Armenian News... A Topalian... Armenians in Egypt/Armenian Scholarship
Armenians in Egypt / Հայերը Եգիպտոսում
Armenian Scholarship on Oxford (in Armenian)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_790RcIRFg&sns=em
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Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan to attend Davos World Economic Forum
January 19,2018
Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan will be visiting Switzerland on January 22 to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos.
On the sidelines of the Forum, the Prime Minister is scheduled to hold a number of bilateral and multilateral meetings with Heads of State, representatives of international organizations and business companies. Karen Karapetyan will also participate in the informal gathering of World Economic Leaders (IGWEL).
RFE/RL Report
Armenia Recognizes Genocide Against Iraq's Yazidis
January 16, 2018
Armenia's parliament unanimously passed on Tuesday a resolution
recognizing as genocide the 2014 mass killings of Yazidis in Iraq
which were committed by the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.
The National Assembly also called on the international community to
track down and prosecute those directly responsible for the killings
and "take measures to ensure the security of the Yazidi population."
Thousands of Yazidis were seized by IS when it overran Iraq's
northwestern town of Sinjar in August 2014, and most of them remain
unaccounted for. The town was regained from IS in late 2015 and 30
mass graves of Yazidis have since been found there. But an unknown
number of the ethnic minority, which practices a unique religion that
IS considers heretical, was moved to neighboring Syria.
The U.S. government officially declared in March 2016 that IS is
"responsible for genocide" against Yazidis as well as Christians and
other religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria. A subsequent
report released by United Nations investigators similarly concluded
that the Islamist militants' actions against Yazidis meet a 1948 UN
convention's definition of genocide.
The main sponsor of the resolution is Rustam Makhmudian, the
parliament's sole ethnic Yazidi member representing the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia (HHK). Presenting the document to fellow
lawmakers on Monday, Makhmudian drew parallels between the 2014
atrocities against Iraqi Yazidis and the 1915 Armenian genocide in the
Ottoman Empire.
The Ottoman Turks also killed and displaced many Yazidis during the
First World War. Thousands of them fled to what is now the Republic of
Armenia.
There are an estimated 50,000 Yazidis living in Armenia at present,
making them the country's single largest ethnic minority.
President Serzh Sarkisian condemned the mass killings and deportations
of Iraqi Yazidis shortly after they were first reported in the summer
of 2014. Sarkisian instructed Armenia's Foreign Ministry and
diplomatic missions abroad to "redouble their efforts to adequately
raise the issue in the international arena."
The move followed a series of street protests staged by Yazidis in
Yerevan. They said that the Armenian government is slow to react to
the atrocities.
In April 2016, leaders of Armenia's Yazidi community inaugurated a
memorial in downtown Yerevan to Yazidis and other people massacred by
the IS extremists. Said Avdalian, the leader of a Yazidi youth group,
hailed the Armenian parliamentary resolution on Tuesday as a "historic
event."
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Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan to attend Davos World Economic Forum
January 19,2018
Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan will be visiting Switzerland on January 22 to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos.
On the sidelines of the Forum, the Prime Minister is scheduled to hold a number of bilateral and multilateral meetings with Heads of State, representatives of international organizations and business companies. Karen Karapetyan will also participate in the informal gathering of World Economic Leaders (IGWEL).
RFE/RL Report
Armenia Recognizes Genocide Against Iraq's Yazidis
January 16, 2018
Armenia's parliament unanimously passed on Tuesday a resolution
recognizing as genocide the 2014 mass killings of Yazidis in Iraq
which were committed by the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.
The National Assembly also called on the international community to
track down and prosecute those directly responsible for the killings
and "take measures to ensure the security of the Yazidi population."
Thousands of Yazidis were seized by IS when it overran Iraq's
northwestern town of Sinjar in August 2014, and most of them remain
unaccounted for. The town was regained from IS in late 2015 and 30
mass graves of Yazidis have since been found there. But an unknown
number of the ethnic minority, which practices a unique religion that
IS considers heretical, was moved to neighboring Syria.
The U.S. government officially declared in March 2016 that IS is
"responsible for genocide" against Yazidis as well as Christians and
other religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria. A subsequent
report released by United Nations investigators similarly concluded
that the Islamist militants' actions against Yazidis meet a 1948 UN
convention's definition of genocide.
The main sponsor of the resolution is Rustam Makhmudian, the
parliament's sole ethnic Yazidi member representing the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia (HHK). Presenting the document to fellow
lawmakers on Monday, Makhmudian drew parallels between the 2014
atrocities against Iraqi Yazidis and the 1915 Armenian genocide in the
Ottoman Empire.
The Ottoman Turks also killed and displaced many Yazidis during the
First World War. Thousands of them fled to what is now the Republic of
Armenia.
There are an estimated 50,000 Yazidis living in Armenia at present,
making them the country's single largest ethnic minority.
President Serzh Sarkisian condemned the mass killings and deportations
of Iraqi Yazidis shortly after they were first reported in the summer
of 2014. Sarkisian instructed Armenia's Foreign Ministry and
diplomatic missions abroad to "redouble their efforts to adequately
raise the issue in the international arena."
The move followed a series of street protests staged by Yazidis in
Yerevan. They said that the Armenian government is slow to react to
the atrocities.
In April 2016, leaders of Armenia's Yazidi community inaugurated a
memorial in downtown Yerevan to Yazidis and other people massacred by
the IS extremists. Said Avdalian, the leader of a Yazidi youth group,
hailed the Armenian parliamentary resolution on Tuesday as a "historic
event."
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 20 2018
Paylan’s Armenian phrase over Hrant Dink replaced with ‘X’ sign in Turkish parliament’s records
Garo Paylan, an Armenian member of the Turkish Parliament representing the opposition People’s Democratic Party (HDP) has referred to murder case of journalist Hrant Dink on the 11th anniversary of his assassination in his address to Turkey’s Majlis (parliament).
At the parliament session held on Thursday, Paylan and his party submitted a proposal to the Majlis calling for an investigating of the developments following Dink’s murder and preventing such acts, however HDP’s proposal was not included in the agenda, Ermenihaber reported citing T24 news agency.
The Turkish source noted that at the end of his speech dedicated to Turkish-Armenian intellectual, editor-in-chief of Agos newspaper, Hrant Dink, who was shot dead with three bullets on Jan. 19, 2007 in front Agos’ then-headquarters, Paylan used an Armenian phrase, “Asdvadz hogid lusavi” (God bless your soul), thanking him in Armenian. However, an 'X' sign was used instead of his Armenian remarks in the parliamentary records.
Earlier the Arabic and Kurdish language phrases addressed to the Turkish parliament were also replaced with the 'X' sign in the records.
Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
January 19, 2018 Friday
We know very well why Dink's murderers haven't been discovered until
now – MP Selina Dogan
Ethnic Armenian Member of Parliament of Turkey from the Republican
Jan 20 2018
Paylan’s Armenian phrase over Hrant Dink replaced with ‘X’ sign in Turkish parliament’s records
Garo Paylan, an Armenian member of the Turkish Parliament representing the opposition People’s Democratic Party (HDP) has referred to murder case of journalist Hrant Dink on the 11th anniversary of his assassination in his address to Turkey’s Majlis (parliament).
At the parliament session held on Thursday, Paylan and his party submitted a proposal to the Majlis calling for an investigating of the developments following Dink’s murder and preventing such acts, however HDP’s proposal was not included in the agenda, Ermenihaber reported citing T24 news agency.
The Turkish source noted that at the end of his speech dedicated to Turkish-Armenian intellectual, editor-in-chief of Agos newspaper, Hrant Dink, who was shot dead with three bullets on Jan. 19, 2007 in front Agos’ then-headquarters, Paylan used an Armenian phrase, “Asdvadz hogid lusavi” (God bless your soul), thanking him in Armenian. However, an 'X' sign was used instead of his Armenian remarks in the parliamentary records.
Earlier the Arabic and Kurdish language phrases addressed to the Turkish parliament were also replaced with the 'X' sign in the records.
Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
January 19, 2018 Friday
We know very well why Dink's murderers haven't been discovered until
now – MP Selina Dogan
Ethnic Armenian Member of Parliament of Turkey from the Republican
People’s Party Selina Dogan released a statement on the 11th anniversary
of death of Hrant Dink, mentioning that even after many years the Turkish-Armenian scholar isn’t forgotten, and will not be forgotten.
“His crime was great, he was putting efforts to make what happened to
the Armenians of Anatolia of the past and present days visible to the
wide circles of the society. His “crime” was so great, that we was
targeted in the beginning. Articles were published against him,
judicial cases were opened. Eventually they gave a weapon in the hands
of a 17 year old child and killed him outside Agos itself, which Dink
had raised like a child.
11 years passed since the murder. It is still unclear who are behind
this carefully plotted crime. Justice once again failed to prevail.
As lawyers, activists and politicians we know very well what it means
that the guilty aren’t discovered until now.
As much as Turkish authorities point to another direction, they can’t
escape from the political respondilbity of this crime. Instead of
discovering the perpetrators of the murder, the authorities have
created a political conjuncture, similar to the one which led Hrant
Dink to his death. Hate speech continues to gain pace, discrimination
is higher than ever in the society.
This atmosphere of hate can be overcome only through unification of a
democratic society.
We haven’t forgotten, we will not forget…”, she said in the statement.
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Lack of snow to have affect on harvest
January 16,2018
“His crime was great, he was putting efforts to make what happened to
the Armenians of Anatolia of the past and present days visible to the
wide circles of the society. His “crime” was so great, that we was
targeted in the beginning. Articles were published against him,
judicial cases were opened. Eventually they gave a weapon in the hands
of a 17 year old child and killed him outside Agos itself, which Dink
had raised like a child.
11 years passed since the murder. It is still unclear who are behind
this carefully plotted crime. Justice once again failed to prevail.
As lawyers, activists and politicians we know very well what it means
that the guilty aren’t discovered until now.
As much as Turkish authorities point to another direction, they can’t
escape from the political respondilbity of this crime. Instead of
discovering the perpetrators of the murder, the authorities have
created a political conjuncture, similar to the one which led Hrant
Dink to his death. Hate speech continues to gain pace, discrimination
is higher than ever in the society.
This atmosphere of hate can be overcome only through unification of a
democratic society.
We haven’t forgotten, we will not forget…”, she said in the statement.
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Lack of snow to have affect on harvest
January 16,2018
In 2017, 77,000 tons of grain wer harvested in Shirak province, in 2016, 157,000 tons of grain were harvested, which was two times higher than previous year’s figure.
The passing year was unfavorable for the region.
Also, the lack of snow would have affect on the expected harvest in 2018.
Banks.am, Armenia
Jan 19 2018
The Economist analyst projects 3.8% growth for Armenia’s GDP
The projection has come from Maximilien Lambertson, The Economist Analyst for Russia, Poland, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Armenia.
