Harry Potter promotes religious hatred.

by Feòrag

The Russian Orthodox Church already has loads of legislation shoring it up but still it feels threatened. The Moscow city prosecutor's office has been forced to waste his time dealing with a claim that the Harry Potter books break a law against religious hatred.

Aigistov confirmed a report in Moskovsky Komsomolets that Alexandrov is studying whether the books violate Article 282 of the Criminal Code, which deals with instigation of ethnic, racial or religious enmity. Violators, if convicted, face up to five years in prison.

Moskovsky Komsomolets reported Monday that Alexandrov opened the inquiry on Dec. 16 after his office received a complaint from a woman in the Moscow region town of Tarusa. In her complaint, the unidentified woman said Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second book in the series, promotes witchcraft and discredits the Orthodox faith. Prosecutors were unavailable for comment Monday.

Or maybe it's an excuse. A prosecutor's office official has requested copies of all the books to read. One Orthodox minister has already done so:

Is it a textbook on magic? Deacon Alexander Kurayev said in an undated 16-page critique of the Harry Potter series posted on his personal web site. No, he said, it's a fairy tale.

Prosecutors Consider Opening An Investigation of Harry Potter - Moscow Times, 24th December 2002.