Author: Kanayan Tamar

Artsrun Hovhannisian: Armenian troops silenced enemy’s fire

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Throughout yesterday the enemy fired at Armenian positions and
settlements in various sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border,’
Armenian Defense Ministry’s spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisian told
Aysor.am.

`The gunfire was especially intense in the evening hours, but the
enemy’s actions were suppressed as a result of retaliatory measures of
the Armenian side. Shots were fired from guns of various calibers,
including from a DShK machine-gun,’ A. Hovhannisian said.

According to him, the Armenian side suffered no casualties.

TODAY, 11:27
Aysor.am

`My Mother’s Voice’: A Daughter’s Account of Her Mother’s Survival – (video)

January 10, 2014

Dr. Kay Mouradian’s novel, My Mother’s Voice, tells the biographical
story of the writer’s mother, Flora Munushian, and her journey of
surviving the genocide as a young teenage girl.

Dr. Kay Mouradian’s novel, My Mother’s Voice, tells the biographical
story of the writer’s mother, Flora Munushian, and her journey of
surviving the genocide as a young teenage girl.

The idea for the novel came decades later, when Munushian became ill,
impelling Mouradian to write about her mother’s past. `Often I felt
like a detective as I tried to piece together scenes that became
pieces of a puzzle. Researching and writing my mother’s story opened
avenues of discovery and knowledge that have enriched my understanding
of life,’ she tells the Weekly in an interview.

Mouradian is professor emerita at the Los Angeles Community Colleges.
After retiring, she developed yoga and acupunc – ture strategies to
improve her health, and after her mother’s illness, pursued writing as
another avenue of healing.

`There are some in the literary community who say, `If you want to
know the facts, read a newspaper, but if you want to know the truth,
read a novel.’ That statement resonated in my brain. Feeling a deep
responsibility to history, I decided to write my mother’s story as a
novel to paint the truth of 1915 on a larger canvas,’ she said.

All of the characters in My Mother’s Voice are either real or based on
real people. A couple of characters were created to reflect on the
truth of the time, Mouradian explained. `For example, Constantinople
was the center for white slavery in the early 1900²s. I needed to
develop the possibility that Armenian girls could have been snared
into harlotry. Can I be specific to whom it happened? No, but the
threat was there,’ she said, adding that `there is an element of truth
in every scene in my mother’s story.’

A film based on the novel premiered at the Pomegranate Film Festival
in Toronto last October, and received Honorable Mention for Best
Documentary. It was later screened as an official selection at the
ARPA film festival in Los Angeles. My Mother’s Voice serves as a
sequel to A Gift in the Sunlight, Mouradian’s first novel, also about
her mother’s life.

To purchase the novel, My Mother’s Voice, visit Mouradian’s website at
It is also available through Amazon.

My Mother’s Voice trailer

Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire 600 times in the past week

15:43 11.01.2014

ceasefire violation

According to the data of the NKR Defense Ministry, about 120 cases of
ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side were registered at the
line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and
Azerbaijan from January 5 to 11.

The rival fired more than 600 shots from weapons of different caliber
in the direction of the Armenian positions.

The activeness of the rival was pressured as a result of the response
actions taken by the front divisions of the NKR Defense Army.

Armenia to host World Team Championship 2015

15:47 11.01.2014

Armenia will host World Team Championship 2015, according to FIDE’s
official visit. The event will take place from March 1 to 15.

The Women’s World Team Championship 2015 will also take place in
Armenia in the same period.

Aliyev’s threat requires serious approach by Armenia, says politician

13:26 – 11.01.14

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict has to be treated very seriously by Armenia, according to a
politician.

`This approach [that a settlement of the Karabakh conflict would be
possible in case Armenia adopts a `constructive’ position] implies one
thing, an unconditional capitulation of the Armenian side. The
Azerbaijani leader is probably confident that that a repetition of the
Kars and Moscow treaties is absolutely realistic nowadays, so we must
seriously treat such a threat,’ Arman Melikyan, a former foreign
minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, told Tert.am.

His comment came to oppose to an earlier remark by David Babayan, a
presidential spokesperson, who described Aliyev’s statement as a Santa
Claus trick.

In a speech delivered at a recent cabinet meeting the Azerbaijani
leader said that a progress in the conflict settlement efforts can be
achieved within very short timeframes in case Armenia demonstrates a
`realistic outlook’. Aliyev pointed out particularly Azerbaijan’s
growing potential which he said would increase his country’s
advantages over Armenia.

Aliyev further expressed confidence that a solution must and will be
achieved without violation of his country’s territorial integrity.

Cuba has warm disposition toward Armenia

January 11, 2014 | 12:29

YEREVAN. – Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian’s official
visit to Cuba kicked off Friday with the laying of a wreath to the
monument of Cuba’s National Hero, José Martí.

In capital city Havana, Armenia’s FM was received by Ricardo Cabrisas
Ruíz, Vice President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba, informs the
Armenian MFA press service.

Ruíz noted that Cuba has a very warm disposition toward Armenia, and
he expressed confidence that this high-level visit will give new
impetus to bilateral relations and multilateral cooperation between
the two countries.

In turn, Nalbandian stressed that his visit aims to strengthen
Armenia’s relations with Cuba.

The Vice President of the Cuban Council of Ministers highlighted that
his country stands ready to deepen cooperation with Armenia.

Nalbandian and Ruíz discussed the joint steps to be taken to expand
cooperation between both countries.

On the same day, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian held
talks with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodríguez.

Rodríguez asked Nalbandian to convey Cuban leader Raúl Castro’s
greetings and best wishes to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.

The Cuban FM noted that his country highly appreciates the
contribution of Armenian specialists who worked in Cuba for several
decades.

The two ministers reaffirmed their countries’ interest in taking
active steps to expand relations, and they discussed the joint actions
to be taken in numerous domains.

In terms of tourism promotion, they underscored the facilitation of
entry to Cuba for the Armenian citizens.

In addition, minister Nalbandian presented the priorities of Armenia’s
foreign policy, and the ongoing efforts by Armenia and the
international community toward a pacific settlement to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The interlocutors exchanged views on several regional and international matters.

Armenia’s FM also invited his Cuban counterpart to visit capital city Yerevan.

Following the ministerial meeting, the Cuban FM gave a formal
reception in honor of Armenia’s foreign minister.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Prelate hosts New Year and Christmas dinner

13:29 11.01.2014

On Monday, Jan. 6, Bagramian Hall in Montebello was abuzz with
Christmas cheer as six hundred Prelacy sponsors and supporters had
gathered to celebrate the Birth and Theophany of our Lord Jesus Christ
at the Prelate’s New Year and Christmas Dinner, Asbarez reports.

Presided over by Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, the
annual dinner has become a beloved tradition within the community,
bringing together members of the extended Prelacy family for an
evening of festivity filled with warmth, love, and good cheer.

The event is the undertaking of the Religious and Executive Councils
and is organized by the Prelacy Ladies Auxiliary. This year’s dinner
was hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Eddie and Talin Amroyan, who also hosted
the event last year.

The guests watched the video message by His Holiness Aram I,
Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. The Catholicos first
conveyed New Year and Christmas well wishes to the Prelate and guests
and commended the devoted service of the Prelate Councils, and
volunteers to our church and nation. He then spoke of the New Year and
Christmas season as a time for introspection both in our individual
and collective lives, and a time for renewal given that the earthly
mission of Christ was the restoration and renewal of mankind. His
Holiness also reflected on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide, advising `for reassessment and renewal to become the guiding
principals of our lives and for preparations for the Armenian Genocide
centennial to acquire an important place on the agenda of our church
and community in the course of this year.’

The Catholicos took the opportunity to share a few thoughts with the
youth. First, he stressed that life is a gift from God and it must be
sustained by spiritual and moral values and with a clear vision,
otherwise it becomes a life with no meaning and importance. Therefore,
we must make our life a purpose-driven life by articulating in our
actions those values, principles, and ideals which constitute our
Armenian Christian identity, said Aram I.

Second, the Pontiff spoke of the pivotal importance of youth
participation in our church and community, stating `our youth don’t
belong at the periphery of our life. They are all to participate
actively in the life of our church and community and should assume an
important role in all spheres and at all levels of our church and
community life.’

During dinner, guests enjoyed a cultural program of instrumental music
by the `Donagan’ Band, songs by Gevorg Tchakmanyan, Vahakn Hovents
accompanied on the piano by Armenouhi Terteryan, and a performance by
students of Lilia Dance Studio. Throughout the evening guests also
enjoyed a slideshow of the Prelacy’s endeavors in the past year.

