FARCE AND SHAME--BISHOP KONSTANTIN BENDAS ON DEPORTATION OF AFRICAN STUDENTS FROM RUSSIA
Press Service of ROSKhV, 22 August 2018
On 16 August, the first deputy of the ruling bishop and chancellor of the Russian Associated Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith (Pentecostals) [ROSKhV], Bishop Konstantin Bendas, gave an interview to the business radio station Business FM Nizhny Novgorod, where he commented on the situation regarding the deportation of African students from Russia on the basis of a law regarding so-called missionary activity.
Among other things, the clergyman pointed out that the concept "hero of faith" had been included among protestant terms, which it essentially is not. Experts were asked the question about what these words mean in the creed of the Pentecostal faith. "As a person with a theological education, I can say that in protestantism, including within Pentecostalism, the term 'hero of faith' does not exist at all," the bishop notes. He said that the experts were in all likelihood presented the task of making a prosecutorial expert analysis. In their conclusion they wrote that "hero of faith" is a special person whose very life is a proclamation of his belief, and consequently it is missionary activity.
"We ordered an independent expert analysis interview among a number of well known Russian religious studies scholars," the deputy head of ROSKhVE explained. They did not find indicators of evangelism in the videos, but the court did not accept this expert analysis. In the bishop's opinion, this case is egregious, but not unique. The prosecution of the foreign students is being conducted on the basis of laws that were adopted within the context of the "Yarovaya Package," which took effect in the summer of 2016. Since that time, approximately 15 foreigners have been brought to justice for "missionary activity," and only two were acquitted by a court.
Bishop Konstantin Bendas emphasized that applicants for admission to Russian universities come mainly from Africa, where protestantism is a principal religion. Widespread cases of deportation will scare away potential applicants. The clergyman is sure that the current trend is only the beginning of a struggle with religion in the country. The deputy head of ROSKhVE expressed regret that similar situations are occurring in a region like Nizhny Novgorod, which always has been known for peaceful inter-religious and inter-ethnic relations. He said that this law is a return to the soviet practice in the law on religious cults of 1929, after which, with newly intensified zeal, bells were smashed, churches were blown up, and clergymen were shot.
"Neither religious studies experts nor representatives of the confessions participated in the development of the Yarovaya laws," the bishop added. Now the need is overdue to change what contradicts the law on freedom of conscience and the constitution of the RF. Lawyers are preparing documents for submission to the Russian Constitutional Court, in order to introduce amendments in the point about missionary activity. (tr. by PDS, posted 24 August 2018)
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