Author: Kalantarian Kevo

The Stonewalling Catholicos

Editorial, 1 March 2014

After years of keeping silent and praying that Catholicos Karekin II
would mend his wayward ways, many Armenians in Armenia and in the
Diaspora finally threw in the towel last summer and made their
criticisms of the catholicos public. They circulated petitions,
published open letters, wrote articles, convened meetings, flooded
websites with their condemnation, and demanded his resignation.

Keghart.com joined the outcry and published, in its August 8, 2013
issue, an editorial titled “Catholicos Karekin II Stands Accused”. The
editorial listed such charges as his fraudulent election, the
fathering of two children, his lack of spirituality and theological
knowledge, limited intellectual capacity, rampant corruption, the
illegal control of all the levers of power at Echmiadzin, the unheard
of defrocking of nearly 160 archbishops, bishops, clergymen, deacons;
and alliance with the Sarkissian regime…some 23 allegations. An
unprecedented over 20,000 people have read the editorial in Keghart,
in addition to an unknown number who’ve read on other websites.

Five months after the uproar, the catholicos had not responded,
although he had had many opportunities to do so. Finally, on January
6, on Armenian Christmas day, Karekin II issued a message to the “Dear
and faithful people in Armenia, Artsakh and the Dispersion” wherein he
went after his critics.

After tendentiously quoting the Bible–“Teach me the way I should go,
Lord, for to you I lift up my soul”–he archly said: “Our Lord
proclaimed that truth is a value equal to life. He dispersed the
darkness of aimless wanderings and sinfulness with the rays of truth,
and granted to men the Holy Spirit so that the path of mankind is
established in a life of peace and righteousness–a life founded on
love and honesty for one another.” It was surreal to hear the
message–words which he should heed before parroting them to his flock.

He reminded us that “Evil has no rest”. Like his corrupt reign? “Evil
creates the path when vigilance for the truth is lacking in life, and
falsehood finds its collaborators. The beguiling ways of evil are
strengthened when man strays from the principles taught by
Christ–filling life with falsehoods and distortions…” he said and then
he came to the point: “It is thus that the presentation of realities
are transformed into intrigues and false evaluations; arbitrary and
selfish interpretation in religion, give birth to cults; by the
demands of the defense of human rights, society is at times also
compelled to adopt behaviors that are contradictory with societal
thinking and value structures.” He seemed to be condemning the
proliferation of cults in Armenia, but his real targets were his
critics.

A petulant Catholicos Karekin II then went for the kill with his
inimitable prose: “Freedom of speech is transformed to licentiousness
of speech, and testimony becomes the distortion of truth. By
distorting the truth, political interests often oppose peace and
justice, frenzy to acquire the material and selfish desires oppose
mercy and philanthropy, and multiply the conflicts, sorrows, wants and
pains in the world…” he opined. Looking at his sumptuous lifestyle,
one could ask whether he cares about the pain of his flock and whether
he had his tongue firmly pressed against his cheek when he talked of
people’s frenzy to acquire material goods and for their selfish
desires.

Karekin II also defended a government which has a notional
aquaintanship with freedom of speech. As an oligarch, albeit in shiny
sutine, he had to defend his secular counterparts. They are the same
people who fraudulently made him catholicos.

“In our reality, dear pious faithful, regrettably we also find
impropriety and slander, indifference towards the general welfare of
the country. Traditional family values are in retreat…Unreserved
behavior and insults are regarded as courageous; responsibility is
subordinated to rights. Frequently, the right to express one’s
personal opinion is wrongly utilized to distort the truth, in order to
spread subjective or biased opinions…It is in this mentality that
falsehood is veiled with a mask of truth, debate becomes arguments,
discussion transforms into scorn and condemnation…” went on his murky,
obtuse prose. Picking just one sentence from his portmanteau
paragraph: “traditional family values…” KII is certainly qualified to
comment on it since he reportedly has two daughters and a brother whom
he appointed head of the Nor Nakhichevan diocese in Russia.

Re-read the above impenetrable text and consider that it is being
uttered by a man who is accused of committing the very same sins.
Rather than disprove the charges leveled against him, the catholicos
made, in his Nativity address, broad accusations while cynically
dragging in the Bible as his witness and advocate.

KII’s train of logic chugged along on this track: to guarantee a
strong Armenia and to be a member of good standing of the Armenian
Apostolic Church, we should keep our eyes shut tight to KII’s
shortcomings and that of his clique as well as to the failings of
President Sarkissian’s lawless and banal regime. Karekin and Serge,
old pals, know what’s best for Armenia, Armenians, and the Apostolic
Church.

The catholicos ended his homily with “Christ is Born and Revealed.
Great Things to All.”

Wasn’t there something in the Ten Commandments about not taking the
name of the Lord in vain?

TURQUIE
Les principaux suspects d’une vaste affaire de corruption libérés

ISTANBUL, (AFP) – Un tribunal d’Istanbul a remis en liberté vendredi
un homme d’affaire turco-iranien, Reza Zarrab, ainsi que deux fils
d’ex-ministres turcs emprisonnés dans le cadre d’un scandale de
corruption qui a fragilisé le régime islamo-conservateur turc, ont
rapporté les chaînes de télévision.

Les juges ont décidé que ces personnes, arrêtées et écrouées lors d’un
vaste coup de filet anticorruption le 17 décembre dernier, provoquant
une crise politique en Turquie, ne présentaient pas de risque de
fuite.

M. Zarrab avait été présenté par le juge d’instruction et les journaux
turcs comme le suspect n°1 de l’affaire retentissante. L’immigré
iranien trentenaire, selon les documents de la police, serait au coeur
d’un scandale de corruption, falsification, et contrebande d’or vers
l’Iran, qui a entraîné l’arrestation de plusieurs dizaines de
personnes, proches du régime au pouvoir, et la démission de trois
ministres du gouvernement.

Les fils de l’ancien ministre de l’Economie, Zafer Caglayan, et celui
de l’Intérieur, Muammer Gülen, ont été libérés vendredi. L’arrestation
de M. Zarrab et d’autres personnalités proches du premier cercle du
pouvoir du Premier ministre, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, ont secoué son
gouvernement, qui dirige la Turquie depuis 2002, à l’aube des
élections municipales de mars et de l’élection d’août.

Le Premier Ministre décrit l’affaire comme un complot visant
directement son gouvernement et sa famille ourdi par son ex-allié, le
prédicateur musulman Fethullah Gülen, à la tête d’un puissant
mouvement social à base religieuse.

dimanche 2 mars 2014,
Ara (c)armenews.com

US Official News
March 1, 2014 Saturday

Washington: SPEECH OF HON. KATHERINE M. CLARK OF MASSACHUSETTS IN THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

Washington

The Library of Congress, The Government of USA has issued the following Speech:

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, today, on the 26th
observation of unspeakable violence in Sumgait, Azerbaijan, I proudly
stand with the Armenian community of Massachusetts in remembrance and
mourning of the loss of innocent lives.

Anti-Armenian aggression in Sumgait in the early months of 1988 gave
way to violent death and destruction. Thousands of Armenians were
forced to flee their homes as refugees.

Today, the families of those who lost their lives, or were displaced
by this violence, still seek resolution and justice.

Over decades, many displaced Armenian families have sought refuge in
America, and are now making vital contributions in the Fifth District
of Massachusetts. Proudly, our diverse district is home to one of the
largest Armenian communities in the nation. Together, our community is
a thriving example of strength and perseverance in the face of extreme
adversity.

Like the persecution of too many other peoples before it, the lessons
of Sumgait must not be forgotten.

As diverse families of the Commonwealth, and as Americans, we have a
moral obligation to promote tolerance and justice, and we have a duty
to recognize the atrocities that have kept us from our common goal.

Turkey caught in the Russia-Crimea snowstorm
By Ceylan Ozbudak
Saturday, 1 March 2014

As I am writing this article, Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu is
still in Ukraine to discuss the situation in the Crimea region. The
persistent political disorder in Kiev following the collapse of
President Viktor Yanukovych’s government ` and his subsequent flight
to Russia ` are creating broad repercussions in the Crimean Autonomous
Republic. After the Chairman of the Crimean Parliament Volodimir
Konstantinov’s statement that they would seek to secede from Ukraine
if tensions grew worse, the situation has deteriorated swiftly,
including direct Russian military intervention in violation of
Ukraine’s sovereignty. In an article in last week’s Russian Pravda, it
was noted that if Ukraine was divided, then the status of the Crimean
Peninsula ` returned to Ukraine in 1954 by Nikita Kruschev, would be
open to discussion, and that would include Turkey having a say in the
future of Crimea.

Russia gains control over Crimea

The reference to this claim is the `Kucuk Kaynarca’ (Karlowitz I)
signed 230 years ago. As per this agreement, signed by the Russian
Tsarina Catherine II on April 19, 1783, the Crimean Peninsula was
taken away from the dominion of the Ottomans and handed over to
Russia. However, one of the most important provisions of this treaty
was the debarment of independence for the Peninsula and outlawing its
submission to a third party: Should any such attempt be made, then
Crimea would automatically have to be returned to the sovereignty of
Turkey.

When Ukraine appeared as an independent nation following the
disintegration of the USSR in 1991, Turkey acquired the right to claim
the Peninsula back based on the Treaty of Kucuk Kaynarca; however,
this was not brought up by the Turgut Ozal administration of the time.
Turkey was content with advocating for the rights of the Tatar
minority living on the Crimean Peninsula.

That being the case, we may acknowledge that Crimea has always been a
particularly indispensable region for Turkey on account of the close
relations of the Ottoman State with the Crimean Khanate and the
presence of the Crimean Tatars there. In addition, Ukraine is one of
the foremost neighbors of Turkey, and in terms of the balance in the
Black Sea region, it is important. Just as the name `Crimea’ implies
the largest Russian naval base at Sevastopol for Russia, the same
`Crimea’ connotes brotherhood with Turkic Muslims from the Ottoman
times. For that reason, both Russia and Turkey have excluded the
Autonomous Republic of Crimea from their policies related with
Ukraine.

Stalin’s genocide of Crimean Turks

On top of that, for the majority of Turkish people who are well-read
in history, the Crimean land has a distinct place when compared with
other Turkic Republics, because similar to Hitler’s `holocaust’
against the Jews, Stalin carried out atrocities against the Crimean
Turks. Stalin’s campaign of forced ethnic cleansing and the relocation
of the Crimean Turks is still well-remembered.

The Crimean Tatars and the Noghai were peoples of the Crimean Khanate
and amongst the largest groups who emigrated to the Ottoman State and
the Republic of Turkey. The settlement of hundreds of thousands of
Crimean Tatars and Noghai made dramatic changes in the demography of
the Ottoman State and its successor, the Republic of Turkey.

While the Turkish population in Crimea in 1783 was 98 percent,
following the Russian invasion this was reduced to 35 percent.

The Crimean People’s Republic, which was founded following the
Bolshevik Revolution, was brought to an end with the martyrdom of the
president, Numan Celebi Cihan. The `Crimean Autonomous Soviet
Socialist Republic’ established in 1921 under the supervision of
Moscow did not grant the Crimeans any freedom; the Crimean
intellectuals who opposed the propaganda of the Communists against
Islam and Turkish identity were deported to Siberia and the Ural
mountains (mostly to die in GULAG camps).

The period following WWII was perhaps the most difficult for the
Muslim ` Turk community in the region. When Crimea was seized by the
Russians, the entire Turkish population living in those lands for the
last 1,500 years was promptly exiled. By means of a decree issued in
1945 by the Soviet government, the `Crimean Autonomous Soviet
Socialist Republic’ was abolished. The Crimean land attained the
status of a state which belonged first to Russia, and then under the
Kruschev government was transferred to Ukraine.

While a struggle for independence was going on for the Crimean Turks
who had been ruthlessly deported from their nation, the homeless
Russian population was made to settle in the very same land. The
nearly 40 years of exile of the Crimean Turks was partly ended in 1987
when their rally for independence in Red Square turned into a major
display of political power. The Soviet regime, unable to resist,
subsequently allowed the Crimeans to return to their homeland. While
about 20,000 Turks were living in Crimea in 1989, this figure
increased to 150,000 by 1991. Today, their population is estimated to
be around 300,000 and growing.

Today, the part of Crimea that strives for closer relations with
Russia – and even aspires to annexing itself to Russia once full
independence is achieved – is comprised of the ethnic Russians who
settled in the Crimea post-World War II.

What should Turkey do?

Obviously what Turkey needs to do at this point is to make efforts to
calm down both parties in order to preserve the unity of Ukraine and
help them find a solution to their disagreements. Despite the obvious
advantages for Ukraine in being a part of the European Union, there is
no point in being surprised at Russia’s insistence that Ukraine should
be part of its Customs Union and planned Eurasian Union.

Under these conditions, what Turkey should do is strive to calm the
parties in order to protect the territorial integrity of Ukraine and
to help Ukraine remain a state that enjoys fruitful joint relations
both with the EU and with Russia by solving their domestic problems
through dialogue. It must not be forgotten that Ukraine is very
important for Russia in transferring its energy resources to Europe.
Turkey and Azerbaijan constitute the basic axis of the South Gas
Corridor (SGC). The possibility of Israel getting involved in the
energy business and getting connected to the SGC, not to mention
Iran’s demand to join this energy axis raises the possibility of
Russia cutting off this south passages completely. Let us not also
forget that Russia attaches great importance to the Sevastopol naval
base and doesn’t want to see it under any strategic threat.

How can Turkey set an example to Ukraine?

Crimea rests at the epicenter of all this and does not have the power
to resist, neither economically or sociologically, such strong
pressure. Under these conditions Turkey should get involved more
deeply and help the region by adopting a policy that embraces all
Ukrainians and all the Crimean population.

Just as Turkey has been able to maintain both internal and external
balances despite standing in what may well be the biggest intersection
in the world, Turkey should lead the way for Ukraine as well. Anatolia
sits at the junction of Europe, Asia and Africa, on prolific
agricultural lands that are simultaneously poor in energy resources;
yet ironically, Turkey is a hub of energy resources, as well as air
and sea transportation. Turkey is also a melting pot of various
ideologies and hostilities. She is the intersection of the European
understanding of modern democracy, the old leftist ideologies of
Russia and the Eastern Bloc, Arab nationalism and Islamic
denominations. She holds a position that has been able to establish
equal relations with Israel and Iran, Russia and the Gulf Countries,
and has still been able to peacefully harbor all these factors inside
the vastness of the Anatolian Steppes.

When we evaluate all these factors, it would be a grave mistake to
expect Turkey to adopt a policy that would harm the territorial
integrity of Ukraine by making a claim in Crimea. As I have stated
above, Turkey should help create a situation that would preserve
Ukraine’s territorial integrity with Crimea, one that would see
Ukraine approach the European Union, yet not completely break away
from Russia. The situation should also finally help in establishing a
solid democracy with the norms of the European Union. We need a new
policy approach in Europe with a model which will leave the Twentieth
Century’s bi-polar world behind and keep alliances on the back burner.
We need neighbors that can act in a more integrated manner by ridding
themselves of obsolete worldviews, leftovers from the era of the Cold
War. We need mature and wise statesmen who can hold the hands of
parties in conflict in order to make them meet in the middle and make
peace instead of picking sides or cowering behind barricades at the
slightest complication. Turkey has been able to hold on to its moral
values and has been able to stand tall and stand strong, even in the
perennially restless Middle East, and can thus set an example for
Ukraine.

Ceylan Ozbudak is a Turkish political analyst, television presenter,
and executive director of Building Bridges, an Istanbul-based NGO. As
a representative of Harun Yahya organization, she frequently cites
quotations from the author in her writings.

Armenia will implement all measures envisaged by CU “roadmap” by April

15:19 01.03.2014

Lena Badeyan
Public Radio of Armenia

The Republic of Armenia has implemented more than 70 measures, i.e.
50% of what should be done before joining the Customs Union, Deputy
Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan told a press conference today.

According to him, Armenia will complete the implementation of all the
provisions envisaged by the “roadmap” by April.

The Deputy Foreign Minister said the final agreement will come into
force after it’s ratified by the Parliament.

Deputy Minister of Economy Karine Minasyan said they held meetings
with a number of entrepreneurs to understand what obstacles the
accession to the Customs Union could create, especially considering
that both the exported an imported goods should correspond to common
technical regulations.

Stepan Demirchyan: Change of power in Armenia the only way out

by Ashot Safaryan

ARMINFO
Saturday, March 1, 15:50

If the organizers of the October 27 1999 tragedy and the incidents of
12 April 2004 were punished, we would avoid the March 1 killings, said
Stepan Demirchyan, Leader of the People’s Party of Armenia, speaking
at a rally in Liberty Square on 1 March.

“The country needs radical reforms. What we have now is poverty
growth, migration, social polarization and unemployment. Meanwhile,
the authorities are gaining benefits from all this. We appreciate the
civil society’s fight, but to restore the confidence in future, we
must achieve a power change in the country. It is the only way out,
and today’s rally shows that we are able to do it,” Demiorchyan said.

Mr. Joseph Berman Unqualified for Superior Court

Joseph Dagdigian, Harvard, MA, 28 February 2014

As suburban Boston constituencies look on, Governor Deval Patrick is
still insisting that the eight elected Governor’s Councilors accept
his nominee, attorney Joseph Berman, to be a Superior Court judge..

After Mr. Berman’s first hearing on Nov 13, 2013, a majority of
Councilors indicated that they would not vote in favor of Patrick’s
desired candidate.

Many of their reasons stem from issues of character. They included
Mr. Berman’s not being honest during sworn testimony when asked about
his having elected officials lobby the Councilors on his behalf; his
hefty campaign contributions to Democratic candidates since being
turned down for a judgeship in 2004; his sarcastic attitude when
questioned by Councilors; his lack of criminal trial experience; his
lack of knowledge about and/or dismissive demeanor when asked about
drug addiction issues; and his controversial decision to not resign
from the Anti-Defamation League- an organization which hypocritically
works against Congressional recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Once it was known that Mr. Berman was not supported by the majority,
Governor Patrick postponed a vote and, instead, intensely politicked
to urge Councilors to reverse their position. This culminated in Gov.
Patrick’s withdrawing the Berman nomination, only to resubmit it, and
call for a second hearing for Mr. Berman, which was just held on Feb.
26, 2014.

As an attendee at that hearing, it appeared to me that Councilors were
bending to political pressure. I conclude this because when their
formerly stated reasons for opposing his nomination were inadequately
readdressed on the floor, some Councilors surprisingly indicated that
they now found acceptable what they at first did not. Now, Mr. Berman
indicated he did not fully understand the questions previously asked
about his lobbying efforts. Now, campaign contributions suddenly
appeared reasonable, given that he, too, was a Democrat supporting his
chosen political party members. Now, he was simply misunderstood when
he had offered curt replies to questions. Now, since the first
hearing, he’s qualified since he read a book about drug addiction and
gone to a drug court. Now, some Councilors felt that Mr. Berman should
not be penalized for his shameful failure, as a National Commissioner
of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), to take a moral stance against
the ADL’s siding with Turkey and lobbying to squash Armenian Genocide
recognition resolutions in Congress. Genocide is an international
crime, and the US is a signatory to the Convention on the Prevention
and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

To what do we owe this sudden tolerance and acceptance? How is it that
some Councilors now seem willing to overlook Mr. Berman’s character
and professional deficits?

During the hearing’s recess, Mr. Berman was seen outside the meeting
hall “high-fiving” some of his colleagues, signaling his perception of
an imminent victory. Is this the sort of sober comportment we want in
a judge?

It appears as if Governor Patrick is helping Mr. Berman pursue a
position for which he is ill-qualified to hold. Massachusetts
citizens deserve a mature, reasoned and unbiased judge on the bench.
Mr. Berman does not merit that distinction.

READER COMMENT:
A vote may take place as soon as this Wednesday, March 5.
To express your concerns to the Governor’s Councilors, you may send
your emails to:
Ms. Marilyn Devaney = [email protected]
Mr. Robert Jubinville = [email protected]
Ms. Jennie Caissie = [email protected]
Mr. Oliver Cipollini = [email protected]

REVUE DE PRESSE
Arménien expulsable : une légère avancée

Plus soudés que jamais, son épouse (Nariné) et les proches de Karen
Abgarian, père de famille d’origine arménienne, se sont rassemblés
hier sur la place de la préfecture. Depuis lundi dernier, ils sont
mobilisés afin de dénoncer le placement dans un centre de rétention à
Bordeaux de Karen Abgarian (lire notre édition de dimanche). Ce
dernier, à la suite d’un contrôle routier, a été arrêté et se trouve
depuis sous le coup d’une obligation de quitter le territoire français
(OQTF) sur lequel il vit avec son épouse et ses trois enfants depuis
cinq ans. Pour le soutenir, une centaine de personnes (Cimade, Secours
populaire, ASPTT natation, Dal 86, membres des établissements où sont
scolarisés les enfants et membres de l’association arménienne
régionale) ont manifesté leur colère face à une administration

BELGIQUE
Les Arméniens de Belgique manifestent devant l’ambassade d’Azerbaidjan

Mercredi, une manifestation organisée par le Comité National Arménien
de Belgique a eu lieu devant l’ambassade d’Azerbaïdjan à Bruxelles, à
la mémoire des victimes arméniennes des pogroms azéris à Soumgaït,
Bakou, Margha, Minkeshahuri, Kirovabad et d’autres villes.

Agitant des drapeaux arméniens et du Haut-Karabagh et des affiches,
ainsi que des slogans bruyants en français, anglais, russe et
arménien, rappelant le passé sanglant de l’Azerbaïdjan et le présent,
des pogroms qui ont commençé en 1988 à l’assassinat de Gourgen
Margaryan et la mort héroïque d’Armen Hovhanissyan, les manifestants
ont rappelé que les Arméniens du monde entier n’oublieront jamais ces
événements et que tôt ou tard l’Azerbaïdjan devra reconnaître et
admettre la liberté et l’indépendance de l’Artsakh.

Après avoir lu à haute voix la lettre adressée à l’ambassade de
l’Azerbaïdjan, les manifestants ont défilé à la mémoire des victimes
du génocide arménien à Bruxelles. La prière pour les mes des victimes
arméniennes a été prononcée en présence de Seyran Ohanian, ministre
arménien de la Défense, l’Ambassadeur d’Arménie Avet Adonts, le chef
de la mission arménienne à l’OTAN Armen Edigaryan, et des
représentants de la communauté arménienne. Les participants ont déposé
des couronnes au monument.

samedi 1er mars 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com
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26e ANNIVERSAIRE DES POGROMS DE SOUMGAÏT
A Stepanakert, Bako Sahakian s’est incliné devant le mémorial des
victimes arméniennes de Soumgaït

A l’occasion de la commémoration du 26e anniversaire des pogroms
anti-arméniens de Soumgaït, le Président de la République du Haut
Karabagh, Bako Sahakian, s’est rendu le 28 février au mémorial des
victimes de Soumgaït à Stepanakert. Bako Sahakian était accompagné de
l’archevêque de l’Artsakh, Barkév Mardirossian et d’une forte
délégation de personnalités. Le Président de la République du Haut
Karabagh s’est incliné devant le mémorial dédié aux centaines
d’innocentes victimes civiles arméniennes de Soumgaït, un crime
exécuté avec la complicité des autorités de l’Azerbaïdjan entre le 26
et le 29 février 1988.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 1er mars 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com
– 688