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Hurriyet, Turkey
July 5 2012
Armenian man buried as Muslim to be reburied as Christian
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan ZiflioÄ?lu
The body of an Armenian-origin citizen, who was buried in a Muslim
cemetery due to financial problems, will be transferred from the
cemetery to an Armenian cemetery after the required procedures are
completed.
On June 17, 85-year-old Harutyun KamparisoÄ?lu passed away while
staying in a shelter, weekly Agos reported last week. Ã`sküdar Surp
Garabed Church Foundation approved KamparisoÄ?lu's burial with Islamic
customs since the man's daughter Anna TaÅ?çıyan could not afford the
8,000-Turkish Lira funeral cost. KambarisoÄ?lu's funeral prayer was
performed in Göztepe Mosque on June 18, and his body was buried in
Ã`mraniye HekimbaÅ?ı Cemetery with Islamic prayers.
The Armenian Patriarchate said they did not know about the incident
but added that if they had known, they would have paid for the funeral
expenses.
`If we had known about the situation, we would have done whatever was
necessary and would not have let such an incident occur. How the
authorities conducted such a burial is another matter of interest,'
Acting Patriarch Archishob Aram AteÅ?yan said.
`The family is well-known and prosperous, but they didn't want to pay
the funeral costs. If we had believed that they were really in need,
we would have informed the Patriarchate with a petition and such a
case would not have occurred. Of course, he could be buried free of
charge, but his poverty must be proved to us first,' Surp Garabed
Church Foundation official OÅ?in Mumcuyan said.
However, AteÅ?yan said the family of the deceased did not consult them.
`All members of our community are equal to us. Those having financial
problems could declare this to the Patriarchate at anytime. We could
have conducted the burial procedures by ourselves,' AteÅ?yan said.
He said that KamparisoÄ?lu's daughter had given her consent for the
funeral to be conducted according to the customs of the Armenian
Apostolic Church and that KamparisoÄ?lu's body would be transferred to
the Armenian cemetery in a funeral after the required procedures are
completed.
TaÅ?çıyan said the necessary statement about the subject was made by
the patriachate and that she would not make any personal statement.
Meanwhile, the Karacaahmet Cemetery Directorate, which approved
KamparisoÄ?lu's burial according to Islamic traditions, said non-Muslim
people could be buried in Muslim cemeteries only if the mufti's office
declared the deceased to be a Muslim.
`KamparisoÄ?lu was also declared to be a Muslim. There are two people
who witnessed his conversion to Islam by saying the Kelime-i Å?ahadet
[Islamic confession of faith]. When two people witnessed it, his being
a Muslim was [confirmed],' the directorate said.
July/05/2012
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
July 5 2012
Armenian man buried as Muslim to be reburied as Christian
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan ZiflioÄ?lu
The body of an Armenian-origin citizen, who was buried in a Muslim
cemetery due to financial problems, will be transferred from the
cemetery to an Armenian cemetery after the required procedures are
completed.
On June 17, 85-year-old Harutyun KamparisoÄ?lu passed away while
staying in a shelter, weekly Agos reported last week. Ã`sküdar Surp
Garabed Church Foundation approved KamparisoÄ?lu's burial with Islamic
customs since the man's daughter Anna TaÅ?çıyan could not afford the
8,000-Turkish Lira funeral cost. KambarisoÄ?lu's funeral prayer was
performed in Göztepe Mosque on June 18, and his body was buried in
Ã`mraniye HekimbaÅ?ı Cemetery with Islamic prayers.
The Armenian Patriarchate said they did not know about the incident
but added that if they had known, they would have paid for the funeral
expenses.
`If we had known about the situation, we would have done whatever was
necessary and would not have let such an incident occur. How the
authorities conducted such a burial is another matter of interest,'
Acting Patriarch Archishob Aram AteÅ?yan said.
`The family is well-known and prosperous, but they didn't want to pay
the funeral costs. If we had believed that they were really in need,
we would have informed the Patriarchate with a petition and such a
case would not have occurred. Of course, he could be buried free of
charge, but his poverty must be proved to us first,' Surp Garabed
Church Foundation official OÅ?in Mumcuyan said.
However, AteÅ?yan said the family of the deceased did not consult them.
`All members of our community are equal to us. Those having financial
problems could declare this to the Patriarchate at anytime. We could
have conducted the burial procedures by ourselves,' AteÅ?yan said.
He said that KamparisoÄ?lu's daughter had given her consent for the
funeral to be conducted according to the customs of the Armenian
Apostolic Church and that KamparisoÄ?lu's body would be transferred to
the Armenian cemetery in a funeral after the required procedures are
completed.
TaÅ?çıyan said the necessary statement about the subject was made by
the patriachate and that she would not make any personal statement.
Meanwhile, the Karacaahmet Cemetery Directorate, which approved
KamparisoÄ?lu's burial according to Islamic traditions, said non-Muslim
people could be buried in Muslim cemeteries only if the mufti's office
declared the deceased to be a Muslim.
`KamparisoÄ?lu was also declared to be a Muslim. There are two people
who witnessed his conversion to Islam by saying the Kelime-i Å?ahadet
[Islamic confession of faith]. When two people witnessed it, his being
a Muslim was [confirmed],' the directorate said.
July/05/2012
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress