Category: News

Detroit Free Press, MI
Aug 25 2004
LOCAL VOICES: Cleanse world of genocide
Collective action can end Darfur atrocities
BY VICTOR BEGG DAVID GAD-HARF AND THE REV. DANIEL KRICHBAUM
We are blessed in metro Detroit to have a great number of activists
committed to improving interfaith and inter-race relations in our
community.
The connections we have built allow us to ensure positive and
constructive solutions to problems that may arise between our groups
and maintain an atmosphere of acceptance, tolerance and civility.
Taking a look into our history books underscores the importance of
working together to foster intergroup relations.
Toward the end of World War I, the Ottoman Empire began a program of
ethnic cleansing targeting the Armenian population. During the
Holocaust, over 6 million Jews and an equal number of non-Jews were
slaughtered in Europe. In the mid-1990s, 800,000 Rwandans were killed
in that African country’s program of mass murder. Around the same
time, Muslims in the former Yugoslavia were subjected to genocide.
Is it conceivable that such ethnic cleansing that so stained the 20th
Century continues today?
Not only is it conceivable, but it is happening. As we speak, blacks
in Sudan’s Darfur region are being killed, raped and displaced by
militiamen known as the Janjaweed. These militias are supported by a
Sudanese government that continues to allow the Janjaweed to commit
these atrocities against fellow Muslims in the African nation. Both
the U.S. Congress and UN Security Council have issued resolutions
condemning the ongoing genocide.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan also have visited the Darfur area, but these minimal efforts
are not enough. The Save Darfur Coalition (), made
up of more than 80 organizations, including representation from major
faith groups and humanitarian organizations, has designated today,
Aug. 25, as the Day of Conscience.
Across North America, communities are engaging in interfaith efforts
to raise public awareness about the horrific situation in Darfur and
to demand that the international community take immediate and
decisive action to stop the ethnic cleansing.
So what can each of us do today and in the coming days, weeks and
months to end this great tragedy unfolding before us? Each of us
should write to President George W. Bush and urge him to declare what
is happening in Darfur genocide (he has not done so, even though such
a declaration would solidify support for Darfurians). We can also ask
our members of Congress to express their outrage that genocide can
still occur and speak publicly about the issue.
Our religious clergy can bring this issue to the attention of their
congregations. We can pledge financial support — no matter how large
or small — to the relief organizations trying to provide food,
water, health care and shelter to over one million refugees of this
crisis.
The value of every action — whether individual or collective — can
bring an end to this great human tragedy.
Who knows what could have been had more people stood up to Hitler, if
more nations had spoken out against Slobodan Milosevic in Bosnia?
Here in metro Detroit, we are committed to improving our
understanding of, and relations among, all religious, racial and
ethnic groups despite our differences. One important lesson that we
have learned is that no matter which faith we hold so dear, we are
all commanded to respect life, care for those in need and create a
better world.
It is this belief that underscores today’s Day of Conscience. Let us
act now to raise awareness of the atrocities being committed in
Sudan. Let us act together, quickly, so that this new century does
not carry the bloody stains of the previous one.
VICTOR BEGG is vice chair of the Council of Islamic Organizations of
Michigan; DAVID GAD-HARF is executive director of the Jewish
Community Council of Metropolitan Detroit; THE REV. DAN KRICHBAUM is
executive Director of the National Conference for Community &
Justice. Write to them in care of the Free Press Editorial Page, 600
W. Fort St., Detroit, MI 48226.

Novinite, Bulgaria
Aug 25 2004
Winning Start for Bulgaria’s Nazaryan

Bulgaria’s Armen Nazaryan won his first wrestling battle in the
Olympics, defeating Elgharably of Egypt. Photo by
armennazaryan.tripod.com

Bulgarian wrestler Armen Nazaryan overpowered his first Olympic rival
on Wednesday.
Nazaryan, 22, won over Ashraf Elgharably of Egypt, in Pool C of men’s
Greco-Roman 60kg pool elimination.
The Armenia-born athlete, who is married to a Bulgarian, is two times
World and Olympic champion.

San Diego Union Tribune, CA
Aug 25 2004
Arrest is praised by U.S. authorities
By Anna Cearley
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
TIJUANA – A man suspected of running a people-smuggling operation
along the California border was arrested yesterday by Mexican federal
agents in Mexicali.

Agustín Chan Montoya was “one of the most sought-after people
smugglers” in the area for U.S and Mexican authorities, said Abraham
Sarabia, spokesman for the Mexican attorney general’s office in
Tijuana.
Mexican federal authorities said Chan also had been smuggling
non-Mexicans. Authorities were exploring a connection between him and
a group of eight Iranians and Armenians detained in Mexicali last
week after a tip from U.S. authorities.
U.S. authorities praised the arrest of Chan, who is in his mid-30s.
Smuggling organizations of the type Chan is accused of operating are
believed to move thousands of people illegally into the United States
each year.
“It’s a very significant arrest in the eyes of U.S. law enforcement
authorities,” said Lauren Mack, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement. “This is certainly someone who has been on our
radar screen.”
This was Chan’s second arrest in 20 months. He was captured in
January 2003 on an arrest warrant in Mexicali after a coordinated
investigation between U.S. and Mexican authorities, but he was
released from prison. It wasn’t clear if a judge had dismissed the
case or if Chan served a short sentence.
Immigrants caught in the Imperial Valley by U.S. Border Patrol agents
this year identified Chan through photos as the smuggler who had
arranged their trip, according to the latest Mexican arrest warrant.
The migrants, who were from various parts of Mexico, had used an
inflatable raft to cross a canal from Mexicali into the United
States. Their statements were taken by an official with the Mexican
attorney general’s office, which used them to build another case
against Chan.
The migrants said Chan “treated them in a violent and aggressive
manner and said that if they were captured to not implicate him or
his associates or else they would make their families suffer,”
according to the arrest warrant.
Mack wouldn’t say whether Chan’s arrest was a development from last
week’s detentions in Mexicali. Two of the detainees, U.S. citizens of
Iranian and Armenian descent who were presumed to be involved in a
smuggling operation, were deported to the United States.
Chan’s arrest “is part of the continuing cooperative effort between
U.S. and Mexican law enforcement on both sides of the border to
investigate smuggling activities in Mexicali,” Mack said. “It
definitely will be continuing.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AGBU PRESS OFFICE
55 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone (212) 319-6383
Fax (212) 319-6507
Email [email protected]
Webpage
PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
AGBU APPLAUDS 2004 MANOOGIAN-DEMIRDJIAN GRADUATING CLASS
Graduates Achieve Early Admittance to Harvard, Yale, Columbia,
University of Pennsylvania, MIT, and Duke among others.
New York, NY – Addressing AGBU’s 2004 Manoogian-Demirdjian graduating
class, Principal Hagop Hagopian emphasized the importance of civic
responsibility, preserving and strengthening our Armenian identity and
spirit, and having the courage to meet present and future challenges.
The official commencement ceremony, which took place on June 19th,
marked, as noted by Valedictorian Armen Yerevanian, “two separate
events, one: a commemoration of the past; and two: a dedication to the
future and the hope that it brings.” Salutatorian Christina Tokatlian
also addressed the 46 seniors, expressing great pride in her Armenian
heritage, noting that “it is not being born Armenian, but living as
such, which makes us Armenian.”
Chairman of the Manoogian-Demirdjian School Board and AGBU Central
Board Member Sinan Sinanian provided the graduates with words of
wisdom and sound advice before introducing keynote speaker, the
Narekatsi Professor of Armenian Studies at UCLA, Dr. Peter
Cowe. Dr. Cowe stressed the importance of and need to preserve our
Armenian culture and homeland.
Taking the podium next, AGBU President Berge Setrakian, took the
opportunity to congratulate the 2004 graduating class and the school
itself for its strong record of achievement as exemplified by the
early acceptances to Harvard, Yale, Columbia, University of
Pennsylvania, MIT, Duke and Johns Hopkins University. “Throughout our
98-year history, our organization has devoted much energy, thought,
and resources to establishing educational programs that meet the needs
of Armenians wherever they may be throughout the world,” remarked
Setrakian.
President Setrakian continued to focus on the importance of education
and the needs of the future generation stating, “as AGBU approaches
its Centennial, we are taking great care to address our mission in
education in the context of immense complexities and diverse needs of
Armenians today…It is critical that we continue to support what is
working so well, improve if we can what is not, but most important,
create new initiatives that take into account the changing needs of
Armenian youth everywhere.”
“As we progress through the 21st Century and attempt to address an
even more fluid and rapidly changing social, political, and
technological climate, it is important for AGBU to reassess the
effective use of its resources, in terms of both human and financial
investments. And let me assure you, we are doing just that,” Setrakian
continued. In concluding his remarks, Setrakian made a special appeal
to the graduates: “AGBU needs your energy, intelligence, and
dedication now and throughout your lives to ensure that hand in hand
we will preserve and promote our Armenian identity and heritage. Good
luck and God speed.”
Founded in 1976, AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian is one of the largest
Armenian schools in the Diaspora and continues to serve Southern
California’s growing Armenian community. For more information on AGBU
and its schools, visit

“FEAST FOR KERRY”
Azg/am
25 Aug 04
A Musical Festival on August 28
An unprecedented musical festival called “Feast for Kerry” is going to
burst out in Franklin, Massachusetts, in a campsite “Armenia” on
August 28.
The festival is aimed to do honour to the Democratic candidate John
Kerry who is respected by the Armenian community of the US for the 20
years of pro-Armenian policy in the Senate. Now Armenians hope that
John Kerry would be kind of Woodrow Wilson, American president
sensitive to the problems of the Armenians.
Armenians all over America will gather at the campsite to express
their support to the senator Kerry. The festival includes music of all
types, from folklore to jazz. A desk named “Kebab for Kerry” will be
open all day long.
Harut Sassounian of the California Courier was present at the
Democratic convention in Boston and writes that the Hye Dat National
Committee of America, that usually makes its decision public by the
end of the polls, this time was certain about the choice. The choice
was easy to take as “Bush administration has nothing to offer the
Armenian community” whereas Kerry has voted for the Armenian Genocide
acknowledgment and now is one of the supporters of the new
acknowledgment formula.
On the convention days in Boston Mr. Sassounian met many Armenians
even from Republicans who had come to unanimously support John
Kerry. “This is a good opportunity enabling Kerry to cooperate with
different representatives of the Armenian community in case of taking
the office”, writes Mr. Sassounian.
By Hakob Tsulikian

LEADER OF “GREY WOLVES” ARMENIAN?
Azg/am
25 Aug 04
Finding Armenian Roots – a Way to Defame politicians
The ethnic origin and/or religious background of certain Turkish
officials are often a theme for discussion in Turkey. We don’t mean
the Donmes, the Muslim Jews, but rather Christian Armenians. What’s
the reason of this genesis digging that turn into accusation? Before
answering this question we want to remind you that the Turkish
president Ahmed Nacet Sezer was subjected to doubts concerning his
birth in Kotahia, a Christian district.
Some of suchlike suppositions appear in the press others remain only
rumors. The last victims exposed to bigoted doubts were former
Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister Mesut Ylmazin
who was said to be Armenian, the present Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
is said to have Georgian origin. Even more, the charismatic leader of
the “Grey Wolves” political organization Alparslan Turkesh, born in
Cyprus in 1917, was blamed for having adopted anArmenian child.
The founder of today’s Turkey Kemal Ataturk was also blamed for
adopting an Armenian daughter Sabiha Giokchen who later became the
first women pilot inthe Turkish air force.
Discussions over the origin of Sabiha Giokchen made the supreme
headquarters of Turkey intervene declaring officially: “Her Armenian
origin is of no importance. Even if it’s true that shows that Ataturk
tolerated religious and ethnic minorities.”
In order to prove that Armenian roots are means of defaming certain
politicians we shall bring the example of Devlet Bahceli, president of
the Nationalistic Movement party. The Turkish Akos Daily spreads
information ongenealogy of Bahceli referring to another newspaper
Vakit.
According to the Akos Daily August 13 issue, a Turkish historian Jezmi
Yurtsevert studied Bahceli’s genealogy and published in the
newspaper. As a result of the research historian concluded that
Bahceli is a 100 percent Turk withno drop of Armenian or Christian
blood. In 2003 Yurtsevert studied the Ottoman archives and turned to
the municipality of Kozan (Armenian name for Kozan is Sis, the
birthplace of Bahceli) to find out facts about his birth certificate.
Jezmi Yurtsevert concludes with the following words: “Documents of the
Ottoman archive refute the false claims about Bahceli’s Armenian
origin. The results of the research show that he comes from Turkmen
fattahli tribe and that his forefathers in the Ottoman era were feuds
occupying the lands stretching from Urha to Marash. No doubt that it’s
a trick to put an end to the political carrier of Bahceli by using an
Armenian weapon.”

TURKS CENSOR MARCH ISSUE OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Azg/am
25 Aug 04
The National Geographic popular magazine that is issued in America
included a 22 pages article entitled “Armenia Reborn” in its March
issue. This arose a wave of indignation in the Turkish circles,
Armenian Mirror Spectator weekly writes in its August 7 issue. Turkish
Government and Turkish Lobby attacked the weekly and its publishers
with letters that put under doubt the presented reality. Under this
pressure, “Armenia Reborn” article by Frank Viviano, representing the
Armenian history of 3000 years as well as the current events in
Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh conflict, was excluded from the Turkish
version of the periodical.
But, in honour of the editorship, we must estimate that the position
concerning the Armenian Genocide remained unchanged. In the July issue
of the magazine, in the “Forum” section, the editors characterized the
events of 1915 as “genocide” and stated that they received over 1600
letters on this matter, dwelling on the March issue dedicated to
Armenia. Not a single article received such evaluation during the last
five years. The magazine published the four of these letters,
including the letters by Hrair Hovnanian and Antony Parsamian, where
they state that the article reflected the true Armenian character and
the values cherished by the nation. In the course of the meeting in
Washington, Ros Vardian, Executive Director of Armenian Congress,
David Jenian, Head of Pr Department, and Ruben Adalian, Director of
“Ani” company thanked the editors of the magazine.
Besides, the article in the March issue of National Geographic, the
magazine published another large article on Armenians entitled “Proud
Armenians” in 1978.
By Hakob Tsulikian

Armenia, Russia in joint “planned” exercises
Mediamax news agency
24 Aug 04
YEREVAN
Four-day joint Armenian-Russian exercises started at the Marshal
Bagramyan training centre today.
The spokesman for the Armenian Defence Ministry, Seyran Shakhsuvaryan,
told Mediamax that the exercises are of planned character. Their aim
is to work out the sides’ interoperability while carrying out
defensive actions.
Reinforced motor-rifle regiment is taking part in the exercises from
the Armenian part, and servicemen of the Russian Defence Ministry’s
112th military base stationed in Armenia from the Russian
part. Fighting, attack aviation and artillery will take part in the
exercises along with the motorized forces.
The exercises are being carried out under the command of Armenian
Deputy Defence Minister, Lt-Gen Mikael Grigoryan.

Six Armenian pilots on trial in Equatorial Guinea over alleged plot
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
23 Aug 04
Presenter Six Armenian pilots, who are accused of plotting to
overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea, are on trial.
The Armenian leadership is sure that the Armenian pilots were not
involved in the plot. The Armenian Foreign Ministry said that the
pilots have already been appointed a local defence attorney. This is
(?Pansiano Mubombo Nubuen) who has already met the pilots and talked
to the Armenian ambassador to Egypt, Samvel Manasaryan. A spokesman
for the Armenian Foreign Ministry told “Aylur” news programme that the
attorney has promised to use all his skills to prove that the Armenian
pilots are not guilty.
Gamlet Gasparyan, spokesman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry,
captioned We have not yet any information about the trial because of
the time difference. Under the country’s laws, the local defence
attorney has been appointed. The attorney has met the pilots at the
end of last week. Our diplomats have met various officials of this
country and held talks with them to present Armenia’s position.
As you know the Armenian president Robert Kocharyan also sent a letter
to the Equatorial Guanine leadership. Armenia has taken various steps
and addressed various countries and international organizations,
asking them to assist our pilots. Armenia is doing its best in order
to solve this problem as soon as possible.

Azeri premier blames minister for debt to Turkish company
ANS TV, Baku
24 Aug 04
Refugees from Armenia will not pay for education in state-run
universities, Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizada has said.
He also commented on Azerbaijan’s debt to Turkey’s Saka Korkmaz
company. Rasizada said that Azerbaijani Agriculture Minister Irsad
Aliyev had abused power endorsing the debt of about 9m dollars .