Experts say a Professional Killer May Have Shot Fr Daniil Sysoev

Fr Daniil Sysoev (1974-2009)

Experts do not rule out the possibility that a professional killer may have shot Fr Daniel Sysoev. They came to that conclusion after examining the facts surrounding his death, the website Life.ru wrote. Firstly, the assassin’s bullet struck him almost precisely in the heart. Experts believe that only a professional marksman could make such a shot in a dark church from a distance of six metres (19.685 feet). A detail in favour of this version is the fact that the shooter made the shot reflexively, almost without taking aim. The killer broke into the church, shouted, “Where is Sysoev?”, and immediately pulled the trigger. Such a hit from a distance of 6 metres in the region of the heart without striking the cross on his chest was not an easy task, said FSO Major-General Boris Ratnikov, a former presidential advisor on security, according to a report from Rosbalt.

22 November 2009

Voice of Russia World Service

http://rus.ruvr.ru/2009/11/22/2377195.html

Editor’s Note:

If the assassin was a pro, the chances of it being a Muslim hit are very slim. If this scenario is correct, the most plausible conclusion is that the perp was a marksman under contract to one of the Western special services trying to foment trouble and strife between Orthodox and Muslims in Russia. Note well that witnesses say that the gunman had a heavy accent… hmm… that smells like an American or Western European, for a Central Asian or Caucasian would have a better command of Russian. As the facts roll in, it looks less and less like a Muslim “revenge killing”. Ask yourself the question, “Cui bono?” I have… one of the answers makes me ashamed to be an American citizen.

Barbara-Marie Drezhlo

Monday 23 November 2009

Albany NY

Video: Памяти иерея Даниила Сысоева (In Memoriam: Fr Daniil Sysoev)

This video in honour of Fr Daniil is backed by a male chorus singing Russian Orthodox chant.

Video: Прощание с о.Даниилом Сысоевым (Farewell to Fr Daniil Sysoev)

Ignore the music track in this… it’s taken from live Russian TV coverage of the farewell to Fr Daniil Sysoev. Many thanks to Sasha Ressetar for providing this link.

Apples Ain’t Oranges… What This Site is Not

Some people seem to be disappointed that I’m not focusing on “theological” or “spiritual” matters. Firstly, I am NOT a theologian. To put it clearly, neither are most of the other posters on the internet, including clergy. In the sense that I am using, a “theologian” is someone with advanced training in theology and proficient in the ancient theological languages (Greek, Latin, Syriac, or Hebrew will do). Canonists are a similar breed, and all of the real ones have the ability to read the canons in the original Greek (none of the konvertsy commentary on the Canons is legit, as it comes from the reading of poor and unofficial translations of the Pedalion (The Rudder)). Very few have either kind of knowledge, and most priests only have enough theology to enable them to do their jobs competently. That is to say, I know of no actual and solid academic theologian or canonist who is posting on the Net (the only exception to the rule is Fr Alexander Lebedeff, who is an accomplished canonist).

Secondly, I am not an elder. Nope, nada, nichevo, no way José. Neither are any of the other posters on the internet (none of the married priests on the net are elders, despite their status as “internet gurus” amongst the konvertsy). That is to say, be careful of any “spiritual advice” found on the net. Those who are, in the main, gropers in the dark themselves are dispensing it… so, caveat lector! A sweet nun (who is in the OCA, incidentally) told me that there are very, very few real elders in the USA and Canada, and that none of the married priests who were posing as such were the Real McCoy. She told me that I was lucky to be corresponding with a real eldress in Russia. Indeed, I am writing this piece in obedience to one of Mother’s ideas. She never “orders”… she never pretends to be a “fool in Christ”… she is very ordinary and straightforward in her expression… as an elder should be, I might add! “Why don’t you write an essay on what you are not?” Now, that’s a wise suggestion!

Thirdly, I am not a scholar. “Scholar” in this sense has a rather focused meaning. That is, a “scholar” is someone with an advanced degree who is working in academe. Therefore, many very educated and intelligent people aren’t scholars and we wouldn’t find them in academe. Indeed, to be successful in any field of endeavour requires intelligence, drive, and perseverance. One of the people that I respect very highly is Chef Paul Hyatt, who was one of my instructors in culinary school (there… I’ve studied both Russian history and haute cuisine cooking… what a combination!). He’s a consummate craftsman and an excellent instructor… but, he’s not a scholar. Hmm… I think that many would agree with me that the very things lacking in most windy scholars in academe are precisely intelligence, drive, and perseverance!

There must be “truth in advertising”. I am NOT writing on theology or commentary on the Fathers and/or the Canons of the Church. I am NOT writing “spiritual advice” to seekers. I am NOT writing an academic monograph with full scholarly apparatus and footnotes.

What am I, then? I am an internet journalist who covers the Russian Orthodox beat. To do this, I read articles on the Church in the secular Russian press and translate them into English so that you can read them too. There are many other articles that I read that “don’t make the cut”. Quite frankly, I have a limited amount of time, and I spend it on what I feel is informative for my audience. I also write commentary on the institutional Church based on my reading and experience. If you’re looking for “edifying reading”, DON’T stop here. If you’re looking for mawkish “niceness” and trivial “therapeutese”, please, do look elsewhere. This site is a place where adults gather to discuss the Church as it is… warts and all. If there’s a Slim Shady priest who plants an oily smile on his face as he unctuously informs you, “the records simply don’t exist”, I’m gonna give ‘im both barrels and suggest very strongly that you do the same. If there’s a bishop who says, “It’s all over! Everything has changed!” I’m going to inspect the situation, and if the statement doesn’t fit the reality… I’m NOT going to be quiet and “pay, pray, and obey”… and neither should you!

The Church is the Body of Christ. Our Lord Christ is both human and divine… the Church teaches us that… it is something that you MUST believe in order to be a Christian. If the Church is the Body of Christ, and Christ is both human and divine, then, it stands to good reason that His Body, the Church, is both human and divine. That is, the Church’s head is in Heaven whilst it plants it feet firmly on the ground. One of the oddest notions that I have encountered is one that believes that we should attend only to “theology” and avoid “church politics”. I would say that such a fancy is Manichaean… I thought at first that it was unalloyed Monophysitism, but, its hostility to anything earthly and earthy marks it as purely Manichaean and Gnostic. If we need to attend to both body and soul to be healthy people, wouldn’t it be the same for the Church? I think that those who advise us to stick to “theology alone” often have an agenda and they need to be looked at closely… one might find something, nicht wahr?

Tsar, Pope, and Rich Man… the Scourge of the Working Class (Aleksandr Apsit, 1918). “Pope” was an insulting usage for a grasping parish priest. There was a reason why people stood aside when the Church was persecuted… all too often, it was a result of the Church’s own behaviour, like it or not. Therefore, I shall NOT be silent when I see their analogues today.

Our theology must be straight and our earthly dealings should be straight, too. If we wish to keep the soul of the Church clean, we should keep the body of the Church as clean as is humanly possible. If we wink at corrupt clergy, immoral bishops, lying Church spokesmen, and simoniac diocesan officials, we shall have hell to pay… literally. Don’t forget that such nasty behaviour was one of the reasons that the Russian Revolution succeeded. The Church brought some of its persecution upon itself. That is, God cleaned out this noisome and filthy mess the only way that He could… He used the Reds as His instruments. Now… that’s a meaty thing to mull over, isn’t it?

So, what is this site? It’s a place where we look at the news and do our best to make sense of it… nothing more. God willing, it’s been as informative for you as it’s been for me. Remember, apples ain’t oranges… they don’t taste the same, either! Do pass me the jug… this is thirsty work… have a swig yourself… it’s an INTERESTING world out there, isn’t it?

Barbara-Marie Drezhlo

Monday 22 November 2009

Albany NY

Editor’s Postscript:

I must add that my staritsa asked me to sign anything that was “editorial” in nature. She believes that anonymous posting is sinful. To be clear, that’s her opinion, it’s not a Church teaching. However, I find myself in agreement with it… what about you?

Memorial Prayer for Slain Moscow Priest Fr Daniil Sysoev

In Moscow, all during the day, at the modest church where Fr Daniil Sysoev served as rector, people bring bouquets of flowers. His funeral service and burial are due on Monday. Current plans have Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias serving at least part of the ceremony. Fr Daniil’s father, who is the rector of another Moscow parish, will serve memorial prayers for his son.

An unknown assailant, who burst into his church, shot Fr Daniil Sysoev dead. Fr Daniil was a well-known Orthodox missionary and rector of St Thomas church in Moscow, which is located on the south side of Moscow. Investigators are very cautious and guarded in their statements regarding the motives behind the murder. However, one possible scenario already exists, and the main motive in it is the missionary work of the priest.

In connection with this tragic death, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill issued a statement in which he called this brutal murder a challenge to God’s Commandments. When he served liturgy, the First Hierarch of the MP said prayers for the repose of the departed priest Daniil. He said, “Every priest, every hierarch, and, especially, the patriarch must be clearly and, perhaps, especially aware of what constitutes his ministry. Fr Daniil Sysoev was aware of his duty. This way was filled with risks, not from everyone who came his way, of course, but, he left himself vulnerable. However, any honest confession of faith is recognition of this”.

Vladimir Legoida, the Director of the Information Department of the MP said, “Fr Daniil was a zealous pastor, who laboured in the field of education and who gave himself to the service of God and mankind. Many Orthodox Christians flocked to him with love, seeking spiritual guidance, inspiration in the faith, and teaching on the right path to take in life”.

Today, the little church that the deceased pastored is now a sea of flowers. A bouquet of red, white, and purple roses marks the place near the altar where he fell. Next to this are a dozen vases with flowers. There are bouquets at the entrance to the church. Friday night, there was a Pannikhida, and, all day Saturday, the parishioners took turns reading the Psalms. Many could barely hold back their tears. The voice of the chanter sometimes broke down. Amongst the mourners, you saw people of many different nationalities. Russians knew that the late Fr Daniil was a lively and vigorous preacher of Christianity. When he became rector of the parish, he instituted weekly enquirers’ meetings with those who wish to be baptised, as well as starting a course of Bible classes. It seemed that Fr Daniil engaged constantly in hot and open debates with Muslims, with Old Ritualists, and with sectarians. He helped people to believe that they could find a cure for their maladies; he dissuaded many from abortion, and helped many to kick an addiction to alcohol.

Near the church, vendors in tents sell bouquets to the assembled mourners queued up outside. More and more people continue to come to answer the call of their heart and soul.

23 November 2009

Aleksei Chernichenko

Voice of Russia World Service

http://rus.ruvr.ru/2009/11/21/2371762.html

Orthodox Activists Plan to Hold a Procession on the Day of the Funeral of Fr Daniil Sysoev

Fr Daniil Sysoev (1974-2009)

On Monday, November 23, in Moscow, a religious procession organised by Orthodox activists shall take place on the day of the funeral of Fr Daniil Sysoev, who died soon after midnight MSK early Friday morning, 20 November. “We ask all those who are interested to gather at 09.00 MSK near the Novoyasenevskaya metro station [on the Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya Line] with icons and banners. From there, we shall go then to Ss Peter and Paul church, where Fr Daniil’s funeral service will begin at 10.00 MSK”, Kirill Frolov, the head of the Association of Orthodox experts, told Interfax-Religion on Saturday. Mr Frolov was a friend of the deceased.

Online, Orthodox Internet bloggers announced a “flash-mob” urging everyone to join the procession in memory of the murdered priest. Thousands of web-users answered their appeal. Orthodox activists plan to hold on a similar procession on the ninth day after the death of Fr Daniil from Kantemirovskaya metro station on the Zamoskvoretskaya Line to the St Thomas church, where he was rector of the parish. The procession organisers will also ask the bishops for the eventual reburial of Fr Daniil’s relics in the new St Daniel church, for which the late priest broke the ground for not so long ago.

According to the latest information, Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all Russias will say a Litiya over the coffin of Fr Daniil in the church of Ss Peter and Paul on Monday around noon MSK, immediately after the conclusion of the funeral. The funeral proper is due to be served by Archbishop Arseny Epifanov of Istra, Vicar Bishop of the Diocese of Moscow.

21 November 2009

Interfax-Religion

http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=33004

Was A Priest Murdered For Preaching To Muslims?

Fr Daniil Sysoev (1974-2009)

On Thursday, two Moscow clerics were shot, one was killed, the other seriously wounded. A few days before the tragedy, our correspondent talked with the priest who was killed, Fr Daniil Sysoev.

I last met with Fr Daniil just last week… I was going to write an article about his missionary school. He opened it two years ago at his parish, St Thomas church. Classes meet twice a week, the curriculum includes a comparative analysis of Islam and Orthodox Christianity, the strengths and weaknesses of each religion, and in-depth study of both the Koran and the Bible. Fr Daniil, himself half-Tatar in ancestry, was the only priest in Moscow who advocated preaching Orthodoxy amongst the migrants and guest workers. His clerical colleagues called him the “Orthodox Wahhabi” for the fire gleaming in his eyes and his passionate speeches.

“Moscow is filled with migrants”, Fr Daniil said at our first meeting, stroking his beard. “All sorts of guest workers arrive here. We planned to hold religious morality classes for them. These lectures were OK’d by their employers”. Fr Daniil believed in the need for such lessons for, indeed, the viewpoint of Islam and Orthodoxy is at variance. “The Koran divides the world into ‘a House of War’ and ‘a House of Peace’, said Fr Daniel. The ‘House of Peace’ is the Islamic community. However, in the ‘House of War’, a Muslim can do virtually anything, Allah shall forgive them”.

Fr Daniil intended his lectures to convey to the migrants that Russia is not part of the “House of War”. “According to the Koran, Allah can lead people’s paths knowingly down a deliberately “misleading” route”, continued Fr Daniil, as his glance flicked over the small and cosy lounge at his Kantemirov parish. “That is, theoretically, a Muslim can justify himself by saying, ‘Allah misled me’. However, in the Orthodox world, this is not a valid argument. We wished to convey that message to the migrants and guest workers.

However, before the lecture series could take place, a crisis erupted, and the employers withheld their permission for the classes. However, his missionary work was in full swing. The school has graduated more than a hundred missionaries. Every weekend they went out to preach amongst the construction workers, janitors, etc. Until recently, the missionaries congregated near Halal shops and “ethnic” cafés and their mission yielded results.

“Over the past two years at our church, we have baptised more than 80 Muslims”, Fr Daniil said, with a smile on his face. “They included Tatars, Uzbeks, Chechens, and Dagestanis”.

“Can I talk to them myself?” I asked with a good deal of interest.

“Of course, you can do that!” Then, Fr Daniil’s expression hardened suddenly. “If a Muslim family finds out that their son or daughter has become Orthodox… they try to kill them. There have been such cases”.

“Tell me, why are you the only who preaches to Muslims, and why have you established a missionary school?” I asked.

“Everyone else is scared”, Fr Daniil said plainly. “They fear reprisals from the Muslim community. I know this, because I receive threats on a regular basis both by phone and by e-mail. Fourteen times, they said they’d cut off my head. A year ago, the FSB investigated some of these threats. They said that they uncovered a conspiracy; they told me that there were preparations for an attack against me. I didn’t have a clue about it. However, God is merciful!”

On Thursday, 19 November 19, at 23.00 MSK (20.00 UTC 15.00 EST 12.00 PST), an unknown man with his face covered in a surgical mask burst into the church. The witnesses to the crime say that he shouted (in a heavy accent), “Which one of you is Daniil Sysoev?” Fr Daniil replied to the intruder. A shot followed. A bullet struck Fr Daniil in the head; he fell to the floor. A minute later, the unknown man fired at Vladimir Strelbitsky, the parish choir director. Parishioners rushed them to a nearby hospital. Mr Strelbitsky is in critical condition; Fr Daniil, unfortunately, died on the operating table.

Twice, we met with Fr Daniil at his parish, and we saw his little daughters on both occasions. They played near the altar and ran amongst the parishioners, occasionally distracting their father from his business and they tugged at his black robe. Thanks be to God, at the time of the murder, the girls weren’t in the church.

We offer our sincere condolences to the family of Fr Daniil.

THE BARE FACTS:

On Thursday, at 23.10 MSK (20.10 UTC 15.10 EST 12.10 PST), at St Thomas Orthodox church, located in the south of Moscow (4 ul Moskvorechye), an unknown armed intruder wearing a surgical mask over his face burst in. He opened fire on the clerics, firing four shots. The rector of the parish, 35-year-old Daniil Sysoev suffered chest and head wounds, he later died on the operating table in hospital. The parish choir director, Vladimir Strelbitsky, 41-years-old, suffered chest wounds and is now in hospital in serious condition.

Police are searching for the killer, who witnesses describe as a young man of medium height and slim build, wearing a black jacket and blue jeans. The weapon used in the attack was either a Makarov PM or a Tokarev TT pistol.

On the night of Friday, 20 November, there was a Pannikhida at St Thomas church, attended by the family and friends of Fr Daniil. In attendance were his wife, his three daughters, his two brothers, the students of his missionary school, as well as local residents.

His wife and three children survive the late Fr Daniil.

20 November 2009

Yevgeniya Suprychova

Komsomolskaya Pravda (Komsomol Truth)

As quoted in Interfax-Religion

http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=print&div=10652

A Biography of Fr Daniil Alekseyevich Sysoev

Fr Daniil Sysoev (1974-2009) speaking at a public gathering

Born: 12 January 1974 Moscow

Died: 20 November 2009 Moscow

Biography

In his own words, he is “half Russian, half Tatar”. His father is a priest, Fr Aleksei Sysoev. Fr Aleksei is rector of the church of St John the Divine at the Yasenevo Orthodox classical gymnasium and a clergyman of the Ss Peter and Paul church in Yasenevo. His mother, Anna Midhatovna Amirov, teaches Orthodox catechism at the same school.

He graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy in 2000 with a Kandidatura in Theology. {Editor’s note: Literally, a kandidat is a “candidate member of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, equivalent to a Western PhD, but, perhaps, a bit more stringent in requirements and more rigorous.} His thesis was entitled, The Anthropology of the Seventh Day Adventists and the Watchtower Society and its Analysis.

His career as a cleric began in 1994, when he became a reader. In 1995, he received ordination as a deacon, and in 2001, as a priest. He is married and has three daughters. Fr Daniil Sysoev actively engaged in missionary work among Muslims, and converted many to the Orthodox faith. He held a conservative stance towards yoga exercises, karate, Latin American dance, and belly dancing, urging Christians not to attend these classes. Rev Sysoev was critical of the Darwinian theory of evolution

Fr Daniil was the rector of St Thomas parish; he developed an active missionary movement, which included training Orthodox “street missionaries”, whose task was to attract people to Orthodoxy by appealing to passers-by on the street.

On 19 November 2009, D. A. Sysoev was mortally wounded in St Thomas church by two shots from a pistol (other sources say that four shots were fired). The masked assailant managed to escape. At 00.20 Moscow Standard Time on 20 November 2009 (21.20 UTC 16.20 EST 13.20 PST, all of these 19 November), Fr Daniil died on the operating table.

At present, detectives believe that the most plausible explanation for the crime is that the murderer had a religious motivation for the killing. Earlier, members of various extremist groups repeatedly threatened Rev Sysoev. “Fr Daniil was a prominent figure amongst the Moscow clergy, creative and vigorous, and a true preacher and missionary. I think that he was murdered because of his strong views”, said Fr Vladimir Vigilyansky, a spokesman for the MP. Indeed, Rev Sysoev himself stated that he had received death threats on 14 separate occasions.

Church of the Apostle Thomas

In 2005, the Moscow city government allocated the community led by Fr Daniil Sysoev 0.5 hectares (a little under 1.25 acres) of land near the Kantemirovskaya metro stop on the Zamoskvoretskaya Line for the construction of a stone church dedicated to the prophet Daniel. By November 2006, the parishioners had cleared all of the undergrowth and debris on the site and erected a temporary wooden church dedicated to the Apostle Thomas. The parish runs missionary courses, singing lessons, iconography classes, and a scout group. In 2009, four years after the allocation of land, the Moscow City Department of Environmental Management believed that the community was in violation of environmental legislation, although many use the floodplain of the Chertanovka River as a dump for construction debris. The Department stated that the land at this location should be a park and nature reserve, and the construction of a church would result in irreparable harm to the unique natural habitat. In August 2009, deputy prefect of YuVAO stated he approved in principle for the construction of a church in Kantemirov district, and, during public hearings on the new Master Plan of Moscow, residents demanded that a church be part of the draft General Plan.

Criticism

In 2007, Mufti Nafigulla Ashirov, Co-chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia, sued in court [against Fr Daniil] for his book Marriage to a Muslim, which, he said, contained expressions offensive to Muslims. Journalist Khalida Khamidulina accused Fr Daniil of inciting hatred of Islam in his publications and filed a suit in court against him. At the same time, Neo-Nazi groups expressed their displeasure with the Fr Daniil’s views and ultra-rightwing Orthodox publications criticised him for his anti-monarchist position. In addition, some spokesmen for Old Ritualists {Editor’s note: These are mistakenly called “Old Believers” in Western circles… all too many of them are nothing but Protestants in Orthodox drag.} expressed a negative assessment of D. A. Sysoev. They believed that he attacked their faith, considering his publications on Old Ritualists as “slander against the Old Orthodox Church”. {Editor’s note: The so-called Old Orthodox Church is not in communion with any of the recognised Orthodox Local Churches. It is a sect of popovtsy (“priested”) Old Ritualists, in opposition to the sort known as bezpopovtsy (“unpriested”). The latter are literally what their Russian name indicates… they are priestless. The former have a hierarchy ordained by a renegade Orthodox bishop in the old Hapsburg Empire. Neither group is in the Church, as I said above, no Local Church considers them Orthodox. Neophytes should best avoid both sorts. Don’t be fooled by their icons and chanting… they are nothing but Protestants who reject the Church.} They accused him of poor reasoning, faulty judgement, and distortion of historical facts.

Works

1. Прогулка протестанта по православному храму (A Walk from the Protestant to the Orthodox Church) (Moscow, 2003, 144 pages) ISBN 5-94264-009-2 {Editor’s note: “Church” in this case is khram, not tserk, so, the meaning is “church building”, not “Church”.}
2. Брак с мусульманином (Marriage to a Muslim) (Moscow, 2006) ISBN 5-98988-007-3

Wikipedia (in Russian)

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B8%D0%BB_%D0%A1%D1%8B%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%B2

Sysoev Case Distorted (Unintentionally) on OrthodoxNet.com… or, Why I Make Fresh Translations From the Russian

Fr Daniil Sysoev (1974-2009) with young parishioners

I was very saddened to see a post on a website on OrthodoxNet.com. The title was Orthodox Priest Who Converted Muslims Murdered in Russia. I wondered, “How could anyone distort the facts so?” I must state that I believe that the distortion was not intentional… nevertheless, it was there. I followed the link and fond that it directed me to an article in English on RIA-Novosti. There was no background detail in the piece, and there was nothing on the context of the crime. Unfortunately, I have found that English translations from Russian on the web are often inadequate (often, they are over-literal, resulting in a loss of meaning). When you add to that problem the confusion that results because of ignorance of the Russian situation… well, you can see my point.

Firstly, one always goes to a Russian original and makes a fresh translation. It’s the only way to get the whole story. They don’t translate most of the “good stuff”… all too often, only “fluffy” material is “Englished” (a notable exception in this is Voice of Russia World Service, but, I always check the Russian original… it’s often a little different in emphasis… the English is often “dumbed down”). For instance, Interfax translated four articles into English… I utilised 22 articles in Russian for my translations. That’s quite a difference, and a LARGE difference in detail. I must add that there was much more that I read in Russian that I did not translate because it was redundant, and only backed what I had translated.

Secondly, the context to the crime was missing. There has been a problem with terrorist attacks on clergymen; in fact, the majority of the victims have been Muslims. Most of these assaults have been in the Northern Caucasus… but, not all of them. Many of my Russian friends believe that some of these killings have foreign connections… but, not Muslim ones! As one friend of mine wrote, “The Americans want to set the Muslims and Orthodox at each others’ throats”. If one reflects on the links of the CIA with the thuggish SBU goons of Yushchenko (they beat up Fr Dmitri Sidor, a Carpatho-Russian Orthodox activist), this is not lunatic maundering; it is all too probable in some cases. Add to that the fact that the USA is up to its ears in the deep kimchi in Georgia… I needn’t go any farther, must I? Fr Daniil’s work was not merely with Muslims… indeed, that was only part of his ministry. He was a parish priest, worked with counterculture youth, preached amongst the students, and he was active in the Orthodox section of Nashi. To focus on the Muslim aspect was unfortunate.

Thirdly, Americans have no idea how big a “story” this is in Russia. For example, when I was at the funeral for Vladyki Laurus in Jordanville, there were Russian TV crews present and they were televising live from the scene. These were not “religious” stations… they were from Vesti and Pervy Kanal… “regular” secular TV. In short, this was on the Russian equivalent of CNN (reflect on the fact that Russian secular TV has been to Jordanville more than once and NEVER once to televise the poseurs at SVS… interesting, no?). That is also true with this, as Fr Daniil was a prominent public figure in Russia. He was a friend of such people as Fr Vsevolod Chaplin and Bishop Mark Golovkov… no small beer, either one! Was Fr Daniil a “celebrity?” Perhaps… but, I don’t think that publicity, of itself, is evil… it’s how one uses it. He was on TV often enough and he wrote prolifically. Of course, TV is covering it… wouldn’t the American media cover it if someone like Billy Graham were murdered? They would!

Lastly, most Americans lack a historical framework… ergo, an event is seen as an isolated incident, when we really must view it as part of a living entity. It’s why I don’t comment much on the Greek Church… I’m not Greek and I lack the knowledge necessary to make a reasonable argument on many Greek topics. It’s why I reject the so-called “pan-Orthodox” lunacy thoroughly and absolutely, by the way… there’s no such thing… there shall not be “unity in our time” (Paffhausen was unbalanced to state such… and in front of OCL, a bunch of rebellious pirates). Of course, Greek or Arab priests are priests and one can receive the sacraments… but, that does not erase the very real differences between “Greek” and “Russian” Orthodoxy. When one knows the historical context, one can say that we have a chance of uniting “Russian” Orthodoxy in this country in our time, but, nothing else, I am afraid. It is the same with the Sysoev case. There is a real and long history of interaction between Orthodox and Muslims in Russia. It goes back to the conquest of Kazan in the 16^th century by Ivan Grozny. Most Americans are unaware of this and make incorrect conclusions as a result.

To wrap it all up… Fr Daniil Sysoev was not “killed by Muslims”. He was not “killed for converting Muslims”. Either an unbalanced individual or a criminal under contract to a foreign special service (that’s how it’s done, for the purposes of “deniability”) killed him. It’s not so “neat”… but, that’s probably what happened.

Pray for the soul of Fr Daniil and pray that they catch his killer and that the court gives ‘em the max (the Butyrki is no rest home or Club Med)… it’s the only Christian thing to do.

Barbara-Marie Drezhlo

Saturday 21 November 2009

Albany NY

The Murder of Fr Daniil Sysoev Shocked Everyone in Russia

Fr Daniil Sysoev (1974-2009)

The Council of Muftis of Russia gave their condolences in connection with the murder of Fr Daniil Sysoev and asked the public not to blame this crime on the Muslim community. “On my own behalf and on behalf of my colleagues, I offer my condolences. This is a nasty and offensive crime. If a priest asks us questions, we must answer him in a civilised manner, not through murder”, Damir Gizatullin, the first deputy chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of European Russia told Interfax-Religion on Friday. “We engage many people in debate. Perhaps, we may not always agree, but, you can’t take someone’s life! Life is a gift of the Almighty!” he said. Mufti Gizatullin expressed his confidence that “this crime couldn’t have been committed by a believer of any possible religion. All religions, but, in particular, Islam, forbids us to murder another man. If you kill one person, it’s the same as if you killed all of mankind. Moreover, Muslims and Orthodox Christians share the common heritage of the Abrahamic belief. Such closely-related people shouldn’t raise their hands against their brothers”. Mufti Gizatullin believes that the murderer of Fr Daniil “is likely to be some sort of sectarian”.

Roman Silantyev, Orthodox human rights advocate, Islamicist, and Director of the Human Rights Centre of the World Russian Peoples’ Council, said that those who murdered Fr Daniel Sysoev meant to undermine inter-religious peace in Russia. “This murder committed in the courtyard of an Orthodox church on the eve of the birthday of ruling patriarch of the MP was the most serious challenge to interfaith peace in Russia in recent years”, he told Interfax-Religion. Professor Silantyev expressed his deep condolences to the family of “his fellow Islamicist Fr Daniil Sysoev”. He went on to say, “I’m confident that the same people who killed Fr Daniil are the same ones who kill Muslim imams on a regular basis in the North Caucasus, and they killed him for the same purpose, to create antagonism between Orthodox Christians and Muslims”. In his view, “The brazen murders of spiritual leaders that bedevilled our country in recent years are some of the worst manifestations of terrorism, and the authorities must ruthlessly destroy the terrorists along with their accomplices, most of whom, unfortunately, are concentrated in Moscow. The investigators should make every effort to expedite their efforts to find out the facts of the case so that we can punish the criminals“.

On Friday, at a meeting of the RF Gosduma, the murder of Fr Daniil Sysoev in one of Moscow’s churches prompted Deputy Vera Lekareva from the United Russia faction to ask the government to enact measures to frustrate the spread of illegal religious organisations and sects. “The Council of Europe is often contradictory towards us. At the same time, countries that belong to the Council of Europe constantly accuse us of harassing sectarians from various religions”, Ms Lekareva said. She suggested that the RF Gosduma Committee on Religious Affairs and Relations with Civil Organisations should seek relevant information in this regard for the government.

For his part, LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the Vice-Speaker of the RF Gosduma, suggested that his colleagues consider this murder of a priest from a different angle. [Fr Daniil’s] murder is the answer to yesterday’s extension of the moratorium on the death penalty by the Constitutional Court. This court had no right to declare such a moratorium. Their ruling was merely recommendatory in nature”, he said.

Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar urged the authorities to take measures to ensure that the murder of well-known missionary priest Fr Daniel Sysoev would be the last of a series of similar crimes. “The heinous murder of Moscow priest Fr Daniil Sysoev shocked not only his fellow Orthodox Christians. I’m sure that all religious people in Russia are deeply shocked by this crime”, said a statement that Rav Lazar sent to Interfax-Religion on Friday. Rav Lazar noted with regret that the police “are still not able to provide reliable security for the ministers of God. Indeed, this murder of a priest in Moscow is far from the first in the list of crimes committed against our religious leaders. In recent years, there have been more than a dozen such attacks, and the victims were Orthodox, Muslims, and Jews”. He demanded that the state should “take the most stringent measures” and expressed the hope that “the investigation of the massacre will be taken under special command, so that the perpetrators will be arrested and suffer their deserved punishment. The state must do its utmost to see that the murder of Daniil Sysoev is the last [terror-killing of a clergyman], so that nobody would dare to shed the blood of a priest”, Rav Lazar’s statement said. He noted that the Jewish community of Russia “mourns today, along with Orthodox Christians. We have no doubt that those who are the enemies of God and man carried out this murder… even if they hide behind a religious facade. After all, truly religious people will never raise a hand against anyone who has faith in the one God”. In his opinion, those who killed the Fr Daniil Sysoev and seriously wounded his assistant “did so hoping that it would intimidate our religious leaders and society in general. However, they will never reach this goal. We will continue to encourage the growth of religious spirituality in society, and we will even more actively encourage people to follow the law where God commanded us to love our neighbour, to help him, serve our motherland, and strive for peace”.

Mufti Talgat Tazhduddin, President of the Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia (TsDUMR) hopes that the murder of Fr Daniil Sysoev would not incite sectarian strife. “We pray to God that this tragic event… the violent death of one of the servants of God… does not become a pretext to foment sectarian strife and hatred, and that missionary work would not lead to risk to life”, according to the letter of condolences that Mufti Tazhduddin sent to Patriarch Kirill, which came to Interfax-Religion on Friday. Mufti Tazhduddin stressed, there is nothing “more ungodly than the murder of a priest in the temple, as there is no excuse for this crime, not in the eyes of the people, nor before the Almighty Creator. The fact that this premeditated murder occurred on a festival day, your birthday, indicates that it is a crime of provocation, a challenge for the Moscow Patriarchate, those who serve as priests, and all those who want to see the spiritual space of Russia free and who wish the recovery of the roots of its traditional beliefs”. Mufti Tazhduddin said that Muslims in Russia knew Fr Daniil Sysoev as the author of a number of polemical writings. However, he continued, whatever his theological views, “they should not have been a cause of disputes and conflict, leading to the perpetration of violence. Such manifestations of intolerance in such a heinous form must unite and direct our joint efforts to actively oppose such blatant acts of lawlessness, as well as contribute to our affirmation in society of the true values of life”.

On Saturday, around noon, the coffin of murder-victim Fr Daniel Sysoev shall be brought to St Thomas church, where he was rector. “For a day and a half, until Sunday evening, parishioners, friends, acquaintances, and everyone who knew, loved, and respected him, can come and pay their respects to Fr Daniil”, one of Fr Daniil’s assistants told our Interfax-Religion correspondent on Friday night. Reports indicate that one of the mourners who shall pay their respects at that time shall be Patriarch Kirill. Priests from many parishes in Moscow shall read prayers over the coffin continuously in rotation. Our source noted that during the course of the day many people came to the church to express their sympathy to the orphaned parish.

Interfax-Religion

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