British Parliamentarians to Discuss Mistreatment of Russian Hindus

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StephenKnappNewsList, srinandan wrote:

 

British Parliamentarians have filed an Early Day Motion at the House

of Commons to discuss the harassment of Russian Hindus. We urgently

need more MPs to sign up and support the Early Day Motion in the

British Parliament.

 

PLEASE THEREFORE WRITE TO YOUR LOCAL MP AND ASK THEM TO SUPPORT THIS

MULTI-PARTY EDM. You can find out who your local MP is by visiting:

http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/clomps.cfm.

 

You can find email addresses for some MPs from:

http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/alms.cfm

 

Alternatively, you can write to them at the House of Commons using

the following address: House of Commons, Palace of Westminster,

London SW1A 0AA.

 

You can check which MPs have signed up to the EDM by checking:

http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=29869&SESSION=875

 

Regards,

 

Ramesh Kallidai

Secretary General

Hindu Forum of Britain

 

 

Britain to discuss Russian Harassment of Hindus at EU summit: Foreign

Minister Douglas Alexander

 

26 January 2006 - While acknowledging that Hindus in Russia face

difficulties in practising their faith freely, Foreign Minister

Douglas Alexander has assured the House of Commons on 25th January

that the inability to establish a permanent place of worship for

Hindus will be discussed with Russian officials at the EU as part of

Britain's ongoing dialogue with Russia. The Foreign Minister was

responding to a written question raised by Conservative MP James

Clappison requesting the Foreign Secretary's assessment of the

treatment of Hindus in Russia and the effect on the community of the

loss of the Hindu temple in Moscow

In response, Foreign Minister Douglas Alexander had responded by

saying, "The Hindu community, like a number of other religious

communities have faced difficulties freely practicing their faith in

Russia. These include the inability to establish a permanent place of

worship in Moscow since the demolition of the Hindu temple in 2004.

We raise the issue of religious freedom during regular EU and

bilateral contact with the Russian Government. We will continue to

monitor this and other religious freedom issues in Russia and raise

them as appropriate in the course of our ongoing dialogue."

Earlier, a multi-party Early Day Motion led by Labour MP Ashok Kumar

expressed Parliamentary support for the Defend Russian Hindus

campaign and regretted the intolerance shown towards Russian Hindus

manifest as denial to establish a place of worship.

 

The Hindu Forum of Britain has urged MPs from all political parties

to support the Early Day Motion in response to the Defend Russian

Hindus Campaign launched by Hindu organisations from UK, America,

Canada, Africa, India and Australia. The campaign was launched on

18th January by parliamentarians Ashok Kumar MP, James Clappison MP

and Lord Dholakia to highlight the plight of Russian Hindus.

 

"The crux to the issue", said Lord Dholakia, "is that Russian Hindus

were given a temple which was demolished to make way for a commercial

complex and were then promised a piece of land to build another

temple. This has now been taken back and Hindus in Russia have no

place to worship."

 

"Some members of the Russian Orthodox Church had orchestrated mass

protests and started a misinformation campaign against Hindus in the

Russian media," explained Ramesh Kallidai, secretary general of the

Hindu Forum of Britain. "Many Hindus have and still are being

victimised, threatened, bullied and even beaten and subjected to

violence."

 

Last month Archbishop Nikon of the Orthodox Church had described

Lord Krishna as an "evil demon, the personified power of hell,

opposing God", and sparked worldwide condemnation. The Mayor of

London Ken Livingstone had also shown his concern for the harassment

of Russian Hindus by discussing the matter with the visiting Mayor of

Moscow Yuri Luzhkov on 15th January, when he handed over letters of

protest from the Hindu Forum of Britain and other organizations.

 

British Parliamentarians will be seeking a meeting with the Foreign

Secretary Jack Straw to discuss the issues faced by Russian Hindus

and lead a delegation to meet the Russian Ambassador in the UK. On

18th January, members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews,

Muslim Council of Britain, and the Catholic Bishops Conference had

joined hands with Hindu organizations to unanimously call for more

respect and tolerance to allow Russian Hindus the same right to a

place of worship as other communities.

Ends

For more information contact Ramesh Kallidai on 07915 383 103 or

07867 837 241 or Sanjay Mistry on 07810 368 772

 

Editor's Notes:

1. Full text of the EDM put before the House by Ashok Kumar

MP: That this House notes with concern the denial of a place of

worship for the Hindu community in Moscow as a result of the

retraction by the Moscow City Government of an offer of land which

was to be made available for the construction of a new temple;

further notes the intolerance shown towards Hinduism in certain

quarters in Russia; regrets the effect of this on individual Hindus

wishing to peacefully follow their faith and the wider implications

for religious toleration in Russia; and expresses its support for the

Defend Russian Hindus campaign.

2. Full text of the White Order Paper on 23 January 2006 by

James Clappison MP: 190 MR James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the

Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what

assessment he has made of (A) treatment of the Hindu community in

Russia and (b) the effect on the community of the loss of the Hindu

temple in Moscow (45227).

3. Date Answered: 25 January 2006 by Mr Alexander: The Hindu

community, like a number of other religious communities have faced

difficulties freely practicing their faith in Russia. These include

the inability to establish a permanent place of worship in Moscow

since the demolition of the Hindu temple in 2004. We raise the issue

of religious freedom during regular EU and bilateral contact with the

Russian Government. We will continue to monitor this and other

religious freedom issues in Russia and raise them as appropriate in

the course of our ongoing dialogue.

4. The Defend Russian Hindus Campaign is supported by the

Hindu Forum of Britain, the National Council of Hindu Temples UK, the

Hindu Council UK, Vishwa Hindu Parishad UK, International Society for

Krishna Consciousness, the Hindu Council of Australia, the Hindu

American Foundation and the Hindu Conference Canada.

 

5. The Hindu Forum of Britain is the representative umbrella

body for British Hindus with formal membership of over 250 Hindu

organisations from different regions and cultural backgrounds in

Britain. The Hindu Forum of Britain has conducted some of the largest

community consultation activities on behalf of the Hindu community to

influence Government policy and runs a number of projects for Hindu

youth, women, community safety and temples. For more information

visit the HFB Website: www.hinduforum.org.

 

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