into the air to disperse thousands marching through the capitol over saturday's massive bomb attacks. police blocks demonstrators who were trying to reach one of the blast sites witnesses say several people were injured only three hundred people were killed in two blasts on saturday. u.s. fact forces fighting i saw a syrian have been clearing main roads in rocca a day after their commanders declared the city under their control the kurdish led syrian democratic forces raise their flag and record stadium after a four month battle to push ourselves from it self proclaimed capital iraq's oil minister has asked the petroleum giant b.p. to make plans to develop the kirkuk oil fields baghdad took control of the oil rich region from kurdish peshmerga fighters on monday china's president appears to be consolidating his grip on power in communist parties nineteenth congress in beijing and a sweeping three and

a half hour speech she's in pain laid out his political and economic vision for his country over the next five years you know to nations as it's considering whether violence against revenge of muslims constitutes genocide wooden five hundred eighty thousand revenge or a fed me in march for bangladesh since august there's the headlines do stay with us people in power is up next by fire. ahead of the september twenty fourth that fall election survey showed a satisfied for the state of their economy this is easily estonia's biggest tech success story the company was bought by microsoft in two thousand and eleven we bring you the stories that are shaping the economic world we live in counting the cost at this time on al-jazeera. under communism the russian orthodox church was suppressed its property confiscated its followers perished and imprisoned now

a resurgent church is central to president putin's idea of russian identity an echo chamber to kremlin policies and to the group so what lies behind these ever closer ties. with. the russian orthodox church claims the allegiance of three quarters of the population. so it's no surprise that blood to me of putin acknowledges its importance. all that its spiritual leader patriarch kirill returns the favor calling the president

a miracle of god. but some say the relationship between putin states and the orthodox faith goes far beyond mere recognition and expediency but it's a much made in heaven. christian activist church has made russia today. others see it as an unholy alliance blaming the all the dogs church for everything from the war in ukraine to providing cover for intolerance and repression. with a stolen in africa. discouraged or even named crazy so what blood is behind these ever closer ties increasingly evocative of russia's pre-code meanest imperial past. president putin's our leader that. given to us by good.

clues to the synchronicity between church and state can be found in most corners of putin's russia take the mike nissen by the ministry situated on an island in the middle of lake led doga europe's largest despite its remoteness thousands of pilgrims come to the sacred monastery which according to legend stands on the site where st andrew planted a cross. but these days the island is also home to a private waterside the. used by president putin strictly off limits. it's a sign of the times since the collapse of the ceviche union the russian orthodox church the scene a dramatic rise in its fortunes. twenty five thousand new. build or restore churches eight hundred one of stories millions of them believe us

we are on the way and now the trend you from europe to question is goes down in venice and going down in russia we have moral trends back to christian roots. every week a staggering nineteen new orthodox churches are either built or restored in russian . many welcome this increase including president putin seen here opening a new church with patriarch kirill the primate of moscow and all russia. but not everyone is happy. you have kenny lebedev is part of a group of parents who oppose the churches illegal seizure and why frequent utilization of a mosque a park in order to build a new church. which is. what it is it is not much and it shouldn't surprise you are. pretty sure that the

most i see you the receipt. like you would need a pretty accurate but when you. look for your new. most sundays he and dozens of other locals gather to share their own position. but to openly questions such developments carries a risk as any discovered in november two thousand and sixteen. his home along with eleven others was stormed by police office. as in much time raids across the capital. is getting to me and. what is. what you are the bridge of my nation when you are going to go because money is the place where you all for whatever money there were if you have the good were the biggest of. which were easily forgotten what you did.

they officers were investigating a possible violation of a relatively new russian law that makes it a criminal offense to insult the feelings of religious believers. the raids were broadcast on national t.v. with the patriarch denouncing lebedev and his friends as pagans and cultists yes fashionable was your last line of it i was there but not with this for me but it was for me one else because that passed out of process of effect. really me it was for the ng is just so nice thanks for the time you took to keep us richard butler peter king and the youth of. three park why did. the new legislation was introduced in the wake of a now infamous anti putin protest by punk band pussy riot in moscow christ the

savior cathedral in two thousand and twelve. when members of the group mounted the altar to such a rise the increasingly k.z. relationship between the church and state. following the protest members of the band served two years in penal colonies. this laws are based on fear and actually all this power all. power based on fear to lose this power. that's why they try to vent everything it means that he afraid of that. we wanted to talk to the russian government to get a response to these claims and find out why it feel so strongly that insults against religious sensibilities should be a criminal offense. blasphemy laws are still in place in

some parts of the world europe and the west put more emphasis on protecting freedom of speech. of the officials we contacted were prepared to be interviewed. critics claim the wide scope of this law has given a green light to religious zealots bent on stifling any views they disagree with. the country is now a war with groups who hold back to pre-revolutionary russia and them on a case. like the all the dogs by now barris whose motto is also dog see all day if.

you do. perhaps the most controversial and belligerent of these groups is sorrow cough funded by most gay businessman. which was. the group holds this extraordinary event. own of muscular brand of orthodox christianity is very evident. it's pretty. obvious they used to. look at that and you. know aren't.

so rocks or cough or frequently compared to near you know sees they are unashamedly nationalistic and say critics openly intolerant of other faiths. and i see it takes. some time. before mr aslaksen at low level to. address your. sorrow or deploy to the protesters as church construction sites. but they are. here. but they are so close book. about this which by the but they are six. david david brooks more liberal elements

within the church feel uneasy about the patriarchs links to such groups. who do nothing go down after new word of god should move more observer system when the bush recently i mean they you. going to there and they're. just doing the comparing. what the question you're still dealing what chance he shows the other two are some of the swiss and. the chemo kind it's around the corner. there. who criticize wrong doing from within the church can face chilling consequences. the naked ski ministry is russia's oldest. when a former monk mikhail bottlenose explains how his superiors had encouraged her husband to abandon his wife and child in order to join the monasteries choir he was abducted and taken to

a nearby forest hung upside down and beaten. she just said because that he was watching videos you look you know you because you are way below you. from group he was there are millions of. what you must. now provide thought yes the store where the give a little bit one thing the creature in the creature at least in the top of the stretch it is not. one of the if you are just yet and you know we're not thinking the same. now runs a website exposing the clerical eyes ation of russia and was he say's is the churches involvement with nif fascist paramilitaries. do you see what's happening with the internet. the former monk believes it is essential to raise public awareness before russia reaches the point of no return on.

churchill thank you for this for your. over there your grasp of the city. but mikhail is fighting against the time. orthodoxy is becoming mainstream. grudged t.v. a staunchly orthodox channel was launched two years ago and posts russia's fastest growing audience. its proprietor kremlin connected investment banker constant in malaysia says he is on a mission to spread the word about god and to tell president putin as our leader that given to our back court nobody could imagine that we would get a leader as opposed to. a leader who can. make so many

steps for russia to be back on. on its values. the horse topic dominating the show jules is matilda a film which portrays on nicholas the second i can and i dressed in all the talk st as an adult for. these pictures can you still that he's going to ask you to take the shooting if you eat you alone cinema has already been torched and last month the lawyer representing the film's director was targeted by also nests. that he will glasgow's like you hold that the soul of. the muscle beam simulate all. those things i. mean yeah i mean that's just a but almost. lost it at the. it's there which is not it

a killer would just rather that this is a. yes but that's a lunge at the lights that create that idea lots of tell us a lot that it's a key feeling you can you get it that. there is nothing to ties or grudge t.v. to the incident which it condemns but in general it makes no apologies for its mission to promote all. the doxy across russian life. that's how aim to help our church we believe now in russia in the pyramid of. christianity look at the west and west becoming to be less and less religious and lose and any values . according to the channel's editor in chief alexander doogan democracy in liberalism is a satanic idea that spells a death sentence for humanity that is the ideal for liberalism and globalization

and political elites that's. united states their western europe and that is. conversing putin is viewed as a blessed. is simple he reflects their russian society and the russian people in my life but you. can imagine you. and your. family be the. crucial point is he belongs to the globalist elite. in that sense he is an exception. because. he's not part of this. and it is enough to create it as a kind of saint. grudged t.v.

