Category: 2023

From Homesickness to Belonging: Discovering the Armenian Church in Abu Dhabi

Aram Torosian
May 8, 2023 Milena Baghdasaryan Culture 0

The unmatched scent of khoong spreads around the room, drawing all shapes of transparent clouds in the sun-lit horizon. Colorful mosaics of all sizes and shapes are perfectly embedded in the walls as if the walls had been pencil-drawn around them, following the exact trajectory of their outline. A sweet, familiar melody permeates through the ‘clouds,’ across the mosaics, until it finally enters deep into my soul. At that very moment, I know I am home. 

A heartwarming corner in the Armenian Sunday School in Abu Dhabi

Finding an Armenian church in Abu Dhabi felt like finding a long-sought treasure, a hidden gem that would give me a sense of connection and belonging, love, friendship, community and home. Living outside of Armenia, far away from all my family and friends, often meant endless days of homesickness and longing, wherein speaking my mother tongue seemed like a luxury that could only be afforded over Whatsapp calls. Speaking about topics related to my homeland with my international friends required me to first summarize a thousands-year-long historical context into a quick five-minute introduction, and only then touch the surface of the current news related to my homeland. I missed having insightful discussions about home, where everyone involved in the conversation would know all the intricacies of the issue at hand and would be equally interested in finding a solution, as the problem would matter, on a deep emotional and DNA level, to all of us. Against the backdrop of homesickness and nostalgia, finding the St. Nahadagadz Armenian Church meant finding a home away from home, but it also meant finding a family.  

Meghrig

After speaking with Hayr Vache Balkjian, I felt like the ground beneath my feet became more firm. “Milena, the moment you need something, as tiny or big as it may be, you give us a call, okay? We are always here for you,” was how Hayr Vache concluded our first phone call, leaving a lasting smile on my face as I realized that I, the petite young woman that I am, am no longer alone in this big city of towering skyscrapers. Despite the tremendous distance between the church and the campus where I live, Hayr Vache helped me secure free transportation to and from the church, as he carefully searched among his contacts to find someone who would live in close proximity to my current residence. That’s how I met Meghrig, a warm and kind Armenian woman who happened to live very close to NYU Abu Dhabi. When Meghrig and her beautiful family arrived to pick me up, I was greeted with the lovely and delightful sound of Western Armenian, the language of our hearts, which I enjoyed for the next 30 minutes of our long yet pleasant drive to church. The word “Hayastan” was used perhaps 50 times during our conversation, as we talked about our origins, the current situation at home, our relatives living in Armenia, the Armenians living outside of Armenia, and many other topics wherein motherland was always the central theme, and everything else was marginal. 

We arrived at the church around noon, which meant that most seats were already occupied by fellow Armenians on this Easter Sunday. One of the first things that struck me was the surprisingly high number of Armenians living in Abu Dhabi and how they have all come from all corners of Abu Dhabi to the not-central-AT-ALL part of the capital, simply to celebrate Easter together. The Divine Liturgy, performed entirely in Armenian, was followed by an event during which every participant was given a beautiful keepsake for the home with the message “God Bless this Home,” with the name of St. Nahadagadz Church written at the bottom. 

The St. Nahadagadz Armenian Church in Abu Dhabi

My next visit to the church was in the scope of the “Banakum” initiative, an annual event that brings together Armenian children and youth from all the corners of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The official opening of the three-day event took place on April 21 and was followed by a variety of activities, including lectures and discussions about Armenian culture, identity and values, the Armenian Genocide, Armenian patriotic songs and lessons on Armenian traditional dance movements and bracelet making. The children also participated in fun and energetic games that aimed to encourage a healthy and active lifestyle. Then they cleaned up the Armenian Sunday School (located right in front of the church) and its surroundings, thereby learning to appreciate and take care of their environment. The “Banakum” event concluded on April 23, on the eve of the commemoration day of the Armenian Genocide. After the commemoration liturgy, each of the participants was asked to leave a flower on the memorial, thus paying tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide. 

A fun and energetic game inspired by Vardavar, organized in the scope of the Banakum event

I had the honor of participating in the “Banakum” event as a photographer, a role that made me appreciate the event even more than I otherwise would, as, with each shutter sound, I was able to capture a sincere smile, endless happiness in the eyes of the youth, the joy of feeling reconnected with their origins, speaking their mother tongue, learning about their culture and identity, feeling home away from home, exactly as I felt, or maybe more. I understood more deeply the role of the Armenian church as a powerful bridge to connect different members of the Armenian community who would perhaps never know each other if not through the church, and who have now turned into a strong and supportive family where everything, be it food, news, happiness or sorrow for the motherland, is shared without reservation. A family in which each member stands up for the other, supports in any way they can, building each other up and thinking of creative ways to help rebuild Armenia. I never thought speaking Armenian in the UAE would be not the exception, but the norm. I never thought seeing Armenians in Abu Dhabi would be not a surprise, but a weekly occurrence that would set up the mood for the rest of the week. I never thought I would be so close to home while being so far away from it, and I could never be more grateful than I am today for the existence of an Armenian church and for people like Meghrig and Hayr Vache who, within only three weeks, have managed to do so much for me that I don’t hesitate when referring to them as my second family. They entered my heart as seamlessly as the colorful mosaics have entered the walls of the St. Nahadagadz Armenian Church, bringing with them a warm hue of bright colors that I can’t help but associate with the heartwarming colors of Armenia.

The participants and organizers of the Banakum event

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Milena Baghdasaryan is a graduate from UWC Changshu China. Since the age of 11, she has been writing articles for a local newspaper named Kanch ('Call'). At the age of 18, she published her first novel on Granish.org and created her own blog, Taghandi Hetqerov ('In the Pursuit of Talent')—a portal devoted to interviewing young and talented Armenians all around the world. Baghdasaryan considers storytelling, traveling and learning new languages to be critical in helping one explore the world, connect with others, and discover oneself. Milena currently studies Film and New Media at New York University in Abu Dhabi.


AW: ANCA: Countering Armenian Genocide Denial with Education and Advocacy

Christine Harutyunian
May 9, 2023 Pauline Getzoyan Interviews 0

ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian advocating for Armenia and Artsakh on Capitol Hill

As the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots political organization, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) works on the ground on Capitol Hill to influence and guide US policy, serving Armenian Americans as a liaison with their elected officials, and advancing issues of concern to the American Armenian community. The ANCA’s current efforts and actions are dedicated to stopping all US military aid to Azerbaijan and to sending emergency humanitarian assistance to Artsakh in the face of the ongoing blockade by Azerbaijan. In conjunction with these pressing issues, the ANCA also focuses its attention on education, and in particular, Armenian Genocide education. By now, our readers have received the 2023 Special Issue Magazine dedicated to genocide education. In preparation for the magazine, the Armenian Weekly conducted an interview with ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian to learn more about the ANCA’s objectives in genocide education and how they correspond to current events in Armenia and Artsakh.

Armenian Weekly (A.W.): Tell us about the Armenian Genocide Education Act and its status.

ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian (A.H.): The ANCA welcomed the reintroduction of the Armenian Genocide Education Act on April 24 by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and her three colleagues, Representatives Gus Bilirakis, Ted Lieu and David Valadao. They were joined by more than 40 original cosponsors, a strong showing of bipartisan support. [Note: Since the interview was conducted, Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Menendez and Senator Marsha Blackburn introduced the bipartisan companion to the House’s Armenian Genocide Education Act.] 

In the last session of Congress, this measure was introduced by former Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, a longstanding ally in Congress, who was joined by Congressman Gus Bilirakis in introducing H.R.7555. This measure secured strong bipartisan support, garnering 76 cosponsors and considerable interest and support among diverse Congressional constituencies and also academic, scholarly and human rights circles. It was referred to the Committee on House Administration, since it called on the Library of Congress (an arm of Congress) to promote Armenian Genocide education, but this panel did not have time to act on the measure before the end of the 117th Congress. 

The Armenian Genocide Education Act builds upon the President’s (2021) recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the historic passage (2019) of H.Res.296 and S.Res.150 – resolutions that established US recognition of the Armenian Genocide and rejected any official US association with the denial of this crime. This measure aims to appropriate $10 million over five years for the Library of Congress to help educate Americans about the Armenian Genocide. It specifically cites Ottoman Turkey’s systematic and deliberate state-sponsored mass murder, national dispossession, cultural erasure and exile of millions of Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites and other Christians between 1915 and 1923.

A.W.: How does Armenian Genocide education fit into the ANCA’s legislative priorities?

A.H.: The ANCA has a forward-looking policy agenda, focused on the long-term viability of the Armenian nation. Armenian Genocide education represents a vital component of this work, aligned with our aims of a secure Armenian homeland and a safer world. Increasing awareness of the Armenian Genocide shines a spotlight on the current threats – by the same state perpetrators of the 1915 Genocide – to the very existence of Armenia and Artsakh. More broadly, this type of education makes the world safer by challenging Turkey’s precedent of genocide committed, consolidated and denied with impunity.

A.W.: Given that the ANCA’s advocacy efforts are focused on the existential threat facing the republics of Artsakh and Armenia today, how can genocide education inform those efforts?

A.H.: Genocide education places the current existential threats to our homeland in historical context. Azerbaijan’s aggression – fully backed by Turkey – did not start in the 1980s, but rather has its roots in the genocidal campaigns by Sultan Abdul Hamid, the Young Turks and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to rid Armenian lands of Armenians as part of their twisted pan-Turkish dream of ethnically-cleansing their way to Central Asia. Today, a century after the Armenian Genocide, we hear Turkish President Recep Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev repeating genocidal threats, and worse yet, acting on their stated intentions to finish the work of 1915. Erdogan and others have called Armenians the “remnants of the sword,” meaning the few they failed to kill, while Aliyev loudly proclaims Yerevan and the rest of Armenia as Azerbaijani land.

A.W.: The ANCA continues to work diligently to zero out US military aid to Azerbaijan and to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its war crimes in the 2020 Artsakh War and to the present day. How do you think genocide education today can help in these specific efforts?

A.H.: It is our hope and expectation that US policymakers – forced to make decisions on US military aid to Azerbaijan out in the open, under the bright light of public scrutiny – will be informed by the long history of Turkey and Azerbaijan working together today to eradicate the presence of Armenians upon their indigenous homeland. That they will not misrepresent this ethnic-cleansing as a “conflict” between two antagonists, but rather a unilateral attack by vastly larger militaries against a blockaded, landlocked genocide survivor state. We are working toward the day that Turkey and Azerbaijan’s genocidal drive to eradicate Armenians will be challenged by American leaders as a moral imperative, not as a geopolitical chess game to be managed. A future State Department whose diplomats all learned about the Armenian Genocide in school would be far more willing and able to prevent a second Armenian Genocide, and more broadly, to help end the global cycle of genocide.

A.W.: According to The Genocide Education Project, currently, 14 US states that require genocide and Holocaust education include the Armenian Genocide as a primary example. What efforts are being made by the ANCA and its local affiliates to promote this requirement in other states, and what states, if any, are a specific focus?

A.H.: Our challenge is to expand the list of states that require Armenian Genocide education and then – just as importantly – to ensure that these states actually implement these programs in each and every school district. We are working with our local chapters to make this happen. We aim to build on the remarkable work that has been done in the civic arena, by Armenian National Committees in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia, to include Armenian Genocide education in public school lesson plans. The Genocide Education Project, in the academic space, is doing groundbreaking work in training teachers and providing educational materials in school districts across the country.

A.W.: Any final comments about the importance of Armenian Genocide education, specifically as it pertains to the work of the ANCA?

A.H.: As William Faulkner said, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” That’s doubly true for Armenians. By virtue of our history, our geography, our neighbors and the threats we face, we must confront the past, addressing its gravest injustices, as part of our broader movement forward as a nation.

What’s at stake here is not just historical memory, which is so very vital, but also prospects for a just resolution of the Armenian Genocide and the prevention of future genocides against any peoples, anywhere on our planet. There is no better way to end the cycle of genocide than by teaching about genocide, and there is surely no better place to start than in our schools.

Our efforts in this regard are all the more necessary given the lack of sufficient Armenian Genocide education in school textbooks and lesson plans and all the more urgent in light of the Turkish government’s increasingly aggressive global campaign of Armenian Genocide denial, including active and ongoing efforts to roll back US recognition of this crime.

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Editor
Pauline Getzoyan is editor of the Armenian Weekly and an active member of the Rhode Island Armenian community. A longtime member of the Providence ARF and ARS, she also is a former member of the ARS Central Executive Board. A longtime advocate for genocide education through her work with the ANC of RI, Pauline is co-chair of the RI branch of The Genocide Education Project. In addition, she has been an adjunct instructor of developmental reading and writing in the English department at the Community College of Rhode Island since 2005.


RFE/RL Armenian Report – 05/09/2023

Garik Boshkezenian 
                                        Tuesday, May 9, 2023


Armenia-Azerbaijan Summit In Brussels Confirmed

        • Artak Khulian

Moldova - European Council President Charles Michel speaks during a news 
conference in Chisinau, March 28, 2023.


The European Union confirmed late on Monday that its top official, Charles 
Michel, will host on Sunday fresh talks between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

“The leaders have agreed to convene again on 14 May 2023 in a Brussels 
trilateral meeting,” read a statement released by Michel’s office. “Their 
discussions will also be flanked by a meeting together with President Emmanuel 
Macron of France and Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, in the margins of the 
upcoming European Political Community summit in [Moldova’s capital] Chisinau on 
1 June 2023.”

“The leaders have also agreed to continue to meet trilaterally in Brussels as 
frequently as necessary to address ongoing developments on the ground and 
standing agenda items of the Brussels meetings,” added the statement.

It said nothing about the precise agenda of the upcoming summit which will 
follow marathon talks held by the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers 
outside Washington last week. The U.S.-mediated talks focused on an 
Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty.

The U.S. State Department insisted on Monday that the two ministers “made 
significant progress in addressing difficult issues.”

“And we believe that with additional goodwill and flexibility and compromise an 
agreement is within reach,” a department spokesman said, echoing U.S. Secretary 
of State Antony Blinken’s statements.

The secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, Armen Grigorian, told reporters on 
Tuesday that the conflicting sides still disagree on key terms of the would-be 
treaty. He said those relate to Azerbaijani recognition of Armenia’s existing 
borders, an internationally supervised dialogue between Baku and Karabakh’s 
leadership as well as “international guarantees” for the sides’ compliance with 
their peace accord.

Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovannisian announced, meanwhile, that 
the Brussels summit will be followed by Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks in 
Moscow. He did not specify whether they will involve Aliyev and Pashinian or 
their foreign ministers.

Russia has been very critical of the U.S. and EU peace efforts, saying that the 
Western powers are trying to use the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to drive Moscow 
out of the South Caucasus. It maintains that Armenian-Azerbaijani agreements 
brokered by Russian President Vladimir Putin are the only viable blueprint for 
settling the conflict.




Pashinian Attends Victory Day Parade In Moscow


Russia - Russian service members take part in a military parade on Victory Day, 
which marks the 78th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War 
Two, in Red Square in Moscow, May 9, 2023.


Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian joined on Tuesday the presidents of Russia and 
six other former Soviet states in attending a military parade in Moscow that 
marked the 78th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.

They laid wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin walls 
following the annual parade which was scaled back this time around, reflecting 
Russia’s continuing war on Ukraine.

Parades in several other Russian cities were canceled and the traditional 
"Immortal Regiment" processions, where people carry portraits of relatives who 
fought against the Nazis, also were scrapped.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly likened the war in Ukraine to 
the challenge Moscow faced when Adolf Hitler invaded the Soviet Union in 1941.

Russia - The leaders of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, 
Tajikistan and Turkmenistan take part in a flower-laying ceremony at the Tomb of 
the Unknown Soldier after the Victory Day Parade in Moscow, May 9, 2023.

Addressing thousands of soldiers and spectators at the start of the parade in 
Red Square, Putin accused "Western globalist elites" of seeking to carve up 
Russia and “sowing hatred, Russophobia, aggressive nationalism.”

The anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe has remained a public 
holiday, officially called Victory and Peace Day, in Armenia since the breakup 
of the Soviet Union.

Some 320,000 residents of Soviet Armenia, then a republic of just 1.3 million 
people, were drafted to the Red Army during the bloodiest conflict in the 
history of humankind. The total number of its ethnic Armenian participants from 
various Soviet republics is estimated at more than 500,000. About half of them 
were killed in action.

Armenia - Armenian veterans of World War Two attend Victory Day celebrations in 
Yerevan, May 9, 2023.

In a statement issued on the occasion, Pashinian again praised Armenians’ 
“invaluable” contribution to the defeat of “one of the greatest evils: fascism.”

“About 107 Armenians were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and many 
Armenians received high awards from the USSR and allied countries, ensuring the 
Armenian people's honorable place in the fight against fascism,” he said.

Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturian led a wreath-laying ceremony at a World 
War II memorial located in Yerevan’s Victory Park. Armenian and Russian soldiers 
marched past its eternal fire during the ceremony.

Thousands of people, among them elderly war veterans, visited the memorial in 
the following hours.


Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Precious and semi-precious stones, precious metals are Armenia’s top exported goods, according to Q1 data

Hagop Kamalian

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 14:00, 8 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenia exported goods worth over $1,6 billion in the first three months of 2023 – 2,3 times more than in Q1 of 2022, according to official data released by the Statistical Committee.

Precious and semi-precious stones, precious metals and related goods amount to the bulk of the exports.

Imports amounted to more than $2,5 billion – a 89,1% growth compared to the same period of last year.

Overall, Armenia’s foreign and mutual trade amounted to more than $4,2 billion – twice more than in 2022 Q1.

Russia was the top export destination, with exports totaling over $838 million (4,5 times more compared to 2022 Q1).

The second top export destination in Q1 2023 was the UAE with over $288 million in exports (13,2 times increase). Goods worth over $100 million were exported to the Netherlands (80,5% growth).

Overall, Armenian exports to EEU member states amounted to more than $878 million, while exports to EU countries totaled more than $185 million.

Most of the exports (over $382 million) were precious and semi-precious stones, precious metals and related goods (jewelry and other products made from precious and semi-precious stones, precious metals ), which is a 4-time growth compared to the same period of last year. The second most-exported goods are vehicles, equipment and mechanisms (over $270 million – a nearly 17-time growth). Some $208,4 million of food products (53,3% growth) were also exported in Q1.

Uzbekistan: President Mirziyoyev announces snap election

Tania Jagharian

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 13:39, 8 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said on Monday he was calling a snap presidential election to give himself a new mandate, days after a referendum that allowed him to run for two more seven-year-terms.

The president said he was giving up the remainder of his term in office in statements shared on his Telegram account.

The referendum granted more constitutional rights for Uzbeks, but also granted Mirziyoyev, who won a second term in office in 2021, a reset on his time already spent as president and the chance to serve two extended seven-year terms, according to DW. 

The president said he felt he needed a fresh mandate under the new constitution to carry out further reforms. 

He did not say when the vote would be held.




Armenian court delivers verdict after Azeri serviceman pleads guilty to border crossing, arms smuggling

Hambik Zargarian

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 16:57, 8 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS. One of the two Azerbaijani servicemen who crossed into Armenia last month and was subsequently arrested and charged with illegal border crossing and arms smuggling was found guilty on all charges by the Syunik Court of General Jurisdiction on May 4.

The Azerbaijani serviceman, Aghshin Babirov, had plead guilty, the prosecution announced Monday. 

Babirov was sentenced to 11 years, 6 months and 15 days imprisonment.

The second serviceman, Hussein Akhundov, is also charged with killing the guard of the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine in Syunik. The criminal investigation into Akhundov’s case continues.

There are also citizens of Azerbaijan and Turkey seeking asylum from Armenia

Tatoyan Vazgen

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 18:08, 8 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS. 968 people requested asylum from Armenia in 2022, which is the highest figure since 2010. Citizens of Azerbaijan and Turkey are also among the asylum seekers, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In 2022, Ukrainian citizens led the number of those applying for asylum: 484 people. In the same year, 289 citizens received refugee status, applications of 76 citizens were terminated, refugee status of 7 citizens of Ukraine was terminated.

The second among those requesting asylum from Armenia were Iraqi citizens: 198 people, from which 28 were granted refugee status.

Citizens of Iran are in the third place, in 2022, 106 citizens of Iran requested asylum from Armenia. 19 people received refugee status.

In 2022, 1 citizen of Azerbaijan also requested asylum from Armenia. Turkish citizens are also among the asylum seekers. In 2022, 8 Turkish citizens requested asylum from Armenia, in the same year, 1 citizen's asylum request was rejected, 1 citizen received refugee status.

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 08-05-23

John Hovhannisian

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 17:15, 8 May 2023

YEREVAN, 8 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 8 May, USD exchange rate up by 0.09 drams to 386.44 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.15 drams to 426.98 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.04 drams to 4.98 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 2.24 drams to 489.39 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 537.65 drams to 24860.47 drams. Silver price up by 2.74 drams to 321.04 drams.

The California Courier Online, May 11, 2023

Diana Dabaghian

The California
Courier Online, May 11, 2023

 

1-         Under
Turkish Pressure, Armenia’s Leaders

            Make
Excuses for Nemesis
Monument

            By Harut
Sassounian

            Publisher,
The California
Courier

           
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

2-         Azerbaijani
who crossed into Armenia
is sentenced to prison

3-         AYF-West CE
Meets with Western US Prelate Bishop Torkom
Donoyan

4-         Letters to
the Editor

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

 

1-         Under
Turkish Pressure, Armenia’s Leaders

            Make
Excuses for Nemesis
Monument

            By Harut
Sassounian

            Publisher,
The California
Courier

           
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

 

Just when we thought that we had heard everything about the
current Armenian government’s questionable positions on Artsakh,
Armenia, and Armenian
interests, we are now facing another monumental mistake by Armenia’s
leaders.

On April 25, 2023, the descendants of those who killed the
Turkish masterminds of the Armenian Genocide inaugurated the Nemesis Monument
in Yerevan. In
attendance were opposition members of Parliament, and surprisingly, Tigran
Avinyan, the Deputy Mayor of Yerevan,
who is a member of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s political party.

Nemesis was the name of the operation which was organized by
the Armenian Revolutionary Federation to eliminate several Ottoman leaders who
were responsible for the Armenian Genocide. This operation implemented the
death verdicts issued in absentia by the Turkish Military Tribunal in Istanbul, in 1919,
against the Genocide perpetrators, since they had fled from the country. Talaat
Pasha, the main culprit in the Armenian Genocide, was killed by Soghomon
Tehlirian in Berlin,
in 1921. A German court found him not guilty due to Talaat’s massive crimes.

Talaat’s remains were brought from Berlin
to Turkey
in 1943. The Turkish government ‘honored’ Talaat by naming avenues, mosques,
schools, hospitals and a memorial after him in Istanbul. This would be just as shameful, had
the German government named schools and avenues in Berlin after Hitler! Another Genocide
organizer, Minister of War Enver Pasha, is buried in the same memorial in Istanbul. His remains
were brought in 1996 to Turkey
from Tajikistan
where he was assassinated in 1922 by an Armenian.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu retaliated against
the Nemesis Monument
by announcing that Turkey
banned overflights by Armenian airlines from Turkish skies. Furthermore,
Cavusoglu brazenly announced that Turkey
would take additional steps against Armenia,
if the Nemesis Monument is not dismantled. Thus, Turkey violated
the rules of IATA (International Air Transport Association) which states that
countries cannot ban overflights for political reasons. Armenia should take legal action against Turkey under IATA rules and ban the overflights
of Turkish Airlines over Armenia’s
skies.

This unwarranted Turkish retaliation is taking place at a time
when the governments of Armenia
and Turkey
are negotiating for over a year to open their mutual border and normalize their
relations. Even though it is announced that these negotiations are taking place
“without any preconditions,” in reality, Turkey has made several demands, such
as Armenia declaring that Artsakh is part of Azerbaijan by recognizing its
territorial integrity, allowing the so-called ‘Zangezur Corridor’ to cross
Armenia’s territory, linking mainland Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhichevan,
which would mean that the ‘Corridor’ is under the sovereignty of Azerbaijan,
not Armenia.

Even if Turkey
would open the border someday, it will shut it down again if Armenia does not meet any of Turkey’s future
demands, thus continuously blackmailing the Armenian government. Turkey’s
current demand to dismantle the Nemesis Monument is an early warning of more
demands to come from Turkey, such as dismantling the Armenian Genocide Memorial
Complex in Yerevan, banning the burning of Turkish flags on April 24, and
removing from Armenia’s Declaration of Independence the paragraph that states:
“The Republic of Armenia supports the task of achieving international
recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey and Western Armenia in
1915.”

This is the result of prostrating oneself in front of the
unrepentant enemy and begging for peace. In response to the Turkish ban of
Armenian overflights from Turkish skies, Armenia’s
leaders criticized their own country for erecting the Nemesis
Monument in Yerevan,
rather than telling Turkey
that they have no right to interfere in Armenia’s domestic decisions. In
the process of trying to appease Turkey,
Armenia’s
Prime Minister and the President of the Parliament made a number of
anti-Monument statements. So, it is OK for Turkey
to glorify Talaat, the Turkish Hitler, but not OK for Armenia to
honor those who killed the butcher. Armenia’s
leaders, rather than making excuses for the Nemesis
Monument, should have demanded that Turkey dismantle the Talaat Pasha Memorial in Istanbul.

Prime Minister Pashinyan made the excuse that the Nemesis Monument
was authorized by the City of Yerevan, not the
government of Armenia.
The Monument was approved by the Yerevan City Council on Sept. 14, 2021.
Pashinyan contradicted himself by first telling the Armenian Parliament that
the decision to authorize the Monument was made “to avoid being labeled
traitors…. But by doing so, we actually keep betraying the state and national
interests of our country.” He then went on to say that “a wrong decision was
made and the implementation of that decision was wrong.” Pashinyan also stated
that “one of the shortcomings of democracy is when the authorities or the
government leader is not controlling everything and everyone.” This is a
shocking statement from someone who came to power claiming to promote
democracy, yet he does not seem to understand the basic principles of
democracy. Pashinyan, in fact, controls everything and everyone in the country!

Meanwhile, the President of the Armenian Parliament Alen
Simonyan, during a press conference in Ankara
last week, also made excuses by saying that Turkey
should not view the Nemesis Monument “as an _expression_ of the foreign policy of
the government of Armenia
nor as an unfriendly act. The Armenian government’s foreign policy is conducted
by the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.” Simonyan further said that only
“opposition members of the Parliament had attended the inauguration of the Nemesis Monument.” Cavusoglu replied that the
Armenian government’s excuses are “insincere and untrue. No one should try to
deceive us by saying that it does not fall within their jurisdiction.”

Armenia’s
leaders need to draw an important lesson from this episode. Unless Armenia immediately rejects Turkey’s attempts to interfere in Armenia’s internal affairs, I fear that the
Turkish government will be emboldened to impose further demands which will
severely restrict Armenia’s
sovereignty.

 

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2-         Azerbaijani who crossed into Armenia is
sentenced to prison

 

Agshin Babirov, one of the two Azerbaijanis who crossed the
border of Armenia,
has been sentenced to 11 years, 6 months and 15 days in prison, the Prosecutor
General’s Office confirmed to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

This Azerbaijani soldier was found guilty of illegally
crossing the Armenian state border, as well as illegally transporting firearms
and ammunition across the border.

Babirov has accepted the charges against him.

The criminal investigation in the case of Huseyin
Akhundov,  the other Azerbaijani who had
crossed into the Armenian border with Babirov, continues. In addition to the
aforesaid charges, Akhundov is accused also of killing the security guard of
Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine.

On April 10, it became known that two Azerbaijanis were seen
in Bnunis village of Sisian city of Armenia’s
Syunik Province the day before. On April 17,
the prosecutor’s office reported that two Azerbaijani servicemen who had ended
up in the territory
of Armenia were charged
and both were arrested. Moreover, one of them is accused of killing a man
guarding the guard post of the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine. According to
the statement of the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia,
on Monday, April 10, between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. local time, a serviceman of the
armed forces of Azerbaijan
was found and detained in the territory
of Armenia. Azerbaijani
media, citing the MOD of that country, had reported the disappearance of two
Azerbaijani servicemen. It was said that they had gotten lost while in
Nakhichevan due to bad weather and low visibility. The search for the second
serviceman continued for three days.

One of the two Azerbaijani servicemen was found by three
youth from Achanan village
of Syunik Province. Gor
Ohanjanyan and his friends were headed to Kapan when they saw the serviceman
wearing an Azerbaijani military uniform. They stopped to question him, and
police arrived shortly thereafter to investigate.

"He was wet, in a dirty condition. There were bullets,
masks with him, he had mixed ammunition. There was a phone as well in his hand;
it was the phone of the person who was found murdered in the [Zangezur
Copper-Molybdenum] Combine [guard post]," said Ohanjanyan.

These Azerbaijani servicemen were in Bnunis village of Syunik Province, and they had knocked on
the door of a local resident’s house. The first detained Azerbaijani was found
in Ashotavan village.

Local residents said that these Azerbaijanis had knocked on
the door of a local resident’s house for a long time; the landlady had opened
the door, saw masked soldiers, closed the door, and called the police. The
second Azerbaijani serviceman, who was caught by locals, was in civilian
clothes.

The Azerbaijani soldier was allegedly noticed near the
village shop, where some locals called the National Security Service after
gathering to prevent him from escaping.

Bununis and Ashotavan villages are quite far, about 20km
away, from the Azerbaijani positions.

Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan stated in parliament
Wednesday, April 12 that according to the information they have, the second
Azerbaijani soldier had said that “he had regretted crossing the border and
wanted to return.”

 

************************************************************************************************************************************************
3-         AYF-West CE Meets with Western US Prelate Bishop Torkom Donoyan

 

On Tuesday, May 2, the Armenian Youth Federation Western
United States (AYF-WUS) Central Executive met with His Grace Bishop Torkom
Donoyan, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Church in the United
States to hold a discussion surrounding an incident that took place on April 9
wherein AYF members were prohibited from distributing April 24 flyers at St.
Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Glendale—a church within the Western
Prelacy’s jurisdiction. The meeting also included Daron Der-Khachadourian,
Chairman of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western USA (ARF-WUSA), as
well as Vahe Hovagimian and George Chorbajian representing the Western Prelacy
board.

Upon raising these concerns, the Bishop reaffirmed
that he and the Western Prelacy stand in solidarity with the AYF, and that the
churches and community centers of the Western Prelacy are home to all Armenian
youth. Donoyan continued to reassure that the issue of AYF members being
prohibited from properties owned by the Western Prelacy is unacceptable, and he
condemned the actions taken against AYF members in this capacity. Furthermore,
Donoyan expressed his deep disappointment and concern at the prohibition of AYF
members distributing flyers to invite the community to commemorate the Armenian
Genocide at their Rally for Humanity, noting there was no justification for
this action.

“It is equally important that we share with the public the
obstacles that our AYF membership faces, which are both unprecedented and
unacceptable to the AYF Central Executive, as well as showcase our unwavering
relationship with His Grace Bishop Torkom Donoyan and the Western Prelacy,”
said Alex Manoukian, of the AYF-WUS Central Executive. “There is strength in
unity between the AYF-WUS, ARF-WUS, His Grace Bishop Torkom Donoyan, and the
Western Prelacy in all condemning the targeting of AYF members by members of
this rogue group in spaces that belong to the greater community.”

Both the AYF-WUS CE and Bishop Donoyan again pledged to
continue to support each other.

 

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4-         Letters to the Editor

 

Dear Editor:

 

Referring to Harut Sassounian’s Publisher’s Views of April
27, 2023.

 

Thank you to historian and professor, Taner Akcam and Mr.
Sassounian for this extremely important document. Sergeant Oz was a participant
in the Dersim massacres and displacements of 1937-1938. The Kurdish Alevi
population—along with Armenian women and children who survived the Genocide of
1915—were the victims. Dutch anthropologist Martin van Bruinessen wrote
extensively about Dersim and honored the memory of Ismail Besikci who detailed
the atrocities confirmed in the letter by Sergeant Oz. Now we know, they were
the truth! Ataturk ordered these actions as he was still alive then. In 1922, my
father, Deli Sarkis, survived the catastrophe of Smyrna which was also under the leadership of
Ataturk. My father’s experiences in Smyrna
are detailed in Chapter 8 of my book of his life—Deli Sarkis: The Scars He
Carried.

Ellen Sarkisian Chesnut

Alameda,
Calif.

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Pashinyan honors martyrs who made ultimate sacrifice in Victory Day address

Manouk Vasilian

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 09:32, 9 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 9, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan issued a statement on Victory Day, paying tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in fighting against fascism and serving their homeland.

Below is the full statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office:

“Dear people, dear compatriots, I congratulate all of us on the occasion of the 78th anniversary of the victory in the Second World War, the Great Patriotic War.

With this victory, the civilized mankind [rejected] one of the greatest evils – fascism. The Armenian nation’s role in this is invaluable, with over half a million Armenians having had significant contribution to saving humanity from fascism with their actions as part of the Soviet Army, the Allied armies, partisan and guerilla resistance [operations].

Numerous Armenians displayed heroism in this fight, and made the ultimate sacrifice for humanity. We had more than 300,000 deaths in the war. 107 Armenians were bestowed the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, many Armenians received high awards from the USSR and allied countries, ensuring the Armenian nation’s honorary place in the fight against fascism.

Dear people, dear compatriots,

In the last several years, we’ve been marking 9 May with sadness and distress. This is primarily due to the grave consequences of the 44-Day War of 2020, the loss of Shushi in the war and the aggressive policy taking place against Nagorno Karabakh and the Republic of Armenia. The turbulent international situation is further aggravating this situation, because the security systems of our region are deformed.

In this situation, our biggest duty before those who sacrificed their lives for their country is to strengthen and empower our statehood, and the normalization of our relations in our region must be part of this program. It is this approach that should guarantee the Armenian nation’s existence in its homeland. A strong and developed Republic of Armenia must become the guarantee of honoring and commemorating all our martyrs. Glory to all martyrs who sacrificed their lives for our homeland. Glory to all the resilient warriors who are doing everything possible and the impossible for the strengthening of our state.”