MAY 11, 2013 MirTHErARoMENr IAN -Spe ctator Volume LXXXIII, NO. 43, Issue 4288 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 Buildings for Syrian International Delegation Commemorates Refugees in Armenia YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Sites have been chosen in the cities of Ashtarak, Echmiadzin and Masis for Genocide Anniversary in Istanbul the construction of buildings and detached houses for the Syrian-Armenians settled in the Republic of ISTANBUL — An unprece - Armenia. dented joint delegation of the The chief of staff at the Diaspora Ministry, Firdus Armenian General Benevolent Zakaryan, stated that upon the successful conclu - Union (AGBU) Europe and sion of the program, other sites will also be allo - European Grassroots Antiracist cated in future. Movement (EGAM) comprising Zakaryan stressed: “There are three elements in 20 people from 15 European the programs. The government of the Republic of countries, gathered here to Armenia will also contribute to the program. The commemorate the Armenian Syrian-Armenian community will pay for a certain Genocide of 1915. They were part of the cost, and the rest will be paid by the invited by DurDe! (Say Stop to sponsor. The first sponsor has already been found. Racism and Nationalism), a Upon the wishes of the Syrian-Armenians, Turkish organization that has detached houses will be built as well.” been commemorating the The Yerevan State University of Architecture and Armenian Genocide for the past Construction will provide its services free of four years. charge. The sites were allocated upon the order of On April 24, symbolically at President Serge Sargisian. 19:15, up to 2,000 Turks, Armenians and others peaceful - ly gathered at Taksim Square in Istanbul Police Arrest an emotional moment of mourn - Armenian Church ing, commemoration and soli - More than 2,000 people gathered at Istanbul’s Taksim Square for the international joint commemoration darity. Earlier in the day, they of the Armenian Genocide, an unprecedented event organized by AGBU Europe, Turkish group DurDe! Shooting Suspects also gathered outside the former and EGAM. Sultanahmed Prison (now a ISTANBUL (Combined Sources) — Two young men museum), where Armenian intel - were arrested in Istanbul this week over a shooing lectuals, professionals and others arrested A strong police presence kept watch as a These events were organized by DurDe! near Saint Hovhannes Armenian Church on May 5. on April 24, 1915, were first jailed, before small gathering of protesters shouted and IHD, a Turkish Human Rights According to Radikal , the two arrested were iden - being taken away and murdered. nationalist slogans nearby. see ISTANBUL, page 16 tified as M.E. born in 1997 and G.M., of Armenian descent, born in 1996. They confessed that they - bought a gas gun and M.E. shot it in the air to test it. The young men said their shots were not target - ing the church or those in it. US Congress Marks April 24 with Program No injuries were reported. WASHINGTON — Armenians Armenian American organizations, including and non-Armenians alike com - the Armenian National Committee of America Aronian Wins Chess memorated the 98th anniversary and the Armenian Assembly. Sarig Armenian, of the Armenian Genocide. an attorney and a former congressional staffer, Tournament On Capitol Hill, under the lead - served at the Master of Ceremonies. PARIS (ArmeniaNow) — Armenian chess ership of the Congressional In addition to the co-chairs of the Grandmaster Levon Aronian said he was happy to Caucus on Armenian Issues, co- Armenian Caucus, the following legislators win the Alexander Alekhine Memorial, a tournament chaired by Congressmen Frank participated in the evening’s program: held recently in Paris and St. Petersburg Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) and Michael see CONGRESS, page 5 (France/Russia) to commemorate the great chess Grimm (R-NY), scores of Members champion. on a bi-partisan basis observed “It’s a great honor for me to become winner in the 98th Anniversary of the Audience at the Capitol Hill Commemoration of the such a strong tournament, especially that Alekhine Armenian Genocide with an Armenian Genocide is my favorite chess player,” said Aronian, as quot - evening program on April 24th. The Quest for ed by Russian RIA Novosti. With views of the Capitol in the In the 10-man tournament that ended on May 1, background, the Armenian Genocide the support of the Embassy of the Republic of A Culture of the 30-year-old Armenian, currently ranked as the Observance took place on the top floor of the Armenia and the Office of the Nagorno second player in the world by the game’s interna - Senate Hart Office Building, and was held with Karabagh Republic and in conjunction with Remembrance tional governing body, FIDE, shared first place with Israel’s Boris Gelfand with 5.5 points out of 9. Armenians in Germany Aronian, however, had a better tie-break score and was awarded the first prize. Commemorate Armenian Reigning world champion Viswanathan Anand Genocide from India finished third. By Muriel Mirak-Weissbach Special to the Mirror-Spectator INSI DE BERLIN — Among the many nations where people gather on April 24th every year to commemorate the victims of the 1915 genocide, Germany holds a special Focus on place for three reasons: first, because it was here that the Holocaust occurred, a case of mass murder that was modeled on the Survivors Armenian genocide; secondly, because the Page 12 AGBU YPs to Walk for Victims of post-war German political world faced up to what the Nazis had perpetrated. It was not only the fact that many of the criminals Boston Marathon Tragedy were brought to justice at the Nuremburg trials, and that Germany acknowledged it INDEX WATERTOWN — On Wednesday, May 15, members of the Armenian General as genocide, but also that in the years and Arts and Living . 10 Benevolent Union Young Professionals of Boston (AGBU YP) will lead a 5K untimed decades that followed, the reality of what Armenia . 2 walk/ run through Watertown to benefit The One Fund. had been committed was subjected to his - Community News. 4 Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. at the AGBU Center, 247 Mt. Auburn St., and the torical scrutiny, so that broader layers of Editorial . 14 walk begins at 7 p.m. International . 3 the population and members of the succes - see WALK, page 16 sor generations became aware of this past. see GERMANY, page 3 2 S ATURDAY , M AY 11, 2013 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Despite Denial, Turks and Kurds Remember Armenian Genocide, Says Reparations Scholar UAE Delegates Pay YEREVAN — The Turkish govern - Turkish governments. He then com - denied, and hence, longest continuing ment is denying a genocide its own pop - pared the narrative taught in schools, genocidal episodes in modern human Tribute to Armenian ulation remembers, according to Dr. promoted in academia, and projected history. From this perspective it should Ugur Ümit Üngör, who spoke via simul - through foreign policy to a very differ - not be considered the Armenian Genocide Victims cast from the Netherlands on May 2, ent reality on the ground in eastern Genocide of 1915-1923, it should be during the annual commemorative talk Turkey, where many Turks and Kurds considered the Armenian Genocide of YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The delegation led by on the Armenian Genocide at the hold vivid memories about the crime. 1915-2013 and counting.” Chairman of the Control Chamber of the United American University of Armenia (AUA). Arab Emirates (UAE) Dr. Harib al Amim visited Üngör’s colloquium, titled “Lost in Tzitzernakaberd and placed wreaths at the monu- Commemoration: The Armenian ment dedicated to the memory of Armenian Genocide in Memory and Identity,” Genocide victims. explored the dichotomy between Al Amim also paid a visit to the Genocide Turkey’s official state history and popu - Museum, where he examined photos, documents lar social memory. and literature. He left the following note in the “Yes it is true that Turkey is denying memorial book, “I condemn what happened. No the genocide, but it is the Turkish state religion or nation can accept such phenomena.” that is denying the genocide,” said Chairman of the Control Chamber of Armenia Üngör, speaking from Amsterdam, Ishkhan Zakaryan accompanied the delegation. where he works as the director of grad - The UAE has yet to join more than 24 countries uate studies at the Institute for War, that recognize and condemn the Genocide. Holocaust, and Genocide Studies. “I think that Turkish society knows about A screenshot of Dr. Ugur Ümit Üngör addressing the AUA students ‘Kessab’ Film Premieres the Genocide, that they acknowledge the Genocide, and finally that a lot of In Yerevan people have memories about the In his conclusion, Üngör underscored Üngör is the author of Confiscation Genocide. It should be a task of the Turkish government’s failure to and Destruction: The Young Turk YEREVAN (Armenpress) — “Kessab,” a documen- researchers to unearth and expose completely eradicate the memory of the Seizure of Armenian Property , which tary by Nane Bagratuni, premiered at the Narekatsi these memories.” Genocide from the lands and people it is a detailed accounting of all the Art Union on May 7. In his remarks, Üngör deconstructed administers. property seized from Armenians dur - Bagratuni said that the film is focused on the the phenomenon of Turkish denial, AUA President Dr. Bruce Boghosian, ing the Genocide to create the mod - Armenian-populated Kessab settlement near the from its Young Turk origins to its evo - when introducing Üngör, discussed the ern state of Turkey. He is also the Syrian border. lution into an official state policy, seek - continuing evolution of discourse about author of the award-winning book, Bagratuni added, “The movie is of a certain ing to reconstruct a new national mem - the Armenian Genocide, explaining that The Making of Modern Turkey: importance from the cultural and ethnographical ory, minus the crime and its victims.