Author: Lara Chatinian

Board of Regents of Prelacy Armenian Schools

BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN

Several parents of students enrolled in Prelacy Armenian Schools were asked to sign a misleading petition urging the schools to abandon federal, state and county guidelines in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19 that ensure a healthy environment for children.

An iteration of the brazen petition even bore the letterhead of the Board of Regents of the Prelacy Armenian Schools, creating confusion and anger among parents, who appealed to the Board’s office with complaints.

“It’s fraud,” Sarkis Ourfalian, Esq., the chair of the Board of Regents told Asbarez in a telephone interview on Wednesday. “This is not a Board of Regents action and someone is using our name illegally and fraudulently.”

Saying that the board has received an overwhelming positive response for the safety protocols in place at Prelacy schools, Ourfalian added that the petition was devised “to intentionally mislead the recipients to think that it comes to the Board of Regents.”

“While we cannot stop people from circulating petitions, but the health, well-being of our students, staff and teachers far outweighs anything else,” said Ourfalian who explained that the board has worked long and hard to put in place the guidelines and enforce them. He added that if these guidelines are not enforced, the schools will close.

Ourfalian also said that an investigation has been launched to find out the source of the anonymous petition, adding that the Board already has leads and intends to take all steps to mitigate further disruption of school safety.

In a letter sent to parents of Rose and Alex Pilibos students obtained by Asbarez, the Board of Regents emphasizes that the Covid-19 “guidelines and protocols are not optional nor negotiable.”

“Please be advised that the letterhead is being used illegally without the knowledge and consent of the Board of Regents, in an attempt to mislead our parents. The Board of Regents is taking the necessary measures to address the illegal use of our letterhead,” said the letter.

“We want to reassure you that the Board of Regents remains steadfast in enforcing all local, State, and Federal regulations pertaining to COVID‐19, to ensure the safety of our students, staff and parents. These guidelines and protocols are not optional nor negotiable,” emphasized the letter.

Ourfalian also said that the 2021-2022 academic year has seen the highest enrollment in Prelacy Armenian Schools, boasting a total of 3,141 pre-K to 12th grade students.

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, this newspaper has highlighted the success the Prelacy Schools enjoyed in their virtual and distance learning efforts.

The fact that the hundreds of school administrators, teachers and staff worked diligently for countless hours to ensure the continuation of the education of our community’s children and the toll it has taken on them to not only fulfill academic requirements but also to ensure the well-being of the students, this petition and other such efforts hurt and destabilize an already tenuous situation that we are all confronting.

The individual(s) who started this destructive and malicious drive are only advancing the personal agenda of a few, who think that their beliefs supersede the collective well-being of our students and their educators.

ANKARA

The heads of state and government of the Turkic Council member nations will meet in Istanbul on Nov.12, Turkey’s foreign minister said Monday.

Historical steps will be taken for the council at this summit, Mevlut Cavusoglu said during a joint news conference he addressed with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov in Istanbul following the Extraordinary Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Turkic Council on Afghanistan.

On Afghanistan where the Taliban have seized control in August, Cavusoglu said that the Turkic Council has certain expectations and concerns about the war-weary country like the entire international community.

“These are the prevention of humanitarian crisis, protection of human rights including minority rights and women’s rights, prevention of irregular migrant flow, and resurgence of terrorism,” said Cavusoglu.

“For this, the establishment of an inclusive government in the country and the functioning of the state mechanism are important,” he added.

Cavusoglu said that the foreign ministers of the Turkic Council also discussed the ways to help Afghanistan’s neighbors that suffer from irregular immigration.

“We decided to exhibit solidarity with them. We also discussed what we could do in terms of counter-terrorism, and we are going to be announcing our joint declaration shortly,” he stated.

Cavusoglu also said that the Sept. 27 is a significant date for the Turkic world as it marks the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s independence and the start of the latest conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which led to the liberation of Karabakh from occupation.

He congratulated Turkmenistan on the anniversary of its independence and said the country will attend the leaders summit scheduled for Nov. 12.

“Also, today is a day to commemorate the martyrs of Azerbaijan. Karabakh is no longer going to be remembered with instability in the region, but peace and development,” said Cavusoglu, adding that normalization and regional cooperation should be the focus.

“Our president (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) and (Azerbaijani) President Ilham Aliyev have expressed their commitment to peace and stability in the region,” the Turkish foreign minister added.

Patriotic War

Bayramov, for his part, said Sept. 27 is a “special day” in Azerbaijan’s history of independence as the country exactly one year ago responded to the military provocations of Armenia.

“The Azerbaijani Armed Forces upon the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief (President Aliyev) launched a counter-attack and ended the occupation which lasted for nearly 30 years,” he said.

Bayramov also thanked all countries and authorities, especially Turkey, which supported Azerbaijan’s “just stance” during the war.

Since the first day of Patriotic War, Turkey provided its “utmost support” to Azerbaijan and its people at the national level, especially at the level of president, parliament, political parties, ministries, and NGOs, he said.

“This political and moral support was very important to us,” Bayramov said, adding that this support boosted Azerbaijan’s power, and turned into a “symbol of unity and brotherhood” of the two countries.

He underlined that marking Azerbaijan’s Sept. 27 Remembrance Day together with “brothers and sisters” in Turkey has a “symbolic meaning.”

Speaking on the meeting on Afghanistan, Bayramov said the ministers representing the Turkic speaking countries put forward their views on the issue, adding that discussion was “very productive.”

“We will further continue our tireless efforts for the sake of the Afghan nation,” he pledged.

Bayramov said they also had a chance with Cavusoglu to discuss the latest regional developments, bilateral relations, and multiple projects between the two countries.

Liberation of Karabakh

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

When new clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violated several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from the nearly three-decade occupation.

On Nov. 10, 2020, the two countries signed a Russian-brokered agreement to end the fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.

On Jan. 11, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a pact to develop economic ties and infrastructure to benefit the entire region. It included the establishment of a trilateral working group on Karabakh.

The cease-fire is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces withdrew in line with the agreement.

Prior to this victory, about 20% of Azerbaijan’s territory had been under illegal occupation for nearly 30 years.