Author: nina hovnanian

PRESS RELEASE
California State University, Fresno
Armenian Studies Program
5245 N Backer Ave PB4
Fresno, CA 93740-8001
Tel: 559-278-2669
Fax: 559-278-2129

‘Armenians in the Midst of Civil Wars: Lebanon and Syria Compared’
by Dr. Ara Sanjian

Dr. Ara Sanjian, Director of the Armenian Research Center at the
University of Michigan-Dearborn will give a presentation on `
Armenians in the Midst of Civil Wars: Lebanon and Syria Compared ‘ at
7:30PM on Tuesday, December 2, in the University Business Center,
Alice Peters Auditorium, Room 191, on the Fresno State campus.

The lecture is part of the Fall Lecture Series of the Armenian Studies
Program, supported by the Leon S. Peters Foundation.

During the Lebanese Civil War of 1975-1990, Armenians adopted the
policy of positive neutrality. Most Armenians in Lebanon and Syria
today think that this was a wise choice and that it helped to minimize
somewhat the heavy toll of civil war for the Armenian community in
Lebanon. Why has it not been possible to adopt a similar attitude
during the Syrian crisis since 2011? In what ways are the Lebanese and
Syrian civil wars different from one another? How do these differences
affect the Armenians suffering in Syria today?

Dr. Ara Sanjian is Associate Professor of Armenian and Middle Eastern
History and the Director of the Armenian Research Center at the
University of Michigan-Dearborn. From 1991 to 1994 he did his PhD in
modern history of the Middle East at the School of Oriental and
African Studies, the University of London.

>From 1996 to 2005 he was the Chairman of the Department of Armenian
Studies, History and Political Science at Haigazian University in
Beirut. In fall 2003, he was the Henry S. Khanzadian Kazan Visiting
Professor in Armenian Studies at California State University,
Fresno. His research interests focus on the post-World War I history
of Armenia, Turkey and the Arab states of Western Asia.

Dr. Sanjian is the author of Turkey and Her Arab Neighbors, 1953-1958:
A Study in the Origins and Failure of the Baghdad Pact (2001), as well
as a monograph and a number of scholarly articles. He is currently
working on a book-length project on the Armenian quest for Mountainous
Karabagh under Soviet rule in 1923-1987.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Free parking is available,
with a parking code 273502, after 7:00PM at Fresno State Lots P5 and
P6, near the University Business Center.

For more information about the lecture please contact the Armenian
Studies Program at 278-2669, or visit our website at

OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS ACT IN LINE WITH ARMENIAN’S VISION

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Nov 21 2014

21 November 2014, 17:05 (GMT+04:00)
By Sara Rajabova

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs seem to be predisposed to set out
some tension.

Deputy Chief of Azerbaijan’s Presidential Administration and head of
the Foreign Relations Department Novruz Mammadov made the remark in
his interview with local media.

“It is very interesting that this provocation made already one week
ago as a conspicuous continuation of the occupational policy of
Armenia has finally awaken the co-chairs to disclose their position.

However, to our regrets, they still churn out the same vibes,” Mammadov
said commenting on the recent statement by the Minsk Group co-chairs.

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs Igor Popov (Russia), James Warlick
(U.S.) and Pierre Andrieu (France) expressed concern over the lack of
humanitarian access to the wreckage of the downed military helicopter,
according to a message from the OSCE.

Armenian MI-24 helicopter flying 1,700 meters northeast of the Kengerli
village of Aghdam region attacked the Azerbaijani army positions on
November 12. The helicopter was shot down by the Azerbaijani side. The
three crew members on the board of MI-24 helicopter were revealed
to be Armenian army’s servicemen, who illegally joined the so-called
“NKR army.”

The message said the helicopter’s wreckage is in a mined area on no
one’s land of the contact line between the Armenian and Azerbaijani
troops.

“Do they know that Armenia came to a decision to run military exercises
in the Azerbaijani territories, couldn’t they? Were they far enough to
know about the statements of Armenia saying that 40 thousand troops
coupled with military equipment and weaponry to be involved in these
military games? Were they aware of the fact that the territories
of Azerbaijan recognized by the international community and the
countries they represent remain under occupation for last 25 years,
and 750-760 thousand people ousted from these lands turned into IDPs
scattering over various regions of Azerbaijan?” Mammadov said.

He said the co-chairs think of the international law as a relic and
act in line with Armenian’s vision.

“And, this is not for the first time. How it comes to say that
a helicopter is downed in “the neutral territory”. Regrettably,
the co-chairs do it deliberately! But, they should also know that
the current tension that rules the international affairs today is
stemming out from such irresponsible statements,” Mammadov said.

He went on to say that the co-chairs remain silent on the fact that
Armenia has planted mines in each corner of the Azerbaijani territories
that they kept under occupation.

The co-chairs frequently highlight the obligations and express their
opinion in public, according to Mammadov.

“Then, what about their own obligations? Do they content that they
are alright with their obligations when they say “go and negotiate on
your own”. This is absolutely clear to anyone: both the responsibility
and the obligation in front of the entire international community
and the history to obtain a fair solution of this conflict by peace
and negotiations in line with international law norms fall on their
shoulders. They are not tourists, after all,” Mammadov said.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally
recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent
regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus
neighbor that caused a brutal war in the early 1990s. Long-standing
efforts by U.S., Russian and French mediators have been largely
fruitless so far.

As a result of the military aggression of Armenia, over 20,000
Azerbaijanis were killed, 4,866 are reported missing and almost
100,000 were injured, and 50,000 were disabled.

The UN Security Council has passed four resolutions on Armenian
withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been
enforced to this day.

ARMENIA PUBLIC RADIO FOLLOWS LIGHT

Radio World
Nov 21 2014

by Davide Moro

YEREVAN, Armenia — In 2004 Armenia’s public service radio broadcaster,
Public Radio of Armenia, made a change to its programming.

Up until that time, the broadcaster, which began transmitting in 1926,
when Armenia (located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern
Europe) was part of the Soviet Union, aired age-specific programs for
all ages except the young. With three radio channels, it is the only
radio in the country with national coverage.

When Armine Geghamyan, who formerly worked at the Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty Armenian’s youth program “Max Liberty” joined
Public Radio of Armenia in 2004, she brought with her a new program
“LyunSe” and a new way for the station to target younger audiences.

The program’s tagline easily summarizes its philosophy — “Find your
light not to become others’ shadow.”

LyunSe staff in the production studio — from left to right are Syuzi
Levonyan, Grigor Harutyunyan, Armine Geghamyan (the program’s founder
and chief editor), Ani Mosinyan and Gohar Adamyan.

LIGHT, SHADOW “The main idea of the program is to encourage listeners
to find oneself, raise one’s voice, to be heard by the people and
the government and be a person living in — and for — his or her
country,” said Gohar Adamyan, LyunSe journalist and editor. Lyun and
Se are respectively names of the letters “l” and “s” in the Armenian
alphabet. “Strange that in Armenian and English both ‘light’ and
‘shadow’ begin with the same letters, isn’t it?” she notes.

Now entering its 10th year, LyunSe currently airs 35 minutes a
day from Monday to Saturday, broadcasting four to five programs on
environmental, social, educational, sports and cultural issues.

“Our goal is to raise the voice of the youth, connecting them with
young people from other countries,” said Adamyan. “Many European
countries have more experience than us regarding economical and
social issues.” With the onset of the Internet, LyunSe has gradually
developed its concept to transition with the times. “Armenian people
are increasingly migrating toward the Internet and it is becoming
part of our life,” said Adamyan.

“We realized that if we didn’t change with our audience, we would
lose them, particularly our main target group. So we started a blog,”
she said. “Though it wasn’t a professional-level tool, it was the
best we had. A website was our dream as we imagined it as our ideal
platform but we just didn’t have the money.”

Gohar Adamyan carries out good luck rituals before going live.

Then, something unexpected happened, Adamyan continues — “We had
the opportunity to join the European Broadcasting Union family as
part of its Partnership Programme (EPP).”

EBU PROGRAM The EPP was established in June 2009 to support member
broadcasters facing political, financial, technical or other
difficulties. It also allows professionals from EBU members who are
facing limited resources or challenging political circumstances to
apply for scholarships.

Adamyan applied for a scholarship and was selected. The EBU decided
to help the station develop its project and build an Internet platform.

Adamyan then spent a month at the EBU headquarters in Geneva with EBU
Specialist Matthew Trustram as her mentor. They designed the station’s
website and built a business plan. The EBU media department endorsed
the LyunSe project, which led to seed-funding and eventually the
creation and launch of the website.

“I came back to Yerevan and started the development of the LyunSe
website,” she said. “Matthew really helped me a lot, even after I
returned to Armenia. Throughout the preparation and launch, he was
always in contact with us to answer our questions.”

The station’s website () made its debut at the end of
2013 with a video() wishing a Merry
Christmas to the EBU member countries and announcing the new website.

The portal aggregates current affairs from youth radio programs across
Europe, encouraging interaction through a set of specialized forum
features. “We had been working for so long with no Internet space,
and then suddenly we realized we were finally connected!” she said.

EBU Specialist Matthew Trustram (back, third from left) visits with
LyunSe staff at Public Radio of Armenia in Yerevan.

To his right is Gohar Adamyan; to his left are Armine Geghamyan,
Ani Mosinyan, Syuzi Levonyan and Meri Kalantaryan.

ATMOSPHERE

“We wanted to engage our audience and take advantage of our new tools,
to become a multimedia provider, combining videos, photos, responding
quickly to urgent subjects.”

The station started making videos but not as TV does, explains
Adamyan. Our idea was to record pictures, details that set the mood of
a situation. We like to give our audience a sense of what surrounds
the area where the news is taking place, something that TV usually
misses and can be more interesting than the main subject,” she said.

The station also invites people to contribute photos if they are
near the location, write stories on the subject and post videos,
as well as encouraging interaction with other subscribers.

“We don’t have a camera, just the recorder we use for the radio program
and our cellphone,” she said. “Everything you see on the website is
the result of our enthusiasm.”

Adamyan points out that they also have an English version of the
website, and that they translate as many items as possible to get
people’s attention from foreign countries.

“LyunSe stories are mainly Armenia-centric, focusing on the country’s
various regions to inform the people and reconnect the areas,” Adamyan
said. “Armenia is not as developed as the EU countries. There are
still many people without a PC, Internet or television. They have
just radio, that’s why it is still so important for us.”

L’OPPOSITION VEUT QUE LE PARLEMENT DEBATTE DE LA REFORME DU VOTE

ARMENIE

La minorite de l’opposition a l’Assemblee nationale va lancer une
session d’urgence au parlement pour essayer de faire passer des
changements majeurs dans la legislation electorale d’Armenie a declare
un chef de file du Congrès national armenien (HAK).

Levon Zurabian a declare que le HAK et ses deux allies de l’opposition
Рle parti Armenie prosp̬re (BHK) et Zharangutyun (patrimoine)
vont tester l’engagement pris par le President Serge Sarkissian de
dialoguer avec eux.

Le trio de l’opposition fait pression pour des elections legislatives
qui se tiennent que dans le système de la representation
proportionnelle, ce qui reduirait la possibilite pour le Parti
republicain chances de conserver le contrôle du Parlement armenien. Le
trio de l’opposition veut aussi que les commissions electorales
publient les listes d’electeurs qui ont vote aux elections, disant
que cela permettrait d’empecher les votes multiples frauduleux en
faveur du HHK.

Serge Sarkissian et son parti se sont opposes a ces changements
jusqu’a present.

“Serge Sarkissian a deux options : rejeter nos propositions a travers
un boycott de la session du Parlement ou les accepter”, a declare
Levon Zurabian au service armenien de RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am). “Dans
ce dernier cas, nous ne serons pas en negociation [avec le president.]
Nous allons faire notre mouvement et il devra faire un geste.”

Levon Zurabian a reitere la position du HAK que l’opposition devrait
negocier avec Serge Sarkissian seulement sur les conditions de sa
demission et la tenue d’elections presidentielles et legislatives
anticipees. Il a dit que le parti d’opposition dirige par l’ancien
president Levon Ter-Petrossian estime que Serge Sarkissian devrait
faire face a des manifestations de l’opposition non-stop s’il refuse
de discuter d’un “transfert de pouvoir.”

vendredi 21 novembre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN: THE THREE FORCES DO NOT HAVE A COMMON PLATFORM

12:41 | November 21,2014 | Politics

Use your machismo against the enemy, Heritage Party Leader Raffi
Hovannisian said on Friday, November 21, without giving any names.

Today Mr Hovannisian made a public statement but he refused to answer
reporters’ questions saying he would talk to them within a week.

“It is wonderful that after so many disappointments our people are
still willing to go to [Liberty] Square and continue the struggle,”
he said meaning the non-government movement launched by the three
non-governing parties – the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), the
Armenian National Congress (HAK) and Heritage.

“We said we wanted to have a united square and a united agenda and we
are glad that we have them. We really appreciate it,” Mr Hovannisian
said.

However, he stressed that the three forces do not have a common
platform yet and have not achieved a final agreement on the memorandum
of movement and public activities.

LA TURQUIE INQUIETE DE LA COMMEMORATION DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

TV5 Monde

La commemoration prochaine du centenaire du genocide armenien inquiète
la Turquie qui continue, malgre une prudente inflexion de son Premier
ministre, d’en nier la realite. Il y a un siècle etait pourtant
ordonnee et perpetree la première extermination de population du
XXème siècle.

Trou de memoire

15.11.2014

par Pascal Priestley

>. Nous sommes le 15 septembre 1915 et le telegramme emane de Talaat
Pacha , ministre de l’interieur et futur Grand Vizir d’un Empire
Ottoman crepusculaire, en guerre aux côtes de l’Axe. Il est adresse
aux autorites d’Alep – alors sous son contrôle – et, comme ailleurs,
l’instruction sera effectivement executee sans etats d’âmes.

Talaat Pacha

Prepare, le massacre est a vrai dire deja largement engage. Entre un
million et un million et demi d’Armeniens y periront, selon la plupart
des historiens ; 500 000 > pour Ankara. Abattu en 1921
par un rescape, l’ > Tallat Pacha reste honore
en Turquie. Un mausolee lui est dedie a Istanbul ; un boulevard porte
son nom dans la capitale et diverses villes du pays, où le genocide
reste a la fois un mythe et un tabou mais aussi, et plus encore a la
veille de sa commemoration, un embarras sans fin pour sa diplomatie.

Repetition

Au debut du XXème siècle, 3 a 4 millions d’Armeniens sont partages
entre les empires ottoman, russe et perse, et le plateau armenien,
leur region d’origine. Le Patriarcat de Constantinople evalue a plus de
deux millions ceux de Turquie, mais un denombrement officiel de 1914
n’en compte que 1 300 000. Peuple transfrontalier, les Armeniens ne
disposent nulle part d’un veritable territoire national et leur seule
institution commune reste leur Eglise qui, depuis le Vème siècle,
cimente leur identite. A la faveur d’une renaissance culturelle
et dans le contexte du XIXème siècle (influence de la Revolution
francaise, revolutions europeennes, expansion russe vers l’Orient
et interventions occidentales), leur situation devient un sujet
international, secondaire mais non ignore.

Lire la suite voir lien plus bas

mercredi 19 novembre 2014, Jean Eckian (c)armenews.com

D´autres informations disponibles : sur TV5 Monde

UNITED STATES AGAIN USES JUST DECLARATIVE PHRASES TO COMMENT ON SHOOTING DOWN OF ARMENIAN HELICOPTER BY AZERIS

by Tatevik Shahunyan

Thursday, November 20, 11:55

Well, we understand that there are – there may have been a refusal
of access to an OSCE representative; would refer you to the OSCE for
further details on that, Jeff Rathke, Director of the Office of Press
Relations of the US Department of State, said during a daily press
briefing, when asked about the OSCE’s inability to visit the crash
site of the Armenian helicopter that was shot down Azeris on Nov 12.

“We – our position on the helicopter shoot-down remains, though. We
think that it’s a reminder of the need for all sides to redouble
efforts on a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. I
don’t have anything beyond that,” Rathke added.

Meanwhile, the Armenians are still able to find out what has happened
to the crew of the shot-down helicopter because the Azeris keep
firing at the site. Nor have they given any security guarantees to
OSCE observers wishing to monitor the area.

To remind, the Azeri armed forces downed an Armenian Mi-24 while
it was conducting a training flight near the Line on Contact on 12
November. Three officers of the NKR Armed Forces, Sergey Sahakyan,
Sargis Nazaryan and Azat Sahakyan, were on board. The NKR State
Committee for POWs, Captives and the Missing has requested the ICRC
assistance in returning the crewmembers of the downed helicopter. The
Azeri officer that shot the helicopter down has been awarded a medal.

PRINCE CHARLES TO VISIT ARMENIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH TO HEAR ABOUT SYRIA SUFFERING

Western Daily Press, UK
Nov 19 2014

By Western Daily Press | Posted: November 19, 2014

The Prince of Wales will visit an Armenian Orthodox Church today to
hear how members of the faith are suffering persecution in Syria.

Heir to the throne Charles earlier this month urged religious leaders
to ensure that people within their own tradition respected those
of others.

In a video message, he said the “horrendous and heartbreaking” events
in Iraq and Syria had brought the subject of religious freedom and
persecution to the forefront of the world’s news.

The Prince will meet members of the congregation at the St Yeghiche
Armenian Church in South Kensington, London.

During the service, the Archbishop of Iraq will speak about the
problems facing Armenian Christians.

PRINCE CHARLES REVEALS HIS HEARTBREAK AT THE ‘APPALLING ATROCITIES’ AND ‘SOUL DESTROYING TRAGEDY’ FACING CHRISTIANS PERSECUTED ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST

The Daily Mail, UK
Nov 19 2014

The Prince of Wales visited Armenian Church in London today Charles
addressed issues facing Christians in the Middle East He said
Christianity is being ‘grotesquely and barbarously assaulted’

By Sara Malm for MailOnline

The Prince of Wales has spoken of his heartbreak at the ‘soul
destroying tragedy’ facing Christians in the Middle East.

Prince Charles said Christianity is being ‘quite literally, grotesquely
and barbarously assaulted’, particularly in Syria during the nearly
four-year-long civil war.

The heir to the throne addressed the congregation of the St Yeghiche
Armenian Church in South Kensington, London today.

He said: ‘We must all as Christians seek to do. For some time now I
have been troubled by the appalling atrocities faced by Christians
suffering in the Middle East… It is the most soul destroying
tragedy.’

Prince Charles added that Armenian Christians had long lived peacefully
with their neighbours.

The community have suffered as a target of Syria’s civil war and from
the violent unrest in the wider region.

The Prince said: ‘It is heartbreaking to learn of the attacks on
Christians and on Churches where they gather, such as the Church in
Deir el Zour (Syria) earlier this year.’

The Prince finished his address by expressing his sympathies to the
congregation for the ongoing attacks, saying: ‘They seem so hopelessly
inadequate but please, please just know truly heart felt they are.’

During the service, Avak Asadourian, the Archbishop of Iraq, spoke
of the problems facing Armenian Christians in the region from his
own experiences.

‘Due to assaults Iraqi Christians are leaving the country of their
forefathers. In 1980 there were 1.5 million, this is now down to
400,000 due to the encroachment of Isis,’ he said.

‘If political measures are not adopted very soon, then in the
Middle East Christian manifestations will cease to exist in its own
birthplace,’ he said.

While at the church, Charles also spoke with Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian,
Primate of the Armenian Church in the UK, and doctor Armen Sarkissian,
the Armenian ambassador.

Charles has existing ties with the Armenian community and has shown
an interest in encouraging inter-faith dialogue over the years.

He visited Armenia in May 2013 and spoke with some of the country’s
leading Christian figures.

In December last year Charles expressed concern about the challenges
facing Christians in some Middle-Eastern nations in a visit to the
Coptic Orthodox Church Centre in Stevenage and the Syrian Orthodox
Church in Acton.

OSCE MINSK GROUP FOR KARABAKH CALLS FOR PROVIDING ACCESS TO DESTROYED HELICOPTER

ITAR-TASS, Russia
Nov 19 2014

World
November 19, 23:31 UTC+3 VIENNA

The helicopter was brought down by Azerbaijani forces last week

VIENNA, November 19. /TASS/. Co-chairpersons of the Minsk Group for
Nagorno Karabakh that reports to the European security organization
OSCE have called on parties to the Karabakh conflict to provide
access to the helicopter that was brought down by Azerbaijani forces
last week.

The conflict in Nagorny Karabakh, a mostly Armenian-populated enclave
region of Azerbaijan, broke out at the end of the 1990’s when both
Armenia and Azerbaijan were still constituent republics of the Soviet
Union. In the early 1990’s, it took the form of a bloody military
conflict.

A ceasefire agreement signed in 1994. Although no comprehensive
solution to the conflict has been found ever since, ceasefire is
generally observed, with minor occasional disruptions.

Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said last week it had brought down a
helicopter of the Armenian Armed Forces over the territory of Karabakh.

Ambassadors of Russia, France and the U.S. Igor Popov, Pierre Andrieu
and James Warlick who co-chair the Minsk Group have expressed their
deep concern over the absence of “humanitarian access” to the site
where the Azerbaijani forces downed the helicopter on November 12.

“The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group […] remain deeply concerned
that there has been no humanitarian access to the crash site of the
military helicopter downed by Azerbaijani forces on November 12,”
the statement says. “The wreckage of the helicopter lies in a heavily
mined area of neutral territory on the Line of Contact.”

“We call on the sides to cease firing in the vicinity of the crash
site and facilitate the demining of the area surrounding the site,”
the ambassadors say.

“In the spirit of the Astrakhan statement of October 2010 between the
Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia, the Co-Chairs urge
Azerbaijan to permit the recovery of the bodies of the victims,
and Armenia to cooperate fully with all efforts to resolve this
humanitarian situation,” the statement said.

“We note the presence of the Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk and his team in the
region, and encourage the sides to use his good offices to allow
access,” Ambassadors Popov, Landrieu and Warlick said.

“We reaffirm our November 12 statement, reminding the sides of their
responsibilities to respect the ceasefire and honor the commitments
they made in Sochi, Newport, and Paris to find a peaceful resolution
to the conflict,” the statement said.