The blog contains articles and thoughts in English, Armenian and Arabic about Armenian issues, Artsakh-Karabakh issue, Armenian Genocide as well as the life of Armenians and Christians in Iraq and the Middle East.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Mr. President, Armenian-Americans Reject Your Offensive Word Games on Genocide
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
Despite Armenian-Americans’ persistent admonishment of Pres. Obama to refrain from substituting "Meds Yeghern" (Great Calamity) for the Armenian Genocide in his annual April 24 statement, he has continued to do so for three years in a row.
Apparently, henchmen of the denialist Turkish regime and their American cohorts have been able to compel the President of the United States to avoid any reference to the "genocide" or “tseghasbanoutyoun” -- its Armenian equivalent. Otherwise, why would the President of the United States address the American public in a foreign language known only to a few? Armenian substitute words such as “Meds Yeghern” are simply meant to fool some gullible Armenian-Americans. This is a cheap trick that is beneath the dignity of the Presidency!
Over the past three years, rather than mending his ways and discontinuing the use of “Meds Yeghern,” Pres. Obama has done the exact opposite. Incredibly, he is using that term in this year’s April 24 statement not once, not twice, but three times! The President shamefully continues the silly and offensive word games of his predecessors -- whom he had severely criticized -- reducing genocide to “horrific events,” “atrocities,” “massacres,” and “devastating events.”
Earlier this month, Pres. Obama declared his candidacy for reelection and asked Americans to reelect him for another four more years. In my view, anyone who so blatantly breaks his promises on both Armenian and non-Armenian issues, including acknowledgment of the genocide, does not deserve to be reelected. It is hard to imagine that any self-respecting Armenian would vote for him again.
To show how offended they are by Pres. Obama’s broken promises, over a thousand Armenian-Americans held a spirited protest at Sony Studios in Culver City, at the site of his major fundraiser on the eve of April 24. Their anguished message was carried far and wide by the assembled local, national and international media. Just about every news outlet highlighted the protesters’ mistrust of Pres. Obama, casting a shadow on the celebratory atmosphere of the hiss reelection campaign.
Helping to amplify the protesters’ message was vocalist Serj Tankian of the System of a Down whose presence and fiery remarks electrified the crowd, attracting considerable media attention.
Another major boost for the demonstration came from TV celebrity Kim Kardashian who sent a twitter message to her 7.2 million fans around the world, along with a link to her blog: “Today, thousands of Armenians will come together in Los Angeles to protest against the denial of the genocide and urge the United States government to recognize the Armenian Genocide. I hope that I can bring some attention to this today.”
During my recent appearances on ABC-TV and FOX-TV, I explained that the purpose of the protest was not to beg Pres. Obama to use the word genocide. It was rather to let him and other politicians know that Armenian-Americans would no longer remain silent when an elected official makes lavish campaign promises to get their votes and money, only to ignore them after the election. These officials should be made to pay a political price for their hypocrisy. To make democracy work, citizens should ensure that dishonest politicians are not reelected. It is bad enough to be fooled once; but allowing ourselves to be fooled twice is truly unforgivable!
Using the Culver City rally as a precedent, Armenian-Americans throughout the United States should hold protests at every campaign appearance of Pres. Obama in the next 18 months!
Furthermore, Armenians do not really need Pres. Obama to repeat what Pres. Reagan stated 30 years ago by referring to the Armenian Genocide in his Presidential Proclamation of April 22, 1981. By breaking his campaign pledge, Pres. Obama compromises his moral and political standing as the leader of the free world!
Let us not forget two other major culprits in this deplorable affair! Where is Vice President Joe Biden hiding these days? Does he recall that he delivered dozens of strongly-worded speeches on the Armenian Genocide during his long years in the Senate and as presidential candidate? What about Hillary Clinton? How quickly did she transform herself from a champion of genocide recognition as Senator and presidential candidate, into a Secretary of State who hides from the media while placing a “personal” wreath at the Genocide Monument in Yerevan, and lobbies Congressmen to vote against a genocide resolution?
