Author: Vanyan Gary

WROC, NY
April 25 2005

A very dark chapter in world history noted in Rochester
4/25/2005 9:00 AM
(WROC-TV)

Members of Rochester’s Armenian community gathered Sunday to mark the
anniversary of a dark chapter in history.

It was the slaughter of more than 1.5 million of their ancestors, in
what historians acknowledge as the first major genocide of the last
century.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the start of the genocide,
perpetrated by the Ottoman government, as it sought to rid Turkey of
the Armenians who’d lived there for centuries.

Those of Armenian heritage have their own reasons for saying “Lest we
forget”.

And so on Sunday, they remembered, and noted the diferences between
the first wide-scale genocide of the 20th century, and the more
well-chronicled one which followed — the Holocaust of World War II.

A proclamation was read at the gathering at the Armenian Church of
Rochester, saying “whereas the modern German government acknowledges
the acts of commission on the part of the Nazi government…The
Turkish government is not to acknowledge that it happened. That’s why
we’re persevering in speaking louder and louder.”

Because while there remain many survivors of the Nazi holocaust to
give first-hand accounts, there’s almost no one left who saw what
happened to the Armenians.

Macleans, Canada
April 24 2005

Armenians mark 90th anniversary of mass killings in Ottoman Empire

AVET DEMOURIAN

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) – Tens of thousand of Armenians on Sunday
marked the 90th anniversary of the mass killings of Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire, vowing to press their case to have the killings
recognized by Turkey and the world as genocide.

Waving flags and carrying flowers, people streamed through the
Armenian capital and marched up to a massive hilltop granite memorial
to hear speeches and prayers.

Weeping mourners filed into the circular block memorial, laying
carnations on a flat surface surrounding a burning flame. A choir in
black sang hymns as the crowd filed past, some carrying umbrellas
against the sun.

The country will observe a minute of silence at 7 p.m. (1400 GMT) and
Yerevan residents will place candles on window sills in memory of the
victims.

“International recognition and condemnation of genocide is a goal
that not only Armenia must achieve,” President Robert Kocharian was
quoted as saying by the Russia’s ITAR-Tass news agency. “Armenia is
ready to build normal relations with Turkey. However, the policy
being pursued by Ankara is surprising not only in Armenia, but
elsewhere in the world.”

Ottoman authorities began rounding up intellectuals, diplomats and
other influential Armenians in Istanbul on April 24, 1915, as
violence and unrest grew, particularly in the eastern parts of the
country.

Armenia says up to 1.5 million Armenians ultimately died or were
killed over several years as part of a genocidal campaign to force
them out of eastern Turkey. Turkey acknowledges that large numbers of
Armenians died, but says the overall figure is inflated and that the
deaths occurred in the civil unrest during the collapse of the
Ottoman Empire.

France, Russia and many other countries have already declared the
killings were genocide; the United States, which has a large Armenian
diaspora community, has not.

Turkey, which has no diplomatic ties with Armenia, is facing
increasing pressure to fully acknowledge the event, particularly as
it seeks membership in the European Union. The issue is extremely
sensitive in Turkey and Turks have faced prosecution for saying the
killings were genocide.

Ankara earlier this month called for the two countries to jointly
research the killings.

Armenian communities around the world also marked the anniversary,
with church services and demonstrations. In Moscow, hundreds attended
a memorial service at the construction site for an Armenian church.
In northeastern Syria, some 4,000 people flocked to the city of
Marqada, where thousands of Armenians are buried.

“We are here to remember our martyrs whom we should never forget,”
said Krikour Haydenian, a 33-year-old merchant.

An estimated 100,000 Armenians currently live in Syria.

Newsweek
April 23 2005

L.A.’s Armenian Idols
Meet System of a Down, hard rock’s unlikely poster boys.

By Lorraine Ali

Newsweek May 2 issue – The biggest coup in rock since Nirvana crept
past Poison on the charts more than a decade ago is probably the
mainstream success of System of a Down. Their name is weird; their
lead vocalist, Serj Tankian, sings like Freddie Mercury channeling
Slayer, and their music is nearly impossible to classify. (You might
call it prog-rock-metal-politico-pop with an operatic twist.) And
it’s flat-out impossible to imagine MTV’s spring breakers grinding to
songs about the Armenian genocide.

But System’s 2001 CD “Toxicity” turned out to be well timed: it
dropped just as rock fans were growing tired of bands such as Limp
Bizkit doing it “all for the nookie,” and it sold more than 3 million
copies. Suddenly, this unlikely band of Armenian Angelenos had become
the new face of hard rock. Now their pair of new albums, “Mezmerize”
(which will be out in two weeks) and “Hypnotize” (which will appear
sometime in the fall), are two of the most anticipated releases of
2005.

“I have to say that it still kind of freaks me out,” says Daron
Malakian, System of a Down’s main songwriter and guitarist. “We were
never like any of the other bands out there, and we still aren’t, but
here we are. Our new album is already on billboards all over L.A. and
New York. I still have no idea how this happened.”

Neither do we, but here’s how it started. Malakian grew up in
Hollywood, next door to Latino and Armenian immigrants and across the
street from a crack motel. “I used to ride my bike past the pimps and
prostitutes every day,” he says. Malakian’s parents, who’d emigrated
from Iraq, listened to Armenian music at home – his father had been a
choreographer for a traditional dance troupe before coming to the
United States – while their son soaked in the heavy metal and new wave
of ’80s radio. He taught himself how to play, and by high school had
started a band with singer Tankian. They eventually brought in John
Dolmayan on drums and bassist Shavo Odadjian, and signed with Rick
Rubin’s American Recordings label in 1997.

On the new “Mezmerize,” the anti-Iraq-war single “Cigaro” finds
Tankian and Malakian trading vocals like dueling opera divas, while
an instrumental on the follow-up “Hypnotize” sounds like a jam
session by a Mideastern wedding band, cheesy synthesizer and all. If
this all sounds off-putting, it’s not: it makes you wish more rock
bands would take such brave and impressive risks. “Maybe some people
would think it’s a strange blend,” says Malakian. “But it’s just
everything that’s out there in the world, filtered through us.” As
for the meaning of their name? Don’t bother asking – even the band
can’t quite explain. Chalk it up as one more thing about System
you’ll never understand.

EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION
for Justice & Democracy
Avenue dela Renaissance 10
B-1000 Bruxelles
Tel: +322 732 70 26
Tel/Fax:+322 732 70 27
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
April 21, 2005
Contact :Talline Tachdjian
Tel/Fax :+322 732 70 27

CALL OF THE EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION ON THE OCCASION OF THE 90TH
ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Brussels, Belgium – On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, the European Armenian Federation calls upon the
European civil society, representatives of associative organizations,
survivors of the Armenian Genocide, children and grandchildren of
Armenian Genocide survivors, representatives of associations for
the Defence of victims of Genocide and Crimes against Humanity,
Representatives of associations for the Defence of Human Rights,
representatives of associations and organisations signatories of
the Charter of European Armenians, and actors of European political
life, in signing a declaration urging the democratic and executive
institutions of the European Union to commemorate appropriately the
90th anniversary of the first Genocide of the 20th century, and to
reflect clearly the will of national Parliaments and the European
Parliament in that Turkey should recognize the Armenian Genocide in
all official documents regarding future negotiations with the Republic
of Turkey.

The European Armenian Federation considers that this anniversary,
falling on the actual year set for the opening of negotiations with
Turkey, must mark a turning point in the priority given to the Genocide
issue by the European Executive in its relations with Turkey.

The European Commission, in the framework of defining its perspective
on regional policy, made reference to the Armenian Genocide in its last
report on Turkey. The Commission, however, failed to use the proper
term of genocide, and, inappropriately, reduced this international
issue to a simple bilateral one between Turkey and Armenia.

“Accepting a denialist country in its midst, is first of all, a serious
problem for the future of Europe. The European Executive cannot ignore
anymore the continued calls of national Parliaments and the European
Parliament, whose resolution of December 15th, 2004 asked the European
Commission and Council to demand that Turkey recognize the Genocide,”
said Hilda Tchoboian, Chairperson of the European Armenian Federation.

The Federation recalls that many European countries were witnesses
to the annihilation of the Armenians, which occurred on the
borders of Europe, while others actually were complicit in its
implementation. Others promised to work for justice and to institute
legal proceedings against the responsible state and its guilty
leaders. In the end, however, these promises were never fulfilled
due to political compromises by the Allies, which led to a general
amnesia regarding this tragedy throughout Europe.

“The Europe of today – made up of these states – cannot escape its
responsibility for addressing this crime. The duty of memory is
essential for all Europeans and European democratic institutions,”
noted Tchoboian.

The declaration of the European Armenian Federation is open to all
democratic and constituent organizations that comprise European
civil society.

The text is available on and hereunder.

If you cannot sign this call online, candly print it out, sign it
and send it to us at

EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION
Avenue de la Renaissance 10
B-1000 BRUXELLES
BELGIUM

Fax: +322 732 70 27
email: [email protected]

****************************************************************************

EUROPEAN CALL ON THE 90th ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Ninety years ago, the then government of the Ottoman Empire, lead by
the Young-Turks, launched and executed the deliberate annihilation
of the Armenian people.

In less than two years, 1 500 000 Armenian men, women and children
were uprooted from their homes, and made to march to their death
under inhuman and despicable conditions.

The genocide was perpetrated to encroach upon the Armenians’
ancestral lands and to reduce to silence their call for freedom and
social justice.

Today, there remains less than 70 000 Armenians in the Turkish Republic.

The consequences of this crime are incalculable and continue until today.

In addition to the suffering it caused, the genocide was designed to
create a Turkish nation in a turkified Anatolia. The despoiling of
the Armenian properties was systematic and thus it transferred the
economy into the sole hands of the Turks. In fact, the organisers
succeeded in transforming the destruction of the Armenian people into
a national enterprise.

The Turkish Republic of today is build upon the extermination of
Armenians, the expulsion of survivors and of other minorities,
mainly Christians; Created by the perpetrators of the Genocide, it
continues to extend its moral and material prejudice by continued
destruction of the national heritage and remnants of the Armenian
civilisation in Western Armenia, by the oppression of the remaining
Armenian minority and by the hateful and aggressive denial of the
reality of the Genocide.

The International community and particularly the European States had,
at the time of the genocide, immediately condemned this crime as an
“outrage against humanity”, affirming that it would institute legal
proceedings against the criminal State and against those persons
responsible for these acts. But, confronted with the geopolitical
importance of Turkey and commercial opportunities, the commitments
for Justice were progressively forgotten.

Since then, in the face of the denial by the Turkish State, Europe
recognized the Armenian Genocide in the European Parliament with
the resolution on June 18th, 1987. Furthermore, a large number of
national parliaments of member States recognized followed suit in
official recognition.

>>From 2000 to 2004, the European Parliament regularly called upon
Turkey to assume its responsibilities in recognizing the Genocide.

Today, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the First Genocide of
the 20th century, and the beginning of the negotiations for Turkey’s
accession to the EU, we affirm that denying the Genocide by this
country would put into danger the founding values of Europe for
justice and peace.

We,
– Representatives of associative life and European civil society
– Survivors of the Armenian Genocide
– Children and grandchildren of Armenian Genocide survivors
– Representatives of associations for the Defence of victims of Genocide and
Crime against Humanity
– Representatives of associations for the Defence of Human rights
– Representatives of signatory associations and organisations of the Charter
of European Armenians
– Actors of the European political life

– Consider that current Turkey remains legally and politically responsible
for this crime against Humanity,
– Consider that Turkey must recognize its responsibility in this crime

– Call upon the European institutions to solemnly commemorate the Armenian
Genocide during 2005

– Call upon the European Executive, the European Commission
and Council, to implement the Genocide recognition by the
European nations, integrating the demands expressed by the
European Parliament on the recognition of the Genocide in
the official documents for the framework of negotiations
with Turkey.

Date:
Place:

Name:
First Name:
Tel:
Fax:
E-mail:
Address:
Zip Code:
City:
Country:

####

No response from Iran on Armenians’ rally yet

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 20 2005

Baku, April 19, AssA-Irada — The Iranian government has not sanctioned
the protest action that Armenians plan to hold outside the Turkish
embassy in Tehran on Sunday to mark the fabricated “genocide” day.

The Iranian authorities are not likely to allow the picket, as tens
of people received injuries, while 40 were arrested in a clash between
Armenians and Azerbaijanis living in Tehran in 2004. Armenians honor
the victims of the fake “genocide” in churches.*

Stuttgarter Zeitung, Deutschland
19. April 2005

The role of Germany during the Armenian deportation is still not
established

Einfach die Augen vor dem Grauen verschlossen;
Noch immer ist die Rolle Deutschlands während der Vertreibung der
Armenier nicht vollständig aufgeklärt

Keine europäische Macht wollte am Vorabend des Ersten Weltkrieges dem
Volk der Armenier helfen. Vor allem in Deutschland verschlossen die
Mächtigen trotz Berichten über Gräuel die Augen. Sie wollten den
türkischen Verbündeten gegen Russland auf keinen Fall verlieren.

von Knut Krohn

Der preußische General Colmar von der Goltz war ein Mann mit vielen
Talenten – und darüber hinaus sehr ehrgeizig. So war es nicht
verwunderlich, dass in Berlin die Wahl auf ihn viel, als es im Jahr
1882 darum ging, Armee und Offizierskorps des Osmanischen Reiches zu
modernisieren. Der Offizier löste seine Aufgabe so gut, dass
“Goltz-Pascha” schließlich Oberbefehlshaber der I. und VI.
osmanischen Armee und von Kriegsminister Enver Pascha zum
persönlichen Berater ernannt wurde. Er sei es auch gewesen, der schon
zur Jahrhundertwende ein geopolitisches Konzept für die Türkei
skizzierte, nach dem diese ausschließlich islamisch und asiatisch
sein müsse – womit kein Platz mehr für das christlich-armenische
Element gewesen sei. Das schreibt Vahakn Dadrian in dem Buch “Der
Völkermord an den Armeniern 1915/16”. Goltz sei es auch gewesen, so
der Direktor des Zoryan-Instituts für Genozidstudien in Toronto
weiter, der am Vorabend des Ersten Weltkrieges eine umfassende
Deportation der Armenier in die Wüste Mesopotamiens vorgeschlagen
habe, um eine religiös-homogene muslimische Bastion zu schaffen und
damit ein Bollwerk gegen das expansionistische Russland.

All diese Aussagen bezeugen, dass das Verhältnis zum Osmanischen
Reich nicht nur auf die außerordentlich guten freundschaftlichen
Beziehungen gegründet war. Dahinter standen handfeste militärische
und wirtschaftliche Interessen. Vor und während des Ersten
Weltkrieges suchte Berlin nach Waffenbrüdern. Am Bosporus fand man
den wichtigsten Bündnispartner gegen die Russen. Und der Bau der
Bagdadbahn war nicht nur eine wirtschaftliche Investition
gigantischen Ausmaßes, sondern unterstrich darüber hinaus die
imperiale Rolle des Deutschen Reiches. Allein aufgrund dieser
vielfältigen Verbindungen konnten den Mächtigen in Berlin die
Deportationen der Armenier und das damit zusammenhängende Morden
nicht verborgen bleiben. Dokumentiert werden diese tief greifenden
Verflechtungen in dem Buch “Der Völkermord an den Armeniern 1915/16”.
In akribischer Manier wurden von Wolfgang Gust unzählige Berichte und
Depeschen von Konsuln, Botschaftern, Offizieren und anderen
Augenzeugen gesammelt. Sie spiegeln ein erschreckendes Bild von den
Vorgängen im untergehenden Osmanischen Reich wider.

So schreibt der der junge Oberstleutnant Stange am 23. August 1915 an
die deutsche Militärmission in Konstantinopel. Die Ausweisung der
Armenier aus der Stadt Erserum “ist ein Musterbeispiel für die
rücksichtslose, unmenschliche und gesetzwidrige Willkür, für
tierische Rohheit sämtlicher beteiligter Türken gegenüber der ihnen
tief verhassten und als vogelfrei angesehenen Bevölkerungsklasse”.
Und: “Die Armenier von Ersindjan wurden allesamt ins
Kemach-(Euphrat)Tal getrieben und dort abgeschlachtet.”

Aus dem ganzen Land kamen immer neue solche Schreckensmeldungen, was
die deutschen Diplomaten allerdings nicht zum Handeln veranlasste –
im Gegenteil. Hans Humann, deutscher Marineattaché an der Botschaft
in Konstantinopel, ließ in einer handschriftlichen Notiz wissen: “Die
Armenier (. . .) wurden jetzt mehr oder weniger ausgerottet. Das ist
hart, aber nützlich.” Humann hatte damit auf einen Bericht des
deutschen Vizekonsuls in Mossul, Walter Holstein, reagiert. Der hatte
am 10. Juni 1915 geschrieben, dass 614 aus Dijarbakir verbannte
Armenier auf der Reise sämtlich abgeschlachtet worden seien. Und
wenig später analysierte der Militärattaché messerscharf die
gesamtpolitische Situation: “Die türkische Regierung benutzt die
Kriegszeit und das anderweitig gefesselte Interesse Europas, um die
ganze armenische Frage brevi manu gewaltsam zu erledigen.”

Hans Humann sollte Recht behalten. Kein Land in Europa wollte oder
konnte in jenen Tagen dem Völkermord an den Armeniern wirklich
Einhalt gebieten. Und es schien, dass die Gräuel dem Vergessen anheim
fallen könnten. So wurden 1923 im Lausanner Friedensvertrag mit dem
neuen türkischen Nationalstaat die Armenier mit keinem Wort mehr
erwähnt. Es galt jetzt, Ankara einzubinden, um die aufkommende
Sowjetmacht zu kontrollieren. Gut zwei Jahrzehnte später macht der
Kalte Krieg die Türkei als Nato-Partner noch unentbehrlicher.

–Boundary_(ID_awWuhPkZt3CKpg9SI0MzNA)–

Völkermord

Der Spiegel, Deutschland
Montag 18. April 2005

Die Ermordung von mehr als einer Million Armeniern im Osmanischen
Reich vor 90 Jahren war der erste Genozid des 20. Jahrhunderts.
Beteiligt an den Massakern von 1915 an waren paramilitärische
Einheiten, reguläre Soldaten, aber auch ganz normale Türken und
Kurden.

Sie erschossen oder erschlugen armenische Männer, vergewaltigten
Frauen und trieben die Menschen in Todesmärschen in die Wüsten
Syriens und Mesopotamiens. Der fast 100-jährige Garbis Hagopjan, der
heute in Paris wohnt, zählt zu den wenigen, die überlebt haben und
noch davon erzählen können. Er hat seine Eltern verloren und seine
drei Geschwister, und der Vater opferte sich, damit der Junge nicht
verhungerte: “Alles, was essbar war, hat er mir gegeben, er selbst
nahm nichts”, erzählte Hagopjan SPIEGEL-Autor Klaus Wiegrefe, 40. Bis
heute leugnet die türkische Regierung das Verbrechen. Die christliche
Minderheit sei nur friedlich in andere Landesteile gebracht worden,
behauptet etwa das Kulturministerium auf seiner Website, und
kaschiert den Genozid als “erfolgreichste Umsiedlung der Welt”. Zum
Jahrestag in dieser Woche droht der Türkei nun internationale
Isolierung. “Wenn die Türken in die EU wollen”, urteilt Wiegrefe,
“müssen sie sich dem Thema stellen” (Seite 130).

–Boundary_(ID_Tut6C56ffGPwSaNF9a6Ddw)–

GENERAL STAFF OF TURKEY TO PUBLISH FOUR-VOLUME EDITION
TELLING ABOUT ACTIVITY OF ARMENIANS IN OTTOMAN TURKEY IN 1914-1918

YEREVAN, APRIL 14. ARMINFO. Leadership of General Staff of Turkish
military forces is going to publish a four-volume edition with 1000
documents from its archives, as Turkish “Radical” newspaper informs,
stated Head of Center for strategic investigations and military
history of Turkey, general of Air Forces corps Erdogan Karakush.

According to the source, the GS leadership in such a way tries to
refute confirmations that archives of these department are closed for
society. Karakush noted that it took 1,5 years to publish the
4-volume edition. He says that documents telling about “Armenians’
activity” from 1914 to 1918 will be published there. Karakush
informed that the first two volumes are already printed and will go
on sale shortly. The next two volumes will be published within the
nearest six months. -r-

Pan Armenian News

TURKEY DENIAL OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE EVIDENCES INSUFFICIENT PERCEPTION OF
EUROPEAN VALUES

14.04.2005 07:29

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A conference focusing on the plight of the Armenian
community in Turkey was held in the European Parliament on Tuesday April 12,
reported the European Armenian Federation (EAF). The organization cautioned
EuroParliament members about the likely Turkish government manipulation of
the Armenian speakers on the panel, pressuring the them to claim that all
Armenian minority problems would be solved simply by Turkey joining the EU
and to refrain from discussing `taboo’ topics including the Armenian
Genocide. In the words of Laurent EAF Executive Director Leylekian, the
presentations of both the Armenian minority representatives from Turkey were
full of ambiguity and incoherence. `It was clear that these individuals,
muted by fear, self-censored themselves bother in terms of terminology used
and on the ideological level. Their speeches dealt with everything except
the genocide,’ he said. Meanwhile, in his words, in reality, the purpose of
the conference was not to discuss recognition of the Armenian Genocide by
Ankara, but to discuss the obstacles to Turkeys admission into the EU. The
denial of the Armenian Genocide today, like the act of genocide 90 years
ago, demonstrates a lack of understanding of European values, continued
Leylekian.

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

CROSSROADS E-NEWSLETTER – April 14, 2005

ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN ATTENDS FUNERAL FOR
FORMER GREEK PRIMATE, ARCHBISHOP IAKOVOS
Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan attended funeral services today for
Archbishop Iakovos, who was the primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in
North and South America for 37 years. His death on Sunday, April 10, was
announced by Archbishop Demetrios, the current primate of the Greek church
in the United States.
Archbishop Iakovos was an imposing religious leader who moved the Greek
Orthodox Church into the mainstream of religious and political life, and a
fierce defender of social causes. He was 93 and lived in Rye, New York.
Archbishop Oshagan expressed his sympathy to the Greek Orthodox
community describing Archbishop Iakovos as a special friend of the
Armenians. “He was a dynamic leader who advanced the visibility and work of
the Greek Orthodox Church and in many ways became a model for younger
clergymen.”

JOINT 90TH COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS IN NEW YORK CITY
EXPECTED TO ATTRACT THOUSANDS FROM EAST COAST
Thousands of Armenian Americans are expected to converge on New York
City on Sunday, April 24, to attend the various commemorative events on the
occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915.
Communities all along the east coast, and even the Midwest, are filling
buses for the trip to New York in order to attend the various memorial
events.
The day will begin at 9 am with Divine Liturgies celebrated at St.
Vartan Cathedral and St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York City. Mass will
also take place at St. Ann’s Armenian Catholic Church in Brooklyn, and
services will take place at the Armenian Evangelical Church in New York
City, and the Armenian Presbyterian Church in Paramus, New Jersey.
Memorial Gathering at Times Square will begin at 12 noon until 1:30 pm.
The day will conclude with a solemn ecumenical requiem service at St.
Patrick’s Cathedral, Fifth Avenue at 50th Street, beginning at 2:30 pm to
4:30 pm.
Visit for full details.

BEAST ON THE MOON BEGINS PREVIEWS
The much anticipated New York debut of the Beast on the Moon, a play
about two Genocide survivors, began its preview performances this week.
Beast on the Moon has received 40 international awards, has been performed
in 17 countries, and translated into 12 languages. The play, which has been
described as “heartwarming” and “uplifting,” tells the story of an Armenian
immigrant and his mail-order bride, as they come to terms with their tragic
common past.
Tickets can be ordered through telecharge at 212-947-8844. A number of
Armenian organizations have purchased blocks of tickets. We published a list
several weeks ago and add the following as well:
Armenian National Committee of NJ, April 17.
Armenian National Committee of NY, April 22
Armenian Presbyterian Church (NJ), April 30 (matinee)

EPISCOPAL CONSECRATION IN ANTELIAS
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, ordained
and anointed V. Rev. Khoren Doghramdjian, Prelate of the Diocese of Greece,
and V. Rev. Fr. Shahan Sarkisian, Prelate of the Diocese of Aleppo, as
bishops on April 9 and 10.
On the evening of Saturday, April 9, the bishops made their vows in St.
Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral. The two prelates declared their
faithfulness to the creed of the Armenian Orthodox Church. Then they read
their vows and expressed their loyalty to the Catholicate of Cilicia, His
Holiness Aram I, and their readiness to serve the Armenian church and
people.
The anointing service took place on Sunday, April 10. The service was
conducted by the Catholicos, who was assisted by Bishops Kegham and Nareg.
Members of the Cilician brotherhood, clergy guests and a large number of
faithful from Aleppo, Greece and Lebanon congratulated the bishops following
the service.

AREC SPONSORS SEMINAR FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS
Sixteen Sunday School teachers and directors from four New England
parishes gathered at St. Stephen Armenian Church on Saturday, April 9, 2005,
for a daylong seminar on the Bible and the Sacraments of Christian
Initiation-Baptism, Chrismation and Eucharist.
Sponsored by the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC), the
four-hour seminar focused on the service of the Word in these sacraments.
Deacon Shant Kazanjian, director of AREC, led the seminar.
Dn. Shant walked the participants through the services, highlighting the
ritual movements, prayers and the readings of the scriptures. While the
service of the sacrament of Baptism-Chrismation contains several fixed
biblical readings, the scriptural readings for the Soorp Badarak (as for
every day) are prescribed by the lectionary of the Armenian Apostolic
Church. “The way the Church uses the scriptures in her services provides an
important lens through which we can learn about the mind of the church, how
the church understands a particular passage,” said Deacon Shant.
“For instance, reading John, chapter 3, where Jesus teaches about new
birth or being born ‘of water and spirit,’ a passage which is read during
the service of baptism indicates that the Armenian Church understands the
new birth as something brought about in and through baptism. But this same
passage is read on the third Sunday of Easter {last Sunday’s reading), known
as the Sunday of World Church (Ashkharhamadran Giragi), which commemorates
the establishment of the first church. By doing so, the Church wants to
remind us also of our baptism, in and through which we became members of the
Church of God, we were born into the family of God. Hence, on the third
Sunday of Easter, we commemorate and celebrate our own baptism as well.” He
continued, “We should not view this as simply a souvenir from the past. This
invites us and challenges us to live the new life that we have received in
Christ as a gift in Baptism, to actualize the grace of baptism in our daily
lives. This means then we have to live as aliens to sins, to confess the one
true and holy faith, to submit ourselves to the lordship of Jesus Christ,
and to live according to the teachings of scriptures,” said Deacon Shant.

ONNIC MARASHIAN WILL REPRESENT PRELACY
AT COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS IN ARMENIA
Onnic Marashian, a former chairman of the Prelacy’s Executive Council
and faithful supporter of the Armenian Church, will represent the Eastern
Prelacy at a series of commemorative events for the 90th anniversary of the
Genocide in Armenia. The events are sponsored by the ARF, and include an
international symposium on the Genocide. Delegations from all over the world
are expected to attend the events which will begin on April 20th and
continue through to April 24th with a visit to Dzizernagapert, the martyrs
memorial in Armenia.

PASHALIAN FUND TRUSTEES MEET
The annual meeting of the trustees of the Pashalian Family Scholarship
Fund took place on Monday, April 11, at the Prelacy offices. The trustees
reviewed the financial reports of the Fund and then discussed the
distribution of funds for the current year. Recipients of grants will be
announced shortly.
The trustees of the Fund are: H. E. Archbishop Oshagan (exofficio), Ms.
Gloria Tarsy, Dr. George Dermksian, and Michael Derian.

NALG CONFERENCE THIS SATURDAY
The National Association of Ladies Guilds (NALG) and the Ladies Guild of
Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church will host the 2005 regional religious
conference this Saturday, April 16, 10 am to 3 m at the church, 4906 Flint
Drive, Bethesda, Maryland.
The keynote speaker will be Yeretzgin Joanna Baghsarian from Providence,
Rhode Island. Her presentation will focus on women of integrity in the
Bible. Mary Derderian, adjunct instructor at George Washington University
and Stratford University, will conduct a workshop for special event
coordination, implementation and evaluation.
For information contact Mary Derderian, 703-759-3908.

ORDINATION OF ALTAR SERVERS IN PHILLY
Ordination of altar servers will take place Sunday, May 1, at St.
Gregory Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the Divine Liturgy. His
Eminence Archbishop Oshagan will preside. A banquet in honor of the newly
ordained altar servers will take place immediately after the services. For
information contact the church office, 215-482-9200.

PHOTOS OF FATHER TANIEL ON WEB
Last week we reported on V. Rev. Fr. Taniel Garabedian, who celebrated
the Divine Liturgy in the parish he grew up, Sts. Vartanantz, Ridgefield,
New Jersey. To see some photographs of that day go to:

INTERCOMMUNAL COMMITTEE OF PHILADELPHIA
WILL COMMEMORATE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF GENOCIDE
The Armenian Intercommunal Committee of Philadelphia will commemorate
the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on Thursday, April 21, 7 pm at
Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Armenian Church, 630 Clothier Road, Wynnwood,
Pennsylvania, with a prayer service and program. Guest speaker on this
occasion will be Mgr. James E. King, PhD.

BAYRAKDARIAN WILL PERFORM IN BOSTON
FOR BENEFIT OF ARMENIAN RELIEF SOCIETY
The acclaimed soprano, Isabel Bayrakdarian, will perform on Thursday,
May 5, at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston, along with pianist Serouj Kradjian.
All net proceeds will benefit the Armenian Relief Society Eastern USA’s
programs in Armenia and the Diaspora. An afterglow reception will follow for
VIP guests.
For information contact the ARS regional office at 617-926-3801.

ARMENIAN SISTERS ACADEMY WILL UNVEIL
NEW EXPANDED 24,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY
Armenian education in the United States is an important endeavor and we
here at Crossroads are pleased to support the educational institutions which
provide outstanding educational opportunities for our younger generations.
The Armenian Sisters Academy in Radnor, Pennsylvania, will unveil its
newly expanded and renovated 24,000-square foot facility on April 29. The
event will salute three individuals who have supported the school’s goals:
Vartan Gregorian, president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York; Wallace
F. Forbes, son of the founder of Forbes Magazine, and currently president of
Forbes Investors Advisory Institute; and Janet Janjigian, Senior Vice
President of Corporate Communications at Metro-Goldwyn Mayer Inc. (MGM).
The April 29th celebration will feature inspiring and oral depiction of
the meaningful lives of Gregorian, Forbes, and Janjigian. For information
contact Rita Ohanyan, 610-647-2016.

THIS SUNDAY IS RED SUNDAY
This Sunday, April 17, the third Sunday after Easter, is called Red
Sunday (Karmir Kiraki). The name does not have an ecclesiastical origin, but
rather similar to Green Sunday, it is a celebration of nature, especially
the rebirth of springtime when red flowers grow in the green fields. The
forty days after Easter are also a commemoration of Christ’s various
appearances to His disciples before His ascension. The two Sundays, Green
and Red, are good days to concentrate on our relationship with nature and
our stewardship of this good earth given to us by our Lord.

TOMORROW IS TAX DEADLINE
And, of course, tomorrow, April 15 is the deadline to file your income
tax returns, unless you filed for an extension, which would allow you a
reprieve until August.
In 1913, the 16th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified
empowering Congress to tax “incomes, from whatever source derived, without
apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or
enumeration.” While some states do not have an income tax (i.e., Nevada),
all residents and all citizens of the United States are subject to the
federal income tax.

“The tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but
was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'” Luke
18:13 (NRSV)

We leave you this week with these words of Archbishop Iakovos, who was laid
to rest today.
“I will not remain still or I will die. I will use the time I have left to
further my ecumenical work. I will elucidate the positions of the Orthodox
Church in America. It must be an active church and an activist church,
because the world today needs to be rearranged.”
>From statements made by Archbishop Iakovos, at the time of his retirement as
prelate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America.

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