Author: Nalbandian Albert

VIVACELL DIRECOR, "HELPING OUR NATION IS NOT CHARITY, BUT OBLIGATION"
By Ara Martirosian, Translated by A.M.

AZG Armenian Daily #162
07/09/2007

Social

Yesterday VivaCell company organized another charity action in Armavir
region of Armenia. Director of the company Ralph Yirikian and other
representatives of the company visited three villages of the region
and its administrative center, the town of Armavir.

VivaCell company sponsored infrastructure restoration works In all
those settlements, which cost AMD 89 million.

As the governor of Armavir region, Ashot Gahramanian, informed
the reporters, at present 24 schools of the region are provided
with central heating systems, three of which were constructed at
the expense of VicaCell. Ralph Yirikian in return said that all
that VivaCell does in this sphere is by no means charity or help
and assured that the company is fulfilling its obligations to the
people of Armenia. According to the director, VivaCell is to become
an example for other Armenian companies, so that they may unite and
help to solve the problems of the people of Armenia.

ABOUT INCAPACITY OF ARMENIANS TO SING ONE SONG AS A NATION
By Rouzan Poghosian

AZG Armenian Daily #160
05/09/2007

We can’t deny that today’s Armenian singing art is quite poor and
musical rubbish is spread everywhere.

Singers Anna Mailian and Rouben Hakhverdian, said this at September 3
press conference at "Mirror" club. They added that this crisis becomes
more obvious, when a cultural event of a nation-wide character is
being held. Mrs. Mailian said that it was quite unexpected when she
was invited to participate in the opening ceremony of the fourth Pan
Armenian Games. The singer began enumerating the songs from their
repertoire that she would like to sing, but the organizers of the
opening ceremony said that they wanted her to sing only the Armenian
national anthem, instead of the pieces by Comitas. The singer had the
impression that by means of her voice they tried to save the current
anthem, giving up the idea of having a new one.

The concert of the abovementioned event proved that the only song
the Armenians can jointly sing is the current national anthem that
neither sounds Armenian, nor is of Armenian origin. If someone has
any objections, they can watch the retranslation of the concert at
the Liberty square, where, certainly, there were good performances,
but mainly the local idle "pop stars" were participating. Certainly,
there had been many songs in Armenian, even in Hindi, but there hadn’t
been a genuinely Armenian song that would unite the auditorium.

Rouben Hakhverdian said that long ago he has elaborated a number
of Armenian folk songs, but he dares not to represent them to the
publicity. One of these songs is "Hunniman Junniman," that became
famous and loved by the audience thanks to Ruben Hakhverdian’s
performance. He expressed the concern that our state doesn’t seem to
have any intention to educate the young generations by means of the
national musical tradition. To tell the truth, only wise and healthy
nations have such intentions, unlike the vainglorious ones. In response
to our question, whether they can point out at least three genuinely
Armenian folk songs that each Armenian should sing, the singers said
nothing. Though both of the singers spread genuine art and educate
generations by their songs, they failed to point out at least two
songs for the events of a nation-wide character. It is well known
that the native tongue and the national music purifies a human soul
and mind. "One of our wise men said that our language is our homeland,
but if we take a look at our language today, we will see that we have
no motherland. Songs are also a means to spread and preserve the
language, but today we don’t have good songs. Today’s songs aren’t
lyrical and are of no significant value. All of our pop singers seem
to sing one and the same song," Ruben Hakhverdian emphasized.

In response to the question which is the most favorite song composed
by him, Mr. Hakhverdian said that he never liked his own songs, as
only a fool and a self-enamored man can be satisfied with himself
and with his deeds.

In the course of the meeting at "Mirror" club, the singers touched upon
a number of notorious and obvious phenomenons in today’s reality. They
tried to find the solution to these problems in the improvement of the
activities of state bodies and, in particular, that of the Culture
Ministry. "Today’s situation in the sphere of the singing art is
a chaotic and the Ministry of Culture should settle the situation,
and not the men of art," Anna Mailian underscored.

RUSSIAN MILITARY HARDWARE FROM GEORGIA SAID DEPLOYED ON AZERI-ARMENIAN BORDER

Azerbaijani news agency APA
3 Sep 07
Baku

3 September: Part of the weapons and military hardware sent from
Russian military bases in Georgia to military base No 102 in
Armenia’s Gyumri are being deployed on the Armenian-Azerbaijani
state border and in occupied Azerbaijani territories, APA has learnt
from military circles. Those small arms and military hardware are
reported to have been handed over to the Armenian armed forces in
military units located in Idzhevan, Berd, Tavush, Vardenis and other
districts bordering Azerbaijan and in Xankandi [Stepanakert], Asgaran
[Askeran] and Agdara districts, Xocali town and Hadrut settlement. The
source added that part of the self-propelled artillery from Georgia’s
Akhalkalaki military base No 62 had been given as a "present" to the
Armenian army. That military hardware has been handed over to the
fleet of a military unit in Idzhevan District bordering Azerbaijan’s
Qazax District.

The head of the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry press service, Lt-Col
Eldar Safarov, confirmed that part of the weapons and military hardware
sent from Georgia was being deployed on the Armenian-Azerbaijani
state border and in occupied Azerbaijani territories. According to
the ministry official, Armenia, which broke the Flank Agreement to
the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, has repeatedly increased
its arsenal owing to weapons and military hardware withdrawn from
Russian bases in Georgia.

"In this way Armenia is violating the balance of military forces. In
turn, we are taking alternative measures in response to this step
by Armenia. We are strengthening our armed forces and buying modern
weapons and new military hardware," Safarov said.

Local Armenians ask Needham to sever ties with ADL program

By Steven Ryan
GateHouse News Service
Fri Aug 31, 2007, 03:47 PM EDT

Needham –

Almost 100 years of Armenian history took center stage in Needham
Thursday, Aug. 30, as Armenian Americans from Needham and other nearby
communities implored the town – with exasperation and almost tears –
to sever ties with the Anti-Defamation League for failing to back
Congressional legislation recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
"Truth is the first step toward reconciliation," said David Sahagian
of Hunting Road. "We strongly request the Needham [Human Rights
Committee] to support the Congressional resolutions and that the town
and its No Place for Hate end its association with the ADL."
Ultimately, the Human Rights Committee proposed crafting a letter to
the local ADL rejecting the organization’s position on Armenian
Genocide legislation and expressing the desire of many in the
community to sever ties with the organization. A meeting will be held
Wednesday, Sept. 5, at the police station to discuss the letter.
"We want to give the ADL a heads up, this is what happened," said
Debbie Watters, chairwoman of the Human Rights Committee.
The Armenian Genocide saw the mass deportation and murder of 1.5
million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during the World War I era.
The Turkish government rejects the characterization of events as
genocide.
"We want the town to take a stand on this issue and create a letter to
the ADL demanding support of the [Congressional] resolutions," said
David Sahagian of Hunting Road. "Anything short of that falls short.
The ADL is working to keep this bill off the floor."
The Human Rights Committee, which usually holds its meetings in the
small conference room of the Needham Police Station, had to move their
meeting to the much larger Training Room, as more than a dozen
Armenian-Americans, mostly from Needham, came to ask the committee to
distance themselves from the Anti-Defamation League and the No Place
for Hate program it co-sponsors with the Massachusetts Municipal
Association.
"Genocide denial is the worst hate crime," said Berge Jololian of
Cambridge. "The ADL has lost its moral authority to lecture on human
rights. They have actively campaigned against the Armenian Genocide.
This is no joke. You have to have zero tolerance for hate."
Newton lawyer David Boyajian, who attended the meeting, sparked local
debate about the Anti-Defamation League with a letter he sent to the
Watertown TAB detailing the ADL’s alleged denial of the genocide. The
letter created a furor in Watertown, which has a significant
Armenian-American population. The Watertown Town Council eventually
severed ties with the ADL and the No Place For Hate program.
"When you deny one [genocide], you can kiss the others goodbye," said
Laura Terzian of Meetinghouse Circle. "We teach our children when you
see an inconsistency, you need to stand up and say its wrong."
Dziadzan Sahagian, a sophomore at Simmons College, described going to
school in Needham and being stung by the lack of education about the
Armenian Genocide, eventually leading her to educate her own teacher
about it.
"Nothing was said about it," said Dziadzan Sahagian, who was fighting
back tears. "I would have liked to hear about it. It hurts."
Needham’s main involvement with No Place For Hate revolves around
student-led activities at the high school during the month of March.
Josh Goldman, a senior at Needham High School, was at the meeting and
backed the value of No Place For Hate, asking for a resolution to the
controversy.
"I agree the Aremnian Genocide needs to be accepted and that No Place
For Hate month is awesome," said Goldman, who will head No Place For
Hate activities at the high school this year.
Committee member Mark Smith also expressed the ADL’s value in Needham,
while noting ADL involvment has been limited to a couple of public
speakers and some funding through grants. Committee secretary John
Buehrens explained the importance of the ADL in dealing with hate
speech, helping the town not to unintentionally give hate groups a
"megaphone" while not ignoring the issue.
"Our most significant advice has come from staff at the ADL," Buehrens
said. "I find it difficult to take action that would cut off action
with the ADL. But we can petition the ADL to do what the regional
board is doing."
Over the past two weeks, the ADL fired Regional Director Andrew Tarsey
after he publicly acknowledged the Armenian Genocide. He was rehired
on Monday, Aug. 27. In between the firing and rehiring, the ADL’s
national director, Abraham Foxman, issued a statement that the tragic
events of more than 90 years ago were "tantamount to genocide."
"Being ambiguously against genocide is not good enough," said Luder
Tavit Sahagian of Hunting Road. "They’ve been doing this many, many
years. It has to stop."
Boyajian was disappointed with the Human Rights Committee’s response
to what was said at the meeting.
"I think they could’ve been more sensitive to the issue," he said.
"We’re not trying to destroy No Place For Hate. It can continue under
a different name. But the Human Rights Committee seemed overprotective
of their turf – more interested in their turf than in human rights."

Steven Ryan can be reached at [email protected].

Source:

PanARMENIAN.Net

Ann Derse: resumption of war in Karabakh will turn into calamity
01.09.2007 14:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Resumption of hostilities in Karabakh would be a
calamity, said Ann Derse, the U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan. `The
U.S. calls on the Karabakh conflict sides to make courageous moves and
mutual concessions. At the same time, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
should be resolved in the framework of territorial integrity and
return of refugees,’ she said.

As to the recent visit of the Iranian President to Baku, the U.S. sees
nothing extraordinary in the event, according to her. That was a visit
paid by the leader of a neighbor state. `The problem is that Iran
keeps on neglecting the urges to stop enriching uranium and developing
nuclear technologies,’ she said, Turan news agency reports.

ARMENIAN FESTIVAL SET

The Republican – MassLive.com
epublican/index.ssf?/base/news-11/118855246238560. xml&coll=1
Aug 31 2007
MA

SPRINGFIELD – On Sunday Saint Mark Armenian Church will hold its
11th annual Armenian Fest from noon to 6 p.m. on the church grounds
at 2427 Wilbraham Road.

Admission is free. The George Regalis Ensemble will perform Armenian
music during the festival.

Parking is free and plentiful. The festival will be held rain or
shine. Call Steve Berian at (413) 246-0627 for information.

ARMENIA’S PREMIER CHARGES TO RAISE AVERAGE MONTHLY PENSION ABOVE POVERTY LINE

ARKA News Agency
Aug 31 2007
Armenia

YEREVAN, August 31. /ARKA/. RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsian has
charged RA Minister of Finances and Economy Vardan Khachatrian to
make a fresh account and find additional funds necessary to raise
the average monthly pension which will make AMD 21,000 (about
$62.4) in 2008. The instruction was given taking into account the
RA Government’s decision, August 30, 2007, on raising pension by 60%
or up to 20,000 (about $59.5), the public relations and press service
of the RA Government reports.

MARCO GRIGORIAN
By Shahen Khachatrian

AZG Armenian Daily #158
01/09/2007

Culture

Marco Grigorian was already a famous artist. He was born in Kropotkin,
Russia and in 1930 moved to Tehran with his family. In 1950 he enrolled
at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and worked there for about ten
years. The artist had held exhibitions in Rome, Paris and London. The
first Italian period of his creative life included realistic pieces,
while later, the artist began working in the genre of expressionism.

This shift to expressionism was quite natural in the post-war Europe
among the artists who were mainly depicting the human tragedy,
depression and torture.

Grigorian made monumental canvases dwelling on the victims of
the Armenian Genocide and the immigrants from Van, the town of his
ancestors. The used such means of expression as deformation, mixture
of colors and ashes, which greatly emphasized the tragic content of
the canvases.

After achieving certain success in Italy, the artist returned to
Iran. Here he founded "Esthetic" gallery-studio, uniting young artists
under his roof, namely E. Ayvazian, R. Voskanian, S. Mekonian, as
well as Iranian painters. This group of artists was mainly working
in free and independent style.

In 1962 M. Grigorian settled down in New York city, where he
established the Archil Gorky Gallery that still functions. The gallery
becomes a unique art center. In the last period of his creative life,
Girgorian was working in the theme of the earth, which he considered
to be a sphere, basis and concept for higher human activities.

In early 1990ies when Armenia was proclaimed an independent state,
Grigorian brought a rich collection of unique artifacts to Yerevan and
opened "Middle East" exposition at the Charents Museum in Yerevan. A
bit later, In Garni, the artist established his second gallery-studio,
aiming to present the unknown and unique color plate of the Armenian
nature to the various artists of the world.

IRAN, ARMENIA TO MAKE TV SERIES

PRESS TV, Iran
Aug 30 2007

Iran’s cultural attache to Armenia has announced that the two countries
have reached a preliminary agreement to make a joint TV series.

Speaking at a meeting with Armenian cultural officials, Reza Atufi
said that the joint venture would expand cinematic ties between the
two countries, and that it would portray the social and cultural life
of Iran and Armenia.

Iranian director, Qasem Jafari, who has directed a number of well
received TV series and flicks, said he would hand in a script to
Armenian cultural officials soon.

The Armenian Deputy Director of Public Television and Radio, Levon
Galstian, stated that the joint TV series would familiarize the two
nations with each others’ culture and lifestyle.

Garegin Zakoian, the Armenian National Cinematheque’s director
concluded that the project will revitalize Armenia’s filmmaking
industry.

TURKEY’S ARCHAIC AUTHORITARIAN MODEL CRUMBLING
Haroon Siddiqui

Toronto Star, Canada
Aug 30 2007

The election of Abdullah Gul as Turkey’s first "Islamist" president
over the objections of the "secularist" military is more than a
triumph of democracy.

Combined with last month’s sweeping victory of the ruling party,
it represents a historic development with domestic and international
implications.

We are witnessing the beginning of the end of the 84-year-old
authoritarian model put in place by Kemal Ataturk at the end of the
Ottoman Empire.

He set up a quasi-dictatorship, featuring narrow Turkish nationalism;
state suppression of Islam in public spaces; and the centralization
of power in the army, which enabled the generals to mount three
coups against elected governments and help topple a fourth through
the courts.

In the early 1980s, when Turkey was battling leftist anarchists, the
army positioned itself as the guardian of the Turkish Islamic nation.

Lately, it has styled itself as the bulwark against "Islamists"
threatening secularism.

What the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has really
threatened is the power of the army.

The row over Mrs. Gul’s hijab is mostly a red herring. While there is
no denying the symbolic importance of the fact that she’s the first
First Lady to wear one, the real issue is that the army hated losing
the presidency though which it controlled the machinery of government.

The next battle will be over an Oct. 21 referendum on constitutional
changes guaranteeing freedom of speech, religion and dress, thereby
ending fascist notions of what constitutes "Turkishness," what Turks
can or cannot say about the 1915-17 Armenian genocide, and what women
can or cannot wear.

The marginalization of the army and the secular establishment also
represents the triumph of majority Turkish Muslim sentiment long
suppressed by the ruling minority.

The new order reflects the economic and social rise of the great
unwashed from Anatolia and elsewhere, whom the elites have long held
in contempt.

Credit for these developments belongs equally to the European Union.

It set democratic benchmarks for Turkey’s possible entry into the EU.

Without those, Erdogan wouldn’t have been able to pull off the miracles
he has.

His success also proves that "Islamist parties can operate within a
democratic and constitutional framework," notes Prof. James Reilly,
a University of Toronto expert on Turkey.

The West should be encouraging this democratic model across the Muslim
world, rather than relying on authoritarian rulers, as it sometimes
has – the Shah in Iran; Gamal Nasser, Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak in
Egypt; Zia ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan – with disastrous
consequences.

Reilly compares Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party to the
Christian Democratic parties of Europe, rooted in religion but
respectful of the secular state, as Erdogan and Gul have been. In
return, the secularists should respect Muslims, rather than engage
in cultural warfare with them.

It is no accident that Turkey’s democratic leaders have also been the
chief architects of Turkey’s bid to join the EU. It is a sentiment
Europe should reciprocate.

Just as the Ottoman Empire was part of both the Islamic and European
worlds, Turkey belongs to NATO and the Muslim world. It has good
relations with the U.S. and Israel, as well as with the Arabs (it
hopes to host the proposed Middle East peace conference in the fall),
with Syria (which can serve as a back channel to Israel) and with Iran.

Turkey’s new order is welcome, and long overdue.

Haroon Siddiqui, the Star’s editorial page editor emeritus,
appears Thursday in World and Sunday in the A-section. Email:
[email protected]

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