Author: Kalantarian Kevo

A moral Israel must recognize the Armenian genocide
01/22/2012 16:51 By ISRAEL W. CHARNY

Israel must put an end to this charade and fully recognize the Armenian
genocide.

Photo by: REUTERS/Robert Pratta

I never cease to be amazed at the `upside-down double talk’ that genocide
deniers speak – not only in denial of the Armenian genocide, but in denial
of the Holocaust and, believe it or not, denial of the Rwandan genocide. In
fact, many of us scholars characterize denial of genocide as the `last
stage of genocide.’

In a recent article
in The
Jerusalem Post called `Armenian Genocide: Israel must maintain its moral
compass,’ the arguments set forth by Hakan Yavuz and Tal Buenos are a thin
veneer for nothing less than a pro-Turkish government position of
maintaining denial of the Armenian genocide.

What is their argument? For Israel to now to break its silence and
recognize the Armenian genocide, it would be tantamount to confessing,
retroactively, that its been playing politics all along by remaining silent
and, with crocodile tears, admitting that those of us who care about Israel
cannot allow that to happen.

Wrong enough, but their basic argument is extended by a manipulative and
factually irresponsible debate of the very concept of `genocide.’ Suddenly
the historic Polish attorney Raphael Lemkin, a Jew with a high post in the
Polish government legal system who we recognize as having virtually given
his life to bring into international law the concept of `genocide’ that he
created, is characterized as `an employee of the US Government’ who he
was
serving to gain a moral advantage over the Germans after WWII.

There is not a word of recognition that Lemkin first submitted a resolution
about the mass killing of religious and national entities to the League of
Nations long before WWII. Lemkin was an employee of the US occupational
Army in Germany very briefly after surviving the Holocaust in which he lost
virtually all of his family. After giving up law positions at Duke
University as well as Yale, he devoted himself full time to the passage of
the Genocide Convention in the newly founded United Nations. The authors
should be reprimanded severely for their distorted presentation of Lemkin’s
identity.

The key issue that emerges is the question of whether, after years of a
realpolitik denial of the Armenian genocide, in disheartening
obsequiousness to Turkey in an attempt to gain their favor at the expense
of the basic moral principles that are intrinsic to recognition to another
people’s genocide or holocaust, Israel’s recognition of the Armenian
genocide would constitute another politicized move rather than a moral
correction.

Finally, the authors seek to stall with a disingenuous promise, 70 years
after the Holocaust, that further study of the concept of `genocide’ will
bring us to an understanding we do not have, as if we do not know that
genocide is the mass murder of a significant part of a targeted people,
executed by a government or any other entity, such as a religious or
ideological group or a terrorist organization.

The facts are well known: The Turkish government executed the Armenian
genocide – in which one to one-and-a-half million Armenians were murdered.

And for us Jews and Israelis, there are added meanings: One Israeli
Professor at Bar Ilan University once characterized the Armenian genocide
as a `dress rehearsal for the Holocaust.’ We also know that Hitler
explicitly built on the precedent of the Armenian genocide when he went
after us Jews.

The writer is executive director of the Institute on the Holocaust and
Genocide in Jerusalem, editor of the Web Magazine GPN GENOCIDE PREVENTI0N
NOW, a co-founder and former president of the International Association of
Genocide Scholars and editor of the Encyclopedia of Genocide. He was
awarded the Armenian Presidential Prize -similar to the Israel Prize – in
Yerevan in June 2011 for his contributions to the study of denials of
genocides – of course including the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust.

AVERTISSEMENT du CCAF
Manifestation turque de lundi rue Médicis : pour éviter toute provocation

Un rassemblement turc a été également autorisé rue Médicis devant le
Thétre de l’Odéon et les grilles du jardin du Luxembourg à la même
heure que celui du CCAF. Les personnes qui répondront à l’appel du
CCAF devant le Sénat à 14h (angle rue de Vaugirard, rue de Tournon,
soit à une cinquantaine de mètres de la manifestation turque),ne
pourront donc passer par la rue Médicis pour le rejoindre. Outre le
rassemblement turc, la fin de la rue Médicis sera de plus bloquée par
les forces de l’ordre qui seront chargées d’empêcher tout contact et
de prévenir toute provocation. Il est donc conseillé aux sympathisants
du CCAF de descendre plutôt au métro Odéon. Ceux qui viendront par le
RER Luxembourg, seront en effet obligées, en contournant le
rassemblement hostile à la loi, de faire un grand tour pour nous
rejoindre.

A.T.

cliquer sur l’image pour agrandir

dimanche 22 janvier 2012,
Ara ©armenews.com

ARFD MEMBER: ALL THE PARTIES WILL START SIMULTANEOUSLY AT THE MAY ELECTION EXCEPT RPA WITH ITS 41 SEATS ELECTED WITH FIRST-PAST-THE POST ELECTORAL SYSTEM

ARMINFO
Friday, January 20, 16:28

The forthcoming parliamentary election in the republic are like a race
track, on which all the parties will start simultaneously from one
start, except the RPA which wants to run 41 meters forward with its
41 seats elected with first-past-the post election system, a deputy
from ARF Dashnaktiutyun parliamentary faction, Armen Rustamyan,
said at today’s press-conference.

“An exclusive and may be even a historical situation has been
established in Armenia, when all the political forces of the country
are for introduction of the 100% proportional electoral system. The
authorities as well as the opposition think it is a necessary factor
to reach transparent elections and form a democratic country. However,
the RPA offers to delay adoption of the new electoral system, but
gives no arguments – why”, – he said.

Rustamyan thinks that such behavior of the ruling party may be
explained by the fact that the first-past-the-post electoral system
gives this party an opportunity to force the opposition forces out of
the parliament. This will lead to destruction of all the principles
of a democratic country and fair elections.

Therefore, Rustamyan offered the authorities to organize public
opinion poll for 30 days to clear out the viewpoint of the society
on the matter.

For his part, the leader of the ARF Dashnaktiutyun parliamentary
faction, Vahan Hovannisyan, said that in this context the only clear
explanation of the authorities is a statement according to which
Russia allegedly regretted for transition from the first-past-the-post
electoral system to the 100% proportional one. “But this may be
simply explained, as the territory of Russia must not be compared
with that of Armenia. For such a large country like Russia the
first-past-the-post electoral system is more acceptable than for
Armenia”, – Hovannisyan said.
Content-Type: MESSAGE/RFC822; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-Description:

MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
From: Mihran Keheyian
Subject: ARFD member: All the parties will start simultaneously at the May
election except RPA with its 41 seats elected with first-past-the post

ARFD member: All the parties will start simultaneously at the May
election except RPA with its 41 seats elected with first-past-the post
electoral system

ARMINFO
Friday, January 20, 16:28

The forthcoming parliamentary election in the republic are like a race
track, on which all the parties will start simultaneously from one
start, except the RPA which wants to run 41 meters forward with its 41
seats elected with first-past-the post election system, a deputy from
ARF Dashnaktiutyun parliamentary faction, Armen Rustamyan, said at
today’s press-conference.

“An exclusive and may be even a historical situation has been
established in Armenia, when all the political forces of the country
are for introduction of the 100% proportional electoral system. The
authorities as well as the opposition think it is a necessary factor
to reach transparent elections and form a democratic country. However,
the RPA offers to delay adoption of the new electoral system, but
gives no arguments – why”, – he said.

Rustamyan thinks that such behavior of the ruling party may be
explained by the fact that the first-past-the-post electoral system
gives this party an opportunity to force the opposition forces out of
the parliament. This will lead to destruction of all the principles of
a democratic country and fair elections.
Therefore, Rustamyan offered the authorities to organize public
opinion poll for 30 days to clear out the viewpoint of the society on
the matter.

For his part, the leader of the ARF Dashnaktiutyun parliamentary
faction, Vahan Hovannisyan, said that in this context the only clear
explanation of the authorities is a statement according to which
Russia allegedly regretted for transition from the first-past-the-post
electoral system to the 100% proportional one. “But this may be simply
explained, as the territory of Russia must not be compared with that
of Armenia. For such a large country like Russia the
first-past-the-post electoral system is more acceptable than for
Armenia”, – Hovannisyan said.

TURKEY ASKS FRANCE TO THROW OUT GENOCIDE BILL

BBC
20 January 2012

Armenians say as many as 1.5 million people died in 1915-16 Continue
reading the main story

Turkey’s foreign minister has asked the French Senate to reject a
bill criminalising genocide denial, as it moves closer to becoming law.

Ahmet Davutoglu said the passing of the bill would leave a “black
stain on France’s intellectual history”.

Turkey froze political and military ties when the bill was passed by
the National Assembly last month.

France recognises the mass killing of Armenians in Ottoman times as
genocide – a description Turkey rejects.

Armenians say as many as 1.5 million people were slaughtered or died
of starvation and disease when they were deported in 1915-16.

Ankara says closer to 300,000 people died, and that Turks were also
killed as Armenians rose up against the Ottoman Empire when Russian
troops invaded eastern Anatolia, now eastern Turkey.

More than 20 countries have formally recognised the killings as
genocide.

‘Political interests’

Senators are due to debate the bill on Monday and are likely to
approve it despite advice from one of their own committees this week.

Under the bill, those publicly denying genocide would face a year in
jail and a fine of 45,000 euros (£29,000: $58,000).

About half a million ethnic Armenians live in France and their vote
is considered important in the presidential election this spring.

