Thursday, March 23, 2006

Pat. Mesrob II Mutafyan Criticizes Hrant Dink

Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafyan, The Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople


I supported and I will support any step of the Armenian and Turkish governments, aimed at normalizing relations.

Constantinople Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan stated in an interview with the Hurriyet. He called the conference at Istanbul University, where Turkey's official and unofficial stances over the Armenian Genocide can be voiced, very important. Resported today Pan Armenian News


Touching upon Agos newspaper editor Hrant Dink's article, in which the latter accuses the Patriarch in efforts to subordinate the Armenian community, Mutafyan said, «Hrant Dink compared me with a member of a sect, who blindly attaches community members to himself. He tries to compromise the community and me. Of course, I will work to unite the community based on the Bible. It is normal,» Istanbul-based Marmara newspaper reports.

posted by Maral at 4:53 AM

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

The question is, is the Patriarch laying out thoughts he truly believes in, or is he an "agent of the Turkish government"? The answer should lie with the following logic: If Hrant Dink has the freedom to start becoming more and more "Dashnak," nothing should prevent the Patriarch in doing the same. Particularly when the Patriarchs were willing accomplices of the Dashnaks (especially after the Dashnaks shot one), back in Ottoman days, when freedoms were certainly more restricted than they are in today's democratic Turkey.

Assuming then that the Patriarch does not have a gun to his head when he expresses his thoughts, is Dink doing the right thing by driving such a wedge, for his own selfish and activist reasons? Looks like we've explored this territory before, when the Hunchaks and Dashnaks were a'bornin'.

3:50 PM  

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