Russian Chief Rabbi
Echoes Muslim Leader
in Protesting Gay
Pride in Moscow
MosNews.com from the
Web, February 16, 2006
Three days after Russia’s top Islamic
leader called for violent protests against this spring’s planned gay pride march
in Moscow the country’s Chief Rabbi has joined him in denouncing gays.
Rabbi Berl Lazar on Thursday told Interfax that if the gay pride parade were
allowed to go ahead it “would be a blow for morality”.
Lazar, who also holds U.S. citizenship, did not go as far as calling for
violence, but warned the Jewish community would not stand by silently,
365gay.com website said.
On Tuesday Chief Russian Mufti Talgat Tajuddin said gays could be beaten if they
go ahead with pride celebrations in the capital.
“Muslims’ protests can be even worse than these notorious rallies abroad over
the scandalous cartoons,” Tajuddin, of Russia’s Central Spiritual Governance for
Muslims, told Interfax.
Rabbi Lazar on Thursday said that anything promoting what he called “sexual
perversions” does not have the right to exist.
“I would like to assure you, that the parade of homosexuals it is not less
offensive to the feelings of believers than any caricatures in newspapers,”
Lazar said, linking the pride parade with the current furor over the cartoons of
the Islamic Profit Mohammed published in Denmark.
Nikolai Alekseyev, one of the organizers of the pride festival called the
comparison “outrageous”.
“Any comparison between the march for human rights and against discrimination
with the publication of cartoons is nothing more than an attempt to incite
hatred toward sexual minorities,” Alekseev said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the city of Moscow said a parade permit would not
be granted to the LGBT rights groups.
“Moscow authorities will not allow the conduct of gay pride in any form,” Sergei
Tsoi said on Thursday.
“The Mayor of Moscow said firmly that Moscow government will not allow the
conduct of gay parade in any form — neither open, nor indirect, and all attempts
to organize non sanctioned action will be severely suppressed.”
Alekseyev said any attempt to prevent the march would be countered with court
action.
“In case of denial to conduct the match of sexual minorities we will immediately
sue in court. The right to meetings, marches and demonstrations is
guaranteed by the Russian Constitution to every citizen of Russia including gays
and lesbians,” he said.
If necessary the organizers will go all the way to the European Court of human
rights in Strasbourg, said Alekseyev.
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