Author: Torgomian Varazdat

US stance on Armenian massacres may ease Turkey-US tensions: official
March 30, 2005
ISTANBUL (AFP) – The United States will help ease tensions with Turkey if it
sticks to its stance of not recognizing the killings of Armenians under the
Ottoman Empire as genocide, Anatolia news agency quoted a senior Turkish
official as saying.
Turkey expects Washington “to maintain the sound position on the issue it
has displayed in the past as a first step… (towards) leaving current
disturbances behind so that Turkish-US ties can progress on a healthy
basis,” the head of the National Security Council, Yigit Alpogan, said.
“We believe the American administration will not give the green light to
slanders which render all Turks as children of murderers,” Alpogan told a
gathering of a Turkish-American business group.
Washington has so far refrained from terming the World War I massacres as
genocide despite pressure from pro-Armenian lobbies.
On April 24 Armenians will mark the 90th anniversary of the beginning of the
controversial massacres.
Ankara is concerned that the Armenians will this year step up their campaign
to have the events acknowledged as genocide by Washington at a time when
Turkish-US relations are markedly strained by differences over Iraq.
US President George W. Bush last year described the massacres as “one of the
most horrible tragedies of the 20th century.”
Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kinsmen perished in orchestrated
killings and deportations between 1915 and 1917.
Turkey categorically rejects allegations of genocide, saying that 300,000
Armenians and thousands of Turks were killed in what was a civil strife
during World War I when the Armenians rose up against their Ottoman rulers
and sided with invading Russian troops.
In October 2000, a draft congressional resolution acknowledging the killings
as genocide was pulled from the House floor following an intervention by
then president Bill Clinton, who argued that the United State not damage its
ties with Turkey, a key Muslim ally.
Since then, however, those ties have deteriorated.
The Turkish parliament stunned Washington just before the occupation of Iraq
in March 2003 when it denied US troops access to Turkish territory for a
planned invasion of Iraq from the north.
Relations between the two NATO allies were further strained by US reluctance
to take military action against Turkish Kurd rebels in northern Iraq and
Ankara’s concern that Iraqi Kurds are getting too much power in post-war
Iraq.

`ARTAVAZD’ THEATRE AWARDS
Azg/arm
30 March 05
The cultural and theatre elite of Armenia gathered in “Ararat”
factory, where “Artavazd” Theatre Annual Awards 2005 was held.
The ceremony began in the welcoming speech of RA President Robert
Kocharian that was read by Yervand Ghazanchian, Chairman of RA
Theatrical Union. Afterwards, he represented the jury members. He
said that this year there were many young artists among the
nominees. 11 awards were given during the ceremony, including three
“Artavazd” statues and 8 medals.
The first prize went to Varsik Grigorian for her devoted work at the
theatre. “Makbeth” staged at Hrachia Ghaplanian Drama Theatre won the
prize for the best performance of 2004-2005 theatrical
season. “Artavazd” was handed to Armen Khandikian, head of the
theatre.
The prize for “The Best Actor” went to Vladimir Msrian, while Anna
Elbakian received “Artavazd” for “The Best Actress.” Beate Ehlers, a
German actress,was given the same prize within the framework of the
international project organized by Hakob Ghazanchian.
Robert Elibekian was recognized the best art director for his work in
“Charents’ Reformatory” performance.
Ara Manucharian, a young director at “Goy” experimental theatre, won
the prize for the best debut for his performance entitled “My Death.”
While “Psychosis 4.48” performance staged at Sundukian Theatre was
recognized the best youth’s performance of the year.
Narine Malian, director at Malian theatre, was awarded a prize for
staging the play by Aghasi Ayvazyan. Ara Yernjakian received
“Artavazd” medal for establishing and preserving the Yerevan Chamber
Theatre.
Alexander Grigorian, head of the Yerevan Russian Theatre after
Stanislavsky, was also awarded a prize for “The Moon Beast”
performance dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide. The prize will be given to him in during the Yerevan
premiere of the performance on April 7.
By Gohar Gevorgian

Agency WPS
What the Papers Say. Part B (Russia)
March 28, 2005, Monday
VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO WILL RETURN TO HIS OWN VETERANS
SOURCE: Kommersant, March 28, 2005, p. 10
by Boris Volkhonskii
President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine has finally given an answer to
the question of his attendance at celebrations of the 60th
anniversary of victory in World War II in Moscow on May 9: he’ll
attend the CIS summit of May 8, but will celebrate Victory Day at
Kreshchatik in Kyiv, together with Ukrainian World War II veterans.
Thus, the president of Ukraine has been added to the ranks of CIS
presidents who have refused to take part in festivities in Moscow,
and this event won’t have the propaganda effect Russian leaders have
counted on.
“I wouldn’t feel comfortable knowing that our own veterans are
celebrating the great Victory here, in Kyiv, while I’m in Moscow,”
the Ukrainian president stated on March 26. However, Yushchenko
promised he’d attend the CIS summit of May 8, and expressed the hope
that “Mr. President Vladimir Putin and other colleagues” would
understand his decision.
In any case, the Ukrainian president has been added to the ranks of
CIS presidents who have refused to take part in festivities in
Moscow. In March, the presidents of Lithuania and Estonia, Valdas
Adamkus and Arnold Ruutel, declined invitations to come to Moscow in
May. The issue remained unsettled in other capitals so far; according
to our sources, the number of “refusers” may reach half of the
presidents of CIS countries.
Each leader has his/her own reasons for refusal. Leaders of the
Baltic states account for it with the fact that for their nations the
World War II ended not in 1945, but at the start of the 1990s, when
the “occupational” troops were withdrawn. The fact that the
presidents of Lithuania and Estonia missed the opportunity to meet
with a multitude of global leaders hasn’t influenced their decisions.
A simple solution was found: U.S. President George Bush arrives in
Moscow en route to Riga on May 6; this is where the U.S.-Baltia
summit takes place.
President Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia (the latest reports from
Tbilisi indicate he has no intention to attend Moscow either) refers
to the fact that he need to make preparations for George Bush’s visit
to Tbilisi on May 10-12, after the celebrations end in Moscow.
According to signals received from Baku, Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev may also refuse to attend the CIS summit and celebrations of
Victory Day. His problems is different: Moscow hoped to avail itself
of this plea to have the Azerbaijani president seated to the table of
negotiations with his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharyan on the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem. However, Baku has been more skeptical of
late with regard to the settlement of this problem and doesn’t seem
to be ready for summit talks.
As a result, the propaganda impact of the upcoming event could be
much less than Moscow might wish. The Kremlin intended to arrange the
celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Victory Day on an even
grander scale than the St. Petersburg tercentenary.
At the same time, many leaders of the states who have confirmed their
attendance in Moscow intend to add a fly in the ointment. Thus,
President Aleksander Kwasniewski of Poland intends to raise the issue
of censuring the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact to the Russian leaders
(which permitted Germany’s aggression against Poland and division of
the country); he also intends to elucidate Warsaw’s position with
regard to the Yalta Accords of 1945, which divided Europe into two
opposed camps.
President Vaira Vike-Freiberga of Latvia, the only Baltic leader to
arrive in Moscow, is surely not very eager to do that. On the one
hand, this is because she wishes to improve the complicated relations
with Moscow; on the other hand, solving all the problems within a
couple of days of their stay in Moscow is impossible.
Finally, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s participation in
the Moscow festivities is also greatly in doubt. The media reported a
couple of weeks ago that the Japanese prime minister refused to
attend Moscow referring to the fact that by the timeframe the
celebrations coincide with the second half of the parliamentary
session. Apparently, this excuse seemed to be unconvincing even for
the Japanese authorities and the Foreign Ministry of Japan
immediately issued a refutation, in which it noted that the issue is
not settled yet. To all appearances, it is being solved and Tokyo is
yet unable to determine what suits its interests more – a gesture of
goodwill or the display of firmness in the dispute over the northern
territories.
Translated by Andrei Ryabochkin

IN ARMENIA 13969 PEOPLE FIRST RECOGNIZED INVALID LAST YEAR
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, NOYAN TAPAN. 135.7 thousand invalids, among
them 39.9% women were registered in the information base of the
Medical-Social Examination Agency of RA Labor and Social Affairs
Ministry. According to data of RA National Statistic Service, in the
second half of 2004, 3273 invalids didn’t report for re-examination,
among which 319 are up to 18 years old, 1118 are from 18 to 40
and 1836 are at the age of retiring. 61879 people were examined by
Medical-Social Examination Commissions in 2004. On the whole, 58126
people were recognized invalid, among which 13969 were for the first
time. 11636 of those who were recognized invalid for the first time
were because of common diseases.

Ottawa Citizen
March 26, 2005 Saturday
Final Edition
Stepping into history: As he travels through the Holy Land, a
plethora of ancient sites helps Bob Harvey trace the 4,000-year
history of Israel. It is a history dogged by bloodshed, littered with
peoples who sought to conquer the country and its capital.
by Bob Harvey, The Ottawa Citizen
JERUSALEM
JERUSALEM – Israel is a tiny, narrow country, just two-thirds the
size of Vancouver Island, yet it is revered as a holy land by half of
the world’s population of three billion Christians, Muslims and Jews.
Their prophets, saints and soldiers have gone, but the stones they
walked are still there to remind us of 4,000 years of bloody history
and miraculous events, as well as holy books that have shaped western
and Islamic cultures. The Bible, and the Jewish Torah and Talmud, all
began here and, according to tradition, the prophet Muhammad received
the Koran after ascending into heaven from Jerusalem.
Because the country is so small, I and three other Canadians managed
to drive from one end to the other in a busy week, viewing a
remarkable array of significant historic sites with the help of
Israel’s ministry of tourism, a $350-a-day tourist guide, a driver
and a van.
One of our first steps into ancient history was at a re-creation of
the village of Nazareth as Jesus would have known it.
The homes have been built near the ancient Nazareth and are made of
stone, the common material used by Jesus and other builders in old
Israel. Donkeys wander freely through the village and there are
storage caves, a synagogue, and one of the last remaining plots of
land that had been farmed by villagers at the time of Jesus.
The crops then and now are olives, almonds, figs, carob, grapes,
wheat and barley, and we see how the whole village would have turned
out to press the olives into oil and tread the grapes into wine. That
experience concludes inside a Bedouin tent with a first-century meal
of lentil soup, pita bread, vegetables and fruit.
On that same day, we drive along the Mediterranean coast from Tel
Aviv and the 4,500-year-old port of Jaffa to Caesarea, the most
important Christian centre of the Byzantine era. Thanks to advanced
computerized imaging, we are greeted by historical figures from the
town’s past, including King Herod, Rabbi Akiva, Saladin, and Saint
Paul, who was imprisoned here.
The most ancient of all theatres in Israel is to be found here. It
accommodated 4,000 spectators for hundreds of years after King Herod
built it, as well as an amphitheatre for horse racing and sports
events and a large artificial harbour.
When the new day dawned, we went sailing on the Sea of Galilee. We
may have been in a modern replica, but this was exactly the kind of
boat in which the fishermen among Christ’s apostles would have taken
Jesus across the water to revive the dying daughter of a synagogue
ruler.
A similar boat from 2,000 years ago is on exhibit in the nearby Man
in Galilee museum. Fishermen found it in 1986 during a drought that
lowered the water levels. They were sitting on the sand, when they
discovered a cache of Roman coins and, beneath the coins, this
8.2-metre boat. Experts were then called in to carefully excavate and
package the boat in Fiberglas and polyurethane foam before floating
it to a specially-built pool, where it was conserved.
The New Testament, in portraying Christ’s calming of a storm on the
Sea of Galilee, says: “Without warning, a furious storm came up on
the lake so that the waves swept over the boat.” Today the biblical
Sea of Galilee is known as the Lake of Kinneret, and violent storms
still sweep down from the surrounding heights.
Among them is the Golan Heights, the scene of many battles since
1967, when Israel took possession of what Syria views as its
territory. Another of the heights around the lake is the Mount of
Beatitudes, the site of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount.
On that mount, Christ promised that “blessed are the peacemakers,”
yet most of the 4,000-year history of this nation at the crossroads
of Asia, Africa and Europe is one of bloodshed. The “salem” in
Jerusalem means peace, but Romans, Greeks, Turks, Arabs, Hittites,
Egyptians, European Crusaders and many others have all sought to
conquer Israel and its capital.
The most revered religious sites in all of Israel are here in
Jerusalem.
Among them is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site of Christ’s
crucifixion, his tomb and his resurrection. It is hidden away in a
maze of alleys and shops and there is a lineup at almost any time of
the day. Scholars maintain knowledge of the location was handed down
by oral tradition and proved in AD 326 by the investigations of
Rome’s Emperor Constantine, who erected a basilica over the Tomb of
Christ in 335 to mark the site for future ages. He also stopped the
Roman practice of crucifixion. The basilica burned down in 614, and
was totally destroyed in 1009 by the Muslim ruler of the time.
Today’s church was built by Christian Crusaders in 1149.
When we arrive, a Greek Orthodox priest is managing the traffic of
believers. The lineup includes Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox and
other Eastern Christians, and we all shuffle slowly up to the tomb of
Christ and do as others do: kneel and reach under the altar to touch
a portion of the rock of Calvary, where Christ was crucified. Some
also kiss the floor.
Despite its significance, the church lacks a sense of holiness. The
walls have been blackened by generations of candles, there is little
light, and, before we know it, we are filing out the door. The
responsibility for the Sepulchre is uneasily shared by Roman
Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic priests. Not long
after we left the church, Israeli police had to intervene to settle
an argument between the Greek Orthodox and Catholic Franciscans over
whether a door should be open or closed.
Most of these sites have recorded histories that back the claims for
the events said to have made them holy. One of many examples is the
Room of the Last Supper. It is here that wine and bread were shared
by Jesus and his disciples, establishing the Christian rite of the
communion or Eucharist. It is near the Dormition Abbey in the Old
City of Jerusalem, in the remains of a Judeo-Christian synagogue, the
traditional location of the Upper Room.
Canadian Catholics donated $105,308 during last year’s annual Good
Friday collection for the upkeep of such religious sites in the Holy
Land.
In the centre of Jerusalem sits the Temple Mount, a holy place for
Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. Jewish tradition teaches that,
about 4,000 years ago, Abraham offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice
to God here on a rock that was once part of the Garden of Eden. In
1006 BC, King David brought here the ark of the covenant, a box
covered with gold and holding symbols of the divine presence among
the Jews, including the 10 Commandments that God is said to have
carved on stone tablets. According to legend, David, the young
shepherd boy who succeeded Saul — Israel’s first king — also
deposited the head of Goliath here.
Today, the Temple Mount is the home of one of Islam’s oldest shrines,
the Dome of the Rock, and Al Aqsa, one of its most beautiful mosques.
The Dome of the Rock was built 50 years after the Muslim conquest of
Jerusalem in AD 638 and is an expression of the growing power of
Islam in that era, and what would become Muslim rule of Israel for
most of the next 1,300 years.
It was built either on or near what is believed to be the site of the
Jewish Temple destroyed by the Romans in AD 70 and its golden dome
still dominates the city’s skyline. One of the ornate inscriptions
inside this shrine affirms that God is One and not three; and that
Jesus was an apostle of God and His Word, and not His son.
The Temple Mount is seldom opened to non-Muslims, The first known
exception was made for the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward
VII, when he visited in 1862.
The one remaining remnant of the Second Temple is the Western Wall, a
must-see for Jews and Christians at the base of the Temple Mount. It
was a supporting wall of the temple and is sometimes called the
Wailing Wall, a term that most Jews dislike. They come here to
celebrate bar mitzvahs and other religious events and press written
prayers into the cracks of the wall.
It is the most sacred spot in Jewish religious and Israeli national
consciousness and tradition because of its proximity to what was once
the Holy of Holies in the temple, from which, traditional sources
say, the Divine Presence never departed. It became a centre of
mourning over the destruction of the Temple and Israel’s exile, on
the one hand, and of religious and national communion with the memory
of Israel’s former glory and the hope for its restoration.
Beneath the wall, there are now tunnels excavated by archeologists
and, if you walk them, you will step on stones that Jesus trod on his
way to teach in the temple. The tunnel also includes an engineering
marvel: huge stones, which were placed at the base of the Wall to
stabilize it and withstand earthquakes. Today’s best cranes can lift
only 250 tonnes, but these stones weigh 500 tonnes and were put in
place with manpower, pulleys and long-forgotten techniques.
There is so much to do in Israel, especially in Jerusalem, including
walking the Via Dolorosa and stopping at each of the stations of the
cross where Jesus stopped for a sip of water or a goodbye to his
mother, Mary, as he carried his cross to Golgotha.
Once you see the Holy Land, many passages from the Bible also take on
new meaning.
In a land where rain is scarce, Deuteronomy 11 includes God’s
promise: “If you faithfully obey all the commands I am giving you
today … then I will send rain on your land in its season, both
autumn and spring rains. … I will provide grass in the fields for
your cattle and you will eat and be satisfied.”
One of the last treats of our journey was a swim in the Dead Sea. It
is one of the the lowest places on Earth, 400 metres below sea level,
and is also known as the Salt Sea because of a concentration of salts
and minerals in the water. Because of those salts and minerals, even
heavy non-swimmers can lay down and float effortlessly.
Nearby, there are also some of the caves once inhabited by the
Essenes, the ascetic scribes who penned the Dead Sea Scrolls,
including Old Testament manuscripts that are 1,000 years older than
any previous version and other scrolls that have provided a wealth of
information on the times leading up to, and during, the life of
Christ. John the Baptist spent almost two years there, but left
before he could become a full member.
High above these caves and the sea itself, there is Masada, a
sprawling fortress atop a mountain where 967 Jewish men, women and
children held off 10,000 to 15,000 Roman legionaries for several
months. Toward the end of a Jewish revolt that began in AD 66, the
last of the rebels retreated to Masada, erected a synagogue, a public
hall and ritual baths and took advantage of the fortifications and
palaces built earlier by Herod as a refuge from his potential
enemies.
After conquering Jerusalem in AD 72, the Romans marched on the last
holdout of the rebels: Masada. They surrounded it and carried
thousands of buckets of dirt to its western slope to construct an
embankment that would open the way for them to surge up the mountain
and overwhelm the rebels. Today you can climb a steep path to the top
in 45 minutes. Most tourists take a cable car to reach the top.
Josephus Flavius, one of the leaders of the revolt, abandoned what
had become a hopeless cause and became a Roman citizen and a
historian. He wrote that, when Masada’s leaders saw they could no
longer hold out, “they then chose 10 men from amongst them by lot,
who would slay all the rest: every one of whom laid himself down by
his wife and children on the ground, and threw his arms about them,
and they offered their necks to the stroke of those who by lot
executed that melancholy office.”
That was in AD 73, and the last man still standing then set fire to
the royal palace and ran his sword up to the hilt in his body.
Masada became a symbol of willpower and heroism, and has been
declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Images of more than 100 priceless artifacts from Israel, including
some of the Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as brief outlines of important
moments in Israel’s history, have been posted on the web at
It is an online virtual
exhibition of the popular Ancient Treasures and Dead Sea Scrolls
exhibition that attracted record-breaking numbers at The Canadian
Museum of Civilization from December 2003 to April 2004.
– – –
Israel has neither diamonds nor oil and depends heavily on the
tourist industry.
One of the government’s goals is to change the country’s image. It
has more security checks than any other western nation and car
accidents probably kill many times more people than terrorists do.
But, when you mention an upcoming trip to Israel, friends and
colleagues ask: “Aren’t you afraid?”
The number of visitors to Israel reached its peak in 2000, when 2.7
million came from around the world.
But when the second intifada broke out at the end of that year, the
numbers started to drop, and in 2002, only 980,000 tourists arrived.
In 2004, the number began to rise again and by the end of October,
1.5 million, including 36,000 Canadians, had visited Israel.
A Capsule History of Jerusalem:
1900 BC: Abraham, who made the covenant with God that established the
Jewish people, knows Jerusalem as Salem, a city ruled by Amorite
kings
1011-971 BC: David seizes the fortified city from the Jebusites,
re-names it the city of David and makes it the spiritual and
political heart of the nation.
971-931 BC: David’s son, Solomon, builds the first temple.
586 BC: The Babylonians destroy the temple and Jerusalem and carry
the resident Jews to Babylon as slaves.
539 BC: The Persians defeat the Babylonians.
515 BC: Jews are allowed to return to Jerusalem and build the second
temple on the remains of the first.
334 BC: Under Alexander the Great, the Greeks conquer the Persians
and conquer Jerusalem.
168 BC: Another Greek ruler, Antiochus Epiphanes, persecutes the Jews
and blasphemes the temple by sacrificing a pig on the site. The Jews
are outraged and the Hasmonean revolt, led by Judah Maccabee,
liberates Jerusalem and purifies the
temple.
63 BC: Pompey, a Roman, seizes the land of the Jews.
37 BC: Another Roman, Herod the Great, seizes Jerusalem, names
himself king and rebuilds the temple.
AD 70: The Jews revolt once again and Roman legions destroy the city
and the temple.
AD 135: Another Jewish revolt and this time the Roman emperor bans
Jews from Jerusalem and renames it Colonia Aelia Capitolina, a Roman
colony dedicated to the pagan god, Jupiter.
AD 200: Most of the Jews have left Israel and settled elsewhere.
AD 333: Helena, mother of Constantine, the Romans’ first Christian
emperor, lifts the ban on Jews living in Jerusalem, but makes it an
almost entirely Christian city.
AD 638: The Muslims conquer Jerusalem and, in 684, begin building
Islam’s second most sacred shrine, the Dome of the Rock, on the site
where the temple once stood.
AD 1071: Radical Muslims, the Seljuk Turks, capture Jerusalem and
defile the Christians’ holy sites.
AD 1099: Christian Crusaders reclaim the city and establish Jerusalem
as a kingdom.
1291: The Mamelukes, slaves seized from non-Muslim families and
trained as cavalry soldiers, drive the Crusaders out of the
Holy Land.
1517: The Ottoman Turks, also Muslims, conquer the area.
1881: Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, one of the first Zionists, moves to
Jerusalem, with his wife, Deborah, to dedicate themselves toward the
rebirth of the nation of Israel, in its own land, and resurrecting
Hebrew, their own tongue, which had not been used conversationally
since the second century AD. Together they establish the first
Hebrew-speaking home in modern Israel and Eliezer teaches Hebrew and
coins new Hebrew words for objects and verbs that did not exist in
ancient Israel. He is credited with the revival of Hebrew as a modern
language.
1897: Thanks to Theodor Herzl, a Hungarian Jewish journalist, the
first Zionist Congress meets in Basle, Switzerland, and declares:
“Zionism seeks to establish a home for the Jewish people in Palestine
secured under public law.”
1918: The British drive the Turks out of Israel.
1948: Jews form the reborn state of Israel. But, in the war that
immediately follows, they lose East Jerusalem to Jordan.
1967: Jews and Arabs fight the Six-Day War and the Jews reclaim the
entire city of Jerusalem.
1980: The Israeli government declares the entire city of Jerusalem is
the capital and promises to protect all holy sites from desecration.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Al-Ahram Weekly, Egypt
March 24-30 2005
The assumption
To mark the 200th anniversary of the year Mohamed Ali became
exclusive ruler of Egypt, Professor Yunan Labib Rizk begins the first
of a nine-part series on the life of the founder of our modern state,
starting with his ascension
Mohamed Ali
For several weeks now the Al-Ahram history centre has been exploring
a question that we knew would be asked by anyone interested in modern
Egyptian history: How should we commemorate the bicentennial of
Mohamed Ali Pasha’s assumption to the throne in Egypt? The date on
which this occurred — 13 May 1805 — marks a turning point not only
in the history of Egypt but in the history of the entire region. For
Egyptians in particular it was when their country started to make the
transition from the middle ages to the modern era.
After having considered several ideas for commemorating this
occasion, our attention was serendipitously drawn to a set of very
relevant back issues of Al-Ahram. In November 1949, Egypt was
commemorating the centennial of Mohamed Ali’s death. Al-Ahram ‘s
contribution at the time was to gather the greatest amount possible
of new and pertinent information on this unique figure and to solicit
the contributions of prominent historians, intellectuals and literary
figures of the period. The result was a full-scale portrait of the
“Founder of Modern Egypt” and his times. We have taken the occasion
of the bicentennial of Mohamed Ali’s assumption to the throne to
present today’s readers pieces of this portrait as it appeared in
Al-Ahram over half a century ago, intervening as little as possible
for the purposes of clarification.
The epithet was first coined by Henry Herbert Dodwell, author of The
Founder of Modern Egypt: A Study of Mohamed Ali (Cambridge, The
University Press, 1931).
Al-Ahram ‘s first article in its Mohamed Ali series — “How he
ascended the throne” — was the work of the newspaper’s editorial
staff. Their account opens during that brief respite following the
end of the Napoleonic expedition, a year and a half after the
evacuation of French forces on 3 July 1801 and three months before
the final evacuation of the British forces that had helped drive out
the French, the last phase of which was completed on 5 March 1801 in
accordance with the Treaty of Amiens.
“In January 1803, Egypt was divided into three areas of influence:
Alexandria, which was occupied by a British force of 4,430 troops;
the rest of the Delta and Cairo, which were controlled by a
10,000-strong Ottoman army; and Upper Egypt, which was controlled by
the Mamelukes whose forces consisted of 3,000 cavalry men, 6,000
tribesmen and 80 French artillery soldiers who had deserted the
French occupation army and joined the Mamelukes. In any confrontation
between Mameluke and Ottoman forces, the latter were routinely
defeated because they did not trust and hence obey their leaders. The
viceroy of Egypt at the time was Mohamed Ali’s sworn enemy, Mohamed
Khusraw Pasha, who later became the grand vizier in Istanbul.”
This is one of the rare references to the desertion of French troops
to Mameluke forces. It is not clear what prompted these soldiers to
refuse to return to France with the rest of the expedition.
Conjectures have varied from the personal — the soldiers may have
taken Egyptian wives for example — to the political — that they had
volunteered to remain the eyes and ears of France in Egypt.
Regardless, it is interesting how readily they could be absorbed into
the Mameluke armies. Perhaps this is because of the heterogeneous
nature of these forces in contrast to the Albanian forces, for
example, which were bound by national-ethnic affiliations. Of course,
it helped that the French artillery officers had useful skills to
offer.
“In late June 1803, the Egyptian people, aided by the Mameluke beys
in Cairo, rose up against and killed Taher Pasha, commander of the
Ottoman garrison in Cairo, while Mameluke and Albanian forces under
Mohamed Ali took Mohamed Khusraw prisoner. In July, Ali Pasha was
appointed governor. Although he had curried favour with the British,
he was disliked by other European powers and the Egyptian people.
Meanwhile, the Albanian troops began to demand their arrears,
threatening to leave Egypt if they did not receive it. In order to
induce them to stay, Ali Pasha offered to conclude an alliance with
them against the Mamelukes. However, the Mamelukes learned of this
conspiracy, rose up against the governor and exiled him to Jaffa.”
Abdel-Rahman El-Gabarti relates a different version of the
assassination of Taher Pasha. According to his account, after being
appointed commander, he refused to meet the janissaries’ demands for
their back pay, in response to which a group of them “attacked him
with their swords and one of them cut off his head and threw it from
the window into the courtyard.”
Prior to this, the Ottoman governor waged several campaigns against
the Mameluke forces ensconced in the Delta. After having suffered
numerous defeats at their hands, he agreed to place himself under the
protection of the Mameluke emirs, which provoked the surprise and
scorn of the Egyptian people.
“The Mamelukes demanded that Khurshid Pasha, governor of Alexandria,
be made viceroy. At this time, too, Alfi Bek returned from England.
Disturbed by this development, Othman Al-Bardisi Bek summoned Mohamed
Ali, commander of the Armenian regiments, to discuss the subject.
They concluded their meaning by agreeing to an alliance.
“On 20 February, in the dead of night, Mohamed Ali and his soldiers
crossed the Nile at the banks of Old Cairo, and launched a surprise
attack on Alfi Bek’s horsemen who had camped near Giza, although Alfi
the younger managed to flee. Mohamed Ali seized control of the
village of Giza and then pursued the remnants of Alfi’s forces all
the way to Manouf. Nevertheless, he was unable to capture Alfi the
elder.
“These campaigns broke the back of the Mamelukes, which cheered the
Albanian forces and helped Mohamed Ali’s star to rise. The Albanian
commander immediately contacted the French consul and asked him to
mediate on his behalf with the sultan so that he could be granted the
governorship of Egypt. The consul hastily penned a letter to his
government stating, “I can assure you that Mohamed Ali has not
concealed his determination to reach power. However, in spite of that
commander’s sympathy towards France, I am not certain whether he
possesses the necessary ability to devise and implement a
comprehensive programme.
“In March, Mohamed Ali held a frank exchange with the French consul.
He told him point blank that he intended to break the power of the
Mamelukes. Then he shouted, “How can you put your trust in those men
who betrayed your brother, your colleague and your friend? As for us,
their sworn enemies, we expect nothing from them but treachery and
destruction.”
The acting governor of Cairo: Like other Mameluke emirs during their
short control of the capital, he was rapacious in his levies of taxes
and duties, triggering popular protests led by Al-Azhar ulama and in
which the protesters cried, “what can you take from my empty purse,
Bardisi?”
This account establishes that Mohamed Ali, who took over command of
the Albanian forces following the assassination of its former
commander, had his eyes trained on the Egyptian throne quite early
on. It contrasts sharply with the customary narrative according to
which the young commander initially expressed reluctance when
approached by Egyptian leaders with an offer to make him their ruler.
“Soon afterwards, Mohamed Ali met Khurshid Pasha secretly and
concluded a pact with him to attack the Mamelukes. On 11 March, the
Albanian forces assaulted the homes of Othman Bek and Ibrahim Bek,
forcing them to flee with their wounds. The Albanians then occupied
the Citadel. When Khusraw Pasha and Ali Pasha learned of the Albanian
victory, they fled to Istanbul.”
“Everything had gone to Khurshid Pasha’s satisfaction. However, as he
had assumed power without the authority of a firman from the sultan,
Mohamed Ali proclaimed that Khurshid’s rule was illegitimate and
seized control of the army. When Ahmed Al-Jazzar, the governor of
Akka, learned of this development, he sent an armed force to Arish to
strike a treaty with Mohamed Ali. Fearing the consequences of such a
pact, the sultan hastened to dispatch the firman Khurshid Pasha
required; however, Ali Pasha died a few days later.”
These events illustrate the extent to which Istanbul’s control over
its provinces had weakened; it could do little but assent to de facto
realities. They also establish a precedent for the events of 13 May
1805 when Egyptian leaders effectively handed Mohamed Ali the
governorship.
“Then Alfi Bek advanced at the head of his forces to Cairo and
offered a truce to Khurshid. Now mistrustful of Mohamed Ali, Khurshid
agreed and Alfi Bek secured himself inside the Citadel. Mohamed Ali
was aware of the precariousness of the situation. The Mamelukes had
surrounded the capital and threatened to starve the population while
the Albanian troops were growing restless over not having received
their arrears.”
“It was not long, however, before the Mamelukes fell into dispute
over what military strategy to adopt against the Albanians. Mohamed
Ali hastened to take advantage of this opportunity to deliver an
unanticipated strike, attacking the forces of Alfi the younger that
were camped between Tura and Old Cairo and seizing four cannons.
Then, on 23 July he seized Shalqan. At the same time, the Nile floods
forced the Mamelukes to end their siege and withdraw again to the
Fayoum. Mohamed Ali hastened into pursuit and put the forces of
Al-Bardisi and Ibrahim Bek to flight into Upper Egypt.”
“In September 1804, in deference to the desire of this force to
return to their country, Mohamed Ali decided to leave Egypt. However,
Khurshid Pasha feared that the Mamelukes would take advantage of
Mohamed Ali’s withdrawal to seize power again and tried to persuade
him to stay. Mohamed Ali agreed and took up battle again at the head
of some Albanian regiments that decided to remain in Egypt.”
“In January 1805, after re-organising his forces to which had been
added the Ottoman regiments, Mohamed Ali laid siege to Minia, then a
formidable Mameluke stronghold. After two months of ferocious
warfare, his soldiers succeeded in taking the city after inflicting
an ignominious defeat upon the Mamelukes.”
A contemporary source relates that on 13 December 1804 “it was
reported that a battle broke out between Ottoman forces and the
Egyptian emirs (the Mamelukes) in Minia, during which Saleh Al-Alfi
Bek and Murad Bek, two of the new district governors outside Cairo,
were killed.”
“After this victory Mohamed Ali decided to return to Cairo, bringing
all his forces with him and declaring that the forces that were under
his command demanded their pay. Fearful of this advance, Khurshid
Pasha took precautions to hold out against an attack. Then, as soon
as Mohamed Ali crossed the Nile, Khurshid sent a messenger to learn
of his intentions. In spite of this, Mohamed Ali marched into Cairo
at the head of his forces. Henceforward, the relations between the
two commanders were strained. There was no exchange of visits.
Instead, Mohamed Ali demanded to see the government accounts dating
from the day Khurshid assumed power. He also insisted that the
lieutenant and commander of the Citadel garrison be sent to Upper
Egypt, while he himself would remain in Cairo. Commenting on the
situation at this time, the French consul observed, ‘it appears that
Mohamed Ali has great influence with both the soldiers and the
people. All military and civilian leaders have visited him, in
violation of the orders issued by Khurshid Pasha prohibiting this.'”
“The inhabitants of Egypt had grown weary of the climate of tension
that prevailed in the country at that time and yearned for stability.
In May 1805, the French consul wrote to his government, ‘in spite of
the rumours to the effect that things have returned to normal and
that Khurshid Pasha and Mohamed Ali have resolved their differences,
I feel compelled to request instructions from the Foreign Ministry
regarding the policy I should adopt in the event that Mohamed Ali
seizes power.
“Several days later, the people, led by the ulama, rose up against
the Ottoman army which was still perpetrating crimes. Mohamed Ali
declared himself ready to defend the people and issued strict orders
to his soldiers to prevent crime and defend the rights and safety of
the people.”
The following account by El-Gabarti underscores the importance of
this event whose bicentennial we are celebrating today: “When Monday
arrived, they met in the judge’s house. A large throng of people had
gathered but were prevented from opening the gate which was shut in
their face. Therefore, all went to Mohamed Ali and said, ‘We do not
want that pasha to rule us. He has to be removed from power.’ Mohamed
Ali asked, ‘and who do you want as governor?’ They answered, ‘we will
only accept you. We want you to govern us according to our conditions
because we feel you are just and good.’ Mohamed Ali declined at first
but then accepted. A kaftan was brought in which El-Sayed Omar and
Sheikh El-Sharqawi helped him don. By now it was the late afternoon,
and the news of Mohamed Ali’s investiture was conveyed to Ahmed
Pasha. He responded, ‘I am invested governor by order of the sultan
and I will not be dismissed by peasants. I will only leave the
Citadel when commanded to do so by the sultan.’ The following morning
the people assembled again. The pasha mounted his horse and together
with a large throng carrying swords and sticks they went to Ezbekiya
Lake.
“On 10 May 1805, Mohamed Ali learned that he had been appointed
governor of Jeddah. This appointment had been issued two months
earlier, but Khurshid Pasha had concealed the news out of his need
for Mohamed Ali’s services. However, now that he felt his power
threatened by the general commander, he revealed the firman in an
official assembly. Although Mohamed Ali declared that he was willing
to depart, the Albanians surrounded Khurshid Pasha following the
recitation of the firman and demanded their arrears. Khurshid Pasha
announced he would levy a tax for this purpose, which provoked the
populace to anger.
“Upon leaving Khurshid’s camp, Mohamed Ali broadcast the news of his
departure to the people. The following day, he gathered his soldiers
and notified Khurshid that he must resign his post. The people joined
Mohamed Ali’s forces, and Khurshid withdrew into the Citadel with a
force of 2,000 men.”
“At the same time, Egyptian sheikhs and notables sent a delegate to
Istanbul with a petition to the Supreme Porte to appoint Mohamed Ali
governor of Egypt instead of Khurshid. The Supreme Porte sent a
delegate to Egypt to investigate the matter.”
“On 10 July 1805, the supreme edict arrived from Istanbul and was
announced in the Egyptian capital. It proclaimed that, in deference
to the will of the populace, Mohamed Ali had been appointed viceroy
of Egypt and ordered Khurshid Pasha to depart to Alexandria. When Ali
Pasha, Khurshid’s master of arms, learned the news he set out from
Upper Egypt at the head of a force of 3,000, which was intercepted by
Mohamed Ali.”
“While the fighting ranged between Ali Pasha and Mohamed Ali,
Al-Qubtan Pasha arrived in Egypt and decided to await the outcome of
the battle in order to determine what measures to take. The Mamelukes
tried to persuade him of the friendship between them and Khurshid.
When this failed, they staged a demonstration of their power. On 18
August, 400 Mameluke horsemen marched into the capital, preceded by
pipers and drummers in order to create the impression of a victory
parade. This, too, ended in failure, for the people rose up against
them. Moreover, when the horsemen attempted to take flight, leaving
their arms, purses and property behind them, the people intercepted
and eliminated them all.”
“Meanwhile, Hussein Al- Qubtan, who had formerly commanded a fleet
that assisted in the expulsion of the French, became embroiled in
internal conflicts between the Mamelukes and the Turks. The Turkish
admiral used every means at his disposal to put an end to the
‘Egyptian emirs’.”
“The admiral only left Egypt when Khurshid Pasha was made governor of
Salanik. However, before leaving he expressed his misgivings over
leaving Mohamed Ali at the head of the army.”
“On 27 June, Qubtan Pasha returned to Egypt, offered Mohamed Ali the
choice between the governorship of Salanik or Cyprus. He then
declared that Alfi Bek was the governor of Cairo and that Moussa
Pasha then governor of Salanik was on his way to Egypt at the head of
a powerful army to take control of the government.”
“Mohamed Ali told the admiral that he would obey his orders and leave
Egypt. However, before departing he insisted that the admiral pay
LE100,000 to the armed forces, and threatened that if the admiral
refused to do so he — Mohamed Ali — would put his own life at risk
on behalf of the soldiers and also subject Cairo to severe hardship.”
“At this time, the chief magistrate, sheikhs and ulama of Al- Azhar
and eminent notables signed a petition appealing to the Supreme Porte
to retain Mohamed Ali in Egypt because his rule was more just than
the rule of the Mamelukes. Mohamed Ali, for his part, proclaimed to
the British consul that he feared no one, certainly not the chief
admiral, and that he was capable of repelling any foreign force that
attempted to intervene in Egypt to assist the Mamelukes.”
“Qubtan Pasha had not yet despaired of his ability to persuade
Mohamed Ali to leave Egypt through a negotiated agreement. Only when
it was too late that he decided to take the measures to remove him by
force.”
“When Al-Alfi Bek’s forces were defeated at Damanhour, Qubtan Pasha
was forced to resume negotiations with Mohamed Ali. On 20 October
1806 he returned to Istanbul taking with him Ibrahim, Mohamed Ali’s
son.
“However, in 1807, Alfi Bek died. The death of Mohamed Ali’s most
formidable adversary brought an end to all effective resistance to
his rule.”
Alfi Bek died of cholera on 10 January 1807. Before that, however, he
had succeeded in eliminating his rival Mameluke emir, Othman Bek
Al-Bardisi, whom he had poisoned. Nevertheless, Al-Alfi had won
considerable admiration among his contemporaries. Even El-Gabarti
felt remorse at the passing of the emir whose death he considered the
end of an era:
“Oh Egypt! Look at your children around you, fragmented, estranged
and outcast, while boorish Turks and Jews and depraved Albanians take
over your land and collect your taxes; make war on your children and
combat your heroes; destroy your homes and inhabit your palaces;
defile your visage and your sight and extinguish your joy and your
light.”
Clearly, El-Gabarti did not hold out the best hopes for the era upon
which he was about to embark. In his account, Al-Alfi said shortly
before his death, “Fate has decreed that Egypt be left to Mohamed
Ali.” One imagines that in conveying these dire sentiments,
El-Gabarti is not so much fearful of the advent of an age in which
Mohamed Ali would exercise exclusive rule over Egypt as he was
mournful of the passing of the age to which he himself had belonged.

The first grain shipment made by ferry link from Russia to Georgia
Agrimarket Consulting, Ukraine
March 24 2005
On March 23 the first railway ferry departed from Russian port of
Kavkaz to Georgian port of Poti. The ferry had onboard 18 railcars,
loaded with maize. The freight is destined to Armenia. The travel
time is 36 hours. According to press-service of Russia’s Ministry
of Transport, for the time being there are two tentative voyages
scheduled.
The agreement about opening rail ferry link between Russian port
of Kavkaz, located in Krasnodar Krai, north from Novorossiysk, and
Georgian Black Sea port of Poti, was signed on January 10, 2005 in
Tbilisi. The parties also signed an agreement about temporary rules
of operation of the ferry link and transportation of the freights.
The opening of Black Sea ferry operations between Russia and Georgia
is especially important in condition of absence of railway connection
between the two countries on the land during the last 12 years. The
railway services were stopped in August 1992, after beginning of
armed conflict in Abkhazia. The ferry link Kavkaz-Poti will be used
not only by Russia and Georgia, but also by Armenia, Azerbaijan and
countries of Central Asia.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
March 23 2005
PRESS SECRETARY OF AZERBAIJAN PRESIDENT HOLDS BRIEFING ON CONCLUSIONS
OF PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV’S STATE VISIT TO CHINA
[March 23, 2005, 17:00:38]
Press secretary of Azerbaijan President on March 23 at the President
Palace held briefing on conclusions of President Ilham Aliyev’s state
visit on March 17-19 to the People’s Republic of China.
Addressing the media representatives, the press secretary of the
President, said:
-As you know, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on March 17-19 has
been on a state visit in the People’s Republic of China. I would like
to inform you that according to the rules established by
international protocol there could be state and official visits. The
visit to the People’s Republic of China was the highest state visit.
Realization of this visit on the state level derives from the fact
that China pays great attention on mutually beneficial links and the
political relations between countries are at high level.
As you know, the People’s Republic of China is one of the first
countries to recognize state independence of Azerbaijan. China has
recognized independence of Azerbaijan in 1991. Successful visit of
President of the Azerbaijan Republic Heydar Aliyev to China in 1994
has made bright contribution to foundation of the today’s relations.
Development of the relations with China in numerous fields is one of
the priorities in foreign policy of Azerbaijan.
First of all, I would like to brief on the People’s Republic of
China. As you know, large-scale reforms carried out in the People’s
Republic of China since 1978, the country has reached notable
successes. So, in 1990-2001, economic growth in china averaged 10
percent. Currently, from the point of view of economic development,
China holds the sixth place in the world. And is one of the leaders
in energy consumption. China, in 2003, was the second great energy
consumer in the world. At the same time, it is the third energy
producer in the world. Major part of China’s energy consumption is
coal and the country is the greatest producer and consumer of coal.
Currently, China is one of few world countries with greater foreign
investments. Only in 2003, foreign investments in China made up 53
billion US dollars, and totally, the figure averaged 501 billion US
dollars. GDP made up 9,1 percent, while growth of industrial goods –
30,4 percent. As you see, China currently is one of the most
developed world states and development of Azerbaijan’s relations with
this country is evidence to success of the foreign policy of
Azerbaijan.
Cooperation between Azerbaijan and China is versatile. These
relations have legal ground. Since 1994, some 15 agreements,
contracts and protocols were signed with China, that is, documents on
promotion and protection of investments, cooperation in
scientific-technical field, air transportations and other fields of
economy. Currently, the sides consider signing of new agreements on
economy, tax, culture and other fields.
Hitherto, the Chinese investors have invested in Azerbaijan 300
million UDS dollars, approximately. The enterprises with the Chinese
investments have been registered in Azerbaijan mainly in the oil
sector, food industry, tele-communication. The Chinese oil companies
take part in development of the Azerbaijani oil fields. Two affiliate
companies of the State Company of China are engaged in oil
development in Kursengi, Garabagli, South-Western Gobustan and
Pirsaat onshore deposits.
As you know, the first meeting of the joint working group was held in
February 2003. One of the most important directions of our
cooperation is bilateral trade links. If the trade turnover between
Azerbaijan and China, in 2002, made up $52,3 million, in 2004, it has
made $177,2 million, including export form Azerbaijan to China made
$31,7 million. In comparison with the same period of 2003, volume of
trade turnover has increased by 58,7 percent. In 2004, main export
goods from Azerbaijan to China were crude, polyethylene, spare parts
for tunnel devices. China has exported to Azerbaijan industrial
equipment, mechanical devices and spar parts to them, electric
machines and equipment and other goods.
On the first day of the state visit of President of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev to China, 17 March, was held a meeting with the Chairman of
the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao at the Parliament building
of China. Mr. Jintao expressed delight with rapid development of the
relations that existed from the ancient Silk Road times between two
countries, noting that the visit of President Ilham Aliyev would make
special contributions to expansion of these relations. Discussed were
numerous questions. The moments specified by the Chairman of the
People’s Republic of China are: “China was one of the first foreign
countries to recognize state independence of Azerbaijan. Successful
visit of President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev to China in 1994, has
greatly contributed to foundation of the bilateral relations.
Currently the policy of President Ilham Aliyev for development of
relations with China is duly appreciated. The reciprocal visits of
high rank officials are of great importance. Great works are realized
under the guidance of President Ilham Aliyev, to speed economic
development and improve living conditions of the population.
Azerbaijan takes active part in the regional and international
affairs and its prestige rises. The Chinese leadership highly
assesses policy of Azerbaijan related to the question of common China
and expresses gratitude for this to the President of Azerbaijan”.
Further, the press secretary dwelt on the attitude of the Chairman of
the People’s Republic of China who expressed position of the Chinese
leadership related the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict,
expansion of the economic relations between two countries, in the
field of trade and investments, supported by leadership of both
states. China supports admission of Azerbaijan to the World Trade
organization.
The Press Secretary noted that the Chairman of the People’s Republic
of China stated that government of China has granted to Azerbaijan 15
million Yuan. The sides will cooperate in the field of tourism,
sports, culture, education and others. Noting that the Olympic in
2008 will be held in China, Mr. Jintao said the country’s public is
aware of the successes of the Azerbaijan Olympic national team, and
added that Azerbaijan sportsmen would gain new victories in these
contests.
Press secretary of the Azerbaijan President also reminded the moments
specified by the Azerbaijan President in the same meeting.
During the talks, President Ilham Aliyev has officially invited Mr.
Hu Jintao to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan, and as is known,
the invitation was accepted.
The press secretary also reminded the business forum held on March 18
and speech of Azerbaijan President at this action, the meetings of
the Head of the Azerbaijan State with high officials of the People’s
Republic of China, on the signed documents on cooperation in numerous
fields between two countries, other visits of Azerbaijan President in
the cities of Shanghai and Urumchi.
The press secretary said that the state visit of President of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the People’s Republic of China was
fruitful and would promote further development of relations between
Azerbaijan and China.
***
Then, the press secretary answered questions of the media
representatives.

What’s coming up
DetNews.com, MI
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Detroit Armenian Women’s Club’s 75th anniversary benefit luncheon is
11:30 a.m. April 16 at the Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield
Hills. The event will feature antique gowns from the ’40s, ’50s and
’60s, entertainment and a silent auction. Tickets are $45. Information:
(248) 855-0605.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Anadolu Agency
March 19 2005
OSCE: End Armenian Settlement in Azeri Lands
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) called
for an end to the act of settling the Armenian population in the
Azerbaijani territory seized by the Armenians during the
Azerbaijan-Armenian war.
The report published by the OSCE Minsk Group initiated for the
purpose of solving the Azeri and Armenian conflict reveals that the
Armenian population has tried to settle “illegally” even in the Azeri
regions outside the Karadag (Montenegro) region where Armenians
dominate. Having reported the investigations conducted in the region
last month, officials of the Minsk Group noted that although the
Armenian administration has not actively pursued the policy of
population-relocation, the Montenegro Armenian administration is
intensely involved in these activities. The Armenian population is
reportedly being placed particularly in the Lacin region, which is
Azeri land between Montenegro and Armenia. Although the report calls
for an end to the continued Armenian settlement, no record was made
for the removal of those currently settled in the region.
Source: AA, 19 March 2005