Month: May 2008

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 8 2008

Peter Semneby: `European Union will continue to focus the situation in
Armenia’

[ 08 May 2008 12:40 ]

Yerevan `APA. `European Union will continue to focus the elections and
post-election period in Armenia’, said Peter Semneby, EU special
representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, APA reports.

He said European Union gave a great importance to releasing of
arrested political figures and lifting of restrictions on the
meetings. `It is important to launch a dialogue between the different
layers of the society to eliminate tensions. It needs in the
appropriate basis and independent investigation of the March 1 events
can be used for such basis’.

BIA, Turkey
May 8 2008

Civil Disobedience Restarts: 200 People Commit The `Thought Crime’.

The Initiative Against Thought Crime restarts its activities as a
reaction to the increased number of law suits targeting people who
simply express their opinions. 200 people report themselves to the
authorities for the same `crime’.

Bia news servıce

08-05-2008

The new lawsuits and the nearly completed trials forced the
13-year-old Initiative Against Thought Crime to restart its `civil
disobedience’ activities to draw attention to the arrangements against
the freedom of expression. They announced their decision yesterday
(May 5) at a press release given at Ã`sküdar Hall of Justice
in Ä°stanbul.

Following the press release, more than two hundred people denounced
themselves by stating that they agree with the `criminal’ thoughts of
the individuals like the lawyer Eren Keskin, the former Democratic
Society Party (DEP) deputy Mahmut Alınak, the former editor of
Agos, an Armenian-Turkish weekly, Aris Nalcı, the license
holder of the same newspaper Sarkis Seropyan, and the singers
Bülent Ersoy and Ferhat Tunç.

Yurdatapan: Peaceful expression of a thought cannot be sued
The individuals who took part in the civil disobedience act signed a
proclamation that said they knew the meaning and outcome of what they
were doing and signed it with their free will. The initiative
spokesperson Å?anar Yurdatapan reported their crimes to
Ã`sküdar public prosecutor’s office on behalf of the
activists.

Yurdatapan explained that the civil disobedience activities of1995 are
restarted, that they will continue reporting themselves to the
prosecutors by becoming a party to the crimes of the people who are
sued for expressing their opinions in a peaceful manner, whatever
their opinions may be.

Keskin: I hope this activity will help our voice be heard
According to Keskin, `When the topic is the freedom of expression, we
should look at which thoughts are banned. These are thoughts related
to the Kurdish, Armenian, Cyprus and the Turban (Headscarf) problems.

Everyone who thinks differently from status quo commits a thought
crime. I am also one of these people. I hope this activity will help
our voice be heard.’ The journalist Erol Ã-zkoray, the artist
Ferhat Tunç, the actor Mehmet Atak and some civil disobedience
activists joined Keskin as well.
Keskin, Allınak, Nalcı, Seropyan, Tunç are
accused, Ersoy is under investigation

Following the demand by the general staff, the lawyer Keskin was sued
for her interview with the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel on June
24, 2006, which was construed as `denigrating the Turkish Armed
Forces.’

The former DEP deputy Alınak was sued for being in violation of
the 1928 Law of the Acceptance and Application of Turkish Letters,
according to Article 222 of the Turkish Penal Code.

The legal proceedings about Nalcı and Seropyan for `obstructing
the just trial proceedings’ is continuing. They are on trial for their
article titled `Akıllı Tahta’ (The Smart Board) that was
published on the November 9, 2007 issue of Agos, in which they
critiqued the decision that was reached regarding Hrant Dink’s Article
301 case.

The singer Bülent Ersoy’s words during a television program are
under investigation for `alienating people from doing their military
service.’ The singer Ferhat Tunç is accused for `doing the
propaganda of a terrorist organization’.

Civil disobedience again¦

Since the beginning of the `civil disobedience’ activity at the time
when YaÅ?ar Kemal, a famous writer from Turkey, was called to
the State Security Court in 1995 for his article published in Der
Speigel, more than eighty thousand people have taken part in the
`crimes’ of the others by giving signatures to seven books and
forty-eight booklets. (EÃ-/TB)

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Catholic Online, CA
May 8 2008

Pope Implores Holy Spirit to bring Christian Unity

5/8/2008
Catholic News Agency ()

"We have the certainty that the Lord Jesus never abandons us in our
search for unity, because His Spirit is tirelessly at work to support
the efforts we make to overcome all forms of division."

VATICAN CITY (CNA) – Pope Benedict greeted His Holiness Catholicos
Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, during
his weekly general audience on Wednesday morning.

In his remarks, the Pope emphasized that ecumenical dialogue is
fuelled by the Holy Spirit and prayer.

"It is my great joy today to greet His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II,
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and the
distinguished delegation accompanying him. Your Holiness, I pray that
the light of the Holy Spirit will illumine your pilgrimage to the
tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, the important meetings you will
have here, and particularly our personal conversations. I ask all who
are present today to pray for God’s blessing upon this visit.’

The Holy Father also thanked Karekin II for his `personal commitment
to the growing friendship between the Armenian Apostolic Church and
the Catholic Church.’ Recalling the string of visits between John Paul
II and the patriarch, Pope Benedict said that, `I am sure that this
spirit of friendship will be further deepened during the coming days.’

In an external niche of Saint Peter’s Basilica, there is a fine statue
of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, founder of the Armenian Church. It
serves to remind us of the severe persecutions suffered by Armenian
Christians, especially during the last century. Armenia’s many martyrs
are a sign of the power of the Holy Spirit working in times of
darkness, and a pledge of hope for Christians everywhere.

Your Holiness, dear Bishops and dear friends, together with you I
implore Almighty God, through the intercession of Saint Gregory the
Illuminator, to help us grow in unity, in one holy bond of Christian
faith, hope and love."

As the Church prepares to celebrate Pentecost, Benedict XVI said that
these days should `renew our hope in the help of the Holy Spirit to
advance along the path of ecumenism. We have the certainty that the
Lord Jesus never abandons us in our search for unity, because His
Spirit is tirelessly at work to support the efforts we make to
overcome all forms of division."

"Since the first moment of her existence the Church, thanks to the
power of the Holy Spirit, has spoken in all tongues and lived in all
cultures. She destroys nothing of their history and gifts, but assumes
them all in a great and new unity, which reconciles unity with the
multiplicity of forms. With its power, the Holy Spirit … unites
divided man in divine charity and thus creates … the great community
which is the Church in all the world."

While some may think of Pentecost as a one-time event in the life of
the Church, the Holy Father said, "the Church is always, so to say, in
a state of Pentecost. Gathered in the Cenacle, she prays incessantly
to obtain ever new effusions of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, … and
is not afraid to announce the Gospel to the furthest confines of the
earth. This is why, faced with difficulties and divisions, Christians
cannot resign themselves or give way to discouragement.

"This is what Christ asks of Christians: to persevere in prayer in
order to keep alive the flame of faith, hope and charity, and the
longing for full unity", the Pope encouraged.

Referencing his speech to ecumenical leaders at St. Joseph’s Church in
New York, Benedict XVI said that prayer is central to the ecumenical
movement. `In this period of globalization and, at the same time, of
fragmentation, ‘without prayer ecumenical structures, institutions and
programs would be deprived of their heart and soul’," he said.

At the end of the audience, the Holy Father greeted pilgrims in
several languages. Among the English speaking pilgrims, he greeted
delegates taking part in the in the Annual Conference of the Canon Law
Society of Great Britain and Ireland, as well as pilgrims from Our
Lady of the Rosary Church in Qatar.

"Upon all the English-speaking pilgrims, especially those from
England, Scotland, Australia, India, Indonesia, Korea, Canada, Guam
and the United States, I cordially invoke Almighty God’s abundant
blessings of joy and peace."

Catholic Online, CA
May 8 2008

Armenian ‘Catholikos’ Karekin II Welcomed by Pope

5/8/2008
Asia News ()

The Pope welcomed Karekin with an embrace in front of the basilica,
and wanted him beside him for the entire duration of the general
audience.

VATICAN CITY (AsiaNews) – The hope for Christian unity marked today’s
general audience, characterised by the presence, beside the pope, of
the head of the Armenian Church, the "catholikos" Karekin II, who is
paying a visit to the Holy See.

The entire audience thus bore a strongly ecumenical imprint. The pope
welcomed Karekin with an embrace in front of the basilica, and wanted
him beside him for the entire duration of the audience, which began
with an exchange of greetings between Benedict XVI and Karekin.

The prayer for Christian unity thus resounded in the words of Benedict
XVI and of the catholikos. The pope in particular emphasised the
"excellent relations" between the two Churches, and said that he is
sure that "the spirit of John Paul II is praying for unity".

The presence of the catholikos of the Armenians, who was accompanied
by 18 bishops and by a group of the faithful, is situated in fact in
the context of a progressive reconciliation between the two Churches,
which began at the start of the Vatican Council and received a strong
impulse during the pontificate of John Paul II, who visited the
country in 2001.

Karekin recalled this, emphasising "common prayers" to the Holy Spirit
so that "the steps" toward full unity may continue. "We are all
children of the one Father, and we are all brothers and
sisters". Making a reference to the theological differences between
Catholics and Armenians, Karekin added that "intolerance and conflicts
cannot be permitted within our Churches".

Incomprehension and terrorism, he continued, sow distress in the
world, especially in the Middle East. Recalling the genocide of the
Armenians and the sufferings of his people, he concluded by
maintaining that in truth and in the unity of Christians, there is
hope for peace. Another embrace with the pope and a heartrending
Armenian song concluded this first part of the audience.

Repeating what he had said in his greeting to Karekin, Benedict XVI,
addressing the 40,000 people present in Saint Peter’s Square, spoke of
his "joy" at the possibility of welcoming the head of the Armenian
Church. "His presence", he continued, "revives within us our hope for
the unity of all Christians".

The pope then recalled "the unforgettable visit made" by Karekin to
Rome in 2000, immediately after his election. "In meeting with him,
John Paul II gave him an extraordinary relic of Saint John the
Illuminator", a "father" of that Church whose "commitment to dialogue"
he emphasised.

Benedict XVI said that he is "certain that the current visit will
contribute to intensifying the relations that exist between our
Churches", and to "advancing hope along the road of ecumenism". The
Lord, he added, "never abandons us on our journey", and in our
"efforts to overcome every laceration in the living fabric of the
Church".

Benedict XVI then gave thanks "for the accomplishments reached in this
journey that leads to the full communion of all the disciples of
Christ", and he finally repeated his exhortation to prayer for unity
that he addressed to Catholics during his recent visit to the United
States.

The pope’s schedule today, which was marked this morning by a step
along the journey for Christian unity, will in a certain sense have a
follow-through this evening. For the first time, and orchestra of the
People’s Republic of China, the China Philharmonic Orchestra of
Beijing, will hold a concert in the Vatican, in the presence of
Benedict XVI himself.

It is an event whose true impact is difficult to evaluate, and which
the political and press office of the Chinese embassy in Rome has
described in this way: "this performance is an initiative of cultural
exchange, we hope to express with music the enthusiasm and expectation
of the Chinese people for the Olympics of Beijing, we hope that music
may constitute a bridge of mutual understanding and communication
between the East and West. It will be our pleasure if this performance
may contribute a positive influence to the improvement of
China-Vatican relations".

At the end of the audience, the pope finally renewed his appeal before
the "cry of suffering and for help from the dear population of
Myanmar", renewing his exhortation "to open [our] heart to pity, and
to generosity "toward those who can alleviate the sufferings" of the
population.

Zenit News Agency, Italy
May 8 2008

On Christian Unity

"Keep Alive the Flames of Faith, Charity and Hope"

VATICAN CITY, MAY 7, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is the text of the
greetings Benedict XVI gave today to Catholicos Karekin II, supreme
patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and a translation of the
catechesis he gave afterward during his weekly general audience in
St. Peter’s Square.

* * *

[English Greetings to Catholicos Karekin II]

It is my great joy today to greet His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II,
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and the
distinguished delegation accompanying him. Your Holiness, I pray that
the light of the Holy Spirit will illumine your pilgrimage to the
tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, the important meetings you will
have here, and particularly our personal conversations. I ask all who
are present today to pray for God’s blessing upon this visit.

Your Holiness, I thank you for your personal commitment to the growing
friendship between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Catholic
Church. In 2000, soon after your election, you came to Rome to meet
Pope John Paul II, and a year later, you graciously received him in
Holy Etchmiadzin. You came once again to Rome together with many
Church leaders from East and West, for the funeral liturgy of Pope
John Paul II. I am sure that this spirit of friendship will be further
deepened during the coming days.

In an external niche of Saint Peter’s Basilica, there is a fine statue
of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, founder of the Armenian Church. It
serves to remind us of the severe persecutions suffered by Armenian
Christians, especially during the last century. Armenia’s many martyrs
are a sign of the power of the Holy Spirit working in times of
darkness, and a pledge of hope for Christians everywhere.

Your Holiness, dear Bishops and dear friends, together with you I
implore Almighty God, through the intercession of Saint Gregory the
Illuminator, to help us grow in unity, in one holy bond of Christian
faith, hope and love.

[Catechisis]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As you see, among us today is His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II,
supreme patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, accompanied by a
distinguished delegation. I express again my joy at having been able
to welcome him this morning: His presence revives in us the hope of
full unity among all Christians. I also would like to take advantage
of the opportunity to thank him for the amiable welcome he recently
offered in Armenia to the cardinal secretary of state. For me it is a
pleasure to remember the unforgettable visit that the Catholicos made
to Rome in 2000, a little after his election. In his encounter with
him, my beloved predecessor, John Paul II, offered to him a
distinguished relic of St. Gregory the Illuminator and then returned
the visit by traveling to Armenia.

The commitment of the Apostolic Armenian Church in favor of ecumenical
dialogue is known, and I am sure that this visit of the venerable
supreme patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians will contribute to
intensify the fraternal friendship that unites our Churches. These
days of immediate preparation for Pentecost encourages us to revive
hope in the help of the Holy Spirit to advance in the path of
ecumenism. We have the certainty that the Lord Jesus will never
abandon us in the search for unity, given that the Spirit acts
tirelessly to bolster our efforts oriented toward overcoming every
division and to mend every tear in the living cloth of the Church.

This is precisely what Jesus promised to the disciples in his last
days of his earthly mission, as we just heard in the Gospel passage:
He assured them of the assistance of the Holy Spirit, that he would
send so they will continue to experience his presence (John
14:16-17). This promise he made a reality when, after the
resurrection, Jesus entered in the Cenacle, greeted the disciples with
the words, "Peace be with you" and, blowing over them, he told them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). He gave them the authority to
forgive sins. The Holy Spirit, then, is presented as the power of the
forgiveness of sins, of the renewal of our hearts and of our
existence, and in this way renews the earth and creates unity where
there was division. Afterward, at the feast of Pentecost, the Holy
Spirit is shown through other signs: an impetuous wind, tongues of
fire, and the apostles speaking all languages. This last one is a sign
that the Spirit, who is charity and who fosters unity in diversity,
has overcome the Babylonian Diaspora, fruit of the pride that
separates men. From the first moment of its existence the Church spoke
all languages, thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit and the tongues
of fire, and lives in all cultures. It does not destroy the gifts or
the history of a culture, rather it assumes them all in a great new
unity, which reconciles unity with the multiplicity of forms.

The Holy Spirit, which is eternal charity, the link of unity in the
Trinity, unites with its power in divine charity the dispersed men,
creating in this way the great and multiform community of the Church
in the entire world. In the days that passed between the Ascension of
the Lord and the Sunday of Pentecost, the disciples were united with
Mary in the Cenacle to pray. They knew that alone they couldn’t found,
organize the Church: the Church had to be established and organized by
a divine initiative; it is not a creature of ours, but rather a gift
of God. Only in this way is unity also created, a unity that has to
grow. The Church in all times, and in particular in those nine days
between the Ascension and Pentecost, unites itself spiritually in the
Cenacle with the apostles and with Mary to implore incessantly the
effusion of the Holy Spirit. Moved by the impetuous wind it will be
capable of announcing the Gospel to the furthest confines of the
earth.

For this reason, despite the difficulties and divisions, Christians
cannot resign themselves, nor give in to discouragement. This is what
the Lord asks us: Hold fast in prayer to keep alive the flames of
faith, charity and hope, which nourish the longing for full unity. "Ut
unum sint!" says the Lord. This invitation from Christ always resounds
in our hearts; an invitation that I launched again in my recent
apostolic trip to the United States of America, where I referred to
the centrality of prayer in the ecumenical movement. In this time of
globalization, and at the same time, of fragmentation, "without
[prayer], ecumenical structures, institutions and programs would be
deprived of their heart and soul" (ecumenical encounter in the Church
of St. Joseph in New York, April 18, 2008). Let us give thanks to the
Lord for the goals reached in ecumenical dialogue thanks to the action
of the Holy Spirit. Let us be docile, listening to his voice so that
our hearts, full of hope, set out without delay on the path that leads
to the communion of all Christ’s disciples.

St. Paul, in the letter to the Galatians, recalls that "the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). These are
the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we also invoke today over all
Christians, so that in the mutual and generous service of the Gospel,
they can be in the world a sign of the love of God for humanity. Let
us direct, with trust, our gaze to Mary, sanctuary of the Holy Spirit,
and through her, let us pray, "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of
your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love." Amen.

[Translation by ZENIT]

[After his address, the Holy Father greeted the pilgrims in various
languages. In English, he said:]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today we welcome to our Audience His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II,
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, together with a
delegation from the Armenian Apostolic Church. His presence among us,
in these days before the Solemnity of Pentecost, spurs us to pray more
fervently for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all Christians as
we seek to advance along the path of ecumenism. The Risen Lord sent
the Spirit upon his disciples, and from the day of Pentecost, the
Church has constantly implored the Spirit’s gifts, which impel her to
proclaim the Gospel before all the world. The presence and activity of
the Spirit remind us that Christ never abandons his Church. The Spirit
sustains our efforts to overcome division, to persevere in prayer and
to work for Christian unity. Prayer is the heart and soul of the
ecumenical movement. Today, let us join in thanking the Lord for the
Spirit’s work in fostering ecumenical dialogue and inspiring the hope
of full unity. May the gifts of the Spirit lead all Christians to
serve the Gospel with generosity and to be a sign of God’s love for
all humanity. With Mary, let us pray: "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the
hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love!
Amen."

I offer a warm welcome to the Delegates taking part in the Annual
Conference of the Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland. I am
also pleased to greet the pilgrims from Our Lady of the Rosary Church
in Qatar. Upon all the English-speaking pilgrims, especially those
from England, Scotland, Australia, India, Indonesia, Korea, Canada,
Guam and the United States, I cordially invoke Almighty God’s abundant
blessings of joy and peace.

[After his greetings, the Holy Father made the following appeal in
Italian:]

I make my own the cry of pain and the call for assistance of the dear
people of Myanmar, who without warning saw so many lives, and so much
property and means of sustenance destroyed by the terrifying violence
of the Cyclone Nargis.

As I already said in the message of solidarity I sent to the president
of the episcopal conference, I remain spiritually close to the people
affected. I would also like to repeat to everyone my call to open
their hearts to pity and generosity so that, thanks to the
collaboration of people who can and wish to bring help, the suffering
caused by such an immense tragedy may be relieved.

(c) Copyright 2008 — Libreria Editrice Vaticana

lish

Zenit News Agency, Italy
May 8 2008

Pope Asks Prayer for Armenian Patriarch Visit

Expresses Certainty That "Spirit of Friendship" Will Deepen

VATICAN CITY, MAY 7, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI beseeched the
faithful to pray for the visit to Rome of the patriarch of the
Armenian Apostolic Church.

Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, attended the Pope’s general
audience today, and both leaders exchanged formal greetings.

The Holy Father told the patriarch, "Your Holiness, I pray that the
light of the Holy Spirit will illumine your pilgrimage to the tombs of
the Apostles Peter and Paul, the important meetings you will have
here, and particularly our personal conversations. I ask all who are
present today to pray for God’s blessing upon this visit."

The Pontiff noted Karekin II’s personal commitment to "the growing
friendship between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Catholic
Church."

He mentioned: "In 2000, soon after your election, you came to Rome to
meet Pope John Paul II, and a year later, you graciously received him
in Holy Etchmiadzin. You came once again to Rome together with many
Church leaders from East and West, for the funeral liturgy of Pope
John Paul II.

"I am sure that this spirit of friendship will be further deepened
during the coming days."

The Armenian Apostolic Church separated from Rome after the Council of
Chalcedon in 451.

More than 90% of Armenian Christians are under the Armenian Apostolic
Patriarchate. The Pope’s secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio
Bertone, visited Armenia last March and was received by Karekin II.

Martyrs

In Benedict XVI’s greeting, he also mentioned the suffering of the
Armenian people: "In an external niche of St. Peter’s Basilica, there
is a fine statue of St. Gregory the Illuminator, founder of the
Armenian Church. It serves to remind us of the severe persecutions
suffered by Armenian Christians, especially during the last
century. Armenia’s many martyrs are a sign of the power of the Holy
Spirit working in times of darkness, and a pledge of hope for
Christians everywhere.

"Your Holiness, dear bishops and dear friends, together with you I
implore Almighty God, through the intercession of St. Gregory the
Illuminator, to help us grow in unity, in one holy bond of Christian
faith, hope and love."

The two Churches have moved closer to unity, notably thanks to a 1996
declaration signed by John Paul II and Patriarch Karekin I on the
nature of Jesus.

Brotherhood

For his part, Karekin II affirmed — leading up to Sunday’s feast of
Pentecost — that it is the Holy Spirit who is "the fountainhead of
unity and transforms our steps on the paths of brotherhood with grace
— steps which are for the glory of God and are born from the love of
Christ, for the sake of establishing peace in the world and a blessed
life for mankind."

"Intolerance and confrontation must not be allowed within the
brotherhood and love of Christ," the patriarch said. "Mankind has
suffered much as a result. Today as well, the creation of God — the
world that surrounds us — is imperiled through interfaith
disagreements, through wars and terrorism, through the effects of
poverty and neglect.

"Our brothers and sisters are in distress in the Middle East and many
other regions of the world; where women and children, the elderly and
disabled are endangered by the blows of disagreement and division,
unjust competition and enmity. This is not the will of God. This is
not our calling."

Karekin II mentioned as well the struggle in Armenia to gain
international recognition of their suffering at the hands of the
Ottoman Empire. Both religious and civil leaders in Armenia want the
massacre to be recognized as a genocide. In 1915 and the following
years, perhaps as many as 1.5 million Armenians were killed within the
empire as it broke apart. Turkey and other states oppose the use of
the word genocide to describe the event.

"Today, many countries of the world recognize and condemn the genocide
committed against the Armenian people by Ottoman Turkey, as did the
Holy See, by His Holiness Pope John Paul Il of blessed memory during
our fraternal visit to Rome in 2000," the patriarch said.

He added: "Offering prayers to his luminous memory, we as Pontiff of
the Armenians, appeal to all nations and lands to universally condemn
all genocides that have occurred throughout history and those that
continue through the present day, so that those who yield power and
authority realize their responsibilities and results of those crimes
which have been and continue to be committed against the creation of
God, and that the denial of these crimes is an injustice that equals
the commission of the same."

Recognitions

This afternoon, the Catholicos received an honorary doctorate in the
theology of pastoral care of youth from the Pontifical Salesian
University. He was accompanied during the ceremony by Cardinal Bertone
and Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity.

Cardinal Bertone recalled his March visit to Armenia. He said he
experienced "an exquisite and warm welcome" and was able to "submerge
[him]self in the history of the Church."

"Armenia," he explained, "has its roots sunk in the preaching of the
holy Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus. The entire Armenian people
converted to Christ more than 17 centuries ago, at the dawn of the
fourth century, in the year 301. Baptism makes of the Armenians the
first people to be officially Christian, much before Christianity was
recognized as the official religion of the Roman empire."

Cardinal Kasper pronounced the "laudatio," recognizing Karekin II’s
extensive work in the pastoral ministry of youth.

"Immediately after the fall of communism, he arranged for the former
Communist Pioneer Palaces to be converted into church-sponsored youth
centers," the cardinal said. Shortly thereafter, in 1990, "he created
a Christian Education Center […] where young people receive a
catechetical and Christian formation, together with a program in
traditional Armenian art and culture."

"His Holiness Karekin II has continued to follow with care the
preparation and post-ordination training of his clergy," cardinal
Kasper added, noting how the patriarch has sent many students for
further studies abroad, often to Catholic universities or faculties of
theology.

l=english

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
May 8 2008

Karekin urges world to recognize genocide claims

The head of Armenia’s Orthodox Church took part in Pope Benedict XVI’s
public audience on Wednesday and urged all countries to recognize that
Turks committed genocide against Armenians early last century.

Karekin II sat at Benedict’s side during the traditional weekly
audience in St. Peter’s Square — part of a visit to the Vatican that
is the latest high-level contact between Catholic and Orthodox
leaders. Addressing a crowd of faithful assembled in the square,
Karekin appealed "to all nations and lands to universally condemn all
genocides that have occurred throughout history. "Denial of these
crimes is an injustice that equals the commission of the same," he
said.

Benedict’s predecessor, Pope John Paul II, visited Armenia in 2001 and
paid his respects to the Armenians killed in the last days of the
Ottoman Empire. Many countries have been careful in treating the
issue, because any recognition of the killings as genocide is likely
to rattle a nation’s ties with Turkey. Last year, the US House of
Representatives stopped short of voting on a resolution that would
have called the killings genocide after Turkey threatened grave
consequences to relations.

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
May 8 2008

Baku Angered by US Criticism

Americans accused of interfering in forthcoming Azerbaijani
presidential election.

By Leila Amirova in Baku (CRS No. 443 07-May-08)

A war of words over Azerbaijan’s democratic record has damaged
relations between Baku and Washington, less than six months before
Azerbaijan’s presidential elections.

Both Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and President George Bush
have made critical remarks about Azerbaijan in the last month,
eliciting a furious response from Azerbaijani officials.

Speaking to the US Peace Corps 2008 Worldwide Country Director
Conference on April 29, Rice said, `[In] the Caucasus ¦ not so much
Georgia, but Azerbaijan [and] to a certain extent Armenia¦ there is
important work to be done¦to bring that part of the Caucasus closer
to [democratic] standards that we thought they were once meeting. And
it has been a disappointment.’

Rice said that the failure to resolve the Nagorny Karabakh conflict
was holding back both Azerbaijan and Armenia.

President Bush, in a speech to mark World Press Freedom Day on May 1,
underlined the country’s poor record on detention of journalists. "In
2007, for the ninth consecutive year, China remained the world’s top
jailer of journalists, followed by Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, and
Azerbaijan," he said.

Azerbaijan has been criticised in the past. What seemed to rankle this
time with Azerbaijani officials this time was that their country had
been set below its traditional enemy, Armenia, despite Armenia’s
recent disputed elections, bloody street clashes and state of
emergency. The Georgian government also brutally suppressed opposition
demonstrators last November.

Azerbaijani foreign ministry spokesman Khazar Ibrahim said that US
officials had been misinformed.

`The assessment of the situation in our region displays double
standards. We do not shoot at demonstrators, do not kill them, do not
impose a state of emergency or shut down independent media,’ he said,
in a reference to Armenia.

`There is an impression that in Washington they do not have a real
picture of the region, which is very disappointing when you take into
account the relationship of strategic partnership between Azerbaijan
and the USA.’

Ramiz Mekhtiev, the veteran head of the presidential office, was even
more scathing.

`Condoleezza Rice’s statements about Azerbaijan cannot be taken
seriously,’ he said. `You can only conclude from her words that
Azerbaijan ought to copy the March events in Armenia so as to earn a
good report on us.’

Political analyst Mubariz Ahmedoglu argued that Azerbaijan was in a
better situation than either of its two neighbours and that Rice
`wants to see Azerbaijan as a client state of the USA’.

The Azerbaijani opposition, however, which is currently considering
whether to announce a boycott of October’s presidential elections,
took heart from the criticism.

`The Azerbaijani authorities need to take criticism against them more
seriously,’ said Isa Gambar, head of the opposition Musavat party.

`Declarations that President Bush and Secretary of State Rice are not
properly informed about the situation in Azerbaijan are
astonishing. Instead of doing that they need to properly assess the
situation in the country and take steps to improve it.’

Head of the Liberal Party Lala Shovket said she hoped the statements
would force the authorities to hold more democratic elections later
this year.

`We also hold the opinion that there is an undeclared state of
emergency in the country, we cannot hold rallies or speak on
television,’ she told Trend news agency.

The row became even more heated when the US embassy in Baku announced
it was allocating the sum of three million dollars in technical help
and media assistance to help make the elections more free and fair. US
ambassador Anne Derse also called on the opposition not to boycott the
polls.

Presidential official Ramiz Mehtiev was scornful of the initiative.

`Personally, as a citizen of Azerbaijan, I regard the allocation of
three million dollars by the USA for our presidential elections as
interference in the internal affairs of the country,’ he said. `I
don’t consider it normal. The US would not permit the interference of
another country into its internal processes, so why should that happen
in Azerbaijan?’

Opposition member of parliament Fazil Gazanfaroglu also criticised the
American plans saying, `I think that non-governmental organisations
ought to control and monitor this initiative by the embassy of the USA
so that government officials and members of the opposition who are
close to them don’t share out the money amongst themselves. That’s
what happened to the money allocated for the last elections.’

Recently, most of the criticism against Azerbaijan has focussed on the
issue of the harassment and imprisonment of journalists. In April
alone, 72 incidents against journalists were recorded by the League of
Democratic Journalists, four media employees received death threats
and the city authorities in Baku banned the sale of newspapers on the
street or at bus stops. Twenty one journalists went on hunger strike.

Another US State Department report which praised Azerbaijan for its
positive contribution to the `war on terror’ went virtually unnoticed
in Baku.

Analysts say that this kind of criticism of Azerbaijan’s democratic
credentials has been heard before. What is different this time is the
response.

`The USA always spent money on observing elections and in principle
nothing new has happened,’ said commentator Ilgar Mamedov. `The only
thing that’s changed is the attitude of Azerbaijan. And that is
connected to the fact that the authorities feel more confident because
of the inflow of petro-dollars, greater geopolitical opportunism and
the importance of our country when it comes to the energy security of
Europe.’

Leila Amirova is a freelance journalist in Baku.

;s=f&o=3 44521&apc_state=henh

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
May 8 2008

Armenia: Opposition Sets Talks Terms

Two months after Yerevan bloodshed, Armenian opposition lays out
conditions for dialogue.

By Gayane Abrahamian in Yerevan (CRS No. 443 07-May-08)

Former president Levon Ter-Petrosian was met by hundreds of his
supporters with applause and shouts of `Levon ` president’, outside
the government building where the Armenian opposition held a congress
on May 2.

Some made the comparison with Ter-Petrosian’s return to Yerevan after
six months in prison in Moscow in 1989, following his arrest as a
nationalist dissident leader.

The meeting was a chance for Ter-Petrosian, who has been restricted
from appearing in public since the March 1 violence in Yerevan, in
which ten people died, to address his supporters and set out his
strategy.

The congress, which unites 23 parties under the name Movement
Heralding National Awakening, opened with a minute’s silence for those
who died on March 1.

Ter-Petrosian called the events of that day a `massacre’ and accused
the former president Robert Kocharian of responsibility. He went on to
say that the incoming president Serzh Sarkisian ` whose legitimacy the
opposition disputes ` should have stopped the killings, but his level
of culpability will depend on whether he sanctions an unbiased
investigation into the March 1 bloodshed.

`There is no more convenient and useful way to prove his innocence
than to agree to holding an international independent investigation,’
said Ter-Petrosian

The former president proposed that a new `Armenian National Congress’
should be formed, which would develop into a party that could play a
`decisive role’ in Armenian politics and put forward candidates in
elections.

`It is quite possible that in the future this `congress’ will turn
into a centrist party with a strong structure,’ he said.

Some analysts are sceptical, however, about how feasible it is for the
opposition to unite.

`It looks as though he is just playing for time and this is just a
step to keep his supporters in the game,’ said political analyst
Eduard Antinian. `I am sure that at least two key parties of the 20
that are forming the movement ` the Heritage and Social Democratic
parties ` will definitely not become centrist.’

Vardan Khachatrian, a Heritage member of parliament, the only
opposition party represented there, was cautious about the idea of a
united party.

`Further events will make things clear,’ said Khachatrian. `At the
moment, we are standing alongside the national movement but we simply
see no need in a merger. Today it’s more important for us to be in
dialogue on equal terms.’

The key question currently in Armenia is whether a dialogue is
possible between the opposition, led by Ter-Petrosian and the new
administration of Serzh Sarkisian, and on what terms.

`If no dialogue between the authorities and the opposition takes place
in the next six months, then the parliamentary opposition will
collapse,’ said former presidential candidate Arman Melikian.

Ter-Petrosian said that he does not recognise the `legitimacy of the
administration that has seized power’ but agrees that they should be
engaged.

His main demand is that the government carries out a resolution
adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, on
April 17, which calls for an immediate `independent, transparent and
credible inquiry into the events of 1 March and the circumstances that
led to them, including the alleged excessive use of force by the
police and violence by the protesters’.

It also demanded that people in custody on `seemingly artificial and
politically motivated charges’ should be released and amendments to
legislation restricting public meetings should be revoked.

The resolution warns that if these changes are not carried out, `the
credibility of Armenia as a member of the Council of Europe is put
into doubt’ and the Armenian delegation risks losing its voting rights
in the parliamentary assembly.

The authorities called the resolution `tough’ and Tigran Torosian,
speaker of the Armenian parliament, said it `does not fully correspond
to the picture of the events’ that took place.

US-born former foreign minister Raffi Hovhannissian, leader of
Heritage, has called for a dialogue between government and opposition
on the basis of the resolution.

`The country is in a state of crisis and I see the way out from it as
being real, radical and genuine reforms, which are possible through
dialogue,’ said Hovhannissian.

In the meantime, a commission was formed in parliament to study the
Council of Europe resolution, of which Hovhannissian is not a member.

`This is one more step designed to isolate the opposition,’ said
Heritage member Anahit Bakhshian. She said that Hovhannissian is
currently out of the country and that the commission will not accept
other members of his party.

`The commission includes people who have damaged and compromised our
country by their actions and incorrect decisions,’ complained
Bakhshian, naming Grigor Amalian and Aleksan Harutiunian, two
unpopular figures at the head of state television. `Entrusting the
demands of the resolution to this commission is like entrusting wolves
with lambs.’

Some analysts say that dialogue may be impossible, especially as,
according to the prosecutor’s office, 58 opposition activists are
still in jail.

`This is a vicious circle as the authorities won’t release the
prisoners so easily as many of them have criminal charges laid against
them and in that case the former president will not engage in
dialogue,’ said political analyst Levon Shirinian.

Both sides are very suspicious of the other. Eduard Sharmazanov,
spokesman for the governing Republican Party, accused the opposition
of bad faith, saying, `The leaders of the opposition are presenting
ultimatums in stead of dialogue.’

Gayane Abrahamian is a reporter for Armenianow.com in Yerevan

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FreshPlaza, Netherlands
May 8 2008

Produce Markets in Yerevan, Armenia

Located at the central railroad station in South of Yerevan were
trains arriving from all over Armenia and also from Georgia, Kayaran
is an important trading point. Trains are arriving in the early
morning and evening. Farmers are arriving with fresh produce stashed
in bags and boxes limited to the amount they can carry. Most farms in
Armenia are not larger than a few thousand square meters. During late
fall, winter and early spring, production comes from small mostly
plastic greenhouses. In this market the smaller retailers come here to
buy at all hours of day and night. When farmers are coming of the
train their produce is often sold directly to middle men. In other
cases farmers have secured, against a fee, places inside the covered
hall were the market is located. Others who arrive by small trucks and
cars are parked outside the building and are selling whatever produce
they have directly from their vehicles. Those who have not been able
to secure a sales spot inside set up shop on the pavement as near to
the market as possible. They will have to pay fees to the many
surveying policeman guarding the area.

Malatcia

The second market called Malatcia is located in the SW part of
Yerevan. In these markets there are also large trucks arriving from
Georgia and Iran with citrus, kiwis, peppers, onions and egg plants.

Tashir

The third market is a public market named Tashir. Its location is not
far from Kayaran. This market is also referred to as the Goum Market
because it was established as an official market during the Soviet
days. Goum is a Russian word and means universal market which we now
would call a hypermarket. Here there is a large covered area where
besides fruit and vegetables also other food is sold such as meat and
fish. Inside there are large displays of dried and candied fruits that
are local delicacies. In Tashir you will find also imports from other
countries than Iran and Georgia. Bananas and other tropical fruits are
often arriving here via Russia. Along the outside walls of the
building there is room for farmers and wholesalers that offer larger
quantities of fruit and vegetables.

l.asp?id=21502