INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT REGISTERS NO CHANGE IN THE STATUS OF RESPECT FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN ARMENIA

armradio.am
19.09.2007 14:34

In compliance with Section 102(b) of the International Religious
Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998 the Department of State submits annual
reports on the state of religious freedom in the world to the
Congress. The current report covers the period from July 1, 2006,
to June 30, 2007.

In the chapter on Armenia the International Religious Freedom
Report notes that there was no change in the status of respect for
religious freedom by the Government during the reporting period. Some
denominations reported occasional discrimination by mid- or low-level
government officials but found high-level officials to be tolerant.

The US Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Armenian
Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.

During these discussions, the US Government emphasized to authorities
that continued eligibility for the $235 million (approximately 79
billion AMD) Millennium Challenge Compact remained contingent upon
the Government’s performance in meeting good governance indicators,
which include standards of respect for religious freedom.

The report mentions that an estimated 90 percent of citizens nominally
belong to the Armenian Church. There are small communities of other
religious groups: Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and others. The
exact number of atheists is not known. Some minority religious
groups, including the Molokans and some Yezidi groups, have not sought
registration. Although it was not registered as a religious facility,
Yerevan’s sole mosque was open for regular Friday prayers, and the
Government did not restrict Muslims from praying there.

The Law on Education mandates that public schools offer a secular
education but does not prohibit religious education in state schools.

The history of the Armenian Church is the basis of this curriculum;
many schools teach about world religions in elementary school and
the history of the Armenian Church in middle school. Religious groups
may not provide religious instruction in schools, although registered
groups may do so in private homes to children of their members

The military employs Armenian Church chaplains for each division, but
no other religious groups are represented in the military chaplaincy.

It’s noted in the International Religious Freedom Report that during
the reporting period there was no reported officially sponsored
violence against minority religious groups.

The Armenian Apostolic Church is a member of the World Council of
Churches and has friendly relations with the main Christian branches,
including the Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Churches.

The report underlines that the general population has a negative
attitude about Jehovah’s Witnesses because the latter refused to
serve in the military, engaged in little-understood proselytizing
practices, and because of a widespread but unsubstantiated belief
that they pay the desperately poor to convert. However, unlike in
the previous reporting period, the press did not report complaints
of allegedly illegal proselytizing lodged by citizens against members
of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

This year’s report of the US Department of State included Burma,
China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan
in the list of "most troubling" countries.