The Tenuous Evangelical Religious Freedom of Former Soviet Eurasia

on February 27, 2014

Photo Credit: www.kievpost.com

After a blossoming of religious freedom in the the former Soviet republics in the 1990s, religious repression using policies similar to the communist era are returning in many of the republics, focusing on smaller, less familiar religious groups, with Evangelical Christians especially disfavored in the Central Asian republics. The situation in Kazakhstan was noted in an IRD posting earlier this month.

At the beginning of February, Russian Ministries, which supports the Evangelical community in the former Soviet Union, sponsored a briefing on the deteriorating situation for Evangelical groups and individuals there. As noted by Russian Ministries in its announcement of the briefing, many former Soviet republics seem to be taking the policy lead on religious and other freedoms from the Russian Federation.

Among the presenters at the briefing, Gregory Komendant, President of the Ukrainian Bible Society, noted that post-communist freedom of religion was “inconsistent” across the former Soviet Union. National churches that were organized after the breakup had no sense of mission. Post-communist churches, still conditioned by the past, were attuned only to survival. Today, Ukraine and certain other former Soviet Republics see a return to the “ideas and methods” of the former Soviet Union with respect to religious policy. No religious instruction is permitted in public school, and religious organizations are required to register with the government. This shows a measure of “enforced dependence on Russia” by Ukraine, Komendant believes. Nevertheless, Ukrainian Christians should be “strong, active” because Ukraine “is more Christianized in comparison with Russia,” and more Christian still than Europe.

Russian Ministries, in country summaries, noted that in the Russian constitution of 1993, religious state neutrality is claimed, and it guarantees a “personal right to convert and proselytize.” But the Russian Orthodox Church is shown a “measure of favoritism.” The hierarchy of favor is: 1) the Orthodox Church, 2) Catholics, Jews, and Muslims, and 3) less favored religious groups, who may face discrimination and registration requirements. Forum 18, sponsored by three Scandinavian religious organizations, takes its name from Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees religious liberty, and monitors violations of religious freedom in the states of the former Soviet Union. It has said that bans on religious literature and what is construed as “extremism” continue.

Yuri Sipko, former President of the Russian Union of Evangelicals Christians-Baptists, pointed out that a new generation is building the church in Russia. From traditional Russian society, the Christian church alone survived communism, but the ideal of Baptists in Russia was originally a “free church in a free state.” This remains the ideal of Evangelical Baptists today as Russia continues to struggle with a “culture of subjugation.” Sipko observed the apathy that has followed the collapse of communism, and claimed that “in the absence of civic engagement, growing religious activity should be regarded as a positive process, as a means of healing the ailments of atheism.” Russia continues to be a society that needs to develop along Western lines, Sipko clearly indicated. People still believe in the “superiority of the collective,” which inhibits individual rights and freedoms, there is a suspicion of minorities and NGOs, and Russia has yet to develop a “culture of responsibility of the citizens.” Also, alcohol and drug dependency remain endemic. But the gospel of the Evangelical churches will foster a culture of morality and responsibility, Sipko believes.

Mikhail Cherenkov of the Association for Spiritual Renewal and an authority on church/state relations in the former Soviet Union claimed that opposition to liberty of conscience by Russian government is shared by the Orthodox Church, in “’symphonic’ relations with the state.” “Only a strong [civil] society can confront the state in pursuit of its legitimate rights and freedoms … [and] … the most effective of its members may well be the religious organizations,” Cherenkov said. Russia has been able to regain influence in Ukraine, Armenia, and Krygystan. Its religious policy will reasonably be imitated there to the extent that Russian influence prevails in those societies.

Several Central Asian countries were reviewed in connection with the Russian Ministries presentations. Kazakstan perhaps received the most attention. There religious education is prohibited in public schools, after-school religious education must be approved by the state, and religious home schooling is illegal. The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe was referenced by Russian Ministries to say that the new religion law (a 2011 law “On Religious Activities and Religious Associations”) professes neutrality, but works to establish the dominance of Sunni Islam. Claiming to fight “extremism,” it establishes a religious hierarchy of 1) Sunni Islam, 2) Russian Orthodoxy, and 3) disfavored religions, which are subject to registration and harassment. Protestants are the most targeted religious group. Forum 18 reported that at the end of 2013 many small religious bodies were unable to successfully complete a re-registration process (whereby a religious congregation gains government permission to exist, demonstrating its adequate size and facilities). As a result, many churches and mosques have been forcibly closed. Authorities may interfere in church activities, such as determining who may preach, which occurred to a Pentecostal church on Easter Sunday, 2013.

Uzbekistan is designated a Tier 1 Country of Particular Concern (CPC) by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, its most severe designation. Uzbekistan persecutes Muslims it considers “Wahhabi” (followers of the strict sect of Saudi Arabia), but also Christians for “illegal religious teaching.” Forum 18 notes a new decree in Uzbekistan focuses particularly on prohibiting the importation of religious literature, specifically literature encouraging people to change their religious beliefs.

Tajikistan, directly north of Afghanistan, is another Tier 1 country, although not listed as a CPC in 2013. The World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission reports that under the 2009 “Law on the Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations,” unregistered religious activity and private religious instruction are banned. Only religious instruction approved by the state is allowed. In 2012 the government established penalties for receiving religious education abroad, and is generally hostile to any foreign religious influence. Christianity and Evangelicalism in particular are regarded by the government with hostility.

In Azerbaijan religious freedom prevails, but religious groups considered “non-traditional,” which have only recently been in the country, may face “registration” requirements, according to Rasim Khalilov, pastor of Word of Life Church in Azerbaijan and General Secretary of the Evangelical Alliance of Azerbaijan. He said that Azerbaijan has accepted international treaties guaranteeing religious freedom, but is characterized by a “non-acceptance of new religious trends and organizations.” His Word of Life charismatic church has obtained re-registration, however, from the state’s Religious Committee. The state tends to think of Christianity as “Catholic” or “Orthodox,” but the idea of tolerating Christianity in this Muslim, formerly communist state, is “quite acceptable,” he said.

While a return to the atheistic, communist past seems unlikely in the republics of the former Soviet Union, the features of religious persecution in that era, most notably prohibition or restriction of religious education, especially to the young, burdensome registration of churches, and state preference for a few, familiar religious groups, seems to be returning. The general situation bears vigilance and activism by Christians in the West, and, when needed, official action by the U.S. and western governments to prevent further deterioration of religious freedom, and recovery of what has been lost.

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