Author: nina hovnanian

FRANCOIS HOLLANDE TO REINSTATE HIS PROMISE TO ACCEPT THE ARMENIAN BILL

ARMENPRESS
25 April, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS: Armenian history will never be
forgotten, as it will never be discussed. Armenpress reports that such
an announcement made French presidential candidate Francois Hollande
when rising in memory of Armenian genocide victims at the statue of
Komitas in the centre of Paris. Welcoming Armenians he reinstated
his promise to accept the bill criminalizing the denial of Armenian
genocide in case he would come to power.

“Despite all kind of pressures I will do my best for accepting the
Armenian bill,” mentioned Francois Hollande. Francois Hollande was
the first to meet the members of Armenian community who had gathered
at statue of Komitas.

Numerous members of Armenian community of Paris had gathered in the
centre of Paris at the statue of Komitas to rise in memory of Armenian
genocide victims.

2 000 MANIFESTANTS RASSEMBLES DEVANT LE CONSULAT DE TURQUIE A MARSEILLE REPORTAGE
Krikor Amirzayan

armenews.com

mercredi 25 avril 2012

A Marseille, près de 2 000 personnes s’etaient rassembles près de
la statue de David. Puis la longue file de manifestants a remonte
l’avenue du Prado avec des slogans ” Justice, Justice, Justice pour le
peuple armenien ” ou ” Turquie, assassin ! “. Les cris sont devenus
plus forts encore lorsque les manifestants -avec de nombreux jeunes-
passaient devant le Consulat de Turquie protege par une barrière de
CRS. Aux premiers rangs des manifestants, de nombreux elus. Parmi ces
derniers, le Conseiller general et ex-depute Christophe Masse (PS),
les deputes Valerie Boyer (UMP) et Henri Gibrayel (PS) ainsi que
Didier Parakian, l’Adjoint au Maire de Marseille, Pascal Chamassian,
conseiller municipal. Signalons enfin des elus d’arrondissements tels
que Frederic Dournayan et Garo Yalic.

Rassemblee devant une tribune dressee pour l’occasion a quelques
dizaines de mètres du consulat turc, les personnalites prirent la
parole. Julien Harounian (president du CCAF Marseille-Provence) a tout
d’abord denonce que ” le negationnisme, stade supreme du genocide ”
devait etre sanctionne par une loi. Il a egalement denonce le rôle du
lobby turc en France ” Ankara invite a la haine et a la violence en
France meme et cela jusqu’aux portes meme du Conseil constitutionnel
” et appele la France a proteger par une loi ses citoyens d’origine
armenienne. Christophe Masse a reitere les engagements du P.S. et de
son candidat Francois Hollande envers la loi penalisant la negation
du genocide armenien. Il a fait le v~u qu’avant 2015 ” la Turquie
reconnaisse le genocide armenien “. La deputee Valerie Boyer qui
donna son nom a la Loi qui malheureusement a ete rejetee par le
Conseil constitutionnel a tout d’abord salue le president Nicolas
Sarkozy qui etait au meme instant devant la statue de Komitas a
Paris. En rappelant la phrase du president Francais lors de sa visite
a Erevan ” l’Armenie est une s~ur “. Valerie Boyer a egalement
evoque la phrase d’Hitler (” qui se souvient du genocide armenien
? “) qui a ouvert les portes au deuxième genocide du 20e siècle. ”
La France est fière d’avoir reconnu le genocide armenien, elle sera
fière demain, de penaliser le negationnisme (…) car il est une
menace pour notre pays ” affirma-t-elle avant d’evoquer les menaces
dont elle fut victimes. ” Si je suis interdite de sejour en Turquie,
l’Armenie est belle, j’irai en Armenie… ” ajouta la deputee devant
les applaudissements du public. ” Sarkozy a renouvele aujourd’hui
encore son serment devant la statue de Komitas a Paris (…) cette
loi de penalisation devra etre votee avant le 24 avril 2013 “.

Mais, ne respectant semble-t-il pas le protocole etabli, le depute
Henri Jibrayel, fut soudainement autorise par le CCAF-Marseille a
monter sur la tribune. Et comme une douche froide, avec de grands
gestes il cria ” On nous a trompe en nous embarquant dans une aventure
sans lendemain ! “. Une phrase qui s’adressait bien evidemment a
Nicolas Sarkozy. A quelques mètres de la, la deputee Valerie Boyer et
de nombreux elus -dont Didier Parakian- etaient choques par la violence
des propos d’Henri Jibrayel. Le malaise etait egalement ressenti au
sein du public. En ce 24 Avril, jour de la commemoration des 1,5
millions de victimes armeniennes, on aurait sans doute souhaite
davantage de dignite que des polemiques politiciennes steriles. A
quelques jours du second tour des presidentielles cette facon de
” recuperer ” en accusant l’autre camp est un poignard dans le dos
des victimes…

Le public fut ensuite invite a suivre une messe de requieum a l’eglise
Sourp Sahag-Mesrop du Prado. Histoire de calmer peut-etre les esprits
des elus et surtout de penser a nos morts.

TURKISH PM’S FELLOW PARTY MEMBER MP APOLOGIZES TO ARMENIANS FOR 1915

news.am
April 25, 2012 | 11:39

One of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) founders,
MP Ismet Ucma, described the events in 1915 as a forcible deportation
of a nation, and he apologized to the Armenians on his own behalf.

In an interview with the Radikal daily of Turkey, the Turkish MP stated
that the historians need to reveal all documents in connection with
1915, the politicians must examine these documents, and, subsequently,
an international decision ought to be made on this matter.

Ismet Ucma claimed that what happened to the Armenians in 1915 was
not genocide, but rather a forcible deportation of a nation.

“It is necessary to say: ‘We apologize to you for some things that
occurred in our past.’ I personally make that apology for the forcible
deportation of a nation. Nothing should happen with a people when
deporting them to somewhere else. But this was not the case with the
Armenians. If these events had not occurred, there would not have
been a [Armenian] Diaspora,” the Turkish MP said.

Ismet Ucma added: “Turkey must open the border with Armenia while
Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding talks. These people who have lived
together with us, who shared the same feelings, and who have used
the same literary language must achieve peace and tranquility.”

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS MARCH TO GENOCIDE MEMORIAL IN YEREVAN
by Nanore Barsoumian

April 24, 2012

YEREVAN (A.W.)-Carrying carnations, daffodils, and lilies, hundreds
of thousands made the journey to the Armenian Genocide Memorial
at Dzidzernagapert on April 24. President Serge Sarkisian, Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan, Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II,
and government officials paid their respects in the morning. Around
noontime, people slowly inched forward-until they reached the monument
at the summit-a walk that lasted roughly two hours. Police periodically
blocked off the path to prevent congestion at the top.

Many shaded themselves with umbrellas and hats from the scorching
afternoon sun.

A scene from Dzidzernagapert on April 24, 2012 (Photo by Nanore
Barsoumian) The flood of people poured in from Kievyan Street. Sellers
lined the street displaying an array of flowers. Vayots Dzor native
Gisane Hakobyan, 21, said it was her first time partaking in the
procession.

A university student, Hakobyan said it is important “to respect our
victims.” Her classmate, 18-year-old Ashot Harutunyan agreed. “It is
our duty. We are paying our dues,” he said.

Opting out was not an option for 33-year-old Hambardzum Harutunyan.

“We have to come,” said the lawyer who revealed that his maternal
grandfather was a Genocide survivor from Sasoun. Harutunyan’s
grandfather and his sister were the only ones who escaped.

“This is a tragedy that will never be forgotten. It is the greatest
pain in the hearts of all Armenians,” said 52-year-old Tsolag
Harutunyan. Originally from Mush, Harutunyan’s family too had suffered
during the Genocide-when two of his great grandparents perished.

Setrak Mandoyan, 59, said he has been partaking in the April 24
commemoration events for as far back as he can remember. “I used to go
with my father, now I bring my grandson,” he said. “They used to hold
the commemoration event at the Opera House, until they constructed
this monument,” he added. Mandoyan’s paternal grandfather, also
named Setrak, lost all six of his brothers during the Genocide. His
grandparents, who hailed from Ardahan and Artvin, escaped to Batum
and made their way to Yerevan.

Photo by Nanore Barsoumian Sixteen-year-old Tamara (“Tamig”)
Tatevossian walked alongside her grandfather, brother, and 6-year-old
sister. It was a walk all too familiar for Tatevossian who came every
year since she was a little girl, her family too had been affected
by the Genocide. Originally from Hamshen, her grandfather’s family
fled from the Genocide and settled in Abkhazia until 1970, when they
moved to Yerevan.

Some took a few moments to visit the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute
adjacent to the monument, where an exhibit, “Book as a Witness of the
Genocide,” was launched a day earlier. The exhibit-made to coincide
with Yerevan being dubbed by UNESCO as the 2012 World Book Capital
and in honor of the 500th anniversary of Armenian printing-displays
first editions of around 300 books, some dating as far back as the
1850s. “We are expecting perhaps a couple of hundred thousand visitors
today,” said Asdghig, a museum guide.

According to her, April 24 and 25 are the busiest days of the year
at the museum.

The pile of flowers from the night before encircling the eternal
flame had turned into an almost four-foot tall wall. Dozens of
wreaths rested against the outer walls of the monument representing
the Armenian provinces lost during the Genocide.

CARDIFF HOSTS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATIVE EVENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 24, 2012 – 23:23 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian community of capital city of Wales Cardiff
held an event dedicated to the Armenian Genocide 97th anniversary on
April 23.

In conversation with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, John Torosian, head
of the Armenian community of Cardiff said, that on April 23 Cardiff
hosted a presentation of a book titled “Carmarthen to Karabagh”
by Canon Patrick Thomas of St. David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire.

“Following the book presentation, we honored the memory of Armenian
Genocide victims, with Primate of UK and Ireland Vahan Hovhanessian,
Archbishop of Wales Dr. Barry Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff, Dean of St.

David’s and Father Garegin present at the event,” Mr. Torosian said.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT WANTS ARMS SUPPLY TO ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN HALTED

The Messenger
April 24 2012
Georgia

On April 18, the European Parliament made a series of resolutions
concerning negotiations with Armenia and Azerbaijan on a variety of
issues, including the Karabakh conflict.

The Parliament also recommend that EU member states do not supply
the two countries with arms, in an effort to build and maintain peace
in the region. It asked that the leaders of both states refrain from
military rhetoric and attempt to establish a dialogue.

The EU also highlighted the importance of human rights protection
and reforms in those countries.

RUSSIA WILL NOT CUT AIRLINES FOR MOSCOW-YEREVAN FLIGHTS

Vetsnik Kavkaza
April 24 2012
Russia

Armenia proposed reduction of air companies servicing the
Moscow-Yerevan route to two companies of both states. It also proposed
limiting the number of regular flights to 42 per week and contracted
flights to 3 per week, NEWS.am reports.

The protocol says that Russia rejects the proposals, because three
Russian companies make 49 flights on the Moscow-Yerevan route per
week. Contracted flights are carried out 3 or more times a week.

The sides agreed to analyze positions and exchange views the
initiatives by May 30, 2012.

ARMENIANS MARK GENOCIDE ANNIVERSARY

iol News

April 24 2012
South Africa

A woman holds a candle during a religious service marking the
anniversary of mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Empire in 1915
at an Armenian church in Tbilisi April 24 2012. Photo: REUTERS/David
Mdzinarishvili

Thousands of Armenians joined a procession to a hilltop memorial above
the capital on Tuesday to mark the 97th anniversary of the genocide
of their kin by Ottoman Turks during World War I.

>From early morning, crowds of people joined the annual procession,
carrying candles and flowers to lay at the eternal flame at the centre
of the monument commemorating the mass killings.

“Today we, just as many, many others all over the world, bow to the
memory of the innocent victims of the Armenian genocide,” President
Serzh Sarkisian said in a statement.

Among the mourners was 75-year-old Tsovinar Tumasian, who said her
father had fought to save women and children from Turkish attacks.

She urged other countries to pressure Turkey to accept that the
killings were genocide.

“If they are not forced to do so, they will not recognise the genocide
as fact. They think that with time, everyone will forget about it,”
Tumasian told AFP as her relatives helped her make her way up the
hill towards the monument.

Turkey strongly denies the genocide allegations and the annual
commemoration comes after the dispute between the neighbours was
reignited by an attempt by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to bring
in a law criminalising denial of the mass killings as genocide.

After a diplomatic row with Turkey erupted, France’s top court struck
down the law in February on the grounds that it infringed freedom
of expression.

The Swedish parliament last month also recognised the massacres as
genocide, causing further outcry from Turkey.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million people were killed during World War I
as the Ottoman Empire was falling apart, a claim supported by several
other countries.

Turkey argues 300 000 to 500 000 Armenians and at least as many Turks
died in civil strife when Armenians rose up against their Ottoman
rulers and sided with invading Russian troops. – Sapa-AFP

REMEMBERING GENOCIDE
By Susan Abram

ContraCosta Times

April 24 2012
San Francisco, CA

They held their children in their arms and carried whatever else they
could into the desert.

Bibles that had been in families for centuries. Handmade lace
handkerchiefs made for weddings and baptisms. Documents that listed
their names and where they were born.

Nearly 100 years after the Armenian Genocide began in the Ottoman
Empire, some of those very same items can be found carefully preserved
in glass cases and in frames in the San Fernando Valley, a testament
of survival.

“People have sudden emotional reactions when they walk in,” said Nora
Nalbandian, treasurer and interior designer for the Ararat Eskijian
Museum in Mission Hills. “It’s historical, but not so far back that
people can’t relate to it.”

Photo: The statue at the entrance to the museum “Mother Armenia
Rising Out Of the Ashes.” The Ararat-Eskijian Museum was created
to preserve Armenian culture and historical treasures. The Museum
includes examples of art, architecture, literature, numismatics,
maps and documents relating to the Armenian Genocide of 1915. (Dean
Musgrove / Staff Photographer)

Founded and designed by Luther Eskijian, himself a child survivor of
the Armenian Genocide, the museum was opened in 1996 near the Ararat
Home of Los Angeles, a senior care facility that opened in 1949. The
museum houses historical maps, coins, crafts, medals, sketches, musical
instruments and a library. While the Armenian Genocide is its focus,
the museum also pays tribute to Armenian-Americans who are or have
served in the U.S. Armed Forces, and to contemporary writers, such
as William Saroyan.

Many children come for field trips to the museum, as well as scholars,
said Maggie Mangassarian-Goschin, who is the curator. But she called
the museum a gem that the public at large may not know about.

Although usually only open on Saturday and Sundays, the museum
also will be open today – the international day of remembrance of
the genocide.

Several events – including lectures and demonstrations – will be held
throughout Los Angeles today as Armenians commemorate the genocide.

Glendale, as well as parts of the San Fernando are home to the largest
diaspora of Armenians outside of Armenian.

An estimated 1.5 million Armenians died from 1915-23 in what has been
called the first genocide of the 20th century.

The Turkish government maintains the deaths were a consequence of
betrayal and civil unrest in what was then the Ottoman Empire. Even the
genocide has become politicized with both the United States and Turkish
governments refusing to call it such. Armenian-American activists have
said the U.S. government won’t officially recognize the killings as
genocide because it would hurt relations with Turkey, a NATO ally.

“Turks believe it was a civil war within a world war, engineered,
provoked, and waged by the Armenians with active support from Russia,
England, and France, and passive support from the U.S. diplomats,
missionaries, media and others with anti-Turkish agendas, all
eyeing the vast territories of the collapsing Ottoman Empire,” said
Ergun Kirklikovali, president of the Assembly of Turkish American
Associations, based in Washington.

Armenians, however, say the killings involved the systematic cleansing
of Christians, which included Assyrians and Pontic Greeks. Priests
and intellectuals were beheaded. Women and children were terrorized
as they were marched out of their homeland and into the Middle East.

“How do explain 200,000 orphans?” asked Nancy Eskijian, whose father
built the museum. “Where were their parents?”

Her grandfather, the Rev. Hovhannes Eskijian, a protestant pastor,
dedicated himself to helping those orphans who were left behind after
their parents were killed. His prayer robes, which survived after
more than a century, also can be seen at the museum.

Rose Garjian, who will turn 104 on May 1 and who lives at the Ararat
Home, lived in Killis, Turkey. She remembers when her father told
her and her sisters and brother they had to leave home. He did not
tell them why, only that they should hurry.

“We left our home and went to the desert,” she said. “I was 10 years
old. My father took us to hide. He tried to take us away from the
Turks.”

Tucked in a corner of the museum is a glass case filled with shattered
bones, remnants of those who died in the Dez Zor desert of Syria.

Nalbandian and others said the museum stands as proof of what happened
to Armenians. And though the survivors such as Garjian are now few,
those who came after must not be afraid to speak out.

“Once fear sets in, then there is silence, and when there is silence,
that means the enemy has won,” Nalbandian said.

[email protected] 818-713-3664

If You Go: The Ararat-Eskijian Museum at 15105 Mission Hills Rd.,
Mission Hills, will be open today and is usually open on Saturdays
and Sundays or by appointment. Call 818-838-4862 for more information.

GEORGIA: ‘ARMENIAN GENOCIDE’ REMARKS TRIGGERS INCIDENT IN PARLIAMENT
Written by: Civil.Ge

Eurasia Review

April 24 2012

(Civil.Ge) – Remarks by an opposition lawmaker about Armenian
community’s calls for recognizing the 1915 mass killing of Armenians
in the Ottoman Empire as genocide, triggered an incident during
the parliamentary session on April 24 involving a brief scuffle and
exchange of insults between MPs.

As part of routine statements, usually made by MPs during sessions
on Tuesdays, MP Jondi Bagaturia from the opposition parliamentary
faction, Unity for Justice, took the floor from the Parliament’s
rostrum to speak of various issues and one of the issues he raised
was last year’s decision by the Georgian Parliament to recognize
19th century massacre and deportations of Circassians by the Tsarist
Russia in the northwest Caucasus as genocide. He recalled this decision
and criticized it in the context of requests from Georgia’s Armenian
community to recognize the massacre of Armenians in Ottoman Empire as
genocide – such appeals are usually made almost every year in April,
when the anniversary of those tragic events are marked.

“When you recognized Circassians’ genocide just for the purpose of
a one-day PR show, we [warned] you not to do that, because we would
have nothing to tell to our Armenian citizens. I wonder what are
you going to tell these people now? These are our citizens; these
are our compatriots; you [referring to ruling party MPs] should bear
responsibility for that,” MP Bagaturia said.

Remarks triggered angry reaction from Azer Suleimanov, a ruling party
majoritarian lawmaker from Marneuli single-mandate constituency in
Kvemo Kartli region, predominantly populated by ethnic Azerbaijanis.

MP Suleimanov was shouting at MP Bagaturia while the latter was
speaking.

“I’ll take care of you when I leave [Parliament’s] rostrum, give me
some time,” MP Bagaturia responded to MP Suleimanov.

Then MP Suleimanov approached the rostrum holding, what seemed to be,
a cream tube and tossed it on the rostrum in front of PM Bagaturia,
telling him: “Here is a present to you from the Azerbaijani people.”

MP Bagaturia responded by throwing the tube back at MP Suleimanov;
then a Parliament marshal, overseeing rules and order in the chamber,
as well as some ruling party lawmakers rushed to the rostrum, dragging
MP Bagaturia away and for next few minutes lawmakers involved in the
incident continued exchanging verbal insults.

Few minutes later MP Suleimanov took the floor and in his remarks
he dubbed MP Bagaturia as “Bagaturyan”, calling him “our Armenian
colleague”.

“[MP Bagaturia] unfortunately remains stick to his Armenian opinion
about Armenia from sea to sea and about made-up genocide. What
genocide are you talking about? Your Armenian bandits killed over
60,000 Azerbaijanis in 1918 in various parts of Azerbaijan…” MP
Suleimanov said, but was immediately interrupted by Parliamentary
Chairman, Davit Bakradze, who ordered to turn off microphone.

“There will be no speeches any more about this issue; this is
very sensitive and painful issue,” Bakradze said, adding that “our
brotherly” nations of Armenia, Azerbaijan, as well as of Turkey “have
undergone through a very difficult history and I really do not want
this difficult history to become a topic for emotional and political
discussion in this chamber.”

“Pain of Armenian nation is a pain for us too; the same is about
Azerbaijan and Turkey, because all three are our neighbors and
friends,” Bakradze added.

In their speeches later during the same session, several lawmakers,
both from the ruling party and parliamentary minority, touched upon
the incident with some of them slamming MP Bagaturia for raising the
issue and describing him as “a provocateur.”

“I absolutely agree with you when you turned off the microphone for
[MP Suleimanov],” a ruling party lawmaker Akaki Bobokhidze told the
parliamentary speaker and asked him to apply the same rule to others
whose “remarks are obviously provocative”.

“Bagaturia is an obvious provocateur, who spares no efforts to trigger
problems with those countries, which are our friends,” he added.

“Bagaturia is a provocateur,” Guram Chakhvadze, a lawmaker from the
parliamentary minority group, said. “What he said today is directed
against the Georgian national interests.”

MP Giorgi Targamadze, leader of Christian-Democratic Movement (CDM)
and of parliamentary minority group, said “caution is needed when
speaking on issues like this.”

“It is about a very delicate issue, which may trigger very complicated
processes, which may harm everyone,” he continued. “I’m not going
to lecture anyone. The fact is that this Parliament is an example
of friendly cooperation between Georgian, Armenian, Azerbaijani
[MPs] regardless of our political views… I understand emotions that
followed statements made here… but my request would be to put an end
to this incident. We respect our shared problems; focusing on certain
episodes of our past, which may distance our nations, should not be our
goal… I want to express my respect to all of those ethnic Armenians
and Azerbaijanis who take part in building of the new Georgian state.”

Comments on the issue were concluded by remarks from Parliamentary
Chairman, Davit Bakradze, who said: “One of the great things that
has been done in Georgia in recent years is the fact that notion of
‘Georgian citizen’ has been firmly rooted in our country and regardless
of our ethnic background we are all equal citizens of this country.”

“The biggest enmity one can do against Georgia today is to divide
Georgia based on ethnicity,” Bakradze continued. “So I call on
colleagues not to, wittingly or unwittingly, do something that is
damaging for our country, not to divide our citizens and not to
trigger confrontation with Georgia’s neighbors.”

“As far as emotions are concerned, I understand it, because the issue
is one of the most painful for our neighboring and brotherly peoples;
we have gone together through a difficult and tragic history and
there have been many tragic pages in this history, recalling of which
always triggers emotions; but I want to state once again that because
this is the Georgian Parliament, there will be no statement in this
chamber that may insult our brotherly Armenian nation; because this
is the Georgian Parliament there will be not a single statement in
this chamber that may insult our brotherly Azerbaijani people and the
pain, the tragedy which our neighboring nations have gone through is
the pain and tragedy for us too; but this tragedy does not require
political speeches in this chamber and such speculations which we’ve
heard from some of our colleagues.”

“So let’s not yield to provocative remarks,” Bakradze added. “Let’s
not entertain our enemy with our shared pain.”

Later on April 24 a senior ruling party MP Giorgi Gabashvili said
no matter how provocative MP Bagaturia’s remarks were, there was no
justification to comments made by MP Suleimanov. He also said that
MP Suleimanov had received “reproof” from the ruling party.