U.S. lobby for Ukraine calls rallies in defense of UOC a risk – source

Logo of the American Coalition for Ukraine. Photo: americancoalitionforukraine.org

In the United States, an emergency meeting was held to discuss the activities of American Orthodox organizations that have spoken out in defense of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Details of the meeting were published in a document of the American Coalition for Ukraine, which was provided to the Union of Orthodox Journalists of America by a confidential source. The meeting reportedly took place in response to a successful Day of Action.

The coalition’s document, presented in Washington, describes the defense of persecuted Christians as a “Russia-aligned actors have found a politically correct way to advocate for Russia in the West” and an “Achilles’ heel” for the United States. The organization named Catherine Whiteford, Director of Government Affairs at the University of Oregon and the St. John Society, as a “key players driving the narrative.”

The report also addressed statements by Congressman Joe Wilson following a visit by Orthodox Christians to Congress last month. According to the document, concerned Christians who were offended by Wilson’s accusations responded by making their own allegations of “anti-Christian bigotry.”

The authors of the document claim that the reaction of believers strengthened the narrative of religious persecution.

“This shows how aggressively the ‘religious persecution’ narrative is enforced once challenged,” the document states. It further notes that the coalition considers it a “standard tactic” involving “priests in cassocks on Capitol Hill” and “icons, crosses, and prayer imagery.” According to the document, such visual imagery “short-circuit policy skepticism” and is “read as ‘authentic faith under attack.’”

As the UOJ previously reported, defenders of the UOC in the United States rejected accusations of holding a “pro-Russian stance.” At the time, representatives of the American Orthodox community stated that their activities were aimed exclusively at defending freedom of religion. Several Christian organizations and members of Congress expressed support for this position.

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