ASBAREZ Online [10-11-2005]

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10/11/2005
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Catholicos Aram I Calls for US Recognition of Armenian Genocide 2) NATO Parliamentary Assembly Reviews Armenian Genocide 3) Council of Europe Encourages Citizens to Support Proposed Constitutional Reforms 1) Catholicos Aram I Calls for US Recognition of Armenian Genocide His Holiness says there can not be reconciliation before confession LOS ANGELES--His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, made a firm statement calling for proper US recognition of the Armenian Genocide during a special prayer service in honor of the victims of the Armenian Genocide held on October 8 at the Armenian Genocide Monument in Montebello, California. The Catholicos stated that the United States has always stood on the side of justice and human rights and should therefore take a principled stand by properly recognizing the Armenian genocide. The special ceremony was organized as a reaffirmation of the community's commitment to proper genocide recognition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. There were several hundred members of the community in attendance as well as many local public officials including State Assemblyman Ron Calderon, Montebello Mayor Bill Molinari, Pico Riviera Mayor David Armenta, Montebello Police Chief Gary Couso-Vasquez and a representative from Montebello Congresswoman Grace Napolitano's office. `Reconciliation is based on forgiveness; however, there cannot be forgiveness until there is acceptance of the truth and real confession,' said the Pontiff during the event referring to the Turkish government's continuing campaign of denial and the lack of official US recognition of the genocide. `While this monument stands in memory of the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide, it also symbolizes the struggle against evil, the quest for justice, peace and human rights.' His Holiness also emphasized the point that the United States should show greater leadership on this issue by officially recognizing the genocide based on the fundamental principles of freedom and human rights for which the country stands. The Catholicos went on to say that the Genocide Monument in Montebello is a living monument and should be viewed as the bell that tolls reminding the Armenian community to continue the just struggle for the Armenian Cause and remain loyal to the memories of the martyrs of the Armenian genocide. The Pontiff ended his remarks by telling the story of how on April 24 of this year he journeyed to Der Zor to the Euphrates river where many Armenian women and children had died during the genocide and he christened two Armenian children and `the river that had symbolized death for the Armenian people turned into a river of life,' he said. After the ceremony at the Armenian Genocide monument, His Holiness traveled to the Holy Cross Church in Montebello to meet with Armenian youth from the Montebello community. Catholicos Meets with Armenian Students in Glendale On the previous day, Friday, October 7, His Holiness held a meeting at Glendale High School with approximately 1,000 students from the 11 Los Angeles area Armenian schools. His Holiness stressed that students should carry on the cultural and spiritual traditions of the Armenian people. He also emphasized the importance of living life with high moral values and stated that the students should serve as role models in the community. After the Pontiff's remarks, the program included poetry recitations, choir ensembles and other instrumental performances by various students. His Holiness Aram I Presides Over 1600 Anniversary of Armenian Alphabet Celebration On the evening of Friday, October 7, His Holiness was present at the Glendale Homenetmen `Ararat' Chapters special event celebrating the Armenian alphabet. In addition to the hundreds of community members present, also attending were Glendale Mayor Rafi Manoukian, Glendale City Councilman Frank Quintero, Glendale Police Chief Randy Adams and Glendale School Board member Greg Krikorian. During the official remarks, His Holiness emphasized the importance of the Armenian language in defining the Armenian culture and encouraged the youth present to make the effort to learn the language as a means to living their identity. 2) NATO Parliamentary Assembly Reviews Armenian Genocide YEREVAN (Combined Sources)--The Armenian genocide was on the agenda of a NATO Parliamentary Assembly seminar that took place in Armenia last week. Addressing the NATO Rose-Roth Seminar held in Yerevan October 6-9, Halil Berktay, professor of history at Sabanci University, specifically said, `I say that the Genocide was committed. The only question is how to come to its recognition.' He suggested studying various approaches in order for Turkish society to first `realize' that genocide has been committed, `then to recognize it.' Otherwise, he warned that tension among nationalist forces in Turkey would escalate. The Turkish historian also alluded to a proposal by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to create a joint commission of Armenian and Turkish historians to `examine the events of 1915-1918' and determine if they indeed constituted genocide. Armenian leaders had categorically rejected that idea, saying that the Genocide is a proven fact that can not be disputed. In an April letter responding to Erdogan, Armenian President Robert Kocharian wrote: `Your proposal to address the past can not be productive unless it addresses the present and the future as well.' Kocharian stressed the two countries should instead form an `intergovernmental commission' to tackle this and other problems hampering their relations. In his report to the NATO Seminar, Armenian Parliament Vice-speaker Vahan Hovhannisian echoed President Kocharian's suggestions, and called Erdogan's offer to `a clever attempt to fool the international community.' Speaking of Turkey's aspiration to join the European Union, Hovhannisian said Turkish society is not yet ready to accept European values, including the ability to admit guilt. `Turkish society must first change itself,' he stressed. Hovhannisian commended Berktay's clear position of qualifying the events of 1915 as genocide. Sixty parliamentarians from 22 countries also discussed the Mountainous Karabagh conflict, among other topics at the Seminar. The Rose-Roth program was launched in 1990, with the initial aim to strengthen the development of parliamentary democracy in Central and Eastern European countries. Today, the Program also addresses regional security issues, particularly in the Balkans and the Caucasus. The Assembly usually holds three Rose-Roth seminars each year, covering a wide range of subjects such as civil-military relations, regional security, and the fight against terrorism. 3) Council of Europe Encourages Citizens to Support Proposed Constitutional Reforms YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--The top decision-making body of the Council of Europe urged Armenians on Monday to vote for constitutional amendments at next month's referendum, saying that they are `vital' for Armenia's democratic future. `The referendum, to be held on November 27 on this reform, will be vital for Armenia,' Diogo Freitas do Amaral, Portugal's foreign minister and the chairman of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, said in a statement. `By turning out to vote, the people of Armenia will indeed be deciding on changes of fundamental importance for their future,' he said, adding that the proposed changes would shore up Armenia's weak judiciary and create a `more balanced distribution of power between the executive and the legislative branches.' Amaral emphasized that the reforms have been endorsed by the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe's advisory body on legal reform which has been actively involved in the Armenian process. The head of the commission, Gianni Buquicchio, called for a `yes' vote at the referendum during a recent visit to Yerevan. The European Union and the United States have also expressed support for the draft amendments. Western officials say that as well as curbing sweeping powers vested in the Armenian presidency, the proposed reform would facilitate Armenia's integration into pan-European structures. A similar statement was adopted on Monday at a conference of an organization representing various-level Armenian judges. `The constitutional draft is close to being a perfect legal document,' stated the chairman of the Union of Judges, Hovannes Manukian. Armenia's leading opposition groups, meanwhile, remain adamant in rejecting the amendments as insignificant and irrelevant to the country's democratization. In a joint statement last month, 17 opposition parties said their enactment would only `legitimize the regime and prolong its life.' They pledged to work together in trying to scuttle the referendum. But the opposition leaders disagree on whether they should urge Armenians to boycott the referendum or vote against the draft amendments. 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.