Author: Basmajian Ani

TURKISH AMBASSADOR: "TURKEY WILL NOT OPEN BORDERS WITH ARMENIA AS LONG AS AZERBAIJAN’S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY IS NOT RESTORED"

Azeri Press Agency
Aug 19 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Elbrus Seyfullayev-APA. Chairman of the State Committee with
Religious Associations Hidayat Orucov has met with the Turkey’s
Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilic. The State Committee told APA
Orucov informed his guest about the religious situation in the country
and underlined the tolerance between the national and religious
minorities in Azerbaijan. "Every citizen’s freedom of faith and
other rights are protected. The religion is separate from the state
in Azerbaijan, but all religious confessions have been provided with
the conditions for free activity".

Ambassador Hulusi Kilic expressed his satisfaction with the development
of relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan. "Turkey will develop its
cooperation with Azerbaijan in all spheres henceforth".

Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, the ambassador said
the Turkey’s position in this issue was clear. "Despite pressures from
Europe and all the West, Turkey will not open its borders with Armenia
as long as Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is not restored. We
are always together with Azerbaijan in this issue".

KRISTALL TO SUPPLY 6,000-7,000 CARATS OF ROUGH DIAMONDS TO ARMENIAN CUTTER

Tacy
Aug 18 2008
Israel

Kristall of Smolensk, Russia’s largest cut diamond producer,
will supply 6,000-7,000 carats of rough diamonds to Armenia by
the end of this year to be cut and polished, says Gagik Kocharian,
Head of Trade Policy and Domestic Market Regulation at the Armenian
Economics Ministry, referring to a deal signed with Diamond Company
of Armenia (DCA). The first consignment consists of 650 carats of
diamonds. Kocharian expects the new agreement to help revive the
Armenian jewelry industry.

Armenia has not received rough diamonds from Russia in recent years
due to the liberalization of rough diamond prices. Armenia used to
receive up to 6,000 carats under an annual quota agreed by the two
countries’ governments.

Kristall, whose turnover increased 13 percent to US$404 million last
year, agreed at the start of this year to have diamonds which cannot
be cut and polished economically in Russia processed by Armenian
cutting plants.

The Times of Central Asia
August 15, 2008 Friday

`Territorial integrity’ and Cold War thinking

By Charles van der Leeuw

TCA contributor

ALMATY, August 15 (TCA Editions) — If the makers of Australia’s Mad
Max soap movies are thinking of a new episode, the Caucasus will be
their obvious location. Mikhail Saakashvili’s reckless adventure into
Georgia’s breakaway territory of South Ossetia, carrying the risk of a
second offensive against the other escapist province of Abkhazia,
ended up in disaster as could have been predicted – even though
Russia’s open and fierce response to it may have surprised friend and
foe.

Moscow’s overall goal must have been to set an example and send a
clear message once and for all – less in the face of Georgian than in
that of the United States. The message is: Stop meddling as though the
Cold War were still in full swing – or else collaborators are bound to
regret it.

When the same thing happened back in 1991, the main perpetrator was
Tengiz Kitovani, the first lieutenant of the turbulent and ultra-right
President Zviad Gamsakhurdia. The irony is that the latter had
unilaterally split Georgia off from the USSR two years earlier, in
spite of protests from South Ossetia and Abkhazia, until then two
autonomous regions within the Soviet republic of Georgia. Kitovani’s
troops were literally shot out of South Ossetia, and a later attempt
under Edward Shevardnadze to retake Abkhazia ended in a similar
disaster. In both cases, the Georgian party had hoped for support from
the Western powers, who, however, wisely kept themselves aloof from
the battles. Russia as well kept its discretion and, though providing
some logistic support, not one Russian soldier intervened until the
sky had been cleared of gun smoke.

This time, the situation looks different. Ever since Bush Junior came
to power, Washington has dreamed of one more powerful enemy to keep
America’s arms industry in business and the US army in its full force
at hand. The US government has abused its "war on terror" on the other
side of the globe to create a spearhead into Central Asia and
undermine Russia’s hegemony in the volatile region. It would probably
not hesitate to encourage Uzbekistan to do the same thing in
Kyrgyzstan’s Osh that Saakashvili has tried to undertake in
Tskhinvali. Borders in Central Asia have only vaguely been agreed on,
and ethnic minorities occupying potential separatist zones are
everywhere. The recent discover of weapons in American officers’ home
in Bishkek, enough to organize a palace revolution with, amply
illustrates that America has other plans with Central Asia than just
fighting off Taliban hordes.

Just like American peddle diplomat April Glaspy in the late 1980s
virtually told Saddam Hussein to occupy Kuwait (and was later
surprised to see that he responded by doing just that) her successor
Condoleezza Rice hardly more than a fortnight previous to
Saakashvili’s crackdown on Tskhinvali must have at least given him the
impression that he could go ahead with the fulfillment of his election
promise to "restore the fatherland’s territorial unity" by force if he
could. This silent nod and what followed was all based on a formidable
miscalculation. Will it all lead to the end of the flag-carrier of the
Pink Revolution’s political life, as it did in the case of
Gamsakhurdia in late 1992? Some think that this is what the Russian
leadership has in mind – hence the big guns they put in. But it is far
from sure how the Georgian community will react.

If it is true that breakaway self-styled maverick states on one’s
territory are painful and humiliating, ways to deal with them are not
amply available and giving in to provocations by third parties is the
least wise thing to do. Looking back in time, it has become clear that
Azerbaijan’s attempt to take back its Armenian-backed enclave of
Nagorno Karabakh by force between 1992 and 1994 only resulted in a
crushing defeat and more of its territory occupied, with about a
million survivors chased from their homes. Moldova cherishes little
hope of getting its left bank, on which separatists have proclaimed
the so-called Trans-Dnyestr Republic, back within its borders.

The trouble is that once a community has entrenched itself on the
territory it occupies, it is hard to reintegrate it with the former
state structure. The only compromise within reach is the formation of
what would be a federation at best, and probably more of a
confederation. For all it matters, split-offs have taken place
throughout world history. Thus, France was the result of a split-off
from Charlemagne’s Franco-German realm. The Netherlands used to be
part of France from the 6th to the 10th Century AD, only to fall in
the hands of the Germans subsequently, and after a brief incorporation
into the Spanish kingdom in the 16th Century, it fought itself out of
it and gained full independence. Both France and Germany have tried to
retake it by force – somewhat less than successfully.

Today, it would be hard to imagine Spain claiming Holland back. The
slogan "territorial integrity", as agreed upon in the UN charter, may
look nice but it simply denies the course of history. And even the UN
has made a number of exceptions, the most important of which are
Alaska, Hawaii and Greenland, whose right to establish fully
independent states is being recognized by the international community
including Denmark and America. A referendum by Copenhagen in the 1990s
among the Eskimo-and-a-half living in Greenland resulted in an
overwhelming majority rejecting independence.

Armenia’s state veterinarian inspection carries out 808 checkups,
reveals 2,400 violations

YEREVAN, August 16. /ARKA/. Armenia’s State Veterinarian Inspection
carried out 808 checkups, revealing 2,400 food safety violations in the
first half of 2008, reported Grigor Baghyan, head of the Veterinarian
and Food Safety State Inspection, RA Ministry of Agriculture.

The Inspection recalled products past their expiry date, unlabelled,
low-quality non-inspected goods.

The RA Minister of Agriculture has charged the inspection to keep a
vigilant watch over the livestock business and vegetable food sales in
local markets. `Economic entities have time to correct mistakes,’
Baghyan said. Only after this they will be allowed to market goods.

`We haven’t yet reached the level to be immune to any violation.
However, our objective is to help create favorable conditions for
business and guarantee food safety, not just fine business entities and
force them to pay administrative penalty,’ Baghyan added. `0–

INTERNATIONAL FEST: AFTER HIATUS, EVENT IS BACK THIS WEEKEND
By Caitlin Murray

Niagara Gazette
August 14, 2008 06:05 pm
NY

After a two-year hiatus, the International Festival is back.

And this weekend, it’s being expanded into a two-day affair, with free
all-day events, music and food vendors at Gill Creek Park in an effort
to win back the audience that may have forgotten about the event.

"We talked to a lot of people in block clubs and local area and they
enjoyed the festival and missed it," said Jim Szwedo, president
of the Niagara Street Area Business and Professional Association,
which runs the event. "We have a lot more school-aged kids now so
what we’re doing now is important for the people in our area."

The festival got pushed to the backburner when it became difficult
to get the business community involved and long-standing members of
the association were less active, making it tough to recruit a team
to do the months of preparation needed for the fest.

"They were bad financial times — it was harder to get sponsors,"
Szwedo said. "It’s not like other festivals where they get $15,000
from the city. Everything we do is all privately funded."

