California Courier Online, June 23, 2005
1 – Commentary
German Parliament Deals Fatal Blow
To Turkish Denial of Genocide
By Harut Sassounian
California Courier Publisher
2 – Dr. Yervant Zorian Named 2005 IEEE
Industrial Pioneer Award Recipient
3- Catholicos Karekin II Continues
Pontifical Visit to Central California
4 – Lark Hosts
Musical Salute
To the Baltaians
5 – House Foreign Aid Panel OK’s
$67.5 Million for Armenia in ’06
6 – Djanbazian Dance
Company Invited
To Italy Event
7 – Deadline for AEF’s Richard R.
Tufenkian Scholarships is July 30
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1 – Commentary
German Parliament Deals Fatal Blow
To Turkish Denial of Genocide
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
Last week, there were three important countries that had not yet recognized
the Armenian Genocide: Germany, the United States and Great Britain.
Following last Thursday’s action by the German Bundestag (parliament),
there are now only two major countries left that are still in denial: the
United States and Great Britain.
Just a few months ago, if anyone had said that Germany would adopt a
resolution on the Armenian Genocide anytime soon, we would have questioned
that person’s sanity.
There are several reasons why the German Parliament’s decision is a
significant development:
— Germany is one of Turkey’s staunchest allies in Europe;
— German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his ruling party were initially
completely opposed to this proposed resolution;
— While only 30,000 Armenians live in Germany, there are more than 3
million Turks in that country;
— The Turkish government and the large Turkish community in Germany tried
everything in their power to block the consideration of this resolution by
the German Parliament;
–All the political factions in the Bundestag, including the ruling party,
ended up unanimously supporting the resolution on the Armenian Genocide;
— The resolution states that the Germans acknowledge their own share of
guilt in the Armenian Genocide and urge the Turks to face up to their dark
past.
The Bundestag’s adoption of this resolution deals a fatal blow to the
Turkish government’s desperate attempts to bury the issue of the Armenian
Genocide. This must be particularly demoralizing for Turkish Prime Minister
Receb Tayyip Erdogan who spared no time and effort trying to convince the
world that there was no such thing as Armenian Genocide. In fact, as I have
written repeatedly in this column, the more the Turks try to block the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the more they bring this issue up to
the attention of world leaders and the international news media. For
example, at the beginning of June, a Turkish group paid close to million
dollars to send to Time magazine’s half a million European subscribers a
70-minute long DVD that denied and distorted the facts of the Armenian
Genocide. The Turks thus made another half a million people aware of the
Armenian Genocide.
Ironically, a big debt of gratitude for the success of the German
resolution goes to Turkey’s own ambassador to Germany, Mehmet Ali
Irtemcelik. He inadvertently helped the passage of the proposed bill by
insulting the members of the German Parliament during his hysterical
efforts to block its passage.
Some Armenians are troubled by the fact that the Germans took this
initiative in order to accomplish their own agenda of preventing Turkey
from joining the European Union. The concern is that the Germans appear to
be exploiting the issue of the Armenian Genocide to further their own
interests. In my opinion, it is salutary that German and Armenian
objectives have coincided in this instance. Such a convergence would ensure
that the Germans would not easily back away from the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide, as they would not want to abandon their own interests.
After all, how can one expect the leaders of a country to side with the
Armenians on any issue, if doing so would run counter to their own
interests!
Some Armenians are also not pleased that the resolution refers to “the
deportations and massacres” of Armenians by Ottoman Turkey, rather than a
direct use of the term “genocide.” In the official explanation of the
resolution, the text actually does use the word “genocide,” and describes
in great detail the atrocities committed against the Armenians by the Young
Turk regime. Furthermore, the resolution uses various other words that are
the equivalents of genocide, such as “mass murder, extermination or
annihilation, and destruction.” It states that “numerous independent
historians, parliaments, and international organizations designate the
expulsion and destruction of the Armenians as a genocide [Volkermord].” The
resolution also estimates the number of those killed in the genocide as
“more than a million,” according to “independent calculations.” It
acknowledges that the German Reich, as the chief ally of the Ottoman Empire
during WW1, was deeply involved in the mass murder of Armenians.
In the past few days, hundreds of articles have been published on the
adoption of the Armenian resolution by the German Parliament. Once again,
the Turkish leaders made matters worse for themselves by lashing out at the
German government. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul described the resolution
as “irresponsible, dismaying, and wounding.” Prime Minister Erdogan
referred to it as “wrong and ugly.” He said that history would put the
German leaders to shame. This undiplomatic name-calling further antagonized
the Germans. A spokesman for the German government said he disagreed with
Erdogan’s characterization, saying that the resolution was “balanced.” The
Turkish and German exchange of words following the passage of the
resolution generated more articles on this issue. Thanks to Turkish
demonstrations and protests in both Ankara and Berlin, the international
media continued to provide extensive coverage of the fall-out from the
resolution on the Armenian Genocide.
As prominent Turkish commentator Mehmet Ali Birand wrote last Saturday in
the Turkish Daily News: “The Armenian genocide allegations are being
approved by a new parliament every passing day. The trap we are in is
closing on us. One day we will see, we are left alone by ourselves. All
Western parliaments will accept the genocide and will be applying pressure
on their governments. The recent development in the German parliament is
just a typical example of this. Let’s not see this as a stab in the back.
Armenians have dominated the international arena to such an extent that the
governments no longer feel the need to resist them.”
The noose is tightening around the neck of genocide deniers. It is only a
matter of time before the other two countries, the United States and Great
Britain, would abandon their feeble attempts to deny what their own
archives prove beyond the shadow of a doubt. Then Turkey would have no
place to run and no place to hide. The Turkish leaders should realize that
without acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and without making appropriate
amends to the survivors, Turkey has no chance of being admitted to the
European Union.
The lengthy text of the German Parliament’s resolution makes that point
abundantly clear.
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2 – Dr. Yervant Zorian Named 2005 IEEE
Industrial Pioneer Award Recipient
ANAHEIM, Calif. /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Citing his enormous contributions
to design-for-test and embedded repair technology for complex
System-on-Chip (SoC) design, Dr. Yervant Zorian, vice president and chief
scientist at Virage Logic
Corporation (Nasdaq: VIRL) was last week named the 2005 IEEE Circuits and
Systems (CAS) Industrial Pioneer award recipient. Dr. Zorian’s technical
accomplishments include pioneering work in Built-In Self-Test (BIST) and
embedded repair technologies and products that have dramatically boosted
the quality, reliability and manufacturability of digital systems.
In 2000, Dr. Zorian brought his technology vision and expertise in BIST
solutions to Virage Logic where he helped to pioneer a new class of
Intellectual Property (IP) called Silicon Aware IP’.
“The self-test and repair capabilities that Dr. Zorian developed for SoCs
have become the de facto standard in 90-nanometer technology for much of
the electronics designed around the world,” said Adam Kablanian, president
and CEO of Virage Logic. “His pioneering vision for providing an effective
test technology solution integrated with IP has enabled Virage Logic to
deliver a proven path for design success at the advanced process geometries
of 130nm and below. We are proud to have such a technology visionary on our
team and congratulate him on his selection by the IEEE as their 2005
Industrial Pioneer.”
Each year, the IEEE CAS Society honors outstanding scientists and engineers
who have successfully translated their research into commercial products or
applications. With the Silicon Aware STAR Memory System, Dr. Zorian turned
the concepts of embedded repair to real life systems that are yieldable and
reliable, and succeeded in penetrating the industry and changing its
standard practices.
“It is a great honor to be selected by the IEEE CAS Society for this
award,” said Dr. Zorian, vice president and chief scientist of
Virage Logic.
Dr. Zorian joined Virage Logic in 2000 as Chief Scientist. Prior to
joining Virage Logic, he served as Chief Technology Advisor at LogicVision
and as a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff at Bell Labs, AT&T. His
responsibilities included developing and disseminating embedded test and
repair solutions for IP cores, chips, boards and systems. Dr. Zorian also
serves on the Board of Directors of several public and privately owned
companies.
Dr. Zorian has authored over 300 papers and four books, received several
best paper awards, and holds twelve U.S. patents. He is a Golden Core
Member of IEEE Computer Society, Honorary Doctor of the National Academy of
Sciences of Armenia, and a Fellow of IEEE. Dr. Zorian received his master’s
degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Southern California,
a doctorate in Electrical Engineering from McGill University and an
executive master’s degree in Business Administration from Wharton School of
Business, University of Pennsylvania.
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3 – Catholicos Karekin II Continues
Pontifical Visit to Central California
FRESNO – Catholicos Karekin II departed Los Angeles for Fresno, continuing
his Pontifical visit to the United States with a trip to Central and
Northern California.
Accompanied by Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, and his entourage, the Pontiff
was greeted at the Fresno airport at 11 a.m. by the clergy of the region,
as well as representatives of the Parish Councils, Ladies’ Societies and
ACYO.
At 12 noon a “Hrashapar” service took place at the St. Paul Armenian
Church, marking his official entrance into the San Joaquin Valley.
The Catholicos was accompanied by Primate Derderian as well as Archbishop
Nerses Bozabalyan from the Mother See, Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian, and
Vicar General of the Diocese Very Rev. Fr. Dajad Dz. V. Yardemian.
Participating in the service were the Pastors of St. Gregory the
illuminator Church of Fowler, Sts. Sahag Mesrob Armenian Church of Reedley,
St. Mary Armenian Church of Yettem, Holy Cross Armenian Church in Turlock,
visiting Pastor of the Armenian Church of Arizona, and Archpriest Fr.
Artoon Sempadian, retired, as well as deacons and choir members.
The Catholicos praised God for the opportunity for a second visit to the
Western Diocese. He spoke of the difficulties facing the Armenian Church
and conveyed his optimism that combined efforts will make it possible to
overcome difficulties. He commended the faithful of Fresno and urged them
to continue to remain connected to the Armenian Apostolic Church, the
Christian Faith and their cultural heritage. Following the service,
Catholicos Karekin II held a press conference, and was interviewed by
local media and press.
The following day, The Catholicos celebrated Pontifical Divine Liturgy on
June 12, at St. Paul Armenian Church with the participation of the clergy
and parishes of Central California.
Serving on the Altar were Archpriest Fr. Vartan Kasparian, Pastor of St.
Mary Armenian Church in Yettem, and Archpriest Fr. Kevork Arakelian Pastor
of St. Gregory Armenian Church in Fowler. Deacons also participated in the
Liturgy. The Litutgy was sung by the united choir of Central California.
Primate of the Catholic Church of Fresno, Bishop John Steinbeck was also in
attendance.
A large number of faithful received Holy Communion from the Catholicos.
A Pontifical banquet followed at the Fresno Convention Center, where the
Catholicos blessed the attendees, praised God and commended the work of
Reception Committee.
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4 – Lark Hosts
Musical Salute
To the Baltaians
GLENDALE – The Lark Musical Society will host a salute to the prolific and
talented musical Baltaian Family on June 22 in Glendale.
The “Salute to the Baltaians” will be held at the First United Methodist
Church of Glendale, 134 N. Kenwood, starting at 8 p.m.
The event is a toast to the life and work of three generations of Armenian
musicians from Bulgaria, Sarkis Baltaian, Garo Baltaian, Aroussiak Baltaian
and Sarkis Baltaian, their musical contribution to Armenian music in
general, and the cultural life of Bulgarian Armenians.
Hosted by Taghouhi Arzoumanian, the event will feature the participation of
Karine Kevorkian, Victoria Symonian, Susanna Atasuntz, and the Lark Chorus,
directed by Vatsche Barsoumian.
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5 – House Foreign Aid Panel OK’s
$67.5 Million for Armenia in ’06
WASHINGTON, DC – A key House Appropriations Subcommittee voted last week to
maintain high aid levels to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh despite ongoing
overall reductions to former Soviet states. The 2006 Foreign Operations
Appropriations Bill, which lawmakers passed by voice vote, calls for $67.5
million for Armenia, up to $5 million for Nagorno Karabagh and maintains
military assistance parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan with $5.75
million allocated to each country.
The level of funding for Armenia is $12.5 million above the Bush
Administration’s request submitted to Congress earlier this year.
The action also allocated $5 million in Foreign Military Financing and
$750,000 for International Military Education and Training to both Armenia
and Azerbaijan, as requested by the Bush Administration. These funds will
improve inter-operability between Armenia’s military and its Western
partners, upgrade Armenia’s communication systems and better its personnel
training.
In April, the Armenian Assembly submitted testimony before the House
Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, outlining the need for
Congress to continue funding to Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh. The Assembly
said that such assistance has helped both countries move forward as
independent, market-reformed and democratic states.
The bill will next be considered by the full House Appropriations
Committee. Once the full House and Senate complete action on their version
of the bill, a joint House-Senate Conference Committee will reconcile the
differences.
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6 – Djanbazian Dance
Company Invited
To Italy Event
LOS ANGELES – After the success of “Komitas, Kroong Bnaver – Banished but
Not Forgotten, (which was the big winner of the 14th Lester Horton Dance
Awards in Los Angeles in April 2005) Anna Djanbazian and her Dance Company
have been invited to participate in the “Dance Grand Prix Italia 2005” in
Cesena, Italy.
About 1,100 dancers from five continents will compete in the big Italian
dance event to be held on June 26 at the Bonci Theatre, considered one of
the most beautiful ancient theatres in Europe. This competition will
include all types of Dance: Classical, Modern, Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop,
Funky, Folk and various interpretations of Dance Theatre Laboratories.
The Djanbazian Academy will be presenting three dances choreographed by
Anna Djanbazian:
Members of the Dance troupe include Arsineh Ananian, Ani Grigorian,
Narineh Ghazarians and Anna Daibyan.
Future performances include an original full length chorography based on
the life of the famous Persian poet “Rumi” to be held at the Freud Theater
at UCLA Jan. 7 and 8, 2006, and cultural dance presentation at the Disney
Center, November 12, 2006.
For more details about the tour and future performances, visit:
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7- Deadline for AEF’s Richard R.
Tufenkian Scholarships is July 30
GLENDALE – The Armenian Educational Foundation (AEF) announced last week it
is now accepting applications for the Richard R. Tufenkian Scholarship for
the 2005 – 2006 academic year. Deadline for submissions is July 30.
The Richard R. Tufenkian Scholarship was established by Ralph and Savey
Tufenkian in memory of their son.
Five $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to Armenian undergraduate students
at an accredited United States college/university. To qualify for this
scholarship, students must be of Armenian descent, have a minimum 3.0 GPA,
show financial need, and be actively involved in the Armenian community.
Students who meet the above criteria are invited to submit a written
request for an application to the AEF Scholarship Committee, 600 West
Broadway, Suite 130, Glendale, CA 91204.
Written requests for applications can also be made by FAX (818) 242-4913
or E-mail [email protected]. All completed scholarship application
packages must be postmarked no later than July 30, 2005. Applications are
also available on
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