The Guardian: In Russia, the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses begins all over again

by AndersonsInfo 16 Replies latest jw friends

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  AndersonsInfo

  https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2017/mar/09/in-russia-the-persecution-of-jehovahs-witnesses-begins-all-over-again

  In Russia, the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses begins all over again

  Giles Fraser

  Thursday 9 March 2017 11.41 EST
  

  The small Siberian town of Birobidzhan is set in a mosquito-infested swampland on the far eastern end of the Trans-Siberian railway. It was to places such as this that the Soviets exiled various undesirables. In April 1951 more than 9,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses were rounded up and sent to Siberia on Stalin’s instruction. They were allowed to take 150kg of their possessions with them. Everything else was confiscated by the state.

  You may walk past embarrassed as Jehovah’s Witnesses try and hand you cringeworthy religious literature on the high street. But these were some of the most persecuted Christians of the 20th century. And their persecution continues.

  A couple of months ago, the Russian police raided the Birobidzhan branch of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and “discovered” extremist literature. The Jehovah’s Witnesses describe the incident thus: “Masked special police disrupted a religious meeting and planted literature under a chair in the presence of the attendees.” The police ordered the place to be permanently closed.

  A few weeks later, the Russian ministry of justice demanded that the Jehovah’s Witnesses HQ hand over all information on their 2,277 Russian congregations. After a brief examination of what the police allegedly found, it concluded that the Jehovah’s Witnesses were showing signs of “extremist activity”. Congregations in Belgorod, Stary Oskol and Elista have all been shut down. Bibles have been impounded at customs, their literature banned. Many expect that the Russians are gearing up for an outright ban.

  READ MORE: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2017/mar/09/in-russia-the-persecution-of-jehovahs-witnesses-begins-all-over-again
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  DesirousOfChange

  Regardless of one's opinion of JWs, this is the action of a Police State. Evidently Russia is moving backward when it comes to Freedom of Religion and individual rights.
  
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  Spoletta

  This is definitely the work of a Police State and should not be condoned by anyone. Though I disagree with much of the Watchtower dogma, they should be allowed to express their beliefs. Whether people agree with them or not, people should be allowed to profess their faith. Let society at large accept them or reject them. Hopefully, in an enlightened world, people's eyes will be opened and they'll make wise choices as to the faith or non faith they choose to follow.
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  EdenOne

  As much as I despise this religion now, freedom of belief, gathering, and opinion is a hallmark of modern civilization and denying it on ridiculous grounds of "extremism" is abhorring. Russia is becoming a bleak place to live. There are other ways to grab this cult by its balls without going into persecution mode, which, as we know, only exacerbates their martyr mindset. Sad.
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  Vidiot

  I don't thick I've ever seen a politician work as hard as Putin to turn back the clock.
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  Anony Mous

  Although we in the US might scoff at the violation "freedom of religion", historically, Russia has never had freedom of religion the way the US does.

  All the Witnesses had to do (they got a 2 month window for it) is to repudiate their extremist viewpoints in regards other religions. The Russians interpreted (correctly) that JW literature call for religious discord among families. Note that similar cases are currently running via ex-JW's in European courts regarding JW's violation of human rights and the "persecution in France" has the same roots - if you don't do charity and you promote the viewpoint that adherents of other religions should be violently destroyed, you're not a religion worthy of state support.

  People should have the right to associate with their own families and people of other religions, JW's viewpoint is that they can't and the Russians, given it's history with religion sides on the side of banning (they have anti-religious laws due to the Czar, like the Germans have anti-Nazi laws due to Hitler).

  This isn't "let's throw them in jail and send them to Siberia", this is "you can't organize your religion here with those viewpoints".

  Also note that the Guardian is a derivative of the JW press releases on the topic. There isn't much substance as to the reason Russia has come to that decision nor the historical or contemporary religious rights in Russia or the fact that pretty much all extremist religions (including many Christian and Islamic denominations) have similar bans.
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  OrphanCrow

  Anony: Also note that the Guardian is a derivative of the JW press releases on the topic. There isn't much substance as to the reason Russia has come to that decision nor the historical or contemporary religious rights in Russia or the fact that pretty much all extremist religions (including many Christian and Islamic denominations) have similar bans.

  I concur with you. This is a fluff piece with WT roots.

  This is the website I visit to get detailed reports on what is happening inside Russia with the JWs:

  http://www.forum18.org/

  Forum 18 publishes details of all the religious court cases inside Russia, including many of faiths other than the JWs.

  Where the JWs have really fell afoul of the law in Russia is by insisting on telling others that their religion is bad and that the JWs is the only right one. That is strictly prohibited in Russia but the JWs just can't keep their hateful views to themselves.

  The most recent update from Forum 18 reports this:

  The number of prosecutions under Criminal Code Article 174 to punish individuals for exercising the right to freedom of religion or belief appears to be increasing. Since the new Criminal Code came into force on 1 January 2015, Article 174 criminal cases are known to have been launched or to have been underway against 19 individuals in 20 cases (see full list below, compiled from court records and other information).
  Of these 20 known cases: five have ended in convictions (3 Muslims, 1 Jehovah's Witness, 1 Seventh-day Adventist); one trial is currently underway (Muslim); and five cases are still being investigated (2 Muslim, 1 Jehovah's Witness, while atheist Aleksandr Kharlamov is facing two investigations – see list below). In nine known cases, Article 174 cases were launched but were then closed down, with the individuals instead fined under the Administrative Code.
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  OrphanCrow

  This is the Forum 18's article (Febuary 2017) concerning the possible liquidation of the JWs in Russia:

  http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2257
  
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  Hecce

  Sadly during the cold war the Watchtower was clearly on the anti soviet side, when I wrote about the Cuban experience I cited Awake 9/8/1960 page 16 under "Soviet master plan for world control" as an example of anti communist propaganda.

  Most likely the current Russian Government has a lot memories and record about that time period and they don't have much use for the Watchtower.

  Proscribing them is wrong.
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  Athanasius

  The sad thing about this potential ban on JWs in Russia, is that the Watchtower will play this up to draw attention away from their child abuse scandals.