Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ASBAREZ Online [03-25-2005]

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • ASBAREZ Online [03-25-2005]

    ASBAREZ ONLINE
    TOP STORIES
    03/25/2005
    TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
    WEBSITE AT <http://www.asbarez.com/>HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ.COM

    1) Putin, Kocharian Praise Russian-Armenian Ties
    2) US Oil Company Withdraws from Offshore Azeri Oil Field Project
    3) Asbarez Editorial
    4) Letter to the Editor
    5) THE DOG-EAT-DOG WORLD OF LOCAL POLITICS
    6) Performers Turn out to Support Women in Politics: Anahid Oshagan and Nayiri
    Nahabedian
    7) Prelate's Easter Message
    8) Primate's Easter Message

    1) Putin, Kocharian Praise Russian-Armenian Ties

    YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Robert Kocharian of
    Armenia sounded broadly satisfied with the close relationship between their
    nations but announced no concrete agreements after talks in Yerevan on
    Friday.
    "We have had very comprehensive and useful negotiations on all issues
    relating
    to bilateral relations, regional and international problems," Putin said at
    the
    end of his one-day visit to Armenia.
    "Russian-Armenian relations are steadily developing in virtually all
    directions of our cooperation, including the economic, political, and
    humanitarian spheres," he added.
    Kocharian described the talks as "friendly and constructive." "I am happy
    with
    the atmosphere and results of our negotiations," he told a joint news
    conference with his Russian counterpart.
    Putin's meeting with Kocharian was expected to be dominated by economic
    issues
    and, in particular, the future of Russia's already extensive involvement in
    the
    Armenian energy sector. Observers expected the two leaders to discuss Russia's
    apparent desire to purchase Armenia's power distribution network and
    effectively control a future pipeline that will pump Iranian natural gas to
    the
    South Caucasus country.
    Kocharian said Russian-Armenian cooperation in the energy sector was among
    the
    issues discussed at the summit but would not go into details. "We have
    interesting and serious projects here and we discussed their general
    continuation," he said without elaborating.
    "We agreed to further spur the participation of Russian and Armenian
    entrepreneurs in investment and privatization activities," Putin said for his
    part.
    Russia is Armenia's sole supplier of natural gas and has a commanding
    stake in
    the country's gas infrastructure. In addition, Russian companies control most
    of Armenia's power plants. Earlier this month, Energy Minister Armen Movsisian
    spoke out against their possible takeover of the Armenian Electricity Network
    which is currently owned by a British-registered company.
    The Karabagh conflict did not appear to have featured large during the talks,
    with Putin noting that the two presidents exchanged "a few words" about
    prospects for its resolution.
    The two presidents were also asked to comment on the situation in Kyrgyzstan
    whose Russian-backed President Askar Akayev was swept away from power on
    Thursday in the latest in a series of popular uprisings across the former
    Soviet Union. Kocharian referred the question to Putin, saying: "You have more
    information on Kyrgyzstan. We have no embassy there."
    Putin was keen to dispel widespread belief that the success of the Kyrgyz
    revolution was another setback for the Kremlin's policy toward Russia's "near
    abroad." "The developments in Kyrgyzstan were not unexpected for us," he said.
    "It is the result of both the government's weakness and the country's
    socioeconomic problems. I think the Kyrgyz opposition will do everything to
    put
    the situation under control as soon as possible."
    "They are not new figures," he said of Kyrgyzstan's new leaders. "We know
    them
    quite well and they have done a lot in the past to improve Russian-Kyrgyz
    relations."


    2) US Oil Company Withdraws from Offshore Azeri Oil Field Project

    (EurasiaDigest)--Officials of the US Exxon Mobil energy firm announced on
    March
    24 the company's withdrawal from a project to develop the Zafar-Masal offshore
    Caspian oil field after test drilling failed to discover any significant oil
    deposits, Turan reported. The decision was announced following a meeting with
    Azerbaijani State Oil Company (SOCAR) President Natik Aliyev to negotiate the
    terms of the financial penalty resulting from the withdrawal. Exxon Mobil
    withdrew in 2002 from a second contract to develop the Oguz field after
    similarly failing to find oil in commercially viable quantities after drilling
    two trial wells.


