96 11 15- GIBRAHAYER e-magazine

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GIBRAHAYER E-MAGAZINE BEING SUED FOR LIBEL
Gibrahayer Nicosia - November 13, 2006 - A prominent architect from Nicosia - Nazaret Tavitian affiliated with Melkonian affairs, is suing Gibrahayer e-magazine and its Editor Simon Aynedjian for libel.
Together with Aynedjian, the Editor of local Armenian-language monthly Artsagang, Arto Tavitian and two Melkonian Alumni activists, President Shavasb Bohdjalian and Vice-President Massis Der Partogh are being sued for libel as well.
Gibrahayer e-magazine and Artsagang are being sued for reproducing news that appeared on SaveMelkonian's website in October 2004, while Bohdjalian and Der Partogh are being sued for accusing Nazaret Tavitian for trying to benefit from the sale of Melkonian.
"As we are being sued, we believe that if we reprinted the item in question, we would be in violation of the court summons that also includes a Restraining Order preventing us from referring to the affected party. We respect the legal system of Cyprus, even though others are in daily violation of injunctions and national heritage declarations.
However, it must be said that all these years Gibrahayer e-magazine has been praised and criticised by thousands in the past, simply for being a free platform allowing individuals and organisation to express their views on any matter that involves the Armenian Community of Cyprus, Diaspora matters, Armenia and regional events and politics, as well as any other related issue. We have allowed and even encouraged online dialogue as one way to wake up the nation and cultivate free minds.
Issuing court orders and imposing restraints on our media violates the principles of freedom of expression and freedom of speech, that reminds us of the good old days of Stalinist free press and well-worded 'news' items published in the '30s to the '70s in Pravda (which ironically translates to "Truth").
Are our fellow Armenian community members, or Diaspora leaders, prepared to handle the "Truth", however real or harsh this may be?
If yes, let's start a dialogue about ALL issues related to our community.
If not, just shut up and sit down!

ANGER AT "OFFENSIVE" KEBAB BAN
Birmingham Post, UK - November 7, 2006- Armenians in Glendale, California, are trying to skewer the city's ban on outdoor restaurant grilling, saying it is an offence to the kebab culture. But efforts to overturn it have stalled in the city council.
Glendale, whose 85,000 Armenian residents comprise the largest such population in the US, is 40 per cent Armenian and Armenian-American. Last year, voters elected three Armenians to the five-member city council, partly on an agenda to remove the outdoor grilling ban. But they have been unable to win the four votes needed for passage. That annoys Armenians who say indoor gas grills simply cannot do
justice to their traditional cuisine.
Vrej Sarkissian says it takes more than salt, pepper, onions and olive oil to make a decent kebab. He cooks the skewered meat on charcoal outside his restaurant.
"People can always tell the difference," said Sarkissian, owner of Anoush Banquets & Catering. "They want the original flavour of home." "It's what our culture is about," said his brother Sacco. "It's great, because they're able to hold on to their heritage. They haven't been forced to Americanise."
The ban may have a chilling effect on the city's dining, city councilman Ara Najarian said. "Most Armenians are highly sophisticated, and they demand the best,"
he told the Los Angeles Times. "It's developed into a gourmet war between these folks. I once saw a place serve a flaming rack of lamb. I think we all know that burgers on the grill taste better than on the frying pan."
But mayor Dave Weaver, who opposes lifting the ban, accused his colleagues of playing "the race card". "We're portrayed as anti-Armenian, and that's so far off the mark," he said.
COMMUNITY ALERTS: If you would like to receive Gibrahay community event ALERTS, please send us your email address and your mobile number, to be notified on Armenian events taking place in Cyprus. Please note that this is a separate e-list different than Gibrahayer e-magazine. Reply to this email with your full name, email and mobile number. IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION: The inclusion of a lot of links in Gibrahayer e-magazine, has been alarming ISPs, and sending our e-mag to the spam folder of a few of our subscribers. Therefore, from now on all website links will be appearing without the www prefix and all suffix will end in dot com ( savemelkonian dot com) and all email addresses without @ but the word at. (simon at cytanet dot com)

GIBRAHAYER e-magazine
It was in 1979 that these four youngsters decided to make the big move - to leave their lives and families in London and return to Cyprus. They packed their stuff into a huge van and drove all the way through Europe to arrive to their birthplace, which they had left in the sixties, after the inter-communal troubles in Cyprus.
After the 1974 Turkish invasion, when many Armenian Cypriots had already left Cyprus for "safer" destinations and none of them ever considered to return to Cyprus, these boys took a very courageous move to return to their roots.
Their first venture was the opening of a pioneering disco club; Roxy, where one could listen and dance to the latest music. One could also watch the relative video clips on the screens, which was a novelty back then.
It didn't stop there though. The owners of the band were the rockers that performed live every night: Karl Tate on vocals and lead guitar, George Kay on the synthesiser, Duke on the drums and Shawn Tate on base guitar.
We are of course talking about Karekin Tateossian, Kevork Kouyoumdjian, Baret Bedelian and Shahe Tateossian (appearing left to right in the photo), who went on to open up the first skate park in Cyprus, the Arena Skate Park in Makedonitissa and then diversified into the newly growing market of PCs and video games and formed the Micromania Group.
Cyclomania for mountain bikes came next, which has recently branched out into clothing and accessories lines for bikers and skate boarders.
A couple of weeks ago, these young lads gathered at their store in Nicosia to celebrate the 58th birthday of Shahe. (See photo).
In the last 27 years, we have seen many pioneering ideas introduced by these youngsters. Good luck for the next 27!
Gibrahayer Correspondent
Micromania website at micromania dot com dot cy
Emails to the Editor

Well done Simon for bringing back the big G!!!,
We have no idea why me and my enthusiastic readers (mum and dad, both Cypriot Xpats in their eighties) were deprived of their favourite "read" of the week for so long, but, a jolly good welcome back.
We look forward to receiving your publication and will carry on helping where we can
We wish Zaruhi the best of luck and strength to repeat her successes in the American continent as she did in Asia and Europe. We also URGE our compatriots in America to help this talented young lady in her quest to champion THE ARMENIAN CAUSE.
Love all !!! - Dickran Bedrossian - London To read emails from our readers please click here. It will take you to the permanent section of Gibrahayer e-magazine where all the emails from subscribers are posted as they come in.
You can also view the past five issues of Gibrahayer e-magazine by clicking here
Gibrahayer e-magazine

News in Brief

* Effective November 6, 2006, new rules for the contents of hand baggage will apply for all airline passengers throughout the EU. Passengers may only carry small quantities (max. 100 ml per container) of liquids, gels and aerosols in their hand baggage. This applies for all passengers departing from or catching connecting flights at airports within the European Union. more at emedia dot com dot cy/index.htm?p=96 (pls copy paste and complete dots)
* Armenia has spent 400,000 dollars on advertising on CNN in promoting our homeland as a tourist destination.
* Singer Aram Asatryan died of a heart attack soon after being godfather at a ceremony in Oshagan. He was 53 and was a father of three sons and a daughter. One of his sons had died a few months ago at the age of 30. He had just come back from a tour in the USA and was preparing for a tour in Europe.
* The official ceremony of opening of the Library named after Dashnak leader Hrayr Maroukhian took place at the ARF Dashnaktsoutiun Bureau's "Christapor Mikaelian" Center. Attending were representatives of the party's bureau, the party branches from Armenia and Artsakh, party and parliament members and state officials. Also present at the ceremony were his wife and their younger daughter Shaghig. The library has received books from Athens and Lebanon and has inherited large private book collections of Ed. Hovhannisian and Art. Tsatourian altogether totalling more than 5,000 books.
* German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned Turkey that it cannot continue to delay a settlement with Cyprus if it wants to join the European Union. "We need the implementation of the Ankara protocol on the freedom of movement of goods also with Cyprus. Otherwise, a very, very serious situation arises regarding the continuation of the accession talks," Merkel said in an interview published Monday in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
* Minister of employment and social affairs Aghvan Vardanyan said that the government has allocated 379 million drams to provide children leaving the orphanage with apartments. He said that in 2007 it is foreseen to provide
50 children leaving the orphanage with apartments. The government has allocated 1.2 billion drams for 935 children of 8 orphanages of Armenia. For 1010 residents of four Old People's homes the government allocated 1.1 billion drams. Salaries of workers of orphanages and old people's homes will also grow.
* Over the last five years 52,000 cars have been imported to Yerevan. Currently, the number of motor vehicles in Yerevan grows annually by 12,000.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY MELKONIAN ALUMNI
Nicosia - November 6, 2006 - Following intense lobbying and persistent work by the Melkonian Alumni Association of Cyprus, our initiative first taken in September 2004 to secure government grants for 11 Armenian Cypriot students “exiled” from the Melkonian and now enrolled at other private schools has been concluded successfully
After the unilateral and illegal decision of the AGBU to close the Melkonian Educational Institute, the AGBU decided to selectively provide a tuition subsidy to students enrolled only in the top two classes before the closure, leaving all other students financially exposed and at the risk of losing their education because of their inability to pay the new fees at private schools.
The Alumni Association petitioned the Government in September 2004 to provide aid to all the students affected by the closure, but the Ministry of Finance only considered the case of 11 Armenian Cypriot students. The issue was successfully resolved following a Council of Ministers decision notified to us in October 2006.
We would like to thank Dr. Vahakn Atamyan, the former Armenian Representative at the House, and Mr George Perdikis, MP and General Secretary of the Environmentalists Movement, for their support.
We would like to express particular thanks to Mr. Vartkes Mahdessian, the present-day Armenian Representative, for his help and support throughout the past seven months, and specially for the speed and effectiveness with which he helped to overturn a negative opinion within the Finance Ministry and his subsequent lobbying at the Ministry of Education and the Council of Ministers Secretariat, which paved the way for the successful conclusion of this matter.
The Melkonian Alumni Association of Cyprus would also like to thank the Government of Cyprus, President Tassos Papadopoulos, the Ministers of Education, Finance and Interior, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Interior officials and all the political parties for their continued support at the present juncture of the ongoing court case as well as throughout the struggle in Cyprus and abroad to overturn the unjust decision of the AGBU to close the Melkonian.

ARTSAGANG in pdf click here
Read Artsagang - the community's 16 page Armenian newspaper in pdf - Click here

Sports

* AYMA/HMEM lost to DASIKES 0-3 and count one draw and three defeats in the Second Division of the Cyprus Amateur Football Championship.
* Christos Makkashis & Simon Aynedjian defeated Michalis Kyprianides & Nicos Damianou 6-0, 6-3 in the first round of the +35 doubles event of the Cyprus National Championships. All results and schedules at cyprustennis dot com
*
In the First Division of the Cyprus Futsal Championships on November 7, AGBU Ararat defeated Omonia Target 6-4, with scorers Igor Dassaev(2), Serge Nazaretyan (2), Armen Danielyan and Panikos Pourgouris.
*
Armenia play Finland in Helsinki and Cyprus welcome Germany at GSP in Nicosia today Wednesday for the qualifications of the European Cup qualifications.
*
Gary Lockett will make the second defence of his WBU (World Boxing Union)middleweight crown against Roman Aramian at Newport Sports Centre on Saturday, 18 November. Aramian, 23, who was born in Armenia but has German nationality, has 19 wins from a 26-fight career with 13 KOs. The "Armenian Warrior" has won his last six fights, five by stoppages.

Zaruhi Harutyunyan arrives in the United States
A new challenge has began for Zaruhi Harutyunyan, who will be testing her strokes on the pro tour in the United States, after her successes in 2006 saw her jump from 1245 to the top 200 that included five ITF championships, two of them in Turkey.
We will keep you updated of her progress through the pages of this e-magazine.
We urge our readers - specially in the United States - to drum up support for her and make her dream of success their own.

CONTRIBUTE TO ZARUHI'S WORLD TOUR
Laiki Bank Strovolos Industrial Area, Stavrou 96 I, 2034, Strovolos:
Account No. 101-08-037631 for Zaruhi Harutyunyan under Simon Aynedjian
International transfers at IBAN CY30 0030 0101 0000 0101 0803 7631
Swift Code address LIKICY2N

g i b r a h a y c a l e n d a r & e v e n t s

*
Wednesday 15 November, at 7:00 pm (UK time) - Our own Prof. Hovhannes Pilikian is invited to appear LIVE London time, on SKY 813 as one of three guests for a panel discussion on the important TV programme titled "Politics and Beyond" (Producer: Sarah Perreau) about the present crisis in the war-torn Middle East - The same can be viewed simultaneously on the website
www.islamchannel.tv which will also be repeated on Friday 17 November at 4pm.
*
Wednesday November 15 at 10:30 pm - Marie Louise Kouyoumdjian sings every Wednesday at Enallax Club in the old city of Nicosia, with the resident rock band.
*
Thursday November 16 at 8:00 pm - Annual General Meeting of AYMA/HMEM.
*
Saturday November 18 at 6:00 pm - Opening of the 10th Book Exhibition organised by the Armenian Prelature of Cyprus with the participation of Moufflon Bookstore. Speaker: Maral Oknaian, at the Utudjian Hall of the Armenian Prelature. The Book Exhibition will be open to the public every day from 9 am - 1pm, and 5 pm -7pm except weekends, until November 28 and will also be repeated in the towns of Limassol and Larnaca.
*
Saturday 18 November 8:30 pm - The Pharos Trust and its President Garo Keheyian present a song recital with Bolshoi Opera and Covent Garden soprano Marina Poplavskaya and pianist Julian Gallant, 2006, at the PASYDY Auditorium in Nicosia. The evening’s programme comprises works by Ravel, Rachmaninov and Shostakovich.
*
Saturday November 18 at 9:30 pm - Marie Louise Kouyoumdjian sings every Saturday at the Palm Beach Hotel in Larnaca.
*
Wednesday, 22 November, 2006 at 7:30 pm - Opening of Painting Exhibition of Vartan Tashdjian by His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs Yiorgos Lillikas at The Cyprus Hilton in Nicosia.
*
Wednesday November 22 - 24 - Official visit of President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan to Cyprus. Parallel to the state visit, the office of the Armenian Representative in the Cyprus Parliament Vartkes Mahdessian released the details of the meetings that President Kocharyan will have with members of the Armenian community of Cyprus as follows:
Friday November 24
6:00 - 7:00 pm - Meeting with President Robert Kocharyan with Temagan & Varchagan Bodies.
7:00 pm - President Kocharyan will talk and answer questions to members of our community at The Sourp Asdvadzadzin Church - Nicosia
8:30 pm - Dinner in Honour of President Kocharyan at The Hilton Park - Nicosia. Entrance: 13.00 Cyp. Tickets can be obtained from the Armenian Prelature 22439560 and The office of the Armenian Representative 22454540 between 16-22 November, 2006. Seats are limited and will be provided on a first come first serve basis. Tickets can also be obtained in Limassol from Haro Kassabian on 25722977 and Ara Basdadjian on 25331175 and in Larnaca from Der Mashdots Ashkarian on 99465919 and Avedis Avedissian on 99445784.
*
Saturday November 25 at 4:00 pm - Preparation of Madagh at Nareg School
*
Sunday November 25 at 9:45 am - Badarak, Madaghorhnoutioun and Karoz dedicated to Sourp Asdvadzadzin Church.
*
Sunday November 26, at 4:00 pm - Armenian Relief Society (HOM) Sossee Chapter Annual Charity Tea / Bazaar at Holiday Inn in Nicosia.
*
Wednesday 29 November, at 7:45 pm - Panel Discussion organised by the Social Democratic Party of Cyprus at the Utudjian Hall. Panelists are Kevork Zeitountsyan, Stepan Haroutyounian, Levon Arakelian.
*
Friday December 1 - Architect of Sound Multi-Media Encounter The Life and Music of Iannis Xenakis, at the Pasydy Auditorium, Nicosia, Cello performance by Rohan de Saram, Presentation with image and text by Nouritza Matossian.
*
Saturday December 2, at 5:00 pm - The Armenian Evangelical Church Service will take place in the Greek Evangelical Church, 20 Gladstone street - Nicosia.
*
Saturday December 2, at 8:00 pm - Jashgerouyt / Khrakhjank at AYMA with resident Armenian Band.
*
Saturday December 2 - Screening of BBC2 Documentary "Something Rich and Strange" and DVD screening of "The Legend of Er" introduced by Nouritza Matossian at the ARtos Foundation, Nicosia.
*
Monday December 4 - Illustrated Lecture: Xenakis, Architect of Chaos. Matossian relaunches her acclaimed book with an illustrated lecture to demonstrate the unity of Xenakis' architecture and musical radicalism.at the newly formed Architecture department at the University of Cyprus, Nicosia.
*
Tuesday December 5 - "XENAKIS" by Nouritza Matossian, Book signing and Reception at the British Council, Nicosia.
*
Saturday December 9, 9:00pm - HMM/Nor Serount Ball with singer Mher Chaparian & band from Lebanon at "Sakara" Restaurant in Nicosia. Entrance 10 CYP. For tickets contact 99644854 or 99896685.
*
Tuesday December 12, at 8:00 pm - Musical Evening by Zakar and Camila Keshishian (flute and piano) organised by Hamazkayin's Cyprus Oshagan Chapter at Kasteliotissa Hall in Nicosia.
*
Monday December 25 at 9:00 pm - AYMA / HMEM Annual Ball at the Cyprus Hilton - Nicosia. Details to follow.

YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS
Gibrahayer e-magazine has been circulating since 1999 on a weekly basis free of charge. Furthermore any contributions made to the e-magazine, has been directed to a worthy cause.
Due to increasing and recurring costs, Gibrahayer e-magazine is unable to continue its regular weekly e-publication and therefore the Editorial Board will be accepting your contributions to ensure its continuity.
To ensure transparency, all contributions will be published, unless anonymity is requested.
At the same time, we will continue assisting young Armenians in sports and the arts and we will continue supporting the efforts of rising Armenian tennis star Zaruhi Harutyunyan. It was through the generous support that came from our readers, that enabled Zaruhi Harutyunyan to travel, and win five ITF events in 2006 under the colours of Armenia. As she prepares for her American tour, we are grateful for the new contributions that are coming in, as published below.

To the Zaruhi Harutyunyan
Tennis Fund:


To Gibrahayer e-magazine:
Clarifications: The contributions of Ayda Kevorkian V.Ozinian & K.Kevorkian of France made to Gibrahayer E-Magazine, has been made in memory of Shake Manougian.
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