Malaysia Kini, Malaysia
July 19 2004
Sharapova an Asian hero
Tony Law
The success of Maria Sharapova as a lesson for all youngsters who
work hard for their success has been nicely written in KS Paul’s
article. Allow me to add a different dimension to the story.
I declare Maria as an Asian hero, for my children and all youngsters
of Asia to emulate, not unlike Datuk Jimmy Choo, Datuk Michelle Yeoh,
Tan Sri P Ramlee, Andre Agassi (he is Armenian) and Tiger Woods (he
is Thai).
Maria hails from Russia, an Asian nation, just as Chow Yun Fatt and
Jackie Chan hail from another Asian nation, China. We Southeast and
East Asians seldom consider Russia as an Asian nation because many a
time we are guilty of seeing `Asian-ness’ from our own East Asian
lenses.
This is not unlike the West (I mean the Britons) viewing Asia from
their own warped lenses. Russians are Asians because they are Asians.
In the olden days, Russia was always considered Asian, until former
president Leonid Brezhnev decided to be part of Europe.
Here are some Asian heroes our kids should do well to emulate, though
they are seldom seen as Asians:
Freddie Mercury (Firdun Bulsara), the late Indian-British pop star.
Edward W Said, the late Palestinian American academic and freedom
fighter for Palestine.
Sir Peter Ustinov, the late Russian British producer and actor.
Dr Harold Abrahams, Lithuanian (USSR) British Olympic 100m champion
who was the subject of the film Chariots of Fire.
Ismail Merchant, Iranian British film maker.
Tony Shalloub, Lebanese Arab-American actor famous for the TV series
Monk.
Ralph Nader, Lebanese Arab-American consumer activist and third-party
presidential candidate.
Cherilyn Sarkassian (Cher), Armenian American film star and producer.
Sir Charles (Charlie) Chaplin, famous British producer, comedian and
actor. His grandmother was northern Indian.
Engelbert Humperdinck (Arnold Doorsey), Indian British pop star.

United Press International/Washington Times
July 19 2004
Second Moscow editor killed in 10 days
Moscow, Russia, Jul. 19 (UPI) — Moscow police are investigating the
beating and stabbing death of the second magazine editor to be killed
in 10 days, the Moscow Times said Monday.
The body of Paila Peloyan, the Armenian editor of the
Russian-language monthly, Armenian Lane, was found dead with knife
wounds to the chest and severe trauma to the head, dumped by the side
of the city’s outer ring road Saturday morning.
Investigators are not ruling out the possibility Peloyan was killed
because of his professional activity.
His death came 10 days after the shooting death of Paul Klebnikov,
the U.S. editor of the Russian version of Forbes magazine. Nobody has
been arrested for his slaying.
While the dead U.S. journalist made waves by publicizing the names of
Russia’s wealthiest people and delving into their financial affairs,
Peloyan’s magazine was an arts publication that carried features
about literature, the arts and history and included prose and poetry
from Armenian writers.
Peloyan is the 16th journalist to be killed in Russia since 2000 when
Vladimir Putin assumed the presidency, The Independent said.

Turkish Press
July 19 2004
Pushing EU Entry, Turkish PM Starts French Visit
AFP: 7/19/2004

by Hugh Schofield
PARIS, July 19 (AFP) – Turkey`s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
held talks in Paris with his French counterpart Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Monday at the start of a three-day visit to push Turkish entry into
the European Union.
Speaking to reporters at Ankara airport, Erdogan said that in his
meetings with French leaders he would “explain what steps we have
taken in order to align ourselves with the EU and where we are in
terms of implementation (of reforms).”
The prime minister, whose Justice and Development Party (AKP) has
Islamist origins, was to lunch with President Jacques Chirac Tuesday
after a meeting with business leaders. He will also see the heads of
the three main political parties before leaving Wednesday.
A crucial period is approaching for Turkey`s application bid, with
the European Commission due to give its opinion in October on a
possible opening of negotiations, followed by a decision in December
by European leaders on whether enough progress has been made towards
the EU`s reform demands.
Erdogan was expected to use the French visit to build up support in
the European country which has seen probably the most heated public
debate over the suitability for the EU of a predominantly Muslim and
Asian nation.
While Chirac has indicated in recent speeches that he now regards
Ankara`s progress to EU membership as “irreversible” and spoken of
its “historic and very ancient European vocation,” many in his own
government are deeply opposed to its accession.
In addition opinion polls indicate that a majority of the population
is against Turkey`s admission to the 25-nation body.
“The opposition comes in various forms: fear of Islam and immigrants
at one end, fear of seeing Europe dissolve into a vast free-trade
zone for others,” said Eddy Fougier of French Institute for
International Relations (IFRI).
France also has a large Armenian community of some 450,000 people,
whose pressure in 2001 secured the official recognition by the French
parliament of the Armenian genocide. This remains a highly
contentious issue between Ankara and Paris.
The opposition Socialist party said Monday it supports Turkish entry
“as long as the accession criteria are respected,” but both Chirac`s
ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and its junior partner the
Union for French Democracy (UDF) are sceptical.
“Europe`s historical identity is indissolubly linked — not with the
religious convictions of Europeans today — but with a cultural and
political model fashioned by 15 centuries of Christianity… Turkey
is a stranger to this history,” said UDF Euro-deputy Jean-Louis
Bourlanges.
The left-wing daily Liberation said in an editorial that the
“sticking-point between Europe and Turkey is not Islam or
Christianity, but the secular basis for social ties and institutions.
Turkey will have its own place in Europe … once it has given up
Sunni Islam as the de facto state religion.”
But it went on in more encouraging vein: “There is no convincing
reason to think that Islam is not in its essence compatible with
democracy and secularism. Helping Turkey to prove this should be an
uplifting challenge for Europeans.”

Back Stage, NY
July 19 2004
Ethnic Ambiguity
More Roles, But Still a Mixed Bag
By Simi Horwitz

With the high visibility of such cultural icons as baseball player
Derek Jeter, singer Mariah Carey, and action hero Vin Diesel, it’s
not really a big surprise to learn that talent agents, casting
directors, and talent management firms are now receiving requests for
actors who are “ethnically ambiguous,” of “mixed ethnicity,” or have
a “global look,” especially for commercials, films, and television
shows.
“Within the past three or four years, it has become a growing trend
across the board,” says Jessica Schoenholtz, a talent manager with
the New York City-based J. Mitchell Management. “In theatre, the
casting still tends to be a little more traditional, although the
ethnically ambiguous actor may be cast when directors or producers
want to do nontraditional casting.
“I believe producers, but especially advertisers — in fashion,
phones, and fast food, for example — are getting wise to the fact
that the world is changing,” she continues. “It’s a smaller place,
with lots of intermarriage, and the diversity is only going to
increase. A network like Nickelodeon often looks for ethnically
ambiguous actors. Ensemble casting routinely includes the ethnically
ambiguous.”
Carole Russo of New York’s Agents for the Arts agrees, adding, “There
is more opportunity for actors who are ethnically mixed than ever
before. I often get requests for actors who are biracial. Sometimes
it’s very specific, like African-American and Caucasian; other times,
the request for biracial is broadly nonspecific, leaving it wide
open. The breakdowns for many musicals now include ‘all ethnicities,
unless otherwise noted.’ ”
Back Stage talked with several actors who are indeed ethnically mixed
for their spin on the new opportunities available to them and the
concomitant obstacles. Most acknowledge more accessibility to roles.
Joanne HartsHorne, who is biracial (African-American and Caucasian),
says, “I don’t like labels. But being ethnically ambiguous has helped
me. I certainly get a lot of calls, so I’ve come to accept terms like
‘ethnically ambiguous.’ I sometimes think the term means almost
anything other than all white, which is also another way of saying
there’s a lot of competition for those roles.”
