Author: Maral Takmazian

KIRK SERVES UP WINNER OF A YEAR FOR BIG DEALS
By PAUL THARP
New York Post, NY
Sept 15 2004
September 15, 2004 — At 87, wily investor Kirk Kerkorian still has
his healthy vigor and up to $20 billion to spread around. His two
mega-deals this year – the sale of his fabled MGM studios for $4.6
billion and the creation of a proposed $10 billion casino empire
he controls – has nearly tripled his personal fortune in the most
lucrative year of his colorful life.
Kerkorian is celebrating his success by taking his tennis racquets
in hand this week to scramble against other players – all over the
age of 50 – in a remarkable tournament, the World Seniors Tennis
Championship in Philadelphia.
One of his archrivals on the grass courts is 92-year-old former Davis
Cup player Gardnar Mulloy, the second-oldest player in the event,
which concludes for its 1,250 accomplished players on Sept. 26.
Kerkorian is, meanwhile, awaiting word on his effort to collect still
another $3 billion from DaimlerChrysler AG in a tangled lawsuit over
his one-time control of the automaker.
The car maker claims in other court papers that Kerkorian actually
made a profit of $2.7 billion on his investment in the company,
but Kerkorian claims in his suit he took a $3 billion bath on the
1999 merger.
In any event, Kerkorian clearly has a plan for his swollen fortune –
giving it away.
He has set up foundations for his two daughters to spend on making
the world a better place.
The endowment is enough to last a century, based on government
regulations that require a foundation to give away just 5 percent
annually of the profits earned by its investments.
Tax experts say Kerkorian’s estate, worth up to an estimated $20
billion, would be spared heavy taxation by making endowments to the
key foundation.
Some of the cash flows would come from Kerkorian’s casino merger of
his MGM Mirage and Mandalay Resort Group – should regulators clear
it later this year. It would create one of the world’s largest gaming
empires, throwing off cash flows of up to $6 billion a year.
The thrice-married and divorced Kerkorian recently stepped up his
contributions to one of the charitable foundations he founded in 1988 –
the Lincy Foundation, named after his two daughters, Linda and Tracy.
His business holding company, Tracinda Corp., is also named after the
daughters, both from his second marriage in 1954 to Jane Maree Hardy.
Kerkorian’s third wife is in her 30s.
Tracinda supports the charitable foundations with as much as $40
million a year in direct donations.
Their family foundation has awarded hundreds of millions to a wide
range of humanitarian efforts around the world, in areas including
health, education, athletics and global economies.
One favorite cause in recent years was rebuilding the economy of
Armenia, Kerkorian’s homeland.
The foundation, headquartered on South Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills,
has awarded more than $165 million alone in support to Armenia’s
government and economic organizations.
Kerkorian has placed some of his trusted executives on the foundation
board to protect its assets, which exceed $220 million, according to
recent filings.
Kerkorian built his first big fortune by flipping the MGM movie studio
three times since first acquiring it in 1970.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“Aztag” Daily Newspaper
P.O. Box 80860, Bourj Hammoud,
Beirut, Lebanon
Fax: +961 1 258529
Phone: +961 1 260115, +961 1 241274
Email: [email protected]
AZTAG: Looking Back, Moving Forward: An Interview with Roger Smith
Interview by Khatchig Mouradian
The best way to move forward is through looking backward, it is said. This
might not be a good idea when you are driving a car, but whenever “backward”
signifies turning your eyes toward the past, memory or history, this
statement rings as true as any established cliché.
“The Armenian Genocide provides many clues to why contemporary genocide
occurs, what its warning signs are, and thus offers some hope, that if the
nations will act, genocide in the making can be prevented,” says Professor
Roger Smith in this interview. In a world plagued with genocide and ethnic
cleansing, we, the human race, have often failed to look back, acknowledge
our mistakes, learn from them, and hence move forward. Unfortunately, world
leaders today are more interested in making history – no matter how twisted
it comes out to be – than learning from it. “We learn from history that we
learn nothing from history,” said George Bernard Shaw.
According to Paul Valery, “History is the science of what never happens
twice.” Yes, probably Armenians will not be marched to the desert and
slaughtered again. But as Armenians continue to reflect on the uprooting and
the near extermination of their people in 1915, they cannot help but see the
path that led humanity to the Holocaust, to Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and
most recently, Darfur.
“Perpetrators of genocide have learned from their own “study” of genocide
that they can commit the crime under the cover of war, in the name of
self-defense, will receive impunity, can deny that they committed genocide,
and that the world will forget,” says Roger Smith. The message is loud and
clear. If you want to have the killing of 1.5 million Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire acknowledged worldwide, if you want the millions of Jews and
Gypsies slaughtered in Europe to rest in peace, then do something about
Darfur now! And act in a way so as to prove that Bernard Shaw was wrong and
that Paul Valery was right.
Roger W. Smith is Professor Emeritus at the College of William and Mary in
Virginia, where he taught courses in political philosophy and the
comparative study of genocide. Educated at Harvard and the University of
California, Berkeley, Smith has written widely on the nature, history, and
the possibilities of preventing genocide. He has dealt, among other topics,
with the roles of gender, denial, and the thirty-five year-long reluctance
of the United States to ratify the Genocide Convention that was broken only
in 1988. Smith has written the introduction to a recent edition of
“Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story” (first published in 1918), a classic account
of the Armenian Genocide. His other works include “Women and Genocide” and
“Professional Ethics and the Denial of the Armenian Genocide,” both
published in the journal Holocaust and Genocide studies in 1994 and 1995
respectively. One of Prof. Smith’s most recent publications is “American
Self-Interest and the Response to Genocide,” published in The Chronicle of
Higher Education on July 30, 2004. He is also the author of the entry on
“Perpetrators” in the Macmillan Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against
Humanity, which will be published in November 2004.
Professor Smith’s public lectures have taken him to Armenia, Western Europe,
Canada and to numerous prestigious universities across the United States. He
has also given interviews to the Voice of America, the National Public
Radio, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Public Broadcasting
Service, participated in documentaries on genocide, and provided testimony
before the US Congress.
Professor Smith is co-founder and past president of the International
Association of Genocide Scholars. Currently, he is Program Director of the
Zoryan Institute’s Genocide and Human Rights Program in Toronto (Information
about the course is available at ).
In this interview, he looks back at a century of Genocide.
Aztag- In an article published lately in the “Chronicle of Higher
Education,” you say: “Relatively small, well-organized lobbying groups are
more likely to be effective in moving policy makers to act against genocide
than broad, but somewhat amorphous public opinion.” Citing, among others,
the facts that public opinion doesn’t have direct access to policy makers
and that human-rights groups have the expertise to be persuasive.
How effective have human-rights groups dealing with this specific issue been
when lobbying for a more assertive stance against genocides? Do you envisage
a better strategy for a more effective functioning of such groups?
Roger Smith- Human rights groups in recent years have multiplied, but the
effect on policy, whether in Bosnia or Rwanda, was not great. Budgets are
small, agendas differ, and resources and efforts tend to be scattered. But
mainly, they have run into the reluctance of the United States and other
countries to take action to prevent, or end, genocide. But things change:
Somalia cast a shadow over involvement in Rwanda; now the costs of not
acting in Rwanda cast a shadow over Darfur. In the present climate, perhaps
direct lobbying of decision-makers, whether in national governments or the
United Nations, will be more productive. But human rights organizations
must also create ways to lobby more effectively; this will require access to
greater resources, but in some instances internal changes and change of
focus; for example, away from individuals and toward policy and
institutions. Some organizations (Amnesty International) have been oriented
toward prisoners of conscience (that is individuals) rather than mass
killing; Human Rights Watch has taken a different approach, concentrating on
policy and institutions. Other organizations have been primarily concerned
with providing relief, and have seen themselves as having to be neutral
between perpetrators and victims (perhaps even removing such distinctions
from their vocabulary). Fewer, but stronger, organizations might also be
needed: effectiveness is not necessarily increased by a multiplicity of
groups. Nevertheless, I believe that human rights organizations, unlike a
somewhat amorphous public opinion, can help move policymakers to act against
genocide.
Aztag- During the annual meeting of the institute for the Study of Genocide
you said, referring to Samantha Power’s Pulitzer prize book “A Problem from
Hell”: ” My one concern for Power’s book is that in a few years she will
have to issue an updated edition, listing yet another genocide: one in
which, yet again, the United States stood by.”
What is your take on the West’s reaction to the atrocities in Darfur? Do you
think the chapter on Sudan will not differ from the previous ones?
Roger Smith- I am hopeful that Darfur may turn out differently, that the
world’s reaction may bring the killing and destruction to a close. But
there are mixed signals: the US Congress calls what is taking place
“genocide,” but just what it proposes to do other than some kind of
sanctions through the UN is not clear; on the other hand, the European Union
says that genocide is not taking place in Darfur, and thus would not be in
favor of active intervention. The UN Security Council has given a month’s
deadline to Sudan to show improvement; the African Union seems to more
active than in the past, and various countries (including Rwanda) intend to
place monitors in the region. But Sudan continues to maintain that no
intervention is necessary, that the militias are outlaws, not proxies for
the regime. It is hard to say what will happen next, but my guess is that
no direct intervention will take place.
Aztag- In your testimony before the House Committee on International
Relations Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights you
said: “The Armenian case is the prototype for much of the Genocide that we
have seen since 1945; it was territorial, driven by nationalism, and carried
out with a relatively low level of technology.”
Can you please draw parallels between the Armenian Genocide and the other
genocides in terms of territory, nationalism, and technology?
Roger Smith- Many scholars and the general public thought of the Holocaust
as the model of genocide: they saw it as driven by racial ideology, that it
was transnational, killing persons from all over Europe, and that it used a
complicated technology to transport and kill in assembly line fashion
millions of persons; by those standards, genocides that took place before or
after the Holocaust tended to be described as “tragedies,” but not genocide.
This had the effect of demeaning the victims of those genocides and
blinding us to the ongoing nature of genocide in the 20th century.
But most of the genocides that have taken place since 1945 do not fit the
characteristics ascribed to the Holocaust. Whether it was Bangladesh,
Burundi, Rwanda, or Bosnia, there was a pattern that the Holocaust did not
illuminate to any extent: where the killing was largely territorial, the
ideology was nationalism (Cambodia is different in this respect), and the
technology employed was at a relatively low level (hoes, machetes, bullets,
fire, death due to exposure, and starvation). Rather, the Armenian Genocide
of 1915 was where the parallels could be found; indeed, it is the prototype
for much of the genocide that has taken place since 1945 and is taking place
now in Darfur. In addition to the elements already mentioned, there is the
perpetrators claim that they were only defending themselves against
revolutionaries and subversives; that what took place was civil war, not
genocide. The Armenian Genocide provides many clues to why contemporary
genocide occurs, what its warning signs are, and thus offers some hope, that
if the nations will act, genocide in the making can be prevented.
Aztag- During a panel organized by the Zoryan Institute you said that “a
precondition for reconciliation is a shared, accepted historical account.”
What do you think about the attempts to sidestep the issue of genocide in
order to achieve reconciliation (for example TARC)? Do you think “a shared,
accepted historical account” is achievable when the Turkish government
continues the policy of denial and the education system in Turkey is
bringing up generations with the same distorted view of history?
Roger Smith- I think that a precondition for reconciliation in any genocide
is a shared, accepted historical account. But this is lacking with Turks and
Armenians, both at the State level and the individual level. The issues
have little to do with actual history: rather Turkish denial and the
rewriting of history involve a defense of Turkish self-image and political
concerns. A mythological history would have to be replaced; but identity has
been built on this history; change would have disturbing effects, leading to
confusion and questioning the very legitimacy of the state. But in the long
term, this is the only way Turkey can master its past; the acknowledgment of
the Genocide will, if it comes, coincide with a greater democratization of
Turkey, and with a more open and pluralistic society. We will know that
Turkey has come close to democracy when its citizens can openly discuss what
was done in 1915 and how it has been denied and covered up for 90 years.
The Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission (TARC) was an attempt to
bypass a common version of history. Its very title tells us something: it
contains “reconciliation,” but not “truth.” But ultimately, is not truth,
acknowledgment, necessary if full reconciliation is to be possible? The
commission was ill-conceived: it lacked legitimacy in how it came into
being, and in terms of its members, who were hardly representative of the
Armenian community. It was widely-viewed as a dodge, created by the State
Department and the Turkish government to delay Congressional and
international resolutions affirming the Genocide.
Partial steps toward reconciliation without public acknowledgment by Turkey
of the genocide could happen: Japan has never accepted responsibility for
its war guilt, yet enjoys good relations with the U.S. Some steps Turkey
could take, but may not unless pressured by the European Union: diplomatic
recognition of Armenia; opening borders; lift embargo against Armenia, allow
for free development of Armenian culture within Turkey; allow for free
public discussion of the Genocide; rescind its policy of educating its youth
(Armenian included) in genocide denial; stop building monuments blaming
Armenians for genocide; and abandon denial. But the issue of genocide would
remain; until this is acknowledged, no full reconciliation is possible.
It seems to me doubtful that Turkey will acknowledge the genocide. And what
would follow if it did? Armenians are not of one mind about this. But for
now, I think Armenians are right to look to public opinion in many countries
and to seek affirmation of the Genocide by national and international
bodies. Even the Pope has signed on.
Aztag- A New York Times book review mentions that there are 37,000 works on
Nazism, 12,000 of which have appeared in the previous five years alone.
The Armenian genocide, among others, is far less researched and documented
and, adding insult to injury, the campaigns of denial force historians to
dedicate much time and effort in order to falsify the claims of deniers and
revisionists.
What are, in your opinion, the challenges facing historians dealing with the
Armenian genocide a century after the fact?
Roger Smith- Although works on Nazism and the Holocaust continue to appear
at a rapid pace, there is increasing awareness among scholars that the 20th
century presented numerous other examples of human destructiveness There
is now an effort to research the many other cases of genocide, and to put
them in comparative perspective. What do the cases have in common? How do
they differ? Why were they previously ignored? How has denial affected
writing about them? What can genocides other than the Holocaust teach us
about the dynamics of destruction, warning signs of genocide, and possible
prevention?
The Armenian Genocide was well-known at the time it took place, but after
the 1920s almost dropped from sight. When I began teaching about genocide
some 20 years ago, there were few materials available on the Armenian
Genocide that I could assign in class. That has changed greatly in the past
few years; in fact, I am currently reviewing five books on the Genocide that
were published last year alone. But much needs to be done: research
completed, dissemination of the historical record, making the story of the
Genocide available to a wide audience.
But there are special problems that face those who write about the Armenian
Genocide. First, there are the linguistic skills needed. Then there is the
fact that many of those who deal with the genocide spend more than half
their time refuting the denial and falsification of the Turkish government
and its accessories in academia and the foreign offices of the U.S., Israel,
and Britain. There is also the problem of audience: outside the Armenian
community, there has been little public interest in what took place 90 years
ago. The Armenian example does not stand alone: how much do we hear about
Pol Pot and his utopian experiment of only 25 years ago? To reach a broad
audience and place the narrative of the first major genocide of the 20th
century before the public may require that the story be incorporated into a
larger, even universal, history. Several recent books, for example, have
attempted to connect the history of the destruction with the rise of an
international humanitarian movement in the United States. In this way, the
Armenian case remains what it is; a crime against a particular people, but
it also becomes part of a broader history. The challenge is to find
additional ways in which such connections can be made.
Aztag- In a recent interview with Professor Ben Kiernan, I asked him about
the importance of comparative genocide studies. Part of his answer was:
“While perpetrators of genocide seem to have benefited from their own
comparative analysis of the potential and possibilities for genocide in the
modern era, the rest of humanity has failed as yet to learn lessons from the
past that could lead to meaningful intervention in such catastrophes”.
