Jerusalem Patriarchate slams Pashazadeh’s remarks

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem issued a sharp rebuke to recent statements by Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh, head of the Caucasus Muslims Board, describing his comments about the Armenian Church as dangerous propaganda.

The statement criticized Pashazadeh for acting not as a spiritual figure but as an “illiterate representative of a propaganda machine” that distorts history with the backing of Azerbaijan’s regime.

His comments were labeled both provocative and absurd, to the point they were deemed unworthy of direct citation, according to Sputnik Armenia.

The patriarchate declared that Azerbaijan’s ruling regime has taken its disinformation campaign to new heights. It accused Baku of attempting to expel Armenians from their homeland and silence the Armenian Apostolic Church—the only institution beyond its control—by promoting false narratives such as the “Albanian origin” of Armenian religious sites.

The statement also warned that Pashazadeh’s rhetoric is aimed at justifying cultural and territorial aggression both now and in the future.

The patriarchate reaffirmed its support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Armenian people, strongly condemning Pashazadeh’s public remarks.

Holy Etchmiadzin also responded earlier to the statements made at the Qazis Council of Baku, denouncing them as full of misinformation and overt hostility. It asserted that, by the logic of its own statements, Azerbaijan represents a threat to regional peace.

Earlier, Pashazadeh had claimed that Armenian religious sites, including the 1,700-year-old cathedral in Holy Etchmiadzin, are allegedly located on “historical Azerbaijani lands.” He concluded by asserting that the Armenian Apostolic Church poses a threat to regional states.