Author: Lena Karagyozian

Manchester United completed the transfer of Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday afternoon and Reds supporters around the world are now looking forward to watching the 27-year-old Armenian in action.

has talked to German football expert Raphael Honigstein to gain an insight into Mkhitaryan ahead of his first match for the club, which potentially could be against his former employers Dortmund on 22 July. That high-profile friendly match will open this United’s Tour 2016, presented by Aon, in China.

Here is what Honigstein had to say about Jose Mourinho’s third signing as United manager.

THE BEST IN THE BUNDESLIGA
“Mkhitaryan is just a wonderful player, the best in the Bundesliga last year, and it really is a joy to watch him play. He’s an attacking midfielder who can play as a number 10 or on either side in a narrow attack.

“He loves to beat people, his final ball is sensational, he gets a lot of assists and he scores goals as well. He oozes technique and sophistication.”

A THINKING MAN’S FOOTBALLER
“Henrikh is definitely a thinking man’s footballer. He comes from a football family: his dad was a player, his sister works for UEFA and they are very intelligent people.

“He’s very well educated, he’s multi-lingual and extremely clever. He didn’t connect that well with Jurgen Klopp at Dortmund, but did with Thomas Tuchel last season to great effect.”

BOOSTED BY A BOOK
“There’s a famous book called The Inner Game of Tennis, which a lot of sportspeople have used, and Tuchel recommended it to Mkhitaryan. He read it and actually credited it with lifting his confidence and giving him a better attitude. The results were sensational.”

FANS WILL ENJOY HIM
“Jose Mourinho’s man management should work well with him and he should prove to be a player that United fans really enjoy watching because he is just a touch of class.”

Photo: Getty Images

 

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi says he has sold football club AC Milan to a Chinese consortium, the BBC reports.

Berlusconi, who owns the Serie A team, made the remarks to local newspapers on Tuesday.

He said they will be paying at least €400m (£220m) over the next two years, which may value the club at up to €750m including debt.

“Milan has now embarked on this path towards China,” he said without disclosing the identity of the buyers.

However other media outlets, citing their own sources, said the terms of the deal are still being finalised.

During today’s Ecumenical Encounter at Yerevan’s Republic Square Pope Francis received the model of Noah’s Ark as a gift.

Hs Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians and His Holiness Pope Francis blessed the soil and water brought  from Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait, Iran and Turkey. The soil and water were later poured in to the Noah’s  Ark.

Authored by American Armenian designer Michael Aram, the  model of Noah’s Ark will be taken to Vatican.

Armenia has become an “ark of salvation” for thousands of families from the Iraq and Syria. Armenia has provided refuge to about 20 thousand refugees from Syria, mostly the descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors.

–  At the conclusion of Mass in Gyumri, Armenia on Saturday, Pope Francis took a moment to greet “all those who with such generosity and practical charity are helping our brothers and sisters in need.”  In particular, the Pontiff recalled what is known as “the Pope’s Hospital” desired by Pope John Paul II himself and which opened 25 years ago in Ashotsk.  “It was born of the heart of Saint John Paul II,” Pope Francis observed, “and it continues to be an important presence close to those who are suffering.”

Below, please find Pope Francis’ remarks upon conclusion of Holy Mass in Gyumri, Armenia:

At the conclusion of this celebration, I wish to express my deep gratitude to Catholicos Karekin II and to Archbishop Minassian for their gracious words.  I also thank Patriarch Ghabroyan and the Bishops present, as well as the priests and the Authorities who have warmly welcomed us.

I thank all of you here present, who have come to Gyumri from different regions and from nearby Georgia.  I especially greet all those who with such generosity and practical charity are helping our brothers and sisters in need.  I think in particular of the hospital in Ashotsk, opened twenty-five years ago and known as “the Pope’s Hospital”.  It was born of the heart of Saint John Paul II, and it continues to be an important presence close to those who are suffering.  I think too of the charitable works of the local Catholic community, and those of the Armenian Sisters of the Immaculate Conception and the Missionaries of Charity of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

May the Virgin Mary, our Mother, accompany you always and guide your steps in the way of fraternity and peace.

Austria, who were undefeated in 10 qualifying games, were beaten 2-0 by old rivals Hungary in the opening match of Euro 2016 Group F on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

The Hungarians, who only reached the finals through the playoffs, took the lead with a rare goal by forward Adam Szalai in the 63rd minute.

It his first at international level since October 2014.

Austria thought they had equalised soon after but Martin Hinteregger’s effort was disallowed for a foul by Aleksandar Dragovic who was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.

Substitute Zoltan Stieber secured victory three minutes from the end.

Photo: Reuters

 

The Iraqi army says it has begun an operation to storm Falluja, a bastion of so-called Islamic State (IS), the BBC reports.

It comes a week after the government launched a concerted effort to retake the city, which has been held by the jihadists since 2014.

An estimated 50,000 civilians are trapped inside, with only a few hundred families escaping so far.

As the army pushed on Falluja, a wave of bombings in and around the capital, Baghdad, killed at least 20 people.

Thee Armenian American Museum may receive $5 million in state funds to help pay for its construction on a potential downtown Glendale, The Los Angeles Times reports.

State Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian appropriated state general fund money for the project in the upcoming budget, which still needs legislative approval and Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature by mid-June.

The museum’s foundation in 2014 first pitched its proposal for a 30,000-square-foot museum to house artworks by Armenians and artists from other cultures.

Nazarian said he’s followed the project since then and understands its potential.

“Something like this museum can play a common denominator for furthering intercultural relations,” he said in a phone interview.

The museum’s representatives and the city were initially looking to build on a 1.7-acre lot across from Glendale Community College, but an outpouring of concerns about traffic from nearby residents compelled City Council members to recommend changing the location.

In February, the council directed members of the museum foundation to examine building the project at Central Park in downtown Glendale, adjacent to the Glendale Central Library, the Adult Recreation Center and the newly opened Museum of Neon Art.

Council members felt a downtown location would be better suited for foot traffic. Nazarian said it was the decision to relocate that was the final push for him to get involved.

“I think the fact it’s in downtown, it’s a much better location for integrating the museum into the fabric of Glendale itself as well as for tourism or closer access to long-existing transportation lines,” he said.

Nazarian said he’s been in talks with museum officials, who requested the $5 million. That money will be earmarked for construction only; ongoing operational costs would have to be covered through fundraising and donations, he added.

To that end, Berdj Karapetian, chairman of the museum’s development committee, expressed his gratitude toward the assemblyman and other state legislators.

“We look forward to working with leaders from the California State Legislature to help make our vision for the Armenian American Museum a reality in the city of Glendale and build an educational center that will serve local residents and visitors from throughout our great state of California,” Karapetian said in an email.

Despite the state funding, construction costs will likely surpass $5 million, said Tigranna Zakaryan, spokeswoman for the museum.

And Nazarian’s appropriation likely won’t speed up the construction process either, she added.

Museum officials still need to secure a ground lease for Central Park — something Zakaryan hopes can be achieved by this fall. There also needs to be an environmental review and economic feasibility study conducted, she said.

Once open, the museum will house permanent and traveling exhibitions.

Recently, museum officials helped with an exhibit titled “Armenia: An Open Wound” at the Brand Library & Art Center that will be on display through June 11.

The Azerbaijani side resumed the ceasefire violations starting from midday, May 25, using artillery weapons of different calibers and HAN-17 grenade launchers, NKR Ministry of Defense reports.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army refrained from response actions and confidently continued with their military duty.

Statement by Edward Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia at the 126th Session of the Committee of the Ministers of the Council of Europe

Excellences,
Secretary General,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to congratulate Bulgaria on its productive chairmanship at the Committee of Ministers and to thank Minister Mitov for the excellent ogranisation of this meeting.

I would also like to express our appreciation to the Secretary General for presenting his third annual report on the “State of Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Europe”. We share Mr. Jagland’s view on the concept of “Democratic Security”, according to which the democracies are less likely to go to war. Obviously, authoritarian regimes do not face such a dilemma.

Such case was most recently witnessed in early April when Azerbaijan launched large-scale military offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in many killed and wounded, along with gross violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

The tense situation of early April and possibilities of addressing its consequances were discussed two days ago in Vienna in a meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan attended by the Secretary of State of the United States, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia and State Secretary for European Affairs of France representing the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries.

In their joint statement the Co-Chair countries insisted on the importance of respecting the 1994 and 1995 ceasefire agreements. The Presidents reiterated their commitment to the ceasefire and the peaceful settlement of the conflict. To reduce the risk of further violence, they agreed to finalize in the shortest possible time an OSCE investigative mechanism. The Presidents also agreed to the expansion of the existing Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman in Office. This could pave a way for resumption of the negotiations for the resolution of the conflict.

Up until now Azerbaijan has been continously hindering the implementation of such proposals of the Co-chair countries and even reached agrrements. We hope that this time Azerbaijan would not deceive the hopes of the Co-Chair countries and the expectations of the international community.

Dear colleagues,

It is the primary goal of Council of Europe to safeguard common values and individual rights at pan-European level. We share the belief of many in this room that rights of individuals guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights must not be dependent on the status of the territory where peoples live. In this regard, we appreciate recent initiatives to discuss the subject of ensuring human rights in conflict zones.

Today violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism are direct threats to our values. To succeed in the fight against these appalling phenomena we should start with the root causes. Fight against racism, xenophobia and intolerance are essential in this regard. Armenia has been vocal in condemning hate speech and xenophobia, especially the kind, used in a political discourse. Combating these phenomena has been a priority for Armenia during our Chairmanship at this Committee and it continues to remain as such.

2016 marks the 15th Anniversary of Armenia’s accession to the Council of Europe. These have been years of fruitful cooperation in various areas of mutual interest. In a few days we will officially launch the Council of Europe 2015-2018 Action Plan for Armenia, which will further promote reform process in our country.

In conclusion, I would also like to join the previous speakers in wishing every success to the incoming Chairmanship of Estonia.

– Christians in Turkey have — throughout the centuries — been turned into a tiny, dwindling minority. The remaining few Christian churches in Anatolia are also on the path to total annihilation.

The Hagia Sophia, Greek for “Holy Wisdom,” was one of the many historic Orthodox churches located in the city of Trabzon.

The third and youngest of the Hagia Sophia’s in Turkey, the church was first converted to a mosque during the Ottoman rule. In 1964, it was turned into a museum. Since 2013, however, it was converted into a mosque.

Christian symbols in the church have been damaged or destroyed. Nails have been pounded into the walls in order to hang curtains inside the new “mosque” to create a separate section for women. The frescos on the ceiling have been veiled with wooden curtains and the mosaics on the floors have been covered with a carpet.

Some walls have been painted green. A toilet and ferroconcrete structures have been built around the former church.

The city of Trabzon (or “Trapezus” in Greek), is located in the ancient land of Pontos, in the north-eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. The first Greek settlements appeared in the region as early as 800 BC. Many renowned Greek philosophers, such as Diogenes and Strabo, were born and raised in Pontos, which means “sea” in Greek.

The region is also central to the Christian faith. Pontos and its inhabitants are mentioned thrice in the New Testament. The Pontic (Pontian) people were some of the very first converts to Christianity. Trabzon had its own bishop as early as the First Council of Nicaea in AD 325.

“Trabzon,” wrote the historian Sam Topalidis, “was the ancient capital of the Greek-speaking Komnenos Byzantine Kingdom (1204–1461) within the Pontos–the northeast portion of Anatolia adjacent the Black Sea. It survived until 1461, eight years after the fall of Byzantine Constantinople when both localities fell to the Ottoman Turks.”

The Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II invaded and captured the city after a month-long siege and took its ruler and his family into captivity.[i]

Pontos was first invaded by Seljuk Turks in the 1070s and 1080s, and then by the Ottoman imperial army. The demographics as well as the culture of the region have ever since been totally changed.

“During the following two centuries of Ottoman rule, the 16th and 17th centuries, Greek communities in Asia Minor resisted constant pressures to convert to Islam,” reported the Pontian Greek Society of Chicago.

“Most managed to preserve their religion, ethnic traditions, and culture. During the 17th and 18th centuries, however, thousands of Greeks were forced to convert to Islam, among them 250,000 Pontian Greeks. Thousands of Greeks fled to Christian Russia to escape Turkish persecution, particularly following the numerous Russian-Turkish wars in the 19th century.”

The gravest mass murders of Christians took place during the latest stage of the Ottoman Empire as well as the founding phase of the Republic of Turkey.

The main organizer of the Christian genocide was the Ottoman Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) whose aim was to achieve the “Turkification” of Anatolia by eliminating Christian communities.

In 2007, the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) declared:

“Be it resolved that it is the conviction of the International Association of Genocide Scholars that the Ottoman campaign against Christian minorities of the Empire between 1914 and 1923 constituted a genocide against Armenians, Assyrians, and Pontian and Anatolian Greeks.”

“These atrocities,” according to the Pontian Greek Society of Chicago, “include the burning of hundreds of villages and the murder of their inhabitants, particularly in the Pontus region. In September of 1921, this campaign of terror and extermination resulted in the arrest and execution of hundreds of prominent Pontian Greeks on trumped-up charges of treason.

“As a consequence of the deliberate and systematic policy of ‘Turkey for the Turks,’ approximately 2.5 million Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks were murdered or were victims of the ‘white death.’ This term was used to describe all deaths that resulted from lack of food, disease, and exposure to the elements during the deportations and death marches.”

“The Pontians had suffered a lot throughout their history of nearly 3,000 years,” wrote the author Olga Balytnikova-Rakitianskaia. “But the genocide was the most terrible of their misfortunes, for it deprived the Greeks of the Black Sea not only of their friends and relatives, but also of their native land.”

The final stage of the end of the Greek Orthodox civilization of Pontos was during the 1923 compulsory exchange of populations between the states of Greece and Turkey. As a result of this forced population exchange conducted in the aftermath of the genocide, Anatolian and Pontic Greeks were forcibly removed from their homeland.

In extreme panic and fear of their lives, the majority of Greeks had already fled before the signing of the convention, according to the researcher Aris Tsilfidis.

“The Convention concerning the Exchange of Populations between Greece and Turkey which was signed on the 1st of May 1923 was conducted in order to save the remaining 189,916 Greeks from further persecution and death at the hand of the Turks.”

Even 93 years later, the very few remaining traces of Christianity in Turkey are still being systematically eradicated by state authorities. Apparently, even the supposed “secular” constitution of the country has not enabled many historic churches in the country to remain churches.

Today, Trabzon is one of the cities with the highest number of mosques in Turkey. According to the statistics of Turkey’s Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), the city had 1,952 mosques in the year 2014, which means there is no shortage of mosques in the city.

The systematic conversions of historic churches or church-museums into mosques, therefore, speak volumes about the level of tolerance, religious freedom and pluralism in Turkey.

Meanwhile, the Islamic State (ISIS) has also been busy converting historic churches into mosques in their self-declared Islamic caliphate.

In 2015, the Chaldean Churches of St. Joseph and of St. Ephrem in Mosul, for instance, were turned into mosques by ISIS terrorists.

Nuri Kino, president and founder of “A Demand For Action,” told Newsweek the church conversion is proof of the Islamic State’s intentions with Iraqi Christians.

“A year ago they said, ‘Convert, pay or die.’ Then it turned out to be a lie, that even if you pay, you will not be able to stay,” Kino said.

“If they changed a church to a mosque it is further proof of their cleansing, something that many call a genocide,” he added. “They destroy our artifacts, our churches, and try to erase us in any way they can.”

The intentions of Turkey and the Islamic State (ISIS) — in terms of their treatment of Christians and churches — appear to be quite similar, with one exception: The Islamic State is a rogue regime; Turkey is a NATO member and a candidate for EU membership.