administrator, Author at Gagrule.net

Kurdish forces deploy near Iraq’s disputed Kirkuk

April 29, 2013 By administrator

KIRKUK, Iraq: Kurdish security forces deployed near the disputed northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, a Kurdish official said Saturday, a move allegedly aimed at combating militants in the area.

In the past week, a wave of violence has killed more than 200 people, including 40 in Kirkuk.

After consultations with the governor of Kirkuk, there has been a decision for peshmerga (security) forces to fill the vacuums in general, and especially around the city of Kirkuk,” Jabbar Yawar, secretary general of Iraqi Kurdistan’s peshmerga ministry, said in a statement.

“The intelligence service of the peshmerga has information that terrorist groups have plans to launch terrorist attacks in these regions,” Yawar said. “Our only goal is to preserve the life of citizens.”

But the Iraqi army ascribed different motives to the deployment.

“After the latest movements of the peshmerga forces, the army is on alert,” a high-ranking army officer told AFP. “The army sees the move of the peshmerga as a (political) manoeuvre and not to fill any vacuum.”

Kirkuk province and its eponymous capital, home to Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen, fall within the territory the autonomous Kurdistan region wants to incorporate, despite strong objections from the federal government in Baghdad.

Diplomats and officials say the territorial dispute between Baghdad and Kurdistan — a three-province region with its own government, security forces, borders and flag but which still receives a portion of the federal budget — is a major threat to Iraq’s long-term stability.

Turkish protesters hindered demonstration commemorating Armenian Genocide in Canada

April 28, 2013 By administrator

18:30, 25 April, 2013

YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS: An annual demonstration commemorating the Armenian genocide was greeted by a group of Turkish protesters at Turkey’s embassy in Ottawa Wednesday.

As reports Armenpress, referring to Ipolitics.com, a group of approximately 1,400 Armenian-Canadians, mostly from Ontario and Quebec, marched from Parliament Hill to the embassy, calling on the Turkish government to recognize the Armenian Genocide. As the sea of Armenian-Canadians marched toward the Turkish embassy holding signs and flags, they were greeted by a much smaller gathering of approximately 200 Turks. The groups exchanged some booing and verbal confrontation, but no clashes broke out. Police, who lined a barrier positioned between the two groups, said there were no problems during the event.

The mass killing by the Ottoman Turks commenced in 1915 and continued for a decade, leaving an estimated 1.5 million Armenians dead. The Turkish government has never recognized the mass killings as genocide, saying those killed were victims of a civil war. Turkey also says the death toll of the 1.5 million people around the time of First World War is an exaggerated number.

Shahen Mirakian, a member of the Armenian National Committee of Canada who traveled from Toronto for the demonstration, said that until the Turkish government recognizes the mass killings as a genocide, the Armenian-Canadian community will continue to protest in front of the Turkish embassy every April 24.

“More than anything else, the reason that we come is there’s a policy of state-sponsored denial by the current Republic of Turkey. They don’t want to recognize the genocide,” said Mirakian.

Canada’s House of Commons recognized the killings as genocide in 2004. Today, more than 20 countries have done the same.

Mirakian said this is the first time in recent memory that Turkish-Canadians have organized a demonstration during the Armenian genocide commemoration in Ottawa. He has attended the annual event since the 1980s.

“I guess this is a recent development. I’m not sure why they’re here,” said Mirakian.

While Mirakian said the Turks technically had the right to come to the demonstration, he pointed out that, unlike the Armenian-Canadian marchers, their permit to demonstrate was denied by the city.

The Armenian-Canadian marchers waved the orange, blue and red Armenian flag as they listened to music and speeches commemorating the genocide. They had their backs to the Turkish protesters, who occasionally booed, for the duration of the demonstration.

David Warner, former speaker of the Ontario Legislative Assembly and outspoken supporter of recognition of the genocide, wrapped up the event with a speech.

“What I can’t understand is what on earth Turkey is waiting for. It’s not as if other countries haven’t had to apologize for atrocities,” said Warner to the crowd of cheering Armenian-Canadians. “It takes courage, it takes fortitude, it takes commitment to human rights to stand up and say when you’re wrong.”

The event ended with a somber ceremony in which hundreds of red flowers were laid under a statue recognizing the genocide.

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MY APOLOGY TO ALL THE PEOPLES OF ANATOLIA SUBJECTED TO GENOCIDE (ZEYNEP TOZDUMAN)

April 27, 2013 By administrator

FROM: ZEYNEP TOZDUMAN – IZMIR, TURKEY April 24, 2013

I apologize for every single day that we have remained silent since the days of genocide.
I apologize for our grandfathers who cooperated with the murderers carrying out the brutal massacre of 1.5 million people in Anatolia.
I apologize from your young girls for permanently burying their hopes into their dowry chests.
I apologize from all your people left dead without a proper burial, shroud or cemeteries.
I apologize for causing you to add the word ‘converted – Donme’ to your vocabulary.
I apologize from all your girls and women abused and raped, forcefully converted to Kurd, Turk, Alevi or Islam.
I apologize for forcing you to become the Diaspora and scatter like pomegranate seeds to all corners of the world.
I apologize for forcing you to long for your homeland with broken hearts from the faraway deportation points.
I apologize for preventing you from giving your children proper names and education in your mother tongue, a basic human right.
I apologize for confiscating your houses, properties, lands, farms, orchards, and shops to create our national economy, based on a disease of racism in this country.
I apologize for denying even the very existence of the original peoples of thes lands after subjecting them to economic, cultural and political genocide.
I apologize for confiscating your places of worship (monastery, church, sinagogue, Jem house, etc.), and converting them to mosques, museums, community centres or stables.
I apologize from the survivors of the genocide for even forbidding them from dreaming in their own language.
I apologize for forcing racism on you by making you repeat every morning ‘So happy to be a Turk’.
I apologize for presenting your properties as gifts to your own murderers.
I apologize for transforming the Anatolian garden of different peoples to a cemetery of different peoples.
I apologize for realizing too late that the sorrow expressed in the song ‘Sari Gelin’ was in reality the sorrow of the genocide.
I apologize for wiping out the various original peoples of Anatolia living on these lands long before the arrival of the Turks, and for trying to create a single nation state.
I apologize for creating a hell of murders in this country, instead of a heaven of humanity.
I apologize for burying all the people named Agop, Kiriakos, Samuel, Ani, Maria or Sarkis in my city Smyrna (Izmir) as well as the rest of the country, and also burying our humanity in the process.
I apologize for committing crimes against humanity for one thousand and four hundred years in these lands.
I apologize for not realizing that fascism would eventually arrive and start killing us as well in these lands.
I apologize for not being able to put a stop to the denial and assimilation policies for one hundred years.
I apologize especially for our inhumane behaviour during the genocides of the Armenians, Assyrians, Pontic Greeks, Yezidis and Alevis.
And I apologize once again on this April 24 genocide commemoration day, for our inability to protect you and preserve our humanity.

Turkish Version

SOYKIRIM YAŞAYAN ANADOLU HALKLARINDAN VE İNANÇLARINDAN ÖZRÜMDÜR -Zeynep Tozduman

• Sizlerden, soykırımdan günümüze değin, sessiz kaldığımız her gün için özür dilerim.

• Anayurtlarınızdan, Deir-zor çöllerine tehcir adı altında sürdürüldüğünüz için özür dilerim.

• 1,5 milyon insan Anadolu coğrafyasında hunharca katledilirken, dedelerimizin katillerle işbirliği yaptığı için özür dilerim.

• Kızlarınızın umutlarının, çeyiz sandığına gömüldüğü için özür dilerim.

• Mezarsız ve kefensiz ölüleriniz için özür dilerim.

• Kelime darağacınıza “dönme” sözcüğünü soktuğumuz için özür dilerim

• Kızlarınızın, kadınlarınızın namusları kirletildiği, zorla Kürtleştirilip, Türkleştirildiği, Alevileştirildiği ve Müslümanlaştırıldığı için özür dilerim.

• Yaşamak için sizleri nar taneleri gibi Diaspora’ya ve ABD’ye göç ettirmek zorunda bıraktığımız için özür dilerim.

