Author: Chilingarian Babken

HAKOB HAKOBYAN BLACKMAILS THE COUNTRY

Lragir.am
29 July 06

There is a joke. The friends tell a glutton to stop eating, and he
says,`Don’t touch me, I’ll burst, and you’ll be in the shit.’

I wish such situations occurred at tables only. However, the message
of the joke acquires a serious meaning, when this talk takes place in
public life, especially in the political sphere. A similar situation
has occurred in the political life of Armenia. The society accuses the
Republican Party that by rounding up the entire criminal corps and
growing fat at the expense of people this political party is gradually
coming up to its end. And this end will be given by people.

Hardly anyone in Armenia would like to return to the unipartisan
period, especially led by the military criminal contingent. Because
they are pointing to the Republican more and more often that it is
wrong, they can eventually get into trouble because people are looking
through them. This time the daring Member of Parliament Hakob Hakobyan
assumed the responsibility of threatening the public and saying, `If
something happens to the Republican, itwill be the end of the
country.’

Hence, one cannot help respecting the authors of this joke. It is not
accidental that they displayed this vicious logic by using a modest
scene of a feast, because in another scene they would have to say, `If
I end up, I’ll take the whole country (no, not into the shit) away
with me.’ Good for Hakob Hakobyan, he dared to express this cynicism.
Serge Sargsyan would not dareto, he does not have the courage although
he is burning with this desire. What shall we say? This format of
dialogue between the Armenian society and the consolidated criminal is
distressing. It may only mean that comradeship has declared war
against people. This should have been prevented. For this reason there
is no need to have a dialogue with the criminal. The Americans are
right when they say it is wrong to negotiate with terrorists. They
have considerable experience and they know better. If you talk to
them, you aresure to hear something bad. Therefore, they simply catch
terrorists and put them where they should be. And if they resist, you
use force legally. The Armenian society has little experience. But
this situation has occurred before. The regime of the almighty General
Babayan was dismantled at one time, whereas an entire group of
hakobhakobyans used to yell at the country, `don’ t touch the
commander, otherwise it will be end of the country.’ And it is even a
shame to remember those hakobhakobyans. The Karabakh army, in fact,got
rid of the criminal, and the country took a breath and went on. The
end of the regime was not the end of the country, as everyone who
cynically milked the country due to this regime would wish. It was
only the end of their happy private life.

There are other examples from the past. These have a common logic: the
dying criminal blackmails everyone threatening by the imminent end
everyone who won ‘t accept it. Fortunately, it’s all over for it. It
is bad, however, that the generations moving on towards the end do not
learn from their godfathers’ experience. God be with them. The worst
thing is that the public also fails to learn, whereas it is high time.

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway

The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief

========================================== ======
26 July 2006
AZERBAIJAN: JEHOVAH’S WITNESS CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR SENTENCED
le_id=818
Mushfiq Mammedov, a Jehovah’s Witness conscientious objector has been
given a six month suspended jail sentence and intends to appeal against
this, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. He was sentenced for refusing
compulsory military service – even though the country’s Constitution
guarantees the right to alternative service, and not allowing this
breaches its Council of Europe commitments. "My son has done nothing wrong
– he’s not guilty," his mother Sevil Najafova told Forum 18 "He told the
Military Commissariat he’s prepared to do alternative unarmed service in
line with his religious beliefs." A spokesperson for the State Committee
for Work with Religious Organisations, defended the sentence. "Our law
says every young man must join the army, so this sentence is correct," he
told Forum 18. The OSCE has noted that "a constitutional right would be
meaningless if the government recognised a right to alternative service
only after it had initiated the promulgation of a law."

28 July 2006
BELARUS: TIME RUNNING OUT FOR MINSK CHURCH
id=819
New Life Church in Belarus’ capital Minsk could lose its worship premises
as early as mid-August, the charismatic church’s lawyer, Sergei Lukanin,
has told Forum 18 News Service. Minsk City Economic Court has ruled that
New Life must sell – at a low price – the disused cowshed it worships in,
following official insistence that the city Development Plan requires that
the building be demolished. No new evidence for this claim was presented at
the most recent hearing, which Forum 18 attended, one official eventually
agreeing that the church "could be sited anywhere in the city." Minsk’s
main religious affairs official, Alla Ryabitseva, has previously told
Forum 18 that the Development Plan was the reason why New Life was not
given permission to convert the building into a church. Because it does
not have state-approved worship premises, New Life was not given the
compulsory re-registration demanded by the Religion Law, which bans all
unregistered religious activity – against international human rights
standards. The church could therefore be liquidated under the Religion
Law.

26 July 2006
TURKEY: LITTLE PROGRESS ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
_id=817
Despite hopes, there has been little progress in achieving true religious
freedom in Turkey, argues Otmar Oehring of the German Catholic charity
Missio
< schen-kulturen/themen/menschenrechte>.
Delays in changing the Foundations Law; declining official interest in
acting on EU and Council of Europe advice; the lack of concrete impact of
limited changes in the way the state records individual religious
affiliation; "massive nationalistic indoctrination" in schools; and
continuing systematic discrimination against Muslim and non-Muslim
minorities contribute to Turkey’s religious freedom deficit. In this
personal commentary for Forum 18 News Service <;, Dr
Oehring maintains that the Turkish government no longer seems willing to
improve the religious freedom and human rights situation. Many think that
EU accession negotiations may fail, and he suggests that this is likely to
end any progress towards religious freedom.
* See full article below. *

26 July 2006
TURKEY: LITTLE PROGRESS ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

e_id=817
By Dr. Otmar Oehring, head of the human rights office of Missio
<;

The Turkish parliament has now departed for the holidays – without
approving the new Law on Foundations as it had been expected to do. The
proposed Law would regulate how "community foundations" – the
organisations allowed to some non-Muslim ethnic/religious communities –
own and recover property. Parliament said it would come back early from
holiday and reconvene in September, rather than October, to consider this
proposed law and other laws aimed to bring Turkish laws into line with
European Union (EU) norms. The aim is, reportedly, to approve at least the
Foundations Law before the EU reports again on accession in early October.

Although politicians and the EU are concentrating now on the Foundations
Law, this focuses only on one fairly narrow issue: what to do with
buildings and other property taken from religious communities by the
government and sold to third parties (see F18News 13 December 2005
< e_id=704>). The government
cannot now give these properties back, so it will have to offer
compensation. However, it is not willing to do so and parliamentary
deputies think Turkey should not offer such compensation. As the European
Commission is telling the Turkish government it must do so, the issue is
deadlocked.

Despite the urging of the European Commission’s Enlargement
Directorate-General that Turkey should use the good offices of the Council
of Europe, both to help it understand what needs to be done in the area of
religious freedom and to help draw up laws on religious freedom and the
status of religious communities, the Turks are reluctant. In April 2006,
the Turkish government contacted the European Commission to ask for
specialists who could advise on these issues. The EU was willing to send
three experts, two from the Council of Europe as well as a French expert
on "laicism". But to the astonishment of those involved, the day before
the experts were due to travel the Turkish government informed them there
was "no need" to come.

The involvement of the Council of Europe in helping Turkey’s
transformation is very tricky. Its Venice Commission – which advises on
how constitutions and other fundamental laws could conform to European
democratic standards – could help Turkey on religious freedom, but can
only get involved if Turkey invites it to do so. But Turkey is not
interested.

Official religious affiliation records

One small step has been taken in the way the state records individuals’
religious affiliation. A new Personal Status Law approved on 25 April
gives citizens for the first time the possibility to ask the authorities
to remove information about their religious affiliation (or presumed
religious affiliation) from their official records. However, the law is
contradictory: while Article 35 paragraph 2 allows individuals to ask for
their religious affiliation to be removed from their records or amended,
Article 7 paragraph 1(e) specifies that citizens have to provide such
information.

Yet despite discussion for at least the past decade, Identity Cards still
carry a section giving the holder’s religion. One of the major
contributors to the debate was Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who is now Turkey’s
President, in his former capacity as Chief Justice of the Constitutional
Court. A committed secularist, he argued that, in a secular state, an
individual’s religion should not be mentioned in official documents.

Changing religious affiliation on an individual’s personal records was
possible before, but required an individual to do this through the courts.
Fear of social ostracism or hostility meant that few did this.

Although the new Personal Status Law appears to be a positive step, this
is not the case. In practice, individuals trying to change their religious
affiliation in their official records could still face problems. For a
start, they would have to tell officials – who could just record that the
individual had requested to change their religious affiliation without
actually changing it. At least this Law offers the possibility to remove
any religious affiliation from individuals’ Identity Card, but if this
does not become common any official or police officer would then ask an
individual why no religion was given. Giving no religion would be
tantamount to an admission that the individual is possibly a Christian or
a Jew – the only faiths apart from Islam allowed to be listed.

It remains unclear how many people have asked to change the affiliation on
their official records since the new law came in. In the past, individuals
did of course change their religion, but were not always prepared to do so
publicly through the courts. The authorities have given conflicting numbers
of such converts. In February 2005 the Interior Ministry’s
Directorate-General for Administration of the Provinces told parliament
that 344 people had converted from Islam to Christianity between 1997 and
2004, while six had converted from Islam to Judaism. No converts to other
faiths were mentioned. However, Minister of State Mehmet Aydin, quoting
figures from the government’s Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet)
(see F18News 12 October 2005
< e_id=670>), said 368 people had
converted "under the influence of missionary activities".

There is much hostility to the peaceful sharing of non-Islamic beliefs,
which may have been a factor in the murder of Fr Andrea Santoro (see
F18News 9 February 2006
< e_id=724>).

The way officials record religion on personal records is predictable.
Children born to parents who are recorded as Muslims are automatically
recorded as Muslim. De facto, only three religions are permitted in the
records: Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Atheist or non-believer are not
in practice allowed as options. Nor are Baha’i or Jehovah’s Witness, to
take two other examples. It remains unclear whether this has now changed,
though in practice the whims of the official are likely to override any
official decision. And if an individual asks to change the religion on
their identity card, there is no guarantee officials will also change it
on their personal record on the national register. And when you need any
official document, the first place officials look is on the register.

Islam, Islamic Minorities and Citizenship

In the Muslim world, there is a tradition that the nationality is Islam:
the nation is the umma, the body of Muslim believers. The concept of
citizenship separate from religion is not known in Islamic law and
tradition. Despite the government’s insistence that it is "secular",
Turkey remains a deeply Islamic society so these views have a strong hold
on the population.

For almost a quarter of a century, Alevi Muslims have been pushing for
recognition as a distinct community able to organise themselves in
accordance with their own beliefs. But in May, Professor Ali Bardakoglu,
the head of the government’s Diyanet <; –
which controls all official Muslim life in Turkey, despite the claimed
secularism of the state – declared once again that Alevis are de facto
Sunni Muslims. This is like saying that all Protestants are Catholics.
Predictably, Alevis were unhappy over this statement, which means that in
practice, the government does not recognise that Alevis and Sunnis are
different. The government maintains that Cem Houses, where Alevis worship,
are not considered places of worship but cultural centres. "We’re not
against Cem Houses, but they’re no alternative to mosques," is the
government message.

The Alevis are divided as to how to respond to the government’s attitude –
some groups are broadly pro-government, some anti-government and some
pro-Kurdish. The Republican Education Foundation, which is under Alevi
control, is regarded as more ready to work with the government. It says it
does not want to see a separate government body to handle Alevi affairs,
but argues that taxes from Alevis are being used (or misused) solely on
Sunni mosques and imams. It insists that as Alevis are Turkish citizens
and taxpayers it wants to see their taxes used to support Alevi
structures.

Islamic groups that do not regard themselves as being under government
control – such as the Islamic brotherhoods (the Sunni Nakchibendis,
Mevlevis and others as well as the Shi’ite Bektashis) or new Islamic
movements (such as the Nurcus and Suleymancis) – are in practice left
alone. Yet there is no chance that the government will recognise Muslim
differences, even though Turkey has Sunnis, Alevis and a small Shia
minority. This indicates that the government is not just Muslim, but
specifically Sunni Muslim, despite its proclaimed secular nature.

Nationalism in Education

Discussion continues over changing the school curriculum to treat all
faiths in Turkey in a new way. The Alevis – like other religious
minorities – complain that no progress has been reached for their
teachings to be mentioned in school curricula. Further, Alevis have warned
that if the government does not introduce separate religious education for
Alevi children, they will lodge a case against it at the European Court of
Human Rights in Strasbourg – to which Turkey is subject, as a member of the
Council of Europe.

Education remains very nationalistic (see F18News 12 October 2005
< e_id=670>). Some officials of
the EU and of EU member states have complained of what one privately
described as "massive nationalistic indoctrination" in schools. So it is
highly unfortunate that the Education and Culture chapter (Chapter 26) in
the EU accession negotiations was opened and closed on the same day,
without addressing this central point. Without change in the curriculum
and teaching, there can be no progress in a society whose nationalism has
a noticeable impact on social attitudes (see F18News 19 January 2006
< e_id=716>).

Non-Muslim Minorities

Meanwhile, tensions for religious minorities remain high, as evidenced by
the murder of one Catholic priest and attacks on other priests this year.
Speculation persists that the "deep state" – the nationalist circles in
the army, police, National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) secret police
and state administration which regard themselves as the custodians of the
Ataturkist ideology – might have been behind the murder in February of
Italian priest Fr Andrea Santoro in his church in the Black Sea port of
Trabzon, an area well known as a nationalist stronghold. Other factors
behind the murder are also suggested (see F18News 9 February 2006
< e_id=724>). Such attacks on
priests could spread to other nationalist areas. Some Catholic leaders
still have police outside their residences, though how an unarmed,
plainclothes police officer could offer any protection remains unclear.
Some wonder whether they are there more to listen to what those leaders
are saying than to protect them.

Of course, all religious minority leaders remain under government
surveillance, forcing them to be very cautious in everything they say – or
to be willing to pay the price for their frankness. They know their
telephones are occasionally tapped and mail is sometimes opened before it
is delivered. "Walls have ears," religious minority leaders say. Secretive
officials occasionally come to visit them to ask questions – people
speculate that they are from the MIT secret police.

In what is seen by Turkish Christians as a continuing humiliation, all
Christian Churches – whether their leaders and members are Turkish
citizens or not – are regarded as foreign. This attitude persists, even
though Christian communities were present on the territory of what is now
Turkey many centuries before the Turkish state, its ancestor the Ottoman
Empire, and Islam. Discussions between Christian Churches and the state
are normally handled by the Foreign Ministry, or sometimes by another
state authority chosen by the government. This humiliation is clearly
deliberate.

Nothing has happened about plans for the Ecumenical Patriarchate to be
able to reopen its seminary on the island of Heybeliada (Halki in Greek)
in the Sea of Marmara, once famed for its scholarship throughout the
Orthodox world. Closed in 1971, Turkey has grudgingly promised to reopen
it under US and EU pressure, but that now seems further off than ever.
Discussion has now fizzled out, though Patriarch Bartholomew always tries
to raise the issue whenever he can. The Armenians saw their Holy Cross
seminary in Istanbul closed at the same time, but have given up any hope
to be allowed to reopen it as a separate institution. Armenian Patriarch
Mesrop has instead proposed inaugurating a chair of Armenian Studies at
one of Istanbul’s state universities – so far with no result.

Pope Benedict’s Planned Visit

The planned visit of Pope Benedict XVI, due in November 2006, could also
raise tensions. Benedict is scheduled to meet the Turkish President and
government in Ankara, and address a selected public in the capital.
Presumably, the Pope will want to talk about relations between the
Christian and Islamic worlds and seek to overcome ideas about the "clash
of civilisations". The Turkish public is unlikely to be present. Any views
they might have of the speech will be formed by how the local media covers
it. In Istanbul, Benedict will meet the Ecumenical Patriarch, the Armenian
Patriarch and other local religious leaders, as well as the Catholic
community.

Most Turks either do not want the Pope to visit, or are indifferent to his
visit. Some Western-oriented Turks welcome it, as they think it could help
Turkish society better understand both the Catholic Church and western
views of Islam. Some of these Turks also hope that the visit will help
Turkey understand the progress it needs to make on religious freedom. But
nationalists who strongly oppose Europe and accession to the EU – who are
growing more influential – could cause headaches for the police during
Benedict’s visit.

The government too will be closely scrutinising the Pope’s words for any
hint of anything that could be interpreted as anti-Turkish and
anti-Islamic. As soon as any comments are linked to Turks as a people and
a society, problems will arise. The Pope will doubtless be very delicate.

The row stirred up by remarks about the Armenian genocide in the final
years of the Ottoman Empire made by the Armenian Catholicos, Karekin II,
on a visit in June is ostensibly related to a historical ethnic conflict
dating back ninety years. But it is relevant to a discussion on religious
freedom, especially as the Istanbul prosecutor’s office decided to
investigate the remarks for a possible prosecution of the Catholicos for
"anti-Turkish remarks". The very prospect of a criminal case over these
remarks shows the lack of freedom of speech. But whenever religious
leaders are prosecuted there is a knock-on effect on the rights of the
religious community. The Armenian Apostolic community – the largest of
Turkey’s Christian communities by far – was embarrassed by Karekin’s
remarks, knowing they will make their already precarious existence more
difficult.

What Prospects for the Future?

The prospect of Turkey’s EU accession seems to be the only thing capable
of driving change in the area of religious freedom and human rights more
widely. Yet the government is now not willing to enact change. Indeed, it
is becoming ever more nationalist – even if this might simply reflect the
AKP’s need for votes from the nationalist constituency. It is careful not
to show too openly that it is Islamist, as this would cause problems with
the President and the military.

All this could change after the next parliamentary elections (due in late
2006 or early 2007) and the presidential election (due next year), if the
current ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) wins. If the current
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan – or a puppet – succeeds in becoming
President, the Ataturk legacy could be changed. There will then not be a
President willing to veto laws that contradict this legacy. This would
definitely lead to a worsening climate for religious freedom. The position
for Sunni Muslims would improve, while for Alevis the situation would
remain as restrictive as it is now. Despite the religious differences with
the majority population, the Sunnis are still seen as Turks. For other
minorities – especially Christians – the situation would be worse.

Government officials sympathetic to the ideal of secularism – and
secularists more widely – are growing increasingly concerned. They fear
that, if the AKP substantially increases its vote at the next election, it
would be strong enough to change the Constitution – even against the wishes
of the opposition. It could also install a President from its ranks, who
would not then veto laws deemed to be part of an Islamist agenda, as the
current President has done.

Secularists in particular are afraid for the future. Turkish diplomats –
who are already concerned over the changing mood among state officials as
an increasing number of AKP supporters fill official positions – are very
afraid of a fundamental change in the country’s course. Many believe any
sweeping AKP victory in the next national elections would speed up the
replacement of state officials with AKP loyalists.

The old establishment is seeking to build up political forces attractive
to the electorate, in a last-ditch bid to head off the AKP challenge.
However, it remains unclear if the electorate will back them. Voters threw
out the old establishment in disgust at its corruption and ineffectiveness.
The AKP has been careful to be on its best behaviour during its current
period in office.

Although there is much talk of a military coup in the event of such
fundamental changes, no-one knows if the majority of army officers still
support Ataturk-defined secularism – or if they would be prepared to back
such an anti-Islamist coup.

Prospects for EU Accession

The level of optimism or pessimism over the future depends on who you talk
to. Western-oriented Turks still hope EU accession negotiations will
continue and that Turkey will eventually join the EU. They hope
desperately that the process will generate its own momentum that would
force the government, the administration and the army to look forward and
support reforms. This could happen, but it looks unlikely.

As the general election looms, the government is doing nothing that could
be seen as a positive step towards the reforms the EU would welcome.

Many observers are not optimistic. They do not believe the Turkish side –
whether the current AKP government or the "deep state" – is interested in
seeing such reforms. Many Turks have not even understood what religious
freedom – for example as defined in the rights set out in Article 9 of the
European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) – actually means (see F18News 13
December < 704>). Or they
understand it – but reject it. Turkey ratified the ECHR in 1954, but over
50 years later has yet to abide by it.

Ataturkists fear that granting religious freedom as outlined in the
Convention would give power to the Islamists. Yet Paragraph 2 of the
ECHR’s Article 9 prevents the abuse of religious freedom by freedom’s
enemies. This states that "freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs
shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are
necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for
the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of
the rights and freedoms of others." Indeed, Article 9 would safeguard a
real separation of religion and the state, as the Ataturkists claim to
want.

This fear is also felt on the EU side, which means that it too is
increasingly reluctant to clearly advocate religious freedom along the
lines of the ECHR. EU governments also fear such rights would open the
doors to Turkey’s Islamist groups. Although EU officials involved in the
accession process are interested in seeing religious freedom promoted
properly – indeed, they regard it as the second most important issue after
recognition of Cyprus – they seem to know that this is seen as a political
issue which is over their heads.

Many believe the accession negotiations will fail this autumn, not over
democratisation and human rights, but over the Turkish government’s
refusal to recognise the government of Cyprus in Nicosia. Many Turks would
not be unhappy at this. Yet if the EU suspends the accession negotiations,
the Turks will feel insulted and spurned by Europe. Some believe the
European Commission is therefore trying to manoeuvre to find a way for
Turkey itself to suspend the negotiations.

Possible Impact on Religious Freedom

Yet any suspension will have a very negative impact on religious freedom –
indeed, the position for religious minorities could end up being worse than
when the negotiations started. Suspension would incite nationalist feelings
and many Turks would openly say that the negotiations and even membership
of the EU itself would not benefit Turkey. Then a hunt would begin for
those who had caused the mess. Most Turks would not point to their own
government but to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Armenian Patriarchate,
the Catholic Church, the Protestants, and other obvious symbols of the
outside world.

The only hope many can see for progress towards religious freedom is that
the EU accession negotiations continue. If EU negotiations stop
completely, no hope for religious freedom will remain. Yet even if the
negotiations stagger on, it is doubtful that the majority of the
population is prepared to change its attitude to nationalism and religion,
and even consider accepting Alevis and non-Muslim Turks as full Turkish
citizens. The only other possible hope is that the reform process will
gather its own momentum independent of the EU. However, at present, there
is little sign of this happening. (END)

– Dr Otmar Oehring, head of the human rights office of Missio
< lturen/themen/menschenrechte>, a
Catholic charity based in Germany, contributed this comment to Forum 18
News Service. Commentaries are personal views and do not necessarily
represent the views of F18News or Forum 18.

For further overviews by Dr Oehring of religious freedom in Turkey, and of
the need for fundamental reform of the Constitution, see
< =68>.

For commentaries by the Anglican Chaplain in Istanbul on the roots of
Turkey’s attitude to religious freedom see
< _id=716>, and on Turkish
society’s reaction to the murder of Roman Catholic priest Fr Andrea
Santoro, see < 724>.

For a personal commentary on religious freedom under Islam, see
< _id=227>

For a personal commentary assessing western European "headscarf laws", see
< _id=469>

A printer-friendly map of Turkey is available at
< s/atlas/index.html?Parent=mideast&Rootmap=turk ey>

Adobe Acrobat PDF and printer-friendly views of this article are available
at < 817>.
(END)

© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved. ISSN 1504-2855
You may reproduce or quote this article provided that credit is given to
F18News

Past and current Forum 18 information can be found at

Armenpress

STUDENTS FROM THE FRENCH UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA WIN
EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMPETITION

YEREVAN, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS: The students of the
French University of Armenia beat their peers from 18
big European universities representing 10 countries
winning the first place at Rene Cassin Human Rights
European Competition.
The French embassy in Yerevan told Armenpress the
award ceremony was handled by a jury made up of
university faculty representatives, international
public servants and lawyers. The Cassin European Human
Rights Competition involves mock trials – in French –
based on the European Convention on Human Rights. It
is open to students of law and political sciences.
The French embassy said Brigitte Jirardin, the
French minister of commonwealth, development and
Francophonia sent a special letter of gratitude
mentioning that the French University of Armenia is
the biggest French university outside France. Rene
Cassin (1887-1976) was one of the most influential
members of the Commission on Human Rights. As a
professor of civil law at the University of Paris,
Cassin was an expert in international law with an
impassioned concern for human rights.
For these reasons, the delegates to the Commission
on Human Rights selected Cassin to compose the first
full draft of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights. This early draft would contain most of the
rights and much of the language that would later be
set forth in the final document.
Rene Cassin spent his life defending the rights of
men, women, and children. His dedication to bettering
the lives of others and his contribution to the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights were eventually
recognized with a Nobel Peace Prize.

LIBERATION SOLDIERS CALL AMBASSADORS

Lragir.am
27 July 06

The civic action group of the veterans of Karabakh liberation war
addressed an open letter July 27 to the ambassadors of the countries
mediating the talks over Karabakh, and the countries, which are
engaged in regional developments. The letter was presented at the
Pastark Club by Mikael Apresyan, the commander of the squad Artsakh,
and Arkady Karapetyan, the leader of Yerkrapah Union of liberation
soldiers of Karabakh.

"The beginning of the 21st century is not the end of the 20th
century for the winner country to surrender its territories,
its historical territories," runs the letter addressed to the
ambassadors. The liberation soldiers disagree with the standpoint of
the government of Armenia and announce that they are against concession
of territories. According to him, none of the points of the proposal
on settlement favors Armenia.

"We think you know the Armenian history and the Turkish-Armenian
relations over the past few centuries, and we are hopeful that you
will have your contribution to the recognition of the righteous
claim of the Armenian people to its historical homeland by the
international community in the framework of the agreement signed in
Sevres accepted internationally," the veterans of Artsakh war call
the ambassadors. They even emphasize in the letter that "the opinion
of the present government on this question does not correspond with
the opinion of the Armenian people."

Besides, Arkady Karapetyan explains why the ambassadors remind
about the agreement of Sevres. "Why did we emphasize the agreement
of Sevres, because the agreement of Sevres is legitimate and
was signed in accordance with all the international rules," says
Arkady Karapetyan. They must return everything they took from us,
under the international law, he says. According to him, the cause
of this situation is that Armenia does not have diplomacy. "There
are principles in the world, we are the winner and we must speak
differently than they. If we had diplomacy, these questions would
not occur. We do not have [a diplomacy], therefore such problems
occur," Arkady Karapetyan says. The veterans of the liberation war
say they did not choose the time of this statement accidentally.
Soon vacations start, and they wanted to provide the government and
the mediators with a topic to think about.

WORLD FOOTBALL LEGEND MICHEL PLATINI TO VISIT AMENIA AUG 2

Yerevan, July 27. ArmInfo. The world football legend, French football
player, Vice President of the Football Federation of France, FIFA and
UEFA executive Michel Platini is to pay an official visit to Armenia
Aug 2.

The press service of the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) reports
Platini to come on the invitation of FFA President Ruben Hayrapetyan.
Platini will meet with Hayrapetyan and will attend the ceremony of
opening of small artificial turf football fields in Yerevan’s Avan
and Kanaker-Zeitun communities.

To remind, FFA and UEFA are implementing a Small Football Fields
project. Armenia will get 1 mln Swiss francs under the project through
the Hat Trick investment program. The key requirement of the project
is that each beneficiary national association should open at least 40
small football fields. As of today there are 2 such fields in Yerevan.

Platini will also meet with Armenian state and public figures.-0-

Fighting words: With two Lebanese-born members,
System of a Down is closely touched by the current conflict.
But war has always been a theme of the band’s unflinching lyrics

Montreal Gazette, Quebec
July 27, 2006

T’CHA DUNLEVY, The Gazette Published: Thursday, July 27, 2006
Article tools

Though widely referred to as an Armenian-American hard rock group,
System of a Down also has roots in another country, which has been
at the forefront of world news in recent weeks. Two of its members –
singer Serj Tankian and drummer John Dolmayan – were born in Lebanon.

Which made the current conflict in the Middle East an unavoidable
topic when I got Dolmayan on the phone yesterday.

"I think it’s great. I’m very happy about things," he said,
without missing a beat, before getting serious. "Obviously it’s very
disturbing. But it’s nothing new. It’s the reason our families left
in the first place. What’s happening now is exactly what was happening
25 years ago. Unfortunately, in that region, it’s the same thing that
has been happening for the past 2,000 years. It’s very disturbing. We
still have family there. It’s very difficult to deal with."

Dolmayan also has ties to Montreal. And that’s not just a reference to
the legions of loyal fans that have helped make the band’s appearances
here so memorable.

"We always have really good shows in Montreal," he said. "Part of the
reason is that we haven’t been that many times. My sister was actually
born in Montreal. When my family left Lebanon, we came to Canada for
asylum. My sister was born two or three days after we got there."

That was in 1976, "one of many times the shit hit the fan in Lebanon.

Lebanon never fights with anyone, but it’s used as a battleground for
whoever feels like fighting. Unfortunately, it’s right in the middle of
(everything).

"It’s far-fetched, but if Canada and Mexico went to war, they
would fight in the U.S. That’s kind of where Lebanon is, in the
middle between Syria and Israel. Before, there were Jews, Arabs and
Christians and everyone wanted to fight for Jerusalem, they were all
historically from the same tribes. They were practically related, if
you go back far enough. It probably started over a couple of sheep,
and they’ve been fighting ever since. It’s moronic."

War is a recurring theme in System of a Down’s music.

The subject is broached from many angles on last year’s
Mesmerize/Hypnotize two-CD set (released separately): including money
("Why do they always send the poor?"), machismo (My c–k is much
bigger than yours") and the innocent victims of conflict ("Where do
you expect us to go when the bombs fall?").

Though pointed and unflinching, the band’s stance rarely comes off as
heavy-handed. Topics are tackled with defiance, irony and wit. The
trivialization of life in North America also features prominently.

"Hey man, look at me rockin’ out/I’m on the radio," Tankian sings.

But while humour plays a part in the music, the grim reality
of world events cannot be ignored. System of a Down’s website
() has a section devoted to global action,
providing links to an array of other sites. At the top of the list
is an entry about the Turkish genocide of Armenians in 1915-23;
an event still officially denied by Turkey.

"After almost 100 years … Turkey still refuses to accept its role in
this terrible tragedy," Dolmayan said. "Imagine if Germany did that,
and raised its citizens to believe the Holocaust never happened. How
sad would that be to Jews, Gypsies, gays and others?"

When not expounding on weighty topics, Dolmayan is pounding out the
relentless beats that, along with the bass playing of Shavo Odadjian,
provide the bedrock of their band’s music.

"I’d say we’re one of the tightest rhythm sections out there right
now," he said. "Rhythm is the concrete foundation of the music, so
if that is there, the painting and architecture that are the lyrics,
vocals and guitar melodies can interact the way they want. If you
don’t have a tight rhythm section, your band sucks."

The band is rounded out by guitarist, vocalist and principal songwriter
Daron Malakian. Asked what leads System of a Down to make such fervent,
ambitious music, Dolmayan doesn’t overthink things.

"This is the path chosen for us by destiny," he said. "We all
gravitated to music for one reason or another … People call us
Armenian rap-metal, prog rock. In 10 years, they might call us classic
rock. We don’t care. We play music for one reason – to satisfy a need
within ourselves.

"Before I knew about war, money or women, I had a passion to play the
drums. It’s something that’s inherently within us. And that’s why I’m
fortunate enough to have you talking to me – because you care about
our band, because people in Montreal care enough to buy a ticket to
our show. We’re lucky to be in that position. But whether it was one
person or one million, that passion would be there."

System of a Down performs Wednesday at Jean Drapeau Park, with
Avenged Sevenfold, Hatebreed and others. Tickets cost $54.50. Call
514-790-1245.

Kars-Akhalkalaki-Baku railway project will strengthen regional and international integration

The Messenger, Georgia
July 27, 2006

As reported in Svobodnaya Gruzia, the Minister of Transport of
Azerbaijan, Namik Gasanov, stated before the meeting of the heads of
the transport ministries of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Kazakhstan,
which is due to take place on July 27 in Astana, that the construction
of Kars-Akhalkalaki-Baku railway project will strengthen regional
and international integration.

"The project will make Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey like a united
organism, and in this sense it has great importance at least from
the regional standpoint," he stated, noting that "being a unit of
the infrastructure-transport chain, which links Europe and Asia,
this project has very great importance in view of international
integration as well." Gasanov highlighted that realization of the
project will lead Azerbaijan to Europe via Turkey.

According to him, experts’ assessments show that the project is very
profitable from the economic standpoint also. "It will bring large
profits from freight and passengers transportation," he said. Gasanov
also said that money invested in the project would be recovered in
two or three years of the railway’s operation.

The Azeri minister also said that the project has great political,
as well as economic, importance. "This project is also important in
regard of the settlement of interstate relations," he said.

Touching upon obstacles the project faces, Gasanov stressed that
attempts are being made in this direction by Armenia. "Armenia is
making every effort, even with the help of the U.S. Congress, to impede
this project and prevent its implementation." According to him, Armenia
will not be involved in one of the greatest regional projects because
of their "destructive policy" and "occupation of Azeri territories."

Gasanov also commented on the cost of the project and said that,
according to preliminary data, the cost of this project is USD 400
million. At prior negotiations, the Turkish side agreed to allot USD
200 million for the realization of the project. "The parties have
been continuing negotiations on this issue. Georgia also expresses its
readiness to finance this project, but clarity in this issue will be
made at the negotiations in Kazakhstan," Gasanov stated. According
to him, construction of the project will start in 2007 and will be
completed within two to three years.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
07/27/2006
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1. Rep. Pallone Urges Senate to Block Hoagland Nomination
2. Western Prelate Issues Appeal for Lebanon Victims
3. Rights Group Asks Kocharian to Include Refugee Issues in Talks

1. Rep. Pallone Urges Senate to Block Hoagland Nomination

WASHINGTON–In a July 25th speech on the House floor, Congressional Armenian
Caucus Co-Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) called on the US Senate to block the
nomination of Richard Hoagland to serve as the next US Ambassador to Armenia,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
In his remarks, the New Jersey legislator outlined the reasons for his
opposition, notably Ambassador-designate Hoagland’s denial of the Armenian
Genocide and his evasiveness and lack of responsiveness to Senate inquiries.
He also highlighted the failure of the Administration to respond honestly to
communications it held with the Turkish government concerning the firing of
current US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans over his February 2005 remarks
affirming the Armenian Genocide.
Congressman Pallone closed his speech by noting his "fear that sending an
ambassador to Yerevan who denies the Armenian genocide would represent a
tragic
escalation in the Bush administration’s ignorance and support in Turkey’s
campaign of genocide denial. The State Department has reported to Senate
offices that they expect Ambassador Designate Hoagland to be confirmed
during a
business meeting early next week. I would urge the Senate to block his
nomination until this administration recognizes the Armenian genocide."

The full text of Congressman Pallone’s speech, excerpted from the July 25
Congressional Record, is provided below:

Ambassador Nominee Richard Hoagland

Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to express my concerns with the
nomination of
Richard Hoagland as US Ambassador to Armenia . Many questions remain regarding
US policy on the Armenian genocide, and they remain unanswered. Key Senate
Foreign Relations Committee members continue to have serious misgivings about
the nomination.
Two weeks ago, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee considered Mr.
Hoagland’s nomination. During the hearing, Mr. Hoagland failed to adequately
respond to the questions asked by the Senators, including not clarifying the
US’s policy in the denial of the Armenian genocide. In many instances, he did
not respond to specific Senate inquires. He diverted his answers by responding
with what seemed like prepared talking points, and went to great lengths to
avoid using the term genocide.
Additionally, in response to a written inquiry from Senator John Kerry
concerning Turkey’s criminal prosecution of journalists for writing about the
Armenian genocide, Mr. Hoagland referred to these writings as allegations.
Mr. Speaker, the US has historically taken a leadership role in preventing
genocide and human rights violations, but the Bush administration continues to
play word games by not calling evil by its proper name. Instead, they refer to
the mass killings of 1.5 million Armenians as tragic events. This term cannot
be substituted for genocide. The two words are simply not synonymous.
Mr. Speaker, there are historical documents that cannot be refuted, yet
somehow the Administration continues to ignore the truth in fear of offending
another government.
The Bush administration has not offered a meaningful explanation of its
reasons for firing the current US Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans. In fact,
the State Department’s assertion that it did not receive any communications
from the Turkish Government concerning Ambassador Evans’ February 2005
affirmation of the Armenian genocide is simply not credible.
Official Department of Justice filings by the Turkish Government’s registered
foreign agent, the Livingston Group, document that there are at least four
different occasions of communications with State
Department officials following Ambassador Evans’ remarks affirming the
Armenian genocide. Still, the State Department refutes these claims.
Mr. Speaker, this lack of honesty has been an all too common practice of the
Bush administration. The American people and this Congress deserve a full and
truthful account of the role of the Turkish Government in denying the Armenian
genocide. Our Nation’s response to genocide should not be denigrated to a
level
acceptable to the Turkish Government. It is bout time the Bush administration
started dictating a policy for Americans and not for a foreign government.
Mr. Speaker, I fear that sending an ambassador to Yerevan who denies the
Armenian genocide would represent a tragic escalation in the Bush
administration’s ignorance and support in Turkey’s campaign of genocide
denial. The State Department has reported to
Senate offices that they expect Ambassador Designate Hoagland to be confirmed
during a business meeting early next week. I would urge the Senate to block
his
nomination until this administration recognizes the Armenian genocide.

2. Western Prelate Issues Appeal for Lebanon Victims

Western Prelate, Archbishop Moushegh Madirossian issued an appeal to the
Armenian community to assist in humanitarian efforts and prayers for the
victims of the ongoing Israeli bombing of Lebanon, reported the Western
Prelacy. Below is the translated text of the appeal:

"Let Us Reach Out to the Victims in Lebanon"
We know that our faithful have been following the calamity in Lebanon that
has
caused suffering for all the Lebanese people, but especially for innocent
civilians.
We would like to keep the public informed about appeals that have been
made to
His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, in support of Lebanon
and the aid offered to the victims.
The Prelate has been in constant contact with His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos
of the Great House of Cilicia, to become better informed about the situation
and to hear the suggestions of His Holiness. on how we can lend a helping hand
to the Lebanese people and especially our Armenian brethren. As stated in our
previous press release, the Prelate celebrated the Feast of the
Transfiguration
of our Lord on Sunday July 23, at St. Garabed Church in Hollywood, where he
also urged the faithful to provide aid to Lebanon. On this same day, a
special
prayer was also offered in all Prelacy churches for peace and for the innocent
victims.
The Prelate has also been in regular contact with the Consul General of
Lebanon. The Prelacy has representatives on a committee established by the
Consulate General to work towards securing assistance for Lebanon. The
representatives are delegates Mr. Hrair Balian and Mr. Ghazaros Ghazarossian.
Reflecting on the situation, the Prelate stated, "Lebanon and its people are
once again subjected to dreadful conditions, at a time when the wounds from
previous conflicts had not completely healed yet. Under the current
situation,
the Lebanese people and the Armenian community there are in need of assistance
and support. Taking this opportunity, I would like to once again extend a
plea
to our Prelacy faithful and community organizations to assist the victims of
Lebanon to the best of their abilities. We also pray for the fighting to come
to an end as soon as possible and for peace to be restored in the country."

3. Rights Group Asks Kocharian to Include Refugee Issues in Talks

YEREVAN (Yerkir)–Refugees and International Law civil association network has
sent an open letter to Armenian President Robert Kocharian. The text of the
letter is presented below:

Your Excellency,

Refugees and International Law civil association network, with a mission to
protect rights of Armenian refugees expelled from Soviet Azerbaijan and
Nakhichevan by force, suggests that you include the issue of 500,000 Armenian
refugees in the agenda of your talks on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. Any settlement, leaving out restoration and full protection of
rights
of hundreds of our compatriots is not satisfactory.
Problems of Armenian refugees can be divided into three main categories:
1. Acquiring a Fatherland,
2. Compensation of direct material and moral damage, resulting from
deportation
from Soviet Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan
3. Compensation of indirect material and moral damage, resulting from
deportation from Soviet Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan.
Surveys among Armenian refugees indicate that they will not return to their
previous residences under the jurisdiction of the Azerbaijan. We already
had an
opportunity to state that as the Azerbaijan has refused to become the
successor
of the Soviet Azerbaijan, the only legal successor of the latter is the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
If Armenian refugees from Soviet Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan are granted
Nagorno-Karabakh citizenship and if they get territories, outside the
boundaries, within which the Karabakh was declared, but on which it has
jurisdiction over today, this can partially solve their problems.
Refugees and International Law civil association network has also appealed to
the US Embassy in Armenia, suggesting that it organizes a meeting with OSCE
Minsk Group’s US Co-Chair Matthew Bryza. During this meeting the group
plans to
submit a message to Mr. Bryza, addressed to Minsk Group co-chairs and discuss
issues and concerns facing Armenian refugees."
The same organization sent a similar message to Azeri President Ilham Aliyev.

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PETER SEMNEBY: EU IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE BLOCKING OF UPPER LARS CONTROL POINT

AZG Armenian Daily #139, 26/07/2006

Opinion

"The Blocking of the Upper Lars control point aroused the concern in
the European Union," Peter Semneby, EU Special Representative in the
South Caucasus, said this at today’s joint press conference with RA
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. Semneby stated that EU realizes all
the difficulties that were caused after the blocking of the Upper Lars
control point. He added that in the course of his visit to Georgia,
he discussed the problems between Russia and Georgia, particularly the
blocking of the border that concerns Armenia as well. "The given issue
also caused the statement of the country in chair of EU few days ago,"
Semneby said.

PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand
10 Macquarie Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
AUSTRALIA

Contact: Laura Artinian
Tel: (02) 9419-8056
Fax: (02) 9904-8446
Email: [email protected]

24 July 2006

SAFE ARRIVAL HOME FOR SYDNEY-BASED DANCE GROUP

Sydney, Australia – The last of the 80 plus group of the Hamazkaine Sevan
Dance Group caught up in the bombings in Lebanon touched down in Sydney on
Saturday evening after a harrowing ordeal.

The 45 person dance troupe, mostly made up of teenage youth, with their
minders had been on a concert tour of Armenia, Syria and Lebanon and were
due to fly out of Beirut the same day the airport was first bombed. The
group was part of the first convoy organised by the Australian Government to
evacuate from Beirut, enduring a 17-hour road trip which saw them enter
Syria through a northern border and onto Amman, Jordan. The evacuation
operation, considered high risk, was kept secret for security reasons until
word was received that the group had arrived safely in Damascus, Syria.
Thereon in, evacuees and their loved ones back home took some comfort as the
group spent anxious but safer days in Amman awaiting a flight back to
Sydney. The group finally made its safe passage in three waves with the
first arrivals on Thursday evening.

His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand joined contingents of family,
friends and concerned community members to welcome the evacuees each day.
As they made their way into the arrivals hall of Sydney International
Airport there was much cheering and overwhelming emotions among the
commotion of ‘welcome home’ banners, balloons, well-wishers and media
frenzy.

As the members of the group arrived, reunited families gathered in the
arrival area altogether to receive the blessing of Archbishop Baliozian,
offering prayers of thanksgiving to the Almighty for guiding the children of
our community back to the safety of their loved ones and homes.

Over the past two weeks, prayer services resonated at the Armenian Apostolic
Church of Holy Resurrection, initially requesting of our Heavenly Father His
guidance in delivering our faithful safely out of the dangers of the
conflict region. On Sunday, prayers of thanksgiving were offered for His
careful delivery of the troupe to Australia as well as prayers for peace to
reign and protection of the thousands of people affected in the region.

In appreciation of the Australian Government’s efforts and vigilant care of
the Armenian dance group in securing their safe passage home, the Primate
sent letters of gratitude to both the Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs
Minister of Australia.