Author: nina hovnanian

ARMENIA VOICES CONCERNS OVER WORSENING HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN SYRIA

Xinhua General News Service
October 1, 2012 Monday 3:55 PM EST
China

Armenia on Monday voiced its concerns over the worsening humanitarian
situation in Syria, where a large Armenian community is said to be
directly affected.

“I should also express our concerns about the developments and
worsening of the humanitarian situation in Syria, which directly
affects also the large Armenian community in this country,” Edward
Nalbandian, the Armenian foreign minister, told the UN General
Assembly during its annual high-level debate, which is slated to
conclude later on Monday.

“This community was formed mainly by the survivors of the Armenian
Genocide in Ottoman Empire in the beginning of the 20th century,”
he said. “Today they are struggling for life as many Syrian citizens.”

“Armenia is continuing to receive refugees from Syria that are full
of worries about the escalation of violence in this country,” he added.

“It is impossible to reach a durable settlement without the cessation
of hostilities by all parties and without an inclusive political
dialogue taking into account the interests of all Syrians.”

FIGHTING AND CHAOS SPREAD THROUGH SYRIAN CITY, AS SERVICES VANISH

The New York Times
October 2, 2012 Tuesday
Late Edition – Final

By ANNE BARNARD; An employee of The New York Times contributed
reporting from Aleppo, Syria.

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Chaos continued to spread in Syria’s largest city,
Aleppo, on Monday, as rebels attacked the towering municipality
building with rockets, sending civil servants fleeing from one of
the few government buildings still functioning as dozens of soldiers
worked to defend the city center.

“We don’t want to hurt the employees, but we want them not to come to
work or they will be killed,” Sa’id Abu Abdo, 25, an armed insurgent,
said in Aleppo after the attack. “We will liberate each building in
the city.”

In a city that was once considered a bastion of support for President
Bashar al-Assad, and for a time was spared armed conflict, two months
of pitched battles have taken a heavy toll, disrupting the city and
threatening to open new rifts among ethnic groups that have long
coexisted there.

Compared to six weeks ago, the contrast observed on Monday
was striking. Municipal services have collapsed in many areas,
and Christian, Kurdish and wealthy Sunni Muslim neighborhoods that
had felt secure when fighting began have been the site of clashes
once limited to the poorer Sunni areas. In one Aleppo neighborhood,
corpses lay uncollected, gnawed by cats and dogs, and piles of garbage
attracted clouds of black flies.

Most of the city’s malls and many health centers in antigovernment
neighborhoods were closed. Even police stations appeared abandoned;
the force draws mostly from rural and working-class areas where
support for the uprising is strong. Some residents reported that their
neighborhoods had been without drinking water or electricity for weeks.

Some Christians, historically a vital part of Aleppo’s bustling ethnic
mix, have taken up arms to guard their neighborhoods and churches.

Many of Syria’s minority communities have either sided with President
Assad, fearing his fall would leave them vulnerable to the Sunni-led
opposition, or stayed out of the conflict because they did not trust
either side. One man patrolling his largely Christian neighborhood
with a Kalashnikov rifle said the government was arming Armenian
Christians in what he called an attempt to draw them into the conflict.

“Today it is clear for us that the Muslims from the countryside want
to destroy our city,” he said. “They have nothing to lose.”

He identified himself as Gano, an Armenian member of what he called
a popular committee recently organized to defend the neighborhood,
Aziziyah, which was sheltering refugees from other Christian
neighborhoods where fighting had broken out.

But he said he mistrusted the government, which he said was trying
to revive an armed Armenian group it had once supported against Turkey.

“No way, because we will be a legitimate target for the Muslim
rebels,” he said. “The regime wants to use us. We want to live in
peace or leave. We are a minority in this country and cannot face
the Muslim majority.”

As the fighting raged across the city Monday, 11 people were killed
and 20 wounded when a shell fell on the Othman Bin Matghoon Mosque
in the neighborhood of Masaken Hnano during dawn prayers, the Local
Coordinating Committees, an anti-Assad group, said. The Syrian state
news service said that government forces had retaken control of two
rebel neighborhoods and quoted residents as saying they “stressed
their rejection of all acts of terrorism and sabotage committed by
the mercenary terrorists,” its shorthand for rebels.

The road from Damascus to Aleppo was crowded on Saturday with
government troops headed for the city.

In a city that has been a commercial hub for millenniums, business
seemed to have almost halted; shopping malls were closed, and the
few open shops were selling bread for five times its normal price.

In the city’s medieval center, much of the old marketplace lay in
smoking ruins on Monday. Heavy, ancient stone walls had collapsed.

Nearby, the 12th-century citadel at the heart of the old city appeared
to be damaged, its heavy wooden door pockmarked with bullets and a
few stones broken from its gate. Government soldiers had taken up
positions there, as well as in the old city’s Umayyad Mosque, where
snipers could be seen on the minaret.

Even residents who supported the uprising appeared dejected about
the damage to the city, where traces of fire and ash littered the old
city and smoke lingered from a blaze the day before in the paint and
chemical supply shops of Bab al-Nasr.

“It is a very sad city — it has been sad for the past few months,”
said an anti-Assad activist who gave his name as Mohammed.

Abu Mahmoud, a wealthy, white-bearded garment merchant, exuded sadness
even inside his well-appointed, undamaged home. He said he was on
the verge of fleeing to Turkey, where his sons had opened a small
clothing business.

“The rebels came to liberate the city,” he said. “But we got
destruction, not freedom. The Assad forces don’t care about the
stones or the people. The regime is ready to destroy each house,
each shop and each building to keep the power for the Assad family.”

URL:

APPEARANCE OF A LIFE-SIZE STATUE OF HEYDAR ALIYEV IN MEXICO CITY RAISES EYEBROWS AND PROTESTS: WHO’S NEXT? HITLER? STALIN?

ARMINFO
Tuesday, October 2, 21:31

The appearance of a life-size statue of Azerbaijan’s “founder of
the nation” Heydar Aliyev on Mexico City’s elegant Reforma Avenue,
not far from Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln and Mexico’s national
heroes, is raising eyebrows and protests, Associated Press.

“It turns out that Azerbaijan contributed much of the 65 million pesos
($5 million) it cost to renovate not one, but two Mexico City parks,
allowing it to put monuments in both. Critics say that Aliyev, who
stifled dissent, shouldn’t be on a boulevard decorated with statues
to Mexican and foreign heroes”, the source says.

“They probably have a warehouse full of these things somewhere” in
Azerbaijan, said Daniel Gershenson, human rights activist who was 1 of
about a dozen protesters who demonstrated last week in front of the
monument, holding banners that read “Get rid of the dictator!” “It’s
like a personality cult, transferred to Mexico,” said writer and
activist Homero Aridjis, who described the style as “social realism
from the Soviet era.’ “It’s as if they brought a dictator from Mars,
“Aridjis said. “Are we going to be a center for monuments to dead
dictators? Who’s next? Hitler? Stalin?”

Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Mexico, Ilgar Mukhtarov, wrote that
Azerbaijan has lavished attention on Mexico because it was 1 of the
first countries to recognize Azerbaijan after the breakup of the
Soviet Union.

“A second Azerbaijani statue appears in the other park they paid
to renovate, Tlaxcoaque park in downtown Mexico City. It depicts
a woman, her arms uplifted in mourning, commemorating Khojaly, a
village where hundreds of Azerbaijanis were reportedly killed during
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Advocates say a monument to Mexican
suffering would have been more appropriate for a site once used as
a police interrogation and torture center”, the source says.

ARPA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 15TH ANNIVERSARY WITH LANDMARK FILMS

asbarez
Monday, October 1st, 2012

AFFMA LOS ANGELES-This year marks the 15th anniversary of Arpa
International Film Festival, the signature event of Arpa Foundation for
Film, Music, and Art (AFFMA), which will be held November 29-December
2. The Foundation and the Festival derive their name from Arpa,
a river that flows through Armenia . As water provides a source of
life and energy, so does art to the human soul. This year’s tentpole
films epitomize Arpa’s mission statement with the inclusion of the rich
comedy  LOST AND FOUND IN ARMENIA and Armenia’s Official Submission for
Foreign Language Film at the 85th Academy Awards®, IF ONLY EVERYONE.

The Foundation AFFMA, a non-profit organization, was founded for
the purpose of enhancing Los Angeles’s creative environment and
supporting those artists who bridge the cultural divide. Each year,
AFFMA stages networking events, concerts, art exhibits, fashion shows,
book signings, and various benefits to promote emerging talents. Most
significantly, AFFMA produces Arpa International Film Festival to unify
diverse people and cultures through film. Since 1997, the Festival
has honored over 100 artists and filmmakers with grants and awards.

The Festival The 15th Arpa International Film Festival begins Thursday,
November 29 at the historic Egyptian Theatre and culminates with
the Arpa Awards Gala at the Sheraton Universal on Sunday, December 2,
2012. The Festival will present over 40 films, star-studded receptions,
red carpet opening and closing night premieres. Feature narratives,
short films, documentaries, music videos and animated films will be
showcased from over 25 nations.

“Our committee of board members and devoted volunteers are working
hard to stage yet another dazzling festival, says Sylvia Minassian,
AFFMA’s Founder. “Our goal is to launch the careers of emerging
filmmakers and celebrate the independent film work of our festival’s
most gifted filmmakers.

The Festival kicks off with the North American premiere of LOST
AND FOUND IN ARMENIA, starring Jamie Kennedy (Bending the Rules)
and Angela Sarafyan (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part II).

Directed by Gor Kirakosian (2007 Arpa Best Screenplay Award recipient)
the film is the first American comedy filmed on location in Armenia.

Closing night will feature the North American premiere of Natalya
Belyauskene’s IF ONLY EVERYONE starring acclaimed actor and filmmaker,
Michael Poghosian (Symphony of Silence). IF ONLY EVERYONE is Armenia’s
Official Submission for Foreign Language Film at the 85th Academy
Awards®.

The Festival will also present a special panel event to promote social
understanding among media and entertainment professionals. GEMAI
(Global Event and Media Accessibility Initiative) partners with Arpa
this year to stage a panel discussion focusing on GEMAI’s mission
to develop initiatives that will enhance the experience of the 30
million deaf or hard of hearing and the 3.4 million blind movie-going
audience in America.

Together, the GEMAI partnership with Arpa aims to provide a forum
which addresses the last social component to media landscape – using
artistic and technological advancements of the film industry to build
a seamless and organic road map of inclusion.

Marc Bovee, GEMAI Founder, says about GEMAI’s participation at Arpa,
“It is exciting to be enabled by vision and technology to finally bring
everyone to the ‘table of media’.” “It is an honor and a privilege
to have been invited to be a part of this amazing forum of talent.”

The Festival concludes this year with the Arpa Awards Gala. The
evening will include a dinner reception and awards program at the
Sheraton Universal. Past celebrity attendees and award recipients
include Shohreh Aghdashloo, David Alpay, Ken Davitian, Atom Egoyan,
Frances Fisher, Vivica A. Fox, Alanis Morissette, Tippi Hedren, Missi
Pyle, Alison Janney, Arsine Khanjian, Marilu Henner, Tony Shaloub,
Cheech Marin, Robert Papazian, Alfonso Herrera, James Hirsch, Mary
Apick, Anne Bedian, Hrach Titizian, Anoush NeVart, Patricia Kara, Hank
Moonjean, Arthur Sarkissian, Dean Cain, and Ann Magnuson. The Festival
will also present its prestigious Armin T. Wegner Humanitarian Award,
named after German author and human rights activist Armin Theophil
Wegner (October 16, 1886 – May 17, 1978), which it has been awarding
since 2002. Arpa Career and Lifetime Achievement Award recipients
will also be recognized.

15th Anniversary Since 1997, AFFMA has staged the 4-day Los Angeles
festival, growing into larger venues during its 15 years.  The
festival’s first screening venue was at Raleigh Studios, then Arclight
Cinemas, and finally the historic Egyptian Theatre, a 625-seat movie
palace in the heart of Hollywood. For AFFMA, 2012 began with two
milestones. First, AFFMA Founder, Sylvia Minassian was recognized
with the Golden Medal of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic
of Armenia, one of the highest Armenian cultural awards, for her 15
years of outstanding contribution to promoting Armenian cinematic arts
domestically and internationally. And secondly, AFFMA was the recipient
of a Roll Global grant, a unique grant program which earmarks money to
charities on six continents in 10 currencies benefiting a wide variety
of organizations including schools, hospitals, homeless shelters,
environmental initiatives, disaster relief organizations and more.

The 15th Arpa International Film Festival celebration will close a
year of outstanding events, including AFFMA’s Burlesco soiree; the
summer networking mixer at Geisha House; the annual AFFMA comedy
show at the World Famous Comedy Store, and the upcoming exclusive
exhibition featuring world renowned artist, Zadik Zadikian.

Box Office Is Open The Arpa Film Fest ALL-ACCESS VIP GOLD PASS, valued
at over $270, is currently on sale for $90. The GOLD PASS includes all
screenings, receptions, and special events at the Egyptian Theatre
during the 4-day Festival.  The Gala Awards and Dinner Reception is
$150 will take place at the Sheraton Universal.

“Arpa Film Fest is very much an audience driven film event, says
Festival Director, Alex Kalognomos. “Our patrons are dedicated to
supporting artists. In turn, we create the most dynamic film festival
experience for our audience.”

Tickets to Arpa International Film Festival are available at

ARMIN T. WEGNER HUMANITARIAN AWARD marks its 10th year as one of Arpa
International Film Festival’s top honors awarded during the festival.

First presented by Arpa International Film Festival in 2002, this
Award is named after German author and human rights activist Armin
Theophil Wegner (October 16, 1886 – May 17, 1978).

ARPA FOUNDATION FOR FILM MUSIC AND ART (AFFMA) For more information or
sponsorship and advertising opportunities, please visit ,
call 323-663-1882 or contact [email protected] . To make a tax-deductible
donation to AFFMA, visit or mail donations to AFFMA –
2919 Maxwell St., Los Angeles, CA 90027. All donations go towards
AFFMA’s grant program which supports filmmakers, musicians, and
artists.

GLOBAL EVENT AND MEDIA ACCESSIBILITY INITIATIVE (GEMAI) strives to
develop a global accessibility initiative that will enhance the
experience of the 30 million deaf or hard of hearing and the 3.4
million blind movie-going audience in America. Contact [email protected]
for more information.

If Only Everyone (2012) Addressing the questions of war, why people
die, and heroic deeds, IF ONLY EVERYONE traces the efforts of two
people on a mission to plant a tree as a symbol of life, not just a
token of memory for the departed.

Director: Natalia Belyauskene Writers: Theresa Varzhapetyan and
Michael Poghosian Producers: Michael Poghosian and Theresa Varzhapetyan

Armenia’s Official Submission for Foreign Language Film at the 85th
Oscars®.

Lost And Found In Armenia (2012) A US Senator’s son (Jaime Kennedy)
who attempts to forget the break up of his fiancee, is forced to
vacation in Turkey by his best friends.

A para-sailing trip mishap lands him in a small village in Armenia,
where he is accused of being a spy.  It is there he meets a young woman
(Angela Sarafyan) who helps him to escape from misfortune.

Director: Gor Kirakosian Writers: Krist Manaryan, Narek Ghaplanyan,
and Gor Kirakosian Producers: Valerie McCaffrey, Maral Djerejian
Trailer:

ORBAN IS STILL BLAMED FOR SAFAROV’S EXTRADITION

ARMENPRESS
2 October, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 2, ARMENPRESS: The passions over Ramil Safarov’s
extradition in Hungary hasn’t calmed down. Authorities have become
a target of criticism for the opposition. Member of the Parliament
Laszlo Kovacs didn’t miss the opportunity to pose questions,
make announcements and critical comments. As reports Armenpress,
referring to Hungarian international Politics, both the foreign
and the justice ministries had opposed the move, arguing that the
murderer was celebrated as a national hero in his homeland and would
be immediately released upon his repatriation.

Socialist MP Laszlo Kovacs also remarked that Hungary had “meddled”
with the conflict of Azerbaijan and Armenia. In response, Orban
said that the decision had not been motivated by the promise of any
short-term benefits. Crossing the border on political correctness
Orban added “We would have done the same if an Armenian had killed
an Azerbaijani. Hungary should follow its own interests rather than
those of Armenia or Azerbaijan”

The Hungarian authorities repatriated Azerbaijani national Safarov
on August 31 on the understanding that he would continue to serve the
life sentence he received in February 2004 for murdering an Armenian
in Hungary.

Armenia suspended diplomatic relations with Hungary on August 31 when
life-sentenced perpetrator Ramil Safarov was extradited and pardoned
in Azerbaijani. Safarov hacked to death Armenian serviceman Gurgen
Margaryan during NATO’s training in Budapest. Azerbaijan has deceived
Hungary and broken its written promise to keep the murderer in prison
after Safarov’s extradition to Azerbaijan.

Hungarian-Azerbaijani blameful bargain was condemned by international
organizations, countries and political important figures.

VICTORY OF GEORGIAN OPPOSITION IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS WITHIN INTERESTS OF ARMENIANS OF JAVAKHQ

arminfo
Tuesday, October 2, 15:49

Victory of the Georgian opposition represented by Bidzina Ivanishvili’s
bloc Georgian Dream in the parliamentary elections in that country
is within the interests of the Armenians of Javakhq, David Rstakyan,
Head of Virk Party in Samtskhe-Javakheti, told ArmInfo.

He said that the election program of Ivanishivili’s bloc contains
several provisions aimed to settle the problems of Javakhi Armenians.

Thus, Georgian Dream is going to provide more powers to the local
self- government in Javakhq, to provide $1 billion agricultural
subsidies, with 40% of the total amount of subsidies will be provided
to Javakhq. In addition, Rstakyan said that ivanishvili intends to
introduce dual citizenship in Georgia, so the Armenians in Georgia
can get also Armenian citizenship. Commenting on the opinion that if
Ivanishvili’s bloc wins the elections, the foreign political vector
of Georgia will change and the country will become Russia-oriented,
Rstakyan said: “I have no such impression. Although Ivanishvili is
for improvement of relations with Russia, the priority of his foreign
policy is integration into Europe and NATO.”

By preliminary data based on 20.74% of total votes or protocols from
781 polling stations out of 3766, the two leaders in the parliamentary
elections in Georgia are Georgian Dream – 53.89% of votes and the
ruling party United National Movement led by Mikheil Saakashvili –
41.01%. The other parties have not yet overcome the 5% threshold to
the parliament. The elections are especially interesting as after
the presidential election in 2013 in Georgia the political and public
system in the country will change and the parliament and the government
will receive much more powers.

EXPERT: IVANISHVILI’S VICTORY WILL NOT BRING ANY SERIOUS CHANGES TO THE LIFE OF GEORGIAN ARMENIANS

arminfo
Tuesday, October 2, 17:44

The past parliamentary elections in Georgia have been the most
competitive and democratic in the last eight years, expert on Georgia
Johnny Melikyan said during a press-conference on Tuesday.

He said that this time the opposition was as strong as never before,
but there still were instances of bribery and fraud.

“The victory of the opposition has proved that the Georgians are not
satisfied with the current social-economic situation in their country.

In fact, Georgia is the first post-Soviet republic where the opposition
has won an election, but it is also the only post-Soviet republic
where the opposition is led by a billionaire,” the expert said.

At the same time, Melikyan does not believe that Ivanishvili’s victory
will bring any serious changes in the life of the Georgian Armenians.

“All of the parties said that they would try to improve the life
of their ethnic minorities but none of them said anything specific
about the Javakheti Armenians, so, we should not harbor illusions,”
the expert said.

GEORGIAN EXPERT: THE VICTORY OF THE OPPOSITION IN GEORGIA WILL GIVE A NEW STIMULUS TO FRIENDLY ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS

arminfo
Tuesday, October 2, 18:07

The Oct 1 parliamentary elections in Georgia were the first time in the
post-Soviet area when the regime was changed constitutionally, Director
of the South Caucasus Studies Program of the Republican Institute of
Georgia Ivlian Khaindrava said in an interview with ArmInfo.

“Georgia has taken one step towards the European standards and should
use this opportunity for getting deeper integrated into Europe,”
the expert said.

Khaindrava does not think that Georgia’s foreign policy will be
changed drastically as priority will be given to internal problems.

As regards Georgia’s relations with Russia, he expects a certain
meltdown. “This will be a long process, but it will benefit both
Tbilisi and Moscow. Still I believe that western integration is the
only choice for Georgia,” Khaindrava said.

Concerning Armenian-Georgian relations, he said that they have been
actively developing irrespective of who was in power.

“So, I think that they will continue to develop. We have certain
problems, but we can solve them if consistent. I think that the
Armenian community of Georgia should get deeper integrated into the
country’s social-political life and that the problems of the Javakheti
Armenians should be resolved,” the expert said.

BORIS CYRULNIK : ” JE ME CROYAIS COUPABLE DE LA MORT DE MES PARENTS ”
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 4 octobre 2012

ELLE. Vous dites : ” J’ai dû me taire pour ne pas mourir, puis je me
suis tu pour etre tranquille. ”

Boris Cyrulnik. Pendant la guerre, si j’avais parle, si j’avais dit mon
nom, je serais mort. Je ne savais pas pourquoi j’etais condamne a mort,
mais je savais que je l’etais. J’ignorais ce que c’etait qu’etre juif,
il n’y en avait pas autour de moi. Ils etaient morts ou engages.

Contrairement aux stereotypes, les Juifs ont combattu dans toutes les
armees du monde, y compris en France, où, avec les Armeniens et les
republicains espagnols, ils ont forme 90 % de la Resistance. On me
disait : ” Si tu dis ton nom, tu mourras et ceux qui t’aiment mourront
a cause de toi. ” Tous les enfants caches ont entendu cette terrible
phrase qu’ils ont crue a un moment de leur vie.

ELLE. Vous ecrivez que, parfois, vous avez meme pense etre un monstre.

Boris Cyrulnik. Longtemps, j’ai imagine que j’etais peut-etre coupable
de la mort de mes parents, que j’avais dû, sans le faire exprès,
les trahir. C’est sans doute pour cette raison que j’ai tenu, après
la guerre, a reprendre mon nom : pour ne pas les trahir et pouvoir
revenir dans leur filiation. A 14 ans, j’ai ete pour la première
fois dans un milieu juif, une colonie de vacances où la plupart des
gosses etaient orphelins, gais, sympas et gentils. Je me suis dit :
ce ne sont pas des monstres et, comme je suis dans la meme situation,
je n’en suis pas un non plus.

PLUSIEURS SOLDATS SYRIENS TUES DANS LE BOMBARDEMENT TURC (ONG)
Ara

armenews.com
jeudi 4 octobre 2012

BEYROUTH, 4 oct 2012 – Plusieurs soldats syriens ont ete tues dans
la nuit de mercredi a jeudi par des bombardements de l’armee turque
visant une position de l’armee syrienne a la frontière entre la Syrie
et la Turquie, selon une ONG syrienne.

“Plusieurs soldats syriens” ont ete tues dans la nuit de mercredi
a jeudi par des bombardements de l’armee turque visant une position
de l’armee dans la region de Rasm al-Ghazal, près de la ville de Tall
al-Abyad, a indique l’Observatoire syrien des droits de l’Homme (OSDH)
dans un communique.

Les tensions entre la Syrie et la Turquie, qui soutient les insurges
syriens, ont connu une brusque escalade mercredi soir lorsque plusieurs
obus ont frappe la localite turque d’Akcakale, situee juste en face
du poste-frontière syrien Tall al-Abyad, recent theâtre de combats
entre les troupes fidèles au president syrien Bachar al-Assad et les
rebelles de l’Armee syrienne libre (ASL).

Quelques heures plus tard, a l’issue d’une reunion avec ses plus
proches conseillers, le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a
annonce que l’armee turque avait bombarde en represailles plusieurs
“cibles”, qu’il n’a pas identifiees, situees en territoire syrien.

Le ministre syrien de l’Information, Omran Zoabi, a annonce l’ouverture
d’une enquete sur l’origine du tir d’obus transfrontalier et presente
les condoleances de la Syrie “aux familles des victimes et a nos amis,
le peuple turc”.