Author: Ekmekjian Janet

AZG Armenian Daily #065, 13/04/2005
Diaspora
VAHAGN TATRIAN HONORED IN USA
The Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church in America organized an evening
of honor dedicated to Prof. Vahagn Tatrian, specialist in Armenian Genocide
studies. The president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Dr. Vartan
Grigorian and Dr. Stephen Feinstein, director of the Center for Holocaust
and Genocide Studies of Minnesota University, praised Tatrian’s activity.
Head of the Diocese, Archbishop Khazhak Parsamian, passed to Vahagn Tatrian
the medal of St. Sahak Partev on behalf of Catholicos of all Armenians
Karekin II and his message. “Dear Mr. Tatrian, your social and literary
activity as well as your contribution in Armenian Genocide acknowledgement
process and in condemning such crimes deserves high praise… We are sure
that you will continue your activities directed to condemning the Armenian
Genocide and the other heinous atrocities all over the world in order to
prevent such crimes in future”, reads the message.
RA president, foreign minister and president of the National Academy of
Sciences sent their letters of gratitude to Vahagn Tatrian, too.
By Nana Petrosian

All CONFLICTS SHOULD BE SETTLED BY PEACE: US CO-CHAIR OF OSCE MG
YEREVAN, APRIL 12. ARMINFO. Each conflict has its peculiarities, says
US Co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group Stephen Mann says who is presently
heading a US diplomatic delegation in Abkhazia.
In an interview to REGNUM he says that he has never drawn parallels
between the Karabakh and Abkhazian conflicts but for one thing – all
the region’s conflicts must be settled by peace. The mediators in the
conflicts should pay more attention to what the conflicting parties
say rather than to what is published in the press.
Asked if he is expecting specific steps on the part of Baku in
response to Armenian Defence Minister’s recent speech where he voiced
some principal concessions Mann says that he prefers not to speak in
conditional mood. OSCE MG will continue its dialogue with the Armenian
and Azeri FMs and hopefully will attain some effective, constructive
and specific agreement.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
April 12, 2005
___________________
PRIMATE RECOGNIZES NEW LEADERS OF THE CHURCH
By Florence Avakian
It has always been the symbol of the ultimate act of humility: Christ’s
washing of His disciples’ feet before the Last Supper.
On Thursday, March 24, 2005, at New York City’s St. Vartan Cathedral,
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern), used the solemn occasion to pay tribute to
12 young adult leaders of the church. Standing in perfect formation on
the altar, the 12 participants each took their turn sitting, as the
Primate knelt before them performing this profound ritual.
Included in the group were Joseph Ariyan of the St. Mary Church of
Livingston, NJ; Jason Demerjian of the Diocesan College Ministry
Program; Alex Derderian of the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Armenian Church of
Wynnewood, PA; Ara Janigian of the St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Church of
Providence, RI; Antranig Garibian of the Holy Trinity Church of
Cheltenham, PA; Aleksandr Gevorkyan and Charles Simonian of the St.
Vartan Cathedral; Raffi Gulbenk of the Church of the Holy Ascension of
Trumbull, CT; and Ara Hallajian, Diran Jebejian, Armenian Jesralyan, and
Nubar Kasaryan of the St. Leon Church of Fair Lawn, NJ.
“We are passing the torch to a new generation of Armenian-Americans, 12
young men who exemplify the present and future leadership of our
Diocese,” said the Primate in his homily during the Holy Thursday
service. “I have known these young men at St. Nersess Seminary, at St.
Vartan Cathedral, serving on our church altars, and becoming the
wonderful leaders of our parishes.”
The moving message of the service did not pass by the young
participants, such as Antranig Garibian who described the experience as
“very humbling.”
“It was much more powerful than I ever imagined it,” he said. “For
Christ to wash the feet of His disciples, is the most powerful act of
humility.”
This was also the case for Nubar Kasaryan and Armen Jesralyan who were
“emotionally uplifted”. And for Alex Derderian and Raffi Gulbenk who
saw it as a “once in a lifetime opportunity,” both felt “very
privileged” to have participated.
PASSING THE TOURCH
Praising not only the young leaders but the dedicated parents,
clergymen, and lay ministers who light the fire of faith in them, the
Primate stressed that living a faith-filled life is important.
“This year and in the following years the focus of the Diocese will be
on the Armenian spirit, and the understanding of what that spirit means
in its fullness,” the Primate said. “If we are empowered with that
spirit, we will be able to fulfill our duties.”
Honoring the next generation of Armenian Church leaders was made all the
more powerful when the Primate reflected on the upcoming 90th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, speaking of the challenges
Armenian immigrants and survivors went through to rebuild their faith
and community here in America.
“Their spirit rejoices today as they see the young future generation of
Armenian-Americans continuing the Armenian Christian spirit. God bless
our youth,” the Primate said.
PART OF HOLY WEEK
Preceding the “Washing of the Feet” ceremony, a group of young people
and deacons had recited in Armenian the religious scrolls which related
the significance of the occasion. The service was officiated by
Archbishop Barsamian and sung by the St. Vartan Cathedral choir, under
the direction of Khoren Mekanejian with organist Florence Avakian. It
was just one of the Holy Week services coordinated by Fr. Mardiros
Chevian, dean of St. Vartan Cathedral.
Following the church services, a reception was held for all the faithful
in attendance. Barbara Lorincie, who travels each year from San Diego,
CA, to attend Easter week services at St. Vartan Cathedral because they
are “so spiritual,” called this special evening “very touching, very
moving in my faith.”
Juan Carlos Merdinian, originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, saw “the
special sacrifice of Christ’s pain and love as deeply significant for
all of Christianity. He cleansed all the sins of mankind, and we should
not only thank Him but respect His greatness,” he said.
— 4/12/05
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese
of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), washes the feet of Antranig
Garibian from the Holy Trinity Church of Cheltenham, PA, during the
“Washing of the Feet” ceremony on Holy Thursday at New York City’s St.
Vartan Cathedral on Thursday, March 24, 2005.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): Ara Janigian of the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church of
Providence, RI, kisses the hand of Archbishop Barsamian following his
participation in the “Washing of the Feet” ceremony on Thursday, March
24, 2005.
PHOTO CAPTION (3): The Primate is joined by 12 young men in New York
City’s St. Vartan Cathedral for the “Washing of the Feet” ceremony on
Holy Thursday, March 24, 2005.

