Author: Nahapetian Boris

Tacoma News Tribune, WA
Jan 28 2005

TAM exhibit celebrates fellowship of `the Neddy’

JEN GRAVES; The News Tribune
Last updated: January 28th, 2005 08:50 AM

Every year, a nominating committee and a separate selection committee
choose two local artists to receive $10,000 each from the Behnke
Foundation. The artists must be devoted not only to their work, but
to the artistic community, and the award, the Neddy Artist
Fellowship, is named after the painter Robert E. `Ned’ Behnke, who
died of complications from AIDS in 1989. The award began 10 years
ago.
A gallery of art funded by the National Endowment for the Arts could
tell a tale, but assembling the recipients of a short-lived award is
not the most promising basis for an art museum exhibition. Luckily,
it turns out there is something about the Neddy.

Each of the 14 artists in the show opening Saturday at the Tacoma Art
Museum is forceful. Each communicates vigorous conviction, from Cris
Bruch’s staunchly reserved, handcrafted wall hives titled
`Strangeland’ to Donnabelle Casis’s noisy, messy splashes of
hyper-hues.

Most of these names are known to the contemporary Seattle
gallerygoing world, making the show something of a family snapshot:
Bruch, Casis, Michael Spafford, Claudia Fitch, Claire Cowie, Jeffry
Mitchell, Mark Takamichi Miller, Juan Alonso. That is not to say that
the choices have been insular or redundant. The Neddy respectably
represents emerging to mid-career to established artists. Though the
award was originally designated for painters alone, since 1998 awards
have also gone to photographers, printmakers and sculptors.

Turning the gallery walls red, orange and blue, TAM declared this a
party. Curator Rock Hushka organized it, culling works from
galleries, collectors, the artists and, in a few cases, TAM’s own
holdings. A few of the pieces are brand new or up to 20 years old,
but most date from the last five years.

The artists intermingle formal and conceptual concerns. Abstract
paintings by Lauri Chambers, layered photographs by Doug Keyes and
surrealistic scenes by Benjamin Wilkins differ wildly, but
individually their range seems limited by fussiness. Susan Dory
creates the shifty buzz of an electrical charge in her color fields
of airbrushed and swiped-on shapes. The playfulness of Bruch’s
sculptures belies their labor-intensive birth and tight structure.

Good thing the ceilings in the big fish-tank gallery soar – Fitch’s
three white, blue and gold upside-down Buddha chandeliers have
decided to drop in, dangling from strands of `milk drops,’ as the
title has it. Fitch’s classically shaped ceramic vessels are also
spotted and have nipples and rolls of fat, like wild, headless
Chinese Fu-dog cookie jars.

They guard a corner devoted to war, the only conscious theme (which
is jarringly segregated). Dionne Haroutunian’s prints bear lucid
witness to the genocide in her Armenian family’s history. Mary Ann
Peters presents the series `Poor Liberty,’ scratchy protest drawings
depicting the Statue of Liberty victimized.

Most convincing are Cowie’s characters, faintly rendered in expansive
white backgrounds that make them look as though they’ve been
dislocated from somewhere else. `Soldiers’ is a whispery crew of
absurd little figures huddled between a high wall and a
stiff-postured commander. Cowie’s globby white sculptures drip with
gesso, watercolor and anomie. `The Conversation’ is an enchanting
gathering of toy-sized storybook sad sacks and freaks engaging each
other.

Mitchell employs a similar light – ness of touch in `Peony, Peony,
Begonia, Peony,’ a suite of four drawings. Each watercolor flower
puckered its paper, forming delicate, scalloping curtains around the
image. Mitchell works in many moods and mediums; witness his
relentlessly twinkling, gilded ceramic baroquerie `Zum Goldenen Walde
(To the Golden Forest)!’

Brashness meets its makers in Alonso and Miller. Alonso captures a
vivid rococo symbol in paint so thick that the surface is icy. Miller
got liquid exuberance from pooling neon acrylic on the canvas. For a
later series of 24 paintings, Miller nabbed a set of doubles from
photographic prints awaiting their owners in a store. He painted
every one of them (12 are on display here) in thick, painstakingly
blended impasto, spending more time composing these images than their
owners and subjects did.

