Azeri-Iranian summit brings no joy for BP

By Rufat Abbasov

BAKU, Aug 5 (Reuters) – Iran and Azerbaijan signed gas and electricity
swap deals on Thursday, but the leaders of the two Caspian Sea states
did not give details how they planned to solve problems of disputed
oilfields once tapped by BP.

Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, whose long-awaited visit to
Azerbaijan had been repeatedly postponed over the past few years, and
his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev signed a total of 10 social,
cultural and economic agreements in Baku.

“The implementation of these agreements will create thousands of new
jobs in Azerbaijan,” Aliyev said after the signing ceremony.

One of the key deals signed between the two states involves gas swaps,
which will start with small volumes in 2005 and rise to 350 million
cubic metres (mcm) of gas a year by 2009.

The swaps will allow Azerbaijan to supply its remote Nakhichevan
province via the Iranian territory.

Baku cannot supply the region directly as it is separated from the
rest of the country by the territory of Armenia, still formally at war
with Azerbaijan.

Azeri state oil and gas company SOCAR will sell 80 mcm of gas in the
last quarter of 2005, awaiting the launch in 2006 of the large
Shakh-Deniz offshore gas field, led by BP and Norway’s Statoil.

SOCAR is involved in the giant project, which will be exporting the
bulk of gas to Turkey, but the state firm wants to use its share of
output for domestic needs.

It will be sending 200 mcm to Iran from 2006, 250 mcm in 2007, 300 mcm
in 2008 and 350 mcm in 2009. Iran will in exchange supply its own
volumes to Nakhichevan, keeping 15 percent of volumes as a service
commission.

Tehran also agreed to lend Baku $75 million to build new equipment and
facilitate trade in electricity.

BP FIELDS NOT DISCUSSED

Khatami, who will stay in Azerbaijan until Saturday, said the two
states were keen to resolve all disagreements.

“There is no problem which cannot be solved by talks,” Interfax news
agency quoted him as saying.

But the two leaders failed to mention the issue of disputed Caspian
oilfields, while the head of SOCAR Natik Aliyev told Reuters the issue
was not discussed during the summit.

In July 2001, Iranian gunships and a military aircraft chased off two
of BP’s oil exploration ships from a disputed Caspian Sea sector.

BP suspended exploration work around its Araz-Alov-Sharg oil
concession, which experts say may contain significant reserves. Iran
calls the block Alborz.

The division of the Caspian between the five littoral states — Iran,
Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan — remains unresolved
despite protracted talks.

Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have agreed on how to divide the sea
in their sectors, but Iran and Turkmenistan are still reluctant to
agree with the proposed division principles.

08/05/04 14:21 ET

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:

PRESS RELEASE
August 5, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

ARMENIAN AMERICANS ACTIVE AT THE
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

— Strengthen Alliances with Coalition Partners

BOSTON, MA – Armenian Americans from throughout the United States
took part in the Democratic National Convention last week to
communicate Armenian American priorities, strengthen alliances, and
contribute to the success of the Kerry-Edwards ticket this
November, reported the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA).

Armenian American delegates to the Convention represented states,
ranging from Colorado and Iowa to New York, Massachusetts and Rhode
Island. They were joined by local community activists from
Massachusetts, invited guests, and representatives of the Armenian
American press.

Kathryn Allikian, an Iowa alternate delegate attending a national
party convention for the first time, cited a range of domestic and
Armenian American concerns which led her to lend her support to the
Kerry-Edwards ticket. “When I first heard that the Bush
Administration had placed Armenia on the terrorist watch list after
9/11. That just floored me. All they had to do is do their
homework. I’m glad that it was taken off and that they recognized
their mistake, but it took a lot of lobbying efforts from the
Armenian community’s side to get that done.” Other Armenian
American delegates included Massachusetts State Representative
Rachel Kaprielian, ANC Rhode Island activist Ani Haroian, Armene
Brown, and Mike Najarian.

Armenian Americans were also active in the Convention through
participation in the Democratic Party’s Ethnic Caucus, which took
place on July 28th. The two-hour Caucus meeting, run by Caucus Co-
Chairman and Arab American Institute Chairman Jim Zogby, featured a
range of speakers including Kerry-Edwards campaign co-chairwoman,
former New Hampshire Governor Jean Shaheen, Connecticut
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, and Kerry-Edwards Ethnic Outreach
Coordinator George Kivork. In addressing the ethnic community
representatives, Rep. DeLauro explained, “You are tireless
advocates for what makes our country unique and special. It is
that diversity of background and opinion, cultural tradition and
value. That is what our country is all about. And what you all do
is help preserve the core of the American experience and the notion
that we can build a more perfect union.”

Since its inception in the early 1990’s, the Armenian American
community’s participation in the Caucus has been through the
Armenian American Democratic Leadership Council, which actively
fosters support within the Armenian American community for the
Democratic Party and national Democratic office holders, while
promoting the election of Armenian American Democrats to political
office and encouraging participation by Armenian American Democrats
at all levels of the public policy process.

——————————————————-
State Representative Koutoujian Urges Armenian American Youth:
“Please Get Involved, We Need You.”
——————————————————-

Massachusetts State Senator Peter Koutoujian and John Kerry for
President Ethnic Outreach Coordinator George Kivork outlined the
Senator Kerry’s strong record on Armenian American concerns
including Sen. Kerry’s twenty year record in support of Armenian
Genocide recognition efforts, and leadership in the adoption of
Freedom Support Act restrictions on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan due
their ongoing blockade of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh.

The ANCA, in its official statement endorsing the Kerry/Edwards
ticket provided an extensive accounting of both Sen. Kerry’s and
Pres. Bush’s records on Armenian American concerns. The full text
of the endorsement may be read on the ANCA website at:
;pressregion=anca

Both Koutoujian and Kivork made a general call for greater Armenian
American involvement in the political process. When asked to
provide a message to Armenian American youth considering a career
in politics, Rep. Koutoujian stated, “I would say to all the young
Armenians – ‘Please get involved, we need you.’ There are only two
State Representatives up here (Massachusetts) – myself and Rachel
Kaprielian, and that’s kind of shameful. . . We really need our
young people to rise up to positions of power and positions of
influence where we can affect change, we can affect policy issues.”

Kivork’s message was equally emphatic: “Get involved. Get
involved right now. We need Armenian Americans getting involved in
every level of campaign – whether it is city council, your local
Congressman, you school board. Just get involved, because at the
end of the day, you are the face of not just the candidate, but of
all Armenian Americans. You have a unique opportunity to represent
both your community and your candidate in a positive light. Just
get involved.”

——————————————————————-
Rep. Schiff: “We are going to take every opportunity to bring the
[Genocide Recognition] fight to the floor of the Congress
——————————————————————-

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) was among the thousands of Democratic
elected officials to participate at the Convention this year. In
an interview with Horizon Armenian Television, Rep. Schiff, who
successfully spearheaded an amendment to the foreign aid bill,
which restricts the use of U.S. assistance to Turkey in lobbying
against the Genocide Resolution, outlined the next steps in
securing Congressional support for the measure.

“The amendment is part of the House Bill. It is not yet part of
the Senate Bill. We want to make sure it stays in on the
Conference Committee,” explained Rep. Schiff. “Regrettably the
House Leadership, Speaker Hastert, Tom Delay and others have
pledged to do everything they can to strip it out of the bill. So
we have a fight on our bill.” Rep. Schiff is referring to a
strongly worded statement by Speaker Hastert, Majority Leader Tom
DeLay and Majority Leader Roy Blunt, issued immediately following
the passage of the amendment, critical of the amendment and
pledging not to schedule a floor vote on the Genocide resolution,
H.Res.193. The Genocide Resolution, which was introduced by Rep.
George Radanovich (R-CA), Rep. Schiff and Congressional Armenian
Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI),
has 111 cosponsors and was adopted unanimously by the House
Judiciary Committee in May, 2003.

Following the passage of the Schiff amendment, Representatives
Radanovich, Pallone and Schiff initiated a Congressional letter to
Speaker Hastert asking him to schedule a vote on the Genocide
Resolution. The letter has already garnered over 30 Congressional
signatories. Rep. Schiff stressed the importance of nationwide
Armenian American activism in support of the letter to send a clear
message to the House leadership. “If he [Speaker Hastert] doesn’t
hear from people throughout this country, he is going to think that
people don’t care. On the other hand, if he can hear from all of
us, if we can send thousands and thousands of faxes, he’s going to
know that there is a price to making a promise to our community and
then breaching it.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Le Point
5 août 2004

Turquie; Interview François Bayrou* : « Non à l’adhésion de la
Turquie »

Pierre Beylau

L’éventuelle adhésion de la Turquie à l’Europe provoque des prises de
positions passionnées. « Le Point » ouvre le débat.

Le Point : Pourquoi ne voulez-vous pas que la Turquie entre dans
l’Europe ?

François Bayrou : Parce que je défends l’idée que l’Europe doit
devenir une unité politique. L’adhésion de la Turquie rendrait
impossible, ou en tout cas très difficile à atteindre, cette
ambition. Il faut comprendre que le débat sur la Turquie est en
réalité un débat sur l’Europe. Il y a, d’un côté, ceux qui pensent
que l’Europe n’a comme objectif que d’être une zone de paix et de
droit unifié dont les acteurs, principalement les Etats, organisent
la coexistence pacifique et le commerce. Certains diront : ce n’est
déjà pas mal ! Mais d’autres, dont je suis, et dont étaient Robert
Schuman, Jean Monnet, François Mitterrand ou Valéry Giscard
d’Estaing, veulent tout autre chose. Ils veulent que l’Europe
devienne un acteur de premier plan sur la scène internationale à
l’égal des Etats-Unis, de la Chine. Ils veulent que l’Europe
participe aux décisions qui vont organiser l’avenir de la planète.
Ils s’inscrivent dans la lignée de ceux qui, depuis cinquante ans,
défendent l’idée d’une communauté de destins, d’une Europe qui a un
projet et une civilisation à défendre.

Pourquoi la Turquie ne ferait-elle pas partie de cette civilisation ?

Parce que la Turquie n’est européenne ni par la géographie ni par
l’histoire ni par la sociologie. Son anthropologie n’est pas la même
que la nôtre. J’ai eu récemment une intéressante conversation avec le
Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan lors de son passage à
Paris. Il m’a dit : « Pour nous, il faut que l’Europe soit un lieu de
rencontre de civilisations différentes. » C’est donc bien qu’à ses
yeux il y a différence de civilisation. Au cours de notre
conversation, il y a eu un moment extrêmement instructif. Nous avons
parlé de la laïcité et le Premier ministre Erdogan a prononcé cette
phrase que je cite entre guillemets : « Les hommes, les personnes, ne
sont pas laïques, il n’y a que l’Etat qui soit laïque. » Or, pour
nous, Européens, c’est en nous-mêmes qu’est la laïcité. Dans notre
propre vie, nous séparons ce qui ressortit à la conviction religieuse
de ce qui appartient à notre vie de citoyen. Cette idée, si j’ose
dire, de la laïcité intérieure est en réalité au coeur même de notre
mode de vie, la clé de voûte de notre société.

Chez nous, même un prêtre est un citoyen laïque. Lorsqu’il vote, il
s’inscrit dans un ordre de motivations complètement différent de
celui qui a provoqué, suscité l’engagement de sa vie, son sacerdoce.
Il est vain de nier les différences, les identités.

Vous voyez en fait à quelle logique politique obéit ce projet de
l’Europe vague, zone de rencontre et de conciliation juridique. Elle
obéit à la logique de l’extension perpétuelle. Aujourd’hui, la
Turquie, demain, évidemment, les pays du Maghreb, puis Israël et la
Palestine et puis bien sûr l’Ukraine (qui appartient à l’Europe), la
Russie jusqu’aux frontières du Japon. Ce projet est le rêve de tous
ceux qui en fait n’ont jamais voulu de l’Europe et, notamment, le
rêve de ceux qui, aux Etats-Unis, considèrent que l’Amérique ne doit
pas avoir de concurrent. C’est la raison pour laquelle George Bush a
tellement soutenu l’entrée de la Turquie en Europe.

Mais l’Europe s’est engagée, depuis 1963, à intégrer un jour la
Turquie…

En 1963, le projet européen n’était pas un projet d’union politique,
c’était un marché commun. La dénomination officielle l’atteste assez
: Marché commun. La promesse qui a été faite à la Turquie concernait
ce marché commun. Elle a été tenue avec l’union douanière qui a été
scellée avec la Turquie. On aurait bien fait rire le général de
Gaulle en lui disant que la Turquie avait vocation à se fondre dans
un ensemble politique européen !

