President Abbas: “We and the Armenians suffered of historical difficulties”

PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT WITH CHRISTIAN LEADERSAzad-Hye, Dubai, 21 January 2006: Palestine News Agency (WAFA) reported on 12th January 2006 that Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, received in the Presidential Headquarters in the city of Ramallah (West Bank) a delegation of Armenian clergymen, headed by Archbishop Torkom Manougian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem.


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President Abbas expressed to Archbishop Manougian his warm greeting on the occasion of the Christmas. Discussing current political affairs he asserted that the Palestinians of East Jerusalem should participate in the parliamentary elections on January 25th.


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On 15th January 2006 Archbishop Manougian was one of a group of heads of Churches in the Holy Land who met President Abbas and exchanged congratulations of Christmas and Eid al-Adha (Muslim Feast of Sacrifice).


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President Abbas told his guests that the Christian-Islamic coexistence is deeply rooted in the history of Palestine, stemming from the historical accord that the Second Caliph Omar bin al-Khattab made when his armies took hold of Jerusalem (the agreement is also known as the Covenant of Omar). As a result Christians enjoyed extended rights in the Holy Land.?


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On behalf of the heads of Churches, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theofilos III, thanked President Abbas for his continuous support, noting that this was reflected by his personal attendance of Christmas Midnight Masses in the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem.


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Palestine News Agency reported on 18th January that President Mahmoud Abbas participated in Bethlehem in the festivities of the Armenian Church on the occasion of Christmas.


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In a statement made during his presence in the Armenian Monastery in Bethlehem President Abbas said that he has the honour to participate in the Armenian festivities. ?We and the Armenians suffered of historical difficulties. We hope that these difficulties would vanish, but we are sure they will not fade away from our memory,? he added. ??


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From his side Patriarch Torkom Manougian stressed that the Armenians are integral part of the Palestinian people, hoping that the establishment of the Palestinian State could be achieved soon.?