Category: 2023

The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem

The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem vowed to protect the interests of the Armenian Church on Friday, a day after the governments of Jordan and Palestine said they were distancing themselves from the Jerusalem Patriarch Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, whom they blamed for ignoring the historic heritage of the Armenian Church in the Holy City.

The Jerusalem Patriarchate voiced its “deep concern” regarding the decision by Jordan and Palestine and to explain that the individual responsible for initiating a real estate deal involving the grounds of the Armenian Church had been punished, and in fact defrocked.

“The urgently convened Holy Synod meeting on May 12th, 2023 expresses its deep concern regarding the news circulated on May 11th through social media and the publication of various Jordanian and Palestinian news sources, in which both the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Palestinian government have decided to freeze the Patriarchal recognition of the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Archbishop Nourhan Manougian,” the Patriarchate said in a statement posted on Facebook by Father Aghan Gogchian, chancellor of the Armenian Patriarchate on Friday.

“The most disconcerting aspect to this decision is its timing. Notably, becoming public just after the Holy Synod leveled the strictest punishment against the main person responsible for the ‘Cows Garden’ issue. That person is Khachig Yeretsian (formerly Archimandrite, Very Rev. Father Baret), who previous held the position as the former Director of Real Estate Department. Per the directive of the Holy Synod, this individual has been defrocked of his priestly rites, banished, and is no longer living on the premises of the Patriarchate,” the statement added.

“The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Holy Synod will do their best to protect the interests of the Armenian Church and the community,” said the statement.

Jordan and Palestine on Thursday issued a joint statement, announcing their decision to suspend their recognition of Archbishop Nourhan Manougian as the Patriarch of the Armenian Church in Jerusalem, the holy land and Jordan. 

This decision comes after numerous unsuccessful attempts to address the patriarch’s handling of properties in Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter, which hold cultural, historical and humanitarian significance, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

BY REV. DR. VAHAN H. TOOTIKIAN

There are all sorts of mothers. There are good mothers and not so good mothers; there are virtuous mothers and wicked mothers. Producing children does not make a woman worthy of honor. Some of the most despicable people have been mothers

An eloquent example is Queen Jezebel of Israel. An ambitious, strong-minded woman, the former Phoenician Princess Jezebel became an active partner of her husband, King Ahab of Israel. She brought the worship of Baal, the chief deity of Canaanite religion. She raised her children in idolatry, tried to destroy all God’s prophets in Israel, threatened to kill Prophet Elijah, falsely accused, convicted and killed Naboth, a Jew who owned a vineyard in Jezreel Valley adjacent to the country palace of King Ahab. The latter desired the property for a vegetable garden, and Naboth refused to sell it on the grounds that the property was a family inheritance (I Kings 21:3-4). Jezebel plotted Naboth’s murder. Her name became associated with wickedness.

John the Baptist criticized Herodias, wife of King Herod Antipas, who left her husband Philip to marry Herod. Infuriated by the Baptist’s accusation, Herodias sought to have him killed. She involved her daughter Salome in the murder of John. Athaliah, the idolatrous widow of Jehoram, King of Judah, exercised great political influence during her son’s reign of one year and encouraged idolatry in the country. At her son’s death resulting from battle wounds, Athaliah tried to gain power for herself by having all the male heirs killed.

Mothers are special people. But they are people. And to be a mother is not necessarily to be virtuous. For this reason we should beware of idolizing motherhood. The Scriptures remind us to honor the good and virtuous women who have worn, and who wear, the title “mother.”

In contrast to the above-mentioned notorious women in the Bible, there are many good and virtuous mothers. The fact that God would use a human mother to bring His Son into the world has bestowed upon motherhood its greatest honor. Mary, the mother of Jesus, exemplified the best qualities of motherhood. She was full of all virtues throughout her life, loving her Lord God with her whole heart and mind. Her greatness lay in her willingness to be an instrument for God’s plan and to be able to say: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said” (Luke1:38). Mary not only gave birth to Jesus, but as his mother contributed to his upbringing.

Another virtuous mother was Hannah, mother of Samuel. She vowed to the Lord that if she should give birth to a son, she would dedicate him to God. Subsequently, she gave birth to the child Samuel. She fulfilled her vow by bringing her son to the sanctuary at Shiloh, where Samuel served the Lord under the direction of Eli. Samuel, grew “in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men” (I Samuel 2:11), later became a great prophet, priest and judge in the Jewish nation.

Still another exemplary mother was Mary, the mother of the earliest Gospel writer, John Mark. A woman of sterling qualities, whose home became a gathering place for the early Christians—a source of inspiration to her son and other Christians.

Mother’s are just people like all the rest of us; but to most of us, they are very special people. With all their human frailties, they have come to symbolize those qualities of life that we admire the most in others and desire the most for ourselves.

Virtuous mothers are towers of strength, loving and caring people. They are unselfish. Their hearts beat in harmony with and for their children.

Like all human beings, mothers are not perfect. They have their faults and foibles, shortcomings and sins. In spite of all these, however, they are the makers and molders of their children’s character. They are the greatest teachers in the first and foremost school of life—the home. If the most impressive and long lasting lessons occur in the formative years of life, then mothers hold the fate of humanity in their hands.

The Bible extols motherhood and motherly virtues. A good mother is described as one who is “clothed with strength and dignity; she speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also praises her” (Proverbs 31:25-28).

It is wisely said that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. This is especially true in the case of Armenian mothers.

The Armenian mothers have always done their share in their family and community’s lives. During the turbulent history of the nation, Armenian mothers have seen great tragedies, wars and massacres, and yet these trials and tribulations have not, in any way, deterred them in their historic devotion to their family, their community and the nation as a whole.

Tested in the furnace of centuries of affliction, Armenian mothers have demonstrated their inherent worth. They have proven to be longsuffering, devoted and loyal. They have developed the capacity to face adversity and suffering. Perplexed but not driven to despair, they have maintained their poise and have not lost their faith.

Great religion and good homes are inseparably bound up together. The fortunes of the church and the fortunes of the home have been almost one and the same. What happened to one, inevitably happened to the other.

From the beginnings of Christianity in the Armenian nation, Santoukhd, Khosrovidukht  and thousands of unnamed women have given their lives so that the Armenian Church and the Armenian nation might live. Yeghishe, the fifth-century Armenian historian, speaks eloquently of the spiritual strength and courage of the Armenian women in the Vartanantz War and tells of the role of women in continuing the war and contributing to the ultimate victory and glory of Vartanantz by their tireless work and faith after the men had fallen. It was not only the men who fell in battle, but the women who continued steadfast in their faith and toiled in the place of the fallen and imprisoned men who made possible the victory.

There is no doubt that Armenian women, especially Armenian mothers, have been central to the community and to the concept of religion in Armenia. Armenians have attached the name “mother” to their most cherished institutions and values. They have called their country “mayr Hayastan” (mother Armenia), “mayr lezoo” (mother tongue), “mayr yegeghetzi” (mother church). Today, in Armenia, there is a huge statue called “Mayr Hayastan.” With sword drawn, standing guard over her land and her children, the statue symbolizes the decisive role the Armenian mother plays in the life of the Armenian nation.

In conclusion, it should be underlined that the family is the building block of society. No nation can ever be stronger than the homes of its citizens. Mothers are the main pillars of our homes. Should the home life of a nation decay, nothing can stem the tide of the collapse.

May God bless all virtuous mothers. May He guide them and keep them vigorous in their sacred calling and service.

Rev. Dr. Vahan H. Tootikian is the Minister Emeritus of the Armenian Congregational Church of Greater Detroit and the Executive Director of the Armenian Evangelical World Council.

An Azerbaijani drone attack killed an Armenian soldier on May 12

Azerbaijani forces on Friday launched a drone attack on Armenia’s Gegharkunik province, as a result of which 20-year-old Narek Baghdasaryan was killed, Armenia’s Defense Ministry reported.

At around 10 a.m. local time on Friday used a drone to target the Sotk village in the Gegharkunik province. The Azerbaijani attacks continued at 7:10 p.m. local time, when Armenian military forces in the Kut village were attacked.

Friday’s attack came a day after a massive launched by Azerbaijan targeting the Sotk, Verin Shorzha and Norabak villages all in the Vartenis region of the Gegharkunik Province in northeastern Armenia.

Armenia’s Defense Ministry reported that two Armenia soldiers were also injured during Friday’s attack. On Thursday, four soldiers were reportedly injured.

The Azeri drone strike comes a day after Azeri forces bombarded Armenian positions in the same area in an unprovoked attack. 

The heaving fighting comes days before Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan are scheduled to meet in Brussels to discuss normalizing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan in a talks hosted by European Council President Charles Michel.

After holding four-day-long talks in Washington last week, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, are also scheduled to meet in Moscow later next week.

After Thursday’s offensive, Pashinyan accused Azerbaijan of deliberately derailing the talks and attempting to use military force against Armenia in hopes of concessions during the internationally-mediated meetings.

Armenia’s foreign ministry condemned Thursday’s attack, saying that Azerbaijan seems to have forgotten the commitments it made during the talks last week in Washington.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Washington on May 4

Official Yerevan on Friday countered the United States’s response to a large-scale attack launched by Azerbaijan against the Sotk village in the Gegharkunik Province on Thursday.

The State Department spokesperson Vedan Patel on Thursday characterized Azerbaijan’s unprovoked attack on Armenia as “an exchange of fire,” saying “this kind of violence” undermined the perceived progress made by Armenia and Azerbaijan when their foreign ministers met in Washington last week.

“First of all, it was not an exchange of fire but another unprovoked attack by the Azerbaijan’s army, which is well known for its ISIS-like warfare conduct,” Edmon Marukyan Armenia’s Ambassador at-Large fired back on Friday in a post on Twitter, adding that the “Armenian army took necessary steps to defend our sovereign territory.”

“Our demand is that Azerbaijan must withdraw its occupational forces from the sovereign territory of Armenia and return to the internationally recognized borders, i.e. the administrative borders that existed between both countries at the time of independence from the USSR. Third, in 2022, in Prague and Sochi, Azerbaijan committed that it will refrain from the use of force or threat of use of force,” Marukyan tweeted.

In his remarks, Patel also called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to reach an agreement at the upcoming talks in Brussels, where Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan are scheduled to meet on Sunday.

Patel also said that Armenia and Azerbaijan should “distance their forces along the border, as discussed by Secretary Blinken during their participation of these negotiations that we hosted here in Washington, D.C., at the beginning of May.”

The State Department spokesperson continued to insist that the talks in Washington last week were “important, positive steps in which we felt the two countries had the opportunity to engage on some important issues, see the other side’s point of view.”

“And we believe that there continues to be a durable path forward. We believe that there is a peaceful solution to this. It’s why we, from the Secretary on down, have continued to be so deeply engaged on this,” Patel added.

“We believe that those talks were fruitful and laid the groundwork for a continuation of these talks beginning in Brussels, and we’ll let that process play out,” Patel said.

Rights advocates Arman Tatoyan and Siranush Sahakyan hold a press briefing on May 12

Human rights advocates Arman Tatoyan and Siranush Sahakyan presented details of their most recent report that includes information about Azerbaijan having stationed 6,000 special forces along its border with Armenia and Artsakh. The report also reveals information about the brutal treatment of Armenian prisoners of war being held captive in Baku.

“Commando unit [of Azerbaijan] is stationed in Hadrut and Karvachar. At the moment there are five units, but the location of three of them is kept secret,” Sahakyan, an attorney who represents Armenia at the European Court of Human Rights, said at news conference with Tatoyan on Friday.

She said that their research has found that the special Azerbaijani forces, numbering around 6,000, have been tasked with destroying the Artsakh Defense Army and are conducting clandestine operations in and around the Azerbaijani border with Armenia and Artsakh.

Tatoyan, who was Armenia’s former Human Rights Defender and runs a foundation that bares his name, said that despite public claims by Azerbaijani leaders about engaging in border delimitation and demarcation processes, official Baku has already begun fortifying the positions it has gained within Armenia through the various breaches of Armenia’s sovereign territory, including the attack on the Aragatsotn, Syunik and Gegharkunik provinces in September of last year.

“We know that the Azerbaijanis have invaded the sovereign territories of Armenia, and it is obvious that they have no intention of leaving,” said Tatoyan. “No matter how much they [the Azerbaijanis] talk about [border] delimitation, international principles, their actions speak of something completely different. They are entrenched in the territories inside the border of Armenia.”

He described the differences he observed when he visited Syunik three months ago and later 10 days ago. Tatoyan said that Azerbaijani forces have “entrenched themselves” on the sovereign territory of Armenia.

“They have set up positions in the administrative area of Nerkin Hand village of Syunik, a few months ago they had built a small building; after a few months—big buildings, infrastructures, and roads. We had recorded the same thing after September 13-14 in the region of Jermuk: after a few months, they were even constructing wide concrete roads, bunkers and other facilities,” Tatoyan said.

He emphasized that the Azerbaijani are making the life of the civilian population in those regions in Armenia unbearable so that they will leave, pointing out similar pressures being applied on the citizens of Artsakh.

Tatoyan said that the Azerbaijani are cutting off the water supply to prevent farmers and shepherds from using their lands for pastures and farming.

He also said that Azerbaijani forces are placing landmines in villages in the Syunik Province, posing a threat to the residents and livestock.

Sahakyan, who has extensive experience advocating for the rights of Armenian captives and POWs, said that Armenian detainees have been severely beaten by Azerbaijani military police. She said that coupled with the physical abuse, Armenian POWs were also deliberately being deprived of food and sleep and were being exposed to the elements when they were held outdoors in cold weather.

Sahakyan said that the Azerbaijani policy was continued under the supervision of special services, and more intense inhumane treatment was shown at detention centers, where the “superiority” of Azerbaijanis over the ethnic Armenians was emphasized through racial insults and degradation.

She explained that a similar tactic intended to cause additional harm to Armenians was being employed by Azerbaijani when they target the families of killed soldiers and detainees by sending them images of their loved one being tortured or mutilated.

Sahakyan warned that often times the captured Armenians were handed over to military or civilian medical professionals who stage scenes of the captives receiving treatment as a means of warding off international observers. In reality, she said the Azerbaijani medical personnel also use violence once the cameras are shut off.

She also said that their investigation has revealed that there are 80 POWs and not 33 as has been reported widely by officials in Baku and Yerevan.
Tatoyan and Sahakyan concluded that inaction by the international community has allowed Azerbaijan to continue to act with impunity and commit gross violations of human and individual rights against Armenians.

Tatoyan explained that Azerbaijan actions serve two purposes for the authorities in Baku. He said that official Baku continues to sow hatred toward Armenians to project to lay Azerbaijanis that there is an external enemy, thus quelling internal unrest.

He said the second goal of the Azerbaijani authorities is to create conditions that force Armenians to leave their ancestral lands—the beginning of ethnic cleansing not just in Artsakh, but also Armenia.