Second sitting of the interim subcommittee on the Karabakh conflict
of the Parliamentary Assembly of the CE was held
Today, Azerbaijan
Sept 13 2005
13 September 2005 [11:27] – Today.Az
Second sitting of the interim subcommittee on the Karabakh conflict
of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) was
held in Paris yesterday.
The OSCE Minsk group co-chairmen, rapporteur on the Karabakh conflict
of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Swedish parliamentarian Goran
Lenmarker, other representatives of the OSCE member countries,
members of the Azerbaijani and Armenian delegations in PACE, special
representatives of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia on
regulation of the Karabakh conflict participated in the sitting. The
member of the Azerbaijani delegation in PACE, parliamentarian Asim
Mollazade made a speech in the sitting.
A.Mollazade informed APA that he demanded implementation of 4
resolutions adopted by the UNO Security Council in connection with
the Karabakh conflict in his speech.
Besides it, he expressed his gratitude to PACE for observing the
principle of pre-eminence of the right on the Karabakh conflict,
respecting human rights and expressing its opinions on violation
of rights of Azerbaijani citizens in a mass and rude form during
the Karabakh conflict. ~SI informed that it is important to speed
solution of the conflict in a peaceful way and in stages. We offered
that firstly refugees and displaced people must return to their native
lands, their security must be ensured, then communication lines must
be opened, and normal and civil relations must be established between
the two sides. Only after this the question of juridical solution of
the conflict must be reviewed~T.
According to the words of A.Mollazade, the head of the Azerbaijani
delegation in PACE Samad Seyidov, members of the Minsk Group, OSCE
raporteur on the conflict also made speeches in the sitting. Then
the sitting was continued in a closed form.
A.Mollazade informed that declarations of the special representatives
of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia and a document on the
result of the sitting of the subcommittee will be prepared at the
end of the sitting. The working plan on the Karabakh conflict of the
subcommittee will also be asserted in the close sitting.
A.Mollazade will participate in the sitting of the PACE subcommittee
on Chechnya and PACE Political Committee tomorrow. He was intended
to make speeches in these sittings as well.
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US ARMENIANS URGE TO STOP BAKU ARMED AGGRESSION AGAINST KARABAKH
Pan Armenian News
13.09.2005 03:27
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Over 150 Armenian young people in the US held a
rally next to the Azeri Embassy building in Washington a day or two
ago. They urged to stop Azerbaijan’s armed aggression against Nagorno
Karabakh. As reported by the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA), by this move the Diaspora young generation in the person of
the US Armenian Youth Federation tried to draw public attention to the
still available threat by Azeri authorities, who are trying to suppress
the right of the NKR people to self-determination by force. For over
an hour the protest action participants marched in the square in
front of the Embassy building with slogans “Self-determination is
equal to protection of human rights,” “No more blood for oil” and
“Aliyev stop threatening with war.”

DID HRACHYA ACHARYAN UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION MARK VICTORY?
A1+
| 14:58:53 | 13-09-2005 | Social |
“If they are not going to compromise I am not going either. I intend
to leave the university. It’s a pity I have paid the fee for three
years in vain”, a 4th year student of the university after Hrachya
Acharyan said.
University Pro-rector Aram Khachtryan explained that in 2001 the
students of the most expensive faculty paid 449217 AMD, in 2002 –
459756 AMD, in 2003 – 470334 AMD, in 2004 – 417150 AMD. Thus, the
fee have raised as compared to last year and lowered as compared to
the year of 2003.
Today the protesting students divided into two groups, one of which
returned to the classrooms.
The protester appealed to the Human Rights Defender, however were
told that the Ombudsman does not deal with the private universities.
To note, the university pro-rector said that the administration is
ready to make concessions partially. “If they do it proceeding from
a principle – we cannot help, but if there are students who are not
able to pay we will meet them halfway as we always do”, he said.

