FEBRUARY 8, 2014 MirTHErARoMENr IAN -Spe ctator Volume LXXXIV, NO. 29, Issue 4323 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 Armenians Wounded in Czech President Aleppo Explosions ALEPPO, Syria (Armenpress) — On February 3 two Says That Ottoman Armenians were wounded in the result of the explo - sions in the New Village district of Aleppo. Sources Killings Constitute from Aleppo told Armenpress that the injuries are not serious and, that Armenians are not among the ‘Genocide dead. The source also stated that about 13-15 explosions were heard in the New Village district PRAGUE (RFE/RL and Armenpress) — and the damages are mainly material. Czech President Milos Zeman said this Another Armenian was slightly wounded as a week that the mass killings of Armenians in result of the explosions on February 2. Concerning Ottoman Turkey amounted to “genocide.” the current situation in the city, our source noted “Next year it will be 100 years since the that explosions sound but relatively less. genocide of the Armenian people in the During the Syrian conflict the number of the vic - year of 1915, when 1.5 million of tims has reached 120,000, including more than 70 Armenians died,” Zeman said during Armenians. Armenian President Serge Sargisian’s offi - cial visit to Prague on January 30. The Czech Republic, a member of the Tobacco Production in European Union and NATO, is not among Armenia Increases YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The production and export of tobacco have registered a considerable growth in Armenia in 2013. In 2013 the volumes of the production, in comparison with the previous year, have increased by 25.6 percent. In 2013 7.7 billion cigarettes were produced in Armenia. In 2012 the production of the cigarettes made 6 bil - lion, the National Statistical Service report. The cigarettes, produced in Armenia, are export - ed to more than 20 countries of the world — Iraq, William Saroyan Turkmenistan, Georgia, Syria, Russia, United Arab President Serge Sargisian in Prague with Emirates, etc. During the nine months of the pre - Czech President Milos Zeman vious year about 4.5 billion pieces of cigarettes were exported from Armenia. the 23 countries that formally recognize Meg Ryan to the mass killings as genocide. Canonization Zeman took office last year. Direct Film Czech Senator Jaromir Stetina welcomed Committee in Antelias the statement of the Czech president about Meg Ryan BEIRUT — From January 27 to 29, with the bless - the Armenian Genocide. He has regularly Adaptation of ing of Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and advocated for the recognition of the Catholicos of All Armenians, and Aram I, Armenian Genocide at the course of his Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, the activities. Saroyan’s Human Comedy Canonization Committee of the Armenian In a conversation with Armenpress, NEW YORK (Guardian) — Meg Ryan is directing her first feature film, “Ithaca,” Apostolic Holy Church convened in the Mother Stetina said that he intends to introduce a an adaptation of the 1943 William Saroyan novel, The Human Comedy . Cathedral of the Great House of Cilicia. Prior to the declaration on the recognition of the She will also star in the film alongside Sam Shepard and Melanie Griffith, while meeting, the members of the Canonization Armenian Genocide to foreign relations and Tom Hanks, whom Ryan memorably starred alongside in “Sleepless In Seattle” Committee met with Aram I, receiving his blessings defense committees of the Parliament of and “You’ve Got Mail,” will be executive producer. Also starring will be Meg and appreciation for their efforts. Czech Republic on the occasion of the Ryan’s son Jack Quaid. During the meeting they discussed and made 100th anniversary of the Armenian The Human Comedy , written for the Ryan version by Band of Brothers pro - decisions on canonization conditions, service, Genocide. “The declaration will be intro - ducer Erik Jendresen, is about a teenage telegram delivery boy in small-town canon of hymns devoted to the Genocide victims, duced in 2015 ahead of the 100th anniver - America during World War II witnessing the impact of the conflict on those he the service and date of the liturgical commemora - sary of the Armenian Genocide. I would like delivers messages to. The novel was originally written as a screenplay by Saroyan, tion, as well as issues relating to the preparation of Czech Senate to join the civilized parlia - before he was fired from the project; he swiftly turned it round into a novel and their relics and icons. The committee also made an ments which have recognized the published it before the film came out, which starred Mickey Rooney. agreement to complete the whole canonization Armenian Genocide. Preparatory work Production is set to begin this summer. process in 2015. Appropriate assignments were activities towards the declaration will made in this regards. The meeting was closed with launch in late 2014,” Stetina stated. prayers. see CZECH, page 4 The next meeting of the Canonization Committee will be convened from May 25 through 30, in the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin. Komitas Chants Sung at Metropolitan Museum Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Provides Ongoing Museum of Art, the glorious and soulful By Florence Avakian chants of Komitas were sung by the Hilliard Support to Syrian- INSI DE Special to the Mirror-Spectator Ensemble. These were a few of the sacred Armenians compositions, ranging from the ancient to the modern, performed by this masterful YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The NEW YORK — In the magical setting of quartet of male singers, in a memorable Hayastan All-Armenian Fund continues to Nail Buff the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan program on Wednesday, January 22, titled, assist the Syrian-Armenian community, “Arkhangekos: A Millenium of with financial contributions made by vari - Music.” ous fund affiliates since the beginning of to Stars The program had been made 2014 as well as proceeds from the fund’s possible, in part, by Arax 2013 Telethon. Armenpress reports, cit - Page 5 Simsarian, who noted in the ing the official website of the Hayastan written program that it was “in All-Armenian Fund that a total of 100,000 recognition of composer Euros raised by the French affiliate will Komitas Vardapet.” This gener - benefit various Syrian-Armenian-relief pro - INDEX ous benefactor, now 91, had jects through the Catholicosate of the Arts and Living . 9 established, while at Aetna, Great House of Cilicia. Contributions by Armenia . 2 where she worked, a fund to ben - the fund’s German affiliate, totaling Community News. 5 efit Armenian culture. 35,000 Euros, have already been trans - Editorial . 13 More than 650 people braved ferred to the Syrian-Armenian Emergency International . 3,4 The Hilliard Ensemble frigid, icy weather to attend this and Rehabilitation Committee. see HILLIARD, page 16 see SUPPORT, page 2 2 S ATURDAY , F EBRUARY 8, 2014 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia First Armenian Tablet Officially Launched YEREVAN (Public Radio of mony. It won the “Best Multimedia Prime Minister Tigran Sargisian. Lake Sevan Foundation Armenia and Armenpress) — The first Project” and “Software of the Year” Welcoming the initiative, the Prime Armenian tablet, ArmTab, was offi - awards at the GITI 2013 conference in Minister noted that “a virtual revolu - Gets New Director cially launched on Tuesday, February Tbilisi. The mass production of the tion has taken place in the world, and 4. The Ministry of Educational and Armenian tabs will be launched in the we are a participant of it.” YEREVAN (Hetq) — Armenian Prime Minister Science and the Technology and coming months. Armenpress reports that Tigran Tigran Sargisian has appointed Vahan Davtyan Science Dynamics Company signed a ArmTab Company actively cooper - Sargisian stated that the present executive director of the Lake Sevan Restoration, world cannot imagine itself without Preservation and Development Foundation. the information technologies. “The Davtyan had been serving as the head of the Republic of Armenia thus finds one of Chemistry Division at the Ministry of Energy and the most important economic special - Natural Resources’ Department of Development. ization sectors,” said the prime minis - ter, adding that the field of informa - Armenia’s Defense tion technologies is in the center of attention of the government. Minister Hosts CSTO Sargisian expressed gratitude to the founders of the program and high - Secretary General lighted the introduction of the infor - mation technologies in the education YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The administrative com- system. plex of the Defense Ministry of the Republic of In the coming three years the Armenia on February 4 held the meeting of the Technology and Science Dynamics Defense Minister of the Republic of Armenia Inc. is expected to produced 10,000 to Seyran Ohanyan with the Collective Security 50,000 tablets with the unit price of Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General $180. The government of the Nikolay Bordyuzha and CSTO Joint Chief of Staff, Prime Minister Tigran Sargisian holds the Armenian tablet. Republic of Armenia allowed the pro - Lieutenant-General Alexander Studenikin. ducing company to function in the The Department for Mass Media and Public Free Economic Zone. The software Relations of the Defense Ministry of the Republic Memorandum of Understanding, ates with local organizations. In par - and hardware design of the tablets is of Armenia reported that the Chief of the General under which the ArmTab will be ticular, the Arax operating system carried out in Armenia. The tablets Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of introduced in the Armenian educa - developed by Instigate Design are assembled in the United States Armenia, Colonel-General Yuri Khatchaturov and tional system from 2015. Company, the educational applica - and Hong Kong. It is considered to the first Deputy of the Defense Minister Davit The idea of ArmTab was presented tions of the Locator, Bitlis-MEN start the mass production and sale of Tonoyan attended the meeting.