of Ottoman
Turkey during the First World War constituted genocide. That puts Turkey at
odds with the majority of genocide scholars, as well as more than 20
parliaments, including Canada¹s. The Armenian question has been a taboo
protected by draconian censorship laws in Turkey.
What irked Turkish authorities most about her book is that it deals with
massacres perpetrated by some of the founders of the modern Turkish
republic, not by young Turks, which was the case between 1915 and 1918, Mrs.
Sakayan said.
In his defence statement during the first court hearing in the case on
Sept. 21, Mr. Zarakolu said Turkey owed an apology to Mrs. Sakayan¹s
grandfather, a Turkish citizen and a decorated military doctor, who served
his country despite the Armenian massacres.
³Publishing this book can be counted as part of that apology.² Mr.
Zarakolu told the court. ³The accusations that the book insults the Turkish
national character or the Turkish army are totally unfair. All these events
really happened. Banning things will not change anything.²
Mr. Zarakolu is also facing two different criminal proceedings related
to another book on the Armenian genocide that he published and a critical
magazine article he wrote about Turkish policy toward Iraqi Kurds.
The trial for the magazine article is set for Oct. 11, and he is due to
return to court on Nov. 22 for the hearings on Mrs. Sakayan¹s book.
The case of Mr. Zarakolu comes at an embarrassing moment for Turkish
authorities as they prepare to start negotiations for eventual membership in
the European Union. Abolishing their censorship laws is one of the
preconditons for Turkey joining the EU.
Yet despite some changes to the penal code, about 60 Turkish writers and
publishers are facing trials in Turkey, said Kjell Olaf Jensen, president of
the Norwegian PEN Centre, which has been closely monitorng the trials.
Among them is the world-famous Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk. Mr. Pamuk
will be brought before an Istanbul court on Dec. 16, 2005. He faces as many
as three years of prison for a comment he published in a Swiss newspaper
earlier this year, in which he criticised the Turkish positon on the
Armenian genocide and the Kurdish issue.
³I find the whole thing completely absurd,² Mr. jensen said. ³Are these
the same authorities who want Turkey to become member of the EU?²

Special to the Globe and Mail

Photo: Dora Sakayan photoghraphed in her Montreal apartment

PRESS RELEASE
ST. SARKIS CHURCH
38-65 234th Street
Douglaston, NY.
Tel: 718-224-2275

On Sunday, October 16, 2005 at 1: 30 pm the St. Sarkis Church is featuring
Dr. Dennis R. Papazian who will be lecturing on the topic of “Yeghishe and
the real story behind the the Vartanantz War”.

A full-Professor of History athe the University of Michigan- Dearborn since
1971 Dr. Papazian has been just as importantly the founder, major fundraiser
and director of the University of Michigan Armenian Research Center. Dr.
Papazian has also served for a number years as the Dean of the College
Literature, Science and the Arts as well as Associate Provost at the same
university.

A keen participant in the political process for the Armenian Rights, Dr.
Papazian was on of the founders of the Armenian Assembly and took off four
years from his academic duties to serve as executive director as well as the
Chairman of the Board of Directors during the early critical years.

The publilc at large is invited to take advantage of this opportunity to
hear and meet Dr. Papazian.

California Courier Online, October 13, 2005

1 – Commentary

Armenians Should Squeeze Concessions
Out of Turkey During EU Negotiations

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The Califorrnia Courier

2 – Armenian Ambassador Tatoul
Markarian Visits Los Angeles
3- Hebrew University Armenian Faculty
Join International Conference in Spain
4 – Turkish Professors Speak at
UCLA on Armenian Relations
5 – State Trade Office Opens in Armenia
6 – UACC Banquet Set for Nov. 12
7 – AYF Gathers 200 Youngsters
For Little Armenia Clean Up
8 – Founder of California Courier, Financier
George J. Mason, Passes Away at 74
9 – UCLA’s Prof. Cowe Will Speak on Origins
Of Armenian Alphabet at CSUF, Oct. 21
10 – USC Armenian Institute Gala Honors
Judge Tevrizian and Raises $700,000

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1 – Commentary
Armenians Should Squeeze Concessions
Out of Turkey During EU Negotiations

