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California Courier Online, March 8, 2007
1 - Commentary
Amb. Evans Speaks for the First Time
About His Genocide Acknowledgment
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
2 - San Francisco Armenian
Film Festival Call for Entries
3 - Chuck Poochigian to Address
FAPC Men's Lenten Gathering
4 - Prelacy Hosts Sunday
School Teachers'
One-Day Seminar
5 - Gov. Schwarzenegger
Appoints Abkarian to
Medical Board
6 - Turk Sues Armenia for 150 Million Euros;
'Genocide Charges Made Him Lose Contracts'
7 - Darchinyan Batters Burgos
To Retain IBF flyweight title
************************************************* *****************
1 - Commentary
Amb. Evans Speaks for the First Time
About His Genocide Acknowledgment
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
The USC Institute of Armenian Studies honored former U.S. ambassador to
Armenia John Marshall Evans during a gala banquet celebrating its second
anniversary on March 4, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills. Morethan 900
guests attended the event during which over $1 million was raised for the
Institute.
I was asked to introduce Amb. Evans at the banquet. Below is the text of my
introductory remarks followed by the text of the keynote address of Amb. Evans:
Harut Sassounian's introduction of Amb. Evans:
We just watched together, for the first time, the recently discovered video
of the profoundly moving remarks that Ambassador John Evans made two years ago
in Fresno. He delivered similarly candid remarks during the rest of his
February 2005 tour of Boston, Los Angeles and Berkeley.
As the video showed, Ambassador Evans spoke about the Armenian Genocide in an
"honest, forthright and sensitive" manner. He did not make a slip of the
tongue. He did not play word games. He called a spade a spade by referring to the
Armenian Genocide simply as=80¦GENOCIDE!
He knew that his honesty could cost him his job. And it did.
Before going to Fresno, on his first morning in Los Angeles, he invited me to
have breakfast with him, during which he freely discussed the Armenian
Genocide in the presence of three other State Department and U.S. Embassy officials.
He said he had studied the Armenian Genocide extensively and asked for
specific documents on this issue.
For those not familiar with the political gamesmanship involving this serious
matter, I must explain that no federal official has dared to use the term
"Armenian Genocide," since Pres. Reagan's proclamation 1981. Successive U.S.
administrations, both Republican and Democrat, have avoided the term "Armenian
Genocide," in order to placate the Turkish government, in disgraceful complicity
with its denialist policy.
At our breakfast meeting, I was intrigued by Amb. Evans' intense interest in
the Armenian Genocide. I was surprised at his forthright manner of speaking
about this issue. I was even more surprised, when in the following days, during
his public remarks at various venues, he openly spoke about the Armenian
Genocide. While his Armenian audiences were stunned by his frank remarks, they were
concerned about any possible damage his words may cause to his career.
Ambassador Evans is a highly educated and experienced diplomat. He had
studied Russian History at Yale and Columbia. He served in various diplomatic posts
in Tehran, Prague, Moscow, St. Petersburg, the U.S. Mission to NATO, and as
Deputy Director of the Soviet Desk, among others.
Regrettably, the prophetic words you heard him say in the video, about the
risk of losing his job for talking about the Armenian Genocide, came true.
Immediately upon returning to Washington, D.C. from California, he
courageously told his superiors at the State Department that he had acknowledged the
Armenian Genocide, during his visits with the Armenian-American community.
After receiving complaints from Turkish officials and their lobbyists, the
State Department forced Amb. Evans to issue a retraction as well as a
correction, stating that he was expressing his personal opinion and not government
policy, and that he should not have used the word genocide.
Several months later, when the American Foreign Service Association granted
him the "Constructive Dissent" Award for his outspoken views on the Armenian
Genocide, the State Department made him give up that prestigious honor.
Unfortunately, after all that, this distinguished career diplomat was forced
into "early retirement" from the US Foreign Service. This very honest and
highly competent civil servant's career was terminated for courageously speaking
the truth.
Under the rules of ethics and morality, honesty should be rewarded, not
punished! And justice demands that those who lie get fired -- not those whotell
the truth!
Ambassador Evans, the good and humble man that he is, cannot understand why
he's being honored today for simply speaking the truth. He cannot understand
why Armenians worldwide are calling him a national hero and a "modern day Henry
Morgenthau" -- another righteous U.S. Ambassador who did everything in his
power to save the perishing Armenians during the genocide of 1915 in Turkey.
In closing, I must say that Ambassador Evans did not just dwell on the
genocide issue during his two-year tenure in Armenia.
He and his wife Donna were deeply engaged in every aspect of Armenian life.
To the last day of his service in Yerevan, Amb. Evans was initiating projects,
funding new programs, and helping to strengthen the rule of law and democracy
in Armenia.
He even learned to speak some Armenian and gave brief talks in the Armenian
language. He loved Armenia and its people.
John and Donna Evans went beyond the call of duty to assist the fledgling
Republic of Armenia for which Ambassador Evans was decorated by President
Kocharian with one of the highest medals of the Republic.
Ambassador Evans deserves the undying gratitude of the Armenian nation for
his distinguished service to the United States of America, the Republic of
Armenia and his sacrifices for the Armenian Cause!
Ambassador John Evans remarks:
I do find it unusual that anyone, even a former government official, should
be honored simply for telling the truth. It should not be that way. Perhaps
this is a sad commentary on our times.
In any case, no one should imagine that they owe me any thanks for telling
the truth.
When I called the Events of 1915 by their historically correct name - which
is "genocide" - I used a word the U.S. Government does not currently employ. As
you have just witnessed in this short film, I knew what I was doing and knew
it might have consequences for my career. The decision was wholly mine. No one
put me up to it. I stand by it. I have taken responsibility for it, paid a
price for it. As a consequence, I am free to be with you this evening in support
of the USC Institute of Armenian Studies.
None of us in this room is so naïve as to imagine that the official foreign
policy of great states - even of the United States - is ever based solely on
"the truth." As educated people, we also are aware that even arriving at and
defining the truth can be difficult. But in the real world, when an official
policy diverges wildly from what the broad public believes is self-evident,that
policy ceases to command respect.
Let me give you an example: You may remember the Iraqi Minister of
Information, who, as Coalition Forces were closing in on Baghdad, asked histelevision
viewers, "whom do you believe, your eyes or my words?" Not surprisingly, we
all believed our own eyes.
Of course, when it comes to events that occurred over ninety years ago, we
must rely not on our own eyes, but on eyewitness like Ambassador Henry
Morgenthau, Consul Leslie Davis, on historians, diplomatic archives - and on the
survivors themselves.
The overwhelming consensus of these sources is that the tragic events of
1915, despite all the complicating factors of war, rebellion and Great Power
politics, constituted genocide.
Above the entrance to the State Department Library, there stands a quotation
from Thomas Jefferson, some of whose books are in that library. It proclaims:
"We are not afraid to follow Truth wherever it may lead, nor [are we afraid]
to tolerate any error, so long as Reason is free to combat it."
Unfortunately Reason - which tells us that there was a genocide in 1915 -is
not everywhere free today to combat false assertions that the deaths of as many
as one and one half million Armenians came about as the result of mere
"relocations," "some excesses," "a few mishaps," "disease and famine." One country's
official policy of denying the Armenian Genocide interferes with the process
of seeking the truth; other countries' policies of going along with this
denial do not serve the truth. Instead what we have seen is the horrific murder of
Hrant Dink forty days ago.
Over the last twenty years or so, American politicians and diplomats have
been urging authorities in other parts of the world to listen to civil society
and to take into account what civil society -- that is, the realm of opinion
outside official circles -- thinks. A resolution of the Congress of the United
States calling on the Administration to take into account the fact of the
Armenian Genocide would be fully in harmony with this principle.
The Armenian Genocide should be recognized as such by this Congress.
Many people have asked me why, two years ago, I decided to speak out on the
Armenian Genocide. I am not Armenian. I have no Armenian relatives, even by
marriage, and in a diplomatic career of thirty-five years, I had never before
encountered a U.S. Government policy that I did not like and could not support,
certainly not in my own area of responsibility -- until, as the new U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia, I ran up hard against the issue of the Armenian Genocide. I
believe I owe people an explanation.
I have, therefore, started writing a book to explain the intellectual journey
that took me from knowing next to nothing about Armenia, Armenians, and the
Genocide, to the point where I felt I had to break publicly with U.S.
Government on this issue. I hope the story of my own intellectual journey may help
others, particularly those whose names, like my own, do not end in "-ian", to
reach a similar understanding.
In my book I intend not only to explain my own actions, but also to look at
some of the things that could and should be done to deal with the great wound
and the resulting problem posed by the Genocide. This is a difficult subject on
which honest people can disagree, and do, but I already have several ideas
that I hope to develop. I do not plan to work in a vacuum, but rather to talk to
people on all sides of the issue, many of whom are in this room. I dare to
hope that some of my readers will be Turkish-Americans and even Turks.
In the meantime, there is much work to be done. First and foremost, the
Republic of Armenia needs our help. I am personally proud to have been involved
in implementing the U.S. Government's official assistance programs, which now
include the hugely important Millennium Challenge Account. Taken together, the
official assistance programs of all the donor countries and institutions have
made a measurable difference in Armenia. The California Trade Office is now
open for business in Yerevan, and investment is taking place, if more slowly
than one would like. I know that many of you personally and through your work
have also made generous contributions and investment in Armenia. Thank you for
all you have done and, no doubt, will continue to do for Armenia. Armenia is
facing elections over the next twelve months. The United States is attempting to
help Armenia to stage the best possible free and fair elections, in the
belief that strengthening democracy will strengthen
Armenia itself.
Obviously not all Armenians live in the Republic, and it is also important
that the needs of Diasporans, especially young people, be met. For that reason,
I want especially to salute the USC Institute of Armenian Studies, which,
despite its relative youth, is doing a great job of ensuring that Armenian
history, arts, science and letters receive the serious academic attention they
deserve. The Institute should become even more capable, after this evening's
fund-raising event, of providing a vibrant center for the growing communityof
scholars it serves.
In any family there will always be divisions and differences of opinion, even
bitter quarrels. As an "odar" and friend of your particular family, I thinkI
can safely say that the Armenian-American community is at its best when it
joins forces for a common cause, as happened most notably in 1988 at the time of
the earthquake. To the extent that unnecessary divisions can be overcome,
without sacrificing democracy, the community will become stronger and more
capable of achieving its goals. Unity does not always need to occur as a result of
tragedy and disaster. Supporting the USC Institute of Armenian Studies ought to
be one of those unifying issues that merits your unified and continuing
support.
Although we have spent some time tonight thinking about the past, I
personally am looking forward to what we can achieve in the future, workingclosely
together as we have done in the past. Pari yerego yev shnorhagalutiun!
************************************************* *************************
2 - San Francisco Armenian
Film Festival Call for Entries
SAN FRANCISCO - The Armenian Film Festival is inviting submissions of films
and videos by or about Armenians. The next festival is scheduled for February
15, 16 and 17, 2008 at the Delancey Street Theater.
The film festival strives to present Armenian culture across the globe in
all its living diversity. "We are committed to screening high quality filmsand
videos produced by Armenians or about Armenians in any cultural, linguistic,
and geopolitical setting. Through these events, we hope to support the enormous
variety of excellent work being done by Armenian film and video makers on
one hand, and on the other to familiarize Armenians and non-Armenians alikewith
the breathtaking multiplicity that makes up our communities," organizers said.
We are interested in all forms of work - narrative and experimental,
documentary and fiction, drama and comedy, features, shorts, music videos, children's
films and animation.
All entries must be received by June 1, 2007. There is no entry fee.
Please send your preview copy of VHS or DVD (NTSC preferred) with completed
entry form (located at www.armenianfilmfestival.org), and press package to:
Armenian Film Festival, c/o Golden Thread Productions, 131 Tenth Street, San
Francisco, CA 94103, US.
For more information about the festival and to download the entry form,
please visit: http://www.armenianfilmfestival.org
************************************************** ***********************
3 - Chuck Poochigian to Address
FAPC Men's Lenten Gathering
FRESNO - Former California State Senator Charles S. Poochigian will keynote
the Lenten Season Dinner of the First Armenian Presbyterian Church Men's
Fellowship on March 13, at the FAPC Fellowship Hall, 430 South First Streetat
Huntington Boulevard in Fresno.
The gathering will begin with appetizers at 6:30 p.m. and continue with a
barbecue steak and chicken dinner at 7 p.m.
Reservations may be made by calling George Karkazian at (559) 297-0201.
A native of Fresno, Senator Poochigian received his undergraduate education
at California State University, Fresno and completed his graduate work at the
Santa Clara University School of Law.
After practicing civil law in Fresno for 13 years, he served as a senior
staff member to California Governor George Deukmejian and Appointments Secretary
to Governor Pete Wilson.
Attaining elective office in 1994, Poochigian represented the 29th District
in the California State Assembly and later the 14th District in the California
State Senate. He received the 2006 Republican nomination for California
Attorney General after completing 12 years of service in the state legislature.
Poochigian is married to the former Deborah Koligian and they have three
adult children and one grandchild.
Lent is the 40-day period preceding Easter Sunday and runs from Ash Wednesday
to Maundy Thursday. The Lenten Season is a time of preparation for Holy
Week, which recalls the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth in the
Roman Province of Judea circa AD 30.
Reverend Mgrdich Melkonian is Senior Pastor of FAPC, Reverend Aren Balabanian
is the Associate Pastor, and Edward N. Esajian is Chair of the Men's
Fellowship Executive Committee.
*************************************** **********************************
4 - Prelacy Hosts Sunday
School Teachers'
One-Day Seminar
GLENDALE - The directors and teachers of Prelacy Sunday Schools gathered at
St. Mary's Church in Glendale on Feb. 24, for a one-day seminar that was held
under the auspices of Prelate, Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, and organized
by the Sunday School Directorate. Similar gatherings take place regularly
organized by the Prelacy Christian Education Department to provide supplementary
information to Sunday Schools' instructors on topics including church history,
sacraments, calendar, and various other subject matters.
In addition to Christian Education Department Co-Directors Very Rev. Fathers
Muron Aznikian and Barthev Gulumian, Rev. Gomidas Torossian, Pastor of St.
Mary's Church, participated in the gathering along with about 40 teachers.
During the seminar, Hayr Muron presented in detail the eight Sundays of Lent,
from Paregentan to Easter Sunday, while Hayr Barthev presented and taught
hymns unique to the Sundays of Lent.
Throughout the seminar, teachers were also offered the opportunity to voice
their concerns about issues relating to religious education instruction. In
turn, the directors were given guidelines and examples of Sunday School
curricula which were prepared by the Christian Education Department,
The seminar concluded with a group picture, the singing of the Sunday School
anthem, and the closing prayer.
****************************************** **********************************
5 - Gov. Schwarzenegger
Appoints Abkarian to
Medical Board
SACRAMENTO - Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last week announced the
appointment of Albert Abkarian, 42, of Glendale, to the Osteopathic MedicalBoard.
He has served on the Board since 2006 and has served as senior partner and
associate for the law firm specializing in personal injury and workers'
compensation law, Albert Abkarian & Associates, since 2002.
Abkarian has also served as owner of CoasterCD since 2005.
Additionally, he is Glendale Civil Service Commissioner, an advisory member
on the Glendale Educational Foundation and volunteer arbitrator/mediator for
the Los Angeles and Orange County Superior Courts.
This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is
$100 per diem. Abkarian is a Republican.
************************************************* *************************
6 - Turk Sues Armenia for 150 Million Euros;
'Genocide Charges Made Him Lose Contracts'
STRASBOURG (Noyan Tapan) - A Turkish engineer, Melih Vidinli, addressed the
European Court of Human Rights with a demand of compensation of 150 million
euros from Armenia.
The monies will compensate him for business he lost due to the charge of
Genocide of the Armenians, which has caused him to suffer great material damages,
Marmara wrote, quoting Hurriyet.
In the applicant's words, the Constitution of Armenia by which recognition of
the Armenian Genocide is demanded contradicts the principles of the Council
of Europe.
Vidinli insists in his appeal that the policy carried on by Armenia in the
direction of the Genocide recognition spoils relations of Turkey with some
states, and trade institutions suffer from it, by being deprived of a number of
functions and signing of agreements.
The engineer insists that the decisions recognizing the Armenian Genocide
made by the parliaments of 19 countries laid obstacles on his organization's
ability to gain business contracts.
*************************************** ************************************
7 - Darchinyan Batters Burgos
To Retain IBF flyweight title
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Vic Darchinyan retained his International Boxing
Federation flyweight title by stopping game challenger Victor Burgos of Mexico in
the 12th round on March 3 at Carson's Home Depot Stadium. The card was
televised by Showtime.
The Armenian-born Darchinyan, who is now an Australian citizen, overwhelmed
former IBF junior flyweight champion Burgos from the start, using his crushing
left hand to the body and head to dominate the scheduled 12-rounder.
Burgos, who took a crunching punch to his body in the second round, fought
bravely but the accumulation of blows took its toll.
In the last round, Burgos, who had a big welt under his right eye and an
abrasion on his forehead, went down after a flurry of punches and a push that was
ruled a slip.
After reassuring the referee he was all right, the Mexican became to stumble
backwards as he was chased by Darchinyan, who hit him with two more lefts
before the referee stopped the bout at 1:27 of the round.
Burgos slumped to the canvas and had to be helped on to his stool. The
32-year-old Burgos was carried off on a stretcher and was taken to a nearby
hospital, slipping in and out of consciousness, according to ring doctor Paul Wallace.
Darchinyan, 31, improved to 28-0 in making his sixth defense of the IBF
crown. Burgos dropped to 39-15-3.
"I give him good credit, he's very tough," Darchinyan told reporters. "I hope
he's all right."
