EXPERT PROPOSES FOR STRUGGLE WITH SECTS TO GIVE DEFINITION OF TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS IN LAW
Interfax-Religiia, 14 April 2016
The famous "sectologist" Alexander Dvorkin proposed measures for struggle with sects in Russia.
"It is necessary to study more carefully the problem of sectarianism, to collect information, and to conduct investigations in order to maintain pertinent statistics, which at the present we do not have. It is necessary, as has been done both in France, and Germany, and in Belgium, to create an investigative commission in the Duma or in the Federation Council, which would study this question in a really profound and serious way," A. Dvorkin writes in an article published Thursday on the website of the newspaper Izvestia.
Along with this he thinks the government should define the concept of traditional religion, which is mentioned in the preamble of the law on freedom of conscience, but is not in any way made concrete in the body of the law itself.
"It is necessary to institute a system of concordat, cooperation with traditional religious that play a positive role in the country and that have exerted a decisive influence in the formation of the identity of the peoples inhabiting Russia. All of this should be done so that it would be possible to adopt a working anti-sectarian law, which is far from simple," the author writes.
He pointed out that in the last two years the activity of various kinds of sects in the country has grown substantially, and this has occurred against the backdrop of crisis, when many are in a state of stress and it is easier to manipulate them.
"Support of sectarianism is a way of dividing the country into hostile fractions, a way of building up tensions, and a way of gaining levers of influence and foreign political pressure. A simple example: in some country legislation prohibiting some sects is adopted. Then the USA State Department intervenes and begins demanding that religious freedom be observed such as it is understood in America," A. Dvorkin declared.
Therefore he continued, in order to secure its own internal political situation, the government should "in the first place be concerned that its own citizens are protected from sectarian recruitment, that is, from recruitment into those organizations in which their rights are grossly violated and also to protect the rights of those who have already been dragged into sects." (tr. by PDS, posted 14 April 2016)
Editorial disclaimer: RRN does
not intend to certify the accuracy of information
presented in articles. RRN simply intends to certify the
accuracy of the English translation of the contents of the
articles as they appeared in news media of countries of
the former USSR.
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/.