As I mentioned before, nationalist Turks will be “honoring” the main organizer of the Armenian genocide, Talaat, in March of 2006 in Berlin.

The “Talaat movement” will be confronted by counter-demonstrators in Berlin, headed by German human rights activist Tessa Hoffman. Demonstrations will be held in other countries to protest Talaat being honored.

Below are several posters promoting the counter demonstrations in France to the Talaat pasha demonstration planned in Berlin.
Received through ArmWorkshop from Prof. Fatma Gocek.

[© 2006 – Seta Papazian/Collectif VAN –
[email protected]]

I have been tough lately while exposing Azerbaijani and Turkish nationalism. Now the turn is for Armenian stupiditism.

Look at the photo below. This is from October 2005 and shows the symbol of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) – the famous monument of “We Are Our Mountains,” or as otherwise known,“Grandma and Grandpa.”

From "The Advocate," Armenian Assembly of America, January 2006

What is wrong with “Grandma and Grandpa?” Well, as can be seen in the photo, is has been vandalized by some attempts of “graffiti.” Now one will say that these vandals are just a group of retards and that this is nothing to compare with state-planned cultural destruction. I agree. But the fact that Nagorno Karabakh does not take care of its national symbol makes me worry.

Closer look to some of the vandalisms

In March of 2006, a group of Azerbaijanis (the profession is purposely unspecified) talked about Armenian-Azerbaijani relationships and gave some insights about the Azerbaijani hatred against Armenians.

The reporters, however, did not mention about this Armenian-named Azerbaijani spy, Robert Arakelov. Arakelov's photo is available on almost every anti-Armenian website as a "proof" of Azerbaijani tolerance. Viva Azerbaijani government! You tolerate your employees!

Talking about the December 2005 Azerbaijani destruction of the ancient Armenian cemetery in Julfa, Ilham Gavazade (name changed) said that Azerbaijan is being requested to let international representatives to visit Julfa to check the information, but Azerbaijan is doing everything not to let it happen. Apparently, the Azerbaijani administration is very well aware that they themselves were the perpetrators of the vandalism.

Coming to the note that “there are 30,000 Armenians living in Azerbaijan,” one of the Azerbaijanis said that it is a government propaganda to show how tolerant Azerbaijan is. There are a few ethnic Armenians, but, according to them, non of them can acknowledge their identity. There is a rumor that one Armenian family lives in Baku, but they have not been located.

Ilham Gavazade went on to tell a recent story about one of the “Armenians” of Baku. A Russian woman, whose biological father was an Armenian, once needed to obtain a document from the local government. She went to the needed agency, and while digging up her documents the bureaucrat found a paper that showed her biological father was an Armenian (most Armenian last names are easy to identify with the yan or ian ending).

“But I am not an Armenian! I never even met my father,” explained the terrified Russian woman. The answer was that she would get into a huge trouble if others found out about her identity. What happened next? The woman, according to what Gavazade told, ATE THE ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT that said her father was an Armenian. This reminds of a recent trial where an Azerbaijani journalist was convicted for calling an educational figure “an Armenian.”

Don’t eat papers; they are no good for health.

Do you remember the 6 March 2006 Azerbaijani “Map Correction Campaign” entry? Well, it had some “success.” Naïve “us”!

I have to say that I hate the “information war” between Azerbaijanis and Armenians, and am not by any means trying to “contribute” to it. But I am indeed watching the “information war,” especially when it is done by Azerbaijanis, since, perhaps because of loosing the war, they are the “main” players in the game.

So what they succeeded in?

Well, read the letter below sent to the “campaigners.”

Dear all,

Please note that the map included in the first version of my Briefing
note on the 'frozen conflicts' in the South Caucasus on which you have
written or received e-mails has been removed from this note and
replaced by the attached map. Due to technical problems, the deletion
of the document from the internet was delayed from Thursday evening
(Belgian time) last week until Monday morning this week. The note with
the new map can be found at
http://www.europarl.eu.int/committees/afet_home_en.htm.

I agree that the map earlier used was a bad one, because it allowed
misinterpretations. It is, however, wise not to blow things up and out
of proportion.

As regards the significance of the inclusion of this map in the note,
let me draw your attention to the following.

My briefing note is nothing more than a briefing note. It is certainly
not a political document through which the European Parliament (EP),
its Foreign Affairs Committee or any other political body expresses its
views. To prevent any misinterpretation, there is a disclaimer on page
2 of the note.

The map highlighted the borders of Armenia as well as those of
Nagorno-Karabakh. While clearly indicating that Nakhichevan forms part
of Azerbaijan, it did not make any statement on to which state
Nagorno-Karabakh belongs. But the borders of Nagorno-Karabakh were
highlighted in the same way as those of Armenia – which they clearly
should not have been.

The position of the EU, including the EP, is well-known and has not
changed. It was not in any way contradicted or called into question by
the text of the note. Moreover, to my knowledge, there is no sign
whatsoever that the map would have given any reader of the note any
erroneous idea about the EU and EP position.

Needless to say, the bad map will not re-appear in any document I
produce and if need be, I will strongly discourage colleagues from
using maps which like that one can be misinterpreted.

Could I ask you to forward this e-mail, or at least the information
that the map has been replaced and no longer appears on the EP website,
to all those to whom you've earlier sent messages about the campaign?

Best regards,

Dag Sourander

Dag Sourander
administrator
EP Policy Dept/External Relations
ATR 9 K 58
B-1047 Brussels
Belgium
tel +32 2 284 65 92
fax +32 2 283 14 01
[email protected]

As Azerbaijani American Gulbaniz Mammadova informs, a group of Turks and Azerbaijanis said good-bye to Armenian protestors on 28 February 2006 by “loudly playing funeral march for them.”

Several dozen Armenian-Americans, including children, protested the 1988 ethnic murders in the Azerbaijani city Sumgait and the recent cultural cleansing in Julfa by holding a peaceful demonstration at the Azerbaijani Embassy in Washington D.C. on 28 February 2006.

The Armenian protest was “counter-demonstrated” by a few Azerbaijanis and Turks, according to Mammadova.

Photos of the demonstration and counter-demonstration, taken by Azerbaijanis, reveal some interesting insights. As can be seen in the photo below, the anti-Armenian posters were long waiting for “counter-demonstrators” at the Azerbaijani Embassy before the Azerbaijanis and the Turks arrived!

But this fact only is not sufficient enough to say that the anti-Armenian “welcoming” was organized by the Azerbaijani Embassy. Nevertheless, look at the photo below.

I highlighted the trademarks of the poster-backs. As you can see, they are all the same. Prepared by one group, if not by one person. Again, this photo was taken by the demonstrators themselves, not realizing that they would be revealing the “secret” that the anti-Armenian demonstration was carefully planned by the Azerbaijani Embassy.

The photo below shows that some of the demonstrators carried the Azerbaijani flag downwards. How ironic…

But not as much ironic as the fact that people who cry about “Armenian savagery and murder” sing a funeral song for those whom they call murderers, terrorists, occupiers, liars and whatever other bad words they can come with.

As California Courier publisher Harut Sassounian informs in his 9 March 2006 column, “Knowledgeable U.S. sources in Washington have confirmed to this writer that [U.S.] Amb. Evans was being recalled [from Armenia] because of his candid remarks on the Armenian Genocide.”

Ambassador Evans, from www.state.gov

Ever since last year, when John Evans, the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, during a tour of the Armenian American community, broke rank with his superiors and publicly acknowledged the Armenian Genocide, there have been persistent stories circulating about his possible recall.

Last year, during a public gathering at the University of California at Berkeley, Amb. Evans courageously said: "I will today call it the Armenian Genocide…. I informed myself in depth about it. I think we, the US government, owe you, our fellow citizens, a more frank and honest way of discussing this problem. Today, as someone who has studied it … there’s no doubt in my mind [as to] what happened…. I think it is unbecoming of us, as Americans, to play word games here. I believe in calling things by their name." Referring to the Armenian Genocide as "the first genocide of the 20th century," he said: "I pledge to you, we are going to do a better job at addressing this issue." Amb. Evans also disclosed that he had consulted with a legal advisor at the State Department who had confirmed that the events of 1915 were "genocide by definition."

Within days of making these statements and after complaints from Turkish and Azeri officials to the State Department, Amb. Evans was ordered by his superiors to issue "a clarification" in which he said that "misunderstandings" might have arisen as a result of his earlier comments. He said that he had used the term "genocide" in his "personal capacity."

source: http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg139738.html

Azerbaijani nationalists have started yet another “map correction campaign” by writing angry e-mails to the European Parliament for publishing a map with Nagorno Karabakh listed as an independent country.

What’s hilarious about the campaign is that it has started by a person who is supposed to be a scholar, assuming from his title, Javid Huseynov, PhD Candidate at the University of California Irvine. Mr. Huseynov, in a mass e-mail to Southern California Azerbaijanis, instructs to “just copy and paste my letter,
replace my name with yours and email your letter to [email protected].”

This map made PhD candidate Javid Huseynov to start a “map correction campaign” against the European Parliament. Perhaps, European Parliament’s strong condemnation of Azerbaijani destruction against Armenian heritage has made Mr. Huseynov that angry.

UCI PhD Candidate Huseynov writes in the early March 2006 e-mail, “For some reason, the geographical boundaries of Armenia and the Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan are specifically highlighted as international boundaries. This is a violation of international law, since Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as an integral part of Azerbaijan by the UN, European Union, Council of Europe, United States, Russia, and all other international organizations and states.”

Huseynov concludes the letter by stating that the European Parliament violated international law by publishing a map with Nagorno Karabakh, “It's not acceptable for such highly respected organization as European Parliament to violate the international law, which it claims to respect.”

Apparently, whatever does not please Azerbaijani nationalists is a violation of international law! In any case, “map correction campaign” has succeeded once, when the New York Times published a “correction” that Nagorno Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan.

Rev. Vazken Movsesian from California “will leave for Rwanda on Friday [March 4, 2006] to chronicle the African country's 1994 genocide and to bring attention to the ongoing mass killings in the Darfur region of Sudan.”

Father Vazken has been very active in collecting donations for Sudanese survivors. On April 24, the day when Armenians commemorate the Genocide, he organizes “Blood for Blood” campaign, where Armenians are asked to donate blood in honor of their killed ancestors.

When Fr. Vazken visited Colorado in 2004, I assisted him during a Solemn Divine Liturgy, since there was no deacon. I will never forget his face during “Ter Voghormea,” when he was singing, “Give my people love and union.” He almost cried while uttering these words.

Fr. Vazken suggested me to have “Simon’s Corner” at his church’s website and send articles once a while.

Pastor hopes to spotlight genocide

By Alex Dobuzinskis, Staff Writer
LA Daily News

GLENDALE – The Rev. Vazken Movsesian sees grim similarities between recent genocides around the world and the stories he heard from his grandmothers about their escapes from death more than 90 years ago in the Ottoman Empire.

Movsesian, senior pastor at St. Peter Armenian Church Youth Ministry Center in Glendale, will leave for Rwanda on Friday to chronicle the African country's 1994 genocide and to bring attention to the ongoing mass killings in the Darfur region of Sudan.

Movsesian, 49, said survivors' accounts from Rwanda and Darfur resemble what Movsesian's grandmothers told him about escaping the Ottoman Empire around 1915: the men being separated from the women, the women being raped and the children growing up as orphans, with acts of barbarism along the way, he said.

In 1915, it marked the start of eight years of mass killings that resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians.

"It's exactly, exactly the story of 1915," Movsesian said. "It's basically (that) we haven't evolved as a species. It's an incredible story, and … as a religious leader, that's what I want to point out."

Movsesian will join the Rev. Cecil L. "Chip" Murray, the retired pastor from First AME Church, on the Rwandan trip.

Also in the 10-person delegation are Rabbi Susan Laemmle, USC's dean of religious life, USC professor Donald Miller and his wife, Lorna Touryan Miller.

The Millers have previously visited Rwanda, which lost nearly 1 million people in a 1994 genocide that grew out of conflict between two ethnic groups. The Millers have written two books about Armenia, including "Survivors: An Oral History of the Armenian Genocide."

When Movsesian attended the graduate studies program in religion at USC, Donald Miller was one of his professors.

"He was deeply affected, personally, by his grandmothers," Donald Miller said of Movsesian. "Both his grandmothers are survivors of the genocide and he himself in his own ministry has really attempted to communicate, particularly to young people, the tragedy of genocide."

Movsesian said all members of the delegation to Rwanda have varying reasons for going, and there is no single group mission.

But Movsesian and the Millers plan to talk to orphan survivors who raised their siblings, and they both plan to observe how charities in Africa operate.

Movsesian will describe his 10-day trip to Rwanda – as it happens – with either a Podcast or a blog on his church Web site, at www.inhisshoes.org.

He also wants to bring back photos and video of the experience.

"Whatever we can get our hands on, just anything to make people aware of the tragedy," he said.

Last weekend, young people at Movsesian's church fasted for 30 hours and raised money for famine relief in the developing world.

Alex Dobuzinskis, (818) 546-3304

Two world-known Armenian boxers recorded two victories today. Unfortunately, none of them represent the Republic of Armenia (though they were both born and raised there), since the latter does not pay its sportsmen as good as other countries. And then some people wonder why Armenia does not get medals in the Olympics lately.

Do these colors run?

Sunday, March 05, 2006
One punch ends fight

Vic Darchinyan’s brute power prevailed over Diosdado Gabi’s boxing skills to retain his world boxing titles in their title fight yesterday in California, USA.

With his power punches taking a heavy toll on the Filipino challenger in the middle rounds, Darchinyan, an Australian of Armenian descent, embarked on a torrid offensive late in the eighth, setting up Gabi for the coup de grace at the 2:42 mark of the round.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2006/…ends.fight.html

Abrahams beats Taylor with ease

By Ben Cohen: Unbeaten IBF Middleweight Champion Arthur Abraham put on a dominating performnace over veteran Australian Shannan Taylor.

The fight lasted the whole twelve rounds, but the power punching Abraham controlled the action decisively. Clearly overwhelmed by the Armenians power, Taylor looked mostly to survive, and managed to stay on his feet till the end. Abrahams took every round on the judges score cards at the EWE-Arena in Oldenburg, Germany.

The undefeated Abraham improves to 20-0, (17 KOs) while Taylor falls to 42-5-2.

http://www.secondsout.com/World/news.cfm?ccs=225&cs=18847

As I have mentioned before, one of the denialist arguments against the Armenian genocide is that Ottoman Turkey saved Jews from Spain in the 15th century and that Turkey has always been a haven for Jews and saved thousands of Jews during the Holocaust. Mentioning this information, some nationalist Turks say that the Armenian genocide did not happen. Moreover, some deniers even go to the point to say that Armenians killed Jews during the Armenian genocide!!!

Yale Professor Seyla Benhabib: “My maternal Grandfather – Yehoshua Benhabib – suffered a stroke in the Bazaar when the Sultan’s soldiers chopped off the heads of his [Armenian] colleagues and friends.”

On 4 March 2006, I received a group e-mail from Yale University Professor Seyla Benhabib, who happens to be a Sephardic Jew from Istanbul, whose roots go back to Zamorra, Spain in the 15th century.

Let us see what Professor Benhabib has to say:

Throughout my childhood and youth in Istanbul (1950-1970), I experienced and was taught a deep
solidarity with the Armenian people. Not only did I attend schools
with many Sevans, Sandras and Masises, but also, the story of the Armenian
genocide, about which our Armenian friends chose not to talk, was more
or less openly discussed in my family.

My Mother often recounted that my maternal Grandfather – Yehoshua
Benhabib- suffered a stroke in the Bazaar when the Sultan's soldiers
chopped off the heads of his [Armenian] colleagues and friends and "for days blood
flowed in the streets." My Mother is gone now and I still cannot
figure out what year exactly she was referring to (my Grandfather died around
1932).

Furthermore, there were other stories of Jewish helplessness, to
parallel Armenian victimization: yes, as Stephen Feinstein noted, not
only did the Sultan not give Theodor Herzl land in Palestine but also
humiliated him; so too, did the Turkish state refuse to help Jewish
refugees of the Holocaust escaping Europe in the ship EXODUS on their
way to Palestine. My family was quite sick after seeing the movie
version of Leon Uris's novel.