Author: Kamalian Hagop

GENOCIDE EEN VERSIE VAN DE GESCHIEDENIS?

NRC.NEXT
5 October 2006
1ste Editie

Het is nu tijd voor een brug over de Bosporus

Nebahat Albayrak en Frans Timmermans

SAMENVATTING

Moet Turkije erkennen dat er volkerenmoord tegen Armeniërs is gepleegd?

[…] De rol van politici moet nu zijn om mensen tot elkaar te brengen
en niet zoals al bijna honderd jaar gebeurt, een semantische discussie
voeren over definities en woordkeuze, die de oplossing eerder verder
weg dan dichterbij brengen. Hoe absurd ook in onze ogen, de Turkse
overheid heeft het recht om het gebruik van de volkenrechtelijke term
genocide te bestrijden.

Dat is ook niet wat de positie van de Turkse overheid ongeloofwaardig
maakt. Die ongeloofwaardigheid was het gevolg van de stelselmatige
weigering diepgaand en onafhankelijk onderzoek te laten doen naar
de gruwelen uit de jaren rond 1915. Nu zien we eindelijk beweging in
Turkije op dit vlak. In intellectuele kring wordt de positie van de
overheid steeds vaker historisch onhoudbaar genoemd, en het moment
nadert dat er onafhankelijk onderzoek zal worden gedaan.

Bemoedigend zijn de woorden van de Turkse onderhandelaar in het
toetredingsproces, Ali Babacan. Hij zegt dat als dit onderzoek
het bewijs levert dat er wel degelijk sprake was een geplande
volkerenmoord, Turkije zich daarbij zal moeten neerleggen. (…)

Er zijn veel Europese landen waar de mensen moeite hebben de zwarte
bladzijden uit hun geschiedenis onder ogen te zien. Val Russen,
Oekraïeners en Polen niet lastig met de pogroms. Praat in Frankrijk
niet te veel over de gruwelen in Algerije of de massale collaboratie
tijdens de oorlog. In Spanje ontkennen grote groepen de gruwelen
van het franquisme en in Italië zat tot voor kort een partij in de
regering die Mussolini een groot hervormer vond.

In de Raad van Europa is dit jaar door vele linkse partijen, waaronder
helaas ook zusterpartijen van de PvdA, een rapport naar de prullenbak
verwezen dat sprak over de excessen van het communisme. De tientallen
miljoenen doden die communisten op hun geweten hebben mochten immers
niet aan ‘links’ worden toegerekend. Hoeveel linkse mensen weigeren
tot op de dag van vandaag in te zien dat het Oost-Europese communisme
een gruwelijke ontsporing was van het socialistisch ideaal?

En wat te denken van het taboe dat in sommige kringen in Nederland
nog steeds rust op onze koloniale oorlogen, die wij officieel nog
steeds eufemistisch met ‘politionele acties’ aanduiden? […] Na de
Tweede Wereldoorlog hebben de Europeanen een poging ondernomen om
het eeuwenoude lot van telkens nieuwe bloedbaden tussen verschillende
volkeren te doorbreken. […] Zo is er eerst een brug geslagen over
de Rijn tussen Frankrijk en Duitsland, en later over de Oder tussen
Oost en West. Nu is het tijd voor een brug over de Bosporus.

Er zijn veel Europese landen die moeite hebben met hun geschiedenis

Ik geloof in de vrijheid van meningsuiting, in Turkije èn in Nederland

Dit is het slot van de column van de Turkse schrijfster Elif Safak
in de Turkish Daily News van 1 oktober.

[…] Ik geloof in de vrijheid van meningsuiting. Niet alleen in
Turkije, maar overal en altijd. Daarom is het voor mij onmogelijk
niet bezorgd te zijn over de recente ontwikkelingen in Nederland en
door de stemming in Frankrijk.

Het nieuws dat in Nederland drie kandidaten (voor de Tweede Kamer)
van de lijst zijn afgevoerd, is bedroevend. Op dezelfde manier gaan
de pogingen in Frankrijk om een ‘genocide-wet’ in te voeren en op te
leggen en iedereen te straffen die de genocide ontkent, volledig in
tegen de geest van de vrijheid van meningsuiting en tegen de geest van
een open democratie. Als we voor vrijheid van meningsuiting in Turkije
zijn, kunnen we geen dubbele standaard toepassen. Voorstander zijn van
vrijheid van meningsuiting vereist het verdedigen van dit fundamentele
principe in alle landen. Wat er in Nederland en Frankrijk gebeurt is
aanvechtbaar, niet alleen in termen van het beknotten van de vrijheid
van meningsuiting, maar ook in termen van het ondermijnen van iedere
potentiële band van empathie en vriendschap tussen Armeniërs en Turken.

Deze manoeuvre zal slechts een nationalistische tegenreactie in Turkije
oproepen. Ze zal alle pogingen schaden om een dialoog te bouwen. En
misschien nog belangrijker: de Nederlandse en de Franse regeringen
zouden in herinnering moeten roepen, net als de Turkse regering, dat
het niet aan staten of aan de elite in staten is om de geschiedenis
te schrijven of te dicteren. (…)

Lees de hele column op: pluk: sms 14774
naar 7585

Hoe 1915 de politiek van 2006 kan beheersen

Drie van oorsprong Turkse kandidaten voor de Tweede Kamer zijn vorige
week van de kandidaatlijsten van hun partijen verwijderd wegens hun
standpunt over de Armeense genocide.

De CDA’ers Ayhan Tonca (plaats 35) en Osman Elmaci (56) weigerden te
erkennen dat Turkije in 1915 een genocide op de Armeense bevolking
heeft uitgevoerd. De PvdA’er Erdinc Sacan (plaats 53) bleek een website
te beheren waar Turks-Nederlandse politici regelmatig discussiëren
over de Armeense genocide:

De druk op Nebahat Albayrak , tweede op de PvdA-lijst, neemt toeom
de genocide te erkennen. In een artikel in Trouw pleitte zij gisteren
voor een onderzoek naar de feiten van 1915.

–Boundary_(ID_X1EsuZLxXMdW142oBUGS5w)–

TURKISH MPS WARNS FRANCE AGAINST ARMENIAN BILL

Anatolia news agency, Ankara,
4 Oct 06

Paris, 4 October: "If the French Socialist Party’s draft law, on
making a denial of the so-called Armenian genocide a crime in France,
is adopted, this would harm Turkish-French relations," said Mehmet
Dulger, a deputy from the [ruling] Justice and Development Party
(AKP) and chairman of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commission,
in Paris today.

The Turkish parliamentary delegation held talks in Paris and lobbied
against the draft law that makes denial of so-called Armenian genocide
a crime in France.

In a press briefing at the Turkish embassy in Paris, Dulger stressed
that "French economic interests in Turkey will get (negatively)
affected if the draft law is accepted".

Deputy leader of the [opposition] Turkish Republican People’s Party
(CHP) Onur Oymen indicated that the draft law in the French parliament
is against the freedom of expression of ideas and the European Human
Rights Treaty.

"No one can take away the right to freely express that Turkish
ancestors did not kill Armenians," said Oymen.

The draft law will be voted on in the French parliament’s general
assembly on 12 October. The French Senate must also approve the
draft law for it to go into effect. The draft law makes any denial of
so-called Armenian genocide a crime to be punishable with one year’s
jail term or a fine of 45,000 euro.

The Turkish delegation departed from Paris and is heading to Turkey.

RUSSIA SEVERS TRANSPORT LINKS WITH GEORGIA
By Diana Dundua

The Messenger, Georgia
Oct 4 2006

Following bans on agricultural products, wine, mineral water, and the
closure of the only legally working border checkpoint, Russia has
announced a total suspension of air, rail, road and maritime links
with Georgia.

The transport blockade began in the morning of October 3. Passengers
arriving at Tbilisi airport arrived to find that their journey was
to be cut short, as all flights to Russia had been cancelled.

"I came to the airport and I was told that I couldn’t go to Moscow.

It goes to show that Russia is more interested in its soldiers than
in its citizens. The [Russian] government are stopping us getting
back to Russia," Russian citizen Darejan Kveladze told journalists
on October 3.

Many passengers took their now useless tickets to their respective
airline offices in search of a refund, but it soon became apparent
that only those who bought their tickets in Georgia were able to
return them.

National carrier Airzena optimistically stated that all flights are
merely "temporarily delayed", hoping that Russia will soon change
its mind and reopen air traffic.

"We hope that very soon Russian air space will be opened to Georgian
planes, but if air traffic is cancelled for a long time passengers
who wish to get their money back can return tickets. However, we are
going to find alternative routes for flights," the director general
of Airzena, Tamaz Gaiashvili, told journalists on Tuesday.

Georgia politicians and analysts have unanimously declared the
transport ban politically motivated, but some Russian officials have
been quick to deny this. Chief of the Russian air navigation service,
Alexander Naradko, claims Georgian airlines owe USD 3.6 million for
air traffic services, with some debts dating back to 2001.

The representatives of three Georgian companies operating
Tbilisi-Moscow, Georgian Airways, Georgian National Airlines and
TbilAviaMsheni, categorically deny the existence of a debt.

Reportedly, the Georgian Air Navigation Department and representatives
of Aeroflot (Russia’s national carrier) have received official notices
about the ban from the Russian aviation authority.

Representatives of the Georgian air navigation department call the
putative reasons for banning flights absurd, and vow to take the
matter to the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Georgia is still open to Russian flights, however, and the many
flights from Russia to Armenia and beyond are still able to use
Georgian airspace. "Russian companies use Georgian airspace… We
are not making any obstacles for them, let them fly," said Giorgi
Karbelashvili, chief of the Air Navigation Department.

Georgian Railway ltd. received official notification of the rail link
closure from Russia on October 3. Russia claims the trains have been
cancelled due to lack of passengers. The direct Tbilisi-Moscow service,
which runs via Baku, has only been operational since May.

"Russia’s reasons for stopping train services are baseless because
usually over 90 percent of tickets are sold for the Tbilisi-Moscow
trip. At present 30 percent of passengers have already returned the
tickets as they cannot go to Russia," deputy director general of
Georgian Railway ltd., Irakli Kandelaki, said on Tuesday.

Batumi, from which three ferries a week usually sail to the Russian
Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, has also been taken by surprise.

About 50 passengers have returned their tickets so far.

Boris Gryzlov, Speaker of the Russian State Duma, was happy to allude
to the political nature of these latest restrictions.

"The sanctions imposed by the executive authorities are directed
against Saakashvili’s regime, and not against the Georgian people,"
reassured Gryzlov.

CHIRAC GIVES FULL SUPPORRT TO ARMENIAN CLAIMS AGAINST TURKEY
By Tuluhan Bahar (JTW)

Journal of Turkish Weekly
Oct 1 2006

French President Jacques Chirac has called on Turkey to "recognize
its past" in connection with Armenian historical claims, Chirac has
given total support to the Armenian claims assuming Turkish approach
is completely wrong.

Chirac and his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian held a joint press
conference on Saturday in the Armenian capital of Yerevan following
their meeting. The two leaders accused Turkey of not recognizing the
so-called Armenian genocide. Armenia argues that the 1915 clashes
between the Turkish and Armenian forces was a genocide while the
Turkish side claims more than 520,000 Turkish people were massacred
by the Armenian armed forces.

When asked if Turkey had to recognize the Armenian ‘genocide’ claims
to join the European Union, Chirac stated "Honestly, I believe it
does. Each country grows by acknowledging its dramas and mistakes of
the past".

ALGERIAN GENOCIDE AND ARMENIAN CLAIMS

Chirac contradicted previous statements he made that writing history
was the job of historians, not of the laws, when arguing against the
claims that France killed more than 1,5 million of Algerians between
1940 and 1962.

Hosting president Kocharian answered more softly and said that a
neighbor that had open borders and allowed free movement would be to
the interests of his country. Turkey – Armenia territorial borders
have been closed since Armenia occupied 20 percent of neighboring
Azerbaijani territories including Karabakh province.

‘DIRTY GAMES’

This recent move of Chirac is likely to strain relations between
Turkey and France, which passed a bill in 2001 recognizing 1915
clashes under the Ottoman Empire as "genocide". Some Turkish parties
and societies made calls to boycott French goods in protest of the
French President. Dr. Nilgun Gulcan from ISRO argued that the French
preferred the Armenians to the Turkish people:

"Chirac blame all Turkish people and the past instead of questioning
what genocides and massacres they committed in Africa and other
continents. The 1915 Events happened almost a century ago, but the
French are speaking now. This is not a history matter but a well
organized plan to halt Turkey’s EU membership. I personally think
that Turkey should not accept Armenian claims and should not join
the European Union. Armenia, instead of Turkey, should join the EU.

Because Armenia has better neighboring relations than Turkey according
to the French President."

A drafted bill, which, if passed, would a maximum punishment of a
year’s imprisonment and a fine of ~@45,000 for those who deny the
existence of the "Armenian genocide", will be discussed and voted on
in the French parliament on Oct. 12. Thus France who called Turkey to
discuss openly the Armenian claims in Turkey, will ban any discussion
about the Turkish-Armenian claims.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament adopted a report critical on
Turkey’s accession to the European Union, dropping a clause that
would have made recognition of the Armenian claims a pre-condition
for Turkey’s membership. However, the parliament called on Turkey
to "acknowledge the (so-called) Armenian genocide." The European
Parliament and Mr. Chirac did never mention the occupied Azeri
territories. More than 20 percent of Azeri territories have been
occupied by the Armenian forces and more than 1 million Azerbaijani
Turks have been refugees for more than a decade.

Armenia does not recognize Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s national
borders. About 50.000 Armenia Armenians, apart from 100,000 Turkey
Armenians, live and work in Turkey, mainly in Istanbul city. Armenia
has thorny relations with its almost all neighbors, Turkey, Georgia
and Azerbaijan.

WHAT ARE ARMENIAN CLAIMS?

When the Ottoman Empire was in the First World War, some of the
Armenian Ottomans rioted against their own State and made co-operation
with the enemies, namely Russians and French. When the Russian forces
entered the Eastern Anatolia, the Armenians also occupied some of
the Ottoman towns, like Van. As a result of riots and occupations
the Istanbul Government too the decision of Relocation (tehcir) of
the Eastern Armenians. The aim of the decision was to transfer the
Armenian population from the war theater to the safer Syria province
of the State. Unfortunately the implementation of the decision became
a tragedy when the Ottoman soldiers could not protect the civilian
Armenians. Thousands of Armenian died due to the ethnic attacks from
the Kurdish tribal gangs, bad whether, famine and epidemic diseases. On
the other hand more than 520.000 Muslims were massacred by the Armenian
gangs in order to Armenify the region. The Armenian nationalist aim
was to establish their own state on the Eastern Ottoman State. When
the First World War ended the Armenians declared that they were the
side of this war and they should be in the peace talks as part of
allies. However Turkey was established in 1923 and Armenians failed
in establishing greater Armenia.

Armenians claim that the Turks wanted to remove all the Armenians
from the Anatolian territories in 1915 and call the events
as genocide. Turkey does not accept the claims and says a joint
commission should be established to discuss the historical disputes
while the Armenian side rejected the offer. According to Armenia
"there is nothing to be discussed"

WHAT IS ALGERIAN GENOCIDE?

Approximately 1.5 million Algerian Muslim Arabs were tortured and
massacred under the French rule according to the Algerian sources
1.5 million dead, while French officials estimated it at 350,000.

[ geria1954.htm Algeria
Independence France 1954-1962] Algerians argue that the massacres
should be named as genocide and France must apologize from the
Algerians. However the French do not accept the claims. Algeria’s
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika says that French colonization
of his country Algeria was a form of genocide. In memoirs, some
French officers have described torture of Algerians during the war,
however France has never accepted its responsibility in tortures
and massacres in Algeria. Paris says that the past should be
left to historians. French President Jacques Chirac, upon harsh
reactions to the law encouraging the good sides of the French
colonial history, made the statement, "Writing history is the job
of the historians, not of the laws." Writing history is the job of
the historians" According to Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin,
"speaking about the past or writing history is not the job of the
parliament."[ ernational&alt=&trh=20051210&hn=27378
France in Favor of So-Called Genocide Resorts to Historians]

The Algerian president Bouteflika said in a speech in Paris on 17
April 2006 "We no longer know whether we are Berbers (indigenous North
Africans), Arabs, Europeans or French. France committed a genocide
of Algerian identity during the colonial era. Colonisation brought
the genocide of our identity, of our history, of our language, of our
traditions."( ernational.cfm?id=583792006
Algerian leader calls colonisation ‘genocide’, Scotsman)

Algeria first became a colony of France in 1830. After a war which
ended in Algeria’s independence in 1962, eight million Algerian
residents were deprived of French nationality and hundreds of thousands
of ‘pieds noir’ (French who settled in Algeria and were re-patriated
at the end of the war) were forced home to a place which was not home.

Algeria called on France to apologise in 2005 for crimes committed
during the colonial era. Bouteflika also urged Paris to admit its
part in the massacres of 45,000 Algerians who took to the streets to
demand independence as Europe celebrated victory over Nazi Germany in
1945. French authorities then responded by playing down the comments,
urging "mutual respect".

OSKANYAN DOES NOT RULES OUT POSSIBILITY OF CONTINUING NEGOTIATIONS WITH AZERBAIJAN

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Sept 28 2006

YEREVAN, September 28. /ARKA/. Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan does not rule out a possibility of continuing the negotiations
with Azerbaijan in the near future.

In the interview to Liberty radio station in New-York Oskanyan pointed
out that individual meetings with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on
the Karabakh issue will always be held.

"I do not rule out a possibility of the co-chairs’ visit to the
region," he said and added that after they reached a relevant
decision based on the results of the 61st UNO General Assembly,
Armenian intends to contact the mediators and plan further actions.

Oskanyan reported that resumption of direct negotiations between
Armenia and Azerbaijan both at the ministers’ and presidents’ level is
possible and desirable for all. He said that it is all in an uncertain
situation, and everything will be clarified with time.

PanARMENIAN.Net

CSTO Member States Call on Georgian Leadership to Release Russian Military
29.09.2006 18:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The member states of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization call upon the Georgian leadership to immediately release
the Russian military, says the statement of the CSTO Secretariat.
Upon completion of the consultations the plenipotentiaries of the
organization voiced `concern about the tensing situation that can lead
to unpredictable consequences’ and called the Georgian side to
`balanced approach to the resolution of the existing problems.’ The
CSTO includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan.

Turkish Daily News
September 28, 2006 Thursday

MEPS CALL FOR MORE REFORMS FOR PROGRESS IN EU TALKS

The European Parliament warned Turkey in a non-binding report
yesterday that it must speed up far-reaching reforms if it wanted to
become a member of the European Union.

European parliamentarians adopted the highly critical, nonbinding
report by 429 votes in favor to 71 against with 125 abstentions,
accusing Ankara of failing to live up to commitments it made to win
the green light from EU leaders to start talks on joining the bloc,
which began last October.

"The European Parliament … regrets the slowing down of the reform
process," the report said, adding that Turkey had shown "insufficient
progress" in the areas of freedom of expression, religious and
minority rights, women’s rights and the rule of law since the start
of accession talks 11 months ago.

In a move likely to please Ankara, the European Parliament deleted a
controversial clause that would have sought to make recognition by
Turkey of an alleged genocide of Armenians at the hands of the late
Ottoman Empire a pre-condition for full membership.

But the report still called on Turkey to "acknowledge the Armenian
genocide" before it can join the EU, with European parliamentarians
saying it was "indispensable" for Turkey to come to terms with and
recognize its past. They also urged Turkey to establish diplomatic
relations with Armenia and open the land border with its eastern
neighbor

Another clause in the critical report referring to alleged genocides
of other communities in Anatolia, namely the Pontus Greeks and the
Assyrians, was added to the one on the alleged Armenian genocide.

On Cyprus, the report demanded that Turkey fulfill its obligation to
open its ports and airports to traffic from EU-member Greek Cyprus
under an extended customs agreement. Ankara has refused to do so
unless the EU fulfils a pledge to end the economic isolation of
Turkish Cypriot North Cyprus. Brussels rejects this approach.

The report’s author, Dutch parliamentarian Camiel Eurlings, told the
European Parliament that it was "fair but tough" and urged Ankara to
see it as a "motivation to speed up reforms."

"I’m sorrowed that I had to draft such a damning report but the ball
is now firmly in Turkey’s court," Eurlings was quoted as saying at a
news conference.

In earlier reactions, Economy Minister Ali Babacan, who is also
Turkey’s chief EU negotiator, played down the report’s significance.

"We assess this report as a foreign assessment, an alternative view
which must be taken into account but it shouldn’t have too much
importance attached to it," he was quoted as saying.

Ankara is also awaiting a progress report from the EU’s executive
arm, the European Commission. The report on Turkey will be released
on Nov. 8.

HIGH FEST TO KICK OFF IN YEREVAN IN OCTOBER

Panorama.am
18:01 27/09/06

Fourth international theater festival High Fest will run in Armenia
from October 4 to 14. In the words of Arthur Ghukasyan, festival
chairman, theater groups representing 31 countries will stage 74
performances at eleven squares in Yerevan and Artashat. Ghukasyan
said theater actors will also deliver lectures for students.

The event is held under the auspices of prime minister and defense
minister of Armenia. The ministry of culture never supported this
festival, the organizers complain. However, the ministry of culture
promised to release 2 million Armenian drams next year, the organizer
say.

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian

September 28, 2006

NEW OFFICE OF ST. NERSES THE GREAT CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION
IS DEDICATED TO ARCHBISHOP MESROB ASHJIAN
On the evening of September 19, under the auspices of the Prelate
Archbishop Oshagan, the new Yerevan office of the Prelacy’s St. Nerses the
Great Charitable and Social Organization was officially inaugurated and
dedicated. The new building will henceforth be known as "The Archbishop
Mesrob Ashjian Center." The office was named in honor of the late Archbishop
Mesrob, who as Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy, first organized the St.
Nerses organization and its program of social work in Armenia and Artsakh.
Archbishop Oshagan and a number of invited dignitaries attended the
dedication and the reception that followed. To see photos of this event
click

EPISC OPAL CONSECRATION OF BISHOP ANOUSHAVAN
WILL BE CELEBRATED THIS SUNDAY
A large number of the faithful have responded and will be attending the
celebration this Sunday, in honor of the recent Episcopal consecration of
Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian. The community-wide banquet, under the auspices
of Archbishop Oshagan, will take place this Sunday, October 1 at 3 pm at the
Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadows, New York. In the morning, Bishop
Anoushavan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at St. Sarkis Church,
Douglaston, New York, a parish he served for more than a decade. Bishop
Anoushavan’s elevation and consecration took place on June 4, in ceremonies
officiated by Catholicos Aram I in the Cathedral of St. Gregory the
Illuminator in Antelias, Lebanon.

SENIOR CITIZENS OF ST. ILLUMINATOR’S CATHEDRAL
WILL RESUME MEETING ON OCTOBER 3
The Senior Citizens of St. Illuminator’s Cathedral of New York will
resume their weekly get-togethers this Tuesday, October 3, and every Tuesday
thereafter from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 pm in John Pashalian Hall. Seniors enjoy
an afternoon of fellowship, music, bingo, movies, and lunch. For information
212-689-5880.

NEW SERIES OF BIBLE STUDY AT PRELACY
An eight-session course on the "Letter to the Hebrews" will start this
Monday, October 2, at the Prelacy from 7:15 pm to 8:45 pm, and will continue
on the first and third Mondays of the month. Sponsored by the Armenian
Religious Education Council (AREC), the course will be conducted by Dn.
Shant Kazanjian, director of AREC.
The Letter to the Hebrews is a profound homily, a "word of exhortation"
(Hebrews 13:22). One of the main themes of the Letter is that the old
covenant has been superseded through the sacrificial death of Christ. And
for that reason, studying the Letter to the Hebrews gives a solid biblical
understanding of the "Soorp Badarak" (Holy Sacrifice) that we celebrate on
Sundays.
For registration and information, please call 212-689-7810 or e-mail at
[email protected].

CHILDREN’S CONCERT ON NOVEMBER 18
WILL CELEBRATE THE "COLORS OF FALL"
With the extraordinary success of the Prelacy’s Children’s Concert two
years ago, another concert for children will take place on Saturday
afternoon, November 18, at Florence Gould Hall, at the Alliance Francaise in
New York City, featuring the talented and popular TALINE AND FRIENDS, from
California.
The theme of the concert will be "Fall Colors" (Ashnan Kouyner). Tickets
are $20 each and can be purchased by contacting the Prelacy office,
212-689-7810, Ext. 26.

MIDWEST DATEV PROGRAM NOVEMBER 10-12
The popular summer Datev program goes on the road again with a weekend
program scheduled in the Midwest, November 10 to 12, at the Colombiere
Retreat and Conference Center, Clarkston, Michigan.
The program will include interactive presentations and instructions on
faith-related topics, discussions of religious and current issues, Bible
studies, short worship services, fellowship and recreational activities.
Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian and Deacon Shant Kazanjian will be the
instructors and facilitators.
For information and registration click

"UNITED NATIONS MUST RECAPTURE ITS ESSENTIAL MISSION,"
SAYS CATHOLICOS ARAM I
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, has
welcomed the removal of the air and sea blockade of Lebanon that had been
imposed by Israel. He praised the efforts of the Secretary General of the
UN, and said that in the past the unilateral decisions of some states were
directed towards discrediting the role of the United Nations as a model for
governance expressed by the general will. "The removal of the blockade
responds to the will of the Lebanese people to rebuild their economy not
only through aid, but primarily through their own entrepreneurship." His
Holiness went on to say that "it also shows the commitment of many sovereign
states to the democratic values that place the will of the people at the
center of any viable strategy for peace. His Holiness described the UN as a
"concrete model of multilateralism" and he stressed the need of
strengthening the UN by making it more active, effective and credible."

V. REV. FR. SHAHE PANOSSIAN BEGINS SERVICE AS DEAN OF SEMINARY
V. Rev. Fr. Shahe Panossian, who was recently appointed to serve as the
Dean of the Cilician See’s Armenian Theological Seminary, has begun his
tenure leadership of the Seminary. Hayr Shahe has previously served as
director of the Birds Nest Orphanage, as well as in the dioceses of Greece,
the United States and Canada. Most recently he was the pastor of Sts.
Vartanantz Church in Ridgefield, New Jersey.

PRESIDENT CHIRAC OF FRANCE WILL VISIT ARMENIA
Jacques Chirac, President of France, will pay an official visit to
Armenia starting tomorrow through Sunday, October 1. President Chirac is the
first leader of a major western power to officially visit Armenia since
independence. Accompanying him will be the international-acclaimed French
Armenian entertainer Charles Aznavour, fresh from a triumphant two-day
concert engagement in New York’s Radio City Music Hall. The visit will
inaugurate France’s "Year of Armenia."

ST. GEORGE THE COMMANDER AND HOLY CROSS OF VARAG
This weekend the Armenian Church commemorates St. George (Kevork) and
the feast of the Holy Cross of Varag.
On Saturday (September 30) we remember St. George the Commander.
Although we do not have extant information about him, St. George remains a
popular hero among all Christian people. He is considered to be the patron
saint of soldiers and boy scouts. As in so many other instances, the
Armenians have given St. George an Armenian national character. The name
George (Kevork) became popular beginning in the 5th century. There are many
large churches named in his honor. Perhaps the one best known to us here at
the Eastern Prelacy is Sourp Kevork of Moughni, the monastery in Armenia
that the late Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian adopted and restored with the help
of his generous friends in the United States and Canada. The monastery was
founded in the 13th century by the brotherhood of Hovhannavank, bringing
with them the relics of St. George, a third century Roman general who defied
the policy of persecuting Christians and urged others to follow his example.
It was at this monastery that Simeon the Elder produced a beautifully
decorated Gospel in 1280 that is known as the Moughni Gospel. Each year on
this day the Gospel is brought from the Matenadaran (Manuscript Museum) in
Yerevan to Moughni for a special service. The entire Moughni complex stands
today in tribute of our ancestors and as a living testimony to the
dedication and patronage of the Archbishop Mesrob.
On Sunday, October 1, the church observes the Holy Cross of Varag, a
feast unique to the Armenian Church. The Hripsimiantz Virgins, after coming
to Armenia, lived near Mount Varag. Hripsime always carried a small wooden
cross believed to be made from a piece of the true cross. One day, in order
to escape persecution, she found refuge on the mountain where she hid the
cross among the rocks before fleeing to Vagharshapat. According to
tradition, in the year 653, a hermit named Todik found the hidden cross. He
followed a brilliant light that illuminated the mountain that guided him
inside the church to the altar where he found a fragment of the cross. The
guiding light shone for twelve days. In memory of this event, Nerses
Catholicos established the Feast of the Cross of Varag. He is also the
author of the beautiful hymn, "By the Sign of Your All Powerful Holy Cross,"
(Nshanav Amenahaght Khatchivt)
Mount Varag is located in the southeastern region of Van in historic
Armenia. There, in honor of the Cross, the monastery of Saint Nishan was
built on the site where Hripsime hid her cross. It was a very popular
destination for pilgrims. In recent years some fortunate people have been
able to make this pilgrimage during visits to the area. It is a moving
experience regardless of the fact (or perhaps because of it) that the once
thriving monastery today is in ruins. A small stone retrieved from the
rubble sits on our desk as a constant reminder of the faith of our
ancestors.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

September 28-4th Annual Golf Outing hosted by Sts. Vartanantz Church,
Ridgefield, New Jersey. Bergen Hills Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey.
For reservations and/or information: 201-943-2950.

October 1-Banquet honoring Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian on the occasion of
his recent elevation, at Terrace on the Park, Flushing Meadows, New York, 3
pm.

October 2-New eight-session Bible study on the "Letter to the Hebrews"
begins at the Prelacy, 7:15 pm to 8:45 pm, first and third Mondays of the
month, sponsored by AREC. Conducted by Dn. Shant Kazanjian. For information:
212-689-7810.

October 8-81st anniversary celebration of St. Stephen Church, New Britain,
Connecticut.

October 19-22-Annual bazaar, Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland.

October 22-Holy Cross Church, Troy, NY, anniversary celebration.

November 3-4-51st Annual Bazaar of St. Stephen’s Church, Watertown,
Massachusetts, with special program for children on Saturday afternoon. For
information 617-924-7562.

November 3-4- Ladies Guild Food Festival, St. Gregory the Illuminator
Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

November 3, 4, 5-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, Annual
Bazaar and Food Festival. For information 201-943-2950.

November 5-Annual bazaar, St. Stephen Church, New Britain, Connecticut.

November 5-36th Anniversary Luncheon and program, St. Gregory Armenian
Church of Merrimack Valley, North Andover, Massachusetts.

November 10-12-Mini Datev program for teens, ages 13 to 18. At Colombiere
Retreat Conference Center in Clarkston, Michigan.

November 11-42nd Anniversary of Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, in
the church hall.

November 11-12-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, annual "Armenian Fest" at
Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet, Cranston, Rhode Island.

November 17 & 18-Annual Bazaar, Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church,
Worcester, Massachusetts.

November 18-Children’s Concert, "FALL COLORS", sponsored by the Eastern
Prelacy at Florence Gould Hall, Alliance Francaise, New York City, featuring
TALINE AND FRIENDS. Details will follow.

November 26-St. Gregory the Illuminator Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
First Episcopal Badarak in Philadelphia by Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian.

December 9-Men’s Club Steak Dinner, St. Gregory the Illuminator Church,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

December 24-Sunday School Christmas Pageant, St. Gregory the Illuminator
Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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NKR FM: "IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SOLVE ISSUE CONCERNING FATE OF THE WHOLE NATION WITHOUT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ITS OWN OPINION"

Regnum, Russia
Sept 27 2006

On September 26, Nagorno Karabakh Foreign Minister Georgy Petrosyan
received UK Parliament’s House of Lords Deputy Speaker, Humanitarian
Aid Relief Trust Chairwoman, Baroness Caroline Cox, who arrived
in Stepanakert as head of delegation of British and American
philanthropists.

As REGNUM is informed at NKR foreign ministry press office, opening
the meeting, the NKR foreign minister expressed readiness to support
programs, fulfilled by American and British philanthropists in
Nagorno Karabakh in every possible way. Being requested by the guests,
Georgy Petrosyan characterized the current stage of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement. In particular, the minister expressed his anxiety
in connection with Azerbaijan’s attempts to transfer the problem’s
settlement from under the aegis of OSCE Minsk Group to the UN. "We
seriously study arisen situation, draw conclusions in order to make
appropriate steps," the NKR foreign minister stressed. At that, Georgy
Petrosyan stressed, it is impossible to solve question, concerning
fate of the whole people without taking into consideration its own
opinion. "We have played our role for concluding an armistice. Why are
we robbed of right to strengthen peace now?" the NKR minister asked.

Responding to question on relations with Armenia, Georgy Petrosyan
stressed: "Armenia is guarantor of NKR independence and safety. As
for an aspect of political relations, principle of non-interference is
kept by the both republics." Speaking about ceaseless information war,
the minister paid attention to a stir, created by Baku in connection
with fires in border zone. "We addressed to OSCE, proposing to
conduct monitoring, aimed at receiving unbiased opinion on happening
events. Republican authorities are ready to receive international
experts and to show them everything, in which they interest in,"
the NKR FM head stressed. Georgy Petrosyan expressed hope that the
delegation’s members will gain unbiased insight on Nagorno Karabakh
and share appropriate information in their fields.