Author: Kanayan Tamar

SIR BEN KINGSLEY: EUROPE DID NOT GRIEVE THE HOLOCAUST

Arutz Sheva, Israel
Jan 26 2015

Award-winning actor and storyteller says Europe is in danger of
‘sliding back’ unless it faces up to its dark past and achieves
‘catharsis’.

Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Share on print More
Sharing Services 53

By Yoni Kempinski and Ari Soffer

Award-winning veteran actor and story teller Sir Ben Kingsley was among
the dignitaries at the first day of the Let My People Live Forum in
Prague, and used the opportunity to explain why in his view Europe
has failed to fully come to terms with the crimes of the holocaust.

Noting that his own role in several holocaust-related films, Kingsley
said he felt “privileged as an actor to have my costume embellished..

dare I say… signified, dignified, possibly humiliated, sadly, with
the yellow star on three occasions. And it is because of that… the
great Jewish diaspora and Israel itself has allowed me to be a witness,
a story teller, a voice.”

He said he felt an acute sense of “gratitude and awareness of the
profound responsibility I do have as an actor and a storyteller
in bringing the Shoah, the Holocaust to the minds of young people
who knew nothing about it,” and urged the world to be “vigorously
persistent in telling the story of grief-stricken Europe.”

One of the greatest tragedies, he insisted, was the fact that in his
view “Europe did not grieve in 1945. It moved on. It found another
enemy, it found other issues.

“The first step in healing is for us to collectively grieve – we have
missed that crucial step.”

As a result, he warned, “we are in terrible danger, because of missing
the step of grieving, of sliding back.”

Kingsley said that actors could play a key role in helping Europe
achieve “catharsis” by “triggering grief” through their work – but
cautioned producers and directors to stick to the facts and not stray
into the realm of fiction.

“Don’t make funny stories up, don’t make ‘what if?’ stories up –
stick to the facts, and allow Europe to grieve,” he said.

“Hitler said ‘who will remember the Armenians?'” he noted, in a
reference to the lack of international response to the Armenian
genocide which played a part in emboldening the Nazis’ actions. “We
must never never ever allow somebody in the future to say ‘who will
remember the Jews of Europe?’ Everybody will.”

But he lamented that some in Europe were determined to forget –
ironically, as a pretext to perpetuate anti-Semitism – relating a
particular experience he had at the set of one of his films in the
Hungarian capital of Budapest.

An old man approached the movie’s cast to ask what they were filming.

Upon hearing the production would be about the holocaust, he retorted
“It never happened, and if you don’t shut up it will happen again!”

“How about that? Isn’t that totally screwy?” asked an incredulous
Kingsley.

The Let My People Live Forum event, organized by the European Jewish
Congress is taking place from the 26-27 in the Czech Republic to mark
the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.

ZARIF DEPARTS FOR ARMENIA

Mehr News, Iran
Jan 26 2015

TEHRAN, Jan. 26 (MNA) – Iranian FM has just departed for Yerevan to
hold talks with Armenian officials.

Mohammad Javad Zarif has made this two-day visit at the invitation
of his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian.

He is also expected to meet with National Assembly Speaker Galust
Sahakyan and Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, the press service of
the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported.

The Armenian and Iranian foreign ministers will conduct talks, after
which they will give a joint press conference on bilateral relations,
as well as regional and international issues.

IRAN’S JUDICIARY CHIEF, ARMENIAN CATHOLIC PATRIARCH CONFER ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

Fars News Agency, Iran
Jan 26 2015

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Judiciary Chief Sadeq Amoli Larijani and World
Catholic Armenian Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX in a meeting in Tehran
on Monday discussed regional and international developments.

During the meeting in the Iranian capital today, Iran’s judiciary
chief and Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX discussed the conditions of
Armenians as a religious minority in Iran.

The two sides also exchanged views on the latest regional and
international developments.

Earlier this month, Archbishop of the Armenians of Isfahan Province
Babken Charian underlined that the rights of religious and ethnic
minorities are respected in Iran, saying that the country can serve
as a role model of interaction among followers of different divine
religions.

“The existing model of interaction among different religions and
communities in Iran is very appropriate and if people and nations
of other countries follow this model they can live at peace and
tranquility,” Charian said in a meeting with Isfahan mayor.

“Thank God, peace, tranquility and unity is prevalent among all
communities (in Iran) and we are not experiencing the problems of
war and turmoil that other countries are facing,” he added.

Iran’s Constitution has officially recognized Christianity, Judaism and
Zoroastrianism as divine religions alongside Islam and their followers
are having a peaceful life and friendly relationship with each other.

NALBANDYAN’S INTERESTING ANSWERS

Lragir.am
Politics – 26 January 2015, 15:37

The Armenian side is satisfied with the current status of the
Armenian-Russian relations, the minister of foreign affairs said to
reporters today.

In answer to the reporter’s question whether the military and political
leadership of Armenia is satisfied with the Armenian-Russian relations
or they need to be reviewed, Nalbandyan said the two countries have
relations of allies. He noted that the relations need not be reviewed.

The minister avoided the question whether CSTO is obliged to react
whenever there is an encroachment upon the borders of Armenia according
to the agreement, advising to study the CSTO document thoroughly.

In answer to the question whether the leadership of Armenia has
consulted CSTO regarding Azerbaijan’s encroachments upon the borders
of Armenia, he said the Armenian side has informed CSTO, OSCE and UN.

They immediately inform all the organizations about incidents on the
line of contact.

In answer to the question on the results, Nalbandyan said CSTO is a
multi-national organization and statements must be agreed, and it is
not so easy. According to him, CSTO has made a number of statements.

“There is no need to be so primitive: we informed, they reacted
or they did not react. There are dozens of provocations, and if a
statement were made for every dozen of provocations…” he said.

In answer to the observation that the public blames foreign ministry
of Armenia for the border situation and other problems, and whether
Nalbandyan is not going to step down, he said: “You are absolutely
wrong, I know what the public thinks.”

Edward Nalbandyan said last year Armenia successfully completed
membership to the Eurasian Economic Union.

THREE AZERI SOLDIERS KILLED AND TWO WOUNDED AS A RESULT OF CEASEFIRE VIOLATION BY AZERBAIJAN

by Tatevik Shahunyan

Monday, January 26, 12:24

On Jan 25 night, Azerbaijan breached the ceasefire on the Line of
Contact of the Azeri and Nagorno-Karabakh troops for about 800 times.

The Azeri troops fired 1,400 shots at the Armenian combat positions
from various weapons, including rocket anti-tank launchers, automatic
grenade launchers and mine throwers.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army has told ArmInfo that due to the NKR
armed forces’ retaliatory measures, Azerbaijan lost three solders. Two
more Azeri soldiers were wounded.

By the data of the NKR Defense Army, since the beginning of 2015,
as a result of Azerbaijan’s provocations 26 Azeri soldiers have
died. Over that period, Armenia has lost 10 soldiers.

NEW BOOK ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE PUBLISHED IN NORWAY

January 25, 2015

Jahn Otto Johansen

Apostolic Leaders – A new book on the Armenian Genocide by the reknown
Norwegian International Correspondent, author, and professor of media
at Oslo University, Jahn Otto Johansen (81), was launched on Thursday
by the national PEN Club of Norway.

The event was held at “Fritt Ord” in Oslo, under the Pen Club, with
Armenia’s Ambassador as an honorary guest.

The President of Norwegian Pen Club. William Nygaard, hosted the
booklaunch event. Mr. Nygaard is the former CEO of Norway´s largest
Publishing House, Aschehoug. He is known especially for the near-fatal
murder attempt against him in 1993 because he had published Salman
Rushdie´s book, “Satanic Verses”.

Presuably because of fear of irritating the international diplomatic
community, not a single major book publisher in Norway would publish
Jahn Otto Johansen´s new book, but the Pen Club, supported by Fritt
Ord, financed the project in full.

Jahn Otto Johansen said: “My book isn’t directed against the Turks,
although President Erdogan aggressively denies the Armenian Genocide!”

Several respected respondents gave their reflections on the book and
the Armenian Genocide in light of the 100th year commemoration on
April 24th, 2015.

Among them was reknown historian BÃ¥rd Larsen who stated: “The Armenian
Genocide was primarily a psychological reaction against the Turkish
identity crisis after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire”.

RUSSIA’S STANCE ON NK ISSUE MAY CHANGE

January 26, 2015 13:39

Director of Center for Regional Studies Richard Giragosyan

Photo: Photolure

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Director of Center for Regional Studies Richard
Giragosyan said today that taking into account Russia’s policy in
Ukraine, “there is a threat that Moscow’s traditional stance on NK
issue may change”.

“Gyumri tragedy gave rise to new issues on asymmetry of Armenia-Russia
relations”, Richard Giragosyan said.

Commenting on the tension on the contact line and Armenia-Azerbaijan
state border, the expert called attention to the fact that the
geographic coverage of Azerbaijani attacks expanded.

“Unfortunately, if formerly we considered the shots as an indicator of
ceasefire violation, now it’s the number of casualties”, said Richard
Giragosyan adding that there is currently a real threat of random war.

Azerbaijani expert and journalist Shahin Rzayev who took part in the
press conference on a video call, noted that “the number of casualties
has really increased but unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan thinks that the
war hasn’t ended yet and the soldiers are dying on the battlefield”.

According to Shahin Rzayev, growth of radicalism is observed in
Azerbaijan, especially among the younger generation which doesn’t
have experience communicating with Armenians. He recalled that the
First European Games will take place in Baku this year which will be
a good chance for Armenian sportsmen to visit Azerbaijan.

TURCOLOGIST: NO SERIOUS EVENTS IN ARMENIA ON THRESHOLD OF CENTENARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ARE OBSERVED YET

by Ashot Safaryan

Monday, January 26, 12:22

No plans to hold serious events in Armenia on the threshold of the
Centenary of the Armenian Genocide are observed yet, turcologist
Artak Shakaryan said at today’s press conference in Yerevan.

“The State Commission on Coordination of the Events Dedicated to the
Centenary of the Armenian Genocide promised earlier that it would
present the list of events in January. But the month is coming to its
end and I have seen no list so far. Unfortunately, the Armenian public
is more informed of Turkey’s steps and countermeasures than Armenia’s
further steps. For instance, we know that Turkey is going to erect in
April a monument to those killed by ASALA. In addition, large-scale
events dedicated to the Battle of Gallipoli will be held on April 23.

As for Armenia, it is still unclear what we are going to do”, the
expert said.

Shakaryan thinks it would be a serious job to open Armenian Genocide
Museums in large cities such as Moscow, London, Paris, New York by 24
April 2015. “I would also like the countries that have recognized the
Armenian Genocide to dedicate at least one page in their textbooks to
the topic of the Armenian Genocide. If no such measures are taken,
all the other exhibitions, films and conferences become secondary,
halfway measures taken by Armenia”, he said.

LE PRESIDENT SARKISSIAN A REPONDU A L’INVITATION DE SON HOMOLOGUE TURC DE PRENDRE PART A LA COMMEMORATION DU 100ÈME ANNIVERSAIRE DE LA BATAILLE DE GALLIPOLI

ARMENIE

L’ensemble de la presse reproduit la reponse du Chef de l’Etat armenien
a l’invitation de Recep Tayyip Erdogan de prendre part, le 24 avril
2015, a la commemoration du centième anniversaire de la bataille de
Gallipoli. M. Sarkissian a rappele qu’un officier d’origine armenienne,
Sarkis Torossian, participait egalement a cette bataille dans les rangs
des troupes d’artillerie de l’Empire Ottoman, en signe de devouement a
la securite et a la defense de l’Empire qui l’a decore de distinctions
militaires pour son fidèle service et pour son courage. Mais meme lui
n’a pas ete epargne par les massacres et les deportations planifies
et executes contre le peuple armenien qui, durant cette meme annee,
ont atteint leur apogee : ses parents brutalement assassines et sa
soeur morte dans le desert syrien etaient parmi le million et demi
d’Armeniens massacres pendant le Genocide. , et c’est l’impunite de ce genocide qui a ouvert la voie
a l’Holocauste, aux genocides au Rwanda, au Cambodge et au Darfour
>>. Le Chef de l’Etat armenien estime qu’il est necessaire de se
rappeler que la paix et l’amitie doivent etre construites avant tout
sur la base du courage d’affronter son propre passe, sur la justice
historique et sur une reconnaissance non selective de la memoire
de l’humanite entière. d’annee a annee sa boîte
a outils de deformation de l’histoire, commemore cette annee – pour
la premi̬re fois Рle centenaire des affrontements de Gallipoli le
jour du 24 avril, alors qu’ils ont commence le 18 mars 1915 et se sont
poursuivis jusqu’a la fin du mois de janvier1916, et que les batailles
terrestres de Gallipoli et le debarquement des Allies ont commence le
25 avril. Cette demarche vise-t-elle un objectif autre que celui de
detourner tout simplement l’attention de la communaute internationale
du centième anniversaire du Genocide des Armeniens ? Cependant, avant
d’initier un tel evenement commemoratif, la Turquie avait un devoir
beaucoup plus important a l’egard de son peuple et de l’humanite tout
entière, celui de la reconnaissance et de la condamnation du Genocide
des Armeniens >>. Le Chef de l’Etat a rappele qu’il y a encore quelques
mois, il avait invite M. Erdogan a Erevan pour rendre hommage ensemble,
le 24 avril 2015, a la memoire des victimes du Genocide : >.

Si Hayastani Hanrapetoutioun estime que le cynisme d’Erdogan n’a pas
de limites, Haykakan Jamanak est convaincu que cette decision des
autorites turques a pour principal objectif de jeter une ombre sur
les manifestations de commemoration prevues en Armenie a cette date
et de detourner l’attention de la communaute internationale.

Dans un entretien avec Tert.am, Edouard Charmazanov, porte-parole du
parti Republicain, estime qu’il s’agit d’une manoeuvre diplomatique > d’Ankara. Celui-ci, conscient de l’impact que devaient
avoir les manifestations organisees en Armenie sur la reconnaissance
internationale du Genocide, essaie de prendre des contre-mesures
qui ne sont que ridicules. Après le centenaire, une nouvelle etape
pour la reconnaissance et la condamnation internationale du Genocide
sera lancee. Hayastani Hanrapetoutioun reproduit les propos d’Artak
Zakharian, President de la commission des AE, selon lequel l’initiative
des autorites turques n’aura pas de succès, puisque le monde connaît
peu la bataille de Gallipoli, tandis que le Genocide armenien est un
crime contre l’humanite. Selon lui, l’objectif des autorites turques
est de detourner l’attention de la communaute internationale des
manifestations du centenaire du Genocide.

Selon le turcologue Hakob Chakrian, en invitant le President Sarkissian
a Ankara le 24 avril 2015, M. Erdogan a gravement viole les normes
de l’ethique diplomatique. Le turcologue qualifie d’un seul mot la
decision de M. Erdogan : >.

Selon le depute du parti Heritage, Tevan Poghossian, il est peu
probable que l’initiative d’Ankara soit soutenue par la communaute
internationale, tandis que nombreux seront ceux qui comprendront a quel
point l’Etat turc est un Etat cynique.

MAIN OPPOSITION TO MEET WITH TURKEY’S RELIGIOUS MINORITY COMMUNITIES’ HEADS

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Jan 25 2015

ISTANBUL

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal
Kılıcdaroglu will come together with the leaders of Turkey’s
religious minority communities in Istanbul on Jan. 26.

Kılıcdaroglu will meet with Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Bartholomew,
Deputy Armenian Patriarch Archbishop Aram AteÃ…~_yan, Syriac Catholic
Deputy Patriarch Chorepiscopus Yusuf Sag, Istanbul Syriac Orthodox
Church Metropolitan Yusuf Cetin and Chief Rabbi Ä°shak Haleva in
Istanbul’s Sait Halim PaÃ…~_a mansion near the Bosphorus Strait.

Kılıcdaroglu and the heads of the religious minority communities
will exchange views during the meeting. While the spiritual leaders
are expected to put forth their needs and expectations as Turkey’s
religious minorities, Kılıcdaroglu is expected to share the CHP’s
perspective and policies on these issues.

CHP vice chairmen Murat Ozcelik and Sezgin Tanrıkulu, the newly
appointed CHP Istanbul provincial head Murat Karayalcın, Istanbul’s
Sarıyer district’s Mayor Ã…~^ukru Genc and CHP member Talin ErguneÃ…~_
will accompany Kılıcdaroglu during the meeting.

During his visit to Turkey, Pope Francis had attended a divine liturgy
led by Patriarch Bartholomew, as Bartholomew had also attended a
mass conducted by Pope Francis in Istanbul’s Saint Esprit Catholic
Church, as a signal of the warming ties between the Roman Catholic
and Orthodox Churches.

January/25/2015