Agence France Presse
5 avril 2005 mardi 1:48 PM GMT
Le patriarche arménien d’Istanbul aux obsèques du pape Jean Paul II
ISTANBUL
Le patriarche arménien orthodoxe d’Istanbul Mesrob II se rendra jeudi
au Vatican pour assister le lendemain aux funérailles du pape Jean
Paul II, a affirmé mardi Luiz Bakar, la porte-parole du patriarcat.
“Le patriarche Mesrob II se rendra jeudi au Vatican avec une
délégation dont la composition n’a pas encore été déterminée pour
assister aux obsèques du pape”, a déclaré à l’AFP Mme Bakar.
Mesrob II avait adressé samedi une lettre de condoléances au cardinal
camerlingue Eduardo Martinez Somalo, dans laquelle il décrivait Jean
Paul II comme un “ami loyal et bien-aimé de l’Eglise et du peuple
arméniens”.
La communauté arménienne de Turquie, un pays musulman à plus de 99%,
est estimée à environ 45.000 membres, pour la plupart orthodoxes avec
de petits groupes catholiques et protestants.

IN FEBRUARY AVERAGE MONTHLY DUST DENSITY IN YEREVAN EXCEEDS
PERMISSIBLE NORM 1.3 TIMES
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. In February 2005 the air basin of
Yerevan, Gyumri, Vanadzor, Hrazdan, Alaverdi and Ararat was under
observation. According to the data of the National Statistical
Service, the density of atmosphere contaminants was defined by 2428
samples of air taken in the above-mentioned regions. In accordance
with it, in February in Yerevan, Alaverdi and Vanadzor the average
monthly dust density exceeded the permissbile norm 1.3 times, in
Hrazdan 4 times, in Ararat 2, in Gyumri 2.7 times.

Journalists protest in Azerbaijan over probe of editor’s death
April 9, 2005 – 14:55
BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) – About 700 journalists and rights activists
rallied in Azerbaijan’s capital Saturday to protest what they call
authorities’ failure to fully investigate the death of an opposition
magazine editor and bring his killers to justice.
Police afterward detained seven activists from youth organization Yeni
Fikir, or New Thought, for distributing leaflets at the unauthorized
rally in the oil-rich Caspian Sea state, their leader, Ruslan Bashirli,
told The Associated Press by cellphone from a police station.
A police spokesman confirmed the detention but gave no further
information.
Elmar Huseinov, founder and editor of the opposition magazine Monitor,
was found dead in the lobby of his apartment building in Baku on
March 2. Police said he was shot four times in the heart and the side.
The opposition has blamed the former Soviet republic’s leadership for
Huseinov’s killing. President Ilham Aliev has countered by calling
the murder a provocation for unrest.
At the protest meeting opposite the city’s National Academy of
Sciences, the participants shouted “Freedom” and “Freedom of Speech.”
They then went the cemetery where the journalist is buried, and the
head of the country’s journalists’ union, Azer Hasrat, read a petition
calling for a speedy investigation into Huseinov’s killing and the
end to official pressure on the media.
The journalist’s widow, Rushana Huseinova, told the AP that the
government was trying to shift responsibility for the killing on
“foreign powers.”
“From the start of the investigation you could feel efforts to put
the blame onto any other country, Russia, Georgia, the United States,
but not on the Azerbaijani government,” she said.
An international press freedom group on Friday urged Azerbaijan to
find Huseinov’s killers, saying that would show that the country
valued press freedoms and democracy.
Robert Menard, who heads the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders,
said Interior Minister Rameli Usubovi told him in a meeting Friday
that the murder had a political motive, possibly to destabilize the
country. He suggested foreign countries, such as Azerbaijan’s regional
rival, Armenia, may have had a role.
Tension between the government and the opposition has increased since
the October 2003 election, in which Aliev replaced his father, longtime
leader Geidar, as president in a vote the opposition said was marred
by fraud. Several opposition leaders, including newspaper editors,
have been sentenced to prison over unrest that followed the election.

SLOVAKIA PARLIAMENTARY DELIGATION’S VISIT TO ARMENIA POSTPONED
YEREVAN, APRIL 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The official visit to Armenia of the
deligation headed by Pavol Hrushovski, the National Council Chairman
of the Republic of Slovakia, was envasiged on April 8-10. But it was
postponed on the initiative of the Slovakian party, on the occasion
of participation in the funeral of Pope John Paul II.

BARBARIANS IN YEREVAN
A1+
01-04-2005
«It is not a secret for us that in our city trees are constantly being
cut. And all this is done before the eye of the people. We found a
terrible scene near the hotel «Golden Palace» which is being built
near the Victory Park. The sycamores of the pavement which could still
live up to 65 years were cat, and several poplars which were really
object of cutting slipped the eye of the cutters.
It is obvious that this is done on purpose with the aim of destroying
the little left green area in our city. We call to you to stop this
criminal attitude towards our city», this was the letter of Silva
Adamyan, head of the non-governmental organization «Center of
Bird-lovers». At the end of the letter, bringing as witness the photos
sent by her, Silva Adamyan calls us to witness this «barbarian
attitude».

ANCA WARNS ARMENIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY GROUPS ABOUT TARC/ICTJ THREAT
TO ARMENIAN CAUSE
WASHINGTON, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. Responding to the Turkish
government’s increasingly aggressive campaign to deny justice for the
Armenian Genocide, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
circulated on March 28 a letter warning all the leading Armenian
American organizations about the “quiet, but profoundly dangerous,
campaign by Turkey aimed at the very heart of our community’s struggle
to secure full recognition, proper commemoration, and a just
resolution of the Armenian Genocide.”

THE ARABS APPEAL TO THE WORLD ABOUT THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
A1+
01-04-2005
The 12 leaders of the Syrian North-Eastern tribes who have come to
Armenia in connection with the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide, appealed to the international organizations today. The leaders
of the Arabian tribes think that «the world must reconsider their
attitude towards the Armenian Genocide and return to the Armenian nation
their just rights and demands».
The Arabs who first visit Armenian are those people who govern their
tribes. It is noteworthy that each Syrian tribe consists of more than a
million people. The leaders arriving Armenian represent the tribes which
during the Genocide received and helped the immigrants saved from the
Turkish jatagan. «The Arabs all know about the Genocide and they have
done many services to the Armenian nation», said the leaders in the
today’s press conference.
The guests have met the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, students
and many other people, they have visited Matenadaran and got acquainted
with the Armenian history. Today they will go to the town of Abovyan,
where there are many people who returned to Armenia years after the
Genocide. Tomorrow the representatives of the Arabian world will meet
the Catholicos of all Armenians.
As a result of the meetings already taken place, the representative of
the `Bagyara’ tribe, for example, has concluded, `It is already clear
for us that the Armenian nation has a history of thousand and thousand
of years, even before Christ. So this nation must recover its
fatherland’.
The leaders of the tribes represented the role of the Syrian Armenian
community in the activity of their country. The Armenians have many high
posts and always have places in the Parliament. By the way, the Syrian
Parliament has not officially recognized the fact of the Armenian
Genocide. According to the leaders, it is accounted for by the fact that
in that issue Syria is like Armenia:’There is no need to recognize an
issue which is testified to by every stone of the country’.