Author: Kajoyan Gevork

IRAN RESPONDS TO AZERBAIJAN BY CLOSING JOLFA AND BILESAVAR BORDERS

November 08, 2013 | 18:03

Iran strongly denounced the decision of Azerbaijani side to close
its joint Poldasht International Border, and Iranian border guards
closed Jolfa and Bilesavar borders in return, IRNAagency reported.

The decision came in response to useless efforts of the Iranian
officials to reverse the abnormal and undiplomatic move.

An informed source told IRNA on Friday that following a suspicious
shooting event in Poldasht border region, which the Azeri sides
baselessly accuses Iran of being responsible for it, the Azerbaijani
Border Guards on Wednesday, November 6th illegally and undiplomatically
shut down Poldasht border, creating problems for Iranian passengers
and passage of their luggage.

Iran tried to solve the issue by means of talks, but the Azerbaijani
side insisted on keeping its border closed.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

VEGAN LAHMAJUN – ARMENIAN/TURKISH PIZZA

One Green Planet
Nov 7 2013

There are a few Middle Eastern dishes I grew up with that were staples
in our house. One of them was Lahmajun; an Armenian/Turkish pizza
of sorts. Traditionally made with ground lamb or beef and served
with lemon wedges, it is something that we not only ate often, but
something I really enjoyed.

If you have not had Lahmajun before, you should give it a try. If
you have had it, and like me thought it was something you would not
experience again, give this a whirl; if the Lahmujan you ate was
anything like what I did, this will not disappoint!

Lahmajun

INGREDIENTS:

For the dough

5 cups all purpose flour 1 1/2 cups non dairy milk 3 tsp salt 1 tsp
organic unbleached sugar 2 tsp active dry yeast 1/4 cup vegetable
oil Cooking oil spray

For the topping

1 lb frozen soy crumbles, thawed 1 red pepper, seeded, veined and cut
into chunks 1/2 green pepper, seeded, veined and cut into chunks 1/2
medium onion, peeled and cut into chunks 2 tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 tbsp tomato paste 1 handful parsley (about a cup) 1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika 1/4 cup olive oil Corn meal Lemon wedges

PREPARATION:

To make the dough

Put all ingredients into a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.

Turn on low and allow to run for five or six minutes until all
ingredients form a loose ball.

The dough may be a bit crumbly, that is OK.

Remove from the stand mixer, form into a ball, place into a bowl spray
lightly with cooking oil spray and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to
sit for two hours.

To make the filling

While the dough is resting, place the peppers, onions, tomatoes,
onion, tomato paste, parsley, cumin, olive oil and paprika into a
food processor. Pulse to combine into a paste. Place in a bowl.

Put the thawed soy crumbles into the emptied food processor bowl.

Pulse until finely crumbled.

Add to the bowl with the vegetable paste ad using your hands combine
until well incorporated.

For the Lahmajun

When the dough is finished resting preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place a pizza stone or baking sheet dusted in corn meal in the oven
Beak off a piece ad roll into a ball. Flatten into a circle on a
floured surface and roll into a very thin circle. The dough should be
cracker thin- no more than a quarter inch deep. You can make them as
large or small as you want in circumference; I made mine about the
size of a personal pan pizza.

Place enough filling on top of the disc to create a thin layer on top.

Place on the pizza stone and cook until crispy, about 7 minutes.

Squeeze fresh lemon juice on warm Lahmajun before eating.

OVER 30 LEGISLATORS URGE WHITE HOUSE TO ALLOW ‘ORPHAN RUG’ DISPLAY

Thursday, November 7th, 2013

Photo: President Calvin Coolidge pictured standing on the rug with
Near East Relief Vice-Chairman, Dr. John Finley. Source: Barton, Story
of Near East Relief, 362. Courtesy: The Missak Kelechian Collection.

As published in “President Calvin Coolidge and the Armenian Orphan
Rug,” by Dr. Hagop Martin Deranian.

