On the first anniversary (Nov 22, 2006) of losing my friend Vika, I just tried to translate a poem I wrote in her memory on December 6, 2005 in Armenian. It doesn’t sound in English the way I feel and describe it in Armenian, so I have given up on translating the “Unanswered Prayer.”

I don’t know if they read my blog in Paradise, but I want to let Vika know that I love and miss her very much, and always will.

…Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the States. Enjoy life…

When Turkish professor Taner Akcam lectured in New York's Columbia University (CUNY) on the Armenian Genocide on November 1, 2006, a group of Turkish students distributed a "biography" of Prof. Akcam, calling the latter a communist terrorist.



Seeing that "history" is not working to deny the Armenian Genocide, Turkish denialists have started a campaign to present Akcam, a scholar in exile, a communist to the American public forgetting that, as CUNY student Bedross writes, redophobia is already a history in the American culture. It is unfortunate that Turks will go everywhere to deny the Genocide, even to knock on McCarthy's door (McCarthy Sr., if you know what I mean).

Akcam is the first Turkish scholar to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide as such. The Genocide eliminated 2/3s of west Armenians and destroyed most of the material culture in Armenia between 1914-1916. Turkey rejects the word "genocide."

With my request, Bedross scanned the denialist flyer and sent it to me. Thanks, Bedross!

The holiday gift for the Moscow police is a Question-Answer book about Armenia, its people, culture and traditions.

The book intends to teach Russian police that Armenians are good people, and they, therefore, should be protected from hate killings that have amounted to 3000 in the last decade.

PanArmenian.net informs, “The book contains 201 answers to the questions Russian citizens may have when hearing about Armenia. Besides, it provides information about Armenian traditions, famous Armenian brandy and even anecdotes from the Armenian Radio. One chapter is dedicated to the Armenian-Russian relations.”

The most recent victim was a 15-year-old Armenian boy. The shocking part of the story is Armenia’s and Russia’s official ignorance to these hate crimes. Only a small group of Armenians, mostly bloggers, organized a protest in Yerevan. Check http://www.oneworld.am/blog/ for more information on this.

In the next couple of years Moscow police will be receiving hundreds of books about Azerbaijanis, Georgians, Gypsies, Kazakhs, Mongolians and many more – to learn that these people are good so that the Police protect them.

A father and two sons have come together to ask 400,000 people to donate $1 each. 100% of the donations will go to Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children, Save Darfur and Sudan Air Fund to help the poor people in Sudan. Why 400,000? It is the number of people killed in the genocide of Sudan…
How I learned about this? Jonah Burke, one of the sons, sent and e-mail to me informing about their website.


(This is the number of my donation; you will get a similar box when you donate a dollar)



Will a dollar make a difference? YES! Please send a buck if you can.

In an apparent move to scare off America, as "pro-Armenian" Democrats take over the U.S. Congress, Turkey has suspended all military ties with its Nato ally France for making it a crime to deny the Armenian Genocide in France.

Turkey: You want to get us recognize the Genocide, you get nothing instead.

From the Associated Press via Forbes Magazine.

Matthew Russell Lee, a correspondent to the UN, has interviewed Nagorno Karabakh’s president Arkasy Ghukasyan.

The president of the unrecognized Republic has told the correspondent that the fires in Nagorno Karabakh were provoked by the Azerbaijani army.

To tell the truth, I cannot imagine either side, Azerbaijan or Karabakh, starting fires of forests. These are not cultural monuments. We are talking about forests that make oxygen and are desperately important especially in this global warming world. My assumption is that the fire started as a result of negligence and continued for the same reason. Although you never know what to expect from an authoritarian regime that has flattened a medieval cemetery to the ground.

Asked what would the peace agreement be like, NKR president answered, "In any resolution, we think that Karabakh should have physical land connection with Armenia.”

Lee brings, what he thinks, Armenian and Azeri perspectives on the history of Karabakh. I hate sounding nationalistic, but the Armenian “perspective” is much closer to the reality and is more realistic than the Azeri official line that claims that Azeris have lived in Karabakh for 1 million years.

The correspondent (he doesn’t sound a professional one and I am not entirely sure that he does work for the UN), ends his notes with an offensive, at least to me, question, “How small can these Russian dolls become?”

Have to finish my essay on framework of ethnic conflict of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Have to run…

LINK

The Christian Science Monitor also has an article on Karabakh. Not the first time, the Monitor quotes only Azerbaijani refugees and officials while reporting on the issue.

An Armenian officer has been wounded in Iraq, informs the Associated Press on November 11, 2006, expanding on the Reuters mention about the accident pointed out by Artyom at iArarat.com earlier today.

Although this is the first report of an official Armenian serviceman being wounded in Iraq, there had been killings of ethnic Armenians as a result of the invasion.


Map from ArmeniaNow.com

I wrote last year about Hovsep Kurken Zadoian’s killing by the American forces who later apologized to his family for the misdeed. Eighteen members of the Armenian community had been killed by that point due to the war.

I also mentioned an Armenian teacher’s death earlier this year.

The Associated Press reports the disapproval of having Armenian servicemen in Iraq, “The mission has been met with criticism from opposition parties, many Armenians and even the 30,000-strong Armenian community in Iraq, which fears being targeted for attacks.”

Maybe, since Republicans lost the Congress and American people’s majority disapproved the war in Iraq, it is time to bring the Armenian servicemen home?

As Ayse Gunaysu's Hetq.am article continues to be republished by dozens of newspapers and websites (some of which, such as Yerkir and Asbarez, credit neither the author nor Hetq) around the world (the article even went back to its original Kurdish newspaper in Turkey and made front page), now we learn that the Istanbul Office of the Human Rights Association is calling on the Turkish government to start an objective investigation of the possible Armenian genocide mass grave.

Ayse Gunaysu writes in an e-mail to a group of scholars and students, of which I am a member, that discusses the Armenian Genocide:

Armenian political organizations around the United States are all excited: “the first Armenian caucus member will be the next House Speaker,” they write.

The next House Speaker is Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, who is known for being “pro-Armenian.” Armenian groups expect her to put the genocide recognition on the floor (literally).

The Senate leadership is also Armenian-friendly, hails an e-mail from the Armenian Assembly. “One day after winning majority control in the House of Representatives, Democrats took back the U.S. Senate, with Armenian issues supporters Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) positioned to serve as Majority Leader and Majority Whip respectively, in the 110th Congress. Senator Joseph Biden, Jr. (D-DE), also a staunch supporter, is expected to chair the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which oversees policy concerning Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.”

(Turkish groups have been concerned about this for a while.)

The Armenian enthusiasm is so apparent it has made news in the Los Angeles Daily news, where Lisa Friedman writes, “The e-mail early Wednesday from the Armenian National Committee of America was positively enthusiastic.

‘It's just past 1:30 a.m. on election night and I'm wide awake,’ Chairman Ken Hachikian wrote to the organization's members as news networks projected the Democratic Party takeover in the U.S. House.”
I had received Hachikian’s e-mail as well (in my Bulk folder). He was asking for money, as always (seriously, I have received no one e-mail from Mr. Hachikian where he doesn’t ask me for money; I even wrote him back once asking him not to ask for money in every single letter). Not having donated any money to ANCA, Hachikian makes me feel guilty for not having contribution in the genocide recognition.

Now more serious stuff. I went to Nancy Pelosi’s website yesterday and there was no word that she is a member of the Armenian caucus (as most members don’t mention). She had a huge list of bills she supports and there was nothing about Armenia. Armenian activists have confessed before in private the ridiculousness of the “Armenian caucus.” A leader from Los Angeles told me how the workers of the “Armenian Caucus” co-chair were lobbying caucus members not to vote for the genocide recognition bill introduced by Rep. Schiff.

Only Representatives Adam Schiff (Democrat from California), Joe Knollenberg (Republican from Michigan), Thadeus McCotter (Republican from Michigan), George Radanovich (Republican from California), Frank Pallone (Democrat from New Jersey) and Curt Weldon (Republican from Pennsylvania) have listed in their websites as being members of the Armenian caucus. This is six people out of the “over 200-member strong Armenian caucus,” let alone the fact that Curt Weldon is also a member of Azerbaijan caucus (yes, yes…). I am not sure if all of these gentlemen are in office right now, but even if all of them are, we can say there are 6 proud members of the Armenian caucus, one of them also a proud member and an officer of the Azerbaijani caucus! (Results from Google search of “ ‘Armenian caucus’ site:gov”).

The observance, I guess, is that Armenian issues have very minor significance in American politics. Most, if not all, “powerful Armenian supporters” don’t mention a word about Armenia in their websites. On the other hand, Armenians are excited again like they were when both Clinton and Bush got elected…

Particular solutions and alternatives? Not at this minute. But something deep in my mind says we need to think about Armenia’s feature; and that feature does not lie on the U.S. Capitol Hill.

May feature prove me wrong.

America's most popular "Borat" movie will not be shown in Russia, BBC Russian reports.

The decision comes after Kazakhstani, Jewish, Muslim (Azerbaijanis too?) and Gypsy groups and officials have talked against the movie. At least Armenians are not against, according to the report (since there is no mention of them).

I assume they will not show "Borat" in Armenia either. If they do, they will most likely (and I think they should) mute some Armenian words (at least one phrase) that are really offensive in the Armenian culture.

Anyhow, I love "Borat" and am planning to watch it again very soon at the Movie theatre. You cannot get enough of that movie.


p.s. One will wonder why I don't write on the U.S. elections. I can say I am generally pleased. That is it so far...

After learning out that Air Arabia started direct flights between UAE and Armenia, I wrote to the airlines and asked “Are you aware that most "travelers" to UAE from Armenia are women and children tricked and sold to sexual slavery (human trafficking)? If yes, what steps are you taking to make sure you do not transfer trafficking victims?”

The e-mail, received November 6, 2006, from Air Arabia says the first flight will start on November 16, 2006. It also said, “Once the whole travel documents are clear, we can not stop the passengers from their desired flight.”

The company made another good point: the flight will not be used by human traffickers ONLY! “Also there is a lot of genuine passengers [that] are traveling in between these sectors,” wrote Princy Kurien in a response to my letter.

Now, I feel much better!

In a brief response to my letter asking some questions about being kicked out of Sudan, the UN Ambassador Jan Pronk has written to me that the Sudanese government expelled him “to get rid of public criticism.”

I received Pronk’s e-mail about 6:50 p.m. (Central U.S. Time), Sunday, November 5, 2006. To my question, “Is your mission over?” he answered, “Yes, in January 2007.”


Pronk with Sudan Liberation Movement representatives in December of 2005 (from his blog)

As I mentioned earlier, BBC reported that Pronk was expelled from Sudan after criticizing the Sudanese government for the genocide in Darfur at his blog. BBC also mentioned of Henry Morgenthau, the American Ambassador to Turkey during the Armenian Genocide, suggesting that blogging would have been a good tool for Morgenthau to let the world know about the Armenian massacres.

Pronk said in his letter it “would require a long essay” to write about the similarities of the Darfuri and Armenian genocides. “Presently I do not have the time to write such a text,” he wrote.

I was planning to write an article for Hetq.am about Pronk’s expulsion (and told this to Pronk originally) and the Morgenthau connection, but given the limited information I will play the idea by ear at this time.

There is more explanation about Pronk’s expulsion at his updated blog.

After attending the Young Global Leaders Summit on Oil, Climate Change, and Security in CSU Fort Collins, I was joined by my brother and an acquaintance from Wyoming to watch Borat. I could not believe to my eyes how many people had come to see it.


Have you seen this Armenian-American's testicles and back? If not, you have not watched Borat yet

I am not sure if Borat is spreading its intended message, but it is a good one: anti-Semitism is stupid, anti-Muslimism is bad, the war in Iraq is idiotic, Evangelicals are (I am not sure what) something. But I don’t think the audience (mostly Americans in their 20-s according to my observance) really gets the message. Actually, they get to see lots of Armenian and Jewish hair, instead.


The face of genocide denier Azerbaijani president Aliev is the last scene of Borat

You get to hear lots of Hebrew and Armenian cursing (and for the latter reason, I strongly discourage traditional Armenians from watching it); you get to see the fattest Armenian on the planet naked and much more (I can’t believe Cohen actually agreed to have Davitian’s testicles touch his face).

Artyom at www.iararat.com rounds up the movie too and makes a Boratish joke: Armenian Prseident in Kazakhstan to Discuss Borat … (pause) Not! (need to watch the movie to get this one).

There is something that I will not forget about Borat. The very last clip of the movie (at the end of the credits) was supposedly the picture of the glorious Kazakh president. It was actually the idiotic Ilham Aliev, president of the Azerbaijani Republic.

In a few words, offensively hilarious mocumentary!

Rated: X

Attention! Attention!

Armenians girls and women who are tricked and trafficked to UAE for sex slavery will not have to be taken all around the world to get into that Middle Eastern country.

Now on, there will be direct, Yerevan - Sharjah - Yerevan, flight. It will take 3 hours only.

This will, without doubts, save tons of money for trafficking gangs.

Just need Varujan Karapetian on the airplane.

Via Oneworld Multimedia Blog, a new report says that 29% of Armenia’s population is hungry.

The starving Armenians have not vanished, have they?


Photo by Onnik Krikorian

I am reading a book by Christoph Stefes, an associate professor at my university, titled “UNDERSTANDING POST-SOVIET TRANSITIONS” (2006).

The book deals with corruption in Armenia and in Georgia. It tries to answer the question, why is that corruption in Armenia is restrained and limited as opposed to corruption in Georgia which is all over the country and is decentralized.

I have not finished the book yet, but, according to the meeting that I had with Christoph, he basically argues that Kocharyan limits corruption because Armenia’s resources are too scarce for balancing the power between Azerbaijan and Armenia. But the same logic does not explain why Georgia does not limit corruption since it also has territorial disputes and conflict with powerful Russia.

So what does corruption and poverty have to do with each other? According to conservative American perspective, poverty exists because corrupt governments do not adequately distribute the aid, whether through grants or loans, to the population; the officials still the money.

According to liberal theory, poverty exists because the same aid providers (US government, World Trade Organization, World Bank) put poor countries in situations that poverty cannot be abolished. They give loans to governments and require governments to buy their (usually genetically engineered) seeds with that same money. A pure business, that leaves poor people hungry, since they cannot afford buying food. That is why India, having millions of hungry people, imports crops for European cows (because poor Indians can’t afford buying crops).

Another Armenian champion was announced today. In what? Of course, chess again.



12 Year Old Chess Player Robert Aghasarian Wins Title Of World Champion



Batumi, October 31, Noyan Tapan. The world juvenile championship of chess (6 age groups) finished in Batumi on October 28. 12-year old Robert Aghasarian (Yerevan) got 9 points from 11 possible ones in the struggle with 81 rivals and wot the title of the world champion.
Armenian delegate 18-year old Hrant Melkumian from Yerevan took the 2nd place with 8 points.

NKR representatives 8-year old Manuel Petrosian and 16-year old Hovik Hayrapetian were the 5th in their age groups.

I was glad to see my senior Turkish friend and human rights activist Ayse Gunaysu’s “Found by Villagers; Covered up by the Military” article published at Hetq.am. The initial report was written for this blog per my request. After I shared it with Hetq’s editor Edik Baghdasaryan, he said he would consider an edited copy for publishing.

Good job, Ayse!

I was going through the cartoons of http://www.karabakhopen.com when I came across to the figure of chauvinistic Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliev cutting a history book with a pair of scissors.



It reminded me of the recent announcement of the infamous Azerbaijani leader that the Armenian Fenocide is a “fantasy.”

Official Azerbaijani fabrication and desecration, once again, has no boundaries.

Armenia’s new Holocaust memorial is a beautiful architectural design.

According to the Russian-language official website of Armenia’s Jewish community, a combined monument of Holocaust and Genocide was opened on October 27, 2006 in Yerevan.



I was hoping to have some Diaspora Armenian organizations to sponsor the construction and once talked to Rima Feller, the head of the Jewish community, about that. Although my request became only available to Blogian readers through the “Yerevan's Holocaust Memorial Repeatedly Vandalized” entry, I am glad to have found out that some Armenian organizations, such as the Armenian Assembly of America, co-sponsored the construction (perhaps with the hope to find allies among America’s Jewish lobbyist groups). According to www.jewish.am, the ruling ruling-coalition member Republican party of Armenia was also a sponsor. More photos at http://www.jewish.am/index.php?option=com_...1&Itemid=69

The memorial features writings both in Hebrew and in Armenian and was designed by architect Ruben Aruchyan.

As seen in the pictures from www.jewish.am, there is a bronze fire-figure on the memorial in memory of victims of all genocides.

The opening ceremony was attended by members of the Jewish community and some Armenian officials.

I am very glad that the monument was finally opened. I wrote earlier this year about the vandalized Holocaust memorial, which was replaced by this new and better-designed monument. Hopefully, those few neo-nazis will leave this new monument alone.

Ara Manoogian at Martuni or Bust!!! has posted a vibrant letter in response to the unresponsive Armenian world regarding the sexual slavery of Armenian children and women.

He quotes a reader as saying, “Trafficking is directly proportional to the level of corruption in Armenia. The fact that Diaspora organizations and churches have done little or nothing to stop trafficking and help trafficked victims is proof of their moral bankruptcy.”

Ara’s post describes well an experience that happened with me earlier this year. A couple of months ago I gave a letter to a member of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Greater Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Region. I was asking this non-profit organization to collect funds for Hetq.am to continue investigating and fighting human trafficking (actually they would only let us use their bank account). There was a donor from Georgia (a senior friend of mine who is not actually Armenian) who had promised to match the donations that would be collected. There were people who were willing to donate, but we needed a non-profit to send the initial donations to. Basically, the Church would only let us use their bank account and that would complete their involvement.

I soon received a call from the mentioned individual who basically said (I am not kidding) that “H” “E” “T” “Q” (the poor guy did not know that Hetq meant “Trace” in Armenian) might sound like a terrorist organization to the American government and that the latter fact might stop the activities of the Armenian Church. Aside from being complete B.S., what he said was ignorant and stupid, but this is generally, as Ara Manoogian writes, our behavior toward human trafficking. Sometimes I wonder I should have let the Church headquarters (it was the Prelacy, the Cilicia seat) know about their “regional leader’s” words, but I was really disappointed and did not want to do anything. Soon Hetq.am opened a PayPal account, and I just asked the people to send their donations online, although I don’t think it had the outcome we were hoping for and of course the donor did not get an estimated amount he could match.

Anyhow, read Ara’s letter and think what you would do if your sister or daughter were in the situation of these children and women. And…

p.s. 2007 Oxford dictionary’s definition of “Armenians.” People exclusively concerned about the official recognition of the Armenian genocide.

p.s.s. I think there is another reason Armenians don’t care about human trafficking - Child molestation and sex/rape with minors is not persecuted in Armenia and people either do it or have no idea that such a thing is happening.