The California Courier Online, July 5, 2018
1- Commentary
State Department Exposes Azerbaijan’s
False Image of ‘Religious Tolerance’
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- PM Nikol Pashinyan Meets with Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian
3 – Prince William Receives Cross from Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem
4 – AAF Ships $5 Million of Aid to Armenia, Artsakh
5 – Michael, Gaboudian Present ‘Under the Light of the Moon’ in Armenia
6 – Letters to the Editor
7- Unseen Armenia – Battling Bureaucracy
By Hovsep
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1 – State Department Exposes Azerbaijan’s
False Image of ‘Religious Tolerance’
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
The government of Azerbaijan spends a large fortune each year to
convince the world that Azeris are tolerant people who respect the
human rights of all minorities living in the country.
However, no matter how many fake ecumenical services Azerbaijan’s
lobbyists in Europe and the United States organize by bribing
Christian and Jewish leaders, the truth about Azeri intolerance is
impossible to cover up.
Azerbaijan’s 10 million population is 96% Muslim, of which
approximately 65 percent is Shia and 35 percent Sunni. Between 15,000
and 20,000 Jews live in Baku, while there are hardly any Armenians
left after they were massacred or deported during the Artsakh war.
The U.S. State Department’s latest annual report (2017) on
International Religious Freedom around the world indicates that
Azerbaijan discriminates against certain religious groups, even though
its laws prohibit the government from interfering in their activities.
Azerbaijan’s laws specify that “the government may dissolve religious
organizations if they cause racial, national, religious, or social
animosity; proselytize in a way that ‘degrades human dignity;’ and
hinder secular education….” The State Dept. reports that “local human
rights groups and others stated that the government continued to
physically abuse, arrest, and imprison religious activists. The
reported total incarcerated at the end of the year was 80…. In January
and December courts sentenced leaders of the Muslim Unity Movement and
others arrested in a 2015 police operation in Nardaran to long prison
terms on charges many activists considered fabricated, including
inciting religious hatred and terrorism. In July authorities sentenced
a theologian to three years in prison for performing a religious
ceremony after studying Islam abroad. Authorities detained, fined, or
warned numerous individuals for holding unauthorized religious
meetings. According to religious groups, the government continued to
deny or delay registration to minority religious groups it considered
‘nontraditional,’ disrupting their religious services and fining
participants. Groups previously registered but which authorities
required to reregister continued to face obstacles in doing so.
Authorities permitted some of these groups to operate freely, but
others reported difficulties in trying to practice their faith.”
Furthermore, according to the State Department, “local religious
experts stated the government continued to close mosques on the
pretext of repairing them but said the actual reason was government
concerns the mosques served as places for the propagation of extremist
views. The government continued to control the importation,
distribution, and sale of religious materials. The courts fined
numerous individuals for the unauthorized sale or distribution of
religious materials, although some individuals had their fines revoked
on appeal. The government sponsored training sessions throughout the
country to promote religious tolerance and combat what it considered
religious extremism.”
The State Department also reported that “the punishment for the
illegal production, distribution, or importation of religious
literature can include fines ranging from $2,900 to $4,100 or up to
two years’ imprisonment for first offenses, and fines of $4,100 to
$5,300 or imprisonment of between two and five years for subsequent
offenses.”
Despite the fact that Azerbaijan’s constitution “allows alternative
service ‘in some cases’ when military service conflicts with personal
beliefs, there is no legislation permitting alternative service,
including on religious grounds, and refusal to perform military
service is punishable under the criminal code with imprisonment of up
to two years or forced conscription,” according to the State
Department.
“On September 30, authorities detained 30 men who, in violation of
local edict, were marching towards the Imamzadeh Mosque in Ganja to
commemorate Ashura. Police charged four individuals with hooliganism
and for resisting the police and placed them in pretrial detention.
Human rights lawyers reported the police severely beat many of the
detainees in custody,” the State Department reported.
There were also reports of illegal and bizarre actions by the Azeri
government against opposition groups and individuals perceived to be
radical Muslims. For example, on May 31, 2017, “the Sheki Court of
Appeals upheld a fine of $880 imposed on Sunni Muslim Shahin Ahmadov
for holding an ‘illegal’ religious meeting. Police had detained him
for reading aloud from the works of theologian Said Nursi to three
friends while picnicking on April 18,” as reported by the State
Department.
