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KRISHNA MOVEMENT UNDER ATTACK IN ARMENIA (fwd)
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To: alt-hindu@uunet.uu.net
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Subject: KRISHNA MOVEMENT UNDER ATTACK IN ARMENIA (fwd)
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From: vijaypai@ece.rice.edu (Vijay Sadananda Pai)
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Date: Thu, 20 Apr 95 10:12:04 CDT
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From vijaypai@ece.rice.edu Thu Apr 20 11: 01:20 1995
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In-Reply-To: <3n5t6r$eea@larry.rice.edu>
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Organization: Rice University
On the 18th. April, 1995 at 3pm (local time) twenty or twenty-five unknown
men stormed into the ISKCON (Hare Krishna) temple in Yerevan.
At the time of the attack seventeen people were present in the temple.
(eleven males, four females and three children). The thugs were armed with
automatic weapons, submachine guns, guns, metal rods and metal chains.
They arrived at the temple in three cars with no registration plates.
The intruders immediately started to severely beat all the people present,
kicking them and hitting them with metal rods. After a short time the
ladies and children were thrown out of the house but the male members
continued to be beaten. Amongst those singled out for a more vicious
assault were one invalid and a Russian national.
As these assaults were taking place other members of this group were
destroying the temple. They desecrated and destroyed the altar, the
paraphernalia for worship, scriptures, paintings etc. All the windows and
household fixtures were also damaged.
The raid lasted about forty-five minutes and before they left the
intruders stole everything of value that they could find. Three thousand
US dollars in cash was stolen as were telephones, the fax machine, a
computer, printer, modem, a video-camera, two video recorders, foodstuff,
a small marble table and even pots from the kitchen. They robbed
individuals' passports, wristwatches and even whatever small change they
found in the pockets of their victims. They also tried to steal a car
outside the temple but failing to do so they siphoned the petrol from it
instead.
The police were alerted several times by various people but, although they
said that they would come no one arrived. In an effort to appeal for help
one Hare Krishna member, covered in blood, went to the police station, but
his petitions were ignored, except for one policeman who commented that
this happened because the Hare Krishna members were deviating from the
national tradition.
Shortly after this incident a well-dressed man walked into the temple and
announced that this attack happened because the Hare Krishna followers did
not adhere to the national Church. He then left in a Russian made Volga
car without registration plates.
Most of the people beaten were severely injured and had to receive
hospital treatment. All of the male members sustained head injuries.
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Please register a protest about the treatment of the Hare Krishna
followers in Armenia. We suggest that you direct your protest to the
Armenian President or to your local Armenian embassy or consulate. It
would be greatly appreciated if you could also send a copy of any protest
to ISKCON Communications Europe, at the address listed below.
Mr. Levon Ter-Pertosian
President of Armenia
Fax: +7 (8852) 521581.
His Exellency Rouben Shugarian
Armenian embassy
122 "C" 57 NW.
Washington D.C.
USA
Fax number +1-(202) 628-5769
Armenian embassy in Vienna
1070 Vienna, Neubaugasse 12 - 14,
Tel.: 0043/1/522 74 79 or 522 74 80
Fax: 0043/1/522 74 81
If you are an American, you may also send a request for action to
your President and your congressional representatives.
PRESIDENT@WHITEHOUSE.GOV (Bill Clinton)
VICE.PRESIDENT@WHITEHOUSE.GOV (Al Gore)
GEORGIA6@HR.HOUSE.GOV (Newt Gingrich [Speaker of the House])
DEMLDR@HR.HOUSE.GOV (Democratic House leader)
tom_daschle@daschle.senate.gov (Tom Daschle, Dem. Senate leader)
Texas:
senator@hutchison.senate.gov (Kay Bailey Hutchison)
California:
senator@boxer.senate.gov (Barbara Boxer)
For further information and further updates on this
campaign please contact:
ISKCON Communications Europe
premarnava.hks@com.bbt.se
