Month: October 2005

IcelandReview, Iceland
Oct 7 2005
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Iceland and Lebanon…Together at Last

Last night over dinner, I finally convinced a couple of friends to
sign on to a shamelessly geeky scheme called, for lack of something
more creative, Country of the Month. The idea sprung from a
conversation about the Russian Revolution – or watching BBC food. Not
sure. Either way, something made me think it was high time to do
something about the gaping holes in my understanding of world
history. The rough idea is to take a country and study its food,
literature, art, and history for a month with a few friends. (I’m
getting embarrassed, so I’m not going to go on.) Needless to say, it
was not met with much initial enthusiasm.

Iceland and Lebanon – I’m getting there. Last night, my plan gained
legitimacy when we chose two countries: Turkey and Armenia. Given
that Turkey will likely be one of the next countries to be welcomed
into the ever growing fold of the EU, the neighbors were a natural
choice. Let the Turkish coffee flow.

Meanwhile, Iceland remains unconvinced. And, as it turns out, so does
Lebanon. Lebanon has recently been wooed by the EU, which has pledged
its support for the small nation’s recent political and economic
reforms along with 10 million Euros. Much like Turkey, Lebanon is
probably seen as gateway into the Muslim world for Western countries,
including the United States.

But like Iceland, Lebanon is not jumping up and down to join. So this
week, academics from the two countries met at a university in Beirut
to talk about what a small nation on the edge of a growing political
alliance is to do. The difference, as Lebanon’s Daily Star points
out, is that Iceland has economic reasons for not joining, while
Lebabnon is divided on whether it thinks of itself as part of the
European world, or part of the Arab one.

Anyway, interesting to see a how growing political force forms
alliances between smaller ones. Maybe Lebanon should be next on my
list.

;ew_0_a_id=159539

Huffington Post, NY
Oct 7 2005

Salman Rushdie: Inside the Mind of Jihadists (3 comments )

It goes on and on. Bali was hit last week by suicide bombers. George
Bush upped the ante once again in “the global war on terror” with his
October 6 speech. The New York subway is on a high terror alert. What
is going on in the minds of the jihadists? What is the best way to
challenge the “Islamo-fascists?” I recently spoke to Salman Rushdie,
author of “The Satanic Verses” and, most recently, “Shalimar the
Clown”, about these issues:

Nathan Gardels: It happened again last week in Bali, this time with
suicide bombers. Before this there was London, Madrid and 9/11. There
was the murder Theo Van Gogh on the street in Amsterdam and the
brutal beheading of Danny Pearl in Karachi. In your newest novel,
“Shalimar the Clown,” you’ve imagined what is inside the minds of
jihadists. Is there a common motivation for these different acts. Is
it the “absolutism of the pure” striking out against the hybrid
impurities of cosmopolitan culture, as you’ve often written?

Salman Rushdie: In their minds at least, it is not a very theoretical
or intellectual thing except for a few at the top of these terror
networks.

The most essential characteristic of the person who commits terror of
this kind is the idea of dishonored manhood. I try to show this in my
novel. The character Shalimar picks up the gun not just because his
heart gets broken, but because his pride and honor get broken by
losing the woman he loves to a worldly man of greater consequence and
power. Somehow he has to rebuild his sense of manliness. That is what
leads him down the path to slashing an American ambassador’s throat.
Living in the West, where there is no “honor culture,” it is easy to
underestimate its power.

Judeo-Christian culture has to do with guilt and redemption. In
Eastern cultures, with no concept of original sin, the idea of
redemption from it doesn’t make sense. Instead, the moral poles of
the culture have to do with honor and shame.

The idea of dishonor, of some kind of real or perceived humiliation,
can drive people to desperate acts.
Interestingly, in researching Shalimar, one of the things I
discovered was a kind of bizarre class differential between the
warriors and the suicide bombers. Strapping on a suicide belt is
looked down upon by some who think it is more manly to kill face to
face with a knife. Fighting is manly. Suicide bombing is cheap.

Those drawn into the act of suicide are malleable personalities.
Hezbollah, for example, has developed a quite detailed psychological
profile of the kind of person who can be persuaded to be a suicide
bomber. You have to be a weak personality to be a suicide bomber. You
have to accept the abnegation of the self. If your father or sister
needs a medical operation, the handlers will say, “You do this, and
we’ll take care of that.” There are a whole range of appeals, few of
which have to do with ideology.

Gardels: Certainly, though, what drives the jihadist movement is the
perception of collective humiliation and dishonor of Islamic culture
at the hands of the West. As V.S. Naipaul has written, they blame
their failure on the success of another civilization.

Rushdie: The birth of Islamic radicalism is relatively new. Fifty
years ago, during decolonization and the early post-colonial days,
Gamal Abdul Nasser in Egypt or the (National Liberation) Front in
Algeria, for example, were completely non-religious phenomena. Some
movements were led by Marxists. The cause was national liberation
from imperialism.

In time, leaders of many of those movements turned into corrupt fat
cats, and the Islamists, like the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, could
present themselves as the clean, virtuous alternative to secularism.
That gave them a big rhetorical advantage. The nationalists often
used the language of the Islamists, though they didn’t mean it,
because it offered a legitimizing rhetoric for the decolonizing
period. However, by giving away their own tongues, they laid the
groundwork for those who came behind them, who really did mean what
they said. That is how Islamist radicalism grew.

But it grew differently in different places. In Iran, Khomeini was,
in effect, a creation of the Shah because the Shah had killed all the
other political voices. It wasn’t like that in Kashmir. The presence
of the Indian army for so long created a great deal of general
unhappiness, the fertile soil from which radicalism could spring,
even though it was alien to the Kashmiri spirit. Then, when the
jihadists starting coming in from Pakistan, they targeted moderate
Muslim voices because they wanted a polarized situation. The
Kashmiris themselves were squeezed between two forces, neither for
which they had much affinity for.

There is a tendency to look at the jihadist movement as a monolith
globally. The only really global idea they have is this laughable
fantasy of “the return of the Caliphate.” Inevitably they are
disappointed that this doesn’t happen, and thus there is more
resentment.

The whole phenomenon is much more comprehensible when you look at
local sources. Suicide bombing in the Middle East is not the same as
suicide bombing in London.

Gardels: The French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy argues that,
despite the considerable diversion of Iraq, the center of Islamic
radicalism is moving east to Asia, where most Muslims live. He argues
that “Kashmir is the new Palestine.” Do you agree?

Rushdie: He says this because he is concerned about Pakistan. What he
is right about is that, behind General Musharraf, there is the
possibility of a really terrible situation where radical Islamists
get control of nuclear weapons. If that happens, it would dwarf any
other problem in the world. If Musharraf is assassinated and some
radical from the Pakistani intelligence services take over, then you
essentially have the Taliban with the bomb.

Gardels: After the London bombings, Iqbal Sacranie, the head of the
Muslim Council of Britain, condemned the acts of “our children” and
said they presented a “profound challenge” to local Muslims. Yet he
also had professed sympathy for the fatwa against you, saying “Death
is perhaps too easy” for the author of “The Satanic Verses.” Isn’t
that double standard precisely what created the space for the
children of the Muslim community in Europe to commit acts of
terrorism in their own homeland?

Rushdie: Yes. I think so. (British Prime Minister Tony) Blair is
making a real mistake believing that these ultra-conservative,
ultra-orthodox, non-modernizing – non-terrorist, to be fair – voices
like Sacranie are in some way representative of British Muslims. You
don’t fight radical conservatism with not-quite-so radical
conservatism. Blair has put Sacranie’s main deputy, who is on record
denying the Holocaust, on some committee supposedly fighting Islamic
radicalism!

These are not the people to get in bed with. Unfortunately, Blair’s
own faith-based instincts lead him toward other people of faith as
being the solution.

