Moscow, Russia – Deputy chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin suggested that representatives of other religions should participate in organizing people’s guards in Russia.
“I don’t see any obstacles to making people’s guards interreligious, at least, where followers of other religions will be ready to participate in them. It would make the guards stronger,” Fr. Vsevolod said to Interfax-Religion.
No secret, he said, “it takes Orthodox people too long to get ready, and than they sometimes give up the idea, and they are often too kind.”
“Muslims are more decisive, real warriors. They can seriously frighten alcohol and drug dealers, who accustom youth to drinking and smoking. Jews are cool. ZAHAL, Mossad, Beitar – the very names should make skinheads take a run and start growing a pacific hair if not side-locks,” Fr. Vsevolod jokingly said.
“The glory of Buddhist martial art gives confidence: one look of a Buddhist guard will trance any hooligan,” he further said.
The priest confessed that the only guard he won’t join is the one of “left-wingers, people of nontraditional for Russia pro-Western orientation, that are sometimes called human rights advocated here.”
“Though I don’t think they will participate in any guard at all as it is much easier, prestige and profitable to fight with Kremlin for Khodorkovsky’s rights,” the interviewee of the agency said.
According to the Russian Church representative, “today it is not Kremlin that violates rights of ordinary people, but rather mafia, bandits and hooligans together with officials who cover them up, but most pro-Western human rights advocates, alas, don’t pay any attention to it.”