Russian Official Disavows Anti-Chabad Rhetoric After Russia’s Chief Rabbi’s Public Outcry

by CrownHeights.info

The head of the Russian National Assembly, Nikolai Petrushev published a letter disavowing the article published by his assistant Aleksey Pavlov after a public backlash sparked from a shocking claim he made in an article this week. In article claimed Chabad was a “Neo-Pagan Cult”.

According to reports, Petrushev published his letter on the website where the initial offending article was published, saying that he completely disavows his assistant’s words.

“The readers of the publication and I would like to point out that this interpretation reflects the personal point of view of A. A. Pavlov and does not under any circumstances constitute the official position of the Security Council of the Russian Federation,” Nikolai Petrushev allegedly wrote.

The article had brouht strong backlash from Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berel Lazar. “What is really happening in the religious life of the neighboring country, I do not know for sure – but, unfortunately, the article contains a position that is difficult to grasp, other than as an insult to millions of Jews, including the vast majority of Jews in Russia,” Rabbi Lazar wrote in his response.

In the offending article, Pavlov wrote that “The main life principle of the Lubavitcher followers is the supremacy of the sect’s supporters over all nations,” a claim that Rabbi Lazar dismissed as baseless.

Nikolai Petrushev letter ended that “Relevant work was done with the author of the article.”