• Sürgünde anavatan hasretiyle, yüreklerinizi dağladığımız için özür dilerim.

• Çocuklarınıza, en temel insan hakkı olan, kendi anadilinizde isim-soy isim ve eğitim verdiremediğimiz için özür dilerim.

• Evlerinize, bağ, bahçelerinize, arazilerinize, ticarethanelerinize el koyup sermayeyi millileştirip; bu ülkeye ırkçılık hastalığını inşa ettirdiğimiz için özür dilerim.

• Ekonomik, kültürel, siyasal soykırım yaşayan yerli halkları yok sayarak, görmemezlikten geldiğimiz için özür dilerim.

• İnanç ve kutsal mabetlerinizi (Manastır, Kilise, Sinagog, Cem evi v.b. Gibi) zorla kamulaştırıp, camiye, ahıra, müzeye, Kültür merkezine v.b. Gibi, çevirdiğimiz için özür dilerim.

• Soykırımdan sağ kalanlarınızın Ana dilinde rüya görmesini engellediğimiz için özür dilerim.

• Yüzyıldır bu ülkede her sabah sizlere “Ne Mutlu Türküm” diye ırkçılık yaptığımız için özür dilerim.

• Varlığınızı, cellâtlarımıza zorla armağan ettirdiğimiz için özür dilerim.

• Anadolu halklar bahçesini, halklar mezarlığına çevirdiğimiz için özür dilerim.

• Bir “Sarı Gelin” türküsündeki hüznün, soykırımın hüznü olduğunu çok geç anladığımız için Özür dilerim.

• Biz Türklerden çok evvel ‘’bu topraklarda yaşayan’’, ülkenin en yerli halklarını ve inançlarını yok ederek, ülkeyi tek tipçiliğe kurban ettiğimiz için özür dilerim.

• Bu ülkeyi insanlık cenneti değil, katliamlar cennetine çevirdiğimiz için özür dilerim.

• Başta ülke genelinde ve yaşadığım şehir Symrna (İzmir)’de olmak üzere Agop’ları, Kuryakos’ları, Samuel’leri, Ani’leri, Maria’ları, Sarkis’leri, isimleriyle birlikte, insanlığımızı DA tarihe gömdüğümüz için özür dilerim.

• Bin dört yüz yıldır nefret ve insanlık suçu işlediğimiz için özür dilerim.

• Faşizmin bir gün gelip de, bizi de bu ülkede vurmak isteyeceğini bilemediğimiz için özür dilerim.

• Ret – inkâr ve asimilasyon politikalarına yüzyıldır dur diyemediğimiz için özür dilerim.

• Özellikle, son yüzyıldır Ermenilere, Süryanilere, Pontus Rumlara, Yezidilere, Alevilere yapılan soykırımlarda insan olamadığımız için özür dilerim.

• Soykırım yapıldığında sizlere ve insanlığımıza sahip çıkamadığımız için, 24 Nisan soykırım kurbanlarını anma gününde, bir kez daha saygıyla eğilip özür dilerim.

Hanover students turn school into a pop-up genocide museum

April 27, 2013 By administrator

17:29, 27 April, 2013

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS: Hanover Park Regional High School students took two years worth of hard work and turned it into a pop-up genocide museum, filling classrooms with detailed accounts of humanity’s horrors- Armenian Genocide and from Holocaust to Darfur, reports Armenpress referring to Daily Record.

Whippany Park High School held their “Voices from the Dark” Genocide Studies Gallery Walk Thursday night. Students from both Hanover Park High School and Whippany Park High School took part in the extension of the district’s Genocide Studies class, which first entered the curriculum in fall 2011.

A semester-long course, the class is available to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Kyle Kirst teaches the course at Hanover Park High School, and Brady Mahar at Whippany Park High School.

Hanover Park District Supervisor of Instruction Chris Kelly said the genocide studies class is in high demand at the high schools. “I could probably run a full teacher on just this class.”

Mahar designed the curriculum himself after he was told administration was seeking new electives. “It’s dark subject matter, easy to stay away from, but it’s become my reason to come to work every day,” he said, adding the class isn’t designed to shock and awe students. “It’s a space for students to talk about these issues, to make connections that mean something. We want to take the irrational and try to make it rational. “

He said he teaches his classes the stages of genocide construct a pyramid, with the first step being bullying that can happen in high school hallways.

“Then rights get taken away, and the higher you go the more violent it becomes,” Mahar said. “We have examples in the world right now of every step of this pyramid except the very top. It’s not just history, not as distant as some might think. “

Mahar said a goal of the class is to connect the past events to the student’s lives. “Racism, homophobia, these discriminations are alive today. And they’re how it starts. “

For the gallery, students from the various Genocide Studies classes put together different elements based on major genocidal acts in world history, from the Holocaust to Darfur.

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer Statement on the Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide

April 27, 2013 By administrator

15:59, 27 April, 2013

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS: House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released a statement marking the anniversary of the Armenian genocide, reports Armenpress referring to The statements reads as follows:

“I join in remembering the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian genocide, which began on this day 98 years ago with the persecution of political leaders, clergy, journalists, and other leading figures in Armenian society. In the United States and throughout the world, Armenian communities mourn those lost and resolve never to forget – as do all who are committed to justice and human rights.”

On April 24th Chairmen of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee – the two powerful Congressional panels with oversight over U.S. foreign policy – joined with their colleagues on the evening on Capitol Hill in rallying bipartisan support for a truthful and just resolution of the Armenian Genocide.In the weeks leading up to April 24th, the ANCA formally invited scores of senior Administration officials, including Secretary of State John Kerry, to attend the April 24th Capitol Hill Armenian Genocide remembrance. On the morning of the observance, after weeks of consideration, the State Department informed the ANCA that, as a matter of policy, the Obama Administration had decided not to participate in the event, or even to arrange for a single official to be present at the Congressional program. The State Department remains set, however, over ANCA’s objections, to send U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone to speak at an April 26th Washington, DC conference of the ATAA, a group devoted, in large part, to the denial of the Armenian Genocide.

As in years past, the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues – co-chaired by Representatives Grimm and Pallone – was joined by Armenian American organizations, the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia, and the Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in hosting the event. In addition to remarks by legislators, powerful speeches of solidarity with the global movement for a just resolution of the Armenian Genocide were offered by Armenia’s Ambassador to the U.S., Tatoul Markarian, and Republic of Nagorno Karabakh Representative Robert Avetisyan.

Iranian website: While Aliyev speaks about Islamic unity, Azerbaijani pro-hijab activists are sentenced to 11 years in prison

April 27, 2013 By administrator

While Ilham Aliyev speaks about Islamic unity, more than 200 clerics have been jailed with false accusations in Azerbaijan, says an article in Arannews.ir.

According to the Iranian website, during a meeting with Labor Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev voiced concern about the fact that pressure is used against Islam in some countries.

Ilham Aliyev called representatives of OIC member states for Islamic unity, thanked them for supporting Azerbaijan in Karabakh issue and added, “Some forces deliberately voice negative opinions about Islam and then begin a huge fight against Islam. And we should give a strong response to that fight.”

“While the Azerbaijani President speaks about Islamic unity, he recently destroyed several mosques, banned hijab in schools, jailed more than 200 clerics with false accusations and sentenced pro-hijab activists to 11 years in prison,” the article says.

Source: Panorama.am

Zakaria Mildanoglu: Turks were turning Armenian churches into cinemas where they were screening porn films

April 27, 2013 By administrator

Ermenihaber.am news website published an interview of architect, Istanbul-based Agos daily’s correspondent Zakaria Mildanoglu with “It’s your word” TV program, in which he told about the misfortunes that fell upon his family in 1915 as well as about the reasons why he moved to Istanbul.

Mildanoglu also told about the fate of Armenian churches in Turkey.

“Cultural massacre was being perpetrated after the 1950s – Armenian churches and schools were being destroyed. There is factual proof of it. Turkey is carrying a heavy burden. At the same time, restoration works are currently being carried out. But I would like to mention one thing: once Turks were turning Armenian churches into cinemas where they were mainly screening porn films. There is also factual evidence of that,” Mildanoglu said.

The Agos daily’s correspondent told two real stories about the fate of Armenian churches in Turkey.

“Treasure seekers are still making searches on the cemetery of our village. A horrifying cultural destruction was carried out there. The village church no longer exists. My mother remembers how it was destroyed. Kazim Karabekir, marching to the East, gave an order. He said, “I must not see this church when I am back.” And the church was pulled down.”

The Surb Khach (Holy Cross) Church on Aghtamar Island was saved from destruction thanks to the efforts of Yasar Kemal, a reporter for Cumhuriyet newspaper. “If Yasar Kemal had not gone there, that church would not exist today,” the architect concluded.

Valerie Boyer: ‘We Must Recognize Nagorno-Karabakh’

April 27, 2013 By administrator

STEPANAKERT—“We must recognize Nagorno-Karabakh, Karabakh in order to demonstrate to the world Karabakh’s democracy and to let the people of the world know that the people of Karabakh want to live free and independent,” said French member of Parliament Valery Boyer on Friday during her second visit to the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, reported RFE/RL.

Boyer, who is the author of the French bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide, is also a founding member of the France-Karabakh Friendship Group, which was inaugurated last month.
“By creating the France-Karabakh Friendship Group, we have set our goal to recognize Karabakh and to secure conditions for the people of that country to live freely,” added Boyer.

Boyer is part of delegation of European legislators who are on a fact-finding mission to Karabakh and upon arrival in Stepanakert began visiting the sites and engaged in meetings with Karabakh officials.

“We continue to be your humble servants, and are awaiting your direction,” said European Parliament member from Greece Eleni Teokharus, who is also part of the delegation.

Teokharus first visited Karabakh 25 years ago as a volunteer surgeon. Visiting Karabakh today, she said that Artsakh is her second home.

“But for me Artsakh is neither a motherland nor a fatherland. It is like a new-born child, whom I cuddle and care for as a mother, because from its birth it has had difficulties. Despite this, it is now a struggling Democracy,” said Teokharus.

“Today we are here to defend the people of Nagorno-Karabakh’s right to self-determination. Regardless of which principle supersedes the other in the eyes of international law, but the day will come when we, in Europe, and the rest of the world will comprehend that people’s right to self-determination is of utmost importance,” added the Greek legislator.

The European delegation was greeted by Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Parliament Speaker Ashot Ghulian who expressed the gratitude of the people of Artsakh for the cooperation and the belief in Karabakh’s democracy by his European colleagues, reported the Aparaj newspaper, which is the official organ of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Central Committee of Artsakh.

The discussions centered on strengthening of legislative diplomatic ties. The importance of creating parliamentary friendship groups and mutual visits was highlighted.

Leaders of Karabakh parliamentary blocs Gagik Petrosian, Janna Galstian and Armen Sargsyan also took part in the meetings. The chairman of the Armenia’s Parliamentary Committee of Foreign Relations, Artak Zakaryan and parliament member Tevan Poghosyan accompanied the delegation to Artsakh.

Complete three part Video Commemoration of Armenian genocide at Montebello CA. Monument (98) (Video)

April 26, 2013 By administrator

The United Armenian Council for the Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, which represents about 50 groups, sponsored the event.

You have heard the writing but now we want you to hear the Voices of these leaders.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

“This monument is a sacred place,” Villaraigosa said. “It’s a marker of one of the 20th century’s greatest crimes. The Armenian genocide is not a matter of debate. It is a matter of fact. ”

Geoffrey Robertson, a former international judge from London, said Armenians should demand justice from Turkey.

“The attempt to exterminate a race is not just unforgettable,” Robertson said.

“It is unforgiveable unless and until the perpetrators make amends,” he said. “This shouldn’t be a day of sadness. It should be a day of anger and a day to demand justice. ”

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Kurdish Spring or Turkish Spring?

April 26, 2013 By administrator

The so called peace process have put the end forever for the Kurdish people to have any hope of independent Kurdistan, I called it white massacre. In state of the Kurdish people starting Kurdish spring ask for Independence now they will leave under the same red flag that kill and murder thousands of Kurdish man woman children, the Turkish rolling elite have again used there snake oil salesman ship manipulated the Kurdish leadership and got what they wanted.

Wally Sarkeesian