California Courier Online, June 3, 2004
1 – Commentary
Turks Attempt to Use Armenians
In Anti-Genocide Propaganda
By Harut Sassounian
California Courier Publisher
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2 – San Diego Conference on Genocide and Denial
Features Scholars, Activists and Educators
3 – Glendale’s Deukmejian Wilderness
Park Re-opened at Ceremonies
4 – Dr. Karamanoukian Donates
$250,000 to Armenian Center
5 – Armenian Education in North America
To be Reviewed at June 4-5 Conference
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1 – Commentary
Turks Attempt to Use Armenians
In Anti-Genocide Propaganda
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
After publishing viciously anti-Armenian articles for many years, some
Turkish newspapers have changed their tactics. They have adopted a more
subtle approach in attempting to scuttle the just demands of the Armenian
people. Instead of denying the Genocide outright, the Turkish press now
publishes articles that urge Armenians to “let bygones be bygones, and to
look to the future, not the past!” In other words, the Turks are advocating
reconciliation without truth or justice.
To make matters worse, the Turkish media from time to time publishes
interviews with some Armenians who reportedly make conciliatory statements
which are presented as evidence that not all Armenians are “hung up” on the
recognition of the Genocide.
For example, in the May 25th issue of the Turkish Daily News, Burak Bekdil,
after a recent visit to Armenia, published a lengthy commentary titled,
“Why Turks and Armenians must eventually shake hands.” Using deceptively
accommodating language, Bekdil distorts the facts of the Armenian Genocide
and tries to undermine the Armenian demands.
He starts his article by calling the Genocide Memorial Monument in Yerevan
“the only symbol in the world that deeply divides two nations that lived
together in peace for centuries.” By feigning to be indignant, Bekdil asks:
“how many more centuries the Turks and Armenians will be living under the
huge symbolic shadow of one monument?”
In one of the most outrageous lies in his column and in a blatant attempt
to pit Armenians and Kurds against each other, Bekdil shamelessly writes:
“The Armenians claim that the Ottoman Kurds, under orders from the empire
in 1915-18, systematically massacred 1.5 million of their ethnic kin living
in eastern Anatolia.” While it is a fact that some Kurds collaborated with
the Turks and carried out deadly raids on Armenian caravans, no
knowledgeable person would claim that the Kurds committed the Armenian
Genocide, while the Turks acted as innocent bystanders. If that were the
case, the Turkish government would have eagerly recognized “the genocide
committed by the Kurds against the Armenians.”
After repeating the standard Turkish lies on the Armenian Genocide, and
accusing Armenians of “systematically killing hundreds of thousands of
Turks,” while only “thousands of Armenians died from cold weather,
starvation and disease,” Bekdil sheds crocodile tears over the fact that
“in 2004, there are two nations, once friends, accusing each other of a
genocide that is said to have taken place 90 years ago and are locked over
the dispute, perhaps forever.”
Bekdil seems quite ignorant about the most basic facts of not only the
Armenian Genocide, but of Turkish history. Otherwise, he would not have
asked the following very foolish question: “Has any Armenian ever been
curious enough to know how many Turks actually lived in eastern Anatolia in
1915-18 and, if by any chance there were a few, could those few physically
have been capable of massacring 700,000-1.5 million others?”
Bekdil espouses the baseless notion that the Diaspora is dictating to the
Armenian government its hard-line position on the Armenian Genocide.
Armenia “must maintain an extremely delicate balance between what reality
dictates and what its Diaspora sponsors impose,” Bekdil falsely asserts. He
then makes several nonsense statements, such as: “The Armenian mindset is
deeply fractured. Diaspora Armenians think the genocide issue is their
‘raison d’etre.’ As for a possible deal with the Turks, they believe they
should represent the entire Armenian population. Are they not, after all,
the ones who financially keep the Armenian state alive?” Bekdil
conveniently forgets that Pres. Kocharian, at his own initiative, has
included the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide on the
foreign policy agenda of the Republic of Armenia. The Turkish officials are
the ones who reject Armenia’s unconditional offer to establish diplomatic
relations, and they keep the border closed in order to force Armenia’s
population into abandoning their historic claims.
Bekdil then introduces Nishan Atinizian of Boston — one of the major
investors in the new Armenia Marriott Hotel — as someone who “thinks it
would be grossly stupid if Turks and Armenians lived in hostility forever.”
The Turkish commentator then claims that Atinizian thinks, “it is the
historians’ job to find out what really happened 90 years ago.” It is
highly doubtful that Atinizian would make such a statement. Armenians know
first-hand what happened to them. They need no historians to tell them what
happened in 1915! Such a statement would also run counter to the fact that
Atinizian generously contributes large sums of money to a major
Armenian-American activist organization that has, as one of its goals, the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Bekdil claims that Atinizian is “fed up” with American politicians who
benefit from “the genocide industry” by getting campaign contributions from
Armenians, “promising to pay [us] back in genocide memorials.” He is quoted
as saying, “I don’t care if the Americans or the French recognize the
genocide. This is an issue between Armenians and Turks. What more should I
ask from the Turks if they opened their archives so that Turkish Armenians
could trace their family roots?”
Nishan Atinizian told me this week that most of the statements attributed
to him by Bekdil are false. Atinizian angrily said he would write to Bekdil
demanding a retraction and an apology. He had a conversation with the
Turkish commentator at the sidewalk cafe in front of Marriott hotel in
Yerevan and discussed mostly the potential benefits of opening the
Turkish-Armenian border.
Bekdil then continues his column and introduces another Atinizian, David,
of Yerevan – no relation to Nishan. The Turkish commentator presents the
following outrageous views as being those of David’s which are supposedly
sensible like those of most “homeland Armenians”: “a) injecting hatred into
the minds of generations of Turks and Armenians reflects an archaic
thinking that should have no place in the 21st century; b) the genocide was
masterminded by the Ottomans and carried our by the Kurds; c) it happened
because the Russians had engineered an Armenian uprising against the
Ottoman Empire; d) some 350,000 Turks died as well, as a result of Armenian
atrocities in 1915-18; e) the Turkey of today cannot be held responsible
for the genocide; and f) it is totally pointless, against international law
and unrealistic if some Armenians dream of any part of eastern Anatolia as
part of Armenia.” Bekdil commends Nishan and David Atinizian for being
“realists.” Nishan Atinizian, who was present during David’s conversation
with Bekdil, told me this week that David did not make any of these
statements.
We hope that Nishan and David Atinizian and all other Armenians learn a
very valuable lesson – never agree to talk to a Turkish journalist, even
off the record! Otherwise, when the article comes out, and distorted
statements are published in your name, you have to do a lot of back
peddling to prove that you did not make the statements attributed to you.
The two Atinizians should take all necessary steps to set the record
straight so that the Armenian community worldwide would not believe that
they said the things the Turkish Daily News claims they did. The timing of
this Turkish commentary is most unfortunate, as the Atinizians and their
business partners are getting ready to celebrate the grand opening of the
Armenia Marriott Hotel in Yerevan next week. The last thing they need is a
controversial article in the Turkish press claiming that one of their
partners has made such disparaging remarks about the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide.
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2 – San Diego Conference on Genocide and Denial
Features Scholars, Activists and Educators
SAN DIEGO, CA – Armenian-Americans from all over San Diego County gathered
on the campus of the University of California, San Diego on May 8 for an
academic conference entitled “The Western Response to Genocide and Genocide
Denial.” The event was organized by the Armenian National Committee of San
Diego and the Armenian Student Association of UC San Diego.
The two-part conference featured scholars and experts from various
organizations covering issues from implementing genocide education in
public school curricula to combating Genocide denial in the political and
academic arenas. ANC San Diego activist Dr. Raffi Nazikian moderated the
question and answer sessions at the end of each speaker’s presentation.
Following the last presentation, the guest speakers participated in a panel
discussion where they answered questions raised by the diverse audience of
Armenian and non-Armenian students, educators, community members and
activists.
The first session included Dr. Laurence Baron, Director of the Lipinsky
Institute for Judaic Studies, who discussed the crime of genocide providing
a sequential breakdown of historical landmark events, treaties and trials
marking the criminalization of genocide. UCLA lecturer Dr. Rubina
Peroomian delved into the vast array of literary works that have been
produced in the wake of the post-Genocide era. She cited their significance
to the cultural development of Armenians and their effect on the cultural
identity of future generations.
Dan Alba, Los Angeles Regional Director of Facing History and Ourselves,
led the second half of the conference with his talk on the importance of
implementing the already mandated teaching of genocides in the California
public school curriculum. Dr. Levon Marashlian, Professor of History at
Glendale Community College, continued with his insightful lecture on the
history of legislation and denial of the Armenian Genocide which was
accompanied by a montage of archival video footage. He also dissected the
issues of reparations and reconciliation with the Republic of Turkey and
between Armenians and Turks. Ardashes Kassakhian, Executive Director of
ANCA-WR, ended the conference with an in depth analysis of the political
fight in Congress to secure official U.S. acknowledgment of the Armenian
Genocide and to pressure Turkey to recognize its past crimes against
humanity.
Garo Artinian, ANC San Diego Chair, said the conference was the first of a
series of Genocide conferences that are to follow in the future.
“We were quite pleased with the turnout of the first conference and
lookforward to having it annually. Our goal is to educate the new
generation who would become the future leaders. And with great anticipation
that one day the world conscious would not permit of such violent acts
against humanity,” commented Artinian.
“I’m very proud of the Armenian students at UC San Diego for working with
us in order to bring together such an interesting panel of speakers to
address these important issues and hope that such events continue to
flourish in this great community in San Diego,” he added.
In addition to the Conference, the UC San Diego Armenian Student
Association has organized several events during the past two years
commemorating the Genocide and educating and raising public awareness
amongst the campus community about its denial by Turkey. UC San Diego was
the first campus in the Western United States to have the award winning
film “Ararat” screened on its campus free of charge to the public.
“We plan to have many more cultural and educational events through our
growing organization of dedicated young activists and future leaders,” said
ASA President Mike Gedjeyan. “We look forward to continuing to work with
the ANC on the next academic conference for 2005.”
The San Diego ANC already has plans for a similar conference next year
according to Program Chair Dr. Robert Deranian. Earlier this year, the
ANCA-WR Board honored Deranian with a San Diego Grassroots Activist of the
Year award.
The San Diego Genocide Conference Program Committee included Dr. Deranian,
Artinian (Organizing Committee Co-Chair), Professor James Ajemian, Dr.
Serop Karoglanian, Aykanush Galadzhyan, Gedjeyan (Organizing Committee
Co-Chair), Sanaheen Kodjayian, Dr. Mark Nazarian, Dr. Nazikian, Hasmig
Sillano and Professor Araxy Tatoulian.
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3 – Glendale’s Deukmejian Wilderness
Park Re-opened at Ceremonies
GLENDALE – The ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the re-opening of the
Deukmejian Wilderness Park by the Glendale Parks, Recreation & Community
Services Division was held recently at the park.
The event included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, an open house, a children’s
crafts and light refreshments. Former Governor George Deukmejian was the
special guest of honor.
“I am highly honored and genuinely pleased that the City of Glendale has
completed major improvements in the Deukmejian Wilderness Park, which will
provide recreational and educational benefits to a countless number of
people for decades to come,” Deukmejian said.
This site will serve as an educational facility for the Glendale park
system, featuring programs and information focusing on the area’s history,
ecosystems, geology, hydrology and other natural systems. Welcoming remarks
and introductions were made by President Charlie Carluccio, of the Glendale
Commission of Parks, Recreation and Services. He was followed by comments
from Glendale Mayor Robert Yousefian, former Mayor Larry Zarian, and
Director of the Glendale Parks, Recreation & Community Services George
Chapjian. Also addressing the audience, were Ranger Russ Hauck and Joe
Edmiston, executive director, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.
The new park facilities will provide a staging area for recreation trails
within the 700-acre park and beyond to the Angeles National Forest trail
system. It will also serve as home to the Glendale Park Rangers.
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4 – Dr. Karamanoukian Donates
$250,000 to Armenian Center
GLENDALE – Dr. Albert Karamanoukian of Glendale, Calif., donated $250,000
for the building of an Armenian Center in Glendale.
The announcement of the donation was made at a May 15 banquet sponsored by
the ARF Aharonian Gomideh of Glendale, attended by more 400 guests at the
Glendale Ararat Homenetmen Hall.
The proposed Center will be built on property adjoining Glendale’s St. Mary
Church, on Central Avenue.
The donation was in honor of Dr. Karamanoukian’s parents Krikor and Mariam
Karamanoukian.
Addressing the audience, the benefactor expressed gratitude toward his
nation and homeland for educating him and making his success possible, as
well his contribution to the Armenian Center.
Speakers and dignitaries at the banquet included Cong. Adam Schiff,
Glendale Mayor Bob Yousefian, City Councilmember Raffi Manoukian, Glendale
United School Board President Gregory Krinorian, College Trustee members
Dr. Armine Hacopian and Ara Najarian, and others.
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5 – Armenian Education in North America
To be Reviewed at June 4-5 Conference
GLENDALE – The Board of Regents of the Prelacy Armenian School are
organizing a two-day conference to reassess Armenian education in Northern
America in the context of the changing “Armenian-American Identity.”
Open to the public, the conference will be held June 4-5 at Woodbury
University in Burbank, Calif.
“The 21st century has placed new challenges before us,” making “imperative
for us to reassess the mission of Armenian education and the
Armenian-American cultural identity issues in our schools,” the Regents
said in a statement release on May 20.
All Armenian daily schools and their leaders have been invited to
participate and bring their expertise to this dialogue, the Regents said,
with the participation of well-known professionals and experts on the issue
as presenters or panelists.
While the Armenian day schools in North America have a history that dates
back to more than 40 years, recent years have shown that some, if not all,
the schools are having difficulties in coping with the financial, academic,
and socialization issues that follows some of the explosive growth of the
Armenian community in Southern California. Some of the schools suffer from
aging facilities, others from cramped quarters, and yet others from the
lack of finances that prevent the hiring and retention of qualified
instructors required by a challenging academic environment.
Sessions of the conference will be open to the public.
For more information, contact the Board of Regents at (818) 500-0822, or
e-mail [email protected]
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EU seeks date for N-plant closure
By Kieran Cooke, in Yerevan, Armenia
BBC News
June 2 2004
The plant was closed and then reopened
The EU is freezing 100m euros of aid to Armenia because of the
country’s refusal to set a date to close an old Russian-built nuclear
power station.
The Metsamor plant, which is sited some 40km west of the Armenian
capital Yerevan, is built on top of one of the world’s most active
seismic zones.
The station was closed after one major quake in 1988, but reopened in
1995.
“This plant is a danger to the whole Caucasus region,” says Alexis
Loeber, head of the EU’s delegation in Armenia.
“Our position of principle is that nuclear power plants should not be
built in highly active seismic zones.”
Protective shell
Metsamor is a pressurised water reactor that was first commissioned
in the mid 1970s.
It is about 80km from what is believed to have been the epicentre of
the 1988 earthquake, which killed 25,000 people.
The European Union, as part of its general policy seeking the closure
of elderly nuclear plants constructed in territories of the former
Soviet Union, agreed to give the grant aid ($122m; £66m) to Armenia
for finding alternative energy sources and for helping with
decommissioning costs at the plant.
In return, the government in Yerevan would commit to a definite date
for the plant’s closure.
“We cannot force Armenia to close the plant,” says the EU’s Mr
Loeber. “Originally it was agreed the plant should cease operations
this year – now Brussels is asking the government to give a definite
date as to when it proposes to close it.
“We feel that should definitely be well in advance of the end of
Metsamor’s design lifecycle in 2016.”
The Metsamor plant has no secondary containment facilities, a safety
requirement of all modern reactors.
Power needs
Another concern is that due to border and railway closures with
surrounding territories, nuclear material to feed the plant is flown
into Armenia from Russia.
“It is the same as flying around a potential nuclear bomb,” says Mr
Loeber. “It’s an extremely hazardous exercise.”
Earthquakes happen here and there is danger. On the other hand, we
do not have any other options for work
Gohar Bezprozvannkh, former Metsamor worker
Armenian and EU officials are due to meet in Brussels this Friday to
discuss Metsamor’s future. The EU has warned that if no progress is
made on the issue, its grant aid offer might be withdrawn altogether.
At present, however, there is no indication that the Armenian
government has any intention of closing Metsamor.
Areg Galstyan, the country’s deputy minister of power, says $50m (40
million euros; £27m) has been spent on upgrading safety at Metsamor.
“It was a big mistake to shut the plant in 1988,” says Mr Galstyan.
“It created an energy crisis and the people and economy suffered.
“It would be impossible for the government to cause the same problem
again by shutting off the plant.”
The deputy minister also insists that all necessary safety measures
are taken with flying in fuel to feed the reactor, though he says
exact details of the operation are kept secret “to avoid alarming the
people”.
Gas option
Alvaro Antonyan, president of Armenia’s National Survey for Seismic
Protection, says Russian scientists had built the power station on a
special raft to resist earthquakes.
Dr Antonyan says the 1988 earthquake – a magnitude 6.7 event – had
not damaged the reactor.
The Metsamor plant supplies about 35% of Armenia’s total energy
output.
The debate centres on the energy needs of the country
Electricity industry specialists say that due to the expansion and
updating of existing thermal and hydro-energy plants, the country has
become an electricity exporter in recent years.
A major new power source will come on stream in 2006 when a pipeline
supplying gas from neighbouring Iran is due to be completed.
In a country where jobs are scarce and per capita annual incomes are
less than $600 (490 euros; £326), people have mixed feelings about
the Metsamor issue.
“I fear for my two children because I do not think the plant is
safe,” says Gohar Bezprozvannkh, who worked at the plant for two
years.
“Earthquakes happen here and there is danger. On the other hand, we
do not have any other options for work.”
Martiroian Harazat, now retired, had worked at the plant since it
opened. “If they shut down the reactor we will die of hunger. People
have to eat. There’s no alternative place to work.”

The Simon, CA
June 2 2004
Alternative History: The American Way
By Josh Schollmeyer
Jun 1, 2004
I organize history for a living. As the digital archive editor at
the famed foreign affairs and national security journal The Bulletin
of the Atomic Scientists, I take what Manhattan Project scientists
wrote about the nuclear age and turn it into made-to-order term
papers and research material for high school kids, graduate students,
and paranoid leftists who believe I’m filling in the blanks of their
right-wing conspiracy theories.
Here’s what I’ve learned while doing this: I’m glad American children
can’t find France on a map. After 18 months of reading intelligent,
nominally biased, first-person accounts of the nuclear age, I’m pretty
sure that if France exists it’s not where my teachers told me it was.
A sharp history student, I thought I knew everything about our
country’s past. The abridged version:
Those exploitative Brits raped us economically until we couldn’t take
it anymore and were forced to revolt. Plus, they locked our women
and children in churches and burned them. (I got that one from Mel
Gibson’s The Patriot, but since he’s considered such an authority on
history lately, I figured that’s how it really happened.)
But all would not be well for long as soon we were faced with our
greatest challenge – the Civil War. It took us a little while, but
finally us Northerners (I’m from Chicago) figured out that slavery was
bad. So we took it upon ourselves to teach the South a very important
moral lesson. Brothers were forced to kill brothers, but in the end
the backward South figured out that Jim Crow laws were just as an
effective way to oppress black people as slavery.
>>From here on, we’re pretty much the righteous moral compass of the
world. We had a couple slip-ups here and there (woman should probably
be allowed to vote, too), but we basically kept to ourselves and
bailed out Europe whenever it got into a jingoistic pickle.
This brings us to the most poorly taught era of them all: the nuclear
age–defined here as the stuff that’s crammed into the last two weeks
of any history course. From grade school to college, the latter half
of the 20th century is drawn in the broadest strokes imaginable. The
long and short of it: The big, bad Soviets held the world hostage
with their gigantic nuclear arsenal and bellicosity, reluctantly
forcing us to send our equally potent military to fight freedom
wherever freedom was threatened. (Sound familiar?) Without us and our
brilliant, forward-thinking leaders such as Harry Truman and John F.
Kennedy, today the world would be a cockroach’s Shangri-la.
Sure, in a couple spots we weren’t that great. Like segregation,
Vietnam, and Watergate. But we realized our ills – hey, it was of a
time – fixed all that and said we were sorry.
Well, guess what? That’s all nonsense.
You see, we can’t possibly be the bad guys. It’s too unappetizing to
imagine, so we view our history with rose-colored glasses, teaching
it so it’s palatable and easy-to-understand. When we absolutely
must admit serious wrongdoing, we make sure to include a proviso that
absolves total blame. Sure, Manifest Destiny was a more poetic term for
genocide, but those heathen Native Americans weren’t good at sharing
(other than Thanksgiving) and we needed the land.
The American classroom peddles as much propaganda and provides as
many misconceptions about the world as the Islamic schools in the
Middle East. The only difference is the American education system
doesn’t incite violence. This, in turn, creates both leaders who
pursue misguided, ignorant foreign policy and a general populace that
fervently supports such policies. After all, we’re somberly following
the lessons of history. Best yet, when a more balanced version of
historical events is finally taught, the generations that learned it
the jingoistic way can grouse that liberal schools and teachers are
teaching anti-American dribble.
To wit, the Cuban Missile Crisis. The American history curriculum and
popular culture recalls the event as this: Unprovoked, the Soviets
aggressively moved nuclear weapons into Cuba with the intention
of destroying the United States unless their demands were met;
the Kennedy administration met this Cold War volley brilliantly and
graciously saved humanity from nuclear annihilation.
A more balanced account doesn’t comfort our nationalistic psyches
as much. Cuba was the Soviet Union’s strategic North American ally –
much like West Germany and Turkey were our strategic European allies.
We provided a nuclear umbrella for each with nuclear weapons that
were strategically placed throughout their countries and aimed at
Soviet military installations and cities. Turkey, coincidentally,
borders Georgia and Armenia, both of which were then Soviet republics.
By inviting Cuba underneath their nuclear umbrella, the Soviets
were attempting to reestablish a nuclear balance. (This deterrence
two-step defined the Cold War – especially in the ’50s and ’60s.) The
Soviets never intended to give the Cubans control of these weapons.
The Turkish and West German governments certainly didn’t possess the
launch codes to the nuclear missiles within their borders – although
many members of the American military and NATO pushed for a system that
would allow Turkey and our other allies access to these weapons under
the guise of a non-proliferation initiative. The Soviets, in fact,
were shocked at Castro’s callous attitude regarding the weapons –
privately, they considered Castro a lunatic.
Kennedy had only himself to blame for the escalation. The peace-loving
JFK who would’ve prevented Vietnam and quelled the Cold War is a
myth. He ran for president on a hawkish platform, claiming that the
Eisenhower administration irresponsibly allowed a missile gap to
develop. While his prose was poetic, his actions were inflammatory.
Kennedy did not stave off nuclear annihilation, he courted it.
Imagine how we would have responded had the Soviets covertly attempted
to topple the Turkish government.
Why isn’t this version taught in our public schools? Because teaching
our hypocrisies is unpatriotic – no matter the provisos. So it was
the big, bad Soviets who initiated the arms race. It was the big,
bad Soviets who bucked any and every arms control measure. It was
the big, bad Soviets who insisted on supporting brutal, totalitarian
regimes throughout the Third World. The truth becomes irrelevant;
the bold strokes are easier for adolescents to commit to memory.
We’re incapable of stopping. Part of the American way is being
the hero. Damn our actions if they frame us otherwise; we’ll twist
the facts until they’re in our favor. For our next trick, watch us
justify this nasty little prison scandal where a few patsy soldiers
(probably ordered by some higher-ups) staged sexual shenanigans between
Iraqi prisoners of war. These barbaric insurgents simply would not
provide us information about their insurgency. We tried everything,
but they would not talk. If we didn’t make them rape each other,
American soldiers might have lost their lives. It was a sad chapter
in our history, but a chapter we were forced to write.
These are the lessons subsequent generations will be taught. Thirty
years from now, a high school student will regurgitate for a history
exam that in 2003 we (along with a Coalition of 60 other nations!)
toppled that evil Saddam Hussein (he gassed his own people!!) and
freed the Iraqi people from their bondage (we helped them destroy
Saddam effigies!!!), finally bringing democracy to an unenlightened
people. And that student will receive an A.

Yahoo News
June 1 2004
Press Release Source:
Peace with Music Foundation
An Evening of Peace With Music
LA MIRADA, Calif., June 1 /PRNewswire/ — On Saturday, July 3, 2004
an audience in La Mirada, California will see and feel, first-hand,
the power of music to bridge cultural differences. Internationally
acclaimed American pianist Marvin Goldstein, the Eurovision
award-winning artist Gali Atari from Israel, and the gifted Arabic
Singer Najwa Gibran from Toronto will join together for one night in an
unforgettable performance at the La Mirada Theater for the Performing
Arts. The concert will begin at 8:00 PM at 14900 La Mirada Blvd,
La Mirada, CA.
The performance will also feature the International Peace Choir and the
world-renowned Armenian Duduk player, Yegish Manoukian. The program
will present Arab and Israeli music in addition to piano solos of
show tunes and contemporary music. It will be the first time that
Arabic music has been accompanied by the piano. The noted composer
Yuval Ron wrote the piano arrangements specifically for the concert.
Tickets are available through the Peace with Music Foundation
by calling, (866) MG TUNES (648-8637) and online at
Ticket prices are $32 or $40.
“This concert will demonstrate the power of music in bringing
different cultures together,” said Marc Titel, Foundation President.
“The audience will be treated to a spirit of peace and harmony as
well as being entertained.”
Marvin Goldstein travels internationally sharing his gift of music
including a March 2001 concert In Jerusalem, Israel with Gali Atari.
He has recorded over 30 compact discs and has published 15 piano solo
arrangement books.
Gali Atari is a prominent member of the Israeli music scene. In 1979
her performance of “Hallelujah” won the Eurovision Song Contest.
Atari has recorded numerous compact disks including an Israeli Gold
Album in 2001. She was Israel’s the “Singer of the Year” several
times during the 1980’s and 1990’s.
Najwa Gibran is one of the best Arabic female singers living today in
the west. She is an expert of the Arabic traditional folk technique
in addition to the Lebanese and Bedouin folk songs. She is the lead
vocalist with Canada’s Arabesque Dance Company and The Yuval Ron
Ensemble in Los Angeles.
The concert will also feature the International Peace Choir. This
choir was founded in 1987 with a mission to promote peace in the
world through music. Members of the choir are between the ages of
six and seventeen and represent various ethnic, cultural and national
backgrounds.
“The mission of the Peace with Music Foundation is to bring different
cultures together through music,” stated Joan Peterson of Starlight
Creative Media, a Foundation board member. “This concert is the
fulfillment of our mission. It will be a memorable and inspiring
evening for the performers and the audience.”

UNESCO Supports Development of Armenian Unicode System
noticias.info (press release), Spain
June 2 2004
To commemorate the 1600th anniversary of the creation of the
Armenian alphabet, UNESCO, through its project Initiative B@bel,
and the Matenadaran Institute in Yerevan have launched a project
to enhance access to information in the digital environment for the
Armenian language.
The project will develop a Unicode compatible font to overcome some
current constraints in the use of the Armenian language in fields
such as modern print and digital publishing.
Currently there are many Armenian fonts, which use non-standard
encoding systems which can make information exchange between users,
for example e-mail, unreliable. Many of the available fonts have
only limited styles and do not offer the possibility of recreating
the rich detailed design features of the languages such as can be
seen in older traditional Armenian manuscripts. This poses certain
challenges and limitations for publisher and contemporary digital
graphic artists. The project will therefore seek to address such
esthetic, legal and standardization issues. Particular attention will
also be given to the training of local font designers and working
with local institutions to raise awareness of good practices.
The Armenian alphabet was developed around 405 AD by Mesrop
Mashtots a scholarly monk in the Royal Court. The original alphabet
contained 36 letters but two additional characters were later added
to facilitate the writing of foreign words. The development of this
writing system spurred a cultural a renaissance in Armenia and for
this reason St. Mashtots is credited with starting Armenia’s golden
age of literature.
Today, some 3 million inhabitants of Armenia use the Armenian
language. There is also a culturally aware Armenian diaspora of around
4 million persons many of whom still write and speak Armenian. It is
expected that this initiative will facilitate online information
exchanges and content creation in Armenian and contribute to the
preservation and promotion of the Armenian culture in the digital
environment.
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Please find attached the Armenian version of the press release.
PRESS RELEASE
Assembly of Armenians of Europe
Rue de Treves 10, 1050 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 647 08 01
Fax: +32 2 647 02 00
Young Armenians of Sweden visited Brussels
the capital of the European Union
Stockholm, 2/06/04 – On the initiative of the Union of Armenian
Associations in Sweden and the Assembly of Armenians of Europe a group
of 22 young people of the Swedish Armenian Community visited Brussels
on May 27-30, 2004. The purpose of this visit was to represent to
young Armenians Brussels, the capital of the European Union, the
European Institutions and their activities, as well as introduce them
to their rights and obligations as EU citizens.
The group visited the European Commission and the European Parliament
on May 27 and 28, where the competences of each European Institution,
the participation of members States in the activities of the European
Institutions, in particular the participation of Sweden, as well as
the role and participation of the EU population in the integration
process was emphasized. The young people had the opportunity to
discuss important issues, such as Turkey’s potential accession to EU,
Armenia’s possible accession to EU, the cooperation between members
States and currency differences, etc.
On May 29 the young people visited the park “Mini Europe”, where
each member State is represented with its most famous cultural and
historical monuments in a smaller scale.
On May 30 the group visited the Armenian Church of Brussels and the
monument dedicated to the memory of victims of the Armenian Genocide
of 1915.

‘Thank you for your service’
Ray Brecheisen/The Morning Sun
By OLIVE L. SULLIVAN
Morning Sun Staff Writer
Former Sen. Robert Dole may have been the keynote speaker for the
dedication of the Pittsburg State University Veterans Memorial
Amphitheater dedication Monday, but he made it clear he was there
more as a veteran of World War II than as a politician.
Dole’s remarks highlighted a “grand celebration of freedom,” said
Dr. James AuBuchon, PSU vice president for university advancement
and one of those who spearheaded the memorial’s creation.
The celebration was grand indeed, featuring “Rolling Thunder” from
several area motorcycle clubs, military aircraft flyovers, a 21-gun
artillery salute, and all the pomp and glory of two military bands.
AuBuchon estimated that more than 4,000 people – twice his original
expectation – showed up for the afternoon celebration.
Following a welcome and introductions by AuBuchon, John Devitt,
a Vietnam combat veteran, placed the “seat for the missing,” a
symbolic empty chair draped with the black and white POW/MIA flag,
showing that all veterans were being recognized in the ceremony.
In his remarks, Dole often returned to that theme. The senator said
the PSU memorial, and the national World War II memorial he helped
dedicate in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, are important not just for
those who died in combat, but for all those who served in the armed
forces – and for many who didn’t.
“We couldn’t all wear the uniform,” he said. “Someone had to stay
home and preach and teach and keep the shops open, farm the crops.”
Dole praised the families of military veterans as well, especially
those who lost their loved ones in the service of our nation.
He pointed out that young people today often don’t have the sense
of a nation pulling together that characterized World War II, when
everybody faced rationing and grew victory gardens. Compared to the
current war in Iraq, he said, the average American doesn’t do much
sacrificing in support of the military.
He urged the audience to remember veterans not just on Memorial Day,
pointing out that there are hundreds of veterans languishing in nursing
homes and veterans hospitals who would love a visit, and would love
to hear the five simple words, “Thank you for your service.”
“That’s what today is all about,” he said.
In a rare moment, Dole talked about his own war experiences. A second
lieutenant, he was trying to rescue his radio officer when shrapnel
ripped into his arm and back, nearly killing him. He was rescued by
a fellow soldier, but spent four years struggling to recover from
his wounds.
That moment changed his life and led him to politics, where he has
achieved much in a different kind of service.
He said his doctor had lost a brother in WW II, and treated him -and
his mother’s varicose veins – at no charge because he felt he owed it
to the nation. He also pointed out that the largest single donation
to the WW II memorial in Washington was from an Armenian-American
with no military experience who felt he should pay back the country
for his freedoms.
“He said, ‘I’m not a veteran, I wasn’t totally poor when I came to this
country, but if it hadn’t been for events in WW II, I wouldn’t have
been able to send anything.’ He felt he owed it to America,” Dole said.
The senator said the goal of success is to be able to look back and
say, “I made a difference,” and then to reach down the ladder and
help someone else to the top.
He also honored the Vietnam veterans, present in a large group to
celebrate the presence at PSU of the half scale replica of the Vietnam
Wall in Washington, D.C.
