Tatoyan: Baku doing everything to change Armenian churches' affiliationFebruary 7, 2022 - 10:58 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Azerbaijani authorities are inciting religious enmity at the state level, accusing Armenians of Islamophobia with "absolute falsehood", Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan said in a statement on Sunday, February 6. "Historical facts prove the respect of our people, as well as the respect of the Armenian Church for Islam and other religions, starting from the countries with Islam. With many peoples of the Islamic world Armenians have lived as friends for centuries," Tatoyan said. "This policy of the Azerbaijani authorities incites hostility towards Armenians living in countries where they profess Islam. This incites enmity between nations. Tatoyan reminded that in Artsakh, the Upper and Inner Mosques of Shushi remained standing and preserved, the Upper Mosque and the building of the madrasa, a caring school, were completely renovated, and a park was built. There is a functioning mosque in Yerevan he added. "Instead, the Azerbaijani armed forces destroyed and desecrated the Ghazanchetsots and Kanach Zham churches in Shushi, destroyed the Zoravor Surb Astvatsatsin Church in Mekhakavan in Artsakh, or desecrated the St. Yeghishe Church in Mataghis, destroyed Armenian khachkars in Shush, Hadrut. The St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in Baku has been desecrated, turned into a library archive, the cross has been lowered from the dome, there is no tabernacle, the tombstones that were adjacent to the church have been destroyed," he said. "Currently, everything is being done at the state level to change the affiliation of Armenian churches and monasteries. This policy is already manifested in the new forms of torture of Armenian captives with regard to their religion." Tatoyan's statement came after Azerbaijan’s government announced that it intends to erase Armenian inscriptions on religious sites in the territory that it reclaimed in the 2020 war with Armenia. Top stories As a result of floods in Armenia’s northern Lori and Tavush provinces, 17 bridges, including five large ones, have collapsed. David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with Stephan Schütz, Executive Partner at Gerkan, Marg and Partners. The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. Partner news Most popular in the section | Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. €3.5 mln EU grant to support justice reforms in Armenia The European Union has paid €3.5 mln grant to Armenia within a €11mln program on Support to Justice Reforms. Yerevan reacts to Baku’s proposal to see Minsk Group abolition Alen Simonyan has declared that Armenia is taking steps aimed at concluding a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State to travel to Armenia Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs James C. O’Brien will travel to Yerevan on June 10-12. |