Reuters
Persian Journal, Iran
Dar al-Hayat, Saudi Arabia
Dec 9 2004
Iran’s mullah-run judiciary arrests three cultural officials

Iran’s mullah-run judiciary has arrested three cultural officials for
organising a festival containing a brief display of dancing by a male
and female theatre group, the government-run Iran newspaper reported
on Thursday.
One hardline newspaper said the festival in the southern city of
Ahvaz contained “obscene and repulsive scenes of lewdness and ethical
violations in the guise of art.”
Physical contact between unrelated men and women in public is
outlawed under Iran’s strict Islamic moral code and female dancers
and singers are banned from performing in front of men.
Social and cultural restrictions have eased somewhat under the
government of moderate cleric President Mohammad Khatami.
But powerful conservatives deeply opposed to Western cultural
influences have stepped up their efforts to stamp out any watering
down of Islamic values in recent months.
Festival organiser Alireza Ajang, head of the Culture and Islamic
Guidance Ministry in southern Khuzestan province, and two of his
colleagues were arrested on charges of “encouraging immorality”. The
three were later released on $19,500 bail.
Deputy Culture Minister Mohammad Haqshenas said the incident had been
blown out of proportion.
“The whole festival should not be questioned due to three minutes out
of an Armenian group’s 70-minute performance,” Iran newspaper quoted
him as saying.
But the hardline Kayhan newspaper in, an editorial, called for the
officials to be sacked.
“The dancing of women in revealing gowns under the light of strong
projectors, the mixed dancing of men and women, and other ugly scenes
… were just some of the scandalous incidents of that day,” the
paper said.

IFEX, Canada
Dec 9 2004
ARMENIAN, AZERI JOURNALISTS FORGE DIALOGUE AMIDST CONFLICT
Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave in the Caucasus region that has seen
heavy fighting in the past between Armenia and Azerbaijan, is a place
that provokes fiery debate and even deep-seated hatred among citizens
of both countries. Local journalists compare it to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and governments on both sides use the
media to stoke fear and fan the flames of ethnic tension.
But despite a decades-long divide between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
journalists are working together in small but remarkable ways to
promote more fair and balanced media coverage, reports the Committee
to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
In its latest issue of “Dangerous Assignments,” CPJ documents several
cross-border initiatives, including the use of non-traditional media
to promote civic dialogue and fill an “informational vacuum” that
lies between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Radio Van, an Armenian broadcaster, features talk shows that allow
listeners to discuss “hot topics,” including Nagorno-Karabakh,
environmental problems and minority rights. Denied government
permission to broadcast beyond the capital, Yerevan, the station uses
its website to reach more listeners.
On , a website launched by the
Yerevan-based Region Centre, more than 150 journalists from the
Caucasus exchange ideas and opinions in online forums. The website
gives journalists a chance to publicise their work online and conduct
“cross-border interviews” with government officials and other
newsmakers. Journalists must pledge to uphold media ethics when
reporting.
Meanwhile, local press clubs in Yerevan and the Azeri capital, Baku,
organise joint press conferences by satellite, during which
journalists from both countries interview politicians and government
leaders, discuss the news and then report what they learn in their
own media.
While some say these initiatives may not have much influence because
of government control over the media in both countries, others
believe cooperation will go a long way in defusing tension and
dispelling stereotypes. “Fair information has the power to make us
change our perception and to make rational decisions, while unfair
information reinforces stereotypes, stirs up anger and leads to
stupid decisions,” says John Boit, regional director for Internews.
To read the full story, visit:

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER 3-9, 2004
HIGHLIGHTS:
SEVENTH “PRESS-CLUB” SHOW
CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS INSTITUTED ON THE IGNITION OF “HAIKAKAN ZHAMANAK” CAR
SEVENTH “PRESS-CLUB” SHOW
On December 6 on the evening air of the Second Armenian TV Channel the
seventh “Press Club” show was issued. The cycle is organized by Yerevan
Press Club under “Strengthening Democracy in South Caucasus by Free
Expression” project, implemented jointly with “Article 19” international
organization with the support of Open Society Institute.
The heads of the leading media and journalistic associations of Armenia
discussed the issue of informational security. The other subject was the
situation in Ukraine after the second round of presidential elections that
had been at the focus of Armenian media attention.
CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS INSTITUTED ON THE IGNITION OF “HAIKAKAN ZHAMANAK” CAR
On December 3 the Public Relations and Information Department of the RA
General Prosecutor’s Office informed that on December 2 the criminal
proceedings on the ignition of the car, owned by “Haikakan Zhamanak” daily
and used by the Chief Editor Nikol Pashinian, were instituted. As it has
been reported, the ignition occurred on the evening of November 22 and,
according to the forensic fire examination, was the open source of flame.
The Chief Editor of “Haikakan Zhamanak” himself qualified the incident to be
intentional and directed against him personally (see details in YPC Weekly
Newsletter, November 26 – December 2, 2004).
The proceedings are instituted by items 1 and 2 of Part 2, Article 185 of
the RA Criminal Code (“Intentional destruction or spoilage of property”).
These clauses stipulated punishment of up to 4 years’ imprisonment for an
action, committed by arson, explosion or other publicly dangerous way and
inflicting a major damage. The investigation is conducted by the
Investigation Division of the Yerevan Police.
When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.
You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
[email protected]
Subscription for the Newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]
Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
____________________________________________
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
375007, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 1) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 1) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 1) 517 163
Fax: (374 1) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
December 9, 2004
His Holiness Karekin II Receives Turkish Intellectuals
On December 8, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of
All Armenians, received a group of 30 Turkish scientists, journalists,
authors and intellectuals in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The
delegation from Turkey were members of the “Eastern Assembly Initiative” who
are in Armenia accompanied by Hagop Dink and Ara Kochounian, editors of the
Istanbul-based “Agos” and “Jamanak” newspapers respectively.
Mr. Dink introduced the delegation to His Holiness and expressed the
gratitude of the group for the audience. He noted that the intention of the
participants was to become better acquainted with their neighboring country
and people, and their cultural, economic, political and religious life.
The Catholicos of All Armenians welcomed the guests and greeted the
initiative stating, “An important mission is reserved for intellectuals in
the spheres of education and instruction, in the internal national and
public life of each country, as well as in the formation of mutual
relationships between countries and peoples, and in their progress and
development.”
During the meeting, in response to questions from the Turkish delegation,
His Holiness presented the mission of the Armenian Church throughout the
world, focusing on the difficulties during the Soviet years, and the new
opportunities and challenges in the present day of Armenian independent
statehood. Special mention was made by His Holiness of the pan-national
nature of Armenian life and the work of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
in inter-church and inter-faith ties.
With regards to the current state of Armenia-Turkey relations, His Holiness
specifically emphasized the Armenian Genocide, and stressed that the
genocide is a historical fact which cannot be a point of debate.
Regarding international conflicts in the region, as well as in the Middle
East, the Pontiff of All Armenians underscored the necessity of not
attributing a religious nature or religious grounds to these disputes. His
Holiness stated that an excellent path to resolving and settling these
conflicts would be through inter-faith dialogue.
Concluding his remarks, His Holiness Karekin II extended his best wishes for
the success of the mission of the “Eastern Assembly Initiative”. Present
for the meeting were His Eminence Archbishop Grigoris Buniatian, primate of
the Armenian Diocese of the Ukraine, and His Grace Bishop Arshak
Khatchatrian, Chancellor of the Mother See.

Ecumenical News International
Daily News Service / 08 December 2004
Muslim majority no obstacle to Turkey’s EU bid: Dutch churches
By Andreas Havinga
Amsterdam, 8 December (ENI)–Turkey’s Muslim majority population
should not be a reason for denying the country membership in the
European Union, the Council of Churches in the Netherlands has
said in an open letter to Dutch prime minister Jan Peter
Balkenende.
The EU should, however, insist that Turkey recognise the
Orthodox and other religious minorities within its borders and
this should be a “hard condition” for membership, said the
council, which groups the Protestant, Roman Catholic and
Orthodox churches. It stressed “the importance of respect for
freedom of religion, and for religious and ethnic minorities”.
The Netherlands holds the presidency of the 25 member European
Union. Member states will decide on 17 December about whether to
open talks with Turkey on EU membership.
Turkey’s population of 69 million is second only to that of
Germany’s 82 million people. Demographers estimate that by the
middle of the century, Turkey’s population will exceed that of
any of the EU’s current members.
“The fact that Turkey is a secular state with a Muslim-majority
population certainly poses no obstacle for possible admission of
the country [into the EU],” said the 29 November letter signed by
Ineke Bakker, the Dutch church council’s general secretary.
The church council also pointed out that Turkey still does not
formally recognise the Syrian Orthodox minority living within
its borders.
Turkey does not publish official statistics on religious
affiliation, but estimates say there are between 15,000 and
50,000 Syrian Orthodox Christians in Turkey, while some 12,000
Syrian Orthodox live in the Netherlands. Totalling more than one
million worldwide, Syrian Orthodox read and write Aramaic, the
language that Jesus spoke. Fewer than 0.2 per cent of Turkey’s
population are Christians.
“It would be a special confidence-building sign if the Turkish
authorities were to publicly admit the genocide of 1915,” the
council added, referring to massacre of Armenians by Turkey’s
predecessor, the Ottoman empire, in which also Syrians were
annihilated. Books about the genocide are banned in Turkey.
Istanbul in Turkey is also home to the Ecumenical Patriarch of
Constantinople, who is seen as the senior Eastern Orthodox leader
in the world. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos I complained this
month about Turkey backtracking on a promise to reopen the Halki
Orthodox seminary, closed by the government in 1971.
“It is important that all religious minorities gain the right to
build and maintain buildings such as churches and monasteries,
to set up theological training, to speak and teach in their own
language, and to be free in carrying out diaconal and other
church-related activities,” the Dutch church council said in its
letter.
In the Netherlands rapid secularisation has occurred in recent
decades while the country has received large numbers of Muslim
immigrants, mainly from Turkey and Morocco. Christians are still
the largest religious grouping in the country, but about 40 per
cent of the Dutch population profess no religious faith and more
than five per cent are Muslim.
* * *
All articles (c) Ecumenical News International
Ecumenical News International
PO Box 2100
CH – 1211 Geneva 2
Switzerland
Tel: (41-22) 791 6088/6111
Fax: (41-22) 788 7244
Email: [email protected]

ARMENIA TO BENEFIT FROM IFAD FUNDS
ArmenPress
Dec 8 2004
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS: Armenia is among 17 developing
countries, which will benefit from nearly $320 million in UN loans
and $6.4 million in grants next year. The International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD), meeting at its headquarters in
Rome, approved the loans and grants for rural development projects
in Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso,
Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Jordan, Lesotho, Nepal,
Sudan, Tanzania, Viet Nam and Zambia.
In the Near East and North Africa region, IFAD will provide $64
million in loans to help rural communities in the Tlemcen mountainous
northern region of Algeria, rural mountain districts in Armenia and
poor households in Kordofan, western Sudan, among other projects.

Pope expresses concern for Iraqi Christians after two terror attacks
By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service
Catholic News Service
Dec 8 2004
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II expressed his concern for
Christians in Iraq after terrorists made fresh attacks on two Christian
sites in the northern city of Mosul.
After praying the Angelus to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s
Square Dec. 8, the pope conveyed his “spiritual closeness to the
faithful, shaken by the attack.”
An Armenian Catholic church and the Chaldean Catholic bishop’s
residence were destroyed Dec. 7 in two separate bomb attacks in Mosul.
The pope prayed for the intercession of the Virgin Mary to help “the
beloved Iraqi people” experience “a time of reconciliation and peace.”
In Mosul, an armed group of commandos stormed the Armenian Catholic
church at 2:30 p.m. Witnesses said the attackers ushered everyone out
of the church, then detonated two bombs, leaving the church in ruins.
About two hours later, another group of armed men attacked the
Chaldean bishop’s residence in another part of the city. The men
ordered people in the building out before setting off explosives,
which engulfed the residence in flames.
No one was killed or injured in the two attacks, according to news
reports.
Chaldean Patriarch Emmanuel-Karim Delly of Baghdad lamented the fresh
violence and warned that local Christians were becoming “increasingly
worried that they will be targets of such acts of violence.”
“Christians are worried about this kind of violence happening over
and over again,” he said in a Dec. 7 interview with Asianews, an
Italian-based missionary news agency.
He said the “Iraqi government is impotent to prevent such acts.”
“I hope Our Lady will give us the courage to continue on our path,”
he said.
Numerous Christian sites, especially churches, have been the targets
of terrorist bombings in Iraq.
As a result, Christians have fled Iraq by the thousands over the last
three months, usually driving to Syria or Jordan. The exact number
of those who have left is unknown, but Syrian media say up to 70,000
Iraqi Christians now live in Syria.
The apostolic nuncio to Baghdad called the Dec. 7 bombings “grave and
cowardly acts against defenseless Christian symbols and institutions.”
Speaking to Asianews, the nuncio, Archbishop Fernando Filoni, said the
Chaldean bishop’s residence “had been receiving threats for some time.”
The nuncio said terrorists had promised “they would destroy a church
for every mosque that was attacked” by U.S.-led forces in Iraq.
Behind these assaults against Christians lies “an exasperated violence
that strikes those who are defenseless,” he said.
The archbishop told Asianews he did not believe there was a link
between the Dec. 7 bombings and the season of Advent. He said he
thought the attackers “just want to do harm.”
The destroyed Armenian church in Mosul had been in the final stages
of construction. It was to be officially consecrated Christmas Day.
Reducing the new church to rubble shows “how little respect terrorists
have for people and holy places,” Archbishop Filoni said.

INDONESIA TO RECEIVE IFAD FUNDS FOR DEVELOPMENT
Asia Pulse
Dec 08, 2004
NEW YORK, Dec 8 Asia Pulse – Indonesia will get a slice of US$312.5
million in assistance and US$6.4 million in grants from the
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a statement
said here Tuesday.
IFAD will allocate US$33.8 million of the assistance and US$500,000
of the grant for Indonesia, which will use the funds for its US$37.7
million rural and remote area development program, the statement said.
The funds, it said, should go to small-scale business development in
Indonesia’s rural areas and road development projects in remote areas.
Other countries which will receive the fund are Algeria, Argentina,
Armenia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Ethiopia,
Guatemala, Jordan, Lesotho, Nepal, Sudan, Tanzania, Vietnam and Zambia,
it said.
The total assistance allocated for the Asia Pacific is US$88.4 million,
including funds for poverty eradication in 841 villages in Vietnam
and a small-scale business development project in Bangladesh.
The total assistance allocated for East Africa and South Africa is
US$76.1 million, which should be used in agricultural improvement
in Tanzania, rural economic development in Zambia and agricultural
product marketing in Ethiopia, it said.

Azeri president announces 30-per-cent increase in military spending for 2005
ANS TV, Baku
7 Dec 04
[Presenter] Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev today chaired an
expanded meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on the outcome of
2004. Despite his positive assessment of the government’s performance,
the president took sideswipes at some government officials.
[Correspondent, over video of meeting] Military spendings will be
increased by nearly 30 per cent next year; if necessary, we can
increase them by 50, 100 and even 200 per cent in the years to come
as Azerbaijan’s economic potential allows this, the head of state
told the meeting on the outcome of 2004 with the government members
in attendance. No one, including Armenia which has occupied our lands,
can compete with us in this regard, he said. Armenia’s budget is only
500m dollars now, while Azerbaijan’s military spendings are nearly
250m dollars. We will increase this amount until our occupied lands
are liberated. After that, we will have to maintain our army on a
very high level and strengthen it, end quote.
The president said that Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity must be
restored. The head of state stressed that the 2004 economic indices
were successful. The speedy integration into the world community,
the expansion of relations with all countries and the successful
implementation of big regional projects have considerably strengthened
Azerbaijan’s position in international organizations and the region,
Aliyev said.
This factor has also had a role to play in getting a stronger
support by the world community for Azerbaijan’s fair position on the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and increasing positive trends in the peace
negotiations. The unconditional restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity remains the main principle of the talks, the president added.
The members of the government informed of the activities of their
ministries and forecasts for the next year. Speaking highly about the
government’s work, the head of state delivered a rebuke as well. He
touched upon the cases of government officials sorting out their
disputes.
[Aliyev, captioned, shown speaking at meeting] In some cases
the government members meddle in issues they have nothing to do
with. Everyone is responsible for and should deal with his sphere. It
is natural if anybody has rebukes or suggestions. There are appropriate
conditions to express these rebukes and suggestions, [there are]
the Cabinet of Ministers, the prime minister, the presidential
administration and the president. Each member of the government may
have his own opinion on any sphere. But it should not mean washing
dirty linen in public in an indecent way. I disapprove of it. I
dislike it. Generally speaking, it is against our work principles.
Every member of the government, each minister and each official should
perform his duties in good faith and dignity and professionally. That
is all. A member of the government is an official, not a politician. If
anyone wants to be a politician, it is his own business. But an
official should mind his own business. I reiterate, I do not think
some other tribunes or other forums are appropriate places to utter
feedback to each other or each other’s work. No, they are not. I
reiterate that I am dissatisfied with these incidents and naturally it
causes counter-reaction. Some pursue an open or hidden fight against
the other in certain cases by involving some media outlets. If you
want to fight, there is a legal way, which means quitting [government]
and joining politics. There is no tragedy here. This way is open for
anyone who wants. If anyone wants to deal with politics, let them do
so. Let us see how they will deal.
Rasad Isgandarov for ANS.

Azeri NGOs appeal to Georgian president over crackdown on ethnic Azeris
ANS TV, Baku
7 Dec 04
[Presenter] Azerbaijani NGOs are braced to make an appeal to
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to prevent a crackdown on
ethic Azerbaijanis living in that country.
[Correspondent, over video of scenes of protest by ethnic Azerbaijanis
and scenes in Georgia] The [Azerbaijani] National NGO Forum has
prepared an appeal to Georgian President Saakashvili in protest at the
crackdown on ethnic Azerbaijanis in Georgia. The appeal, which says
ethnic Azerbaijanis have been subjected to a crackdown for dozens
of years, reminds Saakashvili of the promise he made ahead of his
election to help ethnic Azerbaijanis resolve their land problem. The
appeal also demands an end to the massive violation of the economic,
political and social rights of more than 650,000 ethnic Azerbaijanis
living in Georgia. Generally, concerned with the plight of ethnic
Azerbaijanis in Georgia, the NGOs believe that the purpose there is to
drive them out of their lands, as was the case in Armenia. The passive
attitude of Georgian NGOs also causes concern. It was decided to hold
negotiations with those NGOs and at the same time set up a monitoring
group to study the situation of ethnic Azerbaijanis in Georgia so
that this group can prepare reports based on its observations and
submit it to international organizations.
[National NGO Forum President Azay Quliyev, captioned] Azerbaijan is an
independent state and should be able to protect its people. Therefore,
I think the fact that the government and authorities of Georgia,
which is a member of the Council of Europe, are making these blunders
and grossly violating human rights like this is at least against
international legal norms, let alone brotherhood and friendship.
[Correspondent] Saying that the neighbouring country’s attitude is
wrong in return for the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan [main
export] oil pipeline through Georgia and Baku’s tariff concessions, the
NGOs accused Saakashvili of not being frank. Saying that Saakashvili
is a skilled [former Georgian president Zviad] Gamsakhurdia, the
president of the Centre for Political Innovations and Technologies,
Mubariz Ahmadoglu, spoke of the similarity in the ruling principles
of the two. The president of the centre, which studies the situation
in the Caucasus, believes that the existing problem is not a product
of relations between [late Azerbaijani President] Heydar Aliyev and
[former Georgian President Eduard] Shevardnadze or [Azerbaijani
President] Ilham Aliyev and Saakashvili. It has always been in
place. And Georgian-born Azerbaijanis living in Azerbaijan have a
hand in the existence of the problem.
[Mubariz Ahmadoglu, captioned] There are the lobbies of two states in
Azerbaijan, the US lobby and that of the Georgian government. This
lobby was organized under Shevardnadze and the incumbent [Georgian]
authorities are using it very successfully. The root of the problem
resides in ethnic Azerbaijanis who moved here from Georgia. I don’t
mean all of them. If we can settle [the issue of] Georgian-born
Azerbaijanis here, conduct reasonable work with them and manage to
cut off the contacts of certain Georgian bodies with them, we will
make a serious success in settling the situation in Georgia.
[Correspondent] The appeal that will be sent to Saakashvili will
be in English and Russian, the languages Saakashvili speaks very
well when necessary. To be exact, when the situation is Russian,
he speaks English and when it is English he speaks his native
tongue. For example, Tbilisi, which is pursuing an explicit pro-US
policy, is offering Russia more than 600 enterprises and Armenia
372 enterprises. The Armenians are collecting money to buy the ports
of Poti and Batumi, while we are collecting it to send a monitoring
group into Georgia.
Eldaniz Valiyev, Hikmat Asgarov for ANS.