California Courier Online, August 17, 2006
1 – Commentary
Will the Bombing of Lebanon
Bury the Azeri-Israeli Lovefest?
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
2 – Forty Days of Musa Dagh Struggle
To be Celebrated Sept. 2 in Fresno
3 – Hope For The City Sends Three Large
Containers of Medical Aid to Armenia
4 – California Assembly OK’s Bill to
Recover Assets of Genocide Victims
5- TCA Dickranian School Trustees Appoint
Vasken Boulghourjian New Vice-Principal
6 – ARPA International Film Festival
Will Honor Dr. J. Michael Hagopian
7 – Armenian Women
To be Honored at
Sept. 7 Luncheon
8 – Las Vegas Armenians Plan
To Erect Genocide Memorial
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1 – Commentary
Will the Bombing of Lebanon
Bury the Azeri-Israeli Lovefest?
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
As a follow up to my last month’s column on Azerbaijan’s efforts to
exploit Israel’s clout in Washington, D.C., I would like to present
further revelations on this topic by Ilya Bourtman, a former
researcher at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies in Ramat
Gan, Israel. His article, titled, "Israel and Azerbaijan’s Furtive
Embrace," is published in the Summer 2006 edition of the Middle East
Quarterly.
Stating that "few could have foreseen how Israel’s relationship with
Azerbaijan would blossom," Bourtman expresses his amazement that "a
country 93 percent Muslim would cooperate closely with Israeli
intelligence, and even provide Israeli officials a defensive platform
in such a volatile region’s Israel and Azerbaijan have quietly become
strategic partners sharing intelligence, developing trade relations,
and together building regional alliances [with Turkey]." The writer
strains credulity by drawing parallels between the Arab-Israeli
conflict and that of Azerbaijan with Armenia.
This is how Bourtman explains why Azerbaijan needed the Jewish
lobby’s help in Washington: "In 1991, Azerbaijan was economically
fragile, politically unstable, and militarily weak. Desperate for
outside assistance, Baku turned to Israel to provide leverage against
a much stronger Iran and a militarily superior Armenia. Israel
promised to improve Azerbaijan’s weak economy by developing trade
ties. It purchased Azerbaijani oil and gas and sent medical,
technological, and agricultural experts. Most importantly for
Azerbaijan, Israel’s foreign ministry vowed to lend its lobby’s
weight in Washington to improve Azeri-American relations, providing a
counterweight to the influential Armenian lobby. According to
Azerbaijan’s first president, Abulfas Elchibey, "Israel could help
Azerbaijan in [the] Karabakh problem by convincing the Americans to
stop the Armenians. Azerbaijani diplomats recognized the need to
diversify their contacts in Washington, especially after the U.S.
Congress imposed sanctions on Azerbaijan at the behest of the
Armenian lobby following the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijani
military officials also believed that Israeli firms could better
equip the ragtag Azerbaijani army, which needed new weapons following
its defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh. On several occasions, Heydar Aliyev,
Azerbaijan’s president between 1993 and 2003, personally requested
military assistance from Israeli prime ministers."
In describing the benefits of the Israeli lobby to Azerbaijan,
Bourtman writes: "in the mid 1990’s, struggling to piece together the
weak and dysfunctional Azerbaijani state, President Aliyev moved
towards Jerusalem, thereby winning the allegiance of the pro-Israel
lobby in Washington." He then quotes Hassan Hassanov, Azerbaijan’s
foreign minister, who stated in 1997: "We don’t conceal that we rely
on the Israeli lobby in the U.S." Bourtman explains: "This paid
dividends when, in 2002, President Bush waived Section 907 of the
Freedom Support Act. In a rare and understated public admission, an
official at the Azerbaijani embassy in Washington acknowledged that,
"Jewish organizations made a certain contribution in the Section 907
waiving process."
Beyond lobbying assistance, Bourtman reveals the extent of
Azerbaijan’s reliance on Israeli weaponry: "Following its loss in
Nagorno-Karabakh, Baku reached out to Israel for help in rebuilding
its military. Israeli defense firms obliged, selling Azerbaijan
advanced aviation, antitank, artillery, and anti-infantry weapon
systems. The arms trade has continued. In 2004, the Azerbaijani and
Israeli press both reported that an undisclosed Israeli weapons
system was being sent to Turkey where it would be assembled and then
delivered to Azerbaijan. While Israeli, Turkish, and Azerbaijani
officials denied the report, Israeli policy prohibits confirmation of
such deals, an Azerbaijani military official defended the purchase,
saying "our country’s interest in Israeli weapons is natural as this
country possesses up-to-date types of weapons, military hardware, and
special equipment. Weapons sales and shared-threat perception have
smoothed intelligence and security cooperation. Israeli firms built
and guard the fence around Baku’s international airport, monitor and
help protect Azerbaijan’s energy infrastructure, and even provide
security for Azerbaijan’s president on his foreign visits. Israeli
intelligence operatives help collect human intelligence about
extremist Islamist organizations in the region and monitor the troop
deployments of Azerbaijan’s neighbors especially Iran. In a
Washington Institute for Near East Policy analysis, analysts Soner
Cagaptay and Alexander Murinson alluded to reports that Israeli
intelligence maintains listening posts along the Azerbaijani border
with Iran."
Bourtman further observes that Turkey "has benefited the most from
the development of Azerbaijani-Israeli cooperation." In August 1997,
when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Baku, he and
Pres. Heydar Aliyev "discussed various issues ranging from new oil
deals, to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, to trilateral cooperation between
Israel, Turkey, and Azerbaijan," Bourtman writes.
Despite rosy reports by Azeri officials and American-Jewish
organizations about the freedoms enjoyed by Jews in Azerbaijan,
Bourtman refers to an article in the Feb. 15, 2006 issue of Haa’retz
newspaper which ominously reported that Israeli officials "worry
about the recent spike in violence by radical Islamists against
Jewish communities in Azerbaijan."
The month-long massive Israeli bombings of Lebanon could make
Azerbaijan’s leaders more cautious in their courtship of Israel and
strain the ties between the two countries. As a sign of increasing
tensions, already there have been several public demonstrations
against these bombings in recent days in front of the Israeli Embassy
in Baku which the authorities brutally dispersed.
Even before this latest negative turn of events, Bourtman reported
that Azerbaijan had decided "to curtail expansion of cooperation with
Israel," not wanting to be seen by fellow Muslims as being too close
to the Tel Aviv government. Interestingly, he writes that Azerbaijani
authorities also feel that "they have exhausted the use of pro-Israel
groups in Washington."
It looks like the Azeris used the Israeli lobby when it served their
interests, and now that close association with Israel has become a
liability, they have decided to ditch the Jewish lobby
unceremoniously!
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2 – Forty Days of Musa Dagh Struggle
To be Celebrated Sept. 2 in Fresno
By Nyrie Karkazian
FRESNO -The heroic struggle and victory of the Forty Days of Musa
Dagh will be celebrated Labor Day weekend, marking the 91st year of
remembrance for the people from the small Armenian villages, once
located in the Cilician region, now in Turkey.
During the years of the Armenian genocide, the people of Musa Dagh
were being forced by the Turks to change their ways and religion. The
townspeople courageously refused to fall into the hands of the Turks
and climbed atop their mountain called Musa Ler.
They fought the Turkish soldiers off for 40 long days and were
miraculously saved by a French ship passing by on the Mediterranean
Sea.
For the past 30 years, the Musa Dagh Commemoration Committee in
Fresno has put together a weekend memorial. The tradition began with
just a few families trying to keep their heritage alive and now
attracts around 800-1000 people a year.
This year’s festivities will begin with a family picnic on September
2, at the Fresno Police Association’s Training Grounds from 7 pm to
midnight. The cooking of the Herissa, a lamb and whole wheat stew,
will begin and traditional Davoul, Zourna music brought in especially
from Ainjar will be performed, followed by a DJ and dancing. Chicken
and beef kebab dinners will also be sold.
Father Vahan Gostanian, Parish Priest of Holy Trinity Armenian
Apostolic Church, Fresno, will celebrate the Divine Liturgy Sunday
morning at 10:30 am. Guest speaker Rev. Mgrdich Melkonian, Senior
Pastor of the First Armenian Presbyterian Church, Fresno, will also
be giving a sermon.
Following the service will be the blessing and serving of the Herissa
accompanied by a Kef-time with Davoul, Zourna music until 3 pm.
"We invite everybody to come celebrate this victory of the Forty Days
of Musa Dagh," George Karkazian said, "to remember the great battle
of Mousa Ler and the heroes who fell fighting for our religious
freedom."
For more information and donations, contact call George Karkazian at
(559)297-0201, or Kevork Oflazian at (559) 435-3078.
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3 – Hope For The City Sends Three Large
Containers of Medical Aid to Armenia
MINNEAPOLIS, MN/YEREVAN – Hope For The City, working in close
collaboration with the United Armenian Fund and the Cafesjian Family
Foundation, delivered three, 40-foot containers of medical equipment
and supplies valued at $468,000 to the "Arabkir" United Children’s
Charity Foundation in Yerevan. The shipment arrived on Aug. 2.
Transportation expenses were covered by the United Armenian Fund.
The shipment of medical equipment and supplies, including examination
tables, wheelchairs and rehabilitation equipment, will be distributed
to children hospitals in both Yerevan and the regions of Armenia,
where the need for such items is very acute. The founders of Hope For
The City first met with Dr. Ara Babloyan, Executive Director of
"Arabkir" United Children’s Charity Foundation in April of 2005. Dr.
Babloyan did a needs assessment and compiled a list of much needed
medical items. Hope For The City then quickly collected and shipped
much of the needed medical equipment and supplies, thus fulfilling a
vital need of Armenia’s major children’s hospitals.
"Considering the dire need of our hospitals, this aid will certainly
play a big role in the improvement of provided services in the health
care sector; the received rehabilitation equipment is of vital
importance as well," stated Dr. Babloyan. "We are very grateful to
Hope For The City for this generous donation. We thank the United
Armenian Fund and The Cafesjian Family Foundation for their support."
Dennis and Megan Doyle, founders of Hope For the City and Board
Members of the Cafesjian Family Foundation, first visited Armenia in
April of 2005. Since this initial visit, Hope For The City has
shipped over one million dollars of aid from the United States to
Armenia. Hope For The City, working closely with the Cafesjian Family
Foundation, provides supplies and other medical-technical assistance
to selected organizations in Armenia.
Hope for the City is a privately funded, 501(c) 3 relief organization
that was established by Dennis and Megan Doyle in 2000 to fight
poverty, hunger and disease by utilizing corporate surplus. The
US/Minnesota-based, non-profit organization collects overstock
products from top retailers, medical companies, and food distributors
nationwide and donates the items to people in need locally, across
the country and around the world. Since its inception, Hope for the
City has donated approximately $300 million in wholesale value of
goods.
The United Armenian Fund is a collective effort of the Armenian
Assembly of America, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the
Armenian Relief Society, the Diocese of the Armenian Church of
America, the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, and
the Lincy Foundation. Since its inception in 1989, the United
Armenian Fund has sent over $444 million USD of humanitarian
assistance to Armenia on board 139 airlifts and 1,341 sea containers.
The Cafesjian Family Foundation, Inc., was established in 1996 by
Gerard L. Cafesjian. The US based, non-profit organization supports a
variety of Armenian causes in Armenia, Nagorno-Karabagh and the
United States. A primary focus of the Cafesjian Family Foundation is
the security of independent Armenia and the further development of a
free, democratic society through economic development and the
strengthening of the US/Armenia relationship.
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4 – California Assembly OK’s Bill to
Recover Assets of Genocide Victims
SACRAMENTO – One of the bill approved last week by the California
Assembly was AB 1524 by Sen. Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo), which
allows heirs of victims of the Armenian Genocide who live in
California to file legal claims against banks in an effort to recover
assets looted by the Turkish government in the early 1900s.
"Over 900,000 Armenian-Americans reside in California," said
Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Los Angeles. "Many of their families
were killed in the Armenian Genocide from 1915 to 1923 and their
assets were abruptly seized by the Turks and placed in German banks.
No effort has been made by these banks to return their assets to
their rightful owners."
The bill, which has already passed the Senate, went through the
Assembly on a 65-2 vote.
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5 – TCA Dickranian School Trustees Appoint
Vasken Boulghourjian New Vice-Principal
LOS ANGELES – The Board of Trustees of the TCA Arshag Dickranian
School established the office of Vice Principal in the school’s
governing system and announced the appointment of Vasken
Boulghoujrian to the position last week.
Boulghourjian is a 1980 graduate from La Verne College with a BS
degree in mathematics. After working as a tax consultant for two
decades, he changed his vocation to academics and education by
accepting a teaching job at the Armenian Sisters Academy in Glendale,
Calif., where he taught for three years.
The new Vice-Principal started working at TCA Arshag Dickranian
School in the fall of 2003, teaching math for two years, then
becoming the superintendent of students in charge of discipline. He
has conducted his duties with diligence and honesty, being well liked
by the students and faculty as well.
"As Vice Principal, Mr. Boulghourjian will not only assist the
principal on a daily basis, but will be a great asset in positioning
Arshag Dickranian School for the future" said chairman George
Mandossian when making the announcement on behalf of the Board of
Trustees.
Boulghourjian and wife Tamar have a four-year old daughter Natalie,
and one-year old son Aram
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6 – ARPA International Film Festival
Will Honor Dr. J. Michael Hagopian
LOS ANGELES – The 2006 Arpa International Film Festival will hold its
9th annual film festival on October 26 at the Egyptian Theater in
Hollywood, Calif. Screenings will run all day and throughout the
evening.
The Arpa Awards Banquet will be held on Oct. 27. This year, Arpa
honors 92 year-old documentary filmmaker Dr. J. Michael Hagopian with
the Armin T. Wegner Award for lifetime achievement in film.
The Arpa International Film Festival presents Armenian cinema and
international films which explore diaspora, war, exile, genocide,
multi-culturalism and dual-identity. AFFMA founder Sylvia Minassian
says, "Arpa celebrates artistic vision and cultural diversity in
cinema while illuminating the Armenian experience. We’re so pleased
that people in both the US and abroad are becoming aware of the
opportunities Arpa gives filmmakers to share our unique history
through film."
While Armenians live all over the globe, the largest population of
Armenians outside of Armenia is in Southern California. "Los Angeles
is a city of unlimited cultural power and Armenians contribute to
that richness immensely," Minassian says. With that in mind, Arpa
honors those filmmakers who address the common circumstances of
diasporan people, redefining what Los Angeles stands for as a global
city, through the presentation of Armenian and international cinema.
Festival director, Alex Kalognomos, says of this year’s Armin T.
Wegner recipient: "Dr. Hagopian is internationally revered as a major
influence in the world of documentary filmmaking. For over 50 years,
he’s been presenting meticulously researched and cross-referenced
films about the Armenian Genocide and presenting them to the world in
the face of Turkey’s continued denial. He founded the Armenian Film
Foundation and has interviewed over 400 Genocide survivors. In his
90s, he’s still going strong. He’s a great artist, a great
humanitarian, and an inspiring man."
This year, Arpa presents 25 feature, documentary, short and animated
films from Armenia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Lebanon,
Netherlands, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United
States. The festival includes works by J. Michael Hagopian, Gary
Null, Apo Torosyan, Eddie Deleon, Peter Musurlian, Arbi Ohanian,
Vartan Latyre, John Putch, Armand Ghazarian, Shant Hamassian,
Dorothee Forma, Hovik Thomasian, and Manja Wilkinson.
For a complete schedule of films, visit
For sponsorships and ad book opportunities or to reserve tickets for
the Arpa Gala and Awards Banquet honoring Dr. J. Michael Hagopian,
call (323) 663-1882 or e-mail to: [email protected]
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7 – Armenian Women
To be Honored at
Sept. 7 Luncheon
GLENDALE – Three of 20 women in business to be honored at a Sept. 7
luncheon in Burbank are Armenian-Americans from the Burbank and
Glendale areas, announced California Senator Jack Scott,
Assemblymember Carol Liu and Assembly Majority Leader Dario Frommer
last week.
The Women in Business Awards will be presented to Annie Hovanessian
of Vulcan Materials of Burbank (Women in Law); Sylvia Tchakmakjian of
Sylvia’s Costumes, Glendale/Hollywood, (Most Inspirational); and
Nazeli Charchian, MD, from the Charchian Medical Corp., of Glendale
(Women in Science).
The WIB honorees are chosen based on nominations from the communities
of from California’s 21st Senate district, 43rd and 44th Assembly
district.
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8 – Las Vegas Armenians Plan
To Erect Genocide Memorial
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – The Armenian Community of Las Vegas has formed
the Armenian Genocide Memorial Committee which is tasked with the
erection of an Armenian Genocide Memorial in Las Vegas.
After several meetings with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and
Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian, the city has committed to dedicate land
for the Memorial in Centennial Plaza in downtown Las Vegas.
Mayor Goodman announced the city’s commitment and the location of the
site during the annual April 24 commemoration, which was also
attended by all three Nevada congressmen, Rep. Jon Porter, Rep.
Shelley Berkley, and Rep. Jim Gibbons, as well as a representative
from Sen. John Ensign’s office.
The site selected for the new Armenian Genocide Memorial is a busy
area in the business and legal district near the famous Fremont
Street Experience. It will be seen by thousands of people daily.
The budget for the historical monument has been set a $150,000.
The Committee is accepting designs for the new Memorial. Interest
applicants should contact Abe Kassamanian at (702) 260-0899 for
further information. Tax-deductible donations are also being
accepted. Checks should be made payable to "Las Vegas Genocide
Memorial Fund, Bank West of Nevada, 2890 N. Green Valley Parkway,
Henderson, NV 89014.
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