Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

Iran’s imam threatens to Nagorno-Karabakh territorial integrity

17:56 24/04/2010 » Politics

The OSCE couldn’t establish peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan
through years, imam of the Iranian province of Ardabil, Seyyed Hasan
Ameli, said on April 23, in his Friday prayer sermons, with the
Azerbaijani Ambassador to Iran Javanshir Akhundov and Azerbaijan’s
Islamic leader Haj Ali Akramov present, Gafgaz.ir reported quoting
FARS agency.

Iran has offered mediation to Armenia and Azerbaijan and Armenia
doesn’t accept Iran’s amiable offer, while Baku does, he said.

Touching upon the regional conflicts and ruling out the participation
of out-of-regional forces in their settlement, imam of Ardabil
highlighted that Nagorno-Karabakh should become part of Azerbaijan,
the Armenians should vanish from the territories and `Allah O Akbar’
should be heard again in the mosques.

Source: Panorama.am

Bako Sahakyan sends an address in connection with the 1915 Genocide
victim day

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 24, ARMENPPRESS: On 24 April President of the
Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan sent an address in connection with the
1915 Genocide victim day. Central Information Department of the Office
of the NKR President Office told Armenpress that the address runs as
follows:

`Dear compatriots,

95 years ago a monstrous and unprecedented crime, the Armenian
Genocide, was committed. It was the first genocide of the 20th
century; millions of Armenians fall a victim to this, thousands of
Armenian churches and monasteries, schools and colleges were
plundered, a unique civilization was destroyed. The Armenian nation
was deprived from the great part of its historical Motherland and
spread all over the world.

For our people these 95 years have been the years of struggle and
creation, survival and restoration of historical justice. However, we
have not been alone in this struggle; the progressive mankind has been
standing side by side with us. We are grateful to all those who gave a
helping hand and shelter to the refugee Armenians having escaped from
slaughter.

Many countries have recognized and condemned the Genocide. It is
important both for us and the whole mankind because in this way future
massacres could be prevented and excluded. Impunity is an evil in
itself generating new crimes. The Jewish Holocaust organized by the
Nazis, Armenian pogroms in Sumgait, Baku and a number of other crimes
are just a few testimonies of that.

Dear friends,

Today be bow our heads to the memory of innocent victims of the
Genocide. The best way to immortalize their memory is to build
independent and powerful statehood, to further strengthen the
Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora trinity realizing nationwide programs and
goals. Every single Armenian must do everything possible to make our
Motherland powerful and invincible, flourishing and prosperous’.

Two Minute News
April 25 2010

Memories Of Armenian Genocide
Posted on 25 April 2010

Armenian Genocide ` – The memories of Armenian genocide being a day
that holds a very dark memory of history in it on April 21.

During and after the World War I, almost a million Armenians were
killed in the first ever modern genocide known as Armenian genocide
According to the Armenians. This day in 1915 by the Ottoman Empire,
The killings were systematic and well organized and started.

A long debate over decades in which many historians and scholars
consider these events as genocides but some don’t. To this date,
almost twenty countries have accepted the miserable massacre as
genocide. Turkey, the successor of Ottoman Empire doesn’t agree with
the word `genocide’ as the correct portrayal of the events that took
place then.

But, Armenians have always been very emotional about this event and
even today want the world to believe that the cruel holocaust was
genocide. Even today, many Armenian political personnel gathered at
Tsitsernakaberd Memorial, to pay honor to the genocide victims. They
also raise the agenda of international recognition of the massacre as
genocide.

The Armenian government officials shared their hopes that if American
president Barrack Obama uses the word `genocide’ in his April speech
to the Armenians, that would provide them with a forceful support for
international recognition of that massacre as genocide.

The Armenian genocide facts were astonishing as it is that those who
deny the genocides claim that it never happened and it is all made up
by the Armenians as it was said today by the Azerbaijani Parliamentary
Deputy Speaker. Truth or fabrication, it all lies in the depths of the
earth like a hidden treasure, which may or may not exist.

-world/memories-of-armenian-genocide-8619.html

Sunday’s Zaman , Turkey
April 25 2010

A weekend to remember

ANDREW FINKEL, Columnist

It is a weekend packed with pain and paradox and a few absurdities. On
April 23, Turkey takes the day off to celebrate National Sovereignty
and Children’s Day, a strange juxtaposition of concepts that the
nation struggles to unravel the other 364 days of the year.

On April 24, 1915, some 250 prominent Armenian citizens in Ä°stanbul
were rounded up in a prelude to what Armenians worldwide commemorate
as a plan to eradicate their presence from their historic homeland. On
April 25, Australia and New Zealand remember the folly of war and the
landing of Allied forces on the beaches along the Gallipoli peninsula
in 1915 in an abortive attempt to knock the Ottoman Empire out of
World War I.
Let me confess that I have always been uncomfortable with Children’s
Day, which always struck me as being less about a celebration of
innocence than a way of forcing a loss of innocence in its
celebration. I can’t imagine any child enjoying parading in a sports
stadium engaged in Soviet-style synchronized flag-waving. And whereas
I can see it might be fun to be the child invited to sit in the prime
minister’s chair and bark platitudes at the press, the spectacle
always makes me wince. I know it is meant to be a passing of the baton
to future generations, but frankly watching perfectly normal children
pretend to be politicians has always struck me as unnatural, like the
British television ads that had chimpanzees dressed in business
clothes savoring a cup of tea. Far better to make politicians pretend
to be children for the day as a prelude to having them behave like
adults.

Turkey holds its breath on April 24 as though it were some apocalyptic
Groundhog Day. As long as the American president does not use the word
genocide to describe the terrible events of 1915, then it can go back
into hibernation for another year. What the president does is
acknowledge the suffering that the Armenians underwent without
uttering the word that will force America’s Turkish ally to engage in
a frenzy of self-harm. It is a ritual that each side perfects through
repetition.

By April 25, Ankara can relax. The wonderful thing about Anzac Day is
that the Australians and New Zealanders blame their own naiveté rather
the Ottoman army for the casualties they suffered. No wonder the
Turkish foreign minister, in his reaction to the genocide resolution
that slipped past the foreign affairs committee of the US House of
Representatives, asked why the Armenians don’t take a bit more of an
Antipodean view of life? `1915 is the year of so-called genocide for
them. For us, we say `pain.’ We are ready to discuss. The same year,
we had Gallipoli,’ Mr. DavutoÄ?lu told The Boston Globe, adding that
his own grandfather appeared on the long list of fatalities of the
Gallipoli campaign. And yet while the comparison can be made, it is
not one that flatters the Turkish side of the argument.

The question is, who is `them’ and who is `us’? It is one thing to be
a soldier who dies defending his country from a foreign invader;
another to be that same soldier whose family dies as a result of being
forcibly deported by the very government on whose behalf you are
risking your life. Capt. Sarkis Torossian was a much-decorated gunner
wounded while defending the Dardanelles in the Gallipoli Campaign. He
later was transferred to Palestine. There he discovered his sister in
rags and his fiancée dying of tuberculosis. From them he learned that
his parents had been killed along the way. Not surprisingly, he then
defected to the Arab side, or so he writes in his 1929 memoirs, `From
Dardanelles to Palestine.’

The time has come to stop transferring the burden of history to future
generations. It is necessary not just to call for a historical
commission but to empathize more openly with the descendants of 1915.
The Turkish children whose holiday has just come and gone deserve
something real to celebrate.

25.04.2010

CARL FROCH READY TO TAKE ON MIKKEL KESSLER DESPITE EAR INFECTION
Kevin Mitchell

Herning guardian.co.uk
Friday 23 April 2010 20.18 BST

Nottingham fighter plays down problem before world defence ‘I need
to be more of an animal in ring,’ says Kessler

Carl Froch, right, faces up to Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler at the weigh-in
in Herning. Photograph: John Gichigi/Getty Images

Carl Froch knows there is more than his unbeaten record and WBC
super-middleweight title on the line against Mikkel Kessler in the
quiet depths of rural Denmark tomorrow night. As he moves into the
third section of Showtime’s Super Six Series to find the world’s best
12-stone fighter, he is seeking to extend a sequence of wins against
elite boxers that would lift him above any British world champion of
recent times.

After six years on the periphery of the big time, the 32-year-old
Nottingham fighter strung together victories of varying types and
quality against the tough young Jean Pascal, followed by a still
competitive Jermain Taylor and the awkward American prospect Andre
Dirrell – with Kessler and the remarkable Armenian Arthur Abraham
to come.

If he wins at a packed Messencenter against Kessler, who gave Joe
Calzaghe such a fright in 2007, Froch would probably meet the slick
Andre Ward, who so embarrassed the Dane in Oakland last November.

After that, depending on where he stands in the points table, he
would again fight Dirrell – who was gifted a late disqualification
win over Abraham but had looked impressive in the earlier rounds.

On top of that demanding schedule, Froch has also promised Pascal
a rematch, which would be for the Canadian’s WBC light-heavyweight
title. If there is a shopping list better than that over the past 30
years or so, it has escaped the notice of this writer.

"He’s already achieved his goals," his trainer, Robert McCracken,
said at the weigh-in, where the champion hit the scales a pound under
the 12st limit and Kessler weighed a quarter of a pound less. "This
is the icing on the cake now, the next three fights especially. He’s
looking at the finish line and he can’t wait to get into the ring."

It is going to be as physically demanding a challenge as the Pascal
bout – voted fight of the year in 2008 – and Froch is against a
seasoned opponent of proven pedigree fighting in front of 10,000 of
his own fans, and a long way from Nottingham. This is the lightest
Kessler has weighed in 14 fights over the past eight years. If he
is nearing the exit after looking poor against Ward, there has been
little evidence of it in his preparation.

"I’ll need to be more of an animal in the ring," the popular Dane
said. "I’ve been working on my footwork and have done 174 rounds
of sparring. Maybe I have been too nice before." Not many of his 44
opponents in a distinguished career would agree with that. Kessler is
among the best Europeans to have fought and won at world level at 12
stone, a former WBA champion who clearly wants to repair the damage
done when he lost that title.

Despite an injury scare which proved to be little more than worries
about an ear infection, Froch could hardly have had a better lead-up,
either. There’s nothing like a "mystery injury" to lend spice to a big
fight and Froch created a minor stir in little Herning when he revealed
he would be going in against Kessler with the sort of undisclosed
"niggle" that has been almost a badge of honour throughout his career.

Froch prides himself on his ability to handle pain, from minor surgery
without anaesthetics to getting through a fight with a broken hand,
which he has done twice. This would not seem to be in that class.

Although he refused to talk about it, he is thought to have injured
his ear in sparring and had it checked for any infections before
being been passed fit to fight. "He’s fine," McCracken said. "It
happened ages ago. He will always have minor injuries because he
trains right on the weight six weeks before a fight. That can make
you more susceptible to small cuts and the like because he hardly
has any body fat. It can make sparring a nightmare.

"But he has been in fantastic form in the gym and has been knocking a
few of them over. He’s been sparring with the likes of Danny McIntosh
[English light-heavyweight champion], Colin Fish [the Canadian amateur
star] and George Groves [the new Commonwealth super-middleweight
champion]. George was really good, with a great attitude, but I pulled
him out after a couple of rounds because Carl would just do too much
damage. Fish, who is a bit of a superstar over there, went back after
a week."

ARMENIA SUSPENDS RATIFICATION OF ACCORDS
Jumana Al Tamimi

Gulf News
menia-suspends-ratification-of-accords-1.616925
Ap ril 23 2010
UAE

Yerevan blames Turkey for not honouring its part

Yerevan: Efforts to normalise relations between Armenia and Turkey
have not ended with Yerevan announcing that it has suspended the
ratification of the peace accords with Ankara, officials and analysts
said.

However, the move which many describe as a political tactic, aims to
put more pressure on Turkey rather than Armenia to endorse the peace
protocol, they said.

Shortly after the announcement, Armenian officials stated that the
move doesn’t mean the cancellation of earlier accords between the
two countries. They blamed Turkey for not honouring its part of the
commitment. Both countries accused each other of putting obstacles
in the way of ratifying the protocol.

"Since they [Turkey] intentionally delay the ratification, we decided
to temporarily suspend the protocol, and we said when Turkey starts
ratification, Armenia will do that," Hovig Aprahamian, Speaker of
Armenia’s parliament, said.

"Both [US Secretary of State] Hillary Clinton and [French President
Nicholas] Sarkozy told us [earlier], you ratify it first and we will
put pressure on Turkey to sign it. Our response was are you sure
Turkey will ratify these?," he told a group of visiting journalists
from the UAE.

Armenia has not received an answer, he added.

On the other hand, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said after
the Armenian announcement that his country is still committed to the
rapprochement process.

"We have frequently expressed our commitment to the protocol in
word and in spirit and our goal is to fulfil them," he told a news
conference in Ankara.

"We have expressed clearly, to all parties concerned, our intention
to achieve comprehensive peace in the region."

The two countries have agreed late last year to establish diplomatic
relations and to open their borders, closed since 1993, when Armenia
and Azerbaijan, went to war over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. The
signed protocols are supported by the Americans, Europeans and the
Russians. But they were not endorsed by either country’s parliament.

Turkish-Armenian reconciliation process goes back to 2008 when Turkish
President Abdullah Gul attended a soccer match in Yerevan at the
invitation of the Armenian president Serj Sargisian. The then-called
soccer diplomacy was opposed in both countries.

RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY HOPES THAT ARMENIA AND TURKEY WILL BE ABLE TO OVERCOME CURRENT OBSTACLES AND TO NORMALIZE THEIR RELATIONS

ArmInfo
2010-04-24 11:06:00

ArmInfo. At the current stage Armenia and Turkey have failed to
achieve a result that would allow them to restore their relations and,
thereby, to improve political atmosphere and to foster stability in
the South Caucasus, says Andrey Nesterenko, official representative
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.

"In his TV address on Apr 22 Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said
that the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement talks had come to a deadlock.

However, he noted that Armenia had just suspended the ratification
process and was not withdrawing its signatures from the protocols.

Thus, there still is a prospect for normalization. We hope that the
two states will be able to overcome the current obstacles and will
create conditions for their rapprochement – something that will
benefit all the countries of the region," says Nesterenko.

Press release
April 22 2010
[email protected]

ght-the-night

Light the Night, 2010 Campaign

On the eve of April 24th, we encourage to "Light the Night" by lighting a
candle through the night of the 23rd and into the morning of the 24th, in
remembrance of the 1.5 million souls that fell victim to the annihilation
machine of the Ottoman Empire. Each lit candle placed on the window sill
will represent a soul lost throughout the years of 1915 and 1923.
Together, lets "Light the Night", lets vow to remember, to never forget,
and to pursue justice and peace for all humanity.

The Light the Night campaign started in 2005 in connection to the 90th
remembrance day of the Armenian Genocide and we wish to continue this
campaign hoping that it will be a permanent tradition. In previous years,
the campaign received wide TV and radio coverage in Armenia, among others
from H1, VivaCell and Printinfo. We are working for a larger support from
companies, organisations and indivuduals and hope that you too could join
us in this tradition. Help us to spread the news!

Take a picture of your lit candle and send it to us with information about
city and country and we will add it to our gallery. Email your image and
information to [email protected].

For more info visit

6TH INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL "NATIONAL PICTURE GALLERY" STARTS IN ARMENIA ON APRIL 21

NOYAN TAPAN
APRIL 21, 2010
YEREVAN

The 6th international music festival "National Picture Gallery"
starts with the concert of the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia at
the Hall of Murals of the National Picture Gallery on April 21. The
famous pianist Svetlana Navasardian was expected to participate in
this concert, but she was on tour in Paris and could not come back
due to the cancelled flight.

The founder and chairwoman of the Art Picture Gallery cultural
foundation Mariam Shahinian said at the April 20 press conference
that during the festival seven concerts will take place, with the
participation of the State Chamber Chorus of Armenia, Dio Claripiano
from Slovenia, Stockholm-based violinist Hugo Ticiatti, and Russian
pianist Yevgeny Mikhaylov. Besides Yerevan, the cities of Goris,
Charentsavan, Abovian and Gavar will host these concerts.

According to M. Shahinian, in addition to promoting classical music
and presenting the recent achievements of Armenian composers and
performers, the festival aims to introduce wide sections of the
population to the activities of Armenia’s National Picture Gallery.

The Chairman of the festival’s Artistic Council, composer Edward
Mirzoyan announced that a lot of young performers will participate in
the festival for the first time, which is a gratifying and praiseworthy
fact. "The classical music continues to live among the youth," he said.

The festival will last until June 2. On the same day the Republican
Viola and Violoncello Festival will start. Initiated by the famous
musician Aram Talalian, the festival will also involve events dedicated
to anniversaries of Armenian composers: the 80th anniversaries of Edgar
Hovhannisian and Gagik Hovunts and the 90th anniversaries of Ghazaros
Sarian and Alexander Harutyunian. The festival will end on June 22.

The indicated festivals will be held with the assistance of the RA
Ministry of Culture.

WD Newsletter
3325 North Glenoaks Blvd. Burbank, CA 91504
Tel: (818) 558-7474 Fax: (818) 558-6333
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

*Burbank, CA* – Under the auspices of His Eminence
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese
of the Armenian Church of North America, the 83nd Annual
Diocesan Assembly will be held from Wednesday, April 28 to
Saturday, May 1st, 2010 at the Diocesan Headquarters in
Burbank, California.

Plans and preparations have been underway for the 83rd
Annual Diocesan Assembly under the direction and leadership
of Dr. Vahram Biricik, Chair of the Diocesan Host
committee. Subcommittees have been formed and meetings
have been held to organize the daily sessions and events.
The Diocese will be hosting more than 250 Clergy, members of
the Ladies Central Council, and delegates from the parishes
throughout the Western Diocese.

A highlight of the 83rd Annual Diocesan Assembly will be
the Gala Banquet to be held on Friday, April 30, 2010 with
the presentation of the Archbishop’s Award by the Primate.
Recipients are recognized for their years of loyal and
steadfast dedication to their church and parish. The
Primate expressed his pride in the honorees, stating "Giving
is a virtue. All of this year’s recipients have truly
given from their hearts with a firm commitment, with love
and passion, for the strengthening of the mission of the
Western Diocese. Through the past years they have certainly
inspired many with the same vision of serving the Diocese.
We wish them well and continuing success for their future
endeavors. God Bless them."

This year two distinguished members of the Clergy will be
receiving the Archbishop’s Award; Archpriest Rev. Fr.
Arshag Khatchadourian, St. James Armenian Apostolic Church,
Los Angeles, and Archpriest Rev. Fr. Vartan Kasparian of St.
Mary Armenian Church, Yettem. Other recipients of the
award are: Rod Jorjorian, St. James Armenian Apostolic
Church Sacramento; Adrienne Krikorian, Esq., St. Peter
Armenian Church Van Nuys; Margaret Keishian Lulejian,
St. Peter Armenian Church Van Nuys; Carolon Nigosian,
Armenian Apostolic Church of the Desert; Melene Perch
Ouzounian, St. Paul Armenian Church Fresno; Deacon Stephen
A. Ovanessoff, St. Apkar Church, Scottsdale, Arizona; Dr.
Raffy A. Safarian, St. Apkar Church, Scottsdale, Arizona;
Richard R. Terzian, Esq., St. James Armenian Apostolic
Church Los Angeles; Charles J. Tateosian, St. John
Armenian Church, San Francisco; Greg Tcherkoyan, St. Vartan
Armenian Church, Oakland and Dr. Vahram Biricik, St. Mary
Armenian Church, Costa Mesa.

For the out-of-towners, the Hampton Inn, directly across
from the Western Diocese at 7501 Glenoaks Boulevard has
reserved a block of rooms for this event (1-818-768-1106) or
On Line at:
.jhtml?ctyhocn=Burbank[ m/en/hphotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=Burbank].

For information regarding registration, and attendance at
the 83rd Diocesan Assembly Sessions and/or the Gala Banquet,
please call the Western Diocese Offices (818) 558-7474.

The Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North
America, providing spiritual guidance and leadership to the
Armenian Apostolic community, is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit,
tax-exempt organization comprised of more than 50 churches
in 16 western states. It was established in 1898 as the
Diocese of the Armenian Church encompassing the entire
United States and Canada. In 1927 the Western Diocese was
formed to exclusivly serve the western United States.