Author: Maral Chavushian

President Sarkissian, OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs meet in Yerevan

Maral Chavushian
| 13:57 | June 14 2018
Categories
Official
Politics

President Armen Sarkissian held a meeting on June 14 with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk.

At the meeting the president said that Armenia is committed to the OSCE Minsk Group-brokered negotiations process.

At the meeting the president said that Armenia is committed to the OSCE Minsk Group-brokered negotiations process and that it will continue efforts aimed at the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Daron Malakian Talks Scars on Broadway, System of a Down, Chester Bennington

Maral Chavushian
Revolver Magazine
June 1 2018


Guitarist/vocalist also discusses insanity of covering Sabbath in front of Sabbath, fascination with Charles Manson
Daron Malakian, 2018
photograph by Greg Watermann
text Steve Appleford
June 1, 2018

For too long, Daron Malakian has been waiting to share the noise in his head. With System of a Down, the guitarist/vocalist created a sound that was wild and unpredictable, colliding metal riffs with ancient folk, and words of rage with the playfully lewd. In partnership with singer Serj Tankian and the rest of the band, Malakian broke all rules while going multi-platinum, but when System went on hiatus in 2006, the group’s glorious madman lost his main outlet.

Long-suffering System fans could at least take comfort in the idiosyncratic solo projects of scattered band members. Malakian quickly started a new band called Scars on Broadway and recorded a critically acclaimed debut album (with SOAD drummer John Dolmayan) and began playing gigs. But Scars were barely off the ground, releasing Scars on Broadway in the summer of 2008, when Malakian abruptly shut the band down with no explanation, canceling a planned tour and mostly going into seclusion.

He reemerged for System’s first reunion tour in 2011. While they’ve thrived as a live act in the years since, their occasional talk of recording new music hasn’t led them back into a studio. Six years ago, Malakian recorded a second Scars album on his own, playing each instrument himself, and yet chose to sit on those tracks in case they were needed for a new System album. He’s tired of waiting.

This July, he will release Dictator, his first album of new music in a decade, under the name Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway. The first single is “Lives,” which marked the 103rd anniversary of the Armenian genocide with lyrics and a vivid music video that celebrate the culture that survived that tragedy: “We are the people who were kicked out of history/We are the people who exist in victory.”

There is also the tense, SOAD-like metal of “Angry Guru” and the instrumental “Gie Mou,” blending Mediterranean folk and spaghetti western twang on electric guitar. In the coming year, he’ll bring the music of Dictator and other songs on the road, where he hopes to demonstrate to fans that he’s fully back in action as a creative force.

 “I really enjoy when people take a song and make it their own,” Malakian enthuses. “That’s when they can see their own life inside a song.”


YOU’VE SAID THE MUSIC ON DICTATOR HAS BEEN FINISHED FOR SIX YEARS.
DARON MALAKIAN It’s been completely finished for a while. I actually have a whole new batch of songs that I’m about to go into the studio in the next few months and record. There will probably be a follow-up to this album sometime next year. It’s nice after such a long time to get something out and get something going.

WHEN YOU FIRST GOT SCARS ON BROADWAY GOING, THINGS WERE JUST GETTING IN MOTION WHEN YOU STOPPED IT SUDDENLY. WHAT HAPPENED?
At that time, System had just stopped, so I felt like I had to start this brand new thing. I’m not sure it was the right time for me to do something new — creatively, emotionally. I was doing it because I felt like I had to start something new. I’m doing it this time because I want to do something. It was just a little soon after System of a Down had stopped. I should have taken more time.

DO YOU REGRET ANY OF THE MUSIC YOU PUT OUT?
Oh no. I think that album is some of the best stuff I’ve ever written. The fact that people are still into it right now almost pays homage to those songs. Those songs are strong. It was more about putting in the time with the press and going out and doing all the things that it takes to support the music that I wasn’t ready for at that point.

YOU WERE PROBABLY GETTING A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF SYSTEM.
Yeah, and things were dark and in the air that I didn’t have answers to a lot of people’s questions. I would get frustrated and at some point I’d find myself getting angry [laughs] at the person that was interviewing me. At that time, I just didn’t know what was going on with System. Now I have a more clear picture where everything is at, which makes me more comfortable to move forward with what I want to do with Scars.

THIS NEW RECORD, YOU RECORDED COMPLETELY SOLO, DIDN’T YOU?
This record I did all myself. There was no band in the studio. I recorded all the drums — I did everything. The band is mainly a live band. Even the first album, the instruments were played by me, and John played the drums. The band that you saw was mainly a live band, not a studio band.

DID YOU FIND THAT YOU LIKED WORKING LIKE THAT, PIECING IT TOGETHER BY YOURSELF?
I really enjoyed it. Playing the drums is something I always wanted to do on an album, so I got to do that this time. I found that it was easier for me, instead of teaching everyone the parts and rehearsing for months before we went in there. I already knew all the arrangements. It didn’t take me very long either. I think I was done tracking in around a week.


IS THERE SOMETHING THAT SEPARATES THE WORK YOU DO WITH SCARS FROM WHAT YOU DO WITH SYSTEM?
Aside from the members of the band performing the songs, I really approach it the same way. When I bring a song into System, it’s pretty much ready. I show them the song with my guitar and I sing all the parts. The creative process is not too different. The first Scars album was more in a rock direction. But on this second album, I hear more of that heavy-metal influence that’s in System. This album is closer to a System of a Down album than the first Scars album was. I just wanted to make something that was heavier.

AS SOMEONE INSPIRED BY THAT KIND OF SOUND AND ENERGY, HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU’RE PLAYING METAL ONSTAGE?
It’s like therapy. When I just finish a set with System or with Scars, I feel like there is this tension that goes away — I feel really relaxed after a show. Even just listening to heavy music is a release. For some people it’s an angry release. It does something to you physically and mentally that other kinds of music don’t do. It brings out this aggressiveness. After I finish playing a show, I feel like I just got out of a sauna. I’m definitely not the same person onstage as I am sitting on my couch.

LAST OCTOBER, YOU TOOK PART IN LINKIN PARK’S HOLLYWOOD BOWL TRIBUTE TO CHESTER BENNINGTON, AFTER HE COMMITTED SUICIDE THAT SUMMER. WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE?
I was very shocked when I heard what happened. Anytime I was around him, Chester never came off as somebody who was depressed. One time I was backstage and I was feeling really down, and he walked in and just totally lifted my spirits. He was that kind of guy. He was high energy. I worked with him and Mike in the studio [on Linkin Park’s 2014 song “Rebellion”]. Both those guys were really easy to work with, no ego about it. I’m really proud of that song.

Playing that show was interesting. They have a lot of playback going on in the monitors from a click track. His vocals were part of that playback, so when we were playing the song and singing, I could hear Chester’s vocals coming through the monitors. I remember his band telling me in rehearsals that hit them in a hard way. That must have been tough on them in a lot of different ways. My heart goes out to his band. It’s tough being in a band that’s touring and all of a sudden they’re like: What do we do now? It’s a life-changer for a lot of people.

THE FIRST SONG REVEALED FROM THE NEW ALBUM WAS “LIVES,” WHICH HAS A MESSAGE CONNECTED TO THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE.
As an Armenian, we grew up learning about what happened to our grandparents and great-grandparents in the genocide. Even though I always want to pay respect to those who died, “Lives” is more about the people who survived and their grandchildren down to who we are now. I wanted to give a morale booster to my people. Instead of dwelling on how this happened to us, and our lands were taken away, and one-a-half-million of us or more died. I wanted to shine a light on the people who survived, and where we have come since then.

