Here (via the Daily Telegraph) is some encouraging news on the story of those three naughtily-named girls who staged a protest in Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral against Putin and, by implication, the role played by the Russian Orthodox Church in supporting his regime:
The Russian president said there was “nothing good” about the band’s protest, but added: “I hope the court will come out with the right decision, a well-founded one,” he said during a visit to the Olympics. Nonetheless, I don’t think that they should be judged so harshly for this.”
Supporters of the three women expressed hope that Mr Putin’s statement could mean they would avoid the maximum seven-year sentence for hooliganism motivated by religious hatred.
If sincere (a question, obviously) Putin’s statement represents a welcome step forward, given the way that the Russian judicial authorities tend to, uh, pay attention to what the president has to say.
So, why exactly would the Right(even the secular Right) prefer Pussy Riot to the Orthodox Church?
In response to soren, I’d think it’s less a matter of preferring Pussy Riot, than thinking the government is massively overreacting to a minor breach of the peace. And anyway, I’d think even a thoughtful religious conservative would be leery of the power of a vicious police state being used to enforce blasphemy laws. Oh, I’m sorry, not blasphemy, “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred”.
As for Putin “easing”, it pleases tyrants to show mercy from time to time, particularly toward those who were not that much of a threat to them in the first place.
The band barged onto the ambon of a church during a service. This went a little beyond “blasphemy.” Moreover, it was a church that had been demolished by Stalin and rebuilt after Communism’s fall.
I agree that the women should be released with “time served” as the sentence, but this was not some case of meerly saying naughty words.
Probably, the orthodox church is more connected with the state than western churches do. Its the old saying one church and one empire from Byzantium and what Pussy riot as the writer above mention did was against tradional orthodoxy in the extreme. Not saying that some Orthodox have not went against the Government.