Author: Varosian Antranik

DANIEL LEZA

Aragón Musica

encuestado/0/64/
14/10/2008
Spain

Guitarrista de los grupos RedRum y Armenian

Inició su andadura numetalera con unos primeros RedRum que
contaban ya con buenas ideas y que años después demostrarían
fuerza y calidad a partes iguales. En octubre han sacado un maxi,
Cada uno que analice, como adelanto de un disco que editarán a
lo largo de 2009. El maxi puede bajarse desde su Myspace oficial:
Dani, compagina su guitarra en RedRum
con la de Armenian, una banda que comenzó haciendo versiones de System
of a Down y que actualmente cuenta además con su propio repertorio. La
cabeza pelada de este inquieto musical es también la encargada de
llevar adelante cada año el Festival Nuevo Metal Zaragoza.

РPrimer acercamiento que tuviste con la m̼sica Cuando de peque̱o
me regalaron un teclado, curioso, pero empecé con el piano antes de
la guitarra y ahora el piano ya ni lo toco.

– Un libro, una peli y un disco Libro, Hannibal. Película, Pulp
Fiction. Y en disco… ya es dificilísimo, Metallica, Tage Against
the Machina…

– Tu peor vicio Gastar y gastar en amplis, pedales y guitarras. Un
cáncer de bolsillo, sin duda.

– Situación más comprometida en la que te has visto en tu vida
Tener que continuar con tus obligaciones en un momento en que alguien
cercano lo está pasando mal. Es muy difícil.

РUn recinto de conciertos En cualquier parte. La m̼sica en directo
me atrae hasta en el bar del tío Gorrete.

– Un maestro James Hetfield de Metallica, el master of puppets, ja,
ja, ja…

– Un tema musical para hacer el amor Depende del momento pero siempre
he pensado que Playground love de Air, de la BSO de Las Vírgenes
Suicidas, está compuesta para eso.

РTu mayor gamberrada Buhhhfff! Cuando entr̩ en el instituto hubo
varias pero luego ya me volví formal. O no? Ja, ja, ja…

– ¿De quién es el último e-mail que has leído?

De un amigo que vive en Dublín con un recorte de periódico que
hablaba de un tío que ha sido condenado por abusar de su primo al
confundirlo con su novia. Tras llegar los dos muy borrachos a casa
se echaron a dcormir y unas horas más tarde uno se despertó con
dolor en cierta parte y los pantalones bajados. Qué cosas pasan, oiga.

– ¿Qué plan tienes para esta noche?

Fiestas del Pilar. Está claro que nada bueno. ¡Ja, ja!

– Tu recuerdo musical más destacado Muchos. Ganar los dos concursos
con mis grupos, grabar el primer disco, el mes de junio pasado el de
Armenian, El Festival Nuevo Metal…

– Una reivindicación cultural Que la gente no vaya solo a los
conciertos de los amigos, mierda de costumbre en esta ciudad.

– Una frase que resuma en la medida de lo posible tu modo de ver la
vida Improvisa con buen criterio y los resultados llegarán solos.

–Boundary_(ID_+dZpQ0VWr2+fsiArRo02Hg)–

MEDIA ANTHROPOLOGIST: THE THIRD ACT’S STEPHANIE SAROFIAN
By Kate Kaye

ClickZ News
Oct 13, 2008
NY

Stephanie Sarofian is a keen observer of behavior. Perhaps it’s her
passion for photography, interest in distant cultures, or a more
inherent sense of storytelling and exploration that led to her role
as observer of media behavior.

Sarofian heads up The Third Act, a Digitas-owned outfit that acts as
a hub for Publicis Groupe’s media, creative and production units,
helping them understand and act on emerging opportunities like
developing and distributing branded content.

Taking an extended break from college, Sarofian toured much of the
East, from Greece and Turkey to North Africa, India, Nepal, Thailand,
Korea, and Japan. "I went to study cultures and people," she said. "I’m
an anthropologist at heart."

Later, her love of photography propelled her to her position as
director of photography and partner at The Image Bank, a New York
image library firm now owned by Getty Images. From there, she joined
Digitas in ’94.

To Sarofian, human interaction, and how it intersects with new
modes of communication, is all about story-telling. "The story
is really important…it’s just that the mechanics have changed,"
she explained. An appreciation for good stories may be in her blood
though. There’s an especially rich one she tells of a grandfather who
fled from the Armenian genocide in the early 1900s, complete with
tales of haystack hideaways, gold coins and escape routes through
Russia and the Mid East.

At age 46, Sarofian is still traveling, though now it’s usually between
New York and the Boston-area home she shares with her partner Tracy
and fraternal twins Luc and Miles. As Sarofian puts it, "I don’t have
any spare time. I have twins."

Her work life seems busy enough. Besides shuttling back-and-forth
weekly between New York and Boston, she can often be seen ricocheting
from one meeting to another, then back to her own office; she
tries to set aside a block of time each day to do work at her own
desk. Sarofian also visited London and Paris recently, in part to
work towards creating a European hub for The Third Act.

A typical meeting at the sprawling Digitas offices doesn’t necessitate
a stuffy conference room. You’re just as likely to spot Sarofian
lounging on the crimson colored rug in an open lounge area, chatting
with a colleague. When ClickZ visited recently, she and a creative exec
discussed a Web site in development for a big name footwear brand. The
video-driven effort would require Sarofian and the Third Act Team to
bring in tech and content partners as well as media distribution and
possibly cross-promotional partners.

"If you’re thinking about [branded] content, you have to think about
distribution," she stressed.

So, amid talk of big name endorsements and hip event promotions for
the effort came the less glamorous side of her work: the bottom
line. Can money from the media budget be reallocated for a brand
content budget? It’s up to her to figure that out. In other words,
Sarofian’s job is as much about the art of understanding media as it
is about the art of the deal.

Another meeting took her to a different floor where she listened in
on a pitch from an animation studio looking to connect their content
to Digitas client brands.

Sarofian prefers open dialogue to scheduled meetings, though she
does make sure to meet once a week with the Third Act staff — about
15 people. Her travels have actually influenced her management style,
she explained. "It informed how to think about building an organization
of diverse people and how the mechanics of that work — and also how
to make sure that everyone in that organization is developing."

The Third Act is truly its own entity, with its own cost structure and
profit and loss statement. That means a lot of Sarofian’s time is spent
developing potential clients. "We’re always in seeking mode," she said.

Part of establishing new business entails educating Digitas clients
— talking with CMOs and procurement folks to help them understand
things like pricing, models for buying content, and how The Third
Act can help their brands operate in the evolving media landscape.

One Third Act project involved Digitas creative and media teams. That
collaboration, for Starburst, resulted in the Mars candy brand’s
sponsorship of "Nite Fite," a Web series in which two animated
loudmouths debate whether or not Rush qualifies as a heavy metal
band or if The Who are sell outs. The day ClickZ visited Sarofian,
she had a "Nite Flite" sticker slapped on her shirt.

Another recent alignment involved The Third Act and Mediavest. One of
the media agency’s CPG brand clients asked The Third Act to co-present
with Mediavest, to get a handle on how each firm’s role differed from
the other. Concluded Sarofian, "It’s a special request but it’s a
great request."

A1+

ARE THERE NATIONAL TRAITORS IN ARMENIA?
[02:09 pm] 10 October, 2008

Will the Armenian leadership regulate the Karabakh conflict to the
detriment of Armenia? In reply to A1+’s question, Zharangutiun
(Heritage) Party Secretary Stepan Safarian said: `I see no national
traitors in Armenia. I can only blame the authorities for illiterate
and unjustified steps. And if the steps are directed against Armenia I
think we should be blamed for their consequences.’

Stepan Safarian thinks the Karabakh issue is in a stagnant rather than
in a critical state.

With regard to the PACE assessment to Armenia’s political domain
Stepan Safarian said, `The PACE will surely give a rough
assessment. Even if Serzh Sargsyan grants amnesty to the prisoners the
PACE will not change its opinion. Besides, let me remind you that many
political prisoners said they need no amnesty as they plead not guilty
of any crime.’

Generally, the Zharangutiun Secretary is discontent with the activity
of the NA ad hoc Committee looking into the March 1 events. `Levon
Ter-Petrossian accuses Kocharian of the March 1 unrest and says
Kocharian gave the order to fire at people. In his turn, Kocharian
blames Ter-Petrossian for his calls for mass disorder and attempts of
power overthrow. Neither Kocharian nor Ter-Petrossian has been invited
to an examination,’ he added.

UNACCEPTABLE APPROACH FOR US
LILIT POGHOSYAN

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
10 Oct 2008
Armenia

In response to the questions of the correspondent of "Hayots Ashkharh"
daily head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the NKR National
Assembly Vahram Atanesyan continues to comment on the accentuations
of "Karabakh" in Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview
given to "Rosiyskaya Gazeta".

"What do you think the alarming accentuations of RF Foreign Minister
are conditioned by?"

"The only thing I can do in this regard is to make theoretical
assumptions. The West and Russia seem to have exhausted their limits
of mutual concessions. If the western alliance -NATO’s European member
countries and the USA unilaterally recognized Kosovo’s independence,
in response to this Russia recognized the independence of South Osatia
and Abkhazia. On this plane the "resource of mutual concession"
is exhausted and at present they are trying to find common edges,
to show that it is possible to build relations not only on the field
of confrontation but agreement. And there is an impression that they
want to build these relations around Karabakh conflict.

On the one hand it is desirable for the mediators – the United States,
Russia and France that, in essence, represents European Union in
the negotiation process, that is to say the wo rld power centers,
to reach a "consensus" on the settlement of Karabakh conflict. But,
I must repeat, that consensus must derive from the agreement between
NKR and Azerbaijan, which must be based on mutual concession, the
perception of mutual interests and mutual trust.

If Azerbaijan perceives NKR’s independence, the start of bilateral
relations, and issues linked with the elaboration of economic and
communicational programs, then Karabakh will discuss all the issues
of concern for Azerbaijan. Karabakh will never agree to unilateral
concessions."

"Can we conclude from Lavrov’s announcements that the Presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan must decide Karabakh’s fate, in the framework
of bilateral agreement."

"Unfortunately in the interview of the RF Foreign Minister Karabakh’s
role is not stressed, which is not natural, because Karabakh is
the first subject of the conflict, it was NKR people that raised
the issue of their independence, it was Karabakh that separated from
Azerbaijan by means of a pan-national referendum. On the contrary, it
was stressed that the negotiation is between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
which means any agreement reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan can
be imposed upon the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh.

These statements simply contradict the approaches voiced by Russia,
substantiating the imperative of the recognition of South Osatia’s
and Abkhazia9s independence. It is a vivid example of a double
standard policy.

NKR is not a conflicting object it is a competent subject and the
agreement must firstly derive from the interests of the Republic of
Nagorno Karabakh.

This is what Mr. Lavrov’s interview lacks. I don’t think the issue will
find swift solution with similar approaches. Moreover this road gives
rise to new questions, which are beyond the interests of the regional
countries and are on the plane of the geo-political developments.

Is it desirable for South Caucasus to over again appear in the focus of
the crash of geopolitical interests? Each solution must give answers
to the existing questions instead of giving rise to new questions. In
this regard it is simply surprising when one of the Co-Chairmen
countries, in the person of the RF Foreign Minister announces that
one of the conflicting parties doesn’t have any alternative and the
only opportunity is to reopen its border with Turkey, at the expense
of being more "constructive", more "tolerant" and more "flexible"
in the issue of the regulation of Karabakh conflict.

