As a result of earthquakes with magnitude 6.4 and 5.8 registered in Hatay province of Turkey on February 20, buildings and constructions of Vakifle, the only Armenian village in Turkey, were significantly damaged. There were no human casualties.
The Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul reported that the bell tower and walls of the Armenian Church of the Holy Virgin in the village were damaged. The wall of the former hotel was also damaged.
The survey was carried out among members of World-Architects, a network of US designers and building professionals. They were presented with a list of 40 projects and asked to choose which was the “most significant” building completed in the US last year.
The church in Carrollton, in the Dallas–Fort Worth conurbation, was chosen by 64% of the total votes cast.
The design was based on the archetypal Church of Saint Hripsime close to the Armenian capital of Yerevan, which was completed in 618 AD, but updated with the help of modern digital design and production technologies.
Printed façade
One of the most striking details in Hotson’s design is the church’s west façade, which is covered by high-resolution printing carried out in Italy in collaboration with Fiandre Architectural Surfaces.
At first sight this forms a traditional Armenian cross, which on closer inspection is composed of interwoven geometric patterns derived from the Armenian artistic tradition.
On still closer inspection, the pattern dissolves into a grid of tiny pixels, inspired by the Armenian symbol for infinity. Each unique pattern symbolises an individual who died in the genocide.
The church was consecrated on 23 April, and the first service was celebrated the following day, which is dedicated to the memory of the victims of the genocide.
No visible services
The interior of the church was stripped of lighting fixtures and has no visible mechanical services, which the architect says lends it an ethereal quality.
A remote plant room silently introduces conditioned air at low velocity through vents under the pews.
Hotson commented: “This award is shared with everyone involved in the design and construction of this building, including the members of the congregation and the international Armenian diaspora for whom this building has a special meaning.
“High on the list of invaluable collaborators was the team at Fiandre who have contributed an extraordinary level of innovation and an impeccable level of execution that is central to the aesthetic, emotional and experiential success of this special project.”
Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church of New Jersey, April 17, 2022
While we struggle with the anxiety of our oppressed brethren in Artsakh, there are also a number of issues pertaining to the continued vibrancy of the diaspora. The “diaspora” is a singular convenient term for a scattered and diverse segment of the Armenian nation. Scattered in the sense that our communities populate all corners of the world and diverse in that each has taken on some elements of their host nation. Still, there are enough common denominators to sustain a universal identity regardless of where you reside. Diasporan communities are always under the threat of assimilation which occurs when the host country culture becomes a dominant influence, and ethnic/religious culture is subordinated. Assimilation has been impacting the Armenian community in the United States for decades. The sociological evidence is clear, but we have masked it with an influx of Armenian immigrants who are deeply committed to our culture. Professionals who study this will call it a natural phenomenon, but for the Armenian community, it is painful and worthy of resistance. This usually takes the form of identity building within a family starting in their home life and continuing in institutions such as the Armenian church. There are certainly other vehicles, but most observers would agree that the church, as a spiritual and cultural institution, is one of the most dominant and critical factors in preserving our national identity. The presence of the Republic of Armenia has also contributed to identity building for the diaspora as visitations and repatriation have occurred. The focus of this column will be on how the church can improve its role with a more welcoming approach to our scattered brethren.
I believe that the future of the diaspora is linked to a vibrant strong Armenian church. It is the only institution that brings together the two elements vital to our identity: our faith and our ethnicity. This sacred responsibility has remained clear in the eyes of the Armenian people for centuries and has continued in the post-genocide diaspora. It is because of this indispensable role that we must take decisive action to sustain a leadership position. For the first two generations in the American diaspora, the church was able to retain its traditional position with minimal change. The first generation straddled the line between historic Armenia and the establishment of the diaspora. They were obviously fluent in our native tongue, understood our customs, including the church, and for the most part, married other Armenians. This created an opportunity to essentially transfer the church to the new world and maintain its role with limited disruption. The first generation born in this country (my parents’ generation) continued and expanded this role. They were “Americanized” but had the language skills and cultural identity from their parents. Families were more intact, and life had fewer distractions. The church introduced some changes but was still able to maintain a leadership role without dramatic change.
The first signs of distress occurred with my generation—the so-called baby boomers. The attrition of my peers in the church in my youth when considering today’s participation is significant. A 40- to 50-percent retention rate might be generous. One would think that the impact of this from the 1960s to the 1980s would have been motivation to understand cause and effect, but it wasn’t. Yes, there was change, of course, but not nearly enough to keep pace with the secularization advancing in our society and the intermarriage of the next generation. For example, a seminary in the United States began in the early sixties to supply American born and educated clergy to churches in America. This was the contribution of a man of unique vision, Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan. One of the main reasons for limited strategic action has to do with how we measure communal success. We usually view our communities and parishes by the numbers—membership or the level of participation in church organizations. During the critical period from the 70s to the 90s, our communities replenished the attrition of others with waves of immigration from the Middle East and the homeland. The demographic changes were evident, and in some cases, the decline of Sunday and Armenian school began. But as long as people were participating, the motivation for change was limited. In fact, the demographic changes reduced the need for change. Thousands simply walked away from the Mother Church. Well, the migrations have slowed, and our decline “by the numbers” has continued. The truth is there are fewer participants in Badarak attendance, schools and organizations across the board.
Thankfully, there are exceptions where leadership and unique demographics have carved out an oasis. Some of our leaders have rationalized this decline in population shifts in our traditional communities and the emergence of newer communities. There is some truth to this, but the assimilation impact in the larger communities is significant and the newer communities have a smaller resource base. An Armenian church will never close for financial causes. Parishes decline because of the absence of the faithful, yet we seem to worry more about money than participants. If we continue to deny the facts, then we are simply shortening the runway for recovery.
The urgent need for change has been thwarted by the superficial assessment of participants and the fear that change will result in the loss of our identity. Actually, the reverse is true. For a diaspora community to avoid aligning with succeeding generations is almost a guarantee for irrelevance and decline. Our approach to date has been essentially binary; either participants connect with what we offer, or they quietly fade into an assimilated state. The answer lies in the type of change proposed. Our theology and protocols are not the problem. Many Armenians and non-Armenians do not connect with our traditions and etiquettes and therefore find the church difficult to relate to. This goes beyond the language debate and how we greet people when we see new faces.
I was in church this past week and read in the weekly bulletin that there were three family groups requesting hokehankist (requiem) prayers for departed family members. Increasingly in our church, large family groups for hokehankist are attended by members who are there out of respect but are not currently communicants of the church. They may have attended in their youth but have either drifted or intermarried and remain aloof from the church. This is an excellent example to illustrate my point. One of the families was sitting near me, and I noticed they were struggling with following along. I pointed out where in the Badarak book we were, careful not to embarrass them in any way. They didn’t understand standing and sitting, when to cross yourself, bowing to God at designated times or any of the communion protocol. I empathized with them as this must have been an awkward experience. The Kiss of Peace is a beautiful Christian exchange, but it can be intimidating if not understood. We all know people who will seat themselves between family members for fear that they will not know the response to the “Vokhchouyn” greeter.
When we speak about being a welcoming church, it should be viewed not only in the warmth of our personalities, but rather in how participants can connect with the worship service and, for that matter, the history, protocols and functions of our church. We have no formal programs to ensure this type of integration. Of course, some churches have video page turners and Badarak video displays, but it is not universal or mandated. The problem runs along the deep lines of inherent knowledge and unintentional ignorance. How can we expect to engage succeeding generations when inherent knowledge is declining and unintentional ignorance is increasing? Rather than shun those who are on the periphery as “gorsehvatz” (lost), we must display our empathy by doing something formal and sustainable to replace discomfort with empowering knowledge. It starts with the worship experience and continues with having enough functional knowledge to become contributing members. I recall a respected member of the church speaking at a National Assembly warning about the increase of “functionally illiterate” participants. How can we expect to build a commitment to a church that does little to close the knowledge gap? Compounding the challenge are those who choose to walk away, which has become almost epidemic. This can be prevented.
It is a far different world than that of my grandparents or parents. As a people in the diaspora, we must always be mindful that the retention of one’s faith and heritage is a choice. We seek to influence that choice with organizations, programs and peer groups. It is a choice that individuals will make at some point in their life. The impact of secularism, material distraction and self-interest has dominated our society particularly in the last 50 years. The church can no longer wait for the people to come to that institution. We are competing with shallow but powerful forces which actually illustrate the importance of the church in our lives. In a world that tries to teach us that we alone can do anything, it is only the church that teaches us that all things are possible through Our Savior Jesus Christ. This message taught through the traditions of the Armenian church is powerful but limited if the church declines. The burden on the church has become more important as the family unit, the foundation of life, struggles. Our church in America need not worry about losing the beauty of our faith. We should focus on gathering the wandering sheep of the diaspora with mechanisms that enable the joy of our church with knowledge, comfort and identity. We must be willing to engage individuals with different methods so that they will experience the beauty of our church. From simple Badarak etiquette packages to formal educational programs for Armenian and non-Armenian participants, we must begin to assume the absence of knowledge. We must welcome all with the opportunity to function equally. It is natural but unfortunate that our offerings are geared toward those who participate and have identity. Those of us on the inside need to find the joy in reaching out to those on the outside. In this way, the church will prosper, and the Good News will reach new heights.
21:17,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. On February 20, the work of the European Union observation mission in Armenia started, the official opening ceremony was held, ARMENPRESS reports MP Arsen Torosyan wrote on his "Facebook" page.
"The operational headquarters of the mission will be located in the town of Yeghegnadzor, Vayots Dzor.
At the official opening ceremony, Stefano Tomat, the Civilian Operations Commander of the European External Action Service of the EU, Markus Ritter, Head of the European Union Mission in Armenia, Armen Grigiryan, secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, the deputy head of the EU delegation delivered speeches, emphasizing the importance of the mission in establishing peace in the region and helping our citizens living in border areas from the point of view of well-being and security," said Arsen Torosyan.
The agreement would provide for monitoring mechanisms designed to prevent war in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Armenia has presented Azerbaijan with a project for a full peace treaty to end the decades-long dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.
The two former Soviet republics have been locked in a state of conflict over the mountainous area, which lies in Azerbaijan but whose population is largely Armenian.
An agreement would provide for monitoring mechanisms by both sides to prevent breaches of the peace deal, said Pashinyan.
He told a cabinet meeting on Thursday that Yerevan had completed “another stage of working on a project of a peace treaty and on establishing [diplomatic] relations” with Baku.
“A project of a comprehensive agreement had been handed to Azerbaijan,” he said.
“The document has to be acceptable to Azerbaijan … its signing must bring about a lasting peace.”
Copies were sent to Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) members Russia, the United States and France. These countries are co-chairs of the Minsk Group set up by the OSCE in 1992 to seek a peaceful solution to the ethnic conflict.
The two Caucasus neighbours have fought two wars for control of Azerbaijan’s Armenian-populated enclave that have claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Internationally-mediated peace talks between the countries have since produced little result.
Last month, Russia blamed Armenia for a breakdown in peace talks with Azerbaijan, in the latest sign of friction between Moscow and Yerevan over the conflict.
Thursday’s announcement came after Yerevan accused Baku of conducting a “policy of ethnic cleansing” and forcing ethnic Armenians to leave the breakaway region.
Since mid-December, a group of self-styled Azerbaijani environmental activists has barred the only road linking Karabakh to Armenia to protest what they say is illegal mining.
According to Yerevan, the blockade has led to a “full-blown humanitarian crisis” in the mountainous region which faces shortages of food, medicines, and fuel.
When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, ethnic Armenian separatists in Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan. About 30,000 people were killed in the ensuing conflict.
Another flare-up in violence in 2020 killed more than 6,500 people and ended with a Russian-brokered truce that saw Armenia cede territories it had controlled for decades.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/2/16/armenia-offers-peace-treaty-project-to-azerbaijan
Today it became known that Armenia sent the second batch of humanitarian aid through the Margara bridge on the Armenian-Turkish border to Turkey, where there was a strong earthquake on February 6.
In parallel with this, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan visited Turkey on February 15 and held a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu, stating that they agreed to jointly repair the Ani Bridge and take care of the relevant infrastructure in anticipation of the full opening of the border.
It is normal that Yerevan displays sympathy towards Turkey, given the current situation, human losses and tragedy. Everyone must do so with respect to any country, but Armenia will gain nothing from a geopolitical point of view, political analyst Vladimir Lepekhin told Armenian News-NEWS.am.
Lepekhin called not to pin hopes on the assistance and contacts to somehow improve the Armenian-Turkish relations or change the situation in the region.
The expert is sure that nothing will follow those processes, because Ankara is very pragmatic and rigid in its geopolitical policy.
He explained that Armenia's interests are not incorporated in this line and if they are, then only on Turkey's terms.
"Armenia is not an authority on any issue for Turkey, since the current leadership in Yerevan often bends to Turkey. Before the 44-day war, the Armenian authorities had no principled position on Ankara, despite forecasts of a possible outbreak of war and advice to get ready. Turkey's influence in the region, and hence that of Azerbaijan, will continue to grow. That factor will promote NATO's influence, and there will be attempts to squeeze Russia from South Caucasus," Lepekhin says.
He believes that this vector, which was outlined 2.5 years ago and led to the beginning of the 44-day war, can only change the result of the "special military operation" in Ukraine.
"If Russia emerges from it with dignity and achieves its goals, it will then try to regain its influence in the South Caucasus and prolong the presence of peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh and the military base in Gyumri. But if the military campaign fails for Russia and the terms of the peace agreement are dominated by Western conditions, Moscow is unlikely to regain its influence in the South Caucasus. On the contrary, Russia's policy of weakening in the region will continue. In that case there will be a question of how Armenia will become an absolute satellite of Turkey and its allies, at the price of Nagorno-Karabakh and some other territories," Lepekhin said.
The conditions formulated by Azerbaijan is a consistent line, from which Baku will not retreat, and this, according to the political analyst, threatens Armenia with new territorial losses.
"Therefore, it is necessary to show sympathy in the current situation, but there is no sense in flirting with Turkey. It is necessary to demonstrate a principled position. The striving of the Armenian authorities towards multi-vector policy will result in promises from the West. But as Turkey is a part of NATO, the West will not oppose to British interests in the region," the expert stated.
Aram Danielyan
The top Iranian diplomat held talks with his Azeri counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday.
The two sides discussed the latest developments in bilateral ties and the Caucasus region.
The Iranian foreign minister reviewed the latest process of developments in bilateral relations in different fields and described mutual visits and agreements between the two countries over the past year as positive and progressive, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.
Pointing to the reports and evidence on changes in the Caucasus region, Amirabdollahian reiterated the clear stance of Iran in open and decisive opposition to any change to the geopolitical map and borders of the region.
He added that Iran is ready to hold consultations with the officials of the Azerbaijan Republic and the Republic of Armenia to help them to resolve their differences in a peaceful manner.
For his part, the Azeri foreign minister reiterated the existing issues in bilateral relations and underlined the significance of mutual consultations and cooperation.
He also rejected the claims on geopolitical change in the region and noted that his country seeks to resolve its territorial and border disputes with Armenia through regional cooperation.
Kishida meets Erdogan (occupies North Cyprus and North Syria): Armenia to West Papua
Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Japan’s human rights angle under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida concerns the Meiji Period legacy of going to war with regional nations in Northeast Asia. Hence, it is nationalist to the core and mainly consists of anti-China and anti-Russia rhetoric that also suits America and the United Kingdom.
Nobody in the Japanese Foreign Ministry pointed out that rebuking the Russian Federation but meeting the leader of Turkey smacks of gross naivety at best – or outright Russophobia at worst. After all, Turkey occupies North Cyprus and parts of Northern Syria. Not only this, Turkey openly supports Azerbaijan (an army that openly puts videos of its crimes – or fellow proxies sent by Turkey – of mutilating female dead Armenian soldiers to beheading Armenian Christians).
Turkey also bombs Kurds and the Yazidis in Northern Iraq and violates the national sovereignty of this nation – similar to North Cyprus and Northern Syria. Also, under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – vast numbers of Kurds, secularists, and anyone deemed a threat to Erdoğan will face prison.
NHK reports, “The prime minister started by saying that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shaken the foundation of world order, which the UN has worked to build since its establishment. He called the invasion an act that tramples on the philosophy and principles of the UN Charter.”
Yet Kishida is then seen openly smiling with Erdoğan – similar to Kishida embracing the leader of Indonesia that crushes the Papuans of West Papua. Hence, from countless wars and internal intrigues by America, France, and the United Kingdom that killed untold millions since the forming of the United Nations – not once did this bother Japan. Therefore, Kishida freely mixes with the leaders of nations – and praises them – despite Indonesia and Turkey occupying vast lands and persecuting the various indigenous groups.
Turkish occupation and settlements immediately erased Orthodox Christianity in North Cyprus. Many decades later and forces that are anti-Christian, anti-Kurdish, and anti-secular – are once more being backed by Turkey. Therefore, Islamist proxies are utilized by Turkey to kill Alawites and Kurds – and to kill Armenian Christians in Nagorno-Karabakh on the behest of Azerbaijan.
France 24 reported (2020), “… intelligence reports had established that 300 Syrian fighters drawn from “jihadist groups” from the Syrian city of Aleppo had passed through the Turkish city of Gaziantep en route for Azerbaijan.”
President Emmanuel Macron of France said, “A red line has been crossed, which is unacceptable… I urge all NATO partners to face up to the behavior of a NATO member.”
Modern Tokyo Times recently said, “Soldiers from Azerbaijan, a close ally of NATO Turkey, took a video of a mutilated Armenian female soldier. This follows beheadings by Azerbaijan forces of Armenians in the last conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh (mainly Armenian populated region).”
Japan’s human rights concerns are cynical under Kishida. Therefore, Indonesia can kill West Papuans, Turkey can kill Kurds along with occupying North Cyprus and North Syria, Bangladesh can crush the mainly Buddhists of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and America and the United Kingdom can involve themselves in countless wars without a jot of open condemnation or economic sanctions by Japan.
Modern Tokyo Times recently said, “… while children are being killed by extrajudicial killings in West Papua by the Indonesian government, it is boom time for the military sectors of America and France. Likewise, companies in Japan will continue to make vast profits from Indonesia. Therefore, the human rights angle of Kishida means little to the people of West Papua.”
UN News reports, “Between April and November 2021, we have received allegations indicating several instances of extrajudicial killings, including of young children, enforced disappearance, torture and inhuman treatment and the forced displacement of at least 5,000 indigenous Papuans by security forces.”
Benny Wenda, the Interim President of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), said, “Indonesia tells the world they are developing West Papua, but this is a lie. It is not development but destruction. Destruction of our mountain, our forest, our tribal culture. Military operations continue in Intan Jaya because Indonesia is building a gold mine there, Wabu Block. They are building the trans-Papua highway through our rainforest because they want to take our natural resources. Instead of this environmental destruction, the world must support our Green State Vision, which offers a future for all of humanity.”
Turning back to Turkey: Yazidis are caught up in the intrigues of this NATO power and have also been killed in recent military attacks in Northern Iraq. Associated Foreign Press reports, “The heartland of Iraq’s Yazidi minority, Sinjar is frequently targeted by Turkish airstrikes against bases of Turkey’s separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).”
A Yazidi activist continued, “The international community also has a moral responsibility towards Yazidis and the people of Sinjar. It is both painful and illogical that these attacks go [unaddressed] as if they are legitimate. It seems Turkey can get away with anything.”
Even women in Turkey who denounce the murder of women have been attacked by security forces in this nation. The Investigative Project on Terrorism reports, “…when Turkish women sought to celebrate International Women’s Day earlier this month to honor all the victims of femicide – most often perpetrated by relatives, partners or ex-partners – riot police in Istanbul blocked their way, firing pepper spray and setting off flares among the crowds.”
Hence, the logic of Kishida – a nationalist who is anti-Russia to the core – highlights the usually limited dynamics of human rights in Japan. It is aimed at China and the Russian Federation concerning internal Japanese nationalism – and negates other parts of the world.
Similarly, Kishida cares zilch about West Papua. Thus the endless persecution of West Papuans by Indonesia goes on with the rubber stamp of Japan and other G7 nations. Hence, Japan’s international law never applied to America dropping Agent Orange and starting endless wars (even lying about weapons of mass destruction to invade Iraq).
International law to Kishida is a cynical anti-Russia and anti-China card to be manipulated. Therefore, the real Kishida openly meets the leaders of Indonesia and Turkey – and others – and says nothing about the own going occupations of West Papua, North Cyprus, and Northern Syria.
Heads of diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited to Armenia visited several regions affected by the latest Azerbaijani aggression.
The representatives of the diplomatic corps were accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Paruyr Hovhannisyan.
In the city of Jermuk, Eduard Asryan, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, presented in detail the situation resulting from aggression instigated by Azerbaijan against the sovereign territory of Armenia.
No violations in area of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh
21:30,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. The Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh said that no violations of the ceasefire were recorded in their area of responsibility.
In a statement released through the Russian Ministry of Defense website, the peacekeeping contingent said it continues 24/7 monitoring of the ceasefire in 30 checkpoints.
Patrol service was conducted in Martakert and Martuni regions.
The peacekeeping contingent added that it maintains partnership with the General Staffs of the Armenian and Azeri militaries to prevent possible incidents and ensure security.