My Telus
Aug 12 2004

Coffee With …

You might say that like some of the talent Arthur Evrensel
represents, he was discovered in an unlikely place.

A young man of Armenian descent who moved to Montreal from Istanbul,
Turkey as a six-year-old, Evrensel was in his second year with the
law firm of Heenan Blaikie, working on mainly commercial law and
securities, when he was asked to work with experienced entertainment
lawyer Michael Prupas, a new addition to the firm.

Other than enjoying movies or television shows, Evrensel didn’t
really have a background in the entertainment industry. In fact, when
he completed his bachelors degree in economics at McGill University,
his thoughts were to either obtain his chartered accountant
designation or pursue real estate law.

At the encouragement of a friend, Evrensel applied to law school at
McGill and completed a degree covering both common and civil law.
Along the way he landed a summer job with Heenan Blaikie.

Save HUGE with packages.

While happy to get the work, he didn’t quite see himself with the
firm long term. Heenan Blaikie had just 26 lawyers and did mainly
labour, litigation and commercial law.

“I was looking for a bigger firm and thought, ‘Hey it’s a summer
job,’ ” Evrensel explains as we sit this Thursday morning at one end
of a boardroom table that would make a giraffe’s neck look short.

But as he would note later on in our conversation at Heenan Blaikie’s
downtown office, you have to be good to be lucky and lucky to be
good.

Evrensel would stick with Heenan Blaikie and a year before he
graduated the firm announced it was welcoming former Canadian Prime
Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau into the fold.

And when Evrensel began working in the firm’s entertainment practice,
the media world was a dramatically changing place with the
500-channel universe coming into play.

“All of these new channels were needing product and we were in the
middle of it,” Evrensel notes, adding that the growth meant new
opportunities for Heenan Blaikie.

In 1989, Norman Bacal went to Toronto to open a new office for the
firm. Two years later, Evrensel, an almost lifelong Montrealer to
that point, made the unlikely move to Vancouver. At the time that he
was instrumental in launching the Vancouver office, B.C. boasted just
$88 million in film and television production.

But the industry grew and with it so did Evrensel’s profile. Last
year, buoyed by big budget films The Chronicles of Riddick, Catwoman
and I Robot, B.C.’s film and TV industry was worth $1.4 billion.

And a glance at Evrensel’s resume indicates that he has been a real
player in that growth. Just the sample of his clients on his resume
is far too long to list. But some of them include MGM Television
Group, The David Suzuki Foundation, The Jim Pattison Group, Royal
Bank of Canada, Columbia/TriStar Television, Sony Pictures, New City
Pictures, Da Vinci Productions (Chris Haddock), Troika Films (Walter
Daroshin), Shavick Entertainment, The Characters Talent Agency,
Morgan Creek Productions and Lions Gate Entertainment.

Evrensel actually sits on the board of directors for Lions Gate,
which is proving to have made a brilliant business move when it
released Michael Moore’s documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 after Disney
decided not to. Fahrenheit 9/11, which cost $6 million US to make,
has earned about $133 million worldwide.

Evrensel says he wasn’t worried about the repercussions from
releasing Moore’s documentary. The Edgemont Village resident notes
that the film is factually based and is in no way libelous or
slanderous. Further, the board of Lions Gate Entertainment has an
obligation to the shareholders to pursue what is in their best
interests. To not release Fahrenheit 9/11 would be showing political
partisanship and not prudent business sense.

But the 46-year-old Evrensel has many other projects he has
participated in as head of Heenan Blaikie’s entertainment law group
in Vancouver that he appears more gung ho to talk about.

He mentions Bell Making The Cut, a reality show airing on CBC Sept.
21st in which wannabe NHL hockey players, with coaches Scottie Bowman
and Mike Keenan as their guides, get a crack at their dream of an NHL
tryout.

Earlier on in our conversation, Evrensel pulled out a hardcover
coffee table book full of colourful aerial pictures of Canada’s
unique geography and cities called “Over Canada: An Aerial
Adventure,” which was produced by Jim Pattison Industries. He is
obviously pleased to have been involved with its production and notes
working with Pattison is a pleasure because he always learns
something.

Right now, Evrensel is working with B.C. company Brightlight, which
is producing an $8 million movie in Romania called Blood Rayne. It is
based on a video game and features Sir Ben Kingsley.

Romania, Evrensel notes, is cheap to produce in and the movie could
have never been made here for that price.

Competition, explains the man who is listed in the Canadian Who’s Who
and has been recognized by his peers the last few years as one of the
top entertainment lawyers in Canada, is getting fiercer all of the
time.

Not only are some American film industry types crying the blues about
runaway productions and California and Washington states considering
introducing tax credits to keep the industry at home, other countries
around the world are trying to duplicate the incentives Canada
offers.

The debate over federal support for the film industry hit home during
the federal election in June. North Vancouver Conservative MP Ted
White had indicated that he would not support tax credits or
incentives for the industry, characterizing it as corporate welfare.
Evrensel says that the Motion Picture Production Industry
Association, for which he sits on the board of directors, contacted
White in an attempt to clarify any misconceptions he may have had but
White responded that it was too close to the election for him to meet
with them and he didn’t think his constituents wanted him supporting
corporate welfare.

In the end District of North Vancouver Mayor Don Bell, the Liberal
candidate, upset White and it was widely believed that the votes from
local film industry workers proved the difference.

“The North Vancouver federal election was a very satisfying election
for us,” Evrensel admits.

He cites reports conducted by accounting firms PriceWaterhouseCoopers
and Ernst and Young that indicate the federal government actually
reaps a net positive return for tax credits provided to the film
industry.

Evrensel explains that U.S. film producers can, due to the size of
their consumer market with a population of 300 million, make a movie
and fund it entirely within. Canada, on the other hand, doesn’t have
that critical mass and needs to develop partnerships and sell its
product in foreign markets to succeed. Thus the need for government
incentives, or public-private partnerships as he describes them, to
ensure Canadians can compete with giants like the U.S.

Evrensel adds that B.C. has to be proactive and meet any challenges
that arise. The industry can’t be taken for granted and always has to
be treated well.

“You always have to service it. This is a mobile industry and anybody
who doesn’t understand that will regret it,” he explains.

Further, Evrensel notes the industry is always changing, and the
local industry needs to recognize that change and be on top of it.

He points out that reality programs now make up a major portion of TV
schedules, so if the industry is still only producing drama shows, it
should be asking itself why. Further, just five or six years ago DVDs
were not a known commodity.

“Last year sales of DVDs surpassed theatrical release in North
America. If you don’t understand the change, you’ll be left behind.”

The industry keeps him on his toes, Evrensel shares. Things happen
quickly and he says that unlike with a real estate development deal
where you can spend a longer amount of time to ensure all risks are
removed, an entertainment deal may have to be turned around in a
couple of weeks.

“If there’s one thing I learned about this business is you have to be
able to work with a certain modicum of risk. You have to accept a
certain level of risk in any deal. The key is to understand it and to
be able to evaluate that risk and whether or not it’s a realistic
risk you and the client can assume and live with.”

He notes, for instance, that if movie producers have decided upon Ben
Kingsley as a lead and Kingsley is only available for two weeks, the
determination has to be made as to whether or not the production can
adjust to his schedule. If not, then another actor has to be hired.

As for Evrensel, there can be no replacement. Nor is he likely to
make room for one. For while Evrensel might have been discovered in
an unlikely place, he finds himself in a position and an environment
he wants to stay in.

Evrensel says the people in B.C. are much friendlier than in
Montreal. He chalks it up to the fact so many have come from other
parts of the country that they are willing to interact with new
people and aren’t locked into cliques.

And as for that little firm Heenan Blaikie that Evrensel wasn’t sure
he wanted to stay with back when he was a law student in the mid
1980’s, it is likely now larger than any big firm he imagined himself
working for. Heenan Blaikie boasts over 350 lawyers, including
another former PM, Jean Chretien, and is the 10th largest firm in the
country.

;articleID=1685626

National Public Radio (NPR)
SHOW: Morning Edition (11:00 AM AM ET) – NPR
August 10, 2004 Tuesday

Armenian immigrants living in Glendale, California

ANCHORS: RENEE MONTAGNE

REPORTERS: AMY WALTERS

RENEE MONTAGNE, host:

This week, MORNING EDITION is visiting immigrant communities here in
Los Angeles, one of the most diverse places in the country.
California is home to the largest population of Armenians outside the
homeland. NPR’s Amy Walters recently visited the Chamlian Armenian
school in Glendale.

AMY WALTERS reporting:

Glendale looks a lot like other Los Angeles suburbs. It has several
major shopping malls, strip malls and house after house after house.
Signs advertise familiar businesses like Texaco and 7-Eleven. But
other storefronts display an ancient script that doesn’t mean much to
anyone except the city’s 53,000 Armenians. That’s more than a quarter
of Glendale’s population, and that script represents their future.

Ms. ANI BABARIAN(ph) (Teacher): If you are going to keep one nation
together, it’s the language and the religion. When you take the
language, and if you take the religion, you don’t have a nation
anymore.

WALTERS: That’s Ani Babarian. She’s teaching Armenian to
eighth-graders at the Chamlian Armenian school, where she also
teaches history and religion. Armenia has a unique Christian church
founded in the early fourth century, before the country was conquered
by Persians, Byzantines, Arabs, Mongols and Turks, among others. As a
result, Armenians lived in diaspora in the Middle East and Europe for
centuries.

Ms. BABARIAN: These are all student work. This is our alphabet.

WALTERS: Babarian’s classroom displays pictures and posters created
by her students, each one representing Armenia, a homeland most of
these students have never seen.

(Soundbite of bell)

WALTERS: Every morning at Chamlian begins with a bell and the Pledge
of Allegiance.

Group of People: (In unison) I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America.

WALTERS: But here they pledge allegiance twice, first to the American
flag, then the Armenian.

Group of People: (Armenian spoken)

WALTERS: It’s the final year at Chamlian for Babarian’s eighth-grade
class, and she’s filling their heads with as much Armenian as she
can.

Ms. BABARIAN: (Armenian spoken)

Unidentified Boy: (Armenian spoken)

WALTERS: Students learn Armenian two hours a day beginning in first
grade. This first-grade class sings a traditional children’s song
about how much fun it is to be at school.

(Soundbite of children singing in Armenian)

WALTERS: The school opened almost 30 years ago when the Armenian
population of Glendale started to grow. In the late 1970s, war broke
out in Lebanon and Iran, and the Armenians from the Middle East
flooded into Los Angeles. Today’s immigrants come mostly from the
Republic of Armenia. They’re looking for economic opportunities they
can’t find in the chaos that followed the collapse of the Soviet
occupation. At Chamlian, Armenian communities that were separated for
decades, even centuries, are reunited for the first time. Megan
Megasarian(ph) is part of Chamlian’s eighth-grade class. Her parents
came from Iran. After hearing their story, she says she appreciates
the freedoms of America.

MEGAN MEGASARIAN (Student): My mom came here when she was about 10
with her brother, and they kind of had to raise themselves on their
own. And my dad came here, I think, around when he was 18 or 19 to
escape from the war. And they had to always look out for themselves
because if you don’t look out for yourself, basically, really nobody
will. But when you come to an Armenian school and you’re in an
Armenian community, you feel that you’re protected.

WALTERS: Next year, Megan and her eighth-grade classmates will go to
public school. There’ll be no Armenian classes, songs or pledge of
allegiance. These kids say they don’t share their parents’ fears of
war and political oppression. But Patio Kerkorian(ph), a fellow
classmate, says she has fears of her own.

PATIO KERKORIAN (Student): You know, it’s really scary when you,
like, see–you know, you meet someone, like, you go to a new school
and their last name ends with I-A-N and then you go and you say, ‘Oh,
you’re Armenian,’ and you start talking Armenian, and they’re like,
‘What are you saying?’ And it’s like, ‘Aren’t you Armenian?’ and they
say, ‘Yeah, but we don’t know Armenian.’ It’s like, ‘It’s not
possible. How can you not know Armenian?’ You get scared. You know,
you think, oh God, you know, when I’m gonna go to a public school
after Chamlian, you know, is that gonna be me?

WALTERS: This summer, Patio is preparing for freshman year at
Glendale High. She says she’s nervous but she comforts herself with a
promise she made to one day send her own children to Chamlian. Amy
Walters, NPR News, Los Angeles.

MONTAGNE: It’s 11 minutes before the hour.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

News & Analysis
Europe
Russia & the former USSR

Russian-Georgian tensions escalate
By Simon Wheelan
13 August 2004

There is mounting evidence that London and Washington are encouraging
the Georgian government to challenge Russia’s presence in the
breakawayrepublics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Strategically
situated between the Black Sea and the oil-rich Caspian, and sitting
astride two key oil and gas pipelines, Georgia borders Russia, Turkey,
Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Since being installed in power following a US-backed coup last
December which usurped former President Eduard Shevardnadze, Georgia’s
President Mikhail Saakashvili has made clear that he intends to
reunify his fractured republic by force if necessary.

Having wrested back control over the coastal region of Adjaria and the
major port of Batumi in May, Georgia has stepped up its threats
against Abkhazia and there have been reports that its troops are
massing on the border with South Ossetia where Russian troops are
stationed.

In the early hours of Thursday August 12, at least three people where
killed after an exchange of fire on the Georgian side of the border,
near the village of Eredi. South Ossetia said that Georgian forces had
opened fire first, injuring seven people on its side of the
border. But a Russian colonel was initially quoted as stating that
South Ossetia had fired first, although he later changed his account.

The deaths come after tensions between Tbilisi and Moscow had reached
new depths in the last weeks. On July 20, Saakashvili threatened to
renounce the 12-year-old deal whereby Georgian, Russian and South
Ossetian forces have patrolled the breakaway republic. And on Tuesday
August 3, Saakashvili announced on television that his forces were
ready to attack ships that `illegally’ enter the waters off Abkhazia.

Georgia lost control of the waters over a decade ago. Nonetheless
Saakashvili warned, `I earlier ordered… that we should immediately
open fireon, and sink, every ship which enters Abkhazia.’

The Black Sea coast is a popular destination for Russian holidaymakers
arriving by boat from the nearby Russian resort of Sochi. Russian
tourists should ` pay attention’ to his words, Saakashvili
threatened. Just days earlier a Georgian patrol boat had fired at a
civilian vessel in the Black Sea.

A Russian foreign minister said that the threats showed `Tbilisi wants
to play with fire’. In a statement Moscow warned, `Any attempts to
injure or threaten the lives of Russian citizens will receive the
necessary rebuff.’

Just two days after making his provocative remarks, Saakashvili was
meeting with US Secretary of State Colin Powell in Washington. Despite
claiming that he wanted to avoid any confrontation with Russia, and
was seeking to `calm tensions’, Saakashvili again warned Russian
tourists that, `Abkhazia is no place for rest. It is a war zone, from
where 300,000 Georgians have been expelled ‘.

Saakashvili has boasted of his daily contact with Powell and US
National Security adviser Condolezza Rice and obviously feels
emboldened by his links with the western powers. In recent months
Georgia has strengthened its tieswith NATO and has received some $1
billion in aid from the European Union.

Tbilisi has demanded that its forces control the South Ossetian
entrance to the tunnel beneath the Caucasus linking North Ossetia, in
Russia, to South Ossetia in Georgia, supposedly to clamp down on the
trade in contraband.

Exacerbating this potentially explosive situation is the fact that
British and US military forces are currently involved in training the
Georgian army, effectively inciting them to challenge the Russian
presence in the breakaway republics.

During his visit to London last month for talks with Prime Minister
Tony Blair, Saakashvili stated brazenly that, `Britain is becoming
more involved in the region and not only on the (Trans-Caucasus)
pipeline. We just had last week joint training of UK Special Forces
together with the Georgian armyâ=80=9D.

Saakashvili boasted that Britain was now the third biggest contributor
to the Georgian armed forces after the US and Turkey.

According to the Times newspaper, it is believed that approximately
160 British troops are involved in training Georgian forces. Simulated
military operations, named the `Georgian Express 2004′, took place
July 5-18 at a military base in Vaziani. During exercises soldier’s
practised techniques in establishing checkpoints and patrols-all of
which have been essential to the Georgian army’s recent incursions
into South Ossetia.

In a qualitative deepening of the relationship between Tbilisi and
London, Saakashvili also revealed that British General Sir Garry
Johnson was now permanently based in the Georgian Defence Ministry to
co-ordinate ongoing military assistance. A light infantry detachment
took part in exercises with Georgian commandos and further exercises
are scheduled with British advisers training Georgian officers and
NCOs.

Earlier in the year the Pentagon decided to privatise its military
presence in Georgia by contracting the work to a group of retired US
military officers.

At the time a senior western diplomat told the Guardian newspaper,
`One of the goals is to make the army units capable of seizing and
defending a given objective’.

The US has maintained a presence in Georgia since 2002 when military
trainers and advisers arrived in the country, ostensibly to combat Al
Qaeda forces said to be in the Georgian Pankisi Gorge on the border
with Chechnya. World Socialist Web Site

Al-Jazeerah, USA
August 12, 2004
Aug 12 2004

How Reverends Enable Church Bombers in Iraq

By Charles E. Carlson

Al-Jazeerah.info

On Sunday, August 1st, five Christian churches in Iraq were bombed,
killing eleven worshipers and wounding and terrifying many more. They
were traditional churches–Armenian, Chaldean, Coptic, and Catholic-
some had been there for hundreds of years. We believe no Iraqi could
benefit from this act, especially not Muslim Iraqis. We will probably
never learn who did it, and we will hear accusations condemning Islam
for years to come. This writer does not think the facts justify this,
or that it is healthy for us to accept it.

Some benefit from bombing churches and they are the best suspects.

One group is positively implicated in the acts. By its own words it
convicts itself, regardless of who set the explosives or who made the
plan. Its proponents call themselves `Christian-Zionists’ or
`Judeo-Christians.’ You will find these accomplices behind the
pulpits of many American churches on Sunday. This writer has in past
papers named them Enablers of war.

The obvious material beneficiaries of the church bombings include the
so-called Neo-Cons, whom we prefer to call Warmakers, and who arrange
carnage to maintain political power through continued wars. Blood
seems of no concern to them; deaths are only statistics. Companies
like Halliburton and others feed on serial wars and would no doubt
enjoy permanent contracts to police Iraqis and operate their oil
fields. Israel gains the most from the destruction of the Arab states
because it is a source of resources from the Euphrates to the Nile.
But, regardless of who planted the explosives at the five churches,
we know who facilitated the act. It was `Christian-Zionist enablers
of war, as we will see.

We are being told little about the five churches that were hit; as
best as we can tell, they were attacked by booby traps and timed
explosive devices. Obviously they were well organized, with modern
munitions and security; the perpetrators got away clean, safe, and
unharmed and remain unidentified a week later. This was a
professional job. If five coordinated teams of criminals robbed five
banks at the same time with all getting away without leaving behind
even one clue as to who they were or why they did it, they would be
professionals. The laws of probability dictate that events like this
do not happen without evidence. Criminals leave behind clues that are
found, that is, unless someone on the inside ignores the clues, or
does not look very hard. Someone tells when this many people are
involved.

On August 5th a different kind of bombing occurred. It was low tech
and required little planning and no sophisticated equipment
whatsoever. A lone Iraqi driver steered his automobile-powered human
bomb into a police station where Iraqi policemen and their US
military bosses would be killed. Five or more died tragically,
including the bomber. One might call him a sacrifice bomber, and his
purpose can be clearly understood from his acts. He saw the occupiers
and those who cooperated with them as the enemies of Iraqi’s
desperate and prolonged struggle for independence. This is a crime
and a human tragedy, but he is no less heroic than any other martyr
honored by any people in history. Not so with the church bombers,
whose targets, unlike the well-guarded and armed police stations, are
undefended. No one sacrificed his life to do it; it was premeditated,
cowardly murder.

Christians and Moslems manage to get along in the Mid-East. This
writer observed them in Gaza. Baptists go to church next to the
Mosque, and when they are not in church, members seem to work
together as best as they can. Churches are not a historic enemy to
Islam in Iraq. Coptic, Catholic, and Orthodox churches often date
back to Roman times, still standing with Christian cemeteries around
them, undefiled through the ages of Islamic domination. Christians in
Iraq say they do not hate Muslims, but many Evangelicals in America
practice hatred of Islam that is now manifested in destruction and
death. Jesus’ words object.

The Southern Baptist Convention has had no explanation for this
peaceful co-existence with Islam; its publications play it down or
ignore it. The evangelicals’ views of the Mideast demand both racial
and religious hatred. The Baptist Mission Board even ignores its own
church in Gaza, housed in a dome roofed ancient mosque. This writer
documented the story of its members in a previous article.

Evangelicals tell us Islam detests Baptists and would kill them on
sight. Christians in the land of Islam live their lives out
otherwise, and any serious observation supports their version.

In Gaza the wall in front of the Baptist church has the same
anti-Israeli graffiti as does the wall in front of the Mosque nearby.
Their members suffer Israeli occupation side by side. If they do not
love each other, they certainly coexist in peace. We Hold These
Truths receives reports from Christians and Muslims from Damascus to
Ammon. There is an uneasy peace made worse by anti-Islamic statements
spewed forth from evangelical Enabler churches and celebrities in
America.

How would Islam benefit from bombing churches? If Christians stay
home from church or emigrate out of fear, how does this make Iraq
more independent? It does not.

It is sad that Iraqis would bomb other Iraqis who are hungry and
desperate for work and who hate the occupation, but who take
Army-funded jobs at a police station. But this can be understood in
war, the Iraqis do not want a compromised, 56-year occupation as the
Palestinians have.

Who benefits?

We don’t know who planted the bombs but we do know that American
evangelical celebrities facilitated and enabled the act. Without the
Enablers constant condemnation of Islam, there would have been no
reason for the propaganda bombing of five churches, because there
would be no market for the propaganda that is being distributed
through the evangelicals in the USA.

We have read all the accounts of the bombings. As expected, they are
being blamed on an unknown Islamic group. Consider what is likely:

* If an Islamic militant group bombed the churches and wanted to
terrorize Christians, they would have taken credit for it the first
hour, as they have with kidnappings, and they would have promised
more bombings, or asked for something. No one did.

* The `group’ that belatedly did claim the blame for the bombings was
anonymous and unknown and did not have a formal name or spokesman. It
offered no plausible reason for this significant act. It could have
been created on a cell phone after the bombing or in an office in
London, and it probably was. The US-appointed Iraqi `government’ did
not point this out, nor did our press.

* Most Muslims who we know fear God, they do not hate Him, and would
be correctly afraid to bomb a church–afraid of God, not of men. And
Muslims, unlike the Israelis, believe Jesus was on very good terms
with the one God, whom they call Allah. They do not challenge Allah;
they fear Him as righteous.

* If secularists did the bombing, there would be Muslims who would
know about It, and would tell. It was too big a scheme to keep it
quiet this long.

* The churches in Iraq are traditional, not evangelical; they do not
hold to the neo-evangelical interpretations that hold Israel to be a
God image that must be worshiped. They do not share the `chosen
people’ theology that enables the war on Islam.

* Islam is not anti-Christian, as we Christians are told. The Qur’an
says much about Jesus and Mary, and is more than respectful. One
passage, (S.5.78-84) seems to be all about trust and coexistence with
followers of Christ. Verse 82 reads:

Strongest among men in enmity to the Believer wilt thou find the Jews
and Pagans; Nearest among them in love to the Believers wilt thou
find those who say `we are Christians’ because amongst there are men
devoted to learning. And men who have renounced the world and they
are not arrogant.

Clearly this was not written about evangelical-Zionist (Enablers)
who, to the contrary, openly call for genocide against Islam, even
its total liquidation, and some are boldly arrogant about it.

Many untrue yarns are spun on the Internet depicting a hate filled
Qur’an. We Hold These Truths has investigated several and found that
most are not there, or seem to be intentionally distorted. Our paper
called Internet Tales about Islam details some of these. We find some
statements we have been given by evangelical Enablers to be outright
untrue on their face. Even the most popular story among evangelicals
about the prize of `72 virgins’ for martyrs in Paradise (like the car

bomber) may be a hoax. As best this writer can tell, it is not in the
Qur’an; we are still waiting for someone to show us otherwise.

One of the worst we have heard, Dr. Robert Morey, who calls himself a
`Christian’ and who has written several books about Islam, openly
preaches for the incineration of Mecca, Medina and The Dome of the
Rock.