There are suspicions in Turkey that the bill is aimed at wooing
this electorate.

“We invite each French senator to stop for a while and think beyond
all political interests,” Mr Davutoglu said in televised remarks.

“We expect [President Nicolas] Sarkozy, his party and the French
Senate to respect European values before anything else,” he said.

President Sarkozy sent a conciliatory letter to Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, released by the French embassy in
Ankara on Friday.

Turks have demonstrated outside the French consulate in Istanbul “I
hope we can make reason prevail and maintain our dialogue, as befits
allied and friendly countries,” he wrote.

He added that the bill was “in no way aimed at any state or people
in particular”.

The fate of the Armenians under the Ottomans remains a sensitive
issue inside Turkey.

On Thursday there were large demonstrations to mark five years since
the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.

Mr Dink, shot dead outside the Istanbul offices of Turkish-Armenian
newspaper Agos, had angered Turkish nationalists by using the term
“genocide”.

ARMAVIA TO OBTAIN SECOND SUKHOI SUPERJET IN APRIL

/ARKA/
JANUARY 20, 201
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, January 20. /ARKA/. Armenia’s national air carrier Armavia
will obtain the second Sukhoi Superjet -100 aircraft in April this
year, the company’s press officer, Nana Avetisova, said to ARKA Friday.

Russian RBC daily quoted Igor Syrtsov from Sukhoi Civil Aircrafts
Company as saying that the second aircraft was to be delivered earlier
but Armavia asked to postpone it until April. Syrtsov said at an
airshow in Bahrain that the second SukhoI Superjet will be equipped
with an improved interior, three bathrooms and four kitchens.

The first Sukhoi Superjet 100 was delivered for Armavia on April 19,
2011. The cost of the aircraft is $24 million. The short-haul passenger
aircraft is designed to transport up to 98 passengers at a distance
of 4,400 km.

Armavia was founded in 1996. Today it operates more than 100 flights
a week to over 40 destinations in 20 countries.

DEMONSTRATION ORGANIZED IN FRONT OF TURKISH EMBASSY IN GERMANY FOR HRANT AND JUSTICE (PHOTOS)

January 20, 2012 | 18:20

BERLIN. – Several events were held to commemorate Agos Armenian
newspaper former chief editor Hrant Dink’s fifth year of death
in Berlin.

During the demonstration citizens held posters condemning Dink’s
murder in front of the Turkish Embassy in Berlin.

SARKOZY ASKS ERDOGAN NOT TO HAMPER GENOCIDE DENIAL CRIMINALIZATION EFFORTS

Tert.am
20.01.12

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has sent a letter to Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, asking him to refrain from excessive
steps towards hampering the Senate~Rs efforts to debate the Armenian
Genocide denial criminalization bill.

“We perfectly realize what grief Turkey suffered as a result of
World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. I know it is
hard to admit what happened in the course of history,” Sarkozy said,
noting that his country had come to terms with such bitter truths as
complicity in the slave trade and expulsion of Jews to concentration
camps.

Sarkozy further referred to his 2007 speech in Algeria, where he
confessed to France~Rs colonial policies in the country.

“Turkey is a big country and an important partner for France. I wish
us both – as two partners and allies – to rely on friendship. I would
like you to know that any excessive step in connection with this
law would harm the two countries’ multilateral relations, laying the
entire burden of responsibility on them both, ” reads the statement.

GERMANY TOO IS LIKELY TO PASS A BILL CRIMINALIZING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL

ARMENPRESS
JANUARY 20, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS: Erika Steinbach, the spokesperson for
Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid of the German Parliamentary Group,
has stated that alike France Germany, too, is likely to pass a bill
criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial.

According to Erika Steinbach, the members of the coalition government
find that no matter how much Turkey denies the reality, it is obvious
that genocide has been committed, Armenpress reports citing CNNTurk.

“The topic of the Armenian Genocide is always kept in our agenda.

Turkey confronts that responsibility,” she said.

The spokesperson for Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid said Turkish
authorities can acknowledge that fact with ease if they state that
the genocide has been committed not by the current leaders of Turkey.

BLACK ANNIVERSARY FOR ARMENIANS OF BAKU: SOVIET TROOPS QUASHED POGROMS 22 YEARS AGO TODAY
By Gayane Lazarian

ArmeniaNow
News | 20.01.12 | 13:17

University students laying a wreath at the memorial to the victims
of Sumgait

Twenty two years have passed since the Baku pogroms and the
perpetrators are still unpunished. No legal proceeding ever took place
calling to account all those political forces and individuals guilty
of mass murder. Violently displaced Armenian refugees never received
any compensation for the moral and/or material damage they’d suffered.

The 5-day mass pogroms (January 13-19, 1990) of the Armenian population
of Baku stopped right before the Soviet troops entered the city on
January 20.

“For the first time in all of the history of the Soviet Union, openly,
in the daylight and in front of everyone, uncontrolled massacres were
perpetrated and no one prevented or interfered. And although Soviet
Russia wasn’t the initiator, both the soviet government and Azerbaijani
Popular Front party board were well informed about it,” says Grigory
Ayvazyan, president of the Assembly of Azerbaijani Armenians.

No investigation has been conducted to tell the exact death toll.

Various sources claim it exceeded 400.

Lida Harutyunova, who escaped from Baku in 1990 and settled in Armenia,
says that in 1988 after the Sumgait tragedy they moved to Armenia
but in 1989 returned to Baku together with her husband to collect
their belongings.

“Six people with knives attacked our house, told us that if we gave
them the certificate of ownership for the house and 5,000 rubles,
they wouldn’t hurt us. So we were unable to bring anything with us,
only managed to stay alive,” Harutyunova recalls.

Pogoms in Baku started in October-November of 1988, they stopped for
a while and resumed in August-September of 1989; the third and final
stage happened in 1990.

On January 17, 1990 the European Parliamentary passed a resolution
calling upon the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers and the
European Council to protect Armenians and demand from the Soviet
government to show immediate help to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. On
January 18 a group of American senators address a letter to Mikhail
Gorbachev, expressing their concern over the Baku pogroms and calling
for unification of Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia.

Heritage party MP Larisa Alaverdyan says that while after the Sumgait
massacre a Soviet court held judicial procedures – even if fictional,
but in case with Baku pogroms only protocols were drawn up for a few
cases stating assault, looting or beatings, that’s all.

“We have to understand that before it’s too late all the cases have
to be legally processed and presented to the international community
with both political and moral aspects,” says Alaverdyan.

For three years now the statement drafted by Alaverdyan, defining
Azerbaijan’s criminal actions of 1988-1994 against Armenians as
genocide, has been submitted to the parliament but the majority of
law-makers treat it negatively.

“Unfortunately, up until today the Armenian side has not investigated
the pogroms perpetrated by Azerbaijan against Armenians neither has
it ever properly addressed the issue in legal or historical terms,”
she says.

By Armenia’s Migration Agency data, some 418,000 Armenians of
Azerbaijan migrated to Armenia 300,000 of whom now live here, the
rest have further moved to other countries.

IFC LOAN HELPS ARMENIA’S ACBA-CREDIT AGRICOLE BOOST LENDING TO SMALL BUSINESSES, FARMERS

Noyan Tapan
2012-01-20

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is providing Armenia’s
ACBA-Credit Agricole Bank with a $30 million loan to expand lending
to local micro, small, and medium enterprises and agribusinesses,
boosting job creation.

Amid tighter credit and volatility in international financial markets,
IFC’s medium-term funding will support the bank’s lending program
in rural areas through its extensive network of branches throughout
Armenia. This is the second loan IFC has provided to ACBA-Credit
Agricole Bank since March 2011. IFC previously provided the bank with
a $20 million loan, which has already been fully utilized to support
about 3,000 local clients.

“The new loan will further increase our capacity for lending to
micro and small and medium enterprises, including agribusiness,”
said Stepan Gishyan, CEO of ACBA-Credit Agricole Bank. “This is
a new stage in our successful cooperation with IFC. With this new
loan IFC significantly emphasizes its role as one of our largest
lenders. During these challenging economic, times lending to micro
and small businesses is very important for both of our institutions.”

Thomas Lubeck, IFC Regional Head for the Caucasus, said: “IFC
continues to play an important role in supporting banks in emerging
markets to help expand their lending programs in priority sectors,
like agribusiness. With this second loan to the leading lender to
the agriculture sector in Armenia in a short time span, we aim to
support development of micro and small businesses, the sector that
employs a significant part of Armenian workers.”

IFC partnered with ACBA-Credit Agricole Bank in 2003 to establish
ACBA Leasing, the first leasing company in Armenia. In addition to
debt finance, IFC also signed an International Swaps and Derivatives
Association master agreement, which allows ACBA-Credit Agricole to
better manage its currency and interest-rate risks.

Since Armenia became a member of IFC in 1995, IFC has invested$147
million in 28 projects across the industry spectrum, including
financial markets, manufacturing, and mining. IFC Advisory Services
also provides advice through projects focusing on the financial sector,
sustainable energy, and regulatory simplification.

About IFC

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global
development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. We
help developing countries achieve sustainable growth by financing
investment, providing advisory services to businesses and governments,
and mobilizing capital in the international financial markets. In
fiscal 2011, amid economic uncertainty across the globe, we helped
our clients create jobs, strengthen environmental performance,
and contribute to their local communities-all while driving our
investments to an all-time high of nearly $19 billion. For more
information, visit