10/07/97-1090

Russian Law Threatens Future of Vaishnava Organizations

Russia (VNN) - On September 27, 1997, Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed a law which severely restricts the rights of Vaishnavas to preach and distribute literature in the Russian Federation.

Currently, at least 4 Vaishnava groups are actively preaching in that country: the Chaitanya Mission, ISKCON, Sri Chaitanya Sarasvati Math, and disciples of Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaj.

The new law states that organizations who have not been registered for at least 15 years will be restricted in their rights and privileges. Since registration was virtually impossible before the collapse of the Soviet Union 6 years ago, nearly all religions are affected.

A web site has been established to enable people to easily protest this new law and support devotees of Krishna and members of other religions targeted by the demonic legislation. The URL address is:

http://www.tropicmall.com/hindu

Interested parties can not only learn about the legislation by visiting this site, but with the click of a button can send protests directly to the Russian government, to Russian President Boris Yeltsin, and to the Russian Orthodox Church, the organization responsible for enactment of the legislation. The web site was created with support from the World Vaishnava Association, the Chaitanya Mission, and the Anti-Hindu Defamation Coalition.

According to terms laid out in the new law, any organization registered for less than 15 years is not permitted to invite missionaries or preachers from abroad to come to Russia, nor can they import any religious literature, print religious literature in Russia, or distribute religious literature to Russian citizens. In short, the law effectively shuts down all missionary or outreach programs for every Vaishnava mission operating in the Russian Federation.

The law also affects a wide spectrum of other religious groups ? everybody from non-orthodox Christians, including Catholics, Lutherans, Mormons and Baptists, to less traditional groups such as Scientologists and the Unification Church.

The law is a direct attack on religious freedom, and an attempt to establish a stranglehold on religious activity in Russia, by the Russian Orthodox Church, one of the few religious groups permitted to register during the Communist heyday due to their cooperation with the Communist regime.