Category: News

Pope Francis stands for the diplomatic settlement of the  Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Vladimir Fekete, Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Church in Azerbaijan said at a press conference in Baku on September 14.

Accoridng to reports in Azeri media, Fekete added that “the Catholic Church opposes war and urges to solve such conflicts peacefully.” He said the Catholic Church is not directly dealing with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Fekete didn’t mention whether the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would be discussed during Pope’s visit to Baku.

Pope Francis will visit Baku on October 2. The Pontiff is expected to meet with Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade, the chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Office, as well as representatives of other religious communities, a spokesperson for the Roman Catholic Church in Baku Jamila Mammadova, said at a press conference in Baku on September 14.

Armenia has much to offer to U.S. students interested in studying abroad, attendees of a two-day workshop held by American Councils heard on Tuesday.  During the workshop, made possible by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of State’s recently-established U.S. Study Abroad office, speakers from American Councils and the U.S. Embassy emphasized that Armenia has the potential to attract greater numbers of U.S. students, and discussed with representatives of Armenian higher education institutions ways of expanding their marketing to the American audience.  U.S. students are increasingly looking for non-traditional destinations that offer unique experiences for short-term study related to their fields of interest, and Armenian higher education institutions have much to offer in these fields.

“The U.S. places great importance on study abroad programs and encourages American students to explore these opportunities for many reasons, said Public Affairs Officer Jacqueline Deley.  “First and foremost, study abroad promotes mutual understanding between people of different countries and the U.S. Americans studying abroad forge strong, life-long friendships with citizens and other foreign students in their host countries, and can appreciate the histories and cultures of other countries in ways that cannot be learned in books.  At the same time, by sharing American culture and values with host country friends and contacts, these students can be enormously effective citizen diplomats.  The U.S. and Armenia have been friends and partners for many years, and we believe that increased flows of exchange students between our two countries will strengthen our bilateral relationship even further. We hope that more American students will take advantage of study abroad opportunities in Armenia, to serve as ambassadors of goodwill, and to contribute to the mutual understanding and friendship between our two peoples and experience the many delights this country has to offer.”

The two-day workshop included sessions on U.S. study abroad trends, the value-added of academic exchanges, lessons learned from past U.S. student programs, and tips for communicating with U.S. audiences.  In the audience were higher education professionals from public and private institutions in Armenia and representatives from the Ministry of Education and Science.

The mission of the State Department’s U.S. Study Abroad Branch is to not only increase the number of Americans studying overseas, but also to promote diversity of students, fields of study, locations of study, and types of higher education institutions.

The Brussels Airlines will start regular flights between the Belgian and Armenian capitals.

A corresponding application of the Belgian civil aviation was handed over to Armenian Ambassador Tatul Margaryan today.

The parties have agreed to launch the flights next year and increase their frequency, if necessary.

The cessation of hostilities in Syria that came into effect at sunset on Monday appears to be holding, reports suggest, the BBC reports.

The deal, brokered by Russia and the US has been described by the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, as possibly the “last chance to save a united Syria”.

Residents in the embattled northern city of Aleppo say there is calm there.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said it was “quiet” on nearly all fronts.

However, other reports spoke of sporadic attacks carried out by both government forces and rebels after the ceasefire had come into effect.

The Observatory said they included aerial bombardment of some villages in Hama province, and shelling near Damascus.

The Syrian army has said the truce will be applied throughout Syria for seven days, but that it reserves the right to respond decisively to any violation by armed groups.

A number of rebel factions have given a guarded welcome to the deal but expressed reservations about its implementation.

The delegation of the Armenian Defense Ministry participated in the Second International Military and Technical forum “Army-2016” held at Patriot Park near Moscow from September 6 to 11.

The Armenian booth was attended by the leadership of the CSTO, representatives of the Federal Service of the Russian Military-Technical Cooperation, officials from the Russian Defense Ministry and others.

The Armenian enterprises represented at the forum received proposals for cooperation from Russian and Belarussian companies.

The Armenian delegation received the Grand Prix of teh Army-2016 forum along with delegations from Belarusa nd Kazakhstan.

Asbarez – Leading member of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) and member of the Turkish Parliament, will visit the Southern California Armenian community and participate in several events, which include an academic conference, a community dinner and a town hall meeting hosted by Asbarez.

Paylan represents the 3rd district of Istanbul and is active within the Armenian community there. He has been a strong advocate for minority rights, human rights and social justice in Turkey and will engage in discussions involving current events in Turkey and the region. Prior to his election to Parliament, Paylan served in the central committee of the HDP and also served on management boards of Armenian schools in Istanbul. He has long promoted bilingual education and minority rights in Turkey and has been actively engaged in raising awareness on issues of discrimination toward minorities, the rights of the Armenian community in Turkey, Turkish-Armenian reconciliation, Hrant Dink’s case, and justice for the Armenian Genocide. His family originates from Malatya, and he is currently one of three deputies in the Turkish Parliament who are of ethnic Armenian heritage.

On Saturday, September 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Paylan will be the featured speaker at an academic conference organized by Armenians & Progressive Politics and the All-ASA Armenian Students Association in partnership with the Woodbury ASA.

The conference, entitled “GEOPOLITICS AND MINORITIES: THE CASE OF TURKEY” will be held at the Fletcher Jones Auditorium on the campus of Woodbury University, located at 7500 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, CA. Guest panelists will include Khatchig Mouradian, Ph.D., Visiting Professor of Armenian Studies at California State University, Fresno; Asli Bali, Ph.D., Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Near Eastern Studies at UCLA; and Edvin Minassian, Esq., Board Member and Past President of the Armenian Bar Association.

Saturday evening at 7 p.m., a Community Dinner with Garo Paylan will be hosted by the United Armenian Council of Los Angeles (UACLA) at Ferrahian High School, 5300 White Oak Avenue, Encino, CA

On Sunday morning, September 25, at 10 a.m., Garo Paylan will first attend Mass at St. Leon Cathedral, 3325 N. Glenoaks, Burbank, CA, and at 11:30 a.m., he will attend Mass at Holy Cross Cathedral, 900 W. Lincoln, Montebello, CA.

On Sunday afternoon, September 25, at 4:00 p.m., Garo Paylan will pay homage to the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide by laying a wreath at the Monument in Bicknell Park, Montebello.

On Sunday evening, September 25 at 7:00 p.m., Asbarez Newpaper will host a Community Town Hall with Garo Paylan at the Krikor & Mariam Karamanoukian Glendale Youth Center located at 211 W. Chestnut, Glendale, CA.

On September 13, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Karen Mirzoyan received Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.

During the meeting, the sides discussed a range of issues related to the monitoring of the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan conducted by the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office.

– The world premiere of the late Kirk Kerkorian’s legacy project—the much anticipated Armenian Genocide epic “The Promise”—had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sept. 11. The film had the honor of being designated as one of the gala presentations of the prestigious festival.

The sold-out, star-studded gala took place at the iconic Roy Thomson Hall, with over 1,000 movie lovers and guests in attendance. The screening was attended by most of the primary cast, including Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Le Bon, Christian Bale, Marwan Kenzari, and Angela Sarafyan; musical artists who contributed to the soundtrack such as Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) and Serj Tankian (System of a Down); director Terry George; and the production crew.

Prior to the screening, the film team was introduced on stage, and the importance of depicting the Armenian Genocide in film was presented to the audience. A resounding applause was given when Kirk Kerkorian’s name appeared at the beginning of the screening, considering the film would not have been possible without his vision.

The film begins with Michael (Isaac), an aspiring medical student who leaves his village for Constantinople to pursue his studies. In both locations, the audience is shown the delicate coexistence of religious and ethnic minorities within the larger society of the Ottoman Empire—minarets and church domes side by side in the landscape, Armenian and Turkish businesses competing against one another for customers.

In Constantinople, Michael meets Ana (Le Bon), an Armenian from Paris he quickly falls in love with, and Chris (Bale), Ana’s boyfriend and an outspoken Associated Press reporter. A love triangle quickly develops—a plot twist that is perhaps overdone in film and could have been better executed, but effective in moving the story forward nonetheless. He also befriends a wealthy fellow Turkish student Emre (Kenzari), the fictional son of Djemal Pasha, who honorably treats his Armenian friend with respect and loyalty throughout the film.

The second act of the film sees the Ottoman Empire entering World War I, as the relative peace of the society gives way to mass arrests, violent mobs, beatings, and hangings of the Armenian and other minority populations. The cold and systematic actions by the army officials fills the viewer with dread and underscores the premeditated nature of the historical crime.

Michael is eventually apprehended and deported. He experiences a harrowing journey of repeated separation, loss, trauma, and hope.

The film excels in portraying the traumatic emotional and physical experiences of the victims of the genocide, showing entire villages murdered and disposed in rivers, mass executions, deportation lines, and large groups of Armenian orphans.

Although the film does not rely solely on being a history lesson, those familiar with the history of the Armenian Genocide will notice familiar figures appear in the film, such as Father Komitas, Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, as well as Talaat and Enver Pashas, and Nazim Bey. The heroic resistances of Van and Musa Ler are portrayed in the film as well.

It is also worth commending the film for portraying various characters who stand up for the persecuted minorities. Bale excels in his role as Chris, who sees the warning signs of turmoil before his Armenian friends, and works tirelessly to document the horrors around him and bring them to the attention of the American people. United States ambassador Henry Morgenthau speaks to Talaat Pasha in an attempt to stop the violence and disregards diplomacy, declaring the Young Turk’s true plans for the Armenians. Finally, Kenzari’s depiction of Emre, a wealthy and comfortable Turk, whose steadfast loyalty to his Armenian friend at his own personal peril reminds viewers that there were those during the Genocide who put humanity and compassion over hate and violence.

The movie leaves viewers with the weight of the experiences of those who perished and those who fought to survive. Armenian and non-Armenians alike feel the same depth of pain, which shows that genocide recognition and prevention are a common cause for all humanity. The personal connection developed with the characters helps deepen the empathy felt by the audience and many in the concert hall were tearful by the end of the film.

Kerkorian’s vision was realized—the film will help the world will recognize the trauma of the genocide as it has long been felt by the Armenians.

The Raoul Wallenberg Foundation presents the ebook  an English version of the original in Spanish by the Argentinian author Sulim Granovsky.

Edited and published by the foundation in 2010 (Spanish ebook format), the research focuses on the tragic events that took place in 1915. As all the works that comprise the RWF Digital Library, this new ebook is freely accessible to all.

Sulim Granovsky comments on his creation in his own words: “Six hundred years of peaceful coexistence had elapsed within the empire, where Armenians shared in managing finance, business and the exports. Most of the buildings in Constantinople were built by Armenian architects. The main mosques were also the work of Armenian architects. Armenian officials advised the Turkish hierarchy. However, it was a false peace, because a series of vicissitudes anticipated the end of the precarious harmony, prior to the 1915 Genocide. In just a couple of years since 1895 Abdul Hamid, the Red Sultan, named after his bloodthirsty intentions, unleashed the annihilation of 300,000 Armenians. During the Hamidian era “any Muslim had permission to test the sharpness of his sword on the neck of an Armenian Christian.” Hamid’s murderous instinct was somewhat selective: he ordered the massacre of the Armenians in Anatolia, particularly if they had links to political parties and religious missions that could pose a threat to his regime because of the strong influence they had over the people. Truth is that in 1908 the rising movement of the Young Turks had overthrown Hamid, generating the support of the Armenians. However, the charm did not last long, because in the course of secret meetings of the Union and Progress Party, the Young Turks resolved that the Armenians were internal enemies of the Turkification process and should be persecuted and annihilated. The Interior Minister, Talaat Pasha, considered that, since the Armenians “had lost the right to life in the Ottoman Empire”, not a single bullet should be wasted in a holy war and, therefore, they should be killed with knives or drowned in the Euphrates. And this was what was done.”

This edition in English, commissioned to prestigious translator Elizabeth Birks, excels not only as a splendid translation, but also as a model of rhetorical precision.

 

 

 

The National Assembly started the 10^th session with discussions on the appointment of the new Prosecutor General.

Deputy Prosecutor General Arthur Davtyan is still the only candidate. Addresing the lawmakers, he outlined the priorities of the field with a special emphasis on the transparent and public activity of the Office.

Asked to comment on his formula of changing the formula of justice, Arthur Davtyan said: “I see problems here, and I see the solution in the publicity. I often hear opinions and assessments, which contradict the objective information we possess. The information simply needs to be presented so that the public can form an objective comprehension of the events.”