CHRISTIAN CROSSES INSTALLED IN GEORGIA’S AZERBAIJANI-POPULATED VILLAGES
Trend News Agency
Jan 23 2009
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 23/ Trend News, K. Zarbaliyeva, E. Rustamov/
Azerbaijanis in Georgia are concerned with the installation of crosses
in Azerbaijani-populated village of Georgia.
Local department of Georgian Patriarchate installed crosses with 7-10
meters of height in Gochulu and Kapanakchi villages of Bolnisi region
of Kvemo-Kartli (Borchali) territory populated by Azerbaijanis.
"Azerbaijanis living in Georgia have no idea why crosses are installed
in villages populated Muslims," resident of Gochulu village Dunyamali
Karam told Trend News in a telephone conversation from Georgia.
According to unofficial reports, about 500,000 Azerbaijanis live in
Georgia, primarily in of Kvemo-Kartli (Borchali) territory.
"Crosses are installed in prominent places. By doing so they want
to distort history and prove that Azerbaijanis did not live in this
territory since times immemorial," he said.
Azerbaijanis who live in these villages have appealed member of
the Georgian parliament Azer Suleymanov elected from Kvemo-Kartli
(Borchali) territory to clarify the situation. They await response
from official bodies.
Catholicos-Patriarch of all Georgia Ilia II, who was informed about
the concerns of Azerbaijani population, urged officials to be careful
of issue of installation of crosses in regions populated by Muslims,
head of inter-religion relations center at Georgian Patriarchate Lela
Zhezhelava said to Trend News in a telephone conversation from Tbilisi.
"Georgia has decided to install crosses everywhere. Local eparchy
did not mean to hurt local Azerbaijani population as cross is not
only symbol of Christianity, but also faith and love," Zhezhelava said.
According to statistics, Georgians make up majority (around 70 percent)
of Georgia’s population. Armenians make up 380,000, Azerbaijanis
350,000, Russians 207, 000, Osetins 150,000, Abkhazians 100,000 and
Greeks 80,000. Kurds, Assyrians, Udins, Avars and Kistins account
for the remaining part.
"If crosses are not eliminated from Azerbaijani-populated villages,
this issue will be raised in the Azerbaijani parliament," Azerbaijani
MP Nasib Nasibli told Trend News.
Some officials in the Georgian government see Azerbaijanis living
there as a threat for their statehood, he said.
Since 1992, majority of Azerbaijani place names was renamed into
Georgia ones in Bolnisi region which unreasonable, MP said.
Nasibli said the Georgian government should have a careful approach
towards such issues.