FOR HEADY THRASH, THE SYSTEM WORKS: DOWN SERVES UP ENLIGHTENED RAGE LIKE NO OTHER METAL MERCHANTS CAN
by Stuart Derdeyn, The Province
The Vancouver Province (British Columbia)
September 18, 2005 Sunday
FINAL C Edition
Let it never be said that System of a Down are just another metal
band. The Armenian/American quartet has sweet nothing in common with
any of those other tattooed, pierced and peeved angst merchants making
music for middle-class Caucasian males.
Not that this isn’t the core audience that the band brings out. It is.
But that this politically and artistically progressive group has
captured that audience still comes as a surprise.
Choruses of “Why do they always send the poor?” from “B.Y.O.B.” —
the band’s opening number at the Pacific Coliseum last night —
just aren’t drawn from the same creative wellspring as “I did it for
the nookie.” There’s something altogether more serious being offered
up by these guys.Which doesn’t mean that the crew is all agit-prop
preaching and no fun.
Far from it.
Daron Malakian has some of the silliest audience banter this side
of a comedian. Who says “Party people put your hands together” at a
rock show?
The same guy incorporating interpretive modern dance routines and clown
antics into his onslaught of molten-lead heavy riffage, that’s who.
Of course, when your bassist has a braided soul patch that hangs down
to his midriff and ultra-neon yellow socks glaring out from under
his capri pants, you’ve no choice but to be physical to get noticed.
Shavo Odajian’s motoring and John Dolmayan’s relentless pounding
aside, it’s the way that Malakian and Frank Zappa-esque lead singer
Serj Tankian play off one another that really generates the power in
sing-along faves “Needles” and “Revenga.”
Both have distinct pipes that, when put together, make for the
harmonies that lock the choruses in anti-pop culture critiques such
as “Violent Pornography” in your head forever. For all its rage and
lightning-fast time signature changes, there’s almost a folk-song
sensibility to System’s songwriting.
With Mesmerize already getting some of the best reviews of the band’s
career, excitement over the soon-to-be-released companion to that
disc can only build after a gig as tight as last night. Connecting
with your audience to build a collective sense of unified purpose is
always at the heart of a killer show. But this is an act that wants
to see the message carried past the mosh pit; to bring enlightenment
to an audience more open to ideas than it gets credit for.
Hopefully to foster a sense of community carried well outside the
arena.

ORHAN PAMUK IS NO TRAITOR: INFORMED SOURCES
National Post (Canada)
September 16, 2005 Friday
National Edition
source The Spectator
The following editorial appeared in Britain’s Spectator magazine on
Sept. 10.
Over the past years, The Spectator has been a staunch defender of
Turkey and its right to join the European Union, negotiations for which
begin on Oct. 3. We have praised its economy, its founder-membership
of Nato and condemned the many Turkophobes within the EU.
A rarity among nations with Muslim majorities, it holds proper
elections and, for the most part, maintains a legal system that most in
the West would regard as fair. It has 70 million industrious citizens
who want to trade on equal terms.
It would be a tragedy, therefore, if Turkish membership of the
EU were to be jeopardized by Turkey’s ugly treatment of its most
prominent novelist, Orhan Pamuk. Last week, Mr. Pamuk was charged
under Article 301/1 of the Turkish penal code, which makes it an
offence to insult the Republic of Turkey, punishable with between
six months and three years imprisonment — increased by a third if
the offence was committed abroad.
Mr. Pamuk’s crime was to make reference, in an interview with Swiss
newspaper Tagesanzeiger in February, to Turkey’s ethnic cleansing
of Armenians between 1915 and 1917 and to its ill-treatment of Kurds
since 1984. “Thirty thousand Kurds and a million Armenians were killed
in these lands and nobody but me dares to talk about it,” he said.
It goes without saying that jailing people for raising such issues is
unacceptable in a modern democracy. Orhan Pamuk is no traitor. On the
contrary, he is seen in the literary world as a great ambassador for
his homeland, whose work shows a deep love of his country and who has
been able to straddle the gap between East and West. He simply wishes
to be free to discuss a couple of dark episodes in Turkey’s history.
To give it some credit, the Turkish government does not entirely deny
that a large number of Armenians came to a bad end around 1915. The
prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, recently announced his desire to
establish a commission of historians to judge whether or not genocide
took place. Yet no democracy should seek to legislate in favour of
one official version of history.
Rather, it should tolerate a free market in ideas, knowing that it is
lively debate which best ensures that the truth eventually seeps out.
Orhan Pamuk’s accusations of the scale of Turkish maltreatment of
Armenians and Kurds are supported by eyewitness accounts.
An American diplomat filed a report at the time speaking of Ottoman
soldiers, aided by Kurdish tribesmen, “sweeping the countryside,
massacring men, women and children and burning their homes. Babies were
shot in their mothers’ arms, small children were horribly mutilated,
women were stripped and beaten.” Pamuk’s accusations are supported,
too, by Halil Berktay, a professor at Sabanci University, who puts
the numbers of dead at between 800,000 and one million.
But even if Pamuk’s charges were nonsense, it would be no excuse for
jailing him. A confident nation has no need to suppress free speech,
knowing that anyone who makes false accusations against their country’s
past for political reasons will rapidly be crushed beneath the weight
of counter-evidence.
Admittedly, Turkey’s problem over Armenia and the Kurds is not limited
to the government: 80% of respondents to a recent opinion poll said
they could do without EU membership if it meant having to admit to
past genocide. But if Turkey wants to join the EU, and become a full
member of the wider club of Western democracies, it simply has to
face up to its past, and to its present democratic failings. Article
301/1 of its penal code must go.

NKR SELF-DETERMINATION THROUGH STRUGGLE
A1+
| 18:59:48 | 19-09-2005 | Politics |
The RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has addressed the UN Assembly
General 60th session.
According to the RA Foreign Ministry message, the Minister spoke
about the Millennium Development Goals finding the combat against
poverty and economy development extremely important.
In his speech the Minister also referred to the regional conflicts
and the course of their settlement. He has mentioned that “in case
of regional conflicts preaching of military solutions is not only
unreal but also reflects the absence of democracy, human rights and
the perception of civic society”.
Speaking about the rights of the people of Nagorno Karabakh, he
underlined, “Self-determination is the right of every person. The
people of Nagorno Karabakh have fought and won the right of
self-determination. In order to win it, they have fought the political
and military aggression of a government which was not elected by
them and which tried to suppress them by force. The fight for their
rights was no their choice. Their rights were neither abstract nor
exaggerated. They wanted what most of us have, that is the right to
live in their houses on their lands peacefully. Despite everything,
they reached their aim. From that time on they have shown their
ability of governing and developing democratic institution”.
Finding the realization of Millennium Development Goals, the Minister
noted that we are responsible for the coming generations. “And our
answer to ourselves and to our children must be the united effort,
united measures and united answers on the part of United Nations. The
UN can still be the answer”, said Vardan Oskanyan.

“MESROP MASHTOTS” TO THE EMIR
A1+
| 18:17:33 | 19-09-2005 | Official |
Today Robert Kocharyan has received the delegation of the Arabian
United Emirates Higher Council member, Sharzha Emir, Sheikh Doctor
Sultan ben Mohammad al Kassim.
Kocharyan presented the Emir with the medal “Mesrop Mashtots” for his
contribution to the development of the Armenian-Arabian relations,
as well as for his warm attitude towards the Armenian community
of Sharzha.
The sides discussed issues about enhancing cooperation.

