Author: Kanayan Tamar

ARMENIA DECIDES ON SEPTEMBER 20

OikoTimes

July 29, 2011

Armenian national broadcaster announced that they are accepting songs
for the 2011 Junior Eurovision Song Contest already with a deadline
for August 20. The broadcaster also announced that the national final
for JESC will take place on September 20 in Yerevan. Armenia is the
host country of the 2011 Junior Eurovision which will take place
on December 3rd in the capital. It is the first time that the host
country is also the winner of the previous jESC edition

ERDOGAN WANTS ANOTHER APOLOGY, THIS TIME FROM ARMENIA
Herb Keinon

AZG
30-07-2011

Turkish PM says Sarksyan trying to “fill youth with hatred”; Israeli
source: Who will ask Erdogan to apologize for occupying northern
Cyprus?

Israel can take solace that it is not the only country in the world
from which Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking an
apology: On Wednesday he demanded one from Armenia as well.

The Turkish news website Today’s Zaman, reporting on Erdogan’s current
trip to Azerbaijan, quoted him as saying that Armenian President Serzh
Sarksyan should apologize for calling on Armenian school children to
occupy eastern Turkey.

Sarksyan, asked by a student if Armenia would get back its “western
territories” along with Mount Ararat – an area of great historical
significance to Armenians – that’s now in Turkey, replied that
“it depends on you and your generation. I believe my generation
has fulfilled the task in front of us; when it was necessary in the
beginning of the ’90s to defend part of our fatherland – Karabakh –
from the enemy, we did it. I am not telling this to embarrass anyone.

My point is that each generation has its responsibilities and they
have to be carried out with honor.”

The statement infuriated Turkey. According to Today’s Zaman, Erdogan
said Sarksyan’s behavior was a provocation and an attempt to fill youth
with hatred, which he said would lead Armenia’s youth into “darkness.”

“There cannot be such diplomacy. Sarksyan has made a very serious
mistake…. He must apologize,” Erdogan was quoted as saying.

Erdogan’s demand for an Armenian apology comes just a few days after
he threatened Israel with a “Plan B” – a further downgrading of ties –
if it did not apologize for last year’s Mavi Marmara incident.

“What we see here is a pattern developing,” one Israeli diplomatic
source said of Erdogan’s most recent demand for an apology. “Who
is going to ask Erdogan to apologize for Turkey’s occupation of
northern Cyprus?”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s senior forum of
eight ministers – a body known as the octet – met on Wednesday, but,
according to government officials, did not deal with the Mavi Marmara
issue because Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya’alon was not present.

Ya’alon, who in recent weeks has led the Israeli team negotiating with
the Turks over putting an end to the flotilla incident and re-establish
normal ties, has come out strongly against an apology to Ankara.

In addition to an apology, Erdogan is also demanding that Israel
pay compensation to the families of the nine Mavi Marmara passengers
killed while trying to break the naval blockade on Gaza, and to lift
the blockade itself.

While there is objection inside the octet to a blanket apology,
there is believed to be a willingness to issue a partial apology for
“operational failures” that led to the loss of lives, but not the
type of apology that could be interpreted as taking responsibility
for the incident.

The release of the UN Palmer Commission report on the incident, which
was to have been on Wednesday, has been postponed until August 20 to
give the sides more time to come up with an acceptable formula.

AZERIS TAKE OFFENSE ON IRANIANS AGAIN

PanARMENIAN.Net
July 29, 2011

PanARMENIAN.Net – Arts Festival is under way in Tabriz. On one of
the photo-exhibitions Azeri turk symbols were mocked and offended,
according to Azeri Press Agency.

Antiazeri and antiturk caricatures have been demonstrated at the
exhibition.

On caricatures exhibited in Haghani Park in Tebriz, movement of Azeri
turks who demand compliance of their national rights, Azerbaijani
Republic, a grey wolf totem and other national attributes have been
offended.

The event was organized at the support of Ministry of Culture and of
Iran and other organizations.

Jesus’ apostle’s tomb unearthed in Turkey

19:51 – 29.07.11

An Italian professor has announced the apparent discovery of the tomb
of St. Philip, one of Jesus Christ’s apostles, at the ancient city of
Hierapolis in the Aegean province of Denizli, Hurriyet Daily News
reported.

The discovery of the grave of the biblical saint, who was killed by
the Romans 2,000 years ago, will attract immense attention around the
world, said Francesco D’Andria. St. Philip, one of the 12 apostles,
came to Hierapolis 2,000 years ago to spread the Christianity before
being killed by the Romans, the professor said.

D’Andria has been leading archeological excavations at the ancient
city for 32 years.

“Until recently, we thought the grave of St. Philip was on Martyrs’
Hill, but we discovered no traces of him in the geophysical research
conducted in that area. A month ago, we discovered the remnants of an
unknown church, 40 meters away from the St. Philip Church on Martyrs’
Hill. And in that church we discovered the grave of St. Philip,” said
D’Andria.

D’Andria and his team have not opened the grave but are planning to do so soon.

“St. Philip is considered a martyr. In fact, the church built in his
name on the Martyrs’ Hill is, for this reason, also called Martyrion,
despite the fact there were no traces of the grave of St. Philip. As
we were cleaning out the new church we discovered a month ago, we
finally found the grave,” said he.

“With close examination, we determined that the grave had been moved
from its previous location in the St. Philip Church to this new church
in the fifth century, during the Byzantine era. We are extremely happy
and proud to have discovered the grave of a saint whose name appears
in the bible – this surely is an important discovery for religious
tourism, archaeology and Christendom,” the professor added.

Tert.am

RUSSIA MAY ACT AS GUARANTOR FOR ABKHAZIA, SOUTH OSSETIA, GEORGIA.

AZG DAILY #139, 28-07-2011

Russian Secretary of State, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin
said Moscow, together with the USA and the European Union, is ready to
be a guarantor of the commitments by Abkhazia, Georgia and South
Ossetia not to use force, Itar-Tass reported July 27.

“Since the beginning of international discussions in Geneva, arranged
on the basis of the accords between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, sixteen rounds have already
taken place,” the diplomat reminded, “so far, it is these meetings
that have helped to curb Tbilisi’s unbridled drive towards loud
accusations and the demands for immediate return of the lost peoples
and territories.”

“One might assess the results of this work from different points of
view. However, it is unquestionable that representatives of Abkhazia,
South Ossetia and Georgia have been jointly participating in Geneva
meetings for almost three years, i.e. the countries for which these
discussions were arranged, as well as (the representatives) of Russia,
the USA, the European Union, the United Nations and Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe.

“So far, it has been the only international floor where the parties
directly explain to the participants their vision of the situation in
the region and its prospects,” the deputy foreign minister emphasized.
It would be not only near-sighted but also counterproductive to ignore
the opinions of Sukhum and Tskhinval. It is impossible to ensure peace
and security in Trans- Caucasia, including in Georgia, without their
direct involvement.

“As a result of joint work in Geneva, the parties gained certain
negotiating experience: there gradually appears more productiveness
and willingness to reach concrete results in the field of security.
Emotions increasingly retreat to the background, giving way to
specific proposals to strengthen stability on the border, rebuild
confidence, and resolve humanitarian problems. It is understandable
that these positive changes require much effort and time, but there is
no sensible alternative.

“As is known, late last year, the presidents of Abkhazia, Georgia and
South Ossetia made important unilateral statements on non-use of
force,” he recalled, “it is a good reserve for further work in Geneva.
Concluding agreements on non-use of force between these three states
would be a logical development.”

“Regrettably, Tbilisi stubbornly ignores the proposals by Tskhinval
and Sukhum to conclude such bilateral accords. Instead, Georgia
routinely tries to point the finger at Russia, demanding from us some
obligations on non-use of force. It’s a substitution of notions.
Russia did not attack anyone in the August of 2008.

“At the same time, in the spirit of good will, we’re ready to make a
contribution to the issue of non-use of force by securing
international guarantees for the non-use of force obligations by
Abkhazia, Georgia and South Ossetia, jointly with our partners in
Geneva – the USA and the European Union,” Karasin said.

The diplomat also said the Georgian authorities do not seek to
normalize relations with Moscow, inculcating in society the image of
enemy personified by Russia.

M2: DmEurope
July 29, 2011 Friday

‘Iliad pulls the plug on Nabaztag Wi-Fi rabbits’

The Nabaztags Wi-Fi rabbit devices made by French consumer electronics
manufacturer Violet have for the time being stopped working as
anything more than basic alarm clocks, Le Monde reports. These
Nabaztags (the word for rabbit in Armenian) are speaking bunnies
capable of reading e-mail and RSS feeds. Mindscape, the educational
software company that bought Violet and has been selling and managing
services associated with the gadgets, entered into receivership on 23
June. Now its server host, Iliad, has decided to pull the plug on 28
July. Users have asked Mindscape to give them ownership of the
nabaztag.com domain name and access to the existing servers, but
Mindscape’s CEO told them this was not an option and that their
rabbits would only survive if the user community set up its own
service. He has published the source code to the software that make
the rabbits work. Le Monde concludes that it is now up to the more
computer savvy of the rabbit owners to find a collective solution
otherwise the gadgets are destined to spend the rest of their
existence as little more than rabbit alarm clocks or collectors’
items.

Panorama, Armenia
July 30 2011

The fate of Vardavar is marked in Armenia July 31

Tomorrow the fate of Vartavar is marked in Armenia. Vartavar (also
known as Vardavar) is a festival in Armenia where people of all ages
drench each other with water. Its name is a derivative from `vard’ in
Armenian, which stands for `rose’ in English.

Although now a Christian tradition, Vardavar’s history dates back to
pagan times.

Vardavar is currently celebrated 98 days (14 weeks) after Easter.
During the day of Vardevar, people from a wide array of ages are
allowed to douse strangers with water. It is common to see people
pouring buckets of water from balconies on unsuspecting people walking
below them. The festival is very popular among children as it is one
day where they can get away with pulling pranks. It is also a means of
refreshment on the usually hot and dry summer days of July.

news.am, Armenia
July 30 2011

Russia makes relevant steps to contribute to Karabakh conflict settlement

July 30, 2011 | 14:34

“Preserving stability in the Caucasus is of crucial importance to
Russia,” reads the comment of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev,
issued in a special publication of The Business Year-Azerbaijan 2011
magazine, dedicated to 20th anniversary of independence of Azerbaijan,
reports 1news.az.

According to Medvedev, the decision on extension of Russian military
base in Armenia belongs to this context.

“The military base is designed to ensure peace and order, maintain
stability and reduce the complexity that we have today”, said Russian
president.

He also referred to mediation mission Moscow is playing in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“The frequency of meetings between the presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan with my participation reached a historic height. Not so
long ago, speaking on the topic, I noted that I am not ashamed of our
work. There were important discussions, when the parties stressed the
presence of a number of difficulties in the process,’ Medvedev noted.
“In any case, these efforts give certain result and negotiations
continue.”

According to Medvedev, the intensity of these contacts should not be reduced.

“Russia is ready to take responsibility under OSCE Minsk Group. Its
moral duty towards the neighboring countries is to continue dialogue
on this issue,” said Medvedev.

Armenian Fine Arts at Swiss exhibition hall

Aysor.am
Saturday,July 30

On July 28 in the frameworks of the RA 20th anniversary of
Independence day in one of the exhibition halls of Locarno city in
Switzerland will take place the opening ceremony of exhibition of two
young Armenian modern artists Arevik Lazarian and Anna Harutyunyan.

The exhibition has been organized by the education, culture and sport
department of Ticino, as well as by the initiation of the RA Embassy
to Switzerland, etc.

