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uhnope

(6,419 posts)
Sun Oct 4, 2015, 04:07 PM Oct 2015

Russia's Orthodox church backs 'holy war' against ISIS

Source: Digital Jounal

The statements from Russia's powerful orthodox Church came as Russia continued its air strikes in Syria. Head of the Church’s Public Affairs Department, Vsevolod Chaplin, told Interfax news agency.

"The fight with terrorism is a holy battle and today our country is perhaps the most active force in the world fighting it.The Russian Federation has made a responsible decision on the use of armed forces to defend the People of Syria from the sorrows caused by the arbitrariness of terrorists. Christians are suffering in the region with the kidnapping of clerics and the destruction of churches. Muslims are suffering no less." He also said that a council representing Russia's main religions — Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism — will release a joint statement supporting the decision taken by Russian government to fight ISIS.

Russia's Orthodox Church, after years of repression under the Communist rule is seen as a unifying force in Russian society during the Putin Era. Since his ascent to power, Putin has overseen the reconstruction or refurbishing of more than 23,000 Russian Orthodox churches destroyed under Soviet rule.

However, the statements from the church has sparked a wave of angry Arab responses and statements on social networking sites with some of them declaring a Jihad against Russia.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/russian-orthodox-church-backs-holy-war-against-isis/article/445605



Great, one homophobic extremist religious sect against another. What could go wrong.
Of course, Putin welcomes a "jihad" against Russia because every terrorist incident in Russia (including those by the FSB) increases the fear that he uses to rule the country.
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