Discrimination against Armenian Church and community living in Turkey continuesNovember 22, 2007 - 16:09 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, met with over a dozen Members of Congress last week on issues of concern to the Armenian faithful, including the moral imperative of America adopting a principled stand on the Armenian Genocide and against all instances genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) The Prelate discussed the state of the Armenian Church in the Eastern United States and reminded Members of the historic repression of Christians under Ottoman rule, culminating in the genocide of Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians from 1915-1923. He noted that, following the Genocide, many Armenians found a safe haven on U.S. shores, and that their descendents today comprise a large portion of Armenian parishes throughout the country. His Eminence went on to explain that discrimination against the Armenian Church and the remaining Armenian community living in Turkey continues, citing the Article 301 restrictions against free speech regarding the Armenian Genocide, amongst a number of other repressive laws. He also discussed the destruction of Armenian churches and cultural icons in present day Turkey and Azerbaijan, citing the lack of a meaningful U.S. protest of Azerbaijan's decimation of the 1,300 year-old Armenian cemetery in Julfa, Nakhichevan. His Eminence and the ANCA delegation noted that, despite several requests, the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan has yet to investigate the matter or even to visit the site. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Lemkin Institute petition seeks release of Armenians in Azerbaijan The Lemkin Institute is deeply concerned about the continued illegal detention of political prisoners from Karabakh in Azerbaijan. Armenian Catholicos calls for national unity against threats Karekin II issued a message on Republic Day marking the anniversary of the First Armenian Republic. Pashinyan: Armenia’s desired goal is “on the horizon” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia is moving forward “without interruption”. Opposition leader, supporters spend night at Sardarapat memorial Police made nearly 300 arrests the day before as Galstanyan and his supporters continued to demonstrate in Yerevan. |