APRIL 22, 2017 1915 NEVER FORGET Mirror-SpeTHE ARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXVII, NO. 40, Issue 4484 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 INBRIEF Soldier Wounded in Azerbaijani Shot Volley STEPANAKERT (Panorama.am) — Armenian ser- viceman Tatul Aramayis Harutyunyan, 20, received a gunshot wound on April 17 at a little past 6 p.m. in a combat position of a military unit located in the northern direction of the Artsakh Defense Army. As the Defense Ministry of the Artsakh Republic The Promise reported in a released statement, the incident occurred due to the ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani forces. The wounded soldier has been $20 Million Gift Creates hospitalized with a condition assessed as severe. According to the source, an investigation is Promise Institute for Human underway. Rights at UCLA School of Law LOS ANGELES — The University of California, 600,000 Tourists Have Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law has received a Visit Armenia This Year $20 million gift to launch a new institute that will serve as a national hub for human rights education YEREVAN (Arka) — About 600,000 tourists visit- and advocacy. The Promise Institute for Human ed Armenia in the first quarter of 2017, 18.2 per- Rights at UCLA School of Law will be generously cent more than in the same period of last year, supported by proceeds from the feature film “The Zarmine Zeituntsyan, the head of the State Promise,” as well as other donations and universi- Committee for Tourism said this week. She added ty resources. The donation is the largest gift to tourists from Iran (17.7 percent) and Russia (7.5 launch a new institute in the history of UCLA Law. percent had increased. “In so many corners of the campus, our faculty From left, Peter Balakian, Terry George and Paul T. Boghosian According to her, 82,000 Russians visited tin the and students are focused on identifying and first three months of the year, up from 76,000 vis- addressing the conditions that create social unrest, its in the same period last year. displacement and injustice,” said UCLA Chancellor ‘The Promise’ Director Terry According to statistics, the number is up 5.7 per- Gene Block. “The Promise Institute will become cent from the previous year. About 25.7 percent UCLA’s center for collaboration in this area and George Explains His Vision were from former Soviet republics, 26 percent from see UCLA, page 9 EU nations and 48 percent from other countries. HAMILTON, N.Y. — For By Paul T. Boghosian months, Armenians have been Azerbaijan Attempts to Special to the Mirror-Spectator hearing about a new film, “The Promise,” that had debuted at Usurp NKR by Force, the 2016 Toronto Film Festival, not only the film, but the pushback by Turkish PR. Fillon Says “The Promise” is a straightforward, narrative story set in 1915 and PARIS (Armenpress) — French presidential hope- focuses on the love triangle between an Armenian medical student, ful François Fillon is concerned over the situation Michael (Oscar Isaac) and an Armenian woman raised in France, Ana in Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone, he told (Charlotte LeBon) and an American journalist working for the AP, Nouvelles d’Armenie. who is based in Paris, Christopher (Academy Award winner Christian “In April 2016, the South Caucasus again flared Bale). The relationship among and between these 3 characters pro- up for six days. Taking advantage of the indiffer- vides an intimate look and understanding of the effects of the Turkish ence of the international community, Azerbaijan genocide against the Armenian people. “The Promise” is no small bud- tried to usurp Nagorno Karabakh by force”, Fillon get art film. It has been made for mainstream audiences to be seen at Dr. Eric Esrailian, professor at the David Geffen said. According to the presidential candidate of the multiplex near you. France, the citizens of France of Armenian origin School of Medicine at UCLA, and UCLA School of see FILM, page 14 Law Dean Jennifer Mnookin. are concerned over the situation. “I am also con- cerned since Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone is explosive. It should not be forgotten that the rea- son of the situation over Nagorno Karabakh is Stalin, who arbitrarily divided the region from Turkish Referendum: ‘ArmComedy’ Duo Changing Armenia in 1921 and encompassed it into Azerbaijan. Currently there is no other option but Armenia One Laugh at a Time a peaceful and lasting solution”, Fillon concluded. The presidential elections in France will take YEREVAN — An interview last week with comedians Narek place on April 23. If none of the candidates receives The Price of Margaryan and Sergey Sargsyan on Skype was so funny and like- more than 50 percent of votes the second stage will able that if somehow I could be held on May 7. extract myself from the dialogue, By Aram Arkun I could sell many bootleg videos Winning Mirror-Spectator Staff of the interview. However, in order to avoid copyright prob- lems, I decided instead to write INSIDE BERLIN — The “Yes” vote in the Turkish referendum may this article and encourage people to see their upcoming “Make turn out to be a Pyrrhic victory for President Recep Tayyip Armenia Green Again” shows in the United States. Erdogan. Not only was the reported margin in favor of the The two comedians from Armenia write and perform their own constitutional changes far slimmer than Erdogan’s AKP party satirical news show, called “ArmComedy,” three times a week on and pre-elec- the ArmNews TV channel. Phillips’ tion polls They have had many By Muriel Mirak-Weissbach had expect- prominent guests on their Book Special to the Mirror-Spectator ed, with only show, including 51.4 percent Armenian President of the vote, Serzh Sargsyan, various Page 17 but the political fallout in Europe may be profound. Armenian ministers and In Germany, which has the largest Turkish community in politicians, including Europe, the political class clearly favored a “No” vote, on opposition figures, film- grounds that the constitutional changes would grant Erdogan makers, singers and even INDEX the status of President-for-life currently enjoyed by some American comedian Arts and Living . 12 potentates in Asia and Africa; not only would he be able to Conan O’Brien during his Armenia . 2 occupy the bombastic presidential palace for more than 2015 visit to Armenia. Community News. 5 another decade, but he would be able to rule virtually unop- Like many political Editorial . 18 International . 3,4 posed by parliament or other political institutions. The blatant satirists, their intellectual The “ArmComedy” team with Conan violations of human rights and basic civil liberties, especially see COMEDY, page 7 O’Brien, who joined them as a guest see GERMAN, page 4 on their show. 2 S ATURDAY, A PRIL 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Consulate in Iraq Important for Region YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The establishment of Armenian Consulate General in Iraq’s Erbil is very important for Armenia from the perspective of regional cooperation, Sargis Grigoryan, an expert on Arabic studies and researcher at the Department of Armenian-Kurdish Relations at Yerevan State University Institute of Armenian Studies, told reporters on March 18. “Armenia’s direct presence at Consulate level in Iraq will contribute to the development of Armenian- Iraqi relations which is quite important for Armenia. Of course, Iraq faces social-economic problems, how- ever, it’s regional role is not decreasing,” the expert said. Assyrian Community Faces Cultural, President Serzh Sargsyan, accompanied by his wife, Rita, and President Bako Sahakyan flank Catholicos of All Armenians Educational Problems Karekin II. YEREVAN (Panorama.am) — The Assyrian commu- nity of Armenian has no political problems with authorities, while the main concerns of the group are of cultural and educational nature, Anahit Feast of Holy Resurrection Celebrated Khosroyev, representative of the Assyrian Community of Armenia and newly-elected lawmaker to the National Assembly said at a press conference ECHMIADZIN — On April 16, the catholicos during the on April 17. Armenian Apostolic Holy Church Divine Liturgy were “The Assyrian language is taught at schools along solemnly celebrated the Feast of the Archbishop Nathan with the Armenian, yet we lack textbooks and rele- Glorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hovhannisyan, direc- vant specialists. I hope much issues of this kind will On the occasion of the feast, Karekin tor of the External be addressed and solved at the National Assembly,” II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos relations and Protocol Khosroyev said. of All Armenians; celebrated Divine Department of the The four representatives of Armenia’s main ethnic Liturgy in the Mother See of Holy Mother See of Holy minorities that have been elected to the National Echmiadzin. Echmiadzin and Assembly are committed to voice the problems of the Escorted by the Ecclesiastical pro- Bishop Gevork all 11 national minorities, residing in the territory of cession, and under the singing of the Saroyan, Dean of the Armenia, she added. Hrashapar hymn, the Catholicos of All Spiritual- Educational Armenians; Serzh Sargsyan, president Institutions of the of the Republic of Armenia and Rita Mother See. The Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II with Israel May not Recognize Sargsyan; Bako Sahakyan, president of Attending the Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, as well as other reli- the Arstakh Republic, processed to the solemn Divine Liturgy gious leaders. Genocide, but Israelis Mother Cathedral, where they were were Galust Sahakyan, Do: Auron met by students of the Eurnekian pub- president of the RA lic school; members of the AGBU National Assembly; members of the During the service, the catholicos YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Though Israel does not Yerevan Scout Group and numerous government; members of the Supreme addressed his message to faithful officially recognize the Armenian Genocide, the peo- pilgrims.