MOSCOW, Russia, February 9, 2003 (Compass) — Religious rights activists raised concerned voices in Russia following a December 5 news report of a government document outlining recommendations for countering "religious extremism." The document listed the Catholic Church as the number one threat to national security and Protestant churches as the number two threat.
Attorneys with the Slavic Center for Law and Justice (SCLJ) in Moscow immediately blasted the document as "blatantly incompetent and anti-constitutional." SCLJ attorneys called "especially alarming" the suggestion of "expulsion of Catholic and Protestant ministers."
The report in its final form will be presented early in 2003 at a joint session of the Security Council, State Council and Council for Relations with Religious Organizations. The 15-page draft was prepared by a working group of the State Council and co-authored by Nationalities Minister Vladimir Zorin, Chechen administration head Akhmad Kadyrov and 33 other officials.
Officials call Catholics, Protestants 'extremists'
"The officials have set down Catholics, Protestants, sectarians, and foreigners as extremists -- that is, everyone except Orthodox adherents, Buddhists, and for the time being, Jews," wrote Nadeshda Kevorkova in the Gazeta newspaper.
The draft document defined "extremists" as those who conduct the "propaganda of exclusivity, of the supremacy or inferiority of citizens according to their attitude to religion and according to what social, racial, ethnic, or linguistic group they belong." According to the officials, religious extremists promote disrespectful attitudes toward traditional religions.
#1 on list of national security threats ... the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church earned first place on the list of national security threats for allegedly attempting to proselytize Russian Orthodox priests and lay persons to Catholicism. Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, head of the Catholic Church in Russia, claims that only 500 to 600 Russians voluntarily converted to Catholicism in the past decade. In relation to the total Russian population, he called this number "a pittance."
The sheer quantitative growth of Protestant communities in Russia helped them earn second place as a security threat. The report accuses Protestants of using the "guise" of humanitarian aid to promote "self-alienation" of various population groups from the Russian government, traditions and culture.
Ranking third on the list were "foreign pseudo-religious communities" such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Moonies, Scientologists, Satanists and groups based on Eastern religious philosophy. Members of these groups were said to infiltrate government, military and law enforcement agencies to collect information and influence decisions to spread their ideology.
Islamic extremists in Russia ranked fourth on the list.
'Arousal of religious enmity' elevated to 'grave crime' status
The draft report suggested the formation of a government ministry over religious organizations to handle problems of ethnic and state-religious relations. This was one of several recommendations that concern religious freedom advocates. Others include a proposed system of ethno-confessional monitoring, state support for traditional religious organizations and standards, and creation of a "single educational area."
Legally, the offence of "arousal of ethnic, radical, and religious enmity" would be elevated to the status of a "grave crime" punishable by up to six years in prison. Those who produce and disseminate materials with "extremist content" would be held criminally liable. "Hypnosis or the use of narcotics on an individual" would be banned, and authorities would require written permission from parents for minors to participate in religious activities.
Finally, the document proposes changing the federal law "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations" to hold national religious organizations liable for unlawful activity by any local entity.
Report said to be merely an analysis of the development of religious extremism
During a radio interview immediately following publication of the report, Zorin appeared to deny knowledge of the document. In later interviews, he acknowledged the report, but stressed that it was intended merely as an analysis of religious extremism's development in Russia and not as a basis for government policies.
Professor Anatoly Krasikov takes the report's contents "very seriously." He said that even if its recommendations aren't adopted, it indicates that the opponents of human rights have not abandoned their plans to return to a new form of totalitarianism, "this time with a flag of one religion."
A Russian Orthodox himself, Krasikov says he doesn't want to see his church "transformed into an instrument of oppression for non-Orthodox citizens of Russia." Krasikov is president of the Euro Asiatic (formerly Russian) chapter of the International Religious Liberty Association. He remains optimistic that contenders for religious liberty will win the current policy debate.
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