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California Courier Online, April 6, 2006
1 - Commentary
Media Criticism Pushes State Dept.
To Respond to Armenian Concerns
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
2 - Fear Fuels Turkish Denial of Genocide
3 - KCET's Life & Times Profiles Filmmaker
Dr. J Michael Hagopian on April 12
4 - Commentary
'Protestcide' - The Killing of Protest of a Denial of Genocide
By Israel W. Charny
5 - Prof. Ronald Grigor Suny Will
Lecture April 14 at Merdinian
6 - Glendale Names Annual Diamond Award
Recipients for Achievement in the Arts
7 - Armenian Bar Association to
Honor Five Judges on April 12
8 - Ararat Home Dinner Dance
Committee Plans for April 29
9 - LACC Screens 'Ararat' on April 23;
Reception for Film Star David Alpay
10 - Armenia Fund Telethon
Story Touches Hearts
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1 - Commentary
Media Criticism Pushes State Dept.
To Respond to Armenian Concerns
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
As April 24 is drawing near, what Turks apprehensively call "the
approaching Armenian Tsunami" is haunting not only the Turkish government
but also officials at the State Department.
Various newspapers have unleashed a barrage of attacks on the State
Department in recent weeks questioning and even castigating it for not
acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and recalling the U.S. Ambassador to
Armenia, John Evans who had dared to utter the words, Armenian Genocide.
The news of his recall was first reported by this writer last month.
The following articles and editorials were published in the last two weeks:
-- The Los Angeles Daily News headlined its March 21st article: "Status of
U.S. ambassador to Armenia questioned." The paper quoted Cong. Adam Schiff
as saying: "I made it clear [to the State Dept.] I thought any action taken
against him [Amb. Evans] would merely compound the erroneous policy of the
administration."
-- The Los Angeles Times published a lengthy and hard-hitting editorial on
March 22, titled: "It was genocide." It said: "the State Dept. has long
avoided the word 'genocide,' not out of any dispute over history but out of
deference to Turkey.... It is time to stop tiptoeing around this issue and to
accept settled history.... Punishing an ambassador for speaking honestly
about a 90-year-old crime befits a cynical, double-dealing monarchy, not
the leader of the free world." The editorial concluded: "One day, the
country that was founded as a direct repudiation of its Ottoman past will
face its history squarely, as part of a long-overdue maturing process. Some
day before then, we hope, the State Dept. will too." The week before this
editorial was published, this writer along with a colleague met with the
editorial board of the L.A. Times.
-- The Independent (UK) published on March 23 an article titled: "Row over
US ambassador's Armenia genocide remark." The paper reported: "protests are
growing over the possible recall of the US ambassador in Armenia."
-- The Fresno Bee published an editorial on March 24, titled: "Speak the
Truth: U.S. ambassador to Armenia in hot water over use of 'genocide.'" The
paper's editors castigated the State Dept. for threatening the career of
Amb. Evnas by saying: "Shame on the State Department." The Fresno Bee
called on the State Dept., Congress, the administration, as well as the
government of Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide: "The facts are
plain. The history is clear. Turkey offends the victims' survivors with its
intransigence, but hurts itself most of all when it continues to deny what
the entire world knows."
-- The Glendale News Press published a front-page story on March 26,
titled: "Officials question the fate of diplomat."
-- The chain of McClatchy newspapers published on March 28 a lengthy
article titled: "Genocide comment could cost Ambassador to Armenia his
job." It reported that Cong. George Radanovich (Rep. of Calif.) has called
the State Dept. requesting a meeting to discuss the fate of Amb. Evans.
-- The Washington Times published an article on March 31, titled: "Recall
from Armenia?"
Following this barrage of news reports and commentaries, Daniel Fried, the
Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, addressed
the Armenian Assembly's National Conference in Washington, D.C., on March
27. Here are excerpts from his remarks and responses to questions from the
audience:
"The U.S. position on events of 1915 has not changed. We believe that a
productive dialogue is the best way to establish a shared understanding of
history that honors the victims of these horrific events, murders on a mass
scale, killings without justification, deportations. Over 1.5 million
people lost their lives, innocent victims. But we want to foster
reconciliation and peace based on an understanding of history, not a denial
of it. We believe that the tragedy of 1915, the killings, is of enormous
human significance and its historical assessment should be determined not
on the basis of politics, but introspection among civic leaders and
scholars. This process has begun in Turkey where it needs to take place,"
Fried said. He was interrupted by a member of the audience who shouted:
"horse manure!"
Fried then continued: "Sitting here with us is my old friend John Evans,
our Ambassador in Yerevan. He is the Ambassador, remains the Ambassador,
has... [Applause and cheers]. Like all of us, we all serve at the pleasure of
the President. Amb. Evans came from Yerevan for the signing of the
Millennium Challenge Account Compact this afternoon, and will be in the
meeting this afternoon between Secretary Rice and Foreign Minister
Oskanian. There has been a great deal of speculation. I don't discuss
personnel issues, but since my friend is sitting here, I thought I would
recognize Amb. John Evans [Applause]."
When asked why foreign countries such as Turkey are permitted to dictate
America's foreign policy vis-à-vis Armenia and Cyprus, Fried replied:
"Third parties are not permitted to dictate our foreign policy, nor do they
dictate our foreign policy. We have a policy which many of you disagree
with. I understand. But we have a policy of seeking to encourage Turkey to
reflect more seriously about subjects which have been taboo for generations
in that country. I said earlier that process has begun in Turkey. You
recall that the famous Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk spoke clearly about this.
He is not the only Turk speaking out. As I said, this process has begun as
Turkish society modernizes, and as it modernizes, as democracy in Turkey
deepens, Turkey will have to go through what many other countries such as
the United States have had to go through in our own history, which is
looking back at the darker spots in our past. With respect to the United
States, those darker spots include things like slavery and racial
discrimination, treatment of American Indians, and in my opinion,
internment of American citizens of Japanese origin in camps in World War
II. Those are painful subjects. Just as dealing with the history of the
mass killings of Armenians is painful for Turkey. And by the way, I say
this to my Turkish friends using the same words. We keep one set of books.
Now that process has begun in Turkey. It is certainly not going fast enough
to satisfy you. It is not going fast enough to satisfy us. But this process
has begun and it will, I hope, bring greater understanding to Turks of
their own history. We will continue to have a dialogue about this as April
24th approaches. I will not attempt to anticipate what the President will
say. I do believe he will issue a statement on April 24th, in fact I can't
believe there won't be one. And I expect, as we have in the past, to
consult with the Armenian Assembly about this and to have a frank set of
discussions before and after."
In response to a question about "Turkey exporting its denialist tactics to
the U.S.," Fried said: "The United States government has never denied the
events of 1915. We do not support, what was the phrase, "export of
denialist literature or positions." We do support efforts by Turkey to deal
with its history more seriously. As I said, this process has begun. It has
not ended. Efforts such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission [the
correct name is: "Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission" or TARC] were
serious, and these were efforts in which Turkish as well as Armenian
scholars were involved. It produced a serious look at those issues which we
have recognized officially. This is not an easy issue. It is not an easy
issue for the United States government, and we are not at the end of the
road on this issue. We will continue to urge our Turkish friends to face
difficult issues of their past seriously, and we will urge Armenia to help
the Turks make this possible without ever sacrificing historical truth or
your position."