************************************* *************************************
8 -
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authorship.
1 - Commentary
Amb. Evans Speaks for the First Time
About His Genocide Acknowledgment
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
2 - San Francisco Armenian
Film Festival Call for Entries
3 - Chuck Poochigian to Address
FAPC Men's Lenten Gathering
4 - Prelacy Hosts Sunday
School Teachers'
One-Day Seminar
5 - Gov. Schwarzenegger
Appoints Abkarian to
Medical Board
6 - Turk Sues Armenia for 150 Million Euros;
'Genocide Charges Made Him Lose Contracts'
7 - Darchinyan Batters Burgos
To Retain IBF flyweight title
************************************************* *****************
1 - Commentary
Amb. Evans Speaks for the First Time
About His Genocide Acknowledgment
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
The USC Institute of Armenian Studies honored former U.S. ambassador to
Armenia John Marshall Evans during a gala banquet celebrating its second
anniversary on March 4, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills. Morethan 900
guests attended the event during which over $1 million was raised for the
Institute.
I was asked to introduce Amb. Evans at the banquet. Below is the text of my
introductory remarks followed by the text of the keynote address of Amb. Evans:
Harut Sassounian's introduction of Amb. Evans:
We just watched together, for the first time, the recently discovered video
of the profoundly moving remarks that Ambassador John Evans made two years ago
in Fresno. He delivered similarly candid remarks during the rest of his
February 2005 tour of Boston, Los Angeles and Berkeley.
As the video showed, Ambassador Evans spoke about the Armenian Genocide in an
"honest, forthright and sensitive" manner. He did not make a slip of the
tongue. He did not play word games. He called a spade a spade by referring to the
Armenian Genocide simply as=80¦GENOCIDE!
He knew that his honesty could cost him his job. And it did.
Before going to Fresno, on his first morning in Los Angeles, he invited me to
have breakfast with him, during which he freely discussed the Armenian
Genocide in the presence of three other State Department and U.S. Embassy officials.
He said he had studied the Armenian Genocide extensively and asked for
specific documents on this issue.
For those not familiar with the political gamesmanship involving this serious
matter, I must explain that no federal official has dared to use the term
"Armenian Genocide," since Pres. Reagan's proclamation 1981. Successive U.S.
administrations, both Republican and Democrat, have avoided the term "Armenian
Genocide," in order to placate the Turkish government, in disgraceful complicity
with its denialist policy.
At our breakfast meeting, I was intrigued by Amb. Evans' intense interest in
the Armenian Genocide. I was surprised at his forthright manner of speaking
about this issue. I was even more surprised, when in the following days, during
his public remarks at various venues, he openly spoke about the Armenian
Genocide. While his Armenian audiences were stunned by his frank remarks, they were
concerned about any possible damage his words may cause to his career.
Ambassador Evans is a highly educated and experienced diplomat. He had
studied Russian History at Yale and Columbia. He served in various diplomatic posts
in Tehran, Prague, Moscow, St. Petersburg, the U.S. Mission to NATO, and as
Deputy Director of the Soviet Desk, among others.
Regrettably, the prophetic words you heard him say in the video, about the
risk of losing his job for talking about the Armenian Genocide, came true.
Immediately upon returning to Washington, D.C. from California, he
courageously told his superiors at the State Department that he had acknowledged the
Armenian Genocide, during his visits with the Armenian-American community.
After receiving complaints from Turkish officials and their lobbyists, the
State Department forced Amb. Evans to issue a retraction as well as a
correction, stating that he was expressing his personal opinion and not government
policy, and that he should not have used the word genocide.
Several months later, when the American Foreign Service Association granted
him the "Constructive Dissent" Award for his outspoken views on the Armenian
Genocide, the State Department made him give up that prestigious honor.
Unfortunately, after all that, this distinguished career diplomat was forced
into "early retirement" from the US Foreign Service. This very honest and
highly competent civil servant's career was terminated for courageously speaking
the truth.
Under the rules of ethics and morality, honesty should be rewarded, not
punished! And justice demands that those who lie get fired -- not those whotell
the truth!
Ambassador Evans, the good and humble man that he is, cannot understand why
he's being honored today for simply speaking the truth. He cannot understand
why Armenians worldwide are calling him a national hero and a "modern day Henry
Morgenthau" -- another righteous U.S. Ambassador who did everything in his
power to save the perishing Armenians during the genocide of 1915 in Turkey.
In closing, I must say that Ambassador Evans did not just dwell on the
genocide issue during his two-year tenure in Armenia.
He and his wife Donna were deeply engaged in every aspect of Armenian life.
To the last day of his service in Yerevan, Amb. Evans was initiating projects,
funding new programs, and helping to strengthen the rule of law and democracy
in Armenia.
He even learned to speak some Armenian and gave brief talks in the Armenian
language. He loved Armenia and its people.
John and Donna Evans went beyond the call of duty to assist the fledgling
Republic of Armenia for which Ambassador Evans was decorated by President
Kocharian with one of the highest medals of the Republic.
Ambassador Evans deserves the undying gratitude of the Armenian nation for
his distinguished service to the United States of America, the Republic of
Armenia and his sacrifices for the Armenian Cause!
Ambassador John Evans remarks:
I do find it unusual that anyone, even a former government official, should
be honored simply for telling the truth. It should not be that way. Perhaps
this is a sad commentary on our times.
In any case, no one should imagine that they owe me any thanks for telling
the truth.
When I called the Events of 1915 by their historically correct name - which
is "genocide" - I used a word the U.S. Government does not currently employ. As
you have just witnessed in this short film, I knew what I was doing and knew
it might have consequences for my career. The decision was wholly mine. No one
put me up to it. I stand by it. I have taken responsibility for it, paid a
price for it. As a consequence, I am free to be with you this evening in support
of the USC Institute of Armenian Studies.
None of us in this room is so naïve as to imagine that the official foreign
policy of great states - even of the United States - is ever based solely on
"the truth." As educated people, we also are aware that even arriving at and
defining the truth can be difficult. But in the real world, when an official
policy diverges wildly from what the broad public believes is self-evident,that
policy ceases to command respect.
Let me give you an example: You may remember the Iraqi Minister of
Information, who, as Coalition Forces were closing in on Baghdad, asked histelevision
viewers, "whom do you believe, your eyes or my words?" Not surprisingly, we
all believed our own eyes.
Of course, when it comes to events that occurred over ninety years ago, we
must rely not on our own eyes, but on eyewitness like Ambassador Henry
Morgenthau, Consul Leslie Davis, on historians, diplomatic archives - and on the
survivors themselves.
The overwhelming consensus of these sources is that the tragic events of
1915, despite all the complicating factors of war, rebellion and Great Power
politics, constituted genocide.
Above the entrance to the State Department Library, there stands a quotation
from Thomas Jefferson, some of whose books are in that library. It proclaims:
"We are not afraid to follow Truth wherever it may lead, nor [are we afraid]
to tolerate any error, so long as Reason is free to combat it."
Unfortunately Reason - which tells us that there was a genocide in 1915 -is
not everywhere free today to combat false assertions that the deaths of as many
as one and one half million Armenians came about as the result of mere
"relocations," "some excesses," "a few mishaps," "disease and famine." One country's
official policy of denying the Armenian Genocide interferes with the process
of seeking the truth; other countries' policies of going along with this
denial do not serve the truth. Instead what we have seen is the horrific murder of
Hrant Dink forty days ago.
Over the last twenty years or so, American politicians and diplomats have
been urging authorities in other parts of the world to listen to civil society
and to take into account what civil society -- that is, the realm of opinion
outside official circles -- thinks. A resolution of the Congress of the United
States calling on the Administration to take into account the fact of the
Armenian Genocide would be fully in harmony with this principle.
The Armenian Genocide should be recognized as such by this Congress.
Many people have asked me why, two years ago, I decided to speak out on the
Armenian Genocide. I am not Armenian. I have no Armenian relatives, even by
marriage, and in a diplomatic career of thirty-five years, I had never before
encountered a U.S. Government policy that I did not like and could not support,
certainly not in my own area of responsibility -- until, as the new U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia, I ran up hard against the issue of the Armenian Genocide. I
believe I owe people an explanation.
I have, therefore, started writing a book to explain the intellectual journey
that took me from knowing next to nothing about Armenia, Armenians, and the
Genocide, to the point where I felt I had to break publicly with U.S.
Government on this issue. I hope the story of my own intellectual journey may help
others, particularly those whose names, like my own, do not end in "-ian", to
reach a similar understanding.
In my book I intend not only to explain my own actions, but also to look at
some of the things that could and should be done to deal with the great wound
and the resulting problem posed by the Genocide. This is a difficult subject on
which honest people can disagree, and do, but I already have several ideas
that I hope to develop. I do not plan to work in a vacuum, but rather to talk to
people on all sides of the issue, many of whom are in this room. I dare to
hope that some of my readers will be Turkish-Americans and even Turks.
In the meantime, there is much work to be done. First and foremost, the
Republic of Armenia needs our help. I am personally proud to have been involved
in implementing the U.S. Government's official assistance programs, which now
include the hugely important Millennium Challenge Account. Taken together, the
official assistance programs of all the donor countries and institutions have
made a measurable difference in Armenia. The California Trade Office is now
open for business in Yerevan, and investment is taking place, if more slowly
than one would like. I know that many of you personally and through your work
have also made generous contributions and investment in Armenia. Thank you for
all you have done and, no doubt, will continue to do for Armenia. Armenia is
facing elections over the next twelve months. The United States is attempting to
help Armenia to stage the best possible free and fair elections, in the
belief that strengthening democracy will strengthen
Armenia itself.
Obviously not all Armenians live in the Republic, and it is also important
that the needs of Diasporans, especially young people, be met. For that reason,
I want especially to salute the USC Institute of Armenian Studies, which,
despite its relative youth, is doing a great job of ensuring that Armenian
history, arts, science and letters receive the serious academic attention they
deserve. The Institute should become even more capable, after this evening's
fund-raising event, of providing a vibrant center for the growing communityof
scholars it serves.
In any family there will always be divisions and differences of opinion, even
bitter quarrels. As an "odar" and friend of your particular family, I thinkI
can safely say that the Armenian-American community is at its best when it
joins forces for a common cause, as happened most notably in 1988 at the time of
the earthquake. To the extent that unnecessary divisions can be overcome,
without sacrificing democracy, the community will become stronger and more
capable of achieving its goals. Unity does not always need to occur as a result of
tragedy and disaster. Supporting the USC Institute of Armenian Studies ought to
be one of those unifying issues that merits your unified and continuing
support.
Although we have spent some time tonight thinking about the past, I
personally am looking forward to what we can achieve in the future, workingclosely
together as we have done in the past. Pari yerego yev shnorhagalutiun!
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2 - San Francisco Armenian
Film Festival Call for Entries
SAN FRANCISCO - The Armenian Film Festival is inviting submissions of films
and videos by or about Armenians. The next festival is scheduled for February
15, 16 and 17, 2008 at the Delancey Street Theater.
The film festival strives to present Armenian culture across the globe in
all its living diversity. "We are committed to screening high quality filmsand
videos produced by Armenians or about Armenians in any cultural, linguistic,
and geopolitical setting. Through these events, we hope to support the enormous
variety of excellent work being done by Armenian film and video makers on
one hand, and on the other to familiarize Armenians and non-Armenians alikewith
the breathtaking multiplicity that makes up our communities," organizers said.
We are interested in all forms of work - narrative and experimental,
documentary and fiction, drama and comedy, features, shorts, music videos, children's
films and animation.
All entries must be received by June 1, 2007. There is no entry fee.
Please send your preview copy of VHS or DVD (NTSC preferred) with completed
entry form (located at www.armenianfilmfestival.org), and press package to:
Armenian Film Festival, c/o Golden Thread Productions, 131 Tenth Street, San
Francisco, CA 94103, US.
For more information about the festival and to download the entry form,
please visit: http://www.armenianfilmfestival.org
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3 - Chuck Poochigian to Address
FAPC Men's Lenten Gathering
FRESNO - Former California State Senator Charles S. Poochigian will keynote
the Lenten Season Dinner of the First Armenian Presbyterian Church Men's
Fellowship on March 13, at the FAPC Fellowship Hall, 430 South First Streetat
Huntington Boulevard in Fresno.
The gathering will begin with appetizers at 6:30 p.m. and continue with a
barbecue steak and chicken dinner at 7 p.m.
Reservations may be made by calling George Karkazian at (559) 297-0201.
A native of Fresno, Senator Poochigian received his undergraduate education
at California State University, Fresno and completed his graduate work at the
Santa Clara University School of Law.
After practicing civil law in Fresno for 13 years, he served as a senior
staff member to California Governor George Deukmejian and Appointments Secretary
to Governor Pete Wilson.
Attaining elective office in 1994, Poochigian represented the 29th District
in the California State Assembly and later the 14th District in the California
State Senate. He received the 2006 Republican nomination for California
Attorney General after completing 12 years of service in the state legislature.
Poochigian is married to the former Deborah Koligian and they have three
adult children and one grandchild.
Lent is the 40-day period preceding Easter Sunday and runs from Ash Wednesday
to Maundy Thursday. The Lenten Season is a time of preparation for Holy
Week, which recalls the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth in the
Roman Province of Judea circa AD 30.
Reverend Mgrdich Melkonian is Senior Pastor of FAPC, Reverend Aren Balabanian
is the Associate Pastor, and Edward N. Esajian is Chair of the Men's
Fellowship Executive Committee.
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4 - Prelacy Hosts Sunday
School Teachers'
One-Day Seminar
GLENDALE - The directors and teachers of Prelacy Sunday Schools gathered at
St. Mary's Church in Glendale on Feb. 24, for a one-day seminar that was held
under the auspices of Prelate, Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, and organized
by the Sunday School Directorate. Similar gatherings take place regularly
organized by the Prelacy Christian Education Department to provide supplementary
information to Sunday Schools' instructors on topics including church history,
sacraments, calendar, and various other subject matters.
In addition to Christian Education Department Co-Directors Very Rev. Fathers
Muron Aznikian and Barthev Gulumian, Rev. Gomidas Torossian, Pastor of St.
Mary's Church, participated in the gathering along with about 40 teachers.
During the seminar, Hayr Muron presented in detail the eight Sundays of Lent,
from Paregentan to Easter Sunday, while Hayr Barthev presented and taught
hymns unique to the Sundays of Lent.
Throughout the seminar, teachers were also offered the opportunity to voice
their concerns about issues relating to religious education instruction. In
turn, the directors were given guidelines and examples of Sunday School
curricula which were prepared by the Christian Education Department,
The seminar concluded with a group picture, the singing of the Sunday School
anthem, and the closing prayer.
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5 - Gov. Schwarzenegger
Appoints Abkarian to
Medical Board
SACRAMENTO - Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last week announced the
appointment of Albert Abkarian, 42, of Glendale, to the Osteopathic MedicalBoard.
He has served on the Board since 2006 and has served as senior partner and
associate for the law firm specializing in personal injury and workers'
compensation law, Albert Abkarian & Associates, since 2002.
Abkarian has also served as owner of CoasterCD since 2005.
Additionally, he is Glendale Civil Service Commissioner, an advisory member
on the Glendale Educational Foundation and volunteer arbitrator/mediator for
the Los Angeles and Orange County Superior Courts.
This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is
$100 per diem. Abkarian is a Republican.
************************************************* *************************
6 - Turk Sues Armenia for 150 Million Euros;
'Genocide Charges Made Him Lose Contracts'
STRASBOURG (Noyan Tapan) - A Turkish engineer, Melih Vidinli, addressed the
European Court of Human Rights with a demand of compensation of 150 million
euros from Armenia.
The monies will compensate him for business he lost due to the charge of
Genocide of the Armenians, which has caused him to suffer great material damages,
Marmara wrote, quoting Hurriyet.
In the applicant's words, the Constitution of Armenia by which recognition of
the Armenian Genocide is demanded contradicts the principles of the Council
of Europe.
Vidinli insists in his appeal that the policy carried on by Armenia in the
direction of the Genocide recognition spoils relations of Turkey with some
states, and trade institutions suffer from it, by being deprived of a number of
functions and signing of agreements.
The engineer insists that the decisions recognizing the Armenian Genocide
made by the parliaments of 19 countries laid obstacles on his organization's
ability to gain business contracts.
*************************************** ************************************
7 - Darchinyan Batters Burgos
To Retain IBF flyweight title
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Vic Darchinyan retained his International Boxing
Federation flyweight title by stopping game challenger Victor Burgos of Mexico in
the 12th round on March 3 at Carson's Home Depot Stadium. The card was
televised by Showtime.
The Armenian-born Darchinyan, who is now an Australian citizen, overwhelmed
former IBF junior flyweight champion Burgos from the start, using his crushing
left hand to the body and head to dominate the scheduled 12-rounder.
Burgos, who took a crunching punch to his body in the second round, fought
bravely but the accumulation of blows took its toll.
In the last round, Burgos, who had a big welt under his right eye and an
abrasion on his forehead, went down after a flurry of punches and a push that was
ruled a slip.
After reassuring the referee he was all right, the Mexican became to stumble
backwards as he was chased by Darchinyan, who hit him with two more lefts
before the referee stopped the bout at 1:27 of the round.
Burgos slumped to the canvas and had to be helped on to his stool. The
32-year-old Burgos was carried off on a stretcher and was taken to a nearby
hospital, slipping in and out of consciousness, according to ring doctor Paul Wallace.
Darchinyan, 31, improved to 28-0 in making his sixth defense of the IBF
crown. Burgos dropped to 39-15-3.
"I give him good credit, he's very tough," Darchinyan told reporters. "I hope
he's all right."
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