Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIA TREE PROJECT
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Watertown, MA 02472 USA
Tel: (617) 926-TREE
Email: [email protected]
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PRESS RELEASE
March 25, 2014

Spectacular Huntington Library Grounds Setting of ATP Los Angeles Gala on
May 4

LOS ANGELES–Armenia Tree Project’s 20th anniversary committee has been hard
at work organizing an unforgettable event to be held at the Huntington
Library, Art Collection, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California on
May 4, 2014.

The beautiful venue was founded in 1919 by Henry E. Huntington, an
exceptional businessman and a man of vision-with a special interest in
books, art, and gardens. During his lifetime, Huntington amassed one of the
finest research libraries in the world, established a splendid art
collection, and created an array of botanical gardens with plants from a
geographic range that spans the globe.

Originally the Huntington family residence, the Huntington Art Gallery
contains one of the most comprehensive collections in this country of 18th
and 19th century British and French art and is home to Gainsborough’s Blue
Boy and Lawrence’s Pinkie.

During cocktail hour on the Gallery Loggia, gala guests will have the
opportunity to walk through the gallery and enjoy cocktails and appetizers,
followed by a sit down dinner on the South Terrace of the magnificent
residence to celebrate ATP’s 20 years of greening Armenia.

ATP has planted more than 4.4 million trees during 40 seasons of planting,
established three nurseries and two environmental education centers, and has
greened villages, churches, parks, and open spaces throughout Armenia. In
the process, the organization has provided employment for hundreds of people
and provided vital resources to thousands of villagers throughout the
country.

The 20th anniversary committee in Los Angeles consists of Elizabeth and
Mihran Agbabian, Flora and George Dunaians, Sabine and Al Eiasian, Arax
Mansourian and Shahen Hairapetian, Zarmig and Garo Kazarian, Ani and Shant
Kenderian, Hilda and Haig Manjikian, Salpi and Viken Mankerian, Margaret and
David Mgrublian, Aleen and Mardik Oruncakciel, and Savey and Ralph
Tufenkian.

For information or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Western
Region Development Director Maral Habeshian at (818) 913-2563 or
[email protected].

BRITISH JOURNALIST BRIEFS ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IN LA ON LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN SYRIA

15:51 24.03.2014

Lusine Avanesyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Los Angeles

Journalist Robert Fisk says was shocked by the condition of the
Christian church in the Syrian city of Yabroud, which has been razed
to the ground. Fisk, who has long been working as The Independent’s
correspondent in the Middle East, told about his impressions from
the visit to Syria at a meeting with representatives of the Armenian
community in Los Angeles. He said the Greek Church in Yabroud had
been completely destroyed.

Robert Fisk has taken an example of a burnt New Testament as a proof of
the vandalism taking place in Syria today. He met a woman, who spent
three years under the Islamist rule in Yabroud. She told Christians
had to by food twice as expensive because of their belief.

“Will it ever be possible to eliminate the huge gap between the
Christian and Muslim communities? Perhaps never,” Fisk said.

While in Syria, Fisk met with an Armenian clergyman, who told that
about 25-30 thousand Syrian Armenians had fled the country and he
does not believe they will ever return. “This is the case with other
Christian communities, as well, and this is the greatest tragedy. As
a witness of all this, I cannot imagine how this can be prevented,”
Fisk said.

According to the journalist, the dividing lines among the Syrian
population are the major problem. He said the western journalists
even have maps distinguishing the Shia, Sunni and Christian districts.

These maps and dividing lines exist in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon,
he said, adding that this is the major problem in the Middle East.

Robert Fisk noted that once a rich city, Yabroud is now in ruins.

Although it has been liberated by the Syrian army, it is destroyed
and unrecognizable today, like the rest of Syria.

Robert Fisk, an English writer and journalist, has been Middle East
correspondent of The Independent for more than twenty years, primarily
based in Beirut. Fisk holds more British and international journalism
awards than any other foreign correspondent. He has also been voted
International Journalist of the Year seven times. He has published
a number of books and reported on several wars and armed conflicts.

He is one of a few Western journalists to have interviewed Osama bin
Laden, which he did on three occasions between 1993 and 1997.

NKR PRESIDENT MEETS PARTICIPANTS OF THE ARF CONFERENCE

12:29 24.03.2014

On 23 March Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan received the
participants of organizational conference of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation, Central Information Department of the Office of the NKR
President reported.

