Pussy Riot

[Vladimir Orlov]

Dear Professor Moss,

may I please clarify two things:

1) Why do you start with the question "is Russian Orthodox church now
in danger"?
Who wrote that, may I ask you? I did not say that.

In the same vein, can we say that the tragedy of Holocaust could be
repeated now? If not, does it say that we should *not* keep our
cultural memory, Holocaust museums, synagogues and Orthodox churches
alike?

2) This is indeed repulsive, that they passed this anti-gay law that
again alienates Russia from the modern world.

However, what has Pussy Riot particularly to do with that? You can
look up their activity prior to desecration of the Cathedral. Only
this event caused their arrest and persecution; all things they did
before disturbed the people, but they were not criminal.

Now, would it be politically correct if someone desecrate the National
Cathedral in DC or such civic monument as Lincoln Memorial? Even if
s/he has some very important motives for doing so? (Well, opposition
against Wall street sounds like an important reason as well.)

These protests and cultural etiquette (we can call it that way) are
two different things; and I was always thinking that the free
democratic society should equally respect our rights and our beliefs.
The gay rights are indeed suppressed in Russia, but does it mean they
should move their protests to the places like church?

I believe we should not lump everything together the way it happened;
this will only cause troubles and greater tensions between various
groups.

Regards,
Vladimir

-- 
Dr. Vladimir Orlov
PhD in Musicology (Cantab)
http://cambridge.academia.edu/VladimirOrlov
Trustee of Cultural and Artistic Affairs, Russian Cambridge Foundation
www.russiancambridge.org
+7 8332 375760 (home)

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