Oberoende akademiska och övriga utlåtanden, brev etc
om Krishnarörelsen
(ISKCON - Det Internationella Sällskapet för Krishnamedvetande)

MALORY NYE - Dr

KINGS COLLEGE LONDON
Founded 1829
University of London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS.

Dr Malory Nye
School of Humanities, Centre for New Religions Department of
Theology and Religious Studies

February 6, 1995

President Boris Yeltsin The Kremlin Moscow Russia

Dear President Yeltsin

It has come to my attention that the Russian Duma are at present considering making a ban on 'totalitarian foreign sects' and bringing prosecutions against certain religious groups.

I am a teacher and researcher on religion in the modern world, working within a leading British university. I have had experience of a number of new religious groups, and other minority religions, and I feel that the basis of the proposed new law should be carefully considered, and the Russian Duma should take note of the long and complex studies made by scholars in western countries to consider the effects of religious groups which do not belong to the 'mainstream' national religion.

On a general level I believe that it would be a very retrograde step to implement the proposed law as it stands. In a free democratic society each individual should be allowed the choice to pursue whichever religion they believe is right. This religion may be unconventional by majority standards, but seeking to control such choice by outlawing minority religious groups is an affront against individuals' basic human rights.

On a more specific level I believe that the Duma should make a careful study of the groups that it is choosing to study, not merely interviewing parents of members and ex-members, but also sociologists and other specialists who have a long experience of the issues that 'new religions' throw up. From experience in the west there are many new and minority religions in existence (many of which are now established in Russia) but only a tiny handful of these can be considered 'dangerous' and 'destructive' to the individuals who become involved with them.

ISKCON, the Hare Krishna movement, have brought to my attention some statements which are alleged to have been made about them in a report of Special Committee of the Duma. I have been making an academic study of ISKCON in Britain for the past year, and have had contacts with members of this religious group for a number of years. Although ISKCON is obviously a religion with its roots outside of Russia, and therefore it is new to find Russia converts to the religion (and in other western countries) the religion is itself by no means new. It is rooted in an established Hindu religious tradition, which dates back to the sixteenth century (and further), and devotees are in fact strongly orthodox Hindus. Therefore to consider ISKCON as a 'dangerous' type of religion is to imply that other Hindus (indeed most of the population of India) are equally dangerous. Clearly this is not accurate. Further, from my study of both ISKCON and other Hindu groups I would strongly disagree with the claim that yoga and meditation are 'directed at altering ..consciousness' resulting in mental violence and manipulation (indeed ISKCON do not practise 'yoga').

Likewise it is wrong to describe ISKCON as 'totalitarian'. Members of the movement show allegiance to a spiritual teacher (guru), but this leader has spiritual authority and is unable to exercise any other type of authority over devotees (even if he wanted to). There is nothing within ISKCON religious practice that allows such control to operate on the unconscious level. Allegations of mind control, 'brainwashing', and 'hidden mental violence' by ISKCON over converts have been studied extensively by sociologists in the west and have been shown to be untrue. People tend to convert to ISKCON because they find the religion compatible with their beliefs, not because of any coercion.

Regarding the sexuality of ISKCON devotees, I feel there is a further great misunderstanding. Devotees are encouraged to refrain for religious reasons from 'illicit sex' (i.e. sex outside of marriage), but this by no means amounts to 'castration' or 'permanent contraception'. Many devotees are married and have children of their own, and great stress is placed within the movement on the importance of the family.

In Britain there has been long experience of ISKCON as an unconventional but harmless religious group. Most members of the British public, along with the British Government would not
recognise the image of ISKCON that is presented in the Duma Special Committee Report, and would consider it outrageous for a religious minority to dealt with in such a heavy handed and oppressive manner by a democratic government.

I therefore recommend that you reconsider these attempts to exert such repressive legislation against these religious movements. Religions are not always positive, and history tells us that some may cause great turmoil. But we must be careful to make sure that any legislation to protect our citizens only covers religions which we are sure need to be controlled. ISKCON is a harmless religious tradition which generally has positive benefits for its converts, who should be allowed the freedom to pursue their religion.

Yours sincerely,

Malory Nye