Author: Tadevosian Garnik

Karen Shakhnazarov’s `Ward N6′ wins 2 awards at international film
festival in Tehran

06.02.2010 17:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Karen Shakhnazarov’s `Ward N6′ gained 2 Crystal
Simorgh awards at 28th international film festival in Tehran, having
won in Best foreign film and Best actor nominations. The Best Actor
award went to Vladimir Ilyin.

A total of 80 films contended for the Crystal Simorgh at Tehran’s
international film festival due on January 23-February 4.

Karen Shakhnazarov was born on July 8, 1952 in the city of Krasnodar
(southern Russia). As a boy, Karen liked drawing and staged plays in a
school theater. In 1975 he graduated from VGIK (Moscow School for
Cinematography) where he studied film directing under Igor Talankin.
For two years he worked at Mosfilm Studios as a director’s assistant.
He made three short films before he debuted in 1980 with his first
full-length feature Kind Men (Dobryaki), a low-key comedy about an
ambitious and cynical careerist.

The retro musical comedy We Are from Jazz (My iz dzhaza, 1983) marked
the beginning of Shakhnazarov’s long-term collaboration with
scriptwriter Aleksandr Borodyansky, who has cowritten almost all of
his films. Another nostalgic musical comedy followed in 1985, A Winter
Evening in Gagry (Zimnij vecher v Gagrakh, 1985), making Shakhnazarov
one of the most commercially successful directors in Russia.

MOCA Launches `Friends of Arshile Gorky’ Campaign Ahead of June Exhibit
Asbarez
Feb 5th, 2010

LOS ANGELES – The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA),
presents Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective June 6 through September 20,
2010, at MOCA Grand Avenue. This major traveling retrospective
celebrates the extraordinary life and work of Arshile Gorky, a seminal
figure in the movement toward abstraction that transformed American
art in the middle of the 20th century.

Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective positions Gorky as a crucial founder of
abstract expressionism, but also as a passionate and dedicated artist
whose tragic life often informed his groundbreaking and deeply
personal paintings.

The first full-scale survey of Gorky’s work since 1981, this timely
exhibition features Gorky’s most significant paintings, sculptures,
and works on paper, including two masterworks from MOCA’s permanent
collection – Study for The Liver is the Cock’s Comb (1943) and Betrothal
I (1947). Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective is organized by Michael
Taylor, the Muriel and Philip Berman curator of modern art at the
Philadelphia Museum of Art, where the exhibition opened, before
traveling to Tate Modern, London, where it will be on view February 10
through May 3, 2010. MOCA’s presentation, the third and only West
Coast presentation in the United States on the exhibition’s tour, is
organized by MOCA Chief Curator Paul Schimmel.

In support of MOCA’s upcoming presentation of Arshile Gorky: A
Retrospective, the museum has launched the Friends of Arshile Gorky
Campaign and Leadership Committee to provide essential funds for
exhibition, education, and outreach programs. The premier campaign
luncheon hosted at MOCA Grand Avenue onWednesday, January 13, was
attended by 40 leaders, business people, and artists from the Armenian
community, including Roger Strauch, Harout and Irene Sassounian,
Elizabeth Agbabian, Stephan Bagboudarian, Richard Hrair Dekmejian,
Joan Quinn, Bruce Roat, Caroline and Gregory Tufenkian, Carla
Garabedian, and Cynthia Tusan.

Tracing the career of this important Armenian-American artist, this
historic exhibition will be a powerful vehicle for raising awareness
of the Armenian people and their tremendous contributions to art,
culture, and history. Friends of Arshile Gorky invites a distinctive
group of dedicated and influential leaders in the Armenian community
to help ensure the success of this significant retrospective.

`We hope that our Friends of Arshile Gorky collaboration will mark the
beginning of a wonderful long-term relationship between the museum and
the Armenian community, said MOCA Chief Executive Officer Charles E.
Young. `With the largest Armenian community in the U.S. residing in
Los Angeles, MOCA’s presentation has the potential to draw a
significant audience, and we are reaching out to the entire Armenian
community to secure local participation in and support of this major,
monographic survey of the celebrated work of Arshile Gorky.’

The most recent Friends of Arshile Gorky Leadership Committee Meeting
took place on Wednesday, January 27, at MOCA Grand Avenue. The
committee is working to increase awareness about the exhibition
throughout the region, inviting all to experience this profound
artwork this summer at MOCA – the West Coast venue on the show’s
international tour. Additionally, they are cultivating donors for the
campaign at the $1,000 level and above. Contributors will be invited
to exclusive dinners held at the homes of major L.A. art collectors in
April as well as MOCA’s VIP Opening Reception in June.

`The Friends of Arshile Gorky Leadership Committee is building a
cultural network in our city that will engage greater involvement at
the museum and stimulate a wonderful dialogue with the entire Los
Angeles community. This is an exciting educational opportunity that
will bring us all together,’ stated Jennifer Arceneaux, MOCA director
of development.

To participate in Friends of Arshile Gorky or to confirm your support
for the exhibition, please contact MOCA Director of Development
Jennifer Arceneaux at 213/621-1728 or [email protected]. Arshile
Gorky: A Retrospective is organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art
in association with Tate Modern, London, and The Museum of
Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

The international tour is made possible by the Terra Foundation for
American Art. The U.S. tour is supported by The Lincy Foundation and
the National Endowment for the Arts, and by an indemnity from the
Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

The exhibition at MOCA is presented by The Eli and Edythe Broad
Foundation. Generous support is provided by Lenore S. and Bernard A.
Greenberg, Steve Martin, and The MOCA Contemporaries. Additional
support is provided by the MOCA Friends of Arshile Gorky. In-kind
media support is provided by Los Angeles magazine.

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) – Celebrating 30
Years as the Nation’s Leading Contemporary Art Museum Founded in 1979,
MOCA’s mission is to be the defining museum of contemporary art. The
institution has achieved astonishing growth in its brief history – with
three Los Angeles locations of architectural renown; more than 13,500
members; a world-class permanent collection of nearly 6,000 works
international in scope and among the finest in the nation; hallmark
education programs that are widely emulated; award-winning
publications that present original scholarship; and groundbreaking
monographic, touring, and thematic exhibitions of international repute
that survey the art of our time. MOCA is a private not-for-profit
institution supported by its members, corporate and foundation
support, government grants, and retail and admission revenues. MOCA
Pacific Design Center is open 11am to 5pm Tuesday through Friday; 11am
to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday; and closed on Monday.

Admission to MOCA Pacific Design Center is always free. MOCA Grand
Avenue and The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA are open 11am to 5pm on
Monday and Friday; 11am to 8pm on Thursday; 11am to 6pm on Saturday
and Sunday; and closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

General admission is $10 for adults; $5 for students with I.D. and
seniors (65+); and free for MOCA members, children under 12, jurors
with I.D., and everyone on Thursdays from 5pm to 8pm, courtesy of
Wells Fargo. For 24-hour information on current exhibitions, education
programs, and special events, call 213/626-6222 or access MOCA online
at moca.org.

Chicago Sun Times
February 4, 2010 Thursday
Final Edition

Broken promises are all Obama has

Jacob Sullum, Special to The Chicago Sun-Times

The day before President Obama delivered his State of the Union
Address last week, the New York Times reported that "aides said he
would accept responsibility, though not necessarily blame" for failing
to deliver on campaign promises. If you accept responsibility for
something bad, aren’t you accepting blame by definition?

Not if you’re Barack Obama, who has a talent for accepting
responsibility while minimizing and deflecting it.

"With all the lobbying and horse-trading, the process [for producing
health care legislation] left most Americans wondering, ‘What’s in it
for me?’ " he said in his State of the Union speech. "I take my share
of the blame." For breaking his oft-repeated promise to televise
health- care negotiations on C-SPAN? For agreeing to provisions that
would benefit special interests at the expense of the general public?
No. "For not explaining it more clearly to the American people" — as
if the problem could have been solved with a nifty PowerPoint
presentation.

At his meeting with House Republicans on Friday, Obama conceded that
pointing out his failure to televise health-care negotiations was "a
legitimate criticism." But he also said coverage would have been hard
to arrange because the negotiations occurred in several locations.
Anyway, he said, "overwhelmingly the majority of it actually was on
C-SPAN, because it was taking place in congressional hearings" — as
if he had promised that C-SPAN would continue its longstanding
practice of covering congressional hearings.

He is even less forthright when it comes to the fiscal responsibility
he keeps promising. On Monday, he declared, "We simply cannot continue
to spend as if deficits don’t have consequences, as if waste doesn’t
matter, as if the hard-earned tax money of the American people can be
treated like Monopoly money."

Yet somehow he manages to do so. Obama’s much-ballyhooed spending
"freeze" would affect just one-eighth of the budget, would not begin
until 2011 and would be accompanied by continued increases in outlays
on the president’s pet projects.

If you are serious about reducing spending, you don’t increase it. Yet
Obama’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2011 totals $3.8 trillion,
compared with the $3.6 trillion he proposed the previous year. The
deficit would drop a bit, from a record $1.6 trillion to about $1.3
trillion, only because of increased tax revenue.

Last year, Obama said the deficit, expected to be 11 percent of gross
domestic product this year, would fall to a "sustainable" 3 percent by
the end of his first term. His new budget projections, even with the
benefit of optimistic assumptions, indicate that he will never reach
that goal even if he serves two terms and that the deficit will rise
above 5 percent of GDP after he leaves office.

On Friday, he blamed the economy for his fiscal incontinence, saying
"most of the increases in this year’s budget" were "a consequence of
the automatic stabilizers that kick in because of this enormous
recession."

But as Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) noted, legislation signed by Obama
increased domestic discretionary spending 84 percent.

In addition to the health-care transparency and spending restraint he
has failed to deliver, Obama has broken promises to reduce the
influence of special-interest lobbyists; to refrain from raising taxes
on households earning less than $250,000 a year; to cut earmarks to
1994 levels; to take a more modest view of executive power and the
"state secrets" privilege; to close Guantanamo by last month; to end
medical marijuana raids; to allow five days of public review before
signing bills, and to recognize the Armenian genocide. PolitiFact.com
counts 15 broken promises so far, and its standards are conservative.

In his State of the Union address, Obama bemoaned "a deficit of trust
— deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been
growing for years." He blamed the public’s "disappointment" and
"cynicism" on powerful lobbyists, reckless bankers, highly paid CEOs,
superficial TV pundits and mud-slinging politicians. Conspicuously
missing from the list: a president who breaks promises while
pretending he isn’t.

Agence France Presse
February 5, 2010 Friday 12:26 PM GMT

US urges progress on stalled Armenia-Turkey deal

TBILISI, Feb 5 2010

A top US diplomat on Friday urged Armenia and Turkey to waste no more
time in moving forward on stalled efforts to establish ties and open
their border after decades of hostility.

"I very much hope that both Armenia and Turkey will move forward. I
don’t think delay is in anybody’s interest," US Deputy Secretary of
State James Steinberg said during a visit to the Caucasus region.

Steinberg met with Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian on Thursday and
was expected to meet Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at a weekend security conference in
Munich, Germany.

Speaking to reporters in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, Steinberg said
he had "extremely productive and substantive discussions" with
Sarkisian in Armenia and that he would speak with Davutoglu about how
to move swiftly forward.

"There’s a very strong commitment on behalf of the United States to
work with Armenia and Turkey to see the ratification of the
protocols," he said.

Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols in October to establish
diplomatic ties and reopen their shared border, in a historic step
towards ending decades of hostility stemming from World War I-era
massacres of Armenians under Ottoman Turks.

The protocols must now be ratified by both countries’ parliaments but
the process has stalled as the two sides have traded accusations of
trying to modify the landmark deal.

Ankara has accused Yerevan of trying to set new conditions after
Armenia’s constitutional court said the protocols could not contradict
Yerevan’s official position that the Armenian mass killings
constituted genocide — a label Turkey fiercely rejects.

Armenia, for its part, is furious over Ankara’s insistence that
normalising Turkish-Armenian ties depends on progress between Armenia
and Turkish ally Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in solidarity with
Azerbaijan after ethnic Armenian forces wrested Nagorny Karabakh from
Baku’s control in a war that claimed an estimated 30,000 lives.

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apost. Church of America and Canada
H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan
Prelate, Easter Prelacy and Canada
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
Web:

February 4, 2010
CATHOLIC AND ORIENTAL ORTHODOX
THEOLOGICAL DIALOGUE CONCLUDES
The seventh meeting of the International Joint Commission for
Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental
Orthodox Churches took place at the Catholicate of the Holy See of
Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon from January 27 to 31. The meeting was
hosted by His Holiness Aram I. It was chaired jointly by His Eminence
Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity, and
His Eminence Metropolitan Bishoy of Damiette, General Secretary of
the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church. The Holy See of Cilicia
was represented by His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan and His
Grace Bishop Nareg Alemezian.
Joining delegates from the Catholic Church were
representatives of the following Oriental Orthodox Churches: the
Coptic Orthodox Church, the Syrian Orthodox Church, the Armenian
Apostolic Church (Catholicate of All Armenians), the Armenian
Apostolic Church (Holy See of Cilicia), the Ethiopian Orthodox
Tewahido Church, and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. No
representative of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church was able to
attend.
The studies prepared for this session focused on two topics:
the ways in which the churches expressed their communion with one
another in the first five centuries and the reception of
councils. During the meeting the members carefully examined the papers
presented and reached a number of conclusions. It was noted that until
the middle of the fifth century, the churches did not exist in
isolation, but were in communion with one another. Signs of this
communion included the exchange of synodical letters and letters of
enthronement, the veneration of common saints, the exchange of visits
and, above all, sharing in the sacraments, especially the Holy
Eucharist. This communion was based on an understanding that the
churches shared the same faith, and willingness to defend it together
against heresies and other threats. They also saw themselves as
engaged in the same mission of evangelizing the nations.
His Holiness Catholicos Aram received the members of the Joint
Commission on January 28. In his remarks, the Catholicos offered his
views on the present state of ecumenism, and said that he has come to
a renewed appreciation of the work of the bilateral dialogues. He
emphasized that in the dialogues the members must never lose sight of
the many things we have in common, and not focus exclusively on our
differences.
On Sunday, January 31, the members of the Joint Commission
attended the Holy Eucharist in the Cathedral of St. Gregory the
Illuminator presided over by His Holiness Aram I. Cardinal Kasper
preached the homily.
The eighth meeting of the International Commission will take
place in January 2011 in Rome at the invitation of the Pontifical
Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

ANNUAL GHEVONTIANTZ CLERGY GATHERING IN INDIAN ORCHARD
Archbishop Oshagan and Bishop Anoushavan will travel to Massachusetts
to preside over the annual Ghevontiantz Clergy Conference, which will
take place next week, February 8 to 10 at St. Gregory the Illuminator
Church, Indian Orchard, Massachusetts.
The Feast of Ghevontiantz is celebrated each year preceding
the Vartanantz Feast. The collective name is in honor of brave
clergymen who preached and fought against tyranny before, during and
after the war of Vartanantz. It is named after Ghevont Yerets
(Leondius the Cleric), who was in the front lines with Vartan at the
Battle of Avarayr. The Feast has now become a time of renewal,
reflection and fellowship for the clergy.
According to the historians Yeghishe and Ghazar Parpetsi, the
clergy who are collectively known as the Ghevontian Saints include:
Catholicos Hovsep Hoghotsmetsi (also known as Vayorstzoretsi), Bishop
Sahak Rushtouni, Bishop Tank of Aghbak, the priests Ghevont, Arshen,
Manuel, Abraham, Khoren, and Deacons Kachach and Abraham.

REQUIEM SERVICE FOR PRIESTS WHO SERVED THE PRELACY
In conjunction with the upcoming Ghevontiantz commemoration, all
Prelacy churches will observe a special requiem service this Sunday,
February 7, in memory of all the deceased clergy who served within the
Prelacy.
Remembered with gratitude and honor are: His Holiness
Catholicos Karekin I, Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians, Archbishop
Hrant Khatchadourian, Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, V. Rev. Fr. Vaghinag
Sisagian, V. Rev. Fr. Ghevont Martougesian, V. Rev. Fr. Nishan
Papazian, V. Rev. Fr. Barour Ekmekjian, Rev. Fr. Mesrob Amrigian, Rev.
Fr. Arsen Varjabedian, Rev. Fr. Mateos Mannigian, Rev. Fr. Bedros
Mampreian, Rev. Fr. Stepanos Garabedian, Rev. Fr. Mesrob Hovanesian,
Rev. Fr. Houssig Naghnikian, Rev. Fr. Adom Melikian, Rev. Fr. Yeghishe
Kasbarian, Rev. Fr. Ghevont Khosrovian, Rev. Fr. Bedros Kasarjian,
Rev. Fr. Sahag Balian, Rev. Fr. Ghevont Papazian, Rev. Fr. Papken
Kasbarian, Rev. Fr. Sahag Yeghiayan, Rev. Fr. Nerses Shahinian,
Rev. Fr. Bsag Sarkisian, Rev. Fr. Yeghishe Mkitarian, Rev. Fr. Souren
Papakhian, Rev. Fr. Arsen Simeoniantz, Rev. Fr. Movses Der Stepanian,
Rev. Fr. Mampre Biberian, Rev. Fr. Khachadour Giragossian, Rev. Fr.
Yervant Yeretzian, Rev. Fr. Go!
midas Der Torosian, Rev. Fr. Movses Shrikian, Rev. Fr. Dickran Khoyan,
Rev. Fr. Smpad Der Mekhsian, Rev. Fr. Vahan Ghazarian, Rev. Fr. Ashod
Kochian, Rev. Fr. Arshavir Sevdalian, Rev. Fr. Kourken Yaralian,
Rev. Fr. Arsen Hagopian, Rev. Fr. Sarkis Antreasian, Rev. Fr. Sahag
Andekian, Rev. Fr. Hmayag Minoyan, Rev. Fr. Asoghik Kiledjian,
Rev. Fr. Varant Bedrosian, Rev. Fr. Sahag Vertanessian,
Rev. Fr. Vartan Kassabian, Rev. Fr. Torkom Hagopian.

O Christ, Son of God, forbearing and compassionate, through your love
as creator, have mercy upon the souls of your departed
servants. . . Be mindful of them on the great day of the coming of
your kingdom. Make them worthy of your mercy and of remission and
forgiveness of their sins, glorify and number them among the saints of
your right hand.
From the Repose of Souls (Hogehangist) service in the Armenian
Church.

LENTEN LECTURES WILL BEGIN FEBRUARY 17
The Prelacys Lenten lectures series will focus on the Year of the
Armenian Woman theme. The first lecture will take place on Wednesday,
February 17 and will continue for the next five Wednesdays of Great
Lent. The lectures, under the auspices of Archbishop Oshagan, will
take place at St. Illuminators Cathedral, 221 E. 27th Street, New York
City.
The evening schedule will be as follows: Lenten service at
7:30 pm; lecture and discussion at 8 pm, followed by fellowship at
8:45 pm. The Lenten program is sponsored by the Armenian Religious
Education Council (AREC), the Prelacy Ladies Guild, and the
St. Illuminators Cathedral Ladies Guild.
For information about the topics and presenters click here (
/24882/goto: prelacy/PDF/2010lentenprogram.pdf
).
MUSICAL ARMENIA
The 26th Musical Armenia concert will take place on Sunday, March 21,
at 2 pm at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, 57th Street and
Seventh Avenue, New York City.
Featured artists are Tanya Gabrielian, piano; and Natalie
Aroyan, soprano. For tickets ($30) contact the Carnegie box office at
212-247-7800 or the Prelacy at 212-689-7810.
WERFELS 40 DAYS PRESENTED TO HOLOCAUST CENTER
Marge Kyrkiostas, Executive Director of the Anthropology Museum of the
People of New York, and the Armenian Cultural Educational Resource
Center Gallery at Queens College, presented a copy of Franz Werfels
The Forty Days of Musa Dagh, to Dr. Arthur Flug, Director of the
Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center and Archives at Queensborough
Community College on Monday, February 1. Attending the presentation
were Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Raymond Tellalian, Edward Jamie,
Hratch Zadoian, and Ayala Tamir.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO LECTURE
Dr. Vazken Ghougassian, Executive Director of the Prelacy, will
present a lecture on the Battle of Avarayr on Sunday, February 14,
1:30 pm, at St. Sarkis Church, 38-65 234th Street, Douglaston, New
York. The lecture is organized and hosted by the parishs Cultural
Committee. For information: 718-224-2275.
BOOK PRESENTATION
A presentation of the book Kir Gyanki (Epistle of Life) by Archpriest
Fr. Khoren Habeshian will take place Thursday, February 11, at 8:05 pm
in the Armenian Center, 69-23 47th Street,Woodside, New York. Under
the auspices of Archbishop Oshagan, the event is organized by St.
Illuminators Cathedral and the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and
Cultural Society of New York.
Der Hayrs book will be presented by Vartan Matiossian.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for today, Thursday, February 4, are: Proverbs 24:1-12;
Jeremiah 30:18-22; 2 Timothy 3:10-12; Matthew 5:1-12.

Thus says the Lord:
I am going to restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob, and have
compassion on his dwellings; the city shall be rebuilt upon its mound,
and the citadel set on its rightful site.
Out of them shall come thanksgiving, and the sound of
merrymakers.
I will make them many, and they shall not be few;
I will make them honored, and they shall not be disdained.
Their children shall be as of old, their congregation shall be
established before me; and I will punish all who oppress them.
Their prince shall be one of their own, their ruler shall come
from their midst; I will bring him near, and he shall approach me, for
who would otherwise dare to approach me? says the Lord.
And you shall be my people, and I will be your God. (Jeremiah
30:18-22)

For a listing of the coming weeks Bible readings click here (
/24882/goto: prelacy/PDF/2010dbr-2.pdf
).

THE HOLY VOSKIAN PRIESTS
Today, Thursday, February 4, the Armenian Church commemorates the
Voskian priestsfive men who were sent to Rome as ambassadors by the
Armenian king Sanadrook. On the road to Rome they met the Apostle
Thaddeus who converted and baptized them. The leader of the five was
named Voski, hence the name Voskian Priests. They lived in the
mountains as hermits for forty years, after which they preached to the
Royal Court. They were martyred in 107 AD.

ST. SAHAK BARTEV
This Saturday, February 6, the Armenian Church remembers Catholicos
Sahag (Isaac) Bartev. He was the son of St. Nerses the Great and a
descendant of St. Gregory the Illuminator. He was instrumental in the
invention of the Armenian alphabet with Mesrob Mashtots. He
spearheaded the translation work that followed the invention of the
alphabet that ushered in
Armenias golden age of literature. He was an ardent believer in
education and ecclesiastical discipline and canon law. His illustrious
life ended at age 89 (some sources say 110), and with his death the
line of St. Gregory the Illuminator came to an end.

FROM THE BOOKSTORE
In celebration of the Year of the Armenian Woman, we continue to
feature books by or about Armenian women. All are available for
purchase at the Prelacy Bookstore.
Victorias Secret: A Conspiracy of Silence
By Vickie Smith Foston
Imagine not knowing what an Armenian is and to discover that your
grandmother and her entire family were Armenian. This is that story
told by an inquiring granddaughter who was determined to find the
reason for her grandmothers suicide, which led her to discover much
more. It is a good read.
198 pages, soft cover, $15.00 plus shipping and handling
Skylark Farm
By Antonia Arslan
A touching story about a family struggling to survive during and after
the 1915 Genocide. One familys story becomes the story of many. Kirkus
Reviews called this An Armenian Schindlers List.
278 pages, hard cover, $23.95, plus shipping and handling
My Odyssey
By Antonina Mahari
The author Antonina Povilaityte met the noted Armenian writer, Gurgen
Mahari when both were in exile for life in Siberia during the Soviet
era. Following the death of Stalin, they were released and they
settled in Yerevan where they faced new challenges. This exceptional
memoir provides insight into two lives as well as an era.
216 pages, soft cover, $20.00, plus shipping and handling
AGAPI: Inspirational Short Stories
By Yn. Joanna Baghsarian
The 28 stories that comprise this book are all true. They are stories
of people who have one way or another touched the life of
Yn. Joanna. They include inspiring and amazing encounters. Each story
has a message that can and should be further explored.
116 pages, soft cover, $15.00, plus shipping and handling
TO ORDER THESE BOOKS OR FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT THE BOOKSTORE BY
EMAIL AT [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
OR BY TELEPHONE 212-689-7810.

A REMEMBRANCE
As mentioned above, on the occasion of the Ghevontianz Feast, this
Sunday all of our Prelacy churches will conduct requiem services for
the deceased clergy who served the Prelacy. As I was preparing this
weeks Crossroads my thoughts went to Rev. Fr. Vartan Kassabian who
died unexpectedly last year.
From the very first issue of Crossroads in 2004, Der Vartan
was an ardent supporter of the Prelacys electronic newsletter. His
thoughtful mini-sermons appeared regularly as the final thought of the
week.
We end this weeks Crossroads with his mini sermon that
appeared one year ago on February 5, 2009.
Remember that Christianity is not just a belief. It is much
more than that. It is the way that we live out what we claim to
believe. At best many of us are nominal Christians. We want all of the
benefits without any effort. We want God, but only when we need Him
when we find ourselves in the midst of a crisis. Christianity has
become a mere convenience, but in reality Christianity and convenience
cannot coexist; they contradict one another precisely because our
faith as orthodox Christians calls us to make a stand when the world
tells us to do otherwise. If we do not comprehend this reality, then
perhaps we should look back in Armenian history to see just how many
times those who came before us took a stand in defense of their
faith. As we prepare to celebrate the Feast of Sts. Vartanantz , we
should realize that our faith is one of example and action and not
just proclamations. There is no better time to look into ourselves and
ask, Have I been faithful !
to what God has given to me or do I simply take it for granted? Do I
live out my faith by my actions, or do I just talk about it and expect
others to do what I myself should be doing? These are questions that
only we ourselves can answer.

Rev. Fr. Vartan Kassabian
December 17, 1957March 12, 2009

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
February 6St. Stephens (Watertown, Massachusetts) Ladies Guild, Mardi
Gras celebration, 7 pm at church hallo. Costumes optional; masks a
must. For information: Mary Derderian, [email protected]
(mailto:[email protected]) or 781-762-4253.
February 6Valentines Party, featuring the Artsakh Band & DJ
Ash. Limited reserved seating. For reservations:
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or Seta
Megherian 516-410-8146; Christine Bedrossian 718-614-6884.
February 8-10Annual Ghevontiantz Clergy Gathering, hosted by
St. Gregory Church, Indian Orchard, Massachusetts.
February 11Presentation of Kir Gyanki, by Rev. Fr. Khoren Habeshian,
organized by St. Illuminators Armenian Apostolic Cathedral and
Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society of New York,
under the auspices of H.E. Archbishop Oshagan, at the Armenian Center
in Woodside, New York, 8:05 pm. Vartan Matiosian will present the
recently published book.
February 11Vartanantz Day Divine Liturgy and celebration at
Sts. Vartanantz Church, 461 Bergen Blvd., Ridgefield, New
Jersey. Celebrant, Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan. Luncheon (adults $20;
children $10) and special cultural program following church services.
February 14Lecture on the Battle of Avarayr, presented by Vazken
Ghougassian, PhD, Executive Director of Prelacy, organized by cultural
committee of St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, 1:30 t 2:30 pm.
February 17First Prelacy Lenten Service and Lecture at
St. Illuminators Cathedral, New York, 7:30 pm. General introduction by
Archbishop Oshagan. Women Witnesses of Christ in the Armenian Church,
presented by Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, Pastor of St. Illuminators
Cathedral.
February 24Second Prelacy Lenten Service and Lecture at
St. Illuminators Cathedral, New York, 7:30 pm. Women as Guardians of
Armenian Family Values, presented by Mrs. Iris Papazian.
February 28 and March 7General Membership meetings of Soorp
Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts.
March 3Third Prelacy Lenten Service and Lecture at St. Illuminators
Cathedral, New York City, 7:30 pm. Women as Mothers and Wives,
presented by Rev. Fr. Hovnan Bozoian, pastor of Sts. Vartanantz
Church (NJ).
March 7Annual Membership Meeting, Sts. Vartanantz Church, 461 Bergen
Blvd., Ridgefield, New Jersey.
March 7Annual Membership Meeting, St. Paul Church, 645 S. Lewis Ave.,
Waukegan, Illinois.
March 10Fourth Prelacy Lenten Service and Lecture at St. Illuminators
Cathedral, New York, 7:30 pm. St. Mary, Paradigm of Discipleship and
Holiness, presented by Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian, pastor of St. Sarkis
Church (NY).
March 13International Food Festival and Auction hosted by the Armenian
Relief Society at Hovnanian School, New Milford, New Jersey, at 5
pm. Food booths of various nations. Silent auction and Tricky
Tray. For information Lucy Keomurjian, 201-567-3318 or
[email protected]
(mailto:lucine [email protected]).
March 14Ladies Guild annual Lenten Luncheon following church services,
St. Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts.
March 17Fifth Prelacy Lenten Service and Lecture at St. Illuminators
Church, New York, 7:30 pm. Women as Charity Workers, presented by
Mrs. Valentine Berberian.
March 21Musical Armenia, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York
City. Featured artists: Tanya Gabrielian, pianist; Natalie Aroyan,
soprano. Tickets $30. Carnegie box office 212-247-7800 or Prelacy
office 212-689-7810.
March 24Sixth and final Prelacy Lenten Service and Lecture at
St. Illuminators Cathedral, New York City, 7:30 pm. Women as Christian
Educators Today, by Yeretzgin Joanna Baghsarian.
April 11ARS Mayr Chapter presents ZULAL, a cappela trio, at the
Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs, 209-15 Horace Harding Expressway,
Bayside, New York, 4 pm. Donation: $50, $30; $15 for children under
12. Contact Sonia, 917-679-6992; Hasmik, 516-330-5290.
April 17St. Stephen s Ladies Guild, Watertown, Massachusetts, presents
jazzy evening featuring Sandi Bedrosian jazz ensemble, 6 pm, church
hall. $35 per person. Contact [email protected]
(mailto:[email protected]) or Yeretzgin Baljian,
781-209-1915. Reservations only.
April 18ARS Mayr and Erebouni Chapters sponsor Walk-Armenia to benefit
Camp Haiastan. Registration at St. Sarkis Church, 38-65 234th Street,
Douglaston, New York, starts at 12 noon, $25 fee. Walk begins 1
pm. For information 516-330-5290 (Hasmik); 516-739-0805 (Nayda).
May 10Mothers Day luncheon sponsored by the Prelacy Ladies Guild.
May 13 to 16National Representative Assembly hosted by
St. Illuminators Cathedral, New York City, and St. Sarkis Church,
Douglaston, New York.
July 17A Hye Summer Night V, dance hosted by Ladies Guild of
Sts. Vartanantz Church and ARS Ani Chapter, Providence, Rhode
Island. Watch for details.

Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacys web
site.

To ensure the timely arrival of Crossroads in your electronic mailbox,
add [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) to
your address book.

Items in Crossroads can be reproduced without permission. Please
credit Crossroads as the source.

Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about
their major events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

MASTER OF TREACHERY
By Barry Lando

tml
February 4, 2010

It is amazing how Henry Kissinger has been able to retain his aura of
invincible genius in international relations, continuing to counsel
presidents, foreign governments and major global businesses, while
occasionally writing lofty Op Ed pieces advising the U.S. on what it
should or should not be doing next. This mind you, despite Kissinger’s
own history of monumental cynicism and duplicity when he was guiding
foreign policy for President’s Nixon and Ford. Indeed, it’s a tribute
to the ability of mainstream American media to forgive and forget.

The latest example is an Op Ed piece Kissinger just wrote for the New
York Times warning American leaders that they are no longer giving
Iraq the attention it deserves.

The fact is, however, when Kissinger was in charge of U.S. policy
for Iraq, the results for its people, particularly the Kurds, were
disastrous. I wrote about it in my book "Web of Deceit-the History
of Western Complicity in Iraq, from Churchill to Kennedy to George W.

Bush."

Over the decades, the Kurds quixotic struggle for some form of
independence doomed them to a seemingly endless cycle of rebellion
followed by incredibly vicious repression. Those uprisings were
usually encouraged by enemies of Iraq’s rulers who made use of
the Kurds to destabilize the regime in Baghdad. It was a ruthless,
deceitful process, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of Kurds
being slaughtered and displaced over the years. And it was an ideal
playing field for Kissinger.

For years, the Shah of Iran had been secretly supporting the Iraqi
Kurds to put pressure on Baghdad. So were the Israelis, who hoped to
distract Iraq’s increasingly virulent leader from joining an Arab
attack on the Jewish state. In 1972, Henry Kissinger and Richard
Nixon, motivated by fear that Iraq was becoming too cozy with the
Soviet Union, agreed to a request from the Shah to help back the Kurds.

For the sake of deniability, the U.S. supplied the Kurds with Soviet
arms seized in Vietnam, while Israel provided Soviet weapons that it
had captured from the Arabs. According to the Washington Post’s Jon
Randal, the clandestine operation was kept secret even from the U.S.

State Department, which had argued against any such support. The Kurd’s
news friends, however, did not want their protegees to win their
struggle. An independent Kurdish state would be much too disruptive
for the region, they felt. Their support was carefully doled out-enough
to keep the revolt going, but not enough to take it to victory.

The Kurdish leader, Mustafa Barzani, was hard-headed enough to
understand his people were being used by Iran, but not worldly enough
to comprehend that his American backers could be equally duplicitous.

"We do not trust the Shah," Barzani told reporter Randal in 1973. "I
trust America. America is too great a power to betray a small people
like the Kurds."

It was to be a fatal error of judgment. In 1975 the Shah and the
leaders of Iraq abruptly agreed to settle their disputes and signed
a treaty of friendship. A key part of the agreement was that Iran
would immediately cease its support of the Iraqi Kurds. Overnight,
Iranian army units that had been supporting the Kurds-with artillery,
missiles, ammunition, and even food-retreated across the border
into Iran. The U.S. and the Israelis similarly called a sudden halt
to their support. At the same time, Iraqi troops began a massive
offensive against the hapless Kurds.

Thus, without any warning, the Kurds were abandoned; not just
their fighting men, the pesh merga, but their villages, wives, and
children, were exposed to a ferocious Iraqi onslaught. Barzani sent a
desperate plea to Kissinger for aid. "Our movement and people are being
destroyed in an unbelievable way with silence from everyone. We feel,
Your Excellency, that the United States has a moral and political
responsibility towards our people, who have committed themselves to
your country’s policy. Mr. Secretary, we are anxiously awaiting your
quick response."

Twelve days later, a U.S. diplomat in Tehran cabled CIA director
William Colby, noting that Kissinger had not replied and warning
that if Washington "intends to take steps to avert a massacre it must
intercede with Iran promptly."

Meanwhile, a quarter of a million Kurds fled for their lives to Iran.

Turkey closed its borders to thousands of others seeking refuge. Many
of the militants left behind-especially students and teachers-were
rounded up by the Iraqi, imprisoned, tortured, and executed. Some
1,500 villages were dynamited and bulldozed.

Over the following weeks and months, as the killing continued, Barzani
issued more desperate appeals to the CIA, to President Gerald Ford,
to Henry Kissinger. No one answered. Kissinger not only refused
to intervene but also turned down repeated Kurdish requests for
humanitarian aid for their thousands of refugees.

This duplicity of American officials might never have surfaced but for
an investigation in 1975 by the U.S. Congress’s Select Committee on
Intelligence headed by New York Democrat Otis Pike. The Pike report
concluded that for Tehran and Washington the Kurds were never more
than "a card to play." A uniquely useful tool for weakening Iraq’s
"potential for international adventurism." From the beginning said
the report, "The President, Dr. Kissinger, and the Shah hoped that
our clients [Barzani’s Kurds] would not prevail." The Kurds were
encouraged to fight solely in order to undermine Iraq. "Even in the
context of covert operations, ours was a cynical enterprise."

The report’s damning conclusions continued: Had the U.S. not encouraged
the Kurds to go along with the Shah and renew hostilities with Iraq,
"the Kurds might have reached an accommodation with [Iraq’s] central
government, thus gaining at least a measure of autonomy while avoiding
further bloodshed. Instead the Kurds fought on, sustaining thousands
of casualties and 200,000 refugees."

One of the officials who testified before the committee in secret
session was Henry Kissinger. When questioned by an appalled congressman
about the U.S.’s decision to abandon the Kurds to their bloody fate,
Kissinger chided the committee, "One should not confuse undercover
action with social work."

Barry M. Lando, a graduate of Harvard and Columbia University, spent
25 years as an award-winning investigative producer with 60 Minutes.

The author of numerous articles about Iraq, he produced a documentary
about Saddam Hussein that has been shown around the world. He lives
in Paris. His latest book is "Web of Deceit: The History of Western
Complicity in Iraq, from Churchill to Kennedy to George W. Bush." He
can be reached through his blog.

FIRST ARMENIAN TV CHANNEL LAUNCHED IN RUSSIA

news.am
Feb 3 2010
Armenia

Starting September 1, 2010 first Armenian public television — TV
ARMENIA RU will be broadcasting in the territory of Russia.

Reception will be provided through satellite, cable and Internet
network and covering multimillion Armenian TV audience of Russia.

TV channel is aimed at covering social, cultural and political life
of Armenians in the territory of Russia, Armenia, CIS and abroad.

TV ARMENIA RU will broadcast in Armenian and Russian. The nominal
capital of the channel totals $6 million.

FIGHTING BETWEEN ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN ‘COULD FLARE,’ SAYS US INTELLIGENCE CHIEF

Tert.am
14:01 ~U 03.02.10

A top U.S. intelligence official says the situation in the South
Caucasus and the Balkans continues to remain unstable.

Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair said Tuesday fighting
could flare between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region
of Nagorno-Karabakh, reports The Associated Press.

Furthermore, Blair said that President Dmitry Medvedev’s viewing of
Moscow’s former Soviet neighbors as a "zone of privileged interests"
could undermine relations with Washington.

Blair also named unresolved ethnic tensions between Bosnia’s Muslims
and Serbs as posing "the principal challenges" to European stability
in 2010. He said Kosovo also required ongoing attention.

ENTRY OF DIASPORA ARMENIANS TO ARMENIA TO BE FACILITATED

Noyan Tapan
Feb 3, 2010

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 3, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The RA National
Assembly on February 2 passed unanimously in the first reading a
government-submitted bill envisaging an addition to the RA Law on the
State Register of the Population. By the bill, it will be stipulated
in the law that persons, who were granted Armenian citizenship and
who have no place of permanent residence in Armenia and live mostly in
foreign states, shall be put on the state register of the population at
the address of their place of permanent residence in the foreign state.

When presenting the bill, the main speaker, RA Minister of Diaspora
Hranush Hakobian said that in case of adoption of this bill,
our compatriots will not have to "find someone in Armenia, to get
registered at their house and go through all the red tape."

The National Assembly also passed the bill on making amendments
and additions to the Law on Foreigners in the second reading and
completely. According to Ms. Hakobian, it will facilitate the process
of receiving an entry visa to Armenia by Diaspora Armenians, while
Diaspora Armenian students will be able to solve the problem of their
stay permit without interrupting their education.

In particular, it is envisaged that the Armenian government may
establish a shorter period for the submission of applications for
extending a temporary stay permit for educational purposes. Under the
current law, this permit is given for a period of up to one year,
each time with the opportunity to extent it for one year, and the
application for extension shall be submitted at least 30 days before
the expiry of the permit.

Besides, it is envisaged that a foreigner, who was subjected to
administrative responsibility for violation of the law and who has
not carried out his obligation under the administrative act, may
receive an entry visa or a stay permit if one year has passed since
the imposition of administrative responsibility.

The parliament also passed another bill on making amendments and
additions to the RA Law on Foreigners. The bill aims to improve the
business environment in Armenia by providing economic entities with
the opportinity to employ a foreigner for the necessary period.

SECRETARY OF ARMENIAN SECURITY COUNCIL: DISASTER RISK REDUCTION IN ARMENIA NEEDS REFORMS

ArmInfo
2010-02-03 08:54:00

Secretary of the Armenian National Security Council Artur Baghdasaryan
received the delegation of the UNDP Crisis Prevention and Recovery
Bureau headed by Nagel Kalson on Tuesday, the Security Council told
ArmInfo.

N. Kalson said the program aims to evaluate disaster risk reduction
opportunities and develop an action plan to prevent disasters. For his
part, Baghdasaryan said that Armenia is in the high disaster risk zone
and reforms to reduce these risks must be bolstered. A. Baghdasaryan
is sure that tangible results will be achieved via effective system
of crisis management.