Author: Toneyan Mark

TBILISI MAYOR SACKS DISTRICT HEAD FOR PRECIOUS GIFT
ArmenPress
27 Oct. 2004
TBILISI, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS: Zurab Tchiaberashvili, the mayor
of Georgia’s capital Tbilisi convened a press conference today to
announce that he was dismissing head of a Tbilisi district for giving
him an expensive watch as a gift. The press conference was broadcast
live by leading Georgian televisions.
“I am asking you how can head of a district with a monthly salary of
150 Lari (USD 82), present me with a watch costing USD 1,500?” Zurab
Tchiaberashvili said, demonstrating the watch.
“Adamia will file resignation immediately. And I warn all heads
of the districts that drastic changes will be carried out in the
administrations of the Tbilisi districts,” the mayor warned.
Later in the day the move by the mayor was welcomed by president
Saakashvili during a government session.
“Of course my watch is not as expansive as the one presented as
a gift, but anyway I want you to receive my watch as my gift for
your good job,” President Saakashvili said, taking off his watch and
handing over it to Zurab Tchiaberashvili, who was also attending the
cabinet session.

PLEASE ANNOUNCE AND CIRCULATE TO INTERESTED PERSONS
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ARMENIAN JERUSALEM AND ARMENIANS
IN THE HOLY LAND
November 6-7, 2004, UCLA, Court of Science (CS 50)
Honorary Chairman
Archbishop Torkom Manoogian
Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem
Sponsored by
Armenian Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Armenian History
University of California, Los Angeles
Cosponsored by the UCLA
The G.E. von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies
Center for European and Eurasian Studies
International Institute
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 9:30 A.M.-1:00 P.M.
Armenian Jerusalem and Armenians in the Holy Land–An Introduction
Richard G. Hovannisian, University of California, Los Angeles
Armenian Monasteries in the Holy Land, Seventh Century
Nina Garsoïan, Columbia University, Emerita
The Cathedral of Saint James and Its Collections
John Carswell, Oriental Institute, Chicago, and American University
of Beirut, Emeritus
The Manuscript Collection of Saint James Monastery
Abraham Terian, St. Nersess Seminary, New York
INTERMISSION
Armenian Patriarchal Succession in Jerusalem
Haig A. Krikorian, Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem Support
Organization
The Armenian Lords and the Kingdom of Jerusalem, 12th-13th Centuries
Claude Mutafian, Université de Paris-Nord
Relations of the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem with Greater
Armenia, 14th-15th Centuries
Sergio La Porta, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
LUNCH
SATURDAY AFTERNOON, 2 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
The Reign of Jerusalem’s Patriarch Grigor Gandzaketsi Paronter
(1613-1645)
Roberta R. Ervine, St. Nersess Seminary, New York
Armenian-Greek Church Relations in Jerusalem and the Patriarchate
of Constantinople in the 17th Century
Albert Kharatyan, Institute of History, Erevan
The Armenian Mosaics of Jerusalem: A Reconsideration
Christina Maranci, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
INTERMISSION
Mkrtich Khrimian and the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Emma Kostandyan, Institute of History, Erevan
Genocide Survivors in the Holy Land, 1917-1919
Vahram Shemmassian, California State University–Northridge
The Armenian Legion and the End of Ottoman Rule in Palestine
Robert Krikorian, George Washington University
SUNDAY AFTERNOON, November 7, 2004 – 1:30-5:30 p.m.
>From Armash to Jerusalem: Patriarchs Eghishe Turian and Torkom Kushakian
Vartan Matiossian, Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, and
Hovnanian School, New Jersey
The Armenians of Palestine, 1918-1948
Bedross Der Matossian, Columbia University
The Armenian Ceramics of Jerusalem: Three Generations since 1919
Nurith Kenaan-Kedar, University of Tel-Aviv
INTERMISSION
The Calouste Gulbenkian Library of the Armenian Patriarchate
Sylva Natalie Manoogian, University of California, Los Angeles
New Avenues of Research on the Armenians in Jerusalem and the Holy Land
Kevork Hintlian, Director of Research, Swedish Institute, Jerusalem
The Centrality of Jerusalem for Armenians Worldwide
Sossie Andezian, National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS),
Paris
–Boundary_(ID_ck1xM6jIlFPrPr7NnAsi+A)–

Liverpool Daily Echo
October 26, 2004, Tuesday
CHANGING MERSEY: 125 YEARS OF THE LIVERPOOL ECHO: WHY WE’VE ALWAYS
LOVED THE ECHO;
FAMOUS MERSEYSIDERS TELL PADDY SHENNAN WHY THE PAPER IS SO IMPORTANT
PADDY SHENNAN
Rex Makin
THE veteran Liverpool solicitor and ECHO columnist: “When I was a
student I was a supernumerary for the Daily Post and ECHO.
I remember covering the crowning of the Rose Queen in Speke and the
annual meetings of the Literary and Philosophical Society and the
Band of Hope.
“I was privileged to know the former editor Ernest Hope Prince, who
gave me a number of assignments. And I met a series of news editors
who were giants in their day.
“The ECHO has been a family newspaper throughout its history. Although
it’s changed its format at various times, it’s still the most informed,
up-to-date and readable newspaper in Merseyside. It eclipsed the old
Evening Express and a new generation of writers and journalists have
succeeded their distinguished forebears. ”
Alan Bleasdale
THE playwright and novelist says: “At its best, the ECHO is a
campaigning newspaper, and I have first-hand experience of that.
“Not too long ago, I contacted the ECHO and it subsequently reported
what I felt to be the authorised desecration of graves in West Derby
Cemetery.
“The response I got from people after that article was remarkable.
“It was as if I’d written a play. The ECHO does reach out and touch so
many people and that, in essence, is at the heart of what a newspaper
serving any city — whether it be Liverpool, Man-chester, Birmingham
or Cardiff — should do.
“I also remember religiously walking to the shops at 6pm every Saturday
with my late father to buy the Football ECHO.
“That is a very, very fond memory. ”
Lord Alton of Liverpool
“THE year in which the Liverpool ECHO was launched was part of the
decade which saw the first state-provided elementary education,
the secret ballot in elections and a raft of social reforms.
“The Irish Question, the Armenian massacres and atrocities in the
Balkans were part of the staple fare of Victorian politics. The two
political leaders were Disraeli and Liverpool’s son, William Ewart
Gladstone.
“During the 125 years that have fol-lowed there have been two World
Wars, extraordinary breakthroughs in science and technology, massive
emancipation and a revolution in communications.
“Throughout all this time the Liverpool ECHO has been a faithful
observer and recorder of life in this great city, whether it is in
the reporting of news, the championing of causes, lively expressions
of readers’ views, or the recording of their births and deaths. ”
Margi Clarke
THE actress and TV presenter says: “I love the ECHO because it
helped introduce me to nature. When I was little I would spend all
day looking forward to my dad coming home from work with the paper
because it always featured the lighting up times.
“They were always on the same page, just underneath the Curly Wee and
Gussie Goose cartoon, and they told you what time the sun came up and
when it set. I used to always check the times straight away and then
I would go out at the time the sun came up just to watch it happening.
“That was the starting point for me falling in love with the natural
world. ”
Billy Butler
THE Radio Merseyside DJ and ECHO columnist says: “Ahh, the Liverpool
ECHO, our local paper, where would we be without it?All the local news,
the gossip and sport — all the stories about people and places we
hold dear.
“The memories: The Back Entry Diddlers cartoon strip by the brilliant
George Greene. Rushing to buy the Saturday edition with the half-time
scores (always in the stop-press). Waiting at the corner of the street
to get the Football ECHO. The Over The Mersey Wall column with George
Harrison. Looking through rows and rows of cinemas to decide where to
go. Looking in the Personal’ column for those cryptic messages. The
thrill of seeing your picture in the ECHO.
“Getting into trouble with my grandad for burning the previous night’s
ECHO, before he’d read it. Curly Wee and Gussie Goose, The Finishing
Touch, Spot the Ball.
“The many brilliant special editions. Looking through the Folk, Jazz
and Beat column to see if my group, The Tuxedos, was mentioned. The
dramatic headlines when John Lennon was shot. My immense pride
in winning ECHO Scouseology Awards and appearing in The Greatest
Entertainers and The Greatest Merseysiders polls.
“The many, varied opinions aired on the readers’ letters page each
night. What do I miss most when I’m away? Hand on heart it’s our very
own, our much-loved ECHO!”
Roger Phillips
THE Radio Merseyside phone-in host says: “The ECHO is a major part
of the life of Liverpool.
“While, of course, there are times it makes me furious, it has also
made me proud to be living in this area.
“The ECHO has made a real and tangible difference to the city —
most recently (and currently) with its great Stop The Rot campaign.
“And it has been THE paper to turn to at times such as Hillsborough.
“It has a whole host of brilliant writers, as evidenced by how many
have moved on to the national press.
“I can’t think of another city which has such an important and loved
evening paper.
“Happy birthday, Liverpool ECHO. Here’s to the next 125. ”
Jimmy McGovern
THE dramatist says: “Although I found it hard work, I really enjoyed my
spell as an ECHO columnist. And I got more response from a piece in the
ECHO than I did from an episode of Brookside I’d written, even though
that programme would have been watched by five or six million people.
“The ECHO has a great relationship with its readers.
I was recently talking to a national newspaper journalist about
the response in Liverpool to the murder of Ken Bigley. It made me
realise that you have to live in Liverpool to understand the city —
outsiders don’t understand it, especially at times of grief.
“I think that’s because the city is Celtic; it’s the only Celtic city
in England. Just look in the phone book almost everyone has an Irish
surname. ”
Jack Jones
THE former docker and TGWU leader, who still fights for pensioners’
rights at the age of 91, says: “I used to sell the ECHO on the streets
when I was 10 or 11 and it cost a ha’penny!
“I remember my father reading it avidly — as did most working class
people in the Garston area, where w elived. It was a must — unlike
other papers, which were hardly read at all.
“The ECHO was so important, because people didn’t have TV in those
days, and radios only started coming in around the mid-20s.
Ken Dodd
THE comedian and winner of the ECHO/Radio Merseyside Greatest
Merseysiders poll: ” I couldn’t do without the ECHO; it’s essential
reading. I can go back to the ECHO of yore, when all of Liverpool’s
many cinemas and theatres had their ads and listings on the front page.
“The ECHO does a very good job of reporting on Merseyside matters
and is very entertaining.
“In fact, it’s tattyphilarious and discumknockerating! I do shows up
and down the country and buy evening papers in many different towns
and cities, and the ECHO compares more than favourably.
“And I was delighted to be named the Greatest Merseysider’ in the
ECHO/Radio Merseyside poll — that was the best and most important
award I’ve ever received, because it was voted for by people in my
home city. It was very, very moving.
“The ECHO also does a great amount of community work, but I think
it — and all newspapers — should have a Happiness’ page, so when
we’re not feeling too clever we can read just the good news.
“Long may the ECHO resound and resound . . . long may we hear the
ECHO!”

UN News Center
Oct 22 2004
Environmental issues could worsen conflicts in southern Caucasus – UN
report
22 October 2004 – Environmental degradation and competition for
natural resources could sharpen disputes in areas of the southern
Caucasus already mired in conflicts, warns a United Nations report
released today in the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi.
The militarized situation in such places as Abkhazia, South Ossetia,
Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions of Azerbaijan also hampers
waste management and disposal, and the maintenance and renovation of
irrigation and hydroelectric dams, leading to stifled economic
growth, according to the report, Environment and Security:
Transforming Risks into Cooperation – The Case of the Southern
Caucasus.
Prepared by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Environment
Programme (UNEP), the study examines both the negative affect of
conflict in the region as well as the opportunities environmental
issues present for cooperation and confidence building.
Access to natural resources in conflict areas, management of
cross-border environmental problems and the rapid development of the
capital cities of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are some of the
concerns highlighted in the new report, part of a wider effort called
the Environment and Security Initiative, run jointly by OSCE, UNEP
and UNDP.
The report finds that the quality and mechanisms for sharing
transboundary water resources – both surface and underground, and
including the Caspian and Black Seas – are key concerns for all three
countries, as is the disposal of abandoned Soviet weapons, chemicals
and reclamation of contaminated lands.
`The assessment demonstrated that in the worst case, environmental
stress and change could undermine security in the three South
Caucasian countries,’ said Frits Schlingemann, Director of UNEP’s
Regional Office for Europe.
`However, sound environmental management and technical cooperation
could also be a means for strengthening security while promoting
sustainable development if the three Governments would decide to do
so,’ he added.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
October 18, 2004 Monday 3:49 AM Eastern Time
Anti-terrorist coop prioritized in Russia-Azerbaijan relations
By Yelena Volkova
MOSCOW
The strengthening of the anti-terrorist cooperation of the countries
is prioritized in the dialogue of Russia and Azerbaijan, spokesman
for the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Yakovenko told Itar-Tass
over the Moscow visit of Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev that
began on Monday.
According to Yakovenko, Russia and Azerbaijan “come out for the need
to pool efforts of the world community in the fight against
international terrorism.” As for the political dialogue of the
countries Yakovenko noted that the sides exchange views on granting
the legal status to the Caspian Sea. “The prospects of holding the
second Caspian summit are considered,” he emphasized.
Moscow “welcomes the continued Azerbaijani-Armenian dialogue on
various levels.” The Russian side believes that “the parties to the
conflict should settle the conflict on the mutually acceptable
basis.” Russia “is ready to provide active assistance to them in this
issue, on the bilateral basis and as the co-chairman of the Minsk
OSCE group and become a guarantor of the reached agreement.”
Ilkham Aliyev plans to take part in the second meeting of the
all-Russian Azerbaijani Congress on Tuesday, October 19. “Azerbaijan
is Russia’s important partner in the South Caucasus. The Azerbaijani
diaspora in our country plays an important role in strengthening
friendly relations,” Yakovenko pointed out.

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 1) 517 163
Fax: (374 1) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
October 15, 2004
Mother See Expresses Concern for Missing Deacon
The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is deeply concerned to learn
from His Grace Bishop Movses Movsisian, Primate of the Armenian
Diocese of Southern Russia, that Deacon Zorik Abeshian has been
missing since October 10. Deacon Abeshian, who serves in the Saint
Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia
(Russian Federation), was en route to church when he disappeared.
Law enforcement authorities have been searching for Deacon Abeshian
since October 10 to no avail.
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, expresses his great concern for the well-being of Deacon
Zorik and is in daily contact with Bishop Movses regarding new
developments.
##

PRESS RELEASE
Bible Society of Armenia
6/26 Zakiyan St.
Yerevan 375015, Armenia
Tel: (+374 -1) 58.55.09, 56.49.06
Fax: (+374 – 1) 54.24.39
E-mail: [email protected]
October 15, 2004
HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II, CATHOLICOSS OF ALL ARMENIANS VISITS THE BIBLE SOCIETY
OF ARMENIA
YEREVAN – On Saturday, 17 September, 2004, His Holiness Catholicos
Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, paid
an official visit to the Bible Society of Armenia. For the BS it was
a rare privilege and a great honor to receive the blessed visit of
His Holiness Karekin II to the Bible Society of Armenia.
His Holiness was welcomed by His Grace Bishop Yeznik Petrossian, the
Chairman of the BS Board; Archdeacon Hratsch Sarkissian, the General
Secretary of the BS; and Arshavir Kapoudjian, Board Secretary. On
behalf of the Board and the staff His Grace Bishop Y. Petrossian
expressed his joy for this unique opportunity to receive the visit of
His Holiness at the BS office. Archdeacon H. Sarkissian presented to
His Holiness the main objectives, the activities and the new projects
of the BS and asked the blessing and the support of His Holiness for
the realization of the new projects.
The Supreme Patriarch, after meeting with the staff and being
introduced to the projects, expressed His joy for the fulfillment of
activities. His Holiness also highly appreciated the BS to continue its
mission and to reach to the needs of the churches, the schools and the
faithful stating: ^ÓWe need further cooperation between the Mother See
and the BS to enlighten our people^Òs life by the Word of God.^Ô The
Catholicos gave some instructions and proposed to put these meetings
on regular basis and blessed the Staff and the work done by the BS.
The Bible Society of Armenia was established in 1991, when the late
Catholicos Vazgen I and representatives of the United Bible Societies
signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the translation,
publication and dissemination of the Holy Bible in Armenia. The Bible
Society of Armenia is committed to the widest possible meaningful
and effective distribution of the Holy Scriptures in languages and
media which meet the needs of people, at a price they can afford.
The Board of Trustees of The Bible Society of Armenia consists of
representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Catholic
Church and the Union of Armenian Evangelical and Baptist Churches.
For further information on Bible Society of Armenia and its
activities, call (3741) 58-55-09 or 56-49-06; fax (3741) 54-24-39;
e-mail [email protected]

CounterPunch , CA
Oct 15 2004
Turning Myths into Truth
Fodder for the Mindless
By WILLIAM A. COOK
The lies used by the Bush administration to rally support for
its illegal actions in Iraq and Palestine have moved with glacial
slowness before the public. The reason, we have learned, exists in
the main stream media that controls news fed to the public. Alison
Weir, Executive Director of “If Americans Knew,” established, for
example, that 150% of Israeli children’s deaths (more than one story
on some) were the subject of front page articles and photos in the San
Francisco Chronicle while only 5% of Palestinian children’s deaths
made it to the front page. Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting noted
that NPR reported on 89% of Israeli children’s deaths and only 20%
of Palestinian children’s deaths. These studies mirror the reality
for most American, corporate controlled media.
Recently, an Ariel Sharon advisor, Dov Weisglass, revealed to Ha’aretz
that the “ulterior motive behind Sharon’s unilateral decision to
withdraw from the Gaza strip” was not to further the peace process
but to “freeze it” in order to prevent “the establishment of a
Palestinian state.” Where did you read about this in America’s
main stream media? In another news article last month, Ha’aretz
editorialized that Israel is responsible for the terror that exists
in Palestine! That confession also went unnoticed in the US. The sin
of intentional omission more often than not creates the perceptions
we hold on issues of great significance. The elite powers that control
the message control what we think is true. Let me offer three examples
of intentional deception that fabricates a myth that becomes truth.
Ha’aretz, the Israeli newspaper not controlled by the right-wing
Zionists of
Sharon’s racist administration, editorialized a couple of weeks ago
on a matter of paramount concern to America, the cause of terrorism
in Israel and the mid-east, a matter not mentioned at either of our
national conventions, and unreported in the main stream press: “The
underlying basis of (this) terrorism lies in the territories. Nowhere
else. The main motivation for the war against us is the aspiration
to shake off the cruel yoke of the occupation. The checkpoints, the
humiliations, the suppression and the mass imprisonment are the true
infrastructure of terrorism.” This editorial exposes the truth about
terrorism in Israel and elsewhere in the mid-east and gives lie to the
myth that it is the Palestinians that have caused the terrorism that
afflicts that state. It denudes the fiction that Sharon perpetrates
and uses as a collar around Bush’s neck in order to lead him to accept
the state terrorism that he imposes on the Palestinians.
This editorial decries the blatant and unfounded accusations made by
the Chief of Staff, Moshe Ya’alon and the military that blames Syria
for the terrorism in Israel. “The attempt to cast responsibility on
Damascus is intended to avoid having to cope with the true causes of
terrorism,” Ha’aretz argues. “Colonial regimes have always accused
external sources of intervening in the liberation struggles waged
against them, in order to undermine the justice of the struggles,”
a point that America has to face in Iraq as it imposes its will on
a people that has no desire to be suppressed. The Ha’aretz editorial
blows open the whole charade that Israel and its American apologizers
use to defend its occupation and oppression, friends like AIPAC,
the now exposed conduit for American classified information to Sharon.
“Palestinian terrorism was not engendered in any external command
post. It had its birth among the rubble in the territories, in the
hearts of the children who saw their parents humiliated and their
lives trampled underfoot. Anyone who truly wants to put an end to
terrorism must fight the occupation. Any other war is pointless,” a
point that makes a mockery of AIPAC’s and Wolfowitz’ and Sharon’s push
to “change regimes” in Iran and Syria even as it bares the insidious
intent of their efforts. Deception destroys discernment of truth and
omission of any reference to this argument, made by a major newspaper
in Israel, can be nothing more than intentional deception.
Consider now a second myth that has prominence in America, one
defended by Israel’s most renowned apologist, Alan Dershowitz, in his
most recent book The Case for Israel. According to Dershowitz, “Jews
were a substantial majority in those areas of Palestine partitioned
by the United Nations for a Jewish state.” The official UN estimate
of the population of mandatory Palestine allocated to the Jewish
state, according to Dershowitz, although he provides no source
for his numbers, only the claim that they are authoritative, are
538,000 Jews and 397,000 Arabs. Interestingly, he does not question
the accuracy of the population numbers provided by this writer in
a CP article that appeared 4/6/03 (figures Dershowitz questions),
he simply changes the base of the argument and thus allows himself
to offer numbers that fit his argument.
What he does not provide, what he omits to record, are numbers based
on historical and archeological data collected in a huge tome that
identifies the populations of every village within the pre-1967
borders of Israel, titled appropriately, All That Remains, a work
edited by Walid Khalidi a distinguished historian and one time Senior
Fellow at Harvard’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies. In this work,
Khalidi accounts for 418 towns and villages that were systematically
raised by the Jewish military, citing exact population statistics
for each location, statistics that appear as they did in the Mandate
Government’s 1945 Village Statistics. Each of these 418 towns and
villages had been in recorded existence since the 16th century
inhabited by an overwhelming Arab population.
The statistics tell the story. In excess of 390,000 inhabitants of
these towns and villages were forced to move in 1948, in addition
to an estimated 254,000 inhabitants of cities in the same areas
and 70,000 to 100,000 Beduins, a mobile population driven out by
the Jewish forces. Another 13,000 were killed in the battles that
took place in these areas. The total amounted to an estimated 54%
of the population in the areas that constituted the UN proposed land
to be given to the Jewish state. Khalidi’s accounted for population
of approximately 727,000 Arabs gives the lie to Dershowitz’ figures
even if one accepts his argument that the population of the proposed
Jewish state only should be the basis of determining that the creation
of it was justified.
But statistics do not tell the human side of this catastrophic
movement of people. These major urban areas–Acre, Beersheba, Baysan,
Lydda, Majdal, Nazareth, al-Rama–were emptied of their Palestinian
residents. “Their immovable assets–commercial centers, residential
quarters, schools, banks, hospitals, clinics, mosques, churches, and
other public buildings, parks and utilities, all passed en bloc into
the possession of the nascent State of Israel. Also appropriated intact
by Israelis were the personal moveable assets: furniture, silver,
pictures, carpets, libraries, and heirlooms–all the accoutrements
of middle-class life of the erstwhile Palestinian residents.”
In All That Remains, Khalidi provides two maps, divided by areas that
constitute the proposed Jewish state, with graphics that demonstrate
the population comparison between Palestinian and Jew. There are
8 areas that make up the proposed state: Safad, Tiberiae, Baysan,
Haifa, a large section of Tulkarm, Jaffa, a sizeable section of Al
Ramla, and Beersheba; a separate area designation is provided for
Jerusalem. Only in Jaffa did the Jewish population outnumber the Arab,
including Jerusalem which had an Arab population of 62% versus 38%
Jewish. One might note that Dershowitz mentions only that western
Jerusalem had a majority of Jews; how deceptive. He also notes that
Hebron, not designated as part of the proposed state, had a Jewish
population for thousands of years, a fact somewhat at odds with the
population statistics in 1946 when there were less than 1% Jews in
the area.
Hidden within the myth that Jews were the larger population in the
proposed Jewish state thus making legitimate their right to the land,
is another myth, more insidious than the first: Palestinians left
that area of their own accord or upon the demands of the Palestinian
authorities. This myth opens the door for innocent Israelis to claim
the deserted land for themselves. But according to Henry Siegman,
in a rebuttal letter in the New York Review of Books to Benny
Morris the Israeli historian who had questioned a Siegman article,
“The issue I addressed in my article is whether the mass exodus of
700,000 Palestinian Arabs from the areas in Palestine assigned to
the Jews was the consequence of the chaos of war or whether it was
‘planned’-the result of a deliberate decision by Jewish leaders to
expel Palestinian Arabs from these areasI noted in my article that in
the revised edition of Morris’s book, he writes that he had conclusive
evidence that there was indeed a deliberate decision by Ben Gurion
to expel–the term ‘cleanse’ is used extensively–700,000 Palestinian
Arabs. Their flight was therefore not the unintended collateral damage
of a war started by the Arabs but the result of decisions and actions
taken by the Yishuv’s top political and military planners.”
Siegman goes on to point out that Morris does not object to
the decision to “expel” Palestinians from their land because he
understands that a Jewish state could not exist in an area where
the Arab population outnumbered the Jews: “Without the uprooting of
the Palestinians, a Jewish state would not have arisen here.” The
title of Siegman’s article suggests the consequences of the lies
that give feigned legitimacy to illegal actions: “Israel: the Threat
from Within.”
My third myth, presented as truth universally, may best be presented
by Elsa Walsh from her article for the New Yorker (3/24/03), titled
“The Prince.” The article is something of a brief biography of
Prince Bandar of Saudi Arabia and his political manipulations in our
nation’s Capitol. Walsh writes “But when Dennis Ross showed Bandar
the President’s (Clinton) talking papers Bandar recognized that in
its newest iteration the peace plan was a remarkable development. It
gave Arafat almost everything he wanted, including the return of
about ninety-seven per cent of the land of the occupied territories;
all of Jerusalem except the Jewish and Armenian quarters, with
Jews preserving the right to worship at the Temple Mount; and a
thirty-billion-dollar compensation fund.” Arafat, as Walsh notes,
agreed to accept the proposals as offered by Clinton, but only as
the basis for new talks. The world heard that Arafat had refused the
proposals and offered no explanation or alternatives.
Did Clinton’s papers offer Arafat “everything he wanted” as Bandar
claims? In 1993, Arafat sent a letter to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin,
September 9, stating most pertinently these points: The PLO recognizes
the right of the state of Israel to exist in peace and security;
the PLO accepts United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and
338, the 1948 and 1967 borders and right of return; the PLO commits
itself to the peace processall outstanding issueswill be resolved
through negotiations.
Did Clinton offer Arafat all of the land captured by the Israelis in
1948? Did he offer a return to the borders as delineated by the UN
in 1967? Or did he offer Arafat 97% of the West Bank and Gaza? Did
Clinton provide a set process for the refugees, a right to return to
their homes whether in the remaining Palestinian land or in Israel?
Did Clinton’s plan provide for recognition of the right to exist of
a Palestinian state, a state recognized by Israel?
It’s clear that Clinton did not offer Arafat everything he wanted.
Arafat had no option but to refuse Clinton’s proposal or accept
it only as a basis for new negotiations, and that he did. It’s
instructive to note that the one-sidedness of Clinton’s offer was so
blatant that Yossi Beilin, an Israeli architect of the Oslo Accords,
and former Palestinian minister Yasser Abed Rabbo, worked for two
and a half years to create the Geneva Accords to right the wrongs of
the original proposals. The GA, while not official, stipulates the
immediate recognition of a Palestinian state by the state of Israel.
It addresses forthrightly the issue of refugee right of return and
compensation for their suffering and loss of homes in accordance with
UN Resolutions 194 of 1948 and the principles of International Law.
And it notes that the relations between Israel and Palestine shall
be based upon the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
Furthermore, it makes the borders that compose the state of Palestine
those of June 1967 in accordance with Resolutions 242 and 338. Most
of the settlements are to be disbanded and territorial integrity to
be respected by both parties. Palestine will be a non-militarized
state protected in part by the creation of a multinational force
established and deployed in Palestine. Finally, a joint committee
will monitor the crossing borders, an item originally in the Oslo
agreement but later cancelled by Israel. This document addresses
the issues Arafat had to contend with, without which he could not
commit his people. Curiously enough, the GA offers a resolution to
the dilemma addressed by Ha’aretz in its editorial, a just resolution
to the conflict that rages in Palestine.
There you have it, three myths presented as truth to a world benumbed,
especially in the US. All three exist because our press and our
talking heads, especially those that snarl on FOX or obsequiously
fawn disbelief on CNN or MSNBC, intentionally omit the requisite
investigation of the truth or coddle to the power of corporate America
and to the belief, in itself a myth, that we must not question our
one true friend in the Middle East, the “Democratic” (sic) state of
Israel. But, then, myths are the staple of those who want to know
without engaging the mind or the senses. Besides, a little blather
about issues of no consequence coddles the public mind and doesn’t
really disturb their contentment.
William Cook is a professor of English at the University of La Verne
in southern California. His new book, Psalms for the 21st Century,
was just published by Mellen Press. He can be reached at: [email protected]

GEORGIA SET TO REFUSE ENTRY TO FOREIGNERS TRAVELLING VIA SOUTH OSSETIA
Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
14 Oct 04
(Presenter) Everyone must realize that Ergneti (village on South
Ossetia’s border with the rest of Georgia) is not Georgia’s official
border post. This is Georgia’s official position.
The presidential representative in the Shida Kartli region, Mikheil
Kareli, today commented on the detention of an Armenian bus at the
Ergneti checkpoint. He said that bus passengers could only enter
Georgia from Russia via the Lars checkpoint.
As regards the Roki tunnel (linking South Ossetia with Russia), the
presidential representative said the Georgian side could not control
it, so it would not allow foreigners to enter the country through
that tunnel. If such a precedent is allowed, it is possible that a
new smuggling route via the Tskhinvali region will be established,
Kareli said.
Georgian law-enforcement officers had detained a passenger bus which
had passed through the Roki tunnel en route from Russia to Armenia
for breaching immigration rules.
(Kareli) The Georgian authorities made a decision that the official
ports of entry (for travellers from Russia) would be Lars, Tbilisi
airport and the port of Poti. Therefore all foreigners, irrespective
of whether they are Armenians or Azeris, should only use these official
ports of entry. We will not allow cargoes to enter Georgia through the
Roki tunnel for the simple reason that the Georgian authorities are
still unable to control the Roki tunnel. Meanwhile, Russia appears
to be keen to ensure that all traffic goes through that tunnel so
that the Ossetian separatists get richer.

Historical Churches & Christianity Root in Iran
Culture
Persian Journal
October 14, 2004
The majority of churches in Iran that possess historical and artistic
value were built around the eight century A.H. or the 14th century AD,
and the period thereafter. Of course, this does not mean that there were
no churches existing in the country before that period.
During the reign of Shah Abbas, the Safavid king, his sagacious policies
caused a sizable number of Armenians from Armenia and Azerbaijan to
transfer and settle in Isfahan and other regions of Iran. A place called
Jolfa was built at the banks of the Zayande-rud River in Esfahan and
became the residence of these migrating people. Consequently, churches
were erected in that town.
Meanwhile, after a short lapse of time, some Armenians moved to Gilan
and some resided in Shiraz.
After the death of Shah Abbas the First, his successor, Shah Abbas the
Second, also paid close attention to the welfare of Armenians and more
churches were erected in Jolfa.
The influx of many Europeans during the reign of the Qajars led to the
flourishing of other churches, in addition to those that were
constructed previously. A number of these edifices have lasted and
acquired architectural and artistic significance.
Azarbaijan is host to the oldest churches in Iran. Among the most
significant are the Tatavous Vank (St. Tatavous Cathedral), which is
also called the Ghara Kelissa (the black monastery). This is located at
the Siahcheshmeh (Ghara-Eini) border area south of Makou. There is also
the church known as Saint Stepanous, which stands 24 kilometers south of
Azarbaijan’s Jolfa town.
Generally, each church has a large hall for congregational prayers; its
foremost part is raised like a dais, adorned with the pictures or images
of religious figures and it also serves as an altar. Here, candles are
lighted and the church mass is conducted by the priest. On the
foreground is the praying congregation which face the platform where the
priest is leading the rites in the church; this is similar to the Muslim
practice of praying facing the niche in the mosque. While the mass is
being said, the people stand, kneel, or sit depending on what the rites
require.
The structure of churches in Iran follow more or less the pattern of
Iranian architecture, or they are a mixture of Iranian and non-Iranian
designs.
Saint Stepanous church is another old church located at an intersection
west of the Marand-Jolfa highway and east of the Khoy-Jolfa road. Also
having a pyramidal dome, it is, nevertheless, quite beautiful and far
more pleasant to behold than the Saint Tatavous church.
The general structure mostly resembles Armenian and Georgian
architecture and the inside of the building is adorned with beautiful
paintings by Honatanian, a renowned Armenian artist. Hayk Ajimian, an
Armenian scholar and historian, recorded that the church was originally
built in the ninth century AD, but repeated earthquakes in Azarbaijan
completely eroded the previous structure. The church was rebuilt during
the rule of Shah Abbas the Second.
Saint Mary’s Church in Tabriz:
This church was built in the sixth century A.H. (12th century AD) and in
his travel chronicles, Marco Polo, the famous Venetian traveler who
lived during the eight century A.H. (14th century AD), referred to this
church on his way to China. For so many years, Saint Mary’s served as
the seat of the Azarbaijan Armenian Archbishop. It is a handsomely built
edifice, with different annex buildings sprawled on a large area. A
board of Armenian peers are governing the well- attended church.
Aside from the above three churches, there are others in Azarbaijan such
as the old church built in the eight century A.H. at Modjanbar village,
which is some 50 kilometers from Tabriz Another one is the large Saint
Sarkis church, situated in Khoy; this building has survived from the
time of Shah Abbas the Second (12th century A.H.). During the reign of
the said Safavid king, another edifice called the Saint Gevorg (Saint
George) church was constructed, using marble stones and designed with a
large dome, at Haft Van village near Shapur (Salmas). A church, also
with a huge dome, likewise stands at Derishk village in the vicinity of
Shapur, in Azarbaijan.
The Saint Tatavous Monastery or the Ghara Kelissa:
Initially, this church comprised of a small hall with a pyramid- shaped
dome on the top and 12 crevices similar to the Islamic dome-shaped
buildings from the Mongol era. The difference was that the church dome
was made of stone. The main part of this pyramid structure followed
Byzantine (Eastern Roman) architecture, including the horizontal and
parallel fringes made of white and black stones in the interior and
black stones on the exterior facing.
Since the facade is dominated by black stones, the church was formerly
called the Ghara Kelissa (or black monastery) by the natives. During the
reign of the Qajar ruler, Fathalishah, new structures were added to the
Saint Tatavous church upon the order of Abbas Mirza, the crown prince,
and the governor of Azarbaijan. The renovations resulted in the
enlargement of the prayer hall and the small old church was converted
into a prayer platform, holding the altar, the holy ornaments and a
place where the priest could lead the prayers. The bell tower and the
church entrance were situated at one side of the new building, but
unfortunately, this part remained unfinished.
Meanwhile, due to border skirmishes and other political disturbances in
the area during the succeeding periods, the church was abandoned and
ruined. Some minor repairs have been carried out in recent years. Each
year, during a special season (in the summer), many Armenians from all
parts of Iran travel to this site for prayer and pilgrimage. They come
by jeeps or trucks after crossing a very rough mountainous passage. They
flock around the church, stay for a few days and perform their religions
ceremonies. For the rest of the year, however, the church remains
deserted in that remote area.
The additions made to the Saint Tatavous church on the order of Abbas
Mirza consist of embossed images of the apostles on the facade and
decorations of flowers, bushes, lion and sun figures and arabesques, all
of which had been done by Iranian craftsmen. The architecture of the
church interior is a combination of Byzantine, Armenian and Georgian
designs. Beside the large church, special chambers have been built in
the yard to shelter pilgrims and hermits.
Historical Churches at Jolfa of Isfahan:
The most important historical church in Iran is the old cathedral,
commonly referred to as the Vank (which means “cathedral” in the
Armenian language). This large building was constructed during the reign
of Shah Abbas the First and completely reflects Iranian architecture. It
has a double-layer brick dome that is very much similar to those built
by the Safavids. The interior of the church is decorated with glorious
and beautiful paintings and miniature works that represent biblical
traditions and the image of angels and apostles, all of which have been
executed in a mixture of Iranian and Italian styles. The ceiling and
walls are coated with tiles from the Safavid epoch.
At a corner of the large courtyard of the cathedral, offices and halls
have been built to accommodate guests, the Esfahan archbishop and his
retinue, as well as other important Armenian religious hierarchy in
Iran. The church compound also includes a museum that is located in a
separate building. The museum displays preserved historical records and
relics, and the edicts of Iranian kings dating back to the time of Shah
Abbas the First. It also contains an interesting collection of art work.
Esfahan has other historical churches, the most important of which is
the Church of Beit-ol Lahm (Bethlehem) at Nazar Avenue. There are also
the Saint Mary church at Jolfa Square and the Yerevan church in the
Yerevan area.
The Armenian Church in Shiraz:
In the eastern section of Ghaani Avenue, in a district called “Sare
Jouye Aramaneh”, an interesting building has survived from the era of
Shah Abbas the Second. Its principal structure stands in the midst of a
garden-like compound and consists of a prayer hall with a lofty flat
ceiling and several cells flanking the two side of the building. The
ceiling is decorated with original paintings from the Safavid era and
the adjoining cells are adorned with niches and arches and plaster
molding, also in the Safavid style. This is considered a historical
monument at Shiraz and definitely worth a visit.
Saint Simon’s Church in Shiraz:
This is another relatively important, but not so old church in Shiraz.
The large hall is completely done in Iranian style while the roof is
Roman. Small barrel-shaped vaults, many Iranian art work and stained
glass window panes adorn the church. Meanwhile, another church called
the Glory of Christ, stands at Ghalat, 34 kilometers from Shiraz. This
building has survived from the Qajar period and is surrounded by
charming gardens.
Saint Tatavous Church, Tehran:
This edifice is located at the Chaleh Meidan district, one of the oldest
districts in Tehran It stands south of the Seyed Esmail Mausoleum, at
the beginning of the northern part of the so-called Armenians’ Street.
The oldest church of Tehran, it was built during the reign of the Qajar
king, Fathalishah. The building has a dome-shaped roof and four alcoves,
an altar and a special chair reserved for the Armenian religions leader
or prelate. The vestibule leading to the church contains the graves of
prominent non-Iranian Christians who have died in Iran, and in the
middle of the churchyard, Gribaydof, the Czarist ambassador at the court
of Fathalishah, and his companions were laid to rest. They were killed
by the revolutionary forces of Tehran at that time.
Meanwhile in Bushehr, there is a church from the Qajar period that is a
good specimen of Iranian architecture. All the windows are modeled after
old Iranian buildings and the colored panes are purely Iranian art work.
There are also many other churches in Ourumieh, in hamlets surrounding
Arasbaran, Ardabil, Maragheh, Naqadeh, Qazvin, Hameadan Khuzestan,
Chaharmahal, Arak, in the old Vanak village north of Tehran, etc. These
churches, though, are all deserted and are of little artistic significance.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress