Campaign Launched to Raise Funds for Australian Armenian Genocide Film

November 7, 2015 By administrator

YEREVAN (Public Radio of Armenia)—The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) has partnered with Sydney-based filmmaker Shahane Bekarian to produce the first Australian-made documentary on the Armenian Genocide. Today, ANC Australia launched a crowdfunding campaign with Kickstarter to help raise funds for the project.

The film, titled “Children of the Genocide,” draws on archival footage of interviews with Australia-based survivors of the Armenian Genocide, who are now no longer alive. It also features interviews with their descendants, currently living in Australia.

The filmmakers have set up a Kickstarter campaign where one can easily pledge to donate. Click here to see and donate.

“This is the first such film produced in our community, and through this grassroots fundraising campaign on Kickstarter, members of our community can be part of this historic project,” said ANC Australia Community Relations Director, Stephen Abolakian.

“Children of the Genocide” is described as, “an examination of the sentiment of Armenians in Australia 100 years after the genocide, which saw them flee their motherland after World War One. The issue to be explored relates to the surviving Armenians who found refuge in Australia. Although they fled to survive, we explore whether relocation is enough to settle the attempt of genocide and the upheaval from their homeland. After their families were brutally killed and their livelihood destroyed, was surviving enough? What basic human needs remained unsettled? Perhaps the success in maintaining their [heritage] can only be measured by the strength of their new roots in Australia, the stability of life they have laid out for their kids and the separation they have made from racial intolerance. Is Australia the place? Have they gone down the path of cultural assimilation or integration in Australian society?”

ANC Australia is seeking to raise $20,000 to help fund the production of the film, which is set to be release in 2015.

80,000 Russian tourists still in Egypt to travel home separately from their luggage

November 7, 2015 By administrator

Russian tourists leaving Egypt will only be able to take cabin baggage with them, and their other luggage will be delivered later on cargo planes, Russia’s tourism chief said. There are an estimated 80,000 Russians staying in Hurgada and Sharm el-Sheikh.

Authorities stressed they are not planning any emergency evacuation, the head of Russia’s federal tourism agency Oleg Safonov told journalists Saturday. “A process of planned transfer of tourists from Hurghada, Cairo and Sharm el-Sheikh will take place,” he said.

Safonov said that new tourists from Russia will not be able to visit the country. Russia will send empty planes to bring home travelers scheduled to come back at the end of their vacations.

Azerbaijan shooting makes it impossible to remove damaged Russia truck from Armenia road

November 7, 2015 By administrator

A Russian truck was damaged Thursday in the Tavush Province of Armenia, and due to the shots fired by Azerbaijan.

The incident took place on the Baghanis-Voskepar motorway.

The tires of the vehicle were punctured and its engine was damaged in the shooting.

The truck cannot be removed from the main road for two days now, Baghanis village mayor Narek Sahakyan on Saturday told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

He noted that they had attempted to remove the vehicle from the road on Friday evening, but they could not due to the Azerbaijani shooting.

In Sahakyan’s words, now the villagers prefer not to travel along the Baghanis-Voskepar motorway, since it is not safe.

Moscow-Yerevan passenger bus crash death toll rises to 9

November 7, 2015 By administrator

A woman, who had suffered a severe brain damage in the Armenian bus crash in Tula Oblast (province) in Russia, died on Saturday at dawn, in the Uzlovaya town medical center.

The Embassy of Armenia in Moscow informed Armenian News-NEWS.am that she was Hripsime Sirekanyan, 68.

The Deputy Minister of Health of Armenia, Gagik Mirijanyan, informed from Tula that the woman had had cardiac arrest five times during the three days following the accident, but she could not be saved after the sixth cardiac arrest on Saturday.

As a result, the death toll in this tragic accident has reached nine.

Eight people were initially killed and several dozen others were injured as a passenger bus, which was traveling from Moscow to Yerevan, crashed on Tuesday at around 2:10am local time, in Tula Oblast in Russia.

Russia has opened a criminal case into this bus crash, and on charges of “breaking the road traffic and vehicle operation rules.” A similar case has been filed in Armenia, too.

According to preliminary data, the bus driver, Garnik Harutyunyan, had fallen asleep at the steering wheel.

Harutyunyan has been taken into custody for two months.

Over 1,400 Gather to Celebrate ANCA-WR’s Most Momentous Year at Annual Gala

November 6, 2015 By administrator

CENTURY CITY, Calif.– A record breaking more than 1,400 elected officials, supporters, activists, and generous donors from throughout the country attended the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region’s sold out annual gala on Sunday, October 25, 2015 at the iconic Hyatt Regency Century Plaza hotel in celebration of the organization’s unprecedented year of accomplishments and to pay tribute to 5 honorees who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in advancing the Armenian Cause.

The event began at 4:30 p.m. with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, and a VIP reception with major donors and elected officials. A three-course dinner followed at 6:00 p.m. with a powerful program and presentation of awards kicked off by the presentation of flags by the United States Color Guard and national anthems performed by Payla Kevorkian accompanied on piano by Alex Berberian.

Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian conducted the invocation for the evening.

As the crowd took their seats, Maria Cozette, accompanied by students from Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian school dressed as angels holding candles took stage for a moving rendition of “We Are the World” as images from the time of the Genocide and the orphans rescued by the Near East Relief alternated on screen in the background.

Following the performance, 2015 ANCA-WR Board Treasurer and Gala Committee Chair Steve Artinian welcomed guests, thanked all those that made the record breaking evening possible and introduced the 2015 Gala and Grassroots Conference sponsors Mr. and Mrs. Varant and Hoori Melkonian, and in describing their unwavering support for the Cause noted, “They do it with grace, humility and integrity. They consistently give and often go beyond every reasonable expectation. They support every good cause and in return all they expect are results, and results the ANCA delivers.”

Artinian concluded his remarks stating, “We hope you will leave tonight inspired, motivated and more committed to serve the Armenian Cause.”

As the room went dark, on-screen came an emotionally charged video presentation showcasing the astounding accomplishments of communities worldwide as each marked the Armenian Genocide Centennial. Video highlights included Pope Francis’ speech at the Vatican mass, the historic March for Justice which witnessed the participation of over 166,000 individuals who took to the streets of Los Angeles, as well as many global leaders and celebrities who echoed the call for recognition and proper commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

At the end of the video presentation, ANCA WR Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq., stood in the spotlight to deliver the organization’s message. Hovsepian opened her remarks by thanking all the guests, the Gala Chair Steve Artinian, and his stellar team of committee volunteers, as well as staff for their dedicated leadership, vision, and skill. She went on to express gratitude to the elected officials, past and present, who’ve stood strong on the side of justice and the generous donors whose contributions allow the organization to continue and expand its work.

Hovsepian then moved to provide attendees with details of the organization’s expansion efforts in 2015, which included a tour of the region that resulted in numerous new local chapters in places like Colorado, New Mexico, Dallas, Seattle, and Oregon, the expansion of its Hye Votes initiative, as well as the unprecedented CA Advocacy Days, which galvanized over 700 participants from across the state, amongst many others.

She concluded her remarks calling on all attendees to march on forward in pursuit of justice. Her call to action echoed across the room as she said, “Just as 166,000 of us reignited the flame on April 24th, so we must continue. From our donors to our volunteers, from our voters to our educators, from our elected officials to our grassroots, we all have a role to play in harvesting our capital, promoting our vision, and taking the Armenian Cause to new heights of success. So roll up your sleeves, open your hearts and your wallets, volunteer your time and expertise, stay active, and join us on this incredibly fulfilling journey as we honor our martyrs, demand accountability, protect Armenia and Artsakh, organize our communities, and enter the second century of our Nation’s rebirth with optimism, hope, pride and determination for both the Homeland and the Diaspora. The March for Justice was not an end, but a beginning. The seeds have been planted, so onward we go.”

Global research report: Israeli Military Admits to Supporting Al Qaeda and ISIS in Syria

November 6, 2015 By administrator

The Times of Israel reported 3 weeks ago:
Global Research: Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said Monday that Israel has been providing aid to Syrian rebels, thus keeping the Druze in Syria out of immediate danger. Israeli officials have previously balked at confirming on the record that the country has been helping forces that are fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad.

“We’ve assisted them under two conditions,” Ya’alon said of the Israeli medical aid to the Syrian rebels, some of whom are presumably fighting with al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra Front to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad. “That they don’t get too close to the border, and that they don’t touch the Druze.”

Al Nusra is Al Qaeda, and closely affiliated with ISIS. And remember, there have NEVER been any “moderate Syrian rebels” … only Islamic Sunni jihadis.

As Vice President Joseph Biden admitted:

The fact of the matter is . . . there was no moderate middle. . . . [O]ur allies in the region were our largest problem in Syria. . . . They poured hundreds of millions of dollars and . . . thousands of tons of weapons into anyone who would fight against Assad except that the people who were being supplied were Al Nusra and al-Qaeda and the extremist elements of jihadis.

(Leaked NSA documents also show that Israeli special forces assassinated a top Syrian government official.)

Not all Israelis support this effort. For example, Jacky Hugi – an Arab affairs analyst for Israeli army radio – recently wrote:

Israel should back Assad

Anyone who wonders why is invited to look at neighboring Iraq or distant Libya. What’s happening there is likely to happen in Syria after President Bashar al-Assad.

In choosing between one bad thing and another, the balance tips toward the regime. The Israeli security establishment should gradually abandon its emerging alliance with the Syrian rebels …

The survival of the Damascus regime guarantees stability on Israel’s northern border, and it’s a keystone to its national security.

It is a dangerous, irresponsible gamble to choose Assad’s enemies and encourage his collapse — it would be playing with fire. The prominent elements among Israel’s potential future neighbors are mainly Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria, or the Islamic State ….

The original source of this article is Washington’s Blog
Copyright © Washington’s Blog, Washington’s Blog, 2015

BREAKING: Russia Will Suspend All Passenger Flights to Egypt Including Cairo

November 6, 2015 By administrator

Russian President has agreed that all flights over Sinai Peninsula should be suspended during the A321 crash investigation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees with Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov’s recommendation to suspend passenger flights to Egypt while the investigation of the Sinai plane crash is underway, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.
“The head of state agreed with these recommendations. Putin instructed the government to work out mechanisms for the implementation of these FSB recommendations, and to ensure the return of Russian citizens,” Peskov told reporters.
Kremlin also says that Putin gave instructions to establish cooperation with Egypt to ensure flight safety.
The Russian Airbus A321 passenger plane crashed in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on October 31 en route from Egypt’s resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh to St. Petersburg. All 224 people on board were killed. The crash is the biggest tragedy in the history of Russian and Soviet civil aviation.

Russians outraged after Charlie Hebdo cartoons ‘ridicule’ Sinai plane crash

November 6, 2015 By administrator

The front page of the new issue of satirical French weekly Charlie Hebdo entitled “C’est Reparti” (“Here we go again”),

(RT) Russians have reacted with anger after the French satirical magazine published caricatures of the Russian passenger aircraft crashing in Egypt. Social media in Russia has erupted in fury at the portrayal, with users condemning its publication by Charlie Hebdo.

One Twitter user questioned why the staff at Charlie Hebdo had not printed a cartoon of the members of their team had been shot by jihadists in Paris in January. The user added sarcastically, “That would have been really funny for them.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the cartoons published by Charlie Hebdo “blasphemy.”

“In our country, this would be called ‘blasphemy.’ It has nothing to do with democracy or with self-expression. It is just blasphemy,” Peskov said.

“My colleagues and I tried to find caricatures of the Charlie Hebdo journalists in the magazine, who were shot by terrorists. We were unable to find them. But if they were published, then it would also be blasphemy, well at least in our country,” he added.

A Russian lawmaker called the cartoon, which shows the plane falling near a jihadist fighter, “blasphemy” and an “insult.”

“I believe it is blasphemy and ridicules the memory of those who lost their lives as a result of this catastrophe. This should not be used by any media organizations in any form whatsoever or in any particular genre in which they may specialize,” said Igor Morozov, a member of the Federation Council.

The first cartoon shows parts of the aircraft and a passenger falling toward the ground, while an Islamic State militant, armed with a gun, ducks for cover to avoid the falling debris. Underneath the caricature is the caption: “Daesh: Russia’s aviation intensifies its bombardments.”

Morozov said that the Sinai plane crash “should not be ridiculed.”

He added: “In trying to be original, Charlie Hebdo have plunged everything into shock. Remember the tragedy which happened in January 2015 concerning the publisher. I think that the journalists are provoking acts of violence.”

The second showed a skull and a burned-out plane on the ground, with the caption: “The dangers of low-cost Russia. I should have taken Air Cocaine.” The authors were referring to two French pilots who fled the Dominican Republic to escape arrest for allegedly trying to transport 680 kilograms of the drug.

Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, wrote on her Facebook page: “Is anyone still Charlie?” in a reference to the catchphrase “JeSuisCharlie” used by many people to express sympathy with the victims of a brutal terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo’s headquarters in Paris in January after it published satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

Serbian film director Emir Kusturica told the Russian television station REN-TV that Charlie Hebdo’s latest publication was a “clear provocation.”

“I have not seen these caricatures yet, but this is really scary, if the journalists from this publication have published these sorts of things in a satirical way. I think that this is really a clear provocation.”

Authorities’ pressures force former MP candidate renounce Azerbaijani citizenship and seek asylum

November 6, 2015 By administrator

MP candidate renounce Azerbaijani citizenship

Former MP candidate, human rights defender and former convict Vidadi Iskenderli renounced Azerbaijani citizenship, Azerbaijani service of RFE/RL reports.

He sent a letter about his decision to President Ilham Aliyev and several local media outlets. He said the pressures he has faced over the recent years, as well as the arbitrariness reigning in the country forced him to make the decision. Moreover, pressure was exerted on him and his family members, which further backed his determination.

According to RFE/RL, Vidadi Iskenderli’s candidature was nominated in 89th Geychay-Agdash electoral district. Before the polling day, he complained at the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) that obstacles were made against his pre-election campaign. The Commission, however, found his appeal groundless. He sent further complaints after the polls were over; still the CEC returned the appeal to him on 5 November. Now Iskenderli intends to seek an asylum in a foreign country.

Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, the head of the Public Policy Institute and former political prisoner, told Turan news agency that the November 1 parliamentary elections were very dull and worse than the previous, 2010, campaign. He said the public interest for the elections was extremely low, and the new parliament is not very different from the previous one – the same figures, the same political forces and parties – with three fourth of the previous MPs remaining in the parliament.

Hajiyev divided the 27 new MPs into three groups. First, the “invisibles,” who come into sight only during the election campaign period, while no one sees or hears form them for five years. The second group is used by the authorities to sharply criticise the opposition, Europe and the US. The third group consists of young people, including graduates of Western universities. “They can carry out a useful work even within limited power. Nevertheless, they will not take up cardinal steps, like legislative initiatives, or control the government,” Bakhtiyar Hajiyev pointed out.

Trend agency reports that the CEC discussed 18 Musavat party members’ appeals during its regular meeting. In the appeals, the party members, MPs candidates, said the CEC’s disregard of their refusal of the candidacy was a violation of the voters’ will and pressure on them. The CEC, however, found the appeals groundless noting that Musavat party candidates had received less votes during the polls than the leading candidates, which means that the claims about the violation of the voters’ will are unjustified.

According to Trend, Tural Abbasli, from Musavat, said that talks about his dismissal from the party stated once he spoke about his intention to run for an MP. He added that he does not think his steps somehow violated the party regulations. However, in case the party chairman Arif Hajili makes the decision, he will be dismissed from the party like his opponents Gubad Ibadoglu, Sakhavat Alisoy and others were. “Sadly, this has become a reality in the party,” Abbasli said.

He highlighted that if dismissed from Musavat, he will struggle for his rights because he has been a member of the party for 15 years and has done a lot for it during that period.

Haqqin.az reports that the CEC of Azerbaijan rejected singer Elza Seidjahan’s appeal to declare null the results of the 54th Shabran-Siyazan electoral district. The CEC experts came to the conclusion that the singer’s complaints were not justified and there are no results to declare null the polls results. The website reminds that earlier Elza Seidjahan had reported falsifications during the polls in her district, as well as pressure on her representatives.

The CEC meeting also discussed Umid Party chairman Igbal Agazade’s complaint. He nominated his candidacy in Khatain 3rd electoral district 35. He, too, asked to declare null the poll results at the 17, 18 and 26 polling stations of his district. An expert group investigation found that the appeal had arrived at the CEC in violation of the current rules, and that is why the CEC redirected it to be considered at the District Electoral Commission.

Haqqin.az reminds that according to the preliminary calculations, at the 35th Khatain electoral district, the chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan, Araz Alizade, won Igbal Agazade, who had more than once been elected an MP from that district.

On 1 November, Azerbaijan held elections, where 767 candidates were struggling for the 125 seats in the Parliament. According to preliminary data issued by the CEC, the ruling Yeni Azerbiajan party won, receiving 70 seats in the legislative body of the country. The voter turnout was 55.7 percent: 2.89 million voters out of 5.2 million took part in the elections.

The elections were observed by 503 international monitors from 40 organisations, including PACE, Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS and the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-speaking Countries. There were reports about numerous irregularities in the polling stations. In particular, there were cases of ballot stuffing, voting carousels, and so on.

International agencies took up rather stern stance over the upcoming parliamentary elections. The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) announced that, due to restrictions imposed by the Azerbaijani authorities, ODIHR had no choice but to cancel its mission to observe the country’s parliamentary elections. The European Parliament followed the suit.

Source: Panorama.am

Pablo Kendikian Explores the Structure and Actions of the Turkish Imam Gulen Movement in New Book

November 6, 2015 By administrator

Pablo Kendikian

BUENOS AIRES (Agencia Prensa Armenia)—In an interview with Diario Armenia, the newspaper of the Armenian community in Argentina, Pablo Kendikian, Director of Agencia Prensa Armenia, speaks about his book, “Fethullah Gulen.”

“Basically, what I wanted was to clarify the reasons of this movement,” said Kendikian.

“Clearly, the Gulen Movement is a project of power and has a different strategy in each of the regions in which it operates. What characterizes them is the long-term planning of their projects. The motor that moves them is the utopia of the realization of a neo-Ottomanism inside and outside of what was the Empire. I dare say that it is the idea of a modern, globalized pan-Turkism.”

Kendikian says that, “they create a Turkish diaspora where they do not have [one], they ‘evangelize’ in Africa, and are betting on future political cadres and leaders in the countries of Central Asia and the Balkans. They create empathy in countries with Armenian communities, and they do this with more than 900 schools outside Turkey, distributed in over 130 countries.”

“In many parts of the world, particularly in Argentina, the project was cut short as a result of the fight between the former partners Fethullah Gulen and President Erdogan. Because of this, the followers of the Gulen Movement were unable to advance in their project designed to work against everything that could damage Turkey’s image in the world.”

Quoting Professor Khatchik DerGhougassian, who wrote the foreword to the book, Kendikian called the Gulen Movement “one of the main tools for the denial of the Armenian Genocide.”

“The Movement gives away trips to Istanbul to officials of different levels, as well as qualified journalists. There, they show the impressive institutional structure they have in Turkey or in the country of origin and the economic power that supports them. They address each guest individually on the issue of [the] Armenian Genocide,” added Kendikian.

In addition, shortly after the Criminal Court of Istanbul condemned Fethullah Gulen for conspiracy against the State, Pablo Kendikian questioned the privileged place that the Gulen Movement has in Argentina. “I think the Argentinean Foreign Ministry, through the Register of Religions, should review its registration as a religious organization because, clearly, the main objective of the Gulen Movement is political, despite being a brotherhood with a clear religious identity.”

“Strategically, the Movement presents itself as an advocate of interfaith dialogue, away from politics. But that is contradicted when they violently interfere in the affairs of the Turkish political structure.”