Author: Boshkezenian Garik

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA PARTICIPATES IN THE MEETING OF EDAN

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has been actively involved in issues
related to the disabled since 1971. For the first time ever, 21 disabled
people participated in the WCC 6th Assembly in Vancouver in 1983.

EDAN, the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network was established by the WCC
8th Assembly in Zimbabwe in 1998. The aim behind founding the network was to
invite churches to provide more opportunities to the disabled and to involve
them in the churches’ mission. The network today has disabled
representatives in seven regions. They coordinate the union’s works.

A consultation meeting organized by the WCC Middle East office, was held
21-24 June 2006 at the Bristol Hotel, between the general secretary of EDAN,
Samuel Kabue (a blind man from Kenya), representatives from the WCC Middle
East office, the general secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches
(MECC), Gerges Saleh, as well as disabled representatives of churches from
Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Jordan and Palestine and spiritual and lay social
workers.

Kevork Merdjanian represented the Catholicosate of Cilicia in this meeting.
The disabled expressed their concerns and praised the work of the network in
the life of churches. They presented proposals on developing the work of the
network in the Middle East. Two people from Lebanon were appointed to
coordinate the network’s activities in the Middle East.

Representatives from several communities were present at the meeting’s
concluding session. Rev. Fr. Housig Mardirossian represented the Armenian
Church at this session. Conveying the Pontiff’s greetings to the meeting,
the reverend said: "the disabled have always been in the prayers of His
Holiness Aram I throughout his 15 year chairmanship of WCC as well as
today." He added: "Rest assured that the concerns of the disabled are the
concerns of our churches and our personal concerns. We hope that the
creation of this union in this region would further obligate the churches
you represent and particularly yourselves and that you would exert all
efforts for its success.’ He then thanked the organizers of the meeting.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

TREND, Azerbaijan
June 30 2006

Majority of last loud statements on Nagorno-Karabakh do not reflect
reality – senior state officer

Source: Trend
Author: E.Huseynov

30.06.2006

The majority of last loud statements on Nagorno-Karabakh do not
reflect the reality, Novruz Mammadov, the head of the Foreign
Relationships Department of the President’s Apparat, told Trend in an
exclusive interview.

Speaking on the last statements by the US Ambassador Matthew Bryza,
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair, Mammadov said that he is the newly
appointed diplomat who held a very important in the parliament and
very closely familiar with the region. Appointing him as the co-chair
the United States wish to be more active and do much in the
negotiation process.

`At the same time Bryza wants to state that he is well familiar with
the negotiation process and wants its progress. Therefore, he
submitted different ideas for discussion, which do not reflect either
Azerbaijan, or Armenia. They might be Bryza’s private position and
even the stance by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. Therefore, there
is necessity to comment on them,’ Mammadov underscored. The
negotiations are held behind the closed doors, he reminded.

The senior ranking official assured that the President of Foreign
Minister of Armenia today are very much imposed to pressures by
public and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, as well as position and
rating of Azerbaijan worldwide. `Therefore, they are very upset today
and reached the deadlock,’ Mammadov emphasized. The conflict should
be resolved, the occupied lands must be liberated, territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan should be restored, as the United States and
all countries urge.

Now the key task of Baku is not to respond speculative statements by
the Armenian leadership, but continue peaceable negations this year.
`The Armenians fear that unless they come to an agreement with
Azerbaijan, the developments in other way will result their
catastrophe.

Kent Good Times Dispatch, CT
June 30 2006

Writer to deliver paper on Graves in Mallorca

A work begun long ago will find an outlet this summer when Georgianne
Ensign Kent presents a paper, "Poet to Poet: T.E. Lawrence and the
Riddle of S.A.," at the Robert Graves Conference in Palma, Mallorca,
in July.

The theme of the conference, sponsored by the Robert Graves Trust, is
"Robert Graves and His Collaborators."

Ms. Kent, who has made Kent her home since 1991, said she was first
attracted to the story of T. E. Lawrence, the impossibly enigmatic
hero of a World War I "Arabian Nights" adventure, after the film,
"Lawrence of Arabia" was produced in 1962. "I was looking for an idea
for a book," she said succinctly, adding that she wanted to present
an existential view of the largely medieval Lawrence.
"Existentialism was hot back then, but by the time I finished the
book it was not so hot," she observed wryly.
Still, researching the book brought her to Dorset, England, a place
she came to love so much she returned there to work on a second book.
The Lawrence project gave her an opportunity to have discourse with
the poet Robert Graves, and it introduced her to the worlds of
archaeology and the Middle East.
Graves, was her first outlet. Born in Wimbledon, England in 1885,
educated at Oxford and equally at home as a writer of fiction,
non-fiction and poetry, he was both friend and biographer to T.E.
Lawrence. It was to Graves that Lawrence turned for criticism of his
dedicatory poem in "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" and it was to Graves
that Ms. Kent turned for insight into her subject.
Ms. Kent’s paper, which details Graves’ rewriting of a verse of
Lawrence’s poem and the mystery of the identity of the person to whom
it was written, will include a correspondence that she conducted with
the English poet.
"Lawrence sent his poem to Graves and asked him if it were poetry or
prose," Ms. Kent said, adding that Graves gave an equivocal answer.
"He rewrote one of the stanzas and sent it back to Lawrence. It was
very beautiful," said Ms. Kent. "Of course, that was not what
Lawrence wanted and he didn’t use it."
Graves apparently retained his reservations about Lawrence’s poetic
abilities. When Ms. Kent later asked him if he considered Lawrence to
be a poet, he replied yes, "not for what he wrote, but for the way he
lived."
Graves was nevertheless a friend of Lawrence’s and profited from the
association. Lawrence sent him truncated chapters of "Seven Pillars
of Wisdom," his account of the war in the desert, for Graves to
publish during a period of financial need. And Graves later wrote
"Lawrence and the Arabs," a successful biography of the warrior.
In return, Graves was protective of his friend’s legacy. When
Lawrence’s sole surviving brother sought to stop the production of
"Ross," a play that depicted Lawrence as homosexual and sadistic,
Graves joined in the battle.
Ms. Kent eventually dropped the Lawrence book and moved on to other
projects, later publishing three works under her maiden name: "The
Hunt for the Mastodon," "Great Beginnings: Opening Lines of Great
Novels," and "Great Endings: Closing Lines of Great Novels."
It was not until much later, when she was participating in an
archaeological dig in Mallorca, that the path of her life crossed
Graves’ again. "I was on a dig in Mallorca where he lived and I
wanted to see his house," she related. "It was inhabited by his
widow, but she died before I got there. So I wrote to his oldest son,
William, who said the house was going to become a museum, but that he
would show it to me. I had the amazing good fortune to be shown
Graves’ house by his son."
During that tour she told William Graves of her correspondence with
his father about Lawrence and he suggested her participation in the
upcoming conference.
Ms. Kent said that the passage of decades required her to go back and
prepare her Lawrence material again. "I did a lot of research," she
said. "Last year I was in Oxford and did some work at the Bodleian
Library [the main research library at the university]."
The work on her Lawrence paper temporarily put on hold her most
recent project, a biography of her Armenian grandmother, Vartanoosh,
which will be published later this summer.
Here, again, other interests have grown in fields sown by her early
Lawrence research. "Lawrence introduced me to England, to archaeology
and to the Middle East," she said. "I wouldn’t have gone to the
Middle East when I did or to the places I went, if it were not for
Lawrence."
The story the Armenians, a culture that suffered genocide during
World War I, and of her family’s emigration to the United States
struck an emotional chord with her. She began to research her family
background, spending a month with her aged grandmother in Florida,
taping her memories of the past.
"My grandmother came to this country in the late 1880s after first
escaping to Beirut," she recounted. "I stayed with her for a month,
taping her memories-some of which she embroidered. I started with
that, but then I would check the stories on the Internet and many
have turned out to be right. For instance, there were rumors of a
possible massacre in Beirut, so they moved inland to a town called
Zhale. She described how the houses were built one on top of the
other. I found a picture of the town on the Internet and the houses
were exactly as she described them. She was a really dynamic woman."
Ms. Kent said she will self-publish the book, titled "Vartanoosh,"
and expects its main distribution to be among the extended family.
Ms. Kent studied journalism at Northwestern University, expecting to
pursue a career in magazine writing. She found herself sidetracked
into advertising, however, and spent 25 years-"broken up by decisions
to go write books"-in that field. Eventually she left advertising
altogether and worked for a while in a medical office, a position
that she loved.
"Then I met my husband and moved her in 1991," she said. While in
Kent she penned her two anthologies of first and last great lines.
She said her current goal is to complete her book on her grandmother.
"I have other ideas [for future works], but nothing that has
crystallized yet," she said.

CBA TO PUT INTO CIRCULATION A MEMORIAL COIN DEDICATED TO ARTEM MIKOYAN’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY

ArmRadio.am
29.06.2006 13:17

Starting July 1st the Central Bank of Armenia will put into circulation
silver memorable coins dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Artem
Mikoyan.

Mig-25, Mig-19 and Mig-3 planes are pictured on the obverse of
the coin.

Artem Mikoyan’s portrait is depicted on the reverse side. The memorial
coin has been decorated by artist Vardan Vardanyan. It has been minted
in the Czech Republic.

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 10) 517 163
Fax: (374 10) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website:
June 27, 2006

His Holiness Karekin II Celebrates Pontifical Divine Liturgy in Istanbul

On Sunday, June 25, as the culmination of the first Pontifical Visit of the
Catholicos of All Armenians to the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople,
His Holiness Karekin II celebrated a Pontifical Divine Liturgy in the St.
Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) Cathedral of Istanbul. In attendance for
the Divine Liturgy were Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople His Beatitude
Archbishop Mesrob Mutafian, high-ranking archbishops and bishops of the
Armenian Church from Armenia and the Diaspora, among them the primates of
the dioceses of North America, Germany, Damascus, Romania and Bulgaria, the
Vicar General of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese, the Chancellor of the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, representatives of sister Churches, Mr.
Karen Mirzoyan (Representative of the Republic of Armenia in Turkey), and
hundreds of Armenian faithful.

His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America (Eastern), and His Grace Bishop Vicken Aykazian,
Diocesan Legate for the Eastern Diocese and President of the National
Council of Churches of America, assisted His Holiness at the Holy Altar
during the Liturgy.

During the sacred Divine Liturgy, His Holiness addressed his message to the
faithful, using as the theme of his sermon, the words of Christ: `Because I
live, you shall live also.’ (St. John 14:19). The Catholicos of All
Armenians first offered thanksgiving and glory to the Almighty, for granting
him the gift of visiting the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople in this
pontifical visit, and for the opportunity to offer the liturgy under the
cherished and prayer-filled arches of the historic cathedral with His
Beatitude Mesrob and his beloved faithful flock.

As he continued his message, the Pontiff of All Armenians stated, `Christ is
alive, as are all who believe in Him – the Savior of the world Who was
crucified for us, buried and rose again on the third day. Our people were
taught and raised in this manner. With this belief and by the vision of the
Illuminator, our people built Holy Etchmiadzin on our native soil, received
the letters of Mashtots as a heavenly gift, became firmly established in
their Christian identity, and when the time came, accepted `death with
meaning’ in the name of that faith, while living and creating with God at
their side.

`Truly, our people did not desire to live without God. The testimony of
this spiritual reality is presented in its most compelling manner through
the six-century history of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople. The
names of the great patriarchs are immortal, who selflessly cared for the
people entrusted to them; and protected, raised and strengthened them with
the light of faith, transmitting the noble virtues of their graceful minds
and faithful souls to the generations. Immortalized also are the names of
those in the arts, education and science, as well as their works and
contributions. Treasures created with faith, which draw a wide path of
illumination upon the pages of our history, shaped a path of creation and
progress. With the power of faith, the Armenian Patriarchate of
Constantinople continues to carry the lamp of illumination…

`Being with you during these past few days, we once again had the experience
that our people always keep and protect the sacred mystery of a renewing
life in their deepest inner spaces. Not even the Armenian Genocide was able
to extinguish that light, when it appeared that life itself would end within
the borders of the Patriarchate. In the trials of our people, the spirit
alive with faith found the strength to be reborn and live yet again, to do
good works, create goodness and aspire towards goodness. The greatest
inheritance we received from our forefathers was faith in God, in our Lord
Jesus Christ. You, dear ones, and your parents kept and nurtured the faith
in your souls, transforming it into love for one another, laboring for each
other and for the glory of our Apostolic Holy Church.

`…Glory to you O Lord, that you directed our footsteps here from the Mother
See of Holy Etchmiadzin, and we became the witness to the blossoming
national and ecclesiastical life, and faithful and traditional spirit of our
people. We came from our cherished cradle of faith, so that together,
Pontiff and people, through the commemorations, exhortations and traditions
of our holy fathers, could testify with our unified prayer under the halls
of this holy church – that our Armenian nation is steadfast and unshakeable
in its oath sealed with God. It is loyal to the holy legacy of its
forebears and with its oath of unity with Holy Etchmiadzin.’

The Catholicos of All Armenians continued by exhorting the Armenians of
Istanbul to continue to create and flourish with the same dedication and
love, keeping all of their national institutions strong and vibrant. His
Holiness addressed words of thanks to His Beatitude Mesrob and the members
of the Religious Council of the Patriarchate for the warm reception which
had been prepared during these days of his first pontifical visit to
Istanbul.

His Holiness also extended his appreciation to the ranks of clergy of the
Armenian Patriarchate, to all administrative lay council members and
committees, the devoted choir members of the churches, national
organizations and associations, charitable institutions, teachers, artists,
and representatives of the Armenian press, for their fidelity to national
values and their brave and selfless devotion.

At the conclusion of his fatherly message to the Armenians of Istanbul, His
Holiness bestowed His Beatitude Mesrob with two panagias and a pectoral
cross from Holy Etchmiadzin as a symbol of the Pontiff’s appreciation for
the years of service and dedication of the Armenian Patriarch of
Constantinople.

Following the Liturgy, a reception was hosted in the hall of the
Patriarchate in honor of His Holiness. During his remarks, the Pontiff of
All Armenians expressed his thanks and appreciation to the chairman and all
members of the Pontifical Visit committee of the Patriarchate for their
efforts in successfully planning and implementing a well-organized and most
enjoyable visit.

ARMENIAN FM’S STATEMENT ON MATTHEW BRYZA’S INTERVIEW

Today, Azerbaijan
June 26 2006

Armenian Foreign Ministry made a statement on recent interview by
Matthew Bryza to RFE/RL.

The statement reads:

Taking into account the statement that the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group presented to the OSCE Permanent Council, in Vienna, on June
22, and the interview that Matt Bryza, the new US co-chair gave soon
thereafter, where albeit partially, the principles of the settlement
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict were revealed for the first time,
and also taking into account the recent desperate calls by Azerbaijan
for a military solution and autonomy for Nagorno Karabakh, we would
like to make several observations.

The co-chairs have partially revealed the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
resolution principles; they have left out references to a corridor
linking Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia, and issues relating to Nagorno
Karabakh’s status until a referendum;

The co-chairs have, for the first time, affirmed that the people
of Nagorno Karabakh shall determine their own future status through
a referendum;

Those items over which the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan
continue to disagree does not include a referendum; that concept has
been agreed to by the presidents; The area of disagreement between
the presidents has to do with the sequence in which the consequences
of the military conflict are removed;

In an attempt to resolve this remaining area of disagreement, a
proposal was made by the co-chairs after Rambouillet. This proposal
was accepted by Armenia in Bucharest. Azerbaijan rejected it.

Armenia finds that the basic principles, overall, on the table today
remain a serious basis for continuing negotiations; Armenia is prepared
to continue on that basis to continue to negotiate with Azerbaijan;

Armenia believes that Azerbaijan’s wavering on these principles is
a serious obstacle to progress in the negotiations. If this policy
continues, Armenia will insist that Azerbaijan conduct direct
negotiations with Nagorno Karabakh.

Finally, we would remind Azerbaijan once again that regardless of the
size of their military budget, they cannot force the people of Nagorno
Karabakh to renounce freedom and the right to self-determination.

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address:  Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact:  Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel:  (374 10) 517 163
Fax:  (374 10) 517 301
E-Mail:  [email protected]
Website: 
June 24, 2006

Pontiff of All Armenians Visits Churches and National Institutions in
Istanbul

On June 23, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians and His Beatitude Archbishop Mesrob Mutafian, Armenian Patriarch
of Constantinople, accompanied by the pontifical entourage, visited the
Church of St. Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) in Baklkyugh, Istanbul, as
well as the Dadian National Academy adjacent to the church.

Following the "Hrashapar" service in the sanctuary and His Holiness’ message
of blessing to the faithful, the Catholicos of All Armenians and the
Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople were escorted to the hall of the school
and enjoyed a program presented by the students of the Academy.  The St.
Astvatsatsin Church and the Dadian Academy are located in a section of
Istanbul which has the second highest Armenian population.

His Holiness Karekin II spoke to the 400 students, as well as the teachers,
administrators and hundreds of faithful, emphasizing the important role that
the Armenians of Istanbul have played in the life of the nation for more
than 500 years, noting that they have brought honor to the Armenian people
through their spiritual and cultural activities.  His Holiness also placed
great importance on the church and school being located adjacent to one
another, and commended the parish council, the teaching staff and
administration of the community for their efforts.  The Catholicos of All
Armenians also congratulated the students for their skills, devotion and
talents, and invited them to travel to Armenia and visit the Armenian Church
Youth Centers operating under the auspices of the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin and the Armenian General Benevolent Union.

The entourage next traveled to the Holy Savior National Hospital, where they
were greeted by Mr. Bedros Shirinoghlu, chairman of the Pontifical Visit
Committee and a trustee of the hospital.  His Beatitude Mesrob introduced
the history of the hospital to the guests, informing them that it was
established more than 175 years ago and remains through the present day as
the largest Armenian national institution in Turkey.  His Beatitude also
noted that it was the first hospital founded in the Ottoman Empire, and
continues its mission of providing health care to the Armenian community of
the country.  The Holy Savior Hospital, in addition to providing health care
to children and adults, also operates a home for the aged and a center for
physically disabled children.

The Armenian Pontiff visited with the patients, met with the physicians and
health care staff, as well as the administrators and the trustees of the
medical center.  In the hospital’s chapel, His Holiness presided during a
requiem service offered in memory of all past benefactors of the
institution.

In his remarks, the Catholicos of All Armenians extended his words of thanks
and appreciation to the Patriarch and the trustees of the center, and noted
that the service provided by the hospital is the best expression of
Christian teaching and love.  His Holiness emphasized that every individual
is called to serve his fellow man, and that the Holy Savior Hospital,
through its humanity and philanthropy, is providing the best example of that
Christian mission of service.

The Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople next escorted His Holiness Karekin
II and the entourage on a tour of the hospital’s museum, following which the
guests were hosted to a lunch by the trustees. 

In the afternoon, the Pontiff of All Armenians visited the Church of St.
Gevork in Samatia, which until the year 1641, had been the headquarters of
the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople.  His Holiness Karekin II
blessed the countless Armenians who had gathered to see him and kiss his
holy right hand, and extended his words of love and encouragement to the
faithful.  The Catholicos of All Armenians also visited the historic
Sahakian National Academy, which is located adjacent to the church, and met
with the students, teachers and administrators of the institution.

##

–Boundary_(ID_gxZEsHcPi+zscwLiv JEQlw)–

NKR PRESIDENT: SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT STILL LONG WAY OFF

Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 23 2006

YEREVAN, June 23. /ARKA/. During meeting with paricipants of "NKR:
Past, Present, Future" international scinetific conference the
President of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Arkady Ghukasyan said settlement
of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is still long way off Ghukasyan emphasized
that "opponents", avioiding dialogue have shifted Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict to political, economic and even scinetific planes, NKR
Presidetn’s Press Service reports.

"We have to accept the chellange, and in this struggle our firm
bearing must become the scinetific potential and rich experience of
the inteeligentcia", Ghukasyan said. S.P.–0–

Edmonton Sun, Canada
June 23 2006

Speaking the truth
System of a Down out to raise awareness

By FISH GRIWKOWSKY, EDMONTON SUN FREELANCE

What you really need to know about System of a Down is that they’re
honestly the most important band on the third planet.

There may be better acts, but their elevated, chart-ravaging mix of
powerful instrumentation, wicked social consciousness and inventive,
multipart harmony has literally redefined what an American band can
aspire to. Born in Armenia and created in Hollywood, of all places,
no one this popular shows so much soul. The events of 9-11 and its
resultant tsunami of counter-attacks on the Middle East being a mere
blip in their eternal political advocacy against injustice – be it
illegal war, torture, civilian casualty, corporate rollbacks amid
record profits, violent pornography or even just simple Hollywood
fakery.

No one else makes fighting back so much fun. We’re lucky to have
them back Sunday at the Oiler rink – Rexall Place – so soon after
September’s mind-blowing arena show.

Like everyone in the band, bass-player/videographer Shavo Odadjian
began his life in Armenia and grew up on bands like Kiss and Dead
Kennedys and the wisdom of his grandmother who largely raised him.

Odadjian, swinging his pigtail beard around like a propeller, plays
with both a pick and his fingers. He came to System before it even
existed, managing Soil – the previous group of Daron Malakian and Serj
Tankian – but the three rolled it together in 1995, finally snuggling
with drummer John Dolmayan. After a tremendous run including being
only one of three bands to have two simultaneous No.

1 albums on the charts, thanks to Mesmerize/Hypnotize, singer/writer
Malakian in May announced the band’s hiatus following this tour. Good
place to start, don’t you think?

SHAVO: We’ve been a band for 12 years, almost. Five records, I
can’t even think about how much we’ve toured. After Ozzfest it’s a
blast-off. The four of us are friends and we’ve always had things we
wanted to do outside the band. Everyone’s going to go do their thing,
but once we come back, all the stuff we did will bring a new element
to the band. It’s like a research trip.

FISH: I was blown away when I first noticed how Mesmerize and Hypnotize
fit together, in terms of physical packaging and music.

SHAVO: Daron (Malakion) has a really amazing knack for arranging
stuff – that’s his gift. He worked his ass off trying to get that
thing right. It’s hard enough to do one record. But to do them one
after another as one record that fully makes sense?

FISH: You’re politically congruous with the rest of the band?

SHAVO: Yes, but I’m not as vigilant. Of course I have my own beliefs
and sometimes I disagree, just like everybody else. Our political
side is not where we try and ram it down your throat how to think
and how to be. We offer an alternative, and hopefully raise awareness
of issues the American press is not allowed to focus on. What we say
isn’t shocking in Europe. Over here, everything is monitored closely
by the government. It’s supposed to be a free country.

FISH: I call it a soft fascism. You can say what you like, to a
point. But that doesn’t change the fact rights are being eroded.

SHAVO: People say we’re haters of America. But we’re not. We wouldn’t
be in this country if we didn’t love it. But I grew up in New York
and Hollywood, so as a kid I got to see a lot of gangs, hookers, and
it made me who I am. I also saw my dad come here without a penny in
his pocket and be able to raise a family by working three jobs. That
inspired me. I always thought in the back of my head when I pull my
life together, I’m going to hook my parents up.

FISH: How did you repay them?

SHAVO: (Laughs.) They don’t know right now, but I’ve done little
things. They’re really proud, right? They won’t take a penny from me.

I give them an anniversary gift and they’re, ‘Oh! Why did you spend
so much?’ But I did stuff underhandedly. They’re not going to get
another mortgage payment bill. Thank God I wasn’t raised spoiled,
so I actually appreciate it now. They still work every day.

FISH: I’ve seen you – you work pretty hard onstage.

SHAVO: My favourite time. Since I was 14 I’ve worked. I worked hard
in college studying philosophy and psychology.

FISH: Because you’re an information gateway for people, do you feel
a sense of responsibility?

SHAVO: You can ask the same question about songwriting – a lot of
Armenians who didn’t like heavy music now do because of us. As long
as we’re happy and speaking the truth and doing it righteously,
then let it be. You can’t think about it too much.

FISH: You’re selling out huge stadiums worldwide.

SHAVO: In Europe, we headlined Download a year ago and that was
psychotic – 80,000 people! We played 9 p.m. on Sunday to a sea of
humans with no end.

FISH: How do you feel as one person in 80,000?

SHAVO: As long as I feel the energy and love, it can be 80,000 or
eight. But I feel on top of the world. It’s spiritual. But wait till
you hear the stuff I’m doing with the Wu Tang Clan. I’ve introduced
them to Mediterranean and Armenian music, and what we did to rock
we’re doing to hard-core hip hop. GZA and I are doing production in
early June. We’re going to be in a real band. It just doesn’t have
a name yet. But I’m really looking forward to it.

—

Gig: System of a Down

Venue: Rexall Place, Sunday

Vitals: Breakthrough album was 2002’s Toxicity, which debuted at No.

1 on North American charts.

Weekend/2006/06/23/1648777-sun.html

ARMENIAN PAINTERS’ EXHIBITION "GARDEN OF MY HEART…" TO BE HELD
IN KRASNODAR

KRASNODAR, JUNE 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Armenian painters’
exhibition "Garden of My Heart" will open at the Krasnodar Regional
Art Musuam after Kovalenko on July 27. According to the "Yerkramas"
(Counrty) newspaper of Armenians of Russia, works from funds of
the Krasnodar Regional Art Museum after Kovalenko, painters’
personal collections, collections will be presented at the
exhibition. Spectators will see works of famous Armenian paiters
Martiros Sarian, Dmitri Nalbandian. Nikoghayos Nikoghosian and
masters whose life and work are connected with art and culture of
the region of Krasnodar. A part of the layout is dedicated to Georgi
Petrosian, an artist from Krasnodar, who marks his 75th birthday
anniversary this year and whose art is connected both with Armenia and
Russia. Landscapes of the region of Krasnodar and of Armenia, sun still
lifes, portraits of famous historic figures of the Armenian culture
will be presented at the layout of the exhibition. The exhibition
will last till August 20. A phrase of Armenian great poet of 10th
century Grigor Narekatsi is used as the title of the exhibition.