From Associated Press by Sofia Javed:

A Russian court decided Wednesday not to ban a religious text central to the global Hare Krishna movement, rejecting claims that the text is “extremist” and ending a case that has angered Hindus around the world.

The Indian Foreign Ministry said it appreciated “this sensible resolution of a sensitive issue.”

Prosecutors in the Siberian city of Tomsk had argued that the Russian translation of “Bhagavad Gita As It Is” promotes “social discord” and hatred toward nonbelievers, causing an outcry in India, where many considered the proposed ban a violation of the rights of Hindus in Russia.

The text is a combination of the Bhagavad Gita, one of Hinduism’s holiest scriptures, and commentary by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, which is often called the Hare Krishna movement.

The prosecutors had asked the court to include the book on the Federal List of Extremist Materials, which bans more than 1,000 texts, including Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” and books distributed by the Jehovah’s Witness and Scientology movements.

Alexander Shakhov, a lawyer for Hare Krishna devotees in Tomsk, said the group is satisfied with the court’s decision.

“This judge’s decision shows that Russia is becoming a truly democratic society,” Shakhov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. “We are very excited about this victory.”

Yury Pleshakov, a spokesman for the group in Moscow, said the book in question has existed in Russia for 25 years and has never inspired violence or extremist activity.

“On the contrary, this book teaches humane attitude towards all living beings,” Pleshakov said.

The trial, which began in June, followed this year’s ban on the construction of a Hare Krishna village in Tomsk and was based on an assessment by professors at Tomsk University, who concluded that “Bhagavad Gita As It Is” includes strong language against nonbelievers and promotes religious hatred and discrimination on the basis of gender, race, nationality and language.

Read more: http://www.newser.com/article/d9rtjmhg0/russian-court-says-key-text-of-hare-krishna-movement-is-not-extremist.html#continuedBelow

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From The New York Times by Glenn Kates:

‘As It Is’ Focus of Bhagavad Gita Trial

The front cover of the English translation of the ancient Hindu text that is under fire in Russia.

The Bhagavad Gita was first translated into Russian in 1788, but if a court in the Siberian city of Tomsk rules against it this week, one version of the ancient Hindu text will be added to Russia’s 1,057-item list of banned material deemed extremist.

Prosecutors in Tomsk say a 1968 edition of the book, “The Bhagavad Gita As It Is,” which includes commentary by the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, is hostile toward other religious groups and contains extremist language. The case has caused outrage in India and has put the Russian government on the defensive.

In the face of mounting outrage from India, Alexander Lukashevich, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, tried to clarify the situation late last week. The case focuses not on the Bhagavad Gita text, but on the specific commentaries in the Hare Krishna version by the movement’s founder, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Mr. Lukashevich said in a statement released on Thursday.

“This is not about the book per se, but about the unsuccessful translation and the preface written by the author,” he said.

The case relies on testimony from several university professors who read the text for an audit by Russia’s Federal Security Service. According to a report in the Moscow Times, while the experts have said the book expresses religious hatred, one university dean included in the audit also said it “depends on perception” and another professor said the text is not “extremist,” but polemical.

Read more: http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/28/as-it-is-focus-of-bhagavad-gita-trial/

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From The Times of India:

Russian Court Rejects Petition for Banning Bhagavad-gita

A Russian court today rejected a petition, described by India as “patently absurd”, which had sought a ban on a translated version of Bhagvad Gita, bringing cheers to followers here as well as those across the world.

“We have won the case. The judge has rejected the petition,” Sadhu Priya Das of ISKCON, Moscow, who is also Chairman of newly formed Hindu Council of Russia, told PTI.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna welcomed the judgement and thanked the Russian government for its support.

Prosecutors in the Siberian city of Tomsk had argued that the Russian translation of “Bhagavad Gita As It Is” promotes “social discord” and hatred towards non-believers.

The text is a combination of the Bhagvad Gita, one of Hinduism’s holiest scriptures, and commentary by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, that is commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, ISKCON.

The prosecutors had asked the court to include the book on the Russian Federal List of Extremist Materials, which bans more than 1,000 texts including Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” and books distributed by the Jehovah’s Witness and Scientology movements.

Reacting to the judgement that came at about 4:30 pm IST, ISKCON spokesman Brajendra Nandan Das told PTI in New Delhi that, “We are very happy”.

ISKCON members have alleged that the Russian Orthodox Church was behind the court case as it wanted to limit their activities.

The case had created a storm back in India and even the Parliamentary proceedings had been affected by it.

Speaking in Parliament, Krishna had said the lawsuit was the work of “ignorant and misdirected or motivated individuals.”

He also called the complaint “patently absurd”.

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From BBC News:

Russia court declares Hindu book Bhagvad Gita legal

A Russian court has dismissed a call to ban an edition of the Hindu holy book Bhagvad Gita, in a case that triggered protests in India.

Prosecutors in the Siberian city of Tomsk wanted the edition to be ruled “extremist”. That would put it in the same category as Hitler’s Mein Kampf.

The Russian foreign ministry said it was the commentary on the text, not the text itself, that was under scrutiny.

The edition – Bhagvad Gita As It Is – is used by the Hare Krishna movement.

A lawyer representing the movement in Tomsk, Alexander Shakhov, welcomed the judge’s decision, saying it “shows that Russia really is becoming a democratic society”.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-16344615

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From IBN/CNN: