Author: Andres-Papazian

OneArmenia
135 West 26th Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Tel: 917-443-4265
Email: [email protected]
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ONEArmenia Supports COAF in Expanding Cafeteria and Tooth-Brushing Stations

YEREVAN–ONEArmenia, a for-purpose platform based in Yerevan and New
York City, launches a new campaign for Children of Armenia Fund (COAF)
to bring a Nutrition and Hygiene program to 160 primary school
children (ages 6-11) in the village of Aragatsavan located in the
Aragatsotn region.

Recent surveys indicate that the majority of Armenian school children
consistently skip breakfast and have poor eating habits. Despite the
fact that fruits and vegetables are plentiful throughout the villages,
children in rural Armenia have diets mostly consisting of foods high
in fat and sugar. Extreme poverty in rural communities further
complicates the problem, as parents often cannot afford food items
necessary to maintain a balanced diet. Moreover, since a cafeteria
system is not place in Armenian public schools, children often go
hungry throughout the school day.

Proper oral and general hygiene is another big issue in rural Armenia
due to such basic factors as the lack of dental health education and
poor access to clean water. Over 98% of rural children suffer from
tooth decay, as a result of not brushing teeth from an early age.

The campaign aims to raise $26,000 to build a space where the primary
school children can have well-balanced nutritious meals and brush
their teeth every day. The oral hygiene component of the program will
feature tooth brushing stations (called Brushadromes) built adjacent
to the cafeterias to instill good dental hygiene habits among
children. In addition, the program will include ongoing health
education seminars to children and staff members.

Aragatsavan will be the 4th school to participate in the program. In
2013, COAF successfully opened three cafeterias and tooth brushing
stations benefiting over 400 children in the villages of Karakert and
Lernagog. The Nutrition and Hygiene Program has been one of COAF’s
most popular and effective projects, evoking a high degree of
enthusiasm and interest among parents and teachers. Many local farmers
and parents have donated food items to the program in appreciation of
their children being provided with free meals.

To learn more and to contribute, visit the Indiegogo page:

ONEArmenia is a for-purpose platform that connects the global
community with organizations and individuals who are committed to
making a difference in Armenia. ONEArmenia uses crowd-funding and
transparent reporting to connect donors with projects that build
positive momentum. For more please visit

The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) is a non-profit, non-governmental
organization that employs community-led approaches aimed at improving
the quality of life in rural Armenia, with a particular focus on
children and youth. COAF’s target development areas are education,
health, social and economic development. COAF launched its programs in
2004, starting in one village and expanding to 22 villages in the
Armavir and Aragatsotn marzes of Armenia. This became the inception of
COAF’s innovative cluster village model approach. Eight of COAF’s
beneficiary villages have undergone intensive interventions, while
selected development programs have been carried out in the rest of the
villages. Over 30,000 people have been impacted by COAF’s work. Please
see more at and

From: A. Papazian

CHAMLIAN WINS APPROVAL TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT

Glendale News Press, CA
April 18 2014

School plans to bus students to school, implement carpooling program
with incentive to all families.

April 17, 2014|By Kelly Corrigan, [email protected]

Morning traffic ebbs and flows as children arrive at Chamlian… (File
Photo ) Share on emailShare on printShare on redditMore Sharing
Services

Vahan & Anoush Chamlian Armenian School won approval from the Glendale
Planning Commission to increase its current enrollment cap from 500
to 700 students, reversing an earlier city-mandated cap of 500.

The City Council created the cap in 2012 as a condition of its approval
of a 9,345-square-foot gym, overturning the planning commission’s
denial of the project amid concerns from neighbors about traffic.

About 20 people spoke during the hearing. As before, a main concern
was traffic.

Don Fiske, a resident who lives on nearby Abella Street, said the
increase could mean “major trouble” to the area.

Nearby resident Karen Keene Zimmerman, who sits on the Sunland-Tujunga
Neighborhood Town Council and lives about 500 feet from the campus,
said Chamlian offers a “great quality education.”

“We have no exception with that,” she said, turning to Chamlian’s
principal, Vazken Madenlian.

“But I do agree that I think you have outgrown this space,” she said.

But supporters for expanding enrollment — many of them parents —
spoke to the value of the school’s nurturing environment and strong
academic curriculum.

Madenlian said about 45 kids currently sit on the school’s wait list.

Aline Babaian, who had two children graduate from Chamlian, said that
wait list is hard on parents and students.

“Families should not have to face that issue when it comes to sending
a child to school,” she said.

Commissioner Chang Lee, following statements from neighbors about
traffic accidents, asked Glendale police Lt. Scott Bickle whether
the area sees an unusually high number of incidents.

“It’s really no different than any other school,” Bickle said, but
added traffic on Lowell Avenue sometimes backs up nearly to Honolulu
Avenue during the morning and evening pick-up and drop-off times.

Even so, he said the traffic plan that comes with increasing the
school’s enrollment would help.

Under the plan, the school will bus many students to the La Crescenta
campus from St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church in central Glendale
where a majority of the students reside.

The school will require new students to take the bus to campus or
carpool with others.

The school also started a carpool program, Madenlian said, with 25
parents signing up. In exchange, he said, $50 was knocked off of
those families’ tuition fees.

Commissioner Greg Astorian suggested that Madenlian consider boosting
the carpooling incentive rate that will be available to all families.

“In my opinion, we need to be a little bit more generous. Think about
it,” he told the principal. “But your minimum should be 50 [dollars]
and no less than that.”

Fellow commissioner Erik Yesayan said the worries regarding traffic
were legitimate, but felt the school was addressing those concerns.

“[T]here is a potential in actually decreasing the traffic there,
which I think is a goal for all of us.”

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA: CUSTOMS UNION MARKS GREAT LEAP BACKWARD — ACTIVISTS

EurasiaNet.org
April 18 2014

April 18, 2014 – 11:16am, by Marianna Grigoryan

Protesters march against homophobia at a May 21, 2012 rally in
Yerevan. Human-rights activists fear that Armenia’s accession to
the Russia-led Customs Union could restrict civil rights. (Photo:
Anahit Hayrapetyan)

While President Serzh Sargsyan’s administration touts Armenia’s pending
accession to the Russia-led Customs Union as likely to usher in an era
of prosperity for the South Caucasus country, rights activists assert
that when it comes to democratization, Customs Union membership means
Yerevan will take “one step forward, two steps back.”

The founding members of the Customs Union – Russia, Kazakhstan and
Belarus – all feature authoritarian-minded political systems, in which
freedom of expression is restricted, the judicial systems are firmly
under executive control and non-governmental organization activists
and independent journalists are generally viewed by officials as
subversive elements.

Watchdog groups have offered plentiful criticism of the Armenian
government’s democratization record since the 1991 Soviet collapse,
but activists note authorities have made significant progress in some
areas. Armenian legislation, for instance, now permits alternative
military service and provides for equal gender rights. Some reforms
of the judicial system have begun to address complaints about
institutional independence — on pension reform, the constitutional
court this year ruled against the government – and alleged police
abuses. In addition, grassroots protests in Yerevan have led to changes
in city-government policy, while greater attention also has begun to
be paid to the widespread abuse of military conscripts.

Currently, the Washington, DC-based organization Freedom House gives
Armenia a “partly free” ranking for its observance of democratic norms,
but deems Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus “not free.”

With Armenia set to join the Customs Union in the near future,
some independent rights activists, including Zara Hovhannisian,
believe Yerevan is going to come under pressure from other members
to roll back political freedoms. “We are facing tough times since we
have rejected democratic processes and are entering a club where an
authoritarian regime is enforced, just like in Russia and Belarus,
where human rights organizations and activists are exposed to
harassment,” said Hovhannisian. “We are moving to an area where we
are going to lose ground.”

The Customs Union will do nothing to halt police use of violence, cases
of abuse and harassment of investigation targets, and election fraud,
among other weak areas, contended Artur Sakunts, head of the Vanadzor
office of the Helsinki Civil Assembly and an outspoken government
critic. “The Customs Union has nothing to offer but another exercise
in dictatorship.”

“High-ranking officials in Russia have repeatedly stated that measures
will be taken against those who speak against the Eurasian Union,
and this threat is directly aimed at us as well,” added Sakunts.

A senior member of the governing Republican Party of Armenia argues
that such concerns are misplaced. “We won’t suffer any losses in
terms of human rights and democracy after joining the Customs Union,”
said 37-year-old parliamentarian Hovhannes Sahakian. “The Armenian
government is determined to build a law-abiding and democratic state.”

Customs Union regulations do not contain provisions covering
freedom of competition, independent judicial systems, or civil-rights
guidelines. Some might say that is because the Customs Union involves
an economic merger; not a political merger. But some Armenian critics
see no such distinction.

“After 23 years of independence, we are facing the danger of
losing our sovereignty and national security,” worried Avetik
Ishkhanian, head of the non-profit Helsinki Committee in Armenia, a
rights-monitoring group that receives funding from the Open Society
Foundation-Armenia. [Editor’s Note: The Helsinki Committee receives
funding from the Open Society Foundation-Armenia, which is part of the
Soros foundations network. EurasiaNet.org operates under the auspices
of the Open Society Foundation in New York, a separate part of the
Soros network.

“One of the most important features of a legal state is predictability,
a lack of ambiguity,” Sakunts said. “These principles are not secured
in the regulations of the Customs Union.”

Sahakian, the pro-government MP, refuted Sakunts’ claim as an
exaggeration. “I do not understand why human-rights activists are in
a panic,” he said.

The European Union, which continues to run civil-rights-related
programs in Armenia and recommends various reforms, has said that it is
not closing the door on the country. For his part, President Sargsyan
stated in a February interview with the Czech newspaper Lidove Noviny
that Yerevan intends to continue “productively cooperating” with the
EU in such areas as the “reinforcement of democratic institutions,
protection of human rights and others.”

Reforms will “successfully continue,” he repeated on April 14,
without specification.

But, after six years of such statements, some ordinary Armenians are
skeptical. “Our government is doing everything the Kremlin wants, like
marionettes,” scoffed 35-year-old lawyer Nvard Mnatsakanian. “Who will
believe that the reforms will continue? The main idea [for authorities]
is to keep everyone under control.”

Editor’s note: Marianna Grigoryan is a freelance reporter based in
Yerevan and editor of MediaLab.am.

From: A. Papazian

HRANUSH HAKOBYAN EXPECTS SUPPORT FROM RCIC TO MOVE KESSAB-ARMENIANS FROM VAQIF

20:12, 18 April, 2014

YEREVAN, APRIL 18, ARMENPRESS. By the invitation of the acting
Minister of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia Hranush Hakobyan,
the Head of the Armenian delegation of the Red Cross International
Committee Sarah Epprecht was in the Ministry on April 18.

The Department of Mass Media and Public Relations of the Ministry
of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia informed Armenpress that at
the course of the meeting Hranush Hakobyan introduced Sarah Epprecht
the situation created around Kessab-Armenians. She underscored that
38 elderly and disabled people who were unable to escape, were taken
hostage. 22 of them are in the sole Armenian Vaqif village in Turkey.

Hranush Hakobyan noted that according to reliable information they
ask to move them from Turkey to join their relatives.

From: A. Papazian

A EUROPEAN PLATFORM FOR A DIALOGUE, EXCHANGE OF OPINIONS, AND PRESENTATION OF THE KARABAKH APPROACHES

Tuesday, 15 April 2014 16:01

The April 9 press-conference held by NKR NA Speaker Ashot Ghulyan was
dedicated to the visit of the headed-by-him delegation to Germany,
the results of the meetings, and the events in Berlin.

The NKR delegation comprised Deputy Foreign Minister Felix Khachatryan
and NKR Permanent Representative to Germany Harutyun Grigoryan.

The delegation was invited to attend an information seminar-conference
organized by the Berlin European Academy, which also provided the
possibility of holding meetings and discussions with the German
colleagues.

The RA Embassy to Germany, the Armenian organizations operating in the
country, Doctoral of the Free University of Berlin Andranik Aslanyan
facilitated the meetings. Prior to the event, an exhibition of works
by over ten artists from Artsakh opened April 1 at the lobby of the
Berlin European Academy. According to the NA Speaker, this kind of
cultural event was organized for the first time in Germany, which
is the best proof that Karabakh lives not only with the issue of
the conflict settlement, but also fully realizes all the functions
related to the statehood development.

As a whole, the information seminar-conference was held on the topic
“The Role and Significance of Nagorno Karabakh in the Development
of the South Caucasus”, and in the first part, the Artsakh
Parliament Speaker delivered a speech on “Nagorno Karabakh Today:
the Expectations, Concerns, and Prospects”. Chairman Ghulyan noted
that the participants had been interested in the current situation in
the conflict settlement process, the concern of the Artsakh party, and
its vision of the future, noting that the main aspects of his speech
had supplemented their perceptions of the unrecognized Republic. The
speech was mainly focused on three points – the reasons of delaying
the peace process, the basic result of the 20-year cease-fire, and the
invariable goals of the NKR. The participants’ attention was drawn
to the fact that the goals of the Artsakh people had not changed,
i.e. we strive for the international recognition of the NKR and to
achieve it, we try to use all the possible means.

According to the Parliament Speaker, the visit to Germany, in
particular, the seminar-conference, the meetings with representatives
of the legislature of the Federal Republic pursued these goals.

The second part of the seminar envisaged a dispute, the key idea of
which was that any conflict has a chance to be settled.

Besides the Chairman of the NKR National Assembly, three participants
were also invited. Among them was well-known to the people of Artsakh
Professor of the Hamburg University, Doctor of Laws Otto Luchterhandt
who had repeatedly visited Artsakh and participated in scientific
conferences here. His viewpoint is based on the domination of the
right to self-determination. Another participant, Wolfgang Burns, was
the oldest and most experienced member of Bundestag until September
2013, is the author of the book “A Sample with Small Flaws”, which
is available at our Parliament. For many years, he had headed the
Caucasus Issues Committee at the German Parliament. Last year, he
arrived in the NKR for a few hours and presented his impressions with
great enthusiasm. The third participant, Uwe Holbach, represents the
German Science and Policy Foundation; he visited Artsakh with a group
of experts two years ago. From the German side, the seminar-conference
was attended by influential persons in this country, thanks to whom
the debate was interesting. The German friends delivered speeches
and presented their views on the Karabakh conflict settlement.

Asking questions was planned for the third part of the seminar. The
entrance to the conference was free, and this benefited the Azeris:
there were 15 of them, generally experts and students who live, study,
and work in Berlin. They were led by the famous Azerbaijani lobbyist
in Europe, V. Seidov.

Mr. Ghulyan noted that some of the questions had been addressed to
him, and some – to the German specialists. Basically, the questions
were asked by the Azerbaijanis who were especially active.

They planned beforehand to deliver a speech to present their viewpoint,
trying to oppose the speakers. First of all, it was directed against
the organizers of the event, primarily against the Rector of the
Berlin European Academy, whom they accused of a one-sided approach
to the issue.

The NA Chairman called their arguments rather weak, noting that his
speech and the German participants’ viewpoints had already impressed
the audience, and the anti-Armenian position of the Azerbaijanis
was quite clear. However, the European political culture allows to
represent equally the positions of the parties to the conflict. The
Berlin European Academy’s event showed that the frames of the German
analytical, expert, and scientific circles leave “open window” for
voicing opinions. And everybody can make hisown conclusions.

According to Mr. Ghulyan, the event was quite successful and the
Azerbaijani activeness was exaggerated, which led to the opposite
effect. The debate participants retorted the Azeri viewpoint, thus
proving that it was far from the reality.

So, in response to the speeches of the Azerbaijanis, Mr.

Holbach presented strong languages regarding the totalitarian regime
in Azerbaijan, the undemocratic elections held there, the Azerbaijani
system of values alien and incomprehensible to the international
community. His remark to the Azerbaijanis was as follows: with your
wrong position, bellicose rhetoric, unfounded territorial claims, you
will just make the Karabakh people to toughen still more their stance.

What do this kind of events give? According to Ashot Ghulyan,
they primarily are a platform for a dialogue, exchange of views,
and presentation of our stance and approaches. He noted with regret
that our neighbor’s political and legal justification of the Karabakh
issue remains unchanged so far. According to him, such events are
extremely important, because at such platforms the NKR presents its
viewpoint directly, without any mediated bonds, which allows the
European public and political circles to make a full idea of the
position and arguments of the parties to the conflict.

This course, as Mr. Ghulyan noted, should be conducted also in
non-European countries, slowly, but consistently presenting our
position and approaches.

On April 2-3, a series of meetings were held at the Bundestag, which
has been already made public. At the end, the NKR Parliament Speaker
shared his own impressions, noting the readiness of the Bundestag
members to intensify the bilateral ties and relations.

An agreement on permanent exchange of information was achieved with
the German MPs.

In Potsdam, Mr. Ghulyan visited the house-museum of Johan Lepsius
and got acquainted with the activities of Lepsius House NGO.

The house-museum periodically hosts meetings and scientific
conferences dedicated to Armenian issues, in particular, to the
Armenian Genocide. The parties agreed to hold an event, dedicated to
the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, at the Artsakh State
University in the fall.

Meetings with the organizations of the Armenian community of Berlin
were also held.

Having presented the details of the visit, the Chairman of the National
Assembly answered the journalists’ questions.

Ruzan ISHKHANIAN

From: A. Papazian

SILENCE THE LIES! ROCK THE TRUTH VI! CONCERT ON 99TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

17:27 18.04.2014

Less than a week remains until this year’s Silence the Lies, Rock the
Truth! performance, which commemorates the 99th Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide. This is the concert’s 6th year bringing artists,
the community and human rights organizations together in solidarity
to honor the past and make a statement to the world about the strength
of the Armenian spirit.

“We’ve been preparing for this special show and have a great lineup,”
stated Viza oud player Andrew Kzirian. “It’s been inspiring reaching
out to our youth this year in an unprecedented way to encourage
participation in what is a great cause. With all the recent headlines
and trouble in Kessab and Syria overall – Armenians, and honestly
people all over the world are very concerned with what’s going on –
and with this being the 99th year of denial really highlights how
important recognition of the Armenian Genocide is today,” he remarked.

“Prime Minister Erdogan has once again show the world that its better
to sweep things under the rug rather than face the consequences of
the past, hence the social media blackout and continued implosion to
the truth,” added Viza singer K’noup Tomopoulos.

Silence the Lies, Rock the Truth! is a social justice concert
dedicated to raising awareness of the Armenian Genocide. For the
past 5 years, socially conscious artists in the Los Angeles area have
come together to work with the community through music, activism and
commemoration. This year’s concert features headliner Viza, Armenian
Public Radio, R-Mean, Wild Betsy, Sam Babayan (from the Dirty Diamond)
and Maria Cozette, with music spun throughout the night by DJ HYE FX.

Artists have been working with community youth in an unprecedented
way to spread the word about the show and the importance of being
involved in raising awareness. “Being a young Armenian in the Diaspora,
attending an Armenian school in Los Angeles kept the fire inside of me
alive. 5 years after graduating, going back and speaking to the younger
generation is something very inspirational. It’s important to get them
motivated to know their voice can and will be heard. They don’t need to
be on stage with a microphone, as the world will open their eyes and
ears if we all stick together. We do it as a band when we are abroad
in Europe and the UK and we see the unity there is with the smaller
Armenian communities out there. This show is to revive that fire
inside for our younger generation,” said Viza drummer Chris Daniel.

Various community organizations like the Armenian National Committee of
America – Western Region, Armenian Youth Federation – Western Region,
and UCLA Alpha Gamma Alpha are teaming up with these artists to make
for a high impact show.

“April 24, 1915 marked the beginning of a plan to exterminate an
entire race; a genocide that is denied to this day. Not only are
we fighting for genocide recognition, but also for the continuation
of our culture and heritage that we fought to preserve, stated AYF
Commemoration Committee Chair Lori Tashdjian. “‘Silence the Lies, Rock
the Truth’ highlights our beautiful culture and resilience. Through
programs such as the AYF Youth Corps, Armenian youth are given the
opportunity to travel to our beautiful homeland, experience working
with the children there, and take part in the activism that shows
the futility of the Young Turks plan. We will persevere to reach our
goals of recognition, restitution, and reparations,” she added.

“Organizations like the AYF and ANC do a tremendous job of helping
society become more aware and involved in contemporary issues that
impact the concerns and interests of the community,” Kzirian added.

Kzirian has served as Chairman of the AYF Central Executive in the
Eastern United States and Executive Director and Chairman of the
Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region.

This year, proceeds from the concert will be donated to two needy
organizational projects.

From: A. Papazian

SYRIENS ARMENIER FURCHTEN UM IHRE ZUKUNFT

Neue Zurcher Zeitung AG, Zurich
Montag, 14. April 2014

Jurg Bischoff, Beirut Montag, 14. April 2014, 14:51

Islamistische Rebellen haben im Marz ein armenisches Dorf in Syrien
gesturmt. Den syrischen Armeniern droht moglicherweise ein neuer
Exodus.

Am Morgen des 21. Marz drangen im Norden der syrischen Provinz
Latakia die Rebellen uber die turkische Grenze vor und besetzten den
Grenzubergang zwei Kilometer ostlich des Dorfs Kasab. Wahrend eine
Handvoll junge Manner mit ihren Gewehren die vorruckenden Kampfer
aufzuhalten suchten, packten die rund 2000 Einwohner des Dorfes ein
paar Habseligkeiten zusammen und fluchteten nach Suden. Die Schusse,
Explosionen und die “Allahu akbar!”-Rufe, die zu ihnen drangen,
weckten bei den Dorfbewohnern neben Angst auch die Erinnerung an das
Leiden ihres Volkes, von dem die Alten im Dorf erzahlten. Denn die
Einwohner von Kasab sind Armenier.

Propagandaschlacht

Kasab ist eines der letzten armenischen Dorfer in der Levante. An der
sudlichen Grenze eines Siedlungsgebiets gelegen, das sich uber weite
Teile Anatoliens erstreckte, hatte es die systematische Vertreibung und
Ausloschung der Armenier durch die Turken wahrend und nach dem Ersten
Weltkrieg uberlebt. Nicht ohne seinen Blutzoll geleistet zu haben:
1909 wurden bei einem Massaker uber 160 seiner Einwohner getotet,
und 1915 wurden alle seine Einwohner deportiert. In die Wuste Syriens
hinausgetrieben, fanden die meisten von ihnen den Tod. Nach dem Krieg
kehrten die Uberlebenden unter dem Schutz der Franzosen, die Kilikien
und Syrien besetzt hatten, ins Dorf zuruck.

Die Einwohner Kasabs haben nach dem Uberfall der Rebellen in
Latakia eine vorlaufige Zuflucht gefunden. Rund um das Dorf
gehen die Kampfe zwischen Regierungstruppen und den islamistischen
Aufstandischen weiter, unter diesen eine grosse Gruppe von Kampfern
des Kaida-Ablegers Jabhat an-Nusra. Das Regime hat neue Truppen ins
Kampfgebiet gebracht. Zum Beweis, wie fest die Rebellen Kasab im Griff
haben, liess sich der Prasident der Syrischen Nationalen Koalition,
Ahmed Jarba, bei einem Besuch in der Gegend Ende Marz fotografieren.

Nach dem Fall Kasabs starteten Armenier in der Diaspora eine
Medienkampagne, um auf das Schicksal seiner Bewohner aufmerksam zu
machen. Da die Rebellen uber die turkische Grenze eingedrungen waren,
wurde die Turkei beschuldigt, den Uberfall auf Kasab geplant zu haben.

Der Prasident der Republik Armenien, Serge Sarkissian, beklagte
offentlich die “dritte Deportation” der Einwohner des Dorfes. Medien
des Regimes brachten Meldungen uber Massaker und zerstorte Kirchen,
die in den sozialen Netzwerken weiterverbreitet wurden.

Die Rebellen veroffentlichten im Gegenzug Videos, die Kampfer im
freundlichen Gesprach mit ein paar zuruckgebliebenen alten Leuten
zeigen und belegen, dass zumindest eine Kirche des Dorfes unversehrt
geblieben ist. Der Burgermeister Kasabs dementierte die Berichte
uber Massaker und bestatigte, dass sich alle Einwohner des Dorfes in
Sicherheit befanden.

Zuflucht in der Levante

Die Armenier haben zu Syrien ein besonderes Verhaltnis. “Wahrend des
Genozids haben uns die Turken umgebracht, und die Christen in Europa
haben uns im Stich gelassen”, erklarte der uber 80-jahrige armenische
Schriftsteller und Verleger Toros Toronian aus Aleppo in einem Gesprach
letztes Jahr in Beirut. “Nur die Araber haben uns geholfen.

Sie haben uns aufgenommen, uns erlaubt, Kirchen und Schulen zu bauen,
unsere Sprache und unsere Kultur zu pflegen.” Syrien sei ein Land,
das Vielfalt zugelassen habe, sagt Toronian, die Armenier mussten in
Syrien bleiben, um dessen Vielfalt zu erhalten.

In Syrien und Libanon leben zusammen rund 200 000 Armenier. Die
meisten fanden hier Zuflucht, nachdem die Franzosen 1921 das drei
Jahre zuvor besetzte Kilikien vor den Truppen Kemal Ataturks hatten
raumen mussen. Eine zweite Welle von Armeniern stromte nach Syrien,
als die Franzosen 1938 auch den Sandjak von Alexandrette, die heutige
Provinz Hatay, den Turken uberliessen. Auf Intervention des Vatikans
in Paris wurde Kasab damals im letzten Moment Syrien zugeschlagen,
so dass das Dorf erhalten blieb. 1944 machten die Armenier fast ein
Funftel der Einwohner Aleppos aus.

Aleppo und Beirut sind bis heute armenische Refugien geblieben,
in denen Schulen auf Armenisch unterrichten, armenische Bucher und
Zeitungen gedruckt werden. Im Unterschied zur Republik Armenien und
zur Diaspora in Iran wird in der Levante der westarmenische Dialekt
gesprochen, so dass die armenischen Viertel und Dorfer Syriens und
Libanons heute zu den wenigen Ruckzugsgebieten westarmenischer Kultur
gehoren. Seit 1930 hat auch der Katholikos “des Grossen Hauses von
Kilikien”, einer der zwei Patriarchen der Armenischen Kirche, seinen
Sitz in Antelias bei Beirut.

Bleiben oder auswandern?

Schon bevor der Angriff der Rebellen die Einwohner Kasabs aus ihren
Hausern vertrieb, sind die Armenier von Aleppo in den Strudel des
Burgerkrieges geraten. Seit dem Angriff der Rebellen im Sommer 2012
ist die Stadt geteilt, die Kampfe und die Bombardierungen haben ganze
Viertel zerstort und Tausende von Zivilisten das Leben gekostet. Wie
alle anderen Einwohner der Stadt haben die Armenier Aleppos ihre
Toten beerdigt, ihre Verletzten und Kranken gepflegt, mit Hunger
und Verzweiflung gekampft. Unter den Armeniern in Aleppo machte der
Spruch die Runde “Barfuss sind wir hier angekommen, barfuss werden
wir wieder von hier fortgehen”.

Im Unterschied zu den anderen Syrern haben die Armenier das Gluck,
eine gesicherte Zuflucht zu haben: die Republik Armenien. Laut
Regierungsangaben haben sich seit dem Ausbruch des Burgerkriegs 11 000
Fluchtlinge aus Syrien in Armenien niedergelassen. In der Hauptstadt
Erewan werden bereits Plane fur einen Stadtteil geschmiedet, der fur
die Fluchtlinge bestimmt ist und “Neu-Aleppo” heissen soll.

Doch armenische Nationalisten missbilligen die Flucht ins Mutterland.

“Aleppo ist das Herz der armenischen Diaspora. Deshalb mussen wir die
armenische Prasenz in Aleppo so lang wie moglich erhalten”, erklart
in Beirut ein Funktionar der Dashnak, der nicht namentlich genannt
sein will. Die Dashnak, offiziell Armenische Revolutionare Foderation,
ist seit dem Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts die grosste nationalistische
Partei der Armenier und in der Levante noch heute deren wichtigste
politische Stimme. In Syrien vertritt der armenische Nationalist ein
“pragmatisches” Verhalten: “Wir mussen loyale Burger des syrischen
Staates bleiben, ohne uns im Burgerkrieg auf eine Seite zu stellen.”

“Flucht ist keine Option”

Gelegentliche Berichte im Internet uber armenische Kampfergruppen,
die fur Asad oder fur die Rebellen Partei genommen hatten, bezeichnen
syrische Armenier als unglaubwurdig. Es gebe einige junge Manner, die
auf der einen oder auf der anderen Seite kampften, sagt Toronian. “Sie
tun das fur Geld oder um sich als Helden zu fuhlen. Die armenische
Gemeinschaft jedoch hat ihre Neutralitat erklart.” Diese Haltung
grundet in der traumatischen armenischen Erfahrung der letzten hundert
Jahre, denn wann immer sich die Armenier in einen Krieg gesturzt haben,
waren sie die Verlierer.

“Auch wenn die Islamisten heute am Eingang zu den armenischen Vierteln
Aleppos stehen, ist Flucht keine Option”, sagt der Dashnak-Mann.

“Sollen wir sie nach Beirut bringen? Doch wer sagt, dass Libanon
auf die Dauer sicherer ist?” Auch die Republik Armenien komme nur
beschrankt als Zuflucht infrage, da sie wirtschaftlich zu schwach
sei, um Zehntausende von Fluchtlingen aufzunehmen. In der Tat sind
wiederholte Kampagnen, Armenier aus der Diaspora ins Land zu holen,
seit den Sowjetzeiten klaglich gescheitert, weil die “Heimkehrer”
bald entweder in ihren alten Wohnort zuruckkehrten oder nach Europa
und Amerika weiterzogen. Oder in die Turkei? “Daran will ich gar
nicht denken!”, sagt der Nationalist schaudernd.

From: A. Papazian

IMPRISONED KARABAKH WAR VETERAN CLAIMS FAMILY MEMBERS ALSO PERSECUTED

04.17.2014 18:39 epress.am

Accused of taking bribes and in pre-trial detention since September 20,
2013, Reserve Colonel, Karabakh War veteran Volodya Avetisyan today
issued a statement in which he said that his political views not only
haven’t changed, but have become stronger since his imprisonment.

In the statement, Avetisyan claims that from the very beginning,
various high-ranking officials under the direction of Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan have “seduced” and bribed him, offering a
position, business, or a large sum of money to stay quiet. “But I
refused, as I cannot sell my soul or my Homeland,” he writes.

Avetisyan also says that he has health problems, but “with the
aim of seeking revenge,” the authorities have not provided medical
assistance. Moreover, he adds, the administration is persecuting not
only him, but also his family members. Avetisyan asserts that his son
Avetis Avetisyan was drafted unlawfully, since, due to severe illness,
he is not fit for military service.

“I am more than convinced that this administration is at war with our
people. It is nothing if not an internal enemy, which today openly
surrenders our country to a foreign power. So it must be expelled
and held accountable.

“I call upon my military friends and our entire people, just as during
the Artsakh Movement we fought against a foreign enemy and liberated
Artsakh, so too now we must come together and fight against an internal
enemy and liberate all of Armenia,” he wrote.

From: A. Papazian

NAGORNO-KARABAKH CANNOT FORM ALLIANCE WITH AZERBAIJAN – RUBEN MELKONYAN

17:30 â~@¢ 17.04.14

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) cannot form an alliance with a
state inferior to it, and Azerbaijan’s statements show its desire to
fish in troubled waters, expert in Turkic studies Ruben Melkonyan
told Tert.am as he commented on Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov’s
statement that Azerbaijan is ready to grant the highest-level autonomy
for Nagorno-Karabakh.

“His statements are not worth any attention,” the expert said.

He pointed out active regional developments, and any impetus can
intensify them.

Although the Crimea is not directly linked with the South Caucasus,
the ongoing developments in Ukraine, as well as in Azerbaijan, will
influence the region. And Azerbaijan’s activity can be viewed in
this context.

“I have not so far heard or read the Armenian foreign office’s
response. The reason may be that our foreign office does not consider
regional developments important. But I think that it should have made
a statement, at least for the domestic audience,” Melkonyan said.

Asked about Edward Nalbandian’s re-appointment as Armenia’s FM, the
expert said that this is evidence of Armenia’s consistent foreign
policy.

“I consider Mr Nalbandian one of our experienced diplomats,”
Melkonyan said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA’S NATIONAL LIBRARY COLLECTS MEDIA REPORTS ABOUT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

14:54 17/04/2014 ” CULTURE

Next year the National Library of Armenia will host an exhibition
dedicated to the centenary of Armenian Genocide, National Library
director Tigran Zargaryan told a press conference in Yerevan.

He noted that they are collecting materials for the exhibition and are
cooperating with various embassies. Zargaryan also said that they are
making an archive of past media reports about the Armenian Genocide.

Speaking about the plans for the future, Zargaryan expressed the hope
that the Museum of Printing will open in autumn.

As regards regional libraries, he said that they face big problems.

“In the next 2-3 years, we will focus our attention on the problems
of regional libraries,” he said.

Source: Panorama.am

From: A. Papazian