Totalitarian sects: the threat of religious extremism

1. Totalitarian sects: the threat of religious extremism USU, Ksenia Dinislamova

2. Contents • Criteria of totalitarian sects • Analysis of religious situation in Russia • Role of the state and religious freedom • Ways to remedy the situation

3. Why state should combat totalitarian sects?

4. Totalitarian sects are defined as especially authoritarian organizations whose leaders, striving for control over their followers and for their exploitation, conceal their intentions under religious, politico-religious, psychotherapeutic, health, educational, scientific-informational, cultural, and other guises. The international applied science conference “Totalitarian sects: the threat of religious extremism” (Yekaterinburg, 10 December 2002)

5. Criteriaof totalitarian sects

6. article 3 article 4 article 5 article 12 points 2 and 3 of article 16 article 17 article 18 article 19 point 2 of article 20 article 21 article 29 article 23 articles 24 and 25 Article 26 article 27 Totalitarian sects systematically violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

7. Creeds of the Russians

8. BELIEVERS UNBELIEVERS47% 38%

9. 62% - did not meet sectarians Sects and students 7% - met sectarians more than 3 times 38 - the Moonies 24 - Jehovah's Witnesses 4 - Church of Christ 2 - Society of Krishna Consciousness, scientologists, Seventh Day Adventists, The White brotherhood 1 - Aum Sinrikyo Meetings over one month

10. Religious situation in Russia

11. Religious freedom

12. Where is the balance between religious freedom and state’s obligations?

13. Religious freedom is not the permission to religious organizations to do what they want.

14. What may the state do ? • To encourage the creation of informational centers and centers for protection of sects’ victims; • the basic educational curriculum should include history and information about traditional religions and objective factual information concerning totalitarian sects; • To employ the norms of legislation against the activity of destructive groups; • Ministry of justice should carry out a scientific investigation before registration of a group; • existing legislation concerning the protection of children should be more rigorously applied; • To protect minors from any discrimination and intolerance.

15. Conclusion:the state should combat totalitarian sects as: • totalitarian sects violate cornerstones of a democratic societyand human rights; • a sound ideological system has not took shape yet which facilitates spreading of destructive cults in Russia; • the main task of state is to protect its citizens, from economic, ideological and sexual exploitation, from suppression of their rights if a sect or a sect-like organization tries to violate it;