Religious intolerance: “Those, who don’t belong to Apostolic church, aren’t Armenians” (video)
“Those, who don’t belong to Apostolic church, aren’t Armenians”; these words describe the intolerant attitude towards the religious minorities in Armenia. According to the human rights activist Avetik Ishkhanyan, such a slogan doesn’t have a place in a civilized society, “Let me cite the words of great novelist Raffi that if we think like that, we aren’t a nation, but a religious sect.” In Armenia religious intolerance is mainly expressed in the army. Only Jehovah’s witnesses are against holding arms and there is an alternative service for them. People belonging to other religions equally defend the borders together with the people belonging to Apostolic church. But it doesn’t eliminate discrimination in the army, “People, who aren’t religious, are made to pray every time before going to the positions, not to say that draftees are baptized group by group,” says the human rights activist. Investment of ID cards in 2014 aroused anger of dissidents in Armenia. They refused ID cards because of chips and mandatory provision of fingerprints. Lusine Sargsyan, Head of Department of Legal Analyses of Human Rights Defender’s Office, presented the situation in which the representatives of religious minorities appeared, “As a result of not having an ID card, people weren’t able to receive pension, get a job, be involved in any other legal relationship, which implies acquisition of identification document.” Through the HRD Office members of religious direction reached Constitutional Court. Highest Court gave a temporary solution to the issue. “That interim solution was permission to provide old type passports until 2019,” says Lusine Sargsyan. This year Russia has forbidden activities of Jehovah’s witnesses considering it to be radical. Vigen Kocharyan, Deputy Minister of Justice, cannot see bases for such development here. “There shouldn’t be arbitrary approaches in this issue, and relevant legislative regulations should answer all the questions.” Jehovah’s witnesses are persecuted also in neighboring Georgia. Conference entitled “Current issues of freedom of religious beliefs in Armenia and Georgia” was attended also by Georgia’s HRD representative Mariam Gatvadze. She brings facts: “Jehovah’s witnesses become victims of human rights violations in Georgia; annually 50 cases are registered, which is a high number.” Muslims in Georgia are also targeted. In one case minaret is separated from the mosque, in another case policemen arrested 14 Muslims. According to the HRD representative, Georgia’s authorities violate also the rights of the Armenian Apostolic Church, “Armenian Apostolic Church has churches in Georgia, which can be used, but the right to their ownership doesn’t belong to Armenian Apostolic Church. It is disputed in the Constitutional Court and we hope to correct the situation.” According to the assessment of human rights activists, religious intolerance can be eliminated, if the state adopts a law forbidding discrimination. Such a document appeared in the RA parliament, but its adoption is delayed until now.
