Author: Badalian Vardan

THE THREE C’S TO HYE TAHD SUCCESS: CAUSE, COURAGE, CAPITAL

asbarez
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

On May 4 the Armenian National Committee of America Burbank chapter
hosted its annual banquet, during which ANCA Communications Director
Elizabeth Chouldjian delivered the keynote address. Below is the text
of her presentation:

Folks have asked me over the years, what it is that I find most
gratifying about working with the ANCA.

My answer has always been – our community.

Where else would a person have the opportunity to work with such a
diverse group of activists – from major U.S. cities and small town
America, some here for generations, others calling the U.S. home just
for a few years, folks who have spent a lifetime toward the betterment
of our community, and others who are just starting their service –
gathered together either physically in halls and community centers
like this one or linking up virtually through Facebook and Twitter –
Republicans, Democrats, Greens and Libertarians – all working together
with one singular aim – the strengthening of the Armenian nation.

It’s joining you on evenings like this and spending time with ANC
leaders like Zareh Sinanian – whose service to this organization began
here in Burbank and now extends to our regional and national programs.

It’s speaking with Sarkis Nikogosian, who has worked quietly and
tirelessly to assist the good people of Artsakh – but when I wanted
to print his specific donations and actions as part of an article in
Asbarez – he responded humbly, “keedek, ayt desagee paneroo maseen
harmar che khosel.” It’s young Talar Kossakian and the Burbank AYF
Varak chapter members, who, through their community activism and youth
leadership, give us all confidence that the future of our nation will
be in good hands. Add to that local leaders like City Clerk Campos,
who has spared no effort to expand Armenian American participation in
Burbank civic life. Congressman Schiff – who takes the lead in ending
the U.S. government’s shameful complicity in Turkey’s Genocide denial
– works tirelessly to ensure much needed assistance to Armenia and
Artsakh – and continues his efforts for the well being of his local
community and constituents.

It’s having the opportunity to meet with each and everyone throughout
the course of this evening who together serve as the integral
foundation for the success of our local civic efforts.

In Washington, DC there is no shortage of interests – some righteous
and some downright reprehensible, using every means imaginable – legal
and illegal – all trying to secure victory for their side. But when
you look at the reasons of the Armenian American community’s success,
it comes down to the three C’s.

You have to have a just Cause – one that transcends party politics
or parochial concerns. A Cause that has been handed down generation
to generation for more than 3,000 years – a Cause of justice that
seeks to guarantee the fundamental rights of the Armenian nation. A
democratic and economically viable Armenia, a free and independent
Artsakh, a strong Javakhk, justice for the Armenian Genocide.

And you have to have the Courage to fight for that Cause. To fight –
day in and day out – against mighty interests who the odds makers
would have bet should have crushed us politically, militarily or
financially decades ago. Countries like Turkey and Azerbaijan –
who spend collectively close to $4 million a year in anti-Armenian
lobbying (according to the U.S. Justice Department records); 10 – 50
times that when taking into account alliances with multinanational
corporate interests – co-opted and coerced to promote agendas of
genocide denial and efforts to quash the right to self-determination
of a freedom loving people. And as if that is not enough, we need to
stand up to forces in our own government – the U.S. government – who
dishonor the founding principles of our nation – of life, liberty –
for the sake of perceived short term political gain.

And you need Capital. Human Capital – activists and advocates like
yourselves who look at the challenges facing the future of our nation
and say – as our Homenetmen Scouts said this evening – Meeshd Badrasd
(Always Prepared). A community prepared to be the sword and shield of
Armenian values in the political battlefield, just as our ancestors
did in Avarayr, in Sardarabad and our brothers and sisters did in
Karabakh when our nation needed them most.

Washington DC is a city of embassies and ambassadors – representing
countries large and small. Here in the U.S., the Armenian nation has
1.5 million Ambassadors – each of us with an opportunity in the world
of business, politics, even pop-culture, entertainment and sports –
to advance the Armenian Cause.

And to educate, motivate and activate this second army of the Armenian
nation – you need the other kind of Capital – financial Capital. To
invest in programs like the Capital Gateway Program – bringing the
best and brightest to Washington, DC to become the future leaders of
this country. To continue internship programs like the Leo Sarkisian
Internship, and our internships in the Western United States and
Glendale and to expand to Burbank and every other community, to prepare
the new generation of Hai Tahd activists. To set up programs like the
Hyevotes initiative – not just in California and Massachusetts and
New York and New Jersey where our traditional communities lie – but in
Florida, and Ohio and other swing states that are going to decide who
the next President of the United States will be. To encourage broader
Armenian American participation in ALL political parties – as elected
officials and community advocates – so that our voice is heard from the
city council to the White House, so that politicians intent on double
crossing our community, of renegging on campaign promises, of saying
one thing and doing another – face the consequences they deserve.

To invest in programs that would expand our reach in media and ensure
our nation, our values, our history is represented properly. To battle
anti-Armenian defamation and racism – locally or nationally. To ensure
that the Hai Tahd message doesn’t just go out to 30,000 ANCA facebook
friends or 100,000 folks on our email list – but 300,000 or 3 million
world wide.

That is what your support for the ANCA Burbank and the ANCA Endowment
Fund does, ladies and gentlemen. That is what your support for 2006
and 2009 Telethons has contributed to the Armenian Cause. And that
is why your support for the May 20th Telethon is so vital to our
collective efforts.

Let me wrap up with one final thought.

I talked about the 3 C’s of our community’s success. There is a fourth
‘C’, that I only mention to the closest of our supporters. The ones
who really understand the powerful forces that we are up against,
the mighty battles we have to fight.

You have to be a little Crazy. A little Khent. Raffi Khent, who’s
novel of the same name was a call to action to an entire nation.

Barouyr Sevag Khent – whose song depicting Sardarabad best describes
our nation’s political challenges – Yerp chee mnoom yelk oo jar,
Khentern en kdnoom hnar. [When there remains no way out, it is the
Khent that finds a way.]

Took ek, sireliner, aysorvah khenteruh vor beedee gerden mer azkee
baydzar abakan. Yev yes, yerakhdabard em vor indzee areetuh dvadz ek
tser hed baykareloo. [Ladies and Gentlemen, you are today’s Khents
who will build a brighter future for Armenia. And I am an grateful
for the opportunity to go into battle with you.]

EXPERT: AZERIS KNOW WELL HOW TO USE PSYCHOLOGICAL WEAPONS

arminfo
Wednesday, May 16, 21:51

The Azeris know well how to use psychological weapons. They are
currently trying to turn the Armenians living in Armenia against
their brothers in Nagorno-Karabakh, military expert David Jamalyan
told journalists on Wednesday.

He said that the no war no peace situation is a heavy psychological
burden for both nations.

As regards the military aspect, the expert said that in the past 18
years the Armenian army has strengthened its positions all along the
border, and should there be a new war, it will easily cut the east
of Azerbaijan from its west.

“We have an advantage over our enemy, and all of the enemy’s
provocations will receive an adequate response,” Jamalyan said.

ARIF YUNUSOV: FEW PEOPLE IN AZERBAIJAN BELIEVE THAT THE WEST WILL SUPPORT IN KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT
by David Stepanyan

arminfo
Wednesday, May 16, 18:24

Interview of Arif Yunusov, Head of the Conflict Studies and Migration
Department of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, with ArmInfo
news agency

On 1 May 2012 the non-permanent member of the UN Security Council
Azerbaijan took chairmanship in this structure. The first speech of
President Aliyev, in which he blamed Armenia for terrorism against
Azerbaijan and directly linked terror with the Karabakh conflict,
has demonstrated his intention to use the platform of the Security
Council like a means for pushing his position on the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict bypassing Minsk Group co-chairmen. What are the prospects
of such a position?

Today the Azeri and Armenian authorities do not trust each other
and are waging an open information war. They are trying to use any
tribune and opportunity for gaining the upper hand.

Therefore, Azerbaijan’s non-permanent membership and now chairmanship
in the UN Security Council was good news for the Azeris and bad news
for the Armenians – for both sides perfectly knew that this would be
used in their information war.

Had Armenia been in Azerbaijan’s place, President Sargsyan would have
also tried to use that tribune for accusing Azerbaijan and Turkey. So,
to me Aliyev’s speech is normal. The question is how effective it
was and what it will give Azerbaijan. Of course, all this information
war is creating new obstacles to the settlement. If the Armenian and
Azeri presidents trusted each other, everything would be different,
but this, alas, is not so. I am a realist and perfectly understand
that Azerbaijan will use the Security Council’s tribune for propaganda
only and will not be able to push its resolution bypassing the OSCE MG.

Should there be such an attempt, it will be cut short by the MG
co-chairs.

What is today’s specifics of relations between the West and official
Baku? Does Baku continue selling oil and gas on privilege prices with
a hope to be supported in the matter of Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
settlement?

First, Azerbaijan was conducting its oil policy thinking that in an
exchange for favorable terms in delivery of energy resources, the
West and first of all the USA will support to resolve the Karabakh
conflict. But time showed that these illusions are still illusions.

Having got its share in the energy resources, the West was not eager
to help Azerbaijan in the Karabakh settlement. However, this does not
hinder the authorities of Azerbaijan to believe that such a policy
will give, or in other words, should give its fruits sooner or later.

Today, another geo-political factor has been added to the issue
of energy resources – the role of Russia with its
and the problem of Iran, which undoubtedly raises the role of
Azerbaijan in the region for the western countries. The countries
of the European Union have recently started drawing more attention
at the relations with Azerbaijan, as it is very much important for
them to find alternative to the Russian gas. As for the USA, it may
let itself not to be concerned much about the “gas policy” of Russia,
as the role of Azerbaijan in the matter of Iran is more important for
the USA. As a result, all this together has led to the situation, that
on the one hand, in Azerbaijan the authorities still believe they have
an opportunity for using the energy resources factor and the factor
of its role in the region for the Karabakh issue settlement. And on
the other hand, the western countries especially the European ones
have started developing the relations with Azerbaijan more actively
and showing special attention to the energy problems. However, the
situation in the public opinion of Azerbaijan has changed much. In
the middle of the 90s Azerbaijan had romantic views about the role
and potential of the West in the matter of Karabakh returning and
life improvement in Azerbaijan, including the aid for democratizing

of the country. But these illusions disappeared quickly especially
during Ilham Aliyev’s tenure. And the anti-American and anti-western
mood has started growing quickly in Azerbaijan, especially along
with growing of the islamist factor influence in the society. And
representatives of the western countries, including diplomats, have
started taking this moment into consideration.

I think that for this reason the western diplomats have been trying
to persuade the Azerbaijani society that the countries represented
by them in Azerbaijan are concerned not so much about the energy
resources, as about the democracy problems. But the more they say
about it, the less the society trusts in them, as there is a widely
spread viewpoint in the Azerbaijani society, according to which,
actually the West needed only the energy resources in Azerbaijan.

Few people in Azerbaijan believe that the West will support in the
matter of Nagornyy Karabakh conflict resolving.

President Obama has recently appointed ” oil expert” Richard
Morningstar a new ambassador of the USA to Azerbaijan. Is such an
appointment evidence of the priorities of the USA in Azerbaijan?

By appointing another oil expert Richard Morningstar as its ambassador
to Azerbaijan the United States has proved the continuity of its
policy in the country and the region. The problem N1 for the Obama
Administration for the moment is Iran, the problems N2 and N3 being
energy resources and Russia. These are the three priorities of
the United States’ policy in the Caucasus and Azerbaijan. The last
question is not being mentioned in public, but everybody understands
that despite declared partnership, the United States and Russia are
strongly confronting each other in the region. Despite assurances
that human rights and democracy are

also a priority, the Americans keep closing their eyes on human rights
violations in Azerbaijan and are focused exclusively on their geo-
political and energy ambitions.

The authorities of Azerbaijan have taken great efforts and spending
big funds for creation of the Azerbaijani lobbyist organizations in
the USA and Europe. They do that as a counterbalance to the Armenian
lobbyist organizations functioning for many years. How successful
is their activity? And is it stemming from the interests of the
Azerbaijani people?

Over the last years the Azerbaijani authorities invested much for
creation or enhancing of the Diaspora Azerbaijani organizations
acting in the western countries. Actually, they do that as a counter
to the Armenian Diaspora organizations. It could not be in another
way, as the Karabakh conflict has not been settled yet. The Armenian
Diaspora organizations have been doing the same, but in their activity
they first of all mean Turkey and then Azerbaijan. That is to say,
they have been acting against the countries, which they have got a
conflict or a serious unsettled problem with. This is stemming from
the interests of the Azerbaijani people as much as the activity of
the Armenian Diaspora organizations is stemming from the interests of
the people of Armenia. All this is a mirror reflection of the conflict.

Much will change after settlement of the conflict. However, we still
have what we should have in the conditions of the unsettled conflict.

The same has been taking place in the sniper and sabotage war at the
Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact, as a result of which people
fall every week. As a result, the feeling of hatred raises among
Armenians and Azerbaijanis to those who have been regularly breaking
the ceasefire regime and killing civilians for the last 18 years. For
this reason, in the Azerbaijani society the facts of people’s death
cause negative reaction against the enemy, i.e. the Armenians. We
see the same attitude in the Armenian society to the Azerbaijanis.

The mass collisions between the people and police have recently taken
place in the regions of Azerbaijan populated by the Lezgins and the
Talishes. What are their reasons?

I have not heard of any clashes with the police in the southern region
densely populated with the Talishes. Someone outside Azerbaijan has
hastily presented the situation as such.

There is a social factor in those clashes. The social factor was big
also before. The situation in the provinces is deteriorating year by
year, first of all, because of the bureaucratic outrage and high level
of corruption. Therefore, in various regions of Azerbaijan such clashes
with the police and public unrest have become quite frequent over the
last years. Last year there were especially serious clashes with the
police in the Sabirabad and Saatli regions, for instance. All this is
not news for us. There is unrest in the north of Azerbaijan, in the
town of Guba, in the current year that evoked wide response both in
Azerbaijan and outside it. It was after the unrest in Guba that those
fantastic versions of clashes with ethnic overtones originated. There
were reports on the unrest among the Lezgin population, Jews, Tats and
other national minorities. However, there was no ethnic factor in those
clashes, for most of the activists were Azerbaijanis by nationality.

The residents of Guba were protesting against activity of the head
of the local administration whose tyranny has led the people to the
‘boiling point’. In fact, there was social outbreak. Afterwards,
in other regions of Azerbaijan the population also woke up and the
authorities had nothing to do but dismiss the especially odious
officials to avoid repetition of the incidents in Guba.

DOCTOR FOUND HANGED IN OWN APARTMENT IN ARMENIA

news.am
May 16, 2012 | 15:28

YEREVAN. – A doctor was found hanged in own apartment on Wednesday,
police informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. According to a source, urologist
who worked at Yerevan’s Erebuni medical center Armen Tumanyan, 48,
had committed a suicide.

The head of the medical center Arthur Rostomyan said that Tumanyan
had been ill for a week and had been absent from work. Rostomyan had
nothing else to tell on possible reasons for committing a suicide.

EU HELPS DEVELOPING, CSTO DOES NOT
Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 12:12:54 – 16/05/2012

While during the CIS and CTSO summits in Moscow Vladimir Putin said the
CIS members are the main strategic partners of Russia, the European
Commission announced about the roadmap it has worked out ahead of
the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The roadmap
is called to boost by joint efforts the political association and
economic integration of Eastern Partnership member states with the EU,
said the EU commissioner for enlargement Stefan Fule.

“Armenia has achieved significant progress in the creation of
conditions ensuring the start of negotiations over the creation of a
Free trade zone. Overall, Armenia has progressed also regarding the
human rights and democracy issues”, the European Commission report
runs. It is noteworthy that the European Union called to ensure
accessibility of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent territories to its
representatives without any preconditions.

Today the Russian Vedomosti published an article of the Armenian
premier in which he actually stated that the economic integration
into the CIS is not beneficial to Armenia in the sense that they
don’t have common borders and so this won’t boost economic growth in
Armenia. He stated that Armenia’s cooperation with the European Union
is much more beneficial since it changes Armenia to comply with the
European standards.

“The agreement on free trade zone with the EU will ensure significant
progress in Armenia and will enhance export and import,” says Tigran
Sargsyan in the aforementioned article.

Actually, the forecasts of the analysts that the RPA faction
will represent the European trend, while the Prosperous Armenia
will represent the Russian trend, Heritage and Free Democrats the
pro-American trend, turn out to be true. Despite supporters of the
Eurasian Union on the Republican list, Tigran Sargsyan’s article
shows that the RPA will be inclined for association with the EU.

What can Russia do to prevent such course of developments? The first
statement has already been made. Dmitri Medvedev promised Serzh
Sargsyan “to support by all means the social-economic development
of Armenia.” This means that Russia may lend more money to Armenia
“to save the economy”. A similar step was taken in 2009 when it became
clear that Armenia’s economy cannot deal with the crisis alone. Later,
this loan was referred to for hundreds of times as a symbol of the
Armenian-Russian friendship.

Will Armenia accept the loan? Judging by Tigran Sargsyan’s interview,
Armenia may refuse.

The strengthening of the CSTO may become an argument for Russia to
attract Armenia. CSTO’s members facing security challenges, it serves
as support to the ruling regimes in the member states. This time, the
final resolution of the CSTO summit did not specify common challenges
of member states.

Nursultan Nazarbayev stated that CSTO leaders discussed in a
narrow circle further development of collective measures, including
counteraction to threats and challenges coming from Afghanistan. The
situation in the Near East, developments in Syria and Iranian nuclear
issues were also among the discussed topics.

All this can hardly be called issues of vital importance for Armenia.

But its authorities may be interested in Lukashenko’s statement:
“No one will attack CSTO countries openly but many are eager to carry
out coups.”

KREMLIN DOESN’T LIKE ARMENIA’S NEW PARLIAMENT
JAMES HAKOBYAN

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 10:13:28 – 16/05/2012

After the previous presidential elections in 2008, Serzh Sargsyan
visited Moscow and thanked the Russian president for support.

Four years have passed, another national election was held. After
the victory, Serzh Sargsyan again visited Moscow to attend the CIS
and CSTO meetings but this time he didn’t thank Putin for support in
the election.

Either Serzh Sargsyan understood from the previous experience that it
is at least strange that the president of a sovereign country thanks
the leader of the partner country and not the local voters, or Putin
has not showed any support to the parliamentary elections this time.

Putin may have supported a different force. Interestingly, Serzh
Sargsyan did not meet with President Putin in Moscow, but with Prime
Minister Medvedev.

In this meeting, Medvedev made an interesting statement.

Congratulating Serzh Sargsyan on the victory and holding out hope that
this success will boost the development of Armenia, Medvedev reiterated
Russia’s support to this process. “Armenia and Russia, according to the
Russian PM, remain good friends and allies,” the official message runs.

The interesting thing is the phrase “remain good friends and allies”.

Russia sounds somehow offended. It states that it “remains” a friend
and ally of Armenia, as if underlining that it remains such despite
its dissatisfaction with the process or the outcome of the elections
or perhaps even the post-election situation.

Russia seems to be conveying that though Armenia offended it with the
new parliament but it is generous and will remain our friend and ally.

What the friendship and alliance of Russia means can be seen in the
pages of the Armenian history. It is a chain of betrayals and deals
behind Armenia’s back, the modern phase of which is Russia’s relations
with Azerbaijan when it sells weapons of strategic importance to a
country which threatens to launch a war on its friend and ally and
kill its citizens.

In such cases, it would not be bad if Armenia started “offending”
Russia to make it understand that Moscow should give up the historic
tradition of fulfilling its interest and launching ties on account
of Armenia.

SEXUAL VIOLATION AGAINST UNDERAGE CONFIRMED IN ARMENIA’S HARTASHEN

news.am
May 15, 2012 | 20:52

YEREVAN. – Forensic-medical expertise confirmed sexual violation
against underage, the investigator Mkhitar Tigranyan told Armenian
News-NEWS.am.

The only suspect on the case so far is the Hartashen community head,
teacher Azat Ghukasyan. However, his guilt is still to be confirmed
or rejected.

The agency has earlier informed that Hartashen community head and
teacher in Armenia’s Syunik Region is suspected for having raped
an underage.

PARLIAMENT TO INVESTIGATE ARMENIA’S CONTROVERSIAL NUCLEAR PLANT

Today’s Zaman
May 14 2012
Turkey

A group of deputies submitted a joint proposal to the Office of the
Speaker of Parliament last Wednesday to establish a commission to
investigate the risks to Turkey posed by Armenia’s controversial
Metsamor nuclear power plant.

Recalling that Armenia’s Metsamor nuclear power plant is located 16
kilometers from the Turkish border and very close to Turkey’s eastern
provinces of Igdır, Kars, Ardahan and Agrı, the proposal stated: “The
plant is located in an earthquake zone. After a devastating earthquake
in 1988 that caused 25,000 deaths, the plant was seriously damaged
and it was leaking for the next three months. Armenian authorities
shut it down, but it was reopened in 1993.”

In their proposal the deputies called on Armenia to shut down the plant
for the safety of the region and added that Parliament should set
up a parliamentary research commission to investigate the potential
risks the nuclear power plant poses to Turkey’s eastern provinces
and the effects of the earthquake that hit southern Armenia in 1988
on the plant and the region.

Armenia’s Metsamor nuclear power plant was built in the 1970s, but the
technology installed at that time is no longer acceptable by modern
safety standards. It was closed due to an earthquake in Armenia
in 1988, but the Armenian government decided to reopen the damaged
plant in 1993, citing an energy shortage in the country. Currently,
Metsamor provides 45 percent of the country’s electric consumption.

The Metsamor nuclear power plant has been labeled by the European
Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as one of
the five most dangerous nuclear facilities in the world.

In 1999, the EU sent a delegation to Yerevan to conduct an on-site
inspection of the plant. Simultaneous investigations by the IAEA and
the EU concluded that the plant should be immediately shut down.

Before becoming a member of the European Council on Jan. 25, 2001,
Armenia pledged to close the plant by 2004. In return, the EU would
reimburse Armenia’s losses by up to 100 million euros. Armenia found
the EU’s proposal insufficient and requested 1 billion euros instead.

Later the EU increased its pressure and Armenia declared that it
would not close the plant.

TEACHERS TREATED TO LOUNGE MAKEOVER AT HOVSEPIAN SCHOOL IN PASADENA
By James Figueroa

Pasadena Star-News

May 15 2012
CA

PASADENA – St. Gregory A.&M. Hovsepian School had its own version of
“Extreme Makeover” last week, the teachers lounge edition.

Parents and board members from the small Armenian school chipped in
funds and volunteered their time, surprising teachers by renovating
the lounge with a paint job, new furniture and upgraded appliances.

It all culminated in teacher appreciation day as the teachers came
to work May 7 to discover their new home away from home.

“They were just shocked, they couldn’t believe it,” said parent
Aline Boulgourjian, who chaired the project. “Just the morale has
been amazing in the school in the last week.”

Teachers say they are using the lounge far more often than they did
previously, happy to have a coffee machine, a water cooler, a laptop
and a functioning microwave.

The room also has a relaxing atmosphere, with a new sofa set, various
photos of the teachers with students and a small water fountain. An
inspirational note painted on the wall reads: “A teacher takes a hand,
opens a mind, and touches a heart.”

“I love it. It’s the perfect place to unwind, and just have a little
bit of personal time,” teacher Armig Matosian said. “It’s so nice to
be in there now.”

Boulgourjian managed to coordinate the project without using tuition
funds, instead relying on donations and fundraising.

Eight members of the school’s board, including Principal Shahe
Mankerian, donated $250 each

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for the effort. The Parent Teacher Organization also raised money
through a bake sale.

“The really amazing thing was how everyone came together,” Boulgourjian
said. “The whole parents, community, even alumni just pitched in,
gave their time, gave their money, whatever they could give.”

Mankerian said he was just as surprised to see the final result as
the teachers were.

“The beauty of this whole thing is the teachers never asked for it,”
Mankerian said.

Previously, the lounge was drab and rundown, with an old, rusting
refrigerator and frayed couches. The microwave didn’t work, and there
was little reason to use it.

“It was a typical teachers lounge at any private or public school,
neglected on some level, things had been just dumped there over the
years,” Mankerian said.

Project organizers convinced teachers to stay out of the room in the
days before the makeover by claiming there was a mold problem.

“People were going in and out measuring windows and trying to figure
out how to make the furniture fit in the room,” Boulgourjian said. “We
had to keep them away.”

With the improvements, teachers now find themselves with an inviting
place to get their morning coffee.

“Now we don’t want to leave,” teacher Maro Shahinian said.

5TH ISLAM AND ARMENIAN CHURCH DIALOGUE KICKS OFF IN TEHRAN

Ahlul Bayt News Agency

May 15 2012
Iran

The fifth round of dialogues between the Center for Interreligious
Dialogue and the Armenian Orthodox Church, Catholicosate of Cilicia,
kicks off yesterday, May 14, in Tehran.

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – The fifth round of dialogues between the
Center for Interreligious Dialogue and the Armenian Orthodox Church,
Catholicosate of Cilicia, kicks off yesterday, May 14, in Tehran.

Titled “The Role of Religion in Promotion of Ethical Values in the
Society”, the forum has been organized by the Organization for Culture
and Islamic Relations in cooperation with Armenian Orthodox Church.

A number of officials and experts including Dr Mohammad Baqer
Khorramshad, head of the organization, Ayatollah Taskhiri, Secretary
General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of
Thought, Archbishop Sebuh Sarkisian, the Armenian Orthodox primate
of the diocese of Tehran, Patriarch Aram Keshishian, Catholicos
of Cilicia for the Armenian Orthodox and Mohammad Reza Dehshiri,
educational-research deputy of the organization, are among the leading
figures attending the event.

Mohammad Reza Dehshiri gave a speech at the meeting and elaborated
on the cultural commonalities of the two faiths namely Islam and
Christianity, describing Armenian religious minority as the biggest
minority group in the country.

“Islamic Republic of Iran attaches great importance to the status
and rights of all the religious minorities in the country”.

Referring to the historical aspects of ethics in Islam and
Christianity, he underscored the pivotal role of ethics in resolving
crises during the history and described the relationship of Fiqh and
ethics as crucial in both faiths.

It is underway at the premises of Culture and Islamic Relations
Organization.