Author: Kajoyan Gevork

A Personal Reminiscence of Armen Babamian

by CK Garabed on January 3, 2013

By Charles Kasbarian

My first glimpse of Armen Babamian was in 1931 when I was four years
old. My mother had enrolled my older brother and I in the Sunday
School of Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church in Union City, N.J. At
a certain point our teachers would take us into the sanctuary to
witness the Armenian Liturgy that was under way. It was then that I
saw Armen, standing on the altar, book in hand, singing one of our
timeless and beloved sharagans. I felt exalted by Armen’s enchanting
voice, and I resolved at that tender age to some day join the choir,
which I eventually did.

Armen Babamian, Onnik Dinkjian, and Charles Kasbarian, the `Three
Musketeers of Dikranagerd,’ and Hagopig Kadian, the `Bolsetsi
D’Artagnan.’
By that time Armen was no longer singing in Holy Cross Church, and I
was grouped with the sopranos because my voice hadn’t changed yet.
When it did, the choir director, Artin Shalian, an erudite scholar who
later translated our Armenian epic, David of Sassoun, published by
Ohio University Press, took me in hand and personally taught me the
bass part of the Badarak. When later he was relieved of his duties, I
decided it was time to move on.

When I next met Armen, with whom I had developed a close friendship
over the years, I said to him, `Armen, I know that you are the
choirmaster of St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York, and I’d like
to come join your choir.’ He replied, `I would consider it an honor to
have you in my choir. As a matter of fact, we have choir rehearsal
this Thursday night. Come.’ So I went, and he introduced me as the
newest member of the choir. He also described me as his cousin (which
I wasn’t), probably counting on that to put me in the good graces of
the other members. Well, it sure worked. It happened that elections
were scheduled for a new executive body that very night, and, based
upon Armen’s recommendation, I was elected to the executive committee.
That shows how highly he was thought of by the young people who
practically worshipped him. His popularity was enhanced by his habit
of taking the kids after Sunday Badarak to the local ice cream parlor
for a treat at his expense. They would sing on the streets, all the
way, the Armenian folk songs he had taught them. Many of them joined
the Armenian National Chorus, which he eventually directed.

When it came to encouraging the youth, Armen was not surpassed. Thanks
to him we were blessed with some of the finest church organists to be
found. This brings to mind names such as Ara Dinkjian, Laurens
Ayvazian, Raffi Kadian, Antranig Kasbarian, Diane Kradjian, and Anne
Boyajian. No potential candidate was too young for Armen if he thought
that person had the ability to succeed. Just think, when Laurens
Ayvazian left the post of organist, Armen recommended Raffi Kadian and
Antranig Kasbarian as co-organists. And they were 13 and 12 years old,
respectively. They fully measured up to his expectations, as did all
the others.

Although Armen was 12 years my senior, he always behaved as if I was
an older brother. Together with Onnik Dinkjian, we acted like the
`Three Musketeers of Dikranagerd,’ always speaking our dialect when in
each others’ company. Armen had mentioned to me that our dear departed
friend Zabelle Bogosian, when a child, had difficulty saying akhper,
Dikranagerdtsi for yeghpair or brother. She would address her brother
as aper, and we picked up on that, calling each other aper, or ap for
short. Many a time Armen would address me with, `Hi ap, what’s up!’

Vladimir Nabokov, author of Lolita, observed, `Life is such a great
surprise. There is no reason why what follows should not be an even
greater surprise.’ And so, we say Adieu to you, dear Armen, and look
forward to when our spirits will meet again in the Great Beyond.

To hear Armen’s vocal renditions of our sacred and secular Armenian
music, visit this YouTube link:

Armen P. Babamian

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013

NEW MILFORD – Armen P. Babamian, 97, of New Milford died Dec. 24.

A long-time resident of the borough, he formerly lived in Cliffside Park.

A retired insurance salesman and avid tennis player, he was a renowned
soloist, beginning his career in 1949 as a principal soloist with the
Armenian National Chorus of New York.