The address of the Armenian ambassador to Switzerland, Charles
Aznavour, was read on the opening ceremony.

The organizers of the event made speeches noting the uniqueness of the
Armenian culture.

The exhibition of the representatives of the Armenian Modern Art will
be open in Locarno tikk October 28, 2011.

Presentation of films is organized to be held in Locarno on August 25
dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Armenian Independence and the
Armenian culture. On October 8 Armenian traditional cuisine will be
presented, informs the RA MFA press, information and public relations
center.

The Advantage of Accession for Life

Mher Arshakyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 16:31:47 – 30/07/2011

Why is the accession to the throne of Catholicos for life? Because he
is the representative of God, and it can’t be temporary. They are
temporary as a mortal, not as a living person. This is the way it is.
And God is not present in this way, there is only a human
understanding.

The existence of the church and the presumption of power it has is
that God exists, and the Catholicos is God’s representative. The
Catholicos is, to some extent, a supermortal. So it is impossible to
dethrone him. But if accession to throne is referred to God, why
should dethronement bypass God? If the Catholicos himself bypasses
God, who are to judge what boundaries of morality the Catholicos has
trespassed? Generally, who are to judge?

I know that the church is a purely human structure, it is the door of
human understanding, to enter this door does not mean to enter God’s
door, it means to enter, bearing God in you, because after leaving you
don’t leave behind God. Besides, the church reminds that everything
must become a church, even the mass media, which gladly judges others’
mistakes. If you, bearing the church in you, can see that the leader
of the church does not suit his throne to which he was accepted for
life, it’s not you business to demand that he should be dethroned
because you are not his herd, even if he is your pastor. Pastorship is
assigned to man by God from the moment when God says the word to man,
so the Catholicos is, at best, the door to your pastorship as long as
there is no God. But as long as there is no God, the Catholicos does
not have the power to be the pastor. So, it is assigned to man to be a
black sheep rather than a pastor. Black sheep are not judged.

Why does this posturing of the Catholicos – coalescence with the
authorities, lack of respect in talking to an elderly man, the desire
to have a palace in Yerevan – arouse so many questions? Because the
Catholicos has come down to the street and does things that each of us
would do, after all, mortals don’t have to live an ascetic life, they
have a family, they are tempted to gain wealth. Mortals wish they were
those who benefit from unlawfulness. Their indignation is kindled by
the Catholicos’ urge to answer the concerns voiced about him. And the
problem is not that he should not answer. The answer must be per se.
What does the unity of the Armenian people and the church have to do
with concerns about one man? What shall we do if these concerns are
there, even though sometimes they go beyond ethic? And why can’t these
concerns sound in the framework of the unity of the nation and the
church? Generally, what does this suggested unity have to do with
objective concerns?

The Catholicos should know the advantages of accession to the throne
for life. And these advantages say – your activity is entirely
impersonal, your acts are first of all visible to God, the only
addressee of your acts is God, act as if you are accountable to God
and not to someone who would view your behavior as harmful. A
Catholicos differs from a king because he can’t have a problem of
personal welfare because a king’s welfare is also his family’s
welfare. You are free from these conventionalities. And you must also
keep your married priests from conventionalities because they are to
comfort us, not we them.

The source of your overly kind treatment of the authorities is visible
in the fear of losing something? What do you have to lose, what
connects you to them that may make this loss significant? Why don’t
you think that the government is erroneous and so needs you for
sobering kindness? Either you are aware of the weakness of your power
or unaware of the power of this government. You have weakened your
power, and thereby strengthened the government. You are overly
dependent on what is temporal, just like the government.

What can they do to you? This is what the society needs to understand.
They need to know when and why to back you. Your power is for life,
isn’t it? After all, knowing that these authorities are capable of
much, you are afraid of being overly mortal. Why should the society
think that the church will benefit from its kindness toward the
government, even if it’s not so? Why do you force the society to
thrust into its erroneousness, who do you leave those entitled to be
the church in the status of the herd if they can help you strengthen
the church in Armenia and in the Diaspora?