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ARMENIAN NGO CHIEF CALLS FOR EFFORTS TO REGULATE SECTS
tert.am
09.01.13
The chief of an Armenian NGO dealing with the rehabilitation of people
affected by the harmful activities of sects calls for legal measures
to combat the negative impacts of those religious organizations.
Alexander Amaryan, the director of a rehabilitation center assisting
the above group of the population, told reporters on Wednesday that
two more sects have added to the existing religious organizations in
Armenia. One of them, the Brides of God, is headed by a woman, while
the other belongs to a sect affiliated with the Ukrainian embassy,
he said.
"We do not have specialist combating them. We do not even possess
accurate statistics. A 12-year-old child affiliated with a sectarian
organization commits suicide here, the case often being attributed
to a domestic affair," he noted.
Armenia, with 64 registered and 200 non-registered religious
organizations, is now a leading country in the region in terms of
the number of sects, Amaryan added.
"A sect gives one power and money. And they feel comfortable enough
here to hold award events," he added.
Amaryan thinks the adherents of the Armenian Apostolic Church face
a serious hazard, with no NGO or human rights organization being
financially interested to voice their problems.
He stressed the importance of adopting a law regulating the sector
to ensure proper control mechanisms.
According to him, the largest sectarian group in Armenia is that
of the Protestants (with 18,000 adherents) followed by Jehovah's
Witnesses which has 12,000 members.
From: A. Papazian
tert.am
09.01.13
The chief of an Armenian NGO dealing with the rehabilitation of people
affected by the harmful activities of sects calls for legal measures
to combat the negative impacts of those religious organizations.
Alexander Amaryan, the director of a rehabilitation center assisting
the above group of the population, told reporters on Wednesday that
two more sects have added to the existing religious organizations in
Armenia. One of them, the Brides of God, is headed by a woman, while
the other belongs to a sect affiliated with the Ukrainian embassy,
he said.
"We do not have specialist combating them. We do not even possess
accurate statistics. A 12-year-old child affiliated with a sectarian
organization commits suicide here, the case often being attributed
to a domestic affair," he noted.
Armenia, with 64 registered and 200 non-registered religious
organizations, is now a leading country in the region in terms of
the number of sects, Amaryan added.
"A sect gives one power and money. And they feel comfortable enough
here to hold award events," he added.
Amaryan thinks the adherents of the Armenian Apostolic Church face
a serious hazard, with no NGO or human rights organization being
financially interested to voice their problems.
He stressed the importance of adopting a law regulating the sector
to ensure proper control mechanisms.
According to him, the largest sectarian group in Armenia is that
of the Protestants (with 18,000 adherents) followed by Jehovah's
Witnesses which has 12,000 members.
From: A. Papazian