Author: Frangulian Shushan

Anti-Genocide Film ‘Screamers’ Plays To Overflow Crowd On Capitol Hill
ASBAREZ, 1/20/2007

WASHINGTON–A standing room only audience joined with Members of
Congress, film industry leaders, and genocide prevention advocates for
a special Capitol Hill screening of Screamers, the gripping
documentary about the multi-platinum, Grammy-award winning band
"System Of A Down’s" campaign to end the cycle of genocide, reported
the Armenian National Committee of America.

The screening, held in the Mumford Room of the Library of Congress,
was hosted by Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Armenian Caucus
Co-Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), the Save Darfur coalition, ANCA
Endowment Fund, and The Raffy Manoukian Charity. Joining Reps. Schiff
and Pallone at the program were their colleagues, Shelley Berkley
(D-NV), Lois Capps (D-CA), James Moran (D-VA), and Bart Stupak (D-MI),
as well as Dan Glickman, a former US Representative from Kansas and
Secretary of Agriculture who currently serves as the President of the
Motion Picture Association of America. Congressional staff
representing more that 50 Senate and House offices were also in
attendance.

The program was opened by the evening’s master of ceremonies Professor
Paul Rothstein, a distinguished professor at Georgetown University’s
Law School and a frequent contributor to nationally televised news
programs. He welcomed Congressmen Schiff and Pallone to offer remarks
and then invited the film’s director Carla Garapedian to introduce
Screamers.

In his opening remarks, Rep. Adam Schiff spoke forcefully about the
importance of educating people about genocide and taking action to
prevent it. "The reality is that as much as we say "never again",
whether it is the Armenian Genocide or the Holocaust, it does happen
again, it is happening today. The terrible and remarkable fact is
that half way around the world in Darfur there is a genocide happening
as we sit here tonight.

And it is very hard to speak with moral authority about the genocide
happening now, if we are not prepared to speak with moral authority
about the genocide that took place in 1915."

Rep. Pallone cited the important role that citizen activism plays in
genocide recognition and prevention. "I have been around a long time
now–almost 20 years–and the one thing I will say is that the
Armenian Community and those associated with them, who are determined
that the Armenian Genocide be affirmed by this Congress, by Turkey and
by the world, are resolute. They will never stop. They will continue
to "scream" until everyone recognizes the Armenian Genocide. And that
is why this film is so important."

Following the 90-minute film presentation, the audience participated
in a panel discussion moderated by Professor Rothstein and including
Screamers director Garapedian, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian,
and Save Darfur Policy Director Alex Meixner. Garapedian noted that
"Genocide denial is the last stage of genocide, as Elie Wiesel so
wonderfully and eloquently said. And because we are living in the
politics of denial now, it creates for us a disconnection to a sense
of who we are as human beings and it sends the message out to our
children, that this, the greatest test to our humanity and our
civilization– to stop the annihilation of a people–that we allow,
this to occur.

This is not a message we should be sending to our children."

"Unfortunately the precedent set in the case of the Armenian Genocide
is that genocide can be committed with impunity," explained Hamparian.
"Hopefully this movie will help turn the tide by inspiring a
generation of Screamers to set the record straight and show that
genocide cannot be committed without impunity. When the perpetrators
and potential future perpetrators of genocide understand that, the
world will be a safer place from the scourge of this terrible crime."

Meixner, whose organization, Save Darfur, represents some 170
organizations and over 130 million people, noted the important steps
toward ending the genocide in Darfur. "The first thing that must be
done is to get the attention of the Administration and of
Congress. The second thing that must be done is to get them to take
action. We have seen over a million emails and postcards go to the
Congress and Administration this year, and yet, the genocide
continues. It is one thing to get people screaming; it is another to
get governments acting– and that is what we hope this film will help
accomplish."

The Capitol Hill screening of Screamers came on the eve of the
impending introduction of Armenian Genocide legislation, led by
Representatives Schiff, Pallone, George Radanovich (R-CA) and Armenian
Caucus Co-Chair Joe Knollenberg (R-MI). The legislation, similar to
that introduced in the previous session of Congress, already has the
support of over 110 members of Congress.

"Screamers is about exposing the denial of all genocide, Armenia, the
Holocaust, Cambodia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda, the Iraqi Kurds and the
current horror in Darfur," said Garapedian. "It is about making sure
the same critical message George Clooney and Don Cheadle are
‘screaming’ about is heard, that these atrocities ‘never happen
again.’ And I believe, it is this generation, the ‘screamers’, who
will make sure all genocide is recognized and ends, because
‘screamers’ will no longer tolerate or accept previous generations of
politicians and humanitarians who have so miserably failed them."

Screamers premiered at the American Film Institute Film Festival on
November 2 and won the coveted AFI Audience Award. On hand for the
opening were Garapedian, System Of A Down band members Serj Tankian,
John Dolmayan and Shavo Odadjian, producers Pete McAlevey and Tim
Swain, sponsor Raffy Manoukian of The Raffy Manoukian Charity and a
host of genocide recognition and prevention activists from the ANCA,
Save Darfur, and other groups.

Screamers is a production of MG2 productions in association with BBC
Television and The Raffy Manoukian Charity. Garapedian, a veteran
reporter who has made a career of covering the most difficult stories,
from Chechenya to repression in Afghanistan, follows the European tour
of System Of A Down and their ongoing efforts, through music and
activism, to raise awareness about denial of all genocide, tracing the
band members’ own personal journey of their grandparents surviving the
Armenian Genocide and its legacy of a century of atrocities.

The film, distributed by Maya Entertainment, is currently playing in
the Los Angeles area and will open on January 26 in New York and
Washington, and on February 9 in Boston, Worcester, Mass. and Chicago.

On December 22, during an ANCA-Western Region press conference outside
of the opening of the film in Encino, California, Congressman Brad
Sherman (D-CA) and Garapedian spoke to the media about ending the
cycle of genocide, from the Armenian Genocide of 1915 to the Genocide
going on in Darfur today.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Istanbul Embraced With Mass Protests
20.01.2007 15:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Istanbul is embraced with mass
protests. Crowds of people go to streets learning
about famous journalist Hrant Dink’s assassination,
Pravda.ru reports. The funeral service for Hrant Dink
in the center of Istanbul first will turn into mass
demonstration and then into march protests. The
demonstrations created serious problems for traffic.

The killed editor-in-chief of `Agos’ weekly became
famous for his discussions over the Armenian Genocide
from 1915 till 1917 of the 20th century. At those
times Turkey massacred over 1.5 million Armenians. In
his articles Dink touched upon the Armenian Genocide
topic so morbid for Turkey, which does not recognize
it. For his articles Dink several times was put under
trial.

The Powell River Peak, Canada
Jan 20 2007

Book on conflict a must-read

By Dennis Peacock
01/18/2007

Another year has drawn to a close. I’ve avoided making many New
Year’s resolutions, as most never see the light of day. However, one
resolution that I don’t have to worry about is to read Robert Fisk’s,
The Great War for Civilization, subtitled, The Conquest of the Middle
East. I read it in 2006.

However, for anyone who is in the least bit interested in events in
the Middle East (virtually every Canadian should be, since Canadian
soldiers are fighting and dying in Afghanistan) their New Year’s
resolution should be to read Robert Fisk’s, The Great War for
Civilization.

It’s not any easy read at 1,000 pages, 1,100 if the index is read.
But it is virtually everything readers ever wanted to know about that
unfortunate area of the world. The Algerian civil war is horribly
cruel. Fisk takes readers right back to the Armenian genocide, the
original modern Holocaust, which set the pattern for future
genocides, including that of the Jews.

Fisk is in Afghanistan when the Russians roll in, personally
witnessing one more attempt to control that virtually ungovernable
country. He reports on the brutal Iran-Iraq war of eight years, first
from the Iraqi, then the Iranian side. He rides a Iranian helicopter
right up to the frontlines, but strangely, when he tries to report on
the deaths of thousands of Iranian soldiers from poison gas used by
the Iraqis, no one in the West seems much interested. Saddam Hussein
is our ally at this time.

Fisk is also around during the first Gulf War, when Norman
Swartzkopf, under orders from George Bush Sr., reluctantly halts his
army in front of Baghdad, allowing Saddam to turn his republican
guard against Shiites, Kurds, and Swamp Arabs, who have risen in
revolt in expectation of support from coalition forces. These
unfortunates are slaughtered by the tens of thousands, while American
and British tanks, trucks, and troops sit motionless in the desert,
and Saddam Hussein remains in power for a while longer.

During the second Gulf War, Fisk is once again in Baghdad. He has
visited hospitals, viewing the victims, many of them young children,
wounded by American bombs and cruise missiles. He wonders just how
George W. Bush can think that this coming invasion of Iraq can have
any success. When the Americans arrive, Fisk correctly predicts the
coming insurgency. His only surprise is that it starts so soon.

Fisk plays no favourites and interviews anyone, including Osama Bin
Laden, twice. His section on Israel is a good antidote for Israel’s
response to the spring 2006 kidnapping of two of its soldiers,
turning it into a bombing campaign in Lebanon that attacks bridges,
roads, a clearly marked UN post, and its supposed allies, the
Lebanese army.

This, according to our foreign minister, is a measured response. But
don’t take my word for it. Grab a copy of Robert Fisk’s, The Great
War for Civilization. Readers could do a lot worse in 2007.

Dennis Peacock, who keeps in touch with world affairs, used to be a
commercial fisherman. A former Powell River resident, he now lives in
Clearwater, BC.

Washington Post, DC
Jan 20 2007

Voicing Their Outrage
System of a Down Has Plenty to Howl About in Genocide-Awareness Film

By Chris Richards
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, January 21, 2007; Page N01

Anyone familiar with Serj Tankian’s larynx knows the System of a Down
singer can rock-and-roar with the best of them. He’s a screamer.

Carla Garapedian is a screamer, too, but she doesn’t front a nu-metal
band. She’s a former BBC World anchor and the director of
"Screamers," a new documentary about System of a Down’s efforts to
promote genocide awareness. A "screamer" is someone who can "actually
process what a genocide is without defense, without guile," Pulitzer
Prize-winning author Samantha Power says at the beginning of the
film. "And when you do that . . . there’s no other alternative but to
go up to people and to scream."

Photo
Serj Tankian and his Armenian American band mates have personal ties
to "Screamers’ " topic. (By Sarah L. Voisin — The Washington Post)

The film’s release comes at a time when celebrities such as George
Clooney, Don Cheadle and the activist-hydra known as Brangelina are
preaching genocide awareness. But where Hollywood types aim to save
the world by putting their pretty faces before the cameras, System of
a Down confronts the issue with some of the most abrasive rock ever
to hit the airwaves.

After a decade together, they’ve sold more than 16 million albums
that favor throat-shredding vocals, schizophrenic guitar riffs and
general rhythmic anarchy. Their activism is much more focused: Their
concerts play host to grass-roots political organizations including
Axis of Justice, a nonprofit that Tankian founded with former Rage
Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello.

Garapedian, in Washington to promote the film’s opening Friday,
concurs with the band’s approach. "We’ve all got to stand up and
scream and tell our politicians we’ve got to do something about this
now."

She’s referring to the estimated 450,000 dead in Darfur, Sudan, which
her film depicts as the latest in a chain of atrocities dating back
to the Armenian genocide almost 100 years ago. A history refresher:
Between 1915 and 1917, Ottoman Turks systematically took the lives of
1.5 million Armenians. Turns out the grandparents of the four
musicians in System of a Down were among the survivors of this
tragedy. Turkey and the United States still do not recognize the
events as genocide.

"It was important for my grandfather and to all those that survived
the Armenian genocide to be remembered correctly," Tankian, 39, says
of his band’s activism in an e-mail from his vacation in New Zealand.
"I didn’t want their sacrifice to be further victimized by
geo-political expediency."

Like the band members, Garapedian, 45, is an Armenian American raised
in Los Angeles. She attended the London School of Economics and
Political Science, pursued a career in journalism with stops at the
BBC and NBC, and directed documentaries, including her 2002 film
about women in Afghanistan, "Lifting the Veil."

And while her work has always gravitated toward social injustice,
"Screamers" hits much closer to home. "I never thought, though, that
I would make a film like this," she says. "It seemed to me like it
was too personal. And as a journalist, one tries to be objective in
the best sense of the word."

Garapedian hopes the band’s abrasive touch will prick viewers’ ears.
"We’ve lost our connection to the debate about genocide, and that
music brings out the emotion and allows you to access it," says the
director, who speaks with the eloquence of a television anchor and
the passion of a campus activist.

She first approached the band in 2004, and followed them on tour last
summer. "They didn’t want it to be a concert documentary film. They
wanted the film I envisaged, which was a music-politics film where we
use the energy and passion of the music to tell the story of genocide
in the last century."

The result is seriocomic. System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian is
playing tour bus pranks one minute and talking about the
extermination of his bloodline the next.

"I did that purposefully because that’s who they are," Garapedian
says of the scene. "For me, it’s important to show humor and joy
because we are celebrating the fact that we’ve survived."

Ironically, there was one thing about the band Garapedian couldn’t
abide: their screaming.

"I grew up with the Beatles and Elton John," she explains. "I
thought, ‘Oh my God, what am I going to do?’ I have this mega-popular
rock band and they’re all grandchildren of survivors, just like me. I
have a way to tell the story . . . and now I’m listening to the music
and I can’t listen to it."

But after recognizing the political bent of some of the band’s
lyrics, Garapedian realized that she had found the perfect score for
her film.

"How could I use Coldplay or something that was easier on the ear
when you’re talking about genocide? You need the rage and the anger."

Much like the band’s music, the film makes some manic jumps —
heartbreaking testimony from Tankian’s grandfather cuts to blaring
concert footage, to carnage in Rwanda, to a House International
Relations Committee debate in Congress.

In one scene, Tankian and System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan
confront then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert in the Capitol’s rotunda
regarding a bill that would force the United States to recognize the
Armenian genocide. (The bill may come to the House in the coming
weeks, and while current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office says she
endorses the bill, there’s no word on whether she’ll introduce it.)

"Of course I was nervous," Tankian recalls in the e-mail. "Here was
the 3rd most powerful person in the country who can call the shots
about my government officially recognizing this historical tragedy
once and for all. . . In my heart I knew Dennis wouldn’t do the right
thing, but I wanted to inspire him to do so anyway. I may have
failed, but hope that the story will inspire Nancy Pelosi, or other
leaders in Congress not to take the same route."

Garapedian hopes this film has an influence on Congress, but she’s
also aiming to win the hearts of American youth. She describes her
audience as "younger people, but not exclusively. . . . You’re
sending a message to Washington: The kids in America are going to see
a film about genocide."

Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
Jan 19 2007

KARS-AKHALKALAKI-TBILISI-BAKU RAIL PROJECT SOON TO ROLL FORWARD

By Vladimir Socor

Friday, January 19, 2007

Thanks in large measure to Azerbaijan’s rapidly growing economic
strength, the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku (KATB) railroad-building
project can soon become a reality. The project had stalled for more
than a decade, due to a lack of funding for the Georgian stretch of
the line. Now Azerbaijan is able to finance that part of the project.

On January 13 in Tbilisi, Georgian Economic Development Minister
Giorgi Arveladze and Azerbaijan’s Transport Minister Zia Mamedov
signed the relevant credit agreement on highly preferential terms.
Azerbaijan is providing a $220 million loan, repayable in 25 years,
with an annual interest rate of only 1%. This agreement will be
followed by an inter-bank agreement between the two countries and
then a tender to select the construction companies.

The line’s overall length is 258 kilometers (about 160 miles), of
which the Georgian section is the most challenging. There, 30
kilometers from the Turkish border to Akhalkalaki must be built from
scratch and another 120 kilometers of existing tracks need full
rehabilitation. Turkey will build a 68-kilometer line from Kars to
the Georgian border from scratch, at a cost of more than $200
million. KATB’s overall cost is estimated at up to $600 million.
Construction work in Georgia is expected to start in the third
quarter of 2007 and to require two-and-a-half years. The railroad’s
anticipated capacity is 10 to 15 million tons annually by the third
year of operation and up to 20 million tons annually afterward.

KATB has been conceived as a linchpin in the projected trans-Eurasian
railroad that would connect the European railroad network, via Turkey
and Georgia, to the Caspian Sea at Baku, continuing with ferryboat
lines to the eastern Caspian shore. There, the KATB line can connect
in the future with the proposed China-Kazakhstan-Europe railroad.

Even before the trans-Kazakhstan railroad from China becomes a
reality, the KATB itself with a trans-Caspian connection will be the
first major project that implements the European Union’s vision of a
Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Central Asia (TRACECA), popularly
known as the `new Silk Road’ from Europe to China. The EU had
launched TRACECA in the South Caucasus in the mid-1990s amid great
expectations, but practically abandoned it afterward. The EU is not
investing in KATB, although it is aware of its potential benefits,
according to a statement issued by the German embassy in Baku on
behalf of the EU’s German presidency (Az.day, January 17).

Absent EU involvement, the United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe (UNECE) had considered supporting the KATB project in the
1990s, but eventually opted out as well. Ultimately, in May 2005
Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Mikheil Saakashvili of
Georgia, and Ahmed Necdet Sezer of Turkey signed a declaration of
intent to build the KATB railroad.

The United States is officially taking a bystander’s attitude toward
this project, `neither opposing it nor actively promoting it.’ In the
latter part of 2006, Armenian lobbying organizations succeeded in
amending the U.S. Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act to prohibit
Eximbank funding to the KATB project, on the grounds that it
`isolates’ Armenia. In Moscow, empire-rebuilding advocate Andranik
Migranian applauded the Congressional vote: `This is a
well-thought-out step on the part of the American authorities’
(Rustavi-2 Television, December 8, 2006). President George W. Bush
signed the Act into law in December 2006 after both chambers of
Congress had passed it in that form.

Yerevan and its supporters call for reopening and overhauling the
existing railroad from Kars to Gyumri in Armenia and using it instead
of KATB. Turkey had closed the Kars-Gyumri line in response to
Armenia’s seizure of territories in Azerbaijan in 1994. The United
States and the EU are urging Turkey to reopen the border with
Armenia, including the Kars-Gyumri railroad, as part of efforts to
promote a settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

Irrespective of this political context, however, Kars-Gyumri is
essentially a local line, in no sense a substitute for the KATB
project of transcontinental relevance. From the standpoint of Turkey,
Georgia, and Azerbaijan, KATB provides their most direct as well as
politically safest link to the EU on one side and to Central Asia on
the other, as well as an inter-connector among the three
Western-oriented countries.

KATB has special significance to Georgia. The railroad can bring
economic development to the deeply impoverished, Armenian-inhabited
Javakheti region and ensure political stability there. It will also
provide Georgia with a reliable outlet to the outside world,
following Russia’s decision in 2006 to shut off transport
communications with Georgia.

With U.S. leadership faltering on this issue and EU leadership
absent, Azerbaijan is now demonstrating that it can take the
initiative in making the KATB railroad possible.

(Turan, Today.Az, Messenger, Civil Georgia, Turkish Daily News,
PanArmaniaNet, January 14-17; see EDM, November 9, 2006)

SAY FAREWELL TO INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS

Panorama.am
18:04 17/01/2007

ArmenTel will cease the activities of internet telephone service
providers on the territory of Armenia as of January 28, Oleg Blizniuk,
company CEO statement says. In his words, the providers’ activities
contradict the terms of License 60.

On January 8, Public Service Regulatory Committee entitled ArmenTel
to engage in provision of these services on exclusive rights. The
decision will be effective in 10 days.

Non-official sources say 300 internet telephone service providers
operate on the territory of Armenia.

It is expedient for ArmenTel to see the providers as dealers of the
company. Blizniuk says most providers do not have license today. The
CEO states that financial violations will not be tolerated.

OSKANIAN AND MAMEDYAROV TO DISCUSS OPINIONS OF SIDES ON OSCE MG LAST OFFERS

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.01.2007 14:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The next meeting between Armenian and Azeri Foreign
Ministers Vartan Oskanian and Elmar Mamedyarov will be held in the
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs January 23, Vladimir Karapetyan,
the acting Armenian MFA press officer told the PanARMENIAN.Net
journalist.

Meanwhile, as ‘Trend’ reports, Yuri Merzlyakov, the OSCE MG Russian
Co-Chair on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, who was on
leave, has set to preparations for the meeting. It is expected that
OSCE MG Co-Chairs Matthew Bryza (U.S.A.) and Bernard Fassier (France)
will take part in the talks too. It is supposed that the during the
negotiations the participants will discuss the opinions of sides
on the last offers of mediators on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement, the possibility of coming visit of Co-Chairs to the region
and other issues.

THOUSANDS CELEBRATE THE EPIPHANY AT WHAT MANY NOW BELIEVE TO BE THE BAPTISM SITE OF JESUS

Journal Chretien, France
Jan 15 2007

It is in a barren former minefield, close to the Dead Sea in Jordan

It was once a minefield and in the summer months, it’s hot, humid and
covered with scrub, but the significance of this unlikely place close
to the Dead Sea in Jordan may be the greatest discovery for Christians
in the Middle East for many centuries. The startling discovery is at
Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan where many believe that John the Baptist
baptized Jesus and so began His earthly ministry that took him to the
cross and then the resurrection, and birthed the largest religion in
the world.

More and more Christians are now visiting the site and on Friday,
January 12, some 7,000 Christian pilgrims – Orthodox, Protestants
and Catholics – joined in much cooler weather to celebrate at the
site and mark the feast of Epiphany and the Annual Day of Pilgrimage.

Part of the crowd that attended the celebration Latin Patriarch of
Jerusalem Michel Sabbah, who conducted a mass at the site, made
remarks in which he highlighted the importance of this occasion,
adding, "Christians meet at this site each year, where John the
Baptist baptized Jesus Christ."

He expressed thanks and appreciation for His Majesty the King, The
King’s Special Advisor HRH Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammad and the Jordanian
government for the attention and care given to this place to enable
Christians from Jordan and the world to come to the site and perform
their prayers.

"We pray for all peoples and for all issues, at top of which is the
Palestinian issue, and we hope that peace will prevail in the holy
city of Jerusalem," he added. "We also pray for all Middle East and
world issues and we hope leaders around the world would work to avert
wars and destruction.

Latin patriarch in Jordan, Saleem Sabbagh, also made remarks in which
he said this occasion reflects the true image of coexistence between
Muslims and Christians, and the attention given by Christians to
their holy sites.

Charge d’affaires of the Vatican in Amman, Reverend Monsignor Luka for
his part, called on all Christians in the world to visit this site,
for it is the "most sacred site for Christians in Jordan."

Fr. Ashraf Al Nimri of the Latin Church of Jordan said later, "God
gave our country a gift which is the baptism site, where Jesus was
baptized. Every year the people go there like a pilgrimage, and this
pilgrimage has two meanings for us : The first is religious, to pray to
renew our faith and receive a blessing by visiting this holy place. The
second meaning is that it is a feast for all Jordanians – the place is
in Jordan, and all Jordanian people are blessed by this celebration."

On the 19th of this month, the Greek Orthodox will be celebrating
the same event at the site.

Background on the site

Last year, along with a small group, I was shown around the site by
Rustom Mkhjian, an Armenian Christian who is the deputy director of
the site and possibly the greatest expert on it. As we stood just
across the Jordan River from Israel, this enthusiastic champion of
the site explained about how it was discovered and its significance,
especially for Christians.

"I’ve been working here for around ten years and we began to uncover
the site after Jordan signed the peace treaty with Israel in 1994,"
he began. "This area was cleared of landmines and prepared for us to
come investigate and look for archeological sites because, we heard
from a lot of experts, plus saw from our documents that this was
a holy site. Even the local community, the people living round us,
called this site ‘Elijah’s Hill,’ for it was believed to be the place
where Elijah ascended into heaven."

I then asked Mkhjian how could he know that this spot was the actual
baptism site for Jesus Christ ?

He replied, "When we started our studies, our first reference was
John 1:28, where it says that Jesus came to Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan
where John was baptizing. Now, as experts in archeology, we generally
have to have our sources. Here, let me refer to something that Jesus
himself said, ‘Build your house on a rock.’ We in Jordan, the local
group that have worked here, are dependent on four issues to show
that this is the site where so many biblical events took place.

"Not only the baptism of Christ – that was the most important,
of course – but so many important events took place. So these four
foundations are the Gospels, and then the pilgrim’s occurrences,
because this site was on the pilgrimage route between Jerusalem and
Bethlehem and up to Mount Nebo where Moses died. The archeological
discoveries that go along with the description of the pilgrims was
the exciting part actually ; and according to what we have in the
Gospels : and the fourth issue is what we have depicted in the Mosaic
map of the Holy Land that was prepared in 562 AD. So that was a very
good reference to us on which so many things were depicted that we
can talk about later.

"But let me briefly talk about what we have in the Gospels actually.

When Moses died Joshua took over as we know. In Joshua chapters one to
five we have the story of Joshua crossing the Jordan towards Jericho
city with the twelve tribes of Israel, of course, turning around the
walls of Jericho city ; blowing the horn and having it come down. So,
that’s the first instance where the Jordan River was crossed by the
prophet, head of a community, from the east to the west. "As we said
earlier in II Kings, chapter two, we read about Elijah and Elisha
coming from Jericho. Elijah’s mantle touches the Jordan River, it
splits and they walk on dry ground toward the east.

Eventually, Elijah ascends to the heaven. Elisha takes his mantle
and goes back to Jericho again.

"Between the Old and the New Testament is John, or as we know him –
John the Baptizer, who was called John the Baptist. That’s an important
issue because Luke 1:17 says that John came in the spirit and strength
of Elijah. That’s actually the first reason why he came to dwell and
prepare the way for the Lord at the place from where Elijah ascended
to heaven.

"As we know, the second reason was water, because John was
clear when he said, ‘I’ll baptize with water, but the one coming
after me will baptize in the Holy Spirit.’ This all happened in
Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan where John was baptizing. Now, this is in
brief what we have in the Gospels. But if you want to end the story
of John the Baptist we know Matthew 14 tells us about Herod Antipas,
who married his brother’s wife, Herodias. When Salome, her daughter,
danced in an area so close to here, she asked for the head of John
the Baptist. That’s where John the Baptist was beheaded – about forty
kilometers from here, southeast of the castle."

When asked if tourists, particularly Christian pilgrims, were
welcome at the site, he replied, "Definitely sir, this site is open
to everybody. Let us remember our late majesty, King Hussein, who
had a famous statement about heritage. He said, ‘Heritage belongs to
humanity.’ This site belongs to you, me, everybody. Our duty in Jordan
is to take good care of it depending on the international charters
regarding heritage and their well being and eventually opening it to
everybody ; because everybody deserves to see this site."

It seems that many leaders from around the world are beginning to
recognize this site as the place where Jesus Christ was baptized.

Among those who have already visited it include : Pope John Paul II ;
Pope Shenouda III, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt ; even
Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne ; and Prime Minister,
Tony Blair, who according to my guide, had one of his children baptized
in a font at the site by the Jordan River.

For more information, go to

APARTMENT PRICES IN YEREVAN HAVE NOT ACTUALLY RISEN OVER THE PAST YEAR, DIRECTOR OF MONOLITH REALTY SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Jan 16 2007

YEREVAN, JANUARY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Over the past year apartment prices
have not risen in Yerevan, but such an impression has been created
by an unprecedented fall in the dollar’s exchange rate against the
Armenian dram in the indicated period. Alexander Durgarian, Director of
the Monolith Realty real esate agency, expressed this opinion during
a talk with NT correspondent. In his words, now all transactions in
Armenia are done in drams, and for this reason "there has been a 30%
inflation". He said that over the past year about 50% of apartment
buyers in Yerevan’s Kentron community have been Diasporan Armenians
or foreigners.

According to Chairman of Actsern holding Hakob Baghdasarian, the
rise in apartment prices in Yerevan is mainly due to the increase of
remittances from abroad, which are in foreign currency, while the
unpredictability of exchange rate’s behaviour makes people invest
money in real estate. Besides, in the words of H. Baghdasarian,
Diasporan Armenians accumulate their money in homeland – by purchasing
real estate.

It was mentioned that the rise of apartment prices is also conditioned
by the imperfection of Armenia’s securities market anf the limited
number of financial resource accumulation instruments. "Today the best
way of ensuring liquidity of resources is to purchase real esate,"
H. Baghdasarian concluded.

"HAVE I SAID ALLIANCE? NEVER," ARTASHES

Panorama.am
17:52 15/01/2007

"Have I said alliance? Never," Artashes Geghamyan, leader of National
Unity party, told a press conference today.

Geghamyan said his party is engaging in discussions only with other
parties to contribute to democratic elections. The leader said they
may combat the elections without forming any alliance. "You mobilize
the forces and do not connect hopes with anyone," he said.

The proportional list of the party is not ready yet but Geghamyan
sees no problem with that. He said the important thing is that he
knows his co-partymen. The leader excluded that he may be nominated
on the majority list. "My colleagues think it is not expedient,"
the said also saying he may be deprived of engaging in pan-republic
activities in case of nominated in only one community. However,
he said his deputies will nominate themselves on the majority list.

Speaking about financial resource, he said they have 20-25 times less
funds that the authorities. But Geghamyan is not concerned about that,
either. "We do not have the problem of buying voices. We have only
to deal with the campaign in marzes and buy TV air," he said.

Geghamyan said small and mid sized businesses contributed to the
party funds but he did not want to disclose names. He also said the
party has 46,000 members at the moment.