Author: Badalian Vardan

FRENCH PARLIAMENTARIAN VALERIE BOYER INTRODUCES NEW BILL CRIMINALIZING GENOCIDE DENIAL

by Ashot Safaryan

Friday, October 24, 21:35

French Parliament Member Valerie Boyer has introduced a new bill
criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey. The
parliamentarian made such statement to the Turkish Cihan media outlet.

She said the document has been submitted to all the parliamentary
forces of France and over 40 MPs have already signed it.

Boyer recalled that yet on 24 April French President Francois Hollande
promised to sign the resolution criminalizing the Armenian Genocide
denial if the document is passed by the French National Assembly.

Boyer is convinced that the president will fulfill his promise. She
said the massacre of the national minorities in the Middle East by the
ISIS fighters makes such document extremely urgent. The parliamentarian
believes that if passed earlier, this document could prevent what is
happening now in the Middle East.

Earlier, Valerie Boyer introduced a similar bill and the French
Parliament passed it. However, the Constitutional Court recognized
the Bill it unconstitutional and declined it.

MONUMENT TO SOS SARGSYAN TO BE UNVEILED IN STEPANAVAN

17:39 24/10/2014 >> CULTURE

A monument to famous Armenian actor, playwright, People’s Artist
and political activist Sos Sargsyan will be unveiled in Stepanavan
city in Armenia’s Lori province, in a park near Sos Sargsyan street,
on October 26, Armenia’s Ministry of Culture reports.

The sculpture’s author is Merited Artist of Armenia David Minasyan.

Source: Panorama.am

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]
Web:

October 24, 2014

____________________

Victors, Not Victims

Prof. Maxwell Johnson states the case for canonizing the Armenian Genocide
martyrs

By Florence Avakian

In the spring of 2015, stated Dr. Maxwell E. Johnson, “the victims of the
Armenian Genocide will become victors in Christ.”

The Professor of Liturgy at Notre Dame University offered this conclusion
during his fascinating lecture on Thursday evening, October 9, at the Krikor
and Clara Zohrab Information Center of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of
America (Eastern).

Earlier in the evening Prof. Johnson had been introduced by the Zohrab
Center’s director, the Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan, as an “expert in the
history and theology of early Christian worship,” who has written
extensively on the topic of martyrdom.

Fr. Findikyan went on to inform listeners that in April of 2015-as part of
the worldwide observance of the 100th “Year of Remembrance” of the
Genocide-the Armenian Church will canonize those who died in that cataclysm
as saints of the church.

“Many died for the Christian faith” during the Genocide, Fr. Findikyan
observed. “The canonization will be unique and momentous, since the church
has not declared any new saints for hundreds of years.”

The Path to Sainthood

The canonization will take place at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, with
the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin
II, presiding along with the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, His
Holiness Aram I, who will travel to Armenia for the occasion.

“They will officially recognize as saints of the church the countless souls
who perished during the Genocide for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ,”
related Fr. Findikyan.

Prof. Johnson began his thought-provoking discourse-titled, “The Blood of
the Martyrs: ‘Seed of the Church’ Yesterday and Today”-by noting that the
Armenian badarak abounds in references to saints, especially during the
“intercessions” prayer.

“Who is a saint?” he asked. “They are citizens of the kingdom of God;
certain faithful members of the church who stand out. Most are unknown; and
in certain communities they are venerated locally. ‘Canonization’ implies
that the saints are included into the broader canon” of the church.

In the Armenian Church, he said, canonization is not so much a formal, legal
process, but is rather a recognition by the church of a person’s sanctity.
The qualifications for being so recognized may include performance of
miracles, living a holy life, being an exemplary icon, and (of course)
martyrdom.

The most well-known saints in the Armenian Church have been martyrs, monks,
or bishops, whose deaths, miracles, relics, or icons enter into the list of
the church’s official commemorations.

Martyrs of the Past-and Present

Foremost among the martyrs is Jesus Christ, Dr. Johnson said; but others
include such figures as St. Stephen Proto-martyr, St. Hripsime, the Forty
Martyrs of Sepastia (who froze to death), St. Shushanik (the daughter of St.
Vartan), St. Ignatius of Antioch, and St. Blaise.

