Daily Star – Lebanon,
March 11 2006
Alternating the top political jobs around the three main confessions
every four years can reinforces the sense of national identity in the
Lebanese
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Since Syria’s “sanctities” collapsed along with its project in
Lebanon, is it time for Lebanese safeguards to establish true civil
peace that protects this country-message from booby-trapped, poisoned
and imported rhetoric?
By Lebanese safeguards I mean the constitutional guarantees that
preserve confessional diversity and balance between institutions
without failing to promote national identity in every Lebanese,
regardless of confession, tribe or place of birth.
It is true that the Taif Accord saw Lebanon’s Civil War end. However,
the inherent faults and constitutional defects that endangered the
institutions’ work were demonstrated on the one hand through
practice, and on the other by being partial, selective and
temperamental implementation in a manner that distorted its content
and shook its consensual foundations.
Consequently, if the Lebanese are serious about coexisting on the
basis of equality and regaining their sense of national belonging,
they have to prove that by forming a committee of high-ranking
lawmakers that would address the Taif’s defects without tampering
with its substance. This committee would also have to present these
amendments to the first House freely elected on the basis of a fair
and modern law.
One of the major issues that should be disregarded is the
reconsideration of the jurisdiction of the three powers – not to
limit it but rather to facilitate a stable and equal rule, allowing
confessions to alternate between these powers after the creation of
the Council of Ministers stipulated in Article 22 of the Lebanese
Constitution.
The presidency
Reducing the term of the president from six years (Article 49 of the
Constitution) to four nonrenewable and nonextendible years is
imperative to implementing the principle of alternation of the
presidency between the confessions. This ensures that no single
confession monopolizes a specific presidency for too long. The
four-year mandate has become sufficient to implement the program of a
specific presidency, giving the people the opportunity to decide
whether to maintain this program of not. By reducing the mandate to
four years, the parliamentary elections would coincide with the
presidential elections; they should be even held before the
presidential elections so the people can have the opportunity to
change the parliamentary majority should they wish to.
The legislative power
Parliament’s ordinary session:
Articles 31 and 32 of the Constitution set the legal dates to hold a
parliamentary session; other dates are considered void and in
violation of the law. The House’s two ordinary periods stretch from
the Tuesday following March 15 until the end of May and from the
Tuesday following October 15 until the end of the year, provided
texamining and voting on the take precedence over anythign else.
Consequently, the meeting of MPs to legislate and vote on a budget
does not exceed 180 days a year if no extraordinary sessions were
called for.
First, regarding the increasing need to legislate and emphasize the
quality of the laws, it is not acceptable to limit Parliament’s
legislative work only to the mid-year. There are draft laws and law
proposals lying in the drawers not for political reasons but for the
financial impossibility of examining and voting on them.
Second, limiting Parliament sessions to a relatively short period of
time, and giving the president, with the premier’s consent, the
authority to call for extraordinary House sessions by virtue of a
decree setting the opening and closing date as well as the agenda
(Article 33 of the Constitution), means limiting the jurisdiction of
the House to serve as an executive power and comes in violation of
paragraph (c) of the Constitution’s preamble which clearly stipulates
that “Lebanon is a parliamentary democratic republic.”
This is why we suggest the amendment of Article 32 of the
Constitution and the adoption of one ordinary session for the House,
stretching from mid-October until mid-June.
Such an amendment would contribute to making Parliament its own
master.
Executive power
Separating Parliament from the Cabinet:
The principle of separating the legislative power from the executive
power stipulated in the Constitution is not effectively implemented.
Article 28 of the Constitution, which authorizes grouping the
Parliament and Cabinet function, contradicts paragraph (e) of the
Constitution’s preamble which stipulates that the regime is based on
the principle of separation, balance and cooperation between the
powers.
So how can the House hold Cabinet to account if ministers are also
MPs? Could it be both the opponent and the arbiter?
Consequently, based on the principle of separation of powers which
guarantees government’s performance, we believe the Cabinet and the
House should be separated and therefore Article 28 of the Lebanese
Constitution should be amended, and a mechanism regulating the
vacancy of the positions of MPs who joined the Cabinet be included in
the electoral law.
About urgent bill:
Article 58 of the Constitution stipulates that: “Every bill the
Cabinet deems urgent and in which this urgency is indicated in the
decree of transmission to the Parliament may be issued by the
president within 40 days following its communication to the House,
after including it on the agenda of a general meeting, reading it
aloud before the House, and after the expiration of the time limit
without the House acting on it.”
Linking the 40-day deadline granted to the president to pass an
urgent bill by Cabinet to the proviso of including this bill in the
agenda of the general House meeting and reading it aloud before the
Assembly gives the House speaker the chance to maneuver and the
possibility to hamper the implementation of this article by not
raising the urgent bill in the agenda and consequently postponing the
40-day deadline.
Based on the principle of equal and separated powers, the House
speaker should not be given this authority to hamper the Cabinet’s
work. But, if we adopt the one-session principle for the House, which
stretches from mid-October to mid-June every year, then the general
meetings become weekly throughout the year and including an urgent
bill as soon as possible in the agenda becomes inevitable.
The governmental solidarity
The National Accord document entrusted the executive power with the
Cabinet (Article 65 of the Constitution) and Article 66 of the
Constitution made the ministers responsible in general of
Parliament’s general ministerial policy and made them responsible of
their personal actions.
The practice gave the ministers the freedom to revolt against the
ministerial decisions and the Cabinet’s general policy, which
destabilized the governmental solidarity and weakened the position of
the prime minister, who coordinates with the ministers and gives
general instructions to guarantee the well-functioning of public
institutions and administrations (Article 64 of the Constitution).
In order to avoid any embarrassment and to guarantee the governmental
solidarity, which incarnates a unified political will and a coherent
vision of the Cabinet’s direction, the opposition ministers should
voice their rejection from inside the Cabinet.
Any minister, who rejects the Cabinet’s general policy by publicly
criticizing its directions and objecting its practices, should resign
or should be forced to resign.
The Cabinet cannot stay in power if it is divided and cannot be an
arena for the loyalists and the opposition at the same time. It is
true that Lebanon is based on a consensual democracy but this does
not allow the executive power to turn into a forum for exchanging
accusations between its members, because such a thing would hamper
democracy.
Keeping the opposition ministers away from the government strengthens
executive power and enhances both the opposition and the loyalists.
Setting a deadline for the prime minister to issue decrees
Article 56 of the Constitution set a time limit for the president to
issue the laws and decrees to prevent him from stalling and hampering
the work of the constitutional institutions. Article 64 of the
Constitution did not set any deadline for the prime minister to issue
these decrees, which encouraged the adoption of the boycott and the
refusal to signing the decrees for political reasons concerning the
premier, effectively hampering the work of the government and
destabilizing the relations between the president and Parliament.
Consequently, in order to restore balance between the three top
politicians and guarantee the smooth running of the government,
Article 64 of the Constitution should be amended by adding deadlines
on the prime minister similar to the president’s deadlines to issue
decrees.
Prosecuting the ministers
The Lebanese Constitution neither includes a document that defines
“high treason,” the “violation of the Constitution,” or “failing to
assume the duties,” nor does it impose compliance with the Penal
Code; knowing that the Law of Procedures before the Higher Council To
Try (the Three Top Posts) and Ministers compelled this council to
abide by the principle of the legality of the crimes and the legality
of punishments stipulated by articles one and six of the Penal Code.
Consequently, in order to abide by Article 70 of the Constitution, it
is necessary to include in the Law of Procedures before the Higher
Council a text explaining the meaning of the minister’s failure to
assume his/her duties so that the minister does not remain above the
law.
The Constitutional Council
The Constitutional Council should be granted a mandate to review the
constitutionality of the laws, according to a request of one of the
legal parties before the State Council or the Cassation Court. This
mandate should be preceded by a two-year period, during which
Parliament accounts for the laws that might be unconstitutional. It
is obvious to include in the constitutional council the mandate to
review the constitutionality of the constitutional amendments and to
preserve the higher principles in the Constitution, which cannot be
altered even in a constitutional amendment, like coexistence or
consensual democracy, and these principles are called
“supra-constitutional” in the constitutional law.
An interpretation of the Constitution by Parliament cannot produce
mandatory results unless this interpretation takes place through a
legal text that respects the constitutional procedures stipulated by
articles 76 and 77 of the Constitution.
Consequently, it is necessary to reconsider allowing the
Constitutional Council to interpret the Constitution, since this
mission does not conflict with the concept of sovereignty, especially
as the theory of monitoring the constitutionality of laws is now
adopted in most countries of the world.
The independence of the judiciary
The Constitution provides only Article 20, which organizes the
executive power and stipulates that: “The executive power is handled
by all the courts, regardless of their competence and levels, within
a system that is stipulated by the law and provides the legal parties
with the necessary guarantees. The conditions of the judicial
guarantee and its limits are set by the law. The judges are
independent in performing their job while the decrees and decisions
are issued by all the courts and implemented in the name of the
Lebanese people.”
While the Constitution stresses the independence of the judges, it
does not mention any mechanism that guarantees this independence.
The National Accord document noted this gap and tried to fill the
void in paragraph (b) pertaining to the courts, and said: “In order
to enhance the independence of the judiciary: the judicial body
elects a certain number of the members of the Higher Judicial
Council.”
However, the paragraph has not been put into effect yet. Criticism
cannot stop as long as the judicial power remains dependent on the
executive power.
Consequently, we call for the implementation of the part of the Taif
Accord pertaining to the independence of the judiciary and we also
propose that the Higher Judicial Council be granted the mandate to
make the judicial appointments without referring to the executive
power, which would give the public prosecutors and the judicial body
total independence, absolving them of all suspicions. We also call
for promoting the judges’ social situation, which would encourage
skilled individuals to join the judicial body and empower them
against bribery.
The Senate
Article 22 of the Lebanese Constitution says: “With the election of
the first Parliament on a national basis and not on a confessional
basis, a new Caabinet should be created, in which all the spiritual
families are represented and whose mandate is limited to critical
issues.”
Consequently, this article linked the creation of a Senate to the
election of the first Parliament on a national, nonconfessional
basis. This link is illogical, because the creation of a Parliament
on national basis could take dozens of years and is related to the
prior presence of the Senate, which represents the guarantee of
moving from a confessional Parliament to a national one.
The creation of a Senate would also resolve the issue of the
representation of the Druze, Catholic and Orthodox confessions in the
Lebanese pyramid, which will be formed of four powers: the president,
the premier, the speaker and the Senate president.
The jurisdictions of the Senate are summarized as follows:
l The authority to veto every law that contradicts the principle of
consensual democracy or co-existence and rights of the confessions.
l Proposing laws, especially those related to the confessional
structure in Lebanon.
l A second reading of the laws whereby the Senate has the right to
return to Parliament provided that a two-thirds majority of its
members (16 members as we will see later) vote for it. In this case,
the House should adopt the law by its majority. If the president of
the Republic requests to reconsider this law in accordance with
Article 57 of the Constitution, then the House should adopt with its
two-thirds majority (after amending Article 57 of the Constitution).
The Senate is composed of 22 members after the number of MPs in the
House is reduced from 128 to 108 as was mentioned in paragraph six of
the item on political reforms in the National Accord document.
The Senate members are distributed as follows:
Three Sunni representatives, three Shiite representatives, three
Druze representatives and one Alawite representative (10 Muslims).
Three Maronite representatives, two Catholic representatives, and two
Greek Orthodox representatives, one Armenian Catholic representative,
One Armenian Orthodox representative, and one representative for the
Christian minorities (10 Christians). One representative for the Jews
and one representative for the nonconfessional (22 altogether). Each
sect elects Senate members who represent them and each voter has one
vote (one man, one vote). Lebanon follows one electoral district and
those who secure the largest number of votes possible from the voters
within their sect for the seats allocated to this sect are considered
successful.
Alternations in presidency and in positions among confessions
What has offended the Lebanese structure the most was the domination
of one confession of a certain post for a permanent period. This made
other confessions feel they were treated unfairly even though they
were competent enough to assume a certain position. But their
confessional belonging hindered their chances of assuming a position.
This is one of the reasons that weakened national identity and pushed
the Lebanese people to take refuge behind their confessional
identities. It is difficult to change this reality especially after
the country witnessed 15 years of war in the name of the weak and 15
years of struggle in the name of the marginalized people. The answer
to to resolving this confessional reality lies in giving it
guarantees so that it doesn’t turn to foreign countries, requesting
protection from abroad, or to bloody internal fighting or division.
Confessions in Lebanon are a fact that we have to acknowledge if we
are to find a solution to the problems that the country has been
suffering from ever since these confessions existed. Therefore,
terminating political sectarianism in Lebanon can’t be acommplished
following the French approach that has begun to suffer from its
shortcomings and restrictions.
Terminating political sectarianism in Lebanon definitely passes
through alternations in presidencies and posts between the major
confessions (Maronites, Shiites and Sunnis) and the others (Druze,
Catholics and Orthodox) to pave the way for other confessions to be
active and play their roles in order to achieve actual equality
between the Lebanese people and to reinforce their national identity
in lieu of pure confessional belonging.
These alternations should be made every four years (duration of the
mandate of the president and House speaker) according to the way
defined in the attached table (the table is an example, which is why
it does not tackle all posts in all ministries and administrations).
The philosophy of alternations, which should coincide with adopting
the broad-based administrative decentralization stipulated in the
Taif Accord, is to pave the way for all confessions to actually
participate in the essence of governance without any one sect being
dominated by another or making the other confessions feel they are
marginalized. In this way, national identity is strengthened through
the confessional guarantees whereby each party feels that banking on
foreign countries will not be more profitable than banking on
Lebanon. During each governance session, alternation and change in
posts, confessions get used to dealing with each other on the basis
of equality and complementarity and it becomes a motivation for peace
without risk. From here, each confession should feel it is
represented by a person who holds a leadership position in the four
authorities and there is no default in that. As much as alternation
secures national balance and equality among the Lebanese on “the
Lebanese way” (that is much better than what is used today), the
election of each confession for its representative in the post of the
presidency of the Republic or the ministry or public prosecution or
Senate secures political stability that Lebanon has lacked since its
independence.
There is no shame in having each confession elect its “leader” at a
certain stage as long as it has the option after four years of
re-electing this leader, but allow the succeeding presidency to have
a different position and competence but which still cooperates and
interacts with the other presidencies.
This system limits these confessions from turning to other countries.
At the same time it limits the instinct that leans toward division
because, by maintaining the unity of the country, each confession is
given its right in the authority, and the right to participate and
express its specificities within the general structure. This doesn’t
stop the candidates of a certain confession wishing to assume one of
these presidential posts from cooperating with other candidates of
other confessions. Each one strives to win the confidence of his
voters on the basis of a unified governance program where it is up to
the people to decide an integrated ruling team on the basis of
political and economic choices and not on the basis of instincts.
Confessional strife under such a system can’t be justified especially
after adopting a modern and fair law for parliamentary elections on
the basis of proportionality and large historic muhafazat that
safeguards the rights of “nonconfessional individuals.”
With reference to the table on the alternation of posts between the
confessions every four years, the establishment of a Senate gives a
fourth confession the opportunity to assume a post in the authority.
This post was allocated to the Druze, but it is possible that even on
this level, there would be an alternation every four years between
the Druze, the Orthodox, the Catholics whereby each confession takes
part in determining Lebanon’s fate on all levels.
In a quick reading of the typical table of the alternation of posts
between the confessions, we can see for example when the president of
the Republic belongs to a certain confession, Maronite or Sunni, the
same confession is given the finance portfolio since it is the main
ministry. That is done in order to compensate the modest powers of
the president of the Republic compared with the other presidencies.
Furthermore, the posts of defense minister and director general of
the Surete Generale are given to a person from his confession
(Maronite, Sunni or Shiite) or from another confession (Druze,
Catholic or Orthodox) if the president was a Druze, Orthodox or
Catholic.
When the prime minister is a Druze or Shiite for example, his
confession can’t be given a major portfolio except for the Justice
Ministry to maintain the balance with the other confessions due to
the broad jurisdiction the premier enjoys although the Cabinet rules
like an assembled commission. In this context, the post of public
works and transport minister (the largest service provider ministry)
can’t be given to someone who is from a different confession than the
premier. The same is applicable to the post of the president of the
Council of Development and Reconstruction. As for the post of the
Internal Security Forces Commander, it is given to a person who is
from the same confession as the premier is so that this confession
secures an advanced position among leaders of security apparatuses.
For example, when the Speaker of the House is a Sunni or Catholic,
the foreign minister, education minister, army commander, president
of the Council of Development and Reconstruction are from his
confession. In this way, this confession secures a position for
foreign affairs, and other social, security and developmental
positions.
The Senate, with the jurisdiction it has to legislate regarding
issues such as co-existence, consensual democracy, and rights of
confessions, is like a guarantee for a confession whose leader
presides the Interior Ministry, the Lebanese University, and the
Constitutional Council. These jurisdictions safeguard for this
confession the Public Works and Transport portfolio as a development
guarantee.
If we apply the principle of alternation, with its defaults, in the
presidential posts between the confessions, we would allow the major
confessions (Maronites, Shiites, and Sunnis) to alternate the four
presidencies between them in a complete cycle every 16 years with a
different presidency for each of them every four years. This would
also allow the confessions (Druze, Catholics, and Orthodox) to take
their turns in assuming these presidencies even for a longer period
(once every eight years, meaning that every confession needs 32 years
to alternate one complete session).
Isn’t this equation, with its defaults, much fairer than the equation
that is currently adopted, wherey the Maronite confession dominates
the post of the president of the Republic, and the Shiite sect
dominates the post of the speaker of the House and the Sunni sect
dominates the post of the prime minister and then they all quarrel
over the jurisdictions and denying the other confessions their rights
in shaping the history and future of Lebanon until they give up in
frustration?
It is true that this system is not being fair to all the confessions
in Lebanon starting with the Armenians and the Christian minorities
to the Alawites. But it is a bold step on the way to eradicate
political sectarianism stipulated in Article 95 of the Constitution.
When the largest number possible of confessions take part in running
this country, then their sense of national identity is reinforced,
mutual distrust disappears and fears and concerns vanish.
Our apologies to all those who still dream of a day where all
confessional identities disappear in favor of national identity and
then naively try to impose patriotism.
I can’t imagine the orient without religions or a society without
minorities. Lebanon lies in the heart of this eastern part of the
world and the Lebanese community is composed of large minorities of a
confessional nature. So why do we lie to each other? And why do we
ignore each other or challenge each other? No one can eliminate the
other or even live without the other. Our fates are linked to the
fate of the community as a whole. That’s why we have to always
picture modern systems that sponsor co-existence in a fair and modern
manner. These systems should be tailored to Lebanon’s needs, they
should be neither copied from foreign systems nor imposed on us. This
alternation in the presidencies between the confessions is an attempt
to picture solutions to some of the challenges that are somehow
difficult our societies are facing. This solution does not claim to
be comprehensive and does not claim to be the perfect solution that I
look forward to. It is a real attempt that stands in the face of the
cycle of irrationality that is paralyzing our initiatives. Whoever
believes that the “truth” in Lebanon is only to safeguard this
constitutional equation (the charter and Taif Accord) is like a
tourist riding in a taxi that has run out of gas and believes that he
reached his destination!
