Author: Badalian Vardan

First Armenian church opens in Abu Dhabi

December 13, 2014 – 22:00 AMT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chorrord Ishkhanutyun: Passions run high within ARFD

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

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

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

Source: Panorama.am

Nagorno-Karabakh: Unprecedented ceasefire violations reported in past week

15:33 13/12/2014 » SOCIETY

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

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

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

Source: Panorama.am

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

December 12, 2014
____________________

Choir Workshops in Syracuse

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

###

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

AIDA ZILELIAN RELEASES NOVEL ON AN IMMIGRANT FAMILY

Broadway World
Dec 12 2014

BANGKOK, Dec. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ Aida Zilelian’s The Legacy
of Lost Things, a powerful and haunting first novel that delves deeply
into the struggles and dysfunctions of an Armenian immigrant family
living in the United States, will be the second book published by
Bleeding Heart Publications, a new literary publishing house based in
Southeast Asia that specializes in creative non-fiction and fiction for
the U.S. market. The book will be released in all formats on March 3,
2015, and be available online and in bookstores.

Zilelian, a New York writer and English teacher, has been published
in several anthologies and more than 25 literary journals, including
BHP’s Transfusion. Even before acceptance and publication, The Legacy
of Lost Things started attracting national attention. In May 2014,
it won the Minas and Kohar Tllyan Prize in Contemporary Literature,
an annual award that recognizes and encourages the literary works
of talented writers in North America who are of Armenian ancestry or
whose work has an Armenian theme.

In The Legacy of Lost Things, Zilelian traces three generations of
a family of Armenian immigrants living in Queens, New York, as they
struggle with one another and against the Old World expectations of
their community. When Araxi, the oldest daughter of the desperately
unhappy Levon and Tamar, goes missing, the remaining family members
are forced to confront their painful histories together, and the
role each of them has played in driving Araxi away. Through Araxi and
her family, readers are given a unique look at the generational and
cultural tensions that both keep families together and tear them apart.

“I don’t think the truth always comes out in stories,” says Zilelian,
who freely admits that her main characters are based on her family
members. “You’ll see that to be the case in Legacy. There’s a huge
truth that’s never discovered. But what I do like is when characters
are sitting on the truth. And you don’t know what’s going to happen,
and you don’t know what’s going to come of it. That tension of . . .

how are they going to deal with the truth when it does come out,
or how are they going to deal with the fact that it may not come out?

That tension, and creating that, is something that unconsciously
I have been doing in my stories. When I look back, it’s all about
truths and secrets. That’s why the truth and the flaws of characters
fascinates me.”

“Aida writes with such heart and passion, using such spare, poignant
prose,” says Cali Dawson, co-founder and managing director of Bleeding
Heart Publications. “I remember going over this story in editing many
times and it never failed to give me goose bumps and make me sigh. I
was surprised that this novel hadn’t been picked up for publication
by the time it hit my desk. But I was not surprised that Aida was
well known in her community and had published work before. She is a
natural and gifted writer.”

Bleeding Heart Publicationswas created in 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand,
by a small, dedicated group of British and American ex-patriots led by
co-founders Gordon Ross, director, and Dawson. The independent press
has four books scheduled for publication in all formats in 2015 and
is aggressively seeking manuscripts and short stories from new and
previously published authors. Bleeding Heart Publications also will
publish Transfusion, a twice-yearly literary journal featuring short
stories of 5,000 words or less and poetry. The company is registered
in Singapore with editorial offices in Bangkok.

Bleeding Heart Publications launched in the US with a comprehensive
PR, advertising and social marketing campaign, including a full-page
ad that ran in the New York Times Book Review on Sunday, Nov. 30,
2014. It also has allocated six-figure USD budgets for marketing each
of its first two books.

Bleeding Heart Publications is partnering with Greenleaf Books
in Austin, Texas, to provide book and cover design, production and
distribution services, and marketing across all formats and platforms
in the US.

For more information about Aida Zilelian and The Legacy of Lost
Things, visit her author’s website. For more information about
Bleeding Heart Publications, its authors and submission policies,
visit BHP’s website.For media inquiries or to arrange an interview
with BHP’s principals or authors, contact Scott Busby at The Busby
Group at [email protected] or 310.475.2914.

FILM ABOUT APOSTLE THADDEUS PLANNED

AINA – Assyrian International News Agency
Dec 11 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GEORGIAN PM SAYS ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT WILL NOT HARM RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Dec 12 2014

12 December 2014 – 10:48am

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said at a joint briefing
with his Armenian counterpart Ovik Abramyan in Tbilisi that the EU
Association Agreement of Georgia will not have a negative impact on
relations with Armenia, RIA Novosti reports.

Yerevan and Tbilisi are actively developing trade and plan to expand
economic cooperation. The Georgian PM noted that the meeting with
Abramyan was evidence of the friendly ties between the two states.

He added that they discussed trade, development of infrastructure,
transportation, humanitarian and cultural ties.

ARMENIA RANKED 3RD MOST MILITARIZED COUNTRY IN WORLD

MINA – Macedonia Online
Dec 11 2014

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

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

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

In 2013, Armenia ranked fourth in the index.

SCANDAL IN YEREVAN DURING THE PRESENTATION OF THE BOOK “ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN 1915,” HASAN CEMAL

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Last night scandal cinema “Moskva” in Yerevan during the presentation
of the book of Turkish journalist Hasan Cemal (Jemal) “1915- Armenian
Genocide” translated into Armenian. The little son of Cemal (Cemal)
Pasha said he was in Yerevan by the pain of his “brother” Hrant Dink,
I murdered Armenian journalist in Istanbul. Hasan Cemal that says
“share the pain” and had come to Armenia to share the pain of the
Armenian genocide. “After the painful death of Hrant Dink I began
to understand that when competing nationalisms can not open ways of
peace ” says H. Cemal stating that it should not become the enemy by
history and do not be afraid to revisit this story. He also said he
did not know what the Turkish government will do to the eve of the
100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

But at this public presentation of his book in Yerevan, he was accused
Hasan Cemal to have used the term “massacre” to describe the genocide,
“terrorists” for those members of ASALA and especially “occupation”
related the presence of the Armenian army in Karabakh in the original
book, in Turkish! Strong enough words indignant part of the public who
got up and left the meeting in protest shouting and throwing sentences
against Hasan Cemal. Among the protesters, the group of young students
party Hentachak “Sarkis Dkhrouni”.Roman Dzatinian a member of this
organization was “shocked” by what the grand-son of Cemal Pasha. He
also reproached the organizers of this event have brought in Armenia
Hasan Cemal … Organizers who had not planned to debate at the end of
this presentation … which ended in a mini-scandal.Roupen Melkonian,
Turkish -the Book Armenian translator said the editor, Dink Foundation
has removed Hasan Cemal book a passage that spoke of “taking Karabakh
and occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan dropoff window.Roupen
Melkonian who left the room angry.

Krikor Amirzayan

Friday, December 12, 2014, Krikor Amirzayan © armenews.com

AZERBAIJAN VIOLATES CEASEFIRE 204 TIMES ON NIGHT OF DEC.12

On the night of December 12 Azerbaijan violated about 204 times the
ceasefire on the Line of Contact with the armed forces of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic. Over 2,200 shots were fired from the Azerbaijani
side, the press service of NKR Defense Ministry said.

According to the source, the Azerbaijani armed forces used 60 and 82
mm mortars 24 times in the eastern direction of the Line of Contact.

144 shots from sniper rifles and 820 shots from machine guns were
fired in various directions. Other firearms were also used.

The frontline units of NKR Defense Army took the necessary retaliatory
measures. The situation is under control.

12.12.14, 16:03