Roaring Turkish mob enters Armenian church and prays namaz
Tert.am 02.10.10
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2010/10/02/namazani/
A mob of Turkish nationalists, mainly members of Turkish Nationalist
Movement Party headed by the party leader Devlet Bahceli, rushed into
the medieval Armenian church Mother Cathedral of Ani and prayed namaz
there on Friday.
According to local Turkish daily Hurriyet, the mob entered the church
with shouts and roaring as if celebrating a triumph.
Some even managed carving the words 'Mohammed' and 'Allah' on the
front entrance of the church in Arabic - a move apparently aimed to
showing the Christian Armenians that the Mother Cathedral of Ani is no
longer a church.
Earlier Turkish authorities had officially permitted Bahceli and his
party fellows to pray a Friday namaz in the ruins of Ani.
According to Turkish media, this move by the Turkish nationalists
comes as a response to the September 19 mass served in Sourb Khach
Church (Saint Cross) on Akhtamar Island in Lake Van, eastern Turkey.
Namaz in Ani Cathedral heavy blow to European cultural heritage
Panorama.am
01/10/2010 » Politics
Namaz carried in Ani Cathedral is a heavy blow to the European
cultural heritage, the director of the Armenian Genocide
Museum-Institute Hayk Demoyan told reporters today.
He said he is happy the Chairman of Turkey's `National Movement' Party
Devlet Bahceli is limited by namaz only and cannot carry out other
rituals as typical to nomads, like `making pyramids from the heads of
people or taking a bath in the blood of children'.
According to him, Bahceli has chosen Ani Cathedral on purpose. He said
namaz in Ani Cathedral shows that Turkish society is fragmented and it
makes decisions using the heritage and historical memories of other
nations.
The historian claimed that the nomadic ancestors of Bahceli have come
to Anatolia (Western Armenia) through Ani, and when entering Anatolia,
thus, Turks made their way to Europe. `For 400 years they were
misfortune for Bulgarian people, Greeks, Hungarians,' he said.
Bahceli's namaz is a blow and a serious challenge to the European
cultural heritage, Demoyan said.
`This is a slap to the European civilization, as by annihilating Ani,
they also entered Europe and, consequently, this action should receive
adequate response not only from Armenia but from Europe as well,' he
highlighted.
Turkish namaz an offence not only to Armenian but to all European memory
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 1, ARMENPRESS
Hayk Demoyan: "Turkish namaz is an offence not only to the Armenian
identity, cultural heritage but to the All European cultural memory"
The recent anti-Armenian moods in
Turkey are badly worked out and untargeted informative actions,
director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Hayk Demoyan said
at a news conference in Armenpress press center referring to the
ceremony in Surb Khach church in Akhtamar Island and namaz in Ani
Mother Temple. He said that with this Turks seem to bring forth
nationalistic passions among Armenians.
`The placing of cross on the dome of the Akhtamar Surb Khach Church,
doing namaz in the Ani Christian temple brings forth several
circumstances - first of all the vulnerability of Turkish history and
memory. It witnesses that in the pre-electoral phase Turkish
authorities do not step back from using the culture and religion of
other peoples like political dividends, which in reality contradicts
the provisions of Turkish Constitution,' Demoyan pointed out.
According to him, the Turkish show connected with the Surb Khach
Church did not find response among the Armenian and international
audience but also failed, and doing namaz in Ani temple brings forth
several conclusions. The majority of Ani monuments are Armenian, but
there is also a mosque there. `But for humiliating the Armenian side
the Turks preferred to do their affair in the Ani temple. But for a
Muslim it is offensive to do namaz in a place full of dung as the Ani
Mother Temple was sometimes used by local Turks as a cattle shed,'
Demoyan stressed.
He also referred to the value of Ani, noting that `the town is the
beginning and the end of Europe', with Ani the basic elements of
European architecture start, Ani was an exclusive town closely tied
with Europe. There was a time it was bigger than Paris and London.
`Turkish namaz is an offence not only to the Armenian identity,
cultural heritage but to the All-European cultural memory,' he pointed
out.
He said Turkey showed that cultural diplomacy cannot serve as a basis
for normalization of bilateral relations. Demoyan said such behavior
of Turkey is an impediment for its membership to the EU.
Namaz on ruins of Ani shows the ugly face of Turkish nationalism
October 1, 2010
PanARMENIAN.Net
The latest events in Turkey, be it the religious ceremony in Holy
Cross church or namaz in the Cathedral in Ani is nothing but
badly-orchestrated and aimless actions, director of Armenian Genocide
Museum-Institute stated.
'To gain political dividends, Turkish leadership uses the religion and
cultural heritage of other nations. Namaz on ruins of Ani shows the
ugly face of Turkish nationalism,' Hayk Demoyan told a news conference
on October 1.
'Allowing this namaz, the Turkish authorities involve Allah into their
anti-Armenian campaign,' he added.
Hayk Demoyan: 'Turks involve Allah in their anti-Armenian activity'
Siranush Muradyan 'Radiolur'
01.10.2010 19:00
The conduct of namaz at the Mother Cathedral of Ani clearly shows what
Turkey is capable of, Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum
Institute Hayk Demoyan declared today.
'To gain political dividends, Turkish leadership uses the religion and
cultural heritage of other nations. Namaz on ruins of Ani shows the
ugly face of Turkish nationalism,' Hayk Demoyan told a news conference
in Yerevan.
'Allowing this namaz, the Turkish authorities involve Allah into their
anti-Armenian campaign,' he added.
'They what to indicate to the weakness of Armenians, but in reality
they demonstrate the shortness of their history and memory,' Hayk
Demoyan said.
Kiro Manoyan: 'Another insult to the Armenian people'
A1Plus.am
01 0ct 2010
Kiro Manoyan, head of the ARF Bureau's Hay Dat and Political Affairs
Office, considers the initiative of the Turkish Nationalist Movement
party to pray namaz on the ruins of Ani as another insult to the
Armenian people.
"The ruins are of no value for Turkey and do not belong to the Turkish
Ministry of Culture and Tourism. By authorizing the namaz Ankara
unmasked its true face. Turkey seeks to show the world that it is
normalizing its relations with Armenia," Kiro Manoyan told A1+.
The ARF representative says at present Armenia can do nothing but
protest against the Turkish initiative.
"In fact, the territory belongs to the Armenian community of Turkey,
and the Turkish government should take into consideration the opinion
of the community if it wants to preserve the area."
Kiro Manoyan said that a cross has been erected on the dome of Surb
Khach (Holy Cross) Church on Akhtamar Island. Turkish oppositionists
are going to stage a protest on the Armenian-Turkish border against
the suspension of Armenian-Turkish rapprochement.
"Surely, they pursue their personal interest and want to settle the
country's interior political issues and gain confidence ahead of the
parliamentary elections of 2011."
Regarding Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's statement that
Turkey is ready to continue the peace deal with Armenia, Kiro Manoyan
said it is a recurrent lie. He condemned Turkey's non-constructive
stance and advised Armenian authorities to withdraw Armenia's
signature from the Armenian-Turkish Protocols.
