RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Religious test for military draftees in Russia

RUSSIAN MILITARY COMMISSIONS BEGIN OFFICIALLY TAKING INTEREST IN "EXTREMIST" CONVICTIONS OF BELIEVING CONSCRIPTS

Portal-Credo.ru, 30 November 2017

 

The department of the military commission of Voronezh province for the Central and Comintern districts began distributing questionnaires in which, among other things, they posed questions about religious views and membership in extremist organizations, a Portal-Credo.Ru correspondent reports.

 

Conscripts must explain not only their "relationship to religion" but also "relationship to religious movements of an extremist tendency." Besides options of "belong" and "acquainted with," the option of "justify their activity" is also offered. It is necessary also to explain how members of conscripts' families relate to "extremist" religions. The "Wahhabi movement" is offered as an example.

 

Portal-Credo.Ru's source showed, on condition of anonymity, an example of the questionnaire which his acquaintance received at the military commission. The source said that such a questionnaire has been received by all conscripts and completing it is obligatory.

 

There are no such concepts as "religious movements of an extremist tendency" in the laws of the Russian federation. Neither Wahhabism nor other religious teachings have ever been prohibited by courts of the Russian federation. Article 29.3 of the constitution of the Russian federation says: "No one may be required to express his opinions and convictions or to renounce them." (tr. by PDS, posted 30 November 2017)


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