The California Courier Online, May 9, 2019
1 - US Lists Azerbaijan and Turkey Among Most
Egregious Violators of Religious Freedom
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Russian PR Hoax Targets Rep. Adam Schiff
4- US-Backed Syrian Democratic Forces Form Armenian Unit
5- AUA Announces Campaign ‘Honoring Those
Who Served: Investing in Our Veterans’ Education’
*****************************************
******************************************
1 - US Lists Azerbaijan and Turkey Among Most
Egregious Violators of Religious Freedom
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
(USCIRF) issued on April 29, 2019, its Annual Report listing the
“world’s most egregious violators of religious freedom,” among which,
not surprisingly, are Azerbaijan and Turkey. Both states are
categorized as “Countries of Particular Concern.”
USCIRF, as an independent, bi-partisan commission, advises the
President, Congress and the Secretary of State on international
religious freedom issues. In its Annual Report, USCIRF describes
threats to religious freedom around the world and recommends to the
State Department countries for designation as “countries of particular
concern” for engaging in or tolerating “systematic, ongoing, egregious
violations.”
Contrary to Azerbaijan’s leaders’ repeated false claims of “tolerance”
in their country and propaganda by various foreign Rabbis and
Protestant leaders, the USCIRF Report asserted that the “government
continued to control religious activities through the 2009 Law on
Freedom of Religion and related amendments of the administrative and
criminal codes, which require religious communities to register with
the government and criminalize all unregistered religious activity. In
a positive development, four non-Muslim religious communities received
registration from the government. However, throughout the year, local
police forces continued to harass, raid, detain, and fine religious
communities that did not comply with registration requirements and
various restrictions on the production, possession, and dissemination
of religious literature, although one community did report a lessening
in police harassment. During the year, Protestants, Jehovah’s
Witnesses, and some Muslim groups were targeted, with some members of
the Muslim community being forced to endure an additional layer of
scrutiny by authorities who suspect and seek to limit
Iranian-government influence or subversive activity in the country.”
The Annual Report also stated that “Nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs) contended that approximately 68 prisoners of conscience—many of
whom are members of the Muslim Unity Movement (MUM)—remained
imprisoned in Azerbaijan on religious grounds. Throughout 2018, claims
of “systemic and endemic” torture persisted, particularly against
members of the MUM.”
Azerbaijan’s dictatorial regime controls the activities of religious
groups by requiring them to register. USCIRF reported that those
“denied registration or refuse to register on theological grounds are
considered ‘illegal’ and may face police raids, detainment, arrests,
or fines.” Several Christian groups active in Azerbaijan, such as
Baptists and Jehovah’s Witnesses “continue to be unable to register.”
In some cases, the government delays the process of registration for
years due to “technical flaws” in their applications. “For example,
Jehovah’s Witnesses have sought registration in the city of Ganja
since 2010 and have yet to receive a response on their most recently
submitted application from May 2016. Baptists in the village of
Aliabad outside of Zaqatala have similarly sought registration since
1994 and been denied. They have reportedly been informed that they
cannot even meet to celebrate Christmas together!”
The USCIRF reported: “In 2014, the European Court of Human Rights
noted that the law gives officials ‘unlimited discretionary power’ to
define and prosecute ‘illegal’ religious activity.”
Furthermore, “in 2018, Azerbaijan underwent its Universal Periodic
Review at the United Nations. Several countries expressed concerns
about religious freedom conditions in Azerbaijan—such as mandatory
registration requirements; restrictions on nontraditional religious
communities and the ability, generally, of religious groups to
practice in private and in public; and individuals imprisoned and
tortured for their beliefs. In addition, civil society organizations
submitted similar information and recommendations about religious
freedom concerns in Azerbaijan,” according to the USCIRF Report.
Surprisingly, even the possession of the Holy Qur’an could be illegal
in Azerbaijan. “In February 2018, MUM [Muslim Unity Movement] leader
and Shi’a Muslim theologian Taleh Bagirov (also known by the surname
Bagirzade) received an additional five-month sentence for allegedly
possessing micro-discs containing the text and audio recordings of the
Qur’an,” as USCIRF reported.
Another major religious violation is the closure of places of worship.
“In 2018, mosques that the government purportedly had closed for
repairs remained shut down years after their closure and with no
official timeline for the completion of the renovations or the
mosques’ reopening. Critics of the closures believe it is part of a
government effort to target Muslims who are considered ‘radical.’ The
Ashur Mosque, also known as the Lezgi Mosque, located in the Old City
of Baku, was closed in July 2016 despite protests from the local
Muslim community, which expressed concern that the repairs were an
excuse and part of an attempt by the government to disperse the
community. At the end of the reporting period, the mosque remained
closed. During the year, numerous other “nontraditional” home mosques
throughout Baku and other regions, including one that was apparently
connected to the Naqshbandi Sufi community, continued to face raids
and closure…. In April 2018, the new building of the Haji Javad Mosque
in the Yasamal District of Baku was completed. The original mosque had
been destroyed amid protests in July 2017,” the USCIRF reported.
The Report also covered raids on homes and centers where religious
services were being held without the group being registered by the
government. The Report cites the harassment of the members of the East
Pentecostal Church and Jehovah’s Witnesses. In addition, several
members of Jehovah’s Witnesses were prosecuted for their objection to
serve in the military, despite a provision in the Azerbaijan’s
constitution that allows alternate service for conscientious
objectors.
Finally, the Aliyev government has confiscated all religious materials
that had not received approval prior to being produced or imported
into Azerbaijan. “The sale and distribution of religious literature
can only be carried out at preapproved stores or sites,” according to
the USCIRF.
Next week, we will cover the violations of religious freedoms in Turkey.
************************************************************************************************************************************************
2- Russian PR Hoax Targets Rep. Adam Schiff
By Jane Lytvynenko
A hoax press release published on a website that falsely claimed to
belong to Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff fooled international media and
appears to have connections to Russia, BuzzFeed News has found.
The website used the address adamcshiff.com instead of the authentic
adamschiff.com, and claimed that Schiff met with Saudi Arabia’s US
ambassador and promised to sponsor a bill recognizing the Armenian
genocide. That meeting never took place and the hoax press release and
the site that hosted it have since been deleted.
“The website is fake, and the meeting described is completely false,”
a spokesperson for Schiff said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. “There
was no such meeting and Rep. Schiff has never discussed these issues
with the Saudi government. Rep. Schiff will take appropriate steps to
report this effort to spread disinformation.”
The misleading URL was registered on April 24, the day marking the
Armenian genocide, and the fake press release was published on April
26. The next morning, a Russian translation of the release was
published by a blog called pravosudija.net, and that version was
emailed to a handful of mostly Russian news outlets by a person
credited with the translation, Sofia Verner. The email was also sent
to BuzzFeed News.
Recognition of the Armenian genocide has been a long-standing
political issue for the US—former president Barack Obama promised to
recognize it while he was in office, but never did. Schiff has
campaigned for recognition for over a decade despite it causing a
strain on relations with Turkey. Schiff has also become a target for
President Donald Trump, who has called for the congressman to resign.
This year, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also cosponsored a resolution
to recognize the genocide.
The fake release was written in stilted and grammatically incorrect
English, but that clue to its inauthenticity disappeared when
translated. As a result, news websites across Russia and Armenia wrote
about a meeting that never happened, including the Armenian edition of
US-funded Radio Free Europe which removed the story without a
correction. RFE issued a retraction after this article was published.
The registration information of the fake Adam Schiff website was
hidden and the site itself contained few clues as to who was behind
it.
“I have long been concerned that foreign actors would attempt to
influence our political process not only by releasing hacked
materials, but also by spreading disinformation masquerading as the
real thing,” Schiff said in a statement. “If confirmed, it appears
that a foreign actor used a fake version of my campaign website to
spread a fictional story about a fake meeting. We are continuing to
learn more about this incident and have made appropriate inquiries.”
This isn’t the first time a fake story originating on a deceptive
website in English was quickly translated into Russian and published
on pravosudija.net. A report from BuzzFeed News two years ago found
that the blog was the first to translate false articles that were
published on fake websites masquerading as the Guardian, the Times of
London, and Al Jazeera, among others.
At the time, Alexey Kovalev, a Russian journalist who runs a website
that debunks misinformation in Russia, told BuzzFeed News the goal of
the scheme appeared to be to generate false, damaging stories about
the West that could be picked up by Russian media and fed to a
domestic audience.
“It was clearly intended to be picked up and translated by Russian
domestic outlets and presented as ‘Western media report that…,’ per
usual pattern,” Kovalev said.
After reviewing this latest example including Schiff, Kovalev said,
“Looks like a cheap, low-key, effective fake news strategy, exactly
the same as was used with the fake Guardian website.” The fake site
also did not run any advertisements, which also suggests the
motivation was political rather than financial.
Kovalev said it’s unlikely the fakes are the work of Russian
intelligence because of how unsophisticated the translated posts are.
And although state-run media outlets were among the first to pick them
up, one later apologized and retracted the story it ran based on the
fake Guardian article from 2017.
As with that previous example, it appears a fake identity may have
been created to help spread the false Schiff press release. The name
of the translator, and of the person who emailed it to journalists, is
listed as Sofia Verner. Although she has a Twitter and LinkedIn
account, both are sparse, and there are no VK or Facebook accounts
that match Sofia Verner’s identity. Emailed questions from BuzzFeed
News went unanswered at the email address in her name.
The fake Armenian press release is also not the first time Verner
tried to spread a hoax website. She previously emailed a translation
of a false story placed on a website masquerading as the Prague
Monitor. She also sent out a translation of a false story planted on
Odyssey Online, a website that enables anyone to upload a post. The
fake Prague Monitor website used a similar URL tactic to the other
fakes: instead of ending in .com, it ended in .net. “Poland: US Ally
to Keep Russia at Bay, Control Europe,” read the fake headline. The
article claimed to be an interview with the Polish ambassador to the
Czech Republic, published in February. It too was fabricated, and was
soon picked up by Russian-language media without scrutiny.
The article published on the Odyssey Online used a different tactic
but also revealed a connection to the same network. Rather than create
a fake website, someone created a fake Facebook profile for a real
Daily Mail journalist, Jemma Buckley. The profile has only two images
and no activity. They then used the fake profile to place a story in
the Odyssey titled “Secret Mossad MI6 co-op against Moscow disclosed.”
That story was then translated into Russian and published on
pravosudija.net. Soon, controversial commentator Israel Shamir shared
it to his 7,000 Facebook followers and the Russian government–aligned
Pravda.ru printed it as fact. The fake Jemma Buckley profile did not
respond to several messages from BuzzFeed News.
This article appeared in BuzzFeed on May 1, 2019.
***************************************************************************************************
3 - Armenian activist detained in Turkey for using term ‘genocide’
A prominent Turkish-Armenian activist was taken into custody last week
for making controversial anti-Turkish narratives and using the term
“genocide” during a requiem service on Armenian Genocide commemoration
day, The Armenian Weekly reports.
Nor Zartonk activist Alexis Kalk was attending the annual memorial
service of Sevag Balıkçı, a soldier who was murdered on April 24, 2011
while serving in Batman, Turkey. Members of the Armenian community
including Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) MP, Garo Paylan, were at the
Şişli graveside service.
At the cemetery, Kalk spoke briefly about Balıkçı’s murder, calling it
a hate crime—an allegation the Turkish courts have denied despite
sufficient evidence and testimony. Kalk also emphasized the continued
push for justice for those oppressed by Turkish violence and the
victims of the Armenian Genocide. “We will continue the struggle for
justice, equality and brotherhood for all those victims of murder,
Sevag Şahin Balıkçı and those sacrificed during the Armenian
Genocide,” said Kalk.
