FATHER FRANK’S RANTS - Wise Man from Mallorca

Rant Number 408 26 August 2010

Question: who is afraid of mysticism? Answer: this writer might be. When even Rupert Murdoch’s unashamedly tabloid-style The Times devoted a 16-page supplement to the subject, well, forgive him, Fr Frank feels like reaching for his spiritual kalashnikov. Mystic Meg he can abide – mystic Rupert, never.

But this rant is not a moan. Its hero, the prolific, phenomenal Ramon Llull, a sensible, rational contemplative all right, believed that alegria - gaiety, joy, cheerfulness – was the right attitude for anyone approaching these things. Jolly good, Blessed Ramon, you could not have been righter!

Present-day package tour visitors to the pleasurable, zenithal island of Mallorca may find a passing, perfunctory reference to Llull in their guide books. Mine – a handy AA spiral affair – extravagantly compared him to Stephen Hawkins and Bill Gates. His boundless universal science might conceivably connect him with the Cambridge invalid, and his ‘thinking machine’ to the Microsoft entrepreneur, but the Mallorcan mystic, poor as a church mouse and fit as a fiddle till ripe old age, would not necessarily exult at the compliment.

Llull’s lifelong passion was Islam. Born in Palma, in 1232, a mere three years after the reconquest of the island from the Moors by the Catalan King Jaime I, he grew up in a ‘multicultural’ environment, with Jews, Muslims and Christians freely mingling around him. A well-to-do fellow and a royal courtier, married with children, Ramon was also a bit of a poet, a troubadour. At the age of 30, one night he was in his room, writing verse, inspired by his infatuation for a lady whom he loved with ‘wild love’. It was then that Christ crucified appeared to him, changing his frivolous life forever. Donning the habit of a Franciscan, Ramon, St Francis-like, gave away all his earthly goods and devoted his life to God alone. The form that took included the study of Arabic and of Islamic thought and texts. His first published book was a study of the logic of the Muslim mystic Al-Ghazzali. Another of his 300 known works, The Book of the Lover and the Beloved (actually the 99th chapter of a torrential novel, Blanquerna), which I enjoyed perusing while in Mallorca once, states explicitly that its composition is based on Sufi methods. Its 366 paragraphs, one for each day of the year, exemplify a steady, relentless dialectic between Lover – the human soul – and Beloved – the infinite, revealed God who is both in and beyond the world, with Love providing the amorous link between the two.

However, it was on a modest, low Mallorcan mountain – only 542 metres - Puig (pronounced ‘pooch’ in Catalan) Randa, that a handsome-visaged young shepherd, or angel, disclosed to Llull the idea that his celebrated Great Art was to take.

Analogies with a super algebra, computer model, thinking machine, proto-word processor and the like are of limited use. Basically, Llull was aiming to construct no less than a universal conceptual tongue, a prodigious lexicon which embodied all forms of knowledge, religion included. It meant to show its necessary relation with God’s ‘dignities’ or essential attributes. These daring ideas he illustrated by diagrams and figures, which still hold a peculiar fascination, as well as a certain suspicion. Jonathan Swift is said to have had our Ramon in his sights when satirising the follies of the grand academy of Lagado in Gulliver’s Travels. Jorge Louis Borges, writing for a ladies’ magazine, Home, ridiculed Llull’s thinking machine, first by stating that it was unable to think a single thought, and then, in mock-recantation, asserting that it could think ‘too much’. In the end, though, he seemed to concede the machine’s utility ‘as a literary and poetic device’. I doubt the Mallorcan scientist-kabbalist would have felt flattered by that.

As Gertrude Stein would put it: a caricature is a caricature a caricature a caricature. Humanist thinkers of the Renaissance like Pico and Bruno highly valued Llull’s ideas – they viewed them as a wonderful mnemonic technique, a scientific art of memory. Philosophers like Leibnitz admired him and pursued his vision of a world super-language. If indeed Bill Gates had ever heard of Ramon, I would not be too surprised if he held him in some regard. Borges, a declared, occasionally fervent unbeliever, as befits his lot, is petty. He deliberately shuts his blind eyes to Llull’s central, overarching and overriding aim: the Divine. All of the Mallorcan’s labours are devoted to providing a visionary interfaith theology, a mystical-rational model of divine contemplation, a royal way to the One God of the three monotheistic faiths.

Here I come back to Islam. In an age echoing with clamours of crusades and reconquistas, Llull offered an approach to the rival religion based not on confrontation and violence, but on knowledge, intellectual conversation, spirituality, even synthesis. I see him as a kind of pioneer, a bridge-builder between civilisations, a wise, righteous Christian who today would be ideally well-equipped to lead the great, much needed, worldwide rapprochement between Cross and Crescent.

What response Llull received from his Muslim interlocutors is not clear. With sages, Sufis and theologians he could have dialogued OK, I think. With the ordinary people, well, I imagine it would not be all that different from what a Muslim preacher at the time would have experienced in the cities of Christian Europe. Happily, it is not true that he was stoned to death in North Africa, aged 84. It is certain he died later in Mallorca. The legend of his suffering a martyr’s death is pious hagiography, not history. Still, it must have come in handy when he was beatified – proclaimed a Blessed – by Pius IX in 1847.

Years ago, before the tomb of Blessed Ramon, hidden in the dark interior of the fine Sant Francesc Basilica in Palma, my friend Leo and I spent some time, quietly meditating. I had already felt something, just a hint of that noble soul’s presence, when on the windy summit of Mount Randa two days before. This time, it was stronger, but putting it into words…no, I will not try. Instead, listen to these words, of a strongly Sufi flavour, from Blanquerna:

‘The Lover was singing the praise of his Beloved. He said he had transcended place, because he is in a placeless place. Therefore, when they asked the Lover where his Beloved was, he replied, “He is - but no one know where.’ Yet he knew his Beloved was in his remembrance.’

Revd Frank Julian Gelli

FATHER FRANK’S RANTS - Wise Man from Mallorca

Rant Number 408 26 August 2010

Question: who is afraid of mysticism? Answer: this writer might be. When even Rupert Murdoch’s unashamedly tabloid-style The Times devoted a 16-page supplement to the subject, well, forgive him, Fr Frank feels like reaching for his spiritual kalashnikov. Mystic Meg he can abide – mystic Rupert, never.

But this rant is not a moan. Its hero, the prolific, phenomenal Ramon Llull, a sensible, rational contemplative all right, believed that alegria - gaiety, joy, cheerfulness – was the right attitude for anyone approaching these things. Jolly good, Blessed Ramon, you could not have been righter!

Present-day package tour visitors to the pleasurable, zenithal island of Mallorca may find a passing, perfunctory reference to Llull in their guide books. Mine – a handy AA spiral affair – extravagantly compared him to Stephen Hawkins and Bill Gates. His boundless universal science might conceivably connect him with the Cambridge invalid, and his ‘thinking machine’ to the Microsoft entrepreneur, but the Mallorcan mystic, poor as a church mouse and fit as a fiddle till ripe old age, would not necessarily exult at the compliment.

Llull’s lifelong passion was Islam. Born in Palma, in 1232, a mere three years after the reconquest of the island from the Moors by the Catalan King Jaime I, he grew up in a ‘multicultural’ environment, with Jews, Muslims and Christians freely mingling around him. A well-to-do fellow and a royal courtier, married with children, Ramon was also a bit of a poet, a troubadour. At the age of 30, one night he was in his room, writing verse, inspired by his infatuation for a lady whom he loved with ‘wild love’. It was then that Christ crucified appeared to him, changing his frivolous life forever. Donning the habit of a Franciscan, Ramon, St Francis-like, gave away all his earthly goods and devoted his life to God alone. The form that took included the study of Arabic and of Islamic thought and texts. His first published book was a study of the logic of the Muslim mystic Al-Ghazzali. Another of his 300 known works, The Book of the Lover and the Beloved (actually the 99th chapter of a torrential novel, Blanquerna), which I enjoyed perusing while in Mallorca once, states explicitly that its composition is based on Sufi methods. Its 366 paragraphs, one for each day of the year, exemplify a steady, relentless dialectic between Lover – the human soul – and Beloved – the infinite, revealed God who is both in and beyond the world, with Love providing the amorous link between the two.

However, it was on a modest, low Mallorcan mountain – only 542 metres - Puig (pronounced ‘pooch’ in Catalan) Randa, that a handsome-visaged young shepherd, or angel, disclosed to Llull the idea that his celebrated Great Art was to take.

Analogies with a super algebra, computer model, thinking machine, proto-word processor and the like are of limited use. Basically, Llull was aiming to construct no less than a universal conceptual tongue, a prodigious lexicon which embodied all forms of knowledge, religion included. It meant to show its necessary relation with God’s ‘dignities’ or essential attributes. These daring ideas he illustrated by diagrams and figures, which still hold a peculiar fascination, as well as a certain suspicion. Jonathan Swift is said to have had our Ramon in his sights when satirising the follies of the grand academy of Lagado in Gulliver’s Travels. Jorge Louis Borges, writing for a ladies’ magazine, Home, ridiculed Llull’s thinking machine, first by stating that it was unable to think a single thought, and then, in mock-recantation, asserting that it could think ‘too much’. In the end, though, he seemed to concede the machine’s utility ‘as a literary and poetic device’. I doubt the Mallorcan scientist-kabbalist would have felt flattered by that.

As Gertrude Stein would put it: a caricature is a caricature a caricature a caricature. Humanist thinkers of the Renaissance like Pico and Bruno highly valued Llull’s ideas – they viewed them as a wonderful mnemonic technique, a scientific art of memory. Philosophers like Leibnitz admired him and pursued his vision of a world super-language. If indeed Bill Gates had ever heard of Ramon, I would not be too surprised if he held him in some regard. Borges, a declared, occasionally fervent unbeliever, as befits his lot, is petty. He deliberately shuts his blind eyes to Llull’s central, overarching and overriding aim: the Divine. All of the Mallorcan’s labours are devoted to providing a visionary interfaith theology, a mystical-rational model of divine contemplation, a royal way to the One God of the three monotheistic faiths.

Here I come back to Islam. In an age echoing with clamours of crusades and reconquistas, Llull offered an approach to the rival religion based not on confrontation and violence, but on knowledge, intellectual conversation, spirituality, even synthesis. I see him as a kind of pioneer, a bridge-builder between civilisations, a wise, righteous Christian who today would be ideally well-equipped to lead the great, much needed, worldwide rapprochement between Cross and Crescent.

What response Llull received from his Muslim interlocutors is not clear. With sages, Sufis and theologians he could have dialogued OK, I think. With the ordinary people, well, I imagine it would not be all that different from what a Muslim preacher at the time would have experienced in the cities of Christian Europe. Happily, it is not true that he was stoned to death in North Africa, aged 84. It is certain he died later in Mallorca. The legend of his suffering a martyr’s death is pious hagiography, not history. Still, it must have come in handy when he was beatified – proclaimed a Blessed – by Pius IX in 1847.

Years ago, before the tomb of Blessed Ramon, hidden in the dark interior of the fine Sant Francesc Basilica in Palma, my friend Leo and I spent some time, quietly meditating. I had already felt something, just a hint of that noble soul’s presence, when on the windy summit of Mount Randa two days before. This time, it was stronger, but putting it into words…no, I will not try. Instead, listen to these words, of a strongly Sufi flavour, from Blanquerna:

‘The Lover was singing the praise of his Beloved. He said he had transcended place, because he is in a placeless place. Therefore, when they asked the Lover where his Beloved was, he replied, “He is - but no one know where.’ Yet he knew his Beloved was in his remembrance.’

Revd Frank Julian Gelli

Hayasdan-Tourkia Sahman-ue Yev Baku-n

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LOUSSAPATZ 849

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International Law Is Not Up For Auction

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Eng. Sergio Nahabedian G'arjanana "Nerses Shnorhali" Shkanshani

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Tourkia Iravounk Chouni Michamdelou

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LOUSSAPATZ 848

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TRAUMA AND FORGIVENESS RESEARCH - HELP NEEDED!

Please consider helping with this very important research, for which additional responses are needed to ensure valid results. To find out more and download the questionnaires, which you can complete very quickly, please click here .

Completed questionnaires can be returned by e-mail.

LOUSSAPATZ 847

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International Court And Karabakh

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RAG-ue Joghovrtagan E Ir Dzuenountov, Nergayov Yev Abakayov

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Bah Mue Hayreniki Mech

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TRAUMA AND FORGIVENESS RESEARCH

Violetta Barzankian-Kaydan, who is a member of the British Psychological Society, writes:

I am collaborating in a wide research on trauma and forgiveness aimed at finding out the relationship between trauma, healing and forgiveness. Previous research has shown that those who discover a new meaning, a new positive lesson, and forgive, heal faster from their trauma.

Participants will be taken both from the UK Armenian Community, as well as from non-Armenian people. The results will be compared with those of Armenians in the United States and the Republic of Armenia, while the results of UK non Armenians will be compared with other non Armenians such as Americans. The research is led by Dr. Ani Kalayjian author of Forgiveness and Reconciliation (Psychological Pathways to Conflict Transformation and Peace Building).

There are two Questionnaires shown below in a tabbed window. You can download either or both by using the tabs at the top of the window to show each document in turn and then selecting the download button, which has a downward pointing arrow on it, at the bottom of the window. Please first fill in the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, noting the Demographics at the end of the page and then the Heartland Forgiveness Scale and e-mail back to me. There are no right or wrong answers. Names will not be included.

Your cooperation in taking part in this research will be very much appreciated.

Please be assured that any information received will be treated with confidentiality. Anonymity is being ensured by not including the names of the participants when e-mailing the questionnaires. The included demographics provide all the required information. I am bound by the British Psychological Society Code of Conduct, Ethical Principles and Guidelines governing research on the internet.

Please e-mail your completed questionnaires to violetta_kaydan@hotmail.com

Violetta tells me that she urgently requires more responses to validate this important research, so I should be very grateful if you would consider taking the time to download and complete the questionnaires and e-mail them to her.

Please note that if the download button at the bottom of the above window fails to show, you can refresh this page to bring it back.

IN MEMORIAM SOUREN SAROUKHANOFF

IN MEMORIAM

SOUREN SAROUKHANOFF

It is with great sorrow that we heard the tragic news of the sudden passing away of Souren Saroukhanoff on Saturday 14^th of August 2010 whilst he was in France on holiday with his wife Ovsig.

Souren was a highly respected and eminent member of the British Armenian community. He was elected to serve as a member of the Armenian Community & Church Council of Great Britain in 2002 and he was elected by the Council to chair the Councils Executive Committee. As chairman of the Executive Committee of the ACCC Souren worked with full dedication in service to the community and the Church and he and Ovsig were highly active in community life.

In October 2009 Souren was the happiest man in the world as he gave away his daughter Huby in marriage to George Yaghoubian and we would like to extend our deepest sympathies and sincere condolences to Ovsig, Huby and George for their tragic loss.

We will all miss Souren.

May he rest in Peace.

ARMENIAN RUGA - 1925 Armenian rug stashed away in the White House

This takes time to read but is so interesting. Please forward to those you think would

be interested...certainly Armenians. You may already know about it. I did not.

ARMENIAN RUG

Armenian Orphan Rug Lives up to Its Name

Posted By Tom Vartabedian On July 21, 2010 @ 2:13 am In Mid-Atlantic

WASHINGTON—Somewhere inside the White House, stashed away inside an obscure storage room, lays an historic rug.

A close-up of the Armenian Orphan Rug with its intricate detail bearing colorful images of animals akin to the Garden of Eden. The rug was woven in 1924-25 and presented to President Calvin Coolidge. It now lies in storage inside the White House.

Not just any rug, but one created by 400 Armenian orphans from 1924-25 in a town called Ghazir, about 40 miles north of Beirut.

This colorful piece of tapestry, which measures 18 feet by 12 feet, lives up to its name: It has remained an “orphan” rug since it passed through the hands of President Calvin Coolidge in 1926.

The intricacy is woven with a passion unlike others of its kind, containing some 4 million knots made to characterize the biblical Garden of Eden with its collection of animals and other symbolic features.

The big loom was set up for an “ Isfahan .” The 400 orphaned girls worked in shifts and spent 18 months on its completion. It was then sent to Washington and presented at a special ceremony to the White House in recognition of the help rendered by the American people to Armenian orphans.

Armenian historians and archivists are looking for a more permanent home, one that will avail itself to tourists and public acclaim. They’d like nothing better than to see this rug on permanent display in the White House, with credit given to Armenian Genocide survivors or, at the very least, have it showcased inside the Genocide Museum , or perhaps the Smithsonian.

They seem to think there are political ramifications preventing this rug from enjoying the life of nobility, for which it was intended.

“If you bring out the story of this rug, you’re talking genocide, and this country doesn’t recognize the Armenian Genocide,” laments Dr. H. Martin Deranian, a prominent Worcester historian and dentist who has documented every facet of this jewel. “It’ll open up the story of the orphans. I’ve taken responsibility to see this story brought to the surface and its meaning appreciated.”

The Armenian Orphan Rug is viewed inside the White House in September 1984 by activists looking to preserve its identity. (L-R) U. S. Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Dr. H. Martin Deranian, Worcester historian, and Set Momjian, a former ambassador to the United Nations.

Deranian has turned himself into a self-imposed rug ambassador in seeking the cause of justice. By unraveling this mystery, he’s hoping to bring greater credence to the Near East Relief and the scores of orphans saved during the genocide years of 1915-23.

He continues to pay homage to Dr. Jacob Kuenzler, or “Papa” Kuenzler as he was affectionately called, for evacuating thousands of Armenian orphans from Turkey to the relative security of Syria while working for the Near East Relief.

Kuenzler had the idea of starting a rug factory in Ghazir. He thought the girls would learn to weave rugs and go on earning a living this way.

It seemed to him that even on so small an outlay, much good could be achieved for these orphans. With only two looms, he started this rug factory in Ghazir, high up in the mountains.

President Coolidge was more than grateful for the rug. In a letter he wrote to Dr. John Finley, vice-president of the Near East Relief, Coolidge was overwhelmed by the gift.

“This beautiful rug woven by children in Lebanon has been received. This, their expression of gratitude for what we’ve been able to do for this country for their aid, is accepted by me as a token of their goodwill to the people of the United States who have assisted in the work of the Near East Relief. Please extend to these orphans my thanks and the thanks of the vast number of our citizens whose generosity this labor of love is intended to acknowledge. The rug has a place of honor in the White House where it will be a daily symbol of goodwill on earth.”

A “Golden Rule” Sunday had been instituted in the United States . Each year, on the first Sunday in December, people were asked to eat only a one-course meal and contribute the money they had saved to the Near East Relief. Some $2 million was collected annually.

An overall view of the Armenian Orphan Rug, which measures 18'x12'. Armenian activists are trying to have it removed from storage inside the White House and have it showcased.

The presentation of the Ghazir rug to the White House in 1925 was given such widespread publicity that contributions from Golden Rule Sunday doubled. The factory received numerous orders for special carpets and many of the girls ultimately found homes and became brides.

The event was covered in the New York Times, which carried the headline, “President receives rug woven by orphans of Near East and praises work on relief.”

Coolidge displayed the rug in the Blue Room under his administration. It remained there until 1928 when he took it to his residence in Northampton, Mass.

The orphan rug graced his living room at a place called the Beeches until his death in 1933. From there, Mrs. Coolidge kept the rug inside her home in Northampton until she died in 1957, eventually landing with a son John until he sold his Connecticut home in 1974.

The rug wound up in storage at the Coolidge Homestead in Plymouth , Vt. , when it was returned to the White House and added to the collection in 1983. It was placed in storage and not on public view, and has remained there for the past 27 years.

Deranian was invited to the White House to view the rug with U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Asbed Set Momjian, a former ambassador to the United Nations.

“The curator of the White House collection has indicated that it is highly unlikely the rug would be on exhibit in an official capacity,” said Deranian.

“It was an emotional feeling to touch this very rug. These girls with their nimble fingers wove their gratitude to America into every stitch. My interest dates back to my mother. During the deportation, she went through every indignity before ending up in Urfa .”

Call it fate but in 1995, Charlotte Movsesian of North Andover , Mass. observed a color photo in the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune of Hillary Clinton showing off the Blue Room during her husband’s administration. And there was the rug, bright and bold as ever.

She recognized that rug because her own mother Vartouhi (Hovsepian) Gulezian was one of those orphaned girls who helped weave it. Mrs. Gulezian was 14 years old and brought to America from Ghazir in 1926 to work at a loom as a demonstration during the sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) celebration of the founding of the United States . She was joined by another orphan, 15-year-old Gulunia Kehyaian.

Movsesian wrote to Clinton and inquired about the rug, never expecting a response. A month later, she received a letter from the White House curator, inviting the entire family to Washington .

Together with her husband Albert S., brother Martin, and mother, off they went by train to meet the appointment. They were welcomed not by Hillary Clinton but the White House curator and her assistant. And there was the rug Mrs. Gulezian had made with the others orphans. She recognized it.

“A rush of emotion came over me, not so much for the beauty but what it represented,” said Albert Movsesian, who promotes genocide education in local schools with stories of the rug.

“The fact the Near East Relief was responsible for helping so many orphans, including my mother-in-law, deserves our utmost appreciation,” he added. “I got down on my hands and knees and touched every part of the rug. I saw the Golden Rule Gratitude inscription in one of the corners.”

The Movsesians wound up spending 90 minutes at the White House that day, had photos taken by the rug, and off they went, laden with memories of a lifetime. No sign of any president, however.

“Very few people know the significance of this rug,” Movsesian brought out. “The story about it has been a well-kept secret in the Armenian community because these orphans didn’t talk about it. After we saw the rug, back into storage it went. It’s been there ever since, simply forsaken. We’re hoping to resurrect it into a place of honor where it belongs.”

If and when that might occur, the rug will represent a memorial to those orphans whose sad fingers wove into its warp and weft a permanent remembrance of the depths of Armenia’s blackest hour.

If it could only talk, it would speak volumes.

Suzanne Dersahakian
H. 818 368 2700
C. 818.807.6779

Karabagh News‏

ALIYEV AGAIN THREATENS MILITARY ACTION
armradio.am
12.08.2010 11:25

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has again blamed Armenia for the
deadlock in the Nagorno- Karabakh peace process and threatened to
end the conflict by force "at any moment."

"The war is continuing," Aliyev said in a speech in Baku reported by
Azerbaijani media on Wednesday. "We must be ready and we are ready
to liberate our lands from occupiers at any moment."

"I want to once again state that this primarily requires a military
might. We have for the most part created that might and this process
is successfully continuing."

"Today, the Azerbaijani army- Azerbaijan's military potential- allow
us to do that," he said. "We just want this issue to be resolved by
peaceful means, by means of negotiations."

Aliyev went on to accuse Armenia of "stalling for time" in the long-
running peace talks mediated by the United States, Russia and France.

"If negotiations are scuttled, a new situation will arise and the
issue of solving the problem by military means will be included on
the agenda."

Armenian leaders say Baku itself is impeding further progress in the
talks by rejecting peace proposals made by Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev in June. They have described those proposals as a "new
version" of the so- called Madrid principles of a Karabakh settlement.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has insisted that Russia drafted
them single- handedly without consulting with the U.S. and French co-
chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. A ministry spokesman said late last
month that they are unacceptable to Baku. He said the most recent
Minsk Group proposal was submitted to the conflicting parties late
last year and it was largely accepted by the Azerbaijani side.

Officials in Armenia and Karabakh have also repeatedly dismissed the
Azerbaijani war threats. "The likelihood of large- scale hostilities
is small," Karabakh President Bako Sahakian said on July 30.

Tert.am

Azerbaijani forces break ceasefire for 16 times
11:42 - 14.08.10

On August 12-13 the Azerbaijani side broke the ceasefire in the
contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan for 16 times.

According to a release issued by the Defense Ministry of Karabakh, the
Azeri side opened fire at the direction of the military posts in
Hadrut, Martouni, Askeran and Martakert regions.

The Azerbaijani side, according to the release, used weapons of
different calibers.

The Azerbaijani military stopped firing immediately after the
Defensive Army of Karabakh fired in response.


Times.am, Armenia
Aug 14 2010
Abdullah Gul: If 18-20 years passes since the independence of

Nagorno Karabakh, it is not a good case

By Times.am at 14 August, 2010, 12:10 pm
On August 16 Turkish President Abdullah Gul will visit Azerbaijan. As
it was informed the main topic of discussions will be Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. On the eve of his visit, Abdullah Gul gave an interview to
APA's Turkish bureau.

`I believe that this status-quo in the Caucasus is not in favor of
anyone - Azerbaijan, Turkey or Armenia. The world is changing and we
need to solve the problems. If we freeze the problems, they can arise
again',- he mentioned.

According to Abdullah Gul there are UN resolutions and the Minsk Group
is doing serious efforts, but unfortunately it couldn't achieve
concrete results during 18 years. He also expressed opinion that if
18-20 years passes since the independence of Nagorno Karabakh, it is
not a good case.

`The territorial integrity of every country should be respected in the
contemporary world system. Armenia can establish good relations with
its neighbors and reach access to sea and join the communication
systems. Turkey is a great country. While reaching `zero problem' in
the relations with our neighbors, it is not good to have problems with
Armenia. Therefore fair solution of the regional problems is in favor
of all of us',- he said.
Turkish president is encouraging Minsk Group not to have just
touristic travels and think a little bit about problem solving. `I put
forward this initiative in 2008. First I visited Yerevan and then
Sargsyan visited Turkey. We informed President Ilham Aliyev about the
details of these processes. Putin and Medvedev also participated in
these processes. Russia is an important country in the solution of
this problem. Therefore we had detailed consultations around these
issues'- Gil mentioned in the Interview.

According to him such heavy problems can't be solved under the
pressure of one country, they can be solved by the serious efforts of
the interested and regional countries. `I took it into consideration
and made this breakthrough in 2008 and the stones were shaken. There
were wrong understandings in Armenia, Azerbaijan and in Turkey as
well. If the difficult issues are solved easily they will not have a
chronic character'- he said.

Abdullah Gul also made an address to all leaders: 'We will not stay
put and we will work unceasingly for the solution of the problem. The
solution and peace are not easy. We have to work insistently. I will
discuss these issues with my brother President Ilham Aliyev during my
visit. I believe it will be a useful visit from this point of view'.

news.am, Armenia
Aug 14 2010
Armenia is to blame for closed border, Turkish Minister says

During his trip to Kars, Turkish Health Minister Recep Akdag touched
upon the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border.

The Minister stated that official Yerevan `takes no steps to open the
border and normalize bilateral relations'.

Recep Akdag said that the border can be open in case Armenia liberates
`occupied Azerbaijani territories'.

`You know, Armenia is to blame for the closed Armenian-Turkish
border,' he told the journalists.

The citizens of Kars, except for Azerbaijanis, stand for the border
opening without preconditions.

AZERBAIJANI FLAG REPLACED BY NKR ON CARDIFF CASTLE
news.am
Aug 13 2010
Armenia

Azerbaijani flag waving on Cardiff Castle in Wales suddenly disappeared
and was replaced by the flag of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

"Cardiff Castle is situated in Wales. The flags of several states,
including the Azerbaijani one are flying on the castle. Two days
ago the Azerbaijani flag was taken down, for no obvious reason,
and replaced by that of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic," said a Cardiff
citizen of Azerbaijani origin, APA reported.

FATHER FRANK’S RANTS - Miracle in Lourdes

Rant Number 407 17 August 2010

Miracle in Lourdes

Three tremendous questions every person is led to pursue, according to Immanuel Kant:

1. What can I know? 2. What ought I to do? 3. What may I hope?

The first question the philosopher affirmed to have answered once for all. Certain knowledge as to the other two, however, is rationally unattainable, Kant annoyingly believed.

Be that as it may, hope springs eternal. Human beings need it, as they need air, water, food and love. And hope is indeed the heartening message of the most exquisite, engaging movie the priest has seen in a long time, Lourdes. Ostensibly, a story about miracles. In fact, Lourdes is about hope.

A famous place of pilgrimage in France, in 1858 the town of Lourdes witnessed wondrous, supernatural events. 18 times the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in a grotto to Bernadette Soubirous, an adolescent peasant girl. Simultaneously, a spring sprang out of the earth. Miraculous healings followed. Young Bernadette at first suffered scepticism, even downright hostility, but the Virgin commanded a church to be built over the grotto and she was obeyed. Bernadette then entered a convent and later Pope Pius XI proclaimed her a saint. Millions of pilgrims have since flocked to the shrine. A medical commission sits to investigate the cures and the many reported miracles. A huge and controversial literature exists about those claims. Lourdes, I suppose, is what scoffing fellows like atheist, cancer-stricken writer Christopher Hitchens really must hate.

Lourdes’ sweet protagonist might, I suppose, be an older, fatalistic Bernadette. Actress Sylvie Testud’s innocent, meek, luminous face both moves and seduces. She plays Christine, a girl confined to the wheelchair by multiple sclerosis. Her wasted body is so badly crippled, she is like a statue, can’t move an inch – a nurse must spoon-feed her, very, very slowly. Escorting the girl and other patients are nurses from a monastic order, lay volunteers, priests & pilgrims galore. But it transpires Christine is no conventional believer. Actually, she is laid back about faith and hardly seems to pray at all. A bit of a regular to holy sites, she admits to enjoying the cultural experience almost tourist-fashion. Fair enough. For a paraplegic Lourdes must be as good as Marbella or Viareggio - the chance that the Blessed Virgin might deign to work a miracle thrown in as a not insignificant extra.

And, lo and behold, the Virgin does it! Christine starts to get better. Her atrophied limbs move. She gets out of the wheelchair. She is able to stand. She walks! Miracle! It is true! Doctors vouchsafe the non-natural origin of Christine’s extraordinary cure. Heaven truly has come down and touched the earth. The song of Bernadette breaks out again. Alleluia!

Thus far all is kosher. Now just imagine you were one of the people around Christine. Say, a fellow patient. Also severely ill. At first you are stunned. Then you rejoice. Hope realised! Miracles happen! The Virgin has healed that girl. Great! But...slowly your mood changes. Why her, you begin to wonder? Why not you? You have faith, pray hard, make vows. The healed girl seems frivolous, flirts with a handsome young helper, shows no piety, so...why her? You feel envy, downright antipathy, cannot understand a God so partial, so unfair...hope turns sour. You get angry, you spite, you despair.

Or imagine you are one of the helpers. Like the bored girl who has also fallen for the good-looking colleague. You realise the bloke now takes an interest in Christine. No longer a helpless, pitiful cripple but a normal, attractive young woman, she is sexually desirable. The green-eyed monster preys on you. Jealousy. You hate Christine. She has stolen your sweetheart. What’s so good about her, after all? A mere scrap of a woman. Consciously or not, you wish she had not been healed – you wish her ill.

Perhaps you are one of the pilgrims. A normally smug religious person. You judge Christine’s behaviour. What a worthless, banal girl! Does not show any devoutness or gratitude. Really, the Virgin should have known better, you are almost tempted to think.

You may be someone who cared for Christine personally, like the old lady in the film who shares her bedroom. You worry. You are dismayed. Because now Christine is independent. Free. She won’t need you anymore. You know you’ll be lonely. You are sad. You wish the Virgin had cured someone else.

Christine herself of course is over the moon. Not only is she better, she is now in love. During a party she dances with the beloved boy. They kiss, in his arms she is divinely happy when...she wobbles a bit. She feels unsteady. She has to stop dancing and sit down. A relapse! She wasn’t really cured after all. Soon, she is back in the wheelchair. People look on. Commiserate. Poor girl! What a cruel destiny! She thought she was cured but she was not, really. They won’t confess it but, deep down, they are not all that displeased, after all. Such is human nature.

Lourdes is shot in solemn, effective chromatic tones, reflecting its temple of healing setting and the shifting moods of its all too human characters. Aesthetically, it is a beautiful cinematic experience, reminding the film buff of some of Antonioni’s static, mysterious masterpieces like L’Avventura, Red Desert and Blow Up. Morally, it is a bracingly unsentimental story. The pettiness, shabbiness and even malignity lurking in all children of Adam are not glossed over but frankly, realistically portrayed. Nor is the ambiguity, the contradictions of faith idealised. God may well suspend the known laws of nature and effect a miracle in the physical sense but will the person necessarily be spiritually improved? And will the bystanders? Jesus performed many miracles and yet some still refused to recognise his heavenly credentials. His enemies even accused him of consorting with demons. The Son of God knew the darkness that is in man.

Tough stuff. But hope? Where does it come in? Wonderfully, in Christine. As she sits back on her wheelchair, encircled by hypocritical faux-friends, her pale, sad but smiling face radiates hope. She may not be bodily better but she is not crushed. She still hopes. That is the true miracle. The miracle which the Virgin Mary can be said to have operated. Hope. Christine’s hope spring eternal because, pace cynics, it has something of the Eternal about it.

Revd Frank Julian Gelli

Satar u zoravig kangnenq hayerin‏

Hargeli Mr Topalian

Yekeq sataren yev zoravig linenq Hay Boxernerin.
Hnaravorutyan depqum xndrum em pokhanceq bolorin yev yete hnaravor e bolors miasin
gnanaq ditelu.

Shnorhakalutyun
Harganqnerov
Ara







Roman Aramian
European Super Middleweight Title
German based Armenian




Dublin, Ireland 11 September National Stadium in Dublin
(0872511772)





With
Brian MAgee

the Ticket Office on 086 8120135 or the boxers on the bill.
from Wednesday moring and will be available from Ticketmaster0818 719300






http://boxingaction.com/index.php/Professional-Boxing/qthe-magnificent-sevenq-saturday-september-18-2010-lg-arena-birmingham.html
Birmingham England



Nathan Cleverly




faces Karo Murat for WBO interim crown
"THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN" SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2010 LG ARENA, BIRMINGHAM
BRITISH BOXING HAS IT OWN B.Sc. - NATHAN CLEVERLEY



With the degree safely in the bag, Nathan moves on to his next challenge- fighting unbeaten
(ARMENIAN) from Germany Karo Murat (MURATYAN),




in an Eliminator for the WBO Light-Heavyweight title in Birmingham on September 18. The fight, promoted by Frank Warren at the LG Arena, could taken Nathan one step closer to his second dream - a world title.

Tickets for the Magnificent Seven are priced at £40, £50, £80, £150 and £200 and are available from:

LG Arena
0844 338 8000

Ticketmaster
0844 844 0444
www.ticketmaster.co.uk

See Tickets
0871 220 0260
www.seetickets.com

---

From: topalian@tesco.net
To: topalian@tesco.net
Subject: When in London
Date: Sun, 16 May 2010 19:41:41 +0100

Jakob's Restaurant

20 Gloucester Road, London, SW7 4RB

New!!

Every Friday night at 8pm

Live Armenian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Music

with traditional instruments and space for dancing.

Client comment from website:
"Jakobs Cafe on Gloucester Road is just an amazing place to go for a nice and friendly atmosphere.
The mixure of Armenian, Iranian, Greek, Lebaneese and classical food is really fantastic.
Everything looks fresh and healthy. Lots of organic dishes.
The music is very pleasant and the staff very friendly.
Prices are very reasonable for London."

Azerbaijan accuse Dashnaks of Genocide

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The largest circulation Armenian e-magazine Circulates every Wednesday Established in 1999

AZERBAIJAN COMPILING CASE AGAINST ARF DASHNAKTSOUTIUN FOR GENOCIDE DURING ARMENIA'S ERA OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE FIRST REPUBLIC FROM 1918 - 1920

today.az - The Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan has appealed to Azerbaijani citizens to assist them in their investigation of crimes committed by Armenians in 1918-1920. The Department for Investigation of Heinous Crimes of Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General's Office continues investigation of the criminal case on mass killing of Azerbaijani civilians, plundering of their property by Armenian-Dashnak armed units in Baku, Guberniya, Guba, Shamakha and other regions of Azerbaijan. Despite the fact that much time has passed since then, the investigation materials contain the Genocide committed by Armenian Dashnak armed units against Azerbaijani people in 1918-1920, and presentation of important written documents, books, scientific studies, newspaper and journal articles, letters, photo, video materials can help all-round, objective investigation. Citizens, including legal and physical entities, are asked to present materials containing any information about the above-mentioned crimes committed by Armenian nationalist armed units in Azerbaijan in 1918-1920 or to appeal to the investigation department to give testimony.

ARMENIAN CHAPEL CONSECRATED IN THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN

AzadHye Armenian portal: - On 24 July 2010 His Grace Bishop Vertanes Abrahamian, Head Chaplain of the Republic of Armenia Armed Forces left for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan with a delegation led by Minister of Defence Seyran Ohanian. While in Afghanistan, Bishop Abrahamian offered the service of consecration for the Armenian chapel in Afghanistan named after Saint Thaddeus and built by the Armenian peacekeeping troops stationed in the Kunduz province. His Grace conveyed the blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, to the soldiers. Holy Etchmiadzin furnished the newly-built chapel with the necessary vessels and sacred objects.

Both an officer and a gentleman

Nicosia - Gibrahayer e-magazine - Wednesday 11 August - A young Gibrahay - Vahakn Mouradian - is destined to become the first Armenian-Cypriot officer in the Cyprus National Guard after successfully passing both the written and physical exams, finishing fifth throughout Cyprus. Only 150 Cypriots officers to be out of 1,700 hopefuls, leave for Greece in September for four months, after completing their initial training in Cyprus. We believe that Vahakn will take the leadership qualities he has exhibited in the ranks of the AYF to the ranks of the National Guard and will make us proud together with all the other serving men of our community.

ALSO REMEMBERING THE ASSYRIAN GENOCIDE

Asbarez August 9- A monument commemorating the genocide of 750,000 Assyrians in World War One was unveiled on Saturday, August 7, in Australia. The Genocide began on April 24, 1915 and lasted approximately three years. It was master-minded by Ottoman Turks and executed largely by Kurds, their accomplices and mercenaries. The genocide also claimed the lives of 1.5 million Armenians and 500,000 Greeks. More than 2,000 Assyrians and Australians attended the dedication at Bonnyrigg Park. The monument was sponsored by the Assyrian Universal Alliance and officially approved by the Fairfield city council on December 15, 2009. It was designed by Assyrian artist Lewis Batros. Construction of the monument began three months ago.

NALBANDIAN BECOMES FIRST TENNIS PLAYER OUTSIDE THE TOP 100 TO CLAIM FIRST ATP TITLE FOR 2010 BY DEFEATNG MARCOS BAGHDATIS

Gibrahayer combined sources - Argentinean-Armenian David Nalbandian became the first player ranked outside the top 100 to win an ATP title in 2010, using his typically strong service returns and effective baseline game to beat No. 25 Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus, 6-2, 7-6 (4), on Sunday in the Legg Mason final between the two past Grand Slam finalists. Despite dealing with injuries that have sidelined him 12 of the past 15 months, Nalbandian becomes the first player ranked outside the top 100 to win an ATP title this year.

Click the above image for more details or click here: www.koharconcert.com/cytouristpackage.pdf

Bytes on Armenian inventions

The truck mounted concrete drum mixer (Stephan Stepanian) Hybrid orchid (Agnes Joaquim) The ATM machine, military flight simulator, postage meter(Luther Simjian) The self wringing sponge mop named Quickie (Peter Vosbikian) The hydraulic racing camshaft (Ed Iskenderian) The Rotavirus vaccine (Albert Kapikian) The pressured inhaler and sodium therapy (Roger Altounyan) The PET scanner (Michel Ter-Pogossian) The MRI machine (Raymond Damadian) Hair transplantation device (Jirayr Tezel) Plastic surgery (Varaztad Kazanjian) Limb restoration surgical techniques (Hampar Kelikian) just ask Bob Dole; Minimally invasive and robot-assisted surgery (Ara and Baron Darzi) Cybernetic communication, designing aircraft control and missile guidance systems (Haig Kafafian) Text to speech and microfilm (Emik Avakian) Russia's first supercomputer (Boris Babaian) The single handle faucet design, better known as the Delta faucet (Alex Manoogian) The bendy & spoon straw, first form of Tupperware, the blue strip on car windshields (Ardashés Aykanian) MiG military aircraft (Artem Mikoyan) WWI anti-aircraft gun (Rupen Eksergian) The WWII A14 oxygen mask, (Arthur Bulbulian) The Mac OS X operating system (Avie Tevanian) High-voltage photography (Semyon Kirlian) Principle improvements of black and white TV and color TV itself (Hovhaness Adamyan) Ice cream cones and Melba toast (Harry Tatosian) Alvin and the Chipmunks (Ross Bagdasarian) The color of U.S. money (Christopher Der Seropian) And part of the team of scientists who worked on the Manhattan project (Harry K. Daghlian, Jr.)

GIBRAHAYER CALENDAR

Tuesday 10 August to Wednesday 18 August - AYF Youth Camp in Troodos. 33 years after the first time ARF Dashnaktsoutiun's youth organised its first panagoum in Cyprus, AYF Cyprus is organising its annual camp in Troodos. Friday September 17 - Concert by Haroutune Bedelian (violin) and Lorna Griffitt (piano) at The Presidential Palace in Nicosia, organised by The Armenian Relief Society of Cyprus (HOM) on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Relief Society (HOM).

Saturday 2 October - Main political event in Cyprus for the 120th anniversary of The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsoutiun at PALLAS Theatre in Nicosia. More details of the celebrations to follow. May - October 2010: Tatiana Ferahian is among 17 international artists participating in the "Out of Space" environmental art project, which takes place in the Nature Reserve De Rottige Meentein in Holland. Saturday 20 November 2010 at 7:00 pm at the Strovolos Municipal Theatre - Composer Ara Gevorgian and his entourage in Cyprus, performing in co-operation with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra and participation of our SIPAN Dance Group. This unique event is organised by the Office of the Armenian Representative on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus. Sunday 21 November 2010 at 6:00 pm at the Strovolos Municipal Theatre - Composer Ara Gevorgian and his entourage in Cyprus, performing in co-operation with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra and participation of our SIPAN Dance Group. This unique event is organised by the Office of the Armenian Representative on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus.

FOR THE 33RD YEAR RUNNING, AYF CYPRUS ORGANISE ANNUAL CAMP

Armenian youth in front of AYMA - HMEM as they prepare to make their way to Troodos for the 33rd annual youth camp in Troodos.

The link of the week: The Kalfayan Gallery

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc2z6BldgSo

News in Brief - by Sevag Devletian

Ararat expedition follow up: the President of the local Ararat province Chamber of Commerce Mehmet Erat said if local citizens knew about the Armenians raising the Armenian and Karabakh flag at the summit of Mount Ararat, they would bury the climbers there. He added that the flags would be taken down and replaced with the Turkish national flag. Yasasin ! Famous R&B artist Rihanna will perform at the opening ceremony of the luxurious Fashion Castle Hotel in the Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus. According to the Turkish Radikal, the hotel’s owners agreed the terms with Rihanna, who will sing during the opening ceremony on September 7. Earlier, Jennifer Lopez cancelled a concert at the Fashion Castle Hotel, sharply criticizing Turkey and their human rights records. The European Investment Bank (EIB) signed its first loan agreement with Armenia. The EUR 5m financing will be for upgrading the metro in Yerevan, thereby helping to improve the urban environment in the Armenian capital. Members and supporters of the Armenian National Committee of America Western Region met with Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi last week during a fund-raiser hosted in the City of Burbank, where they pressed the Speaker for a floor vote on House Resolution 252-the Armenian Genocide Resolution and stressed that the House Democratic Leadership is expected to advance this important human rights legislation. In recent years, Armenia has achieved measured progress in implementing border security and combating trafficking in persons, drugs, and WMD materials, reads the annual Country Reports on Terrorism 2009 issued by the U.S. State Department on August 5. However, the State Department mentions that Armenia's widespread corruption continued to hamper full implementation and enforcement of laws that would improve Armenia's counterterrorism posture and response capability. Radical reforms are under way in Armenia’s police system. After the reform program has been completed in 2011, Armenia will have a police system meeting present-day requirements, Chief of the Armenian Police Alik Sargsyan stated at the certificate award ceremony at the Police Academy last week. Armenia’s representative Avetik Karapetyan gained a bronze medal in the 24th International Ballet Competition 2010 held in Varna, Bulgaria.

Letters to the Editor

Dear Gibrahayer e-magazine, I read with interest Beno Sevan's letter and his intent to start a AGBU YP chapter in Cyprus, it is a novel idea. However I think that it contradicts AGBU's recent philosophy of steering away from any physical establishments, such as schools (Melkonian), in return for a virtual form that is much easier, cheaper and as presented the new norm of the day. Hence a single YP chapter centrally located in NY or Yerevan should suffice where every YP member can be connected together. I think that AGBU is hard pressed to keep their center open in Nicosia, devoid of any members, activity or programs. To revitalize that existing chapter and reengaging the community should be a priority before starting new endeavors. As to Mr. Sevan's request for help in identifying individuals for potential membership, one would think that with his connections it would be very easy for him to access the detailed lists that were available in the annals of Melkonian archives, unless he is unable to locate them. Sincerely, -- Hratch Der Stepanian - hderstepanian@gmail.com

LAST SUNDAY'S COMMUNITY SUPPLEMENT IN PHILELEFTHEROS NEWSPAPER

Read it here: www.scribd.com/doc/35647358/AYMA-issue-with-Phileleftheros

Sports News by Sevag Devletian

FOOTBALL: Armenia coach Vardan Minasyan has called up a squad without major surprises for the friendly game against Iran TONIGHT. The 16-men-squad around captain Sargis Hovsepyan includes two players playing in Iran's Professional League, Pas Hamedan's Arthur Yedigaryan and Sanat Naft's Levon Pachacjyan. The only two other foreign players are defender Robert Arzumanyan and striker Yura Movsisyan, both from Denmark's Randers FC, with 23-year-old Movsisyan possibly finally debuting for Armenia. Major absentees are Ukraine based couple Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Artak Dashyan. The two youngsters of Metalurh Donetsk have U21 team obligations. CHESS: On August 15-23, Yerevan will host the 8th all-Armenian youth chess Olympiad held within the framework of One Nation, One Culture festival. It will bring together 40 Armenian chess players with high ratings. BOXING: Vic Darchinyan will defend his IBO bantamweight title against Abner Mares (Mexico) somrtime in November-December 2010, the boxer’s promoter Gary Shaw told BoxingScene. CHESS: Armenian Grandmaster Levon Aronian failed to defend his title at the Chess Classic 2010 held in Mainz, Germany and ranked overall third in the competition. WRESTLING: Armenian wrestler Gor Barseghyan (42 kg) won bronze, defeating Saygili Burhani from Turkey, 15:8, at the European Junior Wrestling Cup held in Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina. CHESS: Ani Khanamiryan gained a victory in the third round of the World Junior Chess Championship 2010 held in Poland. Armenian chess players Samvel Ter-Sahakyan and Hrayr Sahakyan lost, while Robert Hovhannisyan ended his game in a draw. Robert Hovhannisyan is ranked second in the standings with two points. WRESTLING: Gevorg Hambartsumyan (76kg), representing Armenia, gained a bronze medal at the European Junior Wrestling Cup held in Sarajevo. He defeated Georgian wrestler Yakov Petiashvili 6:4.

Back in September

We wish our subscribers a pleasant summer break. We thank you for supporting our publication. Gibrahayer e-magazine

IN CYPRUS ... IN NOVEMBER

Ara Gevorgian and his orchestra in association with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra & Sipan Dance Ensemble perform on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus

Saturday 20th November 2010 at 7.00 pm Sunday 21st November 2010 at 6.00 pm Strovolos Municipal Theatre Nicosia Organised by the office of the Armenian MP V. Mahdessian Tickets: €10 Call 22454540

Gibrahay sports

August 18-21 AGBU Ararat FC will be hosting the UEFA Futsal Group D games at the Eleftheria Stadium in Nicosia. Tickets cost 10 EUR and are valid for the whole of the tournament. The income generated from ticket sales will be donated to Rosanna Baghdasarian, a young girl who has a rare disease and is battling everyday against her disease. Buy your tickets now by calling 99644854.