The 2012 elections present an ideal opportunity to settle scores with all those who have betrayed the trust of the Armenian-American community.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
البارونة كوكس:أذربيجان بممارستها الضغط على الناس الذين يرغبون زيارة غاراباغ تلحق الخسارة بنفسها
AZG Daily: "البارونة كوكس:أذربيجان بممارستها الضغط على الناس الذين يرغبون زيارة غاراباغ تلحق الخسارة بنفسها"
بمبادرة وزراة شؤون المغتربين يتم عرض كتاب "أنصاب الألم والذكرى والنضال"
AZG Daily: "بمبادرة وزراة شؤون المغتربين يتم عرض كتاب 'أنصاب الألم والذكرى والنضال'"
المجلس العالمي للكنائس يحث على المشاركة في اليوم الوطني للصلاة في 24 نيسان
AZG Daily: "المجلس العالمي للكنائس يحث على المشاركة في اليوم الوطني للصلاة في 24 نيسان"
مجلس الكنائس العالمي يحث على المشاركة في اليوم الوطني للصلاة بذكرى الإبادة الجماعية
مجلس الكنائس العالمي يحث على المشاركة في اليوم الوطني للصلاة بذكرى الإبادة الجماعية: "مجلس الكنائس العالمي يحث على المشاركة في اليوم الوطني للصلاة بذكرى الإبادة الجماعية"
Friday, April 22, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Armenian National Archives Are Open To Anyone-Documents About The Armenian Genocide Are preserved in the Armenian National Archive
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Serj Tankian to Join L.A. Armenians To Protest Against Obama on April 21
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
Armenian-Americans are offended that Pres. Obama is going to launch his reelection campaign in Los Angeles this week, on the eve of April 24, having failed to honor his solemn promise to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide.
A special Task Force has been set up to organize a communitywide protest to remind the President of his many unkept promises. All major Armenian-American organizations have been activated. Press releases have been written, the airwaves flooded with interviews and ads regarding the demonstration, thousands of flyers printed and distributed, protest signs and banners prepared, and buses chartered to transport the public to the site of the President’s fundraiser on April 21.
The news of the planned Armenian protest must not have been well received by the White House. Neither the President nor his staff would want to come to a major city to launch his reelection campaign, in the face of disenchanted voters who question his credibility in front of TV cameras.
Until this week, White House officials had paid little attention to a March 28 letter from ANCA chairman Ken Hachikian, inviting the President or a Cabinet member to participate in the annual commemoration by laying a wreath at the Armenian Genocide Monument in Montebello, California, on April 24. Given the prospect of a major protest rally on the occasion of the President’s visit on April 21, Democratic officials asked ANCA Western Region to send a follow-up letter, inviting the President to stop by the Genocide Monument in Montebello, situated minutes away from his appearance in Culver City.
It is highly unlikely that the President would make such a gesture to respect the memory of genocide victims on April 21, particularly since three days later he will be issuing a statement on the 96th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, in which once again he will shy away from using the word genocide.
The dangled carrot of a presidential visit to Montebello should not deter the Armenian community’s resolve from showing up in large numbers outside the President’s fundraiser in Culver City. In fact, whatever interest the White House may be showing regarding the Armenian community at this time might well be due to the planned protest.
It is not realistic to expect that the President will acknowledge the Armenian Genocide in the next two years, nor do so if reelected for a second term. Under these circumstances, rather than begging him to use those two "forbidden" words, at every campaign stop Armenian-Americans should raise serious questions about Pres. Obama’s credibility and suitability to lead the nation for another four years. Should Armenian-Americans continue to remain silent, they would be encouraging all other elected officials to deceive the community with empty promises.
The Armenian Genocide Community Task Force, the organizing body of the April 21 rally, has issued an urgent call to action, asking Los Angeles Armenians to participate in large numbers in order to let Pres. Obama hear the community’s "profound disappointment at his failure to honor his campaign promise” and “deliver justice to the Armenian people." In its announcement, the Task Force pointed out that a large turnout would not only send a loud and clear message to the White House, but also publicize Armenian political demands among millions of people around the world who would be watching the presidential visit on national and international television.
It is salutary that prominent Armenian-American musician Serj Tankian will be participating in the April 21 protest. Moreover, Tankian posted a message to his 570,000 facebook fans, urging them to support the protest: "On Thursday, April 21 at 3 p.m., everyone in Southern California is urged to join in a public protest urging President Obama to uphold his promise and recognize the Armenian Genocide. This issue has always been of extreme importance to Serj and his family."
Special arrangements have been made to provide transportation to the public by buses starting at 1:30 p.m. from St. Mary’s Church in Glendale, Rose & Alex Pilibos School in Hollywood, and Ferrahian High School in Encino. Those planning to drive to the rally should arrive around 3 p.m., at Sony Studios, 10202 W. Washington Boulevard in Culver City, California.
The larger the number of participants, the more visible their presence and the more audible their voices will be at the rally.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Like Obama, Sarkozy has betrayed the Armenian community
The Elysée and the Armenian Genocide Denial
The Great Treachery of Nicolas Sarkozy
Paris, July 18, 2011
Mr. President
As such, breaches can be more or less serious. But because they relate to a whole people, some of them border on betrayal to ethics and to moral code.
"Get indignant!" says a book to protest against all forms of injustice. Well yes, as a French of Armenian origin by my father, a genocide survivor, a veteran of WWII, I am outraged and I think, your other fellow citizens of the same origin, "so well integrated," as our representatives on the benches of the Assembly and Senate like to repeat, are also outraged when they learn, by diplomatic "leakage" revealed by Wikileaks, that the President of the French Republic, after having promised to support the Armenian community in France in its struggle against denial, had suddenly retracted. I quote you:
"I fully share your desire that France opposes to the denial of State, to a propaganda that bruises you, a shameful propaganda. And France must not only condemn the denial by the law, but never accept any state propaganda.
It is the rôle of the Parliament, of the representants of the nation, to give our laws to the country. It is up to the Parliament to draw the line between what is acceptable and what is not. And as such, it can decide that denying a genocide is crossing that line. Beyond the insult to the memory of the victims and to their relatives, denying is an infringement for the entire society. Freedom of expression does not mean freedom for manipulating history or denying obvious historical facts.
Even if the reality of genocide is undeniable, I am all for individual freedom of expression of individuals, freedom of thought for historians and researchers. On the other hand, I do not accept that the Armenians of France are threatened or prevented from denouncing genocide denial in France." […]
That was written in a letter that you adressed on April 24, 2007, the day of commemoration of the Genocide, to the president of the Armenian Organisations of France before your investiture, Mr President. Some weeks later, on May 16, 2007 your emissary and diplomatic advisor, Jean-David Levitte, hastened to reassure Turkey in your behalf.
Thus, they were some 500 000 French of armenian origin who felt quite rightly betrayed. Thus a foreign government could influence the policy of France…This would be expected to be believed when in the interior of the Senate, Egeman Bagis, Turkish Minister of European Affairs, allowed himself, April 7, 2011, to warn the senators on the issue.
Getting into the debate Charles Aznavour, particularly moderate when it comes to claiming for the community into the debate, shows that too much is too much. For him to state that he will be followed in the future with our votes, if inadvertently the law would not pass the Senate due to President's "recommendation" means that the phenomenon of Turkish denial has reached a climax, threatening the public policy. A strong signal.
Do not you think Mr. President that that is enough to justify the vote of a law penalizing the act of denying the Armenian genocide. Will we wait for truly grave incidents to do so? You do not believe it? Ask Senator Bernard Piras how he has been threatened with death and intimidated for his children! On social networks of the web, Turkish extremists not only deny the Armenian genocide, but insult and swear at the victims and the descendants of this crime against humanity. Yes, it is time to put an end to hatred and incitement and it is time for making the accounts.
"Mr. President, I give you this letter, that maybe you will read if you have time. " The French of Armenian origin do not have vocation to appear as victims forever in front of violence. On the eve of the 96th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide and on the eve of setting the law penalizing denying of Armenien Genocide voted by the National Assembly in 2006 into the agenda of the Senate, reconsider your disengagement and keep your promise.
Please accept, Mr.President, the assurance of my high consideration
Jean Eckian
Nouvelles d'Arménie Magazine
Armenian community of France has recorded more than 40 events of the Armenian genocide denial (violence, treaths, intimidation, memorials desecrated, publications denier, denialist statements, Turkish nationalist demonstrations, students of Turkish origin deny genocide in colleges...), more insults to the memory of the victims in 50 groups on Face Book and also on You Tube
Jean Eckian is a freelance journalist, photographer and former producer for CBS and EMI Records, co-organizer with Charles Aznavour and Levon Sayan of the song "Pour toi Arménie" (For you Armenia) and presenter on French Radio MFM and Radio Arménie. In 1970, he recorded in France the first disc of Mogollar, an Pop-Rock turkish group, become after celebrates in Turkey. He is also originator of the Armenian Memorial on Internet InHomage.com
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Secret organization within Turkey’s police was assigned to combat Anatolia Armenians - PanARMENIAN.Net
Secret organization within Turkey’s police was assigned to combat Anatolia Armenians - PanARMENIAN.Net: "Secret organization within Turkey’s police was assigned to combat Anatolia Armenians"
The 96th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
When I was young, I knew that I, unlike my schoolmates in the Baghdad United Armenian School, used to hear the stories of the Armenian Genocide directly from my deceased father, an eyewitness-survivor of the Armenian Genocide (later I understood that I represent the second generation after the Armenian Genocide). My schoolmates used to hear these stories from their grandfathers and grandmothers or fathers and mothers who had heard those stories from them. This was because my father Sarkis Ashjian (born in the city of Urfa -Etesia- in 1904 and died in Baghdad in 1981) married my mother at the age of 53 and I was born after three years.
Anyway, the most grievous thing to me in my young age was to hear from my father the stories of outraging Armenian children and women during the Armenian Genocide. All my father's family members were martyred during Urfa's self-defense war and then deportation, except his elder brother whom he lost and found after years by newspaper advertisement (!!) when my father was in an orphanage in Lebanon. My father was sold four times to Kurds and his name was changed to Hussein before he could escape and restore his Armenian identity. When I grew up, I began to carry out research to the Armenian Genocide and again became mostly affected by the stories of outraging Armenian children and women during the Genocide.
On April 24, we will commemorate the 96th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, respect the memory of all our victims, pledge to continue our fight against Turkey's denial policy, restore historical justice and gain back our People's rights.
Anyway, the most grievous thing to me in my young age was to hear from my father the stories of outraging Armenian children and women during the Armenian Genocide. All my father's family members were martyred during Urfa's self-defense war and then deportation, except his elder brother whom he lost and found after years by newspaper advertisement (!!) when my father was in an orphanage in Lebanon. My father was sold four times to Kurds and his name was changed to Hussein before he could escape and restore his Armenian identity. When I grew up, I began to carry out research to the Armenian Genocide and again became mostly affected by the stories of outraging Armenian children and women during the Genocide.
On April 24, we will commemorate the 96th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, respect the memory of all our victims, pledge to continue our fight against Turkey's denial policy, restore historical justice and gain back our People's rights.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
أرمن جورجيا يطلبون من ساكاشفيلي الإعتراف بالإبادة الأرمنية
AZG Daily: "أرمن جورجيا يطلبون من ساكاشفيلي الإعتراف بالإبادة الأرمنية"
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Armenians Should Confront Pres. Obama During his California Visit Next Week
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
It is a shame that the largest Armenian community in the Diaspora has failed to take advantage of Pres. Obama’s visits to California to protest his refusal to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. Last October, when he traveled to Los Angeles and Glendale, not a single Armenian confronted him at his public appearances.
To make up for their negligence, Armenians in California have a golden opportunity to show that they are deeply troubled when the highest official of the land does not keep his pledge on the Armenian Genocide.
Pres. Obama will be in San Francisco on April 20 and in Los Angeles on April 21 – three days before the 96th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide – to launch his reelection campaign with major fundraisers publicized as "Obama Victory Fund 2012."
During the next 18 months, Armenian-Americans should hold demonstrations at every one of the President’s campaign stops throughout the country until the November 2012 presidential election. This is an opportune moment to highlight the President’s lack of credibility, at a time when he is most vulnerable due to his low ratings, as he launches his reelection campaign.
Armenians do not need to beg the President to utter the words Armenian Genocide. A more popular head of state – Pres. Ronald Reagan – used those words on April 22, 1981, almost 30 years to the day of Pres. Obama’s visit to Los Angeles! The only reason to protest Obama’s visit would be to let him know that Armenians will no longer be duped when politicians make false campaign promises to gain their support, and ignore them after the election! The Armenian slogan for the 2012 presidential election should be: "Not one vote and not one penny for Obama!"
Here is the list of Pres. Obama’s multiple sins on Armenian issues:
1. He repeatedly pledged to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide during the 2008 presidential campaign and did not keep his word after the election.
2. To make matters worse, his administration actively opposed the adoption of the 2010 congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide.
3. He significantly cut the amount of foreign aid given to Armenia and Artsakh (Karabagh), contrary to his campaign promise. Moreover, his administration did not spend the full amount of aid Congress allocated to Artsakh.
4. He pressured Armenia in 2009 to sign the infamous “Protocols” with Turkey.
5. He made no attempts to press Turkey into lifting its blockade of Armenia.
6. He remained silent in the face of repeated saber-rattling by Azerbaijan’s President against Armenia and Artsakh, ignoring his campaign pledge to support Artsakh’s self-determination.
7. He and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did not respond to repeated requests to meet with Armenian-American community leaders to hear their concerns.
8. Last Christmas, while the Senate was in recess, he circumvented the "hold" placed by U.S. Senators, and appointed Matt Bryza as Ambassador to Azerbaijan.
It is crucial that a large number of Armenian-Americans show up on April 20 and 21, not only to protest against the President, but also to publicize their demands through the media covering Pres. Obama’s visit. Should Armenians remain silent, they would be sending the wrong message to politicians that making empty promises to Armenians to get their money and votes, and ignoring them after the election would have no negative consequences to their political careers!
Armenians need to wake up from their lethargy. If they want elected officials to take them seriously, they must reward those who support their issues by helping to reelect them, and punish those who make false promises by working to defeat them.
A few days after his visit to California, Pres. Obama will issue his annual April 24 statement which will probably exclude once again the term Armenian Genocide. Armenian protesters must make it clear to the President that playing word games with genocide is offensive and that he will pay a political price for his unwillingness to tell the truth!
Pres. Obama will be in San Francisco on April 20, at 5 p.m., at the Nob Hill Masonic Center, 1111 California Street, and in Culver City on April 21, at 4:30 p.m., at the Sony Studios, 10202 W. Washington Blvd. Thousands of Armenians should show up at these two locations to protest Pres. Obama’s record of broken promises!
As a former Obama supporter, I will be standing outside the Sony Studios on April 21 to express my profound disappointment in his handling of Armenian issues and to let him know that Armenian-Americans will not support his reelection.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Noratus Khachkar (Cross-Stone) “Forest”
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Noratus Նորատուս | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Noratus Նորատուս | |
| Coordinates: 40°22′48″N 45°10′48″E | |
| Country | Armenia |
| Province | Gegharkunik |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Murad Harutyunyan |
| Elevation | 1,925 m (6,316 ft) |
| Population (2008) | |
| - Total | 5,893 |
Noratus (Armenian: Նորատուս; also Romanized as Noraduz) is a village in the Gegharkunik province of Armenia near the town of Gavar. It contains the famous Noraduz cemetery. The village also contains a monastery and church dated to the 9th century, and a ruined basilica built by Prince Sahak.
The medieval cemetery of Noratus with a spectacular heritage of early khachkars (Cross-stone) has the largest surviving collection of khachkars both within the present-day Republic of Armenia and Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, as well as throughout historic Armenia.
The cemetery covers a filed containing more than 500 khachkars, each with unique ornamentation and dating back up to the 10th century.
Miracles/Legends:
Numerous miracles and legends are told about the cemetery. One of the legends is about the times of Tamerlane invasion. When his army reached the region, the villagers placed helmets on top of the khachkars and leaned swords against them. The khackars looked like strong, heavily armed soldiers and made Tamerlane's army to prompt its retreat.
Also, see the video:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
p--cmYrAD_e345B