What have we learned from the comparative study of genocides? How realistic
is the belief that these studies will contribute in driving policy makers to
actively oppose genocidal campaigns wherever they happen?
Roger Smith- I agree with Professor Kiernan that perpetrators of genocide
have learned from their own “study” of genocide that they can commit the
crime under the cover of war, in the name of self-defense, will receive
impunity, can deny that they committed genocide, and that the world will
forget. Even many of the techniques of destruction are transportable and
easily available: concentration camps, deportations, destruction of food
supplies.
Comparative genocide studies can help us understand the conditions under
which mass violence, including genocide, is likely to take place; it can
help identify warning signs of the impending violence; and it can suggest
ways in which genocide can be prevented. But it will also, as discussed in
my essay in THE CHRONICLE, indicate the patterns of governmental inaction
where genocide is concerned and the reasons for that. Thus, the problem of
prevention of genocide is not simply a question of knowledge, but of
political will. My own view is that the single most effective means to end
the slaughter of so many millions is for states to expand their concept of
national interest to include the prevention of genocide. The arguments for
this are humanitarian, but also follow political realism: genocide
frequently spawns regional wars, leads to the outflow of huge numbers of
refugees (some 10 million from Bangladesh in 1971, millions from Rwanda and
Darfur), the economic costs are far greater than the cost of early
intervention. Whether scholars and human rights activists can persuade
policy makers to redefine national interest is not clear, but it is a goal
that should be high on their agenda.
There are many other things that I have learned from the comparative study
of genocide: differences between ancient and modern genocide; the fact that
genocide throughout most of its long history was committed almost
exclusively by men, but that this began to change in the 20th century; the
evolution of the technology of destruction, yet the reappearance of many of
its “primitive” methods (fire, starvation, handheld weapons) in the
contemporary period. I also learned that in ancient times rulers boasted of
destroying whole groups: no denial for them. Indeed, they erected monuments
so that their annihilation of whole groups would not be forgotten. And,
yes, I learned much about human nature.
Aztag- You have taught courses on Genocide for 20 years. In what way have
your approaches to teaching methods changed? In what way has the approach of
student to the subject matter changed?
Roger Smith- My seminar on genocide had 15-20 advanced undergraduates and
graduate students. The course was comparative in scope and dealt with the
following questions: what is genocide? Why does it occur? Who is
responsible? How can genocide be prevented? My approach was to involve the
students as much as possible in discussion and to get them to confront the
issues instead of just taking notice of them. Much of the discussion was on
responses of students themselves: their assumptions about human nature,
about how it is possible for anyone to commit genocide, about our
responsibility as citizens, about our own stereotypes and prejudices.
My own approach to the course did not change much over the years, but I
added new material and we had to add new cases studies. But one had to
guard against becoming “numb” after confronting so many cases of genocide
over the years. I remember too that students worried that they would fall
into either despair over their inability to prevent genocide, or, faced with
so many examples of mass killing, throw up their hands and say about yet
another genocide, “What’s the big deal?”
I do think, though, that the students changed somewhat over time in how they
responded. When I first started the course in 1981, the students were
fixated on the horror of genocide and could not believe that anyone other
than monsters could commit such acts. As we proceeded, they came to realize
that ordinary men and women could do these terrible things. But the groups
I had in the 1990s had greater awareness of the frequency of genocide; they
grew up, so to speak, with Bosnia and Rwanda. Their focus was less on the
horror and more on how they could prevent genocide, how they could become an
active force for the protection of human rights.
I retired three years ago, and since there are still few scholars who work
in the area of genocide studies, no one at my university has continued the
course. On the other hand, the past three summers I have taught in the
Zoryan Institute’s Genocide and Human Rights University Program, a two week
intensive course (9-5) at the University of Toronto. Again, this is a
seminar, with about 22 students, who come from many different countries and
ethnic groups. There are Armenians from Canada, Lebanon, Uruguay, the U.S.;
Turks and Kurds from Turkey; students from Germany, France, the Netherlands,
and several countries in Latin America. The students have found it a
powerful experience: they bond closely, rid themselves (to a large extent)
of misunderstandings, and, in many cases, leave the course determined to
pursue further study in genocide studies. In its own way, on a small scale,
the seminar contributes to dialogue, understanding, and maybe personal
reconciliation. As one of the students said, “We became family.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GIBRAHAYER e-newsletter
[email protected] r.cyprusnewsletter.com
AGBU TO OPEN MELKONIAN EDUCATIONAL CENTER IN YEREVAN
Yerevan, August 18, Armenpress: The AGBU is planning to open “Melkonian
educational center”, a youth complex in Yerevan in the coming years. The
school may host up to 200 students from around the world. AGBU Armenian
representation director Ashot Ghazarian told Armenpress that Diaspora
Armenians will learn Armenian language, literature and history which will
contribute to preservation of Armenian identity and Armenian education.
According to Ghazarian, many young Armenians from around the globe will make
contacts with motherland and communicate with national values. “Of coarse, t
his is not a tourism program, the focus is on education,” Ghazarian said.
The educational establishment will be equipped with modern technology
with lingo-phone and computer auditoriums. University aged students may
continue their education at local Armenian higher educational establishment
as well as at American and French Universities here in Yerevan. Ashot
Ghazarian informed that they are negotiating with Yerevan municipality to
provide facilities for that purpose. The project will be funded by AGBU.
The project has been discussed with president Kocharian, chairman and
members of writers’ house, Yerevan state university rector Radik
Martirossian and minister of education and science Sergo Yeritsian.
WAR GAMES BEGIN BETWEEN RUSSIA AND ARMENIA
The annual war games between Russia and Armenia will take place from August
24-27 with the participation of Russia’s 102nd base.
Meanwhile, a 21 year old soldier of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, was
released from Nagorno Karabagh forces. The young soldier was doing his
military service in Terter District, and was taken captive on August 2 after
he lost his way and came closer to the positions of the Armenian military
units.
His detention was immediately reported to the International Committee of the
Red Cross and the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Despite a cease-fire, forces of the Karabagh Republic and Azerbaijani troops
continue to face off across a demilitarized zone, and shooting occasionally
erupts with casualties and detentions.
PAN ARMENIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL “ONE NATION, ONE CULTURE” BEGINS IN YEREVAN
YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–On Sunday August 15, the opening of the “One Nation,
One Culture” Pan-Armenian cultural festival took place in the National
Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet.
President Kocharian, Catholicos Karekin II, FM Vartan Oskanian, Minister of
Culture and Youth Affairs Hovik Hoveyan, and other officials were present at
the ceremony.
Greeting the participants, Oskanian called the festival a historic event and
emphasized: “Every generation living in its homeland or the diaspora should
reveal the depth and wealth of one united culture of the national
originality of his origin, should be newly filled w ith aesthetic and moral
spirit of national and human real values.”
Among the performers were the State Dance Ensemble of Armenia and the
“Barekamutiun” ensemble, dudukist Jivan Gasparian, singers Hasmik Papian,
Hasmik Hatsagortsian, Svetlana
Navasardian, Ruben Matevosian, actors Vladimir Abajian, Hovhannes
Babakhanian, Zhenia Avetisian, as well as other well-known Armenian artists.
Also participating are cultural groups from the diaspora.
12TH ARMENIAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP RESTARTS
YEREVAN, August 16 (Noyan Tapan). The 12th Armenian Football Championship
restarts with the matches of Day 15. Leaders of the tournament were again
victorious. Armenian
champion “Pyunik” beat “Ararat” 2-1, “Mika” beat “Kilikia” 5-1. “Kotayk” –
“Dinamo-Zenit” 2-1, “Banants” – “Shirak” 1-1.
Current standings are as follows: 1.Pyunik(Yerevan)-39 points,
2.Mika(Ashtarak)-35 p.
3.Ararat(Yerevan)-22 p. 4.Banants(Yerevan)-21 p. 5.Dinamo-Zenit(Yerevan)-20
p.
6.Kilikia(Yerevan)-11 p. 7.Kotayk(Abovyan)-9 p. 8.Shirak(Gyumri)-9 p.
KALAYDJIAN’S COMMENTS ANGER COMMUNITY
Nicosia August 20, Gibrahayer – The comments of Armenian representative in
the Cyprus House Bedros Kalaydjian in last week’s Gibrahayer issue have
angered community members who emailed and telephoned, to voice their
protest.
“Kalaydjian is insulting our intelligence. That is the real problem, not the
fact that he was apathetic towards the needs of the Ensemble.” read one
protest email who wanted to keep his anonymity.
“You suffer from apathy ….the panicle of arrogance” read another more
expressive email (A.H from Nicosia)*, which we chose not to publicise in its
entirety.
“If he was going on a holiday and wanted to help the Ensemble he should have
appointed someone and not made up a story about some mobile phone being shut
down. C’mon if he had called just anyone in Xylotympou and asked for a
member of the Cultural Association, they would have given him a number.”
said another (N.B. from Limassol)*.
Others simply wanted the debate to end. “I believe the subject matter
should end at this point. Any indifference to an Armenian event within the
community should not be undermined by the community leaders, but it is
equally fair to say when everything is done within one’s power, then
understanding and patience should take precedence.” wrote Daniel Jonoyan
from Glendale, California, a former employee of the Melkonian Educational
Institute in the early eighties.
* names of email senders withheld upon their request
OLYMPIC MOMENTS
– WEIGHT LIFTING – Armen Ghazarian won fifth place in the 62 kg category
– TENNIS – Marcos Baghdatis fought bravely only to lose against Nicolas
Kiefer ranked 14 in the world for place in the round of 16, in a match that
lasted nearly two and a half hours, 2-6, 6-3, 3-6.
– BOXING – Vanes MARTIROSYAN (USA) made a solid start for his medal
campaign, beating Benamar MESKINE (ALG) 45-20 to set up a fascinating clash
with ARAGON ARMENTEROS in the round of sixteen on Thursday, 19 August.
VERCHIN JAM: Martirosyan lost on points.
– JUDO – Armen Nazaryan, Armenia, defeated Alexandre Lee of Brazil, and lost
to
Masoud Haji Akhondzadeh, of Iran. In the quarters Nazaryan lost to Jean
Claude Cameroun, from Cameroon.
NEWS IN BRIEF
– The renowned Italian academic publishing house, Edizioni Guerini, has
just come out with an Italian-language edition of Dr. Vahakn Dadrian’s now
classic History of the Armenian Genocide: Ethnic Conflict from the Balkans
to Anatolia and the Caucasus.
– A survey funded by the EU suggests a staggering 30% rate of unemployment
in Yerevan which is three times higher than the figure reported by the
Armenian government.
– Bella Kocharian, wife of the Armenian president, has received an award by
the Armenian Bone Marrow Donors Register, an American-Armenian organization
operating in Los Angeles.
g i b r a h a y c a l e n d a r
The Armenian Youth Federation completed its 17th Annual Summer Camp at the
Morphou Prelature Camp Site at Kalopanayiotis on Sunday 15 August 2004.
Pictures from Camp can be viewed next week as they are not ready.
The Annual General Meeting of The Hamazkayin Cultural and Educational
Association “Oshakan” Cyprus Chapter will take place on Tuesday September
14, 2004 at 8:00 p.m. at A.Y.M.A.
The Armenian Prelature announces that the next permit for the Armenian
Cemetery visitation at Ayios Dhometios on the Green line, is schedul ed for
Sunday 23 August, 2004.
Armenian Radio Hour on The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation can be heard
via real audio on . Broadcast times 17:00-18:00 local Cyprus
time (14:00-15:00 GMT) News bulletins at 17:15 local time on Sundays,
Tuesdays, Fridays. Armenian Cypriots can also tune in on the following radio
frequencies 91.1 FM (Mount Olympus – for Nicosia listeners) 94.2 FM
(Paralimni/Protaras/Agia Napa) 92.4 FM (Larnaca) 96.5 FM (Paphos).
Every Wednesday from 7-8 p.m. (Cyprus time +2 GMT) on CyBC’s Trito, Puzant
Nadjarian presents the “History of the Blues” together with Robert Camassa.
The programme which is now in its second year can also be heard on Real
Audio from the Internet edition of CyBC on . A repeat
programme can also be heard seven hours later at 2:00 a.m. local time.
AYMA announces that the weekly practices of the football team begin in the
second week of September. Contact the AYMA Sports Committee for more
details.
CALENDAR U.S.A.
2004 AYF-YOARF OLYMPIC GAMES
Hosted by the Chicago “Ararat” Chapter
MAIN OLYMPICS HOTEL SOLD OUT!!! SECOND HOTEL ADDED
September 2-6, 2004 – The AYF-YOARF 71st Olympic Games is shaping up to be
one of the most successful Olympics in recent history. The Westin O’Hare has
just sold out and the SHERATON GATEWAY SUITES has been added as a second
hotel. Reserve your room by calling the Sheraton at 888-627-8117 and
requesting the “AYF” rate.
The AYF wishes the very best for arriving guests and participants and hopes
to provide all attendees with the experience of a memorable weekend. Our
games are associated with fraternalism, athletic competition and the
existence of an enjoyable and safe social environment. The AYF will be
forcing the Zero-Tolerance Policy implemented last year. Any violation of
these guidelines will result in removal from the hotel for the duration of
the weekend. These and any other violations according with local and state
law will be enforced by the Olympic Security Force and the Hotel. The
Zero-Tolerance Policy will be posted on the AYFs website soon.
Just Added! The AYF Central Executive will be hosting a reception for the
70th Anniversary of the Armenian Weekly at this year’s AYF Olympics in
Chicago. This reception will highlight the history and many accomplishments
of the weekly, honoring past and current supporters/contributors. The event
will be held from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 4th in the Westin
Hotel.
The deadline for the Olympic Ad-Book is approaching – (August 15th!!! We
encourage friends, family and alumni to share their memories and well-wishes
with all olympics attendees. Lastly, the Hye-Pass is still available – $60
covers admission in to all athletics events and dances (sorry, the Boat
Cruise is not included!).
Additional information including downloadable forms for the Hye-Pass and
Ad-Book can be obtained from Visit for
more information!!!
Gibrahayer is an independent electronic environment, now in its fifth year,
disseminating news & posting upcoming events about the Armenian community of
Cyprus, Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora. The list also promotes the
discussion of issues brought forward by its members. The subscription to
this service is free. To subscribe to Gibrahayer e-newsletter, follow the
instructions at To contact the
listmaster send an email to [email protected]
This service to Gibrahayer is provided by GAP Vassilopoulos E-Media Ltd
()
GAP Vassilopoulos E-Media Ltd is not responsible for the database and
newsletter contenet of its customers but has a stict Opt-in/Opt-out policy,
this protects the subscriber and enforces the policy to which the newsletter
publisher has agreed to abide.
If this newsletter has no unsubscribe link, or the link does not work.
please report it and it will be dealt immediately.
Include this code in your report LATROBA123 (GIBRAYER7).
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MOUNTAIN-CLIMBERS OF “SPITAK” RESCUE CENTER ARE GOING TO CONQUER SEVEN
TOPS OF TRANSCAUCASIA TILL OCTOBER 2004
YEREVAN, August 16 (Noyan Tapan). Members of the “Spitak” rescue
center are going to conquer tops of seven mountains of Transcaucasia
(Kazbek, Elbrus, Sipan, Nemrut, Demavend, Aragats and Hustup) till
October 2004 in connection with the 175th anniversary of Khachatur
Abovian’s and Fridrikh Parrot’s climbing mountain Ararat.
Mountain-climber Karen Amamchian, a member of the “Spitak” center,
told NT’s correspondent that the center needs financial support for
the implementation of the indicated program.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia’s ethnic minorities facing difficulties in preserving culture
Noyan Tapan news agency
2 Aug 04
YEREVAN
The Armenian government is currently elaborating a number of concepts
to preserve the cultural originality of the country’s ethnic
minorities. However, the chief of the Armenian government’s department
for ethnic minorities and religion, Granush Kharatyan, has said that
it is difficult for the ethnic minorities of Armenia to preserve their
originality simply because there are no areas predominantly populated
by them. In addition, she said, international experience testifies to
the fact that the preservation of ethnic peculiarities is possible
only if the ethnic minorities comprise at least 15-20 per cent of the
country’s population. Meanwhile, all 11 ethnic minorities living in
Armenia comprise only 2.2 per cent of the country’s population.
However, Kharatyan said, Armenia allocates 3m drams (about 5,500
dollars) every year for the publishing needs of the ethnic minorities,
as well as 20m drams about 35,650 dollars for their educational and
cultural needs.
The chairwoman of Armenia’s Jewish community, Rimma Varzhapetyan, told
our Noyan Tapan correspondent that there is a major need for the
aforesaid funds. She spoke highly about the government’s decision to
allocate premises to the House of Culture of the ethnic minorities. An
exhibition hall, a library, a concert hall, a language laboratory and
a gym will operate on these 800 sq.m.
However, she said, “there is a desire to achieve more”. She
particularly said that it is necessary to set up a joint web site and
a joint almanac of Armenia’s ethnic minorities with the help of the
state. She added that the ethnic minorities need a weekly programme on
Armenian Public TV, which is envisaged by the Council of Europe’s
Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities which
was also signed by Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN VETERANS DEMAND FREE FLATS
Noyan Tapan news agency
3 Aug 04
YEREVAN
Members of the Artsakh liberation movement went on an open-ended
sit-in in Yerablur today. The protesters are demanding that funds be
allocated from the budget so as to provide them with flats.
Armen Avetisyan, leader of the Armenian Aryan Union, told Noyan Tapan
that a commission of the Armenian Defence Ministry has prepared a
special list which says that the families of killed azatamartiks
(freedom fighters) and disabled azatamartiks must be provided with
flats. However, he said, the Armenian government has not started
allocating money for these purposes yet.
The protesters are demanding that the government and the National
Assembly pass a law on granting the status of volunteer azatamartiks
to people who fought in the front line for six and more months and
also to restore privileges and the rights of all the
azatamartiks. They want pensions paid to disabled azatamartiks of the
third degree to be equalled to pensions of warrant officers.
Avetisyan also said that the government and parliament have been
informed about the sit-in which will be halted only when an agreement
is reached between the protesters and the government.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE KARABAKH LIBERATION ORGANIZATION PROTESTS THE VISIT OF ARMENIAN OFFICERS
CENTRAL ASIA – CAUCASUS ANALYST
Wednesday / June 30, 2004
By Fariz Ismailzade
This week police and demonstrators once again clashed in the streets of
Baku. The cause of these clashes was the arrival of two Armenian
officers in Baku to participate in a NATO conference. Several dozens of
members of the Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) stormed the
“Europe” hotel, where the conference was taking place and attempted to
psychically remove the Armenian officers from there.
This week police and demonstrators once again clashed in the streets of
Baku. The cause of these clashes was the arrival of two Armenian
officers in Baku to participate in a NATO conference. Several dozens of
members of the Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) stormed the
“Europe” hotel, where the conference was taking place and attempted to
psychically remove the Armenian officers from there.
“These officers represent the occupational army. Their hands are soaked
in blood. They have raped our women and killed our children. There is no
place for them in Baku,” exclaimed Akif Nagi, the chairman of the KLO.
Other demonstrators carried banners and posters and demanded that the
Armenian officers immediately leave the country. Several of them even
succeeded at entering the conference hall way and breaking windows
before being forcefully removed by security. Police subsequently
intervened and arrested several protestors, including Akif Nagi.
The Karabakh Liberation Organization unites mainly the families of the
war victims and displaced people from Karabakh. In the past, it has
protested against the planned arrival of Armenian military servicemen to
Baku to participate in NATO events, but this was the first case when the
Armenian officers actually did come. In previous times, the visits were
cancelled. The KLO belongs to the opposition in domestic politics and in
the last presidential elections in October 2003, it supported the
candidacy of Musavat Party chairman Isa Gambar.
The majority of local residents in Baku also voiced their criticism at
the arrival of the Armenian officers. Many respondents believed that the
representatives of the enemy’s army should not be allowed in Baku. “What
will Armenians think? They will think that it was OK to occupy our land
and now to come to the capital city of Azerbaijan, sit here, eat here
and laugh at us! What a shame!” said an old man to a local media outlet,
which widely covered the event. Even deputies in the Parliament debated
the issue and expressed their anger at the situation.
Meanwhile, the official Azerbaijani government took a constructive
approach to this issue and decided to allow the Armenian officers to
participate in the conference. “The relations between Azerbaijan and
NATO should not become the hostage of our relations with Armenia,” said
deputy foreign minister Araz Azimov. He also added that reacting
emotionally to these kinds of situations was the not best thing to do.
“We need to be more pragmatic than this.”
Bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and NATO has been indeed
increasing since Azerbaijan joined the Partnership for Peace Program of
NATO in 1994. Lately, Azerbaijan has sent peacekeeping troops to the
Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan and the recently signed an Individual
Partnership Program between Baku and NATO will further increase the
cooperation. That is why it was important for the Azerbaijani Government
to host this NATO conference at the highest level.
The visiting Armenian officers were tightly protected by security forces
during their stay. During the debates in the Azerbaijani Parliament it
was revealed that they did not even receive a visa from the Azerbaijani
embassy in Georgia, as was announced earlier.
The majority of analysts in Azerbaijan believe that the KLO protest was
not a sporadic event but rather the logical consequence of the
deadlocked negotiations in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process for the
past 10 years. The Azerbaijani society has been getting increasingly
frustrated with the stalemate and thus becoming more supportive of a
military solution to the conflict. Many people do not believe that the
international negotiations will produce any results and that the
occupied lands will be returned. Thus, the internal hostility towards
Armenia increases year by year. Several months ago, another indicator of
this growing hostility took place in Budapest, where an Azerbaijani
officer presumably (the court case is ongoing) murdered his Armenian
colleague. These are simply symptoms of Azerbaijani society’s increasing
impatience towards the Karabakh problem.
Meanwhile, dozens of Parliamentarians in Baku signed a petition calling
for the release of the arrested members of KLO, and the ANS TV has
voiced concerns at the brutality of the police forces while dispersing
the crowd. Even the Azerbaijani Human Rights Ombudsman Elmira
Suleymanova asked for the release of the arrested demonstrators.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ArmenPress
June 30 2004
KARABAGH FOREIGN MINISTRY SWEEPS ASIDE AZERBAIJAN’S ASSERTIONS
STEPANAKERT, JUNE 30, ARMENPRESS: Nagorno Karabagh foreign affairs
ministry swept aside today Azerbaijani authorities’ allegations that
the August 8 elections to local self-management bodies are illegal as
they run counter to international laws and Azerbaijan’s legislation
and without the participation of the Azeri population of Nagorno
Karabagh.
A statement issued by Karabagh foreign ministry today said the
slated elections is another step towards building a civic society.
“We proceed from the fact that only legally elected representatives
of authority are empowered with necessary power and bear
responsibility for the fate of people of Nagorno Karabagh,” the
statement says.
The statement described Azerbaijan’s assertions “as cut off from
current realities.” “Nagorno Karabagh has been living independently
for 16 years already and has noting to do with Azerbaijan’s laws and
therefore citing them is absolutely groundless,” the statement said.
The statement scoffs also at Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry’s
assertions that the elections cannot be regarded valid as the
Azerbaijani population of Karabagh cannot participate in them. “If we
follow this kind of logic then all national elections in Azerbaijan
are invalid, as almost half a million of ethnic Armenians had to flee
it as a result of ethnic cleansing,” the statement says.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
June 23 2004
NEW CENTRAL OFFICE OF `ARTSAKHBANK’
On June 20 the official opening of the new office of `Artsakhbank’
took place in Stepanakert. At the ceremony were present the president
of NKR Arkady Ghukassian, prime minister Anoushavan Danielian, high
officials, members of parliament, members of the government, guests
from Armenia and abroad, representatives of the world of business.
Among the honourable guests were the president of the Central Bank of
the Republic of Armenia Tigran Sarghissian, representative of the
principal shareholders of `Artsakhbank’ CJSC, member of theboard
Arden Selefian. The president of the administration of `Artsakhbank’
Kamo Nersissian thanked the principal shareholders Vardan Simakesh
and Hrach Kaprielian for providing excellent conditions for the
personnel of the bank, the NKR authorities for their constant
assistance, and the Central Bank of Armenia for effective
cooperation. He presented the activity of the company in the recent
years. Being one of the main financial links in the NKR economy and
the only Armenian resident trade bank functioning in all the regions
of NKR `Artsakhbank’ greatly contributes to the implementation of the
main strategic economic programs, fulfills certain functions of the
central bank the first of which is serving the budget. Through the
bank also foreign investments are involved in the economy of Artsakh
promoting the general development of different spheres of industry
and enabling to create new jobs. The rising fiscal rates are the
evidence to the effective activity of the bank in the recent years.
Revenues grow year by year, this year by the data of May 1 the assets
of the bank totaled 16.3 billion drams against 2.9 billion drams in
2000, banking capital 2 billion drams against 1 billion drams in
2000. Only in 2003 the bank issued 11 billion drams of loans to legal
and natural persons and in the last three years the circulation of
loans surpassed 27 billion drams. Issuing of consumer and mortgage
loans tends to develop. Being a shareholder of the company `Armenian
Card’ `Artsakhbank’ has started a wide-scope activity directed at the
organization of service by international plastic cards. In the
nearest future the bank will enter the international market `Forex’
through the system of `Reiter’.Â
NIKOLAY BAGHDASSARIAN
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian president welcomes CIS security body’ cooperation with NATO
Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency, Almaty
18 Jun 04
Astana, 18 June: The member states of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization (CSTO) [Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan and Russia] may actively cooperate with NATO in a bilateral
and multilateral format, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan believes.
“The organization reacts to this calmly and positively assesses
the possibility for cooperation between the states (of CSTO –
Interfax-Kazakhstan) and NATO, as well as in the NATO-CSTO format,”
Kocharyan said, answering questions from journalists at a news
conference in Astana today, which was given jointly by the leaders
of all the CSTO member states.
Kocharyan also noted that on the same day the CSTO member states
signed a basic document regulating partnership with NATO on a wide
range of issues, specifically, on the fight against terrorism, drug
trafficking and WMD proliferation.
Kocharyan stressed that the document provided for specific mechanisms
for cooperation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress