Tbilisi cathedral hosts Armenian, Azerbaijani clergy in interfaith vigil as fighting in Karabakh continues
Representatives of the communities involved joined the vigil that observed reading of scriptures and prayers. Photo via Evangelical-Baptist Church of Georgia social media page on Facebook.
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A Tbilisi cathedral hosted an interfaith vigil involving Armenian and Azerbaijani clergy last week as an effort for "peace and reconciliation" amid armed conflict between the two countries in the Karabakh region.
At the Peace Cathedral, located on Kedia Street in the Georgian capital, Yezidi, Muslim and Christian clergy came together to not only observe the vigil but also pledge to begin daily prayers at the church "until the war is over".
In the display of joint wishes for peace Father Narek Kushian of the Armenian community and his Azerbaijani counterpart Sheikh Mirtag Asadov joined Malkhaz Songulashvili, the Metropolitan Bishop of Tbilisi, who led the service. Yezidi Akhtiar of Georgia, Dimitri Pirbari, was also part of the vigil while bishops Rusudan Gotziridze and Ilia Osephashvili joined as well.
interfaith vigil for #peace in #Tbilisi, w readings from bible & quran & representatives from Azerbaijani & Armenian communities. Few such initiatives, but still important & they will hold similar vigils every Saturday, 19:00 #Georgia #Karabakh #Armenia #Azerbaijan @Tom_deWaal pic.twitter.com/N1AdiIvP76
— Hans Gutbrod (@HansGutbrod) October 19, 2020
[W]e call all churches, synagogues, mosques, temples to offer prayers for peace and reconciliation between Armenia and Azerbaijan every Saturday at 19:00 (Tbilisi time) until the war is over."
The faithful and clergy should feel free to offer their prayers either publicly or privately upon their convenience. Peace and reconciliation shall not have any other alternatives," a joint statement by the community representatives said.
A great read from the inimitable @georgelomsadze on how Tbilisi Armenians and Azerbaijanis still try to maintain sanity and respect, despite what's going on next door https://t.co/jYQRzvI2As
— Thomas de Waal (@Tom_deWaal) October 19, 2020
The representatives of the two clergies were also joined by their faithful as the vigil involved reading of scriptures from the Gospel and the Quran, while prayers were heard in Georgian, Armenian, Yezidi and Arabic.
Armenian and Azerbaijani communities have lived side-by-side in Tbilisi for centuries, with around 233,000 ethnic Azerbaijanis and 168,000 ethnic Armenians who call the capital city their home keeping calm as inter-ethnic confrontations were observed in other cities around the world on the backdrop of the war.
The vigil at the Peace Cathedral came on the backdrop of repeated armed clashes in the Karabakh region, following the start of hostilities in mid-September. Latest ceasefire violations in the region were reported on Sunday, after previous truce efforts failed.
Georgian border guards have refused passage to trucks loaded with tires headed for the conflict area of Nagorno-Karabakh via the Georgian-Armenian border late in the evening of September 28.
Amid ongoing fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Georgia has suspended the transit of military cargo through its territory to either country either by land or air. No restrictions apply to transit of civilian goods and other cargo.
Georgian officials are concerned with the recent reports of resumed hostilities between the two neighbouring countries of Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Georgian Foreign Ministry has stated earlier today that the country is ready 'to contribute to de-escalation [of the process] and help establish the peace in the region'.
German Ambassador to Georgia Hubert Knirsch told journalists yesterday that he welcomes Georgian officials’ readiness to host a meeting between Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders over the Karabakh conflict.