Author: Andres-Papazian

L’Orient-Le Jour, Liban
24 févr. 2012

Murr et le Tachnag à nouveau côte à côte

Politique L’ancien vice-président du Conseil affirme que ses
partenaires arméniens ont « reconnu leur faute ».

Le député du Metn et ancien vice-président du Conseil, Michel Murr, et
le parti Tachnag, membre du bloc de la Réforme et du Changement, ont
consacré hier leurs retrouvailles après la rupture consécutive aux
élections législatives de 2009.
Les deux parties n’ont pas indiqué explicitement si ces retrouvailles
signifient qu’ils seront alliés aux prochaines élections, prévues en
2013, mais M. Murr a affirmé que le Tachnag a « reconnu sa faute. »
Une délégation de dirigeants du parti arménien, comprenant notamment
le chef du comité exécutif, Hovig Mekhitarian, et le député Hagop
Pakradounian, a été reçue hier par M. Murr à son bureau à Amaret
Chalhoub.
À l’issue des discussions, M. Pakradounian a fait la déclaration
suivante : « Après une série de rencontres avec un grand nombre
d’instances politiques et religieuses, nous nous sommes réunis
aujourd’hui avec (l’ex-vice-président) Murr. Il faut savoir que nos
rencontres n’ont jamais cessé, mais nous avons voulu aujourd’hui
confirmer, en présence des médias, que le lien qui nous unit est
davantage qu’une alliance. Celle-ci est contractée entre deux parties.
Pour notre part, nous considérons que nos rapports sont permanents et
que nous sommes une seule famille. Notre amitié a 52 ans d’ge et
l’histoire montre que rien ne pourra nous éloigner les uns des autres
».
« Nous voulons donc consacrer ce lien et cette amitié loin des petits
détails et pour mener une action commune en politique et sur les
questions nationales. Nous voulons rassurer les gens, et en
particulier les Metniotes, sur le fait que nous sommes toujours unis
par le même lien en politique et hors de la politique », a-t-il
ajouté.
Il a toutefois souligné qu’il était « encore tôt pour parler des
élections » de 2013.
De son côté, M. Murr a déclaré : « La réunion a porté sur des
questions essentielles tant sur le plan intérieur libanais qu’en ce
qui concerne les développements dans la région et leurs répercussions
sur la scène libanaise. Il était normal de procéder à une évaluation
de ce qui se passe autour de nous. »
Et d’ajouter : « Puis nous avons parlé de nos liens personnels qui
remontent à 1960. Nos relations étaient fraternelles, familiales et
politiques et nous étions toujours unis dans les étapes politiques et
électorales. À certains moments, il y a eu certes des dos d’ne, ou
plutôt un nuage d’été, en particulier en 2009. Ce nuage a disparu et
s’il a existé à un moment, ce n’est pas par la volonté du parti ni par
une décision propre à lui. Des pressions extérieures avaient été
exercées, à plusieurs niveaux, sur le parti, mais nous savons qu’ils
étaient toujours de c`ur à nos côtés. En tout état de cause, nous
avons aujourd’hui dépassé ce qui s’est produit », a-t-il ajouté.
« Cette réunion avait pour but d’évaluer ce qui s’est passé et de
corriger la faute, car ils ont reconnu cette faute », a souligné le
député, estimant lui aussi que « personne ne peut dès à présent
discuter des élections » de 2013.
Au lendemain du scrutin de 2009, M. Murr, allié des Kataëb et des
Forces libanaises, avait notamment reproché au Tachnag, qui soutenait
le général Aoun sauf pour ce qui est du siège de l’ancien
vice-président du Conseil, de ne pas avoir honoré sa promesse de voter
massivement en sa faveur.
Très dominant à Bourj Hammoud et au sein de l’électorat arménien en
général, le Tachnag avait en effet fait en sorte qu’il y ait
suffisamment de voix arméniennes en faveur de M. Murr pour qu’il soit
élu, mais de justesse, en prenant soin d’éviter le plébiscite.

From: A. Papazian

Le Temps, Suisse
Vendredi 02 Mars 2012

Mikhail Simonyan, «Two Souls»

Il n’a pas une gueule d’ange ni un joli minois, ce qui est plutôt bon
signe à une époque où les majors cèdent à la tyrannie de
l’apparence…

AUTEUR: J. S.