pushes putin's geo political agenda its proprietor has even been accused of fueling the pro russian rebellion in neighboring ukraine. pressure for which. ukraine with what's going on last are you happy to talk about that place it is not a new page. and your film about. christianity. squeeze dumbass we don't talk about than hell. myla fear denies involvement in the war in ukraine but is on an e.u. blacklist of those deemed responsible for the conflict. indeed two of my life yes former employees became defense minister and prime minister of

the breakaway tanya it's people's republic. day is little diet that all the dogs church members all heavily involved in don't buy. an ark is a priest as well as being a member of the russian imperial legion a paramilitary group who see it is their religious judy to retake ukraine. show when asked question ok by just a third year the koreans for those capitals all the sort of stay on the borders of just income taxes nationalization i mean the kind of mary so when you hear. about the studio. she has served three tours of duty in done by seeing action on each occasion. but i wanted them cut off so you're forced to lay it out but i think of what i want to see said on the way we're open history. book was actually just the hours of sleep just to be you will. never see

for sure which it wasn't just risky but the most. was not imo sort of finishing it was going to do is not a lot so. when you want to look as i said or thought you fit into that yes it does get sports where it's more than. that. but it's not just in matters military that the russian orthodox church is making its presence felt. a raft of new socially conservative legislation is turning back the clock. among the rules for. ated by patriarchal commission is one which effectively decriminalized domestic violence. lona and her three children are in hiding from an abusive father and husband even starting right out of the last one but also new york. number you know what you know

i was asked would you. are you more the facts just you would always say yeah but you're also not in your own voice in your ideas i should be on the phone. he's not about such a lady gaga. genius has asked a lot mom question have you got actually in your last film on the door. under the new law a person is allowed to beat his spouse or child until she is bloodied obree used as long as the injuries don't require a hospital stay. the most severe penalty for such an offense is a fine comparable to a parking ticket. the church five hundred to encourage this idea yes. i. believe i believe in god. i don't go to her church because

i just stopped believing in people who work in the church because one of them said to me that i am treated the right way and it is all my fault that i chose the wrong man and after that i stopped going to the church. perhaps the most controversial law with strong religious implications introduced by the government of blood to me it is the anti terra rovio law aimed at extremists. it's sunday in moscow and we've been invited to a secret meeting by a group considered so dangerous by the russian government that that activities have been outlawed. at any moment the police could rate this flight. to on. your values and i usually just you might be surprised to learn

that these people are in fact jehovah's witnesses. well you know that. yes every time you may think i have to root for bible what it. is that i ask and frost as a good idea come i believe i saw it. so you knew some of what i believe altered. but doesn't mean you will you could only put in the good news that says he had to live over. you want i do and say you have it not on us but will it. last june fifteenth owned f.s.b. officers raided a private home arresting dennis christiansen a danish jehovah's witness murray to a russian. yes we.

went to. meet. a court ordered his pretrial detention for two months christianson could face up to ten years in prison. for. his crime attending a premie to. one you just saw so he's a lawyer one more of. a chance and that's what you've got with putting doesn't like the kind we do national candidate crew or even increase it. you have to stock it up but. boy you know that you got what you asked me smallpox for but it was obvious that. i thought it was a put city's. forgive to say it's come so used it organiser to bring it looks to me. the law imposes strict restrictions on orthodox religious groups that hark back to the dog days of the

savior jeannine. a nine hundred ninety seven government commission concluded that most top clerics including patriarch kirill were informants for the k.g.b. an organization in which putin was a senior officer and was ultimately control in its new guys the f.s.b. . the church i mean christianity was banned in the us people killed repressed. labor. because they were christians they were oppressed. and now a church is like a forget everything. you're. going. back to the. kind of. the irony is that this is only

been achieved by the use of brutal methods similar to those ones deployed by the communists to suppress the russian orthodox church itself.

the nature of news as it breaks because you can see there in the distance all shia militia vehicles to the gulf you can see all the horizon there the peshmerga telling us are actually tanks with detailed coverage when the mine closed in one thousand nine hundred ninety four many people lost their jobs scavenging is awesome making money from around the world this is supposed to last for a month but he will tell us that it only lasts for eight days if you look around this is the only ford available in this household. and indian mining company is heading to australia to build one of the world's biggest mines will it be an economic but names or an ecological disaster. at this time on al-jazeera.

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