Author: Kalantarian Kevo

OUTRAGE AND FURY

ADL, Editorial | April 25, 2013 3:11 pm
By Edmond Y. Azadian

The US once again witnessed events reminiscent of 9/11, although
fortunately on a more limited scale but of equal sensationalism. The
suspected Boston Marathon bombers, brothers Tsarnaev, terrorized
Boston and its suburbs for almost three days. Watertown, the hub of
many Armenian organizations, suffered the brunt of the massive manhunt
which climaxed with the capture of the younger terror suspect Dzhokhar
Tsarnaev in that same town. The elder brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26,
was killed during a shootout with the police.

Federal, state and local law enforcement officers did an outstanding
job to minimize collateral damage and finish the manhunt, before the
suspects inflicted further mayhem on the civilian population. The two
bombs that exploded at the marathon finish had already caused three
deaths and 170 injuries.

As the nation grieves its losses and wonders about the motivations of
the suspects, the news media is ahead of itself to snatch crumbs of
information to outdo competitors. Although that is the nature of the
news business, irresponsibility is not.

In an atmosphere of heightened tension, all evidence discovered, every
word said, every document released, is amplified and resonates loudly.

It seems that in this tense moment the Turkish and Azeri
disinformation services have played their dirty roles to deflect the
attention from the main case and float the Armenian name in the media,
knowing full well that once the damage is done to the Armenian image,
a million retractions and apologies cannot undo that damage.

It is beyond comprehension how the Armenian name was injected into
this conversation about Chechen alleged terrorists.

Last Sunday, during an interview with the ~SToday Show,~T the suspects~R
uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, made a shocking statement to Savannah Guthrie,
the anchorperson. Tsarni said a family acquaintance told him that
there was outside influence on Tamerlan. ~SHe said there is someone who
brainwashed him, some new convert to Islam. I would like to stress
[the acquaintance was] of Armenian descent.~T

This outrageous statement must not be left unchallenged and the truth
must come out.

The suspects~R uncle added he believes the radicalization occurred in
the United States not overseas. Interestingly, Tamerlan Tsarnaev
traveled to Russia last year where he met with a reportedly radical
Muslim cleric.

As a preemption of the approaching centennial of the Armenian
Genocide, Turkey and Azerbaijan have committed substantial resources
to deflect all anticipated negative press that that may tarnish their
images in the international community.

For the last several years, Azerbaijani news sources and even high
officials, have been accusing Artsakh (Karabagh) falsely of being a
conduit of opium trafficking, linking Afghanistan to Europe, whereas
in reality, it is Azerbaijan that is involved in that illicit trade.

Within the context of the disinformation war, it seems very reasonable
that Mr. Tsarni, a fellow Muslim, would try to muddy the water by not
only bringing in the name of Armenians, but stressing that fact.

The law enforcement and legal establishments of the country are
certainly duty-bound to divulge the identity of that ~Sfamily
acquaintance~T who may have provided the information to him about the
~SArmenian, a new convert to Islam,~T who had brainwashed these two
suspected terrorists. The ~SToday Show~T and its parent organization,
NBC, are equally responsible for not checking their sources about this
outlandish allegation, and since Mr. Tsarni insists that ~Sit started
here~T and ~Sit has nothing to do with Russia or Chechnya.~T

Meanwhile, preliminary investigations indicate that the elder brother,
Tamerlan, had taken a six-month trip to Dagestan and Chechnya last
year, and ~Srelatives say the bombing suspect found comfort back in
Dagestan.~T The headline is from a NY Times report (April 22) filed
from Makhachkala, capital city of Dagestan.

In the concluding paragraph of that report, the NY Times correspondent
writes: ~SSomething, it seems, may have driven Tamerlan Tsarnaev to
violence and Russian outlets have reported that investigators are
looking into connections he may have had with Mosques known to promote
extremist views.~T

In addition to the Times report, information has emerged that the
suspects had been under surveillance in Russia and the Russian law
enforcement authorities had contacted the FBI about them. Now some
questions arise whether the FBI did their due diligence or as a matter
of policy was contented with the fact that potential terrorists were
causing trouble for an adversary. Indeed, if not the US, but a NATO
ally, Turkey, was providing safe haven, training and arms to Chechen
rebels at one time to keep Russia~Rs southern borders simmering with
insurgency. When the US was supplying heat-seeking, shoulder-held
stringer rockets to Bin Laden to shoot down Soviet MIG planes in
Afghanistan, no one predicted 9/11.

All logic and existing information indicate that the Armenian
accusation is a blatant lie. But it has to be proven by the facts.

The legal establishment will certainly do a thorough job to reach the
bottom of this calamity. The truth will come out into the open, but
nobody will try to tend to the damage done to the reputation of the
Armenians. That is our job and if we are outraged enough, we have to
bombard Mr. Tsarni~Rs phone to come with the name of that ~SMuslim
convert of Armenian descent.~T Otherwise, he must issue an apology to
the Armenians.

Traditionally, there has been no love loss between Armenians and
Chechens. Even during the Genocide, the Kurds and the Chechens
massacred Armenians.

After the collapse of the Soviet empire, the Chechens began fighting
the Russians, and Armenia being a strategic ally of Russia, it was not
treated on friendly terms by the Chechens.

In addition to all the historic and political facts, all
investigations have been leading to Chechnya and Dagestan as most
likely location to radicalize these misguided young men.

It is possible that a man of ~SArmenian descent~T may convert to Islam
but the repeated emphasis, seemingly without any reason, that the man
who essentially lit the fuses of the two impressionable Chechen men
was Russian, without his name being revealed, seems to indicate a tall
tale, rather than express the true starting point of this cancer.

If this alleged culprit is living in the US, it will not be difficult
to find him. And if Mr. Tsarni cannot point to him, then he will
automatically become suspect himself. While his nephews are being
accused of planting bombs at the Boston Marathon, he himself has
planted a bomb in the news media to outrage an entire community.

It is incumbent upon every Armenian organization and individual to
take up this challenge seriously and act ~W act with fury and with a
demand for justice.

Readers should send a complaint to

and let NBC clean up after itself.

“THE UNLIKELY DISCOVERY THAT HAS ROCKED THE ART WORLD” EXHIBITION: MAY 1 – 3, 2013

ARTHUR PINAJIAN (1914-1999)

No. 4431, Untitled, 1966, Oil on canvas, 27×32 inches.

Professor William Innes Homer (1929-2012) writes: “Even though Pinajian
was a creative force to be reckoned with, during his lifetime he
rarely exhibited or sold his paintings. Instead, he pursued his goals
in isolation with the single-minded focus of a Gauguin or Cezanne,
refusing to give up in the face of public indifference. In his later
years he could be compared to a lone researcher in a laboratory
pursuing knowledge for its own sake. His exhaustive diaries and art
notes make it clear that he dedicated all of his days to his art. He
was passionate and unequivocally committed.”

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO ATTEND A VERY SPECIAL EVENING HONORING

Arthur PINAJIAN (1914-1999)

Under the Patronage of Diocesan Benefactors Mr. & Mrs. Gerald and
Patricia Turpanjian

OPENING RECEPTION WEDNESDAY, MAY 1-3, 2013 7:00 P.M. – 10:00 pm

EXHIBIT RUNS THROUGH MAY 3, 2013 THURSDAY & FRIDAY 1:00 – 9:00 P.M.

No. 4687, Untitled, 1960. Oil on canvas 29×40 inches.

AT ZORAYAN MUSEUM 3325 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, CA 91504 (818)
558-7474

IMPORTANT LINKS:

New York Times

ABC NEWS

HUFFPOST ARTS & CULTURE

Please contact Linda Stepanian, Director of Stephanie’s Gallery and
Representative of the Pinajian Estate Collection at (818) 790-4905
[email protected]

STEPHANIE’S ART GALLERY, INC 466 Foothill Blvd.

La Canada, CA 91011 (818) 790-4905

Rarely do we discover a worthy artist who works alone and unheralded.

Arthur Pinajian was one of them. He drew and painted in obscurity until
his death in 1999 at the age of 85. Sharing a modest one-story cottage
in the village in Bellport, New York, with his sister Armen (d.2005),
Pinajian depended on her totally for financial and moral support.

To our knowledge, no articles were written about Pinajian and he
exhibited and sold his paintings only rarely. Despite this neglect,
he pursued his art steadfastly and with incredible determination. The
majority of his work was found after his death stacked up in the
one-car garage and attic of his sister’s property. Along with the art
were found his journals, many letters, and sketch books that spanned
the 50 years of his creative life. When all is said and done, this
oeuvre is important because it represents an artist’s life in its
totality. Within it is found a prize legacy that will endure for
posterity; the remainder will win the respect of scholars as they
study in depth the life of a truly original artist.

Pinajian, the son of Armenian holocaust survivors, was a native
of Union City, New Jersey. He started as a cartoonist in the 1930s
and found considerable success fashioning comic strips for Quality,
Marvel, and Centaur Comics. After World War II, during which he earned
the Bronze Star for valor, he rejected commercial art, attended the
Art Students League in New York, and committed himself to the pursuit
of serious painting. Prior to his many years in Bellport with Armen,
he rented a studio in Woodstock, New York, and there and in West New
York, New Jersey, he began to wrestle with the challenges of being
a modern artist.

This meant painting in a variety of styles ranging from the figurative
to the abstract. The wordexploration sums up the nature of his quest:
he worked in the manner of Impressionism, Fauvism, Expressionism, and
Cubism before turning to Surrealism and various modes of abstraction,
including Abstract Expressionism. Part of Pinajian’s learning process
was to echo the styles of well-known artists – making free copies as
a means of perfecting his visual vocabulary. In the end, however,
he forged his own style without a heavy debt to others. He also
philosophized about the creative process. Found among his effects
were numerous journals in which he wrote down his ideas about the
making of art. Issues of color, composition, and pattern captured
much of his attention.

It is noteworthy that he became a veritable master of structural color.

What is so remarkable about Pinajian is his wholehearted dedication
to the process of painting. He pursued his goals in isolation with the
single-minded focus of a Gauguin or Cezanne, refusing to give up in the
face of public indifference. In his later years he could be compared
to a researcher in a laboratory pursuing knowledge for its own sake.

Pinajian’s work is uneven, but when he hits the mark, especially in
his abstractions, he can be ranked among the best artists of his era.

It is satisfying to contemplate his more successful works, doubly so
because they capture the excitement of visual modernism and exude a
painterly integrity that is rare in our time. – William Innes Homer

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS MEET THE MEMBERS OF THE EU-ARMENIA FRIENDSHIP GROUP OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

25.04.2013

On April 25 the members of the Committees of Parliamentary Cooperation
of the RA NA Euronest and Armenia-European Union met with the members
of the EU-Armenia Friendship Group of the European Parliament.

Welcoming the guests the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on
Foreign Relations Artak Zakaryan deemed important the first visit of
the Friendship Group to the Armenian Parliament and expressed hope
that in the near future such meetings would be held frequently.

In the course of the meeting both sides highlighted the deepening of
Armenia-EU relations, the integration process and especially stressed
the importance of signing of the Association Agreement for Armenia,
as well as the establishment of the Comprehensive Free Trade Area.

The sides considered important the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh problem, the continuation of the negotiations, and the
solution of the issue through military means was deemed inadmissible.

The members of the European Parliament emphasized the deepening of
democratic reforms in the Nagorno Karabakh, which would promote the
peaceful settlement of the problem. In that context the strengthening
of democracy in the South Caucasus was also highlighted.

The attendees deemed important the participation of the representatives
of the NGOs and civil societies of the Nagorno Karabakh in the
programmes of the reinforcement of civil society being implemented
within the framework of Euronest.

In the meeting both sides also touched upon the democratic reforms
and deepening of democracy in Armenia. In this context the guests
highlighted the holding of free and fair elections, underlining that
there were things to be done in that direction. The European colleagues
expressed readiness to back the implementation of those reforms.

At the end of the meeting in the name of the Armenian MPs Artak
Zakaryan expressed willingness to develop and deepen the bilateral
relations.

ARMENIA HOSTING DAYS OF POLAND

April 25, 2013 | 13:24

YEREVAN.- Armenia is hosting the Days of Poland. This time the Days
are focused on theater, cinema and music, Poland’s Ambassador to
Armenia Zdzislaw Raczynski said.

The performances staged by Polish actors will be presented on April
28 and 30 within the framework of the “Armmono” international festival.

A conference dedicated to modern Polish theater will be held on April
26. Armenian music fans can attend the concert of “Krakow duo” and
folk ensemble “Chupaga.” on April 29 and May 24 respectively. Several
Polish movies will be screened within the framework of cinema program.

The Ambassador noted that the Days of Poland in Armenia are held
every year, and each time they select a particular direction of
culture. For example, last year the focus was on the literature,
given the 500th anniversary of the Armenian printing.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

REP. SCHIFF: TURKEY WANTS THE WORLD TO FORGET ABOUT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE (VIDEO)

April 24, 2013 – 20:45 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Today, on April 24, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA),
the lead sponsor of the Armenian Genocide resolution in Congress,
delivered his remarks in Armenian on the House Floor to honor the
more than one and a half million Armenian men, women and children
who were murdered by the Ottoman government.

In a historic first in the Congress, Representative Schiff said in
his Armenian address, “I speak to you from the floor of the House
of Representatives in the language of your grandparents and your
great grandparents – the language they used to speak of their hopes,
their dreams, their lives and their loves in the years before 1915
… I speak to you in the language of sons who watched their fathers
murdered … I speak to you in the language of the girls begging the
gendarmes for mercy. Throughout the Ottoman Empire, tens of thousands
were to be killed outright. Families were force marched through desert
heat as the Ottoman government sought to destroy a people. I speak you
in the language of the children begging for a drop of water. By the
time it was over in 1923, more than 1.5 million Armenian men, women
and children were dead. It was the first genocide of the 20th Century.

I speak to you in the language of the mothers who died with their
babies in their arms. A nation was scattered around the world… To
the Middle East, to Europe and to America. I speak to you in the
language of the survivors who came to America for freedom and made a
new life. For almost a century, Turkey has denied the genocide. In the
face of overwhelming evidence – much of it from American diplomats and
journalists – Ankara has denied that the genocide ever happened. They
want the world to forget. I speak to you in the language of those
who were lost. Their voices drift across the decades – begging us
to remember.

I am not a descendant of the fallen, but I speak to you in their
beautiful language because on this day, we are all Armenian. And
not just on this day. Whenever we speak out against mass murder,
whenever we refuse to be cowed into silence, we are all Armenian.

For many years I have sat with you and listened – to the stories of
those who were lost in the genocide and those who survived. I speak
to you in their language to thank you for sharing your history with me.

And I speak to you from this place, this House, because Americans
have always shown the courage to look horror in the eye and speak
its name, and I look forward to the day when its leaders will do
the same. And because I know that day will come. May it come soon,
so the last of the survivors may hear its awesome sound,” he said.

“ZHOGHOVURD”: “ARTAK OF SAS” BEGAN HIS “DIRTY WORK”

25/04/2013 13:42:00
Oratert News

Citizens, who called the edition of the newspaper “Zhoghovurd”
said that they are employees of “SAS” supermarket and these days
had to register in Arabkir district. On the eve of a member of
RPA parliamentary faction, the owner of the “SAS” supermarket Artak
Sargsyan told his employees during working hours to go home and bring
their passports, in order to rapidly resolve registration issues.

In addition, Sargsyan urged necessarily take part in the upcoming
May 5 elections of Yerevan Council of Elders and vote in favor of
the Republican Party. On this occasion, the newspaper interviewed
Artak Sargsyan. Naturally, he immediately denied everything. “No,
this is not true, this is a lie,” the deputy stated. While supermarket
workers assert the contrary.

NEWSPAPER: TWO-THREE AIRLINES WILL EMERGE IN THE ARMENIAN MARKET

25/04/2013 14:22:00 arminfo.info

A Yerevan-based Haykakan Zhamanak Daily reports that 2-3 companies
will replace Armavia airline that has been announced bankrupt.

The companies are not named, as negotiations and discussions on the
given issue are currently underway. Sources in the government report
that mechanisms of activity are being developed taking into account
the current competition with Russian air companies in the market.

On April 25 the Public Council will conduct hearings on the situation
in the civil aviation fielding the country.

Armavia national air carrier has launched bankruptcy procedure and
stopped flights due to debts. The owner of Armavia, President of Mika
Limited Mikhail Bagdasarov said in an interview with ArmInfo that
the company’s debt does not exceed $50 million, with the current debt
being the main part of it. Armavia’s shareholders are MIKA LTD – 34.99%
and Aviafin LLC – 65.01%. Bagdasarov set up Armavia in 1996 and sold
it to Russian S7. In 2005 pressured by the Armenian tax authorities,
S7 gave the company back to Bagdasarov. It was the first to exploit
SSJ-100. Armavia carried out over 100 flights to over 40 destinations
in 20 countries.

IF ONLY EVERYONE: A MOVIE ABOUT KARABAKH WAR WINS AWARDS AT BEIJING INT’L FESTIVAL

ARTS AND CULTURE | 25.04.13 | 12:43

Photo:

Vahagn Simonyan

A movie of joint Armenian-Russian production telling about the Karabakh
war has won two top prizes at the 3rd International Film Festival in
Beijing, China.

According to the official website of the Festival, which ended on
April 23, the movie, ‘If Only Everyone’, by Natalija Bieliauskiene,
received awards for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ (Vahagn Simonyan) and
‘Best Music’ (Vahagn Hayrapetyan).

The plot of the 94-minute movie weaves around the daughter of a Russian
officer who was killed in the Karabakh war; she comes to Armenia 20
years after her father’s death and is trying to find his lost grave
to plant the birch seedling she has brought along from home.

The authors of ‘If Only Everyone’ stress that while being a
recollection of the 1992-1994 hostilities in and around Karabakh,
the movie is more about peace than war and is a unique call for
forgiveness and tolerance.

‘If Only Everyone’ has also won awards at other international film
festivals, including at Golden Apricot in Yerevan, and was on the
long list of the Oscar Academy Award as the Best Foreign Language
Film in 2012.

AGBU Press Office
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Phone: 212.319.6383
Email: [email protected]
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PRESS RELEASE

Friday, April 26, 2013

City of Los Angeles Honors AGBU Generation Next Mentorship Program

Ararat Home and Genocide survivor Rose Garjian are also recognized at
Genocide Commemoration ceremony.

LOS ANGELES, CA – The AGBU Generation Next Mentorship Program was
honored by the City of Los Angeles at its annual Armenian Genocide
Commemoration ceremony, held at the Los Angeles City Council Chamber
on April 19th. Both AGBU GenNext and the Ararat Home were also
recognized for their outstanding contributions to the Armenian and the
greater community of Los Angeles.

Councilmembers Paul Krekorian and Eric Garcetti, a former City Council
president, jointly led the commemoration of the 98th anniversary of
the Genocide. Representing AGBU GenNext were former Committee Chair
Hagop Jazmadarian and Treasurer Maida Tchaprazian, along with GenNext
Case Manager Alfred Bedrossian and AGBU Western District Executive
Director, Yasmin Alpay.

Mr. Jazmadarian took the podium to thank the councilmembers for
recognizing the AGBU GenNext program and its dedicated volunteer
mentors, and emphasized the critical role mentors play in the lives of
Armenian youth in Los Angeles. “Our youth are matched one-to-one with
successful and caring mentors, who become guiding forces in their
young lives,” he said.

For his part, Councilmember Krekorian shared with the Chamber the role
he played in the genesis of AGBU GenNext, which was pivotal. As part
of the Young Professionals of Los Angeles in the 1990s, Councilmember
Krekorian was one of the program’s founding members and has been an
avid supporter ever since.

Alongside AGBU, Ararat Home and its 104 year old resident and Genocide
survivor, Rose Garjian, were also recognized. Ararat Home was honored
for its immense contribution to the elderly Armenian-American
community of Southern California.

Councilmembers Krekorian and Garcetti remembered the 1.5 million
Armenian martyrs, invoking the memory of the Genocide to prevent such
crimes against humanity in the future.

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.

For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please
visit

By Alexa Tieu

Story Created: Apr 24, 2013 at 9:19 PM MDT
Story Updated: Apr 24, 2013 at 10:21 PM MDT

Twin Falls, Idaho ( KMVT-TV / KTWT-TV ) A group of Twin Falls community
members came together to remember one of the worst genocides in the 20th
century.

Armenian community members gathered at the Twin Falls City Park to remember
the history of their people.

They suffered through two genocides in the 20th century, and hope to educate
others about the dangers of persecution.

“There’s no future without history…without past,” says Violet Nahapet. She
explains, “This is a little community we have here but we get together on
this day to remember the ones that were killed just because they were of
Christian faith…just because they were Armenian.”

The Armenian community here does not have a lot of people, but they have a
lot of heart.

“We are the second generation of Armenians who went through genocide, but in
a different area – in Azerbaijan. We’re the ones that are the very blessed
ones to have the opportunity to come into this country and have this
beautiful freedom,” says Nahapet.

This is the 98th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Members of the Twin
Falls Armenian community meet at the City Park every year to commemorate the
event.”

Mike Williams, City of Twin Falls says, “For the past several years, we’ve
recognized April 24th as Twin Falls Armenian Memorial Day in support of our
Armenian Community and the persecution that they suffered.”

Mayor Greg Lanting was asked by a community member two years ago for the
remembrance plaque and tree.

The mayor also issued a proclamation for the memorial day.

Nahapet says, “It’s very important to us to have a place to come to remember
because not only in 1915, but we lost our loved ones in 1988 through 1990.”

“It’s important that we embrace all the different cultures in our community
because we want to be a welcoming community and welcome those from different
cultures and backgrounds… and let them know we support them and want them
to live and thrive here,” explains Williams.

Historians estimate 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks in
the 1915 genocide.

President Barack Obama has called the event quote “one of the worst
atrocities of the 20th century.”