Tweet
ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
07/27/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <http://www.asbarez.com/>HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ.COM
1) Remembering Lisbon Five 22 Years Later
2) European Armenian Federation to Follow AXA Insurance Case Closely
3) Oskanian Reviews Armenia's Energy Sector with IAEA Director
4) Prague to Protest Turkey's EU Membership
5) Lebanon's Knarik Mouradian Makes Chess History
1) Remembering Lisbon Five 22 Years Later
BEIRUT--Commemorations honoring the heroism of Sarkis Abrahamian, Setrak
Ajemian, Vatche Daghlian, Ara Kuhrjulian, and Simon Yahniyan took place at the
Bourj Hammoud National Cemetery on Tuesday.
On July 27, 1983, the five men, known as the Lisbon Five, stormed the Turkish
Embassy in Lisbon demanding Turkey acknowledge its 1915 genocide of
Armenians.
The five members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation seized the Turkish
Ambassador's residence and set off explosives which destroyed the building and
killed themselves. In a note delivered to the news media during the takeover,
the Armenian Revolutionary Army (as they called themselves) said: `We have
decided to blow up this building and remain under the collapse. This is not
suicide nor an expression of insanity, but rather our sacrifice to the
altar of
freedom.' The note also said that they had resorted to armed struggle because
peaceful means for the `pursuit of our just cause' had failed.
Opening remarks at this year's ceremonies in Lebanon were delivered by Sako
Eskidjian who stressed that the five men proved that strong ideals give birth
to a type of heroism that can transform words into action.
The keynote speaker Kajhag Koulajian began by quoting Karekin Njdeh who said,
"A people that do not strive to die a noble death, are not worthy of a
homeland--as a homeland is created with the sacred ashes of martyr's."
The message of martyrdom, he stressed, is to die a deliberate death--to
become
immortal by etching in the minds of generations, the sacred
traditions--national preservation and cultural development.
The speaker turned to national and Armenian establishments that have
instilled
and propelled a spirit that
The observance concluded with the singing of "Verkerov Lee."
2) European Armenian Federation to Follow AXA Insurance Case Closely
BRUSSELS (EAFJD)--The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy
(EAFJD) called on the European Armenian community to closely follow
developments in the case against the AXA insurance company, which has refused
to compensate the heirs of the victims of the Armenian genocide.
The action against AXA, lodged in 2002, concerns the insurance contracts
purchased prior to 1915 by Armenians victims of the Genocide with the French
insurance company "Union Vie," while the heirs of the victims have not, until
today, received any compensation.
Following the unprecedented success of the New York Life insurance case in
January 2004, when descendants of victims massacred in the Armenian
genocide of
1915 brought a class action lawsuit for unpaid life insurance benefits, the
EAFJD also urged Armenian members of the European community to send a message
to the top management of the AXA group calling attention to a fair resolution
of the legal proceedings.
In a July 27 statement, the EAFJD said: "It is encouraging, that 90 years
after the Genocide, the European and American companies are called on to
explain their past behavior, as the sums misappropriated by these companies
are
only a part of the immense damages that our people have been subjected to at
the beginning of the 20th century."
"We expect from the executives of the AXA group, to take into consideration
this sensitive issue with full sense of responsibilities which demands the
tragic circumstances of the genocide," the statement continued.
The petition form, available on www.eafjd.org, urges AXA to "deal with this
case with full attention and high sense of responsibilities which the 90th
anniversary of the genocide imposes."
The AXA Group has a long-standing history. The Group can trace its roots
right
back to the 18th century. After a succession of mergers‚ acquisitions and name
changes involving some of the leading insurance companies in the UK and around
the world‚ the name AXA was first introduced in 1985.
3) Oskanian Reviews Armenia's Energy Sector with IAEA Director
YEREVAN (Armenpress)--Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian met with the
Director of
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohammad Al-Baradei on July
27 to
discuss the development of Armenia's energy sector. The IAEA, an
intergovernmental organization within the United Nations system known as the
"Atoms for Peace" association since 1957, is the world's center of nuclear
cooperation and promotes the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear
technologies.
During the meeting, both emphasized the importance of Armenia-IAEA
cooperation
and referred to issues concerning the security of the Metsamor nuclear power
station, as well as the efficiency of the work carried out.
4) Prague to Protest Turkey's EU Membership
YEREVAN (Armenpress)--The capital city of the Czech Republic will be the site
for a major demonstration from the Voice for Europe international civic
initiative on Friday protesting Turkey's membership in the European Union.
Czech members of the European Parliament Josef Zieleniec and Tomas Zatloukal
are set to take part in the protest.
Since May, the Voice for Europe has been collecting signatures from citizens
of several European Union countries, including the Czech Republic, under a
petition against Turkey's EU entry.
About 30,000 people have signed the petition so far, including an outstanding
11,000 from the Czech Republic.
In a related development, Wolfgang Schäuble, vice president of Germany's
Christian Democratic Union (CDU), stated in an interview with a Polish daily
paper that Turkey should formally recognize the sovereignty of Cyprus as
one of
the conditions for EU membership talks, whose outcome should be "privileged
partnership."
The CDU-CSU coalition is expected to make significant gains in the German
elections scheduled for September 18. According to Schäuble, "the EU should
not
extend beyond the boundary of what we call the European continent. Otherwise,
people will stop identifying with it. And if so, Turkey--the vast part of
which
lies outside Europe--cannot belong to the Union."
5) Lebanon's Knarik Mouradian Makes Chess History
--Becomes 'Mens' Champion
LEBANON--Lebanese Armenian Knarik Mouradian clenched her spot in chess
history
as she won the championship title in the national men's chess tournament in
Lebanon on July 26--a feat completed by a marginal number of female chess
players. Mouradian, a HMEM member from Antelias, defeated her male opponent
during the last round, while her main competitor Ahmed Najjar was defeated.
Not a newcomer to championship titles, Mouradian won the women's title at the
Arab Chess Championships in August 2004. She told reporters then: "I like
these
trophies. They look so nice and attractive and I am getting used to collecting
them."
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.
TOP STORIES
07/27/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <http://www.asbarez.com/>HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ.COM
1) Remembering Lisbon Five 22 Years Later
2) European Armenian Federation to Follow AXA Insurance Case Closely
3) Oskanian Reviews Armenia's Energy Sector with IAEA Director
4) Prague to Protest Turkey's EU Membership
5) Lebanon's Knarik Mouradian Makes Chess History
1) Remembering Lisbon Five 22 Years Later
BEIRUT--Commemorations honoring the heroism of Sarkis Abrahamian, Setrak
Ajemian, Vatche Daghlian, Ara Kuhrjulian, and Simon Yahniyan took place at the
Bourj Hammoud National Cemetery on Tuesday.
On July 27, 1983, the five men, known as the Lisbon Five, stormed the Turkish
Embassy in Lisbon demanding Turkey acknowledge its 1915 genocide of
Armenians.
The five members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation seized the Turkish
Ambassador's residence and set off explosives which destroyed the building and
killed themselves. In a note delivered to the news media during the takeover,
the Armenian Revolutionary Army (as they called themselves) said: `We have
decided to blow up this building and remain under the collapse. This is not
suicide nor an expression of insanity, but rather our sacrifice to the
altar of
freedom.' The note also said that they had resorted to armed struggle because
peaceful means for the `pursuit of our just cause' had failed.
Opening remarks at this year's ceremonies in Lebanon were delivered by Sako
Eskidjian who stressed that the five men proved that strong ideals give birth
to a type of heroism that can transform words into action.
The keynote speaker Kajhag Koulajian began by quoting Karekin Njdeh who said,
"A people that do not strive to die a noble death, are not worthy of a
homeland--as a homeland is created with the sacred ashes of martyr's."
The message of martyrdom, he stressed, is to die a deliberate death--to
become
immortal by etching in the minds of generations, the sacred
traditions--national preservation and cultural development.
The speaker turned to national and Armenian establishments that have
instilled
and propelled a spirit that
The observance concluded with the singing of "Verkerov Lee."
2) European Armenian Federation to Follow AXA Insurance Case Closely
BRUSSELS (EAFJD)--The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy
(EAFJD) called on the European Armenian community to closely follow
developments in the case against the AXA insurance company, which has refused
to compensate the heirs of the victims of the Armenian genocide.
The action against AXA, lodged in 2002, concerns the insurance contracts
purchased prior to 1915 by Armenians victims of the Genocide with the French
insurance company "Union Vie," while the heirs of the victims have not, until
today, received any compensation.
Following the unprecedented success of the New York Life insurance case in
January 2004, when descendants of victims massacred in the Armenian
genocide of
1915 brought a class action lawsuit for unpaid life insurance benefits, the
EAFJD also urged Armenian members of the European community to send a message
to the top management of the AXA group calling attention to a fair resolution
of the legal proceedings.
In a July 27 statement, the EAFJD said: "It is encouraging, that 90 years
after the Genocide, the European and American companies are called on to
explain their past behavior, as the sums misappropriated by these companies
are
only a part of the immense damages that our people have been subjected to at
the beginning of the 20th century."
"We expect from the executives of the AXA group, to take into consideration
this sensitive issue with full sense of responsibilities which demands the
tragic circumstances of the genocide," the statement continued.
The petition form, available on www.eafjd.org, urges AXA to "deal with this
case with full attention and high sense of responsibilities which the 90th
anniversary of the genocide imposes."
The AXA Group has a long-standing history. The Group can trace its roots
right
back to the 18th century. After a succession of mergers‚ acquisitions and name
changes involving some of the leading insurance companies in the UK and around
the world‚ the name AXA was first introduced in 1985.
3) Oskanian Reviews Armenia's Energy Sector with IAEA Director
YEREVAN (Armenpress)--Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian met with the
Director of
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohammad Al-Baradei on July
27 to
discuss the development of Armenia's energy sector. The IAEA, an
intergovernmental organization within the United Nations system known as the
"Atoms for Peace" association since 1957, is the world's center of nuclear
cooperation and promotes the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear
technologies.
During the meeting, both emphasized the importance of Armenia-IAEA
cooperation
and referred to issues concerning the security of the Metsamor nuclear power
station, as well as the efficiency of the work carried out.
4) Prague to Protest Turkey's EU Membership
YEREVAN (Armenpress)--The capital city of the Czech Republic will be the site
for a major demonstration from the Voice for Europe international civic
initiative on Friday protesting Turkey's membership in the European Union.
Czech members of the European Parliament Josef Zieleniec and Tomas Zatloukal
are set to take part in the protest.
Since May, the Voice for Europe has been collecting signatures from citizens
of several European Union countries, including the Czech Republic, under a
petition against Turkey's EU entry.
About 30,000 people have signed the petition so far, including an outstanding
11,000 from the Czech Republic.
In a related development, Wolfgang Schäuble, vice president of Germany's
Christian Democratic Union (CDU), stated in an interview with a Polish daily
paper that Turkey should formally recognize the sovereignty of Cyprus as
one of
the conditions for EU membership talks, whose outcome should be "privileged
partnership."
The CDU-CSU coalition is expected to make significant gains in the German
elections scheduled for September 18. According to Schäuble, "the EU should
not
extend beyond the boundary of what we call the European continent. Otherwise,
people will stop identifying with it. And if so, Turkey--the vast part of
which
lies outside Europe--cannot belong to the Union."
5) Lebanon's Knarik Mouradian Makes Chess History
--Becomes 'Mens' Champion
LEBANON--Lebanese Armenian Knarik Mouradian clenched her spot in chess
history
as she won the championship title in the national men's chess tournament in
Lebanon on July 26--a feat completed by a marginal number of female chess
players. Mouradian, a HMEM member from Antelias, defeated her male opponent
during the last round, while her main competitor Ahmed Najjar was defeated.
Not a newcomer to championship titles, Mouradian won the women's title at the
Arab Chess Championships in August 2004. She told reporters then: "I like
these
trophies. They look so nice and attractive and I am getting used to collecting
them."
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.