Author: Elizabeth Jabejian

Iker Casillas’s own goal earned Borussia Dortmund a 1-0 win over Porto and confirmed their UEFA Europa League round of 16 place, according to UEFA’s official website.

Trailing 2-0 from the first leg, the home side started at breakneck speed, but as the heavens opened in northern Portugal, their hopes of progressing were all but extinguished. Casillas produced a wonderful save from Marco Reus’s volley, yet the ball cannoned off him and into the net after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s follow-up had crashed off the crossbar.

Away goal secured, Dortmund sat back. Evandro fired wide following a mazy run before Silvestre Varela’s header forced visiting keeper Roman Bürki into a full-length save just before the break. Vincent Aboubakar’s impish flick was well smothered by Bürki as Porto continued where they left off, though Dortmund menaced on the counter, Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan both having efforts disallowed for offside.

Bürki produced another smart stop late on to deny Porto a consolation before home substitute Yacine Brahimi rattled the crossbar and Mkhitaryan saw his attempt smash against the post.

“Anahit” animation film based on the homonymous fairy tale by Gazaros Aghayan is now available on the web.

It has been viewed by more than 80,000 thousand people in the cinemas, a record-breaking number for animation films in Armenia.

It took “Robert Sahakyants” Production five years to create the first Armenian full-length animation film.  The project was supported by the Armenian Ministry of Culture and the Sharm Holding.

Directed by David Sahakyants, Lyulya Sahakyants
Produced by Sharm Holding
Producers: Karen Ghazaryan, Hayk Sahakyants, David Sahakyants
Story by Naira Sahakyants, Lyulya Sahakyants, David Sahakyants
Dialogs by Vahram Sahakyan and Levon Galstyan
Production designer: Ernest Muradyan
Composers: Armen Martirosyan, Vardan Zadoyan

Voiced by Nazeni Hovhannisyan, Khoren Levonyan, Raphael Kotanjyan, Sushan Petrosyan, Hrant Tokhatyan, David Babayan, Mkrtich Arzumanyan, Vardan Zadoyan.

The songs are performed by Shushan Petrosyan, Inga Arshakyan, Tigran Petrosyan, Gor Sujyan, Nik Egibyan, Hasmik Karapetyan, as well as “Akunk” folk ensemble.

– Recently, a group of religious leaders from different denominations in the Lowell region met to discuss the plight of persecuted Christians in the Middle East. What started as an informal get-together has become a united coalition of churches, pooling their spiritual and material resources to help some of the world’s most victimized people. It is the first time Christians in the region have worked together on such a large-scale initiative.

The culmination of their efforts will be an interfaith “Ecumenical Prayer Service of Christian Unity” on Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Lowell. The service is open to the public, and will highlight the hundreds of thousands of Christians who are being persecuted and killed in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria. The clergymen are working with their respective congregations and the local community to inform people of the atrocities, and to raise money for relief efforts.

A unique feature of the multi-denominational initiative is that all donations will be combined and distributed to three trustworthy charitable organizations: Catholic Charities, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), and the Armenian Relief Fund. Donors may select among the three according to their personal preferences.

The enterprise was conceived and promulgated by Rev. Terrence O’Connell of St. Joseph’s Shrine and Chuck Saba, owner of Bishop’s Legacy Restaurant in Lowell, who developed the plan with Rev. Leonard Faris of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church. The founding team met with Rev. Daniel Crahen of St. Patrick Church, Rev. Peter Rizos of St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Fr. Ernest Couloras, a retired Greek Orthodox priest, and Fred Simon, a parishioner at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, to discuss how to implement the plan.

Since then, many other churches have joined the operation, such as the Armenian Christian churches in Haverill and Lawrence. A number of Protestant denominations have also been contacted to expand the effort.

Rev. Faris has been an indefatigable organizer of the Jan. 24 event, which will take place at his church. He explained that, despite the relentless persecution from groups such as ISIS, the majority of Christians in the Middle East do not want to repatriate to other countries. They have deep roots in the area, and do not want to leave their businesses behind. Additionally, many have family members, especially the elderly, who are unable to travel.

“Many of the refugees don’t want to leave their homes because they know once they leave their country they’ll never go back,” Rev. Faris noted. “Most of them will never hear again from their relatives. So we want to help them stay in their homelands, since that’s what they prefer.”

Rev. O’Connell concurred: “The effort is to help people on-site, so they can either stay in their own country or to return to their homes.” He added that the victims are singled out for their faith: “It’s a tragedy for the refugees because they’re being persecuted for their religious beliefs.”

Rev. Faris expounded, “ISIS has no value for human life – Christian or Muslim. If you don’t follow their ideology, you’re killed. Unfortunately, Muslims are getting a bad name from ISIS. We need to remember that moderate Muslims are also getting slaughtered.”

Accordingly, the funds collected for relief programs will help both Christian and Muslim refugees, since the organizers wish to help all victims. Rev. Faris explained that when individual churches send contributions, they are often confiscated or stolen, especially by ISIS operatives. As a result, churches are wary of sending anything on their own since it will likely go to the wrong hands. To ensure the donations go directly to the designated beneficiaries, the ecumenical coalition is combining their resources and distributing them to three well-established relief organizations.

The cooperative effort among so many denominations in the Lowell region reverberates far beyond the local level. The ecumenical initiative is more than a gesture: it is a formidable example to believers and persecutors alike that Christians can cooperate and support each other in adversity.

Rev. Faris is enthusiastic about the response from the participants and the historic nature of the enterprise: “This is the first event of its kind in the region.

Lowell is a city of immigrants and we all get along and work well together. There is no animosity between us. We’re multi-cultural, and our churches are open to all who want to come and pray. As Christians, we have more in common than what divides us. This harmony can also happen in the Middle East.”

Singer David Bowie has died at the age of 69 following a battle with cancer, the BBC reports.

His son director Duncan Jones confirmed the news and a statement was released on his official social media accounts.

“David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer,” it said.

“While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief.”

Today, President Serzh Sargsyan attended the liturgy at Holy See Mother Echmiadzin Cathedral dedicated to Christmas and Revelation holidays.

Asbarez – Following years of systematic efforts by the Government of Azerbaijan to eliminate the voices of independent journalists, opposition politicians, and civil society groups, Helsinki Commission Chair Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) Wednesday introduced H.R. 4264, the , a landmark bill that will deny U.S. visas to senior members of the Azerbaijani government.

“We recognize that there are important national security and economic ties that exist between our two countries, but the United States can no longer remain blind to the appalling human rights violations that are taking place in Azerbaijan,” said Rep. Smith. “Journalists and activists are routinely arrested and imprisoned; opposition politicians are in jail and elections are not free and fair; human rights lawyers have been harassed and disbarred; and religious freedom is under attack.  The Azerbaijan Democracy Act demonstrates that the United States takes human rights and fundamental freedoms seriously, and that we will not compromise when faced by a government that represses the political opposition, the media, and religious minorities.”

In addition to denying U.S. visas to senior leaders of the Government of Azerbaijan, those who derive significant financial benefit from business dealings with senior leadership, and members of the security or judicial branches, the Azerbaijan Democracy Act also expresses the sense of Congress that financial penalties should be considered. Sanctions could be lifted when the Azerbaijani government shows substantial progress toward releasing political prisoners, ending its harassment of civil society, and holding free and fair elections.

“It is unacceptable that senior members of the Azerbaijani government are free to visit the United States while courageous women and men like investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova, attorney Intigam Aliyev, opposition politician Ilgar Mammadov, and activist Anar Mammadli are locked away in prisons with inadequate access to legal or even medical assistance,” Rep. Smith said. “If they can pay the price for standing up for human rights, the least we can do is to stand with them.”

Rep. Smith is a long-standing advocate for human rights in Azerbaijan. Following the introduction of today’s legislation he will chair a 2PM hearing to examine Azerbaijan’s persecution of Ms. Ismayilova, who was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison in early September.

“We welcome Congressman Smith’s leadership in introducing the Azerbaijani Democracy Act,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.  “This measure, aimed first and foremost at protecting the rights of Azerbaijani citizens, can, in a broader sense, also potentially contribute to prospects for regional peace, by requiring that the United States – and our international partners – hold Ilham Aliyev and his regime accountable.  The fact is that Azerbaijan’s domestic repression mirrors its regional aggression.  We need to challenge both.

The sitting in the NATO Partnerships and Cooperative Security Committee + Armenia format was held at NATO headquarters. The meeting was chaired by James Appathurai, NATO Secretary General’s Special representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia. The Armenian delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Ashot Hovakimyan and Deputy Defense Minister David Tonoyan.

The assessment report of the 2014-2015 Armenia-NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan was discussed.

Addressing the Meeting, Ashot Hovakimyan referred to Armenia-NATO political dialogue and partnership in different spheres. He also touched upon the recent developments in the negotiation process. He reiterated Armenia’s commitment to continue the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan in 2016.

David Tonoyan, in turn, spoke about the process of reforms in the Armenian Armed Forces, the steps targeted at the reinforcement of human rights in the Army and the military-educational programs implemented by the Ministry of Defense.

Addresssing the sitting, representatives of NATO member states hailed Armenia’s cooperation with the Alliance in all spheres and expressed their support for the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Photo: Getty Images

 

The German cabinet has backed plans for military support in the fight against Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria, the BBC reports.

Tornado reconnaissance aircraft, a naval frigate and a 1,200-strong force will be sent to the region under the proposals – expected to go for a parliament vote as early as Wednesday.

Germany decided to join the fight against IS after an appeal by French President Francois Hollande in the wake of the 13 November Paris attacks.

Its forces will not engage in combat.

MPs are expected to back the mission, which would become Germany’s biggest current military operation abroad.

Alastair Grant/Canadian Press

 

– The Armenian genocide has lessons for Canadians as they come to terms with trauma inflicted on indigenous people, Atom Egoyan says.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is marking the centennial of the Armenian genocide with a visit from the acclaimed Canadian filmmaker on Wednesday.

Egoyan, whose parents are Armenian, explored the genocide in his 2002 film Ararat, which starred Arsinée Khanjian, his wife. Egoyan and Khanjian will both speak at the museum Wednesday evening.

Egoyan spoke with Information Radio‘s Marcy Markusa about the Armenian genocide and the treatment of indigenous people in Canada on Wednesday morning. Read highlights of their conversation below.

Marcy Markusa: You, I know, are personally connected to [the Armenian genocide].

Atom Egoyan: On my father’s side, my grandparents were survivors. My grandmother really was found in a village at the age of about six, so we don’t really know where she’s from, and that’s where the family tree sort of ends on that side. So, it was something I was always aware of …

When we came to Canada, I was raised in Victoria, B.C., where there wasn’t really an Armenian community to speak of, so it was something that wasn’t really talked about a lot until I went to Toronto, and I realized that there was this whole history.

It’s a pretty grim history but the amazing part is that Canada had a huge role in actually welcoming Armenian refugees at the time to Canada and has actually acknowledged this officially as genocide, which has been a real bone of contention because the perpetrator, Turkey, has never really come to terms with this. It’s always denied the Armenian genocide.

MM: Have you ever come [face] to face with someone who’s denied it?

AE: Oh, yeah. It’s an odd situation because we take it for granted when something has happened historically that there will be some sort of reckoning at some point, but this is still very much an open wound and … one of the things that I’ll be talking about tonight is how that’s happened and how it’s been possible … unlike let’s say the Holocaust, where after the Second World War there were the Nuremburg trials and Germany was really made to acknowledge this and it was irrefutable, of course, because of all the documentation.

The Armenian genocide happened at this moment where it was possible because of various political pressures for Turkey to actually walk away from any acknowledgement.

It’s not usually someone who says, “It didn’t happen.” It’s someone who basically says, “Well, there have been exaggerations,” or “I’m sure there are two sides to the story.” There’s usually some way of equivocating. Of course when you meet someone who’s actually adamant about the denial, it becomes even starker than that. It’s a little surreal to be honest, it’s quite surreal.

You have to also understand when you meet someone who’s a young person who was raised in Turkey that they weren’t schooled with this.… A lot of them aren’t even aware of the history.

MM: Here in Canada a lot of people [are] not aware of the history either. So, 1.5 million Armenians died. What happened?

AE: Armenians were living in towns and villages all over the eastern part of Turkey.

There was a large community in what is present-day Istanbul. In 1915, the Turkish government, a “Young Turk” government at the time, decided to move large parts of the population into the deserts of what is present-day Syria.

Armenians were trying to assert their rights in terms of they were being overtaxed and they were being, there were all sorts of pressures. The basic political issue was that the Ottoman Empire at the time was crumbling.

The Young Turk government blamed the Armenians for a lot of what their problems were.… They were considered to be the root cause of why the empire was crumbling. The Turks thought that there was a possible coalition with certain Armenians with Russia, so they basically evacuated all these villages and what seemed to be at first … a forced relocation became an organized genocide. People were marched into deserts, where they were basically left to die. There were of course massacres and killings along the way, but our killing fields were in a place called Deir ez-Zor in Syria, where there are large crevasses in the mountains where Armenians were basically thrown into at the end of their journey.

When you’re bringing up history being forgotten and you’re talking about how when you go to Turkey you realize the education was never there … people didn’t have a chance to learn, [I can’t help] thinking about Canada as we come to terms with our own history with residential schools and treatment of aboriginal people. What have you learned about confronting denial that might shed some light on that?

The natural human tendency, unfortunately, is that if you can deny and get away with it, you will. This idea that there is a moral core that somehow prevents us from denying atrocity or crimes or wrongdoings that we do against fellow human beings, we tend to actually become quite lax.

MM: But at what point is there no excuse for ignorance?

AE: Well, in the case of being able to understand someone else’s suffering. That’s what it comes down to; it’s this question of compassion. It’s this understanding that we’re dealing with other human beings.

I think that one of the reasons that we’re dealing with the residential school issue is that we’re seeing the effect of this on present-day populations. We’re seeing the trauma. We understand that this is not just something that happened that we can sweep under the rug. This is a responsibility that we have as a society and we have to hold ourselves up to the very high standards of being able to address the wrongs that we have done.

The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revealed the names of the crewmembers of the An-12 plane that crashed in South Sudan this morning:

Gevorg Tovmasyan
Samvel Hambartsumyan
Samvel Mkrtchyan
Armen Antonyan
Suren Petrosyan

The Ministry informs that the plane belonged to the Asia Airways.