    3) Asbarez Editorial

    The Big Why

    On the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey has
    launched a worldwide offensive against Armenians.
    The Turkish government and its domestic opposition, usually at each other's
    throats (sometimes literally, with fistfights breaking out in Turkey's
    parliament), have agreed on a joint campaign to deny the Genocideto minimize
    political damage to Turkey, and maybe even turn the tide against Armenians.
    It's "understandable" that Turkey's allies, including the United States and
    Israel, would help in that effortafter all, they've already been helping
    Turkey
    minimize damage as the worldwide campaign for Genocide recognition has gained
    momentum in recent years.
    But why, on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, is the
    Armenian Assembly of America helping Turkey deny justice to the Armenian
    people?
    True, that's what the Assembly has done in recent years with its support for
    the US-and Turkish-sponsored "Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission"
    (TARC), and its most infamous outcome: an anonymously authored report
    concluding that Turkey doesn't have to pay for its Genocide against the
    Armenians.
    But why is the Assembly still pushing that shameful report?
    Most recently, the Assembly leadership apparently convinced Congressional
    Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Frank Pallone and Joe Knollenberg to cite that
    report in an otherwise praiseworthy letter, addressed to US Secretary of State
    Rice, calling for US recognition of the Genocide.
    Without doubt, the Assembly would say, as it has in the past, that the
    TARC-commissioned report also confirmed that a genocide took place, so what's
    wrong with citing it?
    Well, plenty's wrong with it.~E
    That anonymous report, supposedly facilitated by the International Center for
    Transitional Justice (ICTJ), did in fact conclude that "The Events [the
    reference is to the Genocide Asbarez], viewed collectively, can thus be
    said to
    include all of the elements of the crime of genocide as defined in the
    Convention [on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide], and
    legal scholars as well as historians, politicians, journalists and other
    people
    would be justified in continuing to so describe them."
    But, more significantly, the report also concluded: "no legal, financial or
    territorial claim arising out of the Events could successfully be made against
    any individual or state under the Convention."
    So what's wrong with the TARC-sponsored report is that it lets Turkey
    completely off the hook for Genocide!
    It doesn't say that Turkey should admit the Genocide, but it does say that
    Armenians shouldn't expect to receive justice for the crime that Turkey
    committed against the Armenian people.
    So what's so great about that?
    In fact, it's the single most dangerous piece of "evidence" to citeor to have
    Members of Congress cite, even when calling for US recognition of the
    Genocide.
    There are thousands of credible reports and studies confirming the fact of
    the
    Genocide that could be cited. But there is only one with any sort of standing
    ("thanks" to Assembly's support of TARC and the use of ICTJ's name) that says
    the Armenians shouldn't expect justice.
    So, on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, in essence
    this is what the Armenian Assembly of America is saying: Turkey shouldn't bear
    any consequence for the rape of tens of thousands of Armenian women and
    children, the murder of 1.5 million Armenians, the plunder of their valuables
    and property, the illegal occupation of the Armenians' historic homeland of
    more than two thousand years, and the devastation of an entire culture.
    It's time, on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, that
    all concerned Armenians, including the many decent members of the Armenian
    Assembly, ask the Armenian Assembly's leadership:
    Why are you helping the Turks get away with the murder of 1.5 million
    Armenians?


    4) Letter to the Editor

    Desperate Candidates Sending Wrong Message to Our Youth

    As April 5 draws near, certain candidates have resorted to taking cheap shots
    at their Armenian-American opponents in their respective races. A cheap shot,
    in this case, can be defined as attacking a candidate not on his/her merits
    and
    qualifications, but by attaching a negative label to an opponent in an effort
    to discredit the individual.
    The clearest case of this negative campaign has been witnessed in attacks by
    Chahe Keuroghlian (City Council candidate), and Paulette Mardikian (City Clerk
    candidate), against Ardashes "Ardy" Kassakhian (City Clerk candidate). This
    tactic has manifested itself in calling Kassakhian a "gusagtsagan" (a party
    member), and therefore a person who is not independent of narrow party
    interests.
    The "gusagtsagan" label is carefully pitched to Kassakhian in an effort to
    bias a certain segment of the Armenian-American community, which is skeptical
    of Armenian political parties, and thus, present the candidate as unfit for
    the
    position. Of course, there is never a dispute of Kassakhian's qualifications
    for the position by either Keuroghlian or Mardikian.
    In light of this attack, it is important to note:
    1. Kassakhian's label as a "gusagtsagan" is based on the fact that he has
    been
    employed by Armenian National Committee of America, Western Region. ANCA-WR's
    main activities consist of Genocide recognition and lobbying to increase US
    aid
    to the Republic of Armenia.
    2. Kassakhian at no time has been a member of any Armenian political party,
    thus, the tag "gusagtsagan" is an absolute lie. He has wide-ranging support
    form all elements of the Armenian-American community as well as the
    non-Armenian sector of American society. A visit to his campaign headquarters
    will testify to this fact.
    3. Kassakhian can be considered a role model for the Armenian-American youth.
    He is a product of our public school system, attended UCLA, and served as the
    president of the Armenian Student Association. During this time, he pursued
    efforts to fight against Turkish Government's denial of the Armenian Genocide
    in our academic system. Meanwhile, Kassakhian worked with the Armenian
    Assembly
    of America, a rival organization to ANCA-WR. Later, he accepted a position
    with
    the ANCA-WR as Executive Director.
    4. During his stay with ANCA-WR his activities can be summed up in the
    following major areas:
    a. Pass laws in US Congress to fight against the Turkish Government's denial
    of the Armenian genocide.
    b. Pass legislation in the state of California to establish a Trade Office to
    facilitate the development of Armenia's young economy.
    c. Help remove US State Department's haphazard decision to categorize Armenia
    as a terrorist nation, thus eliminating the complications citizens of Armenian
    would encounter when landing on American soil.
    d. Help Iranian-Armenian refugees in Austria join their families residing in
    the United States.
    Unfounded attacks against Kassakhian send the wrong message to the
    Armenian-American youth. The implication of the tactic employed by
    Keuroghlians
    and Mardikians is to encourage Armenian-American youth to remain on the
    sidelines of any activity which aims to defend the rights of
    Armenian-Americans--if they have any future aspirations of running for office.
    To remain inactive to such desperate tactics will breed passivity and idleness
    among our youth, and will help produce a generation of anti-activists. We
    should not punish youngsters who have devoted an important segment of their
    life to pursue justice for our community.
    As the old adage goes "we should fear those who don't believe in anything."

    Anonymous


    5) THE DOG-EAT-DOG WORLD OF LOCAL POLITICS

    BY SKEPTIK SINIKIAN

    I know. I know~E I missed you too! I can't tell you where I was or what I've
    been up to, but what I can say is that I needed a vacation, a long
    well-deserved one too, I might add. But it looks like I made it back just in
    time to witness Glendale's battle royale--municipal elections. There's an old
    Soviet joke that asks "Is politics a science?" And the sarcastic response is
    "No. If it were a science, it would have been tested on dogs first!" Well, it
    looks like Glendale might be the first place where science is actually tested
    on dogs or so it seems from the way the upcoming Glendale municipal elections
    are playing out. For city council alone there are at least 800 Armenian
    candidates. OK, that's an exaggeration but that's what it seems like. For the
    other posts, City Clerk, School Board, Community College Board, Treasurer and
    others, there are more Armenian candidates participating in these elections
    than for some parliamentary seats in Armenia!
    You can't step foot anywhere in Glendale nowadays without coming across
    someone's lawn sign. They're popping up all over the place from restaurants to
    tire shops. But this is the nature of elections and we, the innocent voters,
    have to endure the deluge until April 5th. I've been relatively quiet
    throughout this whole process but I have been monitoring the activities of all
    the candidates and I have to tell you that it makes my skin crawl thinking
    that
    some of these candidates may actually stand an outside chance of getting
    elected (sound of hand slapping Skep's forehead.)
    My favorite pastime is going through the stack of mail that awaits me every
    evening when I return home. There it is, just sitting in my mail box, waiting
    to sway my opinion. Here's a word of advice to those sending out mail~ESPELL
    YOUR OWN NAME CORRECTLY!!! I received a mailer from a Mayor of Glendale whose
    name I won't mention to protect his anonymity but I will say this that his
    name
    is three letters, THREE LETTERS, and it was still misspelled. I won't
    expand on
    this because it's too easy.
    Another mailer had the City of Glendale's official seal on it--placed there
    illegally I might add by a candidate who is running for a position whose key
    responsibility is to enforce election codes and fair practices. I read the
    mailer carefully and realized that this candidate, to whom we will refer to by
    her initials PM, had: a) no clue as to what she was running for, and: b)
    wanted
    to impress her audience with the fact that her husband was a cop. If it were
    only so simple to win over a voter's confidence then maybe she'd actually
    stand
    a chance of gaining a few votes, but it seems as though the cards won't be in
    her favor with other, more worthy opponents in this particular race. What's
    really sad is that she's put 50,000 dollars of her own money in this race and
    seems to have absolutely no clue about running a campaign. Talk about
    trying to
    buy your way into politics. Or as Dan Rather said during the last Presidential
    Election, "This reminds you of that old Will Rogers line, 'it takes a lot of
    money just to get beaten." My election night prediction for this political
    amateur is that she loses big time.
    There was one other mailer that caught my eye and of course it was by another
    Armenian-American candidate for City Council. What caught my eye was the
    unnatural appearance of this pompadour combed above his forehead reminding me
    of an Iranian Chris Isaac. What caught my eye was the fact that the hair had
    been cut-and-pasted into the photo. Let me repeat this line so it will sink
    in.
    The hair had been cut-and-pasted into the photo. How bad was the original shot
    that the designer felt the need to add fake hair? Why not just cut the head
    and
    paste it onto Arnold Schwarzenegger's body? I don't know if I can trust any
    political aspirant who can't even be honest about his own coif.
    If it was just mail that irked me, then I'd let you call me an intellectual
    snob but we've only touched the tip of the iceberg. If you really want to kill
    some brain cells, watch Armenian cable television and some of the interviews
    and shows that these clowns appear on. On any given night, there's a candidate
    on TV trying to convince the viewers that they are the greatest gift to
    Armenian Americans since "lavash" bread. It's enough to make a person want to
    cancel their cable subscription. One of the aforementioned candidates for city
    clerk (PM) speaks poor English and even poorer Armenian. Makes one wonder what
    her native language actually is. Shouldn't a person aspiring to public office
    at least speak English fluently if they're planning on serving the general
    public?
    Another candidate is only 22 years old (or a recent college graduate) and is
    trying to convince viewers that she's served the community proudly through the
    years. Now I'm not a smart man. I don't claim to have all the answers but out
    of the all the candidates running for council, only two or three have
    legitimate service in the Armenian-American community and from the sea of
    candidates for the Clerk's race, only one (and here's a hint--he's not a
    woman)
    has any legitimate claim to having served his community with distinction.
    Alas,
    the way these campaigns are being run, the winners may end up being people who
    think that serving the Armenian community means having worked a year or two at
    the front counter of Zankou Chicken instead of having done something of actual
    substance and meaning.
    I know some of you may think that I'm being a little rough on "our"
    candidates. But really, they're not MY candidates. In fact, if you want them,
    you can have them. I'd rather vote for an articulate, intelligent, experienced
    person who will represent me and my community with distinction than for
    someone
    who will make Balki Bartokomous from "Perfect Strangers" seem like President
    Ronald Reagan.
    In spite of my rather "harsh" criticisms, I want to point out that I have not
    endorsed anyone in this column. I'm not telling you who I think deserves your
    vote. That's for you to decide according to your own discriminate tastes. But
    do learn about all the candidates, study their stances on the issues and their
    records of service. Don't vote for a pretty face or a nice head of hair no
    matter how much Photoshop work has been done to it. But do vote. It's the only
    way to ensure your right to whine about the miserable state of things later
    on.
    Until next time, I'm Skeptik Sinikian, and I approve of this message.

    Skeptik Sinikian is not a professional political analyst or consultant but
    does on occasion offer up political pearls of wisdom in exchange for a
    plate of
    Zankou Chicken. If you agree or disagree with him, rest assured, he couldn't
    care less but would love to hear from you anyway at [email protected] or
    visit his outdated website at www.sinikian.blogspot.com.


    6) Performers Turn out to Support Women in Politics: Anahid Oshagan and Nayiri
    Nahabedian

    GLENDALE--Comedienne Lory Tatoulian and musicians Gor Mkhitarian, and Ara
    Dabandjian, will headline "Women in Politics," an event benefiting the
    campaigns of Anahid Oshagan for Glendale City Council and Nayiri Nahabedian
    for
    Glendale School Board.
    "Women in Politics" will take place Monday, March 28, 7 p.m., at The Cove,
    300
    E. Harvey Drive in Glendale. Admission is $40 with a special $20 student
    discount. All proceeds will benefit the Oshagan and Nahabedian campaigns.
    Artists and musicians have turned out overwhelmingly for this year's
    election,
    supporting candidates who they believe will advance culture and arts education
    in the city.
    "Art is a universal language and it is a means to bringing various
    segments of
    the community together. I am a great supporter of the arts and I will
    strive to
    make Glendale a more vibrant place for the arts," said Oshagan, whose campaign
    has hosted an art auction and a performance by well-known comedian and artist
    Vahe Berberian.
    Anahid Anna Oshagan announced her candidacy for the April 5 city elections in
    January. She has a vision to bring harmony and mutual understanding to the
    diverse communities of Glendale. Stemming from her political experience and
    her
    dedication and involvement in the community, Anahid will bring a fresh new
    perspective and will become a unifying force for all of Glendale.
    Recognizing this fact, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-29) and Glendale City
    Councilman Raffi Manoukian have endorsed Oshagan's bid for the City Council.
    "I know Anahid will be a strong leader for Glendale. She has a passion for
    public service, understands the issues, and will reach out to all residents of
    the city," said Rep. Schiff in his endorsement. "While working as my district
    representative, Anahid demonstrated her commitment to our constituents and an
    ability to effectively respond to their needs."
    Oshagan is running on a platform to bring our community together and improve
    the quality of life for all of Glendale. She will protect our environment,
    reduce the impact of traffic, build more mini-parks, support our police and
    fire departments and support the development of arts and culture in our city.
    "I am the fresh new face of Glendale. I want to work with all communities of
    our wonderfully diverse city and make sure everyone is represented fairly,"
    says Anahid Oshagan. "A vote for me is a vote for the future of Glendale."
    Oshagan has also been endorsed by the Glendale ANC, the San Fernando Valley
    Young Democrats, the California School Employees Association, the Glendale
    Association of Realtors and the Teamster's Union.
    Nayiri Nahabedian has spent more than a decade teaching, supervising and
    working in the counseling field where she has directly impacted many families
    and the lives of youth. Nahadedian teaches courses in policy and child
    well-being at CSULA and serves as a Glendale City Commisioner.
    "Nayiri Nahabedian is our choice for Glendale Unified School Board. As an
    educator, Nahabedian has first-hand knowledge and experience of what we
    need on
    the School Board," said Sandra Frank, President of the Glendale Teachers
    Association.
    Nayiri and her family moved to Glendale from Boston in 1986. After graduating
    from Glendale High School, Nayiri enrolled in the Scholars Program at Glendale
    Community College. She went on to UCLA where she earned a bachelor's in
    psychology and a master's from the School of Public Policy and Social
    Research.
    Nahabedian will work to empower teachers and give them the tools necessary to
    provide optimal learning opportunities for our students and will promote
    positive problem-solving skills. Nahabedian values the views of students,
    parents, and teachers in shaping the future of our schools and will build
    consensus by listening to all viewpoints and finding common ground.
    Nahabedian will work to ensure Glendale schools get their fair share of
    educational funding from state and federal resources. As a School Board
    member,
    Nahabedian will promote creative community partnerships with public and
    private
    entities to further enhance our District's educational resources.
    For the "Women in Politics" event, Lory Tatoulian will perform a special
    stand-up routine. Tatoulian is an actress and playwright whose work explores
    issues of cultural identity, gender, and ethnic community dynamics.
    Tatoulian's
    comedic character-studies define the core of her style. Her explorations take
    root in theatrical monologues that meld the comedic and absurd experiences of
    several ethnic groups and social milieus. Her character portraits range
    from an
    Armenian waxing lady in Glendale to a French Supermodel who wants to help
    democratize the world, a hapless jazz singer from Russia, to a Californian car
    addict who contemplates her free-will on the freeway. Using the stage as her
    conceptual loom, Tatoulian weaves a dazzling fabric of stories, vignettes, and
    swatches of sardonic wit.
    Gor Mkhitarian launched his solo career in 2001 and has released three albums
    since. He makes fresh and compelling music that successfully fuses traditional
    Armenian music with both rock and folk idioms. In 2003, he moved to Los
    Angeles
    with his bass player Vahe Terteryan, where drummer Jirair Habeshian and
    accordionist Ara Dabandjian joined the band. Stepping away from his previous
    acoustic-driven "signature," with the new band he features remarkable
    musicianship and showcases a different approach to his songwriting. It's
    Armenian music, as it has never been heard before.
    Multi-instrumentalist Ara Dabandjian has recently succeeded in reintroducing
    the classic, nostalgic sounds of the accordion to a new generation of
    audiences
    through his performances with Gor, and most recently Ruben Hakhverdian. He
    will
    be accompanying both Lory and Gor in their respective performances. Ara also
    plays lead guitar and keyboard for the band In Progress~E a group that
    integrates passionate guitar, accordion, and violin sounds with modern and
    folk
    musical themes. In Progress~E is due to release their first CD, featuring Ara's
    musical arrangements, in April 2005.
    Donations to the Oshagan campaign may be made to "Friends of Anahid Oshagan"
    and sent to Friends of Anahid Oshagan, P.O. Box 4820, Glendale, CA 91222-0820.
    Please see oshagan2005.com for more information on Oshagan's candidacy.
    Donations to the Nahabedian campaign may be made to "Nahabedian for School
    Board" and sent to Nahabedian for School Board, 1545 N. Verdugo Rd, Suite 120,
    Glendale, CA 91208. Political contributions are not tax-deductible.


    7) Prelate's Easter Message

    The Resurrection of Christ Is Our Life-Giving Source

    "And you Lord, by meeting with the Apostles granted them your life-giving
    greeting and sent them off to save the world."
    On these first days of Spring, together with the flowering and renewal of
    nature once again we proclaim the glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus
    Christ and renew the message of our spiritual and national rebirth.
    Describing the Resurrection of Christ according to the gospels, the
    hymn-writer tells us about the oil-bearing women who went to the tomb on the
    third day following the burial of Christ, they discovered that the tomb stone
    had been moved and heard the angel say, "Christ is risen and conquered death."
    The Lord revealed Himself to Mary Magdalene and the women accompanying her
    and
    to the Apostles. Whoever the Lord met, was blessed with renewed life.
    "And you Lord, by meeting with the Apostles granted them your life-giving
    greeting and sent them off to save the world."
    It is the undeniable truth that the arch of the Gospel rests upon two major
    pillars: the Death of Christ and the Resurrection.
    The Apostle Paul describes this truth with these words: "For I delivered unto
    you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins
    according to the Scriptures. And that He was buried, and that He rose again on
    the third day according to the Scriptures." (1st Corinthians, 15:3-4)
    By entering through the arch of the Resurrection, the Apostles became the
    fearless preachers of the new religion and they spread their testimony for the
    salvation of the World. They witnessed that the Resurrected Lord "was
    delivered
    for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." (Romans 4:25)
    Uplifted by the apparition of the angels and renewed by the Lord's
    life-giving
    greetings, they proclaimed the Resurrection of the Savior, who lighted up the
    lives of all those who believed in His Holy Resurrection and followed his
    teachings, knowing that death was defeated, that there was life after death,
    and the promise of salvation.
    Centuries ago, with the faith based on the reality of the Resurrection, our
    forefathers accepted the Resurrected Christ, received His life-giving
    greetings
    and put forth their efforts for the salvation of our nation. Since the first
    century, the same life-giving greetings were received by the King Apkar and
    our
    first martyr St. Santoukhd, followed by St. Gregory the Illuminator and St.
    Mesrob Mashdotz, St. Vartanantz and numerous other saints, martyrs, and heroes
    who became worthy of the promise of the crown of righteousness.
    Indeed the year 2005, is a significant year for our nation nourished by the
    breath of the Resurrection, as we will commemorate: The 1600th anniversary of
    the invention of the Armenian alphabet; the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
    genocide; and the 75th anniversary of the Great House of Cilicia Seminary
    His Holiness Aram I, with encyclicals, invited all of us to consider these
    three historic anniversaries.
    Will the 1600th anniversary of the discovery of the Armenian Alphabet, along
    with the heritage left to us by St. Mesrob Mashdots and the Holy Translators,
    help us renew our spiritual and national path to lead our lives according to
    the faith of our forefathers?
    With the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, how will we remember the
    memory of our Martyrs, and as the children of a resurrected nation stand up
    for
    justice honor their memory and demand for compensation for shedding their
    innocent blood?
    And will the 75th anniversary of the Seminary, which in our Prelacy will be
    celebrated during the Pontifical visit of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of
    the Holy See of Cilicia, in October, in California, serve to mobilize our
    parents and new generation to brace themselves with the faith of the
    Resurrection.
    Let all of us be renewed by the message of the Holy Resurrection and be
    inspired by the glory of the 1600th anniversary of the discovery of the
    Armenian alphabet, to lead our lives with faith and commitment.
    As we commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide by
    remembering
    our Martyrs who witnessed the path of the cross at Der Zor, let us renew our
    pledge to walk the path of truth and justice with the spirit of the
    Resurrection.
    With the hope of being worthy of the life-giving greetings of our
    Resurrected
    Savior and with the desire of splendoring our spiritual, church and national
    lives, let us actively support our churches, schools and seminary, so that the
    new generations will receive a wholesome education and ensure our nation's
    future.
    On the occasion of Christ's Glorious Resurrection, we convey our love and
    blessings to our Prelacy clergy, representative assembly, executive council,
    all who serve within our parishes, our schools, organizations and our faithful
    people.
    It is our prayer that we continue to serve to enliven our people with renewed
    faith and spiritual joy, warmed by the Resurrection and our Savior's
    life-bearing spirit, and exclaim: "Christ is risen from the dead. Blessed be
    the Resurrection of Christ."

    Prayerfully,
    Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian
    Prelate, Western United States


    8) Primate's Easter Message

    To Live Is Christ

    For I know that through your prayers, and the help of the Spirit of Jesus
    Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation
    and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage,
    now as
    always, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
    For to
    me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:19-21)
    From prison the apostle Paul wrote those lines, as he awaited almost certain
    execution. Surely one senses his apprehension beneath the words. He is not a
    fanatic, who would seek death out as a worshipper pursuing an idol. To the
    contrary, like our Lord before him during His agony in the Garden of
    Gethsemane, the apostle does not relish the prospect of death, because he
    knows
    that life is dear. But at the same time, the question of whether he will live
    or die is not uppermost in his thoughts. He can find the courage to write, "to
    die is gain," because he trusts that his killers will not have the final say.
    The power they hold over him may be real, and consequential. But it is not
    final.
    But if to die is gain, then what shall he call "to live"? One can sense St.
    Paul grasping for the right word to convey life's splendor, its preciousness,
    its inherent quality of hope. If to die is gain, then to live? To live is...
    "To live is Christ." That is the way a man facing death resolved to put it.
    Admittedly, it is a curious formulation--almost jarring to the ear. We should
    not pretend to fully understand his meaning. Yet we can observe that it is
    congruent with much else in Christianity: with our Lord's testimony, "I am the
    Resurrection and the Life;" with the epithet "Lord of Life" applied to the God
    of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The entire Christian story, it would seem, is an
    affirmation of life.
    And so it is a puzzle that this same God, this Lord of Life, chose to subject
    Himself to death. The paradox is concisely expressed in an Armenian hymn,
    Miadzin Vorti: "You, the unchangeable One, became man and you were
    crucified, O
    Christ our God: you trampled down Death by death."
    The cause, of course, was a great one: the salvation of mankind. But let us
    not doubt that things could have been otherwise. God could have chosen to
    effect salvation through some means other than His own death. He chose not to.
    Armenian Christians should be clear on this point: Our church does not regard
    the shedding of His blood as a necessary condition of salvation, in the manner
    of other Christian denominations. We do not conceive of Christ as some kind of
    human sacrifice or scapegoat, whose humiliation and death "purchased"
    salvation
    for mankind. We stress the free choice of God: His willingness to enter into
    human history. To take on the infirmities of the human condition: its weakness
    and vulnerability; its mortality. To do this out of love for His creations, in
    a divine act of solidarity.
    Singing Miadzin Vorti should remind us that God could have simply trampled
    death--period. But He chose instead to trample it with death--to subject
    Himself to the thing He sought to correct--thus not merely correcting the
    problem, but affirming the very human condition which had to endure such
    suffering in the first place. We might say
    that Christ's death was God's way of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with all
    the
    deaths that had gone before. And of anticipating all those that would come
    after.
    It is an especially poignant thought for us this Easter--ninety years after
    the greatest conflagration of death our people have ever known. Knowingly or
    unknowingly, the Armenians of Ottoman Turkey in the days prior to April 24,
    1915, were in the same position as St. Paul: captives awaiting death at the
    hands of unjust powers. Unlike Paul, most of them were denied the chance even
    to scrawl a final few words from a prison cell. So we cannot say that they
    all
    met their fates with the same consciousness as Paul, or even with the same
    faith. Our enemy made no discrimination between the believer and non-believer;
    all were killed, simply for being Armenian.
    So we cannot say they were all martyrs, in the sacramental sense of that
    word. But then again, who are we to say whether they have not all been
    sanctified? To paraphrase the noble words uttered over a different spectacle
    of death: Their ordeal has sanctified them far beyond our own poor powers of
    recognition.
    What we can recognize, as we experience Easter from the perspective of this
    solemn milestone, is this: That the scars we still bear today, the losses we
    have endured--whether inflicted ninety years ago, twenty-five years, ten, or
    even last night--Christ has borne before us. Borne them in anticipation of our
    own afflictions. Borne them out of His love for us, to show He abides with us,
    in triumph as well as tragedy.
    Borne, above all, to assure us that affliction is not the End. There is a
    final act, not yet performed, but written nonetheless, awaiting its
    consummation at the true end of things--which itself will be only the
    beginning
    of something new. When that day arrives,
    we can be sure that something of our past affliction will still be with us,
    even as our Lord's wounds remained visible, tangible, after His return to
    life.
    But we will be made new: Not so much reborn, as made whole again. Whole in our
    bodies and spirits; whole--we are permitted to hope, and obliged to pray--in
    our relationships with others, too. Reunited with those we have lost along
    the
    way. Reunited with those we never knew, but to whom we owe our existence.
    Reunited with those who are, from our perspective now, still yet to be.
    All of us, reunited in the bosom of our Lord. Even if such a reunion were
    only
    a dream, men would hardly be fools to long for it. But we have been promised,
    and shown, that it is not a dream, but rather a hope: the secret
    culmination of
    human existence. That is the hope which Easter eternally represents. We can
    enter upon it, if we so choose. And Jesus Christ is our doorway.
    It was with his eye on that hope that St. Paul was able to face the prospect
    of imprisonment, injustice, even death. It is our hope, too: our hope for
    ourselves, to be sure; but more than that, our hope for those countless
    Armenian souls who perished ninety years ago. Let us carry that prayer in our
    hearts this Easter, as we affirm:
    Krisdos haryav ee merelotz. Orhnyal eh harootiunun Krisdosee. Christ is risen
    from the dead. Blessed is the resurrection of Christ.

    Archbishop Khajag Barsamian
    Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America


    All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier
    and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and
    subscription requests.
    (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved.

    ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for
    academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through
    mass media outlets.
Working...
X