Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ARMENIE
La compagnie aérienne arménienne Atlantis prend livraison de son premier avion

Atlantis European Airways (TD, Erevan) a pris livraison de son premier
avion, un A320-200 autrefois appartenant au transporteur Armavia (U8,
Erevan). Selon Skyliner l’avion EK-32008 sera utilisé pour les vols de
loisirs et fait actuellement l’objet des vérifications d’entretien à
Erevan Atlantis réalise des vols au départ d’ Erevan vers Vienne et à
destination de Prague.

samedi 15 novembre 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIE
Déclaration du Synode des évêques de la Sainte Eglise apostolique Arménienne

Nous exprimons notre satisfaction à la Sainte Trinité, le Père, le
Fils et le Saint-Esprit qui du 11 au 13 novembre, nous a accordé la
grce à la veille du 100e anniversaire du génocide arménien, de
convoquer le Synode des évêques dans le Saint Siège, dans le cadre du
présidence de Sa Sainteté Karékine II, Patriarche suprême et
Catholicos de tous les Arméniens ; et Sa Sainteté Aram Ier, Catholicos
de la Grande Maison de Cilicie ; et de discuter de questions
concernant notre Eglise et notre peuple.

Dans la prière, nous nous souvenons des innombrables victimes du
génocide arménien qui ont été martyrisés pour le bien de la foi et de
la patrie. Nous croyons que la canonisation des victimes innocentes
apportera une consolation à nos fils. Nous exhortons les enfants de
notre pays dans le monde entier à apporter leur participation active
aux manifestations commémoratives du 100e anniversaire de la
canonisation et des victimes innocentes.

Le Synode des évêques propose une invitation au monde chrétien de se
joindre à la prière dédiée au 100e anniversaire du génocide arménien,
et aux cérémonies commémoratives qui se tiendra en 2015, demandant la
bénédiction du Seigneur pour la justice, la paix et la réconciliation
dans le monde, et surmonter les nombreux problèmes et défis de
l’humanité.

Nous appelons résolument la communauté internationale à poursuivre les
efforts pour la reconnaissance et la condamnation du premier génocide
du 20e siècle, commis contre le peuple arménien par l’Empire ottoman.
Nous demandons également à la République de Turquie de reconnaître le
génocide perpétré contre le peuple arménien et de rétablir les droits
de notre peuple.

Nous prions Dieu pour nos martyrs ; pour le repos des mes qui sont
tués en protégeant les frontières de l’Arménie et l’Artsakh. Nous
condamnons les opérations militaires débridées de l’Azerbaïdjan, à la
frontière de l’Arménie et de la république du Haut Karabagh, dont la
dernière provocation douloureuse pendant les jours du Synode des
évêques fut la chute de l’hélicoptère arménien entraînant la perte
tragique de nos fils. Nous élevons une prière pour les mes de nos
fils tués, offrant nos condoléances et notre soutien aux familles des
soldats courageux qui sont morts pour notre pays.

Le Synode des évêques exprime sa préoccupation pour les différentes
r̩gions du monde, notamment au Moyen-Orient Рen Syrie et en Irak ;
ainsi que pour le conflit en cours en Ukraine, qui ont causé la perte
de nombreuses vies humaines et crée la destruction. Nous offrons notre
soutien aux civils vivant dans les zones de conflit, y compris les
enfants de notre pays, priant pour l’arrêt immédiat des opérations
militaires et la mise en place universelle et durable de la paix.

Avec la confiance que
From: Baghdasarian

Hermès’ Armenian alphabet scarf goes on sale

12:21 * 15.11.14

The legendary luxury brand Hermès unveiled in early September a new
scarf featuring an Armenian alphabet motif to mark the 25th
anniversary of the establishment of the Solidarité Protestante
France-Arménie (SPFA), a humanitarian organization created in France
in 1990 to aid victims of the Spitak earthquake in Armenia.

On Wednesday, Pierre-Alexis Dumas, artistic director of Hermès, and
Janik Manissian, president of SPFA, announced that the silk carré will
be on sale, by subscription only, until Nov. 30.

The proceeds from the exclusive, limited edition scarf are to be
donated to the SPFA for its continued efforts in Armenia.

Ten years after “Jardins d’Arménie,” the new design by Hermès, called
“Lettres d’Erevan,” celebrates 25 years of the SPFA. The silk scarf is
presented in two colors. The scarf, featuring the Armenian alphabet,
is a “testimony to the surprising vitality of the Armenian people and
their culture,” as Pierre-Alexis Dumas explained during the
presentation at the Petrossian Restaurant & Boutique in Beverly Hills.

On the scarf, dropped capitals and friezes are drawn in delicate
calligraphy and illuminated in the style of ancient manuscripts. In
the middle of the writing, under a richly embellished arch, a sage
sits meditating beneath a starry sky; in his hands, he holds the tools
of knowledge: a quill and an open book.

Speaking to Asbarez, the SPFA’s general secretary Clément
Hellich-Praquin expressed her organization’s gratitude for the
initiative from Hermès. “As a small organization that struggles to
meet its operational needs through limited resources, this is truly a
great honor for us,” Hellich-Praquin said. “We can continue to do
great work for young children in Armenia and Artsakh thanks to this
gesture from Hermès.”

From: Baghdasarian

New Indian Express
November 13, 2014 Thursday

The Top 20 Unmissable Experiences in the City of Joy

BENGALURU

BENGALURU, Nov. 13 — Kolkata, the grand doyen of the East, where
history is a living, breathing root of the city, providing it the
nourishment to limp through its not-s0-glorious present. Kolkata, the
city which nurtures art, culture, music and poetry and also sounds the
death knell for commerce and industry. Kolkata, a haven for immigrants
and refugees, from the handful of Jews and Armenians to the
disappearing Chinese who made this city their nerve centre and
established their culinary sway over India through their hybrid food.
Kolkata, a city where Christmas is a state festival, celebrated with
fervour and excitement-a city that knows its Christmas carols and the
right consistency of the plum pudding-a knowledge gleaned through the
British Raj and the vibrant Anglo-Indian community.

Kolkata, a city of political idealism and idealistic kerfuffles.
Kolkata, a city of fabulous food, madness, contradictions and great
beauty to the eyes of a somewhat biased observer like me. However,
partiality aside, here is a list of the top 20 things to do in the
city, things that would complete any tourist’s itinerary and remain
the much-loved nostalgia-inspiring treats for an erstwhile Cal cuttan
returning to his or her home.Take a boat ride on the Hooghly that
snakes its way through the city. This is a great way to watch the life
on the banks, unravelling before your eyes in a slow and unrushed
manner. Late afternoon is the best time to hire one of the numerous
noukas or country boats at the Princep Ghat. Watch the sky change
colours as the boatman rows you into a golden sunset.

Go on a tonga ride around the Victoria Memorial in the evening.
Especially enjoyable in winter. While this activity might be obviously
touristy, there is some amount of charm in the ride around the
greenest and prettiest part of the city. Take your loved one, climb on
to the carriage and slip into another era. Tongas are available for
hire in front of the Victoria Memorial.

Indulge in the unforgettable rich plum cake from Nahoums, an Armenian
bakery in New Market which used to make the best Christmas cakes and
remains a part of every Calcuttan’s Christmas itinerary. While the
last Armenian owner just passed away, his employees continue to run
this age-old establishment.

Catch the best live music in town at Someplace Else in the Park Hotel.
This iconic bar has developed an identity of its own, nurturing new
musicians and initiating generations of young people into the hallowed
world of rock n roll. Whatever be your favoured style-blues, jazz, or
good old-fashioned rock n roll, Someplace Else provides something for
every kind of music aficionado.

Olypub is a dusty old character-laden bar on Park Street which is a
good place to catch a quick beer and a fine Steak Chateaubriand. They
grill this meat in magical ways and rare, medium or well done you are
likely to get a surprisingly wonderful steak as well as some great
conversation with the regulars who patronize the joint. While a recent
fire shut the establishment, everyone is waiting for the pub to
reopen.

Eat a chello kebab platter at the Peter Cat restaurant. This entirely
appropriated version of an Irani classic with succulent mutton/chicken
kebabs on a skewer, buttery rice, roasted vegetables and an egg fried
sunny side up on top, makes it a perfect symphony of flavours. No
wonder hundreds of chello kebab platters roll out of the restaurant’s
kitchens.

Visit Kumartuli to check out this artisan community that showcases
some of the most beautiful art work by local craftsmen, sculptors and
potters as they make idols of gods and goddesses. Visit in the run-up
to the Durga Puja to see the colony buzzing with activity.

Eat the typical and mouth-watering Kolkata-style biryani at Arsalan,
complete with the saffron grains of rice, melt-the-mouth chunks of
meat, whole fragrant potatoes and a boiled egg.

Take a tram ride down Red Road, the central artery of the city. This
is a lovely way of enjoying this laidback and historical city and the
ride is through the Maidan, which is one of the greenest stretches in
Kolkata.

Revisit Tagore’s life at the Jorasanko Thakur Bari, the ancestral home
of the Tagores.

The house has been restored and converted into a museum and gives
visitors an insight into the life and influences of this noble father
of Bengali art, music and culture.

Discover the marvellous architecture and history of the erstwhile
zamindars, intellectuals and student revolutionaries on a North
Kolkata walk. The labyrinthine lanes of the old city offer surprises
at every turn and an organized walk by companies like Calcutta Walks
or a resident who knows the history of the area can add value to your
wanderings in this atmospheric part of the city.

Visit a traditional fish market and watch the innumerable fresh fish
on display as well as the whole process of assessing, bargaining and
buying. Mornings at the Gariahat Market are a good time to experience
an ordinary day in the life of a fish market.

Take in the imposing Gothic architecture of St Paul’s Cathedral in the
heart of the city. The seat of the Anglican Diocese of Kolkatta, this
is a grand sprawling structure with an awe-inspiring midnight mass on
Christmas eve.

Volunteer or simply visit Mother House, the headquarters of the
Missionaries of Charity, which has great historical value as the
one-time abode and resting place of Mother Teresa.

Don’t miss a photo-op at the Malik Ghat flower market thriving on the
banks of the Hooghly. This colourful mess of all kinds of beautiful
fresh flowers, right below the Howrah Bridge is a sensory early
morning experience.

Visit Calcutta University and Presidency College, world renowned
academic institutions, which are worth a visit for their architectural
styles. Take a walk down the corridors that have produced numerous
eminent personalities. Both are on College Street

Victoria Memorial might be an odd relic from the Raj. but it is grand,
opulent and worth a trip. Its lovely lawns under the shadow of a
massive statue of Queen Victoria are a great picnic spot.

Give in to your religious side at the Kalighat temple. This chaotic
and ancient temple is much venerated as one of the 51 Shakti peethas
and is believed to be the spot where the toes of the Goddess Sati fell
to earth.

Do not miss a football match in progress at one of the clubs in the
Maidan to get a feel between the legendary rivalry between the Mohan
Bagan and East Bengal football teams. The practice matches are usually
free and there is a lot of good natured ribbing that goes on during
the game as supporters gather on to cheer their favourites.

Stay at the Fairlawn Hotel which is renowned for its famous guests
like Dominique Lapierre, Shashi Kapoor (there is a room named after
him). The hotel has a cluttered Victorian air and till very recently,
had a wonderful proprietor, the indomitable Mrs Violet Smith, who
would watch over single female travelers with a watchful eye and would
regale anyone willing to listen with stories of a bygone era.

From: Baghdasarian

The Southland Times (New Zealand)
November 13, 2014 Thursday

Acclaimed cellist to play at Civic Theatre

One of the world’s most promising musicians will visit Invercargill
later this month.

Acclaimed Armenian star cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan will join the New
Zealand Symphony Orchestra for its In the Hall of the Mountain King
concert at the Civic Theatre on November 26.

Mentored by Mstislav Rostropovich, one of the greatest cellists of the
20th century, 26-year- old Hakhnazaryan took First Prize and the Gold
Medal in the cello portion of the 2011 International Tchaikovsky
Competition and three years earlier won first prize in the Young
Concert Artists International Auditions.

Born into a family of musicians, his father is a violinist and his
mother is a pianist, he entered the Moscow Conservatory at age 12.

Critics around the world have been enthusiastic in their praise, with
Britain’s Independent newspaper describing him playing with “a tone
whose beauty shone all the more brightly for its restraint and when he
did let rip, it was with blazing virtuosity”, before adding that “he
could certainly give Yo-Yo Ma a run for his money”.

The accolades have been just as forthcoming across the other side of
the Atlantic, with the Washington Post hailing him as a “seasoned
phenom” and the New York Times praising him for his “intense focus and
expressive artistry”.

Hakhnazaryan will perform Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme
with the NZSO, a cello and orchestra piece that the Russian composer
wrote in homage to Mozart. It has been described as a challenging
piece that “puts a cellist through a no- break-allowed, high-register
ordeal”. The evening’s programme will also include works by Mozart and
Greig, including the latter’s Peer Gynt Suite No 1 that features the
short orchestral piece that the title of the NZSO’s South Island
concert tour is taken from.

The NZSO’s In the Hall of the Mountain King tour hits Invercargill’s
Civic Theatre at 7.30pm on Wednesday, November 26. Tickets via
ticketdirect.co.nz.

From: Baghdasarian

Prince Andrew secretly flies to Azerbaijan for meeting with the president
By Rebecca English for the Daily Mail
14 November 2014

Prince Andrew faces international censure after flying out yesterday
on a secret visit to meet the controversial president of Azerbaijan.

The Queen’s son flew out of the UK on a private jet for talks with
billionaire despot Ilham Aliyev, who has been repeatedly accused of
appalling human rights abuses.

It is understood that the royal will stay in the capital, Baku, until
Sunday and his ‘private’ four-day trip includes at least one face to
face meeting with the leader. When visiting Azerbaijan Andrew is known
as ‘the dear guest’.

His visit was not publicised in the list of official royal engagements
in advance and last night Buckingham Palace would only say: ‘By long
standing convention we do not confirm or comment on private travel by
members of the Royal Family.’

However it is understood that taxpayers are not being forced to foot
the bill for the jolly, aside from the cost of security.

Details of the trip only emerged after a British Government source
tipped off the pressure group, Platform, which campaigns against
social and environmental abuses associated with the energy industry.

Its spokesman, Emma Hughes, accused the prince of having a ‘cosy
relationship’ with President Aliyev and demanded to know in what
capacity he was visiting Azerbaijan.

Andrew was forced to give up his globe-trotting royal role as a UK
trade envoy in 2011 after years of public criticism.

While his efforts were lauded by some respected names in the business
community, he was also repeatedly accused of wasting taxpayers’ money
on chartering costly private jets and helicopters – including £387,000
in his last few months in the job.

Some of his business trips were also noted to coincide with golfing
trips or private holidays.

The prince also faced scrutiny over claims he was ‘cashing in’ on
connections he had developed through his role including the sale of
his Berkshire home for £15 million – £3million over the asking price –
to the son-in-law of the controversial Kazakhstan president, a
personal friend and goose hunting partner.

The final nail in the coffin was the furore over his close friendship
with Jeffrey Epstein, a billionaire US financier who was convicted and
jailed for soliciting prostitution from underage girls. The pair were
photographed together in New York after Epstein had been released from
prison.

During his decade as the UK’s Special Representative for Trade and
Industry he also forged a close relationship with the President of
Azerbaijan, an oil and gas-rich former Soviet state.

Officially, he has now met with him on 12 occasions, although it is
believed that he has also enjoyed numerous private encounters too.

In June 2009 Andrew spent an estimated £60,000 of public money on
chartering a luxury private jet for a three-day visit.

And in November 2012 the Mail revealed how the prince had even made a
covert stop-off to visit the president en route to an official tour of
the Middle East.

On another earlier stay he was reported to have visited a luxury spa
owned by President Aliyev, which employs a blind Russian masseur
described as having the best hands in the world.

And in 2013 this newspaper also revealed that Andrew had been given a
valuable ornamental sword and a box of caviar by Aliyev when was guest
of honour at his dinner table.

The Prince is also friendly with the president’s wife Mehriban, and
her two glamorous daughters, one of whom, Leyla, is married to the son
of a Russian oligarch and lives in a penthouse overlooking Hyde Park
in London.

The disclosures have added to the disquiet over the prince’s
relationships with the leaders of dubious regimes, as Azerbaijan is
considered to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

The regularity of his visits have also led media in the former Soviet
state to speculate that the Queen’s son may have business links to the
oil-rich state, including a golf resort on the Caspian Sea. Buckingham
Palace has vehemently denied this.

