1 - US Federal Agency: Turkey Among Most
Egregious Violators of Religious Freedom
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Carnegie Hall to Award Medal of Excellence to Gregorian
3 - Newsom Increases Invesment in Armenian American Museum
After Key Meeting
4- DerSahakian Cements Granada Hills Charter HS
US Academic Decathlon Championship
5- Kim Kardashian Helped Free 17 Inmates in 90 Days,
Reunites Them with Families
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1 - US Federal Agency: Turkey Among Most
Egregious Violators of Religious Freedom
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
Last week, I reported on Azerbaijan’s violations of religious freedom
as documented in the most recent Annual Report of the United States
Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). My article
this week covers religious violations in Turkey as reported by USCIRF,
a U.S. Federal government agency.
The Annual Report revealed that “in 2018, the state of religious
freedom in Turkey remained deeply troubling, raising serious concerns
that the country’s current trajectory will lead to the further
deterioration of conditions in the year ahead. The lack of any
meaningful progress on the part of the Turkish government to address
longstanding religious freedom issues was continued cause for concern.
Many serious limitations on the freedom of religion or belief
continued, threatening the continued vitality and survival of minority
religious communities in the country; in addition, increased
demonization and a smear campaign by government entities and
pro-government media contributed to a growing climate of fear among
religious minority communities. The Turkish government continued to
interfere in the internal affairs of religious communities,
disallowing patriarchal elections for the Armenian Apostolic Church
and maintaining its requirement that Greek Orthodox metropolitans
obtain Turkish citizenship in order to participate in the church’s
Holy Synod.”
Furthermore, the USCIRF stated that “followers of U.S.-based cleric
Fethullah Gülen,” who was the political supporter of Pres. Recep
Tayyip Erdogan earlier in his career, “continued to be dismissed from
public service, detained, and arrested in the tens of thousands for
alleged complicity in the July 2016 failed coup attempt or involvement
in terrorist activity. The Turkish government has indiscriminately
designated those affiliated with Gülen as part of a terrorist
organization. Government officials also continued to engage in
anti-Semitism in the form of public statements and comments made on
social media platforms, while pro-government newspapers and media
outlets propagated hate speech directed against both Christians and
Jews.”
In the past three years, since the failed coup attempt of July 2016 to
overthrow Pres. Erdogan, the Turkish government dismissed over 150,000
public servants, and arrested tens of thousands accusing them of
plotting the coup and being involved in terrorism. In addition, 68
journalists—the most in any country—have been jailed, over 150 media
outlets were closed down, and most independent media companies were
controlled by the government.
Furthermore, the USCIRF reports the following religious violations in Turkey:
1) Students in public schools, including Alevis, are forced to take
the Islamic course of “Religious Culture and Moral Knowledge.”
Armenians, Greeks, Jews and atheists have been given exemptions.
Students and their parents seeking exemption have to undergo a long
arduous process or pursue their claims in court.
2) The Turkish government interferes in the internal affairs of both
Greek and Armenian communities by restricting the ordination of clergy
to Turkish citizenship. Since the Armenian Patriarch of Turkey was
incapacitated in 2010, the Turkish government has not allowed the
Armenian community to elect a new Patriarch.
3) “Alevis constitute the largest religious minority in Turkey
[estimated 10 to 25 million]. However, the government has long
classified Alevis as Muslim and subsequently failed to recognize them
as a religious community distinct from majority Sunni Muslims. Despite
a February 2015 ruling issued by the European Court of Human Rights,
the government has yet to take steps to exempt Alevi students from
attending compulsory religious classes that are based primarily on the
Sunni understanding of Islam,” according to the USCIRF Annual Report.
4) There is widespread anti-Semitism in the pro-government print and
social media. According to the Hrant Dink Foundation, there were 427
instances of anti-Jewish hate speech from January to April 2018.
Turkish politicians also frequently make anti-Semitic comments.
5) The Protestant community also continued to be the target of hate
speech. The European Court of Human Rights found Turkey violated the
rights of the Foundation of Seventh-day Adventists. In addition,
“Jehovah’s Witnesses are denied the right to conscientious objection
to military service and face prosecution, fines, and imprisonment for
the exercise of their beliefs,” USCIRF reported.
6) “The Armenian Patriarchate has been seeking the return of the
Sanasaryan Han in Istanbul—a property previously used for the
education of Armenian children—that the government seized in 1935. The
Greek Orthodox Foundation on Bozcaada Island has also yet to receive
the title deeds for 11 properties, despite a September 2014 decision
rendered by the Council of Foundations to transfer the deeds. The
Greek Orthodox Theological School of Halki, also known as Halki
Seminary, has been closed and unable to educate or train clergy since
1971,” according to the USCIRF.
The USCIRF urged the US government to pressure Turkey to comply with
all provisions of religious freedom and take appropriate corrective
measures.
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2- Carnegie Hall to Award Medal of Excellence to Gregorian
Carnegie Hall will award its 10th Medal of Excellence to Vartan
Gregorian, who has fundamentally transformed the landscape of
philanthropy in New York and around our country during his tenures at
The New York Public Library, Brown University, and now as the 12th
president of the Carnegie Corporation.
In recognition of the centennial of Andrew Carnegie’s passing, it is
especially fitting to honor Dr. Gregorian, who embodies the true
spirit of philanthropy that was so profoundly inherent to Carnegie
Hall’s founder. Dr. Gregorian’s global impact through his work as a
scholar, philanthropist, and advocate of the arts complements the
worldwide reach of Carnegie Hall’s ever-expanding artistic and
community programs.
Proceeds from the evening support Migrations: The Making of America
festival and all of Carnegie Hall’s innovative artistic and education
programs
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3 - Newsom Increases Invesment in Armenian American Museum
After Key Meeting
GLENDALE—On May 4, the Armenian American Museum leadership met with
Governor Gavin Newsom’s Legislative Secretary, Anthony Williams.
Initiated by Senator Anthony J. Portantino, the meeting convened the
Museum Board of Trustees, architectural team, and Construction
Committee members for a presentation on their vision for the Armenian
American cultural and educational center planned for Glendale. Mr.
Williams was provided a comprehensive overview of the project, a site
visit to its future location, and a detailed construction timeline.
Portantino expressed his excitement and highlighted the State of
California’s support for the Armenian American Museum.
Following Saturday’s successful meeting and review of the Armenian
American Museum by his policy director, Governor Gavin Newsom
announced on May 9 that he has included $5 million dollars for the
Armenian American Museum in his May revised 2019-2020 budget.
“I’m ecstatic and extremely thankful to Governor Newsom and Policy
Director Anthony Williams for recognizing the overwhelming merit and
momentum behind this amazing museum. The Governor’s generous offer to
help the museum is a clear recognition of the importance of the
project to the State of California,” said Senator Portantino.
“The museum board was very pleased and honored to welcome Mr.
Williams to Glendale on Saturday and we are very thankful to Governor
Newsom for validating our effort by increasing the State’s investment
to further our efforts. This is wonderful news for our community and
the State of California. We are again grateful to Senator Portantino
for helping us share our vision for the museum directly with the
Governor’s office and the Governor for responding so positively to
what we are endeavoring to do,” said Shant Sahakian, Executive
Director.
The Governor’s May revised budget will be reviewed by both houses of
the legislature before the mid-June constitutional deadline for
passage. Generally, the Governor’s budget priorities successfully make
it through that process.
“The State of California is a proud partner of the Armenian American
Museum and this opportunity to share the museum’s progress with the
Governor’s office is both responsible and exciting. Mr. Williams
witnessed our historic project becoming a reality and received a
firsthand look at the positive impact it is going to have on our
community, state, and country for generations to come,” said
Portantino.
An initial $1 million grant for the project was approved as part of
the 2016-2017 State budget followed by an additional $3 million in the
2017-2018 budget.
Museum Executive Chairman Berdj Karapetian presented the Museum’s
programs and discussed how the project will be a space that will help
Armenian Americans discover their roots and people of diverse
backgrounds discover cross-cultural connections.
“It is an honor to present our vision for the Armenian American Museum
to the Governor’s office,” said Executive Chairman Berdj Karapetian.
“We are building a cultural and educational center that will enrich
our entire community and we are grateful to Mr. Williams and Governor
Newsom for taking an interest in our vision and our progress. It means
a great deal to our community to have this type of involvement and
participation from the office of our State’s Governor.”
The meeting was attended by Museum Board of Trustees members and
representatives from the Armenian Catholic Eparchy, Armenian Cultural
Foundation, Armenian Evangelical Union of North America, Armenian
General Benevolent Union Western District, Armenian Missionary
Association of America, Armenian Relief Society Western USA, Nor Or
Charitable Foundation, Nor Serount Cultural Association, Western
Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, and Western Prelacy
of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Members of the Museum Construction
Committee and Alajajian Marcoosi Architects were in attendance at the
meeting as well as Councilmember Zareh Sinanyan representing the City
of Glendale.
“I very much appreciated seeing the vision of the Armenian museum and
the extraordinary collaboration that’s behind this important project
first hand. Walking the future location and hearing directly from the
artists and construction team responsible for its vision was beyond
enlightening,” said Legislative Secretary Anthony Williams.
