Culture policy

Chairman of Albanian-Udi Christian religious community Robert Mobili interviewed by APA

– The issue of the UNESCO mission's visit to the liberated territories is already on the agenda. How effective do you think this will be?

– There is a double standard issue, Mr. Nihat. We have experienced this in the process of 30-years of occupation of our lands. Even today, if we look at the Ukraine-Russia issue, we still see the same thing. Necessary support is not provided when needed. UNESCO is also in the same position. Over the years, so many Islamic monuments have been destroyed, demolished, insulted, but not a single organization has reacted on this issue. Why UNESCO did not send any commission once in 30 years?

– We mentioned the issue of presenting Albanian monuments in the territory of Karabakh as an Armenian church. In general, how should we prove to the world that all this is a lie?

– Churches have a history, in a way, this is a history and no Armenian, in general, no one can change it. The Albanian Church is also an ancient Apostolic, independent (autocephalous) Eastern Church. These churches are also called the Church of the First Apostles.

Jesus sends out his 12 disciples to preach and to spread Christianity around the world. So, Christianity was spread in this territory in this way. And I must note that it was a very difficult process. I mean that the Albanian Church is directly connected to the east. We name the Albanian Church along with the Jerusalem, Assyrian, and Coptic churches. The buildings are also structurally historic. Armenian churches have never existed in the Caucasus. Karabakh is beside the point on this issue. talk about. In general, there are character differences in Eastern churches. For example, we see elements of the Moon, the Sun, and fire in Albanian churches, which are due to adherence to the beliefs. For example, we Udis sacrifice an animal for God today. However, it is contrary to Christianity. In doing so, we lean and preserve our pre-Christian tradition. Why? Because the concept of sacrifice existed both before Christianity and Islam.

The Albanian Church is also distinguished by its worship (church). We know Armenians’ language of worship was Assyrian. However, the language of worship in the Albanian Church and its evidence, the holy books were found in Egypt. All this has been studied by European linguists. If a nation has a holy book belonging to the 5th to the 6th century, then its nation, people, and state are very powerful. I can say with certainty that the Albanian Church retained its status during the period of Islam and Mongols, which was until 1836.

– Actually, I would ask this. There is an issue of dependence in the 1836 regulation. In 1836, Albanian Apostolic Church has been subordinated to the Armenian Apostolic Church.

– Yes, I did not say it in vain. That process has started after the occupation of the South Caucasus by Tsarist Russia. It was then that the greatest blow to the Alban heritage was dealt. We talk about the regulation of the Armenian Apostolic Church. After the occupation of here, Tsarist Russia saw that it is impossible to create a Christian country in Azerbaijan. After that, they brought Armenians wherever there was a church and settled there. Good, but what was the reason? They were doing it purposefully. The churches were empty at that time. Islam has been spread. Islam did not need a church, but it was protected. They used this. On the basis of that regulation, boards in all churches have been changed, all churches have been subordinated to the Armenian churches and worship became in the Armenian language in a mandatory form. This was the Armenianization of the Christians.

– But Christians who were not Armenian have also lived in Karabakh.

– Yes, no one denies this and they are indigenous peoples. It means, they have lived there before, their history is related to there. It is right, there were Turkic-speaking peoples as well. For example, currently, there are Malik Aslanovlar, Malik Karamovlar, Malik Yeganovlar, and other generations in the Tug village that adopted the Islamic religion. Some of them became Armenian under the subordination of the Armenian Church. That is why Armenians who live in Tug have the same roots as us.

– How about the Armenians living in Karabakh, let’s talk about their history a little bit.

– I have not conducted any study about this, but I can say that there have been two kinds of Armenians living there: the first is those came from the ancient Albanian tribes, which the Armenians call the converted Armenians, and the second is the Armenians came from Iran and Turkey.

Photo: Sabir Mammadov © APA Group

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