Author: Badalian Vardan

The Desert Sun
Jan 7 2012

Making a `holy place’: St. Garabed anointment

Written by Blake Herzog

Rancho Mirage – For more than a year, the small yet imposing stone
church on Monterey Avenue has been complete, but without a
congregation.

That’s about to change.

St. Garabed Armenian Apostolic Church will be consecrated this
afternoon by Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, head of the Los
Angeles-based Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church of
North America.
Derderian will anoint the church’s baptismal font with muron, a
special holy oil produced in Armenia once every seven years, parish
priest Krikor Zakaryan said.

`With the consecration the church becomes a holy place, different from
the outside world,’ he said.
This clears the way for St. Garabed to host services and sacraments
that have been performed in the church’s adjacent social hall for the
past six years.
Zakaryan said the sanctuary seats about 200, but video screens and
extra chairs will be set up outside to allow for an overflow crowd
coming for a once-in- a-lifetime experience.
`When you consecrate a church it’s only done once,’ Zakaryan said.
Seta George of La Quinta is a member who’s sat in the new church once
for a memorial service, and said the contrast between the two settings
is real.
`Emotionally, it’s different. A hall’s a hall no matter how you ornate
it,’ she said.
Parishioner Robert Minassian said the ceremony `means we have our own
sanctuary, you walk in and you feel so peaceful. The meaning of this,
at the end of the day you can’t put it into words, it’s a spiritual
thing.’
Zakaryan said the ceremony is a culmination of a 35-year odyssey for
the Coachella Valley’s Armenian population, which includes about 80
active church members and many more who attend services.
Yet for his part, Zakaryan said, `I’m so tired I really can’t feel the
emotional uplift yet. Maybe after a week I’ll realize what happened. A
thousand things to do.’
Contractors were still putting finishing touches on the sanctuary’s
interior Friday afternoon, adding a coat of paint to the wall behind
the altar and fastening a railing along the steps up to it.
The $2 million church is a replica of St. Hripsine, a seventh century
stone church in Etchmidzin, Armenia, set behind green lawns and date
palms.
The congregation eschewed drywall, opting for an all-stone edifice.
`It’s an absolutely beautiful church, you don’t see a church like this
that often,’ board member Carolon Nigosian, co-chair of the church’s
construction committee.
It took nearly 10 years to develop the site as lapses in funding led
to lapses in city permits.
Rancho Mirage then added new requirements for developing the site,
which upped the fundraising needs.

Swedish MP: Turkey Has to Accept an Autonomous Kurdistan
01/06/2012 02:31:00

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — As the Turkish government continues a campaign of
detention of Kurdish politicians, activists and journalists, many
Kurds wonder what the position of European governments is on such mass
arrests. The detainees are accused of affiliation with the outlawed
Kurdish group Union of Communities in Kurdistan (KCK). Turkey wants to
become a member of the European Union (EU) but has to meet certain
criteria to qualify for membership. On this issue Rudaw interviewed
Peter Hultqvist, member of the Swedish Parliament and chairman of the
Parliamentary Defense Committee. Hultqvist is considered a supporter
of Kurdish rights in Europe.

Rudaw: As a Swedish and European politician, how do you view the
arrest of political and civil activists in Turkey?

Pete Hultqvist: I used to be the mayor of Borlanges in Sweden for 18
years. People voted me in. The same is true with regard to the Kurdish
mayors who are now arrested in Turkey. They have been elected by the
people… The Turkish government needs to respect the votes of the
people and not attempt to suppress their voices. The KCK dossier is a
political one and not legal. Those tried under this name are being
tried for political and not legal reasons. I followed up on the first
KCK dossier in a Diyarbakir court. I saw how the detainees were
prohibited from using Kurdish language. They did not allow them to
speak in their language. Back then I said this is not a judicial case
and I do repeat again.

` Turkey has proven that it does not tolerate freedoms,’

Rudaw: The European countries are very sensitive to issue of the
freedom of expression. But last week 35 Kurdish journalists were
imprisoned in Turkey and yet no word was heard from Sweden or Europe
about it?

Peter Hultqvist: It is great injustice to arrest anybody, whether they
are a politician, journalist or average villager, for expressing their
opinions. That is unacceptable. If journalists and others are detained
because they expressed their views, then this is a political
detention. Turkey has proven that it does not tolerate freedoms.
Therefore, I believe if the Turkish government continues the way it
does now, then its chances of becoming an EU member will diminish.

Rudaw: But all those actions by Turkey have not had any impact on
breaking the silence by European countries. When will the Europeans
tell Turkey to stop?

Pete Hultqvist: I think Turkey has now crossed the line. Europe should
not allow Turkey to cross more lines and continue its violations of
human rights. But countries who often views other peoples and
countries as enemies, do not attach much importance to their
reactions. Turkey does not care if European countries and politicians
tell it to stop. They act according to their own opinion and not
others’. Now there is only one thing on their mind and that is to
defeat their rivals and all Kurds. That is what they are now
apparently focused on and not international reactions.

Rudaw: But European countries and diplomatic relations can affect the
attitude of other countries. Don’t you think the European silence may
play into the hands of Turkey?

Peter Hultqvist: I think Sweden and other European countries should
strongly criticize Turkey. They should not be tolerant toward the
unjust and illegal actions of Turkey. But the truth is that Europe is
silent about these actions of Turkey. For example, Europe can support
legal Kurdish parties such as the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) that
operate within a democratic framework. I consider BDP to be very
important and it can resolve the Kurdish issue. I wonder why the
Turkish state attempts to undermine BDP. It would mean undermining
Turkey and will close down the door on progress and the resolving of
issues. It will not only close the door on resolving the Kurdish
issue, but also on itself (Turkey).

` The important thing is that Kurds should have the right to have an
autonomous Kurdistan,’

Rudaw: When do you mean exactly by solving the Kurdish issue?

Peter Hultqvist: In my opinion, Turkey should recognize the Kurdish
language in its laws. It should be allowed as an official language in
schools. I think language is an important issue. Kurdish parties and
organizations should not be closed down and their members should not
be detained. There should be freedom of assembly. All political
prisoners should be freed and their trials should be according to law.
Kurds should not be imprisoned because of their opinions. The
important thing is that Kurds should have the right to have an
autonomous Kurdistan. That is the legitimate right of all peoples
including Kurds. The Turkish state will have to accept this demand
because it is very legitimate. Turkey will close the doors on itself
by trying to eliminate the BDP. Turkey has to accept an autonomous
Kurdistan.

Panorama, Armenia
Jan 6 2012

«Christ is Born and Revealed! Blessed is the Revelation of Christ.»

On January 6, the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Feast of
the Holy Nativity and Theophany of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which is the
commemoration of the Birth and Baptism of Jesus Christ. God was
incarnated and appeared to the people.
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual commemoration of the birth of
Jesus Christ, celebrated generally on December 25 as a religious and
cultural holiday by billions of people around the world. In the
early-to-mid 4th century, Western Christianity first placed Christmas
on December 25, a date later adopted also in the East. The original
date of the celebration in Eastern Christianity was January 6, in
connection with Epiphany, and that is still the date of the
celebration for the Armenian Apostolic Church and in Armenia. There is
a difference of 13 days between the modern Gregorian calendar and the
older Julian calendar.

Those who continue to use the Julian calendar or its equivalents thus
celebrate December 25 and January 6 on what for the majority of the
world is January 7 and January 19. For this reason, Ethiopia, Russia,
Ukraine, Serbia, the Republic of Macedonia, and the Republic of
Moldova celebrate Christmas on what in the Gregorian calendar is
January 7; all the Greek Orthodox Churches celebrate Christmas on
December 25.

During the Baptism of Jesus God the Father said, `This is my Son, whom
I love; with him I am well pleased’ (Mt 3:17) and the Holy Spirit
descended on Christ in the form of dove, so God appeared to the people
for the second time. So, both Theophanies revealed by means of the
Birth and Baptism of Jesus Christ are celebrated in the Armenian
Church jointly on January 6. The feast starts on the eve, in the
evening of January 5, and is continued after the midnight. On the eve
a solemn Candlelight Divine Liturgy is celebrated and on January 6 a
solemn Divine Liturgy is celebrated.

The Birth of Jesus happened in this way. `In those days Caesar
Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire
Roman world. … And everyone went to his own town to register. So
Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to
Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line
of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be
married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the
time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her
firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a
manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.’ (Lk 2:1-7) The
Son of God was born in poverty, in a manger. The witnesses of His
Birth were the shepherds living out in the fields nearby, whom the
angels had appeared and brought the good news of the Birth of the
Savior singing: `Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to
men on whom his favor rests.’ (Lk 2:18)

Source: Panorama.am

RTBF, Belgique
5 janv 2012

Génocide arménien: Ankara envisage de nouvelles rétorsions contre Paris

MONDE | jeudi 5 janvier 2012 à 10h58

La Turquie pourrait décider de nouvelles mesures de rétorsion contre
la France si le Sénat français adoptait d’ici la fin janvier une
proposition de loi sanctionnant la négation de tous les génocides dont
le génocide arménien, a-t-on appris jeudi de source diplomatique
turque.

“Il se peut qu’il y ait un rabaissement de la représentation
diplomatique turque à Paris, ça paraît probable”, a indiqué cette
source, en allusion à une éventuelle décision d’Ankara de ne plus se
faire représenter par un ambassadeur à Paris mais à un échelon
inférieur.

L’ambassade de Turquie à Paris, de son côté, a confirmé le retour
lundi dans la capitale française de l’ambassadeur Tahsin Burcuoglu
“pour suivre le processus au Sénat”. Le diplomate avait été rappelé en
décembre en Turquie “pour consultations”, après l’adoption de la
proposition de loi par l’Assemblée nationale.

“Toutes les contre-mesures restent en place mais il va revenir pour
suivre le processus du Sénat”, a indiqué à l’AFP le porte-parole de
l’ambassade Engin Solakoglu, rappelant que depuis le vote à
l’Assemblée nationale qui a provoqué la fureur d’Ankara, “il n’y a
plus de visites, plus de contacts bilatéraux, plus de coopération dans
tous les domaines” avec l’Etat français.

Mais, a-t-il souligné, “ça ne concerne pas le secteur privé, les
relations entre les entreprises turques et françaises sont
maintenues”.

Les députés français ont adopté le 22 décembre un texte punissant d’un
an de prison et 45.000 euros d’amende la négation d’un génocide
reconnu par la loi, comme l’est depuis 2001 en France le génocide
arménien de 1915 sous l’Empire ottoman, qui a fait 1,5 million de
morts, selon les Arméniens.

Tert.am, Armenia
Jan 5 2012

`It’s me’ to be premiered in Armenia’s capital

16:40 – 05.01.12

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Armenian army, 32
production and the Goyak cultural center have created a film entitled
`Yes em’ (It’s me).

`Armenia’s minister of defense suggested the idea, and 32 production
has put it into practice,’ Karen Babajanyan, General Producer, 32
production, told Tert.am.

The film was shot at a military unit.

The renowned actor, People’s Artist of Armenia Sos Sargsyan played a
role in the film.

`Young actors mostly constitute the cast, and the film is a real debut
for them,’ Babajanyan said.

The film is planned to be shown in Armenia’s military units. The
premiere is to take place at the Moscow cinema, at 8:00pm, on Jan. 7.

It is a noncommercial film, Babajanyan said.

Karen Babajanyan and Vahagn Grigoryan are scriptwriters.

news.am, Armenia
Jan 5 2012

2011 for Armenia and Turkey is year of missed opportunities –
political scientist

January 05, 2012 | 13:11

YEREVAN. – Armenian Turkish relations do not depend on Armenia’s
domestic situation, the settlement of Armenian Turkish relations only
depend on Turkey. Political Scientist Sergey Minasyan told Armenian
News-NEWS.am in an interview.

`If any factors affect Armenian – Turkish relations then it does not
come from Turkey’s domestic political situation but it comes from
Turkey’s foreign policy. It is quite possible that because of Turkey’s
foreign policy which formally carries the `zero problems with
neighbors’ character Turkey has problems with all its neighbors.
Turkey managed to reach that condition in a very short time,’ Minasyan
mentioned.

According to the expert, if there is any hope that Armenian-Turkish
relations are settled then it will certainly depend on the growth of
Turkey’s problems with its neighbors.

`Only then the renewal of Armenian – Turkish relations settlement
process will be possible as if so Turkey will be able to prove that it
is able to make some constructive steps in its foreign policy. I think
that in 2012 the possibility of that scenario is minimal,’ the
political scientist said.

Estimating 2011 from the view point of settling Armenian Turkish
relations, the expert said that it was a year of missed opportunities
for both countries.

Hurriyet, Turkey
Jan 4 2012

Journalists to remain under arrest

ISTANBUL
Nedim Å?ener.

An Istanbul court ruled for continued arrests of two famous reporters
on trial for alleged links to Ergenekon group.

The pair said that press freedom and journalism itself ` instead of
journalists ` was on trial. The next hearing will take place on Jan.
23, journalists tweeting from the courthouse published on the
microblogging website Twitter.

`My responses to the accusations doesn’t construe acceptance. We are
living in times in which we shall not speak of silence. This is a case
against press freedom,’ said Ahmet Å?ık, one of those on trial.

“The situation is obvious. I do not request a discharge. I request
nothing. I am journalist and I have always been after the truth. I
never got any orders from anyone.’

The eighth hearing of the Oda TV case, in which 14 suspects, including
arrested journalists Ahmet Å?ık, Nedim Ã?ener and Soner Yalçın, are
being tried, continued yesterday.

The case has raised numerous concerns over media freedom in Turkey,
which is currently holding more than 100 members of the news media in
jail, one of the highest numbers worldwide.

`I didn’t bring my book, God forbid it might explode,’ told Å?ık in the
court referring to his book which was declared `illegal’ and
confiscated by police before it was published.

Nedim Å?ener and Å?ık, investigative journalists who were arrested in
March and have been held since in a top-security prison outside
Istanbul, were among the 14 defendants in court to open their defense
yesterday. The defendants are accused of having ties to the Ergenekon
gang, which allegedly tried to overthrow the government by first
fomenting chaos in society.

Many journalists, academics and intellectuals attended the trial in
order to give support to the arrested journalists.

Å?ık has written books about how the Fethullah Gülen movement, which is
centered around a Turkish theologian based in Pennsylvania and is
considered to be close to the ruling party, has infiltrated the
police.

Deriding the case, he said: `With this indictment, you could accuse
all journalists of being a member of Ergenekon. It’s ridiculous. There
is an organization as you claim. But its name is contra-guerilla, that
is, the deep state, not Ergenekon.’

Å?ık said he had never met Yalçın, the journalist and owner of the Oda
TV, a website known for its criticism of the government.

`I have never met Soner Yalçın, whom I am allegedly taking orders
from. Ideologically, we are on opposite sides,’ Å?ık added.

`Eleven people are in their 11th month in jail. We don’t even know
what we are accused of. There’s no crime in prosecutor’s indictment,’
he said.

Å?ener, an award-winning journalist who has written books about
Turkey’s clandestine deep-state activities, greeted observers as he
entered a packed courtroom, saying, `Welcome to the theater’ and
taking a bow.

`I was tried in almost 100 different cases because of what I have
written in previous years. But for the first time in my life, I have
been arrested and tried for a book which I haven’t written,’ he said.

Å?ener said there was a structure inside the police and the national
intelligence services that had tried to cover up the truth of the
assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.

`I don’t want my daughter to grow up in a society where Hrant’s
murderers are free,’ Ã?ener said.

Å?ener said he was awarded with many national and international
journalism awards.

`My name is on the `Press freedom heroes’ list at the International
Press Institute with those of [murdered daily Milliyet journalist]
Abdi İpekçi and Hrant Dink. In addition, I was awarded with a PEN
Literary Award which was also given to Hrant Dink and [human rights
defender] Ragıp Zarakolu. Unfortunately Abdi İpekçi and Hrant Dink are
assassinated, I and Ragıp Zarakolu have been arrested,’ Å?ener added.

Several hundred suspects, including retired senior military officers,
academics, lawyers and journalists have been detained in cases related
to Ergenekon.

Yalçın Küçük, an author and television debate show presenter, Yalçın
and several colleagues from Oda TV also participated in the hearing
yesterday.

Also in the dock was a former police chief, Hanefi Avcı, who has
written about the alleged infiltration of the police by Gülenists.

January/05/2012

News.Az, Azerbaijan
Jan 5 2012

France will ‘bury hope’ for opening Turkish-Armenian borders
Thu 05 January 2012 07:53 GMT | 9:53 Local Time

News.Az interviews Muharram Varli, member of the Turkish Parliament.
Has Turkey done enough for now to prevent adoption of the bill
criminalizing denial of the `Armenian genocide’ by the French Senate?

I note that Turkey, already in 2008, made a mistake by attempting to
normalize relations with Armenia. The fallacy of this policy
manifested itself in the first days of its implementation. The
government should not have gone for it as long as Armenia stood firm
in territorial claims against Turkey and Azerbaijan. And now the
government is “reaping the fruits” of the process, initiated by it
three years ago. In other words, one of the evident causes why France
became activated in “genocide” issue is because of “soft policy” of
the Turkish government.

As to the scope of work done to prevent the adoption of the bill, it
was miserable. Thus, that little portion of work conducted by the
Turkish side was unfortunately directed not to making preventive
measures. This work was limited to condemnation of facts i.e. adoption
of so called `Armenian genocide’ in this or that parliament of
European countries. Turkey should have explained to Paris that using
`Armenian issue’ for its internal political goals will do nothing but
exacerbate the situation of France itself.

What levers does Turkey have to prevent the adoption of this document
by the French Senate in 2012?

Turkey along with Azerbaijan should take all possible measures with
joint efforts and means. The Azerbaijani and Turkish parliaments
should also contribute in these efforts. And it’s long overdue for the
parliaments of the two fraternal countries to adopt similar documents
like European countries do.

In addition, Azerbaijan and Turkey in advance, you should prepare a
list of countermeasures, which they will apply jointly against France
in case of adoption of the bill by the Senate of this country. These
countermeasures should consider issues concerning reduction of Turkish
and Azerbaijani political relations with the official Paris, refusing
joint projects with France, as well as refusing import of French
products and boycotting goods produced in France. These measures can
be the first stage of actions to be taken jointly by Baku and Ankara.
They should be continuous. Azerbaijani and Turkey should continue
these measures until the French Parliament refuses from the current
bill.

Will the measures against France be enough so that it gives up the
intention to criminalize the denial of the `genocide’?

Thez might be enough. France is one of the main countries of the
European Union and therefore, it can distrustfully approach to
demarches undertaked by Azerbaijan and Turkey. But nevertheless, Baku
and Ankara should demonstrate a strict position against Paris not in
words but in actions.

If the French Senate adopts the bill, how will be the issue of opening
Turkish-Armenian borders?

Definitely, the Western countries will have to bury the hope for the
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relation and opening borders between
these countries once and for all. The French Senate will bury the last
hopes for the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations.

Certain groups in the Turkish community think that if Turkey
recognizes so called `genocide of Armenians’ then, external pressures
to the country on this issue will rapidly decrease. How are these
expectations justified?

I consider that this will untie the hands of Armenia even more.
Moreover, it will pave the way for the aggressive policy of Armenia.

N.H.
News.Az

vestnik kavkaza, Russia
Jan 5 2012

Mubariz Ahmedoglu rounds up 2011 and makes forecasts for 2012

Mubariz Ahmedoglu, Director of the Baku Center for Political
Innovations and Technologies, said that the main political event of
Azerbaijan in 2011 was obtaining membership in the UN Security
Council. Another achievement is winning the Eurovision Song Contest
2011 in Germany. It all makes a positive image of Azerbaijan in
Europe.

Ahmedoglu noted economic development of Azerbaijan. The budget
exceeded $20 billion, gold and currency reserves – by $40 billion.
Azerbaijan has a share of 83% in South Caucasus, he underlined.

The expert predicts that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would not be
resolved in 2012, the peacekeeping experiment of Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev was fruitless. Ahmedoglu believes that Armenia is to
blame for its lack of interest in settling the conflict and refusal to
make compromise.

Ahmedoglu stressed on military preparations. Peaceful talks and
military preparations had 50/50% of priority. But Azerbaijan increased
military expenses in 2011 and purchased Russian weapons.

The political analyst noted that Azerbaijan held numerous cultural and
religious events. He reminded that Azerbaijan plans to form own
satellite network. The Azerbaijani Ministry for Communication and
Information Technology announced plans to launch two satellites,
rather than one.

Concerning global events, Ahmedoglu emphasized on the Arab world. The
second priority belongs to coping with the economic and financial
recession in Europe and the US. The third position belongs to Russia’s
overcoming the crisis. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia
was dependent on loans from the IMF. Now it is capable of carrying out
reforms and investing, beneficial for the US and EU.

The expert noted the situation in Kazakhstan and Russia. He believes
that certain foreign forces are interest in revolutions in the CIS,
such as the ones in the Arab world.

Ahmedoglu predicts that Russia would be able to realize economic
reforms for its population, small and medium business. The majority of
the population would not be protesting, he says.

Russia will doubtlessly protect its interests in the US and NATO
missile shield formation in Europe. The political analyst is confident
that Russia and the US would improve ties. Islamic threats would rise,
he believes. Tehran may be a closer partner for Russia, Ahmedoglu
believes.

Southern neighbors would try to destabilize Azerbaijan in 2012, he
says. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may have progress because it may
become a major problem for Iran and Russia.

Regarding Russian-Turkish relations, Mubariz Ahmedoglu says that they
will continue improving. The two states signed a deal on construction
of the South Stream in late 2011, running through the Black Sea. Their
relations may be similar to the ties of the US and EU.

Al-Manar TV, Lebanon
(Hezbollah Channel)
Jan 5 2012

Turkey May Step up Actions against France over Genocide: Diplomat

Local Editor

Ankara may step up moves against Paris if the French Senate votes this
month to ban denial of the Armenian genocide.

A Turkish diplomatic source said `there may be a downgrading of the
Turkish diplomatic representation in Paris. It is probable,” if the
upper house of parliament approves the bill criminalizing denial of
the disputed 1915 genocide.

Ankara froze political and military ties with France when the bill was
passed by the National Assembly, and threatened further measures if it
continues through the Senate or is approved by President Nicolas
Sarkozy.
Turkey has withdrawn its ambassador to Paris, but embassy officials
said Thursday that he will return next Monday in order to monitor the
Senate’s handling of the bill.

France recognized the Armenian genocide in 2001, but the new bill
would punish anyone who denies this with a year in jail and a fine of
45,000 Euros (60,000 dollars).

But Turkey is still very sensitive about the issue, and has accused
France of attacking freedom of expression and free historical enquiry.

France is home to an estimated 500,000 citizens of Armenian descent,
and President Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMP party has been accused of backing
the law in order to pander to a key electoral group ahead of
presidential and legislative elections this year.