Author: Emil Lazarian

Interfax
April 20 2004
Baku, Yerevan want peace process to continue
Baku. (Interfax-Azerbaijan) – Armenia and Azerbaijan are interested
in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry said on Monday. The foreign ministers of the two nations met
in Prague on April 16.
“This meeting, which was organized by the co-chairmen of the OSCE
Minsk Group, helped the sides exchange opinions on possible ways of
resolving the situation. Armenia and Azerbaijan reiterated their
mutual interest in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and agreed
to continue this useful dialogue,” the press service for the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported, citing a joint statement
issued by the two foreign ministers.
“The foreign ministers highly appreciate the support from the
government of the Czech Republic and the OSCE,” says the statement.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov told Interfax before
the Prague meeting that it would not address the new proposals made
by the OSCE Minsk Group.
Mamedyarov stressed that Azerbaijan’s main goal is to resolve the
conflict as soon as possible. He added that Azerbaijan does not see
the option of Nagorno-Karabakh joining Armenia as acceptable.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
_________________________________________ ____________________
RFE/RL Iran Report
Vol. 7, No. 15, 19 April 2004
A Review of Developments in Iran Prepared by the Regional Specialists
of RFE/RL’s Newsline Team
************************************************************
HEADLINES:
* TEHRAN CONDEMNS KILLING OF HAMAS LEADER
* WHO ASKED TEHRAN TO HELP IN IRAQ?
* LEADERS BLAME COALITION FOR DIPLOMAT’S DEATH
* SUPREME LEADER EXPECTS AMERICAN HUMILIATION IN IRAQ
* HOLDING PATTERNS ABOVE NEXT CASPIAN SUMMIT
* IRAN HOSTS ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER
* TEHRAN ATTACKS U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD
* NEW DATE FOR SECOND ROUND OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
* LEGISLATURE FORMALLY APPROVES WITHDRAWAL OF ‘TWIN
BILLS’
* LEGISLATURE REJECTS ONE PARLIAMENTARIAN’S RESIGNATION,
ACCEPTS ANOTHER’S
* TWO NEW CABINET MEMBERS INTRODUCED
* KHATAMI VISITS EARTHQUAKE SITE
* IRAN’S NEW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT UNUSABLE
* IRAN COOPERATES WITH GLOBAL COUNTERNARCOTICS EFFORTS
* UN REFUGEE AGENCY CHIEF IN IRAN
* LEGISLATURE BRIEFED ON NUCLEAR ISSUE
* UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES CONTINUE TO RISE
* NORTHERN TEA FACTORIES FACE CASH CRISIS
************************************************************
TEHRAN CONDEMNS KILLING OF HAMAS LEADER. Less than a month after
assassinating the leader and founder of Hamas, Shaykh Ahmad Yassin,
missiles fired from Israeli helicopters killed his successor, Abd
al-Aziz Rantisi, news agencies reported. Two of Rantisi’s
bodyguards were killed and bystanders were injured in the incident in
Gaza City. Hamas refused to divulge the name of Rantisi’s
successor, the “Los Angeles Times” reported on 18 April. Hamas
spokesman Ismail Haniyeh vowed that the death would be avenged,
saying, “This sacrifice will not be wasted.” He added, “It is our
fate in Hamas, and as Palestinians, to die as martyrs…. This
struggle will not weaken our determination or break our will.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi
condemned Rantisi’s killing on 18 April, saying such measures
undermine stability and will not resolve the basic problems Israel
faces, IRNA reported. Expediency Council Chairman Ayatollah Ali Akbar
Hashemi Rafsanjani said the killing of Rantisi is an example of
Israeli terrorism under U.S. protection, IRNA reported. (Bill Samii)
WHO ASKED TEHRAN TO HELP IN IRAQ? Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal
Kharrazi announced after a 14 April cabinet meeting that the United
States had requested Iranian assistance in calming the current unrest
in Iraq, AFP and Al-Jazeera television reported. Kharrazi said Tehran
would help and added that the United States is complicating the
situation there. The Foreign Ministry’s director-general for
Persian Gulf affairs, Hussein Sadeqi, arrived in Baghdad on 14 April,
the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) reported.
An anonymous “senior State Department official” said on 14
April that the United Kingdom invited the delegation of Iranian
officials to visit Iraq in an effort to reduce tensions there, AFP
reported. “Obviously, we did not object,” the source added, going on
to say that Washington did not ask London to invite the Iranians.
“Since Iran does have some influence with the Shi’a community, we
hope they would make clear that they are not in any way supporting
violence or confrontation and that, in fact, they are supporting the
authority of the central government,” the source said.
U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher also denied
that Washington asked for Iranian mediation, but he did acknowledge
the recent dispatch of messages to Tehran, AFP reported.
“Our intervention is not based on the U.S. request,” Iranian
presidential adviser Mohammad Shariati said in a 14 April interview
with Al-Jazeera. He went on to explain Tehran’s reasons for
acting at this time and in such a public fashion. “We wanted the
world to know our role in solving the problems,” Shariati said.
“America had prevented us from doing so. Britain was more
understanding of the peaceful Iranian role in solving the problems.
Now it [the United States] has dropped its objection.” Shariati said
Iran does not want to interfere in Iraqi affairs, but it “must not
leave Iraq and its people alone in their ordeal…. Iran believes the
U.S. behavior is wrong.”
While in Baghdad, Sadeqi held talks with a number of Iraqi
political figures, state radio reported on 15 April. Among the
officials that Sadeqi met were Supreme Council for the Islamic
Revolution in Iraq’s (SCIRI) Abd-al-Aziz al-Hakim, Iraqi
Governing Council (IGC) President Mas’ud Barzani, Oil Minister
Ibrahim Bahr-al-Ulum, IGC member Jalal Talabani, and Foreign Minister
Hoshyar Zebari. The Iranian delegation also met with Ahmad Chalabi,
the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on 17 April.
Nevertheless, the exact role played by Sadeqi and his
colleagues remains somewhat unclear. Adnan Ali, a member of the
Al-Da’wah al-Islamiya party, said in a 15 April interview with
Egyptian radio, “The Iranian delegation led by Mr. Sadeqi had a
significant effect during talks with Shi’a clerics and
personalities as well as with the office of Seyyed Muqtada [al-Sadr].
I have recently met Mr. Sadeqi, and he assured me that the Islamic
Republic seeks to calm the situation to avoid any dissension [among
Iraqi factions] under occupation.”
But neither the American nor the Iranian side was so
forthcoming. CPA spokesman Dan Senor said on 16 March, “It is our
position that there is no role for the Iranians to play middleman
here in discussions between us and Sadr,” RFE/RL reported. “There is
no role for the Iranians, from our perspective, in the Sadr
situation. And, in fact, we believe that the issue with Sadr and his
militia should be resolved by Iraqis, not Iranians.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Kharrazi sounded a similar note on
16 April. He asked in a statement faxed to IRNA, “How can one mediate
between the Iraqi people and the occupiers?”
The Iranian diplomats ended their visit on 17 April without
visiting Al-Najaf or Muqtada al-Sadr, IRNA reported. This is
reportedly because the Iraqi cleric refused to meet with the
Iranians, the Shi’a news agency () reported.
(Bill Samii)
LEADERS BLAME COALITION FOR DIPLOMAT’S DEATH. Khalil Naimi,
identified by IRNA as the cultural and press attache at the Iranian
embassy, was shot dead in Baghdad on 15 April by unknown assailants.
President Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami said in a message
released the same day, “The current situation in Iraq is undoubtedly
the result of U.S. negligence toward the realities and the sentiments
of people in the region and the continuation of terrifying policy
that has already been proved ineffective,” IRNA reported. “It is
necessary that the U.S. changes its behavior toward the Iraqi people,
stops killing them and leaves the affairs to themselves.”
Later that day, Foreign Ministry spokesman Assefi urged Iraqi
officials and the Iraqi Governing Council to protect the embassy and
its staff, as well as visiting diplomat Hussein Sadeqi, ILNA
reported. He added that Iran has been trying to resolve the crisis in
Iraq and added, “Unfortunately, America’s wrong policies are
making the crisis more complicated every day.”
After condemning the killing, parliamentary speaker
Hojatoleslam Mehdi Karrubi said, “We hold the occupiers [of Iraq]
responsible for such incidents, but this does not mean [that we
should] overlook the terrorist move of those who carried out the
attack,” state television reported. “We do condemn their move,
although we do not know who they are.”
“The attack took place in the region under the control of
Paul Bremer, the American governor of Iraq,” Iranian state television
reported on 15 April. “This is while the occupying American forces
have taken no measures to follow up the case,” it added.
Addressing mourners at Naimi’s 17 April funeral, the
supreme leader’s representative, Abbasali Akhtari, said, “The
occupiers must know that they are directly responsible for the blood
of this beloved martyr and others, which is shed each day in Iraq,”
IRNA reported. (Bill Samii)
SUPREME LEADER EXPECTS AMERICAN HUMILIATION IN IRAQ. Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a 14 April speech in Tehran that “an
alien power” invaded Iraq in order to fill the pockets of oil
companies “and the Zionists,” state radio reported. He went on to say
that nobody is inciting Iraqis to acts of violence. “There is no need
for anyone to incite the Iraqis,” he said, adding, “You [Americans]
yourselves are the biggest and the filthiest inciters of the Iraqi
nation.” Khamenei said U.S. policy in Iraq is like Israeli policy in
Palestine.
In an apparent reference to the closure of Muqtada
al-Sadr’s “Al-Hawzah” newspaper that disregarded the nearly 100
press closures in Iran, Khamenei said, “They close down newspapers.
They ban the press.”
Khamenei predicted, “Sooner or later, the Americans will
leave Iraq in wretchedness and humiliation.” Khamenei said the Iraqi
people can facilitate this through unity and reliance on Islam, and
by heeding the clerical authorities. (Bill Samii)
HOLDING PATTERNS ABOVE NEXT CASPIAN SUMMIT. Foreign Minister Kharrazi
said on 5 April in Moscow that Iran offered to host the next summit
meeting of the Caspian Sea’s littoral states — Azerbaijan, Iran,
Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan — ITAR-TASS reported. Referring
to issues such as the division of the sea’s resources, fishing,
and military use of the sea, Kharrazi said, “The negotiations on the
Caspian problems are moving at a good pace. The sides have reached a
number of concrete agreements, and they have to be firmed up now.”
The official meeting began on 6 April.
Kharrazi said at the 6 April opening session of the foreign
ministers’ meeting, “This [Caspian] sea belongs to the countries
that are bordering it. It is a sea that represents peace and
friendship, and it is a symbol of the peaceful coexistence of the
countries surrounding it,” RFE/RL reported.
The meeting covered issues that include the sea’s legal
regime, IRNA reported, and Kharrazi expressed the hope that the legal
convention currently in progress will meet with all the
countries’ approval. He also said foreign powers should not
interfere in the region and that countries should avoid unilateral
measures that cause complications. Kharrazi returned to Tehran on 6
April, according to IRNA.
Although the summit’s final communique stressed such
positives as stability and cooperation, the summit did not achieve
any breakthroughs on the thorny issue of demarcating the
Caspian’s waters and seabed, RIA-Novosti reported on 6 April.
Summit participants agreed that differences remain on a number of key
issues.
An analytical article in the 5 April “Sharq” noted that, in
the absence of a legal regime accepted by all five littoral states,
they are turning more frequently to bilateral agreements. Azerbaijan,
Russia, and Kazakhstan have reached agreements without Iran’s or
Turkmenistan’s approval, and Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and
Azerbaijan have begun trilateral negotiations. Even Iran, according
to the article, has entered bilateral negotiations with Azerbaijan.
Iran’s advantage, according to the “Sharq” analysis, is
that it is far less dependent on Caspian energy resources than the
other littoral states. It can concentrate on transporting oil and gas
for the other countries, and they must therefore heed its interests.
International law expert Yusef Molai said in the 6 April
“Jomhuri-yi Islami” that the Russia-Kazakhstan bilateral agreement
has replaced the Caspian legal regime. He said Iran has forsaken a
number of opportunities and predicted that the forthcoming summit
meeting would not accomplish anything. (Bill Samii)
IRAN HOSTS ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER. Armenian Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian was in Tehran on 12-13 April, IRNA reported, where he
met with Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary
Hojatoleslam Hassan Rohani, Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref-Yazdi,
and Foreign Minister Kharrazi.
The need for expanded bilateral relations was discussed in
every meeting, and Rohani noted that the two countries’
long-standing cultural connection contributes to such cooperation.
The natural-gas pipeline from Iran to Armenia was also discussed at
every meeting, as was construction of a dam on the Aras River.
Kharrazi told his guest that tradesmen and public and private firms
would be more motivated to engage in trade exchanges by improved
facilities.
Aref told Oskanian that Iran would like to help in a
negotiated and consultative solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
In the same vein, Rohani said, “Regional stability is prerequisite
for economic development and without settlement of the regional
crisis, the ground for extensive investment would not be prepared.”
Oskanian said upcoming negotiations with Azerbaijan on this issue are
important. (Bill Samii)
TEHRAN ATTACKS U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD. Foreign Ministry spokesman
Assefi said on 12 April that U.S. criticism of the Iranian human
rights record is “invalid” and its definition of the terms “human”
and “rights” is at odds with that of the rest of the world, IRNA
reported. He said the United States is not qualified to comment on
human rights issues because its actions in Palestine, Iraq, and
elsewhere cost lives and make people miserable and homeless.
A 12 April commentary on Iranian state television said that
while “American forces are busy mercilessly slaughtering the Iraqi
people in front of the eyes of the world, and while the regime
occupying Jerusalem [Israel] is also continuing its barbaric and
inhumane crimes against defenseless civilians in the occupied
Palestinian territories,” the United States has published a
“repetitive” report on human rights violations in Iran.
These are presumably references to a 9 April U.S. State
Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and Bureau of
Public Affairs Fact Sheet, titled “Iran: Voices Struggling To Be
Heard” (). The fact sheet
notes that unelected government institutions are rebuffing and trying
to stifle Iranians’ calls for respect for their beliefs. It cites
the case of Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, who was detained
outside Evin Prison in Tehran in June 2003 and who died three weeks
later of head injuries suffered, it is suspected, in a beating she
underwent at the hands of her jailers.
This State Department publication notes the closure of up to
85 newspapers, as well as the detention, physical punishment, and the
fining of journalists. The continuing persecution of practitioners of
the Bahai faith is described as well, citing data on four Bahais
currently in prison for practicing their religion.
