Author: Hambardsumian Paul

No small talent
Ventura County Star, CA
Sept 8 2004
Nick Noroian is comfortable with his height — and the ribbing from
teammates — because he’s proven he can stand tall on the football
field
By Joe Curley, [email protected]
September 8, 2004
The Stump. The Load. The Cinderblock with Feet. Nick Noroian has
heard plenty of ’em throughout his football career.
But it is the nickname that his Cal Lutheran University football
teammates and coaches have given him that he admits to being his
favorite.
” ‘4×4’ has to be the best,” said Noroian. “Everyone just seems to
get a kick out of it.”
Like many Kingsmen football players, 4×4 — nicknamed so because he’s
“4 feet tall and 4 feet wide” –is a former two-way prep football
star with an affinity for both the game and his studies.
It’s that he happens to be a 5-foot-4, 230-pound starting defensive
tackle that has him on his way to being a cult hero on the Thousand
Oaks campus.
“It’s been something I’ve had to deal with my whole life,” said
Noroian. “It’s no big deal for me.”
Such dimensions don’t fit the stereotype of an athlete, but Noroian
is fit as a fiddle. He can bench press 340 pounds and he can squat
press 550 pounds. CLU coaches say he’s one of the quickest players on
the team over 10 yards.
And his ability to take a little ribbing from teammates is world
class. He understands that his height just happens to be in the cards
that he’s been dealt, it doesn’t have to be the hand that he plays.
“I’m a big guy, but I’m short,” said Noroian. “I embrace it.
“I don’t have any regrets at all. I can’t. I’m too busy in my life to
worry about being taller.”
Noroian is the shortest member of his Armenian and Swiss family,
including his two sisters, Nicole and Noel. He hasn’t grown since
middle school, when he took a turn as the center on the basketball
team.
“But his size has always been something he’s been able to tackle,”
said Noroian’s father, Chuck, who is 5-8, 280 pounds.
This “4×4” is multipurpose. In his final high school game in Salinas,
the 2001 CIF-Central Coast Section Division I championship game, he
ran for 142 yards and a touchdown as a halfback while piling up eight
tackles, two sacks and an interception at linebacker.
“That was the best game I’ve ever played,” said Noroian.
Listening to Jeff Carnazzo, Noroian’s high school coach at Palmas
High in Salinas, it sounds like Noroian was the smallest, yet biggest
piece of a developing prep football dynasty on the Central Coast.
“He’s a surprise, because when you look at him physically, you don’t
expect what you get out of him,” said Jeff Carnazzo, Noroian’s high
school coach. “But, simply put, I would say he’s the most gutsy
player to come out of this area, the Central Coast, in ages.”
Salinas is a place known for John Steinbeck and the agricultural
industry, but lately it’s become a hotbed for prep football. Palmas
won its first two Division I sectional titles when Noroian was a
junior and senior. The Chieftains won it again this past year, making
it three titles in five seasons.
They even scheduled Bay Area power Concord-De La Salle this season,
in hopes of becoming the team to break the national-record 12-year
winning streak, which ended last weekend in Washington.
“Nick was the player who took his team and carried it on his
shoulders,” said Carnazzo. “He’s set the tone for this program. We
won it again last year and I attribute it a lot to him.”
His highlight film is a classic. It includes plays like “The Mole
Pass,” Noroian’s halfback pass, and games like the time against
Gilroy when he missed the first half with an sprained ankle and came
off the bench to rush for 150 yards in the second half.
“It’s some of the most amazing video that you’ll ever see,” said
Carnazzo. “It’s filled with him bowling over kids (on offense) and
stopping kids behind the line of scrimmage (on defense).
“I stick that tape in and watch it when we’ve got our kids in here. I
say, ‘Watch Nick, this is what we want out of you.’ ”
Carnazzo used it to sell programs like UC Davis, Sacramento State and
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on his star. But when it came time to put
pen to paper, the assistant coaches retreated, saying they couldn’t
make a scholarship commitment to a 5-foot-4 football player. Several
Division III teams, including local school Menlo College, recruited
Noroian, who chose CLU because of his interest in social sciences. He
plans on becoming a teacher and coach.
“He’s got a place in my heart,” said Carnazzo, “I’ll tell you this,
someday he’s going to take over for me here as the head coach. But I
wouldn’t be surprised to see him coach at a higher level.”
Rehabilitation from a knee injury slowed him as a freshman at CLU. As
a reserve linebacker last year, he scored one of CLU’s two defensive
touchdowns on a fumble recovery.
One of the first phone calls new defensive line coach Damon Tomeo,
formerly a graduate assistant at Arizona, made when he was hired
during the summer was to Noroian. As coaches are likely to do at a
fresh job, Tomeo had been scouting his own team and had a glimpse
into the future. He knew he needed a veteran defensive tackle.
“We had a hole and we wanted it filled by a veteran,” said Tomeo.
“Nick is a natural football player. He’s the epitome of what we’ve
got here. Guys that want to play hard, want to win games and do well
in school at the same time. It’s just all rolled in a smaller package
than we normally have.”
Tomeo asked Noroian if he was willing to make a move towards the line
of scrimmage, from linebacker to the defensive line.
“I just told him it was something I was willing to do,” said Noroian.
“Anything to help the team.”
The CLU defensive line has been an important part of the program in
recent years. The Kingsmen led the SCIAC in sacks last season (30)
and defensive end Quinn Longhurst led the conference individually
with 11.
“It’s an honor. We have some guys that are really good on this line,”
said Noroian. “The toughest thing about the transition has just been
putting my hand on the ground and getting out of my stance. It’s been
a change for me.”
But there was no concern on the coaching staff that a 5-foot-4 body
wouldn’t hold up at the point of attack? The undersized defensive
tackle on film must look like a giant bullseye for opposing coaches
to target.
“He’s an athlete. You’d be amazed at the plays he’s capable of
making,” said Tomeo. “He understands body positioning and leverage.
He maximizes his (size) and effort on every play. His tenacity and
relentlessness is off the charts. He just won’t quit.”
CLU tailback Charlie Brown, who has gone up against Noroian in plenty
of drills during training camp, can attest to his ability to get the
job done.
“I’ll be in a hole and I’ll just get blindsided by him,” said Brown.
“He’ll come out of nowhere.”
Brown’s words serve fair warning to CLU’s opponents — overlook this
“4×4” and prepare to be blindsided.
,1375,VCS_137_3167393,00.html

Khatami officially welcomed in Yerevan
IRNA, Iran
Sept 8 2004
Yerevan, Sept 8, IRNA — Armenian President Robert Kocharian here on
Wednesday led an official ceremony welcoming Iranian President Seyed
Mohammad Khatami.
The ceremony, held in the presidential palace, was attended by
top-ranking Armenian and Iranian officials. It started with the
playing of the national anthems of the two countries followed by a
review of the Armenian national guard of honor.
According to reports, after the ceremony the two presidents forthwith
held private negotiations.
Meetings between high-ranking officials of the two sides are to follow
after the private discussion of the presidents.
Khatami, before he concludes his visit, is to attend a press conference
to answer reporters` questions on the subjects covered by the two
sides` negotiations.
Khatami`s official visit to Armenia is taking place in return for
an official visit made by President Kocharian to Iran in 2001.
The visit, it is believed, could open new phases of cooperation
between the two countries.
He and his delegation will next visit Belarus after concluding their
visit to Armenia.
Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, Energy Minister Habibollah Bitaraf,
Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Safdar Hosseini and Commerce
Minister Mohammad Shariatmadari are accompanying President Khatami
in this regional tour.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri opposition leader accuses government of defeatist policy
Assa-Irada
3 Sep 04
Baku, 3 September: A round table on “Repression of the Karabakh lovers
and the public attitude” was held today at the headquarters of the
[opposition] People’s Front of Azerbaijan Party [PFAP, reformers wing].
PFAP Chairman and MP Ali Karimli condemned the arrest of the [Karabakh
Liberation Organization] KLO activists and said that giving the
go-ahead to Armenian officers’ planned visit to Azerbaijan was
tantamount to a defeatist policy vis-a-vis the enemy country. The
MP said that since Armenian aggression did not cause any problem
to cooperation with NATO, the denial of entry to several of this
country’s officers to Azerbaijan would not affect Azerbaijan’s
relations with NATO.
Karimli demanded on behalf of the public that the authorities give up
this policy and rule out any kind of cooperation with Armenia until
the latter pulled out of Azerbaijan’s occupied territories. He also
demanded that the authorities prevent officers of the occupation army
from attending international events held in Azerbaijan and release the
KLO activists who have been illegally convicted for expressing their
civic position. The PFAP chairman also said that it was important
that the media proceed from the national interests when covering the
KLO members’ arrest.

Azeri president becoming nominal leader – former pro-government editor
Azadliq, Baku
4 Sep 04
There have recently been reports that Karabakh’s fate is in danger. The
fact that the Azerbaijani government is not giving any information
about the peace talks and the activists of the Karabakh Liberation
Organization [KLO] have been illegally arrested shows that these
reports are serious. Mahal Ismayiloglu, former editor-in-chief of the
[state-run] newspaper Xalq Qazeti, is also concerned that the recent
happenings might be preparations for a defeatist agreement on Karabakh.
[Ismayiloglu] The great powers might be trying to ensure that
the Karabakh conflict is settled and a peace agreement is signed
so they are exerting pressure on Azerbaijan to accept their
conditions. [President] Ilham Aliyev’s next visit to France
can be related to the Karabakh issue as well. The Key West talks
[Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents’ talks in the USA in 2001] are
back on the agenda again with only minor changes and Ilham Aliyev
is being pressurized. The punishment of the KLO members is also
connected with this.
[Correspondent] How would you assess the conviction of the KLO members?
[Ismayiloglu] I have doubts about the national identity of Famil
Nasibov, the judge who tried and convicted the KLO members. What
is the nationality of the judge who sentenced those struggling with
Azerbaijan’s long-time pain? Does he have the right to live in this
country at all?
[Correspondent] What do you think about Ilham Aliyev’s attitude
towards this arrest?
[Ismayiloglu] He said that he allegedly had no idea about this. But it
was quite obvious that the trial was a farce and had been ordered. If
the head of state has no idea about this, then who was behind the
order? Why did the court issue a ruling that is against its will
and why did they ignore the spirit and identity of the Azerbaijani
people? Then of which people are you the president? If people who stand
to fight for your land act as mojahedin, maintain the fire that is
about to go out and are punished so severely, of which country are you
the leader? His behaviour resembles that of his father [ex-President
Heydar Aliyev]. If you remember, there used to be pressure on the
media and opposition leaders. After a while, he would say that he
had no information about what was going on. But then he said himself
that he had been watching news bulletins and reading newspapers. If
he had no information, what was he reading? Now Ilham Aliyev is using
the same methods. It seems that Ilham Aliyev has to use his father’s
old methods, as he cannot find one himself.
[Passage omitted: Ismayiloglu comments on developments around a
scientific arthritis centre]
[Correspondent] Then why does Ilham Aliyev, as the head of state,
allow these things to happen?
[Ismayiloglu] More and more Aliyev looks like the British queen or the
Norwegian king. I mean they [the British queen or the Norwegian king]
wield power only nominally.

Christian Iraqis mourn lives lost in Iraq church bombings
By Lori Arnold
ChristianTimes.com
Sept 2 2004
CHRISTIAN EXAMINER
EL CAJON, Calif. — After years of brutal unrest in their homeland,
the Christian Chaldean population was rocked again Aug. 1 when 11
Iraqi citizens were killed during five orchestrated attacks on
Christian churches in Mosul and Baghdad. Dozens were wounded.
In response, nearly 100 people attended a memorial meeting Aug. 4 at
the Chaldean American Association center, north of the city’s
downtown. El Cajon, Calif. is home to the second largest Chaldean
community in the nation, behind Detroit.
The observance opened with prayers recited by a visiting priest and
several deacons. The acapella chants of mourning, offered in the
Chaldean language, eventually gave rise to impassioned condemnations
of the civilian attacks.
“The land is now filled with terrorists, criminals, guns and havoc,”
interpreter Sami Banarji quoted Hanna Qalabat as saying.
“The land where law was first established has become a land of
lawlessness.”
Qalabat, who asked for mercy for the “martyrs who died in the
churches,” said despite the bloodshed, their resolve for a free Iraq
should remain strong.
“We’ve got to continue to fight these gangsters, no matter what
happens,” he said.
A few minutes into the event, with the arrival of several contingents
of Muslims–there to show solidarity through their own calls for
peace–the conversation switched to Arabic.
Alan Zangana, program director for Kurdish Human Rights Watch, said
that any attack on a place of worship is condemned by all.
“The ones that executed these people, they say they are Muslims, but
the Muslims disown them,” he said.
In a news release issued there, Zangana said that his group “condemns
any evil act committed toward innocent civilians. Citizens of Iraq
view Chaldeans, Assyrians and Armenians as brothers and sisters and
respect one another’s worship places and these criminal acts are not
accepted by all Iraqis from all different faiths.”
The perpetrators of such attacks, he said, should be “punished and
brought to justice.”
A call for unity
Sheikh Saeed, from Al-Madina Al-Munawara Mosque in El Cajon, offered
his own prayers of peace for the dead and recuperation for the
injured.
“The Iraqi people are all united, regardless of ethnicity or
religion,” he said. “We are only one family. There is no animosity,
no hostility. All parties are trying to live in peace, but these
criminals are trying to divide that unity.”
His statement also contained a stern warning for the terrorists.
“The more you execute these activities the more we’re going to stand
united,” he said, challenging the terrorists to cite the passage in
the Koran that commands use such measures.
“Where were you criminals when Saddam Hussein was killing or
terrorizing the people?”
Fears fulfilled
The church bombings underscored fears long held by Iraqi Christians,
whose numbers are estimated at 750,000. With the country’s new
government still in its infancy, missionary and evangelism groups are
keeping a careful eye on the situation.
Many Christians, Open Doors officials said, are feeling increased
persecution from Muslims who view Christians as American
sympathizers.
Even before the church bombings, Christian businesses were being
targeted for attacks, including liquor stores and fashion and beauty
shops.
As a result, Open Doors USA has ceased all training sessions
scheduled in that country, although materials targeting teens and
children are still being supplied. A new education center is to help
church leaders get together, while offering English and computer
classes. A mobile medical clinic is also being organized in one
extremely dangerous Iraqi city.
In the days before the change of power, Open Doors issued an alert
asking Western Christians to pray for a peaceful transition.
“Pray for the violence to come to an end and that the transition of
power will be smooth,” said Dr. Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors
USA. “Pray that Iraqi Christians and other Christians working and
serving in Iraq will be kept safe. And pray that Christians will be
allowed to worship our Lord in freedom as a new government is formed
later this year.”
Fleeing Iraq
Still, many Iraqi Christians, fearful of imminent attacks and uneasy
about the government’s ability to protect them, have fled to
neighboring Jordan and Syria.
Wissam Sagman, an Iraqi Christian living in his native country, told
reporters that he had already attempted unsuccessfully to leave the
country, fearing his family would not be safe. The attacks confirmed
his fears, he said standing in his living room, wrecked from a car
bomb attack on an Armenian church across the street.
“These people, they love blood. They hate humanity. They hate us,”
Sagman told Associated Press. “They want all the Christians to
leave.”
Sagman said he will continue his quest to leave the country.
“I feel despair now,” he said. “Only despair.”
Looking forward
Despite the fear and unrest in the Middle East, Dr. Labib Sultan, of
the locally based Organization for Civil Society in Iraq, speaking at
the El Cajon memorial event, stressed his longing for a peaceful
Iraq.
“We hope that we have a good solid future tomorrow for Iraq to build
new rights, the rights and the freedom to work, the freedom of
prayer, the freedom of speech. We have been dependent on all these
rights for years and years,” Sultan said, according to the
translator.
“The same guns that attacked the Christians, attacked the Muslims and
they attacked the Kurds up north and Muslims in the south. They claim
they are Muslims. They are followers of Saddam. The only thing is the
time and place is different.”
While much of the local discussion focused on verbal condemnation,
one speaker encouraged action. Words alone, Saleem Ibrahim of the
American Middle-Easter Christian Association said, will not bring
lasting peace.
“Be ambassadors of peace,” he said. “When things are tough, things
get solved. So the time is right for things to be solved. Do positive
actions, it’s not enough to just come and talk. Terrorism will not go
away unless we plan and think and educate people.”
For Banarji, the translator, he said the presence of Muslims at the
meeting was a sign of hope.
“They said condolences and condemned the whole thing,” Banarji said.

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER RECEIVED GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA HAIKE PEITSCH
ArmenPress
Aug 31 2004
YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS: Armenian prime minister Andranik
Margarian received today German ambassador to Armenia Ms. Haike
Peitsch. The prime minister congratulated the ambassador on handing
over her credentials in our country and wished her success in
her tenuret. The prime minister said that her participation in
Armenian-German economic forum even before taking up the post of
an ambassador indicates her interest in strengthening and further
developing Armenian-German ties which gives hope that the ambassador
will succeed in her endeavors.
Armenian government press services reported that both sides mentioned
that though German government implements a number of programs in
the Armenian economy, there are still wide opportunities to enlarge
cooperation both in political and economic fields between the two
countries.
Apart from bilateral partnership, the prime minister underscored
balanced economic policy within the region on the sidelines of
development projects implemented by Germany. Praising more active
economic and political involvement of European Union in the region,
the prime minister underscored cooperation with Germany also in the
context of European integration.
During the meeting the ambassador Haike Peitsch asked about Armenia’s
participation in NATO military exercises, to which the prime
minister answered that Armenia has expressed about its willingness
to participate, however, some political forces in Azerbaijan try
to impede that. According to prime minister, the news releases
indicate that Azerbaijani authorities have called for responsibility
the anti-Armenian protestors which shows that Azerbaijan is also
interested in Armenian participation in the military exercises.
At the end of the meeting, the sides assured readiness for joint work
to contribute to strengthening of Armenian-German relations.

Court in Azerbaijan sentences Nagorno-Karabakh activists to prison terms
Associated Press Worldstream
August 30, 2004 Monday 12:38 PM Eastern Time
BAKU, Azerbaijan — An Azerbaijani court on Monday handed down prison
sentences to six protesters arrested in June for causing disturbances
at a NATO forum attended by Armenian officers.
The defendants conviced by a court in the capital Baku are members
of the Organization for the Liberation of Karakbakh, a group that
opposes ethnic Armenian control over Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory
in Azerbaijan that has been disputed since a war that ended in a
decade ago.
The organization’s head, Famil Nasibov, was sentenced to five years
in prison, his deputy Firidum Mammadov to three years, while three
members of the group’s youth branch received four-year sentences.
Their lawyers said they will appeal.
The protesters pushed through police cordons, broke glass doors
and stormed into a conference hall in Baku’ Europe hotel where a
NATO forum was being held in June, calling on Azerbaijan to stop
negotiating with neighboring Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.
The protesters and hotel security guards suffered minor injuries in
the incident in the hotel and the meeting resumed in several minutes.
Armenian-backed forces took control of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding
areas in a six-year war that killed some 30,000 people and drove
about a million from their homes.
A 1994 cease-fire has largely held, but no final settlement has been
reached, and the ongoing confrontation has hurt the economies of both
former Soviet republics.
Armenia and Azerbaijan are not NATO members, but both participate in
the alliance’s Partnership for Peace program.

Azeri opposition leaders say pressure group’s trial politically motivated
Turan news agency
30 Aug 04

BAKU
“The trial of Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) members has once
again demonstrated a lack of the independent judiciary in
Azerbaijan. Judges act like government officials and present political
orders as court rulings,” the leader of the Azarbaycan Milli Istiqlal
Party (AMIP), Etibar Mammadov, told Turan today commenting on the
Nasimi district [Baku] court’s ruling on KLO leaders.
According to him, the authorities are trying to foil all possible
protests and crush the population by reducing it to the level of
slavery.
Etibar Mammadov is sure that the KLO members were sentenced on orders
from the head of the presidential administration, Ramiz Mehdiyev,
therefore, the sentence pronounced by Judge Famil Nasibov runs counter
to national interests.
The leader of the Musavat Party, Isa Qambar, believes that the court
ruling is a clear demonstration of the authorities’ attitude towards
their own people, especially towards those who fought in Karabakh.
Isa Qambar said the decision should be repealed and the activists
should be freed as soon as possible.
The leader of the PFAP [People’s Front of Azerbaijan Party]
“reformers”, Ali Karimli, described the court ruling as “unfounded and
politically motivated”. The authorities’ harsh treatment of KLO
members is aimed to “crush” the people’s will and lay the foundation
for the signing of “defeatist peace accords” with Armenia, Karimli
believes.
In his opinion, the Azerbaijani public should protest against the
decision.
The chairman of the Justice Party, Ilyas Ismayilov, also condemned the
court ruling.
“KLO members should not have been arrested in the first place, because
there was nothing illegal in their actions. I am in favour of their
release from custody as soon as possible,” he said.

“Aztag” Daily Newspaper
P.O. Box 80860, Bourj Hammoud,
Beirut, Lebanon
Fax: +961 1 258529
Phone: +961 1 260115, +961 1 241274
Email: [email protected]
« Vous connaissez la signification des mots que vous avez répétés des
millions de fois »
dit Serj Tankian à la jeunesse arménienne
par Khatchig Mouradian
Traduction Louise Kiffer
« Les penseurs libres sont dangereux » dit l’un des chants de SOAD.
Oui, les penseurs libres sont dangereux pour tous ceux qui de bonne heure
ont cessé de s’irriter, d’écumer de rage, de tempêter, et sont devenus
inertes, stagnants et couverts de mousse. Ils sont dangereux les penseurs
libres de sortir des anciennes opinions terrifiées issues des tuniques de
leurs grands-pères, ils sont dangereux pour les adolescents et les jeunes
gens à qui on leur a confié le soin de présenter la réalité.
Ils sont dangereux , et aujourd’hui plus que jamais, nous avons besoin de
leur danger. Nous avons besoin de hurler « NON ! » à la face du monde, en
leur recommandant le courage.
La formule « On ne peut rien changer » ne figure que sur le programme de
ceux qui nagent nuit et jour dans l’eau stagnante.
Mais il y en a qui pensent différemment. Ils pensent librement.
Serj Tankian, du groupe System of a Down, qui a vendu des millions de
disques dans le monde entier, est l’un de ces penseurs libres. Interprète et
auteur de plusieurs des chansons de ce groupe de 4 membres, Tankian pense
que le chant est un moyen de se révolter, de refuser la boue et la mousse.
Mais ce n’est pas seulement avec ses chants qu’il mène son combat. Il y a un
an, il a fondé avec Tom Morello des groupes de rock
« Rage » et «Audioslave » l’organisation « Axis of Justice » (Axes de
justice) au sujet de laquelle il a dit au journal « Azdag » : Tom Morello et
moi avons fondé « Axis of Justice » pour qu’en collaborant avec ces artistes
nous rapprochions les adolescents et les jeunes des organismes à but non
lucratif, et par des concerts former des assemblées de protestation et
autres démarches. Le site de cette organisation est
où sont présentés des organismes différents à
but non lucratif, qu’ils soient politiques, sociaux, biologiques,
antimilitaristes, défenseurs des Droits de l’Homme ou autres buts.
—————————————————————-
Né au Liban, Serj est parti avec sa famille à Los Angeles, dès son enfance.
L’une des phases de son activité a depuis été la course pour la
reconnaissance du génocide. En novembre 2000, en collaboration avec le
comité américain « Hay Tad» (Procès arménien) SOAD a donné un concert « Pour
la reconnaissance du génocide arménien et la cessation des crimes contre
l’humanité » dont les sommes recueillies 20 000 $ US ont été consacrées aux
travaux de Hay Tad..
En 2002, au festival grandiose et très important de concerts symphoniques
ozzfest SOAD s’est de nouveau joint au Comité « Hay Tad » qui a relaté aux
milliers de participants le génocide arménien et le déni turc, et a
distribué des brochures et des imprimés.
Le 12 juillet, le New York Times écrivait : le groupe « Axis of Justice »
composé d’Arméno-américains a dressé une tente pour distribuer des écrits au
sujet des Arméniens sacrifiés au cours de la Première Guerre Mondiale.
Naturellement, SOAD ne se borne pas à s’investir périodiquement à Hay Tad.
Lors des séances de dédicaces, Serj Tankian et les membres de son groupe
Daron Malakian, Chavo Adadjian et John Dolmayan rappellent continuellement
le génocide arménien et la politique incessante de dénégation de la Turquie.
Sur le site officiel de SOAD de même que sur Axis
of Justice, ou le site de Daron Malakian nous
retrouvons toujours les déclarations et les appels du Comité « Hay Tad » de
même que les rubriques concernant le génocide arménien et les liens qui s’y
rapportent.
Après tout cela, lorsque nous demandons à Serj s’il a un agenda et un
programme relatif à la reconnaissance du génocide, il répond en plaisantant
: « Je n’utilise pas d’agenda, j’ai un cahier de rendez-vous »
Et il ajoute : « J’exprime simplement ce qui jaillit de mon c`ur ».
SOAD avec son 1er album, puis le 2ème Toxicity,de même que celui sorti l’an
dernier « Steal this album » est devenu un groupe à la renommée
internationale. La semaine des événements terrifiants du 11 septembre 2001,
par coïncidence, l’album « Toxicity » se trouvait aux Etats Unis parmi les
plus vendus. Le groupe a été “nominé” pour les Grammy Awards. A notre
question : Quelle signification a pour le groupe le fait de mériter des prix
? Serj répond : « Je ne peux parler que pour moi, pas pour les autres, car
je ne peux présenter personne d’autre aussi bien que moi-même. Je pense que
je mérite un tel honneur, mais je n’ai jamais beaucoup réfléchi à ces
choses-là. »
Il y a quelques années, le groupe SOAD a donné des concerts en Europe avec
le groupe « Slayer ». En Turquie, ils ont refusé de monter sur scène et un
texte a été lu de leur part, dénonçant la politique négationniste de la
Turquie. Serj explique : « Ils nous ont dit qu’ils ne pouvaient pas nous
cautionner, que nous ne serions pas emprisonnés pour ce que nous avions
écrit ; mais nous ne sommes pas montés sur scène en signe de protestation »
Mais quelle est l’importance des mots dans un genre dominé par la Musique ?
« Il faut demander cela aux auditeurs, c’est sûr qu’ils vont donner des
réponses différentes. Mais il faut préciser que dans une chanson, les
paroles et la musique s’entremêlent et les auditeurs, consciemment ou non,
les perçoivent ensemble ».
En ce qui concerne les textes des chansons sur la politique et les Droits de
l’Homme, System of a Down est conscient de l’originalité de son art qui
comprend du rock, du jazz, du rap, du classique et des influences
moyen-orientales et arméniennes. « Nous sommes influencés par des genres
musicaux différents et par des musiciens différents » dit Serj, et parlant
de la musique arménienne qu’il écoute, il ajoute :
« J’aime écouter la musique traditionnelle populaire arménienne, les chants
révolutionnaires (Karnig Sarkissian) et quelques chants pop (Harout
Pamboukdjian, etc…) J’aime également les chansons de Rouben Hakhverdian. »
Serj Tankian a aussi mis ses pas dans le monde littéraire. Son livre de
poèmes « Cool Gardens » (voir ) est un témoin
supplémentaire de la diversité de son talent. Ces poèmes communicatifs et en
même temps profonds ne peuvent dissimuler leurs erreurs à l’attention des
poètes confirmés, mais Serj va continuer dans cette voie. « Cool Gardens » a
été un essai agréable, mais je ne crois pas que je publierai un second livre
de poèmes. Je veux écrire un roman ou une biographie si je trouve un moment
favorable. »
Mais où Tankian se trouve-t-il le mieux, dans la poésie ou dans « System Of
A Down » ?
– « Dans les deux, de même que dans d’autres voies… »
– Plusieurs des chansons de « System of a Down » refusent le statu
quo qui leur paraît oppressif et tyrannique. Est-il possible cependant de
changer ce statu quo ?
– « Le monde dans lequel nous vivons a été créé sous la direction
d’une Force Invisible et s’est développé avec nos représentations
réciproques.
Seul un changement, réalisable sur le plan socio-culturel pourra introduire
des modifications socio-économiques et politiques. »
– Et Serj Tankian qu’a-t-il à dire aux jeunes Arméniens qui
souhaitent faire avancer un changement ?
– « Notre combat, et tous les autres combats, sont sur le même front
: Prenez exemple sur les anciennes méthodes de combat et sachez la
signification des mots que vous avez répétés des millions de fois. »
Traduction Louise Kiffer

Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Germany
August 25, 2004, Wednesday
Aliyev warns of dangers posed by Armenian secessionism
Berlin
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said Wednesday the breakaway ethnic
Armenian province Nargorno Karabach would have to remain a part of
his country and warned against the dangers of secessionism.
Pointing to millions of Armenians who live in communities around the
world, Aliyev asked what other countries would do if faced with
similar threats of Armenians voting to secede.
“Just imagine if Armenians, everywhere they live in the world would
start to think about self-determination and just imagine how many
Armenian states that would turn up on the world map,” said Aliyev
speaking through a translator after talks with German Chancellor
Gerhard Schroeder.
Nargorno Karabach is an ethnic Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan’s
internationally recognized borders which broke away from Baku’s
control in the early 1990s.
Armenia backs secessionists in Nagorno Karabach and militarily
occupies about one-sixth of Azerbaijan. The Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate disputes.
Chancellor Schroeder insisted Azerbaijan’s old borders remained
recognised by Berlin and said Germany would continue to back OSCE
moves aimed at a political resolution of the disputed territory.
Aliyev said he wanted Armenians to live in Azerbaijan and in Nargorno
Karabach – but under Baku’s control.
“This policy of the Armenians has had no success and I hope the
Armenians will soon understand this and withdraw their armed forces
from the occupied territories,” said Aliyev, adding: “Then we can
live in peace.” dpa lm sr