Author: Badalian Vardan

I AM ARMENIAN: ‘AGHET – EIN VOLKERMORD’

US Official News
April 12, 2015 Sunday

The University of California has issued the following news release:

I Am Armenian: ‘Aghet – Ein Volkermord’

Tuesday, April 14, 2015 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm, UCLA Hammer Museum –
Billy Wilder Theater

Hammer Screenings

See below for additional information.

Admission

Free and open to the public.

Contact

Hammer Museum (310) 443-7000 [email protected] Website

Additional Information

Although there is an international consensus that up to 1.5 million
Armenians died in the Ottoman Turkish Empire between 1915 and
1918, the Armenian genocide is still not recognized by Turkey as a
historical fact. ‘Aghet – Ein Volkermord,’ acclaimed German director
Eric Friedler’s award-winning documentary, deals with the political
motives for this continuing silence. A Q&A with Eric Friedler follows
the screening. (2010, Dir. E. Friedler, 90 min).

I Am Armenian: A Year of Armenian Culture and History on Film In
commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
we dedicate 2015 to an exploration of multiple facets of Armenian
culture, history, and landscape through film.

MAY DAY: COMMUNISTS TO HOLD MARCH AND SDHK TO HOLD RALLY IN YEREVAN

13:34 | April 15,2015 | Politics

The Yerevan Municipality has accepted a notification by Tachat
Sargsyan, First Secretary of the communist Party of Armenia (HKK),
on holding a march in downtown Yerevan at 12.00, May 1.

The march will start from the statue to prominent painter Martiros
Saryan.

The Municipality has also authorized a rally to be held by the Social
Democrat Hunchakian Party (SDHK) at Charles Aznavour Square in Yerevan
at 6pm on May 1.

ERDOGAN CHASTISES POPE FRANCIS FOR OBSERVING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: ‘I CONDEMN HIM’

Breitbart News
April 14 2015

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he “condemns” Pope
Francis for his use of the expression “genocide” when referring to
the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenian Christians by the Ottoman Empire
from 1915-1917.

“Whenever politicians, religious functionaries assume the duties of
historians, then delirium comes out, not fact,” Erdogan said at a
meeting of the Turkish Exporters Assembly on Tuesday.

“I want to warn the pope to not repeat this mistake and condemn him,”
he said.

At a Mass with representatives from the Armenian Catholic church on
Sunday, Pope Francis referred to the event as an “immense and senseless
slaughter” and called it “the first genocide of the twentieth century,”
ending speculation whether the pontiff would risk alienating Turkey
by using the term “genocide.”

Francis said that remembering and honoring the victims of the massacre
was “necessary, and indeed a duty,” because “whenever memory fades,
it means that evil allows wounds to fester.”

“Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding
without bandaging it!” he said.

The same day, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu responded via
Twitter, claiming that the Pope’s words lacked legal and historical
credibility.

On Monday, the Pope seemed to justify his decision at his morning Mass,
insisting in his homily that Christians must be ready to proclaim the
truth boldly, imitating the first Apostles of Jesus who spoke “without
fear.” The way of the Church is that of “openness and speaking freely,”
he said.

President Erdogan said he greatly regretted the pontiff’s remarks.

Recalling the pope’s visit to Turkey in 2014, the president said he
thought Francis was “a different politician,” adding, “I don’t say
a religious functionary.”

“I won’t let historical events be brought out of their own course
and turned into a campaign against our country and nation,” he said.

Meanwhile, the European Parliament will vote on a resolution Wednesday
regarding the claims of an Armenian genocide. The body will decide
whether to officially name the year 2015 as the centennial of the
Armenian genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire.

The motion noted that an increasing number of EU member states and
national parliaments recognize the Armenian genocide. If passed,
the Parliament would “pay tribute, on the eve of the Centenary, to
the memory of the one-and-a-half million innocent Armenian victims
who perished in the Ottoman Empire.”

PRESS RELEASE
Date: April 14, 2015

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
Contact: Taniel Koushakjian
Telephone: (202) 393-3434
Email: [email protected]
Web:

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY PRESENTS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE EXHIBIT AT HOLOCAUST
MUSEUM OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

Turkish Consulate in Miami Attempts to Block Discussion of Armenian
Genocide

NAPLES, FL – On Sunday, April 12, Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly)
Communications Director Taniel Koushakjian presented the `Iconic Images of
the Armenian Genocide’ exhibit at the Holocaust Museum and Education Center
of Southwest Florida to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
which began on April 24, 1915.

With a capacity filled hall, Koushakjian discussed the systemic nature of
the killings step by step, and presented the 20-panel exhibit highlighting
details through the photographic evidence taken by eyewitnesses at the
time, including American missionaries and German officers. The fourth in a
series of digital exhibits released free of charge, ‘Iconic Images of the
Armenian Genocide’ brings together as a single collection key images
recording the brutal mistreatment of the Armenian population of the Ottoman
Turkish Empire and the utter destruction of their historic communities.

In an outrageous move to impede a program on human rights education, the
Turkish Consulate in Miami sent a letter trying to block discussion of the
Armenian Genocide. `It is a disgrace that the Armenian diaspora chooses to
identify itself with hatred of Turks, anti-Turkism in other words, as well
as with outright dismissal of any chance of reconciliation and better
relations between Turkey and Armenia,’ wrote Ozgur Kivanc Altan, Consul
General of the Republic of Turkey in Miami in the letter addressed to the
Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida. `This is disturbing, yet not
surprising, as the [Armenian] diaspora sought in recent years to hijack the
Holocaust in an attempt to garner support for a distorted presentation of
the events of 1915,’ read the Turkish complaint.

`We deeply appreciate the Holocaust Museum’s leadership in continuing the
program as planned and are confident that Taniel’s presentation was well
received,” said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. “Despite cynical
attempts to silence the truth, the truth will prevail,” added Ardouny.

In addition to Sunday’s program, Koushakjian also gave a presentation of
the Armenian Genocide on Saturday, April 11 for a group of a dozen
educators from surrounding Collier, Hendry, Lee, and Monroe counties as
part of a public teacher workshop on Holocaust and human rights education
at the Holocaust Museum and Education Center of Southwest Florida.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and
awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt membership organization.

###

NR: # 2015-023

Photo Caption 1: Armenian Assembly Communications Director Taniel
Koushakjian speaking to the audience about the Armenian Genocide.

Available online at:

LES PROPOS DU PAPE SUR LES EVENEMENTS DE 1915 SONT UNE DISCRIMINATION ET UNE DIFFAMATION CONTRE LA TURQUIE, SELON CEMIL CICEK

TURQUIE

“Les propos du Pape Francois sur les evenements de 1915 sont une
discrimination et une diffamation” selon le president du Parlement
turc, Cemil Cicek, qui a accorde lundi, une interview a la chaîne de
television turque Haberturk.

“Il est inacceptable qu’une personnalite de ce rang exprime de
telles allegations, a-t-il affirme. Il s’agit d’une discrimination,
d’une diffamation.”

Pour Cemil Cicek, l’annee 2015 represente un tournant pour la Turquie
qui, selon lui, “preoccupee par la politique domestique depuis un
certain temps, ne s’est pas suffisamment interessee a ce qui se passe
a l’etranger.”

Ainsi, Cemil Cicek a fait savoir qu’il a rencontre plus d’une centaine
de chefs d’Etat, de Premiers ministres et de presidents de Parlement
pour leur expliquer clairement que les evenements de 1915 n’etaient
pas un genocide.

mardi 14 avril 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

U.S. EMBASSY ORGANIZES A “CLARA BARTON READING TOUR” ACROSS ARMENIA

12:34, 14 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

In celebration of the Armenian National Library Week, the U.S. Embassy
is organizing from April 13-17 a “Clara Barton Reading Tour” to
schools in Yerevan and in each of the five American Corners in
Armenia. Ambassador Mills kicked the week off with a Clara Barton
reading at the Yerevan American Corner.

Each participating school is being visited by a pair of Embassy
employees, one American and one Armenian, who will read the book Clara
Barton, Our Angel Too in both English and Armenian to the students,
followed by a short discussion about Clara Barton’s life and work. The
American Corners in Vanadzor, Gyumri, Charentsavan, and Kapan will
each host a Peace Corps volunteer to lead the discussions.

Clara Barton (1821-1912) is remembered as a friend to Armenia, and for
her compassion, humanitarianism, and commitment to helping people,
regardless of race or nationality. Clara Barton, a nurse during the
American Civil War, founded the American Red Cross. At the age of 74,
in response to the humanitarian crisis in the wake of the Hamidian
Massacres, she travelled to Constantinople and opened the first
American International Red Cross headquarters there. Her efforts
helped save tens of thousands of Armenians.

The United States has been a steadfast friend to Armenia, and has
stood shoulder to shoulder with Armenia in times of need. Clara Barton
is an example of that solidarity. Her life showed the power of one
person to make a difference for thousands.

KAREKIN II: INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO ESTABLISHMENT OF SAFETY AND JUSTICE WORLDWIDE

by Nana Martirosyan

Tuesday, April 14, 00:35

The Armenian Genocide Centennial urges the humanity not to be
indifferent to people’s anguish, to exert efforts to stop and prevent
crimes against humanity, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II said
during the Vatican liturgy commemorating the Armenian Genocide victims.

Karekin II recalled that a century ago the Ottoman authorities
committed the Armenian Genocide that claimed 1.5 million Armenian
lives. He said that Armenians were deported from their historical
motherland and their property was robbed. “Today our people live in the
blockade imposed by Turkey and Azerbaijan and fight for the freedom
of Artsakh people and restoration of the Armenian people’s rights,
recognition and condemnation of the Genocide”, he said.

Karekin II added that if the humanity had been able to prevent
the Armenian Genocide, it would not have been followed by the
Holocaust, genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur. “We are sure that
the international recognition of the Genocide as an example of human
rights protection and restoration of historical justice can contribute
to establishment of safety and justice all over the world”, he said.

In this light, Karekin II pointed out the significance of publication
of the documents in Vatican’s archives. On behalf of Armenian people,
he thanked those who raise the issue of the Genocide and those who
extended a helping hand to those who fled the massacre.

To note, Pope Francis himself served the liturgy. Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and other
officials from Armenia attended the liturgy. Vatican provided a 10th-
century Armenian theologian and philosopher Grigor Narekatsi with a
rank of a doctor of church.

To recall, Ankara recalled its ambassador from Vatican after Pope
Francis used the term “genocide” when describing the killings of the
Armenians in Ottoman Empire in the early XX century.

KIM KARDASHIAN’S VISIT THE BEST PROMOTIONAL EVENT FOR ‘ARMENIA’ BRAND – POLITICAL TECHNOLOGIST

YEREVAN, April 14. /ARKA/. The visit of Kim Kardashian, an American
reality show star and photo model of Armenian descent, has become
the best promotional event for ‘Armenia’ brand, Vigen Hakobyan,
a political technologist, told journalists on Thursday.

Kim Kardashian, accompanied by her husband Kanye West, a rapper,
their daughter North and sister Chloe Kardashian, arrived in Armenia
on April 8 and departed from it on April 13.

In Armenia they filmed another episode for ‘Keeping Up with the
Kardashians’ reality show.

“The visit of Kardashian and her husband was a good promotional event
in boosting Armenia as brand and in enhancing public awareness of
Armenian Genocide,” Hakobyan said.

He said the Armenian community treated this visit quite pragmatically.

“We have to take into account things in the world, which show that
some persons, regardless of our approaches to moral principles,
score more than 70 million subscribers in social networks and this
is a powerful propaganda instrument,” he said.

Kim Kardashian has 31 million subscribers in Twitter, 24 million in
Facebook 29.9 million in Instagram. —0—–

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : QUAND LA SOCIETE TURQUE S’EVEILLE

Publie le : 14-04-2015

Info Collectif VAN – – France5 a diffuse dimanche
12 avril a 22:25, “Genocide armenien, le spectre de 1915”, l’excellent
documentaire de Nicolas Jallot consacre au genocide armenien et
a ses repercussions actuelles en Turquie, auprès d’intellectuels
turcs. Il donne la parole a Hasan Cemal, petit-fils de l’un des trois
genocidaires de 1915 (Djemal Pacha), dont le livre 1915 : Genocide
vient de paraître en France, et a l’avocate turque Fethiye Cetin qui
s’est decouvert sur le tard des racines armeniennes : sa grand-mère
maternelle lui a revele avant de mourir qu’elle etait une orpheline
armenienne, dont la famille a ete engloutie dans ce premier genocide du
XXe siècle. Ces deux voix turques ouvrent le champ des possibles mais
ne peuvent faire oublier que la population turque est majoritairement
alignee sur le discours ultra nationaliste et negationniste de ses
gouvernements successifs. Une realite masquee par la conclusion très
consensuelle de Fethiye Cetin, concernant la “reconciliation”.

Autre bemol : Hrant Dink est presente en ces termes :”journaliste
turc d’origine armenienne”. Or, la minorite armenienne de Turquie
beneficie officiellement d’un statut de minorite. Ses membres,
chretiens, sont identifies comme “Armeniens de Turquie”. Et non comme
“Turcs d’origine armenienne”, definition qui correspond aux Turcs qui
– comme Fethiye Cetin – se decouvrent pour partie armeniens a l’âge
adulte mais ne sont pas comptabilises dans les chiffres officiels
du Patriarcat armenien d’Istanbul. “Genocide armenien, le spectre de
1915”, a voir et revoir en Replay.

France5

Genocide armenien, le spectre de 1915

Diffuse le dim. 12-04 a 22h25

Nicolas Jallot / Realisateur Nicolas Jallot / Auteur Regis Gente
/ Auteur

Resume 1915. L’Empire ottoman est plonge dans la Grande Guerre,
qui entraînera sa chute. Dans ce contexte historique, plus d’un
million d’Armeniens sont massacres par les Turcs. Le premier genocide
d’un siècle qui n’en sera pas avare. En Turquie, son evocation a
toujours ete occultee. Pourtant, au sein de la societe turque, des
voix s’elèvent pour dire la necessite de la verite. A l’occasion du
centenaire de la tragedie, ce document s’interesse a deux personnages,
un Turc et une Armenienne de Turquie. Hasan Cemal, journaliste et
intellectuel, est le petit-fils de Cemal Pacha, l’un des planificateurs
du genocide. Son cheminement l’a amene a se rebeller contre l’histoire
officielle. Fethiye Cetin, avocate et militante des droits de
l’homme, a decouvert qu’elle etait la petite-fille d’une rescapee du
massacre. Elle oeuvre pour que la Turquie retrouve la memoire.

À visionner ici

Genocide armenien, le spectre de 1915

Lire aussi :

Agenda – Hasan Cemal : “1915: Le genocide armenien” aux Editions Les
Prairies ordinaires

GOVERNMENT RESPONDS TO CALL FOR EVACUATING ARMENIAN KIDS FROM ALEPPO

12:02 * 14.04.15

The Armenian Government has offered its readiness to assist in the
evacuation Aleppo-Armenian children from the war-torn city.

“The Government is ready to host and offer the necessary conditions
to the children and pupils moving to Armenia from Aleppo,” a source
from the Government’s press service told Tert.am.

It comes after reports emerged about the continuing Islamist rocket
raids in the city’s Armenian-populated district, Suleymanie. The
attacks raised panic among the Armenians of Syria, with many voicing
calls in the social networks for evacuating children from the war zone.