Author: Emil Karabekian

Azerbaijan irked over festival performer with Armenian surname

Emil Karabekian
JAM News
JamNews, Baku
Aliya Haqverdi, Baku

Social media users debate which Armenians should be allowed to visit Baku

The coming of Russian singer Zara Mgoian to Baku has caused a scandal in Azerbaijan, especially among the country’s Facebook users. The main reason is that Zara has an Armenian sounding surname and performs a song titled My Armenia.

According to information found on social networks, the singer was invited to the Zhara music festival. The organizer, Emin Agalarov, is a Russian singer of Azerbaijani descent and the son of a prominent businessman as well as former son-in-law of Azerbaijan’s president. The festival will be held from 26 to 29 July.

Previous rosters of the festival saw singers Philip Kirkorov and Irina Allegrova, both of whom have Armenian roots, come to Baku. The topic for discussion in such cases are the guests’ behavior and their position on the Karabakh conflict. For example, when the singer Soso Pavliashvili came to Baku for a concert in 2016, the Azerbaijani public resented his statements that he ‘visited Karabakh and will continue to do so’. Nevertheless, the concert was sold out.

However, the Armenian boxers who arrived for the 2011 World Cup had stones thrown at them.

Zara, in this sense, is an unwelcome guest, because her posts on Instagram unequivocally support Armenia’s position.

Comments on Facebook range from extremely aggressive to ironic:

“Shame on those who invited an Armenian singer to Baku, and to those who allow it! What a disgrace!”

“Be cursed, traitors of the motherland!”

“It’s not that she’s Armenian, but that she supports the Armenian [side regarding the] genocide.”

“A question to the organizers: since there is such a need to bring an Armenian to Baku, why not Kim Kardashian?”

“It’d be better if they brought Serj Tankian and the System of the Down band!”

“It turns out that if the former son-in-law needs it, some Armenians are not completely Armenians. Such selective patriotism.”

The main argument in defence of Zara is that, by nationality, she is not an Armenian, but a Yazid (Yazidi/Yezidi is a disputed Kurdish ethno-religious group). It was in this spirit that the pro-government site 1news spoke in.


Sports: Arsenal name Henrikh Mkhitaryan to squad for Singapore tour

Emil Karabekian
PanArmenian, Armenia
– 12:17 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been included in b's preseason tour to Singapore, while midfielder Jeff Reine-Adelaide was among the most notable exclusions from Unai Emery's 25-man squad, ESPN reports.

Forward Lucas Perez and 17-year-old Emile Smith Rowe are also on board.

Winger Joel Campbell, defender Carl Jenkinson and Chuba Akpom were not included in the squad. All three have been widely expected to leave the club this summer.

Reine-Adelaide was a more surprising exclusion after he impressed in Arsenal's game at Boreham Wood last weekend. However, the decision indicates that the 20-year-old French midfielder is not part of Emery's first-team plans for next season and could be sent out for another loan stint.

A handful of youngsters will be on the plane, which takes off for Singapore on Sunday. Smith Rowe will make his first preseason trip with the first team, as will 19-year-old defender Jordi Osei-Tutu.

Fellow teenagers Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and Joe Willock are making their second Asian tour after being included last year as well.

Mesut Ozil, Alex Iwobi and Mohamed Elneny are also joining up with the team for the trip after returning from their post-World Cup holidays.

Full squad: Petr Cech, Bernd Leno, Emiliano Martinez; Hector Bellerin, Sead Kolasinac, Calum Chambers, Rob Holding, Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Jordi Osei-Tutu, Mohamed Elneny, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Matteo Guendouzi, Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe, Joe Willock, Aaron Ramsey, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mesut Ozil, Alex Iwobi, Eddie Nketiah, Lucas Perez, Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Fresno home of William Saroyan, Pulitzer Prize playwright and author, to become museum

Emil Karabekian
The Collegian: California State University – Fresno
Friday
Fresno home of William Saroyan, Pulitzer Prize playwright and author, to become museum
 
by Dan Waterhouse
 
 
The west-central Fresno home of prize-winning playwright and author William Saroyan will open to the public and researchers as a cultural site and museum on Friday, Aug. 31 – on his 110th birthday.
 
Saroyan lived in the house at 2729 W. Griffith Way the last 17 years of his life. He died in May 1981.
 
To mark the occasion, there will be a grand opening celebration at Fresno State's Satellite Student Union that evening, beginning at 6:30 p.m., according to Liana Nikoghosyan of the Renaissance Cultural and Intellectual Foundation of Armenia. The formal program will start at 7 p.m. with a movie about the project, speakers and several musical performances. The event is free, but attendees are asked to RSVP at http://saroyanhouse.com.
 
Saroyan was born in Fresno in 1908. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940 for "The Time of Your Life" and won the 1943 Academy Award for Best Story for the film adaptation of "The Human Comedy." He wrote extensively about Armenian immigrant life in California and Fresno.
 
Nikoghosyan said Arthur Janibekyan, founder of the Renaissance foundation, bought the house to save it from foreclosure and being sold at auction in 2016. She said the process of establishing the museum began after that. She said there will be interactive and innovative exhibits, including a hologram of Saroyan.
 
It will also house a large digital archive about Saroyan. A research area will be created in the house to enable students, scholars and other interested people to benefit from what Saroyan left behind, she added.
 
The house was placed on the local register of historic resources, and a plaque honoring Saroyan was placed on a wall of the home in 1989, eight years after he died. After his death, it was a rental home for many years and attracted squatters, according to a 2016 Fresno Bee story announcing the museum project.
 
 
 
 
 

Sports: Youri Djorkaeff ready to support Armenian football, PM says

Emil Karabekian
Panorama, Armenia
July 9 2018

French football legend of Armenian descent Youri Djorkaeff has expressed readiness to support Armenia and the Armenian football, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a post on Facebook on Monday.

“I started my working day with a meeting with world-famous footballer of Armenian origin, world and European champion Youri Djorkaeff,” the PM said, sharing a photo of himself and the football star on his page.

“He says he is inspired by the Armenian revolution and is ready to strongly support Armenia and the Armenian football.”

Youri Djorkaeff arrived in Armenia to take part in the Match of Legends held in capital Yerevan on Sunday, with the exhibition match ending with Latin America beating Europe 5-2.

He shared the pitch with such Latin American and European football legends as Rivaldo, Gabriel Batistuta, Hernán Crespo, Luis Figo, Dida, Cafu, Ivan Zamorano, Serginho, Juliano Belletti, Jari Litmanen, Hristo Stoichkov, Demetrio Albertini, Ludovic Giuly, Kakha Kaladze, Ryan Giggs and others.  

Armenia MPs prevent young person’s suicide attempt

Emil Karabekian 
News.am, Armenia




Armenia MPs prevent young person’s suicide attempt
13:46, 24.06.2018


National Assembly of Armenia “Tsarukyan” Faction MPs Naira Zohrabyan
and Vahe Enfiajyan on Sunday have prevented a person from committing
suicide at Victory Bridge, in capital city Yerevan.

Enfiajyan informed about the aforementioned on Facebook.

“Early in the morning today at around 6:30am, my colleague Naira
Zohrabyan called [by telephone] and informed [me] that she
noticed—right at the moment when crossing Victory Bridge—a young
person who was attempting to commit suicide. She asked [me] to come
quickly so that we together help the young person. I was at the scene
of the incident after a few minutes from the call,” the MP wrote, in
particular. “Thank God, Naira Zohrabyan succeeded in persuading the
young person to cross to this side of the bridge. After personally
speaking with the young person, it became clear that his desperate
move is due to right and justice issues. We were able to come to a
common agreement with the young person that he will no longer resort
to such a move. Subsequently, I personally accompanied him home by
car.”

Ombudsman visits arrested Member of Parliament Manvel Grigoryan in jail

Emil Karabekian
| 09:12 | June 17 2018
Category
Society

Human Rights Defender of Armenia (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan visited arrested Member of Parliament Manvel Grigoryan in the NSS detention facility at night, the Ombudsman’s office said.

The Ombudsman had a private conversation with the lawmaker, documents relating the case have been studied and the conditions of detention have been inspected. Health condition and medical aid issues were also studied. A number of issues have been raised, which have been solved on the spot.

The Member of Parliament did not present complaints regarding the conditions of his detention or treatment by officers. Based on the question of the MP’s attorney, the detention facility said it will ensure Grigoryan’s medical examination by his own preferred doctor, if needed.

The Ombudsman’s staff is also in contact with MP Grigoryan’s attorneys. A discussion procedure has been initiated in the Ombudsman’s office for taking necessary steps within the framework of lawful powers.

Sports: Armenian football team to fight to win every game in League of Nations

Emil Karabekian
ARKA, Armenia
June 7 2018

YEREVAN, June 7. /ARKA/. The head coach of the Armenian national football team Vardan Minasyan said today his team has one goal in the League of Nations – to win all matches.

"In the League of Nations, we must achieve the maximum result. We will have eight matches, and in each we will strive for victory. We can say that we will have eight mini-finals.  No other result will suit us,” Minasyan told reporters.

The Armenian team had two friendly games with Malta (1:1) and Moldova (0:0) in late May and early June.  Speaking of these games, Minasyan said first of all he wanted to present his philosophy to the team, and secondly, to try out two new schemes to check the level of interaction between the players. 

"Two things are important for me in football: quality and desire. I wanted to see the fire in the eyes of the players, see the desire and I saw them. I can say that there is a positive shift in our team,‘ Minasyan added.

Armenia is in the fourth league D together with Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino and Gibraltar. Its rivals are Macedonia, Liechtenstein and Gibraltar, 

The four group winners of League A will qualify for the Nations League finals which will take place in June 2019. The group winners of Leagues B, C and D gain promotion and those at the bottom of A, B and C will be relegated.

The four best placed finishers in each league tier of the Nations Cup that fail to qualify for Euro 2020 will then go into a play-off for one place – with a one legged semi-final and one legged final in March 2020.- 0-

National consent government to be formed in Armenia – Pashinyan

Emil Karabekian
ARKA, Armenia

YEREVAN, May 11. /ARKA/. David Tonoyan, acting emergency minister, will be appointed today as defense minister, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Friday. 

“The decree will be signed today, and other ministers will be appointed very soon,” he told journalists after the government’s meeting.

Earlier, on May 8, Vigen Sargsyan, acting defense minister, resigned. 

“The government will be formed on the basis of national consent principles,” Pashinyan said. 

On April 23, Serzh Sargsyan, who was appointed by the Armenian parliament as prime minister amid widespread disaffection for him, resigned under the pressure of mass protests against his premiership. On the same day, Armen Sarkissian, Armenian president accepted the government’s resignation. 

On May 8, the National Assembly elected Nikol Pashinyan as prime minister by a majority of votes – 59 MPs voted for him and 42 voted against him. –0—

Armenia’s Aparan hosts international sculpture symposium

Emil Karabekian
News.am, Armenia
May 6 2018
Armenia’s Aparan hosts international sculpture symposium (PHOTOS) Armenia’s Aparan hosts international sculpture symposium (PHOTOS)

16:10, 06.05.2018
                  

The urban municipal community hall of Aparan, Armenia, is carrying out numerous cultural programs ahead of the 100th anniversary of the triumphant, heroic Battle of Bash Aparan.

Within the framework of these programs, the 1st International Sculpture Symposium, entitled “The Deeds of Our Ancestors,” is held in Aparan, from May 1 to 20.

Eleven sculptors from Italy, Japan, Belgium, Belarus, India, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), and Armenia are attending this symposium.

Also, many events are planned during this event, and which are aimed at developing cultural life in Aparan.

ՄԻՋ-ԵԿԵՂԵՑԱԿԱՆ ԵՐԻՏԱՍԱՐԴԱԿԱՆ ՀԱՒԱՔ ԱՆԹԻԼԻԱՍԻ ՄԱՅՐԱՎԱՆՔԻՆ ՄԷՋ

Emil Karabekian

ՄԻՋ–ԵԿԵՂԵՑԱԿԱՆ ԵՐԻՏԱՍԱՐԴԱԿԱՆ ՀԱՒԱՔ ԱՆԹԻԼԻԱՍԻ ՄԱՅՐԱՎԱՆՔԻՆ ՄԷՋ

 

Երկուշաբթի, 30 Ապրիլ 2018-ին, միջ–եկեղեցական երիտասարդական հանդիպում մը տեղի ունեցաւ Անթիլիասի Մայրավանքին մէջ օրհնութեամբ Ն.Ս.Օ.Տ.Տ. Արամ Ա. Վեհափառ Հայրապետին։ Հանդիպումին կը մասնակցէին զանազան եկեղեցիներու ներկայացուցիչները, ինչպէս նաեւ Միջին Արեւելքի Եկեղեցիներու Խորհուրդի պատասխանատուները։

Հանդիպումին նպատակն էր կազմակերպել 2019 թուականին տեղի ունենալիք երկու երիտասարդական համագումարները թէ՛ համաշխարհային մակարդակի վրայ եւ թէ Միջին Արեւելքի ծիրէն ներս։ Յայտնենք, որ այս մասին պատասխանատուները նախապէս հանդիպում ունեցած էին Վեհափառ Հայրապետին հետ եւ լսած իր թելադրութիւնները։

Մայրավանքէն ներս տեղի ունեցած հանդիպումին ատենապետութիւնը վարեց Կաթողիկոսարանի միջ–եկեղեցական յարաբերութեանց վարիչ՝ Հոգշ. Տ. Հրանդ Վրդ. Թահանեան։ Հանդիպումէ առաջ ներկաները այցելեցին Նահատակաց մատուռ, ծաղկեպսակ զետեղեցին ու աղօթեցին եւ ապա հայր սուրբը լայն բացատրութիւններ տուաւ անոնց հայոց ցեղասպանութեան մասին։

 

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Communication & Information Department