No Mass Cases of Converting to Islam in Stavropol: Armdaily.am

Today, news reports surfaced claiming that a group of citizens from Armenia had been discovered by the Armenian authorities in Stavropol, who have allegedly converted to Islam. According to the reports, the National Security Service of Armenia is actively investigating this matter.

To verify the authenticity of the news, Armdaily.am contacted Arkadi Tunyan, the leader of the Armenian community in Stavropol. He denied the claims, stating, “I know many Armenians here, but there is not a single person among them who has converted to Islam. They remain Christians as they have always been. Many Armenians regularly attend church. Perhaps one in a thousand might convert from Christianity to Islam, but such a case can also happen the other way around – from Islam to Christianity. There is nothing mass occurring.”

We also spoke with Father Grigoriy Poghosyan, the priest of the St. Mary Magdalene Church in Stavropol. Father Grigoriy rejected the rumors, asserting that such a thing cannot happen. “This is the first time I’ve heard something like this. I don’t know any Muslim Armenians living here. The connection between Armenians and the church is very strong; it is absurd to say such things,” he remarked.