CITIZEN DIPLOMACY IN IRAN
By Ellen Francis Poisson
National Catholic Reporter
Issue Date: September 22, 2006
Peace group finds a culture that belies many American presumptions
The crisis over the development of Iran’s nuclear capability is
complex. Although the evidence suggests that Iran does not currently
have a nuclear weapons program, the Western media subtly imply that
Iran’s intentions are aggressive — and nuclear. In general, the news
media in the United States seem to relish painting a negative picture
of Iran, when the reality is more nuanced.
It was against this background of hostility between the United States
and Iran that the Fellowship of Reconciliation sent an international,
interfaith delegation of 18 to Iran last December. Because I speak
Farsi and had lived in Iran in the 1960s and ’70s, before the Iranian
Revolution, I was asked to be one of the co-leaders. I was also
a co-leader of a second Fellowship of Reconciliation delegation
of 23 this past May. The purpose of both delegations was to have
direct dialogue with Iranians, to present a friendly and respectful
American face, and to continue to learn, talk and write about Iran
when we returned home. All of this reflects the mission of the
Fellowship of Reconciliation. An international, interfaith peace and
justice organization founded on the eve of World War I, the fellowship
sponsored peace delegations to the Soviet Union during the Cold War, to
Vietnam during the 1960s, and to Iraq before the present conflict. It’s
hard to say how much of a difference such citizen delegations make,
but they are designed to change the world one person at a time.
>>From one trip to the other, I noticed a difference in the
interactions our delegations had with Iranians. In December, Iranians
were quick to engage with us, but the talk was casual and curious. In
May there was a heightened urgency to the conversations, and the
Iranians we met asked what we thought the United States would do,
whether the U.S. government might attack Iran, why shouldn’t Iran
have nuclear energy, and why did we think Iran wants to develop
nuclear weapons.
Our delegation in May arrived just days after President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad sent his letter to President Bush requesting a meeting,
and there was some misconception that our little citizen delegation
was some sort of a response to that letter. We were quick to dispel
this notion, and found it even a bit funny since our trips had been
planned many months in advance and we were definitely not emissaries
of the U.S. government. Nonetheless, our May delegation attracted a
great deal of media attention within Iran, both positive and negative,
and we had interviews with BBC, CNN, Reuters and The Associated Press,
as well as a number of Iranian news agencies.
There were many surprises in store for the members of our delegations,
and some misconceptions about Iran were corrected. For example:
Iranians hate Americans.
Without exception, the Iranians we met were extremely hospitable to
us. Everywhere we went, we were told, “We love Americans. Please
tell all your friends to come to Iran. Only — we don’t like your
government.”
The last night that we were in Tehran, during the May delegation,
we went to dinner in a large, traditional restaurant with live
music. During the evening the announcer said in Farsi, “We welcome
our friends from America who are here on a mission of peace.” When
he said this, there was loud and sustained applause.
Iran is a Third-World country.
The members of our delegations were amazed at the evidence of a high
level of development: sophisticated road systems, cell phones, safe
drinking water from the taps, advanced medical care, comprehensive
elementary education and a high level of literacy, higher education
including doctoral studies and original scientific research, many
high-rise buildings in Tehran, up-to-date and locally manufactured
vehicles. After seeing all this, one delegate said right out, “This
is not a Third-World country.” I noticed some significant changes
from the 1960s and ’70s; perhaps the most noticeable was the high
level of air pollution in Teheran.
Women are oppressed and forced to wear black covering.
Since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, it’s true that women in Iran
have been required, by law, to wear the hijab or modest covering
in public. This means that women (including non-Muslim Iranians
and foreigners) must cover arms and legs, wear modest, long tops,
and also cover at least part of their hair. In most cities of Iran,
however, women wear light scarves that cover some of their hair,
but they also wear light or even bright colors and not only black,
and some wear clothing that is quite tight-fitting. As one Iranian
woman said, “We are very romantic,” and Iranian women find ways to
make the veil alluring and lovely.
Many Iranian women would prefer to choose whether or not to wear
the veil. I was helping one of our delegates with her scarf on
the street one day, and some women passing by exclaimed, “Oh! You
are fixing your hijab!” We chatted a while and I said, “We are not
accustomed to wearing the hijab.” An Iranian woman answered quietly,
“No, we aren’t either.”
When we were in the holy city of Qom, we were advised to cover all of
our hair, and we wore borrowed chadors when we went to the courtyard
of the Shrine of Hadrat-e Fatima Ma’sooma, the daughter of one of the
twelve Imams of Shiism. The chador is a large semicircle of cloth,
worn with the center on the crown of the head and held under the
chin. Getting ourselves properly covered in these chadors drew a
crowd of women to help us and caused considerable amusement.
Women are involved in education and public life, and make up
approximately 60 percent of college students.
This number is even more impressive than it sounds because entrance
to a university is extremely competitive and only about 10 percent
of the applicants are accepted.
Religious minorities are oppressed and persecuted.
We visited the Vank Armenian Cathedral in Esfahan, a Jewish synagogue
in Tehran, and a Zoroastrian temple in Esfahan. We learned that these
religious minorities have complete freedom of worship, and religious
schools for Armenian and Jewish children are paid for by the Iranian
government. The Jewish representative to the Majlis (Parliament),
Mr. Morris Motamed, told us that there is, by law, no discrimination
in employment. Religious minorities serve in the armed forces, and
each has representation in the Majlis.