So, to all those who are convening in the name of the dialogue and
are aiming to reach a settlement for the country, I urge you to not
let this stage of our long national journey pass us by. Gather all
your ideas and initiatives before the country burns down!
Rabieh al-Shaer
Adviser in Public Policies

BÝA, Turkey
March 10 2006
The Zarakolu Price Goes to Info-Turk Editors
The Istanbul IHD has decided to attribute the Ayse Zarakolu Price for
Freedom of Thought (2006) to Info-Turk editors Özgüden and Tugsavul
along with Kisanak, Yilmaz and Karaca. The price award ceremony took
place on the International Women Day.
BIA News Center
10/03/2006
BÝA (Istanbul) – The Istanbul Section of the Human Rights Association
of Turkey (IHD) has decided to attribute the Ayse Zarakolu Price for
Freedom of Thought (2006) to Info-Turk editors Özgüden and Tugsavul
along with Kisanak, Yilmaz and Karaca. The price award ceremony took
place in Istanbul on the International Women Day.
Since Özgüden and Tugsavul cannot enter their country because of
legal proceedings, publisher and human rights defender Ragip Zarakolu
came to Brussels on February 24, 2006, and announced the IHD’s
decision at the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX)
General Meeting held at the International Press Center. Later on, he
presented Özgüden and Tugsavul the price.
IHD’s press release
Ayse Nur Zarakolu, publisher and co-founder of IHD association, was a
determined defender of human rights. She always had a clear and net
standing against militarism and taboos defined as “red points” by the
militarist system. Because of this standing, she was tried,
imprisoned and subjected to various menaces. So, she became one of
the vanguards of the fight for the freedom of thought and expression.
Even at the time when the simple word “Kurd” was banned, she did not
hesitate to publish Sociologist Ismail Besikci’s book entitled
“Kurdistan, an Inter-States Colony.” She published the works
revealing the suffer and problems of the Non-Moslim minorities. She
also started debate on the question of “Armenian Genocide” which
still remains as a taboo in Turkey.
Ayse chose what is difficult, not the easy one. Since her death, as
the Istanbul Section of the Human Rights Association, we attribute
The Price of Freedom of Thought and Expression in the name of Ayse
Nur Zarakolu.
This year we elected five persons who choose what is difficult and
fight for years against militarism.
Today, when one speaks of “freedom of thought”, Article 301 of the
Turkish Penal Code comes to mind. Adopted in a racist point of view,
this article privileges as a crime only the insult to the Turkish
identity while they are many people belonging to different ethnic
identities. To be tried under this article, it is enough to speak of
“red points.”
Dogan Özgüden and Inci Özgüden-Tugsavul are two journalists who fight
for many years against military coups and militarist policies. With
their review Ant, they always criticized the militarist tendencies in
the name of the left-wing movement of Turkey.
With the Info-Turk Agency that they founded in exile, they put in
question many subjects considered taboos in Turkey. They took a clear
position against anti-semitism and opened debate of the question of
Armenian Genocide. Still there is always an arrest warrant against
Dogan Özgüden under Article 301 for having criticized putschist
generals.
Zülküf Kisanak was sentenced according to the same article because of
his book “Lost Villages – How the Heritage of Thousands Years was
destroyed?”
Seferi Yilmaz, after the sabotage of the counter-guerrila forces
against a bookshop in Semdinli, played the principal role in the
identification of these forces. So, he encouraged all those who fight
for a pacific solution to the Kurdish Question.
As for Emin Karaca, he was arrested at the 1971 military coup. After
his release in 1974, he continued his journalist work. He was
condemned again because of an article that he translated on the
Gladio and the Susurluk Scandal. He keeps a net position on the
subject of Armenian taboo. Recently, he was sentenced under Article
301 for having criticized putschist generals.
As the defenders of human rights, we consider vital the fight against
militarism and the taboos that it invented. The fights in this field
should never be forgotten.
We are sure that if Ayse had heard the names elected for the price in
her name, she would stand up and applaud them by all heart.
The Istanbul Section of the Human Rights Association of Turkey
Dogan Özgüden and Inci Tugsavul
Dogan Özgüden, 70, began journalism career in 1952 in Izmir. After
having worked at the newspapers Ege Günesi, Sabah Postasi, Milliyet
and Öncü in Izmir, Gece Postasi and Sosyal Adalet in Istanbul, he
directed as chief editor and main editorial writer of the most
important left-wing daily Aksam (1964-66).
Inci Tugsavul-Özgüden, 65, began journalism career in 1961 in Ankara
at the daily Hür Vatan and the weekly Kim, later worked at the
dailies Hareket (1962-63) and Aksam (1963-66).
They founded and directed the socialist review Ant and the Ant
Publishing House (1967-71). Both were accused more than 50 times of
having committed “crime of opinion” in the articles that they wrote
or published. Threatened by a total of more than 300-year
imprisonment, they had to leave Turkey after the military coup of
1971.
In Europe they organized the Democratic Resistance of Turkey with
other opponents in exile in order to mobilize European public opinion
against the Junta’s repressive regime.
Since 1974, they edit in Brussels the Info-Turk Agency which informs
the world opinion of the situation of human rights in Turkey
() and lead the Sun Workshops (Ateliers du
Soleil), a multicultural permanent education organization
().
Along with more than 200 other opponents of the regime in exile, they
were deprived of their Turkish nationality in 1982 because of their
criticisms against the military junta. Although this decision was
annulled after ten years, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has declined
to give them a written guarantee that they would not be indicted or
imprisoned for the accusations that the same ministry communicated
earlier to the European Human Rights Commission.
On the contrary, more than 30 years after the military coup, Turkish
Justice indicted Dogan Özgüden for insulting army chiefs because of
his article criticizing putschist generals. The tribunal ordered his
arrest at the checkpoint if he returns to Turkey in order to judge
him.
One of the former leading members of the Journalists’ Association of
Turkey (TGC), the Journalists’ Trade Union (TGS) and the Ethical
Council of the Press (BSD) in Turkey, Dogan Özgüden is now a member
of the Association of Professional Journalists of Belgium (AGJPB),
the Brussels Center of Intercultural Actions (CBAI), the Human Rights
League of Belgium (LDDH) and the Movement Against Racism and
Xenophobia (MRAX).
He is author of many books and studies, mainly On Fascism (1965,
Istanbul), On Capitalism (1966, Istanbul), File on Turkey (1972,
France), Turkey, Fascism and Resistance (1973, The Netherlands; 2006,
Belgium), Mass media and Turkish Migrants (1983), The Portrait of
Turkish Migration (1984), Black Book on the Militarist “Democracy” in
Turkey (1986), Extreme Right in Turkey (1988).
Former member of the Journalists’ Association of Turkey (TGC) and the
Journalists’ Trade Union (TGS ), Inci Tugsavul-Özgüden is now member
of the International Press Association (API) in Brussels. She is the
author of the Introduction to the Classical Music (1965, Istanbul)
and Turkish Women (1991, Brussels). (YE)

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
March 7, 2006
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]
ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY FILES AMICUS BRIEF IN GENOCIDE DENIAL CASE
Washington, DC – On March 8, the Armenian Assembly filed an amicus
curiae (“friend of the court”) brief in the matter of Driscoll
v. Griswold (“The Genocide Denial Case”) arguing that the Assembly of
Turkish American Associations (ATAA) and its co-plaintiffs must be
prevented from injecting genocide denial materials into the
Massachusetts school curriculum.
The brief supports the right of the Massachusetts Department of
Education to teach the facts of the Armenian Genocide to public school
students without including denialist materials.
The brief states in part:
“This lawsuit is an unprecedented attempt by the plaintiffs to utilize
the federal courts as a vehicle for their unconstitutional intrusion
into educational policy in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts….It is
not for this Court to decide the appropriate curriculum in
Massachusetts public schools.”
The Massachusetts school curriculum ensures that the lessons of the
Holocaust, Armenian Genocide, Irish Famine and other crimes against
humanity are not forgotten and are thus taught in the classrooms.
Additionally, the Assembly argues that the case should be dismissed
because the plaintiffs have not established a basis for challenging
curricular choices based on the First Amendment.
“No court in the country ever has recognized a First Amendment injury
from having curriculum or a curriculum guide advance a particular
viewpoint,” the Assembly brief states.
“The Assembly’s amicus brief forcefully supports the Commonwealth’s
unassailable legal position regarding the Curriculum Guide on the
Armenian Genocide, of which the plaintiffs have no legal case to
object,” said Assembly Board of Trustees Vice President and Counselor
Robert A. Kaloosdian. “The brief reaffirms the incontrovertible fact
of the Armenian Genocide and thus exposes the revisionism and
denialist tactics employed by those who seek to deny the historical
truth.”
To read the amicus curiae brief or other pleadings filed in this case,
visit the “Genocide Denial Case” section on the Assembly’s home page
at
The Armenian Assembly is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issue. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
###

NR#2006-021
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
HOMENETMEN SWEDEN
Hagop Khatcherian
Secretary
Tel: +46707461495
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
The opening ceremony of Homenetmen Sweden Center in Södertälje.
Sunday 26 Feb. 2006 was the official opening day of Homenetmen Sweden
Center in Södertälje at the presence of about 150 Armenians gathered
in the club along with The Homenetmen Sweden Committee members,
Homenetmen Södertälje Chapter,
Homenetmen Västerås Chapter and Homenetmen Stockholm Chapter, Father
Sarkis Melkonian and other community members.
The opening ceremony started with Father Sarkis blessings and then
after the Homenetmen anthem, Brother Varoujan Kehyayian chairman of
the Södertälje Chapter welcomed the guests with the opening words of
the program which followed by Brother Hagop Khatcherian(Secretary of
Homenetmen Sweden) who congratulated all those brothers and sisters
who gave there outmost energy on creating Homenetmen Sweden Center
inorder to educate the Armenian youth by the correct system where
Homenetmen has in its global program by introducing mutual respect to
our fellow countrymen by teaching our Armenian culture, language and
religion to our youth. Homenetmen can never forget our youth and is
our task to do our outmost in order to educate and prepare a typical
Armenian citizen.
Brother Fedi Tajra representative of Homenetmen Scout section followed
next by giving his Homenetmen scouts duties to our community by
teaching the Armenian scout how to help his fellowman through scouting
and proudly present the Homenetmen flag in sport activities along with
scout parades and other activities. How a scout should be loyal to his
community with a pride by becoming the ambassadors and leaders in
order to create a purified Armenian Community.
The final words were given to Brother Varoujan who proudly presented
the club by naming it Brother Garo Tutunjian (Secretary of Homenetmen
Central committee) as a memory of a Brother who had passed away lately
who had given all his life for Homenetmen.
The public was very much enthusiastic about Homenetmen and promised to
give there full support for the sake of there children.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Network of America, Washington Region
P. O. Box 100865
Arlington, VA 22210-9998
Email: [email protected]
Washington, DC. The Armenian Network invites you to a presentation on the
pace of economic development in Armenia hosted by the World Bank.
Armenia’s economy has been roaring at breathtaking double digit rates for
the past five years. What explains this pace of growth, and how likely is
it that it will persist over the foreseeable future? Dr. Saumy Mitra,
World Bank Lead Economist (ECSPE), will explain the various factors
underlying the record growth that Armenia has experienced in recent years,
and discuss policy options to ensure the continuation of such growth.
The presentation is scheduled for Thursday, March 16, 6:30-8:30pm. It will
take place at the World Bank Auditorium J1-050, 701 18th Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20433. The auditorium is located between Pennsylvania
Avenue and G Street, one block from the White House. Farragut West is the
nearest metro stop on the blue and orange lines.
The Armenian Network of America, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
membership funded organization dedicated to the advancement of the
Armenian American community.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ROBBER KILLED IN SHOOTOUT
Kathimerini, Greece
March 14 2006
A bank heist in central Athens went awry yesterday as one of the two
armed men involved in the holdup accidentally shot dead his accomplice
in their attempt to get away, police said.
The pair entered a branch of Alpha Bank on Acharnon Street at about
midday and had begun their getaway from the branch with around 15,000
euros in cash.
However, a plumber working at the bank tried to stop the thieves and
wrestled with one of the two armed men.
In a bid to free up his accomplice, the other armed man shot and
injured the plumber in the leg.
However, a second bullet hit and killed his partner.
The man then escaped the bank on foot but was later arrested as a
police manhunt was immediately launched by an off-duty law enforcement
officer in the area.
Police identified the suspect killed as Constantinos Komesides,
an Armenian national, and the second man as Nikiforos Soilemetzides
from Kazakhstan.
They are both believed to have been involved in a number of bank
robberies in the past.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
03/10/2006
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) Armenians Wounded and Killed in Georgia 2) ANCA-WR Participates in California Republican Party Convention 3) OSCE Minsk Group Urges Armenia And Azerbaijan to Prepare Publics for Peace Not War 4) Bay Area ANC Hosts Publishers Hrant Dink And Ragip Zarakolu 5) President Bush's Trade Policy Report Cites Progress on US-Armenia Economic Cooperation 6) State Department Ends Silence on Azerbaijan's Destruction of Historic Julfa Cemetery 7) ARF to Hold Conference Titled "Armenians And The Left" 8) Geragos, Yeghiayan, And Kabateck Receive 2006 CLAY Award 9) Harvest Gallery Presents Rafael Atoyan Exhibit 10) Publishing House Established in Honor of Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian 11) SKEPTIK'S OSCAR PARTY RECIPE FOR GOLDEN RICE A LA "ESH" 12) Homo Ottomanicus? By Garen Yegparian 13) ANCA Endowment Fund Purchases New Washington, DC Headquarters 1) Armenians Wounded and Killed in Georgia (Armenpress/PanArmenian.Net)--A group of ethnic Ajarian or Svani Georgians attacked three young Armenian men, stabbing one of them to death in Tsalka, southern Georgia. According to A-Info news agency, which is based in the predominantly Armenian populated region of Javakhk in southern Georgia, the Armenians were attacked Thursday by a 15-member group in Tsalka's busy town center. The men were attacked after leaving a restaurant as they were getting into a car. The unidentified attackers dragged them out of the car and started beating them, some armed with heavy metal objects. In the attack, 23-year-old Gevorg Gevorkyan of the Ghushchi village was stabbed multiple times and died the scene. V. Saakyan, 25, was wounded in the leg and 25-year old K. Baloyan was transported to a hospital in Tbilisi with severe injuries. A-Info quoted the wounded Armenians as saying they did not know the reason they were attacked. The perpetrators escaped after the attack. A special squad of Georgia's interior ministry, deployed to the region to prevent inter-ethnic violence, has arrested three suspects. Following the attack and closure of roads leading to the Armenian villages, local Armenians held a protest. A crowd of 300 people demonstrated outside the building of the local police department demanding a fair trial of the suspects and broke some windows. According to Georgian parliament member Hayk Meltonyan, some 100 protesters were beaten by truncheon-wielding police officers trying to disperse the crowd. Tsalka, population 22,000, is predominantly populated by ethnic Armenians and Greeks. It is located close to Javakhk. In the early 1990s, the Georgian government moved a group of about 2,500 ethnic Georgians (mostly Ajarians and Svans) to Tsalka after a devastating landslide in their native mountainous villages. Conflicts between Armenian and Greek communities and Georgians do periodically occur in the Tsalka area. Nevertheless, Georgian officials continuously argue that the conflicts in Tsalka have no ethnic context and represent mostly "communal violence." 2) ANCA-WR Participates in California Republican Party Convention SAN JOSE--Representatives of the Armenian National Committee of America - Western Region (ANCA-WR) traveled to San Jose to participate in the California Republican Party (CRP) Convention held February 24-26. During the three-day convention, ANCA-WR Director Armen Carapetian and ANCA activist Jack Hadjinian met with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as well as other Republican leaders to discuss issues of concern to Armenian Americans. Carapetian and Hadjinian joined the CRP Volunteer Organization Committee meeting with the California Congress of Republicans, California State Republican National Hispanic Assembly, and California Federation of Republican Women, among others, where participants discussed opportunities to collaborate on initiatives. Many candidates for statewide offices were on-hand during the meeting to provide updates on their campaigns. Governor Schwarzenegger greeted the volunteer organizations and thanked them for their support. "Volunteers have always been extremely important in campaigns," said the Governor in his remarks. Following the meeting, Jack Hadjinian spoke with the Governor and thanked him for his principled stance on the Armenian genocide. Hadjinian, a Montebello resident, extended a special invitation to the Governor for this year's commemoration of the Armenian genocide at the Armenian Martyrs Memorial Monument at Bicknell Park. Paying homage to the victims of the Armenian genocide at the monument is an annual tradition for Los Angeles area Armenian Americans. This commemoration regularly draws over 10,000 visitors, including many elected officials. Most notably, in 1969, then Governor Ronald Reagan joined His Holiness Khoren I in commemorating the Armenian genocide at the monument. This year's remembrance event will take place on Sunday, April 23. The convention provided the ANCA-WR the opportunity to reach out to California Republican elected officials and candidates for elected office. Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), who was the only Congressional member at the convention, reiterated his support for the Armenian genocide legislation pending in the House of Representatives. State Senator Chuck Poochigian (Fresno) invited the ANCA representatives to a special reception and briefed them on his campaign for Attorney General. Carapetian and Hadjinian also met many Republican Party activists over the weekend, including Armenian Americans involved in the CRP and various campaigns. "It's important for us to be here, and it's good to see that Armenian Americans are involved at this crucial level of the political process," said Carapetian. "We have received nothing but appreciation for coming to this convention, and we will continue to build on the relationships we established this weekend." The ANCA-WR sponsored an exhibit table at the convention to familiarize those in attendance with the organization, its programs and initiatives. Carapetian and Hadjinian also took part in workshops hosted by the CRP aimed at training activists in all areas of campaigning. The next CRP Convention will be held in the fall. The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues. 3) OSCE Minsk Group Urges Armenia And Azerbaijan to Prepare Publics for Peace Not War YEREVAN (Armenpress)--The three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, which deals with the Karabagh conflict, have issued a statement regretting the lack of forward movement in the recent negotiations and calling on Armenia and Azerbaijan to "work vigorously" to achieve a result in 2006. In the statement: "The Co-Chairs reaffirmed their belief that a great deal of progress has been achieved in the past year and a half... they urged both parties to build on the basic principles for a future settlement that have already been developed in order to achieve an agreement in 2006." "They regret that the process has not moved forward in recent weeks though, despite ample opportunity to do so," but reiterated their belief that 2006 is a highly favorable year for substantial progress. The Co-Chairs called on the governments of both Armenia and Azerbaijan to work toward this goal and "to take steps with their publics to prepare them for peace, and not for war." The Co-Chairs also said that they will decide when their next trip to region will be after assessing the readiness of the parties. Their next meeting will take place March 20 in Istanbul. 4) Bay Area ANC Hosts Publishers Hrant Dink And Ragip Zarakolu SAN FRANCISCO--The Bay Area Armenian National Committee (ANC) hosted its annual "Hye Tad Evening" at Treasure Island, with special guests including Turkey's Agos Armenian Weekly editor, Hrant Dink and Belge Publishing House owner, Ragip Zarakolu. Hrant Dink is the publisher and founding editor of the only bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper, the Agos Weekly, established in 1996. Dink thanked the Bay Area ANC for inviting him to the event. Speaking in Armenian, he said, "I am delighted to have the opportunity to meet the Armenian community here," adding that he was happy to have had the chance to meet and talk with ANC committees all over the world. Dink grew up in Malatia, attended Armenian school in Istanbul, and studied Philosophy and Zoology at Istanbul University. Through his writings, publications, and public statements, Dink has been an outspoken advocate for the democratization of Turkish society and for the need to break the silence about the Armenian genocide. Dink recently went on trial for "insulting the Turkish state," because of his remarks about reciting the Turkish oath. Dink said about the oath, which says "I am Turkish, I am honest, I am hardworking," that although he was honest and hardworking, he was not a Turk, but an Armenian. Although he was finally acquitted in that case, he was later convicted of "insulting the Turkish identity" for writing an article about the impact of the Armenian genocide on the diaspora. Although his suspended sentence requires that he not repeat the crime, Dink said, "I will not be silent. As long as I live here, I will go on telling the truth," and vowed that he would appeal to Turkey's supreme court and to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary. "If it is a day or six months or six years, it is all unacceptable to me," he said. "If I am unable to come up with a positive result, it will be honorable for me to leave this country." Dink now faces new charges for attempting "to influence the judiciary," because of his comments about his conviction. Despite government pressure on people who are speaking out, Dink said, "It was a dream 10 years ago to imagine seeing the publication of books and articles on the Armenian genocide. There is no doubt that there has been some positive change." "People are starting to defend their rights," said Dink, hoping for "great changes." "The activities of the diaspora, the Genocide resolutions passed by other countries every year, have contributed to the growing consciousness in Turkey," said Dink, who also attributed much of the growing recognition of the Armenian genocide in Turkey to the Kurdish struggle for national rights there. "The government used to say, 'We don't have Kurds or a Kurdish problem. Those people fighting up in the mountains are actually Armenians,'" said Dink. "And to prove their assertions, they would publish photographs in newspapers showing the uncircumcised corpses of the defeated fighters. The Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan was referred to as 'The Armenian Bastard.'" Dink said that one of the first things his paper did was to prove a certain priest who appeared in a government newspaper photo with a Kurdish leader, was not, in fact, an Armenian priest, as was claimed. "We said we're going to speak in their language," Dink said of the decision to publish Agos in Turkish as well as Armenian, against the protests of many in the Armenian community. "Since then we began to speak about our history and to counter their lies. We said, 'Now, it's our turn.'" Dink said that the process of democratization in Turkey can no longer be turned back. "There is a movement to talk about the past and a desire to know what happened to Armenians, " he said. One of the unexpected consequences of this movement was that many people in Turkey are now revealing that their ancestors were Armenian. "On the other hand, the Turkish government has responded with more propaganda," said Dink, citing the fact that four years ago, new textbooks were distributed to all the schools which claim that Armenians massacred the Turks. Comparing the small number of books on the Genocide now being published, with the millions of government textbooks denying the Genocide, Dink said, "My hope is that those 3,000 books will vanquish the governments' millions." He said that the process of recognizing the Armenian genocide is going to take place from within the country, starting from the general population. He said that outside pressures for change must find a partner from within the country, or there is a danger for extreme nationalism. Dink described a new ideological movement within Turkey which brings together the Turkish and the Islamic identities to form one unifying identity. He also pointed out that the nationalist groups and Islamist groups are competing with one another and as a result attacks against Armenians have increased. Nevertheless, Dink expressed optimism about Armenian genocide recognition. "One day they will recognize that the Armenian genocide has to be addressed. But they will try to delay it and water it down as much as possible." Regarding Turkey's entry into the European Union, Dink said, "Turkey is like a young man in love with a young European woman. But by the time a union can actually take place, the man will be old and the woman will be ugly... But love is the important thing. It keeps men young, because they try to look better, act younger, take care of themselves. Joining the European Union is not the important thing, but being in love is important." Dink also expressed his hope that one day Armenia would join the European Union. Ragip Zarakolu is the owner of Belge Publishing House. Through the publication of books deemed subversive by the Turkish authorities, Zarakolu has given voice to countless victims of injustice whose stories have been silenced, denied, and banned by successive Turkish regimes. The first book on the Armenian genocide which he published in Turkish was Yves Ternon's, Le Genocide des Armeniens, under the title, Armenian Taboo, in 1994. Later came Vahakn Dadrian's Genocide as a Problem of National and International Law. When Zarakolu was acquitted of charges against him for that publication, the possibility of more free discussion about the Armenian genocide in Turkey increased. Among Zarakolu's other translated publications about Armenian and non-Armenian human rights issues is Mgrditch Armen's Heghnar's Fountain, Franz Werfel's Forty Days in Musa Dagh, Avetis Aharonian's, The Fedayees, Tessa Hoffman's Talaat Pasha Trials in Berlin, Peter Balakian's Black Dog of the Fate, and most recently, Turkish translations of Ambassador Morgenthau's Story. Because of his work, Zarakolu spent three years in prison in the 1970's. His wife also spent several years in prison. Zarakolu spoke about his first exposure to the Armenian genocide, when his mother, a witness to the deportations, told him about being kept in the house, while hearing Armenians being taken away outside. "My mother said, 'The Armenians were crying outside, and we were crying inside,'" said Zarakolu. Referring to Turkey's involvement in WWI as a "stupid, adventurous war of the Ittihadists," Zarakolu said his mother lost both her parents. She was also able to save two Armenian girls from deportation, but the government later removed those girls from their home. Zarakolu also spoke admiringly of Sarkis Cherkezian, an Armenian genocide survivor born in a Syrian refugee camp who just passed away at 90 years of age. "We learned many things about the realities of what happened to the Armenians," he said of his close relationship to Cherkezian. He said it was because of people like Cherkezian that he is able to write. Zarakolu discussed the initial years of the Belge publishing house, during which his work was not only banned but received little attention. "We had a press conference for our collection of writings of the first reports on the Armenian genocide, but there was no coverage in the press," said Zarakolu. Since then he has withstood a constant barrage of criminal charges, further imprisonment, confiscation and destruction of books, the bombing of his publishing house, and heavy government fines and taxes. His publishing house has endured more than 40 criminal indictments. Zarakolu is currently being tried for publishing George Jerjian's History Will Set Us Free, and Dora Sakayan's An Armenian Doctor in Turkey: Garabed Hatcherian: My Smyrna Ordeal in 1922. Economic means permitting, Zarakolu hopes to publish the Turkish editions of the Blue Book from the United Kingdom, Armin Wegner's testimonies, Captanian's testimonies, and a selection of Zabel Yeseyan's works, as well as a photographic documentation of the Armenian deportation to the Syrian Desert. 5) President Bush's Trade Policy Report Cites Progress on US-Armenia Economic Cooperation WASHINGTON, DC--President Bush's annual Trade Policy Report cites progress across a broad range of areas of US-Armenia economic cooperation, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). "We are gratified to see that the steady progress in US-Armenia economic relations is reflected in the President's annual trade report to Congress," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. "We look forward, in the weeks and months ahead, to building on this momentum by encouraging the negotiation of both a treaty eliminating double taxation and an agreement clarifying the Social Security obligations and entitlements of those dividing either their careers or their retirements between the US and Armenia." The President's annual trade report is submitted to Congress by the United States Trade Representative (USTR). It details the benefits of foreign trade for US businesses, farmers and ranchers, service providers and consumers, reviews the Administration's accomplishments of 2005, and lays out its agenda for 2006. Additional information on this report can be found at: The provisions of the report that deal specifically with Armenia are as follows: 1. Normalization of US-Armenia Trade Relations "In 2004, Congress passed the Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2004 which authorized the President to terminate application of Jackson-Vanik to Armenia. On January 7, 2005, the President signed a proclamation terminating application of Jackson-Vanik to Armenia and granting Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) tariff treatment to products of Armenia. Based on the President's proclamation granting products from Armenia PNTR treatment, the United States and Armenia can apply the WTO between them and have recourse to WTO dispute settlement procedures." 2. Expansion of US-Armenia Trade and Investment "The United States continues to actively support political and economic reforms in Central Asia and the Caucasus, which includes the former Soviet countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The United States has been striving to construct a framework for the development of strong trade and investment links with this region. This approach has been pursued both bilaterally and multilaterally. The United States currently has Bilateral Investment Treaties (BIT) in force with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, and has signed a BIT with Uzbekistan, which has not yet entered into force." 3. Cooperation on Intellectual Property Rights "In 2003, due to improvements made to Armenia's Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regime, the US Government closed the review of the IPR industry's petition with respect to Armenia." 4. Promotion of Economic Growth Through Duty-Free Exports "Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan participate in the GSP program. In 2004, Azerbaijan submitted an application for designation as a beneficiary developing country under the GSP program which is under consideration." (The GSP is a program to promote economic growth in the developing world by providing preferential duty-free entry for more than 4,650 products from 144 designated beneficiary countries and territories.) 6) State Department Ends Silence on Azerbaijan's Destruction of Historic Julfa Cemetery WASHINGTON, DC--In the wake of a sustained international outcry, growing Congressional protests, and a forceful condemnation by the European Parliament, the US State Department ended its three-month long silence Tuesday on the Azeri government's destruction of the medieval Armenian cemetery in the Julfa region of Nakhichevan. Speaking Tuesday at a press conference in Yerevan, Armenia, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza responded to reporters' questions by describing the destruction as a "tragedy," and noting that, "it's awful what happened in Julfa. But the United States cannot take steps to stop it as it is happening on foreign soil. We continually raise this issue at meetings with Azeri officials. We are hopeful that the guilty will justly be punished. We are hopeful that in no other state of the region such things will happen again, as there are great historic monuments in the Caucasus and, frankly speaking, in all three states they are endangered." "We welcome the end to the State Department's long silence on Julfa, but regret that it took three months and sustained international protest before our government summoned the will to utter its first public condemnation of a clear cut and thoroughly documented case of cultural desecration," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "It's neither fair nor accurate for the State Department--in an apparent exercise in artificial evenhandedness--to imply that both Armenia and Azerbaijan are guilty of cultural destruction," added Hamparian. "In commenting on this subject in the future, we would hope that our diplomats will limit themselves to the actual facts on the ground, which point unmistakably to Azerbaijani culpability for the Julfa desecration and a long-standing pattern of deliberate demolition of Armenia religious and cultural treasures." In December of 2005, approximately 200 Azeri forces were videotaped using sledgehammers to demolish the Armenian cemetery in Julfa, a sacred site of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The cemetery dates back to the 7th Century and once was home to as many as 10,000 khatchkars (stone-crosses). An on-line video of the destruction can be viewed at: The ANCA has widely distributed DVDs documenting the destruction, educated Congressional offices about this desecration, and worked in concert with ANCA affiliates around the world to protest Azerbaijan's worsening anti-Armenian behavior. The Congressional Armenian Caucus, led by Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), has formally condemned Azerbaijan's actions, as have Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (D-CA). On February 16, 2006, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning Azerbaijan's destruction of the cemetery and demanding that Azerbaijan allow an European Parliament delegation to survey the site. On February 28, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian met with UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura. During the meeting, the Foreign Minister called attention to the destruction of the Julfa cemetery and urged UNESCO to send a team of experts to assess the situation and take appropriate action. 7) ARF to Hold Conference Titled "Armenians And The Left" --Robert Fisk, Noam Chomsky, and David Barsamian to speak In an effort to develop ties with political currents outside the US mainstream and broaden the range of participation among an increasingly diverse Armenian community, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) in the Eastern United States is planning a conference called "Armenians and the Left." The conference is scheduled for the weekend of April 8 in New York City and is co-sponsored by the Nation Institute and City University of New York's (CUNY) Study for Place, Culture, and Politics. On the eve of the conference, Robert Fisk of the British-based newspaper The Independent will deliver a plenary lecture at the New York Society for Ethical Culture at 7:30 PM on April 7. As the author of two highly acclaimed books on the region, Fisk will address global issues such as US imperialism in the Middle East and Transcaucasus and the implications for small, struggling nations like Armenia. The conference will begin the following day at CUNY Graduate Center, where panels of scholars, activists, and opinion makers will take a critical look at, and offer progressive analyses of a range of subjects pertinent to Armenia's political situation within a global context. The website armeniansandtheleft.com provides a full description of the panels and biographies of the panelists. Robert Fisk that day will join David Barsamian of Alternative Radio on a panel titled, "War, Propaganda, and the Media." Barsamian has built Alternative Radio into one of the few remaining independent forums for critically analyzing US domestic and foreign policy. On the following day, Fisk will join Noam Chomsky at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to address an audience about the topic of "War, Geo-Politics, and History: Conflict in the Middle East." Chomsky is perhaps the nation's most well known critic of US Foreign Policy. The talk will take place at Room 10-250 on MIT's Campus on Sunday, April 9 at 1:30 PM. 8) Geragos, Yeghiayan, And Kabateck Receive 2006 CLAY Award SAN FRANCISCO--Out of more than 200,000 eligible attorneys, California Lawyer Magazine chose attorneys Mark Geragos, Brian Kabateck, and Vartkes Yeghiayan to be among the few attorneys which will receive the prestigious California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year (CLAY) Award in litigation. The CLAY Award recognizes those attorneys throughout the state whose work has had a profound, far-reaching impact over the past year. The attorneys honored changed law, broke new ground in various areas, and substantially influenced public policy. Armenian-American lawyers Mark Geragos, Brian Kabateck, and Vartkes Yeghiayan were recognized for their work in reaching two settlements of $20 million and $17.5 with insurance companies on behalf of descendants of Armenians killed during the Armenian genocide. Martin Marootian, et al. v. New York Life Insurance Company and Kyurkjian, et. al. v. AXA were momentous since they represent one of the oldest unresolved cases in history--that have now been settled 90 years later. They are also the first recorded cases addressing issues involving the Armenian genocide. All three attorneys are of Armenian decent and descendants of Genocide victims and survivors. Through these cases, they feel honored to have helped people understand the magnitude of the atrocities committed during the Armenian genocide. 9) Harvest Gallery Presents Rafael Atoyan Exhibit GLENDALE-- A rare solo exhibition of internationally acclaimed artist Rafael Atoyan's works will be held March 10-22 at Harvest Gallery in Glendale. Rafael Atoyan is one of the former Soviet Union's baby boomers, the so-called "60's generation," which played a significant role in withstanding the oppressive regime of the time. This generation of artists (whose leader Minas Avetissian was later victimized by the regime) sought creative freedom and struggled for the right of self-expression. "Ato knows what it is that he is after," Avetissian said. "He treads slowly but surely. He's our Cezanne." Atoyan is a graduate of the Terlemezian College of Fine Arts and the Yerevan Institute of Theater and Fine Arts. He uses watercolors as he would use oil on canvas--meticulously, layer by layer, with painstaking elaboration of detail and form. His watercolors are conveyed through a real visible picture. Atoyan's exhibit will be on display from Friday, March 10 through Wednesday, March 22. For general information about the exhibit, please call Harvest Gallery at (818)546-1000 or visit Harvest Gallery 938 North Brand Blvd. Glendale, CA Exhibition Dates: Friday, March 10 through Wednesday, March 22 Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Sunday from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM 10) Publishing House Established in Honor of Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian In 2003, the Armenian Apostolic Church lost one of its most devoted servants, Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian. The Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society organized a public gathering on the first anniversary of his passing with the aim of keeping his memory alive. A total of $20,000 was raised by the public in memory of the Archbishop. Part of the contributions were allocated for the establishment of the "Mesrob Ashjian Publishing House" at the Armenian Academy's History Department, under the guidance of Professor Ashod Melkonian, Head of the History Department. Mesrob Ashjian Publishing House has already published ten books. The rest of the contributions were used to put up a life-size sculpture of the Archbishop in Armenia. His Holiness Karekin II has offered His blessing for the placement of the statue in front of St. Kevork's Church at Moughni Village. The ceremony will take place on May 28, the day Archbishop Ashjian was ordained. The public is invited to attend the dedication ceremony on May 28, 2006 in the Moughni Village of Armenia. For more information please contact: [email protected] 11) SKEPTIK'S OSCAR PARTY RECIPE FOR GOLDEN RICE A LA "ESH" Dear Readers, I was sick for the last two weeks and no one even noticed. But that's OK. Don't bother asking me how I AM!! Anyway, just bear with me. This week's article will take a while to kick into second gear but I'll make it worth your while. Promise! Your friend, Skeptik I didn't watch the Oscars. I was at an Armenian wedding in North Hollywood. And what a wedding it was! Let me just say that the whole time, I was taking notes of "Do's" and "Don'ts" for future reference and a gazillion ideas for future columns. The whole time as two young people professed their love to one another in a timeless ceremony and celebration of Holy Matrimony, I kept thinking thoughts like "I can't believe I'm missing Jon Stewart hosting the Oscars" and "I wonder if Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie are going to have a cat fight on the red carpet??" I don't even like the Oscars and the last time I remember watching it, that old guy from "City Slickers" did one-handed pushups after winning his award. That was pretty awesome! The person who thought of getting Jon Stewart to host the Academy Awards/Oscars is a genius. I like this idea mainly because I think Stewart does a brilliant job on the "Daily Show" on Comedy Central. That show alone is enough reason to buy one of those packages for satellite or direct TV and then get stuck with over 20 home shopping channels, that Christian Evangelical Channel with the woman that wears all the makeup, and the Oxygen channel, which ironically, makes me crave carbon monoxide and not oxygen. I heard he did a good job and he made some great political jokes which included a Dick Cheney hunting joke, but from what I heard around the water cooler the next day, it looks like they'll probably go with someone else next year. WARNING! WARNING! SKEPTIK DIGRESSION ALERT! I don't know why the Oscars screwed around with a proven formula. I remember when Billy Crystal was the host every year. It was comforting. Now the Oscar host changes every year. It's like that friend who dates the same girl for like three years and she even starts to grow on you because you're so used to them together. Then they break up and no one knows why. For the next three years he keeps bringing a different girl to your annual Christmas party and some are okay and others are disasters but you always end up comparing them to the previous girl. And that's all I have to say about that. END OF DIGRESSION (if you wish to see more of my critique of the Oscars, visit my blog.) One of the things that I find funny during the Oscars is when some Hollywood nobody wins an award and then for the next fifty years, any time that person is in any type of play, movie, cartoon, commercial, advertisement or ribbon cutting of a new International House of Pancakes, they are introduced as "Academy Award Winner." Does anyone else think that it's absolutely ridiculous that Cuba Gooding Jr. and Marissa Tomei both have this moniker? So this has given me an idea to give out my own awards to mock the Oscars and leave my legacy for posterity's sake. Ladies and gentlemen... I introduce to you... the Golden Esh Award! (For non-Armenians reading this column, the word "esh" means donkey or jackass in Armenian.) Ta-Dah! The Golden Esh Award is meant to coincide with the Academy Awards, the People's Choice Awards, and the Golden Globes. The Golden Esh memorializes great accomplishments in idiocy. It is awarded to people who do or say things that only an ESH would do or say. The nominees for the 2006 Golden ESH are: US SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZA RICE for recalling US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans for comments he made reaffirming the Armenian genocide. In case you missed the news recently, Ambassador John Evans has been forced to resign his post as Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia because during a visit with diaspora Armenians in the US he actually said, and I quote: "I regard the event as an act of genocide. No American official has ever denied this fact. I think it will not bring honor to Americans to play with words concerning this issue. I know that everything should be called by their names. However, the US policy has not changed. We have military relations with Turkey in the framework of NATO. The Armenian genocide was the first genocide that was committed in the 20th century. I assure you that we shall seriously deal with this issue." So because of his candor and courage, Ambassador Evans is being rewarded with a pink slip and has probably been blacklisted from ever working in the State Department again. In fact, Armenia is now the lucky recipient of the US Ambassador from Tajikistan. Which means that if we're getting the Ambassador from Middle-of-nowhere Tajikistan, then Evans is probably going to be made the assistant to the Ambassador to some penguin colony in Antarctica. What a damn shame! Condoleeza Rice has sullied the reputation of not only her department but of the American people as well! The next nominee is the PUBLIC BROADCAST SYSTEM (PBS) for airing a discussion with a panel of Genocide Deniers immediately following a documentary on the Armenian genocide. (By the way, if you want to know more about either of these issues, you can read about them on the Armenian National Committee website at ) Having a panel of Genocide Deniers speak after a documentary about the Armenian genocide is like having a group of former Nazis and Holocaust Deniers speak right after a screening of Schindler's List. Over 10,000 Armenians have already written to PBS to complain about this decision to no avail. The folks at PBS have responded to their viewers and supporters with the same arrogance as one of their characters from those stupid Victorian era British shows that they are always promoting. This an all time low for the channel that brought us Sesame Street and Contact! Even worse, is that PBS has yet to see the error of its ways and remains unwavering in their complete and utter disregard for human decency. Thanks to this ESH move, I won't be able to watch Sesame Street ever again without picture a big ugly Turkish fez on top of Big Bird's head! Next time PBS has a telethon fundraising drive, I'm grabbing a bag of Lahmajouns and a six pack of beer, sitting by the TV with my cordless phone, and calling them over and over again just to tell the volunteers there that I will not donate a dime to their Genocide Denying idiots! And the final nominee for this year's ESH Award is SEMIH IDIZ, Editor of Turkish News who recently wrote an editorial in Milliyet (a Turkish paper) claiming that Turkey didn't deserve its bad reputation. This was a response to an international survey of attitudes towards 35 countries and Turkey was viewed as the least favorable. SURPRISE! SURPRISE! Idiz writes that evidently "the world sees Turks as ignorant, lazy, poor, radical Islamist, crazy, barbaric, and dangerous" and claims that these labels are completely unfair. Well, Idiz my effendi, in your list of "How Turks Are Perceived," you forgot genocidal, ungrateful, violent, oppressive, racist, fascist, arrogant, and delusional. And I almost forgot: Bird Flu Spreading! When delving into the roots of this so-called misconception, Idiz observes that foreigners may misunderstand Turkish society because "such developments as the police beating women demonstrators" just a few months ago, "looks bad." Idiz baby, the women beatings are just the tip of the iceberg. And now for the winner. Orhan Pamuk, if you can please pass me the envelope through the bars of your Turkish jail cell. Thank you. (Cough to clear throat) So we have three VERY worth nominees for this year's Golden ESH Award. In fact, the panel of judges has had such a hard time deciding who to award that we actually have a historic THREE WAY TIE!! That's right Condoleeza, PBS, and Idiz, you are all Golden ESHes! As part of receiving this honor, you will henceforth be known as "Golden ESH winners." So hold your heads up high and enjoy the company you're in. In addition to your goody bag filled with grade-A manure just like the stuff you like to peddle around town, all three of you have been selected for an exclusive hunting trip with Vice President Dick Cheney! Enjoy and don't forget to write! Skeptik Sinikian is currently working on a design for the statue of the Golden Esh Award. If anyone knows an Esh or would like to model for one, contact him at [email protected] or visit his cool (OK, not) new blog at 12) Homo Ottomanicus? By Garen Yegparian A few days ago, at a presentation about our political operations, the speaker described a pattern of behavior as being "the Armenian way" when describing the approach of a certain organization. It was the go-along-to-get-along approach to life in its worst manifestation. Cowering before the mighty. Abiding by their wishes even when those impinge on or harm one's own needs, desires, and goals. This is how we made it through Ottoman times. We became servile creatures, barely recognizable as human. Fortunately, our revolutionary period reinserted our backbones, but evidently not into all of us. The Soviet period wrought its damage too. To this day, people who grew up in that time and place, still speak while barely opening their mouths, as if to avoid being discovered. But what of those who grew up in and have known only the relative freedom of the Diaspora? Why are some of them so eager to please their "betters"? Or is it perhaps their "masters" they're pleasing in their own pathetic minds? Why would Armenians not proudly advocate Armenian interests? Why would they not set out what we really want, in toto, then work as reality allows for pieces of that whole until we've attained it all? To strategically and tactically back off a demand for good reason and for a time is wise. To not ever state it, deny its existence, negotiate it away, or only pursue it when permission is "granted" by those "wiser" than we is treasonous. This cowardly mindset is an anachronism. It is no longer warranted anywhere we are. It can be particularly detrimental when navigating the ship of state. Current leaders of the two Armenian republics seem to be doing a good job on this front. No one should undercut them by advocating policies based on fear of regional or super-powers. But the concern is not limited to Yerevan. The same thing happens closer to home. We can often be too accommodating to those in power on the local level too. We might support people for office who are not the best (or least worst) choice from an Armenian perspective, just for fear of retribution. Thus we get to be the "loyal millet" of yore all over again. I do not a call for loudmouthed posturing with no substance or ability to deliver. I call for ridding ourselves of this Ottoman pathology (with due credit to Ara Baliozian who wrote on this repeatedly a decade and more ago) once and for all. 13) ANCA Endowment Fund Purchases New Washington, DC Headquarters WASHINGTON, DC - The ANCA Endowment Fund announced Friday the purchase of a new national headquarters, cementing the grassroots organization's presence in the nation's capital and creating a platform for the continued growth of the political power and influence of the Armenian American community. "At its heart, this purchase speaks to our respect for our roots--our enduring historic roots as a people, our grassroots communities around the country, and the deep roots that we have planted here in the nation's capital," said ANCA Endowment Fund President Ken Hachikian. "Roots represent our identity--and our strength. Grassroots advocacy is in our very soul. Our roots have been the wellspring that has nourished us from our fledgling days, through decades of struggle, and to our status today as a world-class organization, recognized internationally as the principled, forceful, and effective voice of the Armenian American community." The four-story building, formerly owned by AOL founder Steve Case, is located near prestigious Embassy Row, blocks from the White House and the nation's leading think tanks, including the Carnegie Foundation and the Brookings Institution. The newly renovated structure features the latest in computer, communications, and networking technology. "Now is the time to build on our successes," added Hachikian. "We look confidently to the future--forging new paths and embracing new technologies--to generate the political power, influence and respect that the Armenian American community deserves--and that the Armenian homeland needs." With a proven track record of results and a rock-solid base of support to build on, the leadership of the ANCA Endowment is currently in the planning stages of a campaign to cover the full cost of this state-of-the-art building, expand a broad range of advocacy programs, and grow the organization's life sustaining endowment fund. These efforts will cement the long-term stability and continuing success of Armenian American advocacy, substantially reinforce the Armenian presence in Washington DC, and create an even more powerful voice for Armenian Americans--in short, provide a sound footing for the future and a permanent home for the Armenian Cause in the United States. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2006 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

PRESS RELEASE
March 10, 2006
Armenian American Republican Association
700 North Central Ave., Suite 205
Glendale, CA 91203
(818) 241-0006 Facsimile (818) 241-0014
E-mail: [email protected]

ARMENIAN AMERICAN REPUBLICAN ASSOCAITION HELD A ROAST FOR LOS ANGELES
DISTRICT ATTORNEY STEVE COOLEY
Glendale, CA-More than 300 Armenian Americans gathered on March 1, 2006 at
the beautiful Renaissance Restaurant to have some fun and roast a good
friend of Armenian American Community Los Angeles District Attorney Steve
Cooley. This was the first of many event scheduled by Armenian American
Republican Association formally known as Armenian American Republican
Council.
The AARA recently filed for its State PAC status and should have an
extremely a busy schedule during the 2006 election cycle. AARA is the only
Armenian organization officially chartered and recognized by California
Republican Party.
The Master of Ceremony, Robert Philibosian, roasted each roaster and made a
few comments about the speakers. Among the roasters were Supervisor Mike
Antonovich, Sherriff Lee Baca, Chief Steve Simonian, Larry Zarian, Albert
Boyajian and Onnik Mehrabian. The event was a fun and enjoyable gathering
of friends and supporters of AARA.
Also in attendance were Glendale Councilmember Bob Yousefian, Glendale
Councilmember Ara Najarian, Glendale Police Chief Randy Adams and many from
the law enforcement throughout the state including members from Armenian
American Peace Officers Association.
“We have scheduled many more events in 2006.” Said Albert Abkarian, a well
known Armenian American Republican and a Board member with the organization.
“There are many organizations that pretend that they are interested in
Armenian American Republican issues. However, we have proven ourselves in
the past nine years and have earned the Republican Parties confidence.” The
other Board members are Greg Grigorian, Armen Janian, Eddie Minassian and
Rita Topalian.

The Armenian American Republican Association formally known as Armenian
American Republican Council is the largest and the only officially
recognized and Chartered Organization by California Republican Party. AARA
is dedicated in stressing Armenian American related issues to lawmakers in
the Republican Party. Anyone interested in more information can contact the
AARA at 818-241-0006 or write to AARA at 700 North Central Ave., Suite 205,
Glendale, CA 91203or email us at [email protected]

The World’s Billionaires
Billionaire Bacchanalia
Edited by Luisa Kroll and Allison Fass 03.27.06
Nearly two-thirds of the planet’s very richest people are self-made.
Canadian playboy Calvin Ayre went down to Costa Rica a decade ago and began
taking illegal bets over the Internet. Now he’s worth $1 billion. Making a
billion just isn’t what it used to be. In its inaugural ranking ofthe world’s
richest people 20 years ago FORBES uncovered some 140 billionaires. Just
three years ago we found 476. This year the list is a record 793, up 102 from
last year. They’re worth a combined $2.6 trillion, up 18% since last March.
Their average net worth: $3.3 billion.
Strong stock markets around the world (the U.S. being the notable exception)
contributed to this surge in wealth. India, whose BSE SENSEX market was up
54% in the past 12 months, is home to 10 new billionaires, more than any other
country besides the U.S.
Notable newcomers include Tulsi Tanti, a former textile trader whose
alternative energy company owns Asia’s largest windfarm; Vijay Mallya, the liquor
tycoon behind Kingfisher beer; Kushal Pal Singh, India’s biggest real estate
developer; and Anurag Dikshit (pronounced `dix-sit’), another online gaming
mogul, who made his fortune when he and two Americans took their PartyGaming
poker company public in London last June.
Russia, whose RTS stock exchange was up 108%, benefited from strong gains in
commodities prices. The surge swelled the fortunes of its 33 billionaires,
including 7 newcomers who join the list. China now has 8 billionaires, four
times as many as last year. The U.S. is home to 44 new billionaires and
commands nearly half of the fortunes on the roster.
Bill Gates retains his title as the world’s richest person for the
twelfth
straight year, proving that while it’s getting easier to make a billion, the
same can’t be said for making $50 billion.
Twelve people return to the list. Thirty-nine people depart from it. Seven
fortunes were broken up among family members, usually siblings, adding 15
individuals to the ranks. Seventy-eight women make the list, 10 more than last
year, though only 6 are self-made. Hind Hariri, daughter of slain Lebanese
prime minister Rafik Hariri, who is eight months younger than Germany=80=99s Prince
Albert von Thurn und Taxis, is, at 22, the list’s youngest member.
#53 Kirk Kerkorian
Age: 88
Fortune: self made
Source: Investments, casinos
Net Worth: 8.7
Country Of Citizenship: United States
Residence: Los Angeles, California, United States, North America
Industry: Investments
Marital Status: divorced, 2 children
High School, Diploma
Low-key investor with eighth-grade education scored big with $7.9 billion
takeover of Mandalay Bay Resorts in 2004. MGM Mirage now owns more than half
the hotel rooms on the Las Vegas Strip, but stock down 14% since July. Born in
Fresno to Armenian immigrants, flew planes across Atlantic during World War
II. First fortune: selling Trans International Airlines for $104 million
profit in the 1960s. Invested proceeds in Sin City: acquired Flamingo hotel 1967,
built International hotel 1969. Sold both properties to Hilton Hotels in
1970. Built first MGM Grand (now Bally’s), opened second incarnation 1993.
Took over Steve Wynn’s (see) Mirage Resorts in $6.4 billion buyout 2000.
Longtime romance with MGM movie studio now over: 3-time studio owner closed$5
billion deal with Sony, 3 private-equity firms and cable giant Comcast last
April; netted $1.8 billion. Former DaimlerChrysler shareholder now buying up
General Motors stock; owns 10% stake, value down $650 million since September.
Tennis junkie, said to play every day.
REPORTED BY Cristina von Zeppelin, Tatiana Serafin, Suzanne Hoppough, Kiyoe
Minami, Helen Coster, Kerry A. Dolan, Russell Flannery, Evan Hessel, Megan
Johnston, Matthew Miller, Matthew Swibel.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY Kiri Blakeley, Justin Doebele, Chandrani Ghosh, Lea
Goldman, Naazneen Karmali, Maxim Kashulinsky,
Josephine Lee, Forbes Russia, Nathan Vardi, Kirill Vishnepolsky, Chaniga
Vorasarun.
RESEARCH BY Phyllis Berman, Heidi Brown, Tomas Kellner, Ritu Kalra, Susan
Kitchens, Deborah Orr, Forbes Poland, Forbes Turkey.
PHOTO EDITOR Gail Toivanen.
DATABASE Mitchel Rand.
Forbes.com Inc.=84¢
From: Baghdasarian

e/chi-0603080224mar08,1,4839352.story?coll=3Dchi-n ewslocalnorthshore-hed
Teachers fill in gaps on Genocide
By Lisa Black
Tribune staff reporter
March 8, 2006
Mary Olson has told the story many times before, about men clubbed with
shovels and buried alive, and women marched into the desert to die with their
babies.
She tells of a family–her family–fleeing Turkish officers during World War
I and how they tried to save themselves by attempting to sacrifice their
youngest.
Weaving snippets of her family’s personal history into a horrific retelling
of Armenian genocide, Olson transfixed a teenage audience during a recent
U.S. history class at Warren Township High School in Gurnee.
Olson has given the speech for years but has found herself in greater demand
since the state approved a law that requires that acts of genocide–above
and beyond the Holocaust–be included in elementary and high school curricula.
Social studies teachers throughout Illinois have taken note since the law
took effect in August, said Phyllis Henry, president of the Illinois Council
for the Social Studies.
That group is organizing conferences and compiling material that covers not
only the Nazi persecution of Jews but also mass killings in Armenia, Ukraine,
Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Sudan.
“If you look at textbooks, depending on how old they are . . . sometimes
they only have a paragraph on the Armenian genocide,” said Henry, manager of
social studies for the Chicago Public Schools.
She said teachers must keep themselves informed of current events, such as
genocide being carried out in Sudan’s western Darfur region.
At Warren, the law has raised awareness among teachers, who tie the
information to their lessons, Olson said.
“Up until now, what they’ve mostly taught is the Holocaust,” said Olson, 54,
director of curriculum and school improvement for Warren Township High
School District 121.
The lessons resonate with students, especially when told by a descendant,
such as Olson, whose grandparents fled Armenia during WW I.
She recently provided juniors and seniors at Warren’s Almond Road Campus
with a quick backdrop to World War I, aided by a map, an Armenian coin,
100-year-old books outlining atrocities committed even before the genocide,and her
grandmother’s embroidery.
She explained that the term “genocide” was coined after Turkish leaders
during the Ottoman Empire nearly wiped out the Armenian population by killing
more than 1 million people from 1915 to 1918.
Her talk was not just a history lesson but also an example of how things
that happened long ago affect public policy today.
The Turkish government still disputes the description of the mass murders as
genocide, saying the killings took place within the larger context of the
war and that 350,000 Turks also died in battle. The United States, in an effort
to maintain diplomatic relations with Turkey, does not use the term genocide
to describe the mass Armenian killings.
But President Bush, in a statement on Armenian Remembrance Day last April
24, acknowledged the “forced exile and mass killings of as many as 1.5 million
Armenians.”
In Massachusetts the Assembly of Turkish American Associations sued the
school system after educators removed Turkish Web sites from a curriculum aimed
at teaching about genocide.
Narguiz Abbaszade, spokeswoman for the assembly, said the lawsuit was
“purely a freedom-of-speech issue.”
“The Turkish community feels they are not able to put forward their
interpretation of what happened,” she said. The lawsuit is ongoing.
Olson said she wanted to try to prove that the Turkish side is “revisionist
history.”
“Armenians were second-class citizens in Turkey. The Turks were trying fora
long time to find a way to rid themselves of the Christians,” Olson said.
At one point she talked about a husband and wife who believed that the only
way they could escape the Turks while hiding in a mountainous region was to
throw the youngest of their three children over a cliff. That way, they could
carry the other two children for miles. But the little boy survived after
landing on a ledge, and his cries alerted their foes.
The family members were caught and tortured. They survived the ordeal but
resented the child because his survival led to their capture, she said.
“How do I know that story?” she said. “The little boy was my uncle by
marriage.”
Students were aghast but curious.
“Usually when anyone talks about genocide or anything like this, people
automatically think of World War II,” said junior Lisa Alvin, 16, of Wadsworth.
“These people were so desperate,” she said. “The choices that they had to
make . . . that they would have to kill one of their children for the restof
the group to survive. That would be so hard.”
About 10,000 Armenians live in the Chicago area, including substantial
communities in Waukegan and Evanston, said Rouben Adalian, director of the
Armenian National Institute in Washington.
Many of them are determined to tell their stories before they die, said
Adalian, who is pleased that Illinois has included the Armenians in its
curriculum.
“It is a valuable presentation. It’s done all across the country but nowhere
near enough,” Adalian said.
———-
[email protected]
Copyright © 2006, _Chicago Tribune_ ()