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

Turkey finally embarked on a journey that it had been anxiously awaiting
for more than 40 years. The long and arduous negotiations for Turkey’s
membership in the European Union officially started last week and are
expected to last 10 or more years.
Armenians are of two minds over the benefits of Turkey joining the EU. Some
of them are of the opinion that Armenia is better off if its old nemesis is
kept under check by EU’s strict code of conduct. Armenians in this camp
believe that a “civilized Turkey” is more apt to recognize the Armenian
Genocide, lift its blockade of Armenia, and conduct peaceful relations with
its neighbors.
Other Armenians believe that Turkey is simply going through the motions of
transforming itself, without having any honest intentions of doing so.
Besides, these Armenians believe that there are no guarantees that “an
enlightened Turkey” would be more inclined to recognize the Genocide.
Turkey could well become an EU member, and like Britain, still refuse to
acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. Even worse, should Turkey not change its
denialist policy after joining the EU, Armenians would be deprived of
whatever clout they may have had in creating obstacles for its EU
membership. Furthermore, Turkey would have by then the largest population
among the EU countries, and thus be entitled to have the largest number of
votes in various EU councils. Turkey could thus block pro-Armenian
initiatives and help pass pro-Turkish and pro-Azeri resolutions in the EU.
Therefore, the time to get any possible concessions out of Turkey is now,
before it joins the EU.
Whether or not Turkey eventually becomes an EU member in 10 or 15 years
from now is very difficult to determine in advance. To begin with, no one
really knows with any degree of certainty the domestic and foreign
developments that would shape Turkey’s decisions and as well as the
attitudes of Europeans about Turkey years from now. Here are some of the
factors that could influence the outcome of Turkey’s EU membership
negotiations:
1) The social, economic and political conditions within Turkey that would
impact its government’s desire to make the extensive changes required by
the EU negotiations framework;
2) The stability of neighboring Iraq and the repercussions on Turkey
arising from Iraqi and Turkish Kurds pursuing their national aspirations;
3) The social, economic and political conditions within various EU member
states, particularly the attitude of their citizens towards the influx of
more foreign workers at a time when they may be suffering from high
unemployment and social unrest;
4) The state of negotiations on the settlement of the Cyprus problem;
5) The clout of the US government in terms of its ability and willingness
to influence the EU on Turkey’s membership;
6) Whether or not more terrorist acts are committed by radical Islamist
groups, particularly in Western Europe;
7) The results of the referendums that are to be held in several European
countries on whether to allow Turkey to join the EU; and
8) The status of Armenian-Turkish relations that are partly linked to the
outcome of the negotiations on the Karabagh conflict.
While Turkey will most probably have to lift its blockade of Armenia, since
“the EU-Turkey negotiation framework” document requires that it
unequivocally commit to “good neighborly relations,” the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide by Turkey is not certain at all. Aside from the repeated
non-binding resolutions adopted by the European Parliament demanding
Turkey’ s recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the EU itself has not made
such acknowledgment a part of its requirements for membership.
It would be naïve, if Armenians believe that they could block Turkey’s EU
membership because of its non-recognition of the Armenian Genocide. If
several years from now, Turkey successfully fulfills all EU requirements
and settles the conflict in Cyprus, its EU membership would be just about
guaranteed. Armenians should not expect European countries to rise to their
defense, at the expense of their own self-interests. The Europeans would
care about Armenian issues only when they happen to coincide with or serve
their own national interests.
To be able to squeeze the maximum concessions out of Turkey, Armenia and
the Diaspora would need to make common cause with the majority of Europeans
who are strongly opposed to Turkey’s EU membership. Turkish officials must
realize that unless they sit down at the negotiating table with Armenians
and try to accommodate some of their grievances, Armenians would work
tirelessly for the next 10 or more years to ensure that Turkey’s membership
is delayed indefinitely. It is not in Armenians’ interest to block Turkey’s
EU membership, but to drag it out as long as possible. The longer the
negotiations take, the more concessions can be squeezed out of Turkey. This
is the logic behind the positions of Cyprus and Greece. Despite the fact
that they could have vetoed the start of Turkey’s EU talks, Cyprus and
Greece allowed the talks to go forward with the aim of extracting
concessions from Turkey during the negotiating process. Had they used their
veto last week, they would have deprived themselves of the opportunity to
get any concessions from Turkey.
The interest of Armenians requires that, on the EU issue, Turkey remain a
bridesmaid, as long as it refuses to pay the dowry to become a bride!

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2 – Armenian Ambassador Tatoul
Markarian Visits Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES – Ambassador Tatoul Markarian visited Los Angeles on September
29 – October 2, for meetings with the Armenian-American community leaders
and organizations.
The Ambassador visited the Consulate General of the Republic of Armenia
where he discussed the Consulate present and planned activities with Consul
General Gagik Kirakossian and Consulate staff. On Sept. 29, Ambassador
Markarian met with representatives of the Armenian-American political
organizations at the Consulate. Visiting the office of the Lincy
Foundation,
The Armenian envoy once more expressed appreciation for Lincy’s large
scale projects in Armenia, which he said have left a permanent positive
imprint on Armenia.
The next day, Markarian attended welcoming receptions by Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian, Primate, Western Diocese and Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Prelate, Western Prelacy, where parish pastors, members of the Diocese and
Prelacy Councils, and local community activists were also present.
Later that same day, the Armenian Ambassador attended the Armenia Fund
reception as the guest of honor. The event was held in advance of the
Annual Telethon. On October 1-2, he also participated in the USC Gala
Banquet organized by the USC Armenian Studies Institute and in the AGBU
Annual Banquet.
Ambassador Markarian was interviewed by the Horizon TV, fielding questions
on Armenia’s foreign policy, U.S.-Armenian cooperation, and
Armenia-Diaspora relations.
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3 – Hebrew University Armenian Faculty
Join International Conference in Spain
JERUSALEM – Last month, over 60 scholars of Armenian Studies gathered in
Vitoria, Spain for the Tenth General Conference of the Association
Internationale des Etudes Armeniennes (AIEA). Founded in 1980 by Professor
Michael Stone of the Hebrew University and Professor J.J.S. Weitenberg of
Leiden University in Holland, AIEA is an organization of scholars of
Armenian Studies, with its centre in Europe. The suggestion to found the
organization was made by Dr. Nira Stone.
The meeting was attended by scholars from all over Europe, America, Armenia
and the Middle East. From the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Dr. Sergio La
Porta, Prof. Stone and doctoral student Mikayel Arakelian all presented
lectures, while Dr. Nira Stone also participated. Hebrew University
Armenian Studies PhD graduate, Prof. Peter Cowe of UCLA, and former
Armenian Studies student Pablo Trojiano teaches at the Compultensian
University in Madrid. Former visiting researcher Prof. Theo van Lint,
Gulbenkian Professor of Armenian at Oxford University also joined in the
Hebrew University reunion.
All the Armenian Studies faculty from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s
Armenian Studies program were there and they all brought home new and
stimulating ideas. They were able to discuss matters with colleagues, and
as a result new directions of cooperative work are emerging and will soon
be announced.
Prof. Stone devoted his lecture to his recently completed translation of
the medieval Armenian epic poem about Adam and Eve, written by Arakel of
Siunik at the beginning of the 15th century. The poem, a complex
composition of quite startling beauty, contains over 5,500 lines of poetry,
which Prof. Stone translated into English poetry. It is presently being
considered for publication.
Quite different, but equally stimulating, Dr. La Porta presented a paper on
“The Earliest Armenian Scholia on the Works Attributed to Dionysius the
Areopagite.” In addition to providing a linguistic analysis of the scholia,
Dr. La Porta posited the locus of their production and the context in which
they were composed.
Mikayel Arakelian described in detail the catalogue he has prepared of
illuminated late medieval Armenian manuscripts in Germany. This very
thorough work will make known several hundred unknown or little known
manuscripts. Mikayel is writing his doctoral thesis on the Armenian art of
New Julfa.
The Armenian Studies program at the Hebrew University was established in
1966.
For further information contact Prof. Michael E. Stone
([email protected]) or Dr. Sergio La Porta ([email protected]).
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4 – Turkish Professors Speak at
UCLA on Armenian Relations
LOS ANGELES – A unique presentation featuring “Three Turkish Voices on the
Ottoman Armenians,” will be held Nov. 6 at UCLA’s Court of Sciences 50
(Young Hall).
Sponsored by the Armenian Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Armenian
History, the event will feature professors Taner Akcam of the University of
Minnesota, Elif Shafak, of the University of Arizona, and F. Muge Gocek, of
the University of Michigan.
Each academic will address recent developments in Turkish-Armenian
historical relations.
Prof. Akcam will present a new assessment of Ottoman documents. Prof.
Shahaf will speak on memory and literature. F. Muge Gocek will address the
recent Istanbul conference on Ottoman Armenians.
The event is open to the public at no charge. Daily parking at $8 is
available at Parking Structure # 2 (Westholme entrance at Hilgard Ave.).
For additional information, contact Prof. Richard Hovannisian at
[email protected].
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5 – State Trade Office Opens in Armenia
By Alex Dobuzinskis
L.A. Daily News
GLENDALE – California’s trade office in Armenia opened Oct. 1, thanks to
the $75,000 raised by local members of the Armenian community to create
trade partnerships between the Golden State and the former Soviet republic.

The office will be in temporary quarters in Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, in
a government building there. An English-speaking Armenian was appointed to
run the office, which will link importers and exporters between California
and the landlocked nation east of Turkey and north of Iran.
Because the money was raised privately, the state was able to open the
office in Armenia even though California’s other foreign trade offices were
closed recently because of state budget woes. That could be a model for the
state if it opens other foreign trade offices, officials said.
“The Armenian officials that I met with are very excited about it because
they recognize that one of the ways as a developing country they’re going
to progress is to count on the expertise and the products that would come
from a place like California,” said Sen. Jack Scott, D-Pasadena, who was in
Armenia from Sept. 19-23.
Officials expect that the office will facilitate in the export of
information technology and health products going into Armenia and
help Armenian businesses export foodstuffs and other products to
California.
There is nearly $50 million in trade between Armenia and the United States,
most of it with California, said Berdj Karapetian, chairman of the
Glendale-based Foundation for Economic Development, which helped create the
trade office.
“There are quite a few individual business owners, midsize business owners
– not the multimillion dollar ones or the small mom-and-pop entities –
midsize businesses that are looking for business opportunities in Armenia
that are developing, but they’re not sure the exact ways to go about it,”
said Karapetian, who works in marketing.
The office will facilitate that work that they need, he said.
No public money has gone into creating the trade office, and there could be
a need for additional fundraising in the future to keep the office
operating.
“I’d like to see it grow,” said Annette Vartanian, executive director of
the Glendale-based Armenian American Chamber of Commerce. “Obviously, it’s
going to start out small, but I’d like to see in the next couple of years
for the office to expand and to see a team of people working.”
The office is overseen by the California Business, Transportation & Housing
Agency.
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6 – UACC Banquet Set for Nov. 12
HOLLYWOOD, CA – Members and friends of the United Armenian Congregational
Church (UACC) will gather for its annual banquet, Nov. 12, at 6 p.m. in
UACC’s Avazian Hall.
Dr. Donald Sunukjian, Talbot School of Theology Professor of Christian
Ministry and Leadership, Homiletics, will be the evening’s keynote speaker.
He is a founding member of the Evangelical Homiletics Society and of the
Academy of Homiletics and Religious Communication Society.
Henry Abadjian will be the Master of Ceremonies. A member of the church
since 1976, Abadjian graduated from the Gemological Institute of America in
1978, and now operates Blue Diamond Company and Montrose Jewelers with his
brother, Jack. He has been an executive officer of the Armenian Aintabtsi
Cultural Association and the Armenian Evangelical College Alumni
Association.
Musical selections will be provided by Ruth (Ketenjian) Fitzgerald.
The banquet will begin at 6 p.m. with mezze, then dinner. Nina Kasbarian, a
member of the UACC Board of Trustees, is this year’s banquet chair. During
the program, the annual Trustees’ Person(s) of the Year will also be
presented.
For more information, call the church office at (323) 851-5265.

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7 – AYF Gathers 200 Youngsters
For Little Armenia Clean Up
LOS ANGELES – Well over 200 Armenian youngsters gathered in the “Little
Armenia” district of Los Angeles on Sept. 25 to provide volunteer service
to the Armenian Youth Federation’s 3rd Annual Little Armenia Cleanup.
Volunteers from all over Northern and Southern California; including Fresno
and San Francisco, helped remove thousands of pounds of trash from major
streets in Little Armenia, bringing the three-year total to over 23.5 tons
of trash removed by the AYF.
Organized by the AYF and cosponsored by Los Angeles City Council member
Eric Garcetti’s Office, the cleanup attracted volunteers from the public at
large and community organizations such as the AYF, Homenetmen Los Angeles
Chapter, and the ARF Badanegan Organization.
Before the clean up began, Nora Ounjian relayed the AYF Central Executive’s
message to the youth. “The AYF will remain at the forefront of serving our
community and, in particular, will continue to provide our youth with
opportunities of social service,” said Ounjian. Rev. Fr. Vicken Vassilian
representing Western Prelate, Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, blessed
both the effort of the AYF and the volunteers’ willingness to serve the
community.
Los Angeles City 13th District Council member Eric Garcetti thanked the
volunteers and welcomed the AYF’s initiative.The Council member awarded the
AYF with a desktop plaque that carries the seal of the city of Los Angeles
and reads Little Armenia.
In the coming weeks many “Welcome to Little Armenia” light-post banners
will be added to the existing 63 erected from past years. Depicting the
Tri-color, Sardarabad Monument, and Mount Ararat, the banners have added a
touch of Armenia to the community.
The AYF took the opportunity to thank the official sponsors of the Little
Armenian Clean Up: Adin of California, Asbarez Daily Armenian Newspaper,
Horizon Armenian Television, Nor Hayastan Daily Newspaper, USA Armenian
Life Magazine, Closet World, Color Depot, Donoyan Insurance Agency,
Sylvie’s Costumes, Carpet Show, Sun Work’s Tanning, Eric Garcetti’s Office
and staff, and the A.R.F. Hollywood Karekin Njteh Gomideh.
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8 – Founder of California Courier, Financier
George J. Mason, Passes Away at 74
By Jon Thurber
L.A. Times
George J. Mason, who founded the California Courier, the first
English-language Armenian newspaper in the state, and had a significant
career in finance as a senior managing director of the Los Angeles office
of Bear, Stearns & Co., has died. He was 74.
Mason died Oct. 5, according to a statement from MGM Mirage, where Mason
was a longtime board member. He was being treated for cancer at the time of
his death.
Terry Lanni, chief executive officer of MGM Mirage, which owns the Bellagio
and Mandalay Bay casinos in Las Vegas, called Mason “an incredibly
influential figure in the gaming and finance industries.”
Born in Los Angeles, Mason earned his bachelor’s degree in Slavic studies
from USC. He went on to earn a master’s degree in political science from
Columbia University.
Mason served in the Air Force in the early 1950s. In 1958, he founded the
California Courier in Fresno and served as editor until 1970.
“I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that George’s California
Courier was and will be remembered as a journal of Armenian life in
California,” Vartan Oskanian, Armenia’s minister of foreign affairs, said
in a statement released by MGM Mirage.
“George left a legacy for the Armenian community in the written word,” said
Raffi Hamparian, a member of the board of directors of the Armenian
National Committee of America.
“He is a tribute to the Armenian experience in America that largely emerged
from nothing to become a vibrant and active community.”
After leaving the paper, Mason entered the world of finance. He worked for
Kirk Kerkorian’s Tracinda Investment Co. for several years in the 1970s
before joining Bear, Stearns & Co. in Los Angeles in 1973. According to the
announcement from MGM Mirage, Mason was a senior managing director at Bear,
Stearns & Co. from 1973 until his death.
Mason is survived by his wife of 52 years, Sally; their six daughters,
Cassandra Goehner, Melanie Goodman, Teresa Mason, George Ann Mason, Diana
Chakalian and Mary Mason; and his sister, Shirley Rakoobian.
A memorial service was held Oct. 8 at St. James Armenian Church, in Los
Angeles. A reception followed at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa
Monica.
Instead of flowers, the family suggests that any donations be made in
Mason’s name to: Nevada Cancer Institute, Continued Research in the Field
of Bladder Cancer, 10000 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89135.
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9 – UCLA’s Prof. Cowe Will Speak on Origins
Of Armenian Alphabet at CSUF, Oct. 21
FRESNO – Dr. Peter Cowe of UCLA will speak on “The Origins of the Armenian
Alphabet and Its Cultural Impact” Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m., in the Alice
Peters Auditorium, Rm. 191 of the University Business Center on the Fresno
State campus.
The presentation is part of the Armenian Studies Program Fall 2005 Lecture
Series and is co-sponsored by the Armenian Students Organization.
Joining Dr. Cowe will be Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian of the ASP who will
speak on “The Political Situation in Armenia on the Eve of the Invention of
the Armenian Alphabet.”
This year marks the 1600th anniversary of the invention of the Armenian
Alphabet. Der Mugrdechian’s presentation will explore the political
situation of the time, while Dr. Cowe will focus on the Armenian sources
for the invention and also discuss the impact on the Armenian culture,
especially in art.
Dr. Cowe is Naregatsi Professor of Armenian Language and Culture at UCLA
and is an internationally recognized authority on the Armenian language. He
is a founding member of the Association Internationale des Etudes
Arméniennes (1983). Dr. Cowe received his PhD in Armenology from Hebrew
University and has taught at Columbia University (1984-1996) and at UCLA
since 1996. Dr. Cowe is the author of Commentary on the Divine Liturgy by
Xosrov Anjewatsi (1991), The Armenian Version of Daniel (1992), and Modern
Armenian Drama: An Anthology (2001), among other books.
Der Mugrdechian has been teaching for more that10 years in the Armenian
Studies Program at CSUF. He has served as the President of the Society for
Armenian Studies (2000-2004) and currently is the SAS Treasurer.
Relaxed parking will be available in Lots A and J after 7:00 PM the night
of the lecture. For more information on the presentations, contact the
Armenian Studies Program at 278-2669.
***************************************************************************
**
10 – USC Armenian Institute Gala Honors
Judge Tevrizian and Raises $700,000
By Eva Emerson
The USC Institute of Armenian Studies hosted a gala banquet on Oct. 2 to
honor federal judge and USC alumnus Dickran M. Tevrizian Jr. for 32 years
of public service. Tevrizian was the first Armenian-American to be
appointed to the U.S. federal bench.
The evening marked the second community event organized by the USC
Institute of Armenian Studies which was launched by USC College in
February, and raised an estimated $700,000 in new gifts for the institute’s
endowment, which now totals $1.5 million. With a broad mission to increase
understanding of modern Armenia and Armenians, the institute is envisioned
as a multidisciplinary center of research and learning that will respond to
the needs of the Armenian community.
The institute is the first academic center of its kind, said Joseph Aoun,
dean of USC College. Created in close partnership with the local Armenian
community, it also represents a model for a new, more collaborative and
responsive kind of town-and-gown relationship.
Dean Aoun was among the 25 speakers, including former Gov. George
Deukmejian, who saluted Tevrizian as an outstanding jurist and community
leader during the evening’s program. Aoun called Tevrizian one of USC’s
most distinguished alumni and thanked him for his early support of the
institute.
Close to 850 guests gathered at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City to
celebrate Tevrizian as he assumed the new status of Senior U.S. District
Judge. Attendees included Tevrizian’s USC fraternity brothers, professional
colleagues, distinguished public figures, religious leaders, family,
friends and admirers, including more than 200 of his current and former law
clerks and externs.
Providing plenty of accolades – and good-natured ribbing about his fierce
loyalty to the USC football team and his matchmaking prowess – speakers
praised Tevrizian’s accomplishments as well as his integrity, fairness and
deep commitment to mentoring young lawyers. Speakers included luminaries in
law and business such as Edward Roski Jr., USC trustee and CEO of Majestic
Realty Co.; Ronald Tutor, USC trustee and president and CEO of Tutor-Saliba
Corp., a leading construction firm;
Kinko’s founder and USC alumnus Paul Orfalea; and Armand Arabian, a former
member of state supreme
court. USC Trustees Stanley Gold, John F. King and Alfred Mann attended the
banquet, as did former Gov. Pete Wilson, Sheriff Lee Baca, USC Athletics’
Mike Garrett, and a long list of prominent attorneys and judges.
During the evening, Tevrizian was awarded a Medal of Honor from the
Armenian Apostolic Church. A letter from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
congratulating Tevrizian was included in the program.
Decades of Service
Tevrizian began his judicial career at age 31, when then-Gov. Ronald Reagan
appointed him to the Los Angeles Municipal Court in 1972, making him the
youngest judge ever appointed to the judiciary at that time. Six years
later, Gov. Edmund Brown Jr. elevated him to a post on the California State
Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles. In 1982, Tevrizian returned
to private law practice until 1986, when President Ronald Reagan selected
him to serve on the U.S. District Court for the
Central District of California.
Tevrizian graduated cum laude from USC with a B.S. in finance in 1962,
before attending USC Law School. After earning his law degree, he joined
and became a partner in the law firm of Kirtland and Packard. Later, he was
a partner in the law firm of Mannet, Phelps, Rothenberg and Tunney and Of
Counsel to the law firm of Lewis, D’Amato, Brisbois & Bisgaard.
He has received many awards, including: being named Trial Judge of the Year
by the California Trial Lawyers Association in 1987; the Ellis Island Medal
of Honor Award in 1999; the Maynard Toll award from the L.A. County Bar
Association for his service to the underprivileged in 2002; and the Emil
Gumpert Award for his efforts in promoting alternate dispute resolution in
2005.
In 1997, Tevrizian joined a delegation of distinguished U.S. jurists led by
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia to visit the newly independent
Armenian Republic to assist in the development of a democratic legal
system. Last month, he returned to Armenia with several members of the
institute, where he met with the Armenian pontiff Karekin II and government
officials.
Awakening a Sleeping Giant
Ever since the establishment of the USC Institute of Armenian Studies, its
director, Richard Hrair Dekmejian, has received a flurry of calls about
possible events and projects. It seems, he said, that the institute is an
idea whose time had come.
“We have awakened a sleeping giant,” said Dekmejian, a professor of
political science in the College. “We’ve had call after call – one group is
interested in hosting a symposium on economic development in Armenia, one’s
interested in Armenian classical music and another in the music of the
Armenian church.”
The institute aims to promote Armenian-related scholarship and activities
in a wide range of fields, from dance, music and the arts to politics,
religion and community affairs. Addressing concerns of the community will
be a top priority.
A key purpose of the institute in Tevrizian’s eyes is to focus on the next
generation, connecting Armenian-American students with internships,
scholarships, advisors and professional mentors. His hopes for the nascent
institute, Tevrizian said, is to create a “home” for young
Armenian-Americans at USC.
“The impact of this institute will extend far beyond USC,” said dean Aoun,
a key architect of the institute. “It will help the world to understand the
many contributions of Armenians to society, as well as to remind them of
the tragic history of the Armenian people.”
At the gala celebrating the institute’s launch in February, the enthusiasm
of the Armenian-American community for the institute was evident. Among the
575 guests attending was a virtual “Who’s Who?” of the community, including
Judge Tevrizian, USC Trustee Roski and Gerald Papazian, College alumnus and
member of the College Board of Councilors.
In June, the institute co-hosted a well-attended symposium and lunch in
conjunction with a visit by His Holiness Karekin II. Event speakers
explored the impact of globalization on the Armenian church and related
themes.
On Oct. 15, the USC Institute of Armenian Studies will host an all-day,
public conference entitled “The Christian Response to Violence.” Speakers,
including the visiting church leader Catholicos Aram I, will examine
violence from the micro-level – in families, gangs and schools – all the
way up to terrorism and genocide.
For more information about the USC Institute of Armenian Studies, call
213-821-3943 or email: [email protected].
**************************************************************************
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From: Baghdasarian

UGAB France
11, square Alboni, 75016 France
Tél. : 01 45 24 72 75
Fax : 01 40 50 88 09
Email : [email protected]

Miami – Focus rassemble plus de 550 jeunes professionnels arméniens
South Beach

Du 14 au 17 juillet 2005, plus de 550 jeunes professionnels arméniens,
venus du monde entier, se sont retrouvés à South Beach en Floride pour
un long week-end exceptionnel.

Après New York en 2001 et Montréal en 2003, c’est la Floride qui a
accueilli, cette année, les participants de Focus.

Le programme très international a réuni de jeunes Arméniens
originaires d’Angleterre, de Belgique, du Canada, de France, de Grèce,
d’Israël, d’Italie, du Liban, de Suisse, en plus d’une vingtaine
d’Etats américains.

Né à l’initiative d’une poignée de jeunes New Yorkais menés par Ani
Setrakian-Manoukian et conçu, à l’origine, comme une réunion des
anciens participants aux programmes de jeunes de l`UGAB, Focus est une
expérience inédite, qui a pris une ampleur inespérée.

Il donne ainsi l’occasion aujourd’hui à des anciens des programmes de
l’UGAB, tels que Camp Nubar ou le New York Summer Internship Program
(Programme de Stages d’Eté de l’UGAB à New York) de se retrouver et de
rendre ainsi hommage à l’UGAB qui leur a permis de vivre des
expériences inoubliables.

Mais Focus permet également aux jeunes professionnels arméniens
d’échanger leurs expériences professionnelles et d’élargir leur cercle
de connaissances.

Les activités du week-end ont été très variées. Le coup d’envoi a été
donné par la Soirée Perspectives du jeudi au cours de laquelle cinq
speakers se sont succédé au micro pour relater leurs success stories
puisque tel était le thème de la soirée. Parmi eux figurait Debbie
Ohanian de Miami qui, après avoir réussi dans divers domaines, est
devenue célèbre aux Etats-Unis grce à sa ligne de vêtements pour
femmes enceintes qui a figuré dans un épisode de Sex and the city. Ces
interventions ont été suivies d’un cocktail.

Le vendredi soir a été marqué par une soirée en boîte en plein c=9Cur
de Miami. Lieu branché entièrement réservé pour les membres de Focus.

Mais le programme n’oublie pas l’aspect caritatif de l’UGAB puisqu’une
vente aux enchères a été organisée le samedi après-midi. Ont été
vendus à cette occasion des objets d’art produits par les enfants des
Children’s Centers de l’UGAB en Arménie. L’événement marquant du
week-end fut le gala organisé au Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Enfin, un
brunch clôturait le dimanche cette grande rencontre.

« Cette année, c’est le programme des bourses d’études de l’UGAB qui a
été mis à l’honneur », explique Ani Setrakian-Manoukian, présidente de
Focus. « Avant le début des activités du week-end, poursuit-elle,
notre comité d’organisation a lancé une opération de collecte de fonds
auprès des participants, qui s’est révélée très fructueuse. En
définitive, c’est 30 000 dollars qui ont été rassemblés au profit du
programme des bourses de l’UGAB ».

Et de conclure : « Focus vise à stimuler la générosité chez les jeunes
participants et leur permet de comprendre l’esprit même de l’UGAB.
Une manière de préparer la relève de demain ».

Enfin, « Focus est un événement unique en son genre car il permet de
réunir à la fois les Américains mais également les Européens, qui
étaient une trentaine à Miami cette année, ce qu’aucun autre programme
pour les jeunes ne parvient à accomplir à une telle échelle. Focus est
d’autant plus exemplaire que sa qualité exceptionnelle redonne envie à
de jeunes Arméniens qui s’étaient détournés de la communauté, car ils
ne se retrouvaient plus en elle, de renouer avec leurs origines, et
leur donne encore plus envie de s’impliquer dans leurs communautés
locales », comme l’a noté Vanessa Ketchedjian, qui a participé aux
trois Focus.

* Bourses de l’UGAB : depuis plus de 70 ans, l’UGAB fournit des
bourses et des prêts à des jeunes étudiants qui excellent dans leurs
filières d’études. Plus de 300 000 dollars sont distribués tous les
ans en bourses et prêts à des étudiants dans 25 pays.

Ancelle a hébergé la 22ème colonie de vacances de l’UGAB-France

C’est la fin de la colonie. Emu, les larmes aux yeux, Raphaël retrouve
son grand-père qui est venu le récupérer à la fin d’un séjour de 3
semaines. Pour lui, comme pour les 110 colons de 7 à 14 ans, le
moment tant redouté des adieux a sonné.

Cette année a marqué le 22ème anniversaire de la colonie de
l’UGAB-France qui s’est déroulée du 4 au 25 juillet 2005 sur le
magnifique site d’Ancelle, petit village à 1 350 m d’altitude, situé à
18 km de Gap dans les Hautes-Alpes.

D’une dimension très internationale, la colonie accueillait des jeunes
venus de France, d’Autriche, d’Allemagne, de Suisse, de Bulgarie, de
Russie, des Etats-Unis et des Emirats arabes unis.

Voici comment se déroule une journée de la colonie, riche en
activités. Point de démarrage : les ateliers de chant, de danse, de
thétre et d’art plastique. Sonne ensuite l’heure du déjeuner. Pas
question de faire dans la simplicité. Des plats arméniens et non des
plus simples sont au menu. Pour la directrice de la colonie, Madame
Herminé Duzian, les enfants doivent manger avec appétit et nos plats
doivent leur plaire.

Des activités de plein air suivent le repas. Beaucoup de sport –
tennis, football, volley, équitation, rafting, baignade, etc. – et des
randonnées. Les soirées, quant à elles, sont animées par des jeux et
des débats culturels pour les plus gés.

Comme chaque année, pour les plus petits, la sortie pédagogique à la
ferme a été organisée.

Pour Thomas, l’un des 20 jeunes animateurs de la colonie, lui-même un
ancien de la colonie et également un ancien élève de l’Ecole du Samedi
de l’UGAB, comme la grande majorité des animateurs, « La Journée
Portes ouvertes est l’un des grands moments de la colonie. C’est le
jour où les parents des colons se rendent sur place pour assister à
une journée de spectacles de plein air préparés avec grand
enthousiasme tout au long des deux premières semaines du séjour ». Et
de poursuivre : « Les parents sont ravis de voir leurs enfants
épanouis. L’événement met la colonie en effervescence». La grande
nouveauté de cette année fut la présentation de la très humoristique
pièce Katch Nazar (Nazar le brave). Pas question d’exclure un seul
colon de la représentation. L’occasion pour tous de monter sur les
planches.

Voilà un bilan qui nous réjouit. Il n’est pas étonnant dans ces
conditions de voir 8 enfants sur 10 revenir chaque année. Pour eux, il
ne faut pas rater le grand rendez-vous estival.

