Author: nina hovnanian

Iran’s Armenian community celebrates Tyarndarach

February 14, 2013 – 14:01 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Tehran’s Armenian community has secretly celebrated
Tyarndarach (Candlemas Day), taking advantage of the absence of the
head of Iranian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
According to an independent Iranian journalist Vartan Davtian,
Armenian churches in Iran prohibit making bonfires as a symbol of
Zoroastrism and pagan traditions.
`The public, however, insists on the Christian roots of the holiday
and continues marking it,’ Davtian said.

Armenia’s president under `curse of the year’ – political scientist

TERT.AM
14:16 – 14.02.13

Hmayak Hovhannisyan, Chairman of the Union of Political Scientists of
Armenia, believes the phrase `may you remain unrivaled’ to be a curse
of the year, and Armenia’s incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan is under
this curse.

`I first of all mean that the political force that got the second
largest number of votes in the latest national elections, had the
second largest parliamentary group and the second largest financial
and administrative resources, but refused to participate in the
elections that were of prime importance,’ Mr Hovhannisyan told
journalists on Thursday.

One more paradox is Chairman of the opposition bloc Armenian National
Congress (ANC) Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s refusal to participate in the
election campaign. The third one is the position of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D), the fourth is one of
the presidential candidate’s hunger-strike, which is a step `worth the
Guinness Book of Records.’

The assignation attempt against one of the presidential candidates and
the process of his petitioning for postponement of the presidential
election is one of the `absurdities’ of the 2013 presidential election
campaign.

Armenia Is A Casino, Candidates – Hitters

Siranuysh Papyan
14:47 14/02/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

Interview with civil activist, IT specialist Karen Harutiunyan

Karen, you support Andrias Ghukasyan, currently in hunger strike. Has
his action changed anything in the society? By and large, there seems
to be no consolidation, why?

As an Armenian citizen, I support Andrias Ghukasyan because I can see
his claim for which he sacrifices himself. Whoever issued that claim,
I would support.

Besides, all kind of usual mechanisms, such as rallies and marches are
exhausted and they have never led to results. The fight has always
been carried with traditional methods, now the tradition is broken,
new mechanisms are used. All kind of news is difficultly acceptable by
the society. Someone tries to describe the new actions as fake looking
for dark forces and justifying their own idleness. Our people are used
to wait for the savior while citizens should assume personal
responsibility for the changes. From the beginning of the hunger
strike, people laughed and mocked the action being sure that it would
change nothing. The authorities supported this idea, while the issue
is the society: that person resorted to a very dangerous step and it
is difficult for the society to come to terms with this idea. But
always more people issue their support to him now.

Any deviation from the scenario stresses the regime; this is why
recently 300 police officers accompanied our action of over 50 youths.

The society has no trust because it has always witnessed fraudulent
elections and opposition’s failure. For example, during the fight at
Mashtots Park, everyone was negative about the victory, but the
experience showed that when conscious citizens formulated their
claims, the regime can’t but yield. People won’t trust you if you
don’t resort to extreme steps, such as Andrias Ghukasyan’s hunger
strike.

What developments will follow before long?

No doubt, elections will be rigged. Nothing will change unless the
society organizes and paves its way through new ways and methods. The
only changes, in case of absence of the society’s active
participation, will be inside the same oligarchic system, only players
will change.

The regime is weakening when its scenario deviates, when its rules
don’t function, when citizens start dictating their own rules. In this
sense, the involvement of the youth is very important because the
motor of revolution and any change is the youth with new ideas and
values.

Whom will the society support if we assume the election is transparent?

There can be no fair elections if the RPA runs. Serzh Sargsyan’s only
card to blackmail the society is the war threat. This is a
particularity of dictatorships, such as Armenia and Azerbaijan. There
is no election in dictatorial countries, so dwelling on fair elections
means dwelling on a completely different political situation with
different political ideas and forces.

Today we need new quality political forces, but before, we need to
send this regime. There is a vacuum in the political field, so there
is the possibility to fill it with a political force of civil type
which may bring about radical and systemic changes which, in turn,
will form new political figures and bodies. This largely depends on
the civil groups and movement and on their readiness to put forward
political issues and achieve their solutions.

Karen, Serzh Sargsyan has recently spoken half joking about `hitting
some numbers’ (votes). Doesn’t he mock the election process too?

Serzh Sargsyan’s words are of no importance for me. Hitting number is
casino vocabulary. His fame as a gambler is felt now. Serzh Sargsyan
actually confessed the election is already rigged, and it is
noteworthy that he is not going to `hit less than 60′. Election is
gambling in Armenia, and the candidates are hitters. But they don’t
gamble for the sake of the society, so if they want gambling, they had
better leave for Las Vegas.

Hakob Ghazanchyan brought Serbian “Virus” to Armenia

10:30, 14 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. The Yerevan Theater for Young
Spectator will introduce the premier of “The Virus”performance on
February 14. The author is prominent modern Serbian playwright Sinisa
KovaÄ?eviÄ?. In a conversation with “Armenpress” the Art Director of the
theatre Hakob Ghazanchyan stated that he got acquainted with the
Russian version of the play during his visit to Ulyanovsk. He noted:
“Serbian theaterlogist Dragana Boskovic suggested me to read the play.
I should say that I liked the play very much. Some time later I had an
opportunity to meet the author in Belgrade. And we came to an
agreement that I shall stage his play in beginning of the current
year, after I come back to Yerevan.”

Among other things Hakob Ghazanchyan noted that the Serbian playwright
has presented the given play and demanded no royalties. Furthermore,
Serbian playwright Sinisa KovaÄ?eviÄ? will be present at the Yerevan
premier of his play “The Virus”. During his visit the director of one
of the world’s most prominent theatrical festivals will accompany him.

ARMENIE
Déclarations de Nathalie Goulet au sujet du génocide arménien

Vice-Présidente du groupe d’amitié France-Turquie, cette sénatrice
française aurait déclaré que « la communauté arménienne a raison de
combattre pour la pénalisation de la négation du génocide des
Arméniens, comme les Juifs l’ont fait pour la Shoah ». / Golos Arménii

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Arménie en
date du 7 février 2013

jeudi 14 février 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS DEMAND AZERBAIJAN PROTECT AUTHOR

Europe Online Magazine, EU
Feb 13 2013

Europe13.02.2013By our dpa-correspondent and Europe Online

Moscow (dpa) – Azerbaijan must take steps to guarantee the safety of
noted author Akram Aylisli, the subject of a campaign of intimidation,
urged international human rights groups.

Aylisli, 75, was recently stripped of his honorary “People’s Writer”
title and government pension, amid the fallout over his novel about
Nagorno-Karabakh, a region claimed by Azerbaijan but controlled
by Armenia.

The novel, Stone Dreams, is about two Azeri men in Nagorno-Karabakh
trying to stop people from attacking their Armenian neighbours,
set in the 1920s and at the end of the Soviet era.

The Frankfurt-based International Society for Human Rights and the
New York-based literary group PEN said the Azerbaijani government is
responsible for Aylisli’s welfare.

PEN said that while the book has not yet been published in Azerbaijan,
a Russian translation was available in December in the Russian literary
journal, Druahba naradov (Friendship of the Peoples).

Since January, Aylisli has been repeatedly threatened and copies of
his book have been burned, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said. Some of he
public book burnings in several cities of Azerbaijan were organized
by the ruling party.

On Monday, Hafiz Hajiyev, head of pro-government party Modern Musavat,
said that he would pay 12,700 dollars to anyone who would cut off
Aylisli’s ear.

HRW said that on January 29, officials from the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan
party demanded that he withdraw the novel and ask for the nation’s
forgiveness.

“The government of Azerbaijan is making a mockery of its international
obligations on freedom of expression,” HRW said.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have long disputed the status of
Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave that obtained de facto
independence from Baku in a 1994 ceasefire agreement.

Yerevan supports the territory’s independence while Baku considers
it a renegade province. dpa wo ncs ar Author: Wolfgang Jung

RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AT THE LEGAL LEVEL OF OFFICIAL WASHINGTON.

April 24, 2013 will mark the 98th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
in Ottoman Empire in 1915. So far, Washington has not recognized the
genocide of Armenians at the official level. While U.S. President
Barack Obama strongly condemned the Armenian Genocide and promised
to recognize him, but have not kept words.

After 2 years, will mark the 100th anniversary of the occasion.

I consider appropriate that the time has come to the official
Washington on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide at the legal
level.

The Recognized it was first made in 1965 in Uruguay, whose example was
followed by Russia, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Poland,
Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon,
Canada, Venezuela, Argentina, 42 U.S. states. Vatican, E.P., W.C.C.

Created: Feb 10, 2013 Issues: Civil Rights and Liberties, Foreign
Policy, Human Rights Learn about Petition Thresholds Signatures needed
by March 12, 2013 to reach goal of 100,000

98,617 Total signatures on this petition

1,383

81 PEOPLE READY TO JOIN ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS PARTY

February 13, 2013 – 20:02 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – 81 people have voiced readiness to join the
newly-formed Armenian National Congress party. They signed
the following initiative, ~SWe welcome the initiative group~Rs
statement. We stand ready to join the Armenian National Congress party
and contribute to its formation.~T A statement on the formation of the
ANC party was recently submitted to the Agency of the Public Register
of Armenian Ministry of Justice, with ANC leader, the first president
of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrossian among those presenting the statement.

Ter-Petrossian earlier noted social-liberalism at the core of the
party~Rs ideology, stipulating for a common liberal economic system
and meeting social needs.

BAKO SAHAKYAN MEETS ARTSAKH-BORN PHILANTHROPISTS FROM RUSSIA

TERT.AM
19:01 ~U 13.02.13

President of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic Bako Sahakyan
received on Wednesday a delegation of Russian-Armenian philanthropists
who were born in the village of Vaghuhas (Martakert region).

According to a press release by the NKR Presidential Office, the
president thanked the guests for the consistent support to their
home country, praising their contribution to the village and region’s
socioeconomic, cultural and spiritual life.

The sides have discussed possibilities of implementing a wide range
of programs. The meeting was also attended by the Martakert regional
governor, Vladik Khachatryan, and a priest of the Vaghus village’s St.

Virgin Mary church, Hovhannes Hovhannisyan.

TIARN’NDARAJ TO BE CELEBRATED ON FEBRUARY 14

10:37 13/02/2013 ” SOCIETY

On February 14, the Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of the
Lord’s Presentation to the Temple. Tiarn’ndaraj, or Candlemas as it
is known in the West, symbolizes the presentation of the 40 day-old
Christ Child to the Temple in Jerusalem.

In accordance with the Law of Moses, the infant Christ was brought
to the Temple by Mary and Joseph and presented to God. A man named
Simeon was there, to whom it had been revealed that he should not see
death before he had seen the Lord. Simeon held the infant in his arms,
blessed God, and said, “Lord, let your servant now depart in peace,
for my eyes have seen your Salvation, which you have prepared before
the face of all people. A Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the
Glory of Your people, Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32)

In the tradition of the Church, Evening Services (Nakhatonak) are
conducted on the night preceding the Feast Day. At the conclusion
of the service, the priest lights a candle from the Holy Altar, and
distributes the flame to all present. With great care, the faithful
take the lit candles home to their families.

The morning of the Feast Day, Divine Liturgy is celebrated in Armenian
Churches throughout the world. The hymn offered during the Liturgy
commemorating Tiarn’ndaraj glorifies Simeon’s articulation of “a
Light to lighten the Gentiles”. The hymn praising Simeon also lauds
the Mystery of the Incarnation.

In the past, young newlywed women used to run in the streets,
clapping wooden sticks together to announce the start of the feast of
Tiarn’ndaraj. They also prepared what was called “Kenats Tsar,” or
“Life Trees,” in addition to special baskets of candies and fruits
that these women would give to their in-laws. In return, their
mother-in-laws would prepare baskets as well, which were filled with
ornaments and presents like raisins, candies, fruits and sugar. And
nearly every family prepared “aghandz,” a dessert made of roasted
wheat and sesame seeds.

Now, the tradition of couples jumping over the bonfire is really the
only one still practiced. But in recent years, His Holiness Karekin II,
the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, has revived
the Divine Liturgy of Tiarn’ndaraj in all Armenian Churches. Newly
married couples still come to be blessed during the ceremony.

Source: Panorama.am