Author: Emil Lazarian

Denial of crimes witnessed
April 22, 2006
By SALIM MANSUR
Toronto Sun, Canada

In the spring of 1915 with Europe at war, the Turkish rulers of the Ottoman
Empire ordered the deportation and killing of the Armenian population within
their territory.

Between April 1915 and the end of the war in November 1918, the organized
destruction of a people identified by ethnicity and religion was conducted
by a government that ruled an empire in the name of Islam.

The nationalist Turks who succeeded the defeated power-holders in Istanbul
continued the massacres of Armenians in eastern Anatolia and into the
Caucasus. Some 1.5 million Armenians perished during this period between
1915 and 1923.

This destruction of the Armenian people was the first genocide of the 20th
century, a prelude to what would come later under Hitler’s Third Reich as
the “final solution” for the Jews.

It took nearly 90 years for the Canadian parliament — by a vote of 153
(yeas) to 68 (nays) on April 21, 2004 — to pass a resolution acknowledging
the Armenian genocide and condemning it as a crime against humanity.
Neither the passage of time required for such an acknowledgment nor the
number of parliamentarians voting on record against it came as a surprise,
since the mass murderers of our age well understand that the human capacity
to deny evil is far greater than our inclination to oppose it.
A mere 24 countries around the world have acknowledged the facts of the
Armenian genocide, and with the exception of Lebanon — possessing a sizable
Christian population — there is a wall of silence on this subject from the
Muslim-majority member states of the United Nations.

On April 24 every year, Armenians remember their dead. It was on this night
in 1915 the Turkish government ordered arrests of Armenian community leaders
in Istanbul, marking the start of the genocide.

Turkey continues to dispute what occurred. It is a sensitive issue, and
Turks willing to critically examine the events relating to the Armenian
genocide face persecution from authorities for “insulting Turkishness.”

Orhan Pamuk, the widely translated and respected Turkish writer, was charged
last year with the crime of insulting Turks when he told a Swiss newspaper
that “30,000 Kurds and one million Armenians were killed in these lands, and
nobody but me dares talk about it.” The case was dropped in January this
year under heavy pressure from the European Union.

That the world is a cynical place is not news, however, nor is the fact that
human nature is flawed.
Even as I write this column, the systematic depredation of the wretchedly
poor in Darfur remains unabated — while the United Nations and its
grandees, led by Kofi Annan, quibble over the meaning of “genocide.”

Historians and philosophers struggle to find lessons from the tales of human
wickedness, and teach future generations to do better.

It is in vain, for the collective ears of humanity remain stuffed with wax.
Prophets have admonished, as Amos of the Old Testament did: “They drink wine
in bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest oils; but they are not
grieved over the ruin of Joseph.”

The lesson of history is that, to paraphrase Santayana, there is no lesson.

Each generation gets tested by the evil of its time and, in learning nothing
from the past, fashions its denial of crimes witnessed.

The present generation, not to be outdone in ingenuity, incessantly speaks
of being history’s victim and denies bearing any responsibility or
accountability for the ruin of Joseph.

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 22 2006

Armenia and Azerbaijan should reach joint agreement on
Nagorno-Karabakh – Peter Semnebi

Source: Trend
Author: R. Abdullayev

22.04.2006

There is some animation felt in the Nagorno-Karabakh resolution
problem after the talks between Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents
in Rambui (France). Both sides have to reach a joint agreement and
only after that Brussels will be ready to help, the EU special envoy
to South Caucasus, Peter Semnebi told at the press-conference in Baku
on April 22,Trend reports.

EU will take the significant part in the conflict resolution issues,
he assured.

`EU has necessary levers to render assistance,’ Semnebi said, adding
that EU potential of developing closer ties with the South Caucasian
states is not fully used exactly due to such conflicts.

He reminded that in comparison to his predecessor, Heikki Talvitie,
his mandate has been expanded in order to sustain the peaceful
resolution of the conflict. `This again proves how interested EU is
in peaceful resolution,’ he concluded.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

From: [email protected]
Subject: Oskanian Has Promised

OSKANIAN HAS PROMISED

Aravot.am
21 April 06

Do you know what the head of the EU delegation, the state secretary of
the foreign ministry of Austria Hans Winkler answered to the following
question of a journalist? `All previous elections have been rigged in
Armenia , while EU hasn’t replied adequately, doesn’t it mean that
double standards exist in the EU’. You will hardly guess. First of all
Winkler informed that the same standards exist in the EU then
declared; your minister promised that fair elections will be held in
2007-2008′.

Why do you worry? He has promised. Shouldn’t we ask the opposition why
it suspects in 2007-2008 elections? Because it shouldn’t do after
Oskanian’s sincere promise. In spite of it they again want to change
the electoral code wasting money in vain. And you non-constructive and
almost traitor journalists whether the promise of our Foreign Minister
isn’t enough for you. He has promised, hasn’t he? Why don’t you
believe in it?

And you, the Americans who have given us a little money by `Millennium
Challenges’ project instead of democratic reforms can not only give us
that money but also add a little more. Haven’t you known what Vardan
Oskanian has promised to the Austrians?

In short fly birds to the four parts of the world and say to the
people of good will; free and fair elections will be held in Armenia .

Tigran Aveti

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NEW RECTOR OF STATE ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA TO START
OFFICIATING IN NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN. During this academic year the State
Engineering University of Armenia will elect its new Rector, but the
newly elected Rector will start implementation of his obligations in
the next, 2006-2007 academic year. Yuri Sargsian, the former Rector of
the istitution of higher education, the RA NAS academician stated
about this in the interview to the Noyan Tapan correspondent. To
recap, Yuri Sargsian resigned the Rector’s post a month ago and is the
acting Rector at present. Yu.Sargsian avoided giving name of a
candidate pretending for the post of the Rector of the institution of
higher education, arising of norms of ethics. “I think that this post
will be occupied by persons who participated in reforms and scientific
works of the institution with me. They will probably be from the
institution,” Yuri Sargsian emphasized. The academician also mentioned
that he has an attitude of an inner observer towards the issue of
electing the Chairman of the RA National Academy of Sciences. “I
relate calmly to nomination of my candidature as it will be provided
by my being demanded, with the fact if the academicians and
corresponding members vote for me. If I get votes and be the most
proper candidate, I’ll think about it,” Yuri Sargsian mentioned. As
for real possibilities to be elected the NAS Chairman, the academician
stated: “Possibilities are estimated by those people who strives for
it, and I may frankly say a thing, I have done no step in that
direction. It will be a hard work, great changes are expected, and I
do not envy the person who will be elected on that post.” Yuri
Sargsian has headed the institution of higher education for 18
years. He emphasized that he is the Rector of the Polytechnical
Institute, elected by the first elections. “If there were no
elections, I would never become an administrative worker. I prefer to
be engaged in scientific work. I was the Chief of the Mechanisms and
Machines Theory Department before, was a professor and maybe, I will
return that work,” the former Rector of the institution of higher
education mentioned.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Today, Azerbaijan
April 22 2006

Elmar Mammdayarov: “It is difficult to expect any new offers on the
NK conflict in Washington”

22 April 2006 [16:30] – Today.Az

New proposals are unlikely to be heard during Washington’s
discussions on resolution of Armenian-Azeri conflict.

“Positions of Azerbaijan on which we were standing on last 15 years
remain the same. We always stated and keep stating that the problem
shall be resolved in compliance with the international law and
resolutions issued by UN Security Council and OSCE. There is no doubt
that if we want to resolve the conflict once and for all, the
resolution shall be based on legislation alone. Arbitrators are
trying to find contact points to get us closer,” Trend reports
quoting Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, who was speaking in
Moscow commenting the forthcoming official visit of Azeri President
to the USA.

Speaking on self-determination of Nagorno-Karabakh population,
Mamedyarov said it didn’t imply any breach of territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan. “Self-determination of nation or a national minority
is performed under the territorial integrity, and Azerbaijan, in
turn, is eager to provide the highest level of autonomy to Armenian
minority within Nagorno Karabakh. This practice is well-known and is
utilized worldwide,” Foreign Minister said.

Mammadyarov said also of a broad range of issues regarding mutual
cooperation, as well as international and regional development, to be
spoken of during the forthcoming visit of Azeri president Ilham
Aliyev to the USA. The minister said one of the main topics would be
conflict resolution on Caucasus. During the visit presidents will
also speak of power security, fight against international terrorism
and Azerbaijan’s participation in anti-terrorist coalition.

URL:

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Memories must live on for Armenian genocide victims
by ART TONOYAN, guest columnist

Baylor University The Lariat Online, Texas
April 20 2006

April 24 marks the 91st anniversary of the Armenian genocide in the
Ottoman Empire — the first genocide of the 20th century, which has
come to be described as the “century of genocide.”

Some 90 years ago, the ruling elites of the Ottoman Empire put into
motion a plan to homogenize their empire and thus save it from imminent
collapse due to a number of internal as well as external factors like
economic mismanagement and resurgent nationalisms among the empire’s
subject ethnic minorities.

A nationalist and a racialist ideology known as Turkism was adopted,
which while elevating the Turkish ethnos, defined the subject
nationalities as malicious and cancerous entities actively contributing
to the demise of the empire.

This ideology subsequently provided grounds for the establishment
of a distinctively Turkish national economy, effectively putting an
end to the traditional multiethnic mercantile strata of the empire
composed mainly of Armenians, Jews and Greeks.

One of the folk sayings circulating around at the time went something
like “Trust a snake before a Jew; trust a Jew before a Greek; but
never trust an Armenian.” Their stories were boycotted in a load of
cases, and in many other cases their businesses were increasingly
becoming subject to frenzied mob attacks and looting. Yet this was
only the beginning.

Armenians, who had gained prominence in the empire over the centuries,
not the least because of their fiscal competence, became increasingly
vulnerable to this kind of harassment.

It did not help them that they were religiously and geographically
in close proximity to their Russian neighbors to the north with whom
the Ottoman Empire was in a state of war.

In response to the increasing discrimination and violence against them,
the Armenian minority began agitating for the betterment of their
condition. The response from the government was swift, calculated
and cruel.

Rendering the Armenians economically defenseless was only part of
the plan.

Now they were defenseless existentially.

The European powers as well as the U.S. did not intervene on their
behalf in any significant fashion that went beyond condemnatory,
if symbolic, enjoinments.

And on April 24, 1915, nearly all Armenian intellectuals in the empire
were arrested and executed without a trial.

After the bulk of the Armenian leadership was put to death and the
viability of resistance was reduced to nil, the Ottoman government
under the guise of World War I began systematic deportations and
massacres of the Christian Armenians en masse.

Armenian villages and churches were burned down, and a large number
of women and children were killed with indescribable cruelty. Over
the course of three years, an estimated 1.5 million Armenians became
victims of indiscriminate massacres.

Their crime? Their distinct national and religious identity.

Despite the enormity of the atrocities and the cruelty wrought upon
the victims, virtually all of the perpetrators were spared punishment.

As time went on, political expediency coupled with business interests
in the newly formed Turkish Republic would make sure that the victims
and their plight would be remembered no more. But as it turned out,
not everybody was as forgetful.

In 1939, having the benefit of historical hindsight, Adolph Hitler —
while planning genocide of his own against the Jews and the Poles —
urged on his generals, who may have displayed reservation at this
plans, to carry them out nonetheless by saying: “What the weak western
European civilization thinks about me does not matter. Thus for the
time being I have sent to the East only my ‘Death Head Units’ with
the order to kill without pity or mercy all men, women and children
of the Polish race or language. Only in such a way will we win the
living space we need. Who still talks nowadays of the annihilation
of the Armenians?”

Czech novelist Milan Kundera had once remarked that “the struggle
against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.”

It has become human, all too human, to hit the imaginary delete button
and send tragic events like the Armenian genocide, the Jewish Holocaust
and countless others into the Orwellian “memory hole.”

In the case of the victimized Armenians, Jews, Rwandans and others,
it may be too late to be our brothers’ keepers.

Yet in keeping their memories alive we may very well keep ourselves
alive in an age of insanity and endless amusement.

And let us never forget that genocide is ours to commit and ours
to prevent.

Art Tonoyan is a doctoral candidate in the J. M. Dawson Institute
for Church-State Studies.

tion=story&story=40334

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia supports Karabakh’s right to self-determination

Interfax-Religion, Russia
April 20 2006

YEREVAN. April 20 (Interfax) – Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanian said that Yerevan is ready to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh
settlement with Baku, should the Azerbaijani authorities recognize
the right of the breakaway republic to self-determination.

“Armenia is ready to discuss all issues linked to overcoming the
consequences of war with Azerbaijan, should Baku recognize Karabakh’s
right to self-determination and should Baku not impede Karabakh
residents to define the status of Nagorno-Karabakh,” the minister
said at a press conference on Thursday.

“Our stance is that the people of Nagorno-Karabakh should decide for
themselves on the status they need,” he said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Belmont Citizen-Herald, MA
April 20 2006

Generations after genocide

By Melody Hanatani/ Staff Writer
Thursday, April 20, 2006

When Belmont resident Lois Malconian had twins, she thought it was odd.

She asked her father, “How could this happen? It’s not in our
family.” Her father replied that his grandmother had three sets of
twins, all of whom were killed in the Armenian genocide.

As the 91st anniversary of the genocide approaches, Malconian,
a third-generation Armenian-American, is commemorating the tragedy
with her family and her community this week.

She remembers growing up in Belmont hearing stories about the genocide
from her grandparents who immigrated to the United States in the
1920s when they were still children.

She and her husband Ron, whose grandparents also came to the United
States around the 1920s, have passed on the stories to their own
three children.

Ron Malconian recalls how his grandmother refused to cut her
hair because women shaved their heads during the genocide to look
unattractive in order to avoid rape.

“To her it was something precious,” he said.

Lois recalled how her grandmother would become angry and cry when
she talked about the genocide.

“Your great-grandparents went through a lot,” Lois has told her
children.

As a 10-year-old, Lois would hear emotional stories about the genocide
from her grandmother. Lois’ children say their learning experience
was less emotional.

Vicky Tomasian, a first-generation Armenian-American whose parents
both survived the genocide, said it was difficult for the immigrants
to talk about their experiences.

Tomasian, who grew up in Watertown and now lives in Belmont, said the
younger generation of Armenian-Americans seem to be more knowledgeable
about the genocide because there are more books and articles published
about the subject.

“So much has happened in the last 30 years,” she said. “I know more
now than I did growing up.”

Staying together

Many Armenian immigrants arrived in Watertown around the early 1900s
and began working at the former Hood rubber plant, according to Marc
A. Mamigonian, director of programs and publications at the National
Association for Armenian Studies and Research, located in Belmont.

“Like any other [ethnic] community, others tend to follow,” he said.

There are numerous Armenian churches in Cambridge, Watertown and
Belmont. Though religion helps bring the community together, Mamigonian
said it also serves as a divider because of the different denominations
within the Armenian community. The main one is the Armenian Apostolic
Church, he said.

Tomasian said family and religion are important to the Armenian
community in and around Belmont.

She stays connected to her culture through her church, and through
the Armenian Women’s Educational Club, which was co-founded by her
grandmother who immigrated to the United States more than 80 years
ago. Tomasian is the president of the club today, and her mother also
once headed the organization.

The club awards about four college scholarships each year to
Armenian-American high school seniors from Metropolitan Boston.

External factors also unite the ethnic group.

According to Mamigonian, the current Turkish government’s denial of
the Armenian genocide has helped unify the local Armenian-American
community.

“That is certainly something that holds the community together,”
he said. “Whether that is a good thing or not is a different story.”

Generational divide

Lois and Ron Malconian have never been to Armenia, but their eldest
daughter, Sarah, visited in 2004 as part of the Cambridge-Yerevan
Sister City Secondary School Partnership Program, an exchange program
to promote democracy, which brings high school students from Belmont
and surrounding communities to Armenia each year.

Now a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst,
Sarah said she sensed a cultural rift between herself and the native
Armenians during her stay.

She said she was chastised because she could not speak Armenian.

Sarah said she definitely values her camaraderie with her fellow
Armenians and Armenian-Americans.

“A big part of being Armenian is keeping the Armenian bond alive,”
she said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TREND Info, Azerbaijan
April 20 2006

Armenian FM’s statement is constructive and shows commitment to
peaceful conversation – Azeri Foreign Ministry

Source: “Trend”
Author: S.Agayeva

20.04.2006

Last statements from Armenian Foreign Minister V. Oskanyan are
constructive and show the commitment to the peaceful conversation
process, Trend reports quoting Tair Tagizadeh, head of information
and press, Azeri Foreign Ministry.

On April Oskanyan reportedly said “f Azerbaijan recognizes
Nagorno-Karabakh’s people’s right for independent identification of
their future status, Armenia is ready to make serious conversations
on resolution of war consequences”. And two days back he said the
following: “In case Azerbaijan agrees that Nagorno-Karabakh’s people
have the right for self-determination that may be embodied not today,
but in the future, Armenian side is ready to discuss the most important
war issues today – grounds, refugees and so on”.

“This statement witnesses Armenians’ intention to actively participate
in peace conversations on resolution of Armenian-Azeri conflict, –
said Tagizadeh, – This statement is de facto the evidence of commitment
to stage-by-stage resolution. It is known that stage-by-stage process
stipulates Armenian forces withdrawal from grounds surrounding Nagorno
Karabakh. It also includes a mass of accompanying elements like mine
clearing, communications recovery, return of forced migrants and
ensuring their safety. And second issue is definition of Nagorno
Karabakh’s status”.

As to self-determination, Tagizadeh said, it is quite possible even
within the state. “This is the very highest autonomy status we are
talking of”, – he concluded.

Tagizadeh.also shared an opinion on Oskanyan’s statement regarding
Armenia’s joining Trans-Caspian gas pipeline and supposed conversations
with the USA. “Armenia may not talk to the USA alone for a number of
reasons. One of them is that no regional project is executed without
Azerbaijan either as an exporter or a transit country. We may consider
cooperation with Armenia possible only upon completion of resolution
and elimination of its consequences”, – Azeri official underlined.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EU supports peaceful settlement of Nagorno Garabagh conflict

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 20 2006

[ 20 Apr. 2006 15:57 ]

“The European Union supports peaceful settlement of the Nagorno
Garabagh conflict, and is ready to render all-round assistance to the
sides to solve it,” EU Troika delegation leader, Austrian Foreign
Ministry State Secretary Hans Winkler stated (APA). He said the delay
of settlement poses great obstacle to the development of the region.

“Only the conflicting sides can find the way out of the problem. If
they ask our assistance, we’ll provide it immediately,” Mr.Winkler
said.
Commenting on the opening of Armenia-Turkey border, and Turkey’s
recognizing the so-called “Armenian genocide”, Winkler said that the
European Union wants that Armenia and Turkey have normal relations.
/APA/

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress