PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V. Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS RECIEVES A DELEGATION FROM THE LEBANESE OPPOSITION

His Holiness Aram I received a delegation from the Lebanese Opposition
on April 15. The Catholicos and the delegation discussed the hardships
Lebanon faces currently and focused on the drafting of a new election
law and the formation of a new government.

His Holiness stressed the importance of quickly forming a government,
drafting a new election law and holding elections. He assured the
active participation of the Armenian Community of Lebanon in all the
initiatives that aim at strengthening Lebanon’s internal unity and
the coexistence of its various communities as well as preserving the
unique identity of the country.

##

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
history and the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer
to the web page of the Catholicosate, The
Cilician Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is
located in Antelias, Lebanon.

Contact:

Haykuhi Khachatryan
Communications Coordinator HFH Armenia
Aygestan 8th Street, bld 5,
Yerevan-070; Armenia
(374 1) 556-114
[email protected]

Women build at Habitat for Humanity Armenia

Habitat For Humanity builds more than homes. It connects hearths and
souls of people to do better for the people living next to us.

Nani Oskanyan, the president of Diplomatic Spouse Association is one of
HFH Armenia’s local supporters who invited and organized the spouses
of the Ambassadors in the Republic of Armenia to join Habitat For
Humanity Armenia and to build in the frames of Women Build program,
for the family of Khachatryans in Voskehat village, Aragatsotn marz,
on April 9, 2005. This family of 6 lived in a barn for many years.
They later finished just one room of their house and moved into that
room in order to simply survive. In 2004, they were selected as an
HFH Armenia partner family.

The participants at the build were the wives of several countries’
ambassadors to Armenia. They were the Iranian Ambassador’s wife–Mrs.
Faranak Mojharban, Lebanese Ambassador’s wife–Mrs. Tigresse Chidiac,
Ukrainian Ambassador’s wife–Valentina Tiaglo, Romanian Ambassador’s
wife-Mrs. Ana Iordache, Turkmenian Ambassador’s wife-Mrs. Durdieva,
Estonian Ambassador’s wife–Mrs. Barkhudaryan, UNISEF Representative’s
wife-Mrs. Yett. They all joined the Women’s Build event at Habitat
For Humanity Armenia to a build simple, decent, affordable and healthy
home. This is the second time that Nani Oskanyan is building with
Habitat in Armenia in Voskehat village.

Women Build even is inspiring women to be more active and get involved
in community development. Construction is not only men’s job but
women can do it as well and help our communities.

“This is the first time I am doing volunteering work but I am
really glad
that am able to help Armenia and Armenian people to have better lives
and healthy homes”, — Mrs Faranak Mojharban said.

Habitat for Humanity Armenia is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity
International and supports community development in the Republic of
Armenia by assisting in the construction and renovation of simple,
decent and affordable homes. The purpose of the organization is to
help families in need improve their living conditions, to raise funds
to support the vital work, and to give hope to thousands of people
across the country. The organization was formed in March of 2000 and,
to date, has dedicated 100 homes and given shelter to 575 people.

Sub-standard housing is all too common in Armenia. Many families live
in deteriorated housing, in cramped quarters with inadequate water
and heat. HFH Armenia’s selected target group is families living in
substandard, over-crowded and unacceptable living quarters. This group
comprises more than 50-60% of the country’s current population. These
families are unable to purchase their own homes, as they do not have
sufficient income to save to pay for the entire house cost up front,
nor can they risk, or would they be eligible for, a high-interest
loan from a commercial lender.

Habitat for Humanity Armenia has found a way to solve the
problem. Families, with two or three wage earners, pay back a
no-interest loan for a simple, decent, affordable, and healthy home,
and are still able to feed their families. Habitat for Humanity Armenia
is using a combination of two approaches to help Habitat families
solve their housing problems:

1) Completing half-built homes, which are numerous in
Armenia. This approach enables families to fulfill their
dream of completing their own home. Utilizing existing
core structure reduces costs and prevents the disruption
of relocating.

2) Purchasing apartments to make use of Armenia’s existing
under-utilized housing stock. Purchased homes are resold at
no-profit, interest-free, to Habitat families who renovate
their apartments and help in the construction of other
families’ homes.

For more information please email Haykuhi Khachatryan, Communication
Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity Armenia [email protected] .
See also .

Founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity International is a
non-denominational Christian, non-governmental, non-profit housing
organization that has helped more than 700,000 people of all races,
religions and backgrounds to have a simple, decent and affordable
place to live. Habitat for Humanity has built or renovated more
than 175,000 homes throughout the world, becoming a global leader
in addressing poverty housing. Habitat for Humanity is active in 100
countries worldwide, including 19 in Europe and Central Asia.

~END~

Zaman, Turkey
April 18 2005

Genocide Claims and Mr. Oskanyan!

ERHAN BASYURT
04.18.2005 Monday – ISTANBUL 16:07

The so-called Armenian “genocide” allegations are on the agenda
again. Turkey has been slandered for 90 years through an unfair and
partial propaganda.

I say unfair because the Armenians do not use of any legal channels
they have but only try to pressure Turkey politically.

Unfortunately, Turkey ignored revealing the facts for many long
years. Statements made from time to time were not satisfactory. For
the first time, the government, the opposition and parliament, with
one voice, are challenging these baseless allegations. There were
similar attempts in the past; however, these were done by diplomats
or scientists, solely on their own.

Turkey invited a commission consisting Turkish and Armenian historians
to investigate the issue in detail by opening the Ottoman as well as
military archives. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter
to Armenian President Robert Kocharian calling for the establishment
of a “commission of historians.” The Turkish Grand National Assembly
(TBMM) sent a letter to the British House of Commons asking it to
declare that the “Blue Book” written by Arnold Tonybee, which supports
Armenian allegations, is a product of propaganda.

Tonybee himself confesses that the book is a propaganda product.
Britain had prepared a similar book during World War I against the
Germans. The reason behind this was to make things difficult for Turkey
and Germany in the international arena, to get US support during the
war and to prepare the ground for the collapse of the Ottoman Empire,
and hence, establish two Armenian states in Anatolia.

Prof. Hikmet Ozdemir who is conducting researches on the Armenian
issue at the Turkish Institute of History (TTK) revealed in his
interview published in Aksiyon Weekly News Magazine that around 1914,
just before World War I, Britain prepared some maps that gave Izmir
to the Greeks, established the Armenian Kingdom of Celicia around
Cukurova and an Armenian Republic in Van. Ozdemir has proven these
with original documents written at that time. It is also a fact that
Russia incited the Armenians in eastern Anatolia.

It is also known that Armenians started to seek new ideals, incite
many rebellions, murder many Muslims and sabotage military deliveries
under the influence of nationalism and with external support. As a
result, the Ottoman Empire implemented forced emigration against the
Armenians. This implementation known as “Emigration” took place in 1915
and it was also applied by many countries in the world including the
US and Russia. It is a fact that many people lost their lives during
the emigration; there were serious tragic events due to attacks by
gangs and epidemics. But if it is taken into account that over 400,000
Ottoman soldiers also died from epidemics in the same period, and
those who were responsible for these deaths were tried and punished,
it will be better understood that these deaths and tragedies were not
intentional but resulted from the helplessness of the Ottoman Empire.

Erdogan and the calls he made in parliament are very important
because of this reason. The Armenians, who do not have any proof to
back their “genocide” claims, are not comfortable with this call.
Just as Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan said to the Mediamax
News Agency: “Turkey is not only trying to rewrite its own history
from the beginning in a disrespectful manner, but it also trying to
encourage other countries to do likewise.”

Why does Armenia, which has been involved in ethnic cleansing acts
in Nagorno-Karabakh and has forced over 1,000,000 Azeris out of their
own lands, oppose the establishment of a commission of historians and
opening of the Armenian state archives and those of the Tasnak Party?
It is because they are afraid that their stabbing of the Ottomans in
the back, by cooperating with the Russians and the British, and also
the fact that the emigration implemented by Ottoman Empire was not
genocide, but a precautionary measure, will be revealed.

If it were the reverse, Oskanyan would not have wasted his breath but
would have used his unilateral right to apply to the International
Court of Justice (ICJ) with the documents that he has.

