ASBAREZ Online [03-25-2005]

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03/25/2005
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Putin, Kocharian Praise Russian-Armenian Ties 2) US Oil Company Withdraws from Offshore Azeri Oil Field Project 3) Asbarez Editorial 4) Letter to the Editor 5) THE DOG-EAT-DOG WORLD OF LOCAL POLITICS 6) Performers Turn out to Support Women in Politics: Anahid Oshagan and Nayiri Nahabedian 7) Prelate's Easter Message 8) Primate's Easter Message 1) Putin, Kocharian Praise Russian-Armenian Ties YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Robert Kocharian of Armenia sounded broadly satisfied with the close relationship between their nations but announced no concrete agreements after talks in Yerevan on Friday. "We have had very comprehensive and useful negotiations on all issues relating to bilateral relations, regional and international problems," Putin said at the end of his one-day visit to Armenia. "Russian-Armenian relations are steadily developing in virtually all directions of our cooperation, including the economic, political, and humanitarian spheres," he added. Kocharian described the talks as "friendly and constructive." "I am happy with the atmosphere and results of our negotiations," he told a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart. Putin's meeting with Kocharian was expected to be dominated by economic issues and, in particular, the future of Russia's already extensive involvement in the Armenian energy sector. Observers expected the two leaders to discuss Russia's apparent desire to purchase Armenia's power distribution network and effectively control a future pipeline that will pump Iranian natural gas to the South Caucasus country. Kocharian said Russian-Armenian cooperation in the energy sector was among the issues discussed at the summit but would not go into details. "We have interesting and serious projects here and we discussed their general continuation," he said without elaborating. "We agreed to further spur the participation of Russian and Armenian entrepreneurs in investment and privatization activities," Putin said for his part. Russia is Armenia's sole supplier of natural gas and has a commanding stake in the country's gas infrastructure. In addition, Russian companies control most of Armenia's power plants. Earlier this month, Energy Minister Armen Movsisian spoke out against their possible takeover of the Armenian Electricity Network which is currently owned by a British-registered company. The Karabagh conflict did not appear to have featured large during the talks, with Putin noting that the two presidents exchanged "a few words" about prospects for its resolution. The two presidents were also asked to comment on the situation in Kyrgyzstan whose Russian-backed President Askar Akayev was swept away from power on Thursday in the latest in a series of popular uprisings across the former Soviet Union. Kocharian referred the question to Putin, saying: "You have more information on Kyrgyzstan. We have no embassy there." Putin was keen to dispel widespread belief that the success of the Kyrgyz revolution was another setback for the Kremlin's policy toward Russia's "near abroad." "The developments in Kyrgyzstan were not unexpected for us," he said. "It is the result of both the government's weakness and the country's socioeconomic problems. I think the Kyrgyz opposition will do everything to put the situation under control as soon as possible." "They are not new figures," he said of Kyrgyzstan's new leaders. "We know them quite well and they have done a lot in the past to improve Russian-Kyrgyz relations." 2) US Oil Company Withdraws from Offshore Azeri Oil Field Project (EurasiaDigest)--Officials of the US Exxon Mobil energy firm announced on March 24 the company's withdrawal from a project to develop the Zafar-Masal offshore Caspian oil field after test drilling failed to discover any significant oil deposits, Turan reported. The decision was announced following a meeting with Azerbaijani State Oil Company (SOCAR) President Natik Aliyev to negotiate the terms of the financial penalty resulting from the withdrawal. Exxon Mobil withdrew in 2002 from a second contract to develop the Oguz field after similarly failing to find oil in commercially viable quantities after drilling two trial wells. 3) Asbarez Editorial The Big Why On the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey has launched a worldwide offensive against Armenians. The Turkish government and its domestic opposition, usually at each other's throats (sometimes literally, with fistfights breaking out in Turkey's parliament), have agreed on a joint campaign to deny the Genocideto minimize political damage to Turkey, and maybe even turn the tide against Armenians. It's "understandable" that Turkey's allies, including the United States and Israel, would help in that effortafter all, they've already been helping Turkey minimize damage as the worldwide campaign for Genocide recognition has gained momentum in recent years. But why, on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, is the Armenian Assembly of America helping Turkey deny justice to the Armenian people? True, that's what the Assembly has done in recent years with its support for the US-and Turkish-sponsored "Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission" (TARC), and its most infamous outcome: an anonymously authored report concluding that Turkey doesn't have to pay for its Genocide against the Armenians. But why is the Assembly still pushing that shameful report? Most recently, the Assembly leadership apparently convinced Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Frank Pallone and Joe Knollenberg to cite that report in an otherwise praiseworthy letter, addressed to US Secretary of State Rice, calling for US recognition of the Genocide. Without doubt, the Assembly would say, as it has in the past, that the TARC-commissioned report also confirmed that a genocide took place, so what's wrong with citing it? Well, plenty's wrong with it.~E That anonymous report, supposedly facilitated by the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), did in fact conclude that "The Events [the reference is to the Genocide Asbarez], viewed collectively, can thus be said to include all of the elements of the crime of genocide as defined in the Convention [on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide], and legal scholars as well as historians, politicians, journalists and other people would be justified in continuing to so describe them." But, more significantly, the report also concluded: "no legal, financial or territorial claim arising out of the Events could successfully be made against any individual or state under the Convention." So what's wrong with the TARC-sponsored report is that it lets Turkey completely off the hook for Genocide! It doesn't say that Turkey should admit the Genocide, but it does say that Armenians shouldn't expect to receive justice for the crime that Turkey committed against the Armenian people. So what's so great about that? In fact, it's the single most dangerous piece of "evidence" to citeor to have Members of Congress cite, even when calling for US recognition of the Genocide. There are thousands of credible reports and studies confirming the fact of the Genocide that could be cited. But there is only one with any sort of standing ("thanks" to Assembly's support of TARC and the use of ICTJ's name) that says the Armenians shouldn't expect justice. So, on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, in essence this is what the Armenian Assembly of America is saying: Turkey shouldn't bear any consequence for the rape of tens of thousands of Armenian women and children, the murder of 1.5 million Armenians, the plunder of their valuables and property, the illegal occupation of the Armenians' historic homeland of more than two thousand years, and the devastation of an entire culture. It's time, on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, that all concerned Armenians, including the many decent members of the Armenian Assembly, ask the Armenian Assembly's leadership: Why are you helping the Turks get away with the murder of 1.5 million Armenians? 4) Letter to the Editor Desperate Candidates Sending Wrong Message to Our Youth As April 5 draws near, certain candidates have resorted to taking cheap shots at their Armenian-American opponents in their respective races. A cheap shot, in this case, can be defined as attacking a candidate not on his/her merits and qualifications, but by attaching a negative label to an opponent in an effort to discredit the individual. The clearest case of this negative campaign has been witnessed in attacks by Chahe Keuroghlian (City Council candidate), and Paulette Mardikian (City Clerk candidate), against Ardashes "Ardy" Kassakhian (City Clerk candidate). This tactic has manifested itself in calling Kassakhian a "gusagtsagan" (a party member), and therefore a person who is not independent of narrow party interests. The "gusagtsagan" label is carefully pitched to Kassakhian in an effort to bias a certain segment of the Armenian-American community, which is skeptical of Armenian political parties, and thus, present the candidate as unfit for the position. Of course, there is never a dispute of Kassakhian's qualifications for the position by either Keuroghlian or Mardikian. In light of this attack, it is important to note: 1. Kassakhian's label as a "gusagtsagan" is based on the fact that he has been employed by Armenian National Committee of America, Western Region. ANCA-WR's main activities consist of Genocide recognition and lobbying to increase US aid to the Republic of Armenia. 2. Kassakhian at no time has been a member of any Armenian political party, thus, the tag "gusagtsagan" is an absolute lie. He has wide-ranging support form all elements of the Armenian-American community as well as the non-Armenian sector of American society. A visit to his campaign headquarters will testify to this fact. 3. Kassakhian can be considered a role model for the Armenian-American youth. He is a product of our public school system, attended UCLA, and served as the president of the Armenian Student Association. During this time, he pursued efforts to fight against Turkish Government's denial of the Armenian Genocide in our academic system. Meanwhile, Kassakhian worked with the Armenian Assembly of America, a rival organization to ANCA-WR. Later, he accepted a position with the ANCA-WR as Executive Director. 4. During his stay with ANCA-WR his activities can be summed up in the following major areas: a. Pass laws in US Congress to fight against the Turkish Government's denial of the Armenian genocide. b. Pass legislation in the state of California to establish a Trade Office to facilitate the development of Armenia's young economy. c. Help remove US State Department's haphazard decision to categorize Armenia as a terrorist nation, thus eliminating the complications citizens of Armenian would encounter when landing on American soil. d. Help Iranian-Armenian refugees in Austria join their families residing in the United States. Unfounded attacks against Kassakhian send the wrong message to the Armenian-American youth. The implication of the tactic employed by Keuroghlians and Mardikians is to encourage Armenian-American youth to remain on the sidelines of any activity which aims to defend the rights of Armenian-Americans--if they have any future aspirations of running for office. To remain inactive to such desperate tactics will breed passivity and idleness among our youth, and will help produce a generation of anti-activists. We should not punish youngsters who have devoted an important segment of their life to pursue justice for our community. As the old adage goes "we should fear those who don't believe in anything." Anonymous 5) THE DOG-EAT-DOG WORLD OF LOCAL POLITICS BY SKEPTIK SINIKIAN I know. I know~E I missed you too! I can't tell you where I was or what I've been up to, but what I can say is that I needed a vacation, a long well-deserved one too, I might add. But it looks like I made it back just in time to witness Glendale's battle royale--municipal elections. There's an old Soviet joke that asks "Is politics a science?" And the sarcastic response is "No. If it were a science, it would have been tested on dogs first!" Well, it looks like Glendale might be the first place where science is actually tested on dogs or so it seems from the way the upcoming Glendale municipal elections are playing out. For city council alone there are at least 800 Armenian candidates. OK, that's an exaggeration but that's what it seems like. For the other posts, City Clerk, School Board, Community College Board, Treasurer and others, there are more Armenian candidates participating in these elections than for some parliamentary seats in Armenia! You can't step foot anywhere in Glendale nowadays without coming across someone's lawn sign. They're popping up all over the place from restaurants to tire shops. But this is the nature of elections and we, the innocent voters, have to endure the deluge until April 5th. I've been relatively quiet throughout this whole process but I have been monitoring the activities of all the candidates and I have to tell you that it makes my skin crawl thinking that some of these candidates may actually stand an outside chance of getting elected (sound of hand slapping Skep's forehead.) My favorite pastime is going through the stack of mail that awaits me every evening when I return home. There it is, just sitting in my mail box, waiting to sway my opinion. Here's a word of advice to those sending out mail~ESPELL YOUR OWN NAME CORRECTLY!!! I received a mailer from a Mayor of Glendale whose name I won't mention to protect his anonymity but I will say this that his name is three letters, THREE LETTERS, and it was still misspelled. I won't expand on this because it's too easy. Another mailer had the City of Glendale's official seal on it--placed there illegally I might add by a candidate who is running for a position whose key responsibility is to enforce election codes and fair practices. I read the mailer carefully and realized that this candidate, to whom we will refer to by her initials PM, had: a) no clue as to what she was running for, and: b) wanted to impress her audience with the fact that her husband was a cop. If it were only so simple to win over a voter's confidence then maybe she'd actually stand a chance of gaining a few votes, but it seems as though the cards won't be in her favor with other, more worthy opponents in this particular race. What's really sad is that she's put 50,000 dollars of her own money in this race and seems to have absolutely no clue about running a campaign. Talk about trying to buy your way into politics. Or as Dan Rather said during the last Presidential Election, "This reminds you of that old Will Rogers line, 'it takes a lot of money just to get beaten." My election night prediction for this political amateur is that she loses big time. There was one other mailer that caught my eye and of course it was by another Armenian-American candidate for City Council. What caught my eye was the unnatural appearance of this pompadour combed above his forehead reminding me of an Iranian Chris Isaac. What caught my eye was the fact that the hair had been cut-and-pasted into the photo. Let me repeat this line so it will sink in. The hair had been cut-and-pasted into the photo. How bad was the original shot that the designer felt the need to add fake hair? Why not just cut the head and paste it onto Arnold Schwarzenegger's body? I don't know if I can trust any political aspirant who can't even be honest about his own coif. If it was just mail that irked me, then I'd let you call me an intellectual snob but we've only touched the tip of the iceberg. If you really want to kill some brain cells, watch Armenian cable television and some of the interviews and shows that these clowns appear on. On any given night, there's a candidate on TV trying to convince the viewers that they are the greatest gift to Armenian Americans since "lavash" bread. It's enough to make a person want to cancel their cable subscription. One of the aforementioned candidates for city clerk (PM) speaks poor English and even poorer Armenian. Makes one wonder what her native language actually is. Shouldn't a person aspiring to public office at least speak English fluently if they're planning on serving the general public? Another candidate is only 22 years old (or a recent college graduate) and is trying to convince viewers that she's served the community proudly through the years. Now I'm not a smart man. I don't claim to have all the answers but out of the all the candidates running for council, only two or three have legitimate service in the Armenian-American community and from the sea of candidates for the Clerk's race, only one (and here's a hint--he's not a woman) has any legitimate claim to having served his community with distinction. Alas, the way these campaigns are being run, the winners may end up being people who think that serving the Armenian community means having worked a year or two at the front counter of Zankou Chicken instead of having done something of actual substance and meaning. I know some of you may think that I'm being a little rough on "our" candidates. But really, they're not MY candidates. In fact, if you want them, you can have them. I'd rather vote for an articulate, intelligent, experienced person who will represent me and my community with distinction than for someone who will make Balki Bartokomous from "Perfect Strangers" seem like President Ronald Reagan. In spite of my rather "harsh" criticisms, I want to point out that I have not endorsed anyone in this column. I'm not telling you who I think deserves your vote. That's for you to decide according to your own discriminate tastes. But do learn about all the candidates, study their stances on the issues and their records of service. Don't vote for a pretty face or a nice head of hair no matter how much Photoshop work has been done to it. But do vote. It's the only way to ensure your right to whine about the miserable state of things later on. Until next time, I'm Skeptik Sinikian, and I approve of this message. Skeptik Sinikian is not a professional political analyst or consultant but does on occasion offer up political pearls of wisdom in exchange for a plate of Zankou Chicken. If you agree or disagree with him, rest assured, he couldn't care less but would love to hear from you anyway at [email protected] or visit his outdated website at 6) Performers Turn out to Support Women in Politics: Anahid Oshagan and Nayiri Nahabedian GLENDALE--Comedienne Lory Tatoulian and musicians Gor Mkhitarian, and Ara Dabandjian, will headline "Women in Politics," an event benefiting the campaigns of Anahid Oshagan for Glendale City Council and Nayiri Nahabedian for Glendale School Board. "Women in Politics" will take place Monday, March 28, 7 p.m., at The Cove, 300 E. Harvey Drive in Glendale. Admission is $40 with a special $20 student discount. All proceeds will benefit the Oshagan and Nahabedian campaigns. Artists and musicians have turned out overwhelmingly for this year's election, supporting candidates who they believe will advance culture and arts education in the city. "Art is a universal language and it is a means to bringing various segments of the community together. I am a great supporter of the arts and I will strive to make Glendale a more vibrant place for the arts," said Oshagan, whose campaign has hosted an art auction and a performance by well-known comedian and artist Vahe Berberian. Anahid Anna Oshagan announced her candidacy for the April 5 city elections in January. She has a vision to bring harmony and mutual understanding to the diverse communities of Glendale. Stemming from her political experience and her dedication and involvement in the community, Anahid will bring a fresh new perspective and will become a unifying force for all of Glendale. Recognizing this fact, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-29) and Glendale City Councilman Raffi Manoukian have endorsed Oshagan's bid for the City Council. "I know Anahid will be a strong leader for Glendale. She has a passion for public service, understands the issues, and will reach out to all residents of the city," said Rep. Schiff in his endorsement. "While working as my district representative, Anahid demonstrated her commitment to our constituents and an ability to effectively respond to their needs." Oshagan is running on a platform to bring our community together and improve the quality of life for all of Glendale. She will protect our environment, reduce the impact of traffic, build more mini-parks, support our police and fire departments and support the development of arts and culture in our city. "I am the fresh new face of Glendale. I want to work with all communities of our wonderfully diverse city and make sure everyone is represented fairly," says Anahid Oshagan. "A vote for me is a vote for the future of Glendale." Oshagan has also been endorsed by the Glendale ANC, the San Fernando Valley Young Democrats, the California School Employees Association, the Glendale Association of Realtors and the Teamster's Union. Nayiri Nahabedian has spent more than a decade teaching, supervising and working in the counseling field where she has directly impacted many families and the lives of youth. Nahadedian teaches courses in policy and child well-being at CSULA and serves as a Glendale City Commisioner. "Nayiri Nahabedian is our choice for Glendale Unified School Board. As an educator, Nahabedian has first-hand knowledge and experience of what we need on the School Board," said Sandra Frank, President of the Glendale Teachers Association. Nayiri and her family moved to Glendale from Boston in 1986. After graduating from Glendale High School, Nayiri enrolled in the Scholars Program at Glendale Community College. She went on to UCLA where she earned a bachelor's in psychology and a master's from the School of Public Policy and Social Research. Nahabedian will work to empower teachers and give them the tools necessary to provide optimal learning opportunities for our students and will promote positive problem-solving skills. Nahabedian values the views of students, parents, and teachers in shaping the future of our schools and will build consensus by listening to all viewpoints and finding common ground. Nahabedian will work to ensure Glendale schools get their fair share of educational funding from state and federal resources. As a School Board member, Nahabedian will promote creative community partnerships with public and private entities to further enhance our District's educational resources. For the "Women in Politics" event, Lory Tatoulian will perform a special stand-up routine. Tatoulian is an actress and playwright whose work explores issues of cultural identity, gender, and ethnic community dynamics. Tatoulian's comedic character-studies define the core of her style. Her explorations take root in theatrical monologues that meld the comedic and absurd experiences of several ethnic groups and social milieus. Her character portraits range from an Armenian waxing lady in Glendale to a French Supermodel who wants to help democratize the world, a hapless jazz singer from Russia, to a Californian car addict who contemplates her free-will on the freeway. Using the stage as her conceptual loom, Tatoulian weaves a dazzling fabric of stories, vignettes, and swatches of sardonic wit. Gor Mkhitarian launched his solo career in 2001 and has released three albums since. He makes fresh and compelling music that successfully fuses traditional Armenian music with both rock and folk idioms. In 2003, he moved to Los Angeles with his bass player Vahe Terteryan, where drummer Jirair Habeshian and accordionist Ara Dabandjian joined the band. Stepping away from his previous acoustic-driven "signature," with the new band he features remarkable musicianship and showcases a different approach to his songwriting. It's Armenian music, as it has never been heard before. Multi-instrumentalist Ara Dabandjian has recently succeeded in reintroducing the classic, nostalgic sounds of the accordion to a new generation of audiences through his performances with Gor, and most recently Ruben Hakhverdian. He will be accompanying both Lory and Gor in their respective performances. Ara also plays lead guitar and keyboard for the band In Progress~E a group that integrates passionate guitar, accordion, and violin sounds with modern and folk musical themes. In Progress~E is due to release their first CD, featuring Ara's musical arrangements, in April 2005. Donations to the Oshagan campaign may be made to "Friends of Anahid Oshagan" and sent to Friends of Anahid Oshagan, P.O. Box 4820, Glendale, CA 91222-0820. Please see oshagan2005.com for more information on Oshagan's candidacy. Donations to the Nahabedian campaign may be made to "Nahabedian for School Board" and sent to Nahabedian for School Board, 1545 N. Verdugo Rd, Suite 120, Glendale, CA 91208. Political contributions are not tax-deductible. 7) Prelate's Easter Message The Resurrection of Christ Is Our Life-Giving Source "And you Lord, by meeting with the Apostles granted them your life-giving greeting and sent them off to save the world." On these first days of Spring, together with the flowering and renewal of nature once again we proclaim the glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and renew the message of our spiritual and national rebirth. Describing the Resurrection of Christ according to the gospels, the hymn-writer tells us about the oil-bearing women who went to the tomb on the third day following the burial of Christ, they discovered that the tomb stone had been moved and heard the angel say, "Christ is risen and conquered death." The Lord revealed Himself to Mary Magdalene and the women accompanying her and to the Apostles. Whoever the Lord met, was blessed with renewed life. "And you Lord, by meeting with the Apostles granted them your life-giving greeting and sent them off to save the world." It is the undeniable truth that the arch of the Gospel rests upon two major pillars: the Death of Christ and the Resurrection. The Apostle Paul describes this truth with these words: "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. And that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures." (1st Corinthians, 15:3-4) By entering through the arch of the Resurrection, the Apostles became the fearless preachers of the new religion and they spread their testimony for the salvation of the World. They witnessed that the Resurrected Lord "was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." (Romans 4:25) Uplifted by the apparition of the angels and renewed by the Lord's life-giving greetings, they proclaimed the Resurrection of the Savior, who lighted up the lives of all those who believed in His Holy Resurrection and followed his teachings, knowing that death was defeated, that there was life after death, and the promise of salvation. Centuries ago, with the faith based on the reality of the Resurrection, our forefathers accepted the Resurrected Christ, received His life-giving greetings and put forth their efforts for the salvation of our nation. Since the first century, the same life-giving greetings were received by the King Apkar and our first martyr St. Santoukhd, followed by St. Gregory the Illuminator and St. Mesrob Mashdotz, St. Vartanantz and numerous other saints, martyrs, and heroes who became worthy of the promise of the crown of righteousness. Indeed the year 2005, is a significant year for our nation nourished by the breath of the Resurrection, as we will commemorate: The 1600th anniversary of the invention of the Armenian alphabet; the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide; and the 75th anniversary of the Great House of Cilicia Seminary His Holiness Aram I, with encyclicals, invited all of us to consider these three historic anniversaries. Will the 1600th anniversary of the discovery of the Armenian Alphabet, along with the heritage left to us by St. Mesrob Mashdots and the Holy Translators, help us renew our spiritual and national path to lead our lives according to the faith of our forefathers? With the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, how will we remember the memory of our Martyrs, and as the children of a resurrected nation stand up for justice honor their memory and demand for compensation for shedding their innocent blood? And will the 75th anniversary of the Seminary, which in our Prelacy will be celebrated during the Pontifical visit of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, in October, in California, serve to mobilize our parents and new generation to brace themselves with the faith of the Resurrection. Let all of us be renewed by the message of the Holy Resurrection and be inspired by the glory of the 1600th anniversary of the discovery of the Armenian alphabet, to lead our lives with faith and commitment. As we commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide by remembering our Martyrs who witnessed the path of the cross at Der Zor, let us renew our pledge to walk the path of truth and justice with the spirit of the Resurrection. With the hope of being worthy of the life-giving greetings of our Resurrected Savior and with the desire of splendoring our spiritual, church and national lives, let us actively support our churches, schools and seminary, so that the new generations will receive a wholesome education and ensure our nation's future. On the occasion of Christ's Glorious Resurrection, we convey our love and blessings to our Prelacy clergy, representative assembly, executive council, all who serve within our parishes, our schools, organizations and our faithful people. It is our prayer that we continue to serve to enliven our people with renewed faith and spiritual joy, warmed by the Resurrection and our Savior's life-bearing spirit, and exclaim: "Christ is risen from the dead. Blessed be the Resurrection of Christ." Prayerfully, Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian Prelate, Western United States 8) Primate's Easter Message To Live Is Christ For I know that through your prayers, and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage, now as always, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:19-21) From prison the apostle Paul wrote those lines, as he awaited almost certain execution. Surely one senses his apprehension beneath the words. He is not a fanatic, who would seek death out as a worshipper pursuing an idol. To the contrary, like our Lord before him during His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, the apostle does not relish the prospect of death, because he knows that life is dear. But at the same time, the question of whether he will live or die is not uppermost in his thoughts. He can find the courage to write, "to die is gain," because he trusts that his killers will not have the final say. The power they hold over him may be real, and consequential. But it is not final. But if to die is gain, then what shall he call "to live"? One can sense St. Paul grasping for the right word to convey life's splendor, its preciousness, its inherent quality of hope. If to die is gain, then to live? To live is... "To live is Christ." That is the way a man facing death resolved to put it. Admittedly, it is a curious formulation--almost jarring to the ear. We should not pretend to fully understand his meaning. Yet we can observe that it is congruent with much else in Christianity: with our Lord's testimony, "I am the Resurrection and the Life;" with the epithet "Lord of Life" applied to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The entire Christian story, it would seem, is an affirmation of life. And so it is a puzzle that this same God, this Lord of Life, chose to subject Himself to death. The paradox is concisely expressed in an Armenian hymn, Miadzin Vorti: "You, the unchangeable One, became man and you were crucified, O Christ our God: you trampled down Death by death." The cause, of course, was a great one: the salvation of mankind. But let us not doubt that things could have been otherwise. God could have chosen to effect salvation through some means other than His own death. He chose not to. Armenian Christians should be clear on this point: Our church does not regard the shedding of His blood as a necessary condition of salvation, in the manner of other Christian denominations. We do not conceive of Christ as some kind of human sacrifice or scapegoat, whose humiliation and death "purchased" salvation for mankind. We stress the free choice of God: His willingness to enter into human history. To take on the infirmities of the human condition: its weakness and vulnerability; its mortality. To do this out of love for His creations, in a divine act of solidarity. Singing Miadzin Vorti should remind us that God could have simply trampled death--period. But He chose instead to trample it with death--to subject Himself to the thing He sought to correct--thus not merely correcting the problem, but affirming the very human condition which had to endure such suffering in the first place. We might say that Christ's death was God's way of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with all the deaths that had gone before. And of anticipating all those that would come after. It is an especially poignant thought for us this Easter--ninety years after the greatest conflagration of death our people have ever known. Knowingly or unknowingly, the Armenians of Ottoman Turkey in the days prior to April 24, 1915, were in the same position as St. Paul: captives awaiting death at the hands of unjust powers. Unlike Paul, most of them were denied the chance even to scrawl a final few words from a prison cell. So we cannot say that they all met their fates with the same consciousness as Paul, or even with the same faith. Our enemy made no discrimination between the believer and non-believer; all were killed, simply for being Armenian. So we cannot say they were all martyrs, in the sacramental sense of that word. But then again, who are we to say whether they have not all been sanctified? To paraphrase the noble words uttered over a different spectacle of death: Their ordeal has sanctified them far beyond our own poor powers of recognition. What we can recognize, as we experience Easter from the perspective of this solemn milestone, is this: That the scars we still bear today, the losses we have endured--whether inflicted ninety years ago, twenty-five years, ten, or even last night--Christ has borne before us. Borne them in anticipation of our own afflictions. Borne them out of His love for us, to show He abides with us, in triumph as well as tragedy. Borne, above all, to assure us that affliction is not the End. There is a final act, not yet performed, but written nonetheless, awaiting its consummation at the true end of things--which itself will be only the beginning of something new. When that day arrives, we can be sure that something of our past affliction will still be with us, even as our Lord's wounds remained visible, tangible, after His return to life. But we will be made new: Not so much reborn, as made whole again. Whole in our bodies and spirits; whole--we are permitted to hope, and obliged to pray--in our relationships with others, too. Reunited with those we have lost along the way. Reunited with those we never knew, but to whom we owe our existence. Reunited with those who are, from our perspective now, still yet to be. All of us, reunited in the bosom of our Lord. Even if such a reunion were only a dream, men would hardly be fools to long for it. But we have been promised, and shown, that it is not a dream, but rather a hope: the secret culmination of human existence. That is the hope which Easter eternally represents. We can enter upon it, if we so choose. And Jesus Christ is our doorway. It was with his eye on that hope that St. Paul was able to face the prospect of imprisonment, injustice, even death. It is our hope, too: our hope for ourselves, to be sure; but more than that, our hope for those countless Armenian souls who perished ninety years ago. Let us carry that prayer in our hearts this Easter, as we affirm: Krisdos haryav ee merelotz. Orhnyal eh harootiunun Krisdosee. Christ is risen from the dead. Blessed is the resurrection of Christ. Archbishop Khajag Barsamian Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.