Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

FRANCE SENDS 40,000 BOOKS FOR ARMENIAN UNIVERSITIES AND SCHOOLS

ARMENPRESS
Oct 04 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian embassy in France hosted
on October 2 an event dedicated to a program designed for providing
Armenian universities and schools with manuals and other literature
related to teaching of the French language.

The foreign ministry in Yerevan said the chairman of the Adiflor
association (a book bank), Senator Louis Duvernan, presented to
Armenian ambassador to France, Edward Nalbandian, the samples of
about 40,000 books to be sent to Armenia.

This program is carried out by Adiflor in cooperation with French
foreign and culture ministries and many other organizations. The
books were to be shipped today and are expected to reach Armenia
in mid-November.b Ambassador Nalbandian thanked all organizations
and people involved in this program. He said French is taught as a
foreign language in tens of universities and over one hundred schools
in Armenia.

He also said Armenia is a member of Francophone organization and
has the French University in Armenia, reputed as one of the best
beyond France.

GLIMPSES OF ‘AN ANTHOLOGY OF SELECTED WRITINGS ON EAST BENGAL’ FROM THE ‘INDIA COLLECTION’ AT THE INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE LIBRARY, DELHI
Raana Haider

The Daily Star, Bangladesh
Oct 6 2007

Introduction

The ‘India Collection’ at the India International Centre Library in
New Delhi earlier constituted the ‘Collection of British Books on
India’ of the British Council, New Delhi. Numbering over 3000 rare
and old books, documents, personal accounts, prints, memoirs, maps
and manuscripts; the ‘India Collection’ consists largely the works
of British authors on India, particularly covering the British period.

The Collection spans the period from the 17th century (the earliest
title is dated 1672) to 1947.

The extracts presented below draw on expansive archival material
pertaining to selective original works in the form of memoirs, records
and travel accounts primarily on nineteenth-century East Bengal. Rich
in topographical and architectural documentation and social customs
the topics include administration, animals, architecture, climate,
customs, geography, lifestyle, mores and manners and the rulers; by
generations of British civilian and military officers, scholars and
traders in India. These ‘voices that speak’ from a bygone era are an
introduction to a larger literary canvas of the British presence in
East Bengal that will be explored in a forthcoming book.

‘Memoirs of a Bengal Civilian’ by John Beames

Published by Chatto & Windus, London, 1961.

(R.H. Note): John Beames arrived in Calcutta in March 1858 at the
age of twenty-one; as one of the last batch of cadets appointed by
the East India Company. He served in Chittagong from 1878-1879, was
appointed District Magistrate of Balasore and retired from India in
1893. His other accomplishments were a translation from the ‘Turki
of Babar’s Memoirs’ and an unfinished ‘Historical Geography of India’.

Extract:

"We were supremely unhappy at Chittagong. In fact we spent there
two of the most miserable years of our existence. The contrast to
Cuttack where we had been so happy, was cruel. Sir Ashley Eden, the
Lieutenant-Governor, was unfriendly to me and put junior men into good
appointments over my head. The pay of the appointment of Commissioner
and Judge of Chittagong was less by some Pounds 350 a year than that
of other Commissionerships, though, as everyone said, a man ought
to have been paid higher, and not lower, for having to live in such
a place. And it was a terrible burden to have the work of Judge, work
of which I had no previous experience, added to the already very heavy
work of Commissioner. The two posts were, in fact, incompatible. The
work of one interfered with that of the other. If I devoted time to the
administrative work of Commissioner, I got into trouble with the High
Court for neglecting my judicial work as Judge, and vice versa. The
arrangement was an unworkable one. Fortunately circumstances arose
(though after my time) which compelled the Government to sever the
two posts and appoint a separate officer as Judge."

"…We were engaged on a very difficult, in fact an almost impossible,
task with these Mughs. The tangled maze of hills in which they live
is densely wooded and contains a great deal of valuable timber. It had
been placed under the charge of the Forest Department. A department of
any kind in India always assumes that the world exists solely for the
use of itself. And considers that anything that interferes with the
working of the department ought to be removed…Finally some wise man
observed that it was not so much the Mughs themselves as their practice
of ‘jhuming’ that did harm, and he suggested that they should be
taught to till the soil by ploughing like the Bengalis…Every year the
steamers of the British India Company carry from Bengal to Chittagong,
Akyab and Rangoon thousands of Bengali labourers, who go to earn good
wages for two or three months by cutting and garnering the crops,
while the lazy Mugh proprietors sit in their verandas smoking their
long, rank cheroots and cutting jokes at the hard-working Bengalis…"

‘The Hand-Book to India: A Guide to the Stranger and the Traveller
and a Companion to the Resident’ by Joachim-Hayward Stocqueler

Published by W.H. Allen & Company, London, 1845.

Extract:

"Calcutta to Dacca (186 miles)

…The trip from Calcutta is effected by means of boats of large
barthen at all period of the year. Dacca is both a civil and a
military station, and many indigo-planters likewise reside there,
or in the neighbourhood. The following is the best description of
the place that we have fallen in with:

"The city of Dacca, with its minarets and spacious buildings, appears,
during the season of inundation, like that of Venice in the West,
to rise from the surface of the water, and, like the generality of
native towns presents an irregular appearance…There is an Armenian
church at Dacca. The floor of the interior of the building is divided
into three parts: one enclosed by a railing, for the altar; a central
portion, into which two folding-doors open; and another railed off,
which is exclusively occupied by the women and children, has a gallery
over it…The floor of the verandah contains many tomb-stones, in
memory of departed Armenian Christians, who formerly abounded in the
city of Dacca, where there are still an influential and wealthy body."

(RH Note): there is no mention of the source of the above account
of Dacca.

"…But the chief cause of the destruction of the city of Dacca is to
be traced to the loss of the muslin trade, which has almost entirely
disappeared. It is true that, by giving a commission, an extremely
delicate article may be still procured, at the rate of 150 rupees,
or Pounds 15 for ten yards; but at that rate, as may be readily
imagined, little can be sold, as the demand must be necessarily very
small. The working of shawl-scarfs with flossed silk is carried to
great perfection, and many are despatched by banghy to Calcutta.

Beautiful ear-rings and other ornaments, made of the purest silver,
and of an infinite variety of patterns, can be supplied at a very short
notice, and at reasonable prices. The suburbs of Dacca were formerly
inhabited by thousands of families of muslin-weavers, who from the
extreme delicacy of their manufacture, were obliged to work in pits,
sheltered from the heat of the sun and changes of the weather; and
even after that precaution, only while the dew lay on the ground,
as the increasing heat destroyed the extremely delicate thread…"

‘Mercantalism and the East India Trade’ by P.J. Thomas

Published by Frank Cass & Co. Ltd., London, 1926. New impression, 1963.

Extract:

"…A Persian ambassador, returning from India in the seventeenth
century, presented his royal master with a cocoanut set with jewels,
containing within it a muslin turban thirty yards long. But such
excellence has long passed away, and is not even attempted at the
present time. (RH Note: In a footnote Thomas adds): "This industry
is now practically dead. The Exhibition at Wembley (1924) has only
one old specimen of the old Dacca work."

"…Some of the poetic names of muslin tell their own tale. "Subnam"
(or evening dew) is the name for a thin pellucid variety, because
it is scarcely distinguishable from the dew or sand. Another of the
chefs d’oeuvres of Dacca is called "Abravan" (running water) because
it is supposed to be invisible in water. "Alabalee" (very fine),
"Tanjeb" (ornament of the Body), "Kasa" (elegant) are also interesting
examples of poetic nomenclature. These goods were called by similar
fanciful names in other countries also. It has been called in Europe
ventus textiles (textile breeze) ‘web of woven air’, ‘cobweb’, and
so forth. The woollen manufacturers of England said that muslin was
the shadow of a commodity rather than a commodity by itself. This
was indeed great praise."

"Narrative of a Journey through the Upper Provinces of India from
Calcutta to Bombay 1824-1825 by the Reverend Reginald Heber D.D. Vol.

1. (3 Vols. Third Edition).

Published by John Murray, London, 1828.

Reverend Reginald Heber was the Lord Bishop of Calcutta.

Extract:

"To the Right Honourable Charles W. Williams Wynn,

Dacca, July 13, 1824.

My Dear Wynn,

…Two thirds of the vast area of Dacca are filled with ruins,
some quite desolate and overgrown with jungle, others yet occupied
by Mussulman chieftains the descendants of the followers of Shah
Jehanguire, and all of the "Lions of war," "Prudent and valiant Lords,"
"Pillars of the Council," "Swords of Battle," and whatever other names
of Cawn, Emir, or Omrah, the court of Delhi dispensed in the time of
its greatness. These are to me a new study. I had seen abundance of
Hindoo Baboos and some few Rajahs in Calcutta. But of the 300,000
inhabitants who yet roost like bats in these old buildings, or
rear their huts amid their desolate gardens, three-fourths are still
Mussulmans, and the few English, and Armenian, and Greek Christians who
are found here, are not altogether more than sixty or eighty persons,
who live more with the natives, and form less of an exclusive society
than is the case in most parts of British India. All the Mussulmans of
rank whom I have yet seen, in their comparatively fair complexions,
their graceful and dignified demeanour, particularly on horseback,
their shewy dresses, the martial curl of their whiskers, and the
crowd, bustle, and ostentation of their followers, far outshine any
Hindoos; but the Calcutta Baboos leave them behind toto coelo, in
the elegance of their carriages, the beauty of their diamond rings,
their Corinthian verandahs, and the other outward signs of thriving
and luxury. Yet even among these Mahommedans, who have, of course,
less reason to like us than any other inhabitants of India, there is
a strong and growing disposition to learn the English language, and
to adopt, by degrees, very many of the English customs and fashions."

"…The most whimsical instance of imitation, is perhaps that of
Mirza Ishraf Ali, a Zemindar of 100,000 acres, and with a house like
a ruinous convent, who in his English notes, signs here hereditary
title of "Kureem Cawn Bahadur" in its initials, K.C.B."

"…a desire of learning our language is almost universal even here,
and in these waste bazaars and sheds, where I should never have
expected any thing of the kind, the dressing-boxes, writing-cases,
cutlery, chintzes, pistols, and fowling-pieces engravings, and other
English goods, or imitations of English, which are seen, evince how
fond of them the middling and humbler classes are become…"

‘British India: Its History, Topography, Government, Military Defence,
Finance, Commerce and Staple Products with an Explanation of the
Social and Religious State of One Hundred Million Subjects of the
Crown of England’ by Robert Montgomery Martin, Esq.

Published in London, 1855. Reprint1983.

(RH Note): Robert Montgomery Martin was Treasurer to Queen Victoria
in Hong Kong and Member of Her Majesty’s Legislative Council in China.

Extract :

"Dacca, – on the Burha Gunga, an offset of the Koniae or Jabuna; 4 m.

long, and 1 and ¼ m. broad. It is at present a wide expanse of ruins.

The castle of its founder, Shah Jehangir, the noble mosque he built,
the palaces of the ancient newaubs, the factories and churches of
the Dutch, French and the Portuguese, are all sunk into ruin, and
overgrown with jungle. The city and suburbs are stated to possess
ten bridges, thirteen ghauts, seven ferry-stations, twelve bazaars,
three public wells, a variety of buildings for fiscal and judicial
purposes, a gaol and gaol-hospital, a lunatic asylum, and a native
hospital. Population, 200,000.

Raana Haider is a writer and researcher on global cultural heritage.

Her book India: Beyond the Taj and the Raj, India Research Press,
New Delhi will be out soon.

717

–Boundary_(ID_y+DTETGZhKn5HuxSmY1fbg)–

US SHOULD NOT TALK OF ARMENIAN ‘GENOCIDE’: BUSH

Agence France Presse
Oct 5 2007

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President George W. Bush Friday opposed moves to
legally term the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Armenians during
the Ottoman Empire a "genocide," backing Turkey’s stand on the issue.

"The president has described the events of 1915 as ‘one of the greatest
tragedies of the 20th century,’ but believes that the determination
of whether or not the events constitute a genocide should be a matter
for historical inquiry, not legislation," said White House spokesman
Gordon Johndroe.

The comments came after Bush talked with Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan and discussed legislation before the US Congress,
which describes the deaths of Armenians from 1915 to 1923 as genocide.

"The president reiterated his opposition to this resolution, the
passage of which would be harmful to US relations with Turkey,"
Johndore said.

Turkey is a key Muslim ally for the United States and a fellow member
of NATO.

And then Turkish foreign minister Abdullah Gul warned after a visit to
Washington in February that passing the draft would "poison" ties and
"spoil everything" between the two countries.

A similar draft to the resolution before Congress was pulled from
the House floor in October 2000 following an intervention by then
president Bill Clinton.

Turkey categorically rejects Armenian claims that 1.5 million of
their kinsmen died in systematic deportations and killings during
1915-1918 as the Ottoman Empire was breaking up.

Bush commemorates the massacres each year in a speech, but stops
short of calling them genocide.

The parliaments of many countries have recognised the killings as
genocide, and Turkey has responded by temporarily downgrading its
political and economic ties with some of them.

In rejecting the genocide label, Turkey argues that 250,000 to
500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife
when Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia
during World War I.

ARMENIAN STATE AND PUBLIC FIGURES HONORED WITH RF ORDERS

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.10.2007 14:45 GMT+04:00

The Russian Embassy held today a ceremony of honoring Armenian
state and public figures with insignia for the service and personal
contribution to consolidation of friendship between Russia and Armenia.

The orders were handed by Nikolay Pavlov, the Russian Ambassador
to Armenia and Victor Shevchenko, the President of the Academy for
Security Problems, Defense and Law Enforcement.

Mikael Harutyunyan, the Armenian Minister of Defense, Grigory Sargsyan,
the Chief of the State Guard, Gagik Tsarukyan, the President of
the National Olympic Committee of Armenia, Mikhail Baghdasarov,
the President of MIKA Limited, Sergei Bondarev, the Chief of the
Frontier Guard of the RF Federal Security Service in Armenia, Vladimir
Zolotukhin, the First Deputy to the Chief of the Frontier Guard of
the RF Federal Security Service in Armenia were among the recipients.

The Armenian Weekly On-Line
80 Bigelow Avenue
Watertown MA 02472 USA
(617) 926-3974
[email protected]
menianweekly.com

The Armenian Weekly; Volume 73, No. 38; Sept. 22, 2007

Community:

1. Statue of Abbot Mekhitar Unveiled in Boston

2. Armenian Mirror Spectator Celebrates 75th Anniversary

3. ‘Trafficking Women: Policy and Impact’
By Andy Turpin

4. Jazz Concert Casts ‘Wine Light’ for Wine Night
By Andy Turpin

5. Word of Mouth

6. Apigian for City Council

7. Hairenik Association Internship Opens New Horizons

***

1. Statue of Abbot Mekhitar Unveiled in Boston

BELMONT, Mass. (A.W.)-On Sept. 16, the atmosphere inside the St. Cross
Armenian Catholic Church in Belmont was that of a celebration. The day’s
Holy Mass was officiated by Father Manuel Batakian, head of the Armenian
Catholic Church in the United States and Canada. The Holy Mass also included
the ordination of deacons, who joined the Armenian Catholic Church.

The occasion for the celebrations was the 10th anniversary of the church,
and for that occasion, a statue of the Abbot Mkhitar was unveiled next to
the church. Among the attendants during the ceremony was Arto Chakmajian,
the sculptor of the Abbot’s statue.

After the Holy Mass, underneath the white pigeons released by young Zakaria
Harutiunian and led by flag-bearing HMEM scouts, the spiritual leaders, as
well as the philanthropists who made the statue possible, Garbis and Armine
Barsoumian, headed toward the veiled statue. Here, the national anthems of
Armenia and the United States were played, as well as the "Cilicia" song,
after which, surrounded by hundreds of Armenians, Garbis and Armine
Barsoumian cut the ribbon and unveiled the statue.

Speaking in front of the attendants, the parish priest, Father Raffael
Andonian, first thanked the couple and the sculptor, thanks to whose
"generosity and skill, today Abbot Mkhitar stands proudly as a great
Armenian." Father Raffel summarized the positive impact Abbot Mhitar made on
Armenian language, literature and history, and the teachings he passed down
to his students. His work ensured our cultural and linguistic survival.

Arto Chakmajian also expressed his joy, saying that he was proud that "the
sculpting of the statue of such a great Armenian" was entrusted to him.

The 10th anniversary celebrations of the church continued at 2 p.m. in the
Oakley Club hotel. The master of ceremonies during the modest program was
Massachusetts State Representative Peter Koutoujian, who in his speech
underlined the important role Father Raffael has played in the 10-year life
of the church.

Vatche Der Torosian then delivered the address of the church’s board of
trustees. Peter Palanjian, who played a large role in the construction of
the church, spoke of the events and issues of 10 years ago when the church
was just being constructed. Also among the speakers was Krikor Keoseyan.

The day’s guest speaker was Tatul Sonentz Papazian, who emphasized the
greatness of Abbott Mkhitar and underlined the role he played in the
Armenian Church. He said, "The story of the martyred, Christian Armenian is
long, from Avarayr to Der Zor. Our people, who have done through unspeakable
suffering, with its iron faith, knew how to sacrifice in order to rebuild,
in order to guard its land, language and art, with which it has weaved Nareg
and his Sharagans, its Etchmiadzins and Zvartnotses, trying, as the first
soldiers of Christ, with the will of God and the blood of its children, to
find again the freedom and independence of its homeland."

Father Manuel Batakian, who was visiting the area exclusively for this
occasion, in the last speech of the event, emphasized the importance of
linking Armenian youth with their church, and in keeping this link alive, as
a guarantee of survival. He also underlined the role Armenian schools play
parallel to the church, as an educator of the new generation.

Father Raffael presented special awards for those Armenians who have been
active in supporting the church throughout its decade-long history.

The musical program during the event included performances by Nune Hagopian,
Sarkis Garabedian, Yerghishe Manoucharian, Victoria Avedisian and Zakaria
Harutiunian.

———————————– ————————————————– ——-

2. Armenian Mirror Spectator Celebrates 75th Anniversary

NEWTON, Mass. (A.W.)-On Sept. 8, the Armenian Mirror Spectator celebrated
the 75th anniversary of its founding during a special reception in the
Newton Marriot Hotel.

The event began with a short address by celebration committee chair Barbara
Chrakian-Tellalian. She thanked the attendees and invited the day’s speaker,
James M. Kalousdian, to the stage.

In his opening remarks, Kalousdian underlined the role the newspaper has
played in the life of the Armenian-American community as a publication that
kept the English-speaking generation in touch with Armenian events and news.

President of the Baykar foundation and publisher of the Armenian Mirror
Spectator Papken Megerian went over the important events in the history of
the newspaper, including the names of those who significantly contributed to
the newspaper over its 75-year history. He also thanked the Ramgavar Party
for taking the responsibility of ensuring the paper’s publication over the
years.

Steve Kurkjian, a former editor of the Boston Globe, was honored for his
contribution to Armenian journalism, including his efforts to ensure the
recognition of the Armenian genocide by the American media.

Spiritual leader of the St. Trinity Church, Father Mampre A. Kouzouian, in
his address, emphasized the importance of Armenian media, as a complement to
the efforts of the Armenian Church, and reminded the audience of the support
the Church has provided to the Armenian media.

In his address, the guest of honor of the event, CBS News chief
investigative correspondent and eight-time Emmy Award winner Armen Keteyian,
emphasized the importance of an Armenian atmosphere created by an Armenian
family.

The official event was followed by a musical performance.

Armenian Weekly editor Khatchig Mouradian and Hairenik Weekly editor Khajag
Mgrditchian attended the celebration.
————————————- ————————————————–

3. ‘Trafficking Women: Policy and Impact’
By Andy Turpin

"Trafficking in Persons as a Transnational Issue in Armenia:

Current situation: Armenia is a major source and, to a lesser extent, a
transit and destination country for women and girls trafficked for sexual
exploitation largely to the UAE and Turkey; traffickers, many of them women,
route victims directly into Dubai or through Moscow; profits derived from
the trafficking of Armenian victims reportedly have increased.

Tier Rating 2 [Out of 3 possible tiers. 3 being the least desirable]:
Armenia has failed to show evidence of increasing efforts, particularly in
the areas of enforcement, trafficking-related corruption, and victim
protection."

-Source: 2007 CIA World Factbook

"A senior prosecutor dealing with human trafficking admitted.that transport
of Armenian women for sexual exploitation abroad has reached ‘alarming’
proportions but denied that Armenian law-enforcement authorities are too
lenient towards traffickers."

-Source: Armenialiberty.org, June 2006

***

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (A.W.)-On Sept. 14, Ambassador John Miller, former director
of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons in the U.S. State
Department, spoke about human trafficking in a presentation at Harvard’s
Kennedy School of Government (KSG) as part of the institution’s "Women and
Public Policy Program." Dr. Swanee Hunt, director of the program and cousin
to Ambassador Miller, introduced him.

Miller then explained the modern-day collations between today’s global slave
trade in female victims and the historical African slave trade, saying,
"What people find hard to understand is that human trafficking-which is a
euphemism for slavery-has been going on since recorded history and
pre-recorded history. The assumption is that slavery is an aberration. But
slavery has been busy on every continent since time immemorial."

Miller explained the fallacy in some minds that the abolition of slavery by
the Great Powers in the 19th century killed the industry. "What you had was
the abolition of official sanctions, but the slavery went on," he said. "We’re
talking individuals-their bodies and their souls."

He recalled his first experience dealing with a survivor of human
trafficking as a politician. "The first survivor I met was in Amsterdam. She
was a 29-year-old woman named Katya." She had been forced into working at a
brothel in the Czech Republic 10 years before their meeting.

Miller cited another case from Uganda, in which the Lord’s Resistance Army,
a rebel militia faction in that territory, abducted a woman as a sex slave.
"She only escaped because during a battle she was shot in the jaw and [the
abductors] could not take her with them," he explained.

"Eighty percent of those that are sold into slavery are female, and half are
children," Miller said, and listed the primary causes as poverty, inequality
of income (directly related to tribal and oligarch hierarchism in many
nations), gender (women and girls are easy targets for exploitation), greed
and an overall demand for sexual services.

In the fight to combat this industry, Miller cited as guidelines what the
State Department deemed, "the 3 Ps: Prosecution, Protection and Prevention."
He readily admitted the shortcomings in law enforcement efforts between
nations to prosecute traffickers to the full extent of the law, mainly due
to corruption. Yet, he waged, "Prevention has been what we’ve been able to
focus on most."

Regarding the role of the UN in such reform, Miller stated, "Before the UN
can take its place [in combating human trafficking], it needs to clean up
its own act." He was referring to several known cases of trafficked person
abuse by UN peacekeepers worldwide.

Miller closed by reiterating that initiatives to achieve real results in the
fight against human trafficking were a matter of leadership that needed to
be given much greater priority by world governments. "How you get 103
nations [those signed to the U.N. Anti-Trafficking Resolution] to adopt
standards and prosecute is a challenge," he said. "I always start out by
saying no country, no nation, is doing enough."

In tandem with the "Women and Public Policy" program at the KSG, a related
seminar, "Sexual Trafficking of Women and Girls," will be offered on Sept.
26, and is open to the public.
—————————————— ————————————————– —

4. Jazz Concert Casts ‘Wine Light’ for Wine Night
By Andy Turpin

WATERTOWN, Mass. (A.W.)-On Sept. 14, the Armenian Library and Museum of
America (ALMA) presented a concert by the band K&S World Jazz as part of the
"Jazz Nights at ALMA" concert series.

Wine glasses were filled and the lights were dimmed, creating a relaxed
atmosphere conducive to jazz listening. ALMA director Mariam Stepanyan
introduced the veteran ensemble group and thanked loyal ALMA members and
patrons for their support.

"You’re here tonight either because you like jazz, you like to support
Armenian artists, or perhaps because you received free tickets," she said.
"But we don’t give free tickets because, as they say in Armenian, ‘you have
nice eyes,’" Stepanyan quipped gracefully. "You received them because you
have been generous in supporting ALMA over the years, and we wanted to say
thank you by inviting you into our house."

Band leader Steve Tashjian’s players exhibited extreme musical decorum,
talent and the requisite amount of elegance in rising to the seductively
nonchalant theme of the program.

Opening with the ever-appropriate "Wine Light," they led into a playing of
"Havana" with intricately smooth-laced blends of Armenian and light Samba
rifts-longitudinal disparities between Cuba, Yerevan and Rio aside.

Lead vocalist Ashlee Alexander crooned a rendition of "Blues in the Night"
with such expert emotion and melancholic sensuality that it was a wonder the
phantom of Chet Baker didn’t show up like Hamlet’s father in the spirit of
unrequited jazz yearning.

Other highlights of the evening were solid solos by Tashjian on clarinet,
charming the crowd to "Middle Eastern Groove," and a heartfelt dedication
playing of the Armenian ballad "Chqnagh Yeraz" in memory of their late
friend, Roger Krikorian.

K&S World Jazz has repeatedly distinguished itself musically in the Boston
area with a sound that evokes both visions of film noir and spiced caravans,
always leaving the audience wishing they played one more number.

The Sept. 14 concert was sponsored by Waynewright Bank.
——————————————– ——————————————-

5. Word of Mouth

CONCORD, Mass. (A.W.)-Word has it that Anya Turker-Charchaflian is not your
average dentist.

Born in Syria, she attended a private French high school for 10 years,
studied biochemistry and French at Bryn Mawr College and the University of
Pennsylvania, and received her doctorate degree in dental medicine from the
University of Pittsburgh. She speaks several languages-"it allows me to
welcome a diverse base of patients to my practice," she tells the Weekly-and
likes to spend her spare time reading and oil painting.

Her husband, Paul Charchaflian, was an active member of the Worcester Aram
AYF Junior and Senior Chapter. He and twin brother Pierre used to be called
the Twin Towers of the Worcester Aram basketball team.

Anya Turker-Charchaflian and Paul were married last year at the Holy Cross
Armenian Catholic church in Belmont, where they attend Sunday mass
regularly.

Turker-Charchaflian welcomes her patients in her new office in Concord with
a smile, and knows that they, in turn, will be smiling confidently after
their treatment.

"I am excited to add new services to our new location, including ZOOM teeth
whitening and periodontal/gum procedures," she says.

She will soon have a column on oral health in the Weekly. "I am looking
forward to contributing to the Armenian Weekly by writing monthly articles
pertaining to oral health, longevity of teeth retention and gum disease
prevention," she says.

Turker-Charchaflian is holding an open house at her new location in Wayside
Square on Main St. in Concord on Sept. 29, from 2-5 p.m.

"I am looking forward to meeting the visitors and introducing myself and my
staff. Numerous prizes will be distributed including a free ZOOM whitening
treatment and an Oral-B Sonic Complete toothbrush," she says.

Dr. Anya Turker-Charchaflian is accepting new patients. For more
information, call her office at (978) 369-0808.
—————————————- ————————————————– —

6. Apigian for City Council

DETROIT, Mich. (A.W.)-On Aug. 7, Ned Apigian of Dearborn Heights, Mich., ran
on the primary ballot for City Council and achieved 4th place in a field of
eight candidates, thereby qualifying for the Nov. 6 elections to fill three
seats from a field of six qualified candidates.

Friends and supporters can send political contributions to "Ned Apigian for
City Council," P.O. Box 65, Dearborn Heights, MI 48127-0065. Apigian is an
active member of the Detroit Armenian community. He is on the Board of
Directors of the Dearborn Armenian Senior Citizens Tower and National Board
of the Armenian Cultural Association of America (ACAA).
—————————————— ————————————————-

7. Hairenik Association Internship Opens New Horizons

The Hairenik Association has had an internship program for a few years.
Unfortunately, for many years, the internship program was not very
functional. But things visibly changed in the summer of 2007, when five
interns from different parts of the United States spent about six weeks in
the Hairenik building supporting the staff’s most recent efforts to expand
the Hairenik’s activities into new forms of media.

The internship program offers young Armenians the chance to work in Armenian
media, and offers the Hairenik Association the opportunity to prepare
another generation of conscientious Armenians aware and interested in how
the media establishment works. The five interns during the 2007 summer were
Sosse Beugekian (Boston), Raffi Kazanjian (Boston), Nayiri Khatchadourian
(Boston), Ani Zarifian (Worcester) and Chris Arabian (Washington, D.C.).

At a time when newspapers are increasingly taking a backseat to more modern
media, the Hairenik interns provided valuable assistance to the Hairenik
staff in promoting and creating online media. The Hairenik online radio,
which has been broadcasting for a couple of years, benefited from Beugekian’s
efforts as she created new programs oriented towards younger Armenians.
Arabian did the same for the Hairenik TV, editing videos and greatly
increasing the number of videos posted on the online service. Khatchadourian
computerized the inventory of the Hairenik bookstore and manned the
bookstore for the summer, providing an invaluable service to the
organization. Kazanjian and Zarifian worked with the editors of the Hairenik
and Armenian Weekly newspapers, providing online and archival research as
well as writing articles.

The interns also visited different Armenian communities on the East Coast.
Their most memorable visit was to New York on the occasion of the Lisbon 5
anniversary. The interns participated, recorded and filmed the event, and
visited Arshavir Shiragian’s grave. They also interacted with the local AYF
chapter.

The interns left the Hairenik in September with an intimate knowledge of the
inner workings of the oldest Armenian media organization in the U.S. They
all expressed their readiness to come back next year and contribute even
more to the organization, all the while learning the way Armenian
journalists work in their communities.

STATE CRITERION FOR PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION DEVELOPED IN ARMENIA

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 2 2007

YEREVAN, October 2. /ARKA/. Development of the state criterion for
pre-school education within the Strategy of reforming the system of
pre-school education is completed in Armenia.

The respective works have been carried out in cooperation with UNICEF,
Director of National Institute for Education of the Armenian Ministry
of Science and Education Norayr Ghukasian said at the round table
"Educational reforms and problems of pre-school education in the
modern stage".

"The document establishes the main directions of preschool education
of 5-6-year old children, maximum educational load for them, as well
as the general requirements toward the quality of education," he said.

Ghukasian also pointed out that the document is to be presented as
a legal act and currently is in the stage of examination.

TURKISH COURT RESUMES TRIAL IN SLAIN ARMENIAN JOURNALIST CASE

WHDH-TV, MA
Oct 1 2007

ISTANBUL, Turkey — A Turkish court on Monday resumed the trial of
suspects in the killing of an ethnic Armenian journalist — a case
widely seen as a test of whether the judiciary can fully investigate
possible negligence by authorities.

Hrant Dink was gunned down in broad daylight in front of his Istanbul
newspaper office in January. On Saturday, Turkish media aired a
recording of a telephone conversation between one of the suspects
and a police officer. The dialogue, though vague, suggests the police
officer knew about plots to kill the journalist.

Dink was hated by hardline nationalists and prosecuted under Turkish
law for describing the mass killings of Armenians in the early 20th
century as genocide. Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide,
insisting those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.

Dink’s killing led to international condemnation and debate within
Turkey about free speech. Turkey’s top politicians, including the
prime minister, have vowed a thorough investigation.

The trial is taking place behind closed doors because the alleged
gunman, Ogun Samast, is a minor. A total of 19 suspects are on trial.

At the end of the first hearing of the case held in July, judges
decided to broaden the investigation to see if claims of negligence
by police are true, a lawyer for Dink family, Bahri Belen said.

Monday’s trial was the second hearing in the case.

The taped recording was aired on private NTV television and other
channels on Saturday.

NTV said the conversation took place shortly after Dink was killed
and suggests that authorities may have been able to pre-empt the
killing. The transcript was placed in the court files, said a lawyer
following the case who requested anonymity because of the issue’s
sensitivity.

The Interior Ministry launched an investigation into who leaked the
tape to the public, state-run media said Saturday.

Many Turks are convinced that a so-called "deep state" — a network
of state agents or ex-officials, possibly with links to organized
crime — periodically targets reformists and other perceived enemies
in the name of nationalism.

Dink had sought to encourage reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia.

But he was prosecuted under Article 301 of Turkey’s penal code, which
bans insults to Turkish identity, for his comments about the killings
of Armenians. Dink was convicted last year. Other writers, including
Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk, have also been prosecuted under this law.

ARF’S POSITION IS A POLITICAL NECESSITY
By Sevak Hakobian

Yerkir, Armenia
Oct 1 2007

A meeting of ARF’s regional bodies was convened on September 25 to
discuss the decisions adopted by the ARF’s XI Supreme Convention. In
his statement representative of the ARF’s Supreme Body Armen Rustamian
noted that the issues discussed during the Supreme Convention were
very serious and will have a great importance in defining the party’s
further strategy.

"The convention assessed the parliamentary elections as a comparative
success for our party because it was the third time we participated
in elections since 1999 and we have doubled the number of seats we
got since then." Rustamian believes great efforts should be exerted
to ensure that the issues included into the party’s pre-election
platform are included into the government’s program. "We were rather
successful in this respect and the government’s program we have today
was largely modified based on our recommendations."

Political culture should be formed in our country after all

Rustamian pointed to the right to nominate a presidential candidate
as the main reason for the format of cooperation with the government.

The issue of nominating the presidential candidate was the main issue
on the agenda of the party’s General Convention.

The candidate’s name will be announced during the extraordinary
General Convention that will be held in November. Meanwhile, the
party will work to clarify its further actions. "I should state that
there is no questioning among any of our party’s structures that
the Supreme Convention should make the decision as to nominating its
candidate during the presidential elections. It is really a political
necessity for our country and our party that the ARF nominates its own
candidate," Rustamian said. Rustamian believes this mode of nominating
the party’s candidate will be widely discussed.

"This procedure exists in different countries. Of course we are still
far away from such political culture but we must have it in our country
some day if we speak about having serious traditions of political
culture. The ARF is serving an example by adhering to this procedure."

There is a necessity for changing the ARF’s role

The Supreme Convention significantly clarified one of the widely
discussed questions: what does ARF mean when declaring itself an
alternative both for the government and for the opposition. "We have
stated the main threats and obstacles to the country’s political
development and the problems we believe need an urgent solution to
ensure that the country’s democratic development goes in the right
direction," Rustamian said adding,

"The main reason for the slow down in the development is that the
government’s actions to eliminate these obstacles have unfortunately
been not sufficient, these were semi-measures and semi-solutions.

These semi-measures have resulted in tremendous resistance and it is
simply necessary to resort to revolutionary tendencies to eliminate
these obstacles."

This is where, according to Rustamian, the ARF differs from its
partners despite having strategic similarities with them. "We have
always spoken about these problems. However, unfortunately, our
approaches have never been fully accepted and we see a necessity for
changing our role." The ARF sees itself as an alternative for the
opposition because the for the opposition struggle is the goal and
not the means making change of the political regime an end in itself.

ARF invites for a debate

We should struggle against the opinion formed after the parliamentary
elections that the outcome of the presidential elections is already
determined and there is not point in political struggle. Rustamian
believes, "This simply means paralyzing the political life and driving
the political forces out of the political arena. We are against this
and the ARF’s participation in the presidential elections with its
own candidate is the main factor that can counter such moods."

The ARF is ready to launch a debate in the country in this context.

The ARF has already declared that it is not going to use
anti-campaigning methods because it does not intend to point out
this or that party’s failures or drawbacks. The ARF aims at finding
efficient solutions for the problems the country is facing and is
inviting everyone for a debate on these issues.

"We should eliminate the moods that there is only one candidate that
has no alternative because he has no competitors. No, we must create
this competitor, we must show that there is a competitor who sets goals
and pursues them. The image of this competitor should be formed around
our approaches. I am sure that as soon as the image of the competitor
is formed many political forces will accept our approaches and will
unite around us during the next phase," Rustamian concluded.

DID ARFD AND LEVON TER-PETROSYAN CONCLUDE A BARGAIN?

A1+
[06:32 pm] 01 October, 2007

The Orinats Yerkir Party (OYP) has been suggested meeting with Levon
Ter-Petrosyan.

"In case the Republican Party (HHK) gets such a proposal, the party
board will first consider it and then make a corresponding decision"
HHK Chairman Karen Karapetyan said.

"In case we are invited to a meeting with the RA former President,
the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) will consider the proposal with
its Coalition partners," BHK member Naira Zohrabyan said.

"The meeting does not imply that the BHK, HHK or ARF Dashnaktsutyun
will ally with the All-Armenian Party (HHSh)," she added.

It is due to mention that the BHK leader Gagik Tsarukyan takes
Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s nomination at the presidential election quite
naturally.

In answer to our question whether the BHK is bound by the memorandum
commitments, Naira Zohrabyan said, "Gagik Tsarukyan has stated many
times that the BHK will stick to the memorandum commitments. The BHK
and HHK will second a joint candidate at the presidential election –
be it Serge Sargsyan or someone else."

The meeting of the ARFD and Levon Ter-Petrosyan at the "Simon
Vratsyan" Centre was organised by the HHSh, NA Deputy Chairman and
ARF Dashnaktsutyun Bureau member Vahan Hovhannisyan said.

"The meeting was noteworthy as we hadn’t met for 13-14 years,"
Hovhannisyan noted.

PanARMENIAN.Net

CSTO Defense Ministers stand against U.S. anti-missile defense shield
in Europe
28.09.2007 16:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) was held in Bishkek
September 28. `CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha and Russian
Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov as well as Defense Ministers of
Kirghizia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Belarus and Armenia attended the
meeting. The participants discussed the U.S. plans to mount
anti-missile assets in Eastern Europe,’ reads a statement issued by
United Russia party.

`Deployment of any forces represents a menace. Violation of balance
of forces in the region can have unforeseeable consequences. The
states where the assets are mounted will assume the greatest
risk. That is why decisions should be taken in compliance with the
international agreements and opinion of neighbor states, including the
CSTO,’ said Leonid Maltsev, the Belarusian Minister of Defense.

Upon completion of the meeting CSTO Sec. Gen. handed jubilee orders
`CSTO is 15 years old’ to the Defense Ministers.