Author: Hovhannisian John

CD OF ARA GEVORGIAN’S INSTRUMENTAL PIECE "LOVE EACH OTHER" RELEASED IN U.S.

NOYAN TAPAN

JU LY 11

A CD of instrumentalist, composer Ara Gevorgian under the title "Love
Each Other" was released in the U.S. As the composer of songs said
at the July 9 press conference, world-famous musicians took part in
recording, national instruments of various peoples were used. "Cultures
of various nations are mixed in this piece. It is an appeal to the
mankind to love each other and to propagate only peace," A.

Gevorgian said. Three video clips have been already shot on the
piece. They will be shown by authoritative TV companies of the world.

The CD cover designed by American-based designer Gagik Hovhannisian
contains an inscription in different languages: Love Each
Other. A. Gevorgian said that he plans to spread disks of this piece
througout the world, but he needs assistance for that. "I make a
proposal of cooperation for disks spreading to everybody," he said.

It was also mentioned that the Yerazart company belonging to Armenians
of Boston works in the direction of presenting this piece to the
Grammy Awards this autumn.

A. Gevorgian has also finished a song under the title "Love Each
Other." Its lyrics is authored by Finn Inka Koapomski. It will be
translated into nearly twenty languages in the future, and the song
will be performed by singers of different nationalities.

The composer of songs also informed that under an agreement signed
with an Australian company a Peace Tour will start from this November
and will last until 2010. Concerts with the participation of Armenian
and foreign musicians will be organized in many countries of the world.

L. TER-PETROSIAN IS FOR ARMENIAN-TURKISH POLITICAL RELATIONS, WHILE S.
SARGSYAN PUTTING ASIDE POLICY WISHES TO ESTABLISH FRIENDLY RELATIONS,
ZHIRAYR SEFILIAN CONSIDERS

86

YEREVAN, JULY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The disagreements of first Armenian
President Levon Ter-Petrosian and Commander of Shoushi special regiment
Zhirayr Sefilian over the Nagorno Karabakh settlement do not hinder
their political cooperation. Z. Sefilian stated at the July 10 press
conference adding that the concern that in case the ruling regime is
kept Armenia will go to ruin unites him with the radical opposition
leader. According to Z. Sefilian, coming to power L. Ter-Petrosian will
start "cleaning the Augean stables" and in three years will concede his
post to another political force enjoying people’s confidence.

Touching upon President Serzh Sargsyan’s statement on creation of an
Armenian-Turkish commission of historians, Z. Sefilian said that as far
back as when S. Sargsyan was a Defence Minister he made defeatest
statements: "Aghdam is not our homeland," "we should return the
territories." "S. Sargsyan has always had a single goal, to seize
President’s post, and now tries to retain it by all means. For him, the
most important is that and not the state of Armenian-Turkish relations
or other political problems," Z. Sefilian stated. He said that welcomes
the People’s Movement’s position condemning S. Sargsyan’s above
mentioned statement. According to the former Commander, L.
Ter-Petrosian has always been for political relations in the respect of
Armenian-Turkish contacts, while S. Sargsian has put aside policy "and
just tries to establish friendly relations."

SOUTH CAUCASUS IN FOCUS OF GLOBAL FOREIGN POLICY AGENDA

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.07.2008

The Prime Minister made a point of strengthening and expanding the
existing bilateral ties of friendship and cooperation by stressing
that much has to be done yet in this area, and that the government
of Armenia is coming up with initiatives aimed at identifying such
new areas of interaction. With reference to the ongoing successful
cooperation in energy, transport, agriculture and other sectors, the
prime minister of Armenia and the Iranian first deputy foreign minister
said it to be conditional upon the two countries’ well-sustained
and reliable partnership, based on the centuries-old friendship and
historical-cultural affinities between the two peoples.

To begin with, Alireza Sheikhattar conveyed warm greetings and a desire
for having substantial discussions over bilateral economic exchanges
on behalf of Tigran Sargsyan’s Iranian counterpart, First Deputy
President Mr. Davoodi; "Relations between the two countries have been
developing quite successfully since Armenia’s independence. The IRI
has always stood by Armenia in time of hardship, and this is natural
as a politically stable and prosperous Armenia may be instrumental in
ensuring peace and economic development in the region," First Deputy
Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran has underscored.

Although rich in geopolitical and historical-cultural resources,
extending from Caucasus as far as the Persian Gulf and the Middle
East, nowadays our region has become one of most tense regions of
the world. With this in mind, Mr. Sheikhattar said to be convinced
that it is now the focus of global foreign policy agenda.

As for the activation of economic exchanges between our two countries,
Alireza Sheikhattar emphasized the design of an appropriate legal
framework susceptible to attract investments and boost ties between the
respective business circles. He briefed the Armenian Prime Minister on
banking sector liberalization-oriented measures currently underway
in Iran and suggested discussing the possibilities for eventual
interaction in this sphere. To provide for enhanced efficiency of such
interaction, the IRI First Deputy Foreign Minister offered to set up
working groups responsible for identifying the existing bottlenecks and
formulating ways for a speedy implementation of joint programs. The
Prime Minister of Armenia took the point of his guest by saying that
the working groups can start operating as soon as relevant candidates
are named on either side through diplomatic channels.

DECISION ON KARABAKH MUST BE POSITIVE FOR ITS PEOPLE

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.07.2008 18:19 GMT+04:00

Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan met today with Czechia’s Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg to discuss the Armenia-Czech relations in a bilateral format and within international structures, the RA leader’s press office told PanARMENIAN.Net.

"With assuming the EU presidency in 2009, Czechia will develop
relations with all countries engaged in the European Neighborhood
Policy," Minister Schwarzenberg said.

At the guest’s request, the Armenian President briefed on the current
stage of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement

"I am hopeful that combining the basic principles of international
law the sides will find a solution that will be positive for the
people of Karabakh," the Czech Minister remarked.

MaximsNews Network, NY

MaximsNews Network
03/07/2008

NEWS NETWORK FOR THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

"Giving Power and Resonance to the Voice of the International Community?¢"

UNESCO: WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE MEETS IN QUEBEC: 03/07/2008
(MaximsNews Network)

UNITED NATIONS – / MaximsNews Network / 03 July 2008 — The World
Heritage Committee is considering requests for the inscription of new
sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List while it meets for its 32nd
session in Québec, Canada, from 2 to 10 July.

During this year’s session, hosted by Canada to coincide with the
400th anniversary celebration of the founding of Québec City,
41 States Parties to the World Heritage Convention will present
properties for inscription on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Among them
are five countries that have no sites inscribed on the List:
Kyrgyzstan, Papua New Guinea, San Marino, Saudi Arabia and Vanuatu.

The Committee will also review the state of conservation of the 30
World Heritage sites inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
and may decide to add new sites to that list of properties whose
preservation requires special attention. The List in Danger features
sites which are threatened by a variety of problems such as natural
disasters, pillaging, pollution, and poorly managed mass tourism, that
may have a negative impact on the universal values for which they were
inscribed on the World Heritage List.

Among sites on the List in Danger, the cultural landscape of Germany’s
Dresden Elbe Valley will come under particular scrutiny. In keeping
with the decision it took at its last meeting, the Committee will
decide whether to keep the property on the World Heritage List or
whether the building of a bridge in the heart of the landscape
warrants its deletion from the List.

The properties submitted by States Parties for inscription on the
World Heritage List number 13 natural and 34 cultural sites (see list
below), including two transboundary sites, and five extensions to
properties already listed.

To date, UNESCO’s 1972 Convention on the Protection of the World
Cultural and Natural Heritage protects 851 properties of `outstanding
universal value,’ including 660 cultural, 166 natural and 25 mixed
properties in 141 States Parties.

The Convention encourages international cooperation to safeguard the
common heritage of humanity. With 185 States Parties, it is one of the
most widely ratified international legal instruments. When they sign
the Convention, States Parties commit to preserve sites on the World
Heritage List, as well as sites of national and regional importance,
notably by providing an appropriate legal and regulatory framework.

The World Heritage Committee, responsible for the implementation of
the 1972 Convention, is comprised of representatives of 21 countries,
elected by the States Parties for up to six years. Each year, the
Committee adds new sites to the List. The sites are proposed by the
States Parties. Applications are then reviewed by two advisory bodies:
cultural sites by the International Council on Monuments and Sites
(ICOMOS), and natural sites by the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) which inform the Committee of their
recommendations. The International Centre for the Study of the
Preservation and Conservation of Cultural Heritage (ICCROM) provides
expert advice on conservation and training in restoration techniques.

The World Heritage Committee also examines reports on the state of
conservation of inscribed sites and asks States Parties to take
appropriate conservation and preservation measures when necessary. The
Committee supervises the disbursement of over $4 million per annum
from the World Heritage Fund, aimed at emergency action, training of
experts and encouraging technical cooperation. UNESCO’s World Heritage
Centre is the Secretariat of the World Heritage Committee.

Accredited journalists were able to attend the opening ceremony of the
32nd session (2 July, 3 p.m.) which included the participation of the
Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee, Christina Cameron
(Canada), representatives of the governments of Canada and
Québec, the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro
Matsuura, the President of UNESCO’s General Conference, George
N. Anastassopoulos (Greece), and the Chairman of UNESCO’s Executive
Board, Olabiyi Babalola Joseph Yaï (Benin).

The media was briefed about the work of the Committee in regular press
conferences with a first briefing having taken place on Wednesday, 2
July at 9 a.m.

Natural properties submitted for inscription to the World Heritage
List: Quarry of the Fabrica Nacional de Cementos S.A. (FANCESA), Cal
Orck’O, Sucre, Departamento Chuquisaca (Bolivia), an extension to the
Pirin National Park (Bulgaria), The Joggins Fossil Cliffs (Canada),
Mount Sanqingshan National Park (China), Lagoons of New Caledonia:
Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems (France), Surtsey (Iceland),
Bradyseism in Phlegraean Area (Italy), Saryarka ` Steppe and Lakes of
Northern Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan), Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve
(Mexico), Hovsgol Lake and its Watershed (Mongolia), `The Putorana
Plateau’ Nature Complex (Russian Federation), Swiss Tectonic Arena
Sardona (Switzerland), Socotra Archipelago (Yemen).

Cultural properties submitted for inscription to the World Heritage
List: Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra ` Towns of southern
Albania, exceptional testimonies of well-preserved Ottoman settlements
in the Balkan region, an extension (Albania), Cultural Landscape of
Buenos Aires (Argentina), São Francisco Square in the city of
São Cristóvão (Brazil), The Sacred Site of the
Temple of Preah Vihear (Cambodia), Fujian Tulou (China), The Stari
Grad Plain (Croatia), Urban Historic Scenary Camagüey (Cuba),
Spa of LuhaÄ?ovice ` area with a collection of historic spa
buildings and spa-related facilities (Czech Republic), Historic
Monuments and Sites in Kaesong (Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea), The work of Vauban (France), Housing Estates in the Berlin
Modern Style (Germany), System of Fortification at the Confluence of
the Rivers Danube and Váh in Komárno ` Komárom
(Hungary / Slovakia), Mountain Railways of India (serial extension to
include Kalka Shimla Railway (KSR)) (India), River Island of Majuli in
midstream of Brahmaputra River in Assam (India), Cultural Landscape of
Bali Province (Indonesia), The Armenian Monastic Ensembles in Iranian
Azarbayjan ((Islamic Republic of Iran), The Triple-arch Gate at Dan
(Israel), Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and Western Galilee(Israel),
Mantua and Sabbioneta (Italy), Hiraizumi – Cultural Landscape
Associated with Pure Land Buddhist Cosmology (Japan), Sacred Mijikenda
Kaya Forests (Kenya), Sulamain-Too Sacred Mountain (Kyrgyzstan),
Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca: Melaka and George Town
(Malaysia), Le Morne Cultural Landscape (Mauritius), Protective town
of San Miguel and the Sanctuary of Jesús de Nazareno de
Atotonilco (Mexico), León Cathedral (Nicaragua), The Kuk Early
Agricultural Site (Papua New Guinea), San Marino Historic Centre and
Mount Titano (San Marino), Al-Hijr Archaeological Site (Madâin
Sâlih) (Saudi Arabia), Wooden Churches of the Slovak part of
Carpathian Mountain Area (Slovakia), Palaeolithic Cave Art of Northern
Spain (extension to Altamira Cave) (Spain), Rhaetian Railway in the
Albula / Bernina Cultural Landscape (Switzerland / Italy), The
Antonine Wall (extension to the Frontiers of the Roman Empire) (United
Kingdom), Chief Roi Mata’s Domain (Vanuatu).

Labels: United Nations, U.N., MaximsNews , UNESCO, UNESCO Director
General Koïchiro Matsuura, 32nd Session of the World Heritage
Committee, World Heritage Committee, UNESCO World Heritage List,
UNESCO Executive Board Chairman Olabiyi Babalola Joseph Yaï,
Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural
Heritage, International Council on Monuments and Sites, ICOMOS,
International Union for Conservation of Nature, International Centre
for the Study of the Preservation and Conservation of Cultural
Heritage, ICCROM, General Conference President Georges
N. Anastassopoulos

LEBANESE CRISIS AND ARAB WORLD
Boris DOLGOV

01 .07.2008
Lebanon

The events of May – June 2008 in Lebanon resulted from an old political
crisis the nation had been living through.

In early May, 2008, the Lebanese government headed by Fuad Saniora,
decided to shut down Hezbollah`s telecoms network.1 The same
day, the government fired the head of Beirut airport’s security,
Brig. Gen. Wafik Shoukeir, amid its investigation into allegations
that Hezbollah had installed cameras and other monitoring equipment
at the airport. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah viewed the actions
as a "declaration of open war to Hezbollah and attempt to put Lebanon
under U.S and Israeli control".

Armed Hezbollah groups and its allies seized a TV center in Beirut,
took over the offices of a pro-governmental ‘Al-Mustaqbal’ newspaper
and halted work on Beirut airport and seaport. New clashes between
Hezbollah rebels, their political allies and supporters of Fuad
Saniora`s governmental coalition erupted to last for 7 days and take
lives of more than 80 people.

The Lebanese army was not involved in the clashes and took active
steps only after the government canceled the decision. Soon the
clashes were over and the situation improved. The Arab League acted
as a mediator in the talks in Doha on May 21, 2008, and there was
achieved an agreement between the opposing sides to form a national
unity government and to elect General Michel Suleiman as Lebanon`s
President. The former President, Emil Lahoud, stepped down in late
2006 after he failed to overcome the national crisis.

The Lebanese parliament, headed by a Hezbollah member Nabih Berri,
set the election date for 10 times, but because of harsh political
differences the deputies failed to elect a new leader.

Currently, Lebanon`s political world is divided in two groups. The
first group is represented by the alliance of political figures
opposed to the government and lead by Shi`a Islamic Hezbollah
movement. Another Shi`a party, Amal (Hope), some Sunnis headed by
Lebanon`s Karami family, General Aoun`s "Free National Movement",
representing Christian community, and also a part of left-centered
forces (a few members-Muslim as well as Christian- of the Lebanese
Communist party). This group is also supported by the Arab Socialist
Baath Party and followers of Gamal Naser.

The other group consists of "Al-Mustaqbal" party, led by Saad Hariri,
the son of Rafik Hariri, who was killed in assassination in 2005.

"Al-Mustaqbal" is part of a Sunni community and supports the Lebanese
government and its chief Fuad Saniora. The right-centered "Kataib"
movement of Christian Maronites2 and the Lebanese Forces movement,
uniting the Shamoun and Franje right Christian clans. The Druze
community3 headed by Walid Djumblat represent the "National Patriotic
Forces" political block. Yet this party has not clearly defined its
position and has contacts with both Hezbollah and "Al-Mustaqbal". It
is worth mentioning that this scheme is approximate, and form time
to time a leader in every group changes its views.

The roots of the crisis should be viewed only in context of
Lebanon`s ethnic, religious and historical development. Lebanon is a
multi-confessional state, where people of 15 religions co-exist. Mainly
they are Christian Maronites, Catholics, Armenians-Grigorians,
Orthodox Christians and also Muslims- Shia, Sunni and Druz. The
Constitution of Lebanon and its system of state grants to Christian
Maronites top posts on a permanent basis: president, army chief,
central bank head. While a Sunni Muslim traditionally occupies the
post of prime minister and a parliament speaker is Shi`a.

Such system of state seemed to be a proper one soon after Lebanon was
de facto recognized a sovereign state in 1946, after the French troops
left its territory. But in the course of time the Muslim population
began to dominate4 and demand changes in the system of state. To some
extent, it explains the current conflict although it should rather
be viewed as political.

What is peculiar about Lebanon’s public and political life is its
clannish and ethnic character. Major political groups have their
armed units. The country`s participation in the Arab-Israeli conflict
and in a civil war in mid-1970s had a great impact on Lebanon`s
political situation. As a result of the Arab-Israeli wars, vast
Lebanon`s territories in the region of Shabaa Farms were occupied by
Israel. There also appeared refugee camps, which currently give home
to 250,000 of Palestinians.

The escalation of tension in Lebanon happened in late 2006-early 2007,
when clashes between the students supporting different political
parties erupted in many districts of Beirut, Tripoli and Saidu. The
clashes took the lives of several people. Soon after the government
imposed a curfew in Beirut, leaders of the opposing groups- Hasan
Nasrallah and Saad Hariri-called on their supporters to stop violence
and leave the streets.

The clashes erupted when members of the international community
gathered at a summit in Paris to decide how to help Lebanon recover
after Israeli attacks in summer 2006. There it was decided to support
Fuad Saniora`s government and provide financial assistance to Beirut
(Saudi Arabia announced a $1,1 billion aid,while U.S. And EU said
they would allocate $0,5 billion). The U.S was going to spend the
money on Lebanon`s security, in other words- to fund the army and
security forces, where Washington and Tel-Aviv expected to strengthen
their influence.

A joint U.S.-Israeli strategy in Lebanon is aimed at the implementation
of a plan which failed during Israel`s 2006 invasion: to use some
Lebanese political groups and the army to suppress Hezbollah, dubbed
by President George W. Bush as "second Al-Qaeda".

Here we should note Russia`s growing role and authority in the
Middle East.

In January, 2007, "Al-Mustaqbal" leader Saad Hariri visited Russia
to discuss issues of bilateral relations and ask Russia to help
Lebanon avoid foreign interference in its home affairs. The problem
is that some very authoritative pro-Syrian forces5 are active in
Lebanon nowadays, but they are constantly pressed by Israel and
U.S. If Turkey mediates the peace talks between Israel and Syria,
the situation in the Middle East will change dramatically.

Iran for its part supports Islamic Shi`a movements in Lebanon.

The Arab League and, first of all, Saudi Arabia and Egypt as they are
doing their best to avoid a civil war in Lebanon, play a key role in
the settlement of the Lebanese crisis. After signing an agreement in
Doha on May 21, 2008, General Michel Suleiman was elected President
of Lebanon on May 25. After a series of consultations with major
parliamentary factions, he appointed Fuad Saniora as Prime Minister
despite objections from Hassan Nasrallah and General Aoun. Mr. Saniora
began his work aimed at the establishment of a national unity
government, which is due to consist of Hezbollah members as well.

This is a rather complicated process as both opposing parliamentary
groups are competing to receive key ministerial portfolios. The
situation becomes even worse as sporadic clashes between the sides
erupt from time to time.

For example, in late June, 2008, 24 people were injured and one killed
in a skirmish between Sunni and Alavit armed groups.

However, the situation is improving against all the odds. According
to a spokesman for General Aoun`s group, Walid Huri, a national unity
government is likely to be established in Lebanon in July.

Many members of the Lebanese parliament point to the role of President
Michel Suleiman in achieving an agreement with the opposition and
in the solution of numerous conflicts (as the one in Nahr al-Barid
refugee camp).

The Arab leaders support Mr. Suleiman`s initiative.

With the help of international community, mainly the Arab League,
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Syria and Jordan, Lebanon managed to avoid
a civil war. But still, the situation there is tense enough. Lebanon`s
future depends not only on the balance of political forces there but
also on the unity of the Arab world in general.

_______________ 1 According to Egypt`s mass media, the move came as
an attempt to prevent direct contacts between Hezbollah and Iran`s
leadership and special services. The system played a key role in
Hezbollah`s war against Israel in July-August 2006 as the rebels
could make pinpoint strikes and confuse Israeli guidance systems.

2 Christian Maronites belong to one of the Syriac Eastern Catholic
Churches, with a heritage reaching back to St. Maron in early 5th
century.

3 The Druze are religious community found primarily in Lebanon, Israel
and Syria. It is unique in its incorporation of Gnostic, neo-Platonic,
pagan and other philosophies. The Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah
is the central figure in the Druze faith, as he is considered by the
Druze to be the reincarnation and manifestation of God.

4 In 1920s Christians made up above 50% of the Lebanese population. As
of 2006, 3,925 million live in Lebanon, 40% of them are Shi`a Muslims,
while Christians make up only 30%.

5 Syria has a great influence on Lebanon. After Syrian troops entered
Lebanon in 1976,a civil war was over. However, some Lebanese and
U.S. And France did not like that Syrian state structures and special
services had too much power in Lebanon. Following a UN resolution,
Syria withdrew its troops from Lebanon in 2004. The death of Rafik
Hariri in assassination in February 2005 also had a negative impact
on cooperation with Syria as U.S.

Accused Damascus of involvement in the crime. (though no evidence
of this was provided by the UN commission). During Israel`s invasion
in Lebanon in 2006, Syria supported Beirut, helped refugees to flee
their homes and get humanitarian aid. Damascus allegedly provided
Hezbollah groups with arms.

KARS TASTES ‘CAUCASIAN CHEESE’

Turkish Daily News
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Turkey

Caucasian cheese, produced in an effort to create a joint brand
by Georgia, Turkey and Armenia, hit the markets this week. An
advertisement stand, offering cheese to its Turkish customers, is
now open in the eastern city of Kars.

The idea of producing the yellow slab under the label of Caucasian
cheese was taken last year in the Caucasian Economic Forum in
Kars. Dairy producers from the Armenian city Gümrü and the Georgian
city Ninotsminda got together with Turkish producers in Kars and
discussed the project. The project was introduced by the British-based
magazine the Economist as â~@~symbolizing reconciliation between
Turkey and Armenia and the entire Caucasus region.â~@~]

Turkish İlhan Koçulu, Georgian Vanik Kazaryan and Armenian
Artus Mıkırtçyan gathered in a hotel in Kars to launch the
Caucasian cheese, daily Radikal reported. â~@~Our goal is not to
solve the problems between the governments, but rather to improve
relations between the communities,â~@~] said Mıkırtçyan. â~@~Why
cheese? Because delicious cheese is produced in Georgia, Turkey and
Armenia. Since cheese is the common language of these three cities,
we decided to produce the Caucasian cheese label,â~@~] he said.

â~@~Turkey and Georgia are economic partners. We believe that
via this project our relations will further improve,â~@~] said
Kazaryan. â~@~We want to eliminate prejudices and prove that we
can make trade. If what we do helps to solve political problems,
we will be more than happy,â~@~] said Mıkırtçyan.

Turk ey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 to protest the Armenian
forces’ occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region in the South
Caucasus, a de facto independent republic that is officially part
of Azerbaijan.

–Boundary_(ID_mmBxfXq/PtgBmjRjvhbi0g )–

ACROSS A SEA OF STORIES WITH OSAMA’S FIBBING CLAN;
MALU HALASA

Arts & Book Review
June 27, 2008

Book: The Hakawati By Rabih Alameddine PICADOR £16.99 (513pp) £15.29
(free p&p) from 0870 079 8897

Despite Naguib Mahfouz’s Nobel Prize, there has been much discussion as
to whether the novel is an appropriate form of Arab expression. While
love and adventure abound in Middle Eastern storytelling and poetry,
few portrayals of hothouse family life exist. The tour de force of
Rabih Alameddine’s novel The Hakawati ("storyteller" in Arabic) is that
it moves effortlessly between the classic narrative traditions of The
Thousand and One Nights and the psychology of modern Western fiction.

At the heart of Alameddine’s saga of four generations of a Lebanese
family is a hakawati of such dubious origins – a bastard Armenian who
escaped the 1915 genocide in Turkey – that his employer and patron,
a Lebanese bey, gave him his surname al-Kharrat: fibber or liar. From
this lowly position, within one generation, a family empire was spawned
and the hakawati’s rich oral traditions were replaced by mundane
commerce: Lebanon’s first car dealership. Only family outsiders –
the protagonist and grandson Osama, who returns to his country for
his own father’s death, and his unmarried uncle Jihad, a raconteur
and pigeon fancier – continue the grandfather’s survival strategy of
spinning tales within tales.

Like the hakawati whose exploits of Scheherazade thrill audiences
to this day in Damascene cafes, Alameddine reveals his intent
by listing the influences for this, his second novel – including
Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Italo Calvino’s Italian Folktales and Jim
Crace’s The Devil’s Larder. He explains, "By nature, a storyteller
is a plagiarist. Everything one comes across… is a coffee bean
that will be crushed, ground up, mixed with a touch of cardamom,
sometimes a tiny pinch of salt, boiled thrice with sugar, and served
as a piping-hot tale."

While the book’s religious references are fabricated, the fictionalised
lessons of the Old Testament Abraham, caught between two wives, the
determination of the servant sorceress Fatima to retrieve her sawn-off
hand – considered a mystical amulet across the Middle East – and rise
of Baybars, who herald the reign of the Mamluks, the slave kings of
Egypt, are stories about reshaping identity and destiny. These are
self-help lessons from a mythical past that reverberate in Osama’s
family stories.

In The Hakawati, both ancient and modern women are powerful
and pragmatic. Homoerotic love, while not universally accepted,
is acknowledged and expressed. Osama’s mother, from a prominent
Lebanese family, the Khourys, marries beneath her social status into
the al-Kharrats after meeting the man who becomes her soul-mate:
not Osama’s father Farid, but his uncle Jihad.

When Jihad unexpectedly dies on a trip abroad, one of his many
mistresses – his mother, like the sorceress Fatima – seizes the
moment. She brings her husband back home and effectively saves him. In
Alameddine’s world, the present and present always collide. A decade
ago, his remarkable first novel Koolaids: The Art of War also told
simultaneous stories, about death in San Francisco and civil war
in Lebanon.

If the novel has the transformative power to reveal an age, The
Hakawati conjures a complex Middle East, where those who stay at
home are frustrated. Elie, the neighbourhood bully and son of the
superintendent of the al-Kharrats’ building, becomes a militia leader
who oozes sexual charisma. After a shotgun wedding to Osama’s sister
Lina, he retreats to the company of men in the city’s abandoned
cinemas for porn and drugs, while she finds fulfilment in selling
cars. Another of the al-Kharrat cousins likes to pretend to be a
tourist in his own country.

Osama, like his Jewish childhood neighbour Fatima, a gold digger
in Saudi Arabia, represent the lost generation in the Middle East
diaspora. He attempts to come to terms with where he lives, in
California, with a conservative Lebanese upbringing. As the receptacle
and transmitter of his grandfather’s tales, only he can reconcile
the fractured generations of his family through a miraculous bridge
of stories – Alameddine’s language of hope for a beleaguered region.

Malu Halasa and Rana Salam’s ‘The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie’
is published by Chronicle next month

–Boundary_(ID_ZRm4YD4jyhn/WxRyGWdloA)–

Habitat For Humanity in Armenia
Program & Admin assistant
Mariana Hovsepyan
Tel: 007 206 106
Web:

Habitat for Humanity is pleased to announce that it is establishing a
new National Organization in Armenia.

Executive Director (ED)
Responsible for managing the overall country operations towards
achieving the country strategy. Through management of the national
office the ED will ensure key functions such as resource development,
communications, partnership & program development, financial
management, etc.

Program Development Manager
Responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of
national / regional partnerships and projects which address diverse
housing needs in Armenia.

Finance & Admin Manager
Responsible for the finance, admin and legal functions of the national
office: including state and international financial reporting; payroll
services; monitoring fiscal indicators; ensuring systems and policies
are in place and implemented.

Construction Manager
Responsible for the development, implementation, monitoring of from a
technical perspective construction programs supervised by the national
office (NO) ensuring that the projects meet the Habitat standards of
simple, decent, and affordable (SDA).

Donor Care & Communications Coordinator
Responsible for ensuring communication, reporting and the development
of relationships with local and international donors.

Volunteer Coordinator
Responsible for developing and managing a local and international
volunteer program. Ensuring pre-communications, logistics, hosting
standards are met and working with donor care to ensure follow-up.

Please send your CV, motivation letter and two reference letters in
English to: [email protected] by 14th July 2008, 18:00 CET. Only
short-listed candidates will be contacted. All positions are based in
Yerevan.

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that welcomes to its
work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty
housing. Since its founding in the USA in 1976, Habitat has built more
than 250,000 houses in nearly 90 countries, providing simple, decent
and affordable shelter for more than 1 million people. Habitat has
worked in Armenia since 2000 and has served nearly 400 families.

ARMENIA ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO STRENGTHENING ITS COOPERATION WITH
SWITZERLAND

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YEREVAN, JUNE 28, NOYAN TAPAN. Receiving on June 27 the delegation
headed by the Swiss foreign minister Micheline Calmy-Ray who is on a
two-day visit to Armenia, the foreign minister of the RA Edward
Nalandian said that Armenia attaches great importance to its
cooperation with Switzerland in various spheres. In his words, since
Armenia’s independence, Switzerland has contributed to the development
and reforms in our country by providing technical and financial
assistance. Noting that bilateral relations between the two countries
are continuing to develop quite dynamically, E. Nalbandian stressed the
necessity to take concrete steps on promotion of economic and trade
relations.

The Swiss foreign minister in her turn expressed satisfaction with the
level of the current political dialog, to which the mutual visits in
recent years have greatly contributed.

According to a press release submitted to NT by the RA MFA Press and
Information Department, the sides confirmed that the positions of the
two countries coincide on a number of international issues and pointed
out the efficiency of their cooperation in international organizations.

The ministers spoke about the possibility to ease the visa regime
between Armenia and Switzerland. M. Calmy-Ray announced the Swiss
side’s intention to appoint a resident diplomatic representative to
Yerevan soon.

The sides also discussed the Nagorno Karabakh negotiation process and
Armenian-Turkish relations.