Lev Ponomaryov: Russia needs propaganda television campaign to counteract spread of xenophobia

The main reason why some Russian politicians apply the rhetoric of nationalism and xenophobia is the ongoing war in Chechnya, stated Lev Ponomaryov, executive director of the all-Russian public Movement for Human Rights, on 26 February 2004, at the 1st All-Russian Assembly of Public Forces to Counteract Xenophobia and Extremism.

"This fire is being fanned by terrorist acts, which will take place until the war goes on," he said.

A propaganda television campaign is a must in order to counteract the spread of xenophobia, Lev Ponomaryov stressed. The rights defender called school textbooks an important element in spreading xenophobia. He named, in particular, "absolutely monstrous" Foundations of Orthodox Culture, which contains everything: it fans "xenophobia, hatred between confessions, and ethnic strife."

However, in spite of the decisions of several commissions of experts, which agree with such an appraisal, and the institution of criminal proceedings against the author of the book by Article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code, Foundations of Orthodox Culture has already run through the second edition.

"The power behaves incorrectly in principle in key moments," said Mr Ponomaryov mentioning, in particular, mistakes in the migration policy and the passing of the original variant of the Law on Citizenship. "If the Kremlin and personally Vladimir Putin pursue this line, all efforts are vain and the county will advance towards a catastrophe."