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Pussy Riot on Trial: Protesting Putin's Religious Ties

Fri, 08/03/2012 - 14:03
Submitted by Carlin Ross

The one thing I respected about communism was its repudiation of all things religious.  China and Russia took no issue with things like stem cell research or intentional motherhood.  They took separation of church and state to the next level.

But now Putin has made an incestious alliance with the Russian Orthodox Church to keep himself in office. In return for the church's endorsement last February (in his bid for a third term as President), Putin pledged about $120 million for the construction of Orthodox churches. The message was clear.

Enter feminist punk band Pussy Riot. These courageous young women are leading the protest against Putin's 12-year-reign. They danced with electric guitars on Red Square, atop the pedestal where the Czars once held public executions, and they posted a video online of a pudgy Kremlin guard trying to make them climb down from there.

They were also planning to storm the Russian parliament and hold a performance on the podium during a plenary session. But they never pulled that one off - on March 5, the day after Putin won another term in office, two members of Pussy Riot were arrested. Their third member was arrested the following day. They've been charged with “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred,” a felony that carries a sentence of at least 2 years and a maximum of 7.

They're hugely popular and even Putin has asked that they be granted leniency in sentencing. Their trial began this week *fingerscrossed* - I wish it was televised.  Here's the video that may send their asses to jail for 7 years:

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On German TV right now: the

Tue, 08/07/2012 - 11:04
Stefanie

On German TV right now: the attorney claims 3 years in labor camp. :-(

Punks and Politics

Tue, 08/07/2012 - 13:20
bluecar (not verified)

Carlin, I suspected you were a punk at heart...
I usually read but don't comment on this site, but I gotta say something about this:

Russia and China under communism "took separation of church and state to the next level"? Yeah, by shutting down thousands of churches, trying to repress all religious beliefs with state atheism, and executing hundreds of priests and bishops! You don't like religious authorities telling you what you can and can't do with your body, right? So why would you respect a state authority that tries to tell you what you can and can't do with your mind?

Over time, the communist governments softened a bit toward religion, because, like all governments, they wanted to use religion in order to get the common people on their side. Just like Putin. When church and state get in bed with each other, most of us are not so "sex-positive" about that relationship.

Nevertheless, one person's political protest is another's sacrilege. Do two wrongs make a right? Pussy Riot went too far with this one, but they should be pardoned because -- it's good politics.

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