Month: May 2008

Armenian National Committee of Canada
Comité National Arménien du Canada
130 Albert St., Suite/Bureau 1007
Ottawa, ON
KIP 5G4
Tel./Tél. (613) 235-2622 Fax/Téléc. (613) 238-2622
E-mail/courriel:national.office@anc-canad a.com

PRESS RELEASE

May 27, 2008
Contact: Roupen Kouyoumjian

ANCC Commemorates the Pontian and Rwandan Genocides

Ottawa–The Armenian National Committee of Canada recently
participated in two important historic commemorations–for the Pontian
Genocide and the Rwandan Genocide victims.

On May 18, the Brotherhood Pontian of Toronto organized a memorial for
the 353,000 Pontian Greek victims of atrocities perpetrated by the
Turkish government between 1916 to 1923.

Among the 350 people who attended the commemoration were a
high-ranking Greek Cabinet minister, a member of the Greek parliament,
and representatives of the department of foreign affairs of
Greece. The memorial was held at St. Dimitrios Greek Orthodox Church
in Toronto.

The keynote speaker Michael Charalampidis, author, and member of the
executive committee of the International Association for the Rights
and Liberation of Peoples, emphasized the imperative for Pontians
around the world to organize and to become more politically active in
the international recognition of the Pontian Genocide. Furthermore, he
said he appreciated and valued the pioneering work of the Armenian
National Committee and the Armenian people, at large, in their
political activism and in paving the way for the Pontian community to
follow in their footsteps.

Aris Babikian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee
of Canada (ANCC), urged the international community and governments
-not to be selective in their condemnation, as their political and
economic interests dictate, but to bring to justice the Turkish
genocide perpetrators and their accomplices. Today the Turkish
government, encouraged by the international community’s silence, is
not only denying the Armenian, Pontian, and Assyrian Genocides and
continuing its illegal occupation of Cyprus, but it has also launched
a genocide against the Kurds.-

Babikian said it’s -imperative for us to stand united in solidarity,
to remind the world of the Turkish government’s past and present
crimes, and to demand that the international community to stop its

appeasement policies towards a fascist and racist Turkish government
which has the distinction of being the world’s worst violator of
crimes against humanity.-

Babikian reminded the gathered that the ‘rampant extreme nationalism,
prejudice and xenophobia in contemporary Turkey is an ominous sign and
a reminder of the climate which existed in Turkey in the early 20th
century.- He added that Canada and the international community can
send a clear and unequivocal message to the Turkish government that
the international community will not tolerate such inhuman treatment
of our fellow human beings and will not allow the genocide denial
machine to operate with impunity.

On April 4, the ANCC participated in a press conference at the
Gatineau city hall to commemorate the 14th anniversary of the genocide
of Rwanda’s Tutsi minority. The press conference was organized by the
HUMURA Association, with the participation of the Canadian Jewish
Congress, the Association of Darfur, and ANCC.

Genocide denial was the theme of the press conference. At the end of
the conference the participants signed a letter bringing to the
attention of the Right Hon. Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of
Canada, that -genocide deniers hide behind the veil of dubious
scholars of the `truth’ who increase the agony of the victims’ wounds
that have never healed…While Canada rightly protects fundamental
liberties, including the liberty of expression, we strongly believe
that genocide deniers should never enjoy constitutional guarantees to
propagate heinous and racist speeches targeting specific ethnic groups
in Canada.-

Babikian said that he considered it ANCC’s privilege and honour to
participate in the gatherings to ‘show our friendship with other
genocide victim nations. We, the survivors of similar heinous crimes,
or the descendents of those who survived, must unite to remind the
international community that such crimes will not be forgotten, denied
or be allowed to be repeated. We owe it to our martyrs who paid the
ultimate price for intolerance, xenophobia and hatred.’

***

The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and
affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances
the concerns of the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of
issues.

Regional Chapters/Sections régionales

Montréal – Laval – Ottawa – Toronto – Hamilton – Cambridge –
St. Catharines – Windsor – Vancouver

The Boston Globe

Turkish historian to study genocide

Armenians praise appointment at Clark

Taner Akçam will lecture on genocide issues.

/2008/05/29/turkish_historian_to_study_genocide?mo de=3DPF

By David Abel
Globe Staff / May 29, 2008

It’s like appointing a non-Jewish German to teach Holocaust studies,
but Clark University has already done that.

The Worcester school recently named a Turkish historian to be chairman
of Armenian genocide studies.

Taner Akçam, who was imprisoned in Turkey in the 1970s for his work on
the slaughter of Armenians at the end of the Ottoman period in Turkey,
was selected over several candidates of Armenian descent to hold the
Armenian genocide studies post and to become an associate professor in
the history department.

Despite a century of friction between Turks and Armenians, Akçam’s
appointment has sparked little concern in the state’s vocal Armenian
community.

"My appointment is a sign of change, with symbolic meaning," said
Akçam, who is leaving a post as a visiting professor of history at the
University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

"It is not important, the ethnic origin of the individual in this
position; what is important is the approach of the individual to the
historic wrongdoing," Akçam said. "The position should not be an issue
between Turks and Armenians; this is an issue between those who
violated human rights and scholars and human beings who fight against
abuses of human rights."

Some local Armenians lamented that Akçam does not support Armenian
claims to Turkish land and that there are not enough positions in
academia to be filled by more scholars of Armenian descent.

Armenians have long called for more scholarship on the massacre of
more than 1 million Armenians during and after World War I in what is
modern-day Turkey.

Armenians, as well as nations including France, Argentina, and Canada
have recognized the killings as genocide. But the Turkish government
rejects the label and has opposed efforts in Congress to pass a
genocide resolution.

The issue has led some municipalities in Massachusetts to split from
the Anti-Defamation League-sponsored No Place for Hate program,
because the group has been hesitant to refine its stance on what many
consider genocide.

Local Armenians said they support the appointment of Akçam, who after
being released from a Turkish prison received a doctorate in Germany
and has since written extensively on the Armenian genocide, including
his most recent book, "A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the
Question of Turkish Responsibility," published in 2006.

"It’s not troubling that he’s of Turkish descent; if anything it’s
encouraging," said Marc Mamigonian, director of programs at the
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research in Belmont.

"It’s important that non-Armenians be involved in this sort of work,"
he said. ". . . It’s hard to miss the symbolism of it. But my hope is
that this is more than just symbolic and that he will continue to make
important contributions to the scholarship."

Sharistan Melkonian, chairwoman of the Armenian National Committee of
Massachusetts, said Akçam’s willingness to go to prison for his views
shows the wisdom of his appointment.

"In this case, you put ethnicity aside for people who speak the truth,
and that’s exactly what he has done," Melkonian said. "This is a
scholar who has distinguished himself."

Local Turks, however, questioned Akçam’s appointment, as well as the
position, which they consider biased.

"Some Armenians may be very happy with his appointment, but how
productive will he be in creating an academic platform to resolve
these issues?" said Erkut Gomulu, president of the Turkish American
Cultural Society of New England in Boston.

"Akçam seems a little bit biased, and I don’t know how objective he
will be," Gomulu said. "I would like to see more dialogue between
Turks and Armenians, but I don’t think the academician should be
taking sides. He should be trying to find out what happened during
that period. This seems more like a political appointment."

Deborah Dwork, director of the Strassler Family Center for Holocaust
and Genocide Studies at Clark, said Akçam was chosen from more than a
dozen people who interviewed for the position. She said the
appointment follows her department’s naming of Thomas Kühne, a German
Catholic professor of Holocaust studies.

"Ethnic or religious identity is not crucial to any appointment," she
said. "We hire the best scholars in the pool."

Akçam will become an associate professor and teach four classes next
semester at Clark, which has about 1,900 undergraduates and 650
graduate students.

He expects to face criticism.

"I assume that I will be the target of hate by Turkish nationalists –
I’m sure about that," he said.

He said his goal is to find ways to prod both Armenians and Turks "to
rectify the historic injustices."

"This is a position to educate students and the community about the
human rights abuses in the past," he said.

David Abel can be reached at [email protected].

© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.

PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
31 Moscovian Street
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 53.69.13
Fax: (+374 – 10) 53.26.97
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website:

29 May 2008

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN AND HERITAGE AT EUROPEAN CONCLAVES

Paris, Berlin–Raffi K. Hovannisian, chairman of the Heritage Party
and Armenia’s first minister of foreign affairs, took part from May 21
to 28 in a series of international parliamentary conferences convened
in the French and German capitals.

In Paris from May 21 to 23, Raffi Hovannisian attended the meeting of
the Committee on Culture, Science and Education of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) of which he is a member. He
addressed the Committee on agenda items relating to reports on youth
cooperation in Europe, the sports dimension of the Olympic Games, and
cultural heritage.

In this connection, Raffi Hovannisian expressed solidarity with Edward
O’Hara, the Committee’s General Rapporteur on the Cultural Heritage,
who intended to commence his goodwill mission to the entire South
Caucasus with visits to Baku and Nakhichevan over the summer. The PACE
secretariat had written a letter to the head of the Azerbaijani
delegation, O’Hara reported, informing him of this intention but a
response was still pending. Upon this briefing by the Rapporteur, the
Azerbaijani delegate in the Committee launched a tirade against
Armenia, Mountainous Karabagh, PACE and Rapporteur O’Hara, effectively
revealing the predisposition of his government not to allow
realization of the mission. In conclusion, Hovannisian moved without
objection that the Committee provide full support to the O’Hara
initiative, finalize the modalities of his first visit by the upcoming
PACE session in June, and reauthorize him to carry out that mission
immediately thereafter and to report back to the Committee no later
than the September session about its results or, that failing, the
reasons for its failure.

In Berlin between May 23 and 28, Raffi Hovannisian joined MPs Artur
Aghabekyan and Karen Avagyan at the Reichstag to compose the Armenian
delegation to the spring session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly
(NATO PA). There Hovannisian addressed the Political Committee on a
draft report entitled "Iran: Making a Case for NATO’s Political
Engagement," focusing among other topics on Iran’s role in the area,
the priority of constructive engagement, as well as Mountainous
Karabagh’s liberty, decolonization and lawfully-constituted
sovereignty as a stabilizing factor in terms of the Islamic Republic
and the broader region.

In the NATO PA meeting of the Committee on the Civil Dimension of
Security, under whose auspices Raffi Hovannisian and delegation
chairman Artur Aghabekyan had recently visited Serbia and Kosovo,
Hovannisian took the floor during the discussion on "The Assembly’s
Contribution to NATO’s Strategic Concept," suggesting that the new
concept aspire for the day–or at least countenance the
contingency–that the Transatlantic Alliance and Russia will
ultimately find themselves on the same security page, and that both
members of and applicants to the alliance should demonstrate their
commitment to its "shared values" by passing a periodic state-by-state
examination on democracy, rule of law, good governance, human rights
protection, and condemnation and prevention of genocide and other
crimes against humanity. In the same Committee, he also intervened in
response to a draft report on "State and Religion in the Black Sea
Region," addressing such issues as the Armenian Genocide,
self-determination and sovereignty for Artsakh, and minority rights
guarantees, or the deficiency thereof, in Turkey and Azerbaijan.

During the plenary session of the NATO PA, held on May 27 in the hall
of the German Bundestag, Raffi Hovannisian posed questions to NATO
Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on NATO’s regional approach to
the Caucasus and on the ostensibly Kosovo-based reasons for
Azerbaijan’s withdrawal from KFOR just as Armenia was doubling its
peacekeeping commitment to it. He also asked of German Minister of
Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier whether there was an inherent
connection between postwar Germany’s fortitude and will to take
responsibility and seek redemption for the genocidal policies of its
predecessor regime and achievement of its current capacity of
leadership in the democratic world; against this background whether
there was any counsel he might offer to other NATO member-states with
similar histories; and finally whether the Federal Republic of
Germany, as the exemplary global benchmark in this field, was prepared
to take it to the highest level by recognizing the German military
role in the Great Genocide and attendant national dispossession of the
Armenian heartlands during and after World War One, in this way
guiding the primarily responsible party toward its own assumption of
history and a long-awaited normalization of relations between NATO
member Turkey and IPAP partner Armenia.

In the margins of the conclave Raffi Hovannisian also spoke at a
luncheon devoted to gender challenges in peacekeeping operations, and
conferred with a variety of public and political figures including
NATO PA President Jose Lello, German Chancellor Angela Merkel,
President Ole von Beust of the Bundesrat, Chairman Karl Lamers of the
Bundestag delegation to the NATO PA, and other parliamentary and
congressional leaders from the United States, the Russian Federation,
the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Portugal, the Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, and elsewhere.

Founded in 2002, Heritage has regional divisions throughout the land.
Its central office is located at 31 Moscovian Street, Yerevan 0002,
Armenia, with telephone contact at (374-10) 536.913, fax at (374-10)
532.697, email at [email protected] or [email protected], and website
at

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 689-7810
Fax: (212) 689-7168
Email: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian

MAY 29, 2008

ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN DEPARTS FOR LEBANON
Archbishop Oshagan is leaving tonight on his journey to Lebanon where he
will participate in the meeting of the Brotherhood of the Holy See of
Cilicia, June 5-6, and in the Blessing of the Holy Muron on Saturday, June
7.

CATHOLICOS ARAM I CONGRATULATES
NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF LEBANON
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, expressed
his warm words of congratulations to the newly elected president of Lebanon,
General Michel Suleiman, during a telephone conversation with the President
on May 27. The Pontiff noted that taking on this responsibility at this
critical time is a great challenge. He expressed the hope that the new
President would succeed in opening a new page of understanding between the
Lebanese communities, as well as development and progress throughout the
country. His Holiness offered his full support and endorsement.

TEACHERS CONFERENCE IN ANTELIAS THIS SUMMER
A conference of teachers of Armenian language, history and religion will
convene at the Catholicosate of Cilicia Antelias from July 17 to 19. The
Armenian school, with its mission of formation-both of people and
Armenians-is one of the important fields of the Catholicosate’s mission.
With this in mind, His Holiness Aram I continues organizing initiatives in
cooperation with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s Armenian Department,
that bring to the forefront issues related to Armenian education.
It is in this context that the conference of Armenian history, language
and religion teachers will be convened as a follow-up to the pan-Diaspora
conference that took place four years ago. The conference will discuss
language, methodology, teachers, textbooks, curriculum, and other related
areas of concern. Educators throughout the Diaspora are expected to
participate.

TRUSTEES OF PASHALIAN FUND MEET;
2008 GRANTS ANNOUNCED
The trustees of the Pashalian Family Scholarship Fund met last month at
the Prelacy offices in New York to discuss the annual grants. Since its
founding in 1991, the Fund has allocated more than $75,000 to educational
institutions in accordance with the parameters of the Fund.
The 2008 grants are as follows: St. Illuminator’s Armenian Day School
(Woodside, NY), $2,500; St. Sarkis Suzanne and Hovsep Hagopian School
(Douglaston, NY), $1,000; St. Gregory of Datev Institute, $1,000; Siamanto
Academy, $1,000; Armenian Sisters Academy (Radnor, PA), $500; Hovnanian
School (New Milford, NJ), $500; St. Stephen’s Elementary School (Watertown,
MA), $500.
Pashalian Fund trustees are: Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, President;
Gloria Tarsy, George Dermksian, MD, and Michael Derian. For more information
click here.

MAJOR RENOVATION UNDERWAY AT ST. ILLUMINATOR CATHEDRAL
Major renovation of St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York City has
begun. Until the renovation is completed the Divine Liturgy will be offered
every Sunday at 10:40 a.m. at the Armenian Center, 69-23 47th Street,
Woodside, New York.

SUMMER CAMP AT ST. SARKIS
St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, will once again have a summer
camp for children from age 5 to 12. The camp will take place at the church
facilities from Monday, July 7 to Friday, July 18, from 10 am to 3 pm.
Registration must be completed by June 8. The program includes arts and
crafts, music, dance, prayer, Armenian language and history, introduction to
the Bible, sports, games..and more. See calendar of events below for more
details.

YEAR OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, has
designated the year 2008 as the "Year of Christian Education."
To read His Holiness’ message in Armenian click here.
To read His Holiness’ message in English click here.

"STILL ROOM AT THE INN," FOR 2008 DATEV SUMMER PROGRAM
"There’s still room at the inn," says Dn. Shant Kazanjian, director of
the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC), about the 22nd annual St.
Gregory of Datev Institute Summer Program, for youth ages 13-18. So, if you
have not yet registered for this popular program, do it right now. Sponsored
by AREC, the program will take place at St. Mary of Providence Center in
Elverson, Pennsylvania, June 29 to July 6, 2008. By popular demand, this
year the Institute will extend the Summer Program by a weekend retreat
(optional) June 27-29. For details click here.

PAN-DIASPORA YOUTH CONFERENCE
A pan-Diaspora youth conference will take place in Antelias, Lebanon, on
August 14-16. Under the theme, "The Armenian youth face the challenges of
the 21st century," the conference will feature lectures, and round table and
group discussions. More than 100 youth from the various dioceses within the
Catholicosate of Cilicia will participate.

DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for today, Thursday, May 29, are: Proverbs 6:1-5; Isaiah
33:5-8; Romans 8:18-27; Luke 21:12-19.
The Lord is exalted, he dwells on high; he filled Zion with justice and
righteousness; he will be the stability of your times, abundance of
salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.
Listen! The valiant cry in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly.
The highways are deserted, travelers have quit the road. The treaty is
broken, its oaths are despised, its obligation is disregarded. Isaiah
33:5-8
For listing of the week’s Bible readings click here.

ST. NERSES THE GREAT
This Saturday, May 31, the Armenian Church commemorates St. Nerses the
Great, who is remembered for his many benevolent accomplishments. Perhaps
one of his greatest was the Council of Ashdishad (364) where canons were
drawn up concerning the sanctity of family life, improvement of social
conditions, establishment of various social institutions such as hospitals
and inns for pilgrims, and the establishment of monasteries and convents.
St. Nerses truly fulfilled the words of our Lord as recorded in the
Gospel of Matthew: "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you
gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was
naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in
prison and you visited me."
In the 1990s, the late Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian did not hesitate a
moment in his decision to name the Prelacy’s charitable agency in Armenia
"Saint Nerses the Great Charitable Organization," in honor of the saint
whose deeds to improve the condition of the common people earned him the
honorific, "Great," by a grateful nation.

CONSTANTINE AND HIS MOTHER HELENA
Next Tuesday, June 3, the Armenian Church remembers Constantine the
Great and his mother, Helena. Constantine was the first Christian emperor of
Rome. In 330 he founded Constantinople as a second Rome and considered
himself to be a servant of God. He was buried amid the apostles in the
basilica he founded in their honor in Constantinople. Helena followed her
son, becoming a Christian and devoting her life to charitable work. She
built many churches and monasteries and is believed to have been
instrumental in the recovery of the true cross.

READING OF NEW PLAY SET FOR JUNE 16
Award winning writer, actor and producer Nora Armani and Pemart are
hosting a reading of Richard Kalinoski’s new play, A Crooked Man, on June
16, 7 pm at the Players Theatre, 115 MacDougal Street, New York City. In his
new dramatic play, Richard Kalinoski, who wrote the acclaimed Beast on the
Moon, brings to the stage the fictional story of Armenian Genocide survivor,
Hagop Hagopian. Hagopian, a revered elder of the Armenian community, had in
the past tracked down and executed the Turkish leader, Mehmet Pasha, the man
he believed was responsible for master-minding the Armenian Genocide of
1915. Much like the real life figure, Soghomon Telirian, Hagopian is
acquitted. Now in his late 80s, Hagopian must confront the past through the
eyes of his grandson. What follows is a clash of cultures and generations.
The reading on June 16 will be preceded by a wine reception and will be
followed by a "Dollars and Sense" panel with invited prominent Broadway and
Off-Broadway producers to discuss the best course for the play towards a
full production in New York and other regions.

FROM THE BOOKSTORE THIS WEEK..

SOJOURN AT ARARAT, Armenian poetry performance in English, created and
performed by Nora Armani and Gerald Papasian. Hailed by critics, this
performance is described as "a spirited and spiritual journey." The history
of the Armenian people is revealed through its sublime poetry in this simple
love story. 59-minute CD, $20.00, plus shipping and handling.

ON THE COUCH WITH NORA ARMANI, written and performed by Nora Armani. With
humor and nostalgia, Nora takes us back to the Bosporus and Istanbul, to
pre-1915 Anatolian summers, Alexandria and its ports, Nasser’s
post-revolution Egypt, Hollywood and its follies.a true diaspora story! 68
minute DVD, $20, plus shipping and handling.

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THESE AND OTHER ITEMS AT THE BOOKSTORE VISIT THE
PRELACY’S WEB SITE () OR CONTACT THE BOOKSTORE BY
EMAIL ([email protected]) OR BY TELEPHONE (212-689-7810).

WHERE GOD DESCENDED
The May issue of One magazine, published by the Catholic Near East
Welfare Association, has a nice article about Etchmiadzin, described as the
"world’s oldest cathedral." Titled, "Where God Descended," the article,
written by Paul Rimple, describes the "daunting challenges as the church
struggles to redefine itself in this resource poor and geopolitically
fragile country." To read the article go to and then click on
"One Magazine."

TIMELY ARRIVAL OF CROSSROADS
During the past month we have heard from a number of our readers that
they have not been receiving Crossroads regularly. We are checking for any
possible problems at our end. We again ask all of our readers to enter
[email protected] in your address books so that your computer will
recognize Crossroads as friendly and safe. Please continue to inform us of
any problems.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

June 3-5-World General Assembly of the Catholicosate of the Great House of
Cilicia, which was scheduled to convene in Antelias, Lebanon has been
postponed and will take place in the autumn.

June 7-Blessing of Holy Muron in Antelias, Lebanon. Click here for details.

June 11-St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, Young Adults Bible Study
Group’s 2nd Annual Open House. 7:30 pm. Join the fellowship and camaraderie
and bring your friends. Refreshments, food and music. For information
718-224-2275.

June 24-Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Worcester, 5th annual Golf Outing,
Juniper Hill Golf Course, Northboro, Massachusetts. For information
508-852-2414.

June 27 to July 6-St. Gregory of Datev Institute, Summer Christian Studies
Program for youth ages 13-18 at St. Mary of Providence Center in Elverson,
Pennsylvania, organized by the Armenian Religious Education Council. For
more information click here.

July 7 to July 18-Summer Camp at St. Sarkis Armenian Church, Douglaston, New
York. For children age 5 to 12. 10 am to 3 pm Monday to Friday, lunch and
snack included. Minimum donation is $150. Summer camp is sponsored by Mr. &
Mrs. Antranig and Marion Boudakian. Registration deadline is June 8. For
information contact the church office, 718-224-2275.

June 22-St. Sarkis Armenian Church, Douglaston, New York, Anniversary
Celebration, under auspices of Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan. Special program
and exhibit dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Prelacy’s affiliation
with the Holy See of Cilicia. For reservations contact the church office,
718-224-2275.

June 22-St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, New York City, Divine Liturgy, Luncheon
and Program dedicated to Father’s Day. Organized by the Cathedral’s Ladies
Guild. Mardo Anastasian will be honored as Father of the Year. Information
and reservations: 212-689-5880.

July 19-"A Hye Summer Night 3," dance hosted by Ladies’ Guild of Sts.
Vartanantz Church and ARS Ani Chapter, Providence, Rhode Island. For details
401-434-4467.

August 3-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode Island, Blessing of the
Grapes picnic. Camp Haiastan, Franklin, Massachusetts, noon to 6 pm, rain or
shine.

August 10-Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Worcester, Massachusetts. Annual
picnic on church grounds. Free admission; free parking.

August 17-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, annual church
picnic and blessing of the grapes at Dunkerhook Park, Pavilion D, Paramus,
NJ. For information 201-943-2950.

September 14-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey. Celebration of
the Holy Cross and Madagh. For information 201-943-2950.

September 21-Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Worcester, Massachusetts, annual
church banquet. Details to follow.

September 25-Sixth annual golf outing hosted by Sts. Vartanantz Church,
Ridgefield, New Jersey, at River Vale Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey.
For information contact Richard Krikorian 201-784-2236 or church office
201-943-2950.

September 26-28-National Youth Conference at Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual
Vineyard, Charlton, Massachusetts.

September 29-30-Clergy conference at the Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual
Vineyard, Charlton, Massachusetts.

October 21, November 1 and 2-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey,
Annual Bazaar and Food Festival. For information 201-943-2950.

October 25-Gala celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Prelacy of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of America under the jurisdiction of the Great
House of Cilicia and the 110th anniversary of the establishment of the
Armenian Church of America. Marriott at Glenpointe, Teaneck, New Jersey.
Details to follow.

November 21 and 22-Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Worcester, Massachusetts,
Fall Food Festival.

Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacy’s web site.

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Items in Crossroads can be reproduced without permission. Please credit
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Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about their
major events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
[email protected]

Armenian National Committee – Nevada
Las Vegas, NV 89135
Contact: Ara Shirinian
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

May 29, 2008

Senator Reid Lends his Support to Nevada’s Armenian American Community

Las Vegas, NV – The Armenian National Committee of Nevada (ANC NV)
recently participated in a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid (D-NV). The Senator discussed issues of importance to the
community with the ANC NV and shared his concerns regarding the
upcoming confirmation hearings of Ambassadorial nominee to Armenia
Marie L. Yovanovitch.

"From Las Vegas to Reno, the Nevada Armenian-American community
appreciates Senator Reid’s strong, active, and continued support for
recognition of the Armenian Genocide," stated Sarig Armenian, ANC NV
activist. "By reaching out to our community and taking the time to
hear our concerns about aid to Armenia and the ambassadorial
nomination process, we are confident that Senator Reid and his staff
will ensure that our message from Nevada is heard in the U.S. Senate,"
she added.

During the exchange, Reid reaffirmed his unwavering support of
recognition of the Armenian Genocide and S. Res. 106. The ANC NV also
discussed recent reductions in aid to Armenia and increases in foreign
aid to Azerbaijan. Furthermore, the participants noted that increases
in oil revenue and the correlation of belligerent rhetoric by
Azerbaijani leaders pertaining to Nagorno-Karabakh could destabilize
the region and lead to conflict.

"Human rights activists throughout Nevada and the nation at large
truly appreciate the efforts of Majority Leader Reid," stated ANC-WR
Executive Director Andrew Kzirian. "Just as we all understand that a
Holocaust denier could not effectively represent the United States as
Ambassador to Israel – engaging in a thorough and exhaustive
examination of the upcoming Ambassadorial nominee is a worthwhile and
necessary endeavor," he added.

Senator Harry Reid, the Majority Leader in the US Senate, hails from
Searchlight, Nevada and holds a law degree from the George Washington
University Law School. After a vibrant career as a Nevada State
Assemblyman, Lieutenant Governor, Nevada Gaming Commission Chairman
and Member of Congress, Reid was elected to the US Senate in 1986.
Reid and his wife have five children and reside in Nevada.

ANC of Nevada advocates for the social, economic, cultural, and
political rights of the area’s Armenian American community and
promotes increased Armenian American civic participation at the
grassroots and public policy levels.

###

May 29, 2008
Press Release
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

DIVINE LITURGY AT THE PRELACY CHAPEL ON
THE FEAST OF ST. DERTAD AND ST. ASHKHEN

On Saturday, June 14th, the Armenian Church will celebrate the Feast
of St. Dertad and St. Ashkhen, the first Christian king and queen of the
Armenian nation. This feast is also the name day of the Prelacy "St. Dertad
and St. Ashkhen" Chapel.
On this occasion, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate,
will preside over Divine Liturgy and madaghorhnek at the Chapel at 7:00 p.m.
Rev. Fr. Ardag Demirjian, Pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Glendale,
will celebrate Divine Liturgy.

ON THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

THANKSGIVING PRAYERS FOR THE REPUBLIC AND
BLESSING OF THE FLAG IN ALL PRELACY CHURCHES

On Sunday, May 25th, the Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin as well as the
90th anniversary of the first Republic of Armenia was celebrated in all
Prelacy churches with thanksgiving prayers for the Republic and the blessing
of the Armenian flag.
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, presided over Divine
Liturgy and thanksgiving prayers for the Republic at Forty Martyrs Church in
Orange County, and conducted the blessing of the flag ceremony. H.E.
Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Eastern United States, also
participated in the Liturgy.
The ceremony began with Homenetmen scouts carrying the Armenian,
American, Artsakh, and Homenetmen flags into the church, accompanied by the
singing of hymns. Following the offering of prayers and thanksgiving, the
Prelate blessed the Armenian flag and offered his well wishes to the
Republic of Armenia including the Parliament, military, and the citizens.
In his message, which was read in all Prelacy churches, the Prelate
spoke of the spirit of our struggle, stressing that the history of the
Armenian people has been a struggle for the truth, for our faith, for
freedom, and for our survival. This same struggle resumed with new heroes
and new triumphs during the liberation of Artsakh, the 20th anniversary of
which was celebrated this year, said the Prelate. The Prelate concluded that
if we lose the spirit of May 28, we risk losing our homeland, our nation,
and our existence.
At the conclusion of Divine Liturgy, the Prelate presided over the
requiem service during which prayers were offered for those who lost their
lives fighting at Sardarabad, Pash Abaran, Gharakilise, and in all the
battles for independence in 1918, as well as in Artsakh.

ARMENIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY FESTIVAL
IN LITTLE ARMENIA

The third annual Armenian Independence Day Festival will take place
on Sunday, June 1st, in the Little Armenia district of Hollywood, from 11:00
a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Pastor of St. Garabed Church Archpriest Fr. Vicken Vassilian will
attend on behalf of the Prelate.
The festival is being sponsored by Los Angeles City Council
President Eric Garcetti, whose district encompasses Little Armenia.

Posted on Thu, May. 29, 2008

A sweet dream job: Dressing up cakes

By Marilynn Marter

Inquirer Food Writer

In her 20s, Nina Asadoorian tried several different outlets for
expressing her artistic talents, including dabbling in clothing
design. She worked successfully as a makeup artist.

And in time turned to making fanciful desserts.

That led to cakes:

Carrot cake with pineapple compote and cream cheese filling. Butter
pound cake with lemon curd and raspberry preserves. Chocolate fudge
cake with chocolate ganache, bits of Reese’s peanut butter cups, and
chocolate-peanut butter buttercream.

Not your typical wedding cakes, to be sure.

But the basis for the decorative cakes that won their creator
Asadoorian, now 41, top honors this month on the Today show.

"I want my cakes to taste as good as they look," she says.

Fifteen years ago, Asadoorian was busy building credits as a makeup
artist in Los Angeles working mostly on music videos and shows, with
some success but little real satisfaction. She came home in 1994.

While she was in L.A., her parents in Philadelphia bought the popular
Rilling’s Bakery from the original owners, transitioning from the
clothing business to baking. (Though her mother still helps out with
the baking, Nina’s brother and brother-in-law now run the business.)

In time, between makeup gigs here, Nina began helping out at the
bakery’s second location (since closed) in Warminster. Later, in 2000,
she produced a line of individual, plated desserts for area markets.

It would be another two years before Nina (then married and the mother
of one son and with twins on the way) stumbled onto what would become
her true calling: cake decorating.

In theatrical "understudy" style, the regular decorator for Rilling’s
broke her foot and a very pregnant Nina was called in at the last
minute to help out.

"It was an emergency, we had a lot of commitments, so I filled in,"
Nina recalled.

"And I really, really liked it."

So much so that several months after her twin daughter’s, now age 5
1/2, were born, Nina began on her path toward becoming a decorating
diva by taking a three-day class with a professional in Lancaster.

"That’s when I decided I loved it. I drove home with a big grin on my
face," she recalled.

By the time her daughters’ first birthday rolled around, she was ready
to produce a special cake for the occasion, one that prompted family
and friends to insist she start doing more.

More classes followed in New York City. She won a city-wide charity
cake competition in 2005 and started taking orders for cakes,
including one for a wedding at the Four Seasons that ended up being so
well-received that it prompted the hotel to place a few orders of its
own.

"At 37, I found my niche and things sort of snowballed," said
Nina. Now she focuses on creating unique, artistic (and pretty costly)
cakes for special occasions.

Truli Confectionary Arts was born as a division of Rilling’s, with
Nina at the helm, and has grown to a staff of six including two
decorating assistants.

And her credits include the cover of the Knot’s "Best of Weddings
2008" issue now on the stands. (She was asked to submit cover
contenders after being featured in the magazine last year, and says
she didn’t know she had won the coveted spot until she saw the
magazine on a rack at Wegman’s.)

Most recently her cakes, the luscious ones aforementioned, were chosen
for Today’s on-air wedding and reception airing June 25.

In addition to the main, three-tier cake for the bridal couple,
smaller (4- to 5-inch) individual cakes – 200 of them – will be served
to each guest at the reception.

Such mini cakes, she concedes, are "a total indulgence" for a bride.

"It’s expensive. Doing smaller cakes is a lot harder work and takes
more time," Nina explained, citing a starting price of about $35 per
cake. With the large handcrafted gumpaste flowers that have become
part of Nina Asadoorian’s signature style, the price goes up from
there. And yes, those big orchids and roses on the cakes shown here
are all handmade and (technically) edible although many prefer to
preserve them in airtight containers or show them off under glass
domes.

"They dry hard and can last a lifetime with proper care," says Nina.

For more traditional large wedding cakes with varying degrees of
decoration, she notes, prices typically run from $6 to about $15 per
person (or serving). She estimates her average cake being $8 to $10
and serving 125 guests (that’s $1,000 to $1,250). On a higher plane, a
seven-tier cake with handpainted designs, flowers, drapes and swags
was among her more expensive contracts at $6,500.

While more orders are coming in from her own and bridal Web sites,
most of her cakes are for private clients and are local jobs for
delivery within reasonable driving distance, which has stretched to
include New York.

"And we had one cake delivered to Belize, by air," she noted.

Along with her custom-designed cakes, Nina does simpler party cakes
that go into the cases at the family bakery every week.

But her interest is in custom work. Even if a customer asks for a
particular design from the Truli Confectionary photo gallery, Nina
encourages personalizing each cake.

"We rarely repeat ourselves. I just love making creative, beautiful
things."

Her inspirations can come from anything and everything – invitations,
pieces of jewelry, gardens, textures, patterns, fabrics.

She has replicated a Marine cap for a groom’s cake, a saddle and boots
for a horse-lover’s birthday, and a poker table so realistic that the
recipient tried to pick up the winning hand of slick gumpaste cards.

Among her favorites: a five-tiered square cake with stenciled designs
and huge lifelike peonies, and a scaled down cascade of Niagara Falls
complete with a mini Maid of the Mist.

Between cakes and caring for now four children (the youngest is 2),
Nina is compiling a book on cake decorating that she expects to
complete next year.

"I’m doing it for charity, either Smile Train [for children with cleft
palates] or St. Jude’s.

"It will be tips and tricks of the trade, with decorating instructions
and recipes from 13 of us, myself and 12 other decorator’s from around
the country. My decorators’ dozen. We each have different styles and
each will do one or two cakes for the book."

Truli Confectionary Arts
2990 Southhampton Road
Philadelphia 19154
215-856-9206

Contact food writer Marilynn Marter at 215-854-5743 or [email protected].

PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN: "THERE ARE POWERS THAT TRY TO MAKE AZERBAIJAN CONCEDE BY USING MECHANISMS OF PRESSURE, AMONG WHICH THERE ARE STATEMENTS ABOUT EXISTENCE OF PROBLEMS IN THE DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT OF AZERBAIJAN"

Today.Az
29 May 2008 [11:17]

President Ilham Aliyev attended a solemn ceremony dedicated to the 90th
anniversary of the founding of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic,
Tuesday, at the Gulustan palace in Baku. The President and the First
Lady Mehriban Aliyeva were warmly welcomed here by audience.

President Ilham Aliyev made a speech at the event.

"The establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was the event
of historical significance – it was first ever democracy in the East
and in the Muslim world" the President said.

"The first republic existed for a short time – two years later,
the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic declined for both objective
and subjective reasons. It proves that it is much easier to get
independence than to preserve it" he said.

The President recalled that "this bitter story could repeat itself
in early 1990s, but the situation started to stabilize after Heydar
Aliyev returned to power in Azerbaijan".

"It was under the great leader that in 1993, the people of Azerbaijan
managed to put an end to the economic, political, and military crisis,
and Azerbaijan entered the period of development, and embarked on
the course of democracy and market economy", he said.

The President went on to say that the radical political and economic
reforms helped the country to get much stronger. He pointed out that
the "Contract of the Century" signed in 1994 as a result of Heydar
Aliyev’s oil strategy, is what even today ensures prosperity and
independence of Azerbaijan.

"Today, Azerbaijan is strengthening its position in the world. All
our efforts – from both political and economic standpoint – are
targeted at strengthening of the country. Thanks to this policy,
we have stability and socio-political order fully established in
Azerbaijan," the Azerbaijani leader said.

President Aliyev underlined that the only serious problem the
country is facing is the unresolved conflict with Armenia over
Nagorno-Karabakh.

"You are aware of my position. I repeatedly voiced my opinion on
this issue.

The problem can be resolved only within the borders of Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity. The reason for the long protraction of the
problem is probably that Azerbaijan does not go back a step from its
principled position," he said.

"There are powers that try to make Azerbaijan concede by
using mechanisms of pressure, among which there are statements
about existence of provlems in the democratic development of
Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani people are well aware of the purpose and aim
of these proposal. But any pressure on Azerbaijan, its leadership
and its people is absolutely senseless, as our policy is open, it
is supported by people, it is a principal and just policy", noted
the President adding "I think in the coming months, and in 2009,
we will be more concrete in expressing our thoughts with respect
to resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, because further
protraction is unacceptable."

"The first Democratic Republic existed for two years. Today’s
independent state of Azerbaijan is almost seventeen years old and
will live forever," concluded the President of Azerbaijan.

ARMENIA: ‘FEW TANGIBLE RESULTS’ ON PACE DEMANDS SO FAR, SAYS MONITORING COMMITTEE

arminfo
2008-05-29 15:01:00

ArmInfo. The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe (PACE), meeting in Kyiv on 26 and 27 May 2008,
welcomed the initiatives taken by the Armenian authorities to address
the issues contained in Resolution 1609 (2008) on the functioning of
democratic institutions in Armenia. However, it is concerned that,
to date, these initiatives have led to only a few tangible results
regarding compliance with the demands of the Assembly as set out in
this Resolution, CE headquarters told ArmInfo.

In Resolution 1609 (2008), the Assembly resolved to consider the
possibility of suspending the voting rights of the Armenian delegation
at the start of its June 2008 part- session unless considerable
progress is made on the following requirements:

* to revoke, in line with Venice Commission recommendations, the
recently adopted amendments to the Law on Conducting Meetings,
Assemblies, Rallies and Demonstrations;

* to start an independent, transparent and credible inquiry into the
events on 1 March 2008, as well as the circumstances that led to them;

* to release the persons detained on seemingly artificial and
politically motivated charges;

* to initiate an open and serious dialogue between the political
forces on the reforms demanded by the Assembly.

The committee noted that the required changes to the Law on Conducting
Meetings, Assemblies, Rallies and Demonstrations have been passed at
first reading by the National Assembly of Armenia and expects them to
be adopted and promulgated before the start of the June part-session of
PACE. It welcomes the steps taken to initiate a dialogue on the reforms
requested by the Assembly, most notably with respect to the electoral
system and the status and rights of the opposition. It expresses the
hope that those opposition leaders who to date have been reluctant
to participate in this dialogue will now consider joining. That said,
the committee is seriously concerned about the lack of any noticeable
progress on the opening of an independent and credible enquiry. The
format envisaged of a parliamentary ad hoc committee to carry out
the inquiry into the events on, and leading to, 1 March will lack
the requisite independence and credibility demanded by the Assembly,
unless the participation of extra-parliamentary opposition, civil
society and international experts is guaranteed. The committee also
regrets that no progress has been made regarding the release of persons
detained on seemingly artificial and politically motivated charges.

The committee is convinced that, although time is limited, it is still
possible for the Armenian authorities to address the requirements
of the Assembly in time for the visit of the co-rapporteurs of the
committee in the week before the June part-session. Therefore, the
committee instructed its Chair to ask on its behalf for a debate under
urgent procedure during the June 2008 part-session of the Assembly
if the co-rapporteurs, following their visit to Armenia on 16 and 17
June, conclude that insufficient progress has been achieved by then.

JUSTICE MINISTER OF ARMENIA MAKES SOME REMARKS ON EXTRAORDINARY REPORT BY ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN

arminfo
2008-05-29 14:53:00

ArmInfo. Justice Minister of Armenia Gevorg Danielyan made a number
of remarks on the extraordinary report by Ombudsman Armen Haroutiunyn
on post-election processes in the country.

Thus, the minister remarked that the report does not mention its
specific legal basis. The minister said that in conformity with the Law
on Ombudsman the latter has a right to make an extraordinary report in
case of cross violation of human rights. In this connection, he was
to mention the specific ground for publication of the report. ‘The
content and the scheme of the report aim to analyze the pre- and
post-election developments in Armenia. In the meanwhile, the analysis
of the presidential election cannot be a juridical basis for such
report since it is a topic for political research>, the minister
said. He believes the report ‘overloaded’ with discourses not within
competence of the human rights defender, in particular, the part in
the report that tries to explain the inexpediency of the criticism
at the first president Levon Ter-Petorsyan. ‘To put it shortly, the
considerable part of the report is devoted to grounding the political
stance saying that ‘the authorities chose the wrong and futureless
tactics in their campaign>>, G. Danielyan said.

To recall, Armenian Ombudsman Armen Harutiunyan came out with
a suggestion that an independent commission should be set up to
investigate the March 1 events.

On April 25, when presenting an extraordinary report on the situation
before and after presidential election in Armenia, Harutiunyan made a
number of proposals aimed to stabilize the domestic political state in
the country. In particular, he suggests that the Electoral Code should
be reformed: the system of formation of electoral commissions, count
of votes, etc. should be reconsidered. According to the Ombudsman,
it is necessary to take steps to consolidate freedom of speech. This
concerns creation of conditions for formation of pluralism and
objectivity of e-media, as well as equal participation of oppositional
and pro-governmental forces in the process of formation of bodies
regulating the activity of television and radio.

Harutyunyan said that the draft laws which ungroundedly restrict
human rights and freedoms (for instance, the recent amendments to
the RA Law on rallies, demonstrations and processions) should be
excluded. He also suggested setting up an independent commission
with international experts to investigate the March 1 events. He
pointed out the necessity of fight against the oligarchic system
of governing. Liquidation of monopolies will contribute to this,
he added. "The most dangerous and short-sighted thing in the current
situation is imitation of reforms", Harutyunyan said.