Author: Emil Lazarian

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
March 3 2007

Turkish MP warns USA about consequences of adopting Armenian bill

Washington, DC: 3 March: Saban Disli, a member of the Turkish
parliamentary delegation which is currently in Washington, DC, so as
to express Turkey’s sensitivity regarding the Armenian resolution
submitted to the US House of Representatives, said that the
delegation tried to explain the consequences of the approval of such
a resolution to the related parties.

Disli, who is an MP of Justice and Development Party (AKP), held a
press conference in Washington, DC, together with other
parliamentarians from the delegation.

Stressing that a "large-scale struggle" was necessary on the matter,
Disli said, "This is a serious issue. It is a black spot trying to
defame our history".

Disli stressed that two separate parliamentary delegations would
visit Washington, DC, within this month as a part of this struggle,
aiming to explain the views of the Turkish society on the issue to
American congressmen.

Upon a question on which measures Turkey would take in case of the
resolution’s approval and whether a resolution condemning the "Indian
genocide" would be adopted at the Turkish parliament, Disli noted,
"We do not want to consider the probability of the approval of the
resolution. We are working for a lasting solution".

Being reminded that the major part of the logistic support to Iraq
was sent from Incirlik base, Disli stressed, "If we talk about a
specific issue, then it will be a threat. We are pointing to our
common benefits, not to threats. We said that our common interests
and in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and concerning Israeli-Palestinian
conflict could be damaged."

Commenting of the Jewish lobby’s stance regarding the Armenian
resolution as well, Disli indicated that the representatives of the
lobby expressed that they watched the issue closely; however they did
not want to affirm which steps they would take on the matter.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Haymarket Publishing Services Ltd.
Regeneration and Renewal
March 2, 2007

Fewer directors have Anglo-Saxon names

Holly Sutton

People living in the UK with names of Celtic or Anglo-Saxon origin
are much less likely to be a director of a business than people with
more ethnically diverse names of East Asian, Muslim or Sikh descent,
according to a new ethnic and cultural classification tool.

The new figures from data analyst Experian, obtained exclusively by
Regeneration & Renewal, use names to roughly calculate the ethnic and
cultural origins of the UK’s adult population.

Using this tool to predict the ethnicity of UK business directors
shows that people with Jewish and Armenian names form the most
entrepreneurial ethnic group, with 7.23 per cent of them being
company directors. They are followed by people with Nordic, European
and East Asian names.

On the other hand, people with Celtic and Anglo-Saxon names are
respectively the second and fourth least likely ethnic groups to be
company directors: 2.5 per cent of people with Celtic names and 2.83
per cent of people with Anglo-Saxon names are directors.

But people with African names are the least likely to be directors,
as just 2.25 per cent of people in this group are directors.

The Mosaic Origins tool was built by Experian in conjunction with
Professor Richard Webber from University College London. It can be
applied to any list of names to establish its cultural and ethnic mix
– in this case the list of first named directors filed at Companies
House – and to analyse trends, such as which ethnic groups dominate
which industrial sector.

Experian has tested the tool against census results and found it
identifies the ethnicity of both Muslim and European names with 99
per cent accuracy and for all but two of the other groups with at
least 78 per cent accuracy.

Hamid Rehman, director of ethnic minority research company Ethnos,
said that while people from many ethnic minority backgrounds may be
likely to own a business and so be a director, often these firms are
smaller than those run by Anglo-Saxons.

‘Employment rates have always been low in ethnic minority groups so
they have to rely on setting up their own business to make a living.
If you looked at directors of publicly-listed companies it would be a
very different story,’ he said.

In addition, the data reveals specific communities working in
particular trades. For example, people with Muslim names own almost a
third of UK leather goods manufacturers, while people with Indian and
Sri Lankan names own a quarter of all dispensing chemists.

Professor Webber said that this shows there is ‘a very high level of
specialisation in different ethnic groups’.

Former community cohesion tsar Ted Cantle said the research offers
evidence for the occupational segregation of minority and white
communities. ‘Work is a place like school where people get to
understand more about one another,’ he said. ‘If people segregate
themselves by race at work, then there is no opportunity to do this.’

