"We aren't talking about a right to religion issue here.
We're talking about the right of a religious leader to make statements based on the religious views of his religion.
That is what has caused 'outrage'."
Well I care too little to be outraged over stupid comments the kind we get to hear all the time. I have heard far worse from men holding responsible public positions. My issue here is the reaction people here have shown to a minor issue about a demand for a temple.
(POORLY Translated by PROMPT)
The Destiny of the Moscow temple of Krishna will be solved by arbitration court
29.12.2005 17:06 | NEWSru.com
The History around of construction - and is more true, around of a cancelling mayor Luzhkov of own order about allocation of the ground under construction unique in Moscow of a temple of Krishna - now will receive new continuation.
On December, 28th Moscow vajshnavy (krishnaity) have addressed in Arbitration court of Moscow with the claim for protection of the right to have a temple.
" The appeal in arbitration court is our extreme measure to protect the rights of thousand believers, citizens of Russia ", - were declared by the president of the Moscow society of consciousness of Krishna (MOSK) Sergey Andreev. " We have agreeed on snos an old temple - which us, in general, quite arranged - only under guarantees of the government of Moscow, that to us will allow to construct a new building. It is very a pity, that the government does not carry out the obligations and, despite of our numerous requests, does not condescend to the decision them of the created problem ".
Since 1990 the Moscow temple of Krishna settled down in an emergency building on highway Horoshevskom which believers have restored own forces. In 2004 the Moscow authorities during reconstruction of area have taken down a temple, in exchange having allocated vajshnavam a site on the Leningrad prospectus for construction of a new temple, is spoken in the press release widespread by information service MOSK.
Since then believers have lead one and a half year in building change houses without heating, water supply and the water drain. They not only have received necessary coordination for this time for the beginning constructions, but also have managed in " field conditions " to support activity of a temple which is visited daily with hundreds, and on holidays - up to 7 thousand Russians and indijtsev. All these months followers of Krishna waited for the final sanction of the mayoralty to construction of a temple. However on October, 7th s.g. The government of Moscow has suddenly decided to withdraw a site. At the height of winter of thousand believers have appeared practically in snowdrifts.
Probably, the acuteness of this problem would be more clear to authorities if they had to lead two winters in metal containers with a biotoilet in the street. Krishnaitam it is necessary to hope for the fair decision of court only.
The main problem that the situation has developed obviously not in favour of the Russian-Indian friendship. About morbidity from which our Indian friends react to infringement of the rights induistov in Russia, it is possible to judge under publications in the Indian press in reply to recent sharp applications of the orthodox hierarch of archbishop Nikona. How much this all will be coordinated with a rate of the federal government of Russia, it is necessary to guess only, concludes the press release information service MOSK.