Month: November 2009

NEO-ZARQAWISTS TARGET THE ARAB CHRISTIANS OF JORDAN
Murad Batal Al-shishani

Jamestown Foundation
he=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=35727&tx_ttnew s%5BbackPid%5D=7&cHash=2fc8c6320d
Nov 13 2009

On October 15, the State Security Court of Jordan imposed jail
sentences of 15 to 20 years on 12 alleged Jordanian members of al-Qaeda
accused of attacks against a church in the Kingdom last year (Al-Ghad
[Amman], October 16; Al-Rai [Amman], October 16). In a reaction similar
to those seen in trials of Salafi-Jihadis, plot leader Shaker al-Khatib
and the rest of the convicted group prostrated themselves, thanking
Allah as a sign of defiance against the court (al-Jazeera, October 15).

Al-Khatib and four others in the group, aged between 19 and 28,
received the death penalty, but the court commuted the sentence to 20
years in prison "because they are young and should be given a chance
to repent." The other seven were handed 15-year sentences.

This group was charged in July 2008 with carrying out terrorist attacks
and manufacturing and using explosives. According to a Jordanian
official, "The al-Qaeda members tried to attack a Latin church in Irbid
[in North Jordan] in July last year after a Christian boy allegedly
insulted the Prophet Muhammed, but the attempt failed…Following
that, they attacked the same church again using Molotov [cocktail
bombs] and a Christian cemetery in Irbid, but caused no casualties"
(AFP, October 16).

Targeting Christians or their churches in Jordan seems to be a
significant development in jihadi violence in Jordan. This switch
appears to be inspired by the alleged targeting of Iraqi churches by
the late leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi,
before he was killed in June 2006 (see Terrorism Focus, February 6).

The Christians of Jordan are an original part of Jordanian society,
which explains their integration into the tribal system of Jordan
and their attainment of high political and military ranks. Prior to
these attacks, there were no records of sectarian incidents against
them in Jordan. The Christians and their places of worship were not
formerly major targets for the Salafi-Jihadis, but it seems that the
new generation of Salafi-Jihadis (the neo-Zarqawists) is inspired by
al-Zarqawi’s legacy of targeting the "non-believers," such as Shiites,
Christians, and Jews.

Jordanian Christians represent between 4-5% of the total population.

In January 2009, Jordanian authorities designated the "Council of
Church Leaders in Jordan" as the only Christian body recognized by
the government. The council includes leaders of the four traditional
Christian faiths: the Bishops of the Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic
(Melkite), Roman Catholic, and Armenian Orthodox Churches. There are
other Christian churches that are not represented in the council,
such as the Evangelist Church, Assemblies of God Church, Church of
the Messiah, the Coptic Church and the Maronite Church. The decision
by the Jordanian government came after its decision to extradite
Protestant evangelists because they "were trying to convert members
of Jordan’s older Christian faiths" (ammonnews.net, January, 30).

American evangelist movements have targeted the traditional churches
of the Middle East (Coptic, Syriac, etc.) for conversion since the
19th century.

In his criticism of al-Zarqawi, his former mentor Shaykh Abu
Muhammad al-Maqdisi urged young jihadis not to target churches,
elderly tourists, or other civilians on the grounds that such targets
are typically chosen because they are easy, not because they have
strategic value to jihad (al-Jazeera July 6, 2005; al-Hayat, July
10, 2005; see also Terrorism Monitor, July 9). Al-Zarqawi responded
by denying that al-Qaeda in Iraq targeted Arab Christians or other
civilians. "Even though these are non-Muslim groups, they have not
demonstrated to us that they have become partners of the Crusaders
in their fighting against the jihad fighters, and they do not play
the base role played by the Shiites" (al-Hesbah, July 2005).

Despite his claims of innocence regarding the killing of Christians
and civilians, the legacy of al-Zarqawi has played a major role
in creating a more radical generation of jihadis, especially in the
Levant region. The Jordanian trials of jihadis started in the early
1990s but did not show Christians to be among the jihadis’ targets
before 2004, when the plots related to al-Zarqawi started to appear.

In 1991 the Jaysh Muhammad (Army of Muhammad) case revealed that the
defendants felt they were permitted to steal from Christians in order
to use the funds for the sake of jihad based on an old fatwa (religious
ruling) issued by the Egyptian Gama’a al-Islamiya terrorist group in
the early 1980s. In a later case known locally as the "Conspiracy
of the Millennium," a Christian site was among the tourist-related
targets that the group planned to attack in late 1999.

However, this site may well have been chosen largely because of the
media exposure it would garner.

Last March, the State Security Court of Jordan sentenced three
Jordanians to 22½ years in prison for plotting a suicide car bomb
attack on a church in Amman. Their plan called for bombing a Roman
Catholic Church in Amman’s eastern district of Marka after initially
planning to strike against a police battalion. Convicted ringleader
Majid Muhammad Nasr was apparently radicalized in prison by al-Qaeda
operatives linked to al-Qaeda in Iraq, including Iraqi Ziyad Karbouli,
who is serving his sentence in Jordan (Al-Riyadh, June 27, 2008;
for Karbouli, see Terrorism Focus, May 31, 2006).

Following a long period of co-existence, the various plots against
Christian targets that have emerged in the last year and the
recruitment of Tha’ir Abd-al-Qadir al-Wahidi by Jordanian Islamists
to attack a visiting Lebanese Christian Choir in Amman in January
demonstrate a major shift in the Islamist view of traditional Arab
Christians in Jordan, a change that can ultimately be traced back
to the influence of al-Zarqawi on a new generation of jihadis (Dar
al-Hayat, January 28; see also Terrorism Focus, February 6).

RENOWNED PAINTER AND LITERARY CRITIC VAGRICH BAKHCANYAN PASSES AWAY IN NEW YORK

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.11.2009 10:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Renowned painter and literary critic Vagrich
Bakhchyan, 72, has passed away in New York.

Bakhchyan was born in Kharkov where he studied in the local decorative
art school under avant-garde artist Vasily Ermilov. In 1965, he took
part in the first non-official exhibition.

Short time afterwards, the artist moved to Moscow where, in 1967-74,
he worked in the humor department of Literaturnaya Gazeta and 12
Chairs Art Club, together with Vladimir Ivanov, Igor Makarov and
Vitaly Peskov. He was published in Znanie-Sila and Yunost magazines.

Many of Bakhcanyan’s aphorisms and witty remarks became pieces of
folklore.

In 1974, the artist emigrated to New York where he continued his
activity . Over the recent years, many of his works were displayed
in Moscow, New York, Las Vegas, Kiev and Vienna, Lenta.ru reports.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKEY LAUNCHES PEACE PLAN TO END CONFLICT WITH KURDS

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.11.2009 10:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish Government has formally launched a peace
plan to try to end the conflict in the mainly Kurdish south-east of
the country. Reform package, including freedom to use the Kurdish
language. was submitted to Parliament by Interior Minister BeÅ~_ir
Atalay.

"We want everyone in this country to be treated equally," he said,
but then warned that there would need to be a complete change in the
mindset of the Turkish people to achieve that goal.

But throughout his half-hour speech, Mr Atalay refused to refer
specifically to the Kurds, whose resistance to the Turkish state is
the real reason for these reforms.

Instead he chose to describe them as primarily for combating terrorism
and preserving national unity. The ferocious criticism the government
has received over its initiative has clearly made it nervous, despite
its commanding majority in parliament.

Turkish nationalists claim that changes pose threat to Turkey’s unity.

The leader of one nationalist party accused the government of lacking
the courage to fight terrorism head-on, BBC reports.

Kurdish minority’s fight for independence has lasted 30 years, taking
lives of more than 40 thousand people.

PRESS OFFICE

Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Karine Abalyan
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

November 13, 2009

___________________________________________

IN NEW ENGLAND, TEENS ARE THE FOCUS OF A DIOCESAN CHRISTIAN ED WORKSHOP

The study habits and learning styles of middle and high school Sunday School
students were the focus of a workshop for educators held last month at the
Armenian Church of the Holy Translators, in Framingham, MA.

Titled "Teens and the Christian Classroom," the daylong discussion was led
by Elise Antreassian and Megan Jendian, coordinators of Christian Education
in the Eastern Diocese’s Department of Youth and Education.

The Saturday, October 24, event was open to New England region Sunday School
educators. A total of 25 Sunday School staffers, including nine
superintendents, from six area parishes took part in the sessions.

Participants spoke about developing a more "relationship-centered" teaching
ministry, using various techniques for creating deeper connections with
middle and high school students, and applying specific teaching methods to
cater to all learning styles.

The challenge of instructing teens "truly epitomizes what teaching faith is
all about," said Elise Antreassian. "In addition to teachers imparting
information pertinent to the learner’s life, it is also about teachers
witnessing to how faith has changed them, and sharing the happy changes
their students can expect when God is at the center of their lives."

Teachers also shared practical suggestions for linking students’ life
experiences with classroom prayer and Scripture, and discussed ways to make
the material more fun and accessible to students. During one portion of the
afternoon, participants worked in small groups to create activities using
jigsaw puzzles and crafts materials.

"There was plenty of open, honest discussion and sharing, and a positive
atmosphere of collaboration," said the Rev. Fr. Krikor Sabounjian, pastor of
Holy Translators Church, who attended the day’s event. "We should build upon
this excitement and enthusiasm by offering other such seminars in the near
future so that this experience continues to allow growth and further
cooperation among the sister parishes of the New England region."

At the workshop’s final session, designed to explore questions and concerns,
teachers spoke about curriculum challenges and a new experimental Sunday
School format, which incorporates time for family worship and Holy Communion
into Sunday School class time. The format is being tested in a handful of
parishes, including the Holy Translators Church. Teachers also gave positive
feedback about the core Armenian Christian curriculum and the Mardigian
Institute, which offers teacher-training seminars at the Diocesan Center
every two years.

On Sunday, October 25, Antreassian and Jendian visited the Holy Translators
Church Sunday School, where students spent the first hour participating in
the Divine Liturgy and Holy Communion and later convened in the classroom to
learn more about the Armenian Christian faith.

Jendian conveyed a short lesson about the holy cross, designed to engage
children in conversation and critical thinking. Following classes, the
Diocesan representatives joined teachers for a brief meeting.

The workshop at Holy Translators Church was requested by the New England
Region Superintendents’ Association – comprised of Sunday School directors
in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The dynamic association was
revived recently under a rotating leadership: so far Marsha Alabachian,
superintendent of St. James Sunday School in Watertown, MA, and Seta
Buchter, superintendent of Holy Trinity Sunday School in Cambridge, MA, have
been its energetic and enthusiastic leaders.

The association is currently planning a June 2010 gathering and looking
ahead to the 2011 Diocesan Assembly, where members hope to collaborate with
the Diocese’s Department of Youth and Education to begin work on a national
Sunday School staff symposium.

###

Photos attached.

Photo 1: Participants in the "Teens and the Christian Classroom" workshop
discuss techniques for creating deeper connections with middle and high
school students.

Photo 2: Participants in the "Teens and the Christian Classroom" workshop
brainstorm ways to engage students and help them build a relationship with
God.

Photo 3: Participants in the "Teens and the Christian Classroom" workshop
pose for a group photo at Holy Translators Church.

PRESS RELEASE
Gomidas Institute
42 Blythe Rd.
London W14 0HA
UK

12 November 2009

Adana Massacres, 1909 Focus of Istanbul Workshop

by Roland Mnatsakanyan

Sabanci University (Istanbul) just hosted an international workshop
entitled "Adana: 1909: History, Memory, and Identity from a Hundred Year
Perspective " ( 6-7 November 2009). The workshop included scholars from
the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Turkey. The event was
sponsored by Gomidas Institute (London), Sabanci University, Istanbul
Bilgi University History Department, the International Hrant Dink
Foundation, and Bogazici University History Department. A capacity
audience filled the lecture theatre and included professors, students,
journalists and members of the public. There was simultaneous
translation between English and Turkish. The papers that were presented
will be published in English and Turkish editions.

In their opening remarks, Cengiz Aktar and Ara Sarafian welcomed the
participants and pointed to new opportunities for holding such meetings
in Turkey today. They explained that the Adana 1909 workshop was
organised to mark the centennial of the Adana massacres. It began with a
call for papers in Turkish, Armenian and English, and the presentations
at the workshop reflected the different interests of participants.

The first paper was an unusual one, as it was a discussion of Turks who
saved Armenians in 1909. The fact that Armenian were massacred was a
given, and the speaker presented a sensitive examination of righteous
Turkish officials who saved potential victims. The speaker used Ottoman
records to show how Ottoman Armenians petitioned the state to recognise
one such Turkish official for his role in saving an entire community.
This first paper took some of the sting out of the workshop, where the
audience could sympathise with the Armenian victims of 1909 without
vilifying "Muslims" or "Turks" as single categories. Subsequent papers
followed with the same sensitivity.

Each session was chaired by a senior scholar and was followed by a
discussion. The workshop thus benefited from the presence of additional
senior scholars, such as Selim Deringil, Caglar Keyder, Mete Tucay and
Hülya Adak.

The organisers considered the workshop a success.

The papers that were presented could be summarised as follows (not in
the order of presentation at the workshop).

Some New Perspectives

Abdulhamit Kirmizi gave a well-nuanced paper discussing the fact that
some Muslims saved Armenians during the 1909 massacres. The role played
by such Muslims was actually acknowledged by Ottoman Armenians after
1909. The speaker’s focus was Major Hadji Mehmet Effendi and his men who
defended Sis, the seat of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, from
attacks by neighbouring tribes and villages. Kirmizi used Ottoman
documentation to discuss such Muslims, many of whom were decorated by
the Ottoman government. The actions of these officials were the opposite
of other officials who encouraged the actual massacres. Another well
nuanced and probing paper concerned a complex range of different factors
related to the Adana massacres. It was stressed that some of these
factors could only be probed in a speculative but informed manner at
this stage of debates. One such factor was identified as the presence of
tens of thousands of impoverished migrant workers who could not find
work in Adana in April 1909. Sinan Dinçer ( Ruhr University , Bochum )
discussed such migrant workers in Adana province that season and
suggested that they could have been drawn into the fighting for no other
reason than to loot and steal Armenian property. The speaker stated that
he was not arguing that this was a major factor explaining the
massacres, but it might have been a significant contributing factor.

Views from Europe

Two presentations discussed French and German records related to the
Adana massacres. Vincent Duclert (EHESS) contrasted the position of the
French government following the Hamidian massacres, the Adana massacres,
and the Armenian Genocide. He noted that the French government was
reluctant to press the Ottoman authorities after the Adana massacres
because many French officials supported the Young Turk government.
Instead, French authorities played down the issue in France. Dilek
Güven (Sabanci University) discussed German consular records, as well
as the records of the Baghdad Railway company. These records attested to
the terrible suffering of Armenians in 1909. She noted that German
policy towards Ottoman Turkey was uncertain at that time, especially as
the 1909 massacres were reportedly carried out by supporters of Abdul
Hamit II–whom the Germans had backed until the 1908 revolution.
Benedetta Guerzoni (independent scholar) discussed how imagery of the
Adana massacres was constructed in western newspapers, with particular
reference to Italy and France.

Some Armenian Sources

Ara Sarafian (Gomidas Institute) and Zakarya Mildanoglu (independent
researcher) discussed Armenian records related to the events of 1909.
Sarafian introduced Hagop Terzian, who published a powerful report in
1912, on the 1909 events. Terzian included his own testimony in Adana
city, as well as the testimonies of others in smaller communities.
Sarafian argued that Terzian’s text had a certain popular
force-of-argument which challenged official accounts that tried to play
down the incidents. Sarafian quoted Terzian to stress the devastating
role of the newspaper "Itidal" in agitating and fermenting violence
against Armenians. Zakarya Mildanoglu presented the Adana massacres
through the Armenian periodical press with many illustrations from
different journals. His accounts included satire as a powerful tool to
convey what had happened to Armenians. (Mildanoglu was also responsible
for a separate exhibition of photographs depicting the Adana massacres.
These images and texts were displayed at the workshop).

American Witnesses

The role of American missionaries as witnesses was discussed by Lou Ann
Matossian (Cafesjian Family Foundation) and Barbara Merguerian
(Armenian International Women’s Association), with powerful papers
related to events in the cities of Adana and Tarsus. Tarsus was also the
focus of Oral Çalislar, a well known Turkish journalist, who presented
the testimony of Helen Davenport Gibbons in her book, "Red Rugs of
Tarsus." Çalislar, who has published the Turkish translation of this
work, gave a personal reflection regarding his native Tarsus. (The
Gomidas Institute has just published a critial English edition "The Red
Rugs of Tarsus.")

Human and Material Losses

The reality of Armenian losses was stressed by Osman Koker, who gave a
fascinating paper on Armenian communities in Adana province, illustrated
by photographs and postcards. He included images from Antioch,
Alexandretta, Marash, Beylan, Sis, Adana, Tarsus, and Koz Olouk.

Sait Çetinoglu (Belge Uluslararasi Yayincilik) gave a forceful
presentation on the organisation and plunder of Armenian properties in
1909, while Asli Çomu (Cambridge University) gave a solid paper based
on land records from the Adana region in the 1920s. These records gave
new insights into how Armenian properties were broken up and parcelled
out to Muslim refugees. The actual number of Armenian casualties during
the massacres was discussed by Fuat Dundar, who raised some questions
about the demographics of the Adana massacres based on his work on the
massacres of Abdul Hamid II and the Armenian Genocide. The fate of
Armenian orphans following the Adana massacres became a major concern
for Armenian community leaders. Nazan Maksudyan gave a moving paper on
the fate of such orphans, especially in "foreign" orphanages. One key
concern was assimilation in government run orphanages where the language
of instruction was Turkish and not Armenian.

Literary Responses to the Massacres

The legacy of the 1909 massacres could not be explained by simple
numbers for casualties or lost properties. Literature was a powerful way
to convey a sense of violence, loss and trauma, that accompanied events
and lingered on in the lives of survivors. Marc Nichanian (Sabanci
University) and Rita Soulahian (McGill Univeristy) discussed the
literary response to the Adana massacres, with particular reference to
Arshagouhi Teotig, Taniel Varoujan, and Zabel Yessayan. (Unfortunately
Nichanian could not be at the workshop and his paper was beautifully
presented by Hülya Adak (Sabanci University)).

Ottoman Parliament

Anastasia Iliena Moroni ( EHESS & Panteion Univ. , Athens ) discussed
how the Adana massacres were presented in the Ottoman Parliament.
______________________________________ _____

The Gomidas Institute is an independent academic organisation dedicated
to modern Armenian studies

For more information please contact [email protected]

November 13, 2009

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 DEPART FOR LEBANON TO PARTICIPATE IN MEETINGS AT THE
CATHOLICOSATE

On Sunday, November 15th, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Prelate, will depart for Lebanon to participate in meetings at the
Catholicosate presided over by H.H. Catholicos Aram I. The Prelates of the
North American Prelacies, Central Executive members and Executive Council
members from the three Prelacies will participate in the meetings.
Central Executive members Mr. Khajag Dikijian and Mr. Vahe
Yacoubian, along with Executive Council Chair Dr. Garo Agopian and
Vice-Chair Mr. Garo Avakian will also participate in the meetings, which are
scheduled for November 18th to the 20th.

FAREWELL RECEPTION FOR FORMER PASTOR OF
ST. GREGORY CHURCH

The Board of Trustees of St. Gregory Church of San Francisco has
organized a farewell reception for outgoing parish pastor Rev. Fr. Avedis
Torossian, to take place on the evening of Friday, November 13th, 2009.
Very Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian will attend and convey the Prelate’s
blessings and well wishes, as well as present the pastor with a pectoral
cross on behalf of the Prelate.
Among those in attendance will be Very Rev. Fr .Vaghinag Meloian,
Board of Trustees members, Delegates, Krouzian-Zekarian-Vasbouragan School
representatives, and members of community organizations.

PRELATE CELEBRATES DIVINE LITURGY AT
ST. SARKIS CHURCH ON THE 24TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASADENA PARISH COMMUNITY

