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Archive for January, 2008
Simon Maghakyan on 16 Jan 2008
In addition to many events in Turkey to commemorate the first anniversary of the assassination of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, world famous Indian feminist Arundhati Roy and author of “The God of Small Things” will honor Dink’s memory with a talk on freedom of expression:
Bogazici University
Department of History
and
Department of Political Science and International Relations
present
2008 Hrant Dink Memorial Lecture
on
Freedom of Expression and Human Rights
Arundhati Roy
Listening to Grasshoppers
January 18, 2008, 15:00, Albert Long Hall (BTS), South Campus
The talk will be presented in English
Last year I read Roy’s famous book, The God of Small Things. Here is some parts of a short reflection that I wrote for a class on Roy’s book:
The story of India’s Dalits – the outgroup “untouchables” – and their fight against the discrimination against them, the delegitimization and dehumanization they face on a daily basis.
Women’s choice of their loved ones in the novel show societal norms and prejudices. While it is “ok” (and actually an honor) for one of the heroes of the book, Rahel, to marry an American man, Ammu is not supposed to meet with Veluha – a Dalit -because it is “wrong” to touch the untouchables. I remember learning about Dalits first time. It was last year in a South Asian politics course and I was totally shocked. I thought slavery as dehumanization was the highest level of continues societal oppression against a collectivity, but I came to realize the horrors of injustice in India. I remember reading an article from India’s Frontline newspaper a few months ago about an “occupation” legally banned in India – “manual scavenging.” The article brought example of specific “professionals” in the field and described their humiliating way of life. One Dalit woman even simply married a man in a busy neighborhood just because “manual scavenging” would be more needed in the area. In just one Indian suburb, about 100 families were in that “business.” I really had trouble understanding and visualizing what “manual scavenging” meant. Then I remember the article explaining “it” in these exact words: “people lifting human excreta with their hands and carrying the load on their heads, hips or shoulders. If they are lucky, they get to use a wagon.” I had some trouble understanding the article at first. The above description was technically not difficult to understand, but certainly difficult to imagine. No wonder the phrase “untouchables.” My conscience was fundamentally shocked after reading that article. And the most saddening aspect of the “job” was that it was a “family business,” that children were born into it and there was little chance for an escape.
The identity of Dalits has interested me more when I started researching India’s Christian communities. Apparently, many of India’s “new” Christians are Dalits who convert to Jesus’ faith to escape the Dalit identity, because there is no way for them to escape it as Hindus during their lifetimes. I recall reading about mass conversions to Christianity and Buddhism when entire villagers would travel miles just to change their religion. Islam used to be the alternative of escaping the Dalit identity, but after the partition Muslim became the enemy and a Dalit would rather remain an untouchable Hindu than a Muslim in India. This shows the degree of desperateness of these children of God, as Gandhi called them. There is no acculturation and integration for them, but a mere possibility – if any – for assimilation to escape their identity.
Children of God? It reminds me of something – The God of Small Things. Could the “small things” be the Dalits who had been marginalized for hundreds of years? I am not positive that the author was making direct reference to Gandhi’s phrase, but I think she may have found inspiration in India’s founder’s words. I also find inspiration in Gandhi’s words, as much as I see hope, resistance and fight in a few simple words – the God of Small Things.
I think the title shows the extent of power that an ordinary person can have in changing the world (note the connection to Hrant Dink). By dating a Dalit, Ammu was challenging the unjust system that is so rooted in India’s society. And what Ammu was doing was a “small thing,” but it was an individual resistance against the dehumanization of millions of innocent people. And God, I think, was the divine approval for the righteous act of Ammu’s “small thing;” the message that small people can make difference with small things and that the “untouchables” are not going to become “touchables” overnight without fight, challenge and resistance.
Simon Maghakyan on 15 Jan 2008
“We would like to ask you to vote for Serzh Sargsyan – the life is getting better and he is nice.”
The head of the Hanrapetakan (Republican) Hospital in Yerevan told a patient who happens to be my friend and an avid reader of this blog. Serzh Sargsyan is Armenia’s prime minister; the candidate that most people think will become Armenia’s next president at any price: and apparently at the price of pushing government doctors to advocate for him during treatment of patients.
After my friend told the Hanrapetakan Hosptial doctor that he wasn’t seeing her to get political advise, his next appointment wasn’t as smooth as the previous ones. The doctor was quite angry at him during the next visit.
“Another story happened in a local periodical office,” tells my friend from Yerevan. “The head of the office
asked me whether if i was going to vote for Serzh Sargsyan and I said no, I will vote for anyone but him… The boss was ready to eat me for my comment.”
And that’s not all. He says that he can’t even write everything he thinks to me because Internet communication is being monitored in Armenia. “I can’t express my true opinion without worrying about my future.”
And this comes from someone who has repatriated to Armenia after having left it as a child. From someone who does more for Armenia – like most citizens – than Serzh Sargsyans or Levon Ter Petrosyans.
My friend’s letter gave me one feeling – to want to move to Armenia. Why? Because there is so much that needs to be changed there.
Simon Maghakyan on 15 Jan 2008
Two years and a month after the destruction of Djulfa, we are announcing the Djulfa Virtual Memorial and Museum. Here is the first official press release with special thanks to Armen Hovhannisyan from www.Hayastan.com:
Aimed at spreading awareness about cultural cleansing in the Republic of Azerbaijan, a project to document the deliberate destruction of the world’s largest medieval Armenian archaeological site has been launched online.
The Djulfa Virtual Memorial and Museum (www.djulfa.com), announced in January of 2008, claims to be the foremost online resource on the medieval cemetery in old Djulfa (Jugha in Armenian), which was reduced to dust in December of 2005 by a contingent of Azerbaijan’s army. The destruction, videotaped by a film crew at the Iranian-Azerbaijani border, and condemned by the European Parliament, has been denied as “slanderous information” by officials in Azerbaijan.
The newly launched project includes film and reference material on the history and destruction of the Djulfa cemetery. The Photo section features a number of previously unpublished images of the cemetery taken by French-Lithuanian art critique Jurgis Baltrusaitis, who visited the site in 1928. A publication co-authored by Baltrusaitis has also been digitalized and posted on the website.
The Djulfa Virtual Memorial and Museum is maintained by volunteer staff and an advisory board. Learn about the annihilated sacred stones at www.djulfa.com.
Simon Maghakyan on 14 Jan 2008
On Sunday, Jan 20, 2008, there will be a Badarak and Hoki Hankist at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in NYC which will be followed by a madagh and then a presentation whose featured speaker will be Carla Garapedian, Director of “Screamers.”
Badarak will start at 10:30 a.m. at St Vartan Armenian Cathedral with madagh starting around 12:30 and the presentation to begin in Kavookjian Hall at 2 p.m.
The address for St. Vartan complex is 630 Second Avenue NY, NY 10016.
For further information please call 212.686.0710 and ask for Artur Petrosyan or Rachel Goshgarian.
Simon Maghakyan on 14 Jan 2008
According to the Blog Readability Test the reading level of Blogian is genius. So, congratulations, if you are an avid reader of this blog.
And, now on, you can attach the following statement to all of your outgoing e-mails:
Simon Maghakyan on 14 Jan 2008
“One cannot accomplish anything without questioning first how an assassin was created from such a baby,” said murdered Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink’s mourning wife about the teenage boy who killed her husband on January 19, 2007.
Mrs. Dink’s call to illuminate the darkness that created a murderer from a child has inspired Turkish-Norwegian designer Firuz Kutal to draw the cartoon below showing a man with black gasses (aka the nationalist Turkish apparatus) monitoring a photo stand of Hrant Dink being killed.
The murderer, the cartoon suggests, could have been any teenager brainwashed by ultra-nationalist adults. If you look closely, the murderer is making the “Grey Wolves sign” with his left hand, a gesture of fascist Turks who also use the sign in rallies denying the Armenian Genocide. Just like the Turkish kids in this photo from a fascist website:
If you think that the “Grey Wolf” babies are only brainwashed Turkish teenagers, you are mistaken. The babies are being abused since a very young age.
“Abuse” is thought to be physical, but look at these photos:
  (source)
These two little boys are “paying tribute” to the Enver Pasha memorial in Turkey. In case you don’t know who Enver is – he was one of the organizers of the Armenian Genocide. And these two are just one of hundreds of photos of abused kids that Turkish fascists don’t mind posting on their websites.
Here is another one:
And another:
And this baby:
And these kids at a “hero’s” grave:
And… kids of nationalist Turks with real guns.
  
Once Turkish columnist Gökhan Özgün said a YouTube video honoring Hrant Dink’s assassination was worse than child pornography. At that time I was puzzled with Özgün’s words. But after seeing the photos above I think I know what he felt.
Simon Maghakyan on 14 Jan 2008
This Saturday, January 19, 2008, is the first anniversary of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink’s assasination.
The main commemoration will take place in front of the Armenian newspaper Agos in Istanbul where Dink was shot to death.
We will gather in front of AGOS to commemorate our beloved friend, Hrant Dink.
Date: 19 Jan 2008
Time: 15.00 (3:00 p.m.)
Place: in front of AGOS Newspaper (Halaskargazi cad. Sebat apt 192 Harbiye, Istanbul)
Other commemorations in Turkey will be:
The works of Hrant Dink come into life with the voices of Memet Ali Alabora, Okan Bayulgen, Haluk Bilginer, Yetkin Dikinciler, Halil Ergun, Pakrat Estukyan, Arsen Gurzap, Banu Guven, Nejat Işler, Tuncel Kurtiz, Fikret Kuskan, Omer Madra, Lale Mansur, Meral Okay, Dolunay Soysert, Nur Surer, Cetin Tekindor, Deniz Turkali and Serra Yilmaz.
Date: 4 – 20 Jan 2008
Time: Tu-Wed-Th: 14.00-20.30, Fri-Sat-Su:14.00 – 22.00
Place: Apartment Project (Seh Bender Sok. No:4, Tunel, Beyoglu, Istanbul – across Babylon Night Club)
Speakers:
Aydin Engin, Bahri Belen, Tatyos Bebek, Yuksel Taskin
Music:
Dostlar Choir, Suren Asaduryan, Birol Topaloglu, Fadime Torun
Short Film:
Kirlangicin Yuvasi (Swallow’s Nest)
Date: 13 Jan 2008
Time: 19.00 – 22.00
Place: Yunus Emre Cultural Centre (Ataköy 9. Kisim, Bakirkoy, Istanbul)
With the participation of artists from Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Estonia and Turkey, including Basar Coskun’s work “White Beret”
Date: 19 Jan – 3 Feb 2008
Opening: 19 Jan 2008
Time: 20:00 – D2GG audio-visual performance
Place: KargART Kadıkoy (Caferaga Mah. Kadife Sok. No:16 Kadıkoy, Istanbul)
http://www.kargart.org
We will remember Hrant with songs and films.
Participants:
45’lik sarkilar, Aynur, Bartev, Bennu Yildirimlar, Birol Topaloglu, BGST Danscilari, Ciplak Ayaklar Kumpanyasi, Dostlar Korosu, Erkan Ogur, Hayko Cepkin, Ismail Hakki Demircioglu, Kardes Turkuler, Lale Mansur, Lusavoric Korosu, Mahir Gunsiray, Metin & Kemal Kahraman, Michael Ellison, Nisan Sirinyan, Sahakyan Korosu, Sayat Nova Korosu, Tiyatro Bogazici, Zeynep Tanbay…
Tickets can be obtained from Beyaz Adam Bookstores in Pangalti and Bakirkoy. (www.beyazadam.com)
Date: 19 Jan 2008
Time: 20.00
Place: Lutfi Kirdar Convention Center (Harbiye, Istanbul)
Date: 19 Jan – 9 Feb 2008
Place: Hafriyat Karakoy (Necatibey Cad. 79, Karakoy, Istanbul)
Date: 20 Jan 2008
Time: 13.00
Place: Balikli Armenian Cemetery, Silivrikapi, Istanbul
Ashura, the tenth day of the month of Moharrem of the Islamic calendar, bears significant meaning in three divine religions. Our ashura, however, is a condolence to “others” that has been wiped out through centuries. Ashura, as old as the history of the humanity, tells the stories of the people who had been scattered around, forcefully displaced in the name of creating a “homogenious” society in Anatolia and their languages, religions, the roads of exile and the songs of exiles by songs in 12 different languages.
Date: 22 Jan 2008
Time: 20.30
Place: Garaj Istanbul (Galatasaray, Istanbul)
http://www.garajistanbul.com
Three different stories on freedom of expression of people and cultures: Kamber Ates who cannot talk with his mother in his mother tongue; women who have to hide that they are Armenians even from their children and husbands; life of Roma people whose tragic stories of displacement are presented “totally different”…
Entrance is free
Date: 27 Jan 2008
Time: 17.00
Place: Getronagan Lisesinden Yetişenler Derneği, Prof. Celil Öker Sok. No:2, Harbiye, Istanbul
http://www.bgst.org/tb/pro.asp?id=15&bn=1
Commemorations outside of Turkey:
Speakers:
Erdal Doğan (Lawyer of the Malatya case); Mahmut Şakar (MAF-DAD); Prof. Dr. Norman Paech (Die Linke); Dr. Gerayer Koutcharian (Arbeitsgruppe Anerkennung e.V.)
Date: 17 Jan 2008
Time: 18.30
Place: Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung (Franz-Mehring-Platz 1, 10243 Berlin)
In memory of Hrant Dink
Date:18 Jan – 1 Feb 2008
Place: Elele Cultural Centre (8 rue Martel, 75010 Paris)
http://elele.info
Av.Erdal Dogan, Hrant Dink’s lawyer
Selahattin Demirtas, DTP Group Deputy Chair
Masis Kurkcugil, Writer
Rober Koptas, Columnist of AGOS
Ozcan Temur, DEKOP-A Representative
Canan Topcu, Moderation
Date: 18 Jan 2008
Time: 18.00
Place: Westbahnhof (Kasseler Str. 7, 60486 Frankfurt
Wreath-laying ceremony in front of the Armenian Memorial Monuments. Following the ceremony, a solemn mass of requiem will take place.
Date: 19 Jan 2008
Time: 11.00
Place: Bicknell Park (850 Via San Clemente, Montebello Ca, 90640)
Hrant Dink tells the story of the Tuzla Armenian Orphanage.
Date: 19 Jan 2008
Time: 19.30
Place: The Unitarian Church (30 Cleary Avenue, Ottawa, Tel: 613-725-1066)
Vigil in front of the Turkish Consulate
Date: 19 Jan 2008
Time: 14.00 – 16.00
Place: Heerstraße 21, 14052 Berlin
Date: 19 Jan 2008
Time: 19.00 – 21.00
Place: Rathaus Schöneberg, John F. Kennedy-Platz, 10825 Berlin-Schöneberg
1) Prayers from the Canon of Westminster Abbey
2) Short speeches from friends
3) Reading on portion of Hrant’s work
4) Release of dove in memory of Hrant
Date: 19 Jan 2008
Time: 13.00
Place: at the Monument to the Innocents outside Westminster Abbey
We commemorate Hrant Dink to Defend Brotherhood, Peace and Living Together and to fight against Nationalism, Racism and War
Speakers:
Masis Kurkcugil, Founding member of ODP, writer
Rober Koptas, AGOS writer
Cinevision
Date: 19 Jan 2008
Time: 16.00
Place: Deutsch-Italienische Gesamtschule, Institut Italo Svevo (Gladbacher Wall 5, 50670 Köln)
Hrant Dink’s life in instances from his youth, family, political life, January 19th and after.
Date: 19 – 25 Jan 2008
Opening: 19 Jan 2008
Time: 17.00
Place: Paulkirche, Frankfurt
Date: 19 Jan 2008
Time: 14.00 – 16.00
Place: Berlin Kreuzberg (Kottbusser Tor)
[email protected]
Date: 20 Jan 2008
Time: 15.00
Place: 178 Berlin-Mitte, Berliner Dom, Am Lustgarten, Berlin
We commemorate Hrant Dink to Defend Brotherhood, Peace and Living Together and to fight against Nationalism, Racism and War
Speakers :
Ufuk Uras, ODP President, MP
Masis Kurkcugil, Writer
Rober Koptas, AGOS Newspaper
Aydin Engin, AGOS Newspaper Columnist
Cinevision
Grup Lilith: Songs from Anatolia
Date: 20 Jan 2008
Time: 15.30
Place: Werkstatt der Kulturen (Wissmannstraşe 32, 12049 Berlin U-Bhf. Hermannplatz)
Speeches, Music and documentary screening (Swallow’s Nest) to commemorate Hrant Dink.
Opening Remarks:
Simon Acilacoglu, President, Org.of Istanbul Armenians
Speakers:
Stephen Kurkjian, Pulitzer Prize Winning Investigative Reporter
Dr. Taner Akcam, Dept.of History, Uni. of Minnesota
Date: 25 Jan 2008
Time: 19.00
Place: Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America (3325 North Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, CA 91504)
http://www.oia.net/calendar/eventdetails.asp?e=337
1) Screening TV discussion programs of Hrant Dink
2) Evaluation of the cases and the situation in Turkey:
Fethiye cetin, Lawyer of the Dink family
Prof. Baskin Oran, lecturer, writer
Aris Nalci, Editor in Chief, AGOS
3) Round Table: What can the Armenians and Turks in France can do together and how?
Date: 26 Jan 2008
Time: 15.00 – 21.00
Place: Paris Greater Municipality
[email protected]
We commemorate Hrant Dink to Defend Brotherhood, Peace and Living Together and to fight against Nationalism, Racism and War
Speakers:
Masis Kurkcugil, Founding member of ODP, writer
Rober Koptas, AGOS writer
Cinevision
Date: 27 Jan 2008
Time: 14.00
Place: IBZ – Internationales Begegnungszentrum (Teutoburger Str. 106, 33607 Bielefeld)
The source for the above events is http://www.hranticinadaleticin.com/en/invite.html.
I would suspect that Hrant Dink’s commemoration in Armenia will take place at 3:00 p.m. at the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan on Saturday, January 19, 2008. And if no one has thought of organizing this yet I ask my fellow bloggers in Armenia to do so.
Simon Maghakyan on 13 Jan 2008
Here is an e-mail from the Armenian National Committee of America that deals with the ongoing primaries in the United States.
WASHINGTON, DC – In the wake of the hotly contested Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, Armenian Americans are better positioned than ever to play a decisive role in the key states that will help choose the Presidential nominees of the Republican and Democratic parties over the next 30 days, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
In recent weeks, the ANCA has invited each of the candidates to share their views on Armenian Americans issues, and to comment on both the growing relationship between the U.S. and Armenian governments and the enduring bonds between the American and Armenian peoples. Questionnaires sent to the candidates have invited them to respond to a set of 19 questions, including those addressing:
- Affirmation of the Armenian Genocide
- U.S.-Armenia economic, political, and military relations
- Self-determination for Nagorno Karabagh
- The Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades
- The genocide in Darfur
Click here to view the ANCA 2008 Presidential Questionnaire.
“Armenian Americans are set to cast their votes in the presidential primaries in record numbers,” said ANCA Eastern Region Executive Director Karine Birazian. “We look forward to working with all the campaigns to make sure that Armenian American voters go to the polls empowered to make informed decisions about the candidates who will best represent our community’s views and values.”
“In California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, and throughout the Western part of the country, Armenian American voters are in a position to play a truly decisive role in this year’s highly competitive battle between the candidates to secure the nominations of their party,” said ANCA Western Region Executive Director Andrew Kzirian.
Key States:
Among the key states with large Armenian American communities to hold either primaries or caucuses over the next 30 days are the following:
January 15th: Michigan primary (60,000 Armenian Americans)
Michigan has been, for nearly a century, one of the largest and most vibrant Armenian American communities, with large numbers of families in the Detroit area and throughout the state. This contest is widely viewed as pivotal in the selection of the Republican nominee. The Michigan primary has lost considerable significance to Democratic candidates since conflicts over timing led the Democratic National Committee to decide not to count delegates from this contest.
January 19th and 26th: Nevada Caucus (10,000 Armenian Americans)
South Carolina Primary (3,000 Armenian Americans)
Both Nevada and South Carolina have witnessed an influx of young professional Armenian Americans over the past decade, with a growing number of California Armenians relocating to Nevada, and a steady stream of Northeast Armenians moving south to the Columbia and Charleston areas. Republicans vote in South Carolina on January 19th, Democrats a week later on the 26th.
January 29th: Florida primary (35,000 Armenian Americans)
Florida’s Armenian American community, located in and around Miami, Boca Raton, Orlando, Ocala, Naples, and Tampa, played a decisive role in the closely contested 2000 Presidential election. This year’s primary will play an important role in the Republican nomination contest, but not on the Democratic side, which has, due to conflicts over timing, chosen not to count delegates from Florida.
February 5th: Super Tuesday
The large and active Armenian American communities, in eight of the states that will hold contests on Super Tuesday, are watching the field of candidates:
Arizona Primary (15,000 Armenian Americans)
California Primary (600,000 Armenian Americans)
Colorado Caucus (8,000 Armenian Americans)
Connecticut Primary (20,000 Armenian Americans)
Illinois Primary (45,000 Armenian Americans)
Massachusetts Primary (120,000 Armenian Americans)
New Jersey Primary (75,000 Armenian Americans)
New York Primary (100,000 Armenian Americans)
The ANCA voter network:
Armenian Americans in these states, and throughout the country, represent a motivated and highly networked constituency of more than one and a half million citizens spread across key primary and general election states. Armenian American voters are well represented in both the Democratic and Republican parties and across the political spectrum, and have consistently demonstrated a willingness to cross party lines to vote for candidates who have supported issues of special concern to the community.
The ANCA mobilizes Armenian American voters through a network of over 50 chapters and a diverse array of affiliates, civic advocates, and supporters nationwide. ANCA mailings reach over a quarter of a million homes, and, through the internet, updates and action alerts reach well over 100,000 households. The ANCA website, which features election coverage from an Armenian American point of view, attracts over 100,000 unique visits a month. The ANCA also has broad reach to Armenian American voters via a sophisticated media operation of newspapers, regional cable shows, satellite TV, blogs, and internet news sites.
Review of the Major Candidates:
Democrats
 Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton for President
4420 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203
Tel: 703-469-2008
http://www.hillaryclinton.com
As a Senator, Hillary Clinton has, since 2002, cosponsored successive Armenian Genocide resolutions, however she publicly voiced reservations about the adoption of the current resolution in an October 10, 2007 meeting with the Boston Globe editorial board. She joined Senate colleagues in cosigning letters to President Bush in 2005 and 2006 urging him to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
 John Edwards:
John Edwards for President
410 Market Street, Suite 400
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Tel: (919) 636-3131
http://www.johnedwards.com
As a Senator, John Edwards cosponsored successive Armenian Genocide Resolutions beginning in 2002. He also supported Section 907 restrictions on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan, due to its ongoing blockade of Armenia. As a Presidential candidate in 2004, he stated that the “time is to recognize the Armenian Genocide” and that Turkey’s blockade of Armenia must end. His advocacy on behalf of the family of 17-year-old Nataline Sarkisyan, who died after her insurance company denied funding for a liver transplant, has been warmly received by Armenian Americans around the country.
 Barack Obama:
Obama for America
P.O. Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680
Tel: (866) 675-2008
http://www.barackobama.com/
As a Senator, Barack Obama has spoken in support of U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide and cosigned a letter urging President Bush to recognize the Armenian Genocide, but has yet to cosponsor the Armenian Genocide Resolution. While visiting Azerbaijan in August 2005, Senator Obama was asked by reporters why he cosigned the letter to President Bush. Obama defended his decision by stating the genocide was a historical fact.
He publicly criticized the firing of former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans, who was dismissed for speaking truthfully about the Armenian Genocide, but voted for Richard Hoagland, the nominee to replace Evans, who had denied the Armenian Genocide in his responses to Senate inquiries.
Republicans:
 Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee 295 Greenwich St, #371
New York, NY 10007
Tel: 212-835-9449
http://www.joinrudy2008.com
As Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani issued several Armenian Genocide proclamations and attended ANC-NY Armenian Genocide commemorations in City Hall. In 2001, he hosted His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, for breakfast in the Mayor’s residence, Gracie Mansion.
 Mike Huckabee
Huckabee for President
P.O. Box 2008
Little Rock, Arkansas 72203
Tel: 501-324-2008
http://www.mikehuckabee.com/
As Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee issued a 2001 proclamation commemorating the Armenian Genocide that noted that Turkey continues to deny this crime and that Armenians have yet to receive reparations. He also issued a proclamation marking a “Day of Remembrance of the Turkish and Armenian Tragedy” – a euphemistic attempt to obscure the genocidal intent of Ottoman Turkey toward its Armenian subjects. The local Armenian community’s disappointment with this second proclamation was covered by the Arkansas News Bureau, which quoted ANC-Arkansas spokesperson Leo Stepanian as saying: “It was not a tragedy. It was a genocide.”
 John McCain
John McCain 2008
P.O. Box 16118
Arlington, VA 22215
Tel: 703-418-2008
http://www.johnmccain.com/
As a Senator, John McCain has opposed the Armenian Genocide Resolution and not been supportive of other Armenian American issues. At a town hall meeting on Sunday, January 6, 2008 Senator McCain was reported to have answered a question on the Armenian Genocide by noting that he recognizes the Armenian Genocide, but opposes the Armenian Genocide Resolution due to the Turkish government’s sensitivities. In correspondence with Arizona constituents he wrote, in October of 2007, that, “Condemning modern Turkey for the acts of the Ottoman Empire would serve only to harm relations with the Turkish people while injecting the Congress into the sensitive role of historian of a period clearly preceding the births of all but a very few congressmen. That is not a development I wish to help facilitate.”
In 1989, Senator McCain introduced legislation supporting a peaceful and fair settlement of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict and later supported Section 907 and the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act. Later, in 1999, he voted against maintaining Section 907.
 Mitt Romney
Romney for President
P.O. Box 55899
Boston, MA 02205-5899
Phone: (857) 288-6400
http://www.mittromney.com/
As Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney is not on record as having issued Armenian Genocide proclamations or having taken other meaningful official public actions in support of Armenian American issues.
Simon Maghakyan on 13 Jan 2008
Exactly three years after Azg published the English translation of an article I wrote about the distortion of an Armenian song commemorating the 1909 Adana massacre by the Young Turks, I came across to the “Turkish version” of the song on YouTube which reminded me of a more recent attempt by a Turkish artist to promote reconciliation between Armenians and Turks by distorting Armenian history that I blogged on a few days ago.
It seems pretty sick that reconciliation of two neighbors can only be done by deliberatly “integrating” Turkish versions to Armenian history. But vandalism is not only limited to the Armenian-Turkish case.
I am reading Australian journalist Robert Bevan’s The Destruction of Memory: Architecture at Warand finding out how the world is similar – when it comes to treating the cultural monuments of the “other” for instance. Only a few years back, in March of 2004, “a mob of young Serbs set fire to the historic Islam-aga mosque in Nis, Serbaia. The attach, and one on the Bayrakli mosque in Belgrade, were a response to the destruction of dozens of Orthodox churches and monasteries in Kosovo by Kosovar nationalists the day before.”
I follow international news as much as possible but I don’t recall reports of the March 2004 destruction of mosques and churches in former Yugoslavia. Why is the world so silent about cultural vandalism?
Simon Maghakyan on 12 Jan 2008
“The Armenian Problem is solved,” a statement attributed to Ottoman Turkey’s most powerful leader during World War I, is the title of a new Turkish book – released this week – written by a pioneer historian who has been openly writing about the Armenian Genocide. As of now, the book has received no reviews in the Turkish media.
According to a Turkish website, historian Taner Akcam’s new book on the Armenian Genocide – a taboo subject in Turkey – is based on documents available in the Ottoman archives. One of these documents is a telegraph by Talaat Pasha, the architect of the Armenian Genocide, where the bloody leader states “Ermeni meselesi hallolunmuştur” meaning “The Armenian problem is solved.”
Taner Akcam, a native of Turkey who currently teaches at the University of Minnesota, recently told a Minnesota publication that his upcoming book would demonstrate “[t]he genocidal intent… based only on Ottoman documents.”
Image: Taner Akcam
And before the book even came out, several ultra-nationalist Turks commented angrily on our December 20, 2007 post linking to the interview with Minnesota Law & Politics. The comments came after letters were circulated in nationalist Turkish groups, one of them available here, informing of our post and discussing strategies on how to react against Akcam’s upcoming book.
In addition to the regular accusations of “treason and terrorism,” some ultra-nationalist Turks even added reviews of the upcoming book without knowing the title:
Iclal Atay, for instance, (who is the Chief of Bureaue of Release Prevention of Radiaton Protection Programs with the New Jersey state government) commented that “This fictional book is absurd:”
This book is nothing but fiction. Someone who does not use all the historical original factual documents cannot call themselves a historian. It is obvious that Mr. Akcam wrote this book to perpetuate the lies of some Armenians distorting the facts that are: ” the Armenian-Ottoman citizens of the Ottoman empire committed treason, and fought against their own country, and committed unspeakable acts which led to their relocation.” Their treason caused the death of many Ottoman citizens Armenian and non-Armenian alike. Even without investigating the historical documents, the mere knowledge that during the referenced time frame the Ottomans were involved in World War I at all of their borders, anyone with common sense can figure out that they could not afford to start an internal conflict with their own citizens.
What’s troubling about Dr. Atay’s post is not his stupidity of calling an academic book “fiction” before reading it but the fact that he is using taxpayer money of the people of New Jersey – state equipment and state salary – to engage in online ultra-nationalist Turkish campaigns. The IP address Dr. Atay left his comment from, according to ARIN WHOIS Database, is that of New Jersey’s Department of Transportation:
OrgName: New Jersey Department of Transportation
OrgID: NJDT
Address: 1 Schwartzkopf Drive
City: West Trenton
StateProv: NJ
PostalCode: 08625-0113
Country: US
NetRange: 160.93.0.0 – 160.93.255.255
CIDR: 160.93.0.0/16
NetName: NJDOT
NetHandle: NET-160-93-0-0-1
Parent: NET-160-0-0-0-0
NetType: Direct Assignment
NameServer: NS1.STATE.NJ.US
NameServer: NS2.STATE.NJ.US
Comment:
RegDate: 1992-05-01
Updated: 2001-10-23
RTechHandle: SJO1-ARIN
RTechName: Orzol, Stephan, J.
RTechPhone: +1-609-530-6552
RTechEmail: [email protected]
Now how Dr. Atay is going to deny that he has used taxpayer money of New Jersey residents to engage in online Turkish campaigns is his business, but my business is not to accuse all Turks of denial.
In fact, there was one Turkish user who left a comment asking his compatriots to stop the hatred:
Dogru Yol on 31 Dec 2007 at 11:04 pm #
My fellow Turks,
Do you not realize that the pure aggressiveness of your hatred as witnessed in the above comments is itself offering additional support that we Turks can and did murder up to if not more than a 1 million Christians ?
We must stop acting dishonorably with historical facts. Stop being the dupes of state propaganda. Research the facts, hold your political leaders accountable (if you are able).
It’s time for us and our government to do the right thing : to acknowledge the truth. Anything else is “sherefsizlik” my friends.
Saygilarimi sunarim,
DY
And although Turks like Dogru Yol are not too many, it is encouraging that Taner Akcam’s entire book was worked on by Turkish individuals like Kerem Ünüvar, Remzi Abbas, Suat Aysu, Ümit Kıvanç, Hüsnü Abbas, Şahin Eyilmez, Hasan Deniz, Mat Yapım and Sena Ofset.
The English version of “The Armenian Problem is Solved,” our sources say, won’t be coming out for another year or so.
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