One problem is that there is no truly representative institution for
British Muslims. Most Muslims in England are not ghettoized, or
particularly Muslim. They deal with their faith in a much lighter
way. They are citizens first and Muslims second or maybe seventeenth.
The conventional wisdom of Blair’s government seems to be that
everyone is a Muslim first and must be dealt with on that basis.
The question is how you persuade this majority to organize. Given the
demonization about what I’m supposed to be, I’m certainly the wrong
person for this job. But still, the job needs to be done. At least I
can talk about it.

Gardels: Tariq Ramadan, the controversial Geneva-based scholar who is
a leading voice of European Muslims, says something similar. He says
the problem is the narrow teaching of the Koran by imams in the
closed communities of big European cities who are trained in the Arab
world. They tell alienated youth they should be ashamed of not being
good Muslims because they are contaminated by the “un-Islamic
environment” in which they live.

Yet, most Muslims, he argues, are engaged in a “‘silent revolution’
led substantially by women, who have committed themselves to
democracy, freedom of conscience and worship and diversity. They are
both citizens of the West and look to Islam for their meaning in
life. This silent revolution is the real enemy of the London bombers
because it refuses to accept the ‘us vs. them’ worldview.”
Do you agree?

Rushdie: Oddly, because it comes form Tariq Ramadan, I more or less
agree with that. The central issue here is interpretation, or
itjihad. Conservative Muslims say that only Islamic scholars, ulema,
can interpret the Koran. The religious power elite thus maintains
control because theirs is the only interpretation that is acceptable.
And because they have a literalist reading of the Koran, they never
question first principles. It is from this kind of interpretive
process that so many atrocities are committed, like the one in India
recently where a woman was told she had to leave her husband because
she was “unclean” after being raped by her father-in-law!

One of the reasons my name is Rushdie is that my father was an
admirer of Ibn Rush’d, the 12th century Arab philosopher known as
Averroes in the West. In his time, he was making the non-literalist
case for interpreting the Koran.

One argument of his with which I’ve also had sympathy is this: In the
Judeo-Christian idea, God created man in his own image and,
therefore, they share some characteristics. By contrast, the Koran
says God has no human characteristics. It would be demeaning God to
say that. We are merely human. He is God.

Ibn Rush’d and others in his time argued that language, too, is a
human characteristic. Therefore it is improper – in Koranic terms –
to argue that God speaks Arabic or any other language. That God would
speak at all would mean he has a mouth and human form. So, Ibn Rush’d
said, if God doesn’t use human language, then the writing down of the
Koran, as received in the human mind from the Angel Gabriel, is
itself an act of interpretation. The original text is itself an act
of interpretation. If that is so, then further interpretation of the
Koran according to historical context, rather than literally, is
quite legitimate.

In the 12th century, this argument was defeated. It needs to raised
again in the 21st century. The sad thing, as I discovered in my
research for “The Satanic Verses” and other books, is that so much
scholarship was already done on the Koran in past centuries,
including on the dating of verses and the order they are placed. When
you read the Koran as a writer, you immediately notice places where
the subject changes radically in the middle of a verse and then picks
up several passages later. Obviously, in this “sacred” text, an
editor’s hand was at work.

Today, in a lot of the Muslim world, such historical study is
prohibited. That is why the place to start today is with a new
Islamic scholarship.

I have called for an Islamic Reformation, but that may give the wrong
connotation because of Martin Luther’s puritanical cast.
Enlightenment might be a better term. The point is, Islam has to
change. The dead hand of literalism is what is giving power to the
conservatives and the radicals. If you want to take that away from
them, you must start with the issue of interpretation and insist that
all ideas, even sacred ones, must adapt to new realities.

All other major religions have gone through this process of
questioning, but remain standing. An Islamic questioning might well
undermine the radicals, but it won’t undermine Islam.

Gardels: From where will the impulse of this Islamic enlightenment
come? >From the “silent revolution” of Western Muslims? From Asia?
Problematically, the “dead hand of literalism” reigns most severely
in the Arab world, the cradle of Islam.

Rushdie: It is very improbable that it would come from the
Arab-speaking world. It is more likely to come form the diaspora
where Muslims in the West or India have lived with secularism.
Muslims are well integrated in India, having long known the
secularism to which they adhere protects them and their faith from
the dictatorship of the Hindu majority.

In Europe, integration has been held up as a bad word by
multiculturalists, but I don’t see any necessary conflict. After all,
we don’t want to create countries of little apartheids. No
enlightenment will come from multicultural appeasement. This is very
evident today in Holland, for example. Contrast that with the French
model of secular integration. The headscarf controversy of a year ago
is now a non-issue because a broad agreement emerged there across the
spectrum that secularism is the best for everyone – from Muslims to
Le Pen.

Gardels: Those who favor Turkey’s accession to the European Union
argue it is critical for bridging the gap with Muslim civilization.
But Muslim leaders like (former Malaysian prime minister) Mohamad
Mahathir say Turkey cannot be a model for the Muslim world precisely
because it is committed to European secularism. What would it mean
for better West-Muslim relations if Turkey joined Europe?

Rushdie: Not much. It is a mistake to make it such a big symbol.

Turkish secularism also seems a little rocky right now, though still
holding. But they have big problems they haven’t begun to address,
starting with a penal code that is used against writers and
publishers – some 14 or 15 who are up for trial right now. Orhan
Pamuk, the novelist, has been charged for merely saying there is
something to the Ottoman massacre of Armenians. The power of the
Islamists is still far too great.

So, skepticism is warranted about Turkey in Europe. If Turkey wants
to join Europe, it will have to become a European country, and that
might take a long time.

Varsity, Canada (The University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper)
Oct 7 2005

The Persian pleasure principle

Incoming U of T human rights professor Michael Ignatieff needs to put
down his romance novels and focus on the injustices in modern-day
Iran, argues Samira Mohyeddin

“What the historian says will, however careful he may be to use
purely descriptive language, sooner or later convey his attitude.
Detachment is itself a moral position. The use of neutral language
(‘Himmler caused many persons to be asphyxiated’) conveys its own
ethical tone.” -Isaiah Berlin, “Introduction” to Four Essays on
Liberty (1969).

Michael Ignatieff-Canadian author, journalist, and director of the
Carr Centre for Human Rights Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of
Government-was recently invited to Iran by an Iranian NGO known as
the Cultural Research Bureau to lecture on human rights and
democracy. On July 17, 2005, Ignatieff wrote a lengthy editorial
about his experiences in Iran, entitled “Iranian Lessons,” for the
New York Times Magazine.

Ignatieff notes early on that, due to the recent victory of noted
hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the Iranian presidential elections,
the speaker had to alter his planned lecture. Instead of asking,
“What do democracy and human rights mean in an Islamic society?”,
Ignatieff asked, “Can democracy and human rights make any headway at
all in a society deeply divided between the rich and the poor,
included and excluded, educated and uneducated?”

Initially, one thinks that Ignatieff is speaking to the necessity of
equating socio-economic rights with universal human rights, a project
that Canadian Louise Arbour-currently the United Nations’ High
Commissioner for Human Rights-is advocating and developing.
Ignatieff, however, does not speak to the constituents whom he
attempts so poorly to champion. Instead, he chooses to give voice to
the enfranchised upper echelons of Tehran’s society.

Although his article begins in southern Tehran, with a detailed
description of a walled cemetery dedicated to those who senselessly
perished in the first Gulf War, Ignatieff does not address the
concerns of the more than forty per cent of Tehran’s population who
live below the poverty line in the city’s south end.

Why would Ignatieff choose to not have a single conversation with
anyone in southern Tehran? After all, it was this exact constituency
that brought a divisive figure like Ahmadinejad to power in response
to promises of practical aid. The same constituency that made Michael
Ignatieff alter the topic of his lecture. Other than an overblown and
prosaic description of the walled cemetery, complete with Persian
poetry and tea-drinking mourners, Ignatieff does not offer much
insight about the population and its challenges, and leaves southern
Tehran to its impoverished mourning.

Referring to something that he coins as “Persian pleasure,” Ignatieff
paints a charming picture of present-day Isfahan, a UNESCO heritage
city in central Iran: “I spent a night wandering along the
exquisitely lighted vaulted bridges, watching men, not necessarily
gay, strolling hand in hand, singing to each other, and dancing
beneath the arches….I came away from a night in Isfahan believing
that Persian pleasure, in the long run, would outlast Shiite
Puritanism.” Never bothering to define what “Persian pleasure” is,
Ignatieff disregards Iran’s multicultural, multilingual, and
multi-ethnic reality, and instead chooses to paint a little miniature
of boys and men frolicking with one another-but who are not
necessarily gay-and just leaves it there.

Ignatieff also trivializes women’s issues by making repeated
references to women’s dress, make-up, and hair. Yet, Ignatieff fails
to mention that the covering of women’s hair, however miniscule an
issue it may seem these days, is mandatory for women in Iran, and
failure to do so carries the penalty of 102 lashes.

After lamenting the fact that “young Iranians are so hostile to
clerical rule,” Ignatieff goes on to make an audacious suggestion to
the female students that he speaks to in the university, telling them
not to reject Sharia law outright but to “reform Sharia from within.”
Irrespective of Ignatieff’s deluded prescription, what was heartening
was the answer that those female students gave to Ignatieff’s
suggestion: “You are too nice to Sharia law. It must be abolished. It
cannot be changed.”

Early on in the article, Ignatieff describes how he came upon the
scene of a small student-led demonstration regarding the elections in
Iran and was witness to a secret police officer attempting to abduct
one of the students and push him into the back of an unmarked
vehicle. Ignatieff goes on to describe how some of the demonstrators
came to the aid of the student by punching and kicking the officer.
Ignatieff’s next assertion regarding what he had just seen is quite
puzzling and disappointing.

Referring to the student-who had managed to wrangle himself
free-Ignatieff posits, “In a more genuinely fearful police state, he
would have gone quietly.” Is he suggesting that Iran is not a police
state? Although Ignatieff does recognize that the Iranian government
does not give much credence to the concept of human rights, he fails
to offer any critical assessment of the situation of human rights in
Iran.

This convenient disregard for the facts is unfortunately not
restricted to Ignatieff alone. In 1985 the United States Congress
tried to pass a resolution officially recognizing the massacre of
more than a million Armenians, specifically referring to the
“genocide perpetrated in Turkey between 1915 and 1923.” Sixty-nine
historians sent a letter to Congress disputing this resolution,
writing, “As for the charge of ‘genocide,’ no signatory of this
statement wishes to minimize the scope of Armenian suffering. We are
likewise cognizant that it cannot be viewed as separate from the
suffering experienced by the Muslim inhabitants of the region….But
much more remains to be discovered before historians will be able to
sort out precisely responsibility between warring and innocent, and
to identify the causes for the events which resulted in the death or
removal of large numbers of the eastern Anatolian population,
Christian and Muslim alike.”

One of the 69 historians was well known Orientalist and Islamic
scholar, Bernard Lewis. Although the New York Times reported in 1915
that Armenian and Greek Christians were “being systemically uprooted
from their homes en masse…and given the choice between immediate
acceptance of Islam or death by the sword or starvation” (“Turks are
Evicting Native Christians,” New York Times, July 11, 1915), Lewis
declared in a 1993 interview with Le Monde magazine in France that
what happened should not be considered genocide. In a second
interview a few months later, he referred to “an Armenian betrayal”
in the “context of a struggle, no doubt unequal, but for material
stakes….There is no serious proof of a plan of the Ottoman
government aimed at the extermination of the Armenian nation.”

Although Lewis is not a human rights or genocide scholar, he is a
historian and, like Ignatieff, who purports to be a human rights
champion extraordinaire, he has a certain responsibility. I am not
suggesting that Ignatieff’s self-induced myopia regarding the abysmal
human rights record of the Islamic Republic of Iran is on par with
genocide denial. I am arguing, however, that we all make choices.
Lewis made a choice during the Le Monde interview when he referred to
the genocide of the Armenians as “their version of history.”
Ignatieff also makes a choice when he praises Iran on “the
achievements of the revolution,” and continually fetishizes Persian
culture throughout his article.

On July 19, 2005, two days after Ignatieff’s piece was published,
Amnesty International reported that two youths, both under the age of
18, were executed in the Iranian province of Mashad for reportedly
having sexual relations with one another and sexually assaulting a
13-year-old boy. Prior to their execution, both were given 228 lashes
for theft, consuming alcohol, and disturbing the peace. Unlike
Ignatieff’s idyllic miniature of late-night Isfahan, these boys are
“necessarily gay,” and were hung for being so, in true medieval
fashion.

This is where his dreamy and congenial romance with Persian pleasure
falls apart. Ignatieff’s self-induced myopia regarding the
socio-political situation of Iranians, particularly the young, is the
specific reason why his article on Iran reads more like the account
of a political-economist-turned-harlequin-romance-writer than that of
a human rights scholar.

85/news/2005/10/06/Feature/The-Persian.Pleasure.Pr inciple-1012725.shtml

Financial Times, UK
Oct 7 2005

Court sentences Turkish editor for insulting the state

By Vincent Boland in Ankara
Published: October 7 2005 16:35 | Last updated: October 7 2005 16:35

A Turkish court yesterday sentenced the editor of an
Armenian-language newspaper in Istanbul to six months in prison after
finding him guilty of insulting the state in a series of articles he
published last year.

The sentence was announced three days after Turkey began accession
negotiations to join the European Union. Olli Rehn, the EU’s
enlargement commissioner, said earlier this week that Turkey had to
work hard to improve its human rights record.

The court found Hrant Dink, editor of the bilingual Turkish- and
Armenian-language weekly Agos, guilty of `insulting and weakening
Turkish identity in the media’.

The sentence was suspended, so he will not have to serve time in jail
unless he repeats the offence. Mr Dink, who is a Turkish citizen and
who denied the charge, said he would appeal to a higher court and, if
necessary, to the European Court of Human Rights.

Orhan Pamuk, Turkey’s most acclaimed novelist, faces a similar charge
in a case due to come to court in December. He has criticised
Turkey’s stance on the mass killings of Armenians 90 years ago, and
faces up to three years in prison if he is convicted. The Armenian
diaspora claims this was an act of genocide, which Turkey denies.

Mr Dink said his articles argued that the Armenians had allowed the
genocide claim to `poison the blood’, and that he had not insulted or
denigrated Turkey in any way. The court, however, said Mr Dink
`intended to be insulting and offensive’ to Turkey.

It has long been a criminal offence in Turkey to slander the state or
to argue publicly against the official position on certain matters of
political or historical sensitivity. Armenia is one; other areas
that have attracted official opprobrium include discussion of
Turkey’s role in Cyprus or the position of the Kurdish minority in
Turkish society.

Revisions to Turkey’s penal code, made at the request of the EU, are
in theory supposed to have reduced the gravity of the offence of
insulting the state, although they have not abolished it. Some
prosecutors, acting independently of the government, still seek to
pursue these cases in deference to nationalist opinion.

Turkish Press
Oct 7 2005
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Press Review

CUMHURIYET

EP DELEGATION: `WILL THE `GENOCIDE’ BE RECOGNIZED?’

Members of the European Parliament Human Rights Subcommittee led by
Helene Flautre yesterday paid a visit to the Turkish Parliament.
During the meeting, delegation members called on Ankara to recognize
the Armenian genocide claims and consider the issue of education in
Kurdish. Polish members of the delegation noted that Poland had to
acknowledge its part in the Jewish holocaust and asked when Turkey
would face up to its own history. Afterwards, Ozlem Cercioglu of the
Republican People’s Party (CHP) said, `There were losses on both
sides during the war. Although Turkey has opened up all of its
archives, Armenia still refuses to open theirs.’ /Cumhuriyet/

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) 630 Second
Avenue, New York, NY 10016Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of
Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: {}

October 6, 2005

ACYOA HOSTS PAN NORTH AMERICAN RETREAT AT ARARAT CENTER

Even in today’s fast-paced, iPod-Xbox-TiVo culture, the ancient
rhythms of the Armenian Church still have a place and value.
“Baptism: Finding Modern Meaning in Ancient Rites” was the theme of
the first Pan North American Youth Retreat organized by the Armenian
Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA) on September 23 to 25,
2005.

“This retreat was a very enriching experience that went deep into
the rituals and meaning of baptism and how it is a true blessing,”
said Angelraven Tevan, 20, a parishioner at the St. James Church of
Watertown, MA. “Learning how to appreciate the importance of baptism
is so important.”

The weekend brought together 50 young people from the Eastern,
Western, and Canadian dioceses for lecture presentations, worship,
small group Bible study, creative self-expression, and interactive
sessions. The weekend activities ended appropriately enough with the
Divine Liturgy, celebrated by Fr. Bedros Kadehjian.

“For me, the retreat was the epitome of all that encompasses both
the spiritual and social aspects of the ACYO,” said Gregory
Kalayjian, 31, a participant from the Canadian Diocese. “The only
negative comment I have is that this spiritual journey had to come to
an end.”

The ACYOA Central Council hosted the weekend at the Eastern
Diocese’s Ararat Center in upstate New York after leaders met last
year at the request of the three North American primates —
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, and Bishop
Bagrat Galstanyan.

The three Diocesan leaders wanted young people to get together in
order to discuss common concerns and challenges related to youth
involvement in the church. Each primate made a financial pledge to
make this unique retreat affordable to the participants.

“While we may have some geographical differences, hearing the same
viewpoints and priorities directly from our brothers and sisters from
the West Coast and Canada only further motivated us, as the Central
Council, to continue in our common mission,” said Maria Derderian,
ACYOA Central Council Chair. “It was an exciting gathering and could
have only taken place with the support — both moral and financial —
of our respective primates. We are very grateful for their
leadership.”

Next year’s retreat will be hosted by the ACYO of the Western
Diocese at their campgrounds in California. A joint Habitat for
Humanity trip to Armenia is also being explored by organizers.

“There are many similarities and differences between our three
regions, and we need to bridge the gap to take advantage of what we
all have to offer,” said Johnny El Chemmas, a member of the ACYOA
Central Council of the Eastern Diocese. “We have much to learn and
gain from each other,”

Leading presentations and discussions at this year’s inaugural
gathering were clergy and Diocesan staff including: Fr. Stepanos
Doudoukjian, pastor of the St. Peter Church of Watervliet, NY, and
director of vocations and youth for St. Nersess Seminary; Fr. Aren
Jebejian, pastor of the St. Gregory Church of Chicago, IL; Fr. Bedros
Kadehjian, interim mission parish coordinator for the Diocese; Nancy
Basmajian, ACYOA executive secretary; Jason Demerjian, college
ministry facilitator for the Eastern Diocese; Jennifer Morris, the
Eastern Diocese’s youth outreach coordinator; and Daron Bolat, an
intern with the Eastern Diocese’s Department of Youth and Education.
This was the first such program involving youth from all three North
American cioceses since

1989 when the Western Diocese hosted a joint retreat with the
Eastern Diocese in Las Vegas.

“The ACYO members feel at home in the Armenian Church. Many are
driven by a passionate concern and care to reach out to other young
people who are lost sheep, while many feel a strong desire to serve
the church,”

Fr. Doudoukjian said. “I encouraged all those young men and women to
think and pray about a life in the church, either as a priest, deacon,
lay leader, or youth leader, and to consider attending St. Nersess to
study as a seminarian. My prayer is that these same young people will
be our priests and leaders to advance the faithful of our Armenian
Church well into the 21st century.”

For many of the participants, the theological discussions were just
a part of the weekend, which was highlighted by getting to know other
young Armenians from across the continent who share the same
commitment to the Armenian faith.

“It was so wonderful to get connected with our Western and Canadian
counterparts, and to know that we are all together working towards
the same goal to: bring Armenian youth into a stronger relationship
with Christ for a better future for our Armenian Church,” said Talar
Topjian, an ACYOA member form the St. Mary Church of Washington, DC.

— 10/6/05

E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,
{}.

PHOTO CAPTION (1): At the first Pan North American Youth Retreat, 50
young people from the Eastern, Western, and Canadian Dioceses gathered
at the Eastern Diocese’s Ararat Center.

PHOTO CAPTION (2): Young participants in the Pan North American
Youth Retreat discuss the Armenian faith and its connection to modern
life at the Eastern Diocese’s Ararat Center.

PHOTO CAPTION (3): Participants in the Pan North American Youth
Retreat, which ran from September 23 to 25, 2005, took part in a
series of workshops, discussions, and services. Here they are
renouncing Satan, which is done at the beginning of a Baptismal
service.

PHOTO CAPTION (4): From left, Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian, Fr. Aren
Jebejian, and Fr. Bedros Kadehjian anoint the foreheads of
participants during a discussion on baptism during the Pan North
American Youth Retreat, organized by the ACYOA, which ran from
September 23 to 25, 2005, at the Eastern Diocese’s Ararat Center.

# # #

Straw’s assessment was very appropriate.

‘London Threatens with Recognition of TRNC’
By Foreign News Desk
Published: Thursday, October 06, 2005
zaman.com

The launch of Turkey’s talks with the European Union (EU) continues to
receive widespread media coverage in Europe.

A story appeared in Greek Cypriot newspaper Fileleftheros, with the headline
“Rapprochement Through Pressure,” saying that Britain is blackmailing the
Greek Cypriots “politically” to recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC) in dense lobbying activities in Luxembourg.

Britain has pressured more on the authority of the Greek Cyprus to
emasculate the importance of talks regarding Turkey’s responsibilities
towards the Greek Cypriots in accordance with the Negotiation Framework
Document through the enlightening statement of the presidency, it was
claimed.

The newspaper also reported that with pressures increasing after an
agreement was reached with Austria, the Greek Cypriot authority feared that
it might be left alone; therefore, it agreed to the “enlightening statement”
of Britain.

In the meantime, Armenian hopes have risen for the opening of its border
with Turkey and the acknowledgement of the “genocide” allegations after
Turkey was allowed to negotiate with the EU.

The Armenian opinion of the negotiation start is that Turkey will feel
compelled to open its borders with Armenia as soon as possible, said
Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamlet Gasparyan.

The Armenian government hopes for Turkey’s acknowledgement of the Armenian
genocide while negotiations are in progress, Gasparyan asserted in
connection with the allegations of Armenian genocide.

Benfica face Budapest test
Friday, 7 October 2005
by Márton Dinnyés & Paul Saffer

Hungarian champions Colorspectrum Aramis Budapest face
a baptism of fire in the UEFA Futsal Cup this week
with SL Benfica among their opponents in first
qualifying round Group 3, along with AGBU Ararat
Nicosia FC and Tal Grig Yerevan.

Troubled summer
Budapest completed the Hungarian double last season,
but go into the mini-tournament, which starts on
Sunday, after a troubled summer. Hungary goalkeeper
Zoltán Balázs, who starred at February’s UEFA European
Futsal Championship, has left the club after falling
out with the management. His international team-mates,
Zoltán Szabó and Tamás Frank, have also been
struggling with injury but should play.

‘We have problems’
Coach Ferenc Soós said: “We have problems, but the
players are taking their task very seriously. We have
trained more than we ever have done. They are
passionate and concentrate only on their preparation.”

‘Only one aim’
Ferenc Ragadics, head of the club’s Futsal department,
added: “I hope all the spectators will enjoy these
games. We have only one aim – that the qualification
issue will be decided on the last day when we play
Benfica.”