L’UGAB-France tient tout particulièrement à remercier le Père Andranik
Maldjian de l’Eglise arménienne de Valence qui a passé plusieurs jours
sur les lieux pour mieux sensibiliser les enfants à l’histoire, à la
foi et aux traditions arméniennes. A l’occasion de son séjour, une
sortie a été organisée à Notre-Dame de La Salette (à 35 km d’Ancelle),
deuxième lieu de pèlerinage marial en France après Lourdes. Un moment
de prière a eu lieu dans la basilique réunissant les colons, ainsi que
des pèlerins et des touristes qui se trouvaient là-bas.

Nos remerciements s’adressent aussi à la directrice de la colonie,
Herminé Duzian, aux deux responsables Viviane et Armand Muratyan, et à
Virgine Arslanian, assistante sanitaire.

Août 2005 : Séjour de jeunes pionniers en Arménie et au Karabagh

Une dizaine d’adolescents de 15 à 18 ans ont participé, du 4 au 25
août dernier, au voyage initiatique organisé par l’UGAB-France en
Arménie et au Karabagh.

Le programme fut bien chargé. De nombreuses visites de monuments et de
sites historiques et culturels ont été organisées. Ils ont ainsi pu se
rendre au Madenataran, à Dzidzernagapert, Etchmiadzin, Khor Virab,
Garni, Geghard, Noravank, Gandzasar, pour ne donner que quelques
exemples.

Mais bien au-delà de l’intérêt historique et culturel de telles
virées, le voyage visait à les sensibiliser aux différents projets
sociaux de l’UGAB en Arménie et au Karabagh.

A ce titre, nos pionniers ont rejoint le personnel des Tables de
l’UGAB* d’Arapkir à Erevan pour participer au service du repas de midi
qu’ils ont servi aux personnes gées.

Suivait un séjour d’une semaine aux côtés des habitants du village de
Norachen*, situé dans la région de Hadrut au sud-est du Karabagh.

Au cours de cette période, les jeunes ont prêté main forte à
l’opération de drainage des eaux autour de la maternelle du village.

Les après-midi étaient consacrés aux activités manuelles et sportives
et animations ludiques qui ont été expressément organisées par eux au
profit des 35 enfants du village. Appréciant grandement l’attention
dont ils ont fait l’objet, les petits se sont pris au jeu et ont
savouré chaque instant tout en faisant preuve d’un grand intérêt et
d’un grand enthousiasme au contact de leurs hôtes.

« Une expérience très enrichissante dans les deux sens », selon
Herminé Duzian, organisatrice du voyage. « Nous avons pu constater à
quel point cet échange avec les pionniers a été important pour les
enfants du village. Ils l’ont perçu comme une ouverture sur le monde
et ont fait preuve d’une grande volonté de communication »,
souligne-t-elle. Et de poursuivre : « Et de la même manière, nos
jeunes ont réalisé qu’ils pouvaient apporter beaucoup aux autres avec
peu de chose. Et ceci les a touchés au plus profond d’eux-mêmes ».

Certes, une expérience à renouveler !

* Situées à Erevan, Hrazdan, Etchmiadzin et Sevan, les Tables de
l’UGAB servent des repas quotidiens à plus de 1 200 personnes
(retraités, orphelins, etc.) vivant en dessous du seuil de pauvreté en
Arménie.

* Le projet de reconstruction et de repeuplement du village de
Norachen a été lancé par l’UGAB-France en l’an 2000. Aujourd’hui, le
village abrite une maternelle et un dispensaire, et à l’heure
actuelle, une nouvelle école s’y édifie grce aux donateurs de l’UGAB.

News Internationales

New York

Le Conseil central de l’UGAB décide d’accorder 100 000 dollars aux
victimes du cyclone Katrina

Au lendemain de la catastrophe naturelle qui a dévasté la
Nouvelle-Orléans et qui a infligé d’importantes pertes humaines et
matérielles aux trois Etats de Louisiane, Mississipi et Alabama, le
Conseil central de l’UGAB, fidèle à la tradition de l’Union de venir
en aide aux victimes des catastrophes naturelles et de guerre, a
décidé de faire un don de 100 000 dollars au profit des victimes du
cyclone Katrina. Cette somme sera confiée à la Croix-Rouge, l’une des
grandes organisations actives sur le terrain.

Rencontre à New York entre Léna Balsan, maire de Valence, et Berge
Setrakian, président mondial de l’UGAB

Le maire de Valence, Madame Léna Balsan, a rencontré, le 18 août 2005
à New York, le président mondial de l’UGAB, Monsieur Berge Setrakian.

Au cours de leur entretien, qui s’est déroulé au siège de l’UGAB à New
York, ils ont abordé des questions d’intérêt mutuel en rapport avec
les Arméniens de France et de la vallée du Rhône en particulier.

Madame Balsan s’est impliquée directement avec son conseil municipal,
dans la création du Centre du Patrimoine Arménien qui a ouvert ses
portes le 11 juin dernier.

Ce centre, qui constitue une première en Europe, est situé au c=9Cur
de Valence. Il donne accès à une information complète sur l’histoire
des Arméniens de France, leur exode et leur intégration dans la
société française.

Montréal

L’UGAB-Montréal reçoit Madame Annie Koulaksezian-Romy, conseillère
municipale de la ville de Valence

Lors d’une réception organisée au Centre culturel Alex Manoogian le 28
juillet 2005, la section de l’UGAB-Montréal a reçu la responsable du
projet de création du Centre du Patrimoine Arménien. Madame
Koulaksezian-Romy a présenté le centre devant un public comptant de
nombreux membres de la communauté arménienne ainsi que la conseillère
municipale de la ville de Montréal, Madame Hasmig Belleli.

Congressional Record: October 6, 2005 (Extensions)
>From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access

IN HONOR AND RECOGNITION OF KEVORK “GEORGE” ARSLANIAN
HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH
of ohio
in the house of representatives

Thursday, October 6, 2005

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of
Mr. Kevork “George” Arslanian, loving family man, father,
grandfather, great-grandfather and dear friend to many, as his friends
and loved ones gather in honor and celebration of his 100th birthday.
Mr. Arslanian’s life reflects a brilliant spectrum of survival,
courage, tenacity, triumph, devotion to family and service to others.
As a young child, Mr. Arslanian and his two brothers became orphans.
During WWI, 40 members of the Arslanian family, including their father
and mother, were killed in the horrific Armenian massacre by the
Turkish military. The Armenian genocide resulted in the deaths of 1.5
million Armenians. A Turkish neighbor hid the three boys in her home,
saving their lives. Soon after, they were sent to a Red Cross orphanage
in Syria, where they barely survived among 60,000 other orphans.
Throughout their years of struggle, Mr. Arslanian and his brothers
remained focused on the promise of a new life in America. They left the
Syrian orphanage and journeyed to Cuba, from where they had heard that
entry into the U.S. would be easier. They soon discovered this was not
the truth. The children spent 5 years in Cuba, surviving with nothing
more than their own determination, courage and the promise of reaching
the shores of America. In 1927, the boys, who had by now become young
men, made the escape out of Cuba as stowaways on a ship that delivered
them to a life of freedom, hope and possibility in America.
The Arslanian brothers settled with relatives in Cleveland. Mr.
Arslanian attended Miller Barber College in Cleveland, where he
initially honed the art of his trade without pay. He then earned twenty
dollars a week for 25 cent hair cuts. He soon became a licensed
barber–the 11th in the State of Ohio, and in 1932, opened up his own
shop in Garfield Heights. Six days a week for seventy-five years, Mr.
Arslanian worked in the shop with his brother, and continued giving
hair cuts until just a couple of years ago. Together, Mr. Arslanian and
his beloved, late wife, Virginia, raised three sons. George and
Virginia Arslanian were married for 67 years. Mr. Arslanian, one
hundred years young, continues to be the foundation, center and light
of his family–a family that includes his three sons, seven
grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren.
His life-long devotion to his family and to his shop extends
throughout the community, and is evidenced within his strong faith and
his dedication to preserving the history, faith and culture of Armenia.
Mr. Arslanian continues to be deeply involved with the Armenian
Orthodox Church, and led the effort to establish St. Gregory of Narek
Armenian Church. His unwavering support for immigrant families and for
the preservation of Armenian culture is reflected in his long-time
involvement with the Armenian General Benevolent Union and the Tekeyan
Cultural Society.
Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition
of Mr. Kevork “George” Arslanian, whose brave heart, warm smile and
fascinating life continues to educate and inspire those who know and
love him well, especially his family and friends. Mr. Arslanian’s life,
outlined by hard work, integrity and family, personifies the phrase
`American citizen.’
The remarkable story of the young Arslanian brothers, their
courageous journey and creation of new lives in America, is the story
of the American immigrant, retold in a thousand languages, connecting
all of humanity by the will to survive and the promise of freedom and
peace. The incredible journey of citizens such as Kevork “George”
Arslanian is the strength and foundation of our country. In honor of
Mr. Arslanian’s 100th birthday, we offer him an abundance of peace,
health and happiness, and offer our gratitude to him for enriching our
community and our nation. His great love for his family, community and
for his beloved Armenia, transcends time and distance, serving as a
bridge of goodwill, forever connecting America to Armenia.

Congressional Record: October 7, 2005 (Extensions)
>From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

AZERBAIJAN
HON. TED POE
of texas
in the house of representatives

Friday, October 7, 2005

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, Azerbaijan is an important strategic ally for
the United States. The Country is located in a region that can produce
and transport energy products to the West. As well as provide military
and intelligence capabilities to the United States.
Azerbaijan is an emerging major non-OPEC oil producer and transit
country (i.e, Baku-Ceyhan pipeline), which will supply 1.6 million
barrels a day after being operational December 2005. This will
stabilize the other energy producing countries (oil and gas) in the
region and their ability to get their product to the marketplace
without the dependency of Russia or Iran.
Azerbaijan is a front line positioned state for military and
intelligence access to Iran. This will act as a stabilizing effect for
the region and fight off the aggressive position of Iran. It will also
work against terrorist activities spread by fundamental terrorist who
have the support of Iran.
Azerbaijan is the first Muslim state to provide troops to the U.S.
backed coalitions in Iraq., Afghanistan and Kosovo. To date, they are
the only Shiite Muslim state to provide troops.
Azerbaijan is in the vanguard of the emerging democracies from the
former Soviet Union. Azerbaijan has parliamentary elections scheduled
November 6, 2005, and is moving forward with international support to
assure free and fair elections. Azerbaijan has allowed opposition
parties the right to organize, protest, and access public television.
Azerbaijan maintains excellent relations with the State of Israel,
both, diplomatically and economically including providing crude oil.
Azerbaijan is a strong strategic partner with the United States and
is cooperating in United States activities regarding Caspian regional
security overseeing Iran (e.g., Caspian Guards program, radar system,
fly-over rights and re-fueling capacity).
Azerbaijan is a strategic asset given its presence as a strong United
States-Israel ally next to Iran. Azerbaijan welcomes trade with Israel
and stronger ties between the two countries.
Iran has threatened Azerbaijan due to cooperation with Israel and the
United States Iran continues to inform Azerbaijan that their strong
relations with the United States and Israel will not be beneficial, as
Iran is their neighbor.
The Iran military enters Azerbaijan airspace weekly and Iran has made
claims on Azerbaijan’s offshore oil and gas exploration.
Iran has attempted to spread Madrassas schools in Azerbaijan and
Azerbaijan has resisted.
Iran pressures Azerbaijan to abolish visas between the two countries,
which would lead to less control and more Iranians infiltration into
Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is resisting this effort.
Occupied Azerbaijan (NK Region) is on the Iranian border, where
alleged terrorist camps, narcotic trafficking and weapons trading goes
on. Since Armenia has occupied this region of Azerbaijan, almost 16
percent of the total country, this activity has existed with the
support of Iran. Azerbaijan is defenseless in trying to stop this
activity, as long as Armenia occupies this region.