Author: Jilavian Emma

Associated Press Worldstream
August 24, 2004 Tuesday 6:03 AM Eastern Time

Olympic wrestling results

ATHENS, Greece

Results Tuesday from the Olympic wrestling competition:

Men

———
55Kg
———
Group A

Istvan Majoros, Hungary, def. Masatoshi Toyota, Japan, 5-3.

Group B

Lazaro Rivas Scull, Cuba, def. Samir Benchenaf, Algeria, 11-0,
Greater Superiority.

Group C

Irakli Chochua, Georgia, def. Ercan Yildiz, Turkey, 4-1.

Group D

Dennis Hall, United States, def. Petr Svehla, Czech Republic, 3-2.

Group E

Im Dae-won, South Korea, def. Nurbakyt Tengizbayev, Kazakhstan, 4-4.

Group F

Gueidar Mamedaliev, Russia, def. Mukesh Khatri, India, 3-0.

——–
66Kg
——–
Group A

Vaghinak Galustyan, Armenia, def. Maxim Semenov, Russia, 2-2.

Group B

Nikolay Gergov, Bulgaria, def. Levente Furedy, Hungary, 3-2.

Group C

Farid Mansurov, Azerbaijan, def. Juan Luis Maren Delis, Cuba, 3-0.

Group D

Parviz Zeidvand, Iran, def. Kanatbek Begaliev, Kyrgyzstan, 5-0.

Group E

Armen Vardanyan, Ukraine, def. Luis Fernando Izquierdo Martinez,
Colombia, 13-0, Greater Superiority.

Seref Eroglu, Turkey, def. Manuchar Kvirkelia, Georgia, 11-1, Greater
Superiority.

Group F

Mkkhitar Manukyan, Kazakhstan, def. Jannis Zamanduridis, Germany,
3-2.

Konstantinos Arkoudeas, Greece, def. Oscar Wood, United States, 9-3.

——–
84Kg
——–
Group A

Viachaslau Makaranka, Belarus, def. Levon Geghamyan, Armenia, 3-0.

Levon Geghamyan, Armenia, def. Andrea Minguzzi, Italy, 10-0, Greater
Superiority.

Group B

Mohamed Mohamed, Egypt, def. Mukhran Vakhtangadze, Georgia, 3-0.

Mohamed Mohamed, Egypt, def. Brad Vering, United States, 4-0.

Group C

Dimitrios Avramis, Greece, def. Fritz Aanes, Norway, 5-1.

Dimitrios Avramis, Greece, def. Behrouz Jamshidi, Iran, 3-1.

Group D

Gotsha Tsitsiashvily, Israel, def. Melonin Noumonvi, France, 3-1.

Alexei Michine, Russia, def. Gotsha Tsitsiashvily, Israel, 3-0.

Group E

Hamza Yerlikaya, Turkey, def. Oleksandr Daragan, Ukraine, 4-1.

Vladislav Metodiev, Bulgaria, def. Tarvi Thomberg, Estonia, 3-0.

Oleksandr Daragan, Ukraine, def. Tarvi Thomberg, Estonia, 5-0.

Hamza Yerlikaya, Turkey, def. Vladislav Metodiev, Bulgaria, Forfeit
Injury.

Group F

Attila Batky, Slovakia, def. Janarbek Kenjeev, Kyrgyzstan, 3-1.

Ara Abrahamian, Sweden, def. Shingo Matsumoto, Japan, 5-0.

Ara Abrahamian, Sweden, def. Attila Batky, Slovakia, 4-0.

——–
120Kg
——–
Group A

Yannick Szczepaniak, France, def. Haykaz Galstyan, Armenia, 3-1.

Group B

Mihaly Deak, Hungary, def. Juha Ahokas, Finland, 3-0.

Sajad Barzi, Iran, def. Mihaly Deak, Hungary, 3-1.

Group C

Khasan Baroev, Russia, def. David Vala, Czech Republic, 5-0.

David Vala, Czech Republic, def. Andrei Chekhauskoi, Belarus, 3-0.

Group D

Mijail Lopez Nunez, Cuba, def. Yuriy Yevseychyk, Israel, 5-0.

Yekta Yilmaz Gul, Turkey, def. Yuriy Yevseychyk, Israel, 3-0.

Group E

Georgiy Tsurtsumia, Kazakhstan, def. Xenofon Koutsioumpas, Greece,
2-2.

Eddy Bengtsson, Sweden, def. Mirian Giorgadze, Georgia, 3-0.

Xenofon Koutsioumpas, Greece, def. Eddy Bengtsson, Sweden, 5-0.

Mirian Giorgadze, Georgia, def. Georgiy Tsurtsumia, Kazakhstan, 2-2.
Group F

Rulon Gardner, United States, def. Mindaugas Mizgaitis, Lithuania,
3-0.

Serguey Moreyko, Bulgaria, def. Marek Mikulski, Poland, 3-0.

Mirian Giorgadze, Georgia, def. Georgiy Tsurtsumia, Kazakhstan, 2-2.

Rulon Gardner, United States, def. Serguey Moreyko, Bulgaria, 1-1.

Azer News, Azerbaijan
Aug 19 2004

US concerned over latest policy trends

US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Baku as part of his
visit to the US allies in the region last Wednesday. In a meeting
with Rumsfeld on Thursday, President Ilham Aliyev said the visit by
the US government officials and Congressmen to Azerbaijan shows the
rapidly expanding bilateral relations.

He noted that the USA and Azerbaijan are jointly developing energy
projects and successfully cooperating in security and other areas.
The President also expressed his satisfaction with the level of
military collaboration and said he was confident of the further
expansion of economic, military, and cultural partnership between the
two countries. “I am confident that in the future we will further
strengthen our ties to become a closer friend and ally”, Aliyev said.

Secretary Rumsfeld pointed out the rapidly expanding security
cooperation and said Washington appreciates Azerbaijan’s efforts in
the war on terrorism and its support for the anti-terror coalition in
Afghanistan and Iraq. “I agree completely that the security
relationship between our two countries continues to grow and
strengthen”, he said. The US official also stressed the importance of
successful cooperation between the USA and Azerbaijan within the NATO
Partnership for Peace program and added that this will further
promote Azerbaijan’s collaboration with NATO and the USA. Azerbaijan
is the only predominantly Muslim country that has contributed to the
multinational coalition assisting the forces of the Iraqi interim
government.

Rumsfeld dodges question on Upper Garabagh
Defense Minister Safar Abiyev and Secretary Rumsfeld held a news
conference following the negotiations held in Baku at the Heydar
Aliyev Airport of Baku. Rumsfeld said that in his meetings with
President Aliyev and Defense Minister Safar Abiyev he thanked the
Azerbaijani people for the contribution to anti-terror operations.
Touching upon the details of the talks held in Baku, the US Defense
Secretary said issues of bilateral cooperation were discussed. He
said the US cooperation with Azerbaijan in this area promotes the
tranquility in the Caspian region, fighting international terrorism,
smuggle of goods, transit of narcotics, and weapons of mass
destruction. “The American people appreciate Azerbaijan’s efforts at
fighting terrorism globally and our military cooperation will
continue”, Rumsfeld said. He noted that he did not discuss with
President Aliyev the issue of expanding the contingent of Azerbaijani
peacekeepers in Iraq an Afghanistan. At the same time, Rumsfeld said
the USA was in talks with its allies on the upcoming presidential
election in Iraq and that he discussed the issue with Azerbaijani
government officials. “Assistance of various countries is needed to
hold the election”, he added. He avoided a question on whether the US
could step up assistance in settling the Upper Garabagh conflict and
make changes to its policy in this respect. Rumsfeld said that
Washington was involved in the Minsk Group and that the USA has
appointed a new ambassador to deal with the conflict settlement. “As
you know, the United States supports the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan”, he added. Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev who
attended the news conference called on the United States to demand
that Armenia withdraw from the occupied land of Azerbaijan. Abiyev
pointed out the rapidly developing military cooperation between the
two countries. One of the issues discussed during the talks in Baku
was ensuring the security of the Caspian Sea, in particular, securing
oil fields. “The fact that the Caspian legal status has not been
resolved yet is a problem. Azerbaijan hopes for US support in this
area”, he said. Touching upon the involvement of Azerbaijani
peacekeepers in Iraq, Abiyev said this was a political issue and that
it could be addressed only after a political decision is made. With
regard to Iran’s nuclear program, Rumsfeld said it represents a
threat for the neighboring countries. Referring to the recent visit
by the Iranian President Khatami to Baku, the US Defense Secretary
said he discussed the issue with President Ilham Aliyev. The visit
came as a surprise and no information was provided earlier as to its
purpose or program. Moreover, the unexpected visit can be explained
by Washington’s concerns over the latest trends in the policy pursued
by Baku. The USA is also concerned with some internal political
processes ongoing in Azerbaijan and there are valid reasons for this.
This country is perturbed with the recent visit by Iranian President
Mohammad Khatami to Azerbaijan and its potential consequences, in
particular, prospects for further rapprochement in the positions of
Baku and Tehran. It is not by mere chance that the US Defense
Secretary admitted that he discussed the results of President
Khatami’s visit to Baku in his meeting with President Ilham Aliyev.
At the same time, he noted that the USA is not concerned over the
developing relations between Iran and Azerbaijan. Commenting on the
recent reports released by Iranian media saying that Azerbaijani
troops based on the Azeri-Iranian border will be transferred to the
US command shortly, Rumsfeld said that he was not aware of this.
Defense Minister Abiyev’s statement that Azerbaijan is in need of US
assistance in ensuring security of the Caspian Sea, the legal status
of which has yet to be determined, could have been directed against
Iran. The Minister, in fact, requested assistance from US in securing
oil fields in the Caspian, which are under a particular threat from
Iran. In summer 2001, Iranian navy attacked a research vessel leased
by BP to carry out geo-physical measurement work in an oil field in a
southern section of the Caspian Sea. Tehran explained this by saying
that the oil field actually belongs to Iran. Following the incident
BP suspended the development of the field in question on the grounds
that the Azerbaijani side was not able to ensure safety of the
operations. The operations of the field have not resumed ever since.
In a nutshell, Defense Minister Abiyev’s statement enables a
conclusion that Iran-related issues were in the focus of the talks
held in Baku. Another issue that raises concerns for the USA is the
strengthening ties between Baku and Moscow and the developing
military relations. The invigorating influence of Russia and Iran on
Baku may question US military presence in the region. This perturbs
the USA, especially in light of a possible destabilization of the
situation in Iran. Most likely Rumsfeld tried to receive accurate
answers from the Azeri leadership on these issues. Commenting on the
US official’s visit to Baku, former state adviser, Vafa Guluzada said
Azerbaijan simply has no choice. Baku needs to forge closer ties with
Moscow and Tehran in view of settling the Upper Garabagh conflict.
“If the USA continues to turn a blind eye to the current situation,
it may lose Azerbaijan as a strategic partner”, he said. The accuracy
of Guluzada’s statement could be supported by the fact that next week
Azeri foreign minister is expected to leave for Moscow to discuss the
Upper Garabagh conflict. Major US political analysts adhere to a
similar position. For instance, an article by Brenda Shaffer, head of
the Caspian Studies Program at Harvard University, published on a BBC
web site, says that before the presidential election Washington is
not likely to put forth any major political initiatives on Upper
Garabagh, as the current administration tends to avoid discussions on
foreign policy issues in the pre-election period. The story also said
that settlement of the Upper Garabagh conflict has not become a
priority in the US foreign policy despite the country’s major
interests in the region. Washington does not view the conflict as a
serious hurdle for the implementation of energy projects in the
region.

Armenia visit a learning experience for Kansas visitors and hosts
By Stephen D. Larson
Plains Guardian (July)

When Maj. Gen. (KS) Tod Bunting, Kansas adjutant general, visited Armenia in
May 2004 with members of the Kansas National Guard, one of the first things
that impressed him was an unusual mixture of ancient and recent history.

“The thing that comes to mind when I think of Armenia is that they’ve been a
country for over 3,000 years,” said Bunting, “but they’ve only been free for
13 of the last 100 some years.”

Armenia has been a nation since the Kingdom of Urartu in the 9th century
B.C., but after enduring centuries of conquerors – Persians, Romans, Arabs,
Mongols, Turks, Communists – it did not regain its independence until the
collapse of the Soviet Union.

“We’re actually a fledgling country by world standards,” said Bunting, “but
in terms of total years living free, we’re senior in that department.”

It is that heritage of freedom that the Kansas National Guard hopes to share
with Armenia through the State Partnership Program. Through this program,
developing nations are paired with one of the States to foster military-to
military, military-to-civilian and civilian-to-civilian relationships.
Kansas became partners with Armenia in 2003. Accompanying Bunting on the
trip were Col. Joe Wheeler, Kansas Army National Guard Plans, Operations and
Training (DPOT) officer; Lt. Col. Charles Brown, training administrator,
DPOT, Lt. Col. Joe Knowles, Kansas coordinator of the State Partnership
Program; and Command Sgt. Maj. Dale Putman, Joint Forces Headquarters Kansas
– Land Component sergeant major.

“This was a military to military exchange,” said Knowles. “This was a chance
for us to go meet their senior military officers, develop a relationship and
determine what we can do for each other, what their needs were.”

“We had individual meetings with their minister of defense, their military
officers, emergency management and their medical personnel,” Knowles said.

“We discussed a variety of possibilities,” said Wheeler. “They wanted to do
exchanges on emergency management. We talked about leadership development,
visits by Armenian military leaders, civic leader exchanges, small unit
exchanges, social support exchanges, such as military medicine and hospital
administration.”

The Kansas Guardsmen wanted to dispel any ideas that the Kansas National
Guard was going to be the “teacher” in this partnership.

“We fully expect to learn a lot from them,” said Bunting. “Their soldiers
are well-trained. They’re not a very big country, they’re surrounded by
countries that they don’t get along with so military training and readiness
is important to them.”

While Wheeler said that the Kansas National Guard will be learning from the
Armenians, he added that the Armenians expressed a great deal of interest in
the way the U.S. military works, too, particularly the National Guard system
and non-commissioned officers (NCO).

Because the Armenians do not have a national guard, the concepts of
“Citizen-Soldier” and civilian control of the military were particularly
fascinating to the Armenians.

“They really wanted to know about two things,” said Wheeler, “how the
National Guard operates and about the NCO corps. The whole concept of
National Guard and ready reserves is strange to them.”

“Like most of the former Soviet nations, they never have worked around an
NCO corps. It’s basically conscripts and officers,” said Bunting. “They
don’t have a national guard, so they don’t gain the benefit of keeping those
(experienced) soldiers around for a contingency in any kind of capacity.”

As a noncommissioned officer and a traditional Guardsman who works as a
utility lineman for Westar Energy during the week, Putnam found himself the
object of particular interest.

“They don’t have NCOs like we know them,” said Putman. The Armenians asked
him about his responsibilities and Putman explained to them how officers do
the planning and NCOs see that the work gets done.

“What we use NCOs for, they use their young lieutenants and officers,” said
Putman.

“We got to visit their training academy,” Putman continued. “I got a chance
to go talk with some of their soldiers and they were impressed that an NCO
would come over to talk to them.”

“Even more than their military, the Armenian public was just fascinated by
this notion,” said Bunting. “We had a press conference in Armenia and made a
particular effort to introduce him (Putman) with a longer introduction
because they could not conceive how he could be a Soldier and a utility
worker for the power company.”

“The kept asking me ‘When did you have to choose between being a Soldier and
a utility worker’,” Putnam said. “It took them a while to understand that I
didn’t have to choose, that I could be both.”

“They asked me how I got paid,” he continued. “I explained that the military
paid me and Westar also paid me. When they found out I got a retirement from
the military, that really astounded them.”

In Armenia, every man must serve in the military for a minimum of three
years, after which they can become an officer, the only way to make a career
of the military in Armenia. Putman’s long service record of nearly 40 years
– he entered the Kansas Army National Guard in August 1964 – amazed and
puzzled them.

“Another question they kept asking him was ‘You’ve been in 39 years. How
come you haven’t been made an officer?'” said Bunting. “They couldn’t
understand that he didn’t want to be an officer nor did he have to be an
officer to have major responsibilities.”

The trip, which took place during the Memorial Day week, brought home
another interesting concept for the Armenians.

“They were very intrigued with Memorial Day,” Bunting said. “They believe
very strongly in their armed forces and yet they do not have a day when they
celebrate their armed forces and especially those who made the ultimate
sacrifice.”

Although this initial trip was a military-to-military meeting, the
delegation still had time to meet some of the Armenian public and see a
little of the country. They unanimously found the Armenians to be a very
gracious, hospitable and proud people.

“Armenians are very proud that they were the first country to adopt
Christianity,” said Bunting. “That’s going to come up in the first four
sentences you have with an Armenian.”

“They took us to a church way back in a remote region carved out of a
mountain,” he continued. “It was centuries old.”

“They liked to point out that they were older than the Vatican,” said
Wheeler.

Coupled with that sense of historic pride is a sense of standing alone,
Bunting noted.

“They’re surrounded by Muslim nations,” said Bunting, adding that throughout
its history, the Armenians have viewed themselves as the frontier outpost of
Christendom.

Another somewhat unusual point of pride for the Armenians is a former Kansas
Senator and presidential candidate.

“Another person they are proud of is Bob Dole,” said Putman. “When Bob Dole
was injured during World War II, it was an Armenian doctor that treated
him.”

The land itself was also a delight for the visitors.

“I thought it was a beautiful country,” said Wheeler. “It has a lot of
mountains, waterfalls, canyons, a very volcanic area with lots of rocks.”

The group had the good fortune to be in the country during a national
holiday, which gave them the opportunity to sample a lot of the local
cuisine.

“All the people from each local farming community had a table with whatever
they grew,” said Putman. “There must have been 30 or 40 tables from
different farm communities passing out free samples. There was lamb and
sheep, fish, geese and duck. Not much beef. The fruits and vegetables were
really outstanding. They’re also very proud of their wines and beverages.”

“They even had a bread that they rolled out from wheat or rye,” said Putman.
“It was sort of like a soft shell taco and you put meat or whatever inside.
There was one table that had a honeycomb. They’d just cut out a hunk of
honey, comb and all, and give it to you that way.”

Although this was Bunting’s first trip to Armenia, he said it certainly
wouldn’t be the last for himself or the Kansas National Guard.

“People need to understand that this is a long-term relationship,” said
Bunting. “We hope that everyone in the Kansas Guard will have the occasion
to at least meet them as they visit and work along side them.”

As one step toward that goal, a small contingent of Armenian military
officers were at Fort Riley in July, observing the Kansas Army National
Guard’s 137th Transportation Company.

“They’re learning about our transportation techniques and tactics,”
explained Wheeler. “They don’t have anything like the PLS (Palletized
Loading System).”

Another group of Armenians will make a trip to Kansas in August, visiting
U.S. Army and Kansas Guard facilities and sampling some Kansas hospitality.

As movie legend Humphrey Bogart said at the end of the classic film
“Casablanca”: “Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful
friendship.”

Caption: Maj. Gen. (KS) Tod Bunting, the adjutant general (right), displays
the Kansas flag with Maj. Artak Tonoyan, commander of the Armenian
Peacekeeping Battalion. Bunting presented the flag to Tonoyan during a visit
to Armenia in May. (Photo by Col. Joe Wheeler)

Caption: The Kansas delegation had the opportunity to visit an Armenian
troop training facility, where Command Sgt. Maj. Dale Putman’s status as a
traditional Citizen-Soldier made him an instant celebrity among the Armenian
troops, who have no NCO corps. (Photo by Col. Joe Wheeler)

Caption: Maj. Gen. (KS) Tod Bunting listens as an Armenian monk relates the
long history of Christianity in Armenia. Armenia is credited with becoming
the first country to become a Christian nation, converting in 303 A.D.
(Photo by Lt. Col. Joe Wheeler)

DEPARTMENT FOR TOWN DEVELOPMENT AND LAND CONTROL OF YEREVAN
MUNICIPALITY OF ARMENIA EXPOSED 867 ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTIONS BY AUGUST 1

YEREVAN, AUGUST 16. ARMINFO. By August 1, the Department for Town
Development and Land Control of Yerevan Municipality of Armenia
exposed 867 illegal constructions, meanwhile last year’s indicator for
the first six months totaled 72. Chief Adviser of Yerevan Mayor
Grigor Melkumyan told journalists today.

He said that the greatest number of illegal constructions was exposed
in the communities Center (229), Achapnyak (149) and Arabkir
(147). 325 of the above 867 illegal constructions were disassembled as
against 32 in the first half of 2003. Within the first 7 months, the
Municipality received 1,974 applications by citizens and orgnaizations
in connection with illegal constructions and seizure of land lots, 867
of them were considered grounded. Melkumyan said that the Department
issued 235 permissions for construction. The lion’s share of the
constructions will be carried out in the Center and Achapnyak
communities.

67 and 66 permission were issued for constructions in these
communities respectively.

It should be noted that Yerevan municipality elaborated a complex
program on settlement of this problem, which will allow the city
authorities to follow the work of the employees of the Department for
Town Development and Land Control. Due to the rotation mechanism, all
the employees of the Department were moved from their previous
districts to new ones. Besides, the Municipality made a decision on
compulsory installation of tables containing information on the
company engaged in construction, the goal of the construction and
other data at construction sites. It should be noted that 57 cases
when construction sites lacked such tables were registered in the
period under review.

Le Monde
11 août 2004

Plaidoyer pour le christianisme arabe ;
HORIZONS ANALYSES ET DÉBATS ANALYSE

Henri Tincq

IL N’Y A PAS de privilège du malheur. La comptabilité des victimes
des conflits irakien et israélo-palestinien n’autorise pas de
comparaison sur le sort, plus ou moins tragique, de telle ou telle
communauté.

La microcommunauté chrétienne d’Irak, agressée lors du premier
dimanche d’août – des églises attaquées à Bagdad et à Mossoul, des
morts et des blessés – n’a pas la palme du martyre. Mais on doit
s’interroger sur le sort et l’exode de tous ces chrétiens d’Orient
vers un Occident plus clément.

Le phénomène ne date pas d’aujourd’hui. Mais le chaos irakien, la
guerre israélo-palestinienne et l’onde de choc, dans toute la région,
de la montée des extrémismes confessionnels alimentent plus que
jamais une émigration préjudiciable à l’équilibre de la civilisation.
La présence des chrétiens au Proche-Orient est, à cet égard, aussi
indispensable que celle de l’islam en Europe.

Le quart de la population chrétienne d’Irak, saignée – comme toutes
les composantes religieuses et ethniques du pays – par la guerre, la
dictature et l’embargo a fui depuis 1991, quand elle était encore
près d’un million. Mais, dans un pays comme la Syrie, qui a donné
sept papes et des empereurs romains, elle n’est plus qu’environ 10 %
– 1 200 000 fidèles -, deux fois moins que dans les années 1950.

Présents dans ce berceau de la chrétienté depuis deux mille ans, de
rites grec orthodoxe (la majorité) ou syriaque, les chrétiens syriens
ont quitté leur région du Nord-Est (Djezireh), d’Alep et de Homs
(l’ancienne Emèse). En

« Terre sainte » (Jordanie, territoires palestiniens, Israël), les
communautés chrétiennes se réduisent aussi comme peau de chagrin.

A Jérusalem, où a commencé leur aventure, les chrétiens ne sont plus
que quelques milliers contre 50 000 en 1948. D’autres hauts lieux de
la Palestine chrétienne comme Beth Jala, Beth Saour, Bethléem, ou
Nazareth en territoire israélien, les ont vus partir vers l’Amérique.
Ils ne sont plus que 70 000 en Cisjordanie, 3 000 à Gaza, 120 000
dans l’Israël arabe.

S’il en reste 6 millions en Egypte, combien de coptes émigrés
croise-t-on aussi en Amérique du Nord, en Australie, en
Nouvelle-Zélande ? Combien de chrétiens libanais ont choisi de partir
outre-Atlantique et en Europe, où les couvents maronites désormais
les suivent (dans la région lyonnaise et en Belgique) ? Ceux qui sont
restés, après les ravages de la guerre civile et de la crise
économique, ne sont plus qu’un million et demi.

Au total, le monde arabe comprend environ 12 millions de chrétiens.
Des chrétiens qui sont chez eux au Proche-Orient, qui sont les fils
de cette terre, en parlent la langue, en partagent les habitudes
vestimentaires, culinaires, sont les héritiers d’une histoire très
particulière, d’un patrimoine culturel, artistique, liturgique,
théologique unique au monde. C’est à partir de cette terre que s’est
faite, il y a deux mille ans, l’expansion de la nouvelle religion en
Mésopotamie – l’Irak actuel, l’une des premières régions
évangélisées, selon la tradition, par saint Thomas – en Syrie, en
Turquie, en Arménie. C’est à Antioche (Antakya dans l’actuelle
Turquie) que, pour la première fois, les croyants en Jésus et en ses
disciples furent appelés « chrétiens ».

DES MINORITÉS FRAGILISÉES

On aurait tort d’oublier que cet Orient est la terre des premiers
moines du désert (Egypte), des premiers grands théologiens – les
Pères de l’Eglise, des sept conciles qui, du IVe au VIIe siècle, ont
formulé à Nicée, Chalcédoine ou Ephèse, les fondements doctrinaux, le
« symbole de la foi » (Credo), la double nature du Christ, à la fois
« vrai Dieu et vrai homme », le dogme de la Trinité…

Cette oeuvre de maturation a laissé des traces dans la consternante
division de ces Eglises d’Orient, soumises à une quinzaine de
patriarcats, à une foisonnante diversité de langues et de rites.
L’archaïsme de ces divisions, le rapport différent à l’identité arabe
– plus fort chez les Grecs orthodoxes que chez les Libanais maronites
ou les Assyro-Chaldéens d’Irak – ont fragilisé la situation de ces
minorités historiquement ballottées par l’insécurité, l’instabilité
politique, les crises à répétition, l’appétit des grandes puissances.

Plus qu’un pays, le Liban est un « message », avait lancé Jean Paul
II à Beyrouth en 1995. Un « message » d’entente confessionnelle qui
n’a pas résisté aux assauts de quinze ans de guerre civile, mais dont
le Proche-Orient, depuis, a plus que jamais besoin. Un message de
coexistence entre des majorités étatiques et des minorités
religieuses qui est une condition de survie et le remède à l’amalgame
entre le christianisme et l’Occident aux couleurs de l’Amérique, dont
les chrétiens arabes sont aujourd’hui les victimes.

Dans ces terres labourées par une histoire d’exodes et d’exils, de
massacres et de conquêtes, personne n’oublie l’écrasante
responsabilité du christianisme occidental (latin). Des épisodes
comme les Croisades et le sac de Constantinople (il y a exactement
800 ans), comme l ‘ « uniatisme » de Rome dans les territoires
chrétiens orthodoxes – dont les Chaldéens d’Irak, nés en 1552, sont
un fruit -, puis une certaine arrogance des missions catholiques et
protestantes qui ont importé leur modèle de suprématie occidentale
ont enflammé les imaginaires collectifs et fait naître des idéologies
d’exclusion mutuelle qui n’ont pas épuisé leurs effets et dont les
minorités chrétiennes d’Orient ont toujours fait les frais.

« N’avons-nous pas nous-mêmes induit nos chrétiens en tentative
d’immigrer, demande Mgr Ramzi Garmou, archevêque de Téhéran, lui-même
irakien, quand nous leur avons appris, dans nos écoles, non seulement
des langues étrangères, mais aussi un style de vie et une culture
occidentale ? » Changer la perception stéréotypée que les chrétiens
d’Occident ont encore de leurs frères d’Orient est sans doute la
première condition pour renouer les dialogues.

Devant l’actuelle hémorragie migratoire, on ne peut exclure
l’effacement, dans quelques générations, de toute présence chrétienne
significative. Mais personne ne peut raisonnablement se résoudre à
une telle perspective, à commencer par les pays arabo-musulmans
eux-mêmes. Outre que les plus extrémistes des islamistes verraient
ainsi leurs voeux comblés, ces pays ne peuvent ignorer que la
stabilité et la sécurité passent par la protection de leurs
minorités, la sécularisation de leurs institutions, la démocratie, le
pluralisme politique et religieux, la liberté d’association et de
conscience, la garantie d’un statut égal pour toutes les confessions.

« Conférer aux chrétiens la qualité de citoyens à part entière, leur
accorder une liberté effective d’exercice de la religion et la
réciprocité d’un traitement égal, voilà une vertu qui honorerait les
pays arabes », écrit Joseph Yacoub, Syrien de confession chaldéenne,
dans Au nom de Dieu. Les guerres de religions aujourd’hui et demain
(J.-C. Lattès, 2002).

« SOLUTION LAÏQUE »

Les chrétiens qui restent en Jordanie, en Palestine, en Irak ou en
Syrie témoignent d’une volonté de coexistence qu’ils veulent croire
encore possible. Se résigner à leur disparition serait considérer
comme inéluctable l’exclusion de ces minorités, diminuer les chances
d’équilibre et de paix, prendre son parti du « choc des civilisations
». Issu d’une famille protestante qui est minoritaire en France et
qui a payé au prix fort sa reconnaissance, Jean-Paul Willaime,
éditorialiste de Réforme, a pu écrire, au lendemain des attaques
contre les églises en Irak, qu ‘« il faut préserver une chrétienté
arabe comme il faut préserver un islam européen ».

Non seulement parce que la reconstruction de l’Irak ne pourra se
passer d’aucune de ses composantes, mais aussi parce que « la
présence d’une minorité religieuse oblige chaque société à trouver la
solution laïque adaptée à son histoire et à sa configuration ».

Anti-Armenian protesters on trial in Azerbaijan

Turan news agency
11 Aug 04

Baku, 11 August: The trial of Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO)
activists, presided over by judge Famil Nasibov, started at Baku’s
Nasimi district court today.

In the dock is the chairman of the KLO, Akif Nagi, as well as Rovsan
Fatiyev, Ilkin Qurbanov, Mursal Hasanov, Manaf Karimov and Firudin
Mammadov. They were arrested for involvement in an unsanctioned
protest action on 22 June in connection with the visit of two Armenian
officers to Baku.

The charges were read out in court. In particular, the KLO activists
are charged under Articles 221 (hooliganism), 233 (breach of public
order) and 315.2 (putting up resistance to authorities).

The defendants themselves denied the charges, terming them
fabricated. Nagi said that the KLO activists had never broken the law,
since citizens have the right to freedom of assembly under Article 49
of the Constitution of the Azerbaijani Republic.

The defendants also denied the charge that they were attempting to
disrupt a NATO meeting. They underlined that they were simply
protesting against the visit to Baku of Armenian officers. According
to the defendants, the police were the first to use force against the
pickets and their reaction was a response.

The court upheld the defence’s petition to summon to appear in court
the deputy police chief of Baku’s Yasamal district, Cingiz Mammadov,
who personally beat the pickets.

UEFA.com
Aug 10 2004

Minasyan takes U21 role

Vardan Minasyan has been named coach of the Armenia Under-21 side,
just one week before the start of their UEFA European Under-21
Championship qualifying campaign.

Rapid rise
Injury brought Minasyan’s playing career to an end last season,
whereupon he took an assistant coaching role at FC Pyunik. Before the
start of this season Minasyan took charge of the Armenia U19s, before
subsequently being asked to replace Mihai Stoichita as head coach at
Pyunik.

New challenge
A man in demand, Minasyan will now combine his job at Pyunik with his
U21 duties. Armenia’s qualifying campaign starts on 18 August away to
F.Y.R. Macedonia. Finland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic,
Romania and Andorra are their other Group 1 opponents.

Reality Macedonia, Macedonia
Aug 5 2004

Is Iraq Another Yugoslavia?

By Sasha Uzunov

Churches belonging to the Christian Assyrians, one of Iraq’s
indigenous peoples, have become the latest target of terrorism in the
strife-torn country. This conjures up disturbing parallels with the
decade long religious and ethnic conflict in the Balkans.

Iraq reminds me of the former Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, both
communist federations consisting of various competing ethnic groups.
Both of these nations lasted about 70 years before fragmenting
violently into a multitude of new nation states in the early 1990s.

Iraq is a hodge podge consisting of an ethnic Arab majority, many of
whom are Shiite or Sunni Muslim. A very small number are Arab
Christians. Add to this mixture, millions of Sunni Muslim Kurds and
Turkmans in the north of the country. Kurds are non-Arabs, whilst the
Turkmans are closely related to the Turks. Not forgetting the
Assyrian Christians, who were the original inhabitants of Iraq before
being swamped by an Islamic Arab invasion in 637 AD, more than 1300
years ago. There are also tiny numbers of ethnic Christian Armenians,
and two little known sects, the Sabia, who worship water, and the
Yazidi, mistakenly referred to as “devil worshipers.”

The irony is that Iraq is one of the cradles of Western and
Judeo-Christian civilisation. Anyone who has studied ancient history
at high school can recall the Sumerians, the Assyrians and the
Babylonians, and the mighty Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Iraq has Yugoslavia written all over it. Can such a country survive
intact? Can the west, in particular the United States-lead coalition
of the willing, hold it all together?

The Kurds in the north have been fighting for their own homeland for
decades. Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein brutally suppressed
them by gassing and bombing them. He also brutally suppressed the
Shiite Arab majority, located in the south, which have religious ties
to neighbouring non-Arab state, Iran, the descendant of Ancient
Persia.

Saddam, as a way of dividing the rival groups, appointed an Arab
Christian, the bespectacled Tariq Aziz, as his Foreign Minister.
Aziz, being a Christian had no hope of building an anti-Saddam
conspiracy.

Northern neighbour Turkey is not comfortable with an independent
Kurdistan arising from northern Iraq, as there are millions of Kurds
within Turkish borders. Turkey has fought a 20-year Kurdish
insurgency and is concerned about the plight of its Turkman kin.

Christian Assyrians also live in Syria and Iran. The father of famous
American tennis player, Andre Agassi, is an Assyrian from Iran. These
people are a small and persecuted minority in their own homelands. So
it comes as no great surprise that a large ethnic Assyrian diaspora
exists. In the next couple of months or years, don’t be surprised if
more of them try to flee to the west.

Another of those persecuted indigenous peoples we hardly hear about
is the Christian Egyptian Copts, who have suffered at the hands of
Islamic fundamentalist terrorism. The former Egyptian Foreign
Minister and UN Secretary General, Boutros Boutros Ghali, is a Copt.
Like the Assyrians, many Copts have made the west home.

Then there are the Berbers of Algeria. These people are the original
nomads of North Africa, who were converted to Islam by invading Arab
armies eons ago. A deadly rivalry still exists been Arabs and
Berbers.

In Sudan, black African Christians in the Darfur region are being
attacked by the Islamic Arabic controlled government and militias.

Can there ever be a peaceful solution to the Middle-East and North
Africa?

Sasha Uzunov is a freelance journalist who has covered the Balkans
region for almost a decade.

Noyan Tapan, Armenia
Aug 3 2004

“Respublika Armenia” official Russian-language newspaper to have new
editor-in-chief starting from September

Official Russian-language daily Respublika Armenia will have new
Editor-in-chief starting form September. However, the name of the
last is not known yet. Correspondent of Noyan Tapan was informed from
a non-official source that the incumbent Editor-in-chief Vardan
Aloyan is offered another job. It is not excluded that he will work
in Armenia holding as an editor of Armenian language periodical.

Lebanese Armenians to help in “reconstruction” of Karabakh town – web site

Azg web site, Yerevan
1 Aug 04

Text of report in English by Armenian newspaper Azg web site on 1
August headlined “Armenians of Lebanon to contribute to Shushi’s
reconstruction”

Yesterday 31 July Arkadiy Gukasyan, president of Nagornyy Karabakh,
received Grigor Galust, co-chairman of “Shushi” foundation and
director of Beirut Mesropian College, and Bakur Karapetian, co-chair
of the same foundation and publicist. Galust told Gukasyan that their
visit is aimed to get acquainted to the activities of the foundation
in the issue of Sushi’s Susa reconstruction. Regnum news agency
informed that Galust expressed readiness to assist in the
reconstruction of Karabakh churches on behalf of Nerses Petros XIX,
head of Beirut’s Armenian Apostolic Church.