Author: Karabekian Emil

TURKEY INDIGNANT OVER SONG AND VIDEO PRAISING DINK’S MURDERERS

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.09.2007 17:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A video prepared for a song, the lyrics of which
praised Ogun Samast, the teenager who murdered Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink, and Yasin Hayal, one of the inciters behind
the assassination was posted on the hugely popular video-sharing Web
site YouTube, creating controversy in Turkey, as many branded it as
ultra-nationalist hate propaganda.

The video quickly received a high number of user hits.

Thousands of people sent the link to each other, especially on Friday,
as the issue marked the agenda in many e-mail groups. Finally, the
amateur video made it to the headlines of mass circulation newspapers
yesterday.

While the song mentioned the names in different contexts, in the
video the photograph of murderer Ogun and inciter Yasin are seen. In
the lyrics, meanwhile, there is a direct threat to those who "support
Armenians," saying "they will be taken care of."

As these words are heard, the now infamous photograph of Dink,
right after he was gunned down, lying on the ground and covered with
newspaper pages, is seen.

The video not only praises those involved in Dink’s assassination but
also shows photographs of author Orhan Pamuk, Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, musician, author and columnist Zulfu Livaneli, folk
music singer Selda Bagcan, and former president Ahmet Necdet Sezer,
labeling all as "betrayers."

The lyrics of the song named "Do Not Make Plans" was written by
an ultra nationalist poet, Ozan Arif and is sung by Ismail Turut,
a well-known singer. But ultra nationalists unrelated to the two
supposedly prepared the video. There are nearly 10 different versions
of the video being broadcast on YouTube, but the version that created
reactions around Turkey was removed yesterday.

Dink’s lawyers are preparing to file a complaint about the song and
the video. One of Dink’s lawyers asked the prosecutors "what they
were waiting for" and said the video incites people to commit hate
crimes by abusing race and religion and by praising a murderer.

This Thursday, the Human Rights Association and many other
organizations will meet in front of the Sultanahmet Court at 1:00
p.m. and file a joint complaint against Turut and Arif, Turkish Daily
News reports.

The first court session on Dink murder case was held July 2. The
following day it was postponed to October 1.

THEME FOR OSKANYAN SPEECH BEING OUTLINED

Panorama.am
20:58 17/09/2007

Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan will participate in the 62nd
session of the United Nations, to take place in New York beginning
on September 18.

As revealed by the ministry’s press secretary, Vladimir Karapetyan,
the minister will leave for New York in the beginning of October,
after which he will address the General Assembly, on October 3. The
theme of his speech is now being outlined.

RUDOLF PERINA CONFIDENT U.S. WILL SEND AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.09.2007 18:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The U.S. Charge d’Affairs in Armenia Rudolf Perina
is hopeful the issue of appointment of U.S. Ambassador to Yerevan is
not forgotten.

"I am confident that we will have the Ambassador but I do not know
when President Bush will announce the name of the designate," Perina
told reporters September 13.

He reminded that the candidacies are nominated by the President but
should be still approved by the Senate.

"However, we had an unsuccessful experience with Richard Hoagland,"
he noted, IA Regnum reports.

The White House, yielding to Democrats, recalled Richard Hoagland’s
designation August 3.

The designation was twice blocked by Senator Robert Menendez, who
rates appointment of a diplomat refusing to call 1915 events genocide
as inadmissible.

HAROUTIUN OVIE SIMONIA PASSES AWAY

AZG Armenian Daily
13/09/2007

On September 2, Haroutiuan Ovie Simonian, renowned Diaspora Armenian
philanthropist, died in Switzerland.

Before and after settling down in Los Angeles, he contributed to the
publication of a number of Armenian books, including "The Dare Devils
of Sassoun," "The Armenian Ethnology and Folklore," the collection
of works by Hovhannes Toumanian, Comitas, Avetiq Isahakian, Yervand
Otian, Siamanto, Zapel and Hratn Asatours, Mikael Kyouhcian, Yeghishe
Charents, Aksel Bakounts, Garegin A Catholicos, Nvard Toumanian,
Eduard Jrbashian, Gegham Sevan , Varazdat Haroutiunian and by
other authors. He seemed to continue the activities of his elder
brother Simon Simonian, who used to carry out large scale publishing
activities.

Haroutiun Simonian was greatly dedicated to his motherland and to
the culture of his people.

We express heartily condolences to his family.

Sargis Vahagn

Varderes Garakyozian

Poghos Goubelian

Esther Davtian

Stepan Topchian

AMERICAN CORNER OPENED IN VANADZOR

armradio.am
12.09.2007 15:42

On September 12, in partnership with the US Embassy in Armenia was
officially opened the Vanadzor American Corner.

In his opening remarks Ambassador Rudolf Perina, US Chargï~_©
dï~^´Affairs a.i. said, "This American Corner will make accessible
to the residents of Vanadozor and Lori Marz the diverse resources
available at the Corner and will facilitate the dialogue and mutual
understanding between Armenia and the United States."

American Corners are small American-style libraries located throughout
the world that help increase mutual understanding between the United
States and the host country. A network of over 370 American Corners
is operating globally through partnerships between the US Department
of State and local host organizations. American Corners provide
information about America in a variety of formats, including reference
books, works of fiction, journals, and videos. These resources focus
on such topics as studying in the United States, American society,
US history, conducting business in the United States, and English as
a Second Language. The Corners also provide computers with Internet
access, and offer a variety of public programs including speakers
and workshops. The American Corners are open to the general public
and access is free of charge.

Currently American Corners are in operation in Yerevan, Gyumri and
Vanadzor. Soon, on October 1st the US Embassy will open an American
Corner in Kapan.

American Corner program officially started in Armenia in 2005. The
Corners hold a variety of public events, including "Americans at the
American Corner" public lecture series in English by US diplomats and
"Armenians at the American Corner" Armenian presentations by USG
education and exchanges program alumni, American movie showings,
and English conversation club meetings initiated by US Peace Corps
volunteers.

–Boundary_(ID_2gAypYoInGDxRaP8 JbTVHw)–

BRAZILIAN CULTURE WEEK TO BE HELD FOR FIRST TIME IN ARMENIA

ArmInfo
2007-09-12 14:18:00

Brazilian Culture Week will be held in Armenia for the first time,
Brazilian Ambassador to Armenia Renate Stille said at a press
conference, Wednesday.

The Ambassadress said the event is organized since Armenians display
a great interest in the culture, music and sport of Brazil. The event
will be held in Yerevan, Gyumri and Vanadzor, Ambassadress Stille
said. The event in Yerevan is scheduled for September 14-17. Brazilian
pianist Maria Jose Carrasqueira will open the event at the Chamber
Music House. In addition, Primavera String Quartet, a folk ensemble,
Brazilian dances samba and capoeira are expected within the frames
of the event. A meeting with Brazilian football-players is expected
as well. Moreover, a Brazil Department will open at the Yerevan State
University Romano-German Faculty. Afterwards, Brazilian films will be
demonstrated. The event in Gyumri will take place on September 18-19,
in Vanadzor – on September 19-20.

The Brazilian Embassy in Armenia and Armenian Culture Ministry support
the event.

TURKEY THREATENS TO EXPEL 60 000 ARMENIANS IN CASE THE US CONGRESS PASSES THE RESOLUTION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

ArmInfo
2007-09-10 18:37:00

If the US Congress passes the 106 resolution on the Armenian Genocide,
this will inflict harm on Armenia, since the Turkish Government may
expel about 60 000 citizens of Armenia from the country within 72
hours, as CihanNews reports, Justice and Development Party’s (AKP)
Deputy in the Turkish Parliament Erol Aslan Cebeci said. According
to him, issues on adoption of the draft-law are raised again in the
House of Representatives and the Senate of the USA. "The Turkish Prime
Minister will be in New York on September 24, where the issue will
be discussed at the meetings. We are concerned with the changes in
the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) position on the Armenian Genocide.

However, our proof is so strong that the change in an organization’s
position may not have any significance", Cebeci said.

MAYILYAN WAS NOT INVITED

Lragir.am
11 Sept 2007

A number of people had been invited to the ceremony of inauguration
of the NKR president. According to Speaker Ashot Ghulyan who was the
host of the ceremony, the other four presidential candidates had also
been invited.

However, although Masis Mayilyan was the first to congratulate his
opponent Baku Sahakyan, Mayilyan was not seen in the hall where the
president was inaugurated. The reporters who watched the ceremony
asked whether they had not invited Mayilyan or Mayilyan had refused
to come. We have learned that Masis Mayilyan had not been invited to
the ceremony.

LEICESTER TO BE FIRST CITY WHERE WHITE PEOPLE ARE MINORITY
By Ian Herbert

Independent, UK
Published: 11 September 2007

The first British city where the white population finds itself in
a minority will be Leicester, in about 12 years, according to new
research.

The conclusion by demographers from Manchester University, who believe
Birmingham will also become a "plural city" five years later, was
accompanied by a warning that recent estimates that plurality will
be reached sooner than the predictions are not helping attempts to
establish harmony in the cities.

Professor Ludi Simpson, a social statistician at the university,
said that much of the increase in Leicester was due to the relatively
younger age profile of British Asians in the city – and the excess
of births over deaths – rather than increased immigration.

The issue of plurality is one which has exercised social scientists
of late and the new Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) has been at
pains to raise the issue. A CRE conference at London’s City Hall last
November included a workshop entitled "Plural cities: opportunity or
timebomb?" – much to the alarm of the London Mayor Ken Livingstone,
who accused the CRE of pursuing "alarmist" headlines rather then
"meaningful discourse". The CRE said it was simply trying to articulate
the challenges facing 21st-century Britain.

Professor Simpson was keen to play down the idea of a "tipping point",
when the white community accounts for less than half of the population.

"The move from 51 per cent white to 49 per cent white involves no
appreciable change, except to those whose politics involve colour or
family origins as a basis for judgement of rights," he said.

He also considers discussion of "minority white cities" to be "a
crude expression of a fear for the ungovernability of cities". It is
alarmist, since "there are not similar concerns about ‘black cities’
in the Caribbean or in Brazil", he said . "If the white majority
in a British city were all from Armenia, the same fear would be
expressed. The concern is about newcomers, both new immigrants
and children of former immigrants, in particular those who may
have different values and experiences to the prevailing values and
experiences in Britain and who may therefore upset the apple cart of
the accepted way of life and governance," he added.

Trevor Phillips, director of the CRE’s successor – the Commission for
Equality and Human Rights – believes the advent of plural cities is
"one of the most important consequences of globalisation". He spoke
of the importance of preparing for them at an international discussion
on the subject last year.

The discussion, which involved representatives from Leicester and
Oldham as well as Cape Town, London, Los Angeles and Marseille,
concluded that fostering strong city identities was crucial for
bridging gaps between people and for improving integration.

Thirty-five towns and cities in Britain had at least one council ward
which was "minority white", including Birmingham, Slough, Bolton and
Derby, as well as Brent, Tower Hamlets, Ealing and Newham in London.

NO DEMANDS MADE BY AZERBAIJAN ON RUSSIA’S WITHDRAWAL OF MILITARY ARMAMENTS TO ARMENIA FROM GEORGIA

Trend
11.09.2007 13:30:35

Azerbaijan has not made any demands against the Russian Defence
Ministry regarding the withdrawal of armaments from the Russian
military base in Georgia to Gumru, Armenia, German Jitinev, the Acting
Chief of Information Services and Public Relations of Land Forces of
the Russian Armed Forces, said.

No appeals were submitted by Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on the
withdrawal of the Russian bases from Georgia to Armenia. The Russian
Land Forces has withdrawn military and armaments from Georgia to the
Russian Military Bases in Armenia in accordance with the plan agreed
by both parties.

In 2007, a total of 161 military units and armaments are planned to
be withdrawn from Georgia to the Russian military bases located in
Gumru, Armenia.

Safar Abiyev, the Azerbaijani Defence Minister, stated that presently,
the information about the transfer of Russian Military Units and
Technics to Armenia from Russian bases located in the territory of
Georgia is being considered in Baku.