ON BOOKS, CENSORSHIP AND POLITICAL PRESSURE
Haroon Siddiqui
Toronto Star, Canada
March 16 2006
Just as the din of the Danish cartoon controversy – with its arguments
over freedom of speech, censorship and political or consumer pressures
– was dying down, several others with similar echoes have hit the
headlines.
The Toronto school board has joined those in York, Essex and Ottawa
in restricting access to a book about the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The Ontario Library Association had included Deborah Ellis’s Three
Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak in its list of 20
Canadian books for a province-wide program that encourages reading.
Students in Grades 4 to 6 will vote their choice in May for the Silver
Birch Award (others being the Blue Spruce, Red Maple and White Pine
awards for other age groups).
But the Canadian Jewish Congress argued that the book is not suitable
for young children, and called for its removal from the popular
program.
The librarians stood by their choice, backed by the Association of
Canadian Publishers, the Writers’ Union, the Playwrights Guild, PEN
Canada and the Freedom to Read Committee of the Book and Periodical
Council.
PEN director Alan Cumyn asked the Toronto board if it would “restrict
access to, for example, The Diary of Anne Frank or the more recent
Hannah’s Suitcase, which also deal with very dark subject matter,”
i.e. the Holocaust. Both books “have helped inspire and educate
countless children about the nature of our often difficult world.”
The age-appropriate argument, said Sheila Kauffman, owner of Another
Story, a Toronto children’s bookstore, is often a way of suppressing
certain viewpoints.
A similar conclusion was reached by Bernard Katz, a retired University
of Guelph librarian, who had been asked by the library association to
respond to the Jewish congress’s analysis of the Ellis book. He wrote
that the congress was reacting to “what they perceive as criticism
of Israel’s behaviour toward Palestinian civilians.”
Criticism of Israel is what prompted the New York Theatre Workshop
to cancel My Name is Rachel Corrie. That’s a British play about the
young American student activist who in 2003 went to the Gaza Strip
where she stood in front of an Israeli bulldozer to prevent the
destruction of a Palestinian home and was crushed to death.
James Nicola, the theatre’s artistic director, said that in “talking
around and listening in our communities in New York, what we heard
was that (with) Ariel Sharon’s illness and the election of Hamas …
we had a very edgy situation.”
Katharine Viner, co-creator of the play, accused the theatre of
censorship and criticized its management for having “caved in to
political pressure.”
The Los Angeles affiliate of PBS has cancelled a documentary on the
Armenian genocide, and also a follow-up panel discussion, scheduled
for airing on the network April 17.
Two of the four panelists argue that while World War I-era massacre
did take place, it was not a planned genocide by Turkey.
The Armenian National Committee of America objected. The PBS affiliate
in Los Angeles (home to more than 400,000 Armenian Americans) pulled
the plug. An affiliate in Plattsburg (which beams into Montreal)
said it would show the documentary but not the panel discussion.
London Mayor Ken Livingstone has been suspended from his elected office
for four weeks for comparing a Jewish reporter to a Nazi concentration
camp guard. He has appealed the ruling by the Adjudication Panel,
which deals with disciplinary cases at the municipal level. It had
acted on a complaint by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which
offered this sensible summation on the verdict:
“Had the mayor simply recognized the upset his comments had caused,
this sorry episode could have been avoided.”
The House of Commons in Britain has passed a law banning groups that
“glorify terrorism.” Yet it rejected a bill prohibiting anything
“abusive and insulting” to a religious group.
The latter, characterized as a sop to British Muslims, was opposed
by writers and artists concerned about their creative freedoms being
curbed. The former, aimed at another group of Muslims, sailed right
through, even though it, perhaps, threatens freedom of speech even
more, given the vagueness of the language of the act.
These examples have elicited vastly different official and public
responses to a familiar challenge.
Exposing this inconsistency may turn out to have been the more lasting
legacy of the Danish cartoon caper.

