MP: Initiators of UOC ban are enemies of the Ukrainian people who seek war

Member of Parliament from the parliamentary group "Revival of Ukraine" Artem Dmytruk. Photo: NL video screenshot

Ukrainian Member of Parliament Artem Dmytruk commented on the situation regarding Bill No. 8371 aimed at banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. According to the MP, the initiative to ban the Church is a crime against the state and the entire Ukrainian people.

Dmytruk noted that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is the largest religious organization in Ukraine with over 6 million parishioners. The initiators of prohibition of the UOC are enemies of the Ukrainian people who must be held accountable before the law.

"In my deep conviction, these are enemies of the Ukrainian people who seek war, division of society, and fire. This is what they live for, these are their main political slogans and principles – dividing our society along linguistic and religious lines," he said.

The MP stressed that banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church would be "the beginning of the end of our statehood, national identity, culture, and ethnicity".

"The actions of the Church persecutors have only fomented numerous conflicts within our state: illegal seizures of temples, arrests of hierarchs, priests, human rights defenders, journalists, and ordinary believers," he added.

As the UOJ reported, a U.S. Senator told pranksters why persecuting the UOC is not advisable.

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