Author: Badalian Vardan

Vahan Hovhannesian: They would lose to us if fight were based on
ideologies

16.02.2008 18:57

Yerevan (Yerkir) – ARF presidential candidate Vahan Hovhannesian met
with voters in Yerevan’s Davitashen and Center districts on February 16.

"I am sure you all know Vahan Hovhannesian, and you realize he will be
the type of president for whom Armenians and family are superior
values," Artsvik Minasian, a member of the ARF faction in parliament,
said, addressing crowds. Minasian said that Hovhannesian has included
all the issues in his election platform, he can eliminate the
corruption and make bureaucrats accountable before people. "I am sure
you would not make a mistake if you elect Vahan," he said.

"Shame on those who made our people become so disappointed from the
current situation that they are ready to elect the former regime,"
Hovhannesian said. A rally is going on at the Opera House now, and what
we hear is that someone speaking there says everybody driving with
white flags will be imprisoned. Who are you to imprison people? Why
should there be borders between sectors of our people again?"

He said he knows about the problems of the people and if elected he
will settle all the issues very quickly.
"During the Armenian Pan-National Movement’s rule, the people were
deprived from heat, power, etc. it is now possible to restore all that
and it is being restored," he said. But the injustice has remained, he
went on saying. Hovhannesian said that he has come to open the door to
new opportunities.

He said that the ARF opposes to a development that only the rich
benefit from, who made a fortune during the faulty privatization and
then got to government offices. Now the old and the current regimes are
fighting each other but the fight is not based on ideologies and
politics because both realize that if fighting based on ideologies,
they would lose to the ARF. This is why they are cursing each other and
reject debates. They are fighting for money and power. The old regime
wants to power again, the new one does not want to let that happen.

"And only one power is coming to break that chain. We can break it
because we are not a part of that chain," Hovhannesian said.

The Jewish Journal of greater L.A, CA
Feb 14 2008

Congressman Tom Lantos left behind human rights legacy

Mel Levine: Losing Lantos means the end of an era
By Ron Kampeas, Jewish Telegraphic Agency

The flags dipped at half-staff over the Capitol, the warm
remembrances flooded e-mail inboxes, the "Have you heard?" phone
calls took a solemn tone.

U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos (D-San Mateo) earned all these tributes. He died
Monday of esophageal cancer at the age of 80.

The mourning was not just for a man but for the unique voice of the
only Holocaust survivor ever elected to Congress.

"We lose a voice for human rights, which was in his case unique,"
said Elie Wiesel, the novelist whose own writings have become icons
of Holocaust remembrance. "He spoke always against oppression,
against persecution, against racism."

Lantos died at the Naval Medical Center in suburban Bethesda, Md.,
surrounded by his wife, Annette, two daughters and many of his 18
grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

"As the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress, Tom was a
living reminder that we must never turn a blind eye to the suffering
of the innocent at the hands of evil men," President Bush said.

"Having lived through the worst evil known to mankind, Tom Lantos
translated the experience into a lifetime commitment to the fight
against anti-Semitism, Holocaust education, and a commitment to the
State of Israel," U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), the
speaker of the House of Representatives, said in a statement.

Sallai Meridor, Israel’s ambassador to Washington, said Israel "lost
one of our greatest friends."

The remembrances of Lantos, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee, were a kaleidoscope of the human rights causes he
championed since his election to the House in 1980.

Wiesel remembered Lantos’ contributions to the building of the U.S.
Holocaust Memorial Museum, which Wiesel helped found.

"From the very beginning in Washington he was with us, involved in
every step leading to the building of the museum, developing it into
a source for archives, learning and teaching," he said.

Mark Levin, the executive director of NCSJ: Advocates on behalf of
Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States and Eurasia, focused on
Lantos’ role in the 1980s in pressing the Soviet Union to release its
Jews. Lantos made several trips to Russia to meet with refuseniks and
championed them in Congress.

"He was forthright, compassionate and deeply committed to the cause
of freeing Jews from the former Soviet Union," Levin said.

In 2003 he would found the House’s Human Rights Caucus.

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa remembered Lantos’ moral leadership
and how he provided a passionate voice for those in need.

"Whether taking the lead on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,
reminding us of our obligation to halt the genocide in Darfur,
warning his colleagues about the perils of a nuclear Iran, or
speaking out on behalf of new democracies springing up across Eastern
Europe, Tom Lantos’ courageous stands and compassionate actions
served as an example of principled leadership for each and every
political official in the U.S. and around the world," he said.

Other encomiums came from The American Jewish World Service (AJWS),
which has led the Jewish community in pressing for an end to the
genocide in Sudan; the American Israel Public Affairs Committee,
which praised his steadfast support for Israel and his tough stance
on Iran; and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), which
commemorated his contributions to social welfare at home.

Adding their remembrances were the United Jewish Communities, B’nai
B’rith International, the Anti-Defamation League, the World Jewish
Congress, the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center, Hadassah and
Americans for Peace Now.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) remembered Lantos’ service to
his Silicon Valley district.

"In serving his constituents and his country, Tom never forgot the
Democratic Party’s ideals of freedom, fairness and opportunity for
all," the chairman of the DNC, Howard Dean, said in a statement.

Lantos was not afraid to take on his allies. On the foreign affairs
committee, he blasted Silicon Valley giants like Google and Yahoo for
colluding with China’s government in censorship. He authored tough
Iran sanctions legislation, but broke with pro-Israel orthodoxy by
offering to meet with the Islamic Republic’s leaders.

Pro-Israel groups also opposed a nonbinding resolution that
recognized the Ottoman-era massacres of Armenians as a genocide,
worried that it would cause a rift between Israel and Turkey. Lantos
pushed the measure through the committee, unwilling to countenance
what he saw as genocide revisionism.

His appeal crossed political aisles: Both the National Jewish
Democratic Council and the Republican Jewish Coalition issued
statements mourning his passing.

Top Republicans on his committee recalled him fondly.

"An unfailingly gracious and courageous man, Tom was recognized by
friends and colleagues alike as a leader who left an enviable legacy
of service to his country," said Rep. Ileana Ros Lehtinen (R-Fla.),
the committee’s ranking member.

The campaigns of the two Democrats left in the presidential field,
U.S. Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.)
also released statements mourning his passing.

Lantos was 16 in 1944 when the Nazis invaded his native Hungary; his
Web site tells of his fighting in the anti-Nazi underground.

In 1947 he came to the United States to study. Lantos was a noted
economist and consultant prior to his House election in 1980.

Expressions of his love for his adopted country were as constant as
his defenses of human rights.

"It is only in the United States that a penniless survivor of the
Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi underground could have
received an education, raised a family and had the privilege of
serving the last three decades of his life as a member of Congress,"
he said in his statement last month announcing his retirement. "I
will never be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to
this great country."

Lantos, Wiesel said, died too young — even at 80, even after serving
nearly three decades in public office. He noted that Lantos only
ascended to the committee chairmanship in 2006 after Democrats
regained Congress.

"He had influence," Wiesel said. "He would have had more had he
lived."

Losing Lantos Means End of an Era

by Mel Levine
Tom Lantos was one of a kind. He was the only survivor of the Shoah
ever to serve in Congress — and he was fiercely proud of that
distinction. No one ever doubted where Tom stood on issues. He was
forceful, courageous, eloquent, witty, acerbic, and, as a true
American patriot, was also totally committed to the security and
survival of the state of Israel and to ending bigotry and intolerance
wherever it raised its ugly head.

Whether it was human rights in China, or in Tibet, or in any other
part of the globe, Tom was an eloquent and passionate spokesman
against it. He devoted his life, and his career in Congress, to
combating human rights abuses — everywhere — and to protecting and
enhancing Israel’s security. And he fought for these causes with a
passionate commitment to civil rights and civil liberties. Tom liked
to remind people that he fought fascism directly — as a part of the
anti-Nazi underground in Hungary. His personal values were forged in
that fight — and he never forgot them.

He embraced these causes with gusto and with great skill. He was an
eloquent debater and an effective strategist.

We first became friends during the time in which Tom was fighting for
his legislation to make Raoul Wallenberg an honorary American
citizen. He made Wallenberg known to the U.S. Congress and to all of
America. He ensured that Wallenberg’s courageous intervention, using
his Swedish diplomatic post to rescue thousands of Hungarian Jews
from the Holocaust, including Tom, would be forever remembered by
Americans of all faiths. And Tom’s support for the United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington was indispensable to the
strong support the museum obtained from Congress.

In these efforts, Tom won the support and praise of Democrats and
Republicans alike. As chairman of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee, Tom regularly sought and obtained bipartisan support for
his passionate efforts.

Tom and I worked closely together and forged a close friendship
during all of the 10 years in which I served as his colleague on the
Foreign Affairs Committee. Together with other dedicated members of
that committee — notably Rep. Howard Berman [D-Sherman Oaks], who
will now inherit Tom’s mantle as the able leader of that committee —
a core group of that committee’s members could always rely on Tom’s
wisdom, counsel and active engagement on every matter that was
important to the U.S.-Israel relationship. Whether it was an
authorization bill, a "Dear Colleague" letter, a resolution of
approval or condemnation, an arms sale to a country hostile to Israel
or a strategy session late at night which no one ever heard about,
Tom’s leadership was always a key component of these efforts to
insure that the U.S.-Israel relationship was impregnable.

Tom’s partner in life — and in his legislative and political career
— was his devoted and extremely effective wife Annette. Annette was
always at Tom’s side, in life and in Congress (generally accompanied
by their poodle, Gigi, or, subsequently, by their little terrier,
Macko [or little bear, in Hungarian]). The pride of Tom’s and
Annette’s life, understandably, were their daughters, Annette and
Katrina, and their 18 grandchildren. I had the pleasure of serving in
the Congress not only with Tom but with Katrina’s husband, Dick
Swett, who represented New Hampshire in the House. I am proud to
claim the greater Lantos family as friends.

Tom’s passing signals the end of an era. There will, in all
likelihood, be no more Holocaust survivors serving in the U.S.
Congress. But the indelible impression left by Tom will remind Jewish
and non-Jewish Americans alike to "Never Forget" and to continue to
fight for the causes that Tom cherished and passionately defended
throughout his distinguished career.

Mel Levine is a former member of the House of Representatives and a
partner at the law firm of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher.

ew.php?id=18932

Untitled DocumentPress Release
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:

FEBRUARY 14, 2008

ORDINATION OF DN. NISHAN BALJIAN THIS WEEKEND
Archbishop Oshagan and Bishop Anoushavan, the Prelate and Vicar
respectively, will travel to New England this weekend for the ordination of
Deacon Nishan Baljian.
As announced earlier Deacon Nishan Baljian will be ordained to the Holy
Order of the Priesthood this Sunday, February 17, at St. Stephen’s Armenian
Apostolic Church in Watertown, Massachusetts, where Dn. Nishan’s father,
Archpriest Fr. Antranig Baljian is pastor. The Service of Calling will take
place Saturday evening, February 16. Bishop Anoushavan is the candidate’s
spiritual sponsor and Col. George Rustigian, USAF (Ret.) is his Godfather.
On Sunday, with Archbishop Oshagan officiating, Dn. Nishan will be ordained
and given a new name.
Following the Service of Calling on Saturday evening there will be a
reception in St. Stephen Church hall for all participants. A banquet will
follow the Liturgy and Ordination on Sunday in honor of the newly ordained
priest. Reservations are required. Contact the church office at 617-924-7562
or Josh Tevekelian at 617-926-9169.
To read more about Dn. Nishan Baljian click

YEAR OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, has
designated the year 2008 as the "Year of Christian Education." His Eminence
Archbishop Oshagan, asked all parishes within the Eastern Prelacy to read
the Pontiff’s message last Sunday, February 3.
To read His Holiness’ message in Armenian click
tifical%20Messages/messages58.htm.
To read His Holiness’ message in English click
.

PRELACY LENTEN LECTURE SERIES CONTINUES
The second of the six-part Prelacy Lenten program took place last night
at St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York City, with the participation of
about fifty people. The 2008 Prelacy Lenten Program this year is focusing on
Armenian Christian education. Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian, pastor of St. Sarkis
Church in Douglaston, New York, spoke about "The Bible and Christian
Education." Der Hayr highlighted the centrality of the Bible in the
Christian formation of the Armenian people, be it in their personal piety or
communal spirituality and worship. And he challenged the participants to
commit time and energy to reading and studying the Bible.
Next Wednesday, Rev. Fr. Aram Stepanian, pastor of St. Asdvadzadzin
Church in Whitinsville, Massachusetts, and chairman of the Prelacy’s
Religious Council, will speak on "Christian Education and Moral Living." The
Lenten program is sponsored by the Prelacy Ladies Guild (PLG), the St.
Illuminator’s Ladies Guild, and the Prelacy’s Armenian Religious Education
Council (AREC).
For more information about the forthcoming lectures click

Photo s:
Der Nareg speaking about the Bible and Christian Education.
The youngest participant in the Husgoom service, Taline Lakissian,
daughter of Rev. Fr. and Yn. Mesrob Lakissian.

AREC DIRECTOR CONDUCTS SEMINAR IN NEW JERSEY
Last Sunday, February 10, Dn. Shant Kazanjian, director of the Armenian
Religious Education Council (AREC), visited Sts. Vartanantz Church in
Ridgefield, New Jersey, and conducted an interactive seminar for the Sunday
school teachers and staff members on the Sacraments of Christian Initiation:
Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist. After a brief introduction to the notion of
Christian initiation, Dn. Shant walked the participants through the services
of baptism-chrismation, commenting on the ritual acts and movements, the
scriptural readings, and the text of the prayers. In doing so, he
highlighted the conditions for baptism, the gifts and the effects of
baptism, and
the obligations that baptism entails. He also spoke to the students at large
and taught the 7-10 grade students, focusing on our responsibilities as
baptized Armenian Christians according to the Lenten Sunday Bible Readings.

MUSICAL ARMENIA 25
The 25th Musical Armenia concert will take place on Sunday, March 2, at
Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in New York. Featured artists are
Aleksandr Nazaryan, violist; and Karen Tchougourian, pianist. Tickets are
$30 and may be purchased from the Carnegie Box Office, 212-247-7800, or the
Prelacy office, 212-689-7810. For information about the concert click

B LESSING OF MURON
The Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia announced that His Holiness
Catholicos Aram I will consecrate the Holy Muron (Holy Oil) on June 7, 2008.
The Holy Muron, symbol of the grace of the Holy Spirit, is traditionally
blessed every seven years. Only the Catholicos can consecrate the oil which
is then distributed to the various dioceses for distribution to the
parishes. The oil consists of 48 different herbs, flowers, and oils which
are combined in a special vessel and mixed with some of the old Muron, thus
creating an unbroken chain with the past. The preparation of the Holy Muron
is a long process and each stage is accompanied with special prayers. Prior
to its blessing, the Muron remains for forty days on the altar of the
Cathedral. The Muron Blessing is expected to attract a large number of
pilgrims from various parts of the world.
During this same period the World General Assembly of the Catholicosate
of the Great House of Cilicia will convene in Antelias beginning on June 3
through to June 5.

INTERNATIONAL YOUTH GATHERING
An international gathering of youth is being organized by the Holy See
of Cilicia. His Holiness Aram I is inviting the youth, 18 years and older,
to attend this gathering which will include a one-week pilgrimage to Der
Zor. Details will follow.

PRESENTATION OF OUR LORD TO THE TEMPLE
Today, February 14, is the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord to the
Temple on the 40th day after his birth. In Armenian the feast is called
Tyarnundarach, which literally means "going forward" (underach) to meet the
Lord" (Tyarn). In English is known as Candlemas. Forty days after the birth
of Christ, Mary obeyed Mosaic Law and presented her son to the temple
(Numbers 18:15). She was purified by the prayer of Simeon the Just in the
presence of Anna the Prophet (Luke 2:22-40). This was the first introduction
of Christ into the house of God.
There are many Armenian pre-Christian traditions that are associated
with this feast, including one of the most popular of building a bonfire on
the eve of the holiday where young people (especially newly married couples)
gather and dance around the fire. The bonfire is started with a flame
burning in the church. The light is symbolic of Christ who is the light of
the world.

ST. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM
This Saturday, February 16, the Armenian Church commemorates St. Cyril
(315-386) of Jerusalem, a doctor of the church. St. Cyril had a pleasant and
conciliatory disposition, but unfortunately he lived at a time when bishops
were embroiled in bitter controversies and were quick to condemn any
attempts at compromises, labeling such attempts as treason. Sixteen years of
his thirty-five years as a bishop were spent in exile. When a famine hit
Jerusalem, he sold some of the possessions of the church to raise money for
the poor people who were starving. He was condemned for selling church
property and was banished. His best-known work that survived, "The
Catechetical Lectures," is believed to be one of the earliest systematic
accounts of Christian theology. The lectures consist of an introductory
lecture, followed by eighteen lectures on the Christian faith that were used
during Lent for those preparing to be baptized on Easter, and five lectures
on the sacraments to be used after Easter. The lectures have been translated
into many languages, including English and Armenian, and are noted for their
presentation of the Christian faith in a positive light and maintaining a
balance between correct belief and holy action.

SUNDAY OF THE PRODIGAL SON
Our journey through Great Lent continues. This Sunday, February 17, is
the Sunday of the Prodigal Son. The parable of the Prodigal Son is intended
to show God’s fatherly love and eagerness to forgive those who repent. The
well-known story describes an errant son whose absence causes pain to his
father. When the son returns the father welcomes him with open arms and
jubilation, to the distress of an older son who had remained faithful. But
the father says, "It is fitting to make merry and be glad, for your brother
was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found." You can read the
entire story of the Prodigal Son in the Gospel according to Luke, chapter
15, verses 11 to 32.

DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Today, February 14, is Presentation of the Lord (Tyarnundarach). Bible
readings for today are: 1 Samuel 3:21-4:18; Proverbs 3:11-4:14; Jeremiah
2:31-3:16. Readings for the Presentation are: Isaiah 24:21-25:8; Acts
7:47-50; Galatians 4:1-7; Luke 2:41-52.
Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the
Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the
festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy
Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming
that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they
started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not
find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days
they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them
and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his
understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were
astonished; and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like
this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety."
He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I
must be in my Father’s house?" But they did not understand what he said to
them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to
them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus
increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor. (Luke
2:41-52).
For listing of the week’s Bible readings click

&g t;From THE BOOKSTORE THIS WEEK.
This week the Bookstore is featuring some "new old" books. These books
were published in the 1960s and 1970s and were believed to be out-of-print.
The publisher recently located a limited supply of the books and made them
available to the Prelacy Bookstore.

The First Genocide of the 20th Century, by James Nazer. This is a collector’s
edition of the story of the Armenian genocide told in text and photographs.
Some of the photos are rare. Oversize, hardcover, 160 pages. $25.00.

Hovhannes Toumanian: A Selection of Stories, Lyrics, and Epic Poems:
Hovhannes Toumanian was one of the greatest Armenian writers and excelled in
the creation of epic poetry. This 192-page softcover book features English
translations of some of his best known works. $10.00.

Abrouvats Sarsourner (Living Fears), by Krikor Kaloustian. A collection of
essays and poems, in Armenian, by the author about his life and family.
$10.00.

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THESE AND OTHER ITEMS AT THE BOOKSTORE VISIT

THE PRELACY’S WEB SITE () OR CONTACT THE BOOKSTORE BY
EMAIL ([email protected]) OR BY TELEPHONE (212-689-7810)

MONDAY IS PRESIDENTS’ DAY
This Monday, February 18, is Presidents’ Day, a federal holiday in the
United States. In 1968, legislation by Congress changed the dates of several
federal holidays, including the birthday of George Washington, the first
President of the United States. The holiday was shifted to the third Monday
of February, to provide a three-day weekend. Known as Presidents’ Day, it
celebrated the birthdays of Washington (Feb. 22) and Lincoln (Feb. 12), and
to a lesser degree all other presidents. As is the case in nearly all
attempts at "one size fits all," the holiday now doesn’t celebrate much of
anything, except perhaps shopping malls.

REMEMBERING TOM LANTOS
We join the many others who mourn the death of U.S. Representative Tom
Lantos, from California, who died in Washington this week. He was the only
Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress. He was a constant and
vocal champion of human rights. Under extreme pressure from many fronts, he
refused to change his vote on the Armenian Genocide Congressional
Resolution, saying that he could not go along with "genocide revisionism."

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

February 16 and 17-Ordination of Deacon Nishan Baljian to the Holy Order of
the Priesthood, by Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, at St. Stephen’s Armenian
Church, Watertown, Massachusetts. The Service of Calling to the Priesthood
will take place Saturday evening, February 16, at 6 pm. The ordination and
anointment will take place Sunday, February 17, during the Divine Liturgy
beginning at 10 a.m. Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian will serve as Dn. Nishan’s
Religious Sponsor and Col. George Rustigian will serve as his Godfather. For
more information contact the church office, 617-924-7562 or Josh Tevekelian
at 617-926-9169.

February 23-Seminar on the Orthodox understanding of the Book of Revelation,
sponsored by the Christian Education Council of St. Gregory Church,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Featured speaker Father Paul Tarazi, Professor
of Old Testament at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Program begins at 8 am with
breakfast and concludes at 12:30 with lunch. For information 215-482-9200.

February 23-Midwest Regional Conference with Board of Trustees and NRA
delegates hosted by All Saints Church, Glenview, Illinois.

February 24-Annual Membership meeting, St. Gregory Church (North Andover,
Massachusetts).

February 24-Mid-Lenten Luncheon and Special Program, hosted by Ladies’ Guild
of St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, New York City. For reservations/information:
212-689-5880.

February 29-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, Lenten Dinner
sponsored by the Ladies Guild immediately following Friday evening Lenten
services. For information and reservations, 201-440-3018.

March 2-Musical Armenia, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York City,
featuring Aleksandr Nazaryan, violist, and Karen Tchougourian, pianist.

March 2-Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey,
annual membership meeting following church services.

March 8-New England Regional Conference with Board of Trustees and NRA
delegates hosted by St. Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts.

March 30-Second lecture of a series presented by St. Sarkis Church,
Douglaston, New York, 1:15 pm. With participation of Samvel Jeshmaridian,
PhD and Elize Kiregian, M.A. Information: church office 718-224-2275 or Dr.
Arthur H. Kubikian 718-786-3842.

April 20-Third lecture of a series presented by St. Sarkis Church,
Douglaston, New York, 1:15 pm. With participation of Samvel Jeshmaridian,
PhD and Elize Kiregian, M.A. Information: church office 718-224-2275 or Dr.
Arthur H. Kubikian 718-786-3842.

May 5-Mothers’ Day Luncheon, sponsored by the Prelacy Ladies Guild, St.
Regis, New York City. Reception at 11:30 followed by luncheon.

May 8-10-National Representative Assembly of the Eastern Prelacy, hosted by
St. Stephen’s Church, Watertown, Massachusetts.

June 3-5-World General Assembly of the Catholicosate of the Great House of
Cilicia will convene in Antelias, Lebanon.

June 7-Blessing of Holy Muron in Antelias, Lebanon. Details will follow.

June 27 to July 6-St. Gregory of Datev Institute, Summer Christian Studies
Program for youth ages 13-18 at St. Mary of Providence Center in Elverson,
Pennsylvania, organized by the Armenian Religious Education Council. For
more information click here.

July 19-"A Hye Summer Night 3," dance hosted by Ladies’ Guild of Sts.
Vartanantz Church and ARS Ani Chapter, Providence, Rhode Island. For details
401-434-4467.

August 15-17-International Gathering of Youth and Pilgrimage to Der Zor,
organized by the Catholicosate of Cilicia. Details will follow.

October 25-Gala celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Prelacy of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of America under the jurisdiction of the Great
House of Cilicia and the 110th anniversary of the establishment of the
Armenian Church of America. Marriott at Glenpointe, Teaneck, New Jersey.
Details to follow.

Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacy’s web site.

To ensure the timely arrival of Crossroads in your electronic mailbox, add
[email protected] to your address book.

Items in Crossroads can be reproduced without permission. Please credit
Crossroads as the source.

Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about their
major events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
[email protected]

THIS YEAR TO BE FULL OF GERMAN CULTURE

Panorama.am
19:26 12/02/2008

Jazz Trio and Timinolog music band are going to be invited to Yerevan
this March to present the German culture in Armenia, director of the
institute after Giote Werner Veoll told reporters today.

He mentioned that the institute is planning to invite a German famous
writer to Armenia so that the Armenia society may get introduced
better with the modern German literature.

This year Caucasus – Europe program is planned to be implemented within
the framework of which Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgia people of
art may present their art works. "This program will start with the
exhibition of the works of artists," he said.

‘REPUBLIC’ PARTY REPRESENTATIVE: I WOULD NOT EMPHASIZE ROLE OF OUR POLITICAL FORCE IN LEVON TER-PETROSYAN’S ELECTION CAMPAIGN

arminfo
2008-02-11 10:06:00

ArmInfo. I would not emphasize the role of our political force in the
election campaign of Armenia’s first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan>,
member of the "Republic" oppositional party’s Political Council Souren
Sourenyants told ArmInfo. He said that there is a Central campaign
headquarters of the presidential contender, in coordination with which
the responsibility for specific sections of work among different
political parties and organizations, supporting Ter-Petrosyan’s
candidacy, has been distributed.

At the same time, S. Sourenyants said that the "Republic" party
takes the most direct and active part in the election campaign. In
particular, Chairman of the Political Council Aram Sargsyan is member
of L. Ter-Petrosyan’s Central campaign headquarters. Other members of
the Council superintend the work of a number of regional and communal
headquarters. "We are involved in the organizational and propagandistic
work as much as possible. All-over, where we have party structures,
the "Republic" party members take active part in L. Ter-Petrosyan’s
election meetings as well", Souren Sourenyants said.

ARMENPRESS

ARMENIA SETS UP SURVEILLANCE ALONG TURKISH BORDER TO
PREVENT BIRD FLU SPREAD

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS: Reports from
neighboring Turkey that bird flu has been detected in
poultry in a village in the northwest of the country
have prompted Armenian authorities to set up a tight
surveillance along the entire Turkish-Armenian border.
Grisha Baghian, head of the food safety and
veterinary directorate of the agricultural ministry,
said Thursday bodies of dead birds found along the
border on the Armenian side are sent promptly for
laboratory examination.
The outbreak was discovered in the Turkish village
of Yenicam, Sakarya province, where dozens of chicken
died recently and the test results have come back
positive.
At the weekend, the Turkish agriculture ministry
said it had detected a bird flu outbreak in the city
of Samsun on the Black Sea Coast, nearly 600
kilometers (370 miles) east of Sakarya.
In January 2006, four teenagers died in a remote
Turkish town near the border with Iran in a major
outbreak of the H5N1 virus which then quickly spread
to more than a half of the country’s 81 provinces.
They were the first human casualties of the H5N1
strain outside southeast Asia. In April 2007, Turkey
declared itself free of the virus.
According to Grisha Baghian, Armenia has everything
now to take swift action if bird flu is detected in
the country.

Voice of America
Feb 9 2008

Turkish Leader Criticizes European ‘Double Standard’ on PKK
By Al Pessin
Munich
09 February 2008

Turkey’s prime minister criticized European nations Saturday for
providing sanctuary to groups that support the Kurdish Workers Party,
which Turkey, the European Union and the United States have labeled a
terrorist organization. VOA’s Al Pessin reports from Munich, where
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to the European Security
Conference on Saturday.

Prime Minister Erdogan called on European countries to stop allowing
affiliates of the group, known as the PKK, to raise money and promote
their cause. The prime minister said he would not name any countries
specifically, but he also called for the extradition of PKK members
who are held in Europe. He is heard here through an interpreter.

"Countries who apply double standards, or who remain unwilling
towards terrorism, in time, will become shareholders of negative
consequences of terrorism," he said.

Prime Minister Erdogan said European countries already suffer from
drug trafficking used to finance PKK activities.

He also called on the European Union to move forward with Turkey’s
long-standing application for membership, and he rejected calls by
some in Europe to give Turkey a ‘privileged partnership’ status,
short of full membership.

In answer to questions from the audience of senior officials and
leading security experts from Europe, North America and elsewhere,
the Turkish prime minister challenged Armenia’s foreign minister to
provide proof Turkey was responsible for a massacre of Armenians in
1915.

And he denied a charge by a Russian questioner that Turkey is
harboring Chechen terrorists.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will deliver a major speech at
the conference on Sunday. He says he will lay out what he sees as the
justification for European involvement in bringing stability to
Afghanistan – the need ensure it does not again become a terrorist
safe haven. Gates says he wants to convince ordinary Europeans to
support additional troop deployments to help the undermanned NATO
mission in Afghanistan.

PanARMENIAN.Net

RA Justice Ministry burned in Yerevan
09.02.2008 13:48 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The roof and two upper storeys of
the Armenian Ministry of Justice burned out in Yerevan
this morning. An alert came at 5 a.m. 23 fire brigades
and 7 fire engines arrived at the site. The firemen
managed to carry out some equipment but the damage is
grave. The offices of the Minister and his deputies
were completely burned down. The building was erected
at the beginning of last century and was rapidly
enveloped in flames. It’s not known yet when the
Ministry will base, IA Regnum reports.

EXHIBITION OF 60 PAINTINGS BY SERGEI PARAJANOV OPENS IN KIEV

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. An exhibition of 60 paintings by
world-famous film director Sergei Parajanov opened from January 30 in
the three big halls of Kiev Academy of Art. Zaven Sargsian, the
Director of Parajanov Museum, said at the February 6 press conference.
According to him, such a big exhibition was to be organized in Kiev
long ago, as the years of Parajanov’s maturity passed in the very city,
and some of the members of his family and his relatives live there.

Besides paintings, the exhibits presented in Kiev include a collection
of Parajanov’s collages and hats, copies of the letters he wrote and
received in prison, as well as texts on his biography and collages.

The exhibition, which will be open until March 16, will be accompanied
by the show of three documentaries about the master. Several films by
Parajanov will be also presented.

The State Art Museum of Kiev plans to publish a 850-page album
dedicated to Parajanov, where 150 of his works will be presented.

Exhibitions dedicated to Parajanov were successfully held in Rome and
Venice last month.

RUSSIAN WORLD IN ARMENIA

Panorama.am
14:35 07/02/2008

Today an event was carried out in Yerevan State University: "Russian
World" center opened in Armenia.

The center should be equipped with information educational systems,
which makes it accessible for the examination of educational and
scientific materials.

Aram Simonyan, the rector of the YSU, said that the Russian center
is available not only for the students of the university, but also to
those who wish. "The fund inserted all the literature due to its means
and it is not all, as it should be updated. We made some arrangements
on getting physical and chemical literature," he said. Simonyan
said that the center will become an ideal resource center where the
professors should be directed to pass their trainings.

The center is established by means of "Russian World" center, and by
the support of ESY and Serzh Sargsyan.

The head of the center Vicheslav Nikonov said that the center opened
last years with Putin’s support and its establishment in Armenia is
not just a contingency.

"According to our investigation, there is a great interest towards
Russian language and culture," he said.