There are some difficulties for religious minorities, but we did see
thriving communities and active places of worship. To the amazement of
the Jews in our delegations, we saw Jewish Iranian men walking down
the street in Tehran wearing yarmulkes. We saw the houses of worship
clearly marked from the street as church, synagogue or temple. One
of the Armenian clergy told us that during the Iranian Revolution
there had been a riot in Esfahan, but when the mob came to the doors
of the cathedral, someone said, “No, this is the Armenian church,”
and they passed by without touching anything.
There is freedom of worship, but conversion from Islam to any other
religion is prohibited, and the indigenous religious minorities do
not proselytize Muslims. The Baha’is are considered apostates because
Baha’ism was an offshoot from Islam and Baha’is accept another prophet
who came after the Prophet Muhammad.
Iranians are all highly religious.
The members of our delegations were amazed to learn that Iran is
a highly secular society, with relatively low attendance at Friday
prayer services. A low percentage of Iranians follow Muslim practices
such as the daily ritual prayers, fasting during Ramadan, going on
the haj to Mecca. The young people in Iran are generally even less
observant than their elders.
The United States can promote reform by providing assistance to
dissidents.
Many Iranians do want a loosening of social and political
restraints. Approximately 70 percent of Iran’s population of 70 million
are under the age of 30, and many of them desire political and social
reform. Some social restrictions are gradually lifting: We saw young
couples walking and talking together, dating, holding hands.
However, all the Iranians we met said that they want reform to come
about from within: “We do want reform, but we don’t need U.S. help. We
want to do it ourselves.” Iranians still have a deep resentment
against the United States for the CIA-led coup in 1953, in which
Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh was removed from office and the
shah was returned to power. External efforts to support dissidents
will be counterproductive, increase distrust, and will be certain to
result in increased repression within Iran.
One Iranian asked me directly whether the Fellowship of Reconciliation
had received any funding from the U.S. government.
Iranians want to bomb Israel. President Ahmadinejad’s words on Israel
“Nobody believed that we would one day witness the collapse of the
Eastern Imperialism [i.e. the U.S.S.R.], and said that it was an iron
regime. But in our short lifetime we have witnessed how this regime
collapsed in such a way that we must look for it in libraries. …
“Imam [Khomeini] said that Saddam [Hussein] must go, and that he
would be eliminated in a way that was unprecedented. And what do you
see today? …
“Imam [Khomeini] said, ‘This regime that is occupying [Jerusalem]
must be eliminated from the pages of history.’ …
“The issue of Palestine is by no means over, and will end only when
all of Palestine will have a government belonging to the Palestinian
people. The refugees must return to their homes, and there must be
a government that has come to power by the will of the [Palestinian]
people.”
Translation of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speech provided
by MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute) and dated Oct. 28,
2005.
Iranians are quick to point out that Iran has not been a military
aggressor in modern times and that Ayatollah Khomeini had declared
nuclear weapons un-Islamic. In a sense, this is a stronger prohibition
on developing, owning or using nuclear weapons than signing any
international treaty.
Iranians do not have animosity toward Jewish people, but rather toward
aggressive Zionism and injustice to the Palestinian people. It seems
to me that some of the political rhetoric against Israel and in support
of the Palestinians is a reaction against the friendship with Israel of
the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and also against the U.S. support
of Israel at the expense of support for the Palestinians. The president
of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has not actually said the famous words,
“wipe Israel off the map.” What he did say was that as the Soviet
Union fell from power and as Saddam Hussein fell from power, so some
day the present government of Israel may also fall from power. (See
box to the right.)
Problems in Iran
I think that the Fellowship of Reconciliation-Iran delegates
are not naïve about the problems that exist in Iran today: There
is some discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities,
especially Baha’is; social and political oppression does exist;
there are restrictions on women; there is drug abuse, unemployment
and poverty. Iran does want to conduct nuclear research, at least
for peaceful purposes, as the government consistently declares,
and this would give Iran the start-up technology to develop nuclear
weapons. There is concern about Iran’s support of Hezbollah and about
the potential for future violence between Israel and neighboring
countries.
But military intervention is not a viable or acceptable answer,
and even sanctions may be ineffective or counterproductive. As talks
between Iran and the Western powers continue, I pray that every avenue
for a peaceful resolution will be pursued with patience and mutual
respect. I feel this particularly strongly because I have family
in Iran, whom I was blessed to visit on these two trips. Though my
Iranian husband and I divorced in the late 1970s, his family and I
had been close and it was wonderful to have the opportunity to see
them again after so many years.
On both trips to Iran, we visited Esfahan and the village of Natanz,
both of which are close to nuclear facilities. In the beautiful,
historic city of Esfahan, we realized that we were at what could
someday be another “Ground Zero.” The families we saw walking together,
the laughing children, the historic sites and breathtaking mosques
would all be destroyed if the United States attacked Iran’s nuclear
plants. I was reminded of a photo of a demonstration in California,
in which an Iranian-American child held up a sign saying, “Don’t bomb
my grandma.”
