Azad-Hye, Dubai, 29 March 2006: After starting a website earlier this year, the Middle East chapter of the Armenian National Committee started to circulate a newsletter in Arabic language.
The first issue of the newsletter, dated 21 March 2006, has already reached the mailbox of thousands of individuals in Arabic countries. It aims at updating Arabic language speakers about the developments related to Armenia and the Armenians, especially the course of the Genocide recognition worldwide. The publication is important also for certain number of Armenians living in the Middle East, who use Arabic as mode of communication.
The Arab public who has witnessed the arrival of the Armenians into the Middle East and has shared with them decades of political, social and economic experience, needs to know more about this group of people, who are struggling for full acknowledgment of their plight. The Arabs, who are in majority Muslims, have welcomed the Armenian refugees during WWI. This is an important indication that the Genocide against the Armenians did not have religious motivation.
The first issue of the newsletter has 4 pages, half of which is devoted to the unfortunate news of the destruction of the Julfa Armenian historical cemetery in Nakhichevan (Azerbaijan).
Other subjects in the newsletter:
- Turks organize anti-Armenian demonstrations in Paris
- Turkey has only two years ahead to comply with the political criteria of the European Union.
- Request for equal US military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan.
- The Committee for Defending the Armenian Cause meets the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates in Lebanon
Below is the complete text of this last piece of news related to the UAE:
“Beirut: 17/3/2006 - A delegation of the Committee for Defending the Armenian Cause meets the Ambassador of UAE in Lebanon His Excellency Mohammad Sultan Seif Sweidi.
During the meeting the anti-Armenian policy of Azerbaijan was exposed, a policy that reached to an extreme point through the destruction of the Armenian archaeological and cultural monuments in Julfa (Nakhichevan). The Karabag problem was another topic of discussion. The delegation pointed to the anti-Armenian policy of both Azerbaijan and Turkey regarding this issue, which is manifested through the rejection of any peaceful solution in the area, which gives the Armenians the right for self-determination.
The UAE Ambassador promised to follow up this issue with his government. He referred to the friendly Armenian – Emirati relations and the policy of openness adopted by his country, without discrimination towards nations and religions.
The Committee had paid similar visits in the past to the Ambassadors of the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, the European Union, Netherlands, Vatican and Egypt."
Website of the Committee: www.ancme.org
Subscription to the newsletter could be made through the website or by writing directly to
info@ancme.org
Middle East Armenian Portal
29 March 2006
Newsletter of the Armenian National Committee - Middle East chapter
28 March 2006
Armenian Church active participant in Christian – Muslim dialogue
Below are the three pieces of news from official sources:
1) His Holiness Aram I receives the Chairman of the Christian-Muslim dialogue committee.
Source: Cilica Catholicosate press release on 14th March 2006
Antelias, Lebanon - His Holiness Aram I received the chairman of the Muslim-Christian dialogue committee, Mir Hares Shehab, on March 14. The two discussed the internal situation of Lebanon particularly within the context of the ongoing political dialogue in the parliament.
Hares Shehab passed some information on to His Holiness and expressed his opinions on various issues. His Holiness welcomed all initiatives that aim to establish close cooperation between Lebanon’s communities, strengthen the country’s internal unity and its independence and sovereignty. His Holiness expressed hope that the initiative and the resulting discussions on various levels would soon yield to practical results.
2) The Chancellor of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Archbishop Nerses Bozabalyan participates in a conference that took place in Isfahan, Iran.
Source: IRNA, 19 March 2006 (Iranian official news agency)
Please note that we have kept the news item as it is, without any changes, although some of the ideas expressed there seem to have been “lost in translation”
Buzabolyan: Convergence is core of all monotheistic religions Isfahan-Conference- The Archbishop of Armenian Christian Church Nerses Buzabolyan here on Sunday stressed that the identical origin of all monotheistic faiths is the element of convergence among all divine religions and said any insult to the sanctities of each of them would hurt the feelings of the followers of other faiths as well.
The archbishop made the remark in an interview with IRNA here Sunday on the sidelines of the "Global Conference on Constructive Interaction among Divine Religions: A Framework for International order," which opened here Saturday with participation of 160 scholars from 40 countries.
Buzabolyan commented that the spiritual tenets, shared by all the divine religions, provide them with a common background in that all the religions, believing in God as the central part of their faith, share the basic principle that the oneness of God means all human beings are equipped with wisdom to "feel and see" the presence of God in every moment of their lives. That, he added, would definitely prevent them from committing such silly acts as undertaking sacrilegious actions against any of the divine religions.
He further hailed the ongoing inter-faith dialogue conference as the first preliminary step towards establishing dialogue among divine religions because, he said, it would certainly help promote unity and solidarity among followers of different faiths in a number of practical ways.
He believed the interaction and exchange of views among scholars during the event would help them remove walls and barriers and wipe out many baseless and hollow prejudices.
Archbishop Buzabolyan went on to express hope that the present gathering would encourage many other similar events in other countries resulting in establishment of a lasting dialogue among religions.
3) The Catholicosate of Cilicia participates in the Christian – Muslim dialogue conference in Cairo.
Source: Cilica Catholicosate press release on 22nd March 2006
The Middle East Council of Churches, the Christian-Muslim Dialogue Committee and the Islamic International Conference organized the second international Christian-Muslim dialogue conference in Cairo on March 21-22. The conference was entitled "Religion and Human Rights."
The conference was sponsored by Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark His Holiness Pope Shenouda III and Sheikh Al-Azhar Dr. Mohammed Said Tantawi. Christian and Muslim theologians and scholars participated in the conference. Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian, Primate of the Diocese of Tehran represented the Armenian Church (the Catholicosate of Cilicia) in the conference as member of the Christian-Muslim Dialogue Committee.
Archbishop Sebouh took the stage during the opening of the conference to convey the greetings of His Holiness Aram I to the attendants. The
Archbishop delivered a lecture entitled "The Christian Concept of Human
Rights."
Archbishop Sarkissian held a private meeting with Dr. Tantawi on 22 March 2006. He conveyed the greetings of His Holiness Aram I and his viewpoints on the vital importance of Christian-Muslim dialogue.
Communication and Information Department of the Catholicosate of Cilicia
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
E-mail: cathcil@cathcil.org
Web: http://www.cathcil.org/
Read Armenian version at: http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/Armenian.htm
http://www.azad-hye.net/news/viewnews.asp?newd=119
Armenian Church active participant in Christian – Muslim dialogue
Below are the three pieces of news from official sources:
1) His Holiness Aram I receives the Chairman of the Christian-Muslim dialogue committee.
Source: Cilica Catholicosate press release on 14th March 2006
Antelias, Lebanon - His Holiness Aram I received the chairman of the Muslim-Christian dialogue committee, Mir Hares Shehab, on March 14. The two discussed the internal situation of Lebanon particularly within the context of the ongoing political dialogue in the parliament.
Hares Shehab passed some information on to His Holiness and expressed his opinions on various issues. His Holiness welcomed all initiatives that aim to establish close cooperation between Lebanon’s communities, strengthen the country’s internal unity and its independence and sovereignty. His Holiness expressed hope that the initiative and the resulting discussions on various levels would soon yield to practical results.
2) The Chancellor of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Archbishop Nerses Bozabalyan participates in a conference that took place in Isfahan, Iran.
Source: IRNA, 19 March 2006 (Iranian official news agency)
Please note that we have kept the news item as it is, without any changes, although some of the ideas expressed there seem to have been “lost in translation”
Buzabolyan: Convergence is core of all monotheistic religions Isfahan-Conference- The Archbishop of Armenian Christian Church Nerses Buzabolyan here on Sunday stressed that the identical origin of all monotheistic faiths is the element of convergence among all divine religions and said any insult to the sanctities of each of them would hurt the feelings of the followers of other faiths as well.
The archbishop made the remark in an interview with IRNA here Sunday on the sidelines of the "Global Conference on Constructive Interaction among Divine Religions: A Framework for International order," which opened here Saturday with participation of 160 scholars from 40 countries.
Buzabolyan commented that the spiritual tenets, shared by all the divine religions, provide them with a common background in that all the religions, believing in God as the central part of their faith, share the basic principle that the oneness of God means all human beings are equipped with wisdom to "feel and see" the presence of God in every moment of their lives. That, he added, would definitely prevent them from committing such silly acts as undertaking sacrilegious actions against any of the divine religions.
He further hailed the ongoing inter-faith dialogue conference as the first preliminary step towards establishing dialogue among divine religions because, he said, it would certainly help promote unity and solidarity among followers of different faiths in a number of practical ways.
He believed the interaction and exchange of views among scholars during the event would help them remove walls and barriers and wipe out many baseless and hollow prejudices.
Archbishop Buzabolyan went on to express hope that the present gathering would encourage many other similar events in other countries resulting in establishment of a lasting dialogue among religions.
3) The Catholicosate of Cilicia participates in the Christian – Muslim dialogue conference in Cairo.
Source: Cilica Catholicosate press release on 22nd March 2006
The Middle East Council of Churches, the Christian-Muslim Dialogue Committee and the Islamic International Conference organized the second international Christian-Muslim dialogue conference in Cairo on March 21-22. The conference was entitled "Religion and Human Rights."
The conference was sponsored by Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark His Holiness Pope Shenouda III and Sheikh Al-Azhar Dr. Mohammed Said Tantawi. Christian and Muslim theologians and scholars participated in the conference. Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian, Primate of the Diocese of Tehran represented the Armenian Church (the Catholicosate of Cilicia) in the conference as member of the Christian-Muslim Dialogue Committee.
Archbishop Sebouh took the stage during the opening of the conference to convey the greetings of His Holiness Aram I to the attendants. The
Archbishop delivered a lecture entitled "The Christian Concept of Human
Rights."
Archbishop Sarkissian held a private meeting with Dr. Tantawi on 22 March 2006. He conveyed the greetings of His Holiness Aram I and his viewpoints on the vital importance of Christian-Muslim dialogue.
Communication and Information Department of the Catholicosate of Cilicia
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
E-mail: cathcil@cathcil.org
Web: http://www.cathcil.org/
Read Armenian version at: http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/Armenian.htm
http://www.azad-hye.net/news/viewnews.asp?newd=119
24 March 2006
Karekin II ordains bishops for the Dioceses of Egypt and Damascus
On January 15, episcopal ordinations for two new bishops of the Armenian Church were conducted in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians celebrated a Pontifical Divine Liturgy and thereupon consecrated, ordained and elevated Very Rev. Fr. Ashot Mnatsakanian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Egypt and Very Rev. Fr. Armash Nalbandian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Damascus to the rank of bishop. The bishops were ordained to continue their service as primates of Armenian communities in the Middle East.
The previous evening, the two candidates kneeled before the Holy Altar of Descent in the Mother Cathedral, vowed to remain faithful to the Holy Gospel, to the canons of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church and to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, and signed their oaths.
As the liturgy commenced, a public examination of the orthodox faith of the two candidates took place before the Altar of St. Stephen the Protomartyr in the Mother Cathedral. The intercessor for the two candidates was His Eminence Archbishop Nerses Bozabalian. According to accepted tradition, representatives of each ecclesiastical and hierarchal rank - eight acolytes, two deacons, two priests and four laymen representing different classes of society approached His Holiness and publicly bore witness on behalf of the candidates.
The Divine Liturgy then continued before the Main Altar of the Mother Cathedral. Reciting prayers from the `Mashtots' (ritual book) of ordination, His Holiness called the candidates to the rank of bishop. The Supreme Patriarch consecrated the candidates' foreheads and the thumbs of their right hand with Holy Chrism, following which the symbols of episcopacy - the episcopal staff and ring, were presented to the newly consecrated bishops.
The Pontiff of All Armenians offered his words of gratitude to the governments and state authorities of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Syrian Arab Republic, whose support and care are enjoyed by the Armenians living in these two important countries of the Middle East.
Present for the service were diocesan primates from Armenia and Artsakh, members of the Brotherhood of the Mother See, members of the Supreme Spiritual Council, Ambassadors of Egypt and Syria to Armenia and delegations of the diocesan councils of Egypt and Damascus.
Biographies of the two newly ordained Bishops
Bishop Ashot Mnatsakanian
His Grace Bishop Ashot Mnatsakanian (baptismal name Garoun) was born on November 4, 1972 in the village of Tatev, Region of Syunik, Armenia.
From 1979 to 1989 he attended the secondary school in his village. In 1989 he was admitted to the Gevorkian Theological Seminary of Holy Etchmiadzin and graduated in 1995, defending his thesis entitled `The Life and Dogmatic Views of Hovhan Vorotnetsi'.
In 1995, His Grace Bishop Anania Arabajian ordained him to the rank of Deacon. In 1996, he was ordained a celibate priest by His Eminence Archbishop Shahe Ajemian.
From 1996 to 2001, he was office director of the Commission for the 1700th Anniversary of Christianity as the State Religion of Armenia. On March 2002, he defended his doctoral thesis entitled `The Parable of the Prodigal Son in Armenian Literature' and was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet).
In October 2002, by the order of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, he was appointed as Vicar of the Armenian Diocese of Egypt.
In February 2004, His Holiness appointed him as Locum Tenens of the Armenian Diocese of Egypt.
In 2005, he was elected as Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Egypt.
* * *
Bishop Armash Nalbandian
His Grace Bishop Armash Nalbandian (baptismal name Hagop) was born on January 29, 1973 in Aleppo, Syria. He received his primary education in "Cilicia" High School of Aleppo.
In 1987, he was admitted to the Gevorkian Theological Seminary of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. In September 1991, on the Feast of Exhalation of the Holy Cross, he was ordained a deacon by His Eminence Archbishop Nerses Bozabalian.
In 1993, he graduated form the Gevorkian Theological Seminary defending his thesis entitled `The Life and Works of Catholicos Gevork V Sureniants of All Armenians (1911-1930)'.
In December 1993, at the invitation of Archbishop Karekin Bekdjian, primate of the Armenian Diocese of Germany, His Holiness Vasken I Catholicos of All Armenians of blessed memory, sent him to Germany to study and serve the Armenian community as a pastor.
From 1995 to 2000, he studied New Testament Theology at the University of Erlangen-Nierenberg. He also studied the languages of ancient Greek and Latin simultaneously.
In November 1998, he was ordained a celibate priest in Cologne, Germany, by His Eminence Archbishop Karekin Bekdjian and assumed the responsibilities of spiritual pastor for Southern Germany.
In December 2003, he defended his doctoral thesis entitled `The Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church from the 5th Century to Present' and was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet).
In 2004, he was elected as a Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Damascus.
Source (Abridged):
PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 10) 517 163
Fax: (374 10) 517 301
E-Mail: ktrij@etchmiadzin.am
January 16, 2006
Note: The Diocese of Aleppo and its surroundings is under the jurisdiction of the Catholicosate of Cilicia.
Azad-Hye Photo: The gate of the Saint Sarkis Armenian Church in old Damascus.
Greek Deputy Foreign Minister visits Armenia on 28th March 2006
Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Styliandis will be carrying out a three-day visit to Armenia beginning on 28 March 2006 in order to enhance bilateral economic and political ties and boost Greece's developmental presence in the country, the foreign ministry announced on Wednesday, following a meeting between Stylianidis and Armenia's Ambassador in Athens Vahram Kahzoyan.
The minister's visit to Yerevan follows up a visit by Armenian President Robert Kocharyan to Athens last November.
"There is an order and commitment from Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis that I will convey during my visit, that Armenia takes priority in Greece's developmental policy and that there is a desire to boost bilateral economic ties," Styliandis said, noting that this desire would be "sealed" with the first Mixed Ministerial Committee that will take place after four years.
The minister will be accompanied on the trip by members of the Armenian community in Greece.
The Armenian side, meanwhile, has prepared a list of priority projects for funding by Hellenic Aid, which Greece will assess based on the possibility of providing funding, to what extent they interest Greece and their added value to Greece's developmental presence in the area.
Both Greece and Armenia are member-states of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) pact, while Greece is the only BSEC member that is also a member of the European Union (EU) and would like to activate action mechanisms and initiatives for rapprochement between Black Sea countries and the EU.
Source:
Athens News Agency, Greece
22 March 2006
Hunchak Party revises policy regarding presence in Armenia
On 23 March 2006, Arthur Baghdasarian, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia (Parliament) received Setrag Ajemian, the Chairman of the Central Board of the Social Democratic Hunchak Party (SDHP) and two other senior members: Matsak Poladian (Board member) and Lyudmila Sargsyan (Party's representative in Armenia).
Matsak Poladian informed the Speaker about a recent Party Congress held in Cyprus, during which a unanimous decision was taken to revise political strategy and return to Armenia, promoting main activity in the homeland.
The party had decided also to open offices in European capitals, especially in Brussels, in order to expand lobbying and European integration activities.
Baghdasarian welcomed the party's decision to return to Armenia and touched upon political and legislative processes in Armenia, amendments in the Electoral Code, the draft bill on dual citizenship, the immigration policy, inter-party relationships, etc.
Hunchak Party has structures in 14 countries. It is one of the three "traditional" Armenian parties that operated only in the Diaspora during the Soviet times. Being established by a group of Armenians in Geneva in 1887, it was the first Armenian political organization with detailed political program.
Compiled by Azad-Hye
22 March 2006
Dubai Desert Rock Festival (16 March 2006)
Lara Teperdjian Vice-President of Centre Stage Management (Organizer of the Festival) is determined to convince Dubai that it's okay to bang your head once in a while.
In 2004, Centre Stage Management embarked on a mission to develop and bring a full fledge rock festival to the Middle East. The first annual Desert Rock Concert featured two rock bands, The Rasmus and Juliana Down. The headliner, Limp Bizkit, 48 hours in advance of the concert cancelled, allegedly because he felt “unsafe” coming to this region. Despite the cancellation (10,000 tickets had been sold) some 3500 fans rocked to nearly three hours of their favorite music genre.
In 2005, Dubai Desert Rock developed into a full day festival and featured well-known rock bands from around the world, including The Darkness, Machine Head, Sepultura and Within Temptation, which, together with two local rock bands – Juliana Down & Nervecell – played for an audience of 6,000 plus.
Dubai Desert Rock Festival has now become known – locally, regionally, and internationally – as the Middle East Annual Rock Festival.
This year the band lineup included Saxon, Mannikind, Three Doors Down, Testament, Reel Big Fish and Megadeth.
The additional attractions to keep fans busy and entertained throughout the day included, among other things, a skatepark show, crazy rock hair designers, temporary airbrush tattoo artists, graffiti boards for budding artists to make their mark, and vendors of various rock paraphernalia.
For rock Dubai can be a very hard place. This year a controversy involved a 20-year-old lyric from British rockers Saxon.
The song's lyrics glorified campaigns from the 11th to 13th centuries in which Christians tried to take land from Arab Muslims. "We are not and never have been a racist band. The lyrics to the song Crusader have been taken totally out of context," the statement of Saxon released through organizers said. The band said many of their songs were based on historical events, and were "not intended to be taken as any form of propaganda."
Eventually Saxon pulled out of the Festival. The concert on 16 March 2006 at Dubai Country Club featured Megadeth, Testament, 3 Doors Down, Reel Big Fish and Mannikind. Some 8.000 people attended.
Lara Teperdjian
Lara Teperdjian of Centre Stage Management is determined to convince Dubai that it's okay to bang your head once in a while. "People have misconceptions," she says. "They think Heavy Metal is about crazy people playing bad music."
Teperdjian has faith that this is also a playbill to win converts to extreme sounds. "When you come you will see the difference: the vibe, the energy, the feeling," she says.
Personally, she admits nurturing a shameful fondness for Journey and REO Speedwagon before discovering Metallica at college in the States. Her continuing exploration of the further reaches of amplification is now assisted by Dubai's own underground rock scene, which alerted her to the passion hardcore rockers still feel for cult band Testament.
But the festival has also been refined through checking out rock festivals worldwide. Teperdjian and her sister visited metalfests for Brazil's Rock in Rio to Germany's Rock am Ring to pick up ideas.
"I think every genre has its time, but you'll always see people old and young loving the metal," she says.
She admits Dubai could need some preparation for a full-on, large-scale metal festival. But at least Dubai also offers rockers some pleasant surprises.
"The bands are shocked when they come out here," says Teperdjian. "They say, 'We have fans here! This is amazing!'"
About the withdrawal of Saxon, Lara Teperdjian says that the band had not included Crusader in live shows since the 1980s. "Heavy rock has nothing to do with politics. The festival is for people to come together and to have fun together," she added.
Compiled by Azad-Hye
Sources:
“Gulf News” 13/3/2006, 14/3/2006
Website of the Dubai Desert Rock Festival http://www.desertrockfestival.com/
Mayda Saris tours Cyprus and Lebanon
Azad-Hye, Dubai, 23 March 2006: Mayda Saris (maiden surname Yeretsian), art director of the Istanbul-based “Agos” Armenian weekly and author of “The Armenian Painting from the Beginning to the Present” will visit Cyprus and Lebanon in the coming days to promote her recently published book.
On 24th March 2006 she will meet the Cypriot Armenians in Utudjian Hall (Nicosia). On 28th March 2006 Mayda Saris will lecture at Haigazian University Auditorium (Kantari, Beirut).
Both events are organized by Hamazkayin Cultural and Educational Association. A slide presentation and book signing will follow the lectures.
In November 2005 Mayda Saris toured several cities in the United States and Canada (Detroit, Chicago, Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Montreal), where she introduced her new book (originally published in Turkish and later translated into English).
Most of the visits were sponsored by the Turkish Armenians living in the United States and organized by Tekeyan Cultural Association.
"Our ancient civilization has left its traces in Anatolia. I consider them anguished witnesses of the past because no matter how ruined they are, they carry on proud existence," She said during one of these trips.
Saris was born in Istanbul and still resides there. She is married to a Greek and has 24 years old son. Last year she visited Armenia during the “One Nation, One Culture” celebrations.
“It is not easy not to be emotional when visiting Armenia” she said to the journalist of “Azg” daily. “It is the first time I am visiting the country. I remembered my grandfathers and my family. My grandmother had escaped from Bitlis to Echmiadzin during the WWI. After the communist rule in Armenia she had settled in Istanbul. She has lost her brothers during that war. I have taken very beautiful photographs in Yerevan and will show them to my son. Next time I will ask him to join me in this trip”, she concludes.
The illustrated book originally was published in Turkish and later was translated into English and published by “Agos”. The 264-page volume contains 400 beautiful pictures. Among other painters the author notes the name of Yervand Oskan Efendi, founder of the school of fine arts. The book includes the names of Armenian painters in alphabetical order. The author gives a comprehensive overview of the origin of the Armenian people, their folklore, lifestyle, culture, art and faith, which has been source of inspiration for the Armenian artists and architects throughout centuries.
From the website of Mayda Saris:
In the preface of her book Mayda Saris cites the following writing from a medieval Cilician manuscript which expressly indicates the degree of devotion of the Armenian artists' to their art.
"Dear readers, as I write these lines the barbarians have arrived in the city of Sis; they are massacring the defenseless inhabitants... There is wailing and screaming everywhere ... My heart is heavy with grief as women's and children's cries and screams fill my tiny room. I am in a hurry ... hastily trying to complete my work ... In the event that my work reaches you as an incomplete book, you must assume that I also have been killed."
What was left behind from the above message was a last page, hastily illustrated and a touching sentence written with deep emotion: "Please kindly commemorate this painter ..."
Shaken by the imploring cry emerging from a 13th century manuscript, Mayda felt exceedingly sorry for her lack of knowledge about these worthy and respectable people whose devotion was so genuine that even the threat of death would not stop them from performing their art. It was quite sad that these talented masters, mostly of Anatolian origin, were not known in their own country, even though they had acquired great reputation abroad. To eliminate this contradiction and fill the historical gap was indeed the moral obligation of the Armenians from Turkey.”
Let us hear the rest of the story from the author:
"As a researcher in Art History, particularly in Armenian Art, I took on the challenge with the motivation of reviving the spirit of the cultural and artistic heritage of the Armenian people from Turkey. Thus I found myself delving into a pile of books, magazines and documents in English, French, Russian and Armenian. As I moved forward, I witnessed the rich artistic heritage of the Armenian people, which showed their strong ties with the art."
Website of the Organization of Istanbul Armenians of Los Angeles: http://www.oia.net/
Website of Mayda Saris:
http://www.maydasaris.com/
E-mail of Mayda Saris at “Agos” weekly: maydasaris@agos.com.tr
Left photo: book of Jean Kehayan translated from French to Turkish by Mayda Saris.
21 March 2006
Head of the Armenian Catholic Church visits Rome
“Vatican Information Service” reports that on 20th March 2006 Pope Benedict XVI received Nerses Bedros XIX, Patriarch Catholicos of Cilicia for the Catholic Armenians, accompanied by members of the patriarchal synod and by a group of pilgrims.
In his address, the Pope recalled the history of the Armenian people over the centuries, in particular the suffering "they underwent in the name of the Christian faith during the years of terrible persecution”.
The Pope praised the Armenians “who have always sought to integrate themselves with hard work and dignity in the societies in which they found themselves”.
He highly valued the role of the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate saying: "Providence placed the patriarchate of the Armenian Catholics in the Middle East, in Cilicia and, later, in Lebanon. All the Armenian-Catholic faithful look to that patriarchate as a solid point of spiritual reference for their centuries-old cultural and liturgical tradition."
The Pope referred to the efforts of the unity of the Armenian Church. He said: “One comforting sign of this hoped-for unity was the celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the foundation of the Armenian Church, with the participation of my beloved predecessor John Paul II."
Compiled by Azad-Hye
19 March 2006
Iraqi pop band "Unknown to No One" reunited
Azad-Hye, Dubai, 20 March 2006: Our website was one of the first to write about this pioneering Iraqi pop group. Originally the band was formed in 2000 during the last years of the rule of Saddam Hussein. The five boys of the group: Nadeem Hamid, Art Haroutounian, Shant Gharabedian, Hassan Ali and Diyar Dulay came together and began “producing” English pop songs in Baghdad. The band was called “Unknown to No One”.
The group had a mixed religious and ethnical background: Nadeem and Hassan are Shiite Muslims, Diyar is a Kurdish Sunni, Art and Shant are Armenians. They somehow represent the diversity of Iraq. "We are all brothers here," says Art Haroutounian, who writes the band's songs. "There is no racism. No civil war". The band was originally formed by Art Haroutounian and Shant Gharabedian. They advertised for vocalists and recruited the other three into the band.
During the post-war era they used to compose music on a keyboard, which they left in the trunk of their Volkswagen Passat. The vehicle was also their rehearsal stage, where they used to sing, especially when there was no one from the secret police following their actions. Promoting an English-singing band under such a regime was a risky thing. The group could not get any of their songs to air on Iraqi radio unless they sang for the Big Brother. So Art Haroutounian wrote a piece praising Saddam on his birthday. The song was aired for many times on the “Voice of Youth” radio program, but their original hit piece was aired only once.
During 2003 and immediately after the invasion of Iraq by the coalition forces, the band was featured on many TV news programs and achieved some kind of stardom. A British talent searcher called Peter Whitehead promised to promote their music, but he failed to secure visa for the group to travel to England. The boys experienced bitter disappointment.
In December 2003 one of the original members of the group Akhlad Raof (who was replaced for a while with Diyar Dulay), wrote to Azad-Hye: "Hi ... I am from the Iraqi boy band called "Unknown to No One" and I was so happy when I saw the report about my band in your website. Actually, as you know, it is so hard for Iraqis to travel outside. First of all let me tell you that Peter Whitehead (the British talent searcher who was interested to introduce us to the World) didn't come to Iraq, because he thought it will be better if the Band goes to London and I think that it is a good idea too, but we faced some problems in issuing the passports, because as you know, we don't have a proper Government now and there wasn't any side who had the real authority to issue passports for us. The Americans decided to make travel documents to those who wanted to travel outside Iraq. We made these travel documents, but we discovered that there is another problem: taking the visas to London. Mr. Whitehead is working hard to bring the band there and he wrote a message to Toni Blair personally, telling him about what we are facing. Now we don't have anything to do (just to wait and wait). That is something hard for us. I think we still have problems in my country and it won't be solved till several years, but I hope there would be no delays in the progress path, because I want my country to be better and better".
In an interview with Wendell Steavenson of London daily “Guardian” in December 2003, Hassan Ali said "We don't have the will to carry on. With all this situation it is hard to concentrate on our music".
Realizing that their dreams were leading them nowhere, the group disbanded and every member went to pursue his own life.
In year 2006:
After three year, it seems that there is new hope for the group. In recent months they were reunited and managed to fulfill their old dream of performing their art in front of foreign audience. They are now in England thanks to the financial support of an American businessman called Larry Underwood, who is based in Paris and has been in contact with one of the members (Shant Gharabedian).
In an interview with "Money" magazine two years ago, Larry Underwood had said: "Everyone thinks we're crazy for coming to Iraq". Yet the 61-year-old calls Iraq the biggest opportunity for entrepreneurs for the next two decades. "Let the big companies have the big contracts," he had concluded. "I'll be happy to take the crumbs".
Larry Underwood thinks of making a success of the band. He has already spent some 500 thousand US dollars for the recording and other expenses. Similar sum is needed for the launching of the record. He is working hard to secure visa to the United States for the five boys.
Farnaz Fassihi, the Middle East Correspondent of the "Wall Street Journal", who covered the Iraqi war for the last three years, has written the following story of the reunion of the band:
Iraq Street Boys: Five friends from Baghdad reunite band
12 December 2005
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05346/621223.stm
Old article of Azad-Hye about the group:
http://www.azad-hye.net/article/article_view.asp?re=734asa67
Article by Wendell Steavenson in the “Guardian”:
14 December 2003
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/story/0,,1103839,00.html
15 March 2006
Regulation of the Diocese of Kuwait and the Arabian Gulf Countries
Azad-Hye, Dubai, 14 March 2006: The Diocese of Kuwait and the Arabian Gulf Countries is holding its Diocesan Council meeting from 15-17 March 2006, in Kuwait city, with the participation of the 18 laymen and 3 clerical delegates from Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
One of the main topics of the Meeting is the revising of the “Regulation of the Diocese of Kuwait and the Arabian Gulf Countries”, which was signed on 30th April 1994 by Catholicos Karekin II of Cilicia (later Karekin I of All Armenians).
Frankly speaking there are lots of gaps in this Regulation. For many years the members of the Diocesan Councils had strived to introduce some amendments, but there was always lack of consistency in these efforts. Few years ago a formal committee was established to examine this matter in depth, but the mission was not completed and no recommendations were put on paper. This year a renewed attempt is on way to cope with the discrepancies of the Regulation and to help exit from the standstill situation. Let us hope that the members convening in Kuwait will have the political will to go through the Regulation and cease considering it as “sacred” and unchangeable.
We will try here to pinpoint to some of the aspects that need revision.
First of all the naming of the Diocese is not clear. Official documents signed by the Catholicosal Vicars based in Kuwait use the header “Diocese of Kuwait and the Arab Gulf Countries”, while the official website of the Catholicosate of Cilicia lists the Diocese as “The Diocese of Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates”. We think the best title would be “Diocese of Kuwait and the Gulf Countries” (thus avoiding also the conflict between Arabian and Persian Gulf terms).
Article one says that the Diocese is consisted of sons and daughters (zavagner) of the Armenian church, who live in GCC countries, without elaborating about the nature of the church (Apostolic, Catholic, Evangelical). The word Apostolic exists nowhere in the text. Some people consider this a move to unite the Armenians. Article 52 and 53 say that sons of daughters of the Armenian church have the right to elect and be elected as members of the Diocesan Council. Again there is no indication about the religious denomination of the participants. It is rare to find a regulation where non-orthodox Armenians have this much responsibility in caring for the needs of the orthodox believers?
Article 3 says that the Diocese is organized by a directive issued by the Catholicos of Cilicia, consistent with the traditions of the Armenian Church, the spirit of the National Constitution [of Constantinople 1860], the regulations of the Holy Great See of Cilicia and the provisions of the local governmental laws. As far as the local governmental laws are concerned, up to this point none of these laws that govern the GCC countries have been examined. No one knows how far the Armenian organizational structures are eligible to apply for official recognition and whether they fulfill the prerequisites for that. The study of the legal organizational framework in the host countries is a task never tapped upon.
Article 4 states that each member has the right to participate in the Diocesan expenses according to his or her financial capabilities. This means that if someone is in debt or has very dire economic situation (such as having limited income or several children to care for), should not be asked to contribute to these expenses. In practice this is ignored, especially when it comes to collecting the National Taxation (see below). As a result many members are illegally deprived from their voting rights. In Article 5 we read that one of the duties of the Diocesan bodies is to care for the needs of the poor and deprived people.
Article 4 also says that each member has to perform in good faith the services "that he is asked to do". The indirect verb used in this context leaves some uncertainty about the identity of those who have the right to ask for the mentioned services.
The Diocesan Council has the right to elect a Prelate, the National Council and Religious Council.
Article 11 says that the members of the Tivan (the main positions of each Council) should be elected by secret voting. This main principle has never been respected. The result is that almost all aspects of our community life have been centralized and consequently brought to the verge of stagnation. Secret voting should mean not only the right to vote freely, but also the obligation of not exerting any form of influence on the electors.
Article 16 declares that a meeting of a Council is considered illegal if the number of attendants is less than a plain majority. However such a meeting is considered as "consultative". As you will notice it is strange that an illegal meeting is labeled consultative.
Article 17 pronounces that each Council is obliged to provide complete report to the body that has originally elected it or to the designated superior body. It is a fact that the Diocesan Council is elected by the members of the Diocese (or by the “People” as mentioned in Article 7). It is therefore strange that the Diocesan Council has never given any account to the people or asked the opinion of the “People” about its activities, or even gone through the basic and standard practice of publishing a non-classified report. To make the matters worse the “People” are never informed about the dates that the Diocesan Council is held and are not given the faintest idea about the subjects on the agenda. If this is going to continue in the same way, then Article 7 should be adjusted and the word “People” should be omitted.
Article 20 says that a member of the Diocesan Council or any other Council (such as the National Council) is considered dismissed if his or her action is subject to Article 48 (It is not clear why this reference is made). Article 48, on the other hand, states that a member of the Diocesan Council (the other Councils are not mentioned) is dismissed if he or she is absent without excuse for three consecutive times or departs from the whole region of the Diocese (GCC countries) for a period of one year, even with a valid excuse. What about the case of the members of the other Councils? When they are dismissed or replaced? Practically they are replaced only by the end of the two years period of the Diocesan Council.
Article 24 states that the regulations that specify the legal framework and the field of activities of each Council should be written down in plain words, thus ensuring their smooth flow. In reality, an important Council such as the National Council (which is appointed by the Diocesan Council and has the duty of following the day to day activities of the Community, vested with executive powers) does not keep any such written accord. This creates vague understanding about its duties.
Article 25 mentions that the National Council is one of the official bodies in the structure of the “Diocese of Kuwait and the Arabian Gulf Countries”. The article refers to ONE and SINGLE National Council, but as we know there are three National Councils (Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Northern Emirates). See below for more explanation on this issue.
Article 26 specifically lays a big responsibility on the Prelate, especially in safeguarding the Regulation. Viewing the present condition of the Regulation and the negligence it has suffered for almost one decade, we can easily assume that the ex-Prelates have a share of responsibility in not updating or reviewing it. The present day Catholicosal Vicar would be sharing this responsibility if he continues the same policy.
Article 27 says that the Catholicos presents a list of 3 names to the members of the Diocesan Council from which (and from other names that they may add to the list) they choose the future Prelate. It is not clear though, when this mechanism is triggered. In other words, we do not know whether the members of the Diocese or the Diocesan Council have any role in starting this mechanism.
Article 39 declares that out of 18 laymen consisting the Diocesan Council (besides the 3 clerics), 9 are elected from Kuwait, 5 from the Northern Emirates and 4 from Abu Dhabi. Having in mind that the number of Armenians in Abu Dhabi is only 10% of the overall population of the Diocese, it seems not right to grant about 20% of the seats to Abu Dhabi. If you consider that in the last two years only limited community life has been recorded in Abu Dhabi (with the number of events less than 5, excluding church services), then it becomes clear that there is surplus of Diocesan seats allocated to Abu Dhabi.
Article 42 says that the Diocesan Council elects through secret ballot the members of the National Council (note that it refers again to only ONE council not THREE). Furthermore, it says that one member of the National Council is elected from Abu Dhabi and another from Sharjah-Dubai. It is not clear why Abu Dhabi and Sharjah-Dubai have very limited representation inside this Council, although they consist 40% of the combined population. Furthermore, what is the role of the so called local National Councils? Who elects them and under what mechanism? To add more to the confusion, it is mentioned in the same article that “Abu Dhabi and Sharjah-Dubai National Councils” are elected by the people. We have never witnessed such elections during the past. The idea of democratic elections is highly praised, but Article 7 does not mention anything about the local National Councils or even the concept of any body elected by the “People” except the Diocesan Council. Also Article 25, as seen previously, does not state anything about locally elected National Councils. If the facts of geography are playing a role in this and it becomes important to have local National Councils in each location (with the additional benefit of democratic elections), then why not mention this clearly in the Regulation? This kind of clarification is important, especially that the main functional bodies are those which are working at local or decentralized level.
Article 42, among other details, mentions that the Diocesan Council decides the amount of the National Taxation that should be collected every year (paying the Taxation is the precondition for voting or being elected in the Diocesan elections). It has been customary to decide a fix amount of money as a National Taxation, applicable to everybody without discrimination or consideration of his or her economic situation. Not paying this amount deprives someone from his or her voting power. However it is worth referring here to the Article 4, which clearly says that members of the community should not be asked to contribute to the Diocesan expenses beyond their financial capabilities. We think that the National Taxation falls under this category and should not be levied unconditionally.
The same Article 42 says that the Diocesan Council is responsible for introducing amendments to the Regulation. After more than 10 Diocesan Council meetings with the participation of hundreds of members, many hours of discussion, hundreds of pages and correspondence and after forming a committee to look into the issue, still we do not have any public announcement in this respect.
From Article 45 to 53, the Regulation uses the term “National Councils” instead of “National Council” (see previous comment on this subject).
Article 47 refers to the member of the Diocesan Council as “Representative / Deputy” (in Armenian Yerespokhan), a term that has not been used in other parts of the text. This shows that the Regulation has been originally taken from other sources but without undergoing the necessary adjustments or trimmings.
There are many other items to add on the above. We hope that our Diocesan Council members would concentrate on the vital subject of revising the Regulation. Only within a healthy legal framework our community can thrive.
12 March 2006
25th anniversary celebration in Abu Dhabi
The function was held under the auspices of the Catholicosal Vicar of Kuwait and the Arabian Gulf Countries, His Eminence Archbishop Gorun Babian, who had come from Kuwait especially for this occasion. Present also were His Excellency Dr. Arshak Poladian, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia, Mr. Marat Melikian, 3rd Secretary and Head of the Consular Office, members of the Armenian Community Council of Abu Dhabi, the Executive Council, members of the Community Council of the Northern Emirates, the principal of the Ohannessian School of Sharjah.
The first part of the program consisted of an exhibition of pictures, posters and handicraft prepared by the students of the school especially for this occasion. There was a 25th Anniversary commemorative book which was a compilation of two and half decades of school activities and achievements (you can download a complete copy or selected parts of the book from the links provided below). Mugs and caps displaying the 25th anniversary logo, designed by Mr. Raffi Simonian, were on sale for a nominal fee.
Upon the arrival of the guests of honor, Archbishop Babian and Ambassador Poladian, the program got under way. After the Hymn of the Republic of Armenia, sung by the audience, the principal of 23 years, Mrs. Tamar Der-Ohannessian delivered the opening speech, highlighting the major role the weekly school plays in the Armenian Community of Abu Dhabi. There was a slide show prepared by Mr. Berge Ohannessian, one of the former students of the school, which delighted all those present, at the same time conveying a feeling of nostalgia, as everyone recognized themselves and their children throughout the past years. Copy of the slide show was distributed with the commemorative book.
The school children sang and recited in a very well rehearsed manner.
Ambassador Poladian took the podium to express his heartfelt appreciation and delight on this occasion, praising the devotion and hard work of both teachers and students. Then, he invited Archbishop Babian to present him with the passport of the Republic of Armenia, as a token of recognition of his services in Iran and GCC countries (Babian has been the Prelate of Isfahan for more than two decades before moving to Kuwait).
The keynote speaker of the day was Archbishop Babian himself, who first addressed the children delighting them with his easygoing manner, encouraging them to answer his questions regarding how much they loved the Armenian school, the Armenian language and their fatherland, Armenia. Then, on a more serious note, he expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the teachers for their devotion, perseverance and patience in the great effort of teaching the mother tongue and history, culture and religion to the new generation.
The names of all the teachers who had taught and still did at the school were read, and all those present came forward to receive a red rose from the Armenian Community Council.
Two teachers, Mrs. Arous Ohannessian and Mrs. Tamar Der-Ohannessian (the principal of the school), were presented with beautiful framed plates etched with the school 25th Anniversary logo for their work of over 23 years at the school.
The ceremony was concluded with a large celebration cake brought to the front to loud cheers and singing from the audience. This was followed with the ceremonial cutting. Souvenir pictures were taken.
A sumptuous reception followed the ceremony where everyone had the chance to sample great food and conversation.
It was indeed an appropriate tribute to 25 years of achievement.
The event as announced in our Events Calendar:
http://www.azad-hye.net/events/events.asp?evid=48
Website of the School:
http://www.azad-hye.com/adschool
(You are invited to post your comment in the Guestbook and read the comments of graduates and friends of the School)
The 25th anniversary commemorative book – online version:
Complete version (7.51 MB):
http://www.azad-hye.com/adschool/25th-anniversary-book.pdf
We have divided the book into four sections to help you to download each section separately, if you wish to do so:
Preface (1.23 MB):
http://www.azad-hye.com/adschool/preface.pdf
Photo gallery – Part I (2.31 MB):
http://www.azad-hye.com/adschool/photo-gallery-1.pdf
Photo gallery – Part II (2.22 MB):
http://www.azad-hye.com/adschool/photo-gallery-2.pdf
Index (2.45 MB):
http://www.azad-hye.com/adschool/index.pdf
The contents of the above commemorative book:
Page 1: Logo.
Pages 3-5: Brief history of the school (Armenian and English).
Pages 6-8: Messages of Archbishops Gorun Babian and Oshagan Choloyan.
Page 9: Message of Mrs. Tamar Der-Ohannessian, Principal of the School.
Page 10: Message of the founding Principal Sona Badalian.
Page 11: Co-founder Mrs. Ashkhen Arzoumanian tells the story of opening the School.
Page 12: Alice Ohannessian a graduate of the School interviews another graduate Alenoush Shahmirzayan-Seraidarian, on the occasion of having the later's daughter registered as second generation student in the school.
Page 13: “My Story”, Lena Derohannessian, daughter of the Principal of the School and a graduate herself, remembers what school meant and continues to mean for her.
Page 14: “I am an Armenian”, by Shaghig Toukhmanian Festekjian.
Page 15: “My first little Armenia”, by Sareen Sanossian.
Page 16: List of locations where the Armenian school held its classes since 1981.
Page 17: Meeting of the graduates in Abu Dhabi, on 3rd February 2006.
Pages 19-45: About 130 photos covering school years 1981-2006.
Pages 46-49: Visitors of the school such as Historian Nikolai Hovhannissian (1986), Catholicos Aram I (1988), Poet Razmig Tavoyan (1992), Poetess Silva Gaboudigian (1996), Poet Kevork Emin (1998), Professor Architect Varaztad Haroutounian, Minister Vartan Oskanian (1999) and Bishop Nareg Alaemezian (2001).
Pages 50-58: Complete list of students and teachers during the last 25 years.
Page 59: Gratitude page for those who contributed to the success of the Armenian Community School of Abu Dhabi during the past 25 years.
Pages 60-62: Press clips.
Pages 63-64: Pamphlets of graduation ceremonies.
The publication of the book has been made possible by Leon and Tamar Der-Ohannessian.
TEXT IN ARMENIAN
Ապու Տապիի Ազգային Միօրեայ Վարժարանի 25-ամեակի Տօնակատարութիւն
Ապու Տապիի փոքրաթիւ գաղութին համար տօնական օր էր 10 Մարտ 2006-ը։
Ճիշդ 25 տարիներ առաջ, 11 Մարտ 1981-ին օրուան ազգային վարչութիւնը որոշում կը կայացնէ Ապու Տապիի մէջ սկսիլ հայկական վարժարան։ Արաբական Միացեալ Էմիրութեանց այս մայրաքաղաքին մէջ հայ ընտանիքներուն թիւը շատնալով, կարիքը կը զգացուէր այսպիսի դպրոցի մը ուր փոքրիկները կարենային հայերէն գիր եւ պատմութիւն, կրօնք եւ երգ սորվիլ։ Այս առաջարկը կը ներկայացնեն Տիկիններ Աշխէն Արզումանեանին եւ Սոնա Պատալեանին, որոնք կ՛ընդառաջեն այս պարտականութիւնը յանձն առնել եւ այսպէս կը սկսի “հայկական դպրոցը”։ Դասընթացքները տեղի կ՛ունենան Տիկին Աչոն Միքքըլսընի մանկամսուրին մէջ ու տարիներու ընթացքին տարբեր հաստատութիւններու յարկին տակ։
Քսան հինգ տարիներու ընթացքին, Ապու Տապիի Ազգային Միօրեայ Վարժարանը առանցքային դեր կը խաղայ գաղութին մէջ, ուր ամէն Չորեքշաբթի յետմիջօրէներուն գաղութի 3-14 տարեկան զաւակները կը հաւաքուին ստանալու համար հայեցի դաստիարակութիւն։
25-ամեակի հանդիսութիւնը տեղի ունեցաւ Ապու Տապիի The Club-ի հանդիսասրահին մէջ հովանաւորութեամբ Քուէյթի եւ Արաբական Ծոցի Երկիրներու Կաթողիկոսական Փոխանորդ՝ Գերշ. Տ. Կորիւն Արք. Պապեանի, որ յատուկ այս առիթին համար ժամանած էր Քուէյթէն։ Ներկայ էին նաեւ Հ.Հ. Դեսպան, Նորին Վսեմութիւն Տոքթ. Արշակ Փոլատեան, Հիւպատոս Պրն. Մարադ Մելիքեան, Ապու Տապիի եւ Հիւսիսային Էմիրութիւններու հոգեւոր հովիւ՝ Արժ. Տ. Արամ Քհն. Տէյիրմէնճեան, ազգային իշխանութեանց անդամները եւ Շարժայի Օհաննէսեան վարժարանի տնօրէնուհի, Տիկին Լորիկ Քաթրճեան։ Նախկին աշակերտներ, ծնողք եւ բարեկամներ եկած էին ներկայ գտնուելու այս եզակի ձեռնարկին։
Սրահին պատերը զարդարուած էին աշակերտներուն գծագրութիւններով եւ ձեռային աշխատանքներով։ Այս առիթով հրատարակուած էր նաեւ 25 տարիներու գործունէութիւնը ներկայացնող վաւերագրական գրքոյկ մը պատրաստուած դպրոցի տնօրէնուհի՝ Տիկին Թամար Տէր-Յովհաննէսեանի կողմէ։
Խնամքով պատրաստուած յայտագիր մը հրամցուեցաւ ներկաներուն։
Հայաստանի Հանրապետութեան քայլերգէն ետք, Տիկին Տէր-Յովհաննէսեան կատարեց բացման խօսքը, ուր ան շեշտեց այս հաստատութեան կատարած դերը Ապու Տապիի հայկական գաղութին մէջ։ Եղաւ սահիկներու ցուցադրութիւն, որը պատրաստած էր դպրոցի նախկին աշակերտ՝ Պերճ Օհաննէսեանը մեծ խանդավառութիւն ստեղծելով սրահին մէջ։ Ներկաները մէջընդմէջ ծափահարութիւններով իրենց գնահատանքը կը յայտնէին ցուցադրուած նկարներուն նկատմամբ։ Դպրոցի աշակերտութիւնը երկու խումբով բեմ եկան երգերով եւ արտասանութիւններով։ Դպրոցի աշակերտներէն՝ Նարեկ Պաղոսեան արտասանեց Մուշեղ Իշխանի "Հայ Լեզուն" բանաստեղծութիւնը։ Ապա՝ բեմ հրաւիրուեցաւ Տոքթ. Արշակ Փոլատեան իր սրտի խօսքը ուղղելու ներկաներուն։
Օրուան պատգամը ներկայացուց Գերշ. Տ. Կորիւն Արք. Պապեան, որ նախ խօսքը ուղղեց աշակերտներուն եւ հարցումներով եւ զուարճախօսութեամբ քաջալերեց զիրենք որ սիրեն հայ դպրոցը եւ լեզուն։ Յետոյ, չափահասներուն դառնալով հաստատեց հայ դպրոցին դերը հայ ժողովուրդի կեանքին մէջ, դրուատեց եւ քաջալերեց դպրոցի տնօրէնուհին եւ ուսուցչական կազմը իրենց կատարած անձնուէր գործին մէջ։
Ազգային Վարչութեան կողմէ պարգեւատրուեցան երկու վաստակաւոր ուսուցչուհիներ, դպրոցի տնօրէնուհին՝ Տիկին Թամար Տէր-Յովհաննէսեանը, եւ Տիկին Արուս Օհաննէսեանը, քսան երեք տարիներու իրենց ծառայութեան համար։
Ճոխ հիւրասիրութիւնով մը վերջ գտաւ հանդիսութիւնը որ իսկապէս յիշարժան ձեռնարկ մըն էր։
http://www.azad-hye.net/news/viewnews.asp?newd=103
Mashtots has now returned for a second visit to Alexandria
Commemorating the 1,600th anniversary of the creation of the Armenian Alphabet the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Armenian Republic in Egypt, presented an exhibition of rare Armenian manuscripts in February.
Inaugurated by Ambassador Taher Khalifa, Head of External Relations at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and Rouben Karapetian, the Armenian Ambassador to Egypt, the exhibition was followed by a scientific conference entitled "Armenian-Egyptian Historical and Cultural Relations."
The exhibition offered a rare opportunity for visitors to see 19 Armenian manuscripts, eight originals and the rest facsimiles, from the Institute of Matenadaran, Yerevan.
One of the oldest and richest libraries in the world, the Matenadaran, as the Armenian manuscript library in Yerevan, capital of Armenia, is known, is one of the world's leading repositories of ancient manuscripts. Its history dates back to the creation of the Armenian alphabet and its collection of over 18,000 manuscripts covers almost all areas of ancient and medieval Armenian culture and science, from history, geography, grammar, philosophy, law, medicine, mathematics, cosmography, alchemy-chemistry, to literature, chronology, art history, music and theatre.
It houses manuscripts in Arabic, Persian, Greek, Syriac, Latin, Amharic (Ethiopian) and in some of the ancient languages of India and Japan.
With 300,000 other documents the Institute of Matenadaran's collection is unique, says Sen Arevshadian, its director. Presenting a paper - "Alexandria and the Formation of Science in Medieval Armenia" - during last month's conference, Arevshadian explained that while a large number of original texts were lost long ago their Armenian translations remain extant and are jealously preserved in the vaults of the Matenadaran where scholars, academics and researchers from all over the world come to consult and study.
The Matenadaran is not just a museum. It is also a centre of Armenian manuscript research and preservation where experts from many countries come to study. The Matenadaran's first catalogue, prepared by Hovhannes Shahkhutanian and prefaced by French academician Brosset, was translated into French and Russian and published in St. Petersburg in 1840 with details of 312 manuscripts. Later, a second and much larger catalogue was compiled by Daniel Shahnazarian, including a total of 2,340 manuscripts.
It is at the Matenadaran that one can find the largest book in the world, weighing 27.5 kilograms and measuring 70.5 cm by 55.3, placed alongside the smallest book in the world, weighing a mere 19 grammes. The Matenadaran also houses a large collection of rare illuminated manuscripts. Historically, illuminated manuscripts were produced by monks. These hand-produced books include drawn, painted and gilded decoration on pages made of vellum, an animal skin that was specially treated for this purpose. Simple manuscripts were adorned with calligraphic pen work while more lavish ones were embellished with initials, enlarged and colourful letters that often contained miniature representations of human figures or biblical scenes. As for the illuminated ones, they were painted in luminous colours and had gold highlights or backgrounds.
Some 14th-century Armenian illuminated manuscripts where colours and text are set against the decorative surroundings of architectural elements, birds and plants, demonstrate impressive artistry and craftsmanship. Because dangers of all kinds threaten manuscripts, most libraries like the Matenadaran have been induced to undertake the reproduction in facsimile of their most precious manuscripts. This great undertaking means that the valuable works of the artist, the scribe and the illuminator will be preserved.
"It's not every day you are invited to a 1,600th birthday party, let alone one for an alphabet," admitted Jeffrey Gettleman, New York Times columnist attending a similar celebration in New York, last December. It was an opinion shared by guests attending the ceremonies at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
A 1,600th anniversary for an alphabet may not be a common event, but then the Armenian alphabet is hardly commonplace. Linguists who have studied it think it one of the oldest in the world still in use. Recently James Russell, Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies at Harvard, has said that when Mesrop Mashtots, the 5th-century court cleric, invented the Armenia alphabet in 405 AD he gave Armenians much more than an efficient system for rendering their language into written form. Mashtots gave the Armenian people a cultural and religious identity. These characteristics became the very instrument of survival for the Armenians and a shield against all challenges "despite," says Russell, "the efforts of larger and more powerful neighbours to subsume or destroy them."
While Mashtots created the alphabet in order to translate the Bible, the original 36 letters were to inaugurate the beginnings of a written Armenian literary tradition and play a key role in preserving Armenian cultural identity. The extensive oral culture that existed before the creation of the alphabet was transcribed by scholars, mostly from monastic academies, thus marking the beginning of a written culture in Armenian.
The original alphabet devised by Mashtots had 36 characters and it is only during the Middle Ages that two more characters -- representing the "O" and the "F" -- were added, thus bringing the number of characters in the present-day alphabet to 38.
An interesting element that has come to the attention of scholars and makes the Armenian alphabet stand out amongst all other Eastern alphabets of the time was Mashtots' deliberate decision to adopt the vertical form of script rather than the horizontal form used in most Eastern writing. According to Russell, he "reoriened the Armenian script and gave it a more western character."
The success of the Armenian alphabet is reflected in the limited number of changes, both in the letters and the spelling of words, it has undergone since its creation in the 5th century. While other languages have gone through many changes the Armenian alphabet has remained almost in its original form showing, says Russell, "the Armenian alphabet was already so perfect there was little reason for it to change."
In creating the Armenian alphabet, Mashtots created a culture, a repository for both Eastern and Western traditions, and made Armenia a culture of the book , a "bibliocracy," as Russell puts it. It is this bibliocracy, this culture of the book, that visitors to the Armenian manuscript exhibition at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina came to see.
It is believed that the ancient Library of Alexandria was among the many places Mashtots visited while researching the Armenian alphabet. There he may have met with Hypatia, the learned lady mathematician, astronomer and philosopher, and he may have exchanged views and ideas with the philosophers, grammarians, scientists and historians who taught in Alexandria.
Mashtots has now returned for a second visit to Alexandria, even if he is back only in spirit.
Source:
Al-Ahram Weekly Online (http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/)
Issue No. 785, 9 - 15 March 2006
Original title of the article: "By the book"
Caption: The Arrest of Christ, from "The Gospels by Eight Masters", Cilicia, 1320
URL in Al-Ahram Weekly: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2006/785/cu6.htm
See also article by Azad-Hye:
Medieval Armenian Manuscripts exhibited in Bibliotheca Alexandrina
http://www.azad-hye.net/news/viewnews.asp?newd=76
09 March 2006
Aram I expresses concern about the Anti-Armenian demonstrations in Tabriz
Azad-Hye, Dubai, 8 March 2006: Aram I expressed concern at the anti-Armenian demonstration held in front of the Armenian Prelacy of Tabriz and the destruction of the Prelacy’s gate by the protesters. This concern was communicated to the Ambassador of Iran to Lebanon, Massoud Idrisi, through Primate of Lebanon’s Armenians Bishop Kegham Khatcherian and the Catholicosate’s chancellor Khatchig Dedeyan.
During the meeting held between the two sides at the Iranian Embassy of Lebanon, the Bishop Khacherian spoke in detail about the protest held on the Sunday 26 February 2006, expressing his distress at the atmosphere and his wish that such incidents are averted in the future.
The Ambassador listened to these concerns and after expressing his regret, he promises to pass on the protest to the Iranian government. He also assured that Iran does not differentiate between its citizens, including the Armenian community of the country.
According to unconfirmed sources the protestors (around 35) were mainly Turks and Azerbaijanis who have been living in Tabriz as immigrants.
Recently it has been noted that several circles in Turkey and Azerbaijan are speaking loudly about the rights of the population of the north-western Iranian provinces (known also with the synonym Azerbaijan), urging them to ask for cultural and political rights, as part of a future pan-Turkic movement.
School textbooks in Azerbaijan frequently refer to that part of Iran as southern Azerbaijan, implying the possibility for future unification with the independent north. Also the number of Turkish speaking population of the same area is frequently inflated to the point that some Azerbaijanis believe 12 million speakers will be added to their country with the liberation of that area.
With the escalation of the United Nation’s Security Council’s pressures against Iran due to its intentions to develop nuclear program, it is becoming obvious that some circles are trying to use all kinds of weapons against Iran, including raising the minority issues.
http://www.azad-hye.net/news/viewnews.asp?newd=98
07 March 2006
Avraam Russo, a Syrian Armenian who realizes fame in Russia
Azad-Hye, Dubai, 7 March 2006: In its 6th December 2001 issue, “The Moscow Times” Russian leading English-language newspaper’s reporter Elvan Levent describes the new phenomenon of the Russian pop music with the following words: “After 16 years of performing at clubs and restaurants in Britain, Syria, France and Cyprus, Avraam Russo is well on his way to becoming a confirmed pop star -- in Russia. Russo, who speaks seven languages and can sing in 14, is a Syrian-born musician of Turkish descent. Now 31, he moved to Russia five years ago and is today on his way to the top of the local charts”.
In the following year (2002), Avraam Russo won a Russian national premium
award called “Pesnya Goda” (the song of the year) for his famous hit “Daleko Daleko” (Far away in Russian), originally taken from the Egyptian Arab famous singer Amr Diab’s song “Tamalli Ma’ak” (2000).
What is the story behind Avraam Russo? Is he really of Turkish descent?
Quite the contrary. Russo’s real name is Apraham Ipjian (nicknamed Apo or Apig).
Born in 1969 in Aleppo, Apig comes from a very poor family. He had three brothers and lost his father in early age. His mother used to work in hard manual works, serving households in that northern city of Syria, where a community of 50 thousand Armenians live.
As he discovered his singing talent, he was soon involved in several amateur bands, making part-time appearances in family style outdoor restaurants (such as Ramaya, Aleppo Family Swimming Pool, Somar, Ouroubeh, etc.) and in hotels (Al Amir) in Aleppo.
In 1993 he moves to Cyprus and works in a night club for two years earning no more than US$ 200 per month. However, his presence on the island of Aphrodite proves to be important for his future career.
During one of his visits to Cyprus a Russian Jewish tycoon Telman Ismailov (now Vice President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress and owner of huge retail enterprises in Moscow and entertainment outlets such as Prague Restaurant), a well connected person with Russian politicians (including the Mayor of Moscow), attends one of his multi-lingual performances and upon noticing his talent, he immediately invites him to work in one of his prestigious outlets in Russia.
Ismailov, originally from Baku, Azerbaijan had been living (and thriving) in Moscow since the early 1990s.
After hesitating for one year, Apig eventually takes his advice. At that time he was back in Syria. His first trip to Moscow was in 1995. In a relatively short time he gets to be famous. With the help of a girlfriend he learns Russian and prepares a repertoire in many languages, exactly the way he used to do in Syria and Cyprus. His linguistic abilities helped him to overcome the language barrier. His command of European languages was also impressive. During his childhood, he used to live for some years in Europe, when his father was still alive.
There was always a kind of mystery about his origin. People made different speculations, judging on his knowledge of several languages. He himself had not explicitly referred to his ethnic background, maybe due to an informal agreement he made with his manager before receiving wide recognition. After all Russian fans might be fascinated with his songs and style and would not be interested to know about his origin. Armenians of Aleppo though insist in branding him as their fellow compatriot.
http://www.azad-hye.net/news/viewnews.asp?newd=97
06 March 2006
Armenians part of the cultural diversity of Iraq
Recently he started a new blog, at the following address: http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com, where he is hosting his own old and new articles, besides providing a comprehensive coverage of many Armenian topics of general interest.
Reporting from Baghdad, a city that has witnessed so many calamities in the last two decades, he lives with the hope of a better future for all the Iraqis.
Now that the sectarian crisis is threatening the Iraqi statehood, the mission of Ashjian and all other respectable members of the civil society (including representatives of different ethnic groups, religious denominations, etc.) is getting even more difficult and challenging.
Universal powers are fighting their own war on the land of Iraq. For the Iraqis this is not something new. They remember from the school curriculum how ancient Empires have clashed on the land of Mesopotamia.
But the problem this time seems to have a very dangerous internal dimension: that is the ages old religious mistrust between the two main sections of Islam, the Shiites and the Sunnis.
As part of its effort to create an atmosphere of tolerance and mutual recognition among the different segments of the Iraqi reality, the “Iraqi Culture Supporting Society”, which includes many Iraqi known personalities, has conducted its first seminar about the different Iraqi cultural groups from 28-29 January 2006, in the Mansour Hotel (Baghdad). The Society is headed by the former Ministry of Culture Moufid Al Jazairy.
Under the title “The Cultural Diversity of Iraq: common points and unique aspects”, the seminar had four sessions, during which some 16 scholars delivered lectures, where they referred to the diversity and richness of the Iraqi culture.
Ara Ashjian participated in the seminar with a research in the Armenian-Arab cultural ties (the text of which will be included in a special publication on this occasion).
Below is the text in Arabic language. The subtitles are:
- Brief introduction on the origin of the Armenians and the geography of the country.
- The assurances of the Arab towards the Armenians in the era of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)
- Armenian - Arab relations during the Arab rule.
- Prominent Armenian personalities in Arab history
- Armenian – Arab relations in different domains.
- Armenia under the Ottoman rule. The Genocide.
- Modern day Armenia.
The last part of the research refers to the new Armenian statehood (since 1991) and the resumption of the traditional Armenian – Arab friendship ties on a new level.
See text at:
http://www.azad-hye.net/news/viewnews.asp?newd=96