RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS

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Russian Foreign Ministry criticizes US State Dept. report

MINISTRY SLAMS U.S. CRITICISM OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Interfas, 27 September 2006

The Russian Foreign Ministry believes that the U.S. Department of State's religious freedom report is flawed in its part regarding Russia and that the criticism contained within it is unfounded.

"The Russian section from the annual report by the U.S. Department of State dealing with the observance of religious freedom in the world has been set out in a traditionally negative tone," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said taking questions from Russian media. The transcript of Kamynin's remarks was posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry website on Tuesday.

The Department of State's report "once again recites the standard set of unfounded critical remarks migrating from one report to another, which allege that there are legislative restrictions on freedom of conscience in Russia, speculate on de facto and de jure distinctions between 'traditional' and 'non-traditional' denominations, and emphasize far-fetched suppressions of Muslims, whom their population customarily treats as extremists, terrorists, and so on," Kamynin said.

"We did not expect balanced unbiased judgments from this document," he said.

"Just like in previous years, the U.S. Department of State's report is abundant in inaccurate and often grossly erroneous wordings, it juggles with facts, outdated information, and references to apparently unreliable sources," Kamynin said. "A number of passages are absolutely absurd in their nature: take, for instance, the assertion that the attack on Nalchik in October 2005 was provoked by the mass closure of mosques," he said.

"We have repeatedly explained our position regarding the biased criticism addressed to Russia repeated from year to year in Department of State religious freedom reports to our American partners at different levels. However, it seems that the U.S. diplomatic agency has developed a strong pattern of not taking it into account,' he said.

"We consider it unnecessary to give further explanations and point out that the real condition of religious freedom is more important for Russians than the Department of State's politically-motivated judgments," Kamynin said.  (posted 28 September 2006)

THERE IS FREEDOM OF RELIGION IN RUSSIA BUT EQUALITY OF RELIGIONS NOT ALWAYS RESPECTED - US STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT
Interfax, 19 September

Freedom of religion is respected generally in Russia, although the authorities have not always ensured the equality of all religions before the law and the separation of church and state provided by the constitution. This conclusion is made in the report on freedom of religion in the world, presented to the US Congress annually.

ÔThe constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice; however, in some cases authorities imposed restrictions on certain religious groupsÕ, states the document circulated by the US Embassy in Moscow.

ÔThe constitution also provides for the equality of all religions before the law and the separation of church and state; however, the Government did not always respect this provisionÕ, the reportÕs section on Russia stresses.

According to the report, in Russia Ôreligious matters were not a source of social tensionÕ but Ôpopular attitudes toward traditionally Muslim ethnic groups were negative in many regions. The report also points to Ômanifestations of anti-Semitism as well as hostility toward Roman Catholics and other non-Orthodox Christian denominationsÕ.

In addition, the report points out that Ôthe authorities permit Orthodox chapels and priests on army bases and also give Protestant groups access to military facilities, although on a limited basisÕ.

At the same time, the report stresses that Ôauthorities largely ban Islamic services in the military and generally do not give Muslim conscripts time for daily prayers or alternatives to pork-based mealsÕ.

The report on the freedom of religion in the world is prepared annually with the aim to study the conditions for freedom of religion in 197 countries. (posted 28 September 2006)

Editor's note:  The report from the Department of State may be accessed through this link.

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US House passes resolution on religious rights in Russia

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Russian Federation should fully protect the freedoms of all religious communities without distinction, whether registered and unregistered, as stipulated by the Russian Constitution and international standards.

Whereas the Russian Federation is a participating State of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and has freely committed to fully respect the rights of individuals, whether alone or in community with others, to profess and practice religion or belief;

Whereas the Russian Federation specifically committed in the 1989 Vienna Concluding Document to `take effective measures to prevent and eliminate discrimination against individuals or communities on the grounds of religion or belief' and to `grant upon their request to communities of believers, practicing or prepared to practice their faith within the constitutional framework of their States, recognition of the status provided for them in the respective countries';

Whereas Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation declares `everyone shall be guaranteed the right to freedom of conscience, to freedom of religious worship, including the right to profess, individually or jointly with others, any religion' and Article 8 of the 1997 Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations provides for registration for religious communities as `religious organizations,' if they have at least 10 members and have operated within the Russian Federation with legal status for at least 15 years;

Whereas registration is critical for religious groups to fully enjoy their religious freedoms, as many rights and privileges afforded to religious communities in the Russian Federation are contingent on obtaining registration;

Whereas many religious groups refuse to seek registration on theological or other grounds, while other communities have been unjustly denied registration or had their registration improperly terminated by local authorities;

Whereas many of the unregistered communities in the Russian Federation today were never registered under the Soviet system because they refused to collaborate with that government's anti-religious policies and they are now experiencing renewed discrimination and repression from the authorities;

Whereas over the past 2 years there have been an estimated ten arson attacks on unregistered Protestant churches, with little or no effective response by law enforcement officials to bring the perpetrators to justice;

Whereas in some areas of the Russian Federation law enforcement personnel have carried out violent actions against believers from unregistered communities peacefully practicing their faith; and

Whereas the United States has sought to protect the fundamental and inalienable human right to seek, know, and serve God according to the dictates of one's own conscience, in accordance with the international agreements committing nations to respect individual freedom of thought, conscience, and belief: Now, therefore, be it

      Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that the United States should--

            (1) urge the Russian Federation to ensure full protection of freedoms for all religious communities without distinction, whether registered and unregistered, and end the harassment of unregistered religious groups by the security apparatus and other government agencies;

            (2) urge the Russian Federation to ensure that law enforcement officials vigorously investigate acts of violence against unregistered religious communities, as well as make certain that authorities are not complicit in such attacks;

            (3) continue to raise concerns with the Government of the Russian Federation over violations of religious freedom, including those against unregistered religious communities, especially indigenous denominations not well known in the United States;

            (4) ensure that United States Embassy officials engage local officials throughout the Russian Federation, especially when violations of freedom of religion occur, and undertake outreach activities to educate local officials about the rights of unregistered religious communities;

            (5) urge both the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chair-in-Office on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, also focusing on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians and Members of Other Religions, and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief to visit the Russian Federation and raise with federal and local officials concerns about the free practice of unregistered religious communities; and

            (6) urge the Council of Europe and its member countries to raise with Russian Federation officials issues relating to freedom of religion, especially in light of the Russian Federation's responsibilities as President of the Council in 2006.

Passed the House of Representatives March 15, 2006.

Received by Senate and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

VATICAN OFFICIAL DISAGREES WITH U.S. CRITICISM OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTIES IN RUSSIA
Interfax, 13 April 2006

Archbishop Antonio Mennini, the Holy See's representative in Russia, does not share the U.S. Congress's criticism of an alleged suppression of religious freedoms in Russia and said the Russian legislation is optimal for Russia's Catholics.

In the middle of March, the House of Representatives passed a resolution, claiming again that the rights of believers are violated and religious liberties restricted in Russia.

"Unfortunately, I am not informed of the facts which prompted the U.S. Congress to come up with such claims. I am glad to state that Russia's current legislation provides real opportunities for the Roman Catholic Church communities' normal existence and development in Russia," Archbishop Mennini said in an interview with Interfax.

The Catholic parishes and communities, as well as educational centers and charitable organizations, are "not fettered by any inside or outside restrictions," he said.

Archbishop Mennini pointed out that, "The current mechanism of settling individual local conflicts is effective enough to achieve the desired and legal result in nearly all cases."

Mennini said that, "Sharp public accusations, as a way of settling problems, usually bring about temporary advantages, but do not facilitate building reliable partnership relations."

ARCHBISHOP MENNINI:  I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY CONCRETE FACTS THAT HAVE PROMPTED THE US CONGRESS TO REPROACH RUSSIA WITH A FAILURE TO OBSERVE RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS
Interfax, 13 April 2006

Who will represent the Vatican at the World Summit of Religious Leaders to be held in Moscow? What is the Catholic Church's attitude to the idea of teaching Basic Orthodox Culture in school and allowing the presence of clergy in the army on a permanent basis? What is the mission of the Catholics in Russia and in the West? How must one treat Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown? These and other questions were answered by the Holy See official representative in Moscow, Archbishop Antonio Mennini, in his interview to Interfax-Religion.


- What was the Vatican's response to the initiative to hold a World Summit of Religious Leaders in Moscow? Who will represent the Holy See at this forum?

- It was with great and well-deserved interest that the Holy Sea responded to the Russian Orthodox Church's initiative to convene a World Summit of Religious Leader early this July with the declared aim to strengthen considerably the cooperation between traditional religions and express their position on urgent issues facing the world today. The Catholic Church leaders have always appreciated proposals for dialogue and cooperation in overcoming the major problems of humanity today and have normally taken a direct and active part in realizing such initiatives. Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking of his support for the initiative of His Holiness Alexy II, said that 'in today's times I consider it important to strengthen moral and spiritual values common to all confessions. Faith in good and justice, mercy and love of peace are basic affirmations of all the world religions'.

For me it remains only to join the opinion expressed by the Russian leader. It is also noteworthy that in recent months there have been repeated statements by high-ranking representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church speaking positively of closeness in Orthodox and Catholic positions on most of the challenges brought by modern times. These statements give a special hope for fruitful cooperation during the forthcoming forum.

With regard to the personal composition of the delegation to represent the Holy See and His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at it, I can say nothing specific, since it has not been formed and approved as yet. But I can already state now that it will be a high-level representation. I am also pleased to remind you that during the Millennium of the Baptism of Russia celebration, the official delegation of the Holy See was one of the most representative.

- The idea of introduction of Basic Orthodox Culture to the secondary school curriculum and the institution of army chaplaincy have been discussed widely in recent weeks in Russia. Does the Catholic Church share the Russian Orthodox Church's concern over the lack of both in Russia?

- The Catholic Church throughout the world has always used any opportunity for pastoral care of various groups of people. First and foremost is certainly the promotion of adequate education on the basis of Christian faith and moral values proclaimed by the Gospel. Christian education in school and pastoral service in the army is a long tradition in the Catholic Church. Therefore, we cannot by sympathize with the plans to develop both in Russia.

Certainly, this service should not be coercive, but, as far as I am aware of the background, there is no such point in Russia today. If appropriate, I would like to express the wish that this work should be well considered and prepared by the Church so that any manipulation of political and ideological nature could be avoided. I am convinced though that the leaders of the appropriate structures in the Russian Orthodox Church are well aware of the situation. It remains only to wish them God's help and every success on this difficult but important path.

- Do you think the reproaches made by the US Congress for Russia's alleged failure to observe religious freedoms are justified?

- Unfortunately, I am not aware of any specific facts prompting the US Congress to make this kind of reproaches. Therefore, it is easier for me to base my answer on what I know not through hearsay. I am delighted to testify that the current Russian legislation provides for a real opportunity for the communities and structures of the Catholic Church in Russia to exist normally and to develop.

The parishes, schools and monastic communities work without any restrictions from outside and the Catholic charities carry out their service without any obstructions. The Catholic Church, just as other religious organizations, uses tax and other benefits. Certainly, there are some difficulties (in provinces as a rule), which come from an insufficient experience of life in a law-governed society. At the same time, I would like to emphasize that the existing mechanism of resolving conflict situations makes it possible to reach a desired and lawful result almost in any case without resorting to harsh public accusations, which normally give only temporary advantages, but do not help in any way to build reliable partnership relations.

- What would you like to wish to the Russian Catholics? What is their mission towards Russia and the West?

- I would like to wish to the Russian Catholics first of all to build their spiritual, public, professional and family life on the basis of the Gospel and church teaching. I wish to my brothers and sisters in faith, just as to my Orthodox brothers and sisters, to seek the most important thing with the confidence that the rest will be given to them. It is my profound conviction that if a Christian community ensures an appropriate education for its member, then sooner or later it will produce from its midst those who are capable of lofty public and professional service.

A good Christian, whether Catholic or Orthodox, is always a good citizen of his country and a faithful son of his people not only willing to but also capable of working for its well-being at the place where the Lord set him up. My experience of the present Russian reality allows me to hope that the Catholic communities may, together with other Christians, bear witness to the Truth before the world which needs it more than ever.

- What do you think of the decision of the Moscow authorities to ban the holding of a gay parade in the capital city?

- I think it is a wise decision. Complying with all the arguments dictated by Christian faith against such public actions, I would like to point out what is essential and indisputable to any reasonable person: such a manifestation would certainly lead to an aggravated tension in Russian society and possibly even to violence, which is inadmissible in any case.

- In mid-March the Vatican came out as a sponsor of the conference in the Pontifical University that treated crusades as a war with a 'noble goal' to return the Holy Land to Christendom. However, as is known, the previous pope described those crusades as 'a mistake of the Church'. Can a reassessment of the crusades be expected to be made in the nearest future?

- It seems to me that it is inappropriate to make conclusions on the basis of an opinion expressed by one of the participants in the conference, not knowing either the precise formulation of the theme discussed or the character of arguments given. It appears that in this case we face, not for the first time, alas, with an attempt to make a sensation of what is not such in the least.

To my mind, what was said about the justified intentions that guided initiators of the crusade movement - such as protection of holy places from profanation and defense of the Christian population from non-Christian violence) - cannot in any way deny the fact that in reality there were deplorable distortions of the original noble design. Indeed, this happened not only in the history of crusades. The regret that Pope John Paul II expressed concerning deplorable mistakes made during the 4th Crusade - as a reminder, the same judgment was made by Pope Innocent III as far back as the 13th century - does not in any way deny the fact that among the participants in the crusade movement there were, along with adventurers, those who were guided by the noblest motives.

- What is your attitude to screening of Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown?

- This is exactly a clear case of search for a false sensation, already mentioned, aimed against the Church and Christianity to discredit them. The stir around the book and its screening, unfortunately, is indicative of the state of society not in the best way. There is nothing to be added to it, except that the harm brought by such 'cultural events' would be considerably lesser if the mass media did not have a hand in it.


(posted 27 September 2006)

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Religion classes in Moscow region schools

LESSON IN NATIVITY CARDS AND THE CONSTITUTION
by Anastasiya Lebedev
Moscow Times, 25 September 2006

DEDINOVO, Moscow Region -- As Yelena Popova's sixth-graders settled in for their third-period class last week, she greeted them with a distinctly Christian message: "Happy Nativity of the Blessed Virgin!"

Last Thursday's Orthodox Church holiday was the topic of Popova's "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" lesson. She teaches in the public school at Dedinovo, a small town in the northern Moscow region.

Popova proceeded to tell her 11- and 12-year-olds about the holiday's significance. She asked them what they knew about the Virgin Mary's birth, and included a language lesson on the etymology on the Russian word for piety, blagochestiye.

Finally, after leading a discussion of the concept of hypocrisy, Popova had the children create their own "Happy Nativity" cards with colored pencils and construction paper.

Does a lesson like this qualify as religious education in a country where church and state are officially separate? The answer depends on how you define religious education.

The Constitution stipulates that Russia is a secular state, and that "no religion can be installed as the official or compulsory [religion]." It also guarantees equal rights to people of all faiths.

A 1997 law further establishes the secular nature of public school education.

Asked about her own Orthodox culture class, Popova saw no contradiction. "Ethics education is the most important component of these lessons," she explained. "We cover the history of the scriptures and pan-human values."

"I would never take such a sin upon myself -- to introduce children to faith," Popova said.

The Russian Orthodox Church has adopted a similar position. In the church's view, religious education involves instruction in divine law, a discipline last taught in public schools before the Revolution.

A class on divine law presumes instruction on the practical aspects of the faith, such as prayers, rites and proper behavior in church, said Father Sergiy Zvonaryov, a spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchate.

Not everyone agrees with this interpretation, however.

Muslim leaders, including the Council of Muftis of Russia, have denounced the Orthodox culture courses, saying they amount to placing one religion above all others.

At the same time, Islamic culture courses are widely taught in the predominantly Muslim republics of the North Caucusus. The Council of Muftis is working on new textbooks on Islamic culture and plans to ask the government to offer the course in other regions of the country with large Muslim communities.

Jewish leaders have said they would support the introduction of a general course on world religions.

But Popova is hardly alone in confusing the secular and the religious when it comes to public education.

Despite the 1997 law on religious freedom that established the principle of secular education, the federal Education and Science Ministry allows regional authorities to introduce classes on Orthodox culture into local school curricula.

Elective classes began appearing across the country in the late 1990s, and the Belgorod region recently introduced a mandatory class on the topic.

Schools in the Moscow region have been experimenting with the classes for six years. Moscow itself decided not to offer the classes, however, in recognition of the city's extremely diverse population.

The old Education Ministry drew up guidelines for Orthodox culture courses in 2002, and these have served as the basis for a number of approved textbooks on the subject. Popova uses one such textbook, titled "Orthodox Culture," in her class in Dedinovo.

The ministry was subsequently folded into the new Education and Science Ministry. Tatyana Petrova of the ministry's Education Policy Department, who now oversees Orthodox culture courses in the regions, said the ministry had no right to interfere in regional education policy, and that it was waiting for guidance on the issue from the Public Chamber and the president's Council for Cooperation with Religious Associations, headed by First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Petrova said the Orthodox culture classes being taught were secular in nature. "They don't perform religious rituals, no one prays and the children don't have to wear special clothing," she said.

Public reaction to the Orthodox culture classes has generally been positive.

Education officials in the Belgorod and Bryansk regions have said they offered the classes in response to public demand and as a way to instill moral values in children growing up surrounded by violence, alcohol and drugs.

Educators in regions where the classes have been introduced, and where the population is predominantly ethnic Russian with at least a nominal Orthodox background, have reported little or no opposition.

In a poll conducted by the VTsIOM agency in 2001, 46 percent of respondents supported teaching the fundamentals of religion in public schools. 39 percent of those polled opposed introducing religion into the school, while 15 percent were undecided.

The idea of teaching religion in school is, of course, a stark departure from the total eradication of religion from public life in the Soviet era.

The "radically secular" Soviet stance on religion continues to define the debate about religious education, said Alexei Beglov, a researcher at the Academy of Sciences' World History Research Institute.

"Some people are trying to preserve this position, while others are attempting radically to overcome it," Beglov said.

The separation of church and state first appeared in Europe in the 18th century, but did not make its way to Russia -- where Peter the Great had just finished integrating the Orthodox Church into the state -- until 1905, Beglov said.

In 1905, equal rights were granted to people of other faiths, and later the church retreated from politics and gave up its oversight and registration functions, he explained. "Perhaps everything would have continued to develop naturally in this direction" if the Bolsheviks had not intervened, Beglov said.

Critics of religious education are frequently ignorant of the Western European experience, said Moscow Patriarchate spokesman Father Mikhail Dudko. "When we look at Western European countries, which no one is chiding for a lack of democracy, in many of them religious education is present in one form or another," Dudko said.

Germany and Austria, where church and state are separate, have optional religious instruction in state schools. Other countries, such as Britain and Finland, which have an official state religion, also give religious instruction, with a choice to study ethics or a particular religion.

In the United States, where separation between church and state is more strict, religious education cannot be funded by the government. Rights watchdogs such as the American Civil Liberties Union have successfully sued against any perceived endorsement of religion by public schools.

At the ring of a bell, Popova dismissed her sixth-grade class with the words, "Go, my dears, and God be with you." Until the government offers clear guidelines on the place of religion in the schools, it will be impossible to say for certain if this traditional farewell is appropriate in a public school classroom.  (posted 27 September 2006)

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Guidelines for religion classes needed

TOLERANCE SHOULD TOP THE AGENDA
Editorial
Moscow Times, 25 Septemb er 2006

The introduction of classes on Orthodox culture into many public schools raises a fundamental question about the relationship between church and state.

On paper, this would appear to be a nonissue. The Constitution establishes the secular nature of the state and guarantees equal rights to people of all faiths.

A 1997 law on freedom of conscience further stipulates that, in accordance with "the constitutional principle of the separation of religious associations and the state," the government assures the "secular nature of education in state and municipal educational institutions."

In practice, however, the issue is far less clear-cut. That same 1997 law, for example, enshrined Eastern Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism as "traditional" religions and made it harder -- if not impossible -- for many other denominations to function in this country.

The role of religion in public life has expanded rapidly since 1992 for a variety of reasons. The Orthodox Church, in particular, was quickly embraced by politicians of all stripes as they attempted to fill the ideological vacuum left by the abrupt downfall of the Soviet Communist Party.

At the same time, a more militant brand of Islam began to make inroads in the traditionally Muslim North Caucasus. Regional government policy has increasingly been influenced by religious considerations. On Saturday, for example, Ingush President Murat Zyazikov banned smoking in public and the sale and consumption of alcohol in the region for the duration of Ramadan.

Supporters of the Orthodox culture classes insist they have more to do with morality than dogma. Unfortunately, the government has yet to issue guidelines that would allow for an objective appraisal. The Education and Science Ministry has passed the buck to regional educators as it waits for a directive from above. Meanwhile, at least one region has made the Orthodox culture class a compulsory part of the curriculum.

Many educators also say they are offering the classes in response to demands from parents.

Rather than sitting on the sidelines, the government needs to take a stand on the presence of religion in the schools. In the long run, the public might well support amending the Constitution to allow the introduction of religious education in some form.

The immediate task for education officials is more limited in scope. They must first issue guidelines that draw a clear line between religion and "religious culture," and that apply to all faiths.

Just as importantly, the government should respond to the call for moral instruction in the schools by ensuring that the concept of religious tolerance is central to all such classes.

After attackers vandalized synagogues in Khabarovsk and Astrakhan and a mosque in Yaroslavl over the weekend, religious tolerance should be at the top of the government's agenda.  (posted 27 September 2006)

HISTORY OF RELIGIONS CANNOT REPLACE BASICS OF ORTHODOX CULTURE IN SCHOOLS - ALEXY II
Interfax, 26 September 2006

A subject in the school curriculum dealing with the history of world religions does not come as an adequate replacement for the Basics of Orthodox Culture, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II said at a meeting with teachers and students of St. Petersburg's theological schools.

"The History of Religions does not give any moral core to a person. Now that the moral foundations of life have been trampled upon, it is necessary to give every person guidelines and an opportunity to study the basics of his culture," the Orthodox Church head said.

The Basics of Orthodox Culture is a culturological subject, Alexy II said, adding that every educated person must know the key principles of his country's culture.

However, there are areas where mostly representatives of other religions live, he said. The basics of their religion and culture should be taught there, the patriarch said, adding, "If they live in Russia, they should know the basics of our common Fatherland's culture as well."

"We are not raising the issue of sending priests to schools," Alexy II said. Secular people should teach the Basics of Orthodox Culture, the patriarch said. Such specialists can receive training at several institutions, including the St. Tikhon Humanities University, he said. (posted 28 September 2006)

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It is not necessary to credit this Web page. If material is transmitted electronically, please include reference to the URL, http://www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/.