DRAFT LAW ON MISSIONARY ACTIVITY DEVELOPED IN STAVROPOL
SOVA Center for News and Analysis, 17 February 2014
On 13 February 2015 it was reported that authorities in Stavropol territory intend to regulate missionary activity.
According to the chairman of the territorial Committee for Affairs of Nationalities and Cossackdom, Alexander Pisarenko, in the past several years in the region there have become active "nontraditional" religious organizations and "destructive forces have been trying to achieve their goals to exploit the religious factor, inter alia, and they distort the essence of religions that are traditional for Russia and try to corrupt our society."
The question of combating "alien religious views" that are promoted by new religious movements, whose centers are often abroad, was considered at a conference in the duma of Stavropol territory. At this conference, A. Pisarenko reported that his committee has worked out a draft of a regional law "On missionary activity on the territory of Stavropol territory"
According to this law, people who wish to engage in evangelistic activity will have to inform government agencies about this and register in the capacity of a missionary. Otherwise, the preachers will be held administratively responsible.
We recall that similar laws already are in
effect in several Russian regions. In December 2014 it was
reported that such a draft law was being considered by the
Assembly of Deputies of Pskov province. (tr. by PDS, posted 17
February 2015)
DRAFT LAW ON MISIONARY ACTIVITY BEING PREPARED IN STAVROPOL
Stavropolskaia Pravda, 14 February 2015
The question of prevention of violations of law connected with the activity of missionary organizations on territory of Stavropol became central at a conference in the territorial duma. Participants included representatives of government agencies, leaders of confessions, and directors of national and cultural organizations.
It was emphasized by participants in the conference that in a few recent years activity by various religious associations, whose centers often are located abroad, has noticeably increased, and the ideas vigorously disseminated and introduced to people's minds cause disruption of society and denigrate moral values of traditional confessions.
The chairman of the Committee for Affairs of Nationalities and Cossackdom, Alexander Pisarenko, called the attention of the audience to the fact that it is extremely important to protect residents of the territory from the negative impact of religious views and convictions alien to them that are preached by missionaries of new religious movements.
"Destructive forces are trying to achieve their goals to exploit the religious factor, inter alia, and they distort the essence of religions that are traditional for Russia and try to corrupt our society spiritually and confuse Russians," the director of the agency noted. "This is why therefore, without in any way encroaching on freedom of conscience and religious confession, we must focus our efforts to protect our national identity and the traditional spiritual culture of Russia."
Because of this, on the instructions of the governor, the Committee on Affairs of Nationalities and Cossackdom has worked out the draft of a law of Stavropol territory "On missionary activity on the territory of Stavropol territory," in addition to the complex of measures for combating the growth of the influence of new religious movements that have already been implemented.
The concept of this bill is aimed at the creation of conditions and a procedure for conducting missionary activity in the region. In the event of its adoption, this law will permit raising the level of managing the impact in the sphere of interconfessional and state-confessional relations. Alexander Pisarenko said that the existence of a law regulating missionary activity is necessary, since this will permit, on one hand, protecting the reputation of religious organizations, and on the other, ensuring the rights of the residents of Stavropol. (tr. by PDS, posted 17 February 2015)
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