ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
10/04/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://
1) Senator Jackie Speier One of Many Guests to be Honored at October Annual
Banquet
2) Catholicos Aram I Honored by Swedish Church
3) Kocharian, Mironov Talk of Increasing Cooperation
4) EC May Take up Destruction of Armenian Cultural Monuments
5) Dynamite Threatens Ancient City of Ani
1) Senator Jackie Speier One of Many Guests to be Honored at October Annual
Banquet
–ANCA-WR Meets with State’s Highest Ranking Armenian Democratic Public
Official
GLENDALE–California State Senator Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco, San Mateo)
visited the offices of the Armenian National Committee of America-Western
Region (ANCA-WR) on September 28 to discuss issues of concern to
Armenian-Americans in California with community leaders.
Members of the ANCA-WR Board of Directors and the Armenian Relief Society
(ARS) greeted the Senator and were briefed on the issues that the Senator has
been working on in the State Capitol.
Senator Speier will be among the many public officials in attendance at this
year’s Annual Banquet which will be held at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel
in Pasadena, California on October 24.
ANCA-WR Chairman Raffi Hamparian welcomed Senator Speier to the ANCA-WR
headquarters and thanked her for steadfast support of legislation and issues
that affect Armenian-Americans in the state. The Senator is the state’s
highest
ranking Democratic elected official of Armenian descent and the only
Armenian-American woman currently serving in the State Legislature.
ANCA-WR Board Member Steven Dadaian briefed the Senator on economic
developments in the Republic of Armenia and highlighted the necessity for the
State of California to remain committed to its promise of establishing the
California Regional Trade Office in Armenia.
Angela Savoian, Chairwoman of the ARS Western United States, also briefed the
Senator on the history of the ARS and described the essential social services
that the organization continues to provide to immigrants. During the meeting,
Senator Speier reiterated the importance of her Armenian ancestry in shaping
her commitment to being a public servant and fighting for justice.
Senator Speier’s career-long commitment to public service was nearly cut
short
in 1978 when she traveled as legal counsel to California Congressman Leo J.
Ryan to Jonestown, Guyana as part of a US fact-finding mission that was to
investigate rumors that people, including many Bay Area families, were being
held hostage by cult leader Rev. Jim Jones. On November 18, 1978, at the
end of
a two-day investigation, gunmen from the Peoples Temple cult ambushed, shot,
and killed Congressman Ryan and four others in his traveling group. Speier,
then 28 years old, was struck by five bullets and was “left for dead” on a
jungle airstrip for 22 hours. The day she was shot, 911 cult members committed
mass suicide or were murdered at the Peoples Temple compound. Senator Speier
has stated that “the Jonestown tragedy is a daily reminder that no one is
guaranteed tomorrow . . . this has absolutely molded my philosophy and my zest
for work and for life.” To this day, she carries two bullets in her body from
the incident.
Two years after the Jonestown shootings, Speier became the youngest member
ever to serve on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors when she won her
first election by defeating a 20-year incumbent. Senator Speier served in the
State Assembly from 1986 to 1996 before being elected to the State Senate,
where she is completing her second term.
Senator Speier has announced her intent to run for Lieutenant Governor of the
State of California. If elected, Senator Jackie Speier would become only the
second Armenian-American to serve in statewide office since Governor George
Deukmejian (1983-1991).
“Senator Speier’s dedication to public service and to the people of
California
is truly admirable and an excellent example for other young aspiring
Armenian-Americans to follow,” commented Ardashes Kassakhian, ANCA-WR
Executive
Director. “We’re looking forward to having her attend our Annual Banquet on
October 24th and joining us in honoring other Armenian-American public
officials who have paved the way for future leaders,” added Kassakhian,
referring to the ANCA-WR Annual Banquet which will honor Congresswoman Anna
Eshoo (D-CA) with the ANCA-WR Legacy Award and State Senator Chuck Poochigian
(R-Fresno) with the Person of the Year Award.
Individuals or organizations interested in attending the ANCA-WR Annual
Banquet may call the ANCA-WR Offices at (818) 500-1918 to reserve their table
or individual tickets.
2) Catholicos Aram I Honored by Swedish Church
ANTELIAS–During an evening reception on Saturday, October 2, held in honor of
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, Sweden’s Primate,
Archbishop Karl Hammer of Uppsala, bestowed His Holiness with the highest
honor
of the Swedish Church. “Only three individuals have received this honor–you
are now the fourth,” noted Archbishop Hammer. “We decided to extend this medal
as a token of appreciation for your leading role in advancing interfaith
cooperation during these fateful times.”
After thanking the Archbishop and the Swedish Church, the Catholicos spoke
about the Armenian people and highlighted their will to overcome the various
difficulties that resulted from the genocide of 1915, and the church’s role in
assisting the survivors. His Holiness then moved on to address the
international efforts in promoting cooperation amongst churches, and commend
the role played by the Swedish Church within the ecumenical movement.
A guest of the Lutheran Church of Sweden, His Holiness, who arrived in Sweden
on the morning of Thursday, October 5, met with a host of international
organization representatives, participated in the Swedish ecumenical meetings,
lectured at universities in Uppsala and Helsinki, and delivered a Sunday
sermon
at the Cathedral of Uppsala.
3) Kocharian, Mironov Talk of Increasing Cooperation
YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–President Robert Kocharian pledged to continue
relations with Russia as political allies and strategic partners when meeting
with Russian Federation Council Chairman Sergey Mironov on Saturday, before
the
Russian delegation wrapped up its official visit to Yerevan.
Sources in the Russian delegation told Itar-Tass that the visit began a new
phase in Russian-Armenian relations.
Mironov remarked that the talks had a candid atmosphere, as the two discussed
a range of issues related to Russian-Armenian relations. “We are ready for
cooperation not only on a bilateral basis, not only within the CIS, but
also in
other international organizations,” Mironov said, adding that Russia and
Armenia still have potential to cooperate that is not yet fully realized.
Cargo transit via Georgia to Armenia was also discussed, as the
Russian-Georgian border is closed, impacting the Armenian economy negatively.
“We discussed possible solutions to the problem, bearing in mind our
partnership with Armenia,” Mironov said.
A joint declaration was signed by Mironov and Armenian Parliament Speaker
Artur Bagdasarian, which provides legislative steps in the anti-terrorist
fight.
“Not only Russia, but also all countries of this unique land need
stability in
the Caucasus and Transcaucasia,” Mironov told servicemen of a Russian regiment
stationed in Yerevan. “You are one of the outposts of security on Russian
southern boundaries,” he said.
4) EC May Take up Destruction of Armenian Cultural Monuments
YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–The issue of preserving Armenian monuments in
Azerbaijan is currently on the European Commission’s (EC) agenda, following
calls–by the Armenian delegation to the EC–for an inquiry on their
destruction.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry’s Interim Head of Council of Europe Division
Ara
Margarian, noted that the destruction of cross stones in the Jugha cemetery in
Nakhichevan has specifically garnered attention, and that an EC fact-finding
mission may be dispatched there.
“The destruction of Jugha’s cross stones is a premeditated act of vandalism,
so as to erase all remnants of Armenian culture in the area–and is proven by
the footage and photos shot from the Iranian side,” said Margarian.
He revealed that while Armenia has consistently welcomed monitoring groups,
Azerbaijan has resisted. But because of its recent aspiration to integrate
into
Europe, Azerbaijan has agreed to allow monitors in the country to review the
current state of Armenia’s historical monuments.
According to the European Convention for The Protection of Architectural
Heritage, all member countries inherit the responsibility to preserve cultural
and historical monuments found on the territory of member states.
According to the same convention, if a country is found guilty of destroying
cultural, historical monuments, they must be punished accordingly.
5) Dynamite Threatens Ancient City of Ani
ISTANBUL (Armenpress)–The Turkish newspaper Zaman reported that
detonations at
Armenian stone quarries across the border damaged some of the ruins located in
the 6000-year-old city of Ani on the Turkish-Armenian border.
Sabit Osman Avci, President of the Protection of Historical Heritage
Foundation and a former Speaker of the Turkish Parliament (TBMM), conducted
studies in the region and said that up until two years ago, there was only one
stone quarry in the region; presently, the number is eight. He warned that the
dynamite being detonated at these quarries is damaging the ancient city of
Ani.
The ancient ruins of Ani are among the 100 historical works in the world that
are in need of protection. The ancient city was a great center of trade and is
mentioned in records of the Silk Road from the Middle Ages.
All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier
and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and
subscription requests.
(c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved.
ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for
academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through
mass media outlets.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress