Author: Emil Lazarian

Armenian National Committee of Canada
3401 Olivar-Asselin
Montreal, Quebec
H4J 1L5
April 21st, 2004
Contact persons :
Robert Kouyoumdjian: (514) 336-7095
Shant Karabajak: (514) 334-1299
Aris Babikian : (416) 497-8972
PRESS RELEASE
Canada Recognizes the Armenian Genocide
The House of Commons adopts bill M-380 presented by Mrs. Madeleine
Dalhpond-Guiral
OTTAWA, April 21st, 2004 – On the eve of the 89th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, the Canadian House of Commons, with overwhelming
majority, recognized the Armenian Genocide. The non-partisan vote was
153 for 68 against. When the result of the vote was announced, the House
of Commons chamber, which was packed with Armenians from Montreal,
Ottawa, Toronto and other Canadian cities, burst in applause and ringing
“bravo.” Tears of joy could be seen in the eyes of many Armenians.
Motion M-380, which reads: “That this House acknowledges the Armenian
genocide of 1915 and condemns this act as a crime against humanity,” was
moved by MP Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral (Laval Centre, Bloc Quebecois) and
was seconded by MPs Sarkis Assadourian (Brampton Centre, Liberal), Jason
Kenney (Calgary Southeast, Conservative Party of Canada) and Alexa
McDonough (Halifax, New Democratic Party). Voting, which began at 6:15
pm, lasted 30 minutes.
The governing Liberal leadership paved the way for this vote by allowing
a “free vote,” meaning that individual members are allowed to vote their
conscience, without any pressure or negative repercussions from their
respective party leaderships. Although Minister of Foreign Affairs Bill
Graham used every means available to him to defeat the Motion, he was
unable to change the historic outcome.
On February 21st, the Parliament held its first reading of Bill M-380,
which included an hour of debate on the measure. Among those speaking
in favor of the Resolution during the first reading were Derek Lee
(Liberal), Eleni Bakopnaos (Liberal), Francine Lalonde (BQ), Stockwell
Day (PC) and the Hon, Lorne Nystrom (NDP).
The second reading of M-380, to recognize the Armenian Genocide, took
place on April 20. During the one-hour debate, only one member of the
House spoke against the motion. The other seven speakers were favoured
of the motion.
In the last two days, the Turkish Embassy and its public relations firms
had launched a concerted campaign against the adoption of the bill. A
delegation from the Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) was on
hand to counter the Turkish Embassy’s campaign of falsification and
distortion of the historical facts. An ANCC team has been in the
nation’s capital for the past several weeks representing the community’s
views on this matter.
The passing of this resolution was the culmination of a 25 year process
which encompassed similar resolutions being passed by city councils,
provinces, and the Canadian Senate (July 13, 2002).
Dr. Girair Basmadjian, president of the Armenian National Committee of
Canada (ANCC), was elated by the result of the vote. “As an Armenian, I
was moved and felt grateful for the respect that was shown by the
Canadian Parliament to the memory of the victims of the Armenian
Genocide. As a Canadian, I am proud that the House of Commons adopted
this historic motion.”
“This is a victory for truth and justice.” stated Dr. Basmadjian.
“Implicated in this course of action for over two decades, the ANCC has
constituted the driving force behind the process towards the adoption of
this motion,” commented Dr. G. Basmadjian. “The accomplishment of this
task was made possible through the mobilization as well as the
implication of our grass roots members who made sure that all Members of
Parliament were aware of the importance of this issue for our
community.”
The ANCC was actively involved in promoting the passing of the motion.
For the last six months, the ANCC worked very closely with
parliamentarians and foreign affairs critics of all the political
parties represented in the House. The ANCC received strong support from
numerous parliamentarians, including Jim Karaygainnis, Eleni Bakopanos,
Stephane Dion, Derek Lee, Stephane Bergeron, Jason Kenney, Svend
Robinson, Real Menard, and Senators Raymond Setlakwe and Shirley Maheu.
Ms. Libby Davies’ (Vancouver East) gesture to switch her motion with
madam Dalphond-Guiral motion, to allow the vote to take place before the
89th anniversary commemorations of the Armenian Genocide on April 24,
was greatly appreciated. Within the Liberal caucus, the contribution of
Mr. Sarkis Assadourian (Brampton Centre) also should be noted.
The ANCC mailed a specially-prepared brief to all members of the House.
The ANCC also mobilized the Canadian-Armenian community to counter the
Turkish Government’s propaganda campaign through e-mails, postcards and
telephone calls to parliamentarians.
A NATO ally, Canada now joins a long list of nations including France,
Italy, Greece, Switzerland and Russia which have recognized the Armenian
Genocide of 1915-1923.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

An Armenian answer to Azerbaijan
>From the Greek Daily Elevtherotypia
21 April 2004
By Thanasis Avgerinos ([email protected])
MOSCOW — “If Azerbaijan recognizes northern Cyprus, then this could set a
very interesting precedent, why not, for the case of Nagorno-Karabagh”,
stated Vardan Oskanian, the Foreign Minister of Armenia, while commenting on
a recent position taken by the Azeri President Ilham Aliyev during an
official visit to Ankara.
“It is very strange” stated Oskanian “to hear from the lips of Ilham
Aliyiev, who vehemently denies the right of self-determination for the
people of Nagorno Karabagh, claims about the possibility of recognition of
the independence of the Turkish part of Cyprus”, thus pulling the rug under
the feet of the leadership in Baku and the presidential diplomatic friendly
gestures towards Turkey.
The daily newspaper “Zerkala” in Baku characterized the Aliyev statement “a
failure of Azeri diplomacy from which the international status of the
country will be hurt, because he continues the policy of deterioration of
Azerbaijan’s relations with its neighbors, Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan and
now Greece” and interprets the statement as an effort to break the rapid
improvement of Turco-Armenian relations under the blessings of the West.
;id=99577172
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BREAKING NEWS
POSTED AT 9:57 PM EDT Wednesday, Apr. 21, 2004
Liberal backbenchers break ranks over genocide motion
By ALEXANDER PANETTA
Canadian Press
Ottawa – Canada became one of few countries to formally recognize the
genocide of Armenian Turks during the First World War in a strongly
worded motion adopted 153-68 in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
Government members were discouraged from voting for the motion, which is
sure to anger a Turkish government that has never recognized the
massacre of 1.5 million Armenians starting in 1915.
Following a charged debate at their weekly closed-door caucus meeting,
Liberal backbenchers voted massively in favour while the party’s cabinet
contingent rejected the Bloc Québécois motion.
Prime Minister Paul Martin was absent during the politically sensitive
vote but Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham defended the government’s
opposition.
The Turkish government has warned that recognizing the genocide could
have economic consequences and Mr. Graham said he wanted to maintain
good relations with Turkey.
`Turkey is an important NATO ally in a region where it is a Muslim
country with a moderate government,’ he said.
`What we seek to do in our foreign policy is to encourage the forward
dimension, we’re forward-looking. We’d like our Armenian friends and our
Turkish friends to work together to put these issues in the past.’
The motion read: `That this House acknowledges the Armenian genocide of
1915 and condemns this act as a crime against humanity.’
The Turkish government rejects the charge of genocide as unfounded and
says that while 600,000 Armenians died, 2.5 million Muslims perished in
a period of civil unrest.
Unlike the Liberal government most opposition MPs – including
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper – voted in favour of the motion,
which places Canada in a category of only about two dozen countries to
have recognized the Armenian genocide.
The United Nations has also recognized the massacre, and Armenians have
been fighting for decades throughout the world for that sort of
acknowledgment.
One opposition critic labelled the Prime Minister `hypocritical’ for
promising more free votes and then forcing ministers to toe the line on
such a matter of deep personal conscience.
`It’s a terrible double standard for Paul Martin to force his ministers
to vote against it and not even show up himself,’ said Tory foreign
affairs critic Stockwell Day.
`That is a hypocritical double standard.’
Liberal Hedy Fry supported the motion but said it’s important to note
the atrocities were carried out under the Ottoman empire, which has
faded into history and was long ago replaced by a modern Turkish state.
`I think we need to recognize the past,’ she said.
`I think it doesn’t mean we’ve broken ties with the current regime in
Turkey. They are our colleagues, they are our NATO allies. They are a
moderate, Muslim government and I think we need to work with them.
Recognizing what happened in the Ottoman empire shouldn’t affect
Canada’s diplomatic relations with Turkey, she said.
Fry and many other former Liberal cabinet ministers who are now
backbenchers also voted in favour, including Martin Cauchon, Stephane
Dion, Maurizio Bevilacqua, Lyle Vanclief, Lawrence MacAulay, Herb
Dhaliwal and David Kilgour.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Contact: Armen Carapetian, Government Relations Director
Tel: 818-500-1918
Fax: 818-246-7353
Email: [email protected]
Web:
The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR)
moments ago learned that a record 170 US Senators and Congressmen are
to send President Bush a cosigned letter asking that he properly
characterize the Armenian Genocide in his April 24th commemorative
remarks.
The letter, which is attached below, represents an unprecedented
number of Members of Congress standing up to the President’s use of
euphemisms in describing the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians by
Ottoman Turks from 1915 through 1923. In his bid for the Presidency in
1999, George W. Bush wrote a strongly worded letter expressing
unequivocally that he would honor the memory of the victims of the
Armenian Genocide if elected President. However, while in office,
President Bush has failed time and again to reaffirm the United
States’ long record on the Armenian Genocide. ANCA-WR has been working
with Members of Congress representing constituents in western states
to show the President that there is broad support for historical
accuracy on this issue.
More details are to follow in an official press release.
April 21, 2004
The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
We are writing to urge you to join us in reaffirming the United States
record on the Armenian Genocide in your April 24 commemorative statement.
This date marks the anniversary of the systematic and deliberate campaign
of genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire in 1915. Over the following
eight years, one and a half million Armenians were tortured and murdered,
and more than half a million were forced from their homeland into exile. In
the years since, descendents of Armenian immigrants have thrived in the
United States and in many other countries, bringing extraordinary vitality
and achievement to communities across this nation and throughout the world.
By properly recognizing the atrocities committed against the Armenian
people as “genocide” in your statement, you will honor the many Americans
who helped launch our first international human rights campaign to end the
carnage and protect the survivors. The official U.S. response mirrored the
overwhelming reaction by the American public to this crime against
humanity, and as such, constitutes a proud, irrefutable and groundbreaking
chapter in U.S. diplomatic history.
Now more than ever as your administration seeks to bring an end to global
terrorism and to help establish democracies in Afghanistan and Iraq, the
memory of the genocide underscores our responsibility to help convey our
cherished tradition of respect for fundamental human rights and opposition
to mass slaughters. The victims of the Genocide deserve our remembrance
and their rightful place in history. It is in the best interests of our
nation and the entire global community to remember the past and learn from
these crimes against humanity to ensure that they are never repeated.
We look forward to your April 24 statement and stand ready to assist you in
this endeavor and in the many other matters of importance to our nation
related to Armenia and the South Caucasus region.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Burbank Leader , CA
LATimes.com
April 21 2004
City parade to hit the streets
Burbank on Parade will feature 4,000 participants, 240 floats; theme
is ‘Let Us Entertain You.’
By Jackson Bell, The Leader
BURBANK – It hasn’t been an easy six months for the organizers of
Burbank on Parade.
After canceling the parade, then resuming it, and next having to
resolve the conflict in date with the Armenian Genocide Remembrance
Day, organizers have finally fixed all the kinks and look forward to
starting the show.
“[Parade organizers] look at all of it as a small stumbling block,
and can’t wait for Saturday and to then get started on next year’s
parade,” said Joanne Miller, the parade’s spokeswoman. “We usually
work on this for almost a whole year, and a few pitfalls on the road
are OK – nothing worthwhile is easy.”
The 23rd annual Burbank on Parade will kick off at 11 a.m. Saturday,
and will march east along Olive Avenue from Keystone to Lomita
streets. Nearly 240 different groups and about 4,000 people will
participate in this year’s event, which is themed “Let Us Entertain
You.” Every float will have a tie-in to entertainment.
This year’s highlight will be television star and comedian George
Lopez as the grand marshal. The Los Angeles Irish Set Dancers, led by
Burbank resident Michael Patrick Breen and the Reel Cowboys, a group
of men who ride on bails of hay in flatbed trucks, are other new
additions to the two-hour parade.
The 1974 Ford Torino hot rod from the film “Starsky & Hutch” will
also be featured.
In addition, drill teams, marching bands, floats, clowns and
equestrian acts will dazzle the anticipated audience of 30,000.
The parade will conclude its run with an awards ceremony in George
Izay Park. Also at the park, a crafts fair will be open from 8 a.m.
to 4 p.m., a talent showcase will run from 2 to 4 p.m. and the cars
that carry the celebrities and dignitaries will be on display.
Mary Alvord, who has announced the event for the past four years,
will be the first city manager to ride in the parade.
For Alvord, it is exciting to be part of an event that is essentially
Burbank.
“The parade is important because it is the epitome of what people
think of the city,” she said. “Despite being a city of 100,000
residents, the parade reinforces that Burbank has a small, hometown
feel.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Los Angeles Daily News, CA
April 21 2004
Police seek help finding would-be armed robber
By City News Service
GLENDALE — Glendale police asked for the public’s help Tuesday in
finding a would-be bandit who fired at a 51-year-old man while they
were struggling over the gun.
The intended victim had just returned home from shopping about 9 p.m.
April 14, in the 900 block of Patterson Avenue, when a gunman walked
up and demanded the resident’s wallet, Glendale police Officer
Leticia Chang said. A struggle ensued, and the intended victim
managed to get the gun from the would-be robber, who ran to a
dark-color car and fled with two other people.
The suspect was described as a slender Armenian, about 5 feet 6
inches tall with short black hair, wearing a white baggy jersey-type
shirt with a logo on the front, white shorts and white tennis shoes.
Anyone with more information about the robbery attempt is asked to
call Glendale detectives at (818) 548-3987 or the department’s main
number, (818) 548-4840. Anonymous calls can be made to (818)
506-STOP.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1 Plus | 17:33:27 | 20-04-2004 | Politics |
COALITION FOILED DIALOGUE
Coalition-Opposition-Intelligentsia meeting initiated by Raffi
Hovhannissyan, finished. Aram Sargssyan /Republic Party/, Smbat Ayvazyan
/Republic Party/, Stepan Zaqaryan /People’s Party of Armenia/, and Vazgen
Manukyan /National Democratic Union/ from Opposition were present.
Coalition calling for talks and dialogue was absent. Academicians Rafael
Ghazaryan, Lenser Aghalovyan, Vardan Sedrakyan, Khoren Palyan and Edward
Simonyantc of intellectuals partook in the meeting. Naturally, Raffi
Hovhannissyan took part in the meeting, too.
Our reliable sources informed that ARF had informed the meeting organizers
Robert Kocharyan had invited ARF representatives. The fact gives cause to
conclude that Robert Kocharyan had forbidden Coalition to meet Opposition
and Intelligentsia.
The meeting organizers are preparing a statement and it will probably be
released today.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
PROJECT HARMONY
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: (802) 310-4596
US Teacher Exchange to Armenia
(July 17 -28, 2004)
Project Harmony is looking for a few (dozen!) good teachers to participate
in our fully expense paid teaching delegation to travel to Armenia this
July. Travel to the Caucasus and learn methods of bringing international
interactive elements to your classroom. Apply today to join this delegation
funded by the State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs!
The exchange is to provide select US educators administrators with an
opportunity to experience first hand Armenian culture and society, as well
as participate in online curriculum development and facilitation training
sessions in Armenia. With support from Project Harmony staff in the US and
Armenia, teachers will learn methods to better incorporate field experiences
into their classrooms in the US.
In addition to the online educational component, planned activities in
Armenia include cultural events and outings in Yerevan and the surrounding
regions. A portion of the trip is dedicated to home stays for US teaching
teams in the regions of Armenia, where they will have a unique opportunity
to experience life in some of the most ruggedly beautiful settings of the
former Soviet Union.
Participants will be selected upon, but not limited to the following
criteria:
. General letter of interest
. Essay explaining the anticipated educational benefits of the trip
. Resume (indicating a demonstrated commitment to teaching and innovative
methodology)
. Two letters of reference
. Telephone interview
. Willingness to commit to follow-up expectations including participating in
online events with partner schools in the Caucasus and expense-paid
follow-up teaching conference to be held in January 2005 in Burlington, VT.
Online applications will be accepted starting the week of April 19, 2004.
Applications will not be accepted after June 1, 2004.
For more information on the US Teacher Exchange to Armenia, please contact
Project Harmony SCP Program Coordinator Bryan Wockley
([email protected]) and SCP Exchanges Coordinator Jennifer Daly
([email protected]).

Saying Farewell To The City
By S. MUTHIAH
The Hindu
April 19, 2004
WITH THE departure of Michael Stephanian, or Stephen, if you wish, the
Armenian Church in George Town will be without an Armenian caretaker
for the first time since it was consecrated in 1772. A local caretaker,
Alexander, succeeds Michael who goes to Calcutta on a significant
promotion after seven years in Madras where he had succeeded that
legend, George Gregorian, who put in 33 years in making the church
the cleanest place in the city.
Michael moves to Calcutta to take charge of the Armenian College
(school) there, one of the leading educational institutions in the
city when it was home to a few thousand Armenians, almost all of whom
have migrated to Australia or parts westwards since the 1970s. The few
hundred Armenians left in Calcutta keep service going in the city’s
three churches of the Armenian Orthodoxy and the one in Chandernagar,
service being held in each by turn on Sundays. These numbers, have,
however, not been enough to sustain the school, which in its heyday –
and when the Armenian Club was as lively – produced some of the best
rugby teams in India.
There has, in the last few years, been an attempt to revive the school
by bringing in from strife-riven Armenia and Iran, Armenian children
who have lost at least one parent. To the dozen or so Armenians with
Indian connections there have now been added about 100 boys and 40
girls from Armenia and Iraq. Michael hopes that, in the next year or
so, he can get that strength up to 300, with about 50 more children
from Armenia and 100 from war-torn Iraq where over 25,000 Armenians
live. These children in the 6-16 age group will be trained to take
the ICSE exam, but their workload will always be increased by three
subjects: the Armenian language, history and faith.
Michael, while in Madras, has done a splendid job in keeping the
Armenian Church alive by organising the occasional service in it. He
has also ensured that the Armenian Cemetery on the Island and the
Armenian tombs and other relics in and around the city have been cared
for. He may not have always been successful in preserving the symbols
of Armenian heritage in the city, but he was always trying. I’m sure
he’ll be trying even harder to bring the Armenian College back to
its old glory. This column wishes him all the best.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkiye
April 20 2004
GUL: `WE’VE MADE EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE UPPER KARABAKH ISSUE’
Commenting on recent rumors that the border between Turkey and
Armenia would be opened, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday
that Ankara first wanted Azerbaijan and Armenia to reach a settlement
on the upper Karabakh issue and was making efforts towards this end.
Stressing that the border would not be opened until the issue was
resolved, Gul said, `We are continuing our contacts with the
governments in both Baku and Yerevan.’ Urging all observers to take
lessons from a possible Cyprus settlement, Gul stated that Turkey
didn’t want the upper Karabakh issue to remain unresolved,
explaining, `There is an occupation there.’ The foreign minister also
added that during Istanbul’s NATO summit this June, a tripartite
meeting could be held to discuss the issue. /Turkiye/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress