US State Department Addresses Church-State Relations in Armenia in Recent Report

The US State Department has released its annual report on Religious Freedoms, which also addresses developments in religious freedoms in Armenia over the past year, reports Voice of America.

The document notes that the Constitution of Armenia recognizes the unique mission of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the spiritual life of the Armenian people and its role in the development of national culture and the preservation of national identity. It also stipulates that national minorities have the right to preserve and develop their traditions, religion, language, and culture.

The report reminds that the new criminal code, which came into effect on July 1, prohibits "obstructing the right to freedom of religion" and prescribes corresponding penalties for violations.

According to the State Department, most religious minorities in Armenia claim that public attitudes towards them have been generally positive over the past year, and negative media portrayals have been absent or insignificantly low. The reported incidents, according to representatives of religious minorities, reflect the attitudes of individual clergy rather than the stance of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The report also discusses church-government relations in Armenia, stating: "The media continues to discuss what is presented as a deterioration in the relations between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the government, which is related to the government's policies regarding the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."

According to the document, "the government continues to remove the 'History of the Armenian Apostolic Church' course from the mandatory school curriculum, aiming to incorporate relevant historical content into a broader educational program on Armenian studies."

As per the US State Department's publication, Armenia's Jewish community has recorded a significant decline in anti-Semitism compared to the previous year. During that time, the rise of anti-Semitic sentiments in Armenia was rooted in the use of Israeli-manufactured weapons by Azerbaijan during the 2020 war.

The report notes that since February 2022, hundreds of Jews arriving from Russia have had only positive impressions.