California Courier Online, January 18, 2007

1 – Commentary

Why Does the Bush Administration
Keep Nominating Hoagland?
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

2 – Cyprus High Court Backs AGBU
On Melkonian Property Dispute
3 – Adriana Sevan’s Solo Play
Recorded by L.A. Theatre Works
4 – ARPA Institute Hosts Jan 25
Lecture by Harut Sassounian
5 – ‘Voices from the Lake’ Documentary Film
Leads Conference at Shoah Memorial in Paris
6 – ‘System of a Down’ Genocide Documentary
To be Screened at Valley Beth Shalom
7 – Etchmiadzin Children’s Fund Grand Gala
Night at Pasadena’s Ritz-Carlton Set for January 26
8 – Sculptures of Puzant Meymarian Exhibit and
Lecture Set for Feb. 4 at Ararat-Eskijian Museum
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1 – Commentary

Why Does the Bush Administration
Keep Nominating Hoagland?

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

At the beginning of last week, Pres. Bush caught almost everyone by
surprise when he re-nominated Richard Hoagland as Ambassador-designate to Armenia.
Could the President’s advisors be so incompetent as to suggest a controversial
nominee against whom a hold was placed in the Senate or did they have a more
devious plan in mind?
A couple of days later, it became apparent that these presidential advisors
were both incompetent and devious at the same time!
Their incompetence could be explained by the following facts:
They were submitting Amb. Hoagland’s name once again, even though Sen.
Menendez (D-N.J.) had placed a hold against his nomination in the last
Congress;
Since his re-election last November, Sen. Menendez had given no indication
that he had changed his mind about the inappropriateness of Amb. Hoagland’s
nomination as an envoy to Armenia;
After the Democrats won the majority of the seats in the Senate, Senators
Menendez and Harry Reid (D-NV), the incoming Majority Leader, called on Pres.
Bush last month to withdraw Hoagland’s nomination and propose a new candidate.
By re-submitting Hoagland’s name, the Bush administration was disrespecting
not only the wishes of the overwhelming majority of the Armenian-American
community, but also that of more than 60 U.S. Representatives, more than half the
members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Menendez, and, more
importantly, the new Majority Leader who had just said that he would not accept
Hoagland.
If it is so obvious that Amb. Hoagland would not stand the chance of a
snowflake in hell, why would the Bush administration re-submit his name? The
President’s advisors had already damaged the prestige of the White House by not
withdrawing Hoagland’s name when it became clear that the Senate would not
approve his nomination. Even more astounding is the fact that Amb. Hoagland did not
withdraw his own name in order to save the President and himself further
embarrassment!
There are probably four reasons why the Bush administration re-submitted
Hoagland’s name to the Senate last week:
General Incompetence: This is the same administration that has made a
mess of just about every foreign and domestic issue they have touched from the
war in Iraq to Hurricane Katrina. It is, therefore, not surprising that they
have mismanaged Hoagland’s nomination;
Misinformed and Misled: Some of the bureaucrats in the State Department
were wrongly told that the majority of the Armenian-American community supported
Hoagland’s nomination. This is a clear example of selective perception –
hearing what you want to hear!
Arrogance: Having heard from several Senators (both Democrats and
Republicans alike) that Armenia should not be deprived of the services of a U.S.
Ambassador, State Department officials failed to secure the support of the one
Senator who mattered the most – the one that placed the hold last year. They also
arrogantly disregarded the letter of the new Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
who had told them, in no uncertain terms, to withdraw Hoagland’s name and
propose a new candidate.
Maliciousness: Not being able to stomach their defeat, Bush administration
officials were hell-bent on dealing a blow to the political clout of the
Armenian-American lobby. Had Sen. Menendez not stopped Hoagland’s re-nomination
last week by placing a second hold, the neo-cons in Washington would have
succeeded in damaging the credibility of the Armenian-American community in the
nation’s capital.
While holds themselves are rarely used in the Senate, it’s even less common
that a Senator exercises such a parliamentary maneuver almost immediately
after the submission of a nominee’s name by the President. Holds are usually
placed weeks later, after a hearing is scheduled, the appropriate Senate committee
approves the nominee, and his or her name is submitted for a final vote by
the full Senate. In this case, Sen. Menendez placed a hold on Hoagland with
lightning speed, within 48 hours of the submission of his name, likely indicating
the Senator’s irritation at the White House’s slight against him. Furthermore,
instead of succeeding to undermine the credibility of the Armenian lobby,
these officials managed to damage the prestige of the White House for a second
time and inadvertently boosted Armenian-Americans’ prestige and clout in
Washington.
Given the long track record of incompetent and arrogant behavior of Bush
administration officials, it would not be surprising if they now talk the
President into by-passing the Senate and appointing Hoagland as Ambassador to
Armenia, when the Senate goes on recess next month. Such a move would tarnish
Hoagland’s diplomatic career for having become an ambassador without Senate approval
and negatively impact the administration’s working relationship with the
leadership of the Senate.
A better option would be for Hoagland to withdraw his name from further
consideration, and seek a different assignment for his own good as well as that
of the President of the United States, thereby sparing the White House further
embarrassment.
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2 – Cyprus High Court Backs AGBU
On Melkonian Property Dispute
NICOSIA, Cyprus – The Armenian General Benevolent Union has prevailed in its
appeal of the Order issued in 2004 by the Interior Ministry of Cyprus,
restricting the use of the AGBU Melkonian property in Nicosia.
On Dec. 11, 2006, the Supreme Court of Cyprus rescinded the Order for lack of
justification. The opinion of the Court finds the order excessive in scope
and in violation of the principle of proportionality.
The Court has further determined that the Republic of Cyprus has to bear
AGBU’s legal costs in the amount of CY Pounds 400.
Separately, the Supreme Court of Cyprus in a unanimous opinion dated Dec. 21,
2006, has ruled in favor of AGBU in its appeal of an Order that the District
Court of Nicosia had issued on Feb. 3, 2006, upholding the petition of
Archbishop Mesrob Mutafyan, Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul and All Turkey, to
restrain AGBU from selling, alienating, or changing the use of the Melkonian
property. Patriarch Mutafyan was seeking a declaratory judgment that the Melkonian
property was held by AGBU "in trust" and "the re-registration of the said
property in his name as trustee for the Armenians all over the world."
The Supreme Court recognized AGBU’s full ownership rights to the property.
Quoting extensively from the relevant parts of the Deed of Transfer of 1926, the
Court states that AGBU’s "ownership of the [Melkonian property] and the right
of disposal etc…..was without the conditions and restrictions invoked by
the Respondent."
The District Court order was set aside and dismissed. The Supreme Court
determined that Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan must pay AGBU the costs of the first
instance proceedings and the costs of the appeal.
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3 – Adriana Sevan’s Solo Play
Recorded by L.A. Theatre Works
LOS ANGELES – One night of theater; two great performances. In Two Cities,
Two Voices, L.A. Theatre Works records the works of two Los Angeles-based
artists: "The Watts Tower Project" by Roger Guenveur Smith and "Taking Flight" by
Adriana Sevan. Five performances, January 17-21 at the Skirball Cultural
Center, will be recorded to air on LATW’s nationally-syndicated radio theater
series, The Play’s The Thing, which broadcasts weekly on public and satellite radio.
"Taking Flight" is Adriana Sevan’s deeply compelling, truly funny and sexy
tale set in the shadow of a different set of towers in a different city.
Adriana’s extraordinary story about finding the Goddess within while dedicating her
life to saving her best friend, who was critically injured on 9-11, celebrates
the power of the heart in a remarkable, brave and uplifting performance.
"The Watts Tower Project" and "Taking Flight" premiered in 2006 at the Kirk
Douglas Theatre as part of CTG’s Solomania series, where they received rave
reviews.
Adriana Sevan can be heard in L.A. Theatre Works recordings of "Our Lady of
121st Street" and "Anna in the Tropics."
A Dominican-Armenian New York actress turned Californian, Sevan has been seen
in The Caucasian Chalk Circle and The Clean House, both at South Coast
Repertory; Two Sisters and a Piano; Derek Walcott’s The Odyssey (Willow Cabin
Theater Co.); Indian Ink (A.C.T.); Another Part of the House (Classic Stage Co.);
Henry V (Shakespeare & Co.) and Macbeth. She has appeared in guest-starring
roles on TV’s Law & Order, Sex and the City, Deadline, Law & Order: Criminal
Intent; and recently won an award at the Denver International Film Festival for her
portrayal of Priscilla in Patrice Johnson’s critically acclaimed debut film,
King’s County.
As a writer, Sevan first performed her writing at the 2002 New Works Lab at
Inta. Her work has been developed at the Sundance Theatre Lab, South Coast
Repertory, the Mark Taper Forum, Rio Hondo College and the Lark Play Development
Center. She is currently collecting family stories of her Armenian ancestors
for her next play.
Five performances of Two Cities, Two Voices take place January 17 at 8 pm;
January 18 at 8 pm; January 19 at 8 pm; January 20 at 3 pm; and January 21 at 4
pm. A talk-back with the artists follows the matinee on January 20. The
Skirball Cultural Center is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Boulevard, in the Santa
Monica Mountains just off the San Diego (405) Freeway (exit Skirball Center
Drive). Tickets range from $20. to $46.
For reservations and information, call the L.A. Theatre Works Box Office at
(310) 827-0889 or go to
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4 – ARPA Institute Hosts Jan 25
Lecture by Harut Sassounian
SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. – The ARPA Institute will present a Lecture/Seminar:
"Genocide Recognition, Turkey-Armenia Relations and the Role of the Diaspora," by
Harut Sassounian, on January 25, at the Merdinian School auditorium, 13330
Riverside Dr., Sherman Oaks.
Sassounian’s lecture will cover several topics, followed by an exchange of
views with the audience:
— Genocide recognition, is it really necessary?
— Should Armenians support or oppose the application of Turkey for EU
Membership?
— Turkey-Armenia relations
— Diaspora-Armenia relations
— How best to organize the Diaspora?
— The firing of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans
— The hold on the nomination of Ambassador-designate Richard Hoagland
— UAF’s assistance to Armenia and Lebanon
— Lincy Foundation’s infrastructure projects in Armenia and Artsakh
Sassounian, the publisher of The California Courier newspaper, is the
President of the United Armenian Fund which has shipped $460 million worth of
humanitarian assistance to Armenia since 1989. He is also the Vice Chairman of The
Lincy Foundation which has funded $230 million worth of infrastructure projects
in Armenia and Artsakh.
He worked for Procter and Gamble in Geneva, Switzerland, as an international
marketing executive from 1978 to 1982. He served for 10 years as a
non-governmental delegate on human rights at the United Nations in Geneva, playing a key
role in the UN recognition of the Armenian Genocide in 1985. He has a Master’s
degree in International Affairs from Columbia University (NY) and an MBA from
Pepperdine University.
His book, `The Armenian Genocide: The World Speaks Out, 1915-2005, Documents
and Declarations,’ published in 2005, was republished in Arabic translation in
Lebanon in 2006. He has been awarded the "Anania Shiragatsi" medal of honor
by the President of Armenia and has received numerous other awards for his
leadership and community activities.
For more information, call Dr. Hagop Panossian at (818)586-9660
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5 – ‘Voices from the Lake’ Documentary Film
Leads Conference at Shoah Memorial in Paris
LOS ANGELES – "Voices From the Lake," the Armenian Film Foundation’s seminal
documentary on the deportation and massacre of Armenians, leads a conference
and full week of film screenings on the Armenian Genocide at the Memorial de
la Shoah in Paris January 14 to 18.
The film is being screened as part of France’s Year of Armenia, which began
in September 2006 and ends in July. Year of Armenia is a monumental undertaking
of conferences, screenings, exhibits and other events throughout France
organized by Armenie Mon Amie, a large committee of influential Frenchmen,
including the presidents of the Senate and National Assembly, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, and a host of business people, entertainers, filmmakers, artists,
fashion designers and other cultural leaders. Charles Aznavour serves on the
committee.
Eduard Nalbandian, the Armenian ambassador to France, and Nelly
Tardivier-Henrot, the Commissaire generale of Armenie Mon Amie, kicked off the conference
on Jan. 14. Participants include historians Yves Ternon of the University of
Paris at Sorbonne, Raymond Kevorkian of the University of Paris at Saint-Denis,
and Claire Mouradian of the Nubar library.
The Memorial de la Shoah will be showing two documentary films a day through
Thursday. Voices from the Lake was screened on Jan. 15. It won the Bronze
Chris Award from the Columbus Film Festival.
"Voices from the Lake" and "Germany and the Secret Genocide," which received
first prize out of 1,500 entries from 17 countries at the U.S. International
Film and Video Festival, are films one and two in a trilogy of films Dr. J.
Michael Hagopian has produced on the Armenian Genocide. The third and final film
in the trilogy, "Caravans Along the Euphrate," is in production. Donations are
being sought to complete the final film in the trilogy.
For further information, contact info@armenianfilm.org or 805-495-0717.
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6 – ‘System of a Down’ Genocide Documentary
To be Screened at Valley Beth Shalom
ENCINO — Valley Beth Shalom and Jewish World Watch will screen the new
documentary "Screamers," on Monday, January 22, at 7 p.m., at 15739 Ventura Blvd.,
in Encino. Admission is free of charge.
This new documentary follows the Grammy-winning rock band, "System of a
Down" as they explore modern day genocide beginning with the Armenian Genocide of
1915, through the Holocaust, to Darfur in our time.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Rabbi Ed
Feinstein, System of a Down band member Shavo Odadjian, Director Carla Garapedian, and
Harut Sassounian, Publisher of The California Courier.
"Screamers" is a term coined by Harvard Professor Samantha Power, to refer
to people who cannot stand idly by while a genocide is unfolding. The members
of System of a Down are descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors. Through
their worldwide fan base, they have helped educate the public at large about
genocide, in order to prevent its denial and repetition.
"Screamers" recently won the prestigious Audience Award at the AFI Film
Festival and was selected by the Skirball Center for its under-18 Film Guide. The
film’s nationwide release begins January 26.
"Regardless of the differences in circumstances, period of time and identity
of the perpetrators, the victims of all genocides have one thing in common:
They have all been killed simply for no other crime than being innocent human
beings," said Harut Sassounian, Publisher of The California Courier.
"We promised the victims of the Holocaust that we would never forget. We
promised to stand up as witnesses. That responsibility extends beyond the circle
of our own. Wherever the evil of genocide is practiced, we are called to be
‘screamers.’ We embrace our neighbors and friends in the Armenian community in
commemorating the Armenian genocide 90 years ago, as we stand with them to
demand a response to the contemporary genocide in Sudan," said Rabbi Ed Feinstein,
senior rabbi of Valley Beth Shalom in Encino.
"I’m thrilled that Valley Beth Shalom, Rabbi Feinstein and Jewish World
Watch have reached out to work with us and the Armenian community to bring
attention to the need to end all genocides. We all need to be screamers to make sure
there is meaning to the words ‘never again,’" said Carla Garapedian, the
Director of the documentary.
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7 – Etchmiadzin Children’s Fund Grand Gala
Night at Pasadena’s Ritz-Carlton Set for January 26
PASADENA – A Grand Gala Night at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel on January
26, presented by the Etchmiadzin Children’s Fund to benefit the children of
Armenia, will be a fun and festive event featuring a sumptuous dinner, dancing
to the music of Dark Eyes Band and a silent auction offering unusual surprises.
A project of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church, the Etchmiadzin
Children’s Fund provides fundamental assistance to help our homeland’s children
achieve an acceptable standard of living.
"As we begin the new year, we must join together to improve the situation for
Armenia’s poorest children, giving them the chance for a healthy start in
life," said chairlady Gayane Tatoulian. "Come and enjoy an exciting evening while
supporting a great cause."
"Among the fabulous array of auction items are fine wines, dazzling jewelry,
fantasy trips, tickets to sports events, the Opera and the Hollywood Bowl, and
much more. If you would like to donate an item or service, please call us."
The Grand Gala Night begins with a cocktail reception and silent auction at 7
p.m. followed by dinner, dancing and entertainment at 8:30 p.m.
For reservations or to arrange for auction item contributions, please call
Gayane Tatoulian (626) 440-7465, Hermine Janoyan (818) 342-4600, Julia Aghishian
(818) 437-7010 or the Diocese office (818) 558-7474.
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8 – Sculptures of Puzant Meymarian Exhibit and
Lecture Set for Feb. 4 at Ararat-Eskijian Museum
MISSION HILLS Calif. -The exhibition and illustrated lecture in Armenian of
"he Human Experience: The Sculptures of Puzant Meymarian" will take place at
the Ararat-Eskijian Museum (AEM) on Feb. 4, at 3pm. Art historian Dr. Levon
Chookaszian (Director, UNESCO Chair of Armenian Art History, of the Yerevan
State University) will discuss selected works of the artist. A question-and-answer
session with the artist will follow the lecture. A reception will conclude
the program.
Meymarian’s marble, bronze and wood sculptures explore the range of human
subjects, including the ordinary as well as the heroic. Some of his
sculptures depict sensitive and tender subjects such as "The Homeless People," "The
Sweethearts," and "Mother and Child." He imaginatively explores a number of
stimulating concepts in works such as "Protest," "The Exile," and "Equilibrium."
Proud of his heritage, he produces many works evoking Armenian history and
culture. For example, he dedicates busts to Armenian revolutionary leaders
Christopher Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian. He honors the creative
contributions of Armenians by representing not only abstracted renditions of
Armenian letters, but also busts of Sayat Nova, Gomidas, Aram Khachatourian,
and William Saroyan. He pays due respect to the individuals who played key
roles in Armenian history: Fridtjof Nansen, Armin Wegner, and Johannes Lepsius.
"The bust [of Nansen] is an exemplary piece for our museum collection. We
are proud to share with our visitors the heroic accomplishments of Mr. Nansen, a
non-Armenian who helped the Armenians during the worst period of our history,
through your masterful depiction," commented museum Vice Chairwoman Maggie
Mangasarian-Goschin.
The Ararat-Eskijian Museum was founded in 1993 by Armenian Genocide survivor,
philanthropist, and art collector, Luther Eskijian, to preserve Armenian
history and heritage for future generations. It is located on the grounds of the
Ararat Home of Los Angeles at 15105 Mission Hills Road, Mission Hills, CA
91345.
For information call AEM (818) 838-4862 or visit
Free admission and parking.
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