Author: Tadevosian Garnik

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian

August 31, 2006

ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN WILL ATTEND AYF OLYMPICS
THIS WEEKEND IN MILWAUKEE
Continuing a long tradition, Archbishop Oshagan will travel to
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this weekend, where the Armenian Youth Federation is
hosting its 73rd annual Olympic Games.
His Eminence will greet the thousands expected to attend and will open
the competitive games on Sunday, September 3, with his message and prayers.

ELEVATION OF BISHOP ANOUSHAVAN TANIELIAN
WILL BE CELEBRATED ON OCTOBER 1
The recent elevation of Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian will be celebrated
on Sunday, October 1, at the Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadows, New
York. For details about the event click

CATHO LICOS ARAM I QUESTIONS PARTICIPATION
OF TURKEY IN LEBANON’S PEACEKEEPING FORCE
In a letter to Emil Lahoud, the President of the Republic of Lebanon,
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I questions the potential participation of
Turkey in the peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon. Based on Turkey’s
past and more recent history, His Holiness said "the presence of Turkey in
the United Nations peacekeeping forces will never be beneficial to Lebanon."

AMBASSADOR EVANS TO LEAVE POST IN MID-SEPTEMBER;
VOTE FOR NEW AMBASSADOR SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 7
Ambassador John Evans, who was relieved from his post as Ambassador of
Armenia after putting the words Armenian and Genocide together, will be
leaving his post by mid-September. Confirmation of the new
Ambassador-designee, Richard Hoagland, is scheduled to be discussed on
September 7 (postponed from an earlier date).

ST. JOHN THE FORERUNNER AND JOB THE RIGHTEOUS
Today, August 31, the church remembers St. John the Forerunner and Job
the Righteous.
St. John the Forerunner, also known as John the Baptist, is an important
figure in the four New Testament Gospels. He is understood to be the
"forerunner" to the Messiah. He lived as a hermit in the desert of Judea. At
the age of 30 he began to preach against the evils of the times and called
men to penance and baptism "for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand."
The Book of Job is one of five books (along with Psalms, Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon) classified as the "poetical" books of the
Bible. Many theologians and writers consider it to be the most remarkable
book in the Bible. The principle message of the Book is the mystery of
suffering. Job is a good and righteous person who experiences catastrophe
after catastrophe.

PLAYWRITING AND SCREENWRITING AWARD
Today, August 31, which would have been William Saroyan’s 98th birthday,
is an appropriate time to speak about a playwriting and screenwriting
competition being offered by the Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance-a $10,000
prize to be awarded for the first time next year for a new, previously
unpublished, play or screenplay, written in English, based on Armenian
themes. For further details click

MONDAY IS LABOR DAY
Monday, September 4, is Labor Day, celebrated in the United States and
Canada. Always the first Monday in September, Labor Day was created by the
labor movement more than a century ago. It is dedicated to the social and
economic achievements of workers. Through the years it has become to be
known as the unofficial end of summer, much the same way that Memorial Day
has become the unofficial start of summer.

SCHOOLS REOPEN
Of course, Labor Day also represents the beginning of a new school term.
Many of our Sunday and Saturday schools will be opening next weekend. Check
with your local parish to find the exact dates in your area.

A POETIC ENDING
We end this week with a poem by noted poet Sylva Gaboudikian who died
last week in Yerevan at age 87.

THE WALNUT TREE

There is a walnut tree
growing in the vineyard
at the very edge of the world.

My people, you are like
that huge ancient tree-
with branches blessed by the graces

but sprawling
over the small corner of land;
roots and arms spread out
and spilling your fruit
to nourish foreign soils.

>From Anthology of Armenian Poetry
By Diana Der Hovanessian and Marzbed Margossian
Columbia University Press, 1978

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

September 10-Sts. Vartanantz Sunday School, Ridgefield, New Jersey, luncheon
and registration for the 2006-2007 school year.

September 10-Annual picnic of St. Stephen Church, New Britain, Connecticut.

September 10-Annual picnic of St. Gregory Armenian Church of Merrimack
Valley, at the American Legion grounds in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

September 10-St. Gregory the Illuminator Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
Sunday School classes resume.

September 15-2nd Annual Golf Outing of All Saints Church, at Hilldale Golf
Club, Hoffman Estates, Illinois. For reservations and/or information,
847-858-7685.

September 17-First Annual Lobster Fest, St. Gregory the Illuminator Church,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 215-482-9200.

September 17-Annual Picnic, St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, on the
church grounds, following church services and the blessing of Basil. For
information: 718-224-2275.

September 18-11th Annual ACEC/School golf outing at Stow Acres Country Club,
Stow, Massachusetts. For information, 781-326-5764.

September 22-Family Night at St. Gregory Armenian Church of Merrimack
Valley, North Andover, Massachusetts, 6 pm at Jaffarian Hall.

September 25-Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, Worcester,
Massachusetts, 3rd Annual Golf Outing and Award Dinner at Raceway Golf
Course, Thompson, Connecticut. Registration 7:30 a.m. For information
508-872-9629 or church office 508-852-2414.

September 25-St. Gregory the Illuminator Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
Third Annual Golf Outing. For information, 215-482-9200.

September 28-4th Annual Golf Outing hosted by Sts. Vartanantz Church,
Ridgefield, New Jersey. Bergen Hills Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey.
For reservations and/or information: 201-943-2950.

October 1-Banquet honoring Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian on the occasion of
his recent elevation, at Terrace on the Park, Flushing Meadows, New York, 3
pm. Details will follow.

October 8-81st anniversary celebration of St. Stephen Church, New Britain,
Connecticut.

October 19-22-Annual bazaar, Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland.

October 22-Holy Cross Church, Troy, NY, anniversary celebration.

November 3-4- Ladies Guild Food Festival, St. Gregory the Illuminator
Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

November 3, 4, 5-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, Annual
Bazaar and Food Festival. For information 201-943-2950.

November 5-Annual bazaar, St. Stephen Church, New Britain, Connecticut.

November 5-36th Anniversary Luncheon and program, St. Gregory Armenian
Church of Merrimack Valley, North Andover, Massachusetts.

November 11-42nd Anniversary of Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, in
the church hall.

November 11-12-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, annual "Armenian Fest" at
Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet, Cranston, Rhode Island.

November 18-Children’s Concert, GIVING THANKS, sponsored by the Eastern
Prelacy at Florence Gould Hall, Alliance Francaise, New York City, featuring
TALINE AND FRIENDS. Details will follow.

November 26-St. Gregory the Illuminator Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
First Episcopal Badarak in Philadelphia by Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian.

December 9-Men’s Club Steak Dinner, St. Gregory the Illuminator Church,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

December 24-Sunday School Christmas Pageant, St. Gregory the Illuminator
Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Visit our website at

ART LOVER PUBLIC BID LAST FAREWELL TO POETESS OF ALL ARMENIANS SILVA KAPUTIKIAN

Noyan Tapan
Aug 29 2006

YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The art lover public bade the last
farewell on August 29 to Armenian eminent poetess, RA NAS academician,
laureate of state awards Silva Kaputikian. S.Kaputikian was born
on January 20, 1919, in Yerevan. Her works were translated into
many languages. Besides the USSR and RA state awards, she was also
awarded the Nosside International Prize in Rome in 1989. She was a
deputy of the Supreme Council of the Armenian SSR in 1975-1980. In
the words of the poetess’ friends writers, S.Kaputikian’s works have
instilled and will continue to instil the spirit of true patriotism
to generations. In RA Prime Minister Andranik Margarian’s words,
an intellectual passed away whose precepts about the Fatherland,
language, faultlessness of the native language are modern and lasting
today as well. "The poetess left an indelible trace in our literature
and in the affair of generation’s education.

Both today’s and future generations are obliged not only to respect but
also to be led by those precepts which the eminent poetess left," the
Prime Minister mentioned. "Silva Kaputikian is one of those exclusive
poets whose works are written not only for Armenian but also for
foreign readers. By the poetess’ efforts the Armenian literature,
science was presented to the world community.

And if they know in Russia few Armenian writers, one of them is Silva
Kaputikian. Its evidence is her about 20 collections published in the
Russian language," RA People’s Artist Vladimir Abajian mentioned. In
words of RA Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs Hasmik Poghosian,
death of an intellectual like Silva Kaputikian is a loss for all the
Armenians. "It’s a pity, too pity, that Silva Kaputikian is not with
us any longer. The fact of age, of course, existed, but her mind,
thought was very bright, and she still has much to say and to do,"
Hranush Hakobian, the Chairwoman of the National Assembly Standing
Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth Issues mentioned. In
her words, S.Kaputikian’s heritage is so deep, powerful, patriotic
that generations must be brought up by it for centuries. "She lived
magnificently. It was not in vain, that the Armenian people called the
poetess of all Armenians as it is given only to singles," H.Hakobian
mentioned. S.Kaputikian’s burial was in the pantheon of the Komitas
park of Yerevan.

SCHOOLS TO DEVELOP THEIR THREE-MONTH PROGRAM

Panorama.am
15:15 28/08/06

Some 9081 schoolchildren were registered to go the first class at the
secondary schools of Yerevan against 10873 of the last year. The first
class schoolchildren will be divided into junior and senior groups
according to their date of birth. Textbooks will be distributed among
them free of charge. They will go to school 6 days a week since "it is
not possible to cover the curriculum in 5 days," Kamo Areyan, deputy
mayor, told reporters. The municipality decided to allow schools to
develop their "three month programs" which will be submitted to the
municipality for funding.

AMBASSADOR: COMMODITY TURNOVER BETWEEN ARMENIA, UKRAINE ROSE BY ONE-THIRD IN 2006

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Aug. 25, 2006

YEREVAN, August 25. /ARKA/. Commodity turnover between Armenia
and Ukraine rose by one-third in 2006, Ukrainian Ambassador to
Armenia Alexander Bozhko told ARKA News Agency on Friday at Ukraine
Independence Day celebration party in the embassy.

In his words, commodity turnover between the countries made $110
million last year" and now it grew.

"It means our economic relations are developing", Bozhko said.

"Ukraine buys more Armenian cognac than Armenians themselves in
Armenia. I think this is an important fact for Armenian partners",
he added.

The ambassador said Ukrainian metals are in demand in Armenian market.

He stressed that the economic relations were spurred by recent reforms
in Ukraine.

Besides, Poti-Ilichevsk ferry launch has contributed a great deal to
the economic relationship development.

Bozhko said it is very pleasant to him that Vanadzor chemical plant
buy Ukrainian coal.

According to National Statistical Service of Armenia, trade turnover
between Armenia and Ukraine made $88.5mln at the first half of 2006
(export $8.011mln and import $80.549mln) after growing 14.1%, compared
with the same period a year earlier. ($1=AMD 397.76). M.V.

-0—

FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE

Fund for Armenian Relief
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Edina N. Bobelian
Tel: (212) 889-5150; Fax: (212) 889-4849
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

August 25, 2006
_______________________

Armenia, Alive

By Lori Yeghiayan

Before I visited this past June, Armenia seemed almost like a mythological
place to me: A place of the past with a glorious and tragic history, but one
that was now sadly, turned to dust. What an incredible experience it was to
visit there myself with the 10th annual Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) Young
Professionals Trip to Armenia and Karabagh to discover that it is real, not
just a memory, a lost land to mourn, but a living, breathing thing – a
beautiful land with, not only a rich history, but also a vibrant present and
a hopeful future. Visiting Armenia, I got the chance to feel the pulse of
the country that my grandparents and my ancestors called home, and it is a
pulse, I realized, that beats in all of us – Armenians and diasporan
Armenians alike.

Seventeen of us embarked on the journey that was, for most of us, our first
to trip to the homeland. The past and future collided early on during our
visit to Dzedzernagabert, the Armenian Genocide Memorial. The moment we
arrived on the grounds, the bus-ride merriment ended. We each took time to
take it in: the stark beauty of the two structures, the eternal flame at the
center of one. We laid down white carnations in memory of those that were
slaughtered – some of whom were our relatives. Standing in solemn
contemplation we fell silent, feeling it was the only way to honor the souls
of the dead that seemed to still be with us, perhaps even in the black birds
that circled overhead. The mournful Armenia, after all, is the Armenia we
have all grown up knowing.

But just at the right moment, our tour guide, Arto Vorperian, FAR Project
Director and sage, reminded us that while the Memorial was built to honor
the dead, it was also built in the spirit of hope. Two triangular peaks
reach high up into the sky – a symbol of Mt. Ararat and a tribute to what
was lost – but, also a hopeful, aspirational look toward Armenia’s future.

The FAR YP itinerary included many of the most significant historical and
cultural sites in the country: the pagan temple of Garni, the 13th century
monastery of Geghard, Matenadaran, the Holy City of Etchmiadizin, Khor Virap
and many others. But, what made the trip so unique and rewarding was the
opportunity to visit some of the humanitarian relief projects that FAR
operates. While the group greatly enjoyed the Yerevan nightlife, relished
the chance to swim in Lake Sevan and eagerly soaked up the beauty of the
countryside, it was the glimpses of the challenges the country faces that
moved us most.

We visited the FAR Children’s Center in Yerevan, which provides a temporary
home for children and teenagers who, for one reason or another, have ended
up living on the streets. I was particularly impressed with the facility’s
staff and the compassionate philosophy that motivates them to provide a
nurturing environment for young people whose parents are no longer around or
are unable to care for them. It was just one of the ways we got to see, up
close, the real consequences of a new nation struggling to transition from
the Soviet system to a market economy, without losing its humanity.

The group was humbled during our trip to Gyumri, Armenia’s 2nd largest city
and one that in many ways is still reeling from the 1988 earthquake that
killed 25,000 of its citizens and damaged so much of the city’s
infrastructure. With a high unemployment rate and a struggling economy, it
felt truly like a city where, to quote FAR Press Secretary Levon Lachikyan
who grew up there and served as our Gyumri tour guide, "the people are not
living, just existing." We visited a soup kitchen for the elderly operated
by FAR just as lunch was beginning. It was difficult meeting the men and
women who had gathered there for a meal – most likely their only one of the
day. It was heart-breaking for me to meet a woman who was the same age as
my grandmother, eighty-six, but living in the harsh circumstances of Gyumri.

Yet, the spirit of the people remains intact. The FAR YP group toured the
new FAR IT Center in Gyumri. The IT Center is a place where promising
students from Gyumri can receive specialized training in all aspects of
Information Technology. The school is an innovative project, designed to
help create a skilled workforce with the hopes of attracting the high-tech
industry to the region. It was particularly inspiring to meet the students
at the Center, who seemed to appreciate the opportunity to study a subject
for which they are passionate, while creating a better life for themselves
and there families. It was also clear that the students were grateful to be
a part of efforts to improve life in Gyumri, especially since it may mean
not having to leave their beloved hometown to find employment.

One of the most meaningful parts of the trip for me was our two-day stay in
Karabagh. It was eye-opening to not only see the toll that the war with the
Azeris has taken on the region, but also the resilience and pride of the
people who have lived through a war for their independence. There is a
palpable feeling in Karabagh that every man, woman and child is a soldier,
ready to defend their land and their hard-won freedom.

The visit to Karabagh hit me on a gut-level and I understood something, not
just about being Armenian, but about being human. I discovered the deep
human desire to feel connected to place, to land and I learned that land is
almost like an extension of one’s own flesh. It is that personal. I also
understood that having our own land, as Armenians, our own country, is about
more than power and ownership. It is about the longing for home, for
freedom and the chance to choose our own destiny. And I can hardly think of
a more basic human desire than that. That is what it felt like to be in
Karabagh at this moment in history, in a place still defending its right to
exist-an independent republic, still fighting to remain free. How human.
How Armenian.

This one story brought it home for me: On our final day in Karabagh we
visited the historical city of Shushi, a key territory in the war with the
Azeris because of its strategic hill-top location. In fact, the capture of
Shushi by the Armenians was a turning point in the war. We visited a church
there where we met a young man preparing to be deaconized the following day.
The young man told the group the story of how, when he was a little boy, he
and his family hid in a closet to escape discovery and sure-death at the
hands of Azeri soldiers. They waited, trembling, knives in hand, ready to
kill or be killed until the soldiers left and the threat of slaughter left
with them. The family survived the ordeal and eventually left Shushi, but
remained in Karabagh. And, though there were many opportunities for the
family to re-locate to Europe or America, his grandfather was never swayed,
insisting that he was born in Karabagh and planned to be buried there. And
then one day his grandfather did pass away. He was out, tending the yard,
and they found him, still clutching fistfuls of soil in his hands.

