Moscow, August 27, 2012
“What we are up against today is an explosion of acts that are strange at first glance: the aggressive outrage of a punk group in Moscow churches, their filthy entertainment in a museum [these girls had sex in public in a museum, calling it “art”], the desecration of a place that is sacred to the entire Russian nation—theWorld War II veterans’ graves, and now the destruction of crosses—all of this is more than hooliganism, more than just banal anti-clerical acts, as people are wont to call it. This is a new reality of our life: ‘velvet terrorism’,” Fr. Tikhon said in an interview with an Interfax –Religion correspondent.
In the archimandrite’s opinion, this terrorism, “like all terrorism”, is aimed at the destruction of the historical, spiritual, and moral foundations and standards of society and state—through sabotage, blackmail, and fear-mongering.
“Essentially, Maria Alekhina, Ekaterina Samutsevich, and Nadezda Tolokonnikova are no different from the Muslim female suicide bombers who are carefully prepared and used by individuals behind the scenes. And it is bitter, but we have to admit that “velvet terrorism”, conducted with help from supporters both internally and externally, is gaining success in our country; and however rash many of its followers may be, they are quite dedicated to the idea,” said Fr. Tikhon.
When asked what punishment he would propose for those who have sawn off crosses in Archangelsk and Chelyabinsk, Archimandrite Tikhon answered in the words of the Apostle Paul, that “God will not be mocked: as a person sews, so shall he reap.”
In reality, he said, there is another more important question. “Now not only the inexperienced, naïve young people but even mature adults are easily becoming accomplices to these “velvet terrorists”, voluntarily or involuntarily. I would necessarily add here that no matter what excuses one may make to justify himself, it is very vile for a person to be, even unexpectedly, the accomplice of a terrorist.”
