Author: Hakobian Adrine

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 23 2005

Iran scrutinizing history distortion case

The Iranian embassy in Baku has started scrutinizing the distortion
of Azerbaijani history in some history and geography textbooks
released in Iran that indicated Karabakh as Armenian territory, the
Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan Afshar Suleymani told a news
conference on Friday.

The ambassador said that the distortion could have taken place,
although he has not seen the books. He added that he will receive a
reply to the relevant enquiry sent to Iran shortly.

A Collective Conscience?
Dr Bhaskar Dasgupta

HindustanTimes.com UK edition, India
April 22 2005

On April 24th, the living Armenians will gather to pay their respects
to the million plus Armenians who were killed during WWI. Who cares
about a century old genocide event other than the afflicted party,
eh? Nobody much, I am afraid. Nobody cared about the genocide in
Bangladesh 30 years ago with those genocidal maniacs now freely
enjoying their lives, visiting the west and even having political
power. Heck, nobody really cares about a genocide, which is going on as
we speak, in Darfur. Each and every person who raises their voice about
Palestine and Iraq and who talks about freedom and democracy in the
Middle East while ignoring Darfur, they are all culpable hypocrites and
mealy mouthed. It is easier to talk about the Americans and ignore the
Sudanese, isn’t it? However, we are getting away from the Armenians.

Genocide throws a very long shadow over human history. People remember
genocide and massacres way after the proponents and opponents have
died and turned to dust. Further crimes are committed because of
that memory and frequently these memories transmogrify into tribal,
racial, or national memory and live on and on. It is indeed very
simple to say that to stop this from happening, no genocide should
be done from now on, but as we have seen, it is easier said than
done. The only time that genocide is forgotten is when the genocide
is total and complete. For example, the Carthaginians were completely
defeated, their fields sown with salt and the entire population sold
into slavery. It does not arouse any major passions any more now,
does it? There is nobody left to raise the issue.

In addition, time unfortunately does not heal these wounds either.
Genocides and massacres carried out in the mists of antiquity
are still remembered. The Assyrian invasion and massacres of the
Israelites and the so-called Aryan Invasion of India thousands of
years ago have passed into national history and still, in many ways,
drive the national character in various ways. If we fast-forward to
the last century, April has been noted for massacres and genocides,
which cast a long shadow, even if we discard all the major and minor
wars. Deir Yassin in Palestine, Jalianwalla Bagh in India, Columbine
School in the USA, Tiananmen Square in China, the Holocaust, Rwanda,
Katyn Forest Massacre in Poland, Gardelegen Massacre in Germany are
just some of the massacres that come to mind.

Each and every one of these massacres still affects the world. Deir
Yassin is remembered by the Palestinians, the Jalianwalla Bagh massacre
by the Indians and Pakistani’s, Columbine by so many parents who keep
on facing the issue of guns in school children’s hands, Tiananmen
Square by hundreds of millions of Chinese, the Holocaust and Rwanda
by the entire world, Katyn by the Poles, Gardelegen by the Jews and
other nations whose citizens were burnt alive.

It is difficult not to feel sorry for the Armenians and at the same
time, feel quite amazed at their persistence, tenacity and courage.
For a nation, which is reputed to have descended from Noah and be
the first nation to embrace Christianity, God has unfortunately taken
His eye off these benighted people.

Armenian people had their own kingdom and were ruled by Armenians
until 66 BC, when it was then taken over by the Roman Empire. Since
then Romans, Persians, Byzantines, Arabs, Mongols, Turks and Russians
ruled. For a short while in the beginning of the 20th century, it
again became independent. That was not for long, as the Russian Bear
again gathered poor old Armenia into its paws until 1991, when it
became independent again.

So what happened to the Armenians? There is no dispute that very
large numbers of Armenians died in the second decade of the 20th
century (to be precise between 1915 and 1917). The range of casualties
ranges from 0.2 to 1.8 million Armenians. Turkish Armenians, who were
mostly Armenian Orthodox or Roman Catholic, clustered mostly around
the eastern side of what is current Turkey. Please do remember that
Turkey was facing civil war, rebellion, as well as being caught up in
the greater tragedy of WWI at that time. Turkey went into the World
War on the side of the Germans and in return Imperial Russia started
poking its nose into the eastern side to raise Armenian nationalism. On
the other hand, because of Turkish Sultan Abdul Hameed’s policies,
many western cosmopolitan Turkish Armenians threw their lot in with
the Young Turks, who overthrew the Sultan. Nevertheless, the Young
Turks were thoroughly upset with the Armenians in the east and decided
to relocate them forcibly to Iraq (then Mesopotamia) and Syria. This
forced migration is what lead to the killing of the Armenians.

The Turkish authorities set up about 25 concentration camps, some
of which were death camps. There are reports of gassing chambers,
poisoning or simple starvation techniques being applied to the
inmates. The Turkish government created specific organisations
to execute the genocidal policies. Prisoners were selected on a
homicidal basis and populated these organisations. In its defence,
the Turkish government set up court-marital proceedings to try most
of the senior members of the organisations later. Unfortunately,
most of these trials were in absentia, since after 1918, most of the
perpetrators had flown the coop. So what happened to the remainder
of the Armenians after this genocide? Well, as their ancestral homes
and farms had been razed, a lot of them emigrated. Many went to the
newly formed Republic of Armenia, but with the Russian Bear breathing
down their necks, a very large number emigrated to the west, forming
one of the smaller but very vocal diaspora groups in the world.

A little modesty might serve U.S. well
By Christoph H. Stefes*

The Messenger, Georgia
April 22 2005

Fifteen years after the revolutions that overthrew the communist
dictatorships of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, the region
has witnessed once again a wave of political upheaval, starting
with Georgia in November 2003, followed by Ukraine a year later and
Kyrgyzstan last month. In these former Soviet republics, massive
demonstrations toppled political leaders who failed to fulfill the
hopes of their citizens for a better, more prosperous and democratic
life.

The Bush administration welcomes these so-called democratic
revolutions, emphasizing the success of the American battle to spread
democracy worldwide. Yet the Rose, Orange and Tulip “revolutions” in
Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan, respectively, were not revolutions
by any stretch of the term. It is not even clear if they can be
called “democratic,” as democratic institutions look feeble in these
countries.

Furthermore, U.S. democracy assistance has only been one factor
among many that have caused these recent transitions. By claiming
differently, the Bush administration downplays the role of domestic
factors and provokes the authoritarian leaders of surrounding countries
to further crack down on the opposition. The U.S. also risks further
disrupting cooperation with Russia on Chechnya and terrorism. In
short, it might be better if the U.S. government continued to promote
democracy in the region but was less ostentatious about it.

First, the events in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan bear striking
similarities. In all three countries, the post-Soviet leaders initially
appeared to embrace the values and institutions of democratic and
free-market societies. They rapidly privatized state companies and
liberalized the economies. Moreover, they encouraged the formation
of civic groups and a free media and refrained from repressing their
political opponents.

Unfortunately, from the mid- 1990s on they allowed relatives and
political supporters to seize the most prosperous economic sectors
at the expense of the general population of which more than half
live in deep poverty. As clientelism and corruption sparked public
outcry and threatened to defeat the ruling parties at the ballot box,
they relied on massive electoral fraud to stay in power.

Moreover, in Georgia, Ukraine and (to a lesser degree) Kyrgyzstan the
popular uprisings were orchestrated and led by opposition leaders who
had served as top-ranking officials under the previous regime. These
leaders are unlikely to seek a radical transformation of the societal,
economic and political structures of their countries.

>>From this brief analysis, it should have become clear that we are
not dealing with a replication of the 1989-’91 revolutions. This may
not be worrisome, since strong, democratic leadership can be just as
responsible for the improvement of people’s lives as can revolutions.

Viktor Yushchenko provides this leadership in Ukraine, but we can
be less sure about his Georgian counterpart, Mikhail Saakashvili,
who has recently amassed presidential power at the expense of the
parliament. In Kyrgyzstan, the outcome of the recent events is even
less clear, as the opposition is divided and new clan networks have
already begun to infiltrate government structures. In short, it might
be a bit too early for the Bush administration to celebrate the rise
of democracy in Georgia and Kyrgyzstan.

Second, although U.S. democracy assistance has played a role in these
events, the numbers do not show that it was a decisive role. Over
the last few years, the U.S. government has provided about as much
assistance to Armenia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, which continue to
be ruled by authoritarian leaders, as do Georgia and Kyrgyzstan.

Moreover, to triumphantly declare credit for the rise of democracy
is not only premature but also counterproductive. Russia’s President
Vladimir Putin and his colleagues in the neighboring countries have
nervously reacted to the toppling of their erstwhile counterparts.

Blaming Western involvement for bringing political instability
to the region, they have begun to crack down on Western-sponsored
organizations. By exaggerating its role in the political transitions,
the U.S. administration does a disservice to the reformers in the
region.

In short, depending on many factors, of which U.S. democracy assistance
is just one, the recent wave of political transitions might reach
other countries, opening doors for the possible establishment of
new democratic regimes (though not a guaranteed outcome). In order
to facilitate this process, the U.S. government is well-advised to
understate its role in the region.

*Christoph H. Stefes is an assistant professor for Comparative European
and Post-Soviet Studies at the Political Science Department of the
University of Colorado at Denver.

Impexbank to acquire a 19.91% of Areximbank stocks.

Analytical Information Agency, Russia
April 21 2005

Impexbank intends to acquire a 19.91-percent block of shares of
commercial Areximbank, Impexbank reported to AK&M. The Central Bank
of Armenia has granted preliminary permit to Impexbank to enter
stockholders membership of Armenian Bank.

Armenian-Russian export-import Bank was established in 1998 to
support business undertakings and to serve finance flows between
Russia and Armenia.

Areximbank’s authorized capital amounts to US$4.8 million. As at 1st
of April, 2005, Areximbank’s assets were US$46.64 million. Bank’s
profit for the year 2004 rose to US$15.7 million from US$6.8 million.

LEH VALENSA JOINS CALLS FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION

Armenpress

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS: The former leader of the legendary
Polish “Solidarity”, laureate of the Nobel prize for peace and the
first democratically elected president of Poland Leh Valensa has
joined today his voice to international calls for recognition of the
Armenian genocide.

Addressing an international conference in Yerevan, dedicated to the
90-th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, Valensa said:” If I or
any of us let this horrific crime, the suffering of the people sink
into oblivion then God will never remember about our existence.”

Leh Valensa recalled that mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman
empire had began long before 1915, citing the slaughter of Armenians
at the order of Sultan Abdul Hamid in 1894. This practice was caught
up and “elaborated” by the government of Young Turks in 1915.

“Massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman empire were the first
genocide of the 20-th century. Today we commemorate the memory of
its victims. The justice must win,’ he said, endorsing Armenia’s
demands that before joining the EU Turkey must acknowledge the crime
against Armenians.

Valensa argued that before the fall of the Soviet Union, when Turkey
was a key NATO ally in countering the USSR, western powers would not
go against Turkey, “but the end of cold war has changed the situation
drastically,” he said, reminding of 2 EU resolutions recognizing
the Armenian genocide and demanding that Turkey must recognize and
condemn it.

‘We shall not be able to withstand future challenges without proper
assessment of the past crimes,” he said.

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

178 U.S. REPRESENTATIVES URGE PRESIDENT TO
PROPERLY CHARACTERIZE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

— Record Level of Support for Congressional
Letter Sends Strong Message to White House

WASHINGTON, DC A record number of U.S. Representatives sent a
Congressional letter to President Bush today, urging him to
reaffirm the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide by properly
characterizing the atrocities as “genocide.” The letter comes
days after a similar Senate initiative, which garnered the support
of an unprecedented 32 Senators, a 45% increase over the previous
year.

The April 20th letter, spearheaded by Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chairmen Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI),
stresses that “by properly recognizing the terrible atrocities
committed against the Armenian people as ‘genocide’ in your
statement, you will honor the many Americans who helped launch the
unprecedented U.S. diplomatic, political and humanitarian campaign
to end the carnage and protect the survivors.”

“We were very gratified by the announcement this evening by the Co-
Chairman of the Armenian Caucus that a record total of one hundred
and seventy-eight U.S. Representatives have joined together in
calling on the President to properly recognize the Armenian
Genocide in his April 24th remarks,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive
Director of the ANCA, following a special 90th anniversary Armenian
Genocide observance on Capitol Hill. “Along with the thirty-two
Senators who sent a similar letter earlier this week to the White
House, this brings to two hundred and ten the total number of U.S.
legislators formally calling for the President to speak with
historical accuracy and moral clarity about this crime against
humanity. We welcome this unprecedented level of Congressional
leadership and urge the President to heed their call and honor the
pledge he made in February of 2000 to properly recognize the
Armenian Genocide.”

Representatives Pallone and Knollenberg, in a March 3rd letter to
their House colleagues, encouraged them to lend their voice to the
effort noting, that “by properly affirming the Armenian Genocide,
we can help ensure the legacy of the Genocide is remembered so this
human tragedy will not be repeated.” Over the past several weeks,
Armenian Americans from across the U.S. have been sending ANCA
WebFaxes to their Representatives urging them to co-sign the letter
to the President. On April 7th, Representative Knollenberg joined
with Republican House Members George Radanovich (R-CA), Michael
Bilirakis (R-FL), Mark Souder (R-IN) and Mark Foley (R-FL) in
urging their party colleagues to encourage Pres. Bush to follow
Senator Dole’s lead and “simply tell the truth.”

Members of Congress joining Reps. Pallone and Knollenberg in co-
signing the letter included:

Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Tom Allen (D-ME),
Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Joe Baca (D-CA), Brian Baird (D-WA), Tammy
Baldwin (D-WI), Charles Bass (R-NH), Melissa Bean (D-IL), Bob
Beauprez (R-CO), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Shelley Berkley (D-NV),
Howard Berman (D-CA), Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Sanford Bishop (D-
GA), Tim Bishop (D-NY), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Sherwood Boehlert
(R-NY), Mary Bono (R-CA), Jeb Bradley (R-NH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH),
Ken Calvert (R-CA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Michael Capuano (D-MA),
Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), Emanuel Cleaver (D-
MO), John Conyers (D-MI), Jim Costa (D-CA), Jerry Costello (D-IL),
Christopher Cox (R-CA), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Duke Cunningham (R-
CA), Danny Davis (D-IL), Susan Davis (D-CA), Peter DeFazio (D-OR),
William Delahunt (D-MA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Lincoln Diaz-Balart
(R-FL), John Dingell (D-MI), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), John Doolittle
(R-CA), Mike Doyle (D-PA), David Dreier (R-CA), Vernon Ehlers (R-
MI), Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Anna Eshoo (D-CA),
Lane Evans (D-IL), Sam Farr (D-CA), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Tom Feeney
(R-FL), Mike Ferguson (R-NJ), Bob Filner (D-CA), Mike Fitzpatrick
(R-PA), Mark Foley (R-FL), Vito Fossella (R-NY), Barney Frank (D-
MA), Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Jim Gerlach
(R-PA), Mark Green (R-WI), Gene Green (D-TX), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ),
Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Tim Holden (D-PA),
Rush Holt (D-NJ), Michael Honda (D-CA), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Steve
Israel (D-NY), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Jesse Jackson (D-IL), Sheila
Jackson Lee (D-TX), Nancy Johnson (R-CT), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-
OH), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Sue Kelly (R-NY), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI),
Dale Kildee (D-MI), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI), Mark Kirk (R-IL),
Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), James Langevin (D-RI), John Larson (D-CT),
Steven LaTourette (R-OH), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sander Levin (D-MI),
John Lewis (D-GA), Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ),
Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Dan Lungren (R-CA), Stephen
Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jim
Matheson (D-UT), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY),
Betty McCollum (D-MN), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Jim McDermott (D-
WA), James McGovern (D-MA), John McHugh (R-NY), Mike McIntyre (D-
NC), Buck McKeon (R-CA), Michael McNulty (D-NY), Martin Meehan (D-
MA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Michael Michaud (D-ME), George Miller
(D-CA), Candice Miller (R-MI), Gwen Moore (D-WI), James Moran (D-
VA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Richard Neal
(D-MA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Devin Nunes (R-CA), John
Olver (D-MA), C. L. “Butch” Otter (R-ID), William Pascrell (D-NJ),
Donald Payne (D-NJ), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Collin Peterson (D-MN),
Richard Pombo (R-CA), Jon Porter (R-NV), George Radanovich (R-CA),
Charles Rangel (D-NY), Mike Rogers (R-MI), Mike Ross (D-AR), Steven
Rothman (D-NJ), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Edward Royce (R-CA),
Bobby Rush (D-IL), Paul Ryan (R-WI), John Salazar (D-CO), Loretta
Sanchez (D-CA), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), H.
James Saxton (R-NJ), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA),
Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Joe Schwarz (R-MI), E. Clay Shaw (R-FL),
Christopher Shays (R-CT), Brad Sherman (D-CA), John Shimkus (R-IL),
Rob Simmons (R-CT), Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Hilda Solis (D-CA),
Mark Souder (R-IN), Pete Stark (D-CA), John Sweeney (R-NY), Ellen
Tauscher (D-CA), Mike Thompson (D-CA), John Tierney (D-MA),
Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Mark Udall (D-CO), Christopher Van Hollen
(D-MD), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Peter Visclosky (D-IN), James Walsh
(R-NY), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Diane Watson (D-CA), Henry Waxman (D-
CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Curt Weldon (R-PA), Gerald Weller (R-
IL), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Frank Wolf (R-VA), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA),
David Wu (D-OR), and Albert Wynn (D-MD).

The complete text of the Congressional letter is provided below.

#####

Text of Congressional Letter to President Bush

April 20, 2005

The Honorable Geroge W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

We are writing to urge you to join us in reaffirming the United
States record on the Armenian Genocide in your upcoming April 24th
commemorative statement.

This date marks the 90th anniversary of the systematic and
deliberate campaign of genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire
in 1915. Over the following eight years, one and a half million
Armenians were murdered, and more than have a million were forced
from their homeland into exile. In the years since, descendants of
Armenian immigrants have clung to their identity and have prospered
across this nation and throughout the world. The United States is
fortunate to be home to an organized and active Armenian community,
whose members contribute and participate in every aspect of civic
life.

By properly recognizing the terrible atrocities committed against
the Armenian people as “genocide” in your statement, you will honor
the many Americans who helped launch the unprecedented U.S.
diplomatic, political and humanitarian campaign to end the carnage
and protect the survivors. The U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman
Empire, Henry Morgenthau, acting on instructions from Secretaries
of State William Jennings Bryan and Robert Lansing, protested the
slaughter of the Armenians to the Ottoman leaders. Without out
intervention, the Ottoman Empire’s genocidal plan would have been
even more lethal.

As you have eloquently declared, Americans are blessed with freedom
and security, but that good fortune brings with it an important
responsibility. The United States must never allow crimes against
humanity to pass without remembrance and condemnation. As U.S.
efforts to aid victims of genocide continue, it is imperative that
we pay tribute to the memory of others who have suffered and to
never forget the past. By commemorating the Armenian Genocide, we
renew our commitment to prevent future atrocities, and therefore
negate the dictum that history is condemned to repeat itself.

We look forward to your April 24th statement and, as always, stand
ready to work with you on this and the many other matters of
importance to our nation.

Sincerely,

Globe and Mail, Canada
April 20 2005

CANADIAN MUSEUM FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
‘It’s going to be unique’

By JAMES ADAMS

Wednesday, April 20, 2005 Page R1

The chair of the national advisory committee for the new Canadian
Museum for Human Rights admits that getting a broad base of support
for the Winnipeg-based institution may be “a tough sell” given that
“there has been the perception or myth about it being about the
Holocaust. . . .

“But going forward, it will be about much more than that,” insists
Charlie Coffey, Toronto-based executive vice-president of government
affairs for Royal Bank of Canada who was named chair of the advisory
committee in 2003. “Every ethnic group in this country will be
included. . . . It’s going to be a very transparent process.”

Coffey, 61, made the remarks earlier this week following last
Friday’s announcement that a U.S. architect, Antoine Predock of
Albuquerque, N.M., had submitted the winning design for the museum,
which, upon its completion in spring 2009, is expected to have cost
more than $250-million. The museum, which its supporters hope will be
as “dramatic and inspiring” as Frank Gehry’s Museo Guggenheim in
Spain, has already received commitments totalling $140-million from
the federal, Manitoba and Winnipeg governments. It’s largely the
brainchild of the Asper Foundation, started in 1982 by Izzy Asper,
founder of CanWest Global Communications, who, well before his death
at 71 in 2003, had been pressing for such a museum in his hometown.

Asper, however, was also famous for his passionate support of Israeli
and Jewish causes as well as his aversion to the idea of Palestinian
nationhood. (In 2002, he attacked “the Arab war of extermination of
Israel and the Jewish people,” and described Palestinian protesters
at Concordia University as being like “Adolf Hitler and his Brown
Shirts.”) And this has made some non-Jewish minorities wary of what
the Human Rights museum portends, not least because in 2003, the
Asper Foundation’s third-largest charitable donation, of $184,687,
was to the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem, the Israel Holocaust
centre in Jerusalem. Moreover, in its literature, the Canadian Museum
for Human Rights says its exhibits will explore “six overarching
themes,” the fourth of which is that “the modern idea of human rights
emerged as a response to the Holocaust.” (Indeed, of the “five major
thematic areas” conceived for the museum, the second will be called
“Lessons of the Holocaust.”) And while the 26-person advisory council
that Coffey heads includes representatives from First Nations,
Ukrainian-Canadian, Indian-Canadian, Francophone, Jewish and
Japanese-Canadian organizations, among others, there are no
participants from Arab or Islamic Canadian groups or from the
Caribbean, Africa or Turkish Armenia.

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Coffey said no one should see anything sinister in the composition of
the board, which, among other tasks, will have to establish a
framework to raise more than $60-million from private donors. “We
couldn’t have had a 100-person advisory board,” Coffey explained. “It
certainly would have been more representative,” but it would have
been “unwieldy” as a lobbying and organizational tool. “Going
forward, we have to be much more active with the groups” that don’t
have board representation, “and we will.”

Omar Alghabra, president of the Canadian Arab Federation, said his
organization was “looking forward to the opportunity to participate
in this initiative. . . . If you’re asking me if I’d like to see
Arabic or Muslims or Africans or other minorities included on the
board, the answer is absolutely.”

Coffey agreed that “there’s no shortage of opinion as to what should
be in the museum,” and stressed that no “specific content decisions”
will be made until “an extensive public consultation process” is
completed. This consultation is expected to occur over the next 10 to
12 months, with construction scheduled to start in mid-2006. The
design will take up almost 23,000 square metres and be distinguished
by a 100-metre-high crystalline “Tower of Hope.” Visitors will go on
a 1.5-kilometre-long “journey of experience” that will end in a “Hall
of Commitment.”

Meanwhile, Coffey said he’s not entirely comfortable with calling it
a “museum because that conjures something quite static, and it’s not
going to be like that at all.” The exhibitions are to be designed by
Ralph Applebaum Associates of New York and will have a strong
educational-interactive thrust designed to appeal to young people.

While the museum “will be a great place for storytelling . . . ,”
Coffey said it’s not going to be one atrocity exhibition after
another. Rather, “we’re going to take the high road . . . and use it
as an opportunity to take the multicultural dialogue in this country
to a new level. . . . We’ll, in part, be the conscience of the
nation. It’s going to be unique in the world, quite frankly.”

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V. Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I CONGRATULATES THE NEW POPE
HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

On the occasion of the election of His Holiness Benedict XVI as Pope of the
Roman Catholic Church, His Holiness Aram I send his congratulations. Here is
the full text:

“His Holiness

Pope Benedict XVI

Vatican.

Your Holiness,

It is with profound spiritual joy that I greet your election as
Bishop of Rome and the Pontiff of the Catholic Church. Long standing
ecumenical collaboration exists between the Armenian Catholicosate of
Cilicia and the Catholic Church. In the last few decades this collaboration
was futher deepened through mutual visits and theological dialogue. I am
sure that during your pontificate a new impetus will be given to our
ecumenical collaboration.

I warmly congratulate your election also as Moderator of the
Central and Executive committees of the World Council of Churches. It is my
firm expectation that the ecumenical collaboration between Vatican and the
World Council of Churches through the Joint Working Group and in different
ways will acquire a renewed importance in the context of our common
engagement for the visible unity of the church.

I look forward for closer collaboration with your Holiness and
with the Catholic Church. May our common Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you
spiritually and physically as you assume this heavy responsibility at a
crucial time in the modern history of humanity.

Yours in Christ,

ARAM I

CATHOLICOS OF CILICIA”

##

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

SEJM OF POLAND RECOGNIZED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Pan Armenian News
19.04.2005 11:38

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Reporter of PanARMENIAN.Net informed, that document
was authored by Presidium of the Sejm of Poland. As noted in document
“Memories about the atrocities of these years are the moral duty
of all people of good will. While integrating Turkey in EU, EU
demands to recognise the Armenian Genocide oficially and establish
official relations with Republic of Armenia”. Document will be sent
to approvement to the Senate.

Angus Reid Global Scan, Canada
April 17 2005

Armenians Review Choices If War Re-starts

(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Many adults in Armenia are willing to
support their country in the event of a new conflict against
Azerbaijan, according to a poll by the Armenian Center for National
and International Studies. 71.9 per cent of respondents say they
would participate in the defence of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Nagorno-Karabakh region is controlled by ethnic Armenians – who
consider the area an independent republic – but is claimed by
Azerbaijan as part of its territory. A war broke out in the early
1990s between both nations, ending in an unofficial truce negotiated
by Russia in 1994. If a new conflict occurs, 24.8 per cent of
respondents would take part in military actions.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
established the Minsk Group to seek a peaceful resolution to the
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. The group is currently co-chaired by
Russia’s Yuriy Merzlyakov, Steven Mann of the United States and
France’s Bernard Fassier.

On Apr. 15, Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanian and Azerbaijani
counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov met separately with the Minsk Group’s
co-chairs in Britain. Before the talks took place, the co-chairs
issued a joint statement, urging Armenia and Azerbaijan to stop
“jeopardizing the cease-fire.”

Current Armenian president Robert Kocharyan was born in
Nagorno-Karabakh and once headed its government. Armenia is the only
country that recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as a sovereign state.

Polling Data

In the event of a new war, are you ready to participate to your
utmost in the defence of Nagorno-Karabakh?

Yes
71.9%

No
15.6%

Difficult to answer
11.7%

Refused to answer
0.8%

In the event of a new war…
(Two answers allowed)

I will take part in military actions
24.8%

I will make material and financial contribution
25.5%

I will do other work supporting the war effort
41.8%

I will not do anything
7.9%

I will leave Armenia
6.6%

I will demand president’s resignation /
I will bring up patriotism in the young generation
0.4%

Difficult to answer
17.3%

Refused to answer
1.2%

Source: Armenian Center for National and International Studies
(ACNIS)
Methodology: Interviews with 1,900 Armenian adults, conducted in
April 2005. No margin of error was provided.