Finally, I must tell you about one of the greatest unexpected joys of the
trip: What a feeling it was to dance Armenian dances in Armenia! The group
of us – all Armenian-Americans – had grown up dancing the shoorch bar at
camp, at weddings, at every Armenian banquet we’d ever been to since
childhood, but what a new meaning it took on to dance those dances in
Armenia. In fact, the live music we were treated to throughout the trip
reminded me how much music is a part of the culture’s landscape, an
inextricable part of the Armenian soul.

The trip left me feeling utterly full – full of admiration for Armenia’s
natural beauty and rich history, full of wonder at how the Armenians have
endured and persevered against the worst of odds and full of an appreciation
for the amazing moment in which we find ourselves: with a young, independent
country of our own. It is a country not only worth fighting for and
defending, but worth investing in to ensure it continues to live and thrive.
The FAR YP trip gave me more than a tour of Armenia. It brought the country
to life for me. I no longer view the land of my ancestors as a myth or a
memory. Instead, I feel that I have discovered my own Armenian heartbeat
and the handfuls of Armenian soil that I keep within me – that all Armenians
do, no matter what nation we call home.

ABOUT FAR

Since its founding in response to the 1988 earthquake, FAR has served
millions of people through more than 220 relief and development programs in
Armenia and Karabagh. It has channeled more than $265 million in
humanitarian assistance by implementing a wide range of projects including
emergency relief, construction, education, medical aid, and economic
development.

FAR, one of the preeminent relief and development organization operating
there, is dedicated to realizing the dream of a free, democratic,
prosperous, and culturally rich Armenia. It works towards a brighter future
by partnering with donors to make life a little better for our people. By
offering hope and more promising prospects in Armenia, Karabagh, and
Javakhk, FAR binds the Diaspora and the Armenian family together around the
globe.

For more information about FAR, its next Young Professionals Trip in June
2007, or to send donations, contact the Fund for Armenian Relief at 630
Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016; telephone (212) 889-5150; fax (212)
889-4849; web ; e-mail [email protected].

— 8/25/06

E-mail photos available upon request.

PHOTO CAPTION1: Lori Yeghiayan, who traveled to Armenia for the first time
on FAR’s Young Professionals Trip in June 2006, stopped to mark the occasion
when she entered the Lori Province.

PHOTO CAPTION2: The 2006 FAR Young Professionals Trip participants posed in
front of Mt. Ararat during their visit to Khor Virap.

PHOTO CAPTION3: Some of the 2006 FAR Young Professionals exchanged their
impressions of the Garni Temple as they admired the beautiful Armenian
landscape.

# # #

MILLION IN LOBBYIST BASKET
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
23 Aug 06

It was hard to imagine that appointing ambassador to Armenia would
become such a complicated issue for the U.S. government. The impression
is that the United States has two underlying and seemingly unsolvable
issues: stability in Iraq and appointment of a new ambassador to
Armenia. The Armenian lobby in the United States will certainly correct
us that these problems are not interrelated. In other words, the
Armenian lobby is not related to the problem of Iraq and the Armenian
lobby is related to the appointment of the new ambassador. In other
words, the Armenian lobby is to blame for the trouble of Hoagland. The
cause of the trouble is known to everyone.

Hoagland is asked to make a clear statement on the genocide, whereas
he resists bravely, we could even say in a manly manner, if there were
not for the well-known circumstance. However, the private life of the
new ambassador or the candidate is not our problem, our problem is the
situation that occurred in Armenia with regard to the appointment of
the new ambassador of the United States. It would not be a problem
for us but the United States is a too important country, therefore
the question of the ambassador of this country to our country is
highly important. And in this connection, it is amazing that so
far the Armenian lobby in America did not demand that the previous
ambassadors utter the word Genocide, or did not demand with as much
ardor as from Hoagland. Meanwhile, none of the former ambassadors has
used this word. The determination of the Armenian organizations in
connection with the new U.S. ambassador is at least strange. It is
possible that formerly the Armenian lobby was not strong enough to
suspend the naming of the new ambassador. However, another question
occurs how the Armenian lobby became stronger.

It is perhaps worthwhile to mention a relevant nuance, which is rather,
even extremely important. Do the Armenian lobbyist organizations work
in accord with the Armenian government? Logically, it should be so,
since the Armenia – U.S. relations are concerned, because ambassadors
have a rather big role in interstate relations. If the Armenian lobby
did not act in accord with the Armenian government, this is already
a problem of national security.

Even if the Armenian organizations are concerned, it is
nevertheless unusual that some organizations may interfere with the
Armenian-American relations and suspend the appointment of ambassadors
mediating these relations. In other words, an underlying question
occurs if the suspension of appointment of Hoagland is favorable for
official Yerevan.

On the other hand, it is highly probable that the problem is not
Hoagland but Evans, the present U.S. ambassador to Armenia. Most
probably, official Yerevan is interested in prolonging the office of
the old ambassador rather than appointment of a new ambassador. And
it becomes clear on following the activities of John Evans. He,
the ambassador of the United States, the flagman of democracy has
never made a clear statement on violence, corruption, the criminal
government, restriction of freedom of speech, etc. in Armenia.

Instead, the ambassador is known for his close relations with the
Armenian high-ranking officials, who are thought by the majority of
the Armenian society to be the parent or offspring of this criminal
system. In this case, it is clear that his recall is not favorable
for official Yerevan. But since they understand here that nothing is
eternal in the world, they simply prefer delaying his recall as long
as possible.

It is a subconscious, an instinctive compulsion rather than a conscious
step. After all, what is the difference, a month earlier or a month
later? It is also notable that the efforts of the Armenian lobby and
official Yerevan are effective especially in instinctive matters or
only in instinctive matters. Meanwhile, conscious compulsions are
usually preferable for the state. If these were dominant, the elite
in Armenia and the Armenian organizations in America would realize
that the appointment of an ambassador to Armenia would not change
the U.S. policy on the issue of the genocide. And generally, it is
high time to understand that it is impossible to measure everyone by
one’s own bushel. The United States is not the kind of country which
sacrifices the national interest for several million dollars. And if
the Armenians realized this, they might have saved the millions they
spend for the needs of some senators and used them for the needs of
the Homeland, because sooner or later the United States will appoint
an ambassador, and the word Genocide will not sound at all.

It is also possible, however, that the Armenian lobby in America
prefers spending millions on Senators. At any rate, they will lose
them if they send them to the Homeland. They will be lost if they are
spent on Senators, but at least they will know where the money is lost.

BORDER VILLAGE OF VOSKEPAR HAS NO TELEPHONE CONNECTION FOR TWO WEEKS

IJEVAN, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The border village of Voskepar of the
marz of Tavush has had no telephone connection for two weeks. According
to the Noyan Tapan correspondent’s information, builders constructing
the Voskepar-Baghanis roundabout road carelessly damaged the telephone
cable entering Voskepar.

AZIMOV: WE OFFERED INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARMENIA DRAW BACK MILITARY POSTS AND WE SOLVE ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS CAUSED BY FIRES

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug. 15, 2006

Personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzey Kasprzyk
can officially notify his remarks on Azerbaijan’s activity to the
Foreign Ministry. His showing double standards regarding the fires
committed by Armenians are not right," Azerbaijani deputy foreign
minister Araz Azimov told journalists, APA reports.

The deputy foreign minister recommended Andrzey Kasprzyk to more
closely read the reports on fires.

"I can make my remarks to him directly not just through the media.

Andrzey Kasprzyk must not forget that Azerbaijan is concerned about
the damages of the fires. He should deal with this issue instead of
calumniating. The problem of fires should be solved. We are ready to
help Kasprzyk if he wants to deal with this," Mr.Azimov underlined.

He regarded the continuous arsons in the areas near the border and
in the occupied Azerbaijani territories as a factor proving Armenia’s
aggressive policy.

"As a state, Armenia does not make efforts to put out the fires.

Though Kasprzyk says he is not ecologist, in his report he said that
the fires were caused by climate. If he is not an ecologist, how can
he say that?" he said.

The deputy minister also said the Azerbaijani side raised the fire
problem at international organizations, including the UN, Council of
Europe and OSCE. We stated if Armenia does not want to put out the
fires in the areas near the border and in the occupied territories,
it should draw back its military posts 20 km. We are ready to solve
ecological problems in the occupied territories, where the Armenians
have drawn back from. If the fire does not stop, people will face
problems in living there, because, they cannot engage in agriculture
at least 5-10 years."

Polish foreign ministry says Berlin exhibition bad for trust

PAP news agency
11 Aug 06

Warsaw, 11 August: German expellee activist Erika Steinbach’s
Thursday-opened Berlin exhibition on European displaced persons "did
not serve the building of mutual trust and understanding between Poles
and Germans", Poland’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday [11 August].

Poland protested against the display claiming it showed a one-sided
view of post-war deportations of Germans from east Europe and
whitewashed Germany of its responsibility for World War II.

Steinbach’s display shows examples of 20th-century deportations in
Europe, including Turkey’s repressions against Armenians during World
War I, 1945 expulsions of Germans from east Europe and Balkan ethnic
purges in the 1990s.

"This exhibition is no positive contribution to the Polish-German
historical dialogue. Showing (…) post-war resettlements of Germans
outside their historical context is dangerous and suggests
relativization of war responsibilities", the ministry wrote in a
statement sent to PAP.

In its statement, the ministry also wrote that war remembrance "could
not take effect without respect for the truth and understanding for
the feelings of nations who suffered enormous losses in the war, and
could not ignore issues like genocide, the Holocaust and concentration
camps".

Science & Theology News, MA
Aug. 11, 2006

The study of genocide gets religion

Religion scholars greatly improve the new field of genocide studies

By Steven Leonard Jacobs
(August 11, 2006)

APPROACHING GENOCIDE: Scholars of religion have a place in
understanding the horror.
(Photo: EuroIL/Flickr)
In the aftermath of the Holocaust – the most heavily documented of
all genocides thus far – scholars, journalists, legalists and others
have uncovered and carefully examined mountains of data. They have
extrapolated and posited conclusions at times mundane and
at other times highly controversial.

Yet aside from parochial conclusions for their own communities,
scholars of religious studies have been largely absent from these
conversations. At the same time, increasing and overwhelming evidence
suggests that religion, both in its intellectual and institutional
contexts, has played a part in almost all historic and contemporary
genocides.

Fostering the field of genocide studies

Historically, there have been two reasons for the absence of
religious scholars from the field of genocide studies. First, those
who might otherwise look closely at these aspects of genocides are
themselves too heavily invested in their own communities of faith to
distance themselves sufficiently from what could potentially become
both community-destroying and faith-destroying conclusions. Second,
persons trained in other disciplines are usually not trained in the
field of religious studies, and thus those studying genocide seldom
include religious issues in their work.

Thankfully, this has now begun to change.

The historic and contemporary genocides being examined by those
working in the newly emerging field of genocide studies – an
outgrowth of the older field of Holocaust studies – are now being
analyzed by a small but growing number of religious-studies scholars
who will bring new perspectives. For example, the genocide of the
Armenians by the supposedly secular Turks early in the 20th century
cannot be divorced from the knowledge that the perpetrators were
inheritors of an influential Muslim/Islamic tradition and the victims
constituted the descendants of an older, comparable Christian
tradition.

All scholars, including those in religious studies, acknowledge the
historic role of Western Christianity, both Roman Catholic and
Protestant, in providing a foundational, intellectual underpinning of
two millennia of anti-Semitism from which Nazism could draw to
accomplish its own genocidal agenda – this despite the Nazis’ own war
on Christianity. The recent genocide in the former Yugoslavia saw
Christian Orthodox Serbs in violent conflict with Croatian and
Bosnian Muslims. The genocide in Rwanda in the mid-1990s – in the
most Roman Catholic of countries in continental Africa – saw clergy
representatives of both Roman Catholicism and Seventh-day Adventism
participate in the brutal slaughtering of their friends, neighbors
and families.

In the United States, where a contentious debate continues over
whether the displacement and murder of Native Americans constitutes
genocide, Western Christianity in its `whiteness’ was a significant
component against the physical and cultural debasement of the
`savages,’ their `redness’ and contrary religious systems. Even now,
the so-called `war on terror’ and `clash of civilizations’ cannot be
viewed apart from the apparent confrontation between a Middle Eastern
Islam and Western Christianity, with the most militant in both camps
perceiving the other’s goal as that of global extermination and
annihilation. How then to explain the nexus between the two?

Warring religions

The examples cited above all posit the confrontational intersection
between the monotheistic traditions of Islam and Christianity. But
lest we exclude Judaism from this discussion, the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict is seen by some as a genocidal clash framed by the two
historic faiths locked in mortal combat for possession of sacred
ground holy to both and given the imprimatur of divine sanction and
authority.

Where, then, to begin a discussion about the nexus between religion
and genocide? I would suggest that the following avenues be explored
by scholars of religious studies committed not only to increasing our
knowledge of the sources of genocide, but also to the pragmatic goal
of alleviating such from an increasing smaller global community.

First, the three monotheistic religious traditions of Judaism,
Christianity and Islam have a long and somewhat problematic history
of exclusivism regarding the other, stemming, at least initially,
from their textual traditions of Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and
Quran. Each is replete with texts that privilege Yahweh/God/Allah as
the only deity worthy of obeisance and allegiance, and those that see
outside the community of the faithful are less than whole or equal.

Reading their texts literally through the pronouncements of
authoritative spokesmen confirmed the privileged positions of the
insiders and enabled followers to inflict pain and death, including
genocide, on outsiders. Absent is what I call `the midrashic way’ of
reading such texts in a nonliteral way, which brings others to the
table in a more or less equal participatory status.

Second, theologies of superiority, chosenness, divine favoritism and
the like also supplied a quasi-intellectual underpinning of support
for those in positions of both governmental and military power. This
enabled those who engaged in genocidal behaviors to justify in their
own minds the moral rightness of their work, as well as enhance group
cohesiveness and individual psychological well-being. The task of
such those engaged in genocide studies now becomes a re-thinking of
the genocidal implications of such privileged thinking and writings,
and a post-genocidal reconstruction of a global interfaith ethic that
involves both insiders and outsiders.

Third, the church or mosque – far less so the synagogue, given the
lack of Jewish political power and military might in Western
civilization for the last 2,000 years – are committed to maintaining
their successful societal functioning. This can only be accomplished
through strategic alliances with the state and a certain economic
status quo that devalues perceived lesser groups, works to divest
them of falsely perceived wealth and/or power, and validates brutal
and successful attacks on perceived enemies.

Separating religion and genocide

Significantly, and perhaps somewhat ironically, two streams may
overturn this historical complicity.

First, the American model of the separation of church and state,
despite its unevenness, continues to be a cornerstone of the
democratic political experiment, one that political scientist R. J.
Rummel correctly notes evinces less interest in perpetuating genocide
than other forms of political governance.

Second, the thesis of political scientist Samuel Huntington regarding
the supposed clash of civilizations between Christianity and Islam,
at least on the European continent, is in reality a clash between a
militant and fundamental minority in Islam and a growing Western
secularism that checks religion at the door.

Scholars of religious studies address such issues as the role and
power of myth, the question of authority, the role of insider and
outsider groups in religious communities, the function of texts, the
various tasks of those in positions of leadership, the relationship
of community to divinity, and the like – all of which have been
factors in genocides, both historic and contemporary.

Before one can fix the problem and find the solution, one needs to
examine critically all of the factors involved – including religion –
no matter how uncomfortable or distasteful. Religious scholars must
play a vital role in this examination.

Steven Leonard Jacobs is Aaron Aronov Endowed Chair of Judaic Studies
and an associate professor of religious studies at the University of
Alabama in Tuscaloosa.