When asked a direct question about the recall of Amb. Evans, Fried provided
the usual evasive answer: "We all serve at the pleasure of the President. I
won't discuss personnel issues. Amb. Evans, as I said, is a friend of more
than 20 years standing. He's our Ambassador. He's right here. He will be in
the meetings today at the State Department, as I said. [Applause]."
The above exchange shows that while Dan Fried was trying to be as gracious
as possible to his Armenian hosts, he was nevertheless sticking to the
administration's unacceptable policy of substituting euphemisms for the
Armenian Genocide. He also continued to avoid making any forthright
comments on Amb. Evans, despite persistent media criticisms.
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2 - Fear Fuels Turkish Denial of Genocide
By Jay Logan Rogers
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - The Turkish government refuses to acknowledge the
genocide committed against the Armenians, said Richard Hovannisian,
professor of Armenian and near-eastern history at the University of
California at Los Angeles.
He said there are psychological reasons that Turkey refuses to admit the
genocide occurred.
"They don't want to believe that their grandparents could've been
murderers," Hovannisian explained. "They also don't want to deal with the
consequences of recognition, including contrition and restitution."
Hovannisian commented on the contemporary interpretations of the Armenian
genocide at the Hinckley Institute of Politics on March 23.
Between 1915 and 1918, actions of the government of the Ottoman Empire
(present-day Turkey) resulted in the elimination of a substantial portion
of its Armenian minority population.
While the exact numbers are in dispute, most scholars agree that more than
one million Armenians were killed through outright massacres and mass
deportations to barren deserts, where they were left to starve.
Hovannisian's talk focused on the scholarly debate over whether the
genocide was premeditated or a "crime of passion" that occurred suddenly
during the tense conditions of war.
He expressed his opinion that the elimination of the Armenians had been
contemplated by the Ottoman government before the outbreak of war, but that
it was wartime conditions that allowed it to turn a "final solution into an
accomplished fact."
The Ottoman Empire distrusted the Armenians, in part because they were a
tight-knit Christian ethnic group in the middle of a mostly Muslim empire,
Hovannisian said.
While some Armenians were agitating for self-government and autonomy, most
were not involved in any politically dissident activities, he said.
"They were an ethnic group seen as potentially troublesome to an
authoritarian state at war," he said.
No official government document specifically outlining the Ottoman plan to
eliminate Armenians has been found, although there is overwhelming evidence
that the massacres occurred, he said.
There may be a "smoking gun" somewhere in Turkish archives proving that the
Ottomans premeditated the Armenian genocide, Hovannisian said, but the
nation's government does not provide Western historians with access to
those materials.
Jonathan Cates, a senior in history and Middle East studies, said he
thought it was a fair explanation of the historical event. "He gave a broad
overview of all the current interpretations and put them in good context,"
he said.
Mariya Mamaeva, a senior in political science and Russian, agreed. "I think
he has very good points and is very insightful," she said.
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3 - KCET's Life & Times Profiles Filmmaker
Dr. J Michael Hagopian on April 12
LOS ANGELES - Life & Times, KCET television's signature local news and
public affairs series, profiles Armenian filmmaker Michael Hagopian on
April 12, in a segment that will also be available online at KCET.org.
For 25 years, Hagopian has traveled the world interviewing survivors of
the Armenian mass killings of 1915. Host Val Zavala visits with the former
UCLA professor-turned-filmmaker at his home-based workshop, which contains
about 400 interviews he has captured on film for his next documentary
"Caravans Along the Euphrates." Life & Times airs Monday - Friday (6:30
p.m. - 7 p.m..) on KCET.
Born in Turkey, Hagopian and his family survived these killings, also known
as the Armenian Genocide, because his father, a skilled physician, was in
great demand. The story of Hagopian's filmmaking career begins in Fresno,
California, includes stops at prestigious universities, and takes viewers
on a fascinating journey of one man's passion for communicating the history
of his homeland through film. Hagopian has produced and directed two
documentaries on the Armenian genocide. Now in his 80's, Hagopian's third
and current project, "Caravans Along the Euphrates," is significant because
it uses survivors to tell the story.
KCET broadcasts the premiere of "Le Génocide Arménien" ("The Armenian
Genocide"), the 2005 documentary by French filmmaker Laurence Jourdan, on
April 17 (9 -10 p.m.). The encore of "My Son Shall Be Armenian" by
Armenian-Canadian filmmaker Hagop Goudsouzian airs on April 24 (9 p.m. to
10:30 p.m.), followed by a repeat of the Life & Times segment featuring
Michael Hagopian.
dditional information about the films and filmmakers is available on
KCET.org.
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4 - Commentary
Introduction by Richard Kloian
Press Liaison for IAGS
On the heels of a number of articles denying the Armenian Genocide,
beginning in December 2005 and for several weeks afterward, the President
of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), Professor
Israel Charny, drafted a critical response to one of the publications,
Commentary, to set the record straight and to criticize them for crossing
the line between responsible journalism, ethical editorial control, and
outright siding with deniers.
The irony in this will not escape those who remember that it was the very
same publication that many years ago published a piece on the Armenian
Genocide by Marjorie Housepian called "The Unremembered Genocide" which
helped trigger new interest in the Armenian Genocide. Israel Charny too
credits that article with his first learning about the Armenian Genocide.
In effect it was a major springboard years later to the first major
conference on Holocaust and Genocide that was held in Tel Aviv in 1982,
organized by Charny and others and it was the conference that for the first
time included papers on the Armenian Genocide.
'Protestcide' - The Killing of Protest of a Denial of Genocide
By Israel W. Charny
To what extent does a publication have the right to alter a Letter to the
Editor that criticizes the publication, and then to publish their altered
version of the letter without the full permission of the letter writer,
especially in light of his explicit refusal to approve their revision?
In December 2005, Commentary published a lengthy article denying the
Armenian Genocide by one, Guenter Lewy, a retired professor who has
previously published denials of other genocides as well, including a denial
that the Gypsies were victims of genocide in WW II (Simon Wiesenthal
defended the role of the Gypsies as fellow victims of the Holocaust, and on
several occasions wrote and told passionately of seeing the Gypsies in
Auschwitz in the barracks right next to his); and including a denial that
the Native Americans (Indians) were victims of genocide in America. It is
clear that Lewy has established himself as an arch specialist in denial who
has now relegated no less than three victim peoples to some kind of status
of sufferers other than victims of genocidal mass murder. I think that
readers of this current Commentary piece denying there was a genocide of
the Armenians had a right to know of the author's previous publications of
denials (one of which was also in Commentary), but not a word was
mentioned.
Lewy's article in Commentary is entitled, "The first genocide of the 20th
century?" Lewy himself mentions in his article that the International
Association of Genocide Scholars, of which I am the current president, had
passed a unanimous resolution some years ago confirming the validity of the
Armenian Genocide. When Commentary was approached by a colleague as to
whether they would publish a rejoinder to Lewy's article by me, the editor
agreed immediately to receive a 600-word statement from me. So far to
their credit. But then in the grotesque sequence of censorship and
revisions of my rejoinder that follows, Commentary at first refused to
identify my connection to the same Association that passed the resolution,
and finally did in fact identify me as somehow affiliated with the
Association but eliminated identifying my leadership role. A personal
slight? Then it's irrelevant. Or is it a diminution of the significance
of my protest? In the meantime, Commentary published a lengthy
rejoinder by Lewy in the same issue with the following statement that, by a
wave of the Lewy-Commentary wand removes any significance to our
association's informed judgment: "I am less than impressed by the
unanimous vote of the International Association of Genocide Scholars that
the Armenian case 'was one of the major genocides of the modern era" writes
Denier Lewy conclusively and then presumptuously slams the members of the
association that virtually no one (but him) has done real research.
No matter. Commentary commits more serious infringements to the point of
not allowing me to voice my definite judgment about their question, "The
first genocide of the 20th century?"
In my letter I write about how the Turks also killed other Christian
(therefore non-Turkish) groups such as the Assyrians and Greeks as well as
the Armenians (the first Christian people of Europe) and that this was
"outright genocidal murder." Commentary removed this vital statement from
my letter. Remember, the article by Lewy they have published is asking
explicitly if this was genocide, and the section of Letters to the Editor
in February is re-entitled, "Genocide?" but my clear-cut rejoinder that it
was "outright genocidal murder" was not permitted.
Moreover, what does Lewy do? I say in my letter that I wonder if readers
of the Jewish-sponsored Commentary (this remark by me is also censored out)
know that the Turks were also responsible for two forced expulsions of Jews
from Jaffa-Tel Aviv in 1914 and 1917, both of which resulted in losses of
life of the elderly, infirm and ill. As if referring to this information,
Lewy says to me in his rejoinder, "Mr. Charny stops short of calling these
occurrences 'genocide,'" but he and the hard-working editor who we have
seen manages to censor my writing so fastidiously, thus manage to get
across a message that seems to refer to the whole bigger original issue of
the Armenian Genocide. Now, not only have I not been allowed to say what I
did say that there was clear-cut genocide, but it is as if claimed
explicitly that I too don't call the Ottoman murders genocide.
Higher-class deniers, like Lewy and Commentary, are a fascinating study in
the propagandistic logic-defying language mechanisms they employ --
Commentary also removed from my letter a reference to an article that
Daphna Fromer and myself published in the British journal, Patterns of
Prejudice in which we analyzed the language-logic of earlier deniers of the
Armenian Genocide.
Ultimately, my most serious criticism is that Commentary is fully
responsible alongside of its author for publishing a bald exposition of
denial of an established major genocide. Thus, I conclude my letter,
"Regrettably, Mr. Lewy and Commentary too have now earned places in the
pantheon of genocide Deniers," but -- by now you guessed it -- you will
never see that sentence, or an earlier statement similarly critical of
Commentary in the letter they published.
I ask, do responsible publications in a free world have the right to censor
and arbitrarily revise Letters to the Editor beyond considerations of
space, bad language such as epithets, and ad hominem attacks (but not
legitimate major criticisms of an author or the publication!)? Obviously a
publication holds the ultimate power and can simply decline to publish a
letter (who will
ever know?). But to cut and revise and remove and distort the thrust of
the original message, and fail to advise and fail to get approval of
changes? I don't know if there are legal controls against such tampering
with the lowly institution of a Letter to an Editor and/or op-ed writing,
but I do know such tampering violates the "natural law" of journalistic
integrity, and I think Commentary should be told so by an informed public.
Israel W. Charny is the President of the International Association of
Genocide Scholars, Editor-in-Chief, Encyclopedia of Genocide, and Executive
Director, Institute on the Holocaust & Genocide, Jerusalem.
An e-mail transcript of all texts and correspondence between Charny and
Commentary is available immediately on request to [email protected].
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5 - Prof. Ronald Grigor Suny Will
Lecture April 14 at Merdinian
SHERMAN OAKS, CA - The ARPA Institute will feature Prof. Ronald Grigor Suny
at a Lecture, "Why Genocide: How can
we Understand the Turkish Deportations and Massacres of the Ottoman
Armenians," on April 14, at 7:30 PM in the Merdinian school auditorium.,
1330 Riverside Dr., Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Scholars have tried to explain the causes of the Armenian Genocide by
reference to religious differences between Armenians and Turks or the
racist nationalist ideology of the Young Turks and their ambitions to
create a "Turkey for the Turks."
Professor Suny looks at the variety of explanations that have been offered
and suggests that in order to understand "why genocide" it is necessary to
supplement ideological and social explanations with an exploration of the
emotions involved.
Suny is Charles Tilly Collegiate Professor of Social and Political History
at the University of Michigan, and Professor Emeritus
of Political Science and History at the University of Chicago. A graduate
of Swarthmore College and Columbia University, he taught at Oberlin College
(1968-1981), as visiting professor of history at the University of
California, Irvine (1987), and Stanford University (1995-1996). He was the
first holder of the Alex Manoogian Chair in Modern Armenian History at the
University of Michigan (1981-1995), where he founded and directed the
Armenian Studies Program.
He has authored several books on contemporary Armenian, Russian and
Caucasian history.
Professor Suny has served as chairman of the Society for Armenian Studies
and on the editorial Boards of Slavic Review, International Labor and
Working-Class History, International Journal of Middle East Studies, The
Armenian Review, Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies, and Armenian
Forum. He has appeared numerous times on the McNeil-Lehrer News Hour, CBS
Evening News, CNN, and National Public Radio, and has written for the New
York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Nation, New
Left Review, Dissent, and other newspapers and journals. He was recently
elected President of
the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies (2006).
For more information, call Dr. Hagop Panossian at (818) 586-9660.
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6 - Glendale Names Annual Diamond Award
Recipients for Achievement in the Arts
GLENDALE - The City of Glendale Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Department and the Arts and Culture Commission announced the winners of the
First Annual Diamond Awards for Achievement in the Arts. The winners will
be recognized at a public reception on May 3, from 6 to 8 pm in the recital
hall at Brand Library, 1601 W. Mountain.
This new program initiated by the Arts and Culture Commission recognizes
those artists, community members and organizations who have contributed
substantially to the cultural life of the co
mmunity. Nominations were solicited from the community in all categories.
The following winners have been selected as Diamond Award recipients for
2006: David Vartanyan, Young Artist; Mikayel Avetisyan, Artist; Lark
Musical Society, Arts Organization; Ted Osborn, Special Recognition; Edwin
& Hilda Navasartian, Arts Partners - Individual; Jane Friend, Lifetime
Achievement
Recipient Profiles
David Vartanyan is an 8th grade student at Wilson Middle School. He is a
prolific writer of poetry and prose. David is also the Spelling Bee Champ
for his school.
Mikayel Avetisyan is a conductor, composer and instructor at Glendale's
International School of Music. He received his professional training in
Armenia, Russia, and Europe. He was the principal conductor of the Yerevan
Symphony Orchestra from 1994 - 1997 and the Artistic Director and Principal
Conductor of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra from 1997 - 1998. He has
successfully performed throughout the United States, France, Holland,
Greece, Spain, Russia and Turkey. His recordings with the Moscow Symphony
Orchestra were released in 1996 on RCA.
Lark Musical Society was established in 1989 by Vache Barsoumian to instill
the love of music and the arts in its students in a nurturing environment.
Lark actively contributes to fostering an awareness of the interdependence
of Armenian and Western musical arts.
Ted Osborn has been an extremely generous and active supporter of many
community organizations throughout his career; most recently the Alex
Theatre and Glendale's Animation Initiative. Founder of Osborn Architects,
Ted is retiring in April but will remain in the community as an active
participant.
Edwin & Hilda Navasartian were nominated by Karavan Dance Studio because
of their commitment to the school over the last 5 years. This couple has
supported several dance schools besides Karavan, including Baert Dance
Center in Burbank, Krounk and Arabesq Dance Schools in Glendale
financially, physically and emotionally during concerts and regular dance
practice.
Their dedication and love towards the art of dance and young artists have
made them volunteer many hours.
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7 - Armenian Bar Association to
Honor Five Judges on April 12
PASADENA - The Armenian Bar Association (Armenbar) will honor five
outstanding judges on their accomplishments, retirements and
appointments, at an evening reception on April 12, 2006 at the Rococo Room
of Santorini Restaurant in Old Town Pasadena, California. The event is
scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.
The honorees include Federal Judge Dickran Tevrizian, Federal Magistrate
Judge Jacqueline Chooljian, and Los Angeles County Superior Court Judges
Richard Kolostian, Ruth Essegian and Maral Injejikian.
"Our organization has a duty to recognize the achievements of these fine
judges, who serve as tremendous role models for attorneys and law students
in the legal community," said Datev Shenian, Board member of Armenbar.
Tevrizian is a veteran Federal Court judge sitting in the Central District
of the United States District Court. He was first appointed to the Los
Angeles Municipal Court in 1972, at the young age of 31. At that time, he
was the youngest person ever appointed to the bench in Los Angeles County.
He is a nationally recognized jurist who in 1986 became the first person of
Armenian heritage to be appointed to the federal bench. Tevrizian will be
honored for his distinguished career in public service, and upon his change
to senior status on the court.
Judge Chooljian was recently appointed a Magistrate Judge for the U.S.
District Court, Central District of California, where she will preside over
matters in Los Angeles. Prior to her appointment, she served as an
Assistant U.S. Attorney and Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney for the
Central District of California. She is the first woman of Armenian decent
to be appointed to the federal bench.
Judges Kolostian and Essegian have recently retired from the bench, both
having served at the Northwest District, Van Nuys Courthouse. Kolostian
was appointed to the superior court bench in 1980 by Governor Jerry Brown.
At the time of his retirement in February, 2006, he was the most senior
judge in the Los Angeles County court system, having served 32 years.
During his distinguished term on the bench, he handled a number of matters,
including civil, probate, family law, criminal and juvenile matters. In
1988, he was named Trial Judge of the Year by the San Fernando Valley Bar
Association.
Judge Essegian was appointed in 1989 by Governor George Deukmejian. Prior
to her appointment, she served as a Deputy City Attorney in Pasadena, and
served as a Deputy Attorney General, handling professional licensing cases.
From 1983 to 1987 she joined the Deukmejian administration as a Deputy
Director and Chief of Legal affairs for the Department of Consumer Affairs.
While on the bench, she spent considerable time handling misdemeanor cases
out of the Van Nuys court.
Judge Injejikian was appointed in 1985 by Governor Deukmejian, and has
primarily handled criminal cases. She has had a distinguished career and
has established herself as an experienced trial judge. She is being
recognized for her elevation as the Supervising site judge of the East Los
Angeles Branch Court of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Central
District.
Armenian delicacies from the kitchen of the award winning Santorini
Mediterranean Restaurant will be served. The fee for admission will be $25.
for Armenbar members, $15. for students and $35. for non-members. For
more information about the event, visit the Armenian Bar Association
website at _www.armenianbar.org_ (http://www.armenianbar.org) .
************************************************* *************************
8- Ararat Home Dinner Dance
Committee Plans for April 29
MISSION HILLS, Calif. - The Ararat Dinner Dance Committee is busy making
arrangements for their annual gala dinner-dance on April 29 in the
Deukmejian Grand Ballroom at the Ararat Home in Mission Hills.
Plans are underway for a very enjoyable evening beginning with a festive
social hour with delectable appetizers, followed by a dinner provided by
Roubina of Roberts Catering.
Armenian and American dance music will be provided by the Continental Band
with Hovig Krikorian. Valet parking is always complimentary.
Nora Hampar, Dinner Dance Chairman states, "We are very fortunate to have
Senator Chuck Poochigian as our Master of Ceremonies. He's one of the
busiest legislators in Sacramento, and has always been a friend of the
Home."
The Dinner Dance is known for a very brief and efficient program which all
enjoy. The emphasis has always been on sociability, good food, enjoyable
entertainment, music and dancing.
Since moving this popular event from its regular November time slot into
the spring season, the Committee hopes to bring this event into a less
hectic season for all.
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*
9 - LACC Screens 'Ararat' on April 23;
Reception for Film Star David Alpay
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles City College Foundation will present an
educational screening of Atom Egoyan's 2002 film "Ararat," a dramatic tale
which looks at the issues surrounding the Armenian Genocide, as well as a
reception for David Alpay, the young Canadian actor who portrays the lead
role in that film, at 4 p.m. on April 23, at LACC's Camino Theatre, 855 N.
Vermont Avenue in East Hollywood.
Steve Maradian, president of LACC, who is also a cosponsor of the event,
noted that the afternoon's program is being held in recognition and
understanding of the Armenian Genocide, which occurred in Turkey in the
early part of this century and in which approximately 1.5 million Armenians
lost their lives.
The event will serve as a fundraiser to set up scholarships for Armenian
students in the field of theatre and cinema/TV at the college. After the
film screening, a buffet reception will be held in the adjacent Caminito
Theatre and attendees will have the opportunity to meet Alpay.
Critics have called "Ararat" one of Atom Egoyan's most provocative films to
date. The film is based on Clarence Ussher's book "An American Physician
in Turkey."
In the film, Alpay portrays a young man, Raffi, who, after being
interrogated by a customs officer, recounts how his life was changed during
the making of a film about the Armenian genocide. A resident of Toronto,
Alpay has appeared in a number of movies and TV teleplays since his debut
in "Ararat." The film also features actors Charles Aznavour, Eric Bogosian
and Christopher Plummer.
For ticket information, call the LACC Foundation at (323) 953-4000, ext.
2490.
*************************************** ***********************************
10 - Armenia Fund Telethon
Story Touches Hearts
LOS ANGELES - One of the several documentaries and segments aided during
the 2005 Armenia Fund Telethon, touched the heart of one of the donors to
the Annual benefit, and produced a result that one can only hope is
reproduced many times over.
During the past 2005 Telethon, a story produced by the Telethon production
team featured Anush, a mother of 9 children who recently relocated to
Garnakar village of the Mardakert Region of Karabagh.
Despite the difficult and at times unbearable conditions her family has
gone through, the young mother was very proud of her life. She and her
husband are part of the ever-growing Armenian population of the fledgling
Nagorno-Karabagh Republic.
When asked what she needed at the moment, the woman responded with a humble
request for a cow so she could provide her family with milk, yogurt and
cheese.
Touched by her needs, donor Vrej Ter Petrossian decided to help the family
after viewing the segment last Thanksgiving Day.
After Armenia Fund located the woman and her family in the remote village
in northern Karabagh, Ter Petrossian facilitated for the purchase and
transportation of a cow to the family.
The family could not believe their eyes when they received the milk-bearing
animal.
Got milk?
******************************************** *******************************
*
The California Courier On-Line is a service provided by the California
Courier. Subscriptions or changes of address should not be transmitted
through this service. Information in that regard should be telephoned to
(818) 409-0949; faxed to: (818) 409-9207, or e-mailed to:
[email protected]. Letters to the editor concerning issues addressed
in the Courier may be e-mailed, provided it is signed by the author. Phone
and/or E-mail address is also required to verify authorship.
1 - Commentary
Media Criticism Pushes State Dept.
To Respond to Armenian Concerns
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
2 - Fear Fuels Turkish Denial of Genocide
3 - KCET's Life & Times Profiles Filmmaker
Dr. J Michael Hagopian on April 12
4 - Commentary
'Protestcide' - The Killing of Protest of a Denial of Genocide
By Israel W. Charny
5 - Prof. Ronald Grigor Suny Will
Lecture April 14 at Merdinian
6 - Glendale Names Annual Diamond Award
Recipients for Achievement in the Arts
7 - Armenian Bar Association to
Honor Five Judges on April 12
8 - Ararat Home Dinner Dance
Committee Plans for April 29
9 - LACC Screens 'Ararat' on April 23;
Reception for Film Star David Alpay
10 - Armenia Fund Telethon
Story Touches Hearts
******************************************* ******************************
1 - Commentary
Media Criticism Pushes State Dept.
To Respond to Armenian Concerns
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
As April 24 is drawing near, what Turks apprehensively call "the
approaching Armenian Tsunami" is haunting not only the Turkish government
but also officials at the State Department.
Various newspapers have unleashed a barrage of attacks on the State
Department in recent weeks questioning and even castigating it for not
acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and recalling the U.S. Ambassador to
Armenia, John Evans who had dared to utter the words, Armenian Genocide.
The news of his recall was first reported by this writer last month.
The following articles and editorials were published in the last two weeks:
-- The Los Angeles Daily News headlined its March 21st article: "Status of
U.S. ambassador to Armenia questioned." The paper quoted Cong. Adam Schiff
as saying: "I made it clear [to the State Dept.] I thought any action taken
against him [Amb. Evans] would merely compound the erroneous policy of the
administration."
-- The Los Angeles Times published a lengthy and hard-hitting editorial on
March 22, titled: "It was genocide." It said: "the State Dept. has long
avoided the word 'genocide,' not out of any dispute over history but out of
deference to Turkey.... It is time to stop tiptoeing around this issue and to
accept settled history.... Punishing an ambassador for speaking honestly
about a 90-year-old crime befits a cynical, double-dealing monarchy, not
the leader of the free world." The editorial concluded: "One day, the
country that was founded as a direct repudiation of its Ottoman past will
face its history squarely, as part of a long-overdue maturing process. Some
day before then, we hope, the State Dept. will too." The week before this
editorial was published, this writer along with a colleague met with the
editorial board of the L.A. Times.
-- The Independent (UK) published on March 23 an article titled: "Row over
US ambassador's Armenia genocide remark." The paper reported: "protests are
growing over the possible recall of the US ambassador in Armenia."
-- The Fresno Bee published an editorial on March 24, titled: "Speak the
Truth: U.S. ambassador to Armenia in hot water over use of 'genocide.'" The
paper's editors castigated the State Dept. for threatening the career of
Amb. Evnas by saying: "Shame on the State Department." The Fresno Bee
called on the State Dept., Congress, the administration, as well as the
government of Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide: "The facts are
plain. The history is clear. Turkey offends the victims' survivors with its
intransigence, but hurts itself most of all when it continues to deny what
the entire world knows."
-- The Glendale News Press published a front-page story on March 26,
titled: "Officials question the fate of diplomat."
-- The chain of McClatchy newspapers published on March 28 a lengthy
article titled: "Genocide comment could cost Ambassador to Armenia his
job." It reported that Cong. George Radanovich (Rep. of Calif.) has called
the State Dept. requesting a meeting to discuss the fate of Amb. Evans.
-- The Washington Times published an article on March 31, titled: "Recall
from Armenia?"
Following this barrage of news reports and commentaries, Daniel Fried, the
Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, addressed
the Armenian Assembly's National Conference in Washington, D.C., on March
27. Here are excerpts from his remarks and responses to questions from the
audience:
"The U.S. position on events of 1915 has not changed. We believe that a
productive dialogue is the best way to establish a shared understanding of
history that honors the victims of these horrific events, murders on a mass
scale, killings without justification, deportations. Over 1.5 million
people lost their lives, innocent victims. But we want to foster
reconciliation and peace based on an understanding of history, not a denial
of it. We believe that the tragedy of 1915, the killings, is of enormous
human significance and its historical assessment should be determined not
on the basis of politics, but introspection among civic leaders and
scholars. This process has begun in Turkey where it needs to take place,"
Fried said. He was interrupted by a member of the audience who shouted:
"horse manure!"
Fried then continued: "Sitting here with us is my old friend John Evans,
our Ambassador in Yerevan. He is the Ambassador, remains the Ambassador,
has... [Applause and cheers]. Like all of us, we all serve at the pleasure of
the President. Amb. Evans came from Yerevan for the signing of the
Millennium Challenge Account Compact this afternoon, and will be in the
meeting this afternoon between Secretary Rice and Foreign Minister
Oskanian. There has been a great deal of speculation. I don't discuss
personnel issues, but since my friend is sitting here, I thought I would
recognize Amb. John Evans [Applause]."
When asked why foreign countries such as Turkey are permitted to dictate
America's foreign policy vis-à-vis Armenia and Cyprus, Fried replied:
"Third parties are not permitted to dictate our foreign policy, nor do they
dictate our foreign policy. We have a policy which many of you disagree
with. I understand. But we have a policy of seeking to encourage Turkey to
reflect more seriously about subjects which have been taboo for generations
in that country. I said earlier that process has begun in Turkey. You
recall that the famous Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk spoke clearly about this.
He is not the only Turk speaking out. As I said, this process has begun as
Turkish society modernizes, and as it modernizes, as democracy in Turkey
deepens, Turkey will have to go through what many other countries such as
the United States have had to go through in our own history, which is
looking back at the darker spots in our past. With respect to the United
States, those darker spots include things like slavery and racial
discrimination, treatment of American Indians, and in my opinion,
internment of American citizens of Japanese origin in camps in World War
II. Those are painful subjects. Just as dealing with the history of the
mass killings of Armenians is painful for Turkey. And by the way, I say
this to my Turkish friends using the same words. We keep one set of books.
Now that process has begun in Turkey. It is certainly not going fast enough
to satisfy you. It is not going fast enough to satisfy us. But this process
has begun and it will, I hope, bring greater understanding to Turks of
their own history. We will continue to have a dialogue about this as April
24th approaches. I will not attempt to anticipate what the President will
say. I do believe he will issue a statement on April 24th, in fact I can't
believe there won't be one. And I expect, as we have in the past, to
consult with the Armenian Assembly about this and to have a frank set of
discussions before and after."
In response to a question about "Turkey exporting its denialist tactics to
the U.S.," Fried said: "The United States government has never denied the
events of 1915. We do not support, what was the phrase, "export of
denialist literature or positions." We do support efforts by Turkey to deal
with its history more seriously. As I said, this process has begun. It has
not ended. Efforts such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission [the
correct name is: "Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission" or TARC] were
serious, and these were efforts in which Turkish as well as Armenian
scholars were involved. It produced a serious look at those issues which we
have recognized officially. This is not an easy issue. It is not an easy
issue for the United States government, and we are not at the end of the
road on this issue. We will continue to urge our Turkish friends to face
difficult issues of their past seriously, and we will urge Armenia to help
the Turks make this possible without ever sacrificing historical truth or
your position."
When asked a direct question about the recall of Amb. Evans, Fried provided
the usual evasive answer: "We all serve at the pleasure of the President. I
won't discuss personnel issues. Amb. Evans, as I said, is a friend of more
than 20 years standing. He's our Ambassador. He's right here. He will be in
the meetings today at the State Department, as I said. [Applause]."
The above exchange shows that while Dan Fried was trying to be as gracious
as possible to his Armenian hosts, he was nevertheless sticking to the
administration's unacceptable policy of substituting euphemisms for the
Armenian Genocide. He also continued to avoid making any forthright
comments on Amb. Evans, despite persistent media criticisms.
************************************** ************************************
2 - Fear Fuels Turkish Denial of Genocide
By Jay Logan Rogers
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - The Turkish government refuses to acknowledge the
genocide committed against the Armenians, said Richard Hovannisian,
professor of Armenian and near-eastern history at the University of
California at Los Angeles.
He said there are psychological reasons that Turkey refuses to admit the
genocide occurred.
"They don't want to believe that their grandparents could've been
murderers," Hovannisian explained. "They also don't want to deal with the
consequences of recognition, including contrition and restitution."
Hovannisian commented on the contemporary interpretations of the Armenian
genocide at the Hinckley Institute of Politics on March 23.
Between 1915 and 1918, actions of the government of the Ottoman Empire
(present-day Turkey) resulted in the elimination of a substantial portion
of its Armenian minority population.
While the exact numbers are in dispute, most scholars agree that more than
one million Armenians were killed through outright massacres and mass
deportations to barren deserts, where they were left to starve.
Hovannisian's talk focused on the scholarly debate over whether the
genocide was premeditated or a "crime of passion" that occurred suddenly
during the tense conditions of war.
He expressed his opinion that the elimination of the Armenians had been
contemplated by the Ottoman government before the outbreak of war, but that
it was wartime conditions that allowed it to turn a "final solution into an
accomplished fact."
The Ottoman Empire distrusted the Armenians, in part because they were a
tight-knit Christian ethnic group in the middle of a mostly Muslim empire,
Hovannisian said.
While some Armenians were agitating for self-government and autonomy, most
were not involved in any politically dissident activities, he said.
"They were an ethnic group seen as potentially troublesome to an
authoritarian state at war," he said.
No official government document specifically outlining the Ottoman plan to
eliminate Armenians has been found, although there is overwhelming evidence
that the massacres occurred, he said.
There may be a "smoking gun" somewhere in Turkish archives proving that the
Ottomans premeditated the Armenian genocide, Hovannisian said, but the
nation's government does not provide Western historians with access to
those materials.
Jonathan Cates, a senior in history and Middle East studies, said he
thought it was a fair explanation of the historical event. "He gave a broad
overview of all the current interpretations and put them in good context,"
he said.
Mariya Mamaeva, a senior in political science and Russian, agreed. "I think
he has very good points and is very insightful," she said.
************************************************** ************************
3 - KCET's Life & Times Profiles Filmmaker
Dr. J Michael Hagopian on April 12
LOS ANGELES - Life & Times, KCET television's signature local news and
public affairs series, profiles Armenian filmmaker Michael Hagopian on
April 12, in a segment that will also be available online at KCET.org.
For 25 years, Hagopian has traveled the world interviewing survivors of
the Armenian mass killings of 1915. Host Val Zavala visits with the former
UCLA professor-turned-filmmaker at his home-based workshop, which contains
about 400 interviews he has captured on film for his next documentary
"Caravans Along the Euphrates." Life & Times airs Monday - Friday (6:30
p.m. - 7 p.m..) on KCET.
Born in Turkey, Hagopian and his family survived these killings, also known
as the Armenian Genocide, because his father, a skilled physician, was in
great demand. The story of Hagopian's filmmaking career begins in Fresno,
California, includes stops at prestigious universities, and takes viewers
on a fascinating journey of one man's passion for communicating the history
of his homeland through film. Hagopian has produced and directed two
documentaries on the Armenian genocide. Now in his 80's, Hagopian's third
and current project, "Caravans Along the Euphrates," is significant because
it uses survivors to tell the story.
KCET broadcasts the premiere of "Le Génocide Arménien" ("The Armenian
Genocide"), the 2005 documentary by French filmmaker Laurence Jourdan, on
April 17 (9 -10 p.m.). The encore of "My Son Shall Be Armenian" by
Armenian-Canadian filmmaker Hagop Goudsouzian airs on April 24 (9 p.m. to
10:30 p.m.), followed by a repeat of the Life & Times segment featuring
Michael Hagopian.
dditional information about the films and filmmakers is available on
KCET.org.
************************************* **************************************
4 - Commentary
Introduction by Richard Kloian
Press Liaison for IAGS
On the heels of a number of articles denying the Armenian Genocide,
beginning in December 2005 and for several weeks afterward, the President
of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), Professor
Israel Charny, drafted a critical response to one of the publications,
Commentary, to set the record straight and to criticize them for crossing
the line between responsible journalism, ethical editorial control, and
outright siding with deniers.
The irony in this will not escape those who remember that it was the very
same publication that many years ago published a piece on the Armenian
Genocide by Marjorie Housepian called "The Unremembered Genocide" which
helped trigger new interest in the Armenian Genocide. Israel Charny too
credits that article with his first learning about the Armenian Genocide.
In effect it was a major springboard years later to the first major
conference on Holocaust and Genocide that was held in Tel Aviv in 1982,
organized by Charny and others and it was the conference that for the first
time included papers on the Armenian Genocide.
'Protestcide' - The Killing of Protest of a Denial of Genocide
By Israel W. Charny
To what extent does a publication have the right to alter a Letter to the
Editor that criticizes the publication, and then to publish their altered
version of the letter without the full permission of the letter writer,
especially in light of his explicit refusal to approve their revision?
In December 2005, Commentary published a lengthy article denying the
Armenian Genocide by one, Guenter Lewy, a retired professor who has
previously published denials of other genocides as well, including a denial
that the Gypsies were victims of genocide in WW II (Simon Wiesenthal
defended the role of the Gypsies as fellow victims of the Holocaust, and on
several occasions wrote and told passionately of seeing the Gypsies in
Auschwitz in the barracks right next to his); and including a denial that
the Native Americans (Indians) were victims of genocide in America. It is
clear that Lewy has established himself as an arch specialist in denial who
has now relegated no less than three victim peoples to some kind of status
of sufferers other than victims of genocidal mass murder. I think that
readers of this current Commentary piece denying there was a genocide of
the Armenians had a right to know of the author's previous publications of
denials (one of which was also in Commentary), but not a word was
mentioned.
Lewy's article in Commentary is entitled, "The first genocide of the 20th
century?" Lewy himself mentions in his article that the International
Association of Genocide Scholars, of which I am the current president, had
passed a unanimous resolution some years ago confirming the validity of the
Armenian Genocide. When Commentary was approached by a colleague as to
whether they would publish a rejoinder to Lewy's article by me, the editor
agreed immediately to receive a 600-word statement from me. So far to
their credit. But then in the grotesque sequence of censorship and
revisions of my rejoinder that follows, Commentary at first refused to
identify my connection to the same Association that passed the resolution,
and finally did in fact identify me as somehow affiliated with the
Association but eliminated identifying my leadership role. A personal
slight? Then it's irrelevant. Or is it a diminution of the significance
of my protest? In the meantime, Commentary published a lengthy
rejoinder by Lewy in the same issue with the following statement that, by a
wave of the Lewy-Commentary wand removes any significance to our
association's informed judgment: "I am less than impressed by the
unanimous vote of the International Association of Genocide Scholars that
the Armenian case 'was one of the major genocides of the modern era" writes
Denier Lewy conclusively and then presumptuously slams the members of the
association that virtually no one (but him) has done real research.
No matter. Commentary commits more serious infringements to the point of
not allowing me to voice my definite judgment about their question, "The
first genocide of the 20th century?"
In my letter I write about how the Turks also killed other Christian
(therefore non-Turkish) groups such as the Assyrians and Greeks as well as
the Armenians (the first Christian people of Europe) and that this was
"outright genocidal murder." Commentary removed this vital statement from
my letter. Remember, the article by Lewy they have published is asking
explicitly if this was genocide, and the section of Letters to the Editor
in February is re-entitled, "Genocide?" but my clear-cut rejoinder that it
was "outright genocidal murder" was not permitted.
Moreover, what does Lewy do? I say in my letter that I wonder if readers
of the Jewish-sponsored Commentary (this remark by me is also censored out)
know that the Turks were also responsible for two forced expulsions of Jews
from Jaffa-Tel Aviv in 1914 and 1917, both of which resulted in losses of
life of the elderly, infirm and ill. As if referring to this information,
Lewy says to me in his rejoinder, "Mr. Charny stops short of calling these
occurrences 'genocide,'" but he and the hard-working editor who we have
seen manages to censor my writing so fastidiously, thus manage to get
across a message that seems to refer to the whole bigger original issue of
the Armenian Genocide. Now, not only have I not been allowed to say what I
did say that there was clear-cut genocide, but it is as if claimed
explicitly that I too don't call the Ottoman murders genocide.
Higher-class deniers, like Lewy and Commentary, are a fascinating study in
the propagandistic logic-defying language mechanisms they employ --
Commentary also removed from my letter a reference to an article that
Daphna Fromer and myself published in the British journal, Patterns of
Prejudice in which we analyzed the language-logic of earlier deniers of the
Armenian Genocide.
Ultimately, my most serious criticism is that Commentary is fully
responsible alongside of its author for publishing a bald exposition of
denial of an established major genocide. Thus, I conclude my letter,
"Regrettably, Mr. Lewy and Commentary too have now earned places in the
pantheon of genocide Deniers," but -- by now you guessed it -- you will
never see that sentence, or an earlier statement similarly critical of
Commentary in the letter they published.
I ask, do responsible publications in a free world have the right to censor
and arbitrarily revise Letters to the Editor beyond considerations of
space, bad language such as epithets, and ad hominem attacks (but not
legitimate major criticisms of an author or the publication!)? Obviously a
publication holds the ultimate power and can simply decline to publish a
letter (who will
ever know?). But to cut and revise and remove and distort the thrust of
the original message, and fail to advise and fail to get approval of
changes? I don't know if there are legal controls against such tampering
with the lowly institution of a Letter to an Editor and/or op-ed writing,
but I do know such tampering violates the "natural law" of journalistic
integrity, and I think Commentary should be told so by an informed public.
Israel W. Charny is the President of the International Association of
Genocide Scholars, Editor-in-Chief, Encyclopedia of Genocide, and Executive
Director, Institute on the Holocaust & Genocide, Jerusalem.
An e-mail transcript of all texts and correspondence between Charny and
Commentary is available immediately on request to [email protected].
********'********************** *******************************************
5 - Prof. Ronald Grigor Suny Will
Lecture April 14 at Merdinian
SHERMAN OAKS, CA - The ARPA Institute will feature Prof. Ronald Grigor Suny
at a Lecture, "Why Genocide: How can
we Understand the Turkish Deportations and Massacres of the Ottoman
Armenians," on April 14, at 7:30 PM in the Merdinian school auditorium.,
1330 Riverside Dr., Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Scholars have tried to explain the causes of the Armenian Genocide by
reference to religious differences between Armenians and Turks or the
racist nationalist ideology of the Young Turks and their ambitions to
create a "Turkey for the Turks."
Professor Suny looks at the variety of explanations that have been offered
and suggests that in order to understand "why genocide" it is necessary to
supplement ideological and social explanations with an exploration of the
emotions involved.
Suny is Charles Tilly Collegiate Professor of Social and Political History
at the University of Michigan, and Professor Emeritus
of Political Science and History at the University of Chicago. A graduate
of Swarthmore College and Columbia University, he taught at Oberlin College
(1968-1981), as visiting professor of history at the University of
California, Irvine (1987), and Stanford University (1995-1996). He was the
first holder of the Alex Manoogian Chair in Modern Armenian History at the
University of Michigan (1981-1995), where he founded and directed the
Armenian Studies Program.
He has authored several books on contemporary Armenian, Russian and
Caucasian history.
Professor Suny has served as chairman of the Society for Armenian Studies
and on the editorial Boards of Slavic Review, International Labor and
Working-Class History, International Journal of Middle East Studies, The
Armenian Review, Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies, and Armenian
Forum. He has appeared numerous times on the McNeil-Lehrer News Hour, CBS
Evening News, CNN, and National Public Radio, and has written for the New
York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Nation, New
Left Review, Dissent, and other newspapers and journals. He was recently
elected President of
the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies (2006).
For more information, call Dr. Hagop Panossian at (818) 586-9660.
**************************************** ***************************
6 - Glendale Names Annual Diamond Award
Recipients for Achievement in the Arts
GLENDALE - The City of Glendale Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Department and the Arts and Culture Commission announced the winners of the
First Annual Diamond Awards for Achievement in the Arts. The winners will
be recognized at a public reception on May 3, from 6 to 8 pm in the recital
hall at Brand Library, 1601 W. Mountain.
This new program initiated by the Arts and Culture Commission recognizes
those artists, community members and organizations who have contributed
substantially to the cultural life of the co
mmunity. Nominations were solicited from the community in all categories.
The following winners have been selected as Diamond Award recipients for
2006: David Vartanyan, Young Artist; Mikayel Avetisyan, Artist; Lark
Musical Society, Arts Organization; Ted Osborn, Special Recognition; Edwin
& Hilda Navasartian, Arts Partners - Individual; Jane Friend, Lifetime
Achievement
Recipient Profiles
David Vartanyan is an 8th grade student at Wilson Middle School. He is a
prolific writer of poetry and prose. David is also the Spelling Bee Champ
for his school.
Mikayel Avetisyan is a conductor, composer and instructor at Glendale's
International School of Music. He received his professional training in
Armenia, Russia, and Europe. He was the principal conductor of the Yerevan
Symphony Orchestra from 1994 - 1997 and the Artistic Director and Principal
Conductor of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra from 1997 - 1998. He has
successfully performed throughout the United States, France, Holland,
Greece, Spain, Russia and Turkey. His recordings with the Moscow Symphony
Orchestra were released in 1996 on RCA.
Lark Musical Society was established in 1989 by Vache Barsoumian to instill
the love of music and the arts in its students in a nurturing environment.
Lark actively contributes to fostering an awareness of the interdependence
of Armenian and Western musical arts.
Ted Osborn has been an extremely generous and active supporter of many
community organizations throughout his career; most recently the Alex
Theatre and Glendale's Animation Initiative. Founder of Osborn Architects,
Ted is retiring in April but will remain in the community as an active
participant.
Edwin & Hilda Navasartian were nominated by Karavan Dance Studio because
of their commitment to the school over the last 5 years. This couple has
supported several dance schools besides Karavan, including Baert Dance
Center in Burbank, Krounk and Arabesq Dance Schools in Glendale
financially, physically and emotionally during concerts and regular dance
practice.
Their dedication and love towards the art of dance and young artists have
made them volunteer many hours.
************************************************* **************************
7 - Armenian Bar Association to
Honor Five Judges on April 12
PASADENA - The Armenian Bar Association (Armenbar) will honor five
outstanding judges on their accomplishments, retirements and
appointments, at an evening reception on April 12, 2006 at the Rococo Room
of Santorini Restaurant in Old Town Pasadena, California. The event is
scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.
The honorees include Federal Judge Dickran Tevrizian, Federal Magistrate
Judge Jacqueline Chooljian, and Los Angeles County Superior Court Judges
Richard Kolostian, Ruth Essegian and Maral Injejikian.
"Our organization has a duty to recognize the achievements of these fine
judges, who serve as tremendous role models for attorneys and law students
in the legal community," said Datev Shenian, Board member of Armenbar.
Tevrizian is a veteran Federal Court judge sitting in the Central District
of the United States District Court. He was first appointed to the Los
Angeles Municipal Court in 1972, at the young age of 31. At that time, he
was the youngest person ever appointed to the bench in Los Angeles County.
He is a nationally recognized jurist who in 1986 became the first person of
Armenian heritage to be appointed to the federal bench. Tevrizian will be
honored for his distinguished career in public service, and upon his change
to senior status on the court.
Judge Chooljian was recently appointed a Magistrate Judge for the U.S.
District Court, Central District of California, where she will preside over
matters in Los Angeles. Prior to her appointment, she served as an
Assistant U.S. Attorney and Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney for the
Central District of California. She is the first woman of Armenian decent
to be appointed to the federal bench.
Judges Kolostian and Essegian have recently retired from the bench, both
having served at the Northwest District, Van Nuys Courthouse. Kolostian
was appointed to the superior court bench in 1980 by Governor Jerry Brown.
At the time of his retirement in February, 2006, he was the most senior
judge in the Los Angeles County court system, having served 32 years.
During his distinguished term on the bench, he handled a number of matters,
including civil, probate, family law, criminal and juvenile matters. In
1988, he was named Trial Judge of the Year by the San Fernando Valley Bar
Association.
Judge Essegian was appointed in 1989 by Governor George Deukmejian. Prior
to her appointment, she served as a Deputy City Attorney in Pasadena, and
served as a Deputy Attorney General, handling professional licensing cases.
From 1983 to 1987 she joined the Deukmejian administration as a Deputy
Director and Chief of Legal affairs for the Department of Consumer Affairs.
While on the bench, she spent considerable time handling misdemeanor cases
out of the Van Nuys court.
Judge Injejikian was appointed in 1985 by Governor Deukmejian, and has
primarily handled criminal cases. She has had a distinguished career and
has established herself as an experienced trial judge. She is being
recognized for her elevation as the Supervising site judge of the East Los
Angeles Branch Court of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Central
District.
Armenian delicacies from the kitchen of the award winning Santorini
Mediterranean Restaurant will be served. The fee for admission will be $25.
for Armenbar members, $15. for students and $35. for non-members. For
more information about the event, visit the Armenian Bar Association
website at _www.armenianbar.org_ (http://www.armenianbar.org) .
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8- Ararat Home Dinner Dance
Committee Plans for April 29
MISSION HILLS, Calif. - The Ararat Dinner Dance Committee is busy making
arrangements for their annual gala dinner-dance on April 29 in the
Deukmejian Grand Ballroom at the Ararat Home in Mission Hills.
Plans are underway for a very enjoyable evening beginning with a festive
social hour with delectable appetizers, followed by a dinner provided by
Roubina of Roberts Catering.
Armenian and American dance music will be provided by the Continental Band
with Hovig Krikorian. Valet parking is always complimentary.
Nora Hampar, Dinner Dance Chairman states, "We are very fortunate to have
Senator Chuck Poochigian as our Master of Ceremonies. He's one of the
busiest legislators in Sacramento, and has always been a friend of the
Home."
The Dinner Dance is known for a very brief and efficient program which all
enjoy. The emphasis has always been on sociability, good food, enjoyable
entertainment, music and dancing.
Since moving this popular event from its regular November time slot into
the spring season, the Committee hopes to bring this event into a less
hectic season for all.
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9 - LACC Screens 'Ararat' on April 23;
Reception for Film Star David Alpay
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles City College Foundation will present an
educational screening of Atom Egoyan's 2002 film "Ararat," a dramatic tale
which looks at the issues surrounding the Armenian Genocide, as well as a
reception for David Alpay, the young Canadian actor who portrays the lead
role in that film, at 4 p.m. on April 23, at LACC's Camino Theatre, 855 N.
Vermont Avenue in East Hollywood.
Steve Maradian, president of LACC, who is also a cosponsor of the event,
noted that the afternoon's program is being held in recognition and
understanding of the Armenian Genocide, which occurred in Turkey in the
early part of this century and in which approximately 1.5 million Armenians
lost their lives.
The event will serve as a fundraiser to set up scholarships for Armenian
students in the field of theatre and cinema/TV at the college. After the
film screening, a buffet reception will be held in the adjacent Caminito
Theatre and attendees will have the opportunity to meet Alpay.
Critics have called "Ararat" one of Atom Egoyan's most provocative films to
date. The film is based on Clarence Ussher's book "An American Physician
in Turkey."
In the film, Alpay portrays a young man, Raffi, who, after being
interrogated by a customs officer, recounts how his life was changed during
the making of a film about the Armenian genocide. A resident of Toronto,
Alpay has appeared in a number of movies and TV teleplays since his debut
in "Ararat." The film also features actors Charles Aznavour, Eric Bogosian
and Christopher Plummer.
For ticket information, call the LACC Foundation at (323) 953-4000, ext.
2490.
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10 - Armenia Fund Telethon
Story Touches Hearts
LOS ANGELES - One of the several documentaries and segments aided during
the 2005 Armenia Fund Telethon, touched the heart of one of the donors to
the Annual benefit, and produced a result that one can only hope is
reproduced many times over.
During the past 2005 Telethon, a story produced by the Telethon production
team featured Anush, a mother of 9 children who recently relocated to
Garnakar village of the Mardakert Region of Karabagh.
Despite the difficult and at times unbearable conditions her family has
gone through, the young mother was very proud of her life. She and her
husband are part of the ever-growing Armenian population of the fledgling
Nagorno-Karabagh Republic.
When asked what she needed at the moment, the woman responded with a humble
request for a cow so she could provide her family with milk, yogurt and
cheese.
Touched by her needs, donor Vrej Ter Petrossian decided to help the family
after viewing the segment last Thanksgiving Day.
After Armenia Fund located the woman and her family in the remote village
in northern Karabagh, Ter Petrossian facilitated for the purchase and
transportation of a cow to the family.
The family could not believe their eyes when they received the milk-bearing
animal.
Got milk?
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