HONOR ARMENIAN SURVIVAL
By Shamoneh Ayazjoo
Michael Nicolayeff / Daily Nexus
Daily Nexus, CA
Univ. of California, Santa Barbara
April 25 2006
Genocide Victims Should Be Recognized With Adoration
This article is dedicated to the memory of the 1,500,000 Armenians
who were martyred during the Turkish massacres, which culminated on
April 24, 1915.
“Fear not Them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul:
But rather fear Him which is able to destroy both body and soul in
hell,” Matthew X, 28.
The Armenian Genocide was a crime that exterminated an entire nation
from infants up through elders; a crime whose criminals starved and
burned children; brutally raped pure, angelic women; beheaded young
men and forced a Christian people to abandon their faith.
Such a horrible and barbaric crime was committed by the genocidal
government of Turkish emperors against the Armenian people during the
span of three terrible years – the bloodiest day of which occurred
on April 24, 1915 when more than half of the Armenian population was
massacred. But history has yet to report this crime, and this world,
which is so accustomed to atrocity, has yet to recognize what is known
to those that suffered as the first genocide of the 20th century. How
can it be that such a violent crime committed against the nation
of Armenia – a nation so vital to the history of mankind – has gone
unpunished and unrecognized? After all, Armenia was the first nation
to adopt Christianity in 301 A.D., and it is the country that bears the
historical Mount Ararat, which is where the biblical Noah’s Ark landed.
Perhaps it is due to the Turkish government’s blatant refusal to
acknowledge and take responsibility for the crime of massacring more
than one and a half million people, their intellectuals, clergymen,
scholars, musicians and other men of art, without mercy even for
those Armenian architects who had built and decorated the mosques
for their religious worship.
This year marks the 91st anniversary of the inhuman mass-murder which
was perpetrated against the Armenian people during the bitter and
disastrous days of World War I. Ninety-one years after the great
massacre, the Armenian people, both in Armenia and throughout the
world, reverently bow before the unknown graves of the valiant victims
and pray in remembrance of that dark and awful day when death and
destruction filled their eyes.
In fact, an entire nation was martyred but the Armenians did not die
forever. Against this deadly attempt, the Armenian people rose up
with all the might and instinct necessary for survival. And today,
the pages of history testify that the nation itself was the conqueror,
and that the enemy had devoured only the body of the Armenian, but he
had never been able to consume the Armenian soul which is invincible
and imperishable. This is the reason why, on the occasion of the 91st
anniversary, the Armenian people must take a new stand. April 24 is
no longer a day of tears and mourning. For the sake of the glorious
victims Armenians must proclaim April 24 as a day of victory and dispel
once and forever from the hearts and minds of the Armenian people the
sense of defeat and lamentation. The victims of the Armenian Genocide
died with the hope of living; therefore, April 24 is no longer a
day stained with a sense of defeat, but rather a day overcome with
exaltation for survival.
Shamoneh Ayazjoo is a junior English major.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIANS SEEK LANDS, RECOGNITION
By Alex Dobuzinskis, Staff Writer
Los Angeles Daily News
April 25 2006
Thousands of Armenian-Americans protested in front of the Turkish
Consulate on Monday, demanding that the country recognize the 1915
genocide of their people.
But the protesters, marching on the day when Armenians commemorate the
genocide every year, also had other demands beyond Turkey’s recognition
of the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians in the former Ottoman Empire.
Alleging that historically Armenian lands were stolen during the
genocide, protesters chanted, “Eastern Turkey is Western Armenia”
and “Get your hands off my lands.”
Police estimated that up to 3,000 demonstrators took part in Monday’s
protest at the Turkish Consulate.
“They want recognition first of all,” said Ani Garibyan, spokeswoman
for the Armenian Youth Federation, which organized the demonstration.
“They also want the land that they lost and the houses they lost. And
Turkey needs to pay up as well, just like Germany has been doing to
the Jewish (Holocaust) survivors and their families.”
Turkey contends there was no genocide of Armenians and they are not
willing to pay reparations or hand over land.
“Can anybody give any land to anybody today? In today’s world it’s not
possible,” said Engin Ansay, consul general of Turkey in Los Angeles.
Turkey’s position does not sit well with protesters like Lida
Zohrabyan, 47, of Glendale.
But she could not say how much of the land should be returned.
“That’s our politicians’ matter,” she said. “But we want justice.”

