The Armenian Weekly - Third Entry

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Recent Articles from the Armenian Weekly... Helsinki Principles Ignore Artsakh’s Right to Independence Chairman Smith Asks Obama Administration for Report on Aid to Syrian Armenians Women Now Allowed to Enroll in Armenia’s Military Schools Rendahl: Thinking of Swaray on June 26 Letter: In Memory of ‘Dashnak Pete’ Til Death Do Us Part: ‘Suicide’ Reignites Demands for Domestic Violence Legislation Where Does My Armenia Stop and My Diaspora Begin? Search Armenian Weekly Helsinki Principles Ignore Artsakh’s Right to Independence Helsinki Principles Ignore Artsakh’s Right to Independence In an aside to the June 17-18 meeting of the Group of Eight (G8) Industrialized Nations in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, Presidents Barack Obama (U.S.), Vladimir Putin (Russian Federation), and Francois Hollande (France) reaffirmed their support of the Helsinki Principles as the basis for a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict. The three leaders lamented the fact that “…the parties have continued to seek one-sided advantage in their negotiation process,” adding that “the use of military force…will not resolve the conflict.” They then appealed to both sides “…to refrain from any action or rhetoric that could raise tensions and lead to an escalation of the conflict.” To make such statements while ignoring the continuing build-up of the Azerbaijani military into the largest offensive force in the South Caucasus shows a serious disconnect from reality. The three... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Chairman Smith Asks Obama Administration for Report on Aid to Syrian Armenians Hearing Reflects Growing Bipartisan Interest in Welfare of Syria’s Religious Minorities WASHINGTON—Republican and Democratic members of a key U.S. House Foreign Affairs subcommittee joined yesterday with the panel’s Chairman, Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), in voicing growing Congressional concern for the welfare of Armenians, other Christians, and all religious minority communities in Syria, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations “We want to thank Chairman Chris Smith for holding yesterday’s hearing about religious minorities in Syria, and would also like to share our special appreciation with all his colleagues who joined with him in using this important national platform to raise concerns about the welfare of at-risk and refugee Armenians, other Christians, and all Syrian... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Women Now Allowed to Enroll in Armenia’s Military Schools YEREVAN (A.W.)—On June 6, Armenia’s Ministry of Defense announced that women would now be allowed to attend military school—specifically, the Vazken Sarkisian Military Institute and the Marshal Khanperiants Air Force Institute—starting with the 2013-14 school year. Women applicants must be citizens of Armenia, at least 18 years of age, and physically fit, and must excel in math and physics, according to the Ministry. Their health must allow them to engage in military school and, subsequently, military service. The Vazken Sarkisian Military Institute was established in June 1994, when it was named the “High Military Multi-Nature Commander College,” and opened its doors to students in September of that year. In 2000, it was renamed the Vazken Sarkisian Military Institute. Major-General Martin Nazar Karapetyan, who participated in the defense of Ijevan and in the battles of Karavachar between 1992 and 1994, is its current president. The school has two faculties, infantry and... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Rendahl: Thinking of Swaray on June 26 Seidu Swaray and I are the same age. But in February 2002, when I was enjoying life, his town was attacked by LURD* rebels. I met him in Liberia last year and he introduced himself as Swaray. His mother gave birth to 12 children and 4 survived. He was the first in his family to finish high school. His parents were shocked to hear he had passed the University of Liberia entrance examination and wished to enroll. Not one to be discouraged by a lack of resources, he registered on his own in 1998. He was sleeping when one of his students pounded on the door of his home to warn of the approaching rebels. Everyone in the city grabbed their flashlights to pack their belongings and flee to Monrovia, the capital city. En route, many people, including Swaray, were tortured by men who wanted to force confessions of being rebel collaborators. They stole his money and watch, but when they searched the bag holding his educational credentials, said they found nothing of value. A day later,... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Letter: In Memory of ‘Dashnak Pete’ Dear Editor: Bedros Peter Stepanian passed away peacefully following surgery on June 22, in Niagara Falls, N.Y. Bedros from Amarij* (in Keghi county) preferred to be called “Dashnak Pete,” and attended many Armenian functions no matter the location, including Detroit where he had many friends. He was a long-time subscriber to The Armenian Weekly and frequently corresponded with me, a fellow Keghetsi. He will be sorely missed. He retired as a railroad engineer and in recent years suffered with several health issues. His death heralds the sad realization that many of the first generation born in America are passing away. We are left wondering who will love Armenia and continue our search for genocide recognition and justice, like his generation had done. Bedros from Amarij wanted no wake or funeral. He donated his body for medical research to the University of Buffalo Medical School. This is a magnanimous gesture on behalf of a truly remarkable Armenian American. ... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Til Death Do Us Part: ‘Suicide’ Reignites Demands for Domestic Violence Legislation Maro’s lips were painted a deep pink color, her eyelids dusted with a pearl-hued powder, her eyebrows angular and shapely, and her cheeks speckled with beauty marks. She wore a bed of white roses on her shirt, her body resting on a golden silk sheet. Maro looked peaceful, as the plump hands of an older woman—possibly her mother—pulled back the collar of her shirt to expose the bruised neck for the curious photojournalist to see. That photograph, one in a series of six, is now a piece in a puzzle that may reveal what happened to the 20-year-old mother of an infant girl—but only if a local Armenian court agrees to reopen the investigation into Maro Gulyan’s untimely death in July 2012. (photo by Anahid Hayrabedyan for Medialab.am) The official story—based on witness testimonies—claims Maro, a resident of the village of Arinch in Kotayk province, hanged herself in the bathroom using a belt from a bathrobe. It was said that suicidal tendencies ran in her blood, as two of... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Where Does My Armenia Stop and My Diaspora Begin? Gegham Mughnetsyan (photo by Karineh Minissian) I was born in Armenia (in Gyumri to be exact) when the Soviet Empire was taking its last breaths and Armenian independence was only months away. I belonged to a generation that had to grow up in a period of political, economic, and cultural change, which only brought confusion about who or what was to blame for that gloomy, endless transition. Fifteen years later, I found myself a world away in Glendale, Calif., in pursuit of a life that promised better opportunities for my parents, my two brothers, and me. Aside from having to learn the language and the customs of this strange land, we found ourselves conflicted about our “Armenian-ness” in the land of the diaspora; many of our peers did not speak Armenian nor had ever been to Armenia, yet they considered themselves equally Armenian. Unlike them, my childhood was not spent at Homenetmen or youth camps, my mother did not make choreg, I did not go to Sunday School, May 28th was not... 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