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Russia's Use and Persecution of Religion

Tuesday, 18th April 2023, 15:41
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"The most important book says nothing about it. In the Old Testament, military service is considered as a high responsibility before God."

Hello Team!

Jonathan introduces the topic of how Russia is using religion and religious rhetoric to achieve its goals in the war against Ukraine. He clarifies that he is a secular atheist but the focus is on Russia's use of religion, not the truth or falsity of any particular religion.

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Russia's Use of Religion for Propaganda

  • Timothy Snyder, a historian, describes it as "Christian fascism" and references Russian philosopher Ivan Ilyin's reinterpretations of the Bible being used for mass propaganda.
  • Julia Davis translates excerpts from Russian TV showing Zakhar Prilepin, a writer wanted in Ukraine on terrorism charges, loosely interpreting Bible verses to justify war and killing innocents.
  • Prilepin twists ideas of forgiveness to argue God would never command forgiving the enemies of God (Ukrainians). He cherry-picks Bible quotes to claim there are spiritually justified and morally necessary wars.
  • Most Russians are not overly religious (only 6% attend church regularly) and many propagandists admit to being irreligious while simultaneously peddling the idea of a "holy war" against Ukraine and the West.
  • Vladimir Solovyov, a famous propagandist, publicly described Russia's war as a "jihad".


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Russia's Religious Persecution in Ukraine

  • A report from the Institute for the Study of War on April 9th details evidence of Russia conducting a campaign of systematic religious persecution in occupied Ukraine.
  • Since Feb 2022, Russian soldiers or occupation authorities have reportedly committed at least 76 acts of religious persecution in Ukraine, including:
    • Closing, nationalizing or forcibly converting at least 26 places of worship to the Kremlin-controlled Russian Orthodox Church (ROC)
    • Killing or seizing at least 29 clergy/religious leaders
    • Looting, desecrating or destroying at least 13 places of worship
  • This is likely part of a deliberate campaign to eradicate undesirable religious organizations and promote the ROC.
  • Russia has ratified laws requiring all religious organizations to register with the government and banning missionary activities outside state-approved sites. Many religious minorities have been persecuted.
  • In occupied Ukraine, Russia is particularly targeting the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), which it views as schismatic. 34% of reported persecution events targeted the OCU.
  • Protestant minorities in Ukraine have also suffered brutal persecution, being called "American spies" and "enemies of the Russian Orthodox people" by Russian soldiers. One Russian officer stated "evangelical believers like you should be completely destroyed."


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Cultural Genocide and War Crimes

  • Russia's systematic religious persecution supports a larger campaign of cultural genocide against Ukraine.
  • The UN defines genocide as acts committed with intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.
  • Russian attacks and vandalism against places of worship in Ukraine may constitute war crimes.
  • The Kremlin falsely portrays itself as religiously tolerant while repressing religious freedoms in Ukraine, accusing Ukraine's government of religious persecution to turn international opinion against Ukraine.


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The Russian Orthodox Church as an Instrument of the State

  • The Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) is a subordinate element of the ROC in Ukraine and an instrument of Russian hybrid warfare.
  • UOC-MP provided material support for Russia's 2014 invasion of Crimea and Donbas. Its churches have been used by Russian soldiers for military purposes in the 2022 invasion.
  • One UOC-MP priest collected information on rival OCU clergy and instructed Russian soldiers to murder a Ukrainian priest.
  • UOC-MP priests who refuse to pray for Russia's military success or the health of ROC head Patriarch Kirill (a former KGB agent) have been punished by Russian troops.


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Wrap up

In summary, Russia is not only increasingly using religious rhetoric to justify its brutal war against Ukraine as a "holy war", but also committing religious war crimes and ethnic cleansing through systematic persecution of non-Russian Orthodox religious groups in occupied Ukrainian territories. The Russian Orthodox Church is being weaponized as an instrument of the state for hybrid warfare purposes. This is yet another element of Russia's war criminality and a reason the war must be stopped.

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