Experienced Ararat
That match closes proceedings at Ferencváros’s
handball court, for which entry is free, on Wednesday.
Before then, on Sunday, Benfica set the ball rolling
against Cypriot champions Ararat – who have played in
every previous Futsal Cup but never progressed beyond
this stage – and Budapest then play Yerevan. On
Monday, Yerevan take on Benfica and Budapest encounter
Ararat.

In form
Benfica, Futsal Cup finalists in 2003/04, are now
coached by Adil Amarante, with the man who led them to
their encounter with Boomerang Interviú FS, Alípio
Matos, having become club manager. They missed out on
Europe last term after losing the Portuguese title to
Sporting Club de Portugal, yet defeated their rivals
to reclaim the championship in 2004/05 and have won
both Premier League matches so far this season.

Yerevan scrape through
Yerevan, by contrast, are tournament debutants, having
won the preliminary round group by the skin of their
teeth – had they lost their closing game against hosts
London White Bear by more than 2-1, they would have
been out in third place.

Benfica tipped
Coach Ruben Nazaretyan told uefa.com after that tie:
“Last year our champions Politekhnik Yerevan played
Sporting and I watched the game in Portugal. But I
know nothing about Benfica, although I will try and
find out and work out how we can train to play against
them – they will be the best team.”

©uefa.com 1998-2005.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NewKerala.com, India
Oct 8 2005

Shekhawat becomes first Indian to receive Armenian university
doctorate

Yeravan (Armenia), Oct.7 : Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was
today honoured with an honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine by the
Yerewan State Medical University at Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

Shekhawat is the first Indian to receive this Armenian honour. The
degree along with a gold medallion was presented to the Indian Vice
President at a special convocation that coincided with Diamond
Jubilee of the university.

Speaking on the occasion, Shekhawat underlined that todays
governance by the State is basically meant to secure human
development and augment happiness. Improving quality of education and
providing effective healthcare are the two primary means to achieve
these objectives. It is, therefore, important that highest quality
and standards are maintained in our medical education system so that
it keeps pace with the changing requirements and fast technological
developments.

Underlining the need for providing affordable healthcare to the
common people at large, including the poor and the deprived sections
of the society, Shekhawat said that the challenge to build an
affordable public health system is really very formidable and demands
an innovative approach.

In every country one finds the rich and vast traditional wisdom of
medicine which has so well served the poor, Shekhawat said and added
that the key to an affordable and reliable healthcare system lies in
the integrated system of medicine.

He hoped that medical universities would focus on these issues which
vitally impact public healthcare and added that these issues are also
receiving serious consideration in Indian and integrated courses in
medical education are being envisaged.

The Vice President also said that India has made significant progress
since independence which is largely due to its rich reservoir of
highly qualified technical and professional manpower today. The
medical and health sector, therefore, offers new opportunities for
cooperation between India and Armenia, he added.

Earlier, Shekhawat held talks with the Prime Minister of Armenia,
Andranik Margarian. Later a lunch in honour of Shekhawat was hosted
by Robert Kocharian, President of Armenia.

Shekhawat also visited the Holy Echmiadzin Church and had a meeting
with HH Karegin II, Catholicos of All Armedians.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
10/07/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1) Catholicos Aram I Arrives in Los Angeles to Begin Historic US Visit
2) KZV Endowment Fund at $1.4 Million 25th Anniversary
3) Turkey Sentences Armenian Writer
4) Video of System Of A Down Armenian Genocide Rally Circulating Online
5) ANCA Challenges State Depratment Effort to Defeat Armenian Genocide
Legislation
6) Nine Armenian Youth from Eastern Region Join ARF Ranks
7) Documentary Photography in the Diaspora: A Conversation with Ara Oshagan
8) Over 700 Signatures Collected on Letter to Hastert at System Of A Down
Concert
9) Armenia Fund Unveils Telethon 2005 Logo–Build a New Horizon
10) ANC Professional Network Dinner Dance Draws over 600 Young Professionals
11) Hundreds of Volunteers gather for 3rd Annual AYF Little Armenia Cleanup

OUR NEXT POSTING: Due to the Columbus Day holiday, our next issue will be
posted on Tuesday, October 11.

1) Catholicos Aram I Arrives in Los Angeles to Begin Historic US Visit

His Holiness Greeted by Large Crowds at St. Garabed Church in Hollywood

LOS ANGELES–“We must live with moral values and have a purpose-driven life,”
declared His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia of the
Armenian Apostolic Church, upon his arrival in Los Angeles on Wednesday,
October 5. Greeted by large crowds who had gathered at St. Garabed Church in
Hollywood for the official welcoming and “Hrashapar” service, his arrival
marked the beginning of a historic visit to the United States, starting in
California, where His Holiness will be meeting with the community and various
public officials throughout the state. Prior to his arrival at St.Garabed
Church, His Holiness met with California State Insurance Commissioner John
Garamendi where the two discussed several issues including recent insurance
settlements for victims of the Armenian Genocide.
The Catholicos’ motorcade with full dignitary police escorts arrived at St.
Garabed Church in the early evening where the city had closed off the entire
street to accommodate the overflowing crowds. The Prelates of both the
Western
Prelacy, Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, and the Eastern Prelacy, Archbishop
Oshagan Choloyan, accompanied the Catholicos. The arrival ceremony began with
the Homenetmen scouts marching band playing the US, Armenian, and Cilician
anthems while additional scouts, students from various Armenian schools,
members of the community, and residents of the area lined the streets. Also
covering the arrival were media including the Los Angeles Times and several
local TV stations.
At the beginning of the procession were Armenian clergy from throughout the
Los Angeles area and California as well as some from the eastern US, including
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian of the Western Diocese and a representative of
Cardinal Mahoney of the Catholic Church. At the entrance of the church a
welcoming ceremony was performed with the traditional blessing of bread and
salt, the release of white doves and presentation of a bouquet of flowers to
His Holiness. Also on hand were various community organization representatives
and public officials. To accommodate the overflowing crowds, a large screen
was
mounted outside the church showing the live video feed of the procession into
the church as well as the services inside.
After the initial services, Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian introduced His
Holiness during which he said, “Your presence with us today, Your Holiness,
shows the strong bridge that binds us with the Great House of Cilicia and the
Holy Catholicosate. This is a bond that is based on faithfulness and strong
collaboration.” The Archbishop went on to stress that this historic visit of
His Holiness will help recommit the community to the devoted service to our
faithful people and our homeland.
His Holiness Aram I then thanked God for the opportunity to again be with his
flock and stated that “a shepherd is strengthened by his flock and the
flock is
strengthened by its shepherd.” He then blessed all the clergy and faithful who
were present as well as all the community organizations and people who had
worked to make this trip possible. “Today I want to emphasize key values and
principles,” said His Holiness. “My message is that you must strengthen your
belief, deepen and strengthen your faithfulness and reinforce our unity. We
must live with moral values and have a purpose-driven life.”
His Holiness has a very busy itinerary which includes many different
community
events, gatherings and meetings with representatives of church bodies and
community organizations. As part of his broader mission, His Holiness will
also
be meeting with dozens of local, state and federal level public officials and
conducting interviews with the mass media including TV, radio and newspapers
throughout Los Angeles and California. His Holiness will give a major speech
before the World Affairs Council on October 14 entitled “Christianity and the
Middle East” and preside over a symposium at the University of Southern
California on October 15.
As part of his first full day’s events on October 6, His Holiness had several
meetings with members of the clergy, Church committees and community
organizations including the Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s western region
central committee, the regional executives of the Armenian Relief Society and
the Homenetmen. His Holiness also had a luncheon with the organizing committee
for the Los Angeles visit. His main message was “that whatever we do for God,
for the Church, for the nation and the homeland we must do with belief and
devotion so that we are successful.” His Holiness conducted interviews with
the
mass media including the Los Angeles Times and a live appearance on KPCC-FM’s
“Talk of the City” show with Kitty Felde. In the evening he presided over the
Homenetmen Glendale “Ararat” chapter’s celebration of the Armenian alphabet.
In the coming few days he will meet with Armenian school students, pay
respects at the Armenian Genocide monument in Montebello, and bless the new
Western Prelacy building in La Cresenta on Saturday, October 8. There also
will
be a Pontifical Holy High Mass at St. Mary’s Armenian Church in Glendale as
well as a Pontifical banquet in his honor on Sunday, October 9.
Giving the trip special meaning this time is the fact that it will mark the
10th anniversary of His Holiness’ election to Catholicos. It also coincides
with the 75th anniversary of the Antelias Seminary, the 1600th anniversary of
the Armenian alphabet, and the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

2) KZV Endowment Fund at $1.4 Million 25th Anniversary

SAN FRANCISCO–This November, the Krouzian-Zekarian-Vasbouragan (KZV) Armenian
School in San Francisco, CA will celebrate its 25th anniversary.
To ensure the continued success and financial stability of the only Armenian
American School in Northern California, the Finance Committee of the school
has
established the KZV Endowment Fund, which has already raised $1.4 million.
For 25 years, KZV has pursued its mission “to provide a first rate, high
quality academic education in a safe environment, while also instilling in
[the] students a sense of pride in their Armenian identity.” The school has
consistently produced high scoring students and graduates who have continued
their education at some of the country’s finest learning institutions.
With the help of the Endowment Fund, the KZV plans on improving and adding to
its current programs. Several new programs include Spanish classes for
grades 5
through 8, Honors classes for Algebra, and a newly wired school-wide network.
Though the entire San Francisco community has supported the efforts of the
school, major donors to the KZV Fund include Henry and Rita Khachaturian ($1
million), Jirair and Serpouhie Sarkissian ($200 thousand), Steve and Louise
Krouzian Noroian($150 thousand), and Siroun Bazigian($150 thousand).
For more information on the school or to make a donation, call (415)586-8686
or e-mail [email protected].

3) Turkey Sentences Armenian Writer

(BBC)–A journalist in Turkey has been found guilty of insulting Turkish
identity and given a suspended six-month jail sentence by a court in
Istanbul.
Hrant Dink, of Armenian-Turkish descent, wrote a newspaper column which he
argued was aimed at improving relations between Turkey and Armenia. He is the
editor of a bilingual Armenian-Turkish newspaper, Agos.
The prosecution interpreted part of the article as an insult. A paragraph in
the article calling on Armenians to symbolically reject “the adulterated part
of their Turkish blood” was taken as offensive.
The judge ruled that Dink’s newspaper column implied that Turkish blood was
dirty.
The verdict follows criminal code reforms as Turkey seeks to join the EU. The
reforms were intended to improve freedom of speech in Turkey.
The BBC’s Sarah Rainsford said the judge ordered a suspended sentence as it
was Dink’s first offense.
But the nationalist lawyers who brought the case were disappointed. “There
was
an obvious humiliation and result of this case should be at least two and a
half years or three years criminal charge,” one said.
Dink’s lawyer Fethiye Cetin said the ruling showed how little had changed
under Turkey’s new criminal code, despite international and internal
pressure.
Human rights lawyers believe his case shows there are still no-go areas for
discussion here and the new laws leave substantial room for interpretation.
Dink says he will appeal the ruling. But if he cannot clear his name, he will
leave the country.
“If I’m guilty of insulting a nation,” he told the BBC, “then it’s a matter of
honor not to live here.”

4) Video of System Of A Down Armenian Genocide Rally Circulating Online

–Two-Minute Film of the September 27th Rally Outside the Batavia, Illinois
Office of Speaker of the House of Representatives Dennis Hastert available at

–Serj Tankian to be interviewed on Friday, October 7th on Air America Radio
10:00pm-1:00am (EST) on US Recognition of the Armenian Genocide

WASHINGTON, DC–Hundreds of thousands around the world learned about the
Armenian Genocide today–many for the first time–as a two-minute on-line
video
of System Of A Down’s recent rally in support of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution began circulating across the internet, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).
The video features footage of the multi-platinum band’s visit, along with
hundreds of their fans, to the Batavia, Illinois office of Speaker of the
House
Dennis Hastert (R-IL). At the September 27 rally, which was organized by
System
Of A Down, the ANCA, the Armenian Youth Federation and Axis of Justice, band
members Serj Tankian and John Dolmayan delivered a letter asking the
Speaker to
honor his pledge to hold a vote on legislation recognizing the Armenian
Genocide.
In the wake of the overwhelming approval of this legislation by the House
International Relations Committee on September 15, the decision to allow this
measure to move forward now rests in the Speaker’s hands. He can either
schedule a vote on the House floor or, by delaying its consideration,
effectively prevent its passage. If adopted, the legislation would officially
recognize Turkey’s systematic and deliberate destruction of 1.5 million
Armenians between 1915 and 1923.
To watch the video, go to:
“The Mike Malloy Show” on Air America will broadcast an interview with Serj
Tankian on Friday, October 7 regarding U.S. recognition of the Armenian
Genocide. The show, featuring guest-hosts Anthony Lappe and Paul Rieckhoff,
will air 10:00 pm to 1:00 am (Eastern U.S.) For a listing of local
stations, go
to:
<;
ions
To ask the Speaker to support the Armenian Genocide Resolution:
< ck_compose/?alertid=8041966>www.capw
iz.com/anc a/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=8041966

5) ANCA Challenges State Depratment Effort to Defeat Armenian Genocide
Legislation

“Official US recognition and Turkish acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide
are not, as the Department argues, obstacles to improved Armenia-Turkey
relations, but
rather essential keys to progress toward the normalization of relations
between
these
two states.” –Ken Hachikian

WASHINGTON, DC–The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) today
responded formally to the State Department’s efforts, in the days leading
up to
the House International Relations Committee’s September 15 approval of two
resolutions recognizing the Armenian Genocide, to defeat these measures and
prevent official US recognition of this crime against humanity.
In an October 5 letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, ANCA Chairman
Ken Hachikian voiced the profound moral outrage of Armenians over the
Administration’s ongoing complicity in Turkey’s campaign of genocide
denial. In
his two-page letter, Hachikian explained the Armenian American community’s
opposition, on moral, geo-political and democratic grounds, to the State
Department’s obstruction of Congressional efforts to reaffirm the Armenian
Genocide.
Hachikian said in the letter, “the Department’s assertion that even House
floor debate on Armenian Genocide legislation would harm U.S. interests is
both
fundamentally undemocratic and offensive to all those elected to represent us
in our national legislature… American interests are served by the open
functioning of our democratic institutions, not by “gag-orders” – imposed by a
foreign government and enforced by our own State Department – regarding what
can and cannot be discussed by members of the U.S. Congress.”
On September 15, after nearly three hours of debate, the House International
Relations Committee, voted overwhelmingly in favor of two measures (HRES 316
and HCON 195) calling for proper U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide and
urging Turkey to end its decades long denial of this crime against humanity.

6) Nine Armenian Youth from Eastern Region Join ARF Ranks

On September 24, nine young Armenians joined the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (ARF) ranks in a ceremony held at the Armenian Center in Woodside,
N.Y.
Five of the new inductees are from New York, two from New Jersey and two from
Washington.
The ceremony was held with the participation of ARF Bureau Member Vicken A.
Hovsepian, ARF Eastern Region United States Central Committee members and ARF
members from the three regions.
In his remarks, Central Committee chairman Hayg Oshagan reminded the
inductees
that they are joining one of the oldest organizational units of the ARF and
that they have inherited the responsibility of preserving and continuing 111
years of relentless struggle, sacrifice, and work.
Before presiding over the oath ceremony, Hovsepian addressed the inductees
and
noted that by joining the ARF they are becoming members of a family that
strives day and night for the interests of Armenia and the entire Armenian
nation.
Hovsepian underlined that the key to the ARF’s perseverance lies in the
complete devotion of its members to the ideals of the ARF and by the fact that
they keep on raising the bar of what they expect of themselves and their
organization.
It is worth noting that during the past year, two additional people joined
the
ARF in New Jersey, an additional two in Washington, two in Boston and six in
Providence. This brings the total number of new inductees into the ARF ranks
during the past year to 21.

