DECEMBER 21, 2013 MirTHErARoMENr IAN -Spe ctator Volume LXXXIV, NO. 23, Issue 4317 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 Winter Break for Davutoglu: 1915 Armenian Rep. Schiff Requests Mirror Spectator Orphan Rug for WATERTOWN — The Armenian Mirror-Spectator ‘Deportation’ Inhumane will have a one-week break the first week of the Capitol Hill Event New Year. YEREVAN ( Hürriyet and RFE/RL) — that he suggested to Armenia that it with - From White House The issue of December 28 will be the last issue of The “deportation” of Armenians in 1915 draw from two regions in Nagorno- the current year. The first issue of the New Year will was inhumane, and Turkey has never sup - Karabagh. WASHINGTON — This week, Rep. be dated January 11. ported the move, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu expressed his hope that a col - Adam Schiff (D-CA) sent a letter to The annual Christmas Greetings will appear in Davutoglu said on December 12 as he made lective consciousness between the two President Barack the December 28 issue. a landmark visit to the country’s long-time countries could be created with a “just Obama requesting Our staff wishes all our readers a Merry foe, Armenia. memory.” that the White Christmas. “We say ‘just memory.’ House lend the What I mean with that is Ghazir rug, more President Sargisian’s we should know the commonly known facts. Then we see that as the Armenian Father Dies Turkish-Armenian rela - Orphan Rug, be tions do not date back lent out for an Rep. Adam STEPANAKERT (Armenpress) — Azat Sargisian, like German-Jewish ties. event on Capitol Schiff the father of Armenian President Serge Sargisian, In every street, there is a Hill hosted by died here on December 16, at age 84. common sign. Schiff with sur - Messages of condolence were sent by the “After you discover vivors, historians, members of the President of Karabagh (Artsakh) Bako Sahakyan, this, then you see the Armenian-American community and among others, as well as US Ambassador to deportation, which I see Members of Congress and their staff Armenia John Heffern. as a totally wrong prac - to highlight the efforts made by the The funeral service took place at St. Hakop tice done by [the American government to aid the Church in Stepanakert on December 18 and the Ottoman-era rulers under Armenian community after the first burial took place the following day. the Committee of Union genocide in the 20th century. Schiff Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, left, with his Armenian coun - and Progress]. It was previously had encouraged the White Christmas Service at terpart, Eduard Nalbandian, in Yerevan (AFP) inhumane,” Davutoglu House to allow the rug to be dis - told a group of reporters played at the Smithsonian. St. Vartan Cathedral en route to Yerevan. In the letter, Schiff writes: “Most Accompanied by Foreign Ministry Yerevan wants Ankara to recognize the Americans, including a great many of NEW YORK — The Nativity and Baptism of Jesus Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu, mass killings of Armenians during the my colleagues in Congress, are not Christ will be observed at St. Vartan Armenian Davutoglu visited Yerevan for the Black Sea forced deportation in World War I as geno - aware of the scope and scale of the Cathedral on Sunday and Monday, January 5 and Economic Cooperation (BSEC) group meet - cide, but Turkey has steadfastly refused to American response to the genocide. 6. ing. The top diplomat met with his do so. Our efforts, public and private, On Armenian Christmas Eve, there will be an Armenian counterpart, Edward “But when you write a history taking the helped to relocate refugees and to Evening Service with Scripture Readings (by stu - Nalbandian, on the sidelines of the summit. deportation into account, then a collective provide relief to survivors and their dents from the Diocese’s Khrimian Lyceum and the “We are very pleased with the meeting conscious was created from this side families throughout the years of the St. Vartan Armenian School) at 4 p.m. The Divine with Nalbandian; it was candid. The prima - [Turkey] that Armenians betrayed their genocide (1915-23) and after. But Liturgy will begin at 5 p.m., celebrated by the Very ry aim is to build an environment of dia - nation and deserved the deportation. America’s generosity was not lost on Rev. Mamigon Kiledjian. logue on a strong basis,” Davutoglu said We should destroy these two collective see RUG, page 16 The St. Vartan Cathedral Choir will sing the after the meeting, while dismissing claims see DAVUTOGLU, page 3 Divine Liturgy, under the direction of the Khoren Mekanejian. A reception will follow. On Armenian Christmas Morning, Archbishop UMass Boston Nursing Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), will cele - School Helmed by brate the Divine Liturgy. The Morning Service begins at 9:30 a.m., and the Divine Liturgy follows Prof. Anahid Kulwicki at 10:30 a.m. The sacred music will be sung by the St. Vartan Cathedral Choir. In Armenian tradition, this feast day commemo - By Alin K. Gregorian rates not only the birth of Christ, but also His bap - Mirror-Spectator Staff tism by John the Baptist. The latter is remembered through the “Blessing of the Water” ceremony. BOSTON — One of the major depart - Hratch Nersessian will serve as “godfather” of the ments at the University of Massachusetts, Blessing of Water service. Boston, the College of Nursing and Health After the cathedral’s January 6 church services, a Sciences (CNHS), now has a dean who is a home blessing service and Christmas reception will leader in her field nationally and who hap - take place in Haik and Alice Kavookjian pens to be Armenian-American. Auditorium. The Akh’tamar Armenian Dance Dr. Anahid Dervartanian Kulwicki, origi - Ensemble will perform during the reception, which nally from Lebanon, has extensive training is open to all. Admission is free. in the US. She holds a PhD in nursing syn - thesis and a master’s degree in nursing care President Serge Sargisian meets with OSCE Minsk Group leaders. of children from Indiana University, in addi - tion to a bachelor’s degree in nursing form INSI DE the American University of Beirut. Nalbandian Calls Attention of Visiting OSCE During a recent interview, Kulwicki said that she was raised in Anjar, which has the Co-Chairs to Death of Armenian soldier distinction of being the only Armenian city Stella See KULWICKI, page 16 YEREVAN (Public Radio of Armenia) — Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian received Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov, Jacques Faure and James Warlick Update and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk. In the context of talks with Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in Vienna on Page 5 November 19 and foreign ministers in Kiev on December 4, the interlocutors con - tinued the discussions on furthering the process of peaceful settlement of the Karabagh issue. The Armenian foreign minister called the attention of the co-chairs to the death of an Armenian soldier as a result of firing from Azerbaijani side near INDEX Tavush region. Arts and Living . 10 The minister underlined that despite the calls of the OSCE Minsk Group co- Armenia . 2 Community News. 5 chairing countries about the necessity of reinforcement of confidence-building Editorial . 13 measures, not only servicemen, but also civilians still fall victim to the constant International . 3,4 see MINSK, page 2 Dean Anahid Kulwicki 2 S ATURDAY , D ECEMBER 21, 2013 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Levon Aronian Wins Silver in World Mind Games BEIJING (Armenpress) — The leader of the Armenian Men’s Chess Team Levon Aronian took second place in Armenian Delegation the World Mind Games. In the 28th and the 29th match - es, the Armenian grandmaster (GM) defeated GMs Ian Visits Iran Nepomniachtchi (Russia) and Maxime Vachier- Lagrave (France), respectively. In the final match, Aronian played TEHRAN (Armenpress) — A delegation headed by to a draw with GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan). Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Aronian won the silver medal, while Sergei Karjakin Shavarsh Kocharyan were hosted by Deputy took gold and Vachier-Lagrave took bronze. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran on Pacific and In the May 2012 ranking of chess players, Aronian was Commonwealth Affairs Ebrahim Rahimpour on ranked number two in the world and had an Elo rating of December 15. 2825, making him the third highest rated player in histo - Kocharyan held a meeting with Zarif, during ry. which they discussed the “good-neighborly” rela- Aronian won the Chess World Cup 2005. He led the tions and mutually beneficial cooperation that exist Armenian national team to the Gold medals in the 2006 between Iran and Armenia. (Turin), 2008 (Dresden) and 2012 (Istanbul) Chess Speaking about the bilateral cooperation in the Olympics and at the World Team Chess Championship in international arena Zarif stated he appreciated the Ningbo 2011. He was also World Chess960 Champion in constructive role of Armenia in that area. 2006 and 2007, World Rapid Chess Champion in 2009 Zarif also underscored the need for a peaceful and World Blitz Chess Champion in 2010. settlement of the Nagorno-Karabagh issue within Aronian was declared the best sportsman/ gamer of the norms of the international law. Armenia in 2005 and was awarded the title of “Honored Master of Sport of the Republic of Armenia” in 2009. François Hollande to Aronian was born on October 6, 1982 in Yerevan to Seda Sarkisovna, an Armenian mining engineer, and Levon Aronian Visit Armenia in May Grigory Leontievich, a Jewish physicist.