Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

HERITAGE PARTY: SARGSYAN CAMP MANIPULATED THE VOTE AND WE HAVE THE PROOF

12:31, February 22, 2013

On February 18, 2013, Armenia held presidential elections. The next
day, the Central Election Commission announced the primary results,
which do not reflect the voters’ will.

According to the CEC, Raffi Hovannisian received 37% of the votes,
to Serzh Sargsyan’s 58%. Even according to CEC numbers, Serzh Sargsyan
lost in most of urban polling stations. His overall win seems to have
been secured by some rural areas that registered more than 90% voter
turnout, of which 90% of the votes were in favor of Serzh Sargsyan.

While there are dozens of examples, here are two illustrative ones. In
Abovyan, Serzh Sargsyan lost the vote in 21 precincts out of total
25, but recieved 1101 votes from just one polling station (while his
average for the other 24 polling stations is 231 votes) which seem
to have compensated for the loss from the other polling stations. In
Etchmiadzin, Serzh Sargsyan lost in 19 out of 22 polling stations,
but received more than 96% of the votes in neighboring Aygek village –
26 to 758 to his favor. It is inexplicable how a candidate registering
similar results in 90% of polling stations, suddenly receives several
times more in the remaining 10%.

These and similar results were achieved by no other means than
falsification of the voting lists and ballots in 10-20% of the polling
stations. This can be proved by disclosing the lists with voters’
signatures and ballots, something that could significantly impact the
election results and which would be sufficient grounds to invalidate
the election results. Appropriate legal steps are being taken to
that end.

While deeply regretting the mentioned 10-20% of polling stations where
the Heritage representatives underwent pressures and sometimes failed
to resist, we nonetheless honor and thank the vast majority of our
Precinct Electoral Commission members in more than 1900 precincts
as well as the 800 proxies for the work they did. Many of them who
came to Hovannisian’s campaign headquarters through the the election
night or called to tell just one word, ‘We won,’ did their work. It
is because of their work that despite all the fraud and threats,
Raffi Hovannisian’s victory was registered in many cities.

We thank the Armenian voters who rejected the calls for boycott and
overcame apathy, and displayed a true spirit of political activism
by refusing the incumbent regime, and electing Raffi Hovannisian as
the next President of Armenia. Raffi Hovannisian received more votes
than any other oppositional candidate in the last fifteen years. This
mandate puts the onus of unification onto the rest of the political
opposition to help secure the people’s choice.

Heritage Party Press Service

From: Baghdasarian

HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN’S BROTHER BEATS MAYOR?

Story from Lragir.am News:

10:36 22/02/2013

Yesterday Jonik Abrahamyan, brother of NA speaker and head of the
RPA campaign headquarters Hovik Abrahamyan, reportedly beat up Mayor
of Artashat Town Gagik Muradyan. The reason is said to be low toll
Serzh Sargsyan received in Artashat. Jonik suspects that the mayor
failed vote buying.

Hovik Abrahamyan had called a meeting in the church of Artashat with
those responsible for the campaign headquarters in Ararat Marz. Hovik
Abrahamyan told them to get ready to start buying votes. Jonik
Abrahamyan urged them not to let his brother down.

By the way, something similar happened during the parliamentary
election. Ararat Mayor Abraham Babayan was suspected of misusing
800,000 dollars allocated to him for buying votes. He had been asked
to return the money.

From: Baghdasarian

YEREVAN BECAME TOOL IN ARMENIAN-TURKISH NORMALIZATION PROCESS – ARMENIA’S FIRST OMBUDSWOMAN

NEWS.AM
February 22, 2013 | 02:38

YEREVAN. – The current situation with respect to the Armenian-Turkish
normalization process is a result of incorrect calculations and marked
pressures by the West, Armenia’s first Human Rights Defender, Larisa
Alaverdyan, told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In her words, a clear pressure was put to the Armenian party, even
when signing the Armenian-Turkish protocols.

“Even the US political calculations came out wrong. It should be
admitted that Armenia was not an active player, but rather a tool in
this process,” Alaverdyan stressed.

She added that Turkey should be demanded to lift its blockade imposed
upon the Armenian state, and it should recognize the precepts of
international law and abide by them.

“The international community needs to put political pressure on
Turkey,” Armenia’s first ombudswoman concluded.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN OPPOSITIONIST WARNS AGAINST CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE CALLS

TERT.AM
12:11 ~U 22.02.13

Stepan Safaryan of the opposition Heritage party has warned against any
attempts to make civil disobedience calls during their post election
rallies protesting the election outcome.

It comes after several members of the party saw in the Thursday rally’s
video record a dispute between the party’s chief, Armen Martirosyan,
and several young activists.

“Unless [Heritage leader] Raffi Hovhannisyan or any of his supporters
make a call for civil disobedience, he [a young activist who raised
his voice of protest in the square on Thursday] has no right to do so.

That was the reason behind Armen Martirosyan’s anger. Especially
because the activist, whom I respect very much, voices a call at the
rally of a man he does not have much sympathy for,” Safaryan told
Tert.am, commenting on the incident.

The tension was high in Liberty Square on Thursday evening before
Hovhannisyan made his public appearance. Two young activists, Karen
Harutyunyan (who had earlier provoked a spontaneous protest action
at the OSCE/ODIHR election observers’ news conference) and Bayandur
Poghosyan, began making protesting remarks, questioning the expediency
of the Heritage leader’s decision to meet the re-elected president
without consultations with the public.

Hovhannisyan, who was Serzh Sargsyan’s closest rival in the Monday
presidential election, launched the rally in Liberty Square on February
19 to dispute the voting results, which he claimed are tainted by
fraud. He later urged for a meeting with Sargsyan right in the square,
but eventually decided to go to the presidential office himself to
discuss the matter.

At yesterday’s rally, Hovhannisyan left the square early to
participate in the party’s session. Commenting on the meeting’s
agenda, Safaryan said it was totally devoted to the protest. As for
the Sargsyan-Kocharyan meeting, Safaryan refrained making any comment,
referring to an earlier promise for making the information public in
the local daily Hraparak.

The paper said in a Friday report that the president offered three
scenarios to Hovhannisyan at the meeting, asking him particularly to
(1) form a new opposition pole and admit the election result, (2)
take drastic steps together with other supporters and be ready for
an equivalent response by the authorities, and (3) collaborate with
the ruling Republican Party of Armenia.

Asked whether yesterday’s meeting with the re-elected president could
have caused Hovahnnisyan to decide between saying good-bye to the
authorities or joining a new coalition government, Safaryan answered,
“There are, at least, two foreseeable options: either to deepen
hostilities and achieve a regime change through a confrontation or …

If some now think that it is necessary to undertake steps against
Serzh Sargsyan, they are free to do it.”

Safaryan, who is the Heritage party’s political secretary, doesn’t
think their leader did something that could have damaged the party’s
reputation. “He says what he has to say without airs and graces,”
the politician explained.

From: Baghdasarian

OVER 35 THOUSAND PASSENGERS TRANSPORTED WITHIN A MONTH

10:19, 22 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. In January 2013 the passenger
traffic of CJSC “South Caucasus Railway” increased by 5.1% compared
to the same period last year. According to statistics in the first
month of 2013 SCR transported 35.3 thousand passengers against 33.6
thousand in January 2012. The company informed “Armenpress” that In
international traffic SCR had 2.3 thousand passengers which is 27.8%
more than in January 2012 and in the suburban traffic 33 thousand
passengers were transported (an increase of 3.8%). At the same time
passenger traffic in January 2013 increased by 78.6% from 2071.3
thousand passenger-km to 3700.1 thousand passenger-km.

CJSC “SCR” keeps to its policy to gradually improve the quality
of passenger service, the level of comfort in trains of local and
international communication. Accordingly, the railway upgrades the
rolling stock, the list of services expands, train speed increases.

SCR Passenger Traffic increased by 5.1% in January 2013. CJSC “SCR”
Transported 201.2 Million Tons of Cargo in January 2013. In January
2013 South Caucasus Railway transported 201.2 thousand tons of cargo
which is 4.8% more than planned for the first month of the year. In
January rail export reached 27.5 thousand tons which is 32.2% higher
than the planned target. The volume of freight in import reached 71.1
thousand tons which is higher than the planned target by 1.9%. In
local rail traffic 102.6 thousand tons of cargo were transported (up
1.3%) in January 2013. The railway is gradually increasing its key
performance indicators, including the volume of freight traffic. We
achieved these results thanks to SCR flexible tariff policy aimed at
reducing transport costs in the price of the goods transported.

Improving the reliability of the railway infrastructure has reduced
the delivery time, improve the reliability of transportation, reduced
the risk of cargo loss or damage.

SCR significantly improved efficiency of the locomotive and car parks.

In January 2013 South Caucasus Railway significantly increased the
level of efficiency of freight wagons and locomotive fleet. According
to the latest statistics of CJSC “SCR” car turnover compared with the
level in 2012 accelerated by 1.2 days or 41.4%. On average one car was
in circulation during 2.9 days. The average daily production of one car
reached 5148.2 net ton/km / wagon which is 34.2% more than in January
2012. The use of performance of the locomotive fleet also improved. In
particular, the average mileage of the locomotive was 364.2 loc-km,
which is more than in January last year by 3.3%. The Company
achieved such results due to its policy of railway infrastructure
and traction-rolling stock improvement on the basis of comprehensive
measures to ensure traffic safety.

From: Baghdasarian

SOUDAN : LA LETTRE OUVERTE DES JEUNES MILITANTS DE GIRIFNA

Publié le : 22-02-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
presente la lettre ouverte des jeunes militants de Girifna, s’adressant
a l’expert independant des Nations Unies, publiee sur le site d’Amnesty
International le 19 fevrier 2013.

Legende photo: Les membres de Girifna, etudiants pour la plupart,
militent pour la democratie et le respect des droits humains © Peter
Steudtne

Amnesty International

Soudan : les jeunes militants de Girifna prennent la parole

[19/02/2013]

Depuis 2009, les jeunes militants de Girifna denoncent les restrictions
permanentes a la liberte d’expression et reclament un changement
democratique. Harceles, cibles de violences physiques et d’arrestations
arbitraires, ils persistent. A l’occasion de la visite dans le pays
en fevrier 2013 de l’expert independant des Nations Unies sur la
situation des droits humains au Soudan, ils lui ont adresse une lettre
ouverte. Dans ce message très crû, ils rappellent les menaces qui
pèsent sur tous ceux qui osent elever une voix critique dans le pays.

Les jeunes militants de Girifna s’adressent a l’expert independant
des Nations Unies dans une lettre ouverte. Ils rappellent la realite
des menaces qui pèsent sur eux et sur tous ceux qui osent elever une
voix critique dans le pays.

“Monsieur Baderin,

Nous avons decide de vous ecrire en apprenant que vous veniez au
Soudan enqueter sur la situation des droits humains. Nous savons
pertinemment que vous ne pourrez pas nous rencontrer et de fait, meme
si vous nous le proposiez, nous ne pourrions accepter, pour notre
propre securite. Nous souhaiterions tout d’abord vous remercier de
venir au Soudan, et nous esperons que votre sejour sera productif.

Ensuite, nous voudrions vous raconter notre histoire, l’histoire d’un
peuple, pas simplement d’un mouvement.

En juin dernier, trente membres du Service national de la sûrete et
du renseignement (NISS) ont fait une descente chez une militante,
qui a alors cru mourir executee. Ils ont enfonce la porte de la salle
de bains, ont fait irruption dans sa chambre, l’ont agrippee par
le bras et ont terrorise sa famille. Sa mère, extremement choquee,
les a supplies jusqu’a ce qu’ils la laissent accompagner sa fille.

Une scène est restee gravee dans la memoire de la militante : sa
mère la serrant dans ses bras et demandant aux agents du NISS de
la tuer a sa place. La mère a pu rentrer chez elle, mais la jeune
femme a ete gardee en detention pendant près de deux mois, sans
aucun procès. Elle a subi des violences psychologiques, de longues
seances d’interrogatoire et a vecu dans des conditions de detention
inhumaines. Elle a implore pour avoir les serviettes hygieniques
indispensables a une femme de son âge. Chaque soir, elle se couchait
la faim au ventre et sa famille lui manquait terriblement.

Un membre de GIRIFNA a pu s’enfuir avec l’aide de sa famille lors
d’une rafle du NISS, qui a alors arrete son frère et deux oncles pour
l’obliger a se rendre.

Il est reste en cavale plusieurs semaines avant de quitter le pays,
mais son frère a ete detenu pendant plusieurs semaines et a subi
des tortures physiques et psychologiques. Sa famille a ete harcelee,
menacee, et a subi d’autres descentes.

Un autre militant d’une vingtaine d’annee a ete place a l’isolement
pendant deux mois sans procès ni accès a un juge. Il a declare preferer
etre execute ou rester emprisonne 10 ans en compagnie d’autres detenus,
tout plutôt que l’isolement.

Jalila Khamis, 45 ans, enseignante et mère de six enfants, milite pour
les droits des femmes noubas. Elle a ete detenue neuf mois avant de
pouvoir etre presentee a un juge ou traduite en justice. Son crime
etait de s’etre elevee publiquement contre les atrocites commises
par l’Etat envers les populations civiles des montagnes de Nouba.

Au Soudan, vouloir denoncer les violations des droits humains commises
par le gouvernement vous expose a des graves dangers. Si vous n’etes
pas place en detention, les forces de securites veilleront a ce
que vous perdiez tout moyen de subsistance. En consequence, les
journalistes qui se sont fermement eleves contre l’oppression et le
manque de libertes civiles sont harceles ou interdits de publication
dans tous les journaux. Leur nombre continue d’augmenter, et meme
les journalistes citoyens ne sont pas epargnes.

S’il ne vous arrete pas, le NISS fait une descente chez vous. De
nombreux militants ont ainsi perdu argent, telephones et ordinateurs
portables, or et objets de valeur, saisis lors de ces descentes. Si
vous n’etes pas soumis a un interrogatoire, alors vous serez viole
et torture. Nous avons recense des cas de viol et de torture subis
par des militants des deux sexes.

L’un d’entre eux a ete menace de castration. On lui a montre un morceau
de tissu sanglant et dit que celui-ci renfermait un organe masculin
coupe. On a de la peine a se croire au 21ème siècle, et non dans la
Russie de Staline ou l’Allemagne hitlerienne.

GIRIFNA a recense une tentative de suicide en detention au cours
de l’annee passee, ce qui montre a quel point les conditions
d’incarceration sont mauvaises.

Des centaines de milliers de personnes sont mortes depuis l’arrivee
au pouvoir du gouvernement actuel. Il guerroie dans le sud du pays et
combat en ce moment les rebelles au Darfour et dans les Etats du Nil
Bleu et du Kordofan meridional. Au Soudan, le peuple se retrouve pris
entre deux feux, les femmes sont violees par l’armee soudanaise et les
hommes executes de sang-froid. Le gouvernement insiste sur le chiffre
de 10 000 morts au Darfour, cependant il semble que tous les habitants
de la region ont perdu un proche lors de cette decennie de conflit.

Dans le Kordofan meridional, notre peuple est affame et se cache dans
des grottes, pensant ainsi se proteger des bombardements aeriens de
leur propre gouvernement, mais en vain.

Monsieur Baderin, nous savons que vous etes ici pour rencontrer des
membres de la societe civile, mais nous voulons vous dire que la
societe civile soudanaise est regulièrement opprimee. En novembre
et decembre 2012, cinq organisations de la societe civile accusees
d’espionnage ont ete dissoutes. Nous pouvons affirmer encore une fois
qu’elles ne s’occupaient, entre autres, que d’activites culturelles,
de formations et de collecte d’informations sur les droits humains.

Elles tentaient de doter le peuple du Soudan d’une voix qui resonnerait
dans le monde entier.

D’autres organisations sont la cible d’intimidations et de nombreux
membres de la societe civile ont quitte le Soudan pour echapper aux
pressions constantes du NISS. Nous avons donc decide de vous ecrire,
en esperant avoir ainsi la chance de vous raconter l’histoire de
notre pays.

Nous sommes epuises, M. Baderin, nous avons subi tant d’atrocites,
mais nous nous obstinons a dire la verite.

Nous esperons que vous nous aurez entendus.

Merci.

GIRIFNA”

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : Amnesty International

From: Baghdasarian

ARRET DES HOSTILITES ENTRE KURDES ET REBELLES DANS LE NORD SYRIEN

Les rebelles et les milices kurdes ont cesse leurs combats meurtriers
dans le nord de la Syrie a la suite d’un accord negocie par l’opposant
historique chretien Michel Kilo, ont indique mardi des militants
antiregime.

Depuis novembre, des accrochages intermittents mais d’une extreme
violence opposaient les deux camps après l’entree des rebelles dans
la localite a majorite kurde de Rass al-Aïn, a la frontière avec
la Turquie.

Un communique detaille les termes de l’accord entre les Comites
populaires kurdes et l’Armee syrienne libre (ASL), la principale
composante de la rebellion syrienne.

Le point le plus important stipule “le retrait total des forces
militaires et des armes de la ville” de Rass al-Aïn et la mise en
place d’un Conseil civil pour gerer la ville et contrôler le point
de passage frontalier avec la Turquie.

Les combattants kurdes et les rebelles sont aussi tombes d’accord
“sur une cooperation et une coordination entre l’ASL et les forces de
defense populaire (kurdes) pour liberer les villes sous le contrôle
du regime”.

Un militant kurde de Rass al-Ain a confirme a l’AFP par internet que
“les confrontations ont cesse depuis l’accord”.

“Les hostilites ont pris fin entre les deux parties il y a une
semaine. Le nombre de combattants dans la ville a diminue et ceux qui
restent sont cantonnes aux entrees”, a dit ce militant se presentant
sous le nom de Hevidar.

vendredi 22 fevrier 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

CEREMONIE JUDEO-ARMENIENNE AUTOUR DE L’AFFICHE ROUGE

A l’initiative de l’Association nationale des Anciens Combattants
et Resistants Armeniens (ANACRA) et de l’Aumônerie Israelite des
Armees (AIA), s’est tenue ce mercredi 20 fevrier 2013 a 17 h30,
en la synagogue des Armees, une ceremonie commemorative du 69ème
anniversaire de l’execution du groupe Manouchian.

Haïm Korsia, aumônier general israelite des Armees C’est dans une
salle comble qu’après les chaleureux mots d’accueil du rabbin de la
synagogue et de Haïm Korsia, aumônier general israelite des Armees,
Antoine Bagdikian , president de l’ANACRA, a pris la parole. Il rappele
que c’etait sur le symbole de l’hommage rendu au groupe Manouchian,
qu’avec le Grand rabbin Korsia, Juifs et Armeniens construisaient
pierre après pierre la solidarite des cultures, la fraternite des
peuples opprimes et genocides.

Nous sommes dans la tradition de hautes personnalites qui nous
ouvrent le chemin, a-t-il ajoute en les evoquant : Henry Morgenthau,
ambassadeur des Etats Unis, temoin oculaire du genocide qui a rachete
la survie de villages entiers d’Armeniens. Ce Juif eminent rapportait
dans ses memoires les propos de Talaat, un des 3 ordonnateur du
genocide des Armeniens ” Pourquoi perdre tout cet argent, de toute
facon il ne restera plus aucun Armenien “.

Et bien d’autres personnalites juives profondement respectees.

Franz Werfel, l’ecrivain juif autrichien et son roman premonitoire de
la montee du nazisme ” les 40 jours du Moussa Dagh. Elie Wiesel et
son cri ” tolerer le negationnisme, c’est tuer une seconde fois les
victimes “. MM. Israël Charny et Yaïr Auron de Jerusalem, Bernard
Henry Levy et Serge Klarsfeld de Paris, qui soutiennent, le combat
des Armeniens pour le reconnaissance du genocide des Armeniens et sa
la condamnation de sa negation.

Nous avons d’illustres predecesseurs, a poursuivi Antoine Bagdikian,
en rappelant les paroles du President de la Knesset, Reouven Rivline
qui declarait devant la commission parlementaire le 26 decembre 2011 :
” le devoir moral nous incombe de nous souvenir et de rememorer la
tragedie qui touche le peuple armenien. Il ne s’agit point d’un sujet
politique mais de l’expression d’une position ethique de la plus haute
importance ; il en va de notre devoir moral, comme Juifs et Hommes,
de reconnaître les tragedies des autres peuples. Le peuple juif
ne peut pas rester indifferent au genocide du peuple armenien. Des
considerations diplomatiques aussi importantes soient-elles, ne nous
permettent pas de nier la catastrophe d’une autre nation “.

Il a adresse ses remerciements a M. Rivline qui soulignait la très
haute fragilite des relations dites diplomatiques et cela bien avant
la crise qui s’est installee entre Israël et la Turquie.

La commemoration de ce soir, a-t-il termine, n’est pas seulement
le rappel d’un passe, meme proche et l’hommage aux morts Juifs et
Armeniens, c’est aussi le rappel que leur heroïsme doit nous donner
un elan pour la defense des grands valeurs de l’humanite et c’est
assurement aux deux peuples les plus martyrs qu’il appartient de
mener ce combat.

Chaque Armenien doit se sentir touche lorsqu’un Juif est atteint par
la haine, le racisme et l’antisemitisme. Chaque Juif doit se sentir
concerne par la reconnaissance du genocide des Armeniens et le combat
contre le negationnisme.

Puis, Arsène Tchakarian, survivant du groupe Manouchian, âge de 95 ans,
a presente son livre temoignage ” les commandos de l’Affiche rouge
” dans lequel il evoque l’epopee de ce reseau de resistants puis son
infiltration par un traitre et l’execution de 23 de ses camarades.

C’est en effet le 21 fevier 1944, que la Gestapo fusillait au Mont
Valerien, ce groupe de combattants etrangers et francais organise
autour de Missak Manouchian et Joseph Epstein. Devenue celèbre par le
film de Frank Cassenti, l’Affiche rouge portant leurs visages etait
placardee sur les murs de Paris pour annoncer leur condamnation a mort.

De poignants chants religieux juifs et armeniens et une prière pour la
Republique prononcee par l’aumônier israelite des Armees ont clôture
cette ceremonie qui, avec celle dediee aux Armeniens Justes parmi les
nations, constitue un des deux volets du travail de memoire partagee
par l’ANACRA et l’AIA.

En presence : du representant du Prelat du Diocèse de l’Eglise
apostolique armenienne qui a dit une prière de Requiem, du Grand Rabbin
Haïm Korsia aumônier general israelite des Armees, d’Antoine Bagdikian,
president de l’ANACRA, du General Gerard Delbauffe (Contrôleur general
des Armees et president du Souvenir francais), d’un representant
de M. Kader Arif, ministre delegue aux Anciens Combattants, de Mme
Catherine Vieu-Charrier (adjointe au maire de Paris chargee du monde
combattant), de M. Philippe Allouche (Fondation pour la Memoire de la
Shoah – Directeur general) de M. Jacques FREDJ (Memorial de la Shoah
– Directeur), de M. Paul Schafer (Comite francais pour Yad Vashem –
President d’honneur),

Marie Chelemian

vendredi 22 fevrier 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

TURKISH PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES ARMENIA’S SARKSYAN ON VICTORY

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Feb 21 2013

21 February 2013 /TODAYSZAMAN.COM, Ä°STANBUL

Turkish President Abdullah Gul has congratulated Armenian President
Serge Sarksyan on his electoral victory despite strained relations
between the two countries.

Sarksyan easily won a second five-year term in Monday’s election,
getting nearly 59 percent of the vote. The closest of his six rivals,
American-born Raffi Hovanessian, polled 37 percent.

The Turkish president is the only high-level Turkish official to have
visited the landlocked Caucasian country, which is officially at war
with Turkey’s ally Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh
region. Gul’s visit to Yerevan in 2008 was aimed at achieving a
breakthrough in mending relations between the two countries, who are
at odds over the mass slaughter of Armenians in Anatolia in 1915.

Despite Sarksyan’s victory, thousands of supporters of Hovanessian
have protested the election results.

Hovanessian, Armenia’s first foreign minister after the 1991 collapse
of the Soviet Union, has called the election unfair and rigged, and
declared himself the genuine winner.

On Wednesday, about 5,000 of his supporters gathered in the capital to
back Hovanessian’s demands. Hovanessian challenged the incumbent to
come to the square in Yerevan, and some of his followers pledged to
remain there through the night.

From: Baghdasarian

BIANET CELEBRATES MOTHER TONGUE DAY WITH SONGS

BIAnet.org, Turkey
Feb 21 2013

bianet’s International Mother Tongue Day 2013: Languages remain on
earth as long as people expressed them through folk chants and songs.

Haluk KALAFAT [email protected] Ä°stanbul – BIA News Desk 21 February
2013, Thursday

“I have got a story, but I can’t express it in the language of my
grandparents,” said a bianet writer last year, on what mother tongue
meant for her.

In 2012, bianet asked its pool of writers to share a piece of writing
in their mother tongues. It was a short notice, but many writers
returned with anecdotes, stories and opinions that no readers were
accustomed to see in a bianet website (or elsewhere) setting.

Last year, we also included the reader reaction on our International
Mother Tongue feature.

This article’s introduction was from Ozlem Oral’s “Languages that
I lost”.

Last year I wrote: “Whoever wrote or translated their writings in
a different language on International Mother Tongue Day once more
proved that Languages remain on earth as long as people expressed.”

This year, Nilay Vardar took a step forward and proved that languages
remain on earth as long as people expressed them through folk chants
and songs.

bianet reiterates last year’s message with the different colors of
mother tongues, but with the common expression of music…

In the hope to see the days we won’t have to repeat this message
anymore..

Acknowledgements: We are grateful to all musicians who contributed with
their performances of Sabiha, Zapjevala Sojka Ptica, Yistambılakue,
Ah Mamocan, Tetro Mamalo, Havaz Ã~Dli Meralets, Turike Derwes, Por Amar
Una Donzea, Siya, Ey Kiti Kazankıran, Ehe Gia Panda Gia, Sogdinan
Laslibo, Ah Oglum! and Caye Berbena in Arabic, Bosnian, Circassian,
Western Armenian, Georgian, HemÅ~_in, Kurdish, Ladino, Laz, Pontic
Greek, Modern Greek, Assyrian, Turkish and Zaza respectively.

(HK/BM)

From: Baghdasarian