Author: Andres-Papazian

COMMENTARY: JUST WHO IS AN ARMENIAN?

2010/11/01 | 11:59

Feature Stories diaspora

The old refrain, who qualifies to be called an Armenian, came crashing
through in real life terms just a few days ago.

At a football match here in Hamburg, Germany, some Armenian guys from
Armenia called some Armenian guys from Istanbul “Turks” because
they were speaking Turkish, not Armenian.

Similar cultural clashes have happened in the past; it’s not a
new occurrence.

Armenians from different regions had met up in Germany to play some
“friendly” football matches. Things got out of hand and punches
were thrown along with some choice invectives.

A local Armenian yahoo forum in Germany has been besieged with
comments; most accusatory in nature of one or another side. Each
commentator believes he or she knows what the correct definition of
an Armenian is.

Let’s put the question on the table – who exactly is an Armenian?

Are the 18,000 Armenians now in Los Angeles jails Armenian? What about
the recently arrested Armenian mafia types who scammed millions in a
U.S. Medicare system fraud? What do you call the Armenians responsible
for the death of young men serving in the Artsakh Army? Can Armenians
who rip off their fellow Armenians or those who plunder the resources
of Armenia, be called Armenian? What about the thousands who leave
Armenia and those who force them to leave?

Naturally, the simple answer is that they are all Armenians. That’s
to say, the way we approach the issue is incorrect. It appears
that whether or not one feels a member of the Armenian nation is
irrelevant. The litmus test is whether one speaks the language or not
or, as many see it, whether one belongs to the Armenian Apostolic
Church. These people don’t even consider Armenian Evangelicals or
Catholics “real” Armenians.

Aren’t some of these same Armenian-speaking, Armenian Apostolic
Church members, in the short-sightedness, allowing for the
gradual disappearance of the language in Armenia by permitting
the establishment of foreign language schools? Are these Armenians
actually “Turks” in disguise? Of course not; but they are Armenians
of a different stripe.

Why can’t we just accept the fact that Armenians are simply a people
just like any other? Not better or worse; a mix of good and bad,
with its share of faults and foibles.

Why can’t we accept the Armenian reality that exists, even though
sometimes it may leave a bitter taste in our mouths? We must realize
that to change this reality we need to understand one another, to help
one another, and not criticize or insult. The principle of “teaching
and being taught” must be a key component of the equation.

Defining a nation and its traits, of course, is different from an
individual’s national belonging and his/her emotions. A nation has a
unique make-up – history, language, culture, religion and, of course,
the native homeland on which it lives, survives, creates and develops
its culture, language and literature.

Naturally, it would be ideal if the traits of an individual feeling
a sense of belonging to a nation correspond to the general traits of
that nation – ideal, yes, but not mandatory.

It is enough that a person feels a part of the nation as a whole;
for the individual to be considered a member of the national family.

Rather than abusing and stereotyping others, we should respect their
feelings. We need to help and show them the way, as it were, so that
they too can fully display our national traits.

Yervand Khosrovyan European Congress of Armenians October 26, 2010

From: A. Papazian

TIGRAN DREAMS OF DESIGNING CARS FOR PRODUCTION IN ARMENIA
Vahe Sarukhanyan

2010/11/01 | 13:30

Feature Stories society

Drawing Sketches While Serving in the Army

I met Tigran a year and half ago while in serving in the army. Their
company was sent to our division on a visiting tour.

He was mainly addressed by his surname, Kharatyan, or more directly
was called the “painter”. Automobile sketches, painted in the guy’s
notebooks, did not impress me at first glance; I just figured the
professional artist had a talented sketching hand. But very soon,
when I was transferred to the company where he was serving, my
opinion changed.

Tigran had a small collection of pictures, especially automobile
sketches which, during his free time, were inseparable from him. He
was so preoccupied with new ideas that he would even draw at night
while other soldiers were asleep.

The following morning he would suddenly take the file out of the
cabinet and show us a new sketch. When I asked when he had found the
time to finish the sketch, he would smile and say, last night. He
also had other interests. He would make wooden jewelry boxes and
small musical instruments as souvenirs. But his main occupation was
to create new automobile models.

According to his parents, Tigran started drawing at 3 or 4 years old,
and his first drawing was a car. While studying at Center for Arts and
Crafts and School of Fine Arts, his interest towards cars grew. At
the age of 12, he started building model cars made out of wood or
paper. Later on he created his own designs.

Tigran is a painter and an educator by profession. He graduated from
the Vanadzor Teachers’ Institute. After his army discharge he studied
at the Yerevan State university of Architecture and Construction to
become an environmental designer, but his main goal was to become
involved in auto manufacturing. While true that there is no auto
manufacturing in Armenia, Tigran says that it is possible to start
small scale manufacturing with a minimal of investment

“I have a series of models planned for production in Armenia. They
are limited production sport cars that I think can be produced here
for the local and foreign market. One is a light, two passenger sports
car, capable of being driven on sand. It’s suitable for a beach
environment. The market for such a vehicle will be the UAE, Iran,
and, why not, Turkey. I think there is no need for a large factory,
because the production will be limited to only 20-25 cars per month,
assembled by hand. “I will be happy if our local manufacturers put up
the funds so that the automobile carry a ‘made in Armenia’ label,”
says Tigran.

He develops these models with attention to all kinds of details – from
exterior looks and interior cabin design, to their construction and
functional features. On sketches and models of trucks and passenger
cars, Tigran emphasizes special technology and innovation in order
to find new design solutions.

Lately he has sent letters to foreign automobile manufacturers in
Germany, Japan, Russia, and Ukraine. Car king BMW has invited him
to bring his sketches to the company’s Munich headquarters. Others
have responded in similar fashion. But the problem remains a lack of
financial resources.

Tigran says automobile design contests are frequently held abroad. One
of the conditions for participating is that designers appear in
person. Again, it’s a question of finances.

Tigran is familiar with the work of successful Armenian automobile
designer located abroad. He has never given up hope that similar
success can be achieved right here in Armenia.

“It appears to me that this is a realistic plan. I am hopeful about
establishing ties with foreign companies. It will then be possible
to organize the production in Armenia. Low volume production does
not require large investment. It will be less expensive than foreign
production,” he says.

“I think the light sport model will become a hit with our young
generation and car enthusiasts alike. In case of increased demand,
we’ll expand into a line of different models and ratchet up
production,”

From: A. Papazian

TWO PARALLEL ARMENIAN REALITIES
Liana Sayadyan

2010/11/01 | 15:00

Feature Stories society diaspora

In Istanbul, Armenian Has No Life Outside the School Walls

A heavy rain had been beating down since morning. I had been
walking for quite awhile to get to my destination, the Karakyozian
Children’s House located in the Istanbul neighborhood of Sisli. The
neighborhood is home to many Istanbul-Armenians.

I was soaked and my spirits had dropped a notch. I finally got to
the gate where a Turkish guard asked me for some I.D. My guide, 18
year-old Kayaneh, told him in Turkish that I was a tourist. He let
us in without any papers.

As I entered the school, my spirits suddenly lifted; I forgot about
the rain and my soggy shoes.

Karakyozian Kindergarten – learning Armenian for the 1st time

A sense of warmth came over me, and not just because it was physically
warm inside the building. Kids were running up and down the halls,
joking and talking in Armenian.

Arousyak Koch Mone, Director of the Karakyozian Kindergarten, came
out to welcome me. She said that Armenian is never heard outside
the classroom.

“Children from Turkish-speaking families learn Armenian here for
the first time. So, we also work with the parents. We’ve come
up with a dictionary of basic words and phrases so that parents can
converse in Armenian with their children.”

The Karakyozian Kindergarten was established in January,
2007. It’s the only independent Armenian pre-school now operating
in Turkey. Even though it is housed in the Karakyozian School building,
the kindergarten has its own administration independent from that
of the school’s. The staff is all Armenian. There is no Turkish
vice-principal or teachers like in the school itself. Instruction in
the kindergarten is in Armenian.

Arousyak regards the kindergarten as an achievement of the Armenian
community and the late Hrant Dink, who raised the issue of the need
for a new community kindergarten in the pages of “Agos”.

62 children, aged 3-6, are divided into four classes at the
kindergarten. The teaching staff is comprised of eight individuals;
two to a classroom. The teacher-in-charge must be a college graduate.

The other is an assistant with a high school degree.

Getting trained teachers is the major hurdle for the kindergarten.

Since there are no Armenian Studies departments at Turkish
universities, instructors teach students at home, using the Armenians
they learnt from their parents or passing self-taught knowledge.

Textbooks from Armenia unusable

Obtaining textbooks is the other problem facing the pre-school. The
staff and the principal put together their own teaching materials and
aids. When they’re lucky, they get their hands on publications
authored by Armenian experts in Europe.

Due to linguistic differences, books and syllabus materials from
Armenia aren’t practical for use by the Istanbul-Armenian
community.

Like other Armenian schools in Istanbul, this kindergarten also
survives solely on contributions raised in the community and the
payments of parents.

The Karakyozian Kindergarten instills a love of art in the children
from day one. There are classes in pottery and music alongside
instruction in English, Armenian and logic. During our visit, Kayaneh,
one of the kindergarten teachers, had dressed the kids up in tiny
smocks. She was showing them how to work with clay. Lined up in the
cabinet, worthy of display, were the clay works of her students from
past years.

Kumkapi school caters to “illegal” Armenian kids

After leaving the Karakyozian Kindergarten, my friend Kayaneh
Chalikian, a Bolsahay native, said we must visit another kindergarten
and school operating in Kumkapi, an Istanbul neighborhood along the
Marmara Sea.

Children of Armenian families illegally residing in Turkey attend
classes at the school. These kids cannot attend Armenian schools run by
the Armenian community since they have no residency papers despite the
fact that Turkey is obliged, under international conventions regarding
migrants, to guarantee their education, regardless of residency status.

This neighborhood was once home to many native Istanbul-Armenians and,
over recent years, has attracted many migrants from Armenian as a
place to live and work. The area is the site for textile, leather and
other factories. The Istanbul Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic
Church is also located here. No wonder, then, that Armenians from
the RA have converged on the area.

The illegal kindergarten and school are housed in the lower floor of
the Armenian Evangelical Church (GedikpaÅ~_a), a towering structure
founded in 1850. The school only goes up to the 5th grade.

We enter and a “mini-Armenia” opens up before us. In the
unheated corridors, children are dashing here and there, speaking a
hodge-podge of Armenian dialects and accents.

Many children only know Armenia through pictures

“Most of the children are from rural areas in Armenia, “says
Heriknaz Avagyan, who serves as the principal and Armenian language
and literature instructor. “Some children were born here and only
know Armenia through pictures.”

In Armenia, Heriknaz worked as a teacher at Yerevan’s Avan-Arinj
High School 180. She moved to Turkey in 2002. She first worked as
an elderly attendant for Armenian and Turkish families. Later, she
met Istanbul-Armenian jeweler Vartan and got married. Her son also
attends the “illegal” school.

It was 5pm and some parents had come to pick up their children.

Sousan Voskanyan hails from Vanadzor, Armenia. She came to pick up
her granddaughter. She and her entire family have been living in
Turkey for the past 15 years.

Sousan works at Istanbul’s KapalıcarÅ~_ı (Grand Bazaar),
repairing old rugs and other handicrafts. She doesn’t plan to
return to Armenia. Nevertheless, she is concerned about the future
of her grandkids since they are deprived of a full education. After
finishing the 5th grade, the boys are sent off to learn a trade. The
girls remain at home where they are self-taught.

The Vanadzor native urged the governments of Armenian and Turkey
to find a way that would allow the school to at least go up to the
8th grade.

In one of the tiny classrooms, with photos of Armenia’s president
and the Catholicos attached to the wall, along with an Armenian
tricolor, Donara Bebouryan was reviewing some class work with her
pupils.

Back in Armenia, Donara taught at PS1 in Gyumri from
1992-2000. She’s been living in Istanbul with her family ever
since. Her two daughters also work alongside their mom at the
school. One teaches Russian, the other, English.

“I’d return to Armenia, but the school needs me”

Donara told me that she definitely would return to Armenia but that
the school needs her. The classes here are based on a syllabus used
in Armenia and the Diaspora Ministry sends them the textbooks.

The school opened its doors in 2003. There were only 7 pupils back
then. Now it has 70. 20 children attend the kindergarten.

The kindergarten, housed in two small rooms, cannot accept new kids
due to a lack of space. Even now, the children take naps in shifts;
some on cots and the others lying on couches.

“There are a lot of parents who want to send their children to the
kindergarten. It’s really a convenience for working families. We
take care of the kids till 7pm. We just don’t have the means to
accept any more,” says Heriknaz Avagyan.

Classroom space is so scarce that parts of the hallway are partitioned
off with curtains to devise make-shift rooms for grades four and five.

The school has no cafeteria. The kids usually bring lunch from home
or the teachers order out.

The Caritas organization has promised to construct a small kitchen
area by year’s end and to supply the necessary equipment and
furnishings.

Right now, the school uses furniture brought from the Karakyozian
Kindergarten. Heriknaz says Karakyozian helps out whenever possible.

The driving force behind the school’s founding was Alex Ouzuroglu,
a member of the Bezciyan Alumni Association.

Bolsahay community didn’t want trouble

At the time, those wishing to create such a school also sought the
assistance of the Armenian Patriarchate. A meeting was convened to
discuss the issue.

Heriknaz also sat in on the meeting. She says it reminded her of
Yervant Odian’s satirical work Comrade Panchoonie. After hours of
tedious detailed discussion weighing the pros and cons of the planned
school, the risks and benefits involved, the Patriarchate gave its
official thumbs down to the idea.

Principal Heriknaz says that most likely the Patriarchate didn’t
wish to ruffle the feathers of the Turkish authorities.

Later Rev. Krikor Agabaloglu, pastor of the GedikpaÅ~_a church,
lent a helping hand. When Heriknaz asked if he wasn’t afraid to
assist, Rev. Krikor replied, “These are Armenian children…”

Turkish authorities know about the school, but have not interfered.

The church lets the school use its basement for free. Parents pay
$60 a months for operating expenses. Neither does the school pay for
utilities, since most religious institutions in Turkey are exempt
for such expenses.

Heriknaz says that the numbers of those leaving Armenia for work
in Turkey is constantly increasing. Thus, there is growing pressure
on the school to expand, both in terms of physical space and in the
number of grades. The legal status of the school remains an unresolved
issue as well.

Rev. Krikor has plans to build a school on church grounds recently
returned due to a court case. Turkish authorities have still not
granted a construction permit.

My Bolsahay friend said there are a number of Armenian schools
in Istanbul, now closed and empty, that could have been put at
the disposal of the “illegal” school, had the church and
community agreed.

“The Bolsahay community should have taken care of it but, like
always, Armenians from the RA did what needed to be done on their
own.”

I then realized why my friend suggested we visit these two schools.

Comparing the two realities of both, leads me to believe that in
Istanbul, just like many other diaspora communities, the divide
between Armenians from the RA and the traditional diaspora is still
a wide gulf to be breached.

In many ways, Armenians from Armenia still haven’t “found
their place” within the traditional Armenian milieu, and thus,
they create their own parallel reality.

P.S. On Sept. 14, 2010, the European Court of Human Rights in
Strasbourg ruled that Turkish authorities “failed in their duty
to protect the life and freedom of expression of the journalist Firat
(Hrant) Dink.” Turkey was ordered to pay 105,000 euros ($135,000)
in compensation to Dink’s widow, children and brother, who brought
the case to court. Rakel Dink, Hrant’s wife, announced that a
portion of the amount would go to the GedikpaÅ~_a School.

From: A. Papazian

WHO REALLY CARES ABOUT INCONVENIENT DETAILS?
Edik Baghdasaryan

2010/11/01 | 15:30

Feature Stories politics

Our leaders are building a nation; stop complaining already!

I was really happy when the Tatev cable car launched its first maiden
voyage high above the valleys and gorges of Syunik. I also had good
feelings towards Russian-Armenian businessman Rouben Vardanyan.

This projects of his was unlike any other Armenia has experienced.

Deep within the bowels of Mother Russia, Vardanyan was able to keep
free of the web spun by Armenia’s criminal oligarchs. That’s to
say he isn’t like the homegrown Armenian model. My respect for him
increased when I saw how humbly he behaved at the day of the cable
car’s opening. He didn’t strut around boasting or fawning for
attention. He was comfortable taking a low-keyed approach.

This impression of Vardanyan would most likely have stuck in my mind
had it not been for a reporter’s photo showing Tatev and Halidzor
villagers hanging from a nearby fence. They were mostly the elderly
and children and women. I saw no young adults. Officials hadn’t let
the locals enter onto the grounds of Tatev were the opening ceremonies
were taking place.

People told me I shouldn’t be paying so much attention to minor
details like this; that the day in question was to be enjoyed by
invited guests and other assorted big shots.

My simple reply is that these “unwanted” villagers should have been
the main attraction that day. After all, one of the supposed reasons
for building the world’s longest aerial tramway is to improve the
lot of the local economy, and hence, these very people. They are more
than just inconvenient details.

It’s due to them and their forbearers that Tatev has stood, bowed but
intact, for so many centuries. This, in turn, allowed the cable car to
be built here, in the historic province of Zangezour. “Details”…I
don’t think so.

Now we all know what sort of people organized the Tatev event and
their pretensions of grandeur. But what about Armenia’s president?

Didn’t it cross his mind to ask – “Where are the local folk?”

And what about the head of the Armenian Church? Why didn’t he ask,
“Where is my flock?”

The local residents kept on the other side of the fence should have
been the “guests of honor”; seated or standing at the front row
occupied by Zori Balayan and the other “esteemed” guests.

Let’s face it, who can be deemed more “esteemed” than actual
representatives of the very people who call Tatev home. Don’t you
think the villagers had an aching desire to stand under the sacred
walls of Tatev on that special day, rubbing shoulders with the invited
guests from far and wide?

The day came to a close in Goris. Organizers prohibited a few regional
reporters from participating in the meeting between President Sargsyan
and diaspora journalists, even though there were plenty of empty seats.

Sousanna Shahnazaryan, a reporter based in Goris, wrote the following
to Hetq about the experience.

“It’s great that Armenian journalists have their own special holiday.

But it turns out that regional reporters were again regarded as the
world’s outcasts. What’s worse is that President Sargsyan mentioned
the Artsakh War in his speech, when all the time there were reporters
locked out of the meeting who were in Goris during the height of the
war, preparing TV reports and bringing back newspapers from Yerevan
by hand. Why were we slighted? Is it because the impression is that
we reporters out in the sticks have nothing to say to the nation’s
president or that we are less concerned with regional problems than
our colleagues in the capital or overseas working in incomparably
better conditions? But we all know that this national holiday is for
all of us, equally…”

To add insult to injury, I doubt that those reporters from Yerevan and
overseas who filed into the meeting hall to hear the president actually
considered the possibility that those regional reporters, shamelessly
barred from the event, had more of a right to be there than they did.

I asked one of the council members of the ruling HHK (Republican
Party), if the party’s “inner sanctum” had ever debated the issue
of Samvel Aleksanysan producing bogus vodka.

“After all, it’s a question of your party’s credibility. They
just might start calling the HHK the party of bogus vodka makers,”
I told him.

For the uninformed, Samvel Aleksanyan is an HHK MP and his “Aleks
Group” company was taken to court and fined 7 times by the State
Commission for Economic Protection for vodka copyright infringement
laws. The company hasn’t paid a dime in fines and has pooh-poohed
the rulings. The company’s lawyer has argued that the rulings are
politically motivated.

Of course, the lawyer could claim that Samvel Aleksanyan is being
targeted with political persecution. Again, he could, but he doesn’t
go so far; he’s let the authorities off the hook.

In court, Aleksanyan’s cronies don’t dispute the fact that they’ve
been up to monkey-business. They accept the charges, but say that the
cases were launched on the say-so of the Ukraine ambassador. (Much
of the vodka they were producing was made to look like well-known
Ukrainian brands).

I guess if Samvel Aleksanyan doesn’t get justice in the Armenian
court system, he will take his case all the way to the European Court
of Human Rights. Now that would be one for the books.

Aleksanyan just doesn’t want to pay, and he’ll probably get away
with it. But, this isn’t want I want to get across, but rather the
answer I got from the HHK council member at Tatev that day.

“Why are you digging up the details? The man has invested $100,000
in a sugar factory,” he replied.

Really, why get bogged down in the “details”?

Who really cares about the plight of villagers, bogus goods, or
illegally felled trees?

The environment you say? Get serious; who cares?

These guys are building a nation and we’re pointing out inconvenient,
worthless details.

From: A. Papazian

ARFD: ROAD MAP ON NKR SETTLEMENT NOT EXCLUDED

Aysor.am
Monday,November 01, 2010

The main event is that no events occur over the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, Head of ARFD parliamentary faction Vahan Hovhannisyan
told reporters.

Asked whether a road map on Nagorno Karabakh settlement may be
submitted at OSCE Summit due in Astana, Hovhannisyan said that it is
not excluded.

“Experience shows that Armenia is able to adopt a road map even at
night, without taking into consideration the opinion of people and
political forces.”

From: A. Papazian

ARTHUR BAGHDASARYAN’S DELEGATION TO TRAVEL TO POLAND

Aysor.am
Monday,November 01, 2010

National Security Council Secretary Arthur Baghdasaryan’s delegation
will pay an official visit to Poland between November 2 and 4 at the
invitation of Head of Poland’s National Security Bureau Stanis³aw
Koziej.

According to NSC press office, Poland’s President Bronis³aw Komorowski
will host Arthur Baghdasaryan during the visit.

A Memorandum of Cooperation in the security sphere will be signed
between the Republic of Armenia National Security Council and National
Security Bureau of Poland.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJAN’S DEFENSE MINISTRY REPORT FALSE

Aysor.am
Monday,November 01, 2010

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry report does not correspond to reality,
spokesman for NKR Defense Army Commander Senor Hasratyan said
commenting upon Azerbaijani media reports that Armenian army allegedly
fired at Azerbaijani positions injuring an Azerbaijani serviceman.

According to Hasratyan, if there are indeed injuries or deaths in
Azerbaijan’s army, Azerbaijani media should look for the reasons in
Azeri army’s morals and manners.

Commenting upon Azerbaijani army’s statement that Armenian party
causes tension on contact line S. Hasratyan said that the only party
causing tension is Azerbaijan, and NKR Defense Army merely responds
to enemy fire.

From: A. Papazian

“EAST-ARMENIA” CONCERT RAISES SUPPORT FOR ORPHANAGE CHILDREN

Aysor.am
Monday,November 01, 2010

Embassies of eastern countries, particularly, Syria and India, and
personally Ambassador of Syria Abdul-Hamid Salloum raised support
for children of Kharberd and Zatik Orphanages at a charity concert
held Sunday, October 31 at Aram Khachatryan concert hall, Yerevan.

The concert entitled “East-Armenia” was organized by the Culture of the
East NGO with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Yerevan Mayor’s
Office, under the High Patronage of Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.

The Culture of the East NGO provided Zatik and Kharberd Orphanages
children’s presence at the concert.

Concert’s information partner is Aysor.am.

From: A. Papazian

SAMVEL TER-SAHAKYAN WORLD VICE-CHAMPION

Aysor.am
Monday,November 01, 2010

GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan won World Vice-Champion title in the World
Youth U18 Championship held in Porto Carras, Halkidiki, Greece,
Armenian Chess Federation website reported.

From: A. Papazian

SITUATION ON CONTACT LINE KEPT STRAINED LAST WEEK

Aysor.am
Monday,November 01, 2010

The operational situation along the contact line of Karabakh-Azerbaijan
armed forces kept strained over the past week. Between October 24 and
30, Azerbaijani army violated ceasefire regime more than 165 times
most intensively firing at NKR positions in Hadrut and Martakert
resulting in death of Armenian serviceman Harut Grigoryan on October
26, around 04:45 pm in Martakert.

It is noteworthy that the enemy undertook provocative actions just
hours after OSCE monitoring mission which testifies to official Baku’s
unconstructive approach aimed at destabilizing the situation. Thus,
only in October, Azerbaijani army violated ceasefire over 750 times
firing in total 7000 shots. Therefore, the only conclusion one
should draw is that the reports issued by Azerbaijan’s official
and unofficial sources of propaganda that allegedly Armenian
forces periodically violate ceasefire regime on the contact line is
nothing else but purposeful misinformation aimed at misleading the
international community.

As to the NKR Defense Army operations aimed at neutralization of
enemy’s periodical provocations, they are coordinated and purposeful
which enables us not only to suppress enemy’s aggression but also to
constantly keep the situation under control, NKR Defense Army reported.

From: A. Papazian