Author: nina hovnanian

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Dec 29 2011

Settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is impossible without Armenian
withdrawal – Azerbaijani foreign minister

Settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is impossible without
withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied territories,
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said in an interview
with Trend.

Withdrawal is part of the updated Madrid Principles, which Armenia
does not refer to with responsibility, the minister says. He pointed
out that the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents and foreign ministers
met in 2011 to negotiate the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.
Mammadyarov blamed Armenia for scuppering the negotiations.

Concerning platforms for settling the conflict, the foreign minister
noted that Azerbaijan will doubtlessly raise the topic as a member of
the UN Security Council in 2012. The UN Security Council has already
passed four resolutions, and the European Parliament, CE and OIC have
passed their own resolutions, neglected by Armenia. The world
community should force Armenia to respect the norms and principles of
international law, Mammadyarov said.

IDEX Online
Dec 28 2011

Rough Diamond Supplies to More Armenian Polishers in 2012

(December 28, ’11, 7:28 IDEX Online Staff Reporter)

(IDEX Online News) – Armenia’s diamond polishing facilities will
reportedly have access to more rough diamonds, though it is not clear
how much more. The country is to get 25 percent more rough diamonds in
2012; however, prices in 2011 have increased by as much.

Armenia will get $50 million worth of rough diamonds from Alrosa in
2012, according to Armenia’s minister of economy, Tigran Davtyan. In
2011, the country was allocated $40 million worth of rough by Alrosa.

Davtyan said at a recent news conference that in the past, Alrosa
supplied only one Armenian polisher. Now ten companies are planned to
be supplied.

THE FRENCH BILL AND ARMENIANS

Today’s Zaman
Dec 29 2011
Turkey

Measures being taken today to address great pains in the past can
only mean a limited improvement or healing process. For this reason,
every single step and measure is expected to encourage the next one
and to generate a sense of confrontation. To this end, there is an
overall sentiment that the first step is recognition.

However, in case this becomes a state of recognition out of necessity
and imposition of the conditions, it is obvious that that would not
satisfy the people who experienced the suffering and would not heal
their scars. To the extent that this is presented as a political
success, it may appease the sense of revenge held by the victims and
cool down their anger; however, it may also forever substitute the
genuine need of the victims with an artificial solution.

Armenians and particularly the Armenian diaspora seem to be unaware
of this situation that they need to think about. If the Armenian
genocide is recognized and its denial is criminalized in all countries,
maybe Turkey will recognize it as well. However, this will for a long
time delay an authentic recognition from the people of Turkey that
comes from their hearts and consciences. The kind of recognition the
Armenians need and deserve requires an authentic and genuine one by
the people of this country.

The diaspora has been right in its policy so far because Turkey has not
only tried to conceal the matter but also determined how people should
think and speak about the Armenian genocide, and imposed this through
education and media. The republican era sought to make sure that the
people remain ignorant about the Armenian issue, and it was successful
in this attempt. In such an environment, there was no other way for
the Armenian diaspora but to rely on external political supporters.

However, Turkey has over the last decades been going through a mental
transformation that it only became aware of later. Now, for the first
time in 90 years, a new Turkey is eager to take a look at history and
recall its cosmopolitan past thanks to the emancipation of the Islamic
identity from the influence of Turkish nationalism. The representatives
of the diaspora failed to realize this change, and when they did,
they did not actually like what they were facing since a political
sphere had been formed over time vis-a-vis the genocide.

This sphere has formed a mental hierarchy over the Armenian community.

In other words, the macro politics conducted against Turkey also
translated into the power of micro politics over the Armenian
community, and this created a conservative status quo.

This structure is actually being eroded today. For this reason, the
bill adopted in France that criminalizes the denial of genocide will
not be beneficial for the Armenians. But it will not do any great
harm, either, because it is impossible to ignore the fact that the
Turks are mature enough to try to understand what really happened in
the past. For this reason, it appears that the bill adopted in France
will remain an insignificant detail in history.

On the other hand, it is unpleasant that French politicians have used
an ethical and moral issue like the Armenian genocide as a tool for
the promotion of their populist ambitions. It is already known that
the Europeans are prone to describing the denial as a grave crime
and see freedom of thought as a requirement for the protection of
democracy. However, political actors should be more focused on ethical
considerations on such a delicate issue. Opportunistic approaches mean
use of the Armenians’ anguish. In addition, it seems that these laws
ignore the main emphasis upon the prevention of other genocides. Above
all, there is no such guarantee or assurance. In other words, it is
ridiculous to assume that recognition of genocide by France would
prevent another genocide by Turkey. To achieve this, Turkey should
be convinced and cognizant of the crime it committed. However, as
long as such parliamentary decisions in other countries appear to
be signs of power, they promote nationalist sentiments in Turkey,
making the attempts of persuasion meaningless. It is also impossible
to argue that such laws contribute to the enhancement of relations
between the Armenians and the Turks, or between Armenia and Turkey. We
could even argue that such attempts may further exacerbate relations.

In conclusion, the bill adopted by the French parliament and other
similar initiatives will do nothing good to Armenians or Turks. It may
make Armenians feel they won a victory and the Turks that they were
defeated. However, the real issue is that the relations between the
Armenians and the Turks remain in the hands of nationalists. The great
catastrophe was experienced because this was the case in the past. Is
it useful for humanity to stand at the same place in ideological terms?

REQUIEM POUR NOS FRERES ARMéNIENS
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 29 decembre 2011

Le 24 avril, une centaine d’intellectuels et de militants des droits
de l’homme turcs ont commémoré pour la première fois a Istanbul
le “massacre” d’Arméniens dans l’Empire ottoman. Si le terme de
“génocide” n’a pas été utilisé, la presse turque s’est bien fait
l’écho du malheur arménien, a l’instar du quotidien conservateur
Hurriyet.

Il y a quatre-vingt-quinze ans, le 23 avril marqua le début
d’un épisode sinistre dans l’Empire ottoman au bord de
l’écroulement. Près de 250 intellectuels et notables arméniens
furent arrêtés a Istanbul et déportés en Anatolie, d’où ils ne
revinrent jamais. La véritable catastrophe commenca un mois plus
tard. Le gouvernement d’Union et Progrès, le parti des jeunes-turcs,
qui avait pris le pouvoir dans l’empire a l’issue d’un coup d’Etat
militaire en 1913, vota une loi d’expulsion qui lui conférait
l’autorité de déporter quiconque était considéré comme une menace
pour la sécurité nationale.

En réalité, c’étaient les Arméniens qui étaient visés. Bientôt,
dans presque toutes les villes et bourgades d’Anatolie orientale,
ils furent chassés de chez eux en direction de la lointaine et aride
Syrie. Dans certains endroits, ils furent embarqués dans des trains,
mais la plupart durent marcher pendant des centaines de kilomètres,
souvent sans eau ni nourriture. Beaucoup moururent en route, de famine,
de déshydratation et de maladie. (Les photos de ces victimes, surtout
des enfants et des bébés mourant de faim, sont insupportables toute
personne douée de conscience). Ailleurs, ils furent massacrés par
les habitants de la région, animés par la haine ou le désir de
s’emparer de leurs biens.

En tout, au moins 600 000 Arméniens, et probablement plus,
périrent en 1915, dans ce qui fut l’un des nettoyages ethniques
les plus tragiques de l’histoire. En tant que Turc musulman, je
ne ressens que du chagrin et du remords pour ces âmes torturées,
dont la mémoire mérite d’être entretenue et respectée. Pourtant,
cette même mémoire m’amène a me demander pourquoi cette grande
catastrophe a eu lieu, et comment ma nation l’a engendrée.

La force motrice, ai-je cru comprendre, était un mélange de peur
et de nationalisme. En 1915, les Ottomans étaient en guerre sur
trois fronts meurtriers (contre les Britanniques et les Francais a
Gallipoli et au Moyen-Orient, et contre les Russes dans l’Est), et
les Arméniens étaient de plus en plus considérés comme ligués
avec l’ennemi. L’élite ottomane, en particulier les jeunes-turcs
originaires des Balkans, avait vu comment les Grecs et les Bulgares
avaient procédé au nettoyage ethnique de grandes parties de leurs
populations musulmanes lors de leurs soulèvements nationaux. Ils
craignaient de vivre la même chose en Anatolie avec l’avènement
d’une Arménie indépendante sous la tutelle des Russes.

On peut trouver trace de la logique “préventive” des jeunes-turcs dans
les mémoires de Halil Mentese, ami proche de Talat Pacha, le cerveau
de toute cette tragédie [les massacres d’Arméniens]. Durant l’été
1915, il rendit visite a Talat chez lui, et le trouva déprimé. “J’ai
recu des télégrammes de Tahsin [le gouverneur d’Erzurum] qui me parle
de la situation des Arméniens”, expliqua Talat. “Je n’en ai pas dormi
de la nuit. Le cŔur humain ne peut endurer une telle chose. Mais si
ce n’est pas moi qui le leur fais, ce sont eux qui nous le feront.”

Ma propre grand-mère se rangeait a cette logique, elle qui avait
toujours vécu a Yozgat, la où les Arméniens furent massacrés
en 1915.

“La rumeur disait que les Arméniens allaient s’allier aux Moscovites
pour tuer tous les musulmans”, m’expliqua-t-elle un jour. “Alors,
les anciens sont entrés de force dans l’église arménienne,
et ils y ont trouvé beaucoup d’armes et de munitions, ce qui,
pensaient-ils, confirmait les rumeurs.” Puis vint le kesim, le
massacre des Arméniens, ajoutait-elle tristement. Des Arméniens qui,
probablement, n’avaient accumulé ces armes que par peur.

Dans l’esprit des Turcs, cette logique du “il fallait le leur faire
avant qu’ils ne nous le fassent” fut également renforcée par les
atrocités massives commises par les milices arméniennes contre les
musulmans en 1916-1917, quand ils eurent l’occasion de se “venger”
dans le sillage de la progression de l’armée russe sur le front
du Caucase. Les Turcs gardèrent la mémoire des horreurs de cette
période, les Arméniens ne se souvenant que de 1915.

Mais aujourd’hui, il est temps, selon moi, d’être juste. Pour notre
part, je pense que les Turcs ont commis une erreur terrible pendant
des décennies en ignorant complètement les souffrances énormes
que connut le peuple arménien en 1915.

Pourtant, même alors, il se trouva des personnalités exemplaires
qui firent passer la justice avant le nationalisme. A Bogazliyan,
un district de Yozgat, le mufti de la ville, Abdullahzade Mehmet
Efendi, dénonca le gouverneur qui était un bourreau volontaire. Le
religieux témoigna aussi contre le gouverneur lors d’un procès
devant un tribunal militaire en 1919, affirmant : “Je redoute la
colère de Dieu.”

On retrouve cette conscience musulmane dans les minutes du procès au
cours duquel les unionistes furent jugés pour leurs crimes contre les
Arméniens. Un passage décrit comment “les anciens et les dirigeants”
de Cankiri, accompagnés de leur mufti, adressèrent au maire de la
ville la requête suivante : “Les Arméniens et leurs enfants des
vilayet [provinces] voisines sont chassés comme du bétail vers les
montagnes pour y être massacrés. Nous ne voulons pas que cela se
produise dans nos vilayet. Nous avons peur de la colère d’Allah.” Ces
gens qui redoutaient la colère de Dieu furent selon moi les meilleurs
représentants de notre nation en 1915. Et aujourd’hui, nous sommes
de plus en plus nombreux a nous souvenir de leur esprit, et même a
nous joindre a leurs pleurs.

FRANCE GENOCIDE BILL SPONSOR RECEIVES DEATH THREATS

asbarez
Wednesday, December 28th, 2011

French Parliament member Valerie Boyard casts her vote for the bill
criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Gencoide

PARIS-“All Frenchmen of Armenian descent, who live in France have
the right, to protect the memory of their ancestors slaughtered in
1915,” Valerie Boyer, the French member of parliament who drafted
the bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide, said on
her Facebook page.

“This law aims to punish all those, who will question the fact of
Genocide in French territory,” she explained.

“The Armenian genocide is recognized in Russia, Canada, Argentina,
Italy, Sweden and even in Germany. Its denial is penalized in
Switzerland. Yet, none of these states is being threatened in its
diplomatic relations or business by Turkey,” Boyer wrote.

Meanwhile, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported Monday that Boyer
has become a target of death threats and her Web site was hacked
by Turks.

According to RFE/RL, Boyer told the BFMTV station that she, her
children and parents have received “extremely grave” threats since
then. “It’s totally paradoxical to be the author and the rapporteur
of a text which speaks of human rights, human dignity, recognition
and protection of the weak, and legislate under threat, be threatened
by a foreign state and then be subjected to extremely grave personal
threats,” she said.

“Death threats, threats of rape and threats of destruction,
name-calling and insults. I find this very shocking.”

Boyer added that she will lodge a “complaint” with relevant French
authorities but is undaunted by the threats. “This process can only
strengthen us in both our beliefs and our resolve,” she said.

An adviser to French Interior Minister Claude Gueant told “Le Figaro”
daily on Monday that the lawmaker and her family will be given a
“discreet and effective protection for some time.” “The risk is not
very high but we are not immune to a disequilibrium,” the official
said.

Boyer, who is also the deputy head of French parliamentary caucus
promoting ties with Armenia, spoke to the French news channel following
a hacker attack on her website.

Visitors to were automatically redirected on
Sunday to another website purportedly owned by a Turkish hacker group
presenting itself as GrayHatz. It displayed the Turkish national
flag and contained a message to the French government and France’s
500,000-strong Armenian community.

“You, the Diaspora Armenians, are such cowards that you don’t have
guts to open up the Armenian archives and face the truth,” read the
message posted in Turkish and English. “You, the French people, are so
pitiful and pathetic that you are disregarding the truths for votes.”

The latter accusation was in tune with the Turkish government’s claims
that Sarkozy engineered the bill’s passage to gain the support of
French-Armenian voters in next year’s presidential election. Ankara
has also denounced the legislation as an infringement of freedom of
speech and academic debate.

“Freedom of speech and state propaganda are very different things,”
Boyer told the French lower house last Thursday in a clear reference
to Turkey’s vehement denial of a government policy to annihilate the
Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during World War One.

Boyer’s website was still disabled as of Monday evening, displaying
a blank page. The UMP deputy’s Facebook page had scores of abusive
comments from apparently Turkish users and messages of support from
Armenians posted in recent days.

Under the adopted legislation, anyone in France publicly denying the
Armenian genocide could face a year in jail and a fine of 45,000
euros ($58,000). In order to enter into force the law needs to be
approved by the French Senate dominated by members of the opposition
Socialist Party.

The Paris-based Armenews.com news service reported on Monday that
the Senate majority leader, Francois Rebsamen, has demanded that the
government include it on the Senate agenda “as soon as possible.”

“Even if this text carries electoral suspicions, nothing would be
worse today than to bury it, thereby creating misunderstanding and
disappointment of the Armenian community, having raised the indignation
and anger of the Turkish community,” Rebsamen said in a statement.

Turkey recalled its ambassador in Paris and imposed political and
military sanctions on France following the National Assembly vote.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to take more punitive steps
if “the current [French] attitude is maintained.”

Turkish ambassadors from all over the world reportedly gathered in
Ankara on Saturday to discuss ways of preventing more countries from
taking similar measures ahead of the 100th anniversary of the start
of the Armenian massacres in 1915.

“We should all be prepared also because we will face an intensive
campaign from the Armenian diaspora in 2015,” the AFP news agency
quoted an unnamed senior Turkish diplomat as saying on Friday. “And
we should take history not from 1915 but from 1914 and explain what
happened in the Balkans during that period,” said the diplomat.

While criticizing the French bill, some Turkish commentators have
urged the authorities in Ankara to address the genocide issue more
openly. “We have avoided any talk on 1915 for decades,” Mehmet Tezkan
wrote in the “Milliyet” daily.

“One must be blind not to see what will happen four years later,”
Tezkan said, according to AFP. “The genocide will be recognized by
the entire world in 2015 on its 100th anniversary.”

Meanwhile, the leader of the Socialist majority in the French Senate
reportedly demanded that President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government submit
the bill to the upper house of parliament “as soon as possible.”

HISTORICAL ARMENIAN CHURCH RE-OPENS IN ISTANBUL
Natalie Carney

Press TV
Wed Dec 28, 2011 10:19PM GMT
Istanbul

Attended by dignitaries and leading government ministers, the
re-opening of the Vortvots vorodman church in Istanbul was an important
moment for both the Armenian and Turkish people.

Built in 1828, but abandoned 100 years ago, during the conflict between
Armenia and the Ottoman Empire, its restoration was part of Istanbul’s
2010 European capitol of Culture’s heritage and preservation projects.

Yet under the current political air, the re-opening of an Armenian
Church has even greater significance. Turkey’s current dispute with
France over their government’s approval of the ~SArmenian bill~T
has thrown Turkey’s relations with its Armenian population under
the spotlight.

Turkey says the deaths of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire during
World War 1, was a ~Sfight between two good friends~T and to recognize
them as otherwise is reactionary.

But Turkish Armenians and 20 countries around the world, including
France, don’t see it that way.

The killing/murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in 2007
by Ogün Samast, a 17-year old Turkish nationalist, shows how fragile
that friendship is.

Today, there are approximately 70,000 Armenians in Turkey from was
once a population of nearly 2 million a century ago. Events under
Ottoman rule during WW1 had a significant affect on those numbers.
Father Tatoul see the governments help to restore this church as
an Awakening.

While there are hundreds of Armenian churches in Turkey, most of them
are either in ruins or are being used for other purposes.

One of the most famous is Akdamar Kilesi or Church of the Holy Cross.
Dating back to the 10th century it too was abandoned during World War
1. In 2005 the Turkish government began restoring the building. The
1.5 million us dollars project was seen as a diplomatic step to
improve relations with Armenia.

While some are hopeful that the re-opening of Armenian churches in
Turkey could pave the way for the re-opening of renewed relations
between the two sides~Ethere are more still that say there are too
many walls in the way of this restoration project.

EDITOR, MP, DISCUSS HOUSING PLIGHT OF ZATIK ORPHANAGE “GRADUATES”
Kristine Aghalaryan

hetq
16:00, December 28, 2011

At a press conference today, the plight of those being discharged
from the Zatik Orphanage due to their age was discussed by Hetq Editor
Edik Baghdasaryan and Heritage Party MP Anahit Bakhshyan.

Arsen Lazarian was forced to leave the Zatik Orphanage when he turned
18. Now 20, he’s a fourth year student at the Yerevan Polytechnic
Institute and works nights in a bakery to pay his rent.

He was told to find his own way in this world – no housing, job,
nothing.

“Sure it’s tough, studying and working at the same time, but I have
no choice,” Arsen said.

Recently, 33 of the 68 orphans at Zatik have been discharged, according
to MP Bakhshyan.

She argued that the children were being “tossed out” with nowhere
to go despite legal guarantees that the state must provide for their
social needs, including housing.

Baghdasaryan noted that the government had initiated a housing program
for parentless children leaving state orphanages as far back as 2001
and that construction began in 2003.

“It was a fabulous program had it been fully realized. Some 156
apartments were built in just a few years. Then, there were revelations
of large-scale embezzlement and a criminal investigation was launched,”
Baghdasaryan said.

No one was ever charged and the monies were never returned, he added.

“Hey, this is normal for Armenia where officials try to make money
from everything, even at the expense of orphans,” he said.

MP Bakhshyan commented that while social programs are signed into law
and get budgets, their effectiveness is never really felt by those
in need.

There’s no state policy, no institutional approach to this problem,”
she said.

As to what steps the orphanage “graduates” might explore, MP Bakhshyan
advised them to take up the matter with the Ministry of Labor and
Social Affairs, which has a number of projects on paper, and see
if any relate to facilitating work or education for those leaving
the orphanage.

Baghdasaryan proposed that pressure be brought to bear on various
business leaders and oligarchs to offer these young people jobs.

“These kids need the support of society but there’s no one out there
willing to provide them the assistance they need,” he added.

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apost. Church of America and Canada
H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan
Prelate, Easter Prelacy and Canada
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
Web:

December 29, 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR

The New Year, 2012, begins this weekend, with New Years Eve on
Saturday and New Years Day on Sunday.

In the Armenian tradition, the New Year is a time to set aside feuds
and misunderstandings and start anew. On New Years Day Armenian
families are prepared to entertain impromptu guests with a table
filled with an assortment of sweets, nuts, and dried and fresh
fruit. The exchange of gifts is associated with the New Year rather
than Christmas. Homes are decorated and the Santa Claus figure known
as Gaghant Baba makes the rounds on New Years Eve distributing gifts
to children.

WATCH FOR A SPECIAL ISSUE OF CROSSROADS FOR THE NEW YEAR

AND THE NATIVITY NEXT WEEK

SPECIAL DAY FOR DEACONS AT ST. SARKIS

(Photo): Bishop Anoushavan, Vicar of the Prelacy, presided over the
Divine Liturgy last Sunday celebrated by Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian at
St. Sarkis Church in Douglaston, New York. They are shown here with
the deacons, altar servers and choir members. As is customary, on the
Feast of St. Stephen, the first deacon and proto-martyr, the deacons
serving the altar wore crowns in honor of this special day.

ST. ILLUMINATORS DAY SCHOOL COLLECTS BOOKS

The PTO of St. Illuminators Day School in Woodside, New York,
organized a book drive to benefit the Children of Armenia Fund
(COAF). English-language books are in short supply and thanks to the
PTO, students, and Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, books were collected and
will be sent to the COAF schools.

Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, pastor of St. Illuminators Cathedral, with
some students at St. Illuminators Day School, display some of the
books collected for COAF schools in Armenia.

(

)

BIBLE READINGS

Bible readings for Sunday, January 1, Sixth Sunday of Advent, Third
day of the Fast of the Nativity, are: Isaiah 51:15-52:3; Hebrews
13:18-25; Luke 22:24-30.

A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be
regarded as the greatest. But he said to them, The kings of the
Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are
called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you
must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. For
who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is
it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you,
just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat
and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones
judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Luke 22:14-30).

For a listing of the coming weeks Bible readings click here (

).

HOLY APOSTLES JAMES AND JOHN THE EVANGELIST: SONS OF THUNDER

Today, Thursday, December 29, the Armenian Church remembers the
apostles James and John (Mark 10:35-41), called the Sons of Thunder by
Jesus because of their passionate and quick-natured character. James
was a Galilean fisherman, who was called along with his brother John
to be two of the twelve apostles. They, together with Peter, formed
the inner core among the twelve who were present at the raising of the
daughter of Jarius, the Transfiguration, and the agony of Gethsemane.

James is sometimes referred to as James the Greater to differentiate
from the younger apostle also named James. James was the first of the
apostles to be martyred by order of Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:1-2). He is
considered to be the patron saint of Spain and according to tradition
his body was brought from Jerusalem to Spain to Santiago de
Compostela, which became, and remains, a popular destination for
pilgrims.

John is often called The Divine. It was to John that Jesus on the
cross entrusted the care of his mother. Paul names Peter, John, and
James as the pillars of the church (Galatians 2:9).

PAREGENTAN OF THE FAST OF THE NATIVITY

Today is the Paregentan of the Fast of the Nativity, the third and
final fasting period during Advent. A seven-day fasting period begins
tomorrow leading us to the birth of our Lord and Savior next Friday,
January 6.

HOLY FATHERS BASIL, GREGORY OF NYSSA. SYLVESTER OF ROME, AND

EPHRAEM THE SYRIAN

This Saturday, December 31, the Armenian Church commemorates the Holy
Fathers Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, Sylvester of Rome, and Ephraem the
Syrian.

St. Basil, called the Great, was an intellectual and exceptional
leader who helped spread Christianity. At the age of 26 he gave up his
wealth and became a monk, and dedicated his life in service to the
people, which he did by establishing hospitals, hostels, and public
kitchens to feed the needy. He was a talented writer and many of his
prayers are still used in the Armenian Church and other eastern
churches. At a time when a solitary life of a hermit was considered to
be spiritual, he instead urged monastic communities believing that no
one is totally self-sufficient.

St. Gregory of Nyssa was the younger brother of Basil, and friend of
Gregory of Nazianzus. He was educated in Athens and influenced by the
writings of Origen and Plato. He was a professor of Rhetoric, but
became disillusioned with his life as a teacher and became a
priest. He served as Bishop of Nyssa and Archbishop of Sebastia.

St. Sylvester served as the Bishop of Rome during the era of
Constantine for more than twenty years. During the time of his
service many great churches were built. He took part in the
negotiations concerning Arianism at the Council of Nicaea.

St. Ephraem the Syrian lived in Mesopotamia (Syria) during his entire
life. He was baptized at age 18 and he served under St. James of
Nisibis. He is credited for introducing hymns in public worship
services. He visited St. Basil at Caesarea and upon his return he
helped counter the famine during the winter of 372-73 by distributing
food and money to the poor and needy. He was a prolific writer and his
work, written in Syriac, was immediately translated into Greek,
Armenian, and Latin.

JOHN SARYAN SELECTED AS TOP DOCTOR

Congratulations to Dr. John Saryan, a deacon of the Armenian Church
serving St. Gregory Church in North Andover, Massachusetts, on his
recent selection by Boston Magazine as one of the top doctors in his
field in the Greater Boston area. Dr. Saryan is the department chair
of allergy and immunology at the famed Lahey Clinic.
Dr. Saryan and his family are devoted members of the Armenian
American community. He describes the Church as a place I go for
peace. Every time I put on that stole, its where I belong.
To read Tom Vartabedians article about Top Doc click here (

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2012 LITURGICAL CALENDAR POSTER

A new item is available at the Prelacya colorful 2012 Liturgical
Calendar Poster of the Armenian Apostolic Church, 27 x 27 inches, for
$5.00 plus shipping and handling. At a glance, one can see the cycle
of feasts and fasts and seasons of the Armenian Church year, which
begins on January 6, 2012, and ends on January 5, 2013. It belongs in
every classroom as well as on Church bulletin boards.

To order, please contact the Prelacy at 212-689-7810 or at
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]).

FROM THE BOOKSTORE THIS WEEK. . .

NOW AVAILABLE AT THE BOOKSTORE:
FOUR DVDs BY THE POPULAR CHILDRENS ENTERTAINER, MAGGIE.
Your children will be captivated and entertained by these
presentations.

TATIGNER: ARMENIAN CHILDRENS SONGS
LIVE IN CONCERT: ARMENIAN CHILDRENS SONGS

THE ROAD TO SCHOOL (Tbrotzi Jampan)
MAGGIE AND SANTA (Mageen yev Gaghant Baban)

Each DVD is $20.00, plus shipping and handling.

TO ORDER CONTACT THE BOOKSTORE BY EMAIL ([email protected]
(mailto:[email protected])) OR BY TELEPHONE (212-689-7810).

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A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW BEGINNING

As we welcome the New Year, somewhere from the recesses of our poetic
memory we recall the sentiment, if not the exact words, of T.S. Eliot:
Last years words belong to last years language; next years words await
another voice; and every end is a new beginning.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

December 31New Years Gala, St. Gregory Church of Merrimack Valley,
North Andover, Massachusetts, Wyndham Hotel, Andover, 8:30 pm. $75 per
person includes mezze and the famous Midnight Soujouk & Eggs Full
Breakfast Buffet and Desserts. Music by Richard Berberian, Mal
Barsamian, Bruce Girgarjian, and Ron Tutunjian. For
information/reservations contact church office, 978-685-5038.

January 14Huyser Musical Ensemble of St. Illuminators Cathedral, New
York, presents Heartbeat of our Land, under auspices of
H.E. Archbishop Oshagan, 7:30 pm at Florence Gould Hall, 55 E. 59th
Street (between Madison and Park Avenues), New York City. Special
appearance by AGBU Antranig Armenian Dance Ensemble. For
information/tickets contact the Cathedrals office,
212-689-5880. Tickets also available on line at (

).

February 13-16Ghevontiantz Clergy Gathering, Eastern and Canadian
Prelacies, hosted by Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey.

March 25Celebration of the 40th anniversary of Bishop Anoushavan
Tanielians ordination to the priesthood. Save the date.

May 9-12, 2012National Representative Assembly of Eastern Prelacy,
hosted by Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode Island. Clergy
conference on May 9; full delegation May 10 to 12. Accommodations at
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Warwick, Rhode Island. Details will be forthcoming
to parishes and delegates.

May 11-12National Association of Ladies Guilds (NALG), 30th
anniversary celebration and annual conference in conjunction with the
National Representative Assembly, Crowne Plaza, Warwick, Rhode
Island. For information: Mary Derderian 781-762-4253.

July 14Sts. Vartanantz Church Ladies Guild and ARS Ani Chapter,
Providence, Rhode Island, A Hye Summer Night VI dance, featuring
Hachig Kazarian, Richard Hagopian, Kenneth Kalajian, Jason Naroian, 8
pm to 1 am; $35 adults; $15 children 16 and under. At the Annunciation
Greek Orthodox Church, 175 Oaklawn Avenue, Cranston, Rhode
Island. Mezza will be served. Limited seating. For tickets and
information: 401-434-4467 (Joyce Bagdasarian); 401-354-8770 (Joyce
Yeremian).

Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacys web
site.

To ensure the timely arrival of Crossroads in your electronic mailbox,
add [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) to
your address book.

Items in Crossroads can be reproduced without permission. Please
credit Crossroads as the source.

Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about
their major events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

TWO FRENCH ARMENIANS NAMED RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 29, 2011 – 13:34 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Georges Dilsizian and his son, Andre Gustave
Dilsizian have been distinguished as Righteous among the Nations,
bringing the total number of recognized Armenian Rescuers of victims
of the Shoah (Holocaust) up to 21. The official ceremony took place
on December 28, 2011, at the Yad Vashem Museum, in Jerusalem, the
International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation said.

Georges Dilsizian fled to France in the end of the 19th century,
following the persecution of Armenians in Turkey. His son, Andre
Gustave, born in France, married Lea, a Jewish woman, whose family
moved to France from Turkey. During the German occupation of France,
the Dilsizian’s (father and son) actively gave shelter to Lea’s
relatives.

According to the IRWF’s Special Research Committee on Armenian
Rescuers, “the actual number of Armenians who were involved in
life-saving actions during the Holocaust, is impressive, well beyond
the 21 Armenians who have been officially recognized…..Further
research will certainly unveil unknown stories of heroism”.

Georges Dilsizian passed away in 1946. His son Andre Gustav died
in 1971.

Even the current number of Armenian rescuers is high in relation to
the size of its population. Turkey, for instance, with a population
of 75 million, has only one recognized rescuer.

TWO TYPES
Hayk Aramyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 14:36:12 – 29/12/2011

There are two people in the picture who represent two different human
species. The first is Mariam Sukhudyan who fights for the protection
of the environment and for the citizens’ rights and the future of
our country.

Mariam and her friends fight for each and every stone, river and
tree in Armenia. They fight risking their health and even life, often
having to sleep outside and make a human chain around anything that
is doomed to destruction.

Today, Mariam and her friends held a protest across the street from
the office of the Government and the President demanding to stop
destroying the environment and people.

The representative of the second species is Vardan Ayvazyan, the
former minister of nature protection, the chairman of one of the
NA standing committees and the “legislature of mines”, who uses the
entire Armenian resource for his personal and group interests. They,
the owners of mines MPs and their relatives accumulate huge wealth
at the expense of Armenia, they ride in luxurious cars and spend
holidays in the most luxurious places.

In order to achieve all this, the Armenian natural wealth is dispended
in the ugliest possible ways: the country is becoming a desert,
people are threatened by displacement in Hrazdan, Teghut, Kajaran,
and natural resources are at the center of the ugliest expression
of corruption and shaded deals. Moreover, a new law has been adopted
which will make it easier.

You will not maintain the country only with mines, especially with
the help of such methods as they use in Armenia. The outcome of this
will be similar to that in Ruanda where the same thing happened before
the genocide.

Mariam and her friends, active, brave citizens of the country, fight
against this. They fight for our future. May God give them strength and
energy, and wake up the Armenian society desperate of the activities
of the obscene “elite”. If Mariam and her friends don’t win, Armenia
and the Armenian nation will lose.