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At Large
Anything But Orthodox
Russia’s increasing challenge to religious liberty.
(Page 4 of 4)
Not every religion is disabled to the same degree. The Orthodox Church enjoys privileged status, which it has used against other faiths. In June the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) warned “that the de facto favored status of the Moscow Patriarchate Russian Orthodox Church results in difficulties for minority religious communities, particularly those officially deemed non-traditional.”
Moreover, the Orthodox Church recently used its preferential status to encourage a blasphemy prosecution against a contemporary art exhibition entitled “Forbidden Art” held at the Sakharov museum. The government is seeking a three year jail term for organizers, a haunting throwback to Soviet restrictions on contemporary art.
In June the USCIRF warned that “Many Russian officials also proclaim that certain religious and ethnic groups are alien to Russian culture and society, thereby contributing to a climate of intolerance. In general, the Russian government has failed to address consistently or effectively the severe and chronic problem of violent and sometimes lethal hate crimes and anti-Semitism. Numerous acts of vandalism against synagogues, churches, and mosques also go largely unpunished or are attributed to hooliganism.”
Obviously, Washington’s influence over Moscow’s internal policies is limited. Nevertheless, U.S. government officials, religious leaders, and human rights activists can offer the same simple message as the religious leaders who wrote the president: “The Russian Government should make good on Russian guarantees of freedom of religion and association for every individual and religious community, and it should honor its international human rights obligations and commitments.”
The Moscow authorities have demonstrated that they don’t care much what foreigners, or even most Russians, think. But the controversy could embarrass the Putin/Medvedev government, tarnishing the regime’s image. Since religious restrictions — in contrast to political repression — don’t strengthen Vladimir Putin’s hold on power, maybe even he would come to see the value of offering religious believers a little more space.
Mr. Bandow is a Senior Fellow in International Religious Persecution at the Institute on Religion and Public Policy.
About the Author
Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is the author and editor of several books, including The Politics of Plunder: Misgovernment in Washington (Transaction).
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.