Groundbreaking Musical About Armenian Genocide to be Staged in Glendale

September 1, 2016 By administrator

A scene from the Armenian Genocide-themed musical “I Am Alive”

Denver-based Emmy Award winning composer Denise Gentilini and writing partner, internationally celebrated singer/songwriter Lisa Nemzo, bring their original production, I AM ALIVE to Los Angeles for an exclusive showing for one weekend only this September.

Gentilini, who is of Armenian descent, has assembled a largely non-Armenian cast to tell the story of the Armenian Genocide with a completely new focus; celebrating those who survived. Gentilini was inspired by the story of her own grandparents who survived the systematic killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

Using her childhood memories of her grandparents as well as transcripts from interviews with them, Gentilini/Nemzo used direct excerpts from their firsthand accounts for some lyrics and dialogue in the musical. This personal connection has allowed them to craft a complex experience that explores the human side of a politically contentious topic alongside the love story that unfolds between two people in an unimaginable set of circumstances.

With the 100 year anniversary behind us, this production is meant to provide closure around the tragedy and provide a renewed focus on the human spirit.

I AM ALIVE is produced by Well Orchestrated Madness and directed by Christy Montour-Larson and will be shown only one weekend on the West Coast. Partner organizations include; Jewish World Watch, Mashdots College, United Armenian Council, ANCA-WR and AFFMA. Armenians of Colorado serve as the fiscal sponsor.

Denise Gentilini (Book, Music, Lyrics, Orchestrator, Producer and Music Director)
Specializing in film music, Denise is an Emmy® award winning composer with 30-years experience in music composition and production. After 20 years of performing and doing session work in her native Los Angeles, Denise moved to Colorado to continue her music career. Using her music as a tool for awareness, Denise has written songs for The Children’s Hospital, Colorado NSC Autism Department, (I Chose You), The Iliff School of Theology – Courage Award honoring Judy Shepard (Courage Said I Can, co-written with Mindy Sterling). With her partner, Lynette Prisner, their production company, Well-Orchestrated Madness produced the 2009 concert, We Are Voices – For A Future Without Genocide, using her original music to bring awareness to a subject close to her heart, genocide. Denise is the granddaughter of Armenian Genocide survivors, Kourken and Malvine Handjian, whose lives the musical, I AM ALIVE, is inspired by. Denise’s first Emmy® was received for her film score in her 2002 documentary about her grandparents, The Handjian Story: A Road Less Traveled. Incidentally, the Handjians were pillars of the community in Los Angeles and were members of Holy Martyrs church in Encino. Denise received her second Emmy® award for her film score in the documentary film, Conviction, telling the story of three Dominican nuns who devote their lives to peace. Denise has been writing with Lisa Nemzo for over two decades. I AM ALIVE is their first musical and they are very excited to bring this important history to the stage under the experienced direction of Christy Montour-Larson along with a cast of 21 talented actors from Denver, Colorado.

Nagorno-Karabakh independent state irrespective of being recognized by Georgia – MP

August 30, 2016 By administrator

Recognition of the Armenian Genocide is of importance for Javakhk Armenians, Samvel Petrosyan, a Georgian MP of Armenian descent, told Tert.am as he spoke of parliamentary elections in Georgia scheduled for October 8.

“Armenians constitute 70% of the local population and have been living here since 1915. An MP who would be able to raise the issue at Georgia’s Parliament and have it definitively settled, will enjoy great popularity. Historical injustice must be remedied. By the way, almost all the Georgian MPs share my opinion and behind-the-scenes they say they are well aware of the fact of the Armenian Genocide. However, state interests keep Georgia, as a strategic partner of Azerbaijan and Turkey, from officially recognizing the Armenian Genocide,” Mr Petrosyan said.

A candidate of Armenian descent that will get into Parliament must defend Armenians’ rights and raise the issues arousing Armenians’ concern.

Javakhk Armenians are concerned over a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“Javakhk Armenians are for a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Mr Petrosyan said.

As to whether Georgia will ever recognize Nagorno-Karabakh’s president, Mr Petrosyan said:

“I think Karabakh residents’ nature speaks for itself. It is an independent state and Georgia recognizing it does not matter.”

Terrorist State of Turkey Will Permit German MPs at Incirlik if Bundestag deny #ArmenianGenocide

August 29, 2016 By administrator

Armenian genocide germany After banning a delegation of high-ranking German officials from entering Incirlik Air Base in July, Turkey now says that German parliament members can enter if the country amends its stance on some of the darker points of the country’s history. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that a German delegation would be allowed on the Incirlik Air Base if “Germany takes the necessary steps.”He didn’t specify what these steps should be at first, but the officials were denied entry after Germany passed a resolution declaring the 1915 mass killing of millions of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire (current day Turkey) as “genocide.”

Cavusoglu’s insistence that people who “manipulate” the history of Turkey “in an unfair manner” would not be allowed on the base lent credence to the notion that the resolution concerning the Armenian Genocide is at the root of the issue. On Monday the Turkish government confirmed that “necessary steps” would entail the German government renouncing the resolution, and then declaring that they do not support it.

The blockage caused some German MPs to call for the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, to pull their troops from the base and shift operations to another locale. Cem Özdemir, co-leader of Germany’s Green Party said, “As lawmakers who send soldiers to places, we must know where they are, how they are and be able to talk to the soldiers…If that is not possible in Turkey, then the soldiers must come back to Germany.”

In This Video How Turkish despotic Ruler Erdogan simultaneously Blackmail EU, U.S. Russia.

Disappearance of the Turkish writer Vedat Türkali, the author of the novel “Bitti Bitmedi” referring to the Armenian Genocide

August 29, 2016 By administrator

vedat Vedat Türkali, one of the most famous figures in modern Turkish literature disappeared Aug. 29 in a hospital in the town of Yalova (Turkey) at the age of 97. Vedat Türkali was also the author of the book (novel, 2014) “Bitti Bitti Bitmedi” (It’s over, it’s over, but it’s not finished, “widely citing the Armenian genocide. Of course the book created a scandal in Turkey while experiencing a very wide distribution.

Krikor Amirzayan

Canada, “The Promise” World Premiere at Toronto Film Festival #ArmenianGenocide

August 21, 2016 By administrator

The world premiere of the film “The Promise”, the theme of the Armenian Genocide produced by Company Pictures Survival of the late Kirk Kerkorian will take place at Toronto International Film Festival film in September.

The festival also announced that the film “The Promise” will be presented at a gala opening weekend on September 11th.

The film, which was directed by Terry George the award-winning director of the film “Hotel Rwanda” has headliners Oscar Issac, Christian Bale and Charlotte Le Bon.

“Michael, a humble Armenian apothecary, leaves her village to study medicine in the cosmopolitan city of Constantinople. Chris, an American photojournalist who came into the country to cover part geopolitics, is related to Ana, an Armenian artist educated in Paris. When Michael meets Ana, heritage creates an attraction that leads to a love rivalry between the two men. After the Turks have joined the war on the German side, the Ottoman Empire turned violently against its own ethnic minorities. Despite the conflict, everyone has to find a way to survive – even when monumental events affecting their lives, “the synopsis of the film on the website of TIIF.

Sources said the film “The Promise” will be in theaters in December.

Terry George, who was nominated for an Oscar for best director for “Hotel Rwanda,” co-wrote “The Promise” with another Oscar-nominated screenwriter Robin Swicord. In March 2013, George was the guest of the State Pedagogical University of Armenia, where the Irish filmmaker compared the Armenian genocide in 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The shooting of the film, which also depicts, Charlotte Le Bon, James Cromwell, Marwan Kenzari, Jean Reno, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Angela Sarafyan, among others, ended in Europe last fall and is in post-production.

After the last shot vued u film was produced, co-manager of Survival Pictures and producer of the film, Eric Esrailian described to Asbarez newspaper an email in which he said that “Kirk would be proud,” referring to Kirk Kerkorian died June 16, 2015 in Los Angeles. “It makes all that hard work even more special.”

Sunday, August 21, 2016,
Stéphane © armenews.com

Spanish City of Benalmadena Recognizes Armenian Genocide

August 16, 2016 By administrator

Benalmadena-genocide BENALMADENA, Spain— The city of Benalmadena, Spain officially recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide on Friday, August 12, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said. According to the ministry, Benalmadena’s city council voted unanimously for the declaration.

“Benalmadena has joined to more than twenty cities in Spain that have recognized the Armenian Genocide,” the ministry said.

The first country to recognize the Armenian Genocide was Uruguay in 1965. Thirty countries have since recognized the Armenian Genocide, of which include Russia, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina, and 43 U.S. states.

It is recognized also by the Vatican, the European Parliament, the World Council of Churches and other international organizations and coalitions.

Israel: Knesset Education Committee recognizes #ArmenianGenocide

August 1, 2016 By administrator

Chairman of the Education, Culture, and Sports Committee Yaakov Margi in the Knesset on February 24, 2016. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Chair Yakov Margi urges house speaker to declare that Israel’s parliament considers 1915 mass killing a genocide

BY MARISSA NEWMAN August 1, 2016

The Knesset’s Education, Culture and Sports Committee on Monday announced it recognizes the Armenian genocide and urged the government to formally acknowledge the 1915 mass slaughter of 1.5 Armenians as such.

“It is our moral obligation to recognize the Armenian genocide,” said committee chair Yakov Margi (Shas) at a committee meeting. div-gpt-ad-BTF_MPU_2

Margi expressed regret that the State of Israel does not currently recognize the genocide by Ottoman Turks 101 years ago, and called on Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein to do so.

Israel’s refusal thus far to formally recognize the Armenian slaughter as genocide is based on geopolitical and strategic considerations, primary among them its relations with Turkey, which vehemently denies that Ottoman Turks committed genocide. Israel and Turkey signed a rapprochement deal in June, upgrading their diplomatic relationship after years of frosty ties worsened by a fatal melee between IDF soldiers and Turkish activists aboard a Gaza-bound ship in 2010.

During Monday’s meeting, Meretz MK Zehava Galon, Zionist Union MKs Zouheir Bahloul and Nahman Shai, and Joint (Arab) List MK Dov Khenin voiced support for the measure.

Earlier this month, Edelstein (Likud) urged Israel to recognize the Armenian genocide, despite the friction it might cause with Turkey.

“We must not ignore, belittle or deny this terrible genocide,” Edelstein declared as the Knesset marked the 1915 mass killing. “We must disconnect the current interests, bound to this time and place, from the difficult past, of which this dark chapter is a part.”

President Reuven Rivlin, who was one of the most outspoken advocates for recognition of the genocide during his time as Knesset speaker, eschewed using the term during the centenary commemoration last year, disappointing Armenian leaders. He used it, however, several weeks earlier at a different event.

Israel’s ongoing denial of the Armenian genocide has thus far survived several debates in the Knesset and even efforts by a former education minister to add the topic to school curricula.

Raphael Ahren and news agencies contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.timesofisrael.com/knesset-education-committee-recognizes-armenian-genocide/

UK foreign secretary’s ancestor among Turks who denounced Armenian Genocide

July 19, 2016 By administrator

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson,
Turkish ancestor, Ali Kemal,

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The newly-appointed British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is famous for his tenure as mayor of London, his colorful personality, and the leader of the Brexit campaign in the June referendum. Far less known was his personal background reflecting a wide mix of the British ethnic heritage, including a Turkish ancestor, Ali Kemal, who truly distinguished himself as one of the bravest voices opposed to the leaders perpetrating the 1915-1923 Armenian Genocide and was brutally assassinated by racist forces in 1922, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) reported.

In 1909, for fear of his life as a journalist, Ali Kemal fled to England in exile with his wife Winifred and his daughter. But, shortly after giving birth to a son at Bournemouth, Dorset, his wife passed away from puerperal fever. A few years later in 1912, he returned to the Ottoman Empire and married again with Sabiha Hanim, the daughter of an Ottoman pasha. Ali Kemal’s children from his first wife, still living in England, adopted their maternal grandmother’s maiden name of Johnson. Ali Kemal’s son, originally named Osman, later began to use his middle name of Wilfred as his first name, and is the grandfather of Boris Johnson.

Johnson’s great-grandfather Ali Kemal happens to be the most significant Turkish critic of the annihilationist policies of the Ottoman state. Ali Kemal was a journalist and public speaker, who even had a short stint as minister in the post-war Ottoman cabinet in 1919.

Dr. Vahakn Dadrian, whose numerous publications have revealed the breadth of German and Ottoman evidence on the Armenian Genocide, provided a compelling description of Ali Kemal’s role in Young Turk era politics. Ali Kemal was a proponent of liberal ideas that were suppressed by both the Young Turk extremists and Turkish Nationalists led by Mustafa Kemal.

Ali Kemal, with a passion unequalled by any Turk, condemned the genocide against the Armenians and inveighed against the Ittihadist chieftains as the authors of that crime, relentlessly demanding their prosecution and punishment. In line with this attitude he campaigned also against the Kemalist movement which then was being propped up by the clandestine partisans of the defunct Ittihad. He was kidnapped from a barber shop at Tokatlyan Hotel in Istanbul, and was being carried to the Asiatic side of the city by a motor boat en route to Ankara for a trial on charges of treason. The party was intercepted, however, at Ismit by General Nureddin, then Commander of the First Army which was aligned with Mustafa Kemal. Ali Kemal was lynched by a mob set up by the General. His head was smashed by cudgels and he was stoned to death. As described by Nureddin personally to Dr. Riza Nur, who with Ismet (Inonu) was on his way to Lausanne to negotiate peace with the Allies, “his blood-covered body was subsequently hanged with an epitaph across his chest which read, “Artin Kemal.'” Through the bestowal of an improvised Armenian name to the victim, a blue-blooded Turk, was thus administered the supreme indignity of depiction as a member of a despised nation.

Historically reviled in Turkey as a traitor, attempts were made to revisit Ali Kemal’s legacy with the rise of Boris Johnson to prominence. He was recast as a dissident and advocate of minority rights. In 2004, the Turkish Journalists’ Association listed Ali Kemal among the martyred journalists of the Republic of Turkey. That list was soon augmented by Hrant Dink, who was assassinated in 2007 for encouraging Turks to reconcile with the Armenian Genocide and whose murder investigations are still not closed because of clear official complicity. In 2011, the Turkish Journalists’ Association added 10 names of Armenian journalists who were killed in 1915, including Krikor Zohrab, a prominent writer and lawyer who was a sitting deputy in the Ottoman parliament at the time of his execution.

Kemal Ali was remembered by Armenians and mainstream historians as an extraordinary person who was truly one of the most righteous and brave Turkish notables during and after the Armenian Genocide era; the linkage to the new Foreign Secretary of Great Britain, Boris Johnson is remarkable.

Erdogan not comfortable sitting on chair not golden plated, German-Turkish tensions

July 12, 2016 By administrator

erdogan merkel not confirtable Berlin, July 11, 2016 (AFP) – The government of Angela Merkel urged Ankara on Monday to lift its opposition to a visit by German MPs on a Turkish base stationed where the Bundeswehr, new bone of contention in the already tense relations between the two countries.

“It is necessary that our members can go to the Bundeswehr on the Incirlik base” in southern Turkey, where German soldiers are stationed as part of the fight against the Islamic State organization, told the press spokesman of the Chancellor, Steffen Seibert.

Turkey recently prevented the visit of a delegation of German parliamentarians on site, after the vote on June 2 by the German Parliament of a resolution recognizing the 1915 Armenian genocide under the Ottoman Empire. An initiative that has sickened Ankara.

– Parliamentary army ‘-

The spokesman reiterated that the mission of the Bundeswehr were strictly supervised by German lawmakers, who therefore have a duty to control, and even used on that expression of “parliamentary army”.

The Chancellor is itself leapt over the weekend, trying to get the green light for Turkey during a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Warsaw with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. She received a plea.

“The disagreements do not disappear after just such an interview,” she said after.

The Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus justified blocking Monday that parliamentarians had nothing to do on a military site.

“For us this is a military matter,” he said, while “the German side the question Incirlik or sending German soldiers under the authority of the German parliament (. ..) the visit is not yet certain, the discussions continue. “

But there is little doubt that this is primarily a retaliation after the Bundestag vote on the Armenian Genocide.

According to the daily Hurriyet on Monday, President Erdogan served Angela Merkel during their meeting this weekend his unease about the resolution and said he expected the German government to distance itself publicly with the text.

– Withdrawal of threat –

Facing the Turkish blockade, the tone begins to rise in Germany, whose relations with Turkey have recently been soured by a television satire of President Erdogan broadcast on German public television. The Head of State has filed a complaint against the author of the pamphlet, Jan Böhmermann.

Personal attacks and threats suffered by the Germans of Turkish origin MPs from media or officials in Turkey have raised as a stir in Berlin and led the president of the Bundestag to protest publicly.

Several MEPs called for the withdrawal of German soldiers from the Incirlik base if Ankara should not give in.

This air base used by NATO in the framework of the fight against EI. Turkish fighter aircraft, American, British and also German are deployed. German Tornados are responsible for monitoring mission and Germany also contributes to the refueling aircraft flying in the area.

President Erdogan “risk withdrawal of the Bundeswehr by his attitude,” ruled Andreas Scheuer, general secretary of the CSU, the Bavarian branch of the conservative party of Angela Merkel.

“We need to be clear, sustainable refusal by Turkey can cause the end of the German participation in the NATO mission” on site, echoed him Niels Annen, the Social Democratic party.

Angela Merkel prefers for now the path of dialogue as it needs Turkey particularly in the context of the agreement with the EU to stem the flow of refugees from Syria to Europe.

By Yacine FOREST

The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the French amendment on Holocaust denial

July 9, 2016 By administrator

turkey FM The Turkish Foreign Ministry has warned that the amendment criminalizing the denial of “genocide” adopted unanimously by the lower house of French parliament on July 1, had the potential to unlawfully limit freedom ‘expression.

The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Tanju Bilgiç said July 6, 2016 in response to a question regarding the adoption by the French National Assembly an amendment on freedom of the press: “We followed closely the process of drafting and adoption of the draft amendment of the law on press freedom adopted by the French parliament on criminalizing the denial of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide under certain conditions.

In case the project would be enacted in its current form, it could expose the risk of limiting freedom of expression illegally, especially in infringing the case law of the ECHR and the Constitutional Council of France.

We will follow closely the process ahead, in the near future with the French Senate regarding the project that has not yet been promulgated.

We expect the French Senate withdraw the project elements that could expose the risk of limiting the freedom of expression. “

For his part the Azerbaijani APA news agency did an interview with Osman Koruturk former Turkish ambassador to Paris and former member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Istanbul which reads:

APA -After 3 and a half years, the French parliament passed an amendment criminalizing protest of the “Armenian genocide”. What is the purpose of this insistence?

Osman Koruturk -It’s absolutely a question related to the personal interests of French politicians, not of their love for the Armenians. There are many rich Armenians in different regions of France, they have a significant influence in politics. One of the main advisers to Hollande in the election were Armenian. During the election campaign, Hollande promised to adopt this law.

After the discussion of the bill in parliament, the Sarkozy initiative politician who does not seriously follows the rule of law, (to get the support of Armenians), the French Constitutional Council rejected the bill, because it violates “human rights, freedom of speech and expression”. At that time, we were happy that the French Constitutional Council has highlighted human rights, France is the cradle of liberties. But now, the Parliament passed a similar law on the initiative of Holland, with a small addition: the current law does not provide for the approval of “genocide” by an independent tribunal to punish those who deny the “Armenian genocide “. Therefore, despite the fact that no independent court has made a decision “genocide” about the events of 1915, they decided to include it in a common framework with other genocides officially recognized. But this time, the French Constitutional Council can not reject the bill. So far, before the emergence of such problems, the Turkish government had mobilized and sent its representatives who are familiar with this issue in the respective countries to lcombattre through legal, diplomatic and political.

APA -Here what I wanted to ask. Do you think the Government has today little attention to this issue?

Osman Koruturk -The previous members of the AKP, CHP and MHP were sent to the West to explain the just position of Turkey on this issue. Our work in this area has been very helpful. The last time we went to Italy in 2015 and we held very productive meetings in Parliament and the Senate. Now the government does not pay attention to these issues, and therefore does not organize visits of parliamentary parties abroad. Although the European Court of Human Rights delivered a judgment objective and essential for Turkey’s complaint Dogu Perinçek. The government and the Turkish National Assembly should pay more attention to these issues. We have not seen the activity of the government and the Grand National Assembly, even on the eve of the decision adopted by the German Bundestag in early June. This also applies to the opposition parties represented in Parliament.

APA last -The year, false accusations of “Armenian genocide” would not have managed to create the necessary effect, if there was involvement of the Turkish government? On the eve of the decision of the Bundestag, we have seen the manifestation of the members of Talat Pasha Committee, which is chaired by Perinçek in Berlin …

Osman Koruturk -We need to widely inform citizens of France and Germany of Turkish origin. Not only our diplomatic missions, but our NGOs should establish close relations with these citizens. Citizens of France of Turkish origin must be able to communicate directly with members of parliament and senators, to bring them to their conditions during election campaigns, and vote only after the acceptance of these conditions. To participate actively in the socio-political life of the country, which they are citizens, and gain the opportunity to influence the legislative and executive bodies, it is necessary to provide full support to European citizens of Turkish origin.

APA -In speaking of the common position of the political parties represented in the Grand National Assembly on the “Armenian genocide”, you have not mentioned the HDP. When Turkey is fighting against injustice, some leaders of the HDP hold meetings with leaders of the Dashnak organizations in the US, with the aim to “cooperate with them to determine the future of Turkey.” Some members of HDP organize protests in this regard within the GANT. Why the direction of Parliament did not give an appropriate response?

Osman Koruturk -The Turkey is a country in which most of the issues can be discussed by political means. In this case, regardless of party, holding negotiations abroad is not pleasant. Who has a say, it should put before the Parliament and receive appropriate responses. There is no need to hold discussions on Turkey in foreign countries.