GEORGIAN PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PROTECTORS OF MINOR NATIONS
news.az
July 7 2011
Azerbaijan
Main responsibility lies with the President and I want our president
and the country to be calm, Patriarch said.
Patriarch of Georgia Ilia the Second calls on the President of Georgia
to use his power to veto regarding status of religious unities,
though president signed the bill into law on 5 July.
As Ilia the second said after delivering service on the birth of
John the Baptist today, it will be better if the President cancels
the law until everything is checked and specified.
"The main responsibility lies with the President and I want our
president and the country to be calm. I hope everything will be well",
Patriarch said.
Ilia the Second says that the law adopted by parliament regarding
religious status is so important and dangerous that law makers had
to think about the results it will have after 10 or even 100 years.
"It's not our position that denominations must not be given a status
of religion. Our position is that we must discuss it with scientists,
spirituals and specialists. Unfortunately, the law makers hastily
adopted the law in just one day", Patriarch stated.
Ilia the Second said that there were nothing against Armenians in
his words and despite various discussions, Georgians and Armenians
have always been brothers and will remain so.
"When Armenians were in hardship, we always helped and they also helped
us when we were in need. This law is so difficult and responsible
that it may be misused. They had to consider everything.
When they question why the church interfered in the state's business,
I want to tell you that this doesn't concern only the state, this
issue touches the whole nation, church and especially the state",
Ilia the Second declared.
Patriarch said that various opinions in the society regarding the issue
will strain relations between the religions, what is unacceptable.
"Georgian people have always been protectors of minor nations, has
always defended Armenian, Russian, Azerbaijani and Israeli people.
Israeli people themselves say that Georgia is the only country where
anti Semitism has never taken place", Ilia the Second said.
Patriarch remembered period of Soviet Union, when Russian Jews arrived
to meet him. Patriarch says that they complained about anti-Semitism
demonstrations in Moscow.
"I told them then that if they were to be threatened, they could
arrive in Georgia. Thank God they will never be threatened in Georgia
regarding this issue", Ilia the Second said.
Patriarch wished Georgia unification and necessity to search for
truth and rightness.
Source: InterPressNews, Georgia
news.az
July 7 2011
Azerbaijan
Main responsibility lies with the President and I want our president
and the country to be calm, Patriarch said.
Patriarch of Georgia Ilia the Second calls on the President of Georgia
to use his power to veto regarding status of religious unities,
though president signed the bill into law on 5 July.
As Ilia the second said after delivering service on the birth of
John the Baptist today, it will be better if the President cancels
the law until everything is checked and specified.
"The main responsibility lies with the President and I want our
president and the country to be calm. I hope everything will be well",
Patriarch said.
Ilia the Second says that the law adopted by parliament regarding
religious status is so important and dangerous that law makers had
to think about the results it will have after 10 or even 100 years.
"It's not our position that denominations must not be given a status
of religion. Our position is that we must discuss it with scientists,
spirituals and specialists. Unfortunately, the law makers hastily
adopted the law in just one day", Patriarch stated.
Ilia the Second said that there were nothing against Armenians in
his words and despite various discussions, Georgians and Armenians
have always been brothers and will remain so.
"When Armenians were in hardship, we always helped and they also helped
us when we were in need. This law is so difficult and responsible
that it may be misused. They had to consider everything.
When they question why the church interfered in the state's business,
I want to tell you that this doesn't concern only the state, this
issue touches the whole nation, church and especially the state",
Ilia the Second declared.
Patriarch said that various opinions in the society regarding the issue
will strain relations between the religions, what is unacceptable.
"Georgian people have always been protectors of minor nations, has
always defended Armenian, Russian, Azerbaijani and Israeli people.
Israeli people themselves say that Georgia is the only country where
anti Semitism has never taken place", Ilia the Second said.
Patriarch remembered period of Soviet Union, when Russian Jews arrived
to meet him. Patriarch says that they complained about anti-Semitism
demonstrations in Moscow.
"I told them then that if they were to be threatened, they could
arrive in Georgia. Thank God they will never be threatened in Georgia
regarding this issue", Ilia the Second said.
Patriarch wished Georgia unification and necessity to search for
truth and rightness.
Source: InterPressNews, Georgia