FIRE NEAR THE REPUBLIC SQUARE
A1+
| 18:10:24 | 19-09-2005 | Social |
Today at about 03:00 – 03:30 p.m. there was a fire on the roof of the
fifth house on Nalbandyan street, just in front of the Underground
station “Republic Square”.
At 03:27 the fire brigade had located the fire and at 04:21 it was
put down completely. The reasons of the fire are not yet known, and
the fire fighting department said that further investigation would
find everything out.
The roof of the house has not been damaged much as the fire brigade
arrived at the initial stage of the fire.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN DIG DEEP FOR INSPIRATION: BAND ROCKS AGAINST ADVERSITY
by Heath McCoy, Calgary Herald
The Calgary Herald (Alberta)
September 19, 2005 Monday
Final Edition
Preview
System of a Down performs Sept. 19 at Pengrowth Saddledome. Tickets,
ranging from $39.50 to $55.50, on sale at all TicketMaster outlets.
Phone (403)-777-0000 or order online at ticketmaster.ca
– – –
Black Sabbath were spawned on the gloomy streets of Birmingham. Guns
‘N’ Roses clawed their way up from a Hollywood gutter. Metallica’s
James Hetfield rebelled against a restrictive Christian Science
upbringing.
Most metal bands are raging against something or other.
But a band forged in the fires of genocide? Now there’s a formula
for intensity. It’s that intensity that a million-and-counting fans
tapped into this summer as they flocked to buy System of a Down’s
fourth album, Mezmerize, rocketing the disc to No. 1 on Billboard
charts the week of its May 17 release.
In an interview in advance of the Armenian-American band’s Sept. 19
concert at Pengrowth Saddledome, System of a Down’s bassist Shavo
Odadjian, 31, talked about how the Armenian genocide that occurred
between 1915 and 1923 has shaped the group. In that time an estimated
1.5 million Armenians were expelled from the Ottoman Empire by the
Turkish government in a campaign of murder, deportation and torture.
“When the genocide occurred, our families had nowhere to go,” says
Odadjian. “A bunch of countries helped the Armenians out. We were a
Christian nation and even the Muslims were like ‘Dude, this shouldn’t
be happening,’ and they saved us. They took us into their countries.
That’s why there’s Armenians all over the world today.”
Odadjian was born in Armenia. His bandmates, singer/keyboardist Serj
Tankian and drummer John Dolmayan were born in Lebanon.
Singer/guitarist Daron Malakian was born in Hollywood, but his
grandparents are currently living in Iraq.
“I feel for Daron,” says Odadjian. “Every time he hears something
about Iraq (and its conflict with the United States) he trips out,
because his family members are still there. It drives him nuts. It
really does inspire his songwriting.”
Odadjian, Malakian and Tankian attended an Armenian private school in
Hollywood together, and when they became musicians on the Los Angeles
rock scene in the ’90s, this unique background drew them together. “I
don’t have a family tree,” says Odadjian. “No one knows about my
family’s roots before my grandpa. No one knows his birthdate even.
(In System of a Down) we all share this common bond.”
That consciousness often creeps into the band’s funky, thrash-metal
stew. This has led critics to dub System of a Down the most political
metal band since Rage Against the Machine. Fierce protests against the
Iraq war and portraits of a disgraced Statue of Liberty on Mezmerize
contribute to that notion.
But Odadjian insists System of a Down is not a political band. “We
are a life band,” he says. “We are a social band. We are a band that
raises awareness about issues we confront every day. But we don’t wake
up every morning trying to write songs about how Bush screwed up our
country. . . . It’s just that right now, politics plays such a major
role in all of our lives that we can’t help but speak about it.”
On Mezmerize, Malakian has stepped up as the band’s primary
songwriter. Still, Tankian remains a strong creative force, with
the two balancing each other out perfectly. “Serj will write a song
and it will be all metaphors. I won’t understand it. He won’t even
understand it,” Odadjian says. “While Daron is more straightforward.
. . Serj is more political, but if you sit down and listen to.
Daron, he’s got some crazy views on life.”
Another unique aspect of System of a Down is the way the band
incorporates the music of its native Armenia into its attack.
“Nothing is contrived,” Odadjian stresses. “We never say ‘This part
needs an Armenian beat.’ Actually, we’re big Iron Maiden fans and
they used a lot of Middle Eastern sounds. That’s our main influence.
Mix that up with ABBA, Led Zeppelin and Frank Zappa and you get System
of a Down.”
It’s that sort of adventurous spirit that led the band, along with
producer Rick Rubin, to create Mezmerize. The original concept was
to release a double album. Ultimately, System decided against that,
convinced that today’s MTV-weaned rock fans don’t have the attention
spans to appreciate a double album anymore. “You can’t release (an
album like Pink Floyd’s) The Wall right now,” he says.
To remedy the situation, the band divided the album into two.
Mezmerize was released last May, and the second half, Hypnotize,
is expected to hit stores in November. “Individually, each one is a
piece of art, but together, they complete one another,” he says.
Were it not for the warped, hyper-wacky sensibility that comes through
in much of their music, one could definitely conclude that System of
a Down is a band that takes itself very seriously. It’s been called
on that too.
Odadjian defends System’s stance. “We’re not politicians and we’re
not heroes,” he says. “Serj wrote in one of his lyrics ‘You must
enter a room to destroy it.’
“We’ve entered the corporate room of Sony-BMG and Columbia.
“And for songs like Cigaro and B.Y.O.B to hit the radio or get played
on MTV — no way would that have happened 10 years ago even — we’ve
pretty much destroyed the room.”

ONE IN THREE IRISH AGAINST TURKEY JOINING EU
By Martin Wall Irish Times
AZG Armenian Daily #168
20/09/2005
World press
About one-third of Irish people would oppose Turkish membership of
the EU, a new opinion poll has found.
The poll on Irish attitudes to the EU also indicates that half the
population is undecided about the proposed EU constitution.
The latest Eurobarometer poll, published yesterday by the EU Commission
representation in Ireland, suggests that the overwhelming majority
of people believe the country has benefited from EU membership.
The poll also reveals that just over half of Irish respondents are
“for” developments towards political union. However, it suggests that
there are significant reservations about future EU enlargement.
Just under 40 per cent of those surveyed support limiting enlargement
to only some of the countries that wish to join the EU. Some 13 per
cent of respondents believe no additional countries should be allowed
into the EU.
A total of 29 per cent of respondents favour an enlargement of the
EU to include all countries that wished to join.
When asked about specific countries seeking to join, 34 per cent said
they would oppose the membership of Turkey. One-third said that they
would support Turkey joining the EU, and 29 per cent had no opinion.
The poll found Irish people opposed to Turkish membership were likely
to agree with the view that cultural differences were “too significant
to allow for this accession”.
Those in favour of Turkish membership were likely to agree with the
view that it is part of Europe because of its geography (90 per cent);
its history (80 per cent); that Turkey’s membership would enhance
understanding between European and Muslim values (81 per cent); and
strengthen security and help rejuvenate an ageing European population
(70 per cent).
The poll indicates that Irish people would favour the accession of
countries such as Norway, Switzerland and Iceland. It found 50 per
cent of respondents said that they did not have an opinion on the
proposed EU constitution.
A total of 37 per cent were in favour of the constitution, while 13
per cent were against.
The poll also suggests that while most people had heard of the
constitution, the majority is unaware of its provisions.
Some 15 per cent of respondents had heard of the constitution and
knew of its contents, while 62 per cent had heard of it but knew
little about what it contained.
The most common reason Irish people had for supporting the constitution
(38 per cent) was that they saw it as essential for the smooth running
of EU institutions.
Some 29 per cent supported the document because it strengthened the
feeling of European identity.
The most common reason (41 per cent) people gave for opposing the
constitution was that they associated it with a loss of national
sovereignty. Almost the same percentage cited a lack of information
as a reason for their opposition.
The poll of 1,006 people in Ireland was carried out by TNS MRBI
last May and June, partly before the referendums in France and the
Netherlands on the constitution.

RADIO PROGRAMS FOR NATIONAL MINORITIES
By Marlena Hovsepian
AZG Armenian Daily #168
20/09/2005
TV and radio
At the yesterday’s sitting of the National Committee of TV and Radio
the committee members discussed the license application of AR Radio
Intercontinental to broadcast at 106 MHz frequency for the town
of Tsakhkahovit.
The radio station has a history of 10 years and knows what the
listeners want. The range of the radio’s programs extends from
cultural, patriotic, musical programs to news broadcast. Besides
Yerevan, AR Radio Intercontinental is aired in towns of Berd,
Noyemberian, Stepanavan, Meghri, Vanadzor, Gyumri and others.
Ruzanna Babloyan, lawyer of the radio company, pointed out at the
session that the radio will go on with its policy but will add new
programs about and for national minorities inhabiting Tsakhkahovit
and neighboring settlements.
The National Committee of TV and Radio will make its decision public
on November 7.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BEST IT STUDENTS GET FIRST AWARDS OF RA PRESIDENT
By Anush Babayan
AZG Armenian Daily #168
20/09/2005
Education
In April of the current year “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund and Synopsis
Armenia signed an agreement to help in awarding the best students
and pupils in the sphere of informational technologies the Prize of
RA President.
Informational technologies have always been in the spotlight of
President Robert Kocharian. In recent years, Armenia has already
advanced in the IT sphere; this fact was pointed out by founder
of Synopsis Aart de Jees after having gotten to know Armenian
specialists. By making investments in Armenia this influential
organization reveals its interest in the country’s IT sphere.
Establishment of President’s Prize will give momentum to further
development of the sphere and will spur young specialists to new
projects.
The presentation of first awards will take place at the reception
compound of the Armenian government on September 20. The jury will
pick up the top 18 out of 87 students and 58 pupils. The number
of participants (despite the presentation being first of its kind)
speaks well for the students’ and pupils’ interest and vigor. The
prizes will be awarded in five nominations: “The Best Bachelor”,
“The Best Master”, “The Best Postgraduate Student”, “The Best Female
Student” and “The Best Pupil”. The contest is held for the students
of Yerevan State University and Yerevan State Polytechnic University
as well as YSU-affiliated physico-mathematical school, YSPU-affiliated
gymnasium and Kvant gymnasium.

ELECTRICITY NETWORK AGAIN
A1+
| 20:23:09 | 19-09-2005 | Social |
Robert Kocharyan who presided over the latest Government session
had given three days to the Power Ministry to clear up all the
misunderstandings in the sale contract of the Armenian electricity
network to the Russian company “RAO EES”.
The three days are gone, and no one knows what the Power Ministry
workers have spent them on, but today till late in the evening they
assured us that they are still working on the problem.
If the sale of the electricity network is realized, the production
and sale of electricity in Armenia will become the monopoly of
Russian companies.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress