Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

GENOCIDE SURVIVOR
Alan Hustak, The Gazette, [email protected]

Montreal Gazette, Canada
Friday, September 14, 2007

A funeral will be held this morning for Arousiag Aghazarian, thought to
be Montreal’s oldest living survivor of the Armenian genocide. Although
official birth records were destroyed during the First World War,
she was officially said to be 104 when she died on Tuesday.

"Nene" Aghazarian lived through a massacre committed by members
of the Young Turks political party against Armenians in 1915, was
married when she was about 13, and gave birth to the first of her
six children when she was about 15 years old.

"Some people escape tragic circumstances but allow their pain to
consume them," said a granddaughter, Annette Aghazarian. "But she
wasn’t like that. She lived her life with a quiet dignity.

She lost her siblings and her father in the genocide and was haunted
by horrific scenes she witnessed when she was still a child.

"One in particular was seeing the decapitated head of a little girl
with ribbons in her pony tail in a pile of body parts.

"Nene often wondered why her life was spared when so many others
were destroyed. She lost her sight about 15 years ago, but she never
questioned God’s will. But she couldn’t help but ask why she survived
while so many others didn’t."

Arousiag Yovanessian was born in Dortyol, Hatay, a seaport on the
Mediterranean in what was then the Ottoman Empire. It would seem she
was born in 1906, but an arbitrary birthdate of July 1, 1903, was
stamped on her passport later when she left the short-lived Republic
of Armenia.

Her father was a farmer and her mother was a midwife who had a
reputation as being a healer. She lost her father and most members of
her family when Ottoman Turks embarked on a program of ethnic cleansing
to rid the country of its Armenian minority. It has been estimated
that one-and-a-half-million Armenians died as a result. Before the
First World War began, an estimated 2 million Armenians lived in the
Ottoman Empire. By 1923, only 500,000 remained.

In 1919, Arousiag Yovanessian married restaurateur Giragos
Aghazarian. The couple fled Turkey in 1921 when Turkish Muslims refused
to recognize the newly created, primarily Christian, Armenian Republic,
and renewed atrocities against Armenians.

They moved first to Syria, then to Lebanon, then to Palestine. There
her husband opened The Picadilly, a popular restaurant in Jerusalem’s
Armenian quarter.

After Israel was created in 1947, they moved to the port city of
Jaffa with their five sons and a daughter.

Her husband died in 1960.

In 1968, Aghazarian came to Canada to live with her only daughter,
Takouhi. One of her sons, Hovaness, died in Brazil in 1973.

She is survived by five children – Levon, Kevork, Noubar, Hampar and
Takouhi – 13 grandchildren, 22-great-grandchildren, and one great,
great grandchild.

Her funeral is at 11 a.m. today at the church of St.

Gregory the Illuminator, 615 Stuart St. in Outremont.
From: Baghdasarian

AN INTERFAITH VIEW: ADL’S GENOCIDE DENIAL IS REPREHENSIBLE
By Lawrence Swaim, Columnist

Southern California InFocus, CA
Sep 11, 2007

Genocide denial is never acceptable, but when it is done by a civil
rights group, it is particularly reprehensible.

Sadly, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has long denied that the
systematic murder of over 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 constituted
genocide.

Leaders of other Jewish organizations – including B’nai B’rith and
the American Jewish Committee – have taken the same unconscionable
position, and are opposing a U.S. congressional bill recognizing the
1915 genocide.

This puts them at odds with virtually every other civil and human
rights group in the world.

There may be situations in which premature charges of genocide can
put people at risk, but recognition of past genocide is different.

Without recognition of past abuses, tyrants are emboldened, and future
genocide becomes more likely.

"Who remembers the Armenians?" Adolph Hitler scoffed when planning the
systematic extermination of Jews and Roma (Gypsies) in his death camps.

So why does the ADL engage in genocide denial?

Cynics say it might be partly because genocide against Armenians
(or Muslims in Bosnia) detracts from the Nazi holocaust.

A second and more important reason is that the government of Israel
does not recognize the Armenian genocide because it is fearful of
offending elements within Turkey’s rigidly secular political and
military elites.

American Jewish leaders are expected to docilely fall in line to
promote the Israeli position.

But, in so doing, the ADL invalidates its own claim to be an
independent American civil rights organization.

Genocide denial is rightly despised in the United States, and it
isn’t good for Israel, either.

This is yet another instance in which the ADL works against American
interests – not to mention the greater cause of civil and human rights
– to promote the perceived interests of rightwing Israeli politicians.

But the ADL didn’t count on the courageous Armenian community in
Massachusetts.

On Tuesday, Aug. 14, the Watertown Town Council voted to withdraw
from an ADL program called ‘No Place for Hate.’

The town council voted 8-0 that there was no place in Watertown for
genocide denial, either, severing their relationship with the ADL.

The following Monday, the Arlington, Mass., ‘No Place for Hate’ group
also ended its relationship with the ADL; and on Tuesday, the Newton,
Mass., Human Rights Commission similarly prepared to sever all ties
to the Anti-Defamation League.

uIn response to this, Andrew Tarsy, the New England regional ADL
director, publicly broke with national director Abraham Foxman on
the Armenian genocide issue.

Foxman angrily fired Tarsy, only to hire him back a few days later.

But pressure on Foxman grew.

On Tuesday, Aug. 21, he announced that what happened to the Armenians
in 1915 was "tantamount to genocide" – an equivocation that infuriated
Armenians.

Furthermore, Foxman made it clear that he and other Jewish leaders
would continue to actively lobby against a U.S. congressional
resolution recognizing the 1915 genocide.

Underscoring the connection to Israel, on Aug. 24, the Israeli
newspaper Ha’aretz reported that Turkey had been scolding Israel
about ADL waffling on the Armenian issue.

But how did an American civil rights organization become a wholly-owned
subsidiary of another country’s government, and a pro-apartheid
government at that?

"Armenians are not the only victims of denial," writes Jewish Voice
for Peace’s Cecilie Surasky. "The ADL is an active apologist for the
government of Israel’s worst human rights abuses. Palestinians are
victims of an insidious form of denial that is not just about memory
and recognition, but flesh and blood and life itself."

She concludes: "The ADL should decide to either be an Israel advocacy
organization, or a pro-tolerance and anti-bigotry organization,
but it has proven time and time again that it is impossible for it
to be both."

Lawrence Swaim is the Executive Director of the Interfaith Freedom
Foundation. He taught for eight years at Pacific Union College,
and his academic specialties are American Studies and American
literature. His column addresses current affairs from an American
Christian and Interfaith perspective.
From: Baghdasarian

NATIONAL YOUTH FOOTBALL TEAM OF ARMENIA TO PLAY WITH CZECH NATIONAL
TEAM ON SEPTEMBER 8

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. A qualification match of the
European Youth Football Championship between the national teams of
Armenia and Czechia will take place at Yerevan’s Republican Stadium on
September 8.

The Armenian youth team will play with the team of Ukraine under the
same program in Yerevan on September 12.
From: Baghdasarian

Hayots Ashkharh Daily, Armenia
Sept 8 2007

THE ACCUSED IS REALEASED, BUT THE CHARGES REMAIN UNCHAGED, AGHVAN
HOVSEPYAN SAYS

As we know, ex-Foreign Minister Alexander Arzoumanyan has been
released. A criminal proceeding on charges of legalizing illicit
income (the matter is addressed to the sum of USD 178 thousand,
transferred to Armenia by Levon Marcos on the names of different
people) was instituted against Mr. Arzoumanyan at the beginning of
May. Whereas, by a court decision made exactly 6 days ago, the term
of his arrest was prolonged by 2 months.

In response to the questions of the correspondents of `Hayots
Ashkharh’, `Liberty’ radio station and `Aravot’ daily Prosecutor
General AGHVAN HOVSEPYAN touched upon this issue as well. The thing
is that the investigative group, sent to Moscow on mission, has
accomplished its task, returned to Yerevan and reported on the data
obtained. As a result of the overall investigation of the materials,
the Prosecutor General arrived at the thought that `Within the
frameworks of the criminal proceeding, our law enforcement agencies
have done their best in Armenia and Russia; all the investigative
operations have been carried out.’ It only remains to wait for the
answer of the RF law enforcement officials, to whom the General
Prosecutor’s office has addressed a motion on the full detection of
the case.
Considering that this process, `will probably take a long time,’
A. Hovsepyan arrived at the conclusion that it was no longer
expedient to keep A. Arzoumanyan under arrest. Therefore he has
issued a directive on changing the precautionary means, `Arzoumanyan
has been released, on condition of not leaving the Republic according
to his signature. However, the charges against Mr. Arzoumanyan remain
unchanged, and he remains in the status of an accused party within
the frames of the criminal case.’
In the estimation of the Prosecutor General, the mechanism on the
transfer of the illicit dollars, `provides a full evidence for the
crime of money laundering. Those sums were obtained from Russia
through illegal bank transfers, and the fact is proven by the case.
The sums were received in Armenia by some placemen.
In the meantime, from the initial stage of the case up to now,
those who were to receive those sums were unable to give
explanations, substantiate the purposes and the necessity of
receiving the money.’
The law enforcement agencies, especially the security structures,
should in the near future try, `to prove that those sums were
obtained illicitly; and this has to be done by our colleagues in
Russia,’ A. Hovsepyan stated.
Unfortunately, `as shown by the international practice, the
detection of crimes related to money laundering is difficult and
takes a long time, because they, as a rule, are related to the bank
system of different countries and have bearing on different
legislations, different provisions of the Criminal Code and different
mechanisms in general.’
The accusation against Mr. Arzoumanyan specifies that the illicit
money was transferred by Levon Marocs, currently under investigation
by the RA law enforcement agencies. Considering his being an RA
citizen, the case has been sent to Russia and is now under the
proceeding of the RF Prosecutor’s office.
Moreover, despite the fact that our authorities’ motion on
surrendering Mr. Arzoumanyan was rejected, `he is still under
investigation. At the initial stage, there was evidence that those
transfers were made through him. Later it turned out that a third
person was involved in the affair, and the latter confessed that the
sums had been transferred. The materials of the criminal case make it
obvious that this person and Levon Marcos had a joint enterprise and
worked together.’
Those circumstances, according to the Prosecutor General, `have
still to be checked and clarified. The inquest is still under way,
and based on the evidence obtained, relevant decisions will be made.’
Whether the decision on changing the precautionary measure was
conditioned by the universal hue-and-cry around the political
persecutions against Mr. Arzoumanyan? In response to our question,
the speaker assured that, `all the investigative, operative and
inquisitive activities carried out within the frameworks of the
criminal case, as well as the decisions made are purely of legal
character.’ That’s to say, they have no bearing on the ex-Foreign
Minister’s `political activity’, which, as A. Hovsepyan believes, has
not put him on the map in terms of outstanding episodes, at least
during the recent years.
Moreover, `Alik Arzoumanyan himself is unable to substantiate the
mechanisms of receiving those sums and makes no statement as to who
they were obtained from, in what way and with what purposes.
Therefore, within the frameworks of criminal law, it is improper to
speak about political persecution because, I repeat, all the actions
were performed and the decisions – made on the legal domain.’ And in
general, despite the fact that the persistant rumors on political
persecutions have recently become more active than ever, `all kinds
of activities by law enforcement agencies and all kinds of
criminal-legal issues related to fight against crime, on the
contrary, become politicized.’

LILIT POGHOSYAN
From: Baghdasarian

ALLY PREDICTS EASY SARKISIAN WIN
By Astghik Bedevian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Sept 7 2007

Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian will cruise to a comfortable victory in
next year’s presidential election, a leading member of his Republican
Party of Armenia (HHK) predicted on Friday.

"Serzh Sarkisian has no alternative," said Karen Karapetian, the
leader of the HHK faction in parliament. "We will score a very
convincing victory."

Karapetian downplayed an opinion poll which found that the Armenian
premier would have finished fourth if the presidential ballot had been
held in July. "When be began our campaign for the [May] parliamentary
elections our rating was also low. But thanks to our correctly
organized work, the HHK got the largest number of votes," he said.

The HHK’s tight grip on many government bodies and substantial
financial resources is believed to the been instrumental in its
landslide victory in those polls. Sarkisian and his party are expected
to heavily rely on those levers during the presidential race as well.

Karapetian said that Sarkisian’s victory will be facilitated by
the Armenian opposition’s anticipated failure to field a single
presidential candidate. "I suppose that there will be four or five
opposition candidates in the running," he told a news conference.

"This means that the entire opposition electorate will be split. This
also means that not all opposition-minded people will vote for
[opposition candidates.]"

The lack of opposition unity was also cited on Thursday by a senior
member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), the
HHK’s junior partner in the governing coalition. Artashes Shahbazian
said Dashnaktsutyun’s presidential candidate will be Sarkisian’s main
challenger and could even defeat him.

"We are not worried about that because a very weighty force is behind
us and because we already know which other parties will back our
candidate," said Karapetian.

The HHK leader told RFE/RL last month that the Prosperous Armenia
Party of tycoon Gagik Tsarukian, the second largest parliament force
represented in the government, will also endorse Sarkisian.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAN TO PLAY FRIENDLY MATCHES WITH TEAMS OF CYPRUS AND MALTA

Noyan Tapan
Sep 7, 2007

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian national football
team was to play with Azerbaijan’s team on September 8 and 12 at the
qualification stage of Euro 2008. However, UEFA has cancelled these
matches. Instead, the Armenian team will play friendly matches in
Cyprus on September 8 and in Malta on September 12 with the national
teams of these countries.

The chief coach of Armenia’s national team Ian Porterfield, who
is undergoing treatment in Scotland, will not be present at these
matches. His assistances Tom Jones (UK) and Vardan Minasian (Armenia)
will replace him.
From: Baghdasarian

AXA EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR DESCENDS OF LIFE INSURANCE POLICYHOLDERS

ARMENPRESS
Sep 5, 2007

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS: The French AXA insurance company has
extended the deadline for descendants of life insurances policyholders,
(they were issued Armenians, who perished during the Armenian genocide
in the Ottoman empire) until December 20 to apply for compensations.

The previous deadline was October 1 of this year, but a French court
extended the date.

The Armenian Justice Ministry has also extended the deadline in
Armenia.

Last year AXA agreed to pay $17.5 million to descendants of life
insurance policyholders.

U.S.-based Mark Geragos along with attorneys Vartkes Yeghiayan and
Brian Kabateck had filed a class action lawsuit in a California federal
court against AXA for failing to pay death benefits for the insurance
policies purchased by Armenians in Turkey prior to the 1915.

The proceeds of the agreement, which was mediated by Federal Judge
Dickran Tevrizian, are to be disbursed as follows: Up to $11 million
for the heirs of life insurance policyholders; $3 million to be
contributed to a newly-created French-Armenian charity; and $3 million
for attorneys’ fees and legal/administrative expenses.
From: Baghdasarian

Armenian foreign minister to meet NATO secretary general on 4 September

Mediamax news agency
1 Sep 07

Yerevan, 1 September: Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan is set
to meet NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in Brussels on 4
September.

The Foreign Ministry press service said that Oskanyan will participate
in a meeting of foreign ministers of European Neighbourhood Policy
member countries.
From: Baghdasarian

VARTAN OSKANIAN TO PARTICIPATE IN MEETING OF FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ENP MEMBER STATES TO BE HELD IN BRUSSELS ON SEPTEMBER 3

Noyan Tapan
Aug 31, 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, NOYAN TAPAN. At the invitation of the EU’s
Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy
(ENP) Issies Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the Armenian foreign minister
Vartan Oskanian will participate in the meeting of foreign ministers of
16 ENP member states in Brussels on September 3. The meeting entitled
"To Strengthen the European Neighborhood Policy by Working Together"
aims to develop cooperation within the framework of ENP in such
directions as trade liberalization, energy security and overcoming
the challenges of climate change.

According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department, during the
forum V. Oskanian will have bilateral meetings.

A meeting of the RA foreign minister with the Secretary General of
NATO Yaap de Hoop Scheffer is scheduled for September 4 in Brussels.
From: Baghdasarian

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR GENOCIDE AND HUMAN RIGHTS STUDIES
(A Division of the Zoryan Institute)
255 Duncan Mill Rd., Suite 310
Toronto, ON, Canada M3B 3H9
Tel: 416-250-9807 Fax: 416-512-1736 E-mail: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT: Torrey Swan

DATE: August 31, 2007 Tel:
416-250-9807

Zoryan’s Genocide and Human Rights University Program Graduates 175th
Student

Toronto, Canada- Upon the conclusion of the sixth annual of the Genocide
and Human Rights University Program (GHRUP), Prof. Roger W. Smith,
Director of the program, stated that "encouraging the development of the
next generation of genocide scholars is crucial for creating the
capability to recognize impending genocides and the will to prevent
them." The GHRUP, run by the International Institute for Genocide and
Human Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute) (IIGHRS) in
partnership with the University of Minnesota, has now graduated over 175
students from this comparative genocide studies program. "Currently,
there is also much work that needs to be done regarding the aftermath of
genocides, in terms of justice, reconciliation and reconstruction,"
Prof. Smith continued. "It is this generation, properly prepared, spread
out through our global society, which will serve as the enduring force
of human rights protection."

When asked about his experience at the GHRUP, Dr. Alex Hinton, Prof. of
Anthropology and Global Affairs at Rutgers University, exclaimed "what a
great group of students!" Sentiments shared by Dr. Herbert Hirsch,
Editor of Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal and
Prof. of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth
University, who said that "the program is, by far, the best of its kind
and the students were tremendous." Dr. Joyce A. Apsel, historian,
attorney and Master Teacher at New York University, is "compelled to
teach at the GHRUP because education is fundamental to preventing
genocide and the GHRUP successfully brings together those who will work
to raise awareness of the tragedy of genocide." Dr. William A. Schabas,
Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights and Chair in Human Rights
Law at the National University of Ireland, travels all the way to
Toronto each year to teach in the program, because he "would not want to
miss such a special opportunity with this unique course." Dr. Maureen
Hiebert, Research Fellow at the Centre for Military and Strategic
Studies at the University of Calgary, added that "what makes the GHRUP
so worth while for me as a genocide scholar is the sense of genuine
camaraderie that evolves every year during the course. Despite the fact
that we study such a pressing and depressing subject, the participants’
common concern for the plight of humanity and our common sense of
purpose to end genocide seems to generate a bond among the students and
faculty unlike anything I have experienced in a typical university
setting."

Twenty-six advanced international students, working with eleven renowned
scholars and dynamic teachers in the fields of anthropology, education,
history, international law, philosophy, political science, and
sociology, completed an intense, two-week, graduate-level seminar on
genocide, the challenges of its prevention and reconciliation. "This
year was a very strong class, with seven doctoral candidates, seven MA
students, two senior undergraduates, two NGO employees, two anti-denial
activists, two teachers, a lawyer, a Human Rights Archivist, a theatre
director, and a documentary filmmaker," reflected Torrey Swan,
Coordinator of the program. "These committed students came from
Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Italy, Turkey,
the United Kingdom, and the United States."

"Beyond the strong academic composition of the program, I was pleased
to see the various ways students are engaged in addressing human rights
violations," stated George Shirinian, Executive Director of the IIGHRS.
"For example," he continued, "there were two representatives from the
Luisa Hairabedian Foundation in Buenos Aires. One is developing an
Armenian Genocide curriculum for the school system there. The other has
launched a case for a truth trial (a formal means of addressing past
injustices) in the Argentinean legal system regarding the Genocide.
There was also a legal activist against Armenian Genocide denial from
Vienna."

Students discuss the genocide in Darfur, Sudan with Dr. Scott Straus,
Prof. of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin

Many of the students gave feedback at the end of the program. One
student felt that "this course is very comprehensive and has definitely
increased my knowledge of the field. It was structurally well put
together and had an excellent curriculum, containing numerous relevant
concepts and methodological approaches." Describing their motivation
for attending the GHRUP, another student "came to figure-out what path
(they) wanted to take and how (they) could go about following it. This
program really facilitated that." One spoke for many by saying that
"this is my passion and I want to make a difference." Another student
concluded that "The course not only met, but surpassed my expectations.
The interdisciplinary nature of its approach, the well qualified
professors, the organization and the opportunity for exchange and the
impressively insightful and diverse student body made this last two
weeks an excellent learning and thinking experience for me."

Aren Sarkiyan, the Fundraising Coordinator, during a presentation at
graduation, expressed his sincere gratitude to the sponsors of the
program: Varouj Aivazian, Diran Avedian, Ara Boyajian, Sara Chitjian,
the Daughters of Vartan (Toronto), Shant and Nayri Gueyikian, Dicran and
Diane Hadjetian, Edgar Hagopian, Mig and Ani Migirdicyan, the National
Association for Armenian Studies and Research, André and Seza
Nazarian, and Joe Yalkezian, by saying, "it was because of their
donations that we were able to raise $20,000 towards this year’s
education program. This is very helpful to the Institute, however, there
is a lot to be done, and hopefully people will be more responsive to our
fundraising efforts, as the cost of holding a two week graduate course
with eleven professors and international students- travel,
accommodation, course material, classroom facilities, etc. – is over
$100,000."

The mission of the Genocide and Human Rights University Program is to
help develop a new generation of scholars to engage in research and
publication in the field of genocide and human rights studies. This goal
is achieved through the comparative and interdisciplinary analysis of
such cases of genocide as the Jewish Holocaust, the Cambodian Genocide,
the Rwandan Genocide, and the Darfurian Genocide, among others, using
the Armenian Genocide, the archetypal genocide of the 20th Century, as a
point of reference.

For support and/or more information, contact the International Institute
for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, 416-250-9807,
[email protected].
From: Baghdasarian