According to Nor Zartonk member Murad Mıhçı, Kalk was taken into
custody after dinner with friends that same evening. He was approached
by police on Halaskargazi Street, a main thoroughfare in Şişli; police
asked Kalk if they could speak to him about his remarks earlier that
day. They took him into custody, interrogated him and released him
soon after taking his statement. According to two other sources,
Paylan accompanied him to the police station. Nor Zartonk claims the
police induced extra pressure on Kalk because his remarks were
delivered right before the Armenian Genocide commemoration scheduled
to take place later that evening in Şişhane for the first time ever.
Demonstrations previously held at Haydar Pasha station and Istiklal
Boulevard were banned by the government this year.
Other Nor Zartonk members state that the use of the word ‘genocide’
has been increasingly suppressed by the ruling AKP government and
their ultra-nationalist coalition partner MHP, as President Erdogan
takes on a renewed push of denialism on the 104th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide.
*****************************************************************************************************
4- US-Backed Syrian Democratic Forces Form Armenian Unit
By Sirwan Kajjo
U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) this week announced the
establishment of a new force made up of ethnic Armenians.
The SDF is a Kurdish-led multiethnic military alliance that played a
key role in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) terror group in
Syria.
The SDF liberated the last IS stronghold of Baghuz in eastern Syria
last month and now controls more than one third of Syria’s territory.
“We will follow the path of our martyrs and resist until all the
[ethnic] components of the north and east of Syria are free and build
a decentralized Syria,” said Masis Mutanian, commander of the new
Armenian force, during remarks at the announcement ceremony on
Wednesday.
“It is time to form a real Armenian military force in Syria,” Mutanian added.
This is the first all-Armenian military force in Syria since the
beginning of the country’s civil war in 2011.
Ethnic Armenians made up nearly two percent of Syria’s prewar
population of 23 million, with a significant percentage living in the
Kurdish-majority northeast.
Their number, however, has dramatically declined since the beginning
to the Syrian war as many fled the violence to resettle in Armenia and
European countries.
Throughout the war, Syrian Armenians have largely remained neutral.
But some sided with the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,
arguing that al-Assad is better than other alternatives.
Forming an official Armenian force is a signal the SDF is sending to
the Syrian regime, some analysts said.
“By mobilizing an Armenian brigade, the SDF is pronouncing to Assad
that it is here to stay and that one of Syria’s most vulnerable
communities recognizes that fact by joining up with the SDF,” said
Nicholas Heras, a Syria expert at the Center for a New American
Security in Washington.
He told VOA that “Syria’s Armenians are part of a vulnerable community
that goes with the status quo to protect itself, which for most of the
war has meant going with Assad.”
The new Armenian force was launched on April 24, the day Armenians
throughout the worlds commemorated the 104th anniversary of the
massacre of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks. Some
pro-government media outlets in Turkey described the new force as a
‘terrorist organization.’
Turkey views the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the main force
within SDF, as part of the Turkey-based Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(PKK), which has been engaged in deadly conflict with Turkish military
for more than three decades. Ankara also opposes Washington’s
continued partnership with the SDF, demanding the U.S. stop supporting
the Kurdish-led group.
U.S. and Turkish officials have been holding talks on a proposal for a
safe zone along Syria-Turkey border. But there remains major
differences over the details according to a Washington Post report
Thursday.
“The U.S. effort to get Turkey to reach an arrangement with the SDF in
northern and eastern Syria is moving at a glacial pace,” analyst Heras
said.
Turkey has repeatedly threatened to carry out an offensive in SDF-held
territory, particularly after the U.S. declared that it would withdraw
most of its 2,000 troops from northeast Syria.
“For now, the U.S. team cannot get concessions from either side
because both Turkey and the SDF view the situation as a zero-sum,
existential battle,” said Heras.
This article appeared in Voice of America News on April 27, 2019.
**********************************************************************************************************************************************
5- AUA Announces Campaign ‘Honoring Those
Who Served: Investing in Our Veterans’ Education’
SAN FRANCISCO—On April 23, members of the Bay Area Armenian community
gathered at the home of Dr. Shahe and Ani Yenikomshian, long standing
supporters of the American University of Armenia (AUA), to learn about
the “Honoring Those Who Served: Investing in Our Veterans’ Education”
campaign. Launched in April 2019, the campaign aims to raise $1.5
million in endowed scholarships to support veterans of the Armenian
armed forces who continue their education at the University after
completing their two-year mandatory military service. Each year, AUA
welcomes close to 40 veterans on campus with open arms. Upon return
from service these young men do not receive targeted support services
and professional attention in order to successfully transition to
civilian and academic life. Hence, in addition to building the
scholarship endowment fund to support their education, AUA aims to
fill the critical need for establishing a Veterans’ Affairs Office on
campus, which would provide veteran students with a wide range of
social and psychological services. AUA will be the first university
among Armenia’s higher education institutions to provide an
institutionalized support network to veterans.
Arman Vardanyan, the recipient of the AGBU Asbeds Scholarship
(2017-2018) and the Mario Mazzola & Luciana Cavallet Endowed
Scholarship (2018-2019), majoring in English and Communications, was
among those brave soldiers serving in the army when the Four-Day-War
erupted in April of 2016. He was present at this official launch of
the campaign and moved the audience with his emotional speech.
“There was a call of duty and I had to pause my educational journey at
AUA to serve in the army for two years. My time in the Armenian
military gave me the strongest respect for everyone who wears the
uniform. I am proud to be a part of the generation of soldiers who
participated in the April Four-Day-War of 2016 in Nagorno Karabakh,
and I bow down to all the heroes who sacrificed their lives to protect
Armenia and shed their own blood to secure our borders.
Recalling the events that unfolded during the April Four-Day-War
brings out the emotions, stories, and the voices that should be heard.
I can testify that participating in this War was an honor, huge
responsibility, and an _expression_ of my dedication to my country. This
is where I had to turn into action my love, skills, courage,
determination and resilience. Serving my country has made me a better
person —a better person in my family, community and country. It has
increased my confidence, self-discipline, teamwork, loyalty, and the
ability to realize my full potential.
AUA gave me and all its veterans the most heartwarming and caring
welcome back. It is beyond description what it really meant for us to
feel appreciated and taken care of after returning from service. AUA
has always held and expressed love, care and attention to all students
from many different backgrounds.
Serving for two years in the military does not end my responsibility
for my homeland and vision for Armenia. My goals and aspirations of
becoming a diplomat have helped me to seek out opportunities where I
can gain the knowledge and skills needed to make a significant impact
in Armenia.
I dream of an Armenian military where soldiers are given undivided
attention and can get 100% support from their officers and have all
the components necessary for a successful and safe military service. I
dream of the Armenia where we take pride in our president, our
politicians, our police and our country. I dream of the Armenia where
people earn their living and respect their positions. I dream of the
Armenia where wealth has value but is not above ethical values, honor
or personal integrity. A new type of conversation has begun in
Armenia, a positive and optimistic conversation that places family
unit, education, integrity, responsibility, and dedication first.
Today’s Armenia is on the path of unfolding its indubitable impact and
worth to the world.”
There are many young brave men like Arman Vardanyan in Armenia who
have served or are serving in the Armed Forces of the country, risking
their lives to keep the homeland secure. Although Arman survived the
war and served his country with dignity and honor, a number of his
friends fell. While the soldiers are serving Armenia, it is up to us
in the Diaspora to continue to support the homeland in our own ways,
such as helping to build a better future for the veterans upon their
return. Their service to country is wholeheartedly appreciated by AUA
students, faculty and staff who understand the significance of the
contribution they’ve made and stand in full support. Today, we
celebrate the safe return of our veteran students and invite you to
join hands with us in building a better future for them in a ‘new
Armenia’ where daily progress is the best reward of our commitment.
For more information, visit veterans.aua.am.
**********************************************************************************************************************************************
California Courier Online provides viewers of the Armenian News News Service
with a few of the articles in this week's issue of The California
Courier. Letters to the editor are encouraged through our e-mail
address, However, authors are
requested to provide their names, addresses, and/or telephone numbers
to verify identity, if any question arises. California Courier
subscribers are requested not to use this service to change, or modify
mailing addresses. Those changes can be made through our e-mail,
, or by phone, (818) 409-0949.