Month: February 2012

US AZERBAIJANI AND TURKISH DIASPORA START CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRAN’S PRESSURE ON AZERBAIJAN

APA
Feb 17 2012
Azerbaijan

To support Azerbaijan’s independence and sovereignty, the Azerbaijani
and Turkish Diaspora in the US have started an immediate campaign
against Iran’s pressure on Azerbaijan.

The US Azerbaijani Network, a main organizer called an action, to
make sure the Congress and US media are more aware about the recent
events and stand strongly with their regional ally.

“The past weeks saw a rapid deterioration of relations between
the international community and Iran, which has adversely affected
regional allies of the United States, Israel, and the West. Iran
stepped up aggressive rhetoric and propaganda against Azerbaijan,
a staunch US and Israel ally”, read the letters.

The authors remind that, Azerbaijan, which is the size of the state
of Maine, and itself a victim of armed aggression, occupation and
genocidal policies by Armenian military (such as in Khojaly in
February 26, 1992), has been trying to be on good terms with its
powerful southern neighbor, as Iran has a significant population
of ethnic Azerbaijanis living there (up to 30% of the population),
who are persecuted and discriminated for their ethnic and linguistic
“differences” with the ruling Persians. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan
wants peace and stability on its borders and has centuries of bond
and friendship with all people of Iran, after all, Azerbaijanis have
ruled Iran and other adjacent lands for a millennium.

“However, Iranian government TV and radio’s illegal broadcasts continue
into Azerbaijan, its pseudo-religious and pan-Iranian propaganda does
not seem to subside, and it continues to make threats and various
unfriendly gestures towards Azerbaijan, that include killing of
journalists such as Rafik Tagi in Baku in November 2011 and attempting
to blow up Israeli embassy in Baku in January 2012”, they note.

According to the Diaspora members, “one should consider the
reasoning behind Iranian government’s thinking, succinctly put by
Michael Eisenstadt: “Iran tacitly supported Armenia in its war with
Azerbaijan” – because Iranian government wants to see Azerbaijan weak
and failed. Armenia and its enterprises, which have been previously
sanctioned by the U.S. Government for nuclear proliferation and
weapons trading with Iran, are occupying Karabakh region, which is
16% of Azerbaijan on the border with Iran, turning Karabakh into an
uncontrolled area and a black hole for drug trade, weapons trafficking
and other illegal activities”.

“And when, as we recently learned from media interviews, the chief
of Azerbaijan’s Border Service requested to meet with his Iranian
counterpart, over the unnecessary killing of an Azerbaijani border
guard by Iranian border guards in July 2011, the Iranian general
has not responded, for several months now. It is hard to maintain
peaceful and healthy relations when officials cannot even meet,
or when one side’s generals make various unhealthy and unheard of
racist statements about Azerbaijanis’ “blood in veins”, or about the
12th century great Azerbaijani poet Nizami Ganjavi”.

The letters also remind that there are numerous statements in
official state Iranian media since 1991 breakup of USSR about annexing
Azerbaijan to Iran, and other attempts to deny Azerbaijan its right
of existence and its own history – just like it is being done to the
ethnic Azerbaijanis in Iran itself.

“As a consequence, it is the moral responsibility of the US Government
and all branches of government is to show their support to their
strategic ally in that turbulent region and stand strong with
Azerbaijan. Such support should range from statements and resolutions
in support of sovereign and independent Azerbaijan, to supplying it
with defensive systems such as Patriot air-defense systems to protect
Azerbaijan’s energy infrastructure”, say the Diaspora.

BAYRAM SAFAROV: “I WILL NOT SHARE A TABLE WITH BAKO SAHAKYAN”

APA
Feb 17 2012
Azerbaijan

“I will not hold negotiations with person who disrespects Azerbaijan’s
laws”

Baku. Rashad Suleymanov – APA. “We are always ready for negotiations
with Armenian community of Nagorno Karabakh and will try to realize
the negotiations”, said Chairman of Public Union of Azerbaijani
Community of Nagorno Karabakh, Head of Shusha City Executive Power
Bayram Safarov, APA reports.

Noting that he would not express any concrete opinion on the
conditions of negotiations, Safarov underlined that the leadership
of Armenian community in Nagorno Karabakh were avoiding the contacts:
“The leadership of Armenian community avoids meeting with us and they
also avoided meetings in Germany and France”.

Safarov underlined that he wouldn’t share a table with the leader
of Nagorno Karabakh separatists Bako Sahakyan: “I have always said –
I will not share a table with Bako Sahakyan. Who is he? I am ready to
talk with Armenian living in Nagorno Karabakh, who respects Azerbaijani
government, state and constitution. I will not talk with person who
disrespects Azerbaijan’s laws”.

ALI HASANOV: ROBERT KOCHARIAN AND SERZH SARGSYAN LED THE SEPARATIST MOVEMENT IN NAGORNO KARABAKH

APA
Feb 17 2012
Azerbaijan

“All the crimes committed by Armenians are being investigated and
documented”

Baku. Rashad Suleymanov – APA. “The major part of the world community
knows that Khojaly tragedy was committed with the support of the
Soviet Army and a group of separatists in Nagorno Karabakh. Robert
Kocharian and Serzh Sargsyan led the separatist movement. All the
crimes committed by Armenians are being investigated and documented,”
said chairman of the State Committee for Refugees and Internally
Displaced Persons Ali Hasanov when asked by journalists whether Serzh
Sargsyan, Robert Kocharian and Seyran Ohanyan can be declared wanted
by Interpol, APA reports.

According to him, after the documentation is completed, appeal can
be made for the punishment of the criminals.

“Facts are being documented in order to prove these crimes. We
consider that law-enforcement bodies will cope with it. Armenia is
waging serious ideological war against the Turkic world, all Muslims
with the exception of some Muslim countries. I think diplomatic rules
must not be observed regarding this problem. Our diplomats, officials
must openly say the guilt to the face of the culprit. Now is not time
for a diplomatic move. We usually blame international organizations
for double standards, why we must act like them. The issue is not
only Armenia, there are forces that help them. The world community
must be informed about it,” he said.

Chairman of the State Committee said some steps were taken after the
French Senate passed a bill criminalizing the denial of the so-called
Armenian genocide.

“We have decided to launch French version of the website on Garadaghly
tragedy. Let the French people know about this tragedy. It is not
right to regard the decision passed by 126 French senators as the
position of the French people. The French people are not aware of
this tragedy. An ordinary Frenchman is not guilty that the senator
elected by him is bribed by Armenians and acts against the voter. This
decision is also against the French people,” he said.

EFFORTS TO ORGANIZE MEETING OF NAGORNO KARABAKH’S AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN COMMUNITIES CONTINUE

Trend
Feb 17 2012
Azerbaijan

Efforts to organize a meeting of representatives of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani communities of Nagorno-Karabakh continue, chairman of the
Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh public association Bayram
Safarov told reporters on Friday.

We are always ready for negotiations with the Armenian community and
will try that they take place, Mr Safarov stressed.

“I’m not now ready to say on what conditions the talks will be held.

If from their side leadership of the community participates then I
also will take part in the meeting as head of the community,” he added.

Earlier representatives of the Armenian community of the Nagorno
Karabakh refused to meet with the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno
Karabakh which were planned to be held in Germany and France.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. –
are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT UNLIKELY TO APPEAR SOON

Trend
Feb 17 2012
Azerbaijan

It does not worth expecting new opportunities to resolve the
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for the next two years,
editor in chief of the Bulletin of the Caucasus and deputy dean of
the History department of Moscow State University Alexey Vlasov says.

Only after the presidential elections in Azerbaijan and Armenia one
can say that “new opportunities” appear in the conflict settlement
in these conditions, Vlasov told media in Baku.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

“The last meeting between the presidents of three countries
(Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia) in Sochi (January 23) was of protocol
character,” he said. “President Medvedev said goodbye to the leaders
of Armenia and Azerbaijan. I think those thanked him for the efforts
made by the Russian President since 2008 despite all the difficulties,
made to reach some compromise between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

Vlasov said that originally the expectations of Russia’s role in
the conflict settlement were still artificially high. “After Russia
showed the operation in South Ossetia in 2008 as a peace-enforcement
with respect to Georgia, it seemed that it is possible to force to
a dialogue by the negotiation process, rather than by force and the
situation will move from the dead point in 2-3 years.”