Mais il y a eu cependant le sommet de Helsinki en 1999, où l’on a
promis à la Turquie d’examiner sa candidature cette fois à l’UE, et
non plus au Marché commun…

Cela est tout à fait exact et mérite qu’on s’y attarde. Quand les
Turcs disent qu’à Helsinki on les a admis comme membres potentiels de
l’Union, ils ont raison. Il n’y a pas de doute que la décision de
Helsinki n’était pas seulement un engagement à examiner avec
bienveillance les conditions de leur candidature, mais bel et bien
une reconnaissance de la vocation de la Turquie à entrer dans l’Union
européenne. Une lourde responsabilité a alors été prise par Jacques
Chirac. Certains, qui étaient autour de la table à Helsinki, me l’ont
raconté avec un luxe de détails. Cela s’est passé en quelques
minutes. Jacques Chirac s’est engagé de toutes ses forces et a
emporté la décision. Il a même contribué à régler les derniers
détails, à lever les dernières réserves qui s’étaient exprimées. Cela
sans aucun débat devant les Français et, plus grave encore, sans
débat ni informations au Parlement. Seuls Valéry Giscard d’Estaing et
moi avons exprimé immédiatement notre refus.

Un pas normalement décisif a été franchi. Naturellement il est
désormais très difficile de revenir en arrière sans humiliation pour
le peuple turc. Je suis parfaitement conscient que la parole de la
France a été engagée. Mais la question est trop grave pour être
éludée. Je pense qu’une telle décision serait pour l’Europe une
condamnation du projet tel que l’ont porté les pères de l’Europe. Ce
serait une victoire absolue de ceux qui veulent une Europe
intergouvernementale, qui cherchent aussi à préserver leur pré carré
diplomatique, à maintenir la division et l’inexistence politique de
l’UE.

Les partisans de l’adhésion turque assurent qu’en cas de refus, au
lieu de s’arrimer à l’Europe, la Turquie risquerait de dériver vers
l’islamisme…

C’est une affirmation très grave, une sorte de chantage. Cela veut
dire : vous allez délibérer avec un pistolet sur la tempe. Les hommes
politiques qui disent cela n’ont pas toujours bien réfléchi à la
portée de cet argument. Une relation de voisinage n’est pas une
relation hostile. C’est au contraire une relation de confiance,
amicale et fondée sur la coopération. Je suis pour la coopération
avec la Turquie, je suis pour un traité exclusif entre l’Union
européenne et la Turquie qui garantisse à ce pays un statut qui ne
soit pas un statut anonyme. Mais je ne peux pas imaginer que la
Turquie soit intégrée à l’UE. Il faut bien comprendre que le traité
de Nice a avalisé un équilibre politique désormais fondé sur la
démographie. Les députés allemands au Parlement européen sont 99 et
les Français 72. Avant Nice, il y avait 99 Allemands et 89 Français.
Un système qui permettait de marquer une différence démographique
tout en conservant un équilibre politique. A Nice, cet équilibre
politique a été rompu. C’est une des raisons pour lesquelles nous
avons voté contre ce traité soutenu par Chirac et Jospin qui
l’avaient négocié ensemble. A l’aune de Nice, la Turquie, qui aura
dans quelques décennies plus de 100 millions d’habitants, sera le
décideur politique majeur en Europe. Cela naturellement ne marchera
pas et condamnera l’Europe.

Est-ce que le problème n’est pas dû à l’absence de critères précis de
définition de l’Europe ?

Bien sûr ! Si l’on prend en compte les seuls critères de Copenhague –
démocratie, respect des droits de l’homme, des minorités, etc., les
Japonais les remplissent, et auraient vocation à être européens…

La Turquie a tout de même joué un rôle dans l’histoire de l’Europe…

Mais il y a des quantités de pays qui ont aussi joué un rôle en
Europe. Prenez la Russie ou l’Ukraine. Mais si l’on intègre tout le
monde, on fait de l’Europe un mixte d’Onu régionale et d’Otan. Une
organisation régionale de l’Otan. Cela convient très bien aux
Etats-Unis.

Ne craignez-vous pas que ce problème de la Turquie n’interfère avec
le référendum sur la Constitution prévu l’an prochain ?

Le piège est redoutable. Pour le déjouer, Il faut avoir une lecture
qui soit suffisamment solide. Le débat sur la Constitution est
menacé. Vouloir faire adopter une Constitution pour l’Europe – et
vous savez que je suis pour – en maintenant la perspective de
l’adhésion de la Turquie, c’est suicidaire. Comment éviter la
confusion, qui risque de conduire les électeurs à se prononcer sur la
Turquie au lieu de se prononcer sur la Constitution ? La
responsabilité de Jacques Chirac est majeure. Il faut que la question
trouve une réponse avant le référendum. Nous ferons en sorte que ce
débat soit clairement tenu, devant les électeurs, que la réponse de
la France soit débattue et que les citoyens puissent dire leur mot.
Autrement, le danger est majeur à mes yeux de voir le référendum
échouer sur ce sujet.

L’UMP s’est prononcée contre l’adhésion de la Turquie…

Ce sont des faux-semblants. Le président de la République est le
principal acteur, et le gouvernement français avec lui, de l’adhésion
de la Turquie. Nous ne sommes pas dupes de la répartition des rôles,
grosse ficelle destinée à tromper les électeurs. L’attitude de l’UMP
n’a aucun commencement de crédibilité. Ils disent blanc mais ils
soutiennent activement ceux qui font noir. C’est de l’hypocrisie.
Seconde hypocrisie : l’argument des délais. L’adhésion de la Turquie
prendra, disent-ils, beaucoup de temps. Mais c’est un leurre. Si l’on
négocie pendant des années, lorsque les négociations auront abouti,
qui osera dire non ? La Turquie remplira les critères qu’on lui
impose. Et je suis convaincu que, même sur la reconnaissance du
génocide arménien, indispensable à nos yeux, un aménagement sera
trouvé. Ce n’est pas la vraie question. La véritable interrogation
est : l’adhésion de la Turquie est-elle compatible avec le projet
d’unité politique de l’Europe ? Ma réponse à moi est : non

* Président de l’UDF

Le Figaro
05 août 2004

Notre dette envers les chrétiens d’Orient;
MOYEN-ORIENT Les attentats contre la communauté chrétienne d’Irak
assombrissent l’avenir du christianisme oriental

Jean-François COLOSIMO

Le Figaro entame la publication d’une série de contributions sur la
condition faite aux communautés chrétiennes dans le monde
extra-occidental. Aujourd’hui, l’analyse du théologien Jean-François
Colosimo.

Face à la catastrophe de civilisation qui va s’accélérant dans le
berceau de l’humanité, il est de toute urgence que les chrétiens
d’Occident, de croyance ou de tradition, ne viennent pas aggraver la
tragédie des chrétiens d’Orient en la rendant irréversible. Car leur
mobilisation, comme toujours tardive et intempestive, risque cette
fois de précipiter la fin de toute présence vivante de la foi sur son
lieu de naissance. Les ignorances, les confusions, les non-dits qui y
président constituent en effet autant de menaces mortifères, non
moins réelles que la « croisade » de Bush ou le « djihad » de Ben
Laden, pour la perpétuation de ces Églises apostoliques. Aussi notre
premier devoir consiste-t-il à lever le statut d’otages dans lequel
les enferment nos représentations de l’histoire, de l’Orient, du
christianisme.

Les ignorances, tout d’abord. Nous lisons l’héritage à fronts
renversés, voyant dans ces chrétientés du bout du monde des postes
avancés de notre identité alors que nous leur sommes en dette de
cette même identité. Nous avons oublié que le christianisme fut
initialement une religion orientale avant de gagner l’Occident. Que
l’Évangile, les pères, le monachisme, nous vinrent
d’outre-Méditerranée. Que le grand Irénée de Lyon, apôtre des Gaules,
était originaire d’Anatolie. Et que, au haut Moyen Age, tandis que
l’évangélisation de l’Europe peinait, l’Eglise de Perse envoyait ses
missionnaires dans toute l’Asie, des rivages de l’Inde aux
contreforts du Tibet. Nous avons aussi oublié que le premier grand
schisme n’advint pas entre la Réforme et le Vatican en 1417, ni même
entre Rome et Constantinople en 1054, mais entre les conciles
d’Ephèse en 431, scellant la rupture desdits « Nestoriens » (les
Assyriens) et de Chalcédoine en 451, marquant celle desdits «
Monophysites » (les Arméniens, Coptes, Éthiopiens, Syriaques,
Malabars).

Nous n’avons plus souvenir que, pendant des siècles, ces communautés
abandonnées, soumises aux tyrannies, ravagées par les invasions, les
empires, les massacres, persévérèrent dans l’isolement et le martyre
en une leçon de témoignage qui contredit nos propres accablements
d’aujourd’hui. Nous avons enfin et surtout oublié que, dans la
rivalité mimétique, cette amnésie s’est doublée d’une captation et
d’une prédation.

De la Renaissance à la colonisation, s’appuyant sur les puissances
maritimes et monnayant les aides diplomatiques comme caritatives, le
catholicisme puis le protestantisme n’eurent de cesse de fomenter des
Églises parallèles, ralliées, occidentalisées, parmi tous les
christianismes orientaux, favorisant ainsi leur fragmentation, leur
instrumentalisation, leur extranéité. Et leur malheur.

Car le bilan est là, de cette sollicitude confusionnelle : les
croisades, l’uniatisme auquel Rome a heureusement renoncé, sous
l’impulsion de Jean-Paul II , les protectorats n’eurent pour effet
que de désigner les chrétiens d’Orient comme des étrangers et des
ennemis dans leur terreau ancestral, et comme objets de vengeance une
fois ces aventures de conquête évanouies et l’heure de la Realpolitik
revenue.

Ne nous y trompons pas. Que ce fût par ses interventions militaires
ou ses démissions internationales, mais toujours à cause de ses
oeillères culturelles, l’Occident eut sa part, qu’on la juge passive
ou active, au cours du XXe siècle, dans le génocide des Arméniens,
l’errance des Syriaques et des Assyriens, l’expulsion des Grecs, et
le terrible exode qui prévaut partout désormais au Proche-Orient.

De même qu’il l’a aujourd’hui dans le drame irakien où les troupes
américaines, sans surprise, s’accompagnent de bataillons
d’évangélistes et baptistes venus entre autres « christianiser » les
dépositaires deux fois millénaires, dans leur liturgie, de la langue
que parlait le Christ ! Avec pour seul résultat de renforcer
l’agitation et le ressentiment dans l’opinion musulmane et d’ouvrir
un boulevard à la fureur éradicatrice de l’islamisme.

Ceux qui s’en inquiètent aujourd’hui, particulièrement les
institutions chrétiennes d’Europe soucieuses de se distinguer du
fondamentalisme made in USA, doivent comprendre que c’est bien à une
répétition, doublée d’une vertigineuse escalade, peut-être
définitive, que nous assistons. Pour avoir annoncé ce désastre
programmé dès les premiers bombardements de Bagdad, je n’avais
rencontré qu’indifférence ou déni. L’illusion était belle, alors, que
la « démocratisation » de l’Irak profiterait aux chrétiens d’Orient.
Il aurait pourtant suffi de les écouter pour savoir leur amertume et
leur inquiétude immédiates face à la situation de chaos, elle aussi
prévisible, que Washington laissait croître. C’est ce que me
rapportait, au début du printemps, de retour de Mossoul, Domitille
Lagourgue, de « Mission enfance » : ils se sentaient menacés comme
jamais par l’assimilation et l’embrigadement forcés découlant des
discours théocratiques de Bush. Pis, ils en retiraient, à tort ou à
raison, l’impression d’être manipulés. Et, aussi détestables qu’ils
aient pu être, l’ancien statut de la dhimmitude coranique ou celui de
la citoyenneté restreinte, façon Saddam Hussein première manière
(avant l’embargo et l’adoption de la mythologie et de l’idéologie
islamiste), leur paraissaient à la limite préférables à la
disparition à laquelle les exposait l’occupation américaine. C’était
ce que leur dictait leur expérience de la survie, compromise au cours
des ges par les oppressions avérées des Arabes, des Mongols, des
Ottomans, ou des nationalismes socialistes qui suivirent, comme par
les fausses promesses des Britanniques, des Français, ou des Russes.

Restent donc les non-dits. Pas plus que l’escalade terroriste ou la
menace récente ne sont contestables, l’histoire proche n’est sauve
d’ambiguïtés que les chrétiens d’Orient, certes à leur corps
défendant, ont néanmoins entretenues. Le pacte laïc, supposé fonder
le panarabisme qu’eux-mêmes avaient pour l’essentiel promu, ne fut
jamais plénier, mais ils s’en firent les apologètes, donnant dans la
surenchère nationaliste. La courbe de l’exode de leurs communautés
croisait celle de l’explosion démographique des musulmans, mais ils
préféraient nier cette évidence, et ses conséquences territoriales,
se cantonnant à un impossible statu quo. L’islamisme remplissait
toujours plus le vide laissé par l’effondrement des utopies
marxistes, mais ils en récusaient l’inquiétante nouveauté, favorisant
une image plus pacifiée de l’islam traditionnel au milieu duquel ils
avaient grandi. Ces erreurs de jugement, ou à tout le moins absences
d’actions et de réactions adéquates, font aussi partie du tableau
actuel. Elles relèvent pour une part du silence de l’Occident ces
dernières décennies, le chrétien d’Orient étant difficilement accepté
au rang de cause humanitaire. Elles sont accrues dans le cas irakien
par la guerre, mais également par la spécificité chaldéenne. La
majorité des chrétiens d’Irak appartiennent en effet à cette Église
issue du nestorianisme de Mésopotamie, mais unie à Rome, et liée dans
l’imaginaire à l’Occident.

Ses membres, plus qu’ailleurs, relèvent en conséquence d’une
bourgeoisie moyenne, citadine, éduquée, présente dans le commerce ou
les niveaux intermédiaires de la fonction publique. Leurs cercles ou
journaux alimentent par ailleurs la réflexion des musulmans éclairés
dans les classes similaires. Autant dire, et quoi qu’il soit pénible
de l’écrire, qu’à l’aune de ces faiblesses générales et de cette
visibilité singulière, ce qui surprend n’est pas l’existence
d’attentats, mais leur relative tardivité.

Les Américains, moteur de la spirale du désastre. L’Europe aux
abonnés absents. Le Vatican empêché par la récente élection d’un
patriarche gé et inefficace à laquelle il a obligé un synode
chaldéen récalcitrant et divisé. Un éparpillement confessionnel
d’Églises en mal d’unité sur le terrain. Le chaos général, dans les
villes comme les campagnes. Et désormais, donc, le terrorisme… En
toile de fond, une opinion internationale en ébullition, qui peut
trouver là, enfin, une justification morale à la guerre. Il est
encore temps de ne pas répéter la triste aventure des maronites du
Liban, qui furent si encouragés à creuser leur propre tombeau et
celui de leur pays.

Oui, le tableau des chrétiens d’Irak est noir. Mais leur seul salut
se trouve, une fois encore, à l’intérieur. Leur avenir, et donc une
part essentielle de notre mémoire, se joue dans l’alliance qu’ils
sauront, ou non, nouer avec la majorité chiite et la minorité kurde,
qui y sont toutes deux disposées. Pour autant que l’Occident ne jette
pas, avec angélisme, de l’huile sur le feu.

* Théologien, professeur à l’Institut Saint-Serge.

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 5, 2004
___________________

Week of July 30 to August 5, 2004
* * *

CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES IN IRAQ WORK TO RECOVER FROM BLASTS

Iraqi Christians, including Armenians, worked this week to recover from
the blasts on Sunday that targeted their sanctuaries during services.
The first car bomb went off on Sunday (8/1) outside an Armenian Catholic
church in Baghdad just 15 minutes into its evening service. Five
churches in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul were hit, killing at
least 12 and injuring dozens more. Fortunately, no Armenians were among
those killed or seriously injured.

Amid fears of future violence and possible assassination of religious
leaders, Christian churches are taking precautions against future
attack, by posting armed guards, closing nearby streets, and installing
barbed wire barriers. Others are scaling back services.

“I don’t think we’ll have mass next Sunday,” Nubar Antoine, a member of
the Armenian Catholic leadership council, said in one news report.

The Armenian Church community in Iraq has not made any special plea for
international financial or material aid. The Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern) remains in contact with Armenian community
leaders in Iraq and will keep you informed.

To learn more about these attacks, click to our website:
;selmonth=8&sel
year04

(Source: Associated Press, 8/01/04; New York Sun, 8/3/04, Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 8/5/04)
* * *

CATHOLICOS SENDS SYMPATHIES TO POPE

On Wednesday (8/4), His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, sent a letter of sympathy and support to
Pope John Paul II, following the bombings of churches in Iraq.

The letter states, in part: “We are saddened that some extreme elements
are attempting to endanger the centuries of friendship and peaceful
co-existence among the Christian and Muslim peoples of the East, and
offer our prayers to the Almighty that the love of our Lord Jesus Christ
will enter into the hearts of men, reconcile them one to another, and
that violence and war will be eliminated from the region and all of
humanity.”

The Catholicos of All Armenians has sent a similar letter to the
patriarch of the Armenian Catholics, His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX.

(Source: Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, 8/4/04)
* * *

CLERGY AND FRIENDS GATHER TO SAY GOODBYE TO BISHOP HOUSSIG

On Monday (8/2), Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate, performed the
funeral services for Bishop Houssig Bagdasian at the St. Mary Church of
Livingston, NJ. The church, where Bishop Bagdasian — the first
American-born bishop of the Armenian Church — served as pastor for many
years, was filled with clergymen, family of the bishop, and
parishioners. For more on the service, and to read a eulogy delivered
by the Primate, visit or website:
;selmonth=8&sel
year04

(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 5/2/04)
* * *

MIDWEST HYE CAMP BRINGS TOGETHER RECORD NUMBER OF CAMPERS

This year Midwest Hye Camp in Illinois has a record number of campers –
144 — for its one-week session which started Sunday (8/1). Campers
participate in a variety of classes, including religion and heritage,
and participate in an Olympics sporting challenge. To see pictures and
read news from the campers, click to our camp web log:

(Source: Hye Camp, 8/4/04)
* * *

YOUNG SINGERS FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP

Twelve young singers from 10 parishes are at the Diocese’s Ararat Center
this week for a unique leadership retreat organized by the Association
of Armenian Church Choirs of America (AACCA). The program, which runs
from Tuesday (8/3) to Sunday (8/8), will teach singers skills to become
junior choir leaders in their home parishes. For more details and to
see a list of participants, click to the News and Events section of our
website:
;selmonth=8&sel
year04
(Source: AACCA, 8/4/04)
* * *

UPDATE ON ARMENIAN WAITING TRANSPLANT

Past e-bulletins have told you about Setrak Nalbandian, a parishioner of
the St. Peter Church of Watervliet, NY, who is in Indianapolis, IN,
desperately awaiting a liver and intestine transplant. For an update on
his condition, click to our website:
;selmonth=8&sel
year04

(Source: St. Peter Church, 8/5/04)
* * *

AGBU PRESS OFFICE
55 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone (212) 319-6383
Fax (212) 319-6507
Email [email protected]
Webpage

PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, August 5, 2004

AGBU SOFIA CHAPTER IN BULGARIA HOSTS XVII AGBU WORLD GAMES

>From five continents around the world, 350 young Armenian athletes,
future leaders and supporters of AGBU journeyed to the sparkling
shores of the Black Sea in Albena, Bulgaria to represent their
respective countries at the XVII AGBU World Games and cohesively form
one united, global AGBU family.

During the week of July 3rd, attendees from Argentina, Austria,
Canada, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Egypt, France, Italy, Lebanon, Spain, Syria
and the United States passed their days competing in sports while
others participated in the first overseas AGBU Young Professionals
conference.

DEVELOPING ARMENIAN YOUTH

AGBU, a staunch advocate for the development of Armenian youth, once
again succeeded in its ongoing mission to empower the young leaders of
tomorrow. The organization achieves this mission through active youth
programs, such as the longstanding summer camps in Bulgaria, France,
Syria and the United States; the New York Summer Intern Program,
established in 1987; Generation Next Mentorship Program, now in its
seventh year; and FOCUS, a biennial event designed to unite global
young Armenian professionals with alumni of AGBU youth programs. In
the same spirit, the AGBU World Games mobilize its youth on the
international stage.

“The Games are not the end product. The purpose of the program is to
propagate and promote an AGBU spirit within our youth so that they may
later take on responsibilities within the Union. The hope of AGBU is
that the youth will assume influential positions in their local
communities and ultimately make an impact on the Armenian community at
large, “commented Hrant Bardakjian, Chairman of the AGBU Central
Sports Committee.

The inaugural AGBU World Games took place in 1955 in Beirut, Lebanon
and since then, the event has been held worldwide, in cities including
Los Angeles, Sydney and Paris. In fact, the positive outcome of these
Games has proved so popular that AGBU Regional Games are now held
regularly in Europe, the Middle East and South America. After hosting
the XI AGBU European Games in 2002, AGBU’s Sofia Chapter
enthusiastically proposed that Bulgaria host the next AGBU World
Games. Led by Chapter Chairperson Sonia Avakian-Bedrosian and working
closely with the AGBU Central Sports Committee, AGBU Sofia, leveraging
all their community resources, delivered to AGBU’s international youth
community an enriching week of athletic competitions and camaraderie.

AGBU IN BULGARIA

Bulgaria, a small country with a population of eight million,
approximately 25,000 to 35,000 of which are Armenian, is situated on
the Balkan Peninsula. The Armenian-Bulgarian community flourished for
centuries economically and culturally, until 1934, when an
authoritarian regime stifled all ethnic expression, triggering the ban
of Armenian political, religious, social, athletic, academic, and
benevolent organizations, including AGBU.

With the fall of communism and rise of democracy in 1989, the
Bulgarian climate improved, prompting significant change in the lives
of local Armenians. However, 45 years of communism had taken its toll
and the AGBU leaders of the community confronted challenges in
reacquainting its community to the organization. Through hard work and
dedication, AGBU reappeared in most major cities (Sofia, Plovdiv,
Rousse, and Haskovo) with a new, fresh emphasis on Armenian culture
and education. To applaud Bulgaria’s commitment to revitalization, the
Union supported its Sofia Chapter’s bid to host the World Games, thus
providing them the important exposure and ties they sought to those
outside their region.

For the AGBU youth of Bulgaria, the opportunity to witness the XVII
AGBU World Games in their home country provided a unique occasion for
them to meet their Armenian contemporaries. “This is really something
exciting. I have never had this feeling before of seeing so many
Armenians in one place. I have made such great friendships and am very
proud to be Armenian,” said Lusine Daduryan, a student from Plovdiv,
Bulgaria.

THE GAMES

Spreading goodwill and welcoming all athletes, AGBU leaders, Bulgarian
dignitaries, clergy, and supporters, the Sofia Chapter kicked off the
Games ceremoniously. Competitors participated in a range of games,
including football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, badminton, table
tennis, chess and swimming.

After a full week of competition, the results were in, the winners
triumphant, and the trophies awarded. Sofia captured the Overall Cup
for winning the most medals at the Games. For respectful conduct and
unrivaled sportsmanship, Karekin Costanian returned home to Cyprus
bearing the Fair Play Cup. In the men’s football division, Cairo
proved victorious in overtime with a final penalty kick to defeat
Nicosia’s renowned Ararat team. Impressing the crowds with their fancy
footwork, the Egyptians participated in the World Games with 41
individuals from both Cairo and Alexandria, the largest
delegation. Beirut’s Antranik basketball team ruled the court by
beating Aleppo’s Al Ouroube team in a professional quality game in
order to win the men’s title, and in women’s basketball Egypt
prevailed, nabbing the gold. The Paris volleyball team captured first
place by winning the finals over Plovdiv. Competitions were also
strong in the singles/doubles sports. For a full listing of the
results, visit

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS CONFERENCE

Complementing the athletic competitions, this year’s World Games
introduced the first overseas AGBU Young Professionals (YP)
Conference. Even though the Union’s YPs have convened in the past,
this conference was the first invitation of its kind to the
international young Armenian professional community outside of North
America.

Conducted over the course of three days in English with simultaneous
Bulgarian and Armenian summary translations, the YP Conference
informed its 40 participants of the current Young Professional
movement within AGBU and how AGBU YPs influence and lead their local
communities through volunteerism, commitment, innovation, expertise,
and above all, professionalism. To date, current YP groups exist in
Beirut, Los Angeles, Geneva, Montreal, New York City, Northern
California, Orange County, and Philadelphia.

“A key goal of the conference was to educate and raise awareness to
young Armenian professionals everywhere that volunteering for the
organization adds new dimensions to their lives and prepares them to
become AGBU leaders of the future,” said Lana Kazangian, AGBU YP
Liaison and conference organizer.

The mission of AGBU YPs, which is to provide an environment for young
Armenians to network, outreach, and give a sense of community through
programs and events created under the auspices of AGBU, converges with
the organization’s mission to preserve and promote the Armenian
identity and heritage. To reinforce YP goals and objectives, two AGBU
YPs from Los Angeles and New York City were present to share best
practices and their personal experiences with volunteerism.

“This international Young Professionals conference was a tremendous
experience and opened my eyes to how Armenians around the world in
similar age ranges thrive in their native countries. The discussion
group I mediated brought to the table the different challenges facing
young Armenians. It is events like this that make our people a nation
despite dispersion and I am thrilled that AGBU has kept vigil to
ensure that Armenians stay connected and make progress,” said Cynthia
Simonian, Chairperson of the YPLA group.

In Europe, where the YP movement still has much opportunity for
growth, Nicolas Tavitian, Director of AGBU European Programs,
confirmed that the demand for YP chapters in Europe is enormous but
untapped. The conference addressed many challenges and through the
open exchange of ideas in workshops and roundtable discussions, the
meetings explored options available to members seeking to initiate YP
groups in their communities. Ms. Kazangian found the results of the
conference encouraging, with YP growth potential cited in Sofia and
Plovdiv, alongside other cities in Europe, the Middle East and South
America. For more information on AGBU YPs, visit the AGBU web site at
or e-mail [email protected].

