[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 6 (Thursday, January 26, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S208-S209]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 ATTACK ON CHASIDIC SYNAGOGUE IN MOSCOW

  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, on January 11 of this year, at the 
Moscow Headquarters and Synagogue of Agudas Chasidei Chabad of the 
Former Soviet Union, a so-called ``skinhead'' attacked worshippers with 
a knife and wounded eight persons. I know that all Members of this body 
deplore this terrible crime and send our prayers and best wishes to all 
those injured during the assault.
  The victims of this senseless violence include Rabbi Isaac Kogan, who 
testified before an April 6 Helsinki Commission hearing I convened last 
year concerning Chabad's ongoing efforts to retrieve the Schneerson 
Collection of sacred Jewish texts from Moscow. The Rabbi is a noted 
refusenik who was appointed by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. 
Schneerson, to be part of Agudas Chasidei Chabad of the Former Soviet 
Union. In addition to nurturing Judaism throughout the former USSR, 
that organization has fought tirelessly to win the return of the 
Schneerson Collection to its rightful owners in the United States. The 
entire U.S. Senate has twice petitioned the Russian leadership to 
release those holy texts.
  As chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I have followed closely the 
issue of anti-Semitism and extremism around the world. Unfortunately, 
the brutal attack at the Agudas Chasidei Chabad synagogue fits what 
appears to be a rising trend of attacks on ethic and religious 
minorities in Russia.
  Let me present one disturbing statistic. According to an article in 
the Moscow News last year, the Moscow Human Rights Center reports that 
Russia has up to 50,000 skinheads with active groups in 85 cities. 
This, as opposed to an estimated 70,000 skinhead activists throughout 
the rest of the world.
  To make matters worse, there are indications that the police 
themselves are sometimes involved in racist attacks. Earlier this 
month, a Russian newspaper carried a story about the Moscow police 
assault of a passerby who happened to be from the North Caucasus. 
According to persons from the North Caucasus, such beatings are a 
common occurance.
  What was uncommon was the fact that the gentleman in question is a 
colonel in the Russian Army and an internationally known cosmonaut.

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  Let me be clear. Anti-Semitism, bigotry, extremist attacks and police 
brutality are not found only in Russia. Our own country has not been 
immune to these challenges to rule of law and human dignity.
  Nevertheless, as Russia accedes to the chairmanship of the G-8 and 
the Council of Europe, there will be increased scrutiny of its 
commitment to internationally recognized standards of human rights 
practices. I urge the authorities in Russia to do everything in their 
power to combat ethnic and religious intolerance and safeguard the 
religious freedom and physical safety of all it citizens.

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