Suspect held in hit-and-run
Eight injured when van plows into church festival; 8
injured in Southfield hit-and-run accident
The Detroit News
May 22, 2006
By Edward L. Cardenas
SOUTHFIELD — A day of family fun at St. John’s Armenian Church turned
to horror when a van plowed through a church carnival and struck an
inflatable ride, sending at least six children and two adults to the
hospital.
Police on Sunday night arrested a man who they believe intentionally
drove a maroon, 1994 Plymouth Voyager van through the crowd about 2
p.m. Sunday as members of the church and community played on five
colorful inflatable structures and enjoyed fresh popcorn.
At Southfield’s request, Troy Police arrested the suspect at a home in
that city and turned him over to Southfield officers. Southfield
Police seized the man’s vehicle.
As the accident occurred, onlookers screamed for the driver to stop
the van, with at least one man jumping onto the vehicle and breaking
out the driver’s side window before being thrown off.
“He is definitely a hero,” Southfield Police Sgt. Mike Mellec said of
the man who tried to stop the driver. “We have information to believe
it was intentional.”
Police believe the suspect drove the van along a road behind the Alex
Manoogian School before turning down a small road between the school
and a tent erected for the festival, which was held between the school
and church.
Instead of turning to the left, and into the parking lot, he turned
right and drove between the inflatable structures where children were
waiting to play.
Those injured were taken to Providence Hospital in Southfield with
injures including bruises, broken ankles and a broken pelvis. Police
did not identify the injured.
Stunned parents stood on the edge of the by-then-deflated playscapes
holding their children. Water bottles, children’s shoes and other
items were strewn along the ground.
“We tried our best to stop him,” said Hosep Torossian, principal of
the church’s high school. “He wouldn’t listen to me.”
Others wished they could have done more to stop or apprehend the
driver.
Shirley Tufenkjian was riding in a car that was pulling into the
parking lot of the church when the minivan, with adults in pursuit,
passed her.
“I thought he had stolen something,” said Tufenkjian, who was looking
forward to an afternoon with her nine grandchildren at the
festival. “I felt guilty … I was the last person to see him. If I
would have known what he did, I would have crashed into him.”
The incident caught everyone by surprise.
Rina Aznavour was pushing her 6-month-old son, Andrew, in a stroller
near the inflatable playscapes when the van roared past her, almost
knocking over the stroller.
“He didn’t care who was under the car or on the side,” said Aznavour
of West Bloomfield. Her sister narrowly avoided injury by the
vehicle. She pulled her son’s shoulder to get him out of its path.
“It seemed like he was on a rampage,” Laura Calukyan said.
Friends of the injured children and adults visited the hospital in an
attempt to learn what happened.
Members of the media were ushered away by hospital security.
“The (van) window hit her in the arm,” said Kristina Mkoyan, who
visited a 10-year-old friend, whom she declined to name. She said her
friend is expected to be OK.
The church is prominent in Metro Detroit’s Armenian community.
There are more than 40,000 people in Michigan of Armenian descent and
1 million nationwide, according to a study issued last year by the
Armenian Research Center/University of Michigan-Dearborn.
You can reach Edward L. Cardenas at (586) 468-0529 or
[email protected].
apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060522/METRO/60522038 0

