Author: Andres-Papazian

Religion in Turkey

Erasing the Christian past

A fine Byzantine church in Turkey has been converted into a mosque

Jul 27th 2013 | TRABZON |From the print edition

Sinful paintings on the ceiling?
ON JULY 5th the mufti of Trabzon gathered with other citizens for the
first Friday prayers of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, not at a
mosque but at an ancient Byzantine church. The gathering was a
symbolic re-enactment of the conquest in 1462 of this ancient Greek
Black Sea port by Mehmet II, the Ottoman sultan who had wrested
Constantinople from the Byzantines in 1453. He marked his victory by
converting the Haghia Sophia cathedral of today’s Istanbul into a
mosque.

Haghia Sophia’s sister of the same name in Trabzon is less grand. Yet
with its dazzling frescoes and magnificent setting overlooking the
sea, the 13th-century building is regarded as one of the finest
examples of Byzantine architecture. As with other Christian monuments,
the Haghia Sophia in Trabzon has become a symbol in the battle between
secularists and Islamists. It was converted into a mosque around the
16th century and, after other incarnations, became a museum in 1964.
But the Islamists won the last round in 2012 when a local court
accepted the claim by the General Directorate of the Pious
Foundations, the government body responsible for Turkey’s historic
mosques, that the Haghia Sophia belonged to the foundation of Mehmet
II and was being `illegally occupied’ by the culture ministry.

The decision provoked surprising anger in a city notorious for its
ultra-nationalist views. `It’s about erasing the Christian past,
reviving Ottomanism,’ says a local historian. `There are enough
mosques in Trabzon, half of them empty, what was the need?’ chimes in
Zeki Bakar, a neighbourhood councillor. A lawsuit has been brought to
undo the conversion.

Even so, the mildly Islamist Justice and Development (AK) government
carried out the conversion in time for Ramadan. A red carpet now
obscures exquisite floor mosaics. Shutters and tents beneath the
central dome shield Muslim worshippers from `sinful’ paintings of the
Holy Trinity. Shiny steel taps with plastic stools for ablutions
clutter a once-verdant garden filled with ancient sculptures.

Mazhar Yildirimhan of the Pious Foundations Directorate’s office in
Trabzon shrugs off complaints as propaganda. But for experts the
conversion is tragic, and will inevitably lead to damaging the
building. `It seems to follow closely that of Haghia Sophia in Iznik,’
warns Antony Eastmond of the Courtauld Institute of Art, referring to
another conversion.

All this is prompting anxiety that the Haghia Sophia in Istanbul `will
be next’. These fears are overdone. Restoration work on the famous
basilica has continued under a decade of AK rule and Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, the prime minister, has dismissed worries about its fate. Yet
Mr Yildirimhan makes no secret of his desire for a conversion, which
he says is shared by fellow Muslims. `It was ordained by the sultan,’
he says. `We have all the records.’

>From the print edition: Europe

From: A. Papazian

The Raw Story
Aug 1 2013

Anita Sarkeesian explains how Nintendo made PMS into a gameplay mechanic

By Eric W. Dolan
Thursday, August 1, 2013 17:50 EDT

Feminist media critic Anita Sarkeesian unveiled the latest episode of
her `Tropes vs Women in Video Games’ mini-series on Thursday.

The series explores how video games portray and utilize women.
Sarkeesian started off the new episode by attempting to dispel the
misperception that she is trying to make people feel bad about
enjoying video games. It is possible to critically examine the role of
women in video games while still finding them enjoyable, she said.

While Sarkeesian’s previous episodes examined the `Damsel in Distress’
trope, her latest episode takes a look at the trope’s reversal, the
`Dude in Distress.’

One video game based off the `Dude in Distress’ concept was Nintendo’s
Super Princess Peach from 2006. Peach was the active figure in the
game rather than the helpless victim of men’s machinations. However,
Sarkeesian noted the game still employed sexist stereotypes. Peach had
four special powers based on her frantic female emotions.

`Essentially Nintendo has turned a PMS joke into a core gameplay
mechanic,’ she remarked.

Though the `Dude in Distress’ trope might seem like nothing but a
reversal of the `Damsel in Distress’ trope, Sarkeesian argued there
were fundamental differences. The `Damsel in Distress’ trope
perpetuated the stereotype of women as weak and defenseless while the
`Dude in Distress’ trope was more of an ironic rife. The former was
based on preexisting stereotypes, while the latter was not.

Sarkeesian also examined video games that attempted to subvert the
traditional `Damsel in Distress’ trope. The game Braid, for example,
begins with the typical man attempting to rescue a princess scenario.
As the plot unfolds, however, the main character is revealed to be the
person that the princess is trying to escape from.

Watch video, uploaded to YouTube, below:

From: A. Papazian

Community rallies in support of Hrant Jamgochian’s bid for Maryland legislature

Published: Saturday August 03, 2013

Jamgochian and with Congressman Pallone and supporters.

BETHESDA, MD. – Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone
(D-NJ) joined an enthusiastic crowd of more than a hundred Maryland
community leaders and activists in a strong show of support for House
of Delegates candidate Hrant Jamgochian’s June 17th campaign
fundraising kick-off, reported the Armenian National Committee of
America – Greater Washington (ANCA-GW).

The reception, graciously hosted by Mrs. Nancy Greenspan at her
Bethesda home, was an opportunity for area voters and supporters,
including a diverse cross-section of the local Armenian American
community, to stand with Jamgochian’s campaign and support Hrant’s
positions on a broad range of local and state-wide issues, ranging
from health care and education to the environment and economy.

“We’re pleased to see Hrant in the lead as the front-runner in this
race, and proud to support his campaign every step to victory,” said
ANCA Greater Washington Chairwoman Sevan Kolejian. “We look forward to
helping Hrant spread his message to Maryland voters and to playing our
part in electing Maryland’s first-ever Armenian American to
state-level office.”

Photos from the event can be found at:

In remarks voicing his support for Hrant’s campaign, Congressman
Pallone cited his own long and productive working relationship with
him on healthcare issues, saying: “He [Jamgochian] is an
extraordinarily respected and strong voice on patients’ rights and
works tirelessly in the non-profit sector to advance healthcare rights
to the most vulnerable members of our society. As the Ranking Member
in the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, I can tell you
that Hrant has got it right when it comes to good democratic values
and a true commitment when it comes to access affordability and
quality of care for all Maryland residents.”

Jamgochian explained, “This election is about values, and
communicating those values to our neighbors. We believe in protecting
the most vulnerable members of society, in fostering an affordable and
accessible educational system, and in an economy where people pay
their fair share and we are able to find jobs in the fields we have
spent years preparing for.”

On hand to lend their assistance to the Jamgochian campaign that
evening were three of this year’s ANCA Leo Sarkisian summer interns:
Manoug Alemian, Taleen Lachinian and Tamar Purut. “Hrant’s enthusiasm
and commitment to community outreach and empowerment was
inspirational,” said Lachinian, who had met Jamgochian and his wife,
Lenna, the day before at the Soorp Khatch Armenian Church Father’s Day
Picnic. “We need more Armenian Americans in elected office, and it’s
encouraging to see dedicated professionals like Hrant devoting their
lives to public service.”

To learn more about or to support the Hrant Jamgochian for Maryland
State Delegate campaign, visit:

From: A. Papazian

Azerbaijan violates ceasefire 250 times over past week

Saturday,
August 03

On July 28 – August 3, Azerbaijan has violated the ceasefire regime on
the line of contact of Karabakh and Azerbaijani armed forces about 250
times, with over 1,200 shots fired at Armenian frontline positions,
according to the press service of the NKR Defense Ministry.

As a result of prompt steps taken by frontline units of the Defense
Army, the Azerbaijani side’s activity was suppressed and Armenian
servicemen continued performing reliably their duties.

TODAY, 16:35
Aysor.am

From: A. Papazian

Syrian-Armenian Hasmik Tokmejian continues her engagement in fancywork

11:24, 3 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. Syrian-Armenian Hasmik Tokmejian
remains engaged in fancywork after returning to the motherland. She
moved to Yerevan from the Armenian village of Kessab in Syria. She had
also spent a part of the year in Aleppo, but she had left everything
she had in Syria because of the war and all she could take with her
was her talent in fancywork. In a conversation with “Armenpress”
Mrs. Hasmik stated that it has already been 7 months since her family
settled in Yerevan. She does not waste her time here and completed a
series of handicraft products.

Among other things Hasmik Tokmejian underscored: “I have sold certain
part of my works in various exhibitions. Only some my works are
left. There are very difficult and voluminous works as well. It’s
very difficult to sell works of this kind in Armenia, because I have
noticed that the Armenian woman do not use them very frequently.” In
addition she recalled that Arab woman and the Armenians of Syria were
very fond of wearing them.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA’S FOREIGN TRADE TURNOVER GROWS 0.8% TO ABOUT $2,671.2 MLN IN JAN-JUN

YEREVAN, August 2. /ARKA/. Armenia’s foreign trade turnover has grown
by 0.8% to $2,671.2 million in January-June, compared to the same
period of 2012, ArmStat reports.

Exports totalled $669.7 million, an increase of 9.9% in January-June.

Imports dropped by 2.1% to $1,971.5 million. Red ink balance amounted
to $1,271.7 million.

Negative balance in FOB (FOB or Free On Board is a trade term requiring
the seller to deliver goods on board a vessel designated by the
buyer. The seller fulfills its obligations to deliver when the goods
have passed over the ship’s rail) prices amounted to $699.7 million
in the period.

According to the statistics, the main export items in the period were
non-precious metals ($168.6 million, 2% year-on-year growth), mining
industry ($201.9 million, 6.3% growth), precious and semiprecious
stones, precious metals and jewelry ($89.3 million, 8.5% growth)
and final products of food industry ($132.4 million, 22.6% growth).

Main imports were machines, equipment and mechanisms ($245.8 million,
6.4% reduction), mining industry’s products ($423.3 million, 4.6%
reduction), chemical industry ($168.2 million, 7.2% growth) and final
food products ($164.9 million, 2.5% reduction). ($1=409.75drams).-0–

– See more at:

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Armenia?s foreign trade turnover grows 0.8% to about $2,671.2 mln in Jan-Jun

YEREVAN, August 2. /ARKA/. Armenia?s foreign trade turnover has grown
by 0.8% to $2,671.2 million in January-June, compared to the same
period of 2012, ArmStat reports.

Exports totalled $669.7 million, an increase of 9.9% in January-June.
Imports dropped by 2.1% to $1,971.5 million. Red ink balance amounted
to $1,271.7 million.

Negative balance in FOB (FOB or Free On Board is a trade term
requiring the seller to deliver goods on board a vessel designated by
the buyer. The seller fulfills its obligations to deliver when the
goods have passed over the ship?s rail) prices amounted to $699.7
million in the period.

According to the statistics, the main export items in the period were
non-precious metals ($168.6 million, 2% year-on-year growth), mining
industry ($201.9 million, 6.3% growth), precious and semiprecious
stones, precious metals and jewelry ($89.3 million, 8.5% growth) and
final products of food industry ($132.4 million, 22.6% growth).

Main imports were machines, equipment and mechanisms ($245.8 million,
6.4% reduction), mining industry?s products ($423.3 million, 4.6%
reduction), chemical industry ($168.2 million, 7.2% growth) and final
food products ($164.9 million, 2.5% reduction). ($1=409.75drams).?0–

– See more at:

From: A. Papazian

INFERTILITY IS AMONG MAIN PROBLEMS OF ARMENIA’S YOUNG COUPLES – SEX THERAPIST

AUGUST 1, 16:49

YEREVAN. – Infertility is among the main problems of the young couples
in Armenia. Sex therapist Marat Zakaryan and gynecologist Hripsime
Grigoryan spoke about infertility and its consequences during a press
conference on Thursday.

According to the specialists, an average of two to three married
couples in capital city Yerevan see a doctor in one day, and concerning
infertility.

The experts called upon the young couples to see a specialist in
the case of extended and unsuccessful attempts at fertilization. As
per Grigoryan, the girls between the ages of 18 and 28 should see a
specialist before fertilization.

In turn Zakaryan noted that the majority of the infertility problems
among men can be resolved from an early age.

In an interview with NEWS.am STYLE, Zakaryan noted several harmful
habits that could cause infertility. “Smoking, alcohol abuse, [and]
dietary disorders are important causes, too. Solely a healthy lifestyle
can help prevent the consequences of these harmful practices,” Marat
Zakaryan stated.

By Grigor Avetisyan

From: A. Papazian

ARAVOT: PEOPLE NOT TO RALLY AROUND RAFFI THIS TIME, L. SARGSYAN SAYS

Friday,
August 02

Aravot writes:”In the opinion of HAK (Armenian National Congress)
parliamentary faction’s member Ms. Lyudmila Sargsyan, Raffi Hovannisian
will not be able to rally political forces for solution of the problems
facing the country. She said: “I don’t think he will be able to unite
the political field. I believe that people will not rally around Raffi
Hovannisian this time because they tried to take his side for quite
a long time and see the struggle’s results, but they have not seen
any results. In any case, the people today don’t see him as a leader
who will unify them and it is unlikely that many people will rally
around him. I think failures await Raffi Hovannisian in the autumn”.

TODAY, 12:46

Aysor.am

From: A. Papazian

USC ARCHIVE TO INCORPORATE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TESTIMONIES BY 2015

Published: Friday August 02, 2013

The late Dr. J. Michael Hagopian. Courtesy image from the USC Shoah
Foundation

Related Articles USC, Armenian Film Foundation agree to archive 400
survivor testimonies

UCLA hosts conference on oral history of the Armenian Genocide

LOS ANGELES – USC Shoah Foundation and the Armenian Film Foundation
have announced on June 19 a new joint goal: By the 100th anniversary
of the Armenian genocide in 2015, they will integrate into the USC
Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive the more than 400 interviews
of survivors of the genocide that were filmed by the late Dr. J.

Michael Hagopian.

The interviews were recorded on 16mm film between the years 1996 and
2005. The survivors and witnesses who make up this rare collection –
all now deceased – were interviewed in 10 different languages and
were between the ages of eight and 29 during the genocide.

The 400 interviews represent the largest archive of filmed Armenian
Genocide interviews in the world, and will add immeasurable content
and context for research and learning when integrated into the Visual
History Archive.

The Armenian Film Foundation is currently transferring the interviews
from 16mm film to preservation-quality digital files (motion JPEG
2000). The files then will be delivered to USC Shoah Foundation,
which will create broadcast-quality and Internet-quality versions of
each interview.

Once digitizing is complete, the indexing process will begin. At the
core of USC Shoah Foundation’s indexing system is the one-of-a-kind
Thesaurus, which includes 60,000 terms that describe genocide-related
concepts and experiences. Indexing allows researchers to search the
Visual History Archive by specific terms. The thesaurus has evolved
over time and is expected to continue to evolve as the Armenian
testimonies are indexed.

All non-English-language testimonies will be transcribed, translated
into English, and subtitled for the Visual History Archive.

The majority of testimonies with Armenian survivors were conducted in
Armenian or English, but numerous other languages spoken by survivors
include Arabic, Greek, Turkish, and Kurdish. All non-English-language
testimonies will be transcribed, translated into English, and subtitled
for the Visual History Archive. Once the testimonies are indexed,
USC Shoah Foundation’s education staff will incorporate them into
existing materials and build educations programs specifically around
the Armenian collection.

Dr. J. Michael Hagopian was an Emmy-nominated filmmaker who made
70 documentaries about the Armenian Genocide and won more than 160
awards for his work. He was a survivor of the genocide that killed
an estimated 1.5 million people in Turkey from 1915-23. In 1979, he
founded the Armenian Film Foundation, a Thousand Oaks, California,
based nonprofit dedicated to documenting Armenian heritage. Hagopian
died in 2010 at age 97.

Original at:

From: A. Papazian

PRESUMABLY TWO LITHUANIAN DIPLOMATS SPEAKING ABOUT KARABAKH – VIDEO

A recording of a telephone conversation was posted on Youtube where
presumably two Lithuanian diplomats are discussing issues relating to
Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the EaP summit. The recording comes with
English subtitles. The interlocutors are the Lithuanian ambassador
to Hungary Renatas Juska and presumably a deputy director of the
Department of Eastern Partnership Zenonas Kumetaitis.

During the conversation Juska notes that the right word is “Artsakh”,
not Nagorny Karabakh. “I’m supportive of those who lead Armenians,
they are also Christians and Stalin regime also made them suffer.

Their territories were also reshaped just the way it was with us.

Still I don’t think it would be the right thing to assert it at once
that Karabakh must be given back [ed. – it’s not understood whom Juska
means]. If Karabakh is given back, it might occur just like in case
with that Safarov.”

Then Juska asks Kumetaitis, “Now following all these things, all those
statements, who do you sympathize as an ordinary man just?” Kumetaitis
answers, “Well, looking through the Russian prism you should consider
who sides more with Russia and who does not. And from the religious
or just the common human point of view Armenia seems closer though
they are also the rotten ones.”

The authenticity of this recording has not been confirmed yet.

The Azeri website 1news.az reported that the editorial board has
received a letter from the MFA of Lithiania on the recording posted
in Youtube noting that Lithuania will not comment on information
provocation while the ideas expressed during the conversation have
nothing to do with the official stance of Lithuania.

20:15 01/08/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

From: A. Papazian