Newsletter issue number 013 (October 2007)

Robert Kocharian, Armenia's president, has welcomed a vote by a US House of Representatives' committee supporting the description of mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks after 1915 as genocide.

He said: “We hope this process will lead to a full recognition by the United States of America of the fact of the Armenian genociders.”

Kocharian made the remarks after talks with Javier Solana, the EU foreign policy chief, in Brussels on Thursday.

He urged Turkey to join Armenia in talks to restore bilateral relations, but said Ankara had no right to bully other nations into refraining from recognising the killings as genocide.

Interview by Carlos Jose Bourdjian

Azad-Hye Special

He is the one who brought life again to big Armenian hits like “Yerevani Kishernerum” (Yerevan Nights), “Yerchangoutyan Artsunknere” (Tears of Happiness), “Hayi Achker” (Armenian's Eyes), “Dzaghigners um nvirem” (To whom I dedicate my flowers) many other oldies (see more songs in our Music Section). He rearranged these classical songs keeping the old flavor and with his “Romance” and “Mi Khoskov” (In One Word) albums he succeeded to deliver the message of Love to every family in Armenia and in Diaspora as well.

By Qassim Abdul-Zahra

Weeping mourners called for justice Wednesday at a funeral for two Armenian Christian women killed while driving in Baghdad – the second shooting of civilians involving a security firm linked to U.S. government- financed work in Iraq in less than a month.

The funeral Mass for Marou Awanis and Geneva Jalal, who died in Tuesday's shooting, was held at the Virgin Mary Church. Awanis' three daughters cried and other female relatives wailed over the caskets, adorned only with a golden cross.

The National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia has established “The Department of Scientists of the Armenian Diaspora” and is urging Armenian individuals and organizations to complete the application form (see link below) and send it to the appropriate address.

Click Read more link to get:

1- Introduction letter from the Embassy of Armenian in the UAE.
2- Academician Radik Martirosyan's message (in Armenian).
3- Academician Radik Martirosyan's message (in English).
4- The application form in Armenian.
5- The application form in English.
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Interview by Sylvia Bourdjian – Matta

Azad-Hye Special

Autumn is already here; fresh, colorful yet beautiful and charming. Through its colors I introduce a young Armenian multitalented artist; Sona Yeghiazaryan; painter, singer and photographer too.

Sona Yeghiazaryan is born in Armavir, Armenia in 1985. Her father is artist-Designer Mels Yeghiazaryan (a wood sculptor and interior designer). She started drawing when she was two years old and had two exhibitions in pre-school. From 1992 until 2000 Sona studied at the Public School of Armavir, then from 1992 until 2006 she had several personal exhibitions in Armenia, Belarus and the USA. In 2001 Sona participated in the International Young Drawings Festival in Minsk and exhibited in the Art Gallery of Marc Chagall. During the same year she was awarded first place in the Armenian National Placard Competition “Children Against Smoking”. In 2004 Sona was recognized as one of the winners of the 20th Annual Artist's Magazine Art Competition. In the US her work has been exhibited in various well known venues such as the Cooper Union and Pen and Brush in NYC as well as the Donald B. Palmer Museum in Springfield NJ. She paints with oil, acrylic and watercolor and her art dwells on the boundaries of realism and abstraction.

Wales-Armenia Solidarity
Uniting the Welsh and Armenians

Saturday 3rd November 2007 at 1.00 pm, the historic consecration of a Khatchkar will take place in Cardiff (Wales, United Kingdom), in the presence of dignitaries and communities from three countries.

The khatchkar is 6 foot high, weighs 2.5 tons and has inscriptions in Welsh, Armenian and English on a stone chosen to closely match tufa.

Wales has distinguished itself by being the first country within the United Kingdom to recognise the Armenian Genocide at both national and regional levels.

A Wells Fargo Bank Vice President (in the United States) and branch manager, Talin Amirian completed a month of voluntary work at Orran, a center for needy children and elderly in her homeland, the Republic of Armenia.

Ms. Amirian was a participant in Wells Fargo's community reinvestment program whereby the bank employees receive up to four months of volunteer leave, receiving full pay and benefits. Unlike most employees who choose a program close to home, Ms. Amirian crossed the ocean to reach her favorite charity, through which she had been supporting a needy family by a monthly personal contribution.

Interview by Sylvia Bourdjian-Matta

Azad-Hye Special

Der Housig Setragian is one of those priests you would like to sit and converse with. You will feel that you are talking to a friend not a priest. Recently I had the opportunity to discuss with him about his first volume “Vark Kahanayatz Perio Temi 1850-2005” (Biographies of Aleppo Diocese's Priests 1850-2005). He has invested plenty of time and energy to make this book a reality.

The material of the book is collected from 1991 until 2005. The book is published under the patronage of Aleppo's Primate Bishop Shahan Sarkissian with the support of Vrej Kaprielian. This is the first of a two volume project. It has about 430 pages and describes the lives, accomplishments and activities (religious, social and sometimes political) of deceased priests dating from the second half of the 19th century till present time

After about three months of construction and renovations, works are almost finished at the Aydzemnig's Garabed Apikian elderly house. The works included the renovation of the building's roof, the first floor's bathrooms and the complete restructuring of one of the second floor's wings, along with the necessary changes of electrical wirings and cables.

On 21 September, the 16th Anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Armenia was celebrated at the Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy (ACPA), Calcutta. The hoisting of the tricolour flag of Armenia was greeted with loud applause, followed by the national anthem sung by the students of the ACPA, who were very happy and proud to see their county's flag wave in the Indian skies.

The Administrator of the ACPA, Deacon Haroutyun Hambartsumyan, welcomed the guests and spoke about the importance of the occasion. He pointed out that, the nation earned its independence with great difficulty and sacrifice, and therefore it was the duty of every Armenian, he emphasized, not only to cherish it, but also to contribute to the prosperity of the beloved fatherland.

The winner by Scouts votes of the 2007 EUROPA stamp competition is the Armenian operator HAYPOST.

EUROPA stamps are special stamps issued by European postal administrations / enterprises, under the aegis of PostEurop, and that have Europe as their central theme.

The EUROPA stamp best design competition is a yearly event which takes place during PostEurop's Plenary Assembly. The first competition, in 2002 saw Malta win best stamp design. Following winning stamps from 2003 to 2006 were from Monaco, Greenland, Iceland and Ukraine.

Interview by Yonca Poyraz Dogan

“Today's Zaman”, Istanbul

We had a sincere interview with the Patriarch, ranging from politics to his personal life, beliefs and hobbies.

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Could you talk about your childhood, your neighborhood, your education?

I was born in Istanbul in Tarlabasi on Yogurtcu Faik Street. We had Muslims, Jews, Greeks and Armenians in the neighborhood. Everybody knew everybody else's important religious celebrations. We had wonderful days having many celebrations together, especially on holidays. I grew up in the Taksim neighborhood around Talimhane, where Taksim square is. I went to the Esayan Armenian school in Taksim. I continued my education at the Istanbul English High School for Boys. Later I went to the Stuttgart American College in Germany. In the United States, I went to the Memphis State University to study sociology. Then to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, then to Angelicum University in Rome, Italy and finally got my doctorate at St. Mary's University in Washington.