IRANIANS TO RECORD ANOTHER SYMPHONY IN ARMENIA
IranMania News, Iran
March 16 2006
LONDON, March 16 (IranMania) – Once again, Iranian musicians Shahin
Farhat and Loris Tjeknavorian will travel to Yerevan in May to record
a new symphony with the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, MNA reported.
The symphony, which was composed by Farhat, is entitled ?Martyrs?.
Farhat?s ?Iranian Lady Symphony?, ?Damavand Symphony?, and ?Persian
Gulf Symphony? were also recorded in Armenia.
?Martyrs? has been composed in four movements. The first movement has
an epic theme, and the second movement is dominated by calm melodies
borrowed from the folk music of central and southern Iran.
The third movement shifts to the stirring rhythm of war, and the
fourth inspires one with the joy of triumph.
Iran?s Sorush Institute is to release the Persian Gulf Symphony during
the Noruz (Iranian New Year) holidays, which begin on March 21. Last
month, Farhat said that if Sorush continued delaying the release of the
symphony, he would release it without lyrics through another company.
A strong sense of patriotism permeates all of Farhat’s works.

U.S. URGES RETURN OF DISPLACED AZERIS
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
March 16 2006
The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Asia, Daniel
Fried, today called for the return of all internally-displaced
Azerbaijanis to lands that have been occupied by ethnic-Armenian
forces since 1994, RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service reported.
Addressing reporters in Baku, Fried also cautioned against resumption
of hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed
enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.
“The process of Azerbaijanis returning to Azerbaijani lands should
begin as soon as possible and the war would be a catastrophe for
everyone.”
An estimated 600,000 Azeris and Kurds from areas surrounding Karabakh
were driven from their homes when Armenian forces moved into Azerbaijan
in the early 1990s.
The United States co-chairs the Minsk Group of nations that have been
charged by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) to help Armenia and Azerbaijan settle their 18-year-old
dispute. France and Russia are the other co-chairs.
Steven Mann, the U.S. envoy to the Minsk Group, today said in Baku
that both Armenia and Azerbaijan have an opportunity to achieve some
of their demands this year.
Mann and Fried are expected to travel to Armenia later this week
before attending a Minsk Group meeting in Istanbul.
(with additional material from Turan, Day.Az, APA) Radio Free Europe /
Radio Liberty © 2006 RFE/RL, 14 March 2006
–Boundary_(ID_0gmQOBRbZ9OIGZNelzZ4LA)–

ARMENIAN INSPECTORS: TURKISH GOODS IN ARMENIA ARE SAFE
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
March 16 2006
An Armenian State Quality Inspection official published the findings of
studies of 46 names of Turkish products imported and sold in Armenia,
assuring the media that they are all safe for use, Anna Saghabalian
from Armenia Liberty reported.
Thus, the Inspection responded to a series of recent
“we-don’t-need-Turkish-junk” publications in the Armenian press
alleging that products imported to Armenia from neighboring Turkey,
in particular chocolate, put human lives at risk.
Though the territorial borders between Turkey and Armenia are closed
Armenia import Turkish goods from Georgian and Iranian borders. It is
estimated that Turkish-Armenian trade has reached 300 million dollars.
Kemal Durucan from ISRO said that there is a strong anti-Turkih
lobbying in Armenia supported by the diaspora institutions. “Turkey
is the biggest market in the region and not only Armenia but almost
all the regional countries need Turkish goods. Because Turkish goods
are chip and qualty goods. The Armenian nationalist do not want to see
anyting Turkish in Armenia. However they cannot prevent the increase
in trade, becuase no country but Turkey provides what Armenians want
to get” Durucan added.

ARMENIAN MINISTER BURNS THE BRIDGES
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 16 2006
Baku, March 15, AssA-Irada
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian has made an outrageous
statement, alleging that Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh has never been part
of Azerbaijan, which could jeopardize the ongoing talks to settle
over a decade-long dispute.
“Garabagh is Armenian land. Armenians have lived here for thousands
of years and defended their sovereignty,” he maintained.
The minister stated that his country had allegedly never put forth any
territorial claims in the official meetings and that “it is impossible”
for Garabagh to be under Azerbaijan’s control.
“Azerbaijan has no moral right to claim Upper Garabagh, as it tried
to take over these territories through military interference several
times in 1990s. If Armenians had not taken the needed steps, there
would not be a single Armenian left there by now,” Oskanian alleged.
Azeri officials have repeatedly stated that the country’s territorial
integrity could not be bargained upon and that any solution to the
dispute must envision liberation of Azeri land from under Armenian
occupation and the return of refugees home.

PACE SUBCOMMITTEE ON GARABAGH TO RETAIN STATUS
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 16 2006
Baku, March 15, AssA-Irada
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe discussed the
future status of the temporary subcommittee on the Armenia-Azerbaijan
Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict at a meeting of PACE in Paris on
Wednesday. The discussions followed presentation of a report by the
subcommittee chairman Lord Russel Johnston, Armenian media reported.
The head of the Armenian delegation at the Assembly, vice-speaker
Tigran Torosian said the organization will mostly likely continue to
operate under the PACE bureau.
Torosian stated that Russel Johnston supported keeping the
subcommittee’s current status in force.
“He underlined that the key goal of the entity will be to prepare
the two nations for a resolution of the conflict. It will take all
the needed steps to put an end to calls for military action and
hatred,” the Armenian MP maintained, in an apparent reference to
Azeri officials’ warnings that the country may resort to military
action to solve over a decade-long dispute.
Torosian added that the views expressed by the Azeri and Armenian
delegations at PACE on the issue “coincided”.

ANALYST SPEAKS OF RECENT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Nino Khutsidze, Civil Georgia
Q&A with Ghia Nodia
Civil Georgia, Georgia
March 16 2006
“Q&A ”
Recent multiple attacks of the opposition over various problems have
already turned into a headache for the Georgian authorities.
Head of the think-tank Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and
Development (CIPDD) Ghia Nodia said in an interview to Civil Georgia
on March 15 that Sandro Girgvliani’s high-profile murder case has
triggered “the most serious crisis” for the authorities since 2004
South Ossetian developments, when clashes erupted between the Georgian
troops and S.Ossetian militias.
Q.: What kind of conclusions can be made about the government’s
policies while analyzing situation around Sandro Girgvliani murder
case, cash register protests, as well as developments in Akhalkalaki?
A.: Essentially, those problems, which have triggered protest rallies,
are radically different from each other.
Necessity of protest rallies against cash registers can be a matter of
dispute. On the one hand, the authorities are right while demanding
the use of cash registers everywhere in order to keep control on
all types of economic activities. On the other hand, the interests
of those people [outdoor market sellers] should also be taken into
consideration. This is a specific economic issue, which is a matter
of negotiations and will probably be solved. I do not think that this
is a strategic problem for the present authorities.
As for Girgvliani’s murder case and the Akhalkalaki incident, here
we deal with serious strategic problems the government is facing.
Q.: At first regarding the Girgvliani murder case; what kind of
consequences it might have for the government?
A.: Perhaps, Girgvliani’s murder case has turned into the most serious
crisis for authorities since the 2004 developments in South Ossetia,
because it has demonstrated that a certain part of the authorities, in
particular the law-enforcement agencies, have a syndrome of impunity.
They [the law enforcer officials] think that they are doing a good
job and those people, who criticize them, are bad people. At the same
time, they believe that their opponents are weak enough to take their
position into consideration.
All these have created a syndrome of self-assurance, a syndrome “I
can do everything”. This trend has been unveiled in this particular
situation [high-profile murder case].
Of course, the authorities’ reaction was inadequate. For a long time
they stood against assuming the responsibility for Girgvliani’s murder.
Frankly speaking, if such a scandal had happened in a country with a
strong democracy, of course, it would have resulted into the Interior
Minister’s resignation.
However, in Georgia I personally find it difficult to join the demands
over the Minister’s resignation, because Vano Merabishvili [Interior
Minister] is one of the most effective and strongest ministers.
These authorities suffer with lack of highly-qualified cadre.
Therefore, I think that Minister Merabishvili’s resignation would be
a loss not only for the government, but also for the reforms.
Implementation of reforms in the law enforcement system is of key
importance for Georgia and Merabishvili really achieved certain success
in this regard. But, of course, someone else might succeed as well.
Of course Girgvliani’s murder case discredits the government, on the
one hand, and damages entire process [of reforms], on the other. I
know, that Data Akhalaia [suspended chief of Interior Ministry’s
Department for Constitutional Security] among the favorites of the
authorities. It is a positive and important step that even this
employee was dismissed.
Q.: What can be the situation to the current situation, when on the
one hand the ruling party and authorities strongly back Merabishvili
and on the other hand pressure increases with the demand to sack him?
A.: It seems that the authorities are examining the situation, whether
the steps already undertaken by them are enough to defuse political
tensions or not.
Of course, it was a mistake that the authorities dragged out the
process and did not sack [Data] Akhalaia, [Vasil] Sanodze [suspended
chief of the general inspection of the Interior Ministry, who are
allegedly linked to the Girgvliani murder case]. It was a mistake.
I do not rule out that the authorities will be forced to dismiss
even Merabishvili.
Q.: And now what about developments in Akhalkalaki?
A.: The local ethnic Armenian population of Akhalkalaki expresses
discontent for a long time. Of course, there we have an external
irritant in a form of the [Russian military] base. It seems that there
are different opinions in Russia, whether to withdraw this base or
to suspend its pullout. Hence, inspiration of certain developments
from Russia can be regarded as quite natural.
On the other hand, the local Armenian population has great concerns.
They fear that the Tbilisi wants to drastically change a demographic
situation there by populating ethnic Georgians in the region. They
live with this fear and each step, which weakens their domination,
triggers a painful reaction.
The authorities want to conduct the proceedings in courts in the state,
Georgian language and appointed there a Georgian judge, as there is
no local judge with a good command of the Georgian language.
But in this case the authorities miscalculated while taking this
decision.
On the one hand it is absolutely clear that the state language should
perform its function on the entire territory of the country, but
obviously it is practically impossible to implement it in Akhalkalaki
within at least next 5 years. The authorities should develop a long-tem
action plan so that the Georgian language is gradually established
in the state structures and simultaneously they should introduce a
short-term decision, which can be a compromise and a temporary measure.
Q.: Recently opponents have intensified criticism of the authorities
for saying not to a dialogue as a mean of solving problems. What is
your opinion about it?
A.: This is one more strategic mistake of the authorities. In
2004 they tried several times to launch a dialogue with the civil
society organizations, but when they saw that this dialogue was often
unpleasant and even critical towards them, they decided to get in
touch directly with the people.
The only possible form of communication with the people is a monologue
and our authorities are very talented in this regard.
Mikheil Saakashvili is a very talented politician and works
successfully with the population, while the work with the active part
of our society, with separate target groups is completely neglected.
The authorities fail to understand that in order to establish a public
opinion, it is necessary to actively work with the civil society
groups, that requires patience and listening to different opinions.
We have rather pragmatic government. They compromise only when they
see the force, which needs to be taken into consideration.
Q.: Do you think that the opposition is a force of this kind?
A.: The authorities do not perceive the opposition as a serous force,
however when they [the authorities] see that over certain issues the
opposition can mobilize a large part of the society, they compromise.
For example resignation of Akhalaia and Sanodze show that the
government can compromise. In case of a resolution on Russian
peacekeepers in South Ossetia, the authorities retreated [from their
initial hard-line stance] as a result of pressure from the United
States and Europe. So it demonstrates that the authorities, when
they deem it necessary, are flexible and even can compromise. But
this kind of a compromise is not triggered by long-term calculations.
Q.: Several opposition parties argue that the opposition is often
forced to react on the authorities’ “cheap PR campaigns” with “cheap”
and “populist” slogans that finally causes an extreme lowering of
the level of political debates. What can you say about it?
A.: The quality of political debates was always low in Georgia. In
my opinion, this is caused by lack of [political] experience. One
more reason is lack of those persons, who can speak of politics.
They [authorities] think that exchange of insults during political
debates is very profitable for raising their rating; they hope that
such a behavior will help them gain a victory. A part of politicians
even misunderstand the Georgian society, thinking that people are in
favor of this kind of political debates.
Q.: Recently, the authorities started to indicate that certain
external forces are trying to influence on development in Georgia
through interfering in the domestic politics. Do you think there are
real grounds for these concerns?
A.: Recently Russia makes systemic attempts to stir up aggravation
of situation in Georgia. This is also linked with Georgia’s real
prospects to join NATO. Moreover, the present authorities of Georgia
are emotionally unacceptable for Russia. Russia believes that the
Georgian authorities are incompetent, while the President [Mikheil
Saakashvili] is an unsteady person, who will sooner or later end in
failure that will trigger a serious crisis and change of government
through revolution.
Therefore, Russia tries to trigger these kinds of developments, on the
one hand, and to ensure that more acceptable people come to power after
the new revolution, on the other. This plan of Russia is quite obvious.
However, this does not mean, that all forces acting in Georgia are
inspired by Russia. Of course, except of [Georgia’s ex-security
chief] Igor Giorgadze’s supporters. I also do not rule out that
Russia not only tries, but also can directly influence developments
in Akhalkalaki..
But, on the other hand Russia lacks leverages to directly influence
on developments in Georgia, maybe except of Akhalkalaki and of course
breakaway regions.

U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS TALKS WITH ARMENIA PRODUCTIVE
RIA Novosti, Russia
March 16 2006
YEREVAN, March 16 (RIA Novosti, Gamlet Matevosyan) – The American
assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs said
Thursday that talks with senior Armenian political figures had been
productive.
Daniel Fried, in Yerevan as part of his visit to the South Caucasus,
said at a news conference that he had held talks with Armenia’s
president and foreign minister and was satisfied with the results.
Fried said his visit aimed to push forward negotiations on the frozen
Nagorny Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan after a
meeting of the countries’ presidents. He said negotiations also
touched on energy security and general security in the region.
Fried said energy diversification had also been on the table, and
that the EU and U.S. saw the issue as highly significant. He said
the next Armenian-American high-level meeting would be held late in
March in Washington.

LEADER SAYS AZERI MILITARY EXPENDITURE TO EQUAL ENTIRE ARMENIAN BUDGET
AzTV Baku
16 Mar 06
President Ilham Aliyev has said that Azerbaijan’s military expenditure
to equal Armenia’s entire budget and that he sees this as his duty,
the state-run AzTV reported on 16 March.
In a live address to the second congress of Azeris in the world held
in Baku on 16 March, the president said that “Azerbaijan’s military
budget is increasing year by year…. It will increase further in
2007. Our military budget equals 600m dollars now. I consider it my
duty to make our military expenditure equal Armenia’s entire budget
in the near future. Armenia will never be able to compete with us.”
The president said that the abyss between Armenia and Azerbaijan from
the economic point of view will continue to deepen.
“Azerbaijan’s oil and gas will be transported to Europe now and the
two sides are very interested in this. As a country, Armenia can in
no way compete with Azerbaijan. The latter has been isolated from all
regional projects because of us… Its occupying policy and unfounded
claims will have a negative impact on Armenia itself,” he said.
Having described the Armenians as “barbarians” for destroying
mosques, schools and other buildings in occupied Azeri territories,
the president vowed to build new towns after the liberation of the
occupied lands. He said that Azerbaijan would be able to do that
because of its economy.
Aliyev said that the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity would serve the interests of the Armenian people as this
would enable Yerevan to find a way out of this difficult situation
and join regional projects
He ruled out any ethnic and religious conflicts in Azerbaijan in the
future and urged the Azerbaijani diaspora to promote Baku’s image
abroad and inform the international community of any progress the
country makes.

AZERIS TRANSFORM ARMENIAN CEMETERY INTO A SHOOTING-RANGE
Yerkir
16.03.2006 12:09
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – In December 2005, the Azerbaijani military razed
to the ground about 3,500 khachkars – gigantic carved stone cross
headstones, dating from the 15th century – in the Nakhichevan exclave
on the Iranian and Turkish borders.
The medieval cemetery originally held 10,000 of these exquisitely
carved headstones. Armenians formed a majority in this region during
the 17th to 19th centuries.
The number of headstones – which hold both religious and cultural
significance – was reduced to half during the soviet years, and in
the last decade, a conscious effort to demolish them and remove all
traces of Armenians resulted in the complete destruction and removal
of all remaining monuments.
The most recent effort to break up and remove the stone crosses was
noted in December 2005. This week, clerics on the Iranian border
photographed the barren cemetery and its new feature – a shooting
range.
The government of Armenia presented a formal complaint to UNESCO
Director General Koichiro Matsuura on the destruction of monuments
which form a part of the cultural patrimony of the world. In addition,
the European Parliament, in February 2006, condemned the destruction
of these irreplaceable treasures.