Author: Kanayan Tamar

L’actu vue par JSS
6 janv 2012

Génocide arménien et langue de bois –

Edward Amiach

Avec des échéances politiques importantes en 2012, notamment des
élections législatives pour les Français de l’Étranger, JSSNews a
décidé de laisser la parole libre à tous les candidats de la 8ème
circonscription. Chaque candidat a le droit de faire publier un
article par semaine sur un sujet libre. Les opinions exprimées dans
ces articles n’engagent que leurs auteurs.

Quelle belle leçon de « langue de bois » nous a assénée Mme Daphna
Poznanski dans son édito publié plus tôt sur JSSNews.

S’agissant de la loi votée par l’UMP sur le génocide Arménien, Mme
D.Poznanski dit : `j’aurais eu toutes les raisons de voter cette loi
et je ne l’aurais pas votée en tant que députée…. `

« 6 000 Français de Turquie ne pèsent pas lourd face aux 450 000
Arméniens de France… »

Ecrire ces phrases avec une telle indécence, relève d’un profond
mépris pour les électeurs Français de la 8ème circonscription.

Inscrivez-vous à la newletter de JSSNews

OUI, le génocide arménien est de la responsabilité des Turcs et il y
aurait une certaine grandeur à ce que l’état Turc assume ses
responsabilités (comme l’ont fait en leur temps, les Allemands pour la
Shoah et les Français pour la déportation des Juifs de France)

OUI, les députés Français ont eu raison de voter la loi. Elle
entravera le travail de sape des négationnistes et des révisionnistes,
dont la combativité se renforce d’autant plus que le temps passe.
L’Histoire montre que leur activisme submerge fréquemment le travail
des historiens.

OUI, les 6 000 français pèseront lourd dans les scrutins des 3 et 17
juins 2012 , et c’est la raison pour laquelle Mme D.Poznanski a
opportunément écrit son édito.

NON, cette loi ne dit pas l’Histoire, elle rappelle simplement des
faits avérés et fixe les conditions de leur négation.

NON, M. Badinter, malgré tout le respect qu’il inspire, ne détient pas
les clés de la vérité et peut être aussi dans l’erreur surtout quand
son idéologie prend le dessus.

OUI, nous avons assisté à une belle leçon de « langue de bois »
idéologique. Celle pratiquée par le P.S depuis de nombreuses années.
Un P.S qui , ne voulant pas se réformer et faire son autocritique,
reste prisonnier d’une idéologie que tous les P.S du monde ont
abandonné.

Il est temps, pour l’ensemble des prétendants au poste de Député dans
la 8ème circonscription des Français de l’étranger de parler le
langage de la vérité et de l’aptitude.

Les électeurs Français méritent que les problèmes soient clairement
identifiés et que les candidats expriment- si tant est qu’ils se
sentent concernés- leurs opinions et leurs convictions sur tous les
sujets. C’est à l’aune de leurs interventions que les électeurs
percevront les aptitudes respectives des prétendants à la députation.

Pour autant que je ne sois pas entravé, j’irai dire en Turquie, ma
position sur ces faits d’Histoire. J’évoquerai tous les sujets qui
sont dans la problématique des français vivant dans ce pays. Les
Français vivant en Turquie, imprégnés de notre culture des débats
d’idées sauront apprécier le langage de la sincérité.

A mes compétiteurs, dans cette élection, je conseillerai de suivre la
même démarche que la mienne et d’aborder les problèmes frontalement,
quelle que soit l’issue du scrutin, ils en sortiront grandis et le
débat politique enrichi.

Les électeurs leur en seront reconnaissants.

State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan
January 5, 2012 Thursday

Turkic World Mathematical Society decries French parliament`s genocide
denial bill

Baku December 30

The Turkic World Mathematical Society issued the statement strongly
condemning the French National Assemblys approval of the bill
penalizing genocide denial. The statement in particular says:

We members of the Turkic World Mathematical Society (TWMS) strongly
condemn the French National Assemblys approval of the bill penalizing
genocide denial.

TWMS expresses its surprise as this step contradicts freedom of speech
and expression as basic principles of democracy in Europe, and runs
counter to Frances obligations towards respecting human rights and
fundamental freedoms. TWMS expresses its deep regret that the French
National Assembly enacted this bill but turned a blind eye to the fact
that hundreds of thousand of Azerbaijanis were subjected to ethnic
cleansing in the occupied territories of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The events of 1915 were not Armenian genocide indeed. In fact, as
prove the historical sources in this opposition were killed more than
500 thousand Turkish people.

The French National Assemblys decision is specially strange when
globalization of all spheres of human life requires consolidation of
potential of nations for the solution of global problems of
civilization. The French Nation presented to the World such great
mathematicians as Lagrange, Cauchy, Fourier, Lions and we believe that
the present generation of French scientists will protest this
decision.”

APA, Azerbaijan
Jan 5 2012

Mubariz Gurbanli: `It is not realistic that the French Senate will
adopt the draft law criminalizing the denial of made-up `Armenian
genocide”

[ 05 Jan 2012 19:42 ]
Baku. Parvin Abbasov – APA. `It is not realistic that the French
Senate will adopt the draft law criminalizing the denial of made-up
`Armenian genocide’, because this document is contrary to the
democratic principles, human rights and freedom of expression’, said
Deputy Executive Secretary of the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP), MP
Mubariz Gurbanli in his interview to YAP’s website.

Gurbanli said that Turkey and Azerbaijan condemned the French National
Assembly’s adoption of this draft law. Both countries substantiated
with serious arguments that the adoption of this document is wrong.

Gurbanli said that such steps will not prevent the strengthening of
Turkey. Now Turkey is a prestigious country in the world. Gurbanli
noted that Azerbaijan was near Turkey as always and supported this
country’s fair position: `The news has been released that the draft
law criminalizing the denial of made-up `Armenian genocide’ will be
presented to the French Senate late May. I consider that it is not
realistic that the Senate will adopt this document, because this
county will not want to mar relations a strong country like Turkey. In
my opinion, irrespective of Nicolas Sarkozy’s victory in the next
presidential elections, the Senate will not adopt this draft law and
not return to this issue. ‘

Hurriyet, Turkey
Jan 6 2012

French senator to launch ‘crusade’ on genocide law

Milliyet

French Senator Nathalie Goulet has criticized a law penalizing denial
of Armenian genocide allegations, saying she will go on a `crusade’ to
prevent the law’s approval by the Senate.

“I will go on a crusade against Valeri Boyer’s draft law,” Goulet
said, referring to a law that sought to penalize the denial of
Armenian genocide claims with a year in jail and a fine of 45,000
euros.

Any attempt at oppression would hurt France’s stance, Goulet said,
adding that conflicts should be resolved through discussion in
democracies. She also said she was against laws about the collective
memories of peoples.

Goulet also called on Turkish foundations in France to act reasonably
and stay calm.

Michel Diefenbacher of the ruling UMP, meanwhile, accused the
Socialist Party of acting hypocritically for voting in favor of the
draft law after condemning it as an election ploy.
January/06/2012

news.am, Armenia
Jan 6 2012

Ter-Petrosyan will maintain leadership in Armenian opposition –
political scientist

January 06, 2012 | 19:24

YEREVAN. – Until the parliamentary elections in May Armenia’s
opposition leader will not change, however, after the elections some
steps will be made towards that direction, political scientist Yervand
Bozoyan told the reporter of Armenian News-NEWS.am.

According to him, currently Heritage Party and ARF Dashnaktsutyun
consider themselves as opposition but the factor of Armenian National
Congress (ANC) leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan and his political power is
still strong. According to the expert, during the coming 3 to 4 months
no leader will appear on the political field who could compete with
Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

`Without doubt the rating of ANC has dropped over the past year and
Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s rating will also drop. However that still does
not mean that a new leader will appear either in the ANC or among
other oppositional forces. Political forces which have gathered around
Levon Ter-Petrosyan do not have any other alternative than to support
him, because any party leaving ANC will appear in a desert and will
not represent any political force, the political scientist mentioned.

news.am, Armenia
Jan 6 2012

Armenia’s parliamentary elections to be serious trial for state’s
democratization process – MP

January 06, 2012 | 14:49

YEREVAN. – If the elections are not held in accordance to democratic
criteria in Armenia, then the image formed in foreign political field
will disappear immediately, Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) MP,
Armenian delegation member at the PACE, Naira Zohrabyan told in the
interview with the Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent responding to
the question whether there are any preconditions to hold peaceful and
transparent parliamentary elections in 2012.

`Currently there are assurances that the elections should be held
free, fair and transparent. We should do everything to implement those
assurances. Otherwise, if we do not hold elections proper to
democratic criteria, then the image formed in foreign political field
will disappear immediately. International authoritative organizations
have stated it clearly. They have never been so attentive to the
elections in Armenia, as the upcoming parliamentary ones,’ the MP
told.

According to Zohrabyan, the parliamentary elections will be a serious
trial for Armenia in its democratization process.

As for the statements of the opposition that the PAP uses
administrative and financial recourses in the pre-election struggle,
Zohrabyan said that the party does not carry out philanthropic
activity. Those activities are carried out by the Gagik Tsarukyan
foundation.

Panorama, Armenia
Jan 6 2012

Bako Sahakyan visited the Ghazanchetsots church of Christ the Savior in Shoushi

On 6 January President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan
accompanied by the republic’s top leadership visited the
Ghazanchetsots church of Christ the Savior in Shoushi and took part at
the Divine Liturgy of the Nativity of Christ, the central information
department of the office of the Artsakh Republic President reported.

89.3 KPCC, CA
Jan 6 2012

Glendale hospitals help local Armenians celebrate Christmas Eve

5:00 a.m. | By Ashley Bailey and Paige Osburn | KPCC

You may have thought Christmas had come and gone, but some communities
are still celebrating. Thursday is Christmas Eve for Christians in the
Armenian church, who celebrate Jesus’s birth every Jan. 6.

Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center, housed in one of the
area’s largest Armenian communities, is hosting its annual observance
with a special guest. Archbishop Moushegh Maddirossian, prelate from
the Western United States, visited the center along with one other
Glendale hospital on Thursday.

Glendale Memorial spokeswoman Arpi Kestenian spoke about the impending visit.

`We’ll do a celebration of Christmas, we’ll do a blessing of the
water, he will give his kind words…”

She summed it up with two words: “Bountiful blessings.’

Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian and Archbishop Hovnan Derderian
toured the hospital Thursday evening, visiting patients and blessing
gata bread (a traditional Christmas dish for Armenians).

At the Glendale Adventist Medical Center, the archbishop handed out
the blessed bread and Dixie cups of holy water to the patients that
wanted them, shuffling from room to room.

Alicia Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for the Center, spoke of one
65-year-old woman who took a loaf and cup to share with her children
when they came to spend Christmas Eve surrounding her hospital cot.

The event has been running for “at least a decade,” Gonzalez said, but
it’s only been in recent years that the attendance has “sky-rocketed.”

“Last year we had a couple seats still available,” said Gonzalez.
“This year, no seats. People standing all over the place, in the main
room, in the hallways.”

She agreed with Kestenian’s assessment of the event as a blessing.

“There was at least one patient I noticed that was not Armenian,” she
recalled. “But he sat there and there were tears in his eyes. He was
touched by the ceremony even though it was mainly done in Armenian.”

She sighed. “It was very beautiful.”

News.Az, Azerbaijan
Jan 5 2012

Incentive for War: Does Baku really have it?

Thu 05 January 2012 07:51 GMT | 9:51 Local Time

During the 20 years of independence Armenia has lost more population
than it maintains it had lost during participation of Armenians in the
World War I, i.e. more than 1,5m people.
After many years of at times justified accusations for its overly
militaristic rhetoric, during 2011 Azerbaijani leadership has finally
made a visible shift in the articulation of strategy for regain of
territories occupied by Armenia. Azerbaijanis may still argue `What is
worse: military rhetoric or military occupation?’ However, that theme
is not leading public appearances of president Aliyev, and other key
personalities of negotiations anymore.

President Aliyev marked his 50th birthday in December by inaugurating
just another full-featured settlement and employment facilities for
internally displaced persons. The emphasis of his speech there was not
war at all, but economic competition with Armenia: `As the years will
pass, we will be only stronger, and Armenia will only be weaker in all
respects – economically, polictically, and militarily.’

Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, in his November interview to the
Austrian *Der Standard* daily almost complained that Azerbaijan’s army
had less personnel than Armenia’s – 63,000 against 71,000 – in a
situation when the population of Azerbaijan is at least three times
larger.

Thus, no sign of search for casus belli. Instead, the focus is on the
`years ahead.’ The change is due to the dramatic developments in the
past 20 years that have totally changed the design of South Caucasus.
Share of Azerbaijan in the regional economy and population has rizen
from 45% to 75% and from 44% to 60%, respectively.

New discoveries of hydrocarbons as well as new oil and gas
transportation projects convince many in Baku that in the coming
decades the disparities will only grow in favor of Azerbaijan whereas
Armenia will struggle with its foreign debt, depopulation, and
economic stagnation.

Moreover, the understanding is clear that unlike 1990s and early 2K,
neither international assistance nor diaspora’s solidarity-driven and
risky investments can help Armenia to keep up with Azerbaijan, and
Georgia.

Non-permaent membership in the UN Security Council in the years
2012-2013 only added commitment to this revision of strategy in Baku.
Speaking from the position of economic superiority and political
significance Baku is appealling more to peaceful competition, instead
of war advocacy.

Change in rhetoric does not mean giving up though. Military
preparations continue even at a greater scale. Baku has successfully
neutralized accusations by some pro-Armenian internationals regarding
the military spending of Azerbaijan: increasing military budget does
not undermine social spending at all – the country has plenty of cash
for both.

In terms of incentives for resumtion of war – what kind of picture do
we see on the other side of the frontline?

During the 20 years of independence Armenia has lost more population
than it maintains it had lost during participation of Armenians in the
World War I, i.e. more than 1,5m people. In the past three years,
Armenia’s foreign debt to GDP ratio has risen from 16% to more than
42%. In 2012-2014 Armenia will have to pay up to 15% of its export
revenue to service the government-guaranteed debts – in contrat to
less than 5% in recent years. If prices of such strategic products as
copper and diamonds decline, in 2013 – the year of presidential
elections – the government will certainly default on its debts.

Due to high corruption and inefficiency, the US government stopped
providing grants under the Millenium Challenge Account. EU has ceased
its macro-financial assistance to Armenia too. These two grants had
amounted to 1,2% of the GDP in 2011. The closure of the programs
happened exactly at the time when Russian government forced Yerevan to
undersign the prolongation of military base agreement till 2044.

The above economic, demographic, and political trends are not expected
to show more mercy to Armenia in the next decades. Hence, Azerbaijan
has no particular reason to push for immediate and military resolution
of the conflict, whereas restoration of the past balance of economic
power can be seen as an attractive goal in Yerevan.

Armenia can only achieve that goal by launching hostilities anew, and
by ensuring active involvement of Russia, its Collective Security
Treaty Organization ally, in the war. Such a war would aim at
destruction of the key infrastructure that provides Azerbaijan with
long-term superiority. If Armenian President Serj Sargsyan had
whatsoever credible chances that Russia can be brought as a partner
into such an adventure, the war could start immediately.

In his recent list of *Endangered Species* Zbignev Brzezinski has
classified Georgia as Number One risk place given `America’s decline’
and Russia’s desire to reclaim its old sphere of influence. According
to him, Russia would intensify search of dominance over the southern
energy corridor to Europe. Indeed, if Georgia survives another
Russian political and/or military offensive, the same corridor can be
locked up by supporting a poverty-driven Armenian attack on
Azerbaijan.

Switch in the rhetoric and style of Azerbaijani leadership from
belligerence to the concept of persistent economic and political
competition comes very timely. It is a logical continuation of the
strategy of isolation of Armenia from regional energy and transport
development projects of global significance. In the past, Baku was
not yet convinced that the policy of isolation alone would yield huge
advantage to Azerbaijan, and therefore maintained routine talk about
resorting to war.

The paradox is that Baku’s withdrawal from military rhetoric does not
make resumption of fight less likely. It simply marks a new phase in
the evolution of the conflict. One shall keep an eye more on
motivation of the two sides to engage in war rather than on public
statements which have practically lost any value.

Aybeniz Turan
News.Az

Valley Sun , CA
Jan 5 2012

Religious leaders visit local hospitals ahead of Armenian Christmas

January 5, 2012 | 3:13 p.m.
Armenian religious leaders made their rounds to local hospitals on
Thursday to mark Christmas according the Julian calendar – Jan. 6.

His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, and His
Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western diocese
of North America, toured Glendale Memorial Hospital and Glendale
Adventist Medical Center, respectively, on Thursday, visiting patients
and blessing traditional bread to mark the occasion.

Many Armenian Americans celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and his
baptism in the Jordan River according to the original Julian calendar
instead of the standard Western or Gregorian calendar. Known simply as
Armenian Christmas, Christians in ancient Armenia stuck to the
original Jan. 6 date when others began celebrating Christmas on Dec.
25, as dictated by the Romans.

— Jason Wells, Times Community News

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