Il n’a pas une gueule d’ange ni un joli minois, ce qui est plutôt bon
signe à une époque où les majors cèdent à la tyrannie de l’apparence.
Mikhail Simonyan, violoniste d’ascendance arménienne et russe qui a
été formé aux Etats-Unis, signe un bel enregistrement des Concertos de
Khatchaturian et de Barber avec Kristjan Järvi et l’Orchestre
symphonique de Londres. On admire le fruité de son archet, cette
pureté angélique qu’il déploie dans les épisodes lyriques sans verser
dans le pathos. Le grand Concerto de Khatchaturian mêle énergie
roborative (avec des rythmes primaires et un rien jazzy mis en relief
par le chef) et inspiration populaire. La cadence, signée Artur
Avanesov, convoque l’idiome traditionnel arménien. Le mouvement lent
est de toute beauté.

From: A. Papazian

The Patriot Ledger, MA
March 4 2012

Family party for Weymouth Armenian genocide survivor

The family and friends of Asdghig “Starrie” Alemian of Weymouth held a
festive party Saturday to celebrate Alemian’s 102nd borthday. She
turned 102 on March 1.

Five generations of her family were at the party at The Red Parrot in
Hull on Saturday.

Alemian escaped from the 1915 Armenian Genocide as a child of five,
after both her parents were killed.

She was brought to this country at age 12, in 1922, from a Syrian
orphanage in Aleppo by an uncle and has lived in Weymouth since that
time, except for two years in Worcester.

Her first name, Asdghig, is a term of endearment meaning little star,
or “Starrie.”

She and her husband Sarkis had seven children and lived in East
Weymouth near Jackson Square. The couple ran a small grocery store
called Alemian’s Delicatessen at 718 Broad St. near the old Immaculate
Conception Church for many years.

In recent years, Alemian took part in events with the
Armenian-American community in Watertown and at the State House to
underscore the importance of officially recognizing the Armenian
genocide.

From: A. Papazian

Glendale News-Press (California)
March 3, 2012 Saturday

EDITORIAL: An example of harebrained bureaucracy

March 03–For the second time, the Glendale City Council this week was
forced to overturn a commission-level decision blocking a new gym at
Chamlian Armenian School — two years after it applied for the right
to build it.

Since 2010, the school has been stuck in a bureaucratic quagmire in
which a select few play the system to tie up a project they feel is
“incompatible” with “their” neighborhood. How many times have we heard
this argument?

First, the Planning Commission turned down the zoning application.
When the City Council overturned that decision, the Design Review
Board then rejected the building plans, basically contending the gym
was too square — in both senses of the word.

So yet again, two years after the school applied to construct a badly
needed gym for its students, the council overturned the design
rejection. Because after all, who has seen anything but a boxy
gymnasium?

Even Councilman Dave Weaver, a typically unsympathetic ear for such
cases, told the audience on Tuesday night that he was angry the gym
was even still an issue. And several on the dais expressed surprise
that the gym hadn’t been built yet.

Well, now Chamlian is free to build its gym. And we have yet another
example of how government can sometimes manage to make such a
no-brainer a harebrained example of road-block bureaucracy.

From: A. Papazian

Raffi’s `Madman’
Saturday, March 3rd, 2012 | Posted by admin

By Odette Bazil

joined the Ararat Theatrical Club in Tehran when I was 12 years old
and for the following 6 years, I participated in the plays which were
produced in the Armenian Language to address and satisfy the Cultural
and National interest of the Armenian population in Iran. The plays –
always containing a historic and patriotic message – were aiming
mainly to preserve the Armenian Language, Traditions and Culture.
One day, it was decided that the Club would produce -as a play – the
book `the Madman’ written by the famous Armenian author Raffi: a
tragedy happening in 1915, during the Armenian genocide in Western
Armenia where Vartan ( the man who looses his mind and becomes Raffi’s
`Madman’) lives happily with his young daughter Lala and his family.
As part of the Armenian genocide planned by the Turkish government of
the day and by order of the Turkish governor of the district, the
Turks rampage Vartan’s village, kidnap his daughter, eventually kill
her and kill also his entire family. In the final scene, Vartan
returns and laments at his daughter’s grave sobbing with shrieking
screams and crazy loud laughters, totally and desperately overwhelmed
by the pain which turns him to the `Madman ` described by the author.
I was – originally – playing the role of Lala, but often , I had to
become also Stepanik , Vartan’s imaginary son for which my face would
be covered with dust and coal, my clothes tattied, wearing a short and
dirty wig , barefeet and looking haggard like an orphan. Being only
12, I could not understand the reasons for that transformation and
dual identity and when I insisted to know, I was told that Lala’s
identity as a little girl had to be hidden and, during the day, she
had to become a little boy so that `the Turks would not take her away’
The argument convinced me and I did ask no more… until two years ago,
in 2010, when watching a programme on Armenian TV, I heard the
historian who was analysing the Armenian genocide, revealing a story
so horrid, so repellent and detestable that I had to switch off the
TV, struggling to hold back my tears and trying to overcome my
aversion and my anger. In a flash of memory, the play `Madman’ came to
my mind! And after so many long years, at last, I understood what Mr
Vahan Aghamalian, the director of the play had meant by saying: `the
Turks would not take her away’!!!!!!

The historian was saying : `for the Turks, taking away the little
Armenian girls from their families was not a crime committed at random
by one or two individuals: the Ottoman government had created a law by
which the governor of every city and village had the right to take his
young sons to Armenian households where they would choose and take
away many little Armenian girls- even as young as eight years old- to
furnish their harems`
The presenter had tears in his eyes and pain in his voice while
showing the unbielevable document. But there, on the television
screen, in black and white, was the proof of the barbarism, the
inhumane crimes and the bestial violation of every human being’s
rights which were legalised – with inpunity – by Turkish law.
Which parent could tolerate such violation? Which father could live
with such degradation, shame and dishonour? Which mother could ever
have peace or joy in her heart and whitstand such agony: knowing of
the crime committed against her daughter, day after day, night after
night?
No wonder that Vartan became `mad’ with pain! No wonder that the
wounds created by such crimes – specially against their honour –
remain in the hearts of all Armenians forever and are buried so deep
that they will never forgive or forget.
Each one of us, Armenians, has in its ancestry a mother who has lost a
child in this horrific way, a relative whose entire family has been
butchered, a brother, a son or a father who has been hanged or shot,
friends who have been set to fire and hundreds of thousands fellow
Armenians whose properties, identities and lives have been taken away
by the Turks , cruelly and systematically, because they were Armenians
and because the Turkish government had a sinister genocidal agenda and
was wholeheartedly committed to execute that genocidal agenda.
We must remember these victims. Not only once every year on 24th
April; but everyday of our lives. Everyday. We must remember them. We
must tell our children, our friends, our neighbours, anyone and
everyone we meet, every day, about our people and their sad faith .
The world must know and we must remember. It is our sacred duty.
In Britain Remembrance Day is marked by the people wearing a red poppy
on their lapels. Maybe we Armenians – ALL OF US TOGETHER – should
adopt the wearing of a WHITE POPPY in Remembrance of the Victims of
the Armenian genocide. White: the colour of mourning. Six years ago,
at the 90th Anniversary of Remembrance, many of us in the UK wore such
White Poppies to which we also stuck a small label saying: `Remember
24th April 1915`.
Now, as time is of essence, there is the urgent – very urgent- need
for one of our Armenian composers to create a `Genocide Remembrance
Anthem`; a short, poignant and in the same time, strong and powerful
music, the notes of which can be sung without difficulty by everyone
and which can be easily and immediately recognised and adopted as
such; and by wearing the White Poppy by each and every Armenian during
the whole month of April of every year and by adopting the Remembrance
Anthem to inaugurate each and every event or function – even at
Church, after Mass, during Hogehankist – we can and must become the
doers, the presenters and the implementors of the fortcoming `Genocide
Remembrance Projects` and include them in the everyday actions and
lives of every Armenian National be it in the Diaspora or in our
Motherland.

From: A. Papazian

BOSTON – USA
Soirée spéciale Franco-Arménienne

Sous les auspices de la Délégation générale du Quebec à Boston et du
Consulat du Suebec à Boston, The Armenian Library and Museum of
America (ALMA) et The French Cultural Center donnent une soirée
arménienne le 21 mars dans le cadre de la célébration de la
francophonie 2012 en Nouvelle Angleterre.

Cet événement mettra en vedette une exposition d’une nuit seulement de
la collection de photographies de Yousuf Karsh du Centre Culturel
Français et une petite exposition itinérante produite par ALMA, «
Arménie, Mon Amie : connexion franco-arménienne` comprenant un
alphabet original arménien de l’Encyclopédie française de Denis
Diderot publié en 1765 et quelques beaux exemples de dentelles
arméniennes.

dimanche 4 mars 2012,
Jean Eckian ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

ARGENTINE – SOUMGAÏT
La jeunesse arménienne proteste

Dans la soirée du 2 mars, la jeunesse argentine d’origine arménienne
et du Karabagh se sont rassemblés devant l’ambassade d’Azerbaïdjan à
Buenos-Aires en mémoire des pogroms de Soumgaït et Bakou à l’encontre
des arméniens. De nombreux policiers encadraient la manifestation
organisé par le mouvement de la Fédération des Jeunes Arméniens (AYF).

Les slogans appelaient l’Azerbaïdjan à cesser de menacer l’Arménie
d’une éventuelle guerre et reconnaître le principe
d’auto-détermination.

dimanche 4 mars 2012,
Jean Eckian ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

GÃ?NOCIDE DES ARMÃ?NIENS
Le Vatican ouvre ses Archives secrètes

Rome a inauguré une exposition unique des Archives Secrètes du Vatican
Lux in Arcana (Lumière dans le secret). L’exposition, ouverte du 29
février au 9 septembre 2012 dans les prestigieuses salles du Capitol,
comprend de la correspondance entre les pontifes romains avec les
monarques européens, les actes des tribunaux de Galileo Galilei et
Giordano Bruno, un rapport sur ??les travaux de Michel-Ange sur
l’érection de Saint-Pierre, des manuscrits, des codes, des rapports,
etc.

Les organisateurs n’ont pas fixé comme objectif de révéler les
secrets, dit l’un des commissaires de l’exposition Gondzato
Alessandra. « Nous avons voulu faire revivre l’histoire pour la rendre
plus intéressante au profane. La consultation des documents sera
seulement disponible à l’attention des spécialistes,` – a déclaré
l’expert.

L’exposition est divisée en sept secteurs thématiques, en particulier,
`Le conclave secret », « les hérétiques, les Croisés et des Chevaliers
», « les scientifiques, les philosophes et les inventeurs.` Une autre
partie de l’exposition est consacrée à des témoignages des pires
atrocités commises par les nazis pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale.

L’exposition, qui est le résultat de la coopération d’experts du
Saint-Siège et le maire de Rome, dédiée au 400e anniversaire des
archives du Vatican, a été fondée en 1612 par le pape Paul V. La
préparation du projet a duré quatre ans.

Stockées, les documents du Vatican occupent un corridor d’une longueur
totale de 85 kms.

En Juillet 2011, le préfet des Archives secrètes du Vatican, Mgr
Sergio Pagano, dans une interview accordée au journal turc Vatan a
déclaré que le Vatican a l’intention de compiler et de publier un
volume séparé des archives sur les secrets du génocide arménien. A
paraître prochainement.

En 1896, le pape Léon XIII a exhorté le Sultan Abdul Hamid à faire
preuve de miséricorde et d’arrêter le génocide commis sur les
arméniens. Pagano dit qu’une centaine de documents existent sur le
génocide arménien, y compris la preuve écrite des actions de l’armée
turque, à partir des archives secrètes du Vatican. Elles seront
publiées sous forme de livre.

Un témoignage d’Erzurum : « J’ai vu combien d’enfants ont été tués. Ma
nièce s’est enfuie de la maison avec un enfant de 2 ans sur ses
épaules. Deux soldats sont venus vers elle et ont tué le bébé devant
elle… j’ai vu le massacre du chef spirituel de notre ville. Ils lui
ont crevé les yeux et arraché la barbe. Avant de l’assassiner, les
soldats l’ont forcé à danser devant eux … `.

Un soldat turc nommé Mustafa Suleiman : `Nous sommes allés dans un
village arménien et tué tout le monde, sans égard au sexe et l’âge.
Ceux qui sont venus avec nous du village des Kurdes ont pillé les
maisons des Arméniens. Beaucoup d’Arméniens âgés, des personnes
handicapées ont été cachés dans une école qui était au centre de la
ville, mais nous avions des ordres Рet nous les avons tu̩s. Dans le
village de Geliguzan 800 Arméniens ont été tués ou brûlés. Les yeux du
Père Hovhannes ont été crevés, la barbe, le nez et les oreilles
coupés. Je n’ai pas tué un seul enfant, et j’ai même sauvé deux
enfants en les cachant pendant trois jours sous ma tente. Le troisième
jour, en entrant sous sa tente le soldat découvrit que le corps de
l’un des enfants avait été démembré … `

Mgr Pagano a déclaré que le Vatican publiera les archives du génocide
arménien dans l’Empire ottoman pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale sous
le régime des Jeunes Turcs.

`Ces documents soulèvent un sentiment irrésistible de douleur et
d’horreur. Les rapports de la cruauté des Turcs contre les Arméniens
me font honte en tant qu’homme »- dit un évêque.

dimanche 4 mars 2012,
Jean Eckian ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

ERDOGAN TAKES PICTURE OF TURKISH-ARMENIAN PHOTOGRAPHER ARA GULER

Hurriyet Daily News
March 2 2012
Turkey

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan took a picture of
world-renown Turkish-Armenian photographer Ara Guler during the Culure
and Arts Grand Awards in Istanbul today.

Erdogan took a camera from a photographer and snapped a shot of Guler
as a show of respect.

The Culture and Arts Grand Awards were presented to four photographers
in a ceremony, where Erdogan made the opening speech. The prime
minister then presented Guler with his award and to everyone’s
surprise took a camera from a nearby photographer and took a picture
of the Guler.

Erdogan then presented the awards of the other three photographers.

The recipients then sat together and Erdogan took the camera again
and snapped a group photo.

From: A. Papazian

CEMIL CICEK: “THE ACHIEVEMENT OF PEACE IN THE CAUCASUS PASSES THROUGH THE WITHDRAWAL OF ARMENIAN FORCES FROM THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES OF AZERBAIJAN” – INTERVIEW

APA
Feb 29 2012
Azerbaijan

“Turkey is behind the statement by our Prime Minister in the
Azerbaijani Milli Mejlis and that policy”

Ankara. Mayis Alizadeh – APA. APA’s interview with Chairman of the
Grand National Assembly (parliament) of Turkey Cemil Cicek

– We express gratitude for the exhibition opened at the Turkish
parliament on 20th anniversary of Khojaly genocide. During the
political crisis between Turkey and France, Turkey proposed to withdraw
France from the OSCE Minsk Group. What is your opinion on this issue?

– We have to assess the developments dispassionately. Our Azerbaijani
brothers can be sure that their pain is our pain. We are happy when
you are happy and we sorrow when you sorrow. I believe you also feel
so. In my speech during the exhibition, I said that only fair solution
of the Karabakh problem between Armenia and Azerbaijan will bring peace
and stability to the Caucasus, and it will be achieved only through
the withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan. We welcome everyone who supports this process. Those,
who are against it, support injustice and rightlessness. This is
our opinion. In fact, the Minsk Group also takes the initiative as a
result of Turkey’s serious efforts. Everyone should make policy taken
the purpose, with which this group was established, into consideration.

– Khojaly is the first genocide perpetrated after the “cold war”.

Three and a half year later Serbians committed genocide against
Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenitsa. Political and legal assessment
to Srebrenitsa genocide was given 15 years later. Azerbaijan also
makes serious efforts to bring the perpetrators of Khojaly genocide
to international justice. What would you like to say about it as an
experienced specialist in the sphere of international law?

– These issues must be decided by the government. I believe
Azerbaijani leadership will accurately take necessary decisions for the
punishment of perpetrators of this crime and Turkey will support these
attempts. Leaders of the country must take first step and determine the
way, which should be followed. I hope that a thorough road map will be
developed and the steps will be taken in accordance with this road map.

– When Armenia started to occupy Azerbaijani lands beyond Nagorno
Karabakh, Turkey closed its border with Armenia on April 4,
1993. In his speech in the Azerbaijani Parliament, Prime Minister
Tayyip Erdogan underlined that the closing of borders was related to
“cause and effect” relation and announced that the border will not be
opened unless the Armenians withdraw from the occupied Azerbaijani
territories. The Zurich protocols were recently excluded from the
agenda of Turkish parliament, but now there are claims that the
protocols will appear on the agenda again. What would you like to
say about it?

– Turkey is behind the statement of our Prime Minister and that
policy. There were provocative forces who wanted to violate
Turkey-Azerbaijan relations. We must not to fall into such traps.

Prime Minister of Turkey made a speech in the Azerbaijani parliament
and Turkey supports this speech.

-Khojaly rally was held in Taksim Square, Istanbul…..

-Unfortunately, I was not there.

– Minister of Internal Affairs of Turkey made a very good speech at
this meeting, but some circles criticize him. How do you assess it?

-Turkey is a democratic country and someone can criticize his speech,
others can support. Public community weighs it by weight of its
conscience. Our people’ senses are very strong, we must rely on them.

Public opinion is more important than writings or statements of
someone.

From: A. Papazian