Author: Parkev Tvankchian

Azerbaijani press: Organization of Azerbaijani Veterans appeals to Russian FM

Parkev Tvankchian
POLITICS7 May 2021 09:50 (UTC+04:00)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7

Trend:

The Presidium of the Organization of War, Labor and Armed Forces Veterans of Azerbaijan sent an appeal to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov, Trend reports.

“Dear Sergey Viktorovich! In our previous appeal to you on the eve of the 76th anniversary of the historic Victory over fascism, we, veterans of the Great Patriotic War, expressed our concern at attempts to represent the Armenian puppets of Hitler’s Nazism as heroes. That appeal dealt with the shameless glorification of Nazi criminals both in Armenia and in the information and cultural space of Russia, which honors the memory of millions of people killed by the Nazis,” said the appeal.

“With pain in our hearts, we brought to your attention that Armenia is using Russian resources to justify the leaders of the punitive Armenian SS Legion Drastamat Kanayan and Garegin Ter-Harutyunyan, also known as Generals Dro and Nzhdeh. In the media, Nzhdeh, who was an accomplice of the Nazi regime and a friend of Hitler and Himmler, is equated with heroes,” the appeal noted.

“Moreover, a presentation of ‘Conversations with Garegin Nzhdeh, or Monument to 125th Anniversary of Nzhdeh’ book was held in Moscow. The paradox is that, according to the event organizers, ‘Nzhdeh’s ideas are more relevant today than ever and should be actively promoted in modern society’. In 1948 Nzhdeh was sentenced to 25 years in prison as a war criminal and died in 1957 in the Vladimir Central Prison. He wasn’t acquitted, since the court upheld the previous sentence,” reminded the appeal.

“Nevertheless, the Armenian Diaspora of Russia annually organizes visits to the grave of Nzhdeh at the Prince Vladimir cemetery in Vladimir city to honor the memory of this fascist executioner. The question is also raised about the construction of a memorial complex at the cemetery to this Nazi accomplice,” the appeal further said.

“We express our deep gratitude to you for not ignoring our last year’s appeal. As you can see from the answer we received, a certain amount of work was done with representatives of local Armenians. Apparently, as a result of this work, an attempt to perpetuate the memory of this Nazi killer in Russia was prevented last year,” the appeal authors noted.

“Contrary to this, two weeks after the celebration in Armenia of the 71st anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany, a solemn ceremony of unveiling a monument to Garegin Nzhdeh took place in the center of Yerevan. The ceremony of perpetuating the memory of the fascist murderer was personally attended by the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, who stood next to you a year ago at the parade timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Victory over fascism in Moscow,” added the authors.

“You have repeatedly stressed the inadmissibility of rewriting and distorting the results of the Great Patriotic War. It was on the initiative of the Russian Federation that the UN General Assembly adopted the ‘Fight against the glorification of Nazism and other practices that contribute to the escalation of modern forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance’ resolution No. 70/139,” the appeal read.

“Paragraph 4 of this document states that the UN General Assembly “expresses deep concern about the glorification in any form of the Nazi movement, neo-Nazism and former members of the Waffen SS, including the construction of monuments and memorials and public demonstrations in order to glorify the Nazi past, the Nazi movement and neo-Nazism, as well as through the announcement or attempts to declare the members of this organization and those who fought against the anti-Hitler coalition, collaborated with the Nazi movement and committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, participants in national liberation movements,” pointed out the appeal.

“Cult of worshipping persons loyal to the fascist regime who became the perpetrators of the massacres of Soviet soldiers and civilians, including representatives of the Armenian people themselves, is widespread in Armenia, which joined this resolution and posing as a strategic ally of Russia,” the appeal also noted.

“We are surprised that Russia itself, which has always reacted to similar incidents in other countries, doesn’t react to this in any way, and we don’t understand why Armenia, where commemorative coins are minted and films are made in honor of the Nazi criminals Dro and Nzhdeh, is given special privileges for such behavior,” the authors said. “In Yerevan, a square and a metro station are named after Garegin Nzhdeh, and there is also a street named after Drastamat Kananyan. Now, along with the complex of government buildings and the headquarters of the ruling party of Armenia, there is also a monument to Nzhdeh.”

“We would also like to inform you that another monument to the Nazi Nzhdeh is located in the city of Khojavand, which was once occupied by Armenia, and now is in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeepers, and it’s extremely important to demolish this monument,” the authors further noted. “The presence of such a monument on the territory of Azerbaijan is unacceptable and unacceptable not only from the point of view of the values of our state and people, but also taking into account universal and moral values.”

“The bright memory of the courage of the Soviet people is still revered in Azerbaijan, and May 9 remains one of the most revered public holidays. We, people who have gone through all the hardships of the war against fascism, who have lost comrades in these battles, are watching with pain in our hearts the glorification of Nazi criminals,” the authors also pointed out. “We are outraged by the actions of Armenia, which are a direct manifestation of disrespect for the memory of those who died for our once common Motherland, for all peace-loving humanity.”

“We are convinced that we must unite our efforts in the fight against the common evil in the form of the ideology of fascism promoted by Armenia, remaining faithful to the blessed memory of the victims of the Great Patriotic War. On behalf of all veterans of the Great Patriotic War of Azerbaijan, with respect and hope that we will be understood correctly,” concluded the appeal.

Artsakh Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Church calls on int’l community to condemn Azerbaijan’s actions

Parkev Tvankchian

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 16:19, 4 May, 2021

STEPANAKERT, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. The Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church strongly condemned the destruction by Azerbaijan of domes of the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral of the Holy Savior in Shushi.

“It’s obvious that Azerbaijan is making every effort for completely eliminating the Armenian spiritual-cultural heritage from the territory of Artsakh, sometimes making unsuccessful attempts to eliminate the traces of the Armenian Christian heritage from Artsakh under the pretext of renovation.

We call on the international community to condemn Azerbaijan’s this activity of destructing culture and take actions to stop this destructive process”, the statement says.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

‘Putting An Earring In My Ear’ On The Anniversary Of The Armenian Genocide

Parkev Tvankchian
April 30 2021

KALW | By Jeremy Dalmas
Published April 29, 2021 at 5:08 PM PDT
Updated April 29, 2021 at 5:14 PM PDT

(Updated on April 29, 2021.)

Idioms

Grace Andonian shows me around KZV Armenian school in San Francisco. We come across an art project of Armenian sayings along with illustrations by students.

“So, for example: Hair started growing on my tongue, which means I have been repeating this over and over and over again,” says Andonian.

I’m half Armenian and I went to elementary school in San Francisco, but I didn’t go to this one.

“Another one is: Put an earring on your ear — means keep it in your mind. Remember it.”

To me, these two idioms perfectly describe what it can be like to be an Armenian American and talk about the Armenian genocide. It is so important to remember and to commemorate it, but at the same time, it can dominate the conversation. When we talk about ourselves to the world this is what we talk about.

Stories about the genocide follow a script — and they always sound something like this:

“We have come to the desert in northern Syria to look for evidence of a mass murder…”

“…the Armenian genocide began under the cover of World War II. By 1923, 1.5 million Armenians were dead…”

“…to this day Turkey denies the genocidal intent of these murders.”

These are from three separate documentaries, but they could have been the same one.

But, I want to try and tell my own story. A story not about what I know, but about how I feel. I want to understand how I feel today about something that happened 100 years ago to my ancestors.

How do I talk about this?

My grandfather was born in Erzurum, a city that’s now in eastern Turkey. When the genocide started, his family was marched out of town towards Syria. He watched his father be beheaded and then was forced to walk in circles in the desert where his baby sister died because their mother couldn’t nurse her. Somehow, he escaped westward and in the 1920s brought his family to San Francisco where he set up a grocery shop on Mission street.

I remember when I first heard about the details of what happened to my grandfather. I was a kid a few years younger than my grandfather probably was when he fled. The next day I went on the playground and told other kids that my grandfather had watched his father be murdered in front of him. And then I felt instantly guilty about it. Because I was boasting. I suppose it was my way of processing it. It’s that tug both ways: I want to remember, but how do I talk about this? As a child, I struggled with that. And I still do now.

As if history hasn’t already decided

Many Armenian Americans feel the issue will remain unresolved until Turkey recognizes what their ancestors did to ours. But do I need that acknowledgment? Maybe if I hear that denial, it will strike a nerve.

“I don’t know anything about it, but I want to know the truth. I think we should leave it up to the historians. Let history decide.”

That’s from an online video by a Turkish group called “Let History Decide.” Their message is that historians should look at the facts and decide whether it was a genocide or not — as if that hasn’t been happening for decades.

“Let history decide.”

They show the faces of people from around the world who all repeat the same phrase, “Let history decide.”

They’re from Miami, Honduras, Maryland … and then they show a picture of someone from Erzerum — the city where my grandfather was born. This man in the film is looking out at me and saying that everything my grandfather experienced never happened.

Watching this makes me hold my head in my hands and stumble across the room. It feels like this man is trying to personally attack me and is enjoying doing it. I could say that I won’t be able to move on from this until the genocide is recognized by people like him. But do I have that luxury? What if they never do? And it makes me wonder how this feels for others Armenians like me.

One hundred years ago was yesterday

So, I spend hours talking with other Armenians. Specifically to Armenians of my generation, who are around 30 years old. How do they feel, 100 years on? Hasmik Geghamyan is a 32-year-old civil and human rights lawyer who lives in Oakland. She tells me April is a delicate month for her. On the 24th, the day we commemorate the genocide, she takes it especially easy.

“I take the day off and I light a candle,” she tells me. “I pray. I burn some sage. I call on my ancestors, I remember them. Sometimes I partake in a march, sometimes I want to be in silence somewhere in nature. I think we’re a testament to how something 100 years ago still impacts us.”

33-year-old Greg Nemet feels the same way. He’s lived in the Bay Area for 13 years and is involved with an Armenian fraternal organization called Knights of Vartan.

“And you get people saying ‘100 years?’ Does not matter,” he tells me. “Does not matter a bit. That 100 years ago was yesterday because of the burden that we carry. We process constantly.”

I definitely process. But do I feel burdened? As much as I am thinking about this, I still don’t know what I feel. I also spoke with his sister, 28-year-old Rose Nemet.

“I got hit with the Armenian activist bug right after college,” she says. “It’s very much a part of who I am.”

I met her on the Golden Gate Bridge. There was a march there in February to commemorate the genocide, so I invited her and her brother to talk with me. She tells me that it’s difficult to keep on explaining the importance of the genocide to non-Armenians:

“I feel like it’s my responsibility to do so, that I don’t want to relinquish to somebody else. But on the other hand why is the onus on me to spend all of my time doing this over and over again? It’s like reliving it,” she says.

It sounds like for her, there is this tug back and forth, but for a different reason. For her, it’s too painful, whereas for me, I think I want to feel the pain. I wanted to understand more. I ask why they think that something that happened 100 years ago still affects them today.

They take a moment. Then Greg Nemet answers.

“It’s, it’s … It’s because it’s so close to home,” he says. “That child that was walked through the desert? That’s my relative. That’s my brother, that’s my sister. You know?”

Then Rose Nemet jumps back in. “Being a part of a people where your genocide is under question, still kind of up for debate, you feel like you have to state your case to everybody, like you’re accused of something. For me, that goes from zero to hit-you-in-the-face in seconds.”

For them, and other Armenians I talked with, a big part of these emotions is seeing the continuation of bigotry and genocide now. Seeing that the problems of our genocide continue today, just with different groups of people.

Am I being Armenian wrong?

Then Rose Nemet turns the question back around to me.

“I’d love to hear how you feel about that,” she asks me. “Do you still feel like you carry it with you? I’m wondering if the volume is high or if it’s off?”

Ok. Moment of truth. I’m obviously still talking about the genocide. But do I feel it? Maybe that’s the issue. I care about it and I think about it, but it feels distant. And I can’t make myself feel things that I don’t feel. Then I worry that I’m being Armenian wrong. But Greg Nemet brings me back down to earth.

“I see an Armenian person when I’m talking with you,” he says. “You have as much right as that guy, or that woman, or as anybody. That’s it. That’s it end of story. That’s it!”

It feels good to hear him say that. Maybe that’s what I needed to hear. I have definitely felt that by not being Armenian enough, I am a living symbol that the genocide was successful. I think that is something that a lot of Armenians feel. It’s silly. But it’s real.

The next generation

So, if we’re struggling with this when we’re 30 years old, I want to know how an even younger generation feels. Back at the Armenian school, I sit with about 15 eighth-graders in a circle on the floor of their class. They are all wearing their school uniforms and are excited to talk with me. This is the first generation to grow up without family members who went through the genocide.

I ask the students if they’ve ever met any survivors. They haven’t. Jennifer Kazaryan answers me.

“Two years ago someone died — a survivor. That was the last known survivor of the Armenian Genocide in the Bay Area,” she says.

They know all about the genocide. I ask a question and their hands shoot up. Karoleene Amanian explains how she feels about people talking about the genocide.

“The Armenian Genocide — it doesn’t define Armenians. We have over 3,000 years of history. After people recognize the Armenian genocide we can move forward and have people recognize our culture,” she says.

She tells me that she doesn’t want to be defined by the genocide.

Into another century

If this were your usual Armenian Genocide piece, this would be where I talk about how I can’t rest until the genocide is recognized by Turkey.

Except, for me personally, I choose for that not to be true. I want recognition, but I don’t want to wait another 100 years for Turkey to play catch up. Like I said earlier, what if they never do? I don’t want the darkness to continue to dominate my relationship with my culture. I’ve done my genocide piece. Next time you tune in it’ll be a piece about this great new Armenian queer magazine I found called Hye-Phen, about me trying to discover Armenian Paganism, or about my famous Armenian cousin — Cher. This will be my way of celebrating my ancestors.

I’ll keep the earring in my ear to remember, but I want to stop repeating this. No more hair on my tongue.

This piece first aired on April 23, 2015.

Listen to the program at  

Armenian President thanks Kim Kardashian, Eric Esrailian and Cher for contribution to Genocide recognition

Parkev Tvankchian 
Public Radio of Armenia
April 30 2021
Armenian President thanks Kim Kardashian, Eric Esrailian and Cher for
contribution to Genocide recognition
President Armen Sarkissian sent letters of thanks to renowned
American-Armenian physician, co-director of the David Geffen Medical
Center of the University of California, producer of the Armenian
Genocide film “The Promise” Eric Esrailian, American-Armenian TV star
Kim Kardashian and renowned pop singer Cher (Cherilyn Sarkisian).
In a letter to Erik Esrailian, President Sargkissian highlighted the
impact of the film The Promise. “I would like to mention Kirk
Kerkorian’s devotion, his sense of duty and faith, which helped him
implement a number of projects, including the shooting of The Promise.
The film had a great impact on raising awareness about the Armenian
Genocide. Undoubtedly, Kirk’s enormous influence played a significant
role here.”
“Together we must think about how to value Kirk’s vast legacy and
capitalize on his sincere patriotism. Thank you for your efforts and
for keeping The Promise. ”
In a letter to Kim Kardashian, President Sarkissian noted. “You and
your family have a huge impact not only in the US but also worldwide,
and it was fantastic to see how your influence and actions played an
important role in an international recognition of the Genocide. Thanks
you for your tireless efforts, sincere devotion and commitment.”
In a letter to Cher, President Sargsyan emphasized that the singer has
always been among the prominent figures fighting against genocide
denial. “Your influence played a significant role in the international
recognition of the Armenian Genocide. When we combine efforts and
transform our vision into real and measurable action, the result is
always tangible. I hope to see you in Armenia again, as years ago.”

Dashboard: Vaccinating Eurasia – May

Parkev Tvankchian
EurasiaNet.org
May 1 2021
May 1, 2021 
ARMENIA

Approved: Sputnik V, AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech
Population: 3 million

  • Fifty-six percent of Armenians will not seek a vaccine, CivilNet reported on April 19, citing a survey conducted by the Caucasus Research Resource Center. The survey found women and young people less likely to accept a jab. 
  • Armenia’s vaccination campaign got off to a slow start on April 13, our correspondent reports. The Health Ministry says it does not regularly publish vaccination figures. As of April 28, just 2,600 people had received shots. Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called the figure “shamefully low” on April 29 and urged all members of his government to get their shots within a week.
  • Acting Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan and Acting Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan both publicly received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on April 28 to allay qualms about the shot. The next day Avanesyan said that she was feeling good and hoped her example would be contagious. 
  • Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan announced on April 14 that the government had negotiated to receive 1 million Sputnik V doses from Russia, Interfax reported. She did not say when they would arrive, though she said she hopes to vaccinate 20 percent of the population by the end of the year.
  • 100,000 doses of Sinovac are on their way from China, state media reported on April 30. It was not immediately clear if they were approved for use in Armenia.
For other countries, visit the link below

Republican Party of Armenia, Fatherland Party to participate in elections in coalition

Parkev Tvankchian

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 20:44,

YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS.  The Republican Party of Armenia will participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, ARMENPRESS reports Vice President of the Party Armen Ashotyan announced after the session of the Supreme Body of the Party.

‘’Based on the discussions on possible formats of participation, a decision was made to form a coalition with Fatherland Party’’, Ashotyan said.

The Fatherland Party is led by former NSS Director Artur Vanetsyan.

Armenian, Russian peoples bound by spiritual, civilizational affinity – Russia diplomat

Parkev Tvankchian

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 19:55,

YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS. The value system is the dimension that creates firm links between the Armenian and Russian peoples, affirming their spiritual and civilizational affinity, ARMENPRESS reports Charge d’Affaires of the Russian Federation in Armenia Aleksey Sinegubov said during a conference headlines ‘’Independence and sovereignty: Threats and challenges for modern Armenia’’.  

Speaking about the challenges of globalization, Sinegubov expressed conviction that Armenia and Russia not only can, but also are obliged to closely collaborate against threats to traditional values, identity and sovereignty.

‘’From this perspective, there is broad cooperation field for Armenia and Russia’’, he said.

According to him, international relations are currently under serious threats. ‘’From the viewpoint of sovereignty, internet is a topic of separate discussion. The developments in the cyberspace create new challenges and risks for the sovereignty of states, but on the other hand, in case of a literate approach, it provides broad opportunities. Progress in communication, technology, and transportation have significantly globalized the modern world. For that reason the problems that arise, sooner or later, become common or at least widely reflected internationally’’, Sinegubov said.

Cabinet approves 2020 budget report, PM addresses defense spending

Parkev Tvankchian

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 12:31,

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. The Cabinet approved the 2020 government budget performance report for submitting to parliament.

Finance Minister Atom Janjughazyan, speaking at the Cabinet meeting, noted that in 2019 the Armenian economy experienced growth. “The Armenian economy grew 7,6%, this created opportunities to change the goal of fulfilling obligations. The 2019 growth enabled to revise the resources envisaged for spending policy,” he said, adding that in 2020 the government received the fastest assistance from the IMF given the projection of decline.

According to Janjughazyan, albeit the government had projected economic drop in the crisis period, all assumed obligations were fulfilled. At the same time, he admitted that shortcomings were inevitable.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted that there were many speculations regarding the 2020 budget in relation to the money transferred by the Hayastan All Armenian fund. “Conditioned by the martial law, the government implemented allocations of nearly 120 billion drams, out of which 52 billion drams is the money allocated by the fund,” Pashinyan said, adding that the fund’s board of trustees has expressed confidence that the money was spent in a targeted way. PM Pashinyan expressed gratitude to all donors and emphasized that donations during the 2020 war alone amount to nearly 70% of all the money which the fund collected since its creation.

He added that the government and the fund will implement a 110 billion dram project in Artsakh in the next three years. Pashinyan said the project is bigger than the fund has ever done in 29 years in Artsakh.

The PM emphasized that they will scrutinize the 120 billion dram military spending in a closed-door format so that the subject is once and for all closed.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

New South Wales Ecumenical Council of 16 Churches joins growing calls for Australian PM to recognize Armenian Genocide

Parkev Tvankchian 
Public Radio of Armenia
New South Wales Ecumenical Council of 16 Churches joins growing calls
for Australian PM to recognize Armenian Genocide
The New South Wales Ecumenical Council has joined in growing calls for
Prime Minister Scott Morrison to recognize the Armenian, Assyrian and
Greek Genocides, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia
(ANC-AU).
The NSW Ecumenical Council has written to the Prime Minister,
expressing the views of 16 highly influential churches in New South
Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, including the Anglican
Church, Antiochian Orthodox Church, Armenian Apostolic Church,
Assyrian Church of the East, The Bruderhof, Congregational Federation
of NSW, Coptic Orthodox Church, Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church,
Greek Orthodox Church, Indian Orthodox Church, Lutheran Church of NSW,
Mar Thoma Church, Religious Society of Friends, Syrian Orthodox
Church, The Salvation Army and Uniting Church Synod of NSW and ACT.
In his correspondence, President of the NSW Ecumenical Council, Dr.
Ray Williamson strongly urged Prime Minister Morrison to recognise the
mass murder of over 1.5 million Armenians and over 1 million Assyrians
and Greeks as Genocide without further delay.
“It is time for the Australian Government, on behalf of the nation, to
recognise officially this crime against humanity as an act of
genocide,” Dr. Williamson said.
ANC-AU Executive Director, Haig Kayserian welcomed the statement from
one of the largest and most influential Christian bodies in the
country.
“We thank the New South Wales Ecumenical council for standing with the
Armenian-Australian, Assyrian-Australian and Greek-Australian
communities, and calling on the Australian Government to stand on the
right side of history,” said Kayserian.
On the eve of the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, pressure
continues to build on Prime Minister Morrison. The NSW Ecumenical
Council has now joined Christian Charity Barnabas and the New South
Wales Armenia-Australia Friendship Group, among others, in calling for
the change in Australian foreign policy wording to include the word
genocide when referencing 1915.
Earlier this month, the Armenian National Committee of Australia wrote
to Prime Minister Scott Morrison requesting his statement on the 106th
Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide to accurately characterize the
Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides.
The Armenian-Australian, Assyrian-Australian and Greek-Australian
communities have united under the Joint Justice Initiative banner,
announcing a #SpeakUpScoMo March for Justice in Sydney and Melbourne
on 24th April 2021.

Armenian PM mentions the number of victims and missing in Artsakh war

Parkev Tvankchian
Public Radio of Armenia
   


Speaking at the National Assembly today, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan published the number of the victims and missing as a result of the Artsakh war.

“As of today, 3,621 people have been confirmed dead, 321 are missing. At the same time, we have 201 bodies or relics to be identified, and 100 identified bodies, but relatives refuse to accept that fact for various reasons. Many want to believe that their loved ones are alive, or held captive [in Azerbaijan], there are families who don’t trust the DNA tests,” Pashinyan said.

According to the Prime Minister, the number of victims will be close to 4,000. He asked the lawmakers to pay tribute to observe a minute of silence in memory of the victims.