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Russia Religion News Current News Items
Vladimir Putin's relations with Islam and the Islamic world have long been filled with guesswork and unintelligibility. One time he jokes dismissively about circumcision and speaks out against permitting Muslim women to be photographed in hijabs for documents; then he suddenly proposes Russia's entry into the Organization of the Islamic Conference. What's more, Putin made this statement in Malaysia, a state which is by no means among the islamist states, so that it is difficult to consider that he was simply expressing respect to his hosts. What is there for Russia in OIC? This question has forced many analysts to scratch their heads.
Of course, OIC includes countries where Muslims do not constitute a majority; but these are mainly African states where the Muslim minority is either a serious problem or a weighty political factor, an "active minority." But in this list Russia appears near last place, along with Gabon and Guyana. Perhaps Putin just wants to stress by this choice that the Muslim population in Russia is simultaneously both a problem and a serious political factor, which one will not dispute.
Approaching OIC could interest Russia, primarily, as a means for neutralizing the negative effect of the factor of Islamic solidarity in the situation in the northern Caucasus, particularly in Chechnia. After all it is no secret that fighters are receiving financing in the main from foreign islamists and even Malaysia has been noticed as giving refuge to the family of Aslan Maskhadov. Here Russia could appeal to one of the points of the OIC charter that obligates member states "to observe the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity" of each other.
But now what to do about other points? Is the Russian government really ready unconditionally "to support the struggle of the people of Palestine for restoration of their rights and emancipation of their land," or "to intensify the struggle of all Muslim peoples with a goal of maintaining their dignity, independence, and national rights"? Especially if one considers that this point of the OIC charter directly attacks Russia. If one imagines that Russia were really to become a member of OIC, then within the framework of this organization it will be beaten up over Chechnia with the same regularity as from the humanitarian Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. And every conference of OIC will surely be accompanied by threats to exclude Russia from OIC. In other words, Russia's foreign policy is another headache and Russia's partners will have yet another pressure point which they will be able to use to pry out of Russia real foreign policy concessions.
More likely, the foreign policy course that Putin wanted to follow was rather simple. He would want to lay out a marker sign for one more political space for Russia, one more arena for making statements and collecting votes of support for one or another problem situation. After the war in Iraq, where Russia declared itself one of the potential centers of anti-American opposition, such a space could have been attractive. But is it really necessary and is it so harmless? As a minimum from the point of view of Russia's foreign policy status, entry into OIC is an unsuccessful idea. There is not a single developed country among the member states; there is not a single member of the "Big Eight;" that is, it does not provide the foreign policy level on which Russia plays. While there are in OIC dubious, politically marginal states like the unrecognized Northern Cyprus and even "Moro National Liberation Front," that is, the Muslim Filipino rebels. To be enrolled in such a campaign would be a loss of face for Russia and the final recognition of its place as a second-, if not third-rate state in the world. (tr. by PDS, posted 10 August 2003)
RUSSIAN EASTERN SCHOLAR THINKS RUSSIA'S ENTRY INTO OIC POINTLESS
Portal-credo.ru,
7 August 2003
The associate director of the Institute of Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladimir Isaev, does not see any special benefits for Russia from entry into the Organization of the Islamic Conference. In an interview with "Interfax" on 6 August he explained that "for Russia to enter in the capacity of a full member it would be necessary for the country to be a place where Muslims constitute the majority of the population."
At the same time Isaev added that "even as a full-fledged member of the organization Russia would not be able to dictate its own conditions to it, because the Islamic Conference is a large club of interests where common problems of the Muslim movement are discussed."
The scholar also pointed to the specifics of the Organization of the Islamic Conference with regard to the problem of terrorism. "The paradox that the majority of Muslims are not terrorists while a majority of terrorists are Muslims is never raised at its sessions and I also do not remember a single official resolution with sharp condemnation of terrorist acts," Isaev noted.
He also expressed doubt that as a member of the Islamic Conference Russia would be able to have a more active influence on the oil market. "It is rather silly to speak about this," the eastern scholar said, "since other structures deal with such matters, in particular, OPEC, which is not about to surrender to anybody its power over oil."
Isaev predicts that the flow of capital, that might attract Russia into the Islamic Conference, will not provide special benefits for the state. "It is quite probable that there will be new financial flows," Isaev explained, "but they will be specifically aimed, because this organization as a rule grants credits for construction of mosques, publishing the Quran, and similar needs, but never for the construction, say, of some automobile factory, such as other funds for development are engaged in, like the Saudi, Kuwaiti, and others."
Finally, in Isaev's estimation, "the Organization of the Islamic Conference is a rather unfocused formation which does not play a special role in modern international relations," NEWSru.com reports. (tr. by PDS, posted 10 August 2003)
Russia Religion News Current News Items
Vladimir Putin stated Russia's wish to join the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), possibly in the capacity of an observer at the first stage, RIA Novosti reports. During an official visit to Malaysia the president of the Russian federation met the country's vice premier Abdullah Badawi on 5 August.
The Russian head told Badawi about results of conversations with Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir that were completed an hour earlier, during which Vladimir Putin expressed the desire for Russia's becoming a member of OIC. Vladimir Putin asked Badawi, as Mahathir's successor and the future leader of Malaysia, who will become president of OIC in October of this year, to support this idea.
The number of Russian residents of Muslim confession exceeds twenty million, the Russian president recalled. This is much greater than in many Muslim countries that are members of this largest Muslim international organization, including Malaysia, Vladimir Putin noted.
In response Abdullah Badawi assured the Russian leader that after assuming the post of prime minister of Malaysia his government would fully continue the course set by the present leader of the state, Dr. Mahathir. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 August 2003)
VICE CHAIRMAN OF OVTsSMP THINKS MULTINATIONAL RUSSIA CAN BE MEMBER OF
BOTH CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS
Portal-credo.ru,
6 August 2003
Multinational Russia can be a member of both Christian and Muslim organizations. That is the opinion expressed on 5 August in an interview with ITAR-TASS by the vice chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow patriarchate, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, commenting on the suggestion by Vladimir Putin regarding Russia's entry into the Organization of the Islamic Conference, expressed by the president in Kuala Lampur.
"Russia is a country located both in Europe and in Asia; a country in which people belonging to both Christian and Islamic traditions live," Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin noted. Thus, in his opinion, "it is fully logical that Russia be a member of organizations that are of both European-wide and eastern traditions, including the Organization of the Islamic Conference," Sedmitsa.ru reports. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 August 2003)
COUNCIL OF MUFTIS OF RUSSIA APPROVES PRESIDENT'S SUGGESTION ABOUT COUNTRY'S
JOINING OIC
Portal-credo.ru,
6 August 2003
"We fully support the desire of the president of the country, Vladimir Putin, for the entry of our state into the Organization of the Islamic Conference," the head of the Council of Muftis of Russia, Mufti Ravil Gainutdin, stated on 5 August.
As the press service of the Council of Muftis of Russia reports, Ravil Gainutdin stressed that this is not the first time that adherents of Islam in RF have manifested a wish to be members of one of the most authoritative Muslim organizations of the world, since more than twenty million Muslims live in our country. "Russia's entry into OIC will permit us not only to expand existing religious ties but also to raise substantially the level of economic and political interactions of countries that are members of OIC. Vladimir Putin's suggestion about Russia's entry into OIC is an example that the president of Russia sees and promotes realistic steps for the development of one of the traditional religions of our country, Islam," Mufti Ravil Gainutdin said.
The head of the Council of Muftis also noted the special significance of Vladimir Putin's visit to Malaysia, since during the visit to one of the most developed countries of the southeastern region a number of important contracts were signed. "In recent years the leadership of Russia has devoted substantial attention to mutual relations with Muslim countries. Our countries have enormous potential for expanding economic and political contacts and this potential must be exploited," Ravil Gainutdin concluded. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 August 2003)
VLADIMIR PUTIN RECOGNIZES RUSSIA AS A MUSLIM COUNTRY
by Vadim Makarenko
Stolichnaia vecherniaia gazeta, 6 August 2003
During an official visit to Malaysia Vladimir Putin asked local leaders to support the idea of Russia's entry into membership of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). He did this twice in one day.
First he asked Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Muhammed to petition for receiving us into the "Muslim alternative to the United Nations," as diplomats of all countries call OIC in unofficial conversations. And after lunch he asked the vice premier and future leader of the country, Abdullah Badawi. The seriousness of Vladimir Putin's intention is also shown by the way these requests were no surprise for political observers. "Entry into OIC has been discussed in Russia for a long time. The first steps were taken back in 1997-1999," an expert from the Carnegie Foundation in Moscow, Aleksei Malashenko, told "Stolichnaia."
The procedure for joining OIC is not complex. Russia would submit an application for acceptance into the Islamic conference and state that it recognizes the charter of the organization. This application would be brought to the next conference of foreign ministers of OIC member states and it could admit Russia into the organization by two-thirds vote. The OIC charter has only one requirement for an applicant country: it must be recognized by members of the Islamic conference as a Muslim country. The charter says: "Each Muslim state has the right to join the Islamic Conference." That is, not each state, but specifically each Muslim state.
This is not a simple question for Russia, but it can be decided. There
are three criteria according to which one may judge whether a country belongs
among Islamic countries:
1. Numerical criterion--when more than 50% of the population profess
Islam.
2. Constitutional criterion--the constitution of the country proclaims
Islam as the state religion.
3. Personal criterion--the head of state professes Islam.
The first criterion has so far not been attained.
The second could be attained by a great stretch. Islam belongs to the so-called traditional religions of Russia. If two-thirds of the members of OIC agree that traditional religion and state religion are one and the same, the way is open. But this is not too likely.
The third criterion could be easily fulfilled: Vladimir Putin converts to Islam.
But in any case it is necessary to get the support of the member states
of OIC. And that is what Vladimir Putin asked of Muhathir Muhammed and
his successor to the post of prime minister of Malaysia, who will preside
over the Organization of the Islamic Conference after October. (tr. by
PDS, posted 9 August 2003)
Published on the Portal-credo.ru
site, 8 August 2003
"AS A MUSLIM AND RUSSIAN CITIZEN I AM PROUD OF MY PRESIDENT," DIRECTOR
OF INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RIGHTS DECLARES
Portal-credo.ru,
7 August 2003
The director of the Institute for Human Rights, Kamilzhan Kalandarov, called Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement of Russia's readiness to join the Organization of the Islamic Conference the greatest political event of the year, "Regions.ru" reports. "This statement testifies that Vladimir Putin has made yet another step for strengthening inter-ethnic relations on the territory of Russia," Mr. Kalandarov is confident.
The rights defender thinks that Putin's decision on entry into OIC is undoubtedly a strategic and certified decision which shows that the culture of inter-ethnic and interconfessional relations in Russia has reached a new and higher level, in principle. Kamilzhan Kalandarov noted separately that the decision on entry into OIC was supported not only by Russian Muslims but also the Moscow patriarchate.
The Institute on Human Rights, in its turn, is prepared to provide every support to the cooperation of Russia and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. "Various rights defense programs have been conducted in OIC in which we have participated. In particular, problems of the settlement of Chcchen refugees and protection of the rights of national and religious minorities in Russia have been resolved. The Institute for Human Rights will willingly share its accumulated experience with the leadership of the country," Mr. Kalandarov stated.
That the decision of the president regarding entry into OIC is not a casual one is shown by the recent visit to Russia of the general secretary of OIC, Abdelouhed Belkeziz, and the creation of a new diplomatic post, ambassador to the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Mr. Kalandarov thinks.
Entry of Russia into OIC, in Mr. Kalandarov's opinion, will result in a number of positive changes within the country. In particular, the heat of passions over Chechnia will be lessened since OIC has great experience in settling military conflicts. Kamilzhan Kalandarov called special attention to the way an OIC decision, in contrast to a decision of the Council on Security in Europe, is binding for a member state. "Actually, OIC is the UN of the Muslim world, with this difference that the UN has lost its influence in making international decisions while OIC has this influence," Kalandarov stated.
Membership in the Organization of the Islamic Conference, in Mr. Kalandarov's opinion, will permit the resolution of a number of urgent tasks facing Russian rights defenders at the present moment such a protection of human rights in Muslim countries in the postsoviet space and the creation of a new Eurasian conception of human rights. "Russia is a multinational country and it is not only European democratic principles that can operate here. Thus we should take all that is best from both the West and the East. Only in such a case can real inter-ethnic peace be achieved in Russia," Kamilzhan Kalandarov concluded. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 August 2003)
RUSSIA SEEKS TO JOIN ORGANIZATION OF THE ISLAMIC CONFERENCE
by Frank Brown
Religion News Service, 6 August 2003
Russian Muslim leaders welcomed Wednesday a proposal by President Vladimir Putin that Russia join the Organization of the Islamic Conference, a worldwide association of 56 mostly Muslim countries. "Maybe then, ordinary Russians and bureaucrats would understand better that this is a Muslim country, too, and not just a Christian country," said Mufti Visam Ali Bardvin, a co-chairman of the Russian Council of Muftis.
About 60 percent of Russia's 145 million citizens are Christians. The country's estimated 20 million Muslims, concentrated along the Volga River and in the southern Caucasus region, represent the largest religious minority.
"Unfortunately, in the area where I live, there are very few Muslims. We are looked upon as outsiders, even though we are citizens," said Bardvin in a telephone interview from the city of Petrozavodsk near the Finnish border.
Putin made the proposal Tuesday while on a state visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In October, that city will host a summit of heads of OIC member states held once every three years.
Ambassador Babacar Ba, the OIC's representative to the United Nations in Geneva, said Russia's application for membership may be "difficult because at least one-fourth of the population has to be Muslim" according to the organization's rules. However, Ba added from Geneva, exceptions have been made in the past for certain African countries, "like Gabon," with significant Muslim minorities.
Ba noted that Russia's 20 million Muslims are "a very significant number" and said Russian membership would give the OIC a chance to help resolve the bloody conflict surrounding Russia's mostly Muslim breakaway republic of Chechnya.
In theory, OIC membership might give Russia some leverage over those Muslim countries it currently accuses of serving as bases of support for Chechnen rebels. One element of the OIC's charter is a member pledge to observe "the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of each State."
Russian OIC membership would represent the first time the country has joined an international Muslim organization. The dominant Russian Orthodox Church has been a member of the World Council of Churches since Soviet times. Less trusted Soviet Muslims were forbidden from similar memberships. The Rev. Vsevolod Chaplin, a spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church, called Russian membership in the OIC "entirely logical " given the country's Muslim tradition, the ITAR-TASS news agency reported.
Russia Religion News Current News Items
The chairman of the Odessa provincial council and director of the provincial Department for Questions of Property Use and Privatization, B.S. Karapetian, responded to an inquiry by Archbishop Lazar of Odessa, the chairman of the Bishops' Synod of the Russian True Orthodox Church (RIPTs) in a letter of 24 June 2003 with an unambiguous statement that he recognizes only the Ukrainian Orthodox church of the Moscow patriarchate [UPTsMP] as the legal owner of property of the prerevolutionary Russian church, and that in connection with this he plans "a final determination of the owner of the buildings," that is, a review of decisions about the ownership of the church of St. John of Kronstadt in Odessa, which had been assigned to RIPTs, in favor of UPTsMP.
The conflict over the cathedral church of the Odessa diocese of RIPTs has dragged on about a year now. In order to deprive the Odessa diocese of RIPTs of its cathedral church, the Odessa city executive committee illegally permitted the designing and construction of two office and residential structures for a hotel and entertainment complex at the edge of the grounds of this church (Order No. 03-10/1235 of 9 August 2002). This body had already concluded an agreement with the "TSV" joint stock company for designing and construction while completely ignoring the requests and protests of the diocesan administration and the community of believers of RIPTs, which inevitably led to a conflict situation and confrontation.
In order to preclude opposition from believers, representatives of other confessions and religious groups were drawn into the conflict. Thus on 26 November 2002, around eight o'clock in the morning, a group of youths led by a former Simferopol vicar of the Odessa diocese, Agafangel Pashkovsky, who had gone into schism and joined the self-proclaimed synod of Metropolitan Lavr in New York (supporters of the Moscow patriarchate), committed a barbaric attack in order to seize the cathedral church of St. John of Kronstadt (the rector of the church is Archbishop Lazar) of the Odessa diocese of the Russian True Orthodox (Catacomb) Church under the omophorion of Metropolitan Vitaly. After breaking into the church they shoved a cleric who was conducting the liturgy, Heiromonk Polikarp, and declared that from this moment the church belongs to them and that they forbid any kind of divine worship without their consent.
Having seized the church and interrupted the conduct of the liturgy, A. Pashkovsky and his group barred the entrance and did not permit parishioners of the church who came for the service to enter. As a result, a great number of parishioners of the Russian True Orthodox (Catacomb) church under the omophorion of Metropolitan Vitaly collected at the entrance of the church. Pashkovsky did not respond to their demands to leave the church and not prevent the performance of the divine service. The plenipotentiary for religious affairs of the Odessa provincial administration was forced to intervene in the conflict, and he declared that the actions of Pashkovsky and his youths were illegal and demanded that they stop the uproar, leave, and not hinder the conduct of divine worship. However Pashkovsky even ignored this demand. After this an operational group of the Maritime district Department of Internal Affairs arrived at the site of the attack. Only upon the arrival of police officers did the group of youths headed by the former Simferopol bishop, A. Pashkovsky, leave the grounds of the church.
However the conflict did not end with this. Having made an unofficial agreement between the Odessa diocese of UPTsMP and the above mentioned commercial structures who lay claims to the territory of the church, these groups organized a joint, well planned campaign for the so-called "legitimate confiscation" of the cathedral church from the ruling archbishop of Odessa, Lazar Zhurbenko of the Russian True Orthodox Church. For this purpose, A Pashkovsky, Metropolitan Agafangel Savvin of Odessa (MP), and the commercial structures sent to the local authorities corresponding statements to the effect that the transfer of the church of St. John of Kronstadt to the Odessa diocese of the Russian True Orthodox Chruch under the omophorion of Metropolitan Vitaly was illegal. In response to these statements the director of the Department of the Odessa Regional Council for Questions of Property Use and Privatization, V.S. Karapetian, sent an answer to the inquiry of Archbishop Lazar in which he stated: "Since before 1917 the structure in question was the property of the Russian Orthodox church, whose legal successor is the Ukrainian Orthodox church of the Moscow patriarchate, and also taking into account the absence of evidence in the documents submitted by you of a right to ownership of the indicated building by the Odessa diocese of the Russian True Orthodox Church, the question that you have raised may be considered only after a final determination of the owner of the buildings." Thus the chairman of the Odessa provincial council unambiguously declared that he recognizes exclusively UPTsMP as the legal owner of property of the prerevolutionary church and that in connection with this he plans a "final determination of the owner of the buildings," that is, a review of the previously adopted decisions regarding the owners of the church of St. John of Kronstadt in UPTsMP's favor. According to information coming from reliable sources, a draft of an order for "re-transfer" of the above named church to the Odessa diocese of UPTsMP, has been drawn up and will be presented for review of the session in the near future.
Believers of the Russian True Orthodox (Catacomb) Church view such actions by the local authorities as direct interference in their internal religious life, unprecedented violation of their legal rights and freedoms, and an attempt to provoke conflict on religious grounds in Odessa.
Historical Information: The Russian True Orthodox Church (otherwise known as the catacomb church) was organizationally created at the end of the 1920s-beginning of the 1930s, as a result of the refusal of the majority of the episcopate and clergy of the Russian Orthodox church to cooperate with the communist, theomachistic regime in USSR, as the leadership of RPTsMP headed by Metropolitan Sergius had done. From that time there existed in USSR in parallel an official ("soviet" or "red") "Russian Orthodox church," which in 1943 by order of Stalin was organized into the "Moscow patriarchate," and the True Orthodox Russian Church (IPTs) independent from the communist regime, which as a result of harsh repressions and persecutions was forced to take up illegal means of ministry, from which it received the other name, catacomb church, i.e., underground.
The Russian True Orthodox Church (www.catacomb.org.ua) has remained in existence to the present, carrying through bolshevik repression and persecution, prisons and executions, conspiracies and the underground spirit of the true faith, piety and martyrdom, the traditions of hesychasm and nonpossession, and the spirit of internal church freedom. As a matter of principle, RIPTs does not participate in any political movements and ideologies. The main principle guiding the catacomb IPTs is the maintenance of the purity of true Orthodoxy and the internal freedom of the church from the destructive influences of "the elements of this world." At the present time the Bishops' Synod of the Russian True Orthodox (Catacomb) Church is active in Ukraine. The chairman of the synod is the eldest hierarch in the Russian church, Archbishop Lazar of Odessa, who was secretly consecrated a bishop by the catacomb church back in 1982.
The cathedral church of St. John of Kronstadt is the only church of prerevolutionary construction belonging to the Russian True Orthodox (Catacomb) Church on the territory of Odessa province, while UPTsMP possesses hundreds of churches in the province. (tr. by PDS, posted 8 August 2003)
Russia Religion News Current News Items
The text of an order from the Ministry of Justice that specifies the procedure for presenting and reviewing materials relative to the undesirability of residency in the Russian federation by a foreign citizen or person without citizenship who is a member of a public or religious association, in the event of the public or religious association's conducting extremist activity, has been published.
1. In the event of a public or religious association's conducting extremist activity or other illegal activity, or manifesting signs of extremism in their activity, and the establishment of instances of active participation in this activity by foreign citizens and persons without citizenship who are members (participants) in these associations, the territorial office of the Russian Ministry of Justice sends to the Department on Affairs of Public and Religious Associations (hereafter, the Department) materials for preparing orders of the Russian Ministry of Justice regarding the undesirability of staying (residency) in the Russian federation by a foreign citizen or a person without citizenship who is a member (participant) in a public or religious association. The materials include a certified copy of judicial acts and of documents of territorial offices of the Russian Ministry of Justice, passports of the given foreign citizens and persons without citizenship, and other documents. The materials are sent to the Department within a week from the day of the issuance of the judicial decision or composition of the document of the territorial office of the Russian Ministry of Justice with respect to the aforesaid associations.
2. The Department reviews the materials within a two-week period from the day of their receipt. In case of necessity, an inquiry over the signature of the director of the Department is sent to the territorial office of the Russian Ministry of Justice or other federal agencies of the executive branch in order to get clarifying supplementary materials. In this event, the period for completion of the review is extended to the time of the receipt of these materials. Upon completion of the review of all materials a conclusion is drawn up about the necessity of preparing an order by the Russian Ministry of Justice about the undesirability of staying (residency) in the Russian federation by a foreign citizen or person without citizenship who is a member (participant) in a public or religious association or about withdrawing from the review of the given question in view of the absence of weighty bases. The conclusion prepared by the Department is presented for confirmation to the deputy of the ministry who is in charge of the particular type of activity.
3. An order of the Russian Ministry of Justice regarding the undesirability of staying (residency) in the Russian federation by the foreign citizen or person without citizenship who is a member (participant) in a public or religious association is sent, after its signature, immediately to the corresponding territorial office of the Russian Ministry of Justice, the federal office of the executive branch dealing with questions of internal affairs, and the federal agency of the executive branch dealing with questions of security for keeping track of persons who are not permitted entry into the Russian federation.
4. Territorial offices of the Russian Ministry of Justice immediately inform foreign citizens or persons without citizenship who are members (participants) in a public or religious association about the order of the Russian Ministry of Justice concerning the undesirability of their stay (residency) in the Russian federation.
Confirmed by order of the minister of justice of RF on 24 July 2003.
(tr. by PDS, posted 8 August 2003)
Russia Religion News Current News Items
The regular session of delegations of member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), devoted to problems of observance of freedom of religion and religious confessions, was held in Vienna on 17-18 July. Representatives of religious organizations, rights defenders, and experts also participated in the conference. It was continually recommended to member states of OSCE not to create special legislation restricting freedom of conscience or activity of religious organizations and not to misuse the concept of "national security." NG-religii calls readers' attention to the impressions of the meeting by several of its participants and to their view on problems of freedom of conscience in Russia. [see additional articles by Alexander Verkhovsky and Galina Krylova]
About the author: Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin is vice chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow patriarchate.
Representatives of the International Helsinki Federation on Human Rights, headed by well known rights defenders Liudmila Alekseeva and Aaron Rhodes, worked actively at the Vienna conference of OSCE on questions of freedom of religion and convictions. The federation distributed a voluminous report [available at International Helsinki Federation site ] which criticized the policies in the area of religion of a number of "select" countries, Armenia, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Russia, Turkmenia, Uzbekistan, and France. It is not hard to notice that eastern Christianity--Orthodox or Armenian-Gregorian--dominates the majority of these countries. Such a selection, in my view, is quite intentional. It is against Orthodox countries that today a stormy flood of criticism from international rights defense organizations is directed, who are conducting a well financed campaign in various forms in print media and the internet.
There is no point in repeating that in many countries of the world, not excluding Russia, problems in relations between religious organizations and the state remain. However one of the chief targets of the criticism by rights defenders is the very principle of a preferential approach of the state and society to one or several religious associations. In the opinion of members of the "Helsinki movement," such preferences in this area lead automatically to discrimination against minorities. Speaking at Vienna, Aaron Rhodes said that the state should not finance religious organizations, since this interferes with the development of a "free market" of religions.
This is not the first time that such criticism has resounded at international conferences. American diplomats and rights defense organizations have drawn up a most extensive list of countries where, in their opinion, privileges for some religious societies inevitably signify the discrimination against others. Practically a majority of states of Europe and the world are on such lists. The question naturally arises, what is the norm in such a case and what is a departure or deviation? If the American system of relations between state and religion is unacceptable for the greater portion of states, then is it not necessary to treat it as the deviation peculiar to a country of immigrants?
Actually, the norm for Europe, Latin America, Israel, the Islamic world, and many other regions has always been a differential approach to religious communities. Society tries to preserve for itself the right to support selectively just those religious institutions that have firmly recommended themselves as constructive and having a positive influence on the social climate, preserving the national culture and focusing on patriotism and dialogue one with another. Such social support within a democratic system cannot help but have an influence on legislation and on state policy. At the same time, of course, any religious societies must be equal in basic rights, that is, have identical opportunity to worship, perform rituals, and proclaim their teachings. Every religion must be protected from insult and sacrilege. However it would be absurd to demand physical equality in the state's support, for example, of the Catholic church in Poland and of the tiny society of sun worshippers. It would be no more logical to demand giving equal amounts of money from the budget for the Olympic squad of USA and a sand lot basketball team so as not to discriminate against the latter. After all, privileges do not by any means always signify discrimination.
However their habit of considering themselves "the most normal people" has literally blinded the perpetuators of the anti-Orthodox campaign. They seem not to notice the double standard they are applying to various countries and communities. No criticism is sounding from their side against states where privileges for one or several religious structures are expressed much more strongly than in eastern Europe, like Great Britain, Italy, Spain, or the Scandinavian countries. And the new allies of USA, like Poland, Czech republic, and Baltic states are also able to feel comfortable. Until recently, there have been almost no critical comments directed against Saudi Arabia. Nowadays, Germany, France, and Belgium, who distanced themselves from the American invasion of Iraq, are falling more and more often into the list of violators of freedom of conscience.
The double standard is expressed yet more strongly with regard to state financing of public structures. Religious associations of several countries of Europe are being denied the right to receive means from taxpayers. However the rights defenders themselves do not shun budgetary resources coming to them from USA, Norway, and a number of other countries. Instead, a formidable struggle is being waged for these resources. Recently a coalition of American rights defense structures headed by the Institute of Religion and Public Policy called Congress not to approve the budget for 2004 submitted by the Bush administration, which included disbursements for support of Russian nongovernmental organizations that fight for human rights and freedom of conscience, and it suggested cutting out approximately 40 million dollars. A call to give better financing to Russian religious rights defenders was contained in a report by the American Commission on International Religious Freedom sent to the leadership of USA in May 2003.
According to the logic of rights defenders, religious organizations should not be maintained at the expense of taxes because they represent only a portion of society and are by definition "prejudiced." However how are the rights defense structures any better off--extremely politicized groups, supporting a double standard of morality, preaching the ideology of liberal humanism in an extreme form that is certainly not shared by all taxpayers without exception, even in the United States? This ideology is not by any means the "common denominator" in the worldview discussion of the modern world. It is only one side of the debate about the place of religion in the life of society and the state.
It seems that the time has come for our society to evaluate the rights defense organizations not only on the basis of their slogans and self-promotion but also on the basis of the sources of their financing and the degree of their serving international political interests and of their ideological prejudices. (tr. by PDS, posted 7 August 2003)
Russia Religion News Current News Items