THAT CAUSE THAT HAS BEEN CONNECTED TO SYSTEM OF MANY YEARS. IT’S PERSONAL AND IMPORTANT TO ALL OF YOU.
No doubt, and I’m very proud of everything we’ve done in System. I always try to express myself in song. I’m not the guy that stands on a pedestal and tells people how to think. My pride in being Armenian has always been expressed in song. So “P.L.U.C.K.” and “Holy Mountain” are both songs that I wrote. This is another one that expressed how I feel about my culture and my background and my roots. I’m not much of a political activist at the end of the day.

For me, the Armenian Genocide and singing about Armenian topics have nothing to do with politics. Other members of my band have a different way of expressing themselves about these topics. But for me, I always like to express myself in songs and lyrics and leave it there and not get too preachy about it.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE SCARS SONG “ANGRY GURU”?
It’s a real frantic song. It mixes thrash, black metal, death metal with groovy, funky rhythms. The topic is an imaginary person of this guru who is frustrated. It was a character that I made up. [Laughs] If one song really has a System of a Down style to it, that one is extremely Systemesque.

THE SECOND-TO-LAST TRACK ON THE ALBUM IS AN INSTRUMENTAL CALLED “GIE MOU.” THAT’S AN INTERESTING PIECE OF MUSIC.
It’s an old Greek song. It means “My Son.” My uncle spent a lot of time in Greece, so he brought to the United States a lot of Greek music. As a kid I would listen to a lot of that music. That stuck with me. I decided to do an instrumental version of that song because I always loved the melody. I had no idea what he was singing, what he was saying. It’s a really pretty song and it’s a sad song.

My guitar influence has a lot of bouzouki in it. I always loved this song, and I wanted to do an instrumental because I don’t sing in Greek. It’s one of my favorite parts of the album because it’s so unexpected.

YOU’VE OFTEN MADE UNEXPECTED CHOICES ON COVERS, INCLUDING DIRE STRAITS’ “SULTANS OF SWING,” CHANGING THE CHORUS LYRICS TO SAY, “WE ARE THE SYSTEM, WE ARE THE SYSTEM OF THE DOWN.”
I always like to do covers in my own way. On the new album, there’s a song called “Assimilate,” which is a Skinny Puppy song. The Skinny Puppy version is all electronic and industrial and a totally different thing. If you’re going to cover a song, you’ve got to do it with your touch. You have to show how that song influenced you to be who you are — not necessarily copying what they are.

System even did a Black Sabbath cover back in the day with “Snowblind” and it sounds nothing like the original. Even the Sabbath guys were so into it that Bill Ward came up to me — we were opening up for Sabbath [in 1999] and they asked us to play the song live. We can’t play a Sabbath song before Sabbath is about to play! I felt weird about that, but Bill Ward convinced me to play the song. Those guys are everything when it comes to metal, so for them to be into it — words can’t express how I felt about that.

ANOTHER SONG FROM YOUR PAST IS “A.T.W.A.,” FROM TOXICITY, AND INVOLVES CHARLES MANSON, WHO RECENTLY DIED IN PRISON.
I’ve never really been interested in the murders. It was more about the person. The way I got attracted to Manson was through his interviews, and how he put his words together and articulated himself and his viewpoints on society. There are certain things he said that he put in a certain way that is very artistic. That’s what drew me to Manson. Even “A.T.W.A.” has nothing to do with killing or murder. It’s more about the man. I almost wanted to shine a different light on somebody that people usually put together with murder and blood and horrible things. I wanted to take a different approach on the Manson thing and show a different side of it.

YOU’VE SAID THAT ONE OF THE REASONS YOU SAT ON THE SECOND SCARS ALBUM FOR YEARS WAS BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT THE SONGS MIGHT BE NEEDED FOR A NEW SYSTEM ALBUM.
System still plays live, and there was always this talk of maybe we’ll do something, maybe we won’t do something. So I was like, “Maybe I should save these songs.” That’s the biggest reason why I took so long to release these songs. There was this constant chatter amongst ourselves of maybe doing an album together. But enough time has passed that I don’t want to wait anymore. It feels really good to let these songs loose. Honestly, almost anything that I write works for either band. What you’re hearing [in the music] is my writing style. Anything that I write usually comes with those flavors.

DOES THAT MEAN THERE WON’T EVER BE ANOTHER SYSTEM OF A DOWN ALBUM?
I couldn’t say ever, but as of right now, it’s not looking like we’re doing something together soon. I can’t close the book on it and say it’s done forever. We still play live. We’re all still friends. All my band members posted “Lives” on their own Facebooks and Instagrams, so we’re all very supportive of each other. It’s more a combination of where each person is at a different point in their life, and each person wants to do a different thing. There are some creative differences as well on what direction each one of us wants to take the next System album, if that ever happens. Which is fine. I’m not sitting here upset or anything. The only thing I’m a little frustrated with was waiting for that to maybe happen or not happen. Too much time has passed by since I’ve released anything with Scars or System. But it’s never too late.

ARE SYSTEM FANS SUPPORTIVE OF SCARS?
When I put out the first Scars album, I felt a different energy from the fans. The first time around, I felt a lot of, “Well, it’s not System. When are we gonna get System?” And when I put out the song “Lives” I felt a more positive energy from the fans. Now, I’ve been hearing people say, “Hey, put out more Scars!” — a real positive vibe towards Scars, which makes it feel all the better.

168: Prosecutor General weighs in on lawfulness of April 22 detention of then-MP Pashinyan, colleagues

Maral Chavushian
| 13:10 | May 15 2018
Category
Politics

Armenia’s Prosecutor General Arthur Davtyan has clarified the legal basis for detaining then-MPs Nikol Pashinyan, Sasun Michaelyan and Ararat Mirzoyan during the demonstrations in April.

Speaking during a parliamentary committee sitting, the Prosecutor General responded to a question from Yelk faction MP Edmon Marukyan, stressing that the MPs were detained on April 22 for organizing illegal rallies and marches.

Marukyan requested the Prosecutor General to present the legal grounds for detaining the lawmakers, stressing that Pashinyan was basically kidnapped because no one was aware of his whereabouts.

Marukyan also noted that after the detention, motions have been filed to the parliament to strip the MPs of immunity. Marukyan asked to clarify on these motions.

Davtyan stressed that a detainee is entitled to a phone call to notify on his whereabouts.

“At the same time, the investigator in charge of the proceedings has the right to delay this call up to 12 hours at the agreement of his superior. As far as I know the necessary deadlines have been maintained in this issue”, the Prosecutor General said.

He clarified that the Prosecutor General’s Office had filed a motion to the parliament on stripping from immunity only in regard to Nikol Pashinyan, but this was followed by the deputy PM’s request on retracting the motion. “After this I addressed a letter to the Speaker of Parliament and asked to remove this issue from the agenda”, he said.

On April 22, opposition MPs Nikol Pashinyan (incumbent PM), Ararat Mirzoyan (incumbent deputy PM) and Sasun Michaelyan, were detained by police during a rally in Yerevan, despite their immunity. The lawmakers were released a day later. The same day, PM Serzh Sargsyan resigned and Pashinyan was subsequently elected PM on May 8

Turkish Press: Turkey to consider Armenia’s call to fix relations

Maral Chavushian
Anadolu Agency, Turkey

Binali Yildirim says Turkey will respond to Armenia’s call to restore relations after seeing details on conditions

                                                                                                      11.05.2018 Merve Aydoğan Ankara

Features
Archive

By Sinan Uslu

ANKARA 

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Friday expressed willingness to consider Armenia’s will to re-establish diplomatic relations.

Yildirim’s remarks came after a question on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statement on May 9 that “Armenia is ready to establish diplomatic ties with Turkey without preconditions.”

“If Armenia is leaving behind its years of hostile stance against Turkey, its threat against our territorial integrity, negative attitude towards our borders, leaving behind everything and wanting to open a new page, then we will see the details regarding this and respond accordingly,” Yildirim said.

He reaffirmed Turkey’s determination to “increase its friends and decrease the number of its foes,” and said: “We do not desire to be hostile with anyone, especially our neighbors.”

Diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia have been strained over Armenia’s “genocide” allegations.

Turkey’s position on the events of 1915 is that deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia in 1915 occurred after some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.

Ankara does not accept the alleged “genocide” but acknowledges there were casualties on both sides during World War I.

Turkey objects to the presentation of the incidents as “genocide” but describes the 1915 events as a tragedy for both sides.

Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia plus international experts to tackle the issue.

PM Pashinyan says Artsakh leadership the one that should speak on behalf of Artsakh

Maral Chavushian
Panorama, Armenia
May 9 2018

We will breathe new life to the process of Artsakh international recognition, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan stated on Wednesday in Stepanakert, where he is attending ceremonies dedicated to the 26th anniversary of Shushi liberation and formation of the Artsakh Republic Defense Army.

Speaking about the talks with Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan, Pashinyan said those were efficient, pointing to the need of continuing strong relations and bolstering new formats for cooperation between the two Armenian states.

Reflecting on the issue of the return of the Nagorno Karabakh to the negotiations table, Pashinyan said: “We should clearly answer to the question whether we want to resolve the issue or not. If the international community, Azerbaijan want to solve the matter, it is illogical to discuss the conflict in a format which renders no solutions to the problem. How can negotiation format solve an issue when one of the main sides of the process is not a part to is. This is a matter of pragmatism not emotions.”

Pashinyan went on insisting that Artsakh leadership is the one that should speak on behalf of Artsakh.

“The most important component of the conflict settlement is the right format. The Artsakh Republic as one of the full parties to the conflict should become a party to the peace process,” added Pashinyan.

Political crisis in Armenia unlikely to be over after Pashinyan’s election – expert

Maral Chavushian
TASS, Russia
May 6 2018
Political crisis in Armenia unlikely to be over after Pashinyan’s election – expert

YEREVAN May 6

The current political crisis in Armenia is unlikely to be resolved once opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan is elected prime minister, an Armenian political analyst told TASS of Sunday.

YEREVAN, May 6. /TASS/. The current political crisis in Armenia is unlikely to be resolved once opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan is elected prime minister, an Armenian political analyst told TASS of Sunday.

“Pashinyan’s election will not help Armenia overcome the political crisis. It looks like a hope for stabilization in the country may emerge only after early parliamentary elections, which will reveal the actual weight of political parties in the country,” said Grant Melik-Shakhnazaryan, head of the Yerevan-based Voskanapat analytical center.

“Now, it is not clear which of the political parties is the strongest in Armenia,” he noted. “On the one hand, it is obvious that opposition leader Pashinyan has managed to consolidate grass-roots public strata and remove the ruling Republican Party from power. On the other hand, it is likewise obvious that Pashinyan also has problems. He has to cooperate with the parties and politicians of, to put it mildly, ambiguous authority in Armenia. It will be difficult for Pashinyan to win parliamentary elections with such a team.”

“Euphoria is Armenia is ceding to the yeaning to positive changes already today and, hence, to disappointment,” Melik-Shakhnazaryan said.

Mass opposition rallies erupted in Armenia on 13. On April 23, newly appointed Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned amid ongoing protests. Two days later, the ruling parliamentary coalition broke down following the exit of the Dashnaktsutyun party.

After the Armenian parliament turned down Pashinyan’s candidature as a prime minister on May 1, he called on his supporters to resume large-scale protest rallies. The next round of voting at the parliament will he held on May 8.

Set up in 2009, the Voskanapat independent analytical center studies regional security problems and analyzes political processes in Armenia.


Acclaimed physicist F. Aharonian calls for revitalization of Armenian science potential

Maral Chavushian
ArmenPress, Armenia
May 4 2018
Acclaimed physicist F. Aharonian calls for revitalization of Armenian science potential



YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. Many years have already passed since independence and it’s time to make fundamental changes in the science sector, acclaimed physicist Felix Aharonian told ARMENPRESS. Aharonian, a renowned astrophysicist, is a laureate of the V. Ambartsumian International Science Prizeand the Bruno Rossi Prize. Aharonian is a Professor of Astrophysics,Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies(DIAS),Dublin,Irelandand Head of High Energy Astrophysics Theory Group,Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics(MPIK),Heidelberg,Germany. He is a recognized authority on the origin of cosmic rays,and has written books and research papers onastroparticle physics, andcosmology.

In an interview to ARMENPRESS, Aharonian mentioned that numerous changes happened in the science sector in the past 20-30 years in the world. According to the physicist, it is necessary to understand modern trends in international scientific centers and to design plans for forming primary scientific directions in Armenia.

“As a scientist I was formed in the Soviet Union, I speak about both good and bad sides of that period of time. But I find it wrong to after so many years to sit and say that everything was good in the Soviet times while today the funding for science is little and that is why we have such a situation. The role of the Soviet times is being exaggerated a bit. Ways for elevating the science sector to a new level must be sought instead of saying there is no money,” Felix Aharonian said.

To what extent is it accurate to keep 5-6 institutes of the same direction, for example physics, argues Aharonian. He says it is a luxury even for countries with much greater budgets.

“If you separate 3-4 scientists from each institute, then overall you’ll have 20 high class professionals. They in turn will gather around themselves young people and this will be completely enough for Armenia in case of several directions of physics. It will be correct to select several modern directions and develop them, there is no need to keep institutes in all directions whatsoever. Whoever would become an academician in the Soviet times would open a separate institute, and this became a legacy. There are many institutes today in Armenia, which were in demand 40-50 years ago,” he said.

Regarding physics and astrophysics, Aharonian argues that all active physics institutes and scientific research centers should be merged where several efficient departments will operate. Aharonian pointed out the Weizmann Instituteof Scienceof Israel as an example. The physicist says he is sure that a similar center can be founded in Armenia, which will also be appealing for foreign experts.

“Indeed, a scientist must be ensured and not think about household issues, but rather focus on work, but at the same time saying all the time that there is no money and doing nothing is inappropriate. It is even possible to do something with the current funding, the way can be found in the current conditions. In the first 10 or 20 years of independence it was understandable that reforms were being done, but now it is time,” he said.

With regret he mentioned that he doesn’t yet see the desire and positive steps in Armenia for drastic improvement of the sector.

“One must be a professional in any work, regardless if you are a scientist, a barista or a tailor. This requires daily hard work, self-confidence on abilities, but at the same time modesty, desire to walk in line with time and ability,” he said.

The full interview is available in Armenian.

ENGLISH: Editor/Translator – Stepan Kocharyan

Genocide: Pallone leads letter calling on President Trump to commemorate the Armenian Genocide

Maral Chavushian
States News Service
Friday
Pallone Leads Letter Calling on President Trump to Commemorate the Armenian Genocide
 
WASHINGTON, D.C.
 
The following information was released by the office of New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone Jr.:
 
Today, Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06), Co-Chair of the Armenian Issues Caucus, along with 101 members of Congress, sent the following letter to President Trump asking that he commemorate April 24th as a day of American remembrance of the Armenian Genocide. Congressman Pallone helped organize and attended the Armenian Issues Caucus’ commemoration of the Armenian Genocide on Capitol Hill that took place this week and on Sunday he will attend the commemoration in Times Square. Last fall, Pallone traveled to Armenia, where he expressed his long-held belief that the United States should appropriately recognize the Armenian Genocide.
 
The text of the letter is below:
 
 
President Donald J. Trump
 
The White House
 
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
 
Washington, DC 20500
 
Dear President Trump:
 
We are writing to urge you to properly commemorate the 103rd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24th.
 
In leading an honest and accurate American remembrance of this known case of genocide, you will stand with President Reagan, who recognized the Armenian Genocide in 1981, and the Eisenhower Administration, which did the same in a 1951 submission to the International Court of Justice. The House of Representatives has also commemorated the Armenian Genocide, through H.J.Res.148 in 1975 and H.J.Res.247 in 1984.
 
Armenia remains deeply committed to expanding the bonds of friendship that have long connected the American and Armenian peoples. Among the proudest chapters in our shared history is America’s remarkable record of protesting the Genocide and in caring for the survivors of this crime. The United States Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in 1915, Henry Morgenthau, helped to chronicle the brutal extermination of the Armenian people through a campaign of mass murder and violent expulsion.
 
In the years after the genocide, Ambassador Morgenthau and other concerned Americans launched the Near East Relief, a congressionally chartered humanitarian organization, which raised $116 million (over $2.7 billion in 2018 dollars) to aid the victims of the Ottoman Empire’s mass murder of millions of Armenians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Greeks, Syriacs, and other persecuted peoples. The generosity of the American people saved countless lives and helped to ensure the continued survival of the Armenian culture.
 
The Armenian Genocide continues to stand as an important reminder that crimes against humanity must not go without recognition and condemnation. Through recognition of the Armenian Genocide we pay tribute to the perseverance and determination of those who survived, as well as to the Americans of Armenian descent who continue to strengthen our country to this day. It is our duty to honor those contributions with an honest statement of history recognizing the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians as the 20th century’s first genocide. By commemorating the Armenian Genocide, we renew our commitment to prevent future atrocities.
 
In the spirit of honoring the victims and redoubling our commitment to prevent genocide, we ask you to appropriately mark April 24th as a day of American remembrance of the Armenian Genocide.
 
Thank you for taking our views into consideration.
 
Sincerely,

Turkish Press: Armenian opposition leader announces ‘velvet revolution’ amid protests

Maral Chavushian
Daily Sabah, Turkey
Armenian opposition leader announces ‘velvet revolution’ amid protests
A demonstrator is detained by police during a protest against Armenia’s ruling Republican party’s nomination of former President Serzh Sarksyan as its candidate for prime minister, in Yerevan, Armenia (Reuters Photo)

ighty protesters were detained Tuesday during a rally in the Armenian capital Yerevan against former President Serzh Sargsyan becoming prime minister, while an opposition leader of the protest claimed to launch a nationwide “velvet revolution.”

“I proclaim today the start of a peaceful velvet revolution in Armenia,” opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan told a rally in Yerevan, calling on supporters to “paralyze the work of all government agencies,” as reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Protesters blockaded the entrances to government buildings housing the foreign ministry and the central bank, among others, and rallies were also held in the provincial towns of Gyumri and Vanadzor. The protesters vandalized government property, including deflating the tires of official vehicles, state media reported. Authorities earlier said that only several protesters were detained.

The opposition says the new parliamentary system of government will allow Sargsyan to maintain a huge influence and extend his time in power. Sargsyan left the presidency this year upon reaching his term limit. Opposition members have decried changes to the constitution that will increase the incoming prime minister’s powers.

“I am standing here today as a leader of the party which can ensure a harmonious cooperation between the executive and legislative branches of power,” he told lawmakers ahead of the vote.

The ruling Republican party nominated Sargsyan, who served as president for a decade from 2008, as its candidate for prime minister on Saturday.

Sargsyan’s ally Armen Sarkissian, a former prime minister and ambassador to Britain, was sworn in as president last week after being elected by parliament in a vote that was meant to herald the start of a power shift to the premier and parliament.

Under the terms of an amended constitution approved in 2015 by a referendum, the presidency will become largely ceremonial.

The Dashnaktsutyun Party, the Republicans’ coalition ally, also backs Sargsyan’s candidacy, meaning he should easily secure the simple majority needed for election. No other candidates are running. Sargsyan had denied any intention of becoming premier until March, when he said his appointment would allow him to share the benefit of his experience as president.

Armenia, a country of 3 million people in the Southern Caucasus, seceded in 1991 from the then Soviet Union but still relies on Russia for aid and investment. Many Armenians accuse the government of corruption and mismanaging the economy.