Author: Tambiyan Samvel

LECTURE, OPEN HOUSE AT NAASR
Belmont Citizen-Herald, MA
Nov 22 2006
Dr. David Gaunt, professor of history at S?t?University College,
Stockholm, Sweden, will give a lecture entitled “Massacres and
Resistance: The Genocide of the Armenians and Assyrians Based on
New Evidence from the Archives” on Thursday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. at
the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR)
Center , 395 Concord Ave., Belmont.
This lecture, Gaunt’s first in the Boston area, will be co-sponsored
by NAASR and the United Assyrian Association of New England. The
lecture will begin promptly at 8 p.m.
Preceding and following Gaunt’s lecture, NAASR will hold its annual
holiday open house, featuring a special sale in NAASR’s bookstore,
refreshments, music, gift-wrapping, and slide presentation of
highlights from NAASR’s recent 50th Anniversary Celebration. The
bookstore will open at 6 p.m. and remain open until 11 p.m.
The lecture will be based on findings from Gaunt’s recently-published
book, “Massacres, Resistance, Protectors: Muslim-Christian Relations
in Eastern Anatolia during World War I,” which will be on sale and
available for signing by the author.
Gaunt will detail how the persecution of Armenian and Assyrian
Christian minorities was organized on the national and local levels
in places where Armenian and Assyrian populations overlap. His work
is based on unique access to hundreds of documents in the archives
of Istanbul and Ankara, as well as documents of Iranian, Russian,
Arabic, Armenian, Assyrian, French and German origin. Most of these
documents have never been published before. The new documents fill
in some of the blank spaces in the history of genocide.
Admission to the event is free (donations appreciated). For more
information call 617-489-1610, or e-mail [email protected].

ARMENIAN WRESTLERS IN FRANCE
A1+
[01:20 pm] 22 November, 2006
Tomorrow a wrestling competition will start in Nice, France, dedicated
to the memory of World and Olympic champion Henry Dulagan. Armenian
sportsmen will also participate in it. Graeco-Roman wrestlers Vahan
Juharyan, Khosrov Meliqyan (60 kg), Arman Atikyan (66 kg), Arsen
Julfalakyan (74 kg), Tigran Sahakyan (84 kg) and Vahram Galstyan
(96 kg) have left for France.
As for free-stylers, Armenia will be represented by Arthur Araqelyan
(60 kg), Souren Markosyan (66 kg), Garsevan Vardanyan (74 kg),
Haroutyunyan Yenoqyan (84 kg) and Edgar Yenoqyan (96 kg).

VARTABEDIAN: A LIFETIME OF CHICO MEMORIES
By Mary Nugent – Staff Writer
Enterprise-Record, CA
Nov 18 2006
A resident at a Chico retirement facility, Vart Vartabedian took
little time Nov. 14 to talk…”1″
Vartkes “Vart” Vartabedian clearly remembers something that happened
when he was 9 years old and selling newspapers on Third Street,
between Main and Broadway in Chico.
“This guy bought a paper and he gave me a $5 gold piece. I didn’t
have change, so I ran around the corner to my father’s business for
change. And that was that.
“Then years later when my father passed away, we found that $5 gold
piece in a safe deposit box. I had forgotten all about it. He saved
it for me; I had it made into a pendant for my wife.”
At 96, Vart Vartabedian has a lot of memories. Sometimes they’re
poignant, or funny — but his memories are lucid and detailed.
Vartabedian was born in 1910 in Chicago, Ill., to Armenian parents
who arrived in the U.S. through Ellis Island. Big city Chicago was
a rough transition after the small villages in Armenia.
“Lock, stock and barrel, with two kids and everything they owned,
they took a train west,” Vartabedian recalled. They had seen Butte
County on a map, and settled in Chico.
“My father had a little shop in Chicago — he was a hatter,”
Vartabedian said, describing the profession of cleaning and remodeling
men’s hats in a big city where hats got grimy.
Hats didn’t get so dirty in rural Chico,and over time, his father
revamped his business to include cleaning gloves and umbrellas.
“People walked everywhere, and you had to have an umbrella,”
Vartabedian said.
“My parents raised four children on 2.5 acres on East Eighth Street.
We had a nice garden, cows and chickens.”
He remembers his mother and Annie Bidwell had the same doctor. “The
doctor knew my mother made yogurt and he told Mrs. Bidwell about it.
She came in a horse and buggy with her Indian driver. I saw her get
out of the rig, and my mother gave her a container of yogurt.”
He also recalls when Annie Bidwell died in 1918. “My school
participated in the funeral. I remember walking with a bunch of
flowers. I was pretty young.”
And there was yet another incident he remembers. “I was 6 or 7 and on
my way home. I’d go through the (Bidwell) park, at the Fourth Street
entrance. The park was very overgrown then, very wild. I broke off
a piece of a grape vine, struck a match and was going to smoke it
— and I felt a hand on my shoulder — it was the hand of a big,
heavy-set woman who lived on the corner. She asked me if I wanted
her to tell my mother … I put that grape vine out quickly.”
He graduated from Chico High School in 1928 and after working for a
time with his father, Vartabedian went into the wholesale cleaning
business with the late Henry Usherwood. They worked together in
partnership for 25 years, then Vartabedian bought him out.
“The cleaners was at 231 Main Street, what is now the Garden Walk. I
ran it for 50 years and retired in 1980.”
Vartabedian and his wife, Jean, have been married for 62 years. They
met during a dance at the hotel at Richardson Springs. He was in the
Air Force and she married another man, also in the Air Force.
“He was a flyer and he was killed during World War II,” he recalled,
and said Jean had a little girl. Vartabedian married her, raised her
daughter, and together they had three more children.
“There are so many good memories,” he said. “I remember something
humorous, one Thanksgiving. We had a big table with a lot of family
sitting around it. I was at the end of the table and my wife set the
turkey on it. The table tipped, and the turkey landed on my lap. The
whole thing. It was pretty funny.”
He remembers the streetcar than ran through downtown Chico, and the
dances at Portuguese Hall, Memorial Hall, and down by the Sacramento
River.
Vartabedian lives at a retirement community, and his wife has gone
to a nursing home. “We used to like to travel in our RV. We really
enjoyed ourselves,” he said.
They have eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, and a
few associated as step-grandchildren, he said.
Vartabedian says there is nothing complicated about why he is living
such a long, healthy life. “Good genes. That’s it.”
722

PRESS RELEASE
~U”Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund
~UGovernmental Building 3, Yerevan, RA
~UContact: Anush Babayan
~UTel: 3741 52 09 40
~UFax: 3741 52 37 95
~UE-mail: [email protected]
~UWeb:
16.11.06
The Phonathon-2006 of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund
started
Today started the annual phonathon of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund,
already the fourth in succession.
Till November 17, the specialists of the Fund will call nearly
1300 small, medium and large enterprises of Armenia urging them to
contribute to the large project of “Renaissance of Artsakh” launched
by Himnadram. The funds raised during this marathon will be directed
to implementation of the second stage of the project including the
development of Hadrut Region of the NKR. We would like to remind that
the means gathered in Telethon -2005 have been used for reconstruction
and development of the Martakert Region.
On the threshold of the Telethon, the Fund already receives
donations from many individuals, as well as health care, educational
institutions, banks, and other organizations. Donations are coming
from all the marzes of the republic.
The fundraising process is quite active in schools, though this year
we hadn’t applied to them for participation. By their own initiative
the schools raise funds for the project “Renaissance of Artsakh”.
We express our deep gratitude to the schools of villages Fioletovo,
Lorut, Neghots, and others who have sent their donations before the
marathon thus showing their support to the pupils and teachers of
the schools to be repaired and constructed in the Hadrut Region.
Tomorrow, the Phonathon will begin in France from where the operators
will phone to several European countries.
The very event of the Telethon will be live broadcast all over the
world on November 23 from Los-Angeles.

AIMING TO HEAL WOUNDS OF WAR
By Courtney Perkes
Orange County Register, CA
Nov 14 2006
Surgeon from Iraq is exposed to new techniques in O.C. on a trip
sponsored by relief agency.
ORANGE – With a metal instrument, Dr. Avadis Muradian holds open the
gaping pink flesh of a knee, where a sophisticated artificial joint
will allow a long-distance cyclist to ride his bike again.
The operating room at St. Joseph Hospital is a world away from
Muradian’s hospital in Basra, Iraq, where he treats children maimed
after grenades explode in their hands.
And unlike what he saw during the knee-replacement surgery last week,
Muradian can’t send his patients home with greater mobility because
prosthetic fingers and hands aren’t available.
The 50-year-old surgeon is visiting Orange County and Los Angeles for
three weeks to see the latest in orthopedic medicine, which brings
him hope for what Iraq may someday offer.
Watching other doctors here, he says, will help him at home, where
he treats overwhelming needs with limited supplies.
On this afternoon, the jet-lagged, affable doctor is amazed by
his first 48 hours outside the Middle East. In medical school,
he studied out of American textbooks. But he said nothing rivals
standing shoulder-to-shoulder with American surgeon Dr. Robert Gorab.
“I’m ashamed to ask what is this equipment,” Muradian says after
watching four surgeries. “It’s very advanced. He did an operation
today with the aid of a computer.”
>>From the operating room, he steps into the doctors lounge, where
his American counterparts are chatting or working on computers. In
the background, Fox News plays footage of the day’s carnage in Iraq.
Muradian prepares a cup of hot tea and sits down to relax. He plans
to visit relatives he’s never met who live in Los Angeles. He wants
to see Hollywood: “If I can see Tom Cruise, Al Pacino and DeNiro,
I’ll be very grateful.”
But mostly he’s thinking about ways to bring more healing to his broken
country. He also would like to show Americans an Iraqi face outside
the news of war. As he has met patients, he notes their surprise when
they hear where he’s from.
“We are not bad people,” Muradian said. “We really are not people
that like killing. I want to see a peaceful Iraq – no violence, more
development, more reconstruction, more hospitals. I want every people,
every country to respect Iraqis.”
Muradian works at Basra General Hospital, built by the British in
the 1920s. Iraqi police guard the entrance. There are separate wards
for men and women. Without an insurance system, the government pays
doctors’ salaries.
In the early days of the war, Muradian performed all kinds of emergency
surgeries, many outside his specialty. He’s always on call, though
he’s never summoned during the middle of the night. Nobody, he says,
goes out at night.
He remembers after the war started, numerous groups offered aid to
his hospital. In the end, none of the offers panned out except for
a fresh coat of paint for the building.
“We saw nothing,” Muradian said. “We don’t want paint. We want
equipment. We need instruments for fractures, prosthesis.”
He must be creative to make use of his primitive equipment. He has
made some simple tools himself – a contrast to Dr. Gorab, who consults
with medical-device companies to help design new products.
“If you have no glass to drink water, you use your hand.” Muradian
said.
Muradian, whose grandparents moved to Iraq from Armenia, said he
sees another side of Iraq, beyond the casualties and violence. As
a Christian, he said, he lives in harmony with Shiite and Sunni
Muslims. As a doctor or tabib, as he’s called in Arabic, he’s treated
with respect.
His trip is paid for by the nonprofit Buena Park-based Global
Operations and Development and a group of surgeons from the Orthopaedic
Education and Research Institute of Southern California.
As part of an ongoing exchange, more Iraqi doctors will visit in
February.
Juliana Ditty, executive vice president of Global Operations, arranged
for Muradian to stay with local families. Her group has sent 18
40-foot containers of medical supplies to Iraqi hospitals.
Gorab said plans are in the works to send over supplies that Muradian
can use.
“There’s all kinds of equipment in hospitals across the country that
never gets used. It’s sitting in basements,” said Dr. Vance Gardner
of the education and research institute. “They’re thirsty for it.”

NKR PRESIDENT ARKADY GHUKASYAN TO SPEAK AT LA WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL
Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 13 2006
After completing his visit to the East Coast communities, rallying
support for the upcoming Armenia Fund’s 9th Annual International
Telethon, NKR President Arkady Ghukasyan will leave Detroit for Los
Angeles today.
President Arkady Ghukasyan is scheduled to speak at the Los Angeles
World Affairs Council’s dinner reception at the Westin Bonaventure
Hotel on Thursday, November 16, 2006 at 7:30pm. The Council hosts
heads of states and high-ranking government officials to speak to its
members. This past summer, the Council hosted Her Majesty’s Prime
Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom and H.E. Sergei Lavrov,
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
President Ghukasyan will use this opportunity to share his views on
the future of Karabakh, its relations with neighboring countries,
its place in the international community and the prospects for greater
US-NKR engagement.
The President is the Guest of Honor at Armenia Fund’s Annual Gala,
which will take place on November 19 at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at
the California Plaza. The event will highlight the 15th anniversary
of independent Republics of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh and as well
as celebrate Armenia Fund’s mission of rebuilding the homeland since
independence. Armenian jazz singer Datevik Hovanesian and her quartet
will perform live during the gala. The premier sold out event is set
to welcome Armenia Fund’s long time donors and supporters as well as
heads of major Armenian-American organizations and churches.
In Los Angeles President Ghukasyan is scheduled to meet with select
Armenia Fund donors and supporters, as well as with the leaders of
major Armenian-American organizations. The President is to appear
live during Armenia Fund’s 9th Annual International Telethon. The
live 12 hour television program will be held on Thanksgiving Day,
November 23, 8:00AM-8:00PM PST. Proceeds from the event will benefit
the Hadrut Regional Development project which, among other projects,
includes the reconstruction of a regional hospital and the purchase of
5 new ambulances, the construction of new local schools, agricultural
development programs, as well as the construction of drinking water
and irrigation networks.

California Courier Online, November 16, 2006
1 – Commentary
Turks and Azeris Are in Frenzy
Following Democrats’ Victory
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
2 – AEUNA Ordains Aren Balabanian
To Pastoral Ministry in Fresno
3 – Prof. Hovannisian’s Presentation
Draws SRO Crowd in Glendale
4 – ‘A Photographic History of Armenians’
Hosted Nov. 19 at Ararat-Eskijian Museum
5- Textbook Battle Winners Will Write History
6 – Nearly $8 Million in NY Life Checks
Sent to More than 2,500 Victims’ Heirs
7 – 2nd Int’l Medical Congress of Armenia
Will Take Place in Yerevan in June
8 – Pres. Ghoukasian to Speak at L.A.
World Affairs Council Program
9 – Southland’s Cabraloff, Gabriel, and Kazarian Families Honor
Grandfather’s Memory by Renovating Ancestral Village School
******************************************* ***********************
1 – Commentary
Turks and Azeris Are in Frenzy
Following Democrats’ Victory
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
The takeover by the Democratic Party of not just the House of
Representatives, but the Senate as well, stunned the world, particularly Turkey and
Azerbaijan.
The neo-cons in control of the White House finally lost many of their
partners in the U.S. Congress. This means that they can no longer call all the shots
and will have to compromise their extreme positions on both foreign and
domestic policy.
The Armenian American community, indeed the Armenian Diaspora, along with the
American public and the rest of the world, are elated by this change in
power, as they have suffered enough at the hands of the neo-cons in the past six
years.
The Armenian appetite was whetted ever since Cong. Nancy Pelosi (Dem-CA)
issued a statement to this writer right before the November 7 elections saying: “I
have supported legislation … that would properly acknowledge the Armenian
genocide. It is imperative that the United States recognize this atrocity and
move to renew our commitment to eliminate genocide whenever and wherever it
exists. This effort enjoys strong bipartisan support in the House, and I will
continue to support these efforts in the 110th Congress,” Pelosi said.
This is the first time a member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian
Issues is slated to become the Speaker of the House, ousting Cong. Dennis Hastert
(Rep.-Illinois) who has been dead set on blocking the Armenian Genocide
resolution pending in the House in various permutations over the past six years. Of
course, there are no guaranties in politics. Armenians have been disappointed
many times before when pledges made in the heat of a campaign have evaporated
under pressure from cold realities of the political world.
There are many twists and turns to overcome before the expected passage of a
congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide. The resolution has to be
submitted to the House International Relations Committee all over again. Should
it make it through that committee, it is expected that the Speaker Pelosi will
bring it to the House floor for a vote, in which case it would pass with the
overwhelming majority of the votes.
Given many previous disappointments, it may be wise for Armenian Americans
and Armenians worldwide to approach this issue with some caution, particularly
since the eventual passage of this resolution would add nothing new to the
Armenian Cause. As I have mentioned on many occasions before, the U.S. House of
Representatives has passed a similar resolution on the Armenian Genocide both in
1975 and 1984. Furthermore, Pres. Ronald Reagan issued a Presidential
Proclamation back in 1981 make a reference to the Armenian Genocide.
The only merit to its passage would be the fact that it would settle scores
with Speaker Hastert and Pres. Bush who had promised to recognize the Armenian
Genocide before being elected to his first term in office. Another possible
benefit would be to drive Turkish and Azeri leaders out of their minds, as they
have been in an absolute frenzy ever since Cong. Pelosi made her pledge on the
Armenian Genocide resolution. There have been dozens of articles in the
Turkish and Azeri press lamenting the fact that pro-Armenian members of Congress
have been elected to leadership positions in various committees. Since the
Democrats control both Houses of Congress, they will be the committee chairmen and
set the agenda. As such, they would have the power to hold special hearings on
many neo-con shenanigans, from the war in Iraq to accusations of Turkish
circles bribing Speaker Hastert.
The other major success on November 7 was the re-election of Sen. Robert
Menendez (Dem.-N.J.) who won in a very tight race. The Armenian voters in that
State played a key role in his victory by campaigning and voting for him in large
numbers. The State Dept. would have loved to see him defeated in order to
release the hold he had placed on Richard Hoagland, the Ambassador Designate for
Armenia.
Finally, the overwhelming majority of the House Armenian Caucus members were
reelected, including the two co-chairs, Cong. Frank Pallone (Dem.-N.J.) and
Joe Knollenberg (Rep.-Michigan). Armenian lobbying groups should continue their
admirable effort to increase the number of Armenian Caucus members to 218 —
the majority of House members.
***************************************** *********************************
2 – AEUNA Ordains Aren Balabanian
To Pastoral Ministry in Fresno
FRESNO – The Armenian Evangelical Union of North America has ordained a
longtime Silicon Valley resident to the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament and
installed him as Associate Pastor of California’s oldest Armenian Church.
The AEUNA ordained Aren Balabanian to his sacred office during divine
services on Sunday afternoon, October 22, 2006, at the First Armenian Presbyterian
Church of Fresno. The Evangelical Union, an ecclesiastical confederation of
churches, missions, and fellowships in the United States and Canada, also
installed Balabanian as Associate Pastor of the historic Fresno congregation.
Reverend Balabanian was born in Aleppo, Syria on August 12, 1980 to Rafi
Balabanian, D.D.S., and the former Nora Nazarian, M.D. The family immigrated to
the United States in 1989 and settled in Santa Clara County, where Balabanian’s
sister, Jenny, was born.
Balabanian received his early education at Anderson Elementary School,
Joaquin Miller Middle School, and Lynbrook High School, all in San Jose. He
completed his undergraduate education at the University of California at Los Angeles,
earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 2002.
After preparing for a career in law, Balabanian received a call to ministry
and enrolled at the Talbot School of Theology, a graduate school of Biola
University in La Mirada. He completed the three-year program in May 2005, earned a
Masters Degree in Divinity, and received the Dean’s Award for showing
“excellence in academic studies, faithfulness in Christian Service, and in whose life
the love of Jesus is reflected.”
An active member of Calvary Armenian Congregational Church of San Francisco,
Balabanian served as Youth Director of Immanuel Armenian Congregational Church
of Downey (Fall 2002-December 2003) and College/Career Director of the
Armenian Evangelical Brethren Church of Los Angeles (February 2005-May 2005).
>From 2004 to 2006, Balabanian served as National Youth Representative to the
AEUNA Board of Directors. In July 2006 he was elected member-at-large of the
Board of Directors. Engaged to marry Miss Alina Melkonian of Fresno, the new
Associate Pastor has interests ranging from public policy and government to
theology to professional sports.
More than 400 members and friends of the Fresno congregation witnessed the
new Associate Pastor’s service of ordination and installation and shared in a
fellowship reception that concluded the afternoon.
A dozen active and retired ministers attended to the laying on of hands.
Officiants at the service included Shant Abajian, Pastoral Intern of the Armenian
Christian Fellowship of Orange County; Reverend Karl V. Avakian, Immediate
Past Minister to the AEUNA; and the Ordinand’s uncle, Reverend Nerses Balabanian
of the Calvary Armenian Congregational Church of San Francisco.
Other officiants included Reverend Bernard Guekguezian, Pastor Emeritus of
the host congregation; Reverend Jason Matossian, Pastor of Christian Education
at the United Armenian Congregational Church of Los Angeles; Reverend Joseph
Matossian, current Minister to the AEUNA; Reverend Mgrdich Melkonian, Senior
Pastor of the host congregation; Reverend Steven D. Muncherian, Senior Pastor of
the Evangelical Free Church of Merced; and Reverend Ronald Tovmassian,
Moderator of the AEUNA.
Lay Elders Steven Vartabedian and Edward Saliba participated on behalf of the
FAPC Session and Membership. Jane S. Bedrosian, Director of Music
Ministries, and Marilyn Mitchell, Organist, led the worship team at the special service.
************************************************** ***********************
3 – Prof. Hovannisian’s Presentation
Draws SRO Crowd in Glendale
GLENDALE – On the evening of November 1, an extraordinary lecture event took
place in the Glendale Central Library, organized by the Armenian Educational
Foundation. The evening was exceptional, since even before the announced hour
for the lecture, the auditorium was filled to capacity and people were standing
along the walls, while many others remained outside trying to get permission
to enter, which unfortunately was denied by the fire marshal. The evening was
also exceptional, because the people had come not simply for a lecture (as is
known lectures at present do not draw such crowds), but rather, filled with
longing, to become a companion of the speaker as he walked in the footsteps of
his forebears.
The lecturer was Professor Richard Hovannisian, the A.E.F Chair Holder in
Modern Armenian History at UCLA. His subject was “The Vanishing Landscape of
Historic Western Armenia.” He was introduced by former president and present
executive board member of the A.E.F, Nora Sahagian.
Thereafter in a spellbinding and absorbing presentation, the lecturer spoke
in Armenian and English for 90 minutes with projected illustrations, leading
the riveted audience from Trebizond to Gumushkhane, Bayburt (Baberd) Erzerum
(Garin), Kemakh, Agn, and Kharpert and further to Palu, Mush, Bitlis, and Van.
Having studied for many years the towns and villages, the mountains and plains
of Western Armenia, the scholar for the first time felt under his feet and saw
with his eyes the imagined unimaginable-the ruined homeland and the vanishing
traces of thousands of years of Armenian history. He met the Turk still
fearful of relinquishing his confiscated possessions to Armenians, and he met the
Kurd, who expressed sorrow and remorse for the massacres. And finally he met
the converted (“tardzats”) Armenian, who is reclaiming his ethnic identity but
who knows no Armenian and remains a devout Muslim.
Professor Hovannisian undertook this journey-or pilgrimage-with his wife,
Vartiter, and with Professor Fatma Muge Gocek, who is among the Turkish scholars
who reject the official Turkish state narrative of what occurred in 1915. That
in itself was an extraordinary thing for the professor, who for the first
time was stepping foot in the homeland in the company of a Turkish colleague and
a Turkified half-Armenian guide (along with two members of the Turkish
Armenian newspaper Agos).
Both with deep emotion and a strong command of history, the illustrated
presentation, sometimes sad, sometimes inspiring, was followed by a torrent of
questions and comments from the impassioned audience.
To the last question from a student about what would be the professor’s
single most important bidding, Richard Hovannisian replied that it is essential for
our generations to study and learn how it was that, despite the numerous
calamities, massacres, and deportations down through the centuries, the Armenian
people were able to survive through it all. It is essential to discover and
cling to the “national secret” for the sake of the future.
************************************************** ************************
4 – ‘A Photographic History of Armenians’
Hosted Nov. 19 at Ararat-Eskijian Museum
MISSION HILLS, CA – The illustrated and interactive program “A PHOTOGRAPHIC
HISTORY OF ARMENIANS: From Empires to Diaspora” will take place at the
Ararat-Eskijian Museum on Nov. 19, at 4 pm. Founder and Executive Director of
Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives, Ruth Thomasian will discuss this rare
archival treasure and its methods, as well as present a dynamic illustrated
lecture about Armenians. The program will also include a Photographs Road Show
with audience participation. A reception will immediately follow the program.
The slide presentation will include 19th-early 20th century images of
families and towns in historic Armenia during the Ottoman, Russian, and Persian
empires. More recent images of Armenians in America and throughout the Diaspora
will also be shown. To understand the historical value of these photographs as
well as Project SAVE’s critical mission, Thomasian will discuss collecting and
documenting photographs, archival methods, oral documentation procedures,
dating of images, and the issue of originals vs. copies.
Another exciting part of the program will be the Photographs Road Show.
Thomasian invites the audience to bring family photographs for her to examine and
identify their historical significance. One of the most gratifying aspects of
Thomasian’s work is the dialogue initiated by these treasured photographs, in
other words, “seeing and hearing history unfold in front of you as a photo
donor shares a family photograph and the stories that go with it.”
Located in Watertown, MA, Project SAVE was founded in 1975 by Thomasian.
While pursuing a career as a theatrical costume designer in New York City,
she became aware that there was scarcely any visual material available to
research costumes for Armenian plays set in historic Armenia within the 19th and
early 20th centuries. Project SAVE collects and documents photographs of Armenian
people and places.
According to Thomasian, “Project SAVE fills the human need to have knowledge
of ones ancestors and an understanding of where they have come from and how
they have lived their lives-in a way so that we can live our lives in harmony
with that heritage.” From its modest beginnings, Project SAVE is now a
privately held but publicly accessible archive of approximately 25,000 images that
represent the heritage of Armenians not only in “the old country” but also in the
United States and the worldwide Armenian Diaspora.
Thomasian received a B.A. in History and Education from Albion College in
Michigan, and an M.S. in Communications Management from Simmons College, Boston.
Her work with Project SAVE has earned her numerous awards, including Haig
Garabed Sarafian Award (Armenian Students’ Association, 1984), Jack H. Kolligian
Award (National Association for Armenian Studies and Research, 1985),
Community Folklore Scholar (Smithsonian Institution, 1989), Smithsonian Delegate
(International Folklore Conference, 1990), and Woman of Achievement Award (Armenian
International Women’s Association, 1994). She is a former President of the
Photographic Historical Society of New England and currently the co-editor of
the society’s New England Journal of Photographic History. She is also a
member of the New England Archivists and the Society of American Archivists.
Project SAVE is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization entirely funded by
generous individuals, foundations, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Project SAVE appreciates receiving original photographs as a donation or on
loan, and welcomes volunteers to assist with archival and administrative tasks.
For more information: (617) 923-4542; [email protected];
; P.O. Box 236, Watertown, MA 02471-0236.
The Ararat-Eskijian Museum is located on the grounds of the Ararat Home of
Los Angeles at 15105 Mission Hills Road, Mission Hills, CA 91345.
For more information, call AEM (818) 838-4862 or visit
Free admission and parking.
********’******************************** *********************************
5 – Textbook Battle Winners Will Write History
By Michael Doyle
Fresno Bee
WASHINGTON – A textbook battle is pitting Americans of Armenian and Turkish
descent against one another in a federal courtroom.
The winner will write history.
And though the fight may seem far away, it’s captivating California’s
politically vocal Armenian-American community.
“Most people who are interested in Armenian politics know about it,” said
Hygo Ohannessian, chairwoman of the Fresno-based Central California chapter of
the Armenian National Committee of America.
Ohannessian and her allies are waiting on US. District Judge Mark Wolf in
Boston. For the past year, Wolf has overseen a lawsuit challenging the way
Massachusetts high school study guides handle the horrific events of 1915-23.
Genocide, Armenians and many historians call it. By some counts, upward of
1.5 million Armenians died at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. Turks and
Armenians have disputed how to characterize the tragic events.
“If the Turks win this, they are going to challenge textbooks in other
states,” predicted Ohannes Boghossian, chairman of the Armenian National Committee’s
Sacramento chapter.
But in its lawsuit filed last October, the Assembly of Turkish American
Associations claims Massachusetts capitulated to Armenian-American pressure and
“purged” the state’s study guides of any material challenging Armenian claims.
“This case is not about whether there was or was not an Armenian genocide,”
attorney Harvey Silverglate said in an interview this week, “but rather, about
whether teachers and students are going to be able to study and discuss the
question without undue political interference.”
Undeniably, Armenian-Americans wield political clout, particularly in areas
such as the San Joaquin Valley, with large ethnic populations.
The leading Republican author of a commemorative Armenian genocide resolution
offered this Congress is Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa.
But Turkey, too, flexes political muscle. While Radanovich’s current Armenian
genocide resolution has 159 House co-sponsors, similar resolutions have been
consistently blocked by presidents of both parties.
With lifetime tenure and 21 years on the federal bench, Wolf is shielded from
overt pressure. Still, his next decision remains closely watched, as he
considers whether to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Silverglate on behalf of the
Turkish American associations.
In 1999, an initial version of the Massachusetts study guide cited reference
materials that reflected Turkish views challenging the genocide argument.
These were optional references, not required to be taught.
“These viewpoints contend … that the fate of the Ottoman Armenians was the
result of a number of factors, including the Ottoman government’s response to
an Armenian revolt in alliance with Russia, a tragically flawed deportation
policy and mutual wartime massacres, which brought great suffering and death to
both Ottoman Armenians and Muslims,” the lawsuit argues.
But after a Massachusetts state senator complained and the Armenian-American
community mobilized, the state’s education commissioner changed course. The
state subsequently deleted study guide references to Turkish sites, including
Georgetown University’s Institute of Turkish Studies.
“It’s fine for governments to help make history, but not to write it,”
Silverglate said. “The First Amendment is meant to provide a free marketplace of
ideas to determine truth, and history.”
The Armenian National Committee and the Los Angeles-based Armenian Bar
Association have both urged Wolf in an amicus brief to toss out the case. They argue
that Massachusetts acted reasonably in omitting the Turkish perspective.
“It would be like having the Nazi Party coming in and forcing its views of
the Holocaust,” Ohannessian said Tuesday.
The Armenian-Americans have strong U.S. Supreme Court precedent on their
side, which may fatally undercut Silverglate’s lawsuit. The court has ruled
repeatedly, as the Armenian groups put it, that “the First Amendment places no
restraints” on the messages a government conveys.
“Courts,” Massachusetts added in its own legal filing, “have no authority
either to control government speech or to second-guess curriculum decisions made
by the responsible public officials.”
Armenian-Americans cite, as well, the 37 states – including California –
whose legislatures have recognized the Armenian genocide. The study guide, the
groups say, should be appreciated “in the context of this widespread official
acknowledgment” of the tragedy.
In California, Ohannessian noted, textbooks refer to the Armenian genocide –
but she and other Armenian-American activists enhance this with yearly
seminars offered to Fresno and Clovis high school students seeking extra credit.
****************************************** ********************************
6 – Nearly $8 Million in NY Life Checks
Sent to More than 2,500 Victims’ Heirs
LOS ANGELES, CALIF.–Settlement checks totaling $7,954,362.24
will be distributed this week to more than 2,500 Armenian descendants of victims
massacred in the 1915 Armenian Genocide. The checks are a share of a
multi-million dollar settlement in a class action lawsuit brought against New York Life
Insurance Company for unpaid life insurance benefits. In addition, $3 million
has been already distributed to various Armenian charitable organizations
(Martin Marootian, et al. v. New York Life Insurance Company).
The board reviewed thousands of claims and found that 2,515
claims could be traced to Armenians who had purchased life insurance policies from
New York Life prior to 1915.
“We are thrilled that thousands of Armenians will finally get the
insurance compensation they deserve,” says Brian Kabateck, partner with
Kabateck Brown Kellner, LLP and one of the lead attorneys who represented the
Armenian heirs. “Armenians don’t give up easily and this settlement is a testament
to that.”
“Although compensation is about 90 years late, we’re still
pleased that Armenians are receiving some of what is owed them,” says Mark Geragos,
partner with Geragos & Geragos, another of the lead attorneys in the case. In
addition to Kabateck and Geragos, Vartkes Yeghiayan of Yeghiayan & Associates
represented the plaintiffs in the case. All are of Armenian decent.
Letters will be mailed to all claimants. Checks will be included
to claimants awarded compensation. Of the nearly $8 million in settlement
checks, Armenians in Armenia will receive the most ($3.4 million) followed by
Armenians in the United States ($2.6 million) and Armenians in France ($656,413).
In all, Armenians in 26 countries will receive compensation.
For questions about the settlement, contact the settlement board
at 213-327-0740.
************************************************** ************************
7 – 2nd Int’l Medical Congress of Armenia
Will Take Place in Yerevan in June
The Organizing Committee of the Second International Medical Congress of
Armenia is pleased to announce that the Congress will be held from the 28th to the
30th of June 2007. The venue of the Congress will be at the historic Armenia
Marriott Hotel on Republic Square in downtown Yerevan. We anticipate the
participation of Armenian medical doctors, dentists, pharmacists and nurses from
all over the world.
Satellite Symposia will be held during the Congress with the aim of creating
international partnership programs and providing up-to-date information to
regional doctors (marz) who will be invited separately to participate without
requiring registration. Symposia will take place in Urology, Neuroscience,
Anesthesiology, Ophthalmology, Osteoporosis, and Nursing.
Besides developing medical science in Armenia the international partnership
program is an excellent opportunity to present and discuss general
collaboration projects. Chosen sections are as follows Neurology and Mental Health,
Mother and Child Health, Public Health /Tobacco Control, Medical Education, FMF,
HIV/AIDS, Nursing, Dentistry, Oncology, Primary Health Care, Health Policy,
Internal Medicine, Surgery, Disability/ Rehabilitation, Basic Science, and
Pharmacology.
There will be a focus on medical education and the session will be lead by
the newly elected Rector (Dean) of the Medical School, Professor Gohar Kalyan
and the Chairman of the Scientific Committee, Dean of the National Institute of
Health, Dr. Derenik Doumanyan.
The third day of the conference is entirely dedicated to Diaspora-Armenia
projects and strategy of future collaboration.
An outstanding social program will be offered to participants and attendants.
The official languages of the Congress will be Armenian and English.
The deadline for the abstract submission is March 31st, 2007. Abstracts can
be submitted to [email protected]. The online abstract submission form can be
found at
For any additional information please visit the web site: or
correspond with the Organizing Committee of the Congress at the above mentioned
address.
**************************************** ***********************************
8 – Pres. Ghoukasian to Speak at L.A.
World Affairs Council Program
LOS ANGELES – Nagorno-Karabagh President Arkady Ghoukasian will be the
keynote speaker at the Nov. 16 dinner program hosted by the Los Angeles World
Affairs Council at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
The World Affairs Council program regularly features world leaders such as
Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,
presidents of foreign countries, major philanthropists, religious leaders and
best-selling authors.
President Ghoukasian plans to speak about Artsakh’s efforts to gain
international recognition of its right to live in freedom, develop democratic
institutions and a full-fledged market economy.
Ghoukasian will also use this opportunity to share his views on the future of
Karabagh, its relations with neighboring countries, its place in the
international community and the prospects for greater US-NKR engagement.
“We encourage our Armenian American compatriots residing in the Greater Los
Angeles area to attend this unique event, thus showing your interest and
support for Artsakh, as well as your appreciation for the L.A. World Affairs Council
for hosting Artsakh’s President,” said Vardan Barseghian, Representative of
the NKR in Washington, DC.
The dinner program will begin at 7:30 p.m., at the Westin Bonaventure, 404 S.
Figueroa St., Los Angeles.
To register for the event, visit
************ ************************************************** **********
9 – Southland’s Cabraloff, Gabriel, and Kazarian Families Honor
Grandfather’s Memory by Renovating Ancestral Village School
LOS ANGELES – In 1910, brothers Atabek and Artash Gabrielian traveled to
America leaving their home in Isahakyan Village, formally Ghazarabad, in northern
Armenia. But, even after they came to Southern California, they kept the
village alive through their children and grandchildren.
In 2004, Al Cabraloff visited his grandfather Artash’s village, where Al
found a number of his relatives. During the visit, Al and his friend, Stepan
Altounian, of Whittier, Calif., were moved when they saw the dismal conditions of
the Isahakyan Village School. Returning to the United States, Al contacted
the Armenian Educational Foundation (AEF) in Glendale, and asked what it would
take to renovate the school. AEF representatives estimated the cost to be
$105,000 to renovate two of the three wings of the school. Without hesitation, Al
gave the AEF the go ahead to start the necessary construction. Al and Diane
Cabraloff, of Whititer, Calif., along with cousins Ronald Gabriel, Richard
Gabriel, Arthur and Dennis Kazarian donated all the funds needed to complete the
renovations.
In July 2006, Al, Diane, their children, Al’s parents and uncle, along with
70 relatives, friends and AEF members and supporters attended the opening of
the newly renovated Isahakyan Village School.
The ceremony was extremely moving, especially with students presenting the
Cabraloffs with bouquet of flowers and recitations. Welcoming remarks were
delivered by Shirak Region Marzbed (Governor) Romik Manoukyan, and the school
principal. Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Education Bagrat Assatouryan thanked the
Cabraloffs for their generous donation and the AEF for the renovation of the
school.
Al gave a memorable speech, translated into Armenian by AEF Board Member Mina
Shirvanian. Al thanked the AEF, his family and friends and gave words of
encouragement to the students and families of the Village. AEF Vice President,
Alec Baghdasaryan thanked the Cabraloffs for their generosity and noted that it
is because of individuals like Al and Diane that the AEF has renovated 150
schools in Artsakh, Javakhk and the border villages of Armenia. Village
residents were overjoyed that the children and grandchildren of their village had
returned with such amazing generosity and that Isahakyan’s children were the
beneficiaries.
The AEF hosted a lunch for the guests, school administration, teachers and
village leaders in the school’s newly renovated main auditorium.
As the group started to depart, the haunting view of historical Armenian
lands just a few miles away was a reminder of how precious and important Isahakyan
and other border villages are to the well being of the independent Armenia.
AEF President Vahe Hacopian wished that “the blessings these young
benefactors have brought to this village be multiplied throughout our nation and may Al
and Diane Cabraloff serve as role models for all of our younger generation.”
Since 1950, the Armenian Educational Foundation, Inc. (AEF) has been the
backbone of the Armenian educational movement worldwide. It has lent a helping
hand to thousands of students and to hundreds of schools throughout the world.
During its 56 years of giving, the AEF has proven to be one of the most enduring
and productive educational organizations in the Diaspora.
For further information, contact the AEF office in Glendale at (818) 242-4154
or
********************************** ****************************************
The California Courier On-Line is a service provided by the California
Courier. Subscriptions or changes of address should not be transmitted through this
service. Information in that regard should be telephoned to (818) 409-0949;
faxed to: (818) 409-9207, or e-mailed to: [email protected]. Letters to the
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************************************* *************************************

PAP news agency, Warsaw,
11 Nov 2006
Pole and Slovak killed in Iraq explosion
Warsaw, 11 November: Two soldiers, a Pole and a Slovak, have been
killed in the explosion of a mine booby-trap in Iraq. A Pole and an
Armenian were wounded. As PAP has discovered, it was a sergeant from
the 16th Mechanized Division from Elblag [northern Poland] who was
killed.
The lives of those wounded are not in danger and they have been taken
by helicopter to hospital in Baghdad. The Pole, who is wounded in the
leg, is a junior warrant officer from the airbase in Malbork
[northern Poland].
The accident took place on the road between Al-Kut and a location
where a company of Slovak sappers was clearing mines from an old
ammunition dump.
Up until today, 21 Poles had been killed in Iraq, 17 of them
soldiers.

Agency WPS
What the Papers Say Part A (Russia)
November 10, 2006 Friday
ORIENTATION TEST;
Putin checks to see if Ilham Aliyev is planning to join NATO
by Viktor Yadukha
President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan visits Moscow; President Ilham
Aliyev of Azerbaijan started a working visit to Moscow yesterday,
arriving there from Brussels. In contrast to Aliyev’s Brussels visit,
his Moscow visit has been downplayed in Azerbaijan – to avoid
stirring up the pro-Western opposition.
BODY:
President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan started a working visit to
Moscow yesterday, arriving there from Brussels.
In contrast to Aliyev’s Brussels visit, his Moscow visit has been
downplayed in Azerbaijan – to avoid stirring up the pro-Western
opposition. Announcements in Russia have also been very brief. But
everyone knows the issues of concern to both sides: Baku is trying to
win Moscow’s support on Nagorno-Karabakh, while Moscow is trying to
prevent Azerbaijan from joining NATO.
Moscow doesn’t have much economic leverage with Azerbaijan. All Azeri
oil is exported via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, bypassing
Russia; gas deliveries account for the lion’s share of trade
turnover, but even this source of dependence will be eliminated once
the Shah-Deniz field starts production. However, given its influence
on Armenia, Russia is still an important mediator in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This mediation is also vital for
Azerbaijan’s biggest investor – the United States. Shareholders in
the BTC pipeline and the new Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline require
transit security. Moscow can’t side with Azerbaijan, at the risk of
losing Armenia – a member of the CIS Collective Security Treaty
Organization and Russia’s sole ally in the Trans-Caucasus.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said on November 7 that
Russia is prepared to act as a conflict regulation guarantor if Baku
and Yerevan can reach a compromise themselves. But this is unlikely:
Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian has already made it clear
that his meeting with his Azeri counterpart on November 14 in
Brussels will not be successful. Oskanian also said recently that if
“Russia recognizes one or more of the unrecognized republics, the
Armenian Foreign Ministry will make an appropriate statement.” It’s a
sticky situation.
In the meantime, Western countries are trying to draw Azerbaijan
further into their orbit. Citing diplomatic sources, the “Zerkalo”
newspaper (Baku) reports that “Azerbaijan is expected to make an
official application for NATO membership within days.” However,
judging by Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamediarov’s statement about
Russia’s “important role” in the region, Baku is not prepared to take
that step as yet. Sergei Markedonov from the Political and Military
Analysis Institute says: “Azerbaijan understands that joining NATO
would exacerbate tension in relations with Russia, and draw
Azerbaijan into the Iran campaign. So Aliyev has to keep
maneuvering.”
All the same, according to Azeri political analyst Zafar Guliyev,
Baku’s policies could tilt towards the West in the near future. And
the invitation for Aliyev to visit Moscow after Brussels may be
regarded as the Kremlin’s attempt to prevent such developments.
Source: RBK Daily, No. 33, November 9, 2006, p. 2
Translated by Elena Leonova

EurasiaNet, NY
Nov 11 2006
AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT’S VISIT TO MOSCOW: TOUGH TALKS OVER THE ENERGY
ISSUES
Rovshan Ismayilov 11/10/06

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and his Russian counterpart
Vladimir Putin seem to have engaged in some hard bargaining over
energy and security issues when the two met in the Kremlin on
November 9. While Russia has used its energy assets as tool of
coercion against many former Soviet states, Azerbaijan’s own energy
abundance and export capability enables it to engage Russia on more
of a parity basis.
Aliyev arrived in Moscow for talks with Putin after visiting
Brussels, where the Azerbaijani leader signed a memorandum on energy
cooperation with the European Union, as well as lobbied EU officials
for support on the Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks. [For background see
the Eurasia Insight archive]. He also met with top officials of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Azerbaijan’s ability to act as an
independent energy player in Europe is a source of vexation for
Russian officials, who have pursued policies aimed at achieving
Moscow’s lasting dominance as an EU energy supplier. [For background
see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Azerbaijani and Russian officials remained tight-lipped on the
specifics of the two presidents’ discussions. All indicators,
however, suggested that Aliyev and Putin jousted over energy and
strategic issues. Publicly, Putin lauded the improvement in
Azerbaijani-EU energy ties. Behind closed doors, Azerbaijani experts
believe the Russian president spared no effort in trying to bind Baku
closer to Russia, and thus get Azerbaijan to moderate energy
cooperation with the EU and strategic ties with the United States and
NATO. Another factor in the discussions likely was Azerbaijan’s own
purchase of Russian natural gas. The price and amount of Russian gas
to be imported by Azerbaijan in 2007 remains up in the air. [For
background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Azerbaijan has long pursued policies that have sought to concurrently
strengthen ties with the United States, EU and Russia. Politically,
Aliyev favors tight control of the democratization process, generally
following Putin’s “managed democracy” model, in which the state keeps
a lid on dissent and the non-governmental sector. In the energy and
security spheres, meanwhile, Azerbaijan leans toward the West.
Aliyev is one of the few regional leaders to have good working
relationships with both Putin and US President George W. Bush. [For
background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
But balancing US and Russian interests is becoming increasingly
difficult for Azerbaijani leaders as they pursue their top policy
priorities, namely energy exports and a Karabakh settlement that
allows Baku to retain control of the territory.
According to a November 10 analytical report published by Kommersant,
Aliyev indicated to Putin that Baku would take Russia’s interests
into account in Azerbaijani-EU energy matters. “We work together with
you, don’t we; that’s just what I told them [EU officials],”
Kommersant quoted Aliyev as telling Putin, citing a Russian official
source. At the same time, Aliyev reportedly rebuffed Putin’s efforts
to get Azerbaijan to go along with Russia’s economic blockade of
Georgia. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. The
Russian energy giant Gazprom recently announced a drastic price
increase for its gas exports to Georgia, from $110 per thousand cubic
meters (tcm) to $230 tcm, a hike that Georgian officials have
denounced as politically motivated. [For background see the Eurasia
Insight archive].
Azerbaijan’s own vast reserves of oil and gas enable Aliyev to say
“no” to Moscow. It also gives Baku the ability to pursue an
independent security course. This independence has Russian officials
increasingly worried. At present, Azerbaijan is engaging in a rapid
military buildup, and officials in Moscow worry that this defense
spending binge could be a harbinger of a rapid Azerbaijani move
toward NATO integration. The Kommersant analysis also suggested the
buildup could be a precursor to the establishment of an American
military base in Azerbaijan, although Azerbaijani officials have
repeatedly dismissed the possibility.
Lacking an energy trump card to play against Azerbaijan, Putin has
few levers at his disposal to influence Azerbaijani decision-making.
During their November 9 meeting, Putin reportedly offered significant
economic investment and lucrative arms deals, but neither offer
seemed appealing from the standpoint of enhancing Azerbaijan’s
sovereignty.
While Russia may have little that it can offer Baku, distrust of the
United States and other Western countries seems to be on the rise not
only within Azerbaijani governing circles, but on the grass-roots
level as well. Political analyst Arif Yunusov, in an interview with
the Russian news agency Regnum, said “disappointment with US policy”
was widespread in Azerbaijan, explaining that resentment was growing
over what he characterized as a “hypocritical” Bush administration
policy toward Baku.
“They [Bush administration officials] keep saying that the only thing
they are thinking about is to build democracy in Azerbaijan, but, in
fact, the only thing they are thinking about is how to get our oil
and how to use our territory against Muslims,” Yunusov said. [For
background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Many Azerbaijanis are frustrated by the lack of follow-up on the US
democratization rhetoric, while officials in Baku continue to worry
about the possibility of Azerbaijani being caught in the middle of a
possible US-Iran conflict.
After his visits to Brussels and Moscow, Aliyev will likely have
trouble making choices that keep all parties – the United States, the
EU, Russia, as well as Georgia – happy. Experts in Baku are reluctant
to predict the country’s future geopolitical course. “We should
follow the situation for the coming few month before we can make
clear conclusions. We have to follow Azerbaijan’s position in the
`Georgia issue,’ and the pace of country’s NATO integration,” said
Zafar Guliyev, a political analyst for the Turan analytical group.
Editor’s Note: Rovshan Ismayilov is a freelance reporter based in
Baku.