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Herald Sun (Australia)
March 3, 2007 Saturday
FIRST Edition

Darchinyan keen to put on a show

UNDEFEATED Vic Darchinyan defends his International Boxing Federation
flyweight title tomorrow against Mexico’s Victor Burgos and the
Armenian-born Australian intends to display his full arsenal in
Carson, California.

”I want to look nice in this fight. I don’t want to just knock him
out in the first round,” Darchinyan said.

”I fought more than 150 rounds in Australia getting ready. I want to
show my fitness.”

Darchinyan, 27-0 with 21 knockouts, has spoken of moving up a
division to face Filipino star Manny Pacquiao or the winner of the
other bout on the card, an all-Mexican super bantamweight showdown.

World Boxing Council champion Israel Vazquez, 41-3 with 31 knockouts,
defends against IBF champion Rafael Marquez, 36-3 with 32 knockouts.

But before Darchinyan gets ahead of himself, he must dispatch Burgos,
a 32-year-old former IBF champion who is 39-14 with three draws and
23 KOs.

”I know it will be a tough fight but I have confidence in my
training and I’m going to win another title in another weight
class,” Burgos said.

”He’s very confident he’s going to beat me. He’s in for a shock.
He’s going to get a big surprise.

”I have more experience than him. My experience will make the
difference. I’m sure I will be the champion again.”

Darchinyan, 31, answered: ”My other opponents have said the same
thing. You will see after two rounds how he’s going to run from me.”

Burgos countered: ”He’s the one who should be worried after the
second or third round when he figures out his punches aren’t hurting
me. He has never been in a real war with other fighters.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NDP SUBMITS APPLICATION ON NOMINATION TO RA CEC

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, NOYAN TAPAN. On March 2, National Democratic Party
submitted an application on nomination by proportional system for the
forthcoming parliamentary elections to RA Central Electoral Commission
(CEC). As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by CEC Spokesperson
Tsovinar Khachatrian, in total, 77 candidates are included in NDP’s
list headed by Party Chairman, member of NA Ardarutiun (Justice)
faction Shavarsh Kocharian. In S. Kocharian’s words, 60% of total
number of candidates are NDP members and 40% are non-partisan. 15%
candidates are young people below 30 years and women make nearly 35%.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Peter Semneby: GUAM initiative distorts the attention from the main issue

Armradio.am
03.03.2007 12:56

The discussion of the resolution on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
during the spring session of the UN General Assembly at the initiative
of GUAM distorts the attention from the main issue,’ EU Special Envoy
for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby told ArmInfo correspondent.

In his words, with such initiative GUAM `estranges the Karabakh
conflict settlement process from the OSCE Minsk Group framework.’ `It
would be better to focus on searching ways for the settlement of the
conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group,’ the diplomat
remarked.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Le Temps, Suisse
3 mars 2007

Négationnisme: un procès test s’ouvrira sous tension mardi à Lausanne;

VAUD. Dogu Perinçek conteste qu’un génocide ait frappé les Arméniens
en 1915. Il comparaît devant la justice suisse dans un contexte
accidenté. La pénalisation du génocide gagne du terrain mais fait
aussi l’objet de contestation accrue.

Techniquement, c’est une affaire mineure. Elle sera traitée devant le
Tribunal de police de Lausanne et l’accusé risque en théorie une
peine maximale de 3 ans de prison, sans doute nettement moins en
pratique. Mais sur les plans politique et symbolique, il en va tout
autrement. Et la tension monte à toute allure autour du procès
intenté pour négationnisme au président du Parti des travailleurs
turc, Dogu Perinçek.

Dans plusieurs discours prononcés à Lausanne et Winterthour en 2005,
ce dernier a affirmé que le génocide des Arméniens était «un mensonge
international». Les procédures ont été regroupées devant la justice
vaudoise.

Une première

Si Dogu Perinçek est reconnu coupable, cela sera la première
condamnation prononcée en Suisse pour négation de ce génocide. Un
procès mené en 2001 à Berne contre douze Turcs de Suisse s’était
conclu par un acquittement. Les prévenus n’avaient pas agi dans un
but raciste, avait estimé le juge. Qui avait laissé la question
historique ouverte.

Depuis, plusieurs choses ont changé. Le 16 décembre 2003, le Conseil
national a adopté une pétition reconnaissant aux massacres subis par
les Arméniens en 1915 le statut de génocide. Le Grand Conseil vaudois
a fait de même en 2005, contre l’avis du gouvernement cantonal et du
Conseil fédéral.

L’an dernier, c’est la Chambre française des députés qui a adopté une
loi punissant la négation du génocide des Arméniens d’un an de
prison. Ce texte doit encore passer la barrière du Sénat mais la
question revient devant le Congrès américain, dont la nouvelle
majorité démocrate semble bien décidée à reconnaître à son tour le
génocide de 1915.

La contestation monte

Le filet se resserre donc autour de la Turquie, qui a toujours
contesté qu’ait eu lieu en 1915 autre chose qu’un épisode, certes
dramatique, d’une guerre à laquelle toutes les populations de
l’ex-Empire ottoman ont payé leur écot sanglant. Mais parallèlement,
la contestation monte contre le principe de confier à la loi le soin
de distinguer les vérités historiques acceptables des autres, même
sur la question ultrasensible des génocides.

C’est dans ce contexte qu’en octobre 2006, Christoph Blocher a
profité d’un voyage diplomatique à Ankara pour confier à ses
interlocuteurs turcs que l’article 261 bis du Code pénal, qui prohibe
le négationnisme, lui donnait des maux de ventre. Pascal Couchepin,
qui lui a succédé au mois de février, a traité le génocide comme une
question ouverte dont il a souhaité qu’elle soit soumise à une
commission d’historiens.

Entre-temps, le ministre de la Justice a mis un goupe de travail sur
la question d’une éventuelle modification de la loi. Son rapport sera
soumis au Conseil fédéral au printemps. En jeu, notamment, la
question du négationnisme: comment éviter que les juges se voient
invités à écrire l’histoire?

A rigueur de texte, la négation d’un génocide n’est punissable que si
elle intervient dans le but d’abaisser ou de discriminer. C’est
l’absence d’un tel but qui avait motivé l’acquittement prononcé à
Berne. Les accusés s’étaient limités, avait estimé le juge, à
défendre la version de l’histoire qui prévaut dans leur pays.

Une limite floue

Mais la limite est floue. La négation d’un génocide avéré comporte un
élément d’insulte à la mémoire des victimes qui peut être analysé
comme un acte discriminatoire. Si l’on suit cette thèse, la question
des intentions s’estompe: le négationnisme est une proclamation
raciste.

Reste, dans ce cas, à déterminer les génocides avérés. S’agissant des
événements de 1915, le juge lausannois se trouvera dans une situation
pour le moins inconfortable. Une moitié du parlement et la Commission
des droits de l’homme de l’ONU ont reconnu le génocide. Mais pas le
Conseil fédéral ni d’ailleurs l’ONU elle-même.

Autre problème, Dogu Perinçek se présente entouré d’historiens
internationaux qui contestent la réalité du génocide. Un tel moyen de
preuve a toujours été refusé aux négationnistes de la Shoah. Mais la
situation est-elle identique?

Dogu Perinçek veut aussi défendre ses thèses en dehors du tribunal.
Mais ses supporters ont renoncé à une conférence sur les événements
de 1915. La salle communale de Renens leur a été refusée – avec
beaucoup d’hésitation et en raison, explique la syndique Marianne
Huguenin, du risque de trouble de l’ordre public. Plusieurs salles
privées leur ont aussi filé sous le nez: avertis des inquiétudes de
la police, les propriétaires ont préféré renoncer.

Une conférence de presse sera quand même tenue lundi dans le centre
turc de Renens – avec l’accord de la police. Et une manifestation
silencieuse se déroulera place de la Riponne mardi matin.

Encadré: L’accusé, un ultranationaliste qui campe à l’extrême gauche

Par Sylvie Arsever

Dogu Perinçek n’a pas le profil habituel des négationnistes de la
Shoah. Leader d’une formation d’inspiration maoïste, le Parti des
travailleurs, ce sexagénaire est un vieil habitué des luttes, des
tribunaux et de la prison. Emprisonné après le coup d’Etat militaire
de 1971, puis à nouveau en 1998 sous l’accusation de soutien au PKK,
il a obtenu deux fois la condamnation de son pays à Strasbourg.

Sa campagne très déterminée de négation du génocide de 1915 s’inscrit
dans une rhétorique anti-impérialiste aux accents ultranationalistes.

Il analyse les efforts menés au niveau international pour amener la
Turquie à reconnaître le génocide comme un élément d’un plan
américain visant, en dernier ressort, au démembrement de son pays.
Une crainte qu’il n’est pas seul à ressentir en Turquie et que la
montée en puissance du Kurdistan irakien après l’invasion américaine
ne fait rien pour apaiser.

Si l’écho politique du Parti des travailleurs est très modeste, une
grande majorité de Turcs partagent sa position sur la question du
génocide et le comité Talaat Pacha, du nom du ministre qui a fait
passer la loi de déportation des Arméniens, qui le soutient, comprend
des personnalités de tous les bords.

Les hésitations de l’Europe sur l’adhésion turque ont fait remonter
en puissance la question du génocide. L’assassinat au mois de janvier
du journaliste et poète arménien Hrant Dink par un extrémiste a par
ailleurs suscité un débat national sur la question du nationalisme.

Dogu Perinçek s’est encore distingué dans cette affaire: pour lui, ce
sont les Etats-Unis qui ont armé la main de l’assassin -pour diviser,
en Turquie, Turcs et Arméniens.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE

February 26, 2007

American University of Armenia Corporation
300 Lakeside Drive, 5th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Telephone: (510) 987-9452
Fax: (510) 208-3576

Contact: Gaiane Khachatrian
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: <;

AUA Appoints Dr. Lucig Danielian Provost and Vice President

Oakland, CA – The Board of Trustees of the American University of Armenia
Corporation (AUAC) has approved the appointment of Dr. Lucig Danielian as
Provost and Vice President. Dr. Danielian serves as chief academic and
operations officer for the University in this new position.

Dr. Lucig Danielian has been on faculty at AUA since 1995, has served as the
Associate Dean and then Dean of the School of Political Science and
International Affairs, and as its Director has developed the Turpanjian
Center for Policy Analysis into a successful research institution. She is
an active member of several academic and professional organizations and
serves on the boards of several Armenian organizations and publications,
including the Open Society Institute Armenia Foundation which she chairs.

AUA President, Dr. Haroutune Armenian, welcomed Dr. Danielian in her new
position, "Dr. Danielian’s strong academic and leadership credentials, her
research and administrative abilities, and last, but not least, her genuine
interest and unconditional dedication to AUA has always been appreciated by
the University’s community. She has dedicated much of her professional life
to AUA and serving the institution as Provost and Vice President is a
natural continuation of her commitment to the achievement of the
University’s mission."

Dr. Lucig Danielian earned her Doctoral Degree in Communications from the
University of Texas at Austin in 1989 and was a faculty member at the
University at Albany, State University of New York, from 1988-1994 where she
received a University Faculty Fellowship for research on mass communication
and democratic movements in Armenia, USSR. She has been the recipient of
the Harvard University Goldsmith Research Award, a Fulbright Fellowship, an
IREX Advanced Research Fellowship, and a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship of
the Social Science Research Council and the American Council of Learned
Societies Joint Committee on Soviet Studies.

Dr. Danielian has published in journals such as the American Journal of
Political Science and the Journal of Communication, is the author of several
book chapters and has many publications directly related to Armenia and
public policy.

—————————————-

The American University of Armenia Corporation (AUAC) is registered as a
non-profit educational organization in both Armenia and the United States
and is affiliated with the Regents of the University of California.
Receiving major support from the AGBU, AUA offers instruction leading to the
Masters Degree in eight graduate programs. For more information about AUA,
visit

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Film Festival
c/o Golden Thread Productions
131 Tenth Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
USA

CALL FOR ENTRIES: SAN FRANCISCO ARMENIAN FILM FESTIVAL

SAN FRANCISCO, California – The Armenian Film Festival is inviting
submissions of films and videos by or about Armenians. The next festival is
scheduled for February 15, 16 and 17, 2008 at the Delancey Street Theater.
The film festival strives to present Armenian culture across the globe
in all its
living diversity. We are committed to screening high quality films and
videos
produced by Armenians or about Armenians in any cultural, linguistic, and
geopolitical setting. Through these events, we hope to support the enormous
variety of excellent work being done by Armenian film and video makers
on one
hand, and on the other to familiarize Armenians and non-Armenians alike with
the breathtaking multiplicity that makes up our communities.
We are interested in all forms of work – narrative and experimental,
documentary and fiction, drama and comedy, features, shorts, music
videos, children’s films and animation.

All entries must be received by June 1, 200.
There is no entry fee.

Please send your preview copy of VHS or DVD (NTSC preferred) with
completed entry form (located at ), and press
package to:

Armenian Film Festival
c/o Golden Thread Productions
131 Tenth Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
USA

For more information about the festival and to download the entry form,
please visit:

Tue, Feb 27 2007

DIVAN OF THE ARMENIAN PATRIARCHATE OF JERUSALEM
P.O. Box 14235
Jerusalem, Israel 91141
Tel: 9722-62282331; FAX: 6264861
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
21 February 2007

Patriarch asks for support on Holy Fire Ceremony
The following release was issued by the Divan of the Armenian Patriarchate
of Jerusalem. You can download PDF letter to send to officials regarding
the issue by clicking here.

The Holy Fire Ceremony

The Holy Fire Ceremony is a religious ceremony that takes place on the
Saturday of Holy Week, within the Tomb of Jesus Christ in the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Christians believe that, during the ceremony, the Holy Fire descends from
Heaven and lights up the lamp within the Tomb of Christ, thereby
symbolizing the Resurrection of Christ and his victory over death. The
descent of the fire from heaven is one of the greatest miracles of
Christianity, being the divine revelation of Jesus himself. For this
reason, the Holy Saturday ceremony is the holiest one for the Eastern
Churches. These churches include the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox,
Coptic Orthodox and Jacobite-Syrians; all participate in the Holy Saturday
ceremony.

The ceremony is conducted according to precise and clear rules and
arrangements, which have been in existence for hundreds of years. These
rules were anchored in the Ottoman-period Status Quo arrangement for the
Holy Places. The material part of the ceremony, acceptance of the holy
fire, is conducted within the edicule of the Holy Sepulchre; the edicule
is made up of two chambers – the Angels Chapel and the Holy Tomb Chapel.

According to the centuries-old practice, at the highlight of the ceremony,
the Greek Patriarch and the Armenian Patriarch, or his representative,
enter the Holy Tomb together, kneel down in front of the Tomb together,
and witness the miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire together.

The Holy Fire is transferred by the Greek Patriarch and the Armenian
Patriarch, or his representative, to members of the Eastern Churches
through two windows located in the wall of the Angel’s Chapel.

During Easter of 2002, the newly elected Greek Patriarch, Irineos I, whose
first time it was participating in the abovementioned ceremony, incited a
conflict inside the Holy Tomb with the Armenian Patriarch’s
representative, by demanding a deviation from the Status Quo arrangements.
Since that time, the issue remains unresolved.

According to the Greek Patriarch’s statement regarding the ceremony in
2002, he said that the Armenian Bishop must not leave the Holy Tomb’s
Chapel first, and demanded that he leave first, contrary to the binding
order of the ceremony. It is notable to mention that the predecessors of
Irineos I have entered the Holy Tomb’s Chapel together with the Armenian
Patriarch, or his representative, for the Holy Fire Ceremony. The Greek
Metropolitan Archbishops Daniel and Cornelius have themselves been
witnesses to this.

Prior to the Holy Fire Ceremony of 2003, the Greek Patriarch altered his
previous statement and announced his objection in principle that the
Armenian Patriarch, or his representative, had no right to enter the Holy
Tomb’s Chapel during the ceremony. In essence, he said the Armenian
Patriarch, or his representative, had no right to enter the Holy Tomb’s
Chapel at all, witness the miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire, and
light his torch directly from the Holy Fire lamp.

Prior to the Easter celebrations of 2003, and after the Greek Patriarchate
refused every attempt at negotiation or compromise between the churches
within a forum of religious scholars, the State of Israel summoned both
parties around a table to solve the issue. Under Israeli Law, the
Government has the exclusive authority to attain an effective and fair
resolution of any dispute pertaining to the Holy Places in the Holy Land.

Instead of settling the issue immediately, and enforcing the Status Quo,
the Israeli government pretended to have a lack of knowledge regarding the
situation and requested that both churches present it with their evidence.
The government requested this evidence on what each side considered to be
the binding Status Quo arrangement, so that it could issue a decision
during the year preceding the 2004 ceremony. At the same time, the
churches and the Israeli police reached an interim confidential agreement
for the Holy Fire Ceremony of 2004 to ensure that peace and security
prevailed for the event. We believed that as soon as our evidence through
historic documents were presented, the Government would be able to decide
on the matter.

After the ceremony of 2004, we acted as agreed and conducted a thorough
investigation of not only our archives, but the archives of the Sharia
courts in Israel and abroad (including the Ottoman archives). We collected
the testimony of living witnesses who had conducted the Holy Fire Ceremony
as representatives of the Armenian Patriarch, and compiled various legal
documents and scientific books. We also hired the services of an expert,
Dr. Shmuel Berkovich, and furnished the Government with his expert opinion
to establish our position.

Dr. Berkovich concluded that the Armenian Patriarch, or his
representative, has had an exclusive right for hundreds of years to enter
the Holy Tomb on Holy Saturday together with the Greek Patriarch. He
continued to state that the Armenian Patriarch, or his representative, had
the right to kneel in front of the Holy Tomb together with the Greek
Patriarch, had the right to witness the miracle of the descent of the Holy
Fire together, had the right to light his candle directly from the Holy
Fire together, and had the right to exit the Holy Tomb holding their lit
candles, which they would then spread to their respective communities. Dr.
Berkovich emphasized that the Government of Israel must uphold these
specific rights of the Armenians Orthodox Church.

Dr. Berkovich’s expert opinion was presented to the Israeli Government,
who once again appointed the former Minister, N. Sharansky, to deal with
this issue. The Armenian Patriarchate was informed however, that the
Israeli Government would not be willing to decide the matter. Both
churches were once again asked to promise restraint during the ceremony
until a decision was issued by the Government. The ceremony of 2004 was
again held under a heavy police presence.

During these many months, the Greek Patriarchate has not honored its
agreement to present any evidence or documents. Prior to the Easter
celebrations of 2005, the Armenian Patriarchate petitioned the Israeli
Supreme Court of Justice, and requested the Court’s instructions to the
Israeli Government regarding the settlement of this sensitive and
most-important issue.

The Armenian Patriarchate felt compelled to petition the Court due to the
reluctance of the Israeli Government to resolve the conflict in a timely
manner, as well as the lack of an opinion emanating from the Greek
Patriarchate. The Armenian Patriarchate is looking to protect its rights
pursuant to the Status Quo arrangement.

In its response to the Supreme Court, the Greek Patriarchate declared that
the expert opinion on behalf of the Greek Church would not be submitted
until 1 September 2005. Once again, contrary to its promises to the
Supreme Court, the Greek Patriarchate did not submit an opinion until
2007.

In January of 2006, the Supreme Court decided to dismiss the petition of
the Armenian Church for several reasons including: the impracticality of
formulating a solution to the dispute during the short period remaining
until the 2006 Holy Fire Ceremony, the fact that national elections were
looming ahead, and that the Government that would have been required to
deliberate on the conflict would not be the same Government against which
the Armenian petition was filed. Although a new Government was elected
over 10 months ago, no steps have still been taken to address this
most-sensitive issue.
Following the Holy Saturday ceremony of 2005, the Armenian Patriarchate
once again appealed to the Greek Patriarchate in order for the parties to
discuss the issue between them in a peaceful manner, but to no avail.

It was not until January of 2007 that the Armenian Patriarchate and the
Israeli Government received copies of the study of the Greek
Patriarchate’s historian regarding the Holy Fire Ceremony. The Armenian
Patriarchate has studied their evidence and found nothing that overshadows
the undeniable right of the Armenian Church, and/or contradicts or refutes
Dr. S. Berkovich’s expert opinion.

For the last five years, the Armenian Patriarchate has been knocking on
the doors of the Israeli Prime Minister, the other Government Ministers,
the Knesset Members and the Attorney General, requesting that a decision
be issued. Five years on, only promises have been given without any
decisions. There is no argument that it is the duty and responsibility of
the Israeli Government to resolve issues and conflicts in the Holy Places
as set forth by established international law principles, as well as the
laws of the State of Israel.

We beseech you, collectively and individually, to petition the Israeli
Government to act with a sense of duty and responsibility, and to uphold
the centuries-old rights of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

We urge all of our Armenian brothers and sisters around the world to email
and fax the attached petition in your name, or the name of your
organization, to the important Ministers of the Israeli Government listed
below. In case you are unable to send the attached petition to the fax
numbers and email addresses listed below, you may send it to your local
Israeli Embassy or Consulate.

Please demand that this issue be resolved before the day of the Holy Fire
Ceremony on 7 April 2007, so that we may together celebrate and give
thanks and glory to the Risen Christ.

Mr. Ehud Olmert, Prime Minister
Fax – (+972) 2-6705475
E-mail – [email protected]

Ms. Zippi Livni, Foreign Minister
Fax – (+972) 6285438-2

Mr. Avi Dichter, Interior Security Minister
Fax – (+972) 5428039-2
Prof. Daniel Friedman, Minister of Justice
Fax – (+972) 2-6287757
E-mail – [email protected]

Mr. Menahem Mazuz, Attorney General
Fax – (+972) 6467001-2

Mr. Roni Baron, Minister of the Interior
Fax – (+972) 2-5666376
E-mail – [email protected]
27 Feb 2007 by Press Office
Read More ..=2E

©2004 Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada. All rights reserved=2E

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
March 1, 2007
CONTACT: Karoon Panosyan
E-mail: [email protected]

ASSEMBLY HOLDS MEMBER BRIEFING, LEGACY SOCIETY DINNER IN FLORIDA

Boca Raton, FL – On February 9, over 70 Assembly supporters attended a
briefing by Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny to gain a better
understanding of the organization’s current activities and legislative
priorities in the 110th Congress.

Ardouny, who was introduced by Board of Trustees Member Lu Ann Ohanian,
presented the current work of the Assembly including efforts to gain
congressional support for the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H. Res. 106)
and House and Senate legislation condemning journalist Hrant Dink’s
assassination. The two resolutions condemning Dink’s murder, known as S.
Res. 65 and H. Res. 102, were introduced by Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE)
and Representative Joseph Crowley (D-NY) respectively. Ardouny
encouraged community members to urge their lawmakers to support the
resolution and invited them to participate in the Assembly’s upcoming
Advocacy Conference in Washington. The event is designed to provide
activists the opportunity to meet face-to-face with their
representatives and advocate on behalf of Armenian-American issues.

"We have a unique opportunity this Congress to pass the Genocide
resolution," said Ardouny. "The time is now. Our goal is to have a vote
in the House by April 24."

The event was held at The Addison in Boca Raton, FL and was hosted by
Life Trustee Mrs. Charles Talanian.

The previous day, the Assembly held a reception at the Boca Raton Bridge
Hotel to recognize and thank Legacy Society members, from the eastern
United States. The Legacy Society includes those who have remembered the
Assembly in their estate plan.

Assembly Board of Trustees Treasurer Edele Hovnanian presented Associate
Trustees Zaven and Arline Dadekian with Legacy Society pins, and thanked
them for their contributions to the organization. Zaven Dadikian was a
primary proponent for beginning the Legacy Society and leads the
Assembly’s Investment Committee.

"Thanks to Zaven and Arline Dadekian, and all of our Legacy Society
Members, the Assembly is able to face the challenges ahead with the
knowledge that our financial future is secure," said Hovnanian.

Members who donate a planned gift in their will, trust or estate plan
are eligible to join the Assembly’s Legacy Society. For more information
on the Assembly’s Legacy Society please contact Development Director
Andy Zovko at (202) 393 -3434 Ext. 245 or via email at
[email protected].

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of
Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

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NR#2007-029

Photograph available on the Assembly’s Web site at the following link:

/2007-029-1.jpg

Caption: L to R: Longtime Assembly Member Mary Atamian along with
Assembly Member Marilyn Zeronian, Life Trustee Mrs. Michael Ohanian,
Queenie Nahigian and Marilyn Michaelian.

-029-2.jpg

Caption: L to R: Life Trustee Mrs. Charles Talanian with her son Charles
Talanian and daughter Life Trustee Gail O’Reilly.

-029/2007-029-3.jpg

Caption: Mike Boodakian, left, and dedicated Assembly volunteer Carol
Norigian.

s/2007-029/2007-029-4.jpg

Caption: Life Trustee Ann Hintlian, left, with Board of Trustees Member
Lu Ann Ohanian.

029/2007-029-5.jpg

Caption: L to R: Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny and Legacy
Society Members Marta and James Batmasian, Edele Hovnanian and Margaret
and Zaven Dadekian.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress