To the UN General Assembly
To the European Parliament
IN PACE
To the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
AN OPEN APPEAL
participants of the 1st Imam Shamil International Forum
"In defense of believers of world religions"
March 16, 2023
To the European Parliament
IN PACE
To the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
AN OPEN APPEAL
participants of the 1st Imam Shamil International Forum
"In defense of believers of world religions"
March 16, 2023
We, the participants of the 1st Imam Shamil International Forum dedicated to the preservation of the spiritual and historical heritage of the peoples of the Caucasus, bringing together respected representatives of the peoples of the Caucasus, Caucasian diasporas, friends of the peoples of the Caucasus from around the world, representatives of the Muslim and Orthodox clergy, the public, diplomacy and the expert community, make this open appeal in connection with an unprecedented the persecution of believers of world religions unleashed on the territory of Ukraine. They began with the monstrous persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is aimed at blocking the activities of the entire repressive apparatus of the state.
On December 1, 2022, President of Ukraine V.A. Zelensky officially announced state measures to ensure the "spiritual sovereignty of Ukraine" and that the NSDC of that country had instructed the government to submit to the Verkhovna Rada a draft law "on excluding the possibility of activities in Ukraine of religious organizations affiliated with centers of influence in the Russian Federation." Since that moment, a number of instructions have been implemented that grossly violate basic human rights to freedom of religion, and the relevant draft law No. 8371 has been registered and is being prepared for adoption in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The life of the peoples of the Caucasus has always been based on special attention to the observance of traditions, respect for elders, spiritual leaders and mentors, on centuries-old continuity and observance of religious precepts for both the Muslim and Orthodox parts of our peoples. Millions of our brothers in faith live on the territory of Ukraine, including those directly belonging to the Caucasian diasporas, and we will not allow anyone to persecute them, forbid them to profess the faith of many generations of their ancestors, and we will not let them spit on the memory and graves of our loved ones.
These initiatives of the Ukrainian leadership are blasphemous, godless and unacceptable, as they threaten the foundations of the entire international community, including:
1. The declared "spiritual sovereignty" is the severance of ties with all religions whose flock lives on the territory of Ukraine, but their origins, main temples, shrines and centers of influence are located outside Ukraine. However, it is well known that none of the world's religions originated on the territory of Ukraine and does not meet the requirements of "Ukrainian spiritual sovereignty." There is a declaration about the desire to exterminate representatives of the Christian, Muslim, Buddhist and Jewish worlds, about the restriction of fundamental human rights to freedom of conscience and religion, about the open mass persecution of millions of believers.
2. A direct instruction was given "to exclude the possibility of religious organizations affiliated with centers of influence in the Russian Federation operating in Ukraine." However, all organizations of world religions, without exception, are in one way or another affiliated with centers of influence in the Russian Federation and in a number of other countries where there are large communities of these religions that are spiritually inseparable from the general flock.
On the territory of Ukraine, as in other countries, icons and liturgical objects of Russian origin are widely used, religious literature published there, common saints and theologians are revered, priests who have been trained in Russian theological institutions serve, religious texts in Russian are used. The Russian Federation houses many revered Christian and Muslim shrines throughout the world, sacred springs, ancient temples and mosques, and places of pilgrimage.
3. The only religious organizations that comply with the concept of "spiritual sovereignty of Ukraine" and do not fall under the criteria of "affiliation with centers of influence in the Russian Federation" are small sects established and operating specifically on the territory of Ukraine and its citizens.
In fact, this is blatant lobbying for the interests of sects at the highest state level, and the announced measures are a de facto announcement of the creation of a kind of sectarian inquisition to eradicate world religions in a single country and persecute believers. Moreover, in order to achieve this goal, it was announced that the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience would be reformed, upgraded, and strengthened.
4. While sects that oppose themselves to world religions are the universally recognized source of extremism and terrorist threat, the stated policy of turning to the full support of their interests by a European state with a population of 40 million people cannot but cause concern to the entire civilized international community, which historically shares the values of world religions.
5. Ukraine is traditionally home to millions of believers of the Orthodox and Catholic faiths, a significant number of Muslims and Jews, so this statement cannot in principle be a request from society. There are signs of cynical use of the conditions of the military conflict and foreign humanitarian support for the purposes of an extremist sectarian coup, an attempt to embody the ideas of building a European likeness of ISIS in the Ukrainian territories. This is unacceptable even at the level of rhetoric, not to mention specific instructions and legislative acts.
We call on the international community and the spiritual leaders of world religions to take urgent joint measures to protect believers, clergy and shrines located on the territory of Ukraine, as well as to initiate an international investigation into actions against freedom of conscience and religion.
We call for an objective investigation of all cases of desecration, blasphemous damage, destruction of shrines, temples and mosques of world religions on the territory of Ukraine, obstruction of pilgrimages and divine services, as well as the disappearance, plunder and resale of miraculous icons, holy relics, other sacred relics and objects of spiritual heritage.
We consider it necessary to demand from the leadership of Ukraine a public apology to the followers of all world religions, to whom it has called for persecution, the cancellation of initiatives that infringe on their rights, as well as the consolidation of security guarantees for all believing citizens of Ukraine and those on its territory.
We ask international organizations to obtain from the leadership of Ukraine the immediate release of all clergy detained in connection with pastoral activities, as well as the return of all illegally seized or seized property of religious organizations, which has been created for centuries with donations from believers. A pronounced encroachment on the property of religious organizations was the demand of the Ukrainian authorities to the leadership of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to leave the Kiev Pechersk Lavra by March 29 this year.
We ask you to organize independent international monitoring of the observance of the rights of believers on the territory of Ukraine, with the formation of a humanitarian monitoring committee for these purposes under the supervision of the United Nations, the European Parliament, PACE and the OIC, with the participation of religious and public figures, diplomats and human rights defenders from different countries.
On December 1, 2022, President of Ukraine V.A. Zelensky officially announced state measures to ensure the "spiritual sovereignty of Ukraine" and that the NSDC of that country had instructed the government to submit to the Verkhovna Rada a draft law "on excluding the possibility of activities in Ukraine of religious organizations affiliated with centers of influence in the Russian Federation." Since that moment, a number of instructions have been implemented that grossly violate basic human rights to freedom of religion, and the relevant draft law No. 8371 has been registered and is being prepared for adoption in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The life of the peoples of the Caucasus has always been based on special attention to the observance of traditions, respect for elders, spiritual leaders and mentors, on centuries-old continuity and observance of religious precepts for both the Muslim and Orthodox parts of our peoples. Millions of our brothers in faith live on the territory of Ukraine, including those directly belonging to the Caucasian diasporas, and we will not allow anyone to persecute them, forbid them to profess the faith of many generations of their ancestors, and we will not let them spit on the memory and graves of our loved ones.
These initiatives of the Ukrainian leadership are blasphemous, godless and unacceptable, as they threaten the foundations of the entire international community, including:
1. The declared "spiritual sovereignty" is the severance of ties with all religions whose flock lives on the territory of Ukraine, but their origins, main temples, shrines and centers of influence are located outside Ukraine. However, it is well known that none of the world's religions originated on the territory of Ukraine and does not meet the requirements of "Ukrainian spiritual sovereignty." There is a declaration about the desire to exterminate representatives of the Christian, Muslim, Buddhist and Jewish worlds, about the restriction of fundamental human rights to freedom of conscience and religion, about the open mass persecution of millions of believers.
2. A direct instruction was given "to exclude the possibility of religious organizations affiliated with centers of influence in the Russian Federation operating in Ukraine." However, all organizations of world religions, without exception, are in one way or another affiliated with centers of influence in the Russian Federation and in a number of other countries where there are large communities of these religions that are spiritually inseparable from the general flock.
On the territory of Ukraine, as in other countries, icons and liturgical objects of Russian origin are widely used, religious literature published there, common saints and theologians are revered, priests who have been trained in Russian theological institutions serve, religious texts in Russian are used. The Russian Federation houses many revered Christian and Muslim shrines throughout the world, sacred springs, ancient temples and mosques, and places of pilgrimage.
3. The only religious organizations that comply with the concept of "spiritual sovereignty of Ukraine" and do not fall under the criteria of "affiliation with centers of influence in the Russian Federation" are small sects established and operating specifically on the territory of Ukraine and its citizens.
In fact, this is blatant lobbying for the interests of sects at the highest state level, and the announced measures are a de facto announcement of the creation of a kind of sectarian inquisition to eradicate world religions in a single country and persecute believers. Moreover, in order to achieve this goal, it was announced that the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience would be reformed, upgraded, and strengthened.
4. While sects that oppose themselves to world religions are the universally recognized source of extremism and terrorist threat, the stated policy of turning to the full support of their interests by a European state with a population of 40 million people cannot but cause concern to the entire civilized international community, which historically shares the values of world religions.
5. Ukraine is traditionally home to millions of believers of the Orthodox and Catholic faiths, a significant number of Muslims and Jews, so this statement cannot in principle be a request from society. There are signs of cynical use of the conditions of the military conflict and foreign humanitarian support for the purposes of an extremist sectarian coup, an attempt to embody the ideas of building a European likeness of ISIS in the Ukrainian territories. This is unacceptable even at the level of rhetoric, not to mention specific instructions and legislative acts.
We call on the international community and the spiritual leaders of world religions to take urgent joint measures to protect believers, clergy and shrines located on the territory of Ukraine, as well as to initiate an international investigation into actions against freedom of conscience and religion.
We call for an objective investigation of all cases of desecration, blasphemous damage, destruction of shrines, temples and mosques of world religions on the territory of Ukraine, obstruction of pilgrimages and divine services, as well as the disappearance, plunder and resale of miraculous icons, holy relics, other sacred relics and objects of spiritual heritage.
We consider it necessary to demand from the leadership of Ukraine a public apology to the followers of all world religions, to whom it has called for persecution, the cancellation of initiatives that infringe on their rights, as well as the consolidation of security guarantees for all believing citizens of Ukraine and those on its territory.
We ask international organizations to obtain from the leadership of Ukraine the immediate release of all clergy detained in connection with pastoral activities, as well as the return of all illegally seized or seized property of religious organizations, which has been created for centuries with donations from believers. A pronounced encroachment on the property of religious organizations was the demand of the Ukrainian authorities to the leadership of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to leave the Kiev Pechersk Lavra by March 29 this year.
We ask you to organize independent international monitoring of the observance of the rights of believers on the territory of Ukraine, with the formation of a humanitarian monitoring committee for these purposes under the supervision of the United Nations, the European Parliament, PACE and the OIC, with the participation of religious and public figures, diplomats and human rights defenders from different countries.