ROSKOMNADZOR URGES MEDIA TO REFRAIN FROM PUBLISHING CARTOONS OFFENSIVE TO BELIEVERS
Interfax-Religiia, 16 January 2015
Roskomnadzor [Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communication] warned news media against publishing caricatures that affect the feelings of believers.
"The dissemination in news media of caricatures on a religious theme may be regarded by Roskomnadzor as offensive or denigrating the dignity of representatives of religious confessions and associations and categorized as inflaming ethnic and religious strife, which is a direct violation of the laws 'On news media' and 'On combating extremist activity,'" a statement of the agency that was published on Friday on its website says.
The document notes that publication in Russian news media of caricatures of such contents "is in conflict with ethical and moral norms that were developed in centuries of representatives of diverse peoples and religious confessions living together on the same territory."
The agency recalled that in 2006, agencies of
the prosecutor's office and supervision in the sphere of news
media took action to prevent the distribution in Russia of
cartoons that had earlier been published by the Danish newspaper
Jyllands-Posten. In 2008, an official written warning was issued
to the editorial offices of the Moscow Newsweek magazine, for,
among other things, publishing caricatures of the Prophet
Muhammad. (tr. by PDS, posted 16 January 2015)
DOCUMENT: CLARIFICATION BY ROSKOMNADZOR WITH REGARD TO CARICATURES ON A RELIGIOUS THEME
Due to numerous publications by news media and discussion of the permissibility of publication in the Russian federation of caricatures with the image of religious sacred objects affecting the feelings of believers, within the framework of preventive work, Roskomnadzor gives a supplementary explanation:
The publication in Russian news media of caricatures of such contents contradicts the ethical and moral norms that have been developed in centuries of representatives of diverse peoples and religious confessions living together on the same territory.
The position of state agencies of authority, including supervisory ones in the sphere of new media, with regard to caricatures of a religious theme has always been unambiguous and consistent.
Dissemination in news media of caricatures on a religious theme may be regarded by Roskomnadzor as offensive and demeaning to the dignity of representatives of religious confessions and associations, and classified as inciting ethnic and religious strife, which is a direct violation of the laws "On news media" and "On combating extremist activity."
This position and law enforcement practice have been formulated earlier and have been approved by the expert and professional community.
Thus, in 2006 agencies of the prosecutor's office and supervision in the sphere of news media adopted measures for preventing the distribution in the Russian federation of caricatures published previously by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. In 2008, an official written warning was issued to the editorial board of the magazine Newsweek (Moscow) for, among other things, publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.
In connection with the above, Roskomnadzor, expressing unconditional solidarity with opponents of any manifestations of extremism and terrorism, asks the news media of the Russian federation to refrain from publication of caricatures that may be regarded as a violation of the norms of Russian legislation. (tr. by PDS, posted 17 January 2015)
COUNCIL OF MUFTIS OF RUSSIA ASKS PROSECUTOR GENERAL NOT TO ALLOW PUBLICATIONS OFFENSIVE TO MUSLIMS
Interfax-Religiia, 16 January 2015
Ravil Gainutdin, the head of the Council of Muftis of Russia, sent to Russian Prosecutor General Yury Chaika a request to curb the dissemination of publications that offend the feelings of Muslims in news media and the Internet.
"I ask you to render assistance and to take the necessary measures for preventing the dissemination of publications that disparage the Prophet Muhammad and the religious feeling of Muslims, Russian citizens in particular, and to conduct an inspection of websites and news media for the presence of publications of the above indicated materials and to conduct relevant expert analyses," the mufti's letter, which was published on Friday on the website of the Council of Muftis, says.
In the event of the manifestation in publications of signs of extremism, covered by the federal law "On combating extremist activity," R. Ganutdin requested that he file relevant declarations in courts for finding such materials to be extremist and also that he send to Internet providers warnings about the impermissibility of publications of such materials and that he instruct Roskomnadzor to take measures for preventing the dissemination of such materials in the Internet and other sources.
The letter says that the occasion for the appeal is the situation connected with the publications in news media and the Internet of materials containing images of the Prophet Muhammad and texts that characterize him negatively.
"We think that such materials are aimed at inciting religious strife and the formation of distorted representations about Islam and the followers of this Abrahamic monotheistic religion, and thereby they violate the rights, liberties, and legal interests of Muslims," R. Gainutdin emphasized.
In addition, he thinks that it is important to form in believers "religious tolerance and indulgence in conditions of multi-ethnic and multi-confessional Russia." (tr. by PDS, posted 16 January 2015)
PLANS FOR 100,000 PERSON RALLY AGAINST RELIGIOUS CARTOONS IN MOSCOW
Govorit
Moskva, 16 January 2015
In Moscow, a 100,000 person rally against religious caricatures is being planned. It is planned to conduct it on 25 January on Sakharov Prospect. This was explained for the radio station "Govorit Moskva," by one of the organizers of the action, Muslim rights advocate Ali Charinskii.
"We picked the number of 100,000 persons, if many people really want to come. The place of the event is Sakharov Prospect. The goal of the rally is an action of protest against publications that offend religious feelings," the news published on the radio station's website quote the words of the rights advocate.
Charinskii emphasized that the organizers intend to attract representatives of diverse religions to participate in the event. "We want to make not a Muslim rally or a rally of Muslims against caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. This is a rally in which we propose for representatives of absolutely diverse confessions and groups to participate, who are against such an understanding of freedom of speech," the activist added. He thinks that the action will help believers to express their position and "let off steam" in order to avoid similar incidents as the terrorist acts in Paris.
Charinskii added that organizers submitted an application for permission for the rally yesterday and they are now waiting for an answer from city hall. However, in the event of a refusal, they do not intend to summon people to an action. "No, why violate the law? It is necessary to express our position while observing the legal norm. We will continue to explain somehow for representatives of the public and especially for journalists what is the concept of holiness for us and that one must not transgress the limits of an understanding of freedom of speech," the Muslim rights advocate said.
Earlier in France there occurred a series of terrorist acts, beginning with an attack on the editorial office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, which, in particular, published caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. In three days, 17 persons died, including three police officers.
Today, 16 January, Roskomnadzor distributed a clarification in which it asked news media to refrain from publications of caricatures of a religious nature, which can be regarded as disparaging the dignity of representatives of diverse confessions and categorized as inflaming ethnic strife. (tr. by PDS, posted 16 January 2015)
ORTHODOX PRIEST ENDORSES HOLDING RALLY AGAINST RELIGIOUS CARICATURES
Govorit Moskva, 16 January 2015
Archpriest Oleg Korytko noted in a broadcast on radio station Govorit Moskva that he is happy with the peaceful form of this action and the possibility of uniting believers.
"I would like to say for myself that I am pleased by this method for protection of religious values. This is a peaceful march or a kind of peaceful assembly, which is intended to demonstrate a uniting of a substantial public group of believing people with regard to the impermissability of desecrating religious symbols and traditions," the priest declared.
He stressed that the RPTs does not forbid its believers to participate in public political events. "Political and public activity is possible for the Orthodox Christian, and I figure that such a peaceful, nonviolent means of struggle for one's own religious values is completely permissible," the archpriest added.
He also called the position of Roskomnadzor with regard to religious cartoons to be balanced and justified. The agency issued a clarification in which it asked news media to refrain from publications of caricatures on a religious theme, since they may hurt believers' feelings and lead to ethnic strife.
"Freedom of speech does not by any means mean freedom of desecration of symbols that are important for other people. Freedom always must be linked with responsibility and with a feeling that one must not violate," he said. . . . (tr. by PDS, posted 16 January 2015)
JEWS DO NOT PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN RALLY
AGAINST RELIGIOUS
CARICATURES
Govorit Moskva,
16 January 2015
The president of the Russian Jewish
Congress, Yury Kanner,
told radio station Govorit Moskva that he does not support
conducting an action
against the publication of religious cartoons.
"Believers should pray, observe tradition,
and do what
is commanded. In general, Judaism does not provide for
rallies. I do not
remember such a thing in the tradition," Kanner noted.
He suggests that if you do not like the contents of such publications it is better simply to reject them. "What does the publication of caricatures in Parisian magazines have to do with us? Well, I also do not like them, but I will not go to a rally. I simply will not read those magazines that I do not like, and there are very many of them. I do not read or view them," the head of the Jewish congress emphasized. . . . (tr. by PDS, posted 16 January 2015)
COUNCIL ON HUMAN RIGHTS THINKS
ROSKOMNADZOR'S WARNING ON
RELIGIOUS CARTOONS ILLEGAL
Govorit Moskva,
16 January 2015
The agency asks for refraining from publications of a religious character that may be regarded as a violation of norms of Russian legislation.
In the opinion of Nikolai Svanidze, a member of the Council for Development of Civil Society and Human Rights of the Russian presidential administration, that he expressed in an interview of radio station Govorit Moskva, questions of such a nature do not fall within the competence of Roskomnadzor.
"If someone published something of this type and someone is offended by it, then this should be considered in court. Roskomnadzor is warning that all such publications will be regarded strictly in the same direction. In our country, this is quite predictable, but it does not have anything to do with the law on news media or the constitution and it has nothing to do with our reality," Svanidze said.
The website of Roskomnadzor noted that dissemination in news media of caricatures on a religious topic may be interpreted as denigrating the dignity of representatives of religious confessions and categorized as inflaming ethnic strife. It specified that this is a direct violation of the laws "On news media" and "On combating extremist activity."
The occasion for such statements was the series of terrorist acts in France, which began on 7 January with an attack on the editorial office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. This weekly published caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. In three days, 17 persons died, including three police officers. In the course of two special operations, three terrorists were killed. (tr. by PDS, posted 16 January 2015)
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