Loussapatz - The Dawn - 33-ՐԴ ՏԱՐԻ, ԹԻՒ 1024 ՇԱԲԱԹ, 15 ՄԱՐՏ 2014
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“I AM AGAINST” MOVEMENT ACTIVISTS PROTEST AGAINST CONTROVERSIAL PENSION SYSTEM REFORM IN ARMENIA
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YOUNG ACTIVISTS CONTINUE PROTESTS AGAINST CONTROVERSIAL PENSION SYSTEM REFORM
YEREV AN -- Hun- dreds of mostly young peo- ple scuffled with riot police in Y erevan on Friday in continuing protests against a controversial reform of Armenia’s pension system initiated by the government.
The police used force against the protesters and detained three of them after they blocked a street adja- cent to the Armenian Minis- try of Finance. All three men were set free later in the day.
The crowd organized by the Dem Em (I Am Against) pressure group demonstrated outside the ministry build- ing in the city center to condemn Finance Minister Davit Sargsian for his warnings issued to public and private em- ployers.
Sargsian said last week that the employers will face fines if they fail to enforce the reform requiring workers aged 40 and younger to save for retirement, despite its suspension by the Constitutional Court in late January. The court is scheduled to open on March 28 hearings on the constitutionality of the unpopular measure challenged by Armenia’s four main opposition parties.
Opponents of the reform say that tax authorities are therefore not allowed to deduct 5 percent of workers’ gross wages at least until a ruling on the case. Government officials, including Sargsian, claim the opposite.
“The minister has become a person extorting money,” Davit Manukian, a Dem Em leader, shouted through a megaphone outside the ministry building. Manukian and other protesters demanded that Sargsian come out of the building and meet them in public.
The 36-year-old minister refused to do that, sending instead the chief of his staff, Karen Tamazian, to talk to the angry protesters. “This is demagogy,” Tamazian told them. “This is not an offer of dialogue.”
Tamazian also said that Sargsian is ready to receive representatives of the protesters in his office. The crowd rejected the offer before throwing coins at the building and blocking the street. Police officers swiftly used force to unblock it.
The scuffles followed an attempted self-immolation by an elderly man who joined the demonstration. Nikolay Aghabekian, 67, poured gasoline over himself and tried to set himself on fire. Police officers were quick to stop him doing that.
Moments before the apparent suicide attempt Aghabekian urged the much younger people to keep up their campaign, brandishing his Soviet-era bank savings books. He said the lifelong savings were wiped out by hyperin- flation in the early 1990s.
Hundreds of thousands of other Armenians suffered similar financial losses at the time. The fate of those cash deposits is one of the main arguments of workers opposed to the reform. They say that they may similarly be unable to retrieve their pension savings after retirement.
Government officials counter that the two private pension funds chosen to handle their money are owned by renowned European asset management firms. One of them is a joint venture between Austria’s C-QUADRAT In- vestment and Germany’s Talanx Asset Management. The other, Amundi-ACBA, is a subsidiary of the French banks Credit Agricole and Societe Generale.
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MAN TRIES SETTING SELF ON FIRE ACROSS ARMENIA FINANCE MINISTRY
YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- An Armenian citizen by the name of Nikolay Karapetyan, 67, on Friday attempted to set himself on fire in front of the Ministry of Finance building.
He poured a bottle of gasoline on himself, but the police officers—who were in the vicinity in order to main- tain public order during the “I am against” civic initiative’s demonstration near the building, and against the new pension law in Armenia—prevented Karapetyan from setting himself on fire, the Armenian News-NEWS.am re- porter informs.
Karapetyan stated that his mother had died at the age of 88, but without being repaid her savings in the ex- Soviet banks, and that the new pension law likewise is a way of robbing people.
Holding banners, the “I am against” initiative members are continuing their protest and are criticizing the Fi- nance Ministry for obligating employers to make mandatory pension deductions from the salaries of their employ- ees.
The new funded pension plan, which formally came into force in Armenia on January 1, 2014, is mandatory for those born in and after 1974 and voluntary for those born before 1974. In line with this plan, 5 to 10 percent of the monthly salaries in Armenia will be deducted and mandatorily be allocated to cumulative pension funds; the latter will be reimbursed as pensions once a person turns 63 years old.
On January 24, however, the Constitutional Court decided to suspend the execution of some components in the Law on Funded Pensions pending the hearing—on March 28—of the petition submitted by the four non-ruling- coalition parliamentary forces—the Armenian National Congress, Prosperous Armenia, ARF Dashnaktsutyun, and Heritage—, and into the constitutionality of the several articles of the law.
Notwithstanding this, some employers already are deducting the mandatory pension payment from the salaries of their employees.
PARLIAMENT MAJORITY BLOCKS NEW PROBE INTO MARCH 2008 KILLINGS
YEREVAN – The National Assembly blocked on Monday the launch of a new parliamentary inquiry into the 2008 deadly post-election violence in Yerevan that was demanded by its op- position minority.
Only 46 members of the 131-seat Armenian parliament backed the initiative put forward by the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) and backed by three other minority factions. Sixty-six other deputies, most of them members of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), voted against.
An HAK bill circulated last month envisaged the creation of an ad hoc commission tasked with investigating the March 1-2, 2008 street clashes between security forces and op- position protests, which left ten people dead. The HHK promised to agree to such a probe in late 2012 but effective- ly reneged on that pledge afterwards, setting last-minute conditions that were rejected by the HAK.
Speaking during parliament debates on the matter held in late February, HHK lawmakers questioned opposi- tion assertions that the proposed commission could help to solve at least some of the killings. The ruling party’s parliamentary leader, Galust Sahakian, officially rejected the opposition initiative shortly before Monday’s vote. “Those who think they can organize shows on one or another issue are wrong,” he said.
The motion was voted down after a warning issued by Levon Zurabian, an HAK leader. Zurabian said that the parliament majority would share responsibility for the 2008 bloodshed and what he called “obstruction of justice” by the Armenian authorities.
The authorities have said in the past that the violence resulted from former President Levon Ter-Petrosian’s at- tempt to forcibly seize power in the wake of the February 2008 presidential election in which he was the main op- position candidate. Ter-Petrosian, who leads the HAK, and his associates insist that the authorities deliberately used lethal force to enforce the results of blatant vote rigging.
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PRESIDENT SARKISIAN DENOUNCES TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN FOR “XENOPHOBIC POLICIES”
DUBLIN -- President Serzh Sarkisian denounced Turkey’s long-running economic blockade of Armenia and accused Ankara of pursuing a “xenophobic policy” towards his nation, as he addressed a summit of the European People’s Party in Dublin late on Thursday. He went on to implicitly accuse Europe of tolerating “manifestations of fascism” in Azerbaijani leaders’ public statements on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“It is incomprehensible and unacceptable to us, when any manifestations of fascism are being tolerated, when evident hate speech of the President of Azerbaijan, a Council of Europe member State, is pretended to go unno- ticed. For the Eastern Partnership to work effectively we should employ straight and honest talk on the issues of reciprocal concern,” said the Armenian president, as quoted by his press service.
He also reminded that Turkey, a member of the EU Customs Union, has not lifted the blockade of Armenia, even though last December the European Union made a decision to provide Armenia with an opportunity to benefit from the enhanced Generalized Scheme of Preferences.
“Nowadays, when humankind gets ready to mark the centennial of the World War I and the horror it un- leashed, Turkey continues its policy of denial, attempts to bury the memory of more than one million victims of the Armenian Genocide and disregard demands of a nation that was deprived of its homeland, refuses to repent for what had been done and thus pursues a xenophobic policy that at its roots is aimed at harming Armenia and Arme- nians,” he said.
Sarkisian also addressed the crisis in Ukraine. “The Ukrainian events are a matter of serious concern to all of us. We regret profoundly that numerous human lives’ losses were registered in Kiev. Under the existing circum- stances it is necessary to take all possible measures in order to ease the tension and find reasonable solutions by the means of a dialogue,” the Armenian president said.
Sarkisian did not comment further, avoiding any mention of Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine’s auton- omous republic of Crimea that has been strongly condemned by the West.
Sarkisian also reaffirmed his stated commitment to closer partnership with the European Union but implied that it must be “compatible” with Armenia’s forthcoming membership of a Russian-led alliance of ex-Soviet states.
Sarkisian remained careful not to use the term “European integration” as he addressed the summit, he spoke instead of his government’s “policy of complementing and harmonizing interests” of Armenia’s key foreign part- ners.
“We appreciate the assistance that the European Union and its member States have been backing Armenia in its social-economic and institutional development, strengthening of our government agencies, reform of the public sector, fight against corruption and reduction of poverty,” said Sarkisian. “About two weeks ago the National Secu- rity Council of Armenia approved an action plan for cooperation between Armenia and the EU in 2014 and 2015.”
“We are committed to continue our efforts at seeking effective cooperation mechanisms with the EU, which will both reflect the essence of the preceding discussions we had with the EU and are compatible with the other co- operation formats,” he added in a clear reference to the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
ADB TO ALLOCATE 100 MILLION EURO TO ARMENIA'S NORTH-SOUTH ROAD CORRIDOR
YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- Armenian Finance Minister Davit Sargsyan and Asian Development Bank resident representative in Armenia David Dole signed a 100 million loan agreement within the North-South Road Corridor investment program.Overall con- struction of the North-South Highway will total $967 million, whose $500 million will be allocated by the ADB. North-South Road Corridor is 556 km-long and its implementation period is from 2009 to 2017.
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ARMENIA RANKED 115TH ON NUMBER OF WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT
NEWS.am -- More women than ever before are being elected to par- liaments around the world, shows the research conducted by Inter- Parliamentary Union, an international organization of parliamentarians, which works closely with the United Nations.
“We actually saw a 1.5 percentage increase globally in Parliaments as a result of elections that took place in 2013. That doesn't sound like a lot, but if you consider that we are now at almost 22 per cent of women in parliaments, if we were to continue with this rate of increase of 1.5 it means that within a generation, actually within 20 years, we should be able to reach globally gender parity in Parliament,” IPU Secretary- General Anders B. Johnsson said.
Rwanda tops the list of 189 states with its Chamber of Duties recording more than 60 percent women, fol- lowed by Andorra and Cuba.
Armenia is ranked 115th in the list with 14 female lawmakers out of 131.
MONASTERY OF BARDZRAKASH ST. GREGORY AMONG ‘EUROPE’S MOST THREATENED HERITAGE’
YEREVAN -- The Monastery of Bardzrakash St. Gregory in Dsegh, Armenia is among the 11 monuments and sites shortlisted for ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ 2014 program of the leading European herit- age organization Europa Nostra and the European Investment Bank
This monastic complex, dedicated to St. Gregory, the first official head of the Armenian Church, dates from the 10th to the 13th centu- ries. Situated in the cultural landscape of the village of Dsegh, deep in a verdant gorge, the stone structures of the main buildings lie in ruins, without roofs, and encroached on by vegetation.
The rehabilitation of the monument would help establish Dsegh as a centre for tourism and boost the local economy. However, it can only be accomplished with international expertise and support. The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia nominated the monument for ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ 2014.
This year, civil society organizations and public bodies from all over Europe submitted their nominations. Eleven sites were shortlisted by an international panel of specialists in History, Archaeology, Architecture, Conser- vation and Finance. The final list of 7 sites will be selected by the Board of Europa Nostra. ‘The 7 Most Endan- gered’ for 2014 will be unveiled at a press conference on 5 May at the House of Europe in Vienna by high-level representatives from Europa Nostra and the EIB Institute.
11 European sites shortlisted for ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ program. These sites are -Monastery of Bardzrakash St. Gregory, Dsegh, Armenia; -Stage Machinery of the Bourla Theatre, Antwerp, Belgium; -Thracian Sanctuary in Mishkova niva area, Bulgaria;
-Historic neighborhoods of Dolcho and Apozari, Kastoria, Greece; -Citadel of Alessandria, Italy; -Roman Archaeological Site of Golemo Gradište, Konjuh, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; -Paço de Vilar de Perdizes in Montalegre, Portugal; -Carillons of the Mafra National Palace, Portugal; -Wooden Churches in Southern Transylvania and Northern Oltenia, Romania; -Color Row Settlement in Chernyakhovsk, Russia; -Synagogue in Subotica, Serbia.
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WORLD FAMOUS DMITRY SITKOVETSKY TO PERFORM WITH THE STATE YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF ARMENIA
On March 13 the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia will perform with world famous violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky. During the concert the audience will enjoy Violin Concerto by Johannes Brahms and Symphony No.6, “Pastorale” by Ludwig van Beethoven.
Sitkovetsky has performed as a soloist with many of the world’s leading orchestras including the Berlin, New York, LA Philharmonic, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. He has performed at a number of high-profile festivals. In 2003, Sitkovetsky was appointed Music Director of the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra.
“This is my first visit to Armenia and the first cooper- ation with the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia, and I’m very glad about this. I have had concerts in more than 50 countries and have played with over 300 orchestras. I’m well aware of what’s happening in the field of classical music. I can say that the youth orchestras are the most in- teresting and the most viable today,” Dmitry Sitkovetsky told reporters in Yerevan.
“This country has an ancient and rich culture. I have had an opportunity to communicate and study with bril- liant Armenian artists. I have performed works by Aram Khachaturian and a good of friend of mine, contemporary American Armenian composer Yakov Yakulov. Someone once called Yakov “a walking Holocaust,” because his ancestors are Armenian, Jewish and Gypsy,” the violinist said.
ARMENIA WINS EURASIAN CUP IN KUNG FU
YEREVAN. – The team from the Kung Fu Federation of Armenia took part in the Eurasian Cup Championship of Kung-Fu-Sanda, which was held on March 8 and 9 in Georgian capital city Tbilisi, Federation Press Secretariat informs.
The Armenian team won ten gold, five silver and three bronze medals.
Solely the Georgian team won as many gold medals, and as a result, both teams won the tour- nament cup.
Representatives from the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic competed at the event as part of the Armenian team.
In Federation President Hayk Harutyunyan’s words, despite the very difficult and tense compe- tition—since three teams represented Azerbaijan in the tournament—, the Armenian athletes suc-
ceeded in achieving good results. Six countries participated in the Eurasian Cup Championship of Kung-Fu-Sanda. The tournament was a successful test ahead of the world championships, which will be held from July 25 to 30
in Beijing, China, where Armenia will participate for the first time.
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CHALLANDES: ARMENIA HAS GREAT CHANCE OF ADVANCING TO EURO-2016 FINALS
YEREVAN — The newly appointed head coach of the Arme- nian national football team Bernar Challandes believes that the Armenian squad has a great potential and could realize its dream to participate in Euro 2016. Challandes was chosen from among 49 coaches the Armenian Football Federation negotiated with.
“The Armenian squad will not win today but it could win to- morrow. I have studied all the games of the last season. The team has a great potential and could realize its dream”, – said Challandes during an introductory press conference.
The new head coach said he was impressed by Armenia’s per- formance against Italy in a FIFA World Cup qualification match. “I never thought I would head that team, and when the offer came, I didn’t think long.”
“I’m here to win,” Challandes said. “I’m well aware what I have come here for. If I win, I stay, if I lose, I go. That’s an unwrit- ten rule whether here, in Switzerland or Brazil.”
The 62-year-old has signed a two-year contract to lead the team during UEFA EURO 2016 qualification. Challandes started his coaching career in 1977 and was at the helm of FC Yverdon-Sport, BSC Young Boys and Servette FC among others before being recruited by the Swiss Foot- ball Association (SFV-ASF) in 1995. He took charge of the Switzerland Under-21 team in 2001 and led them to the semi-finals of the UEFA European U21 Championship in 2002.
He moved on to FC Zürich in 2007 and was named Switzerland’s coach of the year in 2009 after guiding them to a 12th championship. He followed that by claiming the Swiss Cup with FC Sion in 2011 before working at Neu- châtel Xamax FC and FC Thun.
Armenia were drawn in the UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group I alongside Portugal, Denmark, Serbia and Albania. They begin their campaign in Denmark on 7 September with their first home game against Serbia to fol- low on 11 October.
AZERBAIJAN READY TO SIGN PEACE AGREEMENT ON KARABAKH – MFA
BAKU/NEWS.am -- Azerbaijan FM Elmar Mammadyarov stated his country’s readiness to sign a peace agreement on the Nagorno-Karabakh con- flict, but with preconditions.
“Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov discussed the cur- rent status of the negotiation process around the settlement of conflict at the meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in Paris,” press service of the Azerbaijan MFA told APA news agency of Azerbaijan that Ministry Spokesperson Elman Abdullayev had said this.
At the meeting the concern was expressed over the unsettlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“Minister Elmar Mammadyarov reiterating the readiness of Azerbaijani side to sign Comprehensive Peace Agreement underlined, first and foremost, the necessity of withdrawal of Arme-
nian armed forces from occupied territories of Azerbaijan for advancement of peace,” APA also reported. To note, the aforementioned “territories” refer to the safety zone around the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
(NKR), and this zone is under the control of the NKR Defense Army. The meeting was held on Monday. Co-Chairs from France, Russia and United States - Jacques Faure, Igor Po-
pov and James Warlick - and Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, at- tended the meeting.
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TURKEY LAUNCHES CRIMEA’S TURKIFICATION CAMPAIGN – ARMENIAN TURKOLOGIST
YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- Crimea’s Turkification campaign is launched in Tur- key, with participation by the historians and the media, Armenian turkologist Andranik Ispiryan noted at a press conference on Monday.
In Ispiryan’s words, Turkey has actively joined the informational and propagan- da activities on the developments in Ukraine, and with a variety of manipulation and misinformation on Crimea.
The turkologist stated that the Turkish press has started calling the Crimean Ta- tars as Crimean Turks, and Crimea, as a Turkish homeland.
“Famous Turkish historians, who claim that those living in Crimea are [actually] Kipchak Turks, also are en- gaged in the Turkification campaign launched by the [Turkish] media,” Ispiryan stated.
Commenting on the presence of the Russian navy in Crimea, Andranik Ispiryan argued that Turkey perceives this as a threat against the security of Turkey, especially of Istanbul, the Bosphorus, and the Dardanelles.
TURKEY IS AGAINST REFERENDUM IN CRIMEA – MFA
NEWS.am -- Turkey FM Ahmet Davutoğlu stated that his country is against the holding of a referendum in Crimea on Sunday, and in connection with whether or not joining Russia.
During a talk with Turkish reporters, Davutoğlu commented on the regional matters, including the ongoing developments in Ukraine and Crimea, reports Anadolu news agency of Turkey.
He noted that even though Ukraine is far from Turkey, they are closely follow- ing the developments that are unfolding in that country.
Reflecting on the Crimea issue, the Turkish FM stressed that he is in contact with Ukrainian parliament member Mustafa Dzhemilev (Mustafa Abdülcemil Qırımoğlu (Cemilev)), who is con- sidered a leader of the Crimean Tatars, and with several other local persons in charge, and that he is working to- ward engaging the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the settlement of this matter.
Ahmet Davutoğlu claimed that the aforesaid referendum should not be held on Sunday. In his words, the refer- endum should be postponed, and all diplomatic methods need to be used in order to resolve the matter.
ANALYST: ARMENIA'S FATE MAY DEPEND ON VISITS OF IRANIAN PRESIDENT AND JOHN KERRY
YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- The Crimea issue may have indirect influence on Nagorno-Karabakh, analyst Ara Papyan told reporters on Tuesday.
Papyan, head of Modus Vivendi analytical center, said Armenia may occur in a deeper isolation as a result of confrontation between Russia and Ukraine.
“Armenia as an ally of Russia will appear in similar isolation with all consequences on Nagorno-Karabakh, too,” he said.
The analyst believes results of Crimea referendum will not be recognized by any state, except for Russia.
“Armenia will be pressurized on the issue, but I cannot say what position Armenian authorities will adopt,” Papyan added.
If West-Russia confrontation continues, West will try to show Russia's allies that partnership with the country is leading to negative consequences.
“Armenia's fate may depend on Iranian president's visit to Yerevan, and on whether he will manage to advance on the agreement on construction of Iran-Armenia-Georgia-Ukraine-Europe gas pipeline. The visit of Secretary of State John Kerry will be crucial, too,” he said.
West and Iran must finally realize whether it is possible to cooperate with Armenia on transit supplies.
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THE PAST AND FUTURE OF CRIMEA’S ARMENIAN COMMUNITY
Recent events in Crimea may complicate the live of the peninsula’s Armenian population – one of the oldest ones in Russia’s south. The first Armenians settled in Crimea in the 8th century, with the first wave of immigration starting in mid-eleventh century.
PanARMENIAN.Net -- In the 8th century, Crimea was a part of Byzantium, with Armenians, as its subjects, mov- ing here from various cities of the empire. The region’s stability allowed them to achieve economic prosperity not much shaken even in the face of Mongolian invasion.
Hardships in Armenia drove increasing number of Armenians to Crimea, with Armenians becoming the 2nd biggest ethnic group after Crimean Tatars. In the 1475, Crimea became part of the Ottoman Empire, with Christian persecutions starting. Despite strengthening of Islam in the region, Armenian communities still existed in Kaffa, Karasubazar, Ba- laklava, Gezlev, Perekop and Surkhat. From 1778-1779, more than 22,000 Armenians were resettled in the Azov prov- ince.
In 1783, the Russian Empire conquered the Crimean khanate. Russian authorities encouraged the settlement of for- eign colonists, including Armenians, into the Crimea. This led to a fresh wave of Armenian immigrants, reviving former colonies. In 1913, their numbers totaled around 9,000 and 14,000-15,000 in 1914. The resettlement of Armenians to the peninsula lasted until the First World War and the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1923. The immi- grants of the 19th and 20th centuries were largely from Western Armenia and the various regions of Ottoman Empire.
In 1944, the Commissar of Internal Affairs of the Soviet Union, Lavrentiy Beria signed Directorate 5984 to deport 37,000 Bulgarians, Greeks and Armenians. The Armenians were deported to Perm Oblast, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Omsk Ob- last, Kemerovo Oblast, Bashkortostan, Tatarstan and Kazakhstan.
In 1989, the communal life of the Crimea's Armenians was institutionalized with the formation of one of the penin- sula's first national-cultural associations, the Armenian Luys (Light) society. Later, after re-registration in 1996, it was renamed the Crimean Armenian Society. At present, the Crimean Armenian Society consists of 14 regional offices, coor- dinated by the National Council of Crimean Armenians. The highest governing body is the National Congress, which convenes at least once every four years. Operational management of the society is carried out by the executive commit- tee, which functions in the periods between meetings of the National Council. The society operates the Luys cultural and ethnographic center and publishes a monthly newspaper, Dove Masis. The one-hour Armenian-language program Barev airs twice a month on Crimean television, and radio broadcasts are made five times a week. There are Armenian churches in Yalta, Feodosiya and Evpatoria, while the first Armenian secondary school opened in 1998 in Simferopol.
Armenians living in the Crimea are currently concentrated in the cities of Armyansk, Simferopol, Evpatoria, Feodosiya, Kerch, Yalta, Sevastopol, Sudak. The Armenia Diaspora Encyclopedia indicates that there were 20,000 Ar- menians living in the region in 2003.
The Armenians were mostly adherents of the Armenian Apostolic Church. There were a number of churches built in Yalta, Feodosiya and Yevpatoria. Construction activity took place from the 14th century and according to one manu- script the monastery of Gamchak had been built by the fifteenth century in Kafa.
In Kafa, there were a number of Armenian schools, dozens of churches, banks, trading houses, caravanserai, and craftshops. The town was served as a spiritual center for the Crimean Armenians, and its stature grew so prominently that that in 1438 the Armenians of Kafa were invited to send representatives to the Ferrara-Florence Cathedral (Florence ecumenical council).
The second largest Armenian population after Kafa in the same period was Surkhat. The name of Surkhat is proba- bly a distorted form of the name of the Armenian monastery Surb Khach (Holy Cross). There were many Armenian churches, schools, neighborhoods here as well. Other major settlements included Sudak, where until the last quarter of the 15th century and near the monastery Surb Khach there was a small Armenian town called Kazarat. Armenian princes kept the troops there and on a contractual basis to defend Kafa.
The social life of the Crimean Armenians surged in the late 19th and 20th centuries. They organized themselves into community organizations. Wealthy Armenians and the church tried to "raise" the nation to the level of modern civiliza- tion, and to carry out charitable activities. The source of money and material welfare of the church were grants, wills, offering.
The church's role in the colonies was to some extent becoming secularized. In 1842, the Catholicos in Crimea lost his position to the Chief Guardian of the Crimean Armenian churches.
Surb Khach Monastery is a medieval Armenian monastery located on the Crimean peninsula near Staryi Krym and founded in 1358. It has been an Armenian spiritual center and a place of pilgrimage for centuries.
Crimea gave the world many outstanding Armenians, including world-renowned painter Hovhannes Ayvazovsky, composers Alexander Spendiarov and Christopher Kara-Murza, artist Vardges Sureniants.
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At present, no outflow of Armenian population from Crimea has been noted, with Armenians safe here, as opposed to Syria. However, considering unpredictability of the development of events in Ukraine, a negative outcome shouldn’t be precluded in the most pessimistic and least likely case.
A referendum on the status of the autonomous republic of Crimea is scheduled for March 16. SWITZERLAND APPEALS ECHR RULING
BERN, SWITZERLAND -- The Swiss Government announced today it will appeal the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on De- cember 17, 2013, overturning the conviction of Dogu Perinçek for denying the Armenian Genocide.
The decision was made by the Swiss Federal Office of Justice to ask the ECHR’s Grand Chamber to review the ruling in order to clarify the scope available to Swiss authorities in applying the Swiss Criminal Code to combat racism. The anti-racism law was created in 1995 in order to comply with the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
In 2007, Mr. Dogu Perinçek was convicted under the Swiss anti-racism law for publicly denying the Armenian Genocide. He failed to win two appeals in Swiss courts, then appealed to the ECHR. On December 17, 2013, the ECHR overturned this conviction on the grounds of freedom of speech.
The International Association of Genocide and Human Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute) (IIGHRS) and the Switzerland-Armenia Association (SAA) have worked together since December, along with a team of scholars and experts in international human rights law, major Armenian organizations and individuals, as a strategic team to inform and educate Swiss public opinion.
IIGHRS produced a full-page informational advertisement that appeared in Switzerland’s leading German and French language newspapers Neue Zürcher Zeitung on March 6 and Le Temps on March 7. The advertisements were the product of collaboration between the Switzerland Armenia Association and the IIGHRS.
The purpose of these ads was to raise awareness with the Swiss public that the December 17, 2013 ruling of the Perinçek vs. Switzerland case by the European Court of Human Rights, promotes racism and violence against Armenians in Turkey and elsewhere. The statement further argued that the Swiss government has a moral responsibility to appeal this ruling and defend its laws against racism.
Le Temps (Geneva), in covering this story, wrote, “Armenian associations in Switzerland are highly mobilized in collaboration with The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, which took a full-page advertise- ment in newspapers, including "Le Temps." A petition that has more than 10,000 signatures was also sent to the Minister of Justice and Police, Simonetta Sommaruga, for Switzerland to appeal.”
ARMENIA WELCOMES SWISS GOVERNMENT DECISION ON PERINCEK CASE – MFA
YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- Armenia welcomes Switzerland’s decision to petition that the Dogu Perincek case be submitted for a review by the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Press Secretary Tigran Balayan told the aforesaid to
ArmInfo news agency. “Consistency in the fight against the denialism of the crime of genocide
has an important role in the prevention of new crimes against humanity,” Balayan added.
The Swiss government decided to appeal the ECtHR judgment on the Perincek case. Switzerland will request that the ECtHR forward the case to the Grand Chamber by March 17.
On December 17, 2013, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of Armenian Genocide-denying Turk- ish politician Dogu Perincek’s lawsuit that was filed against Switzerland. The said judgment by the ECtHR was made on the grounds of freedom of speech. In 2008, a Swiss court had convicted Perincek for denying the Armenian Genocide. Dogu Perincek is Chairman of the socialist Workers’ Party of Turkey. In addition, he heads the Talat Pasha organization, which actively fights against the Armenian Genocide’s recognition in Europe.
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SWORN ANTI-ARMENIAN TURKISH POLITICIAN IS RELEASED FROM PRISON
NEWS.am -- Dogu Perincek was released by a Turkish court decision. Against the backdrop of the conflict be- tween PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Islamic opinion leader Fethullah Gulen, the Turkish authorities have begun releasing those who were sentenced to prison in connection with the Ergenekon case on the attempt to overthrow the current government of the country.
Among those released is Dogu Perincek, who is a sworn anti-Armenian politician, Chairman of the socialist Workers’ Party of Turkey, and head of the Talat Pasha organization which actively fights against the Armenian Genocide’s recognition in Europe.
After being released, Perincek issued a statement before reporters, and stressed that the time has come to fight against and uproot the religious communities in Turkey.
On December 17, 2013, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled in favor of Armenian Genocide- denying Turkish politician Dogu Perincek’s lawsuit that was filed against Switzerland. The said judgment by the ECtHR was made on the grounds of freedom of speech. In 2008, a Swiss court had convicted Perincek for denying the Armenian Genocide.
TURKEY FORMS COMMITTEE TO COMBAT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION
NEWS.am -- In the run-up to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, a special committee for combating genocide recognition was set up in Turkey.
The committee, which was formed under the direct supervision of the Turkish PM, has already taken its first step, reports Hürriyet daily of Turkey.
The committee sent a letter to all the ministries, and requested them to submit proposals to prevent genocide recognition.
It is noted that the respective actions, which are conducted under the leadership of Turkey’s MFA, Ministry for EU Affairs, and the PM’s advisors, aim to counteract the activities by the Armenian diaspora.
KEY SUSPECT IN HRANT DINK MURDER TRIAL RELEASED
ISTANBUL -- A Turkish court released Erhan Tuncel on Friday, who had previously been acquitted of all charges related to the 2007 killing of Hrant Dink, the late editor-in- chief of the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, but was then arrested during the retrial of the murder case, Turkish Today's Zaman Daily reports.
The Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court began a review of the trial late last year after the Supreme Court of Appeals overturned the Istanbul court's ruling from Jan. 17, 2012, which had dismissed the involvement of an organized criminal network in the murder.
Tuncel was released as part of a bill reducing the maximum period of arrest to five years, which was signed in- to law by Turkish President Abdullah Gül on Thursday night. The court ruled that Tuncel's detention period as a suspect had exceeded the maximum, as he had been under arrest for five years and five months.
Tuncel, who worked as an informant for the Trabzon Police Department, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the 2004 bombing of a McDonald's restaurant in the Black Sea town of Trabzon but was acquitted of all charges relating to the Dink murder, including prosecutors' claims in the first trial that he was the one who had ordered Yasin Hayal, the man who was given a life sentence for soliciting Dink's shooter, to murder him.
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Tuncel, along with all the other defendants, were cleared of membership of a terrorist organization in an earlier ruling of a local court.
Dink was shot and killed in broad daylight on Jan. 19, 2007, by an ultranationalist teenager outside the offices of his newspaper in Istanbul. Evidence discovered since then has led to claims that the murder was linked to the “deep state,” a term referring to a shadowy group of military and civilian bureaucrats believed to have links with organized crime.
JAILED TURKISH-ARMENIAN WRITER FORCED TO SLEEP ON FLOOR, NOT ALLOWED SHOWERS
ISTANBUL (Hurriyet Daily) -- Turkish-Armenian linguist and writer Sevan Nisanyan, who was jailed on charges of illegal construction, is being forced to sleep on the floor in his cell and is being prevented from taking showers, activists have told Turkish media.
Nisanyan was moved from an open to a closed prison last week after he wrote a letter to the public explaining how an investigation was opened against him after he denounced a guard who stole his credit card.
A group formed in solidarity with the outspoken linguist, comprised of fellow writers, journalists and activists, has expressed its concerns regard- ing the conditions of his imprisonment.
“Our state persists in giving Nisanyan a hard time, even now when it faces turmoil. Nisanyan has been forcedly exiled to the Buca closed prison facility. The Torbali open prison was already marked by ill-treatment of an intellectual who has added a lot of value to this country. We are ashamed
on their behalf,” said Sait Çetinoglu, a writer and member of the solidarity group. According to Internet news portal T24, the group said Nisanyan had been forced to sleep on the floor on the
grounds that there were no available beds, describing this as “torture.” It added that it was now preparing to publi- cize the treatment of Nisanyan to the international public.
Nisanyan was handed a two-year sentence approved by the Court of Appeals on Jan. 2, on charges of illegally constructing buildings in Sirince, a village in the western province of Izmir that he has contributed to promoting across the world.
He had completed the construction of a house after a court ruled that the area was a natural site, rejecting the ruling as an “arbitrary decision.”
In a separate case, Nisanyan was also condemned to a 3.5-month prison term for committing blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad in a blog post.
TURKISH NEWS AGENCY SEES NO ARMENIAN TRACE IN ANI
NEWS.am --The news agencies in Turkey, together with the Turkish state, continue the policy of destruction and appropriation of Armenian culture.
This time the well-known Anadolu News Agency filed a report about the ancient Armenian capital city of Ani, but the report did not even utter a word about Armenians, and it pointed solely to the mosques as the important cultural values in Ani.
In this connection, Agos Armenian weekly of Istanbul ran an article, enti- tled “Anadolu Agency Erased Armenians from History,” and reflected on this shameful Turkish policy.
To note, you cannot find “Armenian” or “Armenia” on the signs that are placed near any church or any other structure in Ani and “mosque” is written in front of the Cathedral of Ani.
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CATHERINE ASHTON VISITS ARMENIAN CATHEDRAL IN NEW JULFA
TEHRAN — The EU High Representa- tive for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton visited the Armenian Holy Savior Cathedral in New Julfa, Iran on March 10.
Ashton first paid a visit to 350-year old St. Joseph of Arimathea Church of the All Saviour’s Cathedral, which is famous for its spectacular frescos. “Komitas” choir per- formed hymns conducted by Armen Amir- khanian. The EU High Representative and other members of her delegation listened to the hymns and watched the picturesque fres- cos of the church, which introduce the whole history of the Old and New Testaments, commandments of the Church, the passions of St. Gregory the Illuminator, as well as Paradise and Hell.
Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Isfahan, Bishop Papken Charian expressed gratitude to the European Un- ion for recognizing the Armenian Genocide and referred to the ECHR ruling on Armenian Genocide denial case.
He praised the constant support of the Iranian authorities to the maintenance of the Armenian Churches and cultural values, and reminded a few years ago neighboring Azerbaijan demolished the Armenian cross-stones in Old Julfa, which was a cultural genocide. The Primate voiced hope that the European Parliament will condemn the vandalism to prevent the reoccurrence of such genocides elsewhere in the future. Catherine Ashton assured she would pursue the protection of human rights.
At the end of the visit Ms. Ashton left a note in the memory book of the museum.
"ARMENIAN GENOCIDE SURVIVORS AND THE WOVEN ART" CONFERENCE AT CSUN
NORTHRIDGE, CA -- The Armenian Studies Program at Cali- fornia State University, Northridge (CSUN) will host a conference on the theme of Armenian Genocide Survivors and the Woven Art. The event will take place at the Oviatt Library conference room on Satur- day, March 29, from 1:00-5:00 p.m. It is cosponsored by the Armeni- an Rugs Society and the United Armenian Council of Los Angeles.
This conference aims to illuminate the Armenian Genocide from the perspective of the woven art in its widest scope: rugs, embroider- ies, lace work, handkerchiefs, textiles, and so on. The artists were wid- ows and orphans, survivors who from the massacres in the mid-1890s through the decades following World War I maintained their sanity and dignity by keeping busy with gainful occupations. In a sense, traumatized as they were, they mocked life’s unfairness and cruelty by producing what was beautiful and ennobling. Their manufactured articles reached Europe, the United States and
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elsewhere. People purchased them out of humanitarianism, but by doing so they also enriched themselves with valueless artworks.
The following speakers will participate: Gevork Nazaryan, “Armenian Weaving Centers in the Ottoman Em- pire on the Eve of the Genocide”; Harold Bedoukian, “Armenian Orphans and Orphanages: Their Contribution to the Carpet Weaving World”; Vahram Shemmassian,” The Industries at the Armenian Refugee Camp of Port Said, 1915-1919”; Hratch Kozibeyokian, “The Revival of an Ancient People and Their Crafts in Post-World War I Alep- po, Syria”; Susan Lind-Sinanian: “Stitching to Survive: Handcrafts of Armenian Widows and Orphans, 1896- 1930”; Bared Maronian, “The Newly-Discovered Hajin Orphan Rug.” Dr. Hasmig Baran will introduce the speak- ers.
CSUN is located at 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, California. The parking structure is B3 at Darby and Prairie streets (the information booth for parking tickets is on Prairie). For further information, contact vahram.shemmassian@csun.edu or (818) 677-3456.
PROF. JAMES RUSSELL TO SPEAK ON “AN ARMENIAN ECCENTRIC: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF KARA DARVISH”
FRESNO -- Dr. James Russell, Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies at Harvard University will speak on “An Armenian Eccentric: The Life and Times of Kara Darvish” at 7:30 PM on Thursday, March 20, 2014, in the University Business Center, Alice Peters Auditorium, Room 191, on the Fresno State campus.
The lecture is part of the Armenian Studies Program Spring Lecture Series and is co-sponsored by the Armenian Students Organization at Fresno State and the National Asso- ciation for Armenian Studies and Research. The Spring Lec- ture Series is funded through the Leon S. Peters Foundation.
Kara Darvish (Hakob Genjian) was an Armenian Futurist poet who lived and worked mainly in Tiflis, Georgia, before and after World War I. He wrote several novels and manifes- toes, but is best known for the “postcard” poems he distribut- ed at cafés and outside cinemas which proclaim his cosmopol- itan and revolutionary credo and experiment with odd type- faces and experiment with incantatory nonsense words in Ar- menian, dipping also into the Armenian mythological past. (His Russian Futurist colleagues named this technique zaum‘, i.e., transrational language.) Among his friends and associates were the poets Osip Mandelstam and Yeghishe Charents; and Kostan Zarian evokes the poet and his turbulent surroundings in the novel Nave leran vra (“The Ship upon the Mountain”).
Dr. James R. Russell is the Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies in the Department of Near Eastern Lan- guages and Civilizations at Harvard University. Professor Russell has authored over one hundred scholarly articles, many of which have been collected in his Armenian and Iranian Studies (2004). He is most recently the author of a study on and translation of the collected poems of Bedros Tourian entitled Bosphorus Nights (2006).
The lecture is free and open to the public. Free parking will be available, using a parking code, in Lots P5 and P6 adjacent to the UBC the night of the lecture. For more information on the lecture please contact the Armenian Studies Program at 278-2669.
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FIVE CANDIDATES QUALIFY FOR GLENDALE’S JUNE SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION
GLENDALE, CA -- Glendale’s City Clerk announced today that five candidates had qualified for the ballot in the upcoming June 3, 2014 Special Municipal Election. Seven individuals had expressed interest in running but on- ly five submitted papers to qualify. The City Clerk’s office confirmed that all five candidates who returned their papers had the requisite 100 signatures from registered Glendale voters to qualify each candidate for the ballot. The order of candidates to appear on the ballot will be determined by a randomized alphabets drawing that is conducted by the California Secretary of State on March 13, 2014.
These are the candidates who have qualified (List is alphabetical by last name. Actual order will be determined on 3/13/14):
• Rick Barnes Business Owner / Realtor • Paula Devine Retired Teacher • Vartan Gharpetian Business Owner • Chahe Keuroghelian Small Business Manager • Mike Mohill Retired Businessman
The June 3, 2014 Special Municipal Election was triggered by the election of then-Councilmember Rafi Manoukian to the office of City Treasurer in April 2013. The resulting vacancy was filled by retiring Councilmem- ber Frank Quintero who was appointed by the City Council until such time that a special consolidated election could be held to fill the vacancy. The City Council voted to hold a Special Municipal Election consolidated with the State Primary which will be conducted by the County of Los Angeles.
“Although we will not be conducting this election, we will be working closely with the County of Los Ange- les’s Elections Division to provide as much information as possible to our city’s residents,” said Ardy Kassakhian, City Clerk. “It will be a unique election in that most people are not accustomed to voting for city council in June, so we need everyone’s help in getting the word out to participate.”
The City of Glendale plans on updating its popular GlendaleVotes.org website with information about the election and the candidates vying for the open seat. The winner of the June election will have to participate in the April 2015 regularly scheduled biennial municipal election.
ENROLLMENT APPROACHING FOR ARMENIAN VIRTUAL COLLEGE SPRING TERM
Spring registration for AGBU’s Armenian Virtual College (AVC) will begin on March 14, 2014. The free AVC chess course is back by popular demand for the third consecutive term, in addition to AVC’s for-credit classes in Armenian language, history and culture.
The AVC chess course was met with widespread praise when it first launched in the fall, most notably from Armenia’s President Serzh Sarkisian. President Sarkisian and his delegation visited the AVC booth at the annual Digitec Expo, which draws thousands of individuals and international businesses to Yerevan. There, AVC founder and ABGU Central Board member Dr. Yervant Zorian demonstrated the chess program’s user-friendly features, including exercises, puzzles and quizzes—the product of an ongoing partnership with the Armenian Chess Federa- tion. The state delegation welcomed the course as a way to further promote chess in public schools, keeping in line with the Ministry of Education’s mission.
Dr. Zorian, who saw the program’s enrollment increase after its pilot semester, remarked on its quality: “We are pleased that the AVC chess course was so well-received in the fall and winter terms. Through events such as the Digitec Expo, and our growing community of online subscribers, we’ve shown that AVC is truly at the forefront of the e-learning movement. We look forward to continuing to expand our reach, and connecting with even more chess talents, in the spring.”
The AVC spring term will run from April 21 – June 24, 2014. To register for the AVC chess course and other AVC classes, email enrollment@avc-agbu.org. Or, visit the AVC portal at www.avc-agbu.org to create your login and submit your enrollment application.
The chess course is offered free of charge. Standard rates apply for all other AVC courses.
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SHIFTING INTER-RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ARMENIA AND DIASPORA By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
The Diaspora Ministry of the Republic of Armenia invited a small group of scholars and analysts to Yerevan last December to discuss the Diaspora’s changing role in relation to the homeland. The participants in the “Chang- ing Diaspora in an Ever-changing World” roundtable had come from Argentina, Armenia, Germany, Lebanon, Russia, Ukraine, and the U nited States.
The discussion centered on the form ation of the Diaspora, current challenges, Armenia-Diaspora collaboration, improved links for closer cooperation b etween Armenia and Diaspora, and t he quest for new working m echanisms and perspectives.
Here are excerpts from my presentation at the meeting:
The Diaspora encountered a co mpletely new set of ci rcumstances after Armenia’s independence. The sudden realization of the long-cherished drea m of free Armenia caught many Diasporans by surprise. New words appeared in their vocabulary: Artsakh (Karabagh), earthquake, bl ockade, protocol, opposition, coalition government, regime change.
Most Diasporans had a hard tim e distinguishing between the actions of an individual, group or organization andtherightsandobligationsofastate.Atthesame time,Armenia’snewleaderscouldnotfullycomprehendthe patriotic sentiments, wishes and desires of Diasporan Armenians, causing a disconcerting rift between the two sides.
Complicating matters, the Diaspora is not a monolithic group, but is composed of distinct subsets, having tak- en shape at different ti mes in foreign lands under various cultural and linguistic i nfluences.
WhenaskedbyjournalistsinArmeniaaboutDiaspora’sviewsonaparticularissue,Ihave difficultyanswer- ing such a question. How can any one encapsulate the diverse views of seven million Diasporans? To reflect the opinion of the majority of the Diaspora, one would need to form a pan-Arm enian body, either by expanding the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s functions beyond fundraising or creating a bran d new structure that would represent Armenians worldwide, except those in Ar menia and Artsakh, based on the pri nciple of ‘one man, one vote.’ The elected representatives would have the right to speak in th e name of all Diaspora Armenians and meet periodically with the leadership of Armenia and Ar tsakh to consult and coordinate their priorities on pan -Armenian issues.
Leaders of all three wings of the Armenian nation (Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora) can then discuss their respective positions, and agree on the role each wou ld play. Such a division of labor is preferable over unending internal feuds and conflicts that so metimes take place, as was the case during the signing of the Ar menia-Turkey Protocols.
It is incumbent upon Armenia’s leadership to be more sensitive on issues that are im portant for Diaspora Ar- menians and consult with t hem before taking fi nal decisions.
Understandably, Armenia’s leaders are not obliged to take orders from anyone outside the country’s borders. While having the final say over all mat ters, they nevertheless have the moral duty and obligation to consider the viewsofkeyDiasporanorganizations,intheabsenceof aDiaspora-wideelectedbody.Inanycase,Armenia’sau- thorities are responsible before the nation for their actions . They are praised when taking the right decisions and criticized when they do not.
It must be stated that an elective Diaspora-wide structure, no matter how difficult to establish, woul d be far moreinclusiveandrepresentativethanappointedleaders--despitetheirdevotedefforts-- whomerelyrepresent their respective members. It is imperative to include large segments of our people in all activities, so that we be- come more effective in our endeavors, particularly at a time when Azerbaijan and Turke y are organizing their Di- asporas and spending tens of millions of dollars to underm ine our just dem ands on the eve of the Genocide Centen- nial.
As we often state: “Azerbaijan has oil, Georgia has a sea, and A rmenia has a Diaspora!” However, a d isor- ganized and dwindling Diaspora would be of little value for our national cause. It can neithe r preserve itself nor be of any assistance to the homeland.
We must do everything possible to have a powerful hom eland and a strong Diaspora. The survival of each i s dependent on the vitality of the other. Despite the valiant efforts of the Diaspora Ministry, we must realize that the magnitudeofwhatneedstobedoneis soenormousthatitexceedsthecapabilitiesofany oneministry.Thereisa clear need for the concerte d efforts of A rmenia’s entire leadership to make Diaspora Armenians feel welcome and at home!
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Background
JUDICIAL CANDIDATE JOSEPH BERMAN, THE ADL, AND THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE By David Boyajian
The presentation below was given by David Boyajian at a public hearing for attorney Joseph S. Berman before the Massachusetts Governor’s Council on February 26, 2014. The hearing took place at the State House in Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Boyajian is a member of the Armenian American community of Massachusetts.
In 2013, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick nominated Mr. Berman, a long-time member and National Commissioner of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), to be a Superior Court judge. The Massachusetts Constitu- tion empowers the eight elected members of the Governor’s Council to confirm or reject all judicial nominations.
Following Mr. Berman’s first Governor’s Council hearing on November 13, 2013, a three-month long public controversy ensued over his suitability to be a judge.
The Councilors had several reasons, beside his ADL lead- ership post, for doubting Mr . Berman’ s suitability: his lack of truthfulness as to whether he had asked elected officials to lobby the Councilors on his behalf; a lack of criminal trial experience; poor demeanor; over $100,000 in political campaign contribu- tions, including to Governor Patrick, since being rejected for a judgeship in 2004; and more.
On February 26, the Governor’s Council vote was a 4-4 tie, which means that Mr. Berman’s candidacy for a judgeship failed.
Presentation by David Boyajian
Councilors, thank you for the opportunity to address you today.
I know that a majority of you have previously indicated they will not confirm Joseph Berman to be a Superior Court judge, and that you have a variety of reasons for that.
I’ve listened to the tape of Mr. Berman’s first hearing in November, and I’m aware of those reasons.
Mr. Berman’s position as a National Commissioner of the Anti-Defamation League, which has engaged in in- excusable activities against an ethnic group - Armenian Americans – is one reason that has been expressed by some.
I must note that in his questionnaire in November of 2013, Mr. Berman listed himself as being on both the Na- tional and Regional ADL boards.
I’ll be providing factual context to what I will be saying about Mr. Berman’s nomination and the ADL so that the Council, those present, and the media, understand my remarks. This is especially important because the media has often misrepresented some essential facts.
I’m going to talk about the credibility of Mr. Berman and, because New England (N.E.) ADL officials have publicly supported him, the credibility of the N.E. ADL.
During his November 2013 hearing, Mr. Berman did himself no favors when, during questioning by Councilor Jubinville, he repeatedly denied having called any official or candidate to lobby the Councilors. He later had to admit to Councilor Caissie that that morning he had phoned a State Senator – now a Congresswoman - to lobby some of you. Credibility and truthfulness are, of course, essential qualities in a judge.
Mr. Berman has been a member of the ADL for about 19 years, and an ADL National Commissioner since 2006.
For 20 years - and probably even longer - the ADL has been denying the factuality of the Armenian genocide committed by Turkey against Armenian Christians from 1915 to 1923. The ADL, consciously and deliberately, went out of its way to engage in anti-human rights activities directed against a particular ethnic group, namely Ar- menian Americans, who had never given the ADL any reason to do so.
All those years, surely the New England ADL, including Mr. Berman, knew what the ADL was doing. Did they speak out? No.
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The ADL, which claims to be a universal human rights organization, not just a Jewish one, has also actively worked with Turkey, a major human rights violator, to defeat Armenian genocide resolutions in the US Congress. Can you imagine any genuine human rights group, such as Amnesty International, actively working against recog- nition of a proven genocide?
Just imagine the ADL’s reaction if some organization which claimed to uphold human rights were trying to stop the scores of Holocaust resolutions in the U.S. Congress, the United Nations, and other countries.
Would the Governor even be nominating Mr. Berman if the ADL was trying to defeat a Congressional resolu- tion recognizing the evils of Black Slavery?
What would your reaction be if the ADL made a deal with the British Government to defeat a resolution on the Irish Famine?
At his November 2013 hearing, Mr. Berman was asked what he’d do if he were a member of an organization which opposed recognition of the Holocaust. He said only that he would oppose the policy. I don’t believe him. I believe that he would resign from such an organization. Yet he never resigned from the ADL.
Some essential background if I may: Jewish political analysts and the Jewish media have acknowledged that the ADL’s anti-Armenian activities came about as part of a three-way deal many years ago among Turkey, Israel, and a few of the leading Jewish American lobbying groups, including the ADL, the American Jewish Committee, AIPAC, the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, and B’nai B’rith.
I know this personally because 10 years ago a fine man, William Parsons, the then-Chief of Staff at the US Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, gave a public lecture at Tufts. He told me afterwards that the ADL was indeed lobbying against Armenian Americans. Has it never occurred to the National ADL and its Commissioners that they cannot credibly ask us to commemorate the Holocaust while they simultaneously work to cover up a Christian genocide?
Again, surely the New England ADL, and its National Commissioners, including Mr. Berman, knew what the ADL was up to. Did they ever speak out? No.
I must mention that scores of American organizations, of various orientations and ethnic groups, and many well-known Jewish American organizations, historians, authors, human rights advocates, and elected officials, have openly supported the Armenian genocide resolution. Such groups include the American Jewish World Service
In July of 2007, the ADL’s Armenian genocide denials and lobbying for Turkey against Armenian Americans began to make headlines. It started locally with a letter I wrote to the Watertown Tab newspaper pointing out that Watertown was one of many municipalities that had adopted the ADL’s alleged anti-bias program known as “No Place for Hate.”
It quickly became a national and international issue. Frantic diplomatic activity took place between Turkey and Israel. There are hundreds of articles about this archived on the Armenian American activists’ website known as NoPlaceForDenial.com.
On NoPlaceforDenial.com, please look particularly at the section titled “The History of Lobbying Against Genocide Recognition”, which contains revealing arti- cles from the Jewish and non-Jewish press. You will be shocked and repulsed.
So, what did the N.E. ADL and Joseph Berman say or do before this issue erupt- ed in 2007? Apparently, nothing.
In August of 2007, Andrew Tarsy, head of the N.E. ADL, after initially not ac- knowledging the Armenian genocide, then spoke out publicly, and acknowledged the Armenian genocide. He was fired by ADL National Director Abraham Foxman. Did Mr. Berman ever speak out publicly? No.
Mike Ross, the Boston City Councilor, and Stewart Cohen, former chairman of Polaroid, immediately resigned from the ADL. Did Joseph Berman resign? No. In his first Governor’s Council hearing, in November, Mr. Berman was asked about this. He replied that he wrote a resignation “in his head”, but never acted on it. I am sorry, but “in his head” is not good enough.
Mr. Berman says that he and some other New England ADL members went to New York City in November of 2007 to the ADL’s national conclave. They said they wanted the ADL to change its stance against Armenians. First, even assuming that they did so, at that point it was too little, too late.
You see, three months earlier, soon after this issue broke, the National ADL, on August 21, 2007, issued a statement that purported to be an acknowledgment of the Armenian genocide, but was not.
, the
Jewish War Veterans of the USA, and Jewish World Watch.
Those Jewish organizations spoke out. Did the New England ADL, and Mr. Berman? No.
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The ADL’s full statement implied that the Armenian genocide – it also used the phrase “tantamount to geno- cide” – was simply a “consequence” of wartime conditions. But the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention, the grandfather of all international law on genocide, specifically requires intent by the perpetrator to legally be “genocide”.
Now, that legalistically dishonest ADL statement was implicitly rejected not just by Armenian Americans and human rights advocates. It was also rejected by the Massachusetts Municipal Association, which represents all the Commonwealth’s cities and towns. The MMA cut ties with the ADL’s “No Place for Hate” even after the ADL statement. The following municipalities also cut ties after the ADL statement: Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Lex- ington, Medford, Needham, Newburyport, Newton, Northampton, Peabody, Somerville, and Westwood.
Many top members of the N.E. ADL, including Mr. Berman, are lawyers. Surely, if laymen can understand the dishonest wording in the National ADL’s statement in August of 2007, so can lawyers in the N.E. ADL. A judge should have knowledge and integrity when it comes to civil and human rights law.
Yet now – and only now – are we hearing publicly from Mr. Berman on the Armenian genocide issue, just when he wishes to become a judge.
Indeed, I do not recall any member of the N.E. ADL publicly pointing out that the National ADL’s August 21, 2007 statement was worded so as to not meet the U.N’s official definition of genocide. Many of the persons who signed a recent petition supporting Mr. Berman – including former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger and former Governor William Weld – are also attorneys.
Have any of them ever publicly pointed out the legal problems with the ADL’s August 2007 statement? Not to my knowledge.
In late 2007, the N.E. ADL did request the National ADL to reverse its anti-Armenian policies.
But that was many years, even decades, after it had to have known of those policies. And only after Massa- chusetts Armenians Americans forced the issue in the summer of 2007.
And what have the N.E ADL and Mr. Berman done since 2007 on the Armenian issue? Apparently, nothing at all, and worse.
You see, in 2008, Mr. Derek Shulman became the N.E. ADL’s new director. He served until last month. Who is Derek Shulman? He was a “political director” in AIPAC, the American Israel Political Affairs Committee. It is a matter of public record that AIPAC, since at least the early 1990’s, has worked directly with Turks to defeat Ar- menian genocide resolutions in the U.S. Congress. If, in 2008, the N.E. ADL and Mr. Berman were truly sincere in the wake of being criticized over the Armenian genocide issue, why would they allow themselves to be led by a person from an organization, AIPAC, that has an anti-Armenian record?
Indeed, even though the N.E. ADL claims to have told the national ADL that it should favor the Armenian genocide resolution, in a presentation he gave in Falmouth, Massachusetts in 2012, Derek Shulman told his audi- ence that “we” – implying the N.E. and the national ADL – oppose the Armenian genocide resolution.
In other words, the N.E. ADL and its leaders, including Mr. Berman, are not credible.
And where were the leaders of the N.E. ADL in 2007, including Mr. Berman, when the Armenian Heritage Park, which had been designated by a state law passed by the legislature for the Rose Kennedy Greenway, was un- der attack, for specious reasons, by a top member of the New England ADL, namely Peter Meade, head of the Greenway Conservancy?
Mr. Meade, though Catholic, was and is a board member of the N.E. ADL. In an article I wrote for area newspapers, titled “The Greenway is No Place for the ADL”, I disproved the specious reasons being cited by the Boston Globe, such as that there were supposedly no memorials or ethnic content slated for the Greenway. As a member of the anti-Armenian ADL, Mr. Meade had a clear conflict of interest vis-a-vis the Armenian Park.
Why didn’t the leaders of N.E. ADL 2007, including Mr. Berman, speak out publicly against Mr. Meade’s conflict of interest?
I will conclude with some facts regarding what this nomination is not about.
First, I know that no Governor’s Councilor is making a decision on this nomination on the basis of ethnicity or religion.
Moreover, the ADL and Armenian genocide issue is not even remotely a matter of Armenian Americans ver- sus Jewish Americans. The two peoples are, in fact, very friendly. Over the years, probably hundreds of joint community and academic events and programs on genocide have been held by the two communities. For example, the American Jewish University in Los Angeles will hold just such an event on March 10th.
In the year 2000, 126 Holocaust Scholars signed a petition appearing in the New York Times that acknowl- edged the Armenian genocide.
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A renowned Polish Jewish lawyer, Raphael Lemkin, actually coined the word “genocide” in the 1940’s and was the primary author of the United Nations Genocide Convention of 1948. In a CBS-TV interview in 1949, which can be seen on YouTube, Lemkin said that the principal reason he became interested in genocide was be- cause “it happened to the Armenians”. Nearly 20 countries, including Canada, France, the Netherlands, and Argen- tina, as well as the International Association of Genocide Scholars, the European Union Parliament, the Parliament of the Council of Europe, a U.N. Subcommittee, the Vatican, and many more institutions have officially recognized the Armenian genocide specifically as “genocide.”
Finally, the ADL, and its National Commissioners, and similar groups, owe Armenian American reparations. They must apologize to Armenian Americans, they must unambiguously recognize the Armenian genocide, and they must work affirmatively for passage of the Armenian genocide resolution.
The ADL claims it is a universal human rights organization that defends the rights of all ethnic groups. At this time, that claim is false.
The ADL, led by its National Commissioners, owe it to the Jewish American community and others to reform so that the ADL truly supports universal human rights.
For all the above reasons, I respectfully ask that the Governor’s Council not confirm ADL National Commis- sioner Joseph Berman as a judge. Thank you.
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