7) Documentary Photography in the Diaspora: A Conversation with Ara Oshagan

Critics’ Forum

By Adriana Tchalian

Armenian photography may be defined as photography by or about Armenians. The
description is similar to Aram Kouyoumdjian’s definition of “Armenian
Theater,”
in his article of the same name in Critics’ Forum. Armenian photography is
perhaps an even more difficult subject to survey, given the lack of
information
on the topic. Simply put, there is no comprehensive literature on this very
important subject. Even Armenian visual artists, including photographers
themselves, are sometimes unfamiliar with Armenian photography and Armenian
photographers. Why is that so?
Part of the problem has to do with the disconnected and dispersed state of
the
Armenian people where the centralization of information is difficult. And
though the worldwide scope of the internet has the potential to fill this gap,
that potential is yet to be fulfilled in Armenian photography.
Part of the responsibility lies with us, the Armenian viewing public, who,
much like mainstream society, place greater value on painting than other forms
of visual art. Yet there is far more innovative work being done today in the
field of Armenian photographyand especially documentary photography.
Ara Oshagan, himself a documentary photographer, has been following Armenian
photography since the early 1990’s and has collected in that span countless
names, books and articles on the subject, an unusual accomplishment. I sat
down
with him recently and had an extensive conversation about the future of
Armenian photography, and particularly documentary photography in the
diaspora.

Oshagan believes that “the most important work in documentary photography
about Armenians is being done by Armenians themselves.” These include
photographers like Ara Guler of Istanbul who has created his very own
signature
“street photographs” of his beloved city and has several books to his name;
Max
Sivaslian and Antoine Agoudjian, both from France, have worked in Armenia and
Karabagh and have managed to both publish monographs of their work; Edmond Ter
Hagopian of London has done very important work in the Leninakan earthquake
region, looking at the aftermath of that catastrophe 10 years on; Hrair Hawk
Khacherian of Montreal has single-mindedly dedicated his life to photographing
Armenian subjects. Also working in Armenia and Karabagh for many years are
Robert Kurkijian and Mathew Karanian.
“Steering clear of single, catastrophic eventsin this case, the Armenian
earthquake of 1988one can find notable and important excursions by
non-Armenians into Armenian territory,” explains Oshagan. Jerry Berndt, for
instance, a well-known American photographer, has now published two books that
include photographs from his multiple trips to Armenia. These projects were
wholly supported by Dr. Donald Miller of USC; Bruce Strong has published a
book
of photographs on Armenia; and John Tordai of England has worked in Armenia
and
the reclusive Bruce Haley in Karabagh.
According to Oshagan, “there are also Armenians of significant accomplishment
doing work with non-Armenian topics.” These include Nubar Alexanian, the
author
of three major books, the first one on Peru by the Aperture Foundation;
Michael
Hintlian with a recent monograph on the Boston subway; Eric Grigorian, the
winner of the 2003 World Press Award Photo of the Year. And there are many
others.
Among female Armenian photographers, there is Alexandra Avakian, who is a
photographer for the National Geographic and recently published a lengthy
essay
on Armenia. Also notable is Armineh Johannes who has not only worked with
Armenians in Armenia and Karabagh but also in Georgia and Iran. Aline
Manoukian
who photographed the Lebanese Civil war for years, Sara Anjargolian with her
photos from Armenia and, Greta Torossian from Beirut, whose work is
included in
an exhibit about the Arab worldNazarwhich is currently being exhibited at the
Aperture Gallery in New York.
Oshagan also spent some time discussing his own photographic projects and the
travels associated with them. Since 1999, he has traveled to various parts of
the world, in an effort to photograph Armenian life. He is scheduled to make
yet another trip next month. According to Oshagan, “the photographs taken in
Karabagh, as well as Los Angeles, Yerevan and New York are part of a long-term
photographic project that involves the exploration and documenting of the
Armenian nation and its way of life, in a global sense.” He added, “I’m
interested in exploring the lives of Armenians in the diaspora, wherever it
exists and evolves. These include Beirut, Istanbul, Syria, Haleb, and Kessab,
among others.”
Despite its emphasis on diasporan communities, Oshagan’s documentary
photography does not fall under the rubric of what we might call
“multiculturalism,” a term that emphasizes the distinct characteristics of
different cultures and their preservation within one nation.
The Postmodern phenomenon of “transculturation”as defined by critic Fernando
Ortizis perhaps a better conceptual model for defining and understanding
Armenian documentary photography in general and Oshagan’s work in particular.
Simply put, transculturation is the merging of different cultures into a new
cultural phenomenon.
A focus of the theory of transculturation is the concept of the “fetish.” In
Visual Culture (1999), Nicholas Mirzoeff explains that the small wooden
figurines common in the Congo (or Kongo, modern-day Zaire), known as the
minkisi, were regarded by nineteenth-century European settlers as “primitive,”
due to the pierced nails and other sharp objects embedded in them.
Mirzoeff suggests that Europeans did not realize at the time that the
nails on
the minkisi were, in fact, derived from medieval Christian iconography brought
to Africa by fifteenth-century European missionaries. In Mirzoeff’s words, the
“pierced body image was transculturatedthat is to say, the image was
acculturated in Kongo during the Christian period, deculturated as Christian
observance diminished and given neo-cultural form in the minkisi” (152).
In similar fashion, Oshagan’s photographs capture the synthesis of Armenian
and mainstream (and less-than-mainstream) cultures. Oshagan’s approach
seems to
recognize the fact that life within the Armenian diasporabe it within Los
Angeles, Paris, Tehran or Beirutcan no longer be identified as multicultural.
It is better described as transcultural, one that is constantly merging,
changing and giving way to new expressions.
Oshagan’s equivalent of Mirzoeff’s fetishes are items such as the designer
pots and pans in Burbank (2002), set aside the silhouettes of more familiar
objects in Armenian life, now amalgamated into the Armenian experience. What
was once identified as mainstream seems fused in the photograph into Armenian
life, which has in turn fashioned a “new” culture. It is the creation and
re-creation of this new culture that Oshagan captures in his work.
Oshagan’s other projects include Juvies, a series on high-risk juvenile
offenders; iwitness, with photographer Levon Parian, featuring portraits of
survivors of the Armenian Genocide; UrbanScapes, photographs of Los Angeles,
Yerevan, and New York; and Traces of Identity: An Insider’s View of the Los
Angeles Armenian Community.
Since 1999, Oshagan has traveled to Karabagh a number of times for an
upcoming
book publication. The photographs will be placed alongside Armenian text
written several years ago by Oshagan’s father, the writer and critic, Vahe
Oshagan. According to the younger Oshagan, “there’s an indirect link
between my
father’s text and my photos. They compliment each other rather than
offering an
explanation.” It appears that Ara Oshagan’s photography will continue to
explore and produce even more opportunities for comparison and growth, both
personal and cultural.

Adriana Tchalian holds a Masters in Art History and has managed several art
galleries in Los Angeles. You can reach her or any of the other
contributors to
Critics’ Forum at [email protected]. Critics’ Forum is a group
created
to discuss issues relating to Armenian art and culture in the Diaspora. To
sign up for a weekly electronic version of new articles, please send an email
to [email protected].

8) Over 700 Signatures Collected on Letter to Hastert at System Of A Down
Concert

ROSEMONT, Ill.- Thousands of fans attending the System Of A Down (SOAD)
concert
on September 30 were met by ANC and AYF activists from Chicago, Karine
Birazian, Sona Birazian, and Nairee Hagopian, working to collect petitions
addressed to Speaker of the House, Rep. Dennis Hastert urging him to “do the
right thing” and bring the Genocide resolution to the House floor for a vote.
Many fans are already aware of the resolution thanks to System Of A Down’s
Website and the September 27 rally held in front of Rep. Hastert’s office.
Fans
commented that “Armenians deserve justice and genocide recognition.” Several
came up to the table looking for more information on the Genocide, while
others
stated that they already sent a Web fax to Rep. Hastert through System Of A
Down’s Website.
Within three hours, over 700 petitions were signed and collected in
support of
the resolution. The activists, however, did not work alone. Armenians from the
community and several SOAD fans dedicated time that evening to help collect
signatures as well.
“Being a part of this event was incredible. I was shocked that so many people
are already aware about the resolution,” said Chicago AYF member Karine
Birazian. “We are so grateful that System Of A Down has given us and other
Armenians the opportunity to volunteer at their concerts and promote genocide
recognition. I truly believe that recognition of the Armenian genocide is in
our reach and will be achieved in our lifetime,” she said.
At the end of the concert, lead singer Serj Tankian announced on stage
that he
promised his 97-year-old grandfather that he will continue working for
genocide
recognition. Loud cheers came from the crowd as Armenian flags were waving
high
in the air.
Many of the Armenian activists and SOAD fans present at the concert were also
at the successful rally held in front of Rep. Hastert’s office in Batavia,
Ill., on September 27. The two hour rally, led by band members Tankian and
John
Dolmayan, called upon Hastert to bring the Genocide resolution to a vote.

9) Armenia Fund Unveils Telethon 2005 Logo–Build a New Horizon

Launches Thanksgiving Day Telethon

LOS ANGELES–On September 14, Armenia Fund, Inc. launched Telethon
2005–Build
a New Horizon-with a logo unveiling ceremony and reception at the Casa
Adobe de
San Rafael in Glendale, California.
The logo and the theme “Build a New Horizon” was created by local graphic
artist Helena Gregorian. The orange and white logo features the four key
elements of Telethon 2005–agricultural development, construction of water
distribution systems, health care, and education.
Produced by Armenia Fund, Inc. since 1996, the Telethon has become a
Thanksgiving Day tradition for Armenians around the world. Through the annual
Telethons, Armenians around the world are able to participate in the
nation-building of their homeland by supporting large-scale infrastructure
development and humanitarian projects in Armenia and Karabagh.
The Telethon 2005 launch brought together representatives from all large
Armenian organizations and a number of local officials from the cities of
Glendale, La Canada, Pasadena, and Burbank as well as California State
Representatives.
Elaborating on this year’s Telethon theme, the Chairperson of Armenia Fund,
Inc., Maria Mehranian said: “This year our fundraising focus will be on
Martakert, the Northern region of Karabagh that has been the hardest hit
and is
in the most need of revitalization. One of the most urgent needs for the
population of Martakert is Healthcare and that is what our focus will be in
the
US Western Region.”
Among other projects such as drinking water, agricultural development and
education, this year’s Telethon will raise funds for the Martakert Regional
Hospital and Ambulance System that will service 20,000 in more than 50
villages
in all five sub-regions of Martakert. Ara Aghisian, Vice Chairman of Armenia
Fund, Inc., announced upcoming Telethon 2005 events and activities including a
November 18 gala dinner at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel featuring the
President of Mountainous Karabagh Republic Arkady Ghoukasian and Armenian
Foreign Affairs Minister Vartan Oskanian.
Scheduled for Thanksgiving Day, November 24 from 8:00AM to 8:00PM (PST),
Telethon 2005 is a 12-hour, live broadcast airing in over 25 cities throughout
the United States as well as Europe, South America, the CIS and the Middle
East.
For more information on Armenia Fund, Telethon 2005, please contact Armenia
Fund at 818.243.6222 or visit the newly updated website at

Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501©(3) tax-exempt corporation
established
in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and infrastructure development
assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh. Armenia Fund, Inc. is the U.S.
Western Region affiliate of “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund.

10) ANC Professional Network Dinner Dance Draws over 600 Young Professionals

GLENDALE–The Armenian National Committee-Professional Network (ANC-PN) hosted
their second Annual Dinner Dance on Saturday, October 1 at the Homenetmen
Glendale “Ararat” Chapter’s Baghdasarian-Shahinian Banquet Hall. The sold out
event featured an opportunity to meet and network with other young
professionals. Harout Pamboukjian kept the audience energized into the late
hours of the night with his electric brand of Armenian pop music.
“We are very proud of the ANC-PN for energizing the young Armenian
professionals of southern California with such a successful event,” said Armen
Martin, Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region (ANCA-WR) Board
Member. “We view the ANC-PN as the bridge which will get the next
generation of
Armenian American leaders involved in the betterment of our community, and
successful events such as the dinner dance demonstrate that their message is
being heard.”
Proceeds from the event will go to support the ANCA’s effort to move the
Armenian Genocide resolutions forward in the House of Representatives.
Attendees of the dinner dance were encouraged to sign petitions urging Speaker
Hastert to take the Resolution to the floor of the House of Representatives.
Last month, the House International Relations Committee overwhelmingly
approved
legislation properly recognizing the Genocide. During the course of a
three-hour meeting, 21 Representatives on this 50-member panel spoke in favor
of HRES 316 [House Resolution] and HCON 195 [House Concurrent Resolution],
which were adopted by bipartisan majorities of 40 to 7 and 35 to 11,
respectively.
“We are excited about honoring our commitments with the proceeds from the
event. We had a capacity crowd. Anytime we can bring so many young Armenian
American professionals together, it could be considered nothing but a
success,”
said Boghos Patatian, ANC-PN Executive Committee member.
The mission of the ANC-PN is to develop the next generation of Armenian
American leaders. Our vision is to encourage the emergence of an educated and
politically active community of Armenian American professionals who
participate
at the local, state and federal decision-making levels to advance Armenian
issues. The ANC-PN seeks to accomplish its mission by offering educational and
developmental programs and services, and social activities that promote the
growth of participants as effective professionals and strong leaders.
Individuals interested in learning more about the ANC-PN are encouraged to
visit the organization’s website at

11) Hundreds of Volunteers gather for 3rd Annual AYF Little Armenia Cleanup

(Little Armenia, CA September 25, 2005) – Last Sunday, over two hundred
Armenian youth gathered in the “Little Armenia” district of Los Angeles to
volunteer for AYF’s 3rd Annual Little Armenia Cleanup. Volunteers from all
over
California, including Fresno and San Francisco, helped remove thousands of
pounds of trash from Little Armenia, bringing the three year total to over
23.5
tons of trash removed by the AYF.
Organized by the Armenian Youth Federation 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. Reverend Father Vicken
Vassilian [, representing his Grace Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
of the Western Prelacy Armenian Church,] blessed both the effort of the AYF
and
the volunteers’ service to the community.
Los Angeles’ 13th District City Council member Eric Garcetti thanked the
volunteers for their efforts and praised the initiative of both the volunteers
and the AYF. 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 more “Welcome to Little Armenia” light-post banners
will be added to the 63 that have been erected in previous years. Depicting
the
Tri-color, Sardarabad Monument, and Mount Ararat, the banners have added a
touch of Armenia to the community.
The Armenian Youth Federation would like to thank the volunteers and the
official sponsors of the Little Armenia Clean Up, without whom the event would
not have been the success that it was. Sponsors included 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 ARF The Hollywood Karekin Njteh Gomideh,
played a fundamental role in the success of this public service effort.
The Armenian Youth Federation of Western United States strives to serve
Armenian American communities west of the Mississippi through education,
athletics, political activism, cultural activities, and social services. To
learn more about the Armenian Youth Federation please log on to
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