Rights Group: Russian Religious Freedom in Danger

Summary: The article "Russian Religious Freedom in Danger" published on the 25th by "The Associated Press" in the New York Times explains how Russia is soon to be a country free of religious minorities. Russia's president Dmitri Medvedev wants to make Russia a secular state by permanently assigning Orthodox priests to army units and introducing religious education classes at state schools. There are 100 million Russian Orthodox followers in Russia, although only 5% are strict followers. The independent Moscow-based Liberty of Conscience Institute is worried about the increase in in support for the Russian Orthodox church because the reforms that Medvedev wants to create are against the Russian constitution. Sergei Mozgovoi, co-chair of the institutions board, said that these wanted reforms are aimed at "fostering loyalty to the regime". The Russian constitution does say that there is a separation between church and state, although now-a-days this relationship is said to be "symbiotic." Sergei Buryanov,who is the other co-chair of the institutions board, feels that these new religious reforms will persecute the minorities and take away all chances of religious freedom in Russia. Religious Freedom activists share Buryanov's concerns and are worried by recent moves, such as the banning of any publications by a Jehovah's Witness, against both the Muslims and the Jehovah Witnesses. The instiutue belives Russia will no longer have religious minorities if the government continues implementing strict rules in regards to religious freedom.

Correlation: This article mainly correlates with Civil Rights, the seperation of church and state and social clevages. The freedom to pursue any religion is one of the Civil Rights that us Americans posess. The changes that Medvedev has created makes it hard for someone in Russia to practice the religion of their choice since the government is deciding which religion to teach you about and which religion everyone around you shall have. Secondly, these new rules are killing the social clevages that used to be existent in Russia. The Muslims and Jehovah witnesses are being discriminated against and forced, by law, to stop practicing their religion and start practicing Russian Orthodox. This forces them to rid of their minority identity and leads to no social cleveage and one big minority. Having only one social class brings conflicts to a cease and will make it easier for Russian Officals to maintain power. Lastly, this article correlates to the seperation of church and state. In the US the government can't mandate all public schools to teach a certain religion. The US is built off it's share of minorties and different groups of religions. Russia is loosing it's sense of seperation of church and state due to the fact that the President has decided what religion is to be taught and preached in all public schools.

Photocredit:http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Travel/Pix/gallery/2001/02/05/priest.gif

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