The program concluded with the Prelate’s message. The Prelate began by
thanking God for granting another year and opportunity for the Prelacy
family to come together to exchange felicitations to one another on
the Birth and Theophany of our Lord. He wished for the New Year to be
filled with an abundance of health, happiness, and prosperity for all,
and for the Christmas message and promise of love and hope to remain
the guiding light of our lives, and an inspiration to live in His holy
example. The Prelate then presented some highlights from the previous
year, including Sunday School activities, new pastor assignments, new
publications, participation in the historic Bishop’s Synod in
Etchmiadzin, among others.

The Prelate thanked the members of the various Prelacy committees for
their service and the sponsors for their contributions to the
realization of the Prelacy’s endeavors. He expressed gratitude to the
evening’s hosts Mr. and Mrs. Eddie and Talin Amroyan for their
generous sponsorship for the second year, to Mrs. Tina Carolan, the
Carolan Family Foundation, and the Khachaturian Family for their
continued benevolence, and to Forest Lawn for their donation to
establish the Prelacy Good Samaritan Fund. The Prelate also commended
the members of Prelacy Schools for their commitment to the
intellectual and emotional development of our youth, and thanked
school sponsors, specifically the Dream Fund, for their generous
support. Speaking of school sponsors, the Prelate announced that he
had special news to share. The hall erupted in applause as His
Eminence announced that Prelacy and community benefactors Mr. and Mrs.
Hakob and Hilda Baghdassarian had undertaken the sponsorship of
ChamlianSchool’s new gym with a donation of $250,000. In conclusion,
the Prelate commended the service of the Religious and Executive
Councils and all affiliated bodies, and wished for the endeavors of
the coming year to proceed smoothly guided by the Christmas tidings of
love, harmony, and goodwill.

OPINION
Le potentiel d’une pétition : la voix d’un peuple, par Liliane Daronian

Une pétition à l’attention de la Conseillère fédérale, Simonetta
Sommaruga, Cheffe du Département fédéral de justice et police à Berne
et à l’attention de la Cour européennes des droits de l’homme, est
mise en ligne du 4 janvier au 18 mars 2014. Cette pétition s’élève
contre un arrêt de la Cour, datée du 17 décembre 2013, qui donne
raison au négateur du génocide arménien D. Perinçek et condamne la
Suisse pour atteinte à la liberté d’expression. La Suisse a jusqu’au
17 mars pour intenter un recours contre ce jugement.

L’arrêt extraordinairement grave de la Cour européenne des droits de
l’homme qui encourage le négationnisme a transformé soudain en de
véritables cibles tous ceux qui se réclament d’une appartenance
arménienne. Il produit des dégts, des souffrances, des dangers. Il
blesse les Arméniens dans leur soif inextinguible de justice. Nous le
savons, et plus encore le savent les Arméniens vivant en Turquie. Le
peuple arménien n’est pas seulement diffamé, c’est son droit à
l’existence qui est mis en jeu, mis en joue. Et au-delà des Arméniens,
l’effet destructeur d’un tel arrêt touche, en maltraitant la dignité
humaine, l’humanité entière. L’ironie diabolique, vertigineuse, qui
veut que le Conseil constitutionnel du pays dit des droits de l’homme
ait eu sa part dans cet arrêt de la Cour, donne le coup de grce.
C’est donc le monde à l’envers, le règne du désordre, l’ordre logique
des choses inversé : c’est Carnaval !

L’arrêt de la CEDH apparaît comme un support qui permet le passage
d’un message crypté adressé par la Turquie aux Arméniens : « Que les
festivités de 2015 commencent, nous serons ceux qui défendent les
valeurs universelles, vous apparaîtrez, vous les Arméniens, comme ceux
qui les piétinent. »

C’est donc une pétition d’une nature très particulière qu’il nous est
donné de signer. Elle figure potentiellement une bataille cruciale, de
ces batailles qui dans l’histoire en ont appelé au sursaut du peuple
arménien. Comment provoquer le sursaut lorsque le danger n’apparaît
pas d’emblée sous une forme concrète, par exemple sous la forme d’une
armée composée de soldats de chair et d’os ? Pourtant vous êtes
attaqués, vous le ressentez, vous êtes attaqués dans ce qui fait ce
que vous êtes. Vous le ressentez douloureusement si déjà vous ne
l’avez pas refoulé, et en cela vous avez la démonstration que oui,
vraiment, la négation d’un génocide c’est bien sa perpétuation, c’est
bien, au-delà des `propos attentatoires à la mémoire des victimes et
diffamatoires à l’égard des descendants` le prolongement de
l’intention génocidaire parmi les générations survivantes.

Faisant face à l `arrêt de la CEDH, cette pétition propose de faire
front, encourageant la Suisse à rester ferme, à ne pas plier, à
intenter un recours. Elle donne l’opportunité de transformer le
ressenti intime, personnel, en expression collective. La démarche est
résolument démocratique : chacun s’exprime au moment d’apposer sa
signature. À l’arrivée, cela devient l’expression de la volonté
d’exister d’un peuple, et pour tous les humanistes, les universalistes
l’occasion d’exprimer que l’égale dignité des peuples est l’une des
conditions de l’égale dignité des hommes.

C’est dire qu’il faut aborder cette pétition tout autrement. Avec
ambition. D’abord, il faut bien réaliser – et le faire vite car le
temps presse – que cette pétition, nous donne peut-être pour la
première fois l’occasion de nous exprimer – grce à internet, aux
réseaux sociaux – ensemble en tant que peuple, l’Arménie et la
diaspora, où que nous nous trouvions sur la planète. Cette pétition
est un test pour 2015. Elle exprime notre blessure, nos droits, le
droit des peuples à l’existence, la défense du principe de la dignité
humaine. Elle n’est pas l’expression de telle ou telle association,
pas même celle du CCAF qui en a pris l’initiative, mais une expérience
de démocratie directe pour le peuple arménien partout où il se trouve,
une expérience de démocratie directe pour tous les démocrates sur la
ligne de la défense de la dignité humaine, y compris et surtout pour
les démocrates turcs.

À l’heure où j’écris, nous n’en sommes même pas à 1000 signatures. Il
en faudrait 100000 pour le moins. Un « intellectuel » qui sévit sur
internet aux ordres de la politique négationniste de la Turquie,
rigole tant qu’il peut : il relève, en fanfaronnant, le peu de
signataires et prévient : « Cette pétition est un cri de rage qui se
perdra dans le désert ». Peut-être fait-il inconsciemment référence à
tous ceux qui ont laissé leur vie dans d’autres déserts ? Dans un
autre temps ? N’est-ce pas ?

Alors le sursaut est indispensable. Manquer ce rendez-vous serait
lamentable pour chacun d’entre nous et chacune de nos instances. Le
champ de bataille n’est ni Avaraïr, ni Sardarabad, il est cette
fois-ci sur internet et il faut se battre : à chacun son carnet
d’adresses, aux associations, aux grandes organisations implantées
dans divers pays leur mobilisation maximum, à chacun ses réseaux, ses
sites, ses pages Facebook … Aux spécialistes en communication, leurs
conseils … Aux créateurs de tous ordres, leurs créations …

Allo quoi !!! Réagissez !!!
Il a raison l’ « intellectuel » : j’ai la rage, tu as la rage, nous
avons la rage !!

Liliane Daronian
Paris, le 10.01.2014

samedi 11 janvier 2014,
Ara ©armenews.com

Ara Guler: Capturing Turkey’s unseen corners in new exhibit at Sackler Gallery
By Vanessa H. Larson
Jan. 10, 2014

Two cone-topped minarets pierce the sky, silhouetted against a
striking backdrop of clouds. Below them is an elaborate stone portal
with a pointed arch, intricately carved with Islamic calligraphy and
arabesque patterns in the style of the Seljuks, a dynasty that ruled
much of what is now Turkey during the 12th and 13th centuries. Inside
the archway, a wooden door sits ajar, while a small child, barefoot
and unkempt, passes by in the foreground.

This is a Turkey that most people will never encounter. The location
of the impressive Gok Medrese–a madrassa, or Islamic theological
school, built in 1271–is Sivas, in the central part of the country.
Though it served for a time as the Seljuk capital, Sivas today is a
provincial city that’s too far off the beaten path to attract most
foreign visitors–or even most Turks. The photo, taken in the
mid-1960s, captures a time long before a restoration that filled in
gaps with unsightly, gleaming new masonry.

