Author: Kalantarian Kevo

FREE DEMOCRATS LEADER CONDEMNS INCIDENT WITH ARMENIAN MP

16:43 30.09.13

Chairman of the Free Democrats party, cross-bencher Khachatur
Kokobelyan condemns the incident involving Zaruhi Postanjyan, a
Heritage parliamentary group member.

“Not because she is a Parliament member, but because she is a
citizen. And we have repeatedly witnessed that even the right to free
movement is not defended in our country,” Kokobelyan told Tert.am.

We would remind you that the incident occurred on the Yerevan-Meghri
highway

Postanjyan and others were on their way to Agarak to take part in the
election campaign of the Heritage party candidate Samvel Karapetyan.

On its part, the Armenian Department of the RF Federal Frontier Service
reported that the Armenian MP and others were at the Armenian-Iranian
border under Russian frontier guards’ control.

“The Russian side’s explanations suggest that they committed a
violation,” Kokobelyan said.

EXPERT: U.S. HAS NO DOMESTIC OR FOREIGN SUPPORT FOR MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST SYRIA

13:09 01/10/2013 ” POLITICS

Serious processes are taking place inside the Syrian opposition,
Arabic studies expert Armen Petrosyan told reporters in Yerevan.

“The Free Syrian Army split and was divided into 13 influential
groups. New bodies are being formed, including the Islamic Coalition,
the Army of Islam, etc.,” he added.

Commenting on the possibility of the U.S. military operation against
Syria, the expert said that the United States has no domestic or
foreign support for military strike against Syria, that is why
Washington did not go for military intervention in Syria.

“The complicated situation in Syria should be settled through political
and diplomatic means,” the Arabic studies expert concluded.

Source: Panorama.am

84,4 MILLIARDS DE DRAMS COLLECTES AUPRES DES 477 PLUS GROS CONTRIBUABLES D’ARMENIE

ARMENIE

Le Comite des recettes de l’Etat a publie sur son site officiel les
resultats de son analyse des indicateurs du 2e trimestre sur les plus
gros contribuables.

Selon cette analyse, 447 grands contribuables ont transfere 84,4
milliards de drams au budget de l’Etat. Ce montant represente 50,2%
des recettes fiscales du 2e trimestre du pays.

Au cours du deuxième trimestre de l’annee precedente, les 462 grands
contribuables avaient verse 73,4 milliards de drams (52,7% des recettes
fiscales du pays).

Les administrations fiscales ont effectue 222 inspections au cours
d’une periode comprise entre Avril et Juin de cette annee collectant
10,1 milliards de drams de recettes supplementaires.

mardi 1er octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

Armenian FM meets with UN Sec Gen

15:37 – 29.09.13

Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian, who is participating in the 68th
session of the UN General Assembly, held a meeting on Saturday with UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Ban Ki-moon commended Armenian diplomacy’s involvement in
international processes. The sides discussed the Syria crisis.
Minister Nalbandian noted that Armenia has hosted over 10,000 Armenian
refugees from Syria.

The sides also welcomed the UN Security Council resolution on Syrian
chemical weapons and stressed the importance of efforts to find a
peaceful settlement of the conflict.

The sides also discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process and the
efforts exerted by Armenia and by the international community to find
a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

In the context of Armenia’s chairmanship of the Council of Europe
(CE), Minister Nalbandian noted that the UN and the CE are Armenia’s
key partners in protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
struggle against xenophobia and intolerance.

Armenian News – Tert.am

Higher gas prices to cause surge on brandy market – Armenian businessman

14:55 – 29.09.13

Several Armenian brandy manufacturers have raised their prices
pleading the recent hike in the natural gas tariffs, Alexan Petrosyan,
the owner of the MAP company and a Republican Party of Armenia (RPA)
parliamentary group member, told Tert.am.

`The Yerevan Brandy Company has raised its price 5% because of the gas
price rise. I think many other companies will follow suit because wine
production is gas-consuming. The grapes price has been raised as well.
Last year we purchased grapes at AMD 140, while this year’s price is
AMD 145 per kilogram,’ Petrosyan said.

Although the MAP company has not yet raised its prices, it will
certainly do so in the future. `The Yerevan Brandy Company is waiting
for a decision from France. But in our company it is our own decision.
However, raising the price is not an optimal decision now,’ he said.

Armenia exports 90% of its cognac to Russia, and the country’s
accession to the Customs Union will have a favorable impact on the
brandy market.

`People earning their bread will benefit from Armenia’s accession to
the Customs Union because Russia has been our major market for the
past 100 years. And reorientation to European markets or to any other
markets is rather difficult for us,’ he said.

As regards local market development by means of the European market,
Petrosyan said: `Do you think our products meet the Russian market’s
demands? We should think of what we can export rather than of the
markets we can export to. At present, we have no products that would
enable us to struggle for markets. Our largest profits are from ore
and cognac. And we largely export our cognac to the Russian market. So
if Russia does not allow us to export our products to its market, we
need 100 years to enter European or any other markets,’ Petrosyan
said.

A French company is the owner of the Yerevan Brandy Company, but 99%
of Armenian cognac is exported to Russia, and Armenia cannot export
even the rest 1% to France.

Entering new markets requires huge funds. `We cannot say `Wait for 50
years and let us see the developments on the European market.’ Our
products are well known in Russia alone.’

Armenian News – Tert.am

COLLECTIF VAN : L’EPHEMERIDE DU 27 SEPTEMBRE

Publie le : 27-09-2013

Info Collectif VAN – La rubrique Ephemeride
est a retrouver quotidiennement sur le site du Collectif VAN. Elle
recense la liste d’evenements survenus a une date donnee, a differentes
epoques de l’Histoire, sur les thematiques que l’association suit au
quotidien. L’ephemeride du Collectif VAN repose sur des informations en
ligne sur de nombreux sites (les sources sont specifiees sous chaque
entree). Vous pouvez retrouver tous les ephemerides du Collectif VAN
dans la Rubrique Actions VAN, en cliquant sur ces liens:

Les ephemerides du Collectif VAN (1ère partie)

Les ephemerides du Collectif VAN (2ème partie)

Legende photo: 27 Septembre 1915 — Empire ottoman : les bouleversantes
nouvelles des massacres, de la torture et de la deportation des
Chretiens Armeniens sont autant d’appels a la sympathie et a l’aide
americaine. D’après des sources nombreuses et fiables en Turquie, il
paraît evident qu’il ne s’agit pas de troubles locaux ou d’oppression
insignifiante, mais d’un effort systematique pour deraciner la race
armenienne. Des milliers de familles ont ete arrachees a leurs maisons
pour mourir sur les routes. Les villes et les villages ont ete prives
de leurs habitants. Beaucoup sont tortures pour les forcer a renoncer
a leur foi chretienne. Les femmes sont enfermees dans les harems et
les enfants sont vendus comme esclaves.

Ca s’est passe un 27 septembre (les evenements sont classes du plus
ancien au plus recent) :

27 septembre 1878 — Empire ottoman :soit a peine deux mois après la
signature du traite de Berlin, M. Waddington, ministre francais des
Affaires etrangères, celui-la meme qui a pris acte des assurances
turques, ecrit a son ambassadeur a Constantinople pour s’inquieter
de la perturbation qui règne dans les provinces et du comportement
du gouvernement turc qui aurait tort, dit-il, de chercher a eluder
et a ajourner l’execution du traite.

© Jean-Marie Carzou, Armenie 1915, un genocide exemplaire Calmann-Levy
(2006), Flammarion (1975) Imprescriptible : Du reve a la realite

27 septembre 1915 — Empire ottoman : Les Memoires de l’Ambassadeur
Morgenthau.

Le 27 septembre, sir Louis Mallet, l’ambassadeur britannique, entra
dans mon cabinet dans une evidente perturbation d’esprit. Le Khedive
d’Egypte venait de me quitter et j’abordai avec ce nouveau visiteur
les questions egyptiennes.

– Nous discuterons cela a un autre moment, dit-il. J’ai quelque chose
de bien plus important ù vous annoncer : Ils ont ferme les Dardanelles.

Par ” ils “, il ne designait point – cela va de soi – le Gouvernement
Turc, seul pouvoir ayant legalement le droit de prendre cette mesure
draconienne, mais les autorites actuellement souveraines en Turquie,
les Allemands. Sir Louis Mallet me communiquait la nouvelle a bon
droit, car cet acte etait un outrage envers les etats-Unis aussi bien
qu’envers les Allies. Il me demanda de l’accompagner pour faire une
protestation commune. Je repondis, toutefois, qu’il vaudrait mieux que
nous agissions isolement et je me dirigeai immediatement vers le palais
du Grand Vizir. Quand j’arrivai, les ministres etaient en conference ;
assis dans l’antichambre, l’eclat des voix parvenait jusqu’a moi et il
m’etait facile de distinguer les accents familiers de Talaat, d’Enver,
de Djavid le ministre des Finances, et autres membres du Conseil. De
ce que je pus surprendre a travers les minces cloisons, il ressortait
clairement que ces maîtres nominaux de la Turquie etaient presque
aussi surexcites que nous l’etions, sir Louis Mallet et moi-meme,
par la clôture des Detroits.

