MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Government House # 2, Republic Square
Yerevan 0010, Republic of Armenia
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
01-11-2006
Minister Oskanian Participates in the 15th Meeting
of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Council of Ministers
Minister Oskanian was in Moscow, participating at the 15th meeting
of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Council of Ministers. Russia
has held the presidency of that organization since April 2006.
In his statement at the meeting, Minister Oskanian stressed that
there are more commonalities among BSEC members than differences,
and despite the bilateral problems that exist, the positive elements
must and can override these differences in order to allow for a
harmonious environment in which to work and to settle political
issues. He pointed out that in the realm of creating a transport ring,
the efforts by some members to resort to a policy of exclusion and
not include certain members by circumventing or ignoring existing
transport means is unacceptable for members of the same organization.
Finally, the Minister noted that in light of Bulgaria and Romania
joining the EU next year, this makes, with Greece, three BSEC members
who are simultaneously members of the EU, and thus provides new
opportunities for BSEC ~V EU cooperation taking into consideration
both overlapping interests and overlapping memberships.
Further, Minister suggested that in preparation for the organization’s
15th anniversary and the Summit to be held in Istanbul, the time is
right to study the accumulated experiences and the new challenges,
and to make the necessary modification and institutional changes to
become more effective.
As a result of the meeting, a Joint declaration was passed and the
presidency of BSEC was passed on to Serbia.
Within the framework of the BSEC meeting, Minister Oskanian met with
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. They discussed bilateral issues, as
well as regional matters, and the Nagorno Karabakh settlement process.
Earlier in the day, Minister Oskanian had also met with Georgian
Foreign Minister Gela Bezuashvili. The two ministers discussed
Armenian-Georgian relations, as well as the effect of Russian-Georgian
relations on the region, and prospects for reduction of tensions.
The Ministers discussed the upcoming meeting in Brussels with the
EU leadership at which time, the European Neighborhood Action Plan
will go into effect, and the two countries will be better able to
cooperate within Euro-integration processes.
Minister Oskanian and Minister Bezuashvili exchanged views on the
peaceful resolution of conflicts in the region, and in that context,
the prospects for alleviating the consequences of a GUAM initiative
within the UN.

California Courier Online, November 2, 2006
1 – Commentary
Turks Are Troubled by Probable Next
Speaker’s Pledge on Genocide Bill
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
2 – Armenia Marriott Hotel Donates $2,500 to Project Discovery!
3 – Cal State Northridge Hosts Book
Presentation on Egyptian Armenians
4 – Diocese APN to
Host Journalist
Hrant Dink, Nov. 5
5- Mary Terzian Named in Best Books 2006 Award
6 – Balians Named Entrepreneurs
Of The Week in Micronesian Island
7 – 9th Annual Telethon Set to Air Internationally,
Nationwide on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23
8 – L.A. Element Band to Perform Nov. 12
At Fresno’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium
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1 – Commentary
Turks Are Troubled by Probable Next
Speaker’s Pledge on Genocide Bill
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
Just when Turkish officials are grappling with the devastating blow
of the French Parliament’s adoption of bill criminalizing the denial
of the Armenian Genocide, it appears likely that they will be
receiving a second blow shortly from the U.S. Congress.
The U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who is expected
to be the next Speaker of the House, should Democrats win the
majority in the House, issued an exclusive statement to this writer
last week pledging to support the passage of the Armenian Genocide
resolution in the next Congress.
She said: “I have supported legislation, including H.Res.316, that
would properly acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. It is imperative
that the United States recognize this atrocity and move to renew our
commitment to eliminate genocide whenever and wherever it exists.
This effort enjoys strong bipartisan support in the House, and I will
continue to support these efforts in the 110th Congress.”
If the Democrats control the House after the November 7 elections,
Cong. Pelosi is slated to become House Speaker. As such, she would
control which bills come to the floor for a vote. Based on her
20-year record of staunch support for the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide by the House of Representatives, there is a high probability
that the Armenian Genocide resolution would finally get scheduled for
a vote in the House.
In contrast, the current Speaker, Dennis Hastert (R-IL), has
repeatedly blocked this resolution from coming to the floor since
October 2000. In July of 2004, following the adoption by the House of
an amendment recognizing the Armenian Genocide, Speaker Hastert
issued a blunt statement vowing to block any future consideration of
the Armenian Genocide Resolution by the full House. For his denialist
efforts, Speaker Hastert has received an “F” rating from the ANCA,
while Cong. Pelosi has consistently received an “A.”
Two weeks before Cong. Pelosi made her pledge to the
Armenian-American community, the Turkish Daily News had already
published an article headlined: “A Democratic victory in the US
congressional elections next month will mean more ‘Armenian Genocide’
trouble for Ankara.”
The Turkish article stated: “A Democratic triumph in the House, or
the Senate, will mean major problems for Turkey in its efforts to
stop genocide recognition. In the outgoing House, the International
Relations Committee in September 2005 approved a resolution for
genocide recognition, But House Speaker Dennis Hastert, a close Bush
ally, has never allowed a full floor vote. But if the Democrats win
in November, it will be Nancy Pelosi, a staunch supporter of Armenian
causes, who most probably will become the new speaker. In the event
of a Democratic victory in the House, pro-Armenian lawmakers will
definitely force a new legislation for genocide recognition shortly
after the new Congress takes office in January.
“Tom Lantos, presently the ranking Democratic member on the House
International Relations Committee, is most likely to lead the
committee. His position is not predictable. Lantos, a Holocaust
survivor, backed Turkey in 2000 but voted for the Armenian side last
year, voicing deep disappointment over what he saw as anti-American
Turkish policies in the Middle East. In any case, a strongly
supported genocide recognition resolution would easily pass the
International Relations Committee hurdles, and reach the full House
controlled by the pro-Armenian Pelosi, who in turn normally would be
expected to favor a quick floor vote. Analysts warn that Turkey is
doomed to lose any vote on any platform, so the key would be to avoid
voting. Would Bush, like Clinton did in 2000, intervene personally at
the last minute again to avoid a floor vote? Or would the Democrats
who hate Bush turn it into a major domestic policy showdown? The
answers are not clear at this point. The only certain thing is that
Turkey will have a major headache on Armenian-related matters in the
event of a Democratic victory in Congress,” the Turkish Daily News
wrote.
After Cong. Pelosi’s pledge, the Turkish Daily News published a
second article on Oct. 29, headlined: “Turkey’s ‘Democratic’ woes:
Ankara fears fallout from likely Democratic victory in U.S.
congressional elections on genocide.” The newspaper quoted an
anonymous Turkish diplomat in Washington (probably the Turkish
Ambassador in Washington), as saying: “I would never think that I
would be wishing a Republican win in the November 7 congressional
elections, but it’s ironic to see that a Democratic victory likely
will be even worse for Turkey.” The Turkish reporter then wrote that
after his earlier report of two weeks ago, Cong. Pelosi made a pledge
on the Armenian Genocide resolution to “a prominent U.S. Armenian
publisher” (yours truly). This confirmed the Turkish reporter’s worst
fears about the likely passage of the Armenian Genocide resolution in
the next Congress.
Another major Turkish publication, Hurriyet, featured a lengthy
analytical article on the same subject on Oct. 27, stating that the
election of a Democratic majority in the House on Nov. 7, would
likely create new storms in U.S.-Turkish relations due to the
Armenian issue. Hurriyet also referred to the statement released by
Cong. Pelosi to this writer, as evidence that things would be much
different (meaning worse) in the next Congress for Turkey.
Several other Turkish newspapers and websites also referred to Cong.
Pelosi’s statement with ominous predictions for Turkey. The Fresno
Bee published a more skeptical analysis. Referring to Cong. Pelosi’s
statement to this writer. The Bee wrote: “Armenian Americans are
accustomed to hearing election-year promises. Now they have another
one to mull over.” The article concluded by raising the prospect that
Cong. Pelosi “may be more willing than Hastert to embarrass the White
House on this issue.”
Let us hope that the Democrats would win the majority in the House on
Nov. 7, thus realizing the Turks’ worst nightmare! Nothing would be
more satisfying to most Armenian Americans than seeing Hastert lose
his “speakership” and become once again the lowly Congressman that he
used be. He would no longer be able to play sleazy political games
with the sacred memory of genocide victims.
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2 – Armenia Marriott Hotel Donates $2,500 to Project Discovery!
YEREVAN – Project Discovery! received a $2,500 donation from the
Armenia Marriott Hotel, the non-profit organization announced last
week.
Project Discovery!provides grants for archaeological research in
Armenia and for the preservation of Armenia’s historic and cultural
monuments.
In making the contribution, Alex Nurock, Director of Sales &
Marketing for the Hotel, said: “The Armenia Marriott Hotel is
pleased to be able to support Project Discovery! in its most
worthwhile efforts to discover and preserve Armenia’s cultural
legacy. We wish Project Discovery! continued success in its
endeavors.”
Project Discovery! president, Teryl Minasian Asher, expressed her
delight in being able to add the Armenia Marriott Hotel to the
growing list of individuals and organizations who recognize the
critically important nature of the work that Project Discovery! is
doing to preserve the archaeologically and historically significant
monuments of Armenia. “We are racing against time”, Asher commented.
“The forces of nature and economic development are working against
us. The Armenia Marriott Hotel’s very generous contribution will
enable us to move more quickly toward our goal of preserving the
monuments that embody Armenia’s legacy.”
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3 – Cal State Northridge Hosts Book
Presentation on Egyptian Armenians
NORTHRIDGE, CA – The Armenian Studies Program, in collaboration with
the Armenian Student Association at the California State University,
Northridge (CSUN) will host a book presentation with author Sona
Zeitlian ON Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. at CSUN’s Sierra Hall, Whitsette Room
451. The event will feature Zeitlian’s latest study on The Armenians
in Egypt: Contribution to Medieval and Modern Egypt,”
The book is the first attempt to present in English the continuous
presence of Armenians in Egypt from the Roman to Byzantine to modern
times. Part I charts the participation of Armenians in the fields of
political, military, economic and cultural life in the 11th-12th
centuries. Part II documents the achievement of Armenians in
leadership positions in the 19th-20th centuries. Part III is an
account of the contribution of Armenians to Egypt’s architecture,
painting, caricature, sculpture, photography, crafting, and designing
jewelry.
Zeitlian was born in Egypt. She has studied social sciences and
psychology at the American University in Cairo (AUC), and has taught
in community schools in Cairo, Beirut and Los Angeles. She has
worked as senior editor at the Rand Corporation in Santa Monica. In
1995 she was nominated to the Advisory Board of Gustav E. Von
Grunebaum Center of Near East Studies at UCLA. Zeitlian is the
author of several monographs and studies.
The public is cordially invited. Admission is free. Parking is
available in Lot B3 ($4.) on Darby Street (at Nordhoff Street
westbound, just before Reseda Avenue).
For further information, contact Prof. Vahram Shemmassian at (818)
677-3456 or [email protected].
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4 – Diocese APN to
Host Journalist
Hrant Dink, Nov. 5
BURBANK – The Armenian Professional Network of the Western Diocese
hosts an “Evening with Hrant Dink,” editor of the Turkish-Armenian
newspaper “Agos,” on Nov. 5 at 5 p.m.
Sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Antranik Zorayan at the Arshag and Eleanor
Dickranian Diocesan Complex, 3325 N. Glenoaks Blvd., in Burbank.
The Mistress of Ceremonies will be Sylva Natalie Manoogian.
Admission is free.
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5 – Mary Terzian Named in Best Books 2006 Award
WHITTIER, Calif. – USA Book News announced its Best Books 2006 Awards
on Oct. 16, naming Mary Terzian, a Hacienda Heights, Calif. resident
and member of the Writers’ Club of Whittier, as the winner in the
Multicultural Non-Fiction category, for her first book The
Immigrants’ Daughter, published by Booklocker.com.
Terzian was previously awarded a PEN USA West, Rosenthal scholarship
in 2001, while her book was in progress; first prize in Literature in
the Armenian Allied Arts Association’s annual contests in 1992 and
1994; and recognition from various organizations for her writing (see
).
She is a distinguished speaker with a ready sense of humor. “My
Toastmasters Club was the back door entry to writing,” she chuckles.
Terzian, of Armenian descent, is fluent in English and calls herself
“an imported American.” She lived the first half of her life in
Egypt, and arrived in the United States in the 1960s, after spending
time in the Republics of Congo and Togo on assignment with the United
Nations, and in Lebanon. She is well traveled, sometimes running into
complex situations such as the demise of Khrushchev while visiting
the Soviet Union in 1964. She lived, studied and worked in New York
and Los Angeles, and took advantage of early retirement from a
left-brain occupation to pursue writing.
Her sideline activities include contributions to ethnic and American
newspapers, magazines, books and online publications. She held
several offices in professional and service organizations.
The Immigrants’ Daughter is the universal story of a displaced
family, victim to ethnic cleansing, going through the phases of
acculturation and adaptation with inherent problems of starting a new
life in a foreign country. It is “an easy read, not without its
humorous moments…” per one reader; “captivating, heartwarming and
unforgettable” per Richard R. Blake, in the August 2006 issue of the
Midwest Book Review; “a compelling memoir” per Susan Wittig Albert of
Story Circle Reviews; and “a fine job… reads more like a collection
of short stories…” per Danielle Feliciano of Reader Views. The book
has generated five-star ratings on Amazon.com. It is available in
paperback in regular or online stores and it is downloadable from the
publisher, Booklocker.com.
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6 – Balians Named
Entrepreneurs
Of Week in Saipan
By Walt F.J. Goodridge
Saipan Tribune, Micronesia
SAIPAN – Victory and Linda Balian have been named Saipanpreneuers of
the week by the Saipanpreneur Project.
They are the proud owners of the Golden Lobster Restaurant, located
on the Chalan Lay Lau end of Middle road.
Syrian-born Victor and his wife, Linda, originally from Iraq, are
proud US citizens who took over the restaurant in May of this year.
They will be changing the name of the restaurant very soon to the
Magic Lamp to reflect its new Mediterranean menu.
Victor came to Saipan in 1996 because of a job offer by a
construction company, and stayed there ever since.
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7 – 9th Annual Telethon Set to Air Internationally,
Nationwide on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23
LOS ANGELES – Armenia Fund United States Western Region announced
last week the domestic and international broadcast coverage lineup of
its upcoming 9th Annual International Telethon, on Thanksgiving Day,
Nov. 23.
As part of the Rebirth of Artsakh project, proceeds from the live
12-hour program will benefit the regional development of Hadrut,
Nagorno Karabagh. The funds will go towards building new drinking
water pipelines as well as reconstructing healthcare facilities and
schools that fell victim to the war and years of neglect.
In an effort to eradicate poverty in this war ravaged border region,
Armenia Fund will also implement a comprehensive agricultural
development project to impact 1,000 farmers in eight Hadrut villages.
A similar regional development program is currently underway in the
northern Martakert region using the funds raised during last year’s
Telethon 2005.
Nagorno-Karabagh President Arkady Ghoukasian, and Naira Melkoumian
Chief Executive Officer of Armenia Fund International will be present
during the telethon. The live program is set to air internationally
from Glendale Studios, California..
H1-Armenian Public Television will also air the live program in
Armenia, as well as on satellite in Europe, the Middle East, Asia,
and the United States. Viewers with a Globecast World TV satellite
may tune in to H1-Armenian Public Television and view the live 12-
hour program.
In addition, Horizon Armenian Television, the largest Diaspora based
Armenian cable and satellite network outside of Armenia will air the
telethon on its channel as well. Viewers in North America may watch
the Telethon on Horizon’s satellite channels. The Telethon will also
be webcast live for 12 hours on from 8am-8pm PST.
For detailed broadcast information, log on to
Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and
infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno
Karabagh. Since 1991, Armenia Fund has rendered more than $160
million in development aid to Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh.
**************************************** ***********************************
8 – L.A. Element Band to Perform Nov. 12
At Fresno’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium
By Heran Kerashkenian
LOS ANGELES-Award winning Element Band, one of the hottest Armenian
groups around, will be performing at Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium in
Fresno on November 12 at 5 p.m. Veteran’s Memorial Hall is located at
2425 Fresno Street, Fresno.
Sponsored by the Armenian Technology Group (ATG), the concert
promises many surprises by a band that has taken Southern California
by storm.
The band’s premiere CD “Yev O Phe,” received the 2006 Armenian Music
Awards “Best Newcomer Album of The Year.” With the release of that
CD, Element has attracted an incredible mix of listeners: their fan
base spans not only three generations, but also transcends the
diverse musical preferences prevalent in Armenian culture. It has
also left fans wanting to hear more of their selections, and hear the
band live in concert.
In the two years together, the band gave their first solo performance
at the Ford Amphitheatre in June 2006 to a packed house of 1,200
fans. They have also played at the Kodak Theatre as the warm-up to
legendary Greek singer Demis Roussos, and at the Ford Amphitheatre
with the French Gypsy Band Bratsch.
Their concert in Fresno will feature 24 mostly Armenian and some
English selections.
The band’s sound is bold: Flamenco, Tango, Rembetika waft in and out
of performances of traditional Armenian songs as well as English
selections. And to achieve this, the band uses the accordion,
bouzouki, mandolin, classical guitar, violin, and the purity of the
band’s vocalists to serve-up a compelling combination of fiery
Mediterranean and European sounds that are partnered with hauntingly
raw Armenian.
Tickets for the November 12 performance can be purchased by calling
ATG at 559-224-1000 or 818-481-7172.
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Armenia Fund, Inc.
111 North Jackson St. Ste. 205
Glendale, CA 91206
Tel: 818-243-6222
Fax: 818-243-7222
Url:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact ~ Sarkis Kotanjian
[email protected]
Armenia Fund Canada and Baroness Cox Open New School in Nagorno
Karabakh – One of the Telethon 2005 Results
Los Angeles, CA – Armenia Fund United States Western Region is pleased
to announce that its Canadian affiliate of Toronto – Armenia Fund
Canada – along with the Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords of the
United Kingdom, Baroness Caroline Cox recently opened a new village
school in Madaghis, Martakert, NKR. The school is part of the ongoing
regional development program of Martakert. The school is built for
150 students, has 11 classrooms, a computer room, a new office for
the principal, a teachers’ office, a medical room, a library and
a function hall. The new school proudly bears the flags of Nagorno
Karabakh and Canada.
Present at the September 27th ribbon cutting ceremony were officials
from the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, representatives of Armenia Fund
International, Armenia Fund Canada Toronto affiliate as well as a
group of Canadian-Armenians from Toronto. Migirdich Migirdichian,
Chairman of Armenia Fund Canada (Toronto) spoke during the special
opening ceremony. He stressed the importance of rebuilding the war
torn region through the collective efforts of Diaspora Armenians.
Joining Migirdichian was Baroness Cox of the United Kingdom. Lady
Cox gave a very moving speech and congratulated the villagers and
the students alike for this great occasion. The honor of cutting
the ribbon was given to Baroness Cox who was accompanied by two first
grade students. Nora Kasparian, Principal of the school, warmly thanked
Baroness Cox and Armenia Fund Canada chairman Migirdichian for their
endless efforts in realizing their dreams of having a local school.
During her speech at the event, Baroness Cox reiterated her firm
support of Armenia Fund and its mission to help rebuild Nagorno
Karabakh. Dubbed as the “Guardian Angel of Arstakh”, Baroness
Cox has been an adamant supporter of Nagorno Karabakh both in
the United Kingdom and internationally, calling for the full and
proper recognition of Nagorno Karabakh, as well support for its
redevelopment. Baroness Cox has visited Nagorno Karabakh more than
62 times and has led several humanitarian missions to the fledgling
republic.
Armenia Fund has two affiliates in Canada – in Toronto and
Montreal. Over the past fifteen years, the greater Armenian Diaspora
of Canada has actively participated in the rebuilding efforts of
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian
and infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh. Since 1991, Armenia Fund has rendered more than $160 million
in development aid to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Armenia Fund,
Inc. is the U.S. Western Region affiliate of “Hayastan” All-Armenian
Fund. Tax ID# 95-4485698

PRESS RELEASE
Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue
New York, New York 10016
Contact: Aram Arkun
Tel.: 212 686 0710 ext. 126
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
Arme nian Letters, Fonts, and Art: A November 1 NYC Panel Discussion
with a Display of Art by English Designer Puzzovio
The Armenian alphabet had profound repercussions for Armenian identity,
faith, and culture for sixteen centuries. It also is a work of beauty
in and of itself, and a source of inspiration for art.
New art, and, in the age of the computer, new types of digital fonts,
continue to be created based on the creations of Mashtots. On Wednesday
evening, November 1, a panel of speakers at the Armenian Diocese in
New York City will address issues concerning the different styles
or forms of the Armenian alphabet in manuscripts, printing, and
now, on computer screens. The art of Carolyn Puzzovio, a designer
from England inspired by the Armenian alphabet, will be on display
(starting in the afternoon of October 31 and ending at noon, November
2), and she will also speak as part of the November 1 panel.
The other speakers are Dr. Abraham Terian of St. Nersess Armenian
Seminary, and New York typographer Peter Bain. This event, organized
by the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center of the Diocese of
the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), forms part of the Diocese’s
1600th anniversary celebrations of the Armenian alphabet.
Carolyn Puzzovio is a Principal Lecturer at the University of Lincoln,
UK and has been involved in design education for over twenty-five
years. Her background is as a practicing graphic designer and
her major interest within the subject has been lettering and type
design. This interest has developed further into alphabets other
than our own Latin alphabet with an increasing fascination for the
Armenian “aybuben.” Carolyn has given talks on the Armenian alphabet
at international conferences/events – and following an invitation
from the Armenian Ministry of Culture, held a one-woman exhibition
of her work at the Armenian National Gallery in October 2005. She
returned to Armenia this fall as part of a British government-funded
research project to design/revive traditional Armenian typefaces for
digital settings which also have Latin characters for dual-alphabet
use. Carolyn’s talk, “The Remarkable Legacy of Mashtots,” is about
the story of the development of the alphabet, and a celebration of
its uniqueness and the inspiration it has provided in her art and
design work recently.
Peter Bain’s talk is entitled “Typographic Principles from an Armenian
Perspective,” and will deal with the connections between writing
and typography, with Armenian examples where suitable. Peter Bain
is principal of Incipit (<;), a Brooklyn-based design studio whose practice is built on typography for a wide range of clients. His projects have been recognized by the AIGA and the Type Directors Club. He has collected phototype, co-curated the exhibition "Blackletter: Type and National Identity" at the Cooper Union School of Art, and written on letterforms for Communication Arts magazine. Bain has lectured in New York, London and elsewhere. He is a member of the Association Typographique Internationale, and is on the faculty of Parsons/The New School for Design and Pratt Institute. Abraham Terian will speak on "The Evolution of the Armenian Alphabet." Dr. Abraham Terian is Professor of Armenian Patristics and Academic Dean at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in New Rochelle, New York, and editor of the St. Nersess Theological Review. He holds a Bachelor's degree in history and ancient languages, a Master's degree in archaeology and history of antiquity, and a Doctorate in Theology from the University of Basel, Switzerland, specializing in Early Christianity and its Jewish and Hellenistic backgrounds. Before coming to St. Nersess in 1997, he was Professor of Intertestamental and Early Christian Literatures for some twenty years at Andrews University, and for several years a recurring Visiting Professor of Armenian Studies at the University of Chicago. He has served as Chairman of the Hellenistic Judaism Group of the Society of Biblical Literature (1983-85) and as President of the Society's Midwest Region (1990-92). He is the author of several books in Jewish and Armenian Studies, and a recipient in 2005 of the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in the Humanities award. The panel of speakers will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 1, at the Guild Hall of the Diocese of the Armenian Church (630 Second Avenue and 35th St.) in New York. Admission is free to the talks and the art display. For more information, email zic [email protected]. If
you wish to see the artwork between noon October 31 and November 2
at times other than the evening of November 1, please RSVP either by
email, or telephone 212 686 0710.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Just weeks after marriage, Marine killed in Iraq
BY DIANA DILLABER MURRAY
The Oakland Press (Oakland County, Michigan)
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
LATHRUP VILLAGE – Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Manoukian 22, had been
back in Iraq only one month before he was killed in Anbar province
when the Humvee in which he was riding drove over an improvised
exploding device.
Manoukian, son of Mary Manoukian Calhoun of Lathrup Village, married
his junior high school sweetheart while he was home on leave.
The young couple had one month and one week together before he was
deployed to Iraq in September, said his wife, Danielle Manoukian, 22.
A radio operator, Manoukian was one of four Marines based at Camp
Lejeune, N.C., to die in the explosion Saturday and one of two from
southeastern Michigan, the Pentagon said Monday. The Defense Department
identified the others as Lance Cpl. Clifford R. Collinsworth, 20,
of Chelsea; Lance Cpl. Nathan R. Elrod, 20, of Salisbury, N.C.;
and Cpl. Joshua C. Watkins, 25, of Jacksonville, Fla.
“He was my only child,” Calhoun said, describing how her son loved
to draw, loved playing drums, enjoyed ice hockey and snowboarding,
loved to cook and was a giving person.
The 2003 Royal Oak Kimball High School graduate was to come home on
leave in July. Shortly before that, he called his mother to let her
know he and Danielle, whom he met when they were 14, had decided to
get married while he was home.
“We had 10 days to plan a wedding, and her mother and I pulled it
off in 10 days,” his mother said.
The two got married at Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic Church
in Royal Oak, and Manoukian was baptized and had his first Communion
that day, as well, she said.
“If there were two people meant for each other, it was Nick and
Danielle,” his mother said. “They’d been together a long time. Then
they drifted apart. But they knew they’d end up together.
“I got to dance with my son at his wedding,” she said, gratefully,
between sobs. “I was looking forward to having a granddaughter,”
Calhoun said. Manoukian had planned to adopt Danielle’s 2-year-old
son, Nico, and they planned to buy a house and have a child after he
came home from Iraq.
Then the doorbell rang Saturday.
“I never even questioned or imagined it would just be a month, and
that was it,” said Danielle, who lives in Royal Oak.
“I’m happy that I got to live with him. He was a person who would give
and give. He was the first to volunteer. I just feel so privileged
that I got to love somebody so much and he loved me so much.”
Growing up, “Nick was the love of his dad’s and my life,” Calhoun
said. “He lost his dad (Isaac Manoukian) at 12 and after that several
other family members. He was a strong kid. I used to tell him we were
the survivors. I want people to know he was a vibrant young man. He
loved his family and was so giving,” said Calhoun, who is now married
to Manoukian’s stepfather, Gary Calhoun.
The family also celebrated Manoukian’s 22nd birthday while he was
home. He spent his 20th birthday in boot camp and his 21st birthday
in Iraq. He and Danielle also celebrated all of the holidays he would
miss while in Iraq, including Halloween. He gave her an engagement ring
in an Easter basket she made for him when they were in high school.
Before Manoukian was recruited into the Marines, he took art classes
at Oakland Community College and worked part time at the Evergreen
Nursing Home, where he was the cook.
“He loved to cook,” his mother said. “He was fabulous drummer. He
used to play from the time he was little.
He got a beautiful set of drums when he was 12.
“My dream for Nick was college,” his mother said. “He had such a kind,
generous heart, and he gave the tightest, best hugs in world. I can’t
imagine living the rest of my life without him,” Calhoun said.
Danielle said she and her new husband had met at 14 and started dating
at 15.
“We had always planned to marry. We would talk on the phone eight
hours and fall asleep while we were talking. Then we would talk while
we were getting ready for school in the morning.”
Describing their love as like that portrayed in the movie “Notebook,”
she said, “He loved me like that. I loved him like that.”
Manoukian called her when he could from Iraq and said it “was just
terrible there; it wasn’t getting any better.
“I always started to cry at the end of calls. I said, ‘You are coming
home.’ And he would say he was. I felt like he knew he was coming home,
and it made me feel like he was,” she said.
Services for Manoukian are pending the return of his body to the
United States.
2406/loc_2006102435.shtml

Two Michigan GIs killed in Iraq war
The Detroit News
Monday, October 23, 2006
By Mark Hicks
Deaths in what is turning out to be one of the
deadliest months for U.S. soldiers in Iraq have hit
home for two Michigan families.
Lance Cpl. Clifford R. Collinsworth, 20, of Chelsea
and Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Manoukian, 22, of Lathrup
Village died Saturday while conducting combat
operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq.
Both were assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine
Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary
Force, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Manoukian, born Aug. 31, 1984, in Westland, attended
Southfield Christian School and Shrine High School in
Royal Oak.
He later transferred to Kimball High School in Royal
Oak, where he graduated in 2003.
An avid snowboarder and hockey player, Manoukian often
drew and sketched, which led him to pursue a designing
career.
After taking art classes at Oakland University, he
joined the Marines in June 2004.
Training at Parris Island, S.C., and later at the
Marines base in Twentynine Palms, Calif., Manoukian
enjoyed “doing something to be proud of,” said his
mother, Mary Manoukian Calhoun. “He had the need to
challenge himself. ~E He liked being part of a
brotherhood.”
In March 2005 he was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq, where
he served as a radio operator.
Manoukian returned home that October and quickly
resumed practicing on his prized Pearl drum set –“one
of many loves in his life,” his mother said.
On July 8, Manoukian married his longtime girlfriend,
Danielle, at the National Shrine of the Little Flower
Catholic Church in Royal Oak.
The couple met eight years earlier at a friend’s
Halloween party.
During their courtship, Manoukian often penned poems
for Danielle, and surprised her with love notes on her
car windshield.
“He was full of surprises,” Danielle Manoukian said.
“He was amazing.”
He returned to Iraq last month for his second
deployment.
Besides his wife and mother, survivors include his
stepfather, Gary Calhoun, and a stepson, Nico Mullen.
He was preceded in death by his father, Isaac, and
grandmother, Lillian Vasi.
Services are pending.
Relatives of Collinsworth could not be reached for
comment.
So far this month, 87 American service members have
been killed in Iraq, putting October on pace to be the
deadliest month for U.S. troops since the siege of
Fallujah in November 2004.
The latest Michigan deaths puts the state casualty
total near 100, according to the Web site
icasualties.org, which tracks military deaths in Iraq.
You can reach Mark Hicks at (313) 222-2300 or
[email protected].
s/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061023/UPDATE/610230439
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Marine made ‘the ultimate sacrifice’
By Lisa Roose-Church, DAILY PRESS & ARGUS
Livingston Daily Press & Argus (Livingston County, MI)
October 26, 2006
Livingston County sheriff’s Deputy Ken Taylor is
remembering the life of his second cousin, Lance Cpl.
Nicholas J. Manoukian.
Manoukian, 22, of Lathrup Village, was among the four
Marines based at Camp Lejeune who died Saturday during
combat in Anbar province, Iraq.
He was killed when a roadside bomb hit his Humvee near
Ramadi.
“He was young, but he did what he wanted to do,”
Taylor said. “He was not afraid to serve his country.
That was his calling.”
The Defense Department identified the other Marines
killed as Lance Cpl. Clifford R. Collinsworth, 20, of
Chelsea; Lance Cpl. Nathan R. Elrod, 20, of Salisbury,
N.C.; and Cpl. Joshua C. Watkins, 25, of Jacksonville,
Fla.
Collinsworth, Manoukian and Elrod were members of the
1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine
Division. Watkins was a member of the division’s 2nd
Tank Battalion.
Taylor, former school resource officer for the Howell
Police Department, said Manoukian was a good kid who
enjoyed sports, in particular soccer and hockey.
Taylor said Manoukian was a man not afraid to serve
his country.
“He always wanted to be part of a brotherhood,” Taylor
said. “He liked the Marines because it’s a close-knit
family.”
Manoukian was born in Westland, attended Southfield
Christian School and Royal Oak Shrine High School and
graduated from Royal Oak Kimball High School in 2003.
He studied art at Oakland University and joined the
Marines in June 2004. He first was deployed to Iraq in
2005 and returned to Iraq in October for a second tour
of duty, Taylor said.
Manoukian married his longtime girlfriend, Danielle,
at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic
Church in Royal Oak on July 8.
“We share the same wedding anniversary,” Taylor noted.
“He will be sorely missed. He died doing what he
believed in. He did what he could do to make the world
a safer place.
“He gave his life; the ultimate sacrifice,” the deputy
said.
Manoukian also is survived by his mother, Mary
Manoukian Calhoun; stepfather, Gary Calhoun; and
stepson, Nico Mullen.
Collinsworth was eager to join the Marines, leaving
for boot camp days after graduating from Chelsea High
School two years ago.
“He wanted to be a Marine for a long time, and it was
a great thing for him,” Collinsworth’s 22-year-old
sister, Melissa Collinsworth, said. She said he hoped
to attend college and teach history.
Contact Lisa Roose-Church at (517) 552-2846 or at
[email protected].
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
s.dll/article?AID=/20061026/NEWS01/610260313/1002
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Sunday, October 29, 2006
****************************************
IF THE SHOE FITS…
********************************
Whenever I feel mean, unforgiving, and full of venom, I ascribe it to my Ottoman heritage.
*
A false friend can be more dangerous than a mortal enemy. That’s because a false friend knows where your Achilles’ heel is and he strikes when you least expect it.
*
A false friend is one who escalates a minor disagreement to terminal hatred and verbal slaughter.
*
My false friends outnumber my enemies because being naïve and gullible (dumb for short) I have been brainwashed to believe I am smart and can’t be taken in.
*
I have said and repeated that I am smart so often that I now have no doubts on that score.
*
My position is so vulnerable and my weaknesses so many that no matter how absurd the flattery, I swallow it hook, line, and sinker.
*
Because I consider all defeats moral victories, I am invincible. Or, as they say in diplomatic circles in Washington: “Whichever way the shit goes down, my ass is covered.”
#
Monday, October 30, 2006
********************************************
ON OBJECTIVITY
*******************************
Objectivity is like common sense, even fanatics don’t complain that they don’t have enough of it. But the truth of the matter is, we either underestimate or overestimate people, including ourselves. The aim of racism is to legitimize this widely practiced aberration.
As a child I was brought up to underestimate Turks to such a degree that I could not conceive of a day when I would read such oxymoronic phrases as “a great Turkish pianist,” or “a widely translated Turkish novelist and winner of the Nobel Prize who has been compared to Thomas Mann.”
To the same degree that I underestimated Turks I overestimated my fellow Armenians. When I finally realized that Armenians were human beings, like the rest of mankind, with their share, perhaps even more than their share, of failings, I experienced a state of shock that lasted several years during which I came close to becoming an alcoholic.
If I am too critical of Armenians today and not critical enough of Turks, it is because I don’t know and I will never know everything there is to know about them, or for that matter about myself.
Historians like Toynbee and philosophers like Sartre tell us it is impossible to know everything about the past, and history is not a story with a fixed plot but a narrative that must be constantly updated and rewritten.
As human beings we are therefore condemned to pronounce verdict only on partial and sometimes even hearsay evidence.
To rely on a politician’s version of the past is like assuming the roles of judge and jury and relying on the evidence presented by a single lawyer whose aim is not to prove the innocence of his client but to challenge the prosecution to dispel all doubt as to the guilt of the accused.
When an Armenian poet said, “Human justice, I spit on your face,” and long before him, when Dickens has one of his characters say, “The law is a ass!” they were emphasizing this very same point and the impossibility of achieving objectivity and impartiality.
Historians, even honest and well-meaning ones, are human beings like the rest of us: they may know better about some things, perhaps even many things, but they don’t know everything. We should trust their judgment on big things as much as we trust ours on little things.
Only almighty and all-knowing god may be objective, but as far as I know the word isn’t even mentioned in the Bible, where we are asked not to judge our enemies but to love them.
#
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
***************************************
PHYSICAL AND METAPHYSICAL REFLECTIONS
***************************************************
God created the universe in his own image. Astronomers tell us there are many more stars in heaven than grains of sand on earth. And now, consider the fact that the earth isn’t even a star but a planet, and relatively speaking, about the size of only an almost invisible fraction of a dust particle. Need I say more?
*
MORE ON RACISM
***************************
In a fable by La Fontaine titled “The Wolf and the Lamb,” the wolf accuses the lamb of having spoken ill of him last year. When the lamb says he wasn’t even born last year, the wolf replies, “It must have been your brother.”
*
TURKISH PIANISTS
*****************************
I asked a professor of music if he had ever heard of a famous Turkish pianist. “Two of them,” he replied to my racist astonishment. “Is one of them good with Brahms?” I asked next. “His recording of the Intermezzi is famous,” he said after naming him.
*
As an Armenian I began to make sense of things only on the day I realized that some Turks may indeed be horrid (Turks may agree with me on this) but our own “betters” are not as good as we think they are (I don’t expect Armenians, especially our “betters,” to agree with me).
#
20TH-CENTURY ARMENIAN LITERATURE
***********************************************
A MOTHER’S HEART
********************************
By AVEDIK ISSAHAKIAN
************************************
There is an old tale
About a boy
An only son
Who fell in love with a lass.
*
“You don’t love me,
You never did,” said she to him.
“But if you do, go then
And fetch me your mother’s heart.”
*
Downcast and distraught
The boy walked off
And after shedding copious tears
Came back to his love.
*
The girl was angry
When she saw him thus
And said, “Don’t you dare come back again
Without your mother’s heart.”
*
The boy went and killed
A mountain roe deer
And offered its heart
To the one he adored.
*
But again she was angry
And said, “Get out of my sight.
I told you what I want
Is your mother’s heart.”
*
The boy went and killed
His mother, and as he ran
With her heart in his hand
He slipped and fell.
*
“My dear child,
My poor child,”
Cried the mother’s heart,
“Did you hurt yourself?”
*
(Translated by Ara Baliozian)
#
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
*****************************************
EXPOSING LIES
*****************************
A politician is a politician regardless of nationality, and as a politician he shares more things in common with other politicians than with his own people.
*
The one endeavor in which politicians excel is making wrong appear right. In his last days, Hitler blamed not himself but the German people. Since they had failed to live up to his expectations, he is quoted as having said, they deserved to be wiped off the map.
*
We live in a world where the credibility of lies is greater than that of truth, hence the popularity of organized religions and ideologies. I am not saying all ideologies and religions are wrong. It is ideologues and religious leaders who say that. It is popes and ayatollahs, bishops and mullahs who say if you don’t trust the salvation of your soul into their hands, you are no better than a heretic and an infidel dog and will burn in hell for eternity.
Since at all times and everywhere heretics and infidels have outnumbered true believers, there must be more people in hell than anywhere else.
*
If you say I repeat myself, I will make a deal with you: on the day a preacher says he is no longer against sin, I will consider changing my tune.
*
I think it was Aldous Huxley who once observed that the earth is the insane asylum of other planets. That makes more sense to me than the idea of a compassionate and loving god being guilty of the greatest holocaust (i.e. hell) in the history of the universe.
*
Exposing lies can be a catastrophic career move.
#

EUROPEAN UNION EXPRESSES READINESS TO LIQUIDATE DELAYS OF GIVING RA CITIZENS ENTRANCE VISAS TO SCHENGEN AGREEMENT COUNTRIES
Noyan Tapan
Nov 01 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, NOYAN TAPAN. At the 7th sitting of the
Armenia-European Union Cooperation Committee held in Brussels on
October 25, the Armenian side arose the issue of inappropriate
complication of giving citizens of Armenia entrance visas to the
Schengen agreement countries. Karen Chshmaritian, the RA Minister of
Trade and Economy Development, the Co-Chairman of the RA-EU Cooperation
Committee stated about it at the October 31 press conference. In
his words, giving of entrance visas to the mentioned countries is
implemented with inappropriate delays, even in the case of RA state
servicemen leaving for Schengen agreement countries in the staff of
state delegations.
K.Chshmaritian assured that the European side expressed readiness to
give urgent solution to the issue. In his words, issues of clerifying
procedures of giving ectrance visas were involved in the RA-EU
joint Actions Plan within the framework of the European Neighbourhood
Policy. “The reality is not combined with the policy which is today led
between Armenia and the European Union,” the Minister mentioned. He
added that development of relations among countries, especially,
deepening of business and economic ties, is attached importance within
the context of the Actions Plan, and it is simply not possible without
clerifying the procedures on giving entrance visas.”

US AND UNDP READY TO ASSIST ARMENIA IN FIGHTING TRAFFICKING
ArmRadio.am
01.11.2006 17:22
October 1 Chairman of NA Standing Committee on Science, Education,
Culture and Youth Issues Hranush Hakobyan met with US Deputy Ambassador
to Armenia Anthony Godfrey and expert on political-economic issues
Masha Hurbst.
Mr. Godfrey noted that fighting corruption has become one of the
primary tasks of different international organizations and many
countries. Although RA Government intends to elaborate a new national
program of fighting corruption, no practical steps have been taken
up to now, no means have been provided from state budget.
US Deputy Ambassador assured that in case a certain sum is allocated
from RA state budget, the US and UNDP are willing to provide active
assistance.
It was decided to make cooperation continuous and undertake practical
measures for program implementation.