Saint Paul Pioneer Press
April 30, 2004, Friday

The top 10 actresses you don’t know _ but should

by By Chris Hewitt

1. TILDA SWINTON

Tilda Swinton is the best actress you’ve never heard of.

The Scottish Swinton, who earned raves for “Orlando” and
“Adaptation,” knows exactly why she isn’t a star: She can’t stomach
it. “Sometimes, these scripts come to you. You know the movies will
be made, you know they have the money to make them, you know they’ll
win Oscars, and you just can’t do them.”

For her, it’s an issue of taste (she says, “I was too
well-brought-up” to reveal titles). The movies Swinton’s interested
in making are not the kinds of movies 15 million Americans are
interested in ponying up 8 bucks for on opening weekend. In other
words, they’re nothing like the last several Angelina Jolie movies.

Other factors work against some actresses: Sandra Oh and Paula Jai
Parker get pigeonholed by an industry where women of color who aren’t
named Halle don’t sell tickets. Judy Greer’s ability to do comedy,
like Joan Cusack and Janeane Garofalo’s before her, may have typecast
her before audiences could even figure out who she is.

And, of course, all of these talented women are competing for a
limited number of roles. Although the movie audience is 60 percent
female, the percentage of female characters is much lower (of this
month’s 30 movies, only 11 feature prominent female roles). Swinton,
who generally appears in independent films such as the new “Young
Adam,” says “industrial scripts” from Hollywood reveal how
marginalized women are there.

“The leading man is always described as ‘ruggedly handsome,’ so
everyone from Tom Cruise to Dustin Hoffman can see themselves in the
role,” she says. “The script will say he’s just a ‘regular guy,’ but
at the same time, every single woman in the script _ mothers,
daughters, waitresses, all of whom are described as incredibly
beautiful _ will go weak in the knees the minute they set eyes on
him.”

Swinton believes Hollywood _ and, to a certain extent, Joe Moviegoer
_ isn’t sure what to do with women whose looks are unconventional by
Hollywood standards. Her character in “The Deep End,” for instance,
is a mother who goes to extraordinary lengths to protect her young
son, who she believes is guilty of murder. When the character is
described as “ferocious,” Swinton disagrees.

“I don’t think of her as that way at all. I don’t think any woman has
ever described the character that way. She does what a mother does,”
says Swinton. “But the male American critics all said she’s
ferocious, and I think that’s because she didn’t wear makeup and
doesn’t look gorgeous like women are supposed to in the movies.”

Maybe it’s the rough edges and surprising behavior that keep so many
fine actresses below Hollywood’s radar. Maybe if they were getting
hired for big roles in big movies, they wouldn’t be able to do what
they do best. That’s how Swinton sees it, and that’s why she says
she’s “very happy” right where she is.

“I would like to see more women on film, and, of course, I would
absolutely love to have a six-picture deal and be paid a lot of money
by Warner Brothers,” says Swinton. “But I’m not naive, and I’m not
willing to do that if it means leaving myself outside the door.”

She’s not the only one. Here are nine other actresses who _ so far,
at least _ are unwilling to check their unique talents at the door.

2. SHIRLEY HENDERSON

She’s prolific _ seven films in 2002 alone _ but if a big part of
what makes a star is a larger-than-life quality, then it’s no mystery
why Henderson remains virtually unknown. Her characters are exactly
life-sized. Moviegoers may know her face _ she was the title
character’s best friend in “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and Moaning Myrtle
in the second “Harry Potter” _ but they aren’t getting the full
picture. She’s a woman who seems to have become a good mother just to
spite her ex-husband in “Wonderland,” a drug-addicted tearstain of a
singer in “Topsy-Turvy” and an achingly vulnerable survivor of the
romantic wars in this year’s “Intermission.” Bruised and battered,
her prickly character spends all of “Intermission” being teased for a
mustache she’s told resembles either Burt Reynolds’ or Tom Selleck’s
(glamour is another Hollywood quality Henderson lacks). She only lets
down her defenses in the lyrical finale, in which Henderson reveals
the hurt beneath her bravado.

You’ve seen her in: “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”

You should see her in: “Intermission”

3. HOPE DAVIS

Her high-profile role as Jack Nicholson’s whiny daughter in “About
Schmidt” and the one-two punch of last year’s “American Splendor” and
“The Secret Lives of Dentists” _ both well-reviewed, underseen films
_ helped her line up four big movies in the next 19 months. In those
films, which include “Proof,” opposite Gwyneth Paltrow, and “The
Weatherman,” opposite Nicolas Cage, audiences will get a chance to
see how wry and down-to-earth Davis’ talent is. When she’s miscast,
as she was as the shrewish mom in “Hearts in Atlantis,” it’s as if
she’s wearing a straitjacket. But put her in the right part _ as the
beleaguered mom in “Dentists,” coping with three daughters, her
confused husband and her own malaise _ and Davis fills in the margins
with humor, determination and a weary sense of having seen and
learned too much.

You’ve seen her in: “About Schmidt”

You should see her in: “The Secret Lives of Dentists”

4. SARAH POLLEY

She almost got left off this list because “Dawn of the Dead” has
given her enough oomph to merit an Entertainment Weekly puff piece.
But even “Dawn” fans probably aren’t familiar with Polley’s best
work. A look at her resume makes it clear she’s attracted to
iconoclastic, personal films by directors with skewed visions. Not
exactly the stuff of big box office, but this former child star in
Canada (she was Ramona Quimby in the “Ramona” series that also aired
here) hasn’t made a false move since “The Sweet Hereafter” in 1997.
That movie established her ethereal, deceptively steely, presence.
Polley has excelled in small roles in surreal experiments (David
Cronenberg’s “eXistenZ”), large roles in riskier Hollywood comedies
(“Go”) and _ when a director is smart enough to cast her _ huge role
in dramas that reveal painful, complicated emotions (“My Life Without
Me,” where she’s a woman figuring out what she wants to do before she
dies of cancer).

You’ve seen her in: “Dawn of the Dead”

You should see her in: “My Life Without Me”

5. ARSINEE KHANJIAN

Being married to a great director may hurt Khanjian’s career more
than it helps. Yeah, she gets to be in all of Atom Egoyan’s features,
but that’s practically all she’s been in. Do people assume she’s busy
working on his films? Or don’t the other movies she is offered
measure up? The Canadian-Armenian Khanjian has intriguing roles in
the French films “Late August, Early September,” “Irma Vep” and “Fat
Girl,” but her fierce intelligence is best showcased in Egoyan’s
films. Check out “Felicia’s Journey,” where she wittily hinted at the
dark side of being a domestic goddess long before Martha Stewart’s
downfall. And “The Sweet Hereafter,” where she plays a mother,
grieving for a child killed in a bus accident, who challenges the
platitudes of a lawyer urging her to file suit against the bus
company. Alone among that film’s mournful characters, she recognizes
immediately that finding someone to blame will bring her no comfort.

You’ve seen her in: “The Sweet Hereafter”

You should see her in: “Felicia’s Journey”

6. PAULA JAI PARKER

It always gives me a little lift to see Parker’s name in the credits
because I know that, even if the movie stinks, she’s going to do
something fresh and surprising. And, by the way, virtually all of the
movies she’s in do stink _ she’s at her most inventive in otherwise
worthless comedies such as “Sprung” or “My Baby’s Daddy.” As a black
woman, she’s in a double minority, movie-wise, which means she’s
competing with a very talented group of actresses for a limited
number of roles. She doesn’t end up with the best roles, but she can
make even the cliched role of a saucy hooker in “Phone Booth” seem
vivid and funny by attacking it like a dog devouring a bone. Humor
and perseverance are her weapons, and there isn’t an actress with
more energy in the movies today.

You’ve seen her in: “Friday”

You should see her in: “My Baby’s Daddy”

7. SANDRA OH

Wry, straightforward Oh made a bewitching debut as a young woman
rebelling against the Chinese traditions of her uptight family in
1994’s “Double Happiness,” and she hasn’t had a well-rounded role
since. It’s a common malady for actresses who make big, early
splashes: “Welcome to the movies, and don’t slam the door on your way
out.” Oh has taken what she could find, including providing what
humor and class she could to the wretched HBO series, “Arliss,” and
small roles in “The Princess Diaries” and “Under the Tuscan Sun”
(where she was Diane Lane’s wise-cracking pal), but here’s hoping
marrying Alexander Payne, who wrote and directed “About Schmidt,”
will lead to better roles. Anyway, she’s in Payne’s next film,
“Sideways.”

You’ve seen her in: “Under the Tuscan Sun”

You should see her in: “Double Happiness”

8. ISABELLE HUPPERT

I’ve seen Huppert in at least 40 films, and I still can’t get a bead
on her. Her characters usually have secrets _ whether it’s the
privately tormented title role in “The Piano Teacher,” the homicidal
mom in “Merci pour le Chocolat” or the prim nag in “8 Women” _ and
they’re almost always upper-class, maybe because Huppert’s slightly
turned-up nose and delicate features have a patrician air. France’s
top actress for more than two decades, Huppert wouldn’t have to take
chances at this point in her career, but she’s drawn to dark stories
that explore the extremes of emotional behavior. And her gift goes
deeper than simply protecting her characters’ secrets; by artfully
revealing and withholding information, Huppert shows us the secrets
the characters keep from themselves.

You’ve seen her in: “Heaven’s Gate”

You should see her in: “The Piano Teacher”

9. EMILY MORTIMER

A native of London, although she has a flawless American accent,
Mortimer belongs in the women’s role hall of fame for her work in
“Lovely and Amazing,” in which she played a woman who has gravitated
to a job guaranteed to make her feel rotten about herself: acting. In
a breathtaking scene in which she strips and demands that her
boyfriend tell her everything that’s “wrong” with her body, Mortimer
shows a woman coming to terms with herself. That character has formed
a template for Mortimer. In the upcoming “Bright Young Things,” where
she’s a British party girl who’s tired of martinis and cocktail
dresses, and in the musical version of “Love’s Labours Lost,” where
her charming voice doesn’t seem to match her uncertain footwork, she
seems intent on reminding us that not being sure of ourselves is a
fact of life.

You’ve seen her in: “Scream 3”

You should see her in: “Lovely and Amazing”

10. JUDY GREER

The go-to person for Joan Cusack roles that Joan Cusack doesn’t want
to do, Greer has made a nice little career out of playing the ditzy,
slightly pathetic sidekick. She’s made 20 movies in the past six
years, playing that part in virtually all of them, most memorably as
the suicidal woman who helped Mel Gibson figure out “What Women
Want.” Hollywood often slots funny women into that Eve Arden/Joan
Cusack/Janeane Garofalo role, but her career is taking a turn for the
better. In the current “13 Going on 30,” she’s still the best friend,
but a hilariously mean one. And the current “Hebrew Hammer” is no
classic, but it lets Greer play something higher-profile films
haven’t: a romantic lead, a film noir-like mystery woman who is
complicated enough to be sexy, confused and _ yes _ funny, too. Greer
has a bunch of stuff lined up, including the next film by Cameron
Crowe (“Elizabethtown”), who has a history of finding interesting
ways to use the talents of offbeat actresses such as Lili Taylor and
Frances McDormand.

You’ve seen her in: “What Women Want”

You should see her in: “The Hebrew Hammer”

___

Chris Hewitt: [email protected]

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Russia Journal
Apr 30, 2004, 23:59 (Moscow time)

Armenia denies giving US permission to use its airstrips

DEFENSE :: Apr 30, 2004 Posted: 15:10 Moscow time (11:10 GMT)

YEREVAN – Reports that the United States Air Force has arranged to use
Armenian airbases are false, Col. Seyran Shakhsuvaranian, press secretary of
Armenia’s Defense Ministry, declared Thursday in a statement responding to
reports carried by local media citing the American STRATFOR research center.

The colonel said the agreement reached during the visit to Armenia of Gen.
Charles F. Wald, deputy commander of US forces in Europe, did not include
provisions for basing US warplanes on Armenian bases. ‘The actual aim of the
agreement has to do with the provision of supplies and technical services
between the two sides when one or the other requests it and at the option of
the other in view of its policies and priorities,’ his statement said.

According to the STRATFOR account, agreement was reached during Wald’s visit
on April 25-26 to allow US military airplanes to land at Armenian airports.
It called the agreement part of an effort to isolate Armenia from Russia and
Iran. /Rosbalt/

Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
April 30, 2004
CONTACT: David Zenian
E-mail: [email protected]

ASSEMBLY ACTIVISTS MARK ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DAY IN WASHINGTON

Washington, DC — Armenian activists from across the United States, in
Washington for the Assembly’s National Conference and Banquet, gathered for
a memorial service at the Bethlehem Chapel of the National Cathedral April
18th to commemorate the 89th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The hour-long inter-denominational service was organized by Diocean Legate
Bishop Vicken Aykazian and joined by the Archbishop of Baltimore Cardinal
William H. Keeler, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches
Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, the Rabbi of B’nai Israel Congregation Mathew Simon,
Vicar of the Washington National Cathedral Right Rev. A. Theodore Eastman,
pastor of St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church Father Vertanes Kalaydjian, the
St. Mary Church choir and Orthodox, Presbyterian and Armenian clergy.

The deeply moving and emotional service for the repose of souls,
Hokehankist, which this year coincided with Holocaust Remembrance Day, or
Yom HaShoah, was also a celebration of life and a reflection of the unity of
purpose and values shared by inter-faith communities in the United States.

The congregation, many of whom traveled hundreds and even thousands of miles
to Washington, heard Cardinal Keeler, Rev. Dr. Edgar and Rabbi Simon speak
of their personal experiences and understanding of the Armenian Genocide.

The more than 250 participants in the Genocide memorial service included
members of the Assembly, the Armenian General Benevolent Union and the
Eastern and Western Diocese of the Armenian Church — the cooperating
partners of the Assembly’s April 18-20 National Conference and Banquet.

In his brief address, Rabbi Simon said it was no coincidence that this
solemn day in the history of the Armenian people this year coincided with
the Holocaust Remembrance Day.

“On July 16, 1915, nine decades ago, the American Ambassador to the Ottoman
Empire sent a telegram to the secretary of State in Washington warning
America that a ‘campaign of race extermination is in progress against
peaceful Armenians.’ In the language of the Torah, ‘Your brother’s blood is
crying …’ Yet the crying has continued through the decades. Sadly it shall
until we learn the correct answer to God’s first question: ‘Where is your
brother Abel?’ and the answer is, we are our ‘brother’s keeper’,” Rabbi
Simon said.

In his homily, Cardinal Keeler said it was not until his visit two years ago
to Armenia and a tour of the Genocide Memorial on the hills overlooking
Yerevan that he fully understood the magnitude of what the Armenians endured
in the early years of the 20th century.

“We now reflect together on one of the most tragic events of the 20th
century, the terrible slaughter of so many Armenians in what is aptly
described as genocide, one of the number of events in Armenian history that
brought so many to martyrdom,” Cardinal Keeler said.

In his own homily, Rev. Dr. Edgar underlined the importance of learning from
the lessons of the Genocide to avoid future injustice and bloodshed.

“It is important for us to remember what happened in 1915 to Armenians, what
happened 10 years ago to Rwandans and what will inevitably happen over and
over again. If we do not speak out against injustice wherever it might be
found, history will repeat itself. We have to always ask: When will we ever
learn?” Rev. Dr. Edgar said.

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

NR#2004-049

PRESS RELEASE
Department of History
University of Minnesota
614 Social Sciences
267 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA

phones: 612.624.7506
fax: 612.624.7096
e-mail: [email protected]

Contact: Eric D. Weitz, Professor of History
Arsham and Charlotte Ohanessian Chair in the College of Liberal Arts
Director, Center for German and European Studies

Please note what is most likely the first-ever Turkish, Armenian, and
Greek Film Festival, “Borderlands,” beginning today, April 30, and
running through May 6, 2004 at the University of Minnesota. Among the
highlights are a keynote lecture by the noted journalist and
intellectual, Etyen Mahcupyan, and, especially,

THE FIRST SCREENING OF “RAVISHED ARMENIA” SINCE 1927

Long thought to be lost, a 15 minute excerpt has been found by the
French scholar, Dr. Philippe Videlier, and will be shown on Saturday,
May 1 and Tuesday, May 4!

For details please see:

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
04/30/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1) ANC Capitol Hill Observance Honors Balakian, Canadian Legislator
2) Elected Officials Express Dismay at US Apathy on Genocide
3) Chirac: Turkey Not Fit for EU Entry
4) The Passing of Archbishop Zareh Aznavourian
5) Genocide Acknowledgement–Bushwhacked Again!

1) ANC Capitol Hill Observance Honors Balakian, Canadian Legislator

SENATE AND HOUSE MEMBERS CALL FOR PROPER US REAFFIRMATION OF THE ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE

WASHINGTON, DC–Over 40 Members of Congress joined with several hundred
Armenian Americans from across the country this week to honor victims and
survivors of the Armenian Genocide, at the 10th annual ANCA Observance on
Capitol Hill. Special guests at the Observance included New York Times Best
Selling author Peter Balakian, who received the ANCA Freedom Award for his
tireless efforts to document the US humanitarian response to the Armenian
Genocide in his landmark book, “The Burning Tigris.”
Longtime Canadian Armenian community supporter and champion of the recently
adopted Armenian Genocide resolution, the Honorable Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral,
spoke poignantly of worldwide efforts to recognize this crime against
humanity.
Senators and Representatives, as well as Congressional staff representing
some
100 Congressional offices, were greeted by over 400 community members, many of
whom travel annually to Washington, DC to attend the Capitol Hill Observance
and discuss Armenian American concerns with their elected representatives. The
program was held in the historic Cannon Caucus Room.

2) Elected Officials Express Dismay at US Apathy on Genocide

INSPIRE 12,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS AT MONTEBELLO ANC COMMEMORATIONS

MONTEBELLO–Once again, the Armenian-American community of Montebello and
surrounding communities observed the anniversary of the 1915 Armenian Genocide
with an April 23 rally and vigil candlelight at the foot of the Armenian
Martyrs’ Monument, organized by the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of San
Gabriel Valley (ANC-SGV). This year’s message was a collective call to
political action by the Armenian community. The rally opened with introductory
remarks by Tamar Sadorian, who then invited the evening’s master of
ceremonies,
Serge Samoniantz, to conduct the event.
Special guest speaker Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (D-34th District)
was
one of many public officials who expressed dismay at the US government’s
failure to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
Napolitano, a staunch supporter of Armenian-American concerns,
presented a
keen view of the community’s obstacles in having the genocide recognized by
the
Bush Administration and the backers of the Turkish deniers. She noted that her
efforts and those of her colleagues in the Congress would, nevertheless,
continue until justice is served to the Armenian people.
Introduced by San Gabriel Valley ANC member Jack Hadjinian, Montebello
Mayor Norma Reid-Lopez presented a proclamation from the City of Montebello
unanimously declaring April 24 a Day of Remembrances for the Victims of the
Armenian Genocide.
Special assistant to Sheriff Lee, Baca Captain Gary A. Nalbandian,
representing Baca, presented plaque from the LA County Sheriff’s Department.
Nalbandian closed his remarks with a rousing Armenian remark: “Struggle until
Victory!”
Speaking on behalf of the youth, Mesrobian Armenian School Associated
Students
Body officer and Montebello AYF member Angie Achikian, conveyed willingness to
take on the torch from the older generation and continue until final success.
Emcee Serge Samoniantz recognized the public officials present, including
Montebello City Council members Bob Bagwell, and Bill Molinari, as well as
Police Chief Gary Couso-Vasquez, Gil Cedillo Jr., from Assemblyman Ron
Calderon’s (D-58th) office, and Greg Martayan, a former LA City Commissioner,
who is running for a Los Angeles City Council seat in the San Fernando Valley.
Also attending were ARF Western Region Central Committee chairman Hovig
Saliba,
ARF Dro Gomideh chairman Sako Sassounian, and Armenian Mesrobian School
principal Hilda Saliba.
Before introducing the final speaker, Samoniantz announced the arrival of
the Homenetmen Western Region Scouts who had marched from Pasadena, a distance
of about eight miles, to pay their respects to the genocide victims, with a
candlelight procession.
San Gabriel Valley ANC Chairman Seto Boyajian, delivered the keynote
address recounting steps taken by the Armenian community to advance
recognition
of the Armenian Genocide in the United States. He assailed Pres. Bush’s
inability to come to terms with the Armenian Genocide and his unwillingness to
properly characterize the 1915 events as Genocide in his annual April 24
statement, emphasizing Democratic Presidential hopeful Sen. Kohn Kerry’s
lengthy and meaningful message calling for the international recognition of
the
genocide.
The program concluded with the traditional distribution of candles to the
audience, the candlelit gathering around the monument plaque, and the solemn
Requiem Service conducted by the clergy of the Holy Cross Cathedral.

3) Chirac: Turkey Not Fit for EU Entry

PARIS (AP/Zaman)–Turkey’s aspirations to be the first Muslim-majority member
of the European Union took a hit Thursday when French President Jacques Chirac
said Ankara most likely will not meet the bloc’s conditions for another 10-15
years.
Speaking at his first full-fledged news conference in six years, Chirac also
said the upcoming transfer of power in Iraq must be “unambiguous” and the
US-led occupation authorities must cede complete control to an Iraqi
administration.
The French president said Turkey needed to improve its human rights record
and
reform its justice system before being considered for EU membership.
“Is Turkey’s entry possible today? I say ‘No,'” he said.
But Turkey could become a member “in the perspective of 10-to-15 years,”
Chirac said. “My conviction is that it is in the long term.”
Asked whether the recognition of the Armenian genocide would be taken as a
precondition for Turkey’s EU membership, Chirac said it was an issue between
Turkey and Armenia.
Turkey, located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia and a part of NATO since
1952, is hoping to begin talks next year on joining the EU. Ten new members
are
joining the 15-nation union on Saturday.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry official said on condition of anonymity that
Turkey
accepted Chirac’s comments but still hoped the EU would open membership talks
in 2005.
“Negotiations are one thing, and membership is another,” the official said.
“Chirac was speaking about the long term. There’s nothing new about what he
said.”
Chirac’s news conference came weeks after Foreign Minister Michel Barnier
told
parliament that France would oppose Turkey’s entry.
The European Commission in November noted Turkey’s “significant progress” in
meeting the EU’s conditions, but said more needed to be done.

4) The Passing of Archbishop Zareh Aznavourian

His Eminence Archbishop Zareh Aznavourian died on Friday, in Lebanon, at 57
years of age.
Archbishop Zareh faithfully served the Armenian Apostolic Church as an
ordained celibate priest for 38 years, most of which was spent at the
Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon; he spent two
years in Rome pursuing a higher education, and three years as the Prelate of
Cyprus.
Archbishop Zareh was an eminent teacher at the Cilician See’s Theological
Seminary. He was a noted composer of both religious and secular music, a
gifted
scholar, a Biblical translator, and an author of textbooks and
commentaries. He
was considered one of the most noted Biblical scholars within the Armenian
Church.
The Extreme Unction will take place during the Divine Liturgy service at the
Cathedral of St. Gregory the Illuminator in Antelias, on Monday, May 3.
Interment will follow in the Mausoleum of the Holy See of Cilicia.
Requiem Services will take place in all Prelacy churches on Sunday, May 2.

5) Genocide Acknowledgement–Bushwacked Again!

“There’s an old saying in TennesseeI know it’s in Texas, probably in
Tennesseethat says, fool me once, shame onshame on you. Fool meyou can’t get
fooled again.”
–George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002.

Another anniversary of the Armenian Genocide passed last week, and Armenians
were presented another impotent statement by the Bush administration omitting
the word “genocide.” After reading the recent articles on all Genocide
reaffirmation-related news this last week, I remembered the above quote from
President Bush which pretty much sums up how I feel. Come November, when I
cast
my vote for the candidate opposing President Bush, I’m going to write the
White
House a letter referencing this “old saying in Tennessee.”
It’s been four years since President Bush promised to properly acknowledge
the
Armenian Genocide in a statement as candidate for the nation’s highest office
and after being elected, became afflicted with severe selective memory loss
(Weapons of Mass Destruction, Service in the Air National Guard, the Armenian
Genocide, etc). I didn’t expect much from someone who had a “C” average
throughout college, but I also expected that four years would be enough
time to
cram for the Genocide final. It seems as though he still doesn’t get it. But
what’s worse is that some Armenian-Americans still don’t get it either. And
even worse than that? There’s one group out there, the Armenian Assembly of
America (AAA) who not only is supposed to get it, but is also supposed to go
after it and pursue it. (“Supposed to” is the operative term here).
My favorite article was the one issued by the AAA which stated that the AAA
“…expressed surprise and disappointment in President Bush’s statement…which
used language to clearly define the events but once again stopped short of
using the word genocide.” In 2001, when President Bush didn’t use the word
“genocide,” the AAA expressed “regret and disappointment.” In 2002, the AAA
praised the President for his toothless statement by saying that by using the
word “murder” he invoked the same words as US Ambassador to the Ottoman
Empire,
Henry Morgenthau, Sr. I guess since I use the words “the” and “and” I’m
invoking such greats as Shakespeare and Hemingway in my writing.
I tried to find out what the AAA reaction was to the President’s statement in
2003, but there were no press releases posted on their website for April 24 of
that year (). Fortunately, the Armenian National Committee of
America had a press release and the statement posted on their site
(). I had forgotten what a doozy the 2003 statement was. The
President referred to the genocide as the “great calamity” and get this…
saluted “our wise and bold friends from Armenia and Turkey who are coming
together in a spirit of reconciliation to consider these events and their
significance.” (Skeptik looks pensive and rubs chin–MAJOR SARCASM ALERT IN
5…4…3…2…) So, that’s where our friend’s at the AAA were in 2003? They were
coming together to reconcile our “differences” with the murdering, lying,
sneaky, fraudulent government of Turkey who is responsible for murdering my
ancestors and then denying the crime. And I thought they were up to no good.
Well, I guess it’s fine that they didn’t issue a press release in 2003 and we
can all rest better knowing these guys are looking out for us.
Am I going to only pick on the AAA, you ask? How about we make a deal? When
you have your own column, you can do whatever you want! As far as the AAA is
concerned, I can’t honestly believe that in 2004, after being used and abused
for four years, after they praised the President’s 2002 statement and didn’t
issue one in 2003, that they were genuinely “surprised.” They must think that
either we’re idiots or that we will understand and have pity on them for being
idiots. I have some advice for the AAA that may console them seeing as to how
shocked and surprised they must be by Bush’s statement–There’s an old saying
in that state of Tennessee which recently acknowledged the Armenian Genocide
for the first time. Yup, there’s a saying there–I don’t think they have the
same saying in Turkey or in Texas–but it says “Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on me for sticking
around, and fool me four times, its no surprise!”

Skeptik Sinikian is not a psychiatrist nor a licensed therapist but offers
clinics to help Armenian organizations cope with dikephobia (fear of justice)
and ideophobia (fear of ideas). If you would like to “surprise” Skeptik, write
to him at [email protected].

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Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
April 30, 2004
CONTACT: David Zenian
E-mail: [email protected]

AN EVENING TO REMEMBER: ASSEMBLY THANKS SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS

Potomac, MD -The Armenian Assembly has come a long way since its
establishment 32 years ago, vigorously expanding its power base and circle
of supporters and friends in the United States, including key members in the
Washington diplomatic, political and business communities.

The strength of these ties were evident April 17 when more than 125 Assembly
members and guests — many from as far away as Florida, Maine and California
– gathered in the grand suburban Washington home of Assembly Board of
Directors Vice Chair Annie Totah for the Sponsor and Supporter Recognition
and Appreciation Reception – an evening with the singular purpose of saying
thank you, especially to the Life Trustees, Endowment contributors, Board
Members, benefactors, patrons and corporate sponsors of the Assembly’s
National Conference and Banquet.

“All our activists are volunteers who contribute both in time and financial
resources to help the Assembly do its work … to advocate on behalf of all
issues, small and large, on behalf of the American Armenian community and of
course Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. We cannot stop thanking them, but at
least once a year, we devote a special event just to honor them and say how
important their role is,” said Totah in her welcoming remarks to a house
full of guests that included Assembly Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair
Hovnanian, present and past Board of Directors Chairmen Anthony Barsamian
and Peter Vosbikian, other Trustee and Board Members, several ambassadors,
diplomats, state representatives, and community activists.

What was originally slated as a social event – on the eve of the Assembly’s
National Conference and Banquet which Ms. Totah also chaired — took a
serious turn in response to Hovnanian’s invitation for comments from two of
the special guests and key leaders of the American Jewish Committee (AJC):
AJC Washington Chapter President Ambassador Peter Rosenblatt and AJC
National Council Chair Ms. Dottie Bennett, who reiterated their deep
understanding of Armenian issues and support for affirmation of the Armenian
Genocide.

Bennett, who was recently appointed as a member of the governing body of the
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, spoke of the close moral ties between the
Armenian and Jewish communities based on their mutual respect for human
rights, ethics and justice.

“We have a lot in common and I am sure we will continue working together on
many issues, including the Armenian Genocide which must be recognized for
what it was — Genocide,” Bennett said.

“At the AJC, we will work to make the Armenian Genocide recognition happen –
this long overdue recognition. We have new opportunities to push the
Genocide recognition agenda forward,” she said.

On his part, Rosenblatt spoke of the existing cooperation between the AJC
and the Assembly on issues of mutual concern.

“Both our nations have suffered enormous tragedies and this has brought us
together. We have enormous similarities, and that should make us great
allies, despite some differences which we have,” Rosenblatt said.

As much as sentiments of support were a source of exhilaration, the guests
also had an opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie, the hospitality and
cultural program put together especially for the evening by event hosts,
Annie and Sami Totah.

One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of a plaque of
appreciation to the host of the memorable evening, Ms. Totah, by Assembly
Board of Directors Chairman Anthony Barsamian who thanked her for her
diligence, enthusiasm, decades of activism and effective support and
involvement in all Assembly endeavors.

Totah not only opened her home for the event, but also personally joined in
a special program to entertain the assembled guests with a rendition of new
Armenian songs by Marine Ales, followed by a dance by a member of the
Washington Arca Ballet Group performing Nargegatsi’s monologue, and a
classical music interlude by the talented Poochikian family – with concert
violinist Mrs. Nayiri Poochikian and her young and talented daughters Hourig
and Roubina.

The Armenian Assembly of America would like to thank the following Event
Benefactors and Sponsors for their support of the National Conference and
Banquet.

Corporate Sponsors

Mr. and Mrs. Gerard L. Cafesjian
Hovchild Partnership: Siran Sahakian, Edele Hovnanian, Tanya Hovnanian,
Leela Hovnanian, Armen Hovnanian Partners
Mr. and Mrs. Hirair Hovnanian
Physician’s Skin Care, PLLC, Dr. Levon and Elizabeth Kircik
Mrs. Carolyn Mugar
Made in Armenia Direct
Annie S. Totah Partnership for Brighter Tomorrows
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Vosbikian

Event Benefactor

Hovnanian International
Mr. & Mrs. Jack Kalaydjian
Hagop & Ica Kouyoumdjian
Ms. Anoush Mathevosian
K. George & Dr. Carolann Najarian
Stephen Philibosian Foundation
Mrs. Lucy Ishkanian-Tankian

Event Sponsors

Dr. & Mrs. Murat Acemoglu
Mr. & Mrs. Jim Batmasian
Ms. Ida Boodakian
Mr. & Mrs. Hrant Candan
Ms. Joan Demurjian
Hon. Aram Garabedian
Mr. & Mrs. Edgar Hagopian
Samuel & Barbara Hagopian
Stephen & Arda Haratunian
Mr. & Mrs. Jirair Hovnanian
Mr. Papken Janjigian
Mr. & Mrs. Harold Keshishian
Dr. Haroutune & Shake Mekhjian
Mr. & Mrs. Edward Norian
Ms. Janice Norian
Hon. & Mrs. Ken Norian
Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Ohanian
Sarkis and Mary Satian
Mr. Bob Semonian
Mr. Charles Talanian
Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Tufenkian
Mrs. Rita Walden

Photographs available on the Assembly’s Web site at the following link:

Caption: L to R: Tunisian Ambassador and Mrs. Hatem Atallah, National
Conference and Banquet Chair Annie Totah, HE Ambassador Armand Kirakossian
of Armenia, and HE Ambassador Kassahun Ayele of Ethiopia at the Sponsor and
Supporter Recognition and Appreciation Reception hosted by Totah.

Caption: L to R: Assembly Board of Directors Chairman Anthony Barsamian, AJC
National Council Chair Mrs. Dottie Bennett, Dr. Richard Morton, AJC
Washington Chapter President Ambassador Peter Rosenblatt, and Mrs. Naomi
Rosenblatt at the Sponsor and Supporter Recognition and Appreciation
reception hosted by National Conference and Banquet Chair Annie Totah.

Caption: L to R: Assembly Board of Directors Chairman Anthony Barsamian,
Assistant Surgeon General Dr. Suzan Blumenthal, Mrs. Annie Totah and Rep.
Edward Markey at the Sponsor and Supporter Recognition and Appreciation
reception hosted by National Conference and Banquet Chair Annie Totah.

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

NR#2004-048

The Georgian Messenger
30 April 2004
Solid Economic Policy Must Be A Priority

By M. Alkhazashvili
According to a study conducted by the World Bank, Georgia is one of the 64
countries with the lowest per-capita incomes in the world. Also on the list
are the post-Soviet countries of Azerbaijan, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
and Uzbekistan. According to the calculations of World
Bank analysts, the main reason behind the poverty in these countries is the
lack of adequate financing for social programs, health care and education.

The Georgian government intends to fight poverty with a special program
adopted last year during the Shevardnadze administration. This program
foresees economic growth in the country by the year 2015. The new government
has talked about making certain changes in the program and some analysts
point out that if this document does not undergo some alterations, reducing
poverty in the country will be an exceedingly difficult task.

Many foreign experts are of the same opinion. They predict a rather grim
future for Georgia and its neighboring countries. Due to the complicated
social and political situation, Georgia’s population is projected to
decrease by 1.5 million by the year 2015, rendering it less than 3 million.
The population of Armenia, meanwhile, will fall slightly to 3 million and
that of Azerbaijan will increase to 9 million. But population
growth in Azerbaijan will not be caused by good living conditions. On the
contrary, it will further inflame the problem of poverty.

As analysts say, in order to overcome the current dire situation, it is
necessary to develop a wholly new economic vision. So far, the government is
continuing to follow the priorities of the old administration – that is,
focusing on the budget, pensions and salaries. If we closely examine these
notions, Solid economic policy must be a priority however, we see that there
is nothing behind them. The amount of the country’s budget is insignificant
and salaries and pensions are miniscule. In other words, we need to put
these old priorities aside, though not
as unimportant issues, but rather we should view a strong budget and
sufficient salaries and pensions as a consequence of a well-thought-out
economic policy.

Nothing yet can be said about the new government’s vision for the nation’s
economy, as no such document has been adopted that expresses a coherent
vision. A new economic vision must first of all mean the creation of a new
tax code. Work on a new code is underway, but the hurried pace of this work
creates the danger that many mistakes will be made. One specialist who has
seen the draft code warns that it looks no better than its predecessor and
little change is visible. These mistakes will be difficult to correct in the
future. Without a consistent and liber-al economic policy, the nation’s
economic and consequently political and social development will be stalled
for several years.

The Georgian Messenger
30 April 2004

Prepared by Anna Arzanova
Azerbaijan fears reopening Turkish-Armenian border

According to Nezavisimaya Gazeta, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev
went to Ankara where held negotiations with senior Turkish leadership.
President Aliev met with the Ambassador of Turkey to Baku Unal Chevikez on
the eve of his journey and discussed details
of his visit. “The achievements of Turkey make us happy and the achievements
of Azerbaijan make Turkey happy. I am very happy that
important steps were and are taken in this direction,” stated Aliev. Despite
such an optimistic tone, the experts in Baku noticed that there is
some tension in the relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey.

The problem is that authorities in Turkey are inclined to establish a normal
border-customs regime with Armenia in the near future. According to Turkish
diplomatic sources, there really are intense, informal diplomatic contacts
on this issue between Yerevan and Ankara. The fact of such negotiations was
also confirmed by the former Minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan, the
leader of the National Democratic Party, Iskender Gamidov.

Baku has a very sickly reaction to the possibility of changes along the
Turkish-Armenian border and even tries to dissuade officials in
Ankara. Aliev stated once again that he is against the opening of the
Turkish-Armenian boarder, because this step will not contribute to
settle the Karabakh conflict peacefully.

Heir to Air: Popular newspaper editor takes over MP-owned television company
30 April 2004

By Zhanna Alexanyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
The editor of a leading oppositional newspaper has taken over leadership of
a Yerevan television company that has tangential government affiliation.
The new director.

Aram Abrahamyan, editor of Aravot (Morning), Armenia’s leading daily, has
been named director of the former Kentron (Center) television company, an
enterprise recently purchased by pro-government National Assembly member and
businessman Murad Guloyan. The newly-named company will air May 10.

The TV company was previously owned (for one year) by another MP, Gurgen
Arsenyan. Recent coverage by the channel of oppositional party
demonstrations was not favorable for the government, leading to speculation
that Arsenyan was later pressured by authorities to sell the company.

The appointment has raised questions of whether the oppositional journalist
and the MP-owned television company will have matching ambitions for how the
station should position itself in Armenia’s media, broadly divided according
to political persuasion.

Media observers are further intrigued that Abrahamyan will be inheriting a
channel that, in its inception two years ago, helped kick A1+ off the
airwaves, stirring a controversy alleging government censorship which
continues these two years later.

(In April 2002, A1+, the republic’s leading oppositional channel, lost its
license in a disputed bidding war in which a presidential-appointed
commission gave the license to Sharm, primarily an entertainment and
advertising company that did not even have a reporting staff at the time.
Guloyan bought the company last week .)

Abrahamyan was in fact a co-founder, with Mesrop Movsisyan, of A1+ in 1991
and until the channel lost its license, was host of its most popular talk
show, “Post Script”.

Abrahamyan says he puts his journalistic reputation behind his new role and
that Aravot television will in fact join efforts to see A1+ resume
broadcast. But he says any speculation that Aravot will become the new A1+
are “absurd”.

“The Aravot TV, which I will be heading will become a rostrum from where we
will always speak about the opening of A1+,” Abrahamyan says. “I will be
participating in all kinds of events (marches, demonstrations) which will be
organized in support of A1+.”

Abrahamyan goes so far, in fact, to say that should the National TV and
Radio Commission hold a contest for the 37 th frequency (currently held by
Aravot, but previously belonging to A1+), “we will not take part in it and
will do everything possible to help A1+ win the contest”.

The new director dismisses notions that either his newspaper or his
television company should be labeled.

“Political figures can be oppositional or pro-governmental but these
categories must not touch us,” he says.

Guloyan, who is in his first term as MP, was elected on the ticket of the
Republican party (though he, himself, is not a member). Not a well-known
figure in Armenia, he is the owner of Milta, a food-production company. He
comes from the same village as Armenian strongman Gagik “Dodi Gago”
Tsarukyan. Some interested parties have speculated that the powerful
millionaire is behind the purchase of the television company, which is
believed to have sold for $500,000.

Recent news programming (prior to Guloyan’s purchase) by Kentron was praised
by Abrahamyan, especially for its coverage of the violent April 13 clash
between State police and oppositional protestors.

Kentron, “was the most independent media among all others,” Abrahamyan says.

But others are claiming that those very reports riled the government and
that Arsenyan was “forced” by high-level government officials to sell his
company because of his company’s broadcast of the clashes between police and
demonstrators.

It is an opinion shared by A1+ director Mesrop Movsesyan.

Movsesyan says that, when A1+ was denied its license, President Robert
Kocharyan promised to create another company like it. Kentron, Movsisyan
says, was to have been that channel.

“The president wanted to do that via Gurgen Arsenyan,” Movsisyan says, “but
when Arsenyan stumbled, he was forced to sell Kentron.”

Unofficial talk in Yerevan is that Kocharyan in fact called a meeting with
Arsenyan following the broadcasts of the April 13 events.

Ashot Kocharyan, spokesman for the President told ArmeniaNow there is no
record of a meeting between the President and Arsenayn. The spokesman had no
comment on rumors to that effect.

ArmeniaNow attempted to get Arsenyan’s version of the claims. He said he is
reserving comment on the matter until after the new company begins its
broadcast. Asked whether Arsenyan had been pressured into selling Kentron,
an assistant for Arsenyan said the MP “does not wish to speak about it now”.

Movsesyan, meanwhile, criticizes his former colleague Abrahamyan for taking
the directorship of a company that effectively put A1+ off the air.

“By making that decision, he (Abrahamyan) demonstrated that he has changed
his team,” Movsisyan said. “Of course, this country always needed an
imitator like Aram in the struggle of freedom of speech, and such person was
found. Aram is a good journalist and he can create an imitation of an
independent channel. I’m only surprised that he agreed to that.”

Abrahamyan, though, refutes accusations that he has switched his political
allegiance by assuming a position seen as connected to the government.

The journalist says he is confident the new owner will not use the
television company as a rostrum for advancing his politics.

“It’s just a business for him to make investments for gaining profits in the
future,” Abrahamyan says. “I’m sure this is the only way for creating
independent media. Media, but not the means for propaganda.”

Abrahamyan, a musicologist by profession, graduated Yerevan State
Conservatory and defended his Ph.D. thesis. He served as press secretary for
the first president after independence, Levon Ter Pertrosyan. He became
editor of Aravot newspaper in 1994.

Before hosting the A1+ talk show, Abrahamyan had been host of various music
programs.

“I always dreamt of working in TV,” he says. “When I first came to TV in
1983 I realized it was my world and I had always been dreaming of working
there.”

His aim at Aravot TV, he says, is to direct a company that serves the public
need for reliable information.

“The strategic goal of the TV company is to become an informational and
public channel like Freedom radio station,” says Abrahamyan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Margaryan Killing: Preliminary inquiry nears its end
30 April 2004

By Zhanna Alexanyan
ArmeniaNow.com reporter

The lawyer for the family of Gurgen Margaryan has been in Budapest for
consultations on the case against the Azerbaijani officer accused of
murdering him.

Nazeli Vardanyan, a member of the Armenian International Lawyers Union, met
with her Hungarian colleague Gabriela Gaspar to familiarize herself with
details of the preliminary investigation.

Vardanyan is representing the interests of the legal successors of
Margaryan, the Armenian officer violently murdered on February 19 while
attending a NATO Partnership for Peace training program in Budapest. She
also represents a second Armenian officer, Hayk Makuchyan, who is recognized
as a victim in the case.

The preliminary inquiry is expected to be completed within two to three
weeks. Senior Lieutenant Ramil Sarafov, one of two Azerbaijani officers
attending the same NATO program, is accused of hacking Margaryan to death
with an axe while he slept and of attempting to murder Makuchyan. The
soldiers were attending NATO’s “Partners for Peace” conference.

Vardanyan received her legal education in Yerevan and completed postgraduate
study at the Institute of State and Law Studies of the Russian Academy of
Sciences in Moscow . She is also a graduate of the American University of
Armenia. An international law specialist, Vardanyan speaks English and
German.

Tigran Janoyan, head of the union, which is providing legal support to
Vardanyan, states that Sarafov allegedly murdered Margaryan then tried to
break into Makuchyan’s room. The preliminary investigation has recorded that
marks from a sharp-edged instrument were found around the door latch and
that the Azeri officer called to Makuchyan to come out of his room.

“Both of them were recognized as victims and the most important is that the
crime was directed only against Armenian citizens. The national factor, the
fact of being Armenian, was the motive for the crime,” says Janoyan.

Immediately after the incident, Azerbaijani authorities sought to classify
it as a simple dispute. Janoyan says: “So far, the investigation hasn’t
managed to collect any information showing there to have been a conflict
between the Azeri and Armenian officers or demonstration of antipathy.”

The attorney believes that the Azeri side is seeking to cloak a criminal act
in the imagery of national heroism by developing a hypothesis of revenge for
deaths in Khojalu during the war in Nagorno Karabakh.

“This contradiction is also clear to Hungarian authorities, particularly to
the body in charge of the preliminary investigation. If they try to turn the
trial into a political show, I think we will also be ready to present the
reality of the Khojalu events,” says Janoyan, underlining that at present
the Armenian side has no desire to leave the legal field.

He says the investigation found that “the axe recognized as the weapon was
purchased in advance, about two weeks before the incident in Budapest”.

According to a statement from the second Azeri officer who attended the NATO
meeting, Safarov “purchased the axe as a souvenir for his father”. Janoyan
questions whether the huge instrument – 65 centimeters long, with a blade
measuring 17 by 12 – was really “the best souvenir to bring from Hungary to
the Southern Caucasus”.

He argues: “Safarov planned cruel crimes against Armenian officers. He
purchased the crime instrument, chose a residential section of the
educational building and step by step committed the crime. The murder of the
second Armenian officer didn’t take place as a result of circumstances over
which the criminal couldn’t establish control.”

The scene of the crime has been thoroughly examined. Traces of blood
allegedly left by the criminal while searching for Makuchyan’s room were
registered.

Hungarian law provides 10 to 15 years or life imprisonment for murder. The
court has yet to decide whether the trial will be public. If he is
convicted, the possibility of Sarafov being transferred to his homeland to
serve his sentence is not excluded.

“Azerbaijan and Hungary have signed a convention on extradition of convicted
persons, although it doesn’t require mandatory extradition. The Hungarian
side must decide whether to extradite him or not,” says Vardanyan. ” Hungary
is preparing to join the European Union on May 1 and I don’t think there
will be any pressure on the court because they want to prove to the world
that they are ready to be a member of this structure. We are not passive, in
our turn, to allow pressure to be exerted.”