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1) Javakhk Armenians Deliver Strong Message to Council of Europe
2) Turkey Must Recognize Cyprus before Joining EU, Says British Minister
3) Presidents Discuss Economic and Political Cooperation; Weapons Scare at
Local Music Hall
4) Heads of Oriental Orthodox Churches Sign Common Declaration in Cairo
5) Zoo Cries Foul after Armenia Bound Elephant Dies

1) Javakhk Armenians Deliver Strong Message to Council of Europe

Just as the Council of Europe’s Monitoring Committee was to convene on October
24 to review Georgia’s fulfillment of obligations and commitments before the
European body, Javakhk’s Council of Armenian Non-Governmental Organizations
submitted a powerful memorandum to that committee outlining commitments that
Georgia, on becoming a Council of Europe member in April 1999, has failed to
fulfill–namely those dealing with national minorities, local self governance,
and autonomy.
Pointing to the resulting social and economic decay, they ask that Javakhk be
fully integrated into the social, political, socioeconomic, and cultural lives
of the country. The stress, however, that integration is not synonymous with
assimilation, and that autonomy is a must for the struggling region.

The following is the full text of that Memorandum titled, “The Situation in
The Samtskhe-Javakheti Region in Georgia And Georgia’s Obligations And
Commitments before The Council of Europe.”

As you prepare to hold your next meeting in Georgia, we, the leaders of the
Armenian nongovernmental organizations of the Samtskhe-Javakheti territory in
Georgia, attaching great importance to the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of our country, wish to bring to your attention the critical
situation in Samtskhe-Javakheti, which if left unresolved, could have dire
consequences for the population of the territory and for Georgia as a whole.
When joining the Council of Europe in 1999, the following were among the
obligations and commitments Georgia undertook:

a) to sign and ratify, within a year after its accession, the Framework
Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter
for Regional or Minority Languages; b) to sign and ratify, within three years
after its accession, the European Charter of Local Self-Government, […] and
in the meantime to apply the fundamental principles of [this] instrument;
c) to
enact, within two years after its accession, a legal framework determining the
status of the autonomous territories and guaranteeing them broad autonomy, the
exact terms of which are to be negotiated with the representatives of the
territories concerned; d) to amend, within three years after its accession,
the
law on autonomy and local government to enable all the heads of councils to be
elected instead of being appointed; e) to adopt, within two years after its
accession, a law on minorities based on the principles of Assembly
Recommendation 1201 (1993).

Five years after accession, Georgia has yet to take steps towards fulfilling
the above mentioned commitments and obligations. In fact, the process of
fulfilling these commitments before the Council of Europe has failed, and,
inter alia, has made the situation in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region critical.
The 1995 Georgian constitution does not define the administrative
structure of
the country and in practice the district-level self-government does not match
democratic standards. In the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, discriminatory laws
and
practices have left the Armenian population far less represented in the
district administration. There are no elective bodies on the regional level
and
there is no legislative base for the institution of state commissioners
appointed by presidential decrees. The present administrative structure and
the
method of governance do not take into account the specifics of the region and
do not correspond to the needs of the population.
The system has long demonstrated that it is bankrupt and unfruitful. The
Samtskhe-Javakheti region has actually been pushed out of the governing
processes of the country.
The administrative governance of the region has been frustrated. At the local
level, flagrant discrimination is practiced against the local Armenian
population; in contrast to the rest of the country, in the Armenian populated
areas of Samtskhe-Javakheti most sakrebulos (locally elected bodies)
incorporate several villages, whereas each Georgian populated village has a
separate sakrebulo, thus artificially increasing the Georgian presence on the
district level.
These measures, policies and practices are in direct contradiction to the
European Charter of Local Self-Government, which Georgia had undertaken to
sign
and ratify within three years after its accession and in the meantime to apply
the fundamental principles of this instrument.
No short or long-term socio-economic programs to serve the interests of the
population are implemented. The poverty and desperation have reached
threatening levels. Educational and cultural conditions are unsatisfactory.
In the last ten months, we have conveyed our concerns and recommendations to
the highest authorities in Georgia and to the (now former) Secretary
General of
the Council of Europe, but to no avail. All of them have failed to even
acknowledge receipt of our written communications.
It is crucial to have the Samtskhe-Javakheti region fully integrated in the
state, political, socioeconomic and cultural lives of the country. But
integration is not synonymous to assimilation, neither is autonomy to
secession. In a democratic society, integration can only be achieved through
participation. Policies and practices pursuing assimilation or artificial and
forceful change of demographic realities can only result in the opposite.
Integration requires that both the majority and the minority have the desire
for it and the willingness to take mutual steps towards each other.
Under the guise of integration, the Georgian authorities have enacted laws
which are contrary to the spirit and letter of the Framework Convention for
the
Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or
Minority Languages, which Georgia had undertaken to sign and ratify within a
year after its accession, but has failed to do so after over five years
following its accession. Furthermore, and in direct contradiction of the
above-mentioned Framework Convention and European Charter, the Georgian
authorities have recently introduced a draft law on education, which, if
enacted, would effectively prevent Georgia’s national minorities, including
the
Armenians, from education at all levels in their relevant regional or minority
languages.
There is no broad social-political consensus in the country on political
issues connected with ethnic diversity of Georgia and its internal political
and administrative systems. The reported Armenian ancestry of politicians and
public figures is often regarded to be derogatory. Whereas the existence of a
large number of Armenian cultural and religious monuments, as well as
historical records speak of the fact that in Southern Georgia, including in
the
Samtskhe-Javakheti region, the Armenians are natives, Georgian society regards
the Armenians in those regions as newcomers. There is recorded evidence of
attempts to “Georgianize” these monuments. The Georgian authorities are
sending
contradictory messages on how national minorities can protect and promote
their
linguistic and cultural rights: whereas, on the one hand, the Georgian
authorities are undermining the linguistic and cultural rights of the
law-abiding national minorities, on the other hand, in order to appease those
who have declared their independence from Georgia, the same authorities
promise
them to protect and promote their language and culture in return for restoring
Georgian sovereignty on those territories.
We are convinced that if Georgia completely and sincerely honors its
accession
obligations and
commitments, especially those mentioned at the beginning of this
Memorandum, it
would greatly help alleviate the serious situation in Samtskhe-Javakheti.
Hence we appeal to you, the Committee on the Honoring of Obligations and
Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe, to ensure that Georgia
honors its commitments entered into on its accession to the Council of Europe.
We are at the disposal of your Committee for further elaboration and
discussion.

Council of Armenian Non-Governmental Organizations of the Samtskhe-Javakheti
Region in Georgia

October 21, 2004
Akhalkalaki

The Council attaches its December 30, 2003 appeal to then acting President of
Georgia
Nino Burjanadze; appeal to President Saakashvili to grant autonomy to Javakhk;
and letter to Secretary General of the Council of Europe Walter Schwimmer

2) Turkey Must Recognize Cyprus before Joining EU, Says British Minister

NICOSIA (Combined Sources)–The United Kingdom’s minister to Europe Denis
MacShane appeared to raise the bar for Turkish membership to the European
Union, saying, “It is not possible for Turkey to become a member of the
European Union while it does not recognize a member of the Union. This is
legally impossible.”
MacShane was in Northern Cyprus for a fact-finding visit that included
meetings with a number of Turkish Cypriot politicians.
MacShane also stressed there is no justification for Turkey to retain
thousands of troops on the soil of an EU member state.
In a strongly-worded message to Ankara, MacShane also called on the Turkish
government to withdraw its troops from the divided island of Cyprus.
“This money could be spent on social projects that would benefit both
communities,” he said.
He added his belief that once normal relations between Nicosia and Ankara had
begun, negotiations over the demilitarization of the island would begin under
the auspices of the UN.
MacShane called on the Cypriots of both sides of the Green Line to put the
“problems of the last century” behind them and work together to face new
challenges.
But while pushing for Turkey’s recognition of Cyprus, the minister asked that
a date to begin the Turkish accession talks be set. He added that it would be
wrong to insist that Turkey removes all its troops from the island as a
precondition for a starting date.

3) Presidents Discuss Economic and Political Cooperation; Weapons Scare at
Local Music Hall

TBILISI (Combined Sources)On Sunday, President Robert Kocharian ended a
three-day official visit to Georgia, which he and his Georgian counterpart
Mikhail Saakashvili said will help the two neighboring nations strengthen
their
relations.
The two leaders held a series of talks that focused on bilateral trade,
transport, and other economic issues.
The economic focus of the visit was underscored by an Armenian-Georgian
economic forum that began its work in Tbilisi during the weekend. Saakashvili
and Kocharian presided over its opening session. Twenty-nine businessmen
accompanied Kocharian to the forum, and discussed the privatization of the
Poti
Port and the energy sector.
The situation in the Armenian-populated Javakhk region in southern Georgia
was
also on the agenda of the talks. The Armenian and Georgian leaders discussed
economic development programs for the impoverished region, with Kocharian
indicating that Armenia is ready to assist in rebuilding local roads
leading to
the Armenian border. Kocharian also held a separate meeting with leaders of
the
Armenian community in Tbilisi.
At a joint briefing to journalists, Kocharian stressed the need to
reconstruct
the railway through Abkhazia that would link Armenia with Russia. The Armenian
president went on to say, however, that this issue could be resolved only by
Georgia.
“More frequent railway movement is better for all of us. The absence of
railway communications is neither favorable to Armenians or Georgians. I think
that a pragmatic approach to this issue would be very useful, although I
understand that it is a very difficult issue, and Georgia has to decide
what to
do,” the Armenian president said.
Saakashvili chose not to comment on the issue, speaking instead of regional
cooperation.
“The Baltic countries could push for this idea to take shape as part of the
[EU] new neighbors policy. We are ready to cooperate with them,” said
Kocharian.
On Saturday, Kocharian met with Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, who praised the
Armenian president, saying, “I want to say that Kocharian always pays great
attention to eliminate even small defects in relations with Georgia,” Zhvania
told reporters, and said the talks addressed Georgia’s import of electricity
from Armenia.
Kocharian also met with Speaker of Parliament Nino Burjanadze, and said
afterwards that close cooperation between the parliaments is one of the main
components of bilateral relations.
“We agreed to strengthen the relations between our parliaments, and, I will
also invite the Speaker of the Armenian parliament to Georgia. We have
cooperated in the past, and now we only need to refresh it,” he told
journalists in the parliament after the meeting.
Burjanadze welcomed the idea of bilateral cooperation between the two
parliaments, saying that “this is in the interests of both countries and the
region as a whole.”
Kocharian also met with Georgian Patriarch Ilia II, and visited the Heroes
Square where he laid a wreath on the memorial to soldiers who died fighting to
preserve Georgia’s territorial integrity.
Later, Saakashvili and Kocharian expressed their condolence to former
Georgian
president Eduard Shevardnadze in connection with his wife’s death. They paid
their respects by going to the presidential Krtsanisi residence late at
night.
Afterwards, Kocharian and Saakashvili visited the Adjaria Music Hall, where a
show in honor of the Armenian president was being held. The joyous atmosphere
of the evening was marred when weapons were discovered in the building.
Investigators have not yet determined if the weapons were linked to a possible
dual assassination attempt.
The two presidents spent that night at the presidential residence in Likani,
near Borjomi.
On the third and last day of the official visit, Kocharian met with the
Armenian diaspora of Georgia, during which complaints about unemployment were
the focus of talks.
Also on Sunday, Minister of Internal Affairs of Armenia Haik Harutunian, and
Georgia’s Minister of Internal Affairs Irakli Okruashvili signed an agreement
to create a joint board that will work to eradicate the trafficking of drugs
and stolen cars. Their first session will be held on December 20.
“This board will have to meet once every two-three months in order to develop
this idea,” stated Okruashvili at the briefing, after the signing of the
agreement.

4) Heads of Oriental Orthodox Churches Sign Common Declaration in Cairo

ANTELIAS–The seventh meeting of the heads of the Oriental Orthodox
Churches of
the Middle EastCoptic, Syrian, and Armeniantook place in Cairo, Egypt on
October 21, following the meeting between the standing committees of the three
churches.
In their Common Declaration, which thanked God for the centuries’ long unity
that has existed between the churches, His Holiness Pope Shnouda III, His
Holiness Mar Ignatius Zakka I, and His Holiness Aram I emphasized the
importance of bilateral theological dialogue, and the need to resume such
dialogue between the Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox churches.
Within the declaration, the three church heads expressed their deep concern
for the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate’s use of the word “Catholicosate” in
describing itself, and noted that if Roman Catholic Church fails to solve the
matter, “our churches will not participate in the official theological
dialogue
with the Catholic church.”
Referring to dialogue with the Anglican World communion that was suspended by
these churches after the ordination of an Anglican gay bishop in the United
States, the heads of the churches reiterated their concern and the position of
their churches that “all practice and behavior related to marriage and sexual
orientation must be in accord with the biblical and moral teachings of our
Churches. We hope that in the near future the Anglican Communion will solve
this matter which will enable us to resume our theological dialogue with the
Anglican Communion.”
The Church heads renewed “the commitment of their churches to peace with
justice,” and condemned “all forms and expression of violence and urged all to
engage in processes and actions aimed at conflict resolution through mutual
love, respect and trust.” In referring to the current situation in the Middle
East, the declaration stated: “The escalation of violence and confusion in
Iraq
worries us. Due to this situation, the country is losing its people either
through deaths or immigration. We urge all Iraqi citizens, regardless of their
religious and cultural backgrounds, to work for the wellbeing of their country
and their fellow citizens. We call on all nations to assist the people of Iraq
in helping to restore independence and sovereignty with the full participation
of all Muslim and Christian communities in Iraq. We renew our call for a
renewed peace process that will focus on the establishment of a Palestinian
state and the right to return for the Palestinians. True and lasting peace
will
only be realized when justice and dignity is upheld and maintained, and when
Israel, according to UN Security Council Resolutions, withdraws from Arab and
Palestinian territories.”

5) Zoo Cries Foul after Armenia Bound Elephant Dies

(BBC)–The seven-year-old elephant calf Komala, due to have flown to
Armenia as
a gift from Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam, died in agony after what
officials at the Msyore zoo in southern India are calling a conspiracy by
insiders.
Komala–the darling of one of India’s oldest zoos, was described as
attractive
and playful, and had been hand-picked for Armenia because of her pleasing
features, officials say.
Doctors battled for hours to save her on Friday, but in vain.
“It is really unfortunate. The elephant was to fly out on October 14, but we
could not get a confirmed cargo booking,” said the zoo’s director Manoj
Kaman.”
The next date fixed was October 30, but destiny had other plans.”
Officials suspect she could be the latest victim of poisoning by disgruntled
employees, and, perhaps, a persistent campaign to discredit the zoo for
reasons
unknown.
Two elephants and an endangered lion-tailed macaque died in similar
circumstances in August. An official inquiry began on Monday.
It is suspected that all the deaths could be due to poisoning.
Komala had died despite tight security arrangements following the deaths of
the two other elephants, Ganesha and Roopa, and the lion-tailed macaque in
August.
Ganesha and Roopa had acute hemorrhage enteritis and respiratory distress
caused by zinc phosphide, normally used as poison for rodents.
This is not the first time animals have died mysteriously in captivity in
Measure, leading some to believe there is a plot to damage the state-run zoo’s
reputation–although it is not clear why anyone would want to do so.
Last year, a chimp, and two EMU’s from Australia also died under suspicious
circumstances.

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Date: October 25, 2004

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT : Migirdic Migirdicyan
“Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund Toronto
Telephone : (416) 332 0787
Fax : (416) 332 0736
[email protected]

ALL-ARMENIAN FUND TORONTO BUILT THE SCHOOL FOR THE SHOSH VILLAGE IN
KARABAGH

TORONTO, Canada, October 25, 2004 – For the people of Shosh, in
Karabagh, October 10, 2004 was a very festive day. After some 120 years
of waiting the village finally got their school building. The project
was financed by the Toronto Chapter of “Hayasdan” All Armenian Fund. The
school which was named after Sarkis Aprahamian, a scholar from the same
village, has ten classrooms, a computer room, the principle’s office,
teachers’ room, medical room, library and an auditorium, all in all a
three story modern building for 150 students.

The opening ceremonies were presided by the President of NKR Mr. Argati
Ghougassian and Archbishop Barkev Mardirossian, Primate of Artsakh. The
Executive Director of the Fund Mrs. Naira Melkoumian, Minister of Urban
Development Mr. Boris Alavertian, other ministers, local officials and a
delegation from Toronto headed by Migirdic Migirdicyan, Chairman of the
Toronto Chapter of the Fund were present.

In his remarks President Ghougassian praised the building and emphasized
the fact that Toronto, despite its relatively small Armenian population,
has been one of the most active communities which has been realizing
humanitarian projects year after year. Mr. Migirdicyan, after
congratulating the people of Shosh, announced the new projects for the
2005 which will be bringing water to three villages, and soon after, the
construction of another school with the same engineering design as
Shosh. After the blessing of the school by Archbishop Mardirossian, the
ribbon cutting ceremony took place and the doors of the school opened to
all the villagers, students, teachers and the visitors.

As the school was fully furnished, including the state of the art
computers, the classes started the very next day.

For additional information or a sample copy please contact:

“Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund Toronto
5005 Steeles avenue East, Suite 200
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Telephone : (416) 332 07 87, Fax : (416) 332 0736, [email protected]

Hayastan Foundation Canada Inc. is a charitable organization, realizing
humanitarian projects in Armenia and Karabagh. Over the last twelve
years it has undertaken and successfully completed winter heating, water
distribution, medical and school construction projects.

Philippine Star, Philippines
26 Oct. 2004

Thai foe next for Manny
By Joaquin Henson
The Philippine Star 10/26/2004

It doesn’t look like Guyana stylist Gairy St. Clair will be consensus
world featherweight boxing champion Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent
after all.

Instead, Thai veteran Fahsan 3-K Battery, a former World Boxing
Federation (WBF) bantamweight titlist, looms as Pacquiao’s foe in a
non-title bout here on Dec. 4.

Pacquiao’s business manager Rod Nazario told The Star yesterday
negotiations are being finalized to bring Fahsan to Manila for the
fight billed as a tuneup for the Juan Manuel Marquez rematch in Las
Vegas on Feb. 26.

St. Clair was demoted in the order of battle because he will likely run
more than fight in a Pacquiao faceoff. The Australia-based fighter is
known for his footwork and boxing skills. Lack of power is why St.
Clair isn’t inclined to brawl and go toe-to-toe.

“We don’t want to see Manny chasing his opponent all over the ring,”
said Pacquiao’s US promoter Murad Muhammad who’s in town to iron out
the details of the match. “We want to give Manny’s Filipino fans their
money’s worth. We want a competitive fight. We want an opponent who can
give Manny trouble. We want to see Manny at his best.”

Fahsan, 30, is a fighter who’ll engage Pacquiao in a slugfest without
backing down. His record is 44-7-1 with 23 KOs. Filipinos seem to be
his favorite victims as he has beaten at least 20, including the likes
of Nathan Barcelona, Ramil Anito, Jaime Acerda, Joebar Damosmog, Eugene
Gonzales, Ricky Sales and Archie Ano-os.

Pacquiao left the country to train in Freddie Roach’s gym in Los
Angeles last Sept. 8 and returned a month later with no confirmed fight
booking. Nazario said Pacquiao will not go back to the US until after
the Manila bout.

“Manny will continue his training in Davao,” said Nazario. “Two or
three weeks before the fight, he will move to Manila and finish off his
workouts.”

Pacquiao is now in Manila competing in the Philippine 9-Ball Billiards
Open.

A reliable source said Muhammad will deliver a whopping $500,000 purse
for Pacquiao in the coming match. The source added that Pacquiao has
already advanced about P5 million from Nazario and Muhammad.

Muhammad is expected to call a press conference shortly to announce the
final details of the fight.

Fahsan, a southpaw like Pacquiao, stopped Pirus Boy of Indonesia in the
first round to win the vacant WBF bantamweight crown in Surat Thani in
February 1999. He halted Duncan Magubane of South Africa in his first
defense six months later then relinquished the crown. Fahsan went on to
capture the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Intercontinental
bantamweight and Pan Pacific superbantamweight titles. He is ranked No.
4 by the IBF in the 122-pound division.

Last May, Fahsan traveled to the US to meet Art Simonyan in an IBF
superbantamweight title eliminator. He lost by a unanimous decision.
The Thai nearly floored Simonyan in the ninth round when he landed a
vicious left cross to the body and staggered the Armenian with a left
counter, 40 seconds to go.

Boxing News writer Jim Brady said Fahsan is “a veteran of Muay Thai
fighting and (is) used to getting whacked with bamboo poles and
training on ground glass.”

Fahsan, whose real name is Narongrit Pirang, belongs to the same stable
as Pacquiao’s conqueror Medgoen Singsurat.

Nazario said he offered Medgoen a spot in the undercard to fight rising
superflyweight prospect Z Gorres but the Thai refused to venture
overseas.

Fahsan turned pro in 1992 and lost his first four outings on points.
But he regrouped to capture the Thai featherweight diadem in only his
ninth fight. In 1995, Fahsan dropped a decision to Tony Wehbee of
Australia in a bid for the WBF superbantamweight crown. Four years
later, he won the WBF bantamweight belt.

Pacquiao has a tendency to take opponents lightly in non-title fights.
And he has paid dearly for it.

Last year, he was decked by Serik Yeshmangbetov in the fourth round of
a non-title contest before flooring the tough Kazakh twice in the fifth
to score a knockout at the Luneta.

Pacquiao has been knocked down only by Rustico Torrecampo, Medgoen,
Nedal Hussein, Yeshmangbetov and Marco Antonio Barrera in a career that
started in 1995. He hasn’t lost since the Medgoen debacle in 1999.
Pacquiao is unbeaten in his last 14 fights and boasts a record of
38-2-2, with 30 KOs.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Zaman, Turkey
25 Oct. 2004

ETYEN MAHCUPYAN

“Minority” in the Report

Do you think it is possible to progress on the European Union (EU) path
without understanding the fact that a national policy can only be
composed with the help of a combined willpower filtered by communal
discussion?

That EU already exists as a concrete expression of this political
concept with its process of existence and constitution. However, Turkey
is not able to escape from the vicious circle forcing it to depend on
“the divine format.”

Hence, the political preferences that emerged in the first years of
Republic seem to have determined the future of this country
everlastingly.

Therefore, it cannot be admitted that each of the said principles of
existence are political choices, and the Republic that is obliged to
carry the temporary social consensus of the changing demands, should
turn into a burden laden with a divine subject on our shoulders.

“The minority” concept is one of the most outstanding features of this
concept…

According to the official expression, the word “minority” includes only
Greeks, Jewish and Armenian community members in conformity with the
Lausanne Peace Treaty.

Kurds and Alevis are not included in this definition since Lausanne
does not mention them.

How can a country misinterpret its own founding agreement on purpose?
However, it happens in our country. Lausanne directly refers to some
sort of rights for all Turkish citizens, other than the definition of
minority for all non-Muslims, without giving a name to the community.
If you seriously consider all the rights specified for all Turkish
citizens in Lausanne, you can neither ban the Kurdish language nor
indirectly impose Alevi religious practices. In short, the Turkish
Republic has systematically ignored Lausanne.

Whereas, the “minority” concept nowadays is presented within a
different framework and perceived as an extension of a democratic
outlook.

Any community that shows signs of deficiency towards a part
power-dominant, standing outside the dominant ethnic, religious and
cultural part in a community, and is able to produce a specific
cultural identity for itself, is called a “minority.”

It is possible to call it “objective minority” because it gives the
said community a definition outside.

Of course, there is something about how a community feels, positions
itself and where it sees itself: We might call that “subjective
minority.”

The existence of a political minority is only available when both the
objective and subjective minority facts go along together.

Henceforth, Kurds and Alevis cannot consider themselves as minorities.
No one force them to define themselves as minorities.

But the EU explicitly and objectively perceives them as minorities…

They both have unique and cultural identities independent of the
dominant culture and are in a secondary position under the sovereign
culture.

Turkey seems to have changed some sentences since it does not like the
“minority” expression in the EU [Progress] Report.

Why were we perturbed by Kurds and Alevis being called minorities?

It must have been to resist the Western world’s opportunity of
intervening and not to step back from our “ancient” position.

Yet, there is an odd situation here because the minorities according to
international law definition have no right to decide their own destiny,
but the communities that are not regarded as minorities have.

I am very curious: Does Turkey really know what it is doing and why it
is defending what?

To be honest, as one who defends Kurdish people being equal, I do not
object to Turkey’s position on this.

However, if anyone does not know what it means, there are crucial
problems before since it will not be very easy to keep them under the
sovereign identity and at the same time not give the Kurds and Alevis a
minority status.

–Boundary_(ID_jeLkmjg/JKuQFAjUQk7DkA)–

Chelmsford church land sale could bring housing
By TOM SPOTH, Sun Staff

Lowell Sun, MA
25 Oct. 2004

CHELMSFORD — The cash-strapped St. Vartanantz Armenian Church has
sold eight acres of its 16.6-acre property to raise money for repairs
and hire a full-time priest, church officials said.

Billerica developer Fran McCarthy is planning a 32-unit
affordable-housing development on the St. Vartanantz land, according
to town officials.

Paul Ketchoyian, chairman of the church’s parish council, said the
land sold for $1.5 million, a figure that could increase depending on
the number of units approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals. Chapter
40B affordable-housing plans fall under the ZBA’s purview.

Ketchoyian said the land could have fetched a larger sum, but the
parish council wanted to choose a buyer that would develop the land
responsibly. (One bidder planned to build 108 condominiums, he said.)

“It boiled down to what we thought was good for the town and good
for the church,” Ketchoyian said. “Anything less (than $1.5 million)
would not solve the problem.”

The income will pay off a mortgage on the church building, and interest
earned will help with upkeep, Ketchoyian said. Money that had been used
for mortgage payments would then be freed up to pay for a full-time
priest, he said. St. Vartanantz currently uses a part-time priest
that visits the church only on Sundays.

McCarthy has not filed plans with the town yet, director of community
development Andrew Sheehan said. McCarthy is currently seeking approval
from MassHousing, a state money-lender for affordable projects.

Ketchoyian indicated that the main access to the property would be
off Walnut Street, and residents in the area have already called the
church with concerns about the proposal.

Ten triplexes and one duplex are planned for the site, Sheehan said.
According to Ketchoyian, the units would be restricted to buyers who
are at least 55 years old.

McCarthy did not return a phone call seeking comment.

PRESS RELEASE
“Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund
Governmental Building 3, Yerevan, RA
Contact: Artak Harutyunyan
Tel: 3741 52 09 40
Fax: 3741 52 37 95
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

2004-10-25

On the threshold of the Telethon scheduled on November 25, Yerevan
schools continue their fundraising efforts. On October 22, one more
fundraising event took place in Yerevan. This time the students of
school N132 after Admiral Isakov raised funds to the benefit of the
North-South project. They handed over the money to the “Hayastan”
All-Armenian Fund’s officials during the ceremony organized in the
school.

PRESS RELEASE
Department of Armenian Studies, Haigazian University
Beirut, Lebanon
Contact: Ara Sanjian
Tel: 961-1-353011
Email: [email protected]
Web:

HAIGAZIAN UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ARMENIAN STUDIES

invites to a lecture on

The History of the Armenians in the Orontes River Middle Valley
(in Armenian)

by

Hagop Cholakian
(Aleppo)

Friday, November 5, 2004 – 7:30 p.m.
Haigazian University Auditorium – Kantari, Beirut

N.B. Please accept this message as a personal invitation.

Hagop Cholakian is an educator, researcher and poet based in Aleppo,
Syria. His lecture at Haigazian University on the history of the
Armenian communities that have lived since the Middle Ages in the
north-western regions of the territory of modern Syria will be based on
parts of his doctoral dissertation, which he defended at the Institute
of Archeology and Ethnography at the Armenian National Academy of
Sciences in Yerevan in 2002.

Haigazian University is a liberal arts institution of higher learning,
established in Beirut in 1955. For more information about its activities
you are welcome to visit its web-site at <;.
For additional information on the activities of its Department of
Armenian Studies, contact Ara Sanjian at <[email protected]>

Times of India, India
Oct 24 2004

Another elephant dies at Mysore Zoo

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2004 02:35:11 AM ]

MYSORE: Six weeks after the death of three animals in Mysore Zoo that
kicked up a storm, an eightyear-old female elephant was found dead on
Friday. The elephant, which was to have been India’s goodwill
ambassador to Armenia, is suspected to have been poisoned, much like
the other three.

The death of the elephant, Komala, comes as a shocker especially
since it had been provided round-the-clock security just to ward off
mischievous elements. Sources said the elephant refused food on
Thursday night. The next morning, she collapsed all of a sudden and
died. A post-mortem was conducted in the evening. Speaking to the
Sunday Times of India, Zoo executive director Manoj Kumar suspected
foul play. “It could have died due to the same reason as the other
two jumbos.” The hint is at poisoning.

Laboratory tests conducted on the elephants, Ganesha and Roopa, which
died in September, confirmed poisoning and the needle of suspicion
was pointed towards animal keepers. Came close on its heels was the
death of Lingam, an endangered lion-tailed macaque. All these three
deaths occurred within the space of a week and days after the
incumbent assumed office.

Sources expressed shock how Komala could have been poisoned despite
it being provided security, which indicates a telling lapse on the
part of those manning the cage. A complaint in this regard has been
lodged.

Following a request by the Central Zoo Authority to locate a female
elephant to partner a tusker in a zoo in the Armenian capital of
Yerevan, Mysore Zoo zeroed in on Komala that was born here. This
followed a direction from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who wanted
to gift a female elephant to Armenia as a goodwill gesture.

After a visit by officials of the CZA and Armenian embassy, Komala
was separated from her parents and accorded a special treatment. She
was to have left for Armenia by month-end. But that union and journey
were not to be.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Wilkes Barre Times-Leader, PA
Miami Herald, FL
Biloxi Sun Herald, MS
Aberdeen American News, SD
Bradenton Herald, FL
Oct 24 2004

YEREVAN, ARMENIA: THINGS TO SEE AND DO

– Visit the ”closed bazaar,” a football stadium-size indoor market
on West Mashtots Avenue, brimming with fresh fruits and vegetables
displayed like gleaming jewels.

– See the rare document museum, the Matenadaran, which houses an
extraordinary collection of ancient manuscripts, some dating to the
ninth century. An English tour guide — a paltry $2.50 above the
regular $4 admission fee — will heighten your experience by
explaining the relevance of what you’re seeing. Highlight: A huge
15th-century book relaying Armenia’s history. It was ripped in half
and smuggled out of the country by two peasant women, at great
personal peril, during the 1915 genocide. Both women, and both halves
of the book, survived.

– Make time for the museum dedicated to Sergey Parajanov, a master of
modern cinema and director of The Color of the Pomegranate. Through
collages, mixed media and paintings you can glimpse into his complex
mind. Alas, there are no film clips.

– Learn the difference between brandy and cognac at the Yerevan
Brandy Company, which offers free factory tours. Armenia is famous
for its brandy and this is the place to go if you want to witness how
spirits are distilled and aged. Located about five minutes by car
from the city center on Admiral Isakov Ave.

– Stroll through the Vernissage, a festive outdoor market that
operates each weekend near Republic Square. Here will you’ll find
accordions, old toasters, Russian nesting dolls, obscure car parts,
compasses, jewelry, and strolling musicians.

– Visit Tsitsernakaberd, the somber site of the Genocide Memorial,
and the Museum of the Armenian Genocide. Tens of thousands of
Armenians make a pilgrimage here each year on April 24, the national
day of commemoration and mourning. Otherwise, it is a fairly deserted
place — fitting for the solemn contemplation that it inspires.

It is located at 46 Kievan St. in the Tsitsenakaberd Park, northwest
of the city center.

Jordan Times
Sunday, October 24, 2004

A spat in the Old City

By Omar Karmi

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM – On Oct. 10, Armenian Archbishop Nourhan Manougian,
second in the Armenian Church hierarchy here, led a procession from the
Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
to mark the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
>From somewhere among the onlookers, a young Yeshiva student suddenly stepped
forward and spat at the bishop. The robed clergyman slapped the man back.
The Jewish student grabbed a chain, with an ancient religious pendant, from
around the bishop’s neck, tore it off and broke it. By this time, the entire
Armenian procession had piled in, and the Yeshiva student escaped relatively
unscathed only after the intervention of the Israeli police.

If it hadn’t happened, you couldn’t have made it up. But this was just
another day in Jerusalem, and not too far out of the ordinary either,
judging by the Oct. 12 headline in the Israeli daily Haaretz, `Christians in
Jerusalem want Jews to stop spitting on them.’

`This is not an unusual incident,’ an Armenian Church official told The
Jordan Times. `We all get it. Last week, a Greek Orthodox priest heard a tap
at his window. When he opened it, someone spat in his face.’

But the Armenians are particularly exposed to such incidents, said the
official, who preferred to remain nameless. Not because of their creed, but
for logistical reasons. `If the Greeks go to the Holy Sepulchre, it’s just
around the corner. It’s the same for the Latins. But the Armenian Quarter is
right next to the Jewish Quarter, and we have much further to go. Hence,
there is more opportunity for spitting.’

What’s with the spitting? The Yeshiva student in question in this incident,
Natan Zvi Rosenthal, said afterwards by way of explanation that he had
always been taught that Christianity was `idol worship.’ Rosenthal’s
explanation comes in various guises. George, a resident of the Armenian
Quarter, said he had once been told that wearing a cross was `a
provocation.’ `One [Jewish] neighbour told me that Christians had persecuted
Jews for 2,000 years, and that’s why some feel it is appropriate to act like
this.’

An Israeli police spokesman on Oct. 19 said this was the first such incident
that the police had dealt with in two-and-a-half years. He conceded,
however, that the incidents are not always brought to the police’s
attention.

Certainly, they are happening with enough frequency for some to question
whether it constitutes an anti-Christian phenomenon. Daniel Rossing, former
adviser to the Israeli religious affairs ministry on Christian affairs and
director of a Jerusalem centre for Christian-Jewish dialogue, told Haaretz
on Oct. 12 that there has been an increase in the number of such incidents
recently, `as part of a general atmosphere of lack of tolerance in the
country.’

The incidents have made many Christian clergy wary and, according to sources
in the Franciscan Church, it has been unofficial policy for Franciscan
clergy to only wear civilian clothes in West Jerusalem for the past 10 years
to avoid any incidents. The Franciscans have also suffered from garbage
being thrown into the garden of their monastery on Mount Zion. There have
been other recent acts of vandalism. A week after the Armenian incident,
Stars of David were spray-painted on the entrance to the Monastery of the
Cross, not far from the Israeli parliament in West Jerusalem.

The Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Cathedral, located near the Israeli police
headquarters in the Russian Compound also in West Jerusalem, has suffered
similar vandalism.

The Armenian Church official also told of several incidents, two in which
the Armenian superior at the Holy Sepulchre Church, Archimandrite Samuel
Aghoyan, had been spat in the face by religious Jews in the Old City.

On Oct. 17, Rosenthal offered an apology to Archbishop Manougian, who in
turn said his religion compelled him to accept it. For the time being,
Rosenthal has been banned from Jerusalem’s Old City for 75 days, and,
according to the Israeli police spokesman, he could still face charges of
assault. The spokesman said he was not aware if there were any other charges
the student could be convicted of, but that a `smart lawyer’ could probably
find some.

Israeli politicians of the left and the right, meanwhile, have come out
strongly against the incident, and the Armenian Church official says he
wouldn’t be surprised if Rosenthal would receive a prison sentence.

`I don’t think the Israeli government, for a number of reasons, can appear
not to be able to protect the holy sites in Jerusalem. It doesn’t look good
for them in any future negotiations over Jerusalem, and it doesn’t look good
to their Christian supporters in the West.’

Sunday, October 24, 2004