Christian Soldiers
Here's another amazing photograph which shows Russian Orthodox Christians sticking the boot into a defenceless person, presumably a fellow Russian - who was
part of a gay rights protest outside the Russian Parliament (Duma).
Now I know that the Russian President - Vladimir Putin - is a bit of an all action 'macho man' but surely even he would have to agree that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable - especially when the Russian police seemed to look the other way while the attack was carried out.
Because the police were present in numbers - in fact they arrested more than 20 of the gay rights activists who were involved in a 'kissing protest' - as Russian MPs were about to pass a new law banning homosexual 'propaganda'.
Apparently the gay rights protesters were far outnumbered by around 200 anti-gay activists who surrounded them and chanted "Russia is not Sodom" - while singing Orthodox Christian prayers and crossing themselves.
The anti-gay activitists then threw rotten eggs at the gay protesters - before the man pictured above was knocked to the ground and violently attacked - yet the Russian police arrested the victims and bundled them into waiting buses while their attackers walked away.
President Putin who used to work for the KGB, of course, has since embraced the Russian Orthodox Church as a moral authority - despite showing no sign of a religious conviction from his former life as a Russian secret service 'spook'.
But that's politics for you and I suppose the despotic leader of Iraq - a certain Saddam Hussein - did the same thing when he suddenly became a devout follower of Islam as a means of cultivating religious leaders in his desperate effort to remain in power.
The Duma passed the new law by 435 votes to 0 (zero0 - which sounds like the kind of democracy they have in North Korea or Iran - where there is an occasional vote but no real opposition, freedom of speech or protection for the rights of minorities - gay or otherwise.
Human rights critics of the legislation argue that it will effectively ban all gay rights rallies and that it could be used to prosecute anyone voicing support for gay rights - which sounds about right if the behaviour of the Orthodox Christian soldiers and Russian police is anything to go by.
One of the young protesters outside the Duma - Viktoria Malyasova (18) - said:
"There is already enough pressure and violence against gays and with this law it will only continue and probably get worse. I may not be gay but I came to stand up for my rights and the rights of other people to love whom they want."
Well said Viktoria - I only wish the Russian police and the Orthodox Church were able to speak with such integrity.