Issues related to Artsakh’s socio-economic development, domestic and
foreign policy were touched upon during the meeting.

The President stressed the importance of such meetings and expressed
gratitude to the attendees for patriotic activities aimed at objective
introduction of the Artsakh issue in various international fora,
international recognition of Artsakh, establishing and cementing ties
with different countries, developing and strengthening the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic.

During the meeting President Sahakyan awarded Gaspar Karapetyan,
chairman of Hay Dat Committee of Europe with the “Vachagan Barepasht”
medal for active work carried out towards international recognition
of Artsakh Republic.

ARMENIAN CATHOLICOS CONDOLES WITH SYRIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

March 24, 2014 | 13:06

Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II sent a letter of condolence to
the Holy Synod of the Syrian Orthodox Church, expressing his sorrow
on the passing of His Holiness Mor Ignatius Zakka I, Patriarch of
Antioch and All the East.

Karekin II offered the deepest sympathies on behalf of the Armenian
Apostolic Church, her faithful, the Supreme Spiritual Council, and
the clergy; to the clergy and to all Syrian Orthodox Christians in
Syria and the dispersion.

“The Syrian Orthodox Church has lost a ‘good shepherd,’ who fulfilled
the mission of the Holy Church of Christ with deep and loving devotion
over the last thirty four years. With great zeal and wisdom, His
Holiness Ignatius Zakka I of blessed memory shepherded the Syrian
Orthodox Church especially during the current challenging period of
political upheaval in the Middle East.

“Thanks to the late Patriarch’s efforts, monastic life experienced
renewal and a blossoming, and the Syrian Church made significant
contributions to the inter-church and inter-religious dialogues,
as well as to the promotion of solidarity and peace in the world.

“The fraternal and warm relations between our Churches were manifested
during the various official visits and encounters, which we witnessed
during the pontificates of our predecessors of blessed memory as
well as in our own time through our personal meetings,” the Armenian
Catholicos’ letter of condolence reads.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

TURKEY SEEKS TO DEVASTATE ARMENIAN-POPULATED SYRIAN REGIONS – OPINIONS

13:31 * 24.03.14

The armed tensions in Syria’s north-west are a clear sign of Turkish
intentions to devastate the Armenian-populated regions across the
country, says an Armenian orientalist.

“All that is going on now was being plotted several years ago, as
Turkey began to be actively involved in the emerging disaster. We did
predict that the devastation of Syria’s Armenian-populated regions
could be one of Turkey’s goals, so we are now the eyewitness of that,”
Ruben Safrastyan told Tert.am, commenting on the Sunday militant
attack on Kessab.

He said the devastation plan is of a strategic importance for Turkey
given that the Armenian community of Syria (especially in Aleppo,
Damascus and the surrounding villages and regions) includes mainly
descendents of the Genocide survivors.

The expert noted that the Armenians in Syria had no intention to leave
(like those in other eastern countries who went moved to other states
in the course of time) up until the outbreak of the recent tensions.

“That’s very important; they are now doing all their best to force
the Armenians out. The next factor is that the community in Syria –
which is very literate and patriotic – has published a considerable
literature. It is attached to the Armenian communities in Beirut and
Lebanon, so I believe it is one of Turkey’s direct goals to empty
Syria of Armenians,” he added.

Safrastyan said he thinks it is important to urgently draw the world’s
attention to the problem. “At the same time, we must be able to be
a country giving hope to our compatriots. They must never lose the
hope that Armenia can lend a helping hand to them,” he added.

Safrastyan further stressed the importance of cooperation with the
Syrian authorities. “We must be maintain contact to maximum assist the
Syrian authorities to offer the maximum the best possible protection
to the Armenians there,” he said,

Catholicos Aram I of the Holy See of Cilicia had earlier contacted
President Bashar al-Assad’s office to call for sending more troops
to Kessab to ensure a better protection for the Armenians.

The Syrian ambassador to Lebanon, who later visited the patriarch
,said President Assad had given him assurances that the Syrian state
and army would do all their best to re-establish peace in the region.

A former foreign minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Arman
Melikyan, said in a post on Facebook earlier today that Armenia is
obliged to undertake measures to protect the Syrian-Armenians. He
called upon the authorities’ efforts apply the United Nations Security
Council and Syria’s ruling government in an effort to seek the best
possible protection for the Armenians in Syria.

Tigran Balayan, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry whom Tert.am
contacted for comments, declined to give any details, saying that
their activities are not subject to publication for the time being.

SYRIA’S ASSAD PLEDGES TO REESTABLISH PEACE IN KESSAB AFTER REBEL INCURSION

News | 24.03.14 | 12:31

Syria: Armenian families leave Kessab after Turkey-backed rebels
attack area

Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad has pledged to reestablish peace in
Kessab, a mostly Armenian populated town in northern Syria near Turkey,
after hundreds of ethnic Armenian families had to leave their homes
in the face of cross-border attacks by extremists groups.

The violence in the area raised concerns among Armenians around the
world, bringing back memories of the genocide perpetrated in Ottoman
Turkey at the beginning of last century.

In particular, the Armenian National Committee-International condemned
the attacks and Turkey’s active role in aiding and abetting extremist
groups in their targeted attacks against the Christian and minority
populations in Syria.

Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel Karim Ali on Saturday met
with Catholicos Aram I of the Holy House of Cilicia to convey to
him President al-Assad’s assurances of re-establishing peace in the
region. During the meeting the envoy was quoted as saying that they
knew Turkey had not only encouraged the rebels’ entry into the town
but also given weapons to them to facilitate their advance.

The diplomat told the Catholicos that both the Syrian president and
state have a deep respect for the Armenian people whom they feel
committed to protect as faithful citizens of the country. He said
Kesab is a strategically important town for the Syrian Army, adding
that the local Armenians have been temporarily moved to Latakia for
security reasons.

The cathollicos noted for his part that Kesab has a symbolic
significance for the Armenian people.

HOVANNISIAN MINIMISE LA COOPERATION ENTRE LES PARTIS D’OPPOSITION

Politique

Vendredi, Raffi Hovannisian a rendu une note prudente concernant la
cooperation croissante entre son parti, Heritage, et les trois autres
partis parlementaires contestant le gouvernement armenien.

Hovannisian a fait valoir que “le changement de regime complet ”
n’est toujours pas leur objectif commun.

” Il existe forme de cooperation parlementaire bienvenue sans
precedent”, a t-il dit. ” Ca marche bien et cela represente
un denominateur commun, une base sur laquelle les quatre partis
travaillent ensemble. Cela etant dit, il n’est pas question d’aller
au-dela “.

Les quatre parties ont convenu plus tôt cette semaine de proposer
conjointement un vote parlementaire de defiance vis-a-vis du Premier
ministre Tigran Sarkissian et de son cabinet dans un delai d’un mois.

Hovannisian a decrit cette initiative comme ” demi-mesure “, en disant
qu’ils devraient aller plus loin et faire campagne pour la demission
du president Serge Sarkissian. Il a exhorte le BHK a rejoindre les
appels de l’opposition pour l’eviction de Sarkissian. ” J’espère
que nous allons bientôt entendre une reponse positive [ du BHK , ]
” a t-il dit une conference de presse.

Hovannisian, qui etait le principal challenger de Sarkissian a
l’election presidentielle de fevrier 2013, a declare que les quatre
parties devraient accumuler la pression sur les autorites en tendant
la main a d’autres groupes d’opposition et civiques et en lancant des
manifestations dans les rues dans les prochaines semaines. Il a dit
que le parti Heritage commencera le 28 mars une serie de rassemblements
a Erevan.

lundi 24 mars 2014, Claire (c)armenews.com

When Even ‘Terrorists’ Acknowledge Their Crimes

By Sarkis Balkhian // March 21, 2014

Special for The Armenian Weekly

For the past three years, Syrians have been terrorized by the ongoing
conflict between the government and the various factions of the
opposition. The destruction is staggering: 150,000 dead, 9 million
displaced (refugees and IDPs), 3 million homes damaged, and half of
the country’s infrastructure destroyed.

On March 8, the Martyrs of the Badr Brigade launched an offensive in
the Meedan neighborhood of Aleppo. Later that evening, the brigade
posted a Youtube video demonstrating the details of the operation.

“In response to the barrel attacks by the regime forces, we, the
Martyrs of the Badr Brigade, will target the Syrian government bases
in the Meedan and Suleymaniyeh neighborhoods,” said the leader of the
brigade. “For their own protection, we urge civilians living near the
Shabiha military bases to move out of those areas.”

The vast majority of the inhabitants of the Meedan and Suleymaniyeh
neighborhoods are Armenians. Not surprisingly, the March 8 attacks
damaged homes of Syrian-Armenians in Aleppo. “Go to hell you stupid
people,” reacted one Syrian-Armenian civilian on social media. She
later told me that her home had been destroyed in these attacks.

The ‘apology’

A few days later, the leadership of the Lewaa Ahfad al-Moursaleen,
another rebel group fighting against the Assad regime, sent a letter
of apology to the Syrian-Armenian leadership in Aleppo.

The letter stated:

“We, the leadership of the Ahfad al-Moursaleen Brigade, apologize to
our Armenian brothers for the mistake that took place yesterday in the
Meedan neighborhood.

“We affirm that we are moving forward with our revolution against the
tyrant and his supporters. The Kurds and the Armenians are our
brothers. Their suffering is our suffering. We urge all of you to
stand with the revolution.”

The ferocity of the Syrian conflict has left no room for objectivity.
Every aspect of this conflict is analyzed and presented based on the
vantage point of the beholder. For the Syrian government and its
supporters, the Martyrs of the Badr Brigade or the Ahfad al-Moursaleen
Brigade qualify as terrorist groups, whereas the opponents of the
Syrian government hail them as freedom fighters.

But while subjectivity is the order of the day in Syria, the fact
remains that the March 8 attacks failed to cause any damage to the
Syrian regime bases. The attacks resulted in the damaging of homes and
buildings belonging to Syrian-Armenian civilians. Whether
intentionally or unintentionally, the attacks terrorized the Armenian
community in Syria and, more importantly, the attacks constitute a
clear violation of international humanitarian law.

But while violations of international humanitarian law and all norms
of international law is a common feature of life in Syria these days,
the ironic aspect of the March 8 attacks is that the buildings that
were damaged were located across the street from the Karen Jeppe
Armenian College. Karen Jeppe was the Danish missionary who took care
of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide.

Whereas it took two days for “terrorists” in Syria to acknowledge
their crimes and present an official apology to the Syrian-Armenian
community, the Turkish government continues to pursue a policy of
denial almost 100 years after the Armenian Genocide. If “terrorists”
acknowledge their own crimes, then what does that say about the
Turkish government?

HAUT KARABAGH
300 violations du cessez-le-feu par l’Azerbaïdjan la semaine dernière
à la frontière du Haut Karabagh

La semaine dernière, entre le 16 et le 22 mars, les positions
arméniennes de la frontière entre la République du Haut Karabagh et
l’Azerbaïdjan ont étés la cible de 300 violations du cessez-le-feu par
les forces de l’Azerbaïdjan qui ont tiré près de 2 500 projectiles.
Les forces arméniennes ont à chaque fois répondu à ces tirs

Afghanistan respects Crimea’s right to self-determination – Karzai

Published time: March 22, 2014 22:31

Afghan President Hamid Karzai (Reuters / Mohammad Ismail)
Afghanistan, Politics, Russia, USA,Ukraine

Afghan President Hamid Karzai told a US congressional delegation that
he respects the decision of the people of Crimea to reunite with
Russia. His comment follows the March 16 referendum in which 96
percent of voters opted to join the Russian Federation.

The events in Crimea and Ukraine were among several issues discussed
in a Kabul meeting between Karzai and the group of Democratic and
Republican congressmen. The bipartisan delegation was led by Senator
Kelly Ayotte.

Karzai made it clear that Afghanistan respects the free will of the
people of Crimea and Sevastopol to decide their own future, the Afghan
president’s office said on its website.

Despite Western claims that the accession of Crimea to Russia will
never be recognized internationally, Afghanistan and many other
nations have backed the decision made by the Crimean population.

On Friday, Ukraine recalled its ambassador to Armenia after the
country’s president, Serzh Sargsyan, told Vladimir Putin in a phone
conversation that the Crimean referendum was a “model for the
realization of self-determination.”

Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Venezuela, and North Korea
have also supported the right to self-determination for the people of
Crimea.

On Friday, Crimea and Sevastopol – which used to be part of Ukraine –
officially joined Russia, with President Putin signing the finalizing
decree.

Previously, Russian lawmakers ratified an international treaty with
Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, which the sides signed at the
Kremlin on March 18.

Crimea’s rejoining of Russia was triggered by an armed coup in Kiev,
which saw democratically elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich
ousted.

The uprising of the predominantly Russian-speaking region of Crimea
began after the new self-proclaimed authorities passed a law revoking
the regional status of the Russian language.

It resulted in a referendum in which 83 percent of the Crimean
population participated. An overwhelming majority of over 96 percent
voted in favor of reunification with Russia.