Mr. Babamian was a choir master at St. Illuminator Armenian Church in
New York City for 25 years, and conductor of the Sts. Vartanantz
Armenian Church in Ridgefield for 25 years.

In 1999, he was the recipient of the Mesrob Mashdots Metal and Holy
Encyclical Metal by the Catholicos Aram I of Antelias.

He is survived by Rita, his wife of 71 years. He was the father father
of Carole Abbatiello and her husband Joseph, and Armen J. Babamian and
his wife Amelia; and grandfather of Christine Manning (Michael), Lynn
Madden Toufayan (Arthur), Joseph Abbatiello (Carissa), Gernelle
Bokuniewicz (Dan) and Armen P. Babamian II.

Also surviving are 10 great-grandchildren and a large extended family.

Visiting was Thursday, Dec. 27, at the William G. Basralian Funeral
Home, 559 Kinderkamack Road, Oradell.

Funeral services were Friday, Dec. 28, at Sts. Vartanantz Armenian
Church, Ridgefield. Entombment followed in George Washington Memorial
Park, Paramus.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Sts. Vartanantz Armenian
Church or the American Heart Association.

Jan. 3, 2013

Mkhitaryan collects Armenia award again

armradio.am
11:30 03.01.20130

FC Shakhtar Donetsk’s attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been
voted Armenian player of the year for the third time, finishing ahead
of Yura Movsisyan and Aras Özbiliz.

In a poll of Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) executive committee
members, club presidents and head coaches and media, Mkhitaryan earned
296 points to finish ahead of his international team-mates Yura
Movsisyan (90 votes), who recently moved to FC Spartak Moskva, and
midfielder Aras Özbiliz (58) of FC Kuban Krasnodar. Mkhitaryan, who
collected the Golden Boot award from FFA president Ruben Hayrapetyan,
also won the poll in 2009 and 2011.

`I am proud that I play for Armenia and that I’ve been voted my
country’s best player,’ he told UEFA.com. `Every player dreams of
recognition in his homeland. Such high trust has to be justified with
deeds not with words, and a player’s deed is his football. This season
is going great for me but I am not going to stop. This is just the
first step on the way to success.’

Mayissian: Armenia’s `Silent’ National Security Threat

Posted by Houry Mayissian
on January 3, 2013 in Houry Mayissian

As we make our plans and commit to new resolutions for 2013, at least for
some of our compatriots in Armenia new plans will unfortunately mean
immigrating to new countries. More than 20 years after independence,
outward migration remains the `answer’ to the poverty and socio-economic
issues affecting many in Armenia today.
[image: 1×1.trans Mayissian: Armenia’s `Silent’ National Security Threat]

Today, emigration is one of the `silent’ threats to Armenia’s national
security – one with potentially very serious ramifications for the country
both internally and externally.

As many as 97,000 people left Armenia in the first 9 months of 2012, the
Armenian media reported in October. In reality, 97,000 is just the tip of
the iceberg. Almost a million people are believed to have left the country
during the last two decades, bringing the current population down to an
estimated 2.87 million – 3.1 million. Today, emigration is one of the
`silent’ threats to Armenia’s national security – one with potentially very
serious ramifications for the country both internally and externally.

Internally, the ongoing wave of emigration is continuing to deprive Armenia
of citizens who may otherwise play a critical role in state-building and
socio-economic advancement. As a developing country, Armenia faces many
challenges – from establishing democratic state institutions that are able
to
deliver for its citizens, to driving economic growth and upping the
standards of healthcare, education, and other areas of human development.
These much-needed reforms can only be brought by people – be they
intellectuals, professionals, businessmen, laborers, or artists – people who
are choosing to leave the country instead.

Emigration also compounds the country’s already challenging demographic
situation. Standing at 1.7 children per woman, Armenia’s low fertility
rates are well below the minimal 2.1 births required for the population’s
reproduction. Armenia is also an aging society, with those 60 or over (14.6
percent of the current population) exceeding the 12 percent indicator for
an aged population. When viewed within this overall context, the serious
threats of large-scale emigration on the country’s future population become
even more emphasized.

Emigration has societal consequences as well. It is not surprising that in
August 2011, the BBC ran a story on Armenia’s `villages of women left
behind.’ The women of Dzoragyugh interviewed for the article were more
concerned about losing their husbands to other women and new families in
far-away Russia than working the fields.

Armenia’s `emptying’ villages have also been noticed by our watchful
neighbors across the border. `Our economy is growing, while theirs is
actually paralyzed. Our population is increasing, while they are facing a
demographic catastrophe, there is zero natural growth and mass emigration,’
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in a speech in October 2012,
according to the Lragir news agency. He also called on the people of
Azerbaijan to wait until Armenia is `totally empty’ to take over not only
Nagorno-Karabagh, but also the country as a whole.

Aliyev is famous for his bellicose statements. We can argue that they are
for internal consumption. We can dismiss them as the desperate shenanigans
of a party defeated in war. We can even feel bolstered by the strength of
the Armenian Army and assurances that Armenia can win another war against
Azerbaijan if it had to – at least for now.

However, we know that a peaceful resolution of the Karabagh conflict is not
on the horizon. We also know that meanwhile Azerbaijan is pumping oil money
into its army. According to the International Crisis Group, Azerbaijan’s
military spending has increased 20-fold during Aliyev’s presidency to a
mighty $4.4 billion in 2012, a figure that exceeds the entire state budget
of Armenia. It may not be the case now, but continued large-scale
emigration from Armenia may lead to challenges in maintaining a strong army
in the future.

Despite the seriousness of the problem, the Armenian government has so far
lacked the political will to adequately address the issue of emigration.
Government action has been rare and tended to focus on half measures to
forcefully curb emigration, rather than policies that provide a long-term
solution.

Such was the case when Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan took aim at Russia’s
`Compatriots’ program, which assists voluntary immigration to Russia’s
sparsely populated areas. `The organization of such activities in the
Republic of Armenia is unacceptable,’ Sargsyan said in October 2012, in a
failed attempt to stop the program from running in Armenia. It didn’t take
long for the Russian ambassador in Yerevan to remind Sargysan that `no one
makes Armenians go to Russia’ and that `people leave Armenia because they
have certain objective reasons.’

Regardless of the impact such programs might have, the most effective way
to fight against emigration is to abolish the reasons people want to leave
in the first place. For Armenia, first and foremost, this means creating
jobs, developing a more favorable business environment, and encouraging
small and medium businesses. It also means curbing corruption, working
towards an egalitarian society, and safeguarding the basic rights of
citizens.

Armenia’s ruling parties must recognize that their policies are directly
responsible for emigration and must immediately start stemming its tide.
With the presidential elections fast approaching, the incoming government
must turn its attention to the `silent’ threat of emigration and devise
policies that address poverty, unemployment, inequality, and corruption.
Steps must also be taken to encourage and facilitate the return of former
emigrants and diasporans to their homeland.

Unfortunately, President Serge Sarkisian’s presidential nomination
acceptance speech in December provides no reason to hope for meaningful
change on this front, in the case of his re-election. Sarkisian made no
references to emigration except for vague promises of shaping a country
that will be `competitive enough to ensure sufficient prosperity to its own
citizens, render void any desire to earn a living abroad, and able to
summon its children back in a dignified manner – to return to a thriving
Armenia.’

In the absence of effective government policies to reverse the flow of
emigration, we in the diaspora also have a role to play. We must constantly
raise the issue and remind those in power in Armenia – through our media,
during community visits and interactions with Armenian officials – of the
seriousness of the situation. We must demand explanation. We must challenge
the government to take action. As a nation we can no longer afford to stay
indifferent to this `silent’ threat to the security and prosperity of our
homeland.

Classement
Un vin arménien classé dans le top 10 de la liste de Bloomberg

Le vin Zorah Karasi Areni Noir, fabriqué à partir de raisins provenant
de la région d’Areni, a été classé dans le top 10 de la liste de
Bloomberg. Le chroniqueur de Bloomberg, Elin McCoy, a déclaré que le
top 10 a été réalisé à partir d’une liste de 4000 vins. « J’ai été
impressionné par le goût de ce vin arménien, un rouge élégant fait à
partir de raisins noir et vieilli dans des amphores d’argile », a
déclaré Elin McCoy. « L’élégance soyeuse, la douceur des fruits
accompagnée d’une note sauvage définissent ce vin. Il est fabriqué
dans la région d’Areni, où des archéologues ont découvert la plus
ancienne cave du monde, vieille de 6100 ans », a ajouté McCoy.

Après plusieurs voyages en Arménie, Zorik Gharibian, un Arménien
vivant en Italie, a décidé d’acheter un vignoble en Arménie, au lieu
d’investir en Toscane. Il a ainsi fabriqué ce vin afin de mettre en
avant le potentiel de l’Arménie en matière de création. Il vit
aujourd’hui à Milan avec sa femme et ses deux enfants.

jeudi 3 janvier 2013,
Laetitia ©armenews.com

01/01/13
Photos: New Year Celebration Held at Sarkis Church in Tehran

Photos by Erfan Khoshkhoo, ISNA

Iran’s Armenian Christian community held a ceremony at Sarkis Church
in Tehran on Saturday night to celebrate the New Year 2013. During the
ceremony, special prayers were said and New Year’s bread was
distributed among those attending the celebration.

While Iran is officially designated the “Islamic Republic,” among its
more than 66 million people is a small but important Christian
minority. Most of Iran’s Christians are Armenians and Assyrians, who
remain relatively free to follow their faith.

The numbers of Protestants and evangelical Christians are said to be
growing. For these people, life is often much more difficult. A number
of Christian denominations still live in Iran today and include
Assyrians, Armenians, Catholics, Protestants and Evangelical
Christians. Although a minority religious group in Iran, Christians of
Iran are free to practice their religion and perform their religious
rituals. (see article)

ARMENIE
Le Karabagh commence à fournir du charbon à l’Arménie

La mine de charbon de Magavuz dans la région de Martakert fourni du
charbon à l’Arménie

Le président arménien Serge Sarkissian et le Président du Karabagh
Bako Sahakyan ont visité le bassin houiller.

Le charbon est destiné à la production d’électricité à Erevan.

Le projet promouvra l’économie et augmentera la sécurité énergétique arménienne.

mardi 1er janvier 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

World needs peace more than any time before: Tehran Archbishop

Tehran, Dec 31, IRNA – World needs peace more than any time before,
the Primate of the Armenian Orthodox Diocese of Tehran Archbishop
Sebouh Sarkissian said here on Sunday.

Congratulating the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ, Sarkissian
prayed for the establishment of peace, security and progress across
the world, including Iran, Armenia and Syria.

‘Peace is an immediate need of the world today; Christmas days are
good opportunity for all Christians to pray for the well-being of
Iranian citizens and Syrian people.’

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized
attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border
guards being reported across the country.

Thousands of people, including members of the security forces, have
been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes.

The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups
for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from
abroad.

In October 2011, calm was eventually restored in the Arab state after
President Assad started a reform initiative in the country, but
Israel, the US and its Arab allies are seeking hard to bring the
country into chaos through any possible means. Tel Aviv, Washington
and some Arab capitals have been staging various plots in the hope of
increasing unrests in Syria.

The US daily, Washington Post, reported in May that the Syrian rebels
and terrorist groups battling the President Bashar al-Assad’s
government have received significantly more and better weapons in
recent weeks, a crime paid for by some Persian Gulf Arab states and
coordinated by the United States.

The newspaper, quoting opposition activists and US and foreign
officials, reported that Obama administration officials emphasized the
administration has expanded contacts with opposition military forces
to provide some Persian Gulf nations with assessments of rebel
credibility and command-and-control infrastructure.

9191**2050

Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 80479865

ARMENIE
Arthur Haroyan – 1915 / Interview

1915 : la pièce d’Arthur Haroyan fait salle comble au Brésil

par Anush Kocharyan [Anouche Kotcharian]

Hetq, 30.11.2012

La première de 1915, pièce d’Arthur Haroyan, a eu lieu à São Paulo, au
Brésil, le 28 octobre dernier, et continue d’attirer un nombreux
public. J’ai récemment téléphoné à Arthur et je lui ai posé quelques
questions sur l’accueil critique et les réactions des spectateurs.

Anouch Kotcharian : Comment la première, attendue depuis longtemps,
de 1915 a-t-elle été accueillie par les Arméniens locaux et les
amateurs de thétre à São Paulo ?

Arthur Haroyan : J’ai été agréablement surpris de constater que le
public se composait pour l’essentiel de Brésiliens. Naturellement, il
y avait aussi des Arméniens. Notre site internet a reçu de nombreuses
lettres des deux côtés sur la pièce. Beaucoup de gens nous disent
qu’ils n’arrivent pas à dormir, après avoir vu la pièce, car
l’histoire est rendue de façon très réaliste. Ils commencent même à
mener des recherches de leur côté sur ces événements. Souvent, à la
fin de la pièce, les acteurs se présentent sur scène et s’inclinent
devant le public en silence. Applaudir après un tel récit leur
paraîtrait incongru. Ils sont très émus en sortant du thétre.

Anouch Kotcharian : La crainte que les Brésiliens ne saisissent pas
le thème clé de la pièce aboutirait donc à l’opposé ?

Arthur Haroyan : Nous avons modifié beaucoup de détails, depuis que
la pièce a commencé, et nous avons simplifié de nombreuses scènes, car
ce qui se déroulait sur scène ressemblait plus à un film qu’à une
représentation thétrale. Le spectateur ne comprenait rien à ce
mélange. Aujourd’hui encore, il n’est pas évident aux yeux de certains
que les quatre femmes qui continuent de se détacher dans les scènes
soient mortes ou vivantes, après la première scène. Nous intégrons le
symbolisme afin de simplifier les choses. Par exemple, pourquoi
boivent-ils et mangent-ils dans des plats vides, ou pourquoi
parlent-ils d’un objet, quand rien de tel n’existe sur scène ? Le
symbolisme est devenu est des éléments les plus importants de la pièce
; peut-être en est-il la base. Je suis davantage satisfait lorsque le
spectateur n’arrive pas à deviner l’énigme de la représentation avant
la fin, quand ils ne peuvent distinguer la frontière séparant la mort
de la vie.

Traduction : © Georges Festa – 12.2012.

pour lire la suite cliquer sur les liens

lundi 31 décembre 2012,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

S. Lavrov announced that Iranian nuclear program is acceptable

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has underlined Iran’s right to
peaceful nuclear energy, and warned that the use of force against Iran
will lead to negative consequences for regional and global security.
Press TV writes about this.

“Iran has the right to have peaceful nuclear activity under the
complete supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA)”, Lavrov said in an exclusive with Interfax on Thursday.

He noted that the international community should respond to Iran’s
positive steps and gradually remove the sanctions.

There are new horizons in the negotiation process between Iran and the
P5+1 group (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus
Germany) in bridging the gaps, Lavrov said in reference to recent
exchange of views between the two sides.

“According to IAEA reports, there is no evidence of Iran’s deviation
from peaceful nuclear program; IAEA representatives and Iranian
officials made agreement on the modality of cooperation in latest
talks in Tehran,” the Russian foreign minister pointed out.

He expressed hope that the upcoming January talks between IAEA
representatives and Iran would result in a final agreement.

Lavrov also cautioned against the use of force against Iran which
would have grave consequences for regional and international security.

He called on all parties involved in talks over Iran’s nuclear program
to be cautious about their steps and to avoid the use of force during
the negotiation process.

29.12.12, 10:19