Badanegan Doun and Camp Armen (Պատանեկան Տուն) 1

A father from Gemereg, had brought his two daughters, Filor and Gulkhater, whom we named Vartouhi. They had worn long clothes, when their father was about to go, the youngest one embraces her father and starts to cry.
After the girl calms down, the father leaves, promising them that he will visit them again. Those who have been here gather around the newcomers and they quickly become friends with each other. After some time passes, Vartouhi's father arrives to see his daughters. Vartouhi who is the youngest says, "Baba bizi keotu avradlara benzettiler" (papa, they transformed us into disrespectful women), while showing her dress to him. This is because the sewers had shortened their clothes, which were very long.

Badanegan Doun and Camp Armen, Hrant Guzelian

*Translation by R. Chil.

Go for it!

God has given talent, and He wants you to use it productively. You should set your goals high and direct your energies toward achieving them.
Prepare for the future. Train your mind. Develop your skills. Discipline your appetites. Work hard. Go for it! You can't steal second with one foot on first.

Life on the Edge; James Dobson

Suggestion from our Reader to our Soccer Players

Yesterday, we received a comment from Mike on the post about the game that the veterans played against our youth (chaneets) team (Ֆութպոլի Մրցում Վեթէրանններուն Հետ).

Here it is:

"So my brothers in great country of Lebanon, I attended Ashrefiyeh's high school from 1988-1992 (during Nashian years), when I was 8, so you are very dear to my heart over there. I would have to root for Ashrefiyeh!!
I would like to start coordinating such an event. Anyone else on board?? I would love to coordinate an Armenian Evangelical Church Sports Tournament.
Lets start it! Maybe have a worldwide event in 2009--what y'all think?"

Dear Mike, I'm sure the guys from Ashrafieh, Marash and of course Emmanuel would absolutely love to participate in such an event! Many have been dreaming about pan-Church youth games. I'm sure you'd find major support. (I wonder who would win :)

An Armenian member in Fatah al Islam?

We've heard that Armenians are very much liked in the Middle East; specially in Lebanon. Armenians are known for their support of the country they reside in. Also, most of the time in governmental positions and committees, the treasurer post was given to an Armenian.

However, it seems that someone wanted to make use of the Armenian integrity to flee any suspicion.

Here's the story...

"The only high ranking member of the Fathul-Islam (Fatah al Islam) group which is in Lebanese custody currently, is Ahmed Marey. He was captured a few days ago in a hotel in Beirut's Christian quarter of Ashrafieh. At that time he was carrying a false identity and calling himself Agop (Hagop, Hakob)."

News From Chanitz

J. Sagherian has left for USA, where he will stay for some months. He will meet his friends with whom he served during his one-year-service in Northern Ireland.

Keep in touch JAY!

Celebrity Cartoonist Behind Hate Website

Murad Gumen, the Turkish-American author of the attached famous Micky Mouse cartoon is infamous for his part time job - he is the covert webmaster of tallarmeniantale.com, a website that denies the destruction of over a million Christian Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I.

Gumen has been using the pseudo name “Holdwater” in denying the Armenian Genocide and comparing Armenians to rodents. Keeping his real identity secret for many years, Mr. Gumen is now in hot waters.

A Turkish professor of Armenian Genocide, Taner Akcam, is the hunter of Mr. Gumen. Prof. Akcam, author of recent best seller on the Armenian Genocide, was repeatedly called “terrorist” in Mr. Gumen’s website leading to a 4-hour detention of the Turkish historian during a recent trip to Canada.

Prof. Akcam, a long time human rights activist now in exile from his native Turkey, apparently did not endure the personal attacks against him. He did what an average historian would do: go after the documents and sources used on the racist website.

File six in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Institutional Archives, Accession no. 1997-014, box 152 was the answer. This was a personal communication that “Holdwater” made reference to not realizing it was public domain. Making reference to “Holdwater’s” xenophobia that he would lose his job if his identity were revealed, Prof. Akcam the “terrorist” used a nuclear bomb called revealing the truth.

And the truth is - “Holdwater” is Murad Gumen, a celebrity Turkish-American cartoonist and creator of “Wonderguy” (1993) with an unbelievably “wonderful” hate for the Armenian people and the tragedy called genocide that they experienced in 1915.

Taner Akcam’s two articles on Holdwater in English is available at www.blogian.net.

10,000 and On

ARMENIAN EVANGELICAL EMMANUEL CHURCH CHANITZ YOUTH BLOG PASSED THE 10,000 VISITORS AND VIEWERS since March 2006!

Pornography and Its Effects on Our Youth

On 11/06/2007, Mr. M. Ibitian, one of our youth group's committee members, who also teaches at Armenian Evangelical P. & E. Torosian Intermediate School, and is the counselor of the school, had an interview at Vana Tzayn about pornography.

http://www.voiceofvan.net/html/asdghig_gnochagan_haydakir.html

Some of the questions that were asked:
  • What is the definition of pornography?
  • What is the percentage of the pornography users (male/female)?
  • What are the effects?
  • What can parents do in similar situations?
  • Is there a way out?
What do you think, what can be done about addictions?

Hrant Dink Finally Aquitted

Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, slain in January, was officially acquitted in two court cases concluded yesterday at an İstanbul court.

Three other defendants who were facing charges of “insulting Turkishness” and “attempting to influence the judiciary” were also acquitted, though a third similar case opened at a later date will continue.

The two court cases were sent back to a criminal court in the Şişli district after the Court of Appeals ordered a retrial. Retrial of the cases was originally scheduled to begin in February but it was postponed to yesterday, June 14, following Dink’s Jan. 19 assassination by a teenage gunman in downtown İstanbul. Dink, who was the editor of the bilingual Agos daily, was facing charges of insulting Turkishness under the infamous Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code and of attempting to influence the judiciary’s functioning under Article 288 in those two cases.

Two of the defendants, Dink’s son Arat Dink, and Agos editor Serkis Seropyan, appeared in the court for a retrial session of the cases. Lawyers for the defendants demanded acquittal, saying elements of the crime were not in place. The court agreed and acquitted all the defendants in the case.

A similar case in which Dink and other defendants face the same charges of insulting Turkishness was postponed to a later date to allow defense lawyers to prepare their plea.

Dink had become a hated figure for ultranationalists for his comments over an alleged Armenian genocide at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire. He called for reconciliation between Turks and Armenians and was a sharp critic of the Armenian diaspora for its uncompromising stance against Turkey.

Before his death, Dink had complained that the charges of “insulting Turkishness” against him made him a target of nationalist anger.