Author: Emil Lazarian

The Guardian/Observer, UK
Oct 9 2005
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Nobel split delays book prize
Alex Duval Smith in Stockholm
Sunday October 9, 2005
The Observer
The secretive group of intellectuals who award the Nobel Prize for
literature have delayed their decision for at least a week amid
reports of a split over honouring the controversial Turkish author,
Orhan Pamuk.
For the first time in at least 10 years, the literature prize was
announced neither in the run-up to, nor in the same week as the four
other main Nobel awards – medicine, physics, chemistry and peace.
Each marks the pinnacle of achievement in its field and is worth 10
million Swedish kronor (£730,000).
The suspected row over Pamuk – which is officially denied – comes
amid revelations about the secretive workings of the committee that,
since 1901, has chosen Nobel winners. The literature award is now due
to be announced on Thursday.
Pamuk’s latest novel, Snow, has been widely acclaimed for addressing
Turkey’s internal clash of cultures. His earlier work, My Name is
Red, established his literary prowess. But the author is
controversial for an assertion he made in a newspaper interview
earlier this year that the Turkish state was guilty of a 20th century
genocide against Armenians and Kurds. He faces trial for the comments
in his country on 16 December.
Observers of the Nobel process say that, given that the European
Union has decided to engage talks on Turkey’s entry without
condemning the Pamuk trial, some members of the Swedish Academy,
which chooses the literature laureate, feel politically exposed.
‘If the Pamuk row is real, the academy’s reluctance is not based on a
fear of being political, or controversial,’ said Svante Weyler of
Nordstedts publishers, ‘but on concern that literature must not be
overshadowed by politics.’
Others believe a split in the academy over Pamuk could be based on a
long-entrenched principle of avoiding fashions and fads. Pamuk is
widely acclaimed but, at the age of 53, is considered on the young
side. ‘The Nobel Prize must never go to the book of the season. It
exists to reward a life’s work,’ said poet and literary critic Eva
Ström.
The suspected row over Pamuk bears the hallmarks of the ‘Rushdie
affair’ – a conflict whose impact can still be felt in the Swedish
Academy today.
In February 1989, author and academy member Kerstin Ekman called on
her fellow elders to issue a statement condemning the fatwa against
Salman Rushdie. They refused, prompting Ekman and author Lars
Gyllensten to resign from the Nobel selection process.
The remaining 16 academy members are understood at this stage to have
reduced their choice to two candidates. The winner will be chosen by
majority vote.
Some observers have suggested the delay in announcing the 2005 prize
might not be related to Pamuk, and that academy members may be
grappling with a non-fiction candidate or an essayist.
Earlier this year, academy head and committee member Horace Engdahl
suggested it was time to ‘broaden’ the literature prize stating that
‘It is important that the prize develops as literature develops.’
His comments have been taken to mean that a journalist such as
Poland’s Ryszard Kapuscinski could be considered. In the same vein,
philosopher Bertrand Russell won it in 1950 and Winston Churchill was
given the literature prize three years later for his historical
writings. The favourite to win in Stockholm literary circles is
Syrian poet Ali Ahmad Said, also known as Adonis.

Cyprus Mail, Cyprus
Oct 9 2005
Armenians go to the polls
By Jean Christou
NEARLY 2,000 Armenians in Cyprus will go to the polls today to elect
a new representative to the House of Representatives after a short
but lively by-election campaign that focused on educational and
cultural issues, but also brought to the surface the divisions within
the small community in Cyprus.
For the first time since Cyprus’ independence in 1960, three
candidates, two doctors and one businessman, will vie for the
Armenian seat. Dr Antranik Ashdjian, Dr Vahakn Atamyan and
businessman Parsing Zartarian, who entered the race as a surprise
candidate, have all promised to do their best to unite the community
and put an end to the polarisation of views that currently exists.
Voting at four electoral centres – two in Nicosia, one in Limassol
and one in Larnaca – will begin today at 7am and will break from 12
noon to 1pm before resuming to close at 5pm. Results are expected to
be out by 7.30pm.
The biggest issue in the election is the closure this year of the
Melkonian Educational Institute, the only Armenian secondary school
in Cyprus and the only one for a large number of other Armenian
students in the region.
The three candidates have pledged to fight to have the school
reopened.
According to the Armenian e-zine Gibrahayer, Atamyan’s campaign has
received an endorsement from a group seemingly in opposition with
him. Atamyan was on the board of the Melkonian, but many feel he did
not do enough to save the school.
Gibrahayer said the Melkonian Alumni and Friends Association after a
marathon and turbulent session last Wednesday, endorsed Dr Atamyan’s
candidacy while another group of Melkonian graduates signed a
separate declaration calling on Melkonian Alumni not to vote for him.
Atamyan has said he did all he could to save the school.
Other election issues include the protection of the Armenian
monastery in the north, improvement of Armenian primary schools and
introducing Armenian studies at the University of Cyprus.
An online poll at hayam.org, in which 400 people have voted, gave
Atamyan 25.8 per cent of the vote, Ashdjian 48.1 per cent and
Zartarian 26.07 per cent.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Globe and Mail, Canada
Oct 8 2005
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ONE MAN’S BATTLE
A writer fights the war of words
Turkey’s Orhan Pamuk was charged with ‘denigrating’ his beloved
countryBy CONSTANCE ROOKE
Saturday, October 8, 2005 Page R12

Last February, Turkey’s most celebrated writer, Orhan Pamuk, told a
Swiss newspaper that “thirty thousand Kurds and a million Armenians
were killed in these lands and almost no one dares talk about it.
Therefore, I do.” This caused a furor within Turkey, with liberals
defending Pamuk’s right to free speech and/or the critical importance
of speaking out about this particular matter, and reactionaries
branding Pamuk a traitor, burning his books, and issuing the
anonymous death threats that have forced the writer to flee his
country.
In general, the liberal camp passionately supports Turkey’s bid for
admission to the European Union, while reactionary nationalist forces
fiercely oppose it — and the terrible story of what has happened to
Pamuk is strongly linked to this struggle within Turkey.
In July, the prosecutor’s office in Istanbul determined that Pamuk’s
words were indeed protected by free speech. However, in late August,
a district prosecutor laid charges against Pamuk — a world-famous
writer whose deep love of Turkey is palpable in all he writes — and
the furor became international. External opponents and supporters of
Turkey’s admission to the EU were appalled, and the European
Parliament launched an initiative to monitor the legal process
against Pamuk. His trial on charges of “denigrating Turkey” is
scheduled to begin on Dec. 16. Turkey’s penal code cites a penalty of
up to three years in jail for this offence, and one-third more if, as
in Pamuk’s case, the supposed insult was voiced outside Turkey.
The charge against Pamuk is in direct opposition to the United
Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the
European Convention on Human Rights. Turkey is a signatory to both.
Liberals in Turkey are rightly concerned that worldwide attention to
this outrageous charge, and suppression of debate on the darkest
chapters of their country’s history, may lead to rejection by the EU.
A powerful minority of Turks on the far right, however, have welcomed
— indeed, probably engineered — the charges against Pamuk largely
for that reason. The timing is certainly suspicious: Prime Minister
Tayyip Erdogan began his talks with the EU on Oct. 3, just over a
month after charges were brought against Pamuk.
Writers around the world have been quick to defend Pamuk and to
express their outrage. Michael Ondaatje, for example, has issued this
statement through PEN Canada: “Orhan Pamuk is one of the great
writers of our time and is also one of the most generous chroniclers
of the glories of Turkey and its culture. From The White Castle to
Snow to his recent memoir Istanbul, it is clear that this is a writer
who loves his country. That he should be accused of ‘denigrating’
Turkey and threatened with a prison term is shocking. It is an
appalling example of censorship in a country seeking admission to the
EU and clearly signals a lack of freedom of expression in Turkey.”
Within Turkey, the battle for and against free speech continues. Last
spring a group of Turkish academics tried to hold an international
conference in Istanbul on the Armenian massacres of 1915. They hoped
by ‘owning’ this issue to signal to the European community that
Turkey is a maturing democracy, intent on protecting freedom of
expression. But Turkey’s Justice Minister called the conference “a
dagger in the back of the Turkish people,” and the conference was
postponed. Then the Prime Minister voiced his support for the
conference, which was rescheduled for September so as to precede his
talks with the EU. To the Prime Minister’s great embarrassment, a
last-minute court order again prevented the conference from starting.
Organizers circumvented this by moving it to another venue, and the
conference opened the next day with stormy demonstrations for, and
against it.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister has “announce[d] to the world that there is
free speech in Turkey,” and pointed out that no verdict has been
reached on the charges against Pamuk. But the charges were brought,
and they have not been dropped. Moreover, as International PEN
reports, despite a recent decline in convictions and prison sentences
under laws penalizing free speech, there are currently over fifty
writers and publishers before the Turkish courts. In several senses,
Orhan Pamuk is not alone.
Writer and academic Constance Rooke is the president of PEN Canada.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MGM MIRAGE, Press Release
PRNewswire-FirstCall
Oct 7 2005
In Memoriam: George Mason, Longtime Member of the MGM MIRAGE Board of
Directors and Senior Managing Director of Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.,
1930-2005
Friday October 7, 6:03 pm ET
LAS VEGAS, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — George Mason, a longtime
member of the MGM MIRAGE Board of Directors and a highly respected
member of the financial community as Senior Managing Director of
Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc., Los Angeles, passed away October 5, 2005.
He was 74.

“We are deeply saddened at George’s passing,” said Terry Lanni,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MGM MIRAGE. “He was an
incredibly influential figure in the gaming and finance industries.
With his remarkable business instincts and extraordinary intellect,
he made valuable contributions to our Board of Directors for many
years. Personally, he had a warm and generous spirit and he will be
missed by the MGM MIRAGE family and so many others whose lives he
touched.”
Mr. Mason previously served as a member of the Board of Directors for
Mirage Resorts from 1973 to 2000, and was a member of the Board of
Directors of MGM MIRAGE from 2000 to present. He was a member of the
Audit, Stock Option and Bonus committees of Mirage Resorts from 1973
to 2000, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of
Directors of MGM MIRAGE from 2002 to present.
>From 1973 until his passing, Mr. Mason was Senior Managing Director
at the Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. Los Angeles office.
“George was not only highly gifted in his understanding of the world
of finance, but he was also a warm and compassionate person who was
loved and respected by all who knew him,” said Renee Fourcade, Bear,
Stearns Managing Director who, for the past 18 years was Mr. Mason’s
close business partner. “Every client was family to George and
nothing was more important to him than earning the confidence and
satisfaction of all those who entrusted him.”
Mr. Mason founded the first English-written Armenian newspaper called
the California Courier in Fresno in 1958 and served as editor of the
newspaper until 1970.
“I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that George’s California
Courier was and will be remembered as a journal of Armenian life in
Calfornia,” said Vartan Oskanian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Republic of Armenia. “It reflected his pride in his identity and his
heritage at a time when it was not fashionable to do so. George Mason
was a man of great integrity and sincerity. He will indeed be
missed.”
At Bear, Stearns, Mr. Mason created a newsletter for clients that he
looked forward to writing each month. Some of the top “Masonisms”
published by the prolific writer included:
“Borrow from pessimists — they don’t expect it back.”
“If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”
“Here it is. In 2004, the market will go down dramatically. But it
could also continue to go up dramatically. The final possibility is
that it will just go up or down a little bit or stay about the
same. That is my opinion and I’m sticking to it!”
Mr. Mason also worked as an executive for Kirk Kerkorian’s Tracinda
Investment Company from 1970-1973.
Born in Los Angeles on Nov. 9, 1930, he was raised there and lived
his adult life in L.A. and Fresno. He served in the U.S. Air Force as
a Staff Sergeant from 1951 to 1954.
Mr. Mason is survived by his wife of 52 years, Sally, and their six
daughters, Cassandra Goehner, Melanie Goodman, Teresa Mason, George
Ann Mason, Dina Chakalian, and Mary Mason; and by his sister, Shirley
Rakoobian.
Memorial services will be held on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 11 a.m. at St.
James Armenian Church, 4950 West Slauson Ave., Los Angeles. A
reception will immediately follow at The Fairmont Miramar Hotel, 101
Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90401.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in memory of
George John Mason be made to: Nevada Cancer Institute, Continued
Research in the Field of Bladder Cancer, 10000 W. Charleston
Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89135. Attention: Ms. Jennifer Haley, phone
(702) 821-0018.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenians find faith in words
Detroit Free Press
October 7, 2005
BY DAVID CRUMM, FREE PRESS COLUMNIST
To the untrained eye, these sacred curves are merely cryptic rows of
hooks and notches. But to those who love them, these 38 arches form
the architecture that shelters one of the world’s oldest Christian
cultures.
Starting this weekend, the 38-character Armenian alphabet also is the
focus of a most unusual anniversary: a yearlong celebration of the
creation of this written language 1,600 years ago.
On Wednesday at the Alex and Marie Manoogian charter school in
Southfield, the 347 students were gearing up for the celebration.
Anahit Toumajian taught her fifth-graders a poem to recite at an
upcoming assembly. She reminded the students that, “Armenia never had
great armies to conquer the world, but the letters of our alphabet
were the soldiers that protected our culture.”
Girls and boys recited lines of an ode to the Armenian language that,
in translation, begins, “You give us light. You give us love. You give
us wings to fly.”
There aren’t many elementary school classes that speak so
affectionately about studying languages.
There’s a religious side to this observance, but because the Manoogian
school is a K-12 charter school, those aspects of the story are left
to Armenian churches, including the gold-domed St. John Armenian
Orthodox Church across the parking lot from the school.
These churches, including St. Sarkis Armenian Orthodox Church in
Dearborn, draw members from across the state. In the 2000 census,
15,746 Michigan adults indicated they were Armenian, although a
University of Michigan-Dearborn center for Armenian studies estimates
the population is twice that.
“Ethnic identity, culture, language and religion aren’t separate
threads for us. They are powerfully interwoven to preserve our
identity,” the Rev. Garabed Kochakian, pastor of St. John, said
Wednesday.
The creator of the alphabet was an Armenian priest, the Rev. Mesrob
Mashdotz, who needed a written form of it to spread the Bible among
the native speakers. Armenia proudly identifies itself as the first
nation to embrace Christianity as its state religion, which it did in
the year 301. But, for about 100 years, Armenian remained an oral
language and the country’s churches used copies of the Bible in other
languages.
When Mashdotz finally captured the local tongue with his dozens of
curving characters, the first words he transcribed were from the
Bible’s book of Proverbs: “That people may know wisdom.”
On Wednesday, Kochakian showed journalists as well as a group of
visiting teachers from public schools in metro Detroit through several
historical galleries at the church.
“Look, the alphabet is everywhere in our culture,” he
said. “Inscriptions are woven into our carpets; they’re on our
vestments and carved into wooden doors. And, look at this,” he said,
pointing to a case containing a 200-year-old bowed instrument, a
distant cousin of the violin. The instrument is inlaid with
mother-of-pearl inscriptions in Armenian.
“The language is such a big part of our life,” he said, though he
estimates it is regularly used by less than 20 percent of the several
thousand Armenian-Americans who consider St. John their parish.
Starting Sunday, Armenian churches and cultural organizations will
devote a year to special programs and classes about the language. In
kicking off the celebration, Catholicos Karekin II, head of the church
in Armenia, described the alphabet as so important that “the lush tree
of Armenian culture has grown tall from its gold-seeded root.”
There certainly seems to be fertile ground for this message in
Southfield. In a fourth-grade language class on Wednesday, 9-year-old
Ani Papazian explained to her class why they all must take this
seriously.
“If we don’t speak our language and keep it alive for the future,” she
said, “then it’s like there’s this long chain from Armenia that will
break. And we can’t be the ones to let that chain break.”
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK
THIS WEEK: If you’re Armenian, tell us what your culture means to
you. If you’re not, tell us something about your own family’s cultural
heritage that’s important in your life today. E-mail
[email protected] or call 313-222-1456.

Mediamax News Agency, Russia
Oct 6 2005
Armenia, Azerbaijan reach “unprecedented” rapprochement on Karabakh –
minister
Yerevan, 6 October: Armenia and Azerbaijan have reached an
“unprecedented” rapprochement of the positions on principled issues
of the settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan said in Yerevan today. He said this at a
meeting with journalists after addressing the seminar entitled
“Security in the South Caucasus” organized by the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly and the Armenian National Assembly.
Oskanyan said that the future status of Nagornyy Karabakh, problems
of the territories [adjacent to Nagornyy Karabakh] and guarantees of
security were among the “principled issues”, regarding which the
sides had managed to get their positions closer.
The minister pointed out that “there is no a new completed
[settlement] package on the table [of negotiations], but there are
specific ideas”.
“After all, after beginning to debate all these elements in detail,
one could expect a written document,” Oskanyan said. He advised to
wait for the end of the November parliamentary election in
Azerbaijan, “after which the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group will
boost the negotiations”.
Commenting on the statement of his Azerbaijani counterpart that
Yerevan and Baku have reached an agreement on mine clearing, the
Armenian foreign minister said that official agreements have not been
reached yet.
The Armenian foreign minister also said that only the OSCE Minsk
Group had an “exclusive mandate” for the settlement of the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict, but “the discussion of this problem within the
framework of other organizations is acceptable and may be useful”.
At the same time, Oskanyan stressed that the discussion of the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict in various organizations and resolutions
adopted as a result of them “cannot replace the negotiations”.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Benfica face Budapest test
Friday, 7 October 2005
by Márton Dinnyés & Paul Saffer
Hungarian champions Colorspectrum Aramis Budapest face
a baptism of fire in the UEFA Futsal Cup this week
with SL Benfica among their opponents in first
qualifying round Group 3, along with AGBU Ararat
Nicosia FC and Tal Grig Yerevan.
Troubled summer
Budapest completed the Hungarian double last season,
but go into the mini-tournament, which starts on
Sunday, after a troubled summer. Hungary goalkeeper
Zoltán Balázs, who starred at February’s UEFA European
Futsal Championship, has left the club after falling
out with the management. His international team-mates,
Zoltán Szabó and Tamás Frank, have also been
struggling with injury but should play.
‘We have problems’
Coach Ferenc Soós said: “We have problems, but the
players are taking their task very seriously. We have
trained more than we ever have done. They are
passionate and concentrate only on their preparation.”
‘Only one aim’
Ferenc Ragadics, head of the club’s Futsal department,
added: “I hope all the spectators will enjoy these
games. We have only one aim – that the qualification
issue will be decided on the last day when we play
Benfica.”
Experienced Ararat
That match closes proceedings at Ferencváros’s
handball court, for which entry is free, on Wednesday.
Before then, on Sunday, Benfica set the ball rolling
against Cypriot champions Ararat – who have played in
every previous Futsal Cup but never progressed beyond
this stage – and Budapest then play Yerevan. On
Monday, Yerevan take on Benfica and Budapest encounter
Ararat.
In form
Benfica, Futsal Cup finalists in 2003/04, are now
coached by Adil Amarante, with the man who led them to
their encounter with Boomerang Interviú FS, Alípio
Matos, having become club manager. They missed out on
Europe last term after losing the Portuguese title to
Sporting Club de Portugal, yet defeated their rivals
to reclaim the championship in 2004/05 and have won
both Premier League matches so far this season.
Yerevan scrape through
Yerevan, by contrast, are tournament debutants, having
won the preliminary round group by the skin of their
teeth – had they lost their closing game against hosts
London White Bear by more than 2-1, they would have
been out in third place.
Benfica tipped
Coach Ruben Nazaretyan told uefa.com after that tie:
“Last year our champions Politekhnik Yerevan played
Sporting and I watched the game in Portugal. But I
know nothing about Benfica, although I will try and
find out and work out how we can train to play against
them – they will be the best team.”
©uefa.com 1998-2005.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NewKerala.com, India
Oct 8 2005
Shekhawat becomes first Indian to receive Armenian university
doctorate
Yeravan (Armenia), Oct.7 : Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was
today honoured with an honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine by the
Yerewan State Medical University at Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.
Shekhawat is the first Indian to receive this Armenian honour. The
degree along with a gold medallion was presented to the Indian Vice
President at a special convocation that coincided with Diamond
Jubilee of the university.
Speaking on the occasion, Shekhawat underlined that todays
governance by the State is basically meant to secure human
development and augment happiness. Improving quality of education and
providing effective healthcare are the two primary means to achieve
these objectives. It is, therefore, important that highest quality
and standards are maintained in our medical education system so that
it keeps pace with the changing requirements and fast technological
developments.
Underlining the need for providing affordable healthcare to the
common people at large, including the poor and the deprived sections
of the society, Shekhawat said that the challenge to build an
affordable public health system is really very formidable and demands
an innovative approach.
In every country one finds the rich and vast traditional wisdom of
medicine which has so well served the poor, Shekhawat said and added
that the key to an affordable and reliable healthcare system lies in
the integrated system of medicine.
He hoped that medical universities would focus on these issues which
vitally impact public healthcare and added that these issues are also
receiving serious consideration in Indian and integrated courses in
medical education are being envisaged.
The Vice President also said that India has made significant progress
since independence which is largely due to its rich reservoir of
highly qualified technical and professional manpower today. The
medical and health sector, therefore, offers new opportunities for
cooperation between India and Armenia, he added.
Earlier, Shekhawat held talks with the Prime Minister of Armenia,
Andranik Margarian. Later a lunch in honour of Shekhawat was hosted
by Robert Kocharian, President of Armenia.
Shekhawat also visited the Holy Echmiadzin Church and had a meeting
with HH Karegin II, Catholicos of All Armedians.

PRESS RELEASE
Western Prelacy
of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian
Prelate, Western United States
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
Email: [email protected]
For more information:
Zanku Armenian (818) 243-3557
Mercata Group
Catholicos Aram I Arrives In Los Angeles Beginning Historic U.S. Visit
His Holiness Greeted by Large Crowds at St. Garabed Church in Hollywood

(Los Angeles, CA – October 7, 2005) – “We must live with moral values and
have a purpose-driven life,” declared His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the
Great House of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church, upon his arrival in
Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 5, 2005. Greeted by large crowds who had
gathered at St. Garabed Church in Hollywood for the official welcoming and
“Hrashapar” service, his arrival marked the beginning of a historic visit to
the United States, starting in California, where His Holiness will be
meeting with the community and various public officials throughout the
state. Prior to his arrival at St.Garabed Church, His Holiness met with
California State Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi where the two
discussed several issues including recent insurance settlements for victims
of the Armenian Genocide.
The Catholicos’ motorcade with full dignitary police escorts arrived at St.
Garabed Church in the early evening where the city had closed off the entire
street to accommodate the overflowing crowds. The Prelates of both the
Western Prelacy, Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, and the Eastern Prelacy,
Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, accompanied the Catholicos. The arrival
ceremony began with the Homenetmen scouts marching band playing the U.S.,
Armenian and Cilicia anthems and additional scouts and students from various
Armenian schools and members of the community and residents of the area
lining the streets. Also covering the arrival were media including the Los
Angeles Times and several local TV stations.
Beginning the procession were Armenian clergy from throughout the Los
Angeles area and California as well as some from the eastern U.S., including
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian of the Western Diocese and a representative of
Cardinal Mahoney of the Catholic Church. At the entrance of the church a
welcoming ceremony was performed with the traditional blessing of bread and
salt, the release of white doves and His Holiness was presented with a
bouquet of flowers. Also on hand were various community organization
representatives and public officials. To accommodate the overflowing
crowds, a large screen was mounted outside the church showing the live video
feed of the procession into the church as well as the services inside.
After the initial services, Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian introduced His
Holiness during which he said, “Your presence with us today, Your Holiness,
shows the strong bridge that binds us with the Great House of Cilicia and
the Holy Catholicosate. This is a bond that is based on faithfulness and
strong collaboration.” The Archbishop went on to stress that this historic
visit of His Holiness will help recommit the community to the devoted
service to our faithful people and our homeland.
His Holiness Aram I then thanked God for the opportunity to again be with
his flock and stated that “a shepherd is strengthened by his flock and the
flock is strengthened by its shepherd.” He then blessed all the clergy and
faithful who were present as well as all the community organizations and
people who had worked to make this trip possible. “Today I want to
emphasize key values and principles,” said His Holiness. “My message is
that you must strengthen your belief, deepen and strengthen your
faithfulness and reinforce our unity. We must live with moral values and
have a purpose-driven life.”
His Holiness has a very busy itinerary which includes many different
community events, gatherings and meetings with representatives of church
bodies and community organizations. As part of his broader mission, His
Holiness also will be meeting with dozens of local, state and federal level
public officials and will conduct interviews with the mass media including
TV, radio and newspapers throughout Los Angeles and California. His
Holiness will give a major speech before the World Affairs Council on
October 14 entitled “Christianity and the Middle East” and preside over a
symposium at the University of Southern California on October 15.
As part of his first full day’s events on October 6, His Holiness had
several meetings with members of the clergy, Church committees and community
organizations including the Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s western
region central committee, the regional executives of the Armenian Relief
Society and the Homenetmen. His Holiness also had a luncheon with the
organizing committee for the Los Angeles visit. His main message was “that
whatever we do for God, for the Church, for the nation and the homeland we
must do with belief and devotion so that we are successful.” His Holiness
conducted interviews with the mass media including the Los Angeles Times and
a live appearance on KPCC-FM’s “Talk of the City” show with Kitty Felde. In
the evening he presided over the Homenetmen Glendale “Ararat” chapter’s
celebration of the Armenian alphabet.
In the coming few days he will be meeting with Armenian school students, pay
respects at the Armenian Genocide monument in Montebello and bless the new
Western Prelacy building in La Cresenta on Saturday, October 8. There also
will be a Pontifical Holy High Mass at St. Mary’s Armenian Church in
Glendale as well as a Pontifical banquet in his honor on Sunday, October 9.
Giving the trip special meaning this time is the fact that it will mark the
10th anniversary of His Holiness’ election to Catholicos and also coincide
with the 75th anniversary of the Antelias Seminary, the 1600th anniversary
of the Armenian alphabet and the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KARABAKH PROBLEM – CONFLICT BETWEEN KARABAKH AND AZERI PEOPLES BUT NOT TERRITORIAL DISPUTE
ARMINFO News Agency
October 6, 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6. ARMINFO. The Karabakh problem is a c conflict
between the peoples of Karabakh and Azerbaijan but not a territorial
dispute, Head of the OSCE Department of Armenia’s Foreign Ministry
Varouzhan Nersissyan said during today’s NATO Rose Roth seminar
in Yerevan.
In late XX the League of Nations refused to recognize Karabakh as
part of Azerbaijan as this posed a threat to the Karabakh people.
That is exactly why Karabakh rose for liberation war. As a result the
territorial around Karabakh were taken under control as a pledge of
security while other Armenian territories – Getashen, Martunashen,
Shahumyan – still remain occupied by Azerbaijan. Armenia is doing its
best to resolve the conflict and knows that there is no alternative to
peace talks. As to Karabakh it should be a full party to the talks. The
international community should support the Karabakh people and should
find compromise between the principles of territorial integrity and
self-determination. This is the goal of the OSCE MG.
Nerissisyan is concerned that Azerbaijan is openly increasing its
military budget. None of the conflicting parties has the right to make
such statements especially as the only way is to resolve the conflict
by peace. This may result in escalation of militarist moods in the
region. At the same time Nersissyan doubts that big military budget
will help Azerbaijan as its army is utterly corrupt. The international
community should condemn such statements. The Armenian side is for
budgetary monitoring curbing military appetites. says Nersissyan.
It should be noted that despite invitation Turkey is not attending the
seminar while Azerbaijan is represented unofficially – by President
of Independent Research Center Leyla Alieva.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress