Author: Badalian Vardan

Serzh Sargsyan Is Afraid of Weapon

Haikazn Ghahriyan, Editor-in-Chief
Country – 25 July 2014, 17:27

During the meeting with the Public Council Serzh Sargsyan said against
the idea of arming the residents of border areas. He said those who
can pick up a gun can serve in the Armed Forces.

Serzh Sargsyan is right. If there is an army, the one who wants to
pick up a gun should serve there, and all the conditions should be
ensured for them.

It would be right to create such conditions for veterans of Artsakh
war. Their social problems would be resolved, and they would exchange
experience with inexperienced young men who are defending the border
now.

Meanwhile, Volodya Avetisyan, the veteran who was protesting against
the social situation of veterans, is now in prison with suspicious
charges.

Recently a pack of “bodyguards” beat to death veteran Vardan Tumanyan
with his wife and daughter watching. And as they were leaving the
scene, they threatened witnesses that if they gave evidence, they
would have trouble. There is no need to doubt that the bodyguards will
be set free soon, especially that the press reported about their
relations with some prosecutors.

Such crimes are still committed in different parts of Armenia, often
using weapon. Yesterday the brother of the director of the Pedagogical
Institute of Gyumri was killed in Gyumri. The nephew of the deputy
chief of police of Yerevan stabbed a person and is still “wanted”
though it is clear that he is waiting in his uncle’s house until
things are covered up. The examples are many. The newsfeed is full of
such news featuring close people of high-ranking officials.

Serzh Sargsyan is theoretically right but in practice it would be
right if there was justice and a different philosophy of rule in
Armenia and everyone was equal before law, and everyone was in their
right place.

However, the Armenian reality is different. The law enforcement
agencies are criminalized agencies directed by “criminal law”,
protectionism and other vices. This system is a punitive instrument
used against citizens that ensures the arbitrariness of the government
and freedom of its actions.

When the law is not enforced, the only logical way out is to arm the
population of entire Armenia, not only the border villages. The
citizens of Armenia are not protected, their life is in danger at
every step. Some pithecanthropus people beat to death the veteran who
fought for the freedom and dignity of Armenia and did not wink an eye
in the sight of the Azerbaijanis outnumbering Armenians several times.
The son of Tokhmakh Mher, a member of the Council of Elders of
Yerevan, stabs a person in broad daylight and so on.

The citizens of Armenia have nowhere to go to have their basic rights
protected. The only way is to ensure their own security themselves.
When the leadership of the country is helpless (though this is not the
case of helplessness but protectionism) to protect people’s security,
people should do it themselves, one of the ways of doing it is to get
armed. Gun makes man bolder and more confident. Besides, the criminals
ravaging Yerevan and other places will know that their opponents are
armed.

Such situations occur when the state system is paralyzed, overwhelmed
by arbitrariness and immorality. This is the current situation in
Armenia.

On the other hand, the function of arming people is not only intended
to protect people’s security. The point is that the upcoming war is
going to be a patriotic war because the Armenian people will have to
fight on two fronts, against the foreign enemy and the domestic enemy
– the system that has usurped national institutions and wealth,
against the fifth column which will try to thwart Armenian resistance.
The forces of the army are not enough for this fight, and the armed
support of the entire nation will be needed.

The army will destroy the foreign enemy, and the armed troops of
people must keep the rare, destroying the most dangerous enemy – the
domestic enemy. There is no need to doubt.

Why is Serzh Sargsyan against arming people?

– See more at:

Russian and Georgian Orthodox Churches Attack Armenians

Igor Muradyan, Political Analyst
Comments – 25 July 2014, 15:40

Over many centuries the Latin world was trying to absorb and
assimilate orthodox nations and communities in Eastern Europe and the
Near East. Catholics and Protestants did not help the Orthodox to
fight against Ottoman expansion and speculated this in many ways.

After 1945, despite official soviet atheism, the Orthodox confession
became a lever in the hands of the Soviet Union and was viewed as the
“best of all confessions available which, in fact, were considered
reactionary” and hostile to Communist ideals.

After the collapse of the communist system the West mocked the
Orthodox world without ending ecumenical and openly hostile attempts
to subject it to the rules of the Western church. No doubt the
Orthodox churches are extremely irritated and unable to interpret the
ongoing situation from a clerical point of view. They perceived the
policy of the Western churches as Orthodoxophobia.

The integration of Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Macedonia, Serbia and
Montenegro with the Euro-Atlantic community has teased the Orthodox
churches and made them even more alert. However, this has not led to
consolidation of Orthodox churches and nations and has disunited them
even more.

The Ukrainian developments, including such phenomena as the
strengthening of the Uniate Church and establishment of the Kiev
Patriarchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church set the question in a more
dramatic reality – it is time when the Russian Orthodox has appeared
in isolation on the political arena. However, the Russian Orthodox
Church has specific enemies – the Raskolniki in Ukraine.

The Georgian Orthodox Church which, according to Georgian politicians
and experts, has become a chauvinistic and highly reactionary
organization has nothing else to do but to attack and instill hatred
towards the Armenian Apostolic Church. All this is enabled not only by
the low culture of the population but stems from the policy of the
Georgian church.

It should be noted that Georgia has become one of the most intolerant
countries towards other religions, which is highlighted by the U.S.
Congress and the European Union. The point is about the attacks on
non-Orthodox Georgian communities. Meanwhile, the fervent Georgian
believers apparently do not express hatred against the Muslim
communities and their churches. Apparently, the libido level is not
enough.

The Georgians think that Armenians are a more convenient target for
attacks. In addition, it is stated actively that the Russian Orthodox
Church fully supports the Georgian Orthodox Church in their actions.
Since the Russian Orthodox Church consists of either Chauvinists and
impostors or FSB agents, one understands who is involved here.

The Georgian politicians state with hesitation that the Georgian
Orthodox Church is full of suspicious persons who have nothing to do
with faith and are part of the Russian network of agents. Here is
Georgian independence the Georgian clergymen are so much worried
about. And there is nothing new about it.

Over centuries Christian confessions literally devoured each other.
Let’s remember the history of the Orthodox Milliyet of the Ottoman
Empire when the Greek Phanariotes defied autocephaly of Bulgarians. As
to the Russian Orthodox Church, it has been and remains an instrument
of the imperial plans of Moscow and has always been hated by peoples
striving for independence and autonomy.

Moscow has always tried to interfere in religious matters. For
instance, the FSB made desperate attempts to prevent creation of a
Ukrainian eparchy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, wishing to leave
the Ukrainian Armenians within the competence of the Eparchy of New
Nakhidjevan. The Russian Orthodox Church has something to worry about
when every year thousands and maybe even tens of thousands of Russians
and people of other nationalities become proselytes and join not only
other Christian communities but also Muslim ones.

Orthodox clergymen have nothing to tell their congregation, they are
stuck in dirty business, intrigues, career and money-grabbing.
Perhaps, the long years of atheism left their trace, especially that
Christian churches are in crisis but there are no other churches which
are so deeply soaked in chauvinism and hatred on ethnic and religious
grounds.

So what is Orthodoxophobia then? It is hatred of Orthodox peoples
towards one another instilled by Orthodox clergymen. The orthodox
churches are highly politicized under the influence of foreign
political and domestic factors, and forgetting that the church must
serve God and people, they have become an instrument in the hands of
political circles, which caused the deep crisis of the Orthodox or
rather the orthodox churches.

The question occurs whether modern “Orthodox” is “Orthodox”.

– See more at:

Russian-Armenian businessman’s rep optimistic

15:26 * 25.07.14

In an interview with Tert.am, Russian-Armenian businessman Levon
Hayrapetyan’s representative, Matsak Poladyan, commented on the
charges brought against his business partner.

“I have information at my disposal, but I cannot tell you the details.
However, I can assure you I am extremely optimistic,” he said.

“At present, two or three charges have remained. Neither Levon nor we
have any doubts that they are trumped up charges.”

A source close to the Russian publication Vedomosti had earlier said
that Hayrapetyan received remuneration as an intermediary when
purchasing BFK Sistema’s oil assets from Bashkortostan President Ural
Rahimov’s son.

According to the investigators, the amount may reach $50m, which has
been confirmed by Mr Hayrapetyan’s lawyer Igor Komarov. Junior Rahimov
is the prime suspect in the case, with Mr Hayrapetyan being number one
person involved.

“Deals effected with shares six years ago are in question. This guy is
in the United States now, and he is not on the list of wanted. Levon
purchased only 3.5% of those shares.”

Armenian News – Tert.am

ARMENIE
Le conseil public arménien soutient la nouvelle politique sur le
marché de l’aviation

Les membres du Conseil public croient que la politique de >, adoptée par le gouvernement de l’Arménie dans le domaine de
l’aviation civile est une bonne idée, mais disent que l’Arménie doit
avoir des compagnies nationales et un stock national d’avions.

Le gouvernement arménien a annoncé il y a environ un mois que
l’aviation civile dans le pays serait désormais ouvert à toutes les
compagnies aériennes répondant aux normes internationales. Le Premier
ministre, en référence aux résultats d’une étude par la société
McKinsey & Company, a déclaré que la libéralisation du secteur
permettra de stimuler le développement économique et une réduction des
prix. Le gouvernement dit que le résultat positif attendu sera visible
dans 1 ou 2 ans – une baisse du prix du billet de 10 pour cent, tandis
que la quantité des vols devrait augmenter de 20 à 25 pour cent.

La faillite de la compagnie nationale d’Arménie Armavia a motivé la
décision sur la libéralisation du domaine de l’aviation civile en
Arménie. Armavia, qui avait un monopole complet dans le domaine et
fixait des prix relativement élevés des billets, avait en quelque
sorte accumulé des dettes importantes et n’a pas pu survivre à la
concurrence.

“Nous appuyons la libéralisation de l’aviation civile afin d’être en
mesure d’offrir les prix des billets plus abordables et de développer
le tourisme entrant et sortant, mais nous sommes un pays soumis à un
blocus, la guerre n’est pas encore terminée, c’est pourquoi nous avons
besoin de notre propre aviation >>, a dit Vazgen Safaryan, qui préside
la commission du Conseil public sur les questions financières et
économiques.

Actuellement une entreprise privée locale Air Arménie, offre des vols
vers plusieurs destinations en Russie via des vols charters, possède
un avion et loue les autres.

Une autre compagnie aérienne locale, SKY NET, va entrer sur le marché
bientôt avec un seul avion de 19 places afin d’opérer des vols
domestiques Erevan-Gyumri, Erevan-Kapan, Erevan-Stepanakert. Le
président de l’entreprise Grigory Vardanyan a dit qu’ils offrent
divers services, tels que des visites touristiques en Arménie, des
tours d’avion pour les mariages, pour les entreprises et des vols
d’assistance médicale.

La société envisage de proposer des vols d’été à Batoumi, Tbilissi, et
Tabriz. Le directeur de SKY NET a dit un aller simple vers ces
destinations coûterait environ 100 $.

Par Siranuysh Gevorgyan

ArmeniaNow

vendredi 25 juillet 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

US Jews Demand Erdogan Return Award after Gaza Comments

Thursday, July 24th, 2014

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan

ANKARA (The Jerusalem Post)’An American Jewish organization is
demanding that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an return an
award it gave him a decade ago over his recent remarks on Israel’s
military operation in Gaza.

Calling him `arguably the most virulent anti-Israel leader in the
world,’ American Jewish Congress President Jack Rosen accused the
Prime Minister of `spewing dangerous rhetoric for political gain and
inciting the Turkish population to violence against the Jewish
people.’

Erdogan received the American Jewish Congress’ Profile of Courage
award in 2004 after making statements affirming his commitment to
protect Turkish Jewry, eradicate terrorism and broker a Middle East
peace deal.
`We want [the award] back,’ Rosen wrote Erdogan on Wednesday,
informing the head of state that his statements had not only done
`irreparable damage to Jewish-Turkish relations and put innocent
people at risk’ but had also caused him to forfeit his seat `at the
table of legitimate mediators working to end the current conflict
between Israel and Hamas.’

Erdogan’s stated views on the conflict are `abhorrent,’ Rosen declared.

Since Israel’s ground forces entered the Gaza strip last Thursday,
Erdogan has been among Israel’s harshest critics, calling it a `terror
state’ and accusing Jerusalem of perpetrating a `systematic genocide’
against the Palestinians.

Israeli barbarism, he stated, has `surpassed’ that of Hitler.

Yeni Akit, a pro-government newspaper in Istanbul, recently ran an
article by journalist Faruk Köse calling on Turkish Jews to issue a
communal apology on behalf of Israel while attacks on Israel’s embassy
and consulate in Ankara and Istanbul prompted Jerusalem to withdraw
some of its diplomatic staff.

Newcastle Herald, Australia
July 24 2014

Joe Hockey’s candour edifying

By IAN KIRKWOOD
July 24, 2014, 10 p.m.

TREASURER Joe Hockey’s new ”authorised” biography, Hockey: Not Your
Average Joe, by journalist and author Madonna King, is shedding new
light on the tensions within the Coalition – the same sorts of
rivalries, friendships and enmities that plague any political party,
regardless of its colour.

TREASURER Joe Hockey’s new ”authorised” biography, Hockey: Not Your
Average Joe, by journalist and author Madonna King, is shedding new
light on the tensions within the Coalition – the same sorts of
rivalries, friendships and enmities that plague any political party,
regardless of its colour.

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Interfax, Russia
July 23 2014

Turkey blocking Armenia’s transport links with EU – Armenian foreign minister

YEREVAN. July 23

The Turkish authorities are obstructing the operation of
transportation routes to the European Union by Armenia, says Armenian
President Edward Nalbandian.

“By keeping the border with Armenia closed, Turkey is obstructing the
settlement of Armenian-Turkish relations and operation by Armenia of
transportation routes and links with the European Union,” Nalbandian
said at a meeting of the EU and Eastern Partnership foreign ministers
in Brussels.

“It is ironic that Turkey, which is aspiring for EU membership, has
shut the border with their neighboring country, while free movement
across the EU territory is its fundamental principle,” the Foreign
Ministry quoted Nalbandian as saying.

Talking about the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, Nalbandian noted
that the people of Armenia and Azerbaijan need to be prepared for
peace.

“Unfortunately, Azerbaijan is doing just the opposite, which is
escalating the situation at the border with Armenia and the contact
line with Nagorno-Karabakh,” he said.

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apost. Church of America and Canada
H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan
Prelate, Easter Prelacy and Canada
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
Web:

July 24, 2014

The Armenian Prelacy =99¦ 138 East 39th Street =99¦ New York, NY
10016

tel: 212-689-7810 =99¦ Fax: 212-689-7168 =99¦ Email:
[email protected]

COMMEMORATION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL
PLANNED IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL

The following announcement was released to the press by the National
Centennial Committee to Commemorate the Armenian Genocide.

Leaders of the Armenian Church in the United States have joined to
plan a special remembrance of the Armenian Genocide next
year. Commemorating the passage of 100 years since the start of the
first genocide of the 20th century, a schedule of events including an
ecumenical prayer service at the National Cathedral, a memorial
concert, public exhibitions and a Pontifical Divine Liturgy will take
place from May 7 to 10, 2015, in Washington, DC.

His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, and His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of
Cilicia, will both journey to the United States to lead and
participate in the commemorative events.

A National Centennial Committee has been formed under the auspices of
the Diocese and the Prelacy to oversee and guide the commemorative
activities. The Committee, chaired by Dr. Noubar Afeyan, Boston-based
entrepreneur and philanthropist, includes leaders from Armenian
religious, political, and civic organizations from across the United
States. The Committee includes Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of
the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America; Archbishop
Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian
Church of North America; Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America;
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of
the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, and Archbishop Vicken
Aykazian, Legate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of
America.

`We are organizing these events in the nation’s capital in
order to involve the country’s political leaders, raise awareness in
the non-Armenian community, and honor countries and individuals that
have helped Armenians during and after the Genocide,’ said committee
chair Dr. Afeyan. `We are honored that Catholicos Karekin II and
Catholicos Aram I will be among us, blessing the occasion, as together
we stand up for the Armenian presence in America and in the world,’ he
added.

The National Centennial Committee has met several times and is working
together with Washington D.C.-based sub-committees to plan the various
events and activities. The Committee is working closely with the
Central Commemorative Committees for the United States and Armenia to
coordinate the activities.

TEACHERS’ SEMINAR ORGANIZED BY ANEC

The Armenian National Education Committee (ANEC) will sponsor a
teachers’ seminar to be held on August 23, at the Prelacy headquarters
in New
York, from 10 am-4 pm. All schools and teachers are invited to
participate. The program will have the following lectures:

Sossi Essajanian: `Supporting the Next Generation: Early Childhood
Development, Best Practices, and the Armenian Language Teacher’;
Anahid Garmiryan: `To Be or Not to Be a Teacher: the Challenges of
Bilingualism’

For more information, please email ANEC at [email protected] or
call (212) 689-7231/7810.

SIAMANTO ACADEMY WILL RESUME ITS ACTIVITIES

The Armenian National Education Committee (ANEC), jointly sponsored by
the
Prelacy and the Armenian Relief Society, sponsored for many years the
Siamanto Academy for young adults. After a recent hiatus, the Academy
is ready to resume its activities. The Academy offers courses on
Armenian history, culture, and contemporary issues. Classes will take
place on a monthly basis, every second Saturday, beginning in
September at Sts. Vartanantz Armenian
Apostolic Church (Ridgefield, New Jersey), from 2 pm-5 pm. For
additional information, please contact ANEC at
[email protected].

Bishop Anoushavan prepares to honor Chris Bohjalian’s newest book with
a `wine blessing.’

LATEST BOHJALIAN BOOK FETED

The latest novel by Chris Bohjalian, Close Your Eyes. Hold Hands, was
introduced at Sts. Vartanantz Church in Ridgefield, New Jersey, on
Sunday, July
13. The book was honored with the traditional `Kinetzon,’ by Bishop
Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar General of the Prelacy.

Bohjalian’s works have been critically acclaimed, and a number of his
novels were adapted for television and Hollywood. His 2012 The
Sandcastle Girls about the Armenian Genocide was on the New York Times
best seller list for a number of weeks.

BIBLE READINGS

Bible readings for Sunday, July 27, Feast of the Transfiguration of
Our Lord Jesus Christ, (Aylakerputiunm / Vartavar) are Wisdom
7:25-8:4; Zechariah
14:16-21; 1 John 1:1-7; Matthew 16:13-17:13.

Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them
up a
high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and
his
face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling
white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with
him. Then Peter said to Jesus, `Lord, it is good for us to be here; if
you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for
Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a
bright cloud over-shadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said,
`This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to
him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were
overcome by fear. But Jesus came
and touched them, saying, `Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they
looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, `Tell no
one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from
the dead.’ And the disciples asked him, `Why then, do the scribes say
that Elijah must come first?’ He replied, `Elijah is
indeed coming and will restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah
has already come, and they do not recognize him, but they did to him
whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at
their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to
them about John the Baptist. (Matthew 17:1-13)

For a listing of the coming week’s Bible readings click here
().

THE OLD ARK OF THE COVENANT AND
FEAST OF THE NEW HOLY CHURCH

This Saturday, July 26, the Armenian Church commemorates the Old Ark
of the Covenant and the Feast of the New Holy Church. This combined
commemoration takes place on the Saturday prior to the Feast of the
Transfiguration. Celebrating the old and the new shows the perpetuity
of the church. God revealed Himself to humankind gradually through
Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and the prophets. The church existed from
the beginning, and that is why the Old
Testament is accepted as part of the Holy Scriptures and recognized as
a preamble to the New Testament. The hymn designated for this day
proclaims:
`Who from the beginning established your church with wisdom, O, Father
of Wisdom, who revealed to Moses upon Sinai.’

FEAST OF TRANSFIGURATION

This Sunday, July 27, the Armenian Church observes one of its five
major feasts, the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus
Christ (Aylakerputiunm / Vartavar). This Feast is observed fourteen
weeks after Easter, and therefore can fall between June 28 and August
1. It commemorates an episode
in the New Testament recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Peter. (See
today’s Bible reading for the text from the Gospel according to
St. Matthew).

The Transfiguration took place on the `holy mountain’ (believed to be
Mt. Tabor) where Jesus went with John, James and Peter to pray.
As He was praying, `His face shone like the sun and His garments
became white as light.’ The Patriarch Moses and Prophet Elijah
appeared at His side. It was at this moment that His appearance was
`transfigured’ revealing himself as God to His disciples as a voice
from above said, `This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.
Listen to him.’

The pre-Christian festival, Vartavar (Festival of Roses), was joined
with this new Christian holiday. Armenians would decorate the temple
of the goddess of Asdghig (goddess of love, beauty, fertility, and
water) with roses, release doves, and engage in water games on this
pre-Christian holiday. St.
Gregory the Illuminator combined Vartavar with Transfiguration. The
fifth century historian Yeghishe wrote the prayer that is recited in
church on this feast: `O Lord, bless the harvest of this year and
defend from all the perils, and may Your right hand, O Lord, protect
us for the whole year.’

Vartavar became a traditional day of pilgrimage to churches named in
honor
of St. John the Baptist. The most popular destination was the
Monastery of
Sourp Garabed of Moush, founded by Gregory the Illuminator in the
province
of Taron near Moush. (Garabed means Forerunner, referring to John the
Baptist). The monastery was large and expansive and built like a
fortress in the mountains. More than one thousand pilgrims could be
accommodated. After 1915 the complex ceased to exist. The monastery
was destroyed by the Turkish
army, and the ravages of time, weather and scavengers completed its
destruction. The once large and thriving Armenian monastery is now a
mass of stone and rubble.

This Sunday is the name day for those named Vartkes, Vartavar, Vart,
Vartouhi, Alvart, Sirvart, Nevart, Lousvart, Baidzar, Vartanoush,
Vartiter, Varvar.

MONDAY IS MEMORIAL DAY

The Monday after each of the five major feasts of the Armenian Church
is a
Memorial Day, Remembrance of the Dead.

NEWS FROM THE CATHOLICOSATE

KHATCHIK BABIKIAN FOUNDATION

His Holiness Aram I presided over the 2014 Khatchik Babikian
Graduation in
Armenian Studies and Distribution of Inter-School competition awards
on Sunday, July 6, following the Holy Liturgy. The ceremony recognized
the winners of the inter-school competition in Armenian language and
culture and the
graduates of the two-year intensive course in Western Armenian
language and culture.

Sarkis Guiragosian, Director of the Department of Armenian Studies of
the Catholicosate, welcomed everyone and spoke ab9out the unique
contribution of these two activities of the Khatchik Babikian
Foundation for the Armenian
community ihn Lebanon and the Diaspora. Silva Bakarian-Karaoghlanian
thanked His Holiness on behalf of the graduates and award winners.

After the distribution of diplomas and awards, His Holiness addressed
the audience. He congratulated the students and thanked the families,
directors, and teachers for their commitment to safeguarding the
western Armenian language and culture. `The message of this gathering
today is clear: the Armenian school is alive and will continue its
difficult task of sustaining western Armenian, while responding to its
linguistic changes. In this way it remains the relevant means of
transmitting our spiritual, cultural, and historical heritage and
documenting of our new experiences,’ His Holiness said.

CATHOLICOS MEETS GUESTS

During the past week Catholicos Aram met with several religious and
political leaders at his summer residence in Bikfaya, including the
following:

Jean-Louis Kordahi, a former member of the Lebanese government, who
discussed projects related to the property of the Catholicosate in
Byblos and issues linked to the postponement of presidential elections
in Lebanon.

Archbishop Rafael Minassian, Prelate of the Armenian Catholic Church,
who informed His Holiness of the activities of his church in Armenia,
as well as their planned conference on `Christian Communication in
Armenia: Organization and Networking.’ The Archbishop invited His
Holiness to send his representative to the conference.

Matthias Wilkes, governor of Bergstrasse, Germany, and Dr. Steven
Brian Fera, Honorary Ambassador of Germany to Armenia, visited His
Holiness to discuss issues related to the commemorations of the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

THIS WEEK IN ARMENIAN HISTORY
(Prepared by the Armenian National Education Committee[ANEC])

Self Portrait, 1874

Birth of Ivan Aivazovsky
(July 29, 1817)

Ivan Aivazovsky is considered one of the greatest marine painters in
history. Famous Russian story writer Anton Chekhov popularized the
winger word
`worthy of Aivazovsky’s brush,’ used for `describing something
ineffably lovely.”

Aivazovsky was born Hovhannes Aivazian on July 29, 1817, in Feodosia,
a port on the Black Sea in Crimea. He received parochial education at
the local
St. Sargis Armenian Church and was taught drawing by a local
architect. He
attended the Russian gymnasium of Simferopol from 1830-1833 and then
studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts from 1833-1837, graduating
with gold medal two years in advance.

The promising painter was sent by the Academy in 1840 to study in
Europe. He first traveled to Venice, where his brother Gabriel was a
member of the Mekhitarist Congregation (he would leave the
congregation and return to the
Armenian Apostolic Church in the 1850s). Aivazovsky studied Armenian
manuscripts and became familiar with Armenian art. After a four year
sojourn in Italy and France, with visits to half a dozen European
countries and prolific exhibitions, he returned to Russia in 1844.

Upon his return, he was appointed academician of the Imperial Academy
of Arts, from where he had graduated seven years before, and appointed
the official artist of the Russian Navy. After traveling to the Aegean
Sea and Constantinople in 1845, he settled in his hometown,
Feodosia. The Academy gave him a title of professor of seascape
painting in 1847, while the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and
Sciences elected him a member in the same year.

He married English governess Julia Graves in 1848 and had four
daughters. They separated in 1860 and divorced in 1877 with permission
from the Armenian Church, since Graves was a Lutheran.

Aivazovsky would receive many honors throughout his life: first
non-French
artist to receive the Legion d’Honneur in France (1857), Order of the
Medjidie (Ottoman Empire, 1857), honorary member of the Moscow Art
Society (1857), Order of the Redeemer (Greece, 1859), Order of
St. Vladimir (Russia, 1865), Order of Osmanieh (Ottoman Empire, 1874),
member of the Academy of Arts of Florence (Italy, 1876), honorary
member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Stuttgart (Germany, 1878),
and others. He held fifty-five solo exhibitions over the course of his
career in the Russian Empire, Europe,
and the United States (New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, 1893),
and participated in many collective exhibitions. He was one of the
most prolific artists of his time: he created around 6,000 paintings
during his almost sixty-year career. The vast majority of his works
are seascapes, but he often
depicted battle scenes, Armenian themes, and portraiture. He never
painted
his pictures from nature, but from memory. His artistic memory was
legendary. The Ninth Wave
() (1850, State Russian
Museum, St. Petersburg) is generally considered his masterpiece.

American Shipping off the Rock of Gibraltar, 1873

Aivazovsky visited Russian Armenia for the first time in 1868. The
next year, he participated in the opening ceremony of the Suez Canal
in Egypt, and
became the first artist to paint the Canal. He continued his travels
abroad during the next three decades, including a trip to the United
States in 1892. In 1880, he opened an art gallery in his Feodosia
house, which became the third museum in the Russian Empire, after the
Hermitage Museum of St. Petersburg and the Tretyakov Gallery of
Moscow. Two years later, he remarried to a young Armenian widow, Anna
Burnazian. He said that he `became closer to [his] nation’ by marrying
her. His career across the civil ranks of Russian government reached
its highest position in 1896 when, at the age of 79, he was promoted
to the rank of full privy councillor.

Aivazovsky was deeply affected by the Hamidian massacres of 1894 and
1896.
He painted a number of works on the subject. More symbolically, he
threw the medals given to him by the Ottoman Sultan into the sea and
told the Turkish consul in Feodosia: “Tell your bloodthirsty master
that I’ve thrown away all the medals given to me, here are their
ribbons, send it to him and if
he wants, he can throw them into the seas painted by me.” He spent his
last years in his hometown, to which he contributed many efforts to
its improvement.

Aivazovsky passed away on May 2, 1900, in Feodosia and was buried in
the courtyard of the St. Sargis Church. A quote in Classical Armenian
from Movses Khorenatsi’s History of Armenia is engraved on his
tombstone: =80=9CBorn as a mortal, left an immortal memory of himself.

FROM THE BOOKSTORE

The Prelacy Bookstore has an extensive collection of books (in
Armenian and English) about the Genocide including histories,
historical novels, memoirs, eye witness testimonies, essays, and
poetry. From now through next April we will feature one or two books
each week from the Bookstore’s collection.

A new release:
The Grandchildren
The Hidden Legacy of `Lost’ Armenians in Turkey
By Ayse Gul Altinay and Fethiye Cetin
Foreword by Gerard Libaridian
Translated by Maureen Freely

The Grandchildren is a collection of testimonies by grandchildren and
great-grandchildren of Turkey’s `forgotten Armenians’=80’the orphans
adopted and Islamized by Muslims after the Armenian Genocide. One of
the authors, Fethiye Cetin, wrote an earlier memoir titled My
Grandmother that disclosed her grandmother’s true Armenian heritage
resulted in wide interest in Islamized Armenians that prompted this
newly released book.

215 pages, hardcover, $49.95 plus shipping & handling

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SYRIAN ARMENIAN COMMUNITY NEEDS OUR HELP MORE THAN EVER
The crises in Syria, including the recent upheaval in Kessab, require
our financial assistance Please keep this community in your prayers,
your hearts, and your pocketbooks.

PLEASE DO NOT FORGET OUR ONGOING RELIEF EFFORTS FOR THE ARMENIAN
COMMUNITY
IN SYRIA WHERE CONDITIONS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY MORE DIFFICULT.

THE NEED IS REAL.
THE NEED IS GREAT.

DONATIONS TO THE FUND FOR SYRIAN ARMENIAN RELIEF CAN BE MADE ON LINE.
TO DONATE NOW CLICK HERE
() AND SELECT SYRIAN
ARMENIAN RELIEF IN THE MENU. OR IF YOU PREFER YOU MAY MAIL YOUR
DONATION TO:
Armenian Prelacy
138 E. 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Checks payable to: Fund for Syrian Armenian Relief

Thank you for your help

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

July 26-St. Stephen’s Church, New Britain, Connecticut, Ladies Guild
Cooking Class, `Short Cuts to Armenian Cooking,’
11 am, Boereg. $15 for each class; $40 for three classes.

August 3-St. Stephen’s Church of Greater Boston, Annual Picnic at Camp
Haiastan, Franklin, Massachusetts. Lunch beginning at 12 noon,
includes delicious shish kebab and refreshments. Blessing of Madagh at
3 pm. Live Armenian music.

August 3-Annual Shish-Kebob Picnic and Grape Blessing, St. Paul
Church, 645 South Lewis Avenue, Waukegan, Illinois, 12 noon to 4
pm. Armenian
dinners and pastries available; dine in or takeout available. For
information and/or pre-order requests, 847-244-4573.

August 4-St. Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts, Annual
Golf Tournament.

August 10-Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Church, Providence, Rhode Island,
Annual Picnic at Camp Haiastan, 12 noon to 6 pm. Under the auspices of
His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan. Games and the Bouncing
Bubble for children. Delicious shish, losh and chicken kebab
dinners. Choreg and Armenian pastries. Live music by Michael Gregian
and Ensemble. Madagh and Blessing of the Grapes at 3:300 m with
participation of New England clergy. For information: 401-831-6399.

August 10-Annual Church Picnic and Blessing of the Grapes, Holy
Trinity Church, 635 Grove Street, Worcester, Massachusetts. Join us
for a fun
filled day and enjoy our delicious food, music by DJ Shaheen,
backgammon tournament, children’s activities. Begins at
noon. Admission is free. For information [email protected] or
508-852-2414.

August 15-17-Armenian Fest / Blessing of Grapes, All Saints Church,
Glenview, Illinois.

August 17-St. Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts, Annual
Picnic and Blessing of the Grapes.

August 17-St. Sarkis Church (Dearborn) Grape Blessing Family Fun
Picnic at Kensington Park, Kensington, Michigan. Good food, music,
biking, soccer, dancing, magician, swimming, playscape, kids games,
door prizes, face painting, tavloo tournament and more.

August 17-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, Annual
Picnic and Blessing of the Grapes, 1-5 pm at Saddle River County Park,
Wild Duck Pond area. Music, delicious Armenian food and desserts, arts
and
crafts, and playground for children, cards, and tavloo, and more.

August 23-Teachers’ seminar sponsored by the Armenian Education
Committee (ANEC), at the Prelacy offices in New York, 10 am to 4
pm. All schools and teachers are invited to participate. Lecturers:
Sossi Essajanian, `Supporting the Next Generation: Early Childhood
Development, Best Practices, and the Armenian Language Teacher’ and
Anahid Garmiryan, `To Be or Not to be a Teacher: The Challenges of
Bilingualism.’ For information: [email protected] or
212-689-7810.

September 7-Picnic Festival, St. Gregory Church of Merrimack Valley,
158 Main Street, North Andover, Massachusetts, featuring musicians
Leon Janikian, Jason Naroian, Johnny Berberian, and John Arzigian;
presentation by Siroun Dance Ensemble of Central Massachusetts. 12:30
to 5:30 pm, church
grounds. Shish, losh, and chicken kebab dinners, veggie plates,
Armenian pastries, family games and activities.

September 7-St. Stephen’s Church of New Britain and Hartford,
Connecticut, Annual Church Picnic after Sunday services will take
place
at The Quartette Club, 225 Wooster Street, New Britain. Armenian
music, dancing, and food.

September 7-Holy Cross Church, Troy, New York, Annual Armenian Picnic,
12pm to 4 pm. Shish Kebob dinner, Lahmajoun for sale, Armenian
pastries, live music. For info: [email protected].

September 14-St. Sarkis Church, 38-65 234th Street, Douglaston, New
York, Annual Picnic on the church grounds following church
services. Admission is free. Enjoy excellent kebabs and
salads. Terrific entertainment for everyone and special activities for
children in the `KidZone.’ Music, food, and friends…a wonderful
afternoon. For information 718-224-2275.

September 18-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, 12th
Annual Golf Classic, River Vale Country Club, River Vale, New
Jersey. Rain or Shine. 11 am registration and Grilled Lunch Buffet; 1
pm Tee Off. Format: Shotgun Scramble (All player levels welcome). Golf
Outing Reservation: $195; limited to first 128 paid golf
reservations. Reservation includes: Grilled lunch buffet, dinner
banquet, golf, cart, and range balls. Contests and
Prizes. Sponsorships available. For information: 201-943-2950.

September 21-Ladies Guild of St. Stephen’s Church of New Britain and
Hartford, Connecticut, will host a Tea party at noon in the church
hall, 167 Tremont Street, New Britain, Connecticut. Brought back by
popular demand. Guest speaker from the Bigelow Tea Company. Goodie
bags for all. Raffle prize is being provided by Armeny Custom Jewelry
Design.

September 21-St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia, `Designer Bag Bingo’
luncheon in Founders’ Hall at 2 pm. Fifteen lucky
winners of designer bags, including top labels, Gucci, Prada, Fendi,
Laboutin, Judith Leiber, Chanel, and others. Join us for a fun game of
Bingo, Chinese auction, and enjoy the lavish Chanel inspired theme and
décor, along with champagne, hors d’oeuvres, and desserts. Ticket
sales limited. For reservations and information: Cissy DerHagopian
856-313-6848; Donna Walter 484-354-0388.

October 3-St. Sarkis Armenian Church, Douglaston, New York, Saturday
School Dinner Dance Gala.

October 19-St. Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts, His
Eminence Archbishop Oshagan will ordain sub-deacon Ara Stepanian
during the Divine Liturgy and preside over the parish’s 57th Annual
Banquet.

November 7 & 8-St. Stephen’s Church, Watertown, Massachusetts, 58th
Armenian Bazaar, 10 am to 9:30 pm at Armenian Cultural & Educational
Center, 47 Nichols Avenue, Watertown, Massachusetts. Meals served from
11:30 am to 8:30 pm (take out is available). Enjoy delicious meals,
Armenian pastries, gourmet items, arts and crafts, books, raffles,
attic treasures. For information: 617-924-7562.

November 21, 22, 23-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey,
Annual Bazaar, Food Festival, and Hantes. Mezze and Kebab dinners
(chicken, shish, luleh); dessert table and trays of home-made
delicacies; Boutique
Booths; Chinese Auction; Supervised Game Room for children;
Pre-packaged Monte, Sou Buereg, Kufteh, and Lehmejun; Take-out
available; Live Music for dancing and listening. Traditional Kavourma
dinner on Sunday served immediately after church service. For
information: 201-943-2950.

December 7-Ladies Guild of St. Stephen’s Church of New Britain and
Hartford, Connecticut, will host a Wine Tasting Party at noon in the
church hall, 167 Tremont Street, New Britain. A wine talk and tasting
will be provided by Taylor Brooke Winery, Woodstock, Connecticut,
owned by Linda Varjabedian Auger.

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]

Erdogan says Israel should be tried at international criminal court

July 24, 2014 – 22:02 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, July
24, Turkey would push for Israel to be tried at an international
criminal court if it kept up its assault on Gaza and he accused the
Jewish state of “spitting blood”, according to Reuters.

Turkey, a member of the U.S.-led NATO military alliance, was once
Israel’s closest regional ally but has become one of its most
vitriolic critics, with Erdogan last weekend accusing it of
“surpassing Hitler in barbarism” with its Gaza offensive.

“If Israel continues with this attitude, it will definitely be tried
at international courts,” Erdogan, who is campaigning for a
presidential election on Aug. 10, told a rally of supporters in the
southern port city of Mersin.

“We will see this happen and Turkey will struggle for this,” he told
the cheering crowd.

Turkey was once considered by Washington as a credible broker in the
Middle East peace process, particularly given its channels of
communication with Islamist group Hamas, but that changed as Erdogan
adopted an increasingly anti-Israel stance.

“At the moment, Hamas is prepared for everything in order to achieve a
ceasefire… (Palestinian President Mahmoud) Abbas is prepared too,”
Erdogan told CNN news channel in an interview.

“Israel is not even approaching such a thing and is spitting death,
spitting blood,” he said, in comments translated by the broadcaster
from Turkish and aired on Thursday, according to Reuters.

He stood by his comments likening Israel’s actions to those of Hitler
and said the Jewish state was committing genocide.

“It is beyond comprehension that Israel is still defended by the West
and the world is silent about it. Therefore we cannot remain silent
and we will not be silent,” Erdogan said.

The Next Step: A Choice Between Death and Life

Haikazn Ghahriyan, Editor-in-Chief
Comments – 24 July 2014, 19:54

Serzh Sargsyan announced in Argentina about the “concerns of the
Armenian people” about the Russian arms supply to Azerbaijan. After
this statement people in Armenia wonder what the next step will be.
And everyone says rightly that it is lip service unless it is followed
by action.

What steps can be taken and what should be done in general not to let
things get too far for Armenia?

The political scientist Manvel Sargsyan says Armenia may revise the
nature of its relations with and commitments to Russia. In fact,
Russia has given reason for this for multiple times through its
inadequate and sometimes even stupid steps.

Russia has tied Armenia’s hands and completely isolated it. The
Armenian government has waived its foreign policy and the right to
make decisions. And here we are in an absurd situation: the global
developments and tendencies are highly favorable for Armenia, almost
fully in line with the interests f Armenia but our country is
bypassing them or “lingering” around them.

Armenia has gained a potentially leading position but is unable to
make use of it and respond to beneficial proposals from neighboring
Iran and other leading countries located further, such as China and
the United States.

The reason is, first of all, the nature and qualities of the political
and economic “elite” representing Armenia, its worldview and outlook.
Their only dream is to have a foreign sponsor to rule thoughtlessly
inside and gain personal possessions. They do not care for the future
of Armenia or even the current national issues.

However, there comes a time when it is clear that there is no and
cannot be any foreign sponsor and it is necessary to assume
responsibility otherwise they will personally suffer.

Apparently, the time has come, and Serzh Sargsyan in faraway Latin
America and the representatives of the Armenian “elite” in Armenia are
hesitantly muttering something about “concerns”.

There are examples when a tough statement by the Armenian side
produced its results, in particular, the statement of the leadership
of the Armenian army that actually neutralized the biggest provocation
in Kaabakh. And Serzh Sargsyan’s statement was followed by the Russian
ambassador’s statement that Armenia may sign the agreement on
membership to the Eurasian Union only under conditions that favor
Armenia.

It is time to act further. In particular, it is necessary to revise
the deals and commitments laid down on 2 December 2013. These deals
have deprived Armenia of the right to make decisions in line with its
political, economic and other interests.

At the same time, it is necessary to set up partnership with
interested powers, including Russia, establishing relations based on
interest. There is an opportunity coupled with contemporary
developments in the world.

The next key step should be the demand to withdraw the Russian
military base and border guards from Armenia and acquisition of modern
weapons from other countries. In this case Armenai will demonstrate
its readiness to assume responsibility but also makes the interested
foreign parties to assume responsibility. Armenia will demonstrate
that it is not a security consumer but also a participant of security
building.

Steps and opportunities are many, the rest is a matter of thinking and morality.

Will Putin be angry? Maybe but who cares for Putin’s anger and the
phobias of the Armenian “political elites” except the same elite?
Putin will destroy the elite in any way so the letter can make a
choice between death and life, choosing life for Armenia. In that
case, they will also stay alive.

Armenia has never had a better opportunity. Not using it would be the
worst crime against the Armenian people and state.

– See more at: