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At Large
Anything But Orthodox
Russia's increasing challenge to religious liberty.
When the Soviet Union sank, human liberty dramatically increased. The great totalitarian tyranny that had consumed millions of its own apparatchiks and tens of millions of its other citizens was gone.
However, the initial years of chaotic liberty have been replaced by ever more stifling authoritarianism. The negative impact has been most obviously felt in the political realm. According to last year's State Department human rights assessment: "There were numerous reports of governmental and societal human rights problems and abuses during the year." The list of examples is long and distressing.
Freedom House rates Moscow as "not free."
The country holds elections but, says Freedom House, "is not an electoral democracy." Freedom House offers a similar list of human rights abuses, including restrictions on the media, pervasive corruption, limits on freedom of assembly and association, and a subservient judiciary.
Unfortunately, religious liberty also is coming under pressure. The Russian constitution formally protects religious freedom and equality, but, noted the State Department last fall, "the government did not always respect those provisions." There long have been some limits to this most basic freedom.
Freedom House explained:
Freedom of religion is respected unevenly. A 1997 law on religion gives the state extensive control and makes it difficult for new or independent congregations to operate. Orthodox Christianity has a privileged position, and in 2009 the president authorized religious instruction in the public schools. Regional authorities continue to harass nontraditional groups, such as Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons. In February 2009, the Justice Ministry empowered an Expert Religious Studies Council to investigate religious organizations for extremism and other possible offenses.
The State Department made many of the same points. It explained that there was "generally free practice of religion for most of the population," but some religious minorities found their rights to be restricted. State also pointed to the 1997 legislation "On Freedom of Conscience and Association," warning that its provisions "continued to seriously disadvantage some religious groups viewed as non-traditional." The Federal Security Service (FSS), which has replaced the FBI, increasingly has viewed some faiths as threats to Russian security.
Moreover, the government is increasingly using the Extremism Law passed in June 2002 to persecute nontraditional religions. A group of U.S. religious leaders recently raised the alarm about this dangerous trend in a letter to the president.
Undoubtedly, examples of dangerous extremism exist in Russia. However, the legislation bans far more than violent groups. For instance, the definition of extremism includes "public defamation of any person on duty holding a public office in the Russian Federation" and "infringement on life of a public official or community leader committed with a view of termination of his public or other political activity."
In March a court in the city of Surgut upheld the seizure of Scientology books and materials as "extremist." It was an ex parte hearing, at which the church was not represented. The Church of Scientology had previously been denied the right to register under the 1997 law, which requires groups with more than 15 years in the country to sign up as religious organizations.
The Scientologists are not the only victims of the law. The federal list of Extremist Materials to which their publications were added includes nearly 600 publications.
Muslim literature has been denounced as "extremist" because it "propagandizes the idea of the superiority of Islam -- and therefore Muslims -- over other religions and the people who adhere to them." Last fall the Russian Supreme Court upheld a government ban on publications of the Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist. The local organization was ordered liquidated and its property was seized.
Unfortunately, these are merely the tip of an iceberg of growing repression. The American religious leaders explained to President Obama:
In 2007, the first bans on religious literature were implemented, and the Federal List of Extremist Materials was initiated. Then, in 2008-2009, the Justice Ministry reconstituted its Expert Religious Studies Council and gave it wide-ranging powers to investigate the activity, doctrines, literature and worship of religious organizations and then recommend measures. The appointment of renowned "anti-cultists" and controversial scholars to the Council provoked an unprecedented outcry from many religious representatives and human rights defenders.
About the Author
Doug Bandow is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and the Senior Fellow in International Religious Persecution at the Institute on Religion and Public Policy. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is author of Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics (Crossway).
Letter to the Editor View all comments (25) | Leave a comment
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Mark Berlinger| 7.13.10 @ 8:23AM
Doug Bandow is upset that the Russian government is not interested in promoting the advancement of Islam and a small number of minor sects in their lands. The author needs to appreciate that the Russian people were dominated for centuries by Muslim hordes, khanates, Tartars and Ottomans beginning in 1225 and ending in 1792. Five and a half centuries of foreign domination was ended by Catherine the Great. Now they should share the land? Spare us the ecumenical nonsense. Islam does not play that game.
Jack Frost| 7.13.10 @ 9:07AM
Very well said.
Alan Brooks| 7.13.10 @ 3:23PM
Seconded. Mark is on the mark.
Right on target. Russians are primitive, but not in any way stupid; if keeping Islam from dominating Russia means abridging the rights of Muslims, then abridge by all means. No one is saying Islam can't do business, they-- like the Chinese-- are moving quickly up the food chain, but keep Muslims out of politics and in the boardroom.
Purple Lips| 7.13.10 @ 3:47PM
Alan,
The Russians are playing a very weak hand. Thier women have some of the lowest fertility rates in the world (1.1 child/female); the Russian Orthodox Church has few members below 50 (actually our Bible Thumpers here have made in-roads in Belorussia and the Baltic regions through charasmatic crusades and other emotional entertainments), and alcholism, heart disease (brought about through the bottle) and AIDS are ravaging thier male populations.
Russia as well as China will probably be lost to the Jihadist during the later half of this century.
Ryan| 7.13.10 @ 8:24AM
It always seems one step forward, three steps back with Russia. With many of the old leadership still around, there have been many of the same-old, same-old issues.
I agree with them on Scientology. A religion it ain't.
Jill| 7.13.10 @ 9:00AM
I agree with them on scientology, as do many other respected democracies, like France and Germany. It is a dangerous sect that has ruined many lives. It is not a religion.
alex gilmore| 7.13.10 @ 1:45PM
Holy cow!!
All religions are dangerous sects that have ruined many lives. I thought that was a necessity to be considered a religion. So the scientologists believing in aliens isn't right but believing in angels with wings floating down from heaven is? If you folks can have your silly little myths so can others.
Paul Milenkovic| 7.13.10 @ 2:03PM
What I believe in as a Catholic Christian is expressed succinctly, directly, and completely in the Nicene Creed recited during Mass. It is all there, up front and in plain sight -- there is nothing hidden behind a "subscription wall."
Tell me what your religion teaches and we can talk -- build your religion on ceremonies and secrets open only to the initiated, and I will think what you do to be a cult.
Mike| 7.13.10 @ 2:16PM
That's not even the point. It's not what Scientologists believe that people are afraid of it's their policies of lying to the public, litigation, secrecy, organized harassment (Fair Game), separation of families (Disconnection), labor camps (known as the RPF), their greed, and so on.
Alan Brooks| 7.13.10 @ 3:26PM
Catholics have done charity on a massive scale, and, most important, have helped tens of millions of families.
G Allen| 7.13.10 @ 10:28PM
One of Scientology's silly little myths is that it's OK to harass and destroy anyone who criticizes them. They have another silly myth that children as young as 9 should sign lifetime service contracts. They have another silly belief that they are above "wog" law. They have another silly belief that they will one day, take over the world and force their silly beliefs on others.
Ken (Old Texican)| 7.13.10 @ 9:11AM
We still gotta' get a handle on Islam in the US.
We don't allow any "religion" to sacrifice virgins to a god here. What's the difference with a "religion" that teaches sacrifice of 72 virgins to murderers... for eternity.
Hershl| 7.13.10 @ 9:29AM
Russia is now a virtual dictatorship having exchanged the Communists for Putin and Co. The Russian Orthodox Church is in bed with Putin. Protestants are especially being persecuted.
And, in Ukraine, Jewish tombstones are being used to pave the roads.
http://jewishdailyreport.wordp.....n-ukraine/
chris haynes| 7.13.10 @ 9:30AM
People who live in glass houses.
A catholic professor at univ of illinois is fired for hate speech. Mentioning that catholics believe homosexual behavior is evil.
We deny inalienable rights, having 1 million abortions a year. We attack Catholics for explaining their religion. But we can lecture the Moslems, and now Russia.
Academic| 7.13.10 @ 9:34AM
I'm an academic. I know that Baptists were persecuted in Colonial Virginia and Puritain Massachusits hanged a Quaker. Nevertheless we got over it. The Stalin Constitution granted "freedom of religion and atheist propaganda.(actually it was militently atheist) While now the Orthodox Church is priviledged, it would be interesting to know the current regimes position on atheism.
Friedrich Griess| 7.13.10 @ 10:54AM
I see the following difference in perception of religious freedom in Europe and in US:
In Europe, religious freedom means the right of the individual to choose or not to choose a religion, while religious groups are not exempt from obeying to laws.
In US, religious freedom means the right of any group using the label "religion" to do with their adherents what they want, inclusive breaking laws.
chris haynes| 7.13.10 @ 12:39PM
Europe? freedom of religion? yeah right
Cant even wear a crucifix or a veil in France. Freedom to be atheist, the state religion
Mitch| 7.14.10 @ 10:13AM
Umm, I'm pretty sure you can wear a crucifix in France. They have a lot of monasteries and convents there.
L. Ross| 7.13.10 @ 1:14PM
Well, I agree with the Russians on most of the things they are blocking. Who'd 'a'thunk it?
Paul Milenkovic| 7.13.10 @ 1:56PM
Yup, gotta watch out for those Pravoslavnist Extremists. (In case you are wondering, Orthodox means "Ortho" for "straight" in the Greek, "doxa" means "praise" or "glory", so Pravoslavni (adjective form) is how "those people over there" describe themselves).
Oh then there is Austria to worry about where they have Catholic crucifixes on the walls of Federal buildings (I only saw one lone Lutheran Church -- "Evangelisch" as they call it -- in the whole west half of Austria). And then there was t Spain with the Opus Dei connection to the Franco government.
Purple Lips| 7.13.10 @ 3:55PM
Paul,
Perhaps the Austrians would sooner convert to Islam than become part of a heretical religious sect founded by a pyschpath who had an anal fixation.
And your attempted smear of Opus Dei is almost funny. You forgot to mention the albino priests and Jesuits.
Mike| 8.6.10 @ 2:52PM
I enjoyed Mr. Bandow's article, however, I sincerely 'pray' that the FBI hasn't been replaced by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), but rather the KGB.