Other topics addressed in this State Department publication
are the failure of political reform at the hands of unelected
government institutions, particularly the Guardians Council; Nobel
laureate Shirin Ebadi; and the pro-democratic mobilization of the
country’s young people. (Bill Samii)
NEW DATE FOR SECOND ROUND OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. The Guardians
Council has agreed to an Interior Ministry proposal to hold the
second round of the parliamentary elections on Friday, 7 May 2004,
state television reported on 12 April. An Interior Ministry official
had announced previously that the second round would take place
between 20 and 30 April (see “RFE/RL Iran Report,” 5 April 2004).
Guardians Council Secretary Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati added in
a letter to Interior Minister Abdolvahed Musavi-Lari that only an
amendment to the election law would allow further delays in the
scheduled voting in the Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat, and Islamshahr
constituencies, the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported on
15 April.
The first round of the elections took place on 20 February,
and a Guardians Council member explained in late March that there
will be a second round of voting in 39 constituencies where
candidates did not earn a sufficient number of votes to win outright.
Sixty-four candidates will be elected in the second round, and the
seventh parliament will begin work on 27 May. (Bill Samii)
LEGISLATURE FORMALLY APPROVES WITHDRAWAL OF ‘TWIN BILLS.’ In
a letter to parliamentary speaker Hojatoleslam Mehdi Karrubi that was
read out at the end of the 13 April open legislative session,
President Khatami formally withdrew two pieces of legislation
submitted in August and September 2002, IRNA reported. Known as the
“twin bills,” the first would have amended the election law by
reducing the role of the Guardians Council, and the second would have
increased the authority of the president.
Khatami’s letter noted that the Guardians Council
rejected the election-law amendment and added that the Guardians
Council and supervisory boards broke the current election law. His
letter concluded, “I predict that keeping these bills on the
parliamentary agenda in the future will have a detrimental impact on
the people’s rights and interests and the president’s
position.” Khatami had announced the bills’ withdrawal in
mid-March (see “RFE/RL Iran Report,” 22 March 2004).
On 18 April, the legislature formally agreed to hand the
bills back to the executive branch, IRNA reported. Vice President for
Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Hojatoleslam Mohammad Ali Abtahi
attended that session and said that the Guardians Council must
account for the president’s inability to do his job.
Conservative columnist Hussein Shariatmadari praised
Khatami’s decision to withdraw the “twin bills” in the 14 April
“Kayhan” newspaper. Shariatmadari, who is the supreme leader’s
representative at the Kayhan Institute, said Khatami’s decision
clears his record and eliminates the danger of reducing freedom.
Shariatmadari wrote that the bills would have eliminated people’s
right to prevent unqualified individuals from serving in parliament
and would have invested the president with dictatorial power.
Shariatmadari wrote that Khatami was ill advised to have submitted
the legislation in the first place, and he hinted that the bills were
imposed on the president by spies and agents of foreign countries.
Shariatmadari wrote that Khatami’s criticism of the
Guardians Council, which rejected the bills several times, was
unjustified and unfriendly. (Bill Samii)
LEGISLATURE REJECTS ONE PARLIAMENTARIAN’S RESIGNATION, ACCEPTS
ANOTHER’S. Parliamentary speaker Hojatoleslam Mehdi Karrubi said
on 14 April that he is glad the Iranian legislature did not approve a
parliamentarian’s resignation request, IRNA reported.
Some 120 parliamentarians submitted their resignations in
February to protest the Guardians Council’s rejection of
incumbents’ candidacies for the parliamentary elections, and to
date the resignations of Tehran representatives Mohsen Armin and
Fatemeh Haqiqatju and Urumiyeh representative Mahmud Yeganli have
been accepted (see “RFE/RL Iran Report,” 16 February and 22 March
2004).
The legislature rejected Isfahan representative Rajabali
Mazrui’s resignation, however. The request needed 98 “yes” votes
to be accepted by the 174 of 194 parliamentarians in the chamber who
voted on it; only 92 did so. Seventy-seven voted against Mazrui’s
resignation, and five abstained. Deputy parliamentary speaker
Mohammad Reza Khatami said on 17 April that nothing could stop his
colleagues from resigning, IRNA reported. Asked about Mazrui’s
abortive attempt to quit, Khatami explained that he is needed because
of his important role in the budget committee.
The next day, the legislature approved the resignation of
Tehran’s Behzad Nabavi, IRNA reported. There were 154 votes in
favor of his quitting and 22 votes against it. (Bill Samii)
TWO NEW CABINET MEMBERS INTRODUCED. In a letter to the speaker of
parliament, President Khatami introduced two new cabinet members,
IRNA reported. Khatami named Safdar Husseini to replace Finance and
Economic Affairs Minister Tahmasb Mazaheri. Husseini currently serves
as labor and social affairs minister. Isfahan parliamentarian Nasser
Khaleqi was introduced as Husseini’s successor as labor and
social affairs minister. (Bill Samii)
KHATAMI VISITS EARTHQUAKE SITE. President Khatami arrived in the
southeastern city of Bam on 13 April to inspect the progress of
reconstruction efforts since the 26 December earthquake there, IRNA
and state radio reported. Housing and Urban Development Minister Ali
Abdol-Alizadeh, Interior Minister Hojatoleslam Abdolvahed
Musavi-Lari, Islamic Culture and Guidance Minister Ahmad
Masjid-Jamei, and Health Minister Masud Pezeshkian accompanied
Khatami.
Construction of 800 housing units began that day, and Khatami
visited other housing projects. Locals asked him to speed up the
construction of homes, IRNA reported. He also inspected work on a
96-bed hospital, the completion of which is expected by the end of
the summer.
At a meeting of the aid headquarters, Khatami said the
government allocated 2.1 trillion rials (about $256 million) for the
city’s reconstruction in the March 2003-March 2004 year, and
another 2.4 trillion (about $292 million) for the March 2004-March
2005 period, state radio reported. Khatami vowed that nobody will be
living in a tent by 20 May 2004.
Meanwhile, Bam Governor-General Ali Shafei said on 13 April
that Interior Minister Musavi-Lari has accepted his resignation and
he will leave within 48 hours, ISNA reported. His resignation was
reported in March (see “RFE/RL Iran Report,” 15 March 2004). Shafei
explained that the interior minister and the provincial
governor-general had opposed his resignation. He added that a Bam
native identified as Dr. Makarem will succeed him. (Bill Samii)
IRAN’S NEW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT UNUSABLE. Supreme Leader
Khamenei declared this Iran’s year of accountability (see “RFE/RL
Iran Report,” 29 March 2004). He could start by determining why
Tehran’s newest and grandest international airport remains
unusable, almost three months after being inaugurated amid much
fanfare.
The Imam Khomeini International Airport near Tehran cost a
total of 2.6 trillion rials plus $60 billion, IRNA reported on 31
January. It is intended to handle about 6 million passengers its
first phase, 15 million in the second phase, and 40 million a year
when the third phase is complete; IRNA did not specify when this
would be.
President Khatami inaugurated the airport on 1 February at a
ceremony attended by the Roads and Transport Minister Ahmad Khoram;
Housing and Urban Development Minister Ali Abdol-Alizadeh; Post,
Telegraph, and Telephone Minister Ahmad Motamedi; and foreign
dignitaries, IRNA reported at the time.
Yet the airport still cannot be used, according to Radio
Farda on 14 April, because construction on the project is below par
and does not conform to international standards. The original project
engineers quit after the end of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, and the
government at that time allowed the Oppressed and Disabled Foundation
(Bonyad-i Mostazafan va Janbazan) to take over the airport project.
The foundation changed many of the original specifications. As a
result, the runways were made with asphalt instead of cement and must
be repaved; neither the electrical power nor the runway lighting
function properly; and the aircraft refueling equipment is
inadequate. Until these problems are resolved, Radio Farda reported,
the airport cannot be used.
Meanwhile, a new airport was inaugurated in the West
Azerbaijan Province city of Khoi on 8 April, state radio reported.
Built at a cost of 40 billion rials, its runway is big enough to
handle medium-sized aircraft. Roads and Transport Minister Khoram
said at the inauguration that plans are under way to build airports
at Ahvaz, Bandar Abbas, Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz, and Tabriz. (Bill
Samii)
IRAN COOPERATES WITH GLOBAL COUNTERNARCOTICS EFFORTS. Iran plays an
active role in the international effort to stem the flow of narcotics
from Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium. Iran,
Afghanistan, and Afghanistan’s other neighbors — China,
Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — on 1 April
signed an agreement on creating a “security belt” around Afghanistan
that will clamp down on narcotics trafficking, the “Financial Times”
reported on 2 April. The agreement calls for more border troops,
tighter border controls, coordinated counternarcotics strategies, and
more information exchanges. The concept of a “security belt” has been
promoted since 2002 (see “RFE/RL Iran Report,” 20 May 2002).
The signing of the “Good Neighborly Relations Declaration on
Narcotics Control” coincided with the 31 March-1 April Berlin
conference on Afghanistan, at which time UN Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC) chief Antonio Maria Costa released a statement stressing the
importance of drug control in Afghanistan and welcoming the
agreement.
Speaking at the same conference, Afghan Transitional
Administration Chairman Hamid Karzai said, “Drugs in Afghanistan are
threatening the very existence of the Afghan state,” “The Union
Leader” of Manchester, New Hampshire reported on 1 April.
Furthermore, Afghan Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali said at an 18
March news conference that drug enforcement is his ministry’s top
issue for the coming year, Kabul’s Afghanistan Television
reported.
Iran’s Drug Control Headquarters (DCHQ) chief Ali Hashemi
met with European Union officials on the sidelines of 47th Session of
the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna on 18 March, IRNA
reported. Both sides concurred that the situation in Afghanistan is
the most intractable problem facing Iranian, regional, and European
drug control efforts. Hashemi said that Iran hoped the end of the
Taliban would reduce the drug threat, adding, “But after more than
two years, we are still witnessing a daily increase in the production
and trafficking of illicit drugs from the country.”
The next day, UNODC’s Maria Costa told Hashemi that his
organization is impressed with Iran’s efforts along its eastern
border, IRNA reported.
A delegation of Italian counternarcotics personnel visited
Iran in late February. The head of the delegation, identified by IRNA
on 24 February as Francesco Petroka, said in a meeting with Deputy
Interior Minister Ali Asqar Ahmadi that Italy’s counternarcotics
agency eventually would like to set up a branch office in Iran, IRNA
reported on 24 February. In Italy, the Central Directorate for
Antidrug Services runs narcotics-enforcement activities. This is a
multiagency body established in the Public Security Department with
personnel from the State Police, the Carabinieri Corps, and the
Guardia di Finanza (Customs and Excise Police) (see
).
DCHQ chief Ali Hashemi met with his Italian counterpart,
identified by IRNA on 24 February as Peter Kaba. Hashemi stressed the
need for controlling narcotics production in Afghanistan, and he
added that Iran’s strategy is to establish a stable government
there through economic assistance. Kaba expressed interest in an
information exchange on demand-reduction activities, and he suggested
that Italy’s experience might be useful for Iran.
There have been more recent meetings. Iranian Ambassador to
Moscow Gholam-Reza Shafei and Russia’s Federal Drug Control
Service chief Viktor Cherkesov (a colonel general of the Federal
Security Service) discussed cooperation in the counternarcotics field
on 15 April, IRNA reported. Shafei said narcotics production in
Afghanistan is on the increase “because of the lenient approach of
the coalition forces, mainly the U.S., toward the issue.” Shafei
suggested that Tehran, Moscow, and the United Nations work together
to stop the production of drugs in Afghanistan and prevent drug
trafficking. He added that Iran is ready to sign a counternarcotics
agreement with Russia and Tajikistan.
DCHQ chief Hashemi and the head of the Indonesian
drug-control agency met in Tehran on 14 April, IRNA reported. They
discussed preparations for a memorandum of understanding on drug
control cooperation that is due to be signed in Jakarta in May, IRNA
reported.
Such meetings do not seem to be making much of an impression
on some Iranian officials. Deputy Foreign Minister Mohsen Aminzadeh
said in Moscow on 13 April, “European countries and the United States
give little attention to this problem while narcotics production is
rapidly growing in Afghanistan,” ITAR-TASS reported. He said that
drug trafficking and terrorism are connected, and the money from the
Afghan narcotics trade goes to terrorists, especially Al-Qaeda.
Deputy Interior Minister Ahmadi complained to a 12 March
meeting of Iranian and Afghan officials in Herat Province’s Taleh
Mush region that European countries and the West generally are not
very serious in the global war on drugs, IRNA reported. If they are
serious, he added, they must assist Iran’s counternarcotics
campaign. Ahmadi said that narcotics mafias are taking advantage of
Afghan farmers’ economic needs. He said Iran is ready to help
Afghanistan in any fashion, and he cited Iran’s experience in
police training, local and municipal councils, issuing passports, and
anything else. (Bill Samii)
UN REFUGEE AGENCY CHIEF IN IRAN. United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) Ruud Lubbers arrived in Tehran on 13 April as part
of a trip that will take in Afghanistan and Pakistan, irinnews.org
and IRNA reported. Some 2.5 million refugees have returned to
Afghanistan since the Taliban’s fall in December 2001, and UNHCR
intends to help another 400,000 go home in 2004. Just this year,
according to irinnews.org, 26,000 Afghans have “spontaneously”
returned from Iran.
Lubbers met with Iranian Foreign Minister Kharrazi and
reportedly told him that the Afghan security situation is suitable
for the refugees’ return, according to IRNA. Kharrazi expressed
the hope that repatriations would be facilitated by the cooperation
of the UNHCR and the Afghan interim administration. Kharrazi added
that international organizations should be more active in the
refugees’ repatriation. International refugee agencies working in
Iran recently complained to RFE/RL that the Iranian government
impedes their work, driving some to leave the country (see “RFE/RL
Iran Report,” 22 December 2003). (Bill Samii)
LEGISLATURE BRIEFED ON NUCLEAR ISSUE. Officials from the Foreign
Ministry and Atomic Energy Organization on 13 April briefed members
of the parliamentary National Security and Foreign Affairs committee
on the progress of the country’s talks with the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), IRNA reported.
Committee spokesman Jafar Golbaz said they were apprised of
the government’s discussions with IAEA Director-General Mohammad
el-Baradei and on “U.S. pressure on the IAEA.” Golbaz said the United
States is trying to obstruct Iran-IAEA talks but that these
obstructions can be removed. Legislators have complained that they
are out of the loop on the nuclear issue and are forced to conduct
their own research to know what is going on.
One day earlier, five inspectors from the IAEA arrived in
Iran, Mehr News Agency and AP reported on 12 April. The IAEA
personnel were scheduled to meet with representatives of Iran’s
Atomic Energy Organization and to supervise the suspension of uranium
enrichment and the making of uranium centrifuges, Mehr reported. AP
added that the inspectors intend to confirm whether or not Iran has a
covert nuclear program. Atomic Energy Organization chief Gholamreza
Aqazadeh-Khoi said on 16 April that Iran expects its nuclear dossier
to return to a normal status on the basis of its negotiations with
the IAEA, state television reported.
Meanwhile, Minister of Science, Research, and Technology
Jafar Tofiqi-Darian told visitors to the Arak heavy-water
installation that it would start test production “in the coming
months,” Iranian state television reported on 16 April. The output
will be stored until a 40-megawatt research reactor is built at Arak.
(Bill Samii)
UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES CONTINUE TO RISE. Farshid Yazdani,
director-general of the social and economic planning department at
the Social Security Organization, said on 12 April that the number of
unemployed in Iran has doubled in the past four years, “Iran Daily”
reported on 13 April. Yazdani attributed this increase mainly to
mismanagement and added that management shortcomings are ignored
while the blame for unemployment is shifted to the workforce. Yazdani
said the government’s industrial renovation plan will render
another 30,000 people jobless.
Minister of Mines and Industries Ishaq Jahangiri said on 17
April that privatization and less government intervention in the
economy are the keys to creating more jobs, IRNA reported. (Bill
Samii)
NORTHERN TEA FACTORIES FACE CASH CRISIS. Ghasem Rezaiyat, who heads
the association of tea factories in northern Iran, said in the 13
April issue of “Entekhab” newspaper that the factories do not have
enough money to buy green tea from the growers. Gilan Province tea
factories have a 150-billion toman (about $187.5 million) debt, he
said.
Meanwhile, Iran is planning to export tea to Germany, Japan,
and Kuwait, “Iran Daily” reported on 13 April, citing the previous
day’s “Sobh-i Eqtesad.” The article described the creation of a
tea factory in the northern city of Lahijan, and it quoted tea
industry official Abdosamad Gharavi as saying that exports will begin
once the factory becomes operational. Gharavi said the factory will
make 5,000 kilograms of tea essence, 1,000 kilograms of tea powder,
and 200,000 tea bags during the first phase of the project, which
should become operational in a month. (Bill Samii)
*********************************************************
Copyright (c) 2004. RFE/RL, Inc. All rights reserved.
The “RFE/RL Iran Report” is a weekly prepared by A. William Samii on
the basis of materials from RFE/RL broadcast services, RFE/RL
Newsline, and other news services. It is distributed every Monday.
Direct comments to A. William Samii at [email protected].
For information on reprints, see:
Back issues are online at
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Global Re-Nazification and Yom Hashoah
By Dr. Steven Plaut
Monday, April 19, 2004
Today is Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Commemoration Day. As usual the
Jewish left will strive to commemorate the Holocaust by trying to
promote a second one….
It has become fashionable in certain quarters, including among
some self-hating Jews, to challenge the uniqueness of the Holocaust,
to argue that it was just another in a long list of human savagery and
mass barbarism, no different from the deaths of Armenians in WWI or of
Cambodians or of Rwandans or of Gypsies. (The Cambodian genocide was
made possible in part by Noam Chomsky serving as promoter and
apologist for the Khmer Rouge and denying throughout that the Khmer
Rouse was annihilating millions of Cambodians. Talk about ”Holocaust
Denial”). According to this ”approach,” there was nothing unique
about the Holocaust, no reason why it should be regarded as sui
generic, and hence Jews should stop all their ”yapping” about it.
What is one to make of such people? It is certainly true that
there have been other cases of large-scale mass murder. But the
comparisons with the Holocaust are absurd.
There are many reasons why this is so. But I was struck by the
fact that in today’s Haaretz, one of the worst Oslo leftists managed
to put his finger smack accurately on what may be the most important
of these reasons. The most important difference is very simple. When
Noam Chomsky’s friends were murdering millions of Cambodians, the
world (other than the doctrinaire Stalinists) was horrified, demanded
that something be done, and denounced the atrocities. When the
Rwandans were butchering one another, the civilized world was
horrified, tried to stop the murders, tried to intervene, and
denounced the atrocities.
When the Jews of Europe were being annihilated, the “civilized
world” was indifferent, and much of it was downright supportive of the
annihilation. Large segments of the “civilized world” collaborated
with the genocide. Very few in the “civilized world” demanded serious
military efforts to end it. The “civilized world” sat in silence in
the decade leading up to the Shoah, while Hitler expounded his plans
openly. Many in the anti-Semitic West sympathized with his program.
I mention all this, because I think that one of the best litmus
tests of the extent of re-nazification of the planet is to observe the
reactions of the world to the assassination of the Gaza Nazi, Rantisi.
All those denouncing Israel’s hit on Rantisi as ”state terrorism,”
as a crime, as a violation of ”international law,” as violating
Palestinian ”rights,” as aggression, as itself ”nazism,” ALL such
people are today’s most visible illustration of global
re-nazification. ALL of these people are in fact in favor of the
random mass murder of Jewish children. ALL of these people oppose
every form of Jewish self-defense except capitulation to Nazism and
passive Jewish marching into the gas chambers. All of these people
would cheer if the Islamofascists ever succeed in building
concentration camps for Jews. The leftists Jews who will no doubt now
denounce the assassination of Rantisi, with all the usual lame
”reasons” (bad timing, will just bring forth worse extremists,
violation of Palestinian ”sovereignty,” creates more motivation for
terrorists, etc. etc.), should be formally dubbed the Jews for a
Second Holocaust.
And right on schedule, the British government and the British
Israel-Bashing press, especially the BBC, denounced Israel’s
verminating Rantisi as a ”crime.” Now let me see if I have this
correct. Only days after the British, as part of the Allied
anti-Islamofascist coalition in Iraq, participate in the extermination
of over a thousand Iraqis in Fallujah and elsewhere, many of them
innocent civilians, and now the British declare that when Israel
recycles a nazi mass murdering Islamofascist who has murdered hundreds
of Israeli civilians, many children, this constitutes a crime and
violation of ”international law.” It appears that it is only a
matter of days before the chief Shi’ite terrorist in Najaf Iraq will
be terminated by the good guys, including the Brits. Will the BBC
also regard that as a crime? Probably it will!
Don’t get me wrong, by the way. I endorse the Allied actions in
Iraq. But did you notice that the mowing down of the thousand Iraqis
was the Allied response to the murder of four Americans and the
hanging of their corpses on a bridge? And the greatest hush-hush
secret the media are refusing to report this week is that the killing
of the thousand resulted in near tranquility this week in most of
Iraq! Perhaps there are military solutions to the problems of
terrorism after all?
ChronWatch

United Nations Development Programme Country Office in Armenia
14, Karl Liebknecht Street, Yerevan 375010, Armenia
Contact: Aramazd Ghalamkaryan
Tel: (374 1) 56 60 73
Fax: (374 1) 54 38 11
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
UNDP COUNTRY OFFICE IN ARMENIA
19 April, 2004
UNDP ENHANCES TECHNICAL CAPACITIES OF MUNICIPALITIES
Yerevan, Armenia
Today the Ministry of Territorial Administration of the Republic of
Armenia and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) held an
event to discuss financial decentralisation and hand-over computer
hardware and databases to municipalities. Mr. Vache Terteryan, the
Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration, Mr. Seyran Avagyan, Head
of the Local Self-Government Committee at the Presidency and Ms. Lise
Grande, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative
presided over the event.
In addition to providing technical support to 12 Yerevan districts and
the Yerevan Municipality, UNDP is handing-over key databases including
one on conditions in 914 communities and a second database on the
National Human Development Survey, which was conducted in 2003 and
covered 170 rural and 44 urban communities. UNDP will also provide
special software to the municipalities and the Ministry, helping to
strengthen their capacity in statistical analyses.
According to Ms. Grande: `During last few years UNDP has initiated and
successfully implemented several projects to support the process of
decentralisation and community development in Armenia. Very soon, from
May 7 to 14, UNDP Armenia will help to organise a Community Week to
raise public awareness about ongoing legislative and other reforms
affecting communities and contribute to discussions on community-related
issues.’
Mr. Terteryan noted: `The cooperation between the Ministry of
Territorial Administration and UNDP Armenia Office has a long history
and is highly successful. The Government of Armenia has adopted an
approach to delegate more authority to our communities, but we want to
ensure that the communities are ready to accept and fully implement
those rights and authorities for the benefit of the population. In this
respect, it is highly important to enhance the technical capacities and
to strengthen human resources of municipalities. We are grateful for
UNDP’s attention and ongoing support to our efforts in this area, and we
are confident that our successful cooperation will continue in future.`
Country Background: In 2002, the Government adopted a new Law on Local
Self-Government, recognising communities as legal entities and
transferring land and property to them. As part of a on-going commitment
to fiscal decentralisation, communities have also been granted a share
of the income and profit tax as well as nature protection fees. In
addition, 100 percent of property and land tax revenues have been
transferred to communities.
***
UNDP is the UN’s global development network. It advocates for change and
connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people
build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with
them on their own solutions to global and national development
challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of
UNDP and our wide range of partners.
***
For further information, please contact Mr. Aramazd Ghalamkaryan, UNDP
Armenia at [email protected].
***
This and all previous press releases by UNDP Country Office in Armenia
are available at If you do not want to receive the
subsequent press releases by UNDP Country Office in Armenia, please send
a message to [email protected] containing ‘unsubscribe your-email-address’ in
the subject line.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

New word to replace Holocaust wins favor
Palm Beach Post (Florida)
Sunday, April 18, 2004
By Charles Passy ([email protected]), Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
When George Lucius Salton tells of his experience as a survivor of the Nazi
concentration camps, there’s no confusion about the details. The fear of
being executed at any moment. The joy of being liberated. The making of a
new life in America.
And so Salton, a retired electrical engineer who lives in Palm Beach
Gardens, says there should be no confusion about how to refer to this
seminal event in modern Jewish history, the systematic murder of an
estimated 6 million Jews by a ruthless German regime.
“‘Holocaust’ is understood as the term referring to the destruction of the
Jews,” he says.
Or is it?
In recent years, many Jewish and non-Jewish leaders in the religious,
academic and cultural communities have begun embracing “Shoah,” a Hebrew
word for “destruction,” as the term for the Nazi-led genocide of 1933-1945.
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg chose it as the name for his foundation that
documents the stories of survivors. The Vatican used it in its report, We
Remember: A Reflection on the Shoah, recounting the Roman Catholic Church’s
response to the mass slaughter.
And locally, Rabbi David Goldstein, who heads Temple Beth David in Palm
Beach Gardens, goes so far as to remove most references to “Holocaust” in
synagogue literature.
“We’re trying to substitute ‘Shoah’ across the board,” he says.
The result is nothing short of a linguistic quagmire, particularly as Jews
throughout the world gather today, designated on the Jewish calendar as Yom
Hashoah, or Day of the Destruction, to remember the tragedy of the World War
II era.
But what is it they’re remembering — the Holocaust or the Shoah?
The knock against “Holocaust” is twofold. Many object to the word, derived
from ancient Greek, because it translates as “burnt offering” — in the
sacrificial religious sense, according to select scholars. And that leads to
a horrific connotation when speaking of the atrocities committed against the
Jews, who were often driven to the gas chambers, then cremated. How could
their fiery end be considered a sacrifice?
“If it’s a burnt offering to God, then I don’t want to know the God at the
other end,” says Michael Berenbaum, a leading scholar based at the
University of Judaism in Los Angeles.
But the linguistic issues go deeper. As “Holocaust” seeps into the
vernacular, the term has become attached not only to other genocides and
mass slaughters — in Armenia, Cambodia and elsewhere — but also to a range
of other events and movements. In an article for a Jewish publication, Diana
Cole cited such examples as a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’
“Holocaust on Your Plate” exhibit and SiliconeHolocaust.org, a Web site for
“breast implant victims.”
Maybe better, but realistic?
In the process, many argue, all sense of meaning is lost.
“It has been trivialized so much,” says Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, the
Jewish author and concentration-camp survivor who popularized the term
‘Holocaust’ in the early ’60s through his writings.
By contrast, “Shoah” is a word without negative connotations. And its Hebrew
connection gives it a special significance, some contend.
“The way in which you can keep the particularity of the Shoah as a Jewish
event is to use a Jewish word,” says Zev Garber, a Jewish scholar based at
Los Angeles Valley College who co-wrote a paper, Why Do We Call the
Holocaust ‘the Holocaust,’ which helped spark the pro-“Shoah” movement.
Garber envisions a day when “Shoah” will be as universal as “Holocaust” is
today. “Give it a quarter of a century,” he says.
To which others say: Be realistic.
“With all due respect, it’s not going to happen,” says Berenbaum, who helped
found the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
It’s not that Berenbaum and others don’t recognize the problems with
“Holocaust.” It’s that it’s simply too late to alter the linguistic
landscape, they say.
Consider all the “Holocaust” institutions and groups already in existence,
including the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and countless state and
regional Holocaust museums. Even Alan Berger, a leading Jewish scholar at
Florida Atlantic University who says he’s troubled by the term, occupies a
chair in — what else? — “Holocaust studies.”
In other words, there may be too many nameplates to change.
Imperfect but understood
“‘Holocaust’ has been the accepted word,” says Rabbi Alan Sherman, community
chaplain with the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. “It’s not perfect,
but when it’s used everyone knows what it refers to, which is the important
thing.”
That’s a point echoed by survivor Salton, who wrote a book, The 23rd Psalm,
about his experience in the concentration camps. “If somebody opened a
‘Shoah’ museum, it wouldn’t be understood,” he says.
And Rositta Kenigsberg, who heads the North Miami Beach-based Holocaust
Documentation and Education Center and is leading the effort to establish a
South Florida Holocaust museum, goes one step further: If the Jewish
community gets too caught up in this linguistic fracas, they risk losing
sight of the real issue — the memory and lessons of the event itself.
“I think we’re making more of this than there should be,” she says.
But as far as Rabbi Goldstein is concerned, “when you continue to make a
mistake, you compound the problem from that mistake.”
“To continue using the word ‘Holocaust,’ we let stand those who want to see
it as a punishment for the Jews,” Goldstein says. “When we take away the
burnt offering concept, we’re left with man’s inhumanity to man.”
Still, others say the “burnt offering” religious concept isn’t necessarily
the correct interpretation. True, “holocaust” appears in the Greek
translation of the Old Testament (or, as some now prefer to call it, the
Hebrew scriptures). But “holocaust” was also employed before that to denote
pagan sacrifices, removing it from the Judeo-Christian framework, researcher
Jon Petrie has noted.
And in the 20th century, “holocaust” took on variety of meanings before it
became forever wedded to the crimes of the Nazi era. Often, it simply
signified a great fire. In his writings, Petrie goes so far as to quote a
1940 advertisement in the pre-state of Israel Palestine Post for a show by
one Mandrake the Magician, promising “a flaming holocaust of thrills.”
Right word may not exist
In the early years of the Cold War, “holocaust” was far more likely to be
used in conjunction with the threat of nuclear disaster. Petrie has argued
that it was such usage that prompted Jewish writers, including Wiesel, to
co-opt the term when referring to Hitler’s dreaded “Final Solution.”
“American Jewish writers probably abandoned such words as ‘disaster,’
‘catastrophe’ and ‘massacre’ in favor of ‘holocaust’ in the 1960s because
‘holocaust,’ with its evocation of the then actively feared nuclear mass
death, effectively conveyed something of the horror of the Jewish experience
during World War II.”
For his part, Wiesel says he used the word for its poetic effect. And while
he says he was fully aware of the connection with religious sacrifice, he
thought of it more in metaphysical terms. “This might have been a huge
cosmic burnt offering,” he says.
In any case, by the ’70s, “Holocaust” fully entered into the American
lexicon, especially after a TV miniseries of the same name drew 120 million
viewers. In the same year, President Jimmy Carter established a Commission
on the Holocaust, which led to the creation of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial
Museum.
In the end, Wiesel says, we may have to accept that when talking about death
on such a massive scale, words ultimately fail us. He recognizes the issues
surrounding “Holocaust,” but he says that “Shoah” isn’t a perfect fit,
either, noting the word was in use before the death camps. (It was often
employed in reference to the feared demise of Europe’s Jewish population.)
So how does Wiesel speak of the unspeakable? He thinks back to the most
infamous of the camps.
“I use the word, ‘Auschwitz,’ ” Wiesel says. “It is something singular
and specific.”

A1 Plus | 20:08:29 | 19-04-2004 | Politics |
CONFESSION EXTRACTED
Edgar Arakelyan, a young man from Armenian town of Lusakert, who
participated in the peaceful demonstration the last week Monday and resisted
police’s ominous assault on innocent demonstrators by throwing a plastic
bottle at armed policeman, as it was shown on Armenian state-owned H1 TV, is
charged with one count of seizing power by force.
Procecutor’s Office says he has already pleaded guilty.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1 Plus | 19:46:47 | 19-04-2004 | Politics |
RETARDED REACTION TO PAST WEEK INCIDENT
Defense of Liberated Territories organization issued a statement condemning
violence committed by the police against peaceful marchers saying those
having beaten their compatriots, women and the elderly can’t be considered
men and Armenians.
“We’d like to pay special attention to the fact of harassment of disabled
Artak Zaynalyan and former defense minister General-Lieutenant Vagharshak
Harutyunyan. We are convinced all those responsible for the action as well
as direct perpetrators won’t remain unpunished”, the statement says.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS OFFICE
Contact; Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant to the Primate
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont Quebec H2V 3H2
Tel; 514-276-9479, Fax; 514-276-9960
Email; [email protected]
Website;
NEWS FROM ARMENIAN HOLY APOSTOLIC CHURCH CANADIAN DIOCESE
A) Bishop Bagrat Galstanian attended an Interfaith luncheon hosted by
His Eminence Abp Joseph Khoury
On Wednesday, April 14, 2004 His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian,
Primate of the Armenian Church Canadian Diocese attended an interfaith
luncheon hosted by the Primate and the Archbishop of the Maronite
Church of Canada His Eminence Joseph Khoury. During the cordial
reception, discussions focused on ecumenical relations, the role of
Christian Churches in Canada, Interfaith Dialogues as well as the
current situation in the Middle East.
In his word, Bishop Galstanian conveyed the greetings of the
Catholicos of All Armenians His Holiness Karekin II and thanked the
Maronite Primate for the “warm reception”, he highly appreciated
Abp. Khoury’s efforts in “bringing spiritual brothers
together”. Bishop Galstanian also emphasized the necessity and
importance of Interfaith and multicultural Dialogue in today’s
World. His Eminence expressed his gratitude and invited the religious
leaders to visit the Diocesan headquarter for a similar
meetings. Accompanying the Primate were the Vicar General Very Rev Fr
Ararat Kaltakjian and Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant to the
Primate.
B) Armenian Art Exhibition visits Vancouver, British Columbia
It was with great pride and anticipation that three parishes of The
Armenian Holy Apostolic Church Canadian Diocese, under the auspices of
His Grace Bishop Bagrad Galstanyan, had the honour to host exhibitions
in their respective parishes during the month of April from the 1st to
the 22nd.
Mrs. Hasmik Ginoyan and Mr. Karen Matevosyan from the “Momik Cultural
Centre and Armenian Art Magazine” arrived in Vancouver on the 8th
along with a vast collection of art, both paintings and artifacts. The
exhibition was arranged in a small boutique gallery in downtown
Vancouver for showing all day Saturday and Sunday afternoon. The
exhibit was a great success both from the artistic point of view and
financially, when one considers the size of the Vancouver Armenian
Community of approximately 2,000.
The Pastor and Parish Council wish to thank Mr. Arto Tavukciyan a
member of St. Vartan parish council who organized the rental of the
hall and publicity in the media both print and audio. We also wish to
thank Mrs. Araxie Evrensel for her tireless effort in running the
exhibition and Mr. Hagop Evrensel who supplied the refreshments for
the closing of the exposition Sunday evening. The total sale for
Vancouver was almost $15,000, which will help support the continuation
of the work Mrs. Hasmik Ginoyan and Mr. Karen Matevosyan are doing to
promote and financially support The Art Centre and Armenian Art
Magazine in Yerevan, Armenia.
C) Holy Week Celebrations in the St. Gregory Armenian Cathedral of
Montreal
As in all Armenian Holy Apostolic Churches around the world, the
St. Gregory Illuminator Armenian Cathedral of Montreal was the site of
traditional and symbolic ceremonies of the Holy Week preceding Easter.
On Maundy Thursday Rev. Fr. Vazken Boyadjian, pastor of the church,
celebrated the Divine Liturgy in commemoration of the Last Supper of
Christ. Hundreds of faithful received the Holy Communion. H.E. Bishop
Bagrat Galstanian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of
Canada, explained the sacrament of communion of receiving God by
taking part in the Last Supper of Christ. Following the Liturgy, a
reception was held in the Marie Manoogian Hall by the Committee of
Patient-Visitation.
At 7 pm traditional ceremonies of “washing the feet” was held. The
primate knelt before the Altar and symbolically washed the feet of 12
individuals, including chairmen of the community’s cultural
associations, the clergy and deacons serving the church, as a sign of
humility and service. In his sermon Bishop Galstanian related the
Lord’s message of love, devotion and servitude towards humanity. A
Lent meal that excludes all animal food products was then served to
the faithful.
Ceremonies were resumed dedicated to Christ’s betrayal, torture and
crucifixion. Readings from the Bible and hymns relating the events
were carried on till midnight. Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovannisian, who had
recently arrived from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, presided the
services.
In the evening of Good Friday the ceremonies symbolizing Christ’s
burial were conducted as four youth carried the flower laden Tomb of
Christ to four corners of the church, while the faithful eagerly
traversed under the Tomb to be blessed. The Primate talked briefly
about the meanings and the messages of this traditional service of
Good Friday.
At 5 pm on Holy Saturday, deacons and students from AGBU Armen-Quebec
Alex Manoogian School presented passages from the Old Testament,
before the Altar’s curtains opened for the celebration of the Divine
Liturgy by Fr. Vazken Boyadjian and the declaration of Christ’s
Resurrection. Rev. Fr. Boyadjian, thanked the children of the
Armenian school for their authentic readings and read the Easter
Message of HH Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians. Following the
ceremonies, the faithful were led by a procession of the clergy, the
deacons and the choir to the church’s hall where the traditional
service of “Blessing of Homes” (Dnorhnek) was held.
D) Easter Celebrations in the Canadian Diocese
The feast of Our Lord’s glorious Resurrection was celebrated in all of
the churches of the Canadian Armenian Church Diocese from Montreal to
Toronto and Vancouver. His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate
through weekly telephone communication with all pastors of the Diocese
was informed that Holy Week and the Feast of Resurrection of our Lord
Jesus Christ was celebrated with appropriate Holy Liturgy and Blessing
of Water in presence of thousands of our faithful all across
Canada. Bishop Galstanian commended the pastors’ dedicated services to
their parishes and wished them to continue their missions with renewed
enthusiasm.
Over one and half thousand faithful attended Easter Liturgy held in
St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral of Montreal, where His Eminence
Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate of the Diocese, celebrated the
Divine Liturgy, assisted by Rev. Fr. Hayrig Hovhannisian and
Rev. Fr. Vazgen Boyadjian (Pastor of St. Gregory the
Illuminator). “Gomidas” choir of the Cathedral was conducted by
Mr. Ara Toshigian, accompanied by Mr. Arto Muhendissian on the
organ. Serving on the altar were the deacons and the sub-deacons of
the church.
According to an ancient Christian tradition when the faithful brought
their Easter food to be blessed, during the Holy Mass a procession of
children carrying food baskets and their blessing was held. In his
sermon the Primate exalted the Lord’s glorious Resurrection and said,
“2004 years have transpired since then, and faced with the luminous
feast of Resurrection once again, we should ask ourselves, what has
changed in us and what significance does the Resurrection of Jesus
have for us?. This is not only a feast but the feast of feats, for it
brings us light, hope, victory, and confidence. That is our God is
living God and He has concurred the world so we may do”. On behalf of
Canadian Armenians the Primate expressed love and faithfulness to His
Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, and prayed that God
keeps Motherland Armenia safe, in a state of brotherly love,
solidarity and prosperity.
Following the Holy Liturgy a reception was held in the Diocesan hall
for exchanges of Easter felicitations and to receive from the Primate,
for the first time this year, the blessed bread (Neshkhar) to be taken
home by the faithful.
An Easter luncheon was then served in the Marie Manoogian hall, where
following the invocation, Rev. Fr. Vazken Boyadjian, Pastor, welcomed
the faithful and expressed good wishes of success to the Primate on
the occasion of the Holy Resurrection. A brief cultural program was
staged by the newly formed children’s choir of the church conducted by
Varoujan Markarian. Miss Nayiri Tankarian played Aram Khatchaturian’s
Tokkata on the piano with a tremendous gusto, that prompted Mr. and
Mrs. Meguerditch and Shake Malkhassian to donate 500 dollars towards
the purchase of a new piano.
In his concluding remarks the Primate expressed appreciation to the
pastor, the Parish Council, the children’s choir and Nairy Tankarian
as well to Mr. and Mrs. Malkhassian for a heart rendering communal
celebration of Easter. That was a truly and deeply spiritual joyous
day to remember for a long time.
E) Holy Easter Liturgies in North Western Communities and Ottawa
Upon the directive and with the blessing of His Eminence Bishop Bagrat
Galstanian, Primate of the Canadian Armenian Diocese, Very Reverend Fr
Ararat Kaltakjian visited the North Western communities of the
Armenian Church Canadian Diocese.
Very Rev Fr Ararat celebrated Divine Liturgy in Winnipeg on 15th April
and in Edmonton on the 16th, Calgary on the 17th and Yellowknife on
the 18th of April.
On Sunday April 18, 2004 on the occasion of Holy Resurrection of our
Lord Jesus Christ Rev Fr Hayrik Hovhannisian officiated the Divine
Liturgy at Ottawa’s St Mesrob Armenian Church. The Mission Choir,
recently founded by the Primate, accompanied Rev Fr Hayrik
Hovhannisian.
DIVAN OF THE DIOCESE
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkey Seeks “Catalyst” Role To Resolve Karabakh Issue
Anatolia news agency
19 Apr 04
Ankara, 19 April: Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister
Abdullah Gul said on Monday (19 April) that Turkey was holding talks
both with Azerbaijan and Armenia for solution of Nagornyy Karabakh
issue, stating that rumours which said that border between Turkey
and Armenia would be opened before solution of the issue were not
true. Gul replied to questions of the AA (Anatolia) correspondent.
When the AA correspondent said that there were rumours, especially in
Azerbaijan, which said that border between Turkey and Armenia would
be opened, Gul said: “This is out of question. People in Azerbaijan
are discussing this issue very much. Azerbaijani reporters also ask
this question whenever we meet.”
Stating that they believed that Nagornyy Karabakh issue should not be
left as an abandoned issue as there was an occupation, Gul said: “We
think this issue should be discussed and it should be solved.” Turkey
was holding talks both with Azerbaijan and Armenia for solution of
Nagornyy Karabakh issue, he stated and noted: “We think of holding
a trilateral meeting on this issue in the following months.” Gul
stressed that Turkey was trying to play a catalyst role, stating that
they wanted the issue to be solved peacefully. Gul said that although
Turkey and Armenia have not recognized each other officially yet, he
met with Armenian foreign minister under international and regional
meetings three times last year.
Foreign Minister Gul said that they thought that foreign ministers
of Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan should hold a trilateral meeting
before NATO summit in Istanbul in June and added that Armenia would
attend summit in Istanbul under Caucasian countries related to NATO.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian leader calls opposition protests temporary
Agence France Presse
April 19, 2004
MOSCOW, April 19 — Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian said a wave
of opposition protests sweeping the country over the past several
weeks was a “misunderstanding” and unlikely to continue for long.
“It is certainly a temporary phenomenon,” he said in an interview
with the Izvestia daily.
Opposition parties in Armenia, a nation of three million people in
the Caucasus mountains, have recently staged a series of protests,
drawing comparisons with last year’s “rose revolution” that ousted
the leadership in neighbouring Georgia.
“Our opposition, under the impression of Georgia’s events, has decided
to stage a similar situation in Armenia,” he said. “But our reality
cannot be compared with Georgia’s.”
The Armenian opposition says that Kocharian rigged a run-off
presidential vote in March 2003 to secure a second term in office
and is demanding that he step down.
But despite the widespread discontent in Armenia over low living
standards, analysts say Kocharian is too strong, and the opposition
too weak, for the Georgian scenario to be repeated in Armenia, the
world’s first state to adopt Christianity.
Kocharian said the opposition would be allowed to proceed with protests
as long as they did not cause major disruptions.
“If the opposition tries to attract attention to itself by blocking
major thoroufares or government buildings, then police will do what
it is obligated to do,” he said.
Last Monday, the police broke up an anti-government demonstration in
the capital Yerevan using water cannon and reportedly injuring dozens
of protestors.
yad/lp
Armenia-politics-demo-Kocharian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress