Author: Kamalian Hagop

Agence France Presse
13 octobre 2004 mercredi 2:24 PM GMT

Envoi d’Arméniens en Irak: les organisations arméniennes de jeunesse
protestent

EREVAN 13 oct

Les organisations de jeunesse arméniennes ont protesté mercredi, dans
une lettre commune au président arménien Robert Kotcharian, contre le
projet présidentiel d’envoyer 50 militaires non combattants en Irak.

“Nous sommes inquiets de ce que le pouvoir en Arménie se prépare à
envoyer en Irak un groupe de maintien de la paix arménien”, relèvent
les 30 organisations de jeunesse, dont des associations d’étudiants
et des mouvements de jeunesse de différents partis politiques,
certains proches du pouvoir.

Les 30 organisations, qui comptent des milliers de membres parmi la
jeunesse arménienne, mettent notamment en garde contre le risque pour
la communauté arménienne en Irak, qui compte environ 20.000
personnes, que ferait courir une telle participation à la coalition.

La lettre a également été envoyée au Parlement arménien, qui peut
s’opposer à la ratification de l’accord conclu début septembre entre
l’Arménie et la Pologne et qui prévoit l’intégration de 50 militaires
non combattants arméniens (médecins, démineurs, chauffeurs) au
contingent polonais en Irak.

Cette annonce du choix du gouvernement arménien de coopérer avec les
forces militaires polonaises avait inquiété le milieu politique, qui
craignait que la diaspora arménienne en Irak ne devienne la cible
d’attaques de la part de la résistance irakienne.

Des représentants des organisations de jeunesse se sont dit prêts
mercredi à d’autres formes de protestation, si leur protestation
restait lettre morte.

Russia ready to participate in Armenia’s econ project – premier
By Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency
October 13, 2004 Wednesday

YEREVAN, October 13 — Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov said
Russia is ready to take an active part in investment programs and in
the implementation of economic projects in Armenia.

Fradkov confirmed it in his address to the delegates of the
international Armenian forum, which opened in Yerevan on Wednesday.

The prime minister’s message was read by Russian Transport Minister
Igor Levitin.

Fradkov said he was hoping that this forum would become a catalyst
for the development of trade and economic ties between Armenia and
Russia and other countries.

He noted that the Armenian community in the Russian Federation plays
a significant role in launching mutually advantageous ties in various
spheres between the two countries.

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 1) 517 163
Fax: (374 1) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
October 13, 2004

New Dean of Vaskenian Seminary Appointed by His Holiness Karekin II

By the Pontifical Order of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch
and Catholicos of All Armenians, Rev. Fr. Mkrtich Proshian, a member
of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin, has been appointed Dean of
the Vaskenian Theological Seminary of Lake Sevan as of October 1, 2004.

Father Mkrtich recently returned to the Mother See following the
completion of his higher education in the United Kingdom. He graduated
from Cardiff University with a Masters Degree in Theology.

* * *
Rev. Fr. Mkrtich Proshian
(baptismal name – Hayk)

Born in Vagharshapat, Armenia in 1975, he received his primary and
secondary education at Khatchatur Abovian School, graduating in 1992.

>>From 1993 to 1998, he studied in the Vaskenian Theological Seminary
of Lake Sevan, and continued his education from 1998 to 1999 in the
Gevorkian Theological Seminary of Holy Etchmiadzin.

He was ordained a deacon in 1999 by His Eminence Archbishop Voskan
Kalpakian.

In 2000, Deacon Hayk defended his graduation thesis entitled “The
Theology of ‘Khosrov Antsevatsi’s Commentary on the Divine Liturgy'”.

In 2001, he was ordained a celibate priest by His Holiness Karekin II,
Catholicos of All Armenians, and given the new name Mkrtich.

>>From 2001 to 2003, he studied in the United Kingdom, first at
the College of the Resurrection in Mirfield, England, then at the
University of Leeds. In 2003, he received his Bachelors Degree from
Leeds University.

>>From 2003 to 2004, Father Mkrtich was enrolled in Cardiff University
in Wales. In July 2004, he received his Masters Degree in Theology
from Cardiff University.

##

Terror’s Islamic Roots
By Robert Spencer

Front Page Magazine
Oct 11 2004

Mustafa Akyol’s third and latest attempt to show that Osama bin Laden
and Company have hijacked the religion of peace is as mind-numbingly
disingenuous as it is windy and off-point.

In his article, “Still Standing for Islam – and Against Terrorism,”
in Frontpage’s October 8 issue, Akyol says: “At the outset, I should
clarify the meaning of the term jihad. It does not necessarily mean a
military struggle….” He should know that it is completely beside
the point, because although it may not “necessarily” be a military
struggle, it is for the global jihadists. Does Akyol think they will
lay down their arms because jihad can also be a spiritual struggle?
As a matter of fact, Hassan Al-Banna (founder of the Muslim
Brotherhood) and Abdullah Azzam (a founder of Al-Qaeda) among others,
taught that the idea of jihad as a spiritual struggle was based on a
weak hadith, and thus had to be rejected by loyal Muslims. But of
course Akyol does not deal with that.

