RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Russian parliament intervenes in misuse of anti-extremism law against religious groups

STATE DUMA WORKS OUT DRAFT LAW TO PREVENT FINDING SACRED TEXTS EXTREMIST

Interfax-Religiia, 30 September 2015

 

Deputies from all duma fractions introduced into the State Duma a draft law transferring the right of consideration of cases intended to find one or another item to be extremist to the level of a constituent element ["subject"] of the Russian federation.

 

"Questions of finding one or another item to be extremist are now critical and have become resonant, and I think this trend is becoming stronger. I am sure that the proposed measure will serve both to strengthen the authority of the judicial authority and to reduce the likelihood of the use of the religious factor for destructive provocations," Yaroslav Nilov, the head of the Duma Committee on Affairs of Public Associations and Religious Organizations and co-author of the initiative, told journalists on Wednesday.

 

He said that the idea for the draft law was discussed at a session of the committee that was held recently "as one of the measures for preventing further conflict situations arising as a consequence of a South Sakhalin court's finding the book 'Prayer to God: its Significance and Place in Islam' to be extremist material."

 

Nilov noted that "issuing such judicial decisions often requires the opinion of an expert with uniquely high qualifications who is capable of taking thorough account of all the nuances of historical and cultural factors, and this condition can be more effectively assured in large urban and district centers."

 

Representatives of all fractions are sponsors of the amendments. In the draft law the deputies propose to assign cases of special proceedings for finding informational materials to be extremist to subdivisions of a supreme court of a republic, a territorial or provincial court, a court of a city with federal standing, a court of an autonomous province, or a court of an autonomous district.

 

To achieve this it is proposed to introduce changes into article 13 of the federal law "On combating extremist activity" and article 263 of the Civil Procedural Code. (tr. by PDS, posted 30 September 2015)

 

BAN ON SURAS OF QURAN CAN ONLY BE RESULT OF IGNORANCE—SHEIKH RAVIL GAINUTDIN

Portan-credo.ru, 18 September 2015

 

The ban of suras [chapters] of the Quran by a court in South Sakhalinsk exposed the problem of the lack in Russia of an authoritative expert community of theologians and Arabists, and it showed ignorance with regard to the fundamental text of the Islamic religion. This was stated on 18 September in an interview with TASS by the chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia, Ravil Gainutdin.

 

"This is ignorance. There was no authoritative expert analysis there at all and such experts in Russia can be counted on one's fingers. These are people with enormous academic experience and knowledge, people who can think philosophically," Gainutdin said. "Those experts who ban suras of the Quran and the whole Bible can be called extremist," he noted.

 

In the mufti's opinion, judges should engage in self-education, reading both the Bible and the Quran. "Then they will have completely different views," Gainutdin is sure.

 

The mufti sees the solution of the problem in the introduction of amendments into the law on protection of believers' feelings, which would protect both sacred scriptures and classical theological works. "They are eternal, God-given. They should not be touched," the mufti said. "This list can include competent translations into the Russian language of the Quran and teachings of our prophet."

 

In the middle of August, a South Sakhalinsk court found the book "Prayer to God: its Significance and Place in Islam" to be "extremist material." The reason for this was "Al-Fatikha" and other suras of the Quran. The city prosecutor's office did not agree with the court's decision.

 

In the opinion of the prosecutor's office, the judge made an incorrect decision, since they had asked the court to find only the opinion of the author of the book to be extremist and not verses from the Quran.

 

The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, called the judge and prosecutor shaitans [demons] and provocateurs. "The people who brought this decision are national traitors and shaitans," Kadyrov noted. "I demand strict punishment for provocateurs who issued this judicial decision and who tried to blow up the situation in our country. If they are not dealt with in proper legal form, then in the first place I will be made a criminal. I will personally hold them accountable because for me there is nothing higher in this life than the Quran. I am ready to defend it to the end. I recognize full responsibility for my demand and I am ready to take it," the head of Chechnya emphasized.

 

A representative of the office of prosecutor general of the Russian federation warned of the impermissibility of insulting judges and prosecutors "in the sphere associated with their professional activity." Later it was reported that Kadyrov had appealed the court's decision.

 

The head of Ingushetia, Yunus-Bek Evkurov, also spoke out against the court's decision. "I condemn it, and all believers should condemn it," Evkurov declared, "since there is no guarantee that tomorrow such rash decision will not appear with regard to the Bible, Torah, and other sacred scriptures." (tr. by PDS, posted 30 September 2015)


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