Dear Readers:
Today I have these two short pieces, loosely tied together by the theme of religion. Not religion as theology, just its role in war and politics.
We will start with Ramzan Kadyrov. Who has shown himself, in this war, not to be afraid at all, when it comes to criticizing Russian generals. Today his target is Lieutenant-General Viktor Sobolev.
Sobolev had written that it was necessary for all troops in the Russian army to follow the same dress/hygiene code. In other words: No beards! He cited the general terms of the military charter which lay out all the rules, including the ban on facial hair. And said this was just a simple issue of elementary military discipline.
Well, this idea is anathema to the beard-loving Chechen soldiers. Since ancient times these Muslim warriors have considered it to be a religious duty to cultivate manly beards. They even believe that the facial hair endows them with extra strength and fighting spirit.
Hence, Kadyrov reacted sharply to the possible beard-ban: “This idea is a clear provocation, designed to dampen our fighting spirit.” Kadyrov went on to remind Sobolev that “These bearded ones liberated Mariupol, Severodonetsk, Lisichansk, and other towns, all the while carrying out all of the orders and completing all the assignments given by the General Staff.” He went on to advise Sobolev to focus on his own work and not worry about the 21,000 Chechen soldiers who have taken part in this war. And taunted him with the idea that, should he wish to verify with his own eyes that Chechens are observing the charter, he should behie himself to the front lines for an inspection.
Which Henry?
One should note, in this regard that military rules can sometimes be bended. As far as I am aware, even the English army made exceptions for their Sikh warriors, allowing them to wear beards and turbans, as is their wont.
And speaking of the English… We know that Zelensky likes to compare himself to Henry V (“We band of brothers, yada yada…”) but lately he is acting more like Henry VIII. I mean, not in the sense that he is beheading his wives. But in the sense that he wants Ukraine to have its own religion. A “Church of Ukraine”, shall we say, just like Henry founded his own Church of England. The point being, he didn’t want his own subjects acting like a fifth column and obeying the Roman Pope instead of his august self.
Similarly, Zelensky is putting the final touches on his ban of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukrainian territory. Yesterday the Ukrainian Parliament took the first step by introducing a law aimed at the eventual ban of the “Canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church” whose titular head is the Patriarch of Moscow. Even very religious people who will be shocked and angered by this anti-democratic step, they should, if they put their thinking caps on, see the political logic of such a step. It’s exactly the same reason why dear old Henry wanted his own church. Zelensky doesn’t want parishioners worshipping at a place where the local Priest answers to a leader sitting in Moscow. I mean, who knows what they are going to say during the sermon? Could be treasonous… Nonetheless, despite the political logic of this, the optics are really bad. Especially when people point out that the Jewish Prime Minister Shmygal is the guy who proposed the legislation. A guy who doesn’t even have a dog in the fight, so so speak!
Ukrainian Parliamentarian Taras Mel’nichuk explained the need for the legislation: They want to make it impossible for religious organizations to operate on Ukrainian soil “whose directing centers are located beyond our borders, in a nation that is currently at war with us.” This also explains the “double standard”, why they don’t intend to ban the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine. Because they are not at war with Italy. I can’t believe I am saying this, but it sort of makes sense to me. I mean, from the Ukrainian Nationalist point of view. Just like it made sense for Henry to become his own Pope. Whether or not this act will increase the split in Ukrainian society — well, I think it goes without saying that it will.
Earlier in the week, Zelensky had also signed a decree removing Ukrainian citizenship from 13 priests who belong to the Canonical Orthodox Church. Readers may recall that the Ukrainians have set up a schismatic Orthodox Church with their own phony Patriarch.
Awful Avalanche 
Yalensis : You forgot one additional Motif , which also had a strong Impact on the Decisions of Henry VIII : MONEY ! … When they disband the traditional Ukrainean Church they can also confiscate all the Church Property ..
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Realmente todo el show montado con Enrique VIII era con la intencion de abandonar la Iglesia de Roma que los habia dejado fuera del genocido indigena y el robo de tierras y riquezas otorgandoselo solo a Espana y Portugal que era donde tenia intereses familiares y economico el Papa Borgia. ( alias Alejandro VI ).
Los britanicos le permitieron a Enrique VIII matar a varias esposas, y establecer una Iglesia local independiente para comenzar a matar y robar en el sur con la ventaja adicional de no tener que pagar el diezmo a los romanos.
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Really, the whole show set up with Henry VIII was with the intention of leaving the Church of Rome that had left them out of the indigenous genocide and the theft of land and wealth, granting it only to Spain and Portugal, which was where the Borgia Pope had family and economic interests. . ( alias Alexander VI ).
Henry VIII was allowed to kill several wives, and set up an independent local Church to start killing and stealing in the south with the added bonus of not having to pay tithes to the Romans.
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That’s about as far from reality as it gets. Nobody in England at the parish level paid much attention to Henry the Eighth making himself the big religious cheese to get his divorce. Church services did not change overnight. It’s like yalensis’ once over lightly version — missing the depth of actuality. In the 1550s, England reverted to RC and had the Pope as Grand Poobah all over again. It was left to Elizabeth 1 to really start the changeover to Church of England following the reign of her papist half-sister Mary. Hell, there were still two dozen RC bishops in the House of Lords when she became Queen! It took decades to get rid of Catholic influence, and nobody at ground level was persecuted during the changeover. Just the privileged bishops and their ilk. England is still 10% RC to this day.
Zelensky is trying to do in a few days with the “Ukrainian” Orthodox church what took getting on for a century to fully accomplish in Blighty. The C of E even kept similar priestly clohes and choirboys so as not to ruffle too many feathers among the serfs.
I had to learn all this stuff as a child in Blighty. And at 14, I quit all that sh!t and became intellectually free. Having some dorks with a faith in voodoo and magic telling me to believe nonsense without really questioning the dogma I rejected as horse manure. Western and Byzantine, Jewish and Muslim organized religion’s a business with a hierarchy and a plan for the staff to live free off others’ manual work, with eternal damnation from society and heaven for you if you disagree. What an utter scam. And that’s my couple of sentences summary at the same deep and intellectual level as the Henry the Eighth “story” promulgated above. Missing 99% of the nuances.
With modern tech and spyware, Zelensky can bulldoze his church change in just a couple of weeks. Imagine! A Nazi Jew reforming a Christian Church of a good millenia’s standing. There’s a science fiction fantasy story line nobody could have dreamt up. Fact crazier than fiction.
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“It took decades to get rid of Catholic influence, and nobody at ground level was persecuted during the changeover.”
There was quite a lot of persecution “at ground level”–the abuses were widely spread. The rest I’ll leave alone as this isn’t the forum for it.
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It’s okay. My forum is pretty much for anything. I can barely stick to a topic myself!
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As much as I dislike Zelenski, the US has the Presbyterian church instead of the Church of England for the same reason.
And I add, should you want to validate your Global-Neocolonialist ID card you attend the renamed Church of England, particularly the “National Cathedral” in DC which..is a Presbyterian church…didn’t you know.
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I thought the National Cathedral in Washington was Episcopal.
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My bad…
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Yes, I also thought the American version of the Church of England was called Episcopal.
Anyhow, I was just thinking, during WWII the Americans interned ethnic Japanese, but they didn’t intern Roman Catholics, even though they were technically at war with Italy! What’s up with that?
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My bad…
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It’s okay, you don’t have to flog yourself – LOL!
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funny reading this when 2 tabs over i have:
“Here’s what the Western MSM hasn’t told you. The Russian Armed Forces as such haven’t been much involved so far. Airborne at the beginning, some fast air and rotary wing, a lot of artillery throughout. But the big fighting has been done by the LDPR militias everywhere, Wagner at Bakhmut defense complex, Chechens in Mariupol.”
https://sonar21.com/flabs-gone-cut-the-muscle-by-helmholtz-smith/
i’d say this should be filed under “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. i don’t care if the chechens are wearing lipstick and “onesies” as long as they do that thing they do.
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I agree! Let Chechens be Chechens, is what I say.
In a word: Mariupol!
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One should note, in this regard that military rules can sometimes be bended. As far as I am aware, even the English army made exceptions for their Sikh warriors, allowing them to wear beards and turbans, as is their wont.
Ah, no. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/mandatory-mustaches-british-soldiers.html?firefox=1
Re turbans, I suspect that British officers realized rather quickly that a turban, added to the rest of their peacock finery was “just the thing”.
I have seen a Canadian “cavalry” officer in full dress uniform. We are not speaking “restrained” .
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That’s interesting that the English soldiers had to stop wearing moustaches because it hindered the seal on the gas mask. I reckon Chechens don’t have to wear gas masks, but I have seen photos of some wearing balaclavas.
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I don’t think beards should be a big issue when it comes to gas masks. India has a Sikh regiment and they have no issues wearing gas masks. For soliders with really bushy beards they just use a beard net or a strip of cloth to tuck in the beard.
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That makes sense. I never heard of a beard net but it sounds practical.
You can always trust humans to come up with practical solutions to seemingly thorny problems!
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