Vazken Mesrobian, a Syrian-Armenian now living in Armenia, told reporters in Yerevan not to give too much credence to the alleged relgious factor in the ongoing military battle for power in Syria.

Mesrobian reminded members of the lcal press that religious tolerance has always been the hallmark of Syrian society, with Muslims and Christians living side by side in peace for centuries.

He noted that this is particularly true in Aleppo, with its diverse mix of peoples and religions.

"Aleppo is probably the only city in the world where you can find a church and mosque existing side by side," Mesrobian said.

He noted that Armenians, who somehow survived the 1915 Genocide and wound up in Syria, were able to come to an understanding with the Arabs and coexist.

Mesrobian said he wasn’t planning to return given the ongoing hostilities in Syria.

He said that the problems originally faced by Syrian-Armenians upon arriving in Amenia had since been resolved. And pointed out that a school had even been launched for Syrian-Armenian children with the assistance of the Ministry of the Diaspora.