Armenian Church attacked: Kayseri

[Joseph]

AN ASSAULT TO ARMENIAN CHURCH IN KAYSERI


ISTANBUL (DIHA) -While the door of Kayseri Surp Krikor Lusavoric church
was shot 10 times it was learnt that slogans against christianity
were shouted.

In the written statement made by Turkey Armenians Patriarch it was
stated that the reactions of muslims against caricatures published in
a magazine in Denmark are continuing. In the statement which said that
the reactions are extensified on the agencies of the western states ,
the assaults against religious communities have been increased. In
the statement it was said that the events of killing of catholic
nun Andrea Santoro, teasing of catholic nun Martin Kmered in Izmir,
writing slogans to the walls of 2 christian churchs in Istanbul are
continuing as against the west and christianity.

According to information quoted by members of Armenian community to
the Armenian Patriarch, persons who are not identified had shot 10
times on the door of Kayseri Surp Krikor Lusavoric Church. It was
stated that they shouted slogans against christianity.

[Joseph]

GROUP CHANTING ANTI-CHRISTIAN SLOGANS FIRES SHOTS AT ARMENIAN CHURCH IN CENTRAL TURKEY
Selcan Hacaoglu

AP Worldstream
Feb 15, 2006

A group of people chanting "God is Great!" in Arabic and shouting
anti-Christian slogans fired shots at an Armenian church in central
Turkey, the Armenian Patriarchate in Turkey said Wednesday.

Monday's shooting was the third reported attack against Christians
in predominantly Muslim Turkey this month after the killing of an
Italian Catholic priest and an attack on another Catholic priest. No
one was injured in Monday's shooting.

The attacks coincided with outrage in the Muslim world against the
publication of caricatures depicting Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

The shooting Monday occurred in the city of Kayseri, where St.

Gregory the Illuminator _ founder of the Armenian church _ was baptized
in the church that still bears his name.

The church now holds just two or three services a year and less than
a dozen Armenians now live in the city.

"According to members of the tiny Armenian community in Kayseri,
unknown people fired 10 times at the door of the church," chanting
"Allah Akbar," as well as anti-Christian slogans, the Istanbul-based
patriarchate said in a statement.

The governor's office immediately took security measures around the
church and placed police officers on duty in the church's garden,
the patriarchate said.

"It is their most natural right for pious Muslims to express their
resentment in the face of provocative caricatures published in Denmark,
but I can't understand actions of violence against the worship places
of Christian citizens in our country," said Mesrob II, the Armenian
patriarch.

On Feb. 5, Rev. Andrea Santoro, a 60-year-old Italian, was shot dead
as he knelt in prayer at his church in the Black Sea city of Trabzon.

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder.

Four days later, a group of young men attacked and threatened another
Catholic priest in the Aegean port city of Izmir.

[Krunchy]

I'm sure the EU will love to hear about this.

[AzatHayrenik]

They will ignore it like they always do.

[maral_m79]

They will ignore it like they always do.

After this cartoon hurricane against the European countries, one would think that those nations and the EU will think twice before allowing almost 100 million muslims into the EU ...

But I personally, agree with you. They ignored grosser acts against "Human Rights", and many flaws in the Turkish constitution and penal code that are in total contradiction with EU guiding rules and EU members countries constitutions.

For God's sake, they accepted Turkey while it's STILL REFUSING to recognized "Cyprus" which will be a fellow member in the EU !!!

[TurQ]

I think those events should make EU think twice not to allow Turkey in EU. Accepting Turkey into EU will heal this kind of division in the world. What you are suggesting is EU to have more skeptic/racist stance towards Muslim in general. I dont think it will help Armenians to benefit from the current division between east and west.

Those events are ugly but Turkish police government and state has a firm stance toward such actions. And religous groups in Turkey are against those kind of ugly events.

HAving said that these events in Turkey can not be a fraction of events happening in Europe towards muslims. Just look at the racism report of EU, and look at the number of hate crimes and attacks towards muslims in Holland, France Germany, Sweden, UK and Denmark. When you compare those hate crimes, these incidents are just a fraction. But for me they are not tolerable, and should be punished. I think those people probably thought that there were missionaries in that Chruch, cause in general people have an idea that Churches are centers of missionary activity. It could be true for newly built protestant ones owned by far right christian groups. But these historic churches are definetly not for missionary activity. People in Turkey does not know this have an opposite idea/feeling.

Anyways, division and exclusion is not a solution, I think thats what you are suggesting. It'll always be counter productive and increase racism in West. HAving healthy relations and dialogue between Muslims and Christians is essential in order to overcome clashes of civilizations.

After this cartoon hurricane against the European countries, one would think that those nations and the EU will think twice before allowing almost 100 million muslims into the EU ...

But I personally, agree with you. They ignored grosser acts against "Human Rights", and many flaws in the Turkish constitution and penal code that are in total contradiction with EU guiding rules and EU members countries constitutions.

For God's sake, they accepted Turkey while it's STILL REFUSING to recognized "Cyprus" which will be a fellow member in the EU !!!

[Gondorian]

The EU will ignore this, it ignores every Turkish Atrocity.

[phantom]

I think those events should make EU think twice not to allow Turkey in EU. Accepting Turkey into EU will heal this kind of division in the world. What you are suggesting is EU to have more skeptic/racist stance towards Muslim in general. I dont think it will help Armenians to benefit from the current division between east and west.

Those events are ugly but Turkish police government and state has a firm stance toward such actions. And religous groups in Turkey are against those kind of ugly events.

HAving said that these events in Turkey can not be a fraction of events happening in Europe towards muslims. Just look at the racism report of EU, and look at the number of hate crimes and attacks towards muslims in Holland, France Germany, Sweden, UK and Denmark. When you compare those hate crimes, these incidents are just a fraction. But for me they are not tolerable, and should be punished. I think those people probably thought that there were missionaries in that Chruch, cause in general people have an idea that Churches are centers of missionary activity. It could be true for newly built protestant ones owned by far right christian groups. But these historic churches are definetly not for missionary activity. People in Turkey does not know this have an opposite idea/feeling.

Anyways, division and exclusion is not a solution, I think thats what you are suggesting. It'll always be counter productive and increase racism in West. HAving healthy relations and dialogue between Muslims and Christians is essential in order to overcome clashes of civilizations.

I agree with you. I think the only way to bridge the cultural gap is continue the dialog and bring Turkey closer to the West than the East. Isn't it ironic, though, that Turks are shooting at an Armenian church, even though the Armenian community in Turkey was the first to condemn the cartoons? Likewise, the Armenian patriarchs in Jerusalem and Iran were among the first to come out against these cartoons. Perhaps if the Turkish press had done more to report the Armenian response to the cartoons, the Turkish people would reconsider their view of us as pariahs.

[TurQ]

When it comes to Turks you guys use the easily the words "atrocity" "barbaric". I think this shows the racism in your national sub-councious.
Anyways EU should deal with their own hate crimes. Turkey takes swift measures against such crimes.

Also as a Greek you should deal with hatred towards Albanians and Turks/Pomaks in Greece.

The EU will ignore this, it ignores every Turkish Atrocity.

[TurQ]

I know
Masrob Mutafyan was among the first to protest and condemn it. People dont know it. Assyrian Priest was in a rally a few days ago that protested the cartoons and he gave a speech.
Eastern Christians are in general are sensitive to religous feelings.

I appriciate the works of Armenian and Assyrian church in Turkey.

I agree with you. I think the only way to bridge the cultural gap is continue the dialog and bring Turkey closer to the West than the East. Isn't it ironic, though, that Turks are shooting at an Armenian church, even though the Armenian community in Turkey was the first to condemn the cartoons? Likewise, the Armenian patriarchs in Jerusalem and Iran were among the first to come out against these cartoons. Perhaps if the Turkish press had done more to report the Armenian response to the cartoons, the Turkish people would reconsider their view of us as pariahs.