For us it is an unacceptable approach. If this were the starting
point, Armenia could have manifested this flexibility in 1989, when
Moscow proposed to make 400 million ruble’s investment in Karabakh,
or we wouldn’t have held the referendum of independence in 1991,
or in 1 997 when Armenia and Azerbaijan had, in fact reached an
agreement regarding the phazal settlement of the conflict, which
presumed autonomy inside Azerbaijan.

These accentuations that include elements of threat, trying to create
a public opinion that the alternative of "flexibility" is complete
isolation for Armenia, which can be followed by social concussions
don’t match with diplomatic ethics, or inter-state relations, or the
practice of the settlement of conflicts."

NKR NA SPEAKER
Norayr Hovsepyan

Azat Artsakh Daily
10 Oct 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

The other day the NKR delegation under the leadership of the Speaker
of National Assembly Ashot Ghoulyan returned from Abkhazia.The
press-conference on October 7th of NA Speaker was devoted to the
details and results of the visit. This was, essentially, after the
recognition of independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Russia,
the first official visit from NKR to Abkhazia. But the relations of
Karabakh and Abkhazia have more ancient history, but for important
celebrations and two countries reciprocal visitings have already
become a kind tradition, assured Ashot Ghoulyan. This time it was not
an exception: as NA Speaker explained, NKR delegation had left for on
the invitation of Abkhazia’s legislative body -People’s Assembly for
participating in solemn arrangements devoted to the 15th anniversary
of this state’s independence. The range of arrangements devoted to
the 15th anniversary of Abkhazia’s independence Ashot Ghoulyan defined
in such way. On September 29 a solemn meeting took place, where the
guests from different countries participated , and On September 30
from the arrangements taken place after puting traditional garlands,
the head of the NKR delegation distinguished the military parade and
solemn reception, during which our delegation represented the NK R
President’s congratulating message directed to the Abkhazian President
in connection with that day. So, after progrommatic meetings,
the head of the NKR delegation touched upon some other meetings
taken place by the delegation’s initiative. From those A.Ghoulyan
distinguished the meetings taken place with the head of People’s
Assembly of Abkhazian Republic and minister of Foreign Affairs,
as well as systematizing council of Armenian community of Abkhazia.
"In the Republic of Abkhazia the most important question is already
considered solved – providing of the country’s safety. And what about
other spheres, main tasks are before still" ,- NA Speaker shared his
impressions with the journalists. And such visits and joint work will
take a continuous turn, he is sure: anyway, there are all bases for
it. The head of the NKR delegation attached importance to the meeting
with the minister of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia.

As common questions touching upon territorial developments, so
perspective chances of future development of future relations beween
the two states were discussed with the minister of Foreign Affairs of
Abkhazia. Then Ghoulyan answered the journalists questions about the
visit. "The visit to Abkhazia strengthened our preliminary approach,
according to which recognition should be bilateral deed",- stated
A.Ghoulyan. According to him, Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabakh attached
importance20to that process and are supporters, that practical steps
are taken in that direction. And before that, it is not only excluded,
but it’s desired the strengthening of bilateral relations in different
spheres.Some questions refering to particularly foreign policy were
discussed during the meeting with the minister of Foreign Affairs of
Abkhazia.And the works will take a continuous turn in that direction.

BLUE CROSS RESPONDS TO THE ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF MASSACHUSETTS

Watertown TAB & Press
Thu Oct 09, 2008, 03:52 PM EDT
MA

WATERTOWN –

Here is an e-mail from Blue Cross to Sharistan Melkonian of the
Armenian National Committee of Massachusetts:

Dear Ms. Melkonian:

Several executives at Blue Cross Blue Shield received e-mails from you
asking Blue Cross Blue Shield to withdraw its support for No Place
for Hate (NPFH) based on your assertion that the Anti-Defamation
League (ADL) has denied the Armenian Genocide. I am responding on
our collective behalf.

It had been our understanding that the ADL recognized the terrible
events perpetrated against the Armenian people between 1915 and 1923
as genocide. Therefore, in response to the letters and e-mails we
received, and because Blue Cross Blue Shield firmly believes there
should be no ambiguity on this issue, senior executives met directly
with representatives of the ADL to ask for clarification. At that
meeting, our CEO asked the ADL leaders about the organization’s
"official" position. He was assured that the ADL unequivocally
recognizes the killing of more than one and a half million Armenians
as genocide.

I know from my personal meeting with you how strongly you feel about
this issue. Thank you for expressing your thoughts to us. We hope
this has been helpful in clarifying our position.

Fredi Shonkoff Senior Vice President Corporate Relations

CELEBRATING WORLD HABITAT DAY AND THE LAUNCH OF NEW PROJECT IN NSHAVAN

armradio.am
08.10.2008 14:14

With great excitement and hope for a better future the village Nshavan
in the region of Ararat embraced the new project of Habitat for
Humanity Armenia, which celebrated the World Habitat Build on Monday,
October 6, with a build week in Nshavan. The event also marked the
start of an unprecedented project to eradicate poverty housing in
this agricultural community of 2,400.

A ceremony at the village hall of Nshavan, about 40 minutes from
Yerevan, took place on Monday at 11 a.m. The population of Nshavan,
together with distinguished guests including the RA Deputy Minister
of Urban Development, as well as Archbishop Vicken Aikazian, member
of the International Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity,
as well as representatives of Armenian and international NGOs were
attending the opening ceremony, which took place in front of the
village hall of Nshavan.

The United Nations-designated World Habitat Day on Monday, 6 October,
calls for the recognition of the state of human settlements and
the basic need for adequate shelter for all. Habitat for Humanity’s
World Habitat Build in Nshavan, will mark the observance throughout
the week to accommodate various groups of volunteers who will help
finish the half-built houses of two families and mark the launch of
a communitywide strategy to eradicate poverty housing.

=0 A"We are here to celebrate the beginning of a new start to improve
the housing conditions of the inhabitants of Nshavan and many other
villages and towns in Armenia," said Habitat for Humanity Armenia
executive director Irina Vanyan. "I am very thrilled to find so many
adherents here and the excitement with which Habitat for Humanity
Armenia and its project is greeted in Nshavan is indeed encouraging. If
the project has such a strong support from the community than it will
definitely succeed." Ms. Vanyan also thanked the tens of local and
international volunteers who had arrived Nshavan to give the partner
families a hand up in making their dream of having a simple, decent,
and affordable home a reality. She particularly thanked the volunteers
of Armenian NGOs IESEC, AMSE, Luysi Ashkharh, and Clean Yerevan.

"Today we are actually celebrating the commitment the partner families
and the people of Nshavan are going to make to end poverty housing
in your village," said Habitat for Humanity Europe and Central Asia
Program Director Lucija Popovska. "The real heroes today are the
families who have inspired us to help build their and many other
peoples’ homes in their community," she added.

"Habitat for Humanity’s commitment to the village Nshavan is serious,"
added Ms. Popovska. "Our objective is that when Habitat for Humanity
leaves this community, nobody will be living in poverty housing."

Karlen Gevorgyan, RA Deputy Minister of Urban Development,
congratulated the people of Nshavan on the launch of the Habitat for
Humanity project in their village. "I am convinced that these projects
will find success in Nshavan and many other villages throughout
Armenia," said the Deputy Minister. "We are also extremely glad on
the new partnership between Habitat for Humanity Armenia and the RA
Ministry of Urban Development to more effectively tackle the issue
of poverty housing throughout Armenia and help an increasing number
of families in living in decent homes," said the Deputy Minister.

"We are extremely happy that the project of Habitat for Humanity
Armenia kicked off in Nshavan," said Marzpet Hakobyan, the Mayor
of Nshavan.

"The need of our village to adequate housing is indeed pressing
and we hope that at the end of the project’s activity in Nshavan,
our village will have a nicer look with its renovated houses."

Towards the end of the opening celebration, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian
blessed the project and its mission to help an increasing number of
families in Armenia in dropping off the burden of living in inadequate
shelters.

"Helping to our neighbors, our friends, and other people is a duty
assigned by God to every Human Being. Helping people in Armenia to
have better homes is the mission of Habitat for Human ity in Armenia."

Within the hours following the opening ceremony, the official guests
joined their efforts to that of the local and international volunteers
and the partner families in building their homes. During the build
week, more volunteers, including Habitat for Humanity international
board chair Ron Terwilliger, will lend the families a hand up.

Habitat’s self-help approach has worked for nearly 300,000 families
in more than 90 countries, and it’s working in Nshavan and throughout
Armenia. Habitat for Humanity earlier this year recommitted itself to
improving housing conditions in Armenia, where about 40 percent of
the country’s 3 million population live in substandard shelter. In
addition to Nshavan, Habitat is tackling a communitywide project in
Khachik, not far from the border with Azerbaijan.

The two completed homes will be blessed and dedicated on Saturday,
October 11.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I EXTENDS GREETINGS ON THE OCCASION OF THE 90TH
ANNIVERSARY
OF ARMENOLOGIST LEVON KHATCHIGIAN

The Mashdots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts (Madenataran) in Yerevan has
organized a conference dedicated to well known Armenologist Levon Khachigian’s
90th anniversary. Khachigian is the founder and the long-standing director
of the bibliotheque.

In his address to the conference, His Holiness Aram I had the following to
say about Khachigian:

a) "Levon Khachigian is one of the great faces of 20th century Armenian
philology. Through his philological, historical and resource-related
expertise, he occupies a unique place in the field of Armenian philology.
Through his several and diverse publications, Levon Khachigian has left a
lasting mark particularly on the science of studying source and history. His
series on Armenian manuscripts, his works on medieval Armenian immigrant
communities and economics, his studies on Armenian educational centers and
the history of Armenian intellectual thought- all of them prepare with a
scientific approach and significant research- have transformed Levon
Khachigian into a great Armenologist. Levon Khachigian’s role in the
founding, management and advancement of the Masdots Madenataran in Yerevan,
remains irreplaceable."

b) Stressing the need to revitalize the field of Armenological studies,
the Pontiff said: "The great Armenological legacy Levon Khachigian leaves
should become a guideline and a challenge to all other Armenologists.
Armenology should become one of the most essential aspects of our culture
today. Both the state and the church should exert special efforts together
to develop Armenology in Armenia and the Diaspora for the sake of enriching
and spreading our intellectual and spiritual values."

Close ties bind together the Catholicosate of Cilicia and the Mashdots
Madenatarn in Yerevan. As a result of this cooperation, a conference on
Cilician culture was organized in Antleias last year and new projects are
being planned in the field of Armenology.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

Tehran Times, Iran
News Code : TTime- 179295 Print Date : Monday, October 6, 2008

Iran to start gas exports to Armenia by Oct. 13

Tehran Times Economic Desk

TEHRAN — Iran will start gas exports to Armenia by October 13, the
director of the gas export operation office of the National Iranian
Gas Company (NIGC) said here on Sunday.

`Armenia also started electricity export to Iran on Sunday,’ Rasoul
Salmani added, IRINN reported.

`Iran plans to annually export some 1.1 billion cubic meters of gas to
Armenia. In the first phase Iran will export less volume to Armenia
but will increase the export volume gradually, and in 2019 will raise
it to 2.3 billion cubic meters’ he explained.

`In return Iran will annually import 3.3 billion kw/h of electricity
from Armenia,’ Rasuli stated.

The 100km Iranian section runs from Tabriz to the Iran-Armenia
border. The Armenian section runs from Meghri region to Sardarian.

Iran is expected to supply all of Armenia’s gas needs within the next
two years. The total outlay for the pipeline is about $28.2 million.

History News Network, WA

Roundup: Media’s Take

Posted on Saturday, October 4, 2008

Michael White: Should we extradite Holocaust deniers? Source:
Guardian (UK) (10-4-08)

[Michael White has been writing for the Guardian for over 30 years, as
a reporter, foreign correspondent and columnist.]

What should we do about Dr Fredrick Töben, detained at Heathrow
this week under a fast-track EU arrest warrant issued by the district
court in Mannheim?

Dr who? I know, it’s been a busy week, and I hadn’t heard of him
either until he popped up to be remanded in custody by Westminster
magistrates. By the time you read this he may be on a plane to Germany
– or home to Australia.

Töben is a 64-year-old German-born historian who runs something
called the Adelaide Institute. He denies frequent accusations that he
is a Holocaust denier, but judging by some of the things he says and
writes he makes a pretty good job of passing himself off as
one. Phrases like "Holocaust racketeers, the corpse peddlers and the
Shoah business merchants" characterise some of his scholarship.

In other words he believes that the six-million-dead German Holocaust
which took place during the 1933-45 Hitler regime, a well-documented
narrative accepted by most historians, did not occur, or did so on a
much smaller scale. If you challenge the Holocaust you must expect
persecution and abuse, he says.

Well, plenty of people, not all of them Jewish, have pursued him
during a teaching career on three continents ` from New Zealand to
Nigeria. In 1999 he served nine months in a German prison for
breaching the Holocaust law there that forbids the "defaming of the
dead" in this way. Needless to add, Töben attended the
Holocaust revisionist conference held in Tehran in 2006.

A nasty piece of work by the sound of it, and some nasty websites are
exercised on Töben’s behalf.

Why should we care? Two strands of the affair trouble me. One is the
restriction on free speech inherent in the laws that some countries `
not Britain ` have against Holocaust denial. We have broader laws
against racial incitement in general, which seems acceptable to me,
though not to those who believe that older public order laws would
have proved sufficient.

I can see why the Germans felt the need to enact such specific
legislation. After all, they did it, and have an obligation to
discharge the historic debt, something, incidentally, they have done
pretty well ` at least in the old West Germany ` over the years.

In other countries, several across Europe, such law smacks of
"exceptionalism", special pleading in a world where diverse historic
injustices abound. In Turkey you can get into trouble for saying there
was a holocaust against the Armenians in 1915. In Iran they call us
hypocrites for being selective in our championship of free speech.

The other problem I have with this is process. When the European
Arrest Warrant came into force in 2004 to help police fight cross
border crime – and post 9/11 terrorism – more effectively it abolished
the "dual criminality" principle.

That had meant that a suspect could not be extradited for an alleged
offence that was not an offence in the country where he/she had been
detained. When Britain joined the new procedure ministers assured
critics who feared Kafkaesque possibilities that no one would be
extradited for actions legal in Britain, let alone crimes they didn’t
know existed.

But here we have it: Töben taken off a plane at Heathrow and
quick to protest that he is the victim of a legal ambush, an abuse of
process in a country which has not – yet – succumbed to Germany’s
"witch-hunt mentality" in this matter. Food for thought there that
makes me uncomfortable.

I am also aware of German courts, in cases involving disputed custody
cases where one parent is German, behaving pretty badly towards the
claims of a non-German spouse. Catherine Meyer, wife of Chris Meyer,
former British ambassador to both Bonn and Washington, did not see her
"kidnapped’ children for years.

Holocaust denial is a lesser offence than involvement in war crimes
themselves. Britain has a different problem here in that, in the chaos
after 1945 when it was often hard to sort victim from persecutor, a
lot of bad people slipped into this country and led quiet, guilty
lives.

In 1991 Margaret Thatcher used the parliament acts to override the
House of Lords, which had thrown out her war crimes bill, passed by
the Commons. The average age of current MPs in 1939 was six, one peer
remarked during the debate: let it go. But some 300 suspects live on
in the UK, countered the bill’s supporters.

At the time I sympathised with the critics. It was all a long time
ago, witnesses and accused were old, far away or even dead, their
memories faulty at best. We should not forget, but it smacked of
retrospective legislation, pandering again.

Last time I looked there had not been a single successful
prosecution. Other more recent war crimes dominate the
headlines. Who’s right?

Posted on Saturday, October 4, 2008