The Islamic Republic’s Christian Minority
By Golnaz Esfandiari

12/39e8de10-59b8-4b9b-ad25-8a10f1c34402.html

Iran is officially designated the “Islamic Republic,” yet among its more
than 66 million people is a small but important Christian minority. Most
of Iran’s Christians are Armenians and Assyrians, who remain relatively
free to follow their faith. The numbers of Protestants and evangelical
Christians are said to be growing. For these people, life is often much
more difficult. RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari takes a look at
Iran’s Christian minority.

Prague, 23 December 2004 (RFE/RL) — Christian Armenians and Assyrians
have lived for centuries on the territory of what is today Iran.

Vigen, one of Iran’s most famous singers, came from the country’s Armenian
community. He was loved by all Iranians in spite of the fact his faith was
different from the vast majority. He died recently, but remains a legend.

The number of Armenians, Iran’s largest Christian minority, was estimated
at about 300,000 in 1979. It has declined in recent times but remains
culturally important.

Mardo Soghom, the director of RFE/RL’s Radio Farda, is Armenian by origin
but grew up in Isfahan, in central Iran.

“The 400-year history of the Armenian community in Iran is perhaps the
greatest example of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence, even at
the time when the country experienced isolation and socio-economic
backwardness,” Soghom said. “In the 20th century, as the country
modernized, the Armenian community thrived both economically and
culturally. After the revolution, dislocations and restrictions affecting
the general population also created hardships for Armenians, nearly half
the community left Iran. Some discriminatory policies and restrictions
came into effect, but still community rights are generally protected.”

Armenians have two seats in the Iranian parliament but continue to face
cultural, social, and administrative difficulties. They report
discrimination in finding work, and just a few Armenian schools are
fortunate enough to have an Armenian schoolmaster.

The Assyrian Christian population is estimated at some 10,000. They have
one seat in the parliament.

Iran is also home to a small number of Catholics and a small but growing
number of Protestants.

A relatively new phenomenon is the rising number of Muslim-born Iranians
who convert to Christianity.

Issa Dibaj is the son of reverend Hassan Dibaj, a Christian convert who
was jailed and later found murdered in 1994. Issa Dibaj left Iran five
years ago and now lives in the U.K.

“There is another Christian minority that people know little about, these
are Iranians who are born as Muslims and then later become Christians,”
Dibaj said. “Their number is growing day by day. [There] may be around
100,000 [of them], but no one really knows the exact number.”

Such Christians run a potentially dangerous risk. Under Islamic law as
practiced in Iran, a Muslim who converts to another faith can face the
death penalty.

The government has refrained from executing people for this in recent
years, nevertheless it has taken measure to curb proselytizing by
Christians.

Some churches have been closed and reports say the authorities are putting
pressure on evangelicals not to recruit Muslims or to allow them to attend
services.

In September, 85 member of the Assemblies of God church were arrested
during a conference in Iran. One remains in jail.

Dibaj said in spite of the restrictions, he sees a growing interest in
Christianity: “[Iranians] see that the establishment which came in the
name of Islam has brought them only war, rancor, hatred, and killings. At
the same time, they see the message of Jesus, which is love. It attracts
them through programs they see on satellite or through their Christian
friends.”

He added: “People are very curious, very interested. Iranians [are] open
and they like to know more about different cultures, ideas, and religions.
I had friends who had been prisoners of war in Iraq, at the university
they were my best friends, they were very interested [about my faith], and
I gave some of them the Bible.”

Iranian Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus pretty much like other
Christians around the world. They decorate Christmas trees, exchange
gifts, and attend services. Depending on the calendar, Armenians and
Assyrians celebrate Christmas on 6 January. Others celebrate usually on 24
December.

According to some reports Persia may even be the land of origin of the
“Three Wise Men” who — according to the Bible — arrived bearing gifts
for the birth of Christ. Some say they were Persian “Magi” — members of
priestly caste at the time.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 23, 2004
Contact: Linda Yepoyan
Phone: 610-642-6633

[email protected]

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# # #

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri official dismisses Armenian threat to quit peace talks

Ekspress, Baku
23 Dec 04

Excerpt from report by Alakbar Raufoglu in Azerbaijani newspaper
Ekspress on 23 December headlined “Iravan [Yerevan] is blackmailing:
‘We will officially walk out of the dialogue with Azerbaijan, if
Nagornyy Karabakh is not involved in the talks'”

The next meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign
ministers will be held in Prague in mid-January, Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan has told Armenian Public TV.

[Passage omitted: reported details]

The non-involvement of Karabakh’s separatist regime in the talks has
no effect on Yerevan’s position: “This is not about the strengthening
or weakening of our position. Karabakh’s involvement in the talks is
a need. Despite Azerbaijan’s approach to the problem, Azerbaijan and
Karabakh are the parties to the conflict. Armenia is taking part in the
talks because Baku does not want to talk to Xankandi [Stepanakert]. If
Azerbaijan interprets our involvement in the talks differently and
tries to change the essence of the issue, Armenia will refuse to take
part in the dialogue. That’s why, we want the settlement process to
be held in the format of the [OSCE] Minsk Group. The inclusion of
the issue in the UN agenda changes the format, and Yerevan will not
be able to represent Nagornyy Karabakh in this format.”

[Passage omitted: more details]

“One should put an end to unlimited manipulations in the Karabakh
talks. Moves of this kind promise nothing positive to the peace
process,” the Azerbaijani deputy foreign minister and the president’s
special representative on the Karabakh issue, Araz Azimov, told
Ekspress newspaper, commenting on Oskanyan’s views on the need to
involve the Armenian community of [Karabakh] in the talks.

Baku hopes that the upcoming talks will be held “on the basis of
more specific positions”. Armenia should send “precise signals”
in this connection.

Azimov did not speak about the essence of the current discussions.
“Everything will be clear after the next meeting. In any case,
the discussions have been held for 14 years now. The international
community has been making persistent statements on the process as
well. All these factors will be recorded,” Azimov said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Venezuela recognizes China as full market economy

Xinhua news agency
23 Dec 04

Beijing, 23 December: The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela recognized
China’s full market economy status Thursday [23 December]. The
Venezuelan government made this recognition in the third meeting
briefing of the high-level mixed committee. The document was signed
by the two governments here during Venezuelan President Hugo Rafael
Chavez Frias’s five-day state visit to China.

Both sides believed this recognition will help the two countries
cooperate in the World Trade Organization and further boost the
bilateral economic relations. So far, 27 countries have recognized
China’s full market economy status, including New Zealand, Nigeria,
Russia, Pakistan, Venezuela, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Antigua
and Barbuda, Benin, Djibouti, South Africa, Togo, Guyana, Armenia,
Kyrgyzstan, and the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations.

Azeri MP regrets NATO call for Armenia’s “temporary control” over Karabakh

Ekho, Baku
23 Dec 04

Excerpt from report by R. Tofiqoglu in Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho on
23 December headlined “Incautious utterance” and subheaded “The head
of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly talks about Armenia’s `temporary
control’ over Karabakh”

“Frozen conflicts’ in the Georgian provinces of South Ossetia and
Abkhazia as well as in Dniester have many features in common. The
conflict, in which Armenia and Azerbaijan clashed over Nagornyy
Karabakh, is more complex and somewhat different,” the chairman of
the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Pierre Lellouche, and the former
Spanish foreign minister, Ana Palacio, have written in their article
“Putin and ghosts of the empire” in the French magazine Le Figaro.

[Passage omitted: reported details]

“The Europeans, Americans and Russians should jointly find
a compromise, which will give Armenia temporary control over
Karabakh. The status of Karabakh can be determined in a referendum
within the next five to 10 years in the futur e.”

[Passage omitted: more details]

Commenting on Lellouche’s article, a member of the Azerbaijani
delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, [MP] Alimammad
Nuriyev, expressed “deep regret about the fact officials of such
level have no information about the roots of the Karabakh problem
and its consequences and have no interest in it, and publish strange
articles of this kind”.

“I believe that Lellouche’s proposal is absolutely unrealistic. He
is seemingly unaware that under no conditions and under no scenario
Azerbaijan will agree to lose its sovereign territories. But, in fact,
the author has precisely this in mind. They can’t expect Azerbaijan
to give official consent to Armenia’s certain “temporary control”
over Karabakh. i.e. to enable the occupier feel as master on the
captured lands. No, Azerbaijan has been trying to settle this issue
peacefully at the moment, but to no avail. I personally support the
idea that there is no other, but military, way of liberating Karabakh
from the occupation.”

The very fact that a statement of this kind was made by a high-ranking
figure such as Lellouche could only undermine the settlement process,
Nuriyev believes. “I think that at the next session or seminar of the
NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the head of our delegation should talk
to Lellouche and tell him to study the problem thoroughly before
making such calls through the media. Undoubtedly, there is a need
for telling him about Azerbaijan’s position. Regrettably it seems
that something strange is going on here.”

[Passage omitted: two more MPs share Nuriyev’s opinion]

President hopes for expansion of Iran-Azerbaijan defence cooperation

IRNA web site, Tehran
22 Dec 04

Baku, 23 December: Azerbaijan Republic’s President Elham Aliyev said
in a meeting with Iran’s visiting Defence Minister Rear Admiral Ali
Shamkhani here Wednesday evening [22 December], “I sincerely hope
defence cooperation between our two countries would expand to an
unprecedented level.”

President Aliyev added: Expansion of ties between the Islamic Republic
of Iran and the Azerbaijan Republic is not only in the interest
of our two nations, but a move aimed at boosting regional peace,
security and stability.

The Azeri president meanwhile wished success for the Iranian defence
minister in his talks with Azeri officials.

Aliyev considered President Seyyed Mohammad Khatami’s state visit
of Azerbaijan Republic earlier this year during which a number of
cooperation documents were signed between the two countries’ officials,
quite successful and effective in boosting bilateral ties.

He added: Presently the agreements reached between the two countries
are being implemented properly and based on the pre-determined
schedules.

Referring to the continuous trips made by the two countries’ officials
to each others’ capitals, President Aliyev said: That is the Best
sign for excellent bilateral cooperation in all fields.

The Azeri president concluded: I am sure my upcoming visit of Iran,
too, would be successful, leading to further expansion of comprehensive
bilateral ties.

Rear Admiral Shamkhani, too, during the meeting conveyed President
Khatami’s best salutes to President Aliyev, stressing that Iran is
quite ready for a warm welcome to him.

Shamkhani added: All countries in the region need to adopt moderate
security approaches to pave the ground for greater cooperation and
for implementation of bilateral agreements.

Focusing on Iran and Azerbaijan’s shared cultures, religions and
historical backgrounds, he appreciated President Aliyev’s serious
efforts aimed at strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in defence
and security fields.

Shamkhani reiterated: Preventing the occurrence of avoidable crises
in the region in order to boost lasting regional security can lead
to peace and stability in Caucasus and Caspian Sea regions.

Emphasizing that safeguarding the Caspian Sea region’s security depends
on shared efforts of all regional countries, Iran’s defence minister
added: Prevailing realities and special status of the region prove
any type of foreign forces’ presence can be hazardous to peace and
stability in this strategic region.”

Shamkhani at the end presented a report on defence capabilities
of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Azeri president, asking for
promotion of a comprehensive and dynamic defence cooperation between
Iran Azerbaijan.

Earlier in the evening the defence ministers of Iran met his Azeri
counterpart and conferred with him about regional armies’ cooperation
to boost joint security in Caucasus region.

He referred to the deep bilateral understanding and mutual trust,
as well as comprehensive defence and security consultations, as main
prerequisites for establishment of a comprehensive bilateral defence
cooperation.

Shamkhani added: Joint efforts aimed at boosting regional peace
and stability is the main axis for Iran-Azerbaijan comprehensive
cooperation.

The Iranian defence minister said: Presently terrorism, narcotic drugs
and arms smuggling, organized crime, and vast presence of foreign
forces are biggest threats against regional security and such threats
cannot be eliminated, except through effective regional cooperation
and constant consultative interactions.

The Azeri Defence Minister Safar Abiev, too, appreciated his country’s
ever-improving ties and cooperation with Iran and considered the
Iranian defence minister’s visit of Baku “a very effective move in
further strengthening bilateral ties.”

Abiev added: The Islamic Republic of Iran was among the first countries
in the world to recognize the independence of Azerbaijan Republic
and the Azeri nation will never forget that.

The Azerbaijan Republic is situated in eastern Transcaucasia, on
the western coast of the Caspian Sea. To the South it borders Iran,
to the West Armenia, to the North-West Georgia, and to the North the
Republic of Dagestan, in Russia.

The Nakhichevan autonomous Republic is a part of Azerbaijan, although
it is separated form the rest of Azerbaijan by Armenian territory.

Azerbaijan also includes the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast,
which is largely populated by the Armenians, but does not legally
constitute a part of Armenia.

Rear Admiral Shamkhani arrived in Baku On Wednesday for a two day
visit aimed at consultations to establish an effective regional
security pact.

EU prepares “neighbourhood report” on Azerbaijan

Trend news agency
22 Dec 04

Baku, 22 December: The European Commission has worked out a
“neighborhood report” on Azerbaijan, the EU special representative
in the South Caucasus, Heikki Talvitie, has said in an exclusive
interview with Trend news agency.

The European Commission called for the inclusion of Azerbaijan,
Armenia and Georgia in the European Neighbourhood Policy programme
on 12 May 2004, Talvitie said.

“Initially, this idea has to be approved by 25 members of the European
Union. At this stage, negotiations between the EU and Azerbaijan
will be conducted in this direction,” he said.

The neighborhood report reflected not only a political discussion, but
also [the discussion] of economic and social problems of Azerbaijan,
democracy and human rights, he said. “Europe wants its would-be
neighbors to be committed to the principles of democracy, the rule
of law and market economy,” Talvitie said.

Speaking about the conditions for joining the programme, Talvitie
said that the main objective is to develop democracy, protect human
rights, boost economic potential and so on. “Azerbaijan is already
one of the European countries and we attach major significance
to the stable development within the process of integration,” the
diplomat said. Appropriate documents on the programme have already
been submitted to the Baku government, in connection with which
Talvitie is planning his next visits.

Azeri pressure group condemns sentence on would-be Karabakh guerrillas

Bilik Dunyasi news agency
23 Dec 04

Baku, 23 December: The committee to protect the Karabakh guerrillas
intends to continue its operations in two directions, the leader
of the Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO), Akif Nagi, said at a
press conference today. Nagi is also the head of the committee.

“We will continue our activities to protect these true patriots by
legal means, through applying to the Court of Appeal, as well as by
putting pressure. In particular, we will stage various radical actions
and try to attract the attention of the majority of the public to
this problem,” Nagi said.

Azerbaijan’s Grave Crimes Court passed a ruling yesterday on an
armed group of 21 people who wanted to wage a guerrilla war behind
the positions of the Armenian forces on the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan. The members of the group were sentenced to three to 10
years’ imprisonment.

“We regard the ruling of the court as unjust. By passing this verdict,
judge Azar Orucov sentenced himself. He tainted himself and his family
will always live with this stigma,” he said.

Nagi said he was determined to attain full exoneration of the
guerrillas and make the Grave Crimes Court admit that the ruling was
a mistake.

Azeri editor says local Jewish leader threatens him over Hitler’s book

Sources:

ANS TV, Baku
22 Dec 04

Assa-Irada, Baku
22 Dec 04

[Presenter] The editor-in-chief of Xural newspaper, Avaz Zeynalli, who
was repeatedly summoned to law enforcement agencies after publishing
in Azerbaijani Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” – My Struggle – has
accused the head of the community of mountain Jews, Semen Ikhiilov,
of making threats.

[Correspondent over video of news conference by Zeynalli] Pressure on
me is increasing gradually after I published Adolf Hitler’s “Mein
Kampf”, the editor-in-chief of Xural, Avaz Zeynalli, told a news
conference today.

The editor’s lawyer, Elcin Qambarov, spoke about the current state of
the legal proceedings instituted into the case. He said that despite
the fact the legal action had been taken against the editor under
Article No 282 of the Criminal Code, that is inciting religious and
racial hatred, no official charges have yet been brought against
the editor.

The lawyer said that “Mein Kampf” is being examined by experts of
the investigation department of the [Azerbaijani] National Security
Ministry.

Talking about the translation of the book, Zeynalli said that he
knows the identity of the person who threatened him by telephone on
8 December this year.

[Zeynalli, addressing the news conference] The person who called
me was Semen Ikhiilov. He was born in Kustanay [Kazakhstan]. He is
friendly with the families of some esteemed people in Azerbaijan. He
has many businesses [in Azerbaijan].

[Correspondent] You might recall that the person mentioned by Zeynalli
is now leading the community of mountain Jews. As to the threats to
the editor, Ikhiilov’s answer was very brief.

This is completely groundless and I have never phoned him, end
of quote.

Baxtiyar Salimov, Sehrac Azadoglu, ANS.

[The Azerbaijani news agency Assa-Irada quoted Zeynalli as telling the
journalists that “Mein Kampf” will “always be popular and useful”. “To
read Hitler does not mean to be a fascist,” he said, adding that those
“who think so are ignorant”.]

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VARTAN OSKANIAN: RATIFY THE RIGHTS OF KARABAKH PEOPLE FOR SELF-DETERMINATION
AND ACHIEVE ITS INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

Azg/arm
24 Dec 04

Armenia Unlikely to Be against Step-by-Stage Settlement

RA foreign minister is sure that today the Armenian side can get
more in Nagorno Karabakh issue than in 1997. “Today, I see that we
have a serious opportunity to ratify the right of NKR people for
self-determination and achieve its international recognition,” he said.

“Today, the Prague process is on, I know what is in the agenda and I
see an opportunity to get more, than we could get in 1997. You can ask
whether we will get or not. I don’t know. Five year may pass and we
will again begin this dialogue and say that we should have accepted
that version in 1997. But, today, there are such issues are on the
agenda that directly prompt us that we can definitely get more than in
1997. I wish I could talk about all this openly without making harm to
the negotiations,” Oskanian said to a press conference on December 22.

Oskanian stated that Ilham Aliyev is merely unable to meet the
Key West agreements, on the other hand he said that unless a new
key suggestion is made the Key West achievements are still on the
agenda. “But one can in some way modify the approaches, preserving
the principles. I would describe the current situation at the Prague
process in the following way: the Key West principles remain the same,
but they have underwent some modification that would help the Azeri
side be involved in the process,” Oskanian said.

“Principally, Armenia’s position is not changed: we believe that we
should achieve full settlement of the issue, certainly, preserving the
opportunity for maneuvering. There is one obvious fact, i.e. it will
be difficult for us to achieve the same results with the current Azeri
authorities as we did with the former ones. We realize it,” he said.

Oskanian advices to pay attention to the article published in the
French Le Figaro where “today’s general prospects over NKR issue” were
touched on. Pierre Lelouch, chairman of NATO Parliamentary Assembly,
and Anna Palacio, former Spanish foreign minister, expressed opinion
in the abovementioned article that “Armenia should temporally control
Nagorno Karabakh, while its further status will be adopted 5 or 10
years after through referendum.”

Oskanian believes that Nagorno Karabakh’s right for self-determination
can be indirect in the aspect of the time. In response to the question
put by Azg Daily “if the Prague process yields positive results
and no obstacles occur, will Armenia agree to discuss the issue of
NKR’s status in 10 or 15 years”, Oskanian said: “We try to ratify the
right of NKR people for self-determination and we can apply flexible
deadlines for that. But the right for NKR peoples self-determination
should be ratified, we will struggle till the end and we will not
sign any agreement without ratifying that fact.”

If we really can be flexible in the issue of the deadlines for the
adoption of NKR’s status, as we could understand from the comments of
Oskanian, we shouldn’t exclude that Yerevan can consider it acceptable
the step-by-step solution, when the key issues of the conflict are
solved (returning of the territories, the refugees, etc.), while the
issue of NKR’s status is left to be solved in 5 or 10 years.

Generally, Oskanian has no complexes about the fact that in the times
of Levon Ter-Petrosian, former Armenian president, he was for the
step-by-step solution: “Of course, I can strictly refuse to begin a
dialogue (around that issue), I do it having one special goal: to break
the taboo on speaking freely in the issue of possible settlements of
Nagorno Karabakh conflict. We need reasonable discussions and analysis
connected with the settlement of the issue,” RA foreign minister said.

Oskanian accepts that the Karabakh side is not included in the current
negotiation process: “The only reason that NKR doesn’t participate
in the negotiations is Azerbaijan’s refusal. Today, Armenia faces
the following alternative, i.e. to insist on NKR’s participation
and refuse negotiating, or agree to negotiate for the sake of their
continuation. RA president decided to approach the issue in the
following way, it is not really so important who from the Armenians
is negotiating, the core of the negotiations is more important.
Armenia conducts the negotiations, but a certain period is sure to come
when NKR’s participation will be unavoidable in the process,” he said.

RA foreign minister also touched upon the statement made by Boris
Grizlov in Yerevan, according to which Armenia is Russia’s outpost in
the Caucasus. “This word doesn’t correctly reflect the essence of our
relations. I am sure that Grizlov meant really good Armenian-Russian
relations. I think that he used the wrong word,” he said.

Moreover, Oskanian thinks Armenia is the only South Caucasian
republic that conducts a more independent foreign policy. “The policy
of complementarism gives us more opportunities for maneuvering. Our
neighbors are more deeply dependent and their opportunities to maneuver
are more limited.”

By Tatoul Hakobian