Hundreds in Dearborn mark Armenian genocide
April 18, 2005, 6:56 AM

Detroit Free Press, MI
April 18 2005

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Hundreds of people have gathered in remembrance
of the Armenian genocide, a mass killing in Ottoman Turkey during
World War I.

Armenians say that 1.5 million people were killed between 1915 and
1919 by Turkish authorities who accused them of helping the invading
Russian army during World War I.

Remembering the victims “can help inspire us to stop modern genocides,
which still go on,” U.S. Sen. Carl Levin said Sunday before the
gathering Sunday at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in
Dearborn. “It can encourage and energize us just to remember them.”

Among the participants in the memorial was Sandra Azoian Hutchinson.
Huntchinson’s great aunt watched her two young sons killed in front of
her and for years carried locks of the boys’ hair with her, bringing
them with her to Michigan.

At her request, the locks were buried with her, the Detroit Free
Press said.

Levin and other speakers said the Turkish government should recognize
the Armenian genocide.

Turkey rejects the genocide claim and says Armenians were killed in
civil unrest during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. France and
Russia are among countries that have declared the killings genocide,
but the United States has not.

California Courier Online, April 21, 2005

1 – Commentary
Some Surprises Turks Did Not Expect
In Anticipating Armenian Tsunami

By Harut Sassounian
California Courier Publisher
2 – Authors Kherdian and Hogrogian
To Discuss Books at CSUF, May 2
3 – CSUF Professor’s Book Details
History of Armenians in Canada
4 – Deadline for ARPA2005 Film
Festival Entries is June 30
5 – L.A. Triple X Hosts Annual
Golf Tournament at Brookside
6 – ‘Brave’ Pastor Aghabaloglu
Visits AMAA Headquarters
7 – Republican State Senators Unanimously
Endorse Poochigian for Attorney General
8 – UCLA Students Pass Resolution Banning
Sale of Turkish Goods on Campus
*************************************************************************
1 – Commentary
Some Surprises Turks Did Not Expect
In Anticipating Armenian Tsunami

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

At the time of writing this column, the Armenian Tsunami, much anticipated
by the Turks in advance of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
is still a few days away.
The Turks correctly anticipated the Tsunami, but miscalculated two things.
First, the Turks themselves contributed greatly to this Tsunami, by
unintentionally publicizing the Armenian Genocide through their
“pre-emptive” activities. Second, the Turks did not realize that it was
going to be an international Tsunami, rather than one limited to Armenians.
We have seen reports of various events that have already taken place in
advance of April 24, and announcements of other activities being planned
later this week around the globe. These events are too numerous to mention
here.
For example, the City Council of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, passed
a resolution on March 30, naming a central square of the city, “The Square
of the Armenian People’s Genocide.” A monument dedicated to the memory of
the victims of the Armenian Genocide will be erected in that square. In
addition, the legislatures, governors and mayors of various states and
cities throughout the United States and several other countries issued
proclamations and resolutions on the Armenian Genocide.
Incidentally, Uruguay was the first country to officially recognize the
Armenian Genocide. The country’s Senate and House and Representatives
adopted such a resolution on April 20, 1965. Last year, on March 26, the
President of Uruguay signed a law designating April 24 as a “Day of
Recognition for the Armenian Martyrs.”
Amazingly, the normally astute Turkish diplomatic corps do not seem to know
how many countries have already recognized the Armenian Genocide. Last
week, I was both saddened and amused, seeing in the Turkish press a picture
of all 550 members of the Turkish Parliament signing a joint letter of
complaint to
the legislatures of 11 countries for having recognized the Armenian
Genocide. This miserable spectacle reminded me of those horrible days when
the Fuhrer would give an order and everyone in sight would salute him in
blind obedience, by proclaiming: Hail, Hitler! I also recalled the days of
another brutal dictator, Stalin, holding a session of the Supreme Soviet in
the Kremlin, with all of its members approving his decrees, by yelling
“Da,” in unison.
Seeing 550 members of the Turkish Parliament blindly sign a letter full of
lies about the Armenian Genocide made me wonder how the Turkish leaders
hope to ever join the European Union, when they just showed the world that
their country is no better that Hitler’s Germany or Stalin’s “Evil Empire.”
I probably need to send the Turkish leaders a copy of my new book that was
just published this week. It lists the names and the statements of the all
17 countries, not 11, that have recognized the Genocide so far. This book
is sponsored by the “90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
Commemorative Committee of California” (composed of 26 Armenian
organizations and political parties) as well as the “Armenian Genocide
Commemoration Committee – Lebanon.” The book is titled: The Armenian
Genocide: The World
Speaks Out, 1915-2005, Documents and Declarations. Copies of this book are
being handed out to all members of the U.S. House of Representatives and
the Senate, as well as the legislatures of several states. It is the only
book of its kind that contains the texts (translated into English) of the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the legislatures of all 17
countries, as well as reports by international organizations and statements
by government officials and prominent individuals.
One of the unexpected items washed up by the “Tsunami” is a full-page ad in
the April 25 issue of the influential “U.S. News and World Report” magazine
which is read by millions of people around the world every week. That issue
is already available for sale in most bookstores and newsstands. The text,
linking the Armenian Genocide to various other genocides, was prepared by
the Zoryan Institute among others, including this writer. The ad was made
possible by a special gift from a generous donor “in memory of millions of
voices silenced by genocide.” The ad provides a web link for further
information on genocide. I encourage everyone to buy one or more copies of
this issue for yourself, your family and friends.
Finally, the Fox TV station in the Los Angeles area (Channel 11) will
devote a few minutes of its 10 to 11 p.m. news program on April 23 to the
Armenian Genocide. It will air live footage of the April 24 procession of
hundreds of thousands of Armenians placing flowers at the Armenian Genocide
Monument in Yerevan. At the invitation of Fox TV, live commentary will be
provided by this writer.
**************************************************************************
2 – Authors Kherdian and Hogrogian
To Discuss Books at CSUF, May 2
FRESNO – The acclaimed husband and wife team of author David Kherdian and
author/illustrator Nonny Hogrogian will discuss and read from their new
books at 7:30 p.m. on May 2, in the Industrial Technology Building, Room
101 (corner of Barstow and Campus Drive) on the Fresno State campus.
The lecture is part of the Armenian Studies Program Spring 2005 Lecture
Series and is co-sponsored by the Armenian Students Organization.
Between them, David Kherdian and Nonny Hogrogian have written, edited, or
illustrated over one hundred books. Their work has encompassed the Armenian
Genocide, life in America as first-generation Armenians, children’s books,
memoirs in verse and prose, folklore, and the mystical teachings of
Gurdjieff.
David Kherdian will read from one of his latest books, The Song of the
Stork, a spirited translation of an important collection of poems first
compiled and published by the Mekhitarist priest and scholar Levond Alishan
in Venice in 1850. Kherdian writes of these songs/poems that “their
humility and troubled faith draws a response from that place in us that is
reserved for the essential and true “from our own unspoiled reservoir of
spirit, that understands what has been lost and can yet be regained.” The
book features illustrations by Nonny Hogrogian.
This will be followed by a selection from some earlier books of poetry and
memoirs, concluding with readings from his new book, Letters to My Father,
which is a meditation on the elusive bond between fathers and sons. In this
suite of 60 poems, Kherdian evokes his Armenian father through plainspoken
recollections of poignant details: a heavy gray coat, the way he combed his
eyebrows, his signature X.
Kherdian is well known as the author of the Newberry Award Winner The Road
>>From Home: The Story of An Armenian Girl, which detailed his mother’s
experiences in surviving the Armenian Genocide. Read by students and
adults alike, it has contributed greatly to increasing awareness of the
Genocide.
He has been widely recognized as one of the most important and distinctive
voices in Armenian-American poetry for nearly four decades. The title poem
to his collection On the Death of My Father was praised by William Saroyan
as “one of the best lyric poems in American poetry.” Kherdian has also
memorably chronicled his youth growing up in Racine, Wisconsin, and his
experiences as an Armenian American in such works as Homage to Adana, I
Remember Root River, The Dividing River/The Meeting Shore, and My Racine,
among many others.
Nonny Hogrogian’s newest book, Finding My Name, is a memoir of her first
thirteen years growing up in the Bronx, New York. It explores both her
efforts to find herself as a budding artist and the joys and difficulties
of growing up as an Armenian-American torn between two cultures.
Hogrogian has twice won children’s literature’s highest honor, the
Caldecott Medal, for her books Always Room for One More and One Fine Day.
Her illustrations to Virginia Tashjian’s Armenian folktale collections Once
There Was and Was Not and Three Apples Fell from Heaven and her husband’s
retelling of the Armenian tale The Golden Bracelet are beloved by several
generations of Armenian children.
Following the authors’ talk and a question-and-answer period, they will be
available to sign copies of not only their new titles but also selected
older titles as well.
Copies of Kherdian’s books will be on sale after the talk.
Relaxed parking will be available in Lots Q, K, and L after 7:00 PM the
night of the lecture. For more information on the presentation, contact the
Armenian Studies Program at 278-2669.
*****************************************************************
3 – CSUF Professor’s Book Details
History of Armenians in Canada
FRESNO – A Fresno State professor’s book looking at Armenians in Canada was
published this month and coincides with the 90th anniversary of the
beginning of the Armenian genocide that killed 1.5 million people.
Dr. Isabel Kaprielian-Churchill, a professor of history at California State
University, Fresno wrote `Like Our Mountains: A History of Armenians in
Canada,’ which was published by McGill-Queen’s University Press. The book
recounts the sweeping social history of the Armenian-Canadian experience
that links the Old World with the New against a far-flung diaspora.
The genocide of Armenians in Turkey began in 1915. More than seventy-five
thousand Armenians have found refuge in Canada and Kaprielian-Churchill’s
narrative is the first comprehensive account of their experience from the
late 19th century to the devastating earthquake in 1988.
`Like Our Mountains’ relates the history of the Canadian Armenian community
from its founding, settlements and economic adjustments, to its social,
religious, political and cultural life, transformations
over generations, and relationship with other communities in Canadian
society. The book examines the cities settled by Armenian immigrants:
Brantford before 1914, St. Catharines after World War I, Hamilton
after World War II, and Toronto and Montreal from the 1960s to 1988.
Kaprielian-Churchill carried out exhaustive research in English, Armenian,
and French sources including interviews with survivors of the genocide,
archives, oral histories, diaries and memoirs and letters.
A professor of Armenian and Immigration History, Kaprielian-Churchill
specializes in the field of Armenian diasporan history.
**************************************************************************
4 – Deadline for ARPA
2005 Film Festival
Entries is June 30
LOS ANGELES – Arpa Foundation for Film, Music and Art will host the annual
Arpa International Film Festival October 3-6, 2005 at Arclight Cinemas in
Hollywood, California.
Arpa is now accepting films for competition in the following categories:
Feature Film, Short Film, Documentary and Animation. Entries must be
received no later than June 30, 2005.
Now in its 8th year, the festival has established itself as an
international resource for independent filmmakers. Last year’s festival
featured over 50 films from 20 different countries. The Arpa International
Film Festival is one of the most dynamic important niche festivals.
The Festival is dedicated to cultivating cultural understanding and global
empathy, creating a dynamic forum for international cinema with a special
focus on the work of filmmakers who explore the issues of Diaspora, exile,
and cross- and multi-culturalism. And it celebrates the ideals of
independent thought, artistic vision, cultural diversity and social
understanding.
Submission rules and entry form are available online at
or For additional information, contact the Arpa Foundation
for Film, Music and Art at [email protected] or call (323)
663-1882.
**************************************************************************
5 – L.A. Triple X Hosts Annual
Golf Tournament at Brookside
PASADENA – The Los Angeles Chapter of the Triple X Fraternity will host the
50th Annual Armenian Open Golf Tournament June 17 at the Brookside Country
Club in Pasadena.
Brookside has been the site of many Golden State and Nike professional
tournaments and is considered one of the outstanding golf courses in the
area.
For over 75 years, the Triple X has enjoyed a reputation as an organization
that has contributed to the Armenian community.
Since its inception in 1955m the golf tournament has raised over $200,000
that has been distributed to various Armenian charities locally and abroad.
After golf, players and their guests will be entertained at an awards
banquet that will include live Armenian music and a raffle with many
prizes. The highlight of the evening is the presentation of trophies to
players in various categories and all skill levels.
For more information on how to participate, call Tev Eminian (818)
366-7888, or Mike Kourtjian (818) 885-6500.
**************************************************************************
6 – ‘Brave’ Pastor Aghabaloglu
Visits AMAA Headquarters
PARAMUS, NJ – The Armenian Evangelical pastor who became an international
hero among the Armenians as a result of his appearance on Turkish
television, paid a visit to the headquarters of the Armenian Missionary
Association of America (AMAA) on April 12.
Rev. Krikor Aghabaloghlu was invited to participate in a five-hour show on
Turkish television to present “the Armenian point of view” in a discussion
of the Armenian Genocide. Rev. Aghabaloghlu is a well-known activist who
has already been jailed once for challenging the confiscation of his
church’s property by the Turkish government.
“We were doubly proud to have Krikor visit us,” said Andrew Torigian,
AMAA’s Executive Director, “First, of course, because he is one of our own,
but also because he had the courage to speak out about the truth of the
Armenian Genocide on Turkish television, something that is rarely done.”
At the AMAA offices, Rev. Aghabaloghlu was introduced to the headquarters
staff, and had discussion with both the Executive and the Administrative
Directors. He reported on the progress of the Armenian Evangelical work in
Turkey, which goes beyond the Armenian communities and reaches out to the
local community. Many non Armenian Christians now regularly participate in
the Sunday worship services
The outspoken and courageous Istanbul pastor was encouraged and supported
by the AMAA to attend the Bitinia Bible School of Istanbul, from which he
was graduated.. In September 1999, the Union of the Armenian Evangelical
Churches in the Near East granted him a license to preach and perform the
sacraments of Baptism and Communion in Armenian Evangelical Church of Gedik
Pasha. He was ordained as a pastor in December 2002 and continues to serve
as pastor and Chairman of the same Church.
On the program, much to the surprise of both Hulki Jevizoglu, the host of
the show, and his main guest, historian Mehmet Saray, Rev. Aghabaloghlu
made it clear that there is no doubt a genocide was committed against the
Armenians. It is reported that while the two Turks were in a state of
disbelief, Pastor Aghabaloghlu went on to state that all Turks in Anatolia
know the truth about the Armenian Genocide, although no one dared to talk
about the subject and that anyone who had the courage to speak about it,
is called a traitor, condemned by the media, taken to court, and sent to
jail.
He kept on insisting that, as a clergyman, he has the obligation to tell
the truth, and refused to allow himself to be silenced.
Undeterred, Rev. Aghabaloghlu said that he knew the facts first-hand from
the experiences of his own family, and added that there is irrefutable
evidence for the Genocide in hundreds of books in many languages and that
everyone knew that the Armenians in Anatolia were the victims of Genocide.
Adding insult to the injury of the Turks, he asked rhetorically, “What did
happen to the Armenians inhabiting that region? Did they evaporate? Did
they decide to migrate en masse? Are there any Armenians left in
Anatolia?”
Rev. Aghabaloghlu was born in Arapkir in 1957. He studied in Arapkir and
Malatia and, in 1979, he was graduated from the University of Istanbul,
receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Education and majoring in the history of
Turkey. He is married to Maria Semerji. They have a son and a daughter.
***************************************************************************
7- Republican State Senators Unanimously
Endorse Poochigian for Attorney General
SACRAMENTO – The Poochigian for Attorney General campaign announced last
week that all of Senator Chuck Poochigian’s Republican colleagues in the
State Senate have endorsed him in his bid to be California’s next Attorney
General. This unified support of a candidate so early in the election
process is quite unique and is a testimony to the enormous respect
Poochigian (R-Fresno) has earned during his tenure in the California
Legislature.
“Few public officials serve their constituents and their state as well as
Chuck Poochigian,” said Senator Dick Ackerman (R-Tustin), Senator
Republican Leader. “He will make an excellent Attorney General and we, his
colleagues in the Senate, are pleased to offer our unanimous support to his
campaign.”
Poochigian thanked his fellow senators saying: “I’m honored to receive
such tremendous support from my colleagues. I look forward to continuing
to work on the important public safety and consumer issues that we’ve
focused on in the Senate after I’m elected as California’s next Attorney
General.”
In addition, three former members of the California State Senate have
endorsed Poochigian as well. They include former Senators Jim Brulte, Ross
Johnson, and Rico Oller.
**************************************************************************
8 – UCLA Students Pass Resolution Banning
Sale of Turkish Goods on Campus
LOS ANGELES – The UCLA student government, the Undergraduate Student
Association Council (USAC) unanimously passed a resolution introduced by
the UCLA Armenian Student Association (ASA) Wednesday night in support of
an initiative to ban the sale of Turkish goods at UCLA until Turkey
addresses its human rights record.
The resolution, entitled “Fight to Protect Human Rights in Turkey” made
reference to numerous historical and current human rights violations which
Turkey has committed towards its people, especially minorities. “What makes
this so important is that it not only highlights the historical human
rights violations committed by the Turkish government, but also the crimes
the government commits against its citizens today,” asserted Shant
Taslakian, a fourth year Philosophy major and ASA member who researched
goods sold in the ASUCLA store in preparation for the council meeting.
Other ASA members, including Garen Kirakosian and Ani Garibyan had done
extensive research – starting in 2004 – before presenting their findings to
USAC. “The passage of this resolution is a great step toward justice
throughout the world. It is important that institutions of higher learning,
like UCLA, take the necessary steps to make it known that they will not
conduct business with governments that mistreat their people and attempt to
deny and revise history,” proclaimed Kirakosian, a third-year Political
Science student.
The resolution sends a clear and bold message to the government of Turkey
by the UCLA student body. “This was a great victory not only for the
Armenian community at UCLA, but for all those who believe in the protection
of human rights,” asserted Raffi Kassabian, president for the Armenian
Student Association at UCLA. “We have seen USAC pass resolutions similar to
this before whether it is with the divestment from South Africa during
Apartheid and divestment from Burma. It is important for the UCLA student
body to take a clear and consistent stance on such human rights abuses.”
The ASA must now present the resolution to the Campus Services Committee of
the ASUCLA, which consists of various students and economists, among
others. The committee must determine the economic impact the resolution
would have on the university, before they can implement it. “Going into
May’s meeting with a resolution that has been unanimously approved by USAC
is a huge step for the ASA. We will do our utmost to work with the services
committee in implementing the resolution,” mentioned Garibyan, a
fourth-year Political Science student.
***************************************************************************
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ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
04/18/2005
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1) California International Trade Office in Armenia Garners Local Support
2) Armenia Extradites Suspect in US Arms Smuggling Probe
3) Margarian Says ‘We Have Nothing to Prove,’ during Genocide Conference
4) Turkish Parliament Adopts Resolution to Form Commission, Move Forward
towards Friendship
5) Burbank ANC Hosts Events Commemorating Armenian Genocide
6) Israel among the Holocaust Deniers
7) Chessboard Comes Crashing down on Kasparov
8) Karapetian Wins European Championship, Nazarian Decorated by Bulgarian
President

1) California International Trade Office in Armenia Garners Local Support

ANCA-WR Fundraiser Raises over $40,000 for economic cooperation between
California, Armenia businesses

BEVERLY HILLS–The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
(ANCA-WR) hosted a fundraiser on April 3 to benefit the California
International Trade Office in Armenia (CITO). Raising over $40,000, the event
highlighted the ANCA-WR’s continued commitment and support of the CITO and
improved trade relations between the United States and Armenia.
The Trade Office will be an official representative of the State of
California
centered in Yerevan to promote a greater economic relationship between
Californian and Armenian businesses. Using Armenia as its hub it will endeavor
to promote Californian businesses throughout the former Soviet Union. Its
opening is targeted for this summer.
Honorees in attendance at the benefit event included California State Senator
Jack Scott, who initially proposed the creation of the CITO in 2001 with the
assistance of State Senator Charles Poochigian, as well as Barry R. Sedlik,
the
Undersecretary and Senior Advisor for Economic Development at the California
Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. Also in attendance were Vahram
Nercessiants, Chief Economic Advisor to President Robert Kocharian and Member
of the Board of Governors of the World Bank; Dr. Vahagn Movsisyan, General
Director of the Armenian Development Agency; and Gagik Kirakosian, Consul
General of Armenia in Los Angeles.
“Ever since the CITO was initially proposed in 2001, the ANCA-WR has been at
the forefront of supporters of this endeavor,” said Steven Dadaian,
Chairman of
the ANCA-WR Board of Directors. “We would like to thank our hosts, Varouj and
Vahe Karapetian, who made this event possible and each of the benefactors who
donated at least a thousand dollars to ensure that this event was a success.”
The Foundation for Economic Development (FED), a non-profit organization, has
been awarded the contract by the State of California to operate the CITO.
“I would like to thank Senator Scott and the Armenian National Committee for
their leadership in promoting this vital link between Califorinan and Armenian
businesses,” said Nercessiants.
“The support by the ANCA-WR and its supporters has been unbelievable in
ensuring that the CITO becomes a reality,” remarked FED Board Member Levon
Kirakosian. “We hope that the ANCA-WR’s continued financial support of the
CITO
will provide an example to Armenian-Americans who are interested in investing
in Armenia to support the CITO.”

2) Armenia Extradites Suspect in US Arms Smuggling Probe

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Armenian law-enforcement authorities have extradited a man
suspected of involvement in an alleged attempt to smuggle heavy weapons into
the United States, the US embassy in Yerevan announced on Monday.
An embassy statement said Armen Barseghian was flown to the US on Friday and
will appear before a New York court this week along with 20 other defendants
that have been indicted in connection with the case.
The latter were arrested in New York, Los Angeles, and Florida last month
following an undercover operation conducted by the FBI. Their alleged
ringleader is Artur Solomonian, a 26-year-old Armenian citizen wanted in
Armenia for draft evasion. He is accused of looking for buyers of Russian-made
shoulder-fired missiles, grenade-launchers and other weapons used by the
Armenian military.
US prosecutors showed photographs of those weapons which Armenia’s National
Security Service (NSS) say were taken by a Yerevan-based friend of Solomonian,
identified as Spartak Yeribekian.
The arrests of Yeribekian and two other residents of Armenia were
announced on
March 21. It was not clear if the extradited man was one of them.
Law-enforcement sources said that Barseghian is an Armenian-born American
citizen who illegally returned to Armenia in the mid-1990s to escape
prosecution in the US. A New York newspaper reported that US prosecutors
believe Barseghian is the man who allegedly photographed the weapons at a
military base in Armenia.
“This case highlights the cooperation on law enforcement issues which is
developing between the US and the Republic of Armenia,” the US embassy said.
“We commend the continued professionalism of the Armenian authorities who have
been instrumental in supporting this ongoing investigation.”
A senior FBI investigator who visited Yerevan last month likewise praised
Armenian security agencies for their “active cooperation” in the probe.

3) Margarian Says ‘We Have Nothing to Prove,’ during Genocide Conference

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–As Armenia’s Academy of Sciences opened the conference,
“Genocide: Reality and Condemnation,” on Monday as one of the events marking
the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, hundreds of participants stood
in silence to honor the victims of the Armenian genocide of 1915.
Prime Minister Andranik Margarian welcomed the participants with a message
stressing Armenia’s resoluteness–now more than ever–to continue its campaign
for international recognition of the Genocide.
Speaking about the creation of a joint Armenian-Turkish commission to study
the facts on the Armenian genocide, Margarian said he does not see any
sense in
such an effort. “We have nothing to prove~Ethe genocide happened,” said the
Prime Minister.
“My ancestors were the victims of genocide. There are a lot of people in
Armenia who learned about the genocide not only through books, but also from
their grandparents.”
Refusing to offer a prediction on whether Turkey would recognize the Armenian
genocide in the next 50 years, Margarian said, “Turkey will change its
position
under the pressure of the international community and in the process of its
membership to the EU, but it is difficult to say when it will happen.” He is
optimistic, however, that the current government will succeed in establishing
diplomatic relations.
Ashot Melikian, director of the Institute of History, said a joint national
strategy to push for international recognition of the Genocide is being
developed. Commenting on territorial claims to Turkey, Melikian said
non-governmental organizations should keep the issue afloat because “it is not
expedient for the government to raise it at this point.”
On April 20-21, Yerevan will host an international conference on the
Genocide,
with the participation of researchers, government officials, and other
representatives of 20 countries. Journalists of Turkish TRT 1 channel have
already arrived in Yerevan to cover April 24 commemorations.
As many countries around the world have had governments, parliaments, and
other legislative bodies that have officially recognized the Armenian
genocide–including Cyprus, Greece, Belgium, Sweden, Vatican City, Italy,
France, Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, European parliament,
Switzerland, Uruguay, Argentina, Canada, among others–Prime Minister
Margarian
stressed the importance of active work by more countries for official
recognition. He assured the conference that the Armenian side is actively
participating in all international forums dedicated to human rights and
democracy.

