Author: Karagyozian Lena

ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN: ARMENIA IS AT RESPONSIBLE STAGE OF REFORMS TODAY

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The process of
democratization is one of inner challenges of Armenia as only a
democratic country can create a progressive society willing to secure
principles of justice, equality and freedom. Artur Baghdasarian, the
Chairman of the RA National Assembly stated about this in his speech
at the Second World Conference of Parliament Speakers taken place in
New York receintly. The text was submitted to Noyan Tapan by the NA
Public Relations Department.
“We realize the importance of this process in the social and political
life of our country and can say that the National Assembly undertook
important steps in that direction adopting the new Electoral Code and
starting implementation of the constitutional reforms which will
suppose decentralization of the power, independent and responsible
judicial system, free market, effective guarantees for protection
human and citizen’s rights and freedoms, strong local self-governance
as well as just, transparent and democratic rights,” the NA Chairman
emphasized. According to him, just free and transparent elections can
become a basis for increase of confidence towards the country and
enlarging of investments.
“A legislation meeting international standards and a political will
for reviving it: those are improtant priorities. Today Armenia is at
an interesting and responsible stage of reforms, and our present and
coming few years are of important significance to make them
irreversible,” he stated.
“I’m sure that our democracy is still young but to be young doesn’t
mean to be dilettante. We should present ourselves to the world
community with our approaches and appropriate valuable experience of
other countries. A state with strong democratic traditions,
competitive and organized is just the vision that should push us
ahead,” Artur Baghdasarian emphasized.

U.S. Congressional Panel Endorsed Two Armenian Genocide Resolutions

WASHINGTON (AP) – Over the strong objections of President George
W. Bush’s administration, a congressional panel Thursday endorsed two
resolutions denouncing the deaths of Armenians early last century as
genocide – a sensitive issue in relations with Turkey.
The House of Representatives’ International Relations Committee voted
35-11 to approve a resolution calling on Turkey to acknowledge the
culpability of its predecessor state, the Ottoman empire in the
1915-1923 killings.
A second resolution passed 40-7, calling for U.S. foreign policy
reflect an understanding of the Armenian genocide and for the
president to recognize the deaths as genocide. It is not clear if and
when the resolutions will be brought before the full House of
Representatives.
Armenians say that Ottoman Turks caused the deaths of 1.5 million in a
planned genocide. Turkey said the toll is wildly inflated and
Armenians were killed or displaced in civil unrest during the collapse
of the Ottoman Empire. The Turks also fear that Armenia will use the
genocide claims to make territorial demands against Turkey.
The State Department sent a letter to committee members saying the
debate “could damage U.S.-Turkish relations and could undermine
progress by Ankara and Yerevan as they begin quiet talks to address
the issue and look to the future.”
Turkey is an important strategic U.S. ally. It is a democratic,
secular Muslim state bordering on Iraq and a NATO member. The
relationships, though, has been strained since Ankara refused to allow
U.S. troops in the country for the Iraq war.
The State Department said the “resolutions could undermine efforts to
rebuild a partnership between the United States and Turkey in pursuit
of America’s broad national security interests in the eastern
Mediterranean, Caucasus, Central Asia and the Middle East.” The
sponsor of the first resolution, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, said he
was sensitive to Turkey’s importance and that he considers it an ally
of the United States.
But “that alliance cannot be used as a tool to escape from the past
no matter how uncomfortable that past is,” said Schiff, whose
California district includes tens of thousands of Armenians.
Rep. Tom Lantos, the panel’s top Democrat, said he was reversing his
own position in supporting the resolution He said though Turkey was a
good friend, it needed to show more solidarity with the United States
on important matters, noting the issue of U.S. troops, among others.
The committee’s Republican Chairman, Rep. Henry Hyde, said the doubted
the relationship with Turkey would be harmed and stressed the
resolutions do not hold Turkey or the Turkish people accountable for
the killings. He said the resolutions “merely recognize the fact that
the authorities of the Ottoman Empire deliberately slaughtered the
majority of the Armenian community in their empire.”
“Denial of that fact cannot be justified on the basis of expediency
or fear that speaking the truth will do us harm,” he said.
09/15/05 17:02 EDT
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZG Armenian Daily #165, 15/09/2005
Exhibition
ALEKSANDER PIRADOV WISHES TO PRESENT ITS ART COLLECTION TO ARMENIA
Daily Azg has already informed that a four-day exhibition “The Round Surface
of the Plate” opened Jotto Museum reconstructed by the support of the Lincy
Foundation. Realistic, surrealistic and abstract paintings on crystal plates
with oil paints by 27 Georgian and 5 Armenian artists from Tbilisi made up
the exhibition. The owner of these famous plates’ collection is Dr.
Aleksander Piradov who originates from renowned aristocratic dynasty and
lives in Tbilisi.
Most of Piradov’s are not plates but paintings and graphic pictures. One can
find there canvases of Yeghishe Tadevosian, Gevorg Bashinjaghian, Edgar
Shahin, Vahram Gayfejian, Harutyun Shamshinian and Hmayak Hakobian. Art
critics think that the collection is especially valuable for the Armenian
culture for having names of artists that are unknown to most of us.
Reproductions of paintings by Nina Vermisheva, Emma Lalayeva, Madlena
Amirkhanova, Mkrtich Margarian (Mako), Mikael Khununts, Sergey Chakhoyan and
others that we saw in “Aleksander Piradov’s Collection of Tbilisi’s Armenian
Painters” album printed in Moscow amazed us.
Last year, Piradov exhibited his collection at Marina Tsvetayeva Museum
under the title of “Forgotten Names”.
“If the Armenian government provides with an appropriate building, I will
gladly present the collection to my people”, Aleksander Piradov said.
A. Amirkhanian

Getting Down to lighten up not easy
DEEP ROOTS: Tragic Armenian history plays role in vision of distinct
thrash band
BY EVELYN MCDONNELL KNIGHT RIDDER
In concert
System of a Down Where: Pacific Coliseum When: Saturday night at 7
Tickets: $39.50-$55.50 at Ticketmaster.ca or 604-280-4444
Among the myriad norm-deviations that make System of a Down one of
the millennium’s strangest musical acts is the fact a holocaust
indirectly spawned the group.
>From 1915-23, an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the
Turkish government in a horrific campaign of massacres, deportation,
starvation and torture. For System, this brutal history is something
more than prime heavy-metal-song fodder: It’s personal.
`Because of the genocide, Armenians scattered,’ System bassist Shavo
Odadjian explains over the phone from his Los Angeles home. A number
of the displaced, including four-year-old Odadjian and his future
bandmates, eventually made their way to America’s 20th-century
promised land: Hollywood. While many rock groups have their genesis
in high school, System of a Down is probably the first whose members
all attended an Armenian-American academy (albeit during different
years).
Odadjian, guitarist/singer Daron Malakian, singer Serj Tankian and
drummer John Dolmayan all speak Armenian. And though their music
isn’t filled with Armenian instruments, their shared ethnic history
undoubtedly unites them – and shapes their distinct world view and
musical vision.
`We’ve all grown up not the same, but with very similar morals and
values,’ says Odadjian. `We know how it is. We know not to talk about
anyone’s mother and sister.’
That cohesion has allowed System to carve a distinctive path through
the contemporary soundscape. They’re a thrash band that throws in
operatic trills. Progressive in their musical tastes and politics,
they’ve shot a video with Michael Moore. On Mesmerize, their recently
released fourth album, they mostly seem to be channelling the goofy,
artsy ghost of Frank Zappa, if he were in Metallica.
The band members’ experiences as progeny of the Armenian diaspora
provided the fuel for Mesmerize and Hypnotize, its companion CD, to
be released in late fall. Malakian’s family fled from Armenia to Iraq
before winding up in California. (Malakian was born in Hollywood,
Odadjian in Armenia, Tankian and Dolmayan in Lebanon.) His personal
and politicized fear, anger and sorrow drive Mesmerize, from the
opening `Soldier Side,’ through the fierce antiwar `B.Y.O.B.’ to the
melancholy `Sad Statue,’ in which the Statue of Liberty – the beacon
of immigrants – weeps over her torn domicile.
`He sees it totally differently,’ says Odadjian of Malakian’s view of
the war in Iraq. `It’s not because he’s from there, but because it’s
family. He doesn’t know when he’s going to get that call saying
something’s happened to somebody.’
Malakian’s need to express his feelings on global politics changed
the very dynamic of the band. For the first time, on Mesmerize, the
guitarist wrote the majority of lyrics and sings leads, while
Tankian, the traditional frontman, plays such instruments as acoustic
guitars, piano and synthesizers (and cowrites and sings). It’s as if
Keith Richards and Mick Jagger traded roles in the Rolling Stones.
And unlike the famously rancorous Glitter Twins, System’s songwriting
partnership apparently made the transition smoothly.
`He’s always been a singer,’ Odadjian says of Malakian. `I was not
surprised; we’re really good friends. I was surprised how Serj took
it so well and felt just like me: If you do something well, why would
I hold you back? We don’t let ego get in the way.’
Odadjian is also Zen about the way Malakian’s increased auteurship
ate into his presence on Mesmerize. The guitarist recorded many of
the bass parts himself, although Odadjian says the media has
overplayed this change.
`The way we did this album was a little different. The others we
wrote songs, played them for a while and then recorded. This time
around Daron had a vision. He wanted the bass playing to be similar
to guitar. The way I play bass is different. I did my stuff, and he
went in with my permission, with no ego, and redid some of the tracks
the way he wanted. Some songs are me, some are not.’
Odadjian does admit that he did, for the first time in his life, take
bass lessons while recording Mesmerize/Hypnotize.
The fact System’s members can so beatifically absorb one member’s
power move/creative burst is a testament to their strong roots. The
group formed in ’95, when Odadjian met Malakian and Tankian at a
shared rehearsal area. At first Odadjian was the group’s manager, but
eventually he passed those duties on to professionals.
Dolmayan joined in ’96.
Daron Malakian (from left), Serj Tankian, John Dolmayan and Shavo
Odadjian share strong roots – both Armenian and otherwise. – AP

ELDAR MAHMUDOV: “NATIONAL SAFETY MINISTRY WON’T ADMIT INSTABILITY IN COUNTRY”
Today, Azerbaijan
Sept 13 2005
Eldar Mahmudov, the Azerbaijani National Safety Minister, said that
if the opposition holds any action within law, security bodies will
not hinder them.
As Trend reports, according to Mahmudov, any illegal action of the
opposition will be prevented.
The Ministry will not admit instability on the eve of the parliamentary
elections. It is capable to prevent similar violations.
Mahmudov also informed journalists about the two Armenian citizens
kept in prison. He noted that handing over them to other country was
very difficult and long process. “We’re working in this direction,
hold negotiations with some countries. It is seems to me that positive
solution will be reached in the issue”,- he added.
URL:

ICG MAKES PROPOSALS ON GARABAGH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 12 2005
Baku, September 9, AssA-Irada
The International Crisis Group has prepared two reports on the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper Garabagh, its vice-president
Alain Deletroz said.
The first document covers the current situation in Upper Garabagh and
the socio-economic plight of refugees and displaced persons, while
the other one provides analysis of talks on the conflict resolution.
In conclusion of the reports, the ICG provides numerous recommendations
to the Azerbaijani government, Deletroz told a press conference
on Friday.
The ICG representative said that two of the recommendations are of
particular importance. First, the organization suggests that Azerbaijan
restore its relations with Armenia.
“Azerbaijan imposed a ban on its ties with Armenia a long time ago.
The ICG understands its position in this respect but believes it
impedes the conflict settlement. We therefore suggest that the ban
be lifted.”
The second pivotal issue in ICG recommendations is preventing the
description of Armenians as Azerbaijan’s historic enemies. The ICG
came to this conclusion after monitoring the work of local media and
reviewing historic materials, said Deletroz.
Besides, Armenians are often termed as historic enemies in the
statements of Azerbaijani officials.
The ICG representative said that if the Garabagh conflict is resolved
at some point, Armenians living in Upper Garabagh will be considered
Azerbaijani citizens. Calling Armenians ‘historic enemies’ is therefore
unacceptable, he said.
The ICG is expected to release the final version of its report on
the Garabagh conflict next Wednesday.
The International Crisis Group, established in 1995, is working on
the prevention of conflicts in 44 countries. The organization is
represented by former foreign ministers and prime ministers.*

KARABAKH MUST JOIN ARMENIA
A1+
| 15:43:31 | 12-09-2005 | Social |
“What do you think the Nagorno Karabakh status should be? ” This was
the poll question of the internet site “A1+” lat week. 287 people
participated in it.
Half of them – 50.5% think that Karabakh must form part of the Republic
of Armenia, 30t% think that it must be an independent republic,
and 5.9% think that it must form a state with Azerbaijan. 4.2%
were undecided.
This week the poll question is about the upcoming elections of local
governing bodies. We expect you to take active participation in
the poll.

AZG Armenian Daily #163, 13/09/2005
Turkey
TURKS LOOK FOR TURKISH TRACE IN ARMENIAN PATRIARCHS’ GENEALOGY
Turkish Yeni Safak published an article in its September 9 issue titled
“Mother and Sisters of Mesrop Mutafian Muslims?”. The same paper wrote an
article about Archbishop Shnork Galustian in its previous issue where it
stated that the late Patriarch’s grandmother married a Turk, adopted Islam,
and that the Patriarch was the brother of former head of department of
religious affairs, Lyutfi Doga.
Milliyet newspaper joined Yeni Safak with a September 8 article. It’s hard
to say what made Turkish paper go down the genealogy of Armenian Patriarchs
of Constantinople in search of Muslim relatives. It is evident though that
the articles citing the example of Patriarchs Shnork Galustian and Mesrop II
Mutafian aim at lessening the resistance of Turkey’s Armenian community to
mixed marriages with Turks.
Patriarch Mutafian replied to Yeni Safak’s article about his grandmother and
sister on the same day. His response was posted at , Armenian
online edition, by the Patriarchate’s press organ of Lraber. The Turkish
paper claimed that the mother of Mutafian’s mother, Mariam (Meryem) was
married first time to a Muslim Turk and even made a pilgrimage and had
children. But after her husband’s death, she married second time to
Mutafian’s grandfather. The correspondent of Yeni Safak, Fatma Durmus,
turned to the Patriarch’s niece who refused to provide explanations but did
not deny the paper’s information. Moreover, an Armenian lady from Istanbul
told the correspondent that Mutafian’s sister, Azatuhi, is married to a
Muslim.
To shed light on this matter, Patriarch told Yeni Safak’s correspondent: “My
grandmother’s father was Armenian but her father was Greek. Her father was
Poghos Qaraqashian and mother was Olympia. My grandmother’s name was Verzhin
Efzad Epraksi Qaraqashian. Her first husband was Artin Balkchian. They gave
birth to my aunt Azat and my mother Mari. My aunt married to Nshan, Armenian
Christian from Zara village of Sebastia. He is buried at the Armenian
cemetery of Istanbul. My mother married to a native of Adabazar, Onik
Mutafian, i.e. my father. As a result of their marriage my sisters Peruz and
Azatuhi and I appeared”.
The Patriarch’s words display that the name of Mutafian’s mother was not
Meryem as Yeni Safak claimed. As to the Muslim relatives of the Patriarch’s
father, Mrs. Verzhin got acquainted with Mehmed Ali Varoler after Artin
Qaraqashian’s death. They married in 1944 giving birth to a daughter Sevim
by name. Muslim Sevim Varoler married to Ersan Senqan and left for Germany
where they gave birth to the Patriarch’s niece Nilgyun Senqan. In 1995 she
married to Ahmed Gyursen and gave birth to a daughter named Ozde.
Mutafian’s sister Peruz wedded Ara Qamar and Azatuhi married Gilbert
Malghasian. Peruz had a son Natan and Azatuhi a daughter Mane. In other
words, Patriarch Mutafian has no other Muslim relatives but his aunt, her
husband and her daughter and grandchild.
In his reply to Yeni Safak, Mutafian refutes Turkish paper’s claims
concerning Islamic roots of Archbishop Shnork Galustian’s mother and that
Lyutfi Doga was his brother. Patriarch Mutafian stated that Archbishop’s
father, Mihran Galustian, was from the village of Yazgati Igdeli and mother,
Shushan, was from Bebek. Their marriage in 1908 gave birth to Anush,
Shnorhik, Armen and Arshak – future Patriarch Galustian. The Turks killed
Mihran Galustian and his 3 brothers during the massacre of 1915, Mutafian
states.
Haji Ali Doga married to Archbishop Shnork’s mother, Shushan but the woman
with her children lived in the first floor of a ruined two-storied house of
Mihran Galustian. Moreover, feeling that Turks will ill-treat her children,
she handed them over to an orphanage. Appointed Patriarch’s deputy in
Jerusalem in 1956-60, the then Bishop Galustian moves to Israel, and her
mother makes a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to see her son not to Mecca as the
paper claimed.
Patriarch Mesrop II Mutafian’s replies to the correspondent of Yeni Safak
are very noteworthy as they prove false the rumors concerning the late and
current patriarch of Constantinople and once again bring to surface the fact
of the Armenian Genocide.
By Hakob Chakrian

Pan Armenian News
ARMENIAN SPEAKER MET WITH PACE PRESIDENT
10.09.2005 03:50
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Parliament Speaker Artur Baghdassaryan being on
visit in US met with President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe (PACE) Rene Van Der Linden, reported the Press Service of the
Armenian National Assembly (NA). The PACE President noted the importance of
wide propaganda before the referendum and efficient implementation of
constitutional reforms. Within his visit to New York A. Baghdassaryan met
with Czech Parliament Chairman Lubomir Zaoralek, Swiss Speaker Therese
Meyer, Japanese Speaker Chikage Oogi, Brazilian Speaker Severino Cavalcanti
and Chairman of the Parliament of Jordan Abdullah Majali. Agreement to
establish interparliamentary relations were achieved. A. Baghdassaryan
expressed confidence the establishment of interparliamentary relations will
promote bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, international cooperation,
as well as correct comprehension of Armenia’s problems. In the course of the
Armenian Speaker’s meeting with President of the House of Representatives of
Cyprus Demetris Christofias it was agreed to erect a monument to victims of
the Armenian Genocide in Larnak. It should be noted that after his New York
meetings A. Baghdassaryan returned to Yerevan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKEY’S WAR WITH HISTORY
Los Angeles Times, CA
Aug 8 2005
ORHAN PAMUK, ARGUABLY TURKEY’S most famous novelist, knew it was
risky to ask what had happened to hundreds of thousands of Armenians
killed during the era of the Ottoman Empire. But the threats didn’t
silence him.
Pamuk wondered out loud about the fate of Turkey’s Armenian community,
and the more recent killings of 30,000 Kurds in a war against armed
separatists that began in 1984, during a February interview with a
Swiss newspaper.
Seven months later, and one day before European Union ministers were
scheduled to discuss Turkey’s bid to join the union, a Turkish public
prosecutor charged Pamuk with insulting his country.
In Turkey, it is a crime to “denigrate” Turkish identity, punishable
by up to three years in prison. It is up to government authorities
to define the meaning of “denigration.” Pamuk is scheduled to go to
trial on Dec. 16.
The timing of Pamuk’s prosecution suggests a deliberate attempt by
conservatives within the Turkish government to derail the country’s
EU negotiations. It clearly violates the conditions set for Turkey’s
EU membership, such as guaranteeing free-speech rights.
In spite of a plethora of evidence gathered by Henry Morgenthau, the
U.S. ambassador in Constantinople from 1913 to 1916, that detailed
how the Turkish government engaged in the systematic annihilation
of Armenians, the Turks still refuse to admit culpability. Instead,
they argue that Armenians who collaborated with the invading Russian
forces were deported to Syria and that many of them died of exposure,
famine and disease on their journey.
Pamuk, whose book, “My Name Is Red,” has been translated into more
than 20 languages, and other Turkish intellectuals have called for
a public debate on their country’s past.
Last May, Turkish academics organized a conference in Istanbul on
the fate of Ottoman Armenians. Justice Minister Cemil Cicek postponed
the conference the day before it was supposed to open.
These skirmishes are part of a bigger battle between traditionalists
and those who favor European-style modernization.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan should order a halt to Pamuk’s
prosecution, and his government needs to foster more freedom of
expression and thought in Turkey. Striking arbitrary laws that give
the government the right to imprison “critics” of Turkey would be a
start. So would an open debate on the fate of the country’s Armenian
population in the early 20th century.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress