Dokument #1020727
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
In a 16 February 1999 telephone interview,
the Office Manager of the Armenian Society of Los Angeles stated
that the Ararat Club is a sports club for young people that has
existed for a long time. She stated that she was a member when she
was last living in Iran 20 years ago. Her confirmation about its
continued existence is based on conversations "from time to time"
with people in Iran as well as reports from people coming to Los
Angeles from Iran who have used the facilities. She said that it is
located just north of Tehran and that it issues membership cards to
both boys and girls for the use of a wide range of sporting
facilities including soccer, basketball, volley-ball and
table-tennis. When asked if she is aware of any confrontations the
club has had with Islamic fundamentalists she replied "what I've
heard is they've had a few crashers." She explained that there have
been times when non-members have tried to get in to either see or
use the facilities.
The following information was provided
during an 18 February 1999 telephone interview with a professor of
Political Science at the University of Southern California who
specializes in Iranian politics and published an article in 1995
concerning the Armenian Diaspora in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
She confirmed that the Ararat Club is a large sports facility in
Tehran offering a range of sports options. However, she said that
it also plays an important social function within the Armenian
community for persons of all ages. The professor stated that
dinners and other social functions are held on site. She was
unaware of the use of membership cards and said that if a person
was an Iranian of Armenian descent their membership would be
"almost automatic."
She also stated that there is another
Armenian club in Tehran, a much smaller one, for persons of
Armenian descent who are "more on the left politically." She
explained that the Armenian community is divided to a certain
extent and that the Ararat Club is part of the grouping known as
Dashanak, which is the "dominant nationalist organization in the
Armenian Diaspora that controls many of the social functions."
However, those persons that belong to the smaller club in Tehran
also frequently attend functions at the Ararat Club.
The professor stated that there have been
some "confrontations" with Islamic fundamentalists at the Ararat
Club, but that they had been more frequent in the past. While
noting that "the treatment of Armenians in Iran has been the best
of non-Muslim minorities," she said there have been occasions when
revolutionary guards, or vigilantes, have attempted to enter the
club. She stated that this was usually a product of "childlike
curiosity" as a result of the mixing of the sexes that occurs at
the club. Since the club is private and does not permit the entry
of Muslims and non-Armenians, it has a right to religious freedom
that allows for the interaction of sexes in a social setting.
According to the professor, the knowledge of this, and the
possibility that women may be unveiled, has sometimes caused
Islamic fundamentalists to demand entry. On those occasions their
access would be refused and telephone calls would be made to
government authorities to report the "confrontation" at the gates.
The professor said that invariably the guards or vigilantes would
leave after receiving instructions that access to the Ararat Club
for non-Armenians was not permitted.
The "Armenian Ararat club" was also
mentioned in a Sharg News Agency report on statements made by the
Azerbaijani ambassador in Tehran. The ambassador was reported to
have "expressed dissatisfaction that the Armenian community enjoys
broad rights in Iran" and added that "the Armenian Ararat club is
also open" (21 Nov. 1997). He was expressing concern that
Azerbaijani people in Iran do not enjoy similar access to cultural
services (ibid.). There are also reports of an Ararat Association
in Tehran (The Boston Globe 23 Oct. 1994; The Armenian
Reporter 9 Sept. 1995). The Globe article mentions an
Armenian cultural association called the Ararat which celebrated
its 50th anniversary in 1994 (23 Oct. 1994). According to the same
article one of its founders was Jack Karapetian (Hakob Karabents).
According to The Armenian Reporter there is an "extremely
well-organized Armenian community of Tehran, which revolves around
the Ararat Association - a veritable 'city within the city' -
possessing a structure and facilities unlike any other Armenian
organization" (9 Sept. 1995.).
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is
not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any
particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the
list of additional sources consulted in researching this
Information Request.
References
The Armenian Reporter. 9
September 1995. "Choral Conductor Raffi Sevadjian to Give
Lecture..." (The Ethnic News Watch/NEXIS)
Armenian Society of Los Angeles,
Glendale. 16 February 1999. Telephone interview with Office
Manager.
The Boston Globe. 23 October
1994. "Jack Karapetian 69; Armenian Author, Journalist."
(NEXIS)
Sharg News Agency [Baku, in Russian]. 26
November 1997. "Azerbaijan and Iran Sign Economic Cooperation
Accord." (BBC Summary/NEXIS)
University of Southern California. 18
February 1999. Telephone interview with professor of Political
Science.
Additional Sources Consulted
The Middle East [London].
January 1994-December 1996; January 1998-present.
Middle East International
[London]. January 1994-December 1996; January 1998-present.
Middle East Report [Washington,
DC]. 1997-present.
Resource Centre. Iran: Amnesty
International country file. January 1994-present.
Electronic sources: IRB Databases,
LEXIS/NEXIS, Internet, REFWORLD, World News Connection (WNC).
Two non-documentary sources contacted
could not provide information on the requested subject.