LEBANON’S ARMENIANS REGRET FORMER PRESIDENT AL-JUMAYYIL STATEMENTS
Lebanese National News Agency website, Lebanon
Aug 6 2007
Beirut Lebanese National News Agency in Arabic on 6 August is observed
to post several reports on reactions by an Armenian-Lebanese cleric
as well as Lebanese parties to the statements made by former President
Amin al-Jummayyil to the effect that the Armenian community in Lebanon
rigged the votes in the Al-Matn by-elections.
At 1237 gmt, NNA posts a report saying that Aram I, Catholicos of the
Armenian community in Bayt Kilikia, has issued a statement saying:
"No one should allow himself to attack the honour of the Armenian
community. We understand that some tense and sometimes harmful
statements are delivered during and after electoral battles; however,
we do not accept at all unfounded accusations and offensive comments
levelled against the Armenian community. Everyone knows the history of
our Armenian people in Lebanon and its national stands. The Armenian
community is an epitome of nationalism."
The report adds that the Catholicos called for "staying away from
tendentious statements and opening a new chapter in the life
of Christians, a chapter characterized by dialogue and mutual
understanding, in which church has an important role in this regard."
The report further cites the Cotholicos as saying that "internal
Christian understanding is the heart and mainstay of Christian-Muslim
coexistence as well as Lebanon’s unity and strength."
At 1309 gmt, NNA reports that the Armenian Tashnaq Party has
"expressed regret" because an electoral process for a parliament seat
"has turned into attempts to settle scores with a party that has not
known extremism." The Armenian party issued a statement denouncing
"the irresponsible statements that aim at harming the Armenian people’s
reputation, especially the Tashnaq Party."
The statement adds that "the tense and irrational statements that were
delivered by some Lebanese leaders are an outrage, which highlighted
the truth of hatred that they kept deep down for decades, and once
they lost their nerves, they clearly evinced this hatred."
The statement also noted that the recent elections gave rise to the
fact that the attempts to which all capabilities were employed to
limit the role of Tashnaq Party in the Lebanese political life and
inside the Armenian community "have failed."
At 1538 gmt, NNA reports that a statement by the Popular Bloc has
denounced "the intense tendentious campaign being launched by some
people against the Lebanese of Armenian origin. The insolence of
this programmed campaign reached a point where it called upon the
Army Command to declare a state of emergency in the area of Burj
Hammud and Al-Nab’ah to arrest the leaders of Tashnaq Party, after
labelling it with the most ugly and painful names."