The Fellowship of Reconciliation delegations also traveled to
Shiraz. There we visited the tomb of the Persian poet Saadi, whose
words grace the entrance to the United Nations:
Human beings are all members of one body.
They are created from the same essence.
When one member is in pain, The others cannot rest.
If you do not care about the pain of others, You do not deserve to
be called a human being.
The Rev. Dr. Ellen Francis Poisson is a priest and a nun in the
Episcopal church. She lives in a convent of the Order of St. Helena
in New York City. She can be reached at [email protected].
–Boundary_(ID_QRAg6nxxiBcYqcEAC NR5KA)–

BELGIUM HONES ITS MEASURES AGAINST BRAND PIRACY
Markenbusiness, Germany
20.09.2006
Trademark News
The Belgian customs were not adversely astonished this May when a
consignment of 600 bottles of Armenian ‘champagne’ fell into their
hands. Champers from Armenia? The name is protected as a designation
of origin and is only allowed to be borne by sparkling wine that is
produced and bottled in the French region of Champagne itself
These East European bottles clearly represent a case of fake
produce. Admittedly the find was only a drop in the ocean, because
since 2004 the Belgian customs have confiscated around 11,400 fakes
purporting to be the select drink from France. In recent years,
altogether 26 million product imitations have been seized, consisting
primarily of cigarettes, drugs and food items. As a logistic hub for
the trade in forged items, Belgium has been occupying third place
in Europe for years. In 2005, in consideration of the number of
counterfeited articles confiscated, the country managed peak position
for the first time.
And so the Belgian Government is expressing a desire to strengthen
its struggle against brand piracy. The Secretary of State responsible
for modernization of finance and for the struggle against tax evasion,
Herve Jamar, has now announced some concrete steps to be taken. Three
main measures will form the main thrust: inspection by the customs is
due to be intensified and the remit of the authorities will be extended
by a new administration of justice to control of both the Belgian
internal borders and the outer boundaries of the EU itself. Also
announced was an extensive educational campaign. In the near future,
companies affected by brand piracy should be gathering round a table
to collectively develop an information campaign, which will enlighten
consumers of the dangers and risks inherent in forgeries. Jamar
noted that product forgery was being increasingly trivialized within
society. The campaign should reverse this trend.

ROGER LIEBERMAN: DIALOGUE ON THE TWO WORLD SYSTEM
By Roger H. Lieberman
Palestine Chronicle, WA
Tuesday September 19, 2006
It is essential to reflect on this background before one can comprehend
the widespread outrage at Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks in Germany.
Imagine, for a moment, how much more enjoyable and tranquil our
lives might be today had the US government pursued a thoughtful,
prudent response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Such
a response would, I believe, have rested on two essential elements:
the formation of an international coalition to neutralize al-Qaeda
and bring its leadership to justice, and a sweeping reform of US
Middle East policy to redress the grievances that had kindled the
hatred which inspired 9-11. The paramount aspects of the latter would
have been ending the Clinton Administration’s pointlessly callous and
horribly destructive embargo against Iraq that had cost the lives of
hundreds of thousands of children, and reframing America’s stance on
the Israel-Palestine conflict to recognize the complete equality of
both peoples’ rights in the Holy Land.
There is no reason why any US administration, even a conservative
Republican one like that of George W. Bush, could not have pursued
such policies, given sufficient common sense and decency. But
these qualities, alas, were altogether lacking in the power-crazed
neoconservative ideologues that the President had most unwisely filled
his cabinet with.
Thus, the Bush Administration opted instead to exploit the public’s
anger and fear as a license to embark on a ruthless expansion of US
military power aimed at tightening control over the resources of the
Middle East and Central Asia – buttressed at home by a torrent of lies,
propaganda, and political mud-slinging. And so we find ourselves five
years later with America and the Muslim World more estranged than
ever, and with nearly 3000 US troops, thousands of Afghans, and at
least 100,000 Iraqis dead who would otherwise be among the living.
It is essential to reflect on this background before one can comprehend
the widespread outrage at Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks in Germany
concerning the alleged philosophical differences between Islam and
Christianity. This is the second time this year that unkind references
to Islam from a Western source have elicited violent Muslim protests –
the first being an offensive cartoon published in a Danish newspaper.
Many American observers, not predisposed to thoughtful reflection,
simply take such happenings as vindication of their prejudices.
But such self-congratulatory hubris ignores the unfortunate and
abiding reality that the depiction of Islam as “irrational” and
“violent” represents far more than a theological rumination. On the
contrary, it has been the singular ideological driving force behind
America’s vicious post-9/11 Middle East policy – the “clash of
civiliations” doctrine dispensed like snake oil by neoconservative
quacks, ever since the collapse of the Soviet bloc necessitated the
concoction of a new rationale for maintaining a military industrial
complex. Thus, when the Pope expounds on the “logical” underpinings
of the “Judeo-Christian” West in contrast with the Islamic world,
even as an aside, he is sending the message to all concerned that he
sympathizes with a conceited ideology that has engendered widespread
death, destruction, and misery on multiple occasions.
Benedict’s casual reference to the polemics of a late-14th century
Byzantine emperor engaged in a war with the Turks taps into a long
tradition of Orientalism – the pseudo-scholarly study of Asian
societies that rests on the premise that they are built on moral
and philosophical foundations radically different from those that
inform the cultures of Europe and their derivatives. Ever since the
Crusades of the Middle Ages, Western rulers have encouraged such
propaganda during conflicts with Asian nations as a means to squelch
self-reflection and promote unthinking patriotic obedience among
their subjects.
Yet, it would not take long for a good fifth-grade schoolmarm to
deconstruct this obtuse theory via a brief walk through history.
The Byzantine Empire, as any honest historian knows, was hardly
a paragon of religious tolerance and logical governance. From the
moment Constantine I ascended the throne and wed Christianity to the
remnants of Roman political power, Christians whose interpretation of
scripture did not conform to state-sponsored dogma were persecuted –
particularly the Gnostic sects, whose writings, such as the recently
discovered Judas Gospel, continue to fascinate historians. Jews
were subject to severe restrictions on their social status, and,
in Constantinople, were ostracized into a ghetto. In the political
realm, corruption, intrigue, and murder were commonplace.
Looking at the wider Western world of the late Middle Ages and early
Renaissance, one finds little evidence of morally-conscious rulers
seeking to reconcile faith and reason. Consider the trouble men like
Copernicus and Galileo encountered when they sought to challenge the
Church-sanctioned conception of a changeless universe centered on a
motionless Earth. An Italian philosopher, Giordano Bruno, was burned
at the stake for teaching Copernican theory and speculating about life
on other planets. And, as astronomer Carl Sagan pointed out in one of
his wittiest books, Pope Calixtus III actually excommunicated Halley’s
Comet in 1456 because its appearance in the night sky coincided with
a major Turkish offensive in the Balkans – although, as Sagan points
out, its prior adherence to Catholicism was uncertain!
As for “conversion by the sword”, it is difficult to think of worse
examples than those provided by Christian Spain in the 15th and 16th
Centuries. The subjugation of the Canary Islands and its indigenous
Guanches inaugurated this onslaught. Every high school student who pays
a modicum of attention in class knows about the ruthless expulsion of
Jews and Muslims in 1492 after the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella
unified Castille and Aragon. That year, of course, is also famous
for Columbus’ arrival in the Americas – initiating one of the most
rapid and destructive campaigns of conquest in history. Within fifty
years, the Arawaks of the West Indies were virtually extinct, the
ancient civilizations of Mexico and Peru lay in ruins, and millions
of indigenous Americans had perished from disease, starvation, and
slave labor.
When the conquistadors of Francisco Coronado came upon pueblos in the
American Southwest, a decree was read aloud in every town demanding
the inhabitants embrace Christianity or be exterminated!
Now that we have examined some of the less admirable episodes in
the annals of Western civilization, let us pause to recall some of
the achievements of Muslim lands during the same period. It is a
well-known fact that Arab and Persian scholars not only preserved
and translated the learning of classical Greece, but also greatly
improved upon the Greeks’ understanding of mathematics, geography,
medicine, and astronomy. The golden age of Moorish Spain boasted
many esteemed Jewish, as well as Muslim, scholars – including Hasdai
ibn-Chaprut and Maimonides. When Constantinople fell to the Muslim
Turks in 1453, its Jews were emancipated, and many Sephardic Jews
fleeing the Spanish Inquisition in later years found refuge in the
Ottoman realm – including Palestine. The cities of the classical
Muslim world, from Cordoba to Cairo to Damascus to Baghdad, were
revered throughout Eurasia as centers of learning and commerce.
But before we rush to dismiss Pope Benedict’s recent homily outright,
we must also examine the acts of intolerance and violence which
important Muslim societies have unquestionably committed. Although
Moorish rule in Spain was generally characterized by respect for the
rights of Jews and Christians, it also witnessed episodes of severe
religious persecution – particularly under the fundamentalist Berber
Almoravids. The people of Nuristan, on the northeast Afghan frontier,
were indeed forcibly converted to Islam little more than a century
ago. There is little to praise in the Ottoman Empire’s oppressive
rule over predominantly Christian lands such as Greece, Serbia,
and Bulgaria, where teenage boys were regularly conscripted into the
Turkish army as janissaries.
Moreover, the violent collapse of Ottoman rule during the First World
War witnessed the genocidal massacre of Armenians – a crime against
humanity as grave as the Jewish Holocaust which modern Turkey,
a long-time US ally, continues to stubbornly deny in the face of
indisputable facts.
There is a lesson to be learned here by all humanity – that the
true dividing line in human affairs is not between East and West,
or whites and non-whites. It is between those who recognize that
all cultures – including their own, have the capacity for both the
profoundest enlightenment and the basest evil, and those who persist
in believing that some peoples have inherently superior cultures,
and thus superior human rights. Around the world one sees a veritable
epidemic of blind patriots – Americans who refuse to feel sorrow for
the slaughter of the First Nations, Chinese who harden their hearts
toward the Tibetans whose society they have mutilated, Japanese
who still celebrate the murderous exploits of their bygone empire,
Australians who plead innocent to the subjugation of the Aborigines,
Arabs who belittle the crisis in Darfur, Turks who persist in their
deluded denial of the Armenian genocide, and Israelis (and their
Western supporters) who work themselves into spasms whenever the
Palestinian Nakba of 1948, and the ongoing plight of the refugees,
is mentioned.
The greatest obstacle to constructive self-reflection by members of any
society is, of course, the ongoing experience of conflict. If it has
been difficult for Americans to recognize their societal failings in
the aftermath of 9-11, it is far more difficult for Arabs and Muslims
to come to terms with theirs while under incessant threat of economic
punishment and military assault from the US and its allies. Yet,
in spite of the grotesque disparity between the two sides in this
deepening conflict, thoughtful men and women must transcend national
and sectarian boundaries in the quest for reconciliation – even if,
at times, this means getting our feelings hurt.
-Roger H. Lieberman is a graduate of Rutgers University with a Masters’
Degree in Environmental Science.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GEORGIAN OFFICIALS HAIL RUSSIA PLAN FOR EARLY BASE PULLOUT
RIA Novosti
21:49 | 19/ 09/ 2006
TBILISI, September 19 (RIA Novosti) – Georgia’s Defense Ministry
voiced its approval Tuesday for Russia’s decision to complete an
ahead-of-schedule withdrawal of its two Soviet-era military bases in
the Caucasus country, as a train carrying the last batch of hardware
from one of the bases left Georgia.
Under an agreement signed by Russia and Georgia on March 31, Russian
troops and military hardware are to leave the bases in the southern
city of Akhalkalaki and the western city of Batumi by 2008.
General Andrei Popov, Russia’s chief military commander in the South
Caucasus, said a total of 727 units of hardware and 2626.6 metric
tons of arms, ammunition, and general equipment had left Georgia for
bases in Russia and Armenia since the beginning of this year.
“The 2006 plan for the withdrawal of Russian bases from Georgia can
be considered 100% implemented,” Popov said.

CLONING AROUND
Entertainment Weekly
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
On “Weeds,” the mother plant survives the non-raid, but Sanjay has
destroyed much of the crop; meanwhile, Yael surprises Andy
by Hannah Tucker
WHO’S THE MAN? Andy’s relationship took an unexpected turn
The mother plant is present and accounted for, but her life hangs in
the balance. Things are tense. Conrad, who really didn’t need to be
reminded that he’s surrounded by idiots, has to save Mama from Andy’s
panicked and unconventional hydration methods and then tend to a new
batch of clones to make up for the ones Sanjay tried to flush. For
their part, poor Andy and Sanjay (both of whom must’ve lost many
games of hide-and-seek as children) are understandably shaken by the
DEA raid. Andy comments that his pretty face would get him unwanted
attention in prison, and oh, how ironic that observation will seem by
the end of the episode. Who needs inmates when you’ve got Yael and
her bedroom accessories? Not only is that moment more than Andy was
bargaining for, but it also makes the massage-parlor incident look
as risque as an episode of Blue’s Clues. I say: Mazel tov, Andy! Who
knew rabbinical school would open your eyes to so many new things?
Apart from these highlights (sorry, but half the fun of this TV Watch
is getting away with these puns), this was not a particularly strong
episode. As Celia’s swipe at Doug (“You won’t be able to get a seat
in a chair factory”) suggests, the writing was a bit lackluster. Not
that the half hour was devoid of fine moments that kept things
rolling – like Nancy’s horrified expression when Shane says he’s
joining the debate team, and Vaneeta finally getting the nerve to
tell off Heylia. But buying Shane a car to help him get past losing
Megan and inviting Peter and Conrad out for a nice dinner to smooth
things over? Nancy is usually more creative than that (although the
black dress was very Lacy LaPlante of her).
Still, I’m sure there’s no reason to panic, just as there’s no need for
a panic room. (Actually, just the idea of being stoned in a windowless
room with reinforced walls makes me paranoid.) Surely the bloom’s
not off the rose, nor the mother plant. I’m looking forward to the
possibility that these pedestrian plot points will lead to surprises
next week. Maybe shin-kicking Shane will actually get the girl. Maybe
Silas won’t wreck his new wheels in the first five minutes. Maybe
Nancy will really buy herself a gold tooth!
What do you think? Will Peter and Conrad declare war or call for
a truce? Is this really the last we’ve seen of the Armenians? Will
Heylia choose her risky business or her scary suitor? Will Dean be
able to balance doing virtually nothing to help the grow business
and doing virtually nothing to manage his daughter’s career?

RUSSIAN MFA: TRANSNISTRIA RESIDENTS USED DIRECT DEMOCRACY INSTITUTION
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.09.2006 17:31 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ For over 16 years the population of Transnistria
lives under the conditions of an unsettled conflict and out of the
constitutional field of the Republic of Moldova. Various models
of political settlement, proposed by international mediators, and
first of all by Russia, were not implemented, says a comment of
the Department of Information and Print of the Russian MFA on the
referendum in Transnistria.
The Russian MFA Believes that Transnistria residents used direct
democracy institution, i.e. referendum, to express their ideas on
the preferred form of securing stability and predictability in the
region. High level of participation is registered (according to the
Transnistria Central Electoral Commission 78.6% of those having vote
right took part in the referendum) and there were no significant
shortcomings,” says the MFA statement.
The Russian party hopes that in this situation OSCE and Ukraine
mediators, as well as US and EU observers invited in the past will
activate their efforts to form necessary preconditions for restoring
the negotiation process with participation of Kishinev and Tiraspol,
reports the Russian MFA Press Office.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE
Fund for Armenian Relief
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Edina N. Bobelian
Tel: (212) 889-5150; Fax: (212) 889-4849
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
September 18, 2006
____________________
FAR GIVES HOPE TO CHILDREN OF ARMENIA THROUGH SUMMER CAMP
Lucineh Minasyan was only 2 and her sister Armineh was only 1 when both
their parents died. They were adopted by their aunt and uncle, who do their
best to take care of the sisters along with their own two children. The
girls help their uncle grow vegetables, but without enough money to pay for
irrigation, the yield is disappointing.
“So our meals are rather modest and we cannot even dream of fruit or ice
cream,” Lucineh said. “We do not feel we are kids, because we share all the
hardships of our elders.”
This summer, thanks to the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) and a small, but
dedicated, Armenian community in Texas, the sisters have reclaimed their
childhood by attending summer camp. They attended the FAR-run Kaps Summer
Camp, located in a small forest just outside Gyumri.
“At camp, we feel that we are still kids,” Lucineh said. “We feel like
Cinderellas, even though after the camp we have to return to our regular
routine. Nevertheless, I thank God that He gave me and my sister these
wonderful days at camp.”
CREATING CHILDHOODS
During Soviet control of Armenia, authorities provided summer camp
opportunities. But since the independence of the Republic of Armenia, the
fledgling government has not been able to provide these respites.
The children of Armenia live with lingering emotional damage caused by the
war, the 1988 earthquake, and economic problems. With these troubles, their
childhoods easily slip away.
“I have never been to a youth camp before,” said 12-year-old Hasmik
Antonian. “I am happy to be free from household responsibilities. At camp,
I feel a careless childhood.”
When the nation became independent and the communist economy cracked,
unemployed parents and newly widowed, single parents could not afford
leisure activities for their children. When the children were not working
or studying, many could easily find trouble in the streets.
The father of Armen and Arman Gasparyan, 14-year-old twins, died in a car
accident. Now their mother works extra hard just to make a living. But
this year, at the Kaps Camp, they learned that getting into trouble did not
help.
“We realize how hard it is for her, but very often we do not behave and make
her life harder,” said the youngsters. “In camp, being in the oldest group,
we realize that being older is also a responsibility. After camp, we will
be more serious and lessen our mom’s burden.”
To provide high-quality, child-centered leisure activities for disadvantaged
youngsters, the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) began organizing summer camps
throughout the country. In 1998, FAR re-opened the camp in the village of
Kaps, an agricultural community situated 7 miles northeast of Gyumri.
Originally founded in 1828 by immigrants from Bayazet, a town at the foot of
Mount Ararat, the camp was shuttered during Armenia’s difficult transition
to independence. Since its re-establishment, the camp annually welcomes
about 140 children, between the ages of 10 and 14.
FAR re-established the Kaps Camp because, unlike neighboring villages, Kaps
remained below the radar of assistance programs. Along with renovating and
operating the Kaps Camp, FAR made a commitment to village residents by
installing a water pipe and sewage system.
Kaps is currently the only camp 100% run by FAR. Both in the past and
presently, the organization has provided funding and operational assistance
to help other camps begin and expand. Most of these camps now operate with
the help of other organizations or on their own.
TRIP CREATES OPPORTUNITIES
This summer, the Kaps Camp was not going to open because of insufficient
funds. At about the time FAR realized the camp would not open, a group of
young Armenian-Americans was touring Armenia with the FAR Young
Professionals Trip.
During their stay in Gyumri, one Young Professionals member, Ken Maranian of
Austin, Texas, was heartbroken to hear the news. He asked Marina Bazayeva,
FAR’s Gyumri Office Director, how much was needed to open the camp for the
final month of summer. She replied $8,000. Maranian asked others on the
Young Professionals trip to sponsor the Kaps Camp. Just over lunch that
day, they raised more than $3,000.
Going back home to Texas, he and Glyssie Berberian drew together the small
community there to find funding to fill the gap. They were inspired by what
they saw in Armenia on their FAR trips and wanted to make a difference in
the lives of these young children. “We can’t let the camp be cancelled,”
Maranian said. “It’s important to let the children enjoy the summer, let
them have fun and play.”
The small amount of $8,000 made a profound difference in the lives of the
children who were able to go to camp this year.
“The camp gave me an opportunity to relax and feel myself carefree and have
a chance to think of my future,” said 14-year-old Arthur Barsegyan. “I had
enough time to reflect on my life and decided to study math and become a
university instructor and do research to fill my life with sense and not
vegetate as I do now.”
“This is possible thanks to two interested Armenian-Americans who energized
their friends, family, and community,” said FAR Programs Director Arto
Vorperian. “Small amounts of support go a long way to provide hope,
opportunity, and empowerment to our brothers and sisters in Armenia. We
were able to give these children a couple of weeks at camp thanks to the
help of Ken and Glyssie. If you want to make a difference in the lives of
Armenians, you can do that without a big check.”
MORE THAN TIME OFF
FAR’s Kaps Camp is more than time away from chores. It includes activities
designed to develop the children, such as painting, sewing, and needle-work.
Children also take part in guided tours of museums, parks, and nearby
religious heritage sites. Campers receive nutritious meals and have access
to a full-time doctor.
Thanks to the donors from Texas, inspired by a participant of the Young
Professionals Trip, 140 kids were able to take advantage of the
life-changing opportunities of camp.
“In camp I realized that I have a whole life in front of me, whereas at home
I was under an impression that my life is limited to washing clothes and
cleaning floors,” said 13-year-old Hasmik Kirakosyan, whose parents are
unemployed. “Now, I am thinking of studying to become an engineer to design
home appliances that will alleviate housewives’ housekeeping burden.”
ABOUT FAR
Since its founding in response to the 1988 earthquake, FAR has served
millions of people through more than 220 relief and development programs in
Armenia and Karabagh. It has channeled more than $265 million in
humanitarian assistance by implementing a wide range of projects including
emergency relief, construction, education, medical aid, and economic
development.
FAR, one of the preeminent relief and development organization operating
there, is dedicated to realizing the dream of a free, democratic,
prosperous, and culturally rich Armenia. It works towards a brighter future
by partnering with donors to make life a little better for our people. By
offering hope and more promising prospects in Armenia, Karabagh, and
Javakhk, FAR binds the Diaspora and the Armenian family together around the
globe.
For more information on FAR or to send donations, contact us at 630 Second
Avenue, New York, NY 10016; telephone (212) 889-5150; fax (212) 889-4849;
web ; e-mail [email protected].
— 9/18/06
E-mail photos available on request.
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Campers at the Kaps Summer Camp, run by the Fund for
Armenian Relief (FAR), thank the Armenian community in Texas for providing
the funds that allowed the camp to remain open this summer.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): Campers at the FAR-run Kaps Summer Camp perform a dance,
just one of the activities designed to give a normal childhood to the needy
youngsters in the Gyumri area.
# # #
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian General Benevolent Union Inc.
Dr. Rita Kuyumjian
Chairperson
805, Manoogian street
Ville St-Laurent, QC H4N 1Z5
Tel: 514-748-2428
Fax: 514-748-6307
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Montreal, September 12, 2006 – AGBU Montreal is proud to announce that
Reader’s Digest of Canada, the English publication with the widest
circulation of over 6 million copies, has published an article in its
October issue on the Armenian Genocide, authored by Ms. Line Abrahamian.
Ms. Abrahamian is associate editor of the Reader’s Digest. She is an
active participant in the recently-announced AGBU Nor Jrabert repopulation
committee.
The article is featured on pages 62-69 of the publication. It is preceded
on pages 56-61 by another article which consists of an interview with the
famous actor Orlando Bloom in which he describes his participation in Andrew
Goldberg’s documentary “The Armenian Genocide”, which was showcased this
past spring at AGBU Montreal and was also received by Canada’s Prime
Minister, courtesy of the AGBU.
In addition, the Reader’s Digest website features another sidebar article on
the topic available only on the site, written also by Ms. Abrahamian
containing rare interviews with Turkish intellectuals providing a unique
perspective on the Armenian Genocide and its impact on Turkish society and
its institutions of today. The article can be found at
e.php. The topic of the
Armenian Genocide is thus getting premium coverage.
AGBU Montreal congratulates Ms. Abrahamian on this unique achievement of
getting such widespread coverage of the topic in various media. AGBU
Montreal also urges its members and the Armenian public to support this
initiative, by purchasing and distributing the publication, by writing
letters to the editor and, for residents outside of Canada, by ordering and
distributing copies through the foreign order feature of the same website.
For further information, please contact the AGBU at 514-748-2428 or at
[email protected]

ON THE TUBE
By Pat St. Germain
Winnipeg Sun, Canada
Wed, September 20, 2006
Famous for his Campbell’s soup can art, silkscreens of the rich
and famous and “factory” films — and, oh, yeah, getting shot by
a nutbar — oddball artist Andy Warhol earns a four-hour bio on
two-part American Masters special Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film,
on PPTV Ch. 3 at 8 p.m. today and tomorrow. Part 1 depicts the shy
son of Polish immigrants who makes it big.
A crime-conscious female FBI profiler leaves her window open while
she’s out of town? Her boss sends her home alone knowing she’s under
threat? We’re not buying it for a second — but we are dying to know
how the cliffhanger of Criminal Minds plays out on CBS Ch. 4 at 8 p.m.
It’s the end of the world as we know it. A small town in Kansas may
be the last safe haven after a presumed nuclear attack in serial
drama Jericho, premiering on CBS Ch. 4 at 7 p.m. Luckily, the mayor’s
prodigal son Skeet Ulrich and a mysterious stranger arrived in town
shortly before a mushroom cloud was spotted on the horizon.
A wealthy couple (Timothy Hutton and Dana Delany) hire a private
retrieval expert (Jeremy Sisto) after their son — whose talent
for holding his breath is likely to come in handy — is abducted,
sparking a season-long hunt on Kidnapped, premiering on NBC Ch. 6
and Global Ch. 12 at 9 p.m.
After six seasons, we know they aren’t really gonna be “top” models,
but the catty competition is still fun on the seventh season premiere
of America’s Next Top Model on The CW (WPIX Ch. 62 and WGN Ch. 61),
and City Ch. 8 at 7 p.m.
Modern cop Sam steps in to release a suspect when he discovers
old-school partner Gene planted evidence on the man. Unfortunately,
tragedy ensues on Life on Mars, on BBC Canada at 9 p.m.
Nancy pretends her husband is a Canadian hockey player injured by
a goon from Moose Jaw when she needs an electricity hookup, and the
crew are threatened by Armenian rivals on Weeds, on Showcase Ch. 28
at midnight.
Mac has sex with Dee and Dennis’s mom on It’s Always Sunny in
Philadelphia, on Showcase Ch. 28 at 12:40 a.m.
A serial killer on death row may be engineering a fresh string of
murders on Bones, on Fox Ch. 49 at 7 p.m.
A young socialite is accused of killing her ex-beau in a rehab centre
on Justice, on Fox Ch. 49 at 8 p.m.
Mac’s girlfriend (Claire Forlani) signs on as the new medical examiner
when a man who projects a giant marriage proposal on a highrise gets
a definite no — right in the heart — on the season premiere of CSI:
NY, on CBS Ch. 4 at 9 p.m.

Press Release
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
HIS HOLINESS ADDRESSES THE THIRD ARMENIA-DIASPORA CONFERENCE
“WE SHOULD WORK FOR A STRONG NATION AND MOTHERLAND”
declares HIS HOLINESS ARAM I
His Holiness Aram I called on working for a strong Armenian nation and a
strong Armenia in an address to a large number of Armenians from every
corner of the world during the opening session of the third Armenia-Diaspora
Conference in Yerevan on September 18.
At the beginning of an impressive and strongly worded speech, His Holiness
Aram I highlighted the important role of the conference in the life of the
Armenian nation, church and motherland. He considered this conference, the
third of its kind, to be a more conscious approach towards collective
belonging and one dictated by the Armenian nation’s collective history.
Having said this, the Pontiff divided his speech into four parts.
First, His Holiness showed the true path to the future through
self-criticism. “The first condition of success and progress is
self-criticism and then self-correction,” he said, adding that attempts to
veil difficulties and downplay the seriousness of certain situations lead to
undesired consequences.
Secondly, His Holiness Aram I spoke in detail about the approach that would
yield positive results if adopted towards major national issues and
concerns. Talking about the way these issues should be discussed, brought to
the table and solved, he stressed the importance of taking into
consideration the Pan-Armenian factor.
“The Pan-Armenian factor should become the spirit and basis of our thoughts
and plans; it should become our viewpoint and perspective. This factor,
however, should not be confused with a monopole way of thinking and a
centralized functioning. In its correct understanding, the Pan-Armenian
factor does not deny the presence of difference; on the contrary, it makes
them useful and enriching. This is what is demanded from all of us today
both in Armenia and the Diaspora. Any attempt to transform our differences
into a confrontation and pollute relation between our nation’s two poles is
unacceptable,’ assured the Catholicos.
Moving on to his third point, His Holiness Aram I reiterated the importance
of state and national priorities. “Armenia, as a state has its priorities
that are always subject to review based on the region’s geopolitical and
economic circumstances and Armenia’s chief interests.”
Aram I then talked about a number of important national issues that should
be discussed on a Pan-Armenian level with a clear separation in the roles of
the Armenian government and the Diaspora. In this context he particularly
mentioned the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, the situation in Javakhk, and the issues of dictation and dual
nationality. He added that collective discussion on these issues
“strengthens and channels Pan-Armenian thought in our life.”
Aram I then proposed the establishment of a small body from the various
state, spiritual and political entities that would meet with the president
of Armenia at least once a year to discuss Pan-Armenian issues.
In his fourth point, the Catholicos placed the relationship between Armenia
and the Diaspora on a cooperation level, away from emotional dimensions and
the concept of financial aid. He stressed the importance of preserving
national values in the current wave of globalization.
“The cooperation between Armenia and the Diaspora should not be conditioned
by financial standards only and should not be limited to narrow economic
boundaries. In other words, the Diaspora should not be satisfied with
financing projects in Armenia; it has much more to give to Armenia with its
manpower and experience. Armenia in its turn, should not only organize
Pan-Armenian conferences; it also has a lot to offer to the Diaspora
particularly in the fields of culture and Armenology. Our church and
intellectuals have an important role to play in this respect,” he added.
Concluding his speech, His Holiness Aram I reaffirmed the dedication and
commitment of the Catholicosate of Cilicia to the construction of the
homeland. One tangible expression of this is its construction of the “New
Cilicia” village in Karabakh. In this and other future projects, the
catholicos saw the imperative of halting migration, a task in which all
Armenians bear responsibility.
“Let’s walk together with a powerful Armenia towards a strong future with a
firm belief, a united course and committed participation. Here is our
strength; this is our path. Blessings to eternal Armenia; Blessings to the
homeland building Armenian nation that is itself rebuilt and eternalized
with its homeland,” called His Holiness to his audience.
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.