YOUNG ARMENIANS LIGHT UP RUGBY FEST
Anupama Bagri

Kolkata Newsline, India
Dec 2 2006

Kolkata, December 2: There was a different ball game on at the East
Bengal ground today. With the lovely winter afternoon serving as the
ideal backdrop, it was carnival time again as the London School of
Commerce Kolkata Rugby Tens returned to the city in its second year.

The Londoners – the lone contingent from across seven seas – have
been pooled with CCFC and Future Hope, two of the toughest teams
in the city circuit. The boys from LSC may have had a forgettable
day on the field losing both their group matches, but team manager
Judy Parkes said the team is here to enjoy. "The weather here is
just perfect. Back home it’s rainy and cold. The boys may not win,
but they are happy to be part of the sport here," she said.

Meanwhile, the Armenian College team celebrated their entry into the
semi-finals with comprehensive wins over Ashalayam and Jungle Crows.

They huddled together and allowed themselves a loud cheer, their faces
looking brighter than the red jerseys they were sporting. "It’s the
first time since 1997 that we are fielding a full team. We are all
overjoyed having made the semis," said a beaming coach David Purdy.

The Armenians returned to the rugby circuit last season having been
out of business since 1997. As Purdy explained: "There weren’t too
many boys coming to India to study. And, the pool here was either
too young or too old to play. So we had to wait all this while for
the kids to grow up and now we can field a full strength team. I’m
happy we have done well since our return to the circuit."

The boys in red are the youngest team in fray at the Tens, with the
age group varying between 13-19. Captain Armen Markaryan, 17, says it’s
"exciting to lead a side that is young, energetic and raring to go."

The Armenians won the seven-a-side meet at the Police Bodyguard Lines
last month and are now looking to add the Tens title to their kitty.

"We won the plate last time, this year we don’t want to settle for
anything less than the winners trophy," the burly Purdy said.

The adrenaline level is high, the setting is perfect and the colts
are hungry for success. As Purdy said before leaving the ground with
his boys, "We are the side to watch out for in the future."

Today’s results: Future Hope beat CCFC 46-0, Jungle Crows beat
Ashalayam 35-5, Orissa beat LMOB 41-5, YRC beat Bangalore 12-7, CCFC
beat LSC 17-10, Armenian College beat Ashalayam 29-0, TNS Police beat
Orissa 22-0, Future Hope beat LSC 44-5, Armenian College beat Jungle
Crows 17-5, TNS Police beat LMOB 46-0.

p?newsid=211782

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IF TURKEY RECOGNISES THE VENDEE GENOCIDE IN FRANCE

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Dec 2 2006

* France Warned Turks Could Scrutinize their History

France, which is preparing to pass a law to penalize those who deny
the alleged Armenian genocide, received a historical warning from its
own public that it should not history like Stalin’s USSR, Hitler’s
Germany, and Mao’s China and leave history to historians.

Historian Henri Amouroux, a member of the prestigious Institut de
France spoke out against the political move to penalize the denial
of the alleged Armenian genocide and mentioned the 1792-1794 Vendee
massacres.

In his article in Le Figaro, Amouroux asked what would happen if the
Turks recognized the Vendee genocide. He said that the French would
certainly respond that this was none of their business and they should
first look at their own past.

Stating this would be a "reasonable" decision, the French historian
wrote it was unacceptable for the Turks to attempt to ban a denied
but apologized for historical issue freely discussed in France.

Amouroux later recalled the terrible massacres in Vendee conducted
by the Republican Army and said no law in France bans discussing or
denying the Vendee genocide.

"The task of the politicians is not to impose their own realities,
let us leave history to time," Amouroux said. The French historian
reiterated the historical manipulations in Stalin’s USSR, Hitler’s
Germany and Mao’s China and warned French politicians not to make
the same mistake.

Amouroux said he thinks his country’s legislators "do not intend to
imitate the shame of those making up an official history."

The 1792-1794 Vendee incidents are one of the taboo issues of France’s
history.

People working on farms in several regions in Western France revolted
against the Republican government’s practices to defend their freedom,
church, and king.

Angry at the revolt, Paris initiated a terrible massacre in Vendee.

About 380,000 of the 900,000 people living in Vendee were murdered
in the 1790s, General Hoche informed.

The methods of the Republican army, which including strangling,
burning, and drowning, still spark reactions.

Several French historians regard the incidents as genocide whereas
the state rejects it.

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POPE’S ADDRESS IN ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CATHEDRAL

Catholic Online, CA
Dec 2 2006

"To Heal the Wounds of Separation"

ISTANBUL, Turkey, DEC. 2, 2006 (Zenit) – Here is Benedict XVI’s
address to Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafina, delivered Thursday during
the celebration of the Word in the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral of
Istanbul. It followed the patriarch’s own address.

* * *

Dear Brother in Christ,

I am pleased to have this opportunity to meet Your Beatitude in
this very place where Patriarch Kalustian welcomed my predecessors
Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II. With great affection I greet
the entire Armenian Apostolic community over which you preside as
shepherd and spiritual father. My fraternal greeting goes also to
His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of Holy Etchmiadzin, and the
hierarchy of the Armenian Apostolic Church. I give thanks to God for
the Christian faith and witness of the Armenian people, transmitted
from one generation to the next, often in very tragic circumstances
such as those experienced in the last century.

Our meeting is more than a simple gesture of ecumenical courtesy
and friendship. It is a sign of our shared hope in God’s promises
and our desire to see fulfilled the prayer that Jesus offered for
his disciples on the eve of his suffering and death: "that they may
all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I in you, may they also
be one in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me"
(Jn 17:21). Jesus gave his life on the Cross to gather into one the
dispersed children of God, to break down the walls of division.

Through the sacrament of Baptism, we have been incorporated into
the Body of Christ, the Church. The tragic divisions which, over
time, have arisen among Christ’s followers openly contradict the
Lord’s will, give scandal to the world and damage that most holy
cause, the preaching of the Gospel to every creature (cf. "Unitatis
Redintegratio," 1). Precisely by the witness of their faith and love,
Christians are called to offer a radiant sign of hope and consolation
to this world, so marked by conflicts and tensions. We must continue
therefore to do everything possible to heal the wounds of separation
and to hasten the work of rebuilding Christian unity. May we be guided
in this urgent task by the light and strength of the Holy Spirit.

In this respect I can only offer heartfelt thanks to the Lord for the
deeper fraternal relationship that has developed between the Armenian
Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church. In the thirteenth century,
Nerses of Lambron, one of the great Doctors of the Armenian Church,
wrote these words of encouragement: "Now, since we all need peace
with God, let its foundation be harmony among the brethren. We have
prayed to God for peace and continue to do so. Look, he is now giving
it to us as a gift: let us welcome it! We asked the Lord to make
his holy Church solid, and he has willingly heard our plea. Let us
climb therefore the mountain of the Gospel faith!" ("Il Primato della
Carita," Ed. Qiqajon, p. 81). These words of Nerses have lost nothing
of their power. Together let us continue to pray for the unity of
all Christians, so that, by receiving this gift from above with open
hearts, we may be ever more convincing witnesses of the truth of the
Gospel and better servants of the Church’s mission.

[Original text: English]

Copyright 2006 — Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Contact: Catholic Online CA, US Catholic
Online – Publisher, 661-869-1000 Email: [email protected]

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NO XENOPHOBIA IN RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN RELATIONS – MEDVEDEV

ITAR-TASS, Russia
Dec 2 2006

ST. PETERSBURG, December 2 (Itar-Tass) – There can be Xenophobia
in Russian-Armenian relations, First Vice-Prime Minister Dmitry
Medvedev said.

Speaking at a closing ceremony devoted to Year of Armenia in Russia on
Saturday, Medvedev said, "Russia and Armenia have always understood
each other and preserved a centuries-long experience of tolerant
relations."

He noted that in recent years Russia faced Xenophobia. In his
words, "such ideas cannot be supported by the state where over 100
nationalities live. Over centuries we lived in one state. It is not
only a geopolitical moment – we have a common history, joint labour,
and common tests and achievements."

"The fates of Russia and Armenia are closely inter-related," Medvedev
stressed.

At the end of his speech Medvedev spoke the Armenian language that
was welcomed by hot applauses.

THE POPE IN TURKEY
By Mukremin Albayrak, Sezai Kalayci, Istanbul

Zaman Online, Turkey
Dec 2 2006

Pope Benedict XVI’s Turkey visit, which was closely followed by the
world press with great interest and curiosity, turned out to be far
more positive and beneficial than expected.

The pope gave a much anticipated message at the Blue Mosque. The pope
faced toward the holiest sanctuary of Islam, the Kaaba, in Mecca with
Istanbul Mufti Prof. Dr. Mustafa Cagrici and stood in meditation and
prayed with his hands folded in the proper Muslim prayer position.

With this gesture of goodwill, the pontiff had provided great
support to inter-religious dialogue and the project of alliance of
civilizations. Also giving warm messages for Turkey’s EU membership,
the pope showed his close relationship to Patriarch Bartholomew and
the two churches, by holding his hand.

After the pope’s speech at Regensburg University in Germany, which had
prompted world-wide reactions in the Islamic world, the visit to Turkey
was an issue of global interest. About 2,000 journalists from Turkey
and abroad had made reservations to follow his visit. There were also
various conspiracy theories about his meeting with Patriarch of the
Fener Greek Patriarchate Bartholomew. As expected, the pope mentioned
the Fener Greek patriarch as being "ecumenical," but he balanced his
speech with his sincere prayers and wishes for unity in the Middle
East. During the visit to Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II, Benedict XVI
never mentioned the word "genocide." The pope not only made visits
to the spiritual leaders of the biggest congregations in Istanbul,
but also to the heads of the Syrian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic churches
and the chief rabbi of Turkey, thus giving important messages about
interreligious dialogue.

The most important parts of the visit were the Hagia Sophia and the
Blue Mosque. Frustrating theories that he was going to pray in Hagia
Sophia, the pope toured the huge museum like an ordinary tourist while
he chose to pray in the Blue Mosque. Both native and foreign news
agencies broadcasted this historical moment to the world describing it
as the most striking part of the visit. The pope gave very positive
messages about tolerance and dialogue. He demonstrated his love and
respect for the Turkish nation by first saying "We’d like to see Turkey
in the European Union" and secondly by waving the Turkish Flag given
to him in Ephesus. These gestures of goodwill of the pope made a great
contribution to the project of alliance of civilizations. Pope Benedict
XVI left Turkey saying, "part of my heart will remain in Istanbul."

ANKARA CONDEMNS ARMENIAN BILL IN ARGENTINA
By Cihan News Agency

Zaman Online, Turkey
Dec 2 2006

Turkey has condemned the adoption of a draft bill regarding the
so-called Armenian genocide in the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina
and called for a refusal of the bill.

On Nov. 29, the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the bicameral
Argentinean Parliament, passed a draft bill on the Armenian claims.

During the debates, at least eight lawmakers spoke about the draft,
which passed with 175 votes in favor and 2 abstentions.

Recalling that Turkey opened its archives to international historians
to conduct research on the allegations of the Armenians, Turkish
Foreign Ministry condemned the passage of such bills in a statement
issued on Friday.

"We condemn and find it unacceptable the adoption of such drafts
snubbing Turkey’s proposals to examine its archives and presenting
baseless Armenian allegations as if they were unquestionable historical
facts," the statement said.

The law, which still must be ratified by the Argentine Senate to become
a law, designates every April 24 as the Day for Tolerance and Respect
between Nations in memory of the "genocide of the Armenian people."

The statement also accentuated that the draft in question was not also
violating historical fact but also the international laws, adding that
it would damage the sprit of relations between Turkey and Argentina.

The ministry also requested that the draft be rejected by Argentinean
Senate, the upper house of the parliament, and prevented from being
enacted.

AZERBAIJAN FOREIGN MINISTRY: CONSTITUTION REFERENDUM IN NAGORNO KARABAKH IS AIMED AT DAMAGING PEACE PROCESS

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Dec 2 2006

Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov made statement that
Armenia’s plans to hold a constitutional referendum on December 10
in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, which he described as an integral part
of Azerbaijan, violates international law and principles, and damages
ongoing peace process.

The declaration reads that the referendum and its results will have
no legal effects, Armenia will not be able to deceive international
community about ethnic cleansing and aggression realized in the
occupied territories by Armenians.

Official Baku considers that, any constitutional document of the
self-regulation of Nagorno Karabakh population can be realized only
through democratic peace process. Azerbaijan will never recognize
Armenian’s illegal acts based on "fait accompli" contradicting attempts
to achieve peace and stability in the region.

ARMENIANS ASSEMBLES ARMED TECHNICS IN BASH GERVEND

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Dec 2 2006

It is observed that Armenian Armed Forces is assembling armed technics
and military contingent in Bash Gervend village of occupied Aghdam
region, APA Karabakh bureau reports.

The assembling of military units in the village bears training
character.

Armenian Armed Forces in occupied Sikhlar village fired on opposite
positions of Azerbaijani Armed Forces by machine and sub-machine guns
from 01.00. No casualty was reported.

PRICES FOR ELECTRIC POWER FOR END USERS NOT TO RISE IN ARMENIA IN NEAR FUTURE

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Dec 4 2006

YEREVAN, December 4. /ARKA/. Prices for electric power for end
users will not change in Armenia in the near future, Chairman of the
Commission for Regulation of Public Services (CRPS) Robert Kocharyan
told reporters Wednesday.

He pointed out that seven large companies work on the electric power
market of Armenia today. Their prices will be subject to certain
changes due to the AMD-USD exchange rate fluctuations.

At the same time, Nazaryan said that the price for electric power
for end users will not change (AMD 25 during the daylight and AMD 15
at nighttime).

The CRPS examined the prices for services in the sector of electric
power at the sitting on December 1, 2006. According to the CRPS’s
draft decision, it is planned to raise the price for the output power
and the monthly rate for generating capacity for a number of Armenian
power plants.

SERGEY MARKEDONOV: "NAGORNO KARABAKH WILL NOT BE SETTLED IN 20-30 YEARS"

Today, Azerbaijan
Dec 2 2006

"No improvement was achieved on the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict in Azerbaijan and Armenian Presidents’ meeting in Minsk,"
Russian political scientist Sergey Markedonov said.

He said that it is early to speak of any improvement, unless the
agreement is reached on Nagorno Karabakh status, the problem of
refugees and the restoration of economic relations between Azerbaijan
and Armenia.

"We can not wait for rapid solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

This process will not finish even in 20-30 years, because Nagorno
Karabakh conflict is a difficult problem," he said.

Sergey Markedonov considers that not only presidents but also
parliamentarians and NGO should participate in the talks held by the
mediation of OSCE Minsk Group, APA reports.

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