CROSSING THE FINISH LINE

Since the close of the Games, AGBU Sofia Chairwoman Sonia
Avakian-Bedrosian has been contacted by multiple AGBU Chapters and
members from around the world to express their appreciation for a
superbly executed event. In acknowledgment, Mrs. Bedrosian said that
much of the success of the Games is attributed to the hard work,
commitment and dedication of her Organizing Committee, key sponsors
and supporters within Sofia. She thanked the international members of
the XVII World Games Committee in Canada, France and the United States
for their diligence, as well. “All Committee members experienced
great satisfaction while preparing for the XVII World Games as we feel
that uniting our youth is a very important element in our mission.
Moreover, witnessing our young members forge strong friendships during
the athletic competitions and YP Conferences was a wonderful
reward. We were grateful for the opportunity to host the AGBU family
in Albena and look forward to participating in more global
activities,” Mrs. Bedrosian expressed, reflecting on the Games.

Discussions and bids for the next AGBU World Games in 2006 have
already commenced and since the XVIII World Games is to coincide with
AGBU’s Centennial, all expectations are that it will be a showstopper
not to be missed. To look at more photos or to learn more about the
AGBU World Games, please visit:

AGBU () is the largest international, non-profit Armenian
organization in the world, and is dedicated to preserving and
promoting the Armenian heritage and culture through humanitarian,
educational, cultural and social programs that serve some 400,000
Armenians annually.

Wednesday’s European Cups Scores

KDKA TV
© MMIV, CBS Broadcasting Inc

Wednesday’s European Cups Scores
Thursday August 05, 2004

FC Copenhagen (Denmark) 0, Nova Gorica (Slovenia) 5

(Nova Gorica advanced 6-2 aggregate)

CSKA Moscow (Russia) 2, Neftchi (Azerbaijan) 0

(CSKA Moscow advanced on 2-0 aggregate)

Dinamo Bucharest (Hungary) 1, MSK Zilina (Slovakia) 0

(Dinamo Bucharest advanced on 2-0 aggregate)

Maccabi Tel-Aviv (Israel) 1, HJK Helsinki (Finland) 0

(Maccabi Tel-Aviv advanced 1-0 on aggregate)

Ferencvaros (Hungary) 0, KF Tirana (Albania) 1

(3-3 aggregate; Ferencvaros advanced 3-2 on away goals)

Kaunas (Lithuania) 0, Djurgarden (Sweden) 2

(Djurgarden advanced on 2-0 aggregate)

Lokomotiv Plovdiv (Bulgaria) 0, Club Brugge (Belgium) 4

(Club Brugge advanced 6-0 on aggregate)

Red Star Belgrade (Serbia-Montenegro) 3, Young Boys Bern (Switzerland) 0

(Red Star Belgrade advanced on 5-2 aggregate)

Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) 1, Pyunik (Armenia) 0

(Shakhtar Donetsk advanced 4-1 on aggregate)

Shelbourne (Ireland) 2, Hajduk Split (Croatia) 0

(Shelbourne advanced on 4-3 aggregate)

Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova) 0, Rosenborg (Norway) 2

(Rosenborg advanced on 4-1 aggregate)

Sparta Prague (Czech Republic) 2, Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus) 1

(Sparta Prague advanced 4-3 on aggregate)

Trabzonspor (Turkey) 3, Skonto Riga (Latvia) 0

(Trabzonspor advanced on 4-1 aggregate)

Wisla Krakow (Poland) 3, WIT Georgia Tbilisi (Georgia) 0

(Wisla Krakow advanced on 11-2 aggregate)

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press

Canoe
Slam Sports
Thu, August 5, 2004

Roddick, Moya, Hewitt win
By TERRY KINNEY

Andy Roddick returns a volley to Nicolas Kiefer of Germany during their
Tennis Masters second-round match. (AP/Mark Lyons)

MASON, Ohio (AP) – American Andy Roddick didn’t know if it was the best shot
he ever hit, or the luckiest. Either way, it set the stage for his
second-round victory Wednesday over German Nicolas Kiefer at the Tennis
Masters Cincinnati tournament.

In an evening match delayed at the start and interrupted twice by rain,
American Andre Agassi rallied after a second-set lapse to beat Sweden’s
Thomas Johansson 6-1, 3-6, 6-1. Agassi said he was re-energized by the
stalwart fans who stayed through two rain delays in the second set.

“When you see the excitement of people who have persevered, it gets your
juices going,” Agassi said.

Roddick beat Kiefer for the third time in three weeks, this time 6-4, 6-4.
His offbeat but brilliant passing shot evened the score 30-30 in the seventh
game and he won the next two points for the service break he needed to take
the opening set.

When Roddick went to the net after an extended exchange of baseline shots,
Kiefer lifted a lob over his head. Roddick sprinted back to the baseline,
whirled and got his racket on the ball just before it hit the court.

When his shot down the line skipped out of the reach of Kiefer’s forehand,
Roddick raised both hands, palms up, to the crowd in a gesture that could
only mean, “How did I do that?”

Roddick said he could only laugh at his good fortune when he saw the replay.

“I was going to go between my legs, but I couldn’t get there in time,”
Roddick said. “So I just flailed at it, and I figured if I was going to
flail at it, I might as well hit it hard.

“I didn’t really see it . . . but I saw people clapping, so I figured it
went in. It was probably the best shot I ever hit, or the luckiest. It felt
pretty cool, but I didn’t realize it was that drastic.”

Earlier, Australian Lleyton Hewitt beat unseeded Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten,
and Spain’s Carlos Moya beat Croatian Ivan Ljubicic in the $2.5-million US
event after persistent, heavy rains delayed the start of the morning matches
for more than four hours.

Tenth-seeded Hewitt broke Kuerten’s serve in the second game and cruised
through the first set. Kuerten prolonged the second set by breaking Hewitt
to make it 5-3, but both held serve thereafter, and the Australian won 6-3,
6-4.

Fourth-seeded Moya beat Ljubicic 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the first match after the
rain delay.

“I had never beaten him on hardcourt, so I didn’t know what to expect,” said
Moya, who came in 0-2 against Ljubicic on this surface but 2-0 on clay.

“The court is really fast, and he served really well,” Moya said. “My serve
wasn’t really good for this match.”

The win gave Moya, who won this tournament in 2002, at least 50 match
victories three years in a row. Still, he was not happy with his play in the
first two rounds because he lost the first set in each. But he said his
desire to win is greater than ever.

“I’m really hungry to win, and I’m more mature than I was five years ago,”
Moya said.

Slovakian Dominik Hrbaty, who upset Switzerland’s Roger Federer on Tuesday
to end the top-seeded player’s 23-match winning streak, lost to Sweden’s
Jonas Bjorkman 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-3.

Britain’s Greg Rusedski beat French Open champion Gaston Gaudio of Argentina
4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4. It was an unusually early ending for Gaudio, a finalist
in four of his past five tournaments.

Fourteenth-seeded Russian Marat Safin defeated American Jeff Morrison 6-4,
6-4. Sweden’s Robin Soderling beat Peru’s Luis Horna 6-2, 6-3.

Seventh-seeded John Carlos Ferrero of Spain lost to compatriot Tommy Robredo
7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4. German Tommy Haas beat Armenia’s Sargis Sargsian 6-3,
6-3.

Australian Wayne Arthurs beat Argentina’s Mariano Zabeleta 6-2, 7-6 (6), and
France’s Fabrice Santoro took Russian Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 6-3.

CNSNews
Thursday Aug 5, 2004

Russia Struggles to Contain Hate Crimes

By Sergei Blagov
CNSNews.com Correspondent
August 05, 2004

Moscow (CNSNews.com) – A series of violent attacks and incidents with an
apparent racist motive has added to Russia’s reputation as a country where
xenophobia is unchecked and on the rise.

Last week, Siberia’s oldest synagogue was destroyed in a fire. Authorities
investigating the fire at the 125-year-old Irkutsk synagogue and adjoining
community center have so far ruled out arson, but the incident has
contributed to concerns about anti-Semitic sentiment. Around 10,000 of
Irkutsk’s 675,000 people are Jewish.

Earlier in July, vandals painted swastikas and anti-Jewish slogans on the
walls of a Jewish community center in Russia’s internal republic of Mari-El.
The building had been targeted before.

The most serious recent incident occurred last June, when a prominent expert
on Russian minorities issues, Nikolai Girenko, was shot dead in his St.
Petersburg home.

Police suspect neo-Nazis were behind the killing.

Girenko, 64, had been an advisor in 15 top-profile court cases which saw
extremists convicted. In the last such case before his death, he was a
witness in the trial of a neo-Nazi group called Schultz-88 (88 is an
international “skinhead” code for Heil Hitler, H being the eighth letter of
the alphabet).

Before the shooting, an obscure group, Russian Republic, posted on an
Internet website a “verdict” issued by its self-styled government,
sentencing Girenko to death. It called him “an enemy of the Russian people”
who was guilty of helping to imprison “patriots.”

St. Petersburg prosecutors said they were investigating the web site, and
vowed to solve the murder, assigning 120 investigators and turning the case
over to a newly-created department specializing in hate crimes.

At the same time, officials have not ruled out the possibility that he was
the victim of a random crime or hooliganism. No arrests have yet been made.

The Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union (UCSJ) has
appealed to the authorities to take seriously the murder in particular, and
“extremist activity and xenophobic incidents in general.”

According to the Moscow Human Rights Bureau, between 2002 and 2004 the
number of skinheads in Russia has risen from 30,000 to 50,000. The office
predicts that number could double in the next two years.

St. Petersburg has become a focus of hate crimes, prompting the Novye
Izvestia daily to ask in a commentary whether the city was “the cradle of
Russian Nazism.” Racially-motivated murders there have included those of a
nine-year-old Tajik girl last February and a six-year-old Roma girl almost a
year ago.

However, Russia’s smaller urban centers face similar problems.

Voronezh in Central Russia is known as a center for skinhead activity. An
African medical student was killed there last February, and in recent months
human rights activists in the city have complained about attacks and
harassment by extremists.

Despite repeated official pledges to crack down, Russia is struggling to
contain racial violence. Many non-Russian migrants from former Soviet states
do not feel safe, having fallen prey to violent incidents.

Some attacks also have an economically motivation. Many market stalls in
Moscow and other centers are run by traders from neighboring states such as
Azerbaijan and Georgia and they are often targeted for attack.

Victims often complain that some police officers are themselves racist and
that random document checks, detentions and even beatings of migrants are
commonplace.

Authorities point out, however, that measures like document checks are
needed amid the recent increase in terrorist attacks in Russia.

The Russian government has been working on an education program aimed at
fostering tolerance among its citizens and in the police force. However,
last June the government decided to discontinue its $860,000-a-year
“Tolerance” from next year.

Russia’s Constitution and laws forbid statements and actions that “incite
ethnic and
religious strife,” but few have been punished for making such remarks.

Some perpetrators of racial or religiously motivated violence have, on the
other hand, been punished. Last month a Moscow court sentenced five
skinheads aged between 17 and 22 to prison terms ranging from nine to 14
years. They were found guilty of involvement in the beating to death of an
ethnic Azeri and an Armenian in December 2003.

ARMENIAN RELIEF SOCIETY, INC.
80 Bigelow Avenue
Watertown, MA 02472
Telephone; 617-926-5892
E-Mail [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected])
Website; ARS1910.ORG
Contact Person: Hamesd Beugekian

ARS, Inc. to Participate in United Nations
Department of Public Information Conference
8-10 September, 2004

The 57th Annual Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs),
entitled MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: CIVIL SOCIETY TAKES ACTION, will
take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, from
Wednesday to Friday, 8 to 10 September, 2004. The Conference, the
premier NGO event at United Nations headquarters each year, is
organized by the NGO Section of DPI (Department of Public Information)
together with the Executive Committee of NGOs associated with DPI.
Secretary-General Kofi Anan will open the Conference on 8 September in
the general Assembly Hall. In addition to the opening and closing
plenary sessions, which will feature keynote speakers, the Conference
will hold 5 morning and afternoon plenary panels, as well as 30 Midday
NGO Interactive workshops. Over 1,700 NGO representatives, associated
with the DPI and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) from about 90
countries around the world, are expected to attend The Conference.
The Armenian Relief Society, Inc. will have a midday workshop
partnership with 2 other NGO’s: NGO Committee on Child’s Rights, and
NGO Committee on HIV/AIDS, on Thursday, September 9th, 2004, from
1:15pm to 2:45 pm in the Dag Hammarskjold Library and Auditorium in
the UN headquarter building. The workshop is entitled `HIV/AIDS
Education, Prevention and Care; an Emphasis on Engaging Boys and Men
as Full Partners of Women and Children’. A large number of ARS members
will attend this conference from Canada and the USA.