AIBA YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: HRAYR MATEVOSYAN WINS AGAINST HERRERA
Panorama.am
28/04/2010
AIBA Youth World Championships is underway in Baku, Azerbaijan. In 60
kg weight category the Armenian representative Hrayr Matevosyan
advanced to the next round, winning against the Argentinean Juan
Carrasco Herrera. Next, Hrayr will meet Miroslav Kembic of Bosnia.
In 51 kg category, today Narek Abrahamyan of Armenian will defend his
bout against Egyptian Hisham Mahmoud Abdeal.
S. DANIELYAN SAYS PASSAGE TO CLASSICAL ORTHOGRAPHY WILL CONTRIBUTE TO STRENGTHENING OF ARMENIA-DIASPORA TIES
ARMENPRESS
APRIL 28, 2010
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, APRIL 28, ARMENPRESS: The necessity of returning to the
classical orthography of the Armenian language first of all has
a political background, Director of "Diaspora" scientific center
Suren Danielyan said today at a meeting with journalists. According
to him, the return to the classical orthography will contribute to
strengthening of Armenia-Diaspora ties.
ISRAELI KNESSET PUSHES THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ISSUE INTO AGENDA
Panorama.am
28/04/2010
With 12 pros and 8 cons the Israeli Knesset has pushed the Armenian
Genocide issue into the parliament agenda, expert of Jewish studies
Artak Grigoryan told Panorama.am.
Haim Oron, a supporter of the Genocide issue in the parliament,
delivered a 15-minute long speech on the issue, the discussion took
25 minutes. Artak Grigoryan assessed it positively that the discussion
took that long.
"Serious pro-Armenian views have been expressed during the discussion,
those not being as many previously. Of course, some parliamentarians
were con," Artak Grigoryan conveyed the information received from
Israel.
He felt hard to say which committee will introduce the issue in the
parliament. "The Knesset will decide on the issue in the upcoming
two weeks," he said.
AFTER DECADES ARMENIAN PRAYER AND ARMENIAN CHURCH PSALM WAS HEARD IN THE BAKU ST. GRIGOR LUSAVORICH ARMENIAN CHURCH
ARMENPRESS
APRIL 27, 2010
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS: His Holiness Catholicos of All
Armenians Karekin II met April 26 with the Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev. Holy See press department told Armenpress that at the
meeting president were head of the Caucasian Muslims Seikh-ul-Islam
Allahshukur Pashazadeh, Archbishop, responsible of the Etchmiadzin
Foreign Relations Yeznik Petrosyan. During the meeting the participants
spoke about the summit of religious leaders conducted in Baku,
necessity of dialogue of religions and cultures. They also referred
to the Karabakh conflict regulation process welcoming the peaceful
efforts directed toward the settlement of the issue.
On the same day the Armenian Catholicos visited Baku’s St. Grigor
Lusavorich Church which is currently operating as book depository. His
Holiness got acquainted with the condition of the church which has been
damaged after the 1990 fire. The Catholicos expressed hope that with
the mercy of God the church will open its doors before the believers,
continuing its mission. After the decades Armenian prayer and Armenian
church psalm was heard in the church.
Catholicos of All Armenians returned back home and Archbishop Yeznik
Petrosuan and Bishop Hovakim Manukyan remained in Baku to continue
participation in the works of the Baku summit.
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECALLED IN TROUBLING GROUP EXHIBITION
Matern Boeselager
The Daily Star
on_id=1&categ_id=4&Article_id=114193#axzz0 mDG195KB
April 26 2010
Lebanon
BOURJ HAMMOUD: "Art is the expression of a nation’s soul," opined Hagop
Havatian. The manager of the newly founded Hamazkayin Art Gallery in
Bourj Hammoud, Havatian, was explaining what he sees to be the role
of culture in the Armenians’ struggle to safeguard their identity in
the diaspora.
In this regard, he has invited 28 artists, Armenian and non-Armenian,
to contribute works inspired by the tragedy of the Armenian genocide.
All of them answered his call.
The result of their collective efforts opened to the public on
Thursday, two days before Armenians all over the world commemorated the
95th anniversary of the beginning of the massacres. The commemoration
ceremonies are being held under the patronage of Aram I., Catholicos
of the Holy See of Cilicia.
"It was important to invite non-Armenian artists to express their
tribute to our martyrs," Havatian said. "It was important because
the genocide was committed against all of humanity, not just the
Armenians."
As a result, more than half of the artists on exhibition are Lebanese
from other confessions. Indeed, some of these artists were not entirely
familiar with the tragedy that befell the Armenians when they received
the invitation.
"I knew a bit of the history, but I did my own research when I was
invited," said Zeina Badran, who submitted a small but thoughtful
painting, using a silk-screen technique to replicate historical
photographs on a white canvas. Due to the procedure and their small
size, the details of the original pictures are hard to make out,
turning the painting into an eerie vista of endless lines of blurred
figures trudging through the canvas’ snowy plain.
Not all pieces on display are quite as reserved.
Naturally, combining 28 painters and sculptors within a single
exhibition produces a great variety of work. Pieces of all sizes
and styles hang next to each other, the figurative competing with
the abstract, religious-inspired work vying with angry pop-art,
the dramatic with the melancholic.
Yet for all their diversity in style, the works are united by their
common subject. The desire to convey human suffering is present in
every piece, although the approaches differ widely. While the dominant
theme is an array of human bodies in various poses, some artists have
attempted to go beyond the mere portrayal of misery.
In one painting by Charles Khoury, brightly colored figures are
juxtaposed against a black background. The painter, who cites both
primitive cave-paintings and street art as influences, explains that,
although the black stands for all the hate and aggression mankind is
capable of, the colors in the foreground indicated that hope is to
be found even in the darkest hours.
In another corner of the room, Jean Marc Nahass has covered a large
panoramic canvas with equally sized panels that show roughly charcoaled
faces, soldiers, naked women and animals, calling to mind Picasso’s
famous "Guernica" – albeit in the form of a comic strip.
The sculptures on display are equally diverse. The 90-year-old Armenian
artist Guvder, who has also contributed three drawings to the show,
covered a board with seven faces made of animal bone. Some of them
smile at the observer in a rather unsettling manner.
Across the room, Tania Bakal Seifeddin has fashioned dozens of tiny
cubes out of what look like stone, then wrapped them in colored
plastic, sprinkled them with glitter and clustered them to form a
miniature shantytown. She has called this "Camp Hadgin," referring
to one of the camps where Armenians first settled after arriving in
Lebanon. Again, the colorful unruliness of the sculpture suggests
that the piece might be read as a depiction of a refugee’s misery as
well as a testimonial to life’s stubborn resolution.
Finally, tucked away in a corner at the far end of the gallery, the
spectator will discover one of the most modest and yet most enigmatic
of the pieces: Jamil Molaeb’s painting "New Genocide." All there is to
be seen are two dead birds on a sidewalk, delicately painted – all the
more thought-provoking in contrast with some of the more-overbearing
paintings in the piece’s immediate neighborhood.
While it sometimes feels that more than 30 works of art are a bit much
for the space at the Hamazkayin Gallery, the pieces themselves do not
fail to instill a feeling of unease at the many scenes of torture
and despair. If art really is the expression of a nation’s soul,
the scattered Armenian nation is still a tormented one.
"A Tribute to the Martyrs" is up at the Hamazkayin Gallery until May
3. For more info, call +961 3 290 968.
CANADIAN PM ADDRESSES MESSAGE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
A1Plus.am
26/04/10
Thousands gathered in front of the RA Embassy in Canada to commemorate
the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
The remembrance ceremony was attended by primates of the Armenian
Apostolic, Catholic and Protestant churches, heads of local Armenian
organisations and political parties, media representatives, and
residents of Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto.
The participants of the event laid flowers near the "Armenia Immortal"
Memorial. RA Charge d’affaires ad interim Canada Arman Hakobyan and
Bishop Bagrat Galstyan made speeches. Arman Hakobyan thanked Canadian
authorities for the official recognition of Armenian Genocide and
constructive posture in Armenia-Turkey relations.
The ceremony was later continued in front of the Canadian parliament.
Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper has addressed a message to the
Armenian community of Canada on the 95th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide.
OBAMA RECALLED "MEDS YEGHERN" IN ARMENIAN-"GENOCIDE"
news.am
April 26 2010
Armenia
"In his just issued April 24, 2010 statement, President Barack Obama
commemorated the victims of the Armenian Genocide, reiterated that his
view on the Armenian Genocide has not changed, expanded on his 2009
statement, and again used the Armenian term for the Armenian Genocide
Meds Yeghern," reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).
"April 24 of each year marks the date when the Ottoman Turkish Empire
began the elimination of Christian Armenians in the first genocide of
the 20th century. In today’s statement, President Obama said ‘I have
consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view
of that history has not changed. It is in all of our interest to see
the achievement a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the facts.
The Meds Yeghern is a devastating chapter in the history of the
Armenian people, and we must keep its memory alive in honor of those
who were murdered and so that we do not repeat the grave mistakes of
the past,’ the source says.
‘This statement was issued in the environment of an increasingly
widespread well-funded denial campaign by the Turkish government,
Prime Minister Erdogan’s threat to deport Armenians living in Turkey,
and the suspension of signed agreements to normalize Turkish-Armenian
relations because of Turkey’s non-compliance with the Swiss brokered
deal heavily supported by the United States, Russia, France and the
European Union,’ AAA statement reads.
‘Earlier this month, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Diocese
of the Armenian Church (Eastern), the Diocese of the Armenian Church
(Western) and the Assembly in a joint statement urged President Obama
to use the English term rather than employ the Armenian term for the
Armenian Genocide in his April 24 statement.
‘We have long stated that U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide
should not be held hostage to Armenia-Turkey relations. In 1981,
President Reagan clearly reaffirmed the U.S. position when in his
April 22 Proclamation, he used the English term–Armenian Genocide,"
stated the Assembly’s Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "Unequivocal
affirmation of the Armenian Genocide will also further the cause
of genocide prevention worldwide and be more faithful to American
principles," Ardouny continued.
Other Presidents have used dictionary definitions of genocide or
incorporated the term Armenian Genocide by reference, but have
yielded to Turkish threats and refrained from being as explicit as
President Reagan.
President George W. Bush, for example, described the Armenian Genocide
as "forced exile, murder, and annihilation," and incorporated the
term Armenian Genocide by reference, while President Bill Clinton
used "the senseless deportations" and "massacres." President George
H. W. Bush talked about the U.S. response for the victims "of the
crime against humanity" and President Jimmy Carter said "there was a
concerted effort made to eliminate all the Armenian people, probably
one of the greatest tragedies that ever befell any group".
The Obama statement also included the following: "The indomitable
spirit of the Armenian people is a lasting triumph over those who set
out to destroy them," which is yet another way of covering the intent
element of the crime by indicting the architects of the Genocide who
"set out to destroy" an entire race.
In January 2008, then-Senator Obama stated: "As President I will
recognize the Armenian Genocide." In October 2008, President Obama
reiterated his views, "I believe that the Armenian Genocide is not
an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a
widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical
evidence." President Obama not only incorporated those statements,
but again used the Armenian term "Meds Yeghern," over the objections of
Turkish officials. Earlier this week, one of Turkey’s leading Genocide
deniers, Member of Parliament and former Ambassador to Washington
wrote an open letter critical of a prior statement by President
Obama, stating "Although your statement omitted the highly charged
word ‘genocide,’ you twice employed the expression ‘metz yeghern’
(Meds Yeghern), which is the exact translation of &’genocide’ in the
Armenian language."
‘KILLER QUEEN’ SUZY KENTIKIAN DEFENDS HER CHAMPION TITLE
ArmInfo
2010-04-26 16:49:00
ArmInfo. "Killer Queen" Syuzanna Kentikian, WBO and WIA lightweight
champion, has defended her title in the super flyweight fight (under
50.8 kg) vs. German representative Nadia Raoui.
Upon completion of the fight two judges gave the same result 96-94
in Kentikian’s favor, and the third one gave 96-95 in Raoui’s favor.
ERDOGAN SAID OBAMA PERFORMED HIS EMOTIONS
Panorama.am
14:17 26/04/2010
Turkish PM Rejep Tayip Erdogan answered to reporters’ questions
referring to Obama’s April 24 address. "Cumhuriyet" Erdogan said Obama
has expressed his emotions over the issue. Reminding that instead of
using genocide, Obama used Great Tragedy, Erdogan said:
"The expectations were different. That address performed U.S.
Government’s emotions towards that issue," Erdogan also added: "The
Zurich protocols won’t be processes unless regional peace is settled
between Armenia and Azerbaijan. I’ve told that Serzh Sargsyan also."
LA Slaying May Solve Mystery of 2 Others
Tori Richards Contributor
AOL News
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (April 26, 2010) — Somebody really wanted to make sure
Khachik Safaryan was dead.
An assassin shot the 43-year-old man through the right side of his temple,
on each side of his forehead, and finished him off with a bullet to the
chest. Safaryan’s daughter Lusine, 8, was also killed with gunshots to each
side of her head.
The case remained unsolved for two years until Safaryan’s wife, Karine
Hakobyan, 38, was shot in the back of her head last month as she parked her
car. Now authorities have arrested and charged a man with her murder. The
suspect, Alberd Tersargyan, told police he was 73 years old but authorities
believe he is 59, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Sources say Tersargyan was romantically interested in Hakobyan, who spurned
his advances, according to KTLA-TV in Los Angeles, quoting an unidentified
family friend. Law enforcement sources also told the Times that Tersargyan
may have been obsessed with Hakobyan and had been stalking her.
Police are investigating whether the killer of Karine Hakobyan, here in an
undated family photo, also killed her husband and one of their daughters two
years ago.
Tersargyan was charged Thursday with one count of capital murder with the
enhancement of lying in wait in connection with Hakobyan’s death.
He remains jailed without bail and could face the death penalty if
convicted, according to court records. Los Angeles police detectives are
still working on the case, hoping to find enough evidence to charge him with
the other two slayings as well.
Tersargyan knew Hakobyan when they both lived in their native Armenia,
according to KTLA-TV. He also befriended Hakobyan’s husband and daughter
while still holding a romantic interest in the woman.
The Safaryan family immigrated to the United States several years ago after
winning a contest that paid for their move here. Apparently Tersargyan
moved, too.
Safaryan got a job as a supermarket clerk, and Hakobyan worked as a hospital
administrator. They had two young daughters and lived quietly in an area of
Hollywood that was an enclave for Armenian immigrants.
Then, on Dec. 11, 2008, the family’s 12-year-old daughter returned home from
school to a horrific death scene. Her younger sister was slumped on a couch
in the living room, where a decorated Christmas tree stood next to a
television set. In a bedroom, her father was lying on the ground, his head
propped up against a nightstand and partially covered by a jogging suit.
Blood spatters were on the wall, and a switchblade knife was next to his
body, according to a coroner’s report.
Detectives also found several cigarette butts on the foyer floor of the tidy
home, but no shell casings. Neighbors reported hearing a popping sound at
2:27 p.m., half an hour before the bodies were discovered, the coroner’s
report said.
"This was a professional hit," LAPD Detective Michael Whelan told AOL News.
"We think we have a motive behind all of this, but I can’t discuss that
now."
Whelan would not provide information on Tersargyan or his role in the first
two killings — whether he hired someone else or participated himself.
However, prosecutors have charged him with being the actual gunman in the
third death.
After the two murders, Hakobyan moved her daughter to another nearby
apartment complex where other relatives lived. A reward was offered by the
city of Los Angeles, but her family’s case went cold until she was slain in
a parking lot adjacent to her home.
A break in the case that led them to Tersargyan came Monday, police told The
Associated Press. Detectives arrested Tersargyan at his home and found a
handgun that matched the ballistics in Hakobyan’s shooting. Other weapons
were found at his home as well.
"Tersargyan personally discharged the firearm," Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman
with the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, told AOL News.
The lone survivor of the family’s slaughter is now 14 years old and living
with her grandparents near the apartment she used to share with her mother,
who was buried last week following an emotional funeral, Whelan told AOL
News.
"We just want them to find the people who did this, so they can finally get
their punishment," the girl told the Los Angeles Times.
Whelan said she was doing well, considering what happened to her, and has
the love of an extended family.
"She’s very intelligent and very well-grounded despite this horrific thing
that has happened to her," Whelan told the Times. "She’s held up in some
regards better than some of the family members around her."