Month: August 2008

SHARING FAITH OPENED DOORS ON IRAN TRIP
By Kim Barto

Martinsville Bulletin
le.cfm?ID=14956
Aug 3 2008
VA

Two Christian pastors have returned to Martinsville after a year and
a half of study in Iran, where they set out to learn and build trust
and love between the people of both nations.

Husband and wife David Wolfe and Linda Kusse-Wolfe, both Quaker
ministers, studied Islam and Iranian culture at the Imam Khomeini
Education and Research Institute in Qom, Iran, from January 2007 to
May 2008.

There, they found a "very hospitable, very gracious people" and made
lasting friendships, Kusse-Wolfe said.

"It was a really privileged look at a society many Americans don’t
get to see," she said.

The trip was an exchange program through the Mennonite Central
Committee designed to deepen religious and cultural understanding
between the East and West.

"We’ve had deep interest in reconciliation work, so when this
opportunity opened up, we leaped at the chance," Kusse-Wolfe said.

Though they are Quakers, not Mennonites, the exchange program is
"open to Christians active in their church and committed to pacifism,"
she added.

Kusse-Wolfe said they embarked on the trip expecting to "make good
friends, do a little traveling and know what it’s like to live in a
Muslim republic."

Wolfe said they also wanted to "get a feel for all the questions we
as North Americans ask about Islam. How do people live out what they
believe? What does the Quran really say about different things?"

Perhaps the ultimate question is, "How do you live in a world with
each other when you have significantly different histories and
tradition?" Wolfe said.

"You have to do it. You have to be sociable and respectful and figure
out how to get along," he added. "Even if some of our beliefs are
different, we have to find ways to respect and love each other."

During the exchange, the couple took classes in English about the
Quran, Islamic mysticism, Iranian culture and the Farsi language. But
the learning didn’t end in the classroom — both were struck by the
warmth and hospitality of the Iranians they met.

Before the trip, "we had people ask us, ‘Aren’t you scared to go
over there?’" Kusse-Wolfe said. "I’m convinced the (Iranian) people
would’ve laid down their lives for us."

"We never heard an unkind word," Wolfe said.

The city of Qom has a "significant number" of English-speaking people,
Kusse-Wolfe said, especially among university students.

"They would almost immediately invite us home to meet their parents
and share a meal," she said. "There’s a saying in Iran that guests
are friends of God. They really understand that."

Iran is "very diverse," with communities of Christians, Jewish people
and Zoroastrians, Wolfe said.

Every other week, the couple took a train to the city of Tehran for
an Armenian Christian church service. The service was in Armenian,
but "someone sitting behind us would make notes in English and pop
them over back of the pew to us so we could know what was going on,"
Kusse-Wolfe said. "It was very kind."

On the train ride, she added, people often would get up and offer
her a seat.

While in Iran, Kusse-Wolfe had to cover her hair and wear a long
cloak. The traditional women’s garment is called a chador.

"There’s still a traditional culture where women are the boss of the
home and men are the boss of the public domain," Wolfe said.

The woman’s role in Iran is "very complex," Kusse-Wolfe said, and
they are proud to have much more freedom than their counterparts in
Saudi Arabia.

"Under the chador, many women have master’s degrees and Ph.D.’s. We
knew female professors and business people," Kusse-Wolfe said.

Visas between the United States and Iran are "extremely difficult to
get," Wolfe said. "We read that only about 300 American visas were
accepted last year in Iran. There’s kind of a tit for tat between
the countries."

The couple had to apply for entrance and exit visas. After their
experiences, Kusse-Wolfe said, "We’re encouraged now and want to
support really aggressive diplomacy."

For those who cannot travel to Iran in person, the couple put together
a PowerPoint presentation from the trip. They spent five weeks in
Kansas and Arkansas sharing what they learned with churches and
civic groups.

Now, they hope to make presentations locally and give people a better
idea of what life in Iran is really like.

"We don’t have positive media images of everyday people in Iran,
and most of them are just marvelous human beings," Kusse-Wolfe said.

Just as many Americans have misperceptions about Iranian people,
television has given rise to many stereotypes about Americans.

In Iran, "satellite dishes are illegal, but a lot of people have them,"
Wolfe said, which gives them access to American shows. "Think what
your perception of Americans would be if your only knowledge came
from movies and sitcoms."

Some people were surprised to find out that the couple — and other
Americans — believe in God, Kusse-Wolfe said. But by living their
faith, they proved the stereotypes wrong.

"As we practiced our faith and shared with them, that opened a lot
of doors. It meant we had integrity," she said.

Muslims consider Jesus an important prophet, and the people they
encountered showed a great respect for the couple’s faith, she added.

Muslims consider Christians and Jews to be "people of the book,"
Wolfe said. "They believe that we all worship the God of Abraham,
and they are all protected and have a place in Iran."

"Islam is a great monotheistic faith, very moral and ethical, with
a deep sense of community and respect," Kusse-Wolfe said. "What
impressed me was their deep practice of their faith in God."

Explaining Christian beliefs to their Muslim hosts was educational
for the couple, as well.

"We’ve learned from having to explain what we believe," Wolfe said.

Kusse-Wolfe added, "My personal faith is certainly deeper, more joyful,
more trusting now."

Before the trip, Wolfe was the chaplain at Memorial Hospital in
Martinsville, and Kusse-Wolfe ministered at First United Methodist
Church.

"We’re significantly different people from having done this," Wolfe
said. "So what does this mean for our ministry? We don’t know yet."

They do know, however, that encouraging peace and understanding begins
at home.

"We could start by loving our Muslim brothers and sisters in our own
towns. That would be a huge step forward for peace and friendship,"
Kusse-Wolfe said. "Even if we disagree, we simply have to advocate
for each other to live in peace."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DARCHINYAN CLAIMS NEW BOXING WORLD TITLE

Sydney Morning Herald
Aug 3 2008
Australia

Vic Darchinyan has joined the ranks of Australia’s greatest boxers by
demolishing Russian Dimitri Kirilov to win a world title in a second
weight division.

The Sydney-based power puncher dominated the fight with his harder
shots and knocked the champion down twice in the fifth round.

The Armenian-born fighter, who relocated to Sydney in 2000 after the
Olympics, improved his professional record to 30-1-1 with 24 KOs.

Darchinyan said he was always confident he would win at least one
professional world title after joining the paid ranks.

Kirilov, 29, couldn’t continue after the second knockdown and suffered
his fourth defeat in 34 professional fights, dropping to 29-4-1.

He simply could not match the power of the 32-year-old Australian who
added the IBF super flyweight crown to that organisation’s flyweight
title which he won in 2004.

A delighted Darchinyan became only the second Australian citizen
to win a world title in more than one weight class, following Jeff
Fenech who captured championships in three different divisions.

A modest Darchinyan said he didn’t consider himself to be on the same
level as Fenech or Australia’s former undisputed junior welterweight
world champion Kostya Tszyu, but hoped to be ranked alongside them
by ultimately unifying the super flyweight division.

The ambitious Australian reiterated he also wanted to eventually move
up in weight and win a title in a third weight class.

He said his main target now was WBA and WBC super flyweight champion
Cristian Mijares.

Mexican Mijares, 26, is scheduled to defend his titles against
Thailand’s Chatchai Saskul in Monterrey, Mexico on August 30.

Fighting under his very first trainer from Armenia, Darchinyan said his
plan had been to work the jab early before throwing in some uppercuts
in the fifth round.

Darchinyan said he thought he was always in control of the fight.

"Everyone is saying it is one of my best performances," Darchinyan
told AAP.

"Showtime (USA cable television network) is very happy with me and
so is my American promoter Gary Shaw.

"I think it is one of my best performances."

He will travel to Armenia for a break before returning to Australia
in September.

Following a fight with Mijares, Darchinyan wanted to unify the division
by dethroning Mexico’s WBO titleholder Fernando Montiel and then look
at moving up in weight.

AZERBAIJAN CALLS FOR RETURN OF REFUGEES BEFORE REFERENDUM

Today’s Zaman
Aug 4 2008
Turkey

Azerbaijani officials have commented on a statement by US Assistant
Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza on
the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region over the weekend, saying that
the status of the area can only be determined after the return of
Azerbaijani refugees and displaced persons.

Bryza, who co-chairs the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, had spoken to the press after
a meeting between the Armenian and Azeri foreign ministers in
Moscow. "Nagorno-Karabakh residents will decide for themselves
whether the republic will be under Azeri control or be independent,"
he noted, adding: "Nagorno-Karabakh residents will make their decision
at a referendum."

In response to Bryza’s statements, Novruz Mammadov, head of
the international relations department at the Azeri presidential
administration, said, "A referendum on Nagorno-Karabakh’s status is
possible in 15 to 20 years," adding, "These processes may become
possible only after the return of Azeri refugees and displaced
persons."

It is important to have bilateral relations based on trust
and political will, Bryza noted. He also warned against blocking
the talks on the disputed area. OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairman Yuri
Merzlyakov noted that an active role should be played by the group in
the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. "The current process — the
meetings between the presidents, foreign ministers — means that the
Minsk Group is functioning normally, and the sides to the conflict,
Armenia and Azerbaijan, have a constructive attitude toward each
other," Merzlyakov said.

Baku lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and several adjacent
districts in the course of a bloody conflict that began in the 1990s
between the Armenians and Azerbaijanis, who fought for control over
Nagorno-Karabakh. As a result, about a million Azeris became refugees
and were forced to relocate. The UN Security Council criticized
the seizure of the Azeri territory and demanded a withdrawal of the
Armenian forces. Talks on the issue are currently under way. The OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairmen representing Russia, the US and France are
seeking a settlement of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

On another front, Azerbaijan has suspended the activities of Western
Union and MoneyGram because they operate in Nagorno-Karabakh,
Azerbaijan’s central bank said Friday. "Transfers and receipt of
money under these systems have been completely suspended in all banks
of Azerbaijan," the statement said. "This is in connection with the
possibility of receiving transfers through Western Union and MoneyGram
in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh."

"All 42 banks who are members of the Azerbaijan Banks Association
[ABA] support the central bank’s decision as it is based on the
national interests of Azerbaijan," ABA head Eldar Ismailov told
Reuters. "Despite all requests from Azerbaijan, Western Union and
MoneyGram have continued to do money transfers in occupied Azeri
territories," read a separate central bank letter to local banks. "The
central bank has recommended to banks working in Azerbaijan that they
stop using these systems for money transfers," it added.

The news came as foreign ministers from Armenia and Azerbaijan
met in Moscow on Friday to seek a peace deal on the conflict in
Nagorno-Karabakh. Western Union and MoneyGram have no offices in
Azerbaijan, but their currency transfer systems have been operational
there since the 1990s. A representative of the International Bank
of Azerbaijan told Reuters that the country’s banking system won’t
suffer big losses as a result of halting operations with Western
Union and MoneyGram. "I think the losses that Western Union and
MoneyGram will suffer from not having operations in Azerbaijan will
force them to reconsider the situation in favor of Azerbaijan,"
the representative said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NEW US AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA APPROVED

Today’s Zaman
Aug 4 2008
Turkey

The US Senate last week confirmed the George W. Bush administration’s
nominee for ambassador to Armenia after a delay by lawmakers who
were unhappy with Marie Yovonovitch’s refusal to accept so-called
"genocide" claims.

Armenian-American groups have been seeking to force the Bush
administration to change its policy on the 1915 incidents,
but Yovanovitch clearly adhered at her confirmation hearing in
the Senate to the US policy of refusing to label the incidents as
"genocide." Last year, the White House withdrew its nomination of
career diplomat Richard Hoagland after one lawmaker blocked it in
an objection to that policy. The post had remained vacant for two
years. Armenia, with the backing of its diaspora, claims that up to
1.5 million of its kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in
1915. Turkey rejects the claims, saying that 300,000 Armenians along
with at least as many Turks died in civil strife that emerged when
the Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia.

Washington has had no full-time ambassador in Yerevan since May 2006
and attaches great importance to sending Yovanovitch there at a time
of increasing Russian influence in the region and a worsening conflict
over the development of nuclear arms with Iran, officials have said.

In May 2006 Bush removed John Evans, the last ambassador to Armenia,
who had openly described the Armenian killings as genocide, in
violation of Washington’s official policy. He then nominated career
diplomat Hoagland for the post, but Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat
from New Jersey, blocked the nomination for failing to qualify the
Armenian killings as genocide. Bush then proposed Yovanovitch, who
also has declined to use the word "genocide."

ARMENIA’S FORMER PRESIDENT ATTACKS GOVERNMENT’S POLICY AT OPPOSITION RALLY

A1+
Aug 2 2008
Armenia

Armenia’s former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, a major rival of
President Serzh Sargsyan in the 19 February presidential election,
has criticized the government’s policy and called for President
Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation. Addressing an opposition rally in
Yerevan on 1 August, he accused Sargsyan of rigging the results
of the presidential elections, usurping power and failing economic
reforms in the country. Ter-Petrosyan announced his decision to set
up an Armenian National Congress, saying that its programme will be
approved at its forthcoming session. He also urged the release of
all political prisoners in Armenia and an independent investigation
into the 1 March riots in Yerevan after the presidential elections
this year. The following is an excerpt from Ter-Petrosyan’s speech
by Armenian website A1+ on 2 August.

[Ter-Petrosyan] Dear compatriots, there is no doubt that the release
of political prisoners and the unmasking of people who are in fact
responsible for the 1 March crime continues to be one of the key
issues that worries the public. However, though these issues are acute
and important, they should not distract our attention from the core
aims of the movement – restoring constitutional order, establishing
full democracy and a law-governed state and creating conditions for
economic development.

[Passage omitted: Ter-Petrosyan says an impartial assessment of the
political situation is needed to achieve these goals]

The assessment of the first 100 days in office of the newly-proclaimed
president and his administration are a convenient occasion to perceive
the existing processes and identify the deep trends of the country’s
development. I believe that a comprehensive idea of the situation can
be obtained only if the post-election activities of the major state
institutions are considered separately.

The parliament

After the 27 October 1999 crime [attack on the parliament] and
after the dismissal of Prime Minister Aram Sargsyan [the brother of
former Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan who was killed in the attack
on the parliament in 1999], the parliament stopped being one of the
independent branches of power and became a mere attachment to the
executive authorities, or to put it more correctly, to the president
of the republic – humbly carrying out his orders, unanimously approving
the laws submitted by the government and providing legislative services
to the bandit administration.

[Passage omitted: Ter-Petrosyan cites more examples of the parliament
carrying out the government’s instructions]

Let’s see now what changed in the activities of the parliament after
the presidential election and the 1 March events. Unfortunately,
nothing. However, if anything has changed, then only for the worse. The
parliament’s behaviour became more cynical, groundless and illegal. It
is enough to cite the series of disgraceful laws and decisions it
approved in the recent period.

[Passage omitted: Ter-Petrosyan said that the parliament approved
the decree on the state of emergency in Yerevan, tightened the law
on demonstrations, deprived four MPs accused of involvement in the 1
March riots of their immunity, established a parliamentary commission
to look into the 1 March events and amended the law on the security
of people subject to special state protection. He described them as
restrictions on democratic freedoms and political persecution and
said it is necessary to hold extraordinary parliamentary elections.]

The government

Serzh Sargsyan’s government is no different from [former President]
Robert Kocharyan’s government. This is a government which was
formed by the same coalition principle – apparently not for
economic considerations, but on the basis of pronounced political
convenience. The Republican Party of Armenia, a majority in the
parliament, which did not need to form a coalition at all, took this
step in order to create an illusion of political solidarity in the
country, which was so necessary in order to hide the usurpation of
power by the current president and diminish the monstrosity of the
1 March crime.

[Passage omitted: Ter-Petrosyan described the selection of the prime
minister as a result of political convenience and said that the role
of the prime minister has been lowered to the possible minimum level,
saying that Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan acts on the orders of Deputy
Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan who Ter-Petrosyan said was Kocharyan’s
"commissioner". Ter-Petrosyan reiterates that the new government’s
activities have yielded no positive results]

The only tangible result of the activities of the new government, as
we could see, is the increasing tax burden on small and medium-sized
businesses, which already threatens the existence of this stratum. And
when we add the unprecedented inflation rate of the recent period – on
essential commodities, clothes, petrol, diesel fuel, transportation –
and the increase in the prices of various other services, then it is
difficult to avoid the temptation to characterize Serzh Sargsyan’s
first days in office as unsatisfactory or even scandalous.

The law-enforcement system

By saying the law-enforcement system, I imply the Police, the National
Security Service, the Justice Ministry and Prosecutor-General’s
Office, the Special Investigation Service and the courts, that is
the power basis of the bandit administration inherited from Robert
Kocharyan. The main work of these entities within the past five months
was not to carry out their direct functions, that’s to say ensure
law and order and fight crime, but to carry out political orders
from Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, the purpose of which was
to destroy the opposition and cover up the responsibility of those
who organized the 1 March crime.

[Passage omitted: Ter-Petrosyan cites examples of "persecution"
against opposition activists]

One should regard as a tragedy the fact that the current government
has completely spoilt the whole judiciary system in several months in
order to solve its momentary problems – concealing the election fraud
and hindering the solution of the 1 March crime. The courts, which did
not stand out for their independence and impartiality even before,
have now turned into a simple blind tool to hide the crimes of the
governing administration and fabricate a case against the opposition;
this kills event the last expression of public trust in them.

[Passage omitted: Ter-Petrosyan says the courts in Armenia are carrying
out the orders of the government]

While assessing the condition of the judiciary system, I should
note with pain that the Constitutional Court, which according to
its supreme status should have had the absolute authority of the
system, is not up to the mark. By saying this, I do not mean the
decision on the results of the election made by the Constitutional
Court. As a person, I understand that under the state of emergency
and at gunpoint from the National Security Service, it could not
have issued another verdict. The only thing that I am worried about
is that the Constitutional Court, violating the principle of the
judiciary, cowardly avoided making a conclusion on or refuting the two
arguments I had submitted. (Let me remind you that one of those was
that a prime minister [Serzh Sargsyan] registered as a presidential
candidate should have been suspended, and the other one is that
the Constitutional Court could not discuss the issue regarding the
results of the presidential election under a state of emergency). I
would like to inform you that the non-appliance of justice towards
the plaintiff is a sensational fact, which will form the basis of my
application to the European Court.

Local authorities

Besides the elimination of the independence of the legislative and
judiciary powers, the involvement of the local authorities in crimes
– especially of the city municipalities and district administration
of Yerevan, has become one of the phenomena characterizing the past
10 years.

[Passage omitted: Ter-Petrosyan says that the local authorities
are a lever in the hands of the government in the presidential and
parliamentary election]

The situation and the morale in the local authorities have not changed
at all in the first 100 days of Serzh Sargsyan’s "presidency", which
results from the partial elections held in different communities of
the republic. Police and tax terror, discrimination against opposition
candidates, lopsided propaganda and election bribes are continuing
to remain the arsenal of the candidates sponsored by the authorities.

[Passage omitted: Ter-Petrosyan on election violations, in particular
on violations during the election of the Yerevan city mayor]

Serzh Sargsyan’s role

A question arises – is the investigation into the activities of the
main government agencies related to the assessment of [President]
Serzh Sargsyan’s first 100 days in office. Yes, it is. It is related
to Sargsyan’s activities since under Article 49 of the constitution,
"the republic’s president observes the requirements of the constitution
and ensures the normal functioning of the legislative, executive
and judicial branches of power". This means that the president is
personally responsible for the activities of all state institutions,
if, of course, he has read the abovementioned article of the
constitution. But the first steps taken by him show that he has not
done so yet.

The National Assembly, the government, the legislative system and
the local governments, as we can see, are doing anything but their
direct duties, and the result of it is that the implementation of
issues concerning productive legislative activities, economic reforms,
the stimulation of industry and export, improvements in the living
standards of the population, the creation of equal opportunities for
businessmen, the struggle against crime and corruption, the elimination
of state robbery, the application of anti-monopolistic measures,
the ensuring of democratic freedoms, human rights protection and the
development of the culture, education and health spheres have failed.

[Passage omitted: Ter-Petrosyan says that Sargsyan is doing everything
possible to maintain the "criminal system" established by the former
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan]

Sargsyan performed well only one thing during his first 100 days in
office, and the result of it is that democratic freedoms have been
restricted even more and human rights are constantly violated. This
caused an increase in tensions between the authorities and society. A
great talent is needed to set the population against oneself in a
short time. In his recent interview, Sargsyan noted that he has a
problem with the dialogue not with the opposition leader, but also
with the public. Thank God, he understood justice at last. But it is
a pity that he perceives dialogue with society in his own way, namely
by means of using truncheons, dispersing rallies and demonstrations,
as well as through acts of terrorism and mass arrests.

[Passage omitted: Ter-Petrosyan said that Sargsyan has no intention
of releasing political prisoners]

I do not know how the international community will react to Sargsyan’s
own decision, but there is no doubt about Armenian society’s reaction
to this effect. From now on, the main slogan of our movement is to
decisively continue the nationwide struggle and demand Sargsyan’s
resignation, as well as to ensure the holding of an extraordinary
presidential election. [The demand for] Sargsyan’s resignation
is based not only on common assessments, but also on specific
accusations against Sargsyan, including the seizure of power through
election-rigging, crimes committed during the 1 March unrest, creation
of obstacles to the investigation into the March unrest, the setting
up of a criminal system in the country and the involvement of state
agencies in crime.

[Passage omitted: Ter-Petrosyan notes the importance of establishing an
Armenian National Congress in order to continue the struggle against
the authorities]

Declaration on the establishment of the Armenian National Congress

The Armenian Pan-National Movement which was formed as an election
bloc has accomplished its functions in this sphere.

Due to the current circumstances in which power in Armenia was seized
by a gang of robbers and the presidential elections were rigged through
the criminal acts committed against the people; taking into account
that the Republic of Armenia faces thought-provoking challenges and
realizing that there is a need to set up a new organization which would
be able to stand up to these challenges, we, members of member parties
of the movement, decided to establish the Armenian National Congress.

The congress will strive to establish a free, democratic and
legislative constitutional system in the country and to create a
fully-fledged civil society.

The political parties and public organizations which form the congress
maintain their independence and their right to function independently,
including the right to participate in the elections separately. All
political parties and public organizations in Armenia and abroad can
join the congress.

The congress is planning to adopt its action plan at the forthcoming
meeting of the bloc. But prior to this, we think it necessary to
offer our main tasks arising from the tense domestic situation in
the country to Armenian society:

– the release of all political prisoners without any preconditions;

– the ensuring of freedom of speech, media and rallies;

– an independent investigation into the 1 March unrest with the
participation of international experts;

– the holding of a dialogue with the authorities on the development
of democracy in the country after the implementation of the first
provision of this address.

– the holding of extraordinary presidential and parliamentary
elections.

We call on all the forces that are worried about the fate of their
motherland, organizations and citizens to close ranks around the
Armenian National Congress.

August 1, 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:

PRELATE TO PRESIDE OVER DIVINE LITURGY AT
HOLY CROSS CATHEDRAL IN MONTEBELLO

On Sunday, August 3rd, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Prelate, will preside over Divine Liturgy and deliver the sermon at Holy
Cross Cathedral in Montebello.
During Divine Liturgy, the Prelate will bestow Rev. Fr. Ashod
Kambourian with the honor of bearing a pectoral cross for his service.

PRELATE REPRESENTED AT ABMDR ANNUAL BANQUET

The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry’s "Match for Life 2008"
banquet will take place on the evening of Sunday, August 3rd, at the
Glendale Hilton.
Rev. Fr. Razmig Khatchadourian will attend and convey the Prelate’s
blessings.

