Seta's Armenian Blog: Conference on Islamized Armenians - LOUSSAPATZ - The Dawn

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In English

11-13 October 2013

Istanbul

The turn of the 20th century was a period of significant social and political transformation in the Ottoman geography, which involved individual and mass experiences of religious conversion. In this period, a large number of Armenians (were) Islamized, most significantly during the years 1915-1916. An unknown number of young Armenians survived the massacres and death marches of 1915 as adopted daughters and sons of Muslim families. Fewer others became wives and husbands. In exceptional cases, whole families or villages survived by “passing” as Muslims. While some of these survivors (particularly young men) re-united with their families or relatives in later years, or were taken into orphanages by missionaries and relief workers, many others lived the rest of their lives as “Muslims,” taking on Turkish, Kurdish, or Arabic names. Until recently, the stories of these survivors were silenced or ignored in all historiographies. There is now a growing body of literature on Islamized Armenians in the form of fiction, memoir, testimonials and historical research. This conference seeks to address, the experiences of Islamized Armenians and the social consequences of their experiences; the long silence on Islamized Armenians; as

well as the recent forms of unsilencing. What have Islamized Armenians been through? How did they deal with the gravity of their experiences? With

whom and how were they able to share these experiences? How do their experiences reflect on the lives of their children and grandchildren? How have they impacted the different localities where they have lived? How are their stories remembered and recited in these different localities?

How do the “grandchildren” of these survivors make sense of the stories of their Islamized Armenian grandparents? How do they articulate their identities and sense of belonging? How are they affected by the various political developments and tensions around this issue? How is this process reflected on different localities?

How can one account for the decades of silence on Islamized Armenians in all historiographies? Why has it taken so long for us to be aware of the stories of Islamized Armenians, and why is our knowledge of their predicament so limited? In what ways is this form of survival and its silencing gendered? How does it relate to predominant notions of women, men and procreation? Why is there growing interest on this particular category of survivors today?

How do the stories of Islamized Armenians contribute to or complicate the existing scholarship on genocides in general and the Armenian genocide in particular? What do they suggest regarding the category of “the survivor” in genocide scholarship? What can we learn from a study of similar forms of survival in other cases of genocide and political violence (such as the Holocaust, the case of Aboriginal children in Australia, or the “lost children” of Chile)? What can we learn from exploring the connections and differences between experiences of (forced) Islamization in previous centuries and those in the first part of the 20th century?

Addressing such questions, among others, this conference seeks to contribute to both the historical debates on

1915 and its aftermath, as well as to contemporary questions of ethnic/national identification, gender,

responsibility, and justice. The conference also seeks to discuss the role of research and scholarship in the difficult processes of facing historical and present forms of violence, discrimination, and injustice.

Application Process:

The conference is open to all researchers from all disciplines and backgrounds. The working languages of the conference will be English, Turkish and Armenian. The applications should be

made in English or Turkish. Please submit an abstract (max. 500 words) outlining the relevance and novelty of your contribution, together

with a 200 words resume. There are limited funds for those participants who do not have other sources of funding to attend the

conference. When submitting your abstract, please indicate your need for any financial assistance. There are no registration fees. Lunch, tea and coffee will be provided for all presenters.

The application deadline is March 20, 2013. To submit your paper and for more information: eminekolivar@hrantdink.org

Scientific Committee:

Ahmet İnsel (Galatasaray University) Andrea Petö (Central European University) Ayfer Bartu Candan (Boğaziçi University) Ayşe Gül Altınay (Sabancı University) Boghos Levon Zekiyan (Venice Ca’ Foscari University) Hülya Adak (Sabancı University) Jackie Mansourian (PEN Melbourne) Murat Yüksel (Koç University) Raymond Kevorkian (University Paris 8) Ronald Grigor Suny (University of Michigan) Selim Deringil (Boğaziçi University) Vahe Tachjian (Houshamadyan) Zeynep Türkyılmaz (Dartmouth College)

Organizing Committee:

Ayşe Gül Altınay Ayşe Kadıoğlu Delal Dink Emine Kolivar Fethiye Çetin Hosrof Köletavitoğlu Karin Karakaşlı Sibel Asna

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: March 4, 2013

Contact: Deborah Hay Tel: 416-250-9807

PRESS RELEASE

Zoryan Institute’s Genocide and Human Rights University Program Welcomes Prof. David

MacDonald to Faculty

The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute) (“IIGHRS”) is pleased to announce that the Genocide and Human Right University Program (“GHRUP”), now in its twelfth year, will take place in Toronto August 5-16, 2013. This year the Institute welcomes a new faculty member, Prof. David MacDonald, who will teach the unit on “The Genocide of Indigenous Peoples,” referring primarily to the native peoples of North and South America.

George Shirinian, Executive Director of the Institute, noted that “The field of Genocide and Human Rights Studies is vast, and it is not possible to cover every case of genocide in the time available. Therefore, we do rotate some of the subjects, and I am pleased that we will be examining the experience of the Native Peoples in this regard. Many people feel that it is a current and ongoing case of genocide.”

Prof. MacDonald has outlined the subject in the following way. “Indigenous peoples, also known as ‘Aboriginal Peoples,’ ‘First Nations,’ ‘Native Peoples,’ and collectively as the ‘Fourth World,’ have faced cultural destruction, forced removal from ancestral lands, deliberate killing, theft of children, and genocide, for centuries. This unit examines the genocidal experiences of selected indigenous peoples of both North and South America, with particular reference to the impact and ongoing legacies of settler colonialism. In addition to case studies, definitions of genocide and the usefulness of the UN Genocide Convention to indigenous peoples will also be discussed.”

David B. MacDonald is Associate Professor of Political Science and chair of his department’s graduate program at the University of Guelph. He has a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics, and has held faculty positions (as a tenured Senior Lecturer) at the University of Otago, New Zealand (2002-7), and at the ESCP Graduate School of Management Paris (1999-2002). He is the author of three books on genocide. He is also involved with Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and has contributed work on the question of genocide in the Indian Residential School system.

Now counting over 300 graduates from at least 20 different countries, the GHRUP strives to achieve multiple goals: to encourage the development of a new generation of young scholars to take up the study of genocide professionally at an advanced level; to illuminate the causes of genocide, the way it takes place, and its devastating impact; to bring a measure of healing and relief to various communities through the sharing of great trauma of many peoples; to study and teach in an interdisciplinary manner; to employ a comparative perspective in examining cases of genocide, such as the Jewish Holocaust, Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, Darfur, with the Armenian Genocide as a point of reference as the prototype of modern genocide; and to use this comparative approach to identify the characteristics of genocide so that it becomes predictable and in turn hopefully preventable.

Classes run for 6.5 hrs per day, resulting in a total of 65 hrs of seminar-style instruction during the course. Applicants must be current university students with three years or more of undergraduate experience. Limited scholarships are available for qualified students. The deadline for application is May 31, 2013. International students are strongly urged to apply as soon as possible to avoid any complications with obtaining a visa. In addition to the academic portion of the program, social activities are planned for after class, evenings and weekends, which allow students to establish lasting connections and relationships with like-minded individuals.

The syllabus, registration information, faculty biographies, and more are available on the program's web site, www.genocidestudies.org. For further information, contact:

International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies

(A Division of the Zoryan Institute) phone: 416-250- 9807, email: admin@genocidestudies.org

Zoryan’s Educational Programs and Multilingual Publications Promote Truth and Human Rights Internationally

2012 was a very productive year at the Zoryan Institute. With the publication of five books in three languages as well as two academic journals, the running of its eleventh annual Genocide and Human Rights University Program with participants more than ten countries, and co-sponsoring an insightful lecture on the essential rights of children in Armenia, the Institute continued its systematic efforts to promote truth and human rights internationally.

Five New Books

La Tragedia de Sumgait: 1988, Un pogrom di’armeni nell’Unione Sovietica

A new Italian language edition of Samuel Shahmuratian’s The Sumgait Tragedy: Pogroms against Armenians in Soviet Azerbaijan. Volume I: Eyewitness Accounts. The edition was prepared by Pietro Kuciukian and published by Guerini e Associati of Milan and marks the ninth language that Zoryan’s work has been published in. For three days in February, 1988, the Azerbaijani city of Sumgait became the arena of pogroms against the Armenians. The Sumgait tragedy was a brutal, organized attempt to block a political solution to the peaceful demands of the Armenians of Mountainous Karabagh for self- determination. These events marked the beginning of a premeditated plan to depopulate Azerbaijan of Armenians, and eventually of Russians and Jews.

The book is a compilation of interviews conducted by Armenian journalist Samuel Shahmuratian with Sumgait survivors immediately after events in February 1988, while the memory was fresh. The Italian version provides the reader with an abridged version of the interviews, making it an excellent text for Italian readers. This new version also arranges the interviews into thematic chapters, making them easy to navigate and providing those who are new to the subject with more context. This edition includes the preface from the English edition by human rights activist Yelena Bonner, and from the French edition by human rights activist, French politician, and co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières, Bernard Kouchner.

The Asia Minor Catastrophe and the Ottoman Greek Genocide: Essays on Asia Minor, Pontos, and Eastern Thrace, 1913– 1923

The Asia Minor Catastrophe and the Ottoman Greek Genocide: Essays on Asia Minor, Pontos, and Eastern Thrace, 1913– 1923 is a compilation of innovative papers given by distinguished scholars at two academic conferences organized by the Asia Minor and Pontos Hellenic Research Center in Chicago, edited by George N. Shirinian, Zoryan’s Executive Director. This book and its careful treatment of the Greek experience within the broader genocide of the Christian minorities in the Ottoman Empire aims to fill a gap in the scholarly literature on the Greek Genocide and is one of the first to treat the genocidal experiences of the Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks in a comparative manner and as an integrated history. As Prof. Roger W. Smith, Chair of Zoryan’s Academic Board, has written, “Only the comparative approach can yield carefully delimited generalizations about the nature and mechanics of genocide as a general problem of humanity.”

Model Citizens of the State: The Jews of Turkey during the Multi-Party Period

Earlier in 2012, the translation and publication of a new book by noted author Rifat Bali was accomplished. Model Citizens of the State: The Jews of Turkey during the Multi-Party Period provides an exposé of the treatment of the Jewish community in Turkey from 1950 to the present, their fight against anti-Semitism, the struggle for their constitutional rights, and the attitude of the Turkish state and society towards these problems. The author describes it as an attempt at uncovering the truth behind “the rosy narrative that was repeated over and over by the leaders of the Turkish Jewish community, as well as by Turkish intellectuals, politicians and historians.” The book describes how, during the first four decades of the Republic of Turkey’s existence, the Jewish community had similar problems, fears and reactions as the Armenian and Greek minorities. There was a marked shift in the 1970s, however, as successive Turkish governments obtained the cooperation of Turkish Jews to convince American Jewish lobbies to actively support pro-Turkish measures, including fighting against Armenian Genocide resolutions in the US Congress, excluding the Armenian Genocide from the Holocaust Museums in Washington and Los Angeles, prohibiting papers on the Genocide from being presented at Israeli Holocaust conferences, etc. This book serves as a valuable case study of how Realpolitik distorts the truth and how coercion by the powerful contributes to the violation of collective human rights.

Alman Belgeleri Ermeni Soykırimı 1915-16: Alman Dışişleri Bakanlığı Siaysi Arşiv Belgeleri

Ragip Zarakolu, a distinguished publisher in Istanbul and a renowned champion of human rights, has collaborated with the Zoryan Institute to lay down one more building block on the foundation of a common body of knowledge for Turks and 20

Armenians. Zarakolu, despite being jailed by the Turkish government in October 2011, has continued his efforts to bring out the historical truth about the Armenian Genocide. In January, Belge Yayınları, Zarakolu’s publishing house, released Alman Belgeleri Ermeni Soykırimı 1915-16: Alman Dışişleri Bakanlığı Siaysi Arşiv Belgeleri, the Turkish edition of The Armenian Genocide 1915-16: Documents from the Political Archives of the German Foreign Office, compiled and edited by Wolfgang Gust and published originally in German. The original book was the product of some ten years of devoted research, editing and translating overseen by Wolfgang and Sigrid Gust. It is an extensive selection of some 218 telegrams, letters and reports from German consular officials in the Ottoman Empire to the Foreign Office in Berlin describing in sometimes graphic detail the unfolding genocide of the Armenians and is a devastating indictment of both German and Turkish behavior.

The late Mehmet Ali Birand, a respected Turkish journalist, had this to say, "Its message is, “Since the Turks won’t do it, let us do it. They should see these documents and understand the facts we have. They should be convinced that we are not acting as their enemies, but trying to explain an incident.” It has been translated into an extremely comprehensible and beautiful Turkish by Belge Publishing House. Obviously it has taken years. It is an extremely important and expensive study...Without going into detail, if you read the book and look at the documents, if you are a person who is introduced to the subject through this book, then there is no way that you would not believe in the genocide and justify the Armenians. Even if you are an expert on the subject, or have researched what went on from the Turkish side, again, you will be confused. You will have many questions." We at the Institute appreciate this recognition from a well-respected Turkish journalist and hope that more dialogue between our two cultures can be opened in this civil and informed manner.

Judgment at Istanbul: The Armenian Genocide Trials

Nearly eleven years in the making, Judgment at Istanbul: The Armenian Genocide Trials is a study of the Armenian Genocide as documented through the Ottoman Special Military Tribunal. This is the first joint publication by the two most internationally renowned scholars on the Armenian Genocide—Professors Vahakn N. Dadrian, an Armenian, and Taner Akcam, a Turk. It is the first time the complete known documentation of the trial proceedings is being provided in English and the first time information from the Ottoman newspapers of the era have been utilized to reconstruct these proceedings. Judgment at Istanbul adds a new perspective to the historical and moral studies of the Genocide and serves as a legal case study of the Armenian Genocide. It holds great relevance today, with the current interest internationally regarding the Armenian Genocide and its denial.

In the fields of Diaspora Studies and Genocide Prevention, The Zoryan Institute continued the publication of its two journals, Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies and Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal, three issues per annum.

To order a Zoryan publication for yourself, as a gift, or to help sponsor a book to be placed in university libraries, please contact the Zoryan office, 416-250-9807, zoryan@zoryaninstitute.org.

Lecture on Children’s Rights co-Sponsored by the Zoryan Institute

In November, Zoryan co-sponsored a public lecture by Armine Hovannisian, J.D. (UCLA School of Law), Executive Director of Junior Achievements of Armenia and founder of the NGO Orran, titled “Poverty and the Rights of Children in Armenia". The lecture took place at Boston University and was co-sponsored with the Kenosian Chair in Modern Armenian History and Literature and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research. Armenia has signed laws and treaties on the rights of children and education, including the 1989 UN Convention on Rights of the Child, but implementation has proven more difficult. Ms. Hovannisian gave the example that by law, children with disabilities are supposed to be regarded equally, but in practice many disabled children are institutionalized and kept away from their homes and families. She noted that a conservative estimate of poverty levels experienced by Armenian children puts 26% below the poverty line. Ms. Hovannisian

explained that while there are an adequate number of kindergartens and schools, most are neglected and poorly funded. She illustrated the desperate situation of many families in Armenia, where husbands are forced to leave the country to find work and mothers struggle to feed and clothe their children, sometimes requiring them to put a child into a boarding school away from their family. The lecture concluded with a question and answer segment and calls for members of the Armenian Diaspora to aid their countrymen in the homeland.

IIGHRS marks 11th year of Genocide and Human Rights University Program

In August, twenty-two students from Armenia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Turkey, and the United States completed the 11th annual Genocide and Human Rights University Program, run by the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute) in partnership with the University of Toronto. The Institute welcomed Prof. Joyce Apsel as its new Course Director and three new scholars to the faculty this year: Dr. Shaké Toukmanian of York University, who covered the psychological trauma of genocide; Dr. Israel Charny of the Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide (Jerusalem), a leading expert on genocide denial; and Dr. Maja Ćatić of the Canadian Forces College, specialist in genocide in the Former Yugoslavia. Being a GHRUP alumna, Dr. Ćatić’s presence fulfilled one of the program’s key goals: to help develop a new generation of scholars to

engage in research and publication in the field of genocide and human rights studies

Zoryan takes this opportunity to thank all its supporters, individuals, foundations and organizations worldwide, for the moral and financial support that fuels the Institute’s achievements year after year.

Maximizing Armenian Capabilities

To Overcome Major Challenges

By Harut Sassounian Publisher, The California Courier

The Voice of Armenians TV in New York (VOATV NY) held its second annual fundraising banquet on March 2, at The Palisadium in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. On this auspicious occasion, the television network’s Board of Directors honored Zarmine Boghosian, writer and Principal of Holy Martyrs Armenian Day School; Dr. Herand Markarian, playwright, director and actor; and Harut Sassounian, Publisher of The California Courier and President of the United Armenian Fund.

After opening remarks by Master of Ceremonies Haik Kocharian and welcoming words by VOATV Chairman, Dr. Aram Cazazian, the honorees were introduced by Natalie Gabrelian, Director of Alternative Education, AGBU; Haroutiun Misserlian, educator and engineer; and Appo Jabarian, Publisher, USA Armenian Life Magazine. Congratulatory remarks were made by curator Vicki Shoghag Hovanessian and VOATV Executive Producer and host Karine Kocharyan.

In his acceptance speech, Sassounian shared with the 300 guests in attendance his deeply held convictions based on 40 years of political activism and community involvement. He expressed the hope that the recommendations outlined below would strengthen and empower Armenians worldwide:

1) Encourage the participation of women in every level of community activity. Since women comprise 50% of the Armenian people, once old-fashioned obstacles are removed, Armenians could overnight double their overall resources and capabilities.

2) Involve the youth in all societal activities by assigning them special responsibilities, as they constitute the future

of the Armenian nation. If Armenians today fail to transmit their achievements and activities to the next generation, all of their efforts would have gone to waste.

3) Treat every Armenian as a family member, regardless of personal disagreements or differences in social, political, and religious affiliation or country of origin. Armenians should relate to each other as equals. No distinctions should be made between Armenians from the Diaspora and the Homeland.

4) Discard the Ottoman and Soviet mentalities inherited by some Armenians. Even though they left the Ottoman Empire long ago, and the Soviet Union more recently, it appears that the regressive influence of these mentalities has not left them.

5) Extend assistance to the people of Armenia and Artsakh, regardless of the differing views about their leadership. Presidents and Prime Ministers are temporary, while the Homeland is perpetual.

6) Strive always to form a coalition rather than causing dissension. Be a unifier, not a divider. Keep in mind the exhortation of prominent poet Yeghishe Charents: "O Armenian people! Your salvation only lies in your collective power." Ideally, the Armenian Diaspora should have a democratically elected representation, bringing Armenians under a single umbrella by a popular vote.

7) Support all community organizations, be they social, cultural, religious or political in nature, thus helping to ensure the survival of the Diaspora. A powerful Diaspora is the backbone of a strong and secure Armenia.

8) Reject feelings of helplessness and inferiority and eliminate all defeatist attitudes. Individually and collectively, Armenians can realize their legitimate aspirations, as long as they work together for the common cause. They can overcome all adversaries and adversities by remaining united and strong. If Armenians can put their domestic house in order, they can easily counter all external threats.

9) Finally, with the approach of the Armenian Genocide Centennial, Armenians worldwide -- the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh, as well as the Diaspora -- should rally around a single unified message about their demands from Turkey. Armenia and Diasporan communities should not make separate and different demands, causing confusion among their supporters and adversaries. The single word that encapsulates all Armenian demands from Turkey is "Justice," which encompasses moral, financial and territorial restitution to the Armenian nation.

MANGA MESSIAH

The Bible Society in the Gulf has launched the Manga Messiah Scripture comic in Armenian. Based on the popular Japanese Manga comic format, this publication has proved a huge hit around the globe and has been translated into more than 20 languages, including Danish, German, Russian, Norwegian, English, Spanish, French and Armenian.

Manga Messiah is an account of the life of Jesus based on the four Gospels and told in 288 colour pages. It includes a map of Galilee, Samaria, Judea and illustrated character profiles of the 12 apostles and other key people in the Bible.

The Armenian Missionary Association of Canada, (AMAC) is proud to offer this highly engaging, cutting-edge publication which presents the Scriptures so appealingly to young people. The Manga Messiah in Armenian is published in 2012, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Armenian Book printing.

Our ultimate goal is Evangelism. We aim to reach out to young Armenians able to read Armenian, in an ever-changing and challenging time with the message of the Gospel in an attractive and compelling format.

The Manga Messiah ($10.00 /copy) can be ordered from the Church Office 2600 14th Avenue, Markham Ontario. Tel: 905-305-8144, E-mail: aectoronto@yahoo.com or from the

Armenian Missionary Association of Canada, AMAC @ 45 Fairglen Avenue, Toronto, Ontario. M1T1G8, CANADA. Tel: 416-498-6400, E-mail amacinc84@gmail.com.

In His Service, Mihran Jizmejian Executive Director, AMAC Note. 20% discount for larger orders.

Raffi Hovannisian Appeals to the Constitutional Court to AnnulElection Vote Results

YEREVAN -- Opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian on Monday appealed to Armenia’s Constitutional Court to annul the official results of the February 18 presidential election and declare him its rightful winner.

Hovannisian’s representatives presented the court with a 16-page document containing purported evidence of widespread electoral fraud. The panel of nine judges has to consider and rule on the appeal within 10 days.

“We believe that there are legal grounds [to scrap the official results] and it’s now up to the court to decide,” Karen Mezhlumian, a legal counselor to Hovannisian, told reporters outside the court building in Yerevan. He said the opposition candidate submitted documentary evidence of “numerous violations.”

The Constitutional Court received similar appeals from opposition contenders after the previous Armenian presidential elections and rejected all of them. Hence, widespread skepticism in the opposition ranks about Hovannisian’s last-minute decision to request a judgment by the court.

“This is no substitute for political struggle,” said Hovsep Khurshudian, Hovannisian’s spokesman. “But this is a chance for the Constitutional Court to establish itself as an [independent] institution and for its members to clean themselves of the legitimization of the past fraudulent elections.”

Khurshudian made it clear that Hovannisian will carry on his street protests. His next Yerevan rally is scheduled for Tuesday. Hovannisian invited Sarkisian on Saturday to come to that rally and present a “public report.”

Meanwhile, Hovannisian pledged to continue challenging the legitimacy of President Serzh Sarkisian’s reelection with nationwide street protests as he again rallied several thousand supporters in Yerevan on Tuesday.

Hovannisian also condemned the international community for accepting the official results of the disputed February 18 election. He said congratulatory letters sent to Sarkisian by the U.S. and Russian presidents as well as other foreign leaders were a “huge mistake.”

“There will be no retreat,” he told the crowd that gathered in Yerevan’s Liberty Square despite cold weather and a snowfall. “Nothing will make us deviate from our path,” he said in an unusually emotional speech.

Speaking to journalists earlier in the day, Hovannisian dismissed suggestions that he lacks a clear plan of actions that would force the Armenian authorities to invalidate the official vote results or make other major concessions. He said such misgivings about his opposition movement should disappear after his March 10 rally in Liberty Square.

Speaking at Tuesday’s rally, Hovannisian similarly assured supporters that Sunday will see a “breakthrough” in the realization of his post-election “program.” He did not elaborate.

Hovannisian also stated that other political forces opposed to the Sarkisian government are welcome to join his movement. Sarkisian’s political allies have shrugged off his calls for the incumbent president to come to Liberty Square and recognize “the people’s victory” on Tuesday.

President Obama Congratulates Sarkisian

YEREV AN --U.S. President Barack Obama underscored Western powers’ largely positive reaction to President Serzh Sarkisian’s disputed reelection on Saturday with a congratulatory message that reaffirmed Washington’s stated desire to deepen relations with Armenia during his second term.

In the letter released by Sarkisian’s press office, Obama described his Armenian counterpart’s victory in the February 18 presidential election as an opportunity to bolster bilateral ties and “solidify” reforms in Armenia.

“I would like to congratulate you on your reelection as President of the Republic of Armenia,” Obama wrote. “I

look forward to continuing our work together as we both begin our second terms.” “As we move ahead, I would like to build on the strong ties between our countries and peoples, and to further expand our partnership,” he said. “We remain strongly committed to Armenia's development and look to your leadership to promote continued improvements in democracy and the economic reforms that will present opportunities to both the

people of Armenia and the Americans looking to invest in a valued partner with significant potential.” “Your reelection presents opportunities to advance the relationship between our two countries and to build your legacy as a leader who solidifies Armenia's reforms and furthers the cause of peace for

your people and the people of your region,” added the U.S. president. Obama wrote to Sarkisian five days after a similar message which was sent to the Armenian leader

by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Unlike Kerry, he made no direct mention of the Armenian authorities’ handling of the presidential ballot.

In his letter, Obama also promised continued U.S. efforts to further a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations.

Sarkisian received no congratulatory message from Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush, when he became president in even more disputed circumstances five years ago.

Bush wrote to Sarkisian’s predecessor Robert Kocharian in 2003 after the latter secured reelection in a vote marred by opposition allegations of fraud and strongly criticized by international monitors. However, that letter contained no congratulatory words and expressed instead the then U.S. president’s “disappointment” with the Armenian authorities' handling of the two-round poll.

President of German Bundestag Paid Tribute to Armenian Genocide Victims

ISTANBUL -- Union of Sassoun Armenians operating in Istanbul has filed a lawsuit against Regional Directorate of Culture and Tourism of Batman and Beshir on charges of not maintaining churches and historical monuments of ethnic minorities. President of the Union Aziz Dagci has substantiated the claim with the fact that local authorities don’t maintain Armenian Church of 14th century in Yenipinar village. He also noted that as a result the church has turned into a landfill, walls have been damaged and stones have been stolen by villagers.

The leader of Armenians of Sassoun noted in an interview with Turkish batmancagdas.com web site that “authorities should protect the stones of some village

houses, stolen from the historical church”. “Armenian Church in that village has turned into a landfill. The door has been stolen and the

decorated stones were stolen and used in the construction of nearby houses. We have filed a lawsuit in accordance with Article 63 of Turkish Constitution,” Dagci said.

Former Presidential Candidate Arrested Over Hayrikian’s Shooting

YEREVAN -- A self-styled scholar who ran in last month’s Armenian presidential election has been arrested and charged with organizing an apparent attempt on the life of another outsider candidate, Paruyr Hayrikian.

A Yerevan court remanded Vartan Sedrakian in a two-month pre-trial custody late on Tuesday immediately after he was questioned by the National Security Service (NSS) in connection with the January 31 attack on Hayrikian.

An NSS statement issued on Wednesday said Sedrakian was formally charged under an article of the Armenian Criminal Code dealing with attempts to kill a “state, political or public figure.” It gave no further details. Sedrakian will face at least 10 years in prison if found guilty.

Sedrakian’s lawyer, Aleksandr Sirunian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) that the 45-year-old strongly denies the charges. Sirunian said NSS investigators have not yet presented him and his client with any evidence substantiating the charge.

Sedrakian predicted his arrest one week before the February 18 presidential election. He said the authorities will exploit the fact that he personally knows two arrested men accused of shooting and wounding Hayrikian.

The NSS says that both suspects, Khachatur Poghosian and Samvel Harutiunian, have confessed to the shooting. But it has said nothing about their motives until now.

Sedrakian revealed that one of the arrested men was among several workers who remodeled his country house last year, while the other drove a taxi regularly used by them. He also said that he recently paid both men to distribute his election campaign booklets to voters.

“They [the suspects] will sign any testimony,” Sedrakian told a news conference on February 12. “One of them is a drug addict, while the other one will be beaten so much that he will sign anything they want.”

Speaking to RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am), Hayrikian said he does not think that Sedrakian may be the main mastermind of the shooting. He said the fellow election contender might have acted only as an “intermediary” in what he regards as a murder plot.

New Armenia-Turkey Flights Set for Launch

YEREVAN -- An Armenian travel agency announced on Tuesday the imminent launch of landmark direct flights from Yerevan to the southeastern Turkish city of Van that used to be mostly populated by Armenians.

Ashot Soghomonian, head of Narekavank Tour, said his private firm and its business partners in Turkey have already secured all necessary permissions from the aviation authorities in both countries and tentatively scheduled the first flight for April 3. BoraJet, a private Turkish airline, has been contracted to fly between Yerevan and Van twice a week, he said.

Located on the eastern shore of an eponymous lake, Van is an ancient city with an estimated 500,000 mainly Kurdish residents. The city and surrounding areas had a sizable Armenian population until the World War One-era mass killings and deportations of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.

Unlike the Armenian communities in virtually all other parts of the crumbling empire, many Armenians of Van survived the Genocide after putting up an armed resistance to Ottoman troops and being evacuated by the Russian army in 1915-1918. Hundreds of thousands of their descendants live in modern-day Armenia.

Soghomonian confirmed that the flight service will primarily cater to Armenians curious to see Van and other historic sites in eastern Turkey that had for centuries been part of Armenian kingdoms and principalities.

Soghomonian’s travel agency specializes in taking tourists to the Western Armenia by land, via neighboring Georgia.

“There are quite a lot of people willing to go to Van and see the [10th century] Surp Khach church on [the island of] Akhtamar or Ani or Kars or Mush but don’t go there because the journey by land is long,” said the Narekavank Tour director.

According to Soghomonian, the flight organizers also expect many Turks and Kurds to make use of the service. “We think that there will also be a quite serious inflow of tourists into Armenia from the other side and that will be very good,” he told reporters.

Palestinian President Hosted Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem

JERUSALEM -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hosted the elected Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem Archbishop Nourhan Manoogian and a number of priests accompanying him in his residence in Ramallah on February 28.

During the meeting the Ferman on recognition of the Armenian Patriarch’s election by the Palestinian authorities was officially recited and solemnly handed over to Archbishop Nourhan Manoogian. Afterwards the elected Patriarch made a speech, which was followed by the speech delivered by the Palestinian President.

Among other things Mahmoud Abbas laid a heavy emphasis on the presence of the Armenian Church and Armenian people in the Holy Land and expressed conviction that the Armenian community will continue contributing to the Palestinian society. Also the President underscored the fraternal relations between the Armenian and Palestinian peoples. At the end of the meeting the sides exchanged gifts.

His Eminence Archbishop Nourhan Manoogian has been elected the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem on January 24. The patriarchal throne remained vacant since the former Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem Rev. Archbishop Torkom Manoukyan passed away after long illness at the age of 93.

Azerbaijan, Hungary Sued Over Ax-Killer’s Release

YEREV AN — The family of Armenian army officer Gurgen Markarian, who was hacked to death in Budapest nine years ago has sued Hungary and Azerbaijan in connection with the recent release of his convicted Azerbaijani murderer, it was announced on Friday.

Armenia’ s Justice Ministry said the relatives of Markarian, as well as another Armenian officer who also took part in a NATO training course in the Hungarian capital in 2004 have filed a joint lawsuit to the European Court of Human Rights.

Top ministry officials said they want the Strasbourg court to rule that the Hungarian government’s decision last August to extradite the convict, Ramil Safarov, to Azerbaijan and his ensuing release and glorification by Baku ran counter to the European Convention on Human Rights. The plaintiffs specifically cited two provisions of the

convention that uphold a person’s right to life and forbid any ethnic or religious discrimination. A court in Budapest convicted Safarov of ax-murdering his sleeping Armenian colleague and sentenced him to life imprisonment in 2006. The Azerbaijani lieutenant now aged 35 received a hero’s welcome in Baku on August 31 following his extradition from Hungary and immediate pardoning by President Ilham Aliyev. He was promoted to the rank of major, granted a free apartment and paid eight

years’ worth of back pay the following day. Safarov’s release provoked a furious reaction from Armenia and strong international criticism.

Armenia suspended diplomatic relations with Hungary in protest.

Deputy Justice Minister Ruben Melikian said the Armenian government could get involved in judicial proceedings in Strasbourg at a later stage if the European Court agrees to rule on the lawsuit. “We have the right to get involved in the proceedings as a third party,” he told a news conference.

Melikian could not say if the plaintiffs are also seeking material compensation from Budapest and Baku. Asked what the Yerevan government’s expectations from the case are, he said, “In general, there are different ways of implementing [Strasbourg court] rulings. They include the restoration of the situation that existed before a violation [of the European Convention.]”

“The European Court of Human Rights has never dealt with such a disgraceful breach of international law before,” added Melikian. “It is simply unprecedented.” Markarian’s family members and their lawyers could not be immediately reached for comment.

OSCE Observers Question Armenian Vote Results

Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Saturday questioned the credibility of official results of Armenia’s presidential election, saying that President Serzh Sarkisian benefited from “implausibly high” voter turnout recorded in many precincts.

The OSCE’s election observation mission pointed to “a correlation between very high turnout and the number of votes for the incumbent.” “This raises concerns regarding the confidence over the integrity of the electoral process,” it said in a post-election interim report.

Citing the final results released by the Central Election Commission (CEC), the mission noted that more than 80 percent of eligible voters ostensibly cast ballots in 144 of the nearly 2,000 polling stations across Armenia. Sarkisian got over 80 percent of the vote in 115 of them, according to the CEC.

“In 198 out of the 303 stations where turnout was between 70 and 80 per cent, the incumbent received more than 70 per cent of the votes,” read the OSCE report. “Among 249 stations where turnout was below 50 per cent, Mr. Sargsyan received more than 50 per cent in 40, and [opposition candidate Raffi] Hovannisian received more than 50 per cent in 155.”

The mission did not say whether the official results in the precincts where it believes turnout was “implausibly high” could have seriously affected the nationwide vote tally. According to the CEC, Sarkisian won the February 18 ballot outright with 58.6 percent of the vote, followed by Hovannisian with 36.7 percent. The latter officially defeated the incumbent in over a dozen major urban communities, including Armenia’s second and third largest cities.

Hovannisian has rejected the CEC figures as fraudulent and claimed to have been the rightful winner of the vote. Both the CEC and the Sarkisian campaign dismiss the fraud allegations. They argue, among other things, that monitors from the OSCE and other European structures gave a mostly positive assessment of the election conduct in their preliminary findings released on February 19.

The observers concluded then that the vote was “generally well-administered and characterized by a respect for fundamental freedoms.” They also reported serious irregularities, notably the Sarkisian campaign’s misuse of administrative resources and government loyalists’ “undue interference” in the voting process. Still, the chief OSCE observer, Heidi Tagliavini, suggested that these violations did not affect the overall election outcome.

The OSCE mission’s latest report could overshadow the observers’ initial conclusion, which the United States and the European Union have cited in their guarded praise of the Armenian authorities’ handling of the presidential contest. The mission headed by Tagliavini is due to release a comprehensive final report within two months.

Not surprisingly, the Hovannisian campaign was quick to seize upon the questions raised by the Western observers regarding the official results. Speaking at a fresh rally held by the opposition leader in Yerevan on Saturday, senior members of his Zharangutyun (Heritage) party said the observers have given more weight to their claims that hundreds of thousands of non-existent votes were added to Sarkisian’s tally. Ruben Hakobian, Zharangutyun’s deputy chairman, claimed that voter turnout was grossly inflated in as many as 500 mainly rural precincts.

“It’s a more objective evaluation compared with the previous one,” Hovsep Khurshudian, the Zharangutyun spokesman, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). “Unfortunately, the observers ... leave it to readers to draw conclusions,” he said. “But I think their message is quite clear and we can draw conclusions.”

Ara Babloyan, a senior lawmaker from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), insisted that the high turnout and percentage of votes for Sarkisian shown in the CEC data is not evidence of vote rigging. “After all, they [the Hovannisian campaign] had proxies in most polling stations and they didn’t voice any objections during the process,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tagliavini met Hovannisian on Saturday for a second time since polling day. A statement by the opposition candidate’s campaign headquarters said they discussed “the unpredictable situation of the post-election period.” “Raffi Hovannisian presented his observations and the massive report of electoral violations and fraud registered by his campaign headquarters and independent observers,” said the statement. “Hovannisian and the ambassador [Tagliavini] discussed the possibility of disputing the election results in the Constitutional Court.”

Prof. David MacDonald New Faculty Member at Zoryan Institute’s Genocide and Human Rights University Program

TORONTO -- The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute) (“IIGHRS”) is pleased to announce that the Genocide and Human Right University Program (“GHRUP”), now in its twelfth year, will take place in Toronto August 5-16, 2013. This year the Institute welcomes a new faculty member, Prof. David MacDonald, who will teach the unit on “The Genocide of Indigenous Peoples,” referring primarily to the native peoples of North and South America.

activities are planned for after class, evenings and weekends, which allow students to establish lasting connections and relationships with like-minded individuals.

The syllabus, registration information, faculty biographies, and more are available on the program’s web site, www.genocidestudies.org. For further information, contact:

International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute) phone: 416-250- 9807, email: admin@genocidestudies.org

Prof Taner Akcam Lecture at OIA: Armenian Genocide Research and Study Programs in USA

WINNETKA -- On Friday, March 22nd, 2013 at 8:00 PM, the Organization of Istanbul Armenians Executive Board, along with the cooperation of its Cultural and Mekhitarian Alumni Committees, is organizing a lecture / discussion session concerning Armenian Genocide Research and Study Programs in USA. During the event, the direction and progress of these study programs will be discussed as well as the achievements and failures.

The keynote speaker will be historian and sociologist Prof. Taner Akcam, Kaloosdian / Mugar Chair of Armenian Genocide Studies at Clark University and the discussant of the event will be political sciences Prof. Richard Hrair Dekmejian, Director of USC Institute of Armenian Studies.

Clark University is the only University in USA, where a graduate program is being offered researching the Armenian Genocide through training doctoral candidates. Students in this program are promising scholars and future professionals who are crucial to the historical understanding of the Armenian genocide studies. The mandate of the university is to fund graduate student fellowships, host conferences with first-rate scholars, and advance significant research on the Armenian Genocide in order to attract first-rate students to complete their PhD in this discipline. On the other hand, in order to keep pace with this demanding level of study and training, doctoral candidates require adequate financial support in order to maintain the momentum of their research and education far into the

future. The main scope and purpose of organizing this kind of a lecture is to create in our community

a deep understanding and awareness about the Armenian Genocide Research and Study Programs in USA. We believe that this understanding

and awareness will generate interest and support around this program and will encourage other universities to follow course.

Furthermore, it may provide a real opportunity for all of those who are really concerned, to extend their economic support to help the enhancement and the promotion of the task for our future scholars. We have to sow new seeds for our cause to create a better understanding and recognition globally, towards the first genocide of the XXth century.

Therefore, Organization of Istanbul Armenians cordially invites all Armenians to attend this important lecture / discussion that will be presented by two professors in our organization’s center. Admission is free and a reception will follow the lecture. OIA Center is located at 19726 Sherman Way, Winnetka, CA 91306.

March 1, 2008 a Black Day of Terror

YEREV AN (Tert.am) -- Today marks the fifth anniversary of the March 1, 2008 post-electoral unrest that later developed into violent clashes between the protesting crowd and the police, leaving 10 people dead and scores of others injured.

Dissatisfied with the outcomes of the 2008 presidential election, hundreds of Armenians were holding protest demonstrations in Y erevan’ s Liberty Square in late February. The crowd was led by first President Levon Ter-

Petrosian who later became the head of the opposition alliance Armenian National Congress. The last days of the protests saw tents in the square with the names of different administrative regions of Armenia.

Following the calls of Nikol Pashinian, an opposition activist and the editor-in-chief of the Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper, the crowd was rallying round-the-clock, periodically cleaning the square of dirt and rubbish.

A Wikileaks cable released two years later said that the then president, Robert Kocharian, sanctioned special police operations in the area after the police forces and special services gave assurances for clearing the square of opposition activists within just a couple of minutes.

The leaked cable, dated March 10, 2008, was written by Dr. Joseph Pennington, a deputy US ambassador to Armenia, who revealed details of a secret meeting with Garnik Isagulian, Kocharian’ s security advisor.

According to the diplomat, Isagulian had admitted that the police operations were sanctioned by the second president.

Early in the morning on March 1, police officers assaulted the peaceful crowd in the square on allegations of finding weapons, arm supplies and Molotov cocktails. Most protesters, including women, were being beaten in the vicinities.

A spontaneous protest erupted hours later in Myasnikian Square (outside the French and Russian Embassies) where the crowd dispersed from Liberty Square had gathered together to continue the rally. The police were redeployed in the area by the afternoon.

The atmosphere was growing tense, with several buses being turned over and rumors circulating that a child had been shot to death in Liberty Square early in the morning.

Rumors about deaths emerged a day later, but no exact number was reported.

Days later it became clear that the violent clashes has claimed the lives of 10 people, with eight being civilians. More than 200 received bodily injuries with different degrees of gravity. Over 100 activists were jailed following the turmoil. The deceased were Tigran Khachatrian, Gor Kloian, Grigor Gevorgian, David Petrosian, Armen Farmanian, Zakar Hovhannisian, Samvel Haurutyunian, Hamlet Tadevosian, Hovhannes Hovhannisian and Tigran Abgarian.

Myasnikian Square hosted a commemoration ceremony loday. A crowd headed by the leader of the opposition Heritage party, Raffi Hovhannisian and the opposition Armenian National Congress layed flowers at the Myasnikian statue to remember the victims.

Following the March 2008 events, Armenian directors Tigran Paskevichian and Ara Shirinian produced the documentary Armenia: Lost Spring, to describe the tragic developments. The film is presented below.

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Thursday, 7 March 2013

Conference on Islamized Armenians - LOUSSAPATZ - The Dawn - 2013-974-3-9‏

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