Author: Babajanian Karo

TAVLIAN PRE-SCHOOL MARKS TWO DECADES OF EXCELLENCE

asbarez
Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

PASADENA-A miracle happens every Monday through Friday on Sinaloa
Avenue in the City of Pasadena. The miracle happens in a small but
sturdy building, tucked between a tree-lined street and a bustling
Washington Boulevard. There, in this special building, a band of
remarkable teachers are driven by love and fueled by educational
excellence to teach a new generation of Armenian American children.

This special place on earth has a name, Levon and Hasmig Tavlian
Armenian Pre-School and kindergarten.

For twenty years the Tavlian Armenian Pre-School has had a singular
goal. That goal has been and remains to this day, to send healthy and
happy children with high self-esteem and self-confidence to the first
grade, ready to absorb anything taught to them. By all accounts, the
school has achieved this worthy goal and more since its doors opened
in 1992. Hundreds of bright, articulate, and thoughtful children can be
counted among the school’s alumni, along with their very proud parents.

The miracle of the Tavlian Armenian Pre-School started like most
remarkable things – it started small. In the Fall of 1992 a grand
total of four children enrolled at the school – in what would be
the first generation of children to experience the warmth and love
of a school that has become a shining standard of excellence when
discussing any pre-school in the San Gabriel Valley.

“This year we will be marking the 20th anniversary of the Tavlian
Armenian Pre-School by praising those, past and present, who built
this school into the proud institution it is today,” remarked Souzi
Zerounian-Khanzadian, who is serving as the chair of the Tavlian
20th anniversary committee. “We will be reaching out to our entire
community to tell the wonderful story of our school and why this
special pre-school deserves their full and generous support,” added
the committee chair.

Among the many positive characteristics of the Tavlian Armenian
Pre-School is the fact that it is accredited by The National
Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). For
knowledgeable parents, the NAEYC Accreditation has become the mark
of quality, helping parents find the best possible early childhood
experience. Tavlian received its accreditation from NAEYC in 2009,
has gone through the re-evaluation process this year and has granted
this class-worthy recognition through June 31, 2014.

On May 4, 2012 a broad and diverse number of dedicated Armenian
Americans will gather at a celebratory banquet to mark the 20th
anniversary of the Tavlian Armenian Pre-School. The banquet will be
held at Armenian Society of Los Angeles Additional information on
the banquet may be secured by contacting the school office by phone
at 626-398-8199.

Background on the Tavlian Armenian Pre-School, which has served our
community with distinction for over two decades, may be found at the
school’s user-friendly website:

‘LANGUAGE FOR PEACE’ IMPROVES (GRASSROOTS) ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS

Today’s Zaman
March 2 2012
Turkey

Kevork GalloÅ~_yan, an Ä°stanbul-based instructor of and lecturer
in the Armenian language at Kadir Has University told me: “I wish to
teach about culture and life.

In Armenia, people do learn about Turkey, but here in Turkey,
there is hardly any updated information available; with this in
mind, I use language as a medium to teach about Armenian culture,
too.” A thought-provoking conversation began about multiculturalism,
cross-cultural learning and how ordinary Armenian and Turkish citizens
could come together more closely.

We met at his university’s campus overlooking the Golden Horn
shortly before last Tuesday’s annulment by France’s Constitutional
Court of the criminalizing genocide denial law. He came across as an
enthusiastic academic and researcher, but also as someone who has not
lost touch with the chores of everyday life and reality. Perhaps it is
related to his two key areas of research — Armenian linguistics and
literature, coupled with a strong interest in all things Turkology —
which necessitates a more down-to-earth approach as he is confronted
by the needs of both academic and non-academic future speakers of the
Armenian language, as this particular course is offered to learners
from outside of Kadir Has University, too!

Actually, I was told straightaway it is more correct to say that he
teaches one of the two linguistic forms of the Armenian language, i.e.

Eastern Armenian. I learned that these two varieties, namely Eastern
and Western Armenian, are rather different from each other. What’s
more, speakers of Eastern Armenian do not automatically speak Western
Armenian. Eastern Armenian has de facto become the official language
of the Republic of Armenia and is often referred to simply as
“Armenian.” For this reason, he said, “As there is no appropriate
text-book on the market which allows for the teaching of Eastern
Armenian in Turkish, I prepare all class materials myself.”

His work as a lecturer in Turkey’s financial capital, Ä°stanbul, is
most definitely an example of his university’s engagement in civil
society dialogue. Learning a foreign language does not have to cost
a fortune: Kadir Has University, at least for the time being, does
not charge a fee to the 18 students currently enrolled. The students
attend class twice a week, a five-hour-long class, and only pay for
photocopies and hand-outs. The university opened its doors to this
undertaking to the general public and attracts would-be Armenian
language aficionados ranging from 20 to 50 years of age and a mix of
professional and academic backgrounds.

Mr. GalloÅ~_yan stated that “the fact that we now have 18 students
is a significant increase from the previous semester. Last term was
our first; we expect that enrollment numbers will continue to rise
come next autumn.”

Upon my question of why he chose such an undertaking, I heard that
one of his key interests is analyzing cross-cultural paradigms and
in particular, the cultural paradigm inherent in language teaching.

>From what I understand, his class — whilst primarily a linguistic
exercise — may result in so much more, as it aims to build bridges
between both peoples. However, building these bridges between the
civil societies of two countries will not materialize by means of
offering one language course only. Well aware of this fact, he hopes
for copycats, more exchange programs to and from Armenia (such as a
recent journey by Turkish filmmakers to Armenia), more bilateral trade
and in general terms, a climate of much-improved mutual friendship.

In connection with the above-mentioned decision by the French
Constitutional Court, it seems that now is the right moment to once
more give the platform not just to both countries’ politicians,
but to both countries’ civil societies, too!

At a time when a number of other nations try — or in the case
of France after Tuesday night, hopefully “have tried” without a
re-run — to blame Turkey for historical events without allowing
for a proper analysis by historians first, civil society, in
this case represented by a young Armenian academic who symbolizes
Armenian-Turkish understanding, sets standards. My hope is that many
more citizens follow in his and Kadir Has University’s courageous
“Language for Peace” project’s footsteps!

IRAN, ARMENIA TO SIGN NEW OIL CONTRACT

Mehr news agency
Feb 28 2012
Iran

Iran and Armenia are to sign a contract on the export of oil and
some oil products, including petrol, to Armenia. The contract is to
be signed in Tehran on 28 February, Mehr news agency reported on the
same day.

“Based on this new contract, Iran will satisfy part of Armenia’s needs
in oil products such as petrol, diesel fuel, kerosene, and jet fuel,”
the agency reported.

“Iranian and Armenian officials have frequently discussed the
establishment of an oil terminal on the Iran-Armenia border in order to
increase the amount of trade in oil products between them,” Mehr added.

Mehr also pointed out that Iran produced about 50m litres of petrol
and 100m litres of diesel fuel per day and earned about 9bn dollars
from exporting oil products last year.

HAYATSK: 6500 HOMELESS FAMILIES AND GYUMRI MAYOR’S HOTEL

Panorama.am
01/03/2012

Residents of Gyumri are indignant at the opening of the Alexandropol
hotel complex near the central square of Gyumri, belonging to Mayor
Vardan Ghukasyan. This is an inadmissible luxury for a city with a
high poverty rate, Hayatsk reports.

According to Gyumri residents, the Mayor could spend this money on
solving the dwelling problems of several dozens of people.

Shirak is the poorest region in Armenia, with 6500 homeless families,
the newspaper writes.

WHOM ARSHAVIR’S WEAPON BELONGS TO

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 12:52:42 – 02/03/2012

“The fact that the weapon was found in a territory belonging to
Arshavir Karapetyan does not mean it belongs to him”, said Head of
the ARFD parliamentary group Vahan Hovhannisyan dwelling on the weapon
found yesterday in the territory belonging to ARFD member Karapetyan.

Moreover, he said that there is no proof Arshavir Karapetyan has any
connection to that weapon.

But he also noted that much weapon remained in the territory of
Armenia after the war, while Arshavir Karapetyan was a fighter and
has many medals.

LA TRAHISON DU CONSEIL CONSTITUTIONNEL
Ara

armenews.com
vendredi 2 mars 2012

Après un mois d’attente, le verdict d’inconstitutionnalite de la
loi Boyer a, une fois de plus, demontre que le droit n’etait que le
jouet de la politique. La formule conventionnelle, que le Conseil
Constitutionnel nous a jetee avec mepris, masque une decision
nauseabonde, dans laquelle les considerations diplomatiques ont
largement prime sur la reflexion juridique. Finalement, la politique
et le deni ont pris leur revanche sur le droit.

Pouvait-il en etre autrement ? Meme si les membres les plus ouvertement
compromis avec la Turquie ne participaient pas aux deliberations,
nous savions pertinemment que le Conseil n’avait pas ete purge des
influences pilotees par Ankara ; il etait certain que des membres
influents (presents ou passes) deploieraient un zèle sans limite
pour faire obstruction a cette loi, comme ils avaient pu le faire
par le passe.

Cette decision frappe par la vacuite de ses arguments et son profond
cynisme. Au nom d’une ” liberte d’expression ” galvaudee, le Comite dit
des ” Sages ” souille la memoire des victimes du premier genocide du
XXème siècle. Curieuse conception que celle d’une liberte d’expression
sans limite, qui legitime les discours racistes et negationnistes !

Comble du cynisme, le Conseil ose evoquer le principe d’egalite pour
justifier sa decision. De qui se moque-t-on ? Ce texte permettait aux
descendants de victimes de tous les genocides reconnus – ou qui seront
reconnus – par la France de beneficier de la protection de l’Etat
Francais. Il avait precisement pour but de corriger une inegalite de
traitement entre les citoyens proteges par la loi Gayssot et ceux a
qui l’on refuse la protection de la memoire. Etablir une hierarchie
entre les descendants de victimes de genocides, est-ce la la conception
republicaine de l’egalite ?

Par ailleurs, les membres du Conseil constitutionnel ont deliberement
feint d’ignorer le negationnisme auquel se heurtent quotidiennement les
Francais d’origine armenienne. Ce negationnisme, pilote par Ankara,
s’est intensifie sur le territoire francais ; il a pris notamment
la forme d’actes de vandalisme sur les stèles commemoratives, de
rassemblements negationnistes et haineux d’ultranationalistes,
d’agressions physiques de militants. Par leur decision, les
dits ” Sages ” l’ont legitime, encourage et renforce, au lieu
de le condamner. Faut-il leur rappeler que le negationnisme est
la continuation du processus genocidaire ? Il etait non seulement
de leur devoir de garantir la securite des citoyens francais quelle
que soit leur origine, mais egalement de faire en sorte que le crime
s’arrete aux frontières de la France. Au lieu de cela, il leur a
semble jouissif de renvoyer dos a dos les bourreaux et les victimes.

En deniant aux Francais d’origine armenienne le droit le plus
elementaire, a savoir la protection de l’Etat, ils les ont traites
comme des citoyens de seconde zone.

Une fois de plus, les considerations politico-financières ont prime
sur les ideaux de justice et de dignite humaine. Alors que le droit
est la pour defendre l’opprime, aujourd’hui, cette noble discipline
a ete instrumentalisee pour etre mise au service du negationnisme et
de l’armenophobie. Aristote ecrivait : ” Le Sage est a un supreme
degre l’homme qui ne relève que de lui-meme “. Alors aujourd’hui,
messieurs et mesdames les ” Sages “, nous souhaitions vous dire qu’en
vous faisant les defenseurs du negationnisme, vous avez trahi l’ideal
d’Aristote et souille votre fonction.

Sachez egalement que notre determination n’en est que plus forte :
soutenus par tous les defenseurs des valeurs de notre Republique,
nous continuerons a nous battre contre vents et marees pour faire
barrage a la politique genocidaire et negationniste d’Ankara et faire
enfin triompher la justice. Paris, 28 fevrier 2012

DIX BLESSES DANS L’EXPLOSION D’UNE BOMBE PRES D’UN CAR DE POLICE
Ara

armenews.com
vendredi 2 mars 2012

ISTANBUL, 1 mars 2012 – L’explosion d’une bombe jeudi près d’un bus
de la police dans le centre-ville d’Istanbul a fait 10 blesses dont
des policiers, a rapporte l’agence de presse Anatolie citant des
sources policières.

“Il ressort qu’il s’agissait d’une bombe contrôlee a distance qui a
explose au passage d’un vehicule de service transportant 21 agents”,
a declare le chef de la police d’Istanbul, Huseyin Capkin, cite par
Anatolie. Le gouverneur d’Istanbul Huseyin Avni Mutlu a indique que
la bombe comprenait de l’explosif de type plastic, selon l’agence.

M. Capkin a fait etat de dix blesses, dont des policiers, ajoutant
qu’aucun n’etait dans un etat critique.

Un premier bilan mentionnait trois blesses.

L’explosion a eu lieu dans le quartier de Sutluce, près d’un immeuble
abritant le siège regional du Parti de la justice et du developpement
(AKP, issu de la mouvance islamiste) au pouvoir en Turquie, a rapporte
la chaine NTV, precisant en citant des sources policières que la
bombe etait disposee sur une moto.

La police a boucle la zone de l’explosion.

Selon des temoins l’explosion a ete très violente, causant un mouvement
de panique et des degâts mineurs sur la chaussee.

Plusieurs groupes kurdes, d’extreme-gauche et islamistes ont par le
passe commis des attentats a la bombe a Istanbul.

La dernière explosion criminelle importante a Istanbul remonte a mai
2011, et avait fait huit blesses dont un policier. Elle n’avait pas
ete revendiquee.

” L’INFLUENCE D’UN LOBBY TURC TROS PUISSANT ”
Ara

armenews.com
vendredi 2 mars 2012

Interview d’Ara Toranian copresident du CCAF sur le site de France
Soir.

France-Soir : Le Conseil constitutionnel a censure mardi la loi
punissant la negation des genocides. Quelle est votre reaction ?

Ara Toranian C’est une decision purement politique. Les motifs invoques
par le Conseil constitutionnel sont des arguties juridiques qui ne
tiennent pas la route. Invoquer le principe de la liberte d’expression
pour condamner cette loi ne me paraît pas correct. Au niveau europeen,
on considère que la negation d’un genocide ne participe pas de la
liberte d’expression. D’autant plus que la loi avait pris la precaution
de parler d’un ” negationnisme outrancier ” des genocides. Pourquoi la
liberte d’expression serait-elle respectee dans le cas de l’application
de la loi Gayssot (qui punit la negation du genocide juif pendant
le seconde guerre mondiale, NDLR), et mise en cause dès qu’on parle
du genocide armenien ? Demain on peut revenir avec un autre projet
de loi qui tienne compte de la decision du Conseil constitutionnel,
il trouvera encore a redire… La suite sur : France-soir

LE CAUCASE DU SUD CONTAMINE PAR LES TENSIONS AUTOUR DE L’IRAN
Ara

armenews.com
vendredi 2 mars 2012

Tbilissi, 1 mars 2012 – Attentat anti-israelien dejoue en Georgie,
frictions entre l’Azerbaïdjan et l’Iran sur des achats d’armes :
le Caucase du Sud ressent fortement les repercussions des tensions
autour de l’Iran voisin, notent des analystes.

Alors que la menace d’une attaque israelienne contre les installations
nucleaires iraniennes s’amplifie, les trois ex-republiques sovietiques
du Caucase du Sud – Georgie, Azerbaïdjan, Armenie – redoutent qu’une
eventuelle frappe militaire ne destabilise une region deja enclin
aux tensions.

“Comme toujours, lorsque les relations entre les plus importantes
puissances voisines du Caucase sont agitees, le Caucase est affecte”,
observe Svante Cornell, directeur de recherche a l’Institut d’Asie
centrale et du Caucase.

Ainsi, l’Azerbaïdjan, qui entretient de bonnes relations avec Israël
et lui a achete recemment des armes pour 1,5 milliard de dollars, a
rejete mercredi des critiques iraniennes, Teheran soupconnant l’Etat
hebreu – son ennemi jure – de vouloir utiliser son allie caucasien
lors d'”actions terroristes” contre l’Iran.

Teheran avait deja accuse a la mi-fevrier Bakou de collaborer avec
les services de renseignements israeliens et d’avoir facilite les
assassinats de scientifiques nucleaires iraniens ces dernières annees.

Signe que les tensions entre Israël et l’Iran se repercutent dans le
Caucase, plusieurs complots, ourdis a Teheran selon le gouvernement
israelien, ont ete dejoues ces dernières semaines.

En Georgie, la police a indique debut fevrier avoir desamorce une
bombe près de l’ambassade d’Israël, et en Azerbaïdjan des personnes
soupconnees d’avoir prepare des attaques contre des Israeliens ont
ete interpellees. Car si le Caucase du Sud est l’objet depuis la chute
de l’URSS d’une lutte d’influence entre la Russie et les Occidentaux,
les puissances regionales que sont l’Iran et la Turquie veulent aussi
y realiser leurs ambitions.

“Depuis la chute de l’Union sovietique, l’Iran veut mettre la main sur
l’Azerbaïdjan”, affirme a l’AFP Vafa Goulouzade, un ancien conseiller
de la presidence de ce pays très riche en hydrocarbures.

Les relations entre les deux pays sont aussi compliquees par la
presence en Iran d’une très importante minorite azerie.

“L’Azerbaïdjan s’inquiète des refugies potentiels en cas de
destabilisation de la situation (en Iran), après avoir deja rencontre
ce genre de problème avec des populations deplacees a l’interieur du
pays”, explique Lawrence Sheets, expert a l’International Crisis Group.

La guerre entre l’Azerbaïdjan et l’Armenie pour le contrôle du Nagorny
Karabakh, region azerbaïdjanaise a majorite armenienne, a fait 30.000
morts et des centaines de milliers de refugies entre 1988 et 1994. En
depit d’un cessez-le-feu, Bakou ne cache pas son desir de revanche.

De son côte, la Georgie, alliee des Etats-Unis et pays de transit pour
le gaz et le petrole azerbaïdjanais livre a l’Europe, craint que ce
“rôle strategique” de partenaire energetique n’en fasse une cible en
cas de “guerre en Iran”, souligne l’analyste georgien Sozo Tsintsadze.

Tbilissi a peur aussi que la Russie, qui avait envahi le pays en
août 2008 pour repousser les forces georgiennes tentant de reprendre
le contrôle de la region separatiste pro-russe d’Ossetie du Sud,
ne profite d’un eventuel conflit iranien pour s’enfoncer de nouveau
dans le territoire georgien.

Enfin, l’Armenie, qui n’entretient pas de relations avec ses voisins –
l’Azerbaïdjan et la Turquie – s’efforce dès lors d’entretenir de bons
rapports avec l’Iran et la Russie.

“Toute escalade de la situation en Iran presente de reels risques
pour tous les pays du Caucase du Sud”, resume M. Tsintsadze.

DJULFA DESECRATION ANNOUNCEMENT ANGERED US

Thursday, March 1st, 2012

The demolished Armenian stone-crosses in Djulfa

Armenia’s decision on December 15, 2005 to announce the savage
desecration of Armenian monuments by Azeri Armed Forces in Djulfa
raised “serious questions” with US officials in Armenia at the time,
according to a confidential cable made public by Wikilieaks.

[]

U.S. Charge d’Affaires in Armenia at the time, Anthony Godfrey,
rushed to complain to the State Department and questioned the Armenian
Foreign Ministry’s decision to reveal the desecration at a time when
prospects for a breakthrough on Karabakh peace were high following
a visit by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairmen to the region.

They also questioned then foreign minister Vartan Oskanian’s decision
to release the information about the Azeri attacks on Djulfa monuments
on the sidelines of a press conference that was to sum up the
“positive” visit by the Co-chairmen.

Calling the foreign ministry’s information “third hand,” Godfrey
sounded the alarm that the revelation could anger Baku.

“The first announcement [about the Djulfa incident] on December 15 came
in the form of an early afternoon press release from Armenia’s Embassy
in Tehran. The MFA distributed the release to journalists later the
same day on the margins of Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian’s press
conference summing up the December 14-15 visit of the OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chairs,” explains the cable.

“On a day filled with upbeat news about prospects for a resolution
to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the MFA’s decision to circulate
third-hand reports in an official, strongly-worded press release is
likely to anger nationalist elements in Armenia and spur a response
from counterparts in Baku,” commented Godfrey in the confidential
cable.

It took the US a full three months before responding to the destruction
of historic monuments in Djulfa.

In March, 2006, Asbarez reported

ruction-of-historic-julfa-cemetery/] that then Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State Matthew Bryza responded to reporters’ questions
by describing the destruction as a “tragedy,” and noting that-“it’s
awful what happened in Julfa. But the United States cannot take steps
to stop it as it is happening on foreign soil. We continually raise
this issue at meetings with Azeri officials. We are hopeful that
the guilty will justly be punished. We are hopeful that in no other
state of the region such things will happen again-as there are great
historic monumen’s in the Caucasus and-frankly speaking-in all three
states they are endangered.”

It seems, seven years later, Godfrey’s concerns have not dissipated,
because the US has yet to take decisive action on the desecration
of Armenian monuments in Djulfa, Nakhichevan at the hands of the
Azeri Army.

Learn more about the destruction of the 1,300-year-old historic
Armenian cemetery in Djulfa, watch the independent film “The New
Tears of Araxes.” []

View a timeline of the U.S. and
international response to the destruction of
Djulfa.[]