The repression in Russia’s reset is gaining momentum not only against opposition politicians and journalists, but also against non-political groups that do not fit into the format of the state, in the new edition of whose constitution «faith in God» is proclaimed as a value. However, one must «believe in God» «as it should be,» and if one believes «too much,» there will be no place for one in the «spiritually cohesive» society (https://golosislama.com/news.php?id=38812).
This week, the repression machine cracked down hard on Jehovah’s Witnesses (outlawed in Russia). Let’s be clear — Muslims, and not only them, have no reason to be warm towards this religious group. Quite apart from religious differences, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia are known for their intrusive and, in some cases, downright brazen way of preaching their religion, including crossing the personal boundaries of those they call. However, in some European countries, after facing the consequences of complaints about their actions, they have reconsidered their behavior and set up tables or tents with their materials, but they themselves do not approach anyone and wait for interested parties to approach them.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to understand what is happening to them today. In a country where nominal freedom of religion is recognized, a very specific and peaceful religious community (such as another similarly banned organization — Hizb ut-Tahrir) is being subjected to mass repression.
For example, this week alone in the Voronezh region, 110 (!) addresses of Jehovah’s Witnesses were searched and 10 people were arrested.
Criminal cases have also been opened against Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Kaliningrad, Kemerovo and Tomsk regions. Mass purges of Jehovah’s Witnesses have also taken place in the annexed Crimea, where they, like members of Hizb ut-Tahrir, are a hated legacy of religiously tolerant Ukraine.
And in Russia itself, tensions are rising over the non-traditional Orthodox followers of Ural monk Sergei Romanov (https://golosislama.com/news.php?id=38851). As we have reported, if there were Muslims instead of the Orthodox community holed up in the monastery from which its abbot calls for the overthrow of the authorities, they would have been bombed by air and artillery in the course of anti-terrorist operations. It’s more complicated with the Orthodox — after all, they are the «nation-building» people. Therefore, at the moment public opinion is being manipulated in the direction of first convincing society that they are not Orthodox.
Experienced personnel in the field of clearing religious space, such as Roman Silantyev (https://golosislama.com/news.php?id=37621), are also involved in the case. He has already declared Orthodox «takfir» against opposition monks, for which the pro-Kremlin website IslamNews flatteringly compared him to Salafis (https://islamnews.ru/news-vpolne-sebe-salafit-roman-silantev-razgromil-pravoslavnoe-sektantstvo).