Author: Kanayan Tamar

3 Drown in Lake Sevan Yesterday

hetq
14:06, August 9, 2011

On August 8, three people drowned in the water of Lake Sevan.

It is reported that the deaths occurred in areas that lack life guards
away from the main public beach.

Rep. Schmidt Must Return $500K to Turkish Coalition of America

asbarez
Monday, August 8th, 2011

Rep. Jean Schmidt

CINCINNATI, Ohio – In a statement released on August 5, the House Ethics
Committee ruled that Rep. Jean Schmidt has received multiple improper
gifts totaling $500,000 from the Turkish Coalition of America (TCA)
between 2008 and 2010. The Committee ruled that Schmidt must pay the
money back. However, she will not face sanctions by the House as she
was able to pin the blame for her behavior on her attorneys Bruce Fein
and David Saltzman.

The Ethics Committee ruling does not clear Schmidt of impropriety – she
must amend her 2009 & 2010 financial disclosures and pay back the
money to the Turkish Coalition of America. Schmidt can no longer
accept impermissible gifts to fund her defamation case against local
Cincinnati businessman David Krikorian. `The Ethics Committee proved
that we were right all along: Rep Schmidt has received a half a
million dollars in improper gifts from the TCA,’ said Krikorian.

In turn, Schmidt said in a statement: `As I’ve stated publicly before,
I neither sought nor intended to accept free legal services… I have
been waiting for the Ethics Committee’s advice as to the best way to
pay these bills. Now that I have that advice, I look forward to
continuing to work cooperatively with the Committee to ensure that
these bills are paid appropriately.’

Krikorian considered Schmidt’s efforts to plead ignorance `laughable.’
`Personally I find it hard to believe that Jean Schmidt did not know
the facts regarding her own attorneys in legal actions which she
commenced in her own name – I find that to be laughable!’ said David
Krikorian. `The American people are tired of Congressmen and
[Congress]women who break the rules and get away with it by blaming
someone else. The people of Ohio’s second district deserve better
than an ignorant Congresswoman,’ he added.

To read the statement of the House Ethics Committee, click here.

World champ Tigran Martirosyan lights the flame of 5th Pan-Armenian Games

August 14, 2011 – 00:48 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The grand opening of the 5th Pan-Armenian Games took
place in Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in Yerevan on August 13
evening, which broke out with fireworks and dancing.

The parade of sportsmen was kicked off by the team from Artsakh,
followed by 3200 sportsmen from 125 cities of 34 countries. The flame
which was first set in Ani and then traveled to Gandzasar, Garni,
Syunik and Khor Virap was taken to the stadium by IBO champ Vic
Darchinyan and world sambo champ Ashot Danielyan and was lit by world
and European champion Tigran Martirosyan.

Catholicos of All Armenian His Holiness Karekin II and president of
the international committee of Pan-Armenian Games Ishkhan Zakaryan
welcomed the participants after what Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
declared the Games open.

Arstakh President Bako Sahakyan, Armenian Defense Minister Seyran
Ohanyan and other high ranking officials attended the opening
ceremony.

news.am, Armenia
Aug 13 2011

Fifth Pan-Armenian games kick off in Yerevan

August 13, 2011 | 19:10

YEREVAN. – The opening ceremony of Fifth Pan-Armenian Games will begin
at 9:00 p.m. in Republican Stadium after Vazgen Sargsyan, Yerevan on
Saturday.

The vehicular traffic on streets adjacent to the stadium is likely to
be blocked on the opening date.

Fifth Pan-Armenian Games will run on August 13-21. Participants will
compete in football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, table tennis,
chess, badminton, swimming, athletics and futsal.

news.am, Armenia
Aug 13 2011

Karabakh armed forces ready to repel any enemy attack – MOD

August 13, 2011 | 12:49

STEPANAKERT.- The Karabakh armed forces are combat ready and are
prepared to repel any enemy attack, Defense Minister of
Nagorno-Karabakh Movses Hakobyan told journalists in Stepanakert.

Defense Minister briefed journalists on army’s achievements over the
past two decades, as well as its role in preserving and strengthening
the independence. He also spoke about army building in post-war period
and the current processes.

Hakobyan stressed over the recent 20 years they managed to improve
training of the soldiers, quality and quantity of arms and military
equipment has been changed considerably.

The Minister said 2011 is declared a year of reforms in the NKR armed forces.

`Defense Army’s combat potential has been increased by approximately
twenty percent – the greatest progress as compared with previous
years,’ he concluded.

Georgian Border Guards Prohibit Djiliza Residents from Visiting Khorakert
Monastery

Larisa Paremuzyan
HETQ
14:19, August 13, 2011

For the past three years, Armenians haven’t been allowed to visit the 13th
century Khorakert Monastery in neighboring Georgia. The border checkpoint
between the two nations remains closed.

Khorakert lies some 6 km southwest of the village of Djiliza, situated in
the northern Lori Marz of Armenia. When the borders were revised, the
monastery found itself just a stone’s throw on the other side of the border
in Georgia. He border issue itself remains a sore point and open to debate.

“I say what’s on my mind. You have to call the tiny population living in
Djiliza heroes. We are totally cut off and neglected. It’s not a question of
making a living. It’s a question of higher values,” says Sousanna Tzatinyan,
who teaches Armenian language and literature at the village school.

She’s talking about a matter that is directly related to the border crossing
and the fact that villagers can’t get to the monastery now in Georgia.

Village Mayor Mher Vardanyan says Armenia is ready to open its portion of
the checkpoint and that Georgia is holding things up.

He says the Georgians want to erect a barrier that will halt any ties
between Armenians in Djiliza and their relatives across the border in the
villages of Chanakhchi, Khozhorni, Opreti, Aghkyorpi, Tzob and others.

Because the local border crossing is closed, Armenians from Djiliza have to
make the 100 km trip down to Alaverdi and then back up to Bagratashen in
order to cross the border.

If the border crossing were open, residents of Djiliza could cross the
border in a matter of minutes.

Georgia and Armenia share a land border of 225 km of which the majority is
delineated through a joint delimitation-demarcation process but which
remains a work in progress.

An inter-governmental delineation commission has been periodically working
on the issue since 1996 but residents of Djiliza are in the dark as to the
commission’s findings.

To date, Georgian border guards continue to prohibit them from visiting
Khorakert Monastery.

Mayor Vardanyan says that the local border is still under review.

“We’ll have to wait and see whether the monastery will wind up in Armenia or
in Georgia”

Sourik Tzatinyan is adamant that Khorakert belongs to Armenians and to the
village of Djiliza specifically.

“The Georgian authorities must return the monastery to the rightful owners.
It was built by Armenians on Armenian land. There’s nothing more to say.”

Mayor Vardanyan argues that tourism is the key to developing the village and
refers to an organization in Greece called the “Friends of Karabakh and
Armenia” that might assist in this regard.

“We have all these monuments and churches, not to mention our beautiful
scenery,” boasts the mayor.

Djiliza gets 2 million AMD in subsidies from the state government; the bulk
of its overall 2.7 million annual budget.

Hetq wrote to the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get the official
position on the border issue.

In its response, the ministry said that according to Soviet maps the
Khorakert Monastery was located on Soviet Georgian territory but that today
this stretch of border has yet to be agreed upon by the two sides.

In fact, 65 km of the Armenian-Georgian border have yet to be officially
delineated and agreed upon by Tbilisi and Yerevan.

The ministry says that it’s this very stretch of border that remains “up for
grabs”.

CEC head: Armenian Election Code not fit for snap elections

August 13, 2011 – 13:10 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Neither the Armenian Election Code nor the Central
Election Committee (CEC) is ready for extraordinary elections,
according to CEC head Garegin Azaryan.

`The Code contains a number of provisions which will take effect from
January 1, 2012. In case of extraordinary elections, the Election Code
will need to be amended,’ Azaryan told a press conference in Yerevan
on August 13.

Armenia will hold parliamentary election in May 2012. The presidential
election is scheduled for February 2013. Currently, the authorities
and the Armenian National Congress opposition bloc are negotiating a
number of issues, including conduction of snap election by the ANC
demand.

L’ARMENIE A L’EUROVISION
Lucia Moon se propose de représenter l’Arménie à l’Eurovision 2011 à Bakou

La chanteuse arménienne Lucia Moon qui vit à Los Angeles (Californie)
se dit prête à représenter l’Arménie à l’Eurovision 2011 qui se
déroulera à Bakou en Azerbaïdjan. L’un de ses agents à Erévan a confié
au journal « Aravot » que Lucia Moon était née à Bakou et y avait vécu
jusqu’à l’ge de 8 ans puis quitté la ville lors des pogroms
anti-arméniens en compagnie de ses parents pour s’installer à Los
Angeles. La chanteuse arménienne qui affirme « ne pas craindre
d’aller à Bakou pour l’Eurovision » aimerait représenter l’Arménie
avec sa chanson « Deir ez-Zor ». Démarche originale mais qui n’a pas
pour l’heure la validation du jury arménien de l’Eurovision et qui de
plus risque de ne pas plaire au régime raciste de Bakou…ne serait-ce
que par le titre de la chanson qui évoque l’un des lieux les plus
sombres du génocide arménien…

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 13 août 2011,
Krikor [email protected]

PATRIMOINE ARMENIEN
L’église arménienne de Menemen près d’Izmir va être rénovée

Les autorités de la ville de Menemen dans la région d’Izmir en Turquie
ont décidé de rénover l’église arménienne Sourp Sarkis (Saint Serge)
en état de ruine depuis le départ des Arméniens suite au génocide de
1915. Le maire de Menemen, Tahir Chahine s’est déclaré satisfait des
travaux de rénovation de l’église grecque et a affirmé que par la
suite, l’église arménienne du « quartier arménien » Essatpacha sera
elle aussi rénovée. « Nous avons entrepris de protéger notre
patrimoine culturel afin de le valoriser et faire visiter » dit T.
Chahine. L’église arménienne Sourp Sarkis de Mememen était en activité
jusqu’en 1922. Après les massacres et le départ des Arméniens,
l’église avait été transformée en réserve pour l’armée.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 13 août 2011,
Krikor [email protected]

ANATOLIAN CHRISTIANS TO CELEBRATE GRAPE FESTIVAL

Hurriyet Daily News

Aug 12 2011
Turkey

Greeks, Armenians and Syriac Christians in Anatolia are observing a
grape fast by refraining from eating from the new harvest until the
fruit is consecrated in church on Sunday and Monday. Churches across
Anatolia will be celebrating the festival with special masses on Aug
14 and 15

Baskets of grapes blessed in churches will be distributed among the
people on the day of the mass, after which time the fast is broken.

Christians throughout Anatolia are preparing to celebrate the Grape
Festival and the Assumption of Mary on Aug. 14 and 15 with a variety
of activities that stretch back into the pre-Christian era.

Churches across Anatolia will be holding mass for the occasion,
including the Church of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus, Sumela Monastery
in Trabzon, the Syriac Deyr ul-Zafaran Monastery in Mardin and
the Surp Asdvazsazsin Armenian Church in Vakıflı, Anatolia’s last
remaining Armenian village, which is located in the southern province
of Hatay. During the celebrations of mass, newly harvested grapes
will receive blessings as part of the festivities.

Assumption Day celebrates the ascent into heaven of Mary in accordance
with Christian tradition. The roots of the festival, however, date
back to the polytheistic era prior to Christianity; when Anatolian
peoples were Christianized, new year celebrations and the vine harvest
festival of the ancients were replaced by the Assumption Day and the
Grape Festival, respectively.

Greeks, Armenians and Syriac Christians in Anatolia observe a grape
fast and refrain from eating from the new grape harvest until grapes
are consecrated in church. Ostentatious celebrations are also held in
churches across Greece, as well as in the Central Armenian Apolostic
church of Etchmiadzin in Armenia, the seat of the Catholicos of
all Armenians.

Baskets of grapes blessed in churches are distributed among the people
on the day of the mass, after which time the fast is broken, according
to tradition, by eating blessed grapes mixed with non-consecrated
grapes. The grapes also symbolize fertility and abundance.

Different Stories

There are several stories in circulation regarding the origins of
the Grape Festival and Assumption Day. According to a story that
has been transmitted through the ages within the Armenian community,
when some children were poisoned by eating grapes that had not yet
become ripe, the founder of the Armenian church, Surp Krikor Lusavorich
(Saint Gregory the Illuminator), issued a ban on eating grapes until
harvest time.

Such traditions have been preserved intact for centuries by being
transmitted from generation to generation among the many Christian
Anatolian peoples. This year’s celebrations will begin in the morning
hours and last until around noon on Aug. 14 and 15. Baskets full of
grapes will decorate sacred tables in churches.

Visitors are welcome to any number of Greek, Armenian and Syriac
churches in Istanbul on Sunday and Monday to observe the vine harvest
festivities during mass.