RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS
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Religion News Current News Items
Interfax-Religiia, 9 June 2010
Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew hopes that under President Viktor Yanukovich the schism within Orthodoxy will be overcome in Ukraine.
"We know that there is a schism of the Ukrainian Orthodox church in Ukraine, and this grieves us very much. We pray that this division will disappear as soon as possible, and our brothers who are separated will return to the canonical church, because this is our salvation," he said at the time of a meeting with the Ukrainian president in his residence in Istanbul.
By his own admission, the patriarch is "more than sure" that V. Yanukovich will do everything possible to "heal these wounds" and restore the unity of the Orthodox church in Ukraine.
In his turn, V. Yanukovich noted the importance of unity of the Ukrainian Orthodox church. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 June 2010)
Russia Religion News Current News Items
Portal-credo.ru, 8 June 2010
The chairman of the Ecclesiastical Board of Muslims for Krasnoyarsk territory, Gaiaz Fatkullin, appealed to the Plenipotentiary for Human Rights in the region, Mark Denisov, in connection with the arrest of Muslims on suspicion of participation in the "Nurjular" organization.
We recall that on 16 February 2010, at 23.00, searches were conducted in Krasnoyarsk and Muslims were arrested on suspicion of participation in a nonexistent "Nurjular" organization. Among the arrested were Andrei Didkov, Aleksei Gerasimov, Fizuli Askarov, and Evgeny Petrii. Criminal cases were conducted against them.
Police officers confiscated the book "Tenth sermon about the resurrection of the dead" from the collected works of Bediüzzaman Said Nursi "Risale-I Nur." Siloviki [power services agents] considered the book extremist and demanded the confiscation of the print run.
The order opening the criminal case against the Muslims says that "they organized activity of a religious association for joint study of books from the 'Collection of Risale-I Nur' [Letters of Light] by Said Nursi." The persons arrested themselves deny any relationship to a "Nurjular" organization and they do not admit their guilt.
"A religious organization cannot be engaged in defense of rights. Thus we have turned to the Plenipotentiary for Human Rights in Krasnoyarsk territory, asking that he look into this matter and stand up for the accused. As far as I know, the ombudsman has already, on his part, sent a corresponding letter to the territorial prosecutor," G. Fatkullin said in a conversation with an "Islam.ru" correspondent.
According to the leader of Krasnoyarsk Muslims, the court satisfied the request of the defense to conduct an expert analysis of the book "Tenth sermon about resurrection of the dead," by S. Nursi. "The conclusion submitted by experts of the Moscow State University says that the book confiscated from the Muslims does not contain extremist expressions," G. Fatkullin explained. He also reported that the next court session on this case will be held 30 June. (tr. by PDS, posted 8 June 2010)
Russia Religion News Current News Items
Portal-credo.ru, 8 June 2010
Two unknown persons in black masks, in the night of 8 June, broke a window and entered into the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses located on the main street of the city of Nartkaly, Kabardino-Balkariia, the press service of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia reports.
The attackers beat the watchmen located in the building with heavy objects, giving them serious bodily wounds. After this they poured around the premises a flammable liquid from a ten-liter canister. One of the believers managed to press the alarm button for private security. When they heard the alarm signal the criminals set fire to the hall and escaped through the fire exit.
The watchmen were hospitalized and the fire quenched. One of the believers, Roman Gutsuliak, was cut in the left temple. The other, Vladimir Tkachuk, father of two small children, was cut in the head around the back and top, his teeth were broken, and he had multiple bruises and contusions on the face and eyes.
Roman Gutsuliak, who was the first to come to, said: "I have only a few stitches and a concussion; my comrade suffered more. He was given aid and he is now sleeping. He saw at least two attackers in masks; they dragged him up the steps and beat him there. There were pools of blood all around."
The house of worship, located on Krasnaya street and accommodating up to 500 people, serves as a place for religious meetings for four local congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses. Although the neighbors' attitude is quite accommodating and there have been no threats from them, the building has been the object of vandalism on the part of unknown persons. Pro-fascist slogans have been left on its walls. Recently, according to testimony of believers, suspicious automobiles have been parked several times and the people in them stared attentively at the building.
During the day a forensic expert laboratory team has been working.
It is noteworthy that quite recently, in the south of Russia, one of the FSB agents threatened a Jehovah's Witness with the possibility of inciting representatives of the criminal world against believers. (tr. by PDS, posted 8 June 2010)
Russia Religion News Current News Items
If material is quoted, please give credit to the publication from which it came.
Ecumenical Patriarch urges unification of Ukrainian churches
PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW HOPES THAT UKRAINIAN CHURCH SCHISM WILL BE OVERCOME UNDER PRESIDENT YANUKOVICHInterfax-Religiia, 9 June 2010
Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew hopes that under President Viktor Yanukovich the schism within Orthodoxy will be overcome in Ukraine.
"We know that there is a schism of the Ukrainian Orthodox church in Ukraine, and this grieves us very much. We pray that this division will disappear as soon as possible, and our brothers who are separated will return to the canonical church, because this is our salvation," he said at the time of a meeting with the Ukrainian president in his residence in Istanbul.
By his own admission, the patriarch is "more than sure" that V. Yanukovich will do everything possible to "heal these wounds" and restore the unity of the Orthodox church in Ukraine.
In his turn, V. Yanukovich noted the importance of unity of the Ukrainian Orthodox church. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 June 2010)
Russia Religion News Current News Items
Muslim "Nursis" hounded as extremists
HEAD OF KRASNODAR MUSLIMS APPLEALS TO OMBUDSMAN OVER ARREST OF MUSLIMSPortal-credo.ru, 8 June 2010
The chairman of the Ecclesiastical Board of Muslims for Krasnoyarsk territory, Gaiaz Fatkullin, appealed to the Plenipotentiary for Human Rights in the region, Mark Denisov, in connection with the arrest of Muslims on suspicion of participation in the "Nurjular" organization.
We recall that on 16 February 2010, at 23.00, searches were conducted in Krasnoyarsk and Muslims were arrested on suspicion of participation in a nonexistent "Nurjular" organization. Among the arrested were Andrei Didkov, Aleksei Gerasimov, Fizuli Askarov, and Evgeny Petrii. Criminal cases were conducted against them.
Police officers confiscated the book "Tenth sermon about the resurrection of the dead" from the collected works of Bediüzzaman Said Nursi "Risale-I Nur." Siloviki [power services agents] considered the book extremist and demanded the confiscation of the print run.
The order opening the criminal case against the Muslims says that "they organized activity of a religious association for joint study of books from the 'Collection of Risale-I Nur' [Letters of Light] by Said Nursi." The persons arrested themselves deny any relationship to a "Nurjular" organization and they do not admit their guilt.
"A religious organization cannot be engaged in defense of rights. Thus we have turned to the Plenipotentiary for Human Rights in Krasnoyarsk territory, asking that he look into this matter and stand up for the accused. As far as I know, the ombudsman has already, on his part, sent a corresponding letter to the territorial prosecutor," G. Fatkullin said in a conversation with an "Islam.ru" correspondent.
According to the leader of Krasnoyarsk Muslims, the court satisfied the request of the defense to conduct an expert analysis of the book "Tenth sermon about resurrection of the dead," by S. Nursi. "The conclusion submitted by experts of the Moscow State University says that the book confiscated from the Muslims does not contain extremist expressions," G. Fatkullin explained. He also reported that the next court session on this case will be held 30 June. (tr. by PDS, posted 8 June 2010)
Russia Religion News Current News Items
Arson against Jehovah's Witnesses' building
MASKED PERSONS AT NIGHT ATTACKED HOUSE OF WORSHIP OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, SETTING FIRE TO ITPortal-credo.ru, 8 June 2010
Two unknown persons in black masks, in the night of 8 June, broke a window and entered into the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses located on the main street of the city of Nartkaly, Kabardino-Balkariia, the press service of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia reports.
The attackers beat the watchmen located in the building with heavy objects, giving them serious bodily wounds. After this they poured around the premises a flammable liquid from a ten-liter canister. One of the believers managed to press the alarm button for private security. When they heard the alarm signal the criminals set fire to the hall and escaped through the fire exit.
The watchmen were hospitalized and the fire quenched. One of the believers, Roman Gutsuliak, was cut in the left temple. The other, Vladimir Tkachuk, father of two small children, was cut in the head around the back and top, his teeth were broken, and he had multiple bruises and contusions on the face and eyes.
Roman Gutsuliak, who was the first to come to, said: "I have only a few stitches and a concussion; my comrade suffered more. He was given aid and he is now sleeping. He saw at least two attackers in masks; they dragged him up the steps and beat him there. There were pools of blood all around."
The house of worship, located on Krasnaya street and accommodating up to 500 people, serves as a place for religious meetings for four local congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses. Although the neighbors' attitude is quite accommodating and there have been no threats from them, the building has been the object of vandalism on the part of unknown persons. Pro-fascist slogans have been left on its walls. Recently, according to testimony of believers, suspicious automobiles have been parked several times and the people in them stared attentively at the building.
During the day a forensic expert laboratory team has been working.
It is noteworthy that quite recently, in the south of Russia, one of the FSB agents threatened a Jehovah's Witness with the possibility of inciting representatives of the criminal world against believers. (tr. by PDS, posted 8 June 2010)
Russia Religion News Current News Items
If material is quoted, please give credit to the publication from which it came.
It is not necessary to credit this Web page. If material is transmitted
electronically, please include reference to the URL,
http://www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/.