Category: News

Armenian Weekly – As Armenians and Jews around world will gather this month to commemorate Yom HaShoah and Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, which happen to fall on the same day this year, Congregation B’nai Israel and the Armenian Genocide Commemoration, Inc. have organized a joint program of remembrance with a screening of the critically acclaimed film Denial at Congregation B’nai Israel, 2200 Yamato Road, Boca Raton, Fla. 33431 on April 23 at 6 p.m.

Based on the book Denial: Holocaust History on Trial, Denial recounts Deborah E. Lipstadt’s (Academy Award® winner Rachel Weisz) legal battle for historical truth against David Irving (BAFTA nominee Timothy Spall), who accused her of libel when she declared him a Holocaust denier. In the English legal system, in cases of libel, the burden of proof is on the defendant, therefore it was up to Lipstadt and her legal team, led by Richard Rampton (Academy Award® nominee Tom Wilkinson), to prove the essential truth that the Holocaust occurred.

“The Armenian and Jewish communities have a shared historical pain.  Our religions may be different, but our stories are the same.  Families broken apart and slaughtered in campaigns of ethnic cleansing that took millions of lives from us, an uprooting of a people and a way of life, our survival and that we have not only survived but thrived, and a vow to remember and never forget” commented Arsine Kaloustian, the Chair of Armenian Genocide Commemoration, Inc.  “We also share the vigilance against any denial of these atrocities, which makes the theme of the film so relevant for both communities,” she added.

The program will begin with a catered welcome reception, while a multi-panel presentation on prejudice and genocide given created by students from Palm Beach Central High School will be on public display.  Local Armenian and Jewish community leaders will then deliver brief remarks and discuss the importance of the film. After the film screening, the evening will conclude with an interfaith candlelit prayer service from local religious leaders.

“We human beings, created in the divine image, have a Godly responsibility to speak out and act against the atrocity of the extermination of any people because of their race, religion, or ethnicity. Too often people are complicit in their silence against those who would deny such a holocaust. The lessons of history must be studied and learned so that we might chart a better course for humanity. It does not do justice to our Godly responsibilities to ignore, deny, or reframe human history,” stated Rabbi Robert A. Silvers of Congregation B’nai Israel.

The event is free and open to the public. Members of the media are also invited to participate. Space is limited and RSVP is required. Please register online at: www.rememberthem.eventbrite.com.

On April 18, the five American Corners in Armenia – in Yerevan, Gyumri, Vanadzor, Charentsavan, and Kapan – celebrated Armenia’s National Library Week by organizing a reading marathon of Mark Twain’s classic novel “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” with participants from throughout the country.

Dozens of community leaders, literary figures, library patrons, and students joined U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills, Jr. and his spouse Leigh – a former librarian herself  —  for the all-day marathon, with guests from all five American Corners connected via videoconference as each particiapantread a five-minute excerpt of the novel out loud.

“The story of Mark Twain is a story of the American Dream,” Ambassador Mills said. “Having started with very little, he became a famous author whose works are read and enjoyed all over the world, and whose characters – Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn – have become symbols of American life and the values Americans treasure – freedom, questioning authority, and ultimately our belief in every American’s personal dignity. And while Twain’s success is due to his hard work, talent, and motivation, his local library also played an important role in his career. Twain left school at the age of 12 and thereafter educated himself in public libraries in the evenings, where he said he was able to find wider information than at conventional schools. The example of Twain illustrates the important role that a library can play in a person’s life.”

National Library Week is celebrated in Armenia April 17-23. This year Armenia’s libraries are using the occasion to honor the 25^th anniversary of the establishment of the Armenian Army. In the United States, which celebrated National Library Week last week, April 9-15, this year’s theme was theme “Libraries Transform.”

“This theme – that libraries transform – is a fitting way to think about the role of libraries in our communities,” Ambassador Mills said. “In many cases, they are being physically transformed, becoming more and more spaces that provide hands-on access to – and instruction in – cutting-edge technology. And by providing free access to a wide range of books, journalis, and online resources, they can transform people’s lives, helping them build their knowledge and skills to take advantage of greater educational and professional opportunities. This is especially true of our five American Corners.”

There are five American Corners in Armenia – in Yerevan, Gyumri, Vanadzor, Charentsavan, and Kapan. Last year, a record number of Armenians visited the five Corners for free English lessons, access to English-language books and DVDs, children’s activities, college and university advising, and access to technology such as computers, internet, and 3D printers.

Asbarez – In its annual recognition of the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the Pasadena Unified School District’s (PUSD) Board of Education, at its well-attended meeting, issued on March 30 the Genocide Resolution to the attending Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), Pasadena Chapter’s Board of Directors.

The ANCA, Pasadena Chapter has grown accustomed to the School District’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and its esteemed board of Education’s solidarity in standing with the Armenian-American Community in paying homage to the 1.5 million victims, who in 1915, fell prey to the atrocities of the Ottoman Turks. With this being the commemoration of the 102nd anniversary of the Genocide, the world has much to do in correcting the wrongs of the past century in restoring lost Armenian lands, amongst other things, to its rightful owners, the Armenian people.

“For the past 102 years, humanity has not been at a good place when it comes to justice for the Armenians,” expressed Pasadena ANCA Board Member Shahe Jierian. “Humanity has failed us miserably! It’s time the world redeemed itself by acting to restore every lost inch of Armenia’s historical lands to its rightful heirs and exact appropriate punitive measures on the perpetrators of the unspeakable acts committed by the Turks.”

On the occasion of the Board of Education’s issuance of the resolution, Hoori Chalian, the School District’s Director of Innovative Programs, and ANCA Western Region Education Committee Member, conveyed her heartfelt message on the Genocide to the board of education, which was followed by her introduction of three teachers from Pasadena High School to whom she presented award certificates for their invaluable contributions in collaborating to enlightening students on the Armenian Genocide.

The collaborative efforts of Genely Chan, Graphic Arts Teacher, Mayte Hernandez, English Teacher and William Jenkins, Social Studies teacher are highly commendable especially for facilitating an integrated project on Genocide awareness at Pasadena High School this past year. Focusing particularly on the Armenian Genocide, the Social Studies, Art, and English classes collaborated to create a major art installation which included a graphic silhouette of an Armenian Genocide death march, as well as paintings created by students and Haiku poems which expressed their feelings and ideas about the Armenian Genocide. This project encourages student lifelong learning, self- expression as well as learning about genocide effectively.

Photo: Wayne State University

 

Ara Topouzian will be performing Friday at the Phoenix Theaters Laurel Park Place in Livonia before two showings of “The Promise,” a film set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire when more than one million Armenians were massacred,  reports.

The film showings and concerts by Topouzian are being hosted by the Armenian National Committee of Michigan. Both of the concert/film showings are sold out.

“We were displaced. It was an attempt to drive us to extinction. Music is history to me. It tells a story,” he said. “Anytime I perform or lecture on music, my part is to preserve Armenian culture and educate others on our history. And equally important, I love the music.”

A Farmington Hills resident, Topouzian works full time heading the Troy Chamber of Commerce and formerly worked for the Farmington Chamber of Commerce. Topouzian took up the kanun, which he describes as the grandfather to the piano, after he graduated from high school.

“The kanun dates to the fifth century — it’s still played today. I had always played music since I was a child, but not Armenian or Middle Eastern music,” Topouzian said. “I grew up in a very Armenian home — both my parents are Armenian. They never forced it on me. There was music in the house and records.”

So growing up, Topouzian said he was exposed to traditional Armenian music and would attend events in the Armenian community. “I loved the exotic sound of the music compared to western music,” he said. “In essence, you’re bending notes, sort of in-between the notes typically heard in western music. It’s a different rhythm and sounds.”

Along with preserving the culture of Armenians, Topouzian is hoping the mainstream film will reach more people.

“What they didn’t take was our musical history,” Topouzian said. “This film is very important to the Armenian people, but it is equally important for the non-Armenian community to watch and embrace it. Through this movie, audiences will have a chance to learn more about the Armenian genocide.”

It’s a tragedy that forced Armenians to flee their homes and many ended up in the Detroit area.

“We are all here due to the genocide. I’m in Michigan because of it. Parts of my family escaped. Many Armenians came to Detroit because Henry Ford was offering work at $5 a day,” Topouzian said.

United star Henrikh Mkhitaryan was in a generous mood as he enjoyed a Bank Holiday lunch with pals, according to .

The winger was spotted giving a homeless man a fiver and stopping to pose for a selfie with a fan after lunch at celeb haunt San Carlo.

Onlookers say the Armenian parked his top-of-the-range £70k Mercedes C63 on double yellow lines outside the King Street West Italian restaurant before spending an hour inside.

But it may have been a expensive lunch for the  star after a traffic warden clocked his dodgy parking. And just as a traffic warden was about to slap him with a £60 fine.

An onlooker said: “Because it was Easter Monday there weren’t that many parking wardens about, but one eventually did show up and started taking down the car’s details.

“But then Mkhitaryan came out of the restaurant and the traffic warden stopped what he was doing and just started gawping.

“Mkhitaryan then posed for a selfie with a fan, gave a homeless man a fiver and left. He seemed very relaxed.

Members of the California Legislature commemorated the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 17, even as the United States of America continues to turn a blind eye to the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians, Massis Post reports.

“We commemorate the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide to remember the 1.5 million souls lost and to celebrate the Armenian’s contributions to California,” stated Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian. “Through vigilance and education we can banish genocide to our history books.”

“Armenian-Americans have not only survived, they have thrived and enriched the fabric of our communities. The genocide is about real people and real stories. For me it is about my wife Vanessa and her family, people I love and who are Armenian-Americans,” said Senator Scott Wilk. “By remembering the horror of the genocide we are taking steps to ensure it never happens again,” he said.

A police helicopter carrying 12 people crashed in the eastern province of Tunceli, Turkey, on April 18, the local governor’s office has said, adding that the crash may have been caused by poor weather conditions, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

The helicopter was carrying a judge, seven police officers, one sergeant and three crew members, the Tunceli Governor’s Office said in a statement.

Heavy fog in the region made the rescue operation difficult, Turkish media reports said.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, celebrated his 90th birthday on Monday in the garden of his residence in the Vatican, Mater Ecclesiae, Vatican Radio reports.

On a sunny Roman day he drank a mug of beer and listened to traditional Bavarian music in the company of visitors from his native Bavaria in Germany, including the region’s Prime Minister.

His brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, also attended the party.

The Pope Emeritus was born on April 16, 1927, in southern Germany. But since the birthday coincided this year with Easter Sunday, Benedict celebrated the milestone event on Monday.

He resigned from office in 2013.

President Donald Trump congratulated Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his referendum victory, a sharp departure from the critical reception many European officials have given the vote to expand Erdogan’s powers, AP reports.

The White House said the leaders also discussed the war in Syria, which has complicated ties between the two countries.

The White House said the two leaders discussed the campaign against Islamic State, including “the need to cooperate against all groups that use terrorism to achieve their ends.”

A​n historic event took place at the Rhode Island State House on April 13​,​ as the Armenian Genocide and the Jewish Holocaust were recognized together in a resolution introduced by ​​State Representative Katherine Kazarian. ​State Representative J. Aaron Regunberg collaborated​with Rep. Kazarian to ​​introduce the joint resolution, the reports.

Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello​ ​read the names of the representatives ​in support of the resolution and ​concluded with the following words, “​T​he resolution passes unanimously.​” This is the first time a resolution commemorating both devastating crimes against humanity has been introduced and passed in the R.I. State Legislature, and it coincides with the fact that both the Armenian Genocide and Jewish Holocaust are being remembered on the same date this year, April 24.

​Rev. Fr. Shnork Souin of St​s​. Sahag and Mesrob Armenian ​Apostolic ​Church opened the session with a prayer, thanking the State of Rhode Island for always doing the right thing ​in recognizing the horrific crime of genocide​. He was joined by ​Rev. Fr. Kapriel Nazarian of Sts. Vartanantz Armenian ​Apostolic ​Church​,​ as well as a large ​number​ of Armenians​,​ including Armenian National Committee of R.I. (ANC-R.I.) Chair​,​ Ani Haroian​,​ and the Honorable Aram Garabedian. ​Many members of the newly formed Holocaust and Genocide Education Committee were also in attendance.​

The Providence Homenetmen Scouts served as flag bearers.

It was noted by the Speaker that both the Armenian and Jewish communities have contributed to the betterment of ​the State of Rhode Island in spite of such tragic histories.

The ​S​tate recently passed a ​law requiring that the schools in R.I. teach about the Holocaust and Genocide, includ​ing​ the Armenian Genocide.