WASHINGTON–A bipartisan group of U.S. Representatives – including
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), joined
today with Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA) and David Valadao (R-CA)
in calling upon the White House to reverse its decision to block
the public display of a rug woven by Armenian orphans and gifted
to President Calvin Coolidge in appreciation for U.S. humanitarian
assistance following the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian National
Committee of America.

The Congressional letter comes in the wake of Washington Post and
National Public Radio reports and a series of Capitol Hill inquiries
regarding the White House’s abrupt and unexplained reversal of its
agreement to lend the rug for a December 16th exhibition at the
Smithsonian Institute, organized in cooperation with the Armenian
Cultural Foundation and the Armenian Rug Society. In an interview
with Public Radio International (PRI), Washington Post Art Critic
Philip Kennicott noted that while the White House has not offered an
explanation for the reversal in decision, it is likely due to the U.S.

government’s deference to Turkey’s international campaign of genocide
denial.

In the Congressional letter they spearheaded, Reps. Valadao and
Schiff, who are the lead sponsors of the Armenian Genocide Resolution
(H.Res.227), noted: “The Armenian Orphan Rug is a shared piece
of American and Armenian history that belongs to the American
people. For over a decade, Armenian-American organizations have
repeatedly asked the White House and the State Department to allow
the rug to be displayed publicly. Unfortunately, these requests have
not been granted. ”

“We join with Armenian Americans from across the country in thanking
Reps. Schiff and Valadao for their leadership and in expressing our
appreciation to each and every supporter of this principled effort
to encourage our White House to reject Turkey’s decades-long veto on
the display of the Armenian Orphan Rug and – more broadly – for our
President to rise above Ankara’s gag-rule on the proper condemnation
and commemoration of this still unpunished crime against all humanity,”
said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

In addition to Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA) and David Valadao (R-CA),
the Valadao-Schiff letter was signed by: Foreign Affairs Committee
Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA); Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Nita
Lowey (D-NY); Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin
(D-MI); Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Michael Grimm (R-NY) and Frank
Pallone (D-NJ); the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Co-Chairmen
Frank Wolf (R-VA) and James McGovern (D-MA); and Representatives
Tony Cardenas (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Jim Costa (D-CA),
Jeff Denham (R-CA), John Dingell (D-MI), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Raul
Grijalva (D-AZ), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Mike Honda (D-CA), Jim Langevin
(D-RI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Grace Napolitano
(D-CA), Devin Nunes (R-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Raul Ruiz (D-CA),
John Sarbanes (D-MD), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Aaron Schock (R-IL),
Brad Sherman (D-CA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), John Tierney (D-MA),
and Dina Titus (D-NV).

The ANCA has, over the past several weeks, organized a grassroots
campaign, worked with Members of Congress, and consulted with the
Administration, making the case to all relevant stakeholders for the
prominent and permanent public display of this historic rug.

The Armenian orphan rug measures 11â~@² 7â~@³ x 18â~@² 5â~@³ and
is comprised of 4,404,206 individual knots. It took Armenian girls
in the Ghazir Orphanage of Near East Relief 10 months to weave. The
rug was delivered to the President Coolidge on December 4, 1925, in
time for Christmas, with a label on the back of the rug, which reads
“IN GOLDEN RULE GRATITUDE TO PRESIDENT COOLIDGE.”

According to Missak Kelechian, an expert on this topic, the gift of
the Armenian Orphan rug was widely covered in U.S. media, including in
the New York Times in 1925 and the Washington Post in 1926. Kelechian
describes the journey of the rug in the CNN clip below.

Additional information about the history of the Armenian Orphan Rug
is available in Dr. Hagop Martin Deranian’s book, “President Coolidge
and the Armenian Orphan Rug,” published on October 20, 2013, by the
Armenian Cultural Foundation and soon to be available on Amazon.com.

EURASIAN UNION ECONOMIC ALLIANCE, NOT USSR REINCARNATION: EEC BOARD CHAIR

November 7, 2013 – 20:09 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Eurasian Union is an economic alliance, rather
than the USSR reincarnation, the board chair of the Eurasian Economic
Commission (EEC) said.

As Viktor Khristenko stated during a meeting with the Yerevan State
University (YSU) students, “Eurasian Union is planned as an economic
alliance, without any political implications. Other organizations,
like CSTO, serve this purpose, being engaged in military and political
integration.”

Khristenko went on to refute suggestions that a Customs Union
membership might lead to loss of sovereignty. As he noted, current
CU members – Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan – have different
economic potentials. Russia has 87% of the total potential; however,
the CU-related decisions are made at the Council level, through a
consensus. Decisions at the Eurasian Economic Commission are passed
with the 2/3 of votes, Novosti-Armenia quoted him as saying.

Earlier President Serzh Sarsgsyan met Khristenko to discussed
Armenia-EEC cooperation.

The parties focus on a memorandum of cooperation inked on November
6, expressing confidence that the document will contribute to
strengthening of Armenia-EEC ties.

As they further stressed, extensive work is to be accomplished
following Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union, with close
cooperation between the parties necessary.

A memorandum on deepening cooperation with the Eurasian Economic
Commission (EEC) and the Republic of Armenia was signed in Yerevan on
Wednesday, November 6. The document to serve as a basis for Armenia’s
joining the Customs Union was signed by EEC chairman Viktor Khristenko
and Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.

GROWING NUMBER OF ARMENIAN CITIZENS TRAVEL TO TURKEY

November 07, 2013 | 00:04

ANKARA. – A total of 56,177 citizens of Armenia headed to Turkey from
January to September 2013.

The number of Armenian citizens that visited Turkey from January to
September grew by 4 percent, or by 2,142 people, as compared to the
same time period in the year past, Armenian News-NEWS.am ascertained
from the Culture and Tourism Ministry of Turkey.

A total of 7,345 citizens of Armenia traveled to Turkey in September
alone.

To note, 70,956 Armenia nationals had headed to Turkey in 2012.

CANADIAN MUSEUM FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM INSTITUTE SIGN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

WINNIPEG – November 7, 2013 — Mr. Stuart Murray, President and Chief
Executive Officer of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR), and
Dr. Hayk Demoyan, Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute
(AGMI) of the National Academy of Sciences, signed a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) today that will facilitate collaboration for the
promotion of human rights through joint projects and education.

The CMHR and the AGMI will exchange knowledge and expertise,
educational materials, and exhibitions with respect to human rights,
share research and advice, cooperate to advance the academic study of
human rights and reconciliation, the Armenian Genocide and its effects,
and processes seeking justice and reconciliation, and work together
to educate people on issues of human rights, in both national and
global contexts.

“Respect and protection for human rights is hard to build, but easy to
destroy. Every society that embraces human rights has to be continually
vigilant to promote and protect those human rights,” Mr.

Murray said. “We are very pleased to be joining hands with the Armenian
Genocide Museum Institute to promote education, awareness and dialogue
about human rights.”

The official signing of the MOU between the CMHR and AGMI has been
facilitated by the assistance of the International Institute for
Genocide and Human Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute
of Canada) – a Canadian organization which advances scholarship
and public awareness relating to issues of universal human rights,
genocide, and diaspora-homeland relations. Representatives of the
IIGHRS officially witnessed the signing and will serve an ongoing
role as liaison and facilitators.

“The Armenian Genocide is an important human rights story,” said Dr.

Demoyan. “The concept of crimes against humanity was developed in
response to this horrific series of violations against the Armenian
people. The intent of the Ottoman Turkish government to annihilate
its Armenian citizens is not only a crime against humanity, but
also genocide. The denial of the genocide by the inheritors of the
perpetrator state and others is itself a violation of the human
rights of the survivors and their descendants.This partnership will
help bring the story of the Armenian Genocide to a wider audience,
to the benefit of generations to come.”

During and after the First World War, the leaders of the Ottoman
Empire (the forerunner of the modern-day Republic of Turkey) made a
brutal attempt to destroy the empire’s entire Armenian population,
targeting them on ethnic and religious grounds, along with other
Christian subjects-the Assyrians and Greeks. The Genocide began in
1915 with the execution of Armenian leaders. Then authorities rounded
up Armenian men, women and children. The victims were massacred or
forced on death marches through the desert. Many died of starvation.

The perpetrators tried to hide these mass killings from the world.

The first international reaction to the Genocide resulted in a joint
statement by France, Russia and Great Britain, in May 1915, where the
Ottoman Empire atrocities directed against the Armenian people was
defined as “new crimes against humanity and civilization.” In 2004,
the Canadian House of Commons passed a resolution to recognize this
genocide.

“By raising awareness of the Armenian Genocide, we hope to remind
people of the importance of breaking the silence on human rights
violations. We look forward to working with the Canadian Museum for
Human Rights on this goal,” said AGMI Director Demoyan.

There were an estimated two million Armenians living in their
ancestral homeland in the Ottoman Empire on the eve of the First
World War. Approximately one and a half million Armenians perished
between 1915 and 1923. Another half million found shelter abroad.

One of the audience, Jack Garabed, a Manitoban descendant of an
Armenian Genocide survivor, came to see this historic partnership
and shared the story of his father,Garabedi Haroutounian. He spoke of
his grandfather being taken away one night and murdered. They took his
father away and placed him in an orphanage. He believes his Grandmother
escaped into Egypt with some of the younger children. His father
was forced to change religion. The Salvation Army arranged to have
three children in the orphanage, including his father, transported to
Canada. Haroutounian left the other two boys in Montreal and continued
on to Manitoba. He was fascinated by the train ride, and wanted to
extend it as far as he could. The train brought him to Winnipeg,
and from there he was placed with farmers in the Killarney area.

About the Canadian Museum for Human Rights

The CMHR is the first museum in the world solely dedicated to the
evolution, celebration and future of human rights. It is the first
national museum in Canada to be built outside the National Capital
Region. The Museum will use immersive multi-media technology and
other innovative approaches to create an inspiring encounter with
human rights unlike anything visitors have experienced before.

About the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute

The Armenian Genocide Museum & Institute (AGMI) of the National Academy
of Sciences is a non-profit organization based in Yerevan, Republic
of Armenia. The mission of the Museum-Institute is the academic and
scientific study, analysis of the problems as well as exhibition of
the textual and visual documentation related to the first Genocide
of the 20th century.

About the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies
(A Division of the Zoryan Institute)

The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (A
Division of the Zoryan Institute), led by President Greg Sarkissian,
Chairman Prof. Roger W. Smith, and Executive Director George Shirinian,
runs an annual course in comparative genocide studies in partnership
with the University of Toronto and is co-publisher of Genocide Studies
International in partnership with the University of Toronto Press. It
is the first non-profit, international center devoted to the research
and documentation of contemporary issues with a focus on Genocide,
Diaspora and Homeland.

For more information, please contact:

Christelle Mekoh

CMHR Manager of Communications

(204) 289-2114

Cell: (204) 299-7095

[email protected]

ARMENIAN CARPET WEAVING TO DISCUSS IN YEREVAN

18:47, 7 November, 2013

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Culture of the
Republic of Armenia on November 20-22 will hold an international
conference entitled “Armenian Loop: traditions of carpet weaving” in
Yerevan which is devoted to the issues on the study of the Armenian
carpet weaving culture. Armenpress was informed from the Ministry of
Culture that within the conference the participants will touch upon
the issues on the study and typology of the Armenian carpet weaving
culture, traditional and modern carpets, modern technologies for
carpet repair and other subjects.

Prominent experts from the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain,
Poland, Austria, Lebanon, Armenia and Nagorno- Karabakh Republic will
participate in the conference. Operating companies in carpet weaving
will also be present at the conference.

GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIA DOES NOTHING TO PROTECT INTERNET USERS

Rapid development of information technologies in Armenia and wide
penetration of Internet into our everyday lives besides doubtless
advantages has become a source of new danger called “information
threats.” Problems in this field have grown global. Therefore, focusing
on information security has become a vital necessity for Armenia. Vice
President of Internet Society of Armenia Grigory Saghyan speaks of
the problem of virtual aggression in Armenia and the measures to meet
challenges in the field in an interview with ArmInfo.

by Gayane Isahakyan

Thursday, November 7, 18:10

Mr. Saghyan, Azerbaijan is behind 73% of web-hackings in Armenia,
according to the survey conducted by K Gasparyan, expert in cyber
security. Turkey’ share in total web hackings in Armenia is 5%,
another 4% of hackings come from Germany. It is not news. Why don’t
these trends change over time?

This is because the government does nothing to protect users. The idea
of information security is certainly distorted in the post-Soviet
countries. It is usually connected with the content. In Armenia,
information security comes down to the fight against anti-Armenian
propaganda, while information security implies uninterrupted operation
of the network, first of all, and prevention and liquidation of
the consequences of software attacks and a range of other technical
measures. A comprehensive program is needed to constantly upgrade
the qualification of Internet users through teaching how to install
anti-virus programs and avoid using unlicensed software. We have
introduced such initiative. The program should involve public
organizations, secondary and higher educational establishments.

Armenian IT-experts say the Law On Personal Data needs updating. Why?

The law “On personal data” is rather liberal and needs updating.

There is no relevant regulatory body in Armenia.

The persons and structures, which deal with updating of personal data,
must be controlled in some way. Moreover, the acting legislation
does not foresee requirements for these persons. This is necessary
for maximal safety and for ruling out information leak.

Internet Society recommends Armenian users to use strong
cryptography…

Internet Society public organization recommends Armenian users to
usenamely PGP (Pretty Good Privacy).

It is a very good free program used in message encryption and
e-signatures. Strong cryptography helps protecting users against
hacking and penetrations by cyber swindlers. However, it creates
problems for the law-enforcers, as they fail to decode messages
operatively when investigation of crimes necessitates sanctioned
bugging of messages. Expediency of strong cryptography is still a
subject of debates in the world. Some countries have banned strong
cryptography, but criminals often ignore bans while ordinary citizens
are more prone to cyber-attacks and penetrations.

I’d like to add that when issuing new IT cards, the Government of
Armenia implies that every user will receive an e-signature from the
E-Governance Infrastructure Implementation Unit (EKENG). It will cost
them 5,000-7,000 drams a year.

Meanwhile, some other questions arise i.e. will citizens of Armenia
use exclusively this system or will they be able to have also other
systems? If we are obliged to use to use only this system, this
function must be laid on a state organization and not a CJSC.

According to a survey conducted at the request of Internet Society of
Armenia among 1,474 internet users all over Armenia, 27.7% of website
owners in Armenia prefer hosting providers from the United States,
26.1% Russians, 20% Europeans, 15.4% locals. Only 7.7% have own or
corporate websites. Why foreign hosting is preferred in Armenia?

Foreign hostings are safer. Local hosting providers spread
anti-governmental and anti-oligarchic articles and are therefore
controlled by the police, while foreign hosting providers have higher
capacities and require proofs to give access to their materials. In
addition, possibilities of local hosting providers are restricted.

According to the same survey, 32% of Armenians use the Armenian
language in the Internet. 28% use English, 26% use Russian. Does it
mean that many users just know no foreign language?

“This mostly means that 32% of our Internet users do not speak any
other languages. But if we don’t have enough specialists to ensure
the translation of the world’s intellectual legacy into Armenian,
we have to choose between English and Russian as a second language.

IT-development in Armenia necessitated creation of .hay domain
extension? When it will be available?

It will take us four years to create .hay domain extension (in Armenian
letters). It will be an important step for Internet in Armenia. This
project is being discussed with the public. We have not yet received
any negative response but we yet have to consult with all concerned
parties.

According to a survey conducted by the Society, 22.7% of website
owners in Armenia prefer .am, 22.3% .com, 17.4% .ru, 8.6% .net, 7.8%
.org, 6.2% .info, 5.2% .biz and 4.7% .co.

Thank you.

WE WELCOME ARMENIA’S DECISION TO JOIN CUSTOMS UNION – RUSSIAN OFFICIAL

November 06, 2013 | 15:18

YEREVAN. – The majority of Armenia’s population is for the country’s
signing the document on Customs Union accession.

Nikolai Ryzhkov, Co-Chairman of the Russian-Armenian Commission on
Interparliamentary Cooperation and Chairman of the Russian Commission
on Natural Monopolies, stated the aforesaid at Wednesday’s press
conference in Armenia’s capital city Yerevan.

“Sooner or later, Armenia will become a member in the Customs Union,
where each country will assume responsibility.

“You shall not lose the strategic partner and friend [in Russia],
and Russia shall not lose its historical friend and strategic ally
[in Armenia],” Ryzhkov stressed.

The Russian official added that some people in Armenia have set their
sights on the West hoping to join the European Union.

“But there are so many restrictions there, and we welcome Armenia’s
decision to join the Customs Union,” Nikolai Ryzhkov stated.

ISLAMIZED ARMENIANS VOICE THEIR 100 YEARS IN ‘PURGATORY’

Hurriyet Daily news, Turkey
Nov 6 2013

ISTANBUL – Hurriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioglu

Muslim Armenians say they are left in between “in a purgatory,”
saying they are accepted by neither Turkey nor the Armenian Patriarch
and community.

Gathering at a conference titled “Islamized Armenians” held at
Istanbul’s Bogazici University, members of the community gave details
about their lives, mostly spent hiding their identities in the eastern
and southeastern provinces of Turkey.

“They ask what we have gone through and I answer, ‘What haven’t we
gone through?’ All through our lives we have been in purgatory,”
said one of the participants, identified as Sadık from Adıyaman.

The feeling of not being accepted by different cultures in society
has defined their lives, Sadık added. “I was staying at a boarding
school, and the other kids called me ‘infidel.’ I didn’t know what
this meant, I just thought they didn’t like me,” he said.

Berfin, a 23-year-old who is studying the question of Muslim Armenians
for her Master’s degree at Oxford University, said her identity was
also problematic abroad.

“When I applied to a student dormitory in France, they asked me for a
baptism document, and they did not accept me when I couldn’t provide
one. Yes, Christian Armenians have had huge problems, too, but they
went on to live their identities in one way or another. We have had
to live on through 100 years of silent desperation,” Berfin said.

Another participant, only identified as H.T., said Muslim Armenians
were trying to practice Christian practices in their homes but were
trying to behave as Muslims outside.

“We said, ‘Living is resisting,’ and so we stayed on our feet.

Whatever we did, we were called infidels. Now the Christian Armenians
don’t accept us either, so we are left in between,” H.T. said, adding
that they were still trying to hide their identities today.

Responding to a question on renowned Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant
Dink, who was killed in Istanbul in 2007, H.T. said, “Yes, we fear.”

One of Dink’s lawyers, Cem Halavurt, also attended the conference. He
said that he personally did not fear revealing his identity, but
also thought the Armenian Patriarch and other Istanbul Armenians were
right to act with prudence.

“There is still a taboo of missionaries in this country. Even the
slightest step by the Patriarch could be seen as a missionary act,”
Halavurt said.

November/06/2013