Category: News

Christian Armenians have lived in Iran since thousands of years ago and their existence in the nation dates to the pre-Christ times, the  reports.

According to historic evidences and relics, their existence in the nation dates back to the B.C fith and sixth centuries. Since then, they have preserved their own social fabric and language in Iran, as well as in other countries of their diaspora.

In an interview with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), the chief Armenian bishop in Tehran, Sebuh Sarkisian, said the Armenians have been since the old times a very active community in Iran in humanitarian, cultural, literary, commercial and military sectors.

In the 17th century, the Safavid Shah Abbas transferred more than 300,000 Armenians from Armenia to Esfahan, with aim of renovating the city and creating a new social mix-up, he said. Esfahan was the first city to host the Armenians. They built their own town in Esfahan, named Newo Julfa before spreading to other countries such as India and Iraq.

According to official figures, there are some 100,000 Christians, including 80,000 Armenians, in Iran. They practice their religious rites freely. The Iranian Christians have three patriarchates. According to historic sources, the patriarchate in Tibriz is the oldest one in the country, followed by the one in Esfahan. The newest is located in Tehran.

The Tehran patriarchate groups the largest number of Armenian worshippers. It is significantly influential, managing 20 schools, 20 associations in addition to a number of clubs for the community.
The Armenians are represented with two men in the parliament. They publish a number of newspapers and the patriarchate in Tehran oversees up to 11 churches.

Bishop Sarkisian noted that the largest number of Armenians live in Tehran, followed by Esfahan and Aroumiah. He affirmed that the Armenians enjoy freedoms in Iran, unlike other countries, with exception of Lebanon. They practice their rituals without any restrictions, Sarkisian said, adding that the authorities encourage them to hold their religious ceremonies.

The Armenians view Armenia as their mother land. The Armenian schools teach the official curricula, except for the religious curricula, the Armenian language and history.

The recent escalation at the frontline, during which the Azerbaijani side used a tank to shell the Armenian positions, is connected with the foreign external and internal developments, David Babayan, Spokesman for the NKR President, told Public Radio of Armenia.

He said the terrorist state is thus trying to destabilize the situation at the border, in order to be free to use force against its own people, as well.

Political scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan considers that the recurrent ‘convulsion’ of the rival aims to help them avoid negotiations. “They are thus trying to escape discussions on the principles of conflict settlement,” he said.

According to Melik-Shahnazaryan, Azerbaijan is trying to change the political agenda by creating tension in order to either evade a meeting or discussing the issue of border at the meeting, if there is one.

On December 10, Edward ‪Nalbandian‬, Foreign Minister of Armenia, who pays a working visit to Vienna, had a meeting with Sebastian Kurz, the Foreign Minister of Austria, Press Service of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.

The Ministers expressed satisfaction with the frequent mutual high-level visits, highlighting that they give a new impetus to the development of mutual collaboration in different fields.

Asbarez – The Armenian American Museum unveiled its conceptual design at the Glendale City Council meeting on Tuesday. The Project Development Committee presented the developments of the first phase of the master planning process and shared concept design for the new museum.

“The concept for the museum is rooted in creating a place of inspiration and hope for the community” stated the Museum Project Development Committee Chairman Berdj Karapetian. “We have submitted all of the requirements to the City of Glendale in our exclusive negotiating agreement and are now ready to proceed to securing the ground lease agreement, further developing our master plan, and organizing fundraising initiatives that will enable us to bring this project into fruition.”

The Armenian American Museum concept designed by Alajajian Marcoosi Architects will include exhibitions space, resource center, a performing arts theater, and classrooms. The museum building will be surrounded by an outdoor plaza and peace garden on the City owned property next to the Glendale Civic Auditorium. The 1.7 acre property on the corner of Verdugo Road and Mountain Street will also serve as the location for a memorial to the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

The Museum’s vision is a cultural campus that enriches the community, educates the public on the Armenian American story, and empowers individuals to embrace cultural diversity while speaking out against prejudice.

Glendale City Mayor Ara Najarian applauded the work of the museum team following the design presentation by stating, “Just one year ago this was a dream for our community and I feel very excited to see things come to this level. I know there will be some milestones ahead but I have no doubt that you will work diligently to create a wonderful design plan that will put Glendale on the map nationwide.”

Councilwoman Paula Devine relayed her support by highlighting the cross-cultural and education component of the museum and invited selected architects Aram Alajajian and Sako Marcoosi to share their inspiration for the design.

“The inspiration lays within the museum itself to serve the Glendale community at large and create a place for visitors to learn about Armenian culture through the permanent exhibit while also hosting diverse traveling exhibits.”

Councilmen Vartan Gharpetian and Zareh Sinanyan further noted the multi-functionality of the museum by echoing the education opportunities it will bring to the community and the significance of building it adjacent to the Glendale Community College campus.

The overarching support of the Glendale City Council was emphasized by Councilwoman Laura Freidman in stating, “You have a very supportive Council and a great sense of passion from the community to make this happen. I am happy to learn that you have hired a local entity to bring this bold vision to Glendale.”

The next stage for the Museum project will be to secure a Ground Lease Agreement with the City of Glendale and commission a master plan that will provide operational direction on programming, business strategy, facility development, and governance.

The Museum will launch a wide-range of outreach programs in the coming months with City of Glendale government, businesses, homeowner associations, and community members to ensure collaboration, feedback, and community-driven opportunities to raise awareness about Armenian American Museum.

The mission of the Armenian American Museum is to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Armenian American experiences.

The Armenian American Museum is a developing project in Glendale, CA, with a mission to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Armenian American experience. When completed, it will serve as a cultural campus that enriches the community, educates the public on the Armenian American story, and empowers individuals to embrace cultural diversity and speak out against prejudice.

The governing board of the Armenian American Museum consists of representatives from the following nine regional Armenian American institutions and organizations: Armenian Catholic Eparchy, Armenian Cultural Foundation, Armenian Evangelical Union of North America, Armenian General Benevolent Union – Western District, Armenian Relief Society – Western USA, Nor Or Charitable Foundation, Nor Serount Cultural Association, Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, and Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Fifteen rock paintings discovered in a village close to the ancient city of Ani in Kars will play a significant role for the area to be declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.

The head of the Culture and Arts Association in the eastern province of Kars, Vedat Akçayöz, has said the registration of 15 rock paintings discovered around the Alem village, some 11 kilometers away from the ancient city of Ani on the Turkish-Armenian border, has been sent to the Museum Directorate, adding the hope was to have the entire area added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list, the reports.

Akçayöz said the 15 rock paintings carved on the rocks depicted hunting scenes with horses, dogs, mountain goats, deer and humans.

He said that upon their application, Kars Museum Director Necmettin Alp, Culture and Tourism Provincial Director Hakan Doğançay and Board of Protection of Cultural Property Director Yasin Dursun had begun works to register the Prehistoric-era rock paintings.
Akçayöz said they had asked for the region to be declared an archaeological site, adding they hoped the ancient city of Ani and its environment would be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2016.

To commemorate UN Human Rights Day (10 December) the EBU is making available a special concert by world-famous conductor Daniel Barenboim and his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra performed at the United Nations’ Headquarters in Geneva.

26 EBU Radio Members will air the concert entitled “For the Understanding of Civilisations and Human Rights” which was recorded on 31 October in the Human Rights Hall of the UN’s Palace of Nations in front of an audience including UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.

The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra is made up of musicians from Israel and Palestine as well as other Arab countries and was formed to promote understanding, integration and reflection through music.

The concert programme comprises three symphonies composed by Mozart in 1788, three years before his death at the age of 36: Symphony Nº 39 in E flat major K.543, Symphony Nº 40 in G minor K. 550 and Symphony Nº 41 in C major K. 551, known as Jupiter Symphony.

The aim of the concert is to highlight, through music, the principles contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“We are thrilled to be able to distribute this meaningful concert,” said the EBU’s Head of Music Pascale Labrie. “Music stirs the soul and unites peoples so there is no better way to mark UN Human Rights Day than sharing this unique performance with audiences in 26 different EBU Member countries.”

As Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu accuses Russia of “ethnic cleansing” in northern Syria, an article by Kurt Nimmo published by reminds Turkey about its own history.

“Russia is trying to make ethnic cleansing in northern Latakia to force (out) all Turkmen and Sunni population who do not have good relations with the regime,” Davutoglu said during a news conference in Istanbul.

“They want to expel them, they want to ethnically cleanse this area so that the regime [of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad] and Russian bases in Latakia and Tartus are protected,” he added.

Davutoglu also said targeting the supplies lines of Turkish supported jihadi groups will benefit the Islamic State.

“Davutoglu’s accusation ignores the fact the Ottoman Empire and later Turkey more or less pioneered modern genocide and ethnic cleansing in 1915 when it slaughtered between 800,000 and 1.5 million Armenians. The state rounded up and massacred able-bodied males, deported women and children, forced the elderly and infirm to participate in death marches into the Syrian desert, and starved, robbed and raped Turkish Armenians. Christian ethnic groups such as the Assyrians and the Ottoman Greeks were also targeted for extermination,” the author writes.

“The Turkish government has denied it is responsible for the Armenian Genocide. It insists the extermination was the result of deportations during World War One despite the fact the genocide continued until 1923, years after the end of the war,” the article reads.

The author notes that Turkey is also accused of ethnically cleansing Kurds in the 1980s and 1990s. It forcibly emigrated over two million people and destroyed approximately 6,000 Kurdish villages.

“Considering the track record of Turkey in regard to the genocide of Armenians and later the Kurds, Davutoglu’s remarks are at best disingenuous,” the author concludes.

Varuzhan Sukiasyan will take charge of the Armenian national football team.

Sukiasyan’s candidacy was unanimously approved at the sitting of the Executive Committee of the Football Federation of Armenia.

He previously headed Yerevan’s “Ararat.”

On 10 December Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan visited the Tigranakert Archeological Museum and attended the exhibition of artifacts found during the archeological excavations of the Nor Haykadjour burial mound in the Martakert region, NKR President’s Press Office reported.

The President stressed the significance of carrying out excavations in the Nor Haykadjour area from academic, educational, patriotic upbringing and political viewpoints.