KINGS COLLEGE LONDON

Founded 1829

University of London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS. Fax 071-873 2255

Dr Peter B Clarke, Director. Tel 071 836 5454. Ext 3796

Dr Malory Nye. Tel 071 873 2656 (Direct Line) E-Mail 
M.Nye@bay.cc.kcl.ac.uk 

School of Humanities, Centre for New Religions Department of 
Theology and Religious Studies

February 6, 1995

President Boris Yeltsin The Kremlin Moscow Russia

Fax no: +7 095 206 0766

Dear President Yeltsin

It has come to my attention that the Russian Duma are at present 
considering making a ban on 'totalitarian foreign sects' and 
bringing prosecutions against certain religious groups.

I am a teacher and researcher on religion in the modern world, 
working within a leading British university. I have had experience 
of a number of new religious groups, and other minority religions, 
and I feel that the basis of the proposed new law should be 
carefully considered, and the Russian Duma should take note of the 
long and complex studies made by scholars in western countries to 
consider the effects of religious groups which do not belong to the 
'mainstream' national religion.

On a general level I believe that it would be a very retrograde step 
to implement the proposed law as it stands. In a free democratic 
society each individual should be allowed the choice to pursue 
whichever religion they believe is right. This religion may be 
unconventional by majority standards, but seeking to control such 
choice by outlawing minority religious groups is an affront against 
individuals' basic human rights.

On a more specific level I believe that the Duma should make a 
careful study of the groups that it is choosing to study, not merely 
interviewing parents of members and ex-members, but also 
sociologists and other specialists who have a long experience of the 
issues that 'new religions' throw up. From experience in the west 
there are many new and minority religions in existence (many of 
which are now established in Russia) but only a tiny handful of 
these can be considered 'dangerous' and 'destructive' to the 
individuals who become involved with them.

ISKCON, the Hare Krishna movement, have brought to my attention some 
statements which are alleged to have been made about them in a 
report of Special Committee of the Duma. I have been making an 
academic study of ISKCON in Britain for the past year, and have had 
contacts with members of this religious group for a number of years. 
Although ISKCON is obviously a religion with its roots outside of 
Russia, and therefore it is new to find Russia converts to the 
religion (and in other western countries) the religion is itself by 
no means new. It is rooted in an established Hindu religious 
tradition, which dates back to the sixteenth century (and further), 
and devotees are in fact strongly orthodox Hindus. Therefore to 
consider ISKCON as a 'dangerous' type of religion is to imply that 
other Hindus (indeed most of the population of India) are equally 
dangerous. Clearly this is not accurate. Further, from my study of 
both ISKCON and other Hindu groups I would strongly disagree with 
the claim that yoga and meditation are 'directed at altering ..
consciousness' resulting in mental violence and manipulation (indeed 
ISKCON do not practise 'yoga').

Likewise it is wrong to describe ISKCON as 'totalitarian'. Members 
of the movement show allegiance to a spiritual teacher (guru), but 
this leader has spiritual authority and is unable to exercise any 
other type of authority over devotees (even if  he wanted to). There 
is nothing within ISKCON religious practice that allows such control 
to operate on the unconscious level. Allegations of mind control, 
'brainwashing', and 'hidden mental violence' by ISKCON over converts 
have been studied extensively by sociologists in the west and have 
been shown to be untrue. People tend to convert to ISKCON because 
they find the religion compatible with their beliefs, not because of 
any coercion.

Regarding the sexuality of ISKCON devotees, I feel there is a 
further great misunderstanding. Devotees are encouraged to refrain 
for religious reasons from 'illicit sex' (i.e. sex outside of 
marriage), but this by no means amounts to 'castration' or 
'permanent contraception'. Many devotees are married and have 
children of their own, and great stress is placed within the 
movement on the importance of the family.

In Britain there has been long experience of ISKCON as an 
unconventional but harmless religious group. Most members of the 
British public, along with the British Government would not 
recognise the image of ISKCON that is presented in the Duma Special 
Committee Report, and would consider it outrageous for a religious 
minority to dealt with in such a heavy handed and oppressive manner 
by a democratic government.

I therefore recommend that you reconsider these attempts to exert 
such repressive legislation against these religious movements. 
Religions are not always positive, and history tells us that some 
may cause great turmoil. But we must be careful to make sure that 
any legislation to protect our citizens only covers religions which 
we are sure need to be controlled. ISKCON is a harmless religious 
tradition which generally has positive benefits for its converts, 
who should be allowed the freedom to pursue their religion.

Yours sincerely,

Malory Nye 
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