Dole said the veterans weren’t always honored when they returned home
to a country opposed to the war, and he talked about veterans of Korea,
“the forgotten war.”
Dr. C.J. Chris Johnson, retired PSU biology professor and WW II
veteran, gave the veteran’s response to Dole’s speech, repeating
Dole’s assertion that Memorial Day honors not just those veterans
who survive, but those who fell on foreign shores or sleep beneath
the waves, those who worked in factories at home, and the military
personnel behind the lines who supported the troops on the front.
“Today’s dedication is about veterans and about our freedom,” he said.
“Without that additional support, we could not celebrate by conducting
Memorial Day dedications today or any other day,” he said.
The ceremony also included brief remarks from PSU President Tom Bryant,
and a special message from Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, presented by David
Taylor, the chairman of the Governor’s Military Advisory Board.
She wrote, “Our world is a dangerous place today,” and Sebelius
pointed out that more than 4,000 Kansans are serving today in Iraq
and Afghanistan, fighting for freedom.
Bryant pointed out the thing that makes the PSU memorial unique is
that it is not a memorial to just one war, battle or branch of service.
“It is so much more than that,” he said. “Today we honor the spirit
of duty and sacrifice that these veterans represent.”
Following a ribbon cutting that officially opened the memorial,
veterans were invited to enter the memorial first. Vietnam vets entered
from the west rampart, where they were guided by Girl Scouts to the
replica Wall. All other veterans entered at the east rampart and
were assisted by area Boy Scouts, who led them through the various
features of the amphitheater.
The ceremony ended with a performance of “Taps” and a musical postlude
by the 312th Army Band.
Staff Writer Olive L. Sullivan may be reached at (620) 231-2600,
Ext. 134, or by e-mail at [email protected]

MUNICIPALITY FORBIDDING OPPOSITION
A1 Plus | 19:14:57 | 01-06-2004 | Official |
Yerevan Municipality forbade Opposition to hold a rally on June 4 at
6:00 PM near Matenadaran.
In reply to the letter of “Justice” Bloc, “National Unity” Party
and Communist Party representatives Municipality made a decision on
forbidding the mass public measure, reasoning criminal cases over the
rallies held before were instituted in Office of Prosecutor and being
guided by the 13th article of the Armenian Law on “Holding Meetings,
Rallies and Marches” and N 856-A decision by Yerevan Mayor.

PRESS RELEASE
MIDDLE EAST & MIDDLE EASTERN AMERICAN CENTER
The Graduate Center
City University of New York
365 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10016-4309
Tel: 212-817-7570
Fax: 212-817-1542
Email: [email protected]
Taner Akçam
Talk and Book Signing for
“From Empire to Republic:Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian Genocide”
Dr. Akçam will examine the relationship between Turkey’s transition
from Ottoman Empire to Turkish Republic in the opening decades of
the 20th century, the Armenian Genocide of 1915, and the process of
democratization in Turkey today. He will analyze the socio-political
and historical factors behind that complex and crucial history,
and provide a framework for understanding Turkish nationalism and
its on-going relationship to the Armenian Genocide.
Contextualizing the long-term development of Turkey and the reasons
for Turkish silence and denial regarding the Armenian Genocide,
Akçam will discuss the role of the Armenian Genocide in the process
of democratization in Turkey today. Through an exploration of the
obstacles to dialogue, he will offer some hope for reconciliation
between the Turkish and Armenian communities.
Taner Akçam is currently Visiting Associate Professor in the Department
of History, University of Minnesota. He was born in the province
of Kars-Ardahan in the northeast of Turkey and became interested in
Turkish politics at an early age. In 1977 he settled in Germany as a
political refugee. Akçam received his Ph.D. from Hanover University
with a dissertation titled, Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian
Genocide: On the Background of the Military Tribunals in Istanbul
Between 1919 and 1922. He has since published five books and half
a dozen articles on the topic in Turkish and German. From Empire to
Republic was published in March 2004 by Zed Books, London.
Friday June 4, 2004,6:30-8:30 pm
Elebash Recital Hall
Co-sponsored by the Zoryan Institute (Toronto)
Books will be available for purchase
Admission free, but voluntary donations welcome

CHAIRMAN OF UNION OF ARMENIANS OF RUSSIA MET WITH GEORGIAN PRESIDENT IN
MOSCOW
01.06.2004 14:44
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In the course of a Russian-Georgian business forum
recently held in Moscow Chairman of the Union of Armenians of Russia
Ara Abrahamian met with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. As
reported by A-Info agency referring to Georgian Parliament Deputy Van
Bayburdian, A. Abrahamian was among the five principal businessmen,
with whom the Georgian President met in private. The Armenian
entrepreneur expressed readiness to invest into the restoration of
the Abkhazian railway, connecting Russia with Georgia and Armenia.