California Courier Online, September 23, 2004

1 – Commentary
Nine Armenians Killed by Chechen
Terrorists; No One Seems to Care

By Harut Sassounian
California Courier Publisher
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2 – AMAA Essay Contest Open
To H.S. and College Students
3 – Canadian Armenians Join
Cosmic Ray Division Family
4 – Armenian-Americans Join ‘Sudan:
Day of Conscience’ in San Francisco
5 – Musa Dagh Descendants in Fresno
Celebrate Epic Battle Against Turks
6 – Telethon 2004
Scheduled for
Thanksgiving Day
7 – Bay Area Debut
Of Gor Mkhitarian
Set for Oct. 16
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1 – Commentary
Nine Armenians Killed by Chechen
Terrorists; No One Seems to Care

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

Earlier this month, when Chechen terrorists took over a school in Beslan,
North Ossetia (Russia), there were at least 33 Armenians among the 1,200
hostages. During the rescue attempt, more than 300 children, parents and
teachers were killed, including nine Armenians (five schoolchildren and
four adults). Several other Armenians are still missing.
Armenia’s leaders joined the rest of the world in sending humanitarian aid
and messages of condolence to the Russian government. Sadly, neither
Armenian officials nor Armenian organizations bothered to express any
sympathy for the nine Armenian victims. There was no outrage expressed by
anyone regarding the cold-blooded murder of these innocent Armenians.
While the Russian government offered a $10 million reward for the killing
or capture of the leaders of the Chechen rebels and reserved the right to
make pre-emptive strikes against terrorists in other countries, Armenian
officials did not even express their condolences to the families of the
Armenian victims. They showed no interest whatsoever in the fate of those
killed and injured, even though some of them were citizens of Armenia.
While it is true that Armenia has a limited ability to pursue those who
organized this terrorist act, Armenian officials could have at least
expressed their sympathy to the victims’ families, set up a special fund to
help them, and offered their willingness to assist the Russian authorities
in tracking down the leaders of these terrorists.
Armenian officials often talk about Armenians worldwide being members of
“one nation,” regardless of where they live. In order to have some
credibility, these officials must show with their actions that they really
care about their fellow Armenians overseas. Simply organizing annual song
and dance festivals is not enough!

Azerbaijan Behaves Like a Banana Republic

NATO officials finally got fed up with all the lies and childish games
played by the novice Azeri President, Ilham Aliyev, and canceled the
military exercises that were scheduled to take place on Sept. 14-27 in
Azerbaijan.
Since the beginning of the year, Azerbaijan’s leaders had repeatedly
assured NATO officials that they would not impede Armenia’s participation
in these exercises. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan are members of NATO’s
Partnership for Peace program.
Earlier this year, three Armenian military officers tried to attend a
planning conference in Baku. After getting a run-around for several days,
they were eventually refused entry into Azerbaijan.
In June, when two other Armenian officers finally managed to attend a
second planning conference in Baku, several Azeri thugs broke into the
hotel where the conference was being held, threatening to harm the Armenian
participants. When some of these hooligans were arrested and sent to jail,
Pres. Aliyev complained that the courts were being too harsh on them.
Earlier this month, as an Armenian delegation was preparing to travel to
Baku, high ranking Azeri officials, contrary to the commitments they had
made to NATO, started saying that the Armenians were not welcome in
Azerbaijan. Finally, the government of Azerbaijan refused to grant an entry
visa to the Armenian officers.
As NATO rules do not allow affiliated member countries to exclude one
another from exercises being held on their territory, Azerbaijan had
violated the principle of inclusiveness. Therefore, NATO had no choice but
to cancel the planned exercises in Azerbaijan.
Azeri thugs and government officials immediately began celebrating the fact
that they had succeeded in keeping the Armenians out of their country. But,
one wonders, at what price?
Azeri officials for a number of years had nurtured the pipe dream that
Azerbaijan would shortly join NATO. They were hoping that NATO would then
take their side in the Karabagh conflict. After all the games played by
Azeri officials leading to the undermining of an important NATO activity,
it does not look very likely that Azerbaijan would be admitted to NATO
membership anytime soon!
In addition to the violation of NATO rules of inclusiveness, the Azeri
officials have shown to the whole world that Azerbaijan is not a reliable
partner, and that the word of its leaders means nothing. Basically, they
proved that Azerbaijan is a banana republic.
Finally, Pres. Aliyev made a big mistake by allowing this small group of
street thugs, who were opposed to the participation of Armenians in the
NATO exercises, to take the lead in this emotionally-charged issue. Their
“successful” and “heroic” efforts would enable them to attract fresh
recruits to their fanatical cause. Thus emboldened, they will be making
more and more radical demands on the government, eventually leading to the
destabilization and may be even the toppling of the Aliyev regime.
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2 – AMAA Essay Contest Open
To H.S. and College Students
BROOKLINE, MA – The Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) has
announced it will once again sponsor the James G. Jameson Essay Contest.
Topics should touch upon some aspect of Armenian heritage such as religion,
literature, language, history, culture, geography, economy or history.
Awards will be made in two categories: High School contestants and
College/University contestants. The deadline for entries is October 15,
2004.
All Armenian or part-Armenian students are eligible. Only unpublished
entries will be accepted. The winner in each category will be awarded
$250.00, provided from the income of a special fund established by Mr. &
Mrs. James G. Jameson of Brookline, MA.
The essays should be written in English and have a length of 1,000 to 2,000
words. A contestant is allowed no more than one entry per year, and no more
than one member of a family may receive an award in a five-year period. If
no submitted essay is considered sufficiently meritorious, no award will be
granted that year.
Entries and/or inquiries should be directed to: AMAA – James G. Jameson
Essay Contest – 31 West Century Road, Paramus, NJ 07652.
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3 – Canadian Armenians Join
Cosmic Ray Division Family
LIVERMORE, CA – On Sept. 3, an enthusiastic group of Canadian-Armenians
gathered at the home of Virginia and Haig Misakyan to listen to a
presentation about the Cosmic Ray Division (CRD) of the Yerevan Physics
Institute in Armenia by Anahid Yeremian. The chairperson of the Support
Committee for Armenia’s Cosmic Ray Division (SCACRD), with chapters in
California, Michigan, and New England, explained the vision of CRD head
Prof. Chilingarian.
“Prof. Chilingarian feels that Armenia has the ability to be an
international leader in certain aspects of science and cosmic ray physics
and space weather forecasting is one of those areas”, she emphasized to a
fascinated audience.
“Indeed every time I have the opportunity to talk about the CRD, I am
myself awed at the accelerated progress this group of outstanding and
dedicated scientists, technicians, students and support personnel makes
under the leadership of Prof. Chilingarian”, says Yeremian.
“During the five-year partnership of the Diaspora (through SCACRD) with the
CRD we have witnessed unbounded accomplishments by them. Today because of
the CRD, Armenia leads the world in the ground based research aspect of
Space Weather forecasting, winning international recognition at the United
Nations’ World Summit for Information Society in December of 2003.”
Articles in the US’s New Scientist and Science Magazine featured reports on
the impressive work being done by the CRD in Armenia, Yeremian noted.
The cosmic ray station at 10,500 ft elevation on Mt. Aragats in Armenia was
founded in 1943 by the visionary physicists, Artem and Abaraham Alikhanian.
Later a second station at 6500 ft was constructed.
The stations have an extensive infrastructure and are manned year round.
The Aragats Space Environmental Center (ASEC), also headed by Prof.
Chilingarian, was established at these cosmic ray stations in 2001. The
ASEC is a valuable partner in the world-wide network of space weather
research organizations such as the European Space Agency, the U. S.
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency, the international network of
neutron monitors and solar neutron telescopes.
CRD’s strategic geographic location (latitude and altitude) maximizes the
chance for the detection of those few very high energy, early arriving
particles which warn of the onset of severe space weather. This information
is a very important piece of the space weather puzzle.
“It is exciting for us, Armenians, that the CRD leads the world in the
ground-based aspect of the research and development in this field, ”
Yeremian said. “It is doubly exciting for the SCACRD and the Diaspora
friends who have and continue their unwavering support of the CRD,
financial and otherwise.
“We welcome the SCACRD – Canada chapter and the Canadian Diaspora to our
fold. We also thank the US SCACRD chapters in California, Michigan, and New
England for their continued activity. We thank the AESA chapters in
Glendale and Michigan, and the Bay Area Friends of Armenia for accepting
contributions specially designated for the CRD.
“We also thank other Diaspora organizations who continue to support the CRD
in various ways: AAA, ANC, all AESA chapters, ARS, ATG, FAR, KoV, UAF,
various churches and schools, and the Hairenik Bookstore in Watertown,”
Yeremian emphasized, adding her thanks to the “individual Diaspora members
who have caught the vision of Prof. Chilingarian and continue to stay with
us on this exciting ride. Most of all we thank the 80 dedicated scientists,
technicians and students of the CRD who stay in Armenia and contribute to
our motherland’s accelerated development with their talents.”
For more information about the CRD, their research, and how to help, visit

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4 – Armenian-Americans Join ‘Sudan:
Day of Conscience’ in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO – Armenian-American community members joined hands with
others at San Francisco’s Civic Center to raise public awareness on Aug. 25
about continuing massacres in Sudan. The event, called “Sudan: Day of
Conscience” was organized by the Save Darfur Coalition in tandem with
several other organizations, including the Bay Area Armenian National
Committee, the Interfaith Council, Human Rights Watch, the Jewish Community
Relations, and the United Muslims of America. Local Armenian priests from
the St. Gregory and St. John churches also participated it the rally.
In light of the escalating violence and the looming threat of genocide in
Sudan, representatives spoke about the desperate need for united action on
all levels-regionally, statewide, nationwide, and globally.
Referring to the recent past, they illustrated the destructiveness of
international blindness to gross violations of human rights. Over fifty
thousand have died and over a million have been driven from their homes.
Only in the past few weeks have humanitarian agencies had limited access to
a portion of the affected region.
Representing the Armenian National Committee, Haig Baghdassarian spoke to
the several hundred people gathered about the Armenian Genocide and traced
the bloody history of the 20th century, pointing to the genocides which
followed and condemning international reluctance to take action. “When
will we learn that we cannot tolerate this to happen time and time again?
Perhaps not until, we, as Americans, can tell our Turkish allies, that
although we may be friends, we will not allow them to deny history and
escape with impunity for the murder of a nation. And perhaps, not until,
we as Americans can come to terms with our own bloody past – and the
destruction of the indigenous peoples of America.”
Rev. Fr. Avedis Torossian, pastor of St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church,
and Rev. Fr. Sarkis Petoyan, pastor of St. John Armenian Apostolic Church
were also present to express their solidarity with the “Sudan: Day of
Conscience.”
The peaceful collaboration of the representatives of the Armenian community
with those of the Jewish, Cambodian, and Rwandan communities demonstrated
how the one common aspect of these groups’ histories can unite them in
trying to prevent genocide from becoming a dark chapter in the lives and
history of another people.
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5- Musa Dagh Descendants in Fresno
Celebrate Epic Battle Against Turks
FRESNO – During the Labor Day weekend, Sept 4 & 5, over 400 Musa Daghtsi
Armenians and Friends congregated at the Fresno Fairgrounds to commemorate
the Forty Days of Musa Dagh. The event was organized by the Regional
Committee of Musa Dagh Patriotic Union.
The preparation of the traditional Musa Dagh meal of “Herissa” was held
Saturday, followed by dinner and Armenian Dances, with live music, to which
almost every one, old and young danced.
During the Sunday morning Mass in the hall of the Fresno Fairgrounds, the
traditional blessing of the Herissa took place. All present were invited to
partake in this traditional meal, followed by more Armenian dances and
festivities.
The keynote English speaker of the day was Dr. Jason H. Keledjian, who
spoke eloquently about “Why We Can’t Forget ‘The Forty Days of Musa Dagh’.”
[…What’s the significance of this?” Keledjian asked rhetorically. “After
the genocide, Armenians from their historic towns and villages in Turkey
congregated together in various parts of Syria and Lebanon. These Arab
cities became a melting pot for the new Armenian culture, much like America
is a melting pot of cultures from around the world. The Armenians started
to share their music, their food, and other traditions with each other.
And from that, they lost some of the things that made them unique within
the Armenian culture, and they lost some of the things that were passed
down from generation to generation. However, there are a few exceptions.
Musa Ler was one of the few villages that remained intact, thus preserving
our own unique cultural practices and traditions. As a result, what we are
celebrating here this weekend includes our food, our dances, our music, our
language, and other traditions that we Musa Lertsis have done for hundreds
of years.
“Do not let the events that took place in Jebel Mousa 89 years ago, go to
waste. If we forget to remember, if we forget to celebrate, and most
importantly, if we fail to teach our children and grandchildren the
importance and the significance of what happened, then the events that took
place will be permanently forgotten. My friends, my family, it all starts
with us. The responsibility is in our hands,” the US-born Dr. Keledjian
said.
Guests and musicians celebrated the remembrance of Musa Dagh, after the
blessing of the Herissa by Rev. Fr. Nareg Shrikian, and Rev. Fr. Papken der
Manuelian.
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6 – Telethon 2004
Scheduled for
Thanksgiving Day
GLENDALE – The Board of Armenia Fund, Inc. (AFI) began its kick-off
activities for Telethon 2004 on Sept. 16 with the unveiling of the official
logo for the “Telethon 2004 -Make it Happen,” at the Glendale Studios. The
logo/theme was designed by Los Angeles artist Vahe Fattal.
The Telethon 2004 is scheduled for Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25 from 8 a.m. to
8 p.m. (PST). The live broadcast will air throughout the United States,
Europe, South America, the CIS and the Middle East.
The goal of the program is to raise $12.5 million to complete the remaining
56 miles of the North-South “Backbone” Highway in Karabagh. Upon
completion, the $25 million, 105-mile highway will link 150 towns and
villages and provide crucial economic, trade and development opportunities
for Karabagh. Telethon 2004 will also provide continued assistance in
health care, education and infrastructure development in Armenia and
Karabagh.
The broadcast will feature live entertainment by various Armenian
performers, interviews with numerous celebrities and political leaders,
development and construction footage from Armenia and Karabagh, stories of
individuals impacted by AFI projects, as well as phone back with 50
operators and volunteers.
Over the past decade, the Diaspora has played a vital and integral role in
building a bright future for Armenia and Karabagh,” said AFI Chairperson
Maria Mehranian. “This year we are commited to producing an innovative,
quality program that symbolizes the collaborative efforts, dedication and
spirit of our communities.”
Telethon 2004 will be also available in full-motion webcast on
Internet users will able to view and make secure
contributions online.
For more information on Armenia Fund, Telethon 2004, contact Sarkis
Kotanjian at (818) 243-6222.
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7 – Bay Area Debut
Of Gor Mkhitarian
Set for Oct. 16
SAN FRANCISCO – The Bay Area debut of award-winning world music star, Gor
Mkhitarian, will take place Oct. 16 at the Condor Club, 300 Columbus Ave.,
San Francisco, announced Mosaix magazine publisher Tamar Kevonian.
Mkhitarian is a trailblazer in the emerging post-Soviet music scene.
“Yeraz,” his first solo CD released in 2002, fused ancient Armenian folk
music with modern rock sounds. The innovative combination quickly garnered
global attention, winning him acclaim from all over the world as well as
accolades such as “best alternative rock singer” and “best world music
album.”
“We can’t wait to introduce Gor’s music to San Francisco,” says Kevonian.
“The magazine likes to support artists and musicians, who reflect our core
beliefs that we have a vibrant, colorful culture, emerging through the art
of a new generation of Armenians, and re-defining what we think of as
Armenian culture in a modern context.”
Advance tickets and group rates are available for Gor Mkhitarian’s debut
concert and CD release party in San Francisco. The musician will perform
selections from his highly-anticipated new album, “Episodes.” Copies of his
previous albums combining ethnic folk songs from the East with the sounds
of western rock are available through Virgin Records, Amazon.com
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