Author: Babajanian Karo

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN CONGRATULATES WOMEN ON MOTHERHOOD AND BEAUTY DAY

12:56 07.04.2014

President Serzh Sargsyan issued a congratulatory message on the
occasion of the Motherhood and Beauty Day. the message reads:

“Dear mothers,

I heartily congratulate you on the occasion of Motherhood and Beauty
Day. From time immemorial almost all societies have expressed their
adoring attitude toward motherhood and it continues to be so. The
Armenian reality and traditions provide a bright illustration of
that attitude and this holiday is our society’s confession of love
and gratitude to our mothers.

Dear ladies,

I once again congratulate you on the occasion of this beautiful spring
holiday and wish you to be always happy and to bring up healthy and
meritorious children. ”

PETROS MAKEYAN: IT WAS SERZH SARGSYAN WHO FORCED PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSYAN TO RESIGN

14:07 | April 7,2014 | Politics

Chairman of the Democratic Fatherland Party Petros Makeyan says it
was Serzh sargsyan who forced Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan to resign.

“A political figure with a sense of self-respect would have submitted
a resignation after the notorious offshore scandal but Sargsyan did
not do it. Why should he decide to resign now?” said Mr Makeyan.

He does not ascribe the resignation to the four non-coalition forces,
either. “It is the president who decides everything in Armenia,”
he stressed adding that the country lacks a real opposition and the
four forces obey the acting authorities.

“If they did not obey the authorities, they would demand Serzh
Sargsyan’s resignation,” he added.

Though Makeyan is not interested in the personality of the next prime
minister, he rules out the candidacy of Robert Kocahryan.

“If Kocharyan became prime minister, it would mean that Serzh Sargsyan
works for Kocahryan as a president and has to divide the power between
the two of them. But Serzh Sargsyan needs a puppet premier who will
do whatever he is told to do,” Mr Makeyan said adding that nothing
will change after the appointment of the prime minister, because the
oligarchic nature of the economy does not depend on the prime minister,
but on Serzh Sargsyan.

CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT UNION CALLS ON WORLD COMMUNITY TO APPLY SANCTIONS AGAINST TURKEY FOR SUPPORTING TERRORIST ATTACKS ON SYRIAN KESSAB

by Ashot Safaryan

Monday, April 7, 15:43

The Constitutional Right Union party calls on the world community to
apply sanctions against Turkey for supporting the terrorist attacks
on Armenians in the Syrian town of Kessab.

“Lots of Armenians were killed, thousands were deported. Serious
damage was caused to local Armenian churches, schools and cultural
facilities. It was one more example of Turkey’s terrorist policy
with respect to Syrian Armenians. As a result of Turkey’s support
for Islamic terrorists, the Armenian community of Syria has almost
halved, with almost 80,000 Armenians turned into refugees. Just like
100 years ago, Turkey aims to annihilate Armenians not only in their
historical lands but wherever they are,” the party says.

It regrets to see that being a NATO member and an EU associate member,
Turkey cooperates with terrorists and attacks civilians. “And we
also regret that the West is doing nothing to prevent or at least
condemn these actions. Even more, the US and EU leaders had a big
role in kindling war in Syria and setting Islamic terrorists against
the Syrian authorities,” the party says, noting that unlike them,
Russian NGOs and mass media are actively supporting Syrian Armenians.

So, the Constitutional Right Union urges the world community to protect
and support Armenians and other Christian minorities in Syria and to
help them to return to their homes.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT TURKMENISTAN

15:33 * 07.04.14

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is to leave for Turkmenistan on
Monday evening.

Armenia’s leader is to hold a meeting with his Turkmen counterpart
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, which will be followed by an enlarged
meeting by the Armenian and Turkmen delegations.

Bilateral agreements on the development of cooperation are expected
to be signed.

The Armenian and Turkmen leaders will hold a joint press conference
to sum up their meeting.

On Wednesday, President Serzh Sargsyan is to visit the city of
Tukmenbashi. At the Ruhiyet palace of culture, Armenia’s leader,
accompanied by his Turkmen counterpart, will attend a concert by
Armenian and Turkmen performers.

An Armenian-Turkmen business conference is to take place during the
Armenian president’s visit.

Armenian News – Tert.am

ANDRANIK ARZUMANIAN APPOINTED NEW DIRECTOR OF OPERA THEATRE

Monday,
April
07

Andranik Arzumanian has been appointed as director of the National
Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre after Spendiarian state non-profit
organization based on the results of the contest held on April 4
to fill the vacancy for the theatre director, the press service of
Armenian Culture Ministry reported.

7 candidates participated in the contest. Andranik Arzumanian and
Gagik Manasian were announced the winners. The minister of culture
shall sign a labor contract with one of the winners within three days.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 6 2014

Syrian Armenians from Kessab continue to flee to Turkey

6 April 2014, Sunday /Ä°STANBUL, TODAY’S ZAMAN

A group of Syrian Armenians entered Turkey on Saturday from Syria’s
northwestern town of Kessab, just across from YayladaÄ?ı in the
southern Turkish province of Hatay, accompanied by Syrian rebel
forces.

According to the private DoÄ?an news agency, 18 Syrian Armenians were
brought to the YayladaÄ?ı border gate by members of the Free Syrian
Army (FSA). The Syrian Armenians were reportedly welcomed by Turkish
officials, including the district governor, the chief of the YayladaÄ?ı
Police Department and border officers.

The Syrian Armenians living in Kessab had reportedly asked the
Western-backed FSA fighters to help them cross over into Turkey. After
the rebels escorted them to the border crossing and some necessary
paperwork was done, the Kessab Armenians were brought to a teachers’
lodge in YayladaÄ?ı. YayladaÄ?ı District Governor Turan Yılmaz is
reported to have been personally involved in meeting the Syrian
Armenians’ needs.

The clashes around Kessab have been ongoing for more than 10 days
according to Turkish media. The Syrian Armenians decided to flee the
fighting between rebels and forces loyal to the Syrian regime near
Kessab.

Two Armenian sisters from Kessab, Satenik (82) and Surpuhi (80)
Titizyan also arrived in YayladaÄ?ı last week after being escorted by
Syrian rebels to the Turkish-Syrian border.

Most of the Armenian residents of Kessab fled after the clashes began.
Fighters from an array of rebel groups, including the al-Qaeda-linked
al-Nusra Front — designated as a terrorist group by the US — then
seized control of the town on March 16. After rebels seized the Kessab
crossing point, the fighting continued in other towns that are not on
the border with Turkey, mainly in Latakia province.

Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu said Turkey’s doors are `wide open’
to the largely Armenian residents of Kessab. His remarks came after
the Syrian government, as well as several Armenian websites, had
claimed the rebels entered Syria from Turkey. In a strongly worded
statement released on March 24, the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA) quoted its chairman, Ken Hachikian, as saying, “The
attacks on the predominantly Armenian-populated village of Kessab over
the weekend represent an attack on all Armenians.’ ANCA asked the US
Congress and the White House to put pressure on Turkey to end its
alleged support for Syrian rebels.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said on March 26 that the claims of
alleged Turkish support for Syrian opposition forces in Kessab by
allowing them to use Turkish territory or in any other manner were
`entirely baseless.’

Fars News Agency, Iran
April 6 2014

Syrians, Armenians in Buenos Aires Demonstrate against Erdogan-Backed
Aggression on Kasab

TEHRAN (FNA)- Hundreds of Syrians and Armenians demonstrated in the
Argentinean capital Buenos Aires in protest at the fierce aggression
launched against Syria by the support of the government of Recep
Tayyip Erdogan.

Participants in the demonstration, which was organized under the title
of “Save Kasab” and headed to the Turkish Embassy in Buenos Aires,
denounced support provided by Erdogan to terrorist groups, urging the
multinational terrorists who have wreaked havoc in Syria to go back to
their countries, SANA reported.

The speech delivered by the media spokesperson of the Syrian Cultural
Association stressed the failure of the terrorists’ scheme in
achieving the goals of their masters thanks to the steadfastness of
the Syrian people.

Participants put Syrian and Armenian flags on the door of the Turkish
Embassy which was surrounded by a huge force of Argentinean security
personnel.

The terrorist groups launched an attack against Kasab and the
neighboring villages on 21st March with support and coverage of
Erdogan’s government, which facilitated the entry of terrorists
causing residents to displace, in addition to destroying and burning
houses and sanctuaries.

Russian delegation at the UN said western countries hindered the
issuance of a statement in the Security Council that condemns the
terrorist aggression on Kasab.

The Detroit News, MI
April 6 2014

Armenian genocide is vivid memory for two Michigan centenarians

Lauren Abdel-Razzaq

Ramela Carman was just a baby when, in 1915, the Turkish government
began exterminating Armenians or exiling them to other parts of the
Ottoman Empire. Her father was a skilled tradesman who had to flee for
his life, leaving his family behind and disguising himself as a Turk
in order to survive.

“My father, for a long time, we know he’s someplace but we don’t know
where he is,” said Carman, who turns 100 on Monday, and taught herself
English after moving to Michigan in 1960. “He had to grow a beard and
he (changed) his name.”

Later on, Carman’s family was reunited, but her father died of kidney
failure soon after forcing Carman to go to work starting at age 12
sewing men’s shirts. The Livonia resident has spent her entire life
working. Working and surviving.

Stories of the hardships in Carman’s life leave her great-neice Lydia
Doyon in awe.

“I don’t think a lot of people know it happened to the Armenian
people. Especially my generation and younger,” said Doyon, a Brandon
Township resident. “I try to instill that into my kids, how fortunate
they are.”

As for Carman, says she has never forgotten the tragedy of the
genocide and the impact it had on her life.

“My father’s brothers, my mother’s brothers, all gone. My family, all
gone. Still I don’t believe it. This is Armenian life.”

As the 99th anniversary of the Armenian genocide in Turkey approaches,
churches across Metro Detroit are preparing to memorialize those who
were lost and those who suffered during the difficult time.

Parishoners from four area churches will hold a commemoration ceremony
April 24 at 7 p.m. at St. Sarkis Armenian Apolostic Church in
Dearborn, 19300 Ford Road.

“We will hold a requiem service for those who have died and after we
will go outside to where we have a monument for the martyrs and we
will light candles and pay our respects,” said Fr. Hrant Kevorkian,
pastor of St. Sarkis.

A meal with traditional lamb, bulgar wheat and bread will follow.

“The importance of the genocide is that it’s related to each of us,”
Kevorkian said of the Armenian population in Metro Detroit. “One way
or another, the reason we are here today is because of the genocide
and being pushed off our land and moving around the world.”

An estimated 1.5 million killed

The problems between the Turkish government and the Armenian
population started in the late 19th century and came to a head on
April 24, 1915 when 250 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders
were arrested in what is now Istanbul.

The genocide was carried out in two phases, the first being the
killing of able bodied men through massacres and labor camps and the
second being the deportation of women, children, the elderly and
infirm who were sent on death marches through the Syrian desert.

“They targeted men to minimize resistance,” said Dr. Ara Sanjian,
director of U-M Dearborn’s Armenian Research Center. “It was believed
that women could be absorbed into Turkish families through marriage
and children could be absorbed too.”

Death tolls are estimated to be 1.5 million, said Sanjian. To this
day, the Turkish government has not publicly said the genocide
occurred.

“Because it’s still denied by the descendants of perpetrators, it
makes it very difficult for diplomatic relations,” he said. “Most of
the descendants of Armenians have assimilated in foreign lands but
they feel anger that after 99 years they still have to prove that this
happened to them.”

Fr. Garabed Kochakian, pastor at St. John’s Armenian Church in
Southfield, says it is important to remember the events of the
Armenian genocide because persecution is still occurring in the world
today, for example, with Syria.

“It’s the duty of all, not only Armenians, to remember,” he said.
“Countries can’t do these types of things and get away with it. It’s a
problem that touches all people. Not just specifically one group.”

The 1915 genocide actually inspired Adolf Hitler to eliminate Jews in
Europe during World War II, said Sanjian.

“Hitler looked at it as a way of saying violence pays,” he said. “He
saw that they conducted genocide and got all the political benefits.”

‘They are people too’

Asya Titova’s life reads like a history book, which isn’t surprising
for someone who has survived two world wars and two genocides.

The 102-year-old was a toddler when her family fled Turkey seeking
protection from the genocide in Russia. By the 1980s, she was living
in Baku, Azerbaijan when tensions between the country and Armenia
exploded into mass killings.

In 1988, together with her son’s family, Titova moved to Lansing.

“She shows us the old pictures, goes through the stories,” said
Titova’s granddaughter, Araksina Titov. “We as Armenians try to
educate people about genocide. To me, what is means is we should learn
from it and try to prevent it from happening in the future.”

Today Titova is living in a senior home in East Lansing with her
family living close by. Her birth certificate says she is 100 but she
is actually 102 because her papers were filled out incorrectly when
the family fled Turkey. She’s hard of hearing and speaks only Armenian
and Russian, but she is determined to be as independent as possible.
She’s always had a strong spirit, says her daughter-in-law Tatyana
Titov.

During World War II, Titov’s home was taken over by Nazi officers, for
whom she cooked and cleaned. In return, they protected her family and
gave her delicacies like chocolate and meat. While that was going on,
Titova was hiding two Jewish families in the basement.

“All the time, I told her, ‘why did you do it mom?’ said her
daughter-in-law. “She says, ‘what can I do? They are people too. We
all want to live.”

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
April 6 2014

The Next Page: Promoting peace with a ‘biblical passport’

Carnegie Samuel Calian devised a ‘biblical passport’¨to help travelers
leave the right kind of footprints

April 5, 2014 9:38 PM
By Carnegie Samuel Calian

The idea of a biblical passport came to me as I was examining my U.S.
passport at home.

Before me was my bookshelf with different Bible translations I have
found useful in my study of Scripture. It was then that I envisioned
having my own biblical passport, consisting of several pages of
Scripture and thoughts that would accompany me on my travels. My
biblical passport would be brief in content, enabling me to commit
basic points to memory for easy use as I seek to establish meaningful,
respectful connections with people I meet on my journeys. The
following is my seven-point model for a biblical passport for use at
home and abroad during this holy season and all other times.

1. Start your day right (Psalm 139: 23-24). My biblical passport
begins with this prayer: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me
and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead
me in the way everlasting.” New Revised Standard Version.

That is my morning prayer. My quiet time also includes Scripture
readings, reflections and thanksgiving to God for another day of
grace, whatever the weather might be.

2. Treat individuals as sacred (Galatians 5:6). Getting acquainted
with strangers is an essential first step in developing partnerships
and discovering values that are shared, even if they’re expressed
differently and influenced by different backgrounds.

We are called to nurture and enjoy not only our families and friends
but also to enrich our circle of fellowship to include strangers and
even those who are our competitors and enemies. Otherwise, what real
chances have we for lasting peace, prosperity or justice as a global
community?

Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, often referred to as the Magna Carta
of Christian Liberty, reminds us that in Jesus Christ, “neither
circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which
worketh by love.” King James Version.

3. Be generous (Acts 4:32-5:11). In the Acts of the Apostles, we learn
that the early community of believers was strengthened and grew
through its spirit of generosity. Property and other possessions were
given to the community to sell and the general funds distributed
according to each member’s need.

Commitment to one’s “biblical passport” will promote generosity and a
willingness to meet community responsibilities. The Message: The Bible
in Contemporary Language.

4. Practice moderation (Galatians 5:22-23). It can be said that we are
as ethical as the last time we were tempted.

None of us is immune from temptation. Obsession in its many forms
seems to trump our best intentions. However, when we reflect on the
importance of moderation, as Scripture encourages us to do, we find
ourselves tasting the fruits of the Spirit — “love, joy, peace,
patience, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” New
Revised Standard Version.

5. Disclose mistakes (Mark 4:22-23). Confession and restitution are
necessary to restore ethical character in the global community.

In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus warned his disciples, “For there is nothing
hidden but it must be disclosed; nothing kept secret except to be
brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.”
The Jerusalem Bible.

6. Speak briefly and act wisely ( I Kings 3:27-28). Lies are endemic
to our lives; even etiquette fosters deceit in our relationships.

Speaking the truth is an effort to do the right thing by all persons
involved. To act wisely in delicate matters affecting the lives of
others requires that leaders stay well-informed and act on facts, not
rumor or anger. Having all the evidence may be impossible, but we are
obligated to maximize our knowledge as a prerequisite for coming to a
just judgment.

In the days of King Solomon, two women fought over a baby, each
claiming to be its mother. Who was telling the truth? Solomon listened
silently. Then he asked for a sword and ordered the baby cut in two,
so half could be given to each woman. The true mother, loving the
child too much to see it killed, pleaded with the king to give the
baby to the other woman.

And then Solomon said, “Give the living baby to the first woman; do
not kill it. She is its mother.” And the people of Israel saw that
their king had divine wisdom and the ability to administer justice.
The New English Bible.

7. Don’t quit on God, others or yourself (Psalm 138). When the waters
of life are stormy, we have that scary feeling that perhaps God is
absent.

Enroute to Antarctica on an educational trip, my wife, Doris, and I
were sitting in the ship’s library. I was preparing the next day’s
worship service as the Protestant chaplain when we saw two 80-foot
waves strike the ship. Library books came down, and tables turned
over. It was indeed a very frightening experience. The ship was like a
cork surrounded by high waves as the dedicated captain and crew made
every effort to head back to port some distance away. Amid the anxiety
and fear, many found themselves praying.

The next day, after calm set in, we experienced an overflowing worship
service in the ship’s theater, to everyone’s joy. The “Easter crowd”
was back at church.

For a moment, we had the passing thought that God had quit on us. We
may have neighbors and family members who feel like that today with
their economic fears and job concerns, poverty and health issues.

When I was 9 or 10, finances were tight for my Armenian immigrant
parents trying to make ends meet in America, where my sister and I
were born. Hope seemed far away. Then one day, returning to our rented
flat, we found a large unmarked package outside the door. I asked our
neighbors, but no one expected any package. For some time, we kept
thinking someone would claim it. Eventually, we opened it and saw that
it was a large family Bible. We took it as a divine sign of hope and
love that lifted our spirits. God had not quit on us.

The big question in life, however, remains for all of us. How faithful
will we be when tested to serve God, others or ourselves first? What
will our priorities be under pressure?

My model of a biblical passport closes with an abiding note of comfort
in the midst of our unanswered questions; namely, to begin and end
each day in a spirit of thanksgiving to remind us that we live by
grace surrounded by loving relationships, divine and human, known and
unknown to us. It is these spiritual realities of faith that enable us
to face our journeys in life, empowered not to quit on God, others or
ourselves when tempted to do otherwise. This is why the psalmist prays
so powerfully, “When I walk into the thick of trouble, keep me alive
in the angry turmoil. With one hand, strike my foes; with your other
hand, save me. Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is
eternal — don’t quit on me now.” The Message: The Bible in
Contemporary Language.

– – – –

A version of this story previously appeared in Forum, the journal of
the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America. Carnegie Samuel
Calian ([email protected]) is the retired president of Pittsburgh
Theological Seminary. Also, as a visiting professor at the University
of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business, he explored
leadership ethics and management issues at for-profit and nonprofit
organizations. His latest book is “The Spirit-Driven Leader: Seven
Keys To Succeeding Under Pressure.”

The Sunday Times, UK
April 5 2014

Armenians in Syria flee for their lives

Turkey is suspected of aiding the hardline rebels who have driven out
Christians from their Syrian enclave

Hala Jaber Latakia, Syria

IT WAS just before 6am when Huvinar Khacherian was woken by the sound
of shells raining down on the sleepy hilltop village of Kassab, close
to Syria’s border with Turkey.

Until a fortnight ago the village, which lies in Latakia province, the
homeland of President Bashar al-Assad, had been a peaceful enclave,
sheltered from the brutal three-year conflict that has swept the rest
of Syria.

For years its peace and quiet have made it a safe haven for ethnic
Armenians, a Christian community who have faced oppression and
genocide at the hands of the Ottomans who once ruled them.

>From the balcony of her home, Khacherian looked out and saw armed
rebels descending on the village from the direction of the border.
“They were like a colony of ants; tiny figures moving down from the
mountains,” she said.

Mortar fire and rockets hit the customs post and it began to burn. The
lightly armed Syrian guards could offer no resistance and were
overrun.

The rebels, from hardline Islamist groups, are thought to be acting
under the protection of Turkish forces – an impression strengthened
last month by the shooting down by the Turks of a Syrian jet while it
was strafing rebels. Villagers say the Turks also allow rebels to fire
across the border.

Khacherian, 50, her husband and three daughters had no choice but to
flee with their neighbours. Some were still in their nightclothes,
forced to leave everything behind.

A neighbour bundled Khacherian’s family into the back of his Suzuki
truck. “I couldn’t take any of our belongings as we had to make room
for others,” she sobbed. “We were told we’d only be away for a few
hours but it’s been two weeks.”

It was the third time in little more than a year that Khacherian had
been forced from her home. She was married to an Armenian and had
lived in Raqqa, 250 miles to the east, for 22 years when rebel
fighters threatened her husband’s life unless he paid them a £2,500
ransom.

They fled westwards to Aleppo, but within eight months that city fell
under the control of the militant Islamist faction Isis, known for its
cruelty and hostility to Christians. It was too dangerous to stay and
they packed again, this time heading for Kassab, where Khacherian had
a house and thought they would be safe.

Last month the family’s nightmares returned. Rebel fighters swept
south from the Turkish border to capture Observatory 45, a former
regime stronghold of strategic importance because it controls a swathe
of territory stretching towards the coast.

Although it was retaken by government forces earlier last week, its
fall had given the rebels a foothold from which they advanced into the
rest of the province. This is the heartland of Assad’s Alawites,
followers of an offshoot of Shi’ite Islam, who make up only 12% of
Syria’s people but control its regime and military.

The mass exodus of Armenians from Kassab carries a heavy burden of
emotion for the Armenians because of their history of persecution.

Garo Manjikian, a farmer who acts as a spokesman for Kassab’s Armenian
community, said they had been forced to flee three times after
massacres in 1909, 1915 and 1937. Historians believe about 1.5m
Armenians were massacred during the First World War – a claim disputed
by Turkey.

“We’ve been persecuted since birth and we do not understand why the
Turks have it in for us,” he said.

Manjikian, 55, was working in his peach orchard when he heard the
mortar fire. He rushed home, packed his family into his pickup truck
and drove them out of the village. “My father began to cry, saying
that he did not want to leave,” he recalled.

“Now the rebels are living in our homes. What makes my blood boil is
not only that the Turks persecuted us three times in our history, but
now they’re backing Islamist rebels to do it again.”

Rebel sources say their offensive is the result of months of planning
and co-operation between various opposition factions, with Ansar
al-Sham, Ahrar al-Sham and Jabhat al-Nusra fighting together on the
front lines, alongside smaller Free Syrian Army groups.

The incursion is largely of symbolic value, following a series of
heavy defeats at the hands of Assad’s forces.

However, it was enough of a breakthrough to persuade Ahmad al-Jarba,
the opposition leader who was on a rare visit to Syria last week, to
congratulate the rebels.

“Whoever thinks there is pressure on us to stop this battle is
delusional and wrong,” he told them.

The Syrian army is sending in reinforcements, but the threat of rebel
advances has galvanised residents of the port city of Latakia and
other towns and cities into action.

Volunteers are manning field kitchens for government soldiers. “This
is about boosting them in their battle and keeping their morale up,”
explained a female volunteer.

Among the Armenians I sensed a feeling of foreboding about the rebel advance.

Hgob Pentezin, 84, who had been forced to flee Kassab in his pyjamas,
said it reminded him of stories he had been told by his parents and
grandparents about past Turkish persecution. This time, he said, the
Armenian people would stand up to their oppressors.

Manjikian said that when his son was born, instead of buying him the
traditional present of gold coins he had bought him a gun.

“Knowing what we have been through in our history, I gave him a gun so
he’ll never have to endure that again and always be prepared,” he
said.

“Sadly it’s as if history is repeating itself.”