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Thousands of demonstrators in Stepanakert for 27 anniversary of the anti-Armenian pogroms in Sumgait

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protesters marched in the streets of Stepanakert Nagorno Karabakh)

protesters marched in the streets of Stepanakert Nagorno Karabakh)

Last February 28, thousands of protesters marched in the streets of Stepanakert (capital of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh) to visit the memorial of the Armenian victims of Sumgait. Demonstrators wore many posters accusing Azerbaijan in its racist and anti-Armenian policy. Slogans such as “We demand justice! “,” Sumgait was genocide carried out by criminals, “or” Never again! “. In the crowd, many citizens of Nagorno Karabakh, MPs, government officials, President Bako Sahakyan and 1200 members of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun came from Yerevan. He is 27 years old, from 27 to 29 February 1988 in Sumgait (Azerbaijan) several hundred Armenians were victims of pogroms carried out by the Azerbaijani authorities to counter the uprising of Armenians in Karabakh.

Krikor Amirzayan

Taking a leaf from the Armenians’ book – The Telegraph

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Pope Francis, named a great Armenian saint, Gregory of Narek (pictured above), as a Doctor of the Church

Pope Francis, named a great Armenian saint, Gregory of Narek (pictured above), as a Doctor of the Church

Sacred Mysteries: the ancient civilisation of Armenia remains exotic and unknown in the West, but a holy monk from lake Van has just been declared a Doctor of the Church

By Christopher Howse

There’s a little book on my shelf that I can’t read. It is in Armenian, and I cannot even make out the attractive curly alphabet. Byron, by all accounts, did rather better, taking lessons in the language, from 1816, at the monastery where my book was printed.

This is at San Lazzaro, an island in Venice, between San Giorgio and the Lido. It was granted to the Armenian monks in 1717. The little community was brought there in that year by their first abbot Mechitar of Sebaste, after whom the monks are called Mechitarists.

This monastery was of Armenian Catholics, in other words, Armenians who recognised the primacy of the Pope. The majority of Armenians belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. Armenians are fond of telling you that theirs was the first country to adopt Christianity, in 301, thanks to St Gregory the Illuminator. Armenia, with its Indo-European language unrecognisably related to ours, has a proud civilisation, but to say that its history in recent centuries has been difficult is an understatement.

I was thinking about the Armenians because, in the bright winter sun on Tuesday, I stumbled across the Armenian church in Kensington, St Sarkis, its white Portland stone shining exotically amid the red-brick mansion flats around it. It was built in 1922 in memory of the philanthropist Calouste Gulbenkian’s parents.

The Prince of Wales visited the Armenians in London a few weeks ago at their nearby church of St Yeghiche as part of his efforts to draw attention to the plight of Christians in the Middle East. He mentioned the destruction last November (by Islamists of the al-Nusra Front) of the Armenian church at Deir ez-Zor in Syria. It had been built as a memorial to the thousands of Armenian refugees from Turkey who died there in the second decade of the 20th century.

With these thoughts in mind, I discovered that Pope Francis had last Saturday named a great Armenian saint, Gregory of Narek (pictured above), as a Doctor of the Church. That is a rare title, there having been only another 35 in the history of the Church – people like St Jerome or St Athanasius.

St Gregory (950-1003) lived as a monk at Narek, near lake Van in what is now Turkey. A little more than 1,000 years later, the great monastery with its conical domes in the Armenian style was destroyed and the Armenians living around it killed.

St Gregory of Narek’s best-known work, the Book of Prayer, also called the Lamentations, might have been written as a meditation on that disaster and the episodess of martyrdom that have punctuated Armenia’s history. The saint’s aim is to bring God’s mercy to bear on mankind so that it might share in God’s nature. “This book will cry out in my place, with my voice, as if it were me,” he wrote. “May unspeakable faults be confronted and the traces of evil wrung out.”
Last year Pope Francis met the Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Karekin II, and spoke about martyrdom as a way of reuniting the Church. He had sketched out his thoughts before by remarking: “In some countries they kill Christians for wearing a cross or having a Bible; and before they kill them they do not ask them whether they are Anglican, Lutheran, Catholic, or Orthodox.”

In St Gregory of Narek’s day, the Armenian Church, having followed its own path after the Council of Chalcedon in 451, was presumed by the Orthodox and by Western Catholics to be monophysite in teaching, with false beliefs about the nature of Jesus as God and man. It could hardly have been the case in practice, and the Catholic recognition of St Gregory and other Armenian saints demonstrated a shared faith. The proclamation of him as a doctor sets the seal on that unity of belief. In these murderous times, Christians in the East need all the unity of spirit they can muster.

Ralf Wieland: Germany shares responsibility for Armenian Genocide

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germany-genocideDuring the First World War Germany as an ally was well aware of the Young Turks’ plans and shared responsibility for a genocide perpetrated against Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, chairman of the state parliament of Berlin Ralf Wieland said.

The state parliament of Berlin organized a commemoration event dedicated to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

The speakers called on Turkey to recognize the Genocide in order to prevent repetition of similar crimes against humanity.

President the state parliament of Berlin touched upon the role of Germany: “During the First World War, Kaiser’s Germany as an ally, knew about the plans of the Young Turk government, and shared with them the responsibility for perpetrating a genocide against the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. The German side was aware, however, prevention of the crime was not in the interests of the country”.

Activists Turn Their Backs to Denialist Speakers at UofT

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Over 70 human rights activists (Photo: Ishkhan Ghazarian)

Over 70 human rights activists (Photo: Ishkhan Ghazarian)

Over 70 human rights activists from the university community, who made up the majority of those in attendance, held the silent protest by standing in unison and turning their backs to the lecturers. (Photo: Ishkhan Ghazarian)

TORONTO, Canada—On Feb. 27, Armenian youth held a silent protest at a lecture entitled “WWI 100th Anniversary-Human Suffering in Eastern Anatolia,” featuring genocide deniers Justin McCarthy and Bruce Fein. The lecture, organized by the Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations, was held at the University of Toronto (UofT), St. George Campus.

The Armenian Youth Federation of Canada (AYF Canada), in collaboration with the Armenian Students Association (ASA) of UofT St. George and Scarborough campuses, and the Armen Karo Student Association spearheaded this protest action.

Over 70 human rights activists from the university community, who made up the majority of those in attendance, held the silent protest by standing in unison and turning their backs to the lecturers.

Protesters allowed the speakers to deliver their opening remarks. However, when it became apparent that the speakers would deny and misconstrue the factuality of the Armenian Genocide, the group stood up and turned their backs to the podium as a silent protest against genocide denial.

Several racial slurs and discriminatory comments were directed at the protesters as they stood in silence.

Lecture organizers briefly stopped the event, but after campus police made it clear that the form of protest did not interfere with the event, they were asked to continue.

Protesters continued standing with their backs to the podium as Fein spoke, then marched out in an organized walk-out, leaving the remaining twenty or so attendees to listen to the rest of the lecture.

The demonstrators then marched to UofT’s Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office to voice their concern regarding the event, and to deliver a petition of over 2,000 signatures denouncing the event and demanding that the university distance itself from the organizers and speakers. The group had previously sent to the university a letter signed by academics, human rights groups, and student associations, including Hillel of Greater Toronto, the Greek Students Association of UofT-Scarborough, and the Hellenic Students Association of Ryerson University, demanding that this event be cancelled.

McCarthy, who was previously turned away from the University of Melbourne and Art Gallery of New South Wales in 2013, has long been regarded as a mouthpiece of the Turkish state in spreading denial of the Armenian Genocide. Fein is employed by the Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) as a resident scholar, to similarly support and propagate the Turkish denial policy of the Armenian Genocide, and has penned several articles attacking the veracity of the genocide.

DSC_6753-1024x678AYF-Canada Chairperson Daron Keskinian said it was ”extremely troubling” that such an event took place at UofT.

“As we saw today, the University of Toronto should distance itself from this event immediately. The lecture organizers have used the location to bring legitimacy to their event, and have been given free rein to present their denial propaganda at the expense of the University’s reputation,” said Keskinian.

The ASA of UofT released a statement stressing that the event should be disconcerting to the university community at large.

“In the interest of maintaining its integrity and making amends for this event taking place on campus, the University of Toronto’s President’s Office should release a statement indicating that they distance themselves from this event. The Armenian Genocide is taught at this institution and the University of Toronto should not provide podiums to those who are looking to legitimize their denial of the first genocide of the twentieth century,” read the statement.

2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and is being commemorated globally by countless organizations and governments. In 2004, the Canadian Parliament passed a resolution acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and condemning it as a crime against humanity.

Founded in 1934, the Armenian Youth Federation of Canada is the largest and most influential Armenian-Canadian youth organization, working to advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness among Armenian-Canadian youth.

 

The contest now is between “Arab nationalists & Turkish Pan-Islamist” Political cloud becoming much clearer

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libya’s internationally recognized Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni said his government would stop dealing with Turkey as it was sending weapons to a rival Islamist group in tripoli so “the Libyan people kill each other,” ramping up his rhetoric against ankara.

In Egypt President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi drove Muslim brotherhood out of power which was supported by Turkish Islamic government

In Syria Bashar Al-Assad 3 years fight against Turkish backed islamist Terrorist  try to hold on  Arab nationalism against Turkish Pan-Islamist 

In Iraq Government fighting Turkish islamist with multi names ISIS, ISIL, Islamic State etc.

Davutoglu zero problem neighborhood now Turkey is the number one Problem.

US and Turkey again starting to train Turkish terrorist called FSA against Syria.

‘Pan-Islamist Davutoğlu’ thesis ruffling feathers in Turkey

Davutoglu imageIs Turkey’s new Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu a pan-Islamist ideologue, with imperialist ambitions to reshape the Middle East into a post-national order based on Turkish and Sunni religious supremacy? That is the blockbuster thesis currently turning heads both inside and outside Turkey, thanks to a series of recent articles by Marmara University Assistant Professor Behlül Özkan.

Özkan, a one-time student of Davutoğlu’s from the latter’s time as an international relations professor, bases his provocative conclusion on close study of 300 articles penned by Davutoğlu in the 1980s and 90s. He first made his case in an essay for the August-September edition of the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ journal “Survival,” before introducing it to a wider English audience with pieces on Al-Monitor and in the New York Times.

In his NYT op-ed “Turkey’s Imperial Fantasy” published last week, Özkan remembered Professor Davutoğlu as a hard-working and “genial figure” who “enjoyed spending hours conversing with his students.” In contrast with his academic peers, however, he believed that Turkey would “soon emerge as the leader of the Islamic world by taking advantage of its proud heritage and geographical potential … encompass[ing] the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia, and include Albania and Bosnia”:

Mr. Davutoglu’s classroom pronouncements often sounded more like fairy tales than political analysis. He cited the historical precedents of Britain, which created a global empire in the aftermath of its 17th-century civil war, and Germany, a fragmented nation which became a global power following its 19th-century unification. Mr. Davutoglu was confident that his vision could transform what was then an inflation-battered nation, nearly torn apart by a war with Kurdish separatists, into a global power.

He crystallized these ideas in the book ‘Strategic Depth,’ in 2001, a year before the Justice and Development Party, or A.K.P., came to power. In the book, he defined Turkey as a nation that does not study history, but writes it — a nation that is not at the periphery of the West, but at the center of Islamic civilization … Mr. Davutoglu saw himself as a grand theorist at the helm of his country as it navigated what he called the ‘river of history.’ He and his country were not mere pawns in world politics, but the players who moved the pieces.

Özkan rejects that Davutoğlu’s ideas amount to “neo-Ottomanism,” as often accused. Instead, he gives Turkey’s new prime minister the even heftier label of “pan-Islamist”:

The movement known as Ottomanism emerged in the 1830s as the empire’s elites decided to replace existing Islamic institutions with modern European-style ones, in fields from education to politics. By contrast, Mr. Davutoglu believes that Turkey should look to the past and embrace Islamic values and institutions.

But, ironically, he bases his pan-Islamist vision on the political theories that were used to legitimize Western imperial expansion prior to 1945. While purporting to offer Turkey a new foreign policy for the 21st century, his magnum opus draws on the outdated concepts of geopolitical thinkers like the American Alfred Thayer Mahan, the Briton Halford Mackinder and the German Karl Haushofer, who popularized the term “Lebensraum,” or living space, a phrase most famously employed by Germany during the 1920s and 1930s to emphasize the need to expand its borders.

According to Mr. Davutoglu, the nation states established after the breakup of the Ottoman Empire are artificial creations and Turkey must now carve out its own Lebensraum — a phrase he uses unapologetically. Doing so would bring about the cultural and economic integration of the Islamic world, which Turkey would eventually lead. Turkey must either establish economic hegemony over the Caucasus, the Balkans and the Middle East, or remain a conflict-riven nation-state that risks falling apart.

After becoming Turkey’s foreign minister from 2009, Davutoğlu had the opportunity to put these ideas into practice – with disastrous results:

As foreign minister, Mr. Davutoglu fervently believed that the Arab Spring had finally provided Turkey with a historic opportunity to put these ideas into practice. He predicted that the overthrown dictatorships would be replaced with Islamic regimes, thus creating a regional ‘Muslim Brotherhood belt’ under Turkey’s leadership.

He sought Western support by packaging his project as a ‘democratic transformation’ of the Middle East. Yet today, instead of the democratic regimes promised three years ago, Turkey shares a border with ISIS’s self-proclaimed caliphate. Two months ago, its fighters raided the Turkish consulate in the Iraqi city of Mosul, and is still holding 49 Turkish diplomats hostage. Mr. Davutoglu, who has argued that Turkey should create an Islamic Union by abolishing borders, seems to have no idea how to deal with the jihadis in Syria and Iraq, who have made Turkey’s own borders as porous as Swiss cheese.

To repair this dire situation as prime minister, Özkan says Davutoğlu needs to pragmatically reconnect Turkey’s regional policy with reality:

The new prime minister is mistaken in believing that the clock in the Middle East stopped in 1918 — the year the Ottoman Empire was destroyed — or that Turkey can erase the region’s borders and become the leader of an Islamic Union, ignoring an entire century of Arab nationalism and secularism. What Mr. Davutoglu needs to do, above all, is to accept that his pan-Islamist worldview, based on archaic theories of expansionism, is obsolete.

LOS ANGELES: Paul Krekorian Leads LA’s Sponsorship of Genocide Centennial Events

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LA City Councilmember Paul Krekorian (center) with ANCA leaders at the Los Angeles City Hall

LA City Councilmember Paul Krekorian (center) with ANCA leaders at the Los Angeles City Hall

Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian is spearheading the City of LA’s sponsorship of events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Krekorian, the first Armenian-American ever elected to the City Council, has introduced motions that show the city’s commitment to human rights and justice. Here’s what the city is doing:

–City Sponsorship of Events: Designating Armenian Genocide Centennial observance activities as official citywide special events.

–“America We Thank You” Library Exhibit: Providing funding for and co-sponsoring the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region’s “America We Thank You: An Armenian Tribute to Near East Relief” exhibit at the Los Angeles Central Library in March and April. The exhibit highlights the outpouring of generosity by the American people and government during and in the immediate aftermath of the Armenian Genocide.

–March for Justice: Providing funding and support for the “March for Justice” on April 24 that begins in Little Armenia.

–Street Banners Across the City: Providing street banners positioned around the city to promote the March for Justice.

–Centennial Art Contest: Hosting the Centennial Art Contest with the winner’s artwork to be featured on city buses in April.

–Turning City Hall Purple: Lighting City Hall’s façade in purple for the week of April 24 to symbolize the forget-me-not, the official emblem of the worldwide observance of the Armenian Genocide Centennial.

–100 Pomegranate Trees: Planting 100 pomegranate trees in parks throughout the city, including at City Hall.

“The City of Los Angeles is committed to recognizing the Armenian Genocide and educating people throughout the city about our continued struggle for justice,” said Councilmember Krekorian. “There will be an extraordinary exhibit at the city’s Central Library that highlights America’s generous support for the Armenian people, along with banners advertising the ‘March for Justice’ across the city. Because of my efforts, we will also light City Hall in a purple glow to symbolize forget-me-nots, display art commemorating the centennial on city buses, and plant pomegranate trees throughout LA’s parks. This is an unprecedented commitment by Los Angeles to our community and to telling our story. I’m proud to have helped make it happen.”

Today marks the 27th anniversary of the Sumgait Pogroms of Armenians by Azerbaijani forces

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27th anniversary of the Sumgait massacre

WASHINGTON, DC – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) was joined by fellow Committee colleague Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Representatives Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Katherine Clark (D-MA) in commemorating the 26th anniversary of the Azerbaijani pogroms against the Armenian population of the Azerbaijani city of Sumgait, and condemning the ongoing violence and intimidation fostered by the government of President Ilham Aliyev, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“Twenty-six years ago, violent mobs surrounded the sea-side village in Sumgait, Soviet Azerbaijan and terrorized its inhabitants through a violent and brutal pogrom. In the following days, these roving bands systematically targeted ethnic Armenians on the streets and in their homes, viciously attacking and killing hundreds,” stated Chairman Royce. “On this tragic anniversary, when we mourn the loss of those innocent lives, we are mindful of the ongoing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and recurrent incidents of inciting rhetoric by Azeri political leaders and continued military clashes along the border. It is critical that Azerbaijan’s leaders refrain from provocative statements and commit to fruitful negotiations for a lasting peace in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

sumgait_collage

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) Brad Sherman (D-CA) Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Katherine Clark (D-MA

Rep. Sherman explained the imperative of commemorating the pogroms in Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku, stating, “If we hope to stop future massacres, we must acknowledge these horrific events and ensure they do not happen again.” Rep. Sherman went on to note, that “Recognizing the ethnic-cleansing of the Armenians from Azerbaijan is an important step. However, we need to do more–we need to demonstrate to Azerbaijan that the United States is committed to peace and to the protection of Artsakh from coercion.”

Rep. Cardenas noted that “the failure to act by the Azerbaijani authorities and our failure to compel action has resulted in a tidal wave of animosity towards the Armenians, which manifests itself in several ways. Azerbaijani forces east of Karabakh continue to disregard the ceasefire established after the Karabakh war in 1994. Ramil Safarov, who decapitated an Armenian Lieutenant while he slept during a NATO-sponsored training program in 2004, returned home as a hero and was held up as ‘an example of patriotism for the Azerbaijani youth’ by the Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan, Elmira Suleymanova. All the while, Ilham Aliyev continues his brazen rhetoric; consistently declaring Armenians as the national enemy in an effort to unite the Azeri public.”

Rep. Eshoo explained that “without our recognition and our forceful condemnation, the cycle of violence will continue. Even today, Christians and other minority groups are being driven from Syria by extremists, and the once large and diverse ethnic mosaic there is all but eradicated. Without our attention and action by the world community, there will be no end in sight.”

Rep. Clark noted that “like the persecution of too many peoples before it, the lessons of Sumgait must not be forgotten. As diverse families of the Commonwealth, and as Americans, we have a moral obligation to promote tolerance and justice, and we have a duty to recognise the atrocities that have kept us from our common goal.”
The complete statements by the Representatives are provided below.

BREAKING: First image Opposition politician Boris Nemtsov killed in the center of Moscow

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Russia, Opposition politician Boris Nemtsov

Russia, Opposition politician Boris Nemtsov

Famous Russian politician Boris Nemtsov has been shot dead in the center of Moscow, according to Tass news agency.

“Boris Nemtsov was shot four times in the center of Moscow at Vasilyevsky spusk. Investigation team is working at the scene,” Tass reports siting police sources.

A law enforcement source told Interfax news agency that a white vehicle approached Nemtsov, fired the shots, and rushed away

Nemtsov’s colleague has confirmed his death.

CPJ: First step toward better safety for freelancers

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CPJ Committee to Protect Journalists
News agencies, press freedom organizations, and advocacy groups came together this month to address mounting concerns over the hiring and safety of freelance journalists. While dangers to freelancers have always been present, last year international journalists made up nearly a quarter of journalists killed, about double the proportion CPJ has documented in recent years. The murders of freelancers James Foley, Steven Sotloff, and Kenji Goto by the militant group Islamic State prompted an unprecedented collaboration between stakeholders. CPJ is proud to have helped draft guidelines for a global standard that will protect freelancers whom outlets are increasingly dependent on for stories, especially from hostile environments.

“We see this as a first step in a long-term campaign to convince news organizations and journalists to adopt these standards globally. In a time of journalistic peril, news organizations and journalists must work together to protect themselves, their profession, and their vital role in global society,” an introduction to the guidelines states.

The guidelines have attracted widespread support from international news media and journalist advocacy organizations. More than 30 organizations, including CPJ, have signed on. Prominent signatories include The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, BBC, GlobalPost, the Frontline Freelance Register, Reuters, Reporters Without Borders, the Rory Peck Trust, and RISC (Reporters Instructed in Saving Colleagues).

The guidelines were released at a press conference with CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney at Columbia University on February 12. James Foley’s mother, Diane, also attended. “I am so encouraged by this gathering,” she said. “It’s a huge step.”

Turkey: Rival groups clash at Ankara University, more than 40 detained

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rival student groups at Ankara University on Thursday. (Photo: DHA)

rival student groups at Ankara University on Thursday. (Photo: DHA)

A clash broke out between rival student groups at ankara university‘s Faculty of Language, History and Geography on Thursday, with around 46 students detained.

Students who were injured by sticks and stones thrown during the fighting were taken to nearby hospitals by ambulance.

One man, reportedly a security guard, was shot by his gun during the tumult; however, it is not known whether he mistakenly shot himself or if the gun was fired by someone else.

Teams from Ankara Police Department’s homicide unit, counterterrorism bureau and crime scene investigation department have been dispatched to the university. Dozens of police officers have also been assigned to the campus and have put security measures in place.

The incident comes on the heels of the killing of a nationalist student at another university in a similar clash. Fırat Yılmaz Çakıroğlu was killed during a fight between supporters of the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) at İzmir-based Ege University last week.