Moscow Mayor Urged To Ban Building of Hindu Temple

According to a report today from Clickwalla, the Archbishop of the Russian Orthodox Church has asked Yuri Luzhkov, the mayor of Moscow, to ban construction of a proposed Hindu temple in Moscow. Otherwise, according to Archbishop Nikon, the temple would become "an idolatrous disgrace erected for the glory of wicked and malicious 'god' Krishna". Mayor Luzhkov signed a decree allocating land in northwest Moscow for the Temple almost two years ago. But in October, after mass protests prompted by the Russian Orthodox Church, the mayor repealed the decree and ordered removal of a temporary Hindu shrine that had already been built on the land. Last week, a "Defend Russian Hindus" campaign was begun in London. Speaking for that campaign, Kishore Ruparelia said: "We cannot believe that in this age of respect and multi-cultural co-existence, a leader of the Russian Church chooses to make statements that are intolerant and disrespectful to one billion Hindus in the world."