Author: Andres-Papazian

Hranush Hakobyan meets Armenian Diaspora teachers

July 31, 2010 – 17:44 AMT 12:44 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

On July 30, Diaspora Armenian teachers visiting Armenia within the
framework of the 2010 teacher training program paid a visit to the RA
Ministry of Diaspora.

The teacher training program started in 2000 and is expanding its
geography every year. This year there are 83 teachers from 16
countries and, compared to last year, there are more countries and new
regions.

RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan welcomed the teachers,
presenting the main principles of Armenia’s state policy on the
Armenia-Diaspora partnership, as well as addressed the Ministry’s
steps toward preservation of the Armenian identity, the consolidation
of the potential of all Armenians and repatriation. The Minister
emphasized the importance of preparation and training for teachers in
Diaspora Armenian communities and stressed the need for active
cooperation with the youth, RA Diaspora Ministry press service
reported. -DJ-

From: A. Papazian

Stepan Safaryan: NATO PA should refrain from discussing Karabakh issue

July 30, 2010 – 20:46 AMT 15:46 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

After NATO PA session in Riga, Azeri delegation announced that a
possibility to draft a report on Karabakh issue was discussed with
NATO Parliamentary Assembly President John Tanner. The head of
Armenian parliamentary delegation in NATO PA Karen Avagyan denied the
information at the time, Heritage party leader, member of RA
parliamentary delegation in NATO PA Stepan Safaryan stated.

As he pointed out in a conversation with PanARMENIAN.Net reporter,
`Discussion of Karabakh conflict in any other structure but OSCE MG is
unacceptable. In the present case, NATO PA has to realize, the Azeri
initiative aims at raising the issue in international structures
rather than promote its settlement.’

`Should NATO PA accept the suggestion, thus supporting destructive
position of Azerbaijan, Armenia might need to give a serious thought
as to unhealthy atmosphere within the Organisation,’ Safaryan stated.

From: A. Papazian

Sergey Minasyan: Russia assumes political responsibility of aiding
Armenia in case of military conflict

July 31, 2010 – 17:25 AMT 12:25 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Signing a protocol envisaging introduction of amendments to the
contract on Russian military base on the territory of Armenia, Russia
would undertake an obligation to aid RA in case of military conflicts,
according to political expert Sergey Minasyan .

`In addition to August 22, 1997, RA-RF Friendship, Cooperation and
Mutual Assistance Agreement, Russia assumes political responsibility
of aiding Armenia in case of military conflict,’ he noted in a
conversation with PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

From: A. Papazian

Sergey Shakaryants: RA-RF protocol conclusion – military and political
signal to non-regional forces

July 31, 2010 – 18:34 AMT 13:34 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Conclusion of RA-RF protocol, envisaging introduction of amendments to
the contract on Russian military base on the territory of Armenia, is,
in essence, nothing new, political expert Sergey Shakaryants believes.

In a conversation with PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, Sergey Shakaryants
characterized the stipulation that `beside defending the interests of
Russia, Russian military base will be assigned with the task of
protecting Armenia’s security in cooperation with RA Armed forces’ as
a signal to non-regional forces.

`I’d like to once again note that that there’s no new stipulation in a
protocols, with Russian military base initially performing the
function indicated,’ the political expert concluded.

From: A. Papazian

Armenia to host 5th summer workshop of National Association of Art Critics

July 31, 2010 – 18:25 AMT 13:25 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

On August 15-20, Armenia will host the 5th summer workshop of National
Association of Art Critics (NAAC). The significance of contextual
translation in forming correct perception of artwork will be
discussed. Everyday lectures, discussions and seminars are scheduled,
with theoretical and practical parts of the workshop to be held in
Yerevan on August 15-17 and Ijevan on August 18-20.

The seminar was organised with the assistance of SCCA (Almaty), BM
Suma (Istanbul) and Townhouse Cairo art gallery.

From: A. Papazian

Suspected paymaster of Kiev businessmen Shabab Aloyan’s assassination detained

July 31, 2010 – 16:36 AMT 11:36 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

A person suspected of ordering assassination of Kiev’s 4Room shopping
center co-owner, Shabab Aloyan was detained. As the head of criminal
investigation department Valeri Litvin stated, operation on the search
and detention of Merab Suslov, a cousin of Shabab’s wife took several
months.

The operative group located the suspect in Kazan, his recent hiding
place. Merab Suslov will be extradited to Ukraine within 30 days, with
investigation process to be launched upon his arrival, forUm reported.

Director of Kiev 4Room furniture center in Kiev, Shabab Aloyan, a Kurd
of Armenian origin died of bullet wounds on October 2, 2009.

Two of his guards died on the site of armed attack, the PR Center of
the Main Directorate of Interior Ministry of Ukraine in the Kiev
region reported.

According to PR Center, 2 unknown persons opened shooting with
automatic gun as Shabab Aloyan was entering the shop. The guards tried
to resist but they were killed. Shabab Aloyan was wounded. The 2
attackers unknown drove away. One of them had a traffic accident.
Another attacker was arrested days later. Merab Suslov, a cousin of
Shabab’s wife was named possible paymaster of the assassination.

From: A. Papazian

Emerging from the shadow of Auschwitz
Saturday, 31 July 2010 11:24 UK

By Chris Bowlby
BBC News

The small Polish town of Oswiecim (Auschwitz in German) has long felt
that it suffered from association with the horror of the nearby Nazi
death camp, but some residents hope the town can begin to be seen in a
more positive light.

“You want a map of the town, not just the museum?”

The tourist information officer looked sceptical at first, then delighted.

She rummaged in a drawer – clearly one she did not open that often –
and pulled out a brochure.

There were, she ruefully admitted, very few visitors to this place
interested in anything beyond the Auschwitz museum.

It is hard growing up somewhere the rest of the world sees as the
symbol of evil

After I had made my own visit, I headed away from the crowds into the
elegant old town centre.

A modest cafe or two were open, old men sat in the tree-lined square
feeding the birds, shoppers ambled around in a scene you would find in
any small Polish town.

No signs in any foreign language, nowhere selling souvenirs.

While more than a million people arrive up the road at the museum
every year, in the town centre there is no hint of it being a tourist
destination.

Resentment

And this bizarre divide has caused considerable tension.

Although the museum provides some jobs for locals, others complain
about costs incurred in providing, say, parking space for visitors who
bring the town little in return.

Auschwitz was set up to provide slave labour but soon became a death camp
There have been rows when planning permission for the museum’s
expansion has been rejected by local authorities.

And resentment goes deeper than that.

Some people feel tainted by the terrible history looming over this place.

It is hard growing up somewhere the rest of the world sees as the
symbol of evil.

Some visitors to Auschwitz make a point of shunning the town, not
wishing to linger. They cannot understand, they say, how anyone could
still live here.

Jewish past

The reaction from many local people has been to turn their backs on history.

All this was encouraged by Polish Communist rule, keen to suppress
Jewish history in particular.

The Jewish Centre presents local Jewish history since the 16th Century
Oswiecim’s former synagogue was used in Communist times as a carpet
warehouse, until a British academic, Jonathan Webber, discovered it in
the 1980s.

As Judaism was then so taboo, he recalls, he had to pretend he was
looking for an Armenian church.

He paid the warehouse workers a few dollars to carry away the stacks
of carpets and reveal Hebrew inscriptions on the walls.

That former synagogue is now a Jewish centre.

On the staff is Artur Szyndler, who grew up in Oswiecim under Communism.

He told me that all the time he was at school, a mile or two from the
Auschwitz site, he never once heard the word Holocaust.

But after the end of Communist rule, he studied Jewish history at
university, as a growing number of young Poles now do.

Pointing to old maps on the walls of the centre, he explained how
Oswiecim had had a Jewish majority before the war.

With its location at a well-connected meeting point of countries and
peoples, it was known as a place of unusually good relations between
faiths, and for tolerance of refugees.

But that location became a curse during Nazi rule, and Oswiecim was
chosen as the final destination and place of murder for over a million
Jews and many others too, who were deported from all over Europe.

Reconciliation

Oswiecim’s own Jewish residents were among the victims.

There are no Jews living here today, but the centre in the former
synagogue has regular visits from Holocaust survivors who were born in
the town.

It’s important… that Hitler does not have the last word about this place

Father Manfred Deselaers
It wants to draw visitors from the Auschwitz concentration camp site
into Oswiecim to explore the history of the rich society the Nazis
destroyed.

And the Jewish centre is just one of several places in the town
exploring the nature of genocide, and the possibility of
reconciliation.

At the Centre for Dialogue and Prayer, I came across a man who plays a
remarkable symbolic role as the only German living in Oswiecim today.

Manfred Deselaers is a Catholic priest with a ready smile but a deeply
serious mission.

After German reunification in 1990 and much talk of Germany moving on
from its past, he decided to settle permanently here.

He immersed himself first in its darkest history, studying the claims
made by the commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Hoess, that he was a
Christian believer.

Today Father Deselaers runs courses bringing former Auschwitz
prisoners – Catholic and Jewish – together with young Poles and
Germans.

Sometimes even the descendants of Germans who worked at the death camp
are there.

Given this kind of encounter, he tells me, Oswiecim-Auschwitz can be a
place with a “remarkable positive power, which is strange but it’s
here”.

“It’s important that people are not simply overwhelmed, but see
something good,” he says. “That Hitler does not have the last word
about this place”.

It will never be straightforward for Oswiecim to emerge from the
shadow of Auschwitz.

The reconciliation work is a start, drawing on memories of the town’s
brighter history before the Nazis arrived.

It is seen as offering a kind of map – like the map I found buried in
the tourist information office – showing a way towards a more positive
future for a town still trapped in the most terrible of pasts.

Chris Bowlby will also present Repairing Auschwitz on Wednesday 4
August at 1100 BST on BBC Radio 4. It will be available for seven days
after that on the BBC iPlayer.

From: A. Papazian

Reconstruction of ancient oil mill adjacent to Tatev monastery to be
completed by autumn 2011

July 31, 2010 – 14:28 AMT 09:28 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Reconstruction of ancient oil mill adjacent to Tatev monastery will be
completed by autumn 2011, according to restorer architect Amiran
Badishyan.

As he noted during the press tour organized by National
Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia, works on evaluation and area
investigation were organised prior to reconstruction launch. The oil
mill was cleansed of soil it was covered with.

As the architect pointed out, the working mechanism of 18th century
oil mill will be repaired within a year to come, with the final aim of
putting in into operation.

Citing historic data on butter production in Armenia, Amiran Badishyan
noted that in 19th century, Armenia had thrice as much butter mills as
neighboring countries. `Armenians were in possession of all butter
mills in the territory of Georgia and Azerbaijan, having gained
monopoly in butter production business,’ he remarked.

From: A. Papazian

Armenia and Diaspora should unite efforts while suing Turkish
government: Hayk Demoyan

14:52 – 31.07.10

The recent lawsuit brought by the heirs of the Armenian Genocide
survivors leaving in US against the Turkish government and some banks
was a step that should only be welcomed. But the point is that it
leaves concerns that such moves might be fragmentary and therefore
will need to be coordinated, Director of the Armenian Genocide
Museum-Institute Hayk Demoyan.

“I have two comments on that. First, such steps are definitely
welcomed, but there is a concern that they may be fragmentary … and
may not be included into Armenia’s plans,” said Demoyan, adding for
such cases joint efforts by Armenia and its Ministry of Diaspora.

On July 29 Armenian-American lawyers Garbis Davouyan of Los Angeles
and Hrayr Turabian of Queens, N.Y filed a federal lawsuit against the
Turkish government and two banks seeking compensation for the heirs of
Armenians whose property was seized nearly in a century ago as they
were driven from the Turkish Ottoman Empire.

According to Demoyan a joint commission should be established with is
functions being clear-cut, i.e. Armenia should take up all the issues
that it can, while the Diaspora in turn should solve other issues.

“This Turkish state too is responsible for the crime perpetrated 95
years ago,” said Demoyan, adding that Turkey now violates all the
international treaties, including the Losan Treaty, and violates
minority rights.

Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

Archbishop Sumbat Lapajian Laid To Rest

asbarez
Friday, July 30th, 2010

A scene from Arch. Lapajian’s Funeral Service

On Saturday, July 17, one of the longest serving members of the
Catholicosate Brotherhood and the first Prelate of the Western Prelacy
Archbishop Sumbat Lapajian entered eternal rest at Ararat Home in
Mission Hills.

Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian presided over the
wake service which was held on the evening of Sunday, July 25, at Holy
Cross Cathedral in Montebello. Participating in the service were
Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Archbishop
Yeprem Tabakian, Very Rev. Father Muron Aznikian, Primate of the
Western Diocese Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Archbishop Vatche
Hovsepian, Archbishop Mikayel Achabahian, Very Rev. Father Baret
Yeretsian, Very Rev. Father Kegham Zakarian, and clergy members.

Following the service, the late Archbishop’s English biography was
read by Holy Cross Cathedral Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Hagop
Dikranian.

Archbishop Tabakian paid tribute to Archbishop Lapajian, recalling his
life and service to the Armenian Church.

Archbishop Lapajian was laid to rest at Holy Cross Cathedral on the
morning of Monday, July 26. The Prelate conducted the funeral mass,
with the participation of Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Catholicosate
Vicar of Kuwait and the Gulf Archbishop Gorun Babian, Archbishop
Yeprem Tabakian, Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian, Eparch of the Catholic
Church Bishop Manuel Batakian, Mekhitarist Fathers, head of the Syriac
Orthodox Church Archbishop Eugene Kaplan, Minister of the Armenian
Evangelical Union of N. America Rev. Joe Matossian, clergy, and
deacons. Among the more than 400 faithful in attendance were
Catholicosate Central Executive member Khajag Dikijian, Executive and
Religious Councils’ members, delegates, Boards of Trustees and Ladies
Auxiliary members, and representatives of the ARF, ARS, and
Homenetmen.

The funeral mass began with the reading of the late Archbishop’s
Armenian biography by parish pastor Rev. Fr. Ashod Kambourian.

Prior to the Kiss of Peace, and with the reading of Psalms, the casket
was led to the altar for the Extreme Unction service, during which the
Prelate anointed the forehead and right hand of Archbishop Lapajian.
The casket was then rotated four times to face the four corners of the
world, symbolizing the last greetings of the late Archbishop to the
church, clergy, and faithful.

Archbishop Babian then read the condolence letter of H.H. Catholicos
Aram I, in which he exalted the virtues of Archbishop Lapajian,
remembering him as a kind, compassionate, and humble clergyman.

The Prelate delivered the eulogy, exalting Archbishop Lapajian as a
remarkable man and clergyman who devoted his life, heart, and soul to
working for our Lord.

He remembered him as a humble and faithful servant of God, a simple
and kind man who related to every one and empathized with every one,
thus earning the love, respect, and admiration of the community. He
spoke of him as a dedicated son of the Armenian church and nation,
whose life and service bore witness to his deep love and devotion to
our Lord and our church. He was a devoted pastor and spiritual
leader, who was always there, in good times and in bad, and who was
more like a family member to many in his congregation. He was an
effective leader, who as the first Prelate of the Western Prelacy was
instrumental in the establishment of a number of parishes and schools.
He was a talented teacher who influenced the lives of countless
students from Lebanon to the United States, and an exceptional
preacher of the Word of God who dedicated his life to spreading the
word of Christ, teaching it, and instilling it in his parishioners.
`We are privileged to have had a clergyman like Archbishop Lapajian
serve within the Western Prelacy for over four decades, and we are
ever thankful for his many accomplishments and contributions to the
advancement of our Prelacy and to the spiritual nourishment he
provided to our community. He led a life of great service and leaves
behind a legacy which will not be forgotten. Through our many fond
memories, his influence will continue’, said the Prelate.

As the choir sang during the Kiss of Peace, clergy members one by one
ascended the altar and approached the casket to pay their final
respects by kissing the late Archbishop’s forehead and right hand.
Clergy members then joined together to lower the casket from the altar
to allow the faithful the opportunity to pay their respects as well.

Accompanied by prayer and the singing of hymns, the casket was led to
the courtyard of the church. Given that Archbishop Lapajian spent a
large part of his life serving the Holy Cross parish community, per
his wishes and by the authorization of H.H. Catholicos Aram I, he was
interred in the courtyard of Holy Cross Cathedral.

The service concluded with the singing of the Cilician anthem, after
which the faithful to a memorial luncheon at `Bagramian’ Hall, hosted
by the Holy Cross Board of Trustees.

Following the opening prayer, Dr. Hagop Dikranian invited Archbishop
Choloyan to offer his remarks. He reflected on the humility,
goodness, and simplicity of Archbishop Lapajian, as well as his
unwavering faith and devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prior to a slide show chronicling the life and works of Archbishop
Lapajian, L.A. City Council member Paul Krekorian, Archbishop Vatche
Hovsepian, John Kossakian (representing the ARF Central Committee),
Central Executive member Khajag Dikijian, Levon Kirakosian
(representing the Executive Council), and Knar Baghdassarian
(representing Holy Cross Cathedral Ladies Auxiliary) were invited to
convey their sympathies. Letters of condolence from State Senator
Carol Liu and President of Haigazian University Rev. Paul Haidostian
were also read.

In memory of the late Archbishop, the `Holy Cross Archbishop Sumbat
Lapajian Memorial Fund’ has been established.

May his memory remain ever blessed.

Prelate’s Eulogy For Archbishop Sumbat Lapajian
Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know
that your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Dearly beloved,

With a heavy heart we are gathered in this sanctuary to pay our final
respects to our beloved brother-in-Christ Archbishop Sumbat Lapajian,
a remarkable man and clergyman who lived his life true to this
Scripture passage, devoting his life, heart, and soul to working for
the Lord.

It is said the measure of a life well-lived is through the lives they
touched. If Archbishop Lapajian’s life is to be measured by those he
touched, then he lived a truly rewarding and purpose-filled life.
Most of you here today had the good fortune of knowing him personally,
and you all have your own personal memories of him.

Archbishop Lapajian was many things to many people, but he was first
and foremost a humble and faithful servant of God. Having been
orphaned at a very early age, he was raised at the Birds’ Nest
Orphanage under the guidance of Maria Jacobsen, who nurtured him and
shaped him into the man he became. Rather than discourage him, his
lot in life served only to strengthen him, inspire him, and prepare
him for his calling and ministry to help others in need. Through hard
work and dedication he rose to prominence, but he remained humble no
matter what position or title he held. He was a simple man, a kind
man who related to any and every one and empathized with his fellow
man. This humility and sincerity earned him the love, respect, and
admiration of all who knew him.

Archbishop Lapajian was a dedicated son of the Armenian church and
nation. From early on, he felt a calling to serve God, the Armenian
Church, and the Armenian people, and remained steadfast and unwavering
in this calling and mission throughout six decades. He served with
the same conviction and passion from the time of his arrival in the
United States in the early 1960’s until recent years, giving himself
fully to the work of the Lord and to his flock. His life and service
bore witness to his deep love for and devotion to our Lord and our
Church.

He was a devoted pastor and spiritual leader. I am sure there are
generations of families here who were baptized and wed by Archbishop
Lapajian, or had him conduct funeral services for your loved ones. In
good times and in bad, he was always there, whether to share in the
joy of a birth or marriage, or the sorrow of a death. He was there to
celebrate on joyous occasions, and there to console in times of
sadness. To many of you he was more than a pastor; he was a family
member, a father figure, a grandfather, a mentor, a friend who could
be called upon at any given moment.

He was also an effective leader, who was the first Prelate elected to
head the Western United Sates. During his tenure, and even prior to
being elected Prelate, he was instrumental in the establishment of a
number of parishes and schools which are thriving today, and set the
foundation for the successes we have today.

He was a talented teacher who influenced the lives of many of his
students in Lebanon and the United States. Understanding the value of
an education, he dedicated himself to self-education after having to
leave school at a young age to earn a living. He eventually returned
to school, graduating from Haigazian University, and became a teacher
himself. In the many years he spent teaching, he ensured that his
students received the best education he could provide and thus the
best opportunities life had to offer. I am sure his students are
among us today and remember their beloved teacher and his teachings
from long ago.

Finally, he was an exceptional preacher of the Word of God. Each and
every Sunday he stood on this very altar, and before that on the altar
of Holy Cross Church in Los Angeles and of various Prelacy Churches,
and taught his congregation the Word of God through his spiritually
uplifting sermons. He spoke with wisdom yet simplicity, with
solemnity yet humor, in a manner that young and old could relate to.
`Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly’ (Colossians 3:16). The
word of Christ dwelled in Archbishop Lapajian, in accordance with
these words by the Apostle of Christ. It was the guiding force of all
he spoke and all he did, and he dedicated his life to spreading the
word of Christ, teaching it and instilling it in his parishioners.

The Lord gave us this remarkable man, and for that we are grateful.
`The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of
the Lord’ (Job 1:21). We are privileged to have had a clerygman like
Archbishop Lapajian serve within the Western Prelacy for over four
decades, and we are ever thankful for his many accomplishments and
contributions to the advancement of our Prelacy and to the spiritual
nourishment he provided to our community.

And now, the Lord has taken away, He has called His servant home.
`Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest’ (Matthew 11:28). Let us find comfort in that he is now
removed from the physical pain and suffering of the last few years and
in the abiding presence of God where there is no sorrow nor pain, but
the fullness of peace and joy with the Son and the Holy Spirit.

And let us not despair, for his life was truly fruitful. He led a
life of great service and leaves behind a legacy which will not be
forgotten. Through our many fond memories, his influence will
continue.

His loss is being felt far and wide, from the Catholicosate of Cilicia
in Lebanon, to Brotherhood members in various Dioceses around the
world, to our Prelacy, and especially the parish community of Holy
Cross Cathedral where he was a beloved everyday presence for forty
years.

May God bless the memory of Archbishop Sumbat Lapajian, and may
eternal light shine upon him as he dwells in peace in the glory and
kingdom of our Lord Almighty.

Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian
Prelate, Western United States

From: A. Papazian