"Garegin II is just a government official, propagandist who uses religion for his own purposes"

"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.


/Day.Az/