Experts say report of badges for Jews in Iran is untrue
A yellow badge worn by Jews in Nazi Germany during the 1940s.
MICHAEL KAPPELER/AFP/Getty Images)
Chris Wattie, National Post
Published: Friday, May 19, 2006
Several experts are casting doubt on reports that Iran had passed a law
requiring the country’s Jews and other religious minorities to wear
coloured badges identifying them as non-Muslims.
The Iranian embassy in Otttawa also denied the Iranian government had
passed such a law.
A news story and column by Iranian-born analyst Amir Taheri in
yesterday’s National Post reported that the Iranian parliament had
passed a sweeping new law this week outlining proper dress for Iran’s
majority Muslims, including an order for Jews, Christians and
Zoroastrians to wear special strips of cloth.
According to the reports, Jews were to wear yellow cloth strips, called
zonnar, while Christians were to wear red and Zoroastrians blue.
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre and Iranian expatriates living in Canada had
confirmed that the order had been passed, although it still had to be
approved by Iran’s `Supreme Guide’ Ali Khamenehi before being put into
effect.
Hormoz Ghahremani, a spokesman for the Iranian Embassy in Ottawa, said
in an e-mail to the Post yesterday that, `We wish to categorically
reject the news item.
`These kinds of slanderous accusations are part of a smear campaign
against Iran by vested interests, which needs to be denounced at every
step.’
Sam Kermanian, of the U.S.-based Iranian-American Jewish Federation,
said in an interview from Los Angeles that he had contacted members of
the Jewish community in Iran ‘ including the lone Jewish member of the
Iranian parliament ‘ and they denied any such measure was in place.
Mr. Kermanian said the subject of `what to do with religious minorities’
came up during debates leading up to the passing of the dress code law.
`It is possible that some ideas might have been thrown around,’ he said.
`But to the best of my knowledge the final version of the law does not
demand any identifying marks by the religious minority groups.’
Ali Reza Nourizadeh, an Iranian commentator on political affairs in
London, suggested that the requirements for badges or insignia for
religious minorities was part of a `secondary motion’ introduced in
parliament, addressing the changes specific to the attire of people of
various religious backgrounds.
Mr. Nourizadeh said that motion was very minor and was far from being
passed into law.
That account could not be confirmed.
Meir Javdanfar, an Israeli expert on Iran and the Middle East who was
born and raised in Tehran, said yesterday that he was unable to find any
evidence that such a law had been passed.
`None of my sources in Iran have heard of this,’ he said. `I don’t know
where this comes from.’
Mr. Javdanfar said that not all clauses of the law had been passed
through the parliament and said the requirement that Jews, Christians
and Zoroastrians wear special insignia might be part of an older version
of the Islamic dress law, which was first written two years ago.
`In any case, there is no way that they could have forced Iranian Jews
to wear this,’ he added. `The Iranian people would never stand for it.’
However, Mr. Kermanian added that Jews in Iran still face widespread,
systematic discrimination. `For example if they sell food they have to
identify themselves and their shops as non-Muslim,’ he said.
Rabbi Marvin Hier, the dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre in Los
Angeles, acknowledged that he did not have independent confirmation of
the requirement for Jews to wear badges, but said he still believes it
was passed.
`We know that the national uniform law was passed and that certain
colours were selected for Jews and other minorities,’ he said. `[But] if
the Iranian government is going to pass such a law then they are not
likely to be forthcoming about what they are doing.’
Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister, said yesterday that Iran is `very
capable’ of enacting such a law but could not confirm reports that
members of religious minorities must wear identifiable markers on their
clothing.
`Unfortunately we’ve seen enough already from the Iranian regime to
suggest that it is very capable of this kind of action,’ Mr. Harper
said. `It boggles the mind that any regime on the face of the earth
would want to do anything that would remind people of Nazi Germany.’
National Post, with files from Allan Woods, CanWest News Service
© National Post 2006
ry.html?id=6626a0fa-99de-4f1e-aebe-bb91af82abb3

PRESS RELEASE
May 22, 2006
Contact: Linda Yepoyan
Phone: 610-642-6633
[email protected]

BIRTHRIGHT ALUM GET ORGANIZED NATIONWIDE
William Saroyan once said that “when two Armenians meet anywhere in the
world, see if they will not create a new Armenia.” Probably this is most
true when it comes to students. Or at least that’s what University of
Chicago sophomore and Birthright Armenia alum Nishan Bingham set out to
prove when he and three of his friends decided to establish the University’s
first ever Armenian Students Club.
“We all got together one night and talked about it,” says Nishan. “Then we
networked and kept an eye out for Armenian names.” In fact, Nishan and his
three comrades went through the entire Face Book looking for the signature
“-ian” that marks Armenian last names. “It was difficult,” says Nishan,
“because Chicago doesn’t have a huge Armenian population. But we came up
with more than 30 names.” After establishing a mandate, decorating the
campus with posters, and publicizing the new group, the Armenian Students
Club had its first meeting on February 18, 2006 and plans to hold elections
this semester.
While Nishan’s concept for the Armenian Students Club was realized on the
University of Chicago campus, the idea began much earlier, across the
Atlantic, during his summer experience Armenia. As a volunteer for the Land
and Culture Organization (LCO), a group dedicated to bringing diasporan
volunteers from all over the world together to dedicate their service to
restoring, reviving and maintaining Armenia’s land and culture, Nishan spent
time in Yerevan as an active participant in the Birthright Armenia program,
as well as the outlying region of Shushi with LCO. “Being in Armenia made
me feel entitled as an Armenian and obligated to represent Armenian culture
in America, in my community, and especially at my school,” says Nishan.
Among Birthright alum around the U.S., it appears that Nishan is not alone
in his quest to bring Armenians together. Two other Birthright alums have
begun similar projects on their own campuses. Over the last several months
Los Angeles-native Varty Defterderian, a sophomore at University of
Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and Aline Alexanian, a student at University
of North Carolina Chapel Hill, have both been working hard to form on-campus
Armenian student organizations.
When asked what prompted her to begin her venture, Varty says “I miss my
Armenian community.” She goes on to describe how her own experience as a
volunteer in Armenia through the Armenian Students Association New York and
Birthright Armenia participant helped shape her desire to bring a bit of
Armenia back to Philadelphia. “I really felt a longing for my language and
my culture. Philly was starting to feel like home, but it was definitely
missing an integral part for my life and with this club and the handful of
Armenians that Birthright Armenia introduced me to, I’m beginning to fill
that void here,” she says. Already, Varty, who currently serves as Vice
President of the UPenn ASA, has helped organize a viewing of the April 17th
PBS documentary on the Genocide, as well as participation in a Hoke Hankist
on April 24th at a local church. She has also been working with other local
area university Armenian student groups to coordinate joint activities at
Drexel, Villanova, Temple, Saint Joseph’s and Rutgers.
Aline Alexanian, a student at University of North Carolina, who volunteered
in Armenia through the AYF Summer Internship Program shared similar
experiences with Nishan and Varty through Birthright Armenia. While the UNC
group began as a simple dinner club among friends, Aline, along with two of
her fellow classmates, has dedicated herself to making the group a
recognized campus organization. Aline says that her focus for the group is
to spread the word about Armenian culture in the South. She also hopes that
once the group is officially recognized by UNC, they will be able to
participate in the many international events that already occur regularly on
campus, and even push for the addition of an Armenian culture class into the
current curriculum.
Nishan has been working on similar events for the University of Chicago
campus. Although the group is still in its beginning stages, Nishan has
high hopes that soon the club’s activities will include kefs, cultural
shows, and fundraisers for Armenian charities. He even plans to host an
Armenian film series at the campus theater, featuring films by Parajanov and
Atom Egoyan, director of the landmark film Ararat. “I am really proud and
excited,” says Nishan. “My experience over the summer with LCO and
Birthright is really what got me going.”
In fact, Nishan’s dedication to the new students club was part of a written
continuing involvement promise required by Birthright Armenia prior to
receiving a travel reimbursement.
Linda Yepoyan, Executive Director of Birthright Armenia, believes that at
the end of their stay in the Homeland, “something in these young Armenians
just clicks when forced to think about how they can promise to stay involved
and give back to their diasporan community. Perhaps it never occurred to
them that they themselves could be the one to provide the action. However,
their time in Armenia doing rewarding volunteer service and seeing
additional work that needs to be done is the motivating factor. I am so
proud of our alumnus and am convinced that amongst them are some great
future leaders and activists of the Armenian people and nation.”
As alums of one of the first Armenian organizations to financially sponsor
young diasporan Armenians in their service to the Motherland, Nishan, Varty
and Aline have set a path that many hope other diasporans around the world
will follow. “It’s really important to get people involved. So many
diasporans are disconnected,” says Nishan. When looking around at her own
campus, Varty agrees wholeheartedly. “There are a lot of Armenians on
campus that are only part Armenian and all they know about being Armenian is
some of the food or that one of their parents or grandparents was Armenian.
It’s absolutely amazing to be able to share with them a bit of their culture
and give them a taste of their history.”
Looking at the success of these three distinct programs, one can truly see
the legacy that Armenia instills in her descendants. These three talented
diasporans brought back more than stories and great photos from their summer
in Armenia – they brought home the future of a rich culture and the
beautiful people that comprise it. As William Saroyan would attest, they
established a new Armenia.
For those interested in learning more about Birthright Armenia, please visit
or email [email protected] .

PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
7 Vazgen Sargsian Street
Yerevan 0010, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 58.08.77, 52.22.38
Fax: (+374 – 10) 54.38.97
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website:
May 22, 2006
Heritage Party Headquarters Still Under Lock: Court Case Delayed
Yerevan–Heritage Party Chairman Raffi K. Hovannisian’s legal claim against
the administration of the Paronian Theater was heard on May 19 at the Court
of First Instance of Yerevan’s Central and Nork-Marash communities. The
hearing was presided over by Judge Edward Avetisian.
The events leading to Hovannisian’s petition began on March 4, 2006, when
party representatives witnessed the unlawful replacement, without prior
notice, of the already-smashed lock of the outside door to the party’s main
office, whose space, located at 7 Vazgen Sargsian Street, Raffi Hovannisian
has leased since 1994. The lock was replaced by the chief engineer and two
members from the auxiliary staff of the theater. In the meantime, the entire
process was supervised by two unknown men who were sitting in a nearby car.
The very same day, the theater’s administration assumed responsibility for
this act and concealed its true architects. Since then, the party’s seal and
documents necessary for normal operations, as well as personal and family
belongings of Hovannisian and his staff, are kept under the control of the
theater’s management. Hovannisian had sent a communiqué to Armenia’s
Attorney General Aghvan Hovsepian and Police Chief Haik Harutiunian in
regard to the unlawful operation carried out against the office and formally
requested that they give an imperative legal assessment of what had occurred
and bring those responsible to justice. They, however, sent a reply stating
that the dispute between Hovannisian and the administration of the theater
is a civil disagreement and thus must be resolved by the courts.
An official claim was filed on April 11 at the Center-Nork Marash Court
against the Paronian Theater’s management wherein it was demanded that the
infringement upon the right of control and usage of property be lifted. In
order to prohibit the taking of certain actions by the theater’s management
against the property under its control, the plaintiff simultaneously
submitted a petition to restore the right of access to the belongings of
Raffi Hovannisian and the Heritage Party. The court ruled in favor of this
petition, and the order was forwarded to the Service for Mandatory Execution
of Judicial Acts at the Ministry of Justice. However, in an unprecedented
action that lacked clear explanation, this body returned the petition and
the order back to the Court. On May 19, Judge Avetisian sent the same ruling
to the aforementioned service a second time.
On May 19, the first hearing of the case opened in the absence of the
defendant, which had not presented a formal request for the continuance of
the trial. It had instead previously informed the court of its position that
the lease signed between the theater administration and the tenant was not
officially notarized and consequently void, and so the petition is
unsubstantiated and subject to dismissal. This “objection” by the defendant
became grounds for Vahan Grigorian, Raffi Hovannisian’s attorney to submit,
by way of introducing relevant evidence, a request for making additional
claims, in particular those which derive under the law by consequence of
nullification of contracts. The Court, taking all submissions into account,
adjourned and set a new hearing on June 1.
Founded in 2002, Heritage has regional divisions throughout the land. Its
central headquarters are located at 7 Vazgen Sargsian Street, Yerevan
375010, Armenia, with telephone contact at (374-10) 580.877, fax at (374-10)
543.897, and email at [email protected]

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER FORMALLY SUBMITTED RESIGNATION
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.05.2006 12:55 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During today’s sitting Chairman of the Armenian
National Assembly Artur Baghdassaryan formally submitted his
resignation. According to the regulations, the Parliament Speaker
should confirm his resignation within 5 days and then leave his
post. To remind, Artur Baghdassaryan announced of the intention to
leave the post May 12, after Orinats Yerkir Party political council
decided to secede from the ruling coalition. It should also be noted
that head of the parliamentary committee on defense, home affairs
and national security Mher Shahgeldyan and head of the parliamentary
committee on social issues, health and ecology Gagik Mkheyan offered
resignation today.

2006 MORE FAVORABLE FOR PROGRESS IN KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.05.2006 13:36 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 2006 is more favorable for progress in settlement of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict than the previous years, Russian Co-Chair
of the OSCE MG for settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in
1992-1996, Ambassador Vladimir Kazimirov stated in an interview with
PanARMENIAN.Net. “It is not burdened with electoral campaigns, that
both parties will have next year. This does not mean at all that an
abrupt break is possible. It is merely necessary to maximally use the
opportunities provided this year at least to form preconditions for a
peace treaty, which may be reached by 2009-2010. As a matter of fact
achieving an agreement is not only possible but necessary. I would
call signing a peace accord even a forced, imposed peace,” he remarked.

CONCENTRATION OF RESPONSIBILITY ON PRESIDENTS INEXPEDIENT
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.05.2006 13:45 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “Concentration of responsibility fully lies on
Presidents and this is not correct, as the public opinion of both
parties is not ready for mutual and balanced concessions. Whatever
the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan sign, they will be accused
in betrayal”, Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE MG for settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict in 1992-1996, Ambassador Vladimir Kazimirov
stated in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net. “It is necessary to
prepare the public opinion and the MPs role comes out here. Teamwork
would be correct to share the responsibility and prepare the societies
for compromise. I should mention that not everyone understands that
the Bishkek agreement on cease-fire is only a political document
without any legal basis,” he said.

VLADIMIR KAZIMIROV: NON-APPLIANCE OF FORCE IMPORTANT IN CONFLICT SITUATIONS
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.05.2006 13:51 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “Heydar Aliyev was a realist. When he raised the
issue of Karabakh, he meant only 7 regions without NK. Return of
the regions was a priority to him. For his son an agreement with
Armenians is more dangerous. To avoid it he Ilham Aliyev keeps on
including Nagorno Karabakh in the notion of the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan,” Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE MG for settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict in 1992-1996, Ambassador Vladimir Kazimirov
stated in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net.
Vladimir Kazimirov reminded that all principles fixed in the UN
Declaration of 1948 and confirmed by the Helsinki Agreement are of
equal value – this also refers to people’s right to self-determination
and inviolability of borders. In conflict situations a peaceful
agreement is much more important that force.
“Moreover, these principles should be developed. The Helsinki
Agreement summed up the outcomes of the WWII and outlined the norms
of relations between the states. With the existence of various state
systems and nuclear weapons any territorial tremor could lead to
large-scale hostilities. The 1990-ies brought tectonic changes and
force majeur. Collapse of great power like the USSR undermined the
magic of the Helsinki formulas,” he remarked.
The Russian diplomat underscored that Heydar Aliyev’s successors
excite the militaristic campaign in Azerbaijan and this cripples the
moral basis of the society, especially of the young generation.
“President Ilham Aliyev himself accelerates the armament race. It’s a
pity that the OSCE watches this calmly. If the organization proceeded
to the settlement of the conflict it should counteract anything that
impedes its peaceful mission,” the former Co-Chair of the OSCE MG said.

CONFLICTS CANNOT BE SETTLED WITHOUT REGARD OF THEIR PECULIARITIES
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.05.2006 13:55 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ There are two polar viewpoints in politics. The
first says that there is a common concept for the settlement of all the
conflicts, the other says that each conflict is unique. Both disregard
of peculiarities of each conflict and denial of common points are
inadmissible, Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE MG for settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict in 1992-1996, Ambassador Vladimir Kazimirov
stated in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net. In his opinion, the
truth lies in the middle, as usual.
“There are solutions that can partially be used both here and
there. There is a common point of Kosovo and Karabakh conflicts,
i.e. collapse of a unified state, in this case the USSR and Yugoslavia;
the desire of autonomies to live on their own. However, there are
many different points between them as well, which cannot be left out
when passing any agreements.
Expression of will often prevails over the notion of territorial
integrity,” Kazimirov said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA FINISHES EIGHT AT EUROVISION SONG CONTEST
Armenpress
May 22 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS: Finland’s rock band Lordi has won the
2006 Eurovision song contest with their heavy metal rendition Hard
Rock Hallelujah. It is the first time Finland has won the contest
in 40 years of trying. The country had never been placed higher than
sixth in the competition before.
The Scandinavian masked quintet bagged 292 points from telephone
voters in 38 countries. Second came Russian heartthrob Dima Bilan,
who received 248 points, followed by Bosnia-Herzegovina group Mata
Hari with 229 points.
First-timer Armenia with the song called Without your Love finished
eighth with 129 points. Armenia and Russia exchanged maximum score
of 12 points. Armenia was also generously supported by fans from
Belgium, Netherlands, Greece, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Germany,
Spain and Turkey that gave a surprise 10 scores.
The Eurovision vote resembled a `regional cooperation’ rather
displaying the solidarity among neighboring countries which voted for
one another. For instance, the Balkan states, Scandinavia, Northern
Europe, the Baltic States and the three Slavonic states ` exchanged’
the highest points.