Category: News

Edmonton Journal (Alberta)
April 30, 2004 Friday Final Edition
Polar Ice worth cool million: Diavik diamonds on weekend display
by Paul Marck
EDMONTON – When Chad Snider is polishing a diamond, his sense of
sound is as keen as his sight and his touch as he carves out edges
and facets to the rough gem-stone.
“You can hear it when something’s not right,” says the 23-year-old
from Yellowknife, originally from Lloydminster. If there is a crack
or other imperfection in the jewel, the sound it makes grinding on a
spinning, diamond-dust covered cast-iron wheel is different from that
of an unblemished stone.
Snider is in Edmonton for a weekend promotion at Crowley’s Jewellers
and Goldsmiths in Kingsway Mall, featuring $1-million worth of
Canadian Polar Ice diamonds.
Snider has been a professional, certified diamond polisher for the
past three years, after graduating from an apprenticeship program in
Armenia.
He works for Arslandian Cutting Works, an Armenian-based gem outfit
that is among three international and one domestic cutting and
polishing shops in Yellowknife that finish Canadian diamonds from the
Diavik mine. Arslandian is the biggest diamond polisher in Canada,
with more than 50 certified staff.
So, what is it about diamonds?
“The best part of it is the romance of the stone,” says Snider.
“When you think of what it means in love, in marriage, it’s the
ideal.”
Snider said the prime traits that make a good diamond polisher are
patience and confidence.
“Mistakes happen,” he says of the fractures, inclusions and human
errors that detract from a diamond’s value.
While retail diamonds are often sold in half-carat valuations, gem
cutters work in much smaller dimensions, .015 of a carat, in grinding
the rough stone.
“If you go under a fraction of that, it’s a lot of money lost,” says
Snider.
“You’ve got to be able to adapt to different situations. If a mistake
happens, you’ve got to pull through it.”
Shay Basal, owner of Montreal-based Basal Diamond Inc., which
consigned the $1 million worth of gems to Crowley’s, says as far as
he is concerned, there are no inferior Canadian dia-monds. Basal
deals in Polar Ice diamonds, one of two branded gems with
certificates of authenticity and provenance issued by the N.W.T.
government.
Each one is laser etched with a logo and serial number, matched to
the certificate bearing its origin and when it was mined.
Clarity and colour, the two prime factors in diamond value, are
superior to just about everything else on the market, including
leaders Botswana and South Africa.
“There’s no such thing in diamonds as rejects. What’s beautiful about
the Canadian rough is that it’s all white.”
For jeweller Mary Crowley, the dozens of jewelry pieces featuring
Polar Ice diamonds is an opportunity for her store to celebrate its
10th anniversary and renovated location this weekend.
“It’s a grand opening. I just wanted to do something different and
exciting.”
The two most valuable items in the sale are a $70,000 necklace,
featuring 15.29 carats total in gems, and a single-stone ring valued
at $59,000, its diamond a hefty 2.01 carats.
[email protected]
GRAPHIC: Colour Photo: Larry Wong, The Journal; Mary Crowley, owner
of Crowley’s Jewellers & Goldsmiths, holds a handful of rough
diamonds valued at $50,000.; Colour Photo: Larry Wong, The Journal;
Polisher Chad Snider works on one of a collection of Polar Ice
diamonds worth more than $1-million at Crowley’s Jewellers &
Goldsmiths in Kingsway Garden Mall.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
April 29, 2004 Thursday
Aliyev calls for gradual settlement of conflict with Armenia
By Yuri Ulyanovsky
STRASBOURG
Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev favoured the settlement of the
conflict with Armenia on a gradual basis.
The first step is “to withdraw Armenian troops from the seven
districts of Azerbaijan” that are not part of Nagorno-Karabakh,
Aliyev said.
Speaking at the PACE spring session on Thursday, the Azerbaijani
president said this initiative has become an important step towards
strengthening trust. This idea has been discussed by Europarliament
and other European structures and supported by them, he added.
“It is inadmissible when one of the Council of Europe countries is
occupying part of another country, which is also a CE member. Armenia
will win nothing neither in an economic nor moral aspect. This only
can infringe upon Armenia’s prestige at the international arena. I
believe that Armenian leaders are beginning to understand this,” the
Azerbaijani leader stressed.
At the same time, Aliyev pointed out that Azerbaijan will never agree
to develop economic cooperation with Armenia till Armenian troops are
not withdrawn from these districts. “Azerbaijan cannot cooperate with
a country that occupies part of its territories,” Aliyev emphasised.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
April 29, 2004 Thursday
Russia can play special role in settling Armenian-Azeri conflict
By Yuri Ulyanovsky
STRASBOURG
The co-chairmen of the Minsk group of the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for Nagorno-Karabakh, that is
Russia, United States and France, are called upon to play “their
specific role”, Azeri President Ilkham Aliyev said on Thursday. He
spoke at a news conference in the Palace of Europe after addressing
the spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe. “We hope that they all will step up their activities in this
direction”, he said.
Russia plays a special role in the framework of the Minsk group,
Aliyev said. This is determined not only by Russia’s geographic
position. Russia has good relations both with Azerbaijan and Armenia,
and Moscow is familiar with the role of a mediator in settling
conflicts.
President Aliyev also counts on the assistance of the PACE and the
Council of Europe in settling the conflict. He said the Political
Commission of the PACE works presently on the report on the
Armenian-Azeri conflict that will documentedly prove Armenia’s status
as a country occupying part of Azeri territory. As a result of the
occupation of part of Azeri territory, which, Aliyev said, is a gross
violation of the norms of international law, the number of refugees
and displaced persons among Azerbaijan’s population of eight million
reached one million which burdens the country’s economy.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
April 29, 2004 Thursday
Transcaucasus presidents discuss regional problems
WARSAW
The leaders of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are determined to go
ahead with reforms in their countries to bring their economies in
line with the standards of the European Union. This theme was central
to statements by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, Armenian
President Robert Kocharian, and Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev
at a seminar devoted to the problems of the Caucasus region at the
on-going European economic forum.
The leaders of the three former Soviet republics discussed current
reforms in their countries and previewed plans for the future.
Saakashvili told the participants he hoped for Georgia’s admission to
the European Union in the near future.
“I visited Brussels just recently and I hope that Georgia’s admission
may take place sooner than many expect,” he said.
Aliyev recalled Azerbaijan’s “strategic decision” made back in 1993
to integrate in international structures and the world economy.
As for the Armenian president, Kocharian said he did not expect the
European Union might consider the possibility of making Armenia its
member in the near future. He remarked, though, that if Armenia
matches E.U. standards, the goal of European membership will be
closer.
The theme of Nagorno-Karabakh was brought up at the seminar. As he
dwelt on the likely ways of settling the conflict, Aliyev said a
settlement must be carried out on the basis of international law.
He said Azerbaijan respected the territorial integrity everywhere and
hoped that it would be entitled to a similar treatment.
Armenian President Kocharian said that in the Soviet Union
administrative borders in many cases were drawn in such a way so as
to ferment regional tensions and thereby enhance the role of the
central authorities.
“I do understand Azerbaijan’s position,” Kocharian said, adding that
the surest way towards a settlement was “peaceful divorce.”
Saakashvili briefed the participants in the meeting arranged by the
Davos World Economic Forum on cooperation with Russia on the mutual
border in the struggle against Chechen militants.
“We have none today, and we do not want them to return,” Saakashvili
said.

Portland Press Herald
Friday, April 30, 2004
Dispatches
Staff reports
Copyright © 2004 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
Portland: Jews, Armenians will host examination of Holocaust
PORTLAND – Portland’s Jewish and Armenian communities will host a public
forum Sunday afternoon to examine the effects of the Nazi Holocaust and the
Armenian genocide on subsequent generations.
The forum will be at 2 p.m. in Luther Bonney Auditorium at the University of
Southern Maine, off Bedford Street.
Speakers will include Vigen Guroian, theology and ethics professor at Loyola
College in Baltimore, and Abraham Peck, director of USM’s Academic Council
for Post-Holocaust Christian, Jewish and Islamic Studies. For more
information, call 772-1959 or 780-5331.

Saint Paul Pioneer Press
April 30, 2004, Friday
The top 10 actresses you don’t know _ but should
by By Chris Hewitt
1. TILDA SWINTON
Tilda Swinton is the best actress you’ve never heard of.
The Scottish Swinton, who earned raves for “Orlando” and
“Adaptation,” knows exactly why she isn’t a star: She can’t stomach
it. “Sometimes, these scripts come to you. You know the movies will
be made, you know they have the money to make them, you know they’ll
win Oscars, and you just can’t do them.”
For her, it’s an issue of taste (she says, “I was too
well-brought-up” to reveal titles). The movies Swinton’s interested
in making are not the kinds of movies 15 million Americans are
interested in ponying up 8 bucks for on opening weekend. In other
words, they’re nothing like the last several Angelina Jolie movies.
Other factors work against some actresses: Sandra Oh and Paula Jai
Parker get pigeonholed by an industry where women of color who aren’t
named Halle don’t sell tickets. Judy Greer’s ability to do comedy,
like Joan Cusack and Janeane Garofalo’s before her, may have typecast
her before audiences could even figure out who she is.
And, of course, all of these talented women are competing for a
limited number of roles. Although the movie audience is 60 percent
female, the percentage of female characters is much lower (of this
month’s 30 movies, only 11 feature prominent female roles). Swinton,
who generally appears in independent films such as the new “Young
Adam,” says “industrial scripts” from Hollywood reveal how
marginalized women are there.
“The leading man is always described as ‘ruggedly handsome,’ so
everyone from Tom Cruise to Dustin Hoffman can see themselves in the
role,” she says. “The script will say he’s just a ‘regular guy,’ but
at the same time, every single woman in the script _ mothers,
daughters, waitresses, all of whom are described as incredibly
beautiful _ will go weak in the knees the minute they set eyes on
him.”
Swinton believes Hollywood _ and, to a certain extent, Joe Moviegoer
_ isn’t sure what to do with women whose looks are unconventional by
Hollywood standards. Her character in “The Deep End,” for instance,
is a mother who goes to extraordinary lengths to protect her young
son, who she believes is guilty of murder. When the character is
described as “ferocious,” Swinton disagrees.
“I don’t think of her as that way at all. I don’t think any woman has
ever described the character that way. She does what a mother does,”
says Swinton. “But the male American critics all said she’s
ferocious, and I think that’s because she didn’t wear makeup and
doesn’t look gorgeous like women are supposed to in the movies.”
Maybe it’s the rough edges and surprising behavior that keep so many
fine actresses below Hollywood’s radar. Maybe if they were getting
hired for big roles in big movies, they wouldn’t be able to do what
they do best. That’s how Swinton sees it, and that’s why she says
she’s “very happy” right where she is.
“I would like to see more women on film, and, of course, I would
absolutely love to have a six-picture deal and be paid a lot of money
by Warner Brothers,” says Swinton. “But I’m not naive, and I’m not
willing to do that if it means leaving myself outside the door.”
She’s not the only one. Here are nine other actresses who _ so far,
at least _ are unwilling to check their unique talents at the door.
2. SHIRLEY HENDERSON
She’s prolific _ seven films in 2002 alone _ but if a big part of
what makes a star is a larger-than-life quality, then it’s no mystery
why Henderson remains virtually unknown. Her characters are exactly
life-sized. Moviegoers may know her face _ she was the title
character’s best friend in “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and Moaning Myrtle
in the second “Harry Potter” _ but they aren’t getting the full
picture. She’s a woman who seems to have become a good mother just to
spite her ex-husband in “Wonderland,” a drug-addicted tearstain of a
singer in “Topsy-Turvy” and an achingly vulnerable survivor of the
romantic wars in this year’s “Intermission.” Bruised and battered,
her prickly character spends all of “Intermission” being teased for a
mustache she’s told resembles either Burt Reynolds’ or Tom Selleck’s
(glamour is another Hollywood quality Henderson lacks). She only lets
down her defenses in the lyrical finale, in which Henderson reveals
the hurt beneath her bravado.
You’ve seen her in: “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”
You should see her in: “Intermission”
3. HOPE DAVIS
Her high-profile role as Jack Nicholson’s whiny daughter in “About
Schmidt” and the one-two punch of last year’s “American Splendor” and
“The Secret Lives of Dentists” _ both well-reviewed, underseen films
_ helped her line up four big movies in the next 19 months. In those
films, which include “Proof,” opposite Gwyneth Paltrow, and “The
Weatherman,” opposite Nicolas Cage, audiences will get a chance to
see how wry and down-to-earth Davis’ talent is. When she’s miscast,
as she was as the shrewish mom in “Hearts in Atlantis,” it’s as if
she’s wearing a straitjacket. But put her in the right part _ as the
beleaguered mom in “Dentists,” coping with three daughters, her
confused husband and her own malaise _ and Davis fills in the margins
with humor, determination and a weary sense of having seen and
learned too much.
You’ve seen her in: “About Schmidt”
You should see her in: “The Secret Lives of Dentists”
4. SARAH POLLEY
She almost got left off this list because “Dawn of the Dead” has
given her enough oomph to merit an Entertainment Weekly puff piece.
But even “Dawn” fans probably aren’t familiar with Polley’s best
work. A look at her resume makes it clear she’s attracted to
iconoclastic, personal films by directors with skewed visions. Not
exactly the stuff of big box office, but this former child star in
Canada (she was Ramona Quimby in the “Ramona” series that also aired
here) hasn’t made a false move since “The Sweet Hereafter” in 1997.
That movie established her ethereal, deceptively steely, presence.
Polley has excelled in small roles in surreal experiments (David
Cronenberg’s “eXistenZ”), large roles in riskier Hollywood comedies
(“Go”) and _ when a director is smart enough to cast her _ huge role
in dramas that reveal painful, complicated emotions (“My Life Without
Me,” where she’s a woman figuring out what she wants to do before she
dies of cancer).
You’ve seen her in: “Dawn of the Dead”
You should see her in: “My Life Without Me”
5. ARSINEE KHANJIAN
Being married to a great director may hurt Khanjian’s career more
than it helps. Yeah, she gets to be in all of Atom Egoyan’s features,
but that’s practically all she’s been in. Do people assume she’s busy
working on his films? Or don’t the other movies she is offered
measure up? The Canadian-Armenian Khanjian has intriguing roles in
the French films “Late August, Early September,” “Irma Vep” and “Fat
Girl,” but her fierce intelligence is best showcased in Egoyan’s
films. Check out “Felicia’s Journey,” where she wittily hinted at the
dark side of being a domestic goddess long before Martha Stewart’s
downfall. And “The Sweet Hereafter,” where she plays a mother,
grieving for a child killed in a bus accident, who challenges the
platitudes of a lawyer urging her to file suit against the bus
company. Alone among that film’s mournful characters, she recognizes
immediately that finding someone to blame will bring her no comfort.
You’ve seen her in: “The Sweet Hereafter”
You should see her in: “Felicia’s Journey”
6. PAULA JAI PARKER
It always gives me a little lift to see Parker’s name in the credits
because I know that, even if the movie stinks, she’s going to do
something fresh and surprising. And, by the way, virtually all of the
movies she’s in do stink _ she’s at her most inventive in otherwise
worthless comedies such as “Sprung” or “My Baby’s Daddy.” As a black
woman, she’s in a double minority, movie-wise, which means she’s
competing with a very talented group of actresses for a limited
number of roles. She doesn’t end up with the best roles, but she can
make even the cliched role of a saucy hooker in “Phone Booth” seem
vivid and funny by attacking it like a dog devouring a bone. Humor
and perseverance are her weapons, and there isn’t an actress with
more energy in the movies today.
You’ve seen her in: “Friday”
You should see her in: “My Baby’s Daddy”
7. SANDRA OH
Wry, straightforward Oh made a bewitching debut as a young woman
rebelling against the Chinese traditions of her uptight family in
1994’s “Double Happiness,” and she hasn’t had a well-rounded role
since. It’s a common malady for actresses who make big, early
splashes: “Welcome to the movies, and don’t slam the door on your way
out.” Oh has taken what she could find, including providing what
humor and class she could to the wretched HBO series, “Arliss,” and
small roles in “The Princess Diaries” and “Under the Tuscan Sun”
(where she was Diane Lane’s wise-cracking pal), but here’s hoping
marrying Alexander Payne, who wrote and directed “About Schmidt,”
will lead to better roles. Anyway, she’s in Payne’s next film,
“Sideways.”
You’ve seen her in: “Under the Tuscan Sun”
You should see her in: “Double Happiness”
8. ISABELLE HUPPERT
I’ve seen Huppert in at least 40 films, and I still can’t get a bead
on her. Her characters usually have secrets _ whether it’s the
privately tormented title role in “The Piano Teacher,” the homicidal
mom in “Merci pour le Chocolat” or the prim nag in “8 Women” _ and
they’re almost always upper-class, maybe because Huppert’s slightly
turned-up nose and delicate features have a patrician air. France’s
top actress for more than two decades, Huppert wouldn’t have to take
chances at this point in her career, but she’s drawn to dark stories
that explore the extremes of emotional behavior. And her gift goes
deeper than simply protecting her characters’ secrets; by artfully
revealing and withholding information, Huppert shows us the secrets
the characters keep from themselves.
You’ve seen her in: “Heaven’s Gate”
You should see her in: “The Piano Teacher”
9. EMILY MORTIMER
A native of London, although she has a flawless American accent,
Mortimer belongs in the women’s role hall of fame for her work in
“Lovely and Amazing,” in which she played a woman who has gravitated
to a job guaranteed to make her feel rotten about herself: acting. In
a breathtaking scene in which she strips and demands that her
boyfriend tell her everything that’s “wrong” with her body, Mortimer
shows a woman coming to terms with herself. That character has formed
a template for Mortimer. In the upcoming “Bright Young Things,” where
she’s a British party girl who’s tired of martinis and cocktail
dresses, and in the musical version of “Love’s Labours Lost,” where
her charming voice doesn’t seem to match her uncertain footwork, she
seems intent on reminding us that not being sure of ourselves is a
fact of life.
You’ve seen her in: “Scream 3”
You should see her in: “Lovely and Amazing”
10. JUDY GREER
The go-to person for Joan Cusack roles that Joan Cusack doesn’t want
to do, Greer has made a nice little career out of playing the ditzy,
slightly pathetic sidekick. She’s made 20 movies in the past six
years, playing that part in virtually all of them, most memorably as
the suicidal woman who helped Mel Gibson figure out “What Women
Want.” Hollywood often slots funny women into that Eve Arden/Joan
Cusack/Janeane Garofalo role, but her career is taking a turn for the
better. In the current “13 Going on 30,” she’s still the best friend,
but a hilariously mean one. And the current “Hebrew Hammer” is no
classic, but it lets Greer play something higher-profile films
haven’t: a romantic lead, a film noir-like mystery woman who is
complicated enough to be sexy, confused and _ yes _ funny, too. Greer
has a bunch of stuff lined up, including the next film by Cameron
Crowe (“Elizabethtown”), who has a history of finding interesting
ways to use the talents of offbeat actresses such as Lili Taylor and
Frances McDormand.
You’ve seen her in: “What Women Want”
You should see her in: “The Hebrew Hammer”
___
Chris Hewitt: [email protected]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Russia Journal
Apr 30, 2004, 23:59 (Moscow time)
Armenia denies giving US permission to use its airstrips
DEFENSE :: Apr 30, 2004 Posted: 15:10 Moscow time (11:10 GMT)
YEREVAN – Reports that the United States Air Force has arranged to use
Armenian airbases are false, Col. Seyran Shakhsuvaranian, press secretary of
Armenia’s Defense Ministry, declared Thursday in a statement responding to
reports carried by local media citing the American STRATFOR research center.
The colonel said the agreement reached during the visit to Armenia of Gen.
Charles F. Wald, deputy commander of US forces in Europe, did not include
provisions for basing US warplanes on Armenian bases. ‘The actual aim of the
agreement has to do with the provision of supplies and technical services
between the two sides when one or the other requests it and at the option of
the other in view of its policies and priorities,’ his statement said.
According to the STRATFOR account, agreement was reached during Wald’s visit
on April 25-26 to allow US military airplanes to land at Armenian airports.
It called the agreement part of an effort to isolate Armenia from Russia and
Iran. /Rosbalt/

Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
April 30, 2004
CONTACT: David Zenian
E-mail: [email protected]
ASSEMBLY ACTIVISTS MARK ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DAY IN WASHINGTON
Washington, DC — Armenian activists from across the United States, in
Washington for the Assembly’s National Conference and Banquet, gathered for
a memorial service at the Bethlehem Chapel of the National Cathedral April
18th to commemorate the 89th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
The hour-long inter-denominational service was organized by Diocean Legate
Bishop Vicken Aykazian and joined by the Archbishop of Baltimore Cardinal
William H. Keeler, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches
Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, the Rabbi of B’nai Israel Congregation Mathew Simon,
Vicar of the Washington National Cathedral Right Rev. A. Theodore Eastman,
pastor of St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church Father Vertanes Kalaydjian, the
St. Mary Church choir and Orthodox, Presbyterian and Armenian clergy.
The deeply moving and emotional service for the repose of souls,
Hokehankist, which this year coincided with Holocaust Remembrance Day, or
Yom HaShoah, was also a celebration of life and a reflection of the unity of
purpose and values shared by inter-faith communities in the United States.
The congregation, many of whom traveled hundreds and even thousands of miles
to Washington, heard Cardinal Keeler, Rev. Dr. Edgar and Rabbi Simon speak
of their personal experiences and understanding of the Armenian Genocide.
