28 February 2005

''Armenia: Land and Culture'': Presentation by Gulizar Jonian

AZAD-HYE (28 February 2005): "Cross-Culture" is a women group based in Abu Dhabi, which deals with cultural and social subjects. It hosts lectures, seminars and presentations for its members and guests.

The last presentation was prepared in January 2005 by Nelly Lama having the topic: “The Damascene Pilgrimage Caravan en Route to Mecca and Medina.” Her talk was of special interest, as it took place during the time of the Haj (Islamic pilgrimage). Spouse of the Lebanese Ambassador to the UAE Mrs. Dalal Berro hosted the event.

March presentation of "Cross-Culture" will be a talk with visual support by Mrs. Gulizar Jonian on “Armenia: Land and Culture”. It will take place on 2nd March 2005, at 10:00 a.m. in the Millennium Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE Armenia, with its strategic location, has been at the crossroads of history and cross-cultural interaction, which attracted countless invaders and
conquerors.

Gulizar will offer glimpses of the historical background of Armenia from prehistoric to modern times, with special emphasis on its people and language, unique alphabet, art and architecture, culture and religion, which should provide an interesting overview of Armenia and its rich cultural traditions.

Gulizar Jonian is a businesswoman, architect and individual of many talents, whom many of you know as the very capable Coordinator of "Women in Abu Dhabi" (WIAD). She received a BSc degree in architecture from the University of Baghdad. Gulizar has worked in the fields of business, architecture and real estate. Besides doing extensive charity work in Canada and the UAE, she has been a publisher of children’s books. Gulizar is active also in the IBWG (International Business Women's Group Abu Dhabi ), an active group of 140 members with multinational forum, where businesswomen are able to network and assist each other in their day to day activities.

Azad-Hye.com wishes success to Gulizar Jonian and expects that the Armenian Council of Abu Dhabi or the Armenian Cultural Association take note of this event and invite her to present the same and other valuable lectures to the Armenian public. Maybe it is a sort of national paranoia, but we rarely have the courage to acknowledge our own talented people. Jesus was quoted saying in the Gospel of Thomas "No prophet is accepted in his own village". As the first nation that officially accepted Christianity we seem to be faithful to the spirit of these words.

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27 February 2005

Armenia at Gulfood 2005

AZAD-HYE (26 February 2005):For the first time Armenia participated this year with a national stand at the 10th Gulf Food, Hotel & Equipment Exhibition, Dubai International Exhibition Centre, 20-23 February 2005.

The Armenian stand, which occupied more than 100 square meters, was represented by 10 companies (see list), covering various food producing domains (dairy products, meat, fish, dried foods, dietary products, juices, conserves, canned foods, etc). The stand was coordinated by a semi-governmental body called DAI-ASME (Armenia Small and Medium Enterprise Market Development Project).

Armen Matosyan, Senior Marketing Advisor at DAI-ASME said that "it is very significant that Armenia is occupying a separate stand in this international exhibition. Our Agency has encouraged Armenian companies to take part in this exhibition. We have sent informative bulletin long before the due date. We have also created incentives for participation, by covering 50% of the expenses of the Armenian stand. Thus the average cost for exhibition space for each company has been about 2000 dollars instead of 4000 dollars".

Talking about future participation he said that his Agency might not be sponsoring next Gulfood exhibition (due to take place from 19-22 February 2006). "We are effectively asking Armenian companies to get used to the idea of bearing the cost of the marketing of their own products, especially that now they have already achieved a degree of penetration into the market".

Lyudmila Hovahnnisyan of "Vordi Armen LLC" expressed initial satisfaction about the UAE market. "We have received many inquiries. I am collecting business cards in a separate folder and will answer to all requests once I am back in Armenia. We produce many types of cheeses. Our packaging system has been developed now and it is up to the international standards", she
insists.

From what we noticed the packaging of Armenian products have really improved. Eight out of the ten exhibiting companies had attractive labels. Only two (Tamar Tatik and Gamma) need to revise their packaging and labeling methods.

Arkadi Gevorkyan, General Director of "Arkadzuk JSC" said that he already received serious queries from hotel, supermarket chains, airline catering companies, asking for trout and sturgeon fish products. The company operates ten branches in Gumri, Masis and Etchmiadzin.

Armen Hakobyan of "SIS Natural Cannery Ltd" said that his company intends to participate next year even if it has to pay all the participating expenses. "It is extremely important to meet our clients in Dubai and discuss ways of improving our exporting capabilities". He had hired this year an Armenian translator and coordinator from Dubai, to assist him in dealing with the flow of customers.

Edward Dilanyan, President of "Vitamax-E LLC" said that his dietary product Narine is truly unique and is the result of laboratory work in Armenia. Referring to the Exhibition he said "Dubai is a place where you can meet clients from many countries. This is why we concentrate on this Exhibition".

The DAI-ASME stand was hosting tourist material provided by the Armenian Tourism Development Agency. People were so much interested to know this new destination that the printed material on Armenia expired on the very first day of the exhibition. Newcomers were still asking for material and were even satisfied with the remaining Italian and German language brochures.

"Very few Armenians from the UAE made the effort to come and see our products" concluded Armen Matosyan his interview with Azad-Hye.com. "We are sad that Armenians did not have the curiosity to see our stand and to encourage our producers".

Philip Smith, Senior Area Manager of the influential "Khaleej Times" English language daily of Dubai visited the Armenian stand and received the attention of the organizers. They invited him to visit Armenia to see the beauty of the country and to confirm the purity of the Armenian products. From his side he expressed belief that Armenia will benefit from its proximity to the UAE market and will improve its exporting record.

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20 February 2005

Azad-Hye.com newsletter 2 years old


With more than 1450 messages circulated to its 270 members, our newsletter (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/azad-hye/ ) marked on the 16th February 2005 its second anniversary.

What is the aim of the newsletter?

- Circulate articles that originally appear on www.azad-hye.com
- Deliver general Armenian subjects, emphasizing on Middle East Armenian issues
- Create an atmosphere of fruitful discussion and exchange of opinions
- Foster tolerance among Armenians
- Underline the importance of media broadcasting and transparency in Armenian public life.
- Provide podium and means of communications for those who have something to convey to their fellow Armenians.

The list could be much longer. The main idea is that the newsletter is a meeting point for Armenians of all ages and beliefs living in the United Arab Emirates and abroad.

We would be very happy if you participate in this effort. No reward is more gratifying for us than seeing an Armenian taking part in our public life with full awareness and sense of responsibility.

To have your message distributed to other members of this Newsletter you can write directly to: azad-hye@yahoogroups.com

For comments, inquiries and suggestions please write to: hrach@emirates.net.ae

Here is a reminder of the Group settings:

- The Group is listed in Yahoo Groups.
- Anyone can post messages, but the messages should be approved from the moderator before they are distributed.
- Membership requires approval.
- The archives (all the 1450 messages up to this moment) are viewable by the public. This can enrich any reader of whatsoever background, especially if he/she is interested on Middle East Armenian subjects. E-mail attachments are received by the moderator but are not allowed to be circulated, due to size and format problems.
- The main page link on the Internet is: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/azad-hye/
- Features that appear on the left side of the above link, such as photos, links, database, polls, calendar, etc. could be used by those who have Yahoo ID.

18 February 2005

11th Temagan Meeting, Sharjah 2005

AZAD-HYE (18 February 2005): The overall political situation in the Gulf Region was this time favorable for the meeting of the Armenian Prelacy Body (Temagan) of Kuwait and Arabian Gulf Countries. During the last two years the war in Iraq and the political instability in the Region had affected the course of these annual meetings, without causing significant delays or troubles.

The meeting took place in the Sharjah Armenian Community Center from 16-17 February 2005, with the attendance of about 18 delegates, headed by Archbishop Gorun Babian, who welcomed the delegates and conveyed to them the blessings of Catholicos Aram I.

The yearly reports of the three local National Administrations (Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates of the UAE) were delivered and assessed without public audience, in the presence of those who had originally appointed the members of these bodies.

The Prelacy Body moved ahead to appoint functioning members of the three National Administrations for a term of two years. Some old members were reinstalled in their same positions, others were reshuffled in new positions within the usual frame. Series of self-
appointments also were recorded, with the result that several individuals assumed duties in both bodies, thus combining legislative and executing powers.

No press was invited to attend the meeting and no writing whatsoever is expected to circulate. A lively photo of the participants was fixed on the announcement board of the Sharjah Armenian Church.

Archbishop Gorun Babian, Catholicosal Vicar of the Prelacy (based in Kuwait), referred to the meeting at the end of the praying service in the Sharjah Armenian Church on 18th February 2005 saying: “In the last two days I had been with the representatives of our Gulf communities,
during which I had the opportunity to discuss with them common affairs and to regain strength and determination for a new period of work”.

The URL for this story is:
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17 February 2005

Armenian and UAE law enforcers agree to jointly fight against pimps and trafficking in human beings

The following articles was reported by Armenpress

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 16, ARMENPRESS: Prosecutors of Armenia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to create a joint task force to draft an intergovernmental legal assistant pact. The agreement was reached when a delegation of the Armenian prosecutor's office was visiting the UAE earlier this month.

Armenian prosecutor's office told Armenpress that members of the delegation had a series of meetings with their UAE counterparts to focus on how to track down and call to account persons engaged in trafficking in human beings, illegal migration and pimping.

According to the Armenian prosecutor's office, 7 of 9 criminal cases launched against people engaged in pimping involved 22 Armenian pimps working in the UAE. According to International Organization for Migration (IOM) findings, Armenia is a country of origin for women and children who are trafficked primarily into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey.

-------------

The following articles appeared in the Gulf News English daily of Dubai, UAE on 14th February 2005

"UAE cracks down on human traffickers from central Asia"
By Diaa Hadid, Staff Reporter

Dubai: At least 38 women were brought into the UAE last year and forced to work as prostitutes.

Unreported cases, however, could mean the figure is much higher, according to Major Aref Baqer, deputy director of Human Right Department at the Dubai police.

The majority of the women were from Kyrgyzstan and the rest came from other former Soviet Union countries, mostly central Asian states. Figures for previous years were not available.

Some of the women were as young as 15, but most were older than 16, "which is still considered to be a child", the source said. "Girls are easier to threaten and exploit," he said.

The women he spoke to had been brought into the country by criminal gangs based in their home countries.

"The usual story I hear is that women and girls are promised work in the UAE. They are taken away at the airport, their passports are confiscated and they are threatened psychologically or physically to work as prostitutes."

He said the women were told "if they [the women] try to complain they will be discovered and harmed".

For that reason, it was "impossible" to guess how many women were forcibly brought into the UAE, he said.

"I can't even guess a figure because the women that reach us aren't statistically representative of a number."

He said he could only surmise: "Thirty-eight women is a small percentage of the real number". The women were found in a variety of ways, he said.

"Some are reported to police through connections they have. Some go directly to police stations. Others are known to consulates or non- government organisations [NGOs], who contact us."

A smaller number were found to be working against their will after being arrested.

The source said interviews with the women and girls and their length of stay in the country generally showed if they had been forced to work as prostitutes.

"Some women claim to be forced, but if they've been here for two or three years, it's very hard to believe. Conversations with them also reveal a great deal about their attitudes," he said

Women who willingly came to the UAE as visitors and turn to prostitution were "referred to criminal prosecution", he said.

Last year, Dubai police received two NGOs from Kazakhstan and Moldavia to boost cooperation on the issue of human trafficking. Other government representatives also conducted fact-finding missions.

He said he hoped more women would come forward this year, with the help of consulates and NGOs.

Source Where the criminals hunt for victims The majority of the women were from Kyrgyzstan and the rest came from other former Soviet Union countries, mostly central Asian states.

Kyrgyzstan 25
Moldavia 5
Uzbekistan 5
Russia 1
Azerbaijan 1
Chechnya 1

The Iraqi Armenians in the post-war era

We received the following article written by Ara S. Ashjian of Baghdad, Iraq and would like to share the information with our readers:

Due to the war on Iraq in March-April 2003, the Armenian community in Iraq, fortunately, had little casualties. Few Armenians lost their lives during military operations, and a number of houses belonging to Armenians were damaged.

In the aftermath of the war, the Armenian Club and the priest residence at the northern city of Kirkuk, and the Armenian Club at the southern city of Basra had been looted by the mob.

Armenians worldwide took role in aiding their brothers and sisters in Iraq. For instance, a relief committee was established in California, USA, which donated monetary assistance to aid Armenian families who were facing distressing circumstances due to the war and to rebuild damaged residences.

The Catholicos of All Armenians H.H. Karekin II issued an appeal to all Armenian dioceses worldwide to aid Iraqi Armenians. Consequently, the Community received from the Holy See of Echmiadzin all the donations of the Armenian churches worldwide. Donations were also made by the Karaghozian and other Armenian Relief Foundations, and the Armenians Aid Fund, USA; the Committee to relief the Iraqi Armenians in the UK; and the Armenian community in Germany.

Efforts to uphold the educational and the religious rights:

The Primate of the diocese H.E. Archbishop Avak Asadourian and the community officials exerted considerable effort in the post-war era to uphold the educational and the religious rights of the Iraqi Armenians, in order that the forthcoming constitution will take into consideration the Armenians' as well as other Iraqi minorities' rights.

The establishment of the Armenian National School of Baghdad was one of the priorities. The Diocese formed a committee to achieve the aim of reopening the National School that was nationalized 30 years ago.

The Primate had many contacts with the officials of the former Iraqi Governing Council and the Ministry of Education to achieve this goal. As a result of these efforts, and for the first time in the history of Iraq, the right to teach Armenian along with other languages in Iraq was stated in the country's transitional constitution.

It is noteworthy to observe that the Primate and the officials of the Community had also made efforts to recover the building of an Armenian secondary school in Baghdad, which was impounded by the previous regime.

It is our hope that this building, which needs large amount of funds for total renovation because it was burned and looted, will soon open its doors as a secondary school.

First ever Armenian Holy Mass in Manama, Bahrain

AZAD-HYE (17 February 2005): The spiritual leader of the Armenian community in Kuwait and the GCC countries Archbishop Dr. Gorun Babian visited Bahrain on 9th December 2004 and officiated, for the first time in the Kingdom of Bahrain, an Armenian Holy Mass on 10th December 2004, at the Awali Chapel at 7.30pm. This was followed by a dinner at the “Majestic Hotel” in Juffair. His Grace was accompanied by the priest of the parish in Sharjah, Father Aram Deyirmendjian.

Some 50 Armenians arrived from nearby Saudi Arabia (Khobar and Damam cities) to join the small Armenian community in Bahrain, which numbers around 30 people. Armenians of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia hold passports of various countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Cyprus, USA, Canada, etc.

Archbishop Babian said in his speech address to the Armenians of Bahrain and the neighbouring areas: “Wherever you are located, whether in a large Armenian community or in a remote desert, that place could be altered to a flourishing oasis, a kind of tiny spiritual fatherland, with the blessing of the Armenian Church”.

Until recently, only in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, the Armenians enjoyed organized community life. Recent changes, especially in the attitude of Qatar and Bahrain towards their foreign communities, encouraged Armenians to get organized in both countries.

The Diocese’s higher body based in Kuwait authorized therefore Archbishop Babian to contact the Armenians in those countries and assist them in organizing their community life. In April 2003 His Grace visited Doha, where some 200 Armenians are settled and officiated Holy Mass service. The Council of Qatar Armenians was formed which started to conduct regular meetings, dealing with community affairs.

Mrs. Adrine Khatchadourian, one of the main figures of the Armenian community of Bahrain managed to find a suitable location for the first time ever Armenian Holy Mass in Manama. She also managed to contact almost all the Armenians of Bahrain and those who are living in nearby Saudi Arabia, where no Christian clergy is allowed to enter. She coordinated her efforts with Setrak Dakesian and Hayrabed Hayrabedian, both residents of Saudi Arabia. The Holy Mass was followed by a prayer dedicated to the souls of beloved ones.

Following the ceremony, Armenians had a social gathering at the "Majestic Hotel", where Archbishop Babian express his joy for the unity of the Armenians and appreciation for the efforts of those who made his trip possible. Armenian naitonal and popular songs followed, creating an atmosphere of cheerfulness and pleasure in the hearts of those who have been living in isolation from large Armenian gatherings.

Before living the Kingdom, Archbishop Babian visited the Lebanese Ambassador and discussed with him details of his trip, providing meanwhile information about the Armenians of GCC countries.

03 February 2005

Learning democracy the hard way

AZAD-HYE (3 February 2005): Last Sunday was a day of hope for Iraq.
Unexpected number of Iraqi marched to cast their votes in the first ever
democratic election in a country that has a history of many thousand years
(just like Armenia). The voters ignored the fact that balloting stations
were declared as attacking targets by insurgents.

Iraqis broke the barrier of fear, which for decades kept them away from
politics. The news of successful Iraqi elections spread all around the world
and mainly to the Arab societies. It is an irony that the only two free
elections in the Arab World were conducted in places where occupation troops
exist: Palestine and Iraq. Some will wonder if Arabs are really capable of
achieving democracy without foreign intervention. Yet there is another
question far more intriguing: Will the voting process in Iraq stir
democratic changes in the Arab World and in neighboring Iran?

ARMENIAN REALITY IN IRAQ:

Although it is difficult to live in a country where basic security needs are
not fulfilled and the number of minority groups is dwindling (only in recent
ten years, half a million Christians have migrated from Iraq, reducing their
overall figure to less than 700 thousand), still it is worth to learn
something from the democratic process of Sunday's elections.

To see how far the Iraqi Armenians can be from democratic practices, we will
narrate the story of Father Ararad, which took place last year.

"To Defrock or not to Defrock?"

To defrock a priest is to deprive him of the right to exercise the functions
of the priestly office. Various religions have different procedures for
doing this. But what is the procedure in our Church? On 12th January 2004
the following Press Release was issued by the “Information Services of the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin”:

"His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians,
issued a Pontifical Order whereby Rev. Fr. Ararat Hovsepian from the
Armenian Diocese of Iraq, has been defrocked. From this time forward, he
shall be called by his baptismal name of Norayr Hovsepian, and be recognized
as a member of the laity. The order issued on January 9, is based upon
information and petitions provided by the Primate and the National Central
Committee of the Diocese, that the priest has exhibited demeanour and
conduct unbecoming of a clergyman".

This Pontifical Order does not explain what exactly Rev. Fr. Ararat
Hovsepian did to deserve being defrocked. "Oxford Advanced Learner's
Dictionary" explains "unbecoming" as "not suiting a particular person" or
"not appropriate or acceptable". The Press Release mentions that the Order
"is based upon information and petitions provided by the Primate and the
National Central Committee of the Diocese". It is interesting to know what
kind of investigation has been carried on to verify the source of this
information and whether it was conducted in professional manner.

Father Ararat (about 38 years old), a graduate of Babel Theological Faculty
in Baghdad (seminar for Christian theological education in Iraq), aspired,
after decades of stagnation, to introduce a new wave of thinking in the
Armenian reality in Baghdad, Believing that the time has come for some
change, he started to print a newsletter, where he expressed his views about
how to improve the community life and how to introduce new measures of
accountability, especially in the financial field. He also preached openness
in discussing vital issues concerning the youth.

As it is expected, the traditional forces in the society plotted against
him. One day he way invited, through a fake emergency call, to officiate the
last prayers of a "dying" member of the Community. As he reached the
residence of that person he found himself encircled by senior and prominent
members of the society, who assaulted him causing physical injuries. As if
this was not enough, they misinformed Etchmiadzin authorities and lobbied
for issuing the said Pontifical Order.

Hayr Ararat (Norayr), did not want to leave the priesthood. He found the
doors of the Apostolic Church closed in front of him, so he joined the
Evangelical Church (an Arab-speaking Church in Baghdad). Since then he has
formed a group of hundred youths, who follow his seminars and go to the
sermons. It is reported that half of the attendants are young Armenians,
whose parents belong to the Mother Church.

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01 February 2005

"Khroma string-quintet" in Abu Dhabi

Under the patronage of the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia, H.E. Dr.
Arshak Poladian and the Ambassador of France, H.E. Mr. Francois Gouyette

Organized by the "Council of The Armenian Community of Abu Dhabi" and the
"Council of the Armenian Community of the Northern Emirates"

In cooperation with the "Cultural Foundation", Abu Dhabi

With great pleasure you are invited to attend to a classical & oriental
concert performed by:

KHROMA string-quintet

On Saturday 5th February 2005, 07:30 p.m, at the "Cultural Foundation"
Auditorium – Abu Dhabi

The group being Armenian and non-Armenians have come from France and will
play classical and oriental collections from Gomidas, Tavitian and Altunian.

ENTRANCE IS FREE