AZERI ARMY COULD LIBERATE KARABAKH – ALIYEV
Interfax, Russia
Aug 8 2005
BAKU. Sept 8 (Interfax) – The armed forces of Azerbaijan are capable
of liberating the territories occupied by Armenia, said Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev.
“The enemy must know that the Azerbaijani army is strong enough to
liberate its land at any moment,” Aliyev said at a ceremony to unveil
a monument to former President Heydar Aliyev in Lenkoran.
Aliyev said that Armenia’s reluctance to make concessions “is seriously
slowing the settlement of the conflict.”
“We hope for a peaceful settlement of the Karabakh problem, but
are doing a great deal to strengthen the defense capability of the
Azerbaijani army,” he said.

ARMENIAN A CAPPELLA
Belmont Citizen-Herald, MA
Sept 8 2005
An a cappella concert of Armenian folk songs performed by Zulal, an
Armenian folk trio, will be held on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 3 p.m. at the
Longy School of Music’s Pickman Hall in Cambridge. The concert will
pay tribute to those who have lost lives through perpetrated tragedy.
“Zulal,” meaning clarity, is a renowned a cappella trio whose original
arrangements evoke Armenia’s folk roots while forging imaginative
harmonies that add a fresh energy to traditional repertoire. Formed
in 2002, Zulal has appeared in such venues as the John F. Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, the Museum of the
City of New York and Boston’s Tsai Performance Center.
Zulal’s performance at the Longy School of Music is presented
by the Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association which aims “to
foster friendship, mutual trust and dynamic interaction between
the peoples of Yerevan and Cambridge”; and Amaras Art Alliance, a
not-for-profit cultural organization based in Watertown, whose mission
is to facilitate the exchange of ideas and expressions between the
American and Armenian cultures.
Tickets for the Zulal concert are $20 ($15 students) and all proceeds
will be allocated to the Hovanness Badalian Music Fund established
by Amaras. The fund provides scholarships and grants worldwide to all
children, regardless of national origin, who are enrolled in Armenian
music programs.
For more information and visit

IRAN-ARMENIAN-SPORT OLYMPIAD
IRNA, Iran
September 8, 2005 Thursday 5:03 AM EST
Tehran, Sept 8, IRNA The 38th round of Iranian Armenian Sport Olympiad
inaugurated in Tehran’s Ararat Stadium Wednesday with participation
of Armenian athletes from Iran, Armenia, Georgia and Karabakh Republic.

LEARN ABOUT ARMENIAN FOLK MEDICINE
Belmont Citizen-Herald, MA
Sept 8 2005
Dr. Carolann Najarian will speak at the National Association for
Armenian Studies and Research Center in Belmont, on Thursday, Sept.
22 at 8 p.m., on “Healers, Holy Books, Mountains, and Gardens: Armenian
Folk Medical Beliefs and Practices.” The lecture will be co-sponsored
by NAASR and the Armenian International Women’s Association.
Every culture has a belief system regarding health care. Many of the
belief systems that affect the practice of health care in Armenia
today are also familiar to diaspora Armenians. Others may not be as
familiar as they come from the Soviet Armenian experience.
Armenian society today is undergoing tremendous upheaval and changes
that challenge long-held values. How are these changes affecting
health care and its practice? One of the answers is that people are
returning to traditional forms of health care as a way of coping with
uncertainty. Many of these practices are rooted in Armenian traditional
medicine – which is a product of Armenia’s history and location and
is supported by aspects of what we might call its “national character.”
Dr. Carolann Najarian, stepping out of her role as a medical doctor,
has sought to understand this phenomenon through the eyes of a medical
anthropologist. Medical anthropology is the study of health-care
beliefs and practices. She will present her findings and illustrate
them with the many stories she has heard – some of miraculous cures,
all of Armenians struggling to survive despite the uncertainty of
their lives today.
Najarian is the founder and president of the Armenian Health Alliance,
and her work in Armenia and Karabagh has brought her numerous honors. A
graduate of the Boston University School of Medicine, she has been a
practicing internist in the Cambridge-Watertown area and an instructor
in clinical medicine at Harvard Medical School. In 2004 she completed
a master’s degree in medical anthropology with a thesis on Armenian
folk medical practices.
Admission to the event is free (donations appreciated). The NAASR
bookstore will open at 7:30 p.m.
The NAASR Center and Headquarters is located opposite the First
Armenian Church and next to the Post Office. Ample parking is available
around the building and in adjacent areas. The lecture will begin
promptly at 8 p.m.
More information about the lecture is available by calling
617-489-1610, e-mailing [email protected], or writing to NAASR, 395 Concord
Ave., Belmont, MA 02478.

ARMENIANS PROTEST OUTSIDE AZERI EMBASSY IN US
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Aug 8 2005
The Armenian Youth Federation representatives protested outside the
Azerbaijani embassy in the United States on Friday.
The protesters chanted slogans against the Azeri government’s warnings
on settling the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict through military action
and its refusing to provide consent for the self-administration of
Armenian residents of Upper Garabagh. The picketers, who protested on
the initiative of the Armenian leadership, stated their support for the
‘idea of Upper Garabagh independence’. They also claimed that the Azeri
embassy in Washington is allegedly influencing the US government on
non-recognition of Upper Garabagh. The Federation activists also stated
that they plan to protest in other American states and Canada. The
Azerbaijan embassy in US has termed the protest action as an indication
of ‘Armenia’s falling into predicament and its hopelessness’.

EP REPORTEDLY TO FORM PANEL TO MONITOR PAMUK TRIAL IN TURKEY
Southeast European Times, MD
Sept 8 2005
STRASBOURG, France — The European Parliament (EP) plans to form
a special panel to monitor the upcoming trial of Turkish novelist
Orhan Pamuk. Turkish media reported on Wednesday (7 September) that
the panel would observe the pace of the trial, due to begin on 16
December, and submit a report to the EP. Pamuk has been charged with
“publicly denigrating Turkish identity” in comments he made about
the 1915 mass killings of Armenians. He faces up to three years in
prison if convicted.
In other news Wednesday, 13 people were killed when the bus they were
riding in burst into flames after an accident on a highway in Ankara.
The vehicle’s back door reportedly was blocked by luggage. Survivors
suffered severe burns.

PRESS RELEASE
Literary Asbarez
Contact: Grish Davtian
410 East Fairview Ave Apt. #3
Glendale CA 91207
Tel: 818-500-1532
Fax: 818-500-1542
Email: [email protected]
Armenian Writers Association Of California

Literary Asparez Meeting, cosponsored by the Armenian Writers
Association Of California (AWAOC), and Glendale Public Library, took
place at 7-9 PM, on Thursday, September 1 2005, at the Auditorium of
the Library, 222 East Harvard St, Glendale, CA 91205. There were about
100 people present.

Poet Grish Davtian, President of AWAOC, commenced the meeting. He
announced that AWAOC has resolved to publish an anthology of Armenian
writers of USA by the end of this year; so he asked the writers to
submit their works by the end of October 2005. He gave full details
for the submissions.

Novelist Victoria Sanasarian read some of her recent works. Actress
Taguhi Hakobian read a piece from Sanasarian’s “On the edge of abyss”
Novel. Journalist Karen Musaelian presented a literary report on the
works of the author. During questions/answers and free exchange of
opinions Grish Davtian, Gevorg Kristinian, Vahan Hovhannisian, Lilian
Galstian, Lilit Boyajian and Hakob Ananian expressed their
appreciation of the author. V. Sanasarian thanked them for their
comments, also everybody for their presence.

The Federal Register
8 Sept 2005
H.R.3103
Title: To direct the Secretary of State to submit a report outlining the
steps taken and plans made by the United States to end Turkey’s blockade of
Armenia.
Sponsor: Rep Schiff, Adam B. [CA-29] (introduced 6/29/2005) Cosponsors
(3)
Latest Major Action: 6/29/2005 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred
to the House Committee on International Relations.
COSPONSORS(3), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]: (Sort:
by date)
Rep Baca, Joe [CA-43] – 9/7/2005Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] – 9/7/2005
Rep Pallone, Frank, Jr. [NJ-6] – 6/29/2005

H.R.3361
Title: To prohibit United States assistance to develop or promote any rail
connections or railway-related connections that traverse or connect Baku,
Azerbaijan; Tbilisi, Georgia; and Kars, Turkey, and that specifically
exclude cities in Armenia.
Sponsor: Rep Knollenberg, Joe [MI-9] (introduced 7/20/2005) Cosponsors
(23)
Latest Major Action: 8/24/2005 Referred to House subcommittee. Status:
Referred to the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy,
Trade, and Technology.
COSPONSORS(23), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]: (Sort:
by date)
Rep Andrews, Robert E. [NJ-1] – 9/6/2005Rep Baca, Joe [CA-43] – 9/6/2005
Rep Bilirakis, Michael [FL-9] – 7/28/2005Rep Costello, Jerry F. [IL-12] –
9/6/2005
Rep Crowley, Joseph [NY-7] – 9/6/2005Rep Garrett, Scott [NJ-5] – 7/26/2005
Rep Kirk, Mark Steven [IL-10] – 7/26/2005Rep Langevin, James R. [RI-2] –
9/7/2005
Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] – 7/25/2005Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G.
[MI-11] – 7/25/2005
Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] – 7/25/2005Rep McNulty, Michael R. [NY-21] –
7/22/2005
Rep Menendez, Robert [NJ-13] – 9/6/2005Rep Neal, Richard E. [MA-2] –
7/27/2005
Rep Pallone, Frank, Jr. [NJ-6] – 7/20/2005Rep Radanovich, George [CA-19] –
7/20/2005
Rep Rogers, Mike [MI-8] – 7/25/2005Rep Royce, Edward R. [CA-40] – 9/6/2005
Rep Rush, Bobby L. [IL-1] – 7/28/2005Rep Schwarz, John J.H. “Joe” [MI-7] –
7/27/2005
Rep Souder, Mark E. [IN-3] – 7/25/2005Rep Visclosky, Peter J. [IN-1] –
7/29/2005
Rep Weiner, Anthony D. [NY-9] – 9/6/2005

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
September 8, 2005
“AVAKS” SENIORS GROUP READY TO BEGIN NEW YEAR OF ACTIVITIES AT ST.
VARTAN CATHEDRAL
The “Avaks” senior citizens group at New York City’s St. Vartan
Cathedral will begin a new season of activities at noon on Thursday,
September 15, 2005.
Held every Thursday at noon, the group meets first in St. Vartan
Cathedral for Bible study then heads down to the Cathedral complex’s
Guild Hall for a delicious lunch, which is topped off with an
interesting program, all organized by Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of St.
Vartan Cathedral.
Before their break for the summer, the Avaks had a dynamic year
jam-packed with activities, including: lectures, films, trips, parties,
and picnics. Guest lecturers last year included: visiting Archbishop
from Etchmiadzin Nerses Bozabalian; the then newly-ordained priest Fr.
Bedros Kadehjian; a psychologist from the Republic of Armenia, Dr.
Khachadour Gasparyan; and journalist Florence Avakian. The weekly
gatherings also sometimes featured musical presentations by guests such
as St. Vartan Cathedral choirmaster Maestro Khoren Mekanejian, singer
Maro Partamian, and pianists Anna Mintanciyan and Jeannette Chirikjian.
Occasionally the seniors were taught light exercise techniques by
fitness instructor Arpine Dod. The group also saw many interesting
films and videos last year, such as Henri Verneuil’s memorable “Mayrig”
and the award-winning “Aram Khatchaturian.”
But the seniors didn’t just stay at the Cathedral. Last season saw them
taking several interesting trips. They had a three-day retreat at the
Diocesan Ararat Center in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York in
both the fall and the spring. They also went to Lancaster, PA, for the
much-anticipated musical show “Noah.” An all-day trip to Philadelphia
included a tour of the historic sites and the Genocide Memorial there,
as well as a cruise down the Delaware River. This August Fr. Chevian
led many of the Avaks and other seniors from throughout the Diocese on a
special week-long trip to Jerusalem, including a visit to the Armenian
Patriarchate, that was brought about by the desire of the seniors.
In December, the group celebrated its yearly rollicking Christmas party
with a delicious chicken and pilaf lunch, after which the Christmas
revelers participated in the traditional grab bag of gift-giving.
Christmas carols were enthusiastically sung by the group led by singer
Maro Partamian, who herself offered several seasonal songs.
The spring season ended with a picnic held on the Diocesan plaza under a
cloudless sunny sky, replete with a delicious chicken and luleh kebab
lunch. The John Vartan Ensemble played catchy musical selections as the
attendees took to the dance floor with their skillful moves.
Several Avak attendees voiced their enthusiasm at the conclusion of the
year’s activities. Maestro Khoren Mekanejian said he looks forward to
the weekly Avak luncheon and program. “The feeling of togetherness and
warmth by all who attend is inspiring,” he said.
Albert Der Tatevasian who attends the Avak gatherings with his wife,
Alice, and sister-in-law puts in on the monthly calendar. “Thursday is
Avaks day, and we make no other plans for that day,” he declared.
Angel Vantzian, at first, attended with reluctance, and only with the
urging of her sister, Elmas. “After several get-togethers, I found
myself looking forward to the weekly gatherings with acquaintances who
eventually became good friends,” she said. “The lunches are wonderful,
and the lectures and programs interesting.”
And long-time member Mary Bahadurian summed up the weekly Avaks
gatherings with just one word: “wonderful.” She explained that “the
main reason for the group’s success is Fr. Mardiros’ enthusiasm and
dedication.” She listed his special traits. “He’s a very good
organizer, and has a sense of humor which the group appreciates. It’s
plain that everyone enjoys the special camaraderie.”
For more information on the Avak gatherings, call Fr. Mardiros Chevian
at (212) 686-0710.
— 9/8/05
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): The St. Vartan Cathedral “Avaks” seniors group
gather at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): The St. Vartan Cathedral “Avaks” seniors group get
ready for a cruise on the Delaware River during their 2004/05 season.
Their 2005/06 season of activities begins September 15, 2005.
# # #
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress