Two art curators, Yuri Samodurov and Andrei Yerofeyev, were convicted Monday by a Moscow court of "inciting religious hatred' for putting on an exhibet called "Forbidden Art" in 2007. A Mickey Mouse Jesus, a Coca Cola Christ with the slogan "this is my blood" and a Christ on the cross with an Order of Lenin medal in place of a head, were among the offending items. The two curators escaped jail sentences but were ordered to pay fines of of 200,000 roubles ($6,477) and 150,000 roubles ($4,858) respectively. They could have faced a maximum 3 year sentence.Their actual crime was offending the Russian Orthodox Church, resurgent in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union and believed to have a cozy relationship with the current Medvedev/Putin government. Gleb Yakunin, a priest who has severed ties with the church years ago, told CBS 13, “The church has become an instrument of censorship like it was during czarist times. It wants to control culture.”
After the Church pushed for the prosecution, it told the court through Archpriest Vladimir Vigilyanksy, press spokesperson for the bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, that prison sentences would be inappropriate. "Any believer will tell you that they can be convicted for inciting religious strife,” Vigilyansky said, “but I think that their conviction should not lead to imprisonment. I'm asking the authorities to show clemency and leniency toward them."
The trial brought forth a lot of emotion from both sides. Many of Russia's leading artists and cultural figures signed an open letter to President Dmitry Medvedev asking for the prosecution to be dropped. They said that a guilty verdict will make Russia look bad in the international artistic community and signal a return to bad old Soviet-style cultural censorship at the hands of a powerful right-wing church. At one point, radical artist Pyotr Verzilov burst into the courtroom and released dozens of cockroachs while criticizing authorities.
The defendant Yerofeyev described the court as “an insane asylum” that he has been forced to visit every week. “In front of us opened a pagan wilderness,” he said. “Old women shook with anger, they spat in my face.”
After the verdict, "men clad in black leather jackets raised icons and crosses and two priests looked on in silence as Samodurov and Yerofeyev, a prominent intellectual who once curated Moscow’s state-run Tretyakov Gallery, emerged from the courtroom" (according to a report by Reuters).
Mikhail Nalimov, head of the United Orthodox Youth movement, told reporters in court the curators should be sent into exile.
Photo Credit:
1) Icon of Mickey Mouse as Jesus. The Disney Corporation, which has it's animation studios here in Burbank, California, has offered no comment on the use of their iconic mouse in a Russian icon.
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Comments
I would have thought those artists would be accused of infringing upon Walt Disney's copyrights before anyone accused them of inciting religious hatred. One does not waste hate on a lame parody of a centuries-old interpretation of an event.
Yet another example of danger of mixing church and state
"One does not waste hate on a lame parody of a centuries-old interpretation of an event."
If that were true Terry, I wouldn't have had a story to report on.
;)
This is ridiculous. When will people learn that blasphemy is not a punishable offense? Blasphemy ridicules an idea. Ideas don't have rights, people have rights. As much as I have love for Jesus Christ, I cannot force others to have that same love for him. If people want to act in a blasphemous way, let them. Why extremists (Muslim and Christian alike, among others) are hell bent (no pun intended) on punishing people for blasphemy is beyond me.
Just ignore such people. How hard is that? It's not like they're coming to your front door and shoving it in your face.
If you truly believe in God as an all powerful being, then stop with this nonsense of trying to "protect God" and His Prophets (like Jesus). God's a big boy, rumor has it He can take care of Himself.
Christians in the USA are just jealous that there is no such law here (aren't you, Terry?).
"Blasphemy ridicules an idea. Ideas don't have rights, people have rights."
Wow Qasim, and kudos to you! I never expected to hear an Enlightenment precept like that one promoted by anyone in the Islamic camp. Is that sentiment part of the Ahmadi creed or just your own?
This is no different than the laws in place in Ireland or any number of countries. I am sure the religious right would love to enact laws of this nature here. And enforce such, no matter what.
Another example of why church and state MUST remain separate.
And before you get all upset (and you know who you are), that does not mean there cannot be any spiritualism in government. It means that there can be no favoritism shown to any particular belief path. So if a Baptist wants to give an opening prayer, that is fine. But an Atheist must be given an opportunity to say something as well. Not at the same time perhaps, but everyone should get a chance. And no one should be upset over this. But the religious people, those who can't figure out what it means to be spiritual or to follow the humanist path, will scream and gnash their teeth to the point of idiocy. This will make it a pain for those of us who are not sheeple and can think for our selves.....
Here is how all religions view the world:
"When I am weaker, you must be merciful. When I am stronger, I must correct error."
As per usual, now the Russian christian cult has attained sufficient power, it is becoming violent and intolerant of those who disagree with it. All cults seek power, and when they achieve it, they become violent.
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I just don't think cartoons of religious figures are amusing.
@ Hugh - Thanks. This is what Islam teaches and is something ingrained in the Holy Qur'an, and yes, practiced by millions of Ahmadiyya Muslims worldwide.
In fact, during the lifetime of the Promised Messiah (the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community), Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a book was being published disparaging and insulting the Prophet Muhammad. There was a huge hue and cry that this book should be banned and threats were made (mind you this is over 100 years ago).
The response of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was that freedom of thought as championed by Islam dictates that this book should not be restricted. Rather, the only response should be of the pen, to write another book and demonstrate the logic and common sense the fallacies the disparaging book promotes.
You can see our response to the Lahore attacks, the cartoon controversy, facebook etc as modern examples of what I've said above.
demonstrate *WITH* logic and common sense
What is Russia coming to? Religion is just one more aspect of society that is open to comment, opinion and parody.
Someone whined that "I just don't think cartoons of religious figures are amusing."
Considering how laughable all religions are, that religion is a joke, using a cartoon is very á propos.
Damn Mickey Mouse!
I want a Mickey Mouse Jesus!
I don't care if it rains and freezes,
Long as I got my Mickey Jesus,
Ridin' on the dashboard of my car.......
How stupid!
Now I can't gey that song outta my head - "Hey Mickey you're so fine!"
I must be a baaaad person...
How can I move to Russia?
The problem is that religous figures ARE cartoon characters.And the impotent apes that scratch about trying protect non-existant faires are pathetic.
Makes me grateful to live in a country in which free expression, including parody, is a constitutionally guaranteed right.
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