Christian leaders urge Pope to defend religious freedom in Russia

(December 23, 2011) Leaders from a Christian federation in central India’s Madhya Pradesh state have written to Pope Benedict XVI asking him to oppose the violation of religious freedom in Russia. The group, the Isai Mahasangh (IMS), made the request after a Russian Orthodox group in the city of Tomsk tried to get a court to ban the Bhagavad Gitā, Hinduism’ sacred text, claiming it has “dangerous contents”. Embarrassed by the case, Russian authorities were quick to say that they had “great respect” for the sacred Hindu text. Meanwhile, the court in Tomsk is expected to rule on the matter on 28 December. For IMS general secretary Jerry Paul, it is clear that Russians are not aware of the importance of this religious scripture, the teachings and values it upholds, and above all its place in the life of millions of Indians. In the letter to the Pope, the IMS said it believes the Pontiff can bear more fruits if he takes up this matter with the government of Russia. The IMS also urged Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene in the matter. However, across India, the letter to the Pope has been met with surprise for it shows that Christians are concerned about the religious freedom of Hindus, despite the fact that in Madhya Pradesh State, there have been numerous attacks by Hindu extremists against Christians as well as Christian schools and places of worship.