Author: Virabian Jhanna

LEADER OF ARMENIAN COMMUNISTS TAKES PART IN CONGRESS OF UNION OF
COMMUNIST PARTIES OF REPUBLICS OF FORMER USSR

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12. ARMINFO. Recently in Moscow the congress of
the Union of communist parties of the CIS countries made a resolution
calling on the CIS countries to recognize the genocide of Armenians
of 1915 in Ottoman Turkey and “to raise this question at European
level”. First Secretary of Central Communist party of Armenia Ruben
Tovmasian informed during the news conference at the discussion club
Azdak. It should be noted that Ruben Tovmasian had taken part in the
Moscow forum. According to him, even Azerbaijani communists voted
“for” the adoption of the resolution.

STEPANAKERT-BASED OFFICE OF ICRC CONTINUES RESTORATION OF
MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS OF NAGORNY KARABAKH

STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 11. ARMINFO. Stepanakert-based office of the
International Committee of the Red Cross continues the restoration of
medical institutions of Nagorny Karabakh, at the same time providing
them with medicines and rendering professional assistance.

ARMINFO’s own correspondent in Stepanakert informs, according to
the head of Stepanakert-based office of ICRC, the organization also
provides material aid to the families of the missing, needy categories
of the populations, old people. 40 playing-grounds for children
are built under the project “Construction of safe playing-grounds”,
which ICRC is implementing jointly with the Red Cross of Norway.

ARMENIAN DRAFTS NEW PROPOSALS FOR MCA

ArmenPress
Feb 9 2005

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 9, ARMENPRESS: Armenian finance and economy minister
Vartan Khachatrian told a news conference today that over 200 proposals
that were drafted last year and presented to the Millennium Challenge
Account (MCA), a new US government assistance scheme representing
a fresh approach to helping low-income countries overcome economic
backwardness, proved to be poorly developed and did not stand the
test of the MCA.

The overall cost of those proposals amounted to $1 billion. He said
the MCA assessed the proposals in terms of how effective they were
to promote a sustainable economic growth, a vital component of the
government’s plan to radically slash the poverty volumes.

Khachatrian said along with major proposals two alternative ones
will be sent to MCA after they are finalized late in February . He
said the proposals will be open for public debates. The minister
said Armenia is ranked highly by international donor organizations
as it meets duly all its commitments. He said that is one of the
reasons why Armenia was one of two former Soviet republics, together
with Georgia, included in the US government assistance program, but
he claimed that Georgia was included because of political motives,
while Armenia for its economic achievements.

FOREIGN MINISTER MET WITH THE OSCE DELEGATION

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
04 Feb 05

On January 30 the foreign minister of the Republic of Nagorni Karabakh
Arman Melikian met with the OSCE delegation which had arrived there on
the same day. The delegation included the Minsk Group co-chairmen
Youri Merzlyakov (Russia), Stephen Mann (USA) and Bernard Facier
(France), as well as the mission of experts headed by Emily Haber
(Germany). Greeting the members of the delegation Arman Melikian said
that the NKR authorities are interested in the visit of the
mission. Presenting the standpoint of the country’s government
concerning the territories controlled by NKR, the foreign minister
emphasized that the study of the situation in the security area of
Nagorni Karabakh will enablethe international community to have a real
idea of the state of refugees and the repressed. Armen Melikian
mentioned that the NKR authorities are open to cooperation with the
OSCE mission and are ready to provide necessary conditions and enable
them to visit any region that interests the monitoring group. The
representatives of the group of experts touched upon a wide range of
questions concerning the official policy of the NKR government for the
problem of territories under the control of Nagorni Karabakh. During
the meeting arrangements were made concerning the activity of the
group during their visit in Karabakh. The members of the delegation
thanked the minister for a detailed talk and willingness to assist to
the work of the mission.

AA.
04-02-2005

GEORGIAN MONASTERIES IN ARMENIAN-POPULATED REGION

Azg/arm
28 Jan 05

“This was the way that St Nino passed while going inland, to
Mtskhet. For that reason the monastery of St Nino was built at the
shore of Parvana Lakein 1989”, said father Antony from the monastery.

The monastery is located by Poga village in largely Armenian-populated
Ninotsminda region. The monks, solely Georgians, spend their time here
in prayers. The local Armenians are in friendly relations with the
residents of the monastery, 5 monks as yet.

“Only in 1989 it became possible to built the monastery as the region
was a closed zone and one had to have an ID to pass through here”
Antony explained. It was built by Georgian Patriarch’s order.

Father Antony says that the main reason for building the monastery was
to bring people to God. “We live here, baptize children and explain to
curious people what the Orthodoxy and the Georgian Church are”.

The vegetable garden and the cattle are the only source of their
food. “We do everything ourselves and people help occasionally. People
come here from everywhere, mainly the capital”, father Antony said.

Mother Shushanik is the supervisor of the woman’s cloister which was
built 3 years later, in 1992. “We were four at first but today there
nine of us”, mother Shushanik said.

Telling why they chose Ninotsminda region for their cloister, mother
Shushanik said: “This is a holy place for Georgia as St Nino,
illuminator of Georgia, passed through here on her way to Georgia from
Armenia”.

Mother Shushanik said that there is a Sunday school at the cloister
where they have not only Georgian but also Armenian pupils learning
Georgian and English.

The inhabitants of two monasteries celebrate the day of St Nino on
January the 1st in an open church at the Parvana Lake after which the
Georgian clergy that is participating at the celebrations goes to
Mtskhet by the route thatSt Nino passed in 4th century.

Speaking of the future mother Shushanik said: “We make no plans here,
we simply live carrying out our daily jobs praying and serving the
Lord”.

By Aghavni Harutyunian in Poga

Associated Press Worldstream
January 27, 2005 Thursday 2:24 PM Eastern Time

Azerbaijan reports soldier killed by ethnic Armenian forces in
disputed enclave

by AIDA SULTANOVA; Associated Press Writer

BAKU, Azerbaijan

An Azerbaijani soldier was killed on the cease-fire line separating
government troops from ethnic Armenian forces controlling the
Nagorno-Karabakh enclave and a swath of surrounding territory in the
ex-Soviet republic, the Defense Ministry said Thursday.

The military chief in the disputed enclave, meanwhile, said
strengthened defenses on the cease-fire line mean that any
Azerbaijani attempt to take back the territory will be thwarted and
could prompt “successful counterattacks.”

The latest death on the dividing line and the bellicose warning added
to tension that persists more than a decade after a 1994 cease-fire
ended a six-year war over Nagorno-Karabakh that killed 30,000 people
and drove a million from their homes.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said ethnic Armenian forces opened fire
near the village of Shurabad shortly before midnight Wednesday,
killing an Azerbaijani soldier.

Gunfire sporadically breaks out between the opposing forces, and the
dispute has raised fears of renewed war. International efforts have
failed to produce a settlement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which
supports Nagorno-Karabakh’s internationally unrecognized government.

Also Wednesday, Nagorno-Karabakh defense chief Seiran Oganian said
that “large volume of construction work” done on the front line over
the past year would enable ethnic Armenian forces to “freely conduct
trench fighting in the case military action begins, turning aside all
attempts by the enemy to move forward.”

“We are prepared … not just to defend ourselves but to conduct
successful counterstrikes,” Oganian said.

Ethnic Armenian forces also control a large amount of adjacent
territory, including land that links the enclave with Armenia.
Disputes over the additional territory have been one of the factors
preventing Armenia and Azerbaijan from settling the conflict.

International monitors from the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, which has been seeking to foster a settlement
between Armenia and Azerbaijan for a decade, are due to tour the
ethnic Armenian-held territory in the coming days.

Oganian, who spoke at a news conference, said that Nagorno-Karabakh
authorities “cannot prohibit our citizens to farm in these
territories.”

Bernard Fassier, the French co-chairman of the OSCE’s Minsk Group,
said at a news conference in Baku on Thursday that the OSCE could not
resolve the dispute on its own.

The OSCE “can provide help in the process of dialogue, conducting
negotiations, creating productive atmosphere, but it cannot resolve
the conflict for you,” Fassier told Azerbaijan’s President Ilham
Aliyev.

Fassier said OSCE representatives would travel to Nagorno-Karabakh on
Jan. 29 for a fact-finding mission.

Associated Press writer Avet Demourian in Yerevan, Armenia,
contributed to this report.

Cyprus Mail
Jan 27 2005

Armenian Patriarch sues in bid to save the Melkonian
By Jean Christou

THE ARMENIAN Patriarch of Constantinople, Mesrob Mutafyan, has filed
suit in Los Angeles against the Armenian General Benevolent Union
(AGBU) in an attempt to prevent the closure of the Melkonian
Educational Institute (MEI) in Cyprus.

According to an announcement from the Melkonian worldwide alumni, the
Patriarch, who is the original trustee of the MEI, filed the suit on
January 13 with the Superior Court of the State of California.

The action is being co-ordinated and mediated by the California group
on behalf of the Patriarchate, a beneficiary of Garabed Melkonian’s
Deed of assignment. Garabed Melkonian was one of the two sibling
founders of the Nicosia-based secondary school 78 years ago.

The MEI is under threat of closure from June this year, after the
AGBU, which administers some 22 Armenian schools worldwide, decided
the loss-making school should close finally.

However, the alumni and other friends of the Melkonain have banded
together to fight the decision, believing that the true motive of the
closure is financial, given that the school is sitting on some £40
million worth of commercial real estate in the capital. The legal
battle is the last chance to save the MEI and the challenge is based
on the extent to which the AGBU should have control of the MEI.

Using the proceeds of the large financial gift from Garabed, the
Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, Zaven Der Yeghyayan, in 1923
established the MEI. In 1925, the Armenian Patriarch of
Constantinople, with Garabed Melkonian’s concurrence, thereafter
conveyed the entire gift, including the MEI, in trust to the AGBU,
with the express direction and expectation that it would maintain the
Institute in Cyprus and continue to educate Armenian youth, the
announcement said.

`The AGBU always argued that the copy of the deed in the hands of the
Alumni is in fact not the latest document in existence and that it
(the AGBU) has a later copy that changes the status of the Melkonian,
thus giving the AGBU the right to close the school and sell the
land,’ the alumni announcement said.

`The alumni, and Jack Melkonian, great nephew of Garabed Melkonian,
dispute this.

`In spite of all this, the AGBU has so far refused to produce what it
contests is the later will in its possession.’

During a visit to the island in November, Jack Melkonian, the great
great nephew of Garabed, said he would join the fight to save the
school. He said his family had a copy of the deed, which clearly
states that a trust should be set up, the proceeds of which were to
keep the school going.

He said there was no mention in the deed that the school should not
exist, and that in fact his great great uncle was rather concerned
that the school stay open. The amount donated at that time
corresponded to the budget of Luxembourg, he said.

Melkonian said he had asked the AGBU to forward its document, but it
had not done so by that time.

`If indeed the AGBU has a later copy of the deed of assignment, they
will be forced to show it in court, or else pay the Patriarchate the
money withheld over the last 79 years, no doubt with interest, and
possible also have to pay additional compensation,’ the alumni said,
referring to the alleged non-payment of an annual sum stipulated in
the Deed of Assignment.

ARMENIAN TECHNOLOGICAL GROUP OF AMERICA HAS IMPLEMENTED A NUMBER OF
HUMANITARIAN PROGRAMS IN NAGORNY KARABAKH SINCE 1995

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 24. ARMINFO. An Armenian Technological Group of
America has implemented a number of humanitarian programs in Nagorny
Karabakh since 1995.

According to ARMINFO’s correspondent to Stepanakert, the group, in
particular, implemented programs “Wheat,””Honey,””Wine,”provided
vegetables seeds, corn and other to farming economies in NKR. In 1999,
the organization started implementation of a program “Farm” (in the
territory of the village of Khramort) with the object of stimulating
development of wine-growing. Since the greatest part of arable lands
in Karabakh is infected with phylloxera, the program first of all
pursues a goal of creating phylloxera-stable plants. At present,
phylloxera-stable grafts and 20 sorts of grapes are grown in 2,5 ha of
lads. The cost of one graft is 600 AMD.

California Courier Online, January 27, 2005

1 – Commentary
Armenia Fires the First Shot on
90th Anniversary of Genocide

By Harut Sassounian
California Courier Publisher
2 – Sen. Chuck Poochigian Honored at California
Attorney-General Campaign Dinner in L.A.
3 – Armenian American Nurses
Association Holds Flu Clinics
4 – Keyan Donation Raises Prelacy
Scholarship Fund to $100,000
5 – Prof. Levon Chookazsian to Teach
At UCLA During Winter Quarter
6 – Paul Krekorian Named President
Of Education Policy Coalition
7 – AAMSC’s Honors Dr. Autian with
2005 Lifetime Achievement Award
8 – Director Oliver Stone Apologizes to
Turks for ‘Midnight Express’ Film
*************************************************************************
1 – Commentary
Armenia Fires the First Shot on
90th Anniversary of Genocide

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

The Armenian government fired the first shot this week to begin the
yearlong commemorative activities planned for the 90th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide.
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian spoke on January 24 during the Special
Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations to mark the 60th
anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camps. Mr. Oskanian’s
remarkable statement, along with several others, was broadcast live in
Israel. Here are excerpts from his remarks that were delivered
extemporaneously with a heavy heart and profound passion:
“On behalf of the people and government of Armenia, and as a descendant of
genocide survivors, I feel compelled to be here today, to join other
survivors and descendants of both victims and perpetrators, to take part in
this commemoration….
“In the 20th century alone, with its 15 genocides, the victims have their
own names for places of infamy. What the French call ‘les lieux infames de
memoire’ are everywhere. Places of horror, slaughter, of massacre, of the
indiscriminate killing of all those who have belonged to a segment, a
category, an ethnic group, a race or a religion. For Armenians, it is the
desert of Deir-El-Zor, for Cambodians they are the killing fields, for the
children of the 21st century, it is Darfur. For the Jews and Poles and for
a whole generation of us growing up after The War, it is Auschwitz….
“After Auschwitz one would expect that no one any longer has a right to
turn a blind eye or a deaf ear. As an Armenian, I know that a blind eye, a
deaf ear, and a muted tongue perpetuate the wounds. It is a memory of
suffering unrelieved by strong condemnation and unequivocal recognition.
The catharsis that the victims deserve, which societies require in order to
heal and move forward together, obligates us here at the UN, and in the
international community, to be witness, to call things by their name, to
remove the veil of obfuscation, of double standards, of political
expediency….
“Recognizing the victims and acknowledging them is also to recognize that
there are perpetrators. But this is absolutely not the same as actually
naming them, shaming them, dissuading or warning them, isolating or
punishing them….
“The Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana admonished us to
remember the past, or be condemned to repeat it. This admonition has
significance for me personally, because the destruction of my people, whose
fate in some way impinged upon the fate of the Jews of Europe, should have
been more widely seen as a warning of things to come.
“Jews and Armenians are linked forever by Hitler. ‘Who, after all, speaks
today of the annihilation of the Armenians?’ said Adolf Hitler, days before
he entered Poland.
“Hitler’s cynical remembrance of Armenians is prominently displayed in the
Holocaust Memorial in Washington because it is a profound commentary about
the crucial role of third parties in genocide prevention and remembrance.
Genocide is the manifestation of the break in the covenant that governments
have with their peoples. Therefore, it is third parties who become crucial
actors in genocide prevention, humanitarian assistance and genocide
remembrance.
“We are commemorating today, because the Soviet troops marched into
Auschwitz 60 years ago. I am here today because the Arabs provided
sanctuary to Armenian deportees 90 years ago.
“Third parties, indeed, can make the difference between life and death.
Their rejection of the behaviors and policies which are neither in anyone’s
national interest nor in humanity’s international interest, is of immense
moral and political value.
“What neighbors, well-wishers, the international community can’t
accomplish, is the transcending and reconciling which the parties must do
for themselves. The victims, first, must exhibit the dignity, capacity and
willingness to move on, and the perpetrators, first and last, must summon
the deep force of humanity and goodness and must overcome the memory of the
inner evil which had already prevailed, and must renounce the deed, its
intent, its consequences, its architects and executors.”
Mr. Oskanian’s UN remarks are significant for several reasons:
1) They were delivered by the Foreign Minister, and not by the Ambassador
at the UN;
2) They exposed once again the Turkish lie that Armenians in Armenia do not
care about the Genocide. Several years ago, Pres. Kocharian himself spoke
about the Armenian Genocide from the UN podium. Furthermore, the
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is one of the foreign
policy objectives of the Republic of Armenia;
3) They sent a message to the Turkish leaders that Armenians would keep
raising this issue at every opportunity, and in every forum, until the
Turks acknowledge the skeletons in their closet;
4) By speaking about this issue at the UN, the Armenian Genocide was
brought to the attention of the whole world.
As I reported in this column last December, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN
had asked for a Special Session of the UN General Assembly to mark the 60th
anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps. Since the US
government would not make a similar request to have the UN observe the 90th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, it was very commendable that Foreign
Minister Oskanian made a personal appearance at the UN to deliver a major
statement marking the anniversaries of both the Jewish Holocaust and the
Armenian Genocide.
It is noteworthy that during a press conference last week, when the
Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Annan, was asked if holding a Special
Session of the General Assembly for the Holocaust “may open the gate for
other groups such as the Armenians… to demand a similar treatment,” he
appeared to leave the door open for a UN commemoration of the Armenian
Genocide by saying: “It is possible that, in the future, Member States
would want to commemorate other events.”
On this occasion, it is important to compare and contrast the attitude of
the representatives of Germany and Turkey. While the German Foreign
Minister very strongly condemned the atrocities committed by the Nazi
regime, the Turkish Ambassador shamelessly lied about the abysmal human
rights record of his country, stating that Turkey has always been a
tolerant state that combated hatred and prejudice! While Germans offer
profuse apologies and make amends for the crimes committed by their
predecessor regime, Turks continue to defend their genocidal ancestors.
Turkish commentators had expressed the fear that an “Armenian Tsunami” was
fast approaching Turkey on the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Despite these warnings, the first wave of the “Armenian Tsunami” caught
Turkish officials by surprise. Their Ambassador was unprepared to respond
to Mr. Oskanian’s statement. He simply read his prepared speech that
contained no answer to the Armenian Foreign Minister’s call for the
acknowledgment of the Genocide.
The Turks should expect more such bad weather in the next 12 months, as
long as they continue to deny the first genocide of the 20th century.

**************************************************************************
2 – Sen. Chuck Poochigian Honored at California
Attorney-General Campaign Dinner in L.A.
LOS ANGELES – California State Senator Chuck Poochigian (R-Fresno) was
honored at a dinner in support of his campaign for Attorney General held at
Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City on Jan.13.
The dinner program featured California’s 35th Governor, George Deukmejian,
who also served as Attorney General. Dr. Joan Otomo-Corgel, a longtime
Poochigian family friend was the emcee for the event. Gov. Deukmejian was
introduced by former California Congressman and Assemblyman Steve
Kuykendall. Deukmejian offered remarks on the history and importance of the
office of Attorney General and praised Poochigian and his wife, Debbie, for
their work in government and politics. He warmly introduced Senator
Poochigian to approximately 500 enthusiastic dinner guests.
Sen. Poochigian spoke about his preparation for the office beginning with
his work as a member of the senior staff to governors Deukmejian and Pete
Wilson. His responsibilities included considerable work in assisting in the
selection of members of the judiciary and seeking men and women for
appointment who were highly respected, hard-working, and committed to the
rule of law. He spoke of the importance of similar qualities in the state’s
chief law officer who, in the ideal, should judiciously carry out the
duties of the office.
Poochigian spoke about the challenges of conducting a statewide race and
the necessity of having strong involvement of committed supporters
throughout California. He encouraged guests to actively participate in the
campaign and to encourage others to join in the effort.
Entertainment was provided by Fred Travalena, a renowned singer,
impressionist, comedian and song writer who has performed internationally
on stage and screen. Jill Simonian, who is a television host of World
Entertainment Connections, sang the National Anthem and closed the evening
with a wonderful rendition of America the Beautiful.
First elected to the Legislature in 1994, Chuck Poochigian has in the
course of two Assembly and Senate terms, represented Central California
from Bakersfield to the Sacramento county line. He has been in the
leadership of the Republican Caucus for his entire time in the Legislature
– beginning in his first term when he chaired the Appropriations Committee
and was named “Republican Rookie of the Year” (in a class of 22). He has
had a distinguished legislative career with many important legislative
accomplishments in the fields of education, business and law enforcement.
Most recently, he was the author of comprehensive legislation sponsored by
Governor Schwarzenegger to reform California’s workers’ compensation
system.
The mailing address for the Poochigian for Attorney General campaign is
P.O. Box 8446, Fresno, California 93747. ID#1265332; Phone 559-255-1699;
Fax 559-255-3123; E-mail [email protected]
***************************************************************************
3 – Armenian American Nurses
Association Holds Flu Clinics
By Adlina Minassi
GLENDALE – The Armenian American Nurses Association joined forces with the
Glendale Adventist Medical Center to hold a “free” flu clinic recently
with the assistance of volunteers from Glendale High School.
The flu clinics were held in Glendale, at St. Mary’s Armenian Church and
Daylight Adult Health Day Care Center.
The volunteer nurses that helped at St. Mary’s Armenian Church were, Mary
Konyalian (coordinator), Magy Chorbajian, Rosig Der-Tavitian, Sossi
Mikaelian, Marina Manukyan, Siran Balian, and Anjel Matevossian. The
nurses who helped at Daylight Adult Health Day Care Center were, Siran
Balian (coordinator), Knarig Massih, and Marina Manukian. The volunteers
and nurses were able to help 253 people all together.
“Once again, Glendale can take deep pride in having the excellent caliber
of youth that helped fill our forms, translations and other logistic work
that was needed to accomplish our mission in serving the Glendale
community. They gave up their leisure time as did the Armenian American
Nurses Association on a sunny Saturday morning to serve the community,”
noted John Krikorian, of Krikorian Marketing Group.
**************************************************************************
4 – Keyan Donation Raises Prelacy
Scholarship Fund to $100,000
LOS ANGELES – Longtime Western Prelacy benefactor, Charles Keyan, has made
a donation of $50,000 to the special scholarship fund he established a year
ago, raising the total amount since last year to $100,000.
Keyan had made a similar donation last year, thus establishing a
scholarship fund for students at the Armenian Mesrobian High School in
Montebello.
Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, the Religious and the Executive
Councils of the Western Prelacy and the Education Network functioning under
their auspices thanked Keyan for his donation and dedication to the Prelacy
schools.
“We consider this a true expression of confidence to the mission of the
Western Prelacy and the school system functioning under its auspices,” the
Prelacy said.
**************************************************************************
5 – Prof. Levon Chookaszian to Teach
At UCLA During Winter Quarter
LOS ANGELES – The Friends of UCLA Armenian Language and Culture Studies,
announced the arrival of art historian Levon Chookaszian UNESCO Professor
of Armenian art at Yerevan State University. During the current Winter
Quarter 2004/5, Prof. Chookaszian will teach two courses in Armenian art
history under the auspices of the UCLA Narekatsi Chair for Armenian Studies
held by Prof. S. Peter Cowe. The two courses are Modern Armenian Painting
(Tue.,Thurs. 10-11:20, Rolfe Hall 3123) and Medieval Armenian Manuscript
Illumination (Tue., Thurs., 12:30-1:50, Rolfe 3131)
These courses were made possible through funds raised by the Friends
organization within the Armenian community. It is intended that these and
other courses to be offered in the future in other armenological fields
will help promote the establishment of an Armenian Major (B.A.) at UCLA.
Profiting by Prof. Chookaszian’s presence in Los Angeles, the Friends have
organized a series of three illustrated public lectures, in Armenian – all
to be presented at the Glendale Public Library. The first two will be
dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, while the third
celebrates the 1600th anniversary of the invention of the Armenian
alphabet.
The first lecture, Armenian Art Treasures Rescued from the Genocide, will
be held Jan. 30 at 4 p.m.; the second, The Armenian Liberation Movement,
the Genocide and Armenian Painters, will be presented Feb. 27 at 4 p.m.;
the third topic will be Decorated Letters of Armenian Manuscripts and will
be presented on March 20 at 4 p.m.
Prof. Chookaszian did his undergraduate work in Armenian language and
literature and his graduate work in Armenian art at the Erevan State
University. He furthered his graduate studies at Moscow State University
with special emphasis on Byzantine art and European art of the Middle Ages.
His first doctoral degree in art history was defended at the Art Institute
of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, Tbilisi (1981), while he received his
second doctorate in the field from the Institute of Art of the Ministry of
Culture of Russia, Moscow (2001).
Prof. Chookaszian is multilingual, is a member of many professional
organizations, has given more than 200 lectures and published numerous
articles on medieval Armenian art, manuscript illumination, architecture,
and sculpture. He has participated in dozens of international conferences
and has an important monograph on Grigor Tsaghkogh (1986) and has published
a 60-page summary of his dissertation on Toros Roslin in Russian (2001).
Further, he has published book reviews, has acted as consultant on matters
of Medieval Armenian art including the Matenadaran series on medieval
Armenian art and artists produced by Armenfilm, and for one year (1991) he
was advisor on culture to the Prime Minister of Armenia. He is also the
recipient of several prestigious grants that have helped him pursue his
research in Armenian art history.
It is possible to audit the professor’s classes, with special permission
from him and the public lectures (in Armenian) at the Glendale Public
Library (222 E. Harvard) are open to the public.
**************************************************************************
6 – Paul Krekorian Named President
Of Education Policy Coalition
BURBANK, Calif. – Paul Krekorian, the Vice President of the Burbank Board
of Education, has been chosen to lead the Five Star Coalition of local
school boards as its President for the coming year. Krekorian will assume
the Presidency at the Coalition’s February 25 meeting.
The Five Star Coalition is the combined legislative advocacy effort of the
Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, South Pasadena and La Canada school districts.

The Coalition represents the interests of over 75,000 students and 89
schools in the five school districts. By working closely with state and
federal legislators, as well as community and business leaders, the
Coalition helps to shape education policy and otherwise to improve the
quality of education for the districts’ students.
“I feel privileged to be able to lead the combined legislative efforts of
these five great school districts,” Krekorian said. “Public education is
facing unprecedented challenges right now, and the Coalition gives local
education leaders the opportunity to make an impact on the actions of the
state and federal governments in meeting those challenges.”
As the only Armenian-American member of the Coalition, Krekorian has a
special role in ensuring that the needs of Armenian students and their
families are met in dealing with the state and federal governments. For
example, state and federal law impose strict requirements upon school
districts dealing with students who are not yet fully fluent in English.
“In complying with state and federal mandates, we need to ensure that all
of our students are treated fairly and have every opportunity to
participate fully in all school programs. No student should ever be
stigmatized by limited English abilities,” Krekorian said. “At the same
time, we must do everything possible to help our students become fluent in
English and to reclassify them as fluent as quickly as possible.”
Krekorian is a lawyer specializing in business disputes, copyright,
trademark and entertainment matters. Krekorian was elected to the Burbank
Board of Education in 2003, and he is believed to be the only
Armenian-American ever elected to any public office in Burbank.
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7 – AAMSC’s Honors Dr. Autian with
2005 Lifetime Achievement Award
LOS ANGELES – In recognition for his numerous national and international
contributions to science, the Armenian American Medical Society of
California will present the 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. John
Autian at the AAMSC’s 19th Annual Dinner, Feb. 26 at the Glendale Hilton.
Known internationally for his contribution to science, humanity, business,
academia and government, Dr. Autian is an environmental consultant for A.
Zaker Associates of which he is the founder and president. He travels all
over the world as a speaker, advisor and consultant for UNESCO and other
relief organizations.
Dr. Autian has visited Armenia every year since 1990. Through Medical
Outreach he has visited schools, pharmaceutical colleges and has helped
them financially.
Dr. Autian has worked in academia for over 35 years. At the University of
Texas he established and directed the Drug-Plastic Research Laboratory, the
first of its type in the country. He served as Dean of the College of
Pharmacy at the University of Tennessee and later Dean of the Graduate
School of Medical Sciences and Vice Chancellor for Research. He was the
Senior Science Advisor to a Joint U.S. and Saudi Arabian project
establishing the first environmental toxicology laboratory in the Kingdom.
He has authored or coauthored 220 scientific, technical and professional
articles and has contributed to 18 textbooks in the field of pharmacy,
toxicology and biomedical materials.
A contributing columnist to various Memphis newspapers, Dr. Autian has made
generous contributions to several universities, colleges and high schools
in developing environmental programs. He has set up endowments at the
University of Tennessee, University of Memphis, LeMoyne Owen College, and
South West Tennessee Community College. He has supported inner city Dropout
Prevention programs.
Dr. Autian is the recipient of several National and International Awards,
including The Clemson Award, Temple University’s The Most Distinguished
Graduate Award, South American and Biochemical Industries Award, US
Environmental Protection Agency Award and was recognized by the Indian
Parliament for establishing endowments with several Indian scientific
societies. In September of 2004, Dr. Autian received the Kabakjian Award,
given to an Armenian American for the advancement of sciences.
A veteran of World War II, Dr. Autian served in the Pacific theater and was
a member of one of the first units to land in Japan. He has one son, John
Zaker and grandson Tyler Christian Autian.
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8 – Director Oliver Stone Apologizes to
Turks for ‘Midnight Express’ Film
LOS ANGELES – Only days before the European Union’s decision whether to
launch membership talks with Turkey, Hollywood filmmaker Oliver Stone has
apologized for offending the Turks for his 1978 film, “Midnight Express,”
an article in the Jan. 7-13, 2005 L.A. Weekly by Paul Krassner revealed.
“It’s true I overdramatized the script,” Stone told reporters in Istanbul.
“But the reality of Turkish prisons at the time was also referred to…by
various human rights associations.” Stone had been afraid of visiting
Turkey since the release of Midnight Express, he said, because of the
effect it had on the country.
“For years, I heard that Turkish people were angry with me, and I didn’t
feel safe there. The culture ministry gave me a guarantee that I would be
safe, so I feel comfortable now.”
Midnight Express was adapted from the book by Billy Hayes, an American who
was sentenced to 30 years in prison for attempting to smuggle hashish out
of Turkey, and eventually escaped. Stone also did a week’s worth of
interviews with Hayes in a hotel room after he’d read the book.
Krassner contacted Hayes to get his reaction to Stone’s recent statement.
“How was the script overdramatized?”
“My biggest problem with the screenplay and the film was that you didn’t
see a single good Turk,” Hayes told Krassner, “so the overall impression
was that all Turks are like those depicted in the film. And, of course,
this is not true. It doesn’t take away from the fact that the prison was
brutal and the legal system hypocritical, but that can be said of almost
any country, particularly, and unfortunately, ours. Prison guards are not
necessarily the cream of any society.”
“What would you say was the most offensive to the Turks?” Krassner asked
Hayes.
“The most offensive scene for the Turks was Billy’s speech in the courtroom
calling them all ‘a nation of pigs,’ etc. In fact, when I spoke to the
court, knowing I was having my sentence changed to life, I was trying to
hold on to my shredding sanity and wanted to affect these people who were
taking my life away, but really knew nothing about me as a person. I said
something like, ‘I’ve been in your jail four years now and if you sentence
me to more prison I can’t agree with you, all I can do is forgive you…’
It affected them. The judge told me his hands were tied. They all looked
upset. Then they sentenced me to life, which the kindly judge reduced to 30
years. Thanks. I think. Anyway, Oliver wanted to know how I could forgive
people who had just taken my life away. I told him about trying to maintain
my balance. He asked how I felt the next morning after sentencing. I told
him I was furious. So he wrote that courtroom speech.”
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Agency outlines prospects for Armenia in USA’s Middle East plans

Mediamax news agency, Yerevan
24 Jan 05

The Armenian news agency Mediamax has praised government’s decision to
send peacekeepers to Iraq as this move is in line with processes going
on in the Middle East. The USA will probably prefer Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan’s pragmatic policy to the opposition’s pro-Russian
orientation, it said. The following is an excerpt from report in
English by Armenian news agency Mediamax; subheadings as published:

On 18 January, with a difference in only several hours 46 Armenian
peacekeepers and Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan left for
the Middle East. The peacekeepers’ destination was Kuwait, and the
Armenian foreign minister’s – Egypt. Despite the fact that the visits
were not interrelated, this coincidence became very symbolic.

Non-combatant unit of the Armenian armed forces, which includes
sappers, medical officers and drivers, will stay in Kuwait for two
weeks. After it, they will leave for Iraq where they will serve as
part of multinational division under the Polish command.

Vardan Oskanyan arrived in the capital of Egypt to sign a memorandum
with the Arab League countries on granting Armenia with a status of a
special invitee to this organization. According to Oskanyan, “the
signing of this document is undoubtedly a historic event. I consider
that it opens the new page for the further development and
intensification of the Armenian-Arab relations”.

According to the official Egyptian news agency MENA, Arab League
Secretary-General Amr Musa has said at the meeting with Oskanyan that
Condoleezza Rice, designated US Secretary of State, used “new
language” when talking about the USA’s Middle East policy at last
week’s confirmation hearing in the Senate. “We hope that the new
language used by Rice will transform into new actions,” the
secretary-general of the Arab League countries said.

We would like to mention that it is hardly that the Armenian foreign
minister deliberately scheduled the terms of signing the memorandum
with the League so that it would coincide with the dispatch of the
Armenian peacekeepers to Iraq, thus softening the hypothetical
negative reaction of the Arab countries to the decision of official
Yerevan.

However, the symbolism does not become smaller from this. The
coincidence, which took place, was the vivid example of the fact that
Armenia can play certain role in the US project on the democratization
of the region, which is now more often called the Greater Middle East.

The first step

On 24 December 2004 the Armenian National Assembly ratified at the
closed meeting the memorandum on the dispatch of 46 Armenian medical
officers, drivers and sappers to Iraq. 91 deputies voted for and 23 –
against the ratification. In particular, the factions of Justice
opposition bloc and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Dashnaktsutyun Party, which makes part of the ruling coalition, voted
against the dispatch of Armenian humanitarian contingent to Iraq.

The dispatch of the peacekeepers to Iraq, being a purely foreign
policy event, has become a subject of internal political speculations
in the course of the several last months. By the highest standards,
nobody in Armenia wanted to risk the lives of its citizens in Iraq
reigned by chaos and uncertainty. The problem should be considered
exclusively in the context of political necessity. If the Armenian
authorities managed to advance serious reasons in defence of their
position, the opposition again demonstrated lack of principles and
absence of any ideological motivation.

Mediamax learned from the informed sources that the higher echelons of
the Armenian leadership gave a command to speak about the motives of
the dispatch of Armenian contingent to Iraq as rare as possible. It is
obvious that Armenia w ould never send its servicemen to Iraq but for
certain commitments before the USA. The main burden of “explanatory
work” fell on the shoulders of Armenian Defence Minister Serzh
Sarkisyan, who, to give him his due, managed to formulate the motives
of official Yerevan’s decision in accordance with the stylistics
commonly accepted in the Euro-Atlantic community.

Still in December the head of the Defence Ministry said that “Armenia
is obliged to dispatch a contingent to Iraq”. “If we bear losses in
case of the dispatch of our contingent to Iraq, they will be
considerably small than if we stay aside these processes,” Serzh
Sarkisyan said.

On 18 January, the day of the dispatch of the peacekeepers to Kuwait,
the defence minister said that “Armenia is being involved in a
process, which, despite the ambiguous perception on the part of the
international community, as well as by Armenian society, is one of the
most important components of building international security”. This
has become first such statement of Armenia, which was the only country
in the South Caucasus that did not support the USA’s war against Iraq.

As to the opposition, discussing the issue on the dispatch of the
peacekeepers to Iraq, it did not think about Armenia’s participation
or, vice versa, Armenia’s non-participation in the establishment of
stability in the Middle East at all, it was involved in achieving its
own aims. How, for example, can we explain the fact that last October
the secretary of the National Unity opposition faction, Aleksan
Karapetyan, spoke about the “unacceptability of the dispatch of
Armenian contingent to Iraq as it can turn into Armenians’ mass
emigration from the Arab countries” and on 25 December this faction
unanimously voted for the dispatch of the peacekeepers? It can be
explained, most likely, by the unwillingness to spoil the relations
with Washington and not by radical rethinking of its approaches to the
issues of providing regional security.

Yerevan’s Aykakan Zhamanak newspaper, which is one of the most radical
critics of the Armenian authorities, informed on 20 January about the
details of the meeting between the representatives of the Armenian
opposition and the delegation of advisers and assistants of the US
congressmen held in Yerevan in mid-January. According to the
newspaper, the leader of the National Unity Party, Artashes Gegamyan,
decided not put the Justice bloc in “inconvenient position” and told
the members of the US delegation that his opposition colleagues
abstained from voting on the issue of the dispatch of the peacekeepers
to Iraq.

Aykakan Zhamanak notes with indignation that the leader of the Justice
bloc, Stepan Demirchyan, who was Armenian President Robert Kocharyan’s
opponent at the second stage of the presidential elections of 2003,
kept silence and did not mention that he himself and his colleagues
did not abstain and voted against the dispatch of the peacekeepers to
Iraq.

Sometimes the Armenian opposition demonstrated elementary
unawareness. On 29 October, one of the leaders of the opposition
Republic Party, Albert Bazeyan, called to take into account the fact
that “Armenia is in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
and the forces of its member states are not present in Iraq”. The
Armenian defence minister’s answer was short: first, we are not the
first CSTO member state, the servicemen of which are taking part in
the operation on the stabilization of Iraq (the matter concerns CSTO
member state – Kazakhstan); second, “Armenia informed its allies in
CSTO of the intention to send a contingent to Iraq”.

It is natural that nobody has the right to condemn a political force
for its adherence to this or that position. However, in our case the
problem is that the opposition did not manage to bring even one
trustworthy argument in support of its thesis that the participation
of Armenian sappers and drivers in the restoration of Iraq would
negatively affect Armenia’s relations with the Arab world.

One of the Justice representatives and leader of the Democratic Party
of Armenia, Aram Sarkisyan, said in the interview published in Russian
Nezavisimaya Gazeta on 19 January: “A great number of Armenians have
been living on the territory of the Middle East countries for hundred
years after the genocide. The authorities of the Arab countries gave
them not only shelter but also an opportunity to develop their
individuality. That’s why, we find it wrongful to interfere in the
affairs of the Arab countries. We possess information that already
today a wave of anti-Armenian moods aroused in the Arab countries,
especially in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and the United Arab
Emirates. Moreover, we do not rule out dramatic consequences for our
country as well after the decision of the Armenian leadership.”

There is not a single concrete evidence of “a wave of anti-Armenian
moods in Arab countries”. In case of existence of such a “wave” Vardan
Oskanyan would hardly decide to visit Egypt, and Amr Musa, in his
turn, would not hurry with granting Armenia with a special status in
the Arab League countries.

We are not so naive to explain the Armenian authorities’ decision on
the dispatch of Armenian peacekeepers by a desire to make a real
contribution to the democratization of Iraq. The Armenian president’s
negative approach to the US incursion into Iraq is well
known. However, Kocharyan proved that he possessed the political
resource necessary for making unpopular decisions. Moreover, Armenia
is sending a contingent to Iraq at a time when other countries stop
taking part in the peacekeeping operation, and this fact will,
undoubtedly, bring additional dividends to him in his relations with
the West.

The Armenian opposition, vice versa, again demonstrated that it is not
only unable to set tasks and solve them but also has difficulties to
formulate its strivings. Voting against the dispatch of the contingent
to Iraq, the Justice bloc was guided by two main factors: the desire
to oppose everything suggested by the authorities and the desire “not
to anger” Russia. In any case, the same Albert Bazeyan openly stated
in October that Moscow “would not like” the decision of official
Yerevan, and in case of the dispatch of the Armenian contingent to
Iraq “Russia may apply certain sanctions in relation to Armenia”.

But two questions remained unanswered. First, why should Armenia
always do things which Russia likes? Second, why did Bazeyan think
that Moscow would not like Armenia’s decisions? The absence of answers
to these questions reveals the main problem of the Armenian opposition
Justice bloc – its leaders continue to mechanically defend Russian
interests even at a time when they are not asked. Not to mention that
the dispatch of the Armenian sappers and doctors to Iraq can hardly be
called an event, which touches upon Russia’s interests.

Long-term choice

The task of sending the peacekeepers to Iraq was solved by the
Armenian authorities quite successfully. At the same time, there are
serious reasons to doubt that official Yerevan has a formulated
strategy of relations with a huge region, which the Americans call the
Greater Middle East. Or, if we reformulate the question, will Armenia
recognize itself a constituent part of Greater Middle East? The only
official, who has stated Armenia’s belonging to the Greater Middle
East until now, is the Armenian ambassador to Washington, Arman
Kirakosyan. Speaking at the conference in Virginia University on 12
November, he said that “being a part of the Greater Middle East,
Armenia has been and is concerned about the situation in Iraq”.

Active talks on the Greater Middle East Initiative (GMEI) started in
February 2004, when the London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat
published a “leaked” US-compiled document. The original document was
meant to signal a new US plan for reform of the Middle East and some
other Muslim-majority countries such as Pakistan, Iran and Turkey. A
number of non-Arab countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and
Turkey have been mentioned as candidates for the initiative. However,
speculation is growing that the US plan may also have an impact on
other Muslim countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh and the Central
Asian countries of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan
and Tajikistan.

The essence of the GMEI was reflected in the speech by US President
George Bush in November 2003 before the most influential
neoconservative organization in Washington, the American Enterprise
Institute. In his speech, Bush spoke of a “freedom deficit” in the
Middle East.

“In many nations of the Middle East, democracy has not yet taken
root. And the questions arise: are the peoples of the Middle East
somehow beyond the reach of liberty? I, for one, do not believe it. I
believe every person has the ability and the right to be free,” the US
president said. If we take into account the fact that the idea of
spreading liberty was the key moment in the US president’s
inauguration speech last week, there must be no doubt that the
negative and in some cases openly hostile attitude of the Arab leaders
towards the GMEI will not make the US administration give up their
plans on the practical realization of the initiative.

Many people in our country may ask – what does Armenia have to do
here? The adherents of such an approach may say that Armenia should
work out tactics of behaviour in case of aggravation of situation
around Iran, its direct neighbour, and should stay aside from the
Greater Middle East. However, the case in point is that the GMEI
authors, as well as the experts, who carried out the “modernization”
of this initiative, have already included the South Caucasus and
Armenia into the wider Black Sea region, which they consider to be the
key for the successful realization of the GMEI.

Passage omitted: quote from article published in the Policy Review

The case in point is not whether Armenia believes in the possibility
of successful realization of the GMEI ideas or how much democratic the
USA’s intention to implant democracy is. The matter is that this
process exists, develops and, most likely, will be actively put into
life during George Bush’s second term whether Armenia wants it or
not. And here comes a situation, which contains big challenge for
Armenia – should it observe the situation from the outside or take
active participation in the process?

If we judge by the persistence and determination with which the
Armenian authorities solved the issue of the dispatch of the
peacekeepers to Iraq we can draw a conclusion that Yerevan realized
the necessity to assume a certain role. On the other hand, the
Armenian authorities like their Azerbaijani and Georgian counterparts
must consecutively work on themselves and one another for a long time
in order to solve the existing democratic and economic problems and
conflicts.

The mediations over these themes are much more important than the
hackneyed speculations whether the USA is going to “export” to Armenia
the “rose revolution” from Georgia or the “orange revolution” from
Ukraine. First, the comparison between the behaviour of the
authorities and the opposition on the Iraq proves that it is
advantageous for the West to deal with Kocharyan. Second, even if we
assume that the USA is really going to “export” a revolution to
Armenia, we must understand why they want to have more compliant
partners in Yerevan. Third, the Armenian leadership has to more
decisively establish order inside its own country, to more actively
get rid of corruption and other negative things hampering the normal
development of the country.

Still in June 2001, president Robert Kocharyan, meeting Belgian
senators in Brussels, said that “being at the junction of
civilizations, Armenia is the guard of European values”. It looks as
if it is high time for the “guard” to begin acting and prove its
readiness to defend these values in practice.