She adds that she is often cast as a Latino. In fact, HartsHorne has
had a recurring role as a woman of Brazilian descent on “As the World
Turns” for more than a year. “They specifically asked for a
light-skinned African-American to play a character who was half
Brazilian.”
Actress Alexea Lawson, who is of African-American, Native American,
Hispanic, and British heritage, has had similar experiences. “I’m
multiracial and have very little Spanish blood, but producers see a
Spanish girl when they look at me. They also continue to have
stereotypical notions of what an African-American looks like. They
don’t seem to accept the idea that a black person can have blue eyes
or blond hair. But if the casting notice says ‘ethnic,’ that changes
the picture. I then become ‘culturally unique’ and that character
description has opened doors for me in casting.”
However, within the parameters of “ethnic ambiguity,” she hones her
image depending on the specifics of the role. “If they want ‘ethnic
and funky,’ I’ll wear my hair curly. If they want ‘ethnic and
preppy,’ I’ll straighten it.”
By contrast, HartsHorne refuses to “second-guess what producers are
looking for, although they seem to have clear ideas of what a young
black girl looks or sounds like. I just go to an audition as me. But
when the character is African-American, I’ve been asked more than
once, ‘Can’t you look and sound more street?’ ”
Filipino performers have traditionally faced casting problems in
mainstream theatre, observes actress Ching Valdez-Aran. “We are of
mixed blood — part Hispanic, part Asian — and when I started in the
theatre in 1983, producers had no idea how to cast us. Many producers
thought of Asians as being Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. I don’t look
like any of these and I don’t look Hispanic either. I have never
heard the term ‘ethnically ambiguous’ or the ‘global look,’ but I
think it’s great. And I do think there are more casting opportunities
today.”
South Asian actors Back Stage has interviewed in the past echo the
viewpoint [See Back Stage, May 14, “The South Asians Are Coming…In
Fact, They’re Already Here”]. Undoubtedly, there are more roles today
for South Asians: Consider “Bombay Dreams.” But they are also being
cast as characters from the Middle East. Actress Sarita Choudhury
enjoyed a featured role in Betty Shamieh’s “Roar,” a play about
Palestinians. Similarly, Bombay-born actor Aasif Mandvi took on the
featured role of Ali Hakim, a Persian peddler, in Trevor Nunn’s 2002
production of “Oklahoma!”
This was a groundbreaking bit of casting. For starters, Mandvi was
among the first East Indians to be cast in a major part in a Broadway
musical. But equally relevant, until this production Ali had been
played as a Jewish vendor pretending to be Persian — feeding into
notions of Mideastern exoticism — and speaking with a generic
Mideastern accent. It was a Borsht Belt interpretation. Clearly, Nunn
was dead set against that vision, determined to present in its stead
a realistic portrayal of a Persian peddler, admittedly within a comic
framework. Still, a Persian was not cast in the role but rather a
South Asian who could “pass” for an Arab.
Interestingly, while producers and directors have become very
concerned with accuracy in language, dialect, and accent, they may be
a little less stringent in their casting. Stereotypes persist.
Actor Josh Levin-Soler — part Caucasian Jew, part Hispanic — says,
“I have European features, but I’m olive-skinned with dark hair. I’m
not exactly Latino looking, but I’m certainly not all-American
looking either. I could probably be cast as an Italian-American,
although so far I haven’t.
“Recently I got cast in a TV ad for AT&T Wireless,” Levin-Soler
continues. “They were looking for four Hispanics, three from Latin
America and one from Spain. [The latter] was me. I probably got that
role because people from Spain may be more European looking than
those from Latin America. I like the idea of ethnically ambiguous
casting. I’m sure for some actors it has opened up opportunities. For
me, it has been more limiting.”
Nora Armani, a performer of Armenian-Egyptian-American heritage, has
not been restricted by her mixed ethnicity, at least not for the most
part. Still, she recounts one stunning episode: “A movie
writer-director who wrote a character in a script based on me would
not cast me in the role because, he said, ‘You are not ethnic looking
enough.’ He wanted a more stereotypic Armenian look than I have. I’ve
lived abroad and speak with a British accent, but I look Eastern
European or Mediterranean.”
Armani also talks about the intangible influences of milieu and
culture. “I somehow look and sound different depending on where I am.
When I’m in Hollywood, I become more California. When I’m in Europe,
I’m more ethnic. I think that’s because it’s valued there. New York
is the best place for me. I can be who I am and accepted for it.”
In the byzantine world of casting, Armani feels that great strides
have been made and she is optimistic about the future, as she is
about the evolution of the species.
“There are so many mixes and matches today that we are now creating a
new breed. I foresee a time when many white actors will not really be
white.”

Turkish Press
July 19 2004
Turkish P.M. Hopes For Continued French Backing For E.U. Bid
AFP: 7/19/2004
PARIS, July 19 (AFP) – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
said Monday that his country wanted France to continue to back its
bid to become a member of the European Union, an ambition that will
enter a critical phase at the end of this year.
“In this area of course we want all the backing that France has
brought to us, and in particular through President (Jacques) Chirac,
to continue in the future,” he told reporters after meeting his
French counterpart Jean-Pierre Raffarin at the start of a three-day
visit to France.
A crucial period is approaching for Turkey’s application bid, with
the European Commission due to give its opinion in October on a
possible opening of negotiations, followed by a decision in December
by European leaders on whether enough progress has been made towards
the EU’s reform demands.
“On European questions, the Turkish Prime Minister outlined to me all
the reform efforts undertaken by his country to meet the … criteria
laid down by the EU,” Raffarin said.
“We shall study with the greatest attention the report of the
Commission this autumn and we want the European Council to take a
decision in December on this important issue,” he added.
“We have a large number of common points of view on international
matters.”
Other subjects discussed included cultural links between the two
countries. About 400,000 Turks live in France who, in Erdogan’s view,
“should be a bridge between the two nations.” About the same number
of French tourists visited Turkey last year and the total is expected
to rise to 600,000 this year.
Industrial cooperation was also discussed.
The prime minister, whose Justice and Development Party (AKP) has
Islamist origins, is due to lunch with Chirac Tuesday after a meeting
with business leaders. He will also see the heads of the three main
political parties before leaving Wednesday.
Erdogan is expected to use the French visit to build up support in
the European country which has seen probably the most heated public
debate over the suitability for the EU of a predominantly Muslim,
albeit secular nation.
While Chirac has indicated in recent speeches that he now regards
Ankara’s progress to EU membership as “irreversible” and spoken of
its “historic and very ancient European vocation”, many in his own
government are deeply opposed to its accession.
In addition opinion polls indicate that a majority of the population
is against Turkey’s admission to the 25-nation body.
“The opposition comes in various forms: fear of Islam and immigrants
at one end, fear of seeing Europe dissolve into a vast free-trade
zone for others,” said Eddy Fougier of French Institute for
International Relations (IFRI).
France also has a large Armenian community of some 450,000 people,
whose pressure in 2001 secured the official recognition by the French
parliament of the Armenian genocide. This remains a highly
contentious issue between Ankara and Paris.
The opposition Socialist party said Monday it supports Turkish entry
“as long as the accession criteria are respected,” but both Chirac’s
ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and its junior partner the
Union for French Democracy (UDF) are sceptical.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Times Picayune, LA
July 19 2004
London’s Islamic masterworks start international tour in Washington
By CARL HARTMAN
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — A pulpit over 20 feet high, built on orders of a
sultan more than 500 years ago, towers over the exhibits in “Palace
and Mosque,” a collection of 107 Islamic masterworks both royal and
religious that is starting its international tour at the capital’s
National Gallery of Art.
Carvings of religious texts in graceful Arabic script, considered by
many Muslims the highest form of art, line the steps to the rostrum.
London’s Victoria and Albert Museum scoured its 10,000 pieces of
Islamic art to come up with the select sample to share with the
world.
Highly decorative, Muslim religious art does not portray living
figures, human or animal. The second commandment given to Moses
forbids making a likeness of anything in heaven or on earth.
“Islam accepts the Hebrew prophets, and though the 10 commandments
are not part of Islamic doctrine, many of the same ideas can be found
in Muslim religious thinking,” said Tim Stanley, the Victoria and
Albert’s senior curator of Middle East art.
Muslim rulers used religious inscriptions and abstract designs in
decorating their palaces and public buildings, but they also liked
scenes from legend and royal life.
A brightly colored tile recalls an ancient tale from the Persian
“Book of Kings” about an unusual deer hunt. One king, an expert
bowman, rode a camel with his favorite slave girl seated behind him
and playing a harp. To demonstrate his marksmanship, he made a shot
that pinned a deer’s foot to its ear. The slave girl objected.
Enraged, the king flung her from the camel, which trampled her to
death.
Tiles depicting a lovers’ picnic are a signature image of the
National Gallery show. In a painting, another Persian king sees an
Armenian princess discreetly bathing, clothed in a pair of baggy pink
trousers that reach to her calves. He puts his hand to his mouth in
astonishment at her beauty. In another painting, he defends her from
a lion.
It is the second show of Islamic art this season in Washington, which
lacks a major Middle East collection of its own. “Caliphs and Kings”
at the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery is largely borrowed
from the Hispanic Society in New York. It limits itself to the 700
years up to 1492 when Muslims, Christians and Jews lived and fought
but often worked, studied and played together in Spain and Portugal.
A section of the National Gallery show explores the relations between
Islamic and other artistic traditions. Middle Eastern carpets made
their appearance in Western painting from the Netherlands to Italy.
Connoisseurs in the Middle East admired Chinese porcelain so much
they developed their own version called fritware, made from sand or
finely ground pebbles.
Brass vessels made in northern Europe were exported to the Middle
East, where some got Islamic decoration and were re-exported to
Europe.
A glass beaker made in Egypt or Syria in the 1200s wound up in a
house called Edenhall in northern England. A legend grew that the
house would be destroyed if the beaker should break. The American
poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow translated a poem about it that ends
with the death of its owner, the collapse of the house and the
shattering of the “Luck of Edenhall.”
In fact, the beaker was lent to the Victoria and Albert in 1926.
shortly before the house was demolished. It’s one of the last items
visitors see at the Washington show, which closes Feb. 6, 2005.
Admission is free.
The sponsor of the Washington exhibition is Prince Bandar bin Sultan,
the Saudi ambassador to the United States.
The tour continues at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas,
April 3-Sept. 4, 2005; the Setagaya Art Museum in Tokyo, Oct. 22-Dec.
11, 2005, and the Millennium Galleries, Sheffield, England, Jan.
14-April 16, 2006.

RIA Novosti, Russia
July 19 2004
RUSSIA CONTRIBUTES TO ARMENIA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH MORE THAN OTHER
COUNTRIES
YEREVAN, July 19 (RIA Novosti’s Gamlet Matevosyan) – According to 54%
of Armenians, Russia contributes to Armenia’s economic growth more
than other countries do. These are the results of the poll conducted
by the Armenian Center of Strategic and National Research from June
20 to July 12, 2004.
12% of the polled believe that the U.S. helps Armenia’s development,
2% think it is France, 1,5% are for Iran, 0.3% – for Turkey, Germany
and Georgia was called by 0.2% each, the center told RIA Novosti.
Meanwhile, 13.3% believe that no country contributes to Armenia’s
economic development.
32.6% of the polled think that Armenia should have close economic
relations with the CIS countries, 13.9% – with the European Union, 7%
– with the countries of the region (Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and
Iran), 2.7% – with the U.S. and Canada and 35.3% – with all
countries.
According to 44% of the polled, the Armenian diaspora abroad is
playing a significant role in Armenia’s development, great role
according to 25.8%, small according to 23.1% and no role at all
according to 6.6%.
All in all, 1,127 people from Yerevan and all Armenian regions aged
18-90 were polled.

Tehran Times
July 19 2004
Iranian-Armenian Experts Discuss Commonalities in Architecture
Tehran Times Art Desk
TEHRAN (MNA) — Iran and Armenia discussed their commonalities in
town planning and architecture at the Iranian Academy of Arts with
the participation of Armenian and Iranian experts on Sunday.
At this roundtable discussion Seyyed Mohammad Beheshti, Mohsen
Habibi, Ayatollahzadeh Shirazi, and Mehdad Qaumi from Iran and
Armenian experts Belgarian, Giujian, Kermenjian, Hayakian along with
several other Iranian and Armenian experts expressed their views. *
Japan to Premiere Iranian Film “He”
TEHRAN July 18 (MNA) — “He”, the only Iranian film to participate in
the Asia-Pacific competition will be screened in Japan’s cinemas when
the festival finishes.
The producers of the film are currently busy subtitling the film into
Japanese for screening in Japanese cinemas.
The films “Duel” and “The Marsh” are being screened in the
non-competition section of the festival. `Spring Poets” Special Issue
Published in Turkmenistan
TEHRAN July 18 (MNA) — A special issue of the “Spring Poets” was
published in Ashkhabad by the cultural consulate of the Islamic
Republic.
Published in the Russian language, the special issue has been printed
in four colors with interesting subjects and eye-catching pictures
from Iranian and Turkmenistan cultural figures.
Some of the subjects of the special issue are Attar Neyshaburi,
Abulqasem Ferdowsi, Makhtumquli, Sa’di, Omar Khayyam, Makhtumquli in
search of love, and Imam Khomeini (R) poems.
This special issue in 33 pages was published by the Center for the
Promotion of Persian Literature affiliated to the Organization of
Culture and Islamic Relations.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ArmenPress
July 19 2004
KARABAGH CEC TO USE MOBILE VOTING FACILITY
STEPANAKERT, JULY 16, ARMENPRESS: Ahead of August 8 elections to
local self-government bodies of Nagorno Karabagh local authorities
have taken a decision to use a mobile voting facility for physically
disabled and those who cannot come to the polling station for other
valid reasons. Under the decision at least two members of the polling
station commission and one observer should administer mobile voting
jointly within the geographical territory covered by a polling
station.
The decision to use mobile voting facility was announced July 15
by Sergey Davtian, the chairman of Karabagh Central Election
Commission (CEC), who warned the CEC members against campaigning in
favor of a candidate and expressed hope that the polls will be
conducted in a transparent atmosphere.
Armenpress correspondent in Nagorno Karabagh also reported, citing
a report by local prosecutors that the number of crimes decreased by
54 in the first six months of the year making 281 against 335 of last
year’s same time span. But according to the report, concurrently the
number of grave crimes rose. The prosecutors also succeeded in
bringing to the net some 100 people engaged in business and collected
2.5 million drams in penalties.

ArmenPress
July 15 2004
ARMENIAN PATRIARCH OF TURKEY SPEAKS IN FAVOR OF TURKEY’S MEMBERSHIP
TO EU
ISTANBUL, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian Patriarch of Turkey,
Archbishop Mesrop Mutafian, met recently with the senior consul of
the French consulate in Istanbul, Jean Christopher Possel, who was
eager to learn Mutafian’s views concerning Turkey’s drive towards EU
membership.
Mutafian said it would not be correct to look at the entire
Armenian community of Turkey as a homogeneous body. “Those French
Armenians who resist Turkish EU membership represent only part of
Armenians. Along with Diaspora Armenians who advocate against
Turkey’s accession to EU there are also Armenians who realize the
benefits that can come for Turkish-Armenian relations together with
Turkey’s membership and therefore they support that process,” he
said.
Mutafian said he too, as the Armenian Patriarch, speaks often in
favor of Turkey’s membership. “In the event of meeting all
requirements of becoming an EU member country, the membership will
have a very positive effect on the state of Turkish citizens,
national minorities, in terms of improving Armenian-Armenian
relations and securing regional stability,” he said.