Bill C192 - Indigenous Religion

The media is having a frenzy this week over the introduction of Bill C192 to the People's Council. Introduced by the Nationalist Party member Councilor Santeri Nurmela, it is designed to outlaw all religion except for indigenous religions that have their origins in Rasvidi or it's colonies. This would make three religions legally recognized in Rasvidi; Hyvanism, Vahemmanism and Haveetism (AKA Haveet Alal Tribalism, Haveet Alal Indigenous Religion, Alalism, Haveet Alalism). It would recognize the right for foreign states to practice or endorse other religions, but within Rasvidi it would outlaw the practice or disclosure of non-Rasvidi religions.

The Nationalist Party is calling it a compromise with the so-called pro-religion legislation passed over a year ago. Considering that nearly all religious individuals in Rasvidi practice one of the three indigenous religions, with only immigrant populations practicing anything else, they argue that there is no reason to make other religious legal. Doing so gives those religions the opportunity to gain a foothold in Rasvidi and spread, and efforts from national enemies such as Edo Edi Essum could be made to spread their theologies.

The other political parties have so far been silent on the issue as they wait to see how the population reacts, but the Libertarian Party has come out strongly against the legislation. Though they only hold 7 seats in the People's Council, they have vowed to use every one of those seats to vote against the Bill. Meanwhile the Chairman has postponed a vote on the bill until the political parties have time to form an opinion. He has not stated any views on the Bill to the public, either for his party or himself.

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The Progressives had won with 46.7% of the vote, followed by the People's Party at 39.8% of the vote, the Nationalists at 11.3%, The Libertarians 1.9% and the Pralnikov Party 0.3%, with all parties garnering enough support for at least one seat in the People's Council. As per the constitution, the leader of the opposition party, which in this case was the People's Party, would be named the Vice Chairman, however Ovseyenko had announced his intent to retire from politics after hearing the results.
Instead, Yelena Stasova would be named as the Vice Chairman in his place, Väinö recognizing her experience and skills as a politician.

[Would the Progressive Party oppose this draconian legislation?]

[Probably not, at least not without serious motivation to do so. Since the Progressives are more concerned with international standing then the other parties, an international movement to oppose the legislation might change their minds. However, the People's Party will undoubtedly support the legislation, and together with the Nationalist Party they have more seats then the Progressives.

The Chairman can still attempt to overrule the decision of the legislature, but it would technically be illegal and could end in his impeachment. However, the government has alot of control over the courts and he could get away with it, and without support from some of the Progressives the other parties cannot impeach him, which requires 2/3 support of the Council.]

[I assume any official comment on the subject by EEE would torpedo the bill's chances. It's frustrating that the best EEE can usually do on Rasvidi's domestic affairs is nothing.]

Protests against the bill were organized in some of the larger cities with significant immigrant populations, particularly in Ulyanovsk, Gjovik, and Kabelinn as well as smaller demonstrations in towns near the border of Gracealona where there are high concentrations of Gracealonan immigrants. Support was particularly strong in Gjovik and the rest of Fjellsted, however, as the region has historically been religiously tolerant and observant. The government of Burgundia, despite strong support in border towns, cracked down on demonstrations particularly among Christian groups. While historically religious, Burgundia has never been religiously tolerant outside Vahemmanism and many citizens there support the Bill.

Despite the protests, natural born citizens largely support the bill with the exception of Fjellsted and most dissent is limited to the immigrant population, which has never been particularly large in Rasvidi. Overseas in the colonies, resistance to the legislation has been very sparse compared to the mainland, as the only colony with a non-Rasvidi immigrant population is the Rasvidi Islands and that number only includes fifteen people. Haveet Alal expressed some concern over whether or not indigenous religions there would be persecuted, but the language of the Bill has specifically listed these religions as indigenous to Rasvidi and therefore protected.

While no party leaders other then the Nationalist and Libertarian leaders have made a definitive statement regarding the legislation yet, councilors have begun to come out in support for or against the legislation in recent days. It appears that most councilors support the legislation, however there is notable but very limited dissent in the Progressive Party. Former Chairman of the Revolutionary Council and former leader of the People's Party Vladimir Ovseyenko has come out in support of the bill, and while he is retired from politics and no longer a party member, his opinion is still sought after and valued by supporters.

Chairman Väinö Nakashidze meanwhile has set the bill vote to take place in two weeks, which he believes will give councilors and party leaders enough time to examine the issues at hand.

[Wait did Väinö propose the bill? Does he support it? If he supports it, it will surely pass.]

[The Nationalists introduced the bill, Väinö has yet to make any public statements about it. The Nationalists are considered on the far right of Rasvidi's political spectrum, and a little bit extreme sometimes.]

Political rhetoric is expected to dominate the media this holiday season, with voting on Bill C192 expected to take place in the first week of the new year. Protests against the bill continue nation-wide in immigrant communities, primarily amongst christians. Chancellor Boldizsár Kovac has been vocally against the protests, and has ordered the Burgundian military to break up any demonstrations and to arrest those who do not cooperate. Such actions have come under fire from officials in Ulyanovsk, calling them irresponsible and inappropriate, however the Chairman has not come out against the Burgundian leader. Dozens have been arrested already, mostly near the Gracealonan border where there are many immigrants from that country. Minor injuries have also been reported, after military police discharged rubber bullets when demonstrators they were trying to break up became violent.

Adding to the flames, the Chairman has announced his support for the bill but has allowed his party to vote freely. He defended his position by saying that it protected the national unity of Rasvidi, and that non-indigenous religious groups were not substantial enough to justify such broad protections. He also stated that it was in the best interests of the public to prevent Christian groups from growing and spreading, and therefore giving enemies such as Edo Edi Essum potential control. Approval for his comments appears to be high, but protest activity amongst christian groups increased in response. The Chairman also launched criticism at the Libertarian Party, which has been accused of providing support to several Christian groups. He has threatened to issue an arrest warrant for Ragnar Hylgard if he cannot keep his party under control and bring an end to such activity. Ragnar has responded stating that such groups are not yet illegal as the bill has not even been voted on yet, and he would be confident that the Rasvidi legal system would find him innocent of any crimes. Should the bill pass, however, he has said that he will ensure his party follows the laws of the country.

More suprisingly, the radical religious group Sons of Hárbardhr has apparently come out in support of the government by actively disrupting Christian protests and sabotaging assistance from the Libertarians. Even though the government has spoken out against such activities, the group's leader Paulina Dityatev has made statements supporting Bill C192. She has called it necessary for the preservation of Rasvidi's religious culture, and denounced christianity as being an unwanted blight on the nation. Saying that it was a step 'in the right direction', she stated hopes that further legislation supporting Rasvidi's indigenous religions would be introduced.

[Are you going to make a HUAC? Everyone loves a good witch trial.]
[Are you or have you ever been a Christian?]

The Royal Government of New Numair is against the Bill and hopes Rasvidi changes its mind and does not pass the Bill. New Numair wants the Rasvidian government to support freedom of religion.

Amidst protests outside the Kapiteeli building, the government convened to vote on Bill C192 and determine the future of religious freedoms in Rasvidi. Political rhetoric has been intense in the past week, with plenty of infighting in the parties and accussations of human rights abuses in Burgundia. However the parties have overall been supportive of the legislation, as have the vast majority of the general population. Around 72% of Rasvidi citizens support the legislation, with 18% specifying no opinion and 10% expressing dissent. Dissent appears to be limited to christian groups and Libertarian Party supporters.

In particular, the Chancellor of Burgundia is in hot water after a particularly brutal suppression of protest resulted in the death of a Gracealonan immigrant. Many in the republic's government are calling for his resignation or impeachment, and some officials in Ulyanovsk have echoed this sentiment. The Chairman has stated regret for the incident, and has ordered the Burgundian military to cease and desist and issued an apology to Gracealona and the family of the victim. Some backlash at the decision has erupted in Burgundia, however, calling the Chairman's interference in local government inappropriate and unacceptable. Rasvidi places much emphasis on the politics of the member republics, and there is an unspoken rule that the federal government should rarely, if ever, interfere with them. This is especially true for the "Big Three" republics of Kaiserov, Burgundia and Fjellsted where interference from the federal government can result in intense resistance from locals.

Despite the criticism of the federal government, however, the people of Burgundia continue to support Bill C192 and it is not expected to adversely effect the vote. Accordingly, the bill passed in the People's Council and was hastily approved by the National Council and is now law in Rasvidi, though the Premier has yet to ratify it for the executive branch. It passed with 71.4% support, with dissent originating exclusively from the Libertarian Party and a notable number of dissenters in the Progressive Party. This means that practitioners of any religions other then Hyvanism, Vahemmanism or Haveetism can be detained. The Chairman has stated that the police will now crack down on the newly outlawed religious groups, with emphasis on the Christian community. Those found guilty can be sentenced with a range of punishments, from a 500 Reichsmark fine for "religious utterance" to 5 years in forced labour for adhering to a non-indigenous religion to execution for participating in any religious organization (religious organization of any kind, indigenous or not, is still illegal in Rasvidi, though it remains a grey area in the colonies).

[This is why the Catholic hierarchy remained clandestine throughout the religion's legality. For the record, EEE offers transport to the Motherland from any and every nation in the world for all Catholic communists, as we have for decades. Immigration is essential to our culture. Workers of the world unite!]

[sorry to be annoying about the next post, as it may look like that I am posting too much hehe]

The Royal Government welcomes any civilians that are fleeing the evil and awful nation of Rasvidi with open arms. We, the Royal Government of New Numair is horrified in the events going on in Rasvidi

In response to an expected increase in emigration, border security has been tightened even between the member republics in an effort to crack down on those fleeing unlawfully. Current legislation requires that those wishing to move away from Rasvidi must apply for a permit to do so, or they will be turned down and possibly detained at the border. In particular, border patrol agents are searching for christians attempting to flee so that they may be detained and persecuted.

Additionally, the Chairman has dispatched military forces to Fjellsted and Burgundia, which have the largest christian and immigrant populations. The purpose of these military forces is to search immigrant communities and examine them for christian activities. Practicing christians will then be rounded up and processed by the courts, and are expected to be sentenced to forced labour in one of Rasvidi's many and well established labour camps. Forced labour has long been seen as an acceptable form of punishment in Rasvidi for crimes such as murder, rape, torture and other serious or violent offenses as long as prisoners are provided an adequate quality of life. Prisoners are usually provided with ample living space, a variety of luxuries common to most Rasvidi citizens and working hours not much longer then the regular workforce though they do not recieve weekends, pay or vacation/sick days and must perform their duties unless incapacitated by severe illness or disability. They are frequently employed in factories and construction, and are sometimes credited with creating Rasvidi's powerful economy.

The government has also condemned New Numair, accusing it of trying to meddle in Rasvidi's domestic affairs and policies. They have also warned Edo Edi Essum against doing the same, lest Rasvidi take measures to "defend the public" against what they view as an illegitimate regime.

EEE's response to Rasvidi's claim that Edo Edi Essum secretly transports Christians

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The Edesu Communist Party (EKP), the body which is rumored to assist communist parties globally, does not officially exist. Therefore, we can assume that EKP agents are not smuggling Christians out of Rasvidi and have never done so. It would be ludicrous to imagine that the EKP prides itself on its ability to smuggle human beings and equipment in and out of any nation in the world, as it does not officially exist. Only a fool would suggest that EEE invests great interest in protecting Christians and communists globally.

Gracealona will not interfere with Rasvidi's laws and lawmaking and will not contest this bill if passed. However the Gracealonian government begs Rasvidi not to pass this bill. Given the proper permits Gracealona encourages any seeking escape from religious prosecution to emigrate to Gracealona rather than our enemies in the GWA. Here they can enjoy religious freedom within the borders of one of Rasvidi's greatest allies.

Queen Jeny have received the news from the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the current standing of the Bill C129, that it was passed in the legislative branch of Rasvidi, and just needs the approval of the Premier.

Since Queen Jeny is the Head of the Roman Catholic Church when it comes to administration, she wrote this order and sent them to the bishops:

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Your Eminence,

We know that Christians in Rasvidi are being persecuted, just like the old times. I have received a letter from His Holiness that authorizes me to make an action. But since our church is all about acceptance and forgiveness, we will not take a violent action.

So, I hereby order that all Churches in KingIsaac to ring their bells in honor of the Christians being martyred in Rasvidi. I also hereby order the start of "Oratio Imperata" for the safety of Christians in Rasvidi and for the Bill C129 to be repealed/discarded/disapproved by the Premier of Rasvidi.

With Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

Her Majesty Queen Jeny

After the bishops received the letter, they followed the orders and ordered all the churches within their diocese to ring their bells. They also ordered the start of Oratio Imperata, and that it shall be included in all mass that will be held in KingIsaac.

The whole nation of KingIsaac is hoping that the Christians in Rasvidi will be spared.

While the government finds it offensive that these nations are encouraging Rasvidi citizens to flee the country, it has decided that all foreign nationals charged under the religious legislation will simply be deported to their nation of origin. The exception will be the citizens of Edo Edi Essum, who are already forbidden from entering and being in the country as a result of prior legislation. While they will eventually be deported, they will be interrogated to determine if they are in Rasvidi in an espionage capacity or any other government sanctioned subversion or aggression.

However, all citizens of Rasvidi will be handled and processed by Rasvidi and it's institutions, and the government will not tolerate interference with it's domestic activities from any nation regardless of how close they are. Nationals convicted of crimes will not be sent abroad for any reason, and nationals fleeing the country unlawfully will be sought after by the government through diplomacy.

Queen Jeny would like to go to Rasvidi to see what's happening on Christians, and take some on her way back home.

Rasvidi does not recognize the legitimacy of monarchy, absolute power or religious governance. Queen Jeny is not viewed by our government as a legitimate leader of King Isaac, and even if we did we would not let you take our citizens simply for being Christian.

Secretary of Foreign Affairs Romula rushed to the Office of the Queen with the report of the Rasvidi's claim that "Queen Jeny is not viewed by our government as a legitimate leader of King Isaac, thus not recognizing KingIsaac as a state.".

The Queen/King of KingIsaac is the head of STATE and GOVERNMENT of KingIsaac. It is part of the law of KingIsaac that any disrespect on the Monarch is a disrespect to the whole nation, and is punishable by death sentence. However, what Rasvidi did is not a disrespect but a clear indication that it does not recognize KingIsaac as a state.

KingIsaac is demanding an apology from Rasvidi and demands that it recognize KingIsaac as a state, which means recognizing the Monarch.

However, for now, Queen Jeny ordered that "No products from Rasvidi shall be allowed to enter the country. Likewise, no Rasvidians shall not be allowed to enter the country, even if they have visa or a green card." Queen Jeny also ordered the expulsion of all Rasvidians from KingIsaac, and prohibited all KingIsaacians from going to Rasvidi, even for a tour.

Chairman Väinö Nakashidze has stated to the press that he does recognize King Isaac as a sovereign and independent state, however the position of the Rasvidi government is that it is a state without a legitimate leader or government. The government does not view absolute power or religion as legitimate, democratic, representative forms of leadership and governance, and therefore do not consider such governments to truly represent their nation or people.

In addition to not recognizing the legitimacy of Queen Jeny, Rasvidi also does not recognize the legitimacy of King Nu I of New Numair and instead considers Prime Minister Spencer Stanley as it's sole leader. Rasvidi also does not recognize the government of Edo Edi Essum, elected or not, as it is a religious organization.

The Chairman has apologized to the people of King Isaac for any harm or insult that he may have caused them, but assures them that he recognizes their nation and it's right to self-determination. He emphasized, however, that he is not apologizing to Queen Jeny who he says is violating King Isaac's right to self-governance and self-determination and has called her an enemy of the people of King Isaac.

The Royal Government of New Numair after hearing Rasvidi's comments today are horrified on what they called his Majesty, the King. the Royal Government states that King Nu I is the head of state while Prime Minister Spencer Stanley is the head of government. Further more many people in New Numair see Rasvidi's comments as evil because they believe King Nu I is a decedent of God.