Armenians’ Ties With Iranians as Old as History: Armenian Orthodox Patriarch
Tehran Times
22/05/04
BEIRUT (IRNA) – Patriarch Aram I Keshishian, the Leader of the Armenian
Orthodox Church, said here during the 2nd session of a conference
titled ‘Dialogue Between Islam and Christianity’ that the relations
and cooperation between Armenians and Iranians date back to remote
past in world history. Speaking under the title ‘Peaceful Coexistence
between Muslims and Armenian Christians’ at Beirut’s Antlias Church,
the archbishop opined, “In addition to the historical ties between
the world Armenians and the Iranians, the Armenian minority in
Iran are native Iranians, enjoy full religious freedom, have three
Apostolic churches there, and send two representatives to the Iranian
parliament.” Aram I highlighting the importance of holding dialogue
among the followers of various monotheist faiths, particularly between
the Muslims and Christians, said, “Such dialogues have so far paved
the way for trust-building, and boosting cultural cooperation and
ties between the Muslim nations and the world Armenians.”
He expressed hope that the continuation of consultations in the
framework of Dialogue among Civilizations would lead to the elimination
of misunderstandings, and boosting true and wholesome cooperation in
the region and at international level.
During the same session, Iranian researcher and author Mahdi Hadavi
Moqaddam and the head of Tehran Apostolic Church Sibouh Serkisian,
too, talked about the role played by Islam in shaping up the Iranian
culture and civilization, as well as the role played by Christianity
in the lives of the world and Iranian Armenians.
The other speakers at the two-day conference in Beirut included
a Tehrani Armenian Christian Jeans Salmanian, who focussed on the
history of Armenians’ ties with Muslims, and Iranian researcher Zohreh
Rashid-Beig who spoke on relations between Iranians and Armenians in
the past and present eras.
The second conference between Islam and Armenians in the framework
Dialogue among Civilizations, sponsored by the Islamic Republic of
Iran’s Cultural Attache in Lebanon, started its activities in Beirut
on Thursday.
The Head of Culture and Islamic Communications Organization
Hojjatoleslam Mahmud Mohammadi Araqi heads the Iranian delegation to
the conference.
The first conference in this series was held in Tehran in May, 2000,
and was attended by the Leader of the world Armenians Archbishop Aram
I Keshishian.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
