Day: May 22, 2024
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei held the service at Tehran University, the caskets of the dead draped in Iranian flags with their pictures on them. Khamenei was joined by senior figures from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, and the leader of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh. Following Khamenei’s service the coffins were loaded onto a semi-truck and a procession was held through the streets of Tehran.
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Iran’s Supreme Leader and Hamas chief at funeral ceremony for Iranian president
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei held the service at Tehran University, the caskets of the dead draped in Iranian flags with their pictures on them. Khamenei was joined by senior figures from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, and the leader of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh. Following Khamenei’s service the coffins were loaded onto a semi-truck and a procession was held through the streets of Tehran.
Farewell ceremony held in Tehran for late president Raisi
A farewell ceremony was held in Tehran late Tuesday for Iran’s late president, foreign minister and others killed in a weekend helicopter crash. (AP Video/Mohsen Ganji).
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s supreme leader and representatives of militia groups he backs in the Middle East prayed Wednesday over the coffins of the country’s late president, foreign minister and other officials killed in a helicopter crash earlier this week. Hundreds of thousands of people later followed a procession honoring the dead down Tehran’s main boulevard.
Iran’s Shiite theocracy views mass demonstrations as crucial evidence of its legitimacy and the people’s support.
Still, Wednesday’s funeral service for President Ebrahim Raisi and others saw a turnout that onlookers described as noticeably lower than the 2020 procession honoring Revolutionary Guard general Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad.
Many of the participants said they came to Tehran for the ceremony from other cities and towns across the Islamic Republic, an indication of how those in Iran’s capital viewed Raisi, who won the presidency in a record low turnout and later oversaw repeated crackdowns on dissent — including in the wake of the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini that sparked street protests over Iran’s mandatory hijab, or headscarf.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had openly wept for Soleimani, also remained composed while reciting the standard prayer for the dead.
“Oh Allah, we didn’t see anything but good from him,” Khamenei said in Arabic, the language of Islam’s holy book, the Quran. Iran’s acting president, Mohammad Mokhber, stood nearby and openly cried.
The death of Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six others in the crash on Sunday comes at a politically sensitive moment for Iran, both at home and abroad.
Raisi, who was 63, had been discussed as a possible successor to Iran’s supreme leader, the 85-year-old Khamenei. None of Iran’s living past presidents — other than Khamenei, who was president from 1981 until 1989 — could be seen in state television footage of Wednesday’s prayers. The authorities gave no explanation for their apparent absence.
Following the deadly helicopter crash, Iran set June 28 as the next presidential election. For now, there’s no clear favorite for the position among Iran’s political elite — particularly no one who is a Shiite cleric, like Raisi.
During Raisi’s term in office, Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel last month as its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip rages on. Iran has supported Hamas throughout the war and provided weaponry to the militants.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh attended the prayers Wednesday morning, just two days after the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor said he’d seek an arrest warrant for him and others over the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the latest Israel-Hamas war. In the unprecedented assault on southern Israel, Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and seized 250 hostage.
The ICC prosecutor is also seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for their conduct in the war, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and also hundreds in the West Bank.
Haniyeh recounted Raisi telling him this year that the Oct. 7 attack was an “earthquake in the heart of the Zionist entity.” In a later meeting with Khamenei, the supreme leader told Haniyeh that the “destruction of the Zionist regime is feasible and, God willing, the day in which Palestine will be created from the sea to river will arrive.”
Haniyeh’s presence likely signaled Khamenei intends to continue his policy of arming militant groups in the wider Mideast — including Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels — as a way to pressure its adversaries like Israel and the United States. Mourners at the ceremony chanted: “Death to Israel!”
Hezbollah and Houthi representatives were also in attendance.
Statesmen from the Mideast and beyond attended a later memorial service, including Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Tunisian President Kais Saied.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry was also there. Cairo and Tehran have been discussing reestablishing ties severed after the the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
A single black turban was placed over Raisi’s casket during the morning service, which signifies he was considered a direct descendent of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. People then carried the coffins out on their shoulders as chants of “Death to America!” erupted outside.
People openly wept during the procession and beat their chests, a common sign of grief in the Shiite culture. They tossed scarves and other possessions up to the semitruck driving the caskets through Tehran, with coffin attendants brushing the items against the caskets in a gesture of blessing.
One man said he and his friends took a nearly seven-hour bus trip to attend the procession. Many expressed their sympathies for the dead, including Raisi.
“He was our president, the others were pilots and a minister, how can I be indifferent about their loss?” asked Sima Rahmani, a 27-year-old Tehran woman wearing a loose headscarf despite the risk of detention by police.
Prosecutors have warned people against showing any public signs of celebrating Raisi’s death and a heavy security force presence has been seen in Tehran since the crash. Many shops and stores noticeably remained open while some took off early for a long weekend despite bulk text messages and state TV broadcasting times for the procession.
“I did not vote for Raisi in 2021 election, but he was the president of all people,” said Morteza Nemati, a 28-year-old physics student at Tehran Azad University. “My presence is a way of paying tribute to him.”
Meanwhile, an Iranian official offered a new accounting of Sunday’s crash, further fueling the theory that bad weather had led to it. Gholamhossein Esmaili, who traveled in one of the two other helicopters in Raisi’s entourage, told state TV that weather had been fine when the aircraft took off. But Raisi’s helicopter disappeared into heavy clouds and the others couldn’t reach the aircraft by radio.
The Friday prayer leader from the city of Tabriz, Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, who was also on board, somehow answered two mobile phone calls after the crash, saying he was hurt, Esmaili said.
It wasn’t clear why Iran could not at that point track the phone signal. A Turkish drone helped find the crash site. Tehran had even asked the U.S., its longtime foe, for help.
“The conditions of the bodies found showed that they (died) immediately after the incident,” Esmaili said. “But Ayatollah Ale-Hashem (died) a few hours after the incident.”
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Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran; Joseph Krauss in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Samy Magdy in Cairo; and Munir Ahmed and Riazat Butt in Islamabad contributed to this report.
Aliyev, that dictator, mad at France Azerbaijan’s autocrat is expanding operations to destabilize France in New Caledonia and elsewhere. Intervention investigation. https://t.co/YdWKpDfXje
— Emin Bred (@emin_bred) May 22, 2024
Aliev, le dictateur d’Azerbaïdjan qui en veut à la France https://t.co/fyP7LQd5Y0
— Guillaume Perrier (@GuillaumPerrier) May 22, 2024
The Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises of Armenia announced that the World Congress on Innovation and Technology 2024 will be held from October 4 to 7 in Yerevan.
Under the theme “The Power of Mind: AI Beyond Limits, Within Ethics,” WCIT 2024/DigiTec will feature a high-level Congress program, B2B meetings, the WITSA World Cup for scaleups, innovation showcases, business presentations, workshops, and more.
UATE is organizing WCIT 2024 in Armenia this year in a high-level partnership with DigiTec, the region’s largest annual event dedicated to innovation and technology.
The cooperation between WCIT 2024 and DigiTec showcases the high-level partnership, highlighted by the joint branding of the event, symbolizing a comprehensive approach to “The Power of Mind,” especially the Armenian human power.
WCIT 2024/DigiTec Congress will serve as a global platform to amplify the impact of information technologies, emphasizing the importance of applied sciences, investments, and presence across diverse regions and economies. Armenia, as a prominent technological hub in the region, has seen a surge in global technology companies setting up their research and development offices and branches in recent years.
Thanks to the conference, many companies will discover the opportunities and potential to establish their scientific research centers. Moreover, it aims to underscore the pivotal role of applied sciences in fostering regional socioeconomic development through innovations and Tech solutions while also showcasing the future and advancements in technology, particularly in the realm of AI and the areas affected.
“The Republic of Armenia has announced the high-tech and ICT sector as a prior direction for the economic development of the country. In this context, we highly appreciate international technological conferences and events to be held in Armenia, as both content-wise and in terms of unveiling new opportunities for Armenia, once again emphasizing the important role of Armenia on the global technological map. I suppose WCIT2024/DigiTec will become another platform for collaboration with international partners to reveal the technological potential of Armenia worldwide,” said Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, Minister of High-Tech Industry of Armenia at a press conference.
The Minister assured that the government, in the scope of its responsibilities and mandate, will support the Organizational Committee to hold a respectable event.
Armenia has firmly positioned itself as a tech hub on the global technology map. WCIT 2024/DigiTec will highlight Armenia’s technological capacity to key companies in the sector, enticing them to collaborate on academic research projects, establish branches, and develop business centers within its borders.
Armenia is honored to host the WCIT 2024/DigiTec, as it is home to tech unicorn PicsArt and many successful startups, such as Renderforest and Krisp.
Government policies, including tax incentives and R&D funding, support Armenia’s tech sector. These policies further drive innovation and have attracted international players like Synopsis, Siemens, Adobe, and Nvidia to establish R&D centers.
“We are honored to host and represent WCIT 2024/DigiTec in Armenia. Our country is being considered as a new Tech Hub and we are likely to share all this game-changing experience and expertise we have locally with our guests and participants. I am also honored to announce that for this edition of WCIT 2024, we are partnering with the largest tech and innovation event in the region – DigiTec, which is hosting thousands of tech companies from Armenia and abroad,” said Hayk Karapetyan, Executive Director of the Organizing Committee of WCIT2024//DigiTec.
The congress will offer a comprehensive agenda catering to diverse stakeholders and will attract thousands of local and international delegates. Through interactive sessions and exclusive panel discussions, attendees will gain access to the latest global ICT innovations, best practices, and cutting-edge solutions.
“WCIT is a congress that shapes the future of innovation and technologies, and Armenia, as the new tech hub is the exact location to host such a fascinating event. I am sure both Armenia and WCIT will benefit from this cooperation and the event will have its significant impact on future enhancement and promotion of technologies worldwide,” said Alexander Yesayan, President of the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises.
Participants will have the platform to network and showcase their investment projects and ideas, paving the way for mutually beneficial partnerships with international entities and driving sustained technological leadership and innovation. All attendees will be given the opportunity to establish prospective cooperation with both Armenian and international partners.
“WITSA has high expectations for this year’s event. Armenia’s growing prominence in the global tech scene, coupled with its successful hosting of WCIT in 2019, makes it the perfect location for these important discussions. In recent years, Armenia has emerged as a hub for startups and tech companies in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. The Armenian tech ecosystem is still relatively young, but it is growing rapidly. The country has the potential to become a major player in the global tech scene in the years to come,” said Dato’ Dr. Sean Seah, Chairman of the World Innovation, Technology and Services Alliance.
Key highlights of WCIT 2024/DigiTec include an opening ceremony with breathtaking tech solutions, captivating presentations by international and local industry leaders, and extensive opportunities for informal networking.
In 2024, the World Congress on Innovation and Technology and DigiTec will introduce the tech potential of Armenia and the region to the international community while providing a platform for local organizations to showcase their achievements in the field.
This year’s World Congress on Innovation and Technology will have an emphasis on Artificial Intelligence and its societal impact, ethics, and future.
Experts from various fields will convene to discuss ethical innovation, human-machine collaboration, and AI regulations with global implications under the theme of “Ethics, Society, and Governance.”
Additionally, sessions on “Green AI” will explore environmentally conscious AI solutions for sustainability, while discussions on “AI in Social Media and Marketing” will address reaching marginalized consumers and enhancing marketing efficiency.
Another highlight includes “The Female Grace of AI,” advocating for gender equality and economic empowerment in the digital sphere. Furthermore, sessions will explore AI’s role in crisis response, innovative opportunities in digital innovation, and the challenges and best practices shaping AI’s future, featuring leading industry figures in panel discussions.
A dedicated platform will be allocated for managing and applying AI across various private and public domains.
WCIT 2024/DigTec will be held in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Armenia, represented by the Ministry of High-Tech Industry.
The Myron and Carol Boyajian Fine Arts Scholarship was established in honor of Carol Boyajian, who passed away in March 2021 after a valiant nine-year fight against GIST cancer. Two $1,000.00 scholarships will be awarded in 2024 to two students of Armenian heritage, having at least one Armenian parent or grandparent.
Previous awardees are Alex Koceyan, now a student at the Detroit School of Fine Arts in Detroit, and Tatevik Kocharyan, who is in a master’s program at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA.
Boyajian began her college career with a scholarship to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) with academics at the University of Chicago (UoC). Graduating from high school as an awarded student artist, she was unable to afford college and considered joining the Army or Navy to gain an education later through the GI Bill. Boyajian’s high school art teacher told her to register at the Art Institute and that “things would be taken care of.” She never learned the name of her benefactor but rewarded that confidence with hard work in the arts and her academics. Boyajian was granted a full four-year scholarship to SAIC and the UoC after one semester of school. After she graduated (with high faculty honors), she and her husband Myron promised each other to find a way in the future to “pay forward” that good deed. Boyajian taught art to mostly adults for over 35 years and produced numerous commissioned fine and illustrative artworks until she became too ill to work.
“I am happy to be able to honor Carol’s memory this way, to see other young people get a start as Carol did years ago,” said Myron.
These are merit-based scholarships awarded to students who have achieved high honors in their area of graphic arts, music and the written word. Consideration will be given to the students’ artistic accomplishments, artistic talents and community involvement.
Please submit applicant information, responsive to the items noted, to Father Tavit Boyajian, Saints Joachim and Anne Armenian Apostolic Church, 12600 South Ridgeland Ave., Palos Heights, IL 60463.
Candidates will be selected by a committee of church and diocese clergymen.
For more information, call 708-388-4940 or email robert@stsjoachimandanne.ccsend.com.
Carol Boyajian
Carol Boyajian (1941-2021)
Carol Boyajian (nee Gardner) passed on after a nine-year fight with GIST cancer.
On a four-year scholarship, she attended and graduated (1963, BAE w/honors) from SAIC (UoC academics). Boyajian was known for her animal, botanical, sports, equine and western art and portraits, and for teaching art.
She occasionally produced abstract works, but her favorite style was representational art. Boyajian’s work can be found in many private and corporate collections. Several pieces of her equine art were selected for the corporate offices of the National Jockey Club, while the Western States Blast Furnace & Coke Oven Association commissioned eight portraits of outgoing presidents and officers, and her commissioned portrait of the Esposito brothers is in the collection of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Locally, Boyajian was commissioned to provide portraits of the present and former pastors of the Resurrection Lutheran Church of Oak Forest, IL.
Boyajian produced many other commissioned works of original art. Notably, an animal painting was commissioned for the cover of the prestigious, peer-reviewed, internationally published journal, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta-Biomembranes, August 2009. Boyajian’s painting depicted various organic molecular structures surrounding an amphibian used in medical research. The original painting is now in a collection at the Department of Biochemical Science of the Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
Boyajian worked with a variety of traditional drawing and painting mediums as well as digital painting and photography. Her artistic subject matter was gathered from numerous personal interests, including portraits, sports action and animal figures. Boyajian’s artwork often tried to illuminate the interaction of nature, animals and humankind. Attesting to her wide-ranging interest and abilities, she also prepared patent drawings that helped a Chicago Heights inventor get a patent for a bicycle safety mirror, designed wooden craft pieces for a South Holland shop and produced illustrations of medical trailer interiors for a Calumet City manufacturer.
Boyajian enjoyed sports and trained vigorously to become an elite, competitive bicycle racer from her mid-thirties. Often competing against younger women in some bicycle races, she became a multi-time Illinois state champion (both road and track), and in 1984, the Veteran Women’s U.S. National Criterium Champion. She brought that same competitive fire and zeal into her work and relished challenges in virtually all media and subjects.
Boyajian was a certified Illinois art teacher (K-12) and fine artist who loved teaching. She was an adult education instructor for Chicago Vocational High School, Homewood-Flossmoor High School, the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District, Rich Township Senior Services and the Tall Grass Arts Association Art School. While a member of the Tall Grass Arts Association, she exhibited her work in the yearly Tall Grass Art Fair and other TGAA special exhibits. Boyajian often expressed her love of teaching and her admiration of all her students’ work.
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