Sinjar Yezidi National Union urges authorities to stop attacks on Armenian Apostolic Church and Catholicos Karekin II

The Sinjar Yezidi National Union has issued a statement on the attacks on the Armenian Apostolic Church and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II.

“We, the Sinjar Yezidi National Union, are following with deep concern the campaign targeting the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II that has unfolded in recent weeks.

For centuries, the Armenian Apostolic Church has been the spiritual support of the Armenian people, the guardian of the national identity, and a source of strength in times of crisis. Attacks on this institution are unacceptable not only for Armenians but also for all national and religious minorities living in Armenia, as they are directed against the stability, values and diversity of the state.

We condemn the political attack orchestrated by the Armenian authorities against the Catholicos and the Church. When the leadership of the state tries to discredit spiritual institutions, it is not an effort to regulate the spiritual sphere but rather an attempt to conceal their own failures and fears.

We, the Yezidi people, remember well how the Armenian Apostolic Church stood by us in times of pain and struggle. We will never forget how Catholicos Karekin II personally reacted to the tragedy in Sinjar, stood beside the Yezidi people, and voiced our pain.

We call on the Armenian authorities to stop their destructive and divisive rhetoric and recognize that national unity must be based on dignity and mutual respect.

The Armenian Apostolic Church remains a sacred institution that stands above politics. Public interests cannot be advanced by undermining spiritual values,” the statement reads.