Author: Kafian Jirair

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS RECEIVES THE AMBASSADOR OF SOUTH KOREA

His Holiness Aram I received the ambassador of South Korea, Dr. Yang
South Kim and his first assistant in his office in the Veharan on
May 30.

The ambassador and His Holiness discussed the political problems
currently facing Lebanon and the parliamentary elections in the
country. Ambassador Kim showed special interest in the attitude of
Christians regarding the elections.

His Holiness stressed that fact that Lebanon is a country of
coexistence, “something which should be further strengthened,
preserving the balance and allowing the different communities to have
a more active participation in the political life.”

The status of negotiations for the reunification of North and South
Korea were also discussed during the meeting.

His Holiness had visited South Korea during the summer, in order
to preside over the meeting of the executive committee of the World
Council of Churches (WCC). His Holiness had met with the president
of the country and the minister in charge of the reunification talks.

The ambassador also talked about issues concerning the Korean Churches,
which are members of the WCC.

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Picture here:

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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
history and the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer
to the web page of the Catholicosate, The
Cilician Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is
located in Antelias, Lebanon.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS DELIVERS A LECTURE TO PROFESSORS
AND DOCTORAL CANDIDATES FROM THE UNITED STATES

25 renowned professors and doctoral candidates from the United States
visited Antelias on 27 May and held a meeting with His Holiness Aram I.

The team is visiting Lebanon to collect information from Lebanese
officials and conduct research around the topic “Lebanon: a country
of coexistence of religions and cultures.” The visitors listened to
a lecture by His Holiness on this topic.

Aram I highlighted the unique aspects of Lebanese society, presenting
Lebanon as a country of confessional and religious coexistence
and stressing the expression of this coexistence through cultural,
economical, religious and especially political means.

The Catholicos also talked about the positive challenges presented
by coexistence and the sensitivities caused by it. He emphasized that
the Lebanese communities should retain their identity and uniqueness,
but at the same time express their collective belongingness.

The attendants of the lecture, which lasted about an hour, asked
questions to which His Holiness gave clarifications.

##

Picture here:

*****

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
history and the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer
to the web page of the Catholicosate, The
Cilician Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is
located in Antelias, Lebanon.

WILL ARMENIANS APPEAR IN THE GUINNESS RECORD BOOK?

AZG Armenian Daily #098, 31/05/2005

Event

The remnants of pagan worship revealed themselves in 165-km-long circle
dance at the foot of Mount Aragats. The worship of stones and hills
seems to be in the blood of the Armenians and this unprecedented event
evidences it. The purpose of the circle dance — revival of the idea
of unity — hopefully was achieved.

Surroundings of Inner Berdashen village of Talin region were
overcrowded since early morning. There was pretty much time before the
dance at 3.00 pm, and people filled it with songs, games and chat under
the tents. The villagers slaughtered 2 cows in the morning, the flavor
of barbeque and other national dishes spread all over the fields.

To avoid possible chaos, people rehearsed the dance before the
appointed hour. As it was arranged, music was played not only by
speakers all around the mountain but also was aired by in-built
car radios.

Excitement reached its peak at 3.00 pm. With slight disagreement in
the dance nuances, people really felt the unity and began speaking
of organizing the next dance around Mount Masis (Ararat).

The event was also joined by Armenian President Robert
Kocharian. Though Kocharian stated previously that he will not
take part in the circle dance, he arrived at the mountain foot
after attending a ceremony at the historical complex of Sardarapat
accompanied by famous French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour. Among
other high-ranking officials who joined hands with common citizens
were President of Nagorno Karabakh Arkady Ghukasian, RA defense
minister Serge Sargsian and other ministers. Hundreds kilometers off
the epicenter of the event Artsakhi people joined their compatriots
in Shushi.

Four helicopters over the heads of dancers filmed the event. This
was definitely the first circle dance of the kind in the world and it
will be much talked about as a display of the Armenians romantic soul.

The feast that launched after the dance continued till late at night.

Circle dance coordinator, Aram Karapetian, said that the figures
provided by the police point out to 400 thousand participants.

Videotapes with the circle dance will soon be sent to the Guinness
headquarters for evaluation and probably for a line in Guinness
Record Book.

By Karine Danielian

CEASE-FIRE DEPENDS ON POLITICAL WILL OF CONFLICTING PARTIES

Pan Armenian News
30.05.2005 06:57

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The discussion by the Armenian and Azeri Presidents
the frequent cease-fire violations contributed to stabilization at the
contact line, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office
Andrzej Kasprzuk stated in Yerevan. In his words, the maintenance
of the cease-fire first of all depends on the political will of
the conflicting parties. Mr. Kasprzuk reminded that despite some
incidents the parties have been exerting efforts for preserving the
cease-fire for over 11 years already. Taking into account this fact
the issue of deploying international peacekeepers at the contact line
does not emerge.

GERMAN OPPOSITION LEADER DEMANDS CLARIFICATIONS ON TURKEY-ARMENIAN RELATIONS

IPR Strategic Business Information Database
May 30, 2005

According to Aksam, Germany’ds main opposition leader Angela Merkel
urged Turkey to improve its relations with Armenia and clarify its
official attitude on the Cyprus issue before starting accession talks
with the European Union on Oct. 3. Although Turkey’ds EU membership
bid is supported by current German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his
party, Merkel’ds party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), however,
favors a looser “privileged partnership” with Ankara. The CDU is the
main sponsor of a draft resolution before the German Parliament calling
on Turkey to take historical responsibility for the so -called mass
killings of Armenians during the late Ottoman era. Merkel’ds party will
challenge Schroeder’ds Social Democrats in early polls this September.

ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH LEADER HOSTS NEW-APPOINTED RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA

YEREVAN, May 30. /ARKA/. Armenian Apostolic Church leader Catholicos
Garegin the Second received newly appointed Russian Ambassador
to Armenia Nikolay Pavlov on Monday. According to Press Center of
St. Echmiadzin, Armenian Apostolic Church seat, in the course of the
meeting, Garegin II expressed his satisfaction with good relations
and fraternal ties between Armenian and Russian nations. He stressed
the importance of further strengthening and developing traditions
and role of both Armenian Apostolic and Russian Orthodox Churches in
strengthening friendship between the two nations.

Pavlov, in turn, assured Garegin II that like his predecessors,
he will maintain cordial relationship between Russian Embassy and
St. Echmiadzin. M.V. -0–

DEFENCE MINISTRY OF UKRAINE MAY PREPARE AND DISPATCH
PEACEKEEPERS TO NAGORNY KARABAKH WITHIN 2 MONTHS: VALERY FROLOV

YEREVAN, MAY 27. ARMINFO. Ministry of Defence of the Ukraine may
prepare and dispatch peacekeepers to Nagorny Karabakh within 2 months
in the case if the Supreme Rada of the Ukraine makes such a decision,
As Ukrainian mass media report, Deputy Chief Commander of Land forces
Valery Frolov stated, at the same time mentioning that there is not
such a decision today, and respectively there is no order on the
beginning of training of contingent.

To remind, for the first time the idea on dispatch of Ukrainian
peacekeepers to Nagorny Karabakh was expressed by Minister of Foreign
Affairs of the Ukraine Boris Tarasyuk during his Baku meet with
Speaker of Azerbaijani parliament Murtuz Aleskerov. In his turn, the
Karabakh side represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Masis Mayilian
reminded that according to decisions of the Budapest summit of OSCE
from 1994 the quartering of multinational forces on keeping peace in
the zone of the Karabakh conflict is accounted for by the signing of
a political agreement between all the conflicting parties.

The Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
May 27, 2005 Friday
Final Edition

Belly dancing with controversy: Actress plays a single Muslim woman
who goes to a public pool and meets a Christian man

by: Angela Baldassarre, Special to the Sun

While her husband, Atom Egoyan, was fending off bad press for his
latest movie at the Cannes film festival, actress Arsinee Khanjian
has been busy honing her own chops by promoting Ruba Nadda’s feature
directorial debut, Sabah.

A Gemini and Genie Award-winning actress with dark and exotic
features, 47-year-old Khanjian not only has appeared in all of
Egoyan’s films, but has starred in fare by some of the world’s
bravest filmmakers, including Olivier Assayas, Catherine Breillat and
Michael Haneke.

In Sabah, Armenian-born Khanjian plays a 40-year-old single
Muslim-Arab woman who lives with her widowed mother (Um Mouham-med)
in a Toronto home. Sabah must answer to her older brother, Majid
(Jeff Seymour) who controls the family finances; but one day Sabah
decides to defy her familial duties and goes swimming to a public
pool where she meets and eventually falls in love with Stephen (Shawn
Doyle), a Christian man who is also divorced. And thus begins Sabah’s
battle to transcend two divided cultures.

Baldassarre: You look so comfortable in this role.

Khanjian: It was written for me as I understood it. The first time
Ruba got in touch with me was three years ago. I received a script
through Atom’s office where she knew where to find me. So she sent
the script with a letter saying ‘I would love you to read this. I’ve
written it with you in mind and I’d love you to consider it.’

When I read that first draft, and since then it’s gone through many
wonderful drafts, I was very excited about it, I thought it was a
very honest piece of work. It came from a real, very simple but
sincere place. It didn’t have any sort of heavy undertones, major
socio-political analyses. It was a very true story of a particular
family and of a particular woman, one who was 40 years old. How often
do you see that on a screen today?

And she was presented as 40, not 40 looking like 20 or 30. I was
really excited about the script but then I started having concerns
about it.

What kind of concerns?

Maybe that’s when I kinda politicized the premise. I started
wondering if I was the right person to play it, although I’m
completely familiar with the environment.

I come from the Middle East, I grew up in the Middle East. I was 17
when I left, so I had enough conscious understanding of what Arabic
culture is about, Middle Eastern culture is about. However, because I
am from Armenian background therefore there are still major
differences in terms of religion, Armenians being Christian and here
we were dealing with a family with Muslim values. I felt that maybe I
wasn’t the right person to play the part given the climate of today
in terms of how the West is trying to figure out what Islam is about.

I had many discussions with Ruba wondering if she has thought about
that, if I were later to be in this situation where I would have to
talk about the film and the character and that family and that
situation. And she was incredibly at ease about it saying that ‘what
you read in this script is my intense relationship with my own
culture and I think you’re a good voice for it.’

Why is Sabah 40?

I asked Ruba ‘why is she 40? You’re a young woman?’ She came up with
the most wonderful answer, saying probably because for a 40-year-old
it’s more difficult to break away from your traditions especially if
those traditions have become the purpose of your life.

And to question yourself and be able to entitle yourself with those
rights which are absolutely basic individual rights, it makes it much
more interesting premise. That really made me trust the journey of
the character. From there on it was a particular journey because I
had never found myself in that situation so I didn’t have any
first-hand pain of being completely isolated in terms of my family
functions.

It was very important for me to be truthful without making her this
kind of strange character from being completely inexistent to
suddenly breaking through. It was very important for me to give her a
journey, and each step of the journey was not necessarily a
confrontation with the outside world but with the world that she had
taken on in terms of her personality, her identity. We talked a lot
with Ruba about that. I felt that the only way that I could
understand her was in terms of her struggle to come out from her own
limitations as opposed to one that has been imposed on her.

Angela Baldassarre is a Toronto-based film writer.

GRAPHIC:
Colour Photo: Arsinee Khanjian as Sabah, in the film by Ruba Nadda.;
Colour Photo: Shawn Doyle is the cabinetmaker to Arsinee Khanjian’s
unmarried Muslim woman of 40 in Sabah.

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian

May 26, 2005

NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY CONVENES
SUCCESSFULLY IN GRANITE CITY, ILLINOIS
The National Representative Assembly of the Eastern Prelacy convened
last week in Granite City, Illinois. The small parish of St. Gregory the
Illuminator Church hosted the NRA for the first time in its 50-year history.
The Prelate, Archbishop Oshagan, praised the parish for the extraordinary
job they did telling them, “You are not small anymore. You grew up!”
In his message to the Assembly, Archbishop Oshagan spoke about the
important commemorative dates during 2005: “The year 2005 presented to us
remembrances that have profound importance for our nation’s spiritual
advancement, collective memory of affliction, and the education and training
of our clergy,” referring to the 1600th anniversary of the founding of the
Armenian alphabet, the 90th anniversary of the Genocide of 1915, and the
75th anniversary of the re-establishment of the theological seminary of the
Holy See of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon.
A mini-symposium in commemoration of the 1600th anniversary of the
alphabet took place on Thursday afternoon with presentations offered by
Professor Hratch Zadoian in a keynote address, followed by presentations by
Dr. Vazken Ghougassian (Written on Stone: The Armenian Heritage of Stone
Epigraphy); Dr. Michael Papazian (Themes in Armenian Christian Literature);
Ms. Nayiri Baljian (Understanding the Divine Liturgy); and V. Rev. Fr. Shahe
Panossian (concluding remarks).
Complete information about the NRA, including texts of messages and
speeches, and photographs are being posted on the Prelacy web site:

PRELATE IS IN FLORIDA TODAY AND TOMORROW;
WILL ATTEND AYF SEMINAR IN PITTSBURGH SATURDAY
Archbishop Oshagan is in Florida today and tomorrow conferring with the
parish of St. Gregory the Illuminator and architects for the parish’s new
church in Boynton Beach.
On Saturday His Eminence will travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where
he and V. Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar of the Prelacy, will attend
the AYF junior seminar.

SCHOOL IN MOUGHNI, ARMENIA, IS DEDICATED
TO ARCHBISHOP MESROB ASHJIAN
On Tuesday, May 24, ceremonies took place in Moughni, Armenia, where the
local school was re-named in honor of the late Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian.
Villagers and prominent individuals from Yerevan attended the ceremony
which was organized by the Eastern Prelacy’s St. Nerses the Great Charitable
Organization and the Hamazkayin of Armenia, with the sponsorship of Mr. &
Mrs. Dikran Hadjetian of Canada.
Moughni is the site of the 13th century Sourp Kevork of Moughni
Monastery which the late Archbishop renovated with donations received on the
occasion of the 35th anniversary of his ordination during his tenure as
Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy. The village of Moughni is located in the
Aragatsotn region of Armenia. During the last five years of his life,
Archbishop Mesrob was a familiar and beloved figure in the area.

SIAMANTO ACADEMY STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN
HAMAZKAYIN CHORAL PERFORMANCE
Students of the Siamanto Academy, sponsored by the Armenian National
Education Committee, participated in the New York Hamazkayin choral
performance on Sunday, May 22, at Flushing Town Hall in New York. The event
was dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Vagharshak
Ohanian was the artistic director of the chorus, with accompaniment by David
Allahverdian on piano and Isabella Alexandrovki on kanon. The program also
included recitations by Dr. Herand Markarian and Lucine Jerjerian.

CATHOLICOS ARAM I VISITS MONASTERY IN ISFAHAN
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, has been
on an official visit to the three dioceses in Iran. On May 22 His Holiness
arrived in Isfahan where he visited the 400-year-old St. Amenapergitch
Monastery.
His Holiness laid a wreath at the Genocide monument outside the church,
asking God to rest the souls of more than one and one-half million martyrs
in peace.
During his two-week visit, the Catholicos has also visited the dioceses
of Tehran and Tabriz.

CATHOLICATE OF CILICIA PARTICIPATES IN CONFERENCE
ON WORLD MISSION AND EVANGELISM
The conference on World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of
Churches (WCC) took place in Athens, May 9-16. The theme of the conference
was “Come Holy Spirit, heal and reconcile. We are called by Jesus to become
reconciling and healing communities.”
Bishop Nareg Alemezian, ecumenical officer of the Catholicate, and
Bishop Khoren Doghramdjian, Prelate of Greece, attended the conference on
behalf of the Catholicate.

TURKISH GOVERNMENT CLOSES CONFERENCE
The Turkish government pressured organizers of an unprecedented
conference on the Armenian Genocide that was set to open yesterday in
Istanbul, to indefinitely postpone (which probably means “cancel”) the
conference which was entitled, “Ottoman Armenians during the Decline of the
Empire: Issues of Scientific Responsibility and Democracy.”
Turkish Justice Minister Cemil Cicek accused conference organizers of
committing treason. More than 700 individuals were scheduled to participate
in the three-day conference.

PROFESSOR VIGEN GUROIAN WILL DELIVER
FLOROVSKY MEMORIAL LECTURE
The 2005 annual Florovsky Memorial Lecture will be delivered by
Professor Vigen Guroian, on Friday, June 10, 7:30 pm, at St. Vladimir’s
Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York. His lecture, entitled
“I Confess the Cross Because I Know of the Resurrection,” will take place in
the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium. Professor Guroian is professor of
theology and ethics at Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland. He has written
eight books and more than 150 articles.
The Florovsky Memorial Lecture, held in different locations each year,
honors Fr. Georges Florovsky, eminent Orthodox theologian, historian, and
Slavic scholar who was the dean of St. Vladimir’s Seminary from 1949-1955.

ISABEL BAYRAKDARIAN FEATURED IN JUNE OPERA NEWS
The cover and lead article of the June issue of Opera News is devoted to
Isabel Bayrakdarian. “All About Isabel Bayrakdarian,” by Megan McKinney, is
accompanied with stunning photographs and vividly describes her upbringing
in a traditional Armenian family. “The church and its music are so much a
part of Armenian life-and my life. The haunting quality of Armenian
liturgical music speaks to my heart. I have sung it every Sunday since I was
four. I can join the choir in any Armenian church in the world, and suddenly
I am home,” she is quoted.

THIS SATURDAY ARMENIAN CHURCH COMMEMORATES
ST. GREGORY DELIVERANCE FROM THE PIT
This Saturday, May 28, the Armenian Church commemorates St. Gregory the
Illuminator and his deliverance from the pit. St. Gregory is revered as the
founder of the Armenian church. The Armenian liturgical calendar
memorializes its first Catholicos based on three important events in his
life: Entrance into the Pit; Emergence from the Pit; and Discovery of his
remains. In addition to these specific events, there are several other
feasts in honor of events that are closely connected to St. Gregory, such
as, Feasts of St. Hripsimian, St. Gayanian, Shoghakat, Holy Etchmiadzin,
King Tiridates.

SUNDAY IS FEAST OF HOLY ETCHMIADZIN
This Sunday, May 29, the Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of the
Holy Cathedral of Etchmiadzin. The Cathedral was built in 303, based on a
vision that came to St. Gregory. The Cathedral has been devastated and
plundered during the course of the centuries, but it has always been
reconstructed and renovated. It continues to be the spiritual center of the
Armenian nation

REMEMBERING THE ARMENIAN REPUBLIC OF 1918
This Saturday, May 28, we commemorate the 87th anniversary of the
independent republic of Armenia of 1918.
“O Lord, hearken the voice of the supplication of your servants and keep
unshaken the Armenian Republic which was restored by your mercy. Increase
the wisdom of all those ministers who are appointed for the leadership of
the Republic in order that they may lead your people with equity to justice.
Those who respect wisdom will rule forever. Grant abundantly the spirit of
courageousness to our generals and armies in order that their arrows
straightly aim at their targets. Plant in all of us the love of holiness,
wisdom and good sense, to know the wisdom and instruction and bring our part
to the observance of all laws that are useful for our nation. Pour into our
hearts the mercy of your benevolence, in order that we may manifest through
good works our love towards our homeland. For if the words are not
accompanied with good works of virtue, according to the Proverbs, the hearts
of such people are like ashes, their hope aimless, and their life worse than
clay.”
From “Prayer of Thanksgiving for the Republic of Armenia,” by Archbishop
Torkom Koushagian, prepared in Cairo, Egypt, in 1920.

MONDAY IS MEMORIAL DAY
Monday, May 30, is Memorial Day. Originally called Decoration Day, it is
a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service.
Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868, by General John A.
Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first
observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union
and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to
officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. After World War I,
the holiday changed from honoring those who died in the Civil War to
honoring all Americans who died fighting in any war. It is now celebrated in
every state on the last Monday in May.
Unfortunately, the day has now become a day for picnics and shopping
malls. Some of us “old-timers” here at Crossroads remember when no stores
were open on Memorial Day and everyone marked the day with appropriate
remembrance.
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
(from a poem by Moina Michael)

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Armenian president, Russian banker discuss ties

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
21 May 05

[Presenter over video of meeting] The dynamic development and reforms
of the Armenian banking system are creating an opportunity for
providing new services such as insurance, mortgage, leasing and
others, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has said at a meeting with
the chairman of the Russian Vneshtorgbank [Foreign trade bank], Andrey
Kostin.

Kocharyan expressed his satisfaction with the cultural exchange
between Armenia and Russia implemented with Vneshtorgbank’s
assistance, in particular tours of Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre in
Yerevan. Kostin said that he would continue his assistance in this
issue.