Author: Badalian Vardan

Iran Daily
December 5, 2014 Friday

Some countries claim Iranian cultural heritage

While the baking of Lavash bread will be registered under the name of
Armenia and silk scarf will be attributed to Azerbaijan on UNESCO’s
World Heritage List, Uzbekistan is claiming Molla Nassreddin as its
own legacy.

While Iran intends to register Rituals Related to Prayer for Rain
under its name, the neighboring nations are seeking to register
spiritual heritage of their lands on the World Heritage List.

For example, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have prepared a joint dossier
themed “Construction of Turkish Tribal Houses” for UNESCO.

Turkey seeks to present the dossier of “Marble Works”.

However, out of 59 dossiers submitted for registration at UNESCO,
three have been intertwined with Iranian culture.

When Armenia’s Deputy Culture Minister Arev Samuelian announced that
her country sought to register Lavash on World Heritage List, many
Iranian professors and cultural heritage experts reacted against the
decision.

Because, according to the remaining documents, Lavash is being baked
in Iran since the Arsacide era.

Even some Chinese and Roman globetrotters, who had visited Iran during
the Arsacide era, wrote about Lavash. This is a proof that Lavash is
an Iranian bread.

However, Armenia also showed evidence that Armenia’s Lavash belongs to
hundreds of years before the Common Era.

Archeologists identified an oven and an oval stone in one of the
historical sites of Armenia. It indicated that thousands of years ago,
Lavash or Pita bread (in Armenian language) used to be baked in this
region.

Armenians consider Lavash as sacred and have many fables about it.

Armenia even built a cartoon movie, namely “Magic Pita” in 1988, which
was renowned as a training film for a long time.

In another development, Azerbaijan seeks to present the dossier named
“Traditional Technique for Manufacturing Silk Scarf” for registration.

This dossier has commonalities with the culture of Iran, Turkey,
Armenia and Azerbaijan.

People of all four nations believe that silk scarf belongs to their
own country. For example, as one of the most influential regional
nations with regard to women’s hijab (Islamic dress code), Iran
considers Osku in East Azarbaijan as the capital city of Azari Silk
Scarf.

Ataturk’s efforts for making women discard the veil led to the
resistance of Turkish people to preserve their traditions. So, the
Turkish people are also claimants of “Silk Scarf” dossier.

Also, Armenia is the other claimant. Silk scarf is one of the famous
handicrafts of Yerevan.

Azari Silk Scarf differs from other scarves. It is made of silk yarns
in diverse colors. Designs are printed on four sides of the scarf.

However, out of tens of dossiers presented to UNESCO, one could be
controversial more than others.

Uzbekistan is one of the claimants of Molla Nassreddin. Uzbeks call
him Nassreddin Khoja. A big statue has been established in Bukhara in
his honor.

The pottery dolls of Nassreddin Khoja are sold to tourists as
Uzbekistan’s handicraft and souvenir.

Iranian officials should prepare documents to present to UNESCO to
prevent the Molla Nassreddin dossier from facing the same fate that
met distinguished Iranian personalities like Molana and Avicenna.

Nagorno-Karabakh: Unprecedented ceasefire violations reported in past week

15:33 13/12/2014 » SOCIETY

Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire about 1,600 times on December 7-13.
Over 18,000 shots were fired at Armenian frontline positions at
Karabakh-Azerbaijan Line of Contact, the press service of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Ministry said.

Unprecedented ceasefire violations were reported in the eastern
section of the Line of Contact. The enemy used mortar fire to shell
the territory of Karabakh. Over 3 dozen mortar shots were fired.
Throughout the week, Azerbaijani forces also used grenade launchers,
snipers, and machine guns.

The frontline units of the NKR Defense Army responded to the attacks
only upon necessity and kept the situation under control.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENIE
Les prix de certains aliments en Arménie pourraient grimper de 14%

Les prix de certains aliments en Arménie pourraient augmenter de 14%
cette année a déclaré Armen Poghosyan, président de l’Association des
consommateurs d’Arménie.

> a-t-il dit.

L’inflation en glissement annuel a été enregistré à 3,1% en Arménie de
janvier à août 2014.

Armen Poghosyan a souligné l’absence de tout contrôle sur le marché de
la concurrence comme l’un des facteurs qui déclenche des hausses de
prix. Il a dit que les grandes entreprises bénéficient de conditions
plus avantageuses.

Parmi les facteurs qui poussent les prix à la hausse, Armen Poghosyan
a également souligné le fait que le prix de l’électricité a augmenté
en Août.

dimanche 14 décembre 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

Cross-stone in memory of King Levon VI and Armenian Genocide victims
to be placed in Lusignan

December 12, 2014 22:06

On December 13, Armenia’s Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan will
pay a working visit to France to participate in the opening ceremony
of a cross-stone dedicated to the memory of Armenian King Levon VI,
ex-French-Armenian fighters and the victims of the Armenian Genocide
in Lusignan.

STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 12, ARTSAKHPRESS: As “ArmenPress” reports, the
cross-stone is being placed through the combined efforts of the
Lusignan Municipality, the Ararat Association, the “Association of
Former French-Armenian Fighters and Resistance Fighters” and the
Commission Coordinating the Events Dedicated to the 100th Anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide in France. During the visit, Armenia’s
Minister of Diaspora will have meetings with members of the France
Regional Committee in charge of Coordinating the Events Dedicated to
the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, as well as members of
community organizations.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

December 12, 2014
____________________

Choir Workshops in Syracuse

Parishioners at St. Paul Church of Syracuse, NY, gathered last month for a
series of choir workshops led by Maestro Khoren Mekanejian, the Diocese’s
director of Music Ministry.

Over the course of two weekends-November 8-9 and November 22- 23-Maestro
Mekanejian taught the group the variables of the badarak. Some 20
enthusiastic parishioners signed up for the workshops-the first time such a
program was offered in Syracuse by the Diocese in the recent past.

At the encouragement of the Rev. Fr. Mardiros Chevian, who along with other
priests has been visiting St. Paul Church to celebrate the Divine Liturgy,
Maestro Mekanejian organized the workshops, prepared handouts for vocal
exercises, and led the parishioners in rehearsal.

“We traveled to Syracuse expecting only three or four people to attend the
workshop,” Maestro Mekanejian said. “It was wonderful to see so many people
of different ages dedicate their time and energy to learning our sacred
music.”

On both Saturdays in November, the group gathered from 3 to 5:30 in the
evening for rehearsals. On each of the following Sundays, they sang during
the Divine Liturgy, celebrated by Fr. Chevian.

“They are all very committed, and even though some didn’t read music or
speak Armenian, they were eager to learn and understand the hymns,” Maestro
Mekanejian said.

The learning sessions will make it possible for the St. Paul parishioners to
join other parish choirs in singing during the Divine Liturgy at the
Armenian Genocide centennial commemoration scheduled for May 2015 in
Washington, D.C.

“I was impressed by the level of participation,” Fr. Chevian said. “There
are very talented people in Syracuse, and we are encouraged by their
commitment and love of the Armenian Church.”

St. Paul Church was consecrated in 1958, but in recent years the Armenian
community has shrunk in size as many of the original settlers-who had found
work in Syracuse’s industrial sector-have relocated to other parts of the
country. Now the parish is comprised of Armenians from various parts of the
diaspora, including the Middle East and Armenia. Some of the newcomers also
include students at Syracuse University and doctors from Armenia who have
come to work and study there.

The Rev. Fr. Daniel Karadjian served the community for several years, but
since his departure two years ago the parish has been served by visiting
pastors. The Divine Liturgy is celebrated twice a month.

“This workshop was immensely helpful,” said organist Karen Khanzadian. “It
was a great deal of music to cover in two days, especially for our group,
yet Maestro Khoren got everyone to give a decent performance. He also made
sure to give personal attention to everyone.”

Maestro Mekanejian plans to return to Syracuse in the coming year to review
the material covered this fall and teach the hymns of the five major feast
days of the Armenian Church.

###

Photo attached: Maestro Khoren Mekanejian leads a choir workshop at St. Paul
Church.

First Armenian church opens in Abu Dhabi

December 13, 2014 – 22:00 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The first Armenian church opened in Abu Dhabi on
Friday, Dec 12, with hundreds of Armenian Christians in attendance,
Gulf News reported.

Previously, Armenians in Abu Dhabi would worship in other churches
such as St Andrews Church, or go to Sharjah which has an Armenian
church.

Father Mesrob, the church priest, said the community was very thankful
to the UAE leadership.

“Shaikh Zayed gave us land to build our churches and Shaikh Khalifa
has continued to help us. We are very grateful to the Abu Dhabi
government for the freedom to conduct our church services. Such
actions will encourage stronger relations between the UAE and Armenian
community.”

Pakrad Balabanian, an Armenian who attended the church opening, told
Gulf News that “we have up to 1,000 Armenians living in Abu Dhabi so
we needed a church to hold our gatherings. We have quite a few
buildings on the site, one of which will be used as Sunday school for
the children. We will be able to hold other ceremonies here as well.
Previously, we had to rent different churches for our ceremonies. We
want to thank the government for the land and its generosity.”

Another Armenian resident, who did not want to be named, said that the
church will keep the Armenian community in Abu Dhabi together.

“We also have a school here for Armenian children for them to come
weekly, with 5-6 teachers. There is also a building for the priests so
whoever is in need of help can come and talk to a priest. Armenian
Christians can also get married here instead of travelling to their
countries such as Lebanon, Syria, or Iran.”

He added that Muslims being free to visit and see the church. “They
can come inside and see pictures and photographs. They are more than
free to come and take a look.”

Chorrord Ishkhanutyun: Passions run high within ARFD

13:09 13/12/2014 >> DAILY PRESS

Passions are running high again within ARF Dashnaktsutyun ahead of the
party’s general meeting, Chorrord Ishkhanutyun writes.

“The problem is that not all members of ARFD are happy with the policy
of the party’s ruling elite. ARFD faction head Armen Rustamyan stated
that there are always such rumors around, but they have nothing to do
with reality,” the newspaper says.

Source: Panorama.am

Russia will press Belarus and Kazakhstan into ratifying Armenia EEU
accession treaty – Khachatur Kokobelyan

13:29 * 14.12.14

In an interview with Tert.am, Chairman of the Free Democrats party
Khachatur Kokobelyan commented on the fact that the Belarusian and
Kazakh Parliaments did not ratify the treaty on Armenia’s accession to
the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

Therefore, legally, Armenia cannot join the EEU from January 1, 2015.
Mr Kokobelyan believes, however, that Russia will press Belarus and
Kazakhstan into settling the issue.

Russia needs Armenia badly both as a vote and as a partner in the
South Caucasus, and it is desirable that Armenian statesmen and
politicians realize it, he said.

“Of course, the Kazakh and Belarusian Parliaments will not hold
special meetings on the issue of Armenia. So, legally, Armenia cannot
join the Eurasian Economic Union on January 1, 2015. Regrettably, at
its meeting on Saturday, the Economic Commission approved the EEU laws
on customs dues, but the decisions are to take effect after Armenia
joins the EEU. I do not think that Belarus or Kazakhstan will not
ratify the treaty on Armenia’s accession. But the fact that they did
not put the issue on their parliamentary agenda is evidence of lack of
coordination within the EEU. I would like to recall Russian FM Sergey
Lavrov’s statement, which, I think, is a serious problem. He said
that, in the case of sanctions, the EEU Rules of Procedure allow EEU
member-nations to a impose countersanctions.”

As to the reasons for the delay, Mr Kokobelyan said:

“There is a much-talked-of problem, which was raised by Belarus and
Kazakhstan: ‘we do not need Armenia, and it is a purely political
decision made by Russian authorities.’ Russia needs Armenia badly both
as a vote and as a partner in the South Caucasus, and it is desirable
that our statesmen and politicians realize it. And I am sure that
Russia will press Belarus and Kazakhstan into settling the issue
because it meets Russia’s political interests. Another question is
that before next May – which I consider unlikely -Russia’s influence
on its partners will weaken so much that it will not be able to ensure
a political solution for the problem – because it is a purely
political problem.”

With respect to a statement by Tigran Balayan, Spokesman for Armenia’s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that “the misinformation [on the delay in
Armenia’s accession to the EEU] needs no comment,” Mr Kokobelyan said:

“We are not going to join the EEU on January 1. Our Parliament has
ratified the treaty and, I am sure, will approve the laws in
conformity with the EEU laws. And Armenia will have laws harmonized
with the structure’s requirements, but will have wait for the
Belarusian and Kazakh Parliaments to ratify the treaty.”

ARMENIA RANKED 3RD MOST MILITARIZED COUNTRY IN WORLD

MINA – Macedonia Online
Dec 11 2014

Armenia became the third most militarized country in the world in
2014, the Armenpress news agency reported Wednesday, citing global
militarization index 2014.

According to index issued by Bonn International Center for Conversion
on Tuesday, Armenia is only behind Israel and Singapore in the ranking.

The index reveals the weight and importance of the military apparatus
of a state with respect to society as a whole. It considers, in
particular, the ratio of military spending to gross domestic product
and to health expenditure, as well as the ratio of the number of
heavy weapons to the total population.

In 2013, Armenia ranked fourth in the index.

FILM ABOUT APOSTLE THADDEUS PLANNED

AINA – Assyrian International News Agency
Dec 11 2014

Walker Cable Productions
Posted 2014-12-11 22:09 GMT

Lorenzo Lamas, 1980s heartthrob and star of the hit series “The
Renegade,” is set to portray the Apostle Thaddeus in an upcoming
biblical epic. The movie will be produced by Walker Cable Productions,
in Association with Executive Producer Billy Haido and filmed near
San Antonio, Texas. The working title of the film is “The Acts of
the Apostle Thaddeus.”

Lamas said, “I have worked with Walker Cable Productions in
several films on the course of the last several years and it is my
understanding that they will be producing a film on the Apostle
Thaddeus in the near future. Based on my former association with
this company and the integrity of Sam Cable and Chuck Walker as
friends and film makers, I have a strong interest in being involved
in this project as an actor in the title role of Thaddeus. I find the
script interesting and captivating and look forward to making this
project a big success. I am thrilled to be working on Thaddeus, the
new WalkerCable production. These are terrific guys and a wonderful
production company that I have had the pleasure of working with many,
many times in the past. So, if you have the opportunity to invest in
a WalkerCable production don’t hesitate. You will not regret it. So,
I am excited about being a part of this Christian movie. I think it
is an important time for our society to embrace the Christian faith. I
am looking forward to it.”

“The Acts of the Apostle Thaddeus” tells the story of the Apostle
Thaddeus evangelizing Mesopotamia and founding the Assyrian Church of
the East and the Armenian Church. The story is based on the writings
of the early church fathers and traditions of Assyrian Christians,
who are the indigenous people of Mesopotamia. Along with Lorenzo
Lamas and Walker Cable Productions, the production crew will include
three Assyrian Americans, and at least six Assyrian Americans will
be cast in major roles. This will enable these Assyrian Americans to
learn about the art of film-making and perhaps launch their careers
in either film production or acting. Being people who’s heritage
the film is depicting, they bring with them an additional layer of
accuracy and authenticity. The Assyrian American production team are
from Strategic Entertainment.

The Assyrians are currently facing terrible challenges and
persecution. They face the threat of genocide in their ancestral
homeland by Islamic militants groups, perhaps the most recognizable
being ISIS. These terrorist groups are actively trying to destroy
the ancient Christian community founded by Thaddeus and Thomas.

Stephen Missick, associate pastor of King of Saints Tabernacle in
Cleveland, Texas, is writing and producing the biblical movie that will
dramatize the story of one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. The
script is derived from the Bible and other ancient sources, such as
the writings of the Early Church Fathers. The film is anticipated to
be produced by WalkerCable, Productions of Conroe, Texas.

WalkerCable plans to begin filming in early 2015. Existing movie sets
at the Alamo Village in Brackettville, Texas, as well as other areas
around San Antonio, will serve as Biblical Lands.

“From the very beginning of the film industry, movies dramatizing
stories from the Bible have been made. Many of these films are
classics, such as Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments” and
Charlton Heston’s “Ben-Hur.” However, I want to do something totally
different. I want to do something that audiences have never seen
before” Missick said.

In this movie, Pastor Missick will be telling the story of the Apostle
Thaddeus. According to early Church Historians, Thaddeus evangelized
and established Churches in what are today Iraq, Iran and southern
Turkey. The movie “The Acts of the Apostle Thaddeus” is about the
Apostle Thaddeus, known among Assyrian Christians as Mar Addai, and the
founding of the Assyrian Church of the East. The movie will be based on
ancient Assyrian Christian literature, namely “The Doctrine of Addai”
and “The Acts of the Apostle Mari.” It is also based on other ancient
sources, such as the writings of the early church historian Eusebius.

According to Pastor Missick, “The Acts of Thaddeus” tells the story of
the origin of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Armenian Church.

Pastor Missick describes the story of Thaddeus as a very fascinating
one: “According to Church historians, Thaddeus was the groom at the
marriage of Cana in Galilee, where Jesus turned the water into wine.

There is also a connection between Thaddeus and the Shroud of Turin.”

The Shroud of Turin is an Icon kept in Turin, Italy that is believed
to be the burial shroud of Jesus, and it bears an impression of
the body of a crucified man. Many Shroud experts believe that the
Shroud of Turin was known as originally known as the Image of Edessa,
or the Mandylion. It said to have been brought to the Syriac king
Abgar as a gift by Thaddeus. Missick says, “Many of those who believe
that the Shroud of Turin is authentic, also believe that there is a
connection between the Shroud and the Apostle Thaddeus. The Shroud
will be featured in the movie.”

Recent cinematic history has seen the resurgence of the Biblical Epic.

“The Bible: TV Miniseries,” “The Son of God, “as well as “Noah,”
have been very successful. In addition, faith-based films such as
“God’s Not Dead” and “Heaven is for Real” have proven there is large
an underserved market for films in the Biblical genre. Soon, Biblical
epics such as “Exodus: God’s and Kings” and “A.D.: After the Bible”
will arrive on both the big and small screens to serve these markets.

This project is unique in that the story of Thaddeus and the founding
of the Assyrian Church has never before been told in film.

For more information contact Stephen Andrew Missick,
[email protected], 281-592-4104.