Nyet To Dancing In Church

Music has been associated with religion since time immemorial. Hindus have sung songs to their pantheon of gods, Sikhs ragas are an integral part of their worship, and the the ancient Temple in Jerusalem rang with the voices of Levitical choir. Even Islam allowed melodic chants in Mecca, however this week a Moscow court had joined the Taliban with a strict verdict of hooliganism against the Pussy Riot for singing and dancing to inside Christ Savior Cathedral to protest the Church's close ties to the Prime Minister and his repression of free speech. Their crimes were 'inciting religious hatred', offending church-goers, and a lack of respect for the Orthodox Church. While the judge deemed the apologies of the accused trio to be insincere, leniency was shown by sentencing the three women to two years in prison instead of the maximum of seven. Supporters of Pussy Riot held small rallies in Moscow, Kiev, Paris, Copenhagen, Berlin, New York, Barcelona, and Washington, while Serbian right-wing demonstrators in Belgrade called for the women to be submit to an institution for psychiatric treatment. Courage, girls, most of the civilized world is behind you and Madonna too.