Turkish minister says US troops should launch operation against Kurdish rebels
NTV television, Istanbul
13 Sep 05
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has said that the US Armed Forces should
undertake an operation against the PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] in
the same way that they launched an operation on Tal Afar in Iraq on
grounds of security. Gul further said that the fight against the PKK is
the coalition forces’ responsibility as much as the Iraqi government’s.
Foreign Minister Gul, who is in New York for the UN meetings, said
that similar operations to those undertaken by the United States in
Tal Afar on grounds of security should be launched in other places,
where there are terrorists as well.
Gul added: In the same way that operations are launched in Tal Afar
because there are armed militia there, operations should be launched
in other places where there are terrorists. This is our expectation.
We know the power of Iraqi forces. We hope that Iraq gets back on
its feet and protect its own borders very soon.
Gul criticized the United States for leaving the initiative to fight
the PKK to the Iraqi government only. Gul said: The fight against the
PKK terrorist organization is undoubtedly not only the duty of the
Iraqi forces, it is also the responsibility of the coalition forces
as well. This is evident.
Gul noted that a large quantity of aid convoys were being dispatched
to Tal Afar after the operations.

BARONESS CAROLINE COX VISITS NKR FOR 60TH TIME
STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 13. ARMINFO. Vice-Speaker of House of Lords of
British Parliament, baroness Caroline Cox is in Narogno Karabakh
within the framework of “Pilgrimage to Artsakh” mission. 20 people
representing various christian organizations of Great Britain are in
the delegation. It is the 60th visit of baroness to Karabakh, the
first was in 1989.
ARMINFO’s reporter in Stepanakert informs, that NKR Parliament
Speaker Ashot Ghulyan noted at a meeting with the delegation that
“baroness Cox had always been with Artsakh people – during the
hardest war, in heavy post-war years and today”. He presented Cox a
recently published photograph album about Karabakh. Cox, in her turn,
noted that “visits to Karabakh give her gladness, every time
colliding her with heroism and courage of people living on this small
Armenian land”.
A rehabilitation Center establishing 7 years ago under the aegis of
“World Christian Solidarity” and on baroness’s initiative is named
after Cox. She expressed readiness to assist the center in future.
too. “Pilgrimage to Artsakh” has been organized by Cox for the 3rd
time. First pilgrimage took place in 2001 and was dedicated to the
1700th anniversary of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

POPE TO BLESS STATUE OF OPUS DEI FOUNDER
ANSA English Media Service
September 13, 2005
Vatican City
(ANSA) – Vatican City, September 12 – Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday
will bless a statue of the founder of Opus Dei, highlighting
the conservative Catholic movement’s ever higher standing in the
contemporary Church.
A five-metre likeness of Saint Josemaria Escriva, made of white
Carrara marble, was recently installed in a niche on the southern
outside wall of St Peter’s Basilica.
The statue stands alongside other great saints and founders of
religious orders, such as Saint Gregory, founder of the Armenian
church, Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Brigid of Sweden.
It will be the first new statue at St Peter’s to be blessed by
Benedict XVI, who will perform the official unveiling after the general
audience. A 80-strong choir will be on hand to accompany the event.
The act will set the seal on the Catholic Church’s full acceptance
of the movement which it had initially distrusted.
Between 1967 and 1973, when Opus Dei already numbered 40,000 Catholics,
Pope Paul VI refused even to meet Escriva, wanting to draw a clear
line between himself and the regime of General Franco in Spain.
The Spanish-born priest was frequently accused of supporting
Franco although supporters say he had no choice but to accept the
regime. Three members of the group held positions in the Franco
government.
Opus Dei is founded on the belief that Catholics could and should
strive for saintliness through work, regardless of what their job
is. It stresses that it is not necessary to be a priest or a nun.
It is a highly influential organisation which has members in top
positions both in the Catholic Church and in secular society. Many
members are high-flyers in business and politics, especially in
the Americas.
Opus Dei, which John Paul II brought under his personal control in
1983, says it has 84,000 members in scores of countries. The Spanish
cleric who founded the movement in 1928 was canonised by the Polish
pontiff in 2002.
St Peter’s Basilica already boasts about 400 statues of saints on,
in or around it. On the roof of the 16th-century building there are
huge figures of Christ, John the Baptist and 11 of the apostles.
There are 140 more statues spread over the colonnade which surrounds
the piazza in front of the basilica.
But with two sides each measuring 186 metres and a facade of almost 100
metres long, not to mention the inside area of 21,000 square metres,
there is always room for more.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SEEKING VOTES, ARMENIAN MPs MEET WITH POPULATION WITH “KIND” MASKS AND FALSE SMILES
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 13. ARMINFO. Representative of the Deputy Group
“People’s Deputy” Hakob Hakobyan harshly criticized his colleagues
and himself from the parliamentary tribune, Tuesday.
In particular, he called on MPs to search the guilt for the current
developments in the country in themselves and not to try to accuse
the president or the executive power. Hakobyan urged them to remember
how they met with the population with “kind” masks and false smiles,
promising to solve all their problems.
Meanwhile, after elections during the wheat crops, grapes harvest,
US dollar as suddenly rises as it falls after the harvest. It affects
farmers. The same happens on the fuel market. Hakobyan said scarcely
had fuel price risen in the international market, when our importers
almost doubled the diesel price. Hakobyan urged the government to
exempt excise tax from fuel till by end of sowing season.

Days of Petersburg beginning in Armenia
ITAR-TASS, Russia
Sept 13 2005
YEREVAN, September 13 (Itar-Tass) – The Days of St. Petersburg are
beginning in Armenia on Tuesday that will become a remarkable event
within the framework of the Year of Russia held in the republic.
St. Petersburg governor Valentina Matviyenko and plenipotentiary
representative of the Russian president in the North-Eastern federal
district Ilya Klebanov are arriving in Yerevan on Tuesday to take
part in an extensive programme of the event.
They are accompanied by a large group of representatives of the
business community and culture workers of St. Petersburg. Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan will receive the delegation from the city
on the Neva River. The delegation will also hold meetings at the
Yerevan mayor’s office, with students and teachers of Russian-Armenian
(Slavic) State University. The Russian businesspeople will visit
the Armenia-Expo-2005 exhibition and take part in a Russian-Armenian
business meeting within the framework of the exhibition.
An exhibition of paintings of artists from Leningrad will be unveiled
at the National Picture Gallery of Armenia. All the 23 paintings on
display will be gifted to the gallery after the exhibition is over. A
concert of Russian and Armenian masters of arts will be held at the
Arno Babadzhanyan concert hall.
St. Petersburg is one of the main Armenia’s partners among Russian
regions. The city has traditional close ties with Armenia, especially
with Yerevan in the humanitarian sphere, in particular.
A branch of the St. Petersburg-based Foreign Economic Relations,
Economics and Law Institute is successfully operating in the
Armenian capital and an office of the Pulkovo air carrier is working.
Passenger planes of Pulkovo are performing regular flights from St.
Petersburg to Armenia and back.
The 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg was widely celebrated in
Armenia. President Robert Kocharyan visited the city to attend
the jubilee events. A large Armenian community is living in St.
Petersburg and Armenia’s Consulate General is operating there.
According to all accounts, direct bilateral contacts today have wide
development possibilities.

Zaman, Turkey
Sept 13 2005
Real Reason Behind Terror Disregarded
Question: Can terrorism be considered a way of struggle for freedom?
What is the Islamic alternative to terrorism and struggle?
As I said in an interview with Nuriye Akman for Daily Zaman, today,
at best we can say is that Islam is not known at all. Muslims should
say, “In true Islam, terror does not exist.” No person should kill
another human being. No one can touch an innocent person, even in
time of war. No one can give a fatwa (a legal pronouncement)
commending this matter. No one should be a suicide bomber. No one can
rush into crowds with bombs tied to his or her body. Regardless of
the religion of these crowds, this is not religiously permissible.
Even in the event of war – during which it is difficult to maintain
balances – this is not permitted in Islam. Islam states; “Do not
touch children or people who worship in churches.” This has not only
been said once, but has been repeated over and over throughout
history. What Our Master Prophet Muhammad said, what Abu Bakr said,
and what ‘Umar said is the same as what, at later dates, Salahaddin
Ayyûbi, Alparslan, and Kilicarslan also said. Later on, Sultan Mehmet
II, the Conqueror, also said the same. Thus, the city of
Constantinople, in which a disorderly hullabaloo reigned, became
Istanbul. In this city the Greeks did not harm the Armenians, nor did
the Armenians harm the Greeks. Nor did the Muslims harm any other
people. A short time after the conquest of Constantinople, the people
of the city voluntarily hung a huge portrait of the Conqueror on the
wall in the place of that of the Patriarch. It is amazing that such
behavior was displayed at that time. Then, history relates that the
Sultan summoned the Patriarch and gave him the key to the city. Even
today, Islam is not understood properly. Islam has always respected
different ideas and this must be understood for it to be appreciated
properly.
I regret to say that in the countries Muslims live, some religious
leaders and immature Muslims have no other weapon on hand than their
fundamentalist interpretation of Islam; they use this to engage
people in struggles that serve their own purposes. In fact, Islam is
a true faith, and it should be lived truly. On the way to attaining
faith one can never use untrue methods. In Islam, just as a goal must
be legitimate, so must be all the means employed to reach that goal.
>>From this perspective, one cannot achieve Heaven by murdering another
person. A Muslim cannot say, “I will kill a person and then go to
Heaven.” God’s approval cannot be won by killing people. One of the
most important goals for a Muslim is to win the pleasure of God,
another is making the name of Almighty God known to the universe.
Dissatisfied youth has lost its spirituality. Some people take
advantage of such people, giving them a couple of dollars, or turning
them into robots. They have drugged them. This has become a topic on
the agenda these days that can be read about in the popular press.
These young people were abused to an extent that they could be
manipulated. They have been used as murderers on the pretext of some
crazy ideals or goals and they have been made to kill people. Some
evil-minded people have wanted to achieve certain goals by exploiting
these young people. Yes, killing a human is a truly awful thing. The
Qur’an says that killing one person is the same as killing all
people. Ibn ‘Abbas said that a murderer will stay in Hell for
eternity. This is the same punishment that is assigned to deniers of
God. This means that a murderer is subjected to the same punishment
as a disbeliever. If this is a fundamental principle of religion,
then it should be taught in education.
An individual who accepts Islam from the heart will never knowingly
take part in terrorism. The acts of terrorism associated with Islam
may have been perpetrated by some Muslims who had not internalized
the depth of Islam. Terrorism, as the name itself indicates, is a
complicated issue. Analyzing terrorism is not something that is easy
to do. Despite this, because it is so ugly in its nature and because
many Muslims are charged with it, terrorism must be addressed with a
great deal of consideration. Administrators and intelligence agents
have to try to find the originators and the motivating factors of
terrorist activities. This will help develop international strategies
to stop it. Otherwise, as a result of false analysis and some
possible intelligentsia’s services, the issue may be so complicated
that some civilizations, nations and civic organizations will be
always under threat. After September 11th, the issue has developed in
this direction. The fear of terrorism has become paranoia in our
society. At an increasing tempo, general feelings and fears of
society were exploited. Terrorist organizations were used by some as
instruments of terror to reach their goals through terrorist
activities against innocent society. To my understanding, true
Muslims will never involve themselves in such vulgar and cheap
activities, even if they are behind in science and technology. The
real factors behind terrorism are worldly advantages and
self-interests. These factors have been the main reasons behind “the
great games” on earth. While the main reasons are ignored, all
fingers pointed to Islam. On the other hand, there are many
conflicting interests in the Islamic regions, as well as many
competing and clashing groups. Problems such as anti-democratic
practices and human rights violations have resulted in the foundation
of various disaffected and disenfranchised groups. Being ignorant and
inexperienced, many of these groups can easily be manipulated and
used by some. Some, manipulating these groups, have worked to reach
their goals step by step. Moreover, there are multi-national covert
or open organizations who have based all of their efforts on
destruction and the creation of fear in society. To extend the
borders of their activities, they agitate the unhappy segments of
society by stirring up trouble and fomenting violence. Even though,
through painstaking and intelligent effort, the superficial reasons
for terrorism may be eliminated, without the above-mentioned
considerations, it would be impossible to end terrorism once and for
all. This cursed behavior will emerge under another name.
–Boundary_(ID_45yV245c7vhy9MSsLvkYeA)–

Sitting of PACE sub-committee on Nagorno Karabakh held in Paris
Today, Azerbaijan
Sept 13 2005
13 September 2005 [09:25] – Today.Az
The second sitting of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe
(PACE) Lower Committee for regulation of the Nagorno Karabakh problem
is held in Paris, capital of France yesterday.
Azerbaijan is represented in the sitting by deputy Foreign Minister
Araz Azimov, head of the Azerbaijani Parliamentary delegation to PACE,
member of Lower Committee Samad Seyidov and member of sub-committee
Asim Mollazade.
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairman and personal representative of OSCE
chairman-in-office Andrzey Kasprzyk have been invited to the sitting
too.
It must be noted that, the sub-committee was formed in PACE Winter
session this year and the committee is chaired by CE ex-president,
member of British parliament Lord Russell- Johnston. Yesterday’s
sitting is presided by R.Johnston too. Recommendations are expected
to be made on the regulation of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
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