A father and two sons have come together to ask 400,000 people to donate $1 each. 100% of the donations will go to Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children, Save Darfur and Sudan Air Fund to help the poor people in Sudan. Why 400,000? It is the number of people killed in the genocide of Sudan…
How I learned about this? Jonah Burke, one of the sons, sent and e-mail to me informing about their website.

(This is the number of my donation; you will get a similar box when you donate a dollar)

Dear Blogian,

I develop and run a web site called The Darfur Wall —
http://darfurwall.org
— which raises money for four Darfur relief organizations in a unique
way:
by asking 400,000 people to donate $1 each. I noticed you are a member
of
the Coalition for Darfur, so I hoped you'd blog about and link to the
site.

Here is a description of The Darfur Wall from
http://darfurwall.org/about:

"400,000 dark numbers cover the 40 panels of The Darfur Wall, each
representing a person killed in Darfur. By donating $1 or more, you can
light a number, turning it from dark gray to brilliant white. As we
light
the wall, we acknowledge the importance of each life lost, we cast
light
upon a tragedy too many have ignored, and we overcome one barrier to
peace."

I hope this project will encourage many people to do something small
for
Darfur. But I need help spreading the word. Please consider blogging
about
The Darfur Wall and adding it to your list of links.

Thanks,

Jonah Burke
The Darfur Foundation
Seattle, WA

http://darfurwall.org
http://darfurfoundation.org

Will a dollar make a difference? YES! Please send a buck if you can.

In an apparent move to scare off America, as "pro-Armenian" Democrats take over the U.S. Congress, Turkey has suspended all military ties with its Nato ally France for making it a crime to deny the Armenian Genocide in France.

Turkey: You want to get us recognize the Genocide, you get nothing instead.

From the Associated Press via Forbes Magazine.

Turkey Suspends French Military Contacts
Associated Press 11.15.06, 8:08 PM ET

Turkey has suspended military relations with France in a dispute over whether the mass killings of Armenians early in the last century amounted to genocide, a top army commander said Wednesday.

The move was the latest backlash against French legislation that, if approved by the Senate and president, would criminalize denial that the killings of Armenians in Turkey were genocide.

"Relations with France in the military field have been suspended," Gen. Ilker Basbug said in Ankara, according to state-owned Anatolia news agency.

France's Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry had no immediate comment.

France and Turkey are both NATO members, and Turkey has been a buyer of French-made weaponry. The two countries also have participated in military exercises together, and have sent troops to serve in the international peacekeeping force in Lebanon.

But the Turkish military also has blacklisted several French firms in the past in similar disputes over the mass killings of Armenians.

Basbug, commander of land forces, disclosed the suspension of military ties with France in comments to reporters at a reception in Ankara, the Anatolia news agency reported. The French bill still needs approval from the Senate and President Jacques Chirac to become law.

Asked whether any military missions between the two nations had been canceled, Basbug said: "There are no high-level visits between the two countries."

Turkey sees the French bill as a hostile, anti-Turkish move, and has warned that the lawmakers' vote has already damaged Turkish-French relations.

Turkey vehemently denies that it committed genocide against Armenians, though many nations have classified the killings as such.

The United Nation's 1948 Genocide Convention makes genocide a crime, and defines it as killing or injuring people "with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group."

Turkey acknowledges that large numbers of Armenians died in mass expulsions and fighting, but says the number of dead is exaggerated and that most were killed in interethnic violence that erupted as the Ottoman Empire collapsed.

Armenians and many nations say some 1.5 million Armenians were killed in a genocidal campaign devised and executed by Turkish leaders.

The European Union and European media have criticized the French bill, saying it does not respect the principle of free expression and does not promote dialogue with Turkey, a hopeful EU candidate.

The United States also criticized the French bill, saying that it gets in the way of reconciling the Turks and Armenians.

The Armenian issue is one of the most divisive and emotional in Turkey. Those who classify the killings as genocide are often accused of treason.

Matthew Russell Lee, a correspondent to the UN, has interviewed Nagorno Karabakh’s president Arkasy Ghukasyan.

The president of the unrecognized Republic has told the correspondent that the fires in Nagorno Karabakh were provoked by the Azerbaijani army.

To tell the truth, I cannot imagine either side, Azerbaijan or Karabakh, starting fires of forests. These are not cultural monuments. We are talking about forests that make oxygen and are desperately important especially in this global warming world. My assumption is that the fire started as a result of negligence and continued for the same reason. Although you never know what to expect from an authoritarian regime that has flattened a medieval cemetery to the ground.

Asked what would the peace agreement be like, NKR president answered, "In any resolution, we think that Karabakh should have physical land connection with Armenia.”

Lee brings, what he thinks, Armenian and Azeri perspectives on the history of Karabakh. I hate sounding nationalistic, but the Armenian “perspective” is much closer to the reality and is more realistic than the Azeri official line that claims that Azeris have lived in Karabakh for 1 million years.

The correspondent (he doesn’t sound a professional one and I am not entirely sure that he does work for the UN), ends his notes with an offensive, at least to me, question, “How small can these Russian dolls become?”

Have to finish my essay on framework of ethnic conflict of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Have to run…

LINK

The Christian Science Monitor also has an article on Karabakh. Not the first time, the Monitor quotes only Azerbaijani refugees and officials while reporting on the issue.

An Armenian officer has been wounded in Iraq, informs the Associated Press on November 11, 2006, expanding on the Reuters mention about the accident pointed out by Artyom at iArarat.com earlier today.

Although this is the first report of an official Armenian serviceman being wounded in Iraq, there had been killings of ethnic Armenians as a result of the invasion.

Map from ArmeniaNow.com

I wrote last year about Hovsep Kurken Zadoian’s killing by the American forces who later apologized to his family for the misdeed. Eighteen members of the Armenian community had been killed by that point due to the war.

I also mentioned an Armenian teacher’s death earlier this year.

The Associated Press reports the disapproval of having Armenian servicemen in Iraq, “The mission has been met with criticism from opposition parties, many Armenians and even the 30,000-strong Armenian community in Iraq, which fears being targeted for attacks.”

Maybe, since Republicans lost the Congress and American people’s majority disapproved the war in Iraq, it is time to bring the Armenian servicemen home?

As Ayse Gunaysu's Hetq.am article continues to be republished by dozens of newspapers and websites (some of which, such as Yerkir and Asbarez, credit neither the author nor Hetq) around the world (the article even went back to its original Kurdish newspaper in Turkey and made front page), now we learn that the Istanbul Office of the Human Rights Association is calling on the Turkish government to start an objective investigation of the possible Armenian genocide mass grave.

Ayse Gunaysu writes in an e-mail to a group of scholars and students, of which I am a member, that discusses the Armenian Genocide:

Yesterday's Ulkede Ozgur Gundem wrote that Istanbul Office of the Human Rights Association sent a letter to the Turkish Ministry of Interior calling them to start an investigation at the mass grave site in Mardin to establish whether or not the victims are Armenians and Syriacs. Reminding that no official statement had been made so far on the mass grave found in Mardin HRA Istanbul Office said in the letter that it should be established whether or not the remains of the victims found in the cave dated back to 1915 the year when the deportation of Armenians had started and an independent scientific working group should be set up comprising historians and forensic specialists to examine the skeletons. "We, as the human rights defenders, know that countries who do not have the courage to face the bitter facts of its past cannot possibly complete any democratisation process".

Perhaps I'm being too optimistic but this can be a starting point of a work to be jointly carried out with a very concrete, scientific target. But I assume HRA's call should be supported with an approach to Turkish officials by an Armenian organisation, perhaps an institute of history, or the like from abroad, responding to HRA Istanbul branch's call.

Best regards,noyan sevim

Ayse

Armenian political organizations around the United States are all excited: “the first Armenian caucus member will be the next House Speaker,” they write.

The next House Speaker is Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, who is known for being “pro-Armenian.” Armenian groups expect her to put the genocide recognition on the floor (literally).

The Senate leadership is also Armenian-friendly, hails an e-mail from the Armenian Assembly. “One day after winning majority control in the House of Representatives, Democrats took back the U.S. Senate, with Armenian issues supporters Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) positioned to serve as Majority Leader and Majority Whip respectively, in the 110th Congress. Senator Joseph Biden, Jr. (D-DE), also a staunch supporter, is expected to chair the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which oversees policy concerning Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.”

(Turkish groups have been concerned about this for a while.)

The Armenian enthusiasm is so apparent it has made news in the Los Angeles Daily news, where Lisa Friedman writes, “The e-mail early Wednesday from the Armenian National Committee of America was positively enthusiastic.

‘It's just past 1:30 a.m. on election night and I'm wide awake,’ Chairman Ken Hachikian wrote to the organization's members as news networks projected the Democratic Party takeover in the U.S. House.”
I had received Hachikian’s e-mail as well (in my Bulk folder). He was asking for money, as always (seriously, I have received no one e-mail from Mr. Hachikian where he doesn’t ask me for money; I even wrote him back once asking him not to ask for money in every single letter). Not having donated any money to ANCA, Hachikian makes me feel guilty for not having contribution in the genocide recognition.

Now more serious stuff. I went to Nancy Pelosi’s website yesterday and there was no word that she is a member of the Armenian caucus (as most members don’t mention). She had a huge list of bills she supports and there was nothing about Armenia. Armenian activists have confessed before in private the ridiculousness of the “Armenian caucus.” A leader from Los Angeles told me how the workers of the “Armenian Caucus” co-chair were lobbying caucus members not to vote for the genocide recognition bill introduced by Rep. Schiff.

Only Representatives Adam Schiff (Democrat from California), Joe Knollenberg (Republican from Michigan), Thadeus McCotter (Republican from Michigan), George Radanovich (Republican from California), Frank Pallone (Democrat from New Jersey) and Curt Weldon (Republican from Pennsylvania) have listed in their websites as being members of the Armenian caucus. This is six people out of the “over 200-member strong Armenian caucus,” let alone the fact that Curt Weldon is also a member of Azerbaijan caucus (yes, yes…). I am not sure if all of these gentlemen are in office right now, but even if all of them are, we can say there are 6 proud members of the Armenian caucus, one of them also a proud member and an officer of the Azerbaijani caucus! (Results from Google search of “ ‘Armenian caucus’ site:gov”).

The observance, I guess, is that Armenian issues have very minor significance in American politics. Most, if not all, “powerful Armenian supporters” don’t mention a word about Armenia in their websites. On the other hand, Armenians are excited again like they were when both Clinton and Bush got elected…

Particular solutions and alternatives? Not at this minute. But something deep in my mind says we need to think about Armenia’s feature; and that feature does not lie on the U.S. Capitol Hill.

May feature prove me wrong.

America's most popular "Borat" movie will not be shown in Russia, BBC Russian reports.

The decision comes after Kazakhstani, Jewish, Muslim (Azerbaijanis too?) and Gypsy groups and officials have talked against the movie. At least Armenians are not against, according to the report (since there is no mention of them).

I assume they will not show "Borat" in Armenia either. If they do, they will most likely (and I think they should) mute some Armenian words (at least one phrase) that are really offensive in the Armenian culture.

Anyhow, I love "Borat" and am planning to watch it again very soon at the Movie theatre. You cannot get enough of that movie.

p.s. One will wonder why I don't write on the U.S. elections. I can say I am generally pleased. That is it so far…

After learning out that Air Arabia started direct flights between UAE and Armenia, I wrote to the airlines and asked “Are you aware that most "travelers" to UAE from Armenia are women and children tricked and sold to sexual slavery (human trafficking)? If yes, what steps are you taking to make sure you do not transfer trafficking victims?”

The e-mail, received November 6, 2006, from Air Arabia says the first flight will start on November 16, 2006. It also said, “Once the whole travel documents are clear, we can not stop the passengers from their desired flight.”

The company made another good point: the flight will not be used by human traffickers ONLY! “Also there is a lot of genuine passengers [that] are traveling in between these sectors,” wrote Princy Kurien in a response to my letter.

Now, I feel much better!

In a brief response to my letter asking some questions about being kicked out of Sudan, the UN Ambassador Jan Pronk has written to me that the Sudanese government expelled him “to get rid of public criticism.”

I received Pronk’s e-mail about 6:50 p.m. (Central U.S. Time), Sunday, November 5, 2006. To my question, “Is your mission over?” he answered, “Yes, in January 2007.”

Pronk with Sudan Liberation Movement representatives in December of 2005 (from his blog)

As I mentioned earlier, BBC reported that Pronk was expelled from Sudan after criticizing the Sudanese government for the genocide in Darfur at his blog. BBC also mentioned of Henry Morgenthau, the American Ambassador to Turkey during the Armenian Genocide, suggesting that blogging would have been a good tool for Morgenthau to let the world know about the Armenian massacres.

Pronk said in his letter it “would require a long essay” to write about the similarities of the Darfuri and Armenian genocides. “Presently I do not have the time to write such a text,” he wrote.

I was planning to write an article for Hetq.am about Pronk’s expulsion (and told this to Pronk originally) and the Morgenthau connection, but given the limited information I will play the idea by ear at this time.

There is more explanation about Pronk’s expulsion at his updated blog.

After attending the Young Global Leaders Summit on Oil, Climate Change, and Security in CSU Fort Collins, I was joined by my brother and an acquaintance from Wyoming to watch Borat. I could not believe to my eyes how many people had come to see it.

Have you seen this Armenian-American's testicles and back? If not, you have not watched Borat yet

I am not sure if Borat is spreading its intended message, but it is a good one: anti-Semitism is stupid, anti-Muslimism is bad, the war in Iraq is idiotic, Evangelicals are (I am not sure what) something. But I don’t think the audience (mostly Americans in their 20-s according to my observance) really gets the message. Actually, they get to see lots of Armenian and Jewish hair, instead.

The face of genocide denier Azerbaijani president Aliev is the last scene of Borat

You get to hear lots of Hebrew and Armenian cursing (and for the latter reason, I strongly discourage traditional Armenians from watching it); you get to see the fattest Armenian on the planet naked and much more (I can’t believe Cohen actually agreed to have Davitian’s testicles touch his face).

Artyom at www.iararat.com rounds up the movie too and makes a Boratish joke: Armenian Prseident in Kazakhstan to Discuss Borat … (pause) Not! (need to watch the movie to get this one).

There is something that I will not forget about Borat. The very last clip of the movie (at the end of the credits) was supposedly the picture of the glorious Kazakh president. It was actually the idiotic Ilham Aliev, president of the Azerbaijani Republic.

In a few words, offensively hilarious mocumentary!

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