Inter-Religious Council asks to prevent holding gay campaigns in Russia under Strasbourg's pressure
18/04/2011
Submitted by
ILGA-Europe
Original source: http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=8372
Russia should indemnify itself against performing the Council of Europe's decisions which contradict its interests
Moscow, April 14, Interfax - The Inter-Religious Council of Russia at its Wednesday meeting disapproved of the propaganda of homosexuality.
"We wish to protect the rights of the absolute majority of people who think homosexuality to be a sin or vice and resist imposing an opposite standpoint through any public campaigns, mass media, education or "legal" or political decisions," says the statement of the Inter-Religious Council issued with regard to the European Court of Human Rights granting the appeal on the ban imposed on the gay-pride parade in Moscow.
The meeting of Orthodoxy, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism representatives asked the authorities to "protect not only the interests of various minorities but also the rights of the country's main population and stop campaigns which intentionally injure moral feelings of Russian citizens who understand that only a man and woman union can generate an adequate family."
"We understand the intention of our government to defend human dignity, in particular, under the European Convention on Human Rights. At the same time, we want to give a warning about the danger of distorting the Russian legal system under the influence of multiple judicial precedents defending amoral conduct and its propaganda," the document states.
The authors believe that joining the European Convention "does not entitle anyone to offend the conscience of most people in this country, moreover, the Convention allows no restrictions of human rights on moral grounds."
"We urge government bodies and non-government organizations to start looking for such legal relations with the Council of Europe which can save Russia from performing Council's decisions which aim to offend conscience and moral feelings of our citizens," the Inter-Religious Council said.
Nikolay Alexeyev, a sponsor of sexual minorities' campaigns, told Interfax-Religion that the European Court of Human Rights ruled illegal the refusal of Moscow authorities to approve holding three gay-pride parades in the city. Thus, the earlier decision of the Grand Chamber of the Strasbourg Court became effective on April 11.
Alexeyev also stated that the steering committee of the Moscow gay-pride parade had notified the Moscow Government and the city's Central Internal Affairs Directorate on its intent to hold a public event on Bolotnaya Square on May 28. It will be held as a mass cultural and educational campaign.
Russia should indemnify itself against performing the Council of Europe's decisions which contradict its interests
Moscow, April 14, Interfax - The Inter-Religious Council of Russia at its Wednesday meeting disapproved of the propaganda of homosexuality.
"We wish to protect the rights of the absolute majority of people who think homosexuality to be a sin or vice and resist imposing an opposite standpoint through any public campaigns, mass media, education or "legal" or political decisions," says the statement of the Inter-Religious Council issued with regard to the European Court of Human Rights granting the appeal on the ban imposed on the gay-pride parade in Moscow.
The meeting of Orthodoxy, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism representatives asked the authorities to "protect not only the interests of various minorities but also the rights of the country's main population and stop campaigns which intentionally injure moral feelings of Russian citizens who understand that only a man and woman union can generate an adequate family."
"We understand the intention of our government to defend human dignity, in particular, under the European Convention on Human Rights. At the same time, we want to give a warning about the danger of distorting the Russian legal system under the influence of multiple judicial precedents defending amoral conduct and its propaganda," the document states.
The authors believe that joining the European Convention "does not entitle anyone to offend the conscience of most people in this country, moreover, the Convention allows no restrictions of human rights on moral grounds."
"We urge government bodies and non-government organizations to start looking for such legal relations with the Council of Europe which can save Russia from performing Council's decisions which aim to offend conscience and moral feelings of our citizens," the Inter-Religious Council said.
Nikolay Alexeyev, a sponsor of sexual minorities' campaigns, told Interfax-Religion that the European Court of Human Rights ruled illegal the refusal of Moscow authorities to approve holding three gay-pride parades in the city. Thus, the earlier decision of the Grand Chamber of the Strasbourg Court became effective on April 11.
Alexeyev also stated that the steering committee of the Moscow gay-pride parade had notified the Moscow Government and the city's Central Internal Affairs Directorate on its intent to hold a public event on Bolotnaya Square on May 28. It will be held as a mass cultural and educational campaign.