4) Turkish Parliament Adopts Resolution to Form Commission, Move Forward
towards Friendship

(Aztag)–The Turkish parliament formally called for the creation of a
commission of Turkish and Armenian historians to “shed scientific light on the
past.”
Through a resolution, the body addressed the issue of reconciliation and the
establishment of good neighborly relations with Armenia, and went on to
condemn
countries that have formally recognized the Armenian genocide. The resolution
denounces the “insistence of Armenians” to advance the issue of the Armenian
genocide, and pointing to Armenian “promotion of propaganda,” it assures that
Turkey will never take that step [to recognize the Armenian genocide].
In a statement issued Wednesday, the parliament said that it would be of
benefit to both Turkey and Armenia to “settle their differences,” and move
forward to a future based on tolerance, friendship, and cooperation.
In a proposal backed jointly by the government and the opposition, the
parliament called for a commission of Turkish and Armenian historians to
search
through their national archives without limitations, make public the
results of
their research, and set the working methods of the commission.
The parliament said that the success of this proposal, however, depends on
the
cooperation of the Armenian government.
“Unless Turkey and Armenia look at history from the same perspective, they
will only leave prejudices, enmity, and revenge to their children and
forthcoming generations,” the declaration said. “What is reasonable for Turkey
and Armenia is to end taboos with a joint initiative, clarify all sides of
what
they had experienced, and be ready to settle old scores with their history.
This is the only way to prevent the past from darkening today and future.”
If Armenia wants to establish good neighborly relations with Turkey, it
should
not hesitate to adopt Turkey’s proposal to reassess their common history, the
statement said.
“The parliament would also like to stress that every well-meaning country and
statesman wanting to contribute to world peace and stability should consider
Turkey’s proposal as positive, and reject internal political views,” it said.
“In this context, countries that want to better Turkish-Armenian relations
and, and seek peace and stability in the Caucasus, should support this
initiative, and refrain from acts which would harm this initiative.
The declaration also said that it was impossible for Turkey to base its
history on some one-sided and misleading assessments.

5) Burbank ANC Hosts Events Commemorating Armenian Genocide

BURBANK–The Burbank Armenian National Committee will host a series of
important upcoming events in commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the
Armenian genocide. Tamar Krekorian, Chair of the Genocide Remembrance
Committee, said that Burbank’s commemorative events will include educational,
cultural and political aspects this year.
“The city has been an outstanding partner in working with the Burbank ANC,”
Krekorian said. “As a result, we have planned a series of events that will
offer a wide range of opportunities for residents to learn more about the
Genocide and to recognize its importance today,” Krekorian added.
Throughout the month of April, an outstanding educational display will be
showcased in the main lobby of the Burbank Central Library. The display, which
includes items and books related to Armenian culture, history and the
Genocide,
is intended to promote awareness of the Armenian book collection that was
donated to the library through the efforts of the Books For Burbank program of
the Burbank ANC.
On Saturday, April 16, the committee presented a free screening of the
Armenian Film Foundation’s award-winning documentary film about the
destruction
of Kharpert, “Voices from the Lake,” at the Burbank Central Library
Auditorium.
Through eyewitness interviews and painstaking research, this film tells the
story of the Genocide in an unforgettably personal way. Dr. J. Michael
Hagopian, the renowned Genocide historian and filmmaker of “Voices,” was on
hand to address his two decades of research in creating the film.
The Burbank City Council will present a proclamation in recognition of the
90th anniversary of the Genocide on Tuesday, April 19. During the meeting, the
Burbank ANC will accept the City’s proclamation and conduct a short program
featuring poetry read by local high school students. Sharon Cohen, the City’s
Library Director, will also pay tribute to the Burbank ANC for the successful
Books For Burbank program. A candlelight vigil will take place on the front
steps of Burbank City Hall after sundown.
On Saturday, April 23, a moving theatrical performance of two
Genocide-related
one-act plays, written and directed by Aram Kouyoumdjian, will be presented at
the El Portal Forum Theatre in the No Ho Arts District. “Delicate Lines” and
“Protest” have already won rave reviews from audiences in Northern California.
Both performances of this event are already completely sold out.
For further information about any of these events, contact the Burbank ANC at
(818) 562-1918 or by e-mail at [email protected].

6) Israel among the Holocaust Deniers

On March 29, Israeli Haaretz newspaper published a story by a member of
Israeli
Knesset Yosi Sarid. Sarid was a former Israeli education minister and the
first
Israeli government official to recognize the Armenian genocide, arguing in
favor of mentioning it in Israeli student textbooks.

By Yossi Sarid

April 24 will mark the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, and the
Armenian government is holding an international conference in the capital of
Yerevan, dedicated to the memory of the more than a million Armenians murdered
by the Turks. I was also invited, and I decided to attend. This month will
also
see the Hebrew publication of Prof. Yair Auron’s eye-opening and stomach
churning book, “Denial: Israel and the Armenian Genocide,” Maba Publishing,
which has already been highly praised overseas in its English-language
edition.

As opposed to many other nations, Israel has never recognized the murder of
the Armenian people, and in effect lent a hand to the deniers of that
genocide.
Our official reactions moved in the vague, illusory realm between denial to
evasion, from “it’s not clear there really was genocide” to “it’s an issue for
the historians,” as Shimon Peres once put it so outrageously and stupidly.
There are two main motives for the Israeli position. The first is the
importance of the relationship with Turkey, which for some reason continues to
deny any responsibility for the genocide, and uses heavy pressure worldwide to
prevent the historical responsibility for the genocide to be laid at its door.
The pressure does work, and not only Israel, but other countries as well do
the
arithmetic of profits and loss. The other motive is that recognition of
another
nation’s murder would seem to erode the uniqueness of the Jewish Holocaust.
Five years ago, on the 85th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, I was
invited as education minister to the Armenian church in the Old City of
Jerusalem. This is what I said at the time:
“I am here, with you, as a human being, as a Jew, as an Israeli, and as the
minister of education in Israel. For many years, too many, you were alone on
this, your memorial day. I am aware of the special significance of my presence
here. Today, for the first time, you are less alone.”
I recalled the Jewish American ambassador to Turkey at the time of the
slaughter, Henry Morgenthau, who called the massacre of the Armenians “the
greatest crime of modern history.” That good man had no idea what would yet
happen in the 20th century– who could have anticipated the Jewish Holocaust?
And I recalled Franz Werfel’s “The 40 Days of Musa Dagh,” which came out in
Germany in the spring of 1933 and shocked millions of people and eventually,
me, too, as a youth.
Summing up, I said, “We Jews, the main victims of murderous hatred, must be
doubly sensitive and identify with other victims. Those who stand aside, turn
away, cast a blind eye, make their calculations of gains and losses, and are
silent, always help the murderers and never those who are being murdered. In
our new history curriculum I want to see a central chapter on genocide, and
within it, an open reference to the Armenian genocide. That is our duty to you
and to ourselves.”
The Armenian community in Israel and the world took note of that statement
with satisfaction. Turkey complained vociferously, demanding an explanation
from the Israeli government. And “my government,” of all governments, first
stammered and then denied responsibility, and explained that I spoke for
myself. And not a remnant survives in the new curriculum of the Livnat era.
Now it can be said. They were right. All the stammerers and deniers. I really
did not consult with anyone else and did not ask for permission. What must be
asked when the answer is known in advance, and it is based on the wrong
assumption that there is a contradiction between a moral position and a
political one? Just how beastly must we be as humans, or as Haaretz wrote then
in its editorial, “The teaching of genocides must be at the top of the
priorities of the values of the Jewish people, the victim of the Holocaust,
and
no diplomacy of interests can be allowed to stand in that way”?
The Israeli Foreign Ministry, and not only it, is always afraid of its own
shadow and thus it casts a dark shadow over us all as accomplices to the
“silence of the world.” The Dalai Lama, leader of the exiled Tibetans, has
visited here twice, and twice I was warned by “officials” not to meet with
him.
It would mean a crisis in relations with China, the exact same thing they say
about Turkey. I rebuffed those warnings in both cases. I have always believed
that moral policies pay off in the long run, while rotten policies end up
losing.
And all this I will repeat in the capital of Armenia, only in my name, of
course.

7) Chessboard Comes Crashing down on Kasparov

MOSCOW (AP)–Garry Kasparov, the world’s former No. 1 chess player who quit
the
professional game last month to focus on politics, said Saturday that he had
been hit over the head with a chessboard in what appears to have been a
politically motivated attack.
Kasparov was not injured Friday when he was hit with the chessboard after
signing it for a young man at an event in Moscow.
A spokeswoman for Kasparov, Marina Litvinovich, said the assailant told the
chess champion: ~SI admired you as a chess player, but you gave that up for
politics.~T
She said the unidentified attacker – who did not reveal his political
allegiance–had tried to hit Kasparov a second time but was hauled away by
security guards.
~SIt was a fairly nasty incident, it was not very pleasant psychologically,~T
Kasparov told the private NTV television. ~SYesterday, I was just about able to
muster up enough humor to joke darkly that, luckily in the Soviet Union, chess
and not baseball was popular.~T
The 41-year-old Kasparov, a brilliant and aggressive tactician regarded by
many as the greatest chess player of all time, has been ranked No. 1 in the
world since 1984.
But the outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin retired last month,
saying at the time that he planned to focus on politics and do ~Severything in
my power to resist Putin’s dictatorship.~T
He plays a leading role in the Committee 2008: Free Choice, a group formed by
liberal opposition leaders.
Putin, a former KGB colonel who came to power in 2000, has been accused of
stifling democratic freedoms by placing national television under effective
state control and centralizing power by boosting Kremlin control of parliament
and country’s regions.

8) Karapetian Wins European Championship, Nazarian Decorated by Bulgarian
President

VARNA (Armenpress)–Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler Movses Karapetian (74 kg)
clenched the European champions in the Varna, Bulgaria over the weekend,
defeating five rivals on the road to finals. Another Armenian wrestler, Roman
Amoyan (55 kg), won the silver.
Ethnic Armenian Armen Nazarian, who competes on the Bulgarian team, was
decorated by President G. Parvanov for his exclusive contribution to classic
wrestling.

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CRITIC’S NOTEBOOK

This Is the Sound of Globalization
By JON PARELES

New York Times
Published: April 15, 2005

WOULD that the state of world music were the state of the world. In
the music, boundaries are wide open, curiosity leads to cooperation,
memories are long but the lessons of history are positive ones. In
the world, well …

World music, that happily vague category, encompasses raw field
recordings and slick non-Western pop, traditional music and countless
twists on traditionalism; the term is also applied to everything from
crosscultural fusions to club music with exotic samples to new-age
meditation albums. No matter. The broad rubric holds a wealth of
music that is now more accessible than ever before. And while major
labels have largely lost interest in world music, independents have
been busy, while listeners are no longer dependent on the shelf space
or classification skills of local record stores.

With the Internet, CD’s manufactured abroad are a few clicks away
at large retailers or dedicated specialists like the Latin-music
experts at descarga.com. Digital distribution brings the music
even closer. World music has its own clearinghouse for downloads at
calabashmusic.com, where it’s easy to stock an iPod with music from
Uzbekistan or Curacao or just read up on them. Subscription services
like Rhapsody and eMusic have a surprising amount of international
offerings.

And the Smithsonian Institution has just gone online with the
ethnographic answer to iTunes: smithsonianglobalsound.org,
with museum-quality annotation and royalties paid to
musicians. Information and recommendations are also available at
sites like worldmusiccentral.org and afropop.org.

What follows is just a dip into the cornucopia of world-music albums
released over the past year or so. These albums are the perfect
antidote to xenophobia, and a reminder that creativity doesn’t stop
at national borders or language barriers. (Prices range from $13.49
to $18.49 for one CD, to $17.95 for a two-CD set.)

Argentina

Tango isn’t the only accordion music out of Argentina. The accordionist
Chango Spasiuk (whose grandparents were Ukrainian immigrants to
Argentina) plays chamame, music from northeastern Argentina, where
it meets Brazil and Paraguay, forging his own compositions from folk
materials. His mostly instrumental album “Tarefero de Mis Pagos: Songs
>From the Red Land” (Piranha) sometimes points toward South America,
sometimes toward Europe. Mr. Spasiuk’s pieces often draw on a brisk
six-beat Argentine rhythm, underlined by percussion from Argentina and
beyond; they can also hark back to polkas and waltzes. Pieces like
“Scenes From Life on the Border” are a step removed from their folk
roots, but with a group that includes both Mr. Spasiuk’s accordion
and the smaller tango accordion, the bandoneon, there’s still plenty
of huffing and hooting.

Armenia

Purity and a haunted, resolute stillness pervade Hasmik Harutyunyan’s
“Armenian Lullabies” (Traditional Crossroads). The words to the
songs are about rocking a child to sleep, but the music barely
sways. Ms. Harutyunyan sustains the almost glacial melodies in a voice
both kindly and doleful, and for most of the album, she is accompanied
by only an instrument or two; there are long stretches that her voice
shares with only one unchanging note from a reed flute. The effect
is so intimate and timeless, it’s hard to imagine the dreams of the
child listening.

Brazil

Brazilian pop revels in scrambling past and present, which makes for
some delightfully disorienting pop on Paula Morelenbaum’s “Berimbaum”
(Universal Music Latino) and Silverio Pessoa’s “Batida Urbanas:
Projeto Microbio do Frevo” (“Urban Beats: Project Microbe of Frevo”
(Companhia Editora de Pernambuco).

Ms. Morelenbaum, who sang for a decade with the bossa nova titan
Antonio Carlos Jobim, sends bossa novas and sambas into an electronic
hall of mirrors on “Berimbaum.” It’s a collection of songs by
the poet and songwriter Vinicius de Moraes, and her nonchalant
voice is backed by a mixture of live musicians and samples that go
ricocheting between lounge music and breakbeats, often multiplying
into precise echoes. Bebel Gilberto has also been exploring this zone
of electro-bossa, but Ms. Morelenbaum and her crafty producers have
plenty to add.

Mr. Pessoa, who was a prime mover in the group Cascabulho, takes
wilder leaps. He has been re-examining the music of northeastern
Brazil, first forro and now frevo, carnival songs in a style somewhere
between a samba and a military brass band. His album remakes frevos
from the 1950’s and 60’s as mutating, hallucinatory tunes that might
use the old oom-pah, a dub-reggae undertow, the whistling swoop of
a synthesizer or a brash rap in Portuguese. He’s clearly fond of the
old songs and ready to shake them up completely.

Congo’s best-known music is soukous, the rumbas that bounced
across the Caribbean and back and, in Africa, turned into smoothly
irresistible dance tunes with sweet voices and pealing, twining
lines of guitars and horns. Kekele is an alliance of musicians who
have played in some of Congo’s best-known bands, and on “Congo Life”
(World Music), they feature acoustic instruments – guitars, woodwinds,
marimbas – in pristinely recorded soukous that’s no less danceable
for its gentle arrangements. But Congo holds other music, too. Konono
No. 1’s “Congotronics” (Crammed Disc, also available as a download
at ) introduces a 25-year-old band that amplifies thumb
pianos, called likembes, through homemade equipment built from, among
other things, magnets out of junked cars; its percussion includes
whistles, pots and pans. Rooted in trance music of the Bazombo people,
from where Congo meets Angola, Konono’s songs are amped-up, distorted
call-and-response chants with dizzying plinking patterns that just
grow fiercer and more jubilant as they stretch out.

Cuba

In hard economic times, Cubans have learned to make a few resources
go a long way, and on Pedro Luis Ferrer’s “Rustico” (Escondida),
the music uses a minimum of instruments: the bright-toned Cuban
guitar called the tres, some hand percussion, three or four voices
and perhaps a second guitar. Mr. Ferrer or his daughter Lena, who
has a gorgeously forthright voice, sings lead vocals.

The music is as elegant and ambitious as it is austere. The
self-invented genre Mr. Ferrer calls chaguisa draws on old rural Cuban
styles and music from across Latin America, and the songs merge the
naturalness of folk tunes with lyrics full of ideas, from a song that
chides selfish husbands to one that sympathizes with an Andean cocaine
grower but could also be a veiled protest about conditions in Cuba:
“How will I live,” he sings, “if my money is worthless?” The music
has a gentle lilt and a steely core.

Ghana

James Brown’s funk stirred up African music, stimulating all kinds of
bands with scrubbing guitars and pushy horn sections. “Ghana Soundz:
Afro-Beat, Funk and Fusion in 70’s Ghana Volume 2” (Soundway) collects
hybrids from Ghana, where the funk meshed with the modal lope of that
nation’s own highlife music and with the Afrobeat percolating nearby
in Nigeria. With a few English lyrics amid the African languages, it’s
an album of sweaty, homegrown funk that’s danceable from end to end.

Greece

Knife fights, hashish smoking, damnation and mourning are the stuff
of rebetika, the songs that were once heard in tavernas in Greek port
cities. The melodies are pithy and straightforward, though they draw on
modes from across the Balkans and Middle East; the instrumentation is
sparse, often just a bouzouki or a smaller lute called a baglama. But
on the collection “Rebetika: The Rough Guide” (World Music Network),
which includes recordings from the 1920’s to the 80’s, the voices –
cocky and scarred, mournful and knowing – leap out with a fervor
that’s clear even on scratchy vintage tracks.

Haiti

In Haiti and France, Emeline Michel has long been known as a pop star
and songwriter with a supple voice and a strong social conscience. Her
eighth album, “Rasin Kreyol” (Times Square), places her hopes and
worries about Haiti in sleek pop arrangements that stay rooted in
rhythms from across that country. She merges modern funk with the
easygoing compas and the galloping carnival beat of rara, so her
earnest messages arrive in joyful grooves. And in songs like “Mon
Reve” – with a voodoo drumbeat, a breathy Guinean-style flute and
Ms. Michel’s mostly wordless voice – her idealism rings out.

India

In both blues and raga, the notes between an instrument’s frets are
essential, so perhaps it was inevitable that an Indian musician would
take up the slide guitar. On “3: Calcutta Slide-Guitar” (Riverboat),
Debashish Bhattacharya plays three instruments he designed: a
hollow-necked four-string slide ukulele, a 14-string slide guitar
and a 22-string guitar with sympathetic strings. The structures and
rhythms come from North and South India, and in classic raga style the
music evolves from reflective melody to fast, flamboyant, tabla-driven
improvisations. And every so often, there’s a hint of deep Delta twang.

Iran

In Persian classical music, stately shared melodies open into
flurries of passionate improvisation. The Masters of Persian Music
are an alliance of four first-rate Persian musicians: Kayhan Kalhor
on kemancheh (spike fiddle), Hussein Alizadeh on tar (lute), Mohammad
Reza Shajarian on vocals, and his son, Homayoun Shajarian, on vocals
and tombak (hand drum). The two-CD set “Faryad” (World Village) is a
live concert so rapt that the applause at the end of each CD comes
as a shock. Instrumental melodies alternate with mystical poetry
sung in galvanic, ululating voices; hushed moments swell into almost
shattering crescendos. The music crests, returns to dignified melody
and crests again, as if formality can barely contain it.

Poland

Traditional Polish songs, with their cutting vocals and meshed fiddles,
are the foundation of the Warsaw Village Band’s repertory. But
while their lineup is primarily acoustic – hand drums, hammered
dulcimer, violins, cello – their sensibilities are modern. They hear
dance-club drive and trancey echoes in the songs, and on “Uprooting”
(World Village), they use recording-studio techniques to heighten the
central drones and eerie percussive sounds in their songs. Hints of
reggae rhythm and guests like a scratching disc jockey should further
infuriate purists.

Portugal

The fado, once considered musically conservative and politically
associated with Portugal’s dictatorship until the 1970’s, has been
revitalized by a new generation of singers who have been drawn to
the way fado (“fate”) merges grand, tragic emotion with the delicate
picking of the Portuguese guitarra. Young singers are holding on
to fado’s acoustic instrumentation while modestly stretching its
parameters. “The Rough Guide to Fado” (World Music Network) juxtaposes
current and past generations of fadistas, revealing more orchestration
and less restraint among the elders. A young fado singer, Ana Moura,
has a smoky alto that separates her from the many higher-voiced
emulators of Amalia Rodriguez, the much-mourned queen of fado who died
in 1999. Ms. Moura’s songs hold mixed messages on “Guarda-me a Vida na
Mao: Keep My Life in Your Hand” (World Village); though the lyrics are
filled with fado’s typical sufferings, the music often turns buoyant.

Reunion

The Indian Ocean island of Reunion, which lies between Madagascar
and Mauritius and is an overseas department of France, has a Creole
culture that mingles the bloodlines of French colonists, slaves from
Africa and Madagascar, immigrants from India, China and Malaysia and
assorted pirates and mutineers. On the album “Mapou” (World Music
Network), Rene Lacaille’s music reflects it all, as brisk six-beat
rhythms carry his accordion, his quick-strummed ukulele, his jovially
raspy voice and melodies with more than a hint of French chanson. While
La Reunion is remote, Mr. Lacaille is cosmopolitan, tossing electric
guitar, saxophone and Caribbean percussion into his arrangements. But
there’s still a rustic charm in his songs about fishing, cooking,
rhythm and rum.

South Africa

When missionaries got to South Africa, they found local harmony-singing
traditions that meshed magnificently with gospel hymns, creating a
hybrid that has grown more South African over the generations. The
Soweto Gospel Choir, 26 singers picked from churches around the Soweto
township near Johannesburg, is both meticulously arranged and gutsy,
from its hearty bass harmonies to soloists whose sharp-edged voices
leap out of the choir. Its album “Voices From Heaven” (Shanachie) is
geared for outsiders, with a few familiar English-language songs and
an unnecessary pop finale. But most of the album uses just voices, or
voices and percussion, in songs that are as dynamic as they are devout.

Turkey

In the 1960’s, before world music had its own place in stores,
it was packaged as sultry exotica like “How to Make Your Husband a
Sultan: Belly Dance With Ozel Turkbas,” which has been reissued on
CD by Traditional Crossroads. Although Ms. Turkbas does sing on one
track, the album is actually a well-recorded showcase for a Turkish
gypsy clarinetist, Mustafa Kandirali, who bends notes all over the
place and leads a very frisky Turkish band; one track, formerly an
LP side, is an uninterrupted 17-minute suite. Ms. Turkbas’s belly
dance instructions, with photographs, are in the CD booklet.

Zimbabwe

Thomas Mapfumo was one of the pioneers of Zimbabwean rock, tranferring
the patterns of thumb pianos to picked electric guitars. He was also
a voice for the revolution that overthrew white minority rule in what
was called Rhodesia and led to the authoritarian government of Robert
Mugabe, which Mr. Mapfumo has gone on to criticize so sharply he has
become an expatriate, living in Oregon. There’s a calm authority in his
voice; since the 1980’s, there have also been thumb pianos in his band
alongside the electric guitars and keyboard. His latest studio album,
“Rise Up” (Calabash Music), is available only as a digital download
from , and after a logy start it’s a good
introduction to his music, particularly if a downloader skips a few
tracks. But there’s a better one, also available for the first time
exclusively as a download: “Afropop Presents Thomas Mapfumo Live,”
a vivid live recording (from the Manhattan club S.O.B.’s in 1991)
that brings out every neatly interlocking part and the music’s precise
but ecstatic momentum.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Montreal Gazette, Canada
April 18 2005

Armenians mark painful anniversary
1.5 million victims. Disputed genocide began 90 years ago

DAVE WEATHERALL
The Gazette

For many of the 60,000 Armenians living in Canada, this week means
dredging up painful memories and enduring a familiar response from
the Turkish government – it wasn’t genocide.

Next Sunday marks the 90th anniversary of what Armenians and many
historians agree was the beginning of the genocide during which 1.5
million Armenians were either killed or disappeared.

Turkey continues to deny any role in the alleged genocide that started
in 1915 and continued until about 1922.

For 59-year-old Taro Alepian, president of the Congress of Canadian
Armenians, it’s a frustrating situation he would like to see come to
and end.

“Turkey’s denial of their role in the Armenian genocide is a
negative thing for every Armenian to grow up with,” said Alepian,
as he watched his 5-year-old grandson Marc Dikranian play next to
the monument dedicated to the victims of all genocide in Ahuntsic’s
Marcelin Wilson Park.

“I hope my grandson will not have to grow up with Turkey still denying
what took place 90 years ago.”

Alepian said that after more than three generations of Turkish denial,
Armenians deserve closure.

“Only official recognition by the Turkish government will bring
closure,” said Alepian.

Alepian says he will pray for it Saturday night during the interfaith
service at St. Joseph Oratory to mark the anniversary.

“We owe it to our ancestors, but most importantly, to our future
generations to provide them with an end to this unpleasant story.”

Seventeen countries have passed legislation recognizing the genocide,
including Russia, France, the Netherlands and, recently, Canada. Last
year, the House of Commons passed a non-binding motion denouncing it
as a crime against humanity.

As about 8 million Armenians around the world gather to commemorate
this week, 28-year-old Montreal resident Edward Agopian echoed
Alepian’s desire for the next generation of Armenians not to be
burdened by Turkey’s denial.

“When I have children and they start school, I want them to read
about a genocide that is acknowledged by the country who perpetrated
it, not continually denied,” said Agopian, a member of the Armenian
National Committee of Quebec.

Agopian said he lost three grandparents during the genocide and that
Turkey’s refusal to acknowledge it hurts every Armenian generation.

“You can see it when children talk to their grandparents about it,
there is pain because Turkey has not recognized it,” he said.

“What I need as an Armenian is for the current Turkish government to
acknowledge what the past Turkish government was responsible for,”
he said.

“Not for vengeance, but so that all Armenians can be at peace.”

Agopian said the Canadian government’s recognition is encouraging and
said the ANCQ is planning two events in Ottawa this week as part of
its commemoration activities.

“We will hold a vigil on Saturday at the human rights monument and
on Sunday we will be demonstrating outside the Turkish embassy.”

Armenian genocide column inconsistent
By Cihan Baran
Monday, April 18, 2005

Stanford Daily
April 18 2005

In her op-ed, Ani Kardashian rightly speaks of the lack of awareness
of past atrocities in today’s community (“Armenian genocide must not
be forgotten,” April 15). Yet her deliberate attempts to distort the
past and represent on side of what has been going on as a historical
discussion is a terrible blow to intellectual integrity. The question
of the so-called “Armenian genocide” is an open one. People who are
unaware of this issue should bear in mind that there is no foregone
conclusion about this matter, as in the case of Holocaust.

Let’s view the issue in the framework that Kardashian has set up for
us. I claim that it is plausible to establish the inconsistencies
analytically in her message. She claims that the “Young Turk regime
emerged, consisting of radical young military officers who were
troubled by the . . . the numerous minority groups inhabiting the
empire . . . ” So it is said that the Young Turks were troubled by
more than one minority.

The point then becomes obvious. Any serious student of history knows
that the Ottoman Empire was a vast mosaic of ethnic diversity. The
Empire tolerated and treated with respect throughout its history
Arabs, Bulgarians, Greeks, Slavs, Armenians and peoples of many
other ethnicities. If these Young Turks were keen on their radical
nationalism, why did they try to only exterminate the Armenians of all
the different ethnicities? Why would they pick on a particular race
as opposed to all the others? Of course, Kardashian, while speaking
of many ethnicities in the Ottoman Empire, isn’t able to speak of
genocides that relate to other people.

But then, let’s raise our heads above Kardashian’s politicking and
biased ways and at least try to put things in a better perspective.
The end of 19th century was completely transforming for the Ottoman
Empire. With the advent of such ideas as democracy and nationalism,
many groups within the Ottoman Empire claimed their independence –
Balkan nations are such examples. Armenians, however, had not yet
formed such an independent state. As the Ottoman Empire weakened, the
Armenians saw World War I as an opportunity for independence. They have
allied with Russia, who was battling the Ottoman Empire, to back-stab
the Ottoman Nation from the inside. In their zeal against the Ottoman
Nation, many villages were burned, innocent Turks killed, tortured and
raped. As a result of these evil deeds, the Ottoman Government forcibly
deported them to other regions (such as south-eastern Anatolia).

Even more disgraceful statements follow from Kardishian. Identifying
taking position in a historical and open debate as “denial,” she
writes, “This denial has arguably contributed to future genocides,
including the Holocaust and more recent genocides in Rwanda and
Darfur.” I dare Kardashian to prove and show evidence for this
statement. Where can we find reference in Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” to
Ottoman Empire and what allegedly happened to the Armenians? How does
the right of a nation to defend itself spouse such huge atrocities
as Holocaust?

Even if this alleged “genocide” did happen, why is Turkey being held
responsible for what happened? There are sufficient differences for
us to think of as the Ottoman Empire and the modern Turkey as two
different entities. Ottoman Empire was a monarchy under the rule of a
dynasty. Turkey is a democracy. Ottoman Empire’s official religion was
Islam. Modern Turkey is secular. Those who ruled the Ottoman Empire
didn’t save Turkey from its enemies in the War of Independence at the
end of World War I – but at least proposed Turkey to be a mandate of a
“superior” nation such as the US or Britain. The founders of modern
Turkey and the great savior of the Turkish nation, Ataturk, fought
these enemies. I believe these differences are sufficient to hold the
Ottoman Empire and the modern Turkey as different entities. Maintaining
that they are the same, holding one responsible for the other, would
be to assert that two sculptures of different form but of same material
are identical.

If historical evidence is presented, I am willing to re-evaluate my
claims. But at least, the unaware reader should bear in mind that
this is an ongoing historical debate, without an established truth.

Cihan Behran is an undeclared freshman. E-mail him at
[email protected].

Detroit Free Press , MI
April 18 2005

Ceremony highlights Armenian memories

90th anniversary of genocide observed
April 18, 2005

BY LAURA POTTS
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

For years, a lock of hair was Sandra Azoian Hutchinson’s touchstone
to the Armenian genocide.

The tresses were buried some years ago with Hutchinson’s great aunt,
who had taken the hair from her two young sons just before the boys
were killed in front of her in what is now Turkey. The grieving mother
later fled to Michigan, where she pled with generations of her family
to make sure the lock was tucked into her casket, and begged them
not to forget those years of suffering.

On Sunday, Hutchinson joined hundreds of Armenian Americans to
commemorate the 90th anniversary of the genocide, which claimed the
lives of 1.5 million Armenians.

Dignitaries, clergy and Armenian-American community leaders gathered
at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn to share
stories of loss and to generate remembrance and hope.

“It also can help inspire us to stop modern genocides, which still go
on,” said U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., who made a brief appearance
before the commemoration ceremony. “It can encourage and energize us
just to remember them.”

Levin and others emphasized a need for the current Turkish government
to recognize the atrocities, which began in 1915 and included forced
marches, drownings, beatings and other horrors, they said.

The crowd — which included a handful of survivors — listened as
politicians spoke about illuminating what they said is a largely
forgotten tragedy, and religious leaders prayed and led the crowd in
traditional songs. About 70 young people from the United Commemorative
Committee, all dressed in black and wearing armbands representing
Armenia’s red, blue and orange flag, marched to the stage, where
the names of Armenian cities that lost large numbers in the genocide
were read.

“It was marvelous, especially the participation of the young people.
That was so emotional and very touching,” said Betty Apigian Kessel,
67, of Bloomfield Township. “But we are filled with hope. We are not
just here to recognize death and destruction.”