IN A BLUE EYE*
According to a report of the news agency Interfax-Religiia, on the agenda of a session of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights, and Humanitarian Questions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) there appeared a draft proposed by Russia about the "impermissibility of discrimination and intolerance with respect to Christians, Muslims, and adherents of other religions."
The draft was presented by a member of the Federal Council, Liudmila Narusova, who reported to the assembled representatives of OSCE that " on the agenda are problems of intolerance, discrimination, violence, and terrorist acts on grounds of religious affiliation and convictions with respect to Christians, Muslims, and adherents of other religions, and this presents a real threat to security within our organization."
Narusova's special mention about the fact that "freedom of thought, religion, and religious confession is one of the fundamental rights, which are also enshrined in international legal documents and in national legislation" speaks of the knowledge of such a proposition in the civilized world. Apparently, therefore, the representative of the RF was expressing the conviction that " the situation of all believers demands of us not discussions but concrete steps," most likely having in mind the states whose representatives were listening to her speech.
Proceeding from contemporary Russian
initiatives in terms of
ignoring principles of religious liberty, it is not difficult to
suppose that
the recommendation of Liudmila Narusova should not be perceived as
applying to
our country. As the most vivid evidence of this recently one may
take the
manifestation of the liquidations in the country of all religious
organizations
of Jehovah's Witnesses, whose liturgical activity was determined
by the Russian
Supreme Court to be "extremist." (tr. by PDS, posted 14 July 2017)
*Literal translation of the Russian expression "na golubom glazu" which means "shamelessly" or "hypocritically"
Related article:
Russian
hypocrisy shown in international gathering
July 10, 2017
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