Author: nina hovnanian

Second Heavy Brunt to Armenia

Haikazn Ghahriyan, Editor-in-Chief
Comments – 04 April 2015, 17:25

Armenia’s surrender to the EEU and other Russian projects was
explained by economic preferences and security. It was clear to many
people even on September 3 that it was not true, though at that time
there were no obvious signs. Instead, the pro-Russian agents and the
majority of political forces argued for the opposite though they never
came up with any valid counterargument.

A very short historical period passed, and everyone understood that no
economic benefits should be expected. In addition, it became
especially obvious after official membership to the EEU on 2 January
2015. This year, the economic relations between Russia and the other
EEU member states have declined, in some aspects, by up to 100%.

It has also become clear that Russia is trying to thwart any attempt
to diversify the Armenian economy while the Russian state corporations
in Armenia are on the verge of bankruptcy though they have been
squeezing our country of resources, setting the highest prices in the
world.

The economic disaster in Armenia is determined by joining pro-Russian
projects. Often counterarguments are brought that the reason is the
financial and economic plight in Russia resulting from the
international policy. However, this “counterargument” only confirms
the abovementioned argument. And the excuses that other countries,
such as Georgia, aren’t doing any well are just demagogy because these
countries at least have a prospect and opportunity. Armenia has
relinquished such prospects by signing the EEU and the
Armenian-Russian agreements. Meanwhile, the existing situation in
Russia will last too long.

Now let’s go back to the security issue used to justify the annexation
of Armenia by Russian projects which is the most actual thing now.
While nobody is trying to cite reasons, the pro-Russian circles are
still “resisting” on this part. Although more obvious things are
happening here. In particular, since joining the EEU tension at the
borders of Armenia and Karabakh has increased, the enemy has risen to
a new level of military actions, using special operations and
equipment. In addition, it has been facilitated by close military and
political cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan and the
international isolation of Armenia in the result of membership to
Russian projects.

Besides, Russia has made it clear that it is not likely to stop this
close defense cooperation and is not going to intervene and protect
its “strategic partner” in case of war. Nevertheless, however, the
pro-Russian circles continue to claim that the Russians will protect
us.

This is where the biggest danger is hiding. The point is that in the
result of the behavior of the government and political forces, as well
as the behavior of large public circles Armenia has become a peculiar
“testing ground” for international politics. In this politics Armenia
is a model of what will happen to the countries which join Russian
projects and whose political forces and public voluntarily renounce
sovereignty.

The example of the economy has demonstrated that the West has got us
on the “financial drip” to prevent a financial and economic collapse,
ensure return on its investments and unveil the bankruptcy of Russian
projects.

Now it is the turn of the security sphere which is going to be the
most painful one. According to the same logic, there will be a
large-scale war during which the Armenians will witness how their
“strategic ally” Russia is going to behave. Although, they may see but
not believe that it will not save from big disasters.

Is it possible to avoid this prospect? Nothing is impossible.
Apparently, however, first it needs to be demonstrated to Armenia with
all its “charm”. Is it cruel or unfair? But this is the price of the
behavior and mentality of political elites and societies. This is the
logic of the international politics and the price of failing to comply
with this politics, whether we want it or not.

The leadership of the Armenian army which is responsible ex officio
for the blood of our young men should already recruit squads of
minstrels and preachers of the “Russian security” and send them to the
front line. It is true that they will immediately desert to the
Azerbaijani side on Moscow’s order but it will not do us any harm.

Seminar in Costanta devoted to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide

19:56, 03.04.2015
Region:World News, Armenia
Theme: Politics, Society

Seminar named “Armenians between life and death: 100th Anniversary of
Armenian martyrdom” was held in Constanta City Odivius University,
Romania on Friday within the framework of the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide. The seminar was organized by the local committee
of Romania and the Armenian Embassy in Romania, as well as by
Constanta branches of Romanian Armenians Union and Armenian diocese.

The speakers of the seminar were the Ambassador of Armenia in Romania
Hamlet Gasparian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Romania Bishop
Tatev Hakobyan, and the representative of Archbishop Teodosie of
Tomis.

Speaking about the Armenian Genocide and the denial policy of the
Turkish government, as well as the unacceptability of that policy,
Ambassador Gasparian noted the necessity of uniting internationally
with the view of preventing genocides and struggling against their
denial. With this respect he highly commended the significance of the
European Parliament, UN Human Rights Council, as well as the clear and
specific resolutions of EPP.

The speeches were followed by discussions with the participation of
the representatives of Romanian academia and Armenian community.

Armenia News – NEWS.am

REVUE DE PRESSE
Pour les assyriens, le Liban est la dernière étape de leur périple
avant de quitter le Moyen-Orient

La guerre en Syrie, l’occupation par l’État islamique du nord-est de
l’Irak et l’exode de centaines de milliers de chrétiens vers le
Kurdistan et divers pays d’accueil, dont le Liban, ont exacerbé le
sentiment nationaliste des assyriens, l’une des plus vieilles
communautés chrétiennes au Moyen-Orient.

Au Liban, deux associations tentent tant bien que mal de faire
entendre la voix des assyriens, la Ligue assyrienne sociale, présidée
par Rowell Rowell, et le Mouvement patriotique assyrien, présidé par
Ashour Giwargis. Les deux hommes craignent que les derniers
développements marquent la fin de cette communauté au Moyen-Orient.

>, disent certains. M. Rowell l’explique d’une
façon différente : >

C’est donc avec le récent exode du Khabour syrien, et celui de l’Irak,
qui a commencé en 2003 pour atteindre son paroxysme l’été dernier avec
l’occupation par le groupe État islamique de la plaine de Ninive et de
Mossoul, que le nationalisme assyrien a commencé à se réveiller. >, accuse-t-il.

Les deux responsables, tout comme les membres de la communauté,
parlent avec hargne des Kurdes, qui avaient pris part aux massacres de
Seyfo et de Simele. Ils évoquent aussi les maisons assyriennes
récemment occupées et pillées par les Kurdes dans les villages du
Khabour syrien. Ni l’histoire ni le présent ne servent à apaiser les
tensions…

MM. Rowell et Girwagis oeuvrent avec le peu de moyens dont ils
disposent à préserver les assyriens au Moyen-Orient. Le premier en
encourageant les membres de sa communauté qui arrivent au Liban à
rester sur place en attendant que la situation se calme en Irak et en
Syrie et le second en se rendant en Russie et en Europe pour exposer
le problème de la communauté afin d’encourager ses membres à rester
sur place au lieu de les pousser à l’émigration. Les deux responsables
sont bien conscients que leur tche est sur ce plan particulièrement
difficile.

dimanche 5 avril 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

SYSTEM OF A DOWN TRIES TO RAISE AWARENESS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WITH ITS WAKE UP THE SOULS TOUR

Orange County Register, CA
April 2 2015

April 2, 2015
BY KELLI SKYE FADROSKI

System of a Down has never shied away from being politically
outspoken. Since the group announced its reunion in late 2010 after
a four-year hiatus, the hard-hitting rock quartet, that initially
formed in Los Angeles in the mid-’90s, has embarked on a handful of
smaller tours, but its upcoming Wake Up the Souls international jaunt
has more of a direct purpose.

The tour, which kicks off with a sold-out show at the Forum in
Inglewood on Monday, is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide and calling for justice for the estimated 1 million
to 1.5 million Armenians who died during the massacre and forced
deportation by the Ottoman Empire starting in 1915.

All of the band’s members – vocalist Serj Tankian, guitarist Daron
Malakian, bassist Shavo Odadjian and drummer John Dolmayan – are of
Armenian descent. Since the genocide has yet to be acknowledged on a
global level, the band has been instrumental in drawing attention to
these atrocities and the push for that recognition, not only from the
Turkish government, but more recently from the Obama Administration
here in the U.S. as well.

“System has been involved in spreading that awareness since day one,”
Tankian said during a recent phone interview. “We’ve been told by
our fans and people around the world that they found out about the
genocide because of our actions and comments. We have to continue
to do that because it’s very important for the government of Turkey
to recognize that historical past justly. It’s about obtaining true
justice from an atrocity like this. It’s not enough just to admit a
crime, you have to gain justice from it so that in the future, people
thinking of committing such atrocities, like Hitler did during World
War II, are discouraged by it.”

Wake Up the Souls only has the one stop in the U.S., but there was
some strategic planning involved in plotting performances in the U.K.,
Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Russia and wrapping it
all up with a free show on April 23 at Republic Square in Yerevan,
Armenia, where SOAD will perform for the very first time.

“I, myself, have played Armenia a few times, but I can say that
a lot of people have been waiting for System of a Down to play in
Armenia for many, many years,” Tankian said. “We’ve been asked why
we haven’t or when we are going to play in Armenian a million times,
so this is a huge event for ourselves and for the country itself. We
are really happy to be doing it, so it is a big deal.”

“We wanted to play in places that would understand the concept of
genocide and war and the toll it takes,” Dolmayan, who currently
resides in Las Vegas, added. “It was important for me to try to play
in Turkey where we do have a massive amount of fans, but I don’t
remember if they even got back to us. My wife is happy about that. I
really wanted to play there number one for all of our fans and number
two because I think it’s important for us to come to terms with the
mutual fear that Turkey and Armenians have. I mean, at the end of
the day, we’re all just people.”

Both Tankian and Dolmayan mentioned that they were grateful to have
a forum like System of a Down to help spread awareness on important
topics, but also to have the outlet for creative music expression to
share with fans who aren’t politically charged and just want to dance
and sing along to the singles off of the bands five albums, such as
“Chop Suey!,” “Toxicity,” “B.Y.O.B.,” “Lonely Day” and “Spiders.”

“That’s the beautiful thing about art,” Dolmayan said. “You can make
a profound statement without making a profound statement and people
can read what they want out of it. There are going to be tons of
people that come to these shows that could care less about the subject
matter, they just want to dance around for two hours and hear ‘Sugar.’
That is fine. If we hit just one percent of the people at these shows,
that could create a real groundswell and even if they only talk about
it a few times, that information spreads.”

“Everyone approaches music with their own kind of experience,” Tankian
added. “I always relate it to food, like pizza, some people like it
for the crust, some just for the cheese. You can’t judge how people
will relate to your music or your art, you just have to let them
enjoy it the way they want to. We’re thankful for the number of fans
that not only enjoy it, but kind of go deeper, transcend the world
of music itself and go into a world of learning. Not just about the
Armenian Genocide, but anything we discuss. As long as we create an
avenue for thought or discussion, we are happy.”

Though the Grammy-winning rock band has been back together and out
on the road sporadically for several years, its last studio releases
came in 2005 when the group dropped “Mezmerize” and “Hypnotize” just
six months apart. Tankian was clear that there aren’t any plans at
this point in time for a full new album, but there is an “openness
to getting back together and seeing where we’re at and who has got
what and sharing material to see if we can go forward with it.”

Again, he assures, “No promises and no plans to announce, but there is
that openness to at least start working in that sense together. It’s
a big compliment (to be consistently asked when a new record will
materialize) and we appreciate it, but it’s art and it moves at the
pace of the artist and whenever we’re ready, everyone will know it.

But until then, it can’t be a forced endeavor.”

As of now, no other North American tour dates will be added. There is
a one-off show outside Detroit, Michigan, on June 17, just a quick
stop before the band heads into Canada for a few festival shows,
followed by a short trip to Brazil, scheduled for the rest of 2015.

SOAD blew off some of its dust and flexed its performance muscle as
the capping act to night one of KROQ 106.7 FM’s annual Almost Acoustic
Christmas at the Forum in December, a gig Dolmayan said he felt was
a bit “lethargic” for the normally high-energy group.

“We were out of shape that night and had only done like three
rehearsals,” he said honestly. “It just wasn’t System at its full
power, though the audience seemed more enthusiastic and energetic
than we were so that was kinda cool.”

He promises the band will be in top condition – or “at least 75
percent,” he joked – by the start of this tour.

“We’re all rehearsing privately now, or at least that’s what we’re
telling each other. I know for Serj it takes him about two weeks to
get his voice ready so he’s already irritating his wife and phlegming
up all kinds of nastiness around the house. I’m rehearing at home with
CDs or the stuff on my phone, but I play everything faster live. When
we get to L.A. we’ll be ready to go, I promise, but you may have to
come to Armenia to get us at our full power.”

CLARK TO HOST THIRD INTERNATIONAL GENOCIDE CONFERENCE NEXT WEEKEND

The Scarlet: Clark University
April 2, 2015 Thursday

by Jenna Lewis

Next week, Clark will host the Third International Graduate Student
Conference on Genocide Studies: Emerging Scholarship in Holocaust
and Genocide Studies 100 Years After the Armenian Genocide. The event
is hosted in conjunction with the Danish Institute for International
Studies, Department of Holocaust and Genocide Studies in Copenhagen.

The conference will take place from April 9 to 11.

The keynote address, which is free and open to the public, will be
delivered by Professor Eric Weitz, Dean of Humanities and Distinguished
Professor of History at the City College of New York on Thursday night
in Tilton Hall. Over 80 proposals to participate in the conference
came from around the world, with 36 applicants from 13 different
countries ultimately accepted to the conference.

The conference, organized triennially, provides an international forum
for doctoral students and recent Ph.D.s to present their research. In
addition to Thursday’s keynote address, it will include nine panels
over three days pertaining to genocide studies. Professor Taner Akcam,
an internationally recognized human rights activist instrumental
in raising awareness of the Armenian Genocide, will serve as the
conference advisor. The conference will conclude with a panel
discussion where scholars will present about the future of the field.

For a more information, please visit clarku.edu/holocaust or call
508-793-8897.

ARMENIANS CALL FOR GERMAN APOLOGY ON GENOCIDE ISSUE

Deutsche Welle, Germany
April 3 2015

For years, Germany’s politicians have debated the question of whether
the Armenian Genocide should be referred to as such. Shortly before
the 100th anniversary of the massacre, the discussion has entered a
new round.

On April 24, the world will mark the 100th anniversary of the start
of the Armenian Genocide. But instead of a proper commemoration in
the Bundestag, there is controversy.

On the day of the anniversary later this month, the German parliament
will devote an hour to the debate over the crimes committed against
Armenian Christians in the former Ottoman Empire. In the place of
cross-party unity, dissent is expected to prevail.

The Greens and the Left Party are in favor of recognizing the massacre,
which took place from 1915 to 1916, as a genocide. But that’s just
what the governing coalition of Christian Democrats (CDU) and Social
Democrats (SPD) want to prevent – likely over the fear that such a
decision would lead to a deep freeze in diplomatic relations with
Turkey. Ankara has steadfastly rejected any acknowledgment of the
past events as genocide.

Descendants of the victims live near the Surp Giragos Church in
Diyarbakir

“I, personally, am disappointed that there seems to be a critical
lack of courage when it comes to saying what really happened,”
said SPD politician Dietmar Nietan, in a recent interview with the
Berlin-based Tagesspiegel newspaper.

‘An apology would be enough’

Descendants of massacre survivors have now called on the government
to do just that. “An apology would be enough,” said Ergun Ayik,
head of the Surp Giragos Church Foundation in southern Turkish city
of Diyarbakir, told the news agency dpa. The Surp Giragos Church is
the largest Armenian church in the Middle East.

Armenian historian Ashot Hayruni, a professor at the Yerevan State
University, also thinks Germany has a duty. “It’s important for the
German parliament to recognize the genocide as such, and condemn it,”
he said, adding that the government should also actively influence
Turkey to relent and make the same decision.

Many representatives of German civil society have condemned the
government’s continued reluctance to recognize the genocide by name.

“Even ignorance can be meaningful,” said Shermin Langhoff,
the director of the Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin, speaking to
the Tagesspiegel. Langhoff, who has dedicated a special series of
programs at the theater in memory of the genocide, believes the
Bundestag’s behavior is fatal and will leave open “a major gap in
Europe’s cultural memory.”

Markus Meckel has called for clarity from the German government

Markus Meckel, a civil rights activist from the former East Germany and
a former SPD member of parliament, feels as if the current debate has
been pushed back a decade. The Bundestag first dealt with the genocide
question in 2005, and even back then the Turkey factor prevented the
government from adopting a resolution.

After much back and forth, it was decided that Germans should apologize
for the “inglorious actions of the German Empire” – more was not
possible at that time. Even today, according to Meckel, the Bundestag
is threatening to stop short. “Anyone who denies the term [genocide]
essentially minimizes the disaster and the suffering,” he said.

The Germans knew everything

The involvement of the German Empire in the deportation of Armenians
has long been considered as fact by historians. What has remained
controversial, however, was the extent to which Germans were involved.

Were they witnesses – or complicit?

According to estimates, anywhere from 300,000 to 1.5 million Armenians
died in the genocide. In Armenia, the catastrophe is known as “aghet”
– and is definitively categorized as genocide. In Turkey, however,
the successor state of the Ottoman Empire, the suffering of those
days is still officially considered a “war-induced displacement
and safety measures.” Casualty figures are also disputed by Turkey,
which has prevented reconciliation between the two countries.

As Armenians faced mass expulsions and killings, German officers and
diplomats looked away

But Christin Pschichholz, a historian at the University of Potsdam,
doesn’t mince words. “The German government was fully aware of the
policy of extermination of the Armenian population in the Ottoman
Empire,” she said, after reviewing documents from Germany’s Foreign
Office. Death marches, executions and forced labor – German diplomats
meticulously recorded everything that was going on around them at
the time.

“The conclusion, that between the years 1915 and 1918 a genocide
took place on the territory of the Ottoman Empire, has been known
by the German government for the last 100 years,” said Rolf Hosfeld,
of the House of Lepsius Organization, which runs a genocide studies
program together with the university.

Germany doesn’t want to jeopardize reconciliation

Bu that knowledge is not reflected in action. Government
representatives have always avoided the use of the word genocide
in connection with Armenia, instead using the terms “massacre” and
“expulsion.”

During an inquiry by the Left Party in the Bundestag in February, the
government once again fell back on this language. The stated reason:
Germany does not want to jeopardize reconciliation between Armenia
and Turkey. The conceptual framing of the massacre, according to the
official line, should be left to the academics.

Armenia, along with more than 20 other countries, has recognized
the events as genocide under the United Nations Convention on the
Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948. About
a year ago, then prime minister and current Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan broke his country’s decades-long silence and
apologized to the victims and their descendants, speaking of “inhuman
consequences” that led to the expulsion of the Armenians. He did not,
however, speak of genocide.

One hundred years ago, Armenians fled the genocide with some ending
up in Aleppo, Syria

In deference to Turkey

Meanwhile, all eyes will be on the official commemoration on April 24
in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. And also on the German delegation
that will travel to Armenia to mark the anniversary.

Here, too, it seems Germany has deferred to Turkish sensibilities
and will send only a small delegation. DW has found out that the
government’s human rights commissioner, Christoph Strasser, and Deputy
Foreign Minister Michael Roth will travel to Yerevan.

Neither Chancellor Angela Merkel, nor Foreign Minister Frank-Walter
Steinmeier are planning to take part in an event which will see many
other prominent world leaders – including French President Francois
Hollande.

Cem Ozdemir, co-chairman of Germany’s Green party, who traveled
through Armenia last month, sharply criticized Germany’s behavior in
the Tagesspiegel. “With false regard to Mr. Erdogan, the government
is downplaying the Armenian Genocide,” he said. “Hardly a dignified
response toward the victims and their descendants.”

Armenia may become a transit country for Iran’s energetic resources

14:24, 4 April, 2015

YEREVAN, 4 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The final agreement over Iran’s nuclear
program will provide Armenia with a good opportunity to expand
cooperation with Iran in different spheres. This is what Iranologist
Rubik Danielian said during an April 4 press conference. “I can
particularly mention the energy sector. The lifting of sanctions on
Iran implies the reestablishment of cooperation between Iran and the
West, and that, in its turn, implies the construction of gas and oil
pipelines and the drawing of a roadmap for the construction of those
pipelines,” the Iranologist mentioned, as “Armenpress” reports.

Danielian emphasized that taking into account the tense situation in
the region and the problems that Iran has with its neighboring
countries, particularly Turkey, Armenia may have an unprecedented
opportunity to become a transit country for Iran’s energy resources.
“Time will show what will happen in the future, but the fact remains
that Armenia will have that opportunity,” the Iranologist emphasized.

Arabologist Armen Petrosyan believes that if a final agreement over
Iran’s nuclear program is reached in June or July, there will be a
certain rise in oil prices by fall.

MONNAIES ARMENIENNES
La Banque Centrale d’Arménie émet une monnaie commémorative sur le
Saint-Chrême d’Etchmiadzine

La Banque Centrale d’Arménie vient d’émettre une pièce de monnaie
commémorative dédiée au récipient contenant le Saint-Chrême (Õ?ÖÕ¢Õ¡Õ¬Õ¸Ö?ÕµÕ½
Õ?ÕµÕ¸Ö?Õ¼Õ¸Õ¶) d’Etchmiadzine. La bénédiction du Saint-Chrême, la précieuse
huile sainte à la composition savante, utilisée lors des baptêmes
arméniens a lieu tous les 7 ans. Bénédiction réalisée par le
Catholicos, assisté de ses prélats face à une foule impressionnante.
La monnaie émise par la Banque Centrale d’Arménie, d’une valeur
faciale de 1 000 drams émise en 2 500 exemplaires est en argent. Elle
fut frappée l’usine des monnaies Mayer en Allemagne.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 4 avril 2015,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Museum of America, Inc.
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Tel: 617-926-2562

Email: [email protected]

Cordially Invites You to the

Opening Reception of Two New Exhibitions

Saturday April 18, 2015

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Adele & Haig Der Manuelian Galleries, 3rd floor

Detail of “Lest We Perish” by Hope Ricciardi

The Armenian Genocide: A Silent Testimony

is a complex interplay of the extremely horrific events of Genocide
and the artistic expression of the trauma of those events. The various
abstract portrayals in the exhibition explore the memories and legacy
through the personal experiences and emotional responses of the
participating artists, and explore the emotional impact of Genocide
beyond statistics. It will feature contemporary artworks by 32
different artists. On view through May 17, 2015, in the Adele & Haig
Der Manuelian Galleries, 3rd floor.

Location unknown, probably Kazachi Post Orphanage Alexandropol (now
Gyumri), Armenia, c. 1920

Along the Trails of the Armenian Orphans tells the story of the
humanitarian mission of Near East Relief using images from the Near
East Foundation collection at the Rockefeller Archive Center, restored
by the Naregatsi Art Institute (NAI). This rare collection of
photographs illustrates the story of Near East Relief: an American-led
humanitarian mission that saved thousands of Armenian orphans
following the 1915 atrocities in the Ottoman Empire.On view through
May 17, 2015, in the Terjenian – Thomas Gallery, 3rd floor.

These exhibitions are made possible by a generous donation from

the Dadourian Foundation

Light refreshments will be served

Free Admission

After joining the EEU exportation of Armenian-Iranian production will
become easier (video)

10:59 | April 4,2015 | Interview

“A1+” interviewed the President of the Union of Manufacturers and
Businessmen Arsen Ghazaryan.

Which branches of economy will benefit in case of lifting the
sanctions against Iran? Can our industrial products interest Iran and
may the membership in the EEU hinder that process?

Watch the video!