The Parliament Shores Up Estonia's Peace with New Religious Activewear Regulation
Parliament of Estonia endorses modifications to Churches, Congregations Law
In a swift move on Wednesday, the Estonian parliament gave a green light to government-sponsored modifications to the Churches and Congregations Act. The goal? To keep religious bodies within Estonia from stoking hatred or inciting violence.
Minding the Gap: National Security and Houses of Worship
The alterations set in motion are crafted to safeguard national security by minimizing foreign influence. Here's a lowdown on the key aspects of these changes:
- Foreign Entangled Religious Bodies: Religious establishments operating within Estonia will no longer answer to individuals or organizations based abroad if they pose a threat to Estonia's security, constitutional order, or general safety. economic bonding with foreign religious organizations linked to hostile nations is in scope.
- Avoiding the Red Alert: Threats are labeled as advocating military conflict, inciting war, committing terrorist activities, or unlawfully utilizing armed force or violence.
- Cutting Ties with the Kremlin Dance Party: Specifically, the amendments make waves by demanding the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church (previously a Moscow Patriarchate favorite) to part ways due to the Moscow Patriarchate's backing of Russia's aggression in Ukraine.
- Transition Time: A two-month adjustment period is provided for religious organizations to revise their statutes and operational guidelines according to these new regulations.
- Restrictions on Leadership: Any individual restricted from living or staying in Estonia is barred from serving as a religious minister or a board member of a religious association.
These tweaks balance respect for religious freedom with the necessity to tackle national security issues and the possibility of extremist radicalization. However, updates on the President's endorsement of these amendments have been surfacing recently. [1][2][3][4][5]
- The Estonian government passed policy-and-legislation amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act, aiming to prevent religious bodies within Estonia, such as congregations, from spreading hatred or inciting violence.
- The new regulations, aimed at safeguarding national security, will minimize foreign influence by prohibiting Estonian religious bodies from answering to foreign individuals or organizations deemed a threat to Estonia's security or constitutional order.
- The amendments also require the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church, previously affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate, to disassociate due to the Moscow Patriarchate's support for Russia's aggression in Ukraine.
- Religious organizations have a two-month adjustment period to revise their statutes and operational guidelines in compliance with the newly passed government-sponsored amendments.
