Newton Park Newton St. Loe, Bath BA2 9BN Telephone: Bath (0225) 
873701 Fax: Bath (0225) 874123

Sion Hill Place Lansdown, Bath BA1 5SF Telephone: Bath (0225) 425264 
Fax: Bath (0225) 445228

Corsham Court Corsham, Wiltshire SN13 0DB

Director Professor Brian L Gomes da Costa BSc(Soc). MA FIL 

BATH COLLEGE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
HIGHER EDUCATION CORPORATION

Faculty of Education & Human Science- Dean of Education Dr. David 
Coulby

Fax: Bath (0225) 874457         

Please reply to: Prof. Brian Bocking Study of Religions Bath College 
of H.E. Newton Park, Bath BA2 9BN UK

Tel: 0225-873701 x 368 Fax: 0225-874082 e-mail: exxbb@bath.ac.uk


Dear Sir/Madam

Suppression of Religious Freedom

03/02/95

I understand that the Russian State Parliament is currently 
discussing a proposed law to restrict freedom of religion for groups 
including ISKCON.

I should like to offer the following points for your consideration.

ISKCON is a form of traditional Hindu Vaishnavism. It is 
well-established in the United Kingdom and many other countries. 
Members of ISKCON regularly visit this college to talk about 
Hinduism, and every year we send a few students to stay in religious 
communities, including an ISKCON community, as part of their 
academic studies. ISKCON is a religion with high ideals of personal 
moral conduct.

I appreciate the concerns that some people have when they first 
encounter religious freedom in a democratic society. There is a 
tendency to want to suppress ideas and beliefs other than one's own. 
However, it is quite inappropriate to pass laws aimed at restricting 
the freedom of some religions while promoting the interests of 
others. Ordinary laws should be adequate to deal with any crimes 
committed by citizens, regardless of whether those citizens belong 
to the Orthodox Church, a new religion, or no religion at al].

Yours sincerely

Prof. Brian Bocking 
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