ARMENIAN PATRIARCHATE PROTESTS DEPORTATION OF SEMINARIANS

Palestine News Network
Sept 9 2009

Jerusalem / Special from Arthur Hagopian – The Armenian Patriarchate
of Jerusalem has lodged a strong protest against a decision by the
Israeli Ministry of Interior to deport two seminarians involved in
a fight with a Jewish youth who had spat on a religious procession
they were participating in.

Patriarchate spokesperson Father Pakrad Bourjekian noted that this
was not the first time such an unprovoked aggression against Armenian
or Christian clergymen in Jerusalem had occurred.

He said not only were the clergy singled out for this kind of
treatment, but lay members of the Armenian community who wore or
displayed crosses bore the brunt of such attacks.

The latest provocation occurred on Sunday evening as Armenian
seminarians were returning to the Convent of St James after holding
their weekly procession in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

As they neared the convent, a young Jew wearing a kipa spat on them.

One of the seminarians accosted the youth who responded with another
blob of spit, leading to a brawl which police stopped by arresting
two of the Armenian seminarians and holding them for 24 hours.

That same evening, the police informed the Armenian Patriarchate that
the matter would be dealt with at court the next morning.

But when the Armenians presented themselves at court, they were
summarily informed that the police had referred the matter to the
Israeli Ministry of the Interior which had decided on the deportation
of the two seminarians, Bourjekian said.

It complained that the Ministry has ignored protests and
remonstrations, adding spitting against Christians by Jews is not
a new issue, but has been practised for several years, without the
police taking any measures to stop it.

Bourjekian also noted that in addition to this "harassment by
civilians", the Interior Ministry intentionally delays renewing
visas of Armenian monks and priests who have been born in Lebanon,
Syria and Jordan, "causing them undue distress."

He voiced concern "this kind of persecution" against the Armenians
might escalate to include not only seminarians but priests, bishops
and archbishops as well.