Author: nina hovnanian

DOUZE RESCAPES DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN RESIDENT A EREVAN AUJOURD’HUI

ARMENIE

Douze personnes qui ont survécu au génocide arménien de 1915 dans
les dernières années de la Turquie ottomane résident aujourd’hui
dans la capitale arménienne Erevan a déclaré la municipalité.

La municipalité a déclaré que sur ordre du maire Taron Markarian,
les employés du ministère de la sécurité sociale ont visité les
témoins de la tragédie arménienne afin de les assister.

“Nos concitoyens qui ont survécu au génocide ont toujours été
a l’honneur de la municipalité. Nous les visitons régulièrement
tout au long de l’année et leur fournissons un soutien adéquat.

Les visites le 24 Avril, le jour du souvenir du génocide du jour
sont devenus traditionnelles ” a déclaré la municipalité.

vendredi 25 avril 2014, Stéphane ©armenews.com

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN. FRANCOIS HOLLANDE A EREVAN POUR LE CENTENAIRE

FRANCE

Francois Hollande participera le 24 avril 2015, a Erevan, aux
cérémonies du centenaire du génocide arménien.

Le président francais, qui doit se rendre en visite d’Etat en Arménie
le 12 mai prochain, a dit sa volonté de travailler a la reconnaissance
universelle du génocide du peuple arménien sous l’empire ottoman,
qui aurait fait un million et demi demorts.

” Cette tragédie porte un nom, un seul nom : c’est le génocide. Il
n’y en a pas d’autre ”, a dit le président de la République sous
les applaudissements de milliers de personnes venues l’écouter dans
les jardins d’Erevan, au coeur de Paris. Les excuses d’Erdogan ne
suffisent pas a la France

Le Premier ministre turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a présenté mercredi
ses condoléances aux descendants des Arméniens tués par les troupes
de l’Empire ottoman en 1915. Mais Ankara refuse de reconnaître ces
événements comme un génocide.

” C’est un mot qu’il faut entendre mais qui ne peut pas encore
suffire ”, a déclaré Francois Hollande. ” Ce qui doit être dit,
c’est ce qui s’est produit, même s’il y a la une évolution ”
de la part de la Turquie, a-t-il noté.

S’il a dit souhaiter que “tous les esprits évoluent”, le chef de
l’Etat n’a pas fait de référence directe a la reconnaissance du
génocide arménien par la Turquie.

Le Premier ministre turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a présenté mercredi
ses condoléances aux descendants des Arméniens tués par les troupes
de l’Empire ottoman en 1915. (voir )

Dans un communiqué diffusé a la veille du 99e anniversaire du début
du massacre, qu’Ankara refuse de reconnaître comme un génocide, le
chef du gouvernement turc a parlé d’événements aux conséquences
“inhumaines”.

Invité par la presse a réagir aux propos de Recep Tayyip Erdogan
après son discours, Francois Hollande a noté un progrès dans la
position turque mais l’a jugée encore insuffisante.

“C’est un mot qu’il faut entendre mais qui ne peut pas encore suffire.

Ce qui doit être dit c’est ce qui s’est produit, même s’il y a la
une évolution”, a-t-il déclaré.

Présent a la cérémonie parisienne, Patrick Devedjian, député UMP
des Hauts-de-Seine, d’origine arménienne, a dit attendre de Francois
Hollande un message clair lors de sa visite a Erevan.

“Qu’il fasse a peu près autant que Jacques Chirac et Nicolas Sarkozy
quand ils y sont allés : qu’il demande a la Turquie de reconnaître
le génocide arménien”, a-t-il dit a la presse.

vendredi 25 avril 2014, Stéphane ©armenews.com

NEVER AGAIN, NEVER FORGET: REMEMBERING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

The Daily Collegian, MA
April 24 2014

Posted by Maral Margossian on Thursday, April 24, 2014 · 1 Comment

William Saroyan, an Armenian-American writer, wrote in his short story
“The Armenian and the Armenian,” “I should like to see any power of the
world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people whose
wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled,
literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are not more
answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia. See if you can do it.”

The timeline of the 20th century bears the scars of some of the ugliest
and most brutal events in human history. World War I, the “war to end
all wars,” proved anything but, as brilliant minds devised brilliant
means of murder and discrimination-fueled crimes against humanity
were committed indiscriminately, beginning with the Armenian genocide.

On April 24, 1915, hundreds of Armenian intellectuals were arrested
and killed in Istanbul by Ottoman officials, marking the beginning
of the first genocide of the 20th century. An estimated 1.5 million
Armenians were killed by the Ottomans, if not straight away, then
during mass deportations.

Hostility toward Armenians began to mount increasingly toward the end
of the Ottoman Empire. In the late 19th century, Sultan Abdul Hamid
II grew increasingly wary of Armenians’ demands for civil rights
and instituted pogroms to quell their protests. In 1908, a group
called Young Turks overthrew Hamid and re-instituted a constitution,
instilling hope in the Armenians for reform.

However, the Young Turks had a vision to “Turkify” the empire. In 1914,
they sided with Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World
War I. Perceiving Armenians as a threat to the empire, the Young Turks
were already skeptical of them. These suspicions were confirmed after
Russian forces with Armenian soldiers defeated the Young Turks during
a confrontation in the Caucasus.

As a result, the Young Turks launched a campaign against Armenians,
thereby initiating the 1915-1923 Armenian genocide. In 1914, about
2 million Armenians lived in the empire. By 1922, less than 400,000
remained.

After the murders of Armenian intellectuals, the Ottomans next
targeted Armenian men who were rounded up and forced to join the
Ottoman army. Soon after, their arms were seized and those who had
not already died from brutal labor were slaughtered.

Without any Armenian intellectuals and leaders to plant seeds of revolt
in the minds of Armenians, and without the men to try and fight back,
they were left weak and helpless. Accordingly, the Ottomans then turned
to their last target: women and children. Women and girls were raped,
beaten and some were forced into slavery to work in harems.

Armenian children were kidnapped, forced into converting to Islam,
and then given to Turkish families with new, Turkish names.

In an article from The Independent, Robert Frisk describes the
methods Turks undertook to “Islamize” Christian Armenian children,
writing that, “some of the small, starving inmates stayed alive only
by grinding up and eating the bones of other children who had died.”

The largest number of deaths resulted from the mass deportations
of Armenians out of Western Armenia (Eastern Anatolia). Ottoman
officials ordered Armenians out of their homes under the guise that
they were being resettled in non-military zones for their safety. In
reality, they were sent on death marches across the Syrian Desert
to concentration camps. Once food supplies finished, the Ottomans
refused to provide more. They were not permitted to stop for a rest,
and those too weak to continue were shot on the spot. Ottoman officials
oftentimes forced Armenians into caravans to strip, then walk naked
under the blistering sun, thereby hastening their deaths.

About 75 percent of Armenians on these marches died, and countless
unburied bodies scattered the Syrian Desert. In fact, there were
so many bodies that even today, in the Syrian town Deir ez Zor,
the bones of Armenians can still be found by merely scratching at
the surface of the desert sands.

The Armenians were also gassed. Crude gas chambers were created by
herding them into caves and asphyxiating them by lighting bonfires
at the entrances. Other atrocities that took place include burning
Armenians alive, crucifying them, drowning them and throwing them
off cliffs.

Every year, on April 24, the Armenian Diaspora and Armenians living
in Armenia commemorate the genocide. They gather together and rally
for international recognition of the events as a genocide because,
shamefully, some countries have yet to identify the massacres as
genocide, despite overwhelming evidence.

Since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the Turkish government has
denied these events as genocide, attributing the deaths to byproduct
casualties of WWI. They argue that genocide involves the systemic
and premeditated massacre of a group of people and that the deaths
of Armenians during the early 1900s were not premeditated but a
consequence of war. However, more and more Turkish historians and
scholars are beginning to accept the reality of the events of 1915.

Though American leaders have used the word “genocide” in speeches,
the United States has yet to officially pass a bill recognizing the
massacres as genocide. However, earlier this month, the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee passed a resolution that called to classify
the events in 1915 as genocide. The resolution currently awaits a
100-member floor vote.

With nearly 100 years passed since the genocide, some ask why it
matters if the genocide is recognized, and why we can’t just move on.

We learn about history in order to not repeat the mistakes of the
past. But what happens when a people are denied their past? When our
history is denied from us, how can we move forward? How can we learn?

How can we make sure these horrendous crimes never happen again?

Adolf Hitler understood the importance of wide recognition of the past
when he asked, in a speech impending the invasion of Poland, “Who,
after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” The
crimes of our past serve as warnings for our future. Well, just about
a century later, we are speaking today of the genocide of Armenians.

No matter how hard one tries to edit history or censor truth, the
ghosts of our past will haunt us until they are resolved. The current
population of the Armenian Diaspora is estimated to be around 10
million people, forming Armenian communities all around the world.

Saroyan concludes his poem, “Send them into the desert without bread or
water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh,
sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world,
see if they will not create a New Armenia.”

TURKEY CALLS WWI ARMENIAN KILLINGS ‘SHARED PAIN’

The Tribune,
April 23 2014

By SUZAN FRASER

Associated PressApril 23, 2014

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on
Wednesday offered an unprecedented, conciliatory message to Armenians
on the eve of the anniversary of the massacre of Armenians almost a
century ago.

Erdogan called the events of World War I “our shared pain” and
acknowledged that the deportation of Armenians in 1915 had “inhumane
consequences.”

Erdogan released a statement in Turkish, Armenian and seven other
languages, expressing hope that those killed are in peace and offering
Turkey’s condolences to their descendants. The message came a day
before Armenians mark the 99th anniversary of the killings in 1915
by Ottoman Turks.

The episode is considered by many historians as the first genocide of
the 20th century. They estimate that about 1.5 million Armenians died.

Turkey rejects the term genocide, saying those figures are inflated
and there were deaths on both sides as the Ottoman Empire collapsed.

Erdogan, in his message, acknowledged that the deportations had dire
consequences, but did not use the term “genocide.” He said millions
of people “of all religions and ethnicities” lost their lives during
the war.

“The incidents of the First World War are our shared pain,” Erdogan’s
message read.

The Armenian National Committee of America dismissed Erdogan’s
statement as “simply 99 years of genocide denial repackaged.”

“Mr. Erdogan’s statement … is a patently transparent attempt
to mute international condemnation and calls for justice for the
centrally planned and systematically executed campaign of murder and
deportation,” the group said.

Erdogan said the events should not prevent “Turks and Armenians
from establishing compassion and mutually humane attitudes toward
one another.”

“Using the events of 1915 as an excuse for hostility against Turkey
and turning this issue into a matter of political conflict is
inadmissible,” Erdogan said.

Erdogan also renewed a Turkish proposal for a joint study of the
events involving scholars from both nations.

TURKEY HOPES CALL ON 1915 ‘WILL NOT HANG IN THE AIR’

Turkish Press
April 24 2014

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Turkey’s offer of joint research ‘is a call for Armenia that we hope
to be answered’ says FM

ANKARA – The Turkish foreign minister has expressed hope that Turkey’s
call for a joint academic research on the events of 1915 to Armenia
“will not hang in the air”.

Turkey’s move “is a call for Armenia that we hope to be answered,”
Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters on Wednesday, referring to Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s offer.

Turkey has called for the research of the 1915 events to be carried
out by a commission of Turkish, Armenian and international historians,
the Turkish Prime Ministry said in a statement earlier on Wednesday
ahead of the anniversary of the events.

The 1915 events took place during World War I when a portion of
the Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with
the invading Russians and uprose against the Ottoman authority. The
uprisings were followed by a relocation decision of the Ottoman Empire
concerning Armenians living in eastern Anatolia.

As a result, an unknown number of people died amid civil strife.

“History isn’t just black and white – a grey area is needed. Everyone
needs to show virtue by sharing the pains of the past,” Davutoglu
said at a reception held in Ankara for Turkey’s April 23 National
Sovereignty and Children’s Day.

– ‘Humanitarian attitude’

Davutoglu said Turkey’s move could be surprising to some, adding:
“However, everyone is aware of Turkey’s humanitarian and universal
attitude towards the pains of humanity.”

He said Turkey and Armenia had wanted to hold talks concerning the
1915 events in 2009 when an accord was signed to normalize relations.

“Turkey sees all losses regardless of ethnicity and religion as the
losses of humanity,” he added.

He said Turkey did not make Wednesday’s statement under pressure and
it did not have a cyclical dimension.

“We call on Armenia not only to display a common and humanitarian
attitude, but also to build a future together,” he said. “I am sure
our call will not be left hanging in the air.”

PM ERDOÐAN STRESSES ‘SHARED PAIN’ IN STATEMENT ON ARMENIAN ISSUE

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
April 23 2014

ANKARA

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan has issued a landmark statement on
the eve of the commemoration of the 99th anniversary of 1915. AA Photo

Large crowd including activists and intellectuals commemorate 1915
in Istanbul

The first call for Turkish-Armenian reconciliation

US welcomes Turkish PM’s ‘historic’ condolences to Armenians

Turkey has issued a first-ever statement offering condolences to the
descendants of slain Ottoman Armenians just a day before of 99th
anniversary of the mass killings of Armenians at the hands of the
Ottoman Empire during World War I.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan highlighted the “shared pain”
endured during the 1915 events in a historic statement April 23 on
the Armenian issue, expressing condolences on behalf of the Turkish
state to the grandchildren of Armenians who lost their lives “in the
context of the early 20th century.”

In a first-of-its-kind statement released by the Prime Minister’s
Office, Erdoðan said April 24 carries “particular significance for
our Armenian citizens and for all Armenians around the world.”

Click on the languages to read the complete statement in English,
French, German, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Eastern Armenian and
Western Armenian

Speaking to reporters April 23, Erdoðan said it was always Turkey that
had taken steps for reconciliation but that it was now the Armenian
side’s turn to take steps toward Turkey.

Arguing that all ethnicities in the late years of the Ottoman Empire
experienced a hard time full of pain, Erdoðan called for a just, humane
and conscientious bearing to commemorate all tragedies experienced
during the era.

“The incidents of World War I are our shared pain. To evaluate this
painful period of history through a perspective of just memory is a
humane and scholarly responsibility,” he said.

Erdoðan’s statement also stressed the importance of freedom of
expression and respect for plurality regarding history.

“In Turkey, expressing different opinions and thoughts freely on the
events of 1915 is the requirement of a pluralistic perspective, as
well as of a culture of democracy and modernity,” the statement said.

“Some may perceive this climate of freedom in Turkey as an opportunity
to express accusatory, offensive and even provocative assertions and
allegations. Even so, if this will enable us to better understand
historical issues with their legal aspects and to transform resentment
to friendship again, it is natural to approach different discourses
with empathy and tolerance and expect a similar attitude from all
sides,” he said.

“It is with this understanding that we have opened our archives to
all researchers. Today, hundreds of thousands of documents in our
archives are at the service of historians,” Erdoðan said.

“Looking to the future with confidence, Turkey has always supported
scholarly and comprehensive studies for an accurate understanding of
history. The people of Anatolia, who lived together for centuries
regardless of their different ethnic and religious origins, have
established common values in every field from art to diplomacy,
from state administration to commerce. Today they continue to have
the same ability to create a new future,” he said.

“It is our hope and belief that the peoples of an ancient and unique
geography, who share similar customs and manners, will be able to talk
to each other about the past with maturity and to remember together
their losses in a decent manner. And it is with this hope and belief
that we wish that the Armenians who lost their lives in the context
of the early 20th century rest in peace, and we convey our condolences
to their grandchildren,” he said.

Armenians will mark the 99th anniversary of the tragedy this year
on April 24, the date on which the mass deportations of hundreds
of thousands of Ottoman Armenians started when a telegram by
Ottoman Interior Minister Talat Paþa ordered provincial governors
and commanders – especially in the eastern regions to which the
Tsarist Russian army was advancing – to forcibly deport the Armenian
population.

Armenians describe the events as “genocide” and demand its recognition
by Ankara. Turkey claims the killings should be understood in the
context of World War I.

A resolution that recognizes the killings of Ottoman Armenians as
a genocide, which passed at the U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations
Committee on April 10 by bipartisan vote, failed to reach the floor
earlier this month.

“With this understanding, we, as the Turkish Republic, have called for
the establishment of a joint historical commission in order to study
the events of 1915 in a scholarly manner,” Erdoðan’s statement said.

“This call remains valid. Scholarly research to be carried out
by Turkish, Armenian and international historians would play a
significant role in shedding light on the events of 1915 and an
accurate understanding of history.”

Statement a surprise

The statement was a complete surprise to some Armenian analysts,
who said Erdoðan’s statement was like an “olive branch” and an
“expression of humanity.”

“[The statement] was unexpected because Erdoðan was percieved to be
the main obstacle in the reconciliation process with Armenia. This
statement is almost like an olive branch,” said Richard Giragosian,
the director of the Yerevan-based think tank Regional Studies, adding
that it was significant that he talked about “common pain.”

“It was done in a very sophisticated manner since it was also publised
in both Eastern and Western Armenian,” he said, adding that it targeted
the Armenian diaspora, Yerevan and internal public opinion.

“I believe Ankara is also trying to reach out to Yerevan since I know
that the Armenian goverment has told the Turkish government that it
will delegate the activities for the centenial of 1915 to the Armenian
diaspora. In other words, it will be the diaspora rather than the
Armenian government that will take center stage for the activities,”
Giragosian said.

Touching on the different public perceptions of Erdoðan and President
Abdullah Gul, he said: “Erdoðan has been a polarizing leader; the
statement almost sounded as if it was President Abdullah Gul speaking.

This statement gives a softer image of Erdoðan and reflects his
confidence after [the March 30] elections as well as prior to
presidential elections.”

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN ATTENDS OPENING OF NEW BUILDING OF CHAMBER OF ADVOCATES OF ARMENIA

YEREVAN, April 22. / ARKA /. President Serzh Sargsyan attended today
the opening ceremony of the new subsidiary building of the Chamber of
Advocates of Armenia, the Law School and the Public Defender’s Office.

The president toured the newly opened building, familiarized himself
with the working and training conditions of the aforementioned
institutions and activities projects, his press office reported.

The building has been repaired and put into operation in the framework
of the 2009-2012 legal and judicial amendment project. At present,
63 students study at the Law School which also conducts advocates’
trainings.

The executives assured that in the future distance learning programs
will be implemented for the School’s students and advocates. -0-

– See more at:

Institute of Asian and African Studies
Armenian Studies Program
Jerusalem Center for Genocide Prevention
Combat Genocide Association

Evening Commemorating the 99th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide

April 22nd, 2014

This month Armenians everywhere mark 99 years since the beginning of the
Genocide committed by the Turkish Regime of that time, on April 24, 1915.
Between 1 and 1.5 million Armenians were murdered during the years of World
War I in organized killings and in death marches and exiled from their
historical homeland towards the Syrian Desert. Those who survived became
refugees scattered around the globe, and some of them joined the ancient
Armenian community of Jerusalem. Armenian culture too suffered great
losses but managed to survive in new and old communities.

Many countries around the world have recognized the Armenian Genocide,
one of the first organized horrors of the twentieth century that
preceded the Holocaust by almost three decades. Unfortunately, Israel
is not yet among them although in recent years the Knesset has held
hearings in which speakers from the entire political spectrum have
called for recognition.

The Armenian Studies Program at the Hebrew University, the Jerusalem
Center for Genocide Prevention, and Combat Genocide Association, will
commemorate the Armenian Genocide on Tuesday April 22nd, 2014 in Beit
Belgia, Givat Ram Campus, Jerusalem, Starting at 18:30.

The event is taking place in collaboration with the Armenian community
of Jerusalem, the Armenian Patriarchate and the Honourary Consul of
Armenia in Jerusalem. The key speakers will be the Holocaust Scholar
Prof. Yehuda Bauer who would speak about `The Armenian Genocide in
Context’, and medical epidemiologist Prof. Elihu D. Richter who would
focus on `The Long Shadow: >From Turkish Doctors Gassing Armenian
Children to Nazi Medicine’. The event will include renditions of
Armenian music, performed by members of the Armenian community in
Jerusalem.

For further details, see the attached invitation that also serves as
an access to Givat Ram campus and for parking near Beit Belgia. We
would be honored to see you at this important event. Entrance is
free.

For more information and for coordinating interviews, please contact
Yoav Loeff, Tel. 052-2673939, or Tamar Pillegi, Tel. 058-6339968.

For further information about the Armenian Studies at the Hebrew
University contact Prof. Michael Stone at [email protected].

PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-686-0710
Fax: 212–779-3558
Email: [email protected]
Web:

** TOP STORY April 23, 2014
————————————————————
Armenian Genocide

** Armenian Martyrs Day
————————————————————
Tomorrow, Armenians around the world will solemnly remember the great
tragedy that befell our people 99 years ago.

Beginning in 1915, more than 1.5 million Armenians were massacred by
the Ottoman Turkish Empire in what has come to be known as the
Armenian Genocide. Around 75 percent of the entire population of
Armenians in the world at that time was annihilated, making it the
first attempt at genocide perpetrated in modern times. Indeed, the
very word `genocide’ (denoting the destruction of an entire people)
was coined to describe the policy of systematic extermination which
the Ottoman regime used against the Armenian population.

Armenians remember this dark episode of history through religious and
cultural observances every year on April 24: the date when the first
onslaught, which targeted Armenian elites and intellectuals, began.

Armenian Martyrs Day will be observed at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral
on Thursday, April 24. The Very Rev. Fr. Simeon Odabashian, Diocesan
Vicar, will celebrate the Divine Liturgy beginning at 10:30
a.m. Badarak will be followed by a requiem service. A blessing of
madagh will take place following the service. The cathedral will
remain open throughout the day for prayer and remembrance.

Local commemorations are planned throughout the Diocese. Check with
your parish
()
to learn about events planned in your area.

The annual Genocide Commemoration sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic
Knights and Daughters of Vartan will be held in Times Square (43rd
Street and Broadway) on Sunday, April 27, beginning at 2 p.m. Click
here
()
for information.

The Knights and Daughters of Vartan are also sponsoring a unique
memorial this year: twin searchlights, which will shine up from the
St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral plaza for 99 hours starting on April 24.

Annual Assembly

** Diocesan Assembly to Convene Next Week
————————————————————
Next week the Diocesan Center and St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral will
host the 112th Diocesan Assembly, bringing together several hundred
Armenian Church leaders from throughout the Eastern Diocese. The
Assembly will convene from May 1 to 3, and will be preceded by the
annual Clergy Conference, which will be held from April 28 to 30. The
Diocesan Women’s Guild General Assembly also convenes during the week.

In addition to the regular business sessions and reports from Diocesan
organizations, the Assembly will include a presentation on the
Diocesan theme for the year: “Living the Gospel of Christ.”

A highlight of the week of activities will be the annual awards
banquet, on the evening of Friday, May 2. At that time, Dr. Raffy
Hovanessian
()
will be honored for his longtime leadership of the community as the
Diocese’s 2014 “Armenian Church Member of the Year.” Honored as this
year’s “Friend of the Armenians” will be musician Ian Gillan
()
of the 1970s band Deep Purple, who has been a benefactor of Armenia
since the 1988 earthquake.

Click here
()
to read more.

** Scripture of the Week
————————————————————

Acts 5:34-6:7
Jas 3:1-12
Jn 1:1-17

** Prayer of the Week
————————————————————

You created the visible light, separated the day and night, shed forth
on us, O Lord, by night the rays of spiritual light. Give us at all
times the shadow of your protecting hand, that by day and by night we
may give you glory incessantly. Amen.

** Upcoming Saints & Feasts
————————————————————

24 April: Armenian Martyrs Day

27 April: 46th Anniversary of the Consecration of St. Vartan Cathedral

4 May: Sunday of the World Church

** CHURCH NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE
————————————————————
Easter Sunday at Holy Etchmiadzin
His Holiness Karekin II leads a procession at Holy Etchmiadzin.

** Christ’s Resurrection Celebrated at Holy Etchmiadzin
————————————————————
At Holy Etchmiadzin, the Mother See of the worldwide Armenian Church,
His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Easter Sunday.

Present for the occasion was Armenia’s President Serge Sargsyan and
other government officials. A number of Armenians from across the
diaspora also took part in services at Holy Etchmiadzin.

In his homily, His Holiness spoke about the significance of Christ’s
sacrifice 2,000 years later. `The Resurrection, which transformed the
course of history, remains also today the miraculous power on which we
shall rely and through which the world and the souls of men shall be
renewed by new achievements,’ he said. `On this holy Easter Sunday, we
pray, dear Armenian people, so that we may live in faith, hope, and
love, and write together a new chapter in our nation’s history.’

Click on the following links to read His Holiness Karekin II’s message
()
and to view a video
()
of Easter services at Holy Etchmiadzin.

Holy Fire
The “Holy Fire” ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

** Pilgrims Celebrate Easter in Jerusalem
————————————————————
Hundreds of Armenian pilgrims from across the diaspora took part in
Holy Week and Easter observances in Jerusalem this year.

On Easter Eve, Saturday, April 19, they gathered at the Church of the
Holy Sepulchre-the site of Christ’s crucifixion, burial, and
resurrection-to witness the traditional `Holy Fire’ ceremony. Clergy
of the Armenian, Greek, Coptic, and Syrian churches took part in the
ancient tradition of passing a torch from its source at the tomb of
Christ through the crowds of worshipers in the church.

During the ceremony, clergy entered the sepulcher of Christ to pray
and to await the flame. Once the flame appeared, it was brought out
among the faithful, many of whom stood in the sanctuary holding 33
candles symbolizing the 33 years of Christ’s life.

On Easter Sunday Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, the Armenian Patriarch
of Jerusalem, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at Sts. James Armenian
Cathedral in the Armenian quarter of Jerusalem. Clergy visiting from
Holy Etchmiadzin also took part in the Easter Sunday and Holy Week
services.

Click here
()
to view photos.

** DIOCESAN NEWS
————————————————————
Easter Sunday at St. Vartan Cathedral
Dr. Kevork Niksarli and Archbishop Khajag Barsamian release doves on
the cathedral plaza.

** Easter at St. Vartan Cathedral
————————————————————
More than 2,000 people participated in Easter services at St. Vartan
Armenian Cathedral in New York on Sunday, April 20. Diocesan Primate
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian celebrated the Divine Liturgy and
delivered the Easter homily.

`We are called to live our Lord’s Resurrection in our own lives-as
individuals, as a people, as the Armenian Church,’ Archbishop
Barsamian said. `And we can do this by opening our hearts to Christ
and following His example.’

After the Divine Liturgy, the Primate led a procession to the
cathedral plaza, where 12 doves were released, symbolizing the
dispatching of the 12 apostles.

Dr. Kevork Niksarli was the godfather of the “Release of Doves”
ceremony. Dr. Niksarli and his wife Alvina recently made possible the
renovation of classrooms at the Diocesan Center’s St. Vartan Armenian
School, where their daughter is a student.

A reception and program followed in Haik and Alice Kavookjian
Auditorium, where Archbishop Barsamian officiated over a home-blessing
service.

Click on the following links to read more
()
, and to view photos
()
and a video
()
.

Diocesa Council meets in NYC
>From left: Council chair James Kalustian, Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian, and Vahan Janjigian.

** Diocesan Council Looks Forward to Annual Assembly
————————————————————
Meeting at the Diocesan Center on Wednesday, April 23, members of the
Diocesan Council finalized the agenda for the upcoming 112th Diocesan
Assembly, and reviewed other details concerning next week’s meeting of
clergy and delegates.

In addition, the Council discussed the latest plans put forth for the
East Coast commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide in 2015.

FAR
A child at FAR’s Children’s Center in Armenia.

** FAR Focuses on Childhood Social Services
————————————————————
The Fund for Armenian Relief’ Children’s Center has teamed up with the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
()
on a project concerning juvenile justice.

Earlier this spring, the Children’s Center began identifying social
services available to families in Armenia. The center’s study, made
possible with OSCE support, will be published as an advisory manual
for case workers.

The collaboration seeks to address concerns expressed in a 2013
European Commission report on the status of childhood social services
in Armenia.

Click here
()
to visit FAR’s blog and to read more.

** PARISH NEWS
————————————————————
Torosian Award Recipients
The two inaugural winners of the `Grace Emily Torosian Sunday School
Perfect Attendance Award.’

** An Award for Perfect Sunday School Attendance
————————————————————

Sunday School graduations throughout the Diocese will feature a new
award this year: the `Grace Emily Torosian Sunday School Perfect
Attendance Award.’ Graduating students who have achieved 10 years of
perfect attendance are eligible to receive the award plaque, etched
with the student’s name and adorned with a cross carved in
Armenia. This year’s inaugural winners were Haig Torosian and Gregory
Dorian of Cambridge, MA.

The award was established in honor of the late Grace Emily (Cook)
Torosian. A member of Cambridge’s Holy Trinity Church, where she was a
Sunday School pre-school assistant for many years, Grace passed away
last August at the age of 50, after a lengthy illness. Grace and her
husband Kaspar devoted themselves to their sons’ Christian upbringing,
instilling in them an understanding to `do the best you can, because
your faith and love are the only things you take with you into
heaven.’

All three sons graduated from the Holy Trinity Sunday School with
absolute perfect attendance-Greg in 2008 with 12 years of consecutive
perfect attendance; Mark in 2010 with 14 years of consecutive perfect
attendance; and Haig last month with 15 years of consecutive perfect
attendance.

Armenian Church in Austin, TX
Parishioners in Austin take part in the Divine Liturgy on April 12.

** Austin Parish Welcomes Seminary Dean
————————————————————

The mission parish of Austin, TX, welcomed the Rev. Fr. Mardiros
Chevian, dean of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, for the celebration of
the Divine Liturgy on Saturday, April 12. Fr. Chevian was assisted by
Dn. Ken Maranian.

Also present was the Very Rev. Fr. Movses Sargsyan, who serves as
vicar of the army chaplains in Armenia, and is currently studying
English at Lackland Airforce Base in San Antonio before moving on to
take chaplaincy courses in South Carolina.

At a potluck luncheon following the services, the parish collected
funds for a local domestic violence shelter, in honor of young victims
of the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

St. Mary Church, Livingston, NJ
Holy Thursday at St. Mary Church in Livingston, NJ.

** Holy Week in the Parishes
————————————————————

Local Armenian churches have been alive for the past week with the
services of Holy Week: the most important week of the Armenian Church
calendar.

At the Hye Pointe Church in Haverhill, MA, the Palm Sunday celebration
was notable for being the parish’s first `ACYOA Day’ in five years. On
that day, the parish established ACYOA Juniors and Seniors chapters,
and the young people hosted the Palm Sunday dinner. During the
program, the ACYOA showed a video about a parish trip to Armenia led
by pastor Fr. Vart Gyozalian last summer.

Parishioners of the St. Mary Church of Livingston, NJ, observed Palm
Sunday with a narrated Divine Liturgy, celebrated by pastor Fr. Arakel
Vardazaryan, to prepare them for the liturgical celebrations
throughout the week, culminating on Easter Eve and Easter Sunday.

Click here
()
to view parish photos. We welcome submissions of Easter photos from
our parishes, which will run in the May 8 newsletter.

St. Gregory of Narek Sunday School, OH
Armenian and Sunday school students in Cleveland prepared a Lenten
soup luncheon to raise funds for Kessab.

** Cleveland Youth Raise Funds for Kessab
————————————————————

Last week’s story about the Kessab fundraiser at St. Gregory of Narek
Church of Richmond Heights, OH, neglected to mention the total raised
by the Armenian and Sunday school students. The young people collected
$2,600.

Click here
()
to view photos from their Lenten soup luncheon.

Upcoming events

** Upcoming Parish Events
————————————————————

Sts. Vartanantz Church | Chelmsford, MA
On Thursday, April 24, Sts. Vartanantz Church of Chelmsford, MA, will
commemorate the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide with a
requiem service at the church’s martyrs monument. Following the
service, Dr. Ivy Helman, professor of religious studies at Merrimack
College, and Dn. Ara Jeknavorian of the Merrimack Valley Armenian
Genocide Education Committee will share their experiences in leading
discussions about the Genocide and Holocaust at local high schools.

St. Peter Chuch | Watervliet, NY
Pianists Marina Abrahamyan and Susanna Kirakosyan of Armenia will give
a concert at the Egg performing arts center in Albany, NY, on
Saturday, April 26, at 4:30 p.m. The program, which will feature works
by Armenian and international composers, is dedicated to the martyrs
of the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

The Egg is located at Empire State Plaza in Albany. Click on the
following links to view a flyer
()
or visit the Egg website
()
for ticket information. Tickets are also available through St. Peter
Church.

Holy Martyrs Church | Bayside, NY
On Saturday, April 26, Holy Martyrs Church of Bayside, NY, will
commemorate the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide with a
requiem service beginning at 7 p.m. Following the service, the
Aradzani Dance Group will perform a program titled “Songs and Dances
of Historic Armenia.”

Pre-1915 songs and dances will be presented by the Aradzani and Hye
Bar Dance groups. Aradzani will dance to the live music of the
Tarpinian Ensemble. The program will also include background
information on historic Armenia and recitations. For tickets, contact
Robert at (718) 578-6574, or via e-mail at [email protected]
(mailto:[email protected]) .

Holy Trinity Church | Cambridge, MA
Holy Trinity Church of Greater Boston will host a book talk and
luncheon with Celtics legend JoJo White on Sunday, April 27, at 12
p.m. Mark C. Bodanza, author of Make It Count-a biography of the great
athlete-will also be in attendance. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information, or call the church office at (617)
354-0632.

St. Gregory the Enlightener Church | White Plains, NY
The ACYOA Seniors of St. Gregory the Enlightener Church of White
Plains, NY, will host a spring dance featuring Onnik Dinkjian and the
John Berberian Ensemble. The dance will be held in the church’s Tutak
Hall on Saturday, May 3, beginning at 8 p.m. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

Hye Pointe Church | Haverhill, MA
Hye Pointe Church of Haverhill, MA, will host a spring food festival
on Saturday, May 3. Dinner will be served from 12 to 7 p.m. Baked
goods will be available for sale. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

Soorp Haroutiun Church | Orlando, FL
Soorp Haroutiun Church of Orlando, FL, will host a picnic on Sunday,
May 4, beginning at 12 p.m. Enjoy traditional Armenian food,
activities for children, and fellowship. Reservations are
recommended. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

St. Mary Church | Washington, DC
St. Mary Church of Washington, DC, will host its annual spring food
festival from May 8 to 10. Enjoy Armenian cuisine, including shish
kabob, rice pilaf, eggplant delight, lahmajoon, kufta, yalanchi dolma,
and more. The festival will be held on church grounds at 4125
Fessenden Street NW in Washington, DC. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

St. Thomas Church | Tenafly, NJ
St. Thomas Church of Tenafly, NJ, will host Russian-Armenian singer
Avraam Russo live in concert on Friday, May 16. The program will
include Armenian, Arabic, English, and Russian songs. Click here
()
to view a flyer for ticket information, or contact Talar Sarafian at
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or (201) 444-2478;
Maral Kalishian at (845) 729-1888; Tanya Vartanyan at (201) 941-6764;
or the church office at (201) 567-5446.

** YOUTH NEWS
————————————————————
Summer Camps
Campers at St. Vartan Camp.

** Register for Summer Camp
————————————————————
Online registration for St. Vartan Camp is now open. Click on the
following links to register a camper
()
or to download applications
()
for St. Vartan Camp CIT, staff, and volunteer positions.

Hye Camp applications for campers, CITs, staff, and volunteers are
available here
()
, and are due by June 1.

Click on the following links to view the Diocesan camps flyer
()
and the St. Vartan Camp brochure
(`ec908a74&e=b6c1479cc6&utm_source=Eastern+Diocese+E-Newsletter&utm_campaign=a541b7ea31-February_9_20122_9_2012&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3f0172fcf2-a541b7ea31-159688434)
. Click here
()
to watch a video about the Diocesan Summer Camp programs.

For more information about Hye Camp or St. Vartan Camp, contact
Jennifer Morris, director of the Diocese’s Department of Youth and
Young Adult Ministries, at (248) 648-0702 or via e-mail at
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) ;
or contact the department’s coordinator Lorie Odabashian at (212)
686-0710, ext. 143, or via e-mail at [email protected]
(mailto:[email protected]) .

** EVENTS
————————————————————
Dr. Papazian
SCSU President Mary Papazian will deliver the keynote address at the
Armenian Genocide commemoration on April 29.

** Genocide Commemoration on Connecticut Campus
————————————————————

A commemoration of the Armenian Genocide will be held at Southern
Connecticut State University on Tuesday, April 29, from 12:30 to 1:30
p.m. SCSU President Mary Papazian will deliver the keynote address,
with introductory remarks by art history professor Anahit
Ter-Stepanian.

The event will take place in the Adanti Student Center Theater on the
SCSU campus in New Haven, CT. The commemoration is sponsored by the
Women’s Studies Program.

Click here
()
to visit the SCSU website for information.

ZabelYessayan
Zabel Yessayan is considered one of the great writers of Western
Armenian literature.

** A Talk on Zabel Yessayan
————————————————————

The Diocese’s Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center will host a
presentation by Jennifer Manoukian on her new English translation of
Zabel Yessayan’s memoir, The Gardens of Silihdar. The event will be
held on Tuesday, May 6, beginning at 7 p.m.

Zabel Yessayan (1878-1943) is considered one of the great writers of
Western Armenian literature. Her 1935 memoir is a vivid account of
Armenian community life in Constantinople at the end of the 19th
century.

Click here
()
to visit the Zohrab Center’s blog for information.

Zahrad
The late Armenian poet Zahrad.

** A Literary Evening in Honor of Zahrad
————————————————————

The Esayan-Getronagan Alumni will mark the 90th birthday of the late
Armenian poet Zahrad with a literary evening on Saturday, May 10. The
event will be held at the Holy Martyrs Church in Bayside, NY,
beginning at 8 p.m.

The program will include recitations and remarks. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

** A NOTE TO OUR READERS
————————————————————
The Diocese’s e-Newsletter will not be published on Thursday, May 1,
while the Diocesan Assembly is in session. We look forward to resuming
e-Newsletter publication on Thursday, May 8.

Rule of Law party imitates withdrawal from the coalition

17:20 / 14.04.2014

Spokesperson for the ruling Republican party Eduard Sharmazanov said
in his yesterday’s statement that ARF-D and the PAP have been offered
to form a coalition government. He did not say a word about the Rule
of Law party.

Nyut.am wanted to find out the Rule of Law party’s position in the
issue but neither Heghine Bisharyan, nor Mher Shahgeldyan and
Hovhannes Margaryan answered the phone calls.

Speaking to Nyut.am, spokesperson for the Rule of Law party Arthur
Misakyan said that the party will convene a political session on April
16 to discuss the new political situation in the country and the
party’s position over it.

`Our political council will discuss and make a decision and we will
come up with a relevant statement. There is nothing else I can say at
this moment,’ Misakyan said.

According to Nyut.am information, the newly appointed PM is planning
to cut the number of Rule of Law party ministers, having one or two
instead of three if of course the party is included in the coalition.
Learning about it, Arthur Baghdasaryan, party’s leader, now wants to
create an impression as if they are withdrawing from the coalition.

Nyut.am