The Shifting Middle East - October 2000 by Armenian International Magazine

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AnUENIA MEANS BUSINESS LILY Ara MEANs AnuENrA Ltw Ave, a Canadian Armenian joint venture company, the first

buyers

of Armenia gold bars, is proud to announce its vast jewelry-manufacturing workshop in the Republic of Armenia.

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W'ith Armenia's independence came the opportunity for Toronto based LilyJewellery Manufacturing to help revive the jewelry industry, as well as assist in relieving the harsh economic realities of the country. The Lily Ava - Canadian Armenian Joint Venture - was created. The latest equipment, technology and designs from both Canada and Europe were sent to Armenia. Lily Ava, employing 25 jewelers - to be increased to 150 in 2001- in various

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aspects of the jewelry design process, acquired a 5,000 square foot workshop in Malishka, a village near Yeghegnadsor, as its base ofoperations. Targeted for the North American and European markets, jewelry designs are prepared in Canada and manufactured in Lily Ava's Armenia workshop. During the summer of 2000, Lily Ava's shipments arrived from Armenia and sold in record time. The jewellery received rave reviews for qualiry production, design and pricing.

Lily Ava brings the world the finest quality jewelry produced by highly skilled Armenian artisans, while assisting in the economic growth and future of Armenia,

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urdtr Puts another Arrneninn to umk, Please cofl,tatt ns, Lrrv JTwELLERY MeNurecruRrNc 27 Qreen Street East, Suite 200 Toronto, Ontario M5C-2M5 Tel: 416.368.9453 Faxz 416.358.4891

E-mail: lilyis@aol.com

www.lillewellery.com

Lrry AveJorNr VnNrunB Co Village Malishka, Region of Vayots Dzor Republic of Armenia 374.81.25539 374.8t.22346/246s7

Goven $tony

+o The $hiltiru Middlc East Communities in Jerusalem and Lebanon on the lines of confrontation and re-alignment.

1\INI

IRMHU[il rilItRilllr0ilfit M[8[Ilttt October 2000, Volume 1l, No.

Ilcpa!.tmcnts 12 tnom the Editor 13 LetteFS 20 flM Uiew 24 Notcbook 27 Byte$ on tile 30 Blobal Pictune

32 lnmenia Briels 34 Economic News & Indicatons 36 R8gional Briels -5

Connectlons

luation

US Congressional Committee acknowledges the Armenian Genocide Begion

6s Mu$iG in Gybenspace

58 Risking Democracy 62 Trouble Around Tbilisi

Kerop Manoukian launches armenionrodktcont

Gonnections

67 Artsakh Post

7s How I Got lhi$ thot 76 undenexposed 78 [$Say tocus 28 Ghampions $till Armenians at the 2fi)() Olympics

ts 70 old Art on lllew Bill[oands

Cover design

AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

Paldct Azdian,

Photos by Antoine Agoudjian

hanksgir,ing Da1,is Nor,ember 23,and on that day, the Armenia Fund Telethon rvill be broadcast all day (9 a.m.

to 8 p.nr. PST) around the world to solicit funds to build Armenia's future. It's that simple. Armenia's schools in the Earthquake Zoneand Karabakh's roads are in a state of disrepair that makes them useless. We rvant more for our brothers and sisters in Armenia and Karabakh, and so with your help, the

funds u,i1l be raised to build four schools ri

in Gunrri, and another

segment

in the rnuch-needed North-South

Highrvay,

ithin Karabakh.

The Telethon, which is becoming a tradition, does niore than raise funds. It shows the people of Armenia that regardless ol the domestic political situation, regardless of international political pressures, the Diaspora is aware of its deep responsibility towards Armenians in Arnrenia and Karabakh. Thc Telethon doesn't just build roatls and schools. It builds hope and faith

hopc in the future and faith in each other.

Do your part. Be a link in the road, a brick in the wall. Be a part of the solution, Plan your Armenia Fund donation nou'. Imagine the energy that can be created rvhen Armenians use modern technology, such as television, satellite broadcast and webcasting to strengthen and rebuild an ancient culture. Picture the dynamism of a Diaspora linked together, not just in spirit, but actuallv collectively immersed in the extensive and long-term r,vork that is nation-building.

It's our nation, and our future. Let's build it together. Now. Til,'tltott .2000 i.t

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An Open Letter to the Community from

AdamSchiff State Senator

Armenian Americans for Adam Schiff Anna Eshoo. U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Spier, California State Senator

Rafi O. Manoukian, Glendale City Council Vasken Yardemian Crescenta Valley Town Council Member George Chapjian, Duarte City Council

Dear Voters and Residents,

Walter Karabian Former Majority Leader, CA State Assembly

I am a candidate for California's 27th Congressional

Berdj Karapetian

District, a district that includes more Armenian American residents than any other district in the country. In my four years as the State Senator, I have taken the lead and succeeded on issues important to my Armenian American constituents.

Chaiman, ANC Western Region Michael Mahdesian Richard and Gloria Mahdesian Nancy Doumanian Levon Habeshian

. Sponsored and helped pass SB 1915, legislation that would allow survivors of the Armenian Genocide to file law suits to recover their assets against insurance

Paul Krekorian Dr. Tamar Karamanoukian

Minas Fournouzian

companies that refuse to honor the policies of survivors

Armand Keosian

and their descendants.

Dr. Armine Hacopian

. Sponsored legislation to establish a California State Trade office in Yerevan, promoting trade and invest-

Maria Mehranian Mary Karapetian Dr. Silva Karchikian

ment between California and Armenia.

Bedig Kazandjian

Fought to prevent the Turkish government from establishing anti-Armenian history programs at California universities.

Obtained a $464,000 grant for the Armenian Film Foundation to complete "The \7itnesses," a film that preserves the life testimonials of the last living Armenian Genocide survivors.

Professor Levon Marashlian Sam Soghomonian

I believe that any representative from this district must be judged on a higher standard than simply being a passive voice on Armenian American issues. To represent this district, one must be a fighter and get results. Once elected to Congress:

Zaven V. Sinanian, Attorney, State of California Nazar H. Ashjian Jr. John Caragozian Dr. Sahag Baghdassarian

Aida and Hovig Dimejian Vartkes Sinanian

Christina Tusan, Attorney, State of California

. I will fight for full recognition by the United States Government of the truth about the Armenian Genocide.

. I will strongly advocate for increased assistance and humanitarian relief for Armenia. I will work toward assuring that Armenia becomes self-sufficient and fully integrated into the global marketplace.

Rafi Ourfalian Armen Khatchatourian Alex Sardar Valina Ghbokassian Talin Tamzarian Caro Danielian

. I will fight to maintain Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act limiting U.S. aid to

Maria Armoudian

Azerbaiian until such time that the Azerbaijani government takes meaningful, good faith steps toward finding a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict in Karabakh.

Aram Agdaian Sally Iskenderian Richelle Noroyan

will support Nagorno Karabakh's right to self-determination within secure borders, and will strongly push for full and equal participation of Nagorno Karabakh representatives in the peace process.

Hratch Karakachian Vera Agopian

Koko Balian

I hope that you will consider voting for me on November 7th, as I will be proud to be your advocate in the United States Congress.

Baydsar Thomasian Taline Arsenian Nora Janoyan

Alex Sarkissian Souzi Zerounian-Khanzadian J. Michael Hagopian

State Senator Adam

Schiff

I am proud to announce the endorsements of the Armenian National Committee and Congressman Frank Pallone, Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues.

Partial lisi of supporteG

P.S.

Paid for and authorized by Schiff for Congress, 35 South Raymond Ave, #206, Pasadena, CA 91 105

AdamSchiff

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Another Roller-Coaster Day

/UNI 207 South Brand Eoulevard, Suite 203 Glendale, Calilornia 91204 USA Phone 81 I 246 7979 Fax 818 246 0088

E-mail aimagazine@aol.com EditoFPublislEr

Salpi Hamuliniar Gtradan Senior Editor

Hr.lch TGiilingilian Arl Director

Palrlcl A2adlan Assistant to the Edilor

Hrair Sertis Sartl$l.n Editor al Large

Prrit l{azarir[ Associate Edilors

A. H. AlErrndrlen, Ylrrurn Tony Halpir, Lordon Conlributing

John

EdiloG

Hugirs, ilallhaw frranlan, Ron.ld Grlgor smr,

Talino lrostorilotlrn Contributing Wtitem

FolL Codoy, Xlristcl [idd Associate Publisher

Tenl

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Subscriplions Manager

Soh fhodrnian Advertising Manager

Flml l[okhltarlan Administrative Assistant

[ailm

Avrdlssian

lnlerns

Carollm illnessi.n

In the morning, a friend of the magazine called to say she's going to Armenia. Did we need her to take anything, she asked. And immediately in the next breath, with a voice full of melancholy, asked, "What are they doing to that country?" How do you answer a question like that? I don't. I wanted to ask what she was doingfor the country,but didn't.This wasno interview. Just 30 minutes later, a reader from New York called with an idea. He was going to gather up the young professionals he knew and find ways to support the arts in Armenia.The museum guides, the writerg the filmmakerq they needed jobs, too, he reasoned. Did I have any suggestions? Those kinds of questions I answer.

Iater in the

day, a judge donated

AIM subscriptions to all US Supreme Court

JusticesA non-subscriber called to complain about the inaccuracies in an article he said he hadn't read. Two more readers called to ask how to donate funds to the Kharberd Orphanage which was featured in our July issue, and which raised almost many eyebrows as that other story in July. In the afternoon, we were waiting to complete the interviews with some of the candidates in the November elections - especially those whose districts include lots of Armenians One of the candidates called, angry at the kinds of questions he was being asked. He was insulted, he said.We wondered if he would have reacted the same way to questions posed to him by a mainstream news organization. Minutes later, a man who travels to Armenia often on business, and who is quoted fairly frequently in the pages of AIM, called to say that the AugustSeptember issue was the best one yet. And that this was the one publication he felt confident responding to, knowing he wouldn't be misquoted. We should have asked him to talk to the candidate. It's all in a day's work. as

Yorilan Bur8au 67 Koghbatsi

Strel, No.

Phone 533699

E-mail aimarm@arminco.com Coordinalor

Anahll Mailimssitn Assislant

Arna Gcvoillan Advertising Manager

Gohar

Sahsli.r

D6ign and Production Urhar StBDrnlsn Conlributors;

lrhdo!

Emin,

YrGrtr; Sotnr PrU!, Lardor; Edt

Phol0graphe6: lHillrr XlEdlrtrl.n, Zrffi loEcilHrn, Bofar fargrf,{m, fimnh; tulolm Aeffifll.n, Amimi &lilnn[, lllm l]Edil, FEH; Edmmd T.nlle|il, Uq lidm lnno, lmil DlaBdu, n.il &mt$, Erk larlrtr, ln ll$rfn, C.lllonhi G.m lrdihbr, tEctu$l!; Hrn, Toudrurn, I!tr Ydt Bcrlr An Zollm, Rhoda ]dd. Editor Emeritus

Ghrrlas

llaz!d.I

lilfinatlonal SuDscriplions e[d ldrdll3h! R.plrlrru0rlt l4lnllna Colegio Mekhihrisla, Vircy delPim 3511 (1126)BlmAires" f,tm 5,all 1552 3590 Amnll, Varooilskendsian, 148 Kmla Aw. E st Kilhu tSil 2fifl RmlP.g?sl A02i

AIM OCTOBER

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Allred Mailarian, P0. Box 370, Hatris Pak I'lSlV 2150, Piom @$97 l&16: Kfrn PO Bq 250, Pod Melbourc, Victoria 3207, Phone ts 9794 m9 fiailq lHdmln} 3I$ St. Laurent, ouebec H4R1E3. Ph@ 511 339 2517 &ct }kxhn. RM.42, Blocl A, 26 Kai CtEung Hd., Xilloon Bay, KNI@n, Phom 852 795 9888 Pirc Edada!,

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Motum, 6'l M6, Bm, Phom 995 '12j35 Ziltouhi lGbdftr, P0. Bq 55668, &irul, Leb.non, PtDm (l) 51m12 lillhd Enllbt Guliar Jonho, P0. 8q {56,1, ,Ol Dhbi, UAt, Phom 971 2 644 ml, Fa 971 644 8191 Ulltl Ilntdm Mist ohanhn,l(Eq Mill Hill Bd. Acto'|' lmdon W38Jt, Piom m0 8992 1621 Via

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llml We tvelcome all c0mmunication. Altlnugh read all letleE and submissions, we are unable l0 ackn0Y{ledge everylhing re receiye due t0 limild stalfing and resources. Letters lo lhe Editor rnay h edild l0r publication.

Wtlls l0

Armonian lntemallonal

taorzlno

Founded in 1990 Founding Editor V.ilan oskanlan Founding Publisher tlchaol llehabcl

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[0s An[Elrl; Jrnrl Srmurllrl, Prlm $prlrsi X.il GsoryE Bourmullan, Loh Xomdrldh[, Xril Yolt li0or.d lroondi.r, W8.ilngton, DC; Usrbn tdo|.hn, Dicoo lbnnrnuhrn, ilonhuldoo.

hanging over our people's heads in Armenia

little taller" and we are beholden to him. He

for being hooked on cigarettes.

deserves our admiration and respect.

I just came back from my third visit to Armenia and noticed that consumption of cigarettes had stayed about the same, which is about 95Vo of adults over 1 8 years old. We do not need an outside enemy, we have,

a continuing genocide, brought upon us by the cigarette industry. I beg you to do anything you have in your power to educate our people about the disaster of smoking, (and I am not trying to be politically correct), and to encourage education in Armenia about health hazards of smoking. My driver in Yerevan who is 40 years old had heart problems, could not go up the stairs but he was smoking about two packs a day.

inside our borders

The End and the Means AIM's back cover (Grand Tobacco advertisement, July 2000) features the tobacco indus-

try in Armenia with 30,000 farmers raising tobacco and with l(XX) others at work in an ever-expanding plant. There is little doubt that the tobacco industry will thrive in the short haul but the insidious harm it will inflict on all ages and segments of the Armenian people is more than certain in the coming years. The costs of health preservation and cure may be measured monetarily but the social evil that is real is the more persuasive argument for curbing the industry. The World Health Organization foresees a worldwide epidemic estimated to kill l0 million people every yearby 2I[3, up from four million annually now. Tlrese health leaders hope that counties whose key agricultural crop is tobacco cantransition theirtobacco ouQut to a more beneflcial production. They point to new World Bank dara which shows that the social and health coss of tobacco far outweigh the easy economic benefits derived fiom tlrc harvesting oftobacco. It is my hope that Arnrenia will support the

Wodd Health Organization in this worldwide

effut to help independent nations unable to cope

wift the evils of tobmco by tlrcmselves. There is a waming from a Yale University School of Medicine study on family tobacco habits, which rcports that achild has athree-fold risk of smoking if a sibling also smokes. The image of chil-

I think the older generation has already been damaged, but the young ones are following them and I guess they want to look like 'real men' so they pick up the habit, and that is exactly what the cigarefte manufacturers want. Yerevan is full of huge billboards for cigarette ads. "Ours is different," "Seize the moment," etc. They have the pictures of beautitul young people happily puffing it away. I know Grand Tobacco is in a very profitable business, but at whose expense? I wish thb owners of Grand Tobacco had invested in another business a little less profitable and created the same number of jobs, but with a much less dangerous product. They are literally wasting our people away. I know Grand Tobacco is one of the best advertisers of AIM Magazine but what do the Armenians in Armenia benefit from it? CanAIM operate without the income from Grand Tobacco's advertisement? Areg Abramian Redondo Beach, Califurnia

See this month's back cover and Underexposed (page 69) for more information on Grand Tbbacco and Grand Candy's various enterprise s. The billboards visible throughout Yerevan advertise not Grand Tbbacco's products, but Western cigarettes which are imported and also very popular As for educating people about the hazards of smoking, please see "No Smoking Please," (AIM AugustSeptember 1999.) Finally, AIM's operations depend entirely on subscription and advertising revenue, and dorntions. All three are essential.

dren snnking is more than I can bear.

Berj Tashjian Northbrook, Illinois

I applaud Molly Freeman (lrtters to the Editor, July 2000.) She said everything that could be said about the huge disaster which is

History of Chivalry "A Noble Cause" (Arts, June 2000) which pictures Queen Elizabeth II bestowing upon Levon Chilingirian, the title of offlcer of the

O.B.E. was stirring. Chilingirian's accomplishments and honor makes us all "stand a AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

The article mentioned King GeorgeV(rcign

l9l0-1936) who honored another Armenian,

Dr. Varaztad Hovhannes Kazanjian (18791974'lby investing him on March 15, 1919 in Buckingham Palace as a Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George. It was a lesser knighthood but nonetheless was one ofthe highest honors that the British Empire could bestow upon a person who was not a British subject. The Order was founded in l8l8 and ranks between the "most exalted" order of the Star of tndia and

of the Indian Empire. The motto of ttre Order is Auspicum Melioris Aevi (an omen of a better age.) Dr. Kazanjian, then an honorary Major in the British Royal Army Medical Corps, was being recogrrized for his remarkable and comthe "most eminent" Order

passionate services to the British Expeditionary

Forces in France from l9l5 to 1919, during World War I. His treatment of the facial and jaw wounds of the British 'Tommies" had gained for him the reputation as "the Miracle Man of the Westem Front."

It was

observed that had Dr. Kazanjian

been a British subject, he would have been

knighted and become Sir Varaztad. Dr. Kazanjian was born in Turkish Armenia and had become an American citizen in 1900 and studied at Harvard University. Dr. Kazanjian returned to Boston after the war and went on to become the first Father of Modem Plastic Surgery and the first professor

of Plastic Surgery in the history of Harvard University. H. Martin Deranian Worceste\ Massachusetts

Invisible No Morc I would like to commend AIM for finally touching on the homosexuality issue in the Annenian community, (Connections, July 2000). In the AIM View section, Bringing Back the Dispossessed was a very well written introduction and the tnvisible or Abandoned article hit the spotl

It's really sad to see our community's intolerance and prejudice towards homosexuals! [n a way, that doesn't surprise me since

unfortunately, our communities live in their own glass houses. They see their world through their rosecolored glasses.

The community, organizations and the church must not condemn people for who they Whetheraperson is heterosexual orhomosexual has nothing to do with who that person is. What one does in privacy is their business are.

and their life. It has nothing to do with the "community." Our community has to stop living for "others" and wake up and enjoy their lives and their families. Isn't a loved one's health and mental state important? Then, why should it matter what "people" say? C'mon people, enough is enough already. I am hopeful that the newer generation

Armenians can succeed

public. Underpinning all our work is the firm conviction that the vitality of an independent press is fundamental to a democratic society in Amenia and democratic institutions in the Diaspora. The Fourth Millennium Sciety publishes Armenian Iniernational Magazine in its effort to contribute to thc national dialogue. The directors are grateful to the Benefactors, Trustees, Patrons and Friends of the Fourth Millennium Society who are committed to the well-being, growth and development of Armenians and Armenia through the promotion of open discussion and the frec flow of information among individuals md organizations. Their 6nancial contributions suppon the wo* of the Founh Millennium Society and ensure the independence of AIM. Michael Nahabet, Raffi Zinzalian, Directors

educating our

communities. I know with AIM's help a lot of social issues will be tackled and hopefully everyone will become more educated on social issues and become accepting. Armineh Hovanesian E s to riULi sb on, P o rtu gal Let me first say how grateful I am that you had the courage and the initiative to prepare such an incredible and unexpected article. The anguish, abandonment, even suicidal tendencies which have plagued our community

and its brutal suppression-persecution of God's creations is beyond comprehension. I read, re-read, and re-read again your words. I cried unconsolably that others still must go through the anguish which some of us have had to endure. I had just turned 40, and was in a magi-

cal relationship with a gentleman

DIRECTORS

world came crashing down around

when my Mom confronted me with "THE QUESTION". I had promised myself that I would never lie to my parents (part Armenian guilt, part Armenian love - by

Alex Sarkissian, Bob Shamlian, Raffi Zinzalian. BENEFACTORS Sarkis Acopian, Albe( and Tove Boyajian, The Cafesjian Family Foundation, Inc. Hirair Hovnanian, The Lincy Foundation, Louise Manoogian Simone SENIOR TRUSTEES AUSTRALIA Heros & Kate Dilanchian CANADA Razmig Hakimian, Kourken Sarkissian HONG KONG Jack Maxian USA CA Armand & Nancy Arabian Khachig Babayan, George & Flora Dunaians Araxie M. Haroutinian, George & Grace Kay, Joe & Joyce Stein RI Papken Janjigian FOUNDING TRUSTEES AUSTRALIA Varoojan Iskenderian USA CA Garen Avedikian, Mardo Kaprielian, Edward Misserlian, Bob Movelt, Varoujan Nahabet, Norair Oskanian, Emmy Papazian, Zareh Sarkissian, Raffi Zinzalian FL Hagop Koushakjian PA Zarouhi Mardikian ASSOCHTE TRUSTEES USA CA Vartkes and Jean Barsam, Armen and Gloriat Hampar, Walter and Laurel Karabian, Gary and Sossi Kevorkian, Ralph and Savey Tufenkian NH Jeanriette John Aesthetic & Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Dr. Kassabian Armenian Jewelers' Association Commerce Casino Hasmik Mgrdichian, George Tumanjan Grand Tobacco Hrand and Mikayel Vardanian ISB Group Armen & Keny Kazandjian Law OIfice of Aris Artounians Aris and Karine Artounians Ourfalian and Ourfalian Rafi and Sarkis Ourfalian NASA Services Inc Sam and Elizabeth Sarkisian, Nick and Kamelia Sarkisian, Arsen Sarkisian Pacific Sales Jery Turpanjian Remax of Glendale Vahe and Aida Yeghiazarian Yerevan Hotel

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Armenian love metamorphose and become Armenian guilt?), and made the gigantic mistake of telling the truth. It has been four years since that awful day, and still, no one talks about the subject. There is the hope that one day "our boy" will realize that being married is better than this other life that he has "chosen" to live. Oh, really? Does any normal person think that a well-educated gentleman

would'thoose"

a life of discrimination, alienation, ridicule, persecution, and abandonment? Sorry, folks,

God, in His Infinite Wisdom (and I have to believe, sense of humor) decided to let some "other" two-by-two's onto Noah's Ark, and these hapless souls were dumped onto Mount Ararat along with everyone else. You cannot believe the tremendous emotional upsurge which your article has created inside of me - you have given me a renewed sense

PATRONS ARMENIA Khachatur and Rouzanna Soukiassian AUSTRALIA Aman md Nairi Derderyan

Anin Etmekjim

have received more

positive responses than negative, although I still have a diffrcult time accepting ttre fact that

Kevork and Satenig Kmjerjian

Nishmt and Sona Kuuian Kirk and Ann Kesapyan John and Rose Ketchoyan Zaven and Sona Khanjian

lftikor KrikoriaD Julie Kulhanjie and Roger Strauch Louis md Grrce Kurkjian Dom Serviarian Kuhn Avik Mahdesiant Stepm md Erdanik Makaian Hmut and Rita Mesrobian Edwad md Alice Navasugian

George and Vmouhi Tavoukjian Mack Vahanian

Anonymous CALIFONNIA USA

Mihmn and Elizabeth Agbabian Crabed Akpolat Harry and Alvan Breghian Aram and Terez Bassenian Daniel Behesnilim Berj and Hera Boyajian Hagop and Violet Dakessian

Ammd O. Norchad Kenneth and Cindy Norian Rafi Ourfalian Michrel md Hemine Piranian Hratch and Helga Sarkis

Ardsh ild Mdian Derderian Dimitri md Tam@ Dimitri Steve md Lucille Estephanian Miloushag Femanian Gagik od Knu Galstian

Alex Silkissian Robefr and Helen Shamlian Sun Plastics, Inc. Petrcs and Garine Taglyan Ara and Avedis Tavitian Gaidzag and Drcvig Tritlian CANADA Louise Aznavour Gerair md Elise Deryishian

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Migirdic

of hope and determination.

I would hope that you

2OOO

Shahen Hairapetian, Armen Hampx,Zaven Khanjian, Michael Nahabet,

(even

worse, an odar) for nearly four years. My

the way, when does

The Fourth Millennium Society is an independently funded and administered public charity committed to the dissemination of information for the purpose of developing an infomed

ed Ani

Migirdicyan

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Krikor md Heout lstanbulian LEBANON Kevork Bouladian MASSACHUSETTS

MICHIGAN USA George Chamchikian

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FRIENDS OFAIM The Fourth Millennium S@iety is grateful to the following for contribuiing during the l6t month to ensurc AIM'S financial independence.

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AIM OCTOBER

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we come in a close second to the Ottomans in terms of hatred by our own. Anonymous upon nequest

Congratulations

on another meaningful

and insightfrrl issue of AIM. The magazine's piece on gay and lesbianArmenians (Connections, July 20fi)) was enlightening, well-timed (if not over due), and very necessary. I believe it will prove insfirmental in furthering dialogue on this important issue. The article touched on the feelings of disgmce that are felt by many parents of homosexuals. This disgrace is also in the community at large, and probably caused by ill-conceived notion of what it is to be Armenian. We Istow that hornosexuals exist in ourcom-

munity. Shurld ttrcy be rcviled ridiculed and expelled ftom ourrank? No. But not becarse we couldn't afford to marginalize homosexual Annenians, we probably could They'rc probably only about l0 percent ofthe populatiorl and anyway, we wouldnt loow that they were missing.

But I believe that as acommunity we must not Armenian culture today and throughout history has been characterized by is ability to

As abrotherpriest I feltpride in how Fr. Shnoft articulated what is perhaps the most important aspect of Christianity: Compassion. We must never get so lost in our dogmas and docfrines so as to withhold Christian love firom anyone. I would like to make one additional point which was not stated in the article. In the Bible,

there

is no prohibition or condemnation of

homosexuals/gays per se. What we see in the Bible is a prohibition against homosexual sex. In ttpArmenian ChurctL letus neverconfuse the two. Many conservative Protestrnt churches condemn homosexuals. ff you read the Bible carefully it is honrosexual sex which is pnohibir ed. Upon ftlther reading of the Bible, you will see that the Church pohibits any sex outside of marriage - homosexual or heterosexual. I congratulate Fr. Shnork for stepping forward to express the love of Jesus Christ as professed by the Armenian Church. [,et us never abandon any children of God because of our own homophobia, narrow-mindedness and an incorrect reading of the Scripture.

Yeprem Kelegian Racine, Wisconsin

adapt. I believe it would be a shame for Armenians not to accept, as most American and Europeans have, that homosexuals exist in our community, and that homosexuals enrich our community. In fact, it would be in keeping with Armenian tradition to embrace diversity. The article states that far too often those issues are left unresolved because Armenian parents are unwilling or unable to accept their children's sexuality. But do we not, as Armenians, pride ourselves on the sftength of our families? Do we not consider our families as top priorities in our lives? I would hope that our tradition of strong family life is based on love, and not on expectations. After all, is a child only worttry of love when they fulfill the dream and goals that a parcnt has for them? It seems to me that for a parent to accept their gay or lesbian child, love their child unconditionally, and wish happiness for their child, is for a parent to be a tnre Armenian. If being Armenian involves love, inclusion, and strength, than we must love and include our gay and lesbian sisters, brothers, daughters and sons, and in turn strengthen our community. If being Armenian involves hate, exclusion, and weakness, then why bother being Armenian?

I kept looking for the gold (referred to in your "From the Editor" note in the July 2fiX) issue). "We'd hit a gold mine," you said, unfortunately all I could find was nothing but Ka-Ka. I would explain further, but I do not think you would understand, same as, I do not understand what qualifies you for the job of an Editor-Publisher of such a fine magazine. Please cancel my subscription effective immediately, do not send me any more of your magazine (and your worthless opinions). No refunds required. After all this fine publication has gone through, the economic hardships and all, it is sad how one individual can destroy such a fine and informative piece of work. Edward Chamras Houston, kxas

Shahan Sanossian

attended ttre Alex Pilibos School (and other Armenian schools), I grew up in North Hollywood, my whole family is from lebanon. My shrggles to stay true to myseH and be accepted by my people were all there in the story. I married my wife seven years ago and the

Los Angeles,

Califurnia

I rcad with joy the comments of Fr. Shnork Demirjian in 'Invisible orAbandoned - Gay and Lesbian Arrnenians." (Connec-tions, Jnly 2000)

[-ast week my sister handed me a photocopy

of an article from your magazine. It was enti-

tled Invisible or Abandoned (Connections, July 2000) I read the title and started to cry. I continued crying until I was done reading it. I was in disbelief that this was writen in an Armenian magazine. I hadn't heard of AIM before that day. I related to so many things in the article, it was as if the article was about me. I

AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

only family memberthere, was my sister. She even said the same thing the person in the article said, 'May you grow old on one pillow" @ut in Armenian of course). It was one of the happiest days in my life and at the same time I felt sadness because of the absence of all my relatives. I thought my father would arrive with a loaded gun and start firing. I am anArmenian lesbian who doesn'tknow where to fitin the wuld ofjdgrrrcnml, feu-based Armenians. I am judged by my own (Christian) identi$ as anArnpnian before anything else. Because of this negative correlation I have separated myself from the Armenian community. The article said what I was feeling but I didn't realizp, it. I was craving my culture and wanted to be with other Armenians. I have to say I felt such an overwhekning sense of relief when I read tlrcre were other Armenians who were "out" on this planet. I wished I knew aboutAGL,A when I lived there. I knw yor mu$ have rwived rnany 'taE leffii" because of that micle. I wanrcd o wrirc 6is hffi to letyouknw howunbelievably happy itmade np. It acunlly gave nre trope. I can't tell yotr how much I appreciated it. I just hope some of my family membels read it and ried toundemtard Thanks for hearing me, people. I still

Anic by e-mail We've published a rcpesentative wnplc of tlu rcsrynses to "Invisibb or Afundoud." Somc letters on this subject arived without signarures. AIM's po@ is tlwt wuigrcd lcten ate rct ryblished. Sigrud lerurc may be publislud anmyausly, lwwever ryon tlv autlwr b rcryest.

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All rat8s in US dolla6. Canada subscribers paytho €quivalent in [rS dollars. All international subscribers should pay by chscks drM on a US bank or bycreditcard.Australian residetrb cEn s€nd ch8cks in Austalian fundsto AIM c/0 148 Koola Avsnue East Killara NSW 2071 Australis. Basic US subscription rate is $55. lnternationsl US$65.

It[tilflilili!ffifil

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All ratss in US dollars. Canada subscdbsm paythe squival€nt in US dollars. All international subscribers should pay by checks dram on a [jS bank or by credit card. Australian rssid€nts can send check in Austrsli8n fundsb AIM c/o 148 Koola Avenue East Killara NSW 2071 Australis. Bssic US subscription rat€ is $55. lntsrn8tional US$65.

ilililc0ltruil$ll0 llil,20l $0[llt[land l0ulrmil, $ullr 20x, Elmilala, Gl 3t20[ u$l u rallL000.$tt[.llltr

Assemblyman

rcKScg[L,. Four years ago,Jack Scott

Record of Accomplishment

took his visionary brand

Genocide Recognition & Preservation of History

ofleadership to the state

Jack Scott succeeded

capital where he forged a

$541,000 to the Armenian Film Foundation for the

remarkable record. As

filming of the landmark documentary

an Assemblyman, Scott

The film documents the memories and lives

led the fight to make our

Armenian Genocide survivors to preserve, for future

communities safer,

generations, the historical truth of the first Genocide

to protect the health

in securing grants totaling The W'itnesses.

of the 20th century.

Califomia's consumers and

to strengthen and reform

Education

public education.

As Chair of the Education Budget Committee, Jack Scott has worked to provide funding to cut class

Family History

size

Jack Scott's penonal life

provide state funding to local school districts to pur-

to 20 students in kindergarten through third grade;

has been dedicated to building a strong family. Jack and Lacreta have

chase new textbooks; and helped establish clear testing

been married for 45 years, and are blessed with five children and eight

standards to judge the performance of individual stu-

grandchildren.Jack and Lacreta raised their children in a close and loving

dents and schools. Jack Scott believes that we should

environment, instilling in them the values of hard work and dedication

use our state budget surplus to further reduce the class-

to family.

room teadrer-to-student ratio in all grades in Califomia

public schools.

Life as an Educator Jad< Scott's

lifetime of service in the field of education began

1962. After eaming a Masters degree in

Divinity from

Yale

University, and a Ph.D. in History from Claremont Graduate Sctrool,Jack Scott taught Theology at Pepperdine Univenity.

1978, JacJ< Scott became president

in 1982 moved to

of Cypress College, and

Pasadena City College where he served as

president until his election to the State Assembly

in 1996.

uIecKScorr A Lifetime

of Service and Leadership

Paid for and authorized by Jack Scott for State Senate; Jonathan Fuhrman, Treasurer; lD# 991755 1250 East Walnut Street, Suite 136, Pasadena, CA 91105 Telephone 525.229.9455

The Gold is Gone But it's not too late to bring it back For a small country of three million people,Olympic gold is hard by. This year, the prediction was that the top medalreceivers in Sydney would be the countries with the largest economies Sure enough, except for Cuba, which snuck into the top 10, the remainder were the big countries - the US, Russia, China, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain and South Korea. There's good reason for this. Just as an individual or a family can't allocate much money to specialized classes or training unless they have suffrcient discretionary income, neither can a country. National budgets must be full enough,with enough flexibility that the necessary conditions can be created for would-be champions, proven champions and capable trainers to prepare for the quadrennial competition. The hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars spent result in not just the ephemeral honor, but also the tangible exposure and public relTtions dividends. The Soviet Union's gone, so now it can be publicly said that even they understood the value of good PR.And there were some things the old Commies did well. One was SportsThey understood the value of national pride, and nurtured the athletes with potential. As a result, Soviet athletes, among them Armeniang placed consistently high i" Olympic events during the last half of the 20th century. ln 1992, when the Armenian anthem rang for the first time at the Olympics in Barcelona, Armenians took home three golds and a silver. By 1996, the downward trend had begun: only one gold and one silver for Armenia. Still, these are not small honors They're actually tough numbers to compete against or hang on to without serious resources. And considering the indescribable social and economic hardship Armenian society had just undergone, this feat was exceptional. The winning athletes were given car keys, some monetary gifts, and the nation's highest honor: a medal named after the 5th century historian known as the father of Armenian History. Compared to their remarkable achievements, such compensation was unremarkable. In 2000, it is already obvious that the gold is gone (see page

to come

28.) In its place are memories There is also the frustration of opportunities lost - not by the Armenian government. They should be commended, not blamed, for being able to pull off even this level of participation. It is the

Diaspora that should be doing more. The "Gross National Product" of the Armenian Diaspora is innumerable times greater than that of Armenia. There is plenty of discretionary income. Shepherding 30 Olympic athletes through four years of housing, training and competition is a measurable, definable task. It requires no great planning or creative genius. It is not dependent on government laws, tax or visa regimes, comrpt or noble officialg language skills or western know-how. The options are many: pay wages and training fees in Armenia, or outside. Agreementg contracts, memoranda can be negotiated and signed with a clear expectation that at the end of the four yearq this Olympic athlete will compete for Armenia. All it requires is money - a significant, but a finite amount.The Diaspora's one or two great sports organizations could have undertaken this task and pulled it off if they're serious about sports and about its place in Armenian life. They can do it still. Or a new group can come together solely for this purpose. There are four years to go until Olympics in Athens ur2ffi4.It is possible to mobilize the Armenian Diaspora to commit the funds to feed and nurture the athletes who shone this year. It is also possible that the medal-winners from years past who now wear the colors of other countries can be brought back. They will probably come back gladly if they are assured of the kind of support which will allow them to win, and to raise the redblue-orange which means more to them than the greens and yellows and blacks of other lands.

Once again,there is a choice.The speechmakers can make speechArmenian name on the world stage.The dreamers can wzx nostalgic about millennia of moral victo ries and proud heritage. Or the doers can take all that and turn it into vital, active, real participation on the world's greatest stage. es about how important it is to get the

Chipping Away at I-Inemployment Hi-tech solutions to lots of problems Armenians in Armenia think of large factories when they speak of a revived economy. So, looking at idle plants makes one think the economy is going nowhere. But low on the radar screen is a slowly growing sector that brings hope for not just economic recovery but also viable integration into world markets It's not limited by a blockade or transportation costs Even language limitations are not serious hindrances. The computer and electronics sector, dependent on little more

than foreign investment and local brains is taking off Already, there are more than a dozen US subsidiaries in Armenia, and nearly an equal number of European companies.

The commitment by Epygi Labs (see page 34) to invest $20 million over several years for commercial development in various electronic and hi-tech directions is hailed by the government because it will provide jobs. But it is the next step that is even more noteworthy. Epygi is addressing education and training. The pride in Soviet-era educa-

tion doesn't go a long way in an industry which is transformed every two years The Armenian programmers who worked on Soviet military systems must have access to the latest in equipment to evolve with the field.Their intellectual skills are there.It's the up-to-date tools that they're missing. And their students and

AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

children need introduction to the world of electronics. so that their ingenuitv is honed in that sector. Otherwise. in a country with high unemployment, there may not be enough trained hitech specialists to hire. For all those who say, "As soon as things get better in Armcnia. I'm going to do somcthing thcrc," this signiflcant foreign presence is a call to roll up slccves and jump in. Even at a fraclion of western salaries. local cxperts are well-

paid. Businesses make money.Tiansportation issues and costs are non-existent in a sector whose products are light and easily movable. What's left? Take it from the several dozen successful examples: Young businessmen who have made it in the hi-tech economy arc using their riches to make more money - not iust lbr thenrselves. but also for the people ol Arn.renia. It's a rare win-win situation. choice.

It's Not Just a Resolution It

: rym5ffi

was genocide

The Armenian National Committee and the Armenian Assembly have been working - together - on HR -596 (formerly HR 398) for months. It passed several important markers and whether or not it passes on a floor vote in the House of Representatives, there are victories to be noted and lessons to be learned.

Lesson One: All politics is indeed local. Armenian Americans put the pressure on their local congressmen (in an election year) and garnered the support necessarv to pass this bill. Lesson Two: It is no longcr l-romeless Diaspora Armenians doing battle with a Republic of Tirrkey that inherited tl.rc burdens oi thc Ottoman Empire. The Republic o['Armenia is very much a player - wittingly or unwittingly. willingly or unwillingly. Lesson Threc: Even harmless sounding laneuage that ref'ers to Genocide is going to elicit loud reactions. Lesson Four: 'fhc tlS still doesn't set it. Armenians are not going to let this one go. Rational or not, emotional or not, wise or not, strategically sensible or not. Armenians arc going to push this subject for a long tin.re to come. The US had better figure out how to bring Turkey to the table. lrsson Five:Tlrrkey really d<rsn't get it.Their continuing unwillingness to 'talk Tirrkey' is not making it easier to transpofi oil, resolve Karabakh, conduct trade. renovate monuments and make peace. There

are other lessons as well. and they are derived from the victories.

Victory One: Armenians are beginning to ligure it out.This has nothing to do with history, and everything to do with politics, perceptions and expediency.The Secretary of State of the US can call the events in Kosovo "Genocide" and not go near the word when referring to the "tragic events of 1915." This is not because she doesn't know history. but because she (and the administration she represents) has been led to believe that saving otherwise is somehow going to damage the status of their partner. Tirrkey. Therefore, the game must be fought and won on the political tiont. Victory Two: Armenians can win. Not iust n'roral victories.This resolution may indeed have been simply a moral victory, if the T[rks had not raised the stakes. These viclories come with price tags:Amenians now need to very clearly definc their end game: Is it genocide recognition lbr genocide recognition's sake, or is it genocide recognition as a means to normal relations with Turkey? Is genocide recognition followed by den.rands for compensation? ls a Tiuth and Reconciliation Commission the way to go - provided of course, that the truth is not up for negotiation? Finally. having learned the lesson about politics - support the candidates and hold them to their promises - Armenians must bring the same energy and fervor to bear when other Armenian issues are on the table - like economic development aid forAnnenia and Karabakh.

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With very high water rates, water theft has reached new depths. The police identified 64 illegal water connections, including a car wash, a laundry and spin dry, a family home

and the local

For the tirst time in my lile I was calling a person to say, 'You know, you haue died'.ll -Roman Popov

Plumbers Union. A plumbers' union? ln Yerevan? No, in Boston.

reporter lor Komsomolskaya Pravda, after speaking with Nikolay Kolesnikov,

who is receiving Armenicum, the anti-A|DS treatment by Armenian doctors in Yerevan,

And A reporter from the local newspaper uncovered the crime

t0 relute reporls of his death in the Russian press

last year.

The same scholars who worked for more than a decade on the the 13 large green volumes

Nagorno Karabakh [is] a kind ot political Disneyland lor the Armenian diaspora.

which includes text and photos on everything lrom Agathangelos,

-The Economist

Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia

the fifth century historian to Zatik, the ladybug

are now working on

the third volume of the Concise Armenian Encyclopedia. lts concise because there are shorter entries on less subjects.

lts also concise

Karabakh is more important lor Azerbaiian than any Turkish baksheesh.

-Aleksey Chesnokov

because the orthodox Marxist-Leninist philosophy which used to

Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta

serve as editorial guide is also missing. The Armenian word the word 'gynecology.'

for woman guinis

the same as the root of

We have a problem of not having a national conscience. There really is no such thing as an Azerbaijan nation.

The Russian policy succeeded in making us almost lorget our Turkishness.

There is no Armenian word for

'subtle.'

lt just doesn't translate into

-Vafa Guluzade former National Security Advisor to President ol Azerbaijan

the culture...

tlThe results in Beirut make it necessaryto

acknowledge

that pail of the Armenian public does not accept to be treated like sheep.

-Marwan Hamadeh ARF-red rist or

Armenia is

cand,**r ,, *ir'rt#''1il:I|rttJflHX,,,,ffiJli:fl

deeply rich and mysterious t0 me, perhaps euen richer because it exists largely in my

imagination.ll -Garin6 Torossian 30, Canadian Armenian Iilmmaker

No one understands us better than the Turks.

tt -Ehud Barak

Prime Minister of lsrael, in reference to the lsraeli-Palestinian negotiations

The 1915 Armenian genocide was equally despicable as any other genocide. lt stands to reason that the Armenian people should obtain redress ol the same kind that we have been trying to achieve lor the Jewish people.

-G0ran Persson Prime Minister ol Sweden

They are obviously very alraid of the future. Everything must be done to keep young people in the country.

-Volker Seitz Germanys Ambassador to Armenia

AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

Now ll's the Mafia Deputy Prime Minister of tuerbaijan and Chairman of State Com-

mission for Refugees, Ali Hasanov, said the rnternational "drug Maf ia"

would rather see the Karabakh conflict remain unresolved,

reported AssA-lrada news agency. According to Hasanov large quantities of

i!!icil drugs are harvested on "the occupied

territories" which provide "enormous prof its to drug dealers." Surprise, Surprise Norwegian traveler and writer Thor Heyerdahl told President Heidar Aliyev during a visit to Baku that Scandinavian royal families originate from Azerbaijan. "As a result of multi-prof iled research," Heyerdahl concluded that the r00ts 0f Scandinavian royals g0

LIi

H m

back to first century BC Azerbaijan. A surprised Aliyev told his guest he "had never heard before that Scandinavian naiions originate from fuerbaijan," reported AssA-lrada. But Aliyev expressed interest in the results of archaeological research currently being conducted by the Norwegian traveler in Azerbaijan. Among Heyerdahl's other

well known adventures was his sailacross the Atlantic in RA-2, a plain raft, to prove that the Egyptians could indeed have crossed

the ocean.

I(lt

is true that according to the treaty signed by our governments those Armenians who wish lo leave Azerbaijan can d0 so. We have not hindered their emigration. ln lact, a number olArmenian families lrom Tabriz leftthat cily after our troops returned there. Your lroops, however, have uprooted entire villages under the guise ol voluntary emigration. lt is possible that severalthousand lamilies would want to abandon their thousand-year homeland, orchards, and houses lor homelessness and emptiness! You claim that the Armenians wish to leave uoluntarily. There are two ways lor people to emigrate: 1. Those who wish to leave lor a new location. 2. Those who leave beeause ol lear and pressure. We have abided by the treaty and have permitted those who wish to leave. You, however, have personally distributed subsidies among the Armenians. ln addition, Elchmiadzin has ordered that all priests leave our domain or lace the loss ol their status and be punished in their afterlife. The esauls ol the Cossacks are giving money to the Armenians ol Salmas to leave. Russian troops pressure those Armenians who wish to stay behind lo leave their homeland. . . ! I

@ *

, o,r*,*,#lrllrlfifi

to Colonel Lazarev (April 1B2B) 0n lorced migration Source: George Bournoutian, ed. Russia and the Armenians of Transcaucasia, 1998, from the Central State

AIM OCTOBER

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@ #

NOTEBOOK

GommemonatinU a

li agedy

Armenian history is replete with anniversaries of tragedy. In the

2fth century alone, there were two major

catastrophes which are annually commemorated: the Genocide and the Earthquake. There are also a series of relatively minor calamities: Stalin's purges, the Lebanese Civil War, and all that those events entailed for the Armenian populations. Now, there's another tragedy to mark. And history will determine whether it falls among the major or not-so-major events. This October marks the one-year anniversary of the assassination of eight of

Armenia's political leaders. On October 27,1999, five men stormed Armenia's parliament during the Prime Minister's Question Session and assassinated the hime Minister, Vazgen Sargsian, the Speaker of Armenia's National Assembly, Karen Demirchian, the Deputy Speaker, Yuri Bakhshian, the Minister of Operational Issues, lronard Petrossian, the NA Vice Presideng Ruben Miroyan and NADeputies, Henrik Abrahamian, Armenak Armenakian and Mikael Kotanian. Film fooAge that was broadcast around the world by CNN, documented the use of machine guns to empty thousands of bullets

on the bodies of the eight victims, and several others who were wounded. Since then, Armenia and the Diaspora have been trying to make a

come-back. The number of statues, public spaces, buildings and schools named for the eight grows each month. In September, it was the dedication of Sargsian's bust in Shushi. In March, on Sargsian's birthday, there was a commemorative concert. Karen Demirchian's name is on a metro station and a school. The names of the other deceased, memorialized less often, will be remembered again this month, as the country takes stock of all that the assassinations meant. Above all, it has raised difficult questions and

doubts. Not surprisingly, following the assassinations, emigration increased, foreign investments decreased, and the Karabakh peace negotiations slowed down. In the year since the tragedy, Armenia's political arena has remained devoid of any new leaders. The trial of the five assassins, which was supposed to provide answers, has failed to do so. Not because it has not exposed any conspiracies, but because the process has been so politicized from the start, that any conclusions it presents

AIM OCTOBER

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will

strain

credulity.

NOTEBOOK

Man ulith a Mission

Number of Armenian Day schools functioning today outside Armenia

210 Number of Armenian Day schools functioning within the CIS 3000 Number of participants in the official Armenian Independence Day celebrations in Paris 300 Number of participants in the official Armenian Independence Day celebrations in Los Angeles

260 Number of parliamentarians in Armenia's National Assembly in 1990 5

Number of Karabakhtsis representing Armenia in Armenia's National Assembly 4

Number of those from Karabakh who went on to Reverend Movses Janbazian. 5-5. executive director of the Armenian Missionary Association of Anrcrica. a 30,000-mer-nbcr group that provides relief and missionary service in 20 countrics around the world (AIM. January 2000) died in his office last ntonth. Janbazian had headed the group since 19U7, and shepherded it through the early years of Armenia's independence when every major Armenian organization. including this one, was fltccd with questions about programming, directions, funding and re-directinq its resources. Called Movses more often than he was ref'en'ed to trs Bodveli. Janbazian mixed his religious calling with his national obligations in a way which made some uncorntirrtable. At the Armenia Diaspora Conf'erence in Yerevan in September 1999, as representative of the Arrnenian Evangelical cornmunity. Janbazian addressed the audience. But arnong all the political and religious speakers, Janbazian's was the strongest and most nationalistic. When local govemment oflicials in Arrnenia clamped down on the activities of religious groups that were not part of the Amenian Apostolic Church, Armenian Protestants, too, came under attack. Janbazian successfully mediated between his angry constituency and the righteous authorities and potential antagonism was averted. Janbazian served on the Board of Trustees of a variety of national and international organizations, including the Haigazian University in Lebanon. the Armenia Fund, the Stephen Philibosian Foundation, the United Armenian Fund and the Armenian Evangelical World Council. Prior to his years at the AMAA. he served as a missionary-minister r in Sao Paulo. Brazil. as well as Lebanon and Syria.

represent Armenia in the USSR National Assembly

1200 Number of Armenian families in Yugoslavia today 40

Approximate number of years that the Armenians of Yugoslavia have not had a place of worship since the Serbs destroyed the Sts. Peter and Paul Church

AIM OCTOBI]R

32 Number of banks in Armenia 185

Total number of branches

Total capitalization in millions of Drams Aravot Daily,

2OOO

Marura Daily, Central Asia &

Caucasus Business Reporl

tocus ol the tlondl

Ehamplon$ $tlll Armenians at the 20m Olympics in Sydney !n Barcelona, Spain, just months after the of the USSR, Armenia won four Ilfall medals atthe l9D Olympics: three golds (tsrael Melitosian for Weightlifting, Mnatsagan Iskantarian for Greco-Roman Wrestling and Hrachia Bedikian for Sharpshooting. Armenia also took the silver medal in Greco-Roman Wrestling. Subsequently, the silver medalist, Alfred Ter Mkrtchian, moved to Germany.

1996,

Ter ldkrtchian wrestled for

Germany. But an Arrnenian, Armen Nazarian,

took the gold and Armen Mkrtchian won a silver medal in Freestyle Wrestling. This year, in Sydney, the Armenian team

managed two bronzes Almost. Both Arsen Melikian and Ashot Danielian placed tbird in weightlifting competitions But Danielian was later diqualified for having tested pos-

itive for steroid use. Melikian kept his for lifting 365kg in the 77kg Category. There were more than two dozen members in Team Armenia participaiing in boxing judq weightlifting, men's freestyle swimming, women's freestyle swimming, kayaking,women's 800m track and field,shooting triple-jump, greco-roman wrestling and long jump. Besides Melikian's bronze,there were also Armenian winners for otler counffies Nazarian, 1996 gold-medalist from Armenia, is this year's gold medalist for Bulgaria. Renchman BenjaminVaronian took the gold in the Men's High Bar for France. Armen-

ians also competed for lJkraing Sweden, Russia, Kazakhstan, Rance and

Arstralia

Following the Olympics, Armenia's disabled athletes prepared to participale in the sailing competition during the Sydney

Paralympics

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lor Armenia. Armen Nazarian, Greco-Roman Wreslling Gold lot Bulgaria. Center: Vakhlang Darchinian (red corner) boxing lor Armenia. Left: Yurik Sarkisian weightlilting lor Australia.

Top, right: Rudik Petrosian

0pposite page: Left: Anen Melikian with bronze lor Armenia. Below, right:

Above:

Preparing lor the Paralympics. This page: Top, left: Arcen Melikian

lilting bronze lor Armenia. Above: Varteres Samourgachev, Greco-

Roman Wrreslling Gold lor

Rusia.

AIM OCTOBER

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tance of Armenia's full membership in the Council of Europe. However, to the dismay of Armenian officials, she said CE's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) wish to admitArmenia andAzerbaijan together might result in delaying bottr until after the November 5 parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani govemment's clamp down on the media and the opposition elections has drawn intemational criticism and has put that country's fuIl membership in the

Council

Europe this year into doubt,

Armenia's entry too would be thus delayed. Armenia stressed that its own ascension should

not be tied to Azerbaijan's qualifications or made conditional on its neighbor's readiness.

A final vote on admission by CE's

Committee

Ministers was due

October, but has been postponed

in early to early

November.

Bussia-AnmGnia Militany Goopenation

state uisit t0 Ru$$ia

Delegation in Yeneuan

President Robert Kocharian led a large delegation on a state visit to Russia in late September. Although members of both governments meet often at various levels, this is the first strte visit for the Armenian president. The delegation was met with all the pomp and ceremony due a head

Following last year's first meeting in Brussels, the European Union-Armenia

Russian Colonel-General Genady Troshev, Commander of the North Caucasus Military

Parliamentary Cooperation Commission held

District, paid

its

second meeting

in Yerevan in

mid-

of state. The Russian govemment hosted their

September. Ursula Schleicher, chair of the EU Parliamentary Commission for Constitutional Issues, headed the EU delegation (below,

guests at the Kremlin. Besides meetings between

right) and co-chaired the meeting with

Putin and Kocharian (above, inroducing

ttre

Hovaness Hovanissian, Chairman of National

Russian President to his delegation) and Russian Prime MinisterMikhail Kasyanov @elow), there

Assembly's Standing Commission for Foreign Relations. They discussed legal

was also a community reception attended by more than 1,000 dignitaries and members of

reforms, the resolution of the Karabakh conflict, regional security issues and Armenia's

Moscow's Armenian communiN.

economy. But

it was the decommissioning of Armenia's Nuclear Power Plant (see AIM, August-September 2000) and Armenia's accession to the Council of Europe which drew much attention. Schleicher affirmed the impor-

Four Armenia-Russia agreements were signed in Moscow during Kocharian's official visit. The agreements signed were about visafree transportation of Armenian and Russian Citizens, Information Exchange collaboration, the Status of Journalists in Russia and Armenia and Collaboration in the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Power. Other agreements will be signed later at the interdepartmental level on Collaboration in Medicine, Health Care and Culture. AIM OCTOBER

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a two-day working visit to Armenia to inspect Russian military bases stationed there. In his meetings with Defense Minister Serge Sargsian and Chief of the General Staff of Armenia's Armed Forces Mikael Harutiunian, Troshev discussed exist-

ing bilateral military

cooperation and Armenia's participation in joint combat training within the North Caucasian Military District. A contingent of Armenia's armed forces participated in the CIS joint Air Defense System exercises along with troops from other CIS countries. As part of a Russian-Armenian military agreement, currently 179 officers and 510 students from Armenia study at Russian military academies.

Millennium Summit President Kocharian spoke at *re Millennium Summit in New York (above) at the beginning of September, as did more than 150 heads of state or govemments. Kocharian addressed issues of globalization, peace and prosperity, regional and international relations. On the sidelines of the

summiq Kocharian met with UN Secretary General Kofi Aru:an, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (above, righQ and others.

Nuisance at the Anmenian-Iunkish Bonden Russian border guards stationed on the Armenian-Turkish border near Gyumri came under fire when they ried to apprehend three Turkish military servicemen who crossed 300 meters intoArmenian tenitory repoftedly to steal cattle. The fiEspassers retreated when Russian soldien fired waming shos in the air. No injuries werc reported. Similar minor incidents have taken place in recent years along the 355 km (210 mile) Armenian-Turkish border guarded by a joint Russian-Armenian force. ln June of this yeat. a Russian border guard was killed by Turkish ftoops on ttre border when he was lured intoTurkish tenitory fromhis poston the frontier. ln another incident, three Bangladeshis attempting to illegally cross into Armenia from Turkey were detained at the border nearArtashat. Similar illegal crossings at the border were detected in February andApril of this year.

Gompliance Ghecked A foreign military team - made of seven Turkish and two German military officials GFE

inspected the Russian military base in Gyumri and confirmed that it complies with the provi-

sions of the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty (CFE). Under the revised CFE treaty,

Russia is entitled to keep a specific quantity

military hardware on Armenian territory.

Genocide Expents Gonsult in Angentina Historian (and Director of Genocide Research at the Zoryan Institute) Vahakn Dadrian and Lavrenti Barseghian, director of the Genocide Museum in Yerevan were invited by the Municipality of Buenos Aires to participate in the exploration of ways to com-

memorate

the tens of

thousands of

Argentineans who were victims of Argentina's various military regimes. The government of Argentina hosted the two experts who presented several lectures at govemment and nongovernment venues.

Dadrian and Barseghian spoke with the

Working Group set

up to

consider

Commemorative Museum, whose members include human rights activists. There was also a meeting with members of the Holocaust Memorial Institute. They discussed the parallels among the Armenian experience of orga-

nized mass murder, human rights abuses against Argentineans, and the fate of

mass murder of the Armenians was characterized as 'genocide.'Despouy is now the Special Representative on Human Rights of the Argentine Foreign Ministry. Armenia's Ambassador to Argentina, Ara Ayvazian, and the embassy staff and members of the community worked with localArgentine groups, including Jewish and human rights organizations, to plan and carry out this visit.

War

Bilatenal Relations

A Polish delegation, headed by Deputy

Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Janusz Steinhoff, visited Yerevan to boost bilateral economic and trade relations. The del-

egation held talks with President Robert Kocharian, Prime Minster Andranik Margarian and other oflicials. At an ArmenianPolish business forum in Yerevan, Armenian and Polish officials expressed dissatisfaction with the current tumover of trade, which stood at only $4 million in 1999 ($8 million in 1998). The sides pledged to boost bilateral trade and business opportunities and cooperate in EUsponsored regional projects, such as TRACE-

CA and INOGAIE, which aim at

creating

Holocaust victims. In the Parliament, Dadrian,

trade routes extending from Central Asia to

Barseghian, and Pascual Ohanian, a local attorney and author of a multi-volume study of the Armenian Question and International Relations, addressed an overflow audience. At the Argentinean Foreign Ministry Dadrian and Barseghian met with the Undersecretary

Europe through the South Caucasus.

the Ministry

Gounts and Judges A delegation representing the Spanish Constitutional Court, led by Court Chairman

Justice and with

Pedro Cruz Villialon, visited Armenia and held

Ambassador Heman Massini Excurra who serves as Director of the Bureau of Central Europe and the Orient. They also met with

Kocharian, Armenia's Consdnrtional Court Chairman Gagik

Ambassador Leandro Despouy whose association with Armenian issues dates to 1985 in Geneva with his involvement in the successful effort by the UN Sub-commission on Human Rights to adopt the report in which the World

AIM OCTOBER

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talks with hesident Robert

Harutiunian and National Assembly Speaker Armen Khachatrian. Kocharian said cmperation between tlrc high courts is important forAnnenia as the legal experience assist Armenia

in tlre

of other counties would process

of legal

reforms,

which aim forconformity with European norrns.

little about the country's legal system, which they nevertheless consider corrupt and favoring the rich. The JRP loan has a 4O-year maturity date with a five-year grace period.

Fon Wonld Peace Catholicos Karekin II of All

Armenians participated in the UN-sponsored Millennium World Peace Conference of Religious and Spiritual lraders in New York, as one of the

over 1000 invited world leaders of 15 distinct religions. The Catholicos offered a prayer at the opening session of the conference and delivered a formal speech the following day in the UN General Assembly hall. In his remarks, the Catholicos drew the attention of world leaders to "the Century" that was "tragically marked by war, genocide, ethnic and religious conflict and widespread human suffering," and called for the creation of a "new reality for the 2lst century" through "forgiveness and reconciliation." The session was chaired by Dudu Chili, a member of South Africa's Truth and

Reconciliation Commission. Karekin II

reminded the audience of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire and said, "After 85 years, Armenia still awaits universal

recognition and condemnation the Genocide, which as the victory of justice, are equally indispensable to all the nations of the world, including the Turkish Nation. The first step of the negation of evil is to reject it from our own hearts." The Catholicos called upon the world religious leaders "to work hard to show our believers the constructive power of human solidarity," adding that "With dialogue and cooperation, it is possible we can leave a better world for the generations to come."

House Gleaning Measunes

Kana[akh Gelebnates 9th Anniuensary The ninth year after Karabakh declared its

independence was

tumultuous one. An

assassination attempt was made on President

Arkady Ghukasian and the roller-coaster negotiations over the Karabakh peace process

continued. Karabakh's domestic situation, too, was in an upheaval, with the former Defense Minister Samvel Babayan behind bars. Still, the cease-fire held and some new

Judicial Relonm Gets Funding The World Bank approved a $11.4 million loan to Armenia for a Judicial Reform Project

(JRP) designed to strengthen the country's judicial system. Among a series of steps, the project involves improving judicial infrastructure, training of judges and court staff, and educating the public on legal matters.

As part of its efforts to fight comrption and commercial favoritism, the government set up a mechanism where govemment purchases exceeding 250,000 Drams (about $500) will have to be processed through a special Agency for State Procurement. The agency would solicit tenders for suppliers with best prices and would sign formal contracts with vendors for full accountability to the government. The measure is significant as the state buys over $150 million in goods annually, making it the largest single buying entity in the country.

"We have designed this project to help make the judiciary independent and efficient," said Owais Saadat, WB representative in Yerevan.

lmpnoued Education

businesses opened, and the population cele-

brated its ninth anniversary by visiting war memorials in Stepanakert and Shushi (above).

WB-sponsored public opinion survey showed that most citizens of Armenia know

Rector Radik Martirosian, education in Armenia has improved compared with Soviet years

AIM OCTOBER

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According

Yerevan State University

due

technological advancements. For

example, he cited that currently YSU has 800 to 1,000 computers. However, he lamented the reduction in scientific research and experimentation due to lack of financial resources. Martirosian explained that the state provides oriy 27 percent of the university's budget. But ironically, he added, the university ends

up paying the government more than it receives in social security payments and payroll taxes. Ninety percent of tuition income

paid by the students is spent on faculty salaries. This year out of 3,200 applicants, 2,000 were admitted to the university, 800 of whom received scholarships. Among these, 70 scholarships have been allocated to Diaspora students to study at Armenia's 16 institutions of higher education.

ttlrfdtorlv

In an earlier visit,

Armenia's Prime

Minister Andranik Markarian signed

President Robert Kocharian, accompanied

by Armenia's Constitutional Court Chairman Gagik Hamtiunian andArmenia Fund Executive Director Vahan Ter Ghevontian, paid a working visit to Karabakh, where he met President Arkady Ghukasian, high-ranking offlcials and

wide

range of economic, social and political issues,

especially the progress of "Armenia Fund"sponsored projects, the construction of the 169 km North-South strategically important highway across Karabakh, and Kocharian's meetings in New York with his Azerbaijani

Memorandum on Mutual Cooperation with Karabakh's Prime Minister Anushavan Danielian, in Stepanakert on the occasion of the ninth anniversary of Karabakh's indepen-

dence. The agreement stipulates further development of bilateral relations, socio-economic assistance, industrial investments and rehabilitation of war-torn structures. The two health ministers also signed a separate cooperation agreement.

EmengenGy Pnepancilne$t NATO and the Armenian govemment cosponsored an intemational conference in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia (below), just outside Yerevan,

on prevention and management of

Relations

parliamentarians. They discussed

Martirosian and Prof. Michael Stone, head of

counterpart Heidar Aliyev.

nafural

disasters. Representatives of 14 NAIO member states and Russia participated in three days of seminars, performed joint rescue operations, and explored medical and humanitarian assistance to future disaster victims. The program was part of NAIO's Partnership for Peace program.

lcademic Agneement

Yerevan State University (YSU) and Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ) signed

a formal

agreement

cooperation. The

research and cultural exchange agreement was

signed

Yerevan

by YSU Rector Radik

i{..}si"ffi mmffi

AIM OCTOBER

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the Armenian Studies Program at HUJ, which

of its establishApril. A number of joint progmms will be developed under the agreement,

celebrated 30th anniversary

ment in

including a scholarship to one Armenian student to study at HUJ, which is state-financed. YSU has cooperation agreements and programs with 70 universities around the world.

Militany Exencises Held in l(anabakh The armed forces of Armenia and Karabakh joint military exercises in Kambakh, in midSeptember, using real combat hardware and

held

artillery. Armenia's Defense Minister Serge Sargsian described ttrc exercises as'tnique, flrst of is kind' and praised the combat readiness of both forces. In a "Hayastani Hanrapehrtiun"

interview when asked whether

time

Azerbaijan's oil riches would make its armed forces superior, Sargsian said, "In general, you can't dismiss such a theory... But let's not forget that we have no tasks as flar as tenitories are concemed. That is, our main task is to preserve what we have. This is much easier than launching new attacks. By further fortifing our defense posi-

it is possible to confront big forces with fewer resources and at a relatively low cost." Sargsian believesAzerbaijan would not have military superiority over Armenia "for the foresee-

tions,

able future."

that Russia's Gazprom, Gaz de France, lran's National Gas Company and Armenia's Energy Ministry will form a consortium - with the possible participation of other parties

to finance the build-

ing of the $124 million pipeline, which would transport 1.5 million cubic meters per day of Iranian gas to Armenia. Forty kilometers of the pipeline would cross Armenian territory. In Tehran Galstian met with Iranian First Vice President Hassan Habibi and Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi and upon his return to Yerevan was upbeat about the prospects

of future cooperation with Iran in other energy-related projects. He mentioned bilateral cooperation in the possible construction of an oil refinery in Meghri, on the Armenian-Iranian border, the con-

struction The Armenian branch ol Epygi Labs opened in Yerevan on Seplember 20. Armenian President Roberl Khocharian and lhe Mayor ol Yerevan, Albert Bazeyan took part in the opening.

U$ Gompany Pledge$ $20 Million to Enhance Educatior and Inaining Sam Simonian, hesident of Epygi I-abs, a US company, sigrred an agreement with the Republic of Armenia to build and operate a high-tech park in Yerevan. Epygi has

been operating in Armenia since 1997 developing high-tech solutions for the telecommunications industry. The agreement was signed in New York City by Sam Simonian, President of Epygi, and Vartan Oskanian, Armenia's Minister

of Foreign

Affairs, with the President of Armenia, US

State Department Representative Ted Kiem, and other officials present. The flve-year $20 million project focus on commercial development and educational training. The commercial operation will provide over 500 high-tech jobs in software, hardware, Internet, wirelesg lasers, fiber opticg broadband communications and microelectronics development. At the same time, an Internet Hall with 1,000 computers connected to the Internet will be available free. Visitors may use the computerq connect to the Internet, and participate in technology related programs.

Gommunications

$atellitc$

The East West Institutg EuropeanAmerican think tank working on the social,

of a Meghri-Yerevan-Georgia

transport route and a tunnel under the Gajaran mountain pass to enhance land transportation between the two countries. Galstian said the pipeline could even con-

tinue to Europe via Armenia. The con-

economic and political situation in the transitional countries of Europe andAsia, hosted a

struction of the pipeline would start once

Silk Road Regional C-ooperation Summit in

the make-up and commitments of

NewYork in September.Thking advantage of the presence of so many regional leaders in town, the Summit, headed by Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, author of the Silk Road Strategy Act of 197, invited the presidents and foreigr ministen present to "reded-

financing consortium are finalized by the end of this year.

icate themselves" to the SilkSat agreement aimed at enhancing those countries'telecommunications infrastructures The presidents of

The Association of Bookkeepers and Auditors opened a new office in Yerevan, created with the assistance of USAID.

Georgia,Azerbaijan, the Foreigr Minister of Armenia, as well as their counterparts from

hime Minister Andranik Margarian (below)

the

Financial $enuices 0nganization

Moldova, Romania, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrglzstan and Ukaine also addressed the audience. Profesor Ronald Sagdeev, Director of the EastWest Space Science Center of the University of Maryland presented the speciflcs of the plan which aims to explore the possibilities of introducing fiber opticg wireles networks and communications satellites

throughout the region. Former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft gave the closing remarks

Eas Pipeline

Iliscussed in lehnan Armenian and Iranian energy officials concluded talks in Tehran on the final stages of the construction of a 140 km Iranian-Armenian gas pipeline. Armenia's Energy Minister Karen Galstian said the financing of the project on the Armenian side remains unclear. However, he added AIM OCTOBER

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last

Remaining $tate Assets to [e Pniuatized The Armenian government approved the privatization of 14 large state-owned

enterprises

including the giant electrical

engineering plant Armelektromash, the Armenian Savings Bank, the Ararat and Hrazdan cement factories and Artik Tuf and set up a commission to oversee their sale. Deputy Minister of State Property Ashot Markosian said the privatization would be "open and transparent," avoiding the controversies surrounding previous sell-offs. Armenia is ahead of its neighbors in the South Caucasus in creating a large private sector, having sold-off most stateowned enterprises within the last eight years. Currently, the private sector accounts for over 75 percent of Armenia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).In another development, the Armenian government sold the state-owned Ararat wine

factory

in St. Petersburg,

$300,m0

Russia, for

to an Armenian-Russian

joint

venture, Yerpitvinconcern.

lleueloping the Iounism lndustny

Armenia's State Agency for Tourism Development and Vahakn Hovnanian, a US real estate developer, builder and philanthropist, finalized plans for the construction of about a dozen "touristic centers" in various parts of the country. Each location will have 12 cottages and service centerg along with new infrastructure to enhance access and comfort.The project should be completed within two years There are also plans to build two tourist centers in Karabakh.

loans for foreign investors and local entrepreneurs, reconstruction of the earthquake

IFffi rn[ ilhrlrets

zone and rehabilitation of cultural monuments, and parts of the city of Yerevan. The President explained that this kind of infusion could and would be used in conjunction with funding from international financial institutions as well as foreign govern-

Armenia Janwry to June 2M0

ments

to quickly

Foreign Trade $555.6 million +14.3 % comryred

+16.8 % conpared nme period $419.9 million

last ywr

lmporh

boost Armenia's eco-

nomic growth.

fineNriN lastry.

Exporb $135.7 million

+13.5 %

comryN

fitfr WriN lattl'rrtr

Trade Doliclt M84.3 million

Going to the Mouies With the Yerevan Hotel open and doing business on Yerevan's Abovian Street. the

+12.1 lo ercluding hwranitarian aid Humanitarian lscistanco $36.6 rnitlion GDF {8.9olo

cofiWedwith

Moskva Cinema (Kino Moskva, below) next

door, owned and operated by the Paradis Agenry celebrated its own re-opening.

Nnonia Januayto Top

Eryrt

same

Wriod lasty@r

May

2tW

Gounlries

Bclgium 31.4 % lran 11.7 7o

Maion Financial lntlow Expected

Russla

While in New York, for the UN Millen-

nium Summit (above, right),

President

ErporM Products

Robert Kocharian presided over a meeting

of US and Canadian businessmen.

7o o/o

The

llon-Pneisus llletale 15.3 Misarel Froduols'12.8

Businessmen's Forum was convened so

that the potential investors could hear first-hand the government's plans for targeted industrial, tourism and infrastructure development. At the same time, the

Top lmport

President heard from the businessmen about their concems regarding Armenia's business environment, tax laws and work force. Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian

USA 10.9

Gmnlilee

Ruscla 16.1 %

Belgium 12.2 %

"l'

lmporhd Produsts Food Sfrrfh 25.6 %

presented a detailed outline of the foreign assistance and investments expected over

Equipmont & IHachlnery 15.2

the next two yearq beginning with Kirk

Oircd Foreign lwoslments

Kerkorian's Lincy Foundation's pledge to make available $160 million. The Lincy funds will be used for a variety of pro-

Armenh FirstQwrter

2ffi

$51 million (total in 1999 was $156 milliffi), Source: l,lati0nal Statistical

grams, including highway construction, AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

SNics

0l AfffBflia anfl

AruqiF$t.

Necdet Sezer, (far left) who was elected President of Turkey in May, echoed the admonitions of the Chief Justice. In his message to Selguk, issued on the occasion ofthe beginning ofthe newjudicial year, President Sezer said, "deep-seated, wide-ranging and rapid sffuctural changes that will allow us to

become

a civilized and

democratic state

should be defined and implemented as soon as possible." Sezer elaborated the specific areas in need of reforms, such as independence of the judiciary, legal protection of all citizens, freedom of expression, basic human

rights, and state and society relations. In the past, Sezer himself had been the rare public figure publicly calling for legal reforms. Recently, the new president's relationship with the government was tested when Sezer twice refused to sign a military-imposed government decree designed to purge "Islamists" within state administration. He insisted that

New Pnesident, Ghiel Justice and state Ministen Gall lon Legal Relonms Turkey's Chief Justice Sami

SelEuk (above, right) caused a stir last year when he issued a "stark waming" to his country's civil and military leadership: "Turkey cannot enter a new century with a constitution whose legitimacy is almost zero, and it must not." Exactly a year later, Selguk did it again during a ceremony dedicated to the start of the new judicial year in his country. '"The current system is insufficient and incapable of producing a replacement; the solution is to amend this system, which has resticted its productivity and

which cannot adapt to innovation,"

stated

Selguk, reading from a strongly worded 115page text. Instead ofa ceremonial speech, Selguk lecturedon democracy and touched upon human righs, constitutional reforms, independence of tlrc judiciary, fuedom of expression, tortwe, the death penalty, Ataturk's national ideology and even the environment.

While acknowledging that the "Turkish Constitution was written with an understanding to restrict the liberties ofTurkish citizens [a reference to the country's military establishmentl," Selguk said "I have a dream [for] a democratic republic." Selguk called for a new "social charter" to replace the existing constitution. Last year, the Chief Justice had daringly stated in the presence of Prime Minister Bulent Egevit that "The constitution was not founded by a government chosen by the free will of the people but by people appointed to sit in a closed parliament."

This year again, Selguk reiterated that the military-dominated constinrtion is still in effect because political parties in Turkey are unable to form consensus for a new document. Referring to the vision of the counny's founding "fattrer," Kemal Ataturk, whose views and pronouncements are not questioned in Turkey, Selguk explained, "Ataturk said that democracy had to be completely, not partially, achieved; that it was a system of thought counter to the idea of one human mold. Ataturkism is a blueprint for civilization. It has not been relegated to the refuse heap of history as an outmoded ideology." Selguk drew a parallel between Ataturk's ideology and Western values and assured that European Union @U) membership requirements do not pose threats to the makeup of the Turkish State. "I do not believe there are any obstacles preventing the Turkish nation, which wants to be a unitary and indivisible state, from joining the EU," he said. He added, "We need a brand new constitution that is not confrontational but capable of forming compromises, one that is in tune with the fabric of today's fluid and dynamic social structure. All of society is already unif ed on the fact that a constitution reminiscent of police standing orders has to be completely replaced or at the very least be made subject to fundamental change." In May of this year, when asked after a

speech

he gave at Harvard University,

whether freedom of expression extended to the study of the history of the Armenian Genocide, Selguk replied, "The [Ottoman] archives should be open and this subject should be discussed openly. To some extent, Turkey has already done this." His former colleague and jurist Ahmet

AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

the task

making laws belong

the

Parliament. The government heeded. In another development, Mesut Ylmaz, Deputy

Prime Minister and State Minister Responsible for Relations with the EU,

launched a "private sector and press mobilization" campaign to drum up support for EU membership preparations. He openly stated that creating consensus on the major changes required to comply with EU requirements such as abolishing the death penalty, allowing freedom of thought and expression, and preventing the meddling of the military in state

affairs - would require persuading the Nationalist Movement Party and the country's top military brass. In order for this to happen, Yilmaz said, "I need the support of the press, the public, and the NGOs who

EU. There must be a movement from the grassroots." In early

believe in the

September, the European Parliament made the release of a $116 million fund for membership preparation conditional on Ankara's demonstrated efforts to improve respect for minority rights, to outlaw the death penalty, resolve the l6-year old Kurdish conflict and grant cultural rights to its Kurdish population.

"Such European Parliament initiatives, stemming from misinformation and misjudgment, do not reflect a constructive approach

ahead

of forming

cooperation

for Turkish

participation in the EU," said a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement, calling upon EU

officials

to refrain from linking

assistance

flnancial

to new conditions. Yilmaz con-

firmed that Turkey's powerful military has reservations over EU membership, especially when it comes to the sensitive issue of the Kurds in Turkey.

already started negotiations with Russia about signing a new agreement about visa-free Eavel, and it should be signed within 90 days."

GUUIM leadens Meet in lllew Yonlt GUUAM

Ilemining Lethal Gnounds As part of a broader US assistance to the South Caucasus, a contingent of US special forces will train local personnel in Armenia Azerbaijan and Georgia on how to remove deadly mines spread across their respective territories. A training center has been set up for this purpose at a Georgian military base near Tbilisi, which would provide "humanitarian demining training as well as the related skills of emergency medical treatment and communications," said a US State Departrnent spokesman. Washington has allocated $l million for the project, with additional $3.2 million for new operations.

Russia t0 E$taui$h Uisa Regime

Militany satcllitc

Russia announced its withdrawal from the 1992 CIS agreement - known as the Bishkek Treaty - which allows visa-free travel among

nine CIS member countries (Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Ukraine did not join the treaty and have bilateral agreements). In effect, the decision means citizens of former Soviet republics, except for Armenia, Moldova and Uzbekistan, will be required to have a visa on entering Russia. Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov explained that the decision was taken in order to counter "intemational terrorism, organized crime, drug traffic and illegal immigration" within Russia's borders. Ivanov (above) added, "The Bishkek treaty has completed its mission," and

observers see the Russian move as the beginning ofthe gradual decline ofCIS as a viable

regional organization. "The very creation of CIS was a form of a divorce after the break-

Alexei

Malashenko of the Moscow Carnegie Center, predicting further distancing of CIS countries from Russia and each other. The establish-

ment

of a visa regime is mostly likely

to affect millions of "migrant" workers form the Caucasus and Central Asia who provide sub-

stantial financial support to their families back home. Governments whose domestic economies are supplemented by such finan-

cial inflows are concerned. Clarifying

tragedies - the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine which killed ll8 servicemen and

the fire that caused substantial damage to Moscow's landmark Ostankino TV tower Russia's Strategic Missile Force, the aerospace unit in charge of deploying spy satellites, successfully launched a military satellite into space from a launch pad in Kazakhstan. The Kosmos-series satellite was the second launched this year.

Ukraine, Uzbekistan,

met in New York

(minus Uzbekistan) on the sidelines of the UN Millennium Summit and discussed establishing formal stuctures to solidi$, the organization, which so far has been a loose grouping of states with similar political, military and economic interests. Earlier, in anticipation of the meeting, Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze stated, '"This organization has serious potential. We agreed to pay more attention to establishing free trade relations among our countries." Azerbaijani President Heidar Aliyev and Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma have similar hopes for GUUAM, especially in view of the ineffectiveness of the CIS and Russia's changing policies toward CIS member states.

0uendue ElectriG Bill AfterTehran threatened to cut energy sup-

plies to Azerbaijan's Nakhichevan exclave, the Azerbaijani government asked for a onemonth postponement on the payment of its $42 million debt to Iran. Under a l992bllateral agreement, Iran provides 60 percent of the exclave's electricity. The non-payment had accumulated since 1997 after Azerbarjan stopped to fulflll the barter agreement with Tehran, which stipulated reciprocal supplies of Azerbaijani diesel to Iran.

GIIP Gnouuth in Gl$ First seven months of 2000 compared to the same period last year

"bilateral format [with individual states] better meets the tasks of flexible reaction to the challenges of our time and the various interests of the CIS member states." Nevertheless,

up of the Soviet Union," said

Despite Russia's crumbling infrastruc-

tures. manifested by two recent major

- fto.ga

Azerbaijan and Moldova

the

effects of the decision on Armenia, Foreign Ministry spokespeison Ara Papian said, "We

ILIlFIlil

+11.2%

l(lZll0$nil

+10.5 j6

(lirst six months)

llBBltllll

+0.1 %

IflBGYBIIII

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iltsSl

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IIlf,lIE

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(lirst six months)

GHffil +2.8% (lirst six months) Source: CIS Statistics Committee. Interfax.

AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

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W',

ryii he affairs of the Middle East have impacted individual Armenian lives as well as the

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David. When the issue was made public,

fate of Armenian communities for decades since the collapse of the Ottoman

the church leaders were indignant.They sent

Empire. During the last several months, the new pace of Middle East peace talks had come to a point that the immediate future of Armenians in Jerusalem was on the line. Then, the violence broke out in Jerusalem and as of this writing, nothing is certain. In kbanon, the unbelievable happened. The Israelis pulled out. The Syrians sat back and the kbanese held parliamentary elections in which the President's forces were defeated. What kind of coalitions will be built around the newly elected forces is still unclear. What is certain is that the Middle East is changing. And so are its Armenian communities

a strongly worded letter to US President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Chairman Arafat. They told the negotiating leaders to have representatives of the churches at

Diuiding Jenu$alem Armenians on the Line of Confrontation

the summit "so that our collective presence here - with its history of rights and expectations - is maintained unequivocally and safeguarded fully." And the clerics added, "We regard the Christian and Armenian Quarters of the Old City as inseparable and contiguous entities that are flrmly united by the same faith." The Armenian Govemment supports the position of the Armenian Patriarch, too, that the Christian sections of the city

By HBATGH TCHILINGIBIAN

be kept together.

Armenian Quarter in the Old City of JI Jerusalem has become one of the most talked about issues in the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli negotiations over the flnal status of the city that is sacred to he

Christians, Jews and Muslims. At the Camp

David II talks in the US in July, it was proposed that the Old City be divided into two sections: Israeli control over the Jewish and Armenian quarters and Palestinian control over the Christian and

Muslim quarters.

"The Armenian Quarter belongs to us and we and the Armenians are one peo-

ple," said Yasser Arafat,

Palestinian Authority Chairman in contradicting reports that he had agreed to Israeli annexation of the Armenian section. The leaders of the Christian churches in the Holy Land - the Armenian, Greek Orthodox and Latin Patriarchs - were not briefed about the talks onJerusalem at Camp

AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

The church leaders have remained united on this position, which is not a new one. In 1994, in a formal Memorandum issued by the three Patriarchates and nine other churches in the Holy Land, they noted that they are not part of the disputes nor the negotiations, but have legitimate concerns. They demanded international guarantees for their rights, protection of their lands (Christians own some 35 percent of the Old City), permission to build

COVER STORY Church in America, was more outspoken.

on their properties and tax exemption as non-profit organizations, as has been the practice for centuries. These demands are significant to Armenians as well. Since Camp David, President Arafat and Israeli Acting Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben Ami have held regular meetings with the Christian leaders to hear their views and opinions on Jerusalem. "I believe that the voice of Christians is beginning to be better understood," said Patriarch Michael Sabbah to reporters, after meetings with Minister Ben Ami, adding, "This meeting was designed to assert that Jerusalem is a Christian question and during the discussions on the holy sites, the Christians must be present." AIM spoke with two high ranking clergymen at the Armenian Patriarchate, but they did not wish to elaborate. "In view of the ongoing negotiations among the parties, we do not have anything to announce publicly," said one clergyman. "This is a very serious and difficult issue. All the churches have made their points clear to the parties and it is not proper to divulge information at this critical juncture of the negotiations," added the other.

International Conventions In a telephone interview with AIM, Kevork Hintlian, a historian of Jerusalem and a resident of the Armenian Quarter, explained that the legal status and rights of the Christian churches are guaranteed by

international agreements.

"Throughout Ottoman rule, the rights

of the Armenian Patriarchate, along with the Latin and Greek Patriarchates. were confirmed in the Paris Peace Conference in 1856, then in the Congress of Berlin in 1878 and later guaranteed in Versailles in 1919. These rights are supported by all

international conventions," said Hintlian.

'As such, in all church-state matters and politics, there is coordination among the churches, whose centuries-old presence in this city precedes Israeli rule." Hintlian added that the Armenian Patriarchate has "semi-diplomatic status," as one of the three guardians of the Holy Places"We are not a parochial community," he continued, "but custodians of the holy places, ranking second in importance after Opposite page: 0ld lashioned driers still in use in the Armenian Ouartel ol Jerusalem. This page, right: "Armenian 0rth0d0x Patriarchale Rd." and directions to the "Armenian Art Centre."

Samoorian studied at the Armenian Patriarchate from 1962 to 1968 and was ordained a priest the same year Israel occupied the Old City of Jerusalem.

"I witnessed the Six Day War (1967) and the subsequent months," Samoorian

told AIM. "Regardless of any and all decisions concerning the fate of Jerusalem, under no circumstances should the Armen-

ian Quarter ever be placed under Israeli sovereignty," he said matter-of-factly. He enumerated a long list of grievances

including attempts by the municipality of Jerusalem to appropriate Armenian properties "such as the large plot adjacent to

the Patriarchal palace known as Soveru bardez (cows' field) and the repugnant behavior ofyoung Israeli soldiers and rabbis"

Another lay resident of the Armenian the Greek Orthodox and the Franciscans." Moreover, "Our interest in Jerusalem is not only spiritual, but we are also a community with assets and properties. The 28acre ( 150 dunum) Armenian section represents one-sixth of the Old City; and the final status talks (about the one-squarekilometer plot of land that has become the most complex and contentious issue in the

Middle East for over 50 years) are very important for us." While members of the St. James Brotherhood in Jerusalem are generally reluctant to publicly express opinions on their experience under Israeli rule for more than 30 yearg US-born Father Ghevont Samoorian,

a member of the Brotherhood serving in

the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian

a former lecturer at the Patriarchal seminary who did not wish to

Quarter and

be identified, speaking to AIM from

Jerusalem added, "Based on decades of experience,we know that Israelis'eyes are on Armenian properties. In fact the only

for Jewish territorial expansion inside the Old City is in the direction of the

direction

Armenian Quarter." He said, for years, Israeli authorities have refused building

permits to the Armenian community. "Whatever is not a Jewish undertaking, there is a freeze on it. On top of thiE the authorities confiscated lands illegally or Jews 'bought' properties, such as some 70 Arab homes located within theArmenian section." He refuted assertions made in a recent

article

The Economlsl claiming that

Armenians sold properties to Jews. ?fte Economist had claimed: "With money from rich benefactors in America, [the Jews]

have made offers that some Armenians have been unable to resist. One result is that Jews now own 71 of the Armenian quarter's 581 properties."

As all properties in the

Armenian

Quarter are owned by the Patriarchate, the lay people living in these homes do not have the legal right to sell them. However,

some Armenians have received "key money" or sold the right to live in these properties. But the Patriarchate remains the legal owner of these dwellings, he explained. The Armenian Patriarchate, then, is in the unique position of being Iandlord not only to a monastery where some 50 monks and clergymen reside, but also the residences of some 600 to 700 lay people who live within the walled com-

plex. These families are allocated rentfree living quarters by the Patriarchate, passed on for generations.

For centuries, Armenian pilgrims who

the Holy Land from various parts of Armenia and the Diaspora lived in came to

these quarters. There are also Armenians

living on properties owned by

the

OVE

STO RY

Patriarchate outside the walls of the monastery, but stil within the Armenian Quarter. They, too, do not pay rent, but unlike those living inside the monastery who are exempt, they pay municipal taxes. These Armenians are locally known as kaghakatsis, or natives, whose ancestry goes back centuries. Those living inside the monastery are known as vanketsis, or "those from the convent." In any case, none of them are new arrivals. And they're all proud of their deep local roots. "We did not parachute here," Albert

Aghazarian told

AIM from

Jerusalem.

Aghazarian is Director of Public Relations at Birzeit University in the West Bank and was an adviser to the Palestinian negotiating team at the Madrid Peace Conference. "The Armenian presence in Jerusalem has been an unbroken pattern since the 5th century. I do not know of any place,

maybe other than Armenia, where there has been Armenian presence in a land since the flfth century. This is very signiflcant. While, true, many Armenians came after the genocide - my parents came in 1918 - the kaghakatsis have been here for centuries bearing the traditions of this community."

This page: Pdnting house dating back lo 1833 in the Armenian Opposite page:A common sight in lhe Armenian 0uader.

0uarler of Jetusalem.

The Problem of Closures and Access Armenians living in the Quarter argue that the possibility of divided sovereignty over the City presents serious difflculties to the 2,000 Armenians living in Jerusalem. About half of them live in the Christian

and Muslim sections. They fear that the division of the city would in effect divide the Armenian community itself.

Under the "Camp David scenario," the Armenians would also be on the border dividing the Israeli and Palestinian sections of the Old City - "on the front line of future confrontations," says one resident. "Even though there would be traffic between the two sections, it is almost sure that there would be days, or even weeks, when the 'border'would be closed due to troubles between the two sides, as has happened so often." Most Armenians who live in the Armenian Quarter work

in the Muslim and Christian

sections

and would not be able to go to work or run their businesses "on the other side of the border."

Another problem is Armenian educa-

tion. As students living outside

the Armenian Quarter attend the school inside the St. James compound, parents fear that interruptions or closure of access points to the Armenian Quarter would undermine

their children's education. Community

COVER STORY leaders are concerned that such an eventuality could lead parents to send their children to non-Armenian schools, putting the

viability

of the

lYhat Are the Choices?

to the other side, as they have economic

Although during the negotiating process no one asked the Armenians about their preferen@s, they clearly have them. The first choice of the Armenian community is international status for Jerusalem under the conhol of such bodies as the UN or a combination of multinational entities. This preference is not new. It goes back to the UN's 19413 decisionon the partition of Palestine.'llre Vatican - particularly Pope John Paul II - has also

and social ties, and most important, obligations at the holy places."

Armenian school in

Jerusalem in question. They point out that already the number of students at the Tarkmanchats (Holy Tians-lators') school

has gone down

tions, but the Armenians need free access

"It

Putting

more dramatically, he

says,

seems that the Armenians are going

to pay the price for peace. Besides, we

to 150 and any further

are not landed immigrants. We are indigenous people and have been here for hundreds ofyears, long before Israelis canle." And in case the Armenian Quarter is placed under Israeli sovereignty, he bursts, "Why should we be obligated to become Israeli citizens and lose our right to travel to Arab countries - especially Jordan,

decline of numbers is untenable.

But most crucial for the Armenian is free and uninterrupted

Patriarchate

access to the Holy Places where daily religious services are conducted. Based on the Status Quo - a shorthand reference to the

situation resulting from the 1852 Ottoman decree settling the contested rights of the churches and guaranteeing the role of the Christian Churches in the Holy Places Armenian priests perform daily services at various locations, which would be under Palestinian control. "We would not be able to punctually perform our obligations at the holy places if the city is divided," says Hinflian. While a divided city might be feasible on paper, Armenians are not sure it will work in practice. "We are afraid the Old

Lebanon and Syria many ties."

where we have so

to allow

Indeed, Israel has refused

Jerusalem-born Armenians who live in Jordan or other countries to settle in Jerusalem, just as is the case with Palestinians. "Despite the fact that they were born in

or family

Director of the Middle East Council of Churches' Jerusalem offi ce. In a recent paper on the issue, he presents legal arguments for a "creative solution," which combines both the "special

Elderly Armenians, just as elderly Arabs, have more immediate concerns. They would like to see a continuation of Israeli rule over the Armenian section,

would be divided and might be inac'cessible," says the former seminary teacher. "The Palestinians and the Israelis might be

fearing that a change in status could jeopardize their social security and tiee health

satisfled living within their particular sec-

insurance.

tional court or arbitration system to which churches could appeal in case of disagreements with the rulers. One of the tireless spokespersons of the "Ckistian perspective" on Jerusalem is Harry Hagopian, a lawyer and Executive

Jerusalem, Israel refused residency permits or identity cards."

Jerusalem, have relatives

City would be like Nicosia or Berlin, it

called for a "special status" for Jerusalem. If they cannot have their f,rst choice, the second is joint Palestinian-Israeli sovereignty, but with international guarantees. For example, the presence of an interna-

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status" and the "joint sovereignty" models. He admits that it is difficult to achieve such a solution, but he believes it would work "if both Palestinians and Israelis disinvest themselves of absolutist solutions

;

i!*. -"1

COVER STORY and become lvilling partners in a more pragmatic solution."

In the

mcantirne. Armenians htrve stepped up thcir efforts. along with the other Christian churches. to make their vier.vs l.rcard. with the hope that the negotiators will bc responsive. "Thc ncrotiating power ol lhc Armenian cclrnmunitv. head-

The Roots ol the Gommunity Being the oldest llving Diaspora community outside the Armenian homeland, the roots of the Jerusalem community g0 back t0 the early centuries of the first mi lennium lts precious treasures, arti-

facts ancient manuscripts and vast assets accumulated over the last 1,500 years make the Armenian Patrrarchate 0f Jerusalem the richest and arguably, the most historically important living Armenian lnstitution in the world The first Armenians reached Palestine in the wake olthe Roman legions, as

ed ancl rcprcsented bv the Patriarch,

legionnaires, administrators, traders and artisans. lVore came in the middle of lhe f irst century BC, when

comes ['nrm thc unihed stancl of the leaders o1' thc churches with respect to the Status Quo." savs Saro Nakashian. who rcsidcs inside the St. James compound and

the Armenian King Tigranes reached as far as Acre on the Mediterranean in his conquest 0f the region.

But itwas during the Christian era thatthe Armenians in the Holy Land established permanent roots. Armenian monks were among the f irstfounders 0f desert monasticlsm in Palestine lndeed. during the

Business

crusades (1187-1291)OueensArda, Morphiaand Melisend olArmenian princelyfamilrestiverethefrrst three Crusader queens 0f Jerusalem After the Genocide in the Ottoman Empire hundreds of refugees

Dcpartnrent at Birzeit Univcrsity. Whilc

and orphans were housed in the Armenian Ouarter. Many of the orphans studied in the Armenran sem-

thc Patriarch is thc lcgallv

inary; some oi them became prominent religious leaders, including former Patriarch Yeghishe Derderian. Later after the Arab-lsraeli t,ttars, m0re Armenian refugees were housed in the St James contlent and the number 0f Armenians living inside the Armenian Ouarter reached around 8,000

is a lecturer and chairnran clf

recognized

lcadcr of the Armcnians in Jerusalem. witlr its centuries-old rights and functions in the holv places. the comrrunity's continued prcsence in this holy citv is also a sourcc of legilimacr. " fhc Alnrenian presence irr Je rusalent is rtot sor)ltthing en pirssrrrrl:we htrve been part ol' the landsctrpe of' this land for centurics." underiines Agl.razarian. pointing out Lhat Armenians cirnnot be ignored in thc ongoing proccss of ncgotiations over .lcnrsalem.

Historically the community has notnumbered more than 20 000, living mainly in Jerusalem, Jaffa Haifa

and t.vhat is now the West Bank Bethlehem, Ramallah and Gaza The Armenian 0uarter rs a small "enclave" wlthin the southwestern corner of the Old City and is the headquarters of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. lt has residential dwelling areas, an infirmary, a 150-student high school, a

100,000-booklibrary,anancientmanuscrlptlibraryof 5,000 -thesecondlargestaftertheMatenadaran in Yerevan -a printing house dating from lB33 a museurn, and other facilities - all situated in a comp0und enclosed within three-foot thick walls The central building inside the Armenian Ouarter is the 12th century St. James Cathedral

Gouen $tony

Alliaffi tnesh PossiIilities

By A. H. ALEXANDRIAN

Is it tlre untl rrl lrtl !til l(,l ll)L'L(l):lll(.1' l,\,,',',.,',i,,,, \'( )r'llrlltlrli1\ .' F r et r I ltitl,: 1,,,i ttl. to tliut conclusion. As lr rcrLrlt ol thc [-clrltncsc lcqislltivc clcctions lttst rttortth. thc Arntcnian Rcvollttionar-r Fcr-lcrltitttl

[)ashnaktsLrtiun (ARF) lost tltc rtcarmonopolv holcl it has hlttl ott thc l-chattcsc political sccnc sincc I 96J. For clccaclcs. it nas thc ARF that rrrtu-

hasccl politicul st'stcnt.

()llicirtllr. lli rclisioLrs

dcnonrirlrtions at-c r-ccogttizccl ['rr thc stlttc.

'l'hc countrv's tlttcc

ttl11

0lliciltls rllltst

conre ll'or.tt thc ntttks ol thc thrcc latgcst rlcnonrinittiotts. So. lrv Iini. tltc [)rcsiclcnt tll' thc Repr-rblic rlusl lrc u N'laronite ('hristian. thc Prinrc Ministcr ntust hc Sunrti Nltrslint ancl the Prcsiclcnt of thc Parliantcnt a Shiite NIuslirn.'l-he Parlianrent^s scais are clistrib-

nonrirmtions. F-t-ottt 1972 ttt 20()(). ltn Anrcniun hucl in l'irct occt-tpiccl tllc I)rotcslant scirt. antl it rvlts ottlv lilllttwing thc lasl clcctiorts thlt thc scilt was ltlst to a

rle

non-Arrue niart Hariri sLlpl)ol'lcr. An Artllctliirn had ncvcr occttltie cl thc scat reprcsctlting thc ntinoritics ('hristian uttlil now. The l2li scilts are distributccl arttortg l3

districts in five regions. Thrcc Arrnen-iall Apostolic seats. thc Armenian Catholic seat and the Protcstant seats rcprcsent Beirut. the czrpitiil. and the lourth Armct.t-

rrllr nlrrlctl tlrc Altncttilrn le Il e sr'tttirti\ u to the governrrcnt ancl to thc Lebanesc Parliarncnt. But non'. onh tuo ol thc sir

uted accorclir.rg to cluotas dir iilc'cl among the 1 I nrore important denominatiot'ts.'fhev are thc Maronites. thc Cireek Orthodox.

the partr's offie rc cle cte cl u ith uttcl tirrurcr Prirttc

tl'rc Catholic Cjreeks. thc Arnte nial'r Apostolics. thc Armenian C'atholics. Arrttcrtian

ian Apostolic is electccl lront Mount Lebanon and more particulzirlv Mctn.

rintl Lebancsc Protcslants

Mctn includcs thc Artttettian clistrict of Bour'l

electccl clcputies are

cial list. The lour

1r'r)r.t.t

r-rlhe

rs n

Sunni billionairc Ministcr Rllik Hanri. *hose

togclher.

alrsoltttc I ic-

Suunis. Shiitcs. I)ruzc. Alarluilcs. attd ttne

torv as hcacl oI thc opposition hlttl lt scisrlic cll'ccl on the Lcbittte sc politicltl sccttc. As a consequcnce. Ilrrriri bcctttlc t]rc rttltir-t

lv clcnorrirlttions.'l-his last ltttsiliolr uas

contendcr

lor I)ritnc \'linistcr ltlttl

thc

Arnrcnian rleputics on Itis list (ttotte tlrcm lronr thc i\RF) lirntt

1titt 1 ol

o1'

ltis pitr-

liirnrcntan'block. 'l'hc A rnrc

ni rtn cor.t.t

100.()(X)

t.t.t

tut

tt o l l -c ltittrotr.

i1s ltcr ditr. c()ntrnanclccl political clout s hich urts clispro-

nunrbcr-ccl

qlrrtionatclr' !,r'cltcr thirn its livc reltrcsctl1atii,'cs in u ltarlilnrcnt ol t)9.'[ir t-utdcrstltlttl hou, and

*'hi

this is changrrtg. ancl ri hcthcr'

this clecline o1 thc ARF's intlucncc is likelv to bc pcrnranent or part o1'a llLrctlrating cvcle. and *'hat the effects uill l.re on thc Arntcrtilrns ol Lr'hlrtt,rtt. it i\ itt)l]()tlillll tr) understand Lcbanon's dcnominatiort-

rcprcscntativc lirr irll thc ('hristian tttinoricstablishccl itt the ctttl ol thc ('ir il \dlltr. lttld lxrs becn occul-ricd ht' it rcpre sctrltttirc ol' llrc Svriirc clcnon.rinlrtion. [rttt thcoreticallr. an Arr-r.rcnilrt can itlso occLlpV i1.'l'hc constitutionirl rclirrnrs lrttl'lhcl' ttgrccrttcltts ulrich canrc allcr thc ('iril Wlrr' (1975 ttr l9li9) crcatccl l l2S-tttcrtthcr Lchitttcsc

Purlianrcnt. rvith scats evcnlv r,lrstributccl beIu,ccn ('hristians artcl N{r.rslittts. Within thc cprota rcscrvccl lirr ('hr-istiarts. thc

Arnrcniatrs havc

sir lixccl scats: livc lilr

Arrncnian Apostolics attd onc for Arntcttian ('atholics. But. an Armenian carr alstr holcl onc or two aclditional scats: the one replcscrtting thc Prrttc:tltllt cr)llllltLlllitics ancl the one reprcsenting the rninoritv AIM OC'tOBER

](X)I.)

-Ihc liI'th rerlion (ancl vtttc) is Ilcka-Z-ahlI u'hcrc thc Arntcnian villagc ol Anjal is locatccl. ln crrclt clcctorltl clistrict. scats ttrc clis1r-ibutccl ilrtt()rtg lhe vltriot-ts clcrrottlitrations. 'l'hc local popt-tltttiolt l,otcs lilr tltc scts ol scals u ithin thc tlistricl. inclcllcnrlcnt ol thc clctttruitrirtiort. Itt tttltcr wtlrcls. thc Alnrcnian ciutr-liclittcs citrt l<tsc ttr win Irs a rcsult ol r tttcs lrottt tltc Mitrtttritcs. Har.nmoucl.

Photo top: Former Lebanese Prime Minister and leader ol the opposition against current Premier Selim Hoss, Balik Hariri, kisses his wife Nazek at his home in Beirut, late Sunday evening, September 3, 2000. Billionaire businessman Ralik Hariri and his allies swept all 19 parliamentary seats in the Lebanese capilal, Beirut. Photo by Hussein Malla/AP.

COVER STORY Shiites or Sunnis since Armenian votes are not sufficient to decide their fate.And since all the denominations registered in these districts for all the seats of the given dis-

The country was divided into five electoral regions. Beirut consisted of only one district then.TheARFtook part in those elections in Beirut with a list of contenders

trict, including the armenian seat. Given this jigsaw pt"zle of a parliament, pre-election negotiations often lead to sur-

linked to Prime Minister Rachid El-Solh. The ARF's rather large victory reinforced the advantages it had gained during the CivilWar.

prising, complex alliancesThe reason is very simple. Electoral alliances are very volatile and end once the new Parliament is formed. Then new alliances are made, which often differ greatly from the pre-election ones.

This is why, until recently, although they have sided with the authoritieqArmenians succeeded in establishing various pre-election alliances, and still maintained their

Since the capital made up an indivisible whole, the ARF could help bring victory to

the side it worked with by delivering the Armenian vote.They achieved this despite massive emigration.

In the area of Mount Lebanon, the ARF allied itself with Deputy Prime

independent vote as a bloc in Parliament.

Minister and Minister of Interior Michel Murr, known for his pro-Syrian stance.

Lebanese and Armenian

That is when the party's current electoral problems began. Of the seven seats they

Pre-election Developments After the end of the Civil War, the flrst Lebanese Parliament was elected in 1992.

expected to win, the ARF lost the area of

Beka-Zahll to Georges Kassardji who had only recently become an Armenian Apos-

tolic. It was a true surprise that should have sounded an alarm of major change still to come. Especially since the apparent success was actually mitigated by the following circumstances.The elections were characterized by very low Lebanese participation. Further, several groups in power actu-

ally boycotted the elections to protest Syrian supervision of the vote. Syria, after all, maintained and continues to maintain nearly 30,000 soldiers in Lebanon, at the request of the Lebanese government. But with the economic situation of the country continuing to deteriorate, billionaire Rafik Hariri was designated prime minister in t992. Until then Hariri stayed away from the official [-ebanese political scene. He was brought in to help the population gain confidence in the country and to improve the economy. Hariri remained in power for six years. In addition to enormous financial means, he possessed a dom-

With a poltrait ol lormer Lebanese Prime Minister Ralik Hariri, supporters ptaying music and dancing celebrale his victory in lront ol his home in Beirul Monday September 4, 2000. Photo by Hussein Malla/AP.

COVER STORY inating character constantly causing friction with President Hrawi and the President of the Parliament, Nabih Berri. During the six yearq he embarked upon an imposing project to rebuild the areas devastated by the war, especially the downtown area, the

highways and the airport, attempting to return Lebanon to its privileged position before the war as a hub for tourism, economics and finance. But the Israeli-Palestinian peace was still long in coming and the country increased its enormous debt, further damaging the economic situation. At the time of the legislative elections of 1996, the ARF kept its alliance with Michel Murr within the Mount Lebanon area, but also cooperated with Prime

Minister Hariri in Beirut. The elections proceeded without major incidents for the Armenianq and the seven ARF candidates

were elected without problem. In Parliament, however, the Armenian block continued to keep to itself and did not join the Hariri block. Following the election of Emile Lahoud as head of state, Hariri preferred to present his resignation in 1998 rather than to continue with someone he

could not get along with.The ARF and the Armenian block kept their distance from Hariri and attempted to approach President

Lahoud. Moreover, the relations were not

great even during the time Hariri

by Arthur Nazarian, another member of

was

the AGBU.

prime minister because he refused to admit in his government a candidate advanced by the Armenian block, preferring to have,

This blow compounded the fact that since the end of the war, the influence of the ARF on the local Armenian community is no longer what it was before the war.

minister, Hagop Ddmirdjian, who

belongs to the AGBU and whom he knew would cooperate with him.The election of Emile Lahoud brought'back a little hope for the country. He declared that the continued freedom and victories of the South

This change made

formed an integral part of his priorities

and promised to flght corruption and nepotism in Lebanon. S6lim Hoss was then named prime minister with a mission to improve the economy. Hoss set up a program of economic austerity to make it possible for Lebanon to manage its debt but did not manage to improve the economic situation. Meanwhile, the ARF's reputation took a serious blow when ARF minister Shah6 Barsoumian was implicated in a huge scandal of embezzlement and bribes. As a con-

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COVER STORY Dissatisfied with his former relations with the ARE, he decided to circumvent them and negotiated directly with certain personalities among the Hunchakians and the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (ADL - Ramkavars), without forgetting the Armenian Catholics, all of whom he wanted to include on his contender lists to challenge Hoss, the current prime minister. At the same time, he opened a center

for social assistance in Hadjin, an Armenian district populated especially by partisans of the Hunchakian party and instituted a daily television progmm with 15 min-

utes of news in Armenian. Lebanese authorities didn't fall far behind in attempting to gain Armenian sympathy. In April and May of 20(X), the Parliament publicly recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide and the Ministry of Education designated the Armenian language as a second language taught in certain schools and officially included it in the State Baccalaureate exams for students taught in Armenian. Throughout the jockeying for the Armenian vote, the ARF tried to maintain the old national unity. However, for the first time in its 40-year history the Armenian unity was broken. The ADL decided to include its president, Hagop Kassardjian and a Hunchak leader, Yeghia Djeredjian, who had been on the

Ihe

ARF

Ust, urc

llrini ust flil m

Hnal Resul'h

District No 1 of Beirut Abraham D6d6yan (Protestant, ARF lis$ vs. Bassel Fuleihan. 10,302 votes against 32,147.

District l,lo 2 ol Beirut Mihran Sdfdrian (Hunchak, ARF list)vs, Ydghia Djeredjian (Hunchak) 12,209 votes against 26,157.

District No 3 ol Beirut Hagop Pakradouni (ARF), Arthur Nazarian (AGBU, ARF list)and Stdphan Abadiian (ArmenianCatholic, ARF list) vs. Jean Hovassapian (former leader of Lebanese presidents security detail), Hagop Kassardjian (ADL), and Sarkis Toursarkissian (Armenian-Catholic) 13,183 votes against 26,088 votes. 1

3,628 votes against 26,233 votes.

13,267 votes against 26,062 votes.

ARF list in the two previous legislative

District No 2 ol Beka-Zahl6

elections, on to Hariri's list. All these realignments did not go unnoticed by the leadership of each of the par-

Georges Kassardji (ARF list) vs. Garbis Buchakdjian and Vartkds Tchaparian.

ties. Several ADL leaders resigned from the party and a split occurred among the Hunchaks. The latter's international central committee expelled Djeredjian as well as the head of the local committee which supported him. But these differences could have been corrected later. A group of Hunchaks thought they could present a joint list with the ARF's, who in turn negotiated with Hariri to see whether an agreement was possible between all three. However, this solution was not adopted

Wlnner with 27,027 votes with opponents whose number of votes were not reported.

District No 2 ol Metn at Mount Lebanon Sdbouh Hovnanian (ARF) vs. Raffi Maddyan (Communist Armenian) 32,163 votes against 27,710 votes.

Table Armenian electorate in Beirut (estimates): District No

9,434

Catholics

3,508 55

Total Armenians

District No

Total

31,015

48,202

2,309

4,051

4,868

1,481

2,315

3,851

,316

13,224

37,381

61,921

8Yo

10%

25o/o

15.6%

127,804

128,7M

140,813

Protestants 11

Armenian votes as percent of total votes

acceptable to the ARE

Total Voters

397,361

include

Hagop Kassardjian and Y6ghia Djeredjian on his list, and refused to yield on the question of the Protestant seat, which he holds for his Lebanese ally. All he offered the ARF was the one Armenian-Orthodox seat out of three and perhaps a compromise for the

seat of the Armenian-Catholic, although even that was not certain.

The number 0f voting Armenians is estimated at nearly 33,000 (24,312 Armenian-Orthodox, 6,578 Armenian-Catholics and 2,022 Armenian-Protestants from a total of 152,557 potential voters, 0r 21,6oh ol the total of the votes) in Mount Lebanon, 2,700 in Lebanon North, 7,000 in Beka-Zahld and 1,500 in the South Lebanon. A total ol 116,214 voting in all ol Lebanon, including 88,601 Orthodox Armenians, 20,259 Catholic Armenians and 7,354 Protestant Armenians out of a total of 2,750,000 voters. All these estimates do not however take into account emigration. Thu's the real potential f

igures are much lower. And the number of those who do vote is lower still. ln 1996, nearly 30,000

Armenians voted, 0r 30 percent of those registered.

Later, Hagop Pakradouni, an ARF 48

District No

7,753

because Hariri's conditions were not

Hariri was determined to

0rthodox

AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

COVER STORY leader and one of the candidates for the legislature, declared that Hariri was going to establish additional conditions. Namely, the requirement to give up constituting an Armenian block and to incorporate the Armenian deputies in his own block. Once negotiations broke down, the ARF advanced its own list of candidates. But even some early signs of these elections were not promising because the new electoral law works against the Armenians,

namely in the district of Beirut. This was divided into three electoral districts instead of remaining indivisible as it was in the past. So the Armenian vote, already not necessarily decisive, was divided into three.

Another peculiarity of these elections was the confrontation of the governing authorities represented by Prime Minister S6lim Hoss and supported by President Lahoud, and the opposition, Hariri. The new law was intended to reduce Hariri's power, which would have allegedly been too strong in a single district of Beirut. But these calculations proved inaccurate because Hoss ran only in the 3rd electoral district of Beirut (and lost), whereas Hariri, in all three electoral districts.

For the 2000 elections, the ARF was thus obliged to form different alliances in each of the three districts in Beirut. Within Mount Lebanon, the ARF remained allied with the Minister of Interior Michel Murr. an'd the Armenian seats were divided as follows:

in district No I of Beirut,

the

Protestant seat; in district No 2 of Beirut,

Armenian-Orthodox seat; in district No 3 of Beirut,2 Armenian-Orthodox seats and Armenian-Catholic seat. In the district of Metn of Mount Lebanon, I Armenian1

Orthodox seat, and a last ArmenianOrthodox seat in the area of Beka-Zahl6. Finally, as a desperate move, the ARF list included Mihran Seferian of the Hunchak Party and Arthur Nazarian of the AGBU, in the explicit hope of dividing the ADL and Hunchak votes.

Definitely, the opposition represented by Rafik Hariri and head of the Druze, Walid Joumblat, won in the Beirut elections and even Mount Lebanon in part. In Metn, within Mount Lebanon, the results were mixed, because there, Michel Murr's list gained partial victory. On the Armenian side, the elections saw the defeat of the ARF with only two

elected from a list of seven, thus breaking

the party's near monopoly in community governance. However, a comparison of the

number of the voting Armenians in various Beirut districts with the votes obtained

by the ARF list and the Hariri list demonstrates that the majority of the Armenian votes went to the ARF list. The opponents were elected victorious only thanks to the

of other denominations, probably Sunni. So, if the Armenian members of Parliament were elected not by Armenians, this casts some doubt on their freedom in decision-making within Parliament. This in turn can also adversely affect the fate of the community and the defense of votes

its interests.

The Results and Their Significance As for the ARE, on the one hand, it was consistent with its past tradition of siding with the authorities in power. And Hariri's victory does not at all mean that President Lahoud is out of the picture. In that sense, the ARF may have chosen wisely and protected its own and the community's interests.

On the other hand, the ARF's influence - has been eroded

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COVER STORY both on the Lebanese scene as well as within the Armenian community. The ARFs other tradition worked against it. It had been a monolithic force in the community for so long that when others with political aspirations saw a way out, an alternative channel to power, they bolted and chose to side with the new forces which were willing to give them seats. However, the situation could well be restored, at least partially, provided that the ARF adopts a policy more democratic and inclusive of other forces in the community. One thing is certain, the influence of the ARF will probably never reach its former peak. It is as likely that these results may negatively affect the internal cohesion of the ARF by possibly causing crises and divisions. Finally, it should be noted that beyond the internal factors, many of these developments also arise from changes taking place in the region.

Initially in June, South Lebanon was released from the Israeli occupation. This raised the question of the appropriateness

need

of a

Syrian presence in

Lebanon. Syria's new president, Bashar El-Assad's willingness to maintain a hands-off position during the Lebanese elections, together with popular dissatisfaction with the economic status quo in Lebanon, all contributed to changes which are sure to affect the Armenians of the region. -Translaled lrom French by HARRY DIKRANIAN

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Ratik Hariri with supporters. Pholo

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NATION

0n the Waylo $ensltlulty US Congressional Committee Acknowledges Genocide By MAITHEW KABAI{IAN

I Iore

lUl

than 200 sDectators had crowd-

:j"#

x'ilfi

"'."ifJT'"';*:' that would recognize the Armenian Genocide. Just about everyone was wearing a dark suit, but still, there was a group of about 30 in the audience who stood apart. They sat in the back rows, their interest was intense, and they all wore photocopied messages on the lapels of their suits. The messages, printed on four inch squares of paper, was "No on H. Res. 398." This group was organized. When the advancement of House Resolution (H. Res.) 398 suffered a delay one afternoon in September, during a meeting of a congressional subcommittee, they were all quietly cautioned by their leader not to show exuberance. "No smiles, keep it straight," their coordinator told them, as the spectators began to file out of the cavernous conference room. But an observer could see that they were clearly pleased. Their "No" messages referred to their opposition to a bill that had been pending before the International Operations and

Human Rights Subcommittee

ff, M

the

International Relations Committee of the

**1

lri,:

US House of RepresentativesThe bill,which not binding, called for a US

is advisory and

foreign policy that "reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity" of the expressly named Armenian Genocide, and requested the President to characterize the events of1915-1923 as genocide.

The bill's ultimate approval by the full Committee on October 3 by a wide margin (2a to 1l) sent a shock wave throughout the Clinton administration that reverberated out toThrkey and back again.Turkey was angry. The US Department of State was disappointed. In the days following the vote, leaders of the Armenian community assessed its

impact on the Genocide denial, and they evaluated its short and long-term consequences for Armenia. Despite a litany of threats from Tirrkey, AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

NATION the bill's advocates in the House and in the Armenian American community denied there would be any serious fallout. The

Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul, Mesrob II, sounded the only cautious and cautionary note among prominent Armenian leaders. But then, he is the only one living in Turkey.

CNN-Tirrk, which is the Tirrkish version Patriarch to address the ongoing negotiations over the bill, and to answer questions from the moderator and from the audience. There were several questions about the nature of

of CNN, had invited the

the rift between Armenians and Turks. Without being specific, the Patriarch said, 'Acknowledgment, confession and forgiveness are parts of any healing process." And in a clear message to the Diaspora, the Patriarch also said that the involvement of third countries was not helpful, and he called for a dialogue between Armenians and Tirrks. But this dialogue is precisely what the Armenian government and many in the Diaspora have been calling for all along. And it's a result that they hope the bill will encourage by forcing Tirrkey to understand that it cannot continue to foreclose discussion by fervently denying any wrongdoing.

The Genocide Bill Supporters of the House bill say that the controversy surrounding its adoption is much ado about nothing. Indeed, the controversy itself points to the need for the bill, they say. The bill is innocuously identified as the 'Afflrmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution." Included in H. Res. 596 is a list of "findings" about the genocide, and a non-compulsory "declaration of policy." The bill, originally identifled as H. Res.398, was first introduced nearly one year ago. It was

renumbered and renamed after amendments and changes were introduced in October in order to make it more palatable-and passable. The findings parse no words. The flrst of them states that "(1) The Armenian Genocide was conceived and

carried out by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923, resulting in the deportation of nearly 2,000,000 Armenians, of whom 1,500,000 men, women, and children were killed,500,000 survivors were expelled from their homes, and which succeeded in the elimination of the over 2,500-year presence of Armenians in their historic homeland."

The bulk of the rest of the bill lists the many statements and acknowledgements of the Genocide that are stored in the US archives

Tirrkey responded to the introduction

of the bill with anger and with an aggressive campaign to defeat it. Tirrkish leaders

in Ankara warned that the bill's passage would harm bilateral relations between the US and Tirrkey, and unnamed diplomatic sources floated a list of retaliatory

Armenian border is closed and militarized, Tirrkey enforces a blockade againstArmenia, and Tirrkey refuses to enter into diplomatic relations with Armenia unless the Armenians stop objecting to TUrkey's genocide denials, withdraw from Karabakh, and renounce any claim to their historic homeland in Kars,Ani andVan. Vartan Oskanian,

measures that might be taken against the US. Across newspapers, on television and

correspondence

with US

offlcials,

Tirrkey hinted at and identified specific acts of retribution that it would take.

Ankara's agenda included closing the American military base at Incirlik, which is near Musa Dagh, canceling its arms purchaseq refusing to cooperate on a resolution of the Cyprus impasse, and accelerating its rapprochement with Iraq. Indeed, a day after the vote, Tirrkish Army Chief-ofStaff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu cancelled his planned mid-October visit to the US. Congressional supporters of the House resolution were unruffled by the threats. Congressman

Frank Pallone (D-NJ)

scoffed at those who fear that Tirrkey will retaliate against the US. "The consequence in the long run is to make the relationship better," he told AIM several days before the vote in committee. "We are saying to Tirrkey,look, we still love you. But we want you to own up to what you did." Pallone is the co-chairman of the Con-gressional

Caucus on Armenian Issues, and he has

been

a strong supporter of

Armenian

Congresman Dan Burton: counter-accusing

American interests.

Brian Kennedy, a spokesman for Congressman George Radanovich (R-CA), says that Radanovich is similarly unfazed. "It's just an afflrmation, it's just a resolution. It's not even binding," he says. And besides, he adds, "This is not about Tirrkey. This is about the US record."This affirmation is precisely what the leadership at the Armenian Assembly of America and the Armenian National Committee of America wanted to accomplish by backing such a bill. This was not aimed at a third country they said. This was about the US standing by its own history. The Bill's Effect on Armenia Tirrkey has also threatened retaliation against Armenia, but most observers see this as an ineffective retribution. This is because Tirrkish sanctions against Armenia are already so severe, that there isn't much

more that they can do. The T[rkishAIM OCTOBER

2OOO

Armenia's Foreign Minister, said that Armenian-Turkish relations were at "an almost zero level" even before this event. Ross Vartian, the Executive Director of

the Armenian Assembly of America in Washington, DC, agrees with the characterization. "If it's almost zero, [then] they'll take it to zero," he told AIM shortly after the bill's passage. The day of the voteTirkey stopped issuing visas to Armenia's citizens at the border.

Tirrkey does have some more leverage against Armenia, however. Turkey opened

an air corridor a few years ago, between Istanbul and Yerevan. The corridor permits one chartered passenger flight each week, and this is currently the only leak in TLrkey's blockade of Armenia. Closing the corridor is on the list of retaliatory measures that Tirrkey says it may impose on Armenia, and Vartian says that he takes the threat "seriously." If it is

NATION closed, he says, "then the blockade will be

total." During the feverish days prior to passage, Turkey's Foreign Ministry reported

sanctions against Armenia would be severe unless the bill was defeated.Tirrkey's

president made a telephone appeal to US President Bill Clinton on the eve of the vote.

der are not a response to the events of the past month in Washington, DC, he says. "These things are typically planned well in advance."

Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America in Washington, DC was another one of the Armenian lobby's main driving forces. He says it is too early to predict what the consequences to Armenia will be from the bill's passage. But he implied that things couldn't get

much worse. "Tirrkey has maintained a generally antagonistic posture toward

Armenia," he says. This posture, he explains, is built around a framework of

blockade, diplomatic isolation, genocide denial, and military support for Azerbaijan. "They have set the tone," and there's

reasonable course of action that Armenia can take which would improve

relations, he says. That confrontational tone is also echoed among the Tirrkish public. In his interview on CNN-Tirrk, the Patriarch deplored that

"there are some that discreetly threaten and say that the Tirrkish Armenian community cannot escape the consequences. "I find that an offensive statement for the citizens of this country. A professor openly said in aTV program last night,'Do not anger the Ttrrkish Nation. You have previously seen what could happen if the Tirrkish Nation is infuriated!' Now, what

would he mean by that? Was that a threat?" the Patriarch asked. He also And a former TUrkish ambassador to the US laid out his strategy for retribution

admonished the Tirrkish public that "the Armenian citizens of Turkey ought not be mistreated, humiliated or made to feel insecure on account of a resolution that

in a Tirrkish newspaper. Armenia has a great need for humanitarian aid, writes

has been

Sukru Elekdag, who served as ambassador in Washington, DC from 1979 until 1989. "For this reason, as a first step, the air corridor should be closed." Elekdag's comments were published in the newspaper Istanbul Milliyet. Pallone, during a telephone interview after the bill's passage, said that he though it would be "stupid" forTirrkey to close the corridor, but that it wouldn't have much signiflcance, in light of the existing blockade. "I wouldn't want to see them do it, but I don't see how it will have much effect." And this is just about all that can be done. "There's not going to be military action," predicts Vartian. And the military exercises that Turkey and Georgia are jointly conducting near the Armenian bor-

Armenia's Predicament Tirrkish threats of official and unofficial retribution appear illogical, and perhaps even irrational. The threats sound especially odd when they are directed against the Republic of Armenia. The congressional bill, after all, was a

brought to the agenda by others."

relatively weak resolution, which was passed by a committee of the US House of Representatives, with the support and backing of the Armenian American community. The hand of the Republic of Armenia was absent. Tirrkish leaders, however, suspect a conspiracy.They have accused the Republic of

Armenia of actively supporting the bill, which the leaders of the Armenian community in the US adamantly deny. AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

Tirrkey is suspicious, however, and it assumes that the Diaspora would not, and

could not, act on this matter without its advice and consent. Collaboration, says Hamparian, is "absolutely false." Still, leaders from Yerevan have offered

words of encouragement. When the subcommittee advanced the bill in a voice vote - an endorsement that was a prerequisite to a vote by the full committee - a spokesman for Armenia's Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that the vote was "welcome." The spokesman, Ara Papian, is

in press reports saying that the vote "is a serious step towards determining

quoted

the truth." To be sure, these are not inflammatory words. But Ttrrkey's leaders and commentators have pointed to statements such as

this one as proof of Yerevan's alleged involvement. They have also pointed to Armenia's comments at the UN Millennium Summit in New York last month. At the summit, Armenian President Robert Kocharian took the unusual step of calling upon Tirrkey to acknowledge the Genocide. His comments were diplomatic. Kocharian said that with an acknowledgement, relations between Armenia and Turkey might

finally improve. An admission,

said

Kocharian, would elevate Turkey's stature

in the international

community, rather

than diminish it. The statement produced a sharp rebuke

from Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who said that the matter should be

left to historians, and not politicians. This exchange preceded another back-

and-forth at the UN between Armenian, Tirrkish and Azeri diplomats, much of

which featured surprisingly frank and undiplomatic language.

"To be precise," said the UN's Tirrkish representative, "it is the Armenian side, which insists on laying down conditions on Tirrkey; it is the Armenian side, which insists on the recognition of their singular interpretations of history as the sole and the only truthful version. It is also incomprehensible to see a government aspiring to normal relations with its neighborq while it continues to occupy one flfth of another neighboring country's territory for almost a decade now," he said, essentially outlining Turkey's conditions for T[rrkishArmenian relations. Supporters of Armenia say that they haven't been left with many options They aren't going to stop objecting to Tirrkey's 53

NATION denials. And Tirrkey won't even talk to Armenia unless Armenia, as a precondi-

tion, renounces its claim of genocide. Foreign Minister Oskanian referred to this deadlock recently at an international conference in Yerevan. During informal remarks at the conclusion of the event, Oskanian said,'Armenia has repeatedly explained that it is our moral obligation to integrate the issue of Genocide recognition into our foreign policy. Not to raise tensions, not to avenge the past, but to tackle an obstacle which exists

between our two peoples and

to work

towards its speedy removal. That is why the government of Armenia has, since its inception,pursued a dialogue with the government of Tirrkey. And for a decade, we have been turned down. "If however, Tirrkey today is threatening sanctions against Armenia, this time because of Genocide-related statements and resolutions being advocated, again, in a third country then a second opportunity to stay above the fray and address regional issues directly will be squandered and the confldence factor further weakened." The conference, "Prospects for Regional and Tlans-regional Cooperation and the Resolution of Conflicts," was sponsored in late September by the Armenian Center for National and International Studies More than a dozen experts from the region attended.

Among those experts was a man named Tirrkmen, who happens to be the former Tirrkish Foreign Minister.

interview with the Yerevan press, he minimized the importance of the Genocide issue by calling on Diaspora Armenians to put equal weight behind aid packages for Armenia's economic development and by letting historians deal with Genocide.

A Matter for the Historians Throughout Tirrkey's furious battle to

beat back the genocide resolution, the most common refrain among detractors was that the matter should be left to historians, and not to politicians. Ironically, the historians were addressing the matter at the Library of Congress,

located just two buildings away, even while the House Subcommittee was debating the genocide bill. And the historians were unequivocal about the liability of the Tirrks for the Armenian Genocide. Throughout the day, at a conference cosponsored by the Library of Congress, the Armenian

er spoke about the results of studies and analysis of Tirrkey's acts of genocide and other war crimes Dr. Jay Winter, a Cambridge University scholar and author of "The Great War" summed up Tirrkey's position toward the Armenian Genocide with uncharacteristic brevity.'Admit nothing. Deny everything. Make counter-accusations," he said. Just down the street at the Rayburn House Office Building, Tirrkey's friends and supporters were doing just that. In the

committee hearing, Congressman Dan Burton first invoked a familiar US concern.

If all old disputes

are to be aired, he asked, then what happens to the history of the Native Americans? Then, he repeated the refrain, and asked why Tirrkey should be accused of genocide, when "there are so

many others, including the Armenians" who could be accused. The triangle had been closed.The victim had been accused of committing the crime. Election Year Politicking The Tirrkish press alternately blamed Armenian hooliganism and nationalism as the prime motivations for the bill. The media also blamed the bill's supporters in the US Congress for paying too much attention to Armenians during this preelection period.'Armenians consider this their harvest season," wrote a journalist in the newspaper Turkiye. The bill's co-author, Republican Con-

gressman James Rogan

California,

received the brunt of the criticism. Critics in Tirrkey charged that he pushed the

measure merely to curry the favor of his constituents. Rogan denies the accusation. But for much of his re-election campaign this year, Rogan had been locked in a close race in a district with a large

Armenian American population. For

Rogan, this was as much a local issue as it was an international one. The importance

of the bill's passage to Republican efforts

to keep Rogan's

congressional seat was underscored when House Speaker Dennis Hastert visited Rogan's district during the

campaign and pledged

to get the bill

passed.

National Institute and the US Holocaust

Although Rogan and the other bill supporters in Congress denied political motivations, ethnic Armenian voters in the US did watch the proceedings with care. Congressional members of the Armenian Caucus and others who had received Armenian support were called upon to

Memorial Museum,one Ph.D. after anoth-

deliver on their promises. AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

At the

same time, however, Committee

members such as Cynthia McKinney, a Democrat from Georgia, was vocal about supporting the measure because she wanted to do what she said was the "right thing." McKinney has no Armenian constituency and no Armenian support, so

her motivations appeared

beyond

reproach. Ironically, the bill's most vocal

and effective opponent in the House of Representatives was Tom Lantos (D-CA).

Lantos is the only Holocaust survivor in Congress.

Bob Livingston and Gerald Solomon, two former congressmen, opposed the bill as paid lobbyists representing the Tirrkish government. TUrkey is reported to have paid them $1.8 million for their efforts Their lobbying was a supplement to the campaign waged for Turkey by US Secretary of State Madeline Albright and the

Pentagon.

lli$ony ol fie Bill House Resolution 596 (originally known as H. Res. 398) was authored by Congressmen George Radanovich (R-CA) and David

Bonior (D-Ml). lt was co-authored by Congressmen James Rogan (R-CA) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ), both of whom worked hard on and ofi the stage to shepherd the bill through, despite great efforts by its opponents t0 use all rules and regulations to kill it. The bill was first taken up by the lnternational Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee of the House lnternational Relations Committee. lt passed this subcommittee on Sept. 28, with a voice vote. That meant the bill's supporters knew they had enough votes to pass, and the opponents knew they couldn't deleat it. lt also meant there were some people who didn't want to go on the record as supporters or opponenb. Congressman Dan Burton, (R-lN), an ardent foe of the bill, was the only mem-

ber who asked that his opposition

specif ically recorded.

At the lull lnternational Relations com-

mittee vote on October 3, the bill was passed by a margin of 24 to 11, with two answering the callas present (which amounb to an abstention) and with 11 members not

voting, Committee Chairman Benjamin Gilman (R-NY) said afterward that he would bring the measure for a vote on the House floor before the congressional recess,

which had been expected on or about October

13,

NATION

BattllnU lon Uoles The Importance of Ethnic Vote Rising By SAIPI HAR0UTIilIAN GHAZARIAN

he largest number of Armenians out-

election that has national implications.

side of Armenia resides in Califomia's 27th Congressional District.As an im-

Healthy Diversity

portant and vital part of our community, Armenian Americans have a right to insist that the issues they care about are addressed by all candidateq and that they have a representative in Congress who will fight for their concems Given the competitive nature of this election, Armenian Americans could very well be the decisive factor in electing the next Congressman." These comments byAdam Schiff, a Democratic State Senator from California who is running for the US Congress, sums up the essence of the battle for the Armenian vote in this strongly-con-

tested and nationally-watched election. Schiff is battling Republican incumbent Congressman James Rogan for the right to

represent the growing communities of Pasadena, Glendale and Burbank.

Armenian Americans, for the flrst time in their centuryJong presence in the US, stand to make the critical difference in an

Left to right: Gongressman

The March primaries proved that Armenians do not vote as a monolithic block. Forty-seven and a half percent of the

district's vote went to Rogan, a two-term Congressman who is proud that his first (and only) foreign trip has been a visit to Armenia and Karabakh. Schiff received more of the popular vote (49.5 percent) within a district that has been leaning Democratic in recent years. Still, Rogan's popularity runs deep, and he is flghting hard to keep his seat, which is important to the total Republican count in maintaining control of the House. 'Armenian voters of this district make decisions not based on partisan politics, but on which candidate better served the

Armenian American community," said Rogan in an AIM questionnaire, who believes that for this community, the most important single issue is the recognition of

James Bogan and State Senator Adam Schifl with Gonstituents.

AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

the Armenian Genocide. Rogan, an active member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, and in a tight congressional reelection race, spent the last several weeks before the election rallying sup-

port for the passage of House Resolution 596 - the Armenian Genocide Resolution

non-binding acknowledgment of Genocide

on US record. In public as well as behind the scenes, Rogan cajoled, convinced, maneuvered, strategized, counseled and pressured until the International Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee and the

International Relations Committee itself [as of this printing, the full House had yet to vote on HR 5961 approved the resolution. Rogan was the hero of the day. Schiff, too, is keenly aware of the importance of the Genocide issue to his constituents. He used the levers at his disposal to make a meaningful contribution to the Genocide recognition effort, although as a state senator, he has no foreign relations privileges. Schiff facilitated a half-a-million

NATION dollar grant to the Armenian Film Foundation (AFF) to complete a series of films featuring Genocide survivors. The AFF, a non-profit organization, the only one to have secured survivors' testimonies

in English and on film, grabbed at the chance to speedily finish off the first of a three-fllm series. Schiff also authored and secured the passage of Senate Bill 1915 (The Armenian Genocide Victims Insurance Claims bill), signed into California law by Governor Grey Davis, which paves the

way for survivors of the Armenian

Genocide to file law suits against insurance

companies that refuse to honor the poli-

cies and claims

survivors and their

descendants.

For his efforts, the Armenian National Committee (ANC) endorsed Schiffs bid for the office. This came as a surprise to Rogan backers who say that this shows ingratitude to a Congressman who has demonstrated consistent support for the Republic of Armenia. The other two political parties - the Hunchakians and the Armenian Democratic

Liberal Party - endorsed Rogan. "The split in endorsements is reflective of the political diversity in the Armenian community and it means that Armenian Americans are active participants in both

American political parties," says Eric Hacopian, a political consultant on Schiffs campaign. But it is the ANC's grassroots

support which countg and Schiff got it. Still, Rogan's campaign is quick to point out that the ANC's endorsement of Schiff also included a commendation of the Congressman's actions and praised his contribution to Armenian issues Politically Mature For some in the community, these political contests are a chance to settle other scores

For example, there are those who are discomfited by the ANC's choices for endorsements. "I am upset at how the ANC manipulates Armenian issues for its self-serving interests. Rogan has proven his allegiance to Armenian issues and to our community, but for some reason, the ANC

is backing Schiff. This sends out a disturbing message to our friends on Capitol Hill," said a community activist.

Others, however, are less diplomatic about their displeasure and the result is that Schiff is maligned. They seem to be using the campaigns to fight their battles with the ANC (and its parent body, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutiun). Bob Youssefian, a local

Republican attorney lost to Glendale Councilman Rafi Manoukian in a tough

city council race last year. Youssefian,

regular on a localArmenianTV talk show,

is frequently

seen cautioning against Schiffs (and State Assembly Candidate Dario Frommer's) election to office, and predicting every imaginable kind of evil and travesty upon the Armenian cofitmunity. In a community that is just being inducted into the voting process and civic life, there are more half-baked, incorrect and incomplete explanations of candidates'

positions and promises being spread, than accurate ones. And some Armenian organizations are providing a forum for such analysis, while ignoring the real issues at stake.

The Armenian community seems to be stuck in the traditional, polarized formula, while outspoken voices in the community are waging a campaign against certain candidates for self-serving political reasons. In the process, the day-to-day issues facing the community - education, health care, jobs - are not being discussed by anyone. Including the candidates.

"Part of this whole process is to raise the bar of our expectations from our elected offlcials," says an activist. "They have to see that we know what we need, and we expect them to help us get it. This is not a struggle between the Dashnaks, ADL and Hunchaks," continued the activist. In fact, the process is far beyond the battles of the Armenian political parties. It

now centers with the priority of doing what is best for all members of the community. "This is a fight primarily between the newer, younger activists getting involved in politics who are not happy with what has so far passed for leadership in our

In many ways, this is a fight between the old familiar faces and the new cadre of people who aren't satisfled with what's going on," says a professional who is not new to politics, but is new to community politics. This struggle between different visions of what the community should be are also seen in the issues that the voters raise with community.

the candidates. One congressional staff member explains it this way. "There's a distinct difference in class and generation. The long-time US residents,people who've been here 20, 30 or more years are inter-

in issues that relate to Armenia. Domestic issues do not drive their decision-making. But the recent generation of immigrants, those who've come the last 10, 15 yearg and those from Lebanon, Iran or Armenia, certainly care about domestic issues. And this is the group that's just becoming active. Until a year and a half ago, only people interested in foreign policy cared about elections, but now new voters care about domestic issues, too. Of course, that doesn't mean they don't care about Armenia. But they also care about health, housing, and especially education." After all, besides Genocide recognition, there are very real and immediate problems to resolve right here and now. ested

General non-involvement

in civic life,

alienated and disconnected youth, inadequate health care, a public school system that is trying to cope with the needs of new immigrants,jobs and housing all have to be addressed if this community is going to be healthy and productive," says an immigrant from Iran who has become active in her local public school. For many political donors and voterg Genocide recognition and the economic

and political needs of the Republic of Armenia are all that matter. And candi-

to these differing interests. Rogan, the Congressman, whose scope of responsibility includes foreign relations, makes a point of stressing his contribudates play

tions to the Genocide recognition issue, and to Armenia. Schiff, the State Senator whose work in California positions him

There's a distinct difference in class and generation. The long-time US residents, people who've been here 20, 30 or more years are interested in issues that relate to Armenia. Domestic issues do not drive their decision-making. But the recent generation ol immigrants, those who've come the last 10, 15 years, and those lrom Lebanon, lran or Armenia, certainly care about domestic issues, 56

AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

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REGION

Rl$klnu l|emocracy Much at Stake for President and Son in the Azerbaijani Elections By HRATCH TCHILINGIRIAN

zerbaijar-ris will go to thc polls on Noven.rbcr -5 to cast thcir votes tbr a neu, Parliamcnt. However. indirectll,. thev're rczillv voting tbr a ncw president.An ailine President Haiciar Aliycv. recentlv hospitalized again at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio ivhere he had heart surgerv just a t'erv \rcars ago, must hang on until the elections. until his son Ilharn Aliycv is electecl to -Ilis woulcl rr-rakc the v()ungcr Parliar-ncnt. Alivev eligiblc lirr thc position ol' that boclr,'s Spcakcr. ancl tl'rus ablc to assume thc dutics ol thc prcsiclcnt in thc cvcnl thc heacl ol'statc is incapacitatcd or clics.

With a hislory ol'

lcss-1han-l)-cc voting thc prc-e lcclion cnvironrlrcnl in Azcrtrai.jan is brintntinq \\,ith ancl rvith so n-ruch at slakc.

contl'ovcrsv. hcavv-hanclcd govcrnmcrtl nieclclling in thc clcction proccss and prcssurc on the opposition. Meanwhilc. a wca-

liecl popLrlation watchcs political drama. ,;

T: ,e4

- :{e

.Ja

*.sit

thc unlbldins

The Plaving Field Over 1(XX) candidatcs registered with Azcrbaijan's Central Election Commission (CEC) u,ill compcte 1br the 100 majoritarian (singlc rnandate) seals and son-re 30 par-

ties 'uvill vic for the 2-5 proportional seals. Thesc will be Azcrbaijan's filih national elections since indcpcndence. Thcrc were the threc prcsiclenlial clcctions in 1992. 1993 and l99lJ. ancl the first parliamentarv clections in 199.5. C)bscrvcrs point ou1 that

sonrc 60 pcrccnl ol'11'rc lirur ntillion elcctoratc participalccl in thc 1992 clcclions. in l99li r1 wtrs onlv 2-5-30 pcrccnt. ancl in 1999. clown to l-5-20 pcrccnt. lr.rclcccl. "Only the prcsidcnlial clections ol 1992 wcrc ll-cc ancl fair uncl thc changc of govcrnntent was pcacelul." savs Ulvi Hakintov ol thc Aze rbai.jan Dcmocralic Monitor (Al)M).a local non-govcrnmcntal organization

(NGO.) The low voter turn out is

alscr

attribLrted to the seneral bclief among the The Armenian church in Baku: Destroyed and deserted. Photo by Felix Corley.

REGION

Presidents Aliyev and Kocharian in an encounler with reporters during the UN Millennium Summit in New York

of Azerbaijan that "everything depends on the government and those

citizens

counting the voteg" says Hakimov.

Tension between the authorities and the opposition, on one hand, and interna-

ommended changing the current majoritarian to proportional ratio from 100 to 25 to 75 to 50.The banning of local observers to monitor the polls, and the make up of election commissions are also worrisome.

tional attention, on the other, increased Allocation of Seats Opposition leader Isa Gambar of the Musavat Party says the "disproportion" of majoritarian and proportional seats will seriously affect the make up of the new parliament. "For a candidate to be elected from the party list he needs to get over

serious disagreement. The Organization

adds this is a device that would make it "easier for the government to control the vote results at the district level than at the national level."

Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE-ODIHR) had joined in and rec-

parties to form coalitions as 20 parties are vying for a mere 25 seats. Domestic Observers

when the parliament approved a new election law in July, which was considered a "step backwards" by Western officials and "unfair" by opposition parties. Although minor amendments have since been made, the provisions of the new election law continue to cause serious concern about the flnal outcome of the elections, Several other contentious issues remain unresolved. First, the allocation of majoritarian and proportional seats is a source of

for Security and Cooperation's Offlce for

The lower number of proportional seats also makes it difficult for opposition

120,000 votes," he explains. However, "in the majoritarian districts, there will be some cases where 4-5.000 votes will be sufflcient for victory. It is very unfair." Gambar

The "inefflciency of pressures of the West and international organizations" and the "elimination of political parties and local NGOs from observing the elections" have also worked in favor of the govem-

ment according to Hakimov. In this regard, US State Department deputy spokesperson Philip Reeker called on Baku to implement OSCE-ODIHR's proposals which would guarantee independent local election observers access to polling stations and provide conditions for free media coverage. The state continues to hold a virtual monopoly on the flow of information, especially in the regions.

With a history of less-than-free voting and with s0 much at stake, the pre-election environment in Azerbaijan is brimming with controversy, heavy-handed gouernment meddling in the election process and pressure 0n the opposition. Meanwhile, a u,earied population watches the unlolding political drama. AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

REGION Election Conrmission

Thc makcup ol' llrc ccntral, regional and local clectoral comrnissions which have a decisivc rolc in handling thc polls and counting lhc votcs - is perhaps the

most protrlcnratic issue. Gambar explains thc lirrmula in thc ncw cleclictn law: "Onethircl are su1.r1-xrsed to bo lrom thc sovcrnment. anothcr thircl inclcpcnclcnt. ancl onethird lrom the opposition. IHowever]. by now it is clcar to everybocly that the onethird so callecl 'independents' .llso reprcsent the government. And the one-third for 1l.re'opposition' was arbitrarily assigncd not to the mainstream opposition. but to tu,o opposition partics which were allowed to enter the parliamcnt in 1995 in a pe rformance which was the best example of what undemocratic. unfair and crooked elections could be. Nobody believes that this conrposition of the electoral contmissions can suarantee in.rpartiality and lirirncss."

-ilrc

lorcigrr policy implications of this clection arc evcn more signilicant as a final v(xc on Azerhaijan's mcmbcrship in thc

Ciruncil ol' Europc has bcen postponed until alicr Novcnrbcr clccliorrs. For ntonths. thc LJS and E.uropc havc cxprcssed serious rcservations about thc transparcncy and fairness o[ the upcoming clcctions. British. Frcnch. Gcrrnan ancl LIS cmbassy oificials in Baku have hcld a number of mcctings with lcading opposition partics. In tbllow

up le ttcrs. including one from

US Secretarv of State Madeleine Albright. foreign officials urged Aliyev to comply with

OSCE-ODIHR recommendations. While the content ol Albright's letter was not made public. President Aliyev downpliiyed its significance saying, "The letter dedicates only three to fbur lines to the issue [of elections] so skillfully embellished by the opposition."

In the same prcss conlbrence. hcld bcl'orc his cleparture to Ncw Yttrk for the LIN Millcnniun.r Sumntil.Aliyev also castigatecl thc oppositior.r parlics lor urgine 1[re Council ol'Europe not 1tl accept Azcrbaijan in its ranks. This could complicatc Baku's adnrission. "l cannot say whcther they Ithc op1-rosition] can achiever anything by thrs. Every patriol calling himselI a politician or pa11t, lc'rcle

r nrust

r-rot put l-ris own intcrcsts

abovc those ol the state. People sending such letters must undcrstand that Azerbaijan is arr independent country that does not report to Moscow. Paris or Washington. It pursues its own polic1,." said an angry Aliyev. Tll'ee maior events have further complicated the pre-election situation in Azerbaijan.

The ailing President

AIM OCTOBER

2()()()

REGION First, the arrest of Rauf Arifoglu, editor of the widely-circulated opposition newspaperYeni Musavat,certainly introduced new twists in the ongoing political infighting. Arifoglu is charged with terrorism and "calling for change of state structure" in connection with a failed plane hijacking on August 18. The hijacker, Mehti Huseynli, also a Musavat Party member, who was arrested after being overpowered by the crew of the flight from Nakhichevan, reportedly called Arifoglu on his cell phone to dictate his list of demands The party distanced itself and denied any involvement in the incident. Moreover, as Arifoglu was a candidate on the Musavat Party list, party leader Gambar accused the government of attempting to undermine his party's chances at the polls, by staging the editor's arrest and endeavoring to show Musavat as a "party of terrorists." In response to Arifoglu's arrest, President Aliyev said, "It is no use raising a big row over this and chanting slogans like 'Freedom to Arifoglu.' Everyone is equally accountable before the law, journalists and editors alike."

However, in addition to the support of local journalists and opposition parties. Amnesty Intemational issued a statement criticizing Arifoglu's arrest and characterized it as an effort to intimidate the opposition. The US government called upon the Azeri

to guarantee the editor's due proces rights The wider implications of authorities

Arifoglu's arrest were apparent in Courcil of Europe Parliamentary Assembly's President Lord Russell Johnston's letter to Azerbaijani

Parliament Speaker Murtuz Alesqerov. Johnston said, "His arrest and a number of other such incidents..cause serious con@rn in the Iight of forthcoming parliamentary election." Johnston reminded Alesqerov that such developments would be taken into con-

sideration when CE's Committee of Ministers considers Azerbaijan's application for fulI membership in the organization. The death of (the oppmition) Fopular Front leader and former president Abulfaz Elchibey, who died of cancer in Ankara in August and whose state funeral in Baku was attended by some 100,000 p'eople was the other major cause of change in the dynamics of the election

Wth his death, the opposition lost its most vocal and visible leader. process

The leadership struggle within the party, which had started before Elchibey's death has intensifled dividing the party into two camps. For several months now, the Front

international pressures," says Farhad Mammadov of the ADM. Aliyev's calculations were on target. The US State Department welcomed

has been divided between conservative supporters of Elchibey and the supporters of reform-minded Ali Kerimov, the first deputy chairman of the party. Kerimov's opponents accused him of "forming relations with parties opposed to the Front"

Baku's action.A US spokesperson said,"The

with the ultimate intention of bringing, Ilham Aliyev, the president's son, into power. Kerimov dismissed such accusations and called for an end to the internal struggle, which could alienate voters. It has certainly complicated the party's position with the Central Election Commission which has refused to register them and has appealed to the Justice Ministry to determine which camp represents the "legitimate" leadership of the party.

The possibility of the formation of

Popular Front-Musavat election bloc was discussed before Elchibey's death and Arifoglu's arrest. The list was to be headed by Elchibey and was seen as the formation of a strong and credible opposition bloc which could compete with current authorities. However, given the Front's internal disputes and the CEC's refusal to register election blocs, arguing that parties forming

coalitions should register separately, Musavat decided to go alone in the elections. However, on September 18, the CEC refused to register the Musavat Party's list of candidates, too, arguing that there were "forged signatures" among the minimum 50,000 required for registration. Musavat was barred from the 1995 elections on the same grounds This year, several other parties were barred on the same basis. As a result of the failed Front-Musavat alliance, the government allowed the registration of another opposition group, the Democratic Party, by amending the election law in late August. Rasul Guliev, former parliament speaker during Elchibey's presidency, and the party's chair, is accused

embezzlement of state funds in Azerbaijan and lives in exile in the US. However, despite Guliev's legal troubles, "Heidar Aliyev decided to allow the less

actions represent significant progress in Azerbaijan's election preparations," hop-

ing that the Azerbaijani

government

would take "further needed steps for the election to meet intemational standards." Since then, however, in an attempt to further discredit the opposition, Yeni Azerbaycan newspaper, President

Aliyev's party's publication,

accused

Guliev and Gambar of "cooperating with the Armenian lobby in the US." Finally, President Aliyev's deteriorating

health may alter the "game plan" of the authorities. This election carries significant importance for the 77-year-old President who wants to see his son succeed him and continue his policies of oil-based diplomacy, challenging Russia on its presumptive rights

in the

Caucasus, and trying to negotiate a face-saving solution to the Karabakh conflict. For this to happen,IlhamAliyev [who is first

among the candidates of the New Azerbaijan Party] must win a seat in parliament this fall in order to be selected as Speaker," says Kenan Kazimoglu, the Washington correspondent for Thran News Agency. This single goal seems to be the impetus behind the November 5th parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. If the process and outcome of previous elections are any indication, international reaction and criticism of the elections will be "limited to mostly words, and not deeds,"

adds Kazimoglu, especially since, in November, most of the world will be watching the presidential elections in the US. "Such a distraction would allow President Aliyev to conduct his elections as he choos-

es," observes Kazimoglu. "The financial creditg official visits, and international hon-

ors and affiliations will continue uninterrupted and irrespective of foreign rhetoric and his conduct at home." As for possible repercussions for Azerbaijan's admission to

the Council of Europe, it seems President

dangerous, third opposition party to partic-

Aliyev's successful installation of his son as heir is more urgent at this juncture than a place in a multi-national democracy and

ipate in the elections, [in order to] calm

human rights organization.

The death ol (the opposation) Popular Front leader and former president Abultaz Elchibey, urho died ol cancer in Ankara in August and whose state luneral in Baku uras afiended by some 100,000 people, was the other maior cause of change in the dynamics of the election process. With his dealh, the opposition lost its most vocal and visible leader. AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

Text and photos by MATTHEW KARANIAN

rthur Crossland was sitting in the dining room of his guesthouse in Tbilisi, pondering his fate. He had traveled to the Republic of Georgia from his home in Australia, with the hopes of seeing the countryside and all its ancient monuments. But the tour that this solo adventurer was to have made was cancelled because of political unrest. The travel agency he had signed up with said it was simply too dangerous to travel north ofTbilisi, the capital. Crossland was to have taken a tour of the Svaneti region's mountains and monasteries. His tour of Georgia had so far been safe, but other foreign visitors were not as fortunate. In June, a van filled with Japanese tourists was robbed at gunpoint while they were in a rural area visiting an ancient monastery. [n

express their culture, and practice their religion.

Westem capitalists have tacitly endorsed this law and order with their high-profile investments. But *reir investments, and Georgran central authority, fade away outside the city.

The Little Empire Historians have identified Georgia as a little empire, and a quick look at the country's demography suggests the reason for the label. In the northwest, the semi-autonomous and

de facto independent republic of

Abkhazia Sea coast. North of Tbilisi, the Georgian region of South Ossetia sits uneasily beneath the Russian region to the north, known, not surprisingly, as North Ossetia. And the predominantly Moslem, and

occupies half

of Georgia's Black

largely autonomous, region of Ajaria

sits

August, a grcup of men wearing police uniforms robbed a tour bus on a road west of Tbilisi. Later that same month, gunmen boarded a van and used the foreign passengers as human shields so that they could make pas-

astride Georgia's border with Turkey. There are sizable minority populations of ethnic Russians and Armenians, as well. Many of the roughly 400,000 to 500,000 Armenians who

just some of

when they fled to Javakhk as refugees from their homes in Kars, after the Russo-Turkish war. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the

sage to another region. These are

tlte more notorious cases affecting tourists. And tourists weren't the only ones affected by lawlessness in some of Georgia's remote regions this past summer.

Three Intemational Red Cross workers were kidnapped in August while they were driving on a mountain road in a region bordering Chechnya. The incident underscored the apparent inability of Georgia's authorities to maintain control throughout the country. Tbilisi, by contrast, is placid. Its foreign visiton are wannly received, and there has been barely a ripple of touble for almost a decade. The city's varied ethnic groups live in peace,

live in Georgia trace their lineage back to 1828,

notion of a unified Georgian state has only tentative historic roots, says Greg Hansen, a United Nations volunteer working in Tbilisi. "There

is no tradition of pluralism in

the Caucasus," and this has perpetuated the isolation of various ethnic and national minorities. The result is a country made up of subnations, each of which is largely self-govemed, and whichescapes the central authority

ofTbilisi.

Often times, the local authorities are unable unwilling - to maintain law and order.

- or

The farther one travels from Tbilisi, it AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

seems, the less influence and authority Tbilisi is able to assert.

"It's very hard for Georgia to

control

[remote parts] of the country," explains Vazha Shubladze. This concems him because lawlessness outside the capital "could hurt the image of the country, and hinder tourism," he

says. Shubladze is Chairman of the State Department of Tourism and Resorts. Not surprisingly, Shubladze downplayed the recent violence in Georgia. "It's not usual," he told AIM during an interview at his office on a park-like campus at the outer limits of Tbilisi. His spin on the atmosphere contradicted cornments attributed to the Georgian Chief of Traffic Police, Djumber Tibiladze, who had been quoted by Agence France Presse inAugust, saying that highway robbery is "a relatively common occurrence" on the roadways outside Tbilisi. "No one was killed," however, says the optimistic Shubladze. Still, the absence of fatalities has given pause to travel agents. Caucasus Travel, a Tbilisi tour agency, cancelled all of its trips to Svaneti in August, after one of their tour vans was hijacked. Svaneti traces most of its difficulties to its

proximity to Abkhazia, the northwestern region of Georgia that declared itself an independent republic in November, 1994. An esti-

mated 300,000 ethnic Georgians were expelled fromAbkhazia during fighting in the region in the early 1990s. Most of them settled in the nearby Georgian town of Zugdidi, where they are a restless lot. "It's a fertile ground for insecurity and perhaps large scale outbreak of vio-

Region

lence," according to Hansen. Fertile, indeed. In October, 1997, two UN observers and a local translator were kidnapped and held for ransom. The UN paid. In February, 1998, four UN workers were taken from the UN headquarters in Zugdidi. And violence in the Abkhaz security zone in May, 1998 resulted in more than 100 deaths. ln South Osseti4 by contrast, there has been a rapprochement between Ossetians and Georgians. South Ossetia had proclaimed independence from Georgia, but not from the Soviet

Union, back in September, 1990. Conditions had warmed enough so that Georgian President

Eduard Shevardnadze was able

to visit

the

South Ossetia capital in early 1998.

South Ossetia,

course,

precariously

close to Chechnya, and so the warmed relationship betrveen Georgians and Ossetians has not resulted in a noticeable improvement in stability here. Instead, officials estimate that hundreds

of people, including some Westemers, have been kidnapped in the region near Chechnya during the past few years. The Armenian-populated region of Javakhk is reputed to be a center for discontent and Armenian nationalism. Admittedly, the region is suffering economically. Georgia supplies the region with liftle, if any, electricity, and poverty

widespread. Armenians are agitated by

Georgia's insistence that Russia should eventually close its military base at Akhalkalak. The base is the only major employer in the area, and its closure would devastate the population. There have been occasional disturbances related to the base, but the region is otherwise calm and not secessionist, despite rumors to

the contrary. For its part, the government of the Republic of Armenia is doing all it can to make certain things stay this way. Armenia doesn't want to harm its delicate relationship with Georgia, which it needs as a transit route. Many regions outside Tbilisi appear to operate as fiefdoms, unanswerable to the central government. This may not, strictly speaking, be true. But in a newly independent state that is trying to establish a civil society and democracy, appearances count.

To Protect and Serve On a desolate stretch of road just outside the city limits of Tbilisi. a uniformed police Photos: 0pposite page: Locals call this mountain, in Akhalkalak, Napastak Mountain because it was once home to many rabbits, they say. This page: One ol lhe maior roads in Akhalkalak, in Geoqia's Jauakhk region. Armenians living here complain that the central authorities in Tbilisi ignore their social and economic needs.

Col

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Washing clothes at the side of the river which runs lrom Gumri to Akhalkalak.

officer lay in wait in an unmarked blue BMW. There's a blue bubble light on the roof, but there's nothing else that indicates any con-

capital, it's no wonder that the central government flnds its authority lacking outside

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GINHCR) describes Georgia as in'tontinued political, social and economic disarray." Eduard Shevardnadze, a strong leader who is perhaps more popular in the US than he is in Georgia, is struggling to tum this situation around.

He is eager for Georgia to capitalize on its status as a transit route for oil and gas from the Caspian Sea region, and to help accomplish this, he has courted NAIO and the West. He sees economic revival as one of the keys to political stability. And so, after protesters blocked streets in a town 150 miles west of Tbilisi recently, to

bring attention to their lack of electricity, he warned that funher disturbances could imperforeign aid, and make their plight even worse. But for the people living in remote areas outside Tbilisi, it may be difficult to imagine how their political and social conditions could deteriorate

AIM OCTOBER

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ornce, which is called Artsakh Post. hasissued a new stamp since 1998. As a result, there is an abundance of stamps that pay the higher rate firr letters to the US, but a shortage lirr those letters that are local or which are bound for Armenia. Part of the problem is money. Artsakh Post doesn't huve enough m()ney to print new

n't

stamps. But the post olIice has also been unable to find anyone to do thejob. So, when supplies of postage stamps for the local rates began to dwindle this year. they met their needs by overprinting new values on old starrps.

Edward Zakian. the Director of Artsakh Post, would pref'er not to use overprints. But he says he has no choice. His etlorts at finding a printer to produce new starnps have not been rewarded. "For example, I asked Russia to print starnps fbr us but Russia ret'used because we are not a recognized republic," he says. Zakian is the Karabakh counterpart of the US Postmaster General. He runs the postal service f'rom his office in Karabakh's capital city of Stepanakert. Zakian tells of his dealings with a German printer. It was 199-5, and Zakian was in Yerevan ft) attend an international postal symposium. "l asked the people from Germany to print stamps tbr Karabakh. In several months the stamp man visited us here. And this German rnan producecl a krt of starnps Itrom 1995 to l99u]. But then he disappearecl. Now he doesn't answer our faxes."

The reason. says Zakian. is obvious.

"Azerbai.jan pressured this man to stop printing our stamps." Zakian aclmits this is only a hunch, but he has no doubt of its accuracy. Why not just use the same printer that Armenia uses fbr its postage stamps? A prinr er fiom the Netherlands has produced most of the postage stamps that the Armenian post oflice has issued. But, says Zakian. this is not as sirrple as it sounds. "It is difficult to communicate with Holland," he says. Collectors and dealers are not pleased about the hiatus in Karabakh's printing schedule. Mardiros, a dealer in Yerevan, encourages collectors to look at the stamps fiom Russia and Arrnenia, instead. He sets up his wares each weekend at the Vernissage, the outdoor flea and art market. "Nothing! This is not good. They should issue at least one stamp each year if they want to keep [stamp collectors asl customers," he says. The dearrh of new issues isn't holding up deliveries. however. The reason can be traced back to that communication problem that Zakian said exists with people from Holland. Back in 199U. Zakian asked a Dutch company to print 2-5,000 copies of a 250-dram stamp. The starnp was intended to pay the rate lbr a first class letter to the US. The company produced twice as many. however, leaving the post with a glut of unneeded stamps. The r-rriscommunication wasn't an isolated occurrence. On another stamp order in the same year, Zakian ordered 10.000 copies of a 250dram starnp. and got 2-5,000. Another glut. So there are plenty of old stamps that can be overprinted. And Artsakh Post is using them

AIM OCTORER

2(XX)

up. Zakian has taken the excess production from 1998 and has had a local company overprint them with new values. The excessive press runs were revalued to 50 drams and l-50

drams

February. These reprinted values

pay the rates fbr local and Arrnenia deliveries.

But Zakian didn't overprint "50" and "1,50" on the stamps. He wanted to have the flexi-

bility of reassigning the values again, so he chose to use characters from the Armenian alphabet. The result is three stamps, with two designs, that have values that aren't clear on their faces. Despite this ambiguity, Zakian says he is unaware of an instance in which a fbreign post office has refused to deliver a letter with one or more

these stamps

them.

International norms require that international rnail bear postage that is denominated with numbers, rather than letters, however. So why have the stamps been accepted by fbreign post offices? The most cornmon use firr the revalued stamps is to pay the rate to Armenia, and this country hasn't cornplained. These reprints don'l counl l: new is:ucs. since the designs are unchanged. but they do

give collector:, something new to acquire. Still, Artsakh Post is hopeful that it will eventually be able to break its lll-rnonth long starnp issuing hiatus.

"Maybe we'll try the Holland firrn again, with Armenia's help," says Zakian. . Photo Almira Tevossian, a clerk at the main post oflice in Stepanakefl displays some 0l the postage slamps that are on sale there.

CONNECTIONS

Muslc ln Gy[en$mGG Kerop Manoukian Launches armenianradio. c om By KRISTEII

l0D0

community dispersed around the world stand to benefit most from the Intemet. That is what Kerop Manoukian believed when he launched anmenianradio.com.

As a result, anyone anywhere in the world, now has a high tech way to appreciate the latest Armenian music releases, and golden oldies, too. All it takes to log on and listen is Internet access and a decent pair of speakers. The one-of-a-kind Southem Califomia based website features Armenian music, 24

lover with a background in electronics and television production. He worked for Horizon TV in Los Angeles for six years before setting up his own company, Kerovision lnteractive Media Group, in 1995. An entrepreneur with an "understanding wife and l0-yearold son,"

Manoukian says he felt compelled to use his technical knowledge to fill a gap he noticed on the Internet. That decision has cost him countless late nights. On the other hand, there is the excitement and gratitude of listeners as

reflected in the messages they leave on the

hours a day.

site's guest book.

Manoukian, 36, launched the site with the help of friends, in May 1999. His goal is to promote culture by providing Armenians around the globe with equal access to the latest musical selections as well as live events.

selections from producers and artists themselves. "I just received a CD ftrom an Armenian musician in England who wants me to play his music on the site. Weplay jazz,Oop, folls all genres."

"The lntemet has been very effective in bringing together communities such as ours. We get over 300 e-mails a day from listeners

from around the world saying they're very happy to have found us," Manoukian says proudly.

annenianradio.com acquires most

its

Almost all. "We don't play rabiz though," says Manoukian, refening to the steet music popular in Armenia and the Diaspora 'tecause armmianradio.com avoids playing non-autrentic

extreme styles," Manoukian explains. ln addition to 24-hour audio webcasting,

"I believe it's the largest website of its kind, and I think it's successful because it is culturally and not politically inclined. We

the site features a calendar of events from

have had over 450,000 hits to date, and have compiled a huge database - more than 32,000

says

ground information on Armenian music and musical instnrments and a music and video store, where selections can be purchased online. Creating and maintaining armenianradio.com has been a technical challenge, and Manoukian says he is still working to get the site listed on the thousands of search engines that exist around the world. 'Currently, people are connecting through servers in two locations, one in Virginia and one in California.

Manoukian, who is also proud to be inmoducing non-Armenians to Armenian culture. "Over l0 percent of our visitor hits are from non-Armenian listeners, according to the e-mails we get," says Manoukian. The [rbanese-born Manoukian is a music

The technical set up insures good quality audio and no intemrptions." Of course users must have the right equipment to fully enjoy the site. Those who log on are given the opportunity to download the necessary software. Since the site is called armenianradio.com,

on the e-mail list." In fact, currently,

2,fi[-

3,000 mostly Armenian listeners log on every day from Australia Singapore, Kore4 Japan, Jordan, [,ebanon, Israel, Turkey, Karabakh, Germany, Spain, Uruguay, Argentina and other countries. "There are I I Armenian families in South Africa who listen every day and

get e-mail from them regularly,"

Manoukian has begun to expand his programming to include talk shows. OnThundays (6:30 p.m. PST) a live variety talk show can be heard. This program premiered in late September and is scheduled to be a weekly regular.

around the world - submitted by tlre listeners themselves online games, chatroom, back-

I believe it's the largest website ol its kind, and I think it's successlul because it is culturally and not politically inclined. We have had over 450,000 hits to date, and haue Gompiled a huge database - more than 32,000 on the e-mail list. 68

AIM OCTOBER

2OOO

CONNECTIONS Anrwnianradio.conr was also &rc site ftat

web

all I t houn of the Armenia Fund telettron last year. This year, too, on Thanksgiving Day, viewcast

ers with Intenret access, anywhere in the world, will be able to see the entire 1l hour telethon webcast live, in firll motion video, from l.osAngeles.

There's always room for improvement and growth, Manoukian admits, who is constantly looking into new ways of using the latest technological advances to expand his services.

"We plan to webcast the Armenian Music Awards, live from Glendale, for example. There are so many things going on in Los Angeles. Whatever is interesting and cultural, we would like to webcast. We're working on doing the same from the East Coast." Visitor suggestions are also often heeded, like the one

from a listener in a small Texas community without Armenian churches. Manoukian is working on honoring that request to webcast weekly religious services, live.

The site, armcnianradio.com, is operated

IItIilfilIIURY []ID RIGIIII THn Fnsr &

out of Manoukian's small Kerovision studios in

Burbank, Califomia where he earns a living doing post-production work for video and television broadcasts. Like most other sites on the lntemet, armcnianradio.com is not a moneymaker. It is dependent on Manoukian and other supporters who donate their time, talents and spare cash

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ARTS

01il Anl on NGW Bllhoanil Zadlk Zadlkian

-Introduces Armenia's Artistic Patrimony

By PETER FBANI(

Fver since he came to the US more than F30 u"u.. aso. Yerevan-born Zadik Lzuaitiun his been examining and reasserting his cultural roots. But, however much the Armenian, however much the Caucasian, however much the Silk Route

multiculturalist he identifies himself as, Zadtkian from the first has taken on the American

indeed, international

lan-

guages of conceptual and performance art,

appropriation and post-modernism. And he has enjoyed a good measure of success as a cutting-edge avant gardist.

Although his career is studded with expansive ideas and remarkable accomplishments, Zadikian's latest project, "Caravan:

Visions of Millennium," is his biggest, and probably his most ambitious, project to date. It is also his most passionately felt, and most unself-consciously Armenian.

Zadikian came to the US

1969

through San Francisco, where he became studio assistant to legendary sculptor Benjamin Bufano. Moving to New York five years later,Zadlkian made a considerable impact in the burgeoning SoHo art scene with his empty spaces covered in

,il t;

gold paint (he covered his entire home and studio with finely worked industrial gold in 1976) and subsequently with his outsize replicas of pre-Christian Near Eastem relics

,1,:

Those replicas delved into the classic

traditions of Egyptian, Assyrian, Persian,

and Greek figural sculpture, expanding their size and turning these ancient masterpieces into ironic monuments.The irony was in their outsize duplication: they had now become the colossi that they had always seemed in the art history books. But, unlike so many of his fellow postmodernist artists, who criticized contem-

porary attitudes towards history with Pop

Zadik Zadikian with the "Boy From Nazareth" Dimensions: 7'x 11' Medium: 0il on Ganvas 0ate ol Completion: 1998

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Art smart-aleckinesg Zadikian clearly

ARTS was paying genuine homage to his subjects even as he gently mocked the glib

especially often

ings, prints, and mixed media works, all on a relatively small scale. But Zadikian has the soul of a monument-maker, and recently he has found reason to render these vivid artifacts on the huge scale he had mastered back in New York, a quarter century ago. He has turned them - without

and the largest Armenian community out-

side his birthplace. Zadlkian had long been aware that his own artistic patrimony was almost entirely unknown next to those of neighboring civilizations that he'd been replicating. In Los Angeles, he came to see that ancient Armenian art was not familiar

irony and, masterfully, without bad taste into contemporary billboards. In his "Caravans: Vsions of Millennium" Zadikian has transformed seven of the most powerful Vaspurakan icons into

younger Armenian-Americans.

Zadikian shifted the focus of his art, away

immense placards mounted on the back of as many flatbed trucks. The plan is to tour the "caravan" of images through the state of California, and ultimately the rest of the country accompanied with material to be distributed to varied audiences, from art and history classes to casual passersby. A

from the more familiar objects he had been looking at and toward historic Armenian artwork - artwork more intimate, more delicate, but every bit as beautiful and fervent as the statuary and reliefs of the Hittites and Hellenes.

Zadikian has continued

to produce

camera crew will document the project, from its fabrication to its end. Even before the completed film is aired on public television stations, local radio coverage will expand the impact of the motorcade beyond the freeways and surface streets

free-standing flgurative sculpture, includ-

ing functional objects featuring often humorous figural references. But in his painting he has been closely examining Arrnenian historical art of all kinds, from decorative to sacred. The latteq in partic-

and into people's homes. That's the plan. *We will literally be taking Armenia's

ular, has preoccupied him; his largest, and still ongoing, series of paintings are based

identity on the road," proclaims the project's descriptive essay (available, with images of the billboards - and many of

on manuscript illuminations rendered by monks during the ninth through fourteenth centuries. The Vaspurakan icons are

probably the best known among

Armenian culture?" "Caravans" is, admittedly, a media spec-

Armenian icon appropriations as paint-

that have come to preoccupy Zadikran ever since he moved west, to los Angeles

extended

Zadikian has been producing his

incomprehension with which modern society claimed to revere them. For Zadikian, these artworks were still icons. They still are. But there are other icons

even

in Zadikian's

reclamation.

tacle. But

The manuscript illumination images infer the political and social conditions of their time. They testify to a flourishing visual culture spanning several centuries on either side of the turn of the last mil-

lennium. They evince the melding of numerous cultural influences, from Greek

to Mongol, tracing Armenia's tumultuous history in its location at a crossroads of civilizations. And they hint at a much larger artistic patrimony, one lost to the ravages of time and the multiple conquests that, unfortunately, came with the location. Armenians have contributed to American art in excess of their numbers. When Zadik Zadikian first came to these shores

he planned to leave his mark as had Gorky, Nakian, and other painters and

sculptors who drew obliquely but proudly from their unique heritage. But Zadikian's cultural consciousness has intensified well

beyond the oblique: he now puts his art directly in the service of cultural re-declaration. He wants to do nothing less than put Armenian art and culture back in the annals of world art history. And he is achieving this, one icon, one truck, and one caravan at a time.

- on www.amzart.com). "What better way is there to inform hundreds of thousands of people about

these

$ffi

Peter Frank is a freelance writer whose work appears in

Klmcs oF ARMENLA 2ss0 B.c. - 1393 A.D. Multi-Color

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Zadikian's artworks

intense, exquisite images, and they recur

ffi

it is also a straightforwardly

didactic effort aimed at a general public - not just Armenians, not just art lovers-who have no concept of Armenian culture and history.

The

wher$A

lqce 11

eniqns

THE PROCEtt BEGINt: ARMENIA'DIAtPORA CONFEREN(E utat til.ef.rst stq intlo rearclufor a,franxnorbfor ctntiturou,r, lotoLtlt, sinretu, joa/,orizntd,, coordi*taled, Arumtn

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THE PRO(E55 CONTINUE9: WWW.ARMENIADIAtPOBA.COIi far.rlitatu

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How I Got

lhi$ $hot

The Dance

By Antoine Agoudjian

I've dreamed of taking such

a photograph fo, ou". a dozen years now, ever since I began ro dabble in photography. I've wanted to take a photo of dance. On this assignment, I had gone to Abaran to shoot a dance ensemble. In the audience. I saw an elderly gentleman sitting among the spectators. I approached him, and very quickly, we established a very warm camaraderie.

Eventually, I asked if he would dance. He looked at me and said. "For you, I'll dance." Maybe I had reminded him of a son he'd lost a few years back. Several members of the audience who knew him well were surprised to see him dance so freely. For me, this photograph embodies my love of Armenian dance. -Antoine Agoudjian

has been dancing with the Paris-based Navasart Folk Ensemble

for more than a decade and a half. He has published three books of photography: Fire

)ver lce(1989), Fragile Dreams (Actes Sud, 1999), and lstanbul Peut-Etre(Editions Parentheses 1 999.)

AIM OCTOBER

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'75

Economic crisis, political stalemate, military limbo. None of it matters. If you're going to get manied, then you're going to get married. And weddings are not small civic affairs. The white gown is required. The priest and the church are again palt of the ceremony after being totally left out for decades. In Stepanakert (above, right) a newly married couple celebrates after the ceremony. In Yerevan, the still-under-construction St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral (top and above, left) saw its first wedding, with just a makeshift table serving as altar. Suzy Poghosian man:ied Haik Karapetian. The groom's father is head of the church's architecture department. The bride's father's company Yerevanshin is the construction flrm which has the contract to build the cathedral. Following the couple's wishes, wedding gifts (which totaled $3,600) were donated to the church construction fund.

AIM OCTOBER

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Hand Gandy and Ponchilrs with Memonies Of all of Yerevan's familiar. beloved monuments, the old Ponchikanots fell very near

the top of the list. Located down the street from the repository of ancient manuscripts, the Matenadaran, the Ponc'hikanots - a donut shop of sorts - had a place in the memories of kids growing up, their parents and grandparents, and also the legion of foreign students who lived and studied in Armenia. The Ponchikar?ols hadn't been there for over a decade. but memories of it hadn't faded. It remained a point of reference. Ask any Yerevan resident, Where's the Polytechnic

{l,l

*tr

University? Around the corner fiorn the Ponchikanots, is the answer. Where is there a good used bookstore? Across the street fiom the Ponchikanolr, they will tell you. Therc was only one problem with those directions. The Ponchikanots was there only in their rnind. The visitor couldn't see it. But, as with so many things in Armenia, problems are resolved in the most ingenious ways. Grand Candy, the Canadian-Armenian joint venture (which also operates Grand Tobacco) has set up shop at the old Ponc'hikanots. The very smaft business decision puts Grand Candy's 155 (yes, one hundred and lifty five) varieties of hard candy fbr sale on the Iirct floor. On the second floor, the old favorite Ponchik (first cousin to a creme filled donut) is sold at a very old price, 50 Drams (or l0 cents). The new establishment brings a smile to the faces of those who yeam fbr the "good otd days." And it puts a paycheck in the pockets of

p{r I I

f{t

the more than four dozen people employed there.

Plate Ghan0e

.;67 $u608.

With the price of gasoline at 6300 Drams for 20 liters (or $12 for 5 gallons) and with car registration and new license plates costing upward of $40, no wonder some cars in Armenia have ceased to serve as means of transportation. Driving with old Soviet plates (below) means gefting a fine. The new Armenian plates (above) begin with two numbers which represent a region: Ejmiatsin is 12, Meghri is 53, 6l-67 means somewhere in Yerevan. The remaining characters are arbitrarily assigned, but apparently not so randomly chosen. The letters in the new plates - at least those so far in use appear to be characters which are recognizable in Armenian and in Latin.

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Es$ay

LIIG IS

[0t thG Text and photo by MATTHEW KARANIAN

I I I

was vellins out for helo. No one was answering i ttrouitrt trrat mayue no one could hear

me so I yelled again. That's when a scene

fromThe Exorcist popped into my head and I stopped shouting.

What if they can hear me, but they don't know where I am? I was in Yerevan. I was on my way to

work.

was inside a rickety old elevator,

stuck between the fifth and sixth floors of a dubiously designed apartment building. I might as well have been in another dimension. But wait, this is Armenial I was yelling in English. What's the Armenian word for help? All I could think was "Ah-ree, ah-ree," which

is the Armenian

equivalent, roughly, of

"someone get over here and get me out of this rusted old box you call an elevator." An older woman arrived and then went to get help. She returned with another even older

woman and a small wooden block. They wedged the block between the elevator doors, and I gained a four-inch wide vision of freedom. The floorwas level with my chest. If the doon could be opened, I'd have room to crawl out. The people who had beckoned were standing around, looking puzzled. This is my

rescue team?

They told me to wait where I was, which I explained was precisely the situation I was trying to pry myself out of, and then they

went for more help. They came back with

someone's English-speaking granddaughter everyone in Yerevan seems to have a grandchild who speaks some English - and together we evaluated my plight. "I'm stuck in this elevator," I told her. "Yes, we can see this is so." Then, after having established the basic facts, a man arrived with a two by four, with which he demonstrated to everyone that elevator doors cannot be pried open with nvo by fours. I was impatient with the pace of the rescue.

The temperature outside was over

100

J s lew days after the elevator episode, there was a lire in the same building. The rescue was a bit more lormal.

degrees. I don't know what the temperature was inside this tiny 3-foot by 3-foot box - the height was maybe a little more than double that, but it wasn't enough to ward off feelings of claustrophobia. I was drenched with sweat. Someone passed a bottle of water tluough the tiny opening. And then, in a very civilized manner, he passed a glass tumbler for me to drink from. And then came a porcelain demitasse cup,

thoughts. What is it about a crisis that always makes one remember movies? After about two days in the elevator (everyone else says it was closer to, maybe, 45 minutes) a man they call The Master arrived. Varpet cut the power, he did something else, and then

the elevator cruised down six flights to the

filled with vodka. They wanted me to be as comfortable as possible. In time, I'm sure

ground floor. The doors opened. I dove out, past a group of three men who were standing on the landing, waiting, if you will believe, for the elevator. The lift is broken, I told them. Don't get

someone would have offered a nice khorovats. Another movie popped into my head. The

on. I must have looked uazed. They got on. The doors closed behind them. And then they,

Matrix,I think. Keanu Reeves was climbing

too, were stuck.

out of an elevator shaft. Or was it that cranky

old lady from LA Law?

tried to clear my

AIM OCTOBER

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Lucky for them,

had left the bottle of

water and the cup ofvodka

behind.

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