"GAREGIN II IS JUST A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL, PROPAGANDIST WHO USES RELIGION FOR HIS OWN PURPOSES"

Today
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May 11 2010
Azerbaijan

"What we have talked about many times even before Catholicos of All
Armenians Garegin II came to Baku, has finally happened. We were
quite right to doubt his sincerity," Head of the Azerbaijan-based
Center for Protection of Religion and Freedom of Conscience (DEVAMM)
Ilgar Ibrahimoglu said.

He was commenting on a congratulatory message by Catholicos of All
Armenians Garegin II to the Supreme Patriarch on occasion of Victory
Day and the anniversary of "liberation" of Shusha, as Armenian side
describes occupation of the Azerbaijani city.

In his message, Catholicos expressed happiness over the "victory"
of the Armenian occupiers and says "hopes for liberation of Karabakh"
and "fair rights" of Karabakh Armenians were realized.

As before, this congratulatory message from Echmiadzin shows that
the actions and speech of Garegin II contradict essence of Christian
religion and morality, Ibrahimoglu said.

"The open support to separatism and aggression against Azerbaijan
proves that the leadership of the Armenian Church has no hint of
repentance for the genocide of Azerbaijani civilians in Khojaly
and other atrocities of the Armenian aggressors and they do not
want to encourage settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. All this suggests that it would be incorrect
to equate identify Garegin II with the Christian religion.

He is a government official, propagandist who uses religion for his
own purposes," the human rights activist said.

This factor should be taken into account not only in case of Garegin
II, but also while inviting other Armenian propaganda officials
to Azerbaijan.

"However, I do not oppose visits to Baku by Armenian figures. We need
to continue to show the world our high tolerance. But we should not
think that ideologists of the Armenian separatists have turned into
peacekeepers," Ibrahimoglu noted.