TURKISH MP TURHAN CHOMAZ: GARABAGH DRAMA MAY BE REPEATED IN LEBANON
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug. 8, 2006
“Lebanon is suffering tragedy of humanity now. About 35,000 houses
have been devastated and 60,000 have become impossible to live in.
One of every three persons have become refugee in Lebanonm which has
4 million population,” Turkish parliamentarian from Balikasir from
AKP party Turhan Chomaz, who is in the Lebanese capital, Beirut now,
told the APA’s Turkey bureau.
The parliamentarian said more than $3 billion is needed to restoration
of the infrastructure-destroyed electric station, water reservoirs,
roads and bridges in Lebanon.
“As a state, Lebanon has fallen down. There is an irresistible chaos
in the country. People are desperate and furious in Beirut. Israeli
raids on civilians are horrible.
If the world community fails to end the fighting in Lebanon, the
Middle East will suffer great unrests and chaos in coming ten years.
It is duty of all intelligent states to settle this conflict. I
feel very sad and worry about the developments in Beirut. I wish the
fighting ended as soon as possible,” Mr. Chomaz said.
The AKP member underlined the United States and Great Britain are
responsible for ending the war stressing these states should interfere
in the processes immediately.
“However, Turkey, as the successor of a state, which was in power
in this geography for four centuries, is also to do much in this
situation. I expect the Azerbaijani government’s support, Azerbaijani
brothers’ sensitivity to the steps and policy that Turkey will take
soon. Everyone should do its utmost to render humanitarian aids.
There is a need to take a strong state policy and to make more severe
demands in order to prevent Israeli attacks. I believe Turkey will
take these steps soon. And we expect support from an mportant Turk
state, Azerbaijan and brotherly people to these steps,” he underlined.
Responding to the question “Do you see any similarities between the
current developments in Lebanon and our occupied territories, refugee
problem,” the Turkish parliamentarian described the Garabagh problem
as a chronic injury.
“Our compatriots displaced from Nagorno Garabagh cannot get used to
the troubles they have long been suffering. I am afraid the drama
of our brothers from Garabagh will happen to Lebanon. There will be
irresistible, new chronic injury here. Therefore, the conflict in
Lebanon should be immediately solved to prevent this. In this context,
the two brotherly states-Turkey and Azerbaijan should pursue a joint
policy and say “end” these bloody attacks,” Chomaz said.
He also commented on the probability of the spread of the war in
the region.
“If efforts to achieve permanent peace fail, Israel will continue to
bomb the southern Lebanon deporting civilians to the north. I think
first Syria and then Iran will interfere in this process. Israel’s
current position and US secret support for it is leading the Middle
East geography to chaos. I am afraid the fire in the heart of the
Middle East will catch the entire geography soon. We are obliged to
prevent this.
I convey my love to Azerbaijani brothers from Beirut. They must not
forget that our hearts are always with them. I’ll dedicate my next
visit program to Garabagh,” Chomaz concluded.

AZERI FOREIGN MINISTER HOLDS MEETINGS IN SWEDEN
Author: A.Ismayilova
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Aug. 8, 2006
On August 8, the foreign minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov
who is in Stockholm with an official visit held a meeting with the
state secretary of Sweden, deputy minister of industry and trade
Sven Erik Seder. Besides, talks were held in the Trade Council of
Sweden and Russian-Swedish Trade Chamber, Trend reports quoting the
press-center of Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. Mammadyarov met with
the vise-president of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the member of
Swedish parliament Ms. Ton Finskard.
In the second half of the day, the Azerbaijani foreign minister is
expected to meet with the president of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly,
special envoy of the organization on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Karl
de Guhtom.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJANI WOUNDED IN ARMENIAN CEASEFIRE VIOLATION IN AGDAM
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug. 8, 2006
Armenian armed forces fired on Efetli village of the Azerbaijani
region of Agdam in different directions from occupied Azerbaijani
territories. At present shootings are heard in the contact line.
APA’s Garabagh bureau reports that Armenians continued to fire on
the village until early morning. As the result of Armenian cease-fire
violation, Efetli resident Hasanova Sevinj was wounded on the leg.
Agdam region central hospital doctor Kamil Hasanov said to the APA
bureau the bullet remained in the born of the patient. The wounded
was taken doctor’s control.

AZERI FM OFF TO SWEDEN
Author: E.Huseynov
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Aug. 8, 2006
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend that Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov started an official visit to Sweden on
8 August.
The minister which has recently arrived in Stockholm held a meeting
with the Director of Institute for Central Asia and the Caucasus
University Upsala Swante Kornello. On 8 August he is scheduled to
meet with the Swedish Foreign Minister Ian Eliasson, also the acting
chairman of the UN General Assembly. The minister also met with
the newly appointed chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of OSCE,
rapporteur on Nagorno Karabakh, Goran Lenmarker.
The 3-day visit program for Stockholm includes meetings of the
Azerbaijani FM at the parliament, some ministries and administration,
as well as companies.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
August 9, 2006
___________________
ACYOA’S SERVICE TRIP TO ARMENIA BRINGS CLERGY CLOSER TO PEOPLE
With the blessing of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, and the cooperation of Fr. Torkom Tonikyan of
the Arakatzotn Diocese of Armenia, 25 young Armenians from the Diocese of
the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) recently traveled to Armenia to
serve the community there by bringing the parish priests closer to the
people.
The youngsters were part of the Armenia Service Program (ASP), a trip
organized by the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA).
This year they traveled to Armenia to work with Habitat for Humanity. They
worked on parish homes for two priests in the villages of Oshagan and
Edesia.
“This will bring the clergy to the people, because they are in the villages
and will stay among the people,” said Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate
of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern). “I’m happy our
young people not only served the community through the Armenia Service
Program, but glad to know they worked alongside youth from the local diocese
in Armenia, building bonds between the two groups.”
The ASP trip was underwritten by four generous benefactors whose gifts
allowed ASP participants to travel at minimal expense. They were Mr. and
Mrs. Vartkess and Rita Balian, James Kalustian, Dr. Sarkis Kechejian, and
Mr. and Mrs. Gregory and Christine Parseghian.
“These supporters of our youth know the importance of service to the
Armenian community,” the Primate said. “And they stood forward and acted as
mentors, through their generous gifts. They showed the young ASP
participants that the community values the service they gave to their
brothers and sisters in Armenia by building new homes for priests to bring
them into the communities they will serve.”
TRIP MOVES SOME TO STAY LONGER
It was supposed to be a three-week trip to help build homes for needy
Armenian families. But for two young Armenians it turned into a much longer
commitment to help the people of Armenia.
But for two of the 25 ASP participants, the trip was extended when they
decided to stay longer to continue helping the people of Armenia. Another
two members spoke to clergy in Armenia about returning next year to teach
English.
“A lot of people want to come back next year. Almost everyone wanted to
stay right then, but had to get back to school,” said Sarine Zenian, one of
two assistant leaders who helped ASP group leader Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan.
“It was a wonderful, powerful way to truly see Armenia.”
EXTENDED SERVICE
Two of the ASP participants — Gena Dirani and Aram Mushegian — decided to
stay on for a longer “tour of duty” in Armenia after listening to local
leaders and clergy who spoke about the importance of disaporan support.
One leader the group met with was Tom Samuelian, the American-born dean of
the law school at the American University of Armenia. He told the young
Armenians to take advantage of the opportunities they have now, and not let
the chance to help Armenia slip away.
“One important aspect of the Armenia Service Program is not just serving the
community through Habitat for Humanity, but also meeting the political and
community leaders, hearing about the future of Armenia from them,” said
Nancy Basmajian, ACYOA executive secretary. “Someone like Tom, who has been
a longtime friend of the ACYOA, can convey to the ASP participants a true
sense of what it means to be a Christian steward and a community servant.
He gave up all he had in the U.S. to pursue something more vital: a strong,
stable Armenian homeland.”
After ASP, Dirani began a three-week internship at the Armenian Department
of Foreign Affairs. Mushegian decided to stay through December, landing a
volunteer position through the Armenian Volunteer Corps.
BUILDING HOMES
The ASP participants teamed with Habitat for Humanity this summer to build
parish homes in Oshagan and Edesia. They also worked on an apartment
complex in Gavar. They did roofing, plastering, painting, and finishing
floors and walls.
At each site, they teamed with other volunteers as well as residents and
young Armenians from the local community.
“It was so great working with the locals and getting to know them,” Zenian
said. “I had been to Armenia before, but this was a way to see Armenia
through a new set of eyes. We really got to know the Armenian people we
worked alongside.”
The work done by ASP participants helps the thousands of Armenians displaced
by the 1988 earthquake, who live in metal “domiks,” temporary iron shacks.
The domiks act like refrigerators in the winter, and boilers in the summer.
Habitat for Humanity Armenia has been active since 2000, and so far has
provided homes for more than 1,000 people.
The Armenian Church and Habitat for Humanity are preparing for an ambitious
project to build 37 homes for families in need through the “Catholicos
Karekin II Work Project,” which will run from September 5 to 9, 2006.
For information on how to become a supporter of this project, visit the
Habitat for Humanity website:
— 8/9/06
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News and
Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan, leader of the ASP trip to
Armenia, left, works with volunteers and local Armenians on a construction
project through Habitat for Humanity.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): Mark Berberian, right, and Christian Ohanian work on a
roof during the 2006 ASP trip to Armenia.
PHOTO CAPTION (3): ASP participant Harutyun Gyurjyan shovels debris along
side local Armenians as part of a Habitat for Humanity build during the 2006
ASP trip to Armenia.
PHOTO CAPTION (4): Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan, leader of the ASP trip to
Armenia, with the ASP participants and their new friends made through
working on Habitat for Humanity sites in Armenia.

PRESS RELEASE
Fund for Armenian Relief’s Fellowship Alumni Association
29 Rubinyants Street,
Yerevan, Armenia
Contact: Bella Grigoryan
FARFAA_Salzburg Medical Program Coordinator
Tel: (37410) 249677, 541128
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
Seminar on << Shoulder Surgery>>
August 2nd, 2006
Yerevan
FARFAA (Armenia) together with the Salzburg Fellows on Bone and Joint
Surgery,with the technical support of the Institute of Traumatology
organized a Seminar on <>.. The Seminar took place
on August 2nd in the Conference Hall of the Institute os Traumatology.
36 doctors from different Yerevan hospitals have participated.
Dr.Gerald R. Williams (USA) was the invited guest-lecturer.
Dr. Gerald R. Williams Jr. is a professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine as well as the Chief of
the Shoulder and Elbow Service, Dept. of Orthopedic Service in the
University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Dr.Williams is specialized in Shoulder Surgery and he presented
lectures on various interesting topics as Shoulder fractures, Rotating
Cuff Repair, Arthroscopic shoulder surgery. He shows the videos of his
most interesting cases and answered questions.
Dr. Williams kindly agreed to visit some hospitals in Yerevan and
answer any questions local orthopedists may have.
Additionally, within the next one – two years, Dr. Williams plans on
visiting Armenia with his partners to bring equipment, see patients and
train local surgeons in the most up-to-date surgical skills.
FAR FAA is a non-for-profit organization of medical professionals, aimed
at improving the health care system of the community and advancing
medical sciences in Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Fund for Armenian Relief’s Fellowship Alumni Association
29 Rubinyants Street,
Yerevan, Armenia
Contact: Bella Grigoryan
FARFAA_Salzburg Medical Program Coordinator
Tel: (37410) 249677, 541128
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
Round -Table on << Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery>>.
August 3rd, 2006
Yerevan
FARFAA (Armenia) together with the Salzburg Fellows on Neurosurgery,
with the technical support of the <>Rehabilitation Center
organized Round -Table on <>.