Though Niagara Falls has a host of ethnic-specific events,
including the popular Italian and the African-American festivals,
the International Festival is for everyone — a direct reflection
of the Niagara Street area’s diverse composition, said Ron Anderluh,
revitalization coordinator for Niagara Street’s Business Association.

"When all the immigrants came over, they settled on the East
Side," Anderluh said. "We don’t want to lose our history within our
area. Italians, Germans, Scandinavians, Irish, Armenians — we all
played a big part in building the city of Niagara Falls and that’s
what’s we’re trying to celebrate."

Vendors scheduled to set up shop Saturday and Sunday will be offering
Italian, Polish, American and Indian food, among others. Other booths
will offer local history and other merchandise, said Anderluh, who
hopes more vendors will continue to sign up in the days leading up
to the event.

"My dream and the dream of the business association is to have this
become one of the biggest fests of the area," Anderluh said. "In order
to do that, we have to get the cooperation of all these different
ethnic groups to support it by coming out and showing some of their
past customs we don’t want to see lost."

But there will be plenty of the usual American festival-type offerings,
too. A free bounce house, petting zoo, beer tent and face painting
will be running all weekend.

Before the festival took a break, it drew as many as 5,000
people. Szwedo is hoping the event’s return will receive a warm
welcome.

"Meet your neighbors," he said. "Realize there are a lot of good
people in the Niagara Street area, and we’re expecting them all to
come out. Meet the people who actually care about the area."

LEVON ARONYAN GRABS SOLE LEAD

arminfo
2008-08-13 11:10:00

ArmInfo. Armenian grand master Levon Aronyan has grabbed sole lead
in Sochi FIDE Grand Prix beating Boris Gelfand from Israel. Aronyan
has taken sole lead with 7/11, followed by Wang Yue, Karjakin and
Radjabov with 6.5/11, Sports.ru reports.

SBR Forum, Costa Rica
Aug 10 2008

UFC 87: Looking to ‘seek and destroy’ the books

08/09/2008 11:07 AM
By: Bread | sbrforum.com

The Welterweight Championship is on the line tonight at UFC 87,
slated for a 10:00 p.m. (Eastern) start time from the Target Center in
Minneapolis. Montreal native Georges St. Pierre is the heavy favorite
to take the belt against Indiana flatlander Jon Fitch in the main
event. On the undercard, Brock Lesnar meets Heath Herring while Kenny
Florian takes on Roger Huerta in what might be the closest bout of the
evening.
The only things more amusing than some of the outrageously silly UFC
fighters’ names are the slogans associated with many of their pay per
views. UFC 87: Seek and Destroy, carries on the torch of dopey
nicknames.

What is not dopey, however, is the stacked fight card. Saturday night UFC fights¦Let’s get it on!

Georges St. Pierre (-360) vs. Jon Fitch (+300)
Our main event just happens to be for the Welterweight Championship.
It also just happens to feature one of MMA’s most enthralling
fighters, Georges St. Pierre (16-2-0). He even has fitting nickname,
`Rush.’ Watching this talented Canadian in the octagon can certainly
be rush inducing.

After a shocking loss to reality show meathead Matt Serra, who was an
11-1 underdog, St. Pierre has been untouchable. He laid the beatdown
on Jeff Koscheck and Matt Hughes. Then four months ago he exacted
some revenge on Serra in impressive fashion, en route to regaining his
belt.

Because of guys like St. Pierre, Anderson Silva and Mike Tyson, I will
never again take anyone with a little girl’s voice lightly. It
wouldn’t end well for Bread.

Opponent Jon Fitch (21-2-0) is certainly no slouch. Riding a 15-fight
winning streak, Fitch’s last loss came in Dec. 2002. To put that in
perspective, Pat Venditto wasn’t even in high school yet. He has
victories over some impressive names: Josh Burkman, Thiago Alves,
Diego Sanchez. Most of those victories are followed with one of the
sport’s best celebrations ` Fitch running around the mat like a
lunatic with a freakish crazy eye. I look forward to it.

Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be seeing that celebration tonight.
Look for St. Pierre to continue his dominance. Georges St. Pierre
-360.

Brock Lesnar (-240) vs. Heath Herring (+180) Big Brock Lesnar (1-1-0)
is back. Listed at 6-3, 265 lbs, the man is just a monster. The UFC
wants this guy to do well. He brings with him a huge fanbase from his
WWE days. Heck, he even lists that as a personal accomplishment on
the UFC website: "WWE Champion." Um, should someone tell him that pro
wrestling is all fake? I’m not going to be the one, but someone
should.

Lesnar’s first pro MMA bout was against someone named Min Soo Kim.
Don’t worry, I had no idea who he was either. Brock pummeled him into
submission by strikes in less than two minutes. Enter the UFC, where
Frank Mir exposed the big guy’s weaknesses. Mir took a pounding for
most of the first round, until landing a leg lock on Lesnar for the
victory.

No problem. Lesnar was then setup for a patsy match against a
43-year-old UFC Hall of Fame inductee, Mark Coleman who saved himself
the embarrassment of enduring senior citizen abuse and injured
himself. Enter Heath Herring.

Herring (29-13-1) is not the patsy that I think the UFC wanted to help
propel their newest big name. He is an inch taller than Lesnar, and
about 15 pounds lighter. He was born in Waco, TX, so you know he’s
crazy. Herring sports a variety of crazy hair colors and styles. He
looks like a space cowboy bar brawler. He carries his own personal
silly nickname, `The Texas Crazy Horse,’ very well.

Nowhere was Herring’s insanity levels on more display than New Year’s
Eve 2005. During his K-1 pre-fight staredown with opponent Yoshihiro
Nakao, Nakao made the bird-brained decision to lean in and give Heath
a kiss on the lips. Herring promptly knocked his suitor out with a
blow to the jaw. The fight was declared a no contest.

In his last fight, he took a split decision from the physical specimen
that is Cheick Kongo. Lesnar seems to have no respect for his latest
hobby. Unlike most fighters who praise their opponents leading up to
a match, Lesnar has the `I’ll beat everyone I have to, to make it to
the top, I don’t care who it is’ attitude. Sadly for Brock, unlike in
the WWE, you cannot be declared a champion in the UFC by the writing
team.

The UFC has even put this card in Lesnar’s hometown of Minneapolis,
where he wrestled collegiately and even had a brief stint with the
Vikings. The crowd will be pulling for him hard. I don’t think they
will be going home happy. Heath Herring +180.

Kenny Florian (-160) vs. Roger Huerta (+130)
UFC President Dana White has already said that this is his personal
pick for fight of the year. I would tend to agree with him. Kenny
`Kenflo’ Florian (9-3-0) will be bringing his elbows of death with
him. He has lost only to Sean Sherk and Diego Sanchez in `The
Ultimate Fighter 1′ finale. All others are usually defeated in bloody
fashion. With a background in Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu, Florian is no
joke.

Roger Huerta (22-1-1) is known as `El Matador.’ I believe that is
French for `doormat.’ I could be wrong. Either way, the Sports
Illustrated cover boy is 6-0 in the UFC. His last victory against
Clay Guida was an exciting bout from beginning to end. Huerta was
getting smacked around for much of the fight, before catching Guida in
a nasty third round choke hold.

***

Florian seems like a nice enough kid from Boston. He even stepped in
and did color commentary in Joe Rogan’s absence for UFC 83. It would
be great if one day he could save my bleeding ears from Rogan’s
screaming. Huerta has the Alcoholics Anonymous third step prayer
tattooed on his right forearm. What does any of this have to do with
anything? Not much. Dana White is right; this fight is a tough call
either way. For such a closely contested bout, go with the value.
Roger Huerta +130.

Demian Maia (-285) vs. Jason MacDonald (+225)
For the wife and me, our favorite running UFC theme is to keep track
of all the redheads, or dark dirty blond fighters. There are tons of
them. I guess when you are born with orange hair, you have to learn
how to fight at a young age. The fun part about them is, 30 seconds
into the fight these guys look like they have some major pigmentation
issues. Giant red splotches all over their body. What can I
say¦we are easily amused.

Well they don’t come more flaring bright orange than Canadian fighter
Jason MacDonald (21-9-0). He possesses one of the weaker nicknames in
the game, `The Athlete.’ How far away are we from someone dubbing
themselves as `The Human?’ This is getting ridiculous.

MacDonald’s opponent for this middleweight matchup is Demian Maia
(8-0-0), a Brazilian fighter influenced by the legendary Gracies. The
majority of his victories are achieved by some form of a choke out.
Maia has stated that his favorite technique is to, "Submit my opponent
without him hurting me, or me hurting him.’ Well that’s no fun.

I highly anticipate the moment when Maia is choking out poor
MacDonald, forcing his face to turn shades of red and orange never
before seen by mankind. It will be a giddy moment in the Bread
household. Demian Maia -285.

Manny Gamburyan (-320) vs. Rob Emerson (+260)
The battle of the Lightweights pits Manny `The Anvil’ Gamburyan
(9-3-0) against Rob `The Saint’ Emerson (9-6-1). It’s a draw on the
worst nickname.

Gamburyan reminds me why I don’t fight little guys when I go out. In
dress attire, standing at a whopping 5-5, 155 lbs, I would almost want
to take it easy on the guy. Then I would be dismantled in sad
fashion. No thanks.

Manny’s actual name is Manvel. He was born in Armenia. He likes to
enter the ring to the music of Armenian band System of a Down. If Joe
Rogan’s decibels don’t make your ears bleed enough, perhaps Manvel’s
music can help.

Gamburyan lost in The Ultimate Fighter championship to Nate Diaz.
Manny was beating him up pretty good until dislocating his shoulder.
That was a bad night for Bread. Manny has won two in a row since
then.

Dana White must love Rob Emerson for some reason. On the reality
show’s fifth installment, he first lost out to Diaz. Then he returned
as a replacement for an injured fighter, and lost to Corey Hill. Then
on the finale’s undercard, he was slammed to the mat by Gray Maynard
and submitted. Problem was, Maynard slammed his own head too hard and
fell unconscious. The fight was declared a no contest. Emerson
hasn’t shown anything, but like the Terminator, he keeps coming back.

This will be an easy victory for Gamburyan. The only concern would be
the karma train. In his last bout with Jeff Cox, Manny broke the
unspoken rule of professional fighting. He faked the glove tap than
many fighters do to begin a round, and smacked a spinning leg kick at
his opponent. Not good. Fortunately for gamblers, Emerson will not
be the one to avenge the karma gods. Manny Gamburyan -320.

TTING/8639/ufc-87-looking-seek-destroy-books.aspx

ArmInfo News Agency (in Russian), Armenia
Aug 9 2008

Armenian Foreign Ministry concerned at situation in Georgia

Yerevan, 9 August: The Armenian Foreign Ministry regrets deeply over
the numerous casualties during the recent developments in Georgia.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry department for information and media
reports that no Armenian citizen, who are currently in Georgia, has
suffered as of 1700 [1200 gmt] on 9 August, Arminfo reported.

The Armenian consulate general in Batumi organized the return of 250
Armenian citizens to the country today. A convoy is being accompanied
by the Georgian policemen. The Armenian Foreign Ministry’s department
on information and media has been put on duty.

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 689-7810
Fax: (212) 689-7168
Email: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian

CROSSROADS E-NEWSLETTER – August 8, 2008

BIBLE TRANSLATION SESSION NEXT WEEK
Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Archbishop Khajag Hagopian and Bishop
Anoushavan Tanielian, along with consultant Rev. Dr. Manuel Jinbashian will
meet in Canada next week for a continuation of their Bible translation
project.
The three church leaders are continuing the work pioneered by Archbishop
Oshagan and Archbishop Zareh Aznavourian, of blessed memory. The translation
into modern Armenian is being done from the original text, i.e., Greek for
the New Testament and Hebrew for the Old Testament. Reference is made also
to the Armenian Classical translation and the Septuagint.
The original team completed the New Testament and parts of the Old
Testament. The new team is completing the remaining books of the Old
Testament.

LINKED IN: A WEEKEND WORKSHOP FOR STUDENTS & PROFESSIONALS
Are you looking for a way to connect with friends and with your church?
Would you like to learn more about your Armenian spiritual heritage?
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Prelacy under the
Catholicosate of Cilicia, a workshop for students and professionals (ages 18
to 35) will take place September 26 to 28, at St. Mary Coptic Orthodox
Retreat Center in Charlton, Massachusetts.
For more details click here.
Direct your questions via email to [email protected]
PLEASE NOTE: The registration form is now on the web page. Don’t delay. Send
in your form right away as space is limited.

PAN-DIASPORA YOUTH CONFERENCE BEGINS NEXT WEEK;
THIRTEEN YOUTHS FROM EASTERN PRELACY WILL PARTICIPATE
Thirteen young people from parishes of the Eastern Prelacy will attend
the pan-Diasporan youth conference which will begin next Thursday, August 14
and continue through to Saturday, August 16. at the Catholicate of the Great
House of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon. Young people from all of the dioceses
within the Catholicate of Cilicia will participate in the conference.
Under the theme, "The Armenian Youth Face the Challenges of the 21st
Century," the conference will feature lectures and round table discussions.

ANNIVERSARY BANQUET SET FOR OCTOBER 25
The dual anniversaries of the 110th anniversary of the establishment of
the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America and the 50th
anniversary of the Prelacy’s affiliation with the Great House of Cilicia
will be marked with a gala banquet on Saturday, October 25, at the Marriott
at Glenpointe in Teaneck New Jersey. An exhibit about the history of the
Prelacy and a DVD film, "A Journey of Faith" will be on display during the
cocktail hour. We will provide regular updates about this event.

DELEGATION FROM THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
VISITS ANTELIAS
A three-member delegation from the National Council of Churches (USA)
visited Antelias last week. The delegation included: Archbishop Vicken
Aykazian, Dr. Michael Kinemon and Dr. Peter Makari. The General Secretary of
the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and two of his assistants
accompanied the delegation.
Receiving the guests on behalf of His Holiness Aram I were Ecumenical
Officer, Bishop Nareg Alemezian; the chairwoman of the Ecumenical Affairs
Committee, Dr. Nora Bayrakdarian-Kabakian; member of the Christian-Muslim
Dialogue Committee, Dr. Jean Salmanian; and Director of the MECC Social
Services Unit, Mrs. Seta Khedeshian. They discussed the religious and
political situation in Lebanon with an emphasis on Christian-Muslim
relations. Speaking about the community-based context of Lebanese life, the
Catholicosate of Cilicia’s representatives underlined the crucial role of
the Armenian Church and the active participation of the Armenian community
in all fields of Armenian life.

WORLD VISION CONFERENCE
World Vision’s 2008 Youth Bible Conference took place in Cyprus on July
29-31, attracting 30 delegates from around the world. The Armenian Church
was represented by Fr. Torkom Donoyian and Garo Aghazarian from the
Catholicate of Cilicia and Fr. Yesayi Artenian and Fr. Barouyr Avedssian
from the Catholicate of All Armenians. The conference discussed the various
issues related to reviewing religion textbooks, preparing new textbooks, as
well as teaching methodology and the incorporation of modern pedagogical
techniques in the classroom. The delegates spoke about the methods used in
Christian education in their respective countries whether in religion
classes in regular schools or Sunday schools.

MAJOR RENOVATION UNDERWAY AT ST. ILLUMINATOR CATHEDRAL
Major renovation of St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York City has
begun. Until the renovation is completed the Divine Liturgy will be offered
every Sunday at 10:40 a.m. at the Armenian Center, 69-23 47th Street,
Woodside, New York.

DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for today, Friday, August 8 are: 2 Timothy 3:1-7; John
6:64-71
But among you there are some who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the
first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would
betray him. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can
come to me unless it is granted by the Father."
Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went
about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of
eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of
God." Jesus answered the, "Did I not choose you, the twelve? Yet one of you
is a devil." He was speaking of Judas son of Simon Iscariot, for he, though
one of the twelve, was going to betray him. (John 6:64-71)

TWO HUNDRED HOLY FATHERS OF THE
ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OF EPHESUS
This Saturday, August 9, the Armenian Church commemorates the 200 Holy
Fathers of the Council of Ephesus (431 AD). Ephesus, the third general
council, was convened upon the order of Emperor Theodosius II to settle the
Nestorian heresy. A large number of high-ranking church leaders attended,
headed by Patriarch Cyril of Alexandria. The principle decision of the
Council was the condemnation of Nestorius. The Council excommunicated
Nestorius and condemned the heresy, affirmed the Nicene Creed, and approved
the title of Theotokos (God-bearer) for the Virgin Mary.
The Armenian Church accepted the canons and decisions of the Council and
designated a day in the church calendar on the Saturday of the Paregentan of
the Assumption. The Armenian Church recognizes the first three councils:
Nicaea (325); Constantinople (381); and Ephesus (431), with special days in
the liturgical calendar for all three.
Ephesus was the chief city of the Roman province of Asia at the
crossroads of the coastal route between Smyrna and Cyzicus. The Temple of
Ardemis in the city was one of the great wonders of the ancient world. St.
Paul took Christianity to Ephesus (Acts 18:18-19). He stayed there for two
years during his third missionary journey.

FAST OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD
This Sunday is the Paregentan of the Fast of the Assumption of the Holy
Mother of God. This is a five-day period (Monday to Friday) of fasting that
precedes the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother, which is Sunday,
August 17.
Paregentan, (literally good living) is a day of enjoyment and comes
before the beginning of a period of fasting. Poun Paregentan comes before
Great Lent. Besides Poun Paregentan there are ten Paregentans in the
liturgical calendar that come before shorter periods of fasting, usually
prior to a major Feast day.

ARMENIAN PATRIARCHATE OF JERUSALEM
COMPUTERIZES REGISTRY RECORDS
The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem has taken steps to computerize
and preserve the genealogical records of community members dating back over
a century and a half, rescuing them from oblivion and the ravages of time
and weather.
The date, spread over more than 220 musty pages of three ancient
"domars" (registers) maintained by the Patriarchate’s scriptorium, was
photographed by one of Jerusalem’s leading artists, Garo Nalbandian.
Patriarchate sources revealed that the pages had become brittle and in
several cases the running ink had made the painstaking handwritten script
almost illegible.
Enshrined on computer CD-ROMs, the registers, which are primarily lists
of the details of the births, marriages and deaths of the Armenian community
of the Old City over the past 170 years, will now be permanently preserved
for posterity within the Patriarchate archives.
Armenians have been living in Jerusalem even before the advent of
Christianity-but documents or records attesting to their presence in the
Holy Land around that era are hard to come by. Even before Thaddeus and
Bartholomew, the two apostles of Jesus of Nazareth who according to
tradition brought Christianity to a heathen Armenia, a large number of the
denizens of that rocky region had already set up home in Jerusalem, the
sleepy village that had become a distant outpost of the empire carved out by
Armenian emperor Tigranes II some 150 years before the birth of Jesus.
(from International Orthodox Christian News)

WEB SITE FOR NOTED ARTIST MARY ZAKARIAN
A small representation of the vast artwork by artist Mary Zakarian is
now on the web. Mary’s artwork is well-known in the community, especially in
the Philadelphia area, where she grew up and still resides. As a member of
St. Gregory Church in Philadelphia she has contributed her talent to the
church in many ways. Some years ago the Prelacy hosted a very successful art
exhibit of her work in New York. She has had many other exhibits in other
venues as well. Armenian themes dominate her work. It is worth taking a look
at this web site

WHAT’S NEW AT THE BOOKSTORE THIS WEEK.
A NEW CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATED BOOK:
DZIRANI ANOUSH, hardbound, 30 pages, in color, written and beautifully
illustrated by Alik Arzoumanian. An entertaining new book for children, fun
to read. $15.00, plus shipping & handling.

A NEW CD:
OOR ES, THE MUSIC OF PAUL BAGHDADLIAN
If you like Pop music, you’ll appreciate this CD. $15.00, plus shipping &
handling.

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT ITEMS AT THE BOOKSTORE VISIT THE PRELACY’S WEB SITE
() or contact the Bookstore by email at
[email protected] or by telephone 212-689-7810.

IT’S FRIDAY, NOT THURSDAY
Dear readers, today is Friday and not Thursday. Although Crossroads is
normally transmitted to you on Thursdays, we missed the deadline yesterday,
not because of ubiquitous "technical difficulties" but because of "human
difficulties." All is well today. Have a good weekend!

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

August 17-St. Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts, picnic and
blessing of the grapes, officiated by Archbishop Oshagan and New England
area clergy. On church grounds, beginning at 12 noon. For information:
508-234-3677 or

August 17-St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, Feast of the Assumption of the Holy
Mother of God and Blessing of the Grapes, and picnic, at the Armenian
Center, Woodside, NY. For information 212-689-5880.

September 7-Annual picnic Festival of St. Gregory Church, North Andover,
Massachusetts, at American Legion Grounds, Haverhill, Massachusetts,
beginning at 12 noon.

August 3-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode Island, Blessing of the
Grapes picnic. Camp Haiastan, Franklin, Massachusetts, noon to 6 pm, rain or
shine.

August 10-Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Worcester, Massachusetts. Annual
picnic on church grounds. Free admission; free parking.

August 17-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, annual church
picnic and blessing of the grapes at Dunkerhook Park, Pavilion D, Paramus,
NJ. For information 201-943-2950.

September 7-St. Stephen’s Church of New Britain-Hartford, Connecticut,
annual picnic, 1 pm to dusk at Quartette Club Grounds, 225 Wooster Street,
New Britain. Rain or shine. Free admission.

September 14-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey. Celebration of
the Holy Cross and Madagh. For information 201-943-2950.

September 19-Sts. Vartanantz Church Ladies Guild, Providence, Rhode Island,
present "Remembering the Good Old Days. 8 pm, Aramian Auditorium. For
tickets and information 401-434-4467.

September 21-Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Worcester, Massachusetts, annual
church banquet. Details to follow.

September 22-13th annual St. Stephen’s School/ACEC Golf Tournament,
Framingham Country Club, Framingham, MA. For information, Astor Guzelian,
781-326-5764.

September 25-Sixth annual golf outing hosted by Sts. Vartanantz Church,
Ridgefield, New Jersey, at River Vale Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey.
For information contact Richard Krikorian 201-784-2236 or church office
201-943-2950.

September 26-28-National Youth Conference at Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual
Vineyard, Charlton, Massachusetts.

September 29-30-Clergy conference at the Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual
Vineyard, Charlton, Massachusetts.

October 17-18-Annual Fall Fair of St. Gregory Church, North Andover,
Massachusetts, Jaffarian Hall.

October 19-St. Stephen’s Church of New Britain-Hartford, first Connecticut
performance of "Hello Ellis Island," at Silas Deane Middle School, 551 Silas
Deane Highway, Wethersfield, Connecticut. Program starts at 3 pm; reception
follows. Advance reservation desired. Adults $25; Students $10; Children
under 12 $5. Tickets at door $30. For information: 860-229-8322.

October 31, November 1 and 2-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey,
Annual Bazaar and Food Festival. For information 201-943-2950.

November 2-St. Stephen’s Church of New Britain-Hartford, Connecticut, 83rd
anniversary banquet at Indian Hill Country Club, 111 Golf Street, Newington,
Connecticut. Reception 1 pm, dinner at 2 pm. For information: 860-229-8322.

November 8 & 9-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode Island, largest
Armenian Fest in New England. Saturday 12 noon to 10 pm; Sunday 12 noon to 8
pm. Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet, Broad Street, Cranston, Rhode Island. Kebobs and
kufta dinners. Live Armenian music. For information: 401-434-4467.

November 9-38th anniversary of St. Gregory Church, North Andover,
Massachusetts, and 50th anniversary of the Prelacy under the Holy See of
Cilicia, presided over by His Grace Bishop Anoushavan at Jaffarian Hall
following Divine Liturgy.

October 25-Gala celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Prelacy of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of America under the jurisdiction of the Great
House of Cilicia and the 110th anniversary of the establishment of the
Armenian Church of America. Marriott at Glenpointe, Teaneck, New Jersey.
Details to follow.

November 21 and 22-Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Worcester, Massachusetts,
Fall Food Festival.

November 23-William Saroyan Centennial Celebration, co-sponsored by the
Anthropology/Armenian Museum at Queens College and the AGBU, 3 pm at Lefrak
Concert Hall, Queens College, Flushing, New York. Archbishop Oshagan will
participate. The program includes readings and a play by Saroyan. Also
special performance by the Aaron Copeland School of Music students of the
music of composer Arno Babadjanian. For information: 718-428-5650.

ACTIVITY OF MONETARY TRANSFERS SYSTEMS WESTERN UNION AND MONEYGRAM BLOCKED IN AZERBAIJAN

Today.Az
01 August 2008 [14:55]

A special resolution of the National bank of Azerbaijan blocked the
activity of the Western Union and MoneyGram monetary transfers systems
in the country.

In line with the decree, the transfers and receipt of money by
Western Union and MoneyGram systems were fully stopped in all banks
of Azerbaijan.

It should be reminded that on July 24 Today.Az posted a material
"Big monetary transfers system Western Union assists to Armenian
diaspora in transferring money to Nagorno Karabakh separatists" and
"Another bigger monetary transfers system MoneyGram assists to Nagorno
Karabakh separatists", in which we covered the problem of transfers
of money to Nagorno Karabakh from all countries of the world, which
is considered to be the assistance to separatists of the said area.

In these articles we called on all the authorized structures of
Azerbaijan to react to this fact in the duly manner.

Fortunately, the National Bank of Azerbaijan timely interfered with
this issue.

It should also be reminded that Day.Az informed the public that Migom
monetary transfers system promote money transfers to separatist of
Nagorno Karabakh.

After the material was posted, head of department of Migom monetary
transfers Lev Chugunov told Day.Az that respecting the sovereignty
of Azerbaijan, as well as the history and culture of our country,
Migom ceased monetary transfers in the direction of Nagorno Karabakh.

In turn, we are confident that we should not stop on it.

Day.Az calls on the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Finance Ministry,
National Bank, Cabinet of Ministers, Banks Association to study the
details, connected with cooperation between the Russian VTB bank and
Artsakhbank and the "shutdown" of the VTB bank affiliate in Nagorno
Karabakh.