Bloggers are debating this modification of a holiday that honors the European explorer Christopher Columbus for “discovering” America in 1492.

First Landing of Columbus on the Shores of the New World. Painting by Discoro Téofilo de la Puebla.

Some celebrate the Brown change as a form of acknowledgment of the genocide of America's indigenous peoples; others denounce what one conservative blogger sees as, “Idiot College Liberals Ruin[ing] Another Holiday.”

Conversation Nation details the name change:

Hey Christopher Columbus, what can Brown do for you? They can take your name off a holiday.

The faculty at Brown University voted to drop the name Columbus Day after protests from a Native American student group on campus

The fall school holiday will now be known as the more generic “Fall Weekend” The faculty has control over the academic calendar and Brown officials don't plan to intervene

Some Native American groups maintain Columbus Day should not be celebrated, citing his “violent mistreatment of Native Americans”

Officials from Italian American groups in Providence slammed the decision telling The Providence Journal that Columbus should be recognized as a hero who discovered America

[…]

It's a federal holiday but several states and some other colleges have changed the name. Should they?

“Ignatius Reilly”, writing on Right Pundits, says:

[…]

I have news for Brown University students: most of the Founding Fathers owned slaves, Lincoln mistreated his wife, Malcolm X was a complete sexist, Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy were womanizers, and ALL of them were completely unacceptably politically incorrect by today’s standards. If you want to go down this road and judge people by today’s standards, then we cannot honor anything in America’s past.

Oh, and another thing, Native Americans went to war with and conquered each other, and also treated women really badly, so we can’t really celebrate them either […]. After all, life sucks.

[…]

Responding to another critique of the change, Left of Boston comments:

[…]

Columbus… enslaved and raped the people who he encountered in Central America and brought disease, as many of the other explorers did. Those are the facts, they're well documented […].

[…]

Columbus Day is an occasion where revisionist history prevails. We try to see him in a positive light to cover up what he actually did. He did not actually discover America (there were several who had before him), so the premise of why we have Columbus Day is interesting to consider.

[…]

It is possible to see this as “political correctness,” but when we celebrate someone who enslaved people - there's no reason to be politically correct.

[…]

Reform Wollongong City Council, a blog from Australia, writes:

On Friday 3 April 2009 the Australian government, on behalf of Australia’s people, endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

And top marks to the Rudd government for doing what the Howard government found to be inconsistent with their 1950s vision for Australia!

[…]

Open Your Eyes News, though, seems unimpressed: “Tragically this is just a symbolic PR exercise to further boost Government ratings.”

But a blog from New Zealand, Big News, is encouraged:

[…]

Australia was one of just four countries to vote against [the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples] in 2007, joining the United States, New Zealand and Canada.

Now, wonder if New Zealand will adopt UNDRIP and reverse its decision like Australia has done? Should it?

Though the Declaration is non-binding, NZ's endorsement would signal to the international community this country is serious about commitment to Indigenous Rights. So it has a political effect, not a legal effect.

[…]

My Blogian comments on the news.

The ex-Soviet Georgia doesn’t need virgins for holy conception. Instead, in order to boost population growth, Georgia’s holy father has promised to personally baptize every child born to a family with already two kids.

[…]

Wu Wei adds her opinion.

The BBC is busy wittering on about the Patriarch increasing the birthrate in Georgia, by his own personal efforts. Not by the usual methods (no nephews or nepotism) but by offering to be Godfather to any baby born this year. The Georgians, being a religious lot, have taken this seriously and upped the birthrate this year.

[…]

American Papist is more than encouraged.

I like ending the news week on a high note. It doesn't get much better than this:

[…]

Imagine if American Bishops made that same promise to families in their diocese?

Although couples now marry at a later age than before, some traditions have been slow to change in Christian Armenia. One custom, for example, expects women — but not men — to remain virgins until their wedding night.

However, a recent rally to mark International Women’s Day after which red apples were buried, a symbol of the bride losing her virginity, has prompted intense discussion in the Armenian blogosphere.

While some argue that the action by the feminist movement is long overdue, others consider it an external attack on the main foundation of local culture – the family.

The first post on the rally and the tradition appeared on the OTL Blog three weeks earlier.

[…] While not everyone practices this tradition, as there are different types of classes, families, interests and localities in Armenia, everyone knows of The Red Apple.

When one thinks of it for a few seconds, this is the piercing of a “fruit” by a very phallic and deadly tool. This is a celebration of the woman loosing her hymen. […] The rite itself may be “cute” but the symbols are clearly violent and patriarchal […]

Writing on the Frontline Club blog, Global Voices Online Caucasus Editor Onnik Krikorian, posts photographs and detailed coverage of the event which sparked the discussion.

[…] the day was not without its incidents. A group of pro-government bloggers, for example, turned up to mock the event. […] One even said that he believed such marches should be illegal. “Let them march and the next thing you know, narcotics addicts will want to stage their own demonstrations too,” he said.

Equating narcotics use to women’s rights was a little strange, I pointed out, but he remained unconvinced. “It’s not about women’s rights,” he responded. “It’s about destroying Armenian culture and tradition.”

[…]

[…] Meanwhile, one small group of activists tried to change something and educate the population that International Women’s Day should be more than about simply handing out flowers.

One of those male bloggers who brought online activism into real-life by infiltrating the female rally was Pigh [Ru] who details how the group counter-protested the march and also takes exception to those covering the march as well as the presence of ethnic Armenians from the Diaspora.

Окромя нас там были еще несколько волосатых представителей армянской диаспоры с шпионом блогером Оником и скучающая журналистка телекомпании “Шант” ,которая пыталась взять у нас интервью,заливаясь истерическим смехом.

[…]

Процессия медленно выдвигалась в сторону проспекта Баграмян под радостный крики-«Пайкар,пайкар минчев секс!!!», «Узум енк!!!», «Хима»!!!!
Нервы одной из участниц…не выдержали.

«Фашисты,фашисты»-закричала она.
«Где этот Пих?!!!»…

Инферно они вообще по пути обещали уничтожить вместе с красным яблоком. Женский феминизм-это будет похуже ядерной.[…]

The action and counter-action did at least encourage discussion of the issues involved. Commenting on the Frontline Blog post, Zepani agrees with keeping the tradition.

The tradition of virginity bears some meaning in it. There are far reaching repercussions to having sex before marriage, and the aim of the tradition is to prevent certain consequences it can have if practiced otherwise - sexually transmitted diseases, pills that destroy the hormonal balance,unexpected pregnancy, abortions… which all affects the health.

However, another comment on the Frontline Club blog reminds readers that the custom is one-sided and also notes that many other traditions have long since died out.

There is a simple argument here - either one accepts men and women are equal in dignity, or one does not. If a man is expected to lose his virginity before getting married, and a woman is supposed to keep hers, there is something fundamentally wrong and illogical […]

We like to talk about our ‘ancestral traditions'. Well, in pagan times, one of those traditions was that a newlywed bride had to sleep with most of the male members of her new family straight after marriage. Or that virgins were sent to the temple of Astghik to work as prostitutes. Perhaps we could resurrect those ‘traditions' as well?

A conservative female blogger, Noni-no, says those against the tradition are fighting something that doesn't really exist.

Բայց, ես՝ ծնվածս օրվանից Հայաստանում ապրողս ու կյանքիս մեջ գումարային ընդամենը մի քանի ամիս երկրիցս բացակայածս, այսինքն, ազգիս կենցաղի մեծագույն ցնցումները բաց չթողածս, էսքան ժամանակ չեմ հիշում մի դեպք…. ի տես հարևանների։
Սա ավելի շատ բերանից բերան փոխանցվող միֆ է, ստացվում է։
Ու ստացվում է, որ ֆեմինիստները որոշել են կռվել աներևույթ ուժերի…հետ։

Another commenter on the Frontline Club blog disagrees and says that many of those opposed to the rally are missing the point.

[…] i think the aim of the march was to raise questions regarding women’s rights and their choices in general, and those issues are not really so different – the red apple is just the ceremony of celebrating no choice! because while virginity and purity may be celebrated by two lovers, i don’t see what exactly is being celebrated by the neighbors, relatives, and the wider public […]

The Armenian Observer agrees and says it is time for changing a tradition that is no longer practical.

Admittedly, the ‘red apple’ made perfect sence in the old days when the tradition was instituted. We all know, that in old Armenia young people would get married when they were just kids, at the age of 13-15 years. Hence, keeping virginity at least to that age made perfect sence and was even necessary.

Today, as the modern society and the need to get education have shifted the age for marraige by at least 10 years, and when young people get married at 23-25 at most cases, often even later, the requirement for young girls to remain virgins has become dangerous for their health.

Of course, the online virginity debate did not start with the March 2009 protest. One entry detailing discussion on the matter by young Armenians was posted on the blog of a Norwegian Red Cross volunteer in 2007.

Sargis Bashikyan (18), the only boy participating in this debate, argued that girls should wait until marriage because of the Armenian tradition called “The Red Apple”. […]

- Girls should not have sex before marriage, because they should save their body for the man they marry, says Metaqsya Yeghiazaryan (20).

She thinks that Armenian girls are more respected if they are virgins before they marry.

But Nelly Movsesyan (20) did not agree with Sargis and Mataqsya, and argued that boys and girls should decide themselves when they wanted to have sex.

A year earlier, other posts were made on the Oneworld Multimedia blog as well as by a local female blogger on New Eurasia. Comments have also been appearing on Wedding.am since February 2008. One comment by a male user said:

…ete tenc mexadrum ek axchiknerin aj suti lav txerk ba duk xi ek levi gnum…?

Photos: Burying the Red Apple, International Women's Day, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian, licensed under Creative Commons

Survival International's campaign to Stamp Out racism against tribal people

The campaign against using terms like “primitive people” and “stone age” is headed by Survival International. Its Stamp It Out project asks supporters to be on the lookout for derogatory descriptions of tribal peoples in the media, and send postcards or e-cards to editor via their website.

Survival International Blog details the recent discussion in UK media about reporting on indigenous peoples:

British newspaper The Independent today carried a prominent opinion piece from Survival’s director, Stephen Corry. Since former BBC man Michael Buerk put his foot in it, global debate on the use of terms like ‘primitive’ to describe tribal peoples has reached a new pitch.

[…]The Guardian and The Observer papers now warn against the use of terms like ‘primitive’ and ’stone-age’ in their renowned style guide.

The Wild Hunt, a blog by “committed polytheist” Jason Pitzl-Waters, informs:

Survival’s “Stamp It Out” campaign was recently successful in convincing British newspapers The Guardian and The Observer to ban the terms ‘primitive’ and ‘Stone Age’ to describe tribal peoples.

Commenting on Pitzl-Waters' post, Here In The Cave of Wonder writes:

“Primitive” and “Stone Age” both come from an outdated concept of evolution. There are no living “primitive” life forms or people. Evolut[i]on is merely a means of adapting to one's environment, not a ladder, so there is no way to progress from “primitive” to “advanced”.

[…]

In short, these terms are really just a kind of 19th century ethnocentrism/anthropocentrism that was rejected by scientists and anthropologists many years ago as being a scientifically inaccurate.

An A1Plus video of the start of the March 1, 2009 commemoration-protest

Unzipped, a moderate pro-opposition blogger, remembers the events of last year.

1 year on… We have yet to hear from the Armenian authorities a simple “Sorry” and “My condolences” for all 10 people who died on 1 March 2008…

[…]

Ditord was concerned a few weeks ago that the commemoration might not be so peaceful.

[…] [L]ooks like we’re in for an unsanctioned rally on March 1. Let’s hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst…

Fortunately, as Global Voices Online's Caucasus editor wrote on the Frontline Club blog, the day ended peacefully.

[…] security was high with reports of some roads into the capital being blocked by police and busloads of riot police parked close to the presidential palace. Water cannon trucks were also to be seen close to the Yerevan opera although police were not decked out in riot gear at the Matenadaran itself.

[…]

With the exception of one brief moment of tension when a crack squad of special police forces intervened in some incident during the march, the day passed without incident. […]

The blog of A1Plus [AM], a banned pro-opposition TV station, agrees and offers its own observation.

[…] ըստ ընդհանուր պատկերի, առանձնահատուկ զսպվածությամբ էին գործում ինչպես հանրահավաքի մասնակիցները, այնպես էլ ոստիկանության աշխատակիցները:

But Mark Grigorian [Ru], an Armenian journalist in exile, reminds his readers that many questions remain unanswered.

– Насколько конституционным было объявление чрезвычайного положения?

– Использовалась ли армия против демонстрантов (использование армии внутри страны противоречит Конституции)?

– Кто приказал стрелять?

– Кто стрелял?

– Кто убил?

– Какова степень личной ответственности разных людей из обоих лагерей в случившемся и, в первую очередь, в гибели людей.

– Какова степень институтциональной ответственности властей и оппозиции в случившемся?

Later in the day, Unzipped made a second post on the 1 March 2008 violence:

Despite unprecedented tragic consequences, restrictions of civil liberties, political prisoners, the movement had resulted in some important positive developments. It was an awakening for the society in hibernation for more than a decade. Number of genuine, albeit small, civil groups and initiatives were developed, particularly among youth, aimed at democratisation of our society.

For me, one of the main positive outcomes of the movement was the fact that Armenian government, authorities, started paying more attention to public opinion. […]

The day after Day.az was closed, user Zaur at Web Designers Blog commented on the importance of the forum.

Скорее всего это связанно с референдумом который намечается на 18 Марта, какое совпадение, ровно через месяц! … блокирование ресурса в котором могло отразится массовое недовольство граждан(пользователей портала) Азербайджана с …референдумом…

Writing for the Amnesty International USA Blog before Day.az reopened on February 26, I also noted some of the forum’s controversial moves.

One of the most popular online portals in the entire former Soviet Union, the Russian-language forum at Day.az has had thousands of active users. One of the hottest sections of the forum has been “Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

In November 2004, as a Russian-language Armenian forum user reported at the time, the administration of the Day.az forum promoted its first Armenian moderator, Arthur, giving him the privilege to delete/edit offensive and/or unrelated content from discussions.

The appointment was indeed unprecedented, as the Russian-language announcement from the Day.az forum administrator explained […]

Another, more recent, controversial move at the forum has been the creation of a private section where users with over 500 posts could discuss and post adult content.

[…]

Considering the various messages left on the site's front page following its disappearance, many of which contradicted earlier notices saying the whole project was closed, readers such as Arzu at Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines are still confused.

- If there were plans to sell the portal form the very beginning then why it wasn't explained or announced when the website first shut down and even before it was going to shut down? The editors could have continued working while the management changed hands?
- Why was it all kept in dark and on the website it said it was closed for technical reasons? Does changing management of the website has technical sides to it?

I don't know the answers but maybe soon it will become clear?

For now, if many were sure the site would no longer be the same when it was announced that site would reappear, Global Voices Online's Ali S. Novruzov comments on his earlier Frontline Club post that the absence of the forum is the most noticeable change.

Day.az reopened today, but its famous forum has been divorced from it and moved to 600min.az, a former sister site of former day.az. […]

But while some wonder if the forum might have been one of the reasons for Day.az's disappearance, many questions about its initial disappearance still remain unanswered.

On February 6, 2009, YouTube user TugUrartu posted the video with the following description:

On January 20, we went to Khosrov's preserve on a trip. On our way back we saw how a forest guard is killing animals, saying ‘it's a stupid animal, it destroys forests' oaks.’ He ignored our pleas …

The short video shows the forester firing fourteen shots at the running boar. The female cameraman even offers money to the forester to no avail. A day after the video was uploaded, a moderator of an Armenian environmental group on Facebook sent the following message to members:

The head of foresters KILLS WILD ANIMALS
… to protect the Khosrov reserved forest

“it's a stupid animal damaging the trees” says the head of foresters

Reserved Forest? Sl[a]ughter house? Place for having Fun?….

What is KHOSROV RESERVED FOREST NOW?

Who are the real protectors of it? In whose hands is it? How many animals still exist in the place called RESERVED FOREST”?

[…]
Lets protect our rights to live in HARMONY with NATURE~~”

The message, which was also posted on a few blogs, asked supporters to contact Armenia’s Ministry of Nature Protection and provided the relevant phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

The following day the environmentalist blog Bnamard [AM] wondered if the incident wasn't part of a powerful politician's development project as it detailed in another entry.

Հայկական մամուլը ժամանակին գրեց, որ Հայաստանի մի բարձրաստիճան պաշտոնյա Խոսրովի անտառում ռեստորանա-հյուրանոցային համալիր է կառուցում, ոչնչացնելով անտառի մի մասը: Թերեւս, անտառապետը հրահանգ է ստացել անտառին զուգահեռ ոչնչացնել նաեւ այնտեղ բնակվող հատուկենտ “ախմախ կենդանիներին”:

Bnamard later reported that the forester was punished.

Տուգանք մեկ միլիոն դրամ, աշխատանքից հեռացում..

[…]

Արգելոցի գլխավոր պետին և տեղակալին խիստ նախազգուշացում
[…]

ի դեպ սա բնապահպանության նախարարության թեժ գիծն է…51 91 82…, բայց չմոռանաք հայտնել ևս մի քանի լրատվամիջոցների[….]

Indeed, without the video evidence, it is unlikely that justice would have been served at all.

UNESCO Map of Languages at Risk

Iglesia Descalza, a librarian, blogs:

As someone who loves languages, I am chagrined to read the news coming out of UNESCO's presentation of the updated Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing. According to the Atlas, unveiled on the eve of International Mother Language Day (21 February), nearly 200 languages have fewer than 10 speakers and 178 others have between 10 and 50 speakers.

The data shows that out of the 6,000 languages currently in existence, over 200 have died out over the last three generations, 538 are critically endangered, 502 severely endangered, 632 definitely endangered and 607 unsafe.

As the last remaining speakers of a language pass away, the language itself dies. The language of Manx in the Isle of Man died out in 1974 when Ned Maddrell, the last speaker, passed away while Eyak, in Alaska, United States, met its demise last year with the death of Marie Smith Jones.

[…]

We need to prize bio-diversity, cultural and racial diversity, and linguistic diversity because we lose too much by becoming homogenized into one big, white, English-speaking society.

While disappearing languages are mostly those of indigenous peoples faced with globalization and state-nationalism, Daniel Moving Out, a blog by a Portugal native now in the UK, says not all “unofficial” languages are dying out:

[…]

The Galician sounds like a cross between Spanish and Portuguese, somewhat like a dialect originated from the second and enriched with vocabulary and accent of the first. The language is originated from the Galician-Portuguese of medieval times, and it was spoken at all the County of Portucale. […]

This week, the Unesco atlas of world languages was released, regarding Galician as a strong language among those that are not the main languages of any country. It receives protection from the Castilian (common Spanish) from being geographically close to Portugal.

[…]

The blog, nonetheless, summarizes some of the worst data:

[…]

199 languages have less than a dozen of native speakers. In Indonesia, the 4 remaining speakers of Lengilu talk within [themselves]; the Karaim in Ukraine is kept by only 6 people. Over than 200 different languages have disappeared in the last 3 generations. The Manx, from the Isle of Man, here in the UK died with the last native speaker in 1974.

But not everyone is concerned with disappearing languages. Commenting on TED blog, user Magnus Lindkvist says:

[…] Why do we insist on romanticizing ancient languages that arguably noone wants to speak anymore? What about the hundreds of new programming languages that have sprung up in the past decades? Or the infinite variations of English that people are adopting and “remixing” to make their own around the world? These are real languages and show a lot more vitality than Manx and Tirahi.

Abdullah Waheed, a native speaker of Dhivehi – an “official” language yet one with not many speakers in Maldives – explains in one example why language preservation matters:

[…]

Dhivehi language is absolutely vital to the identity of Maldivians as a people and Maldives as a country, because it is the only feature we all share and which few others have. It is a strategic factor in our advances towards sustainable development and the harmonious coordination of our affairs.
Far from being a field reserved for writers, Dhivehi lies at the heart of all social, economic and cultural life. Dhivehi does matter to all of us. It matters when we want to promote cultural diversity, and fight illiteracy, and it matters for quality education, including teaching in the first years of schooling. It matters in the fight for greater social inclusion, for creativity, economic development and safeguarding indigenous knowledge.

[…]

The official campaign website is www.dotindigi.com, with support groups on Facebook and Google. The Dot Indigi project is headed by New Zealand’s native Maori activist Karaitiana Taiuru, who was appointed by the International Indigenous Task Force to lead the project. Mr. Taiuru was the first to break the news on February 5:

[…]

.indigi is a self governing generic Top Level Domain Name for the international Indigenous Peoples population to participate in their own self governing domain name.

[…]

Today we officially begun our publicity campaign[…]

Indigenous People's Issues Today gives more details about the project:

The Dot Indigi organization will apply to ICANN [Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers] for a new gTLD < .indigi> (or other if the community suggest a different version) to represent all indigenous groups of the world, thus removing the existing indigenous representation issues of the predominantly English DNS. The ability to include non English characters will be a priority at the 2nd and subsequent Levels.

The < .indigi> gTLD will offer registration at the 2nd Level Domain to indigenous organizations who would then govern their own domain name space and resell/distribute 3rd Level Domain names or retain a general project type name at the 2nd Level via the official .indigi registrars. Several other 2nd Level Domains will be made public to cater to indigenous individuals or smaller such groups who cannot justify the expense and set up of their own 2nd Level Domain.

[…]

For example: NZ [New Zealand] Māori may apply for .māori.indigi and create a new set of domain names to accommodate their culture. So say for Māori schools, there could be .kura.māori.indigi . Then Māori schools can have their name at the start of the address.

[…]

Singing to the Plants explains the process:

A top-level domain is the last part of an Internet domain name. The original set of these TLDs, defined in October 1984, is still the most familiar — .com, .edu, .gov, .mil, and .org, to which .net was added in the first implementation of the domain name system. Management of TLDs is in the hands of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which operates under contract to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

Over the years, new TLDs — now called generic TLDs, to distinguish them from, say, country-code TLDs — have been added, and now .aero, .biz, .coop, .info, .museum, .name, and .pro are all operational, even if not widely used. Several additional new gTLDs have been approved in principle, although only .mobi, for the delivery of the Internet to mobile devices, seems to have aroused much interest.

Most important, in June 2008, ICANN approved the recommendation of a new gTLD program which would allow just about any organization to apply to reserve its own gTLD. Under this system, for example, Microsoft could apply for .msn, Google for .google, or New York City for .nyc. The implementation plan for the new system is expected to be published in 2009. The plan must then be approved by the ICANN Board before the system is implemented. ICANN is currently aiming to receive applications for domains starting in the second quarter of 2009.

This new plan is now seen as an opportunity for indigenous peoples to have their own gTLDs — .taino, for example, or .shipibo. But applying for a gTLD requires significant resources of time, money, and expertise.

[…]

With an application fee of $185,000 - money may be the bigest obstacle in this campaign, says consultant Antony Van Couvering:

[…]

Although I applaud the idea and the effort, I admit to being steamed at ICANN that they have allowed a fee structure that blocks new TLDs for these, certainly among the most deserving applicants.
[…]

A slideshow of the February 19, 2009 commemoration in Yerevan, Armenia

Considered a hero by many in Azerbaijan because of the bitter war over the disputed region of Nagorno Karabakh, many Armenians instead argue that Safarov's act proves the two peoples can never live side by side again. Posting a commemorative banner with Margarian’s face, Noni-no reflects on the incident.

Any time I see this face I shudder. I shudder to realize the fact that this guy was murdered in such brutality and by a cold-blooded animal.

One wants to speak out, to say how one feels, but the words are really not enough….

[…]

517 Design [RU] posts photographs from the official commemoration held in Yerevan and comments on attempts by some Azeris to turn the killer into a hero.

Сегодня Рамиль Сафаров сидит с пожизненнымм сроком в Будапеште…. На родине у себя его успешно возвели в ранг национального героя за то что тот убил армянина. Поиск дать если в сети «Рамиль Сафаров», дает огромное колличество сайтов, видео на ютюбе призывающих либо освободить его вовсе, либо же экстрадировать в Баку, где естественно тот будет незамедлительно отпущен на свободу…

Although some prominent Azeris spoke out against attempts to glorify Safarov, and while the authorities in Baku did disperse and prevent small rallies in his support, Kevork quotes from some of those who didn't.

[…] A drafted soldier or a committed volunteer fighter is different from an insane “patriot”, who [Azerbaijan officer Ramil Safarov] makes his way to Budapest, to find the Tesco supermarket for one reason only: “I feel sorry that I haven’t killed any Armenian” and put as simple as: “The only motivation for me for fight against Armenians and to kill as many as possible in the fight”.

[…] such people as the ones responcible for Human Rights issues from safarov's home republic declare : “r. safarov must become an example of patriotism for the Azerbaijani youth.” Elmira Suleymanova, the Ombudswoman of Azerbaijan.

[…] Let alone interesting literary characters such as Agshin Mehdiyev, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe with his wise advise to the infidel Armenians, the guy: “does not advise Armenians to sleep safely until the Karabakh conflict is settled. Incidents like in Budapest cannot be ruled out.”

I am not sure that every single person from Azerbaijan could or would do the same and I am also not sure it is impossible to find someone in Armenia who would do so too. What I want to be sure about is that the society in the neighboring state does not accept this rotten food of the state-run policy of kill them, because then you get … I dont really know what exactly they get. […]

Rest in peace, Gurgen.

Bloggers in the two neighboring countries naturally wondered who was behind both assassinations. However, even with the murder rate reportedly on the increase in Armenia, Global Voices Online Caucasus editor Onnik Krikorian writes on the new Frontline Club blog that Mheryan's murder was unexpected.

Murders and assassinations are nothing new or surprising here although it's been some time since we've had one as high profile as tonight. In what sounds like a contract hit, the deputy head of police was shot three times in the head outside his apartment in the center of Yerevan. […]

Few other details are known at present — or even about 33-year-old Colonel Gevorg Mherian. Apart from the brief time he spent as presidential adviser on anti-corruption activities, his appointment as deputy head of police in July last year had largely gone unnoticed. However, Mherian had promised to reform the notoriously corrupt passport and visas office (OVIR).

Indeed, it is the lack of notoriety and gossip about Mherian that makes the news so shocking and surprising.

[…]

Unzipped posts photographs and information about the killing, adding that Mheryan “was not involved in any scandalous story, did not have business enterprises like many of his colleagues, was involved in lawmaking and coordination of some corruption-related cases.”

Nazarian, another pro-opposition Armenian blogger, agrees.

Still trying to figure out who whacked Gevorg Mherian. He doesn't seem to be notorious. Maybe that was his mistake. In modern Armenia, you gotta be a bandit if you want to be a successful cop.

He seems to have been involved with the visa and passport regulations. He is also an author of the law that practically banned the right to assembly.

The A1+ Blog [AM] implies government involvement by asking “who gave the order for Gevorg Mherian’s death?” prompting dozens of reactions in several languages. One comment by Septemberi21 reminds readers that Mheryan was involved in the firing the head of OVIR as detailed last year on my Blogian.

However, The Armenian Observer is not sure. Although recognizing the significance of reforms and dismissals in the government body, the blog says the motives for Mheryan's murder remain unclear and confusing.

Admittedly, this murder has caused quite a stirring, I have been getting emails and enquiries from Armenian friends living abroad, asking what’s the story. Well - if you’re asking my opinion - it looks more like vendetta or a trivial case, rather than a big case of corrupt criminals facing the good guys, but media have been paying a disproportionately large amount of attention to this case, perhaps because of lack of any other development in the country. I don’t know. RIP to Mheryan - that’s all I can say for now, hoping for more clarity in the near future.

Meanwhile, there was less commentary on the assassination of Rzayev in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku. However, Thoughts on the Road considered some of the possible motives for his death.

[…]

Not surprisingly, the murder is leading to some serious questions about power struggles within the government. Just because the government is not democratic doesn't mean that it is monolithic. Individual ministries have their own centers of power and compete with one another for influence and resources. Also, the people commanding the different ministries also have different financial interests. The murder could also be the result of some sort of business conflict involved with these financial interests.

The speculation about the assassination is heightened because it comes just a little more than a month before a referendum is to be held that would remove term limits on the president. The murdered general was perceived by many as an ally of the president, responsible for ensuring presidential security.

It is not only democrats who would have a reason for opposing this measure. Anyone who is hoping for a chance at the presidency would also have a reason to oppose this measure.

Considered a hard-liner on resolving the conflict with Armenia over Nagorno Karabakh, Rzayev was also directly involved in the multi-billion dollar acquisition of new military hardware for the country's armed forces. A Fistful of Euros appears aware of the in-fighting that reportedly defines its power structures.