PRELATE TO PARTICIPATE IN UAF BOARD MEETING

On the morning of Saturday, August 2nd, the Prelate will participate
in the United Armenia Fund board meeting, which will be held at the UAF
office in Glendale.
During the meeting, the most recent endeavors of the UAF will be
assessed and future activities will be discussed and drafted.

PRELATE WELCOMES UNITED NATIONS RESIDENT COORDINATOR CONSUELO VIDAL TO THE
PRELACY

On the morning of Wednesday, July 30th, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate, welcomed to the Prelacy United Nations Resident
Coordinator and UN Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative Mrs.
Consuelo Vidal. Mrs. Vidal was accompanied by former Consul General of
Armenia in Los Angeles Mr. Armen Bayburtian, who is currently a senior
advisor on Armenian issues in the United Nations, and UNDP director Mrs.
Narine Sahakyan. Prelacy Christian Education Department Co-Director Very
Rev. Fr. Barthev Gulumian was also in attendance.
Mrs. Vidal reported to the Prelate on the UN development programs in
Armenia aimed at improving finance, education, environment, health, and
various other sectors. She also reported that the United Nations began
operating in Armenia in 1993 and that she herself has visited many
communities in the Diaspora, including Lebanon and specifically the
Catholicosate of Cilicia, given that Armenians living in these communities
have close ties to the homeland and have the means to offers assistance to
Armenia. She noted that the specific department of the United Nations of
which she is a part of visits with non-Armenian Diaspora communities as well
to learn of their experiences.
The Prelate highly commended the efforts of the guests and
reaffirmed that our community is always ready to contribute to the progress
of Armenia.
Mr. Bayburtian congratulated the Prelate on the achievements of the
Prelacy such as the successful realization of the headquarters, and conveyed
his well wishes for success in future endeavors.
The meeting concluded with an exchange of mementos, following which
the guests were given a tour of the headquarters to become familiarized with
the various departments.

PRELATE WELCOMES NEW ACTING CONSUL GENERAL OF LEBANON THE HONORABLE HOUSSAM
DIAB

On the afternoon of Wednesday, July 30th, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate, welcomed to the Prelacy the new Acting Consul General
of Lebanon the Honorable Houssam Diab. Participating in the meeting were
Very Rev. Fr. Barthev Gulumian and Executive Council members Mr. Garo
Eshgian and Mr. Khatchig Yeretzian.
Given that it was the Acting Consul’s first visit to the Prelacy,
the Prelate familiarized him with the endeavors and mission of the Prelacy.
He emphasized the decades-long friendship between the Prelacy and the
Lebanese Consulate, highlighting the fact that Lebanon has one of the
largest Armenian communities in the Diaspora and that the Catholicosate of
Cilicia was welcomed in Lebanon in the aftermath of the Genocide.
The Acting Consul spoke highly of the Armenian people as a whole and
specifically of the community in Lebanon who have contributed positively to
the economy, culture, and society in general, and asserted that the
collaboration between the Consulate General and the Prelacy will continue
for years to come.

PRELATE WELCOMES A DELEGATION FROM
HOMENETMEN REGIONAL EXECUTIVE

On the evening of Tuesday, July 29th, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate, welcomed to the Prelacy Regional Executive members of
Homenetmen Western Region. The delegation was headed by Chairman Mr. Steve
Artinian. Religious Council Chair Very Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian and
Executive Council Vice-Chair Mr. Garo Avakian and member Mr. Nerses
Melkonian also participated in the meeting.
At the start of the meeting, the members of the delegation
congratulated the Prelate on his re-election, for which the Prelate
expressed thanks and appreciation. The Prelate and guests went on to
discuss the endeavors of Homenetmen, such as the new campsite which is
anticipated to become an important center for the youth and the larger
Homenetmen family, and those that involve collaboration with the Prelacy.
The Prelate commended all the members of Homenetmen for their dedication to
the community and congratulated them on what was yet another successful
Navasartian games.

PRELATE PRESIDES OVER DIVINE LITURGY AND LISBON 5 REQUIEM SERVICE AT ST.
MARY’S CHURCH IN GLENDALE

On Sunday, July 27th, the Prelate presided over Divine Liturgy,
delivered the sermon, and presided over requiem service for the memory of
the Lisbon 5 at St. Mary’s Church in Glendale.
In the afternoon, the Prelate participated in a community gathering
and commemoration of the Lisbon 5 at "Armenag Der Bedrossian" Hall. Among
the guests in attendance were the parish pastors, Central Executive Council
member Mr. Khajag Dikijiam, Executive Council member Mr. Garo Eshgian, ARF
Bureau member Dr. Viken Hovsepian, ARF Central Committee representative Mr.
Avedik Izmirlian and members, delegates, Board of Trustees, and
representatives from sister organizations.
The commemoration was comprised of a speech by keynote speaker Mr.
Hovan Tashjian as well as an artistic program, and came to a close with the
Prelate’s message and benediction.

theday/archive.shtml?p20080801
Saturday, 26 July 2008
Patrick Thomas
Armenian Christians have always treasured beautifully illuminated
manuscripts. Many of the finest are preserved in the Matenadaran Library in
Yerevan, the Armenian capital, which I revisited recently. Most of them have
colophons: footnotes that give details of the scribe, the miniaturist, the
donor and the history of the manuscript as it was taken from monastery to
monastery.

Perhaps the most remarkable of these treasures is also the largest: a huge
collection of illustrated homilies. It was once the prized possession of a
monastery at Mush in Turkish Armenia. In 1915 almost all the Christian
inhabitants of the town were massacred and their monastery destroyed. Among
the few survivors were two courageous Armenian women, who decided to save
the precious manuscript.

It was too heavy for one person to carry, so they divided it in half, each
wrapping a portion around her body. One of the women, starving and ill,
managed to reach the safety of Holy Etchmiadzin, the centre of Armenian
Christianity. There she handed her part of the manuscript to the priest. The
other woman died on the journey, but not before she had carefully buried her
section of the ancient book. It was recovered at the end of the First World
War, and the two halves were reunited.

The manuscript has become a powerful symbol of those things that the two
women were determined should not be destroyed: their faith, their culture
and their history.

Heavenly Father, we live in a society which often seems to value only the
trivial and the ephemeral. Give us grace to discern those things that have
true and lasting importance, and the courage to preserve them and pass them
on to future generations. Amen.

Monday, 28 July 2008
Patrick Thomas
Twenty years ago the Armenian city of Gyumri (then called Leninakan) was
devastated by an earthquake. The scars remain. In May, as I sat in a
restaurant there, the television in the corner of the room showed scenes of
the devastation in China. They must have echoed the traumatic past
experienced by some of those around me.

The Church of the Mother of God and the Seven Wounds stands on the main
square. The elderly priest greeted me warmly, and led me to a room beside
the sanctuary to show me his greatest treasure. "This picture is two
thousand years old," he stated confidently. "It was painted by Saint Luke."
It showed Christ’s body, newly taken down from the Cross. As his mother
watched over him and wept, rays of light shone from Christ’s seven wounds.

Had we been on the Antiques Roadshow, I might have suggested that the artist
had copied a sixteenth century engraving, distributed by Roman Catholic
missionaries – though I would have had to concede that Mary bore a
resemblance to the earliest known Armenian depiction of Christ’s mother.

But I quickly realised that what really mattered wasn’t the picture’s actual
provenance – but rather its message to the ravaged community to which it
meant so much. Christ had shared their suffering (as Mary shared the anguish
of the bereaved mothers of Gyumri), and because of that sharing there was
hope despite their pain.

Lord Jesus, we pray for all those who face another day of agony or
emptiness. Make them aware of your presence with them in your suffering:
that their wounds are your wounds also. Comfort them and surround them with
your self-giving love. Amen.

Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Patrick Thomas
During my recent visit to Armenia, a spine-jarring, potholed road brought my
guide and I to the ancient monastery of Harichavank. It was once a thriving
religious centre in the north of the country. It had a seminary for training
priests and was also the summer residence of the head of the Armenian
Church. The Communists closed it down, and for many decades now there hasn’t
been a priest there.

Instead there was a wonderful old layman, with something of the early
Christian Desert Fathers about him. He had dedicated his life to caring for
this sacred place, and every stone had a special value and meaning for him.
His eyes shone as he explained the significance of the symbols carved on the
outside of the monastic church. As for the interior, he remarked: "It is
full of doves – signs of the Holy Spirit."

The old man invited us to a small room in the abandoned seminary.. There he
lit candles in front of a medieval carving of a dove, and invited his
visitors to say a prayer. "Jesus said ‘Blessed are the simple,’" he told us,
with an encouraging smile.

An early Armenian Christian text describes the souls of the faithful
departed winging like doves to heaven. The old man’s faithful vigil wasn’t
only a quiet continuation of the centuries of prayer that had sanctified the
monastery. It was also a confident waiting on the Holy Spirit, still at
work, giving a purpose and future to the church he loved so well.

Holy Spirit, we give you thanks for all those whose faithfulness continues
to inspire us. Give us the staying power that we need in times of
difficulty, and the patience to wait in hopeful confidence for your
guidance, entrusting the future to your loving purpose. Amen.

Wednesday, 30 July 2008
Patrick Thomas
Right on the edge of what was once called ‘Christendom’ is the medieval
monastery of Makaravank. It stands high in the hills on the border of
Christian Armenia looking across towards Muslim Azerbaijan, and I decided to
go there during a recent visit to the country.

The road to the monastery would have challenged the doughtiest rally driver.
But it presented no problem to the proud owner of a local taxi. As he
miraculously manoeuvred his little car along the impossible track, the sun
glinted on the roofs of an Azeri village across the border.

Amazingly we reached Makaravank unscathed. I went into the church to admire
its fascinating carvings and then emerged again into the sunlight.

The normally chatty young driver was standing in sad silence in front of a
modern khatchkar – a traditional Armenian cross-stone. He quietly explained
that it had been put there as a memorial to the farmers of the area, killed
defending their land in border clashes. Some of them were people he had
known.

The monument had droplets carved on it: the tears of the bereaved or the
drops of blood of those who had been killed. To me they also seemed to be
the blood and tears of Christ himself. Christ’s blood was shed to break down
the barriers between us and our neighbours and humankind and God. Perhaps
his tears were for the way in which religion can so easily becomes an ethnic
and tribal badge that strengthens barriers and inflicts wounds, rather than
being a source of healing, unifying love.

May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the creator of us all, help us
work in love to break down prejudice, fear and misunderstanding, and to heal
the wounds inflicted by ethnic, cultural and religious divisions. Amen.

Thursday, 31 July 2008
Patrick Thomas
One of my first tasks when I began a seventeen year stint in the
Carmarthenshire hill parish of Brechfa, was to learn the right way to dig a
vegetable garden. Jac Maes-y-Bwlch, a retired farmer, patiently tried to
teach me how to form neat furrows and ridges with a long-handled shovel. It
was a technique perfectly suited to the soil, landscape and weather of the
area. Jac made it seem quite effortless, but for me it was a struggle

On a recent visit to Vernashen, in the Armenian hills, I spent the night in
a farmhouse. Glancing at the garden, my eye was caught by neat, straight
furrows and ridges that might have shaped by Jac himself. I wandered over to
the outhouse. There, leaning against the wall, was a long-handled shovel
identical to the ones we use in West Wales.

Suddenly I felt at home – so much so, that when I tried to converse with
Haik the farmer in my limited phrase-book Armenian, the words that came out
were mostly Welsh. He gave me one of those gently amused looks that people
the world over reserve for dim and inarticulate foreigners

The experience made me deeply aware of the way in which we can each become
attached to our own particular place, and yet at the same time share a
common humanity. And that seemed to encapsulate the meaning of the
Incarnation for me as I reflected on my experience there: God in Christ
being born in a particular place at a particular time, so that he could
become a person for all people in every place and at every time.

Heavenly Father, we thank you that in your Son you have shown us the value
both of our individuality and our shared humanity. Help us to appreciate the
things that make us different and the things we have in common. Amen.
Friday, 1 August 2008
Patrick Thomas
The Republic of Mountainous Karabagh is one of several small states that
emerged from the break-up of the Soviet Union and have yet to achieve
international recognition. At the heart of this fiercely independent country
is the village of Gandzasar. When I went there in May I discovered a
strangely surreal place.

Although it’s a long way from the sea, the tiny village is dominated by a
large hotel in the shape of a colourful ocean liner. It also has a
well-appointed school, a swimming-pool, an internet café, a zoo of local
animals, and a gleaming public convenience with a full time attendant.

I was told that someone from Gandzasar had made a fortune in Russia, and had
used some of the proceeds to transform his childhood home. He had also paid
for repairs to the monastery on the hill above the village. One of the
finest examples of Armenian Christian architecture, it had been the focal
point of one of the fiercest battles of the Karabagh War. Its walls are
still pitted with the marks of bullets and shrapnel from the fighting.

Although its priest once had to protect it with a sub-machine gun, today the
monastery is a place of beauty and serenity – though the status of the land
around it remains one of the thornier unsolved problems of international
diplomacy.

Some might think the monastery of Gandzasar to be as much a symbol of
escapism as the village’s mock ocean-liner hotel. For me, however, it
represented a profound and lasting hope, rooted in the reality of a loving
God who came among us as one of us to share the vulnerability of our fragile
human existence.

Holy Spirit, strengthen us to face life’s uncertainties and agonizing
realities with trust and confidence, Amen.

Darchinyan captures 115-pound belt with knockout of Kirilov
Associated Press

Updated: August 3, 2008, 12:42 AM ET

TACOMA, Wash. — Victor Darchinyan took the IBF junior bantamweight
title from Dimitri Kirilov on Saturday night with a fifth-round
knockout in a fight that Darchinyan dominated from start to finish.

A left hand by the 32-year-old Darchinyan sent Kirilov to the mat for
the second time in the fifth round, and Kirilov was unable to get back
to his feet. The bout at the Emerald Queen Casino ended at the 1:05
mark of the fifth.

"I lost my title one year ago, and I’ve now returned to the
championship," said Darchinyan, (30-1-1 with 24 knockouts), who took
the fight to Kirilov (23-4-1, 9 knockouts) from the opening bell. "I
never underestimate my opponents. I’ve learned a lot in my last
several fights."

The left-handed Darchinyan set the tone in the opening round with
several solid hooks, then scored more with jabs during the second
round. He continued his assault with several quick, successive punches
to the head during the third round, while Kirilov had trouble
connecting with anything.

"I took the wrong approach," Kirilov said. "[Trainer] Freddie Roach
told me to move to my left, but I wasn’t doing that. I was trying to
hit him with one big punch. I was not able to throw combinations,
because I was just not able to do the work I normally do."

Kirilov seemed to get back into the fight in the fourth round. But
Darchinyan came out strong in the fifth, throwing three quick punches
and sending Kirilov to the mat for the first time 30 seconds into the
round, resulting in a standing eight count. Kirilov, who ended the
fourth round bleeding from the left side of his nose, came right back,
but not for long, as Darchinyan pushed him back toward the ropes, then
ended it with a left-handed shot to the head.

Kirilov got to his knees and grabbed the rope, but was unable to get
back to his feet by the end of the 10 count.

Darchinyan, born in Armenia and now living in Australia, dominated the
super flyweight division, successfully defending his title six times,
five inside the distance before losing in an upset to Nonito Donaire
last July. He is now 8-1 with seven knockouts in title bouts.

Darchinyan fought to a 12-round draw against Zey Gorres on Feb. 2. In
an elimination bout for the right to fight Kirilov, Gorres was cut
badly and was unable to train while healing, thus giving Darchinyan
the mandatory challenge.

In the co-main event, 2004 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist Andre Dirrell
scored a fourth-round TKO against Mike Paschal in a battle of
undefeated super middleweights. The 24-year-old Dirrell raised his
record to 16-0, while dropping Paschal to 17-1-1 with four KOs.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Crucial Directions In Armenia-Diaspora Relations
By Prof. Onnig Beylerian

31 July 2008
Ottawa

I should like to thank everyone who took time to reflect on the
subjects I raised in my PowerPoint presentation, which was not the
best tool to express the nuances of one’s own thoughts. It is also
encouraging to see that Armenia-Diasporan relations do generate
passionate arguments and debate.

That is yet another indication there is a great future for Armenia
and its Diaspora.

To put things in their context, I was asked by Dr. Dikran Abrahamian
to present findings based on my own observations of Armenia-Diaspora
relations, as they relate with policy development. My views did not
in any way reflect those institutions I could be or am associated
with. They are truly my own contributions as a distant and admittedly
non-influential member of Canada’s Armenian community.

In this response, I can only be brief and respond to what I think
are the most important issues raised by those who have been gentle
enough to consider and comment my findings and observations.

1. Undoubtedly the Diaspora is already involved in Armenia. To
say the Diaspora should not interfere in Armenia’s affairs is not to
recognize reality. The main question is how the Diaspora’s involvement
can be more effective. Seeking remittances and cash disbursements
or relying on the go odwill of individual Diasporans is insufficient
and misplaced in many ways.

Money is not everything; the real wealth of the Diaspora resides is
in its knowhow, cumulative experience and global networks, which are
not noticeable if one goes to a typical Armenian church on a Sunday
morning. These are the ingredients Armenia is after and which it wants
to tap. The problem is that this is a treasure chest that can only
be opened through a set of policies that provides Diasporans with
concrete incentives to participate in Armenia’s development. Without
these incentives, I don’t see how the Diaspora will develop its
present engagement to higher levels. Hence my suggestion that Armenia
should provide the Diaspora with means to participate effectively
in the Armenian political process and institution building, and not
necessarily in the decision-making process; even though Armenia’s
foreign policy was and still is led by personalities largely supported
and well-regarded by the Diaspora. By participating in the political
process, I mean Diasporan representatives sitting in the Parliament
in some capacity, or competent Diasporans sitting on government
consultative bodies, such as commissions to fight corruption or setting
up a professional and non partisan public service. The Diaspora
could also be entrusted to set up an independent body to monitor
and report the validity of results of future elections. There are
many other20useful tasks the Diaspora could do if it was seriously
asked as a means to effectively contribute to Armenia’s political
and economic development. The Diaspora may not have the experience at
first to undertake these tasks, but lack of experience is no excuse
for not trying to do the best it can.

2. Does the Diaspora possess the capacity to do all of the latter? To
answer this question one needs to make a distinction between community
organizations situated at the level of host countries and full-fledged
Diasporan organizations that represent several community organizations
at once. Forcibly, such organizations would span across several
host countries, such as the United States and Canada. Today, while
there is appreciable traffic between Armenians living in different
countries who collaborate on multiple projects and issues, there are
no permanent consultative or coordinating bodies whose mission is to
address the interests and needs of Armenian communities throughout
the world. Conventional wisdom amongst Armenians is to keep their
business low-key as there are obvious advantages to get the job done
in the traditional and time-tested Armenian way. But there are also
disadvantages in that it does not contribute to institution-building
and it leaves a lot of Armenians out of the loop.

Therefore it is not surprising that the Diaspora is not ready to play
any useful role at this moment, because it has no institutional and
organizational transnational existence and because the opportunity to
create that context was simply never attempted, despite the goodwill
of influential Diasporans very keen in creating their self-styled
personal Congresses. One would have wished that the initiative to
build the Diaspora’s transnational institutions came from its own
ranks. But unfortunately that did not happen thus far. So Armenia
stepped in since it does face immediate and serious challenges even
more so that it can use state means to establish some process to have
access to the Diaspora’s resources.

So far Armenia organized three conferences and despite the huge
enthusiasm generated by those venues, no permanent bodies came out
if it. Everybody returned home to continue their daily Diasporan
chores and we’re still wondering as to what really happened. The
last conference looked like an academic symposium instead of being
a true Assembly of Armenians (or more aptly Hayotz Hamazhoghov —
I’m sure Viken will correct my Western Armenian); which should be
the equivalent of the General Estates where a nation takes stock of
the issues it faces but also of its strength .

It’s like drawing up an inventory of one’s capabilities and
ultimately power so as to address major challenges. If at the
fourth Armenia-Diaspora conference there is clear political will
to conduct the proceedings in that way and with the clear intent of
establishing permanent bodies to develop and implement major policies
and programmes, then a huge step will be taken in the right direction
as many capable and skilful Diasporans will in time step forward.

It should remain a hope that the Dialogue Committee set up by Armenia’s
Foreign Affairs will broach this issue and eventually adopt practical
measures to reach out to many Diasporans.

3. Some have argued that the Diaspora is in such a sorry state when it
comes to its own internal political processes that it would be arrogant
on the Diaspora’s part to claim that it can "interfere" at will in
Armenia’ internal affairs. First, I do not share the dire conclusions
of the institutional state of Armenian communities. On the contrary
it is hard not to fully recognize those who did contribute to the
building of schools and churches to protect and nurture small islands
of Armenia in distant lands. It is also hard to dismiss either all
those who selflessly contributed to the genocide recognition campaigns
or those who responded to the calls of Armenians in distress in 1988,
1991 and onwards, such as Charles Aznavour who had forgotten his roots
until the earthquakes shook him up to his core. Many of the Diaspora’s
efforts are those of unsung heroes of Armenian communities across the
globe and whose histories have yet to be written. In short, let u s
not short change the enormous achievements of individual communities.

However the institutional weaknesses of community organizations –and
there are many–we need to hang on to them at all costs. The only sure
way that Armenian life in the Diaspora can flourish is to modernize
these community organizations and to welcome back all those who have
left it for good or those who among the younger generation do not
see any interest in being part of it. I do not have readymade answers
as to how that feat can be realized. But I do know that exceptional
young Diasporans did not wait for that modernization to happen and
therefore moved to discover the deepest dimensions of Armenia and hence
of themselves. In this discovery, the hub is in Armenia but also in
individual communities where there is need for more transparency and
inclusiveness. Without really noticing, a new global Armenian identity
is emerging where it will be difficult to draw a clear line between
the Diaspora and Armenia. The contours of that identity remain quite
hazy, but one way to find that out is to draw together individual
communities spread across the globe in workable forums. I believe
that mustering the Diaspora’s power in its own organizations or
institutions with the full support of Armenia as its base represents
one way of initiating and promoting this modernization.

However, we have to be realists and correctly e valuate the stage
at which the Diaspora and Armenia are so as to move from that point
onwards, slowly but surely. In many ways both are at same level
of political development. Therefore they are called upon to work
in tandem as the Diaspora will never disappear: it has proven it
can survive and regroup even after the worst disaster. Nor will it
dissolve in some big repatriation scheme.

Armenia has the ingredients to help the Diaspora to get its act
together and the Diaspora has the ingredients to help Armenia even more
effectively, provided that the Diaspora is given the opportunity to
do so. Both sides have everything to gain if they can only identify
what is to be done. This entails that they accept to work hard in
making this happen. It’s not an easy task and it will take several
generations.

I hope I answered to some of the questions which were raised.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NKR DEFENSE MINISTRY’S PRESS OFFICE INFORMATION

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
2008-07-30 08:24
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

Recently, the Azeri armed forces have displayed noticeable activity
along the whole contact- line, as a result of which the ceasefire
regime was violated, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Defense Ministry’s
press office stated.

In particular, on the night of March 28-29 and during the whole day,
the enemy fired sporadically with small-caliber automatic arms and
machineguns in the direction of the Karabakhi positions located in the
southeastern, northwestern and northern areas. After the Karabakhi
side undertook adequate measures, the enemy stopped firing. The NKR
Defense Army suffered no losses.