TURKEY BLASTS PM FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE REMARKS
Canadian Press
April 25 2006
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey on Tuesday criticized Canadian Prime Minister
Stephen Harper for remarks he made in support of recognizing the
mass killings of Armenians during the First World War as genocide,
and warned that such statements threatened to harm Turkish-Canadian
relations.
In a statement on April 21, Harper recalled that Canada’s Senate and
House of Commons had adopted resolutions recognizing the killings as
genocide and said, “I and my party supported those resolutions and
continue to recognize them today.”
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry issued a stern statement saying it
“regretted” Harper’s remarks over the killings that occurred more
than eight decades ago.
“Statements concerning disputed historic events by foreign parliaments
or governments nearly a century later will not change the nature of
what happened in reality,” the statement said.
“Such statements do not contribute to the environment of
dialogue between Turkey and Armenia, and have a negative effect on
Turkish-Canadian relations,” it added. “The stagnation of relations
between the two countries after the Canadian Parliament’s decision
… is the clearest example of this.”
Turkey’s Hurriyet newspaper reported Tuesday that Turkey would bar
Canadian companies from bidding for the construction of a nuclear
power plant that Turkey hopes to build in the Black Sea coastal town
of Sinop.
In 2001, Turkey cancelled millions of dollars’ worth of defence
deals with French companies after legislators in France recognized
the genocide.
Armenians say some 1.5 million of their people were killed as the
Ottoman Empire forced them from eastern Turkey between 1915 and 1923
in a deliberate campaign of genocide.
Turkey denies it was genocide, saying the death count is inflated
and insisting that Armenians were killed or displaced as the Ottoman
Empire tried to secure its border with Russia and stop attacks by
Armenian militants.
Several other countries, including Argentina, Poland, France and
Russia, have declared the killings a genocide, and there is strong
pressure from Armenians worldwide for the U.S. Congress to recognize
the killings as genocide as well.

WE RALLIED IN WASHINGTON AGAINST ARMENIAN CLAIMS – TOMRIS AZERI
Author: S. Ilhamgizi
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 25 2006
A joint Azerbaijani- Turkish rally has been organized in USA to protest
against the so-called Armenian genocide, the head of the America-
Azerbaijan organization in US, Tomris Azeri told Trend.
The Azerbaijani and Turkish diasporas organized a rally in the
Times-Square park in Washington, she said. A lot of people took part in
the action, several speeches have been held and photographic materials
of the Hojali tragedy have been presented, Azeri told.
Another action with motto- Lets put an end to the propaganda of the
so-called Armenian genocide, was held beside the Turkish embassy in
US. 250 people took part in the rally.
Similar Armenian action was taking place nearby. As a result of
coordinated activities of police it was possible to avoid any
incidents.

BAYLOR HOSTS DAYLONG HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL
KWTX, TX

April 25 2006
(April 25, 2006)–The Baylor University for Jewish Studies hosts the
5th annual Holocaust Memorial Tuesday at several locations on campus.
At 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Room 133 of the Marrs McLean Science Building,
speakers Amie Coomer, Dr. Chris Van Gorder and Dr. George W. Gawrych
take part in a panel discussion, “Religion and Genocide: Never Again?”
A music recital begins at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Great Hall of Truett
Theological Seminary and the film “The Armenian Genocide” will be
shown at 8 p.m. in room 133 of the Marrs-McLean Science Building.
All of the events are free and open to the public.
“The purpose of holding the event is to remember the Holocaust and
to remember the beauty of the lives of those who were affected –
not just the tragedy,” said Dr. Marc Ellis, director of the Center
for Jewish Studies.
“People should come to inform themselves, to remember and to confront
our own sensibilities in the world today.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA NA PRESIDENT BAGHDASARYAN’S MESSAGE ON GENOCIDE VICTIMS’ REMEMBRANCE DAY
National Assembly of RA, Armenia
April 25 2006
Dear Compatriots.
On April 24, the Armenian Genocide Victims’ Remembrance Day, the whole
Armenian nation and progressive humankind bow down their heads before
the memory of 1,5 million innocent victims.
The Armenian Genocide is a crime committed not only against
the Armenian people, but also against the whole mankind, and the
recognition and the condemnation are important not only for Armenia,
but also for countries all over the world. Only through condemnation
of these types of crimes it will be possible to avoid its repetition.
The number of countries, that recognized and condemned the Armenian
Genocide, is increasing every year, which indicates the understanding
of humankind’s responsibility before generations. Only the recognition
and condemnation by the world community, as well as by the Turkish
Government might exclude from such crimes in future.
Different countries’ parliaments have adopted various laws and
resolutions, and we are thankful to all those countries that assist
us in this issue.
Once more we bow down our heads before the memory of the Armenian
Genocide victims and address our support to our compatriots.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ACTIVITIES DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE’S 91st ANNIVERSARY HELD IN BELGIUM AND NETHERLANDS
Arka News Agency, Armenia
April 25 2006
YEREVAN, April 25. /ARKA/. Activities dedicated to the 91st anniversary
of the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire were held in Belgium
and the Netherlands. The press service of the RA foreign ministry
reported that after completing the Holy Liturgy in the Armenian church
in Brussels a mournful meeting of Armenian Ambassador to Belgium
Vigen Chitechyan, Head of Armenia’s mission in NATO countries Samvel
Lazarian, Belgian MPs, representatives of Brussels local authorities,
and also Belgium’s Armenian and Jewish communities.
Participators headed toward the memorials of the genocide victims
and held a meeting in front of the Turkish embassy. On 23 April,
an activity dedicated to the memory of the genocide victims was
organized in one of Amsterdam churches with participation of the head
of the NATO mission, local MPs, representatives of the Information
and Documentary Center of Israel in Hague, and also Chairman of the
Council of the Netherlands’ churches van Eik.
A protest action was held in the center of Hague on 24 April in
the evening.
The Armenian genocide is considered the first genocide of the 20th
century, organized and systematically executed by the Young Turkish
government. About 1.5mln Armenians were massacred in Western Armenia
that was part of the Ottoman Empire.

GEORGIAN VEHICLES TO BE FREED FROM ROAD TAX
Prime News Agency, Georgia
April 25 2006
Tbilisi. April 25 (Prime-News) – Vehicles moving from Georgia to
Armenia will be freed from the road tax.
The corresponding agreement was signed by Irakly Chogovadze, Georgian
Minister of Economic Development and Andranik Mukmanian, Armenian
Transport Minister, within the frameworks of the visit by the latter
to Tbilisi on Tuesday.
According to Irakly Chogovadze, the agreement enables to transit
cargoes without any limitations and additional expenditures in both
countries.
Andranik Mukmanian admitted that the agreement was a response to
the resolution of the government of Georgia to abolish road tax for
transit for all countries in 2005.
According to the Armenian legislation, foreign trucks were submitted
to USD 200-280 road tax, while light cars were to pay USD 18-20.
The signed agreement will come into force after ratification.

Outlook on Egypt: DO YOU SPEAK ARMENIAN?
Egypt Today, Egypt
April 25 2006
Social life, Egyptian Style: The March 2006 Edition
[parts omitted]
The Armenian Embassy in Cairo recently organized an exhibition
of Ancient Armenian manuscripts at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina to
celebrate the 1600th anniversary of the creation of the Armenian
alphabet. Representatives of foreign missions, cultural and scientific
leaders of the Egyptian community as well as journalists and members
of the Armenian community in both cities participated in the opening
ceremony. A conference on Armenian-Egyptian historical and cultural
relations was also held at the Bibliotheca and was inaugurated by
Dr. Rouben Karapetian (Ambassador of Armenia) and Dr. Ismail Serageldin
(director of the Bibliotheca).
spx?ArticleID=6470

REMEMBERING THE ARMENIANS
By Richard Senate
Ventura County Star , CA
April 25 2006
Monday, Armenians all over the world marked the anniversary of a
terrible crime. On that day in 1915, the Turkish government began
the systematic murder of the Armenian people.
It was their solution to what they saw as the “Armenian Problem.”
This mass killing took place in the middle of World War I when few
were interested in the plight of a group of people in faraway Turkey.
The Turks believed that the Armenians were disloyal in the war and
saw the best way to solve the problem was the complete elimination
of this minority.
The edict of April 24, 1915, ordered the arrest of all Armenian
leaders. After they were taken away, they were never seen again. This
was only the beginning.
Next, the Armenians were forced to leave the cities and homes to
points south. These were elaborately planned death marches where
thousands were brutalized and killed. They were forced along a track
that avoided rivers and wells so the despised Armenians would die in
the desert. The victims endured unspeakable cruelties that rival the
fate of the Jews in Nazi Germany. Even after the war ended in 1918,
the killings went on until 1920. It is estimated one-and-a-half million
died in this, the first holocaust of the 20th century. Even today,
Turkey refuses to accept the fact that this crime ever took place.
It is recorded that when Adolf Hitler contemplated the destruction of
the Jews, one of his henchmen asked if this action might cause world
reaction. It is said Hitler replied: “Who remembers the Armenians?”