The freedom of religion is unscripted into the constitution of

Russia, but sadly that freedom is hindered by the preference of religion

behind Putin. Throughout Russia the known religion is of Russian
Orthodox, though there are other religions such as Jehovah Witnesses,
Muslim and Judaism. Though the Muslim religion is the second highest
practiced in the country they face some of the worst discrimination.
The members of the Russian Orthodox Church are not pleased that the
people of Russia have religious freedom and the church wants the laws
to be changed so that non-Orthodox religions have restrictions but so
far no laws have been passed for it. Those of other religious
backgrounds often face discrimination by local and national authorities,
including burdensome registration requirements, denial of building
permits, and difficulties in obtaining visas.
The most challenging environment for religious freedom lies in
the North Caucasus, a Muslim-majority region that has witnessed two
secessionist wars and numerous terrorist attacks. Antiterrorist policies
often target Muslim individuals and organizations, blurring the line
between national security and religious persecution. The "reactionary
clergy" have found allies among politicians who "seek to exploit the
Church for their own ambitions and their own objectives," he said. For
example, in 1997, the Russian government, supported by the Orthodox
Church, passed a law that significantly limited the legal rights of "nonnative" religious groups in the country. Orthodox clergy are particularly
upset about the activities of Catholics and Protestants in Russia, and a
number of senior Church leaders have spoken out very aggressively
against Western Christianity.
1997 Law on Religion has had a limited impact on most religious
organizations. After it was passed, several groups successfully
challenged the law in court, resulting in restrictions the law's
enforcement that allowed the majority of religious groups to retain

their legal rights. "As long as Russia keeps the current Constitution, as
long as Russia is a member in good standing of the international
community and recognizes the international documents that it has
signed, I don't think there is much to worry about," he said. However,
he warned that there are people within the Orthodox Church and the
political elite who want to take away freedom of religion, with
potentially dangerous consequences. "The problem," he argued, "is
that our country has always been and remains a country of intolerance,
including religious intolerance Those of us who care about the cause
of freedom will have to have patience and be ready to keep fighting for
a long time. Quotations from Anatoly Krasikov, Director, Center of
Social and Religious Studies, Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of
Sciences, Moscow, and Galina Starovoitova Fellow on Human Rights
and Conflict Resolution, Kennan Institute.