Spitting on Christians in Jerusalem raises eyebrows

By Mihran Kalaydjian, CHA

Spitting on Christians in Jerusalem raises eyebrows

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JERUSALEM From his ceramics gallery along Armenian Patriarchate Road, Garo Sandrouni has a sweeping view of one of the Old City of Jerusalem’s longest thoroughfares, stretching from Jaffa Gate deep into the Jewish Quarter.

Jewish worshipers heading to and from the Western Wall jostle for space along the narrow passage with Armenian priests and seminarians, and Sandrouni says about once a week he finds himself breaking up fights between them.

Typically the skirmishes begin when a young yeshiva student spits on or near a group of teenage seminarians, who occasionally respond by beating up their attacker. Several years ago, a young religious man pulled a gun when Sandrouni moved to intervene in a fight.

“Most of the incidents that happen, unfortunately, they happen in front of my store,” said Sandrouni, who more than once has come to the aid of a yeshiva student bloodied after a run-in with a group of seminarians.

“Almost everybody, after the fight, they apologized,” Sandrouni said. “They say, ‘We are sorry. We didn’t know that their reaction would be so strong.’”

Attacks on Christian clergyman in Jerusalem are not a new phenomenon, and may result from an extreme interpretation of the Bible’s injunction to “abhor” idol worshipers. Five years ago, in what many say is the worst incident on record, a crucifix hanging from the neck of the Armenian archbishop, Nourhan Manougian, was broken in the course of an altercation with a yeshiva student who had spit on him.

Christian leaders stress that the problem is not one of Christian-Jewish relations in Israel. Most Israelis, they say, are peaceful and welcoming. In an interview with several Armenian Jerusalemites, they emphasized repeatedly that their relations with the largely religious community in the Old City’s Jewish Quarter are normal.

The assaults, according to George Hintlian, a spokesman for the Armenian community in Jerusalem, are carried out by people from the outside — visitors to Jerusalem from other towns, and even from abroad.

Several people familiar with the issue say the attacks recently have reached epidemic proportions — or at least enough that government officials and Orthodox rabbinic figures have begun to take notice.

A recent meeting between Foreign Ministry officials, the Jerusalem municipality and fervently Orthodox, or haredi, leaders resulted in a statement by Beth Din Tzedek, a haredi rabbinic tribunal, denouncing the phenomenon. In a sign of the ministry’s concern over the issue, both the meeting and the statement were publicized on the Web site of Israel’s diplomatic mission to the Vatican.

“Besides desecrating the Holy Name, which in itself represents a very grave sin, provoking gentiles is, according to our sages — blessed be their holy and righteous memory — forbidden and is liable to bring tragic consequences upon our own community, may God have mercy,” said the statement.

The incident that appears to have gotten the ministry’s attention occurred last September, when a pair of teenage Armenian seminarians reportedly fought with a young yeshiva student who spit on them. Police intervened, arrested the seminarians and referred the matter to the Interior Ministry.

According to Hintlian, the seminarians are now facing deportation — a decision the Armenians have officially protested. Carrying out the order would require the police to seize the boys from their seminary in the Old City, Hintlian said, which likely would result in a public relations disaster.

“It won’t happen easily,” Hintlian said. “They’ll think twice.”

Though they may bear the brunt of the phenomenon, given the proximity of the Armenian and Jewish quarters, cases of spitting are confined neither to Armenian clergy nor the Old City.

Athanasius Macora, a Texas-born Franciscan friar who lives in western Jerusalem, frequently has been the target of spitting during his nearly two decades residing in the Israeli capital.

Macora, whose brown habit easily identifies him as a Christian clergyman, says that while he has not endured any spitting incidents recently, recollections of past incidents started flowing over the course of 30-minute interview.

In a sitting room at Terra Sancta College, where he is the superior, Macora recalled the blond-haired man who spit at him on Agron Street, not far from the U.S. Consulate. Another time, walking with an Armenian priest in the same area, a man in a car opened his window to let the spittle fly. Once it was a group of yeshiva students in the Old City, another time a young girl.

Sometimes the assailants are clad in distinctive haredi garb; other times the attackers are wearing the knitted yarmulkes of the national religious camp. In almost all cases, though, they are young religious men.

A Franciscan church just outside the Old City walls was vandalized recently with anti-Christian graffiti, Macora said.

“I think it’s just a small group of people who are hostile, and a very small group of people,” Macora said. “If I go to offices or other places, a lot of people are very friendly.”

Meanwhile, the Beth Din Tzedek statement, and an earlier one from Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, have impressed the Christians and raised hopes that the spitting may soon end.

“We hope that this problem will be solved one day,” Sandrouni said, “for the sake of mutual coexistence.”

5 Key Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs

By Mihran Kalaydjian, CHA

5 Key Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs

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Entrepreneurship is a popular goal these days, for everyone from Gen Y college grads to mid-career workers looking for a change. But not everyone knows what entrepreneurship really re really cut out for it.

While the notion of “working for yourself” might appeal to you, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve got what it takes to make it in the stressful and challenging world of entrepreneurship. If being your own boss is on your bucket list, take a look first at these five traits of successful entrepreneurs. If they remind you of you, then you’re on the right track!

1. Passion

If you don’t have passion for whatever it is you’re thinking of doing, count yourself out right now. Entrepreneurship is not a path for the lukewarm. It’s too full of ups and downs and setbacks and challenges for anyone who isn’t “all in” to make a successful go of it.

If your passion lies solely in “making lots of money,” I’d also encourage you to try something else. There are plenty of less-risky ventures, from franchise ownership to investing in the stock market, that will require much less blood, sweat, and tears on your part and that have a more proven record of return on investment. Entrepreneurship is a labor of love, and you don’t have the love, you won’t go very far.

2. Drive

Passion and drive are not one and the same. Plenty of people have hobbies they’re passionate about, but that doesn’t mean they’re ready to make a full-time business of them.

Drive is defined as “an innate urge to attain a goal or satisfy a need.” If you love baking but only do it when you feel like it, you may be passionate, but you’ve only got a hobby. If you’re determined to become the boutique bakery in your city and have your name listed on Yelp, and you won’t rest till you get there, you’ve got drive.

Drive is absolutely essential for making a go of whatever business you’re thinking of pursuing. It will help you conquer obstacles, get through long hours and setbacks, and keep moving and improving your products and services. 

3. Self-Discipline 

Contrary to popular daydreams, being your own boss does not equal sleeping in till noon and taking endless vacation days—at least not if you want to run a business that has any chance of success.

When you’re the only one peering over your shoulder, you need to be able to keep yourself on task in the face of distractions, challenges, and the tempting knowledge that you can technically do whatever you want, whenever you want, without getting in any immediate trouble. You have to be able to look at the big picture and realize that cutting corners now will only hurt you down the road. 

4. Flexibility

Entrepreneurs wear many hats. They are accountants, marketers, PR reps, customer service agents, project managers, and more. You need to be willing to dive into all aspects of your business, from the creative to the mundane, in order to create something with traction.

You also have to be willing to learn on the go, as you will never fully be “ready” to run a business, and there will always be new developments and challenges to assimilate and overcome. If you’re not prepared to be a lifelong learner, entrepreneurship may not be for you.

5. A Healthy Dose of Pragmatism

Entrepreneurs are interesting creatures. On the one hand, they often find themselves pursuing goals that seem lofty and unrealistic to those around them—why not just stay with a traditional employer and have a steady paycheck with benefits? On the other hand, they also need to be fully grounded. As much as you believe in your gourmet cupcakes, if customers are telling you a couple of your favorite flavors don’t do it for them, you need to be willing to let them go.

Successful entrepreneurs know how to walk the line between stubborn self-confidence and humble realism. They’re willing to believe in their dreams and pursue them with everything they have, but they’re also willing to change course, pivot, and tweak their plans to align with their circumstances. If you veer too far in one direction or the other, you may not be able to perform the balancing act.

The Ancient Ghost City of Ani

By Mihran Kalaydjian, CHA

The Ancient Ghost City of Ani

Situated on the eastern border of Turkey, across the Akhurian River from Armenia, lies the empty, crumbling site of the once-great metropolis of Ani, known as “the city of a thousand and one churches.” Founded more than 1,600 years ago, Ani was situated on several trade routes, and grew to become a walled city of more than 100,000 residents by the 11th century. In the centuries that followed, Ani and the surrounding region were conquered hundreds of times — Byzantine emperors, Ottoman Turks, Armenians, nomadic Kurds, Georgians, and Russians claimed and reclaimed the area, repeatedly attacking and chasing out residents. By the 1300s, Ani was in steep decline, and it was completely abandoned by the 1700s. Rediscovered and romanticized in the 19th century, the city had a brief moment of fame, only to be closed off by World War I and the later events of the Armenian Genocide that left the region an empty, militarized no-man’s land. The ruins crumbled at the hands of many: looters, vandals, Turks who tried to eliminate Armenian history from the area, clumsy archaeological digs, well-intentioned people who made poor attempts at restoration, and Mother Nature herself. Restrictions on travel to Ani have eased in the past decade, allowing the following photos to be taken.

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Justin Bieber could have Ended up Like Paul Walker

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By Mihran Kalaydjian, CHA

Justin Bieber could have Ended up Like Paul Walker

Justin Bieber poses for his FIRST EVER police mug shot after being arrested for DRAG-RACING in a supercar following a drink and drugs bender.

He spent the day in custody after being busted in Miami Beach, police have confirmed.

Go back seven years and the 19-year-old was a complete dork, with a terrible fashion sense, even worse hair but a huge future in music.

It’s unfortunate that testicles drop and voices break because since growing up he’s been on a free-fall of popularity.

In recent months, he’s been cleared by cops for hit-and-run incidents, accused of speeding and caught on camera peeing into a restaurant’s mop bucket,

Add to this allegations of spitting on his own fans and reportedly being caught smoking weed, here’s what happened to the teenager since 1994.

1994

When Justin was born on March 1st 1994, Mariah Carey was number one with her tune Without You. We wouldn’t judge if you stopped reading for a moment to go and relive this song on Spotify.

2006/2007

His manager Scooter Braun spotted him on YouTube six years ago and tracked down Justin’s mum – or mom in this instance – Pattie to ask about signing him to his record label co-founded with Usher.

It’s amazing that anyone can spend longer than four minutes on the video website before watching clips of animals being absolutely hilarious, so the record executive deserves a hat tip for his commitment to find a star.

December, 2008

Just a year after he became a signed artist, Justin performed at the White House – you might have heard of it, it’s where big Prez Obama works from home.

We can just imagine Barack and Michelle making cocktails and taking turns to sing lines of Baby.

2010

He released his first full-length studio album My World 2.0 and soon after he accounted for 3% of the traffic on Twitter. That’s more traffic than the M25 in rush-hour.

He was also tipped as more influential than Barack Obama and The Dalai Lama by digital website Klout.

February, 2011

The tiny star was always sweet and smiling when speaking to fans and media but he sparked controversy following an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, where he gave his views on abortion and abstinence.

March, 2011

But hold on, who’s this lovely lady?            

Justin, 16 at the time, started dating Disney Queen Selena Gomez, who was 18, and immediately everyone assumed they would be doing IT but no – far from it.

It just so happened that Selena’s favourite bling was a purity ring.

However after a few months of holding hands and possibly some over-bra topping action (try not to picture it too vividly) the ring came off! Gasp.  

November, 2011

But the biggest shock of all came when Justin was slapped in the face (not literally, that would be really uncalled for) with a paternity test from a woman who he claims to have never met.

2012

Justin was given a pack of crayons and some blank paper to write his autobiography.

And in his book (which is mostly pictures) he explains his relationship with the people who chase him around the Hollywood hills: “There’s a misconception that I hate the paparazzi – I don’t, I simply don’t like the aggressive paparazzi.

May, 2012

In the same month he SENSATIONALLY admitted to ” having a beer”  despite being under the legal drinking age, Justin got into an altercation with tabloid snapper when he left a cinema with Selena.

It was the start of Justin’s negative public reactions, public breakdowns and in one case offending the public.

July, 2012

Justin lacked social awareness and was apparently being a bit sweary on a flight.

A mother-of-two reportedly was forced to ask him to “stop yelling curse words and using that kind of language on a plane.”

Still July…

Justin was accused of driving over speeds of 80mph during an incident where he called 911 to complain about chasing paparazzi.

October, 2012

Well, that’s what you get for drinking lots of milk, Justin! He was performing on stage when he was actually sick in front of thousands of fans.

November, 2012

In this time he lost his title as Most Viewed on YouTube to viral dance crazy Gangnam Style.

January, 2013

The year started with some serious news when sadly his fame – and the paparazzi obsession with him – led to a tragic accident.

Still January…

Well, well, well. Mr. Bieber. You’ve been a naughty boy.

Completely unaware that he was being snapped on a mobile phone, Justin was caught smoking a suspicious looking roll-up cigarette.

February, 2013

He told chat show host Jimmy Fallon about his constant run ins with the law: “You know what, the police really like to pull me over. I don’t do anything, I promise.”

March 1st

He was ironically burning the birthday candles at both ends on his 19th.

It was reported that the swanky London club he hosted the party – Cirque du Soir – refused his mates Jaden Smith (of Will Smith spawn fame) and his latest accessory Ella-Paige Roberts Clark for being underage.

There was also talk that the venue stank of marijuana which led to staff evicting the party members.

March 4th

Fans booed their hero after he turned up nearly TWO HOURS late on stage in London – on a school night.

March 5th

The tiny popstar was branded “arrogant git” after he made  young girls wait THREE HOURS in the cold for a meet and greet on Monday – but then barely acknowledging them.

March 8th

Justin was rushed to hospital after suffering breathing difficulties on stage at London’s O2 Arena.

The singer was initially treated by doctors backstage for up to 15 minutes before returning to finish the show.

April

Swedish cops ‘found drugs and a stun-gun’ on board Justin’s tour bus.

Police spokesman Lars Byström says officers were suspicious over a “strong smell of marijuana” coming from the vehicle outside the Grand Hotel in Stockholm on Wednesday night.

May

Biebs  was the victim of a sophisticated Ocean’s Eleven style robbery while performing in South Africa.

July 10th

A video of Justin and his friends has been posted on US website TMZ – and it shows the Biebs being too celebrity to use the loo like a real person.

July 11th

Justin was reportedly removed from a Chicago nightclub after police were tipped off alcohol was being served to underage revelers.

July 18th

A police report has been filed against Justin Bieber by a DJ who claims the singer spat at him in a nightclub.

July 29th

A bus connected with Justin Bieber’s tour was reportedly stopped by police on Sunday night after it was suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia was on board.

July 31st

The Singer was accused of hitting a paparazzi photographer in June while driving in the city of Los Angeles.

October 3rd

After a quiet September, it seems like things are on the up for Justin after a string of charges for his bad behaviour are cleared.

The singer allegedly threatened to kill and spat at his neighbour in March, after the resident confronted him for driving recklessly around his gated community.

October 14th

 Who were we kidding? He’s dragged into fresh controversy after apparently having a heated row with a DJ who refused to take the singer’s hip-hop music requests..

December 5th Continue reading “Justin Bieber could have Ended up Like Paul Walker”