Finally, “local religious experts stated the government continued to
close mosques under the pretext of repairing or renovating them; they
said the government’s real motivation was countering perceived
religious extremism. Once closed, they said, the mosques remained
closed. For example, after the Ashurbey Mosque in the Old City of Baku
became popular with Salafis as a place of worship, authorities
announced it needed renovation and closed it in July 2016.” The mosque
was still closed by the end of 2017, according to the State
Department.
The much-publicized ‘tolerant’ Azerbaijan turns out to be not so
‘tolerant’ after all. Its ‘lenient’ laws remain on paper and are often
ignored by the police and the judges.
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2- PM Nikol Pashinyan Meets with Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian
During his 24-hour visit to Armenia, Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian
met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. During the meeting, Pashinyan
said he was proud of Ohanian’s successes and wished every Armenian in
the Diaspora similar success. All Armenians must work toward the
benefit, development and prosperity of the Republic of Armenia,
Pashinyan said.
Ohanian, in turn, wished Pashinyan success in his new role as prime
minister. He noted that this is his sixth visit to Armenia, and hopes
to contribute to the country’s development of its IT field. Pashinyan
and Ohanian discussed the current state of Armenia’s already
noteworthy IT sector and explored ways in which Ohanian could further
aid its progress.
Documenting his entire Armenia trip on social media, Ohanian posted a
photo on Instagram with the caption: “24 hours in Hayastan. Follow
along.”
The Reddit Co-Founder also visited TUMO Center for Creative
Technologies, and posted a video online from the garden, saying that
he is inspired by the students there. An Instagram photo from the
garden features Ohanian planting trees with the Armenian Tree
Project—he planted one in honor of his newborn daughter and named it
“Olympia.”
“She’s got two trees now,” he wrote. “One at each of her homes:
Florida and Hayastan.”
Ohanian said he was impressed with the TUMO Center.
“Every time I come to Armenia I get more and more inspired by what
happens at TUMO,” he said. “It’s a world-class institution. I am an
entrepreneur and investor in the technological sphere and I am proud
to see such a wonderful institution here in Armenia. It’s so good and
powerful—similar to what I have seen at Silicon Valley or other major
technological hubs. I am so proud and inspired to see the changes that
bring Armenia to the 21st century in this wonderful way. Continue to
be so smart, you inspire me.”
In an Instagram photo, Ohanian held a silver coin that was etched with
designs of Noah’s Ark and Ararat. He wrote that one of his best
friends gave him the coin, and he has carried it with him all over the
world ever since.
During a trip to an outdoor market, Ohanian posted a photo featuring
various fruits, vegetables and spices, among other traditional goods.
“Market visit,” he wrote. “Not pictured are the delicious apricots we
ate. We are great at pickling things. My dad used to pickle vegetables
for winter. His father pickled vegetables … I think it’s only a matter
of time before I start.”
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3 – Prince William Receives Cross from Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem
JERUSALEM—On June 28, His Royal Highness Prince William, Duke of
Cambridge, visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian
Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, where he met with leaders of
Jerusalem’s three Christian communities. His Eminence Archbishop Sevan
Gharibian represented the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and
gifted an Armenian cross to His Highness.
During the prince’s visit to the Armenian Chapel inside the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre, a welcoming speech was delivered by the Armenian
Superior of the Holy Sepulchre Church The Rev. Fr. Samvel Aghoyan.
After the speech, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem presented the
cross to the prince. An inscription on the cross reads: “A present of
an Armenian Cross from the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem
presented to His Royal Highness Prince William Arthur Philip Louis,
Duke of Cambridge, during His visit to the Holy Sepulchre Church on
June 28, 2018.”
Prior to the official visit, Jerusalem Affairs Minister Ze’ev Elkin
criticized Britain’s Prince William for listing his tour of the Old
City of Jerusalem as part of his trip to the Palestinian territories,
rather than to Israel.
“It is regrettable that in Britain they chose to politicize the royal
visit,” Elkin said, according to Ynet news. “United Jerusalem has been
the capital of Israel for 3,000 years and no distortion in the tour
itinerary can change that reality. I expect the prince’s people to
correct the distortion.”
Much of the international community does not recognize Israel’s 1980
annexation of East Jerusalem, where the Old City is located.
According to the itinerary, William traveled first to Jordan, followed
by Israel on June 25 to 27 when the program shifted to “its next
leg—the Occupied Palestinian Territories” and on June 28 Prince
William received a “short briefing on the history and geography of
Jerusalem’s Old City from a viewing point at the Mount of Olives,”
Kensington Palace said.
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4 – AAF Ships $5 Million of Aid to Armenia, Artsakh
GLENDALE, Calif.—The Armenia Artsakh Fund (AAF) delivered $5 million
of humanitarian assistance to Armenia and Artsakh during the second
quarter of 2018.
The AAF itself collected $4.2 million of medicines and other supplies
donated by AmeriCares ($3.8 million); Direct Relief ($290,000) and
Health Partners International of Canada ($156,000).
Other organizations which contributed valuable goods during this
period were: Armenian Missionary Association of America/Camp Arev
($402,000); Project Agape ($96,000) Howard Karagheusian Commemorative
Corp. ($86,000); Victor Pambuccian ($86,000) and Sergey Sarkisov
($15,500).
Also contributing major supplies were: Dr. Albert Phillips ($10,500);
Dr. Hrair Garabedian/Providence Center for Congenital Heart Disease
($2,300) and Dr. Hagop Hovaguimian ($1,500).
Dr. Karo K. Arzoo of Glendale, Calif., generously donated the cost of
air freighting two shipments of cancer medicines with a total value of
$1.8 million.
The medicines and medical supplies donated during this period were
sent to the Health Ministry of Armenia, Artsakh Health Ministry, AGBU
Claudia Nazarian Medical Center for Syrian Armenian Refugees, Arabkir
United Children’s Foundation, Armenian Eyecare Project, Muratsan
Children’s Endocrinology Center, National Hematology Center, Nork
Marash Medical Center and St. Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center.
In the past 30 years, including the shipments under its predecessor,
the United Armenian Fund, the AAF has delivered to Armenia and Artsakh
a grand total of $789 million worth of relief supplies on board 158
airlifts and 2,408 sea containers. In the first six months of 2018 AAF
shipped to Armenia and Artsakh $11.8 million of medicines.
“The Armenia Artsakh Fund is regularly offered free of charge
millions of dollars worth of life-saving medicines and medical
supplies. All we have to do is pay for the shipping expenses. We would
welcome your generous donations to be able to continue delivering this
valuable assistance to all medical centers in Armenia and Artsakh,”
Harut Sassounian, the President of AAF stated.
[email protected].
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5 – Michael, Gaboudian Present ‘Under the Light of the Moon’ in Armenia
LOS ANGELES—On June 27, Author Laura Michael and illustrator Aram
Gaboudian presented their newly published book Under the Light of the
Moon to the creative writing students at the Tumo Center for Creative
Technologies in Yerevan.
This was Michael’s third trip to Armenia, and it had been eight years
since her last visit. In an interview with The California Courier, she
reported that much has changed, especially in Yerevan. “It’s exciting
to be in Armenia right after the Velvet Revolution. The energy is
different and the local people seem more positive and upbeat than in
the past. Also, the last time I visited modern Armenia, I had not yet
journeyed to Historic Armenia. Now that I have visited both Historic
and present day Armenia, I feel like my connection to our homeland is
that much stronger. I have touched the soil that no longer belongs to
my family and in turn I feel a deeper appreciation for our young
republic, as well as a renewed commitment in helping it thrive,” said
Michael.
The lecture that she and Gaboudian delivered was well-received by the
Tumo community, and the two hope to conduct a similar, two-week
Learning Lab course at the center next year.
“Right away we felt the passion for their craft through their ability
to ask thoughtful questions and explain their creative ideas in
multiple languages. This presentation was different than our usual
presentations in the United States, which mainly focus on the work of
Jackie Coogan and Near East Relief. Our Tumo assembly was geared
towards an audience of young writers who are focused on becoming
published authors and illustrators,” said Michael. Gaboudian and
Michael touched on how their family and national history served as a
driving force in publishing the book, which helped them build a strong
rapport and connections with the students. The presentation concluded
with the students discussing their own story ideas amongst the group.
“We were floored by their imaginations, intricate details and well
thought out plans. Aram and I can definitely envision these students
achieving their goals of getting published not only due to their
passion but also their skill, which have been cultivated at Tumo,”
said Michael.
Michael and Gaboudian also donated copies of their book to the Tumo
centers in Yerevan and Stepanakert.
Michael said she had been excited to experience the Tumo Center
firsthand, having read about it and seen it on television. She
described it as a state-of-the-art facility “that surpasses most
American after-school programs.” It is completely free of charge for
all students ages 12-18 and offers inquiry-based learning, focusing on
21st century skills students need to compete and succeed in today’s
world. “ The students are instantly engaged because they begin by
exploring the different pathways and programs through game-based
technology. Once they complete this exploration period, the students
select the program that most interests them,” said Michael.
A sampling of the programs include 3-D Modeling, Animation, Creative
Writing, Photography, and Robotics. Besides the original Yerevan
location, there are Tumo Centers in Dilijan, Gyumri and Stepanakert
with two more opening in Koghb and Masis. Tumo is also expanding to
the diaspora later this year with locations in Beirut, Paris and
Moscow. “It’s exciting to see this growth and hopefully we will one
day have a location in the United States as well. But for now Armenia
and Artsakh should be the priorities,” said Michael. “My hope is that
our students in the homeland are exposed to 21st century skills and
high tech environments every day in school as well as at Tumo but that
is not always the case. Also, while Tumo serves a huge population,
there are still so many students across Armenia who don’t have access
to Tumo and we need to ensure that they have access to similar,
rigorous programs at their schools. While I understand this is a lofty
goal, it’s definitely achievable over time, especially with innovative
organizations such as Teach for Armenia.” — J.Y.
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6 – Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor:
Referring to Harut Sassounian’s powerful editorial of June 14, 2018:
Ibrahim Kurtulus, Turkish-American from New York City is a product of
Turkish schools where there is absolutely no mention of the Armenian
Genocide. By his actions detailed in the editorial, he shows what a
total ignoramus he is. If Kemal Ataturk had allowed the history of The
Great Crime to be taught in Turkish schools, think about how different
the attitude of the ordinary Turk would be today. Students would have
been able to process instead of denying the crime for 103 years.
On June 16, 2018, The Wall Street Journal published an article by Sam
Sacks, detailing how the ancient Greeks faced their own history.
“Albanian writer, Ismail Kadare in a 1985 essay on the Greek tragedian
Aeschylus argued that the most remarkable thing about the ancient
Greeks—even more than their invention of philosophy and democracy was
their sense of “collective regret.”
“Centuries earlier, the Greeks had waged a savage and morally
indefensible war against Troy. A less developed civilization would
have erased that shameful period from its memory. Instead, the Greeks
make it the touchstone of their literature. The crime was exposed from
all angles by the Greeks themselves, without any pressure exerted by
other nations,” Kadare writes. “It was an unprecedented exorcism a
shocking act, simultaneously liberating and emancipating. For the
first time in the history of mankind, the conscience of a people was
willfully undergoing such a disturbance.”
Not so in Turkey or the Turkish diaspora where sycophants like Ibrahim
Kurtulus spew hatred and mockery for Armenians killed or dispatched
103 years ago.
Ellen Sarkisian Chesnut
Alameda, Calif.
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7- Unseen Armenia – Battling Bureaucracy
By Hovsep
A number of years ago I met Hovhannes, an Armenian citizen living in
Yerevan. Hovhannes is well educated, has held responsible positions in
Armenia, and has traveled within the USSR, the Middle East, and the
U.S. on a couple of occasions. He is devoted to Armenia. He is also
retired, old enough for it to be difficult finding employment. He
lives on a meager, insufficient retirement. Having worked both during
the Soviet and post-Soviet eras, he always thought retirement would
not be a problem, but it is. Despite pressure to do so, he never
joined the Communist Party.
Hovhannes owns his apartment, the same residence he grew up in. When
his financial situation was better he started renovating the
apartment, but then circumstances changed. Last year he lived pretty
much on bread alone, walking about 2 miles each way to save 5 or 10
cents per loaf of bread. A survey in Hetq, an online investigative
journalism publication, indicated that a significant percentage of
Armenians live almost exclusively on either bread or potatoes.
The back of his apartment, like most others, contains a balcony facing
a courtyard. Most of the balconies have been enclosed creating a
random patchwork of enclosures. Unlike most of the other balconies,
however, Hovhannes’s balcony is open. Through it passes an insulated
hot water pipe used for heating an adjacent room. Last winter the pipe
froze and burst. After mending the pipe and adding more insulation to
it, Hovhannes built a 2-foot high stone wall along the balcony edge,
enclosing the pipe and providing further protection for it. He added a
railing on top of the wall.
While he was away two men from Yerevan’s city government saw that work
was being done on the balcony. They claimed it was being done without
permission, and threatened to tear the work down. When Hovhannes
returned home he had to prove that he was the owner of the apartment.
Then other excuses were found in order to extract money out of him. He
was assessed a fine of $200 for altering the architecture of the
building. When he asked how this issue could be resolved, he was told
he could pay a $100 fine now and be done with this problem. This
amounts to a month’s retirement pay. As Hovhannes said, “Two hundred,
one hundred; it makes no difference. I don’t have it. Let them arrest
me. I presume they heat the jail and you get at least one or two meals
per day.” He contacted Yerevan’s architecture department. Since he was
accused of illegally altering the architecture of a building, he asked
to see the original building plans. He would gladly conform to its
architecture. There were no plans; they were lost. He asked for old
photos of the building. There were none. How then was he to conform to
the building’s architecture? Each enclosed balcony was different, a
hodgepodge of random, unarchitected modifications, each probably done
either without approval or sanctioned with a bribe. He approached the
“taghabedaran” (neighborhood city hall) but got no satisfaction.
Yerevan’s Architecture department told him he needed to provide formal
architectural plans of his change. Hovhannes, though capable of
drawing architectural plans, did not have the needed implements to
create professional drawings, so friends purchased the needed supplies
for him. Then he was told time and time again to provide photographs,
which he repeatedly did, again with support from friends. Over a
period of 2-3 months this issue persisted; it got escalated to the
hierarchy of the architecture department and then to Yerevan City
Hall. Finally this issue reached an official with some authority who
was disturbed that he had to spend time on this nonsensical non-issue.
After considerable anxiety and expense, Hovhannes was told to do
whatever he wanted. This should not have been an issue. But by the
time this problem escalated up to someone with a sense of reason 2-3
months had elapsed and $50-70 of expenses had accrued, nearly a
month’s retirement pay.
Some time later, two out-of-town friends happened to be in Yerevan.
One helped Hovhannes with some welding and the other with some masonry
work. A policeman on the beat entered the courtyard and noticed the
construction waste from renovations of Hovhannes’s apartment that was
being collected in the courtyard, awaiting disposal. The policeman
told Hovhannes that “his employee doing the welding” did not have the
right safety equipment and Hovhannes would be fined $100. Hovhannes
replied, “He’s not my employee. He’s a friend who’s helping me.” The
policeman then issued a similar accusation regarding the “employee”
who was doing the masonry work. Hovhannes’s answer was the same. As
the argument progressed, Hovhannes took out his cell phone, and called
a very high-ranking police officer he knew. He described this officer
as “Armenia’s 007”. After talking on the phone a bit he handed the
phone to the police officer that was harassing him. “Here, someone
wants to talk to you”, he said. “Who?”, replied the police officer.
“Just talk to him!”, Hovhannes said. After a few seconds the police
officer, somewhat stunned, handed the phone back to Hovhannes and
left, not to be seen again.
One other incident: Returning from Artsakh via Goris and Sisian in a
brand new rented Niva, we were pulled over by two police officers in a
police car. This was near Vayk or Yegheknatsor. The officer driving
the police car stepped out, examined our papers, and told my friend
who was driving, that the car lacked an inspection sticker. We
explained that this was not our car, it was a rental car and we showed
the officer the rental papers. After an extended discussion the second
officer, who still remained seated in the police car, signaled the
officer questioning us to drop this issue, and they left. Upon
returning the rental car I complained to the rental agency in Yerevan
that the car lacked an inspection sticker. The rental agent told us
that the car was brand new. Cars less than a year old do not require
stickers, and the police officers knew this. The police wanted a bribe
to drop the issue.
These events occurred in 2017, prior to the 2018 change in Armenia’s
government. I’m told that things are much improved, at least so far. I
hope to see for myself shortly. Talking to friends returning from
Armenia and from correspondences with friends and colleagues there,
there appears much reason for optimism, albeit cautious optimism.
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