Author: Badalian Vardan

TURKEY CALLS TO BOYCOTT MCDONALD’S

Aysor
March 22 2010
Armenia

Alienation in US-Turkey relations may cause great financial losses for
large American companies, acting in Turkey. Calls to boycott popular
fast food chain, McDonalds, have been already voiced, Vesti.Az agency
reported, citing Turkish media

In particular, Haber Vitrini paper called for a boycott of McDonald’s,
saying the fast-food is bad for a health.

Number of MDs in Turkey increased to 134; total of 76 million people
ate in MD’s in 2009, gathering 173,5 million dollars.

US-Turkey relations were alienated after Committee on Foreign Affairs
of the United States House of Representatives approved Resolution 252,
branding mass killings and massacres against Armenians in Turkey in
1915 as Genocide.

US, TURKEY POSTPONE BUSINESS MEETING

armradio.am
22.03.2010 17:55

An annual conference on United States-Turkey relations scheduled
for April 11-14 has been postponed due to tensions over the U.S.’s
official attitude toward Armenian genocide, according to the chairman
of a Turkish business association.

The 29th Annual Conference on United States-Turkey Relations was
postponed due to fears there would be low attendance by Turkish
representatives, according to Ugur Terzioglu, chairman of the
Turkish-American Business Association, or TABA/AmCham.

"With respect to our government’s politics and depending on the
fact whether U.S. President Barack Obama uses the world ‘genocide,’
we are supporting the postponement of the American-Turkish Council
[ATC] meeting," he said.

"We hope to see the dark clouds over politics to disappear. We wish
for trade relations between the two countries, as well as investments,
to develop further," he said, the Huttiyet Daily News reports.

Azg Daily, Armenia
March 17 2010

HR252: ARMENIANS, DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH

By Edmond Y. Azadian

Armenians around the world were euphoric, when, on March 4, the House
Foreign Affairs subcommittee voted by a narrow margin (23-22), to
adopt HR 252, a resolution to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Once
the euphoria settles down, we need to give an objective assessment of
what actually transpired in the subcommittee and what are its short-
and long-term impacts.

It is not the first time that this scenario has played out in
Washington. Actually, there were three near-misses in recent history
when the panel adopted the Genocide Resolution with even wider margin,
yet the resolution never made it to the House floor. Similar
resolutions were voted on in the subcommittee in the years 2000, 2005
and 2007, and in the latter case, the vote was 27-21 in favor of
passing the resolution.

The Clinton and Bush II administrations actively pressured the
legislators to table the resolutions.

One may ask why did Armenians vote in mass to elect President Obama,
when they knew full well that the candidate and incumbent presidents
would act differently and would renegue on their pre election pledges?

The question may be answered with another answer: what was the
alternative? Barack Obama’s moral stature, and Samantha Powers’
convincing arguments swayed many Armenians.

Remembering preceding reversals, Armenians did not have an alternative
but to go through the process to further mobilize the inactive masses,
to keep politicizing the Genocide issue and demonstrating to Turkey
that the Armenian lobby is something to be reckoned with.

Not only was the administration’s reversal predictable, but also the
Turkish government’s reaction. Turkish leaders act, react and behave
similarly in all situations.

When France adopted the Genocide Resolution, Ankara recalled its
ambassador, threatened to break a $2-billion military contract and
announced that the adoption of the Genocide law would damage
French-Turkish relations. Exactly the same scenario is being enacted
today. Yet the French government did not budge and none of the Turkish
threats were implemented. France is a relatively smaller power than
the US and has less to give to Turkey than the US.

But Ankara’s scare tactics, matched with the lobbying power of the
military industrial complex, are affecting some legislators in the US,
especially the ones looking for copouts.

The Foreign Affairs Subcommittee’s narrow vote was only the first
step. There is a long way to go and the subsequent stages will be even
more challenging than this one.

If Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden and
President Obama renegged on their pre-election pledges, what
assurances have we that the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will
prove to be more principled and less expedient than her superiors and
bring the Resoultion to the floor for a vote? She may try to place the
resolution on the House of Representatives’ agenda, only when she is
convinced that there are not enough votes for passage; that will be a
face-saving maneuver for the speaker of the House.

Thus far, we may claim a victory, albeit a small one.

What were the factors, which contributed to that victory?

– Armenians may claim their lobbying power is making headway on the
Hill. That may be considered a factor, but not a major one.

– Hillary Clinton had made the Protocols one of the centerpieces of
her foreign policy in the Middle East and the Caucasus. This vote
could force Turkey to ratify them and offer a victory for Foggy
Bottom.

– Another unspoken factor is the position of Israel and the Jewish
lobby. Already anonymous sources at Turkish Foreign Ministry are
accusing the Jewish lobby that it "did not raise a finger" to defend
Turkey.

Indeed, Prime Minister Erdogan had gone too far (at least by Israeli
estimates) by accusing Tel Aviv of committing genocide in its Gaza
raids. That policy gained dividends for the prime minister
domestically and in the Islamic world, but damaged his position in the
US.

Already voices were being raised in the Israeli press to teach a
lesson to the Turks by supporting the Armenian Genocide. And if that
lesson is learned quickly, Armenians can no longer count on the Jewish
lobby’s neutrality.

When the vote was cast in the Foreign Affairs Committee, the
sensational news was covered by all the networks. To this was added
the panic gripping the Turkish news media and politicians. That,
perhaps was even more lasting victory than the vote itself, because it
sensitized international public opinion about the Armenian Genocide
and further educated Turkish people on the issue.

Unless the majority of the people in Turkey realize that there is an
unresolved problem between the two nations and unless the
international public opinion is not focused on the issue the cause
cannot be promoted through meager means that Armenians possess
worldwide.

Armenians have gone through this process year in and year out and
recognize and anticipate all the hurdles that may come along the way.

Hillary Clinton has told the reporters that "the Obama administration
strongly opposes the resolution that was passed only by one vote in
the House Committee, and we will work very hard to make sure it does
not go to the House floor."

State Department Spokesman PJ Crowley has also told the reporters
ahead of the vote that the United States was concerned about the
impact the vote could potentially have on US-Turkish relations.
Turkey, among other things, is considered a strong American ally and
is home to a critical US air base.

Hillary Clinton, when asked in a Costa Rica press conference why she
had a change of heart and position on the Genocide issue, responded
that things have changed.

Of course these are all absurd arguments; when Obama, Biden and
Clinton spoke in favor of Genocide resolution, they knew Turkey was an
ally, that there was the Turkish base in Turkey, that war was taking
place in Iraq and Afghanistan and that any word about the Genocide
would anger Turkey. In fact, nothing has changed. The only thing which
has changed is the position of the politicians, which is not
surprising at all.

Before the election, the candidates have the habit of promising the
sky. After the elections the reality settles in and political
expediency becomes the norm.

Every time elections take place, legislators or executive branch
statesmen may change but the bureaucrats remain entrenched to carry on
the same agenda from one administration to the other, justifying that
agenda under the guise of "national interest."

With all his moral rhetoric, President Obama did not make good on many
of his promises; the moral wound that Guantanomo torture chambers
symbolize are still open, water boarding criminals are absolved,
suspected terrorist renditions are hushed, and Blackwater embezzlement
cases are no longer in the public eye. They are all compromised to
save major agenda items such as national health care and economic
recovery. Among the host of these issues, the Armenian Genocide is a
minor issue, which can be traded or trampled on with impunity.

Turkey is making a lot of fuss so that the resolution would not move
ahead. They are even talking about improving relations further with
Russia.

The Armenian press and the Armenian politicians have more or less a
subdued view of the situation, which is a déjà vu. Their main concern
is the potential war on the Karabagh front. Turks and Azeris are
building arguments that Karabagh and Armenian-Turkish negotiations are
at a stalemate to justify war.

The excitement about the HR 252 will die down soon but the exercise is
not a futile one. Every year that issue comes up in Washington more
Armenians are involved in the lobbying effort; there is more news
coverage in the US and worldwide and above all the Genocide becomes
more and more a domestic agenda for Turkey to ponder. This is the
nature of politics.

We must be convinced that persistent drops of water will eventually
pierce the rock and when the major political issues are aligned
properly we may expect a breakthrough.

Meanwhile Armenians around the world need not hold their breaths on
the adoption of HR 252 by the US Congress.

GALUST SAHAKYAN: TURKEY HAS BLOODY HISTORY

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.03.2010 15:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia’s relations with the other countries can
be assessed as positive but we still have a great deal of work to do,
according to Galust Sahakyan, the head of RPA parliamentary group.

"Armenian people should first of all get rid of the fear syndrome.

Turkish Prime Minister’s threat to expel 100 thousand illegal
Armenian immigrants from the country aroused a wave of indignation
and the Armenian leadership gave a worthy response," Mr. Sahakyan
told reporters in Yerevan.

"Turkey has bloody history. Acknowledging the Armenian Genocide,
Ankara will wash away the blood," he emphasized.

Mr. Sahakyan also said that normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations is by no means linked to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
resolution. "Armenia will never agree to haggle. Establishment of
diplomatic relations has nothing to do with any other process,"
he said.

Asked whether he believes that US President will use the term Genocide
in his April 24 address, he said, "This is a commemoration day and
we should not focus on what Barack Obama would say. Anyway, he will
not betray his country’s interests."

As to Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Mr. Sahakyan said it should be
resolved by one package. At that, he emphasized that Karabakh will
never be a part of Azerbaijan.

DES DEPUTES TURCS PROPOSENT DE PORTER PLAINTE DEVANT UN TRIBUNAL INTERNATIONAL
par Jean Eckian

armenews
php3?id_article=59474
vendredi19 mars 2010

GENOCIDE ARMEINIEN

Hurriyet rapporte que des legislateurs de l’opposition Unite nationale
et Parti republicain du peuple vont soulever la question au parlement
turc : "deposer plainte devant un tribunal international contre les
pays qui reconnaissent le genocide armenien".

Les partis d’opposition estiment que la Turquie devrait aborder cette
problematique au plan politique, en toute legalite et determiner si
un pays et en droit d’accuser l’autre de genocide.

"Franchement, je ne comprends pas ce que veut l’Armenie. Apparemment,
son but ultime est d’obtenir une indemnisation. La Cour internationale
de Justice devrait donner une reponse claire a la Turquie. Ce qui est
de sa faute et pourquoi les parlements des pays violent la presomption
d’innocence en l’accusant de genocide. Je crois que si nous parvenions
a declencher les proces devant un tribunal international, alors ils
devront serieusement se preparer a prouver leurs arguments "- a dit
l’ancien ambassadeur de Turquie aux Ã~Itats-Unis Ekledag Å~^ukru,
aujourd’hui adjoint du Parti populaire republicain.

"Nous devons faire appel a la cour internationale. Nous n’avons pas de
preuves serieuses et convaincantes sur le genocide, elles s’appuient
uniquement sur la parole des temoins presumes de ces evenements.

La Turquie ouvre ses archives a cet effet. Je pense que nos partenaires
britanniques, la Russie et la France egalement n’ont pas refuse
d’ouvrir leurs archives. Alors seulement nous pourrons trouver la
verite. Ou bien nous allons sans cesse et indefiniment discuter de
ces problemes"- a declare Ekledag.

Par un decret de l’Empire ottoman, du 16 Decembre 1918, les dirigeants
du parti Union et Progres et un certain nombre d’eminents jeune-turcs
du gouvernement ont ete traduits en justice. Ils ont ete inculpes
dans l’implication de la Turquie dans la guerre et l’organisation de
la deportation et l’extermination des Armeniens. En Fevrier de 1919 a
Constantinople, il y eu le proces des unionistes. Parmi eux le grand
vizir, et accuses des anciens presidents du Comite Union et Progres,
Said Halim Pacha, le ministre de l’Interieur Talaat, le ministre de
la Guerre, Enver, le ministre de la Marine Jemal, Ibrahim Å~^ukru,
Khalil Ahmed et Ness, chef de l’appareil central de l’Organisation
secrete Teshkilati Mahsousse le Dr. Behaetdin Shakir, etc. Les Membres
du tribunal a l’unanimite ont decide de condamner les dirigeants du
parti "Union et Progres" a la peine de mort. Mais par une sentence
par contumace, etant donne qu’ils ont tous fui la Turquie.

ARMENIAN STUDIES IN JERUSALEM
Mickael Araqelyan

"Noravank" Foundation
12 March 2010

Armenian Studies Centre of Israel is in Jerusalem. It was founded
in 1967 by Professor Michael Stone and it works till today at the
Hebrew University. The Armenian Studies Centre is the independent
branch of the Department of the Indian and Iranian Studies and it is
subject to the Institute of African and Asian Studies at humanities
faculty. The Georgian studies are taught within the framework of the
Armenian programme. All the programmes of the Hebrew University and
its Rothberg School are intended for foreign students.

We will focus on the activity of the Armenian Studies Centre for the
recent decade.

In 2001 Professor Michael Stone (the Head of the Armenian Studies
Centre) with the assistance of the Faculty of Humanities of the Hebrew
University established close ties with the academic establishments in
Armenia (Yerevan State University and the Mesrop Mashtots Institute
of Ancient Manuscripts – Matenadaran). The chancellors of the Hebrew
University and Yerevan State University signed agreement about the
cooperation in the fields of students and research experience exchange.

Besides, an agreement was reached between the St. Hakobyants Fraternity
in Jerusalem and Hebrew University which would encourage and assist
Armenian clergy to continue its education at the Hebrew University.

Israeli students are also interested in studying different branches
of the Armenia Studies. Throughout the school year, according to
the statistic data of the Faculty of Humanities the lessons of the
Armenian studies are attended by 2-8 students. Here it is considered
to be a good performance. Due to the financial aid of beneficiaries
from different countries the level of the research and teaching of
different branches of the studies has grown. The students pass rather
informative courses which reflect the richness and diversity of the
Armenian history, language, art and culture.

Academic degrees – at the end of the study at the Armenian Studies
Centre and after the defence of the papers and theses the Senate
of the Hebrew University awards the academic degrees of Bachelor of
Arts (BA), Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) to the
students. Those students and post-graduates who study and carry out
their researches abroad are also allowed to visit Jerusalem for a
short period during the academic year for in-depth training course or
researching. The applicants for the PhD, according to the programme,
may come for a year or two, in order to carry out their studies in
the Armenian, Indian or Iranian departments.

The main lecturers of the Armenian and Georgian studies Michael
E. Stone, PhD (Harvard), D. Lit (Melbourne) – Armenian studies
(Professor) Sergio la Porta, PhD (Harvard) – Armenian studies
(lecturer) Konstantin Lerner, Doctor of Sciences (Tbilisi) – Georgian
studies (Professor) Nira Stone, PhD (Hebrew University) – Armenian
Medieval painting (lecturer).

A number of other lecturers also offer the students of the Hebrew
University different courses which are directly or indirectly connected
with the Armenian studies, e.g. history, Eastern studies, comparative
religious studies and the studies of the Eastern Christianity.

The following courses have been taught for the recent 8 years1.

The courses offered for 1999-2000 academic year The Art of Armenia and
Christian East (Doctor N. Stone)2 Armenians in the Ottoman Empire: the
Early Period (Doctor Roberta Ervine) Armenian hagiography (Saints’
live) (Doctor R. Ervine) The History of Sebeos (Prof. M. Stone)
Eznik Koghbatsi, "Against Herecy" (Prof. M. Stone) The Texts Written
in Medieval Armenian (grabar) (Prof. M. Stone) University Monasteries
in Medieval Armenia (Doctor S. la Porta and Prof. M. Stone) Seminar on
Armenian Studies (Prof. M. Stone) Primary Georgian (Prof. K. Lerner)
Georgian Saints’ Live (V-X centuries) (Prof. K. Lerner) 3 The History
of the Jewish Community in Georgia (Prof. K. Lerner)4.

The courses offered for 2000-2001 academic year Primary Ancient
Armenia (grabar) (Prof. M. Stone) Armenians in the Modern Period
(17th-20th centuries) (Doctor R. Ervine) On Some Issues of the Armenia
Art (Doctor N. Stone)5 Medieval Armenian Poetry (Prof. M. Stone)
The Advanced Course of Modern Armenian (Doctor R. Ervine) Modern
Armenian: Reading of the Text and its Structure (Doctor R. Ervine)
Armenian Holy Places and their visitors in the Holy Land before the
Crusades (Prof. M. Stone) Pilgrimage in the Armenian Tradition (Doctor
R. Ervine)6 Literature: "Questions and Answers" in the Armenian
Tradition (Doctor R. Ervin)7 Advanced Georgian (Prof. K. Lerner)
Introduction to the History of Georgia (Prof. K. Lerner)8 Jewish
Folklore as a Source of Georgian Historiography (Prof. K. Lerner)9 The
courses offered for 2001-2002 academic year Armenia Lithography in
Israel and Armenia (Prof. M. Stone) 10 Adam and Eva in the Armenian
Tradition11 Christianity in Armenia: Origin and Development (Doctor
S. la Porta) Armenian Studies: Modern Orientation and Researches
(Doctor S. la Porta) Grigor Tatewaci’s "Book of Questions" ("Doctor
S. la Porta) 12 Eastern Monasticism (Doctor S. la Porta) 13 Armenian
History from the Beginning till the 19th century (Doctor S. la Porta)
Armenian Art (Doctor N. Stone) 14 The courses for 2003-2008 by themes
Language: "Modern Armenian Literary Language for the Beginners"
(Doctor S. la Porta). History: Armenian Sources about the Jews and
Israel", "Scriptural Literary Traditions in Armenian Culture" (Prof.

M. Stone), "Historical Sources about Armenia before the Crusades"
(Doctor Aram Topchyan, Matenadaran, Yerevan), "Conversion of Armenia"
(Prof. Robert Hewsen, USA), "The World of the Eastern Christianity"
(Doctor S. la Porta). Literature and art: "The Art of the Medieval
Armenia" (Doctor N. Stone). Georgian studies: "Colloquial Georgian",
"Jewish Folklore as a Source of Georgian Historiography" and "The
Political History of the Georgian People" (Prof. K. Lerner).

Since 2004 the Armenian Studies Centre has been inviting specialists
in the field of the Armenian studies to read lectures. E.g. Prof.

Robert Hewsen (USA) who won Lady Davis’s Grant and came to Jerusalem
read the lectures during the spring semester. The lectures were devoted
to the Christianization of Armenia. Then doctor Aram Topchyan (Yerevan,
Matenadaran) came thanks to the Orion Foundation (Jerusalem). He
ran a course devoted to the information in the Armenian historical
sources about the countries neighbouring to Armenia. Together with
Prof. Stone Aram Topchyan keep on working at the project devoted to
the Jews in Armenia. Another specialist, Doctor Gohar Muradyan was
invited to the Hebrew University in order to present to the students
the results of the researches about the ancient Physiologus text
published in Jerusalem in 200515. The Armenian Studies Centre has
preserved that tradition and invited specialists in Armenian studies,
such as Prof. Theo van Lint (Oxford), Prof. Jasmine Dum-Tragud
(Salzburg) and others.

The Master’s Degree contenders at the Armenian Studies Centre. There
were few students in the history of this centre of the Hebrew
University who finished their study and defended their papers. Let
us mention all those students to whom the Hebrew University granted
academic degrees (including PhD). Narine Yakubian (Los Angeles) wrote
"The Life and Work of Jerusalem Patriarch Grigor Shghtayakir" master’s
thesis. The master’s thesis of Yoav Loeff (Israel) was "Four Texts
from the well-known oldest Armenian Manuscripts: Matenadaran, N116
(1428)". The author prepares for publishing this study in the form
of monograph. The member of St. Hakobyants Fraternity archimandrite
Bagrat Purdjikian has finished his "The Unpublished Sermon of St.

Grigor Vkayaser" master’s thesis, and archimandrite Emmanuel Aldjanian
continues his study at Rothberg School and prepares paper on the
study of the religions.

The PhD contenders at the Armenian Studies Centre. There have been
only three PhD contenders for the recent 10 years. Nune Poghosyan
defended her doctoral thesis "The Liturgical Music of the Armenian
Church in Jerusalem", and the subject of Marlen Yeordigian’s doctoral
thesis was "The Relations between the State of Israel and Armenian
Patriarchate in 1948-1967" 16. Mikael Arakelyan is professional painter
and historian of art. He defended his "The Illustrated Gospels of
Miniaturist Mesrop Khizantsi (the fist half of the 17th century)"
candidate’s dissertation at the Institute of Art of the National
Academy of Sciences of Armenia in 2004. In the same year he started
his post-graduate studies at the Hebrew University which he finished
in 2009. The subject of his PhD thesis is "New Djugha’s school of
the Armenian Miniature: Old Testament and New Testament cycles in
four Gospels (1607-1660)" 17. The work is coming to an end and it
should be submitted for consideration to the senate of the Hebrew
University at the end of 2009 or at the beginning of 2010.

Friends and the sponsors of the Armenian Studies Centre.

The Sam and May Rudin Foundation Fellowships are awarded to cover the
costs of the study at the Hebrew University of the clergymen from St.

Hakobyants Fraternity. In 2003-2009 five clergymen were granted the
fellowship at the university. They all have been studying at BA and
MA courses.

"Grigor Momdjian" Fellowship is awarded by the Momdjyan’s family from
Jerusalem (Tsolak, Alegra and their children Hakob, Albert and Monika)
to the certified graduates of "Srbots Targmanchats" school for them
to continue study at the Hebrew University. All the grant holders
should attend different courses on Armenian studies as a part of
their university education during the whole five years of study.

The Jack Rudin Fellowship was instituted by Mr. Jack Rudin (New
York) and it is intended for the deacons who graduated from the
"Zharangavorats" theological seminary under the Patriarchate
of Jerusalem and who want to continue their study in the field of
Armenian studies at the Hebrew University. The fellowship is awarded
in order to help young deacons to deepen their knowledge and be
useful to the Armenian Apostolic Church in the sequel All the three
foundations were officially approved by the president of the Hebrew
University Mr. Menahem Magidor. Such financial assistance boosts the
development of the Armenian Studies Centre and this, in its turn,
promotes the growth of the educational level of the students and
helps to contribute to the study of the intellectual, historical and
artistic heritage of the Armenian people.

Prospects – Despite the eager activity of the Armenian Studies Centre
in Jerusalem there are a number of problems and we will touch upon them
briefly. Two years ago Prof. Michael Stone (the Head of the Armenian
Studies Centre at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem) retired. In
2006-2007 academic years Doctor Sergio la Porta – the specialist in the
field of Armenian Medieval Theology, history, grabar, as well as the
role of the Armenians in Jerusalem (particularly in the Middle Ages)
– was entrusted with the managing of the centre. At current moment
the Armenian Studies Centre is at the verge of closing because the
administration of the Hebrew University has not assigned means (as it
used to do for the recent 40 years) to cover the expenses necessary
for carrying out researches connected with the Armenian studies. The
financial crisis has also hit other faculties. Amid such uncertainty
Doctor S. la Porta was invited to the University of Fresno (California)
to teach Armenian studies in 2009-2010 academic year. Even if he
returns to Jerusalem it does not mean that the problem will be solved
in the positive way. The administration of the university formally
preserves the status of the Armenian studies at their university
but if the persons concerned do not manage to find finances and new
specialists then, most probably, there will be no Armenian studies in
Jerusalem any more. The aforementioned sponsors are ready to continue
granting fellowships to the students, but who will assign means to
preserve the Armenian Studies Centre in Jerusalem? This issue can
only be solved with the help of the government of Armenia.

Besides Armenia there are only several large centers of Armenian
studies. Unfortunately their number is gradually reducing and they
are "critically endangered". Jerusalem with its Armenian Quarter has
been and is important spiritual and historical place for Armenia and
Armeniancy, and we, despite all the difficulties, should preserve not
only Armenian studies but also our presence in the Armenian Quarter.

In order to solve this issue, it is necessary to preserve the
possibility of carrying out researches connected with the Armenian
studies and education in Jerusalem which will promote to the
preservation and survival of the national and Christian significance
of the Armenian Quarter.

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2N. Stone. "A Pair of Armenian Manuscript Missals in the Library of
Congress," Revue des Etudes arméniennes, 29 (2003-2004), pp. 193-211;
M. E. Stone. "A Reassessment of the Bird and Eustathius Mosaics," in:
The Armenians in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, eds. M. E. Stone, R. R.

Ervine, and N. Stone. Hebrew University Armenian Series 4. Leuven:
Peeters, 2002, pp. 203-219.

3K. Lerner. "Georgia, Christian History," in: The Blackwell Dictionary
of Eastern Christianity, ed. by Ken Parry, Blackwell Publishers 1999,
pp. 210-214.

4K. Lerner. "The Social Status of the Jewish Community in Ancient
Georgia," Central Asia and Caucasus 2 (Lulea, Sweden 1999), pp.

206-210 (in Russian).

5N. Stone. "Apocryphal Stories in Armenian Manuscripts," Publications
del’Institut Romand des Sciences Bibliques 1, Apocryphes arméniens,
Actes du colloque international sur la littérature apocryphe en langue
arménienne (Genève, 18-20 septembre 1997), Lausanne: Ã~Iditions du
Zèbre, 1999, pp. 161-169.

6R. Ervine. "Changes in Armenian Pilgrim Attitudes between 1600 and
1857," in: The Armenians in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, eds. M. E.

Stone, R. R. Ervine, and N. Stone. Hebrew University Armenian Series
4. Leuven: Peeters, 2002, pp. 81-95.

7R. Ervine. Vanakan Vardapet’s Questions relating to the Pentateuch
(forthcoming).

8K. Lerner. "The Conversion of Kartli (Georgia)," in: Anatolian and
Caucasian Studies, Cleveland State University (in press).

9K. Lerner. Problems of Semitic Tradition in Ancient Georgian Culture
(forthcoming).

10R. R. Ervine, M. E. Stone. The Inscriptions and Dedications of the
Church of the Holy Archangels in Jerusalem (in press); R. Ervine.

"Epigraphica Armeniaca Hierosolymitana VII," Revue des Etudes
arméniennes, 28 (2001-2002), pp. 443-464. Though Doctor R. Ervine
(after 20 years in Jerusalem) has been working at St. Nerses Seminary
in New York for recent 8 years, he gathered very important material
about Holy Land and he has many studies which are devoted to the
history of the Armenians in Jerusalem. Particularly he has been
studying the diaries of Patriarch Minas Amtetsi for his future book.

11M. E. Stone. A Concordance of the Armenian Apocryphal Adam Books,
Hebrew University Armenian Studies, 1. Peeters, Leuven, 2001; M. E.

Stone. Adamgirk’: The Adam Book of Arak’el of Siwnik’, Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2007.

12S. La Porta. "Additional Remarks Concerning ‘Man as the Image of God’
in Grigor Tat’ewac’i’s Book of Questions," St. Nersess Theological
Seminary Review, vol. 7 (2002), pp. 67-84; S. La Porta, M.

Arakelian. "A Copy of Grigor Tat’ewac’i’s Book of Questions: MS 3425
of the Library of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem," SION, vol.

76, nn° 7-12 (Jerusalem, 2002), pp. 338-350, ill. 1.

13S. La Porta. "The Liturgical Imagination of Medieval Armenian
Monasticism," in: Worship Traditions in Armenia and the Neighboring
Christian East: An International Symposium in Honor of the 40th
Anniversary of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, ed. R. R. Ervine, AVANT
3, Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press/St. Nersess Armenian
Seminary, 2003, pp. 197-221.

14M. E. Stone, N. Stone. The Armenians: Art, Culture and Religion.

Dublin: Chester Beatty Library, 2007.

15G. Muradyan. Physiologus, Hebrew University Armenian Studies, 6.

Peeters, Leuven, 2005.

16N. Poghosyan and M. Yeordigian are the citizens of Israel.

17M. Arakelyan works at Matenadaran (Yerevan) as a senior staff
scientist.

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT TO AWARD JIVAN GASPARYAN WITH MEDAL IN MOSCOW

Tert.am
13:29 ~U 19.03.10

Legendary duduk player Jivan Gasparyan has been awarded the
laureate in a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) international
competition. The musician informed journalists of this news while
giving a press conference at the Yerevan Brandy Factory today, adding
that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev himself will award him with
the medal in Moscow on April 9.

At the prodding of our Tert.am correspondent, Gasparyan also discussed
plans for future work, saying he has received numerous invitations,
though only elaborated on his plans for the month of April.

Thus, Gasparyan will be in Italy on April 17, where from April 22-27,
he will give performances with Italy’s Symphony Orchestra. The
concerts will be held in three cities, and in May, the world-famous
duduk player will travel to the Netherlands.

BAKU’S STATEMENTS ABOUT MADRID PRINCIPLES – SMOKE SCREEN: NALBANDIAN

news.am
March 18 2010
Armenia

Azerbaijan has not recognized Madrid Principles for long time and if
at last Baku took the documents as basis for negotiations we can only
welcome this fact, RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said at the
joint press conference with Slovakian FM held in Yerevan.

"However, Baku’s statements show that Azerbaijani side accepts Madrid
Principles with certain reservations. There are more reservations than
points acceptable to Baku which on the whole refer to elimination of
conflict consequences. As to the provisions acceptable to Azerbaijan,
they misinterpret them to such an extent that their essence nearly
vanishes," Nalbandian added.

He also informed that the sides keep on making working proposals
on Madrid Principles. "Baku’s statements concerning the documents
are just a smoke screen," FM stated, stressing that Armenian side
continues to take Madrid Principles as basis for peace process.

Nalbanidan also noted that his Paris meeting with OSCE Co-Chairs
was constructive.

SWEDISH CONFLICT WITH TURKEY WORSENS FOLLOWING GENOCIDE CLASSIFICATION

IceNews
x.php/2010/03/18/swedish-conflict-with-turkey-wors ens-following-genocide-classification/
March 18 2010
Iceland

A widening rift is developing between the Swedish and Turkish
governments in the wake of the Swedish parliament’s decision to
recognise the 1915 mass killings of ethnic groups including Armenians
as genocide.

In Turkey, Christer Asp, the Swedish Ambassador, confirmed that
protests had continued over the weekend in several cities, which
followed the large demonstration that took place outside of the
Swedish consulate last Friday in Istanbul. Asp added that he had been
inundated with hate mail from concerned parties inside both countries,
which question the continuance of Swedish business interests in Turkey
and the Middle East.

"Some of the letters are formulated in such a way that I could not
repeat them in public. They are not threats but they’re not saying
anything nice about Sweden, if you know what I mean," Asp told
reporters. The Local has also reported that Carl Bildt, the Swedish
foreign minister, has publicly condemned the parliamentary vote.

"These kinds of decisions tend to increase tensions rather than reduce
them," he said.

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt had earlier given Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, his Turkish counterpart, an assurance that he was not
in support of the decision. Reinfeldt contacted Erdogan last Saturday
in an attempt to distance himself from the decision, which officially
recognised the mass killings by Ottoman Turks of Armenians as genocide.

Reinfeldt blamed "domestic politics" for the decision and claimed that
he was "ready to do the necessary so that this unfounded decision
does not harm bilateral relations". The Swedish parliament defied
government advice to recognise the genocide of Armenians and other
groups following the disbanding of the Ottoman Empire.

ARMENIAN ARMED FORCES ARE IN MISERABLE SITUATION

APA
March 17 2010
Azerbaijan

Desertion, murder, rape, aggression, infringement, homosexuality,
hazing, bribery, corruption, suicide and other illegalities increase
in the enemy army

Baku – APA. A miserable situation is prevailing in the army of Armenia
which faces with serious economic crisis in the South Caucasus.

According to the reports APA obtained, disciplinary,
spiritual-psychological and physical state of the military servicemen
worsened in compare with previous years. There were 1643 cases
of desertion, murder, rape, beating, bribery, corruption, suicide
attempt, suicide, infringement and other illegal actions in 2007,
1984 – in 2008 and 2240 – in 2009.

370 out of 2240 cases were accidental, 652 – violation of regulations
among the military servicemen and 1218 – criminal.

The accidental cases in the Armenian armed forces reduced in compare
with 2008, but criminal cases increased.

Armenian armed forces faced with numerous losses in 2009. 78 servicemen
of Armenian army were killed. 21 of them were killed in the battles
(shooting, mine action, special operations) and 57 others were killed
during the different incidents. 78 servicemen of Armenian armed forces
were wounded during the battles.

57 Armenian soldiers were killed in unmilitary incidents in 2009. Six
soldiers died as a result of diseases, 4 – electric shock, 10 – road
accidents, 6 – construction accidents and 31 others were killed as
a result of suicide, beating, different accidents and illegalities.

Unmilitary losses increased by 12 in compare with 2008.

The suicide attempts and suicides also increased in 2009. There were 46
such cases last year. 13 soldiers were killed as a result of suicide.

Compared with the reporting period, the deaths reduced by 2 facts. But
compared with the developments of 2008, the attempts to commit suicide
increased by 25. The investigations found out that the attempts to
commit suicide were connected with the arbitrariness of high-ranking
officers, bribery, behavior contradicting regulations and hazing in
the military. It was found out that attempts to commit suicide in
the Armenian Armed Forces were mainly connected with the insulting
of soldiers by officers, ensigns, raping of soldiers by officers and
ensigns, sergeants, making parents of soldiers bring money, sex of
officers and ensigns with the parents of the soldiers, revelation of
the fact of raping by personnel, hard military service, psychological
problems in the Armenian Army.

A number of facts of death and injury as a result of violation of
weapon usage rules were recorded in the Armenian army in 2009. 193
such facts were recorded in 2009. In 2008 this figure was 46. 11
soldiers died, 182 were wounded as a result of the abovementioned
cases. Compared with the reporting period the number of deaths as
a result of violation of weapon usage rules reduced by 3, but the
number of the wounded increased by 49.

57 soldiers deserted in Armenia in 2009, this is 14 facts more
compared with 2008. 12 of them took their weapons with them while
deserting. Other deserters fled to Georgia, Russia and Turkey.

There still cases in the Armenian army when commanders illegally give
permission to the soldiers to leave the military unit for money. 78
such facts were recorded in 2009. Soldiers are allowed to stay at
home for a month under the pretext of hospital, detached duty after
paying $500-1000 depending on place of the military unit.

Criminogenic situation reached its peak. 138 criminogenic incidents
were recorded in the Armenian armed forces in 2009, this is 24 facts
more compared with the previous year.

18 facts of knifing were recoded in the Armenian armed forces in 2009.

7 of them resulted in death, 11 injuries.

Soldiers of the Armenian armed forces have committed several crimes
against civilians in 2009. That is criminal case on 12 soldiers in
kidnapping personal property of civilians, violence towards people,
aggression and other cases.

Besides indiscipline and arbitrariness, immorality problem also quickly
spread through Armenian army. That is, the number of soldiers involved
in homosexualism has increased in comparison with 2008. There are
200-250 such people, 12 of them are officers. Though such officers and
soldiers have been demobilized from army according to the instructions
of Armenian armed forces’ leadership, those whose health is normal
are sent to other military units under appropriate reference of
doctor’s committee.

Soldiers undertake inclination to homosexualism intentionally to
release from military service because of worse welfare standards at
military units. Formerly, such soldiers have been demobilized from
army immediately, but since last year appropriate decision has been
passed on those persons after doctor committee’s opinion.

It must be noted that drug addicts also spread in the Armenian army,
besides criminal and immorality cases. This number has toll to 77
in 2009. Bringing of drugs to military units and sale is realized
by sergeant staff under officers’ patronage. Drugs have been brought
especially from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Narcotic is
being cultivated by high-level officer’s staff in the areas controlled
by military units.

Armenian community is worried about non-fight losses in the army more
than fight losses. Negative cases in the army happen because of the
"clan" policy, corruption, spending finance for buying weapons and
military equipments, as well as law material and social life conditions
of officers.

Armenian armed forces look the health of its soldiers very
indifferently. A lot of soldiers have been taken to regional and
central military hospitals with serious health problems because of the
low-calorific foods, antisanitarian conditions, devastated conditions
of the barracks. Frostbite, pneumonia, skin, different infectious
illnesses, inflammation, gastroenterostomy and other diagnoses exist
at military units under Armenian defence ministry.