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HULIQ.com, SC
Sept 19 2010
Armenians March Near Genocide Museum Protesting Turkish Church Show
Submitted by Armen Hareyan on 2010-09-19
On September 19, hundreds of thousands are expected to march in the
capital of Armenia, Yerevan protesting Turkey's refusal to raise the
cross atop the Armenian church Holy Cross in its Eastern province of
Van.
According to the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute announcement,
there will be a Mass service held by the Armenian church officials
near the Genocide Memorial on September 19 at 12PM local time. The
service will be followed by a protest march against the "state
orchestrated show" of the Turkish authorities for the once-a-year
cross-less one-day religious ceremony.
This Sunday, for the first time in 100 years, the authorities in
Turkey will allow a Christian church service in the Armenian church of
Akhtamar, located in its eastern province of Van. Armenians have
largely protested this service saying this is a "farce" which Turkey
has set up to to project an image of tolerance against its religious
minorities. While more than 5000 Armenians from Armenia and the
diaspora had made reservations to travel to Turkey for the service and
had welcomed the move, most of them canceled their travel plans after
learning that Turkey will not have the cross put atop the church for
the service.
Top three hierarchical sees of the Armenian Church have refused to
participate in tomorrow's service. Patriarchal Vicar Aram Ateshian
will perform tomorrow's requiem in Holy Cross Armenian Church in Van.
Akhtamar in Turkish Armenian relations: glass half full or half empty
The Armenian public opinion, shared by the majority in Armenia and its
powerful Diaspora, is that the event should be boycotted because by
doing this Turkey aims to project an image of a tolerant country in
the world. this view is widely held because many Christian Churches in
Turkey, including the Hagia Sophia, are forbidden from operating as
houses of worship and turned into state museums.
However, there is a small minority in the public that believes the
church service should not be boycotted as this is a difficult step
forward in Turkish-Armenian relations. The century-old problems cannot
be solved in one day or with one step. Some Armenians believe that
allowing one service in this church may open door for other churches
to return to the Armenian Patriarchate.
Armenian public opinions shared by a majority believes that we should
boycott the event because it's their image problem resolution, while
the other part thinks that we should participate in the liturgy
because it will open the door further in Turkey territory of other
Armenian churches for repairs.
Turkey has closed its border with Armenia siding with Azerbaijan in
regard to the future status of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.
Armenians demand Turkish recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the
beginning of the 20th century when 1.5 million Christian Armenians
were killed in Eastern Turkey in systematically planned ethnic
cleansing. Turkey denies the charge saying it was the result of the
First World War.
More than twenty countries, including Russia, Canada and France, have
recognized the events in 1915 as genocide. International Association
of Genocide Scholars has also recognized the Armenian Genocide.
From: A. Papazian
Sept 19 2010
Armenians March Near Genocide Museum Protesting Turkish Church Show
Submitted by Armen Hareyan on 2010-09-19
On September 19, hundreds of thousands are expected to march in the
capital of Armenia, Yerevan protesting Turkey's refusal to raise the
cross atop the Armenian church Holy Cross in its Eastern province of
Van.
According to the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute announcement,
there will be a Mass service held by the Armenian church officials
near the Genocide Memorial on September 19 at 12PM local time. The
service will be followed by a protest march against the "state
orchestrated show" of the Turkish authorities for the once-a-year
cross-less one-day religious ceremony.
This Sunday, for the first time in 100 years, the authorities in
Turkey will allow a Christian church service in the Armenian church of
Akhtamar, located in its eastern province of Van. Armenians have
largely protested this service saying this is a "farce" which Turkey
has set up to to project an image of tolerance against its religious
minorities. While more than 5000 Armenians from Armenia and the
diaspora had made reservations to travel to Turkey for the service and
had welcomed the move, most of them canceled their travel plans after
learning that Turkey will not have the cross put atop the church for
the service.
Top three hierarchical sees of the Armenian Church have refused to
participate in tomorrow's service. Patriarchal Vicar Aram Ateshian
will perform tomorrow's requiem in Holy Cross Armenian Church in Van.
Akhtamar in Turkish Armenian relations: glass half full or half empty
The Armenian public opinion, shared by the majority in Armenia and its
powerful Diaspora, is that the event should be boycotted because by
doing this Turkey aims to project an image of a tolerant country in
the world. this view is widely held because many Christian Churches in
Turkey, including the Hagia Sophia, are forbidden from operating as
houses of worship and turned into state museums.
However, there is a small minority in the public that believes the
church service should not be boycotted as this is a difficult step
forward in Turkish-Armenian relations. The century-old problems cannot
be solved in one day or with one step. Some Armenians believe that
allowing one service in this church may open door for other churches
to return to the Armenian Patriarchate.
Armenian public opinions shared by a majority believes that we should
boycott the event because it's their image problem resolution, while
the other part thinks that we should participate in the liturgy
because it will open the door further in Turkey territory of other
Armenian churches for repairs.
Turkey has closed its border with Armenia siding with Azerbaijan in
regard to the future status of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.
Armenians demand Turkish recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the
beginning of the 20th century when 1.5 million Christian Armenians
were killed in Eastern Turkey in systematically planned ethnic
cleansing. Turkey denies the charge saying it was the result of the
First World War.
More than twenty countries, including Russia, Canada and France, have
recognized the events in 1915 as genocide. International Association
of Genocide Scholars has also recognized the Armenian Genocide.
From: A. Papazian