Leading Muslim clerics have condemned the bombing as cowardly and
unbecoming of Islam, but christian-Zionists take denial as a sign of
guilt. And prominent Christian leaders in Iraq have not suggested
Muslims were responsible, and have spoken out in solidarity with
them.

Who Could Have Done It?

The State of Israel and what is currently being called the US
`Neo-Con’ establishment, which really controls Israel and holds
absolute control over the present Bush administration and past
Clinton administration as well, are the beneficiaries of wars.

Israelis would not think twice of bombing churches because they have
already done it. They have also attacked mosques and killed Muslim
leaders in front of at least one mosque. Israelis have even been
known to damage their own synagogues to get sympathy. The State of
Israel shelled two or more Christian churches in Palestine. Israel’s
agents are known to be operating in Iraq and are probably more likely
to have bombed the churches than the CIA or Halliburton’s paid
mercenaries. They are used to this kind of assassination, and they
know how to keep quiet. If this is true, you can bet the incident
will just die down and disappear from the press.

The tale of the church bombings will never disappear from the
preaching of the evangelical-Zionist, who will blame the Arabs
everywhere, with or without proof.

Who Is Responsible?

Though we will probably never know for certain who bombed the five
churches, we can be sure the blood is on the hands of the Enabler
reverends, evangelical celebrities, and on their willing followers.
The deaths of every one of the eleven church-going Christians is
their responsibility because without them there would be no reason
for the bombing. Whoever did it simply obliged these evangelical
Enablers by creating more grist for Israeli promoted
Christian-Zionist hate mills. Hate enabled the war and the
occupation; hate keeps the occupation going. Only love will end it.

An Israeli `BUS19′, in which 11 Israeli civilians died, was imported
to the US from Israel in May. `Eleven’ happens to be the same number
of civilian Iraqis killed in the five Church bombings. A team or
speakers associated with The Unity Coalition for Israel is touring
evangelical Enabler churches with the bus, giving the misleading
message that Palestinians are murderers, and Islam is a religion of
violence. Our account of this is called Israeli Hate-Bus Tours
America.

The five damaged churches are the Iraqi equivalent of BUS19, another
trophy to be displayed at churches in America. Without the insatiable
desire of christian-Zionist celebrities for more `proof of Arab
violence’ there would have been no church bombings in Iraq because no
other purpose was served. This writer is no longer alone among
Followers of Christ in blaming evangelical Enablers for war.

As reported in the `New York Times,’ in a speech on March 9, 2003,
former President James Earl Carter criticized his own Southern
Baptist Convention for supporting the `unilateral attack on Iraq.’
Carter did not dignify the attack by calling it a war. He went on to
implicate Israel in the occupation of Iraq, saying,

`a few Southern Baptist leaders (favor war) who were greatly
influenced by their commitment to Israel based on eschatological, or
final days theology.’

Mr. Carter also stated some of the most profound and truthful words
ever heard at a Democratic convention in an interview after his
speech where he stated: `The State of Israel is at the center of the
problems in the Middle East.’

Christian pastor and writer Tony Campolo, speaking to United
Methodist leaders in Birmingham, Alabama, on June 3, 2004, warned
that too many Christians have become `evangelical Zionists’ who favor
ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the Middle East. This
surprisingly candid statement was covered in the Birmingham News
quoting Campolo:

“Some evangelicals have gotten caught up in the theology that before
Christ can return, the Holy Land must belong to the Jews,” and,

“They’re really advocating ethnic cleansing. There’s no justification
for that in Scripture.”

We note: Ethnic cleansing means systematic murder! The Birmingham
News further quoted Campolo:

“Christian leaders such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, as well
as Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins, authors of the best-selling `Left
Behind’ end-times prophecy novels, have spread the `evangelical
Zionist’ theme. `They’re a very powerful group,’… The evangelical
community has gotten so pro-Israel that they’ve forgotten how to love
Palestinians.”

The Presbyterian Church in America’s leaders recently condemned The
Wall being built around the Palestinians, and voted by a wide margin
to divest itself of all Israeli assets from its multi-billion dollar
retirement fund. This is the first major church denomination to do
so.

Evangelical leaders must be challenged publicly by their own members.
To accomplish this Project Strait Gate was started 18 months ago, and
over 35 major evangelical churches, as well as conventions, have been
picketed for peace during their worship hours.

Five ladies and two men led a Strait Gate Project demonstration at
two churches last weekend in Southern California, with signs reading
`NO MORE WARS FOR ISRAEL and BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS. One event
was a 2004 Israel and Bible Prophesy Conference at the giant Calvary
Chapel in Chino, California. Several participants reported they were
pleasantly surprised with the response, not so much from the churches
as from the passersby. Many responded positively to the message of
the demonstration.

Strait Gate Ministries urges Followers of Christ to have their names
removed from membership rolls at any churches that fail to oppose the
continued war and occupation in the Mideast. We suggest you tell the
Reverend you might return once the Church regains Christ’s admonition
to love one’s brothers as yourselves. Until then, you might better
serve the Lord by supporting an Armenian or Coptic Church in Iraq.

We Hold These Truths/Strait Gate Ministries plans to distribute this
letter to about 100,000 Presbyterian Pastors and laymen leaders as an
encouragement to them. We wish to expand this number by tenfold to
other reverends in other denominations.

The challenge is overwhelming, the time short and the burden is
heavy.

ArmenPress
Aug 12 2004

VOLUNTARY STUDENTS IN NATIONAL CLOTHES TO ADVOCATE “ONE NATION ONE
CULTURE” FESTIVAL

YEREVAN, AUGUST 12, ARMENPRESS: Starting today, Yerevan dwellers
may encounter symbols of “One Nation, One Culture” festival, Nares
and Nareks, who will walk in crowded parts of the city and inform
about the upcoming festival creating ‘an atmosphere of festivities”
in the city. Nares and Nareks, who total about 150, are voluntary
students in national clothes who distribute leaflets among the public
or talk about the activities of the festival in Yerevan and marzes.
They symbolize Armenia-Diaspora relations as Narek is the name of an
Armenian boy living in Armenia and Nare is an Armenian girl living in
Diaspora. Their clothes have been designed by Robert Sahakiants.

PRESS OFFICE
Armenian Holy Apostolic Church Canadian Diocese
Contact; Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant to the Primate
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont Quebec H2V 3H2
Tel; 514-276-9479, Fax; 514-276-9960
Email; [email protected]
Website;
August 13, 2004

BISHOP BAGRAT GALSTANIAN CELEBRATES DIVINE LITURGY IN TORONTO

On Sunday, August 8, Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate of the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of Canada, celebrated the Divine Liturgy and delivered the
sermon in the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church of Toronto.

During the Holy Badarak, the Primate read the Encyclical (Gontag) of His
Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, whereby His Holiness announced
the bestowment of the first order Pontifical award of St. Nersess the
Shenorhali Medal to Vehamayr Ovsanna Sarkissian, the mother of Catholicos Karekin I of
blessed memory, on the occasion of Vehamayr’s 100th birthday. The centenarian
Vehamayr was unable to attend the ceremonies in the church, and both the
Encyclical (Gontag) and the medal were handed to the late Catholicos’ brother and
sister Mr. Zohrab and Ms. Yester Sarkissians.

Following the Divine Liturgy, inauguration of gifts to the church by two
devoted families was conducted. Rev. Archpriest Fr. Zareh Zargarian, Pastor of
Holy Trinity Church invited Mr. and Mrs. Sarkis Sahakian and Mr. Berdj Sevazlian
families to proceed in front of the Altar, where the benefactors received
Bishop Bagrat Galstanian’s blessings and words of gratitude. On this occasion
Bishop Galstanian highly praised the efforts of Rev Fr Zareh to further flourish
and better serve the community and the Holy Trinity Armenian Church. The
benefactors then unveiled the Primate’s throne and the special chairs they had
donated to be used by the clergy in a special section of the church. The Primate
delivered his message of the day and blessed the congregation.

* * *

ST. CATHARINE’S ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IS READY TO WELCOME THE FIRST ANNUAL
ARMENIAN YOUTH PILGRIMAGE

St Catharine’s Armenian Community is ready to welcome the participants of the
First Annual Armenian Youth Pilgrimage to St Catharine’s. Upon the directive
and instruction of His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, the oldest and the
first Armenian Apostolic Church in Canada, St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian
Apostolic Church of St. Catharine’s, On., will be hosting the first Annual
Armenian Youth Pilgrimage.

The interchurch pilgrimages are the first of His Eminence’s many undertakings
to revitalize the spiritual journey of our faithful in Canada. On the
occasion of the feast of St Mary, the Holy Mother of God, pilgrims from Montreal,
Laval, Toronto and Ottawa will participate in this historic event that will take
place starting Saturday, August 14th. in the evening and continue on Sunday,
August 15th with the 74th Annual “Blessing of the Grapes” Holy Badarak and
traditional Picnic to be held in St. Catharine’s.

* * *

CANADIAN YOUTH MISSION (CYMA) PARTICIPANTS ARE BACK FROM MOTHERLAND, ARMENIA

The Canadian Youth Mission to Armenia (CYMA) participants came back from
motherland Armenia on Friday, August 6, 2004. This year CYMA members achieved
their mission in the kindergarten of Saghmosavank. The team renovated the walls,
the floor and repainted the rooms and hallways of the kindergarten.

During their stay in Armenia, a day camp gave CYMA participants the
opportunity to interact with the local children by working on arts and crafts, social
activities and sports. Visitations to the families were made by CYMA
participants and clergy, offering spiritual and humanitarian relief to families living
in dire circumstances. They also visited churches, landmarks and monuments,
including an official visit to His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All
Armenians, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Genocide Memorial, Lake Sevan, Yerevan
and other monuments. Under the guidance of local professionals, participants
took part in workshops to learn the history of the land and of the Church,
as well as the culture through singing, dancing and drawing.

Here is a bouquet of the thoughts of our participants, obtained from the
news media of Armenia.

Sevan Terjanian
This 23-year old young man lives in France. He sells fruits in a supermarket,
sings and paints. It is his first visit to the motherland.
I must live in the village
“I feel that I am a small part of Armenia. I want to stay in Armenia. Next
year I plan to come and live here for at least 2-3 years. I will not live in
Yerevan. I will live in the villages. I cannot explain why, but this is the real
life. Life in the city is not right. In France life is money, clothes,
entertainment. Here it is not that game people play. This is the real life.”

Angela Garabedian
Angela’s mother is Swedish; her father is Armenian. It was the first time
that the 25-year old lady was visiting her father’s homeland. She could not speak
Armenian. She knew only one word – “Genatset”. Her specialty is planning. She
is looking for a job.
“I have come to see the land of my dad’s forefathers, and to renovate the
kindergarten, which is what we have come for.”
Carrying from Armenia
“I am carrying beautiful memories with me from Armenia. Now I know and
understand my homeland. I thank the leaders of SYMA for having organized this
miraculous trip, and I would like also to thank the family that hosted me in their
house in Armenia.”

Vahe Mekerdoumian
18-year old Vahe has just graduated from High school and is ready to enter
university. He wants to become a historian and study the history of the Armenian
people.

Man is brother to other men
“This is my first visit to Armenia. I have traveled to many countries, though
I do not remember well the names. I loved Armenia. This is a beautiful
country. It is my country, and I like to communicate with my people. I have come and
talk to Armenians and feel good about myself, because I talk to everybody in
my own language. In Armenia a man is brother to other men.”

Money is not happiness
“Here people work hard but they are happy, because money is not happiness.
The youth here are more active, and they are concerned about their lives. They
are able to create work for themselves. They are good chess players. I like to
play chess very much. I have won a few games and have lost some.”

Alex Paylan
17-year old Alex came to Armenia because he wanted to understand the
Armenians. In Canada his family owns a business in diamonds.

The Armenians
“Armenians are very hospitable. I had a very good time in Yerevan. Here the
buildings are very beautiful and food is very delicious. Yerevan is a beautiful
city, the most beautiful city I have seen. I will return here so that I will
better understand the Armenians.”

Melanie Hadjinian
This is the second time the 20-year old Melanie visits Armenia. The first
time was to see Armenia that she had read about in books, and this second time to
find out how people live here and what are the similarities and differences
between Canada and Armenia.
“We have many similarities, but we also have differences. For example, we
speak different languages. Here in Armenia people are very close to each other.
They are very hospitable, which is absent in Canada. Over there people are cold
towards each other. Even though Canada has changed me a lot, I still believe
there are a lot of similarities.”

* * *

ARARAT SUMMER YOUTH CAMP OPENED ITS DOORS FOR 2004 PARTICIPANTS

On Monday, 9 of August 2004 the Diocesan Summer Camp opened its doors to the
participants of 2004 Ararat Camp at Woodland Trails Conservation Area. From
the very first day of his election, Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, underlining the
importance of Summer Youth Camp in the spiritual growth of our young generation,
appointed Fr. Komitas Mirzakhanyan, to form and chair the Diocesan Summer
Youth Camp Committee.

During the last months, members from the Mississauga and Toronto parishes met
several times to discuss the Diocesan Summer Camp Project. A camp search
sub-committee has been set up to continue the task of looking for appropriate
permanent camp facilities.

The Diocesan Summer Camp Committee is comprised of the following members: Fr.
Komitas Mirzakhanyan, Dr. Harry Sakarya, Dn. Vrej Berberian, Hilda Sakaloglu,
Diana Walsh, Maida Icliates, Sella Kaltakjian, Levon Kaltakjian, Paynaz
Altunyuzuk, Hagop Dokmecian, Taline Baltayan, Arno Ermarkaryan, Taleen Balian, and
Mari Marinosyan.

* * *

HOLY ETCHMIADZIN OPENS NEWLY RENOVATED SEMINARY

Last Thursday (8/5), the newly renovated Gevorkian Theological Seminary of
the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin was re-opened during a ceremony presided over
by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians. Present for the opening ceremonies were hundreds of clergy and faithful,
including Kevork and Sirvart Hovnanian, who sponsored the year-long construction
and renovation work on the historic building. (Mr. Hovnanian is chairman of
the Fund for Armenian Relief and the Armenian Church Endowment Fund.)

Speaking at the opening celebration was Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate
of the Eastern Diocese, who told of the unique role the Gevorkian Seminary
plays in the preparation of young clergymen, noting that it has an irreplaceable
duty in guaranteeing the future of the Armenian Church. Currently, more than
300 seminarians study at the school, which was founded in 1874 by Catholicos of
All Armenians Gevork IV.

(Source: Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, 8/7/04)

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Aug 12 2004

DEFENSE MINISTER MEETS HIS AMERICAN COUNTERPART
[August 12, 2004, 18:25:59]

US Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld staying in Baku for a
one-day visit met on 12 August with Defense Minister of Azerbaijan
Colonel-General Safar Abiyev at Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the prospects of bilateral
cooperation between Azerbaijan and USA, expanding of Azerbaijan
relations with NATO and other issues.

Colonel-General Safar Abiyev expressed the wish that the United
States, as the OSCE Minsk group co-Chair, would intensify its role in
the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh, unambiguously support the Azerbaijan’s stance on
the matter, and force Armenia to release the occupied territories.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld stated that the United State
supports territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and would exert every
effort as the OSCE co-Chair. Ambassador Steven Mann, according to
him, will do his best for the problem to be solved fairly within the
framework of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

The meeting was attended by Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the United
States Hafiz Pashayev and Ambassador of the United States to
Azerbaijan Reno Harnish.

McLean Connection, VA
Aug 12 2004

Building Connections Between Virginia and Armenia
McLean resident is nominated to the state’s Commission on Armenia.

Sandra Adelstein

A tradition exists among Armenians that they are descended from Noah.
Like the ancient patriarch, Sarkis A. Satian has traveled far from
his origins and has been fortunate in his life’s work. Like Noah, he
has a calling that extends beyond providing for himself and his
immediate family. He is devoting his time, energy and resources to
building a democratic Armenia, a mission he takes seriously and which
he imbues with idealism and pragmatism. His recent nomination to Gov.
Mark Warner’s Commission on Armenia is a means for this Virginian to
exercise his influence in revamping the Armenian economy.
The McLean resident’s story begins with his mother, who was the only
survivor in her family of the 1915 genocidal slaughter of Armenians
by the Turks. Forced to leave the county, she went to Egypt, where
Satian was born and lived until 1962, when he immigrated to the
United States seeking a new life. Five months after arriving, he was
drafted into the Army, and he served for two years as a medic at Fort
Gordon in Georgia and Fort Sam Houston in Texas. After his discharge,
he returned to Virginia working for some years as a civil engineer
and then starting his own business, Satian Enterprises, a
construction company, which he headed until the age of 62, when he
sold the business to his son and retired. Not content in his
retirement, he started a new company called Land Quest, which he said
buys, engineers and sells land to construction companies.
An individualist and an entrepreneur, Satian has admired Thomas
Jefferson since his adolescence, because of Jefferson’s intellect,
patriotic virtues, and his constant striving to create a just society
in which the people’s noblest instincts would be manifest. Satian’s
approach to rebuilding the struggling Armenian nation combines
Jeffersonian idealism with business savvy.
Satian is a member of the Armenian Assembly of Washington. “The
Armenian Assembly of Washington is a 501c3 advocacy organization,
which means that it is nonprofit. Its purpose is to promote Armenian
interests. It is not affiliated with the Armenian government,” said
Satian. The Armenian lobby has become one of the most influential on
Capitol Hill, winning millions of dollars in foreign aid for that
nation. As a member of this organization, Satian is indirectly
involved in the planning of a new Armenian museum to be located in
Washington. As a recent appointee to Gov. Warner’s Commission on
Armenia, Statian said that in his view the primary objective is to
promote business and trade between Virginia and Armenia. According to
Beddros Banbandazian, who is the head of the Governor’s Commission on
Armenian Affairs and a friend of Satian’s, the commission will also
cultivate relationships in the agricultural, technological and a
cultural sectors.
A country the size of Delaware, Armenia gained its independence from
the Soviet Union in 1991. A war with neighboring Azerbaijan and
hostility with Turkey have caused serious economic problems that
resulted in the migration of approximately 1 million people, among
whom are many professionals. Satian says however, that it has the
least oppressive business environment of all of the former republics
of the Soviet Union and a developing high technology base that
generates approximately $50,000,000 a year.
According to Satian, Virginia is an excellent business partner for
Armenia because in addition to its flourishing high technology
industry it is close to Washington and has a port in Norfolk. He
hopes that the relationship will stimulate investment in Armenia,
which will stem the tide of emigrants and create jobs for people. He
thinks that the new relationship will be beneficial for Virginia and
Armenia. A leader in his church, a commission member and a delegate
to the Second Armenian Diaspora Conference, an advisory conference of
Armenians living abroad, Satian says, “I would like to share my
experience of living in the U.S.A. to chart a healthy and prudent
course for our government to take.”
Satian’s daughter, Rosemary Edwards, said of her father, “I have
always been impressed by my father’s desire to achieve. Growing up,
he worked six and sometimes seven days a week, and we were never at
need for anything. Armenia is such a rich country, culturally, and he
has always stuck to his Armenian roots. He wants to give back, and he
has the ability to do it now.”
Surrounded by friends and family, including eight grandchildren, he
said, “I would like to keep myself busy, keep myself active, enjoy
life and give more of my time.”

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Communications Officer
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
August 12, 2004
___________________

Week of August 6 to August 12, 2004
* * *

SUNDAY IS THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION

This Sunday (8/15) is one of the five tabernacle feast days of the Armenian
Church: the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother-of-God. The story
of the Assumption, preserved in extra-Scriptural tradition, tells how St.
Mary was taken up in body and soul into heaven, after having completed her
life on earth. This was a special courtesy performed by Christ many years
after His Ascension, out of love for the mother who bore and raised Him.

For more on St. Mary, resources to help teach your children about this
feast, and a description of the “Blessing of the Grapes” tradition that
accompanies the feast day, click to our website:

(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 8/11/04)
* * *

PRIMATE HEADS TO BELLEVILLE THIS WEEKEND

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America (Eastern), will be in Belleville, IL, at the Holy Virgin Mary
and Shoghagat Church. He will celebrate the Divine Liturgy (starting at
10:00 a.m.) and ordain Mark Marifian as a tbir on Sunday (8/15) before
taking part in the “Blessing of the Grapes” service. The church is located
at 400 Huntwood Rd., in Belleville, IL.

(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 8/11/04)
* * *

EUROPE REFUSES TO LABEL SUDAN MASSACRES AS “GENOCIDE”

On Monday (8/9), the European Union said the mass murders, rape, and
burning of villages in the Darfur region of the Sudan should not be
classified as “genocide”. Critics say the finding underlines Europe’s
reluctance to intervene in the ongoing violence. European officials did
acknowledge that there is “”widespread, silent and slow killing and village
burning of a fairly large scale.” However, no nation is yet willing to
send troops to stop the violence and if it were deemed a genocide, United
Nations rules would require them to act to end the slaughter.

Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously voted to
designate as “genocide” the violence in Sudan which has lead to the deaths
of 30,000 people and the displacement of one million.

The Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America has been working with
ecumenical groups in urging American political and media leaders to
strongly affirm that the campaign of mass killing is indeed a
genocide. The Primate will issue a parish directive to that effect in the
coming week.

To read about the Eastern Diocese’s effort to bring light to the Darfur
genocide, go to our website:
;selmonth=8&selyear04

(Source: The Guardian, 8/10/04)
* * *

HOLY ETCHMIADZIN OPENS NEWLY RENOVATED SEMINARY

Last Thursday (8/5), the newly renovated Gevorkian Theological Seminary of
the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin was re-opened during a ceremony presided
over by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians. Present for the opening ceremonies were hundreds of clergy and
faithful, including Kevork and Sirvart Hovnanian, who sponsored the
year-long construction and renovation work on the historic building. (Mr.
Hovnanian is chairman of the Fund for Armenian Relief and the Armenian
Church Endowment Fund.)

Speaking at the opening celebration was Archbishop Khajag Barsamian,
Primate of the Eastern Diocese, who told of the unique role the Gevorkian
Seminary plays in the preparation of young clergymen, noting that it has an
irreplaceable duty in guaranteeing the future of the Armenian Church.
Currently, more than 300 seminarians study at the school, which was founded
in 1874 by Catholicos of All Armenians Gevork IV.

(Source: Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, 8/7/04)
* * *

LEARN ARMENIAN

Preserve your heritage — and have a lot of fun — this fall by taking an
Armenian language course. Classes aren’t just for kids; many parishes have
adult classes at nights or on the weekends. And classes are for everyone:
beginners who can’t say “parev” or more skilled speakers who want to learn
to read. Check with your local parish today to see if it offers Armenian
classes. For a list of parishes, click to our website:

If you’re in the New York City metro area, the Diocese is offering 15 weeks
of classes on Wednesday nights starting September 22. For more information
click here:

TEACH ARMENIAN

If you speak Armenian, volunteer in your parish to be a teacher. Or, if
your parish doesn’t have an Armenian language class, start one! You can
pass on your love for your culture and make new friends. Call your parish
pastor or chairman today to volunteer your time and skills. You don’t have
to be an expert to be a teacher, just be energetic about sharing your love
of Armenian.

To volunteer, call your parish or contact Sylva der Stepanian, coordinator
of Armenina studies at the Diocese, by e-mailing
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected].

(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 8/9/04)
* * *

SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS HEADED TO DIOCESE

Starting Sunday (8/15), a dozen Sunday School teachers from throughout the
Diocese will be in New York City for the Mardigian Institute, a special
one-week session focusing on educational plans and resources. The
participants in the free program will learn from experts during workshops
at the Diocesan Center and spend time studying at St. Nersess Armenian
Seminary. For more on the program, click to our website:

(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 8/11/04)
# # #

Azer News, Azerbaijan
Aug 12 2004

Opposition party appeals to President

The Board of the opposition Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party
(WAPFP) in its Thursday meeting adopted an appeal to President Ilham
Aliyev.

The document reads that the 10-year talks over settling the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper Garabagh have yielded no
positive results. “The party hopes that President Ilham Aliyev will
take into account the fact that this is a matter of moral importance
for the Azerbaijani people and disclose his position towards
preventing the Armenian officers’ upcoming visit to Baku,” the appeal
said.

The document also reads that if this takes place there will be no
need for protest actions, as it will be clear that the government
gives priority to the country’s national interests.