News of his latest trip has attracted condemnation from pressure
groups concerned by Azerbaijan’s appalling human rights record.

Aliyev, who inherited the presidency from his father, has been accused
of torturing his political opponents, rigging elections and curtailing
media freedom.

Last October presidential elections were held in the country which saw
143 political campaigners jailed. Videos also emerged of ballot boxes
allegedly being stuffed by regime supporters.

Prince Andrew is not the only high profile British figure who has
close links with the Aliyev regime. This August it was announced that
Tony Blair is being paid to advise the Azerbaijani government and
several oil companies – including BP – on the PR challenges they face
in building the Euro-Caspian Mega Pipeline, a huge gas infrastructure
that will run from Azerbaijan to Italy.

Emma Hughes, Energy Campaigner at campaign group Platform said: ‘It’s
shameful that both Prince Andrew and Tony Blair are so chummy with the
Azerbaijani autocrat.

‘There are hundreds of brave people in Azerbaijan fighting for
democracy, yet our representatives are more concerned with caviar and
gas deals.’

From: Baghdasarian

ON THE MATTER OF RESOLVING THE ALEVI ISSUE

Daily Sabah, Turkey
Nov 14 2014

Markar Esayan 14 November 2014, Friday

Turkey is now facing the massive problems created by the homogenizing
and totalitarian mindset prevalent during the foundation of the
Republic and the long tragic decline of the Ottoman Empire.

This confrontation has actually been in our lives in a general form
for the last 12 years. The Justice and Development Party (AK Party)
is politically in charge of this process. Its achievement to maintain
popular votes with a rate of 50 percent in the last nine elections
by increasing the votes each time is the strongest evidence that the
public also supports the process.

It is not easy to make reforms in a problematic state structure. One is
constantly against a crisis or a coup threat and has to tackle plots
by non-political factions in such a structure. The deeply rooted
problems that have persisted for about a century were developed
with reciprocally provoking prejudices and hatred. Because of this,
persuading society has become the primary concern of politicians. The
strongest support for the government, which is facing opposition by
civil and military bureaucracy, is realized with the right to conduct
reforms legitimized by the public.

Taking steps without compromising the prejudices and public wounds
of the Kurdish, Alevi, Armenian and Cyprus issues would mean giving
opportunity to the pro-coup mindset. The groups forming the grassroots
of the government have both religious and nationalist tendencies. A
strange form of nationalism that is not actually found in Islam has
flourished in the Republican period.

At this phase, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s exceptional skills
have been injected into the process. While persuading his own base
for the need for change, he displayed his recognizance. The love and
trust felt toward Erdogan was so strong that the base supported his
views, thinking he must definitely have a point.

This does not mean that the base is unreasonable or open to
manipulation. Society had already begun to suspect the official
Republican history in the democratization process and started to
research the past from ever-growing sources. They gradually realized
that the realities of many issues were not actually what they were
told and the prejudices were triggered as part of the divide-and-rule
tactic of the military and bureaucratic dominance.

The AK Party approached the Kurdish reconciliation process, the
change in the Cyprus issue and the steps for condolences for the 1915
Armenian incidents from this point. Our Western friends can comprehend
it more by looking at the country’s media, dominant discourse and
state practices only 12 years ago.

The government, now led by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, is preparing
to implement a radical reform for the Alevi issue. Workshops have been
organized on this matter before and Erdogan, while prime minister,
apologized on behalf of the state for the Dersim Massacre in which
13,000 Alevis were killed.

Although there is disinformation suggesting the contrary
in international arena, Turkey is taking radical steps toward
democratization and normalization. Most importantly, these steps are
not taken despite the public, but with its support and approval.

A new package on liberties will be announced soon. The shortcomings
in freedom of thought and expression will be met according to EU
standards.

As a Muslim country rapidly advancing toward a stable democracy,
Turkey constitutes a unique opportunity to repair the broken relations
between the Middle East and the West. Discrediting the value of Turkey
with cyclical estimations will not favor anyone.

From: Baghdasarian

OPPOSITION WARNS TURKISH GOVERNMENT OF WWI LESSONS

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Nov 15 2014

MURAT YETKÄ°N

Answering a question from a journalist about reports claiming U.S.

President Barack Obama has changed his strategy on Syria to prioritize
the removal of Bashar al-Assad, to aid in the fight against the
Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu said on Nov. 14 that this would be the “correct thing to
do,” adding that it is something the Turkish government has long
demanded. Davutoglu also said he would raise the issue with Obama
when they meet during the G-20 conferences in Brisbane, Australia.

But by that time, perhaps because of a mistake by one of Davutoglu’s
advisors, the CNN report that was cited by a number of pro-government
media outlets had already been denied by U.S. Defense Secretary
Chuck Hagel and the White House. They said there had been no change
of focus in the anti-ISIL fight in the U.S.’s strategy.

This could be a new example used to build criticism against Davutoglu’s
Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) government for getting too
involved in the Syrian civil war, which has devastated the country
since 2011. On Nov. 13, military talks between Turkish and American
officials in Ankara resulted in an agreement suggesting that Turkey
would train some 2,000 members of the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA)
in Turkey. The FSA was established three years ago with the aim of
toppling al-Assad, before the emergence of radical Islamist groups
like al-Nusra and ISIL.

In another words, Turkey agreed as a NATO country to give training
to rebel forces of a neighboring country on its own soil, whereas the
U.S. will train mostly Kurdish rebel forces not in its own territory,
but in the territory of another of Turkey’s neighbors, Iraq. In the
past, Ankara used to rightfully criticize Syria and Iraq for hosting
the leadership and militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(PKK), which has been carrying out cross-border attacks in Turkey
since 1984.

This last example shows how the political perspectives and balances in
the region have been dramatically changing in line with the security
atmosphere.

At almost the same time as Davutoglu was speaking to Turkish reporters
in Brisbane, Kemal Kılıcdaroglu, the leader of the main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP), was giving the opening speech of a
conference in Istanbul titled “The 100th Anniversary of World War I.”

“Those who are bringing the whole Middle East and our country to the
brink of war seemingly lack the wisdom to draw lessons from history,”
Kılıcdaroglu said, adding that Turkey must “remain loyal to the
peace-oriented foreign policy of Turkish Republic’s history.”

He elaborated that with the perspective and lessons drawn from World
War I, the Turkish government of the time managed to keep the young
and weak Republic away from the damage of World War II by staying
out of it. The CHP leader suggested that the government should stick
to the principles Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish
Republic, who coined the phrase: “Peace at home, Peace in the World.”

Turkey entered WWI on Germany’s side not as a matter of national
interest, but more, according to many historians, as the result of an
adventurist nostalgia in the days of the failing Turkish empire of the
Ottoman Dynasty, pushed by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress
(ITP) and its leader Enver Pasha.

Despite the heroic resistance shown in Gallipoli in 1915, for example,
or the resistance in Kut, Iraq in 1916 against invading forces, the
Ottoman army lost the war, together with the Germans, leaving tragic
pages behind, including the forced deportation of native Armenians
by the ITP government in 1915, which led to massacres. Following a
humiliating armistice in 1918 that marked the invasion and occupation
of Turkey by Greek, British, French, Italian and Armenian armies,
(the Russians had withdrawn after the 1917 revolution), a War of
Independence was started by Ataturk. The victory brought about a
regime change, and the Republic was established in 1923.

November/15/2014

From: Baghdasarian

DESPERATE PEOPLE CAN DO DANGEROUS THINGS: NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, ALCOHOL AND GAMBLING

Christian Post
Nov 14 2014

By Rev. Mark H. Creech , Christian Post Columnist

People that feel desperate, for whatever reason, can do the most
dangerous things.

Back in the fall of 1993 the country of Armenia was desperate for
sources of power. The nation was entering its third winter under a
near total oil and gas blockade imposed by neighboring Azerbaijan as
a weapon in the war between two former Soviet republics.

Just to survive, Armenians had been cutting down trees for fuel to
heat their homes. More than a million trees had been cleared during
the previous winter. In response, the government did the unthinkable:
start up a rusting Soviet nuclear reactor that had been shut down
during the 1980s because it was unsafe.

The Medsamor nuclear plant had been built during the 1970s. The
outdated plant was without the necessary safeguards. It had
no containment building to control the effects of any accidental
radiation leak. Worst still, the plant was located in an earthquake
zone only twenty-five miles from Armenia’s capital city, Yerevan. A
nuclear accident would unquestionably expose hundreds of thousands
of people to deadly radiation poisoning.

Medsamor has been shut down and reopened over the years, and Armenians
claim that safety upgrades make the plant viable. Others feel it is
still among the most dangerous nuclear plants in the world.

Feeling desperate often causes individual people, like the Armenian
government, to choose things they ultimately live to regret. Turning
to alcohol or gambling in a moment of despondency is very much like
pinning one’s hopes on a rusty, outdated, dangerous, nuclear power
plant. The potential for catastrophe is always there. [1]

Such thoughts crossed my mind recently when my eyes fell upon an
article by Christopher Ingaham from The Washington Post. Ingaham
noted that “the top 10 percent of American drinkers – 24 million
adults over age 18 – consume, on average, 74 alcoholic drinks per
week. That works out to a little more than four-and-a half 750 ml
bottles of Jack Daniels, 18 bottles of wine, or three 24-can cases
of beer. In one week.” He adds, if you prefer you can simply look at
this as 10 drinks per day. [2]

Ingaham says his figures come from Duke University’s professor Philip
J. Cook, in his book, “Paying the Tab.” Cook also notes in his book,
says Ingaham, “the top 10 percent of drinkers account for well over
half of the alcohol consumed in any given year.” [3]

These statistics on alcohol are similar to the data on gambling.

Recently a report prepared for the Ontario Gambling Research Centre
determined sixty percent of the revenue garnered from electronic
gambling machines like slots and video poker are derived from problem
gamblers. [4]

State-operated lotteries make a whopping eighty percent of their
profits from only 10 percent of the people that play. Casinos are
essentially no different and those like Caesar’s (formerly known
as Harrah’s) make ninety percent of their gambling profits from the
financial losses of people who are problem gamblers and heavily in
debt. [5]

We’re living in an age of emptiness, loneliness, fear, and anxiety –
all of which create forms of desperation. Sadly, instead of running
to God, the One who can really address these matters of the soul,
most run from him. And like Jonah in the Bible, the man who took
flight from God as fast and hard as he could, the devil always makes
certain there’s a ship ready and waiting to pick us up and take us
far away – far away from God – far away from his blessed plan. Thus,
also like Jonah, we find ourselves dwelling in the belly of the beast,
slaves of alcohol, gambling, as well as other vices.

Christ can free the spirit from sin’s bondage. Jesus urged people,
“Come to me, all you who are troubled and weighted down with care,
and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Nevertheless, it is also incumbent upon a compassionate society to
loathe and despise enterprises that knowingly and willingly prey
upon human vulnerabilities for profit. In order for their ventures to
succeed, the alcohol industry and the gambling business are dependent
on addiction, taking away the freedom of others.

Its true people are free agents and set their own destinies. But it
is equally true that loving one’s neighbor as oneself; caring for the
“least of these,” means we don’t render any of our fellow citizens
as expendable.

Desperate people can do dangerous things. Turning to any vice for
solace or peace is indeed much like pinning one’s hopes on a rusty,
outdated, nuclear power plant. But it is just as foolish for a society
to think there’s something meritorious in cranking these things up.

[1] Larson, Craig Brian. Contemporary Illustrations for Preachers,
Teachers, and Writers. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1996. Pg. 160 [2],
[3] “Think You Drink a Lot? This Chart Will Tell You.” Washington
Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2014.

[4], [5] N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2014.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT TALK TURNS INTO BRAWL

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Nov 14 2014

14 November 2014 – 11:51am

Members of the Armenian parliament Samvel Farmanyan (Republican Party)
and Levon Zurabyan (oppositionist Armenian National Congress) had a
fistfight at a parliamentary session yesterday, Trend reports.

Farmanyan said in a conversation with Rubik Akopyan, the head of
the Heritage Party, that the Prosperous Armenia party (headed by
major businessman Gagik Tsarukyan) had been handing out money to
people voting for the ANC candidate at a polling station during the
parliamentary elections in 2012.

Zurabyan was outraged at such accusations and interfered in the
conversation, which turned into a fight. Other MPs managed to stop
Farmanyan and Zurabyan.

From: Baghdasarian