The commemorations of their respective martyrdoms became something akin to
birthday celebrations, he noted, since they had entered through death upon a
new and eternal life with Christ.

“Saints’ days were the heart of Christian piety,” Prof. Johnson added, also
noting the “very strong connection between the martyrs and the Eucharist.”

As for the 20th century, Dr. Johnson said it has been called the “Age of
Martyrs,” because “more Christians died for their faith in that period than
in any previous time-including such times as the Roman Empire.”

Martyrdom today “is of an ecumenical nature,” he said. “And only one who has
died of his or her own will is a martyr.” Prof. Johnson cited Archbishop
Oscar Romero of El Salvador-killed in 1980 at the altar-as an example. “The
first thing he saw upon arising in the morning, and the last thing he saw
before retiring at night, was a picture at his bedside of Christ’s passion
the Lord’s last gasp before he died.”

A Seed of Unity

The question of canonizing the Genocide martyrs has been under discussion,
officially and unofficially, for some time. And the canonization will have
consequences for the way the Genocide is understood and acknowledged in the
church.

Dr. Johnson quoted from a 1990 article titled, “Canonization of the Genocide
Victims: Are We Ready?” by sociologist (and deacon) Hratch Tchilingirian.
“Theologically, once the victims of the Genocide are canonized, the Armenian
Church will be put under a dogmatic imperative,” Tchilingirian wrote nearly
25 years ago. “They are no longer victims, but victors in Christ.”

The article went on: “Once the victims of the Genocide are canonized, we can
no longer holdhokehankists (requiem services) to mourn their death. Instead,
we will celebrate the Divine Liturgy invoking their names, asking for their
intercession, and we will celebrate their victory over death, in and through
Christ.”

Tchilingirian also observed: “Once the victims of the Genocide are
canonized, we can no longer hold candlelight vigils. The mournful, dark
atmosphere of commemorations of the Genocide will have to be changed into a
festive glorious atmosphere. The victims are no longer victims, but saints
who live in the glory of God. Hence, the question is whether Armenians are
willing to see themselves as witnesses to the Death and Resurrection of
Christ-for whom hundreds of thousands of Armenians gave their lives-rather
than perpetually identifying themselves as the victims.”

More recently, the Genocide martyrs were invoked during a May 2014 meeting
at the Vatican between Roman Catholic Pope Francis and Catholicos Karekin
II. Dr. Johnson quoted from the record of that meeting, as well.

Greeting the Catholicos, the Pope said: “The number of disciples who shed
their blood for Christ in the tragic events of the last century is certainly
greater than the number of martyrs in the first centuries. And in this
martyrology, the children of the Armenian nation have a place of honor.”

Pope Francis: “The mystery of the Cross-so dear to the memory of your
people, represented in the splendid stone crosses that adorn every corner of
your land-has been lived by countless of your children as a direct
participation in the chalice of the Passion of Christ.”

Dr. Johnson concluded by echoing the Pope’s words: “The recent suffering of
Christians is the seed of unity. It is a powerful call to journey along the
road of reconciliation among the churches.”

###

Photo: Dr. Maxwell E. Johnson speaks at the Diocesan Center in New York.

LITHUANIA IS A STRATEGIC PARTNER IN HALIFAX

IndieWire
Oct 23 2014

By Sydney Levine

This year I attended Strategic Partners, a coproduction event held
in Halifax just after TIFF. The degree of intimacy and friendliness
makes it ideal for networking. There I met Kestutis Drazdauskas, a
producer from Lithuania, attending SP for the third time. Aside from
producing, over the last few years as Business Development Director,
he has also created the Vilnius Film Cluster.

He has been in film professionally since 1995, when he was 2nd AD on
“Undertow” by Eric Red, working his way up through television, where
his fourth film in 1999 was Donna Dietch’s “The Devil’s Arithmetic”
which she shot in Lithuania. He was the Coordinating Assistant
Director. In 1999, he produced his first short film, “The Officer’s
Romance” by Vytautas V. Landsbergis and since then he has produced
several more shorts. In 2006 he produced his first feature film,
“Diring”. Since then he has produced or exec produced five films and
is working on his sixth, “2 Nights Till Morning” about a one-night
stand between two strangers without a common language which takes an
unexpected turn when an ash cloud from a volcano in Iceland prevents
all flights from taking off.

As an independent film producer must do, Kestutis wears several hats.

Since 2003 he has been producing commercials for his bread and butter.

But for his heart and soul,even in the 90s, he produced features. This
was a difficult and expensive endeavor in his home country of Lithuania
because there was no funding or infrastructure after the collapse
of the Soviet film industry. To make movies, one had to bring in
all the equipment from abroad. There were no labs so film had to be
transported to Prague or Warsaw for processing.

He and his partners began investing in Cinevera – today the largest
lighting and grips company providing the Baltic region. Then they moved
on to Cinescope, the largest camera rental outlet in the Baltics. And
then they went into set construction. In 2011 they formed the Vilnius
Film Cluster, which today is comprised of three production companies,
several service companies, a film festival Kino Pavasaris (Vilnius
International Film Festival) and a film news portal, kinfo.lt/.

Several projects are still in the works, like a 1,100 square meter
stage which will include the largest green screen in the Baltics,
make up and wardrobe studios, and production offices.

Vilnius Film Cluster is going to digitize 30 screens in small towns
throughout Lithuania which will develop new audiences. The country
itself has 40 screens which are city-centered multiplexes which show
Lithuanian films along with the usual fare of U.S. blockbusters. The
average run for Lithuanian films is two weeks. There is no special
treatment for Lithuanian films, but there is a need. People like
hearing their own language and seeing themselves on screen. Out of
250 films released in a year only 10 are Lithuanian but they account
for a market share of 12 to 15%. The countryside has not been totally
bereft of films. Theaters and cultural centers in small towns have big
venues, but not a lot of content aside from plays and concerts show
there. Going digital in municipalities will result in job creation.

The Vilnius Film Cluster will supply equipment and content. This
project will take three years to complete. Spreading cinema into the
countryside will improve the market share of domestic films.

The idea and implementation of this added value for European content
network of cinemas was developed with the help of SOFA, a two year-old
initiative creating a school of film agents founded by Nikolaj Nikitin
(a delegate of the Berlinale). They are building with the European
subsidy system which furnishes 50% of the financing. The other 50%
is split, 30% private equity and 20% Lithuanian government funding.

European Union structural funding goes in seven year terms. The new,
2014 to 2020 cycle is beginning now for member states. In 2016,
the new cinemas will be open for business.

Lithuania is the leader in Baltics. Latvia has a related language,
but people from one country do not understand people from the other
country. Estonia has an entirely different language, related to
Finnish. So the Baltics is more of a geo-political entity rather than
a cultural unit.

They don’t really share cultures though ideally they do cooperate and
share knowledge and initiatives. For example, Vilnius Film Cluster
is consulting with Estonian colleagues who are trying to establish
a similar cluster. However, there are more coproductions with
Germany than with Latvia or Estonia. More productions are becoming
international rather than locally centered on Lithuania.

Although there are subsidies to be found for filmmaking, there are
no subsidies for distribution. There is much to do in education and
audience building.

At present Kestutis is copoducing “2 Nights Till Morning”, a Finnish
Lithuanian coproduction shooting in Vilnius, it stars Marie-Josee
Croze star of “Tell No One”, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” and
“Barbarian Invasions” for which she won the Palme d’or in 2003 and
which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Feature.

Kestutis is also developing two more features. One is by the Italian
director, Gianluca Sodaro. They made the short ” God’s Got His Head
in the Clouds” together, and this new film is an elaboration of it,
dealing with matters of faith and a priest experiencing a crisis. As
he journeys to renew his faith he meets people who have counterparts in
biblical characters. It is funny and contemporary. They are finalizing
the script now to shoot next year. The feature is called “Solo”.

Another film currently in development is an Armenian film “The Last
Inhabitant”, written and directed by Jivan Avetisyan.

His feature, “Tevanik” premiered in May in Armenia. This will be his
second. It is situated in the Nagorny Karabakh region which is mostly
Armenian, but was incorporated by Stalin into Azerbaijan. After the
Soviet collapse the Armenians declared independence. Officially the
region is still at status of war, but there has been no military
action for 20 years. It is, in fact, protected by Russian forces.

Avetisyan was 15 when the war happened. There are lots of stories
about people in the war, and the film is very humanistic. His first
film was about three teenagers who become adults over night. This
new one is about two people, one Azerbaijan, one Armenian who forced
to help each other, although one dies in process. The story has
resonance today. It has Armenian funding and will raise more through
its Lithuanian partners. The films are shot on small budgets; his
first was US $250,000 with lots of equipment, tanks, etc. donated as
in-kind contributions. This film will be presented at coproduction
forums, like Strategic Partners, East Meets West in Karlovy Vary. It
has a larger budget (but is still comparatively small) and requires
three or four coproducing partners.

We hope to see this feature and more coming out of Lithuania. We know
we will see Kestutis a lot more around the circuit.

ACTIVISTS RISK THEIR LIVES TO SPRAY ANTI-IS GRAFFITI IN RAQQA

France 24
Oct 23 2014

Despite being a frequent target of airstrikes by the US-led coalition,
the city of Raqqa in eastern Syria is still firmly in the hands of
the Islamic State (IS) group. Thousands of civilians have fled the
city, but one group of activists has stayed behind to denounce the
jihadists’ brutal rule. Their actions include spray-painting graffiti
with anti-IS slogans on the walls of the city – a daring act that
could cost them their lives.

Since the start of the air raids in late August, the streets of Raqqa
have looked relatively free of IS soldiers. However, the jihadist group
still has a tight grip on the city, closely watching the population
and manning mobile checkpoints throughout Raqqa.

“They have already called for our deaths, saying that we were
apostates”

Abou Warid al-Raqqawi is one of the 16 members of “Raqqa’s throat is
being slit in silence”, an activist network whose members are spread
out in the city and its surroundings.

Of course, we took many precautions while making these videos. We made
certain that IS soldiers were not in the area where we wanted to go —
though for safety reasons I can’t explain how exactly we did this.

Also, the man in the video is wearing a hood, and his voice is not
recorded.

We’re doing this graffiti in homage to our friend Moataz Billeh,
a member of our network who was killed by IS last May, barely one
month after our campaign began.

He was picked up by jihadists at a checkpoint in Raqqa, where they
found photos and other information about our campaign on his phone.

They decapitated him in a public square on May 8. In the mosques, they
called for our deaths on the basis that we were apostates and secular.

Luckily, they have not been able to identify us, as we always use
fake names on social media.

Three days ago, we managed to film one of the group’s headquarters in
the centre of the city. It is the Armenian Catholic church al-Shuhada,
which they seized in March 2013. Today, the building has been deserted
by the group’s fighters, who fear the coalition strikes.

RULE OF LAW REQUIRES CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEES – SERZH SARGSYAN

15:35 * 24.10.14

The past twenty years of constitutional developments demonstrate that
guarantees of rule of law have no alternative in democracy-building
efforts, Armenia’s president said today in his speech at the 19th
Constitutional Justice Conference in Yerevan.

Serzh Sargsyan made the remark as he addressed the draft constitutional
amendments and the justifications necessitating the proposed reforms.

“And that cannot be just a kind desire. It requires corresponding
constitutional solutions, a harmonious and efficacious legal system,
efficient mechanisms, legal thinking and a necessary atmosphere for
a legal culture.

“And all this is not to be obtained at once, just within a day.

Success can be expected after the guarantees of rule of law have
become a key state policy issue and the driving force behind
political thinking, with the human dignity being an integral part
and a guaranteed escort of a human being’s social routine.

Noting that the draft concept for constitutional reforms is now
pending political debates (after being approved by the Council
of Europe and the Venice Commission), the president stressed the
importance of relying on lessons of the past to develop the right
approaches and attitudes.

“Both people and political forces, as well as the interests of
this moment are ephemeral. The Constitution is for generations. So
[we need a] constitution built on solid and unshakable values, and
a public environment that will translate those values into reality
for the country and people.

“Of course, the constitutional institute of human dignity and the
necessary legal mechanisms are of a cornerstone importance for such
a constitution. I am confident that the reports and discussions on
this urgent topic, to be covered at the 19th International Yerevan
Conference, will play a useful role from the point of view of both
constitutional developments and the practice of Constitutional
justice,” the president said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

COE COMMISSIONER CATCHES AZERBAIJANI MEDIA LYING

13:28, 24.10.2014

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks
dismissed Azerbaijani media reports about the reasons for his visit
to Baku.

“Contrary to some media reports, I have not come to Azerbaijan to
participate in a conference, but to meet with human rights defenders
in detention, their defense lawyers and families, and to continue my
dialogue with the authorities on ways to improve freedom of expression,
freedom of association and freedom of assembly in the country,”
he wrote on Facebook.

Armenia News – NEWS.am

L’ADMINISTRATION OBAMA EXPOSERA EN NOVEMBRE LE TAPIS TISSE PAR DES ORPHELINS RESCAPES DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

ARMENIE

Hayastani Hanrapetoutioun et plusieurs agences de presse relèvent que
l’administration du President americain a fait savoir aux membres du
Congrès, Adam Schiff, et au Senateur democrate Ed Markey que la Maison
Blanche etait disposee a exposer le fameux > (tapis
des orphelins), tisse par de jeunes rescapes du Genocide armenien
et offert au President americain Calvin Coolidge en reconnaissance
pour l’aide humanitaire apportee par les Etats-Unis aux survivants
du Genocide. Dans une lettre adressee aux elus, l’administration
rappelle que le President Obama et d’autres personnalites haut
placees des Etats-Unis ont plusieurs fois reconnu le massacre d’un
million et demi d’Armeniens a l’Empire ottoman et appele la Turquie
a reconnaître les faits historiques. Les medias rappellent que la
Maison blanche avait naguère rejete les demandes d’organisations
armeniennes d’exposer ce tapis.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 17 octobre 2014

vendredi 24 octobre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

LE RETARD DANS LA REFORME CONSTITUTIONNELLE EST de reforme propose par une commission
presidentielle ad hoc ne sera pas rendu public avant fevrier prochain.

Arman Saghatelian, le secretaire de presse de la presidence, a cite
la necessite de > avec
les principaux partis du pays.

Les representants des trois partis de l’opposition qui s’insurgent
contre le projet de reforme n’ont pas tarde a affirmer que le report
est du a leur action. Mobilisant des milliers de partisans a Erevan
le 10 Octobre, ils ont exige que Serge Sarkissian arrete de pousser
les amendements constitutionnels, qui, selon eux, vise a prolonger son
règne, et de negocier un > vers l’opposition.

Eduard Sharmazanov, le porte-parole en chef du HHK, a rejete
les demandes de l’opposition, en disant que les manifestations
anti-gouvernementales a Erevan n’ont rien a voir avec la decision
de Serge Sarkissian. >, a-t-il dit. Le Congrès National
Armenien (HAK) et les partis Armenie Prospère et Zharangutyun devraient
tenir leur prochaine manifestation le 24 Octobre.

vendredi 24 octobre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

APPEL A LA PRUDENCE POUR CE QUI CONCERNE LA RECONNAISSANCE DE L’ARSTSAKH PAR L’ARMENIE

ARMENIE

L’Armenie devrait oeuvrer en faveur de la reconnaissance internationale
de la Republique du Haut-Karabagh, a declare Artak Zakaryan, president
de la commission des affaires etrangères de l’Assemblee nationale
d’Armenie, lors d’un point de presse le 22 octobre a Erevan. “Les
autiorites armeniennes comprennent la necessite de reconnaître la
Republique du Haut-Karabagh, mais cela exige une reconnaissance de la
communaite internationale”, a ajoute le depute armenien qui a rappele
les critiques adressees par certains partis politiques au gouvernement
armenien, accuse de trainer des pieds dans la reconnaissance du
Haut Karabagh.

Le depute a fait valoir que ces memes partis politiques fragilisaient
la politique etrangère de l’Armenie en formulant de telles critiques,
d’autant que l’Azerbaïdjan cherche a torpiller le processus de
negociations en vue d’un règlement du conflit du Karabagh et deploie
tous ses efforts pour le soustraire a la mediation du Groupe de Minsk
de l’OSCE. Un appel a la prudence qui intervient a quelques jours de
la rencontre prevue a Paris des presidents armenien Serge Sarkissian
et azerbaïdjanais Ilham Aliev sous l’egide de leur homologue francais
Francois Hollande.

vendredi 24 octobre 2014, Gari (c)armenews.com