Monitoring news media reports about religion in Russia and
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Today's demonstration of the diocese on Theatre Square against the
construction of a Mormon "administrative and worship" building began
after a delay of forty minutes. Demonstrators had to wait for the end
of a festive ceremony honoring graduates of the military patriotic club
"Special Forces Tigers," which was being conducted in the vicinity.
The demonstration's program opened with a prayer for conversion of
deceived persons. Then representatives of the diocese gave speeches
with stories about the destructive activity of the "Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints." One of the speakers declared: "The church
does not fight with sectarians, but it fights with sects."
Orthodox Christians carried signs: "Mormons slander Christ and the
Mother of God," "In Moscow are Krishnaites, in Saratov, Mormons.
Let's not break up Russia bit by bit," "Mormon evangelists are
fishermen and seducers of human souls," "Mormons, how much does CIA pay
you?" and "How many Mormons work for CIA?"
Around ten Mormons stood among the demonstrators as well as a couple of
representatives each of the National Bolshevik party, Russian Communist
party, the independent "Student Defense" labor union, and the
"Socialist Opposition" organization. Representatives of the diocese
from twelve large cities of the province were present. In all, more
than 500 persons came to the demonstration.
Mormons, national bolsheviks and young communists and the "Socialist
Opposition" organization expressed their attitude to the event in
interviews. The president of the youth bureau of the central committee
of the Russian Communist party, Grigorii Atomov, called the Mormon
church a swindling organization, making money, while the Orthodox
church, he said, continues the bourgeois counterrevolution.
Members of the independent labor union "Student Defense" and the
"Socialist Opposition" organization distributed leaflets together,
which contained a call to overthrow the "Orthodox sect," and declared
that the slogans of the Orthodox incite interreligious strife. Both
organizations have spoken out against the use by the church of
administrative resources and for a secular state. The national
bolsheviks said that they advocate traditional religions that include
Orthodoxy, Islam and Buddhism.
In the opinion of the Mormons, slogans of the Orthodox have a false
basis: "we are not constructing a church building; this will be a house
for meetings," reported Andrei Filimonov of the Department for
Relations with the Public of the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints." In his words, the Mormons bought the land in 2001 and received
permission for construction. At the present it is possible that it
could be rescinded. He also said that Mormons have written an official
letter to the governor with the request to take measures for resolving
the situation of the restriction of the rights of their organization.
In Saratov, according to Filimonov, there are around 1,000 Mormons, and
around 1,600 in the province. (tr. by PDS, posted 30 July 2004)
The head of the ecclesiastical board of Muslims of the Volga region,
Mukaddas Bibarsov, wrote letters to the mayor and governor in which he
asked them to take measures for stopping construction of a Mormon
building complex in Saratov. "As indigenous inhabitants of the city
Muslims are not indifferent to this construction," the imam said at
today's press conference.
The spiritual leader declared that he is concerned about "very
unpleasant consequences" if the Mormons' building is constructed in the
vicinity of a mosque. Mukaddas Bibarsov links his anxiety with the
negative attitude of the "overwhelming majority" of Muslims toward the
policy of USA, the "fatherland" of the Mormons.
At the same time, Bibarsov does not rule out that a multitude of myths
have been created around the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints." He also stated that he advocates the exercise of
constitutional human rights and that Muslims do not persecute other
religions.
An official response to the Muslims' appeal still has not been received
from the authorities. Earlier, the diocese appealed to the mayor and
governor in a letter containing similar demands. Muslims will not
participate in the demonstration against "Mormon" construction on 30
July since that is their day of worship. (tr. by PDS, posted 30 July
2004)
The Moscow city court satisfied the appeal of the prosecutor and sent
the criminal case with regard to the leaders of the Andrei Sakharov
Center back to the court of primary instance for a new review.
As the press service of the prosecutor of Moscow told the "interfax"
news agency, the Taganka court will thus be required to return to the
review of the criminal case connected with the conduct of the "Beware,
Religion!" exhibit.
State Prosecutor Kira Gudim had earlier appealed the decision of the
Taganka court to return this criminal case to the prosecutor's office.
"The assertion of the court regarding violations committed in the
composition of the indictment was baseless, since it had been composed
in strict conformity with the requirements of the law," the
representation of the assistant prosecutor of the Central
Administrative District, K. Gudim, stated. All of the arguments
enumerated by the court as the basis for returning the case to the
prosecutor are subject to examination during the judicial
investigation, and they are the subject of judicial inquiry, the
representation notes.
On the basis of the information provided, the state prosecutor asked
for the rescinding of the ruling by the Taganka district court of 16
June 2004 with regard to the criminal case against Yury Samoduriv,
Liudmila Vasilovskaia, and Anna Mikhalchuk, and for the case to be sent
to the same court for a review on the substance of the case.
As is known, the issue is the criminal case opened in connection with
the preparation of the "Beware, Religion!" exhibit in the Andrei
Sakharov Museum. A group of citizens conducted a pogrom, spraying paint
on the pictures displayed and declaring that the exhibit offended their
religious feelings.
On Wednesday the Taganka court of Moscow returned to the prosecutor of
the Central Administrative District of the capital the criminal case
with respect to the director of the Sakharov Museum and Community
Center, Yury Samodurov, his associate Liudmila Vasilovskaia, and the
artist Anna Mikhalchuk, who are accused of inciting religious
strife. The court required the prosecutor "to remove all violations in
the indictment" within five days.
Sakharov Center Director Yury Samodurov denies his guilt. "I am
convinced that there were no works in the exhibit that were directed to
insulting anyone's convictions or religious confession," he noted. "The
existence of taboo topics will lead to contemporary relevant art losing
its meaning. The exhibit was simply an occasion for talking about
various aspects of religion," Samodurov explained.
Meanwhile the All-Russian "For human rights" public movement today
issued a special declaration. The latest decision of the Moscow city
court, it says, will now lead to the indictment in the case of
the "Beware, Religion!" exhibit being returned to Taganka court
"in the same form which was ruled on 16 June by Judge N.G. Larina to be
unspecific and lacking definition of the essence of the guilt" of its
figures, in accordance with article 282 of the Criminal Code of RF.
The authors of the declaration also recall that on 1 July a large group
of famous Russian rights defenders appealed to Prosecutor General V.
Ustinov and Moscow Prosecutor A. Zuev "against the illegal actions of
the prosecutor's office of the Central Administrative District, which
initiated a political trial." This appeal contained a call "to put an
end to the case for lack of the commission of a crime. However, judging
by answers received by the "For human rights" movement, it seems the
court transferred all of these appeals to the prosecutor's office of
the Central Administrative District, which answered that it does not
find it possible to satisfy these appeals," the declaration noted. (tr.
by PDS, posted 30 July 2004)
Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and all-Rus will not take part in the
ceremonies on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the birth of St.
Serafim of Sarov
As the Moscow patriarchate informed the "Interfax" news agency today,
at the present time the primate of the Russian Orthodox church
continues in the therapeutic and rehabilitation regime after his recent
strained trip in Leningrad province. Yesterday the vice-chairman of the
Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow patriarchate,
Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin stated that Alexis II will head the regular
session of the Holy Synod of RPTs scheduled for mid-August.
Speaking about the schedule of the celebration which will be conducted
in the Holy Trinity St. Serafim Diveevo monastery in Nizhny Novgorod
province, today's "Interfax" interlocutor noted that they will begin on
31 July with the consecration of the restored church of the Kazan
icon of the Mother of God.
In the evening on Saturday a solemn all-night vigil will be conducted
and on 1 August a liturgy under the open sky will be conducted on
cathedral square of the monastery.
In addition, on 1 August the consecration of the new building of the
Diveevo secondary school will be conducted. (tr. by PDS, posted 30 July
2004)
The regular session of the Holy Synod, the supreme collegial organ of
the Russian Orthodox church, is scheduled to be held in the middle of
August under the leadership of Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and
all-Rus. This information was given to RIA Novosti by the vice-chairman
of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow
patriarchate, Archpriest Vsevold Chaplin.
"His Holiness has continued to direct the on-going activity of the
church, including preparation for the session of the Holy Synod, which,
we expect, will be held in the middle of August under his leadership,"
Chaplin said. "His Holiness continues to be resting. For now the
recommendations of physicians to refrain from a full schedule remain in
effect," the agency's informant explained.
The location of the RPTs primate's rest remains undisclosed, Chaplin
noted. He called attempts to explain the location of the chief hierarch
and speculation on this topic tactless and incorrect. "His Holiness,
like any other person, still has the right to at least a bit of
personal space, reserved from public view," Chaplin noted. "If a person
needs treatment and rest he, surely, is not required to declare to the
whole world where he is, thereby attracting a crowd of reporters and
curious folk," the representative of the Moscow patriarchate concluded.
(tr. by PDS, posted 30 July 2004)
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