This and 20 other black-and-white photographs of lesser-known sites in
Turkey–the work of the country’s foremost living photographer–are on
display in the intimate exhibit “In Focus: Ara Guler’s Anatolia,”
[] at the
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

A legend, Guler, 85, is called the “Eye of Istanbul” for his 1950s and
’60s photos of street scenes that are among the most iconic
representations of the city.

The Istanbul native, whose photographic archive includes some 800,000
images, got his start in the 1950s as a photojournalist for Hayat (the
Turkish “Life” magazine) and went on to a distinguished career that
included working at Magnum Photos with luminaries including Henri
Cartier-Bresson and publishing his work around the world.

The works in “In Focus”–never previously shown–come from a set of 53
photographs donated to the museum in 1989 by Raymond Hare, U.S.
ambassador to Turkey from 1961 to 1965. Hare had a keen interest in
Middle Eastern architecture, and the photos were a gift from
colleagues when he left Turkey.

Shot at locations across Anatolia, the photographs mainly portray
medieval Seljuk and Armenian monuments, along with a few other sites
including the stunning Ishak Pasa Palace in Dogubayazit, built by the
Ottomans in the 18th century. Whether due to deterioration or to
restoration and modernization for tourism, most of these places don’t
look the same today.

The photos of Armenian sites, including the 10th-century Church of the
Holy Cross on Akdamar Island in Lake Van, are especially poignant
because Guler himself belongs to Istanbul’s dwindling Armenian
community.

By the time he photographed the remote ruins of Ani in northeastern
Turkey–capital of the Bagratuni Armenian Kingdom in the 10th and 11th
centuries–the buildings had badly deteriorated, caused by both
natural forces and centuries of neglect. The facade of the crumbling
Church of the Redeemer–only half of which remains erect after a
lightning strike–appears surrounded by thick, overgrown grasses, as
if it had stood untouched for years.

Although Guler has traveled the globe and photographed the rich and
famous–from Salvador Dali to Alfred Hitchcock–he is most proud of
his work covering his native country. He explains his philosophy in a
seven-minute accompanying video produced by FotoTV: “We press
photographers record a visual history of our time. I find that more
important than creating art.”

Guler has a distinctive photographic style, however, and the exhibit
treats his photos as “art,” emphasizing aesthetic elements such as
dramatic lighting, composition, texture and framing. Labeled only with
names, locations and dates, the works are divided into four (slightly
contrived) thematic sections, each paired with a quotation from Guler
and commentary that encourages viewers to contemplate the artistic
qualities of the images.

While presenting Guler’s photos as art is valid, to a certain extent
it removes them from their cultural and historical context. A wide
shot of the Church of St. Gregory of Tigran Honents in Ani, for
example, shows a deep river valley that snakes between two hillsides
directly behind the church. What isn’t revealed is that this river
forms the boundary between Turkey and Armenia; the border itself is
lined in places with mines and has been closed since 1993 due to
long-simmering political tensions between the two countries.

Nevertheless, even without an in-depth examination of their political
and historical significance, Guler’s photographs are compelling in
their beauty and narrative power. Whether viewed as “art” or
“documentation,” they capture a moment in Turkey that has long since
vanished.

Larson is a freelance writer.

In Focus: Ara Guler’s Anatolia at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery until May 4.

CUBAN AUTHORITIES TO WELCOME ARMENIAN FM

Prensa Latina, Cuba
Jan 10 2014

Escrito por Ileana Ferrer Fonte
viernes, 10 de enero de 2014

10 de enero de 2014, 10:14Havana, Jan 10 (Prensa Latina) Armenian
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eduard Nalbandian, has begun an official
visit to Cuba and will be received by Cuban authorities today.

Nalbandian will preside over official talks along with his peer Bruno
Rodriguez at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Armenian minister will also meet with the Vice President of the
Cuban Council of Ministers, Ricardo Cabrisas.

Nalbandian toured the historic district of Old Havana yesterday,
declared a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO (the UN Education,
Science and Culture Organization).

Both countries established diplomatic relations on August 27, 1992.

Havana positively recognizes the traditional support from the
Central-Asian country for the Cuban resolution at the U.N. General
Assembly, opposing the U.S. blockade of Cuba.

sus/sa/iff/ool