los angeles times 20 sept

Russian Bill Deals Blow to Freedom for Religions
Yeltsin is likely to sign controversial draft law passed by parliament's lower house. Proponents see it as protection for nation's traditional Orthodox faith from an onslaught of other groups.

by CAROL J. WILLIAMS,
Times Staff Writer
Los Angeles Times, 20 September 1997

MOSCOW--Russia's leadership ignored a chorus of denunciations from around the world Friday when the lower house of parliament adopted a law hobbling religious activity by foreign missionaries and Russian faiths that refused to curry favor with the atheist leaders of the Communist era.

The law on freedom of conscience and religious associations, passed by the state Duma on an unusually cohesive 358-6 vote, was heralded by Communists and nationalists as long-sought protection for Russia's "traditional religions" from a proselytizing onslaught of foreign churches.

But curbs on missionary work that have been condemned by the Vatican, the U.S. Senate and Western human rights organizations now have the backing of President Boris N. Yeltsin.

Yeltsin's office wrote the latest version of the bill after the president vetoed a draft in July, deeming it unconstitutional for its failure to treat all religions equally. The U.S. Senate had threatened to block $200 million in aid to Russia if that bill became law.

The revised draft retains the most contentious points of its predecessor and makes it even tougher for religions not already represented in Russia to establish any following in the future.

The draft will likely become law by the end of the year. Endorsement by the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament, and Yeltsin's signature are considered almost foregone conclusions.

The idea of the law is to create a barrier against religious expansion in Russia, prevent development of totalitarian sects, limit the activities of foreign missionaries and, at the same time, create conditions supportive of Russia's traditional religions, said Viktor Zorkaltsev, chairman of the Duma's committee on religion.

Yeltsin's representative in the opposition-controlled Duma, Alexander Kotenkov, also praised the compromise as a fair means of establishing which religious communities "have proven their loyalty to society." Most disturbing, in the view of the law's critics, is its requirement that a religious community must have been active in Russia for at least 15 years to be recognized as a traditional faith. That presumably excludes all but the Russian Orthodox Church, which maintained a symbiotic relationship with the Soviet police state, and officially sanctioned communities of Muslims, Jews and Buddhists.

Although some groups of Catholics and Baptists were also active under Communist rule, critics of the bill say its terms are too vague in defining what constituted legal existence to ensure that those communities will be registered as traditional faiths.

"This is not a law that protects tradition but a law that protects Stalinism, as it protects only those religious bodies that were most loyal to the Soviet state," said Lawrence Uzzell, Moscow representative for Britain's Keston Institute, which monitors religious freedom in Russia.

Uzzell noted that even the old believers' sect that parted with the Orthodox Church and exiled branches of that faith would appear to be ineligible for traditional status.

He described as "manifestly unconstitutional" the division of religions into categories and the shackles placed on all but the officially sanctioned few.

The Russian Orthodox Church hailed the legislation as "the fruit of an intelligent and difficult compromise," Archbishop Sergy of Solnechnogorsk, who administers the Moscow Patriarchate, told the Interfax news agency.

For centuries the dominant religion in imperial Russia, Orthodoxy has flourished since the collapse of the atheistic Communist state. But in the face of strengthening competition for the hearts, minds and money of the masses, Orthodox leaders have lashed out against what they see as intruders on their spiritual turf.

"Only Orthodoxy" should be allowed in Russia, nationalist deputy Vladimir V. Zhirinovsky taunted evangelical Christians who sang hymns and brandished placards in a small protest of the controversial bill outside the Duma.

Former national security chief Alexander I. Lebed, another populist politician feeding Russian hostility toward foreign missionaries, has lumped Mormons together with Japan's extremist Aum Supreme Truth sect in condemning foreign religious activists as "scum." Under the draft law passed by the Duma, religious communities that fail to meet the 15-year requirement would be barred from producing or distributing religious literature, inviting foreigners to worship, forming educational establishments or holding services in hospitals, schools, orphanages, prisons, barracks or retirement homes.

Yeltsin's revision of the original Communist draft purportedly made 37 changes, but most were technical tweakings that did little to address opponents' concerns.

The president's version did, however, drop clauses prohibiting missionaries from opening bank accounts or renting property.

One change criticized as even more restrictive than the original bill was a ban on all "religious activities" by any group that might seek to establish representation in Russia in the future. That basically closes the door to those not already active in Russia.

"Yeltsin basically caved in" to pressures from the Orthodox Church, commented Diederik Lohman, director of the Moscow office of Human Rights Watch/Helsinki.

The draft law is "grossly discriminating," he said, and is destined to be condemned by the Council of Europe.

The council last year extended membership to Russia on the condition that it bring laws and practices on human rights issues into conformity with Western standards.

"But the chances Yeltsin will veto the bill are very, very small," Lohman said.

Faithful in Russia Vow to Defend Rights
Los Angeles Times
Sunday, September 21, 1997

Religion: Foreign missionaries say they will fight bill aimed at restricting their freedoms. Kremlin tries to soften criticism.

By RICHARD C. PADDOCK, Times Staff Writer

MOSCOW--Leaders of foreign church groups here said Saturday that they will fight legislation aimed at restricting religious freedom in Russia and will continue their missionary work until they are forced to leave the country.

As the Kremlin threw its weight behind the measure, missionary leaders said they hope Russia will stop short of adopting the proposal, which would prohibit church groups from disseminating their ideas if they have operated in Russia for less than 15 years.

"All those who came here and spent years learning the Russian language and fell in love with the Russian people will stay as long as they can--until they are denied visas," said George Law, vice president of Russian Ministries, an interdenominational missionary agency.

Foreign and domestic religious groups that became active in Russia during the past 15 years would be denied the right to function as legitimate churches under the legislation passed Friday by the Duma, the lower house of parliament.

The measure is only slightly different from one President Boris N. Yeltsin vetoed during the summer. But the president has been under tremendous pressure from the Russian Orthodox Church--the main beneficiary of the bill--to reverse himself. The Federation Council, the upper house of parliament, is expected to also pass the measure, and Yeltsin is expected to sign it.

Kremlin advisors, in a rare Saturday briefing, attempted to soften international criticism of the measure. They said it is needed to guard against dangerous sects that prey on the public.

"The state must protect its citizens," said presidential advisor Vyacheslav A. Nikonov. "A newly emerged organization first has to prove that it is really a religious organization."

The Kremlin insisted that the measure would not infringe on the right of citizens to practice the religion of their choice and is no more restrictive than the laws of many European countries.

In a nation where religion was strictly limited during the nearly 75 years of Soviet control, the advisors argued, the Russian people are still vulnerable to religious fanatics, and government officials need clear guidelines on what church groups should be accorded special status.

"I do not think that an organization that was established yesterday by two mafiosi in order to pray to Elvis Presley or [Russian singer] Alla Pugacheva should receive formal tax exemptions, which they will use to produce alcohol, and enjoy the same support from the state that is granted to the Orthodox Church or Judaism," Nikonov said.

The legislation would create two tiers of religious status: religious "organizations" and religious "groups." "Organizations" that could prove that they have existed in Russia for 15 years or more--including the Orthodox Church, Judaism, Buddhism and Islam--would be granted full status to practice their faiths, buy property and receive tax breaks.

A church "group," one that could not prove 15 years of operation in Russia, would not be considered a legal entity and would not be allowed to own property, conduct religious education, or publish or disseminate literature. Groups also would not be able to invite foreigners into Russia, which would mean that missionaries from other countries would be unable to obtain visas to work here. Among those affected would be Roman Catholics, Baptists, Mormons and Pentecostalists.

"If you take away the right to publish, you really take away the right to express your views openly," said Law, who has worked in Russia since 1992. "It could be the first step toward curtailing of freedom of expression and freedom of the press."

While the measure would make it difficult for foreign missionaries to proselytize in Russia, it would affect independent-minded churchgoers most of all. Thousands of churches and 2 million to 3 million worshipers across Russia would belong to denominations whose ability to operate would be severely limited, religious leaders estimate.

The legislation also could shut down thousands of programs organized by international religious organizations to help Russia's poor and needy, and it could cut off the flow of as much as $40 million in humanitarian aid.

Perhaps in greatest jeopardy are about 120 Orthodox churches that split from the Russian Orthodox Church after the Soviet Union's breakup. Under the law, the Russian Orthodox Church could reclaim the dissident congregations and take over all of the churches' property.

Some Americans in Russia hold out hope that a regulatory apparatus adopted before the measure is supposed to take effect on Dec. 31, 1999, would moderate some of its harsher provisions. But others predict that the law will prove so onerous it will trigger a grass-roots campaign to overturn it.

"This is bringing a lot of the groups together," Law said. "For the first time, they have a common enemy: a law that threatens their existence."

BLOW TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Editorial, Los Angeles Times
Tuesday, September 23, 1997

Russian law targets 'newcomers,' to the Orthodox Church's benefit

The constitution approved by Russian voters in 1993 defines the Russian Federation as a secular state in which religious organizations are to be treated equally and left free of government control. This guarantee of tolerance, pluralism and independence is about to be negated by a measure passed by the state Duma, implicitly endorsed by President Boris Yeltsin and warmly supported by the Russian Orthodox Church. It awaits only the pro forma approval of the upper house of Parliament to become law. When that happens, the legal status of religious groups that have been establishing themselves in post-Communist Russia will be largely revoked.

The legislation, slightly modified after an earlier Yeltsin veto, notes the Orthodox Church's special role in Russian history while recognizing such "traditional" religions as Buddhism, Judaism and Islam. Traditional faiths are defined as those that have been active in Russia for at least 15 years, meaning those that had a presence during the Communist era. That provision effectively excludes Roman, Seventh-day Adventists, Mormons, Pentecostals and others from the rights and protections granted "traditional" religious organizations. Groups that do not meet the 15-year rule will not be allowed to own property, produce or distribute religious literature, operate schools or radio and television stations or conduct services in hospitals, schools, orphanages or cemeteries.

The Orthodox Church says the new legislation is needed to protect Russians against "cults," which apparently means any religious organization that the dominant church views as being heterodox--and competitive. Evangelical movements have been especially active in Russia since the collapse of communism six years ago, giving rise to 800 congregations. Populist politicians catering to historical Russian xenophobia have repeatedly attacked foreign religious activists, with Mormons being a special target.

Human rights groups, the Vatican and other religious organizations have strongly protested the pending religious restrictions. The U.S. Congress has threatened to suspend $200 million in aid to Russia over the issue. The goal of the new law is of course to halt proselytizing, which would deny Russian citizens the freedom of religious choice and conscience. If the constitutional guarantee of religious tolerance can be overthrown, then so can such other basic rights as freedom of expression and assembly. A Russia that seeks eagerly to be integrated into the community of advanced nations will be judged on many counts, not least on how it upholds its own basic laws. With the discriminatory religion law, Russia has taken a dangerous step backward.