He said that the planned work failed because of the factor of the
internal political character and especially Armenia.

Vlasov said that there is a very complex game between the various
political forces – Republicans and “Prosperous Armenia” in Armenia
today. There are parties in Armenia, which categorically deny the
possibility of concessions. There are those which are more inclined,
at least, to discuss a compromise, he said.

“There is a certain underlying theme associated with the fact what
Russia will do after March 4, 2012,” he said. “I think Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict will not be among one of the first priorities for Putin,
as well all the issues relating to Russia’s foreign policy in
a certain period, as the new president must first be engaged in
domestic affairs.”

The elections of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents are expected
to be held in 2013.

“Nobody says that one can settle for one year,” he said. “To move
from a dead point is important from Russia’s position as a mediator,”
he said.

SPONTANEOUS ‘WALK OF CAUSES’ EVOLVES TO WEB DOCUMENTARY
by India Stoughton

The Daily Star
February 17, 2012 Friday
Lebanon

They set out on a whim, without a tent, proper shoes or even a map.

BEIRUT: They set out on a whim, without a tent, proper shoes or even
a map. Norwegian friends Matias Carlsen and Jorgen Ekvoll spent 18
days traversing the length of Lebanon in spring 2010, eventually
walking for a different cause each day.

“We decided to do it on a Wednesday,” says Ekvoll, “and the next
Monday we were out walking.”

Carlsen and Ekvoll wanted to raise awareness of various charities
and social issues in Lebanon as a result of their walk.

“We thought: There are so many things to walk for, so let’s walk
for a new cause every day and let the people on the Internet and the
people that we meet along the way help us decide what to walk for,”
says Carlsen.

They ended up walking for 14 different causes: for peace and health,
for the rights of domestic workers, for orphans, for refugees, for
homeless people, for the recognition of the Armenian genocide, for
worried mothers, nomads and press freedom, and against war, poverty,
discrimination and land mines.

Now their 18-day trek has been made into a web documentary, a series
of 14 five-minute episodes, the last of which was released last week
on their website Since releasing the episodes
online they have raised money for five charities through sponsorship,
and are hoping to find sponsors for the remaining causes.

During their trip the two Norwegians, who speak almost no Arabic, had
numerous adventures. They got lost in the fog on a mountain, had their
wallets stolen and returned, met a shepherd with an AK-47, ran out of
money and got arrested and held for questioning by the Lebanese Army.

In one memorable episode they meet a young man who presents them with a
chip packet full of tiny dead birds to take with them on their journey,
“for a snack.”

The video does not show what became of the birds, and Carlsen and
Ekvoll aren’t sure either. “I think our birds got confiscated by the
Lebanese Army actually,” says Ekvoll. “They were laughing a lot …

They thought it was very funny. But we never saw those birds again.”

The best thing about their adventure, they say, was the hospitality
of the people they met along the way.

“Culturally they seem to be used to travelers like this, people that
cross distances by walking,” says Ekvoll. “They have a tradition for
receiving them … We met so many people who would invite us in and
give us these great experiences.”

The series has been very well-received, in particular by Lebanese
viewers, who enjoy seeing their country from a new perspective. “That
was kind of our intention … To be able to show Lebanon to the
Lebanese people seen from our eyes,” says Ekvoll. “I think a lot of
Lebanese people are proud to see how we have been treated.”

“And they should be,” adds Carlsen.

The series is interesting and often very funny. In one episode Carlsen
wanders from the path, forgetting his fear of land mines when he
thinks he has found a seam of gold in a nearby rock. When he finally
gets hold of it only to find it is mould, not gold, he has a tantrum,
shouting: “This is bullshit man! I’m sure I saw some gold. Every time
I see gold it turns out not to be gold!”

Ekvoll calmly narrates for the audience, explaining matter-of-factly:
“Matias tends to get a little bit moody when he doesn’t find gold.”

The pair finished their trip in Tyre, after walking for three days in
the south of Lebanon without being able to film for security reasons.

“We wanted to film, but we couldn’t,” says Carlsen, explaining that
even without their camera equipment they were stopped every 10 minutes
and ended up being taken away by car for questioning, a terrifying
ride during which they thought they were being kidnapped.

Currently the two friends are considering another walk of causes, this
time venturing up the Nile from delta to source. The famous Norwegian
explorer, Mensen Ernst, attempted to run the same route 150 years ago,
they explain, but died en route. “We just want to … finish his job,”
says Ekvoll. “I think this could be our next project.”

They need to become famous first though, Carlsen says, so as to
raise more money in sponsorship. The pair hope to pioneer a new kind
of travel documentary. “Next time we’re going to make it way more
interactive, doing live videos and bringing the audience in to make
decisions with us on the spot,” says Ekvoll. “This is the next step
we want to take into travel-documentary making.”

“IL GENOCIDIO ARMENO”: PRESENTATO DAGLI STUDENTI DEL LICEO MAJORANA DI DESIO

MB News

Venerde 17 Febbraio 2012
Italia

[“The Armenian Genocide”: Presentation by the students of the Majorana
Di Desio School]

Scritto da Valentina VItagliano

“I giusti contro il negazionismo: il genocidio armeno”: questo il tema
della serata presentata dagli studenti della classe 5B classico del
“Liceo Majorana”, di Desio. L’appuntamento è per lunedì 20 febbraio,
alle ore 21, nell’aula magna del lliceo, in via Agnesi 20.

Alla serata, che sara aperta al pubblico, interverra Pietro Kuciukian,
console onorario della Repubblica di Armenia in Italia, nonche figlio
di un sopravvissuto al genocidio armeno del 1915. Attualmente Kuciukian
collabora con il Museo del Genocidio di Yerevan in Armenia, dove ha
fondato il Comitato internazionale dei giusti per gli armeni.

CA’ ZENOBIO DEGLI ARMENI

Citta Nuova

17 Febbraio 2012
Italia

Nello splendido palazzo veneziano, gia sede del Collegio Armeno,
aleggia la memoria del poeta armeno Daniel Varujan, tra le prime
vittime del genocidio del suo popolo. Un grande, tutto ancora da
conoscere

Uno dei più imponenti edifici di Venezia e tra i più significativi
esempi del tardo Barocco veneziano è Ca’ Zenobio, nel sestiere
di Dorsoduro. Principale punto di attrazione di questo palazzo,
gia sede, dal 1850 al 1997, del Collegio Armeno Moorat Raphael,
ma tuttora appartenente ai padri armeni mechitaristi, è il sontuoso
salone da ballo, i cui grandi specchi ampliano la magnificenza dello
spazio. Ma l’emozione maggiore l’ho provata appena entrato, quando
nella penombra dell’ingresso al pianterreno ho scorto una lapide con
un nome e un volto noti: “A Daniel Varujan, martire e poeta educato
sotto questo tetto ai sublimi ideali della fede e della patria…”.

Proprio quel Daniel Varujan, di cui ogni bambino armeno conosce
a memoria qualche poesia, soggiornò a Venezia, ospite dal 1902 di
questo palazzo per i suoi studi liceali. Divenuto uno dei grandi
rappresentanti del Simbolismo europeo, riuscì a fondere i diversi
orizzonti poetici entro cui si formò (la nativa dimensione orientale
e quella occidentale) in una sintesi originalissima.

Nato a Perknik, villaggio dell’Anatolia, il 20 aprile 1884, dopo i
primi studi a Costantinopoli, proseguì la sua educazione a Venezia,
dove pubblicò la sua prima raccolta di poesie, Fremiti (1906). Di
nuovo in Turchia, si sposò e trovò lavoro come precettore nel Paese
natale. La sua fama di letterato e poeta crebbe dopo la pubblicazione
de Il cuore della stirpe (1909) e Canti pagani (1913). Nel 1912 si
trasferì a Costantinopoli, dove si dedicò con tutte le sue energie
alla rinascita della cultura e della lingua armena, diventando l’anima
del movimento che faceva capo alla rivista Navasart. Tre anni dopo,
arrestato con altri scrittori, intellettuali e uomini politici armeni,
Varujan venne deportato verso l’interno e ucciso il 28 agosto 1815,
nel pieno della sua splendida maturita.

Di lui mi tornano in mente questi versi tratti da Il canto del pane, il
suo capolavoro incompiuto: “Dolce notte estiva. La testa abbandonata
sull’aratro/ l’anima sacra del contadino riposa sull’aia./ Nuota
il grande Silenzio tra le stelle divenute un mare./ L’infinito con
diecimila occhi ammiccanti mi chiama./ […] È dolce per me sollevarmi
sulle ali del silenzio,/ ascoltare soltanto il respiro imperturbabile
dello Spazio,/ finche i miei occhi si chiudano in un sonno magico,/
e sotto le mie palpebre rimanga l’Infinito con le sue stelle”.

La tragica vicenda di Daniel Varujan mi aveva suggerito tempo fa
queste righe – quasi un colloquio col poeta – che la visita a Ca’
Zenobio mi riporta ora alla memoria: “Era maggio, splendore di natura
anatolica. Nessuna nube in cielo a minacciare uno di quei temporali
passeggeri? Niente che facesse presagire l’orrore imminente, come
accade talvolta quando stanno per aprirsi le cataratte del male? No:
le stesse venerande chiese ottagonali, cristalli di fede, dovettero
sembrare eterni a chi allora, candidamente, aveva sperato nel
prevalere della ragione, dell’umanita, della pacifica convivenza. Ma
quella notte tra il 23 e il 24 aprile 1915 a Costantinopoli, notte
per tutto un popolo e vergogna d’Europa, tolse ogni illusione. Tu,
Daniel, fosti strappato alla tua famiglia, alla giovane moglie e ai due
teneri figli, un terzo in arrivo. Facesti giusto in tempo a cacciare
in tasca, con poche altre cose, il manoscritto del poema a cui stavi
lavorando, Il canto del pane: vero inno gioioso alla vita e al lavoro
dell’uomo, legato alla sua terra da una misteriosa sacralita. E via,
verso l’ignoto.

“Stupisce come riuscissi, anche in uno squallido carcere e nelle
angosciose trasferte, a scrivere qualche verso. Non occorre calma
alla poesia, serenita contemplativa?… Ma no: l’apparente idillio dei
campi da te cantato era gia bagnato dal sangue dei papaveri, segnato
dalle ferite inferte dalla falce… Chissa come andò, e quali furono
gli ultimi tuoi moti e pensieri! Fra le cose di cui fosti derubato,
ti trovarono nelle tasche quel manoscritto, finito poi negli archivi
polverosi di qualche funzionario della censura turca, ignaro del
tesoro che custodiva.

“Dopo la guerra, furono necessarie le più avventurose ricerche e una
fortuna in denaro per riscattare quelle pagine gualcite. Vennero
pubblicate tali e quali nel 1921, a Costantinopoli. Oggi anche in
italiano. Veniva alla luce il tuo capolavoro, come altro tuo figlio:
non di carne e di sangue come quello che non avevi potuto vedere. Ma
anch’esso, a suo modo, perfetto. Reso tale dal tuo sacrificio, Daniel”.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH MUST OVERCOME COMPLEX OF SMALL STATE – EXPERT

news.am
February 17, 2012 | 19:34

STEPANAKERT. – Nagorno-Karabakh must overcome its complex of ‘small
state’, European Integration NGO Director Karen Bekaryan announced
during the International Scientific Conference on Friday dedicated
to the 20th anniversary of the proclamation of NKR.

As a method of overcoming the complex he suggested to create a
two-chamber parliament in NKR. The second chamber would consist of
Diaspora representatives.

Another way of overcoming the complex would be to openly discuss the
refugee issue. The rights of Azerbaijanis have indeed been violated.

However, the policy of Azerbaijan made Armenians to attack.

WOMAN IS FOUND HANGED IN ARMENIAN REGION

news.am
February 17, 2012 | 23:02

The 54-year-old Vardanushh Virabyan’s body was found hanged in her own
house in a village in Armenia’s Ararat region. The press service of
Armenia’s Police confirmed this information and added that no criminal
case has been launched as there were no violence signs on the corpse.

There is no information on the reasons of the suicide. The village
residents informed that they are not surprised as the woman was
suffering from mental disorder.

From: Baghdasarian