Spafford, the first to win the Neddy and a regional fixture, oversees
it all. For 40 years, he has distilled and abstracted the classicism
of Greek and Roman mythology, maintaining its heroic scale. At TAM is
his restrained hand-to-hand combat composition, `One Greek, One
Trojan II’ from 2004, and his brutal, terrifying 1986 triptych
`Europa and the Bull,’ which recently came into TAM’s collection.

Raise a glass – these artists got the funding they deserved.

Pope tells Armenian leader he hopes for lasting peace in Karabakh

Mediamax news agency
28 Jan 05

YEREVAN

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan met the head of the Roman Catholic
Church, John Paul II, in the Vatican today.

Greeting the Armenian president, John Paul II recalled with warmth his
visit to Armenia in September 2001 on the occasion of the 1700th
anniversary of proclamation of Christianity as the state religion in
Armenia, Mediamax’s special correspondent reports from the Vatican.

“I would like to take the opportunity to express my hearty greetings
to all the people in Armenia as well as millions of Armenians who are
dispersed all over the world but who have not lost links with its
culture and Christian traditions,” John Paul II said.

“With all my heart I want to express my best wishes as regards the
establishment of a real lasting peace in your, Mr President, smaller
homeland, in Nagornyy Karabakh. This may lead to the final rejection
of violence and to the establishment of a dialogue between the
interested parties based on tolerance assisted by active international
mediation,” the head of the Roman Catholic Church said.

John Paul II stressed that “relations based on mutual respect and
friendship have been established between the Catholic and Armenian
Apostolic churches”.

“I think that our mutual desire is the development of a closer
cooperation between the Holy See and the Armenian government within
the framework of which it will become possible to decide on necessary
changes aimed at improving the status of the Catholic Church,” John
Paul II said.

BBC News, UK
Jan 27 2005

Rwanda remembers the Holocaust
By Robert Walker
BBC correspondent in Kigali

As the liberation of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz is being
remembered across the world, one place where this is particularly
poignant is in Rwanda – a country still coming to terms with its own
trauma.

Mass graves at the memorial contain up to 250,000 people
After World War II, when the full horror of the Jewish Holocaust was
revealed, the world said: “Never again”.

But in 1994 an extremist Hutu government in Rwanda began the
systematic slaughter of the minority Tutsis.

It is estimated some 800,000 people were killed in 100 days as the
rest of the world stood by.

On a hill in the Rwandan capital Kigali a memorial stands to those
killed in the genocide.

Mass graves contain anywhere up to 250,000 people and inside a
specially constructed building there are displays teaching a new
generation of Rwandans about what happened in 1994.

Systematically eliminated

But it is not only the Rwandan genocide which is remembered here.

They measured the nose. They were measuring the eyes, heights and
it is very similar

Rwandan student Teddy Mugabo

There are exhibitions about other mass killings during the past
century, of the Namibian Herero people, the Armenians and of the Jews
during the Holocaust.

Teddy Mugabo lost her grandparents and many other relatives in 1994.
Like other Rwandan students visiting the memorial, she is now also
learning about the Holocaust.

“It shows how the Nazis started segregating people and it shows the
way they measured the nose and eyes to show that they are different
people.

“In Rwanda when they were killing Tutsis they did the same thing.
They measured the nose. They were measuring the eyes, heights and it
is very similar.”

Like the Jews during the Holocaust, Tutsis in Rwanda were
systematically eliminated because of their identity.

Blaming ethnic strife

In the aftermath of both genocides, the world said: “Never again”.

1994: RWANDA’S GENOCIDE

6 April: Rwandan Hutu President Habyarimana killed when plane shot
down
April -July: An estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus killed
July: Tutsi-led rebel movement RPF captures Rwanda’s capital Kigali
July: Two million Hutus flee to Zaire, now the DRC

Genocide planning revealed

But many Rwandans who saw UN troops stand aside in 1994 are sceptical
that the world would act differently today.

Tom Ndahiro of the Rwandan Human Rights Commission says western
countries are still not ready to prevent genocide in African
countries – unless their national interests are at stake.

“What Nato did in former Yugoslavia was different from what it did on
Darfur or in Rwanda.

“When it happens to Rwanda – [there’s a] sense of saying: ‘Well it’s
the Rwandans – savages, tribal warfare, ethnic strife.’ And it’s
nonsense.”

But the organisers of Kigali’s memorial hope that by teaching new
generations the painful history of the Rwandan genocide and the
Holocaust the promises of “Never again” really will be kept next
time.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Jan 26 2005

Parliament Speaker Receives Bulgarian Delegation

On Tuesday, Speaker of the Milli Majlis (parliament) Murtuz Alasgarov
received a Bulgarian delegation led by Ramzi Osman, head of the
Bulgaria-Azerbaijan inter-parliamentary friendship group.

During the meeting Alasgarov elaborated on the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict and pointed out occupation of 20% of Azerbaijan’s lands by
Armenia and existence of more than one million refugees and
internally displaced persons in the country.

The parliament speaker also stressed the inefficient activity of the
OSCE Minsk Group to settle the conflict, noting that the group must
strengthen its role in this direction.

Ramzi Osman, in his turn, underlined that Bulgaria has always
supported Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. He also proposed that
the two countries mutually assist in improving the legislative base
in parliament and in other spheres.
The issue on opening of the Baku-Sofia flight was discussed during
the meeting as well.

Glendale News Press
LATimes.com
Jan 26 2005

ANC loses director to clerk race

Ardashes Kassakhian will step down as executive director to focus on
his bid for Glendale city clerk. Other candidates are also cutting
back work schedules.

By Josh Kleinbaum, News-Press and Leader

GLENDALE – Ardashes Kassakhian began a 10-week sabbatical from the
Armenian National Committee this week to focus on his campaign for
city clerk, highlighting the effort that nine candidates are putting
into the first competitive race for city clerk in 75 years.

Kassakhian, who has worked for the committee’s Western Region for
five years and has been its executive director for the last two, will
campaign full-time for the April 5 election, he said. Armen
Carapetian, the region’s government relations director, will serve as
acting executive director.

“I’m going to miss the work that I’ve been able to do here, but
directing a nonprofit and running the city clerk’s office, there’s a
lot of similarities,” Kassakhian said. “I’m grateful for all my
experience here. They afforded me the opportunity to serve the
community of Glendale, to work intimately with city officials and
others.”

Kassakhian is the only candidate for city clerk who is leaving his
day job entirely for the campaign, but several other candidates said
they will reduce their workload during the next 10 weeks. Kathryn Van
Houten, an attorney, said she will tone down her volunteer work.
Stephen L. Ropfogel, an independent business owner, is reducing the
amount of time he’s spending on work, as is Stephanie Landregan, a
landscape artist.

Narineh Barzegar, a graduate student, postponed classes for a quarter
to focus on the election. Gary Sysock, deputy executive officer with
Los Angeles County Clerk of the Board, has vacation time stored up,
and Lorna Vartanian, financial accounting manager for a law firm,
said she would take time off if needed.

“I’m still in the planning stages,” Vartanian said. “I don’t have all
of that quite figured out yet. But I’m going to gauge that as I go
along and certainly work accordingly.”

Two candidates, Paulette Mardikian and George McCullough, could not
be reached for comment.

During his time at the Armenian National Committee, Kassakhian led
the committee’s push for genocide education, served as its liaison to
state and federal legislators and helped mobilize Glendale’s Armenian
voters. In Glendale elections, the Armenian National Committee’s
endorsement has become among the most sought after.

“If he doesn’t win the election, we’d love him to come back,” said
Steve Dadaian, chairman of the committee’s Western Region board of
directors. “He does the work of three men. He knows a lot about
Armenian American issues regionally, but he also knows what the local
issues are for the Glendale voters and the community.”

Dadaian wasn’t sure if the committee will hire a permanent
replacement for Kassakhian before the April election. For now,
Carapetian will focus on regional activities to commemorate the 90th
anniversary of the Armenian genocide, working with federal
legislators and creating a community outreach plan for the
committee’s Western Region.

“We’re not replacing Ardy. You can’t replace Ardy,” Carapetian said.
“He’s built wide community contacts, and not just in the Armenian
community.”

L’Express
24 janvier 2005

Le mal pour le mal;
La chronique de Bernard Guetta

Guetta Bernard

Le crime absolu d’Auschwitz n’a pas été seulement commis contre un
peuple, mais contre l’essence même d’une civilisation

Avant Auschwitz, il y eut le massacre des Arméniens. Le goulag a fait
plus de morts que tous les camps nazis réunis et, sans que quiconque
se soucie d’arrêter les machettes, le siècle de Hitler s’est achevé
dans l’extermination planifiée des Tutsi du Rwanda.

Il n’y eut pas qu’un seul génocide dans l’Histoire.

Les tueries de toute sorte y furent innombrables, mais Rita Süssmuth,
alors présidente du Bundestag, eut pourtant raison de dire, il y a
dix ans, que “le crime d’Auschwitz n’était comparable à rien”. Il est
incomparable, car il fut et demeure irréductible à quelque passion
humaine que ce soit, peur ou cupidité, vengeance ou fanatisme
religieux.

L’Espagne voulait s’approprier l’or des Amériques, les Hutu s’arroger
le Rwanda, Staline sauver son régime par la terreur, les Ottomans
exterminer le peuple qui, jusque dans la métropole, incarnait à leurs
yeux la désagrégation de l’empire, mais les nazis? Comment comprendre
que, tout à la conquête de l’Europe, ils aient consacré tant de
moyens et d’énergie à l’anéantissement des juifs, non pas des juifs
de gauche ou des juifs de droite, religieux ou libres penseurs, de
tel ou tel pays, mais de tous les juifs, d’hommes et de femmes si
divers et dispersés qu’ils ne pouvaient en rien constituer un
obstacle spécifique à l’ambition du IIIe Reich?

On ne peut pas le comprendre. Cela reste incompréhensible, sauf à
explorer l’irrationnel, sauf à voir que les nazis ne voulaient pas
seulement dominer le monde mais effacer aussi, avec les juifs, ces
idées de justice et d’égalité entre les hommes qui sont la référence
des enfants d’Abraham depuis les Dix Commandements, matrice du
judaïsme et de ses descendances religieuses et intellectuelles.

Ce n’est pas seulement parce qu’Auschwitz n’est réductible à aucune
fureur humaine qu’on ne peut le comparer à rien. C’est avant tout
parce que ce crime absolu n’a pas seulement été commis contre un
peuple, mais contre l’essence même d’une civilisation qu’il voulait
nier.

Au-delà du bien et du mal, c’est l’idée même de genre humain que les
nazis ont voulu détruire à Auschwitz. C’est pour cela que ce génocide
hante à ce point la conscience humaine, imprègne la littérature et le
cinéma, commande tant d’attitudes politiques et philosophiques, nous
sidère tant. A cette échelle-là, nous ne pouvons pas nous représenter
le mal pour le mal.

Auschwitz nous dépasse. Cela rassure sur l’me humaine, mais on peut
et doit, en revanche, comprendre ce qu’était l’Allemagne des années
1930. Humiliée, ruinée, minée par ses divisions politiques, elle
était devenue la proie rêvée des bas-fonds et des idéologues
illuminés.

Il est bien de commémorer la libération d’Auschwitz, mais il serait
encore mieux de regarder la carte, d’y voir bouillonner tant d’autres
pays aussi désemparés que le fut l’Allemagne, de s’attaquer à ces
crises avant qu’elles ne s’attaquent à nous.

ARMENIA’S UNION OF COMMUNITIES CONSIDERS JONES’ DEFINITIONS OF
KARABAKH AYTHORITIES AS INCOMPREHENSIBLE AND EXTREMELY WORRYING

YEREVAN, January 20 (Noyan Tapan). Armenia’s Union of Communities sent
a letter, in which it expressed its concern over the statement on
Nagorno-Karabakh made by Assistant US Secretary of State for Europe
and Eurasia Elizabeth Jones, to the US Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to Armenia John Evans. The Union of Communities
condiders it important to present the information regarding the
authorities formed in Nagorno-Karabakh, underlining that the process
of establishing democratic institutions is taking place in
Nagorno-Karabakh, in particular, good progress has been made with
respect to promoting the local democracy. Unlike many other countries
of the region, Nagorno-Karabakh has quite an advanced and constantly
improving legislation in the sphere of local democracy, through the
democratic elections the local authorities have been formed and these
are functioning with their own powers and responsibility, and new and
new powers are given to the local authorities. In the context of the
above-mantioned processes, according to the Union, Elizabeth Jones’
definitions of Nagorno-Karabakh’s “corrupted and criminal” authorities
are incomprehensible and extremely worrying. “The extreme polarization
of our reality and the assessments given by the US high-ranking
official creates the impression of that official’s being uninformed or
biased,” the document reads. “With the aim of ending various
interpretations caused by the above-mentioned statement assessig the
reality and stating the US policy”, the Union of Communities considers
it important to provide some additional information and explanations
in connection with the above-mentioned statement, and for this purpose
it sends a letter to the Ambassador.

PanArmenian News, Armenia
Jan 22 2005

ARMENIA MARKS ST. SARGIS HOLIDAY

22.01.2005 15:03

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today the Armenian Apostolic Church marks St.
Sargis holiday. A holy liturgy will be offered in Armenian churches.
St. Sargis holiday is one of the favorite popular church events. The
saint is considered the patron of lovers, as well as soldiers. Being
initiated by Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, St. Sargis Day
has been marked as a youth holiday for already several years.
Historically St. Sargis was a Christian commander in the 4-th
century, who was killed along with his son Martiros by a Persian king
for refusal to change his faith.

KurdishMedia, UK
Jan 19 2004

Zarakolu gets ‘freedom of expression’ award

19/01/2005 Bianet.org – By Kemal Ozmen

Zarakolu received the “Freedom of Expression” Award by the Norwegian
Writers’ Association He asked that the arrest warrant issued against
Ozguden be lifted, that imprisoned journalists are released, and that
the Gunluk Evrensel and Birgun are supported.

BIA (Istanbul) – This year, the “Freedom of Expression” Award was
granted to writer and publisher Ragip Zarakolu. The Norwegian
Writers’ Association and Norwegian Culture Ministry, each year,
grants the award to a writer for outstanding work for freedom of
expression. The award was first granted in 1994.

The award was granted to journalist-writer Ismail Besikci in
Indonesia last year. “Terrorism laws haven’t been on the agenda in
Scandinavia,” said Eugene Schoulgin, a board member of the
International PEN. “We were lazy, but lucky too. We were shocked to
see the efforts being spent here.”

After receiving his award, Zarakolu expressed that there still are
obstacles in front of publishing in Turkey. “We need a change of
mentality in the legal system,” said Zarakolu. “Universal basic
rights and international agreements should form the basis of this
change.”

“I am dedicating this award to Dogan and Inci Ozguden,” said
Zarakolu. “They should have their citizenship back.” He added that
the arrest warrant issued against Dogan Ozguden should be cancelled,
and that the imprisoned journalists Memik Horuz, Hatice Duman,
Gulizar Kesici, Ersin Sedefoglu, Erol Zavar and Kemal Evcimen are
released. Zarakolu also talked about the problems of the “Gunluk
Evrensel” (Daily Evrensel) and “Birgun” (One Day) newspapers.

Schoulgin: The efforts shocked us

“Memory and criticism are a whole,” said Schoulgin as he handed the
award to Zarakolu. “A community should develop both. It is important
for the people in Scandinavia to come to Turkey and observe the
improvements of the last 10 years.”

During their speeches, Cetin Tuzuner, the head of the Publishers’
Union and Ustun Akman, the head of PEN Turkey, underlined the
importance of freedom of thought and expression for a community.

Protecting the historical memory

Geir Pollen, head of the Norwegian Writers’ Union, said “Zarakolu is
not only a person who devoted himself to ancient and modern
literature, but also to the protection of minority cultures and
historical memory, which is very easy to destroy.”

Zarakolu, in his series called, “Marenostrum,” in 1999, had
extensively talked about the Greek literature and was awarded the
Turkish-Greek Peace and Friendship Award by the Abdi Ipekci Committee
in Greece. He received the “Novib Freedom of Thought Award” by the
Netherlands PEN Writers’ Club in 2003.

Chronic “criminal of thought”

The Norwegian Writers’ Association referred to Zarakolu as the
chronic “criminal of thought,” and provided some information on his
life:

Ragip Zarakolu was born in Buyukada on 1948. He graduated from the
Kabatas High School and then the Economy School at Istanbul
University. His Doctorate degree was interrupted twice. First,
because of the military coup in 1971, and second, when his teacher
Tutengil was murdered in 1979.

He began writing for the Ant and Yeni Ufuklar magazines in 1968.
Following the 1971 military coup, he became one of the defendants in
the intellectuals’ case opened because of the first Turkey campaign
on the freedom of thought by Amnesty International.

In 1972, he was sentenced to two years in prison for his article
titled, “Ho Chi Hinh and the Vietnam War.” He benefited from an
amnesty law and got released in 1974. He set up the “Belge Yayinlari”
publishing house in 1977 with his wife Ayse Nur Zarakolu.

He was one of the founders and managers of the Demokrat newspaper
established in 1979 by 36 intellectuals. He remained under arrest for
a while in 1982 because of this newspaper.

He was banned from travelling outside the country between 1971 and
1991. He began publishing the “What’s Happening in the World?”
(L’etat du Monde) periodicals after the 1980 military coup.

In 1982, he founded “Alan Yayinlari” publishing house. He served as
editor in theoretical magazines such as “Problems of the World –
Problems of Turkey,” and “Second Thesis.” He wrote for a number of
social sciences encyclopaedias. He was one of the founders of the
Human Rights Association in 1986. He is also one of the founders of
the History Foundation.

Since 1991, he’s been writing for the Kurdish media. He spent efforts
for freedom of expression, for the acceptance of the Armenian
tragedy, and respect for minority rights. He has taken action against
anti-Semitism. He participated in tens of local and international
conferences.

In his series called, “Marenostrum,” in 1999, he extensively talked
about the Greek literature and received the Turkish-Greek Peace and
Friendship Award by the Abdi Ipekci Committee in Greece.

He received the “Novib Freedom of Thought Award” by the Netherlands
PEN Writers’ Club in 2003.

He always supported his wife Ayse Nur Zarakolu, who spent outstanding
effort for the freedom of thought and citizens’ rights during the
years 1980-2002, which were the darkest years in terms of human
rights. She was jailed four times and stood tens of trials because of
her publications and work on human rights.

Ayse Nur Zarakolu was recalled to court by prosecutors even after her
death, for publishing a book called, “Freedom Song.”

Zarakolu will stand trial on March 2, 2005 in an Istanbul court for
his article titled, “None of Your Business,” published in the Ozgur
Gundem (Free Agenda) newspaper.

He also faces trials for publishing the books, “Reality will Set us
Free,” by George Jerjian, and “Lost Villages,” by Zulkuf Kisanak.
(KO/BB/EA/YE)

BIA News Center

PUBLIC MOVEMENT “STABILITY” DEMANDS US ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE TO
REFUTE HER STATEMENT ON KARABAKH IN PUBLIC

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19. ARMINFO. The public movement “Stability” has sent
a letter to US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans today expressing
protest against the recent statement of US Assistance Secretary of
State Elizabeth Jones on the necessity of liquidation of ‘criminal
separatist regime’ ruling in Nagorny Karabakh.

The organization demands Elizabeth Jones to refute her statement in
public by January 23. Otherwise, the public movement “Stability” will
organize mass actions of protest starting from January 24. At the same
time, the public movement expresses hope that such statements will not
have negative consequences for US-Armenia relations.