On Sunday, November 8th, 2009, in honor of the 24th anniversary of
the Pasadena parish community, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Prelate, celebrated Divine Liturgy and delivered the sermon at St. Sarkis
Church. Very Rev. Fr. Barthev Gulumian and parish pastor Rev. Fr. Khoren
Babochian assisted at the altar.
The Prelate gave thanks to God for the growth the parish community
has experienced in the last 24 years, from its humble beginnings on Allen
Blvd. to having its own church today, St. Sarkis, by the grace of God, and
prayed for continued advancements for the community in the coming years.
The topic of the sermon was from a passage in the Gospel of Luke
which chronicles the healing of a woman and of Jesus bringing to life the
daughter of Jairus. The Prelate stated that though the woman and Jairus had
different spiritual needs and were facing different circumstances, both were
seeking to see Jesus Christ, to meet Him and receive His blessings. And it
was through their faith that their prayers were answered. The woman was
healed not because she touched Jesus’ garment, rather because she believed
in His power and His ability to heal, just as Jairus did.
The Prelate asserted that today, we need the same faith, we need to
be filled with the Holy Spirit, to pray for ourselves and for one another,
and to cast out destructive and debilitating thoughts and feelings.
"Prayer must be our path, with faith as our guide; only then will we receive
the answers to our supplications. Let us therefore relinquish our worries
to God for He will ease our troubles. Let us open our hearts and souls to
God and He will rid us of our weaknesses and iniquities and guide us in our
service and our mission", concluded the Prelate.
Requiem service was offered following Divine Liturgy, after which
the Prelate was led in a procession to the entrance of the church where the
Prelate once again congratulated the parish on their anniversary. The
singing of "Cilicia" and the Pontifical anthems concluded the service.
In the afternoon, the Prelate presided over the 24th anniversary
luncheon which took place at the hall of the Marash Compatriotic Union with
the participation of clergy members, Executive Council, Board of Trustees,
and Ladies Auxiliary members, sponsors and friends. During the luncheon
remarks were delivered by the Pastor and Board of Trustees Chairman, and the
Prelate once again conveyed his well wishes.

ELEMENT BAND CONCERT DEDICATED TO ARS CENTENARY

Under the auspices of the ARS Regional Executive, the ARS Centennial
Fund Committee has organized a concert featuring the Element Band to
celebrate a 100 years of service. The concert will take place at Glendale
Presbyterian Church on Sunday, November 15th, 2009.
Rev. Fr. Ardak Demirjian will represent the Prelate.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenica.org
History of Armenia

We have been working on digitalizing archive materials found in the
Swedish National and War Archives about the Armenian Genocide. This
work is quite time consuming, but we have now put online the first
batch of documents from the Foreign Department, mostly from 1915.
These are just a number of the documents which were included in the
research paper "The Armenian Genocide 1915: From a Neutral Small
State’s Perspective: Sweden" which is available at

The new documents are available at our Collection section:
cgi?=2

We will add more documents as we finish digitizing and adapting them for
publishing on the site.

We hope that the new additions will be of interest to you.

With best regards,
Armenica Editorial Staff

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway

The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief

========================================== =======

11 November 2009
BELARUS: "WE HAVE ORTHODOX, CATHOLICS AND MUSLIMS – ALL THE OTHERS ARE
SECTS"
?article_id=1374
The Deputy Chief of Minsk’s Frunze District Police, Dinas Linkus, said he
sent the local police officer to question the Kagramanyan family, who are
Pentecostals, about their religious faith. "We had a request from the
Culture Department of Minsk City Executive Committee several weeks ago to
find out whether any religious activity was going on at this address, to
establish whether a church was active there or not," he told Forum 18 News
Service. "We have Orthodox, Catholics and Muslims – these are the
religions. All the others are sects." Meanwhile Transfiguration Baptist
Church in Vitebsk Region was fined for using a private house for religious
worship, despite having official permission to do so. Jehovah’s Witness
Dmitry Smyk has been fined for refusing compulsory military service on
religious grounds, but criminal charges against one other conscientious
objector have been dropped.
* See full article below. *

13 November 2009
KYRGYZSTAN: LEGAL STATUS APPLICATIONS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE
cle_id=1375
Although unregistered religious activity in Kyrgyzstan is now banned,
against international human rights standards, religious communities also
cannot gain legal status, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. However, two
mosques do appear to have been registered. The State Commission for
Religious Affairs (SCRA) says that religious communities must wait for the
Regulations to apply a restrictive new Religion Law, which came into force
in January 2009. SCRA officials told Forum 18 that "the Regulations have
been prepared but not signed into force." Meanwhile, SCRA officials have
contradicted themselves on whether or not existing registered communities
need to be re-registered. Officials claim to have made the text of the
Regulations available for public discussion, although no-one who Forum 18
has spoken to – apart from officials – has seen the text. For the proposed
controversial new Religious Education Law, officials claimed to have
invited some named religious communities to a roundtable discussion,
although the same religious communities told Forum 18 they were unaware of
any invitation. Some Protestant churches have decided to protest at the
restrictions in the Religion Law by refusing to apply for registration.

11 November 2009
BELARUS: "WE HAVE ORTHODOX, CATHOLICS AND MUSLIMS – ALL THE OTHERS ARE
SECTS"

p?article_id=1374
By Felix Corley, Editor, Forum 18 News Service <;

At the request of Minsk City Executive Committee, local police in the
capital Minsk visited the Kagramanyan family, who are Pentecostals, and
asked intrusive questions about whether they use their home for worship,
which church they attend and why they are believers, Forum 18 News Service
has learnt. The Deputy Chief of Minsk’s Frunze District Police with
responsibility for public security, Dinas Linkus, insisted to Forum 18 that
now the family has answered the questions, no further action will be taken.

Meanwhile, a Baptist congregation has been fined in Vitebsk Region,
although administrative charges against the leader of another local Baptist
congregation have been dropped. And Jehovah’s Witness Dmitry Smyk, facing
imprisonment for refusing compulsory military service on grounds of
religious faith, has instead been fined.

Who ordered the police questioning and why?

Linkus, the Deputy Police Chief, told Forum 18 that he had ordered the 26
October visit by a local police officer to the home of the Kagramanyan
family. "We had a request from the Culture Department of Minsk City
Executive Committee several weeks ago to find out whether any religious
activity was going on at this address, to establish whether a church was
active there or not," he told Forum 18 from Minsk on 11 November. "We have
Orthodox, Catholics and Muslims – these are the religions. All the others
are sects." He said the Culture Department maintains a record on each
church.

Linkus said that no further police action is envisaged in the wake of the
questioning of the family and their neighbours. "We just checked the
address, that’s all." He denied claims by the family that the local police
officer asked intrusive questions about their faith and religious practice,
and reports that neighbours were shocked by the police questions. "That’s
all made up. Don’t believe everything you hear. No one complained to us
about the visit."

Linkus insisted there was nothing special about the Culture Department’s
request, and said that his District Police gets "thousands" of such
requests from various state agencies on many issues each year.

The Head of the Culture Department, Vladimir Karachevsky, told Forum 18 on
11 November that his Department handles ancient monuments and the like and
has no connection with religious activity. Asked for clarification of who
had ordered the police visit, Linkus told Forum 18 that he would answer no
more questions, that he did not care what Forum 18 wrote, and would throw
the Kagramanyan family out onto the street and give their flat to someone
else.

Local police inspector Major Vladimir Filimonov of Minsk’s Frunze District
Police arrived at the family home at about 9pm on 26 October, Kristina
Kagramanyan told Forum 18. "One of his first questions was ‘What were you
doing at New Life Church?’ He asked my husband Armen if he serves there as
a pastor, why he was there, what he does when he is there and how often he
visits."

New Life Church has faced relentless state pressure over many years to
oust it from the church building it legally acquired (see most recently
F18News 24 August 2009
< e_id=1339>).

Armen Kagramanyan assists the pastor of New Generation Church in the town
of Baranovichi [Baranavichy] south-west of Minsk, which belongs to the same
Full Gospel Union as New Life. New Generation has faced repeated
harassment, most recently a raid in June and a fine in July (see F18News 16
July 2009 < 1327>).

Major Filimonov – who Kristina Kagramanyan said was polite and appeared to
be uncomfortable asking such questions – then moved on to more general
questions, such as "Why are you a believer?". Filimonov wrote down the
family’s answers and insisted that Armen Kagramanyan sign the record. When
Kristina Kagramanyan asked him why he needed the information, Filimonov
said a new department had been set up in Frunze District police "on this
question", but refused to say what the "question" was.

Deputy Police Chief Linkus denied to Forum 18 that any such department had
been established, saying that the information had been passed on to the
Culture Department.

"I asked the inspector if it was a crime to be a believer," Kristina
Kagramanyan told Forum 18. "I believe they wanted us to understand that if
my husband continues to believe as he believes, they will try to expel him
from the country." Armen Kagramanyan, an ethnic Armenian from
Nagorno-Karabakh in the south Caucasus, has lived in Belarus since 1991 but
has no citizenship. She said he has a valid residence permit, but his
repeated applications for Belarusian citizenship have been rejected without
explanation.

Major Filimonov confirmed to Forum 18 on 10 November that he visited the
Kagramanyan family in their home. "I was just fulfilling my duty in
accordance with the instruction from the Executive Committee." He
vehemently denied that he had asked the family or the neighbours any
intrusive questions or that he had been aggressive. "The conversation took
place in an excellent atmosphere and we parted amicably." He denied that he
had described the family to neighbours as "sectarians".

Baptist church fined, charges against another dropped

Transfiguration Baptist Church in the village of Voropaevo in Postavy
District of Vitebsk [Vitsyebsk] Region has been fined for meeting for
worship in its own building. The church was visited during a service on 22
September by Sergei Kiselev, the District inspector of the Department of
State Control of Nature and Land Use. He drew up a record of an
administrative offence, seen by Forum 18, alleging that the church was
using the property for religious worship unlawfully.

The congregation was taken to Postavy District Court where, on 5 October,
Judge Anna Romanovich found it guilty of violating Article 15.10 Part 3 of
the Administrative Violations Code, which punishes using a plot of land not
for its purpose with fines on legal entities of up to 100 times the minimum
monthly wage. She fined the congregation the minimum fine of 700,000
Belarusian Roubles (1,446 Norwegian Kroner, 172 Euros or 258 US Dollars),
the verdict reveals.

Pastor Aleksei Alshevsky told Forum 18 on 10 November that this represents
three months’ average wage locally. Unhappy with the ruling, the
congregation challenged the fine at Vitebsk Regional Court, but on 28
October, Judge S. Ivanova upheld the fine.

Alshevsky complained of discrimination, pointing out that the Catholics
and the Russian Orthodox both have churches locally, one of which is a
former shop and the other an adapted private house. "Some Churches are
privileged while the rest are fined," he told Forum 18.

In documents seen by Forum 18, Transfiguration Church – which is
registered – was given permission to use their free-standing building by
the local Executive Committee in 2004, 2005 and 2006. In a letter also seen
by Forum 18, on 4 November Leonid Gulyako, the state Plenipotentiary for
Religious and Ethnic Affairs confirmed to the congregation that it can
legally use its property for worship.

However, both courts ruled that when Pastor Alshevsky sold the building
(for a nominal sum) to the congregation in 2005 for continuing use as a
place of worship, the sale once more made the house a residential property
for which the permission for use as a place of worship had lapsed.

Alshevsky says his congregation will complain about the court decisions to
the Presidential Administration.

Marina Tsvilik, who works in Gulyako’s office and who drafted the 4
November response, said that personally she feels some "understanding" for
Alshevsky. "Let them come to us to resolve this," she told Forum 18 from
Minsk on 10 December. "There’s always a legal way."

Asked why such a complex web of regulations exists over what properties
can and cannot be used for religious worship and why religious believers
are punished for meeting for worship when people who gather in homes to
drink beer or watch football are not, Tsvilik responded: "It is a question
of the Law." She insisted that the fines handed down on religious
communities are for "various reasons".

Meanwhile, Postavy District Court told Forum 18 on 11 November that the
administrative case against Council of Churches Baptist Sergei Dedovets for
leading unregistered religious worship in a private home in Postavy was
withdrawn "a month ago". "No offence had been committed," the court
chancellery noted. "It was all thanks to the prayers of people around the
world that the charges were dropped," members of his family told Forum 18
the same day.

The Council of Churches congregation was raided by a local ideology
official, Anna Mukhlya, and a police officer during Sunday worship on 27
September, when the charges were lodged against Dedovets (see F18News 19
October 2009 < 1363>).

Unwilling to discuss why two churches in Postavy District were raided
within days of each other in September and one punished was Alla Keizik,
Deputy Head of the District Executive Committee who oversees social issues.
"Dedovets wasn’t fined, but he was warned he shouldn’t hold religious
services in a private home," she told Forum 18 from Postavy on 10 November.
"Alshevsky violated the land use for the building."

Asked why these communities were being harassed merely for religious
worship, Keizik put the phone down. Forum 18 was unable to ask her what had
changed since 2005, when she had signed a letter approving the use of the
church building for worship.

Conscientious objector sentenced

Jehovah’s Witness conscientious objector Dmitry Smyk was found guilty at
the Central District Court in the south-eastern town of Gomel [Homyel] on 6
November of refusing compulsory military service under Article 435 Part 1
of the Criminal Code. The verdict – seen by Forum 18 – notes that Judge
Grigory Dmitrenko fined him 3,500,000 Belarusian Roubles (7,230 Norwegian
Kroner, 862 Euros or 1,290 US Dollars). He was also ordered to pay 3,000
Roubles in court costs, banned from leaving the country, banned from
travelling elsewhere in Belarus without prior notification and required to
maintain good conduct. The maximum penalty under this Article is two years’
imprisonment.

The verdict reveals that the court did not believe that Smyk’s decision to
"join the religiously inclined people" in October 2006 at the urging of his
wife’s stepfather was genuine. It pointed out that his own parents did not
belong to such a group. "The reference by the accused to the absence in law
of an alternative service, which allegedly prevents him from fulfilling his
duty to the state, the court considers as his way of evading military
service and evading criminal responsibility for this."

The court believed Smyk was merely trying to preserve "the comfort of his
daily civilian life" and rejected his argument that serving – even without
weapons – in a military unit would violate his conscientious beliefs.
According to the verdict, the court believed that as the statute of the
Jehovah’s Witnesses does not specify that their members reject military
service on religious grounds, such rejection cannot be a fundamental tenet
of their faith.

Smyk rejects the court decision. "They said in court that I specially
became a Jehovah’s Witness to avoid military service, but that’s not true,"
he told Forum 18 from Gomel on 11 November. "I didn’t even know about the
attitude to military service until after I joined." He said he is preparing
to lodge an appeal to Gomel Regional Court.

The criminal sentence handed down to the 23-year-old Smyk is the first on
a Jehovah’s Witness conscientious objector since 2000, Forum 18 notes (see
F18News 30 October 2009
< e_id=1370>).

Three other Jehovah’s Witnesses – two of them also in Gomel – were also
facing criminal prosecution. However, Smyk told Forum 18 that the
prosecutor in Gomel has dropped charges against one of them, Aleksei
Boinichev, saying no crime had been committed. "This is interesting, as he
is in the same situation as me," Smyk told Forum 18. However, Boinichev
will again be included in the spring 2010 call-up "and if he refuses he
will again be charged".

Round-table postponed

Meanwhile, organisers have postponed a proposed roundtable in Minsk to
discuss an alternative Religion Law, as they told Forum 18. The roundtable
had been scheduled for 13 November, but was postponed because of the
outbreak of the H1N1 virus.

Earlier plans to hold the roundtable had been obstructed by the Minsk City
Executive Committee (see F18News 30 October 2009
< e_id=1370>). (END)

For a personal commentary by Antoni Bokun, Pastor of a Pentecostal Church
in Minsk, on Belarusian citizens’ struggle to reclaim their history as a
land of religious freedom, see F18News 22 May 2008
< e_id=1131>.

For more background information see Forum 18’s Belarus religious freedom
survey at < 1311>.

Full reports on freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Belarus can
be found at
< mp;religion=all&country=16>.

A compilation of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE) freedom of religion or belief commitments can be found at
< id=1351>.

A printer-friendly map of Belarus is available at
< s/atlas/index.html?Parent=europe&Rootmap=belar u>.
(END)

© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved. ISSN 1504-2855
You may reproduce or quote this article provided that credit is given to
F18News

Past and current Forum 18 information can be found at

PRESS RELEASE
Bay Area Armenian National Committee
51 Commonwealth Avenue
San Francisco, California 94118
Phone: 415.387.3433 Fax: 415.751.0617
[email protected]

NOTE: PHOTO ATTACHED

Bay Area Armenian-American Representatives meet with Armenian Prime
Minister

Nov. 6, 2009 – Representatives from five prominent Bay Area Armenian-
American organizations met with the Armenian Prime Minister, Tigran
Sargsyan, on the occasion of his visit to the Bay Area, November 5-8.
The Prime Minister was attending the ArmTech Congress ’09 in San Jose,
a conference sponsored by the Armenian government, on Armenia’s high-
tech industry.

The leadership of the Bay Area Armenian National Committee, Armenian
Revolutionary Federation, Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural and Educational
Society, HMEM Armenian Athletic organization, KZV Armenian School, and
St. Gregory Armenian church, familiarized the Prime Minister, Consul
General and Armenian Ambassador to the U.S., with the Bay Area
Armenian-American community, its history, institutions, achievements
and challenges. They also expressed the grave concern and
disappointment of the majority of community members regarding the
"Protocols" recently signed by the presidents of Armenia and Turkey,
for the establishment of diplomatic relations. The Bay Area delegation
strongly urged the Armenian government representatives to do
everything in their power to prevent ratification of the Protocols.
They explained that although they are in favor of normalizing
relations between Armenia and Turkey, the conditions written into the
Protocols (including the formation of an "historical commission" and
points relating to existing boundaries), seriously undermine Armenia’s
legal rights and the viability of the Armenian state in the future,
and that they cannot lead to true reconciliation, nor a stable
relationship between the two states.
The Prime Minister spoke at length, defending the President’s signing
of the Protocols, saying that they were good for Armenia; that Turkey
would recognize the Armenian Genocide of its own volition; that
Turkey’s process of reforms to enter the European Union will be a
positive development for Armenia. The Prime Minister described the
normalization process as a "new reality" in regards to Turkish-
Armenian relations. The Bay Area representatives expressed their
appreciation for the opportunity to discuss their concerns,
reiterating their opposition to the current government’s harmful course.

###

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Friday, November 13, 2009

AGBU President Berge Setrakian Participates in Third Diocesan
Representative Assembly at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

>From October 31 to November 3, 2009, the third Diocesan Representative
Assembly of the Armenian Apostolic Church was held in the Mother See of
Holy Etchmiadzin, presided over by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme
Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians and with the participation of
representatives from the Armenian Patriarchates of Jerusalem and
Constantinople; Diocesan Primates from Armenia and the Diaspora;
high-ranking clergy; Members of the Supreme Spiritual Council and
representatives of the laity. President of the Armenian General
Benevolent Union (AGBU) Mr. Berge Setrakian also arrived in Armenia to
participate in the meeting.

On October 31, the opening ceremony of the meeting was held under the
presidency of His Holiness Karekin II. In attendance for the opening
session were Mr. Bako Sahakian, President of the Republic of Nagorno
Karabakh; Mr. Tigran Sargsian, Prime Minister of the Republic of
Armenia; and AGBU President Setrakian. In his remarks, His Holiness
reflected on the current process of development of general guidelines
for the Armenian Church.

Welcoming speeches were made by NKR President Sahakian and Prime
Minister Sargsian. The Prime Minister reflected on the relations and
close cooperation between the Church and State, stressing the
significant role of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the preservation of
national identity.

On November 2, the Diocesan Representative Assembly convened in the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and continued its work under the
presidency of His Holiness Karekin II. Present for the morning session
was the President of the Republic of Armenia, Mr. Serge Sargsian.

President Sargsian addressed the clergy and participants of the
assembly, wishing them success in their meetings. He welcomed all the
steps being taken for the reinforcement of the mission of the Armenian
Church and for the fulfillment of the spiritual needs of Armenians
living in the Diaspora. He also reflected on the 10th anniversary of
consecration of His Holiness, expressing his gratitude for the enormous
work that was accomplished during the last decade. Wishing His Holiness
long-lasting Pontifical years and new achievements, President Sargsian
granted to His Holiness the Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots — the highest
order of the Republic of Armenia — for his efforts in the preservation
and development of national and spiritual values and virtues. Also
present at the meeting was AGBU President Setrakian.

In his speech on November 3, the third day of the session, Mr. Setrakian
reflected on the role of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the history of
the Armenian people and the cooperation between the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin and the AGBU in the national-political life of our nation.

"The Armenian Apostolic Church, as a national church, has had an
undeniable role in the history of our people. Today, in light of the new
challenges facing the Diaspora, our national and spiritual life is in
need of revival and, in this sense, we all need to act with new
approaches and modern solutions."

Speaking about the relations and cooperation between the Mother See of
Holy Etchmiadzin and AGBU, Mr. Setrakian said, "Traditionally our
relations have been strong and enduring. Our cooperation has been based
on the fact that the joint activities of the Mother See and AGBU have
always been favorable for the nation in the Diaspora. In the course of
history, guided by pan-Armenian interests, we’ve walked hand in hand
with the Mother See with love unbiased and impartial. We are united in
our endeavors and goals and certainly we are more powerful together."

Mr. Setrakian praised the activities of His Holiness Karekin II in the
past decade. "In the past ten years, we have witnessed important
achievements in reviving spirituality and spreading the faith. You’ve
not only been a builder, a catholicos who built new churches in our
motherland, but also a true spiritual leader, who consecrated 240 young
clergymen for national-spiritual service. Due to Your active
organizational skills, You are loved, respected and highly valued by
everyone. I wish You good health and well-being, and I wish unwavering
strength to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin," said Mr. Setrakian.

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian program, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.