Why the Red Square St. Basil’s Cathedral Google Doodle Was Offensive: Column

By Bob Faridova
13/7/2011

Google devoted a Google Doodle to the 450th anniversary of St. Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square.

A beautiful Doodle to celebrate the Russian Orthodox Church. Swell.

The Moscow Cathedral Mosque — a place of worship for many Russian Muslims of Tatar origin– was built in 1904. This year, that mosque is 107 years old! Where’s Muslim Russia’s Google Doodle?

The Moscow Choral Synagogue — a place of worship for the once-thriving Jewish Russian community — was built in 1906. This year, that synagogue is 105 years old! Where’s Jewish Russia’s Google Doodle?

It seems that America is quick to espouse the causes of ethnic and religious minority groups all over the world. The Tibetans in China, for instance. Why not celebrate Russia’s ethnic minorities?

Probably because America prefers anything Christian, especially in this, the age of Islamophobia, where just about anyone can call President Obama a Muslim as though that’s an insult and get away with it.

Instead of celebrating Russian Muslims or Jews, the Google Doodle perpetuates the idea, held by many Russians and non-Russians, that only the Russian Orthodox community really counts where real Russian identity is concerned.

Muslims make up a seventh of Russia’s population, according to Reuters.

Jews number 230,000, according to the Christian Science Monitor. That number has decreased significantly from 540,000 in 1989.

As a culture, Americans don’t think enough about the diverse array of religious and ethnic groups that make up foreign nations. When we think Russian, we think Christian Orthodox.

Why is that?

Google Doodle should celebrate Russia’s Muslims and Jews in an attempt to embrace the diverse cultures. America isn’t the only place with diversity. Russia has diversity too!

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