8,000 Filipino Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia?

OrphanCrow

Pinoy Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia face deportation

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:40 AM February 24, 2017

BAGUIO CITY—Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW) in the Philippines have asked the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to intercede on behalf of Filipinos who face arrest or deportation in Russia for belonging to their faith.

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of the Philippines, the legal and corporate arm of JW, made the appeal when it met DFA officials this week on behalf of more than 8,000 Filipino Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia.

There are 8000 Filipino Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia? Does that mean that almost 5% of the JWs in Russia are likely there as domestic/construction workers? I wonder who they are working for? Other JWs?

The number of 8000 seems high. According to this article, as of December 2016, there were some 4000 OFW in Russia working in construction, household service and hotel industries. What are 8000 Filipino JWs doing in Russia??

zeb

Filipino people are the big 'export' of the Philippines nation. Thousands work in foreign countries and send money home to family.

It is good that the jw in Phillipines have asked their Dept of Foreign Affairs to intercede. But where is the wt in the needed leadership and support?

OrphanCrow

zeb: Filipino people are the big 'export' of the Philippines nation. Thousands work in foreign countries and send money home to family.

Of course.

But what I don't get is why are there so many Filipino JWs are in Russia? When it appears like they make up a large portion of Filipino OFWs there? Or are they in Russia under travel visas rather than work visas?

Why 8000? This article says that in November 2015, the JWs were claiming 2000 JW Filipinos in Russia. So 6000 more Filipino JWs went there in just over a year??

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Russia have expressed sadness and disgust when the Russian Federation blocked the website which serves as their source of comfort and encouragement away from home.
For many years, many OFWs in Russia, who are mostly housekeepers, have been downloading books, magazines and videos from jw.org, the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs), because they tackle issues close to their hearts—family, relationships, health and spirituality.
Since the website is available in more than 700 languages, some 2,000 Filipinos working in Russia can read and listen to their favorite Bible verses and Bible-based literature in their mother tongue, their spiritual food.

waton

Russia banned the org, not the people. If jws behave, as humans, they will be just fine. Do they want to leave? how about the much greater contingent of Filipinos managing "serving" in Saudi Arabia?

Is this a propaganda variant of the wt campaign, now that calligraphy has collapsed? Anything to make the Russians mad. retake those assets.

steve2

It is really no different than Phillpino JWs who work in construction (males) or as maids (females) in Singapore where JW organization is banned. The state turns a blind eye to individuals meeting in private homes "to worship" - but responds swiftly and with unsympathetic force if any individual is alleged to have proselytized or disseminated religious literature, whether JW or not.

stan livedeath

We had a very similar thread about this a few weeks ago.

The figure of 8000 was a mistake. In the article quoted above it mentions a few hundred..Which is more likely.

waton

individuals meeting in private homes "to worship" -

s2: There is the wt's problem, and the reason for their reaction, WT meetings are not really worship ( some songs may be), but sales training / indoctrination seminars.

konceptual99

There is the wt's problem, and the reason for their reaction, WT meetings are not really worship ( some songs may be), but sales training / indoctrination seminars.

And when they turn into proper discussions of the Bible that's when people start to figure out TTATT...

darkspilver

This was discussed here a couple of months ago when the OP article was first published

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5967570328879104/article-pinoy-jehovahs-witnesses-russia-face-deportation-about-philippine-jws-russia

It is a badly written article - there is a clear confusion regarding the numbers (bad journalism?):

OrphanCrow: This article says that in November 2015, the JWs were claiming 2000 JW Filipinos in Russia

No, the article does not quote WT, it seems comments etc have been editorialised by the newspaper themselves:

Since the website is available in more than 700 languages, some 2,000 Filipinos working in Russia can read and listen to their favorite Bible verses and Bible-based literature in their mother tongue, their spiritual food

It doesn't say all those 2,000 are JWs

See the earlier thread for more discussion:

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5967570328879104/article-pinoy-jehovahs-witnesses-russia-face-deportation-about-philippine-jws-russia

OrphanCrow

Thx, darkspliver.

I missed that thread when it was first posted.

Obviously bad editing/reporting.

8,000 Filipino Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia?

Share this