Author: Hunanian Jack

April 3, 2006

ALMA
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA
Contact Person: Mariam Stepanyan
Web:
Tel: 617.926.2562 ext. 3

Email: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>

ALMA will open an Armenian rug exhibit on April 20.

The Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) will open an
exceptional exhibit of Armenian textiles “Armenian Rugs and Weavings:
Textiles of Hearth and Heart” (Apr 9-Aug 15), which will be showcased in
the Museum’s main gallery. This exhibit will feature a wide range of the
weavings from the mountains of Armenia and the Transcaucasus. ALMA will
host the opening reception on Thursday, April 20, 6-9pm.

The museum’s holdings include over 20,000 artifacts including coins,
maps, religious art, costumes, ceramics, metalwork, paintings, and
almost 4,000 textiles. The new exhibit will include a dozen rugs
carefully selected from the over 200 Armenian Inscribed Rugs in the
collection, plus a wide range of smaller woven textiles (bread covers,
kilims, bedding boxes, saddlebags, oven covers, salt bags and other
domestic examples) that are not usually seen by the public. When one
hears the term “Armenian weavings”, most people think of the striking
oriental rugs, particularly the Kazaks and Karabaghs, which often
overshadow the simpler household pieces.

Many of the textiles to be exhibited are from the museum’s new
Offen-Alimian Collection, and will be publicly exhibited for the first
time. The new exhibit will also include a dozen exceptional works on
loan from the Armenian Rug Society (ARS). The ARS is a national
association of collectors and connoisseurs of Armenian rugs, an ancient
tradition that is too often overshadowed by the extensive weavings of
neighboring Turkey and Iran. The ARS participation will allow the museum
to highlight several genres of Armenian rugs outside of the museum’s own
holdings, to allow visitors to familiarize themselves with the wide
range of Armenian weavings. The ARS rugs are all from private
collections, and rarely seen by the public. ARS members, loaning rugs
for the ALMA exhibit will be arriving for the opening reception at the
Museum.

Although many people erroneously believe that “oriental rugs” are
strictly an “Islamic art”, knotted rug making is also practiced by some
Christian and Jewish groups, including the Christian Armenians (the
museum also includes many examples of the ancient religious arts of
Armenia). Indeed, some scholars believe that the rug weaving traditions
of the Armenians predate the emergence of Islam, and that oriental rug
weaving was originally was a “Christian art”, later adopted by Muslims.
Aside from the exceptional rugs, the exhibit will also examine some of
these conflicting theories on the role of the Armenians in both rug
production and distribution (e.g. the stereotype of the “Armenian rug
merchant”).

In conjunction with the weaving exhibit, Dr. Lucy Der Manuelian, noted
authority and expert on Armenian art, will deliver a lecture at the
opening reception at 8:00 pm entitled “Diamonds, Dragons and Crosses:
The Story of Armenian Rug Weaving”, which will examine the links between
the Armenian folk art traditions and the elite art of architecture and
illuminations. All Armenian arts are interrelated, rooted in and drawing
upon the same ancient artistic motifs for their inspiration. Dr. Der
Manuelian is professor of Armenian Art at Tufts University, and longtime
trustee of the museum.

Aside from the rug exhibits, the museum visitor will also find several
related exhibits in the smaller galleries, including “Undercover:
Armenian Textiles of the Bedroom and Bath”. The museum is the largest
Armenian museum in the world, outside of the Republic of Armenia, and is
the largest ethnic museum in Massachusetts.

ALMA is located at 65 Main Street, Watertown, MA (at the intersection of
Rt. 16 and Rt. 20), just outside of Boston. The new museum hours are:
Thursday 6-9 p.m., Friday and Sunday 1-5 p.m., and Saturday 10AM-2PM.
To arrange for guided tours call 617-926-2562 or visit the Museum’s
website .

Kiro Manoian: Bulgaria Not Going to Recognize Armenian Genocide Yet

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.04.2006 02:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The possibility of second introduction of draft
bill on the Armenian Genocide to the Bulgarian parliament is small,
ARF Bureau’s Hay Dat and Political Office Director Kiro Manoian told
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words, the party that submitted the
bill is radical and its proposals are usually not considered. “The
coalition government is not going to spoil relations with Turkey,”
he noted.

To remind, the Bulgarian parliament voted down the bill on the Armenian
Genocide recognition, since one of the most influential parties of
the Bulgarian parliament – Movement of Rights and Freedoms – has
Turkish ethnic roots.

Armenian foreign minister, UN officials discuss Karabakh

Arminfo
1 Apr 06

Yerevan, 1 April: Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan held
meetings with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, President of the UN
General Assembly Jan Eliasson and head of the UN Development Programme
Kemal Dervis on 30-31 March.

Oskanyan informed the UN Secretary-General and the president of the
UN General Assembly about the Nagornyy Karabakh settlement process
and frequent cease-fire violations, the Armenian Foreign Ministry
press service told Arminfo.

Oskanyan expressed Armenia’s concern about the bellicose statements by
the Azerbaijani leadership, saying that direct consequence of these
statements were cease-fire violations by Azerbaijani soldiers on the
contact line [between the Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces].

[Passage omitted: Oskanyan told the UNDP head that Armenia was
determined to develop rural regions]

UEFA OFFICIALS TO VISIT ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN IN MAY

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. Three officials of the Union of
European Football Associations (UEFA), organization Vice-President
Per Ravn Omdal, Deputy Chief Executive Markus Studer and Executive
Committee member Mathieu Sprengers, will visit Baku and Yerevan
in May. Russian “Sport-Express” informs about this, quoting the
Azerbaijani “Football” newspaper. At the electoral competitions of
the 2008 Europe championship, Armenia and Azerbaijan appeared in the
same group by drawing of lots, and they must hold two games between
one another, according to the UEFA rules. But, taking into account
the strained relations of the two countries, the UEFA may allow as
an exception to hold those meetings on a neutral field. The UEFA 3
leaders’ visit has a goal to get acquainted with the situation and
make a final decision at place.

RICHARD HOVHANNISIAN: ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT
FIRST AND FOREMOST IS INTERESTS OF STATE AND PEOPLE

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The Diaspora sees rather well what
is really taking place in Armenia: everything is falsified, there is
no free press, the authorities have established a strict control over
everything and are exerting pressures. Professor Richard Hovhannisian,
well-known American Armenian historian, Head of the Modern Armenian
History Chair of Los Angeles branch of Californian State University,
said this in his interview to radio “Liberty”.

According to him, if it goes on like this, Armenia can have a status
of a failed state. “Watching from outside, we are sorry to see these
violations, pressures. For instance, we would like to have freedom
of speech, thought and not pressures, not persecutions by the secret
Police, not falsehood, which is seen in the state TV broadcasts,” he
mentioned. According to R.Hovhannisian, they do not allow to speak
those who want to reply to the falsehood voiced by TV and this is
not a democratic system. “Sometimes we condemn Turkey saying that
a military dictatorship rules there and so on. But the fact is that
the newspapers are more free there,” R.Hovhannisian said. According
to the historian, as a result of all this the people has become
indifferent to political processes and does not believe to anybody,
neither to the authorities nor to their opponents. “The Diaspora also,
seeing this, gradually loses its belief in Armenia: personally I know
dozens of people who have decided not to give money to Armenia any
more. They have lost their hope though they avoid criticizing publicly
and maybe this is the consequence of the Genocide: we have suffered
so many losses and do not want to endanger the small territory that
has remained and is called Armenia,” R.Hovhannisian said. On the
other hand, as a historian R.Hovhannisian estimates this situation
as morbid and mentions the necessity to find a solution to it:
“otherwise, we will lose the people’s belief in our state and will
be called a failed state”. “We do not want to be a failed state and
if this state fails as well, we have no future,” he mentioned.

R.Hovhannisian considers the fact of closure of the office of the
Zharangutiun (Heritage) party headed by his son Raffi Hovhannisian
also to be a direct pressure. “If Raffi Hovhannisian said nothing,
he he were a “kind” Diasporan Armenian here, they not only would not
close his office but also could always receive him with pleasure,
would always show him by TV, sometimes he would speak on TV. But
when he enters the political field, he becomes a competitor and as
the main communication means are in the state’s hands, they can do
what they want”. R.Hovhannisian said that the Armenian authorities
should understand that the first and foremost is the interests of
the state and the people and not their personal benefit and glory. He
gave assurance that we will not come out of this situation until we
have such a tender-hearted leadership.

STEVEN MANN MAKES NO COMMENTS ON NKR PRESIDENT’S CLAIMS TO ARMENIA TO LEAVE NEGOTIATION PROCESS

YEREVAN, MARCH 29.ARMINFO. OSCE Minsk group co-chair Steven Mann
didn’t make direct comments on the claims of NKR President Arkady
Ghukasian to Armenia to leave the negotiation process. He explained
this by his unawareness of the statement’s text. Steven Mann stated
this during today’s Yerevan-Washington TV bridge.

‘I am not acquainted with the statement and cannot give a direct
comment. I do not realize how one can wish to stop the peaceful
negotiation process,’ answered Mr. Mann. He added that the year of 2006
is promising in sense of progress in the Karabakh conflict settlement
progress. “I wouldn’t like the sides to lose this opportunity and to
look back at the past with regret, ” he said.

Let us remind that to radio Liberty A. Gukasian said that the Armenian
side of the negotiations must be replaced by Karabakh, which would
be just and timely.

AZERBAIJAN COMPLAINS OF THE EU

A1+
01:07 pm 29 March, 2006

The Azeri Embassy to Belgium which is at the same time accredited in
the EU has sent a note to the EU Chief Directorate of International
Relations. This time the Azeris are complaining of the maps.

The Azeri have discovered that, for example, in the website of the
EU Commission Karabakh and Nakhijevan are mentioned as Armenian
territories. The same is mentioned in the website of the Energy
Directorate of the European Committee.

According to the Azeri Mass Media, the third secretary of the
Azeri Embassy in Belgium has said that the EU Chief Directorate of
International Relations has claimed the mistake will be amended.

By the way, a similar incident took place some time ago when the
Nagorno Karabakh was mentioned as a separate territory in the website
of the European Parliament.

UNESCO TO SEND EXPERTS TO NAKHICHEVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.03.2006 22:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura (Japan)
has expressed readiness to send a group of experts to Nakhichevan to
study the issue and to censure what happened. Last week Chairman
of the World Armenian Congress Ara Abrahamyan, being a UNESCO
good will Ambassador during an official meeting drew Koïchiro
Matsuura’s attention to destruction of the Armenian cemetery in
Old Julfa by Azerbaijanis. In the words of chair of the European
representation of all-Armenian structures, Armenian FM’s Advisor
Ashot Grigoryan, A. Abrahamyan censured vandalism regarding cultural
monuments. Vandalism regarding Christian monuments in Old Julfa entails
negative political consequences as well and more destabilizes the
political situation in the South Caucasus, Abrahamyan remarked. He
also invited Koïchiro Matsuura to visit Armenia to get acquainted
with treasures of the Armenian culture. The UNESCO Director-General
assured in case of receiving an invitation, he will plan his visit
to Armenia with pleasure.

–Boundary_(ID_CmeMEMhoT5zB2rkOs3ud5g)- –

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
03/29/2006
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM

1) Azeris Fail Planned Ceasefire Monitoring
2) Chairman of Danish European Movement Says Turkey Must Acknowledge Armenian
Genocide
3) Turks Petition PBS to Air ‘Armenian Revolution’ Film
4) City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo to Host Armenian Genocide Exhibit, LAUSD
Training
5) Conference Dedicated to Cilician Culture to Be Held in Antelias
6) Corruption-Related Crimes Cause Damage Amounting to 3.5 Billion Drams

1) Azeris Fail Planned Ceasefire Monitoring

YEREVAN (Armenpress/A1Plus)–The regular monitoring of the contact line
between
Armenian and Azeri troops near the settlement of Seysulan of Karabagh’s
Martakert region scheduled for March 29 was canceled because of shots fired
from the Azeri side.
Andrzey Kasprzyk, personal envoy of the Organization of Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) chairman-in-office, who heads a team of observers
monitoring the ceasefire had to stop the planed monitoring due to the absence
of safety guarantees from Azerbaijan.
The Mountainous Karabagh Republic foreign ministry said Kasprzyk and
officials
from the ministry accompanying him registered three separate shots fired by
the
Azeris coming from the occupied village of Karmiravan.

2) Chairman of Danish European Movement Says Turkey Must Acknowledge Armenian
Genocide

YEREVAN (Yerkir/Armenpress)Erik Boel, chairman of the Danish European
Movement,
visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial and Museum in Yerevan Wednesday and
wrote in the guestbook that, “This tragedy should not be forgotten.”
Boel was accompanied by Armenian Parliament Vice-speaker and Armenian
Revolutionary Federation Bureau member Vahan Hovhannisian and Bureau member
Mario Nalbandian.
He also laid a wreath in honor of the victims.
“The country I represent and I personally believe that it was a genocide. And
this is why I am paying homage to the victims of that tragedy. I believe all
countries should come to terms with their pasts to move forward, I believe
Germany is the best example,” he said.
As for making recognition of the Armenian genocide for Turkey a precondition
to admission into the European Union, Boel said that he believed it is in
Turkey’s interest to recognize the Genocide.
He said Turkey must acknowledge this crime committed by the Ottoman Empire
and
come to terms with its past. He said the EU and Armenia should encourage
Turkey
to continue its membership drive, otherwise nationalistic forces within the
country may become stronger.
Boel also spoke about the Karabagh conflict, saying it is not as big a
priority for Europe, which focuses more on problems in the Middle East and
Kosovo.

3) Turks Petition PBS to Air ‘Armenian Revolution’ Film

Turkish Americans have begun collecting signatures urging PBS to air a film
called “The Armenian Revolution” on April 17, the same night that PBS
affiliates around the country will be airing the documentary “The Armenian
Genocide.” So far, over 10,000 have signed the petition.
The Petition alleges that the $650,000 budget for Andrew Goldberg’s
documentary on the Genocide was paid for by Armenian American associations.

4) City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo to Host Armenian Genocide Exhibit, LAUSD
Training

City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo will host an exhibit and teacher training
workshop for Los Angeles Unified School District teachers about the Armenian
genocide at Los Angeles City Hall on April 3.
The teacher training workshop will be conducted by The Genocide Education
Project, a non-profit educational organization, which will ultimately train
more than 300 LAUSD world history teachers about the Armenian genocide. The
workshop, which incorporates elements of the iwitness exhibit in its lesson
plans, will take place at City Hall from 8 AM to 3 PM on April 3, with the
opening reception for iwitness at 5 PM.
The exhibit, iwitness, features striking portraits and oral histories of
Genocide survivors and will be on display through the end of April. Iwitness
will be on display at the City Attorney’s Office through the month of April.
For more information, or to schedule a student field trip to the exhibit,
please call (213) 978-8100.
To RSVP for the April 3 opening reception, please email [email protected] or
call (213) 978-1575 by March 31.

See our Saturday edition for more information about the exhibit and teacher
workshop.

5) Conference Dedicated to Cilician Culture to Be Held in Antelias

The Catholicosate of Cilicia and the Mashdots Madenataran of Armenia will
organize an international conference called “The Culture of Cilicia,” which is
to be held in Antelias, Lebanon in January 2007.
The deputy director of the Mashdots Madenataran of Armenia is currently
visiting the Catholicosate of Cilicia. Arshag Panoutchian arrived almost a
week
ago in Antelias to carry out philological research in Antelias and to pave the
way for cooperation between the Madenataran and the Catholicosate of Cilicia.
Arshag Panoutchian and His Holiness Aram I discussed the possibilities of
cooperation between the Catholicosate and the Madenataran through various
initiatives particularly in the field of culture and Armenology. Panoutchian
praised the cultural activities organized by the Catholicosate and especially
the publication of new books by the collective efforts of the Catholicosate
and
the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
His Holiness hailed the readiness of the Mashdots Madenataran to cooperate
with the Catholicosate of Cilicia. “The Mashdots Madenataran of Yerevan is not
only Armenia’s Madenataran, but that of the entire nation. The entire nation
therefore has obligations in the efforts for the betterment of the
Madenataran,
the expansion of its work and its economic viability. The Mashdots Madenataran
is a symbol for the Armenian nation’s cultural identity, richness, and
greatness. Our Holy Seat is always ready to actively participate in all the
initiatives aimed at its better organization,” said His Holiness.
As proposed by His Holiness Aram I, an international conference titled “The
Culture of Cilicia” will be organized collectively by the Catholicosate and
the
Madenataran in Antelias in January 2007. Experts from Armenia and the
diaspora,
as well as foreign experts will be invited to participate in the conference. A
special committee will be formed in the future to follow up on the efforts for
organizing the conference.

6) Corruption-Related Crimes Cause Damage Amounting to 3.5 Billion Drams

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–The amount of damages inflicted last year by corruption
and related crimes amounted to almost 3.5 billion drams, while local courts
were able to recover only 236 million drams. Bagrat Yesayan, an aide to
president Kocharian, revealed these figures and said law-enforcement bodies
have to shift the focus on recovering money lost to corruption.
He said this was one of recommendations of a report on Armenia by GRECO, an
organization that helps its member states fight corruption. Yesayan downplayed
public discontent with the law that only convicted 97 government officials of
corruption when 352 such crimes were reported.

All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier
and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and
subscription requests.
(c) 2006 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved.

ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for
academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through
mass media outlets.

AZERI DIPLOMAT DISCUSSES MILITARY TIES IN CANADA

MPA news agency
28 Mar 06

Baku, 28 March: Azerbaijani-Canadian talks on military-political
cooperation are ending in Canada today (28 March). Azerbaijani Deputy
Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, who participated in the talks, met his
Canadian counterpart, [Deputy Canadian Foreign Minister] James Wright,
MPA has learnt from the Foreign Ministry press service.

They discussed security issues, the settlement of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and the development of bilateral ties.

The deputy foreign ministers discussed the situation in the South
Caucasus and in the Caspian region, prospects for cooperation in the
fight against terror and cooperation with international organizations.

Note: Azimov will also attend the fourth round of US-Azerbaijani
talks on security issues (29-30 March, Washington).