Lambertson has stated that the growth in remittances will slow this year and the expansion of exports is unlikely to be sustained at the current level.
“In the medium term, we do not expect Armenia to achieve the high rates of growth seen before the 2008 financial crisis, much of which stemmed from rapid and unsustainable expansion in the construction sector. While further growth in investment will be assisted by some pro-growth policies undertaken by the government, a strong rebound is unlikely,” said Maximilien Lambertson, pointing out that high financing costs and a difficult business environment will continue to weigh on investment and future growth prospects.
According to the expert, the Armenian real GDP grew by 6.8% in 2017, supported by a recovery in remittances and export revenue.
“The Armenian economy exceeded expectations in 2017, rebounding strongly from the 2015-16 regional slowdown brought on by the collapse in global oil prices. Private consumption, investment and export all drove the recovery in growth in 2017. The renewed growth in investment is especially welcome as it had declined from about 40% of GDP before the 2008 global financial crisis to less than 18% in 2016,” noted Maximilien Lambertson.
RFE/RL Report
Karapetian Downplays Price Rises
January 17, 2018
Karlen Aslanian
Prime Minister Karen Karapetian played down recent increases in the
prices of fuel and some foodstuffs in Armenia on Wednesday, insisting
that inflation has remained low in the past year amid faster economic
growth.
"Everything must be put into context," Karapetian said during the
Armenian government's question-and-answer session in the
parliament. "Our official inflation rate [in 2017] is 2.6
percent. It's 6.7 percent in Georgia and 7.9 percent in Azerbaijan."
"You are saying that inflation is terrible, but I'm saying that it's
not," he told opposition lawmakers who again expressed serious concern
about the price increases and blamed the government for them.
Karapetian specifically made clear that he sees "no big problem"
arising from more than 10 percent rises in the prices of gasoline,
diesel fuel and liquefied natural gas that followed the entry into
force on January 1 of new tax legislation mandating higher excise
duties on fuel.
The premier claimed that gasoline sold in Armenia is still cheaper
than in Georgia. He suggested that those Armenians who cannot afford
it switch to liquefied gas which already powers most vehicles in the
country.
"If I'm not mistaken the gas price rose by 25 drams # and the [higher]
price that existed in 2015 has been restored," he went on. "It's not
good that the gas price went up. It would have been good if it had
remained unchanged." But the increased price is "not a new challenge
in the market," he added.
Karapetian did acknowledge that the higher diesel price could push up
the cost of domestically grown agricultural products. He said the
government is considering providing more subsidies to farmer using
diesel for their tractors and other equipment.
The premier also defended the higher taxes on fuel as well as alcohol
and tobacco, saying that the government needs more revenue to boost
its expenditures and repay foreign loans without widening the budget
deficit.
"Obviously raising the tax burden is not a pleasant thing," he
said. "But we have external loan [repayment] obligations. We have the
task of developing the economy. We need additional means."
The remarks were denounced by deputies from the opposition Yelk
alliance. One of them, Edmon Marukian, accused Karapetian of ignoring
the socioeconomic impact of the price hikes.
"You are close to saying that there is also an alternative to public
transport and people should commute on foot," said Marukian.
Another Yelk lawmaker, Ararat Mirzoyan, argued that food products such
as butter and meat have also become considerably more expensive in
recent months. Karapetian countered that their prices have soared all
over the world.
Yelk announced on January 8 that it will rally supporters in Yerevan
on January 19 to protest against the increased cost of living. Two
days later, President Serzh Sarkisian held an emergency meeting with
senior officials during which he voiced concern at the price
hikes. Sarkisian told anti-trust regulators to consider taking
"drastic measures" against a small number of companies importing fuel
and basic foodstuffs to Armenia.
Karapetian was officially on vacation from January 8-12 and did not
attend the meeting held in the presidential palace.
RFE/RL Report
Armenian Opposition Supporters Rally Against Price Hikes
January 19, 2018
Karlen Aslanian
The opposition Yelk alliance rallied hundreds of supporters in Yerevan
on Friday to protest against recent increases in the prices of fuel
and some foodstuffs which it blames on government policies.
The price rises were caused, in part, by new tax legislation mandating
higher excise duties on fuel, tobacco and alcohol. The cost of
gasoline, diesel fuel and liquefied natural gas used by most vehicles
in Armenia rose by over 10 percent immediately after it went into
force on January 1.
Yelk leaders demanded that the authorities reverse the higher taxes
when they addressed the crowd before it marched through downtown
Yerevan, chanting "Reduction!"They said that the price hikes are
increasing poverty in the country.
"We are saying no to price hikes and demand a reduction of the tax
rates that led to the higher prices of basic products," said one of
them, Nikol Pashinian. "We are demanding price and tax cuts."
Pashinian repeatedly urged Armenians to take to the streets in larger
numbers and heighten the pressure on the authorities. But speaking to
reporters, he downplayed the relatively poor attendance at the protest
and said the Yelk campaign will gradually gain momentum. The outspoken
oppositionist claimed that Yelk will soon hold "the biggest and most
decisive rally in Armenia's history."
Another Yelk leader, Aram Sarkisian, insisted in a speech that the
opposition bloc will pull larger crowds in March and April after many
Armenians feel the impact of the higher prices more acutely. The next
Yelk rally is scheduled for February 5.
Prime Minister Karen Karapetian downplayed that impact when he
answered questions from Yelk leaders on the parliament floor on
Wednesday. He insisted that consumer price inflation in Armenia
remains low. Karapetian also defended the increased tax rates, saying
that the government needs more revenue to boost its expenditures and
repay foreign loans.
For his part, President Serzh Sarkisian held on January 10 an
emergency meeting with senior state officials to discuss ways of
mitigating socioeconomic consequences of the price hikes. Sarkisian
also initiated parliamentary hearings on the issue which will be held
on Tuesday.
Other, more radical opposition groups refused to join Friday's
protest, saying that Yelk is not campaigning for regime
change. Pashinian rejected that criticism. He said that the opposition
cannot seriously threaten the authorities' hold on power without
forcing them to scrap the rate hikes first.
ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
January 18, 2018 Thursday
French University of Armenia opens the fifth faculty - the Faculty of
Informatics and Mathematics
Marianna Mkrtchyan.
Armenian Opposition Supporters Rally Against Price Hikes
January 19, 2018
Karlen Aslanian
The opposition Yelk alliance rallied hundreds of supporters in Yerevan
on Friday to protest against recent increases in the prices of fuel
and some foodstuffs which it blames on government policies.
The price rises were caused, in part, by new tax legislation mandating
higher excise duties on fuel, tobacco and alcohol. The cost of
gasoline, diesel fuel and liquefied natural gas used by most vehicles
in Armenia rose by over 10 percent immediately after it went into
force on January 1.
Yelk leaders demanded that the authorities reverse the higher taxes
when they addressed the crowd before it marched through downtown
Yerevan, chanting "Reduction!"They said that the price hikes are
increasing poverty in the country.
"We are saying no to price hikes and demand a reduction of the tax
rates that led to the higher prices of basic products," said one of
them, Nikol Pashinian. "We are demanding price and tax cuts."
Pashinian repeatedly urged Armenians to take to the streets in larger
numbers and heighten the pressure on the authorities. But speaking to
reporters, he downplayed the relatively poor attendance at the protest
and said the Yelk campaign will gradually gain momentum. The outspoken
oppositionist claimed that Yelk will soon hold "the biggest and most
decisive rally in Armenia's history."
Another Yelk leader, Aram Sarkisian, insisted in a speech that the
opposition bloc will pull larger crowds in March and April after many
Armenians feel the impact of the higher prices more acutely. The next
Yelk rally is scheduled for February 5.
Prime Minister Karen Karapetian downplayed that impact when he
answered questions from Yelk leaders on the parliament floor on
Wednesday. He insisted that consumer price inflation in Armenia
remains low. Karapetian also defended the increased tax rates, saying
that the government needs more revenue to boost its expenditures and
repay foreign loans.
For his part, President Serzh Sarkisian held on January 10 an
emergency meeting with senior state officials to discuss ways of
mitigating socioeconomic consequences of the price hikes. Sarkisian
also initiated parliamentary hearings on the issue which will be held
on Tuesday.
Other, more radical opposition groups refused to join Friday's
protest, saying that Yelk is not campaigning for regime
change. Pashinian rejected that criticism. He said that the opposition
cannot seriously threaten the authorities' hold on power without
forcing them to scrap the rate hikes first.
ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
January 18, 2018 Thursday
French University of Armenia opens the fifth faculty - the Faculty of
Informatics and Mathematics
Marianna Mkrtchyan.
The French University of Armenia (FUA) opens itsfifth faculty
- the Faculty of Informatics and Applied Mathematics - a direction
quite in demand in the republic. This was announced by the
Ambassador of France to Armenia Jonathan Lacote at a press
Ambassador of France to Armenia Jonathan Lacote at a press
conference in Yerevan on January 18.
The diplomat informed that the faculty will start functioning from the
beginning of the 2018 academic year. "Another not less important event
is the start of a new preparatory stage at the French International
School, where candidates will be prepared for the Faculty of
Informatics and Applied Mathematics of the FUA.In both institutions,
graduates will be given French diplomas.This view, both the FUA and
the French School - are important institutions that stimulate the
French language in Armenia, "Lacote said.
At the same time, he stated that more than 80% of the graduates of the
FUA find work after graduating from the university, and their
overwhelming majority continues to work in Armenia. According to him,
in light of the forthcoming 17th OIF summit in Yerevan this October,
the opening of a new faculty and a new stage in these two institutions
are additional assistance in popularizing the French language in
Armenia.
Meanwhile, the RBA rector Jean-Marc Laveste noted that the decision to
open a new faculty was made after careful analysis. According to him,
the sphere of Information Technologies is quite developed in Armenia
and there is a great demand for training in this direction. "Despite
the fact that this sphere is rather developed in Armenia, the staff
deficit is obvious, 2000 vacancies are still vacant every year."
According to statistics, in 10 years 20% of Armenia's GDP will come to
this sphere. "Taking into account the full demand for this direction,
we decided to make and its feasible contribution to the development of
the IT sphere in Armenia, "said the rector of the FUA. At the same
time, he added that in 2018 academic year 50 entrants are expected to
enter this faculty, and in 2019 their number will increase to 100. He
also informed that now the possibility of granting scholarships to
well-educated students is being developed, which can stimulate an
increase in the number of students from regions of Armenia.
The FUA was established in 2000.
The first cooperation agreements were signed on February 15, 2001,
including with the University of Jean Moulin Lyon 3. From the first
day of existence, the FUA is a beacon of cooperation with France and
the support of Francophoe in Armenia. To date, 1100 students are
studying at the FUA, 2000 students have already left the university.
At the French International School in Armenia, 182 pupils are trained
today, education is carried out in French under the program of the
Ministry of Education of France. Admission applications for training
in high school will begin in March this year. Tuition fee forms 650
thousand per year.
The diplomat informed that the faculty will start functioning from the
beginning of the 2018 academic year. "Another not less important event
is the start of a new preparatory stage at the French International
School, where candidates will be prepared for the Faculty of
Informatics and Applied Mathematics of the FUA.In both institutions,
graduates will be given French diplomas.This view, both the FUA and
the French School - are important institutions that stimulate the
French language in Armenia, "Lacote said.
At the same time, he stated that more than 80% of the graduates of the
FUA find work after graduating from the university, and their
overwhelming majority continues to work in Armenia. According to him,
in light of the forthcoming 17th OIF summit in Yerevan this October,
the opening of a new faculty and a new stage in these two institutions
are additional assistance in popularizing the French language in
Armenia.
Meanwhile, the RBA rector Jean-Marc Laveste noted that the decision to
open a new faculty was made after careful analysis. According to him,
the sphere of Information Technologies is quite developed in Armenia
and there is a great demand for training in this direction. "Despite
the fact that this sphere is rather developed in Armenia, the staff
deficit is obvious, 2000 vacancies are still vacant every year."
According to statistics, in 10 years 20% of Armenia's GDP will come to
this sphere. "Taking into account the full demand for this direction,
we decided to make and its feasible contribution to the development of
the IT sphere in Armenia, "said the rector of the FUA. At the same
time, he added that in 2018 academic year 50 entrants are expected to
enter this faculty, and in 2019 their number will increase to 100. He
also informed that now the possibility of granting scholarships to
well-educated students is being developed, which can stimulate an
increase in the number of students from regions of Armenia.
The FUA was established in 2000.
The first cooperation agreements were signed on February 15, 2001,
including with the University of Jean Moulin Lyon 3. From the first
day of existence, the FUA is a beacon of cooperation with France and
the support of Francophoe in Armenia. To date, 1100 students are
studying at the FUA, 2000 students have already left the university.
At the French International School in Armenia, 182 pupils are trained
today, education is carried out in French under the program of the
Ministry of Education of France. Admission applications for training
in high school will begin in March this year. Tuition fee forms 650
thousand per year.
Armenpress News Agency, Armenia
January 18, 2018 Thursday
Turkey MP Paylan counters false newspaper article on Istanbul Armenian
Patriarchal Election
Ethnic Armenian MP of Turkey Garo Paylan has countered the article
January 18, 2018 Thursday
Turkey MP Paylan counters false newspaper article on Istanbul Armenian
Patriarchal Election
Ethnic Armenian MP of Turkey Garo Paylan has countered the article
published by Turkish Aksam, a pro-Erdogan newspaper, which accused
the Armenian lawmaker in manipulating the Armenian Patriarchal elections
of Istanbul, Agos reports.
“Like the article mentioned, we, Armenians of Turkey, are waiting for
the patriarchal election for a long time. I have presented various
initiatives as a lawmaker to immediate start the electoral process
which has met many obstacles, and to hold in according to the rules.
I’ve met with members of the government numerously regarding this
matter. I have brought this issue to the agenda in the Parliament of
Turkey on various occasions. As a representative of the Armenian
community, I have struggled for the election to be held, as a result
of which our patriarch will be known through voting. However, unlike
the article mentioned, I haven’t announced till now whom I am
endorsing from the candidates. For me the important thing is for any
candidate to be worthy of respect from the public, who will duly
implement his duties”, Paylan said.
He stressed that the Armenian community will decide the next patriarch
as result of voting.
“In democratic systems, crises are solved through democratic
elections. The Armenian community must focus on the issue of holding
the elections, the right of which we have. Having a strong Armenian
community must be a goal for each of us. I will continue making
understand in various platforms that this stems from the interests of
Turkey also”, he said.
Earlier the Turkish newspaper reported that Paylan, through
cooperation with the Armenian Diaspora, wants Sebouh Chouljian,
Primate of the Diocese of Gougark, to be patriarch.
“Like the article mentioned, we, Armenians of Turkey, are waiting for
the patriarchal election for a long time. I have presented various
initiatives as a lawmaker to immediate start the electoral process
which has met many obstacles, and to hold in according to the rules.
I’ve met with members of the government numerously regarding this
matter. I have brought this issue to the agenda in the Parliament of
Turkey on various occasions. As a representative of the Armenian
community, I have struggled for the election to be held, as a result
of which our patriarch will be known through voting. However, unlike
the article mentioned, I haven’t announced till now whom I am
endorsing from the candidates. For me the important thing is for any
candidate to be worthy of respect from the public, who will duly
implement his duties”, Paylan said.
He stressed that the Armenian community will decide the next patriarch
as result of voting.
“In democratic systems, crises are solved through democratic
elections. The Armenian community must focus on the issue of holding
the elections, the right of which we have. Having a strong Armenian
community must be a goal for each of us. I will continue making
understand in various platforms that this stems from the interests of
Turkey also”, he said.
Earlier the Turkish newspaper reported that Paylan, through
cooperation with the Armenian Diaspora, wants Sebouh Chouljian,
Primate of the Diocese of Gougark, to be patriarch.
Asbarez.com
Historic Ordination of a Deaconess in the Tehran Prelacy
Ani-Kristi Manvelian was ordained a deaconess by the Tehran Prelate
BY HRATCH TCHILINGIRIAN
The Prelate of Tehran ordained a young woman as a deaconess in Tehran’s St. Sarkis Mother Church on September 25, 2017. Even as the office of deaconess had existed in Armenian Church convents for centuries, this was a historic first. It is the first time that a lay woman, not a nun, was ordained a “parish deacon.”
Twenty-four year old Ani-Kristi Manvelian, an anesthesiologist by profession, was ordained — along with Mayis Mateosian — by Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian, the Primate of the Diocese of Tehran.
“What I have done is in conformity with the Tradition of the Church and nothing else,” said Archbishop Sarkissian. This was his personal initiative as a diocesan primate in order, as he explained, “to revitalize the participation of women also in our church’s liturgical life,” adding, “do not be surprised, a woman could also become a servant of the Holy Altar.”
Ani-Kristi Manvelian on the altar at St. Sarkis Church in Tehran
Ani-Kristi Manvelian on the altar at St. Sarkis Church in Tehran
Deaconess Ani-Kristi has been involved in the life of the church in Tehran since she was very young. She used to perform the duties of an acolyte (դպիր) during church services, such as reading the psalms and carrying the ceremonial candle.
In explaining the purpose of the ordination, Archbishop Sarkissian said: “Today, our Church is confronting the imperative of self-examination and self-critique. It is imperative to rejuvenate the participation of the people in the social, educational and service spheres of the Church. It is our deep conviction that the active participation of women in the life of our Church would allow Armenian women to be involved more enthusiastically and vigorously, and would allow them to be connected and engaged. They would provide dedicated and loving service [to the people]. The deaconess, no doubt, would also be a spiritual and church-dedicated mother, educator, and why not, a model woman through her example. It is with this deep conviction that we are performing this ordination, with the hope that we are neither the first nor the last to do it.”
According to the Prelate, parish priests in Tehran are watchful and keen to recruit more women who fit the profile of prospective deaconesses.
What is special and novel about Deaconess Ani-Kristi Manvelian’s ordination is that she is a “parish” deacon — that is, she is not a member of a convent or a religious order, like the Kalfayan Sisters in Istanbul or Gayanyants Sisters at Birds Nest in Jibel, Lebanon, who have a few sisters among their ranks and are not ordained deaconesses.
Like her male counterparts in the Armenian Church, if and when Deaconess Ani-Kristi marries, she will continue to serve as a deaconess.
Deaconesses have been part of the Christian tradition from the early years of the faith. There are numerous references in the Epistles and early Church writings.
In the Armenian Church tradition, the development of the office of female diaconate is divided into four historical periods according to Fr. Abel Oghlukian, the author of a study on the subject: (a) 4th-8th centuries in Greater Armenia; (b) 9th-11th centuries in Eastern and Cilician Armenia, where the term “deaconess” is included in the book of ordination (Մաշտոց); (c) 12th century and on, where there are “literary references and rites for the ordination of deaconesses in liturgical texts in Cilicia and eastern Armenia; and (d) 17th century renewal of female diaconate.
The last ordained monastic deaconess in the Armenian Church was Sister Hripsime Sasounian in Istanbul. The late Patriarch Shnork Kalustian of Constantinople ordained Sister Hripsime of Kalfayan Sisters (established in 1866) as a deaconess in 1982, using the canon of ordination used for male deacons (Ձեռնադրութեան Մաշտոց). Damascus-born Deaconess Hripsime was 54 years old at the time. She passed away in 2007.
In North America, Seta Simonian Atamian was the first adult women ordained as an acolyte (դպիր), a lower rank, by Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian of the Western Diocese in 1984 at St. Andrew Armenian Church, in Cupertino, California. However, when in 1986 she moved to the East Coast of the United States, she was not allowed by the local diocese to serve on the altar in the Armenian Church.
Even as this is a most welcome step by Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian and the Prelacy of Tehran (under the jurisdiction of the Catholicosate of Cilicia), the Armenian Apostolic Church has yet to formally restore the office of female diaconate.
Today the question is how to revive the female diaconate for the pastoral life of local parishes rather than in monastic settings or convents, which are virtually non-existent as viable institutions.
Historic Ordination of a Deaconess in the Tehran Prelacy
Ani-Kristi Manvelian was ordained a deaconess by the Tehran Prelate
BY HRATCH TCHILINGIRIAN
The Prelate of Tehran ordained a young woman as a deaconess in Tehran’s St. Sarkis Mother Church on September 25, 2017. Even as the office of deaconess had existed in Armenian Church convents for centuries, this was a historic first. It is the first time that a lay woman, not a nun, was ordained a “parish deacon.”
Twenty-four year old Ani-Kristi Manvelian, an anesthesiologist by profession, was ordained — along with Mayis Mateosian — by Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian, the Primate of the Diocese of Tehran.
“What I have done is in conformity with the Tradition of the Church and nothing else,” said Archbishop Sarkissian. This was his personal initiative as a diocesan primate in order, as he explained, “to revitalize the participation of women also in our church’s liturgical life,” adding, “do not be surprised, a woman could also become a servant of the Holy Altar.”
Ani-Kristi Manvelian on the altar at St. Sarkis Church in Tehran
Ani-Kristi Manvelian on the altar at St. Sarkis Church in Tehran
Deaconess Ani-Kristi has been involved in the life of the church in Tehran since she was very young. She used to perform the duties of an acolyte (դպիր) during church services, such as reading the psalms and carrying the ceremonial candle.
In explaining the purpose of the ordination, Archbishop Sarkissian said: “Today, our Church is confronting the imperative of self-examination and self-critique. It is imperative to rejuvenate the participation of the people in the social, educational and service spheres of the Church. It is our deep conviction that the active participation of women in the life of our Church would allow Armenian women to be involved more enthusiastically and vigorously, and would allow them to be connected and engaged. They would provide dedicated and loving service [to the people]. The deaconess, no doubt, would also be a spiritual and church-dedicated mother, educator, and why not, a model woman through her example. It is with this deep conviction that we are performing this ordination, with the hope that we are neither the first nor the last to do it.”
According to the Prelate, parish priests in Tehran are watchful and keen to recruit more women who fit the profile of prospective deaconesses.
What is special and novel about Deaconess Ani-Kristi Manvelian’s ordination is that she is a “parish” deacon — that is, she is not a member of a convent or a religious order, like the Kalfayan Sisters in Istanbul or Gayanyants Sisters at Birds Nest in Jibel, Lebanon, who have a few sisters among their ranks and are not ordained deaconesses.
Like her male counterparts in the Armenian Church, if and when Deaconess Ani-Kristi marries, she will continue to serve as a deaconess.
Deaconesses have been part of the Christian tradition from the early years of the faith. There are numerous references in the Epistles and early Church writings.
In the Armenian Church tradition, the development of the office of female diaconate is divided into four historical periods according to Fr. Abel Oghlukian, the author of a study on the subject: (a) 4th-8th centuries in Greater Armenia; (b) 9th-11th centuries in Eastern and Cilician Armenia, where the term “deaconess” is included in the book of ordination (Մաշտոց); (c) 12th century and on, where there are “literary references and rites for the ordination of deaconesses in liturgical texts in Cilicia and eastern Armenia; and (d) 17th century renewal of female diaconate.
The last ordained monastic deaconess in the Armenian Church was Sister Hripsime Sasounian in Istanbul. The late Patriarch Shnork Kalustian of Constantinople ordained Sister Hripsime of Kalfayan Sisters (established in 1866) as a deaconess in 1982, using the canon of ordination used for male deacons (Ձեռնադրութեան Մաշտոց). Damascus-born Deaconess Hripsime was 54 years old at the time. She passed away in 2007.
In North America, Seta Simonian Atamian was the first adult women ordained as an acolyte (դպիր), a lower rank, by Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian of the Western Diocese in 1984 at St. Andrew Armenian Church, in Cupertino, California. However, when in 1986 she moved to the East Coast of the United States, she was not allowed by the local diocese to serve on the altar in the Armenian Church.
Even as this is a most welcome step by Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian and the Prelacy of Tehran (under the jurisdiction of the Catholicosate of Cilicia), the Armenian Apostolic Church has yet to formally restore the office of female diaconate.
Today the question is how to revive the female diaconate for the pastoral life of local parishes rather than in monastic settings or convents, which are virtually non-existent as viable institutions.
Asbarez.com
Iran to Register Armenian Cathedral in Isfahan as UNESCO World Heritage Site
TEHRAN—After registering three churches as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage sites in Iran, the government is looking to register the Holy Savior Cathedral, commonly referred to as Vank Cathedral, in the New Julfa district of Isfahan, reported the Iran Front Page news site.
Deputy Head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHTO), Mohammad Hossein Talebian, said that there is a list of Armenian churches, three of which inscribed in UNESCO World Heritage list.
Isfahan's Holy Savior Cathedral, commonly known as Vank
Isfahan’s Holy Savior Cathedral, commonly known as Vank
Addressing the closing ceremony of the joint exhibition of Iran and Armenia held at the National Museum of Iran in Tehran, Talebian noted that Iran is doing its best to add other important Armenian churches, such as Vank in Isfahan, to this list.
Vank is one of the most famous cathedrals in Iran and the largest one in Isfahan province in central Iran. In terms of historical paintings and decorations, it is known as the most beautiful church in Isfahan.
It is a combination of Iranian and Armenian architecture, and this has made it a unique structure in the world.
Established in 1606, the cathedral was dedicated to the hundreds of thousands of Armenian deportees that were resettled by Shah Abbas I during the Ottoman War of 1603-1618.
Today, the Vank is the center of communication between the Armenians of Isfahan and the southern regions of Iran with the world and is of great importance to the Armenians.
DailySabah.com
The life and times of Zabel Yesayan
NAGIHAN HALILOĞLU
The life and times of Zabel Yesayan
‘Zabel' tells the story of Zabel Yesayan, an Armenian writer, feminist and activist whose life was shaped by the events that eventually led to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The play takes us on an emotional journey, from her happy childhood in Üsküdar to the political turmoil after the Young Turk revolution, her Parisian exile and eventually her arrest in Yerevan, the place she had hoped to finally call home
First staged in 2015, "Zabel," a play about the life and times of Zabel Yesayan, has returned to Istanbul audiences for a limited number of performances this season. Written by Aysel Yıldırım and Duygu Dalyanoğlu and performed by an all-female cast, the play manages to take the audience through the different decades of Yesayan's life as she tries to make sense of the country that is crumbling around her.
Zabel Yesayan, author several books including 'Among the Ruins', 'The Curse', 'Shirt of Flame' and 'The Gardens of Silihdari' was born in 1878 in Üsküdar. Her childhood and youth was shaped by the several revolutions and counter-revolutions that took place in the Ottoman Empire, and these remained the experiences that marked her writing. She studied literature and philosophy at the Sorbonne, and then moved to settle in Armenia as professor of literature in 1933.
The life and times of Zabel Yesayan
The play starts in a solitary cell in Yerevan, where a young blonde woman in Soviet officers' clothes is interrogating a much older one dressed in a dark somber dress, with angular facial features to match her predicament. From the very first moment, Aysel Yıldırım as Zabel commands the stage both with her physical presence and her unforgiving voice and accent. She is as defiant as can be in the face of this piece of Stalin's state machinery. The officer asks her to denounce her friends; Zabel refuses and is condemned to more time in solitary confinement. The novels she has written are brought as evidence against her, and she manages to hold on to one of them, the autobiographical account of her childhood in Üsküdar. When the door is locked on her, she starts recalling the events she has described in the book, and thus peoples her solitary cell. The light changes, and we are in her childhood home in the company of her mother and aunts at the moment when her mother is about to give birth to her. The grown woman Zabel walks toward these apparitions and becomes the baby, as her mother, aunts and grandmother pat her and check her limbs. The audience sees the cold and terrified woman in the cell relax and be pampered like she hasn't been in a long while. The moment when the three women swaddle her and put her to sleep is very touching, and with great acting and lighting the play earns its pathos from this very early scene. The audience has been firmly swaddled with Zabel and an unbreakable emotional bond has been forged.
The birth takes place with the sounds of cannons in the background as the Ottomans are preparing for war against the Russians. The Greek midwife, a funny figure who seems to belong more in the traditional Karagöz-Hacivat shadow play, tells Zabel's family that she herself is looking forward to a Russian takeover to which Zabel's grandmother, "yaya," says she trusts the Russians even less than the Ottomans. This statement resonates throughout the play with the scenes in Zabel's cell where she is being accused of being anti-Stalinist and an Armenian nationalist in Armenia to all purposes run by Russians. The midwife responds to yaya's doubts by saying that the Armenians have not managed to shake off the name of "milleti sadıka" (the loyal nation), a name that still haunts the history of the Ottoman state's treatment of its Armenian subjects.
The life and times of Zabel Yesayan
Aysel Yıldırım as Zabel commands the stage with her physical presence, her unforgiving voice and accent.
This birth scene also establishes several other things about the universe that the play operates in. There is much talk about why Zabel's husband is absent at this important moment. The men, cut out of the action at this moment of birth, never quite manage to get on stage for the rest of the performance either - except when Zabel is returning home late one night with a friend, and we see the silhouette of a man behind the beautiful screen that provides the backdrop to Zabel's story. We see his distorted and amplified shadow on the screen, as he remains a specter. Zabel and her friend suspect him of being a "jurnalci," that scariest of men who listen in to people's conversations to report to the Sultan - and these young girls have indeed been talking marginally about politics.
Another scene of early childhood informs the audience about relations between the various millets further by introducing a Jewish copper-plating man (a dying trade that one can still see in the back streets of Istanbul) that the family watch through the window. We see that yaya - that well of wisdom - is not immune to being pulled into racist discourse. She is scandalized that a Jew, a "Jesus- killer" has come near their house, and as she rails against the Jews her daughters try to stop her speaking like that "in front of the child." Zabel, precocious as she is, asks if her Jewish friends are also evil. When her mother says that as in all communities, there are good and bad people among the Jews, Zabel asks, "What about the Turks?" As her mother tries to pacify her she raises her fist and starts imitating her teacher's angry anti-Turkish rhetoric but is again stopped by her mother. There is, we understand, much "stopped" and bottled up emotion and grievances in the Ottoman Empire and the audience knows full well how it will all end.
Just as many of us have come to the theater with hearts fluttering, excited to learn about a female pioneer in our own tradition, Zabel, too, as a young woman, goes to visit an imposing female writer, Sırpuhi Düsap. Düsap has stopped writing, and one possible explanation given is the harsh criticism of male writers, including from that other giant of Armenian literature and indeed the Ottoman stage, Hagop Baronyan. The scene is played for laughs as Zabel and her friend try to impress the unimpressible Düsap, but the underlying sense is that there have always been other female figures that inspired the ones that inspire us. It reminds us that when we talk about a female pioneer in a field - and they often come later than their male counterparts - we have to be aware that there probably was another before her, that women's (silenced) history in the arts goes back further than male-written histories will allow for.
The script of the play becomes very topical at times, not least when Zabel, who has set up an orphanage in Adana, is trying to convince the wife of the new governor why it is a bad idea to house the children in an "Ottoman Orphanage" where the official language will be Turkish. Zabel tells her that if the children are brought up in such an environment not only will their religious freedom be at risk, but also that soon they will forget Armenian and won't even be able to read the script on their parents' tombstones. This is exactly the same and unfairly ridiculed argument that critics of the Turkish alphabet revolution put forward when they lament the fact that Turks can't read the Ottoman script anymore.
The play's use of music, dance, light and attention to detail transport the audience to the end of the Ottoman Empire, and in the end, when her verdict for execution is turned to life imprisonment, Zabel lets her memories free as she bids farewell to one of the doctoral students she has mentored when in Paris. It is to contribute to the cultural life of the Armenian state that Zabel leaves Paris - just as she found it impossible to leave Istanbul, while her daughter and husband continued to live in Paris. Zabel says, quite openly, that her work makes sense in an Armenian literary community; that it is in such a community that she can realize her true potential. The Armenian language itself is one of the characters in the play; a language whose specter has haunted the Turkish stage for a long time and whose reappearance is nothing short of an event that has to be celebrated
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