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4- DerSahakian Cements Granada Hills Charter HS
US Academic Decathlon Championship
On April 27, 2019, Granada Hills Charter High School (GHC) reclaimed
the United States Academic Decathlon (USAD) title, capturing the
school’s seventh national championship with a total of 53,108.5 points
out of a possible 60,000. The school secured the national title in
2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019. A welcome celebration was
held with bagpipers, cheerleaders and special guests when the winning
team returned to school on Monday morning.
The Academic Decathlon is a rigorous, 10-event competition that
revolves around a central topic in seven subject areas: science,
literature, art, music, social science, economics and mathematics.
This year’s topic was “The 1960s: A Transformational Decade.” The
decathletes compete in multiple-choice exams on each topic as well as
through essays and speeches. GHC won both a Los Angeles-area
competition for charter schools and the California state championship
to qualify for the national competition, which was held in
Bloomington, Minnesota.
Academic Decathlon teams consist of nine students, divided among three
categories based on GPA: Honors (3.74 – 4.0 and above), Scholastic
(3.0 – 3.74) and Varsity (2.99 and less). GHC’s Academic Decathlon
team includes Honors decathletes Nicole DerSahakian, Connie Chen, and
Dilawar Khan; Scholastic decathletes Lelija Kazlauskas, Kenny Ly, and
Jared Matsubayashi; and Varsity decathletes Benjamin LaFreniere, Ezhan
Mirza, and Tamara Cruz. The coaches are Alina Lee, Linda Kang, and Amy
Contreras.
As a senior at GHC, this is Nicole DerSahakian’s second year as a
decathlete. She is currently the only Armenian to have ever competed
on GHC’s Academic Decathlon team.
“It feels absolutely amazing to finally reach my goal. This has been
my dream for two years and I’m so grateful for being given this
opportunity,” said DerSahakian. She received numerous medals at the
national competition, including gold medals in the categories of
literature and art, in which she earned a perfect score; a silver
medal in the category of mathematics; and a bronze medal in the
category of essay. Nicole will be graduating as a valedictorian this
May and will be attending the University of California, Berkeley in
the fall.
So, what is their secret? According to DerSahakian, the team’s success
stems from their true sense of family, immense cooperation, and
ability to work indefatigably towards a common goal. “My teammates and
I have formed very close bonds over the course of the past 11 months.
Our camaraderie has truly allowed us to motivate one another, hold
each other accountable, and help each other succeed.”
“Each year is a tough challenge that forces the decathletes not only
to bear down and study hard but also to overcome disappointments and
moments when they really are pushed to new limits,” said Alina Lee,
head coach. In addition to the efforts of the decathletes, the
wonderful coaches and staff supporting them played an instrumental
role in their success.
“On behalf of the Granada Hills Charter community, I want to
congratulate our 2019 National Champions,” said Brian Bauer, Executive
Director of GHC. “Their dedication, determination and discipline are
wonderful reflections of the education and environment for learning we
strive each day to create at Granada Hills Charter. We all are very
proud of them and hope the memories they have made are everlasting and
inspire them, whether they are returning GHC students or move on to
the next exciting stage of their lives.”
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5- Kim Kardashian Helped Free 17 Inmates in 90 Days,
Reunites Them with Families
(TMZ)—Kim Kardashian is helping free inmates at an amazingly high
rate, and she’s been doing it rather quietly—until now.
TMZ has learned Kim and her legal team helped 17 prisoners gain
freedom over the last 3 months or so—each of them having served years
of life sentences without parole for low-level drug offenses.
It’s all part of the 90 Days of Freedom campaign launched by Kim’s
lawyer, Brittany K. Barnett, in partnership with lawyer MiAngel Cody
of The Decarceration Collective.
The campaign puts the First Step Act—signed by President Trump last
year—to work for prisoners who received draconian sentences.
Kim is footing the bill while Barnett, who also co-founded the Buried
Alive advocacy group, and Cody handle the lawyering. TMZ has been told
that Kim’s been secretly funding the campaign over the past few
months.
We’ve known about a few cases Kim’s backed—Jeffrey Stringer in
Florida, Cyntoia Brown in Tennessee, Alice Marie Johnson in
Alabama—but now we know the list is much longer.
Among the names is Jamelle Carraway, who is back with his family after
serving 11 years of a life sentence in federal prison. Jamelle, who
was 31 when he was arrested for cocaine possession, is living and
working in Illinois as he makes the slow transition back to society.
Eric Balcom is back home in Florida, and seeing his mother for the
first time in 16 years after serving hard time in federal prison. He
was convicted on a drug charge when he was 29, and was sentenced to
life without parole.
Terrence Byrd is finally free after spending half his life—25 years—in
federal prison on drug possession charges.
TMZ was told he’s been reunited with his 96-year-old grandmother, the
woman who raised him.
Kim, Brittany and MiAngel aren't done working miracles, either—TMZ was
told they're on top of several more cases.
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