Current Newspapers that have picked up our letter campaign.

[Tbs77]

Is Religious Right Hero Vladimir Putin About To Ban Jehovah’s Witnesses?

By Peter Montgomery | March 30, 2017 4:18 pm



http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/is-religious-right-hero-vladimir-putin-about-to-ban-jehovahs-witnesses/

[Tbs77]

Christendom concerned website:

Religious freedom and the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia

PUBLISHED ON 29 MARCH, 2017 BY JULIE BOURDON

https://www.mnnonline.org/news/religious-freedom-jehovahs-witnesses-russia/

[Tortuga]

An English video on jw-Russia.org

 

https://www.jw-russia.org/news/17033111-123.html

[shali]

An interesting quote from the "rightwingwatch" article Tracey posted:

 

The story quotes Michael Cherenkov, a field director for Mission Eurasia who is based in Ukraine, saying, “A ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses is just the beginning in a series of repressions. Society needs an internal enemy to which the government can point in full cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church.” Adds Cherenkov, “The silence of Protestants with regard to repressions against Jehovah’s Witnesses will merely unleash a new wave of restrictions and repressions.”

[minister159]

3 hours ago, shali said:

An interesting quote from the "rightwingwatch" article Tracey posted:

 

The story quotes Michael Cherenkov, a field director for Mission Eurasia who is based in Ukraine, saying, “A ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses is just the beginning in a series of repressions. Society needs an internal enemy to which the government can point in full cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church.” Adds Cherenkov, “The silence of Protestants with regard to repressions against Jehovah’s Witnesses will merely unleash a new wave of restrictions and repressions.”

[minister159]

[Omoyeme]

So true.  To see other religious minorities in Russia to idley sit by and "watch" the persecution of of Russian jw's will serve as a precursor for them no doubt. It's just a matter of time.  Additionally, the only reason why many minority groups flourish in the U.S. is due to the string of legal/Supreme Court victories that were won by the WBTS in the 1930's and 40's. But, of course, they won't admit that was the case.

 

Yes, the silence from other faiths in Russia is quite deafening! 

[Skye]

From Kenya.

[Tortuga]

Has anyone seen any news report about the letters actually arriving in Russia yet?

[Shawnster]

On 3/31/2017 at 5:05 AM, Tbs77 said:

Is Religious Right Hero Vladimir Putin About To Ban Jehovah’s Witnesses?
 

[Tbs77]

Witness ban, Russia rebuke grows

April 2, 2017

THE Kremlin threat to ban Jehovah’s Witnesses from worshipping in Russia has received widespread condemnation across the world after the United States Helsinki Commission yesterday spoke out strongly against the development and called for respect of religious freedom in the vast ex-communist country.



https://www.newsday.co.zw/2017/04/02/witness-ban-russia-rebuke-grows/

[Tortuga]

3 hours ago, Tbs77 said:

Witness ban, Russia rebuke grows

April 2, 2017

THE Kremlin threat to ban Jehovah’s Witnesses from worshipping in Russia has received widespread condemnation across the world after the United States Helsinki Commission yesterday spoke out strongly against the development and called for respect of religious freedom in the vast ex-communist country.



https://www.newsday.co.zw/2017/04/02/witness-ban-russia-rebuke-grows/
 

It even mentions the letter campaign. ..

[trottigy]

I am surporsied that none of the main stream news outlets - Fox, CNN, USAToday, etc have reported it - especially with all the news about Russia going around.

[Tortuga]

13 minutes ago, trottigy said:

I am surporsied that none of the main stream news outlets - Fox, CNN, USAToday, etc have reported it - especially with all the news about Russia going around.

Yup, it's Monday morning in Moscow. I've read some reports about the campaign and the ban but nothing about any letters actually arriving in Russia..

[Tortuga]

https://www.jw-russia.org/news/17040222-126.html

 

Another update on jw-russia.org.

[GeordieGirl]

 Here's an interesting report. 

 

https://www.voanews.com/a/russia-government-seeks-ban-jehovahs-witnesses/3794608.html

 

......  But a majority [of the Jehovah's Witnesses] will go underground. They will also be congregating, praying and so on. Stalin couldn't do anything about them even though he deported them to the North. Hitler also couldn't do anything about them, even though he sent them to concentration camps and physically destroyed them."

 

"All the accusations against them are unfair and anti-constitutional," he said. "It violates the principles of the freedom of belief and conscience enshrined in the constitution."

 

I googled Anatoly Pchelintsev, quoted in the article, and this is who he is: PhD, Senior partner of the Slavic center for Law and Justice, Deputy President of the Guild of Russian lawyers. Editor-in-Chief of the "Religion and Law" journal, professor of RSUH.

 

 

Edited April 4, 2017 by GeordieGirl

[Tbs77]

Russia Moves to Ban Jehovah’s Witnesses as ‘Extremist’

NY Times

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/world/europe/russia-moves-to-ban-jehovahs-witnesses-as-extremist.html?referer=http://www.google.com/

[GeordieGirl]

10 minutes ago, Tbs77 said:

Russia Moves to Ban Jehovah’s Witnesses as ‘Extremist’

NY Times

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/world/europe/russia-moves-to-ban-jehovahs-witnesses-as-extremist.html?referer=http://www.google.com/

Interesting article.  It seems that some more serious journalists are just beginning to get hold of the story and do some deeper reporting.  Still nothing in the mainstream media about our letter writing though.

[Foxes53]

I thought the NY Times article made an interesting point. Russia fears JW's because they have no control over them. How true ! Jehovah's people yield to the control of Jehovah alone. Even if a ban is enacted that won't change and the government of Russia will then put itself on record as being persecutors of Jehovah's people like Stalin, Hitler and others in the past. Lovers of truth and righteousness will be drawn to Jehovah and his people. Russia will put itself on the losing side !

[Tbs77]

Mods I apologize if this should be moved elsewhere...

[GeordieGirl]

9 minutes ago, Tbs77 said:

Mods I apologize if this should be moved elsewhere...

If you are referring to the comment I made about the letter writing, that wasn't what I was referring to.  The link I shared above yours is also nothng to do with the letter writing.  I just can't believe that 8 million+ letters are flying across the globe from pretty much every country in the world and the MM have said nothing.  Surely someone, somewhere has picked it up.  It's like a conspiracy of silence. 

Edited April 4, 2017 by GeordieGirl

[Tortuga]

10 minutes ago, Tbs77 said:

Mods I apologize if this should be moved elsewhere...

There are multiple threads and a lot of cross-threading going on, I'm ok with that...

[Tortuga]

3 minutes ago, GeordieGirl said:

I just can't believe that 8 million+ letters are flying across the globe from pretty much every country in the world and the MM have said nothing.  Surely someone, somewhere has picked it up.  It's like a conspiracy of silence. 

There could be many reason for that:

-The bulk of the letters haven't arrived yet.

-The Russian Postal system may be more efficient than we assume

-The media is waiting for the court decision.

-Russia is ignoring them.

-No one really cares...

 

Don't forget that every year over 8 Million people are part of the largest volunteer program in the world and twice a year have special campaigns and that is rarely reported by the media...

[Cool Cat]

Time magazine has picked it up.

 

http://time.com/4723456/jehovahs-witness-russia-supreme-court/?xid=time-amp-fbshare

 

[dozerman5676]

United Nations Statement  4/4/2017

 

http://www.unog.ch/unog/website/news_media.nsf/(httpNewsByYear_en)/E3E50A930356CBD5C12580F8004D8526?OpenDocument