Imprescriptible : FERMETURE DES DARDANELLES ISOLEMENT DE LA RUSSIE

27 Septembre 1915 — Empire ottoman : les bouleversantes nouvelles des
massacres, de la torture et de la deportation des Chretiens Armeniens
sont autant d’appels a la sympathie et a l’aide americaine. D’après
des sources nombreuses et fiables en Turquie, il paraît evident
qu’il ne s’agit pas de troubles locaux ou d’oppression insignifiante,
mais d’un effort systematique pour deraciner la race armenienne. Des
milliers de familles ont ete arrachees a leurs maisons pour mourir
sur les routes. Les villes et les villages ont ete prives de leurs
habitants. Beaucoup sont tortures pour les forcer a renoncer a leur
foi chretienne. Les femmes sont enfermees dans les harems et les
enfants sont vendus comme esclaves.

Imprescriptible : LES RECITS SUR LES HORREURS SUBIES PAR LES ARMENIENS,
CONFIRMES

27 Septembre 1915 — Le Professeur Samuel Train Dutton, secretaire de
la commission sur les atrocites contre les Armeniens, a rendu public
un rapport preliminaire de la commission decrivant le resultat de ses
investigations sur les conditions terribles auxquelles sont confrontes
les Armeniens. La commission declare que son rapport sur le massacre,
la torture et autres mauvais traitements subis par les Armeniens de
tous âges sont confirmes par ses investigations.

Les autres membres de la commission, aux côtes du Professeur Dutton
sont Cleveland H. Dodge, Arthur Curtis James, Rabbi Stephen S. Wise,
John R. Mott, Frank Mason North, James L. Barton, William Sloane, D.

Stuart Dodge, et d’autres.

La declaration qu’a faite la commission hier est la suivante:
“une sous-commission a minutieusement examine le temoignage et
vient de rendre son rapport a la commission entière qui confirme
chaque detail de la declaration faite par Viscount Bryce au sujet
de l’emprisonnement, de la torture, du meurtre, du massacre et de
l’exil vers les deserts de l’Arabie du Nord d’Armeniens sans defense
et innocents, y compris des hommes grabataires, des femmes et des
enfants, et leur conversion forcee a l’Islam.

Imprescriptible : LES RECITS SUR LES HORREURS SUBIES PAR LES ARMENIENS,
CONFIRMES

27 septembre 1915 — Empire ottoman : un deuxième rapport sur les
refugies a Port-Saïd par Mr. Thomas K. Meguerditchian ancien drogman
du consulat britannique a Diarbekir.

Vous avez certainement appris que le 14/27 septembre, 5 cuirasses
(4 Francais et un Anglais) ont amene a Port-Saïd 4.200 Armeniens des
six villages de Selefke, qui ont ete abrites au ” Lazaret ” au bord du
canal de Suez. Je suis heureux de vous annoncer que le gouvernement
anglo-egyptien a bien voulu abriter et nourrir ces refugies jusqu’au
jour où ils pourront retourner dans leur patrie.

Imprescriptible : Le livre bleu du gouvernement britannique concernant
le traitement des Armeniens dans l’Empire ottoman

27 septembre 1915 — Empire ottoman : AE. {Mersine} ville situee sur
la ligne du chemin de fer : serie de rapports d’un resident etranger
{Consul americain Edward i. Nathan} a AE. {Mersine} communiquee par
un Comite Americain de Secours aux Armeniens et aux Syriens.

Memorandum date du 27 septembre 1915.

Ci-après je soumets les details suivants pour completer mes differents
rapports concernant la deportation des Armeniens et les circonstances
qui ont ete cause des souffrances et de la mort de ces deportes
: I° le manque de facilites de transport est le facteur le plus
important de ces souffrances. Les grandes distances depourvues de
chemins de fer entre Tarsous et Bozanti au nord, et Osmanie et Radjou
(près d’Alep), au sud, et le manque de chars et de voitures oblige
beaucoup de deportes a faire le chemin a pied. Les chariots qui sont
d’un modèle tout a fait primitif, sont charges d’ordinaire avec des
effets des deportes sur lesquels ceux-ci doivent trouver une place pour
eux-memes. Seuls les riches peuvent se payer le luxe d’une voiture,
qui coûte de 6 livres a 20 livres sterlings pour un parcours de 2 a
4 jours. En plus de la location des vehicules les gendarmes et les
conducteurs obligent souvent les deportes a leur donner de l’argent
sous peine de descendre et de continuer la route a pied.

Quoique generalement le gouvernement fournisse les chariots, ceux-ci
sont loin d’etre en nombre suffisant et dans la plupart des cas,
les transports par chemins de fer ont dû etre payes par les deportes
eux-memes. La section locale du chemin de fer de Bagdad fut neanmoins
d’une grande utilite pour le transport des exiles, mais malheureusement
il a dû dans la suite etre requisitionne pour les transports militaires
et les Armeniens ont dû. avoir recours a d’autres moyens ou faire le
chemin a pied.

Imprescriptible : Le livre bleu du gouvernement britannique concernant
le traitement des Armeniens dans l’Empire ottoman

27 septembre 1920 — Dissolution par le gouvernement francais, du
secteur benevole de la Legion de l’Est – composee de survivantes
du genocide armenien. La Legion a combattu les forces turques avec
les Allies et devait etre stationnes en Cilicie après la guerre. La
France n’a jamais honore ses promesses.

American University of Armenia : This day in Armenian history

27 Septembre 1938 — Allemagne : les Juifs allemands ne peuvent plus
avoir d’emploi dans le secteur public.

Seconde guerre : Chronologie de 1938

27 septembre 1939 — Après l’incorporation d’Aleksandrov Lodzki
(Pologne centrale) au IIIe Reich, tous les juifs de la ville sont
deportes a Glovno dans le Gouvernement general (partie de la Pologne
non incorporee dans le IIIe Reich). Le cimetière juif est nivele.

Israelvivra.com

27 septembre 1940 — France : ordonnance allemande definissant le
Premier statut allemand des Juifs et dispositions concernant leurs
biens ; recensement des Juifs avec le fichier Tulard, ecriteau ” Juif
” sur les devantures des magasins ; interdiction d’un retour en zone
occupee pour les juifs qui l’ont quittee.

Wikipedia : Lois contre les Juifs et les etrangers pendant le regime
de Vichy

27 septembre 1942 — 30 juifs, hommes et femmes, sont conduits dans un
champ de mines a Galibicy (district de Demidov, region de Smolensk,
U.R.S.S.). 8 personnes sont aussitôt dechiquetees et les autres
mutilees et blessees. Quelques heures plus tard, les survivants sont
conduits a nouveau dans le champ de mines, où ils perissent tous.

600 juifs de Parcevo (district de Bialystok, Pologne) sont deportes,
par Volkovysk, au camp d’extermination d’Auschwitz.

3 000 juifs de Kock (district de Lublin) sont conduits au camp de
regroupement de Lukov.

En 3 jours, 5 000 juifs sont deportes de Zvolen (district de Kielce,
Pologne) au camp d’extermination de Treblinka.

13 000 juifs du ghetto de Kozienice (province de Kielce, Pologne)
et des environs, 2 500 juifs de Parysov (district de Lublin) et 1
000 juifs du village de Kolbiel sont deportes au camp d’extermination
de Treblinka.

Israelvivra.com

27 septembre 1943 — Après la chute de Mussolini, l’île grecque de
Corfou est occupee par les Allemands, qui promulguent des decrets
antijuifs. Au debut de la guerre, 2 000 juifs vivaient sur l’île,
dont la communaute remonte a l’epoque byzantine.

Israelvivra.com

27 septembre 1944 — Un transport de 20 juifs quitte le camp
de concentration de Theresienstadt pour celui de Bergen-Belsen
(Allemagne).

Israelvivra.com

27 septembre 2001 — Vatican reconnait une seconde fois le genocide
armenien le 27 septembre sans specifier l’auteur a nouveau.

Wikipedia : Reconnaissance politique du genocide armenien

Compilation realisee par le site

Retour a la rubrique

LE REDACTEUR EN CHEF D’UN JOURNAL CONDAMNE A 5 ANS DE PRISON

AZZERBAIDJAN

BAKOU, 27 sept 2013 (AFP) – La justice de l’Azerbaïdjan a condamne
vendredi le redacteur en chef d’un journal publie dans une langue
perse, critique a l’egard du pouvoir, a cinq ans de prison pour
trahison et trafic de drogue notamment.

Hilal Mamedov, qui travaille pour “Talyshi Sado” (la voix des Talysh),
un journal publie en talysh, une langue liee au perse et parlee par
des minorites en Azerbaïdjan et en Iran, avait ete arrete en juin
2012 et accuse par les forces de l’ordre de cooperer avec les services
secrets iraniens.

Il a nie toutes les accusations portees contre lui. Son avocat, Khalid
Bagirov, a denonce une decision “injuste et infondee”, “politique”,
et indique qu’il ferait appel. L’avocat avait denonce precedemment
des poursuites visant M. Mamedov en raison de “ses activites sociales,
politiques et de defense des droits de l’Homme”.

En 2008, un ancien journaliste du “Talyshi Sado”, Novruzali Mamedov,
avait ete condamne pour trahison après avoir ete accuse d’espionnage
au profit de l’Iran voisin. Il est decede en prison un an plus tard.

Les organisations de defense des droits de l’homme accusent le regime
du president Aliev de persecuter des journalistes et d’emprisonner
des opposants dans ce pays riche en hydrocarbures situe sur les bords
de la mer Caspienne, a la veille de la presidentielle du 9 octobre.

M. Aliev, qui a succede a son père en 2003 et a ete reelu en 2008
pour un deuxième quinquennat, brigue la reelection.

samedi 28 septembre 2013, Ara ©armenews.com

MEP CALLS ON ARMENIA TO WITHDRAW TROOPS FROM NAGORNO-KARABAKH

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Sept 27 2013

27 September 2013, 11:48 (GMT+05:00)

By Sara Rajabova

A European Parliament member has urged Armenia to act in line with
international law and withdraw its troops from Nagorno-Karabakh,
referring to an Azerbaijani region occupied by Armenia since a war
between the two countries in the early 1990s.

In response to an inquiry of the European Azerbaijan Society about
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Estonian MEP Kristiina Ojuland said an
impression has formed that the international community is not paying
enough attention to the conflict.

“It`s very sad that in the year 2013, we see that in the South
Caucasus — as a result of a conflict that has lasted for more than two
decades now — nearly one million people are still refugees and cannot
return to their homes. I have the impression that the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict is still a bit underestimated by the international community,”
Ojuland said.

She said the European Union won the Nobel Peace Prize last year and
therefore it should be its moral duty to contribute to a peaceful
neighborhood.

Ojuland said the moment is there to fully implement the European
Neighborhood Policy and enhance the peace process.

“On many occasions, in the European Parliament several colleagues
and myself noted that international law and especially the United
Nations Security Council resolutions need to be respected. Armenia
must commit to the international legal framework and withdraw its
troops from the Nagorno-Karabakh region,” Ojuland said.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally
recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent
regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus
neighbor that caused a brutal war in the early 1990s. Long-standing
efforts by US, Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless
so far.

According to Ojuland, over the past years Azerbaijan has displayed
an increased openness to the West, including Europe.

“It is clear that the OSCE Minsk Group has not had decisive
breakthroughs in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The European
Union could increase the legitimacy of the Minsk Group if it takes
a seat in it as one common actor representing 27 countries. In the
meantime, the continued presence of an EU Special Representative
in the South Caucasus is a sign that Europe is committed about the
region and realizes that South Caucasus is a very interesting region
on a geostrategic level. The EU will undoubtedly continue to pay a
particular attention to the region,” Ojuland said.

She added that one should know that the geopolitical environment in the
South Caucasus is very complicated, not only in terms of geopolitics
and strategically, but also on the level of energy security and
diversification.

“Indeed, the strategic importance of Azerbaijan as a reliable energy
supplier should not be underestimated,” the MEP said.

According to Ojuland, Azerbaijan is a country that has seen incredible
economic growth. “Along with economic growth the civil society has
more resources in supporting democratic values,” she said.

Ojuland also said energy is one of the key priorities in European
politics nowadays.

“Indeed, the agreement on the Trans Adriatic Pipeline is perhaps the
ultimate proof that the EU and Azerbaijan share a natural partnership
through which almost any political consensus can be achieved,”
she said.

ISLAMIC SCHOLAR GULEN REJECTS BOMBINGS IN THE NAME OF ISLAM

Cihan News Agency (CNA), Turkey
September 26, 2013 Thursday

ISTANBUL (CIHAN)- Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen has
unequivocally rejected terrorist attacks and bombings committed in the
name of Islam, adding that a terrorist cannot be branded a real Muslim.

In a speech he delivered to his students at his house in Pennsylvania,
Gulen spoke at length about attacks on behalf of Islam, stressing
that a real Muslim could never commit a terrorist attack. His speech
was published on Thursday on herkul.org, a website that frequently
broadcasts his messages.

Gulen’s remarks came shortly after a deadly shooting and hostage
crisis in a Nairobi mall in which more than 60 people were killed.

This week has been particularly bloody across the Middle East,
with church and mosque bombings in Iraq and Pakistan killing scores
of civilians.

“The most brutal scenes are at play in the name of Islam in a wide
geography from Syria to Pakistan and Kenya,” Gulen recalled, noting
that perpetrators bomb mosques and churches, slitting throats after
alleging that the Quran, holy book of Muslims, orders it. Gulen said
the picture in the Middle East is also a shame for Muslims and that
it stains the face of Islam.

Gulen, who is commonly known as Hojaefendi by his followers, said the
terrorist attacks attributed to Muslims are sometimes being undertaken
by what he called “raw souls” who fail to fathom Islam with its depth,
sometimes by extreme provocation of feelings of young men, sometimes
by people disguised as Muslims and sometimes by criminals under the
influence of drugs.

Gulen stated that everything is being codified in Islam during both
times of peace and war. He said while individuals cannot declare
war by themselves and decide to kill a person during the peace time,
those during a hot war also cannot kill women, children or the elderly.

According to Islam, he said people also absolutely cannot attack houses
of worship of others even during war. “Considering all these things,
it is never possible to justify suicide attacks, suicide bombers or
similar terrorist attacks,” he underlined.

Gulen said the Prophet Muhammad tolerated exceptionally harsh torture
during his 13-year life in Mecca and that he only prayed for those
who stoned him to find the right path. He said the Prophet Muhammad
never resorted to violence despite all the oppression Muslims suffered
and that the battles of Badr, Uhud and Kandaq were only defensive
in nature.

The Islamic scholar, who is well-known for his inspirational speeches
on interfaith dialogue, said the Prophet Muhammad did his best to
solve issues without shedding blood, breaking hearts or causing the
enmity to unfold. He said his way of settling issues transformed
sworn enemies into his companions, citing Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl, a
companion of the Prophet and a leading Islamic commander, who was
initially one of the chief opponents to the Prophet Muhammad even
during the conquest of Mecca.

Gulen also cited early Islamic scholar Abdullah ibn Abbas as saying
that those who unfairly kill an innocent human will stay in hell
forever and said terrorism is a crime the holy Quran threatens with
the punishment of hell.

“Suicide [bombers] would go to hell forever and they will be called
to account for innocent people they killed,” Gulen added.

Saying that conflicts of interest, party and clique rivalry,
anti-democratic implementations and human rights abuses in the Islamic
geography have resulted in many “dissatisfied groups,” Gulen said some
of these groups are ignorant enough to be fooled by “certain services”
and use them for their goals.

Gulen said he doesn’t see violence perpetrated in the name of Islam
as one-sided, also blaming Muslims for the degradation of values
which are then being used by others for terrorism purposes.

Gulen said lack of spiritual and fundamental humanitarian values are
at the root of ignorance that leads to terrorism and that some youth
are being manipulated and exploited to “be the actors of scenarios
written by others.”

He also urged those who have a representative position to be cautious
in their actions and speeches and that calling on people to destroy
churches means inviting others to destroy mosques and bomb mosque
attendants.

“What you sow is what you reap,” Gulen said. “People should sow
good things.”

Gulen pointed to what he described as “world paranoia” in reference to
Islamophobia, and said it has been renewed due to recent terrorist
attacks. In a moment of self-criticism, Gulen said Muslims also
have made mistakes causing the spread of this problem. Saying that
acknowledging these mistakes and rectifying them will play a very
important role in solving the problems, Gulen recalled the mass
deportation of Armenians from eastern Turkey during World War I as
an example.

Gulen cited a story of Caliph Umar bin Khattab, who asked a patriarch
in Jerusalem to show him a place to perform his prayer. When the pastor
told him he could pray anywhere in the church, Caliph Umar rejected
this and preferred to pray outside the church. After finishing his
prayer, Umar told patriarch that he deliberately avoided praying in
the church because other Muslims may follow the suit and transform
the church into a mosque.

“This was us,” Gulen highlighted. “Either from inside or outside, some
spoiled us, our genes, they changed us, they made us savages.” Gulen
recalled famous remarks he made earlier — a terrorist cannot be a
Muslim and a Muslim cannot be a terrorist — and said it is impossible
for a Muslim who has fully perceived and digested Islam become a
terrorist and that real Muslims would never intentionally commit an
act of terror and a terrorist cannot be considered a real Muslim.

“Can’t a terrorist come out of Muslims?” Gulen asked. “There could be
[one] but they would lose characteristics of a Muslim; they cannot be
called a healthy Muslim,” Gulen said in response to his own question.

He said even a war has its own rules and that one cannot fight against
those who don’t fight. Whenever the Prophet Muhammad prepared his
troops for a defensive war, Gulen said, he ordered them not to do
anything to those who took refuge in houses of worship, or to women
and children.

He said it is impossible to reconcile the rules of the Prophet Muhammad
with the acts of terrorists. (Today’s Zaman) CIHAN

BRUSSELS THREATENS YEREVAN

WPS Agency, Russia
September 25, 2013 Wednesday

Armenia is promised trouble and problems on account of its stated
intention to join the Customs Union

by Tigran Oganesjan Source: Izvestia (Moscow issue), No 179, September
25, 2013, p. 7

THE EUROPEAN UNION IS DISPLEASED WITH ARMENIA’S PLANS TO JOIN THE
CUSTOMS UNION; Armenia’s immediate agenda requires cooperation with
Russia, hence the decision to join the Customs Union.

Results of the opinion poll the Eurasian Bank of Development organized
in Armenia show that approximately 67% Armenians support the idea of
membership in the Customs Union. All in all, about 14,000 respondents
were approached in Armenia itself, some other CIS countries, and
Georgia.

The European Union in its turn is convinced that Armenia’s membership
in the Customs Union will cost both Yerevan and Baku. Elmar Brok of
the European Parliament’s Committee for International Contacts said,
“President of Armenia Serj Sargsjan was plainly told in Armenia that
either Armenia joined the Customs Union or it could forget about
Russia’s help in resolution of the crisis with Azerbaijan.”

According to Brok, Sargsjan was cornered and could only agree to
join the Customs Union. “That’s a grave error on Moscow’s part. It
is trying to restore the Soviet Union and Armenia is given no choice
in the matter.”

In a word, Armenia was advised that membership in the Customs Union
would mean serious problems in its relations with the EU.

One of EU functionaries pointed out that Armenia’s membership in the
Customs Union was out of the question if it aspired for associated
membership in the European Union.

In any event, opinions on the future membership in the Customs Union
in Armenia itself differ.

“We have a vitally important problem to solve… the problem of
Nagorno-Karabakh,” said Naira Zograbjan, Chair of the Permanent
Commission for European Integration. “This is why Yerevan needs a
well-balanced policy which makes it plain to everyone that Russia is
our strategic partner.”

Zograbjan herself stands for European integration but even she believes
that EU functionaries “have gone too far” and that diplomatic etiquette
does not allow for threats.

Tevan Pogosjan of the parliament’s Commission for Defense, Security,
and Internal Affairs fails to see why Armenia needs the Customs Union
for purposes of national defense.

“The way I see it, Yerevan ought to keep moving in the direction
of Europe… and leave matters of national safety and security to
the regular army, Karabakh defense army, Russian units posted here,
and the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization,” said Pogosjan.

Sargsjan’s decision to join the Customs Union meanwhile does not
mean that Yerevan abandoned all hopes for rapprochement with the
European Union.

“Armenia is ready to sign the political part of the treaty on
associated membership in the European Union… but the necessary
changes in the text of the document ought to be made by members
of the Eastern Partnership initiative,” said Edmon Marukjan of the
Armenian parliament’s Commission for Foreign Contacts. “It will be
nice to retain the level of relations with the EU that we have already
established… I mean easy availability of visas, opportunities to
study in Europe, and so on.”

As far as Marukjan is concerned, European integration will benefit
Armenia strategically whereas realization of its more immediate plans
requires active cooperation and interaction with Russia.

WPS’2013

[Translated from Russian]