The Round -Table took place on August 3rd and 21 doctors from
different Yerevan hospitals have participated, most of them were
neurosurgeons.
Dr.Hrayr Shahinian (USA) was the invited guest-lecturer.
Dr H.Shahinian is the director of the Skull Base Institute ( Los
Angeles, USA().
The Skull Base Institute (SBI), a designated Center of Excellence, is
the first and only center devoted exclusively to the art of skull base
surgery. It is the world’s premier institute to perform every procedure
using minimally invasive endoscopic techniques and after pioneering
completely endoscopic pituitary surgery, the only to do fully endoscopic
acoustic neuroma, meningioma and microvascular decompression surgery in
the posterior fossa.
Dr. Shahinian, and SBI’s team uniquely qualified to operate on the
most complex area of the human anatomy and contributes to the success in
treating over 2,400 skull base patients.
The goal of the Round -Table was to present the latest information,
experience and knowledge of the well known Endoscopic skull base
surgeon to armenian doctors.
Dr Shahinian informed local doctors about the advantages of the
endoscopic surgery, minimal complications and excellent outcome after
the brain tumors removal endoscopically.
We wish to acknowledge and to express our deep appreciation to Mr Vahe
Yakubian and Manushak Yeritzyan for their assistance in organizing
the event..
FAR FAA is a non-for-profit organization of medical professionals, aimed
at improving the health care system of the community and advancing
medical sciences in Armenia.

Workshop in Aleppo on the occasion of the International Children’s Day
Azad-Hye, Dubai, 09 August 2006: Hamazkayin’s “Arshile Gorky” art school in
Aleppo organized an outstanding art event in the city’s Public Park, where
children from Arabic and Armenian art schools took part.
Invitations for participation were sent to Aleppo’s different Arabic and
Armenian art schools for this one-day workshop. This event was part of the
activities of “Aleppo: Capital of Islamic Culture 2006”, coinciding also
with the “International Children’s Day”. The participant students were 6 to
12 years old.
Students from “Mardiros Sarian” art school, the Arabic charitable
association “Al-Ikha’a” (Brotherhood) for children with special needs and
another local school accepted the invitation.
The municipality of Aleppo, considering the importance of this event,
announced it as part of the celebrations dedicated to “International
Children’s Day”, taking part between 8 to 13 July. Normally this celebration
occurs every year in Damascus, but Aleppo’s municipality wished to include
it this year in the activities of “Aleppo: Capital of Islamic Culture 2006”,
under the patronage of Riad Na’asan Agha, Minister of Culture.
In the morning of 9 July 2006 Aleppo’s Public Park was full of life with
young artists. At 11 a.m. the Minister, accompanied by officials and
government representatives (Malak Yasin, Director of Children’s Department
in the Ministry of Culture; Mohammad Al Sissi, UNICEF Regional Director;
Kamel Kattan, Director of Aleppo’s Cultural Centre; Ma’an Shebli, Mayor of
Aleppo) visited the location.
They were all greeted at the entrance by Nerses Khederian (Head of
Hamazkayin’s Nigol Aghpalian Section) and Sonia Kaprielian (Director of
“Arshile Gorky” art school).
Sonia Kaprielian gave a briefing to the Minister and his entourage about the
Armenian community, the activities of Hamazkayin and in particular “Arshile
Gorky” art school. She explained that this event addresses the children of
Aleppo, spreading a message of love to the world through their work. This
effort was highly appreciated and admired by Minister Na’asan Agha.
Al Sissi (UNICEF Regional Director for Syria, Lebanon and Jordan) also
showed great interest. He declared that such an event was never seen before
in Syria. He requested to have the event documented and photographed as
reference to UNICEF’s different offices.
All the children participating in this activity were dressed in similar
T-shirts. Their heads were covered with caps protecting them from the heat
and on the T-shirts they carried colourful badges, showing their schools. At
every corner, sponsor “Nestlé” company’s van was providing cold drinks
quenching the thirst of the children and the visitors.
The children were busy drawing with chalk and paints. No time for
naughtiness! They worked in groups of 4-5 person each. One group painted
Aleppo’s citadel and its guardian Abu Firas Al-Hamadani, whose statue is
situated at the entrance of Aleppo’s public park. Others chose simpler
subjects; the sea or Cinderella, etc. The view was spectacular!.
The event was covered by many TV channels; Syrian, Iranian, Jordanian TVs
and Spacetoon channel. Some of them interviewed the little artists. They
also interviewed Sonia Kaprielian. She emphasized that this event was
organized by Aleppo’s Armenian community, dedicated to the city of Aleppo.
She also thanked the municipality for all the support and help it provided.
“Arshile Gorky” art school’s administrative board highly valued the efforts
of two of the instructors: Leda Guluzian and Vartkes Barsoumian, whose
efforts helped in the success of the event.
On the park’s stairs the children drew the logo of “Aleppo: Capital of
Islamic Culture 2006” and the logo of “International Children’s Day”. The
scene was very touching, when at the end, the children together with the
help of their parents raised the 3 meters long and 6 meters wide Syrian flag
painted in 3 parts. To end the ceremony, Kaprielian drew the logo of
“Arshile Gorky” art school. A memorial photo was taken including all the
participants and organizers.
Thanks to “Mardiros Sarian” art school’s administrators and their teacher
Ella, also thanks to “Al-Ikha’a” association for children with special needs
and to A’ahed Bredy for her hard work.
This unique event definitely will have a positive impact in the future and
will leave its marks in Aleppo’s cultural history.
For more information on the activities of Arshile Gorky art school, please
contact Sonia Kaprielian at: [email protected]
Photos and Armenian text available at:
734sas67

Toronto Fest Tips Industry Titles
Indiewire.com
August 9, 2006
Organizers of the Toronto International Film Festival have unveiled another
20 titles that will screen at this year’s festival, highlighting movies that
may be of interest to distributors, exhibitors and insiders, according to
the announcement. World premieres added to the fest’s roster include: Werner
Herzog’s “Rescue Dawn” (US), Margarethe von Trotta’s “I Am The Other Woman”
(Germany), Hal Hartley’s “Fay Grim” (US/Germany), Tarsem Singh’s “The Fall”,
Ari Sandel’s “Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show” (US), Alek Keshishian’s
“Love and Other Disasters” (France/UK), Scott Caan’s “The Dog Problem” (US),
Shane Meadows’ “This Is England” (UK), Brad Silberling’s “10 Items Or Less”
(US), Laurent Herbiet’s “Mon Colonel” (France/Algeria/Belgium), and Zabou
Breitman’s “L’Homme De Sa Vie” (France/Italy), Sang-il Lee’s “Hula Girls”
(Japan), John Jeffcoat’s “Outsourced” (US), Larry Fessenden’s “The Last
Winter” (US/Iceland), Alex van Warmerdam’s “Waiter” (The Netherlands).
International premieres tipped as biz-worthy include Agustin Diaz Yanes’
“Alatriste” (Spain), Eytan Fox’s “The Bubble” (Israel), Manuel Pradal’s “Un
Crime” (France), Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Hana” (Japan), and Ana Kokkinos’ “The
Book of Revelation” (Australia). They join the three previously announced
potenetial acquisition titles: Michael Ian Black’s “The Pleasure of Your
Company”, Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker’s “The Prisoner Or: How I
Planned to Kill Tony Blair” and Pascal Arnold and Jean-Marc Barr’s “Chacun
Sa Nuit.” [Eugene Hernandez]

GIBRAHAYER
e-magazine _http://gibrahayer.cyprusnewsletter.com_
(http://g ibrahayer.cyprusnewsletter.com/)
The largest circulation Armenian e-magazine
Circulates every Wednesday
Established in 1999
ARMENIAN PRELATURE AND KYKKO MONASTERY OPEN DONATION CENTER FOR LEBANON IN
NICOSIA
(Nicosia – Cyprus Mail – August 1, 2006) A donation centre to offer aid to
victims of the Israeli air strikes in Lebanon opened in Nicosia yesterday
under a joint effort of the Kykko monastery and the Armenian Church.
more at: _
( rus-mail.com/news/)
The Humanitarian Aid Committee of the Kykko Monastery of the Cyprus Orthodox
Church and the Armenian Prelature are working together for the collection of
aid to Lebanon.
The inauguration of a donation center took place on Tuesday August 1, 2006
at 10:00 am at Eleftherias Square in Nicosia with the presence of Archbishop
Varoujan Hergelian, Father Issayias of Kykko Monastery, Nicosia Mayor
Michalakis Zambelas and Armenian representative in the Cyprus Parliament Vartkes
Mahdessian.
Speaking to representatives of the Cyprus media,the three men highlighted
the importance of the relief effort which simultaneously started work in 18
centers all over Cyprus.
MP Vartkes Mahdessian congratulated the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus for
the initiative of this humanitarian effort towards neighbouring Lebanon and
added. “As Armenians in Cyprus it is also important that we reach out to
Lebanon, where the See of the Catholicosate of Cilicia is situated and more than 100,000 Armenians live.”
Armenians in Cyprus have also responded positively to last week’s call by
Archbishop Hergelian and MP Vartkes Mahdessian by offering financial
assistance and contributing towards the collection of items publicised by
the Armenian Prelature last week.
A.R.S. “SOSSE” CYPRUS CHAPTER CONTINUES LEBANON RELIEF EFFORT
The ARS “Sosse” chapter of Cyprus – as with every other ARS chapter
throughout the Diaspora – appeals to the Armenian community of Cyprus to extend its
support to the Armenian community of Lebanon, by contributing generously to
the special relief fund set up by the ARS.
You can hand in your contribution to any member of the Committee by
contacting the following officials:
Vera Tavitian – Tel: 99520071, Maral Adourian – Tel: 99469634
ARMENIA SENDS AID TO LEBANON
Armradio.am – 30.7.2006 – The humanitarian aid of Armenia has already
reached Beirut and Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon Vahan Ter-Ghevondyan has
already
submitted it to the Council, co-ordinating humanitarian aid. The Ambassador
said that the 509 boxes that were sent to Lebanon, included medicines and
medical necessities. On July 27, the Armenian government took the decision
to
provide 20 million drams worth of humanitarian aid to Lebanon.
ISRAELIS MAKE NEW INCURSION INTO LEBANON
SIDON, Lebanon – Israeli forces made a fresh push into southern Lebanon on
Sunday, sparking intense firefights with Hezbollah guerrillas in the
southeastern border area, Lebanese police said.
Click Aztag banner below for the latest news from LEBANON
DIASPORA YOUTH UNITE IN HOMELAND
July 30 YEREVAN (YERKIR) – The opening ceremony of the program called =80=9CThe
First Armenia Trip of the ARF Youth Unions’ was held on July 29 atYerbalur.
Armenian youth from nine countries have arrived in Armenia.
The program will last through August 5 and the youngsters will stay at
Aghavnadzor and make trips to different Armenian regions. Speaking at a news
conference at the ARF Dashnaktsoutiun Bureau headquarters in Yerevan, Tatul
Harutiunian, the director of the program, said the program’s goal is mainly
educational.
The motto of the program is `Armenia is my Homeland.’ He noted that the
program will further the ties between the Homeland and Diaspora. Young people
from Armenia, Javakhk and Artsakh are also participating in the program.
Saro Ter-Petrosian, the head of the Canadian delegation, said that when
selecting the participants, they had chosen those, who had never been in Armenia
before.
Harutiunian said that they expected a bigger number of participants but
because of the situation in Lebanon and the Middle East,they could not make it.
Hitlerite Blitzkrieg and Nazi Atrocities in the Lebanon Committed by Proxy
by the US Neo-Cons
by Professor Hovhanness I. Pilikian at _http://pilikian.blogspot.com_
( ogspot.com/)
The same article is also up on Professor Pilikian’s permanent section of
Gibrahayer E-Magazine at =3D4
The turbulent march of history past Beirut woman’s window
by Haro Chakmakjian
BEIRUT, July 26, 2006 (AFP) – From the evacuation of Yasser Arafat in 1982
to the current foreign exodus, Makrouhie Yerganian has seen the troubled
history of Lebanon unscroll in front of her eyes at her vantage point in front of
the Beirut port.
Just last week, two truck drivers having coffee were killed when their
parked and apparently empty vehicles were blown apart in an Israeli air strike on
the edge of the port, just 50 metres away from her modest home in a
three-storey apartment block.
“It was a very strange noise that rattled our nerves. We thought we had
heard all sorts of explosions but this was something new even for us,” says the
Lebanese Armenian schoolteacher who has lived in the Mar Mikhael area for more
than half a century.
Her 85-year-old mother was just about to water the flowers on the window
ledge, until Yerganian changed her mind. Many of the windows in her building
were shattered, but the women escaped unharmed from Israel’s latest salvo in its
war on Hezbollah.
“I believe it is written on your forehead. If it is written, you can die
wherever you are. But that day, the Lord protected us,” she says in her sitting
room where sheets cover the furniture, as the shutters slam from the sea
breeze.
A vivid memory still stencilled into her head came in 1976 when militiamen
massacred Shiites, Druze and Palestinian refugees in the nearby former
Karantina camp.
“A boy whose voice had not even broken kept pleading: ‘Don’t kill me’. They
dragged him off to the corner of the street and shot him,” she says. “I can
still hear his voice in my head, begging for his life, as they dragged him
off.”
Two years later, in another of the multiple wars within a war which
devastated Lebanon between 1975 and 1990, the Kataeb, a Christian militia,battled
Syrian forces.
“The Syrians were parked right in front of our windows, and the Kataeb
behind. They started fighting and we were caught right in the middle,” shesays.
During the brief deployment of the Multinational Forces sent to oversee the
Palestinian evacuation after Israel’s invasion and supposedly to protect the
refugees, they had new neighbours in the shape of American, French and
Italian troops.
“They were all clean, except the Israelis. The Americans and the others used
metal shacks and they would burn their waste,” she says.
“We would be hanging the washing and they (Israeli troops) would be doing
their dirty business or relieving themselves in full public view. We had to
move away for a while,” says a grimacing Yerganian.
“The Italians were friendly and we even learnt a few words of Italian. The
Americans and the French would hand out chocolates to the neighbourhood kids,”
she says. “People would come from far to see them from our house. We had a
lot of guests in those days.”
But things went sour yet again. President-elect Bashir Gemayel was
assassinated and “the radios tried to reassure the people and said he had survived the
bomb blast”, Makrouhie recalls.
“At midnight, we heard the marching of boots. We looked out of the window
and saw the Jewish soldiers heading toward west Beirut”, on the eve of the
massacres in the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila by allied
Christian militiamen.
Before the massacres, French soldiers had been posted with huge guns on the
rooftops, including Yerganian’s, to protect the evacuation of late
Palestinian leader Arafat and his PLO fighters in 1982.
In 1984, west Beirut fell to Muslim militias and the US and European troops
withdrew through the port after their barracks were blown up by suicide
bombers at a cost of some 300 lives.
The Lebanese army posted heavy artillery outside the house to bombard the
mostly Muslim western sector, opening up with 55-mm rounds that rocked the
building to its very foundations.
“I was going mad, with pillows on each ear to muffle the horrific noise. I
was going to go out and tell them to stop, please, please. My mother told me:
‘Don’t worry, this will pass too’,” says Yerganian.
Despite everything, “I love Lebanon. I was born here and this is my country.
Anything that happens to our poor Lebanon, it breaks our heart.”
“We were so happy seeing the new bridges and the revival of the downtown
thanks to Hariri after the civil war, but they won’t allow us to have any joy,”
she says, referring to the 2005 murder of former premier and architect of
Lebanon’s revival, Rafiq Hariri.
While the thousands foreigners were fleeing the Israeli air strikes across
from her window, “at least we had hopes for a little calm in our area. But
after the last US evacuations (on Wednesday), we fear the worst for Lebanon”,
she says.
ARMENIA-DIASPORA CONFERENCE IN SEPTEMBER – OPEN FOR ALL
We are pleased to announce that the third Armenia-Diaspora Conference,
organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia , will
take place September 18th-20th, 2006 in Yerevan, Armenia. This year’s conference
will examine, analyse, and assess our past, and consider how history and
current geo-political realities tie together to raise new issues before our
nation, along with the possibilities and prospects for resolving them together.
This conference distinguishes itself from previous conferences in that for
the first time it is open to the general public, has a very concrete central
theme (Rural Poverty Eradication Program), and provides concrete opportunities
for Armenian Diaspora involvement in the development of Armenia. Therefore,
participation of the Armenian Diaspora is essential to the success of this
conference.
We believe that this event will be of interest to you as well as the members
registered on your distribution list. We are requesting that you contribute
to the success of the third Armenia-Diaspora Conference by publicising the
event through your distribution list. Moreover, we ask of our collaborators to
spread the interview that the Foreign Minister, Mr. Vartan Oskanian, gave to
Armenpress in which the essential information relating to the Conference is
concisely presented ( .html).
You can find additional information about the conference as well as
information on the Armenia-Diaspora Conference at this address:
.html. Please feel free to forward
this information to any individual or organisation that you feel would take
interest in this event.
We thank you for your cooperation. Please feel free to contact us if you
have any further questions or concerns. We are happy to provide more information
if necessary and look forward to your involvement.
Cordially,
Armenian Diaspora Conference Desk
news in brief
17 Armenian Cypriot youth who participated in the ARS (HOM) Summer camp at
Khalkidiki, returned to Cyprus on Monday 31 July, 2006, after spending almost
three weeks in Greece. Pictures and a full report in Gibrahayer’s September’s
issue.
Works by 25 Armenian, Iranian, Turkish and Georgian artists will be
presented at the exhibition entitled “Art without Borders” which will kick off August
4 at the Center of Innovative Experimental Art in Yerevan.
Kars Mayor Naif Alibeyolu says that reopening the border crossing with
Armenia will not be simply a move that will boost the local economy of theregion
but will also constitute a major breakthrough for Turkish exporters who have
been dreaming of acquiring cheap and secure land and rail access to markets
in Central Asia and beyond.
Elif Shafak is waiting to stand trial in Bolis on charges of “insulting
Turkishness.” A trial date has not been set. The reputed insults appear inher
novel The Bastard of Istanbul, written in English but translated into Turkish
and published in Turkey on March 8. The book is already a bestseller there.
600 Armenians have left Lebanon and Israel for Armenia. 51 of them have
turned to Armenia’s Migration Agency to receive the status of
temporary residents, but none have appealed to the Armenian office of the
Red Cross yet.
sports
APOEL FC of Nicosia have been drawn against TrabzonSpor of Turkey in the
UEFA Championships. The first leg will be played in GSP Stadium in Nicosiaon
August 10, 2006, while the return match a week later in Turkey. Trabzonspor
were thrown out of the same competition by refugee club Anorthosis FC of
Famagusta a year ago.
A record 1,370 athletes _ 739 men and 631 women _ from a record 48
countries have entered the Aug. 7-13 European Athletics Championships that
will take place in Goteborg – Sweden. Only Armenia and Liechtenstein are not
sending athletes.
Zaruhi Harutyunyan
ZARUHI BEGINS
PROFESSIONAL TENNIS TOUR ON WTA UK CIRCUIT
A new challenge has began for Zaruhi Harutyunyan, who will be testing her
strokes on the professional tour.
In the next four weeks she will try to qualify for three WTA events in
Ilkley Yorkshire, Wrexham Wales, and Cumberland Club in London.
For Zaruhi Harutyunyan’s tennis activity in 2006 – click here
CONTRIBUTE TO ZARUHI’S WORLD TOUR
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress