ARMENIAN CHURCH HAS NO INFLUENCE ON POLITICS
Support A1+!”I advise to read and not to become aware”, Mkrtich Zardaryan, senior analyst of Institute of Open Society and Regional Progress said at presentation of ”Religion and Policy in Caucasus” Russian book.
Scientists of Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Finland and USA discuss in the book the religious and political issues of Caucasus – Moslem radicalism in Northern Caucasus, activity of Orthodox Puritans and Anti-Ecumenists in Georgia, Islamite revival in Azerbaijan, religious and political contradictions in the Armenian Diaspora etc.
Majority of the materials for the collection was provided during the conference held in Caucasian Media Institute last year. CMI has published the book.
According to Mr. Zardaryan, analysis of religious and political problems is significant for assessment of the contemporary processes. “Religious issues are used for some political reasons not only in the Southern Caucasus but also in the whole world”, he says.
Zardaryan says religion influence is more obvious in Georgia and Azerbaijan than in Armenia. Mr. Zardaryan thinks Armenian Apostolic Church became estranged from its rights during the Soviet years and stopped being a state structure.
”Church has serious problems – both Armenian-wide and in-Armenian. But those are other functions”, Mkrtich Zardaryan said.
