By Harut SassounianPublisher, The California Courierwww.TheCaliforniaCourier.comSeveral weeks ago, Sarkis Assadourian, a former Member of the Canadian Parliament, informed me that at his request Parliamentarian Judy Sgro had nominated Pope Francis for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize.In her nomination letter, MP Sgro praised His Holiness for crafting "a papacy of inclusion, openness and reform." She described the Pope as "an inspirational force for good" and "a symbol of hope.... From his efforts at reconciliation ...

By Harut SassounianPublisher, The California Courierwww.TheCaliforniaCourier.comOn the occasion of the 24th anniversary of Armenia’s independence, I had the honor of delivering the keynote address at the celebration organized by the Armenian Consulate in Glendale, California. Here are excerpts from my remarks reflecting on some of the accomplishments since independence, and the challenges that still lie ahead.The most remarkable achievement in the early years of the Armenian Republic was the liberation ...

By Harut SassounianPublisher, The California Courierwww.TheCaliforniaCourier.comOn Sept. 11, after years of persistent diplomatic efforts, the Republic of Armenia succeeded in having the United Nations General Assembly adopt by consensus a generic resolution on all genocides.Introduced by Armenia and co-sponsored by 83 other nations, the resolution establishes December 9 as the “International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime.” ...

By Harut SassounianPublisher, The California Courierwww.TheCaliforniaCourier.comTurkey has not only refused to join its NATO allies in fighting against ISIS, but has trained, armed and facilitated the infiltration of thousands of terrorists into Syria and Iraq.The British Guardian reported that, in May when U.S. Special Forces raided the compound of ISIS leader Abu Sayyaf in Eastern Syria and killed him, documents seized during the raid revealed Ankara’s close collaboration with ISIS. Hundreds of ...

By Harut SassounianPublisher, The California Courierwww.TheCaliforniaCourier.comThe latest report of The Human Freedom Index for 152 countries gives Armenia a surprisingly high score. The study was conducted jointly by the Cato Institute, Washington, D.C.; Fraser Institute, Vancouver, Canada; and Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, Berlin, Germany. The 108-page comprehensive report ranks countries according to personal, civil, and economic freedoms enjoyed by their citizens.The rankings are ...

By Harut SassounianPublisher, The California Courierwww.TheCaliforniaCourier.comThousands of articles have been published worldwide in the recent weeks exposing Turkey’s strategic trickery -- using the pretext of fighting ISIS to carry out a genocidal bombing campaign against the Kurds who have courageously countered ISIS in Syria and Iraq.The Wall Street Journal reported on August 12 that a senior US military official accused Turkey of deceiving the American government by allowing its use of Incirlik ...

By Harut SassounianPublisher, The California Courierwww.TheCaliforniaCourier.comIt is ironic that in this modern age of technology and abundance of information at the fingertips of everyone with an electronic device, it is becoming increasingly difficult, and sometimes impossible, to distinguish fact from fiction.The Internet, with its vast resources on every conceivable subject, can be a blessing or a curse when one is trying to discern the authenticity of a particular article.

By Harut SassounianPublisher, The California Courierwww.TheCaliforniaCourier.comThe last thing Donald Trump needs these days is one more controversy. Then again, Trump thrives on controversy and most probably would welcome any publicity -- positive or negative -- as long as his name is in the headlines.Due to his prominent name and bluntness, Trump is leading the large field of 17 Republican candidates for President of the United States, according to the latest national polls.

By Harut SassounianPublisher, The California Courierwww.TheCaliforniaCourier.comLast month, only after losing his party’s parliamentary majority, President Erdogan realized that there are dangerous terrorists in neighboring Syria who are a threat to Turkey’s security.Ironically, these are the same terrorists that Ankara has been arming, assisting their infiltration into Syria, and having them treated in Turkish hospitals. It is estimated that as many as 25,000 foreign and 1,000 Turkish Jihadists ...

By Harut SassounianPublisher, The California Courierwww.TheCaliforniaCourier.comTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has completely destroyed his credibility by making numerous bizarre claims in recent years.For example, Erdogan told a group of Latin American Muslims visiting Istanbul last year that Muslim Pilgrims discovered America over 300 years before Christopher Columbus:“It is alleged that the American continent was discovered by Columbus in 1492. In fact, Muslim sailors reached the American ...