The more than 250 participants in the Genocide memorial service included
members of the Assembly, the Armenian General Benevolent Union and the
Eastern and Western Diocese of the Armenian Church — the cooperating
partners of the Assembly’s April 18-20 National Conference and Banquet.
In his brief address, Rabbi Simon said it was no coincidence that this
solemn day in the history of the Armenian people this year coincided with
the Holocaust Remembrance Day.
“On July 16, 1915, nine decades ago, the American Ambassador to the Ottoman
Empire sent a telegram to the secretary of State in Washington warning
America that a ‘campaign of race extermination is in progress against
peaceful Armenians.’ In the language of the Torah, ‘Your brother’s blood is
crying …’ Yet the crying has continued through the decades. Sadly it shall
until we learn the correct answer to God’s first question: ‘Where is your
brother Abel?’ and the answer is, we are our ‘brother’s keeper’,” Rabbi
Simon said.
In his homily, Cardinal Keeler said it was not until his visit two years ago
to Armenia and a tour of the Genocide Memorial on the hills overlooking
Yerevan that he fully understood the magnitude of what the Armenians endured
in the early years of the 20th century.
“We now reflect together on one of the most tragic events of the 20th
century, the terrible slaughter of so many Armenians in what is aptly
described as genocide, one of the number of events in Armenian history that
brought so many to martyrdom,” Cardinal Keeler said.
In his own homily, Rev. Dr. Edgar underlined the importance of learning from
the lessons of the Genocide to avoid future injustice and bloodshed.
“It is important for us to remember what happened in 1915 to Armenians, what
happened 10 years ago to Rwandans and what will inevitably happen over and
over again. If we do not speak out against injustice wherever it might be
found, history will repeat itself. We have to always ask: When will we ever
learn?” Rev. Dr. Edgar said.
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
NR#2004-049

PRESS RELEASE
Department of History
University of Minnesota
614 Social Sciences
267 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
phones: 612.624.7506
fax: 612.624.7096
e-mail: [email protected]
Contact: Eric D. Weitz, Professor of History
Arsham and Charlotte Ohanessian Chair in the College of Liberal Arts
Director, Center for German and European Studies
Please note what is most likely the first-ever Turkish, Armenian, and
Greek Film Festival, “Borderlands,” beginning today, April 30, and
running through May 6, 2004 at the University of Minnesota. Among the
highlights are a keynote lecture by the noted journalist and
intellectual, Etyen Mahcupyan, and, especially,
THE FIRST SCREENING OF “RAVISHED ARMENIA” SINCE 1927
Long thought to be lost, a 15 minute excerpt has been found by the
French scholar, Dr. Philippe Videlier, and will be shown on Saturday,
May 1 and Tuesday, May 4!
For details please see:

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
04/30/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) ANC Capitol Hill Observance Honors Balakian, Canadian Legislator 2) Elected Officials Express Dismay at US Apathy on Genocide 3) Chirac: Turkey Not Fit for EU Entry 4) The Passing of Archbishop Zareh Aznavourian 5) Genocide Acknowledgement--Bushwhacked Again! 1) ANC Capitol Hill Observance Honors Balakian, Canadian Legislator SENATE AND HOUSE MEMBERS CALL FOR PROPER US REAFFIRMATION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WASHINGTON, DC--Over 40 Members of Congress joined with several hundred Armenian Americans from across the country this week to honor victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide, at the 10th annual ANCA Observance on Capitol Hill. Special guests at the Observance included New York Times Best Selling author Peter Balakian, who received the ANCA Freedom Award for his tireless efforts to document the US humanitarian response to the Armenian Genocide in his landmark book, "The Burning Tigris." Longtime Canadian Armenian community supporter and champion of the recently adopted Armenian Genocide resolution, the Honorable Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral, spoke poignantly of worldwide efforts to recognize this crime against humanity. Senators and Representatives, as well as Congressional staff representing some 100 Congressional offices, were greeted by over 400 community members, many of whom travel annually to Washington, DC to attend the Capitol Hill Observance and discuss Armenian American concerns with their elected representatives. The program was held in the historic Cannon Caucus Room. 2) Elected Officials Express Dismay at US Apathy on Genocide INSPIRE 12,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS AT MONTEBELLO ANC COMMEMORATIONS MONTEBELLO--Once again, the Armenian-American community of Montebello and surrounding communities observed the anniversary of the 1915 Armenian Genocide with an April 23 rally and vigil candlelight at the foot of the Armenian Martyrs' Monument, organized by the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of San Gabriel Valley (ANC-SGV). This year's message was a collective call to political action by the Armenian community. The rally opened with introductory remarks by Tamar Sadorian, who then invited the evening's master of ceremonies, Serge Samoniantz, to conduct the event. Special guest speaker Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (D-34th District) was one of many public officials who expressed dismay at the US government's failure to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Napolitano, a staunch supporter of Armenian-American concerns, presented a keen view of the community's obstacles in having the genocide recognized by the Bush Administration and the backers of the Turkish deniers. She noted that her efforts and those of her colleagues in the Congress would, nevertheless, continue until justice is served to the Armenian people. Introduced by San Gabriel Valley ANC member Jack Hadjinian, Montebello Mayor Norma Reid-Lopez presented a proclamation from the City of Montebello unanimously declaring April 24 a Day of Remembrances for the Victims of the Armenian Genocide. Special assistant to Sheriff Lee, Baca Captain Gary A. Nalbandian, representing Baca, presented plaque from the LA County Sheriff's Department. Nalbandian closed his remarks with a rousing Armenian remark: "Struggle until Victory!" Speaking on behalf of the youth, Mesrobian Armenian School Associated Students Body officer and Montebello AYF member Angie Achikian, conveyed willingness to take on the torch from the older generation and continue until final success. Emcee Serge Samoniantz recognized the public officials present, including Montebello City Council members Bob Bagwell, and Bill Molinari, as well as Police Chief Gary Couso-Vasquez, Gil Cedillo Jr., from Assemblyman Ron Calderon's (D-58th) office, and Greg Martayan, a former LA City Commissioner, who is running for a Los Angeles City Council seat in the San Fernando Valley. Also attending were ARF Western Region Central Committee chairman Hovig Saliba, ARF Dro Gomideh chairman Sako Sassounian, and Armenian Mesrobian School principal Hilda Saliba. Before introducing the final speaker, Samoniantz announced the arrival of the Homenetmen Western Region Scouts who had marched from Pasadena, a distance of about eight miles, to pay their respects to the genocide victims, with a candlelight procession. San Gabriel Valley ANC Chairman Seto Boyajian, delivered the keynote address recounting steps taken by the Armenian community to advance recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the United States. He assailed Pres. Bush's inability to come to terms with the Armenian Genocide and his unwillingness to properly characterize the 1915 events as Genocide in his annual April 24 statement, emphasizing Democratic Presidential hopeful Sen. Kohn Kerry's lengthy and meaningful message calling for the international recognition of the genocide. The program concluded with the traditional distribution of candles to the audience, the candlelit gathering around the monument plaque, and the solemn Requiem Service conducted by the clergy of the Holy Cross Cathedral. 3) Chirac: Turkey Not Fit for EU Entry PARIS (AP/Zaman)--Turkey's aspirations to be the first Muslim-majority member of the European Union took a hit Thursday when French President Jacques Chirac said Ankara most likely will not meet the bloc's conditions for another 10-15 years. Speaking at his first full-fledged news conference in six years, Chirac also said the upcoming transfer of power in Iraq must be "unambiguous" and the US-led occupation authorities must cede complete control to an Iraqi administration. The French president said Turkey needed to improve its human rights record and reform its justice system before being considered for EU membership. "Is Turkey's entry possible today? I say 'No,'" he said. But Turkey could become a member "in the perspective of 10-to-15 years," Chirac said. "My conviction is that it is in the long term." Asked whether the recognition of the Armenian genocide would be taken as a precondition for Turkey's EU membership, Chirac said it was an issue between Turkey and Armenia. Turkey, located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia and a part of NATO since 1952, is hoping to begin talks next year on joining the EU. Ten new members are joining the 15-nation union on Saturday. A Turkish Foreign Ministry official said on condition of anonymity that Turkey accepted Chirac's comments but still hoped the EU would open membership talks in 2005. "Negotiations are one thing, and membership is another," the official said. "Chirac was speaking about the long term. There's nothing new about what he said." Chirac's news conference came weeks after Foreign Minister Michel Barnier told parliament that France would oppose Turkey's entry. The European Commission in November noted Turkey's "significant progress" in meeting the EU's conditions, but said more needed to be done. 4) The Passing of Archbishop Zareh Aznavourian His Eminence Archbishop Zareh Aznavourian died on Friday, in Lebanon, at 57 years of age. Archbishop Zareh faithfully served the Armenian Apostolic Church as an ordained celibate priest for 38 years, most of which was spent at the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon; he spent two years in Rome pursuing a higher education, and three years as the Prelate of Cyprus. Archbishop Zareh was an eminent teacher at the Cilician See's Theological Seminary. He was a noted composer of both religious and secular music, a gifted scholar, a Biblical translator, and an author of textbooks and commentaries. He was considered one of the most noted Biblical scholars within the Armenian Church. The Extreme Unction will take place during the Divine Liturgy service at the Cathedral of St. Gregory the Illuminator in Antelias, on Monday, May 3. Interment will follow in the Mausoleum of the Holy See of Cilicia. Requiem Services will take place in all Prelacy churches on Sunday, May 2. 5) Genocide Acknowledgement--Bushwacked Again! "There's an old saying in TennesseeI know it's in Texas, probably in Tennesseethat says, fool me once, shame onshame on you. Fool meyou can't get fooled again." --George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002. Another anniversary of the Armenian Genocide passed last week, and Armenians were presented another impotent statement by the Bush administration omitting the word "genocide." After reading the recent articles on all Genocide reaffirmation-related news this last week, I remembered the above quote from President Bush which pretty much sums up how I feel. Come November, when I cast my vote for the candidate opposing President Bush, I'm going to write the White House a letter referencing this "old saying in Tennessee." It's been four years since President Bush promised to properly acknowledge the Armenian Genocide in a statement as candidate for the nation's highest office and after being elected, became afflicted with severe selective memory loss (Weapons of Mass Destruction, Service in the Air National Guard, the Armenian Genocide, etc). I didn't expect much from someone who had a "C" average throughout college, but I also expected that four years would be enough time to cram for the Genocide final. It seems as though he still doesn't get it. But what's worse is that some Armenian-Americans still don't get it either. And even worse than that? There's one group out there, the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) who not only is supposed to get it, but is also supposed to go after it and pursue it. ("Supposed to" is the operative term here). My favorite article was the one issued by the AAA which stated that the AAA "…expressed surprise and disappointment in President Bush's statement…which used language to clearly define the events but once again stopped short of using the word genocide." In 2001, when President Bush didn't use the word "genocide," the AAA expressed "regret and disappointment." In 2002, the AAA praised the President for his toothless statement by saying that by using the word "murder" he invoked the same words as US Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau, Sr. I guess since I use the words "the" and "and" I'm invoking such greats as Shakespeare and Hemingway in my writing. I tried to find out what the AAA reaction was to the President's statement in 2003, but there were no press releases posted on their website for April 24 of that year (). Fortunately, the Armenian National Committee of America had a press release and the statement posted on their site (). I had forgotten what a doozy the 2003 statement was. The President referred to the genocide as the "great calamity" and get this… saluted "our wise and bold friends from Armenia and Turkey who are coming together in a spirit of reconciliation to consider these events and their significance." (Skeptik looks pensive and rubs chin--MAJOR SARCASM ALERT IN 5…4…3…2…) So, that's where our friend's at the AAA were in 2003? They were coming together to reconcile our "differences" with the murdering, lying, sneaky, fraudulent government of Turkey who is responsible for murdering my ancestors and then denying the crime. And I thought they were up to no good. Well, I guess it's fine that they didn't issue a press release in 2003 and we can all rest better knowing these guys are looking out for us. Am I going to only pick on the AAA, you ask? How about we make a deal? When you have your own column, you can do whatever you want! As far as the AAA is concerned, I can't honestly believe that in 2004, after being used and abused for four years, after they praised the President's 2002 statement and didn't issue one in 2003, that they were genuinely "surprised." They must think that either we're idiots or that we will understand and have pity on them for being idiots. I have some advice for the AAA that may console them seeing as to how shocked and surprised they must be by Bush's statement--There's an old saying in that state of Tennessee which recently acknowledged the Armenian Genocide for the first time. Yup, there's a saying there--I don't think they have the same saying in Turkey or in Texas--but it says "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on me for sticking around, and fool me four times, its no surprise!" Skeptik Sinikian is not a psychiatrist nor a licensed therapist but offers clinics to help Armenian organizations cope with dikephobia (fear of justice) and ideophobia (fear of ideas). If you would like to "surprise" Skeptik, write to him at [email protected]. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.