Akyol also says: “Mr. Bostom also asks what will happen to atheists
if they are not convinced. Of course, nothing. Let them deny the
obvious. ‘There is no compulsion in religion’ (2:256) and Muslims are
ordered to say ‘The truth is from your Lord, so let him who please
believe, and let him who please disbelieve.’ (18:29)”

Interestingly enough, just yesterday someone sent me this from a
Muslim Q&A website, quoting Qur’an 8:39 and 9:5 to say that yes,
there is compulsion in religion:

“And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and
polytheism, i.e. worshipping others besides Allaah), and the religion
(worship) will all be for Allaah Alone [in the whole of the world]”
[al-Anfaal 8:39]

“Then when the Sacred Months (the 1st, 7th, 11th, and 12th months of
the Islamic calendar) have passed, then kill the Mushrikoon (see
V.2:105) wherever you find them, and capture them and besiege them,
and lie in wait for them in each and every ambush. But if they repent
[by rejecting Shirk (polytheism) and accept Islamic Monotheism] and
perform As‑Salaah (Iqaamat-as-Salaah), and give Zakaah, then
leave their way free. Verily, Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Tawbah 9:5]

This verse is known as Ayat al-Sayf (the verse of the sword).

These and similar verses abrogate the verses which say that there is
no compulsion to become Muslim.

But Akyol is ready for that. He attacks the Islamic doctrine of
abrogation on which this argument is based, saying it is “actually a
late invention, introduced by some classical jurists during the
fourth century (late 10th century) of Islam.” He quotes Dr. Khaleel
Mohammed, a professor of Religion at San Diego State University: “The
allegation that 120 verses on the invitation to Islam were abrogated
by the verse of the sword (9:5)…is in fact one of crassest
stupidity.”

Gee, that’s swell, but unfortunately, Dr. Khaleel Muhammad has not
yet taken up his throne as the Muslim Pope. And here, as in so many
other instances, he resorts to shallow and base name-calling instead
of actually addressing the arguments of his opponents. Jihadists,
quite obviously, still employ the practice of abrogation. Does he
think that pointing out that it is a tenth-century innovation and
accusing those who use it of the “crassest stupidity” will really
stop them? “Fellow mujahedin! Dr. Khaleel Muhammad has called us
stupid! Let us lay down our arms!”

In fact, abrogation (naskh) is not a tenth-century innovation. It is
based on the Qur’an itself: “Nothing of our revelation (even a single
verse) do we abrogate or cause be forgotten, but we bring (in place)
one better or the like thereof. Knowest thou not that Allah is Able
to do all things?” (Sura 2:106).

Likewise, Akyol’s contention that “the war verses describe only an
abnormal state of affairs — in which the Muslim community faced an
enemy that sought its annihilation — and verses that promote peace
and tolerance describe the Islamic ideal” will do nothing to pacify
radical Muslims, since they have argued again and again that today
the Muslim community faces an enemy that seeks its annihilation. Thus
even by Akyol’s own standards, Muslims are justified to invoke the
Qur’an’s war verses and wage jihad today.

Then Akyol performs a neat pirouette to avoid the avalanche of
quotations that Bostom, others, and I myself invoked from the hadith
and sira — traditions of the Prophet Muhammad and his biography —
to justify the killing of captives in Islam. He simply denies the
authority of the sources: “Well, I don’t question the Koran, which I
believe to be the infallible Word of God, yet I, like many other
contemporary Muslims, feel free to question traditional Islamic
sources such as the hadith and sira. These were written at least one
and a half centuries after the Prophet and we already know that there
were many fake sayings attributed to and fables made up about Prophet
Muhammad. The collection we have today was compiled by men most of
whom had the best intentions, but good intentions are not enough to
create an infallible source.”

That’s great for Mustafa Akyol, except for two small problems:

1. He immediately contradicts his own statement in the paragraph that
follows by invoking two statements of Muhammad that are not in the
Qur’an, but are taken from the Islamic traditions he just rejected.

2. Most Muslims accept the hadith and sira as authoritative. I am
glad that he and other Muslim reformers reject them, but they face a
herculean task in convincing the majority of their coreligionists to
do so (particularly when Akyol rejects them and then uses them in
practically the same breath).

But since Akyol rejects the authority of passages from Islamic law
that Bostom and I cited in our respective replies, he doesn’t have to
answer or explain them. Instead, he spends the bulk of his article
citing Muslim apologists and questionable historical sources to
establish that in history, Muslims acted better. Once again, even if
this is true, it establishes nothing: the mujahedin believe that they
are acting in line with Islamic law, and historical examples don’t
disprove this.

In order to avoid ten years in prison as mandated by law in his
native Turkey, in the course of his long-winded historical tour Akyol
breezily dismisses the Armenian genocide, in which two million people
were slaughtered, as “inter-communal violence,” and blames the
Armenians as much as the Ottomans.

This Holocaust denial in itself reveals the utter moral bankruptcy of
Akyol’s argument, but there is one more thing. He also sees dark
motives behind what Bostom and Ibn Warraq (and, by implication, I
also) are doing, seeing behind us the shadows of Stalin and Pol Pot.
“According to Ibn Warraq, as Mr. Bostom delightfully quotes, ‘There
are moderate Muslims, but Islam itself is not moderate’ and ‘Islam
need [to] be marginalized for liberty to flourish.’ What Ibn Warraq
does is to reiterate the dull atheists mantra — that religion shrinks
our liberties and instead we must shrink religion to save them. From
Epicurus to Nietzsche, from Freud to Richard Dawkins, this is the
unholy crusade whose political fruits included mass murderers such as
the Jacobins, Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot. And I am firmly against that
secularist agenda.”

In case you missed it, the sleight-of-hand he performs here is to
equate Ibn Warraq’s opposition to Islam with the opposition to
Christianity that did indeed lead to the monstrous atheistic regimes
of Jacobins, Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot. Ibn Warraq is indeed, as far as
I know, an atheist, but this has nothing to do with the statements
from him that Akyol quoted. “There are moderate Muslims, but Islam
itself is not moderate” is not a call to Stalinist genocide; it is an
observation that certain teachings of Islam itself enjoin violence
against unbelievers. If you don’t believe that, go back and read Sura
9:5 and what the Islam Q&A site makes of it.

I myself am not an atheist, and I do not reply to him out of some
sinister cypto-Stalinism. I made it abundantly clear why I am doing
this in an earlier reply to Akyol:

Why am I doing this? To make life difficult for a moderate? No. I am
only trying to point out that Akyol’s conclusion (the beheadings
“stem from a kind of necrophilic nihilism, not from the essence of
Islam”) is unwarranted, and his argument will be unconvincing to a
radical Muslim, who can invoke the authorities I have cited here and
others.

So in sum: Akyol’s piece is not the kind of moderate Islamic
presentation we need in order to neutralize the radicals. We need one
that confronts and refutes their arguments; his simply ignores them.
Those who are looking for moderate Muslims to rise up and refute the
radicals should keep looking.

I stand by those statements. Akyol more and more seems to me like one
who is trying to reassure jittery Westerners about Islam, rather than
refute the radicals. But his reassurance is hollow, and is only
likely to make people less guarded against future attacks by Muslims
who do not accept his arguments. His arguments do nothing to stop
jihadists from continuing their murderous work.

Robert Spencer is the director of Jihad Watch and the author of
Onward Muslim Soldiers: How Jihad Still Threatens America and the
West (Regnery Publishing), and Islam Unveiled: Disturbing Questions
About the World’s Fastest Growing Faith (Encounter Books).

Azeri minister in Italy discussing development of cooperation

Assa-Irada
8 Oct 04

Baku, 7 October: Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, who
is on an official visit to Italy, has met representatives of the
authorities and the Venice Chamber of Commerce. The meetings discussed
the current stage and prospects of developing cooperation between
Italy and Azerbaijan, integration into Europe and Armenia’s
resettlement of its residents in the occupied territory of Azerbaijan.

Also, Mammadyarov spoke about the social-political processes, reforms
carried out in Azerbaijan and the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict at a business forum yesterday. Answering questions
from business people, the minister told the forum, which was attended
by representatives of about 60 companies, that favourable investment
conditions had been created in Azerbaijan.

SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT IS POSSIBLE ONLY AT RESPECTFUL
ATTITUDE TO RIGHT OF NKR FOR SELF-DETERMINATION: ANDRANIK MARGARIAN

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7. ARMINFO. “My position concerning the settlement of
the Karabakh problem just as the position of the Republican party,
headed by me, has been and remains unchanged and is based on certain
principles. Prime Minister of Armenia Andranik Margarian stated in the
interview to the newspaper Noyev Kovcheg.

According to him, the settlement of the conflict is possible only when
respectful attitude to the right of Nagorny Karabakh for
self-determination, on the basis of consideration of historical
realities. “The problem must be settlement only by peace. At the same
time Nagorny Karabakh’s subordination to Azerbaijan must be excluded”,
the prime minister said. It is necessary to ensure the guarantee of
security of NKR and Armenia, Margarian said. And the course of the
process of settlement of the conflict must be implemented by means of
negotiations, direct contacts of the cochairmen of the OSCE Minsk
group and leaders of two states with the participation of NKR
authorities at a certain stage.

AZERBAIJANI POLITOLOGISTS THINK NON-SERIOUS STATEMENT BY DEFENSE
MINISTER OF THAT COUNTRY ON POSSIBILITY OF ANTI-TERRORIST OPERATION IN
KARABAKH

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5. ARMINFO. Azerbaijani politologists think
non-serious the statement by Defense Minister of that country Safar
Abiyev made during his visit to Turkey on possibility of holding an
anti-terrorist operation in Karabakh.

According to the Zerkalo newspaper, Zadrusht Alizade said that such a
statement cannot be perceived either by the international community,
nor by Azerbaijan. Commenting on the fact that Abiyev meets not only
militaries, but also Turkish President Ahmed Necet Cezer, Alizade said
that the defense minister is most likely to be given a specific
political instruction he must inform the Turkish leadership of. “Safar
Abiyev is not the very person able to hold political negotiations,”
Alizade said. He said that issues of political situation and strategic
planning are within the competence of Prime Minister. He said that
Safar Abiyev and Turkish President will, undoubtedly, discuss the
Karabakh conflict, but it does not mean that the such a problem can be
solved at the given level, Alizade said.

In his turn, politologist Vafa Guluzade said that such a statement is
nothing, but a phantasia. He said that Azerbaijan is in a situation of
war with Armenia, and “Russian strategists took all the measures that
the current font line not be in favor of Azerbaijan.” Besides,
Guluzade said that engineering structures are built in Karabakh and in
the regions nearing it, so, to attack, Azerbaijan needs a very strong
army. “I think if Azerbaijan starts an anti-terrorist operation in
Karabakh, in response, Armenia will began bombing Baku and other towns
of the country,” Guluzade said.

He said that the statement on anti-terrorist operation in Karabakh is
just a fiction by Putin, Russia, misleading the Azerbaijani people. He
added that the given statement could be just torn out of the context.

Itar-Tass Russia, CIS news summary for Saturday, October 2 – 2

TASS
October 3, 2004 Sunday

MOSCOW

Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone talk with Tajik
leader Emomali Rakhmonov on Saturday to discuss practical issues
related to the planned visit by the Russian president to Tajikistan
and a summit of the Central Asian Cooperation Organisation, the
Russian presidential press service said.

SOFIA – Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov will chair a meeting of
the anti-terror commission in two-weeks’ time to evaluate the
implementation of the president’s decree on enhanced anti-terror
measures, a government official said. Responding to a question about
possible changes in the government structure, government chief of
staff Sergei Naryshkin told journalists on Saturday, “The role of the
staff matches relevant powers and functions.”

KIEV – The European Union plans to urge Ukrainian politicians to hold
free and democratic presidential elections in October. EU High
Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana
had a telephone conversation with presidential candidate Viktor
Yushchenko on Saturday, during which they discussed “numerous
violations in the course of the election campaign” and expressed
concern about its coverage in Ukrainian mass media, Yushchenko’s
election headquarters said.

BORISOV – President Alexander Lukashenko urged the Belarussian
military to develop peacekeeping skills. At the same time, he said
there was no question of their participation in peacekeeping missions
at the moment. Speaking at the Shchit Otechestva-2004 (Fatherland’s
Shield) military exercise on Saturday, Lukashenko said, “We were
invited and are invited to any region to carry out peacekeeping
missions. But I am not going to make any decision on the participation
of Belarussians in peacekeeping operations for the time being.”

KURSK – The heads of border-lying regions from Belarus, Russia and
Ukraine ended their meeting in Kursk on Saturday. The leaders of 15
border-lying regions from the three countries, ambassadors and
officials from border guard agencies attended the meeting. The agenda
included a variety of cooperation issues. The participants paid
special attention to a draft agreement between the Ukrainian and
Russian governments on the border crossing rules for residents of
border-lying regions.

YEREVAN – Russian Federation Council Chairman Sergei Mironov and
Armenian parliament head Artur Bagdasaryan opened the Russian-Armenian
regional cooperati on centre in a ceremony in Yerevan on Saturday. The
objective of the centre is promoting development of cooperation
between Russian and Armenian regions.

YEREVAN – To consolidate ties in the CIS it is necessary first of all
to implement the existing agreements, Russian Federation Council
Chairman Sergei Mironov said when answering questions of Yerevan
University students. Mironov heads the Council of the CIS
Inter-Parliamentary Assembly. The CIS authority in the world is
sharply higher at present, he noted.

TBILISI – Georgia’s law-enforcement agencies began an operation in the
Pankisi Gorge and the adjacent area on Saturday to spot and detain
suspicious persons. “Participating in the operation are special forces
of the Interior Ministry and the Security Ministry, and some of the
Defence Ministry’s units and equipment that are used for patrolling on
the ground and in the air,” Security Minister Vano Merabishvili said.

SUKHUMI – The situation in Abkhazia remains stable as the
independence-seeking region is getting ready for the presidential
elections where for the first time several candidates will compete for
the top post. Deputy head of the Abkhazian State Security Service Yuri
Ashuba told Itar-Tass on Saturday that the appearance of all five
candidates on local television on Friday when they urged the
population to exercise restraint and calm contributed to stability.

MOSCOW – Moscow, Tbilisi and SOFIA – Russian specialists will assist
in repair and modernisation of the Russian military hardware that is
in service in the Bulgarian army at present, Bulgarian Economy
Minister Lidia Shuleva said on Saturday after the meeting of the
intergovernmental commission on Russian-Bulgarian cooperation, that
was held in Sofia.

KURSK – Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Viktor Chernomyrdin complained
that the economic potential of the two countries is tapped very
slowly. Speaking at the 16th meeting of the heads of border-lying
regions from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine in Kursk on Saturday,
Chernomyrdin said, “The development of the economic space of Russia
and Ukraine is estimated at 16 billion U.S. dollars on the Russian
side, while in the past it exceeded 70 billion U.S. dollars, and the
border-lying Russian regions have practically not used the economic
potential of the Kharkov region.”

MOSCOW – Russia plans to start exploring Mars’s satellite Phobos in
2009, the director of the Institute of Space Research, Lev Zelyony,
said. “This is the only national project of Solar system planetary
exploration,” he said on Saturday. “The project envisages the
construction of an interplanetary craft capable of flying to Mars,
landing on Phobos, taking samples of its soil and bringing them back
to Earth,” Zelyony said.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
10/01/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1) ARF Armenia Pushes Accelerated Reforms to Resolve Critical Issues
2) ANCA-WR Praises Effort by Lawmakers to Reaffirm Armenian Genocide
3) Chirac Promises Turkey EU Referendum
4) Another Sosse Kindergarten Opens Doors
5) Noah’s Ark Libarary Continues The Quest for Knowledge
6) ADAPTATION or WHEN HOLLYWOOD MET WASHINGTON

1) ARF Armenia Pushes Accelerated Reforms to Resolve Critical Issues

YEREVAN (Yerkir)–Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s (ARF) Supreme Body
representative Armen Rustamian and National Assembly’s ARF faction leader
Levon
Mkrtchian held a news conference on Friday to present the party’s
activities in
the past year, along with future plans.
Rustamian, who mentioned that the party’s Supreme Convention is scheduled for
October, said, “In order to make the discussions more effective, we need to
know public opinion on our activities. Then the convention will shape our
strategy for the next two years.”
Speaking of ARF’s motives to join the ruling coalition, Rustamian pointed to
two reasons. “First, we wanted the issues we deemed critical to be considered
as such by the government, and to ensure our participation in resolving those
issues. The coalition greatly contributed to establishing stability in the
country, as well as strengthening the country’s position on the international
arena. When the political situation escalated this year, however, it became
clear that there is definite discontent.”
“The coalition’s main objective should be to accelerate the country’s
development so as to decrease the level of objective discontent,” Rustamian
continued.
He noted that due to specifics of the transitional period, the country is
shifting to a plutocracy rather than democracy. As for those measures aimed at
curtailing negative developments, Rustamian pointed to the fight against
corruption as a pivotal step, adding that the ARF’s faction in the National
Assembly will soon introduce a number of draft laws related to the issue.”
He also noted that accountability should play a key role in the policy of
choosing people to public offices, and that a system of checks and balances
must be instituted.
He detailed the party’s stance on the Constitution, Elections Code, social
issues, and the justice system.
Asked to comment on the coalition’s activities during the past year,
Rustamian
said not enough has been done to resolve crucial issues, and deemed it
necessary to accelerate the pace of reforms.

2) ANCA-WR Praises Effort by Lawmakers to Reaffirm Armenian Genocide

–Members of Congress Urge House Speaker to Schedule Genocide Resolution and
Maintain Schiff Amendment in Foreign Ops Bill

WASHINGTON, DC–The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
(ANCA-WR) praised the bipartisan effort of sixty-four Members of Congress who
joined Congressmen George Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff (R-CA), and Frank
Pallone (D-NJ) in sending a letter to House of Representatives Speaker J.
Dennis Hastert (R-IL) in support of a resolution acknowledging the Armenian
genocide (H.Res. 193) and calling on the leadership of the House to maintain
the “Schiff Amendment,” which unanimously passed in the House of
Representatives by a voice vote on July 15, 2004.
“Next year will mark the 90th anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian
genocide,” Congressman Schiff said, “and it would be a noble and fitting
gesture for this nation to recognize the deaths of 1.5 million Armenian men,
women and children, while some of the survivors still remain.”
Among the signatories to the letter were Representatives Neil Abercrombie
(D-HI) Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Howard Berman (D-CA),
Lois Capps (D-CA), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Bob Filner (D-CA), Raul Grijalva
(D-AZ), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Nick Lampson (D-TX), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA),
Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Devin Nunes (R-CA), George Radanovich (R-CA), Loretta
Sanchez (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA)Mike Thompson (D-CA), Diane Watson (D-CA),
Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), and Anna Eshoo (D-CA).
Congresswoman Eshoo, who will be honored at the upcoming ANCA-WR 2004 Banquet
on October 24 in Pasadena, CA, also joined her fellow Congressman of Armenian
descent, Rep. John E. Sweeney (R-NY), in issuing a separate letter to
Congressional colleagues urging them to co-sign the letter to Speaker Hastert.
Thousands of Armenian Americans from across the United States utilized the
ANCA’s WebFax tool to communicate their support for this effort to their
Representatives in Congress.
“Given all of this support, it should be clear to the House Leadership that
the American people prefer justice to indifference and hypocrisy when it comes
to genocide,” remarked Ardashes Kassakhian, Executive Director of the ANCA-WR.
“We’re calling on House Leaders to do what’s right and end their opposition to
this simple, commonsense piece of legislation,” said Kassakhian.
H.Res. 193, and its Senate companion S.Res. 164, is a resolution that
officially recognizes the Armenian genocide and marks the 15th anniversary of
President Ronald Reagan signing the 1987 genocide Convention Implementation
Act, also known as the Proxmire Act. H.Res. 193 passed the House Judiciary
Committee on May 22, 2003, shortly after its introduction on April 10, 2003.
The House of Representatives voted to adopt the Schiff Amendment to the House
version of the Foreign Operations spending bill, which aims to prohibit the
Government of Turkey from using US foreign aid to lobby against H.Res. 193.

3) Chirac Promises Turkey EU Referendum

STRASBOURG (Reuters)–President Jacques Chirac has promised to hold a
referendum on Turkey’s entry to the European Union if the bloc agrees to its
accession, despite the risk that France could block its membership.
Bowing to political pressure for French people to have a say on Turkey,
Chirac
said he had urged the government to propose changes to France’s
constitution so
that referendums have to be held on any other future enlargement of the
25-member bloc.
His call is likely to alarm Ankara and could cause concern among all
prospective EU members.
“Let me reassure you right away–the French people will have their say,”
Chirac told a news conference following talks with German Chancellor Gerhard
Schroeder in Strasbourg in eastern France on Friday.
A referendum is unlikely for more than a decade. But an opinion poll this
week
showed 56 percent of French people oppose Turkey’s immediate entry due to
fears
on jobs and concerns about letting in a mainly Muslim country that links
Europe
to Asia.
Chirac’s ruling conservative party has also opposed Ankara’s candidacy and
called for a referendum, even though the president supports Turkey’s
accession.

Chirac’s promises of a public vote are intended to prevent voters’ concerns
over Turkey clouding a referendum next year on the EU constitution and
increasing the chances of France rejecting the treaty–a vote which could
torpedo it.
Chirac gave no details of the changes he wanted in France’s constitution,
apart from saying votes on future EU enlargement should be put to a public
vote.
“It would be compulsory to ask the French people via a referendum on this
enlargement or any other possible enlargements, and not via the parliamentary
process,” he said,

COMMISSION REPORT

The European Commission is expected to recommend in a report on Wednesday
that
the EU opens entry talks with Turkey. A final decision will be taken when EU
leaders meet in December; the accession talks would be expected to last for
several years.
There was no referendum in France before the EU expanded to 25 members in
May.
French people are concerned that France’s influence in the EU has been diluted
by enlargement and that the entry of a country of 71 million people will water
it down more.
Chirac said he and Schroeder agreed that Turkey had made a lot of progress by
introducing democratic and economic reforms but had not yet fulfilled all the
terms for entry.
“We have an interest in having Turkey with us,” Chirac said. “It creates a
prospect of democracy and peace taking root on the whole of the European
continent … so that we avoid the mistakes and violence of the past.”
France’s foreign and finance ministers, both of whom are members of Chirac’s
Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party, have in the past few days proposed
holding a referendum on Turkey’s entry when the time comes.
There is some hope for Turkey. This week’s poll showed 63 percent of French
could one day foresee Turkey’s accession.
Chirac did not make clear whether he wanted changes made to France’s
constitution in time for a further enlargement expected to take in Romania and
Bulgaria in 2007. Croatia is expected to join the bloc soon after Romania and
Bulgaria.

4) Another Sosse Kindergarten Opens Doors

–Misserlians fund ARS Shushi school

SHUSHI (Noyan Tapan)–The Armenian Relief Society ‘Soseh’ Kindergarten of
Shushi in Mountainous Karabagh Republic, officially opened on September 30,
offering elementary education and devoted care to 50 children. Yetvart and
Vergine Misserlian of San Fransisco are the benefactors of the new
kindergarten.
The ARS founded its first ‘Sosse’ kindergarten in Stepanakert, in 1997,
offering the children of Artsakh basic care and elementary education in
Armenian culture. This worthy endeavor has continued for the last 7 years, to
provide education to more than 520 children in Karabagh, and gainful
employment
to over 100 adults.

5) Noah’s Ark Libarary Continues The Quest for Knowledge

By Ani Shahinian
Asbarez Staff

HOLLYWOODSeptember 26 marked the official opening of the Rose & Alex Pilibos
Armenian School’s state of the art gymnasium and library. It was a significant
day in the school’s 35-year history as it represented the culmination of years
of tireless work and dedication. Inspired by the biblical story of Noah’s ark,
the library finds itself in “floating” form as it hovers above the gymnasium
roof. School Principal Viken Yacoubian expressed that the library symbolizes
transition and the immigrants’ voyage, yet it is anchored firmly with huge
columns representing Armenia’s heritage and culture.
Many community members and supporters were on hand, as student council
president Ara Tomassian, the afternoon’s emcee, welcomed them. After Reverend
Vassilian offered his blessings and congratulations, Board of Regents of
Prelacy Schools member Roubina Peroomian spoke enthusiastically about the
worthwhile project and its journey to completion.
Inspirational words by US Congresswoman Diane Watson, representing
California’s 33rd Congressional district, encouraged the preservation of
ethnicity and culture and praised the school’s integral role in educating
young
Armenian American students. She said the 33rd district, with its mix of
Armenians, Greeks, Hispanics, among other ethnicities, is a true reflection of
what America is about. The Congresswoman spoke of parallels between the
Armenian and African American communities, remarking, “We share a common
heritage of having been transported through the diaspora to a new home in
America.” Watson noted the resilience of the Armenians, despite its history of
suffering, and the unique contributions the Armenian American community has
made to society. Pledging her continued commitment to representing
Armenians in
her district, Watson said that through such endeavors, “Your children and
children’s children will never forget who they are.”
On behalf of the school’s finance committee, Marie Demirjian extended
gratitude to all who helped endlessly in the actualization of the project.
Angela Sassounian, a member of the educational committee, said that the
library
will not only serve the needs of the students, but also the school’s teachers
and parents, as well as the larger Pilibos family.
As the afternoon came to a close, Principal Viken Yacoubian acknowledged not
only those who dedicated themselves to the project in the present time, but
specifically extended appreciation to “those who came before us. It is the
force of their vision, love, and commitment that has made the project
possible.” He remarked that the school will continue on its path, as the
vision
of becoming an integral part of the larger society, while being “anchored” by
our Armenian heritage is realized.
StudioWorks Architects’ principals Robert Mangurian and Mary-Ann Ray, who
designed the stunning building, were also present during the ceremony. They
found harmony in the contradictory building types by fusing “exercise of the
body” and “education of the mind.” The pomegranate-red library can be entered
through an existing four-story classroom building by elevator or via outdoor
stairs with metal treads and jaunty nautical railings. Inside, the library is
one big, long room housing 9,000 Armenian and English-language books, a
reading
room, a children’s storytelling nook, an online research area, and a
librarian’s office. The 14,000-square-foot gym includes regulation high school
basketball and volleyball facilities, bleacher seating for 275 people, a
student store, an exercise room, locker rooms, restrooms, coaches’ offices, a
maintenance shop, and equipment storage.

6) ADAPTATION or WHEN HOLLYWOOD MET WASHINGTON

By Skeptik Sininkian

Ok, now I know I promised you the sequel to last week’s drama/comedy/action
thriller but I couldn’t help but digress for just a bit considering that
Thursday night everyone I knew was watching the Presidential debate. In fact,
last night’s match up provided me with enough material for three different
columns and I am tempted to dump the continuation of last week’s column all
together. But I won’t let you down. A promise is a promise and we’ll pick up
from where we left off with Episode 2 of our Hollywood script-turned-reality.
And as before, with any highly anticipated movie, we have to have at least 20
minutes of nonsensical previews! So in the spirit of remaining true to the
Hollywood theme, we will now cover the debate in preview format.
Well, what can I say, just when I thought it was safe to put some money down
on the election, Kerry pulls off a big win. The smart money is still on Bush
but Kerry came through big mainly because he stood to lose more than George W.
Bush in the debates. The President, on the other hand, had been
handicapped by
his Achilles’ heel, namely, his lack of intelligence. But it wasn’t Bush’s
lack
of knowledge on the issues that cooked his goose. It was his smug arrogance
which, when juxtaposed with Kerry’s cool and calm demeanor, made him look like
a spoiled and impatient brat.
The President did make some good points, jabbing Kerry repeatedly on his
inconsistency on the Iraq War. (Don’t you love living in an era where we
can be
at war without formally DECLARING war? I’m being sarcastic. Quick Skeptik
Factoid: Did you know The United States hasn’t formally declared war on anyone
since World War II). Kerry was unable to respond clearly to the President’s
inquiries into his stance on the war because Kerry doesn’t really have one.
During the same debate, he questioned going to war numerous times and then
said
that he could do the job better. My Democrat friends were dancing in the
street
after Kerry’s performance in the debate but I wasn’t sure why? Kerry’s
apparently back in the race and that’s supposedly a good thing? From what I
understood during the debate, Kerry’s planning on staying in Iraq and I don’t
know what magic wand he’s going to use to make our boys and girls immune to
enemy bullets. (Sigh)
But Kerry did make the point that Bush became distracted during his War on
Terror and shifted his focus from the Mountains of Bora Bora (I just like
saying Bora Bora) where Osama Bin Laden was hiding and redirected troops to
Iraq. And speaking of Iraq and the debates and the election and the hunt for
Osama Bin Laden…we are now ready to continue or regularly scheduled program.
(By the way, my mother still thinks that there’s a conspiracy to catch or
reveal the capture of Bin Laden before Election Day).
When we last left our kingdom in chaos, we had an inexperienced king with
delusions of greatness leading his people into a war against an invisible
enemy. The king wastes the surplus of the kingdom’s coffers and squanders away
any respect that the other kingdoms had for

Act V The Rat Race or It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
[Setting: Washington, DC]

The ceremonial day of selecting a new leader is fast approaching. Initially,
the king’s challenger appreciated widespread popularity, not as much for his
own abilities but out of dislike toward the king. The king responds by having
his servants attack the challenging prince’s credibility as a veteran of the
foreign wars. Both men hold great festivals to curry favor with the people but
the king emerges stronger from his celebration. As the day of the actual
festival to select the next king draws closer, rumors begin to circulate that
the king is about the capture his adversarythe infamous and elusive invisible
enemy. People work themselves into frenzy at the prospect of capturing and
finally seeing this monster in the flesh.

Act VI Sleeping With the Enemy?

The festival has nearly arrived and rumors abound about a potential attack or
the message a change in leadership would send to the elusive enemy. Some
think
that he has already been captured while others are certain that he is lurking
outside the gates of the realm waiting for the right moment to attack. Just
before the festival day, the king makes a grand speech about patriotism, the
call of duty, and the legacy of all the kings that came before him. The
subjects cheer their king and believe that he is the only person who can rid
them of this mysterious evil that threatens them. The king’s demoralized
challenger sulks as he watches his opponent play upon the insecurities of the
people and run off with the crown yet again.

Now this is the part in the movie where the camera begins to pan out over the
crowd and we see a lone horseman riding into the town interrupting the king’s
speech. Out of breath, the young soldier announces that the enemy has been
cornered in the mountains far off on the outskirts of the kingdom. The king
announces to his subjects that they will embark on the crusade to bring the
villain to justice as dawn’s first light, but tonight…they will elect the new
leader and prepare for war the next day. People begin to cheer in frenzy at
the
prospect of capturing the enemy and the movie ends with the teaser for the
final and third episodeThe Phantom Menace.
Le Fin. The End. To be Continued…but not by this Skeptik.
This is how it will go down, in the next few weeks we’ll start hearing
reports
of how we’re “closing the noose around the neck of Bin Laden” which will give
us hope that he will be brought to justice. In the meantime, Bush will
continue
to campaign as a Wartime President. And come November, unless Kerry gets off
his clam chowder sipping’ New England Ivy League derriere, we’ll have four
more
years of Bush, a miserable economy, more war, more lives lost along with
respect. It’s sad to think this but sometimes I wonder if Bush was glad
that he
became known as the “Wartime President;” otherwise he’d just be remembered as
being radical and mediocre at best. It’s strange how Hollywood and Washington
DC work sometimes and how a zero turns into a “hero.” Well, that’s it for me
this week. We’ll be back next week after these messages from our sponsors.

Skeptik Sinikian has been brought to you by “Madzoon” [yogurt]the
breakfast of
champions! And “Skhtor” [garlic]”For when plain Madzoon just isn’t enough!”

Sinikian can be reached at [email protected] or visit his blog at

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BOTH INDIVIDUAL AND PARTY-LIST ELECTION SYSTEMS BLIGHTED BY BRIBERY

A1 Plus
01-10-2004

On Friday, Dashnaktsutyun party member Armen Rustamyan, speaking at a
news conference in Armenpress news agency, explained why his party
supports the idea of the idea of filling National Assembly’s all seats
only through party lists.

`All of us witnessed how those candidates running for
parliamentaryseats in individual races won the election thanks to
bribes’, he said.

Our correspondent asked him wasn’t he aware of cases of so called
auction in that system of election. Hasn’t he heard that the seat in
the list cost from 200 to 500 thousand USD? `We know all about that’,
the answer was.

Rustamyan’s fellow partisan Levon Lazarian added: `If a party tries
to come to parliament with such kind of peoples, it will have its
rating fallen by the next elections’.

Levon Lazarian is sure party-list parliamentary election system will
promote political field development. It is worth to be reminded that
Dashnaks were giving gas meters to voters in their office during
election campaign at thelast elections.