Author: Kharatian Ani

YERKIR CALLS FOR EXERTING PRESSURE UPON GEORGIAN AUTHORITIES TO STOP ARMENIANS’ PERSECUTIONS IN JAVAKHK

Noyan Tapan

Feb 2, 2009

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. "International community’s
indifference to the processes going on in Samtskhe-Javakhk today
practically privilege the Georgian authorities to further strengthen
persecutions towards the Armenian population and thus deepen the
atmosphere of fear and indignation, which is fraught with unpredictable
destabilization consequences," the Yerkir union of NGOs engaged in
issues of repatriation and settling down mentioned in its January
31 statement.

The statement touched upon the trial on the case of Javakhk Armenian
political activist, United Javakhk People’s Alliance political
movement’s leader Vahagn Chakhalian that was resumed on January 28
after almost two months’ interval. Yerkir union’s observers, who
were present at the January 28 and 29 court sittings, recorded the
following facts:

"At the court hall Vahagn Chakhalian stated he was going on hunger
strike as a token of protest against arrest of Armenian public figures
of Akhaltskha Grigor Minasian and Sargis Hakobjanian by the Georgian
authorities.

As neither defendants Vahagn Chakhalian, his father and brother nor
his lawyer Stepan Voskanian master Georgian, the court had provided an
interpreter to them. However, the interpretation was done in a careless
way, with omissions and interruptions. The judge also hindered the
interpretation by often not making necessary interruptions in his
speech for the interpretation.

According to Georgia’s legislation, it is not permitted to video,
to record or to take photos at a court hall. While hearings’ videoing
or recording would permit to insure against court sittings protocols’
possible forging.

The court sittings took place under conditions of Chakhalians’
French lawyer Patrick Arapian’s absence. The Georgian authorities
artificially drag out his registration, though proper documents had
been introduced to the Georgian Justice Ministry for that purpose as
far back as on January 13.

At the January 28 court sitting it was found out that the respective
bills of indictments of accusations brought to Vahagn Chakhalian in
Armenian translation had not been given to him. However, the judge did
not interrupt the sitting promising to give him the bill of indictment
in Armenian translation in the future.

The judge rejected lawyers’ petition to subject to a traceological
expertise the arms allegedly found in Chakhalians’ place and in the
building of the Javakhk Youth Sports and Cultural Union, with the
motivation that 6 months passed since the arms was found and the
finger-prints had been already cleaned. The lawyer’s objection that
the Police should have done a traceological expertice immediately,
which was not done and that the defence side had introduced the
expertise petition as early as three months ago remained unanswered.

Vahagn Chakhalian made a political statement at the January 28
sitting. The judge for many times interrupted Vahagn Chakhalian
reading his statement saying that it does not concern the case.

No witness was present at the January 28 court sitting: only some of
them had sent a note to the court that they insist on their preliminary
investigation testimony and do not wish to appear before the court. The
judge wanted to immediately start defendants’ interrogation and only
after defence side’s persistent objection gave in and delayed the
sitting for a day.

Only 2 witnesses and 2 aggrieved came to the January 29 sitting. The
circumstances of organization of the mass action of protest held by
the Armenian population on March 11, 2006 in the town of Akhalkalak
were examined. Its organization is one of the accusations brought to
Vahagn Chakhalian.

After the interrogation of the aggrieved and witnesses, who had come
to the court, the judge interrupted the trial until February 11.

The facts recorded during the January 28 and 29 hearings and in
particular, dragging out the registration of French lawyer Patrick
Arapian, not making a traceological expertise of the arms "found" in
Chakhalian’s place and in the Javakhk Youth Sports and Cultural Union
office, and rejection of defence side’s petition to do it, witnesses’
not appearing before the court, and judge’s attempt to continue the
trial under their absence once more prove that the things going on
in the court hall have nothing in common with administering justice,
but are a legal ratification of Georgian authorities’ political order."

Applying to proper international structures and human rights
organizations, the Yerkir union calls them for following the trial
over the Javakhk Armenian political fugure and his family through
observers, recognizing political prisoners Vahagn Chakhalian, as
well as people being criminally prosecuted on cases concerned with
it, exerting pressure upon the Georgian authorities to stop already
permanent and systematized persecutions to Armenians compactly living
in Samtskhe-Javakhk, and to release all Javakhk Armenian political
prisoners.

President Sargsyan congratulates the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

armradio.am
31.01.2009 13:18

President Serzh Sargsyan sent a congratulating address to the
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill. The message reads:

`Your Holiness,

I congratulate you on being elected the Patriarch of Moscow and All
Russia. I’m confident that under your leadership the role of the
Russian Orthodox Church will strengthen in the life of the Russian
society, its spiritual and moral values will reinforce, the
inter-religious dialogue will develop in Russia and outside its
borders.

I’m confident that you will continue the efforts for reinforcing the
friendly traditions between the Russian Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic
Churches.’

Baltic News Service
January 30, 2009 Friday 11:55 PM EET

ARMENIA PRESIDENT INVITES LATVIAN PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DELEGATION TO
VISIT HIS COUNTRY

RIGA Jan 30

Latvian President Valdis Zatlers, who currently attends the World
Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Friday met with Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan, who reiterated his invitation for Zatlers to
visit Armenia, reported the Latvian president’s press service.

The Latvian president’s visit to Armenia is planned for this year.

The Armenian president was greatly interested in intensification of
activities by Latvian companies in Armenia.

Both heads of state discussed economic situation in their respective
countries and its effects on the labor market. They also spoke about
the situation in the Caucasus. The Latvian president underlined his
country’s support to the EU Eastern Partnership initiative and said
that Latvia was willing to share its experience with Armenia.

Riga newsroom, +371 6708 8611, [email protected]

MATTHEW BRYZA: "I DON’T EXPECT CONCRETE RESULT FOR TOMORROW’S MEETING OF THE PRESIDENTS"

APA
Jan 28 2009
Azerbaijan

Budapest. Fuad Gulubayli-APA. "I’ve had a talk with Azerbaijani
President today and I informed him about the co-chairs’ last visit
to Armenia.

I told President Aliyev that Mr. Sargsyan also had a constructive
approach to solution of the conflict. Of course, I cannot say what
concessions will Armenian president make, but I can only say that
Sargsyan is ready for serious negotiations. Undoubtedly, I feel the
same attitude in President Ilham Aliyev and this is very important",
Mathew Bryza, American Co-Chair of OSCE Minsk Group exclusively told
APA correspondent in Budapest. Touching upon the tomorrow’s meeting
of the Presidents in Switzerland, Mathew Bryza noted that serious
negotiations would be conducted. However he does not expect concrete
results from the meeting.

Taking stance on Russia’s supplying Armenia with $800 million arms and
ammunitions, Mathew Bryza stated that he had no detailed information
about it.

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway

The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief

========================================== ======
Wednesday 28 January 2009
AZERBAIJAN: UNREGISTERED WORSHIP "ILLEGAL" – BUT UNDER WHAT LAW?

Police in Azerbiajan have raided another Jehovah’s Witness meeting, Forum
18 News Service has learnt. In the latest raid, nine Jehovah’s Witnesses
were detained and threatened. "We consider the police raid unlawful since
the Constitution of Azerbaijan gives us the right to gather for worship and
Azerbaijani law does not require registration to come together to study the
Holy Scriptures," a Jehovah’s Witness told Forum 18. The community will
continue to meet, he insisted. Officials repeatedly insist that
unregistered worship is banned by the Civil Code. Article 299 of this Code
lists three "offences": avoiding state registration, violating regulations
over organising religious events and attracting children to religious
events. Violations can be punished with fines of between 10 and 15 times
the minimum monthly wage. However, state registration is not legally
required for religious activity to be conducted. Meanwhile Baptist Pastor
Hamid Shabanov’s trial is once again due to resume, after repeated delays,
on 4 February.

AZERBAIJAN: UNREGISTERED WORSHIP "ILLEGAL" – BUT UNDER WHAT LAW?

By Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service <;

Police raided a Jehovah’s Witness meeting in the village of Sevinj not far
from Azerbaijan’s second city Gyanja [Ganca] on 18 January, Jehovah’s
Witnesses told Forum 18 News Service. Nine Jehovah’s Witnesses were taken
to the police station where they were threatened with administrative
penalties, but all were freed later that day. "We consider the police raid
unlawful since the Constitution of Azerbaijan gives us the right to gather
for worship and Azerbaijani law does not require registration to come
together to study the Holy Scriptures," one Jehovah’s Witness told Forum
18. The community will continue to meet, he insisted. Officials insist the
gathering was illegal.

The threats to the Jehovah’s Witnesses came as the long-running trial of
Baptist pastor Hamid Shabanov drags on in the north-western town of
Zakatala [Zaqatala]. At the same time, the Abu-Bekr mosque in the capital
Baku and the Georgian Orthodox church in the village of Kurmukh (near Gakh
[Qax]) remain closed by the authorities. Azeri customs officials also
continued to confiscate religious literature, as part of the country’s
system of religious censorship (see forthcoming F18News article).

Anar Alizade, who handles non-Muslim religious communities at the State
Committee for Work with Religious Organisations, insisted that the Gyanja
police were acting in accordance with the law. "It wasn’t a raid," he told
Forum 18 from Baku on 28 January. "The Jehovah’s Witnesses violated the law
as they are not registered in Gyanja."

Asked which law banned individuals from meeting for religious purposes in
private homes Alizade cited Azerbaijan’s Civil Code, insisting that it
requires legal entities to function only in the place where they are
registered. "The Jehovah’s Witnesses only have a registered organisation in
Baku, so they can only function there," he told Forum 18. Told that Forum
18 could find no part of the Civil Code that banned individuals without a
legally-registered entity from meeting for worship, Alizade repeated that
such worship without registration is banned.

Jehovah’s Witnesses told Forum 18 on 22 January that some 80 adherents had
gathered in a private home in Sevinj on 18 January "to study the Bible and
articles in our Watchtower magazine". They said police arrived about noon,
yelling at those present and seizing nine of those present, forcing them to
go to the Kapaz District police station.

There, officers shouted at the nine detainees, criticising their faith,
asking why they do not go to mosques and why they had joined the Jehovah’s
Witnesses. Jehovah’s Witnesses told Forum 18 that none of the detainees was
beaten. "Police wouldn’t say why they had been detained but tried to force
them to write and sign statements. But they all refused." Jehovah’s
Witnesses report that they were threatened with prosecution under Article
299 of the Code of Administrative Offences, though officers refused to
specify which offences under the Article they were accused of violating.

Article 299 of the Civil Code lists three "offences": avoiding state
registration, violating regulations over organising religious events and
attracting children to religious events. Individuals violating this Article
are punished with fines of between 10 and 15 times the minimum monthly
wage. However, Azerbaijani law does not require state registration before
religious activity can be conducted, despite state officials regularly
insisting that the law does require this.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses report that five of the nine detainees were freed
in the afternoon, while the other four – three men and one woman – were
released only in the evening after seven hours detention. The police told
them that investigations would continue and they could be punished.
However, Jehovah’s Witnesses confirmed to Forum 18 on 28 January that
police have so far taken no further action against the nine. "I doubt any
investigation is going on," one Jehovah’s Witness told Forum 18. "The whole
raid was designed to intimidate them." The nine will be filing complaints
against the police.

Jehovah’s Witness in Azerbaijan state that this was the first raid on one
of their meetings since a raid in Baku in November 2008 (see F18News 13
November 2008 < 1217>).

Forum 18 was unable to speak to Firdovsi Kerimov, the Gyanja
representative of the State Committee for Work with Religious
Organisations. The man who answered both his office phone and his mobile on
23 January said he was not available and hung up immediately. Subsequent
calls went unanswered.

Declining to comment on why the peaceful Jehovah’s Witness meeting had
been raided were officers of the Kapaz District police. Reached on 23
January, the duty officer – who did not give his name – referred all
enquiries to the District police chief, Elchin Gasymov. However, the man
who answered Gasymov’s phone on 28 January told Forum 18 it was a wrong
number.

Officials have repeatedly insisted in the Azeri media that the Jehovah’s
Witness meeting was "illegal". Several television stations reported on the
raid, including ANS on 20 January, a day marked as "Black January"
commemorating the victims of the brutal Soviet assault on Baku in 1990.
Kerimov of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations was
interviewed on ANS claiming – without evidence – that Jehovah’s Witnesses
spoke of Armenians as "brothers" and that they would not take up arms
against them. "Statements like that from officials may incite people
against the community," one commentator told Forum 18 from Baku.

80 Jehovah’s Witness prisoners of conscience, jailed for refusing to do
compulsory military service, are in prison in Armenia (see F18News 11
December 2008 < 1228>).

Azeri officials frequently portray minority religious communities in the
media as traitors to the country and under the sway of foreigners, often
claiming that they are Armenian spies, an inflammatory accusation given the
long-running conflict between Azeris and Armenians over the
Nagorno-Karabakh region. For example the head of the Baptist Union, Ilya
Zenchenko, has been falsely accused of being an "Armenian spy who acts only
for money" (see F18New 30 July 2008
< e_id=1165>).

Meanwhile Baptist Pastor Hamid Shabanov’s trial is due to resume in
Zakatala on 4 February, his lawyer Mirman Aliev told Forum 18 from Baku on
28 January. The Baptist pastor is being tried under Article 228 Part 1 of
the Criminal Code of illegal possession of a weapon, which is punishable by
up to three years’ imprisonment for those found guilty.

Shabanov, his family and his congregation vigorously refute the charge.
They argue that the case was lodged to punish him for leading his Baptist
congregation in his home village of Aliabad near Zakatala which the
authorities do not like (see F18News 13 November 2008
< e_id=1217>).

Another of the congregation’s pastors, Zaur Balaev, was freed from prison
in March 2008 after being sentenced on what his congregation insists were
equally trumped-up charges (see F18News 19 March 2008
< e_id=1102>).

Pastor Shabanov was arrested in June 2008 and spent twenty weeks in
prison, but was transferred to house arrest in November 2008. His trial
began in July 2008 and hearings have dragged on since then. The most recent
hearing took place on 26 January. "The law specifies no limit on the length
of any trial," his lawyer Aliev told Forum 18. "But we will take as long as
we need to have him acquitted, though this is difficult."

Alizade of the State Committee dismissed suggestions that Shabanov is
being punished for his faith. "It’s nothing to do with religion – it’s in
the hands of the Ministry of Justice," he told Forum 18.

Asked why Shabanov’s congregation has been denied state registration for
some 16 years (see eg. F18News 6 November 2008
< e_id=1214>), Alizade responded:
"No-one has complained to us." However, when Forum 18 pointed out that
Baptists have made numerous complaints over many years to the State
Committee, Alizade admitted that complaints had been received. He then also
admitted that officials have been discussing the denial of registration
with Baptists, including a visiting delegation from the European Baptist
Federation in mid-January. (END)

For a personal commentary, by an Azeri Protestant, on how the
international community can help establish religious freedom in Azerbaijan,
see < 482>.

For more background information see Forum 18’s Azerbaijan religious
freedom survey at < 1192>.

More coverage of freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Azerbaijan
is at <; religion=all&country=23>.

A survey of the religious freedom decline in the eastern part of the
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) area is at
< id=806>.

A printer-friendly map of Azerbaijan is available at
< s/atlas/index.html?Parent=asia&Rootmap=azerba& gt;.
(END)

© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved. ISSN 1504-2855
You may reproduce or quote this article provided that credit is given to
F18News

Past and current Forum 18 information can be found at

‘OBAMA SHOULD RESTORE THE RELATIONS WHICH DAMAGED A LOT IN THE BUSH YEARS’
By Muzaffer Vatansever

Journal of Turkish Weekly
-obama-should-restore-the-relations-which-damaged- a-lot-in-the-bush-years-39-.html
Jan 26 2009
Turkey

* Interview with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sedat Laciner, head of the USAK

The director of the Ankara-based Turkish think tank USAK
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sedat Laciner evaluates the future of the
Turkish-American Relations under the Obama administration.

* Q: How do you evaluate the future of Turkish-American relations
under the Obama administration?

S.L.: "During the Bush presidency, the relations between Turkey
and US were severely damaged. The Washington administration has an
immense responsibility in this case. Turkey gave full support to
the US’ combat against terror. In this regard, Ankara sent Turkish
soldiers to Afghanistan and acted in accordance with its Western
allies in order to capture the militants of Al-Qaeda in Turkey
or anywhere. Meanwhile, Turkey undertook a constructive role in
the Middle East problems. However, when the Turkish Grand National
Assembly (TBMM) rejected the US’ request to base US troops in Turkey
for an assault on Iraq on March 1, 2003, the US’ Turkey policy was
completely changed. As a result, Washington started to implement a
punishment strategy against Turkey. Turkey is a democratic country and
the government must implement its policies in line with the decisions
of the parliament. The Turkish Government sincerely wanted to pass
the 1 March Parlaiment Note to allow the US troops to use Turkish
territories, yet the Government had no option but to implement the
taken decision."

* Q: In this regard, has Turkey’s rejection of the 1 March Bill cost
too much to the US?

S.L.: "Of course, if it were possible for the US troops to use
Turkey’s territory, it would definitely become easier for US to
invade Iraq. But, the US administration made a fatal mistake. They
did not pay enough attention to the Turkish parliament and did not
respect its pluralism principle. In this period, the US promised to
provide a huge credit at an amount of 30 billion dollars and thought
that Turkey could not reject its request to use Turkey’s territory
(because, Turkey was trying to recover its economy after the 2001
great economic crisis). The US expected to exploit from Turkey’s
difficult situation. The sarcastic expressions of some American
politicians caused a negative impact on Turkish parliamentarians and
Turkish people. As a result Turkish democracy decided and it said "no’
to the US soldiers. If the US could use Turkish route, of course the
risks in the operation would have been decreased a lot.

Although the US could not enter Iraq from Northern part of Turkey,
the US was surprisingly not seriously affected in terms of military
bases. One of the most important reasons for this was the errant
strategy of Saddam Hussein. Saddam did not presume that Turkey
would refuse permission for US troops and deployed a large amount of
soldiers in the northern part of the country. Meanwhile, the Kurdish
collaborators with the US in the North also prevented the passage of
Saddam’s soldiers. Thanks to these developments, Iraq was occupied by
US troops in a very short time and it was brought under the control of
US with very few casualties. In this regard, it is not possible to say
that the Turkey’s rejection of the US paved the way to a big tragedy,
as the Vice President of US Dick Cheney and some other politicians
had claimed in the recent past. The US did not have many difficulties
during the invasion of Iraq, but after the invasion.

The problems of the US in Iraq did not begin during the invasion, but
later. The US easily occupied Iraq easily but could not administer the
occupied territory. The US soldiers created serious problems in the
region due to their wrong strategy, human rights violations, and being
unaccustomed to the indigenous people. At this point, Turkey offered
help to the US and the Turkish parliament ratified the decision to send
Turkish soldiers to Iraq to help the US as a result of the intense
efforts of the Erdogan government. However, the US did not show any
desire to accept Turkey’s attempts and made a special effort to keep
Turkey and Turkish approach outside Iraq and outside the region. It
can be said that the policies of the Bush administration regarding
the Iraq issue were founded on the ground of punishing Turkey and
to keep it outside the Middle East and Iraqi issues. In addition,
the US did not give any support to Turkey in combating terrorism
during this period, especially between the years 2003 and 2007.

Furthermore, many people in Turkey even stated that the US supported
PKK terrorism. During this period, Turkish public opinion showed a
strong and unprecedented reaction against the US’ approach to PKK
terrorism and the Kurdish issue. Almost every political group in
Turkey thinks that the US was not candid about the PKK terrorism. In
this context, the terrorism problem still remains the most important
issue between the two countries.

This mistakes which occurred during the Bush administration
would definitely pave the way to further problems in the upcoming
years. Unfortunately, some people in Washington think that Turkish
society can forget the bad things easily. Yet, this is not a true
analysis. One of the most significant reasons for the Turkish
parliament’s rejection of the 1 March Bill was the repercussions
from the two countries’ previous run-ins. The Turkish intellectuals,
bureaucrats, media, experts, and even laymen do not forget the
US’s biased behaviors regarding the 1964 Johnson Letter, the US’s
arms embargo on Turkey respecting Cyprus, and pro-Greek stance of
the US in many occasions and the Armenian issue. Unfortunately, the
Bush administration added new damaging even traumatic memories to the
previous ones. Besides, the US soldiers headed bag the Turkish soldiers
in northern Iraq. With these actions, the US not only punished, but
also insulted Turkey. All of these bad memories would be remembered by
the Turkish people and affect the relations between the two countries
in the future. I am sure that no single Turkish soldier and citizen
can forget the bag affair in coming years.

In this context, the new president must be aware of this heritage with
good sides and with the sins and try to take action to eliminate the
bad memories. He should ease the damages in the relations."

* Q: Finally, what do you want to advise the new US President?

S.L.: "First of all, the new president must give full support to
Turkey about combating terrorism via a strong message. Although Iraq
has been kept under the control of the US for about six years, up
to now, the US military forces has not caught or arrested or judged
any PKK terrorist. The PKK became stronger under the US occupation
rule. In the following days, if the Obama administration could make
a contribution by apprehending a famous name from the PKK, it would
positively affect the US’ image in the eyes of Turkish people. The US
should do something in the PKK issue really important valuable to the
Turkish people because the people here see the US somehow responsible
for the increasing PKK terror.

Secondly, Obama must not act in line with the desires of the
ultra-nationalist Armenian Diaspora. The US should keep its
impartiality in the issue. While a historical dialogue process has
been launched between Ankara and Yerevan, any radical expressions from
Obama could damage this process. Obama should concentrate on today’s
problems rather than historical Armenian claims and support the efforts
of rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia. He should not be emotional
but realist. The only aim should be to establish Turkish-Armenian
friendship on mutual interests of US, Armenia and Turkey.

Third, the EU membership of Turkey is of vital importance in terms
of the peace in the Middle East and the relations between the West
and the East. In conjunction with the full membership of Turkey, the
EU would have a Muslim member country for the first time. Becoming
an equal and strong member of the EU, Turkey can make significant
contributions to the stability and development of the Middle East
and greater East. Besides, Turkey would prove to construct a frank,
constructive, and beneficial relationship for both sides between the
Muslim and the Western worlds. In this way, Turkey could be a model
country and success story for the Muslim world and help to eliminate
the region’s extremist religious groups. If the EU rejects Turkey
due to the religious differences, this great mistake would be a
great signal to the Muslim peoples in the world. The US can play a
constructive role in bridging Turkey and the EU.

Finally the US must keep its promises in Cyprus. Turkish side fully
support the Annan Plan, however while the Greeks strongly rejected the
UN Peace Plan. The US and the EU promised a lot to Turkish Cypriots
and Turkey before the referendum. However the side who was punished is
the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey. The US and the EU did not keep their
promises. Turkish people are frustrated with the double standards in
Cyprus issue. People here think that the EU and the US support the
Greek Cypriots because of religious solidarity. I hope Obama will
keep the US’ words to the Turkish Cypriots."

Glendale News Press, CA
Jan 24 2009

FROM THE MARGINS:
On the inside, are we Hrant Dink?

By PATRICK AZADIAN

Published: Last Updated Friday, January 23, 2009 10:08 PM PST Monday
marked the anniversary of the murder of Hrant Dink, the
Turkish-Armenian author who championed freedom of speech and
tolerance.

On the occasion, some chose the slogan `I am Hrant Dink’ to express
their support. On many of Internet’s social utility sites supporters
swapped their personal images with that of Dink. One week in a red
bikini in Vegas, the next, the photo of the journalist who risked his
life for truth and identity.

The `I am Hrant Dink’ slogan was unique, as it engaged Turks as well
as Armenians.

Yet, the meaning of the campaign eluded me for many reasons. I am not
trying to be cynical or anticlimactic. And although we all have the
right to say what we want, I have some genuine issues with such
symbolic gestures.

It would be different if journalists who live under oppressive
conditions came together and began a similar campaign. The absolute
truth is that I am not Hrant Dink.

I asked a Turkish friend to describe her impressions of Dink to me.

Dicle Cetin is a university student from Ankara. She traces her roots
to an Armenian grandmother from a village named Habab.

Cetin wrote: `You could imagine the impossibility of giving his whole
message in a few words and I can’t dare to do it actually but first of
all, I think he was more human than most of us, he was a `human’ in
the real sense of the word. He had respect for everyone and for all
kinds of the opinions, he was able to communicate with everyone
through his big heart and the most important thing is, he was
defending what he really believed at the cost of being excluded from
not only the Turkish society, but also the diaspora and the Armenian
patriarchate. He was beyond the ordinary, he was not a man of
`sides.”

Are we Hrant Dink?

People like Dink do not come along very often. Indeed, he was not a
man of `sides.’ He wanted the Armenians to set themselves free of the
`poison’ they carry in their veins because of the act of genocide. He
did not allow the act of genocide to be the main determinant of his
identity.

At any cost, her believed in freedom of expression. Before a law
passed in France that made the denial of the Armenian Genocide
illegal, Dink declared: `I will go to France and publicly declare that
there was no Armenian genocide ‘ even though I fervently believe the
opposite.’ He risked alienation from Armenians.

Am I Hrant Dink?

Make no mistake, Dink did not forget the past. When referring to the
genocide he once said: `Call it what you want. I know what happened to
my people.’

His self-assured approach suggested that he cared intensely for the
present and the future, not just the past. He exuded confidence
reserved for individuals free of victim mentality.

And he did this in a hostile environment. Not from Glendale or
Montreal. Not from Washington, D.C. or Paris.

Referring to his environment Dink said: `To be honest, I feel haunted
day in, day out. Ever seen a pigeon? Seen how it keeps turning its
head? It shudders at the slightest noise, ready to fly away any
instant. Can you call that life? The difference is that I can’t fly
away like a pigeon.’

Are you Hrant Dink?

To limit Dink’s identity to just a Turkish journalist fighting for
liberty would be denying him of his complete self. Dink was
unmistakably Armenian and was persecuted because of it. Dink believed
that the state had no right to strip him of his identity.

Dink criticized the patriotic verse Armenian school children are
forced to memorize. He said that the lines `I am a Turk, I am honest,
I am hardworking’ were objectionable because `even though [he] was
honest and hardworking, [he was not a Turk, [he] was an Armenian.’

Are we really Hrant Dink?

Dink is still not fully understood in Turkey nor the Diaspora. So
forgive me for feeling that the slogan `We are all Hrant Dink’ can
ring hollow at times.

I leave you with a few simple thoughts:

To my Armenian brothers and sisters: `Are we willing to free ourselves
of our genocide-centric identity? How long will we allow an outside
entity to dictate our actions?’

To my Turkish cousins: `Is your collective conscience clear? Are you
proud of what your ancestors did to mine?’

We are not Hrant Dink.

. PATRICK AZADIAN is a writer and the creative director of a local
marketing and graphic design studio living in Glendale. He may be
reached at [email protected].

http://www.glendalene wspress.com/articles/2009/01/24/columns/gnp-margin s24.txt

"TO CREATE ATMOSPHERE WHERE EVERYBODY WILL BE WILLING TO…"

Panorama.am
18:06 20/01/2009

Anahit Bakhshyan, the Chairwoman of "Heritage" Party Board gives
interview to Panorama.am.

-Mrs. Bakhshyan 2008 is over. How can you evaluate the previous year?

-2008 was a year reach with tragic events. By tragedy I do not
necessarily mean March 1 only. Of course, it is the most important. For
me February 19 was also a tragedy. Before the presidential elections
I really hoped that the presidential candidate Serzh Sargsyan who
ensured that he would not bare violence and falsifications, was
serious and that he would earn public vote. I believed that those
elections would not be falsified or at least they would not be so
much distorted. But that was a real tragedy for me. In the aftermath
of those elections currently 67 people are in jail.

-Mrs. Bkhshyan March 1 has been talked much about. It is also said
that those events were the logical finish of our past. That is to
say that the system was closed and it was expected that one day the
"last straw would break". What do you think of it?

-I completely agree with the statement. Our public was really feeling
as if under some heavy press. And those ten deads as if eased that
press giving their lives. In the aftermath of it, today we are freer to
speak about those things and we have serious demands put towards the
authorities. In this regard the authorities have serious difficulties
to ease the tension.

-Define the most important challenges our people and the state is to
face in 2009.

-The most important thing is to meet the challenges of economic and
political crisis. Another event is the January Plenary Session of
PACE where a decision will be made on Armenia. By the way the decision
can be a serious one. In the last two months the economic figures are
worrying. And the decision is to create an atmosphere where everybody
will feel willing and responsible to help.

Interfax, Russia
Jan 17 2009

Azerbaijan prefers to settle Karabkah conflict peacefully, but will
continue bolstering armed forces – Aliyev

BAKU Jan 17

Azerbaijan prefers to settle the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict through
negotiations, but at the same time it will continue to bolster its
military potential in the years to come, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev
said at a Cabinet session dealing with outcomes of the country’s
socioeconomic development in 2008 on Friday.

"We are trying to resolve the problem through negotiations, but at the
same time it is no secret to anybody that we are bolstering our
military might quite significantly. In the coming years, our military
spending will be further increased. I would like to say once again
that we are attaching primary significance to this area," Aliyev said,
adding that Azerbaijan would spend $2.3 billion for defense purposes
in 2009.

"We need to be prepared to liberate our native land at any time and
using any methods. We are prepared for this, but we need to be even
stronger," he said.

Aliyev recalled the Moscow Declaration signed in 2008 and said that
this document reflects Baku’s position on the Nagorno-Karabakh problem
and should "bring about tangible results in 2009." va

ARMENPRESS

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN DECREES TO ESTABLISH NOMINAL
SCHOLARSHIP FOR ATHLETES REACHING HIGH RESULTS AND THEIR COACHES

YEREVAN, JANUARY 16, ARMENPRESS: Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan
signed a decree January 14 establishing nominal scholarship of the
President of the Republic of Armenia to athletes who reach high
results in Olympic Games, World and European Cups and their coaches,
the presidential press service reported.