Author: Emil Lazarian

Enshrined in the heart of Chinsurah, West Bengal, stands the Armenian Church, a monument that breathes life but once a year. It’s doors remain sealed throughout the calendar, opening only on January 6th, a date of profound religious significance for the Armenian community. This annual awakening of the church marks the celebration of Armenian Christmas, the Nativity of Christ, and His Baptism.

This solitary day of activity in the church is punctuated by the ‘Blessing of Water’ ceremony, a ritual commemorating Christ’s Baptism. Despite the absence of a local Armenian population in Chinsurah, the tradition lives on, kept alive by Armenian students from Kolkata. The church, while closed to outsiders, becomes a spectacle for the locals, who gather around its perimeters to observe the festivities from afar.

The Armenian Church of Chinsurah, a structure steeped in history, was founded in 1695 by Khojah Johannes Margar and completed by his brother Joseph in 1697. This makes it the second oldest Christian church in Bengal. The church was dedicated to St. John the Baptist and within its sacred grounds lies the grave of its founder.

A notable architectural feature of the church is its steeple. Added in 1822 through the generous contributions of Mrs. Sophia Bagram, the steeple stands as a testament to her munificence. The church, despite having over a hundred graves within its premises bearing witness to the historical presence of Armenians, is bereft of a contemporary Armenian community in Chinsurah.

https://bnnbreaking.com/world/india/chinsurahs-armenian-church-a-monument-that-breathes-life-once-a-year/

The ‘100 Ideas for Armenia’ project has hatched an innovative ballistic vest designed by military veterans Davit Davtyan, Raman Mnatsakanyan, and Artur Aghoyan. Their personal experience with bulletproof vests during the 2020 war spurred them to conceive a more effective and comfortable alternative.

Their design employs ultrafine nanoparticles to construct composite bulletproof vests, offering enhanced endurance and lighter weight. This innovative approach to protective gear promises a lifespan of over 10 years, doubling the current market standard of approximately 5 years. A full-coverage vest weighs only 2kg, significantly less than the typical 5kg vest.

Additionally, these vests are waterproof and meet international Level 4 standards, ensuring maximum protection for military and law enforcement personnel. Despite their advanced technology and superior performance, the vests are priced cost-effectively at up to $400, a fraction of the cost of existing vests that can run into a few thousand dollars.

The project has garnered positive feedback from international partners, marking a significant milestone in Armenia’s technological advancement. Furthermore, this initiative is part of a broader effort to establish a science-industry-university cooperative chain. This model, championed by team member Artur Aghoyan, aligns with global practices and has the potential to strengthen Armenia’s technological and scientific sectors.

Armenian veterans’ innovative approach to ballistic vests could revolutionize protective gear for security forces not only in Armenia but also around the world, setting a new benchmark for durability, comfort, and cost-effectiveness.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently held a significant meeting with Kimmo Kiljunen and Boriana Berg, the Co-Rapporteurs on Armenia from the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Pashinyan extended a warm welcome to the delegates and underscored the enduring alliance between Armenia and the Council of Europe, a relationship pivotal in promoting democratic reforms and fostering various initiatives.

During the course of the meeting, Pashinyan shed light on the Armenian government’s strategy, one primarily centered around the advancement of democracy and a steadfast reform agenda. He delved into the specifics of the actions being implemented as part of the government’s anti-corruption policy. Keen on establishing a level economic playing field, Pashinyan expressed his firm belief that these reforms have played an integral role in contributing to the nation’s economic growth.

(Read Also: Armenian Ambassador Unveils Nagorno-Karabakh Complexities in Dialogue with Former Greek Speaker)

Further, Pashinyan drew attention to the humanitarian crisis that has emerged from the forced displacement of over 100,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh due to Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing policy. He underscored the indispensable role of international community assistance in tackling these issues and highlighted the importance of the resolutions passed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) concerning the rights of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

(Read Also: Over 50,000 Displaced Persons from Nagorno-Karabakh Arrive in Armenia: Government Responds)

In addition to the meeting, Pashinyan also engaged in a telephonic conversation with Charles Michel, the President of the European Council. This conversation further signifies Armenia’s proactive engagement with the Council of Europe, indicating a commitment to upholding democratic values and principles despite the challenges faced by the nation.

https://bnnbreaking.com/politics/armenian-pm-discusses-democratic-reforms-and-nagorno-karabakh-issues-with-council-of-europe/

In an interview, Lars Patrick Berg, a Member of the European Parliament, shed light on the enduring issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Berg expressed his hope for the reactivation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship and increased European Union involvement in the peace process. He also underscored the importance of dialogue and negotiation among all concerned parties as the path to a lasting solution.

Berg, who has traveled to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and is a vocal advocate for its people’s self-determination, acknowledged the complexity of the situation in the South Caucasus. He also recognized Germany’s role as a member of the Minsk Group in navigating this intricate geopolitical landscape. His current visit to the region, he noted, might be viewed as provocative.

Berg touched on the pressing matter of Armenian prisoners of war still held captive by Azerbaijan, despite international agreements calling for their release. Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been fraught since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. In the wake of a Russian-brokered peace agreement in 2020, most of the territory was liberated by Azerbaijan, yet tensions persist.

In his efforts to ensure peace and justice, Berg has reached out to UNESCO, urging the organization to safeguard Armenian cultural heritage in the occupied territories. He emphasized the crucial role politicians play in advocating for justice and peace, but also acknowledged the limitations of the European Parliament’s influence.

In conclusion, Berg underscored the importance of a solution that satisfies all parties, recognizing that this will not be achieved overnight. His call for dialogue, negotiation, and increased involvement from the European Union and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, serves as a beacon of hope in these trying times.

https://bnnbreaking.com/world/armenia/berg-advocates-for-dialogue-and-eu-involvement-in-nagorno-karabakh-conflict/

In a matter of days, homes were vacated, shops closed down, and churches heard their last prayers. The ethnic cleansing of Armenians from their ancestral homelands planned by the Azeri government came to fruition. On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched full scale military attacks on Nagorno-Karabakh (“Artsakh”), an ethnic enclave previously home to 120,000 Armenians. Overnight, they were able to seize the region by force, ending centuries of Armenian existence on the land and a 30-year contention over the region. While many international organizations were shocked by the swiftness of this ethnic cleansing to be carried out in such a methodical manner, members of the Armenian diaspora, like myself, who had been calling for attention in the region, were not. We lamented the fact that our year-long urging for humanitarian aid for the Armenian population in Artsakh fell on deaf ears to which the international community  never responded. More disturbing was the aggression from the Azeri government that transpired unchecked due to the failure of international institutions to properly address ethnic cleansing.

International law is intended to be above the status of states’ interests and be abided by all participating actors on the international stage. More specifically, international humanitarian law has been developed by the international community to protect the lives of noncombatants and set clear definitions of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Surprisingly, under international law, ethnic cleansing has not been recognized as an independent crime and lacks a formal definition. The absence of clear and concise definitions provides far too much wiggle room for interpretation and abuse when it comes to acts of ethnic cleansing. The UN Commission of Experts that was tasked to look into violations of international humanitarian law in the former Yugoslavia stated that ethnic cleansing could be contextualized with specific war crimes or could fall under the Geneva Conventions, without using strong conclusive wording. In so doing, when acts of ethnic cleansing are carried out, obstruction of the law is unable to be enforced for a crime that is not officially recognized.

What distinguishes ethnic cleansing from other war crimes is the intention of removing a specific ethnic group from a given territory through force. The collapse of the Soviet Union led to the reincarnation of pre-Stalinist state ideals amongst many of the former republics. In the case of Azerbaijan, it found itself in contest with the awakened autonomous region Artsakh – a 95% Christian Armenian enclave – within its borders, which had quickly sought to reclaim its independence and rejoin with Armenia. Azerbaijan’s preference was to gain control over the land and  to eliminate the Armenian presence from within its borders. Armenian history is deeply rooted in the region, with its presence there dating back to 1st century BC – 20 centuries before the founding of Azerbaijan – establishing Armenians indigenous to the land that they continued to live in right to the present. On the surface the battles may have seemed an issue over territorial conquest, but had underlying intentions of ridding Azerbaijan of its Armenian presence entirely and wiping away centuries of an entrenched identity. These actions are linked to the pan-Turkism movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, which had goals to unify the Turkic speaking nations. In the South Caucasus region, Armenia stands as the sole Christian entity between Azerbaijan and Turkey, providing a barrier between the unification of the two Turkic nations. Armenia is consequently a very vulnerable country in the South Caucasus, with very little allyship and defense from its direct neighbors.

The situation in Artsakh can be distinguished as ethnic cleansing due to the actions Azerbaijan took leading up to the September 2023 attacks. Starting on December 12, 2022, Azerbaijani protesters began blockading the Lachin corridor, a long narrow passage as well as the sole connection between Artsakh and mainland Armenia, leaving residents without essentials such as food and medication. Russian peacekeepers, who had been assigned to monitor the region, did not fulfill their obligation of protecting the integrity of the road, leading to massive food and fuel shortages, closures of institutions and critical services, and even depravity of medical care that caused upticks in miscarriages for pregnant women. Azeri authorities in the region did not heed pleas from the limited number of international humanitarian organizations to open the routes. Without their necessary support from mainland Armenia, citizens in Artsakh were unable to sustain livelihood. Human rights watch groups such as Amnesty International and the Council on Foreign Relations called for attention to end the blockade, as “severe deprivation of liberty” is a crime against humanity as outlined by the Rome Statute; but democratic states, who in spirit promote recognition of international law, did not step in. Though ethnic cleansing falls into the umbrella of a crime against humanity, it has no legal definition in international criminal law. Azerbaijan openly performed the violent acts  of September 2023, as well as the preceding blockade, leaving the region devoid of 120,000 Armenians in the span of less than a week.

Since agreeing to the dissolution of Artsakh, Armenia has taken steps to protect its sovereignty and prevent further encroachment. In October 2023, Armenia ratified the Rome Statute and agreed to join the International Criminal Court (ICC). The implications are varied, as Armenia should now have further protection from an international institution that is committed to multilateral peace and security; however, this solidifies the strain in the relationship between Armenia and Russia. Members of the ICC are committed to the arrest warrant of President Vladimir Putin for his abduction of Ukrainian children, meaning that Putin will no longer be allowed to visit Armenia. Ultimately, joining the ICC strengthens Armenia’s chances of having a law case against Azerbaijan, who is not a member of the ICC. Perhaps this will also shift the procedural norms in the region, to believing that decisions should be made through international institutions such as the ICC instead of direct dealings with Russia or Turkey – two third-party countries with influence and other motives. For us as diasporan Armenians, we can only hope that this will also lead to a shift in regulative norms for Armenia and Azerbaijan that leads to peace and stability in the region.

International law does matter and is a necessary tool to protect weaker states from abuses deployed by more powerful states. In a world dictated by anarchy, the institution of international law maintains order and prevents discourse. It is imperative for stronger states to comply with international law and uphold it in order to encourage smaller states to do the same.  The problems arise when crimes are not clearly defined and not formally ratified into law. With vagueness comes the ability for crimes to be committed and swept under the rug. Believing in the power of international law is important, but it can only be sustained when we see international law truly working to protect those that need additional protection. Language that spells out the harmful effects of targeting specific people groups may further their ability to maintain autonomy and sovereignty from stronger threats.

In a remarkable revelation connecting diverse historical threads, Tamil Bharathan TK, a young PhD scholar, stumbled upon an important discovery in the quiet halls of an Armenian Mekhitarist monastery on San Lazzaro degli Armeni, near Venice, Italy. This discovery, a Tamil manuscript, turned out to be an adaptation of ‘The Spiritual Exercises’, a renowned book of meditations penned by Saint Ignatius of Loyola. The manuscript was authored by an Italian missionary, who wrote under the adopted Tamil name, Gnana Pragasa Swami, identified as Bertoldi.

The manuscript, a relic from the 18th century, acts as a testament to the historical connections between Spain, Armenian traders in Tamil Nadu, Italian-led missions in South India, and education institutions in Venice. Bharathan’s journey to access the manuscript was not devoid of challenges. However, armed with the required authorization from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), he managed to secure and photograph the document, thus bringing to light an extraordinary piece of history.

The discovery resonates with the significance of Armenian networks in the early-modern period. It also sheds light on the role of missionaries in practicing and spreading the Ignatian exercises among Tamil Catholic teachers. Nivedita Louis, a noted historian, emphasizes the exchange between Madras and Italy, a process facilitated by Armenian traders and the Mekhitarist Order. This exchange route, she believes, is likely how the manuscript found its way to Venice.

As a next step, Bharathan, in cooperation with Trento, a historian specializing in early-modern South India, plans to delve deeper into the text. Their goal is to gain insights into how the missionaries studied Tamil, framed poetry, and preached evolving practices. Bharathan is also eager to join hands with the government for the manuscript’s digitization and further research. In this scholarly pursuit, the monastery officials have expressed their full support.

East Jerusalem – Activists say a controversial deal to build a luxury hotel could destroy part of East Jerusalem’s historical Armenian quarter, accusing the company behind the plan of paying people to seize land by force. As Armenian Christians celebrate Christmas on Saturday, those who call Jerusalem’s Old City home say they are worried for their future. FRANCE 24’s Andrew Hilliar and Mélina Huet report.