Azerbaijani military politics are murky, to say the least, but this bears watching.

It remains uncertain whether either case will be solved.

Reznet - Reporting from Native America

One project that gives voice to indigenous worldviews is Reznet, a Native American news, information and entertainment website of the University of Montana School of Journalism that also trains and mentors American Indian college students around the country as they prepare for journalism careers.

Reznet features both articles, blogs, and multimedia. Pointing to modern-day applications of indigenous belief systems, particularly in respect of the Earth, one article says that “a Native owned and operated solar energy company” will be producing clean energy products for the U.S. government.

Another post, in the blog section triBaLOG, explains how popular media misrepresentations of Native peoples in Westerns are being challenged by a new wave of animated films like ‘Stories From the Seventh Fire‘ created by Native Americans directors who tell contemporary and traditional tribal stories more accurately.

Rezkast - A native music sharing and video site

Rezkast is a smaller website, created by the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Technology Center that seeks to spread Native American multimedia messages, as an alternative to YouTube. Many of the videos exchanged here are about activism, culture, language and inspiration.

One video that appears on the site takes the popular song by will.i.am based on the words of an Obama speech, and remixes it to show old and new photographs of Native American lives. The video lists the challenges facing America’s indigenous peoples – such as protecting sacred sites and preserving ancient cultures – and concludes, “Yes we can return to tribal greatness.”

Founded in 301 AD, Armenia’s longest surviving institution, the Apostolic Church, is considered the world’s oldest national Christian order. But, over 1,700 years years later, pagan traditions remain alive in the country even if now absorbed into the Christian calendar. While much of the world marked St. Valentine's day, Armenians also celebrated one such tradition — Trndez.

In addition to introducing tourists to another holiday also celebrated in February, the Envoy Hostel Blog provides a background to Trndez and posts some photos of how the day was marked by guests and staff.

Trndez (Candlemas) is another popular Armenian holiday, dating back to pre-Christian times; it was connected with the fire/sun worship and thus coming of the spring and fertility. […] The main partakers of the feast are newly-married and loving couples who jump over the bonfire. It’s believed that the evil will be swept away and happiness will come to people’s homes. The ceremony is followed by traditional songs and dances around the fire. People also light candles from the blessed fire to take them to their places and keep them till the next holiday of Trndez.

Ezhenka [RU] posts a photo of a Trndez fire saying that she was “present today at the charming and remarkable Armenian holiday of Trndez,” during which individuals or couples circle or jump through the flames. Christian or not, Haykuhi [AM] provides her readers with the holiday’s current interpretation.

Տյառնընդառաջ նշանակում է «ելնել Տիրոջն ընդառաջ»: Ժողովուրդն այն անվանում է նաև Տերընդեզ, Տըրընդեզ, Տըրընտես, որոնք «Տերն ընդ ձեզ» արտահայտության ձևափոխված տարբերակներն են:

Հայ Եկեղեցին Տյառնընդառաջը տոնում է փետրվարի 14-ին, Քրիստոսի Ծննդից՝ հունվարի 6-ից քառասուն օր հետո:

Տյառնընդառաջը Հայ Եկեղեցում հանդիսավորապես տոնվել է դեռևս վաղ շրջանում: Այս մասին [է] վկայում… Մովսես Խորենացու Տյառնընդառաջ տոնին նվիրված շարականը:

Armenia.ru [RU] posts a description of the tradition.

Трндез (Տյառնընդառաջ в переводе с армянского — «Встреча с Господом») появился еще в дохристианской — языческой Армении. В те далекие времена армяне поклонялись огню… Смысл праздника был в том, чтобы усилить тепло солнца, воздействуя на холод с помощью огня.

Meanwhile, St. Valentine's Day did not go unnoticed in Armenia with Unzipped: Gay Armenia reporting that a new tradition was also introduced.

To mark Valentine’s day, Brabion Flora Service in Yerevan initiated an unprecedented PR action. They announced that all men who will be at their flora salon at 2 pm local time in swimwear or underwear only, will get a free bouquet. The organisers expected 1 or 2 men to turn up, but there were 10 or so there.[…]

Trndez, Oshagan, Aragatsotn Region, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 1999, Licensed under Creative Commons