The Russian Orthodox Church has also criticized the French law banning religious signs from state schools (Moslem headscarves, Jewish skullcaps, large Christian crosses). “All this – commented Vsevolod Tchaplin, vice-president of the Department of foreign relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow, during an interview with the Interfax press agency reminds us of the Soviet system that prohibited the wearing the crosses in schools and permitted nothing but the wearing of red ties”. According to Tchaplin, the French law is a sign of a crisis that has invested even secularism if it was felt necessary to “recur to the method of prohibition”. “In such a system he added there is neither equality nor real pluralism, but the imposition of a single ideology”. The representative of the Russian Church thus expressed his support for those religious leaders in Europe and throughout the world who have opposed such legislation. ———————————————————————————————————– Sir Europa (English) N.ro assoluto : 1272 N.ro relativo : 12 Data pubblicazione : 18/02/2004
