Author: Andres-Papazian

Al-Ahram, Egypt
Jan 29 2015

Recognising a genocide

The Syrian regime is using the Ottoman massacres of Armenians and
Assyrians to bolster its credentials, reports Bassel Oudat

The regime led by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has not been known
for wanting to investigate the massacres of Christians or allocate
blame for the atrocities committed in the region a century ago, when
it was under Ottoman rule.

In recent weeks, however, it has started to bring Ottoman war crimes
to the fore, a tactic it hopes will make Ankara uncomfortable and
curry favour with local Christian communities.

It is using the atrocities to try to pressure Turkey and incite Syrian
Christians to side with it in its war against the opposition and to
reject Turkey’s interference in Syrian affairs.

In 1915, Ottoman troops are believed to have killed more than one
million Armenians and nearly half a million Assyrians, Syriacs,
Chaldeans and Greeks. Turkey has never officially admitted the
atrocities, although its government last year offered “condolences” to
descendants of the Armenian victims.

Despite calls by local Christians on the Syrian regime to recognise
the massacres, a step already taken by nearly 20 nations worldwide,
the government has never shown any interest in the matter. It had
formerly discouraged mention of the atrocities in a bid to stay on
Ankara’s good side, but all this is now changing.

The Syrian regime and media are suddenly up in arms about the
massacres, stressing the brutality of the Ottoman Turks and the
widespread nature of the bloodshed. The government is not only
allowing churches to hold masses for the victims of a century ago, but
is also broadcasting these masses through its media and sending
official representatives to attend them.

Reversing an earlier ban on publicising the massacres, which the
Syriacs call sayfo, or “sword,” the regime is trying to whip up
Christian feelings in the hope of winning support among the country’s
two million Christians, who may feel vulnerable due to the rise of
Islamist extremism in the region.

When Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II, head of the Syriac Orthodox Church,
delivered a sermon on the Ottoman atrocities earlier this month this
was highlighted in the Syrian press, especially his remarks about the
current suffering of Christians in the region.

The utilitarian nature of the regime’s newfound humanism is not lost
on Christian politicians. Sayeed Moqbil, a key opposition figure, said
the regime is acting “crudely” and its humanitarian concerns do not
fool observers.

“Up until now Syria has never recognised the Ottoman Turkish massacres
carried out against the Christians a century ago,” he said.

Members of minority groups had in the past asked the regime to
recognise the massacres, but the request fell on deaf ears. The only
explanation for the regime’s turnaround is that it wants the
Christians to help it stay in power, Moqbil said.

Soleiman Youssef, a Syriac scholar of minority affairs, concurred with
this assessment. Speaking to the Weekly, Youssef noted that some
members of the Christian community are satisfied to see the regime
change its position on this sensitive issue, but the reversal lacked
moral authenticity.

“We do not deny that this step by the Syrian regime has caused a sense
of satisfaction in various Christian circles, but many doubt the
sincerity of the regime. Syria should have been one of the first
countries to recognise the Syriac massacres, some of which happened on
Syrian territory,” he said.

Syrian Christians have long argued that the 1915 massacres should be
recognised as a crime against humanity and taught in Syrian schools,
but the regime had previously ignored them.

The ultra-nationalist Committee for Union and Progress, which ran the
Ottoman Empire after deposing Sultan Abdulhamid II in 1908, followed
xenophobic policies that culminated in the massacre of Armenians,
Assyrians and Greeks, a crime which Turkish governments have never
fully recognised aside from an apology issued last year.

Al-Assad’s regime in Syria, eager to promote ties with Turkey, in the
past ignored the massacres, just as it ignored the fact that Turkey
had previously annexed a province of Syria, Iskenderun or Hatay, and
stolen water from the Euphrates River.

But the memory of the massacres was kept alive by Syrian Christians,
many of whom are related by blood to the victims. In Qamishli, a
Syrian city on the Turkish border, there are thousands of Assyrian and
Armenian families whose ancestors fled Turkey during the massacres.

Although Al-Assad poses as the protector of Syrian minorities,
including the country’s two million or so Christians, he has arrested
the leaders of the opposition Syriac and Chaldean parties. According
to rights groups, 40 churches have been damaged in the course of
Syria’s four-year civil war, with 36 being attacked by the regime and
only four by the opposition.

To promote its relations with Turkey, the Syrian regime erased the
Iskenderun province from official maps, declined to discuss the
redrawing of borders, said nothing when Turkey withheld the Euphrates
water, and allowed the Turkish army to wage attacks five km into
Syrian territory in order to chase alleged insurgents.

Tensions between the two countries rose after Turkey sided with the
Syrian revolution in March 2011, however, and Turkey has since offered
refuge to Syrian opposition members.

From: A. Papazian

Thomas de Waal’s book ‘Great Catastrophe: Armenians and Turks in the
Shadow of Genocide’ released

17:41 * 30.01.15

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has posted a book
entitled ‘Great Catastrophe: Armenians and Turks in the Shadow of
Genocide’ by eminent scholar and reporter Thomas de Waal.

The destruction of the Armenians of the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1916
was the greatest atrocity of World War I. Around one million Armenians
were killed, and the survivors were scattered across the world, says
an announcement on the carnegieendowment.org website.

Although it is now a century old, the issue of what most of the world
calls the Armenian Genocide of 1915 is still a live and divisive issue
that mobilizes Armenians across the world, shapes the identity and
politics of modern Turkey, and has consumed the attention of U.S.
politicians for years.

In Great Catastrophe, the eminent scholar and reporter Thomas de Waal
looks at the aftermath and politics of the Armenian Genocide and tells
the story of recent efforts by courageous Armenians, Kurds, and Turks
to come to terms with the disaster as Turkey enters a new
post-Kemalist era. The story of what happened to the Armenians in
1915-16 is well-known. Here we are told the “history of the history”
and the lesser-known story of what happened to Armenians, Kurds, and
Turks in the century that followed. De Waal relates how different
generations tackled the issue of the “Great Catastrophe” from the
1920s until the failure of the Protocols signed by independent Armenia
and Turkey in 2010.

The devising of the word “genocide,” the growth of modern identity
politics, and the 50th anniversary of the massacres re-energized a new
generation of Armenians. In Turkey the issue was initially forgotten,
only to return to the political agenda in the context of the Cold War.

Turkey has started to confront its taboos. In an astonishing revival
of oral history, the descendants of tens of thousands of “Islamized
Armenians,” who have been in the shadows since 1915, have begun to
reemerge and reclaim their identities.

Drawing on archival sources, reportage and moving personal stories, de
Waal tells the full story of Armenian-Turkish relations since the
Genocide in all its extraordinary twists and turns. He looks behind
the propaganda to examine the realities of a terrible historical crime
and the divisive “politics of genocide” it produced. The book throws
light not only on our understanding of Armenian-Turkish relations but
also of how mass atrocities and historical tragedies shape
contemporary politics.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIE
Le soldat russe accusé des meurtres de Gyumri interrogés par les
enquêteurs arméniens

La commission d’enquête arménienne a publié une vidéo montrant
l’interrogatoire de Valery Permyakov, un militaire russe à Gyumri
accusé du meurtre d’une famille de sept membres plus tôt ce mois.

Sur la vidéo muette les enquêteurs arméniens semblent mettre être en
cause le soldat de 19 ans, qui est maintenu en garde à vue dans la
base militaire russe dans la ville du nord-ouest de l’Arménie depuis
son arrestation par les gardes-fronti̬res russes le 12 Janvier Рmoins
de 24 heures après le meurtre de six membres de la famille Avetisyan,
dont une fillette de deux ans, et blessant mortellement un bébé de six
mois.

Permyakov aurait admis les accusations portées contre lui de meurtre
par la commission d’enquête arménienne.

Le Comité a déclaré que des échantillons avaient été prélevés sur
Permyakov afin de les comparer aux traces et échantillons trouvés sur
la scène du crime. En outre, un certain nombre d’examens médico-légaux
ont été nommés, selon le rapport.

“L’interrogatoire de Permyakov a eu lieu avec la participation de son
avocat et d’un interprète. L’interrogatoire était une vidéo
enregistrée selon la loi, “a déclaré le Comité.

vendredi 30 janvier 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

World Bulletin, Turkey
Jan 30 2015

Azerbaijan says it shot down Armenian drone
Nagorno-Karabakh officially refutes this information.

World Bulletin / News Desk

Azerbaijan said on Thursday it had shot down an Armenian drone near
the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, a report dismissed by Armenia
as “absurd”.

Renewed violence this year along the border between Armenia and
Azerbaijan and around Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies inside Azerbaijan
but is controlled by its majority ethnic Armenians, has underlined the
risk of a wider conflict breaking out in the South Caucasus, which is
crossed by oil and gas pipelines.

The Azeri Defence Ministry said the drone had been shot down over
Azeri territory but Artsrun Hovhannesyan, the Armenian defence
minister’s press secretary, denied the report.

“Nagorno-Karabakh officially refutes this information. It is absurd,” he said.

Fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh erupted in 1991 as the Soviet Union
broke up and a ceasefire was called in 1994. But Azerbaijan and
Armenia have regularly traded accusations of further violence around
Nagorno-Karabakh and along their border.

Nagorno-Karabakh has run its own affairs with heavy military and
financial backing from Armenia since the war that killed about 30,000
people. Armenian-backed forces also hold seven Azeri districts
surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh.

Efforts to reach a permanent settlement have failed despite mediation
led by France, Russia and the United States.

Oil-producing Azerbaijan, host to global majors including BP , Chevron
and ExxonMobil, frequently threatens to take the mountain region back
by force, and is spending heavily on its armed forces.

Armenia, an ally of Russia, says it would not stand by if
Nagorno-Karabakh were attacked.

From: A. Papazian

Dîner annuel du CCAF
Les discours des co-présidents en vidéo

Le 28 janvier 2015, à l’occasion du dîner annuel du Conseil de
coordination des organisations arméniennes de France, en présence du
Président de la République François Hollande, Ara Toranian et Mourad
Papazian ont prononcé un discours marquant la centième commémoration
du génocide des Arméniens. Au cours de la soirée, le Président de la
Mission 2015, Alexis Govciyan a remis à Charles Aznavour le Médaille
du courage du CCAF.

Disours d’Ara Toranian

Monsieur le président ;

Qu’il me soit permis, avant toutes choses, de vous remercier d’avoir
bien voulu honorer de votre présence ce deuxième dîner du CCAF. Qu’il
me soit également permis de remercier messieurs les ministres, Madame
la maire de Paris, Anne Hidalgo, et l’ensemble des ambassadeurs et
personnalités – de Charles Aznavour à Bernard-Henri Lévy) qui sont à
nos côtés en cette année si symbolique, puisque pour la première fois
dans l’histoire, on commémorera les cent ans d’un génocide.

Il s’agit d’un événement exceptionnel – le prochain de ce type aura
lieu dans trois d̩cennies pour les cent ans de la Shoah Рet votre
présence ce soir, montre que la France est d’ores et déjà au
rendez-vous de l’histoire, à une hauteur digne de son rang.

Commémorer, c’est le propre de l’humanité, disait le philosophe Alain.
En particulier quand il s’agit de morts qui n’ont comme sépulture que
notre mémoire collective. Sur les terres où ils ont été exterminés, il
n’y a en effet aucun monument pour les Arméniens, pas même la moindre
plaque. Il n’existe de mausolées que pour leurs bourreaux. Et le seul
mémorial dédié aux victimes du génocide sur la terre où ils ont été
assassinés, dans le désert de Der zor, en Syrie, destination finale
des convois de la déportation, a été dynamité le 18 septembre dernier
par une organisation djihadiste, dont les liens avec Ankara posent
question.

Cet acharnement à poursuivre les morts jusque dans leurs ossuaires
témoigne d’une folie criminelle qui relève de la sauvagerie la plus
absolue. Une barbarie qui a traversé le temps, pour défigurer à
nouveau cette région en venant persécuter ce qu’il y reste
d’Arméniens, de Yézidis, de Kurdes libres, d’Assyro-Chaldéens, nos
frères d’infortune eux aussi ciblés par le génocide de 1915.

Mais cette barbarie a aussi hélas traversé l’espace pour venir frapper
au coeur notre capitale, Paris, notre presse, Charlie Hebdo, notre
communauté juive, porte de Vincennes, et ce à la veille du 70e
anniversaire de la libération du camp d’Auschwitz, qui est devenu la
date de commémoration de la Shoah, le génocide le plus meurtrier du
XXe siècle.

Monsieur le président, nous le savons bien, plus le monde se
mondialise, plus les questions se globalisent et plus nous avons
besoin de solidarité. Nous vivons en ce moment ce qui a été enfanté
hier et ce que nous ferons ou nous ne ferons pas aujourd’hui
accouchera de demain.

À ce titre votre présence annoncée le 24 avril prochain à Erevan,
constitue une réponse anticipée à toutes les opérations de diversions
qui visent à créer un événement international concurrent en Turquie ce
même 24 avril. Manoeuvres grossières qui n’hésitent pas à changer les
dates historiques pour les besoins de la cause négationnistes, la
bataille de Gallipoli, objet de ce rassemblement auquel M. Erdogan a
invité 101 chefs d’états, ayant toujours été célébrée le 25 avril jour
du débarquement des alliés et non le 24 avril, qui est dans le monde
entier le jour traditionnel de la commémoration du génocide des
Arméniens .

Monsieur le président, Les communautés arméniennes ont placé cette
année sous le signe de la mémoire et de la justice. Mais, faute de
temps, je ne m’appesantirai pas ce soir sur la question de la
spoliation des biens des Arméniens, de leur recel, la problématique
des restitutions, des réparations et du négationnisme d’état, dont
nous attendons toujours d’être protégés par la loi. Je ne parlerai pas
non plus des graves menaces qui pèsent sur l’Arménie et le Haut
Karabagh, toujours en butte au pan-turquisme, à l’Azerbaïdjan et aux
djihadistes qui se sont mis au service de Bakou depuis 1992.

Car nous sommes ici aussi, au-delà de l’évocation du génocide de 1915
et de cette actualité dramatique de 2015, pour célébrer la vie, la
fraternité et l’esprit de résistance. Cet esprit, qui vibre en nous à
la seule évocation de nos anciens, ces Francs-tireurs partisans du
groupe Manouchian, ces Juifs, ces Espagnols, ces Arméniens, ces
Italiens et ces Polonais qui ont donné leur vie pour les causes de la
liberté et de la France qui ne font en réalité qu’une. Cet esprit de
résistance qui est au coeur des valeurs de la république, et dont nous
avons vu la réminiscence historique le 11 janvier dernier dans tout le
pays. Un mouvement dont nous étions naturellement partie prenante, et
qui me fait dire aujourd’hui que notre plus grande gloire à tous,
n’est pas de ne jamais tomber, mais de nous relever, à chaque fois.
Ensembles et solidaires.

Discours de Mourad Papazian

Il y a 100 ans… 100 ans déjà ! Un siècle ! En 1915, le gouvernement
turc a lancé le plan d’extermination du peuple arménien. L’élimination
de tout un peuple d’un territoire. Les hommes, les femmes, les
enfants, les vieillards ont subi l’horreur, l’atrocité, l’inhumanité,
avec la mort comme perspective et la survivance comme le plus mince
des espoirs. Mais un espoir tout de même. La souffrance est absolue,
la douleur paroxysmique, le traumatisme omniprésent. Car si en 1915,
le gouvernement de Talaat, le Hitler turc, a défini et exécuté le
premier génocide du XXème siècle, en 2015, 100 ans après, un siècle
plus tard, le gouvernement d’Erdogan et Davutoghlu organise le
négationnisme du génocide arménien. Nous y sommes en 2015. Ce moment
que nous avons tous tant redouté. Ce moment qui, en soi, est un triste
moment. Ce moment de l’histoire qui nous porte vers le constat que les
gouvernements turcs successifs n’ont pas fait leur travail de mémoire.
100 ans ont passé ! 1 siècle ! Une éternité ! Sans que les autorités
turques, quelles qu’elles soient, aient exprimé le moindre signe vers
une reconnaissance du génocide commis en 1915, sous un régime
d’Empire. Pire, ils ont établi un mensonge d’Etat sur le génocide
arménien en écrivant l’histoire à l’inverse de la réalité. Pire, ils
célèbrent encore aujourd’hui la mémoire de Talaat, le Hitler turc,
puisque Istanbul a érigé un mausolée Talaat sur la colline de la
Liberté, puisque la plus grande artère d’Ankara est l’avenue Talaat,
puisque de nombreuse villes en Turquie ont des rues Talaat. Imaginer
aujourd’hui une rue Hitler relèverait de l’impossible ! De
l’impensable ! De l’inimaginable même ! En Turquie c’est hélas
possible ! Et aucune voix ne s’élève pour condamner cette inacceptable
réalité ! Pire, Comme l’écrit Taner Agcam, le gouvernement turc a
industrialisé le négationnisme du génocide arménien. Les communautés
turques, à travers le monde, et en France aussi, sont organisées,
politisées, financées. Des milices para-militaires sont présentes sur
le territoire.

Aujourd’hui, nous étions à Strasbourg à l’audience de la CEDH qui doit
statuer sur l’affaire Perinçek contre Suisse. Cette audience nous a
hélas convaincus que les autorités turques sont dans une attitude de
radicalisation. La radicalisation du mensonge, la radicalisation du
négationnisme, la radicalisation de leur posture anti-arménienne. Ce
matin à Strasbourg, le gouvernement français était, comme le CCAF,
tierce partie à côté de la Suisse dans l’affaire Perincek contre
Suisse. Un soutien réconfortant et qui confirme votre volonté,
Monsieur le Président, de pénaliser la négation du génocide arménien
par un projet de loi gouvernemental. Du jugement de la CEDH dépendra
l’avenir des lois pénalisant la négation du génocide arménien.

La Justice est au coeur du combat du peuple arménien depuis des décennies.

2015 doit être l’année de la vérité et de la justice. Le processus de
réconciliation doit se fonder sur celui des réparations. 2015 doit
être l’année des grandes voix. Les grandes voix doivent se manifester
clairement, puissamment, avec autorité. Comme Jaurès, que nous avons
célébré à Erevan en septembre dernier, qui s’était élevé à plusieurs
reprises à l’Assemblée nationale pour dénoncer les massacres des
Arméniens dans l’Empire ottoman, comme Mitterrand qui est le premier
chef d’Etat à avoir reconnu le génocide arménien en 1984, comme vous
Monsieur le Président, vous qui avez démontré votre attachement à la
cause arménienne à de multiples reprises, tant à l’Assemblée nationale
avec le lancement du processus de pénalisation de la négation du
génocide arménien, qu’en participant aux commémorations du génocide
arménien hier à Paris et demain à Erévan. Et enfin, sur votre
initiative, la présence de la France en soutien à la Suisse dans le
procès Perinçek est un engagement majeur que nous mesurons à sa juste
valeur. Espérons qu’il sera décisif.

Il faut savoir provoquer l’Histoire. Et le rêve que nous faisons tous
ensemble est celui d’écrire cette page de l’Histoire avec l’encre de
la réconciliation. La réconciliation n’est possible que si elle
s’adosse à la vérité, si elle s’appuie sur la Justice et si elle est
la conséquence d’un processus de réparations. Et le pardon est la
conséquence des réparations. Le pardon ne fait pas oublier le passé
mais il élargit le futur ! Avec Ghandi, nous pourrions rappeler que >

Alors oui, tout est encore possible. Et 2015 peut être l’année au
cours de laquelle le pardon peut devenir une perspective d’avenir pour
la Turquie, l’Arménie et la Nation arménienne à travers le monde. Et
vous êtes, Monsieur le Président de la République, parmi les rares
personnalités au monde qui puissent établir un pont entre nous et
accélérer, au cours de cette année 2015, le processus de
réconciliation sur la base du tryptique vérité-justice-réparations.

From: A. Papazian

PRESS RELEASE
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund
Governmental Building 3, Yerevan, RA
Contact: Hasmik Grigoryan
Tel: +(3741) 56 01 06 ext. 105
Fax: +(3741) 52 15 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

Yerevan, January 30, 2015

Shosh School refurbished with support of Toronto Armenians

The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has completed a host of renovations at the
school of Shosh, a village in Artsakh’s Askeran Region. The project was made
possible by the support of the fund’s Toronto affiliate, which had sponsored
the construction of the three-story school almost a decade ago.

The renovations include repaired and repainted exterior walls; granite-tile
flooring throughout the corridors, hall, library, and infirmary; and
refurbished balconies. In addition, awnings were installed above all windows
and balconies, and a fence was built around the school compound.

The school has close to 150 students, including a number of children from
neighboring communities. Their transportation is provided via a minibus,
which was donated in 2012 by an Armenian benefactor from Toronto. In 2013,
with the support of Toronto’s Armenian community, the school’s computer room
was provided with Internet access. Moreover, in recent years the school has
received donations of beautiful uniforms, made by a diaspora family of
tailors.

“The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund is committed to the ongoing development of
Shosh,” said Ara Vardanyan, the fund’s executive director. “Currently we’re
building one of our signature multifunctional community centers in the
village. Slated to open soon, the facility will house the mayor’s office, a
health clinic, a library, a game room, and an events hall.”

From: A. Papazian

Finding the Foreign Agents
By Philip Giraldi
January 30, 2015

[Summary: In monitoring the activities of foreign organizations, the
DOJ often gives powerful political lobbies a pass.]

[Philip Giraldi, a former CIA officer, is executive director of the
Council for the National Interest.]

In high school civics classes, Americans are brought up to believe
that in their nation a rule of law prevails. Justice is depicted as
blind and the rules apply to everyone. All Americans will receive the
same fair hearing in court or at the hands of the government. Of
course the reality is that experience tells us that those who trust in
impartial justice are somewhat delusional as the criminal justice and
regulatory systems do not operate in a reliably mechanical fashion.
Many factors determine whether a suspect actually goes to trial or
whether an organization is regulated or investigated and there are a
number of roadblocks along the way that influence the outcome.

One of the federal government regulatory bodies that few have heard
about is the board at the United States Department of Justice’s
Counterespionage Section that administers the Foreign Agents
Registration Act [1] (FARA). The original FARA was passed in 1938 just
before the outbreak of war in Europe and was intended to monitor the
activities of front organizations being directed by the German and
Italian governments. From its inception FARA was politicized and
selective. Rome and Berlin were potential enemies while the extremely
active British government efforts to draw the United States into what
eventually became a European and then a world war were largely
ignored.

The original act was loosely worded to include anyone propagandizing
for a foreign power but an amended version in 1966 narrowed the
definition of whom would be covered to include only actual `agents of
a foreign principal’ working directly for a foreign government in an
attempt to influence U.S. economic or political decision making. Since
1966 there have been no successful criminal prosecutions under FARA
and nearly all compliance has been more-or-less voluntary. There have,
however, been a number of civil cases and administrative resolutions
in which the government asserted the viability of the act. In 2004,
for example, Susan Lindauer, a former congressional staffer, was
charged with [2] taking payments from an Iraqi government source. Her
case was finally dropped in 2009.

There are somewhat less than 2,000 foreign agents registered under the
act [3] representing more than 100 countries. Their names and their
periodic financial and activities filings are accessible by the public
[4] at the FARA Unit office in Washington. Most are associated with
law or lobbying firms that represent foreign governments as part of
their business. Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert was, for a
time, a registered agent [5] for Turkey when he held that account
while working for the Dickstein Shapiro law firm, which he joined
after leaving congress. Former Congressman Dick Gephardt also headed a
company engaged in lobbying for Turkey. Both Gephardt and Hastert were
involved in lobbying Congress to oppose pending legislation calling
the First World War massacre of Turkish Armenians a `genocide.’

The disadvantage of registering under FARA is that you have to
disclose your sources of income and you also have to detail what you
are doing on behalf of the foreign government. Organizations that do
not consider that they are actually directed by a foreign government
or who assess their relationship to be borderline are consequently
reluctant to comply.

FARA inevitably is selective in its targeting. Agents of nations
hostile to the United States are pursued with some vigor while
organizations linked to powerful domestic political lobbies tend to
get a pass. This has been historically true of Irish republican groups
as well as of the predecessor of the powerful American Israel Public
Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which was founded in 1949 as the American
Zionist Council [6]. The American Zionist Council was funded directly
by the Jewish Agency for Israel. Attorney General Robert Kennedy
ordered the group to register in 1962 [3] but the death of his brother
led to an intense lobbying campaign to influence his strongly
pro-Israel successor Lyndon B. Johnson who obligingly instructed the
Justice Department to stand down.

Since that time repeated efforts [7] to compel AIPAC to register [8]
have failed due to White House and Justice Department unwillingness to
confront the issue but a new initiative by the Israeli government
might well be construed as having crossed the line in violation of
FARA. In early January the Prime Minister’s Office of the Israeli
government funded a joint project to be run by the government’s
National Information Directorate and StandWithUS, which has been
described [9] as an `American hasbara organization.’ In Hebrew the
name, hasbara, means literally `public explanation’ but the expression
is generally applied to anyone involved in generating pro-Israeli
propaganda. It is also sometimes more politely described as a program
of `perception management,’ a euphemism made popular [10] by the
Donald Rumsfeld Pentagon in 2004.

Israel has long been paying students [11] as part-time bloggers or
exploiting diaspora Jews as volunteers to get its message out. In 2009
the Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote to a number of pro-Israel
organizations emphasizing the `importance of the internet as the new
battleground for Israel’s image.’ Haaretz reported [12] in 2013 how
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office collaborated with the National Union
of Israeli Students to create `semi-military covert units’ at the
seven national universities organized to work in situation rooms.
Students use different names and IP addresses, which enable them to
make multiple posts, and are paid [13] as much as $2,000 monthly to
work the online targets.

The hasbara program [14] includes recruitment, training, Foreign
Ministry-prepared information sheets, and internet alerts to potential
targets. It is essentially an internet-focused `information war.’ It
is supported by a desktop tool called Megaphone that provided daily
updates on articles appearing on the internet that are singled out for
confrontation or attack. The hasbara commenters flood websites where
commentary critical of Israel is observed in the belief that if
something is repeated often enough in many different places it will
gain credibility and create doubts regarding contrary points of view.
They also can hound critics and even destroy careers in journalism.
Veteran CNN reporter Jim Clancy was forced to resign [15] last week
after an exchange of tweets with hasbara over the Paris terror
attacks.

The joint enterprise between the American foundation and Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office is more of the same. It
reportedly [9] is intended to strengthen `Israeli hasbara on social
media platforms,’ with StandWithUs running `interactive media war
rooms.’ The National Information Directorate’s role will be to draft
the talking points and monitor the progress of the `war.’

StandWithUs, which was founded [16] to `educate others about Israel,’
originated in Los Angeles. It now has 18 chapters in the U.S., Canada,
Britain, and also in Israel. Incorporated as the Israel Emergency
Alliance, StandWithUs is a 501(c)(3) organization, which means it has
successfully claimed to be a tax exempt educational foundation. It is
reportedly largely funded [17] by Las Vegas multi billionaire casino
magnate Sheldon Adelson, who also has been active in supporting
Republican candidates perceived as particularly friendly to Israel.
StandWithUs is aggressive in its defense of Israel, to include a
secret program [18] to compile critical dossiers on pro-Palestinian
speakers as part of an effort to help `Israel advocates respond to and
counter anti-Israel speakers who come to your campus.’

The project is ostensibly being run through the StandWithUs chapter in
Israel, but it will include the training of British and American
students, and the parent organization is itself American in both
funding and its incorporation. As it has no other function than
promoting the Israeli government point of view so as to influence
decision making in the United States and in the United Kingdom. It
would be a clear case where registry with FARA would be mandatory as
the political direction and half the funding for the project are
coming directly from the Israeli government. If StandWithUS is
compelled to register under FARA it will have to reveal all its
funding and its tax exempt status will presumably be revoked by the
Internal Revenue Service.

And StandWithUs is far from alone. Israel is certainly entitled to
make its case to the American and international audience and one might
observe that it has done so extremely tenaciously and very
effectively. But a number of organizations in the Israel Lobby are
little more than fronts for promoting the Israeli right wing
government talking points in an attempt to shape American policy,
which indisputably makes them foreign agents as defined by FARA. As
foreign agents, they should be subject to some supervision of and
restraints on their activities and there would also be a certain
transparency in terms of who they are and what they represent which
just might make the media less inclined to go to them for commentary.

One suspects that the Barack Obama/Eric Holder Justice department has
little stomach for going after any organization linked to Israel and
that reticence is regrettable, particularly as Israel will undoubtedly
be using the upcoming Netanyahu visit to ratchet up the intensity of
its own campaign to convince the American public that war with Iran
should be a compelling U.S. national interest. If the American public
were made aware that much of the war fever is being drummed up by
organizations that are actually acting as agents of a foreign
government it just might make a difference in how that sales pitch is
perceived. But even if that were not the case, it would not be a bad
thing to observe that the United States government does indeed, at
least occasionally, play by its own rules.

URLs in this post:

[1] Foreign Agents Registration Act:

[2] was charged with:

[3] registered under the act:

[4] accessible by the public:

[5] registered agent:

[6] American Zionist Council:

[7] repeated efforts:

[8] to register:

[9] described:

[10] euphemism made popular:

[11] paying students:

[12] reported:

[13] are paid:

[14] program:

[15] forced to resign:

[16] founded:

[17] largely funded:

[18] secret program:

From: A. Papazian

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apost. Church of America and Canada
H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan
Prelate, Easter Prelacy and Canada
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
Web:

Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America

IN MEMORIAM

Vahe Amirian

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Vahe Amirian,
a faithful member of the Armenian Church and community and a Pillar of
the Prelacy. Mr. Amirian died yesterday, January 29. He is survived by
his daughter and son, Neiri Amirian and Armen Amirian.

The wake will take place on Saturday, January 31, from 3 to 5 pm and 7
to 9 pm at Glascott Funeral Home, 102-03 Metropolitan Avenue, Forest
Hills, New York. Funeral services will be officiated by His Grace
Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar General of the Prelacy, on Monday,
February 2, at 12 noon at Saint Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church,
38-65 234th Street, Douglaston, New York.

Mr. Amirian served on the Eastern Prelacy’s Executive Council from
1998 to 2002 and was also a member of the Prelacy’s Building
Committee. He and his late wife, Elizabeth, were long-time members of
Sts. Vartanantz Church in New Jersey where he served as a member of
the board of trustees and delegate to the National Representative
Assembly.

We extend our heartfelt sympathy to his children, relatives, and
friends. We pray All-Merciful God to receive his soul in eternal peace
and bliss.

ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN

Prelate
Eastern Prelacy of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of America

From: A. Papazian

Herand Markarian’s ‘Dead Poets Society’

By Tom Vartabedian on January 29, 2015 in Tom Vartabedian

“Tonight, the spirits of the dead
In my soul and in my eyes
Are waiting for the dawn to rise.”
-Siamanto (Martyred in 1915)

CONGERS, N.Y.–What better tribute for the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide than to honor our martyred dead? Whether we do it
collectively or individually, it’s become a legacy which we have
preserved for the last century.

Dr. Herand Markarian

Dr. Herand Markarian has stepped forward again, but not with another
theatrical production (for which he is noted). Instead, he’s compiled
a book called, The Rise of the Crimson Dawn, about the martyred
Armenian writers of 1915.

The man who brought you “Georgetown Boys,” “Silence,” and “Mirrors”
has completed a new project these days, one completely devoid of the
theater and stage.

He’s tipping the hourglass over and delving into history, documenting
the stories of our literary elite and the price they paid during the
genocide years. It’s been a work in progress, amid a dozen other
ventures this historian has undertaken.

With “Mirrors,” he took us on a psychological journey through the
emotions of three people in the aftermath of the genocide. The play
was produced Off-Broadway in 1996 and later performed in California,
London, and North Andover, Mass.

Two years later, on came “The Georgetown Boys,” the story of 103
orphans who were brought to Canada and trained as farmers, bringing a
new life into the new world.

He followed that up with a gem called “Silence in a Circular Rainbow,”
a play commissioned by the New York State Theater Institute.

In between projects, such as another theater production and an
endeavor called “Testimonies,” where stories of our ancestors’ ordeals
are being documented, the 76-year-old is now off on another tangent.
It’s all neatly packaged under a non-profit umbrella called Libra-6
which pursues art, culture, and theater.

“Genocides interrupt the growth of artistic and literary values,” he
points out. “In a larger scale, it curtails the growth and progress of
humanity. Genocide is a crime against humanity.”

In this book, Markarian has focused solely upon the literary aspect of
the Armenian Genocide. He has chosen the most prominent writers who
perished over that time period. They ranged in age from 30 to 65. All
of them were masters of their craft, unique in their style and
approach.

Included are the biographies and literary works of Hrant (Melkon
Gyoorjian), Tulgadintsi (Hovhanness Harootyoonian), Krikor Zohrab,
Smpad Pyoorad (Der Ghazariantz), Yerookhan (Yervant
Srmaskeshkhanlian), Ardashes Harootyoonian, Roopen Zartarian, Diran
Chrakian (Indra), Siamanto (Adom Yarjanian), Kegham Parseghian, Taniel
Varouzhan, Dikran Chogyoorian, and Roupen Sevag (Chilingirian).

All but Diran Chrakian were martyred in 1915. Chrakian was killed in
1921, shortly after the Independent Republic. He was 46. Youngest of
the lot was Sevag who was but 30.

“If you gathered all that wisdom, that intellect, the literature they
were deprived of writing, it was merciless,” he tells us.

Markarian took it upon itself to memorialize these treasures. He’s
translated two pieces from each of the prose writers and a varied
number of poems from the poets.

The book has three distinct parts:

Part 1: Historical Background, Armenians in Ottoman Turkey, Evolution
of Armenian Literature and Armenian Literature in the 19th Century.

Part 2: The Path of Martyrdom of Writers and Eyewitness Accounts.

Part 3: Biographies and Literary Works.

“On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, I
hope this gives the recognition that they well deserve,” he says. “One
can only imagine how much the monetary loss of these 1.5 million
victims would amount to today, never mind the centuries-old
masterpieces of unique architecture, churches, monasteries, schools,
and villages.”

To say Markarian is passionate about the genocide is quite the
understatement. He continues to remain a catalyst in the preservation
and enhancement of our heritage, whether written, spoken, or staged.
He may not be the ultimate answer to the Armenian Question but at
least he’s addressing it.

I’ve heard it said many times that if a name or place is out of sight,
it becomes out of mind. Markarian reminds us that our literary history
is still profound and rich, even after 100 years of oblivion.

He tells us that time may erode our senses but won’t erase the memory
of those who put their finest words to paper and bolstered our place
in the literary Valhalla. In many ways, we’re so busy planning
genocide commemorations and looking for recognition that we’re apt to
become mindless of the past.

I did not recognize many of the writers he mentions in his book. It’s
good to hear their names and read their stories and poems. It’s nice
that they are being remembered.

Herand Markarian’s ‘Dead Poets Society’

By Tom Vartabedian on January 29, 2015 in Tom Vartabedian // 0 Comments // //

click for more

“Tonight, the spirits of the dead

In my soul and in my eyes

Are waiting for the dawn to rise.”

-Siamanto (Martyred in 1915)

CONGERS, N.Y.–What better tribute for the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide than to honor our martyred dead? Whether we do it
collectively or individually, it’s become a legacy which we have
preserved for the last century.

Dr. Herand Markarian

Dr. Herand Markarian has stepped forward again, but not with another
theatrical production (for which he is noted). Instead, he’s compiled
a book called, The Rise of the Crimson Dawn, about the martyred
Armenian writers of 1915.

The man who brought you “Georgetown Boys,” “Silence,” and “Mirrors”
has completed a new project these days, one completely devoid of the
theater and stage.

He’s tipping the hourglass over and delving into history, documenting
the stories of our literary elite and the price they paid during the
genocide years. It’s been a work in progress, amid a dozen other
ventures this historian has undertaken.

With “Mirrors,” he took us on a psychological journey through the
emotions of three people in the aftermath of the genocide. The play
was produced Off-Broadway in 1996 and later performed in California,
London, and North Andover, Mass.

Two years later, on came “The Georgetown Boys,” the story of 103
orphans who were brought to Canada and trained as farmers, bringing a
new life into the new world.

He followed that up with a gem called “Silence in a Circular Rainbow,”
a play commissioned by the New York State Theater Institute.

In between projects, such as another theater production and an
endeavor called “Testimonies,” where stories of our ancestors’ ordeals
are being documented, the 76-year-old is now off on another tangent.
It’s all neatly packaged under a non-profit umbrella called Libra-6
which pursues art, culture, and theater.

“Genocides interrupt the growth of artistic and literary values,” he
points out. “In a larger scale, it curtails the growth and progress of
humanity. Genocide is a crime against humanity.”

In this book, Markarian has focused solely upon the literary aspect of
the Armenian Genocide. He has chosen the most prominent writers who
perished over that time period. They ranged in age from 30 to 65. All
of them were masters of their craft, unique in their style and
approach.

Included are the biographies and literary works of Hrant (Melkon
Gyoorjian), Tulgadintsi (Hovhanness Harootyoonian), Krikor Zohrab,
Smpad Pyoorad (Der Ghazariantz), Yerookhan (Yervant
Srmaskeshkhanlian), Ardashes Harootyoonian, Roopen Zartarian, Diran
Chrakian (Indra), Siamanto (Adom Yarjanian), Kegham Parseghian, Taniel
Varouzhan, Dikran Chogyoorian, and Roupen Sevag (Chilingirian).

All but Diran Chrakian were martyred in 1915. Chrakian was killed in
1921, shortly after the Independent Republic. He was 46. Youngest of
the lot was Sevag who was but 30.

“If you gathered all that wisdom, that intellect, the literature they
were deprived of writing, it was merciless,” he tells us.

Markarian took it upon itself to memorialize these treasures. He’s
translated two pieces from each of the prose writers and a varied
number of poems from the poets.

The book has three distinct parts:

Part 1: Historical Background, Armenians in Ottoman Turkey, Evolution
of Armenian Literature and Armenian Literature in the 19th Century.

Part 2: The Path of Martyrdom of Writers and Eyewitness Accounts.

Part 3: Biographies and Literary Works.

“On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, I
hope this gives the recognition that they well deserve,” he says. “One
can only imagine how much the monetary loss of these 1.5 million
victims would amount to today, never mind the centuries-old
masterpieces of unique architecture, churches, monasteries, schools,
and villages.”

To say Markarian is passionate about the genocide is quite the
understatement. He continues to remain a catalyst in the preservation
and enhancement of our heritage, whether written, spoken, or staged.
He may not be the ultimate answer to the Armenian Question but at
least he’s addressing it.

I’ve heard it said many times that if a name or place is out of sight,
it becomes out of mind. Markarian reminds us that our literary history
is still profound and rich, even after 100 years of oblivion.

He tells us that time may erode our senses but won’t erase the memory
of those who put their finest words to paper and bolstered our place
in the literary Valhalla. In many ways, we’re so busy planning
genocide commemorations and looking for recognition that we’re apt to
become mindless of the past.

I did not recognize many of the writers he mentions in his book. It’s
good to hear their names and read their stories and poems. It’s nice
that they are being remembered.

From: A. Papazian

PRESS RELEASE
Date: January 29, 2015

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
Contact: Taniel Koushakjian
Telephone: (202) 393-3434
Email: [email protected]
Web:

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY BOARD CHAIRMAN HIRAIR HOVNANIAN ANNOUNCES $500,000
MATCHING PLEDGE TO BOOST ASSEMBLY OPERATIONS IN CENTENNIAL YEAR

WASHINGTON, DC – As Armenians around the globe begin to commemorate the
100th anniversary of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, the Armenian Assembly of
America will be working in various capacities in the planning, organizing,
and execution of several events across the United States, as well as
working to advance Armenian issues on Capitol Hill. In this context,
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Assembly, Mr. Hirair Hovnanian,
has pledged to match up to $500,000 on all new donations to the Armenian
Assembly of America in 2015.

`Hirair’s dedication, commitment, and ongoing support of the Assembly’s
activities is truly outstanding and will help us further advance our work,
especially in this critically important Centennial year,’ stated Assembly
Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.

In 1997, it was Hirair’s vision and $1 million contribution that led to the
creation of the Armenian National Institute (ANI), which established itself
as a leading Armenian Genocide resource center and affirmation organization
associated with the Assembly. Today, ANI is the premier go-to site for
genocide documentation and research. In 2014 alone the ANI website had over
3 million hits.

The generous pledge of Mr. Hovnanian was announced at the Assembly Kick-Off
Reception in Boca Raton, FL and the Assembly’s annual New Year Gathering in
Los Angeles, CA earlier this month.

Mr. Hovnanian’s matching pledge applies to new members who join the
Assembly and additional sums donated above a current member’s contribution
level. Individuals can join